RTHK: Japan to lift Covid-19 entry ban for 106 countries Japan plans to ease Covid-19-related border restrictions by lifting its entry ban this Friday on foreign nationals from 106 countries including the United States, Britain and France, the government said on Wednesday. Tokyo has been gradually relaxing pandemic-induced curbs but the loosened border regime does not mean a full re-opening. The foreign ministry said that foreigners from the 106 countries would no longer be subject to denial of permission to enter Japan but that tourists were still not allowed into the country. Japan closed its borders to most foreign travellers from the early days of the pandemic in 2020 and has only recently accepted a trickle of students and business people into the country. Many other developed nations have re-opened to tourists. After the planned lifting, Japan will remain closed to 56 countries, another government statement said. The government has said separately it will raise its daily quota on overseas visitors to 10,000 this month, from 7,000. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-04-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Evangelist Alveda King: Pray for Justice, Truth and Life NEWS PROVIDED BY Alveda King Ministries April 7, 2022 ATLANTA, April 7, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by evangelist Alveda King, she is available for comment: Today, I encourage the bold and the brave to wake up and use the voices God has given us to bring attention to injustices unfolding before our very eyes. Right now in America, there is an understandable controversy surrounding the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice. The "chosen" candidate poised to take the seat is pro-abortion; and to date, has failed to define the state of womanhood. Added to this dilemma, this week, America was horrified to see photos that revealed the mutilated bodies of unborn babies; macabre trophies, some of which were fully formed and possibly killed after birth which were being stored in a Washington, DC apartment. As if this is not enough to curl our toes, also this week Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law one of the most radical pro-abortion bills in the history of our country. The bill, which is deceptively titled the "Reproductive Health Equity Act," actually declares that unborn babies in the womb have no human rights whatsoever and instead enshrines a "fundamental right" to abortion in state law, all the way up to the point of birth. As if nobody understands abortion is not health care. Abortion is death care. All three situations are stark reminders to Americans everywhere of the abortion industry's extreme radicalism. Their demands have grown more and more outrageous as time goes on, even to the point of defending the most sickening of discoveries in the name of "women's rights." Unfortunately, their pro-abortion extremism shows no signs of stopping, and there is no depravity that they will not defend. This bill, appointment of pro-abortion justices, and the dishonored and often dismembered bodies of babies are vile injustices; and abortion remains one of the greatest stains on America's soul. As science continues to accumulate in support of the pro-life cause, we also remember the truths that were written long before the invention of the microscope or the ultra-scan machine: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart," says the Lord. As God's voice in the earth today, we are called to use our resources to protect the least among us. One stroke of Governor Polis' pen has sealed the fate of thousandseven hundreds of thousandsof unborn lives; all one blood one human race; all of whom are unique individuals formed by our Creator in God's own image and likeness. However, all is not lost. We are winning this fight, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Opinion - A pro-life spring arrives in Virginia - The Washington Post. Pregnancy resource centers are trumping abortion mills. In Oklahoma, an abortion ban has passed both chambers of the state legislature and is headed to Governor Stitt's desk for his signature. In Mississippi, the Dobbs case is gaining momentum. And in Texas, Florida, and around the nation, heartbeat bills are mounting. Today, we have an urgent duty to stand for stand for truth, and stand for life. Let us pray for courage and wisdom in our leaders in the days ahead, and continue to hold our heads up high and fight for what is urgently fundamental: the right to life. My uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once famously remarked that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." His words echoed throughout the country when he spoke, and they shaped the course of American history. His message remains true to this day. Let us stand up, pray up, and speak for life; from the womb to the tomb. Thank you, and God bless. About Alveda King: Dr. Alveda C. King is from Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King and the niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is the founder of Speak for Life, fighting for the sanctity and dignity of all life from the womb to the tomb. She currently serves as a FoxNews contributor and host of the FoxNation show "Alveda King's House." Dr. King is a former college professor, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives, is a former presidential appointee, and 2021 recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. SOURCE Alveda King Ministries CONTACT: Brian Mayes, 615-771-2040, brian@nashvillepublicity.com Share Tweet Large consumer goods companies have been losing out in the race for growth, and M&A is high on their agenda as they seek to reignite top-line performance. Despite overall annual market growth of 4% from 2012 to 2019, the 30 largest consumer goods companies grew less than 1%, a growth gap further widened by Covid-19. Meanwhile, prior to the pandemic, insurgent brands captured more than 30% of the growth across the categories in which they exist, despite accounting for only 3% of the market share. Growth is key to boosting shareholder returns in consumer products. Our research shows that every additional percentage point of growth acquired is rewarded by higher enterprise value (EV). Thats why large consumer goods companies are buying small, high-growth brands in record numbers. These growth-focused scope and capability deals now account for 75% of M&A volume among top consumer goods companies, up from less than 50% a decade ago. This increased activity is driving greater competition for attractive assets. Tapping into insurgent brand growth With high-growth synergies baked into the deal thesis of small-brand acquisitions, acquirers often are disappointed with post-acquisition growth rates. We analysed the performance of 56 insurgent brands that were acquired between 2014 and 2019 and found average growth rates slowed by 50% post-acquisition. While that slower average growth still represents 15 times that of incumbent brands, it falls short of what acquirers expect. Some of the slowdowns are natural as brands become larger. Much of it, however, is preventable. When done right, we see these deals generate substantial value and improve an incumbents core organic growth profile. The successful acquirers of small high-growth assets have a tried-and-tested approach that focuses on getting a few key things right: They recognize how insurgent brand deals are unique, they tailor their M&A playbook accordingly, and they build the repeatable capabilities to do those deals frequently and successfully. Well walk through each of these elements. Recognizing that insurgent brand deals are unique First, the deal thesis is predicated on growth. Assessing and delivering revenue synergies is much harder than doing so for cost and requires having unique parenting advantages in place Second, the acquirer needs to embrace the mission of the insurgent brand and gain a deep understanding of its growth model before it can design a suitable value creation and integration plan. Growth ambitions must balance the desire for aggressive expansion with the need for sustained brand health. Overexpanding the targets brand too quickly to benefit from the parents distribution advantage often results in lower long-term growth. Third, talent and culture are critical to any deal, but they can be hard to assess. Identifying key talent to retain is particularly critical in capability deals in which that talent forms the core of the deal thesis. Understanding the longer-term intentions of the founder and how critical they are to the success of the business is key. Broadly communicating the reasons for the acquisition and the integration plan going forward helps avoid unwanted talent churn. Finally, insurgent brand deals often are more complex and dont tend to follow a typical deal process. For example, a small brands shorter track record means that performance data availability may be limited (and often in untracked alternative channels), requiring creative diligence techniques and data tools to compensate, such as Pyxis for online performance analytics. Increased competition from other buyers, such as private equity, and the availability of other forms of investment, such as initial public offerings and corporate venture capital, have led to higher multiples and therefore the need for greater conviction to make a deal work. Tailoring the M&A playbook To account for these differences, successful acquirers have tailored their traditional M&A playbook across each element of the value chain. M&A strategy must be grounded in a future-back view of how the sector will evolve in order to determine the right portfolio play, assess a targets potential to meet new consumer needs, and defend against emerging competitors in the long run. The deal thesis should be tailored to the uniqueness of insurgent brands. Clarity on the distinctive parenting advantage is critical to unlocking value creation. Top-line growth synergies and expectations for capability transfers need to be defendable, and costs associated with scaling small-brand supply chains must be considered. The targets culture, purpose, and strategic values in areas such as environmental, social, and corporate governance must fit with the acquirers own. There should be a clear plan for the founders future role as well as what should be integrated and what should be kept separate. Due diligence must stretch beyond the traditional financial boundaries to test a target brands long-term growth potential and scalability. The value creation plan should set realistic growth expectations to avoid the risk of overpaying and overstretching the brand to compensate. Acquirers need to apply the insurgent growth model, which includes an emphasis on driving velocity and not just distribution. This requires planning for how capability transfer can improve the base businessand what it will take. And margin expectations must be managed, recognizing that there may be higher initial costs and that price pressures will come into effect as distribution scales. Building repeatable M&A capabilities Consumer goods companies that are frequent acquirers outperform their peers, with twice the sales growth rate, 1.8 times profit growth, and 1.2 times total shareholder return (TSR) growth than the industry average. The benefit to building repeatable M&A capabilities is even more true for acquirers that are generating a regular flow of small deals. Given that many insurgent deals are part of a series of acquisitions to build a broader portfolio, creating those repeatable capabilities pays off over time. Winning acquirers establish learning loops and regularly reassess to improve their M&A performance. Ultimately, at a time when the growth gap is widening, incumbent brands need small-brand deals to recapture top-line growth and boost TSR. While challenging to get right, these acquisitions can deliver substantial value. Success requires a clear understanding of what makes insurgent assets unique; an updated M&A playbook; and new, repeatable capabilities. About the authors: Peter Horsley is Partner, Bain & Company London and Federico Piro is Associate Partner, Bain & Company Middle East. American Express and Resy launch Every Resy Counts, Bringing Awareness to Independently- Owned Restaurants American Express and Resy launched Every Resy Counts on March 1. The reservation drive was commissioned to encourage people from New York to California to book a table at independently operated restaurants. A vast number of reservations were placed, resulting in a $500K donation to Southern Smoke, in addition to other resources offered to dozens of restaurants across the United States. The Every Resy Counts, initiative reached over four million reservations, prompting American Express and Resy to surprise local diners at Harold and Belles. Following the launch, Resy informed diners that they would be treated to dinner (up to $99 per person). Servers also informed guests about the news in real time at the restaurant. Harold and Belles is close to American Express emotional core they were the winners of last years Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant initiative. That program is returning this year to provide $40,000 in grant money to 25 historic local restaurants. The awarded money will be used to reestablish or enhance the restaurants physical space, digital presence, buy new equipment and provide employee training. ADVERTISEMENT Ryan and Jessica Legaux are the third-generation operators of Harold & Belles, the historic New Orleans in Los Angeles restaurant. The creole-inspired restaurant has been open for over 50 years. They serve traditional Southern cuisine. When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, Harold and Belle shifted and focused on take-out, relying heavy on mobile apps that catered to placing orders online. Throughout the pandemic, they were committed to supporting the community in the same way that the community had supported them. For instance, Harold and Belles worked on the mayors program to implement a senior meal program, providing over 2,000 meals each week to elderly individuals in their district. Harold and Belles restaurant began with a family connection. Third-generation owner, Ryan Legaux, recalled that when his grandparents, Harold and Belle, started building their legacy, food was an afterthought. They envisioned a social club where people in the community could gather to play cards, engage in conversation, and dance and sing while a pot of gumbo simmered in the kitchen. The Legaux family brought the spirit of New Orleans to Los Angeles, introducing a distinct flavor that is still enjoyed today. The recipes are directly from the family kitchen and were established in Louisiana. The recipes are coming from the home kitchen; this is just family tradition being passed down the line, Ryan explained to L.A. Sentinel in a prior interview. He recounted times in Louisiana when certain meals were traditionally served on particular days of the week and this is how the profound, Cajun flavor and seasoning in Harold and Belles signature dishes came about. ADVERTISEMENT Detailing how Resy and American Express impacted their business, Ryan said, Its (Resy) a reservation taking system and its also a management system, which is a very valuable part in terms of knowing how to stage the dining of your tables and see how can you actually run your shifts. He continued, I want to thank American Express and Resy, who has been supportive of usas a small Black owned business. Black Representation During Los Angeles Fashion Week- BLESS BY BLESS IIB is an abbreviation for BLESS BY BLESS, this signifies the three occurrences of the letter B in the brands name and is also found in the logo. BLESS BY BLESS was designed by Bless Maz, creating a bridge between luxury and wardrobe essentials. The collection has influence in New York, Boston and Los Angeles. The latest collection from Bless By Bless made a debut showing in Los Angeles Fashion Week 2022. The luxury brand looks to serve as a message for love, according to Maz, who said, This is a labor of love, an untold story that goes beyond fashion, beyond collections, beyond seasons. ADVERTISEMENT BLESS BY BLESS offers exclusive luxury pieces, developed around the principle of unity. BLESS by BLESS is powered by the House of Luv Atelier, their foundation was built on 250 Canal Street, Lawrence, Massachusetts. For Maz, the seed for design was planted back in his village in East Mashonaland Zimbabwe. Under his mothers tutelage, Maz would learn two significant lessons he is one-of-a-kind and accountability for change rests in his hands. The most precious moments in my life belong to sitting next to my mother, watching her sew, and being in awe of the amazing things her hands created with only thread and fabric, Maz stated on his official website. The love his mother has shown him is lined on every piece of the BLESS BY BLESS collection. Connected to the brands mission is TRIIIBE, its an acronym for Triple B in BLESS BY BLESS. The TRIIIBE looks to unite the collective community as a tribe, derived from African culture. Additionally, the ARMY OF LUV is a non-profit organization that is under the BLESS BY BLESS conglomerate. The ARMY OF LUV mission is to empower society with free emotional intelligence resources and events that educate on empathy, kindness, tolerance, motivation, and unity. These resources will be provided online through THE ARMY OF LUV ACADEMY which will collaborate with corporations and school systems in 2021. BLESS BY BLESS is defined on its website as a limited edition fashion brand of timeless wardrobe essentials, with fine fabrics and minimal asymmetrical silhouettes. No collections, no seasons, it mainly consists of convertible, gender neutral, ready-to-wear capsules influenced by the traditional African garments of its designers heritage. When the luxury brand debuted their latest pieces during Los Angeles Fashion Week at the Petersen Automobile Museum, men and women wore the message of love with pride. Also, the brand offers men, women, and gender-neutral categories. Black Water Leaders: Outreach Critically Important in Newsoms Conservation Plan If it were not for the news headlines, you probably would not know California is under a state of emergency due to continuing drought conditions affecting more than 95% of state residents. Last summer was the hottest recorded in Western states. And in a 128-year stretch, 2022 has so far been the driest in Golden State history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Then, in March, evidence of worsening drought conditions in the state showed up in rainfall that didnt. Low levels of rain during the month, prompted concerned authorities at the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) to cut delivery from the State Water Project, a storage facility, down to 5 % of the supplies that had been requested. Reacting to those and other developments indicating a need to begin preserving water, last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked local water authorities to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans. ADVERTISEMENT Newsom did not recommend specific actions, leaving regional and municipal authorities open to take locally-appropriate actions. Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures, including having the Water Board evaluate a ban on watering ornamental grass on commercial properties, which will drive water use savings at this critical time, said Newsom who has invested more than $1 billion in state efforts aimed at tackling the drought. Last month, Newsom invested $22.5 million in immediate funds to address the states drought emergency. That amount included $8.25 million for outreach efforts educating Californians on water conservation. Dale Hunter is executive director of the California African American Water Education Foundation (CAAWEF). He says he applauds the governors decision to invest in outreach, but he also emphasized how important education will be for this campaign because of the seriousness of this ongoing drought. CAAWEF is a statewide nonprofit that raises awareness about water issues concerning African Americans and educates the Black community about them. We must embrace conservation. It will become a way of life for us, says Hunter. We have to give people practical tips to drive this stuff home so that people know they are a part of it. For example, the next time you wash that T-shirt, you have to make sure you have some other stuff in the washer to save water. ADVERTISEMENT Hunter said a lot of people hear about water conservation in the media, but they do not know what it involves. Hunter says funding for outreach would support efforts by organizations like his that educate consumers. The governors executive order last week called on the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to consider asking commercial consumers to ban irrigation of non-functional grass on their properties. However, Newsoms proposed ban would not affect residential customers or recreational spaces and parks. DWR estimates the plan could save water equal to several hundred thousand acre-feet. One acre-foot is the estimated amount of water three households need to last them for one year. In California, 85% of public water systems source their supply from groundwater, which, under normal circumstances, accounts for 41% of water delivered to homes, businesses and public facilities. But during droughts like the current one, as much as 58 % of those water authorities may rely on groundwater. Hunter says he understands why Newsom didnt push any mandates or laws but opted instead to make recommendations to local authorities. Water is always a local issue, he explained. Always. Hunter says increasing awareness about water and getting people to become stakeholders in conservation will not happen overnight. It takes a while to percolate down to the average person, says Hunter. It might hit us when folks in one Zip Code can only water their yards on certain days. Water is the lifeblood of our state. We have to make sure we get it right. California Black Leaders Celebrate Historic Confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Black leaders in California are joining other Americans around the country, celebrating the historic confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as she becomes the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson, 51, is replacing her mentor Stephen G. Breyer who announced his retirement in late January. Nearly a month later, on Feb. 25, President Joe Biden announced Jacksons nomination at the White House. ADVERTISEMENT It is my honor to introduce to the country a daughter of former public-school teachers, a proven consensus builder, accomplished lawyer, a distinguished jurist on one of the nations most prestigious courts, said the President, listing some qualities that made Jackson his choice among several other shortlisted Black women judges with comparable accomplishments. She is someone with an extraordinary character who will bring to the Supreme Court an independent mind, uncompromising integrity, a strong moral compass and the courage to stand up for what she thinks is right, continued Biden. On April 7, the United States Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Jackson, who currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Three Republicans Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) broke rank with their party to vote for Jackson. For one, it is historic, and it is long overdue, said Rick Callender, president, California-Hawaii Branch of the NAACP. This shows that Black women are supreme. Watching the final proceedings, Callender told California Black Media he heard from both of Californias U.S. Senators confirming their vote for Jackson. The NAACP is not only putting pressure on our Senators here in California, but all across the country, he said. On Monday, the upper house of the U.S. Congress voted to break an impasse on Jacksons confirmation in the Committee on the Judiciary and move it to the floor of the Senate for a full vote. Since Monday, Senators from both sides of the aisle have been making their cases for and against Jackson. The speeches continued into Thursday until minutes before the final vote. ADVERTISEMENT Before then, Jackson faced intense questioning about her sentencing record, judicial philosophy and even her personal activities by members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Some members of Congress and others watching have condemned some moments of inquiry during those hearings as impolite, partisan and disrespectful. Black women consistently demonstrate our brilliance and determination to lift to the highest level of excellence. This is a moment for us to celebrate as well as recognize that this a historic demonstration of taking our rightful place at the table of power. This goes far beyond appointing a qualified Black woman who has worked hard throughout her journey to prove who she is and what she is capable of, said Kellie Todd Griffin, founding convener of California Black Womens Collective. We know that representation matters to everyone in our community especially young Black girls who have to grow up in a world that doesnt value their natural self, Griffin continued. Now they have a beautiful exceptional beacon who sits on the highest court in the nation to serve as an example of what is possible. Before serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Jackson was a federal judge on the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia and Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She has also worked in private practice and as a clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court for Breyer. An alum of Harvard College (92) and Harvard Law School (96), Jackson attended Palmetto Senior High School in Miami-Dade County before that, where she was senior class president. Jackson is married to surgeon Patrick Graves Jackson, who she met in college. The couple has two daughters. I am standing here today by the grace of God as testament to the love and support I have received from my family, said Jackson when she was nominated. Jackson also paid tribute to Judge Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to serve as a federal Judge in the United States, with whom she shares a birthday 49 years apart. Motley, who also served as the first African American women New York State Senator and the first woman elected Manhattan Borough president, died in 2005. Today, I proudly stand on Judge Motleys shoulders sharing not only a birthday, but also her steadfast and courageous commitment to equal justice under law. Judge Motleys life and career have been a true inspiration to me as I have pursued this professional path, said Jackson. LaNiece Jackson, state executive director, Black Women Organized for Political Change, said Jacksons confirmation by the U.S. Senate is a milestone that will motivate Black women advocates like her to continue the work that they do. I am over-the-moon excited about this major anticipated win, she said. It is testament to the power of Black womens collective advocacy and a great achievement in our history. City Officials Announce Settlement of LA Homelessness Lawsuit The city of Los Angeles will spend up to $3 billion over the next five years to develop as many as 16,000 beds or housingunits for the homeless, enough to accommodate 60% of the homeless population in each of the 15 City Council districts, under the terms of a settlement of a long-running lawsuit demanding solutions to the crisis. The settlement with the LA Alliance for Human Rights does not include Los Angeles County, which is also a defendant in the lawsuit, but city officials said the county will be responsible for providing services and housing for homeless individuals with serious mental illness, substance-use issues or chronic physical illnesses. City leaders said the county must provide services for that segment of the homeless population, since it has the medical and social-work facilities to do so while the city does not. ADVERTISEMENT The actual number of housing units and beds the city will be required to build under the settlement remains uncertain, pending the results of the recently conducted point-in-time countywide homeless count. But city officials estimate that meeting the terms of the settlement will require the addition of 14,000 to 16,000 beds, costing between $2.4 billion and $3 billion. A large portion of those required units are believed to be already in the planning stages with funding from the voter-approved 2016 Proposition HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure to fund homelessness solutions. According to the most recent homeless count, conducted prior to the pandemic in 2020, the countywide homeless population was 66,433, a nearly 13% increase from the previous year. The city of Los Angeles homeless population was 36,165, up 14% from the prior year. Los Angeles County issued a statement on April 1 applauding news of the settlement between the Alliance and the city, and saying it remains steadfast in our focus on addressing homelessness as a regional crisis affecting people and communities in all of our 88 cities as well as in the unincorporated areas. County officials said that since the passage of Measure H in 2017, the county has provided housing for 75,000 people experiencing homelessness and shelter capacity has increased by 60% over the past three years. The county noted it has committed more than $1 billion to the issue this fiscal year alone. The Board of Supervisors is fully committed to continuing and expanding this massive mobilization to create lasting solutions to this humanitarian crisis, according to the county statement. In this ongoing battle against homelessness, the county will continue to use its resources to support people experiencing homelessness within the area of Los Angeles that is the subject of this lawsuit, while also maintaining our obligation to use our resources equitably to support people experiencing homelessness in the rest of the city of Los Angeles and in the remaining 87 cities and unincorporated areas. ADVERTISEMENT The county was named as a co-defendant with the city in the March 2020 complaint, but recently withdrew from closed-door settlement talks in Los Angeles federal court. Los Angeles County must step up and do their part, City Council President Nury Martinez told reporters at a news conference last Friday at City Hall. City officials said the settlement has already been OKd by U.S. District Judge David Carter, who has been overseeing the lawsuit. In February, Carter ordered a series of mandatory settlement talks to begin after city and county representatives indicated they had no sense of when or if they might strike a deal that would lead to a shared agreement with the association of downtown residents, homeless individuals and property owners who filed the suit. Over the past six weeks, city and county representatives separately shuffled in and out of Carters chambers for multi-hour meetings with little progress to report until last week when there were indications that a settlement was in the works. At least twice, a seemingly exasperated Carter requested the presence of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Martinez at the confidential meetings. We couldve fought this lawsuit, but we saw it as an opportunity to build a future where nobody is suffering on our streets, Garcetti said. During open court hearings, Carter has referred several times to a historic schism between the city and county that had apparently stymied previous settlement efforts. The two entities were ostensibly supposed to come to a compromise on funding and other issues before an agreement with the L.A. Alliance could be reached. LA Alliance attorney Elizabeth Mitchell said last Friday the county has refused to participate in this settlement. We will not stop working to hold the county accountable. This crisis is too big for any one branch of government. The county is not getting out of its obligations. The lawsuit brought by the L.A. Alliance had been on hold almost since it was filed, with the goal of forcing local government to comprehensively deal with the homelessness crisis downtown. Settlement talks eventually expanded from the original lawsuit focus of downtowns Skid Row area to the thousands of transients living under or next to the regions freeways, then ultimately to the countys entire homeless population. Skip Miller, outside counsel for the county, has long argued that the county should not be held accountable for Skid Row because the city has primary jurisdiction. Miller issued a statement last Friday saying the lawsuit has no merit with regard to the county. It is between the plaintiffs and the city, and were glad they settled, he said. We intend to litigate and win this case. The county is more than doing its job and doing everything possible to address homelessness without stigmatizing it as a crime. Any assertion that the county has failed on this obligation is utterly baseless. Unlike the lawsuit, which focuses on four miles of downtown L.A., the county is obligated by law to use its resources equitably among all 88 cities and unincorporated areas within the 4,000 square miles of its jurisdiction. But Councilman Kevin de Leon insisted Friday that mental health services on Skid Row and elsewhere remains the sole responsibility of L.A. County. The plaintiffs said that wherever the homeless are located, services have not kept pace with the ever-expanding crisis. Reigning supreme at the top of the Online Shopping Accessibility Index is Chanel, with an awe-inspiring score of 100, a research report said. This also takes into account six accessibility errors and 15 alerts, placing the luxury brand firmly in the lead as a shining example of how a clothing website should lay out its site for the benefit of all online shoppers, the report by the experts at Affise , a performance marketing platform. Affise delves into the world's most valuable online brands, to discover whether the best interests of all customers are really at the heart of operations. H&M also tops Next up was H&M, also with top marks of 100. 43 overall errors showcased the companys attention to detail when it came to online accessibility, which is instantly obvious thanks to its clean, minimalistic colour-scheme. Trailing behind is Gucci, with a less than desirable score of 60. What is immediately recognisable is the brands reliance on colour to convey their message, as the busy, garish site would no doubt make things incredibly difficult for colourblind people to read. Visa and Chase are crowned the most accessible eCommerce websites in the world with accessibility scores of 100. Costa most accessible Fan favourite Costa is revealed as the most accessible restaurant website, while Accenture tops the list as the most accessible tech website. Taking the top spot is financial service provider Visa, scoring an admirable 100 in the convenience rankings. This includes only one web accessibility error and 13 web alerts, highlighting that a great deal of time would have been spent on making things suitable for customers with disabilities. Second on the list is Chase Bank, also scoring 100, with one accessibility error and two contrast errors. Automotive industry At the top of the automotive industry were Renault and Volvo, both scoring 97. However, Renault was seen to have 120 accessibility alerts, while Volvo only had 34. Despite scoring the same score, the Renault website features more alerts than Volvo overall, perhaps due to the website's small text which makes the site difficult to read, particularly for those with low vision. A redeeming feature for Renault is the website's black and white colour-scheme making it ideal for colourblind individuals. Anti-dandruff hair brand Head & Shoulders emerged as the most accessible hair and beauty brand on the list, with a score of 98. With zero accessibility errors on the entire site, and just 15 other problems flagged, the haircare powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to user-friendliness. Second on the list was Olay, also scoring 98. Impressively, the beauty brand also had zero accessibility errors on site, alongside 33 detected issues, highlighting the time and effort taken to make its online presence as convenient as possible for disabled people. Skincare giants Dove scored a respectable 96, placing them third on the list of the most accessible beauty brands. At the bottom of the list was Gillette, with a score of just 45, suggesting that there are definitely changes to be made to the website. Restaurant menu For anybody with access needs looking to research the menu of a restaurant or foodservice establishment prior to a visit, a clear and easy to follow website is a must-have. Taking the top spot for the restaurant industry with an accessibility score of 99 and just 18 errors flagged, is beloved coffee shop chain Costa. Next on the list is Canadian multinational fast food restaurant chain Tim Hortons, scoring a very respectable 98. Despite some messages being conveyed through colour, such as vegan options in green, the website is very simplistic and easy to navigate. In last place is restaurant chain Wetherspoons, with a score of 75. 64 highlighted errors were found in the report's research. Elements of the Wetherspoons website that could be considered for improvement involve enhancing the alt text on included images, simplifying the colour-scheme, and improving the contrast of the site, for people with colour-contrast sensitivity.-- TradeArabia News Service Mayoral Candidate Bass Reveals Transformative Crime Prevention Plan Karen Bass, the aspiring contender for L.A. Mayor, proposes to make structural investments to rebuild communities ADVERTISEMENT Aiming to dramatically change the City of L.A.s approach to public safety, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass has unveiled a plan to reduce crime and prevent violence in neighborhoods throughout the city and especially in communities of color. Among the main tenets of her proposal are the establishment of a community safety office within the Mayors Office and moving the Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) from the purview of the LAPD into the Office of Community Safety. Bass also advocates heightening the profile, responsibility and wages of community intervention workers, investing in community-based strategies such as re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated youth and adults, and upgrading the physical appearance of neighborhoods awash in blighted conditions like illegal dumping. This plan comes on the heels of the first phase of the public safety plan that Bass released nearly two months ago, and at the time, she indicated two more sections were coming. The first plan talked about the fact that crime had increased granted its not to the level some people are trying to project and it recognized that some people in some neighborhoods are not feeling safe. What I called for in that plan is for police officers that have retired or quit to be replaced. I do not call for a massive expansion of the police force, like some of the other people running for mayor. The other thing that plan did was acknowledged that in some neighborhoods, they would like to see an increased police presence, said Bass, but she admitted that African American neighborhoods are not usually requesting more law enforcement, but instead desire a more comprehensive approach to public safety. ADVERTISEMENT Sometimes when we have an increased police presence in our neighborhood, it doesnt really help anything and sometimes makes things worse. That plan also called for the formation of the Community Safety Office and looking at an overall way of re-envisioning public safety in L.A. My strong belief is when a crime is committed, the person has to be held accountable. While we have to do that, I want to invest a tremendous of resources in preventing future crimes, she said, adding that she has always believed that prevention was a socio-economic issue, which this phase of her plan addresses. This second phase of her crime prevention plan also calls for bringing all city departments together with the exception of the LAPD to assist in crime prevention. In Bass opinion, departments such as Sanitation, Economic Workforce and Development, and Transportation, as well as others play critical roles in improving communities through services like trash collections, job training and painted crosswalks. My plan also calls for a collaboration with L.A. County and collaboration with the community. We want neighborhoods to determine what they need to be safe and thats different in different neighborhoods, said Bass. She noted that the county partnership was critical because many contributing factors impacting crime and violence are regulated by that huge agency. The foster care system, probation services, criminal justice, and general relief support all fall under the responsibility of L.A. County. Her goal is by the end of the first year, We would have a community vision that says what Angelenos need to feel safe. In all of the different neighborhoods, she said. Regarding GRYD, Bass vowed to make a serious investment in their work. I dont feel that they get the due that they deserve. They do a really good job. I want to raise their standards and I absolutely want to raise their wages. Also, they need access to mental health services because they are constantly immersed in trauma, she declared. In addition to elevating the role of GRYD community intervention workers, Bass hopes to expand the community safety partnerships. Currently, CSP is comprised of representatives from GRYD, LAPD and the Housing Authority of the City of L.A. and operates in 10 public housing sites throughout the city. According to Bass plan, a 2020 evaluation report showed the CSP improves the residents perception of safety and builds their trust in the officers. In her plan, Bass wrote that she will fully restore the expert validated whole of community safety strategies that build teams of trusted police, community members, gang interventionists and experts to boost safety, build trust, cut police use of force, and drop violent crime resulting in fewer arrests in the most underfunded neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Investment in youth is another area that Bass will emphasize. Her initiatives include partnerships with L.A. Unified School District, community colleges and four-year universities to introduce young people to social capital and networks that aid in professional growth; and obtaining commitments from private sector firms to hire and train L.A. young people, especially those from neighborhoods facing high unemployment. Welcoming feedback on the plan, Bass encouraged the public to review it and share comments on her website. To view Karen Bass crime prevention plan, visit https://karenbass.com/policies/crime-prevention/ Million Dollar Wheels Star Omar McGee A Man Who Knows His Cars! Entrepreneur Omar McGee knows the ins and outs of the luxury car industry. A handsome, stylish man with vision, McGee is literally living his dream as the owner of Posh Luxury Imports , the only African-American owned exotic vehicle sales and rental dealership in Los Angeles, and one of the co-stars of the new Discovery+ series, Million Dollar Wheels where he shares co-hosting duties with Chadwick Hopkins. Million Dollar Wheels, from executive producer Jamie Foxx, follows a diverse group of top luxury and supercar dealers in the world as they find and sell the most exclusive vehicles in existence to an elite clientele. McGee grew up in the business and as an independent luxury car dealer, made his mark as the youngest general manager in Ferrari dealership history. ADVERTISEMENT At the risk of sounding redundant, its important to stress that we are talking about the tip-tippity-top of the luxury car industry where there might be less than a dozen car models available in the world. Here, if you have to ask the price know that you simply cant afford it. And because, essentially we are talking about the wealthy versus the very rich the group of people that can afford these unique, luxury cars are members of an exclusive group and more to the point of the show Million Dollar Wheels they dont just sell cars; they sell a lifestyle. Here is what Omar McGee had to share about being a part of the luxury car world. L.A. Sentinel: Growing up did you have an affinity with cars, or is this something you developed when you got older? Omar McGee: In all honesty, growing up, I didnt hate cars. My father owned a collision shop and he taught us everything from how to start a business all the way to the end. The problem that I had [growing up] is that I had to work on cars, and I hated it, with a passion. The beauty in that is it taught me how to work. It taught me how to become an entrepreneur. It taught me everything that I needed to know to compete in this world. But at the time, as a kid, I didnt realize that. LAS: Where did you grow up? OM: [Flint] Michigan. At the time of my high school graduation, a lot of my classmates got jobs in the shops where they could make 60K a year which, at the time, was a fortune in Flint, at the time because of the cost of living. We were the centerpiece of the middle class. A lot of people dont know that about Flint. ADVERTISEMENT With me, I looked at all of that stuff like hard work, labor work. I went to college and I studied filmmaking, communication, education, and not-for-profit. LAS: This is a very interesting journey. How did you get back on the car track? OM: I moved to Los Angeles and I took a trip to Miami where I saw all of these luxury cars. LAS: Copy that. Miami can do that. OM: (laughing) I got it. Now, it all made sense to me. My father, at the time, was selling Buicks [cars] and Toyotas and to me, this was not attractive. So when I got back to L.A. and looked around, I used the same business model [my father taught me] and applied it. L.A. is filled with luxury cars and looking around, L.A. was like my new birthday. LAS: Facts. A lot of folks in L.A. can afford to purchase luxury cars. So your fathers education helped you understand what makes a good car and what makes a great car, correct? OM: Yes. It was obvious when I moved to L.A. Its a big difference between buying and selling a Rolls Royce. Its a different ball game. When he came to L.A., he was like You are out of your mind, no way would he buy a car that expensive. My family still cant accept the amount of money people pay for cars. They are enjoying the ride but still, it bothers them a little bit. LAS: I understand because, for the price of a car, many people can purchase a house or easily pay down or even off a mortgage. OM: 100% LAS: Walk us through how a luxury car appreciates in value. How does that work? OM: Well, you are talking about cars that take six months to make. Handcrafted. A Rolls Royce and with a lot of the other cars, they are only making a few of them. Within that, as time goes by you will lose some of the cars. Some will be shipped out to different countries. So, if they made 300 of those cars and in some cases 100 depending on what car you are purchasing, those cars become incredibly valuable because of the number of cars released and the demand for those cars. Cars can go up to 3 million. Those are supercars. There is a demand out of this world. LAS: Lets talk about the Discovery+ series Million Dollar Wheels. What motivated the creation of this very interesting show? OM: I dont know. I was actually the last on-air talent hired. What they [camera crew] captured is what we go through. They just placed the camera and let us go. They followed our journey on how we deal with each other and our high-profile clients. LAS: This is a very compelling show. I am in for the ride so to speak! Socials: Omar McGee: Twitter | Instagram discovery+: Twitter | Instagram Miracles Still Happen on Wall Street Meet Darin McAllister, senior vice president of Christian Ministries & Community Development at the Los Angeles Mission ADVERTISEMENT Captions: 1 2 3 4 Head: ADVERTISEMENT By Denise J. Gibbs Contributing Writer Darin McAllister, a former L.A.P.D. officer, FBI special agent and author, now serves as the senior vice president of Christian Ministries and Community Development at the Los Angeles Mission, located in downtown L.A. McAllister had no plans of working for Los Angeles Mission where he regularly came there to volunteer over the years. However, his goal to support non-profits with long-term sustainability, and to intentionally form strategic partnerships with companies and corporations, along with his deep compassion, love, appreciation, and respect for people caused him to fit perfectly into this position that God had for him for such a time as this. McAllister stated, The heart of what we do is for the people, to transform lives, and to instill in, and give people hope. Thanks to the Missions donors, and partners, the Mission is undergoing major renovations, including the renovation of the Chapel, which had not been renovated in over 30 years. We have also renovated the third-floor housing area for men, where over 250 beds have been renovated. Out of the 250 new mattresses that were needed, and prayed for; McAllister said that God heard their cry. As a result, Tim Adams, plant operations manager for Serta-Simmons Bedding Company, and his team delivered over 100 top quality, pillowtop mattresses on National Mattress Day, which was Friday, March 18. McAllister said, The next thing that we are trusting God for is for the funding needed to purchase the bedding, which will be specifically color-coded and will be uniform, to add to the comfort and beauty of this completely renovated area. Special thanks to Tim Adams and his team, for providing this gift. What we saw today, said McAllister, really gives people hope to say, I can have a future based on where I get to lay my head down at night. Im laying my head down on a clean and comfortable bed, a place where many may not have been able to lay down on for the last five-to-10 years. Dr. Roxanne Jordan, senior vice president of Program and Clinical Services, said that one of the things that the Mission endeavors to do and tries to adhere to is to serve the whole person. She explained that serving the whole person involves touching every aspect of an individual, whether spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically. By partnering with the Serta-Simmons Bedding Company, said Jordan, we can provide quality sleep, and promote our Dignity by Design [initiative]. Dignity by Design takes place when we care for the total person. Our residents can now obtain quality sleep, by sleeping on a quality mattress. A good nights sleep is associated with how we process information, and how we feel in the morning, and it can affect how we feel during the day. Every aspect of a persons being is impacted by quality sleep. We are elated to be able to provide that for the people we serve, she added. Everyone at the Mission has a powerful testimony of transformation. For example, the president and CEO, Pastor Troy Vaughn, went from being a resident to the president. Pastor Troy also experienced years of homelessness and at times hopelessness; having to crawl out of a box himself, for a period of seven years, over 30 years ago. However, God totally transformed his life. There are also many other stories that have happened at the L.A. Mission that lets you know that miracles are still happening today, and they are happening right on the streets surrounding the Los Angeles Mission. One success is the story of Gustavo (Gus) Torres, who went from being an atheist on hard drugs for years stealing cars and doing anything he felt that he needed to do to survive to ultimately giving his life to Christ. He became a leader within the Los Angeles Mission and at his church, Fearless Church in downtown L.A. He is a true leader, and he happily shares hope with others who are where he once was. There is also the story of Mrs. Gwen Pendelton, who serves in Emergency Guest Services, and Mrs. Felicia Weathersby, who serves in Ladies Guest Services. Both women were formerly on the streets, but they now serve and help other ladies who are where they once were. These are just a few of the lives that have been transformed because someone took the time to really care. Darin McAllister is married to his college sweetheart, Dr. Judith Christie McAllister, and together they have three young adult children. Darin is thankful to his pastor, Presiding Bishop Emeritus Charles E. Blake, Sr., and his lovely wife, First Lady Mae L. Blake, for their excellent leadership and constant encouragement. Contact Darin McAllister via e-mail at [email protected], or call (213) 629-1227. Mothers In Action and Black Health Matters Host Mobile Screening Event On Saturday, April 2, Mothers in Action partnered with Black Health Matters to provide mobile digital mammograms to the Los Angeles community. Screenings were distributed from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the back lot of the Los Angeles Sentinel office, located at 3800 Crenshaw Blvd., in Los Angeles. Explaining why her organization hosted the event, MIA President Tracy Mitchell, stated, Black women disproportionately get and do not survive breast cancer because it is not detected early enough. ADVERTISEMENT I currently have two people that I consider family that are struggling with the disease right now and I have known quite a few people who did not survive because of the severity of their breast cancer when they were diagnosed. She continued with, Mothers in Action decided to partner with Black Health Matters on this because Black women, especially, need to be educated. Early detection is of vital importance to treating this disease. One hundred percent of the clients served were people of color. Clients were given breast cancer gift bags containing Black Health Matters t-shirts and statistics on breast cancer along with the importance of early detection. Mothers In Action also provided visitors with PPE supplies and groceries. Lilly sponsored this event and Alinea conducted the mammograms in their mobile unit. The MIA president also added, Special thanks to our media partners at Los Angeles Sentinel, California Black Womens Collective, Black & Vaxxed and BWOPA for assisting getting the word out. Along with this event, Mothers in Action and Black Health Matters also partnered together to host a virtual Candid Talk about breast cancer with City of Hopes Breast Surgery Oncologist, Dr. Veronica Jones, on March 31. ADVERTISEMENT Mothers In Action will be hosting more health-related events as the year continues. They are dedicated to proving and promoting health education, screening, and other tools needed for a health community. It is our mission to improve the quality of life of the underserved families in our community. We were within the range of our goal for the mammogram screenings, but we were able to educate more during the process. Hopefully, we saved some lives because of it, said Mitchell. One in eight women get breast cancer. 98% survive with early detection. Get Tested today for breast cancer, and educate yourself on breast cancer awareness. Dont have insurance? Courtesy of Californias Cancer Detection Program Every Woman Counts (CDP-EWC), members of the community can receive free screenings. Qualifications insist that you must be forty years of age or older, have low household income, and no insurance. Schedule online: www.alineamed.com/black-health or call: 1(877)4AN-EXAM. Opinion: Inglewood Unifieds Response to School Closing Inquiry Is Another Bad Decision What happens when youre a vocal critic of bad decisions made by administrators at your local school district? If Inglewood Unified is your local school district, you might receive an email from one of their highest priced lawyers questioning your intelligence and warning you that he is determining if youve engaged in actions that could be interpreted as threatening to people. The following is the email I received: ADVERTISEMENT Dear Mr. Bowers: I am in receipt of your email to Dr. Torres demanding a response to your Public Records Act Request (PRAR) concerning contracts or communications with TSS. The Districts response which was sent 41 minutes prior to your email was fully compliant with its obligations. I cannot tell if you took the time to review the website contained in the Districts response. Assuming it took you 15 minutes +/- to draft your email to Dr. Torres you certainly did not have time to conduct a thorough review of the material to which you were directed. Either way, the District has responded to your PRAR, and your email correspondence is moot. On a different but related note, I have been advised that you have been in communication with TSS and made various threats or comments or statements which could be interpreted as threats. I am waiting for confirmation of the timing and content of those communications before taking any further action. I would, however, caution you that First Amendment rights do have limits and that in the heat of the moment people say things and/or threaten actions which take themselves outside of that protection. I suggest you consider keeping that in mind. ADVERTISEMENT Finally, in the future please direct all further communications to the District to my attention. Your communications are increasingly hostile and District staff and administrators are entitled to perform their duties without fear of harassment or threats no matter how much you a person may disagree with their actions. Thank you for your attention to this matter and compliance with my request. David David M. Orbach, Esq. Orbach Huff & Henderson LLP Recently I wrote an op-ed titled Opinion: Closing Warren Lane Elementary in Inglewood Is a Terrible Decision. The school district has experienced a significant decline in enrollment and closing some schools is fiscally responsible. The criteria theyre using to select which schools to close deserve scrutiny and criticism because they are not employing California Department of Education best practices. Warren Lane has more attributes justifying keeping it open than shortcomings that justify closing it. Conducting research for the op-ed, I made a California Public Records Act (CPRA) request for information about Total School Solutions (TSS), the consulting company that recommended closing Warren Lane Elementary School. I wanted to review the TSS contract because, according to the California Secretary of States website, their business license was suspended by the Franchise Tax Board. When a companys business license is suspended, technically, they cant legally transact business until it is resolved. The school district waited the maximum time CPRA allows to respond to requests and then informed me the information I was requesting could be found on the school districts website. The information I was seeking is not there. So, I notified County Administrator Dr. Torres that the school district was not being responsive to my public records request and demanded that they provide the records requested. Rather than complying with my request, the school district is playing hardball and doubling down on withholding the information. And, to rub it in, sent the email that you just read. Orbach, a lawyer Inglewood Unified has on retainer, seemed fascinated by how fast I answered the email they sent me about my public records request. He calculated my response time and concluded that no way was I capable enough to review the website as quickly as I did and conclude it did not have the information I requested. I dont know if Orbach is a racist, but I find his timekeeping stunt and comments about my response time are. If he intended to insult me, he failed because I dont care what he thinks. Also, my correspondence was not moot because Inglewood Unified is hiding the TSS contract in violation of CPRA. But what is more disturbing and insidious about Orbachs email was his disclosing that he had been advised that I have made various threats and hes waiting for confirmation. I regard his disclosure as trying to be intimidating and bordering on character assassination. Now, if he is referring to anything Ive written about the closing of Warren Lane, no one has commented that Ive said anything threatening. My contact with TSS was only to confirm the status of their suspended business license on the Secretary of States website. Its clear to me what the school district lawyer is trying to do. Dog whistle phrases like increasingly hostile, heat of the moment, and before taking any further action say to me, youre an out-of-control angry Black man and if you dont back off, the law is coming after you. It looks like criticizing Inglewood Unified about closing Warren Lane touched a nerve, although the email does not mention Warren Lane. But implying that my communications have been threatening to people, I feel, is a veiled attempt at getting me to stop criticizing a terrible decision. Orbachs aggressive action on behalf of the school district needed to be exposed and rebuked, thats the reason I wrote this op-ed. Taxpayer dollars are involved. He is directing me to send any communications I have with the school district to his attention and hes surely not reviewing them pro bono. The Los Angeles County Office of Education has oversight responsibility for Inglewood Unified. The public deserves to know why a school district which is in state receivership is permitted to pay a lawyer to try to silence a community member exercising their First Amendment rights. Pullen-Miles and McKinnor in Runoff for 62nd District Assembly Seat Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles will face fellow Democrat Tina Simon McKinnor in a runoff June 7th to fill the vacant 62nd Assembly District seat. Pullen-Miles led the field of four Democrats with 37 percent of the vote while McKinnor was second with 35 percent, according to semifinal results released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk n April 5. Because no candidate received a majority, a runoff between Pullen-Miles and McKinnor will be held June 7, coinciding with the statewide primary election. The winner will serve until December 4. ADVERTISEMENT When announcing his candidacy on Feb. 1, Pullen-Miles said, As your next Assembly member, I will do for our district what I have already done as mayor and council member create good paying jobs, help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, combat our homelessness crisis and keep our communities safe and thriving. According to a biography supplied by his campaign, Pullen-Miles moved from Oklahoma to California when he was 19 years old with $25 in his pocket in search of better opportunities. He did not have a job and did not have a permanent place to live when he arrived, spending many months sleeping on couches while staying with friends. He was elected mayor of Lawndale in 2014, the first Black person to hold the position. He was previously elected to three terms on the City Council. Pullen-Miles also worked on the staffs of then-Assemblyman Carl Washington, and then-Sens. Ted Lieu and Jenny Oropeza. McKinnor is the director of civic engagement for LA Voice, which describes itself as a multi- racial, multi-faith organization with a mission to transform Los Angeles into a county that reflects the human dignity of all communities, with racial and economic equity and abundant life for all. She has pledged to support the extension of COVID-19 sick days and support for businesses; an all hands on deck approach to dealing with homelessness; efforts to reduce the number of people who are incarcerated; and single-payer health care. McKinnor is a former operational director for the California Democratic Party and chief of staff to several Assembly members. The 62nd Assembly District stretches from Venice in the north, Lawndale on the south, the unincorporated Westmont and West Athens areas on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. ADVERTISEMENT It also includes El Segundo, Hawthorne and Inglewood; the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista and Del Rey, and the unincorporated communities of Del Aire, Lennox and Marina del Rey. Regulatory Decision on Class of Alzheimers Drugs Has the Potential to Deny the Minority Community Access to Treatment Late last spring, the FDA approved the first new Alzheimers disease therapy since 2003. For the six million plus U.S. citizens living with this fatal disease, approval of a medicine designed to treat the underlying cause of the disease was a breakthrough. However, it appears very few of those six million Alzheimers patients will ever receive this new medicine because of government regulators at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This agency oversees health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. ADVERTISEMENT The CMS seeks to strengthen and modernize the nations health care system to provide access to high quality care and improved health at lower costs. In January, the CMS launched a process called a National Coverage Determination (NCD) to decide whether Medicare would pay for this newly approved Alzheimers therapy or not. Their draft decision: Medicare, as the insurer of roughly 62 million Americans, would not cover this medicine. The proposed NCD applies to an entire class of Alzheimers drugs, which could impact the current FDA approved drugs, aducanumab, as well as future drug therapies in this class. Given the regulatory governance granted to the FDA by Congressional order, it is my opinion this element of the NCD is over-reaching and creates a divisive relationship between two of the most critical federal agencies in the country, FDA and CMS. This decision would also require certain Alzheimer drugs already in development, (which may have different demographic and efficacy profiles) to be subjected to a CED process that lacks its own data and findings with regards to diversity, inclusion, and efficacy. Furthermore, and most importantly, the proposed NCD betrays the commitment articulated by President Joe Biden in his Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government: Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our countrys greatest strengths. But for too many, the American Dream remains out of reach. Entrenched disparities in our laws and public policies, and in our public and private institutions, have often denied that equal opportunity to individuals and communities. Our country faces converging economic, health, and climate crises that have exposed and exacerbated inequities, while a historic movement for justice has highlighted the unbearable human costs of systemic racism. Our nation deserves an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda that matches the scale of the opportunities and challenges that we face. It is therefore the policy of my administration that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. ADVERTISEMENT Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our government. Because advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity. I know that CMS is fully aware that Alzheimers disease is a devastating disease that affects more than six million Americans, 80% of who are Medicare beneficiaries fatally affecting women like my grandmother.. who lost her fight to Alzheimers Disease in 2017. I request that big government (aka CMS) modify their proposed determination to cover all FDA-approved Alzheimer therapies for the treatment of Alzheimers disease and allow patients, social workers and physicians the ability to make a collective decision in the best interests of those suffering from Alzheimers Disease. Yes, this is very personal as I watched my grandmother suffer from this horrifying and painful disease. Isadore Hall represented the 35th District in the California State Senate and the 64th District in the California State Assembly from 2008 to 2016. The Liberating Mission of Dr. Martin L. King: Living a Legacy of Service, Struggle and Sacrifice Part 2 Nana King, in defining his first practice of service, phrases it as trying to love somebody, which is a linking of two of the central pillars in his self-understanding and self-assertion in the world. It is important that he uses the humble and humbling phrase trying to love. I see that not only as a reflection of the moral modesty Nana King subscribed to, recognizing human frailty and moral failures, but also as his defining loving as a continuous effort and in some cases an outright struggle. Here, we remember, he makes a distinction between liking someone and loving someone or somebody, as he says. He concedes that some people are too mean and negative to be liked as a person. But, he insists on the Christian concept of loving even an enemy. ADVERTISEMENT That is to say, he asserts, seeing all people as images of God and worthy of the highest respect as human beings. He knows that without this respect, this high valuing of others, which he calls love, we cannot and will not serve others in righteous and needed ways. Nana Martin speaks of serving in his time by also trying to be on the right side of the question of war. He speaks here in the midst of the American war in Vietnam and condemns the massive destruction of the lives and the land of the people of Vietnam, the waste of valuable resources better used in the interest of social uplift, education, healthcare, housing and other essential needs of the people of America, especially the poor and most vulnerable. Speaking of today, I think he would condemn Russias atrocity-ridden invasion of Ukraine, but also criticize the selective morality of defending and funding Ukraine, welcoming its refugees, and denying equal consideration and treatment of needy and deserving peoples here and refugees of color, especially the Haitian people. And he would call into moral question and condemn the hypocrisy of the hue and cry against the pitiless occupation of Ukraine while practicing and supporting the brutal occupation of Haiti, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the savage and genocidal bombing of Yemen. And Nana King spoke of the cruel irony of us as a people, still not fully free from the vicious violence of systemic racism, linked in a brutal solidarity of a patriotism that supports Americas policies and practices of using massive doses of violence to solve its problems (and) to bring changes it want(s) around the world. And he challenges us, as a people, as a self-conscious moral and social vanguard, to reject this and pose a new paradigm of how humans ought to relate in reciprocal respect and mutual benefit. ADVERTISEMENT Nana Martin tells us in his list of practices of service that he wants us to remember him also as one who tried to serve the vulnerable, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the prisoner. For he knows we measure the morality of any person, people or society by how they treat the most vulnerable among us. He ends his list of practices of service by telling us he wants also to be remembered as one who tried to love and serve humanity as a whole. Here, he calls to mind Nana Dr. Mary McLeod Bethunes assignment of us to be a moral and social vanguard, with a world-encompassing, world-transforming mission, saying Our task is to remake the world. It is nothing less than that. And this is in turn a reaffirmation of Nana Dr. Anna Julia Coopers assertion that, We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity. The oneness of life and the unnaturalness and injustice of all favoritisms, whether of sex, race, condition or country. The call to social action and righteous struggle by Nana Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a call which he combines with companion virtues and challenges. He speaks here of the Black Freedom Movement, our inclusive, righteous and relentless struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Dr. King brings with him the culturally grounded and morally infused audacity to believe the deservedness, justice and possibility of shared life goods for everyone in the world. He says, I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. But again, we must dare to sacrifice, suffer and struggle to achieve this goal. Thus, he tells us freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed, i.e., struggled for. Indeed, he says, with the Movement, freedom aint free. In fact, he states, Freedom has always been an expensive thing. He reminds us that history teaches us, that freedom is rarely gained without sacrifice and self-denial. Here, he reaffirms Nana Fannie Lou Hamers teaching that in the fight for and toward freedom youve got to fight every step of the way. And his recognition of the cost of freedom also reminds us of Nana A. Philip Randolphs admonition that Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given, it is extracted. And each of our ancestor teachers taught the centrality of sacrifice and struggle to achieve these shared human goals. Indeed, Dr. Kings friend, advisor and co-combatant, Nana Bayard Rustin, taught that the proof that one truly believes is in action, i.e., in righteous, relentless and transformative action. In his last speech made in Memphis in support of the struggle of the Black sanitation workers, Nana King senses his impending martyrdom and he assured us of his willingness to sacrifice his life in the cause of the freedom of his people and the radical transformation of America. He noted that there were increased threats against his life and he did not know what would happen to him from some of our sick White brothers. And he said, Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. Indeed, in doing Gods will, he affirms that he does not fear anyone. And that Divine will is for him, the realization of the shared goods of freedom, justice and equality in the world. This for him was the realization of the promised land, the concrete lived-experience and enjoyment of the essential and expansive shared goods of the world. Thus, he said that our spirituality and ethics must direct us toward earth as well as heaven, so we can improve the lives of the people in concrete material ways with food, clothing, housing, healthcare, education and economic security, etc. He tells us that Its alright to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day Gods preachers must talk about the (new) New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. Indeed, he taught that a religion true to its nature must be concerned about mans social conditions, not simply their souls, but also with the social and economic conditions that scar the soul, of the people, especially those that damn them, strangle them and cripple them. Any religion that ignores these conditions is a moribund, dry-as-dust, self-deceptive and decadent religion. He notes that given the radically evil people stalking him, he might not get to this promised land of freedom, justice and equality for all, but he assures us that we as a people will get to the promised land. However, as we say in Kawaida, he and all our ancestors will get there, when we as a people do. For they live in us and will experience true freedom, real justice, and genuine equality when we do. He ends, of course, with the practice we must engage in to achieve the promised land. He lists as indispensable: unity, institution building, financial discipline, economic boycott, a renewed readiness and a greater determination to stand up, struggle, win and continue to move on in these powerful days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. And in this radically transformative practice of achieving this vital goal of inclusive shared good for the world, Dr. King urges us to bear in mind that there is no alternative or substitute for morally compelling service, dangerously unselfish sacrifice, and courageous and uncompromising struggle. Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org. Tunua Thrash-Ntuk Takes the Helm at Center by Lendistry If you dont know Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, you should. She is quintessentially L.A., a hometown girl who wanted to do good for her community and did. First, lets get her wonderfully distinctive name, undoubtedly a conversation starter, pronounced correctly, its phonetic translation is (two-new-uh) (th-rash) (in-took). Thrash-Ntuk always had a vision for the community where she grew up. In elementary school, I rode the bus from South Central Los Angeles to the Westside, and I noticed that my community looked different from others, Thrash-Ntuk said. ADVERTISEMENT I saw that my neighborhood could be what other neighborhoods were as a child. I remembered thinking that I should not have to move to have greenery and parks that other communities had. Thrash-Ntuk also remembers the love and a home owned by her grandmother. That home provided stability because I lost my dad at a young age, and my mom had to raise two children on limited wages. I understood what owning a home could mean to a family and the security that homeownership brought. Thrash-Ntuk shared that living in that two-bedroom house was cramped, but it was home, and every day she knew she had a place to go. The stability of that experience served as motivation for Thrash-Ntuk to purchase her first home in her 20s, and it fueled her passion for assisting others in doing the same. I empathize with children whose housing is not stable and what its like to wonder if you need to take your belongings to school with you because you may not have housing at the end of the school day. She held onto her childhood idealism, and it not only informed her educational and professional paths, but also it led her to become a difference-maker, determined to advocate for communities with no voice. From South Central, Thrash-Ntuk earned her bachelors degree at the University of California, Berkeley in Interdisciplinary Studies and would go on to earn a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She initially found her niche, working as the executive director at the West Angeles Community Development Corporation. She played a critical role in garnering financial resources to construct the first commercial office and retail space at Crenshaw and Jefferson, the 24,000 square foot West Angeles Plaza. ADVERTISEMENT My name may not be on the buildings, but I know that its there because I cared about my community and invested the time to make it happen, she said. What began as a position at a small local office, Thrash-Ntuk saw more. She saw the potential to transform LA housing, small business, and lending programs through her work as senior executive director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation in Los Angeles (LISC LA), a nonprofit supporting community development in cities and rural areas. Thrash-Ntuks list of accomplishments is admirable and many. When asked what she is most proud of at this stage in her professional life, the achievements roll off her tongue like a rushing stream. Last year, LISC announced the Black Economic Development Agenda (BEDA), an initiative focused on closing the racial wealth gap. Through the L.A. COVID-19 Regional Recovery Fund, LISC equitably distributed more than $150 million in grants and loans to support small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID. With a generous donation from Wells Fargo, the Asset Building for Communities of Color (ABC) program assisted small businesses with long-term growth plans, allowing them to create jobs. These achievements are just a fraction of the impact Thrash-Ntuk has on Californias long-term housing strategy. A game-changer, she was named one of L.A.s Impact Makers to watch and recently received the Wells Fargo Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Award by the Los Angeles Business Journal. With the Center by Lendistry, Thrash-Ntuk hopes to expand the reach of underserved small businesses in developing strategies for affordable housing finance products nationally. While it saddens Thrash-Ntuk to leave LISC, she is excited about the future with the Center. I believe Im leaving LISC at its strongest, in a solid financial position where they will continue to drive growth and progress, Thrash-Ntuk said. A natural advocate, she plans to continue to use her platform to position the Center as a national leader in equitable solutions that support and empower diverse businesses that are the backbone of our communities. Two Suspects, Brothers, Arrested in Sacramento Mass Shooting The Sacramento Police Department (Sac PD) has made two arrests in the mass shooting that happened in the early hours of April 3 in downtown Sacramento. Brothers, Dandrae Martin, 26, and Smiley Martin, 27, are in SAC PD custody. Dandre Martin was booked Monday for felony assault and illegal firearm possession charges, according to Sac PD. Charges against Smiley Martin, who was hospitalized after sustaining injuries during the shooting, are for possession of a firearm by a prohibitive person and possession of machine gun. ADVERTISEMENT According to public records, the younger Martin has an outstanding arrest warrant in Riverside County for violating two terms of his probation related to a domestic violence arrest in 2014. Six people died from the shooting. The 12 wounded individuals who survived the incident suffer from minor to critical gunshot wounds. They are all in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing. We want to thank the community for the overwhelming assistance that has been provided. To date, we have received over 100 videos and/or photo files provided through the community evidence portal. We continue to encourage the community to use the community evidence portal to directly provide the department with photos and videos, Sac PD said in a statement Apr. 4 As the investigation progressed, Sac PD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and other detectives served search warrants at three residences in an area that has yet to be disclosed. At least one handgun reportedly related to the shooting has been recovered. The shootings that have made headlines across the state and around the world happened in an area near the California State Capitol known for its restaurants and bars, a popular after-work hangout for politicians, staffers and other government workers. Around 2:00 a.m., Sac PD officers responded to the sounds of shots fired in the busy part of downtown around 10th and K Streets, four blocks east of the Golden 1 Center where the NBAs Sacramento Kings play. Over 100 rounds were reportedly fired into a crowd. ADVERTISEMENT The deceased are Sergio Harris, 38; Melinda Davis, 57; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; Johntaya Alexander, 21; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and 29-year-old DeVazia Turner. Stevante Clark, a local activist, told California Black Media two victims, Harris and Turner, were related. Clark said he was with Harriss wife Leticia Harris when a Sac PD Captain, at Clarks insistence, told her about her husbands death. Clark said Mrs. Harris was out there all (Sunday) morning, trying to get information. This is so sad. It breaks my heart Clark said. This is community violence. The Sacramento County District Attorneys Office will be reviewing all related evidence in this investigation to determine appropriate charges, the Sac PD stated. On the afternoon of Apr. 3, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said a stolen handgun was recovered at the scene. Sundays mass shooting is the second in Sacramento in under two months. On Feb. 28, five people were shot and killed after a man opened fire at a church in the states capital. The man shot and killed his three children and a man who was with them before taking his own life. No link has been established between the mass shooting and organized crime, but gang activity has been on the rise in Sacramento. In November 2021, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the results of a multiagency investigation into Sacramento-based criminal street gang activity that resulted in a number of arrests. Gangs in the area are allegedly responsible for a series of violent crimes, including homicides. A total of 26 individuals were arrested, and more than 125 firearms were seized by state agents. Most of the firearms confiscated were assault weapons, including ghost guns. Ghost guns are un-serialized and untraceable firearms that can be purchased online and assembled. They are often sold through ghost gun kits. Lester did not provide details of the stolen handgun used in Sacramentos most recent shooting, but the SAC PD chief said a semi-automatic, high-velocity weapon was used. What happened is the biggest and most recent example of what we all know, Lester said at a news conference hours after the deadliest shooting in the citys history. Gun violence is truly a crisis in our community, and it has increased not only here in Sacramento but across the nation. Emirates, the worlds largest International airline has ranked among the top 100 most reputable organizations in the world by 2022 Global RepTrak 100. The award-winning Dubai-based airline is the only company from the Mena region to make it to the list, with a reputation score of 72.7. As the worlds largest reputation database with over 20 years of data, the RepTrak Platform compares companies across different industries worldwide, by analysing millions of perception and sentiment data points from online surveys. The scores companies achieve represent what their stakeholders think and feel about their brand. Emirates is renowned for its signature products and services, offering an incredible travel experience on air and on ground across all travel classes. During the pandemic, Emirates led the industry on many initiatives to rebuild travel confidence and support the recovery of the travel and tourism industry. It also supported communities and economies with the transport of vaccines, medicines, and essential trading goods. The airline operates one of the most modern and efficient aircraft fleet comprised of spacious and comfortable Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft and has recently introduced the much talked-about Premium Economy product, which has won over customers for its spacious seat and legroom, among other features. On the environmental front, Emirates is also a long-time supporter of wildlife preservation and has remained committed to reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact through sustainable initiatives, including blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and reducing single-use plastics on board its aircraft. The 2022 Global RepTrak 100 is the definitive ranking of corporate reputation for the worlds leading companies. The Global RepTrak 100 showcases how people feel, think, and act towards companies globally. For over a decade, The RepTrak Company has ranked the top 100 most reputable companies to celebrate global reputation leaders. TradeArabia News Service Vermont Slauson EDC Honors Local Women Leaders and Women-Owned Businesses Sentinel News Service Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation celebrated Womens History Month by honoring three local leaders and holding a women-owned business competition for startups and small businesses. VSEDC honored three local Los Angeles leaders Tunua Thrash, senior executive director of LISC-LA; Adriana Cortes, co-owner of restaurants Delicious Southern Cuisine and Delicious at The Dunbar; and Dr. Kay Ramsey, deputy director of Five Keys Schools and Programs. Chosen from a field of 50 applicants, six finalists pitched their businesses to a panel of judges and an audience of lenders and other small businesses. Finalists were scored by traditional and non-traditional lenders which included representatives from Wells Fargo, Citibank, Union Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Comerica, Silicon Valley Bank, LISC-LA, Clearinghouse, and South Los Angeles BusinessSource (CDFI). ADVERTISEMENT First, second, and third place winners received $1,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively. The Audience Choice Award winner also walked away with an additional $500. Among the startups, Lura Ball, representing Luras Kitchen, with a line of three ingredient gourmet cookie mixes, won first prize. Kelsey Searles from MiliMili, a lifestyle brand company of nursery products, won second prize, and Tiffany Lauderdale from LipzTalk, an all-natural beauty empowerment company, came in third. Among the small businesses, first prize and the Audience Choice Award went to Karneisha Christian who pitched Puckerup Lemonade, a family recipe with aspirations to be the Starbucks of lemonade. Second prize went to Melissa Tong, whose company, DuckPunk Productions, strengthens brands through storytelling. Structural engineer, Hispalis Polly Blanco, came in third with her construction company, Castor Blanco Construction. Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) is a community-based nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) recognized for decades of technical and entrepreneurial assistance to South LA small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. The service VSEDC provides serves to drive community self-sufficiency, facilitate business growth, access to affordable housing, goods and services, and job creation. VSEDC achieves this through youth education and entrepreneurial projects, CDFI programs, and fundraising efforts. Find out more about VSEDC at www.vsedc.org. Virginia Valdry, L.A. Community Advocate, Passes Away Virginia Valdry, a noted community advocate and longtime resident of Windsor Square for 41 years, passed away at home on April 2. She was 81-years-old. A deep lover of God, family and community, Virginia was known for volunteering her time, talents and treasures to efforts that uplift and improve the lives of others. She was particularly dedicated to assisting women and children in underserved communities and worked with Women Aware and the Beverly Hills West Chapter of The Links Inc. on various initiatives in support of this cause. Virginia possessed a beautiful spirit and was always concerned about helping those less fortunate, said Dr. Warren Valdry, her husband of 59 years. ADVERTISEMENT Throughout her life, her actions always demonstrated her great devotion to God, family and people. I am just so thankful that she always had my back during our many years of marriage and I am so thankful to have had her in my life, he added. The body of Virginia Valdry will lie in state on Monday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Valdry Center for Philanthropy at Southern University, 598 Harding Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A Mass celebrating her life will be held on Tuesday, April 12, at 11 a.m., at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 12369 LA-416 Highway, Lakeland, Louisiana. A native of Mix, Louisiana, Virginia was born on December 13, 1940 to the late Joseph Conway Rodney, Sr., and Rosalie Gaudin Rodney. Raised on a farm on the banks of False River, she developed her lifelong expertise in horticulture and pomology at an early age and she perfected her skills over the years. Virginia was an inquisitive and intelligent student, who displayed confidence in her cognitive and physical abilities as reflected in her academic achievements as well as her interactions with her peers. One of her siblings recalled, Virginia had a very strong sense of self. She demanded respect from her classmates and her teachers on many occasions. After graduating from Rosenwald High School, Virginia briefly contemplated enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces, but instead enrolled in Southern University Baton Rouge where she majored in accounting. While attending college in 1961, she met the man who would become her husband, following an introduction to him by her sister, Mary. ADVERTISEMENT Warren, who hailed from Bueche, Louisiana, taught architectural illustration at Rosenwald High School and was immediately smitten by Virginia. Their mutual attraction went from courtship to marriage on September 26, 1962. One year later, the couple relocated to Los Angeles, along with their infant son, Rene Fitzgerald. Settling comfortably in L.A., Warren continued to teach high school and soon the family was blessed with the birth of a daughter, Andree Blanche. For a brief period, Virginia worked as a circuit board technician at Philco-Ford. Her position enabled her to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in early high-speed computers and modern appliances. Ultimately, she decided to focus on raising her children and managing the familys real estate development portfolio. Virginia also devoted considerable time to participating in the Parent Teacher Association at the childrens school. In addition, she volunteered as a classroom assistant and frequently chaperoned students during field trips while continuing to provide expert management and oversight of the growing Valdry real estate business. A faithful practitioner of Catholicism, Virginia regularly attended Mass and her intense faith greatly influenced her values and core beliefs. One of her children remarked, Although she is now away from her earthly life, we must find peace in the understanding that she is free from pain and in a better place. Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Conway and Rosalie Rodney; and her brothers, Francis Regis Rodney; the Rev. Joseph Rodney, SSJ; and Raymond (Bernadine) Rodney. Cherishing her memory are her husband, Warren Valdry, Ph.D.; son, Rene (Janet); daughter, Andree; brother, Charles (Judith) Rodney Sr.; and sisters, Mary (William) Vercher and Hilda (Ron) Ford. She will also be missed by a host of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great grandnieces, great grandnephews, cousins, Links, Heir-o-Links and many friends. Editors note: This story is the first in a three-part series that will explore the main issues surrounding electric vehicle technologies. Because they power electronic devices we depend on every day, batteries have become an important part of our lives. The main purpose of a battery is to provide and store electricity. Companies have long sought to develop smaller, more powerful batteries. They want to make devices that can hold an electrical charge for longer periods of time. One of the biggest future needs for batteries is expected to be the electric vehicle, or EV, market. The change from cars powered by gasoline to electric vehicles is partly the result of government measures. Governments say they want to reduce levels of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions. The most common kind of battery in use today is the lithium-ion battery. These devices power everything from smartphones to computers and EVs. Lithium-ion batteries are expected to remain the most widely used for EVs in the future. The two main parts of a battery are the cathode and anode, the U.S. Department of Energys Argonne National Laboratory explains. The cathode acts as the batterys positive side, while the anode is the negative side. A chemical solution called an electrolyte permits the flow of electrical charge between the cathode and anode. Positively charged particles of lithium, known as ions, move through the electrolyte traveling from the anode to the cathode. This movement creates a continuous flow of electrons to provide electricity. When a rechargeable lithium-ion battery is charged, the chemical reactions happen in the opposite way. This means the lithium ions travel from the cathode back to the anode. One of the main materials used to produce lithium-ion batteries is lithium, a light metal substance. Other necessary materials include graphite, a form of carbon, as well as the metals cobalt, manganese and nickel. The cathode in a lithium-ion battery is generally made of cobalt, manganese and nickel. The anode is made of graphite. Both the cathode and anode can store lithium. Nickel contained in the cathode creates high energy density. This permits EVs to travel farther on a single charge. Cobalt ensures that cathodes do not easily overheat or catch fire. It also helps to extend the life of EV batteries, which automakers usually guarantee for eight to 10 years. These materials are currently widely used to produce lithium-ion batteries. But increasing demand has led to higher prices and supply problems for manufacturers. So, many companies are studying ways to change the mix of chemicals they use. Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory have been developing a method that increases the use of manganese and lithium, while reducing the amount of cobalt. This method reduces costs, and the element is more available. Experiments with manganese have shown it can also improve a batterys energy density and safety, the researchers said. The demand for energy storage is too great for one technology to fulfill it researcher Jason Croy said in a press release. He is a physicist in Argonnes Chemical Sciences and Engineering department. Manganese is a good option for that, Croy added. Some automakers are looking to another kind of battery to power their cars solid state batteries. The main difference between lithium-ion and solid state is that solid state batteries do not contain a liquid electrolyte. Instead, thin layers of solid electrolytes carry lithium ions between the cathode and anode. The development of solid-state batteries for EVs remains ongoing. Industry experts who spoke with Reuters news agency said mass production of these batteries is at least three to five years away. Manufacturers investing in solid-state have said the technology provides batteries that are more energy dense. This means they can be made smaller or hold more power for longer trips. Solid-state batteries can also charge faster and are less likely to catch fire. At the same time, it is harder to draw power from solid-state batteries. And they can have a shorter overall life than lithium-ion batteries. Industry experts say cost is also a major consideration. Currently, a solid-state battery costs about eight times more to produce than lithium-ion ones. So far, automakers investing heavily in solid-state include Ford, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai. They are currently attempting to improve the technology in hopes of creating an EV product that can one day effectively compete with lithium-ion. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters and the Argonne National Laboratory. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Exploring the Technology Behind Electric Vehicle Batteries Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story battery n. a device that provides and stores electricity for electronic devices, vehicles, etc. emission n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source positive adj. an electrical charge that is carried by protons negative adj. a charge that has more electrons than protons density n. the relationship between the weight of a substance and its size option n. a choice physicist n. a person who specializes in the field of physics layer n. the amount of a substance covering a surface Illegal fishing and overfishing are increasingly the cause of armed conflicts across the worlds oceans, research suggests. Both practices reduce an important yet difficult to defend food source for billions of people worldwide. Jessica Spijkers researched the issue of fishing and fighting for Australias national science agency. She found that fishing conflicts rose internationally over 40 years ending in 2016. She says conflicts often involved claims of illegal and overfishing. Her examination included disputes that sometimes came before the fighting. The Associated Press also investigated the fishing issue. It examined records and reports from independent conflict databases and governments, as well as news media. It found in the past five years, government forces have attacked foreign fishing boats more than 360 times. The AP says such action sometimes led to deaths. During that same time, another 850 foreign fishing boats were seized by officials and systematically crushed, blown up, or sunk. The numbers represent activity across six continents and such events are likely underreported. There is no single organization that documents all the worlds violent conflicts over fishing rights. Environmental and national security experts say countries that depend on fishing, both as for food and commerce, are at risk of greater conflict in the coming years. Industrial fishing has left many ocean areas lacking. Fishing boats are traveling farther outside their countrys waters in search of fish as a result. The search for new sources of fish comes as nations need to feed growing populations and climate change further endangers ocean life. Johan Bergenas is an expert on oceans with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, or WWF. He first warned of a rise in fishing conflicts five years ago. He says the problem has worsened. We are now seeing armed conflict and tensions and strains as a result of fish stocks and competition over in West Africa, in the West Indian Ocean, in Latin America, Bergenas said. As a result, Theres going to be conflicts and armed engagements over important fish stocks around the world, he said. Conflict in Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, fishermen and their supporters protested the use of Sri Lankan waters by foreign fishing businesses. They accuse Indian boats of entering Sri Lankan waters by the thousands, taking valuable sea produce when they go. Sri Lankan fishermen say they have lost business and some have lost their lives in conflicts with the foreign fishers. Protestors demanded more action from the government. Sri Lankas navy already has taken action in the past. It has destroyed equipment belonging to Indian fishers. It has chased away foreign boats. In one conflict, it reportedly fired weapons at foreign fishing boats. Five Indian fishermen were reportedly killed last year in conflicts with the navy. Sri Lankan officials deny they killed or shot at crews, and say they were not the aggressors. Other efforts For many countries, violent conflicts at sea are the last effort to keep foreign ships from fishing illegally. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia try to stop illegal fishing by making a show of their enforcement. They line seized boats with explosives and set them on fire. Indonesias Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries says officials sank more than 370 foreign fishing boats in the past five years. Indonesia, with more than 17,000 islands, is more sea than land. Andreas Aditya Salim is the co-founder of the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative and a past member of the fishing ministry. He said seeing his country destroy foreign fishing boats felt heroic. This is important for my country. We have to defend it, he said. The explosions send a message that illegal fishing stops here. Im Gregory Stachel. Helen Wieffering reported this story for the Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for our VOA Learning English readers and listeners. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story commerce n. activities that relate to the buying and selling of goods and services tension n. a state in which people, groups, or countries disagree with and feel anger toward each other strain n. something that is very difficult to deal with and that causes harm or trouble engagement n. a fight between military forces incredible adj. difficult or impossible to believe We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Naomi Judd died Saturday at age 76. Here are some of the entertainers, leaders, athletes and other notable people we've lost so far this year. LEXINGTON The Easter Bunny just got his wings. A helicopter will be used during the Orthman Community YMCAs Easter Drop event on Saturday, April 16. YMCA of the Prairie CEO Riley Gruntorad said the YMCA has been hosting an Easter hunt for the past several years and thanks to donations from the Lexington Optimist Club, the event has been free to the public. Last year, the YMCA upgraded their Easter Drop event with a 60 foot tower, the event was attended by around 300 people. Now for this Easter season, the event will take to the skies as a helicopter provided by Platte Valley Auto will drop prizes and candy onto the Lexington High School north practice field. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. and there are different divisions, infant to pre-K, K-2, 3-5 and adults. The children attending will receive candy and be able to look for different prizes scattered on the field by the helicopter drop. In addition to the drop event, the Easter Bunny will be on hand to greet children and pose for photos. For the adults, toy ducks will be dropped and some of them will be numbered, those who find a numbered duck can turn it in for a corresponding prize. The event is free to the public, but those attending are required to sign up by Wednesday, April 13 so the YMCA knows how much material they need to purchase. People can sign up by contacting the Orthman Community YMCA. Gruntorad thanked the event sponsors, Optimist International, Change Clothing, Canyon Lakes Brewery, China Hy Express, Heartland Chevrolet and Buick, Plum Creek Market Place, Three 21 Tavern, Macs Creek Winery and Brewery, Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, Majestic Theater and Team Detail. LEXINGTON The driver of a Dodge pickup suffered a medical emergency and struck a Dawson County Sheriffs cruiser in Lexington during the morning of Tuesday, April 5. Prior to 8:45 a.m., the driver of a Dodge Ram pickup suffered a medical emergency while traveling northbound toward Lexington and struck a traffic sign near the I-80 on ramp, according to Lexington Police Department Officer Kareem McDougall. The pickup at times crossed over the median and entered the wrong lane of traffic, which prompted calls to law enforcement. The pickup struck additional road signs while continuing north, McDougall said. A deputy with the Dawson County Sheriffs Office arrived on scene and maneuvered his cruiser to prevent the pickup from causing a head-on collision. McDougall said the pickup struck the cruisers left side in the vicinity of the Orschelen Farm and Home location. Sheriff Ken Moody said the deputy was not injured in the accident. The pickup continued north at a slow rate of speed and left Plum Creek Parkway, entering the ditch in front of OReilly Auto Parts, it came to a rest partially in the ditch and the exit off of the parkway. McDougall said the pickup had traveled 1.3 miles since the initial contact. Priority Medical Transport was dispatched to the scene and took the 83-year-old male driver to Lexington Regional Health Center for undisclosed injuries. His status was not available. McDougall said no citations were issued due to the drivers medical episode. Chief Deputy Greg Gilg said $3,500 in damage was done to the cruisers drivers side door and left front quarter panel. The Lexington Police Department was assisted on scene by the Dawson County Sheriffs Office, Nebraska State Patrol, members of the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department and Eustis Body Shop. The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the world's most ambitious regenerative tourism project, has signed a co-operation agreement with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). This partnership will lay the foundation stone for innovations in the field of smart technology with the aim of building national capabilities in the field of data and artificial intelligence. It will also work on cooperation in the areas of digital government, enhance technical cooperation between the two parties, and provide training, development and consultancy in the field of data and information technology, and the two parties will work to contribute to Enhancing joint achievements inside and outside the Kingdom in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, said the duo at the signiong ceremony. The agreement is aimed at achieving leadership in smart technology and enhancing cooperation in the field of data and artificial intelligence, remarked Dr Issam bin Abdullah Al-Waqit, Director of the National Information Center in SDAIA, after signing the deal with John Pagano, the CEO of TRSDC. Through thiis MoU, the Authority seeks to encourage emerging sectors to achieve joint integration, maximize and sustain the impact of data and AI and provide innovative solutions that contribute to the localization of technology to support the economy and innovation in this field to achieve the goals of the Kingdoms Vision 2030, stated Al Waqit. Pagano said the signing of the agreement indicates the duo's joint intention to establish an innovation center for data and artificial intelligence and support new talents in AI, data, and cooperating in areas related to digital governance. "The MoU includes providing technical support to the smart traveller at the Red Sea International Airport, which is scheduled to serve about one million passengers annually when the project is completed in 2030, with a total capacity of 900 passengers per hour during peak times, and the site will be operated with 100% renewable energy," stated Pagano. "Through this deal, we aim to achieve our vision of establishing a unique infrastructure for the Red Sea destination among the most ambitious renewable tourism destinations in the world, which will help provide advanced and sustainable services, and will contribute to the digital transformation that is proceeding at an accelerating pace in Kingdom in accordance with the directives of Vision 2030," he added.-TradeArabia News Service 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. Highway Cafe, on Highway 51 off Interstate 90, serves classic diner fare and excellent baked goods, but what sets it apart is its exceptional service. In December, Gani Ahmetaj, 59, took over the former Pine Cone truck stop restaurant in DeForest across from Token Creek County Park. The previous owner infamously posted a sign blaming the state and federal government for the closure, after receiving $464,000 in COVID relief. He later recanted the criticism. Ahmetaj owned and operated the Prime Table restaurant on Monona Drive from 1996 to 2008 and said a significant number of his old customers are finding him again. Theyre finding a huge menu with everything on it served all day: breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, salads, soup, chili, steak dinners and a daily fish fry. Ahmetaj said he has people who come in at 7 a.m. and ask for the fish fry. The truck drivers, maybe they drive all night, he said. The chefs skillet ($12.95) can feed the hungriest customer, its heap of hash browns studded with chunks of ham, sausage, bacon, sauteed onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Customers choose a cheese, and cheddar worked perfectly. It was topped with two eggs any style, and toast. The toast, in my case marbled rye, was haphazardly buttered in big globs, but the butter was easily spreadable. The compact tuna melt (a la carte $9.95 or $11.95 with a side) is better for a smaller appetite. It came on well-grilled, buttery marbled rye, with Swiss cheese and tomato. One of the days two soups, chicken dumpling, which I ordered as a side, had a flavorful broth, but the huge, ample dumplings were too starchy for me. A half rack of BBQ ribs ($13.95), billed as home-smoked and fall off the bone, did come off the bone easily, but were rather tough around the edges. My waitress told me the barbecue sauce is homemade, and it was the best part. Ribs are probably better left to barbecue joints. Still, props to Ahmetaj for offering higher-end options and striving to be a well-rounded restaurant. Highway Cafe also serves T-bone steaks and New York strips for dinner, and for breakfast with eggs, hash browns or American fries and toast. One of the most delightful things about family restaurants like Highway Cafe are all the sides that are included. The BBQ ribs and other dinners feature a choice of salad, coleslaw or homemade soup, one of many potato options, and a dinner roll. The coleslaw was a highlight. Its cabbage was crisp, cold and finely grated, with onion, in a nicely sweet dressing. A generous side of from-scratch whipped potatoes came with either dark or light gravy, and the brown gravy did the trick. The dinner roll was truly special, a gigantic wedge of warm, freshly baked bread that my 16-year-old daughter likened to challah because it had a slight sweetness. Its a small thing, but the pats of butter were soft, which isnt always a given. Ahmetaj said lots of customers make a meal out of a dinner roll and soup or salad. A cup of chili ($3.65) was unremarkable, but my server asked if I wanted sour cream, cheddar cheese and onions, and the latter two were served together in a separate dish for an extra $1.50. The amount of cheese was comically large and would only work if you added it incrementally as you ate. The sour cream was an appropriate amount, served in a small paper cup. My server, who was extraordinarily friendly and helpful, talked up the donuts, eclairs, chocolate chip cookies ($2.29) and brownies ($2.99), and I wound up with the latter two plus an oversized apple muffin ($3.25) that was better than your average muffin, moist with real chunks of apple. All three were enormous. The brownie had a fudgy center and thin layer of chocolate frosting, while the cookie was packed with chocolate chips. The restaurants baker, Adam Stokes, worked at the Pine Cone for 20 years, Ahmetaj said. He has a passion to do it. The people just love it. Highway Cafe doesnt serve alcohol. Ahmetaj said he would be interested in offering beer and wine, but hasnt gone through the licensing process. The restaurants website is easy to use and allows for ordering online. A QR code is displayed on the door when you enter, and Ahmetaj said many people choose to order carryout food from their phones. Customers can eat in the front room, which also has two six-seat counters, or in a back dining room with comfy blue booths. Older popular music like 1980s Prince and Bruce Springsteen played at a low volume on my visit. Ahmetaj, who emigrated to the United States from Kosovo in 1993, more recently ran Black Hawk Family Restaurant in Sauk City, where he lives, from 2008 until 2017. He and his wife, Halime, work in the restaurant seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours per day. Ahmetaj has 27 years of restaurant experience and it shows in how he operates Highway Cafe. He nails so many aspects of running a successful diner. And judging from the other customers on a rainy Wednesday evening, its not just truckers who are benefiting. Diner's scorecard Restaurant: Highway Cafe Location: 6162 Highway 51, DeForest Phone: 608-298-7244 Website: highway51cafe.com Hours: Daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Prices: Breakfast $5.49 to $21.95, Appetizers $3.85 to $7.49, sandwiches $8.95 to $11.99, soup $3.65 and $4.65, salads $10.95 and $12.95, entrees $9.95 to $21.75. Noise level: Low Credit cards: Accepted Accessibility: Yes Outdoor dining: No, but may be able to offer it in the summer Delivery: No Drinks: No alcohol Gluten-free: No Vegetarian offerings: Few Kids menu: Yes Reservations: Yes Parking: Lot Service: Extraordinary Bottom line: This truck stop restaurant excels with its service and bakery and by offering everything at any time of day. Read restaurant news at go.madison.com/restaurantnews Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LONDON (AP) In the latest Senate package targeted at stopping the coronavirus, U.S. lawmakers dropped nearly all funding for curbing the virus beyond American borders, a move many health experts slammed as dangerously short-sighted. They warn the suspension of COVID-19 aid for poorer countries could ultimately allow the kind of unchecked transmission needed for the next worrisome variant to emerge and unravel much of the progress achieved so far. The U.S. has been the biggest contributor to the global pandemic response, delivering more than 500 million vaccines, and the lack of funding will be a major setback. The money has paid for numerous interventions, including a mass vaccination campaign in the Cameroonian capital that saw hundreds of thousands of people get their first dose, as well as the construction of a COVID-19 care facility in South Africa and the donation of 1,000 ventilators to that country. Other U.S.-funded vaccination campaigns in dozens of countries, including Uganda, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Mali, could also come to a grinding halt. Any stoppage of funds will affect us, said Misaki Wayengera, a Ugandan official who heads a technical committee advising the government on the pandemic response. He said Uganda has leaned heavily on donor help it received more than 11 million vaccines from the U.S. and that any cuts would make it very difficult for us to make ends meet. This is a bit of a kick in the teeth to poor countries that were promised billions of vaccines and resources last year in grand pledges made by the G7 and the G20, said Michael Head, a global health research fellow at Britains Southampton University. Given how badly weve failed on vaccine equity, its clear all of those promises have now been broken, he said, adding that without concerted effort and money to fight COVID-19 in the coming months, the pandemic could persist for years. While about 66% of the American population has been fully immunized against the coronavirus, fewer than 15% of people in poorer countries have received a single dose. Health officials working on COVID-19 vaccination in developing countries supported by the U.S. say they expect to see a reversal of progress once the funds disappear. Vaccination will stop or not even get started in some countries, said Rachel Hall, executive director of U.S. government advocacy at the charity CARE. She cited estimates from USAID that the suspended funding would mean scrapping testing, treatment and health services for about 100 million people. Although vaccines are more plentiful this year, many poorer countries have struggled to get shots into arms and hundreds of millions of donated vaccines have either expired, been returned or sat unused. To address those logistical hurdles, U.S. aid has financed critical services in countries across Africa, including the safe delivery of vaccines, training health workers and fighting vaccine misinformation. For example, in November the U.S. Embassy in the Cameroonian capital set up a tent for mass vaccination: Within the first five days, more than 300,000 people received a dose. Those kinds of events will now be harder to conduct without American funds. Hall also noted there would be consequences far beyond COVID-19, saying countries struggling with multiple disease outbreaks, like Congo and Mali, would face difficult choices. They will have to choose between fighting Ebola, malaria, polio, COVID and more, she said. Jeff Zients, the outgoing leader of the White House COVID-19 task force, expressed regret the legislation doesnt include resources for the international pandemic fight, noting that would also compromise efforts to track the virus genetic evolution. It is a real disappointment that theres no global funding in this bill, he said. This virus knows no borders, and its in our national interest to vaccinate the world and protect against possible new variants. Still, Zients announced the U.S. would be the first to donate tens of millions of doses for children to poorer countries and said more than 20 nations had already requested the shots. J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, lamented that lawmakers were erring on the side of optimism about the pandemic precisely when another surge might be arriving. Weve made that mistake several times in this pandemic. And we may be making that mistake again, he said. In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases caused by the hugely infectious omicron subvariant BA.2 have surged across Europe, and American officials say they expect a U.S. spike soon. Other experts worried the suspension of U.S. global support for COVID-19 might prompt officials to drop current vaccination goals. The World Health Organization had set a target of immunizing at least 70% of people in all countries by the middle of this year, but with nearly 50 countries vaccinating fewer than 20% of their populations, hitting that target is highly unlikely. Instead, some organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation and Duke University have pushed for officials to refocus vaccination goals away from vaccinating 70% of all adults by summer to vaccinating 90% of those most at-risk in each country, in what some critics say is an implicit acknowledgment of the worlds repeated failures to share vaccines fairly. In Nigeria, which has so far received at least $143 million in COVID-19 aid from the U.S, authorities dismissed suggestions their coronavirus programs would suffer as a result of lost funding. The Nigerian presidents office said help from the U.S. was mostly in kind via capacity building, research support and donations of laboratory equipment and vaccines. We are confident that this will not cause any disruption of our current programs, it said. However, others warned the U.S. decision set an unfortunate precedent for global cooperation to end the pandemic at a time when fresh concerns like the Ukraine war are drawing more attention. U.S. President Joe Biden originally planned to convene a virtual summit in the first quarter of this year to keep international efforts on track, but no event has been scheduled. In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, we dont yet have a final date for the summit, but we are working closely with countries and international partners to advance commitments, said a senior Biden administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly. As of this month, WHO said it had gotten only $1.8 billion of the $16.8 billion needed from donors to speed access to coronavirus vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. Nobody else is stepping up to fill the void at the moment and the U.S. decision to suspend funding may lead other donor countries to act similarly, said Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, director of Duke Universitys Global Health Innovation Center. Keri Althoff, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, described the U.S. suspension of funding as devastating. How could this possibly be what were debating right now?" she asked. Its a moral obligation to the rest of the world to continue to contribute to this global pandemic response, not only to protect ourselves but to protect people from around the world. Megerian reported from Washington. AP writers Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda; Mogomotsi Magome and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, and Chinedu Asadu in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) A man who fatally shot two people at a gas station in southern Indiana has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, police said Thursday. Floyd County Superior Court issued a warrant charging Cherok Ameer Douglass, 37, of New Albany, with the new charges in addition to earlier charges of kidnapping and robbery, Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls said. Douglass was extradited from Kentucky on Wednesday and is currently in the Floyd County Jail, Huls said. Douglass on Monday alleged killed his wife and a customer in the parking lot of a New Albany gas station, Huls said. Douglass was arrested Monday morning after police opened fire at the SUV he was driving in New Albany, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, Huls said. A kidnapping victim fell from the vehicle before it was driven toward officers. Both Cherok Douglass and the kidnapping victim were taken to a hospital in Louisville with non-life-threatening injuries. Brandee Kay Douglass, 38, and Lorin M. Yelle, 43, of Louisville, were killed. Detectives do not believe there was any connection between Yelle and Cherok or Brandee Douglass, Huls said. They believe Yelle was a customer at the gas station and was shot after leaving the store and walking to his vehicle, Huls said. The name of the woman Cherok Douglass allegedly kidnapped has not been released. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Saudi Arabia announced Thursday it would send its ambassador back to Lebanon after a diplomatic spat last year. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported that the kingdom made the decision after the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon. The kingdom also said Lebanon had agreed to stop all political, military and security activities affecting it and other Gulf Arab nations. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the Saudi decision. We affirm that Lebanon is proud of its Arab affiliation and wants the best relations with the Gulf states, which were and will remain our support, Mikati wrote on Twitter. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador in 2021 after the Lebanese information minister at the time described the war in Yemen as an aggression by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemens Houthi rebels there since March 2015. The row was one of the worst rifts between Gulf Arab nations and Lebanon in years. Relations have been strained over growing Iranian influence in the small nation, where Saudi Arabia has traditionally been a powerful ally. Last December, Frances president and Saudi Arabias crown prince held a joint phone call with Lebanons prime minister during Emmanuel Macrons visit to the kingdom to try to ease tensions between Beirut and Riyadh. But in January, the leader of Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, responded by accusing Riyadh of helping spread extremist Islamic ideology worldwide and taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the oil-rich Persian Gulf region hostage. Lebanon is struggling with an economic crisis that began in October 2019, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement. The meltdown has left three-quarters of the small Mediterranean countrys population of 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, in poverty. The Saudi announcement came amid the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and as the kingdom appears to be recalibrating its diplomatic approach in the wider Mideast. Already, Turkey has dropped a trial targeting those who killed Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi dismembered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018 as it seeks economic ties with the kingdom. Meanwhile, the kingdom has also hosted talks with Yemeni government officials and pro-government factions this month that saw that countrys exiled president cede power to a presidential council on Thursday in hopes of ending the Saudi-led coalition's long war with Yemens Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthis declined to attend the talks as they took place in Saudi Arabia, their adversary in the conflict. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Roseville, California faces sustained pushback for platforming RSSs international wing. Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles UNITED STATES When Roseville, a quiet suburb of Californias capital city of Sacramento, platformed and praised the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) in late 2021, they were not only unaware that HSS is the international wing of Indias Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) paramilitary but also the embarrassment that their act would cause the city. On 17 November 2021, the Roseville City Council presented a proclamation to the Greater Sacramento branch of HSS which praised them for celebrating the festival of Diwali by renewing their commitment to upholding values of truth, non-harming, and restraint through their thoughts, words, and actions. The irony of applying such words to the HSS must have escaped city officials. Yet as I noted when I attended city council in December 2021, the proclamation was presented no doubt in innocent ignorance of the groups ties to its parent organization, the violent RSS. Explaining that the RSS has a track-record dating back to at least 1947 of constantly and violently putting into practice its belief that Christians and Muslims, especially, are foreign elements and traitors to the nation who must be cleansed from the land, I warned: That the City of Roseville, albeit unwittingly, chose Diwali the Hindu Festival of Lights which celebrates tolerance, compassion, and the victory of good over evil as the occasion to honor the international wing of the most xenophobic and genocidal organization in India serves, unintentionally but tragically, as an insult not only to the countless victims of the RSS but also as an insult to the vast diversity and traditional pluralism of the Hindu religion itself. The city responded with silence. My protest did not go unnoticed by the local HSS, however. They responded with outrage, returning to Roseville City Council on 19 January 2022 to defend themselves. A politically-motivated individual made hateful and extremely inflammatory allegations on HSS, complained a representative of the outfit. The words used in relation to Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh like fascism and paramilitary are baseless, venomous allegations. As per the HSS-RSSs typical modus operandi, the HSS representative attempted to muddy the waters and move the goalpost. My remarks had accurately described the RSS, not the HSS, as a paramilitary with a fascist agenda. The HSS, I clearly explained, is the RSSs international wing. Reacting to the emotions expressed rather than relying on facts, Roseville Mayor Krista Bernasconi apologized to the HSS for any hurt my remarks may have caused and affirmed that the city continues to stand by the proclamation it presented the outfit. So I returned to educate the city further. It has now been over three months since the City of Roseville platformed and praised the HSS, which is the international wing of Indias deeply controversial RSS paramilitary, I said on 16 February 2022. Thats certainly enough time for this council to have sought and found answers to the only questions which matter: what is the HSS, what is the RSS, and are or are they not connected to each other? Noting that even the most basic research, such as a short internet search, quickly and easily reveals the HSSs links to the RSS, I pointed out that multiple photos from HSS-Sacramentos events dating as far back as 2013 reveal that, just like the HSS in most of the rest of the world, they routinely display garlanded pictures of the RSSs earliest leaders. Most notably, that includes a picture of RSSs longest-serving and most influential chief, MS Golwalkar, who notoriously praised the Nazi treatment of the Jews as a model for the RSS to follow in India. The city council, however, appeared completely unfazed. Yet their silence did little to benefit the citys regional reputation. In response to their inaction, I had already begun visiting neighboring local governmental bodies. Its easier to avoid a mistake than it is to apologize for one, I told the neighboring City of Rocklin on 8 February. Some very simple research could have helped Roseville avoid controversy. Considering that (and the strong possibility that the HSS may approach other cities in Placer County in their search for legitimization through governmental recognition), I am here, out of courtesy, to offer the fine City of Rocklin some precautionary background. Following, I extensively detailed for Rocklin how Indian media outlets, Indian-American journalists, academics, and even the HSS itself acknowledge the HSSs foundational links to the RSS. On 14 February, I expanded on HSSs background when speaking to the City of Auburn, which serves as the county seat of Placer County, a mostly rural county which includes Roseville. The HSS is the international wing of the RSS, I said. There is no denying that the two groups are connected. So what is the RSS? Answering that question, I cited multiple international as well as Indian scholars who all agree that the RSS is a paramilitary, is militant, is fascistic, and advocates for an ethno-nationalist Hindu state in India. I further cited major international human rights groups and an entity of the US State Department which all accuse the RSS of inciting as well as being directly involved in anti-minority violence. From there, I wrapped things up on 22 February at the Placer County Board of Supervisors, where I examined why the HSS desires legitimization from local governments. While the RSSs cadres are doing the dirty work in India, the HSS in our country is doing its damndest to ensure that no one in America pays any attention whatsoever to the monster behind the curtain, I warned. As I discussed how HSS stages rallies in America to support the RSSs agenda in India, how its leadership backs US politicians who will also help serve that agenda, and how they were even crucial to getting their preferred candidates elected in India, I concluded: Getting legitimized by local governments in America helps whitewash the HSS so that they can more effectively deny the reality that the RSSs hands are blood-stained. And yet, the City of Roseville still maintained its silence in the face of the growing controversy over its platforming and praising of the HSS. So, returning once more on 16 March, I admonished the council: The city, despite repeatedly being presented with incontrovertible evidence that the HSS is the international wing of Indias violent, Hindu nationalist RSS paramilitary, has steadfastly and stubbornly refused to admit that it made a mistake. HSS leadership played a pivotal role in electing Modi (an RSS member) as Prime Minister of India, despite the fact that he was, at the time, banned from the US due to his reputation as the Butcher of Gujarat, I explained. The City of Roseville can no longer plead innocent ignorance about the true nature of the HSS, I said. Yes, it is the international wing of a violent paramilitary; and yes, it is also an outfit whose leadership engage in Indian political activities to back a politician whose hands are soaked with innocent blood. After speaking at Roseville City Council three times in four months, and advising three other local governmental bodies not to make the same mistake that Roseville did, one wonders just how much longer the city will maintain its silence. Rosevilles platforming and praising of the HSS has done nothing but indirectly enable and empower the RSSs ongoing and expanding agenda of bloodshed in India, I told the council. Its time the city admits that it made a mistake. No doubt the city fears the potential political fallout from backtracking on its endorsement of HSS. Would such fallout, however, be greater than the embarrassment the city now faces for not only embracing the international wing of a violent paramilitary outfit but continuing to stand by its decision? Its impossible to say for sure, but one thing is certain: as long as Roseville, especially now it is fully aware of the true nature of the HSS-RSS, maintains its silence, it will continue to court controversy over the issue. Pieter Friedrich is a freelance journalist specializing in analysis of South Asian affairs. He tweets at @FriedrichPieter WASHINGTON (AP) Kyiv was a Russian defeat for the ages. The fight started poorly for the invaders and went downhill from there. When President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Feb. 24 after months of buildup on Ukraine's borders, he sent hundreds of helicopter-borne commandos the best of the best of Russia's spetsnaz special forces soldiers to assault and seize a lightly defended airfield on Kyiv's doorstep. Other Russian forces struck elsewhere across Ukraine, including toward the eastern city of Kharkiv as well as in the contested Donbas region and along the Black Sea coast. But as the seat of national power, Kyiv was the main prize. Thus the thrust by elite airborne forces in the war's opening hours. But Putin failed to achieve his goal of quickly crushing Ukraines outgunned and outnumbered army. The Russians were ill-prepared for Ukrainian resistance, proved incapable of adjusting to setbacks, failed to effectively combine air and land operations, misjudged Ukraines ability to defend its skies, and bungled basic military functions like planning and executing the movement of supplies. Thats a really bad combination if you want to conquer a country, said Peter Mansoor, a retired Army colonel and professor of military history at Ohio State University. For now at least, Putin's forces have shifted away from Kyiv, to eastern Ukraine. Ultimately, the Russian leader may achieve some of his objectives. Yet his failure to seize Kyiv will be long remembered for how it defied prewar expectations and exposed surprising weaknesses in a military thought to be one of the strongest in the world. Its stunning, said military historian Frederick Kagan of the the American Enterprise Institutes Critical Threats Project, who says he knows of no parallel to a major military power like Russia invading a country at the time of its choosing and failing so utterly. On the first morning of the war, Russian Mi-8 assault helicopters soared south toward Kyiv on a mission to attack Hostomel airfield on the northwest outskirts of the capital. By capturing the airfield, also known as Antonov airport, the Russians planned to establish a base from which to fly in more troops and light armored vehicles within striking distance of the heart of the nation's largest city. It didnt work that way. Several Russian helicopters were reported to be hit by missiles even before they got to Hostomel, and once settled in at the airfield they suffered heavy losses from artillery fire. An effort to take control of a military airbase in Vasylkiv south of Kyiv also met stiff resistance and reportedly saw several Russian Il-76 heavy-lift transport planes carrying paratroopers downed by Ukrainian defenses. Although the Russians eventually managed to control Hostomel airfield, the Ukrainians' fierce resistance in the capital region forced a rethinking of an invasion plan that was based on an expectation the Ukrainians would quickly fold, the West would dither, and Russian forces would have an easy fight. Air assault missions behind enemy lines, like the one executed at Hostomel, are risky and difficult, as the U.S. Army showed on March 24, 2003, when it sent more than 30 Apache attack helicopters into Iraq from Kuwait to strike an Iraqi Republican Guard division. On their way, the Apaches encountered small arms and anti-aircraft fire that downed one of the helos, damaged others and forced the mission to be aborted. Even so, the U.S. military recovered from that setback and soon captured Baghdad. The fact that the Hostomel assault by the Russian 45th Guards Special Purpose Airborne Brigade faltered might not stand out in retrospect if the broader Russian effort had improved from that point. But it did not. The Russians did make small and unsuccessful probes into the heart of Kyiv, and later they tried at great cost to encircle the capital by arcing farther west. Against enormous odds, the Ukrainians held their ground and fought back, stalling the Russians, and put to effective use a wide array of Western arms, including Javelin portable anti-tank weapons, shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and much more. Last week the Russians abandoned Hostomel airfield as part of a wholesale retreat into Belarus and Russia. A sidelight of the battle for Kyiv was the widely reported saga of a Russian resupply convoy that stretched dozens of miles along a main roadway toward the capital. It initially seemed to be a worrisome sign for the Ukrainians, but they managed to attack elements of the convoy, which had limited off-road capability and thus eventually dispersed or otherwise became a non-factor in the fight. They never really provided a resupply of any value to Russian forces that were assembling around Kyiv, never really came to their aid, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. The Ukrainians put a stop to that convoy pretty quickly by being very nimble, knocking out bridges, hitting lead vehicles and stopping their movement. Mansoor says the Russians underestimated the number of troops they would need and showed an astonishing inability to perform basic military functions. They vastly misjudged what it would take to win the battle for Kyiv, he says. This was going to be hard even if the Russian army had proven itself to be competent, he said. Its proven itself to be wholly incapable of conducting modern armored warfare. Putin was not the only one surprised by his armys initial failures. U.S. and other Western officials had figured that if the invasion happened, Russias seemingly superior forces would slice through Ukraines army like a hot knife through butter. They might seize Kyiv in a few days and the whole country in a few weeks, although some analysts did question whether Putin appreciated how much Ukraine's forces had gained from Western training that intensified after Putin's 2014 seizure of Crimea and incursion into the Donbas. On March 25, barely a month after the invasion began, the Russians declared they had achieved their goals in the Kyiv region and would shift focus to the separatist Donbas area in eastern Ukraine. Some suspected a Putin ploy to buy time without giving up his maximalist aims, but within days the Kyiv retreat was in full view. Putin may yet manage to refocus his war effort on a narrower goal of expanding Russian control in the Donbas and perhaps securing a land corridor from the Donbas to the Crimean Peninsula. But his failure in Kyiv revealed weaknesses that suggest Russia is unlikely to try again soon to take down the national capital. I think they learned their lesson, said Mansoor. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A Madison-based architectural stone cutter and supplier is planning a move to its soon-to-be-built production and corporate headquarters in Sun Prairie a project worth $17.9 million that is expected create more than 34 jobs in the region over the next three years, the company said Wednesday. Founded in 1998, Quarra Stone Company provides custom-cut stone for architects, artists and masons for use in building projects all over the nation. The business is the only North American distributor of a grey quartzite found in Switzerland, as well as a type of limestone found in Spain. Some recent local project involvements of the companys include the finished UW-Madison chemistry building, as well as restorations to the Wisconsin State Capitol in Downtown, said Quarra founder James Durham. In other parts of the U.S., Quarra plans to help with the construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, which is a library that broke ground last September and is to be located on the south side of Chicago in Jackson Park. The growing demand for Quarras products and services is the main motivation behind the new headquarters, Durham said, adding that the intention is to fully move from Madison to the Sun Prairie Business Park, located on the northern section of Highway 151. Once completed, the 65,500-square-foot, one-story facility would allow Quarras production and management staff to operate under one roof, and have improved production capabilities. Our new facility is designed by Snohetta architects, a Norwegian firm with offices in the U.S., he said, adding that Sun Prairie is an accommodating area for development. To have them as our architect is unheard of and its probably the most highly designed building in the state of Wisconsin. It will enable us to make much bigger, heavier stones, which is what our market is now asking for. The new Quarra headquarters, according to design plans, is expected to feature an external stone facade with varying gray tones. Internally, the facility would have space for both the robotic and hand carving of stones, as well as offices. The build is part of a 25-acre campus, Durham said, adding that as many as five building additions are planned for the next few years. Crews are to break ground on the headquarters project in the next two months, Durham said, adding that construction will take around 14 months to complete. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is supporting Quarras project by authorizing up to $350,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years, the organization said. But the actual tax credit amount Quarra receives is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period, WEDC said. An economic modeling study showed that the project could indirectly create 25 additional jobs in the Dane County region, WEDC said. The 59 jobs are expected to generate $128,104 in state income tax revenue over a five-year period. The added jobs are set to include a mix of robotic programming, computer operating, sculpting positions, as well as some administrative roles, Durham said. Also funding the project is $975,000 in tax subsidies from the city of Sun Prairie, said community development director Scott Kugler. The tax subsidies known as tax increment financing, or TIF are a tool many municipal governments use to attract business development. Through the use of TIF, governments can divert future property tax revenue from a defined area toward a project like Quarras, Kugler explained. The rest of the money will come from bank loans and equity generated by Quarra Stone Company, Durham said. Of the impact Quarras eventual move to Sun Prairie will have on the city, Kugler said the company not only brings economic development opportunities, but also some uniqueness in terms of its line of work, which has in the past impressed local government officials. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After viewers nationwide logged on to the livestream of a gruesome double homicide trial in January, both defense attorneys and prosecutors are asking a judge to ban the livestreaming of another such trial in May. Attorneys for Khari Sanford charged with the execution-style slaying of his former girlfriends parents in March 2020 argue that livestreaming their clients trial could taint the jury, affect witness testimony and ultimately deprive Sanford of a fair trial. The nature of the charges here are abnormally salacious, Sanford attorney Crystal Vera writes in a March 1 motion. The American public is notoriously shameless in its acute interest in the details of violent crime and in homicide in particular. Jurors are routinely told not to discuss the case theyre hearing outside the courtroom or to consume news about it tasks made that much more difficult when the trial is made available in real time to people around the world, Vera points out. She also said witnesses might be reluctant to testify if they know thousands of people will be watching and the jury could feel pressured to convict even if the state doesnt prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The fact that there is a single suspect being tried for the crimes charged creates immense bias amongst the public to assume that simply because Mr. Sanford is charged, he must be convicted, Vera writes, and jurors could face personal judgement from their loved ones if they fail to convict him. The defenses motion comes after the week-and-a-half trial of Chandler Halderson in January. He was convicted of killing and dismembering his parents, then trying to burn their body parts in the family fireplace before dumping them around southern Wisconsin and then concocting a story to cover up the crimes. Local television stations and national outlets Court TV and the Law & Crime Network were allowed to livestream most of that trial, with the Law & Crime Network at one point broadcasting images of Haldersons fathers severed torso, which drew a rebuke from defense attorneys. Thursdays hearing was mostly devoted to motions by the state and defense regarding whether certain pieces of evidence would be allowed at trial. But prior to the hearing, Circuit Judge Ellen Berz issued an order prohibiting broadcasters from livestreaming it or from using more than 10 seconds of the hearing in any broadcast. She also ordered that any other recorded material from the hearing be deleted within 24 hours and that none of the material from the hearing be shared with any other organization or person. Three Madison TV stations and broadcast news advocacy groups are challenging the order, WISC-TV reported. Deputy District Attorney William Brown backed the defenses motion in the Sanford case in a Tuesday letter to Berz in which he called livestreaming the case judicial voyeurism that promotes conspiracy theories, stalkers and self-promotion. He said that in the Halderson case, female witnesses and attorneys in particular were subject to vulgar criticism online, while those who appeared nervous or couldnt recall an answer were tarred as liars or co-conspirators in the killings. An attorney for Madison ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates and the industry group Radio Television Digital News Association has asked to weigh in on the defense motion. Berz on Thursday set an April 15 deadline for that and an April 29 deadline for the state and the defenses responses. Sanfords attorneys are asking that if Berz allows livestreaming, the jury be sequestered and barred from consuming news media or using electronic devices. Prosecutors believe Sanford and co-defendant Alijah Larrue, both 20, kidnapped Dr. Beth Potter, 52, and her husband, Robin Carre, 57, from their Near West Side Madison home in late March 2020, then took them to the UW Arboretum where Sanford shot them both. Sanford had been dating one of the couples three children, Miriam Potter Carre, and at the time was living with Potter Carre at an Airbnb rented for the couple by the victims and using a minivan the victims had lent their daughter, according to a criminal complaint in the case. Prosecutors allege Sanford and Potter Carre were not getting along with Potter Carres parents. Larrue pleaded guilty to lesser, felony murder charges in May 2021 and is expected to testify at Sanfords trial, which is scheduled to begin May 16 and last two weeks. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One of two men charged in the shooting death of a Fitchburg man just outside the Dane County Jail on March 30 was hospitalized on Wednesday, Dane County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Elise Schaffer said Thursday. Schaffer couldn't provide any details on Amond Galtneys hospitalization, beyond saying he remained in the hospital Thursday morning and in the custody of the Dane County Sheriff's Office. Demone Cummins, 20, of Chicago, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Dwayne Lee Collins Jr., 32, along with possession of heroin with intent to deliver. Galtney, 25, of Madison, was charged with being a party to first-degree intentional homicide and attempting to elude police. Galtney is alleged to have been the driver of a Ford Explorer SUV that he and Cummins drove from the shooting scene on South Carroll Street, just outside the jail and across the street from the Madison Police Departments Central District station. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Madison police arrested a Memorial High School student Tuesday on tentative arson charges for allegedly lighting a plastic sign on fire at the school. Officers responded to the arson incident at Memorial around 1:25 p.m., police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said. Video showed the student, a 14-year-old boy, lighting a plastic placard that was hanging on a wall on fire with a lighter, causing about $150 in damage to a nearby door, Fryer said. The student is also accused of lighting two small fires in trash cans in two separate bathrooms at Memorial in early March, Fryer said. Those fires were quickly extinguished. Police were not involved in the fires set in March. Madison School District spokesperson Tim LeMonds said at that time that staff were working to determine consequences for the boy through the districts Behavior Education Plan. For the most recent fire, the boy was taken to the Juvenile Reception Center, police said. His name has not been released. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A controversial survey asking University of Wisconsin System students about free speech rights that prompted the resignation of a chancellor earlier this week and was slated to be launched Thursday has been postponed until the fall semester. The delay comes in response to mounting concerns from campuses this week about potential politicization of results ahead of the November election, questions about the research protocol process and allegations of political interference. Tim Shiell, director of the center that is funding the survey, said that "given the current circumstances" he decided on Wednesday to delay the survey. It was set to be sent on Thursday to students, who would have the next month to answer dozens of questions about the First Amendment, whether they see problems with a lack of diverse viewpoints on campus and whether they have ever been sanctioned or punished for exercising their free speech rights. "The extra time will enable us to answer fully and accurately the avalanche of questions arising and lay the groundwork for a successful survey," Shiell said in an email to interim System President Michael Falbo and other System officials. "It is essential that the survey provide the quantity and quality of data that helps inform the public discussion of an issue of state and national significance." The survey's delay comes on the heels of interim UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jim Henderson resigning due to what he said was a lack of support from the System over the survey and other issues. He said he and other chancellors raised concerns about the survey, such as its launch coming amid several other surveys already being sent out to students and his belief that students are already exposed to a variety of voices. The chancellors' objections led Falbo to nix the survey, the interim System president said. But then he reversed course after hearing from Shiell and others about the merits of moving forward with the project, according to Falbo. Henderson, however, said Falbo told chancellors that his reasons were focused more on the political fallout of not carrying out the project. Republicans have often accused colleges of trying to suppress conservative views, both in the classroom and in who is invited to speak at campus events. Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, said he contacted Falbo after hearing about the initial cancellation to lend his support for the project and for administering it in the spring, as opposed to the fall when more new students are on campus who have had less time to form an opinion about their experiences. "I call it a customer service survey," he said. "Thats the way I look at it: if people feel theyre getting their moneys worth." Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said in a statement that he was disappointed the System's "bureaucratic red tape" has delayed the survey because he believes there is a free speech problem on UW campuses. A Vos spokesperson did not respond to a question asking if the speaker approached Falbo about the survey. System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said Vos had an interest in the issue and discussed it with Falbo. Sen. Roger Roth, R-Appleton, who chairs the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, said a healthy university environment encourages and protects the free exchange of ideas. "Thats why I cant understand why universities would be afraid to ask their students how they feel about free speech on their campus to the point that one chancellor resigned over initiating the survey," he said. Henderson on Thursday declined to comment on the System's delay of the survey an action that student body presidents for the Madison, Stevens Point, Eau Claire, Whitewater and La Crosse campuses called for on Wednesday. Tyler Katzenberger, a spokesperson for UW-Madison's student government, said "pretty much every student government was blindsided" by the survey and not consulted. He said free speech is important but he would prefer to focus on what he said were more pressing diversity problems, such as students of color feeling unwelcome on campus. Will Scheder, who leads the student body at UW-Stevens Point, feared politicians would cherry-pick survey results to score political points ahead of the November election. He also predicted a poor response rate from students, who he said are busy this time of year lining up summer internships or jobs, registering for next semester's classes and wrapping up this semester's coursework. 'Right thing, wrong time' For Eric Sandgren, a UW-Madison veterinary medicine professor who leads the university's Faculty Senate, the idea to obtain data on free speech is a worthy one. He often hears outside complaints about instructors "indoctrinating" students in the classroom, which he does not believe occurs. "I think its critically important information to know how well were doing in providing education," he said. "If theres widespread indoctrination, thats inappropriate. If there isn't, its inappropriate to use that argument against us." Sandgren, however, had concerns about the wording of some survey questions that he said are open to interpretation, such as one asking whether students have been exposed to something in class that made them uncomfortable. In his view, it's the job of universities to challenge students' preconceptions so answering "yes" to the question is an indication that the institution is doing its job. But he said others may not see it the same way. Like student leaders, Sandgren, too, said the System did not consult with campus communities, and he welcomed the survey's delay. "Despite the fact that the initial survey rollout was completely botched, my hope is we can use it as an extremely useful tool," he said. "It was exactly the right thing at the wrong time." Mark Copelovitch, a UW-Madison political science and public affairs professor, also said he appreciated the delay. But he was skeptical that asking students their opinions about self-censorship would provide clear evidence of a free speech problem on campuses or whether it's any worse than, say, other workplaces. "Theres a political narrative that seems designed to justify evidence that theres a crisis on campuses," he said. "So you ask a set of questions and try to infer the problem exists. But compared to what? You need to be really careful about survey design." Survey questions were then vetted by an advisory board that includes former Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske (who also serves as a community member of the Wisconsin State Journal's editorial board); UW-Madison law school professors Franciska Coleman, a constitutional law scholar, and Jason Yackee, the adviser for the conservative Federalist Society; Sean Stevens, a senior research fellow for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a national civil liberties group; Rick Esenberg, the president of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty; Ryan Owens, a UW-Madison professor who scrapped plans to run as a Republican candidate in the state attorney general race this year; former UW Regent Tim Higgins; and Tricia Zunker, a former Ho-Chunk Supreme Court associate justice who has run for Congress as a Democrat. Funding questions Other concerns about the survey centered on the entity funding it. The UW-Stout's Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovations began in 2017 with a donation from the conservative Charles Koch Foundation. It was renamed the Menard Center after the Menard family, which founded the Menards store chain, donated $2.36 million to the center in 2019. The family is a major Republican donor. Shiell acknowledged those concerns to The Chronicle of Higher Education. It might help people to understand the center for me to say Im a liberal professor being funded by a conservative donor to run a nonpartisan center, he told the publication. Henderson said chancellors were told the survey had to be conducted this spring because external funding was contingent on that timeline, prompting questions as to why. Shiell told Falbo in a March 30 email that there was no funding in place for the survey beyond the spring semester. On Thursday, he told the Wisconsin State Journal the center is confident it will have funding in place for a fall launch. Other potential funding options are under discussion. Protocol concerns Others questioned whether the survey violated research protocols required for projects involving human subjects. Several individuals on the Whitewater campus said their institution hadn't approved sending out the survey. Giordano, who leads the System unit administering the survey, said in a statement that the research process was "followed to the letter." Shiell and his research team received approval from UW-Stout's research ethics committee, according to documentation provided to the State Journal. The team also received what's known as "an exemption from full review," a declaration provided to projects considered to be low-risk to humans. The center's research team contacted research ethics committees for every other campus about the project, Giordano said. Most of them accepted the ruling from UW-Stouts committee. A few of them, including UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, reviewed the project, determined it didn't qualify as human subjects research and said further approval would be determined by the appropriate administrative department on campus. Only one campus, UW-Whitewater, had yet to approve the project, he said. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, said free speech on campuses has become a hot political issue, which makes it difficult to design a survey that doesn't appear slanted to one side or the other. "Simply raising the issue offends some while others see an issue requiring much more attention," he said. "I doubt any survey could satisfy everyone, or even most." Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With Russian hopes for storming Kyiv and other major cities in northern Ukraine dashed by stiff resistance, Moscow has refocused its efforts on the country's east, seeking to make gains there and use them to dictate its terms in talks on ending the conflict. The Russian troops are preparing for a massive offensive in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland known as the Donbas, and the coming weeks could determine the outcome of the war. A look at the shift in the Russian strategy and its possible consequences. A STALLED BLITZ When Russian forces invaded Ukraine from the north, east and south on Feb. 24. President Vladimir Putin counted on a quick victory, similar to its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The Russian troops that pushed into Ukraine from Moscow's ally Belarus quickly reached the outskirts of Kyiv, only 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of the border, but they got bogged down facing Ukrainian defenses. After the failed attempts to storm the capital and other big cities in the north, Russian forces tried to encircle and pummel them with artillery and airstrikes. The relentless barrages led to massive civilian casualties and damaged infrastructure, but didn't weaken Ukraine's resolve. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, successfully used artillery and drones against Russian convoys that stretched for dozens of kilometers (miles) along highways outside Kyiv. That created massive logistical problems for the Russians. A SHIFT IN STRATEGY On March 29, Russia announced a drastic change in strategy, saying it would scale down military activities around Kyiv and Chernihiv, focusing instead on the liberation of Donbas. A quick withdrawal from areas in the north and northeast followed, with forces pulling back to Belarus and Russia for rest and resupply. Moscow sought to put a positive spin on what Ukrainian and Western officials described as the failure of the offensive. Russia said the action in the north was intended to tie down and weaken Ukrainian forces there and prevent them from joining troops engaged in the fighting in the east. REDEPLOYMENT AND REGROUPING Observers said it could take Russian troops several weeks for the troops to rest, resupply and regroup before they could launch a new attack in the east. Many Russian units withdrawing from northern Ukraine are likely to require significant re-equipping and refurbishment before being available to redeploy for operations in eastern Ukraine, a tweet from the British Ministry of Defence said. Some Western estimates said nearly a quarter of Russian units involved in the fighting had been rendered unfit for further action and would need long reequipment and resupply before being sent back into combat. They will be remanned because they have lost a lot of troops in the different units, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. They will be rearmed because they have used a lot of ammunition and they will be resupplied ... to launch a new big offensive. FORTRESS EAST The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, home to a mostly Russian-speaking population, began in 2014 shortly after the annexation of Crimea and has killed over 14,000 people. The fighting has tempered Ukrainian forces, which have gained ample combat experience and built multilayered defenses along the line of contact. Those efforts paid off at the start of the Russian invasion, preventing the separatist forces and Russian troops from making any significant gains there despite far superior firepower. From the start of the invasion, Moscow's key goal was to capture the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol to secure a coastal corridor to Crimea. Russian troops have besieged Mariupol for a month, reducing much of the city to rubble with artillery and air raids that killed thousands. So far, however, they have failed to win full control. RUSSIAN PINCER MOVEMENT Ukrainian and Western officials say the Russian plan is to encircle tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops in Donbas by moving from Izyum, near Kharkiv in the north, and from Mariupol in the south. The timing for the offensive depends on how quickly the Russians wrap up the battle for Mariupol and free those forces for the offensive. It also will depend on how much time is needed to resupply and regroup the troops that were pulled back from Kyiv and other areas in the north. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in an analysis that the Russian troops will likely try to advance from Izyum to capture the strategic city of Slovyansk and link up with other Russian forces in Donbas in what it said will likely prove to be the next pivotal battle of the war in Ukraine. Stoltenberg warned that such an eastward shift by Russia marks a crucial phase of the war, saying a further push in eastern and southern Ukraine is expected to try to take the entire Donbas and to create a land bridge to occupied Crimea." MOSCOW'S VULNERABILITIES During an eastern offensive, Russian forces will face the same problems that hampered their attack in the north. Maintaining supply lines over long distances under constant Ukrainian attacks was a key challenge that eventually doomed the blitz on Kyiv and forced Moscow's retreat. Such an operation in the east could prove just as hard. The lack of proper cohesion among different forces, the failure to fully suppress Ukrainian air defenses, and the growing popular resistance to the invasion would likely make it difficult for quick Russian gains in the east. As they seek to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas, Russian forces could also face attacks on their flanks. CONDITIONS FOR PEACE A military success in the east could offer Putin a face-saving exit from the conflict, allowing him to claim that Moscow's main goals were fulfilled. He could argue that Russia has destroyed the bulk of the Ukrainian military, liquidated the neo-Nazi nationalist forces and liberated Donbas. Putins conditions for peace, however, include a demand for Ukraine to acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize the independence of the eastern separatists regions, something that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected. Zelenskyy said the issues of Crimea and Donbas could be put on hold, but Moscow wants to make them part of a deal now. TIME AS A FACTOR Putin badly needs a quick success in the east to find a way out of the conflict that increasingly looks like a quagmire for Moscow. Time is working against Russia, with each day of war worsening the massive economic damage from Western sanctions and draining its limited resources. A protracted conflict could force the Kremlin to broadly engage the use of poorly trained conscripts, something it has tried to avoid, claiming that it relies squarely on volunteer soldiers. Sending fresh draftees into battle would be highly unpopular and likely fuel public discontent. Putin's goal of freeing Ukraine from purported neo-Nazis has led some observers to predict that he hopes for quick gains in the east so he can announce a successful end to the campaign by May 9. That's when Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, its most important public holiday. - Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyiv's calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscow's next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. The city's streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Kuleba encouraged Western countries to continue bearing down on Russia, suggesting that any letup will result in more suffering for Ukrainians. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions?" Kuleba asked reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where Associated Press journalists counted dozens of bodies, some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. "How many children, women, men, have to die innocent lives have to be lost for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital city. Volunteers have spent days collecting the corpses, and more were picked up Thursday in Bucha. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Most victims died from gunshots, not from shelling, he said, and corpses with their hands tied were dumped like firewood into recently discovered mass graves, including one at a childrens camp. The mayor said the count of dead civilians stood at 320 as of Wednesday, but he expected the number to rise as more bodies are found in his city, which once had a population of 50,000. Only 3,700 now remain, he said. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the horrors of Bucha could just be the beginning. In the northern city of Borodianka, just 30 kilometers northwest of Bucha, Zelenskyy warned of even more casualties, saying there it is much scarier. The world should brace itself, he said, for what might soon be found in the seaport city of Mariupol, saying that on on every street is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the departure of the Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same terrible crimes. He pledged that an international war crimes investigation already underway will identify each of the executioners and all those who committed rape or looting. Ukrainian and several Western leaders have blamed the massacres on Moscow's troops, and the weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that Germany's foreign intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Kuleba became emotional while referring to the horrors in the town, telling reporters that they couldnt understand how it feels after seeing pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. His comments came in response to a reporter's question about a video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting a captured and wounded Russian soldier. He said he had not seen the video and that it would be investigated. He acknowledged that there could be isolated incidents of violations. The footage has not been independently verified by the AP. In the 6-week-old war, Russian forces failed to take Ukraine's capital quickly, denying what Western countries said was Russian leader Vladimir Putin's initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. In the wake of that setback and heavy losses, Russia shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years. The United Nations' humanitarian chief told the AP on Thursday that he's not optimistic about securing a cease-fire after meeting with officials in Kyiv and in Moscow this week, underlining the lack of trust the two sides have for one another. He spoke hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of backtracking on proposals it had made over Crimea and Ukraines military status. It's not clear how long it will take withdrawing Russian forces to redeploy, and Ukrainian officials have urged people in the country's east to leave before the fighting intensifies there. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish civilian evacuation routes Thursday from several areas in the Donbas. Even as Ukraine braced for a new phase of the war, Russias withdrawal brought some relief to Chernihiv, which lies near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus and was cut off for weeks. Vladimir Tarasovets described nights during the siege when he watched the city on fire and listened to the sound of shelling. It was very hard, very hard. Every evening there were fires, it was scary to look at the city. In the evening, when it was dark, there was no light, no water, no gas, no amenities at all, he said. "How did we go through it? I have no words to describe how we managed. In addition to spurring NATO countries to send more arms, the revelations about possible war crimes led Western nations to step up sanctions, and the Group of Seven major world powers warned that they will continue strengthening the measures until Russian troops leave Ukraine. The U.S. Congress voted Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, while the European Union approved punishing new steps, including the embargo on coal imports. The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, voted to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.N. vote demonstrated how Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He called the images coming from Bucha horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity, Biden said. The U.S. State Department said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corp., Russia's largest military shipbuilder, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The move blocks their access to American financial systems. The department also said it would levy sanctions against the world's largest diamond mining company, Russia-backed Alrosa. Schreck reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Republican field for governor is thin on experience and appeal. Tommy Thompson could quickly change that. Still indefatigable at 80, Thompson would bring some much-needed accomplishment and purpose to the Republican primary for governor, should he run. We hope he does, with a decision expected this month. This isnt an endorsement of Thompson for governor. We wont make that recommendation until the fall. And the last time around, our editorial board recommended Democrat Tony Evers for governor. Evers has been an important check on the excesses of one-party rule, which the Republican Party had enjoyed for eight years. Still, Thompsons infectious optimism for getting things done would be a welcome improvement to a GOP gubernatorial primary that, so far, has fixated on divisive priorities and conspiracy myths. Thompson would give Republican voters a much better choice assuming he doesnt kowtow to former President Donald Trump, whom he visited at Trumps resort in Florida last week. Trumps self-absorbed fixation on the past isnt a winning message for the future. The three main candidates for the Republican nomination are wanting. Rebecca Kleefisch served in the do-little job of lieutenant governor for eight years under former Gov. Scott Walker. To her credit, she led state efforts to address homelessness and hosted some business forums. But not much else. Kevin Nicholson, a former Marine with financial backing from an Illinois billionaire, wants to fight the Republican establishment a narrow mission. Nicholson lost the GOP primary for U.S. Senate four years ago and has never served in public office. Rep. Timothy Ramthun of Campbellsport is only in his second term as a state assemblyman and seems obsessed with wild claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Recounts, election reviews, audits and court rulings have proven his suspicions false. Thompson would bring a strong record and broader vision to the race, having served as governor longer than anyone in state history from 1987 to 2001. Thompson also led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More recently, Thompson proved effective as president of the University of Wisconsin System, rising above petty politics and pulling state residents together around the value of higher education. Its possible Thompson may be too reasonable and professional to survive in todays Trump-worshipping Republican Party. But if he runs as himself, not as a Trump apologist, anything is possible. Thompsons legacy has been built on innovation, consensus and hard work. Thompson likes to be decisive, but he also knows how to listen and cut deals to satisfy most people. Working with others to fix problems might seem quaint in todays us-versus-them politics. But a healthy dose of Tommys old magic might be just what the Republican Party in Wisconsin needs. Wisconsin State Journal editorial board The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper. STAFF MEMBERS SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist COMMUNITY MEMBERS JANINE GESKE SUSAN SCHMITZ WAYNE STRONG Far-right leader Ammon Bundy is heading to jail for 10 days. The gubernatorial candidate was found guilty of being in contempt of court Thursday after he refused to complete 40 hours of community service related to a July 2021 conviction. Bundy had argued that his stops made during his gubernatorial campaign satisfy his court-mandated community service. Ada County Magistrate Judge Annie McDevitt sentenced Bundy to 10 days in jail along with a $3,000 fine. He was immediately handcuffed and taken to the Ada County Jail on Thursday. You didnt just blow it off. Rather, you took the time and effort to blatantly disrespect the courts order, making a mockery of the sentence you received, McDevitt told Bundy. You were given an opportunity to go complete public service you could have done it. In February, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Whitney Welsh issued a motion to hold Bundy in contempt of court for not completing the 40 hours of community service he was sentenced to after he was found guilty of trespassing at the Lincoln Auditorium. Bundy had until Jan. 1, 2022, to complete the 40 hours of community service, and he had yet to complete any as of Thursday. In the motion, Welsh argued that Bundy willfully failed to complete his community service. Bundy disagreed. Less than a month before the community service was due, Bundy had argued that his campaign stops satisfied the community service mandate. On Nov. 29, Bundys campaign treasurer, Aaron Welling, submitted a letter to Idahos 4th District Court and claimed Bundy had completed 1,621 hours of public service. Welling said Bundy has traveled the state while encouraging people to become more active in holding public officials accountable to the people of Idaho. Love 7 Funny 13 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 A former Idaho lawmaker has been convicted of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying I cant do this. The verdict was returned Friday. The intern told a Statehouse supervisor that Aaron von Ehlinger raped her at his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant in March 2021. He said the sex was consensual. At the time, von Ehlinger was a Republican state representative from Lewiston, but he later resigned. Von Ehlinger was found guilty of rape. He was found not guilty of sexual penetration with a foreign object. Afterwards, prosecutors lauded the victim for her courage in coming forward. Nomination from counselor Katelyn has been my student since her ninth grade year of high school. She has always been such a kind and intelligent young lady. This year she is also our counseling clerk and is always working on something productive if doesnt have counseling clerk duties to do. Academically Katelyn has excelled and has taken numerous Honors, Dual Credit and AP classes. Katelyn is always willing to help or tutor students in need as long as her time will allow her. Katelyn is genuine a kind young lady who will go far in her career goals. Shes an incredible young lady, Counselor Griselda Escobedo said. She is always willing to help out wherever she is needed, always has a smile on her face. She never has a negative thing to say. She is a diligent hard working young lady who will undoubtedly accomplish all her future goals. More about Katelyn I plan on graduating through the College of Southern Idaho with a Emergency Medical Technician BTC and have maintained a 4.00 GPA throughout high school and middle school, Katelyn said. I have been enrolled in many dual credit courses and advanced placement classes since my sophomore year of high school and have enjoyed the learning stretch that these classes provide. I was able to assist the elementary summer school program this summer and work with students under benchmark level to reach their needed marks to advance to the next grade level. I have also been able to participate in a community service based club that has allowed me to get involved in my community in forms such as highway clean up, suicide prevention month, planning teen nights for Magic Valleys teens, and many other community based activities. I am also actively involved with my church and the leadership and service opportunities that it provides. I am an active member and president of the Boys and Girls Club based Keystone Club. I am also an active member of the Health Occupations Students of America club and the National Honors Society Club. This year I have been working towards many scholarship awards and have been focusing specifically on academic-based scholarships, such as those that the College Board offers. A special award I have received is being on the honor roll and having a membership in the National Honors Society. In my academics and personal life I greatly value commitment and effort as I believe that these two aspects work coherently together to assist one in achieving their goals. I believe that with commitment comes hard work as I strive to make goals that I will commit to and continuously work towards to progress. Effort is a value that defines ones desire, as I work in my academics and personal life I know that my efforts reflect upon my progress towards my goals. Due to this, I aspire to intertwine the values of commitment and effort into my life and academics. Katelyn anticipates majoring in pre-nursing at Brigham Young University. Shes an incredible young lady. She is always willing to help out wherever she is needed, always has a smile on her face. She never has a negative thing to say. She is a diligent hard working young lady who will undoubtedly accomplish all her future goals. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Prosecutors in Idaho say they will seek the death penalty against a woman charged with killing her two youngest children and her new husbands previous wife. The prosecuting attorneys from Fremont and Madison counties made the announcement in court documents filed Monday, saying Lori Vallow Daybell will qualify for capital punishment if convicted because the slayings were exceptionally depraved and carried out for financial gain. Lori Vallow Daybells co-defendant and husband, Chad Daybell, is also facing a potential death penalty if convicted. The pair are charged with murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan. Both have pleaded not guilty. Just as we were getting ready for the close of Idahos 2022 legislative session March 25, a wrench was thrown into the works. At 3:33 p.m. that day, we received an email with a press release from House Republican leadership giving notice that they would hold a press conference recapping the session upon adjournment of the House. We all know the meaning of the phrase hold your horses. Later that day, the House killed the budget for the Idaho Commission for Libraries. There would be no closure to the legislative session, at least not that day. The budget bill failed on a 29-36 vote. A new version just $100 different was introduced in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee after 8:30 p.m. After a tense debate, the House passed a fifth version of that oh-so-slightly different budget and it headed to the Senate. Here we are hours later than we should have been, debating a budget we should have passed days ago, said Rep. Ned Burns, D-Bellevue, decrying the removal of $3.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that would have gone to rural telehealth access projects. This essentially traces back to House Bill 666, an earlier bill that critics said could lead to librarians being prosecuted for checking out materials that are deemed harmful to minors. The first two versions of the Commission for Libraries budget were pulled back before they were voted on, amid concerns among House Republicans about smut in Idaho libraries. House members took issue with books from the adult sections of libraries, teen memoirs and coming-of-age novels with LGBTQ themes and youth sex education books for children over 10, calling the materials pornography. GOP representatives led by Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, argued librarians made the budget unfundable by expressing opposition to HB 666. Young distributed to all House members a copy of a March 2 email from the Idaho Library Association to its members opposing HB 666 when she argued to kill the previous version of the budget bill, because she said the comments in the email were unacceptable. If ever there was an appropriately numbered piece of legislation in this session, it would have to be HB 666. It would appear to me that we are removing this $3.5 million from this budget because a group of people spoke up advocating for their jobs and advocating for their communities and advocating for the people that are in their town, Burns said. It seems to me that what is happening by removing this $3.5 million is we are abridging peoples rights to free speech. ... The government is infringing on peoples rights to free speech because we didnt like what they said. Its downright un-American. In my opinion, this is nothing short of being a mean-spirited, vindictive bill, said Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, called the move a dangerous trend, saying it is profoundly dangerous (to be) going after people for exercising their sacred First Amendment right to petition their government for redress. This is one of the five basic freedoms of the First Amendment. The legislative session finally ended Thursday. There were positive things that came out of the session, such as increased education investments, transportation investments, public safety. But it should go down in memory as a session where peoples rights were infringed upon with too many proposals offering solutions to problems that dont exist, especially in terms of voting rights. This latest move with the libraries was nothing more than a political stunt, something to ease the base. It was part of a common theme seen through the whole session lack of trust while infringing on rights. When it came to voting rights, too many proposals were showing a lack of trust in school districts in scheduling bond elections within a certain time frame, county clerks in banning ballot drop boxes, or voters themselves in trying to set a tight deadline to register for a closed Republican primary. In the case of HB 666, its not trusting librarians, trying to legislate what parents should already be doing. Really, how many 5- or 6-year-olds are going to libraries themselves, without their parents, grabbing a book out of the adult section and a librarian is letting them check it out? Do we have a line of 900 5-year-olds trying to get their hands on inappropriate material? The craziness was prevalent during this session The library issue dragged it out. Are these legislators really trying to protect Idahoans or are they trying to score political points? The Post Registers editorial board consists of Publisher Travis Quast, Managing Editor Monte LaOrange and editorial writer John Miller. Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As I climbed aboard the pontoon, I was greeted by two familiar facesKevin Tucker and his dog, Wally. The desert has been good to you, Tucker! I smiled. Look at that tan! There is no shortage of Vitamin D on this boat. Because for Kevin and his longtime partner Nick Young, fishing the turquoise waters of Lake Havasu is just another day at the office. I first met Kevin and Nick five years ago when their guide service, Nick Young Outdoors, was headquartered at eastern Oregons Owyhee Reservoir. We hit it off and have fished together several times since, with every trip producing big bass (they are excellent guides) and awesome memories (theyre even better guys). When the pandemic hit, Nick and Kevin moved south to Havasu, an oasis on the ArizonaCalifornia border. They figured out the lake with impressive speed and sent me an open invitation to check out this world-class fishery. Over spring break, my opportunity arrived. Kevin had clients on board in the morning, and they wanted to fish for striped bass. I served as first mate, rigging up rods while Kevin worked to catch our baitlive shadwith a cast net. An hour later, we pulled up to Magic Point. We rigged the shad above a drop shot sinker, with a treble hook through the nose. Within minutes, guest anglers from Iowa and Colorado were battling feisty stripers. Fishing with live baitfish was a new experience for me, too (they are illegal in Idaho). But there was no mistaking the bite, and on my first hookset, a big fish took off on a powerful run. Thats a nice one, buddy, Kevin hollered. Show em how its done! I worked a 24-inch striper to the net, and there were high fives all around. The bite stayed steady all morning, and Kevins clients went home happy with bags of fillets. Now, it was time to change tactics. One of the major draws of Havasu is its world-record redear sunfish, which grow huge by munching invasive mussels. Fish over six pounds are possible, and two-pounders are relatively common. Unfortunately, a recent cold front had pushed the redear into deeper water. I bet we can still find a couple up shallow, Kevin said. Well put a sneak on thembe ready! We slowly patrolled a cove, scanning the water and putting dozens of casts into likely sunfish hideouts. For an hour, all we saw were occasional bass cruising by. Then, I saw a slightly shorter bass turn broadside, revealing its frisbee-shaped body. Big redear, 11 oclock! I whisper-yelled to Kevin while casting ahead of the fish with my drop-shot worm rig. Tucker confirmed the sighting, and we watched as a second redear moved in. There are two! Kevin said. I think that second one is going to He hadnt finished his thought when the first fish pounced on my bait. I set the hook and marveled as the biggest sunfish of my life raced toward a brush pile. I kept the pressure on and guided him to the boat, where Kevin scooped him up with a triumphant whoop. Wally even emerged from his shaded hideout to check out the action. YES!! Tucker beamed. Thats the one! This redear measured 13 inches and weighed almost two pounds. An absolute giantits crazy to think Havasu grows fish three times as heavy! After photos and a release, we fished on. We kept our eyes peeled for sunfish, but with a redear and multiple stripers on the board, we turned our attention to knocking out a Havasu Grand Slamcatching a redear, striper, largemouth and smallmouth in the same day. The smallmouth came easya gorgeous four-pound specimen snapped up my Ned rig on the first cast. We had to work for the largemouth, which were hiding in pretty gnarly cover. But Tucker wrestled a four-pounder from under a tree, and after a few tries, I placed a perfect cast behind a stump to fool a three-pound bucket mouth and complete my Havasu Slam. Kevin and I bumped fists and smiled. After our bluebird day filled with desert landscapes, epic fishing and reuniting with old friends, there was nothing left to say. Until next time, Havasu! Tight lines! Want to go fishing with Nick Young Outdoors? Call 541-709-1542 to book your own trophy adventure! Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Six months ago, Giselle Lopez entered the RISE business competition with a good idea and an open mind. After weeks of training, working and competing through the various levels of the competition, she has earned a spot in the final round and chance to pitch her business idea to a panel of business experts. Just like in the popular show Shark Tank, Lopez will have only a few moments to pique the interest of the panel. And, just like the show, real money is on the line. The winning entrepreneurs will split $10,000. The RISE Business competition is a collaboration between Longwood and Averett Universities, Hampden-Sydney College, Patrick & Henry Community College, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and the SOVA Innovation Hub. The RISE Collaborative is designed to help college students who see a solution to a problem and have an idea for a business to get the help they need to bring their idea to life. The developers hope the competition will raise small business development and entrepreneurship in Southern Virginia. Lopezs plan is to open a dual-purpose salon and photography studio which will serve as a one-stop shop for anyone preparing for a special occasion. She said the six-month-long process has been a reward in itself. I am here for the ride even if I dont win. I went in wanting to learn, she said. Regardless of the outcome, I will leave with knowledge, information, and mentors for the future that I cant get anywhere else. Being a first-generation college student, this is the guidance I need. Over the course of the competition, Lopez has honed her business idea from a distant dream to a fully conceptualized business with a pitch-ready business plan. I had a business idea floating around in my head for about two years, and when I saw the ad [for the competition], that idea immediately popped in my mind, she said. A lot of the other candidates have really good ideas, she said. When they told me I had won a spot in the competition alongside these competitors, I was like Oh wow. I thought: This is real. This is happening. I am excited. I am going to give it my all. She siad also felt some intimation because she was older than many of the other candidates. Since the competition is open to any current college student or high schooler who is dually enrolled in college courses, most of the competitors are traditional college-age or younger. Lopez is a nontraditional student pursuing her degree in small business management from Patrick & Henry Community College while also working full time and raising two kids. Doing the RISE Competition while also raising kids and working-its amazing, says P&HCCs Business Technology Professor Nancy Phillips, Ph.D. I feel like she deserves a prize just because of that. We are so proud of her. Phillips is part of the planning committee for the competition and is one of Lopezs professors at P&HCC. Although winning the competition would give her a significant boost, Lopez said, she intends to start her new business with or without the prize money. I do see my business in five years. Maybe even more than one location or a mobile service. I see it happening regardless of winning. Whether I win or not, I want to make it happen. If I dont win, Ill just work harder, she said. For more information about RISE, visit https://sovarise.com/cbpc/. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The attacks on Ukraine include to its cultural heritage and an effort between the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative is monitoring the impact. The Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) uses advanced satellite technology to receive images and information from sensors from the satellites at all times of the day and anywhere in the world to monitor impacts to cultural heritage and vulnerabilities and threats to cultural heritage worldwide, said Director Dr. Hayden Bassett, the VMNHs Assistant Curator of Archaeology. The CHML conducts its research at the VMNH to monitor cultural heritage sites across the globe. It gives that information to the heritage sites stakeholders. Some other members of the CHML team are Damian Koropeckyj, CHML senior analyst; CHML Director of Operations and VMNH archeologist William Welsh; and Dr. Kate Harrell, CHML research associate and director of education. The CHML works with federal and state stakeholders, international NGOs (non-governmental organizations), academics and cultural heritage professionals all over the world, Bassett said: At the end of the day, someone is always waiting for this information. Since its inception a year and a half ago, the CHML has done work in Haiti, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and is currently working in Honduras, Ukraine and the Unites States. To begin, team members build a comprehensive geospatial database of cultural heritage, Bassett said. He added that many places in the world, including our own country the U.S., does not have a comprehensive list of its cultural heritage. Cultural heritage includes national landmarks, archeological sites, architecture, churches, cathedrals, mosques, temples, cemeteries, religious bases, museums, archives, zoos and aquariums. The CHML database of cultural heritage in Ukraine looks like a Google maps image of Ukraine with thousands of colored dots to mark sites. The team is currently monitoring more than 26,000 sites in Ukraine, Basset said. We do not start from a list of priorities, he said; we want to cover everyone. This allows the CHML to get the information and then pass it to cultural heritage specialists who live in the areas that it monitors. We cover everything and allow them to prioritize what they would like to cover and stabilize, he added. After the CHML determines which sites could potentially be impacted, we go site by site and actually task the satellites to image a spot on the earth at a certain time, said Bassett. This lets the team confirm whether or not a site was impacted. The CHML has been working in Ukraine since April 2021, and one specific example of its work there involved a major regional museum that focused on folk life and local history and houses 25 nationally significant works of art. The CHML was notified that an impact might have taken place at this location through sensors and also open-source research, which involves social media, and then it found that the building and the majority of its contents were destroyed. CHML team As a senior analyst, Koropeckyj is the team lead for their analysis on event in Ukraine. He started in that position last April. A lot of people forget that Ukraine has actually been at war since 2014, Koropeckyj said. Thats up to eight years now of destruction casualties. This is why the organization wants to look at what is still in active conflict and see what cultural heritage has been impacted, not just because of the current war in Ukraine but also because of what was already happening before now. Since the new offense on Feb. 24, its pretty clear that the number of impacts has been increasing, Koropeckyj said. He added that the dense cities and urban environments are packed with cultural heritage and that it is easy to imagine what that looks like now and how it is being affected by the current state of Ukraine. Koropeckyj provides subject matter expertise, particularly involving cultural heritage in Ukraine, because of his time living in Ukraine and time working at the U.S Embassy in Moscow. However, he is also involved in the CHML other projects in different locations as well. As the director of operations, Welsh is responsible for making sure that the CHML is meeting stakeholder obligations. This varies depending on the project, Welsh said, but each project they have has defined rules, obligations and standards. He said that, for the most part, he doesnt have to get too involved because the lab is full of truly dedicated professionals and the need for him to step in isnt often necessary. Welsh also serves as a U.S. Army officer. The CHML supports the missions that he undertakes while he is in the field. He recently spent time in Honduras training Honduran soldiers in archeological site assessment, recognition and how to report the impacts that they observe, he said. As the director of education and research associate, Harrell spends time monitoring telegram accounts and also guiding, teaching and mentoring the interns that earn credit hours by working on these projects with the CHML. Interns who participate are located all over and work virtually doing things like creating sock-puppet accounts or phantom accounts that allow them to conduct open-source research in the areas in question, Harrell said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The mountains and trails of Western North Carolina are rich with history. All we have to do is seek the locations and be prepared to absorb the history that is around us and beneath our feet. Here is another spot touched by the Overmountain Men in their march and fight for freedom. I received a suggestion from a reader to explore a trail that is almost in the 30-mile zone and has historical significance. As they say, Timing is everything. The change of course of the Patriot militia at this location might very well have changed the course of the fight for independence. Here is an explanation from the nps.gov website: October 5, 1780. The Patriot militia arrived at the Green River on October 5 and made their encampment along its banks. They were heading south to Fort Ninety Six, Fergusons assumed destination. Colonel Edward Lacey of South Carolina found the Patriot army here and brought news of Ferguson: he was to the east, not the south. Lacey and the other officers made plans to meet the next evening at the Cowpens and hurry onward. This would be their final camp with the full militia together, although they did not know it then. In the morning the militia crossed at Alexanders Ford and rode on. The battles at Cowpens and Kings Mountain are known to most of us in WNC, but the fact that a major number of fighters might not have been in the right location when the battle took place is a little-known and surprising fact. For this adventure, you will walk in the actual tracks of the militia and explore the camp where they planned for their change of course. This is a short and fairly easy hike. Enjoy it for all it brings us; not just the physical exercise, but also the mental fulfillment. Alexanders Ford TrailRutherfordton Difficulty: Easy. There is a slight rise and fall to the path. It is plenty wide and firm under foot. Youre headed down on the way out, which means you might get a little boost in the heart rate as you climb out, but nothing of consequence. Shoes: Hiking boots or hiking shoes. We saw evidence of running shoes in the softer areas. Time: Allow yourself about two hours on the trail. You wont need all of that but it will give you a little time to explore and enjoy the river. Distance/Elevation Gain: If you follow this route, you will log about 3 miles. Rise and fall is 216 feet. There are a couple of ways to shorten it if you feel the need. Ill explain later. Safety: We did not see anyone on the trail but you should expect to see bicycles. The trail is wide and open, so there should be no surprises. The nature of the route does lend itself to fast wheeled travel. On our afternoon trip the temperature was in the 80s. Its always a good idea to take water. No restroom facilities were close. Courtesy: Just remember the trail protocols. You might even see a horse and rider. Just give them plenty of room. How to get there: Use Google Maps to find Bradley Nature Preserve at Alexanders Ford. The trailhead is about 31 miles from Marion. When you arrive at the trailhead, you should be looking at the Grays Chapel Church. Option one is to use the small parking area on the right side of the narrow road. As you pull into the parking area, look to the right and you should see an opening in the fence and a trail sign. Option two is to look to the right as you get close to the chapel. You should see a gravel two-track that leads to a large sign that identifies the Bradley Nature Preserve. Take the gravel road past the sign to the obvious parking area. There is another, prominent, trail entrance there. The trail: We parked in the little wide spot close to the front of the church and elected to walk back and up to the opening in the fence. You will know youre headed in the right direction by the Overmountain Victory Trail sign next to the fence opening. Initially, you have the feeling of bushwhacking through the trees. The trail underfoot is just a plowed area. Turn to the left and walk just a few feet and you will see the actual trail to your left. We decided that the plowed area was there to get you around a large tree that had fallen across the beginning of the trail. You will have no doubt when you get to the intended route. It will head off to the right and is clear, wide, and firm underfoot. At about .3 miles, the trail will intersect another trail that comes up from a parking area on the left. This is the second entry if you drove the gravel two-track. There is a very interesting, interpretive sign there that explains the importance of the event that took place on the trail. As you leave the sign and move down the long, straight trail, you will see another trail off to the right. For now, continue down the straight route. Well explore this side trail on the way back. At about a mile, look for a small but obvious path that goes steeply up the bank on the right. This path will take you to an old graveyard. They were so old that we couldnt read anything on the markers. Now, back to the main trail and go on to the right. Very soon the route begins to go rather steeply downhill. Enjoy the pleasant walk. Another little flat area, then downhill again until the trail ends at an open, verdant, pasture-like area. I dont advertise this adventure as an ooh-aah experience, but dont be alarmed if a couple of gasps slip out before you can get yourself under control and reclaim your cool demeanor. As you stroll through the field, keep a lookout for deer that might be sharing the stroll with you. Based on a scat sample we saw; you might even see a bear along the edge of the trees. Go on through the field to the river. The Green River is your turnaround point. There is a bench there that allows you to sit and enjoy the river as it rolls by. Now, go back the same way you entered. Expect some climbing at first. Just a little huff and puff. Nothing serious. On your way back, you will see an obvious split in the trail. To the left, you will see another well-maintained trail that makes a serpentine climb up the hillside. Take that trail. It is a short detour from the main route. It really doesnt provide additional views. It just adds a few more steps to your outing. When we got to the area where the gravel road came to the different trail entrance, we decided to hike out on the gravel road just for variety. Up a little incline and back to the car. This is truly an all-season hike. I plan to return when the foliage is at the peak and again when the snow falls. I hope you enjoy this one. If you worked up an appetite, there are a few good spots in Rutherfordton. The third and final phase of acquisitions is now complete for the Bobs Creek State Natural Area in McDowell County. These acquisitions were completed by the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. On Thursday, March 30, the Foothills Conservancy and the state Division of Parks and Recreation closed on the purchase of 2,249 acres in McDowell County to become part of Bobs Creek State Natural Area. This purchase is the last of three acquisitions for the new state natural area, and increases its total size to more than 6,000 acres. The first two phases of the project, about 3,700 acres, were purchased in 2019, according to a news release. The lands former owner, conservationist Tim Sweeney, donated approximately one-third of the propertys value in the sale. Once it is open to the public, the state natural area will be managed by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation for passive (low-impact) recreation, water quality protection of numerous streams in the Broad and Catawba river basins and preservation of rare plants and diverse natural ecosystems documented by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Future passive recreation opportunities could include hiking, mountain biking, wildlife observation and scenic enjoyment. The Bobs Creek State Natural Area protects water quality along five miles of source streams that drain to Muddy Creek, the Catawba River and the Second Broad River through an extensive network of riparian buffers on the property. The Muddy Creek watershed is one of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Qualitys priorities for stream and water quality improvement, according to the news release. We are so grateful for the opportunity to protect these extraordinary lands of the foothills for generations to come, said Dwayne Patterson, director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Our conservation partner at Foothills Conservancy of N.C. and the foresight and generosity of Mr. Sweeney have allowed us to continue to make great strides in protecting some of our states most sensitive and outstanding natural resources. We are grateful that they continue to entrust the long-term stewardship of these lands to us. The phased purchase of Bobs Creek State Natural Area over a four-year period of time demonstrates both perseverance and strong partnership by all parties involved in the permanent conservation of this incredible natural landscape, which will offer public benefit in the form of landscape scale open space protection for future public recreation, said Foothills Conservancys executive director, Andrew Kota. Funding for the third phase of the project included grants of $1.2 million from North Carolina Land and Water Fund; $1,518,399 in federal Land and Water Conservation Fund monies provided by the N.C Division of Parks and Recreation; and grants from Fred and Alice Stanback and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Our partnership is grateful to the N.C. General Assembly for passing legislation in 2017, and to Gov. Cooper for signing the bill to authorize Bobs Creek State Natural Area, added Kota. We are also grateful for conservationist Tim Sweeney and his effort to secure the land and patiently own it while Foothills Conservancy and N.C. State Parks raised the funds to purchase the property at a discounted price for public ownership. There are also many other public and private funders to thank for making the three transactions possible, including conservationists Fred and Alice Stanback, The Cannon Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, and several grants from N.C. Land and Water Fund and federal Land and Water Conservation Fund programs. Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust that inspires conservation in western North Carolina by permanently protecting land and water for the benefit of people and all living things. A 501(3) nonprofit, Foothills Conservancy has conserved more than 64,000 acres in its eight county service area: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford, in three major river basins: the Broad, Catawba and Yadkin. Information about Foothills Conservancy, including ways to support its work, can be found online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930. North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 252,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolinas state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 22 million visitors annually, according to the news release. Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency has launched the Ramadan social assistance campaign for the benefit of the inhabitants of the holy city. During this campaign, which required an envelope of 80,000 dollars, food rations sufficient for the whole holy month were distributed to 400 underprivileged families of Al Quds and 100 other families of orphans sponsored by the agency. The Agency also announced a special program for the benefit of more than 200 people with specific needs, within the framework of a charity iftar which will be organized next week and during which aid will be distributed to members of this category. On the other hand, the Agency supported the program Fanous Ramadan (Ramadan lantern), developed each year by the Association Burj Alluqluq. The festive parade that started from the walls of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and went through the streets of the old city was crowned by the lighting of the lantern in the spaces of the association near Bab Assahira and Bab Alasbat, in the presence of a large public from all the districts of Al Quds. The Agencys programs and projects coordinator in Al-Quds, Ismail Al-Ramli, said in a speech at the opening of the program of this celebration that we, as Maqdissis and Moroccans, come to support you and support the great activities and services you provide in this vast space for the benefit of the residents of the old city of Al-Quds. He added that the large crowd that gathered in this space is a celebration of the revival of traditional societal culture and an embodiment of what our work should be to preserve the civilizational imprint of the city of Al-Quds. , specifying that this is the objective expected by the Bayt Mal Al Quds Acharif Agency, which is affiliated to the Al Quds Committee and chaired by King Mohammed VI. For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Burj Alluqluq Association, Nasser Gaith, hailed the role of the Agency, under the personal supervision of King Mohammed VI, and its permanent presence among the population and institutions of Al Quds. He also pointed out that the crowds who attended this great celebration to light the Lantern of Ramadan reflects the determination of the people of Al Quds to protect their origins and their identity. At the end of March, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency announced support for cultural activities for the benefit of the most important cultural centers in the city, with particular support for community activities, as part of its social program for the holy month of Ramadan 1443, at an overall cost of over $150,000. Egypts General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) signed on April 5th a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japanese operating automotive supplier Yazaki Europe Limited for the establishment of a new factory for car components in Faiyum, 62 miles southwest of Cairo. Per the agreement the project will require a primary investment of up to 20 million, the Egyptian government said in a statement. GAFI will provide necessary support to Yazaki for the establishment of the new factory which will be situated on 60,000 square meters. GAFI will equally fulfill all required procedures in coordination with competent authorities to finalize the project in the set schedule. On the other hand, Yazaki will export 100% of production with an estimated value of 100 million annually. The company will also integrate up-to-date Japanese technology into Egyptian industries, turning the country into a regional investment hub for car manufacturing. The future factory is expected to generate around 3,000 jobs after becoming operational in July 2023. King Mohammed VI received this Thursday at the Royal Palace in Rabat Head of the Spanish Government Pedro Sanchez, who is visiting the country at the invitation of the Sovereign, opening a new stage in partnership between Rabat and Madrid. This audience, which is a continuation of the telephone conversation held on March 31 between the King and Mr. Sanchez, comes after the letter he sent on March 14 to the Monarch, saying Madrid is committed to building a new phase in relations between the two neighboring countries on the basis of transparency and mutual respect, says a statement released by the Royal Office. This new dynamic echoes the call made by the King in his speech of August 20, 2021 to inaugurate a new stage in relations between the two countries, adds the statement. During this audience, Mr. Sanchez reaffirmed the position of Spain on the Sahara issue, describing the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute. On this occasion, the Moroccan Monarch and the Spanish PM reiterated the will to open a new stage in the relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, permanent consultation and frank and loyal cooperation, underlines the Royal Office statement. In this regard, it was agreed to implement concrete actions to advance the partnership roadmap covering all areas and issues of common interest. The royal audience was an opportunity to review the various aspects of common interest in their political, economic, security and cultural components, as well as Regional and international issues. The two neighbors actually face common challenges, particularly in matters of immigration, border control, terrorism and cross-border crime. After the audience, and in a sign of friendship on his part, King Mohammed VI hosted an Iftar, the breaking of the fast in this holy month of Ramadan, in honor of his guest. The Royal audience and the Iftar reflect the personal involvement of the Sovereign in warming up relations between the two countries and his desire to boost these relations. Actually, the Sovereign who has been closely following the diplomatic crisis with the Northern neighbor has set the stage for its resolution and has played a decisive role that was crowned by Spains new position on the Sahara issue, a position that adds to similar positions by global powers including the US, France, Germany and Israel in addition to most countries in Africa and the Arab World. Promising new horizons are now opening up for a lasting partnership between the two neighbors and economic partners, based on mutual respect. Governments, opponents, pan-Africanist activists on social networks or simple demonstrators: at the time of the war in Ukraine, support for the Russian regime is increasingly visible in sub-Saharan Africa, a symbol of the growing soft power of Moscow on the continent. Putin wants his country back and he doesnt have the blood of slavery and colonization on his hands. I prefer Putin, even if he is not my messiah, to all the Western presidents and to all the damned African presidents, subjected to the oligarchy of the West, the pan-Africanist activist Kemi Seba stormed in a video in early March. Julius Malema, leader of the South African radical left, struck the same tone: We are here to tell NATO and the Americans that we are not with them. We are with Russia and today we want to thank Russia. Teach them a lesson, we need a new world order and we are tired of taking orders from the Americans. Like them, African activists and supporters of Putin or subscribers on social networks that count in the thousands, multiply in recent months the anti-imperialist interventions and favorable to the actions of the Russian power. There is a proliferation of Youtube channels that relay destabilizing speeches. They create a gap between the West and African regimes and thus serve Russian interests, said Mahama Tawat, a researcher at the University of Malmo in Sweden. Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, Guineas prime minister until the 2021 military coup, and three former ministers of deposed President Alpha Conde were charged Wednesday with embezzlement of alleged public funds and jailed in Conakry, one of their lawyers said. They were charged with embezzlement of public funds and sent to prison, said lawyer Salifou Beavogui, who heads a group of lawyers. In addition to Mr. Fofana, the former officials arrested are former Defense Minister Mohamed Diane, Environment Minister Oye Guilavogui and Hydrocarbons Minister Zakaria Coulibaly. They are to be tried on Monday, he said. We think they do not deserve to go to prison because until proven otherwise, they are presumed innocent. We are dealing with an expeditious and punitive procedure, added Mr. Beavogui. The four former officials were brought before the prosecutors office of the Court of Repression of Economic and Financial Offenses (Crief) on Wednesday, newly created by the junta that overthrew President Conde on September 5 after more than ten years in power. They had previously been questioned for three days by investigators. The exact charges against them were not specified. Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, head of government from May 2018 until the September 2021 coup, had just been appointed on March 31 to lead the former ruling party under Mr. Conde until a future congress. Mr. Diane was a senior official under Mr. Conde. The military, which took power by force, made the fight against endemic corruption one of its major proclaimed battles. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, head of the junta that took over as president, said there would be no witch hunt but that justice would be the countrys compass. The former Burkinabe president was able to return home on Wednesday, April 6. He had been under house arrest since January 24, the date of the military coup that toppled him from power. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the Burkinabe government said that this decision comes after consultations started a little over three weeks ago with the former president of Faso. On March 27, Alassane Bala Sakande, former president of the National Assembly and president of the Peoples Movement for Progress, was arrested after he asked for his release. The day before, ECOWAS had urged the Burkinabe authorities to release the former president unconditionally and without delay. The government reassures that measures are taken to ensure the safety of the deposed president. Since his overthrow by a military coup on January 24, which brought Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba to power, the former Burkinabe president had been held under house arrest in a ministerial villa in Ouaga 2000. On February 17, he was transferred to another villa in this upscale neighborhood of the capital, where his detention conditions were tightened. He was only allowed to receive visits for one hour a day and was forbidden to communicate with the outside world. Fifteen soldiers were killed and nearly 20 others were wounded in an attack by gunmen on a military base in Nigerias northwestern state of Kaduna, media and military sources said. An army officer at the military base in Birnin Gwari locality, Kaduna, said in a press statement that men on motorcycles used grenades and other heavy weapons in the attack that lasted for more than two hours on Monday night. He added that the attackers killed 11 soldiers and wounded 19 others who were transferred to three hospitals in Kaduna. Four soldiers later succumbed to their injuries. Central and northwestern Nigeria have for years been the scene of criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who attack villages, steal livestock, kidnap and kill residents. In response to the increase in attacks, the Nigerian government has declared these criminal groups terrorists. Morocco and Spain expressed willingness to open a new page in their bilateral ties, after Spain supported autonomy for the Sahara region within Moroccos sovereignty. This came at a meeting in Rabat Thursday between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who reiterated support for the autonomy proposal within Moroccos territorial integrity as the most serious, realistic and credible solution to the regional conflict over the Sahara territory, the Moroccan Royal Office said. Sanchez statements echo the same position expressed by the Spanish presidency in a letter to King Mohammed VI, marking the end of the diplomatic crisis between the two neighboring countries and paved the way for todays visit. During the meeting, His Majesty the King and the President of the Spanish government reaffirmed willingness to open a new era in relations between the two countries, based on mutual-respect, mutual trust, permanent consultation and frank and faithful cooperation, the Royal Office said. The two leaders also agreed to take concrete measures as part of a road map that covers all fields of partnership and incorporates all issues of mutual interest, it said. They also discussed political, economic, security and cultural cooperation, in addition to regional and international issues. The two neighbors actually face common challenges, particularly in matters of immigration, border control, terrorism and cross-border crime. The Royal audience reflects the personal involvement of the Sovereign in warming up relations between the two countries and his desire to boost these relations. Actually, the Sovereign who has been closely following the diplomatic crisis with the Northern neighbor has set the stage for its resolution and has played a decisive role that was crowned by Spains new position on the Sahara issue, a position that adds to similar positions by global powers including the US, France, Germany and Israel in addition to most countries in Africa and the Arab World. After the audience, and in a sign of friendship on his part, King Mohammed VI invited his guest to an Iftar, the breaking of the fast in this holy month of Ramadan. Promising new horizons are now opening up for a lasting partnership between the two neighbors based on mutual respect and transparency. A resident from the Alexandra township gets tested for COVID-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. In a new analysis released Thursday, April 7, 2022, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, by that time, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO. Credit: AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File The World Health Organization said that up to 65% of people in Africa have been infected with the coronavirus and estimates the number of actual cases may have been nearly 100 times more than those reported. In a new analysis released Thursday, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO during that time period. "This undercounting is occurring worldwide and it's no surprise that the numbers are particularly large in Africa where there are so many cases with no symptoms," WHO's Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement. WHO's analysis found that a large proportion of people with COVID-1967%showed no symptoms when infected with the disease, a higher percentage than other world regions. Despite repeated warnings from WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus that the coronavirus would devastate Africa, the continent has been among the least affected by the pandemic. In its new analysis, WHO said the milder COVID-19 cases seen in Africa were attributable in part to the continent's much smaller proportion of people with underlying risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. A nurse prepares to administer an AstraZeneca vaccination against COVID-19, at a district health center giving first, second, and booster doses to eligible people, in the low-income Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 20, 2022. In a new analysis released Thursday, April 7, 2022, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, by that time, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File "Africa's youthful population is also a protective factor," the U.N. health agency said. Some studies have also suggested that previous infection with diseases including malaria, may offer people some protection against the coronavirus, although those hypotheses have yet to be confirmed. A boy receives a vaccination against COVID-19 at a site near Johannesburg, Dec. 8, 2021. In a new analysis released Thursday, April 7, 2022, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, by that time, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File To date, Africa has reported 11.5 million COVID-19 cases including more than 250,000 deaths. WHO said the virus has been trending downwards since January, although there have been some variations in some countries and some, including South Africa, have been hit particularly hard during successive waves of disease. Last week, WHO said the number of COVID deaths fell by about 30% on the continent. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the first woman to lead the the World Health Organization's regional Africa office, sits in her office in Brazzaville, Congo, Tuesday Feb. 8, 2022. In a new analysis released Thursday, April 7, 2022, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, by that time, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File "Despite Africa's declining infections and high exposure to the virus, we cannot declare victory yet against COVID-19," said WHO Africa chief Moeti. "The risks of more lethal variants emerging which overwhelm immunity gained from past infections cannot be brushed aside," she said, calling for increased vaccination rates across the continent. To date, only about 15% of people in Africa have been immunized against COVID-19. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A first-of-its-kind algorithm, using raw MRI images, can predict if and when a patient will have a lethal episode of heart arrhythmia. It detected high risk in the heart circled in red. Credit: Johns Hopkins University A new artificial intelligence-based approach can predict, significantly more accurately than a doctor, if and when a patient could die of cardiac arrest. The technology, built on raw images of patient's diseased hearts and patient backgrounds, stands to revolutionize clinical decision making and increase survival from sudden and lethal cardiac arrhythmias, one of medicine's deadliest and most puzzling conditions. The work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, is detailed today in Nature Cardiovascular Research. "Sudden cardiac death caused by arrhythmia accounts for as many as 20 percent of all deaths worldwide and we know little about why it's happening or how to tell who's at risk," said senior author Natalia Trayanova, the Murray B. Sachs professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine. "There are patients who may be at low risk of sudden cardiac death getting defibrillators that they might not need and then there are high-risk patients that aren't getting the treatment they need and could die in the prime of their life. What our algorithm can do is determine who is at risk for cardiac death and when it will occur, allowing doctors to decide exactly what needs to be done." The team is the first to use neural networks to build a personalized survival assessment for each patient with heart disease. These risk measures provide with high accuracy the chance for a sudden cardiac death over 10 years, and when it's most likely to happen. The deep learning technology is called Survival Study of Cardiac Arrhythmia Risk (SSCAR). The name alludes to cardiac scarring caused by heart disease that often results in lethal arrhythmias, and the key to the algorithm's predictions. The team used contrast-enhanced cardiac images that visualize scar distribution from hundreds of real patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital with cardiac scarring to train an algorithm to detect patterns and relationships not visible to the naked eye. Current clinical cardiac image analysis extracts only simple scar features like volume and mass, severely underutilizing what's demonstrated in this work to be critical data. "The images carry critical information that doctors haven't been able to access," said first author Dan Popescu, a former Johns Hopkins doctoral student. "This scarring can be distributed in different ways and it says something about a patient's chance for survival. There is information hidden in it." The team trained a second neural network to learn from 10 years of standard clinical patient data, 22 factors such as patients' age, weight, race and prescription drug use. The algorithms' predictions were not only significantly more accurate on every measure than doctors, they were validated in tests with an independent patient cohort from 60 health centers across the United States, with different cardiac histories and different imaging data, suggesting the platform could be adopted anywhere. "This has the potential to significantly shape clinical decision-making regarding arrhythmia risk and represents an essential step towards bringing patient trajectory prognostication into the age of artificial intelligence," said Trayanova, co-director of the Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation. "It epitomizes the trend of merging artificial intelligence, engineering, and medicine as the future of healthcare." The team is now working to build algorithms now to detect other cardiac diseases. According to Trayanova, the deep-learning concept could be developed for other fields of medicine that rely on visual diagnosis. The team from Johns Hopkins also included: Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Data-Intensive Computation Mauro Maggioni; Julie Shade; Changxin Lai; Konstantino Aronis; and Katherine Wu. Other authors include: M. Vinayaga Moorthy and Nancy Cook of Brigham and Women's Hospital; Daniel Lee of Northwester University; Alan Kadish of Touro College and University System; David Oyyang and Christine Albert of Cedar-Sinai Medical Center. Explore further New tool predicts sudden death in inflammatory heart disease More information: Natalia Trayanova, Arrhythmic sudden death survival prediction using deep learning analysis of scarring in the heart, Nature Cardiovascular Research (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s44161-022-00041-9 Natalia Trayanova, Arrhythmic sudden death survival prediction using deep learning analysis of scarring in the heart,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s44161-022-00041-9 Illustration of the virus which causes measles. Credit: CDC/ Allison M. Maiuri, MPH, CHES New research, to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal (23-26 April), suggests that the current two-dose measles immunization coverage target of 95% may be the absolute minimum required to provide enough protective immunity in the population to achieve and maintain measles elimination. The systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of two doses of the measles vaccine in over 7,000 participants (aged 9 months to 23 years) from 13 countries is by Lukas Hemmers from the State Office for Health and Social Affairs in Berlin, Germany, and colleagues. According to the latest published figures from 2018, only six countries in the EU/EEG (Croatia, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Sweden) report two-dose measles vaccine coverage of 95% or higher, suggesting that elimination of measles in the EU is uncertain, researchers say. Measles elimination is defined as the absence of endemic measles transmission in a region or other defined geographical area for 12 months or longer. Because measles spreads so easily, an estimated 95% of a population needs to be vaccinated with two doses of measles-containing vaccine (MCV2) every year in every community to achieve protection for all and prevent outbreaks. This current elimination strategy assumes that two doses of the measles are at least 96% effective in preventing measles, and that at least 91.5% of the population are immune to the disease. However, estimates of MCV2 vaccine effectiveness have not been properly combined to determine whether they are high enough to achieve elimination. To provide more evidence, researchers searched for all observational studies published in English, German, Dutch and Spanish, which reported on the vaccine effectiveness of MCV2 up to April 2021. The final analysis included 33 peer-reviewed articles from an initial cache of 430. The analysis included 21 studies comparing the risk of measles in individuals (aged 9 months or older without immunodeficiency) that had received MCV2 to those who had not been vaccinated. All studies were conducted in outbreak settings. The analysis estimated that average MCV2 effectiveness was 96.4% in the general population under real world conditions. Age, location and study design did not appear to have an impact on vaccine effectiveness, although the moderator analysis was limited to only seven studies from Europe and North America. "Over the past two years, the number of reported measles cases in Europe have been low, probably due to COVID-19 control measures rather than reaching the 95% immunization target for measles vaccination. However, our analysis suggests that even if routine two-dose measles vaccination reaches 95%, and the vaccine effectiveness is 96%, then the fraction of the population that needs to be immune to achieve elimination (ie, 91.6%) is only just met, if you discount immunity conferred by one dose of measles-containing vaccine", explains Hemmers. He continues, "Assuming pre-pandemic contact patterns will return as we come out of the pandemic, a vaccination level of 95% should be the minimum requirement, rather than the goal, for successful measles elimination. Consequently, further efforts to increase measles vaccination coverage are needed in most European countries." Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 90,000 cases of measles and 37 deaths were reported across 48 of the 53 countries in the WHO European region in the first six months of 2019. This is more than the 84,462 cases recorded for the whole of 2018. Ukraine was particularly affected, with more than 54,000 cases and 18 deaths in the first six months of 2019. Moreover, four countries (Albania, Czechia, Greece and the UK) have lost their measles elimination status. Across the European region as a whole, was 91% coverage for the second dose of measles vaccination in 2018. The authors acknowledge some limitations with the study, including that the review mainly included observational studies from the WHO regions of Europe and North America. In addition, the included studies did not provide data on people older than 23 years of agewhich may limit the conclusions that can be drawn. "This highlights that our view on the immunogenicity of measles vaccination is skewed towards younger people and the effect of waning immunity in adults is not adequately addressed", says Hemmers. Explore further WHO, CDC warn of measles threat after 22 million infants miss shots during pandemic Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Manhattan plot of the meta-analysis of overall childhood and adolescent internalizing symptoms (INT overall ). Note: The solid line represents the significance threshold (p < 51008); the dotted line represents the suggestive threshold (p < 11005). Hereditary factors are partly responsible for childhood anxiety and depression that persists into adulthood, according to University of Queensland researchers. In the largest study of its kind in the world, the genetics of 64,641 children, aged between 3 and 18 years, were analyzed using longitudinal data from the Early Genetics and Lifeforce Epidemiology consortium. Professor Christel Middeldorp, who holds a co-joint appointment with the UQ Child Health Research Centre and Children's Health Queensland, said the study showed children who had similar levels of anxiety and depression were also alike genetically. "It also revealed a genetic overlap between childhood and adult mental health disorders when comparing the results in this childhood study with results of previous studies in adults. "These findings are important because they help identify people most at risk of symptoms continuing across the lifespan, so intense treatment can be provided where needed," Professor Middeldorp said. It's the first time researchers have conducted such a large scale study examining the role of genetics in repeated measures of anxiety and depression in children. Professor Middeldorp said genetic variants needed to be investigated because they increased the risk of recurrence and co-occurrence with other disorders. "Mental health symptoms often come together, so those who experience anxiety or depression have a greater risk of disorders such as ADHD, aggressive behavior," she said. "We found that this co-occurrence is also due to genetic variants" Professor Middeldorp said. Genetics account for around 40% of a person's risk of suffering anxiety and depression, with environmental factors accounting for the rest. Professor Middeldorp said while everyone could feel anxious or depressed from time to time, some people were better able to adjust to life's circumstances. "People with an anxiety disorder ruminate about their situation, preventing them from moving on," she said. "There is a difference in how people respond to stressors, and part of that difference is genetic." Researchers will now analyze the interplay of genetics and environmental variables, such as school and family life, to see how together they influence childhood anxiety and depression. This study is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Explore further Genetics linked to childhood emotional, social and psychiatric problems In this April 26, 2021 file photo, a nursing student administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at UNLV, in Las Vegas, April 1, 2022 German lawmakers are debating Thursday whether to require all people aged 60 and over in the country to be vaccinated against the coronavirus -- a compromise solution the government hopes will receive a parliamentary majority. Credit: AP Photo/John Locher, File German lawmakers on Thursday rejected a bill requiring all people 60 and over in the country to be vaccinated against coronavirusa compromise solution the government had hoped would get a parliamentary majority. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his health minister originally called for a vaccine mandate to apply to all adults in Germany, but some government lawmakers and most of the opposition had balked at the idea. The vote prompted joy from anti-vaccine activists, who staged a march through Berlin's government district banging drums, blowing horns and carrying banners with slogans such as "We are the red line" or simply "No." The bill was put forward by a cross-party group after months of haggling. It envisaged requiring older people to get the shot, but for there to be compulsory counseling for all adults to help them weigh the advantages and risks of vaccination against COVID-19. In the end, 378 lawmakers voted against the bill, 296 were in favor and nine abstained. Germany has managed the pandemic well compared to some of its European neighbors, with fewer deaths per capita than Italy, France, Britain or Sweden. Social Democratic lawmaker Dagmar Schmidt, who presented the compromise bill, noted that the number of infections has been going down lately. Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health, speaks at the Bundestag session in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 7, 2020. The Bundestag votes on mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus. Credit: Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP German parliament Bundestag debate about a vaccination mandatory Germany at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber German Chancellor Olaf Scholz walks through the plenary hall at the parliament Bundestag during a debate about a vaccination mandatory in Germany at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany have declined in recent weeks from a peak of about 300,000 a day to just over 200,000 in the past 24 hours. There were 328 COVID-19-related deaths reported Thursday, according to Germany's disease control agency. But Schmidt said it was necessary to prepare for a new rise in cases and a possible new variant emerging later this year. "We will face the same challenge next fall that we did last fall," she said. "The virus won't simply disappear." Explore further German lawmakers seek elusive compromise on vaccine mandate 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Despite the demands of the coronavirus pandemic on resources, the 2021 coverage statistics from the Norwegian Immunization Registry SYSVAK show a consistently high vaccine uptake for children and adolescents. The Norwegian population continues to be well-protected against these infectious diseases. The vaccination coverage for three cohorts (for 2-, 9- and 16-year-olds) is published annually. The 2021 coverage statistics show that the vast majority of children and adolescents were able to follow their immunization schedule during the coronavirus pandemic. Impressive effort Public health nurses have a key role in the health of children and adolescents, with vaccination being just one of many responsibilities. For several decades, there has been consistently high vaccine uptake in the Norwegian childhood immunization program, and this is still the case. "This year's coverage figures show that the healthcare service has made an impressive effort to offer vaccines to children and adolescents despite a demanding pandemic period. This demonstrates that the childhood immunization program is robust, and has been prioritized," says Margrethe Greve-Isdahl, Senior Physician at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Protects against transmission The extremely low incidence of the diseases that are vaccinated against in Norway reflects the high uptake in the childhood immunization program in Norway. Other countries have greater challenges in implementing their childhood immunization programs. This can lead to some diseases flaring up in countries with lower vaccination coverage. "The high vaccination coverage in Norway makes it unlikely that these diseases will spread here, even if sporadic cases are detected," Greve-Isdahl adds. 70th anniversary The Norwegian childhood immunization program was established in 1952 with a combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). Since then, more vaccines have been introduced, with vaccines against 13 diseases now being offered. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health monitors and publishes coverage statistics for the childhood immunization program annually, and these data are included in the Norgeshelsa statistics database from 2002. Vaccination coverage for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis has been consistently high over the years. "This success can be attributed, among other things, to the organization of the childhood immunization program. The vaccines are free and easily available and are a well-established and integral part in the follow-up of children's health. Several studies show that the population has a high level of trust in the health service and the vaccines that are offered," says Greve-Isdahl. HPV vaccination The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced for girls in the childhood immunization program in 2009. In 2021, the coverage is up to 92 percent for girls, which is among the highest in the world. Boys have been offered HPV vaccine since 2018 and will be included in the coverage statistics for 16-year-olds from next year. "The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has conducted a study that shows that Norway could possibly eradicate cervical cancer in 2039, thanks to the high uptake of the HPV vaccine," says Lill Trogstad, head of the Norwegian HPV vaccine program. Excerpts from the national coverage figures for 2021 The table below shows an excerpt of the national vaccination coverage for 2021 for 2-year-olds and 16-year-olds. Facts about the coverage statistics All vaccines given in the childhood immunization program must be notified to the Norwegian immunization registry SYSVAK by public health clinics and the school health service on an individual level. The vaccination coverage statistics show the proportion of children who have been vaccinated according to the recommendations in the immunization program. The annual vaccination coverage published is a minimum figure, and the actual coverage may be higher than the statistics indicate. The most common reason why some children appear to be incompletely vaccinated is due to technical problems with the electronic transmission of vaccine notifications from the municipalities to SYSVAK. Vaccination coverage is published at national and county level for three age groups: 2, 9 and 16-year-olds. The municipal statistics are published in the municipal health statistics databaseKommunehelsa statistikkbank (in Norwegian). Explore further How many children were vaccinated in 2015? The motherboard of a COVID-19 rapid testing device that UF Health researchers helped develop is seen here. The device can return a coronavirus test result as accurately and sensitively as the gold standard of testing, a PCR test, in 30 seconds. Credit: Houndstoothe Analytics. With any highly infectious disease, time can be a killer. It is crucial to get a test result for a pathogen quickly, lest someone continue in their daily lives infecting others. And delays in testing have undoubtedly exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the most accurate COVID-19 test often takes 24 hours or longer to return results from a lab. At-home test kits offer results in minutes but are far less accurate or sensitive. Researchers at the University of Florida, however, have helped developed a COVID-19 testing device that can detect coronavirus infection in as little as 30 seconds as sensitively and accurately as a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction test, the gold standard of testing. They are working with scientists at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. The device, researchers said, could transform public health officials' ability to quickly detect and respond to the coronavirusor the next pandemic. UF has entered into a licensing agreement with a New Jersey company, Houndstoothe Analytics, in hopes of ultimately manufacturing and selling the device, not just to medical professionals but also to consumers. Like PCR tests, the device is 90% accurate, researchers said, with the same sensitivity, according to a recent peer-reviewed study published by the UF group. "There is nothing available like it," said Josephine Esquivel-Upshaw, D.M.D., a professor in the UF College of Dentistry's department of restorative dental sciences and member of the research team that developed the device. "It's true point of care. It's access to care. We think it will revolutionize diagnostics." The device is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. First, researchers said, they have to ensure that test results are not thrown off by cross-contamination with other pathogens that might be found in the mouth and saliva. These include other coronaviruses, staph infections, the flu, pneumonia and 20 others. That work is ongoing. The hand-held apparatus is powered by a 9-volt battery and uses an inexpensive test strip, similar to those used in blood glucose meters, with coronavirus antibodies attached to a gold-plated film at its tip. The strip is placed on the tongue to collect a tiny saliva sample. The strip is then inserted into a reader connected to a circuit board with the brains of the device. If someone is infected, the coronavirus in the saliva binds with the antibodies and begins a dance of sorts as they are prodded by two electrical pulses processed by a special transistor. A higher concentration of coronavirus changes the electrical conductance of the sample. That, in turn, alters the voltage of the electrical pulses. The voltage signal is amplified a million times and converted to a numerical valuein a sense, the sample's electrochemical fingerprint. That value will indicate a positive or negative result, and the lower the value, the higher the viral load. The device's ability to quantify viral and antibody load makes it especially useful for clinical purposes, researchers said. The product can be constructed for less than $50, Esquivel-Upshaw said. In contrast, PCR test equipment can cost thousands. The research team also is studying its ability to detect specific proteins that could be used to diagnose other illnesses, including cancer, a heart attack and immune health. Fan Ren, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering's department of chemical engineering, and his team had been developing semiconductor-based sensor devices long before COVID-19 for nonmedical purposes. He noted that he is inspired in his work by the recent death of his wife, which was unrelated to COVID-19. He connects his grief to the mourning of the world at large. "Almost a million people have died of COVID in the United States," Ren said. "Those are so many tragedies. Old people. Young people. You name it. I said, 'No, that's it. That is too much.'" He said several institutions have worked on devices using a field effect transistor, or FET, like that found in the COVID-19 testing device his team is developing. But those devices are basically one-offsa sample is applied directly to the FET, which means the transistor is not reusable and must be discarded. That makes those devices expensive and impractical for mass testing, Ren said. Then he hit on the idea of separating transistor from sample, like blood glucose meters that use test strips to collect a drop of blood after a lancet pierces a finger. This innovation, Ren said, makes the UF device unique, affordable and easy to use. Ren said the device could be used for venues with large crowds, such as concerts, sporting events, classrooms, in addition to medical settings. Researchers say the unit would also provide access to accurate, inexpensive testing in rural areas or in developing nations. And the personal uses, researchers say, are limitlessparties, baby showers and other small gatherings. "Yes or no. You're infected or not infected. You get the answer right away," said Ren. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The scientists demonstrate that mice that express the variant adopt an inattentive phenotype similar to that seen in humans. The study, led by researchers from the University of Michigan in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University, Temple University, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, used genetically engineered mice to examine the neural and behavioral effects of a choline transporter (CHT) variant. Prior work by the team has shown that the variant associated with heightened distractibility in humans, though whether the variant was itself causal for inattention was unclear. In the new study, researchers made a single change in the gene encoding the neuronal CHT and then searched for physiological changes in the brain, focusing on their ability to sustain production and release of the powerful brain chemical acetylcholine, which is synthetized from choline. In humans, disruption of acetylcholine signaling impairs one's capacity to filter distractors and to perform focus-demanding tasks. A total loss of CHT function in mice and people leads to early death due to the role played by acetylcholine in muscle contraction, particularly the muscles that control breathing. Lesser reductions in CHT activity allow for normal growth and movement, but mice with these changes exhibit premature fatigue when made to run on a treadmill. Work from the new study reveals that the mice show signs of mental fatigue as well. Results of the study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, indicate that the CHT gene variant known as Val89 reduces the rate of choline uptake and the capacity to sustain acetylcholine production during attention-demanding conditions, effects that lead to diminished cognitive performance when the mice are faced with attentional challenges. Evidence from the mouse studies provides direct evidence that Val89 drives increased vulnerability to distraction and provides a mechanistic basis for the diminished frontal cortex activation observed in Val89-expressing humans. "Our mouse studies, along with prior behavioral and brain imaging studies, indicate that a single copy of the variant is sufficient to change acetylcholine availability and its resulting cognitive effects," said Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., co-author, executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and professor, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. "Seeing effects from a single copy of Val89 suggests that choline transport may be mediated by a pair of CHT proteins such that one poorly functioning copy can impact the normal function of the other, leading to stronger effects than expected from simply having one copy compromised." This finding has been reported before in people with neuromuscular disorder causing CHT mutations, but this also appears to be the case for brain function. "Val89 mice lack cognitive flexibility in response to an attentional challenge," said Eryn Donovan, lead author and a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, University of Michigan. "Our findings from this mouse model suggest the potential for a more complete investigation of the effects of the CHT Val89 mutation in the brain as well as the development of therapeutic strategies for those with disrupted acetylcholine signaling." According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the estimated number of children ever diagnosed with ADHD, according to a 2016 parent survey, is 6.1 million. This same survey shows that 6 in 10 children with ADHD had at least one other mental, emotional or behavioral disorder and 62 percent were taking ADHD medication. Although ADHD most often occurs in children, it also can be diagnosed in adulthood. "We think that the CHT Val89 mouse can be a valuable model to study heritable risk for cognitive disorders that arise from cholinergic dysfunction," said Blakely. "We now can gain much more insight into the brain effects of the Val89 variant in ways that cannot be done in humans and possibly lead to new ways to treat disorders associated with brain acetylcholine signaling that appear in childhood, such as ADHD, or during aging, as with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease." In addition to new insights into a potential risk factor for psychiatric and neurological disorders, Martin Sarter, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan and the communicating author of the study says that their findings explain why healthy humans expressing this genetic variant exhibit robust attentional vulnerabilities. "As this genetic variant is quite common, occurring in about 9 to 10 percent of humans, we now understand exactly how this variant influences the brain mechanisms that are essential for paying attention," said Sarter. Explore further The choline transporter in the brain is necessary for tuning out unneeded information More information: Eryn Donovan et al, Disrupted choline clearance and sustained acetylcholine release in vivo by a common choline transporter coding variant associated with poor attentional control in humans, The Journal of Neuroscience (2022). Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience Eryn Donovan et al, Disrupted choline clearance and sustained acetylcholine release in vivo by a common choline transporter coding variant associated with poor attentional control in humans,(2022). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1334-21.2022 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Pathways detailing the two general scenarios in which pathogen transmission from humans to wildlife is problematic. We separate these scenarios into concerns for 1) conservation and 2) public health. In both pathways, spillover into humans (a) results in successful zoonotic establishment; humans, which are competent transmitters of the pathogen, then transmit it onto a new animal population in an instance of spillback (b or d). In Pathway 1, the pathogen causes morbidity or mortality, potentially presenting a conservation risk (c). In Pathway 2, the new animal species proves a competent reservoir (d), maintaining the pathogen within the population. This population presents a spillover risk, potentially creating numerous novel infections in humans (e). This maintenance population, or additional wildlife species it shares pathogens with, may also suffer substantial morbidity and mortality, creating concerns for conservation (c). NB the sequence of events represents an idealized and simplified time-structured scenario, comprising only one of a number of possible transmission paths through a complex metapopulation of hosts; transmission may occur in either direction between the depicted hosts, and the suggested hosts may represent a single species or a community or reservoir complex composed of multiple species. Silhouettes are taken from phylopic.org. Credit: Ecology Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1111/ele.14003 A research team led by scientists at Georgetown University has found that humans give viruses back to animals more often than previously thought. In a study published in Ecology Letters, the authors describe nearly 100 different cases where diseases have undergone "spillback" from humans to wild animals, much like how SARS-CoV-2 has spread in mink farms, lions and tigers in zoos, and wild white-tailed deer. "There has understandably been an enormous amount of interest in human-to-wild animal pathogen transmission in light of the pandemic," said Gregory Albery at Georgetown University, the study's senior author. The new study is part of a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded project called The Viral Emergence Research Initiative, or Verena. The Verena team uses data science and machine learning to study the science of the host-virus networka new field that aims to predict which viruses can infect humans, which animals host them and where, and when and why they might emerge. "Disease transmission, where it comes from and where it goes, can be much more complicated than we often consider," says Sam Scheiner, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "This project is an important step in sorting out that complexity." Albery and colleagues found that almost half the incidents identified occurred in captive settings like zoos, where veterinarians keep a close eye on animals' health and are more likely to notice when a virus makes the jump. More than half the cases they found were human-to-primate transmission, an unsurprising result because pathogens find it easier to jump between closely related hosts, and because populations of endangered great apes are so carefully monitored. "We're more likely to detect pathogens in the places where we spend a lot of time and effort looking, with a disproportionate number of studies focusing on charismatic animals at zoos or in close proximity to humans" said Anna Fagre, a virologist and wildlife veterinarian at Colorado State University, who was lead author on the study. "It brings into question which cross-species transmission events we may be missing, and what this might mean not only for public health, but for the health and conservation of the species being infected." Disease spillback has recently attracted substantial attention due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wild white-tailed deer in the U.S. and Canada. Many scientists have expressed concerns that new animal reservoirs might give the virus extra chances to evolve new variants. In the study, Albery and colleagues found a sliver of good news: Scientists can use artificial intelligence to anticipate which species might be at risk of contracting the virus. Explore further Researchers find humans have given wild animals their diseases nearly 100 times More information: Anna C. Fagre et al, Assessing the risk of humantowildlife pathogen transmission for conservation and public health, Ecology Letters (2022). Journal information: Ecology Letters Anna C. Fagre et al, Assessing the risk of humantowildlife pathogen transmission for conservation and public health,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/ele.14003 Breast cancers that arise before age 40 tend to be more aggressive. But young women who undergo "breast-conserving" surgery are just as likely to survive as those who have a mastectomy, a preliminary study finds. The study involved nearly 600 women under age 40 who were treated for breast cancer at one medical center. Some underwent a mastectomy, or removal of one or both breasts, while some had a lumpectomy, where only the tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed. Over 5.5 years, 12% of the women died, and the type of surgery made no difference in their survival odds, the researchers found. Experts said the findings reflect the fact that other factors are key in breast cancer outcomes, including the non-surgical treatments women receive. Women who undergo lumpectomy often receive radiation, too, for instance. And those with hormone-sensitive tumorsas most breast cancers aretypically receive years of hormonal therapy to cut the risk of a recurrence. In fact, the study found, hormonal therapy had a substantial effect on women's survival. None of that means less-extensive surgery is for everyone, said lead researcher Dr. Christine Pestana, a breast surgical oncology fellow at Levine Cancer Institute, part of Atrium Health in Charlotte, N.C. Young women at high genetic risk of a recurrence, due to mutations in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, may want to opt for a double-mastectomy, Pestana said. Even in the absence of gene mutations, she added, some women want that optionbecause it will ease their anxiety about a recurrence or may give them a better cosmetic result. For some women with smaller breasts, Pestana noted, mastectomy, possibly followed by breast reconstruction, might be preferable to a lumpectomy for those cosmetic reasons. Dr. Mediget Teshome is a breast surgical oncologist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She said the findings add to evidence that when it comes to breast cancer survival, it's not the type of surgery that's important, but other factorsincluding the biology of a woman's particular cancer and the additional treatments she gets. Teshome also agreed there is no one-size-fits-all surgery choice. Instead, she said, the decision is an individual and often "nuanced" one. There are many things for a woman to consider and discuss with her doctors, according to Teshome: the specific characteristics of her breast cancer, her personal risk of a future recurrence, and the potential effects of surgery choice on her long-term quality of life, to name a few. Pestana was scheduled to present the findings Friday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons in Las Vegas. Studies released at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal. Most of the time, breast cancer is diagnosed after the age of 50. But while the rate is low among women younger than 40, it is on the rise, Pestana said, making it even more important to understand the impact of treatment choices on their long-term prognosis. She pointed to the "Angelina Jolie effect," where the actor's revelation that she'd had a double-mastectomy to cut her breast cancer risk has influenced other young women to choose that option as a breast cancer treatment. What's important to remember, Pestana said, is that Jolie carries a BRCA mutation that greatly increases the risk of breast cancer. For young women at average genetic risk, she said, evidence is lacking that a double-mastectomy improves survival over breast-conserving surgery. The new findings are based on 591 women younger than 40 who were treated for breast cancer between 2010 and 2019. Most had earlier, stage 1 or 2 breast tumors, and none had cancer that had spread throughout the body. Close to two-thirds of the patients underwent a mastectomy, Pestana said, while the rest had a lumpectomy. The researchers found that once other factors were taken into accountincluding the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer, and other treatments women receivedthe choice of lumpectomy or mastectomy had no bearing on survival odds. Another treatment did, however: Among women with hormone-sensitive cancer, those who did not receive hormonal therapy were three times more likely to die than those who did receive it. Both Pestana and Teshome stressed the importance of "shared decision-making" between women and their care teamwhich means discussing the pros and cons of all treatments, as well as a woman's personal values. Ultimately, Pestana said, "patients must be comfortable with their decision, and their doctors should support an informed choice." More information: The American Cancer Society has an overview of The American Cancer Society has an overview of breast cancer treatment options Copyright 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Researchers have discovered a new neurodevelopmental disorder after uncovering its link to a tumor suppressor gene. Credit: Edmonton Economic Development Corporation Australian researchers have discovered a new neurodevelopmental disorder after uncovering its link to a tumor suppressor gene. The international research collaboration, led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, has linked a recognized tumor suppressor gene to a new neurodevelopmental syndrome, ending the diagnostic journey for 32 families around the world. The study found variations in the FBXW7 gene were associated with the newly identified condition, which causes mild to severe developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia and gastrointestinal issues. Murdoch Children's researcher Dr. Sarah Stephenson said because the FBXW7 gene regulated the life-cycle of cells, cell growth and survival, the research team speculated that abnormal cell proliferation during brain development may underpin the broad spectrum of brain abnormalities identified in this new disorder. "FBXW7 now joins a steeply increasing number of intellectual disability/autism spectrum disorder genes that have been implicated in disorders that affect nervous system development, leading to atypical brain function, affecting emotion, learning ability, self-control and memory," she said. The study used cutting-edge diagnostic tools, genomic sequencing and global data sharing platforms to identify 35 people, aged 2-44 years, from 32 families in seven countries harboring the FBXW7 gene, which had variants that were associated with the never-before described neurodevelopmental syndrome. Almost all affected people had developmental delay and intellectual disability, ranging from borderline to severe, 62 percent had decreased muscle tone, 46 percent noted feeding difficulties and constipation and 23 percent had seizures. Brain imaging also detailed variable underlying structural differences affecting the cerebellum, nerve fibers and white matter. The team then reduced the gene's levels in a fly model, which affected the flies' ability to jump in response to a stimulus. This supported the observation that the 28 variants in FBXW7 were the cause of the condition. It also further cemented the fundamental role of the gene in development broadly, and the brain, specifically. Murdoch Children's Professor Tiong Tan, also a clinical geneticist at Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS), said the findings highlighted the power of undiagnosed diseases programs that use new genomic sequencing technologies and international data sharing and collaboration to bring diagnoses to children and families who have been seeking answers, often for many years. Drawing on the research and clinical expertise at MCRI and VCGS, Rare Diseases Now (RDNow) has established a pathway for children who remain undiagnosed after a genomic test such as exome sequencing. "The clinical features are so variable with this neurodevelopmental disorder that in some cases it would have been difficult to diagnose without the genomic tools and associated expertise," Professor Tan said. "The diagnosis has given closure and certainty to families, will personalize clinical care of each affected individual and has revealed the genetic and reproductive risks. It's a dominant condition so an affected person will have a 50-50 chance of passing it on to each of their children. This diagnosis will empower those impacted to make decisions about their reproductive options." Professor Tan said the next step was to test these results in human stem cells, which would be engineered into brain cells for analysis in the lab, and develop a better understanding of how the brain was affected in this condition. Explore further Novel neurodevelopmental disorder associated with mutations or deletions of PAX5 gene More information: Tiong Yang Tan, Germline variants in tumor suppressor FBXW7 lead to impaired ubiquitination and a neurodevelopmental syndrome, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2022). www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(22)00098-2 Journal information: American Journal of Human Genetics Tiong Yang Tan, Germline variants in tumor suppressor FBXW7 lead to impaired ubiquitination and a neurodevelopmental syndrome,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.03.002 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain People may feel less vulnerable and take fewer safety precautions about COVID-19 when they are with, or even just think about, their friends instead of acquaintances or strangers, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. During the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have become accustomed to spending time with their closest social circle, which may have unintended consequences, said study authors Hyunjung Crystal Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, and Eline De Vries, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain. "Friends and family can provide a sense of comfort, but it's irrational and dangerous to believe they will protect you from being infected by COVID-19," Lee said. "This tendency that we call the 'friend-shield effect' could intensify a false sense of safety and contribute to future infections." De Vries and Lee conducted five online experiments with U.S. residents in a study that was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. The experiments found that individuals engaged in fewer health protection behaviors when the COVID-19 infection risk was associated with close friendships, including situations when people thought of a friend while reading COVID-19-related news, believed a friend was the source of a prior COVID-19 infection or noted a friend's presence while dining at an indoor restaurant. Under such circumstances, study participants decided to purchase fewer health protection items, such as masks and hand sanitizers, and perceived less likelihood of infection, even when the infection risk could stem from strangers in crowds. The friend-shield effect was more prominent among people who identified themselves as conservatives than those who said they were liberals, arguably because conservatives tend to have clearer boundaries between people whom they hold as close friends and those they regard as distant others. In an experiment with 495 participants, one group was asked to write down memories of a close friend while the other group wrote about a distant acquaintance. All participants then read a news article stating that unhealthy snacks can increase risks of more severe COVID-19 infection symptoms, while the use of hand sanitizers, face masks and disinfecting wipes can reduce the likelihood of infection. The participants then chose either a junk food item (candy bars or chips) or a health protection product (face mask, hand sanitizer or disinfecting wipes) from an online store. Participants who wrote about a close friend were more likely to pick junk food over a health protection product than those who wrote about a distant acquaintance. Another experiment divided 262 participants with no history of COVID-19 infection into three groups. They were told to imagine they had been infected with COVID-19 either by a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger. Participants were then asked how much they planned to spend on health protection products over the next two months. Those who imagined infection by a friend planned to spend less than half as much on health protection items ($9.28 average) than those who imagined infection by an acquaintance ($18.84 average) or a stranger ($21.36 average). The next experiment comprised 109 participants who had been previously infected with COVID-19 and knew the source of their infection. Participants infected by friends or family members were less likely to think they would get infected again than those previously infected by acquaintances or strangers. The last experiment divided 301 participants into three groups whose members were told to imagine they were going to a coffee shop either alone, with a friend or with an acquaintance. Then they were asked about how crowded they expected the coffee shop to be and about their political orientation. Conservatives expected the coffee shop to be less crowded, and thus estimated a lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection if they were going with a friend rather than an acquaintance or on their own. There was no similar association for liberals. Based on these findings, the authors stated that COVID-19 public health campaigns should caution against individuals' tendency to engage in less protective behaviors when the infection risk is associated with friends and family, even if only tangentially. Health campaigns also should consider tailoring messages for different audiences, such as conservatives or liberals. "We think health safety campaigns should make greater efforts to inform the public regarding the friend-shield effect and aim for a more holistic response to future pandemics by taking both physical infection rates and psychological risk perceptions into account," De Vries said. More information: Friend-Shield Protection from the Crowd: How Friendship Makes People Feel Invulnerable to COVID-19, Journal of Experimental Psychology (2022). Journal information: Journal of Experimental Psychology , Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied Friend-Shield Protection from the Crowd: How Friendship Makes People Feel Invulnerable to COVID-19,(2022). Columns denote the percentage of physicians proposing a given test. Credit: Heart Rhythm (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.01.031 Researchers make a compelling, evidence-based case for expanding the diagnostic workup to include cardiac arrhythmias when a normally continent individual experiences enuresis nocturna (involuntary urination during sleep). Their recommendations appear in Heart Rhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, and the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society. When a normally continent individual experiences enuresis nocturna, treating physicians typically consider a differential diagnosis of urinary tract infections, anatomic malformations, emotional disturbances, epilepsy, sleep apnea, and the effects of diuretic or sedative medications. Despite the fact that involuntary urination during sleep can be a symptom of certain potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmias, they are rarely considered in the diagnostic evaluation. The sudden death from long QT syndrome type 2 of a 23-year-old female who had experienced two isolated bedwetting episodes but no other symptoms, prompted researchers to examine the prevailing protocols among physicians likely to encounter patients with unexplained enuresis. They conducted an anonymous internet-based survey asking physicians to select the diagnostic tests they would perform for a patient with unexpected and unexplained bedwetting and no other symptoms. The 346 respondents included 102 pediatricians, 73 family physicians, 57 internal medicine specialists, 35 residents, 37 interns, and 42 advanced medical students. Of these, 114 were senior physicians with more than three years of experience. Most of the survey respondents said they would perform urinalysis and kidney ultrasound following events of enuresis to search for an underlying urinary disease. Many also selected testing for diabetes and abnormalities in urinary flow. While 19% recommended performing an encephalogram, an indication that they considered the possibility of nocturnal epileptic seizures as a potential cause, only 1% thought that performing an electrocardiogram was indicated. This finding demonstrates that arrhythmic seizures are practically never considered part of the differential diagnosis of unexplained enuresis. "We are very surprised and extremely concerned by the lack of awareness among primary physicians about the possibility of nocturnal arrhythmogenic seizures caused by long QT syndrome," noted lead investigator Sami Viskin, MD, Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. "The condition, which is highly lethal when left undiagnosed and untreated, is easy to detect with an electrocardiogram and is highly responsive to appropriate therapy." The medical community recognizes that arrhythmias are an important cause of daytime syncope, and the electrocardiogram is considered an essential tool for its evaluation. It is important to raise the awareness to the fact that the same arrhythmias known to cause syncope in the "awake patient" may also cause nocturnal seizures during sleep. If these nocturnal seizures are not witnessed, then unexplained bedwetting may be the only clue remaining from the dramatic event. Dr. Viskin explained that the underlying diagnosis for most cases of enuresis will not be an arrhythmic syncope, especially with young patients. However, it is important to explore this possibility, particularly when the events are highly sporadic, noting that "An electrocardiogram is an inexpensive and easily performed test that is invaluable for diagnosing potentially fatal diseases that can be easily cured." "Inquiring about a familial history of sudden death should be an integral part of every medical consultation," Dr. Viskin added. Failing to recognize a malignant family history can be pivotal: Post-mortem investigation about their patient uncovered family history including genetic predisposition and instances of sudden death. In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Patrina H.Y. Caldwell, FRACP, Ph.D., and Professor Jonathan R. Skinner, MBChB, MRCP(UK), FRACP, MD, FHRS, of Sydney Children's Hospital (Randwick and Westmead, Australia), agreed that taking a family history for early death, in combination with an electrocardiogram, is recommended as a quick, cheap, universally available, and effective way to prevent a rare lethal outcome. Explore further New symptom may help ID sleep apnea in older women More information: Ehud Chorin et al, Bedwetting from the heart: Time for a paradigm shift in the minimal diagnostic evaluation of enuresis, Heart Rhythm (2022). Ehud Chorin et al, Bedwetting from the heart: Time for a paradigm shift in the minimal diagnostic evaluation of enuresis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.01.031 Jonathan R. Skinner et al, Nocturnal enuresis and sudden deathFor whom the bell tolls?, Heart Rhythm (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.02.008 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain As medical and surgical treatments have improved and survival has increased, the majority of people with congenital heart disease are now adults rather than children, yet disparities driven by social determinants of health (SDOH) limit access to the lifelong specialty care needed, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. An American Heart Association scientific statement is an expert analysis of current research and may inform future guidelines. The new statement focuses on the impact of SDOHthe conditions in which people are born and live, such as education, employment, housing, income, and access to food and safetyamong people born with congenital heart defects. Societal factors impact the ability of people born with congenital heart disease to get appropriate specialty treatment throughout their lives and particularly when they are transitioning from pediatric to adult care. The word congenital means existing at birth. The terms "congenital heart defect" and "congenital heart disease" are often used to mean the same thing and are used interchangeably in the scientific statement. It's important to note, however, that while "disease" is more commonly used, "defect" is more correct because the heart problem is a defect or abnormality, not a disease. A congenital heart defect results when the heart or blood vessels near the heart don't develop normally before birth. These structural problems can usually be surgically addressed; however, for many, the condition is not completely cured. People with a congenital heart defect (CHD)particularly those with complex heart problemsmay require multiple operations and need specialty heart care throughout their lives. "Social determinants of health affect every single facet of CHDfrom who is born with a heart abnormality to who is diagnosed prenatally, to outcomes of surgery, to clinical follow-up as well as transitioning to adult care," said the Chair of the statement writing group Keila N. Lopez, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of pediatrics and medical director of the transition medicine division of pediatric cardiology at Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. This statement follows a 2020 presidential advisory from the Association, published as a call to action to confront structural racism as a fundamental driver of health disparities. "When people think about individuals with poorer health outcomes, they often assume that these are the direct result of individual choices that people make; however, that is often not the case. Differences in the social determinants of health are often directly linked to worse health outcomes," said Lopez. "Disparities in health outcomes, such as life expectancy differences, are in large part due to long-standing systemic and structural racism factors across society that affect the communities in which people live and the care that is available, all of which negatively affects their lifelong health." At the population level of care, the statement points out that while there has been overall improvement in outcomes due to advances in surgical and medical care for congenital heart defects, there has been minimal improvement in equitable access across the U.S. to that care. Specialty care services are concentrated in urban areas, making access difficult for those who live in rural or smaller communities. Availability of care also refers to an individual's access to transportation and working at a job with the flexibility to have time off for health care needs, which tends to be more challenging for people with a complex disease and who have a lower socioeconomic status. Referral patterns to specialty care can also affect access to care. Studies have explored referral patterns to congenital cardiac centers by insurance status, revealing a higher proportion of people with private insurance being referred to hospitals with lower mortality compared to those who have public insurance. Strategies to address these access issues include increasing specialist availability via satellite clinics in nonurban areas and increasing telehealth capabilities. Investigating policies for public insurance accessibility both within states and across state lines will be important to ensure access to CHD care. Improving access to care and insurance coverage can also support a healthier transition to adulthood and adult care for people with congenital heart disease. "Individuals who lack access for any reason also tend to have the highest gaps in care, particularly when transferring from pediatric to adult congenital specialty care, making the impact of social determinants particularly important between the ages of 18 and 26," said Lopez. "Individuals often lose access to insurance during these years of early adulthood." At the institutional level of care, the statement reports that it is unclear the degree to which hospital-level factors influence disparities of care versus the SDOH or individual factors. Some hospitals perform a higher volume of specialty heart care and surgeries, yet there is still a wide range of outcomes even across hospitals with the same volume. While race, ethnicity and lower socioeconomic status have been associated with worse outcomes after congenital heart disease surgery, more research is needed in this area to better understand these associations. There are, however, nonsurgical factors that affect the type of care available at different institutions. These factors include variations in home monitoring and visitation programs; the availability of programs to support nutrition, growth and cognitive development (such as school-based outreach); and varying levels of cultural competence in these programs. Also, the availability of non-English language providers and resources can make a difference in the quality of care at different institutions. The statement suggests the need for data to understand institutional referral patterns, hospital volume, and the resources, income and insurance needed to receive care at the hospitals with appropriate specialty care. A systemic look at access to care focuses on the availability and diversity of the health care workforce. Even for people who have health insurance, a lack of specialty providers is a major concern as the population of adults with CHD continues to grow. There are fewer than 500 board-certified specialists in adult congenital heart disease in the U.S., and they are primarily located at specialty heart centers in urban areas. "There is a lack of funding for subspecialty fellowships in pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease," said Lopez. "While Medicaid funds most residency slots for internal medicine training, it often does not provide funds for pediatric subspecialty fellowships, which restricts the number of available slots. Applicants and institutions must then fund their own fellowship training programs, such as those for adult congenital heart disease." In addition to the need for more CHD health professionals, there is ample opportunity to increase diversity among pediatric cardiologists. Fewer than 8% of CHD physicians are people from diverse racial and ethnic groups, although the percentage in pediatric cardiology fellowship programs edged up slightly between 2006 and 2016 (from 7.7% to 9.9%, respectively). "Racial and ethnic diversity matters for health outcomes, patient trust and research. Studies confirm that having concordant care and a clinician workforce that resembles the population they are serving has an impact on patient outcomes. It's critical to improve the diversity of the pipeline by encouraging medical students to enter subspecialties, including pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease," Lopez said. Suggestions to improve diversity include: 1) establishing high school and undergraduate "pipeline" programs that expose young students to health care professionals that look like them and encourage them along the educational pathway to health care professions; 2) recalibrating medical school admission to include holistic assessment of applicants; 3) substantial cost reduction for graduate or medical school; 4) establishing and funding minority-serving medical schools; and 5) greater focus on retention and promotion of physicians from diverse racial and ethnic groups. At the individual level, the statement highlights the role of implicit bias, microaggression and racism and how they create barriers to care. The statement calls attention to the importance for individuals to serve as their own advocates to combat biases and systemic racism within the health care system. "Race is a social construct," said Lopez. "Using it as a biological construct to explain racial differences in outcomes is not valid. We must recalibrate how race is incorporated in scientific and medical research moving forward; it is important information to ensure we increase equity for all people regardless of race or ethnicity." Although this statement is limited to congenital heart disease, the same concerns about transition to adult care apply to many other medical conditions in children. "We are not alone. Many of my colleagues care for children with lifelong, complex medical conditionssuch as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, type 1 diabetes and spina bifida. In the past, many of these children may not have survived past childhood, so developing successful transitions to adult care is an urgent need that is universal for all children as they age into adulthood," said Lopez. This scientific statement was prepared by the volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association's Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee of the Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Health in the Young (the Young Hearts Council); the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; and the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. American Heart Association scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular diseases and stroke issues and help facilitate informed health care decisions. Scientific statements outline what is currently known about a topic and what areas need additional research. While scientific statements inform the development of guidelines, they do not make treatment recommendations. American Heart Association guidelines provide the Association's official clinical practice recommendations. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In early April South Africa ended most of the mandatory measures it put in place to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The country terminated its "state of disaster" and moved to a transitional phase. For 30 days certain measures will remain in place. These include wearing face masks in indoor public spaces, restrictions on gatherings as well as proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for people traveling to the country. To find out more about the implication of this decision and the reasoning behind it, The Conversation Africa's Ina Skosana spoke to Harsha Somaroo, who has been supporting COVID-19 surveillance in South Africa's economic hub, Gauteng province. Has South Africa turned the COVID corner? I believe so. South Africa has navigated the unpredictable trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic for over two years now. The country has reached a point of understanding which COVID-19 preventive measures work. In addition, effective treatment approaches are accessible, and the development and availability of COVID-19 vaccines has been a game changer. A decision to lift most restrictions was also informed by the fact that there has been a discernible decoupling of the COVID-19 case numbers from severe cases and deaths. In other words, the number of severe cases and deaths is low despite high numbers of new cases. This suggests that there are high levels of population protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19, due to a combination of naturally-acquired and vaccine-acquired immunity. At this point it's pragmatic to integrate COVID-19 management into routine practices and adopt risk-appropriate approaches based on individual vulnerabilities and the prevailing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk and dynamics in different settings. The transitional measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa attempt to reduce risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. They: mandate face masks in indoor public spaces recommend restrictions on public gatherings monitor COVID-19 vaccination and test status at events and of travelers maintain the social relief of distress grant. A number of factors will help people manage their COVID-19 risks. These include being up to date with COVID-19 vaccination schedules and adherence to related preventive measures. Sustained communication about these measures remains important, especially for the most vulnerable groups. These continue to be: those over the age of 50, those who have a comorbid illness, those attending crowded environments and frontline healthcare workers. What has informed the government's decision? In March 2020 the president declared a national state of disaster, and subsequently a national lockdown. This was in response to the uncertainty around an unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic as well as the anticipated impact of transmission on the country's health and the healthcare system. The aim was to trigger rapid responses for social, economic and medical preparedness. The state of disaster allowed the government to put in place public health measures nationally to slow viral transmission. It also allowed for access to disaster funds that provided essential economic support. This included boosting medical preparation and hospital capacity, and economic support for workers and businesses during the lockdown period. Over the following months the government adopted an incremental approach to adjusting lockdown restrictions. The country has been at the lowest level of lockdown for the past six months, following a decline in COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality numbers and sufficient health system capacity. This was the case even during the high COVID-19 transmission rates observed with the omicron variant. The provisions of the Disaster Management Act are no longer warranted. What are the risks? A risk is that people associate the end of the disaster management regulations with the end of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 health risks. This might, in turn, mean that they take less care in managing their individual risks of acquiring COVID-19and its potential effects. Thus public health messaging has a critical role to play in reinforcing the transmission and outcome risks. Hopefully keeping the transition measures in place for 30 days will empower people and communities to manage the continued risk. Another risk is that we might see the emergence of more transmissible and virulent SARS-CoV-2 variants. But ongoing surveillance will allow for early detection and prompt management of potential resurgences. Even if there is a resurgence, the country is unlikely to have to rely on the Disaster Management Act again. This is because revisions are being made to the National Health Act to allow for emergency interventions to be implemented if they're needed. Has South Africa managed the pandemic well? South Africaand the global communitywas maneuvering through uncharted territory with the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the circumstances the country did well. The early declaration of a national state of disaster allowed for a rapid response that wasn't possible under existing legislation at the time. This helped slow down rapid viral transmission and gave the health system time to prepare. It also gave the government time to try and balance the risks to health and the economy. The government also set up a national command council. This included an expert advisory committee, to monitor the rapidly evolving pandemic and advise the government on the best evidence-based approaches as these emerged. Another major factor was that incredible social solidarity emerged at the outset. This helped the country navigate the trajectory and uncertainty of COVID-19 waves. However, constraints that challenged routine healthcare managementinternal and external to the health system were also magnified during management of the pandemic. This provides further motivation to strengthen the existing governance, operations, and performance of the health system, and to improve collaboration between sectors that support public health. If we get this right the country will be able to better manage its response to future pandemics. Explore further Sweden right not to lockdown for COVID: report This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Taiwan will move away from a zero-COVID policy and instead focus on tackling the most severe infections in an effort to live with the coronavirus, its health minister said Thursday. The decision leaves Chinaand its financial hub Hong Kongas the only major economy still sticking to the strategy even as Omicron breaks through those defences. Taiwan has largely closed its borders and implemented strict quarantine rules throughout the pandemic, keeping infection numbers low. An outbreak last year prompted the temporary reimposition of economically painful social distancing measures until it was brought under control. Infections are once again rising but Taiwan's leaders have signalled they will follow other former zero-COVID economies like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand by opening up. Asked at a parliamentary session on Thursday if Taiwan was in a "transitional phase" from pursuing zero cases to living with the virus, health minister Chen Shih-chung replied: "Yes, you can say so." "We will not stop our journey towards opening up, this is our direction but we will maintain effective management. The main goal now is harm mitigation," he said. Chen's remarks came a day after President Tsai Ing-wen called for calm and confidence in the island's ability to confront the surge in cases. "With ongoing vaccination and targeted use of medical resources, we continue to pursue our goal of mitigating harm while also ensuring the health of our economy," she tweeted on Wednesday. For most of March, Taiwan recorded case numbers in the single digits, but infections have been steadily increasing since 87 were reported on March 31. On Thursday new infections rose to 382, a record this year and the seventh straight day with the number over 100. Chen said Taiwan cannot yet fully live with the virus but plans to "gradually loosen" quarantine requirements. One sticking point could be lacklustre vaccination rates. Currently 79 percent of the population have received two doses but only 51 percent have had a booster. Vaccination rates among the elderly, the most vulnerable demographic, are also low. Taiwan's plan to shift tactics comes as an outbreak in China's economic heartland of Shanghai is exposing the limits of strict zero-COVID controls. Residents in the city of 25 million have been confined to their homes and authorities are now recording about 20,000 new infections a day. Chinese social media has been filled with stories of people struggling to secure food deliveries and medicine. In Hong Kong, the zero-COVID strategy collapsed when Omicron broke through at the start of the year, leaving the city with one of the world's highest mortality rates from the virus. 2022 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain As the rise in home working blurs the boundary between work and home lives, it has become easier for people to work while unwell. But should you? Researchers from Nottingham Trent University studying presenteeismworking while illhave designed a structured way for employees to consider if they should take time off work due to ill-health. While presenteeism can exacerbate illnesses and have a detrimental impact on productivity, if it is properly managed it can actually play a positive, therapeutic role in recovery and rehabilitation. The process to support employees in their decision-making has been created by Dr. Zara Whysall, Associate Professor in Business Psychology at Nottingham Business School's Department of Human Resource Management, postgraduate researcher Huijun (Regen) Chen, and Dr. Maria Karanika-Murray, Associate Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at NTU's School of Social Sciences, who are experts in organizational behavior and workplace well-being. Dr. Whysall said: "The shift to hybrid and virtual working places even greater onus on individual employees to make the right decisions when balancing health and performance demands, because they're no longer surrounded by managers and colleagues who might pick up on issues and provide support and advice. "The most important thing which determines whether going to work while you're unwell will be beneficial or detrimental to health is making right choice between sickness absence and presenteeism, considering the nature of the illness and your work demands. "In reality this decision process takes place subconsciously and very rapidly, so making ourselves aware of the possible steps may help us to reflect and become more deliberate in what we decide." Here Dr. Whysall and Dr. Karanika-Murray explain the four-step process that employees can undertake: TriggerWhat has happened? How badly am I affected? "People have different thresholds for when ill-health symptoms trigger deliberation over whether to work or take sick leave. For some individuals and some health conditions, the threshold for deliberation may be very low, whereas for others it may be high, and this is likely to be influenced by our emotional states, so this threshold may also change situationally, for instance when we're experiencing stress" says Dr. Karanika-Murray. OptionsAsk yourself how can you adjust your tasks in terms of what, how, when and how much you do during the working day? What is possible and manageable without it being detrimental to your health? Dr. Whysall explains: "Behavioral science has taught us that when we weigh up our options, we're unlikely to do this in an entirely rational, objective way. Instead, the options that we consider to be open to us will be biased by various factors such as framing effects. For example, in some organizations it depends on the company culture, how others behave and what leaders say and do. The consequences employees experience after they take sick leave may make employees feel that sickness absence isn't an option for anything other than the most serious health conditions. In contrast, if a manager recently highlighted the importance of managing work-life balance, this may 'prime' sickness absence as a feasible option for a wider range of health issues." EvaluationOnce you've identified what you consider to be the possible options, move on to what's desirable, both in relation to your own goals and the expectations of others. What are the perceived benefits and risks, and what do you imagine are the potential consequences of your choice? Remember not to only prioritize work concerns such as whether your team will feel let down or if your boss won't promote you. Instead, make sure you also consider related concerns, for example if you take the day off, will you get better faster? Feedbackreflect on how well your decision served you; was this the right decision? Did it help you achieve your aims? Dr. Karanika-Murray added: "Unfortunately it's likely that we don't do enough of this kind of reflection and continue to sacrifice our health for short-term gains such as meeting the latest deadline, not getting behind on our to-do list, and avoiding potential disapproval from our manager. But feedback, through reflection, is essential to help us adapt our behavior and learn how to make decisions that work for us over the longer-term too." Explore further Inspirational managers may harm workers' health More information: Daniela Lohaus et al, Understanding the Decision-Making Process Between Presenteeism and Absenteeism, Frontiers in Psychology (2021). Journal information: Frontiers in Psychology Daniela Lohaus et al, Understanding the Decision-Making Process Between Presenteeism and Absenteeism,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.716925 The Biden administration this week moved to fix the so-called family glitch in the Affordable Care Act, which has prevented dependents from getting federal subsidies to buy health insurance even if the insurance offered by the employer is unaffordable. It remains unclear, however, whether this is something that can be done by regulation or instead requires congressional action. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise that would keep federal funding flowing for covid-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines. A $10 billion bipartisan bill negotiated in the Senate failed to advance when Republicans insisted on a vote on a separate public health immigration policy. That proposed spending was still less than half the amount the Biden administration had requested to continue to address the pandemic. This weeks panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call. Among the takeaways from this weeks episode: The Biden administrations proposal to fix the family glitch in the Affordable Care Act addresses a problem that Democrats and ACA advocates have complained about for years. The issue is that people who are offered insurance through their work but would rather get a policy through the ACA exchanges are eligible for premium subsidies only if their work-based insurance is considered unaffordable. That determination is based on the cost of a policy for a single person and does not take into account the higher costs for a family. Most people thought it would be up to Congress to remedy the family glitch. But since getting modifications through Congress has proved nearly impossible, advocates have pushed for executive action. That is not as foolproof as passing a law and is subject to a challenge through lawsuits. Its not clear who might be able to prove they have standing because they are being harmed by regulation and mount a successful suit. The federal government is setting up a special enrollment period for low-income people to buy ACA insurance plans, but insurers are cutting back on commissions to brokers who might help consumers find a plan during this period. Insurers have long been wary of efforts to extend enrollment beyond the usual sign-up periods because they fear that those special enrollment options attract people with health problems who are more costly to cover. If brokers cant or wont help customers in the special enrollment period, the federal government has increased its funding for navigators and other assistance groups in the past year that can help consumers. Lawmakers in Oklahoma this week passed a bill outlawing abortion in nearly all circumstances. That bill, expected to be signed by the governor, could go into effect in the fall after, supporters hope, the Supreme Court has revised the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal throughout the country. But the legislature is also seeking a more immediate way to end abortions and is expected to pass a bill that bans abortions after six weeks and calls on private individuals to sue anyone helping someone secure an abortion. That measure, modeled after a Texas law that has so far not been struck down by the Supreme Court, could go into effect immediately after its signed by the governor. Lawmakers in Colorado have moved in a different direction. The governor this week signed a bill that guarantees the right to abortion. With so many nearby states moving to ban abortions, Colorado could become a hub for women seeking the procedure. But that option, may not be affordable for many people. Reducing the cost of insulin is a popular bipartisan goal on Capitol Hill, yet lawmakers have not been able to agree on a way to do it. The House passed a bill last week that would hold the out-of-pocket cost for insured patients to $35 a month. But Republican senators have balked at the measure, at least in part because it is being pushed by Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who is up for reelection in a seat the GOP would very much like to recapture. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too: Julie Rovner: KHNs Losing Sleep Over the Pandemic? Work Flexibility May Be a Boon for Night Owls Health, by Krishna Sharma Shefali Luthra: The Washington Posts With Roe Endangered, Democrats Divide on Saying the Word Abortion, by Caroline Kitchener Tami Luhby: Health Affairs Health Care Is Now Healthcare, by Alan Weil Jessie Hellmann: KHNs $11M for North Carolina Work-Based Rehab Raises Concerns, by Aneri Pattani and NC Health News Taylor Knopf Also discussed on this weeks podcast: KHNs Doctors Trying to Prescribe Abortion Pills Across State Lines Stymied by Legislation, by Rachel Bluth To hear all our podcasts, click here. And subscribe to KHNs What the Health? on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to podcasts. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. USE OUR CONTENT This story can be republished for free (details). You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The family of a Missoula teen is raising money to help support the young boys open heart surgery scheduled for this summer. Jeremiah Curtiss, 15, is a student at Hellgate High School who was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect in mid-March at the Western Montana Clinic. The family tested positive for COVID-19 in February and subsequently had a series of doctors visits, Jeremiah's mom, Sylvia Curtiss said. Jeremiah continued to experience fatigue, chest pain and other symptoms. After a handful of doctor visits, a few electrocardiogram (EKG) tests and an ultrasound, a doctor gave Jeremiah his diagnosis. "For the most part I've tried to stay strong for Jeremiah," Sylvia said, but after receiving the news she recalled just putting her head on her daughter's shoulder and sobbing. "I told her, I don't know how I'm going to get there (to Spokane) or what I'm going to do," she said. An atrial septal defect is a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall that divides the upper chambers of the heart. The surgery will take place at a surgery center in Spokane, Sylvia said. From start to finish it will take about four to five days. Sylvia is hoping the GoFundMe page can ensure the family has enough funds to cover travel expenses, food and lodging and any extra medical costs that might arise. A family member of Jeremiah and Sylvia's started the page after Sylvia expressed being overwhelmed by all of the expenses associated with the surgery. Jeremiah was given the option of an alternative kind of surgery, but Sylvia said that kind is known for sending people back to the hospital time and time again. They opted to do the open-heart route. Sylvia says she'll be limited from being present in the surgery room, but is hoping to be with him up until the anesthesia sets in. The surgery itself will be at least two hours. "I'm praying that God would actually heal him and he won't have to go to surgery," she said. Jeremiah loves phone and video games and exploring the outside sanctuary in their backyard on the Clark Fork River. He's missed over a month of school because of the illness, Sylvia said. After some back and forth with school officials, the family coordinated to be part of Homebound, a program through Missoula County Public Schools that allows at-home schooling for health reasons. Once the forms are processed, a teacher will visit Jeremiah at his house twice per week to help him keep up with schoolwork. Sylvia and Jeremiah lost many loved ones in their family over the past few years. "It became really hard, it's been too much already," Sylvia said. To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/in-need-of-heart-surgery-please-help. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. School board trustee candidates running for seats with Missoula County Public Schools and Hellgate School District introduced themselves to the community at an event Tuesday night ahead of the May 3 election. A total of 13 candidates filed with the election office to run for six positions across four districts that will be opening up this year for the MCPS board. Five people are running for three open seats on Hellgates board. Ten candidates attended Tuesdays event in-person and four provided submitted comments to be read aloud by the events moderator, local writer and comedian Sarah Aswell. Karen Sherman (MCPS A), Taylor Ramos (MCPS B) and Michael Gehl (MCPS C) did not participate in the event at the Missoula Public Library. Topics discussed by the candidates running to serve on the Hellgate Elementary School District board ranged from fiscal responsibility to parental rights at an event Tuesday evening at the Missoula Public Library. Candidate Kyla Tripp said that through her perspective as a pharmacist, she intends to focus on students more like patients to ensure that their health and safety is at the center of every single decision that is made. I know that theres been talk about politics on the board and I would say that its more about the passion that parents have on the values they want their children raised with, Tripp said. So it might seem political, but really it is how much passion people have for raising their kids and I believe giving those parents a voice is the job of a school board representative. Rod Sharkey is an incumbent on the Hellgate board and views the district as the preeminent independent school district in the state of Montana. He touted his support for parental rights as well as fiscal responsibility. Another thing that Im passionate about is standardized testing and how it is sometimes used to put both teachers and students into a bucket, Sharkey said. "I view that as critical that we not lob people into buckets based on the testing numbers that we get and I demand that we go through them every quarter at Hellgate Elementary and Ill continue to do that." Incumbent Jack Babon described himself as fiscally conservative with goals to strive for a positive working environment in the district by providing the best curriculum, equipment and support for students and teachers. Teaching the skill of critical thinking needs to be developed more in discussions of national and world events and U.S. history, Babon said. "Learning the basic understanding of what the founding fathers of this country, what they left in Europe, or what they embraced when writing the Constitution and the laws that followed are extremely important." Tom Cook expressed that his goals, if elected to the board, would be to provide each student with the quality of education that they deserve and provide a safe environment for students and staff. Id like to help the school to actively reduce their carbon footprint and become an effective user of sustainable, renewable energy, Cook said. This is our future, and this is the future of our children and our grandchildren. Above all, I want to do what I can to encourage respect and appreciation for the views of one another. Lorraine Christensen could not make it to Tuesdays event and submitted written comments. Christensen is running as an incumbent to the board and has straightforward goals if reelected. I want to do the best for the children and the staff at the school. I want the best curriculum that teaches our kids and that our teachers can support and implement. I want policies that are clear and concise. I want to support our staff and administrators to continue to run this school as a school of choice that parents want their children to come to and people want to work at, Christensen wrote. This years school election will be conducted by mail-in ballots and no polling places will be open on Election Day, May 3. Ballots must be received by the election office no later than 8 p.m. on election day. Regular voter registration is currently closed, however late registration is available through noon on Monday, May 2. Voters cannot register to vote on election day due to changes in state law. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The recent editorial from Senator Daines and Jim Risch (Missoulian April 4) is yet another example of the appalling lack of understanding and cruelty Montanas wildlife is subjected too. Whats more a creationist is now spouting science to fit his political agenda and the consistent push by Republican lawmakers to make wolves a cultural war. The editorial by Dab Haaland (Missoulian April 4) reflected her boiling frustration at the slaughter of wolves and the grossly underestimated numbers of wolves that are poached in our state. Its laughable to state that Idaho and Montanas wildlife management are not driving wolves to extinction. The cumulative impact of bounties being placed, hunting on the border of Yellowstone, a governor that illegally kills wolves and major sportsmens groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation that promote the slaughter of wolves results in guiding policy at our state Fish, Wildlife and Parks that has no interest in protecting wolves. They cannot because the legislature controls wildlife management in our state today. The agency has little idea how many wolves remain. The illegal killing continues with no real way to enforce seasons on wolves. Radical representatives like Paul Fielder continue to push for more killing and demand the agency conform to his agenda of slaughter. The original plan of recovery was designed to get the ranching community to buy into to having wolves on the land. But they have not ever welcomed wolves despite the fact that so few livestock are actually killed by wolves. More livestock die every year from weather, falls, disease: the list is endless, and wolves remain a real non-issue. But the livestock interests demand more killing every year and now they are setting their sights on grizzlies. Perhaps the biggest whopper in the editorial was the statement that any number of wolves above 1,500 would result in eventual habitat degradation. What we have seen from wolves is the dramatic impact they have had in improving wildlife habitat, allowing elk and deer numbers to rise to record levels and to help combat Chronic Wasting Disease. More than 1,500 only means more improved habitat. In Idaho, the hunting season on wolves is almost year round, the numbers of wolves killed has hit a critical threshold. In Montana with a legislative session just months away, we can expect even more insidious legislation to kill wolves and allow more trapping and torture of wildlife. Fish, Wildlife and Parks has no leadership and morale within the agency is at an all-time low. Never mind the emotional appeals and red-herrings rhetoric that that senators Daines and Risch like to throw around. We are facing a real crisis. Wolves are being slaughtered for no good reason. Our management of wildlife in Montana has reached a crisis level and until we can get our Legislature out of wildlife management, wolves will bear the brunt of the growing ignorance and culture wars that are tearing our state apart. Wolves belong in Montana and across the West; they are not to be feared, but embraced. They are a symbol of the ability to grow as a society and understand wildlife and their feeling, their sense of family and wonder. We often talk of wolves as a group, but the killing involves individuals, that are stuck in traps only to suffer until they are shot. It is young males looking for mates only to be drawn out of Yellowstone by a carcass and shot when they never knew the sound of a rifle. Its a mother witnessing her cub caught in a snare. This is not sport, it is murder of innocent wildlife and the time has come to get politicians like Sen. Daines, with a lifetime environmental voting record of just 9%, out of wildlife management. It is time we demand that wolves are given immediate re-listing to the Endangered Species Act protection. Our state is currently incapable of doing the right thing. Stephen Capra is executive director of Footloose Montana. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 13 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Italian villas of sanctioned Russian TV host Vladimir Soloviev have been damaged by fire and graffitied with spray paint, authorities say A general view of the villa owned by Russian TV presenter Vladimir Soloviev, after unidentified people attempted to set fire to it, in Menaggio, on Lake Como, Italy, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo Italian officials seized villas owned by sanctioned Russian TV host Vladimir Soloviev in March. Now, one has been damaged by fire in a suspected arson and another has been graffitied, authorities say. The spray-painted messages on the second villa say "killer" and "no war," according to local media. First, Russian TV host Vladimir Soloviev lost his Italian villas due to sanctions. Now, one of the homes has been damaged by fire and another graffitied with spray paint, authorities say. A fire broke out early Wednesday at villa belonging to Soloviev that's located on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, according to local media reports. The second villa had the word "killer" and the phrase "no war" spray-painted on the wall outside its entrance, according to Italian newspaper The Corriere della Sera. Red paint was also poured into its swimming pool. Police are investigating the incidents and say the fire may have been started in protest over Russia's war in Ukraine. Soloviev is a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The investigations of the Carabinieri are underway, but we can already say that the vandals did not cause significant damage," said local mayor Michele Spaggiari, according to The Daily Beast. "The villa is empty at the moment, with rustic walls and concrete floors. It could be it was basically treated as a demonstrative act, which fortunately did not have serious consequences." The fire was started using tires, a Como fire brigade spokesperson told Reuters. In February, when Soloviev learned he could lose his villas valued at roughly $8.7 million he aired his grievances on Russian television. "With every transaction I was bringing paperwork demonstrating my official salary, income, I did it all," he said, according to The Daily Beast. "I bought it, paid crazy amount of taxes, I did everything. And suddenly someone makes a decision that this journalist is now on the list of sanctions. And right away it affects your real estate. Wait a minute. But you told us that Europe has sacred property rights!" Read the original article on Business Insider Incoming S. Korean president backtracks on scrapping gender ministry South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's team backed away Thursday from the avowed anti-feminist's campaign pledge to abolish the country's Ministry of Gender Equality. On the campaign trail, Yoon repeatedly claimed that South Korean women do not suffer from "systemic gender discrimination" -- despite much evidence to the contrary (AFP/Jung Yeon-je) (Jung Yeon-je) Yoon won the March election by an extremely narrow margin after appealing to disgruntled young, male voters with a promise to scrap the ministry, which has become a lightning rod in the country's bitter debates over gender. On the campaign trail, he repeatedly claimed that South Korean women do not suffer from "systemic gender discrimination" -- despite much evidence to the contrary around the gender wage gap, female workforce participation and political and corporate top-end representation. But on Thursday, his transition team said they would keep the ministry for now and appoint their own minister for gender equality. "It has been decided that the composition of the cabinet will be based on the current government system," Ahn Cheol-soo, the head of the committee, told reporters. The committee will announce its new gender equality minister, along with other members of its cabinet, Ahn said, adding they will still be looking at whether they will restructure. The newly appointed gender equality minister will "be tasked with setting up a plan to identify problems and whether there are better reorganisation measures available," he said. Experts had previously said abolishing the ministry outright -- as Yoon once promised -- would be difficult, as it would require revising legislation in parliament, currently controlled by the country's liberals. After the election, Yoon had promised to go through with his pledge, saying that if he did not, he would have "lied" to his supporters. "The pledge is still valid," Choo Kyung-ho, an official on his transition team, told reporters Thursday. But there were still "different opinions" about how best to reorganise, which was why the plan had been delayed, he said. Yoon's battle cry against the ministry in particular appears to have galvanised female voters -- with more than 10,000 young women joining the left-leaning Democratic Party after the election. But Yoon "can still incite his base and push back against the women's equality agenda through speeches, statements, and his rhetoric," Linda Hasunuma, a political scientist at Temple University, told AFP. Even if the ministry remains for now, the attacks on it can still be used to "stoke these divisions, fears, and misinformation about women's equality." A Kalispell man who was charged with negligent homicide for allegedly kicking a Butte man who then fell back, hit his head and later died has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of criminal endangerment. Jesse Jose Mollenkopf, 46, made the plea Thursday as part of an agreement with prosecutors. District Judge Kurt Krueger ordered a presentence investigation and will set a sentencing date once it is completed. Criminal endangerment carries a maximum 10-year sentence while negligent homicide is punishable by up to 20 years. When the initial charge was filed, defense counsel gave notice that his defense would be based on justifiable use of force. Mollenkopf, with public defender Jessica Polan by his side Thursday, admitted kicking 46-year-old Jason Acebedo outside the Town Pump on South Montana Street last Oct. 12, causing risk of serious injuries or death. I know you do want to apologize to the family and you can do that at sentencing, Polan said to Mollenkopf, who nodded and said, Yes. The alleged assault took place around 9:40 p.m. on Oct. 12 and Acebedo died eight days later. He had sustained serious head injuries and within hours was life-flighted to a hospital in Salt Lake City to be treated. He was taken off life support on Oct. 19 and died the next day. Prosecutors said Mollenkopf and another man pulled into the Town Pump in a truck and went inside to buy some food and drinks. Mollenkopf came out and went to the passenger side of the truck when a woman walked up. Surveillance video then shows Acebedo walking up to the passenger side within seconds, Mollenkopf kicks him in the abdomen, causing Acebedo to fall backwards. Mollenkopf is seen conversing with the woman when the driver of the truck comes out of the store and he and Mollenkopf drive off. When police located Mollenkopf, he recalled the incident and said a girl he did not know came up to the truck and asked for help. He didnt know if she wanted money or some other form of help but he ended up giving her a burrito he had just purchased. The man later identified as Acebedo then walked up, and according to prosecutors, Mollenkopf didnt know him either. Mollenkopf said that the male told him he was going to die so he kicked him in the stomach which in turn made the male fall backwards, it states in charging documents. He said he tried to get Acebedo to sit up then told the woman to help. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 4 Angry 11 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Montana Democrats have spent the last two years offering ideas that invest in our states families, communities, and economy. We have solutions to invest in affordable housing, expand access to child care, train the workers that small businesses need, protect our privacy online, and let ag producers protect themselves against out-of-state corporations. Despite our efforts to reach across the aisle, Republicans have ignored these solutions, focusing instead on magnifying DC scare tactics that have nothing to do with Montana, Montanans or what Montana Democrats actually support. Its an old playbook that they dust off every two years. You could set your clock to it. They hope that while youre working to pay rent or find child care, you wont notice that theyre pushing to raise your taxes. Last year, Republicans voted to give massive tax giveaways to the ultra rich many of whom are moving here from out of state while tucking in a tax hike on over 85,000 working Montanans. And it wont stop there, with their bosses in DC pledging to raise your taxes even further if they take control of Congress its one of the central planks in their reelection platform. The rest of that platform is built on pushing the buttons of whatever topic is front and center in the culture war today. They think that if they make you angry, you wont notice how hollow their rhetoric is, how devoid of solutions their party is, and how hard they are working to undermine the values that Montanans rely on to strengthen our families and build our communities. Unlike the Montana GOP, Montana Democrats dont take orders from DC. Thats because we have solutions of our own, based on the knowledge that working families make Montana the place we love, not just wealthy people and big corporations that see our state as their playground. We want to build a stronger Montana, where every Montanan can afford to sustain a happy and healthy family. We want to protect a Montana where everyone has the right to live in a thriving and safe community. We want to create an economy where every Montanan can make a good living in the communities they choose. Thats the Montana that Democrats believe in, and thats the future that were fighting for. Thats the Montana envisioned by our states Constitution, but right now that future is in jeopardy, thanks to the Montana GOP. Dont just take our word for it; they have said themselves that the Montana Constitution is a rag that they want to throw out if they get the chance. That rag is what protects our right to privacy; our right to a quality public education; our right to a transparent government; our right to a healthy environment; our fundamental right to vote. Those are the basic liberties that our families, communities, and economy depend on. Over the last year and a half, with control of the state Legislature, the Governors office, and the four other executive offices, Republicans have put those liberties on the chopping block. Building a stronger Montana will take creativity, compromise, and a focus on the bigger picture. While Republicans are chasing every flash in the pan distraction, were here with ideas about how to tamp down runaway housing costs, to expand access to child care, to protect our outdoor heritage, and strengthen the voices of working folks. Republicans may not have heard us since theyre so busy shouting about their manufactured DC culture wars. But Montana Democrats are here for working families. Minority Leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena, represents District 83 in the Montana House of Representatives. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ARCHIVED - Investors and property owners in Spain warned that delays could leave thousands without a Spanish visa Employees of the Spanish Foreign Office in the UK, who are on strike, have sent out a press release warning of visa issues Investors and others with interests in Spain will struggle to get a Spanish visa in the upcoming weeks despite some applications being accepted due to the ongoing strike in the Spanish Embassy and Consulates in the UK , according to the staff on the picket lines. Applications for the so-called Golden Visas, which is where visas are granted for investments in Spain over a certain amount, as well as residence visas increased dramatically after the December 31 2020 as a result of Brexit. Since then, anyone wanting to invest in Spain or stay for longer than 90 days needs to apply for a visa. Applicants can do so through the Spanish Consulates and Embassy in the UK. However, their employees have been called to take industrial action since March 14, 2022 in response to low wages. In their fourth week of strike action, users of the Spanish Consulates are starting to suffer the consequences of this situation as there are limited appointments and significant delays in the processing applications. For the affected applicants, this could result in important financial losses. In addition, applications for a NIE an identification number that is always required when there is any financial relation with Spain may also be affected. It is believed that the situation will worsen over Easter , since around this period Consulates get overwhelmed with applications, not only for visas, but also for Spanish passports. The Spanish Foreign Office employees, who are employed by Spain, keep demanding improved work conditions to be able to face the current cost of living crisis. They are asking for a pay rise to compensate them for years of loss of purchasing power and pay parity for the same employment categories. They stated that we are committed to continue the strike until our requests are met. Image: PLEX Reino Unido By Carrie Jerrell | Apr 7, 2022 Pictured clockwise from top left: Adam Blake, Ryan Hagood, Ryn Jenkins, Nick McKenzie, Emma OBryan, Chloe Perry, Bek Schmidt. Not pictured: Max Welch. MURRAY, Ky. A group of Murray State University music students recently competed in the National Trumpet Competition (NTC), the largest instrument competition in the world. The students, who participated in the Large Trumpet Ensemble Division, recorded their entry in December and were accepted to the quarterfinal round of NTC, held at the University of Delaware on March 31. Inaugurated in 1992, NTC has provided performing opportunities, master classes, exhibition concerts, historic and commercial exhibits and an educational, supportive environment for nearly 12,000 students. To date, these students have represented 40 U.S. states as well six other countries. Nearly 100 artist faculty members coming from universities and symphony orchestras around the nation have donated their time and talents to judge for NTC. NTC also has the largest archive of educational and performance events in the world, with over a half-million downloads from hundreds of concert highlights and archived masterclasses. This archive is accessible to the general public for free. Members of the Murray State ensemble include Adam Blake, senior from Murray, Kentucky; Ryan Hagood, senior from Alvin, Texas; Ryn Jenkins, senior from Murray, Kentucky; Nick McKenzie, senior from Atoka, Tennessee; Emma O'Bryan, senior from Owensboro, Kentucky; Chloe Perry, junior from Evansville, Indiana; Bek Schmidt, sophomore from Cordova, Tennessee; and Max Welch, freshman from Evansville, Indiana. In addition to playing in the ensemble, Chloe Perry entered and was accepted to the Undergraduate Solo Division quarterfinals. The group performs under the guidance of Dr. Eric Swisher, professor of music at Murray State. Although the group did not win the division title, the student performers believe the experience was still very positive. Perry, who plays the flugelhorn in the ensemble, said that participating in the group has improved her communication and collaboration skills as a musician. I enjoy the community of the ensemble and the close bonds we have developed throughout many, many rehearsals, said Perry. One of the reasons I came to Murray State in the first place is because of the awesome people that attend and work here, such as my peers in the ensemble and Dr. Swisher. OBryan, who also plays the flugelhorn, appreciates how playing in the ensemble allows for all of the members to take an active leadership role that directly correlates to the success of the ensemble. She also says her favorite part of being a music student is studying under knowledgeable professors. I feel especially blessed to study under Dr. Swisher who is not only a fantastic teacher, but also an incredibly caring person. McKenzie, who plays the upper register parts in the ensemble, echoes his peers praise of Eric Swisher. Dr. Swishers persistence and patience is unmatched. Ive truly never met a teacher that cares so much about not only his students musical progress, but how they are growing as a person. My favorite part of being in the trumpet ensemble is being able to make exciting music with my best friends, says Hagood, who especially enjoyed playing the section of the groups entry where the trumpets are playing high dynamic stab notes where the flugelhorns are playing fast contrasting chromatic runs. The level of knowledge and pedagogical skills that the professors in the music department behold motivates me to become a better musician every day. I (also) love the kind and supportive environment of our ensemble, said Blake. We all have our weaknesses as musicians, and sometimes it can be difficult to work through these weaknesses when surrounded by other great players. But with our group, I can feel comfortable addressing my shortcomings, because I know that I will always have seven other people in my corner willing to lend a hand. It makes me really proud to be a part of the group to see how far weve come, said Schmidt. I simply love being able to learn more each and every day and getting to apply in so many different ensembles. My favorite portion of the piece is one that weve nicknamed Wheres the Beetle because thats what it sounded like to one of our group members, said Jenkins. We play off of each other in chromatic and rhythmic sections and its a lot of fun to play. I love working with everyone in the group and creating beautiful music, and my favorite part of being a music major at Murray State is the community that weve formed here. Ive met most of my closest and hopefully lifelong friends through this department. For more information about the Department of Music please visit murraystate.edu/music. By Carrie Jerrell | Apr 7, 2022 The Department of Art & Design at Murray State University is pleased to host David Wischer as the Patricia L. Summerville Artist in Printmaking on April 12-14. Wischer will also present an artists talk on Wednesday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 631 of the Price Doyle Fine Arts Building on the Murray State campus. Printmaker David Wischer will visit campus on April 12-14 MURRAY, Ky. The Department of Art & Design at Murray State University is pleased to host David Wischer as the Patricia L. Summerville Artist in Printmaking on April 12-14. Wischer will also present an artists talk on Wednesday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 631 of the Price Doyle Fine Arts Building on the Murray State campus. While at Murray State, Wischer will also create an edition of his work with the advanced printmaking class. The workshop will be held at the Fine Arts Building in Room 1006, the screenprinting room, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 12, 13 and 14. All events are free and open to the public. David Wischer was born in Henderson, Kentucky. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Northern Kentucky University and his Master of Fine Arts in Fine Art from Purdue University. Wischer is currently an Assistant Professor of Digital and Print Media at the University of Kentucky. His work has been exhibited at the Center for Book Arts in New York, the Four Rivers Print Biennial at Southern Illinois University and International Print Center New York. Wischer said his work is heavily influenced by his personal daily observations of the absurd, and social media, the internet, television, current events, digital communication and technology are constant sources of inspiration for him. As humans, we deal with money problems, noisy neighbors, unruly pets and all of the other things that make up our hectic and unpredictable daily lives, said Wischer. I use the senselessness of daily life as a foundation for a humorous dialogue with the viewer. Through my use of printmaking, animation, installation, collage and digital art, I meld topical humor, social commentary, nostalgia, and parody in my work, which functions as an inside joke for a generation of adults who grew up absorbing their knowledge through television and the internet. The Patricia L. Summerville Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment to the Department of Art and Design from Patricia Summerville, who graduated from Murray State University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Education after attending the university for only three years. She then earned three additional degrees, including a Master of Science in Education with a major in supervision in 1976 from the University of Akron; a Master of Healthcare Administration, with a major in Hospital Administration in 1982 from Xavier University; and the Juris Doctor from Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 1994. She was admitted to the bar the following year. Summervilles career included teaching art for six years, serving as an administrator for hospitals and healthcare facilities for twenty years, and practicing law for five years before retiring in 2003. She passed away in February 2022. For more information about the Patricia L. Summerville Lecture Series or the Department of Art & Design, visit murraystate.edu/art. For more about Wischers art, exhibitions and work, please visit davidwischer.com. CEDAR RAPIDS A former Highland High School teacher charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee, a Class D felony, now faces identical charges in Linn County. Justin David Rapier, 41, of Marion, was arrested on two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Rapier allegedly sexually abused a high school girl in his Cedar Rapids home on two occasions while he was employed at Riverside High School in Oakland. The student, a juvenile, told police the abuse occurred on Aug. 10, 2019, and again in May 2021. A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. April 15 in Linn County District Court. Bail was set at $8,000. Rapier has pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation by a school employee from when he worked at Highland School District, rural Riverside. The arrest report says Rapier, a language arts teacher, allegedly had sexual contact with a girl who attended the school and sent her messages by text and social media from 2017 to 2021. She was a juvenile at the time, the report said. A pretrial conference is scheduled for June 6 in the Washington County Courthouse. Rapier is free on a $5,000 bond and a no-contact order has been issued. Rapiers attorney, Cory Goldensoph of Cedar Rapids has made a motion for discovery. If convicted, Rapier could face up to five years in prison for each count. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 MORNING SUN Morning Sun Elementary School Principal Steve Hollan listened Wednesday as many of the estimated 50 teachers and area residents who attended the regular Morning Sun School Board meeting offered him their support. Using his principal report portion of the meeting agenda, Hollan spent over 16 minutes listing and challenging the issues that led to a March 31 request from Superintendent Mike Peterson and other school officials for the principal to resign. I do not plan on submitting any letter of resignation, he said at the 14-minute point. The crowd exploded in applause. Reading from a packet that included his summary of the issues, references to relevant school policies, minutes of school board meetings and other documentation, Hollan criticized Peterson and the school board for seeking his resignation. He pointed out that Peterson had made that request before several points of concern had even been disclosed to him. Those points included: Feelings by the school board that Hollan was pitting the staff against it and was undermining its authority by personally buying items and donating them to the school to create the perception the board would not. People had overheard Hollan saying he was doing everything he could to protect the day care. He was causing tension that had never been present before. He was making decisions and taking action without going through the proper channels. Hollan suggested Peterson and the board had failed to provide him with due process to rebut the assertions, which he claimed were based on rumors and hearsay, or failed to follow established board policies. For the record, I wish to document that I have had no personnel evaluation since I started in this position, said Hollan, who is in his second year as the elementary schools principal. He said that violated school policy and his contract as a probationary administrator. Another key point, a charge of harassment, had been investigated by the schools attorney, who had determined the incidents cited had not risen to the level of harassment. Hollan suggested those accusations came from a non-academic employee upset after Hollan parked in a parking space the employee considered his own, although the school has no designated parking spaces except for drivers with a handicap placard. More than a dozen people spoke to the issue during the public portion of the meeting. Most supported a statement in support of Hollan presented by the teaching and support staff, but some agreed with the call for resignation. Hollan said after the meeting he appreciated the support and felt the next step would be up to Peterson and the school board. Ive already said what Im going to do, he said. School board president Ashley Sweibohmer declined to comment, while Peterson said the board would now need to determine its next move. He said if the board decided to terminate Hollan it would need to notify him by May 15. That is five days after the boards next scheduled meeting on May 10, so a special meeting might be necessary. Peterson declined to comment on any of the specific topics Hollan raised, saying they touched on personnel issues. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 2 Angry 5 South Africas biggest mobile network operator Vodacom has warned that the proposed amendment of bundle expiry rules could make data more expensive. Icasa recently published its Draft End-user and Subscriber Service Charter Amendment Regulations, stating that all data, voice, and SMS bundles only expire after six months. The only exception would be promotional bundles, which are typically added as an extra incentive on a contract or bundle purchase. MyBroadband asked mobile network operators about the proposed change, and Vodacom spokesperson Byron Kennedy indicated how it could affect bundle prices. Kennedy said under Vodacoms current pricing methodology, it offers customers several choices that drive data prices lower as expiry periods shorten. Bundles with shorter expiry periods such as hourly, daily and weekly bundles have been instrumental in making data more accessible to customers who have sporadic and limited disposable income, Kennedy stated. For example, Vodacom customers can opt for a 1GB bundle at R12 with a 1-hour expiration, R29 for 1GB for the day, whereas a 1GB 30-day bundle is priced at R85. This implies a bundle with a six-month expiry period would be more expensive. Kennedy also pointed out that the vast majority of bundles bought by its customers around 90% were hourly, daily or weekly bundles. He said Vodacom would need to consider these draft regulations and potential changes to call termination regulations, draft numbering regulations, and the social obligations attached to recent spectrum acquisitions before assessing the overall impact of the amendments. MTN and Telkom told MyBroadband they were still reviewing the proposed regulations and would only be in a position to comment once their internal discussions on the matter had been concluded. Cell C said it would also first consider the business and customer impact of the change before responding. Why shorter-period data is cheaper Security researcher Rogan Dawes previously provided a technical explanation on why it made sense that shorter-period data was cheaper. Dawes explained that Internet service providers (ISPs), including mobile networks, buy capacity rather than data. For example, they have to buy a 100 Mbps transceiver or a 1 Gbps fibre line to provide Internet services. This leaves them with a set amount of data that can be transferred if their links are run at peak capacity all the time. Dawes pointed out that capacity had a time element, expressed as per second, which data did not. Unused capacity can never be recovered. That means ISPs typically calculate an average data rate, factoring in temporary over-utilisation and time to perform upgrades when the averages increase too much. So, they calculate how much they are paying for all their capacity and the average bytes transferred (data), add their profit margin, and come up with a figure that they charge the masses for their data bundles. Dawes said that enforcing lengthy data rollover periods could cause all sorts of problems. For example, if most subscribers only started using their data at the end of a long expiry period, the ISP would need to upgrade capacity to avoid their connection hitting the ceiling. If the ISP has to buy more capacity from the get-go to account for this possibility, they would have to pass the extra costs on to their customers. Now read: Greed and corruption blocked cheaper data prices in South Africa In a town that derives roughly half of its revenue from the hospitality industry, the City of Calistoga has established a Business Diversification Program in an effort to offset revenue lost during economic downturns. The measure was brought before the City Council on April 5 by Councilman Don Williams, who has previously expressed concerns about overtourism and pushed for more local-serving businesses. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Councilmembers unanimously approved creating a subcommittee to develop criteria for awarding grants to encourage new and different kinds of businesses. Economic diversification, Williams said, amounts to broadening a portfolio, and not putting ones eggs all in one basket. Its a pilot program. Its analogous to scholarships for aspiring students. Theres not a guarantee of success, but the reasonable hope is that the grants can provide a lift directly to imaginative entrepreneurs in Calistoga, Williams said. Its a simple, organic, homegrown program to help our town become more economically diverse and interesting. Williams and Vice-Mayor Irais Lopez-Ortega will serve on subcommittee and will reach out to the Chamber of Commerce for another volunteer from the business community. The program's funding of $25,000 is contingent on criteria developed by the subcommittee and approved by the council. Suggested criteria are that the applicant be local; the business must offer a product or service not otherwise readily available locally; and the applicant must demonstrate a need for funds and a promise of success. Mayor Chris Canning said he liked the idea as seed money for a new company, or an incubator concept, which he said hes seen work elsewhere. However, We do need to be careful using public funds for a commercial or for-profit endeavor, he cautioned. "Im very interested in what the criteria would be. Williams acknowledges the hospitality industry is the citys most significant source of revenue. But, as recent history has proved, he pointed out, it is vulnerable to events like wildfires, pandemic and recession, all of which have compromised the citys budget in the past. In a letter to the editor last year, Williams stated Without attention to overtourism, we in Napa County could join company with the mayor in Paris who expressed 'deep qualms about having so many visitors directly in their midst. . . Mass tourism is driving away locals with higher prices, higher rents and sheer inconvenience.' Councilmember Gary Kraus said he supported the program, but questioned whether non-tourist related businesses could see the city through an economic downturn. "The issue that I have is, Im not sure $25,000 would go far enough to bring about economic diversity when you consider the size of (our) tourist industry, he said. A 25% drop in TOT (hotel tax), thats millions of dollars, not to mention the associated sales tax. I think its kind of a misnomer to say its going to replace city revenue in the event of a downturn. At best I could see it contributing thousands of dollars. He also suggested that members of the towns significant Hispanic community could benefit from the program and financial incentives for business development. Sediment acquired from dredging the Napa River at the end of this year will likely be trucked to a property at the southern, blocked-off end of South Jefferson Street thats planned to eventually become a city of Napa park, and not to the site of a former homeless encampment known as The Bowl. In the past, dredged material has been stored at The Bowl. The encampment there was cleared last November displacing about 30 residents, all of whom were offered a shelter bed to make sure the space could be used to store the sediment dredged this year. But, if all goes according to plan, the dredged material will instead initially go to the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District property on South Coombs street adjacent to the Wine Valley Lodge. (The lodge is currently being converted into 54 units of permanent supportive housing for people dealing with homelessness.) Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Then, the material will be trucked from the flood district property onto Imola Avenue and to a dead end at the bottom of South Jefferson Street, between the Meadows of Napa Valley senior living community and the Napa Yacht Club gated community. Thats according to a preliminary dredging plan, which will be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between August and December of this year. The Napa City Council expressed support for the plan at a Tuesday meeting, but will need to approve a formal agreement with the flood district which serves as the local coordinator for federal dredging at a future meeting. The primary reason for changing the drop-off location is the corps determined The Bowl isnt a suitable place for this years dredging cycle, said Julie Lucido, Napas public works director. Thats because the corps found the sediment is too big in the area theyre planning to dredge, more gravely and coarser than average river sediment that would be run through the typical hydraulic dredging process. Richard Thomasser, manager of the flood district, said the hydraulic process involves vacuuming up and pumping slurried sediment and water into a holding basin, such as The Bowl. The corps will instead be using a clamshell method of dredging, which basically involves hauling out the sediment from the river with a large bucket, he said. Trying to use The Bowl to hold the material would be difficult when using that method, because theres no direct access to the area from the riverbank. Trucking the material from the riverbank there would also disrupt the wetland habitat, Thomasser said. The flood district is still leasing The Bowl property from the Napa Sanitation District through 2030 and will likely use it to store dredged materials again at some point in the future, he added. Thomasser also said the plan is a win-win because the city wants to develop the South Jefferson area as a park and the flood district wants to offload the dredging material. The deal is not done on the park in terms of what it is, he said. But suffice to say it will advance the ability for the city to move that forward a bit because theyll have some material to work with. Lucido said the city doesnt currently have funding to develop a park in the South Jefferson area, but added the fill there would support the future development of a park. There will be a lot of traffic in the area as a result, she said, but the city will make sure the truck routes are optimized. Thomasser added that the flood district may leave some of the sediment at the Coombs street site and move it over a longer time frame than when the dredging is taking place to help ease traffic. We could slow the trucks down and that might be what makes sense, he said. We arent quite sure if that will make sense, maybe its good to get it over with, but I think we can assess that as we go. The flood district and corps will be holding an informational community meeting about the dredging process later this month, according to Thomasser. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CLOVERDALE The view from the rock-strewn dirt trail 2,850 feet above the valley floor is a rolling, oak-ringed vineyard; 500 feet below, rivulets of morning fog snake through hillside crevices. Nikki Mustard, slows her Kawasaki to avoid an erosion-created furrow. She points left and says, Thats all Cabernet, then swings the vehicle to avoid a huge cougars paw print in the mud. The four-wheel-drive vehicle sounds like a broken lawnmower and the vineyard tour feels like an E-ticket ride crafted by Mother Nature. No buildings are visible here in the wilds of Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak (PMCP). Beyond some scattered vineyards planted on sloping red soils, a few ancient fences and irrigation ponds, amid massive, gnarled madrone and giant oaks, this is one of the least likely places to imagine that its the next great place to grow world-class Cabernet. High off the valley floor, this American Viticultural Area (AVA) is based partly on elevation. The Federal Register of Oct. 27, 2011, certifying PMCP as an AVA says: Elevations ... begin at 1,600 feet and rise to the 3,000-foot summit of Pine Mountain. The terrain ... is generally steep and mountainous, with patches of flatter ground within this steep terrain allowing for the development of areas of small, 5 to 20-acre vineyards. The Pine Mountain Vineyard property that Nikki farms has an access road just east of this northern Sonoma County town. She notes that this area is so far north in Sonoma County that it runs into remote Mendocino County hills and in spots actually borders Lake County. But its all Pine Mountain, she says. So rugged and remote is this area that one can see indications that it once was home to illegal marijuana farms. Most appear to be gone now, replaced by vineyards on the few relatively flat parcels. Grape growers here, mindful of the lands wild heritage, have kept much of the natural arbor growth, even though they know that a few of the large trees adjacent to vines are such nutrient sponges that vineyard production nearby will be reduced. Although Cabernet Sauvignon is the areas great future, the AVA differs from Napa in soils and climates. But many see this as a heavenly place to grow Cabernet that offers true varietal character and impeccable structure for aging the wines. This is partly a result of its distinctive red soils and the fact that the region is above the fog that blankets most of the lower-lying nearby Alexander Valley. Three related features make the Cabernet here as distinctive as it is: a late bud break (cold, windy conditions slow the vines in spring from reawakening after winter hibernation); warm to hot summer daytime temps, and a relatively short growing season. Earlier harvests provide terrific natural acidity. Curiously enough, daytime temps here are lower on average than much of the rest of Alexander Valley in which it lies and nighttime temps are warmer. The result, in most vintages, is a harvest that generates moderate alcohol levels, making for balanced wines. Rarely do alcohols run above 14.5%. And the wines often are imbued with a gorgeous dried herb component, a natural element in Cabernet and its cousin varieties. The first Pine Mountain Cabernet I ever tasted was a 1999 Cab from Gary Farrell Winery. It was a revelation, though not widely appealing to those who score wines using numbers. It smelled too much like Cabernet! There was a distinctive note of thyme, bay leaf, and almost cumin in the wine. The people I knew who appreciated it as much as I did were old enough to remember the great Cabernets coming out of Napa in the 1960s through the 1980s. It reminded me favorably of some of the wines from Napas 1979 vintage. Any history of fine wine will prominently feature the importance of Cabernet Sauvignon, starting with its three-century dominance in Bordeaux, how in the 1970s it elevated Napa to world stardom or its importance in a dozen other countries. Today it produces wines that are popular with collectors and tyros alike, commands outrageous sums for iconic examples, and is revered for how it once was made to be best after aging it for 40 years. Or more. Despite the acclaim accorded to Champagne, German Riesling, Port from Portugal, Syrah from the Rhone, Shiraz from Australia and Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, Cabernet remains the cornerstone among most wine lovers, a flawless example of gastronomic good taste. In the last 50 years, some of Bordeauxs luster has been usurped by the upstart Napa Valley. And yes, there are other Cabernet regions that produce exceptional red wines, such as Australia (Coonawarra), New Zealand (Hawkes Bay), Italy (Southern Tuscany), and South Africa (Stellenbosch). And this says nothing of places like Argentina, Chile, British Columbia, Spain, Washington, Italy and Southern Oregon. And no, I havent forgotten Sonoma. Some of the finest Cabs in this country come from there, and climate change is forcing more growers to convert some previously cooler areas from cool-loving grapes to warmth-loving Cabernet. The early returns show that Pine Mountain could well rival Napa for Cabernet dominance in this country. And Im not alone in this belief, though it may take another decade before thats widely seen. Without much fanfare, some huge names in the wine business have staked major and costly claims here. PMCP is now the prize jewel for some of the finest producers of great wines in the country, namely Benziger/Imagery, Jackson Family and Francis Ford Coppola (now Delicato), all of which invested huge sums to own ranches of mainly red wine grapes in these rugged, remote hills. These are savvy wine companies that almost never invest like this until after they have done serious homework. Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak actually has been around for decades, growing phenomenal Cabernet as well as Cabernet Franc and Merlot. No one is quite sure exactly when the first grapes were planted here, but Nikki Mustard indicates that sometime in the early 1800s, grapes began to be planted in these eclectic soils. Although the region early on developed a growers association, it has been snoozing for the last few years. A week ago, in a revival of the association, eight vineyard owners and two wineries met to chat about their future. The soils that make up the majority of Pine Mountain are Cole loam and sand/gravel, which are fine for grapes. But on our trek into the wilds, I also saw several unplanted areas that clearly were serpentine soils, which growers say are rarely good for agricultural uses. Serpentine soils minerals are anti-grape in nature. I have only tasted about a dozen Pine Mountain Cabs over the years, but Miro Tcholakov, the winemaker for Trentadue in Geyserville and his own Miro Cellars and who lives in Cloverdale, has known about Pine Mountain as a Cabernet haven since he first made a small amount of Cabernet in 2008. I got the fruit from the Silverwood Vineyard (later acquired by Coppola) said Miro, but the vines were very young and the wine wasnt very exciting and I almost gave up on it. He made the wine in 2009 through 2011, and that year his Cabernet said it was Pine Mountain, and he has made it since. In the early years, the wine wasnt necessarily better than my other Cabernets, but it was different, he said. It had a little more personality. He said the Silverwood vineyard had a lot less soil, mostly it was decomposed shale, and very steep. The late French-trained winemaker Denis Malbec used to say that Pine Mountain Cabernets were very much like Bordeaux, said Miro, and they were tight, with a lot of tannins, but yet they were not harsh. They just needed time in the bottle. Most of the Pine Mountain Cabs Ive tasted displayed a more Cabernet-like aroma, similar to Napa wines of the 1960s through 1980s. As his wines developed both in the bottle and as the vines matured, Miro noted that the Pine Mountain Cabs had some sort of herbal character. They were never jammy, but there were some herbal tones but not negatively. I would call it a mountain herb spiciness that you dont get from the valley vineyards. Maybe its due to the greater sunlight, the thinner soils, or the lack of fog Miro makes a small amount of Cabernet from the area annually under his Miro Cellars brand. That wine has received rave notices from insiders and has won many gold medals at wine competitions. But as word has leaked out about the greatness of Cabernet Sauvignon here, grape prices began to rise. A few years ago, Cabernet was going for $2,500 to $3,000 per ton. Last year, prices were closing in on $5,000 and more. But thats not the only drawback. He said he got 5 tons of Cabernet from Nikkis vineyard in 2021 and expected the press to give him 800 gallons of juice. His yield was less than 700 gallons. The clusters are very loose and small and the berries are tiny, he said. So there is very little juice. I tasted Miros 2021 (still in barrels) and found it impressive. Only 300 cases were made. It will be released in about 2024. He made no Pine Mountain Cabernet in 2020 because of smoke taint. As a result of the cost of Pine Mountain fruit, Miro and others have a decision to make: keep buying the fruit and raise the prices of the wines? Or use less prestigious fruit? Jackson Familys prestigious Capture brand has a Pine Mountain 2028 Cabernet for sale at $65. Its one reason that major wine companies have invested in land up here. Not only is it hard to find lands that are flat enough and with the right soils to buy and plant, but its not easy to grow fruit up here. Look at the narrow, winding roads, said Miro as he negotiated a rocky paved stretch of access road. He noted the difficulty of getting fruit down the mountain at harvest time. You cant get large trucks up here; you have to use small ones. Note: A follow-up article on this topic is planned soon. Wine of the Week 2021 Balletto Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($22) Fresh and bright aroma of lime, raspberry, and watermelon and a hint of spice. The entry is slightly richer than I expected for such a young wine, but the mid-palate fruit is superb and after a while, it seems like a very light red! A terrific wine for patio sipping in the coming hot months. Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, where he publishes an online newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com. He is also co-host of California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon on KSRO Radio, 1350 AM. Sri Lanka's president declares state of emergency amid mass protests Austria needs several years to give up on Russian gas Biden to sign new arms package for Ukraine worth at least $100 million Armenia's third President Serzh Sargsyan in France Square Resistance Movement to hold rally tomorrow in Vanadzor, women's march to take place in Yerevan 2nd Chamber of Istanbul Regional Court dismisses appeals by lawyers in Hrant Dink case European Parliament: Ankara deliberately 'destroyed' its chances of joining EU NEWS.am digest: Large scale protests continue in Yerevan, people forcibly arrested Scholz to take part in G7 Ukraine discussion with Zelenskyy Germany to supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled howitzers Resistance Movement rallies in France Square Al-Monitor: More niceties, zero progress in third round of Turkey-Armenia peace talks Apple, Google, Microsoft to introduce passwordless authorization before end of 2023 Japan may start letting tourists into country in June Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into hooliganism committed by marchers in downtown Yerevan Six people injured in building explosion in Madrid Dollar, euro continue rising significantly in Armenia Swiss police seize more than 500kg of cocaine from cargo for Nespresso factory Law enforcement apprehend 59 people during Fridays civil disobedience actions in Yerevan Karabakh official: Azerbaijani truck committed deliberate crime in Artsakh Policeman hits woman during protest action in Yerevan Committee to Protect Journalists: Armenia law enforcement obstruct journalists covering Yerevan protests Armenia ruling force MP calls on police to inspect opposition 'shelters' where drugs may be kept Artsakh Police investigating Armenian car crash caused by Azerbaijani convoy Situation gets tense on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan, ex-president Kocharyans son also there Police apprehend 48 people during civil disobedience actions in Yerevan Police special forces forcibly remove Armenia ex-Police chief from opposition march in Yerevan Situation gets tense during opposition march in Yerevan Ararat Mirzoyan briefs US Senator McConnell on details of Armenia-Turkey normalization process Azerbaijan holding international regatta in occupied Armenian Mataghis town of Karabakh Many members of US Congress give green light for F-16s to Turkey Law amendments propose that Armenia councils of elders members will also be able to be elected community leaders Resistance Movement holding marches in Yerevan in 4 directions Armenia parliament holding special sitting Copper prices falling Armenia FM Mirzoyan, US Senator Menendez stress inadmissibility of provoking tension by Azerbaijan Oil rises in price Bishkek reports that Uzbekistan border guards shoot, kill 3 Kyrgyzstan citizens at border Azerbaijani military convoy throws Armenian taxi into gorge in Artsakh (PHOTOS) Armenia Police: All roads open in Yerevan, provinces Armenia FM in US, meets with International Republican Institute Eurasia regional director US Strategic Command chief warns of deterrence crisis against Russia, China Armenia ex-Prosecutor General, Investigative Committee former chief to remain in custody Newspaper: Armenia President reacts to oppositions struggle Mississippi becomes last US state to recognize Armenian Genocide Resistance Movement rally ends: Citizens remain on France Square Erdogan and Macron discuss Turkey-France relations and Ukraine CNBC: Elon Musk to become interim CEO of Twitter Saghatelyan: Tomorrow from 12:00 we will completely paralyze Yerevan from four directions Finland ready to cut off gas supplies from Russia Resistance Movement marchers return to France Square NEWS.am digest: Large scale protests continue in Yerevan, people forcibly arrested Greece accuses Turkey of stoking tensions in Aegean Sea Resistance Movement rally starts in central Yerevan US Embassy in Havana resumes issuing visas to Cubans Bloomberg: UK and Japan will help Asian countries reduce dependence on Russian oil Dollar, euro gain considerable value in Armenia FLYONE ARMENIA cancels Yerevan flights to, from Lyon, Paris until June 10 Annual inflation in Turkey reaches 69.97% in April Armenia population as of January 1 announced Poland builds 50 kilometers of fence on border with Belarus Azerbaijan promises Europe gas in the hope of loyalty to Baku's crimes Australia allocates $1.4 billion to modernize its Navy Peskov says events unrolling in Armenia are countrys internal affair Grigoryan: Discussions on setting up Armenia-Azerbaijan commission may be completed in near future Red Cross: No Azerbaijani detainees in Armenia Armenia official: Peace agreement with Azerbaijan also means solution to Karabakh issue Armen Grigoryan: There is need to get answers to questions in order to organize Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting Security Council chief: Baku's statements on Armenia territories belonging to Azerbaijan do not contribute to peace Armenia official comments on Azerbaijan president's words about 'Zangezur corridor' Armen Grigoryan: Armenia and Azerbaijan could exchange enclaves FT: Erdogan used mediation between Russia and Ukraine Person dies after being hospitalized from one of tents at France Square in Yerevan Armenia to get 22.6M loan from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Armenia ruling force MP: Oppositions goal is not saving Karabakh but changing of power President says Artsakh continues to maintain its vision for future, toward independence Oppositions uncrowded marches show lack of public support, says Armenia ruling force lawmaker Trade in Armenia increased by over $1 billion, PM says Scuffle breaks out during civil disobedience march in Yerevan, police attempt to apprehend opposition MP Pashinyan to Bennett: I am hopeful that Armenian-Israeli relations will flourish in near future Armenia ruling power legislator: This opposition has always run away from truth Civil disobedience motorcade being held in Yerevan EU to ban Russians from buying European real estate US defense industry facing problems due to supply of weapons to Ukraine Armenia FM holds discussion at Atlantic Council, speaks about process of normalization of relations with Turkey Newspaper: Armenia opposition MPs to lose their parliamentary mandates? Newspaper: Artsakh President says we would not have had so many casualties if war had started half year later Civil disobedience march kicks off in downtown Yerevan Civil disobedience actions resume in Yerevan Blinken tests positive for Covid 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 The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, hosted the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, for a continuation of their discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries. This is noted in the statement of European Council President Charles Michel. The statement continues as follows: President Michel reiterated the EUs commitment to deepen its cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan to work closely in overcoming tensions and promote a South Caucasus that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous for the benefit of all people living in the region. The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with President Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. They discussed the recent reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement. They welcomed the meeting of senior representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan on 30 March 2022 under EU auspices in Brussels and agreed on the necessity to continue this engagement to ensure adequate follow-up to agreements reached at leaders level. President Michel emphasised the importance of humanitarian gestures by both sides to promote confidence and peaceful coexistence. He stressed the need for the full and speedy resolution of all outstanding humanitarian issues, including the release of remaining detainees and comprehensively addressing the issue of missing persons, and stated that the EU is ready to support this endeavour. The EU will likewise continue to support confidence building measures between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as humanitarian de-mining efforts, including by continuing to provide expert advice and stepping up financial assistance, and assistance to conflict-affected populations, rehabilitation and reconstruction. President Michel noted both President Aliyev's and Prime Minister Pashinyan's stated desire to move rapidly towards a peace agreement between their countries. To this end, it was agreed to instruct Ministers of Foreign Affairs to work on the preparation of a future peace treaty, which would address all necessary issues. The delimitation and demarcation of their bilateral border will be essential; to this end, in line with the Sochi Statement of 26 November 2021, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The mandate of the Joint Border Commission will be to: 1. delimit the bilateral border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and 2. ensure a stable security situation along, and in the vicinity of, the borderline. President Michel also stressed that ensuring the appropriate distancing of forces is an essential element of incident prevention and tensions reduction. President Michel reaffirmed the EUs readiness to provide advice and support. The leaders also discussed the restoration of communications/connectivity infrastructure between Armenia and Azerbaijan in particular and in the South Caucasus more broadly. President Michel welcomed the steps towards the restoration of railway lines, while encouraging Armenia and Azerbaijan to also find effective solutions for the restoration of road links. The EU is ready to support the development of connectivity links, including in line with its Economic and Investment Plan and by utilising the proposed economic advisory forum to identify common projects. The leaders agreed to follow-up on outcomes of their meeting and to stay engaged. Charles Michel expressed moderate optimism; in this connection we should note the following: In fact, the parties have expressed some readiness to move forward in that direction. Vladimir Vardanyan, a member of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia and chair of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, told reporters this in parliament Thursdayand referring to the trilateral meeting held in Brussels Wednesday between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, President Charles Michel of the European Council, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and to the statements on its results. Vardanyan said it is still early to talk about clarifications, but it seems that there is a common approach, a shared desire to move forward within the framework of negotiations. To the remark that in the aforesaid statements there was no talk about the status of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the Artsakh issue, Vardanyan said: "In many of our observations, statements, in fact, the issues related to the rights of the people of Artsakh have been emphasized, it has been emphasized that this is an issue that should be settled based on the fact that we have a people and that people have certain rights and those rights should to be implemented. In this case, it was about the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the actual implementation of the previously reached agreements, the formation of a climate of mutual trust." Vardanyan added that the talks have an important guarantee of success. "One of those guarantees is flexibility and not creating a situation that can hinder the process. In this case, proposals have been submitted, counter-proposals have been submitted by Armenia, the [OSCE] Minsk Group is informed about all that," he said. As for the fact that there is no word in the aforementioned statements that Azerbaijan is currently in the sovereign territory of Armenia and should leave it, the ruling force MP said. "In my opinion, in diplomacy you do not always try to find the answers in the text. Let's also try to take into account what is written between the lines. When they talk about the formation of a climate of mutual trust, the formation of a certain climate of security, this also implies taking certain measures which will enable to avoid any kind of incidents in the future." According to Vladimir Vardanyan, the most dangerous thing now is to slow down some processes under the pretext of raising some circumstance. One cannot say that the most negative scenarios happened. Aram Vardevanyan, a member of the opposition "Armenia" faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, told reporters this in the NA Thursdayand referring to the trilateral meeting held in Brussels Wednesday between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, President Charles Michel of the European Council, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and to the statements on its results "It can be due to many circumstances, including the political processes that took place both in Yerevan and by the reactions presented by the NA of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)]," he added. Also, Vardevanyan said that the statement issued after the meeting in Brussels had several large-scale shortcomings. "First, you see that the word 'Artsakh' is not mentioned there. How is it that the RA [(Republic of Armenia)] authorities are talking about a humanitarian catastrophe in Artsakh and after that not a word is mentioned in the statement? How can it not be said that Azerbaijan's policy is a policy of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh? That is, the RA did not defend it. If Armenia had insisted, it would have been in the statement. Second, there is talk of demarcation, delimitation [of the Armenia-Azerbaijan borer]. If we have the situation we have in Artsakh, what is the reason for talking about demarcation and delimitation? That is, you are going to demarcate with a country that pursues a policy of ethnic cleansing, that cuts off [the natural] gas [to Artsakh], that conducts armed operations. Third, there is nothing in that statement about the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship," Vardevanyan said. He opposition lawmaker noted that he does not see anything positive and sees great concern in this statement. "The alternative to this disgraceful situation is not war. One should not pursue a policy of intimidation inside Armenia either. Circumstances of the existence or possibility of war do not mean that you should go and bow down; it is not so," Aram Vardevanyan stated. Also, he argued that the authorities of Armenia have washed their hands of Artsakh. MEPs demand a complete embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas, the European Parliament said in a statement. In a resolution passed on Thursday by 513 votes to 22 with 19 abstentions, MEPs call for additional punitive measures against Russia, including an immediate total embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas, the statement said. This should be accompanied by a plan to ensure the security of the EU energy supply, as well as a strategy to lift sanctions if Russia takes steps to restore the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and completely withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. The resolution of the European Parliament also contains a demand to exclude Russia from the G20 and other multilateral organizations. Existing sanctions must be fully and effectively implemented throughout the EU and by the EU's international allies as a matter of priority, MEPs insist. They call on EU leaders to exclude Russia from the G20 and other multilateral organizations such as the UNHRC, Interpol, the World Trade Organization, UNESCO and others,which would be an important sign that the international community will not return to its usual relationship with an aggressor state. To make the sanctions more effective, the Parliament calls for the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT system, the prohibition of all ships associated with Russia from entering EU territorial waters and mooring in EU ports, and a ban on road freight transport from Russia and Belarus. MEPs also demand the arrest of all assets belonging to Russian officials or oligarchs associated with the Putin regime, their proxies and straw people, as well as assets in Belarus associated with the Lukashenka regime. Pointing to Belarus' involvement in the war in Ukraine, the resolution requires that the sanctions against Belarus be a mirror image of the sanctions imposed against Russia in order to close any loopholes allowing Putin to use Lukashenka's help to circumvent the sanctions, the document says. The resolution also noted the need to continue and increase the supply of arms. MEPs refer to the shocking atrocities, which are undoubtedly war crimes, committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, in particular in Bucha, and the complete or near-total destruction of Mariupol, Volnovakha and other towns and villages (paragraphs C and D). They noted that those responsible for war crimes must be held accountable and call for the creation of a special UN tribunal for crimes in Ukraine. Iran has reached an agreement with a number of countries to unfreeze assets worth $7 billion frozen in foreign banks at the request of the US, IRNA reports. According to the agreement reached between Iran and a number of countries, the necessary framework for unlocking a significant part of the country's frozen assets was determined and agreed. These funds can be transferred to Iran's accounts within a few weeks. The process for releasing these funds is similar to the process agreed with the UK, in which funds in the amount of about 470 million euros were transferred to Iran's accounts. Finland will clarify the next steps regarding a possible decision to join NATO in the coming weeks, the country's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told reporters. His remarks came after attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Reuters reported. Since the start of the crisis in Ukraine, opinion polls commissioned by Finnish media have shown a rapid reversal of public opinion in Finland, with a majority now in favor of joining US-led NATO. Finland, a member country of the European Union, shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia. Haavisto said that "Russia is willing to take increasing risks in its military operations, can quickly mobilize more than 100,000 soldiers against a neighboring country, and has mooted more openly than before the possible use of its nuclear and biological weapons. There we come to a situation in which we may need cooperation," Haavisto said, alluding to NATO. He added that NATO member countries have offered to help Finland with security during the application process and said they estimate it will take four months to one year to approve the application. "There is an important NATO summit in Madrid in June. Of course NATO is wondering whether Finland and possibly Sweden will have submitted their membership applications before that," Haavisto said. Finland regularly participates in defense exercises with neighboring countries Sweden and Norway, is a member of the British-led JEF force and joined NATO's enhanced capabilities program in 2014 along with Sweden, Australia, Georgia and Jordan. At a time in which social justice issues are being discussed in many spheres of our society, two University of Miami students have distinguished themselves by placing in the top 10 on a debate devoted to an applicable topic. Iman Sami and Delphine Djomo, students on the University debate team, represented the University of Miami in the Social Justice Debates, an annual intercollegiate series founded by Morehouse College and The George Washington University. The debates were first named the Derrick Bell Debates in memory of Bell, a lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist. The students, both majoring in political science, were among the top in a competition that drew approximately 80 participants. The duo also made it to the semifinals. The event was held at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. David Steinberg, associate professor at the School of Communication and director of debate, said the social justice debates are the only ones of their kind in the United States. This debate is not only a competition but more importantly an event to promote networking and dialogue with real changemakers. The event is an opportunity to promote progress in equality and social justice. It is based in the literature of important scholars who have contributed to that understanding, he said. The adoption of a mandatory racial desegregation policy for K-12 public schools is desirable was the topic used as a catalyst for this years debate. The debate committee selected scholars to help frame the arguments around the topic to be discussed. One of the primary scholars this year was professor Rucker Johnson, the Chancellors professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, who has devoted years to research, publication, and activism in support of racial desegregation. He was present at the competition and served as a judge. Both Sami and Djomo have spent more than a year researching and studying the literature of Johnson and other scholars who have written about the topic. Over three days, the two students participated in debates in the civic format, with colleges that included the University of Vermont, the University of Rochester, and Appalachian State University. For the first time ever, Gallaudet University, a world-class institution for the deaf and signing community, participated in the debates. Translators were used to assist the deaf students. During the competition, Sami and Djomo debated both sides of the resolution. On the affirmative, their argument stated that the national public school system is one of academic apartheid. Sami pointed out that even though there were court cases passed in 1964 to desegregate public schools, three other court cases were passed in the 90s that curtailed desegregation. As a result, she added, because of residential segregation, low social economic status, and the way schools are funded using property taxes, Black people have been relegated to underfunded, underserved schools. You now have racially dense schools in urban areas that are mostly Black and schools in suburban areas that are primarily white, she said. We are still segregated. The students argued their points following the literature of Johnson, who once wrote: True integration has the redemptive power to heal divisions. It can serve as an incubator of ideas, provide catalytic effects, and exert a gravitational pull to bring people together across racial lines. But without continual advancement, our current pattern of historical amnesia is destined to repeat its cycles. We must reckon with our racist past and present in the service of an inclusive future. The students argued that it is important to have plans in line to desegregate. Their motto was Integrate Classrooms Today. Integrate the Country Tomorrow. We want to fund schools equitably and support poor schools so that everyone has resources available, said Sami. We also want a program to bring in students across districts and redraw school boundaries. The Miami debaters also added that in order to have true integration, the schools, faculty, and curriculums had to be more inclusive. What do we learn in school? Sami asked. We learn white history and Eurocentric languages and history. It is naive to say that we are a melting pot of cultures. As is customary in academic debate, Sami and Djomo were ready to defend the negative side of the argument as well. This included arguments that said desegregation was detrimental to Black students because they were taken out of ethnically safe spaces and put in white schools where they would be subjected to micro aggressions, taunting, and enhanced supervision and discipline by school officers who traditionally kept a closer eye on minority students. These students would be traumatized, Sami said. Steinberg said that both his students are outstanding debaters. Delphine and Iman are talented debaters on any topic, he said. They have been doing extensive research over several years on social justice and their interaction as women of color personalizes the topic and allows them to interact with the material in a powerful way. After the debates were finished, Johnson seemed emotionally touched, said Sami. He told us that if he were to pass today or tomorrow, he felt happy to leave the world in our hands, she said. The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform expands in Maryland Mount St. Marys University and Saxbys, a Certified B Corp, have formed a partnership to open an exclusively student-run cafe on campus in the fall. Through The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (The Saxbys E.L.P), students will be empowered to attain real-life business experience, in addition to earning college credits and a salary. The new cafe is part of a network of Saxbys pioneering Experiential Learning Platforms holding residence in institutions like Penn State, Bowie State, and John Carroll Universities. The platform is designed to embolden the next generation of changemakers by providing undergraduates with entrepreneurial opportunities as a supplement to traditional classroom learning. What makes this program even more special is Saxbys Student Cafe Executive Officers (Student CEOs), who manage all aspects of their cafes, from team development and community leadership to the entire profit and loss statement. Saxbys and Mount St. Marys are excited about their new partnership, bringing the platform to the Emmitsburg, Maryland campus in Fall 2022. The cafe will be located in the Knott Academic Center, which is currently undergoing an expansion and renovation that will bring technologically advanced collaborative spaces and a Bloomberg Classroom Laboratory as well as more classrooms and faculty offices. In this prime location, the cafe will be a busy cornerstone of campus life, providing the student leaders with a dynamic business that presents real-world challenges and opportunities. The Saxbys partnership will enable students to put what they learn in classrooms into practice, honing their business, entrepreneurial and teambuilding skills, said Mount St. Marys President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. This experiential learning opportunity will complement existing leadership development programs on campus and our robust internship program to help ensure that students are well set up for life after graduation. After launching the The Saxbys E.L.P. in 2015 and opening 15 university-based cafes primarily in the region around Saxbys Philadelphia headquarters, Saxbys has grown to both the south and the west, opening in Maryland with Bowie State University in 2019 and more recently launching cafes in Pittsburgh and Ohio in 2021 and 2022. Mount St. Marys will be the first Saxbys E.L.P. cafe in a private institution in Maryland, the second Saxbys E.L.P. cafe in the state, and the third within a Catholic university. Were passionate about providing students with an immersive, hands-on educational experience, and couldnt be more excited to bring this opportunity to Mount St. Marys University, said Nick Bayer, Founder & CEO of Saxbys. Since our initial meeting in 2021, President Trainor has been an enthusiastic champion of our program. Saxbys looks forward to empowering students at the Mount to further their education outside the classroom. In the weeks to come, Saxbys and the Mount look forward to announcing the inaugural Student Cafe Executive Officer who will lead the cafe. Learn more about Saxbys by visiting hellosaxbys.com. Dr. Rudra Channappanavar Vet Med Faces of Research: Dr. Rudra Channappanavar Media Contact: Kaylie Wehr | College of Veterinary Medicine | 405-744-6740 | kaylie.wehr@okstate.edu Rudra Channappanavar, DVM, MVSc, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Oklahoma State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. Throughout his 16-year research career, he has studied viral immunology and for the last 10 years, Channappanavar has focused on coronavirus research. We specifically study how the coronaviruses cause severe disease and what is the basis for it, Channappanavar said. We test different antivirals and vaccines to diminish the coronaviruses. We also study why coronaviruses cause serious disease in men as well as in elderly individuals compared to females and younger individuals. Our work impacts people and animals as we aim to contribute to the understanding of and to the knowledge of coronavirus infections. We are testing coronavirus vaccines and antivirals in animal model systems to determine the efficacy and safety of the treatments so that we can move these forward to clinical trials in humans. We are also training the next generation of scientists, which is a very important part of the education and research system. Knowing we are improving public health through our research program excites me. Our research to understand coronavirus disease is key to developing and testing new vaccines and antivirals to prevent and treat this deadly disease that we are seeing right now. As a researcher, finding the answer to a long-standing question in the field of coronavirus research, makes me smile. Also seeing the next generation of scientists, students and trainees succeed in their research endeavors makes me smile. As for success in research, I have a different take on it. I dont see a success or failure in research. I see it as a process, a journey that one should be able to enjoy. To the public in general I want them to know that we still have an ongoing pandemic. Please listen to the scientists and get vaccinated. Vaccines protect people from severe disease. Take antivirals and wear masks to protect yourself, your family and friends and the public in general. And for those considering a career in research, research is exciting. It is inspiring and rewarding. Through research you will be able to make big differences and improve public health. I encourage students interested in coronavirus research to contact our lab, pursue that dream and consider research as a career option. Vet Med Faces of Research is a monthly series designed to inform the public about the impact of the numerous studies being conducted at OSUs College of Veterinary Medicine. Advancing knowledge and understanding for the benefit of the lives and livelihoods of the people of Oklahoma is a critical element of OSUs land-grant mission. If you would like to support research at the college, please contact Ashley Hesser, director of development with the OSU Foundation, at 405-385-0715 or ahesser@osugiving.com. Russia suspended from UN Human Rights Council Russia suspended from UN Human Rights Council Dr. Alessio Ponzio (PhD) is an assistant professor in USask's Department of History. (Photo: Morgan Carlton) We hope we are going to bring a change. We hope that through this month, we are going to stimulate more and more teachers, more and more professors, more and more students, more and more young people, to understand (LGBT+) history. We want to push them to ask questions about this history, Ponzio said. Numerous countries around the world, including Canada, observe a month dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. Until now, Italy has not participated. As people who grew up in Italy, and knowing how this is not a topic that is discussed and how you might feel isolated, we decided that it was time to do something, said Ponzio, who is gay and was born in Rome. Ponzio and his fellow organizers created a website for LGBT+ History Month Italia and invited people and organizations across Italy to host their own LGBT+ history events throughout April. About 200 organizers responded by planning about 125 eventsexhibitions, lectures, workshops and more. There is really so much going on and we were not expecting all this, said Ponzio. Its overwhelming. The movement has gained widespread media attention in Italy and internationally, including a feature in Italys Rolling Stone magazine. Ponzio is a specialist in modern European history and the history of gender and sexuality. He is one of the faculty members who designed the new Certificate in Queer Theory, Gender Diversity and Sexualities Studies launching this May in the College of Arts and Science. Italy has a complicated history with sexuality, Ponzio said. Homosexuality has been legal in Italy since the end of the 19th century, but it remains stigmatized. Same-sex couples can enter into civil unions but cannot adopt children or marry. Sex education is not mandatory in schools, and even at universities, the study of gender and sexuality is rare. We don't teach it. We don't talk about it, said Ponzio. The LGBT+ History Month Italia organizers hope the conversations prompted by events every April will have a ripple effect. This is (asking) a lot, but we hope to start kind of a cultural revolution, a cultural change. We think of the LGBT+ History Month as a cultural project, a social project, that goes beyond just the idea of history, but really is an intervention in Italian society, Ponzio said. Ponzio especially wants to educate Italys youth. He becomes emotional when he speaks of the experiences of LGBT+ students in high schools. I hope that people like me, when they are in high school, will not perceive themselves as nonexistent. You always feel that youre alone, so I think its very important for students to understand that they are not. There is that history. There were people who were different sexually and from a gender perspective So you are not the only one. Ponzio is participating remotely from Canada in several events for LGBT+ History Month Italia during the first half of April. Later in the month, he will travel to Italy to take part in talks and debates in Rome and Turin. The USask historian has also been invited to be a founding member of the new International Committee on LGBT+ History Months. As one of two delegates from Italy, he will advise and support people around the world who want to establish LGBT+ history months in their own countries. Ponzio is currently writing a book about the history of homosexuality in Italy in the 20th century. He is also working on a project funded by Canadas Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council on the history of transnational queer activism. New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI/PNN): Kassio, a crypto-for-everyone platform that allows users to buy, sell, borrow, earn and utilize cryptos, has raised funds worth 1.6 million US Dollars in the pre-seed round. Kassio has raised the investment from two significant European investment funds and Aalto Capital, which has led the round. Kassio is a comprehensive crypto platform that offers options where a user can stick to the earn feature if the trading feels risky and earn up to 13% profits simply by converting funds into a stable coin pegged to the USD. Alternatively, crypto users can instantly buy and trade in real-time and use the crypto they already own as collateral to receive now approved low-interest loans. Kassio also offers a unique crypto card that enables users to utilize their crypto in daily life. Kassio will use the funds to launch its operation in the Indian and European markets, further strengthening its product development process and adding more talent to the senior management across its legal, compliance, institutional relationships, and design functions. The platform consists of an international team. It was founded in October 2020 by Sachin Singh, Anuj Yadav, and Bharat Vivek, who have substantial experience in product development and blockchain technology. Speaking about the fundraise, Sachin Singh, CEO and co-founder of Kassio, said, "This successful pre-seed funding round is a testimony to our project Kassio, roadmap, offerings, and innovation that brings together crypto investment and much-required crypto utility features". Swedish Investors at Aalto Capital, along with two major European investment funds, immediately saw the potential of Kassio and its team. In February of 2022, they decided to invest 1.6 million US Dollars in the company's pre-seed round of funding to accelerate and globally scale its mission of making crypto mainstream. Shayan Khan, Partner at Aalto Capital, added, "While crypto is the next biggest equalizer after the internet revolution, Kassio, with its strong offerings, is a project that changes the whole dynamics of the community. I am confident that Kassio will be instrumental in providing quality crypto offerings to end-users and bring about the change that the world has been waiting for in this ecosystem." While the product is set to exit private beta in mid-April in India and mid-May in the EU, the platform already has an AUM(Digital Assets under Management) worth 16M US dollars and a loan playbook of 9M US dollars. The freshly raised round will accelerate the execution of the product and plans in the pipeline. Established in October 2020, Kassio is a one-stop unified crypto platform that allows users to earn, borrow, trade, shop, and utilize cryptos. It was founded by Sachin Singh, Anuj Yadav, and Bharat Vivek, who have substantial experience in product development and blockchain technology. The company aims to establish itself as the number one trusted and secure platform in the crypto space with its secure asset management feature and increase the crypto holdings' utility, allowing users/businesses to earn more value from their crypto assets. Kassio aims to build the most secure and straightforward platform to facilitate these transactions for everyone from the crypto curious to the expert trader. If you are interested in following the journey of kassio and being one of the first to know about their official launch, you can join the waitlist at kassio.com today. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI/BusinessWire India): OneBanc Technologies, an AI-driven neo banking start-up, today said it has signed an agreement with Visa, the global leader in digital payments, to issue India's first credit and debit cards without the magnetic strip. The innovation makes these cards impossible to clone or skim and the potential for financial loss is limited if they are lost or stolen. This innovation is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on increased security in digital financial transactions. As mandated by the Reserve Bank of India, all cards in India were upgraded with EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) chips from January 1, 2019. Since then, more than 99 per cent of card transactions in India have come to rely on the EMV chip. But magnetic strips still reside on cards with sensitive information stored in them which can be easily skimmed at compromised ATMs or POS terminals. The cards issued by OneBanc also do away with the card number, expiry date, and CVV, which are never used during in-person transactions. These details are used for online transactions and can be displayed securely and digitally after authentication. "India is moving towards becoming a cashless economy and credit penetration is increasing rapidly. As a neo bank, our focus on the experience is critical, while ensuring the best-in-class security and privacy of customer data. Now that the payments have evolved, it is about time magnetic strips and numbers on cards became extinct," said Vibhore Goyal, Founder and CEO, OneBanc. "Along with Visa, OneBanc now partners with two out of the three largest card networks in India. This is a great vote of confidence for our vision of providing a personalized and secure banking experience." Studies show 81 per cent of working Indians worry about the security of their card-based transactions. The European Payments Council's Threats and Frauds Trends report for 2021 says 86 per cent of credit card data thefts were traced to magnetic strip cloning or skimming. In the last two years, industry reports estimate, a staggering 6.2 million credit card details were compromised online and $2.9 billion were stolen in India alone. Improving security of these instruments is the most important factor to increase adoption. "With the rapid expansion of home-grown enterprises in India, there is an increasing need for unified payroll & expense management solutions, especially for companies now entering the corporate credit ecosystem. In line with this, we are delighted to partner with OneBanc on an innovative credit card for the new Indian corporate employee. This will not just give them the confidence to transact digitally with the added security features of a numberless card, but also help build a credit profile without any behavioural change," said Sujai Raina, Visa's Vice-President and Head of Business Development for India. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/Hunk Golden and Media): The Good Food Institute India (GFI India), the central expert organization, thought leader, and convening body in the 'smart protein' sector has called for a National Mission for Smart Protein on World Health Day 2022. Smart protein - meat, egg, and dairy alternatives produced from plants and cell cultivation through food science - has the potential to solve pressing issues such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food insecurity, while also being vastly better for planetary health. Underlying smart protein's benefits for personal, public, and planetary health, GFI India has conveyed a crucial message: that simply diversifying the source of our protein- from animal-derived sources to 'smart' alternatives - could help us prevent future pandemics and public health crises. With their call for a National Mission for Smart Protein, GFI India has worked with key stakeholders in the ecosystem including government, industry, and academia, towards a comprehensive action plan to help build a more sustainable, secure, and just future of food. Varun Deshpande, Managing Director, Good Food Institute India said, "As COVID-19 restrictions across India ease, we cannot afford a return to business as usual. World Health Day is the perfect time to think about building back better and safeguarding public and planetary health - and nowhere is this truer than in our protein supply. Smart protein has the potential to stave off climate change, malnutrition, and future public health crises, and build a more thriving, resilient economy for our growing population. With the support of key government agencies such as NITI Aayog, FSSAI, and the Ministries of Agriculture, Science & Technology, and Food Processing Industries, a National Mission for Smart Protein would build a globally competitive, strategically important pillar of India's new green economy. With a concrete road map and strong partnerships, GFI India will continue working with government and industry partners to realize this mission." The smart protein sector in India is rapidly growing, with dozens of companies launching and scaling in the plant-based proteins landscape, and several more forming in the fermentation-derived and cultivated protein categories. For instance, 'plant-based meats' made from crops such as peas, mung beans, millets, soy, and other nutritious ingredients provide a simple switch for meat-eaters who want to move away from the environmental footprint of conventional meat. Companies like Neeraj Chopra-endorsed Good Dot, Virat Kohli & Anushka Sharma-endorsed Blue Tribe Foods, and Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh-founded Imagine Meats are producing delicious plant-based kebabs, keemas, biryanis, sausages, and samosas, driving consumer fascination with the category, and enabling conscious consumption at large scale. A burgeoning ecosystem of over 70 players across ingredients, manufacturing, and agri-integration is also coming together to support these fast-growing categories. But while the global smart protein sector has attracted over USD 11 billion in investment over the last decade, only a tiny fraction of this has come in India - indicating a major opportunity for homegrown startups to grow into a global market valued at over USD 1 trillion over the next decades. Varun added, "It's an incredibly exciting time for the plant-based sector in India - it's safe to say that 2021 and 2022 are plant-based meats' breakout years. We're seeing a lot of work over the last few years with plant-based startups and bigger corporations alike coming to fruition as they begin to enter the market. With major platforms like Amazon Fresh and Swiggy's Instamart helping to scale plant-based products, it's now easier than ever for consumers to access foods that provide all the sensory and cultural resonance of the meats we know and love, without breaking the planet or contributing to future public health risks. But building a thriving industry demands coordinated action across business, science, and policy in the form of a National Mission for Smart Protein. We need strong support for R&D, entrepreneurship, infrastructure investment, regulation, and talent development, to accelerate this sunrise sector." The Good Food Institute India (GFI India) is the central expert organization, thought leader, and convening body in the Indian 'alternative protein' or 'smart protein' sector. As part of an international network of nonprofits with partners in the U.S., Brazil, Israel, and Asia Pacific, GFI India is on a mission to build a secure, sustainable, and just global food system. With unique insight across science, business, and policy, we are using the power of food innovation and markets to accelerate the transition of our food system toward alternative proteins. In building the sector from the ground up in India, we're aiming to establish a model for its growth all across the developing world. You can find and tag us on the following social media handles: Twitter: @GoodFoodIndia | Instagram: @goodfoodinstituteindia |LinkedIn: The Good Food Institute India YouTube: GFI India Want visuals to accompany your piece? Look through our open access image libraries for both plant-based and cultivated meat - please be sure to attribute credit (as written within the image file titles) correctly! For more information, please contact: Ayesha Marfatia, Communications Associate, GFI India Sonia Kulkarni | Hunk Golden and Media 9820184099 | sonia.kulkarni@hunkgolden.in This story is provided by Hunk Golden and Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Hunk Golden and Media) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/PRNewswire): DBS Bank India today announced its partnership with Social Alpha, a popular innovation curation & venture development platform for tech start-ups, to address the global issue of food waste through sustainable solutions. The partnership furthers DBS' commitment to supporting entrepreneurial efforts toward addressing productivity and supply chain efficiency issues, leading to food waste and value erosion in the food and Agri sector. Nearly 40% of food produced in India is lost before it reaches the markets and further wasted at the retailer level, which decreases the nutritional security and causes income losses for farmers. Moreover, an estimated 50 kg per capita of household food waste is recorded, totalling 68M tonnes a year. Techtonic Innovations Towards Zero Food Waste, presented by DBS and powered by Social Alpha, is a two-year program that identifies innovative and scalable solutions by entrepreneurs to help reduce quantitative and qualitative food loss and waste across food systems and agri-food value chains. Under this engagement, selected start-ups will receive grant support to develop their product and marketing strategy, receive branding support, access to grassroots partnerships, and pitch for seed capital. Social enterprises seeking more information and willing to apply can visit https://www.socialalpha.org/techtonic-innovations-towards-zero-food-waste/ Commenting on the partnership, Shoma Narayanan, Managing Director - Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at DBS Bank India, said, "About one-third of the world's food is lost or wasted each year. This is enough to feed three billion people. DBS is committed to changing the way food production and consumption is viewed, and our partnership with Social Alpha is a significant step towards addressing the problem of food waste through sustainable solutions." Innovations along the entire food value chain are necessary to reduce food loss and food waste, thereby positively impacting livelihood, economy, and climate. Supporting socially impactful innovations with investment can significantly drive change towards creating a better future. Nikhita Nadkarni, Director and Principal, Livelihoods & Prosperity at Social Alpha, said, "The post-harvest infrastructure currently available for smallholder farmers is insufficient and inaccessible, leading to massive food waste and income loss for farmers. We believe that there is an opportunity to solve this problem through technological innovations and entrepreneurship. We are excited about our partnerships with DBS Bank in accelerating the efforts toward zero food waste. Through the Techtonic, DBS and Social Alpha will scout for 5 high-impact, mission-driven start-ups and provide them venture acceleration support to reach scale and create impact." DBS works with clients to provide financing solutions to support sustainable supply chains in the Agri sector, reducing wastage for suppliers and processors. It recently partnered with Stellapps, a tech start-up, to provide farmers with access to finance for the digitisation of small dairies across India. Towards Zero Food Waste (TZFW) DBS believes that businesses have a role to play in helping to find solutions to challenges such as food waste. As part of the bank's commitment to a sustainable and climate-resilient future, they initiated a regional movement in 2020 to galvanise multiple stakeholders into action towards zero food waste, thereby creating collective impact. This DBS-led initiative has generated more than 600,000 kg of food impact across Asia (such as reduced food waste and recycled or food redistributed) as of 2021. DBS' approach to the TZFW initiative aligns with DBS' three sustainability pillars, Responsible Banking, Responsible Business Practices, and Creating Social Impact, whereby they aim to encourage a shift in behaviours and mindsets to reduce food waste by 1) advocating and building public awareness of issue 2) engaging employees and reducing food waste in business operations; and 3) partnering ecosystem partners to scale impact. Find out more about how one can create an impact in their daily lives. Together, we can Live more, Waste less for a better world! * As per a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with 18 markets. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named "World's Best Bank" by Euromoney, "Global Banks of the Year" by The Banker, and "Best Bank in the World" by Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named "World's Best Digital Bank" by Euromoney and the world's "Most Innovative in Digital Banking" by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the "Safest Bank in Asia" award by Global Finance for 13 consecutive years from 2009 to 2021. DBS was also ranked No. 1 on Forbes' list of the World's Best Banks in India for two consecutive years. DBS Bank has been present in India for 28 years, opening its first office in Mumbai in 1994. DBS Bank India Limited is the first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly-owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank. DBS provides an entire range of banking services for large, medium, and small enterprises and individual consumers in India. In 2016, DBS launched India's first mobile-only bank, digibank, with ~1 million savings accounts. In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank was amalgamated with DBS Bank India Limited. The bank now has a network of nearly 600 branches across 19 states in India. DBS provides a full range of consumer, SME, and corporate banking services. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established an SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and Asia. In 2020, DBS introduced the "Towards Zero Food Waste" initiative as part of a global sustainability practice to encourage a shift in behaviours and mindsets to reduce food waste. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment, and can-do spirit in all our 30,000+ staff representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com. Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups that address the most critical social, economic, and environmental challenges through the power of entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations. Since its inception in 2016, Social Alpha has supported more than 200+ start-ups, including 60+ seed investments. For more information, please visit www.socialalpha.org. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/PNN): OTT as a medium was created to give a platform to fresh talent and out of the box stories. And with their new series Zindagi Reset, Ace Multimedia and producers Punit Wadhwa and Manish Jhunhunwala are trying to achieve just that. The ten-part series hinges on its high concept idea and stars a solid fresh cast featuring Raju Kher, Ashwin Kaushal, Amit Pachori, Akshat Irani, Girjesh Patel, Kamya Pandey, Shilpa Gandhi, Jyotsna Indore, Nidhi Mahawan, Nitin Nachnani, Harshita Kashyap, Samiksha Bhatnagar, Tanisha Paul. Before zeroing on these actors, the makers underwent an exhaustive process of many casting levels. The series, described as a technology-based drama, has a simple takeaway - don't let your smartphone be more intelligent than you. Following the story of 3 people whose lives are turned upside down because of a series of events revolving around technology, the narrative focuses on Zeeshaan - a handsome young college boy next door who is a charming Casanova. After a twist and turn of events, he realizes his faulty approach to life. His friend Aditya is the dreamer. But his story tells us what are the repercussions of letting your dreams and aspirations completely take over you. The third protagonist, Yash, is a solid and zealous individual who knows what he wants. He is a businessman who does everything with dedication but does not compromise on ethics. Directed by Adi Irani and Shiva Rindani, the series is a roller coaster of emotions that taps into the impact of tech on the young mind and modern relationships. The makers tell us that for them, the story was crucial. "We wanted to set the story in today's time and delve into the many faces of how technology consumes us. We worked on multiple drafts of the series to create a layered story. I hope the story resonates with the audience. It's important because the dependence on technology speaks volumes about how we are conditioning our minds," says Wadhwa. Jhunjhunwala adds that bringing a fresh gaze into the story was essential. "What can we tell about the world swayed by technology that we aren't feeling already. It was essential to do this with a brand new cast. Every actor brings forth a certain perception. We wanted to do this with rank outsiders, so they enhance the story's freshness. I hope we've achieved what we sought out." This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/Hunk Golden and Media): The Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA), a CEO-led body formed to support and help develop India's nascent plant-based food ecosystem, is set to host international webinar series The topic of the first webinar is the Next Generation Sources for Plant Protein. The first webinar scheduled on Friday, 8th April, 2022 from 3 pm to 5 pm IST will focus on India's strength - millets, pulses and cereals, is expected to be attended by audience from all over the world. The panel discussion will host industry stalwarts as panelists such as Pierfrancesco Mazzolini, CEO & Co-Founder Yeastime, Rome, Italy; Federico Ortenzi, CSO & Co-Founder, Yeastime, Rome, Italy; Pratichee Kapoor, Director - Big Bets: Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa, Kerry Ingredients; Nicole Roque, Senior Innovation Specialist, The Good Food Institute India, Satvika Mahajan, Senior Policy Specialist, The Good Food Institute India; Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, (NIFTEM) Thanjavur, Under Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GOI; Smita Devigrere Founder & CEO, Devigere Biosolutions, Bengaluru and Ashish Korde, Co-Founder, Proeon Foods, Mumbai. The webinar will be moderated by Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Industry Association. Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director, PBFIA said, "One thing that makes this webinar one of its kind, is that someone actually talking about millet processing, which has been a deep issue for India for many decades. These major issues need visionaries to focus on the merit in indigenization and localization of the plant-based protein category, which is already so well dominated by overseas players. India has a dominant position in rice, with an export jumping 46 percent last year to whooping 21 million tons. With that we need to focus on millets, other cereals and chickpea and other pulses as well as wheat- all these products are ready to compete in the international plant protein market, waiting for a generational opportunity. Unlike other value-added food products, hopefully India will not miss the bus this time and create a major impact in the plant protein sector. The way NASSCOMM supported IT sector, PBFIA is aiming a similar benchmark for this nascent but promising plant-based food sector." Sanjay Sethi further added that, "The year 2023 is the UN International Year of Millets. This reveals the importance of millets and their role in strengthening food security. Plant-based foods are the logical solutions for doubling farmers income. With this objective, the PBFIA webinar will intellectually explore how to maximize the full potential of India's rich food diversity. With these series of webinars, the spotlight will be to grow plant-based foods industry and key roles for the stake holders." PBFIA aims to create a network by connecting organizations, food handlers, start-ups, investors, and consumers. The drive for PBFIA is to helpbusinesses in this sector grow through networking, collaboration, and dissemination of technical and market information and research. Along with that, the organization is focused on highlighting and promoting the benefits of the plant-based industry to improve health, food security, fair practices, and meet sustainable development goals. Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) is a CEO-led body formed to support and help develop India's nascent plant-based food ecosystem. Headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, PBFIA aims to: * Create a network connecting organizations, food handlers, start-ups, investors, and consumers * Help businesses in this sector grow through networking, collaboration, and disseminating technical and market information and research. * Highlight and promote the benefits of the plant-based industry to improve health, food security, fair practices, and meet sustainable development goals. * Secure a plant-forward future for its members in times of conflict. * Partner with organizations and other industry bodies with a similar philosophy and vision on the principles of cooperation and collaboration * Advocate policy changes to check trade barriers or unfair practices which act as roadblocks to the growth of the industry The open link to directly join the webinar: http://tiny.cc/plantbased For further communication: sanjay.sethi@pbfia.org or call +919004777119 For further media queries, please contact: Sonia Kulkarni | Hunk Golden and Media 9820184099 | sonia.kulkarni@hunkgolden.in This story is provided by Hunk Golden and Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Hunk Golden and Media) New Delhi/ Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas advised Asian Paints, India's leading paint manufacturing company and ranked among the top ten decorative coatings companies in the world, on their acquisition of Obgenix Software Private Limited (known as White Teak), a company engaged in the business of decorative lighting and home decor, from Pawan Mehta & Gagan Mehta, the selling shareholders of White Teak. The General Corporate Practice of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas advised Asian Paints on the deal. The team was led by Smruti Shah, Partner; with support from Aviral Chauhan, Principal Associate; and Priya Gupta, Associate. Other Parties and Advisors to the transaction included Wadia Ghandy & Co. (legal counsel to the Sellers) and HDFC Limited (transaction advisors to the Sellers'). As a part of the Transaction, Asian Paints Limited has entered into a definitive agreements with White Teak, for acquiring 100% shareholding in White Teak over 3 tranches to be completed in a period of 3 years. The Transaction was signed on 1st April, 2022; and closed on 2nd April, 2022. India's Leading Law Firm, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas was founded on May 11, 2015 and takes forward the values going back 104 years, of the erstwhile Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. Tracing its professional lineage to 1917, the Firm has 750 lawyers, including over 130 partners, and offices in India's key business centres at Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. The Firm advises a large, and varied client base that includes domestic and foreign commercial enterprises, financial institutions, private equity funds, venture capital funds, start-ups and governmental and regulatory bodies. The firm was recently named in '25 Most Innovative Companies of the Year' by CII. Also, received "Law Firm of the Year" award at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) India Law Awards 2020 and "Law Firm of the Year, India" at the Asialaw Regional Awards 2020. The firm was recognised as the "Most Innovative National Law Firm of the Year - India for 2020" at the IFLR Asia Awards and voted as the "Employer of Choice for 2020" from India, by the Asian Legal Business. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) The Multi-Agency Group, which has been set up by the government to monitor investigations into the Pandora Papers case, has started cracking down on the wealthy Indians named in the investigative report. Three entities named in Pandora Papers have been searched by the Income Tax Department and more will soon face action, official sources told ANI. JCT Group's Samir Thapar, who is also a relative of late congress leader Satish Sharma and Hiranandani Group was searched by Foreign Asset Investigation Unit (FIAU) last month. FIAU was created last year to probe cases of undisclosed assets held by Indians abroad and possession of Black Money in foreign shores. Last Month ANI had reported that FIAU has searched family members and associates of Satish Sharma. Officials told that FIAU has got credible information of undisclosed foreign assets and black money stashed abroad by wealthy Indians. International Consortium of International Journalist (ICIJ) in an investigative report released in October 2021 claimed that 380 Indians are in list of global elite who has been exposed for ring-fencing their wealth through the shadowy financial transaction and using offshore tax heavens to hide assets worth millions of dollars. The Pandora Papers revealed that former Union Minister Satish Sharma had several offshore entities and properties in his name. Sharma had died last year. At least 10 close relatives of Sharma including his wife Sterre Sharma, children and grandchildren are among the beneficiaries of the Jan Zegers Trust set up by Sharma in 1995 in Cayman Islands. Hiranandani group was the latest to bear the brunt of IT dept. FIAU searched around 25 premises located in 3 cities--Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, related to Hiranandani Group. Later the company spokesperson told, "The group has already clarified that the offshore trust/assets held by the family abroad is fully bonafide and compliant with all laws. Further, all queries of the authorities are being fully addressed and we assure our full cooperation in the matter." Realty sector businessman and founder of Mumbai-based Hiranandani Group Niranjan Hiranandani and some of his family members were beneficiaries of a Trust with assets worth over USD 60 million, as reported by ICIJ. Pandora Papers shows that Hiranandani was the "reserve director" in firms set up by his Dubai-based son Darshan Hiranandani in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Name of the Samir Thapar, Chairman, JCT Ltd surfaced in the Pandora Papers. Notably, JCT Ltd had declared the offshore stakeholder as a non-promoter. This offshore entity is registered in the British Virgin Islands, where Thapar is also the beneficial owner of another company. The offshore stakeholder Musk Holdings was set up in 2009 and has a stake in JCT Ltd. Multi Agency Group which was constituted after the more than 300 wealthy Indians, including business people names figured in Pandora Paper leaks last year. After the three meetings of MAG held in North Block it was decided to launch action against the businessman named in Pandora Papers. MAG headed by the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) monitoring investigations into the Pandora Papers case. MAG having representatives from CBDT, ED, RBI & FIU. Sources told that MAG proactively engaged with foreign jurisdictions for obtaining information in respect of relevant taxpayers/entities before going for search. MAG sought information from countries concerned on Indian entities named in Pandora Papers through Automatic Exchange of Information (AEIO). India has AEOI relationship with 96 countries including British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Bahamas where wealthy Indians had stashed their money. (ANI) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/PNN): AVRO India Limited (NSE - AVROIND & BSE - 543512), One of the leading manufacturers of plastic molded furniture products has migrated to the Main Board of NSE and BSE from NSE Emerge. This is yet another achievement for the company and propels the company to the next stage of its growth path. The company got listed on the NSE Emerge on 26th July 2018. The IPO had come with IPO price of Rs 51 and the company has given bonus of 21:10 to its shareholders in the month of January 2022. Speaking on the occasion Sushil Kumar Aggarwal, Chairman of AVRO India Limited said - "This is a big day for us by completing the migration to the main board of NSE but also BSE at the same time from NSE Emerge Platform. The migration will provide a boost to the growth of the company. Migration will help our company to attract more investors and bring more liquidity to the market owing to possibility of trading in single share v/s a lot size in Emerge. Will also pave way for the growth capital to help the company for its future business growth." The Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) based AVRO India Limited was established in the year 2002 and is engaged in the business of manufacturing quality molded furniture under the brand name AVRO/ AVON. The company has one of the largest product ranges and manufactured with imported machines and molds in a highly automatic environment and following global quality standards & practices. AVRO is one of the largest players in North India in the plastic molded furniture segment and is also among the top 10 Manufacturers in India. AVRO sells its products through online and offline channels. The company has an online presence on Amazon, Flipkart, Snap Deal, Pepperfry, Indiamart and in the offline channel the company has more than 200 Dealers & Distributors and 20,000 plus touchpoints through Retailers. The company's products are widely accepted for various Home and Commercial use for both indoor and outdoor use with absolute reliability of All Weather Proof conditions & long-lasting for decades thus making its products most versatile and reliable. For FY21 the company reported a Net profit of Rs 1.81 Cr EBITDA of Rs 4.09 Cr on sales of Rs 53.57 Cr. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): Skillshare, world's largest online learning platform for creativity and creators, released data on online learning trends in India, which point towards a significant number of people wanting to pursue their creative interests. With multiple lockdowns leaving schools and colleges shut, and employees working from home, many people in India are looking to learn new creative skills and how to monetize them. Four out of five Skillshare users in India preferred learning skill-based creative classes online over non-creative ones. Skillshare has over 13 million registered members across the world on its platform collaborating on creative exploration, personal growth and skill development. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, 63 per cent of Indian professionals have increased their time spent in online learning to enhance their skills or learn a new skill with an increasing focus on fine art, illustration, graphic design, animation and film & video. With the design, visual effects and gaming markets growing at 25 per cent YoY, and is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country, presenting a wide range of opportunities for Indians to learn new skills and monetize their creative inclinations. Skillshare's data shows that among the top five categories, classes incorporating a "challenge" tied to goals or timeframes were popular among the Indian audience. '100 day projects with watercolours' by artist Geethu Chandramohan is among the top most-watched classes in India on the platform. UI and UX Design on Adobe Illustrator by Digital Designer Daniel Scott and Mannan Arya's Game Design are also among the most-watched in India considering the increased appetite for learning Graphic Design and Animation in the country. The Union Ministry of Commerce's report shows an increase in the number of people choosing graphic design and game design as professions in the country, with many turning to e-learning platforms to upskill. "Skillshare presents an innovative value proposition for the online learning market in India with its sole focus on creativity. Digital learning can democratize access to creative platforms for people across the world which has been essential for entrepreneurs, freelancers and hobbyists alike looking to upskill or learn new skills," said Matt Cooper, CEO, Skillshare. "Skillshare not only provides a platform for creative learning but allows learners to become a part of a community of creatives, which helps them connect with other creatives who are also looking to follow their passions and monetize their skills." Skillshare users in India chose to learn how to monetize their creative interests Fine Art was the most-watched category in India in 2021. As many as 20 per cent of new subscribers on the platform watched classes in Fine Art. Most of the classes subscribed in this category were in the beginner phase, suggesting that more Indians are getting started on their creative journey. Google trends corroborated this increased interest in the category as searches for "fine art" witnessed a 100 per cent increase in 2021. Illustration and Adobe-based classes are the second and third most-watched classes, making up 60 per cent of the top 10 classes. These categories have always been popular on Skillshare and the trend continued in 2021. Searches for Illustration and Graphic Design classes witnessed a 100 per cent and 60 per cent increase in India in 2021, respectively. Skillshare's data shows that Indians are not only looking to learn Illustration and Graphic Design, but also want to make a living out of doing what they love. 55 per cent of those who learn Graphic Design on the platform also pick up Illustration classes, 30 per cent of them consumed Animation classes, and 26 per cent chose to learn Freelance & Entrepreneurship. One of the most striking trends we see in India is that a significant number of people want to learn how to bake. Stuck indoors for the most part of 2020 and 2021, India witnessed a proliferation of home bakers. Many people across cities derived inspiration from videos and tutorials online and began their journey into baking. Four out of five Indians wanting to monetize their interest in baking took up classes online over the last 18 months. Skillshare's data reflected this trend as some of the most-watched lessons on the platform were related to baking. From lessons in baking cakes by celebrity baker Umber Ahmad to learning how to bake bread by Shubhranshu Bhandoh, Indian learners showed a keen interest in culinary arts in 2021 and we expect this trend to continue in 2022. In tune with this demand, 60 per cent of the top new classes added on Skillshare are related to baking. "Professional creatives and learners have always turned to Skillshare to hone existing skills or learn new ones and in 2021, we witnessed a shift towards lifestyle, productivity and entrepreneurship," said Aayur Kaul, Market Head, Skillshare India. "With Skillshare actively foraying into the Indian market in 2022, we expect to have more classes suited to the demographic and also have creative influencers on the platform to impart knowledge in their areas of expertise. India is one of our largest markets and we expect to expand our online learning community in the region." Self-care took precedence due to the shifts brought about by COVID-19 Classes in the Health and Wellness category were also among the most-watched in 2021. The segment grew at 54.2 per cent YoY in 2021. Last year, Skillshare saw a shift in consumption trends where self-care, happiness and meditation were some of the most popular classes. After the pandemic altered social interaction and daily lives, it also affected the mental health of people across the world, and especially in India. The United Nations' noted that India was among the top 10 least happy countries in the world after the pandemic. 79 per cent of Indians perceive mental stress in routine day-to-day life is perceived as the most common cause affecting their mental wellbeing. It's no surprise that Ali Abdaal's class "How to Be Happier" stands among the most-watched classes on Skillshare in India. "The atmosphere of learning has changed dramatically in the last two years in India with online learning taking centre stage. Self-care and happiness were at the crux of what Indians looked for in 2021 reflecting on the struggles they faced with mental health and the lack of social interaction. As self-exploration becomes a priority in 2022, we expect more demand for classes in lifestyle skills," said Aayur Kaul, Market Head, Skillshare India. Skillshare Online Learning Trends Report 2022 draws data from all the subscribers on the platform globally, including over 371 million minutes watched of its classes. India is one of the top 3 largest markets for Skillshare outside the US and the report covers usage of users in India vs Global. In 2021, Skillshare had 100K Indian users sign up for the platform, accessing our more than 30K classes, which includes classes taught by 1000 teachers of Indian origin, watching over 32M minutes on our platform. Skillshare is the world's largest online learning community for creativity. With more than 13 million registered members across the world, Skillshare brings together the power of creative exploration, personal growth and skill development. As the largest global community for creativity, Skillshare offers over 30,000 video-based classes in a wide range of creative disciplines from graphic design to photography to painting and illustration to interior design taught by industry experts. Skillshare's mission is to make creative life possible for everyone around the world. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): Jobaskit.com, a tech startup offering smart recruitment solutions, is winning accolades for its disruptive Software as a Service solution that uses Collaborative Intelligence (CI), involving a combination of both human and artificial intelligence, to help organisations find recruitable candidates. The patent-pending CI-based screening and filtering solution creates databases with a 10x higher composition of recruitable talent, compared to that of traditional online job portals which rely only on automation. The startup has won an award at the Internet 2.0 Conference (www.internet2conf.com), an international tech forum held at Dubai in March this year, under the category of Innovative Product. During the same month, Jobaskit has been recognized with the Business Leadership Award under the Promising Startup category from the Indian Achievers Forum (iafindia.com), and Excellence in Recruitment award from Enantra, south India's biggest entrepreneurship festival, an initiative of Anna University's Centre for Entrepreneurship Development. Talking about this first-of-its-kind solution, Ashokk Remi John, Founder and CEO, Jobaskit, said, "There has been a higher rate of adoption of Artificial Intelligence in recruitment processes across the world. However, AI has its own limitations. It works based primarily on keywords. People can easily game the system and come across as eligible candidates for jobs posted online. However, CI is all about using both AI and human intelligence to identify right candidates. At Jobaskit, we go not only by the information supplied by the candidates but also process the endorsements and opinions of their past employers and teachers. This two-layer mechanism helps us provide organisations with a high-quality recruitable pool. Our services also eliminate the scope for job scams as the jobs are published by the companies are visible on their corporate websites through Jobaskit smart career page." According to him, the other important differentiator of Jobaskit is that it lets candidates apply for jobs directly from the official website of hiring organisations and recruitment agencies, though they could do so from the Jobaskit portal. The company takes the responsibility of maintaining the career section of the official website of organisations with updated information, and of responding to applicants. The job applications, irrespective of their source, are processed using CI at the Jobaskit tech platform in the backend. Jobaskit's is a recruiter-friendly platform, unlike that of traditional online portals that focus more on employees. The company also does not sell the database of job seekers to employees. It collects an annual subscription fee, after the completion of a limited trial period. Its core services of offering fool-proof filtering solutions targets organisations of all sizes. Jobaskit publishes jobs on its portal; powers career pages of corporate websites; connects hirers with academic campuses; conducts aptitude assessments online, and provides unlimited access to databases all at highly flexible and competitive rates. The company does not charge candidates for listing their resumes or processing their applications. It enables job seekers to get employer recommendations; know the strength of companies before applying; understand the profile match with the culture of organisations, and stand out in the job market by presenting the recommendations of past employers and teachers. They can also restrict the companies to invite for jobs. The company is planning to come up with exclusive solutions for students campus placements. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Real estate projects across the country were adversely impacted due to the reverse migration of construction workers during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore said on Thursday. In view of the situation created by the pandemic COVID-19 reverse migration of labourers, including construction workers, to their native places and break in supply chains of construction material, construction activities of real estate projects across the country were adversely impacted, the minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. "However, exact details of the quantum of job loss and financial loss in the Real Estate Sector are not maintained centrally by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)," the minister added. The minister informed the lower house of the parliament that the government has taken a number of steps to support the real estate sector. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories (UTs) and their Regulatory Authorities for extension of completion date or revised/extended completion date for all real estate projects registered under Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 [RERA] for a period of 6 months, and further extension of 3 months, if the situation so demands. Further, MoHUA recommended to the State Governments and UT Administrations to consider reduction in stamp duty rates on transaction of sale/purchase of immovable property for a specific period of time to encourage the home buyers and sellers to expedite their transactions. Many States/UTs responded positively by reducing the rates of stamp duty on transactions involving sale/purchase of immovable property. In order to give relief to homebuyers, developers and other borrowers, the Reserve Bank of India permitted lending institutions to grant a total moratorium of 6 (3+3) months on payments falling due between 1st March, 2020 to 31st August 2020, Kishore said. Moreover, infusion of Rs 75,000 crore for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and Rs 18,000 crore additional outlay for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban have also helped in the revival of construction and realty sector, he said. (ANI) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday issued guidelines for the establishment of 'Digital Banking Units' as announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this year. In the Union Budget 2022-23 the finance minister made announcements for setting up of 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in 75 districts to commemorate the 75 years of independence of the country. In pursuance of the budget announcement a 'Committee for the establishment of Digital Banking Units (DBUs)' was set-up by the Reserve Bank to outline a roadmap for the establishment of DBUs. The Committee after necessary consultations and deliberations gave its recommendations on different aspects of DBU viz., the digital banking unit model, facilities to be offered in DBUs, monitoring of functioning of DBUs, cyber security and other IT related aspects, role of DBU in the spread of digital banking awareness, etc. "Based on the recommendations of the Committee, the guidelines on 'Establishment of Digital Banking Units' have been finalised," RBI said in a statement. Digital Banking Unit is a specialised fixed point business unit/hub housing certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking products & services as well as servicing existing financial products & services digitally, in both self-service and assisted mode, to enable customers to have cost-effective/ convenient access and enhanced digital experience to/ of such products and services in an efficient, paperless, secured and connected environment with most services being available in self-service mode at any time, all year round. As per the guidelines released by the RBI, the Digital Banking Units of the banks will be treated as banking outlets. (ANI) Delhi Airport Customs seized 5.85 kg cocaine, the biggest at any airport in India, on April 6, 2022 night at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Union Finance Ministry said on Thursday. "The seizure last night by the Delhi Customs signifies the fight carried out by the Indian Customs against the menace of drugs," the ministry said. In the past six months, Customs at the IGI Airport alone has booked 16 cases under NDPS Act, the highest number at any airport in the Country. In the process, almost 33.70 kg of Heroin and 12.60 kg of Cocaine has been seized from International passengers, mostly nationals of African origin. During the 2021-22 financial year 35 cases were booked by Customs at IGI Airport, with a street value of drugs estimated at Rs 887.35 crore. 34 passengers have also been arrested in the process. Two distinct modus operandi have been observed in these seizures. Some of the passengers pack the drugs inside latex capsules, which are then swallowed by them in order to get past Customs officers easily at the Airport. Later, they eject these capsules after consuming laxatives, running a great risk to their own lives. This modus operandi is not only very difficult to detect, but also very difficult to retrieve. The suspected passengers need to be admitted to government hospitals, where the extraction is conducted under medical supervision. This process often takes 4 to 5 days, sometimes longer. These passengers are kept constantly under strict observation and guarded day-and-night by the Customs officers, at great risk to their own lives due to COVID-19 pandemic. The seizure of narcotics drugs at the airport is just the beginning of a tough, long legal battle that ensues later, the ministry said in a statement. In the second method, the drug is concealed in specially made cavities in the hand-baggage or Checked-in baggage being carried by the passengers. Such cases are detected by the combined use of the Customs Canine Squad and High-resolution X-ray. Both these modus operandi have been detected at IGI Airport, the ministry said. (ANI) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): APAR Industries today announced Sonu Sood as its Brand Ambassador. APAR is a highly trusted manufacturer and supplier of conductors, transmission cables, speciality oils, polymers and lubricants not only in India but in over 125 countries with the philosophy and tagline to provide "Tomorrow's solutions today". Sonu Sood as the brand ambassador will communicate the goodness of the APAR brand to its customers and constituents. Sonu Sood is known for his strong prowess in acting, philanthropy and for being a wonderful and trusted human being. This matches perfectly with the ethos of APAR. Kushal Desai (Chairman & Managing Director, APAR Industries), shared that, "We're thrilled to have Sonu Ji as the face of our brand. We believe that his ideals and our brand fit perfectly well together. The Sonu Sood Foundation and Sonu Ji's generous contributions toward the welfare of society and the common man during the pandemic are commendable." APAR Industries and the Desai family have a strong tradition of giving back to society through various initiatives such as the Dr N.D. Desai multi-speciality hospital offering 400 beds and free services to thousands of patients daily. Kushal Desai is the President of the Dharmsinh Desai University, Dr NDD Heart Hospital, both in Nadiad and the Annamrita Foundation, a midday meal that distributes over 1.2 million meals to children across the country amongst other notable contributions. It is the mindset of philanthropy and giving back to society that makes APAR Industries and Sonu Sood the right fit. Sonu Sood, on signing up as the face of the APAR brand, said, "I am delighted to be working with the APAR Industries group. I am honoured to be part of the APAR family as I am their first brand ambassador in the 63 years of their existence of being known as a highly trusted manufacturer and supplier of conductors, transmission cables, speciality oils, polymers and lubricants not only in India but in over 125 countries. Their innovative products are futuristic and reliable and they have been able to excel at what they do, relentless innovators and constantly pushing themselves to discover, perfect and deliver, tomorrow's solutions today." Shashi Amin, CEO Cable Solutions, added, "We are certain that Sonu Sood as a brand ambassador, who stands for strength and integrity, will help us further win the hearts of the nation and allow us to serve them with our unique products." APAR's flagship brand "APAR Anushakti" is the most unique house wire in the market, powered by Electron Beam technology which gives the product 50 years of life, flame retardant, heat resistance at 105oC, short circuit and melt resistant features. Launched in 2017 APAR Anushakti has grown in the South and West markets. APAR's vision is that by March 2024 APAR Anushakti will be present pan India, selling over 500 crores, and hopes to serve the market nationwide with their promise of "Iss Taar Ki Shakti APAR". APAR Industries was started in 1958, in India. Over 60 years later, we have grown into a diversified billion dollar company, and expanded to over 125 countries as a highly trusted manufacturer and supplier of conductors, a wide variety of cables, speciality oils, polymers and lubricants. At APAR, we have been able to excel at what we do because of who we are: relentless innovators who are constantly pushing ourselves to discover, perfect and deliver tomorrow's solutions today. For more details, please visit www.apar.com. For quick updates follow us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/AparIndustriesLtd LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/aparindustrieslimited Twitter - twitter.com/AparIndustries This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI/NewsVoir): The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the education industry in India. In the book 'The Last Lifeboat', Alvin Toffler asked rhetoric questions on our current education system and offered hope for the future, teaching people to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This theory was put to test for real with the onset of the pandemic. The students and educators had to unlearn the traditional method and relearn virtual interaction and engagement styles. Edtech platforms during this time played an imperative role in allowing students to progress with their learning journeys without any hinderance. GuruQ, in no time adapted to this unforeseen situation and reached out to students in India. GuruQ is India's best tutoring platform that helps students connect with the right tutors and now GuruQ is all set to get back into offline mode of teaching where tutors can give individual personalized to students with offline teaching in order to advance their learning. GuruQ allows you to schedule class as per your flexibility in affordable budgets. A student can pick from an array of tutors for customized learning. While most platforms are struggling to get back to offline classes with the receding pandemic, GuruQ is ready to serve the students with their mentorship. Tutors are available for school education, competitive exam, language learning and for the purpose of studying abroad. GuruQ' allows customization and personalization to its learners unlike any other learning platform in the Edtech space. Students can personalize their tuitions classes with respect to the mode of class (offline or online), type of class (individual or group) and budget. Students can customize each class with their tutor and study the topic they exactly want to learn. They can select a tutor and book classes at short notice and/or even booking them with selected tutors by the hour for special needs such as revision and exam preparation. Even parents can keep track of their child's progress online and seek feedback when they want to. GuruQ's can boast of its presence across various cities in India. It is catering to over 30,000 students in Delhi, 10,000 students in Patna and over 8,000 in Bengaluru. GuruQ's tutors are also available in towns and cities like Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Indore and many more. GuruQ has thousands of teachers available PAN India and now with the effects of the pandemic being reduced to minimum, GuruQ is ready to facilitate the learning efforts in the offline mode as well. With its tutors being readily available, students will find no challenge in learning a topic or clearing a doubt from the comfort of their homes. GuruQ intends to provide a plethora of avenues for the holistic learning and development of students. For an EdTech platform to be truly effective, the benefits should reach its main end-user; the learners. With GuruQ, students have the freedom to compare and choose tutors as per their requirements, be it in budget, the mode of learning. Since GuruQ tutors are available in various cities and locations, students can now learn at their own pace by making a simple booking through the GuruQ website or application. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has paid an emotional tribute to her beloved friend who passed away suddenly. In a letter posted on the website of Mayhew, an animal welfare charity that chose Meghan as one of four organizations it will support as its royal patron in 2019, Meghan said she was introduced to the charity by animal behaviourist Oli Juste, who passed away "tragically and suddenly" in January earlier this year, People reported. "It has left me, and so many others, heartbroken and reflective- knowing that the legacy he leaves for our furry friends is beautifully simple: just love them," she wrote. Meghan added, "Especially those left behind or forgotten. In his memory, we will be creating the Oli Juste wing at Mayhew, to shelter the animals who may have a harder time finding their forever homes. Because much like Oli, they will never be forgotten, and they will always be loved." Meghan also shared that Oli and his fiance Rob "helped take care of my rescue dog, Jay, when I just moved to the UK and he was recovering from a debilitating accident. He loved him like he was theirs." She concluded her letter by revealing that she has sponsored a dog kennel in her son Archie's name. "As an expression of my own commitment, I renewed my sponsorship of a dog kennel in the name of our son, Archie, to create an interim home for a pet in need," she said. "I hope you will show them your support in whatever ways you can. When you do, you will be contributing not just to animal welfare but to the shared welfare of us all," she informed. (ANI) Entertainers and performers across the world are coming together on social media to raise funds for refugees impacted by Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, following the rally, on Saturday is a pledging event in Warsaw, Poland, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The names already announced for participation in the social media rally include Chris Rock, Billie Eilish, Madonna, Hugh Jackman and Elton John. Joining the star-studded line-up are Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Porter, Padma Lakshmi and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a recent video message, urged the common public to take part in the upcoming rally and pledge summit. He also appeared in a pre-recorded segment airing during the Grammys and said that he was "inviting everybody: musicians, actors, athletes, businessmen, politicians, everybody - everyone who wants to join this movement and 'Stand Up for Ukraine.'" (ANI) According to The Hollywood Reporter, James Ponsoldt has signed on to direct multiple instalments of the 10-episode series, including the pilot. 'Shrinking', which was picked for series in October, centres on Jimmy, a grieving therapist (Segel) who begins to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives, including his own. Williams will portray Gaby, a therapist who works with Dr Phil Rhodes (Ford) and Jimmy. She's all in on anything she's passionate about, including her friend Jimmy, who she cares for and respects. The series has been penned by Segel, Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein. The trio will also executive produce alongside Neil Goldman, Doozer's Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer, and Ponsoldt. 'Shrinking' hails from Warner Bros. TV, where Lawrence is under a rich overall deal. As per The Hollywood Reporter, a premiere date for the series has not yet been determined. It marks Segel's second project with Apple following the film 'The Sky Is Everywhere'. For Ford, the comedy marks the beloved actor's first ongoing TV role. (ANI) According to the official, they received a call about the fire incident at 24, Akbar Road around 7.30 p.m. and two fire tenders were immediately pressed into the service. "The firemen doused the flames in just 30 minutes and even the cooling process was immediately completed," the official said. The official said that some dry leaves on the roof of the Congress office had caught the fire. "No one was injured in the incident as it was a minor fire," he added. --IANS uj/vd ( 120 Words) 2022-04-06-21:13:24 (IANS) The current spell of heat wave, especially across northwest India, for a longer duration is neither unique nor uncommon, as 2017 and 2019 too had witnessed similar phenomena, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. It also said that a rise in maximum temperatures by about 2 degrees Celsius is very likely over many parts of northwest and central India during the next three days. The current heat wave spell started mainly over west Rajasthan and adjoining areas of Gujarate and west Madhya Pradesh from March 27. It further extended to east Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, south Haryana, Delhi and southern parts of Uttar Pradesh by March 29. During this period of heat wave, maximum temperatures were recorded in the range of 40-42 degrees Celsius over most stations in these states, with a few stations mainly over western Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh recording in the range of 42-43 degrees Celsius. Besides this persistent heat wave observed over northern plains and central India, parts of western Himalayan region also reported heat wave to severe heat wave conditions with maximum temperature in the range of 25-33 degrees Celsius at higher ridges while at lower ridges, it has been 33-39 degrees Celsius - 6 to 9 degrees Celsius above normal. "The immediate past heat wave data during 2017-2021 for the month of April shows this type of longer spell is not unusual. The spells of heat wave to severe heat wave with 8-12 days duration were observed in April 2017 and 2019 over Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab and parts of Gujarat and of 6-8 days duration over parts of Western Himalayan region covering Himachal Pradesh and Jammu in April 2017," the IMD bulletin said. The forecast warned of a rise in maximum temperatures by about 2 degrees Celsius, very likely over many parts of northwest abd Central India during the next three days and no significant change thereafter. However, a fall in maximum temperatures by about 2-3 degrees Celsius is very likely over Gujarat during next three days and no significant change thereafter. No significant change in maximum temperatures is very likely over rest of the country during the next five days, the IMD said. There would be heat wave conditions in most parts with severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets very likely over west Rajasthan during next five days, heat wave conditions in some parts with severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over east Rajasthan during next five days, and heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in isolated/some pockets over south Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh during next five days. The IMD also warned that heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Bihar during next five days, over central Maharashtra and Jammu division during next 2-3 days, over Jharkhand till April 8, over south Punjab till April 10 and over Chhattisgarh on April 9 and 10. --IANS niv/vd ( 507 Words) 2022-04-06-21:18:44 (IANS) Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday expressed happiness over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sending 'Puja Samagri' for Amethi temples. However, in a lighter vein she also made him realise that he wasn't the first to do so. "If this is true then I am happy that Rahul ji is now impressed by the services done by me and is serving the Mother Goddess in the similar way. Imitation is the best way of complimenting an effort," the senior BJP leader said reacting to an IANS tweet which apprised of the development. Notably, this is the first time that the former Congress president has sent puja samagri to Amethi temples, the constituency which he represented in the Lok Sabha three times. Earlier, according to an IANS report from Lucknow, Gandhi had sent 'puja samagri' (worship material) for the Devi temples in Amethi on the occasion of Navaratri. The prominent temples where materials have been supplied include Maa Kalika Bhavani Dham Sangrampur, Maa Devi Patan Dham Amethi, Maa Durga Bhawani Dham Bhawan Shahpur Gauriganj, Budhan Mata Dham Gauriganj and Samsarian Dham. Amethi is the former constituency of Rahul Gandhi which he lost to Smriti Irani of the BJP in 2019. Irani has also been sending the worship material to Amethi temples every year during the Navaratri festival season. --IANS uj/bg ( 240 Words) 2022-04-06-21:20:15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained three Chinese companies from using the 'HTC' Trade Mark on their hair-grooming products as it is deceptively similar to the trademark of the Taiwanese tech giant HTC. Justice Asha Menon was dealing with the dispute between plaintiff HTC and the defendants -- Yongkang Geenew Imp and Exp Co, Ltd, Yongkang Xinshiji Hairdressing Tools Factory, and Yongkang Xinji Hair Dressing Appliance Factory. As per the plea, the Chinese companies are manufacturers of electric hair trimmers, hair clippers, and hair dryers bearing identical infringing Trade Mark/HTC in China and exporting the same to the other defendants in India. These defendants are also selling their products through Amazon India website, it said. The court observed that in the present case, since both the Trade Marks are registered, all the facts would have to be considered holistically to determine whether or not the plaintiff is entitled to interim protection. However, it was noted HTC of the Taiwanese company, which was founded in 1997, stands for High Tech Computer, has gained immense recognition and popularity and indicates the origin of the products of the plaintiff. In contrast, defendants said that their HTC stood for High Tech Trimmers and Clippers, and that they have started use only in 2013, and are thus "subsequent user". The court noted that these alphabets do not adequately stand for the products of the defendants, as it would then be "HTTC". It is clear, whereas the plaintiff has a logical explanation for using random alphabets in their Trade Mark, which, in course of time, has acquired a distinctiveness leading to even a change in the corporate name, the defendants have none, the court order said. It was also highlighted by the court that the quality of the goods led to the reputation of the trademark HTC, which thus became an indicator of the origin of the goods. The action of the defendants, on the other hand, has no valid explanation and under no circumstance, can be taken as indicative of the origin of the products of the defendants. --IANS jw/vd ( 361 Words) 2022-04-06-21:22:06 (IANS) Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the Central government, blaming its "inefficient policies" for the steep hike in fuel prices. "On the one hand, the BJP Government at the Centre is constantly raising prices. But, on the other hand, it is trying to push the blame on state governments. This is blatant lying and totally unacceptable. That is why I am writing this letter to expose the inefficient policies of the Central Government which have inflated petrol rates in an unforeseen manner," he said. "When he was in opposition, Narendra Modi shed crocodile tears over the sufferings of the poor and the plight of common people. However, he has been ruling the nation, completely ignoring the welfare of the people since he came to power. From the earliest days of Narendra Modi's swearing-in as the Prime Minister, the Central government has been making the country's people suffer with its incompetence and inefficient economic policies. The main reason behind my criticism is that petrol rates are rising daily without any control and the prices of essentials are skyrocketing," wrote KTR, as the TRS leader is popularly known. He termed as "pure lies" the reasons cited by the Modi government for not controlling prices. "BJP leaders are simply narrating stories, such as the problems in the international crude oil supply, the rise in crude oil prices, and the Russia-Ukraine war. But all this is not true. Union ministers who say prices are rising in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and even France are deliberately hiding that the per litre petrol rate there is lower than ours. The petro products are still available at cheaper rates in some of our neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka, which is reeling under the financial crisis." When the BJP government took office in 2014, the international price of crude oil was about $105. After that, due to various reasons, crude oil prices came down to below $40 a barrel at one stage. However, the BJP government has continued to raise petrol prices in the country, pointed out KTR, who is also the state's Information Technology and Industries Minister. He alleged that the increase in excise duty during the Corona crisis is proof of the "cruelty and indifference" of the Narendra Modi government against the poor and middle class. "The price of a barrel of crude oil fell to less than $20 a barrel during the corona crisis. That should have led to a massive reduction in petrol rates in our country as well. But the ruthless Modi government, which has forced migrant workers to walk thousands of miles barefoot in the Corona crisis, has raised excise duty by Rs 20 without taking advantage of the reduced prices," wrote KTR. He recalled that in 2014, the price of petrol per litre was Rs 70.51, and the price of diesel per litre was Rs 53.78. The Modi government gradually increased the prices to Rs 118.19 and Rs 104.62, respectively. Internationally, the crude oil price is currently $106, like 2014, "but the price of a litre of petrol in our country is not the same as in 2014". "How did this happen? What are the reasons behind it? It is the responsibility of the BJP leaders to answer to the people for what purposes they are raising prices like this, he added. "The current plight is due to the inefficient policies adopted by the BJP and its failure in managing the country's economy. The BJP leaders at the Center are lacking wealth-creating intellect. They are of the wrong impression that raising taxes exponentially with the power at hand is good governance. The useless BJP Government has levied a petro tax of Rs 26.51 lakh crore for seven and a half years on 26 crore families in the country. This means that, on average, the Modi government has looted one lakh of rupees from each family in the name of raising petrol prices. The union government and BJP leaders are answerable to the country's people," the TRS leader said. KTR pointed out that prior to 2014, the excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.48. When Modi came to power, he increased it to Rs 32.98. It was slightly reduced last year to Rs 27.90. "The WhatsApp University batch, including Union ministers, has been spreading fake news on social media that 41 per cent of this excise duty will be returned to the states. But this is a blatant lie. Only basic excise duty is shared with the states from the total excise duty the Central government levies on petrol. At the current petrol price, the basic excise duty is only 1 rupee 40 paise. Of this, 41 per cent, which means 57 paise per litre, is distributed by the Centre to all the states. The share of Telangana is 2.133 per cent. That is 0.01 paise per litre. But the Modi government, which is levying an excise duty of Rs 28 rupees per litre, is making propaganda that it is giving a major share to the states." "Narendra Modi, who has been doing everything to weaken the states since he came to power, is looking to fill only the central exchequer by rising petrol prices. That is why, since the BJP came to power, petro rates have been rising in the form of cess rather than tariffs. The Modi government is levying Rs 18 for roads and infrastructure development, Rs 2.5 for agricultural and infrastructure development, and Rs 11 each in the name of special additional excise duty. The cess of over Rs 30 in the name of petro prices is the highest ever in the country's history. The benefit that the states get from this is nil," he added. --IANS ms/vd ( 976 Words) 2022-04-06-21:30:04 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022. The bill seeks to enable investigating officers to collect certain identifiable information (fingerprints and footprints) of persons including convicts and arrested persons. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 4. A motion to refer the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha was rejected by a division with 59 voting in favour and 97 voting against. During a discussion in the House, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the concerns about human rights violations raised by the opposition MPs, were not correct and further said that the victims of a crime also have human rights. He also said that those caught by the law also have human rights. Stating the conviction rate in the country, he said that there has been only 39 per cent conviction rate in rape cases, 38 per cent in theft cases, and 27 per cent in child abuse cases. "So, should not we endeavour for better system, strengthening the criminal justice system in the country?" he asked. Referring to the strictness of the laws, Shah said: "The conviction rate in South Africa is 82 per cent, 84 per cent in the UK, 69 per cent, 94 per cent in Australia, and 93 per cent in the US." Noting that the main objective of this bill is to strengthen the prosecution agencies to increase the conviction rate in the country and this will only possible when the prosecution agencies will have scientific evidence. Further, he also assured the House that the data and the records collected by the government will not be accessed by third parties. Describing that this Bill does not intend to infringe on anyone's privacy, the Home Minister said these data will be safely preserved at the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) and the government will set up a committee to formulate a policy to safely use these collected data. He also said that the NCRB has data of one crore figure print and after the passing of this Bill this data will increase substantially. He also said that once these data will be collected, the police station will send the sample of the suspect to NCRB and within minutes, the finger print or other identities will be matched and if the suspect's details are there, he can be easily identified and details will be directly sent to the concerned police station. To keep its privacy and safety of the data, no investigation agencies will have direct access to the NCRB data centre where this evidence will be stored. Shah also said that while amending the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Acts, the drafts will be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Home Affairs and after detailed scrutiny, the Bills will be brought to Parliament for further discussion. Earlier while debating on the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, Congress MP P Chidambaram urged the government to refer to the standing committee or a select committee and also termed the Bill as "unconstitutional, illegal". He also made a point that the records collected could be shared with any law enforcement agency. Speaking on the Bill, the DMK MP T Siva said that the Bill should be discussed more elaborately and Athe bill to be referred to the select committee. Declaring the Bill as "draconian", the CPI-M MP Binoy Viswam said the government wants to threaten everybody and wants to take away all the human rights, rights of democratic movement of the country. --IANS ams/pgh ( 602 Words) 2022-04-06-21:48:37 (IANS) The government is quite committed and capable of returning the land that has been forcibly taken away from Kashmiri Pandits, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Responding to a question during the 'Question Hour', Rai said: "Those who have left the Kashmir Valley due to oppression... whose land has been forcibly taken away, the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is quite capable to ensure that their land is returned to them." He also told the House that the properties of 610 applicants so far have been returned to them in Jammu and Kashmir, and the land of all those whose complaints are found to be correct, will be returned one by one. Responding to another question on the overall infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said the government has taken several steps to improve the road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, and has fast tracked all the under-construction hydel projects while other measures are being taken to complete the projects in a time-bound manner. The Minister also said Jammu and Kashmir has received investment proposals worth Rs 51,000 crore and these investments would provide employment opportunities to 4.5 lakh people. --IANS ams/pgh ( 219 Words) 2022-04-06-22:49:39 (IANS) In a series of tweets, Modi said, "Over the last few days, the Parliament has witnessed a healthy discussion on the situation in Ukraine and India's efforts to bring back our citizens through Operation Ganga. I am grateful to all MP colleagues who enriched this discussion with their views." "The rich level of debate and the constructive points illustrate how there is bipartisanship when it comes to matters of foreign policy. Such bipartisanship augurs well for India at the world stage," he said. "It is our collective duty to care for the safety and well-being of our fellow citizens and the government of India will leave no stone unturned to ensure our people do not face any troubles in adverse situations," he added. --IANS ssb/arm ( 151 Words) 2022-04-06-23:10:06 (IANS) A Delhi court has framed charges against six persons accused of vandalization and arson in Khajuri Khas and Bhajanpura areas during the northeast Delhi violence on February 24, 2020. Additional Session Judge Virender Bhatt of Karkardooma District Court framed charges against Sarfaraz, Firoz, Ikram, Mustaqeem, Gulfam alias Zubair and Saddam alias Ikrar under sections relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, arson, injuring public and police persons and other sections. On the other hand, the court has discharged four accused persons namely Gulfam, Javed, Anas and Shoaib Alam of all charges. The Court said, "There is no sufficient material on record to frame charges against these four accused and they are liable to be discharged." The FIR was registered on the statement of Head Constable Anil Kumar, who along with other staff was on duty in the area of Khajuri Khas and Bhajanpura on that day to control the riots and maintain law and order. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) submitted that the three accused namely Mustaqueem, Sarfaraz and Ikram were arrested from the spot itself and were later on identified as rioters by several police witnesses. The SPP further submitted that the remaining seven accused were also arrested and implicated in this case after they had been properly identified as rioters by the police as well as public witnesses. He also pointed out that all the accused can also be seen in the video footage of riotous incidents taking an active part in vandalization and arson at the spot in question. On the other hand, the counsels for some of the accused persons submitted that they have been falsely implicated in this case and there is no legally admissible evidence against them. This case pertains to violence that broke out in Northeast Delhi in February 2020. In this violence, 53 people died and hundreds were injured. (ANI) Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition for accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of spreading propaganda through 'The Kashmir Files' movie. He alleged that several political parties which are now in the Opposition did not raise their voices against the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. Joshi also informed that he was an "eyewitness" during the Kashmir violence. "I was an eyewitness when Kashmir violence took place. I went to Kashmir with Madhya Pradesh leaders Kedarnath Sahni and Arif Baig. We prepared a report on the situation of Kashmir and sent it to former PM Rajiv Gandhi," he stated. He said that the team had met victims of violence in Kashmir and accused the regime at that time of doing nothing. "We also used to wonder what the government was doing to rescue them. It is wrong that people are levelling allegations against the BJP over the movie," the former minister added. He said that people still remain ignorant of such historical incidents which led to impartial knowledge of the past. "Why the genocide that took place during Sohrabji's time is not being presented to people? What Hitler has done is also not shown to people. The Ukraine crisis is being presented to people. Such incidents take place every day," he added. The former minister asserted that people should learn lessons from historical events with the assurance of avoiding repeating such incidents in the future. The Vivek-Agnihotri directed 'The Kashmir Files', which was released in theatres on March 11, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar and others. The film shows the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who had to flee the valley in the 1990s to escape the militancy. (ANI) The minister gave the details of the upcoming ISRO space missions planned for 2022 in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. He also informed that Government intends to establish more research centres in the country to support the research of ISRO. Singh said that the existing Space Technology Incubation Centre, Regional Academic Centre for space will get a grant of Rs 200 lakhs per year maximum and new proposed cells also will adopt the same guidelines. "Government pursues collaborative projects with foreign space research organizations with the objectives of enhancing the capacity of the Indian space programme for advancing programmatic priorities, augmenting space science and earth observation database, widening ground station networks, bettering products and services through joint experiments and creating platforms for inflow of expertise," he added. (ANI) Indore Crime Branch has arrested five members of an interstate gang of car thieves and recovered 11 vehicles from them along with a special electronic device the gang used to take control of vehicles. Indore Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP), Rajesh Hingankar said, "Five members of the gang have been arrested from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. One of the arrested had fled after shooting an Indore police official in 2020." The police official added, "The gang used to come from UP and Maharashtra to Indore and used special electronic devices to unlock car doors and steal vehicles." The gang had been involved in stealing vehicles from Indore and its nearby areas and so far 11 stolen cars have been recovered, the police official said. An electronic device that was used by the gang members to get control of the vehicle and other devices have also been recovered from the gang. (ANI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and Union Cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday. The meeting is likely to be held at 6:30 pm today. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the "rich level of debate" in Lok Sabha on the Ukraine situation and evacuation of Indian citizens through Operation Ganga and said there is bipartisanship on matters of foreign policy which augurs well for India at the world stage. Four union ministers - Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gen VK Singh - who went to countries neighbouring Ukraine as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special envoys during the evacuation effort also took part in the debate. Congress members talked of the relevance of principles of non-alignment in the complex geopolitical situation created by the Ukraine-Russia crisis. In his reply to the debate, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is "first and foremost" strongly against the conflict. He said no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood, and at the cost of innocent lives and in this day and age, dialogue and diplomacy are the right answers to any dispute. The minister said the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, on respect for international law, and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. "If India has chosen a side, it is the side of peace, and it is for an immediate end to violence. This is our principled stand, and it has consistently guided our position in international forums and debates including in the United Nations," Jaishankar said. Other than this, India is also providing food and fuel to Sri Lanka to help them cope with the ongoing economic crisis in the Island Nation, Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan informed on Monday. Notably, according to the International Monetary Fund report, India has averted the rise in extreme poverty through the food security scheme, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). A new IMF paper found that extreme poverty (less than PPP USD 1.9 per person per day) in India is less than 1 per cent in 2019 and it remained at that level even during the pandemic year 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's food security scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, has been critical in preventing any increase in extreme poverty levels in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, added the report. The Budget session began on January 31, 2021. While its first half concluded on February 11, the second half of the Budget session of Parliament which began on March 14 will conclude on April 8. (ANI) Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' forward, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday will release the third positive indigenisation list of defence equipment. "Taking PM Narendra Modi's vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat forward, the Ministry of Defence today is coming out with the third positive indigenisation list. This third list builds on the first list of 101 items and the second list of 108 items, promulgated earlier in 2020 and 2021," the Defence Minister said in a tweet. According to the Ministry of Defence, the third list builds on the first list of 101 items and the second list of 108 items that were promulgated on August 21, 2020 and May 31, 2021 respectively. The major items in the first list include 155mm/39 Cal Ultra-Light Howitzer, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-IA - Enhanced Indigenised Content, conventional submarines and communication satellites GSAT-7C. The major items in the second list include the next-generation Corvette, Land-Based MRSAM Weapon System, Smart Anti-Field Weapon System (SAAW) Mk-I and Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) based integrated life support system for fighter aircraft and 1000HP Engine for Tank (T-72). The third list will consist of over 100 items, including complex equipment and systems which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders over the next five years. Orders worth more than Rs 2,10,000 crore are likely to be placed on the Industry in the next five years as part of the items covered in the third list, the Defence Ministry said. With the notification, over 300 sophisticated items will be covered, ranging from complex weapon systems to critical platforms such as Armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, submarines etc. Since the notification of the first and second lists, contracts for 31 projects worth Rs 53,839 crore have been signed by the Armed Forces. Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for 83 projects worth Rs 1,77,258 crore have been accorded. In addition, cases worth Rs 2,93,741 crore will be progressed in the next five-seven years. The notification of the third list will supply equipment of international standards to meet the demand of the Armed Forces. (ANI) Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi District Court Judges to send a report in regard to advance updation of leave taken by the Judicial Officers. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla, in an order passed on April 4, on a writ Petition filed by Amish Aggarwala, Advocate, had directed District Court Judges to send a report in regard to the leave applications received since February 1; the date and time when the same was filed and the date and time when information with regard to the leave was updated on the website of the District Court concerned. Reasons for the delay in updation should also be disclosed in respect of each such instance. The report be sent within 2 weeks and listed the matter for April 28, 2022, the court directed. The Delhi High Court earlier had directed that Delhi District Court Judges should send intimation of their intention to take leave at least one day in advance to their concerned District and Session Judge and that the same should be updated on the Delhi District Courts Website immediately. The petitioner Amish Aggarwala, a Practising Lawyer has submitted that the court's order was diligently followed for some time. However, with the passage of time, it is not being adhered to anymore and once again there is laxity in the matter of updation of the leave status of the Judicial Officers serving in the District Judiciary. The High Court earlier directed that in case of any hardship or unforeseen exigency, when any leave is applied at the last moment, intimation by/ through concerned judicial officer be sent promptly, using electronic means, so that the same is received at the office of the principle of District and Sessions Judge before 10 am, enabling the uploading of the same forthwith on the website for intimation of all concerned. The Delhi High Court earlier had also issued a notification in this regard. In the petition, it was asserted that the absence of leave by a judicial officer is never informed in advance to the public. There is a "Judges on Leave" section on the website of the Delhi District Courts, but it updates Judges on leave for a particular day only on the concerned day itself, that only post 11:00 am. In the meantime, thousands scramble to get to court in time, giving countless hours in preparing our cases the day prior. The direction is a welcome step towards better management of court systems in Delhi, said petitioner Amish Aggarwala, who has been practising law in Delhi for the past 8 years. (ANI) Ayurveda and Yoga are two sides of the same coin, said the All India Institute of Ayurveda head Tanuja Narsi on Thursday. "Today is a very important day, today is Jagriti Arogya Diwas, this is World Health Day and this year the theme is 'Our Planet Our Health'," Narsi told ANI. "We have 75 days left for International day of Yoga. The countdown for the Yoga day has begun," she added. "Yoga is the spiritual face of Ayurveda and Ayurveda is the physical face of yoga. Ayurveda, Yoga are sides of the same coin," she further added. Highlighting the importance of Yoga, she stated that everyone should adopt Yoga as a lifestyle. Everyone should perform yoga for 35 minutes every morning, she added. While sharing her insights on the importance of Ayurveda, she said, "It maintains the physical health of a person. Ayurveda is not medical science or herbal science, but is a way of living a healthy and happy way of life. We can avoid many diseases by adopting Yoga". "Ayurveda also talks about bringing changes in our food habits, according to the changing seasons," she added. "Ayurveda is a part of our heritage. It is Panchakarma. Ayurveda is a holistic and integrated system in which Yoga is also a part of it," she further stated. Earlier today, on the occasion of World Health Day, the Ministry of Ayush organized a grand program for the demonstration of the common Yoga protocol at Red Fort. According to the Ministry of Ayush, the program was held between 6.30 am-8 am backdrop of 15th August Park, Red Fort on Thursday. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla graced the program as Chief Guest. The event was graced by the presence of several Union Ministers, Members of the Parliament, Ambassadors of various countries stationed in Delhi, prominent sportspersons, and Yoga gurus. As the upcoming 8th International Day of Yoga is falling in Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav year, the Ministry proposes to observe IDY at 75 iconic sites across the country. This countdown program is already in progress and observation of IDY-2022 is gaining momentum. (ANI) As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) concluded its roadshow and rally in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi yesterday, both Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress shared the opinion that the state has no place for a third force. BJP state chief Suresh Kashyap said that the kind of politics AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal does not work in Himachal Pradesh. "Kejriwal speaks of corruption, but Himachal is already free from corruption. There is no place for a third party in the state. The voters of Himachal are intelligent and know what their choices are," he said. The state Congress President, Kuldeep Singh Rathore said that the gathering at the rally which seemed to be of lakhs consisted mostly of "tourists" from Punjab and Delhi who "would go back". "The people of Himachal have rejected them. The upcoming elections are a contest between the BJP and the Congress only; Himachal does not entertain a third party," Rathore said. Slamming Kejriwal, the party's state president said that his claims of not knowing politics are false. "Kejriwal claims that he can only build hospitals and schools, but what about the previous government? Have they never built hospitals, schools and educational institutes?" Rathore questioned while saying that AAP is daydreaming about forming a government in Himachal Pradesh. AAP held a roadshow and a rally in Mandi where Arvind Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab's new Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Meanwhile, buoyed by its landslide victory in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will now contest all 68 seats in the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh slated to take place later this year. Earlier, Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain also announced that the party would contest the Shimla Municipal Corporation election. Talking about the poll promises, Jain announced that the AAP government if comes to power would provide free electricity and water to the people of Himachal as well as education and health facilities. The AAP leader further informed that the organisation has been constituted in all the 68 assembly seats and will now be expanded till the elections. Sidelining Congress as a state challenge after the party's debacle in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the five states, Jain said AAP's competition is with the BJP. "Congress cannot defeat BJP. Aam Aadmi Party has the mantra to defeat BJP," he said. (ANI) The special operation was launched near sub-sector Pargwal of Akhnoor. "BSF troops recovered one AK 47 Rifle, 20 AK 47 Rds, two Rifle Magazines, two (made in Italy) pistols, 40 Pistol Rds, and four Pistol Magazines from the smugglers," said an official statement. According to the statement, there were intelligence inputs about Pakistan based Aeronautical and Navigational Electronics (ANEs) attempts to smuggle weapons into the Indian Territory. "The troops were kept on high alert and the area between fencing and International Border (IB) was regularly patrolled," said BSF. "Today in the morning our zero line checking, the BSF party recovered a bag near IB containing Arms/Ammunition which was to be smuggled into the Indian side and thus averted a major tragedy," it added. SK Singh, Deputy Inspector General (DIG)/Protective Service Officer (PSO), Jammu said, "the BSF troops seized huge Arms/Ammunition on International Border once again exposed the evil designs of Pakistan based ANEs and made a big dent on their nefarious activities." Adding further, he said, "BSF is always on high alert all the time and is committed to secure the International Border. It is the hard work and dedication of troops that resulted in this significant seizure." (ANI) With the celebration of 'Yog Utsav' at Red Fort organised by the Ministry of AYUSH on Thursday, the countdown began for the International Yoga Day which is celebrated every year on June 21 since 2015. Nearly 2,500 people participated in the Red Fort event today. Addressing the occasion, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla extended greetings to the people and said that Yoga is the ancestral way of living, adding that practising Yoga will keep up physical and mental health. "We pray for the wellbeing of the entire world. Yoga is our ancestral way of living and one should practice yoga in order to have a healthy body and mind, today we are celebrating World Health Day and as we are observing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav this year so after 75 days from today, we will celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21. I hope that if we adopt our ancient lifestyle then we along with our minds will also be healthy," Birla said. Ayurveda expert Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH said, "Today is special because we are celebrating World Health Day. After 75 days from today, we will celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21. We are also celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. We are celebrating this as part of it." "PM Modi says that Yoga is insurance with zero premium. One should practice Yoga," he added. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, highlighting the usefulness of Yoga, said that the entire world is accepting that Yoga is a tradition of India. "Yoga is very useful for every individual and organisation. It benefits every country and humanity. Therefore, practising Yoga is very important. The entire world is accepting today that Yoga is the tradition of India," he said. The Yoga Utsav has been organized prior to the International Yoga Day in view of the Union Government's initiative of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. (ANI) He has been appointed as the new Director-General of Police by the Ministry of Home Affairs and took the charge as DGP today, following the retirement of former DGP I D Shukla on 31 March 2022. Singh is a 1996-batch IPS officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, who was earlier serving as Special Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police. MHA appointed Singh as DGP Goa in a top-level reshuffle order issued on 28 March 2022. The former DGP Goa was a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre officer, who retired on March 31, while Singh was appointed new DGP with effect from April 1. (ANI) Mohammed Hussain Khan, father of Muskaan Khan, the girl who was praised by Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri in a video statement on the hijab row yesterday, reacted to the video by saying that it is not needed. "I don't know who they are. They said something in Arabic, I don't know what they said. By this (video message) confusion will be created among us. It is not needed at all," he said. "I don't want appreciation. We are staying here happy. Let us be happy. There is government, there is law, there is police; they will take a future course of action," Khan added. Refusing to comment on the video, Khan said that he doesn't even know Zawahiri. "I am living here (in India) in peace and harmony, I don't know what's happening abroad. We stay like brothers here," he added. During the protests in Karnataka over the Hijab row, Muskaan was heckled by a group of students wearing saffron shawls. The group shouted 'Jai Sri Ram' slogans to which the girl retorted by shouting 'Allah hu Akbar'. Zawahiri in a video had praised student Muskaan Khan for standing in defence of the headscarf. Khan termed the Hijab row as unfortunate and said that if the college would not allow the girls to wear Hijab, he will send Muskaan to a different college where she'd be allowed to wear them. Earlier, BJP OBC Morcha General Secretary Yashpal Suvarna reacted to the video and said that the issue was hatched by the anti-social elements and demanded an NIA enquiry into the matter. Suvarna further said that such issues will "affect the administration and economy." (ANI) As the loudspeakers controversy heated up in Maharashtra after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray asked the state government to remove the loudspeakers from mosques, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that the government will discuss the order of the court and will talk to the Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil about it. "Regarding loudspeakers, we had said that we will discuss the order of the court. I had said in this matter before that we will talk to the Home Minister about it," he said. Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had also said that the Maharashtra Home Minister has also given the notice to maintain the decibel level for Azaan. The debate sparked after the Maharashtra NavnirmanSena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray asked the state government to remove the loudspeakers from mosques and warned of "putting loudspeakers in front of the mosques and play Hanuman Chalisa". "I am not against prayers, you can pray at your home, but the government should take a decision on removing mosque loudspeakers. I am warning now... Remove loudspeakers or else will put loudspeakers in front of the mosque and play Hanuman Chalisa." Additionally, Thackeray also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raid the mosques in the Muslim areas in Mumbai and said that the people living there are "Pakistani supporters". "I appeal to PM Modi to raid the Madarasas at the Muslim shanties. Pakistani supporters are residing in these shanties. Mumbai Police knows what's happening there...Our MLAs using them for vote-bank, such people don't even have Aadhar Card, but the MLAs get them made," he said. (ANI) Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die a day before the schedule, marking the culmination of the Budget Session 2022 during which the two Houses passed key legislations, including the Bill to unify the municipal corporations in the national capital. The second part of the Budget Session began on March 14 while the sittings were to conclude on April 8. Key Bills were passed in the Parliament during the second part of the session, including the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 among others. On the last day of the session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla acknowledged the participation of every member of the House and said that the ongoing session was "going well with everyone's support". "In this session, productivity has been 129 per cent, with everybody's participation...Productivity till the 8th session has been 106 per cent. Compared to the previous experiences, the ongoing session went well with everyone's support," Birla said. Hoping that all Vidhan Mandal (legislature-related) proceedings will be brought on one platform by 2023, Birla said that the information would be available on the basis of meta-data. "By 2023 we are hoping that all Vidhan Mandal (legislature-related) proceedings will be brought on one platform. Information will be available on the basis of meta-data... work underway for the same," he said. Meanwhile, missing the 100 per cent productivity landmark by only 10 minutes, the Rajya Sabha clocked 99.80 per cent business during the Budget session that concluded on Thursday, setting a record for the third-best performing session during the last 14 sessions since the Monsoon Session (243rd Session) of 2017. The Upper House spent 37.50 per cent of the functional time on debates, 23 per cent on Bills, while passing 11 of them, besides the introduction of one, an official statement from the Rajya Sabha stated. "As against the scheduled sitting time of 127 hours 54 minutes, the House functioned for 127 hours 44 minutes. The productivity of the House would have been 100 per cent but for the loss of these 10 minutes. While the functional time of 9 hours 26 minutes was lost due to disruptions and forced adjournments, the House gained 9 hours 16 minutes with Members sitting beyond the scheduled hours," said the statement. (ANI) Vietnam demands China stop militarizing islands in East Sea A Vietnamese diplomat has asked China to immediately stop militarizing some features of Vietnams Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago in the East Sea, saying such move violates its sovereignty and increases concern regionally and globally. Vietnam requests China respect its sovereignty, stop militarizing activities, and not take actions to cause escalation in the region, said Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on April 7. Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaks at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on April 7 Hang made the statement after the Associated Press (AP) on March 22 quoted Admiral John Aquilino, US Indo-Pacific commander, saying that China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it illegally built in the East Sea. John Aquilino said these islands are equipped with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, as well as fighter jets. Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos that is in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS, she stressed. She said Vietnam expects China will continue to make efforts with ASEAN to promote negotiations to soon achieve a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the UNCLOS 1982. Hang also voiced Vietnams reaction over a former Filipino court judges suggestion that Malaysia and Vietnam join other countries to conduct joint patrols in the East Sea. Vietnam always wishes to cooperate with other countries to contribute to peace, stability, security, safety, cooperation and development in the East Sea on the basis of international law and the UNCLOS 1982 in the common interests and in accordance with aspirations of countries in the region and the international community, stressed Hang. According to the diplomat, Vietnam has for many years cooperated with other countries in the region such as Cambodia, China, and Thailand in conducting joint patrols. Vietnam has also engaged in many international cooperation activities such as scientific research, environmental protection, crime prevention at sea and other economic activities in the region. The gang rape took place in the village Jiuli under district Ambedkar Nagar police station, Jaitpur area on March 29, 2022, added the police. The accused along with their families surrendered at the police station in the morning and apologized for their actions by joining hands in front of SHO Jaiprakash Singh. "The five accused of gang-raping a minor girl surrendered after coming to the police station of Jaitpur, fearing bulldozer warning, fear of bullets and Ambedkar Nagar police's swift action, " tweeted the Ambedkar Nagar police. Earlier following the incident and after verification and identification of culprits Police threatened their families of using bulldozer over their houses if they fail to surrender, which yielded the result. (ANI) The House convened after the Punjab and Haryana Assemblies passed resolutions claiming their right on Chandigarh. The BJP councillors in Chandigarh had stated that the UT is an independent entity and none has individual rights over it. Harpreet Kaur Babla, BJP councillor said that the party won't let Chandigarh be a part of either of the states. Notably, 13 councillors representing AAP in the House did not agree, and a ruckus was witnessed in the House today. The letter signed by BJP councillors stated: "...neither the Government of Punjab tried to know whether the residents of Chandigarh intend to go with the decision of Punjab Government nor they tried to ask from employees of Union Territory whether the rules are in their favour or not and similarly such resolution is going to passed in the Vidhan Sabha of Haryana Government." Notably, Haryana claims Chandigarh as per JC Shah Commission order. In an attempt to counter the resolution passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha last week staking a claim on Chandigarh, the Haryana Assembly Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution moved by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a special session of the Assembly convened Tuesday. On April 1, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously adopted the resolution, moved by the leader of House and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urging the Centre to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted interim protection to Ajay Singh, Promoter and Managing Director Spicejet in an alleged cheating case and directed him to join the investigation. The bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta on Thursday while granting interim protection to Ajay Singh also said no coercive action against Ajay Singh will be taken, till the matter is examined by this court. Court also directed him to join the investigation in this regard. The court listed the matter for May 24, for further hearing. Appearing for petitioner Ajay Singh, Senior Siddharth Luthra submitted that the petitioner has been cooperating with the investigation and ex-facie no offence is made out against him. The FIR clearly amounts to an abuse of the criminal machinery to pre-maturely enforce a commercial contract. The FIR has been registered for the offence of cheating in a case that is entirely based on a civil and commercial dispute arising out of a Share Purchase Agreement dated July 9, 2018, to which the Complainant/ Informant and the Petitioner herein are parties. Luthra also submitted that the Complainant/ Informant is blatantly abusing criminal machinery to enforce an erroneous interpretation of the Closing Date of the transactions stated in the Share Purchase Agreement dated July 9, 2018. The FIR is a blatant attempt to tarnish the Petitioner's sterling reputation in society and disrupt the smooth workings of the Airline Company, he added. Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for the complainant in the matter and strongly opposed the anticipatory bail plea and submitted that, Ajay Singh has cheated the complaints by handing over invalid Transaction Slips in 2018 which were expired in 2016. He's also taking a false plea of not transferring the shares due to ongoing arbitration proceedings, where no stay or embargo is given. His plea is fraudulent & dishonest. He has pledged the same shares to bank & took loans during the subsistence of the Arbitration Proceedings. Trial court of Delhi last week had declined the anticipatory bail and said, considering the gravity of the offence and the aforementioned ratiocination held, this Court does not find sufficient ground to grant the relief sought in the application filed by the accused applicant and same is accordingly, dismissed. Court noted that "success in such interrogation would elude if the accused knows that he is protected by the order of the Court," reads the order. Earlier on March 9, the same court had granted interim protection to the accused in the matter. According to the Delhi Police, the present case was registered at Hauz Khas Police Station with the directions of the court under section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), on the complaint of Preeti Nanda, wife of Sanjiv Nanda wherein it was alleged by her that Singh defrauded her. The complainant alleged that there was a share-purchase agreement between him and the accused and she paid Rs 10 lakh for 10 lakh shares of SpiceJet. These shares, however, were not transferred leading to the filing of the police complaint against Singh. The complainant submitted that it was subsequently found that the delivery instruction slip was invalid and outdated. Delhi Police while opposing the anticipatory bail plea stated that Investigation revealed that there are four other cases that have also been registered against Ajay Singh which shows his conduct. Delhi police also earlier said, the investigation is at a very crucial stage and still very much pending in this case as the accused/ applicant can manage the witnesses in the case and can also tamper with the evidence. (ANI) Amid the continual trend of fuel price hikes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged the Centre to temporarily do away with toll tax and extend the GST deadline for another five years. "The rise in fuel prices is affecting the lives of people. I request the Centre to control the fuel prices and temporarily stop collecting toll-tax. I also request the central government for the extension of GST time limit for another five years," said the Chief Minister. Earlier on Monday, Banerjee had said India's economic condition is even worse than the neighbouring island nation. Attacking the Centre over the fuel price hike, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo had said the central government should discuss the "economic crisis" in the country with all political parties instead of using the central agencies against the States. "Sri Lanka's economic condition is bad but India's condition is worse than Sri Lanka's. Fuel prices have been hiked here. The Central government should call all political parties to discuss the economic crisis in our country rather than using Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (against States)," she had said. With another hike of Rs 2.5 per kilogram on Thursday, the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has zoomed by Rs 9.10 per kg in the last six days. Notably, the CNG prices were increased by the same amount on Wednesday also. With today's hike, CNG in Delhi would now cost Rs 69.11 per kg. Meanwhile, after a hike of Rs 10 in the price of petrol and diesel over the last 16 days, the fuel rates were not increased on Thursday.Petrol in the national capital crossed the Rs 105 mark yesterday, whereas, in Mumbai, it has surpassed Rs 120. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday defended the Central government over the issue of fuel price hike, comparing it with that of other countries, saying that India has merely seen a change of "only five per cent". "Fuel prices hiked in India are 1/10th of the change of prices in other countries. Comparing gasoline (petrol) prices between April 2021 and March 2022, the prices in the United States of America (USA) have increased by 51 per cent, Canada by 52 per cent, Germany by 55 per cent, the United Kingdom (UK) by 55 per cent, France by 50 per cent, Spain 58 per cent but in India only 5 per cent," Puri told Lok Sabha. However, the Opposition has been stepping up pressure on the government with demand for the rollback of the fuel price hike. (ANI) In a major reshuffle, the government of Assam on Wednesday announced the transfer of several senior officers of the police department. At least 16 Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Commandant of Assam police in several districts were transferred and given charge of the new positions, as per the order issued by the Governor. Shiladitya Chetla, IPS (RR-2009), Commandant, 4 APBn, Kahilipara, Guwahati has been transferred to Kahilipara to hold the charge of Superintendent of Police (RAC) Special Branch Headquarters, Kahilipara in addition to his current duties. Dr Dhananjay Parashuram Ghanawat, IPS (RR-2010), Superintendent of Police, Sonitpur has been transferred to Assam and posted as Assistant Inspector General of Police (Administration). Sudhakar Singh, APS (DR-1995), Superintendent of Police, Charaideo, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Guwahati. Amanjeet Kaur, IPS (RR-2009). Assistant Inspector General of Police (Administration), Assam has been released for deputation to the Government of India. Yuvraj, IPS (RR-2013), Commandant, 1 APBn, Ligiripukhuri, Sivasagar has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Charaideo. Subhrajyoti Bora, IPS (RR-2016), Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Guwahati has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Sivsagar. Mohan Lal Meena, IP (RR-2016) has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Jorhat. Pushkin Jain, IPS (RR-2017), Additional Superintendent of Police, Nalbari, has been allowed to hold the post in the rank of SP/CO and is transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Sadiya. Debajit Nath, APS (DR-2010), Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ), Sivasagar, has been given the temporary charge of the Superintendent of Police, Sivasagar. He is also authorised to function as Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) until further orders. Sushanta Biswa Sarma, APS (DR-2002), Superintendent of Police, Darrang has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Sonitpur. Raj Mohan Roy, APS (DR-2002), Commandant, Pt APTF Bn, Dakurbhita, Goalpara has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Darrang. Leena Doley, APS (DR-2002), Superintendent of Police, Biswanath has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Nagaon. Ajagwran Basumatary, APS (DR-2002), Superintendent of Police, West Karbi-Anglong has been transferred and posted as Commandant, 3. APBn, Titabor, Jorhat. Navin Singh, APS (DR-2004) Superintendent of Police (Security-II to Chief Minister), Special Branch Headquarters has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, Biswanath. Imdad Ali, APS (DR-2004), Commandant, 3rd APBn, Titabar has been transferred and posted as Superintendent of Police, West Karbi-Anglong. Rakesh Roushan, IPS (AM: 2010) Superintendent of Police, Sivasagar has been placed at the disposal of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for posting him as Superintendent of Police on a deputation basis for a period of 5 years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever event takes place earlier. Shri Prasanta Sagar Changmai, IPS (SPS-2005), Commandant, 24. AP (IR) Bn Charaimari, Baksa has been promoted to the Selection Grade of IPS in Level 13 in the Pay Matrix retrospectively with effect from January 1, 2018. He will continue to hold the present post until further orders. (ANI) Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Traffic Amardeep Singh Rai conferred the Head Constable Gurpreet Singh, a Commendation Certification for turning down the bribe offered. ADGP also wished Gurpreet good luck and encouraged him for his honesty and determination towards his duty. Recently, a video went viral on social media, in which the head constable can be seen refusing a bribe of Rs 200 for exempting a traffic violator from a challan. "Janab, make a video, see he is offering me Rs 200 as a bribe. We will send this video to CM Bhagwant Mann's group to show him how people are forcibly offering a bribe to the police," Gurpreet said to his senior in the video. ADGP Rai said that taking note of the viral video in which Gurpreet exhibited his dedication and honesty towards his duty; the department has decided to honour and appreciate his good deed. The Punjab government on March 23 launched an anti-corruption action helpline number to curb corruption in the state. The WhatsApp helpline number is 9501200200. Adding further Rai said that the WhatsApp number will be his personal number and people can send videos or audios and lodge complaints as he will personally look into every corruption case. (ANI) During her ongoing visit to Kerala, the acting chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, on Wednesday met state Director-General of Police (DGP), Anil Kant, IPS, to discuss the issues related to women's safety in the state. The chairperson enquired about the pending complaints regarding which the Commission is yet to receive a police report and raised concern over the delay in sending the action taken report, as well as the procedure whereby the police send reports first to the government, and then the government forwards it on which does not happen in any other state. She spoke about the issue of the increase in domestic violence cases resulting from the widespread alcoholism in the state as well as the growing number of cases of POCSO and sexual assault in Kerala. She raised her concern about discrimination in tribal areas where Dalit women were not allowed to be cremated or buried and discussed the raising graph of malnutrition among these women. Stressing upon the criminal cases against women in the state, she spoke about the case of Mophiya Parveen who committed suicide as a result of domestic abuse by her husband and in-laws. The matter has been charge-sheeted. The DGP was directed to provide all necessary cooperation and assistance to the deceased's father. Additionally, the chairperson put forward another case of a mentally challenged girl who was raped in front of her paralyzed mother. She instructed the DGP to ensure that the victim and her mother received adequate shelter, rehabilitation, and assistance as necessary. The chairperson also brought up the suicide case of an RTO employee, whose family alleges that mental harassment by her coworkers caused her death. Taking cognizance of the matter, the Commission has directed the DGP to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation and to apprise the Commission of the action taken within seven days. Rekha Sharma was on an official visit to Kerala from April 5 to April 7 to inquire into various issues touching upon the safety of women in the State. On April 6, she held a MahilaJansunwai at the Police Training College Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram where she invited women to walk in with their complaints to the venue. During the event, she addressed the grievances of 50 complainants and instructed police officials on the spot to take appropriate measures. Commissioner of Police, Trivandrum, ADGP (Law and Order), and other police officials were present in the Jan-sunwai. In addition, the Commission also examined 228 complaints, 12 NRI complaints and ten suo motu cases on which no action taken reports have been received. (ANI) Tata Group-owned Air India has suspended its flight from Delhi to Moscow and the prospects for the resumption of flights remain uncertain at this moment. The official reason for the suspension is not known yet. In an official statement, Russian Embassy in India said, "Please note that Air India has stopped selling tickets on the Delhi Moscow-Delhi route. The prospects for the resumption of flights remain uncertain at the moment." "According to the Air India office, funds for previously purchased tickets for cancelled flights can be returned to passengers in full. In connection with the abolition by the Government of India restrictions on international air traffic, it is possible to freely use transit routes to Russia through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other available destinations," the statement read. Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar on Wednesday said in the Lok Sabha that the Ukraine-Russia conflict has had significant consequences on the global economy while the government is taking measures in the national interest to mitigate the impact. He, while explaining India's stand in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, said that India encourages talks between Kyiv and Moscow, including at the level of their Presidents. "In terms of diplomacy, India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence. We encourage talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their Presidents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to both of them in this regard," Jaishankar said. The Minister underlined that the conflict has had significant consequences for the global economy, including India's. Like all other countries, we too are assessing the implications and deciding what is best in our national interest, he added. Jaishankar further said that New Delhi conveyed the message when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in Delhi that "if India can be of any assistance in this matter, we will be glad to contribute". Explaining India's stand over the Russia-Ukraine situation, he said: "What should India do in these circumstances? At a time when energy costs have spiked, we clearly need to ensure that the common person in India is not subjected to additional and unavoidable burden." The MEA urged countries to respect the international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States. (ANI) A Delhi Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of president of Alumni Association, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shifa-Ur-Rehman in a larger conspiracy case in connection with the northeast Delhi violence in February 2020. Shifa was booked and charge-sheeted under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the Delhi Police. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Amitabh Rawat dismissed the bail application after considering the submission and contentions of Defence counsels and Special Public Prosecutor. ASJ Rawat said, "On the perusal of the charge sheet and accompanying documents, for the limited purpose of the bail, I am of the opinion that allegations against the accused are prima facie true." He also said, "Since there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusations against the accused Shifa-Ur-Rehman are prima facie true, hence, the embargo created by Section 43D of UAPA applies for grant of bail to the accused and also, the embargo contained in Section 437 of CrPC." Advocate Abhishek Singh and Amit Bhalla's counsels for the accused had argued that the accused has been in custody since April 26, 2020 and the investigation has been completed. The main charge sheet was filed on September 16, 2020 and the trial will take a long time. The Counsels also argued that no case under UAPA or any other penal provision is made out against the accused. The charge sheet is filed without a valid sanction order. No court can take cognizance of any offence under UAPA without the previous sanction of the central government or any office authorised by the central government on his behalf. On the other hand, opposing the bail application Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad had argued that there is sufficient material on record to establish that the accusation against the accused is prima facie true and hence he should not be granted bail. SPP Amit Prasad also argued that the accused was a member of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) and the WhatsApp group of JMI Coordination Committee and JCC_JMI. There are statements of numerous witnesses including protected public witnesses highlighting the incriminating material against the accused. A broad reading of all the statements brings out the role of the accused Shifa ur Rehman in the context of conspiracy and riots. According to the prosecution, 53 people died and hundreds were injured in the violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020. (ANI) Locals took the injured person to the District Hospital where his condition was declared stable, police said. The area has been cordoned off. On Wednesday, two terrorists, belonging to different proscribed organisations, were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Pulwama district. In a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, multiple joint mobile vehicle check posts were established in the general area of Awantipura in Pulwama based on the specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. The neutralised terrorist was identified as Shafat Muzafar Sofi resident of Batagund, who had joined proscribed terror tanzeem AGuH on October 8, 2021. Meanwhile, the second terrorist was a member of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since August 21, 2021. He was identified as Umar Nabi Teli resident of Lodu, Awantipura. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted more time to the Centre to file a reply to 'Media One' plea challenging the Kerala High Court order which upheld the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of the news channel. A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud listed the matter for further hearing on May 4. The Court also extended its interim relief to Media One by staying the Central Government's decision banning the Malayalam news channel and allowed it to resume broadcasting. Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the petitioner, had told the Court earlier that many people are losing their jobs and no media channel will be safe in the country if such practice is allowed. The Supreme Court was hearing the Media One plea challenging the Kerala High Court order which upheld the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of the news channel. In the Special Leave Petition by Media One, through advocate Pallavi Pratap, the channel said that it has filed the petition under dire and compelling circumstances. The petition also said that it raises seminal questions of law impinging upon the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the importance of an independent, free and unbiased press guaranteed by the Constitution. The Kerala High Court on February 8, 2022 upheld the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to revoke the license of Media One from the list of permitted news channels citing security reasons. The Court dismissed petitions filed by the channel against the government order. While dismissing the writ petition challenging the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Kerala High Court made it clear that principles of natural justice and interference by Court in cases of national security have a very limited role. Rejecting the pleas of the petitioner to keep the judgment in abeyance for two days, the Court replied, "I cannot extend it even for an hour." The Single Bench of Justice N Nagaresh further observed in the order that "national security is considered as one of the most important sovereign functions for long." (ANI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday slammed All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Imtiaz Jaleel for giving a communal angle to the recent discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar by saying that some people spread hatred in society to further their political interests. PM Modi and Sharad Pawar met on Wednesday in Parliament building where the NCP chief expressed concern about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. "It is our duty to bring to the Prime Minister's notice the injustice being done to a journalist and a senior Parliamentarian," Pawar said after his meeting with PM Modi. Reacting to this meeting, AIMIM leader Jaleel had tweeted, "Discussed only Sanjay Raut? Why? Did you not feel the urgency to discuss this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when your own party's minister Nawab Malik was arrested? Or is Sanjay Raut more precious than Nawab! You have your own games to play." Targeting Jaleel, Ajit Pawar said "Some political parties want to create hatred in society for their own selfish reasons. Their job is to give everything a Hindu-Muslim angle." Ajit Pawar said Sharad Pawar briefed him and Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil about the discussion he had with PM Modi. "They discussed many topics. He told us what he thought was right for us to know," he said. Malik was arrested by the ED on February 23 in a money-laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Reacting to the ongoing strike of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation workers, Deputy CM said that workers are being misled. "MSRTC workers are being misled. We have repeatedly requested them to go back to work. Transport Minister Anil Parab met workers and requested them to return to work but they didn't. Now High Court has asked them to return to work," said Pawar. MSRTC staffers have been agitating since late October demanding a merger of the corporation with the state government, which would give them better salaries and greater job security. (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested four persons from Mumbai for their alleged involvement in the violence in West Bengal's Birbhum. The arrested accused have been identified as Bappa SK alias Sal Mohamad, Sabu SK alias Sadril SK, Taj Mohammad alias Chand and Serajul SK alias Poltu. Accused persons involved in the Bogtui carnage at Rampurhat, Birbhum district of West Bengal had absconded after the incident. CBI planned a meticulous operation, traced their hideout in Mumbai using technical and human intelligence and arrested the four accused. These are the first arrests made in the case after the CBI took over the case on March 21 and registered an FIR into the matter following the order of the Calcutta High Court. "The arrests were made on the basis of technical evidence. They are among 21 accused who were named in the FIR," said a senior CBI officer. The CBI official said that the accused persons escaped to Mumbai after the incident. A team of CBI was tracking them. The arrested persons were produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court to get transit remand till April 10. "The other accused in the case will be arrested soon. CBI teams are conducting raids to nab other accused in the case," he added. As many as nine people were killed in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal's Birbhum last month after a mob allegedly set houses on fire following the killing of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh. According to the FIR copy in Birbhum violence, at 9.35 pm on March 21, Rampurhat Police received information that some houses of Bogtul village have caught fire and are burning. Police reached Bogtui village at 10.05 pm and found that "eight houses and some straw heaps caught devastative fire and were burning fiercely," said the FIR copy. At about 10.25 pm, the fire brigade personnel of Rampurhat Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the spot with two fire tenders and started fire fighting operations. During fire fighting operations, four persons were recovered with burn injuries. They were immediately shifted to Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital. The fire was anyhow brought under control and at about 2 am the fire brigade personnel left the spot, the FIR reads. "Due to immense heat, it was not possible to get into those burnt houses at that time. However, the search process for injured and affected persons was continued on March 22 (next day) morning at about 7.10 am, the fire brigade personnel again arrived at the village and joined in search operations," as per the complainant's statement in the FIR. FIR further reads that most of the houses were completely gutted and also were found to have been ransacked. While the search operation was in progress, seven burnt dead bodies in totally charred condition were recovered from the houses. One injured person rescued from the house succumbed to her serious burn injuries during treatment at a hospital. All the bodies were charred to death beyond recognition. The bodies were immediately shifted to Rampurhat College and Hospital for holding post-mortem examination, the FIR reads. (ANI) The court has also ordered the BJP councillor Kalpesh Patel to pay back the borrowed money. Kalpesh Patel, BJP councillor from the Manjalpur area of Vadodara, was accused of not returning the money borrowed from the complainant Upendra Shah. Shah said that in 2016, Patel had borrowed Rs 25 lakh from him for construction work and promised to return the same after the completion of work but even after the passage of five years, he did not return the money. Patel gave a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to Upendra but when the latter deposited the cheque in the bank, it was not honoured due to insufficient funds in the bank account. Shah sent a notice to Patel but got no response. Further, he filed a case against Patel in the lower court of Vadodara. Following this, the court on Tuesday announced the judgement in the case and sentenced Patel to one year of imprisonment. (ANI) Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Thursday emphasized on the need to accept Hindi as an alternative to English and not to local languages. The Home Minister's remarks came when he was presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee here on the Parliament premises. "Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages," Shah said, adding, "unless we make Hindi flexible by accepting words from other local languages, it will not be propagated". He said that now the time has come to make the Official Language an important part of the unity of the country. Meanwhile, Shah said when citizens of states communicate with each other, it should be an Indian language whether it is regional or state-specific. During the meeting, the Home Minister unanimously approved sending of the 11th Volume of the Committee's report to the President of India. Noting that the pace at which the current Official Language Committee is working has rarely been seen before, the Minister said, adding that sending of three Reports to the President of India in the same tenure of the committee is a joint achievement of all. The Union Home Minister informed the members of the committee that now 70 per cent of the agenda of the Cabinet is prepared in Hindi. He said, "22,000 Hindi teachers have been recruited in the eight states of the North East. Also, nine tribal communities of the North East have converted their dialects' scripts to Devanagari. Apart from this, all the eight states of the North East have agreed to make Hindi compulsory in schools up to Class X." The Union Home Minister emphasized on three main points. One is that the Committee is requested to hold a meeting in July for implementation of the recommendations made from 1st to 11th Volume of the Report. Shah said that the Secretary of the Official Language Committee should inform the members about the implementation of the volume-wise report in that meeting. Under the second point, he stressed the need to give elementary knowledge of Hindi to students up to Class 9 and pay more attention to Hindi teaching examinations. Under the third point, the Union Home Minister suggested to republish the Hindi dictionary by revising it. Shah also said that after meeting with all concerned Secretaries, an Implementation Committee should be constituted to review the progress of implementing recommendations of the 1st to 11th volume of the Official Language Committee report. The Chairperson of the Official Language Committee, Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the Official Language and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi. Union Ministers of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and Nishith Pramanik, Vice-Chairman of the Official Language Parliamentary Committee Bhartruhari Mahtab and other members of the Committee were also present at the meeting. (ANI) The Supreme Court has directed the state governments to comply with its earlier 2012's order in relation to the revision of the existing pension of all retired judges. A Bench of Justices L Nageshwar Rao, BR Gavai and Aniruddha Bose asked the state government to submit a report of compliance within a period of four weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on May 4 2022. "All the state Governments are directed to comply with the direction issued by this Court on October 8, 2012 and submit a report of compliance within a period of four weeks from today, " the Court said. The Court was hearing an application moved by All India Retired Judges Association. All India Retired Judges Association has sought the reliefs including the existing pensions of all past pensioners who retired after January 1, 1996 and the pensioners whose pensions were consolidated as per Karnataka model shall be raised by 3.07 times on par with the other pensioners subject to minimum of 50 per cent of the revised pay scale of pay of their respective post. The Court also sought consolidation of the existing pensions of the section of pensioners as per the methodology adopted by the Central Government in pursuance of the recommendations of the VIth Central Pay Commission. By an order dated October 8 2012, the Court directed that existing pension of all the past pensioners who had retired after January 1, 1996 and the pensioners whose pensions were consolidated as per Karnataka model shall be raised by 3.07 times on par with the other pensioners subject to minimum of 50 per cent of the revised pay scale of their respective posts. The complaint of the applicant is that the said direction has not been fully complied with by some states and not complied with at all by few states. Advocate Gopal Jha, counsel appearing for the applicant, submitted that some of the retired judicial officers who are almost 90 years of age. (ANI) Supreme Court on Thursday reserved the order on the issue of capital punishment to three convicts, who were awarded the death penalty by a Delhi Court after being held guilty of raping and killing a 19-year-old woman in Delhi's Chhawala area in 2012. The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Bela M Trivedi. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati demanded the death penalty for the three convicts and said that "these are the acts that curtail the mind of the parents in the society and clip the wings of their daughters." The Court asked ASG, "According to you death sentence is right?" to which ASG Bhati responded, "yes." She also told the Court that there were 16 brutal injuries to the victim and 10 injuries after death, which shows a complete disregard for the body. This is a case of sexual predators, she added. The Court noted the brutality of the crime and pointed out that there was a rod actually put (in victim's body). Senior Counsel Sonia Mathur, appearing as amicus curiae and Senior Advocate A Sirajudeein appearing for the petitioner accused person sought leniency on the quantum of sentence. Advocate Sonia Mathur said that there is "scope of reform as the accused are showing positive signs" and urged the Court to take sympathetic views upon the accused. The Court was hearing the case of capital punishment of three convicted for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old girl in Delhi's Chhawala on Thursday. The three convicts were awarded the death penalty after being held guilty of raping and killing a 19-year-old woman in 2012. The victim's mutilated body was found in a field with multiple injuries due to assault with objects ranging from car tools to earthen pots. A Delhi court in February 2014 had convicted three men for raping and killing the 19-year-old woman in 2012 and had awarded them the death penalty. The capital punishment was confirmed by the Delhi High Court on August 26 2014, saying they were "predators" moving on the streets and "were looking for prey". Three men, Ravi Kumar, Rahul and Vinod were convicted under various charges dealing with kidnapping, rape and murder. The three convicts have challenged the Delhi High Court order in the Supreme Court. The victim's family and activist Yogita Bhayana have filed an intervening application to render assistance to the bench about the offence committed by the convicts. Activist Bhayana and the father of the victim had said that they were fully conversant with the fact of the case. The case dates back to February 2012, when a 19-year old girl's body was found in Haryana. The girl was brutally killed after being raped. A case was registered regarding this at outer Delhi's Chhawala (Najafgarh) police station.According to the prosecution, the offence was barbaric in nature as they first kidnapped the woman, raped her, killed her and dumped her body in a field in Rodhai village in Haryana's Rewari district. "The woman was kidnapped by the three men in a car from near her house in Qutub Vihar area on the night of February 9, 2012, while she was returning from office," the prosecution had said. The prosecution had also revealed multiple injuries on the woman's head and other parts of her body and said that the three men had assaulted the woman with a car jack and an earthen pot.The crime was committed by Ravi Kumar with the help of the other two accused as the girl has refused the friendship proposal of Ravi Kumar, the prosecution had said. (ANI) In view of the upcoming Delhi Municipal Corporation polls, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Delhi State Election commission to clarify on how many M2 models of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are VVPAT compatible and also to clarify the number of such machines. The High court sought these details after the Election commission of India (ECI) and State Election commission filed their affidavits on the plea moved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP has sought the Court's direction to the State Election Commission to conduct the upcoming elections for the Municipal Corporations of Delhi with EVMs which are compatible with VVPAT. The Bench of Justice Rekha Palli granted ten days time to the State Election commission to clarify on how many M2 EVMs are compatible with VVPAT. The Court has directed the petitioner's counsel to file the rejoinder within two days thereafter. The Court has listed the matter on April 29 for further hearing. Senior Advocate Rahul appearing for the petitioner stated by referring to the affidavits file the two commissions that some of the series are VVPAT compatible and some are not. It should be clarified as to how many EVM are VVPAT compatible. On the other hand, Advocate Sumit Pushkarana appearing for the State Election commission stated that 29,532 Control Units and 32,028 Ballot Units have been procured. He sought time to get information on how many are VVPAT compatible. The Bench allowed his request and listed the matter for the next date. The Bench on March 24 had sought a response from ECI and Delhi State Election Commission and asked them to file an affidavit with details to make clear whether M-2 EVM is compatible to the VVPAT or not. The Court had also noted the different stands of ECI and State Election commission wherein ECI said M-2 EVM is incompatible to VVPAT and on the other hand state election commission said M-2 EVM is compatible to the VVPAT system. While opposing the petition of AAP, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh appearing for the Election Commission of India had submitted that the petition is non-maintainable at all and is providing M-2 EVM to the State Election Commission as per the demand. "Each state election commission must be aware that they have to made available their own infrastructure," ECI counsel said. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra had shown displeasure with respondents for their contradictory stand. He submitted that MCD elections are around and the State Election Commission has not developed its own infrastructure despite having a Supreme Court's direction of 2014 that is very much clear in this regard. The Petitioner of AAP through its MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj stated that the EVMs without the VVPAT machines make it almost impossible to ascertain the accuracy of the machines and rule out any tampering. "The use of the old M-2 EVMs without VVPAT is in contravention of the express directions issued by the Supreme Court in the Subramanian Swamy vs Election Commission case which emphatically recognized that the incorporation and implementation of a system of paper trail in EVMs is an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections," stated the plea. "Petitioner is aggrieved by the response from State Election Commission (Delhi) on March 7 which stated that the Delhi Municipal Elections 2022 will be held using M-2 EVMs without VVPAT," said the plea. "The decision to conduct the 2022 MCD Election using M-2 EVMs without VVPAT is wholly illegal, arbitrary, perverse, whimsical, and amounts to a colourable exercise of power," read the petition. (ANI) Taking suo moto cognizance of the meat ban order during Navratri, Delhi Minorities Commission on Thursday sent notice to the Mayors and Commissioners of three municipal corporations of Delhi. The Commission in its notice said that it has taken suo moto serious cognizance of news reports on meat ban. "The news reports have also observed that the Mayor is acting like a law unto himself. What he is calling for violates the basic free guaranteed in the Constitution. Such proclamation can also insight and encourage hoggish behaviour on the ground. Senior authorities and the courts should step in and put a stop to such behaviour. Observing this we hereby serve upon you to explain forthwith on which laid down rule at Regulation, it has been decided by you to Ban/shut down the meat shops during Navratri," the notice said. "The Commission requires that you shall file your reply/status report on the aforesaid complaint on an urgent basis along with all the necessary enclosures supporting your contentions, and submit a detailed report and appear in person before the Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission latest by April 8, 2020 at 3 pm positively," directed the Commission. South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday ordered officers concerned to take action for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day period of the Navaratri festival that is being observed from April 2 to April 11. SDMC Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan said that in the future, licenses for running meat shops will be issued if they agree not to operate during the Navaratri festival. East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) also announced the closure of meat shops on the last three days of Navratri, that is, on Saptami (seventh day), Ashtami (eighth day) and Navami (ninth day). Notably, the nine-day Navratri festival is being observed from April 2 to April 11, with Saptami, Ashtami and Navami falling on April 9, 10 and 11 respectively. (ANI) Singh presented a roadmap to make Punjab the leading State in Road Infrastructure in India. Punjab Cabinet Minister made an appeal for the declaration of nine major Roads as National Highways including Banga-Garhshankar-Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi road; Nawanshahr-Rahon-Macchiwara-Samrala road and Gurdaspur-Mukerian-Talwara road. Keeping the problems of villagers in mind and also to facilitate easy access to farmers, he also urged the Union Minister to construct Service Roads along the newly proposed Expressways in Punjab. Principal Secretary, PWD (B&R) Vikas Pratap, who accompanied the Minister for this meeting, informed that Punjab has also requested for an increase of annual accrual of the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund to Rs 300 crore. He further informed that State Government is going to submit it's Annual Action Plan for 2022-23 for approval to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways comprising of projects worth Rs 3300 crore. These projects include bypasses to towns like Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib; four-laning of congested roads in the State; new Railway over bridges and High-level bridges. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Minister Perni Venkataramaiah on Friday said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy "happily" welcomed the resignation of his cabinet as the YSRCP chief is all set to strengthen the party's functions by ascending key responsibilities and prepare the leaders for upcoming 2024 Assembly elections in the state. After finishing the final Cabinet meeting today afternoon, all 24 Cabinet Ministers have submitted their resignation letters to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Andhra Pradesh Secretariat on Thursday. The new ministers will take oath on April 11, sources said. "The decision of cabinet reshuffle taken by CM Jagan Mohan Reddy is happily accepted and welcomed by the ministers," the minister told media persons after the meeting. He also informed that the Andhra Pradesh cabinet has approved various schemes for the development of the state in the meeting held earlier today. "The cabinet approved to pay Rs 1,259 crore, as part of the implementation of Navratnas, Zero interest plan funds to be released on April 22. It has also approved the setting up of Revenue Divisions in Pulivendula with 7 zones and 8 zones in the Kotha Peta of East Godavari district and the formation of 12 police sub-divisions and 16 police circles as part of the redistricting," Venkataramaiah stated. In addition, the cabinet has decided to continue the time limit and reservations of the Zilla Parishads and to sanction 12 new posts in the Agricultural Polytechnic College set up at Punganur in the Chittoor district including 1 teaching post, 5 teaching posts and 7 non-teaching posts, he added. Further, the Andhra Pradesh minister informed that the cabinet approved the AP Millet Mission Policy to promote small grain crops from 2022-23 to 2026-27, the sanction of one Assistant General Manager and two Office Subordinates posts in State Education and Welfare infrastructure and development, he said. Continuing the list of development schemes, Venkataramaiah said that the cabinet also approved the setting up of Ekalavya schools in different parts of the state, allotment of 82 acres in Kolimigundla, Kurnool District and 84 acres for Industrial Parks in Muthukur, Nellore District. Bracing up for the 2024 Assembly elections in the state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set for the Cabinet to rejig with as many as 19 ministers are likely to be dropped. The Chief Minister is likely to induct new Ministers into the state Cabinet in a matter of few days, with anticipations running that the swearing-in could even take place on April 9. Sources said that only four of the incumbent Ministers may retain their positions. The Chief Minister, sources said, will submit the final list of new Ministers to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandran before April 9. Reddy on Wednesday, handed over the final list of the 19 Ministers being dropped from the Cabinet to the Governor, sources added. In the current cabinet, there are five deputy CMs. Reddy is likely to have five new Deputy Chief Ministers as part of his strategy to strike a caste balance in the state. Currently, the five Deputy CMs represent Scheduled caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Caste, minority and Kapu communities. Also, there are 11 Ministers from upper castes, including four from the Reddy community, seven from OBC, five from SC, and one each from ST and Muslim communities. With the State Assembly elections scheduled in 2024 in Andhra Pradesh, this rejig holds importance. (ANI) Reorienting the farmers to natural farming methods has halved the use of synthetic and harmful chemicals in farming, thereby generating health, environmental and economic benefits, a study about farmers in Andhra Pradesh published on Thursday has said. The study - a scientific evaluation published in the Lancet Planetary Health - is the first to evaluate the impact of a large-scale government organic agriculture programme on pesticide use and availability. The key findings of the study show that the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF), after a median of two years, was substantially less likely to report using synthetic chemicals and pesticides compared to conventional farmers. A support programme which enabled farmers who used natural methods who had frequent interactions with agricultural extension workers, either government community resource persons (CRPs/iCRPs) or NGOs more frequently were less likely to use pesticides and adopt natural farming methods. Frequent and sustained state-led training of farmers in organic farming practices can substantially reduce the use of harmful chemicals, which is detrimental to the environment and human health, it found out. Collaborators from the Public Health Foundation of India, the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, India, the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, US, and the University of Edinburgh, UK supported by the Scottish Funding Council and UK Research and Innovation conducted the study in Andhra Pradesh with the APCNF. "Our findings suggest that APCNF farmers still used pesticides on some part of their lands. Hence, a multifaceted approach combining farmer and retailer education, increased support to natural farming and limiting the availability of harmful chemicals will help the state of Andhra Pradesh to achieve its goal of 100 per cent natural farming by 2030," senior research scientist at Public Health Foundation of India, Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy, said. Incidentally, interviews with more than 850 farmers and almost 40 retailers showed that despite the major government drive towards organic agriculture, about half of organic farmers still used pesticides and there had been no impact on pesticide sales at local retailers. Lindsay Jaacks, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, said: "We did not expect pesticides to drop to zero within just a couple years of the programme - a transition from input-heavy convention farming to organic does not happen overnight. APCNF farmers are less likely to use pesticides after about two years. The primary reason reported by APCNF farmers for decreasing their pesticide use over the past four years was personal health." The researchers sought to assess the impact of the APCNF programme, which aims to transition eight million hectares of farmland, belonging to six million farmers, to organic by the end of the decade. --IANS niv/vd ( 453 Words) 2022-04-07-19:54:01 (IANS) The Ministry said a total of 841 Kashmiri migrants had returned to Kashmir Valley in 2020-21 while 1,264 people went back in 2021-22. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that four Kashmiri Pandits among 14 Hindus were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. Moreover, 34 people belonging to minority communities were killed by the terrorists in the last five years including 11 in 2021. According to the data furnished by the Ministry, in 2019, one each non-Kashmiri Pandit minority member was killed in Anantnag, Srinagar and Pulwama, while in 2020, one Kashmiri Pandit and one minority community member were killed. Similarly, in 2021, two Kashmiri Pandits and three minority members were killed in Srinagar, one Kashmiri Pandit in Pulwama, and three minority members were killed in Kulgam by the terrorists. No death has been reported so far in 2022. The MHA also said the government has been making all efforts to restore assets to the Kashmiri migrants, and properties of 610 applicants have been returned. Nityanand Rai said the District Magistrate has been designated as the custodian of the migrants' properties. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also started a portal to resolve the complaints of migrants. --IANS ams/pgh ( 259 Words) 2022-04-07-20:19:15 (IANS) The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, through which a large number of Sikh pilgrims travel from India to Pakistan to observe various religious festivals. The statement from Pakistan's High Commission on Thursday said that the issuance of pilgrimage visas was in line with the Pakistani government's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol between the two countries. Expressing his views on the auspicious occasion, Charge d'Affaires, Aftab Hasan Khan, extended his heartfelt felicitations to the pilgrims and wished them a rewarding and fulfilling pilgrimage. "Pakistan takes immense pride in preserving sacred religious places and providing necessary facilitation to the visiting pilgrims," he added. During the visit, the pilgrims would enter Pakistan on April 12, visit sites such as Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib, before returning to India on April 21. With the Baisakhi festival -- the most popular spring harvest festival for Sikhs -- a week away, the city administration has geared up to provide security and all the facilities to the pilgrims at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassababdal. --IANS san/arm ( 227 Words) 2022-04-07-20:40:04 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday instructed the top police officials to ascertain the authenticity of a video clip in which Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri praised Muskaan Khan, the girl who confronted a mob which heckled her for wearing hijab earlier this year. "The forces are at work from the past to create unrest among the people by raking up issues against the state and national rules. The video clip said to be of the Al Qaeda chief, is part of it," Bommai told media persons at Mysuru airport. Reacting to the leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah's statement that RSS had a role behind the Al Qaeda statement, Bommai said, "There is no logic and basis for his statement. Why is Siddaramaiah agitated if Al Qaeda issues a statement is the basic question that arises?" Meanwhile, Mohammed Hussain Khan, father of Muskaan Khan reacted to the video by saying that it is not needed. "I don't know who they are. They said something in Arabic, I don't know what they said. By this (video message) confusion will be created among us. It is not needed at all," he said. "I don't want appreciation. We are staying here happy. Let us be happy. There is government, there is law, there is the police; they will take a future course of action," Khan added. During the protests in Karnataka over the Hijab row, Muskaan was heckled by a group of students wearing saffron shawls. The group shouted 'Jai Sri Ram' slogans to which the girl retorted by shouting 'Allah hu Akbar'. Earlier commenting on the video, BJP OBC Morcha General Secretary Yashpal Suvarna said that the issue was hatched by the anti-social elements and demanded an NIA probe into the matter. The Karnataka High Court upheld the hijab ban and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on hijab in education institutions. It said that wearing hijab "is not an essential religious practice of Islam." (ANI) Ambassador Khan arrived in Washington soon after his predecessor, Ambassador Jehangir Siddiqui, relinquished his job on December 25, 2018, and he presented his credentials to former US President Donald Trump on January 11, 2019. Asad Khan completed his three-year term on January 11, 2022, but stayed in Washington till March 24 on the arrival of ambassador-designate Sardar Masood Khan. Asad Khan is now Pakistan's ambassador-designate in Brussels. Earlier, at a news briefing in Lahore on Tuesday, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had described Asad Khan as the main character behind the so-called 'threat letter' controversy, which blames the Joe Biden administration in the US for backing the move to topple the PTI government in Pakistan. "The letter was a drama and that is why the ambassador [Khan] was transferred to Brussels overnight," she had said. But records maintained at the Pakistan Embassy and media reports showed that "there's nothing abrupt about Ambassador Khan's arrival or departure", a diplomatic source said, Dawn reported. --IANS san/arm ( 212 Words) 2022-04-07-22:16:05 (IANS) The Pakistan Punjab Assembly was sealed on Wednesday, with barbed wires installed atop its boundary walls and the building's main gate locked, amid confusion over the scheduling of a crucial session for the election of the province's new chief minister, Dawn reported. A large contingent of police has been deployed outside the Assembly, with personnel carrying batons and shields. Water cannons and Rescue 1122 vehicles have also been parked outside the Assembly premises. The development coincides with the submission of a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, after he said the session for the Chief Minister's election would take place on Wednesday, but a spokesperson for the provincial Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) denied the development. Reacting to the sealing of the provincial Assembly, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari decried that the Deputy Speaker had been "locked out" of the Assembly on the day of voting for the Chief Minister's election. The PPP chief said in a tweet: "If it takes 30 seconds to pull off a coup, it should take 30 seconds to undo a coup. Justice delayed is justice denied. After last week's constitutional breakdown in Islamabad, today Punjab deputy speaker was locked out of [the] assembly on [the] day of voting for CM. Barbered [sic] wire around people's house." --IANS san/arm ( 227 Words) 2022-04-06-19:36:03 (IANS) India and Netherlands signed four agreements on the sidelines of President Ram Nath Kovind's state visit to the Netherlands, Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (West), Sanjay Verma informed on Wednesday. Addressing a special briefing here, Verma said the India-Netherland partnership is significant, not just in content but also in terms of the pace and momentum generated by periodic meetings between the leadership of the two countries. "Indian President has visited the Netherlands after 34 years. There were four agreements signed on the sidelines of the visit. First is the Extension of MoU on bilateral cooperation in the field of Ports, Maritime Transport and Logistics," he said. "2nd is Extension of MoU with State Archives Department, Kerala and National Archives of Netherlands on the execution of Shared Cultural Heritage; third is MoU for Cosmos Malabaricus Project between Leiden University and Kerala Council of Historical Research and National Archives of Netherlands," Verma added. The fourth is the Extension of the Programme of Cooperation between the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Government of Netherlands. President Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind are on a visit to the Kingdom of Netherlands from April 4-7. The President was accompanied by Loganathan Murugan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Dilip Ghosh, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha). The maiden visit of the President of India to the Netherlands marked an important milestone as India and the Netherlands celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. It is also the first Head of State visit from India to Netherlands in more than three decades. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said India and the Netherlands enjoy long-standing friendly and multi-faceted relations with a broad agenda of cooperation marked by shared values of democracy, rule of law and growing convergences on global and regional issues. "The State visit of the President, which took place as both India and the Netherlands celebrate 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties, reflected and reiterated the commitment to further deepen the relationship for mutual benefit of both peoples," the MEA added. (ANI) The United States on Wednesday acknowledged that US envoy to India is an 'incredibly important' position, which the White House is looking to fill amid the growing uncertainty about the fate of President Biden's nominee Eric Garcetti. The nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti to become US ambassador seems to be in trouble as Republicans have sought to put the matter on hold owing to a pending probe regarding the sexual harassment of his adviser. When asked how does a lack of an ambassador in New Delhi affect US' ability to pressure India not to work with Russia, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the preference is always to have a confirmed ambassador on the ground. Psaki said the US envoy to India is "an incredibly important diplomatic position." "We have a range of ways to communicate and engage and obviously -- our deputy national security advisor (Daleeep Singh) is an example of that -- but clearly our preference would be to have a confirmed ambassador," she added. This comes as media reports say Eric Garcetti doesn't currently have enough votes to be confirmed as ambassador to India. There is a growing concern within the Democratic Party about the fate of Eric Garcetti to serve as ambassador to India, which is resisting the Biden administration's efforts to get tougher on Russia. Biden may pull Garcetti's nomination and find another candidate who can be seated as his envoy to India, Axios reported. According to a document obtained by Politico, Republican Senator Charles Grassley asked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to seek a delay of the nomination until the probe is concluded. "The United States owes it to the Republic of India to send them a qualified Ambassador that will represent the values of the United States," Grassley had said in the documents sent to McConnell to notify the Senate. "Mayor Garcetti may very well be fully qualified, but at this time, the Senate needs to look into these allegations further," he had added. (ANI) Accusing the AUKUS nations of having a "Cold War mindset", China on Wednesday asked the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to fulfil their international obligations and do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability. This comes as the US, the UK and Australia announced a plan to work on hypersonic weapons under their new trilateral security pact, named AUKUS. They also revealed their decision to also cooperate on developing enhanced techniques to operate in electronic warfare. "Exploiting the Ukraine crisis and using the pretext of maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, AUKUS has declared in a high-profile manner that the US and the UK will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and the three countries will cooperate in developing advanced military technologies such as hypersonic weapons," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a daily press briefing "It not only increases nuclear proliferation risks and brings shocks to the international non-proliferation system, but also intensifies arms race and undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," he added. Terming AUKUS as an Anglo-Saxon clique, where the Cold War mentality persists, Zhao accused the bloc of using the "old trick" of provoking military confrontation and adding fuel to the flame lingers. "Its ultimate goal is to build a NATO replica in the Asia-Pacific to serve the U.S. hegemony and self-interests through and through. Asia-Pacific countries will resolutely say no to it for sure," Zhao said. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) on Tuesday agreed to begin trilateral cooperation on the development of new hypersonic and electronic warfare capabilities. "The AUKUS partners will work together to accelerate the development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities," they said in a joint statement. On Tuesday, the Chinese envoy to the United Nations, Zhang Jun the AUKUS partner countries should avoid creating another Ukraine-like crisis. "Anyone who does not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things that may lead the other parts of the world into a crisis like this," Zhang said regarding the announcement by Australia. "[A]s the Chinese saying goes, if you do not like it, do not impose it against the others." (ANI) Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen met with media representatives of Afghanistan on Wednesday and extended support to Afghanistan's embattled media sector and journalists. Knudsen urged the Taliban to start a dialogue with the media in the country and end draconian measures launched against them. "UN's support to Afghanistan's embattled media sector and journalists stressed today as @metknu met @ArianaNews _@pajhwok @Shamshadnetwork @TOLOnews@1TVNewsAFeditors. Taliban urged to start a dialogue with media, end draconian measures and Protect Journalists from threats and violence," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) last month said that the Taliban have intensified attacks on media in the country. "It's so hard to report from Afghanistan anymore," a journalist in the eastern province of Nangarhar said. "Anything can happen, you could be arrested, beaten, tortured or even killed, just for a report or a program," said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW. In a report, Abbasi said, on March 28, security officers from the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence raided the offices of four radio stations in the southern city of Kandahar for violating a ban on music and detained six journalists. All were released only after they promised they would never broadcast music again. "I want to leave this job," one said. "Being a journalist has always been my dream job but not anymore," according to the report. On the same day, Taliban authorities banned outlets in Afghanistan from broadcasting international news programs, including Voice of America and the BBC, in Dari, Pashto, and Uzbek languages. This new restriction is the latest Taliban measure to limit access to independent information, HRW reported. According to the journalists, Taliban intelligence officials hold regular meetings with the media to inform them of any new rules. In some cases, journalists have reported that they have been harassed, beaten, and arbitrarily detained without explanation. (ANI) The superfluous promises made by China to make infrastructure projects in Nepal under 'Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI)' are falling apart. Falling for the assurances, Nepal even risked its historic relations with India for Chinese assistance in various fields, reported The Singapore Post. Nepal had signed up for China-led BRI in 2017, aiming to become a middle-income country by 2030. However, the promises after five years are falling apart, one by one. The superfluous promises included improving the institutional capacity of the Himalayan nation to enable its transition from being a land-locked to a 'land-linked' one. Moreover, Beijing's sole interest in advancing hefty loans to Nepal is becoming clearer due to ever-increasing Chinese preconditions for starting various infrastructure projects. These strangulating terms have led to a general feeling of being let down by Beijing, particularly due to delays in project funding and implementation, reported The Singapore Post. Analysts examining various Chinese proposals of recent years have started marking Nepal as the next Chinese debt trap target after Sri Lanka. Chinese designs for securing the status of a sole development partner for Nepal were exposed by its brazen targetting of the United States sponsored Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) programme for Nepal. The agreement had to go through months of persistent opposition tacitly encouraged by Beijing. Finally, ignoring the motivated campaign, the Nepalese Parliament endorsed the MCC on February 27, 2022. The unease between the two countries over the BRI progress was visible during a recent visit (March 25-27) of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to Nepal. Notably, no BRI related discussion took place during the visit while Nepalese authorities made their preference for only "soft or concessional loan" explicit, reported The Singapore Post. The Chinese desire of promoting its vicious debt cycle is evident in its ignoring or suspending several capacity building and knowledge sharing agreements with Nepal under BRI. In December 2018, China had offered technical know-how help to Nepal in the form of the China-Nepal Agricultural Technology Cooperation Agreement. A visit by the Chinese technical team to the Northern areas of Nepal in 2019 had followed the signing of the agreement. However, the advent of the COVID pandemic the next year created several roadblocks for joint activities. Citing the significant disruption and wastage of time, Nepal requested China for an extension in the duration of the programme to one year. Meanwhile, dismissing Nepalese concerns, Beijing forwarded a termination notice for the programme. The development is disheartening for Nepalese researchers who had been working against all odds for two years for the betterment of poor farmers. The notice served no purpose other than bringing to fore the Chinese desire of blocking the development of its smaller neighbours except for engulfing them in its rapidly spreading debt trap, reported The Singapore Post. (ANI) To further deepen the educational partnership between India and Australia, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday invited the University of New South Wales to expand its footprints in India to enable students on both sides to compete in the global ecosystem. Goyal is on a three-day visit to Australia and today he visited New South Wales University and interacted with students. "I invite the University of New South Wales to expand its footprints in India and enable students on both sides to gain," said Goyal at UNSW, Sydney. He said that education will act as a bridge between the two countries. "I believe that such partnerships are important for the world as we increase our strategic engagements between Australia and India. Education will act as a bridge between the two countries, it has always been an important element of our partnership," said the Union Commerce Minister. Goyal further said that the partnership between the two countries can truly transform the lives of Australia and India. "A lot of the good work that researchers come out with does not get that kind of scale and opportunity to operationalise and therefore the partnership between the two countries can truly transform the lives of Australia and India," he added. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan too stressed the importance of growing the education relationships between the two countries. "It is absolutely vital that we educate Indian students in Australia and also use that as a basis to grow education relationships between the two nations. I want to see Australian students flocking to India to get educated," said Tehan. Meanwhile, Goyal also remembered his last visit to Australia six years ago as Minister for Power and Coal and Renewable Energy. "I had the responsibility to take power in every home of the country so that no child is deprived of electricity and has good quality of life. I needed coal to power it, and at the same time wanted to be part of the global world effort to move to clean energy, and renewable energy, and find solutions to the grappling problems of climate change. In that context I visited your University 6 years ago, I was truly amazed at the wonderful work done in photovoltaics. I remember going to your labs, talking to your colleagues and at that time I had made one point that becomes extremely relevant in the context of the IndAus ECTA agreement. Tehan calls its Unity Agreement between India and Australia," said Goyal. The newly signed trade pact with Australia is expected to take bilateral trade from the existing USD 27 billion to nearly USD 45-50 billion in the next five years and the government expects one million jobs to be created in India in the next four to five years. Both countries inked the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on April 2. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade and provides for an institutional mechanism to improve trade between the two countries. Highlighting the need for educational partnership amid climate change, Goyal said, "Australia and India need to work together because your technology, research, hard work used in the large setting of 1.35 billion people and a very aspirational young India wanting to see growth, prosperity, high quality of life that other parts of the world are enjoying. Everybody today has access to the internet, and television. We are seeing what's out there. They want all of that and if we can set things right before the growth goes in a big way and use clean energy, we will be actually in a position to save the world, save the country from the adverse impact of climate change." India and Australia Economic Corporation Trade Agreement are expected to create millions of jobs for both countries. IndAus ECTA will unlock the huge market of almost 1.4 billion consumers in India to Australian industries. (ANI) Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing on the case related to the constitutionality of the steps taken by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri for the dismissal of the no-confidence of motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan and subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly. The top court had taken a suo motu cognizance of the current political situation in the country. A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, is hearing the arguments on the question of the legality of the decision of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, according to Dawn. Today, the court is expected to hear the arguments of Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan and Naeem Bukhari, the counsel for National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. During yesterday's hearing, CJP Bandilal observed that Article 69 of the Pakistan Constitution bars interference in parliamentary proceedings, but whatever happened on April 3 was unprecedented. "The no-confidence resolution which had a constitutional backing and liable to be succeeded was scuttled at the last minute," the CJP said, adding that if "we permit such a deviation" then the situation would become the same as Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed had referred to on Tuesday, Dawn newspaper reported. Representing the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Advocate Ahmed recalled the 1933 incident when the speaker of the then German assembly, even though called the members of the communist party, traitors, still allowed the voting on a constitutional amendment that gave Adolf Hitler and his cabinet with unlimited powers to bring any law without formal approval of German parliament. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Babar Awan began his contentions and said "The case in the court is not of basic human rights, it is a must for all citizens to remain loyal to the state." However, the CJP asked the counsel to furnish the minutes of the National Security Council meeting held over "foreign conspiracy" in Pakistan and further asked for the material on basis of which the deputy speaker exercised powers, according to ARY news. "The diplomat sent the message of the national security council of another country to three persons. The message was given to the Head of Mission, Deputy Head of Mission and Defence Attache via the embassy. The letter arrived on March 07 after a meeting of our diplomats abroad," the media outlet quoted Awan, who refused to disclose details of the letter under the official secret act. On Sunday, Pakistani President Arif Alvi dissolved the Pakistani parliament following Imran Khan's advice. Imran Khan made the proposal minutes after parliament's deputy speaker rejected a motion of no confidence in him as "unconstitutional." (ANI) Citing the Advocate General of Punjab Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dunya News reported that Shahbaz has also called a meeting of bureaucrats today. "Former Governor Hamza Shahbaz will take oath in Bagh Jinnah today, Advocate General Punjab. Hamza Shahbaz has also called a meeting of bureaucrats today, Advocate General," tweeted Dunya News. The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz was elected as the chief minister in the Opposition's symbolic Assembly session on Wednesday. Members from the PML-N, PPP, PTI's Jahangir Khan Tareen and Abdul Aleem Khan groups attended the session that was held at a local hotel in the provincial capital, reported Geo News. A resolution was presented during the session to elect Hamza as the new chief minister, which was accepted, with PML-N leader and MPA Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan claiming that more than 200 MPAs were in attendance during the ceremony. After the resolution to elect Hamza as the new chief minister was accepted, the session witnessed loud chants from supporters, including "chief minister, Hamza Shahbaz", reported Geo News. (ANI) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a prestigious team in financial and economic expertise as members of the Presidential Advisory Team on multilateral affairs and debt sustainability, the president's media division said. The members of the advisory group include Indrajit Coomaraswamy, former Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka and former Director of Economic Affairs Department, Shanta Devarajan, Professor of Development Scheme at Georgetown University and former Chief Economist of World Bank, and Sharmini Coorey, former Director of Corporate Capacity Development and former Deputy Director of African Department of International Monetary Fund (IMF). The division said that the members of the advisory group have already held discussions with the President on maintaining regular communication with the IMF. The advisory group is entrusted with holding discussions with Sri Lankan officials involved in negotiations with the IMF, and providing guidance on overcoming the current debt crisis, officials said. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. (ANI) The US on Wednesday (local time) threatened China with sanctions if it supports Russia's war in Ukraine. The US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at a hearing on "Restoring American Leadership in the Indo-Pacific", told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that sanctions imposed on Russia over its war in Ukraine should give China a "good understanding" of the consequences it could face if it provides material support to Moscow and that Beijing eyeing Taiwan should "take away the right lessons" from the sanctions imposed on Russia. Introducing the proceedings, Congressman Gregory Meeks, the Chairman lambasted China for using military aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He said, "Russia's pre-meditated and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine demonstrates its disdain for the rules-based international order, and China has woefully abdicated its self-proclaimed role as a responsible stakeholder by failing to condemn Russia's illegal war and in the Indo-pacific, China routinely coarse our friends and allies, uses military aggression to gain upper hand in broader maritime and territorial disputes. It steals technology and bends the rules to protect its domestic industries. It commits human rights abuses on a grand scale through genocide in Xinjiang, destruction of Hong Kong's autonomy or its surveillance and repression of citizens throughout the mainland." He urged US partners and allies to counter Peoples' Republic of China (PRC) aggression and preserve a free, open Indo-Pacific. Deputy Secretary of State Sherman further said that the US is deeply concerned about the growing strategic alignment between Russia and PRC as represented in their February 4 statement. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin before the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony issued a joint statement that voiced Russia's support for China's stance that democratically-governed Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and opposition to any form of independence for the island. "We have expressed those concerns directly to PRC as have our allies and partners. A strong and coordinated response from the international community, including nations in the Indo-Pacific to Russia's flagrant violation of international law and principles like sovereignty and territorial integrity, sends a strong signal that such actions will not go ignored," said Sherman. Answering Meeks's question regarding the Biden administration's assessment on whether China actively supported Russia and its invasion of Ukraine and US earlier warned President Xi of the consequences if China is found to be materially supporting Russia's war effort, Sherman said that the sanctions imposed on Russia imply that what sort of action will come for Xi if help extended to Russia. "President Biden has been very direct with President Xi. One only has to look at the range of sanctions to be announced today against Putin, against the Russian economy, against individuals who are enablers, against elites, oligarchs, export controls, designations, sanctions, that are not only from the US. But, in unprecedented fashion coordination with our allies and partners, not just in Europe but throughout the world gives President Xi, I think a pretty good understanding of what might come his way should he in fact support Putin in any material fashion. This is a very serious matter," said Sherman. She also said that the US was quite concerned over the joint manifesto of Russia and China that was signed before the Beijing Olympics. "It increased the concern about what this partnership was about. PRC had said publicly that this is a partnership and not an alliance as part of Xi Jinping trying to distance himself some way from what President Putin had done with his premediated, unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," said Sherman. The hearing chaired by Meeks was attended by the full committee parity in person and virtually. (ANI) The Indian community is an important pillar in India-Netherlands growing bilateral relations and also serves as a bridge not only between the two countries but also between India and Europe, President Ram Nath Kovind said. While addressing the members of the Indian community and 'Friends of India' at the Indian community reception in Amsterdam on Wednesday, President said, "The Indian community is the most important pillar of growing India-Netherlands bilateral relations and serves as a bridge between not just India and Netherlands, but between India and Europe also." The reception was organised by the Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, Reenat Sandhu. On the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, President Kovind said, "My state visit to the Netherlands marks an important milestone as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands this year." He also stated that India and the Netherlands are long-standing partners with historical ties of friendship and collaboration. In the 75 years of our diplomatic ties, we have worked together in wide-ranging areas of mutual interest, President added. President Kovind also stated that the Indian community in the Netherlands is the largest Indian origin diaspora in mainland Europe with over 200,000 members of the Hindustani-Surinami community. And over 60,000 Indian students and professionals are residing in the Netherlands, he added. "The President noted that Indian professionals in the Netherlands have done extremely well. As entrepreneurs, doctors, bankers and technology experts, they are adding immense value to the Dutch society and economy as well as the global community at large. He said that India is proud of their achievements and their success," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement. According to the official statement, the President said that one cannot take India out of an Indian. He further said that Indians always keep their civilizational values alive in whichever part of the world they live in. "In the past few years, our engagement with and outreach to the Indian diaspora has grown manifold. We have taken several initiatives under the maxim of 4Cs - Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute. The Overseas Citizen of India cards have been issued to give status and privileges in many areas," the statement read. "Travel to India has been facilitated through the issuance of long-term visas and E-visa. To increase the participation of the diaspora and familiarize them with their Indian roots, we started the scholarship programme for the children of Indian origins' parents to join Indian universities for higher education. He urged the members of the Indian community to avail the benefits of the initiative," the statement added. The President said that India is full of opportunities for business, social enterprises and for cultural connections. He invited the Indian community members to join in India's transformational journey. He also told them that they can contribute with their ideas, business models and investment profiles. He said that over the past seven and a half decades, the bilateral trade and investments between the two countries have grown remarkably. He also said that Netherland became the third-largest investor in India. "The Netherlands is now the third-largest investor in India. Likewise, India is also emerging as one of the top investors in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a pioneer in water management and scientific know-how. Both sides are closely working together to implement several joint projects in this sector. Agriculture, health, port and shipping, science and technology, higher education and urban development have been identified as other priority areas of cooperation," the statement read. "The President said that we count on the Netherlands as a key partner in our national flagship programmes - Make in India, Skill India, Clean India and Digital India. We are keen to leverage Dutch technology, know-how and investment for growth and development in India and the Indian community can play an important part in achieving these objectives," the statement added. The President will board the plane on Thursday for New Delhi after finishing his official visit to Turkmenistan and the Netherlands. (ANI) Pakistan has issued 2,200 visas to Indian pilgrims for attending Baisakhi celebrations to be held in various Sikh shrines in Pakistan from April 12- 21. "During their visit to Pakistan, the pilgrims would, inter alia, go to Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib. They would enter Pakistan on April 12 and would return to India on April 21, 2022," a statement from the High Commission of Pakistan stated on Tuesday. The annual festival of Baisakhi is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from April 12-21 and according to the High Commission the latest visas to Indian pilgrims was issued in addition to the visas to Sikhs residing in other countries. "On the eve of Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 2200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual festival scheduled to be held in Pakistan from 12-21 April 2022," Pakistan High Commission India said in a tweet. The High Commission for Pakistan in India stated the issuance of visas is covered under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974. "Every year, a large number of Sikh Yatrees (passengers) from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals/occasions. The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries," the statement said. The statement further reads, "The issuance of pilgrimage visas to religious pilgrims by the High Commission is in line with the Government of Pakistan's commitment to fully implement the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines between the two countries." Aftab Hasan Khan, Charge'd Affaires of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi extended his felicitations to the pilgrims and wished for their rewarding and fulfilling yatra. In his message, he said, "Pakistan takes immense pride in preserving sacred religious places and providing necessary facilitation to the visiting pilgrims." (ANI) Noting the "unconstitutional" move of National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri to dismiss the no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday noted that National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95. The remark came during the hearing of the National Assembly proceedings case, as the apex court resumed deliberation over the case for the fifth consecutive day tod, reported Geo News. The apex court's five-member larger bench -- headed by Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel -- is hearing the case. At the outset of the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar, representing President Arif Alvi, came to the rostrum and assured the court of completing his arguments within 10 minutes, reported Geo News. The CJP had taken suo motu notice of the constitutional crisis that was triggered after Suri disallowed voting on the motion on April 3, deeming it "unconstitutional" -- a move that the Opposition said was a blatant violation of the Constitution. The judge maintained in a written judgment issued during Sunday's hearing that his fellow judges had approached him and had expressed concern over the situation, reported Geo News. "Any orders and actions that Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi regarding the dissolution of the National Assembly shall be subject to the order of this court," CJP Bandial had said taking the notice on Sunday. Earlier, the SC restrained state institutions from taking any extra-constitutional steps and directed them to act strictly in accordance with the Constitution, besides asking all political forces of the country to remain peaceful. The joint Opposition has also prepared a petition to cancel the ruling of the deputy speakers under which the National Assembly session was adjourned for an indefinite period as Suri cancelled the voting on the no-confidence motion, terming it "unconstitutional", reported Geo News. According to the petition prepared by the joint Opposition, the speaker should be directed to convene the session today as "the deputy speaker cannot adjourn the session as it is unconstitutional." Furthermore, the Opposition has filed a petition against President Arif Alvi, PM Imran Khan, Speaker NA Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri for violating the Constitution. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court on the constitutional crisis, reported Geo News. The constitutional petition filed by SCBA states that voting of no-confidence motion was a must, and the speaker cannot cancel the voting by a ruling. (ANI) The European Union on Wednesday (local time) said that it is monitoring the human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Replying to Jamil Maqsood's letter of February 22, Central Secretary, Committee on Foreign Affairs, United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), Deren Derya, Deputy Head of Division European Union said that the EU is following the situation closely. Maqsood had expressed his concerns regarding the human rights situation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and in Gilgit Baltistan. The letter was based on a written statement, which was provided by the Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy to UN Human Rights Council. The statement described serious human rights violations in both regions. "The EU is following the situation closely. We believe in a peaceful and mutually agreed political solution between India and Pakistan, which respects the interests of the Kashmiri population in PoK," wrote Derya. In accordance with the report's recommendations, both sides are obliged to protect life, liberty and property of all citizens. Human rights violations and abuses require an impartial, independent, prompt and transparent investigation, in accordance with international law. The EU insisted that all international obligations have to be preserved. Lastly, during the 7th EU-Pakistan Political Dialogue and the 6th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in December 2021, we have conveyed our concerns regarding the situation in the region to the leadership of Pakistan and will continue to do so, said Derya. Taking note of recent positive developments, such as the reaffirmation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding in February 2021 and related statements expressing readiness from both India and Pakistan to resolve outstanding matters through dialogue, she said, "We hope this positive momentum to be capitalised upon, thus creating a new dynamic in Pakistan-India relations." However, she informed Maqsood that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell Fontelles will not be able to meet him due to other professional obligations. (ANI) The recent round of depreciation emerged as the political crisis deepened in the country. Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) remained silent over the current exchange rate situation, reported Geo News. The Pakistani rupee lost more than 10 per cent since March 4 in the wake of the deepening political crisis in the country. The local currency was trading at Rs 189 in the interbank market, down Rs 2.87 from Wednesday's close of Rs 186.13, reported Geo News. The rupee has continued a non-stop downward streak for the 17th successive working day, except on March 24 when it closed flat compared to the previous day's closing. The investors are worried about the political situation and economy, adding pressure on the central bank to rescue the falling currency. In times of currency depreciation, traders' guidance triggers panic buying in the market. They convince importers to buy more in a short period to make their payments so this unnecessary demand creates a shortage of dollars in the market. At the same time, they advise exporters to not sell dollars and hoard them in anticipation of further depreciation, which weakens the greenback supplies, reported Geo News. (ANI) Pakistani activist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Shabir Choudhry, said that Pakistan may head toward civil war amidst the worsening political situation in the country. He made this statement while asking questions to Masarat Alam Bhat, separatist leader and Kashmir National Party chairman, on his YouTube video posted on Wednesday. Upon Choudhary's question regarding the possibility of civil war in Pakistan, Bhat replied that there is the possibility of a civil war in Pakistan as the current situation in Pakistan is unstable. He questioned, "Have you seen such a situation in Pakistan in the previous government?" Bhat said that whenever Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan feels that he is going to lose the support, he becomes a child and start doing different activities. He doubted that there are some people behind Imran khan that supports him as he felt that Pakistan Opposition leaders like Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Fazal-ur-Rehman, president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are stronger than Imran Khan still Khan's party defeated them. Bhat mentioned Imran Khan's wife's friend Farah Khan and said that she went to Dubai alone as soon as the Parliament was dissolved in Pakistan. He further accused her of bribery. Citing Imran Khan's statement on traitors on the Pakistani channel, Choudhry asked that the way Imran Khan is calling everyone traitors and also asking to hang them is dangerous for the country. Upon this, Bhat replied that what else could you expect from a PM who already said such a statement on the national channel. During the half-and-hour long discussion, both have discussed the delay of Pakistan Supreme court decisions on the case related to the constitutionality of the steps taken by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri for the dismissal of the no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan and subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly. In this discussion, both have not given any appropriate reason but said that struggle between Peshawar and Rawalpindi could be the possible reason for the delay in the Pakistan SC decision. (ANI) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) will create around 10 lakh jobs in the next 4-5 years. Talking with ANI, Goyal said, "Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between India and Australia will help us create about 10 lakh jobs in the next 4-5 years, but won't be surprised if it exceeds further. Indian students will get work visas to work in Australia. The newly signed trade pact with Australia is expected to take bilateral trade from the existing USD 27 billion to nearly USD 45-50 billion in the next five years and the government expects one million jobs to be created in India in the next four to five years. Both countries inked the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on April 2. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade and provides for an institutional mechanism to improve trade between the two countries. Union Commerce Minister further stated that the trade deal with Australia will open new avenues for India. "A trade deal with Australia will open the doors to the developed world, help us reach new markets," said Goyal. He said that the deal was made after ten years and was the first free trade agreement of India with the developed world. "We have finally made a free trade agreement with a developed nation after ten years. It's also an important milestone in our journey because now Indian industry is prepared to compete with the rest of the world from a position of strength, is now much more self-confident than ever before," said Goyal. He also informed that India made the highest ever export in its history this year which is USD 418 billion. "Quality conscious, our pricing is very competitive, our overreach all over the world has increased. We have the highest ever export in Indian history this year which is USD 418 billion. This shows that India is now ready to engage with the world from a position of strength," said Goyal. (ANI) Russia denied carrying out a "massacre" in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv in Ukraine, adding that there is evidence that it was in fact a "cynical false flag operation perpetrated by Kyiv itself". Russian Embassy in India added that the country firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this "outrageous war crime act". In its statement, the Embassy wrote, "Russia firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this outrageous war crime act. The main challenge is to ensure a genuinely independent and unbiased investigation." "Regrettably there have been so far widespread hollow allegations against Moscow while there's evidence that it was in fact a cynical false flag operation, perpetrated by Kiev itself. It is vitally important to take this evidence into account as we seek justice," it added. Moreover, the Embassy also compared the "heinous attack" in Bucha with the crimes during World War II. "The heinous crimes in Bucha bring back the nightmares of the Nazi crimes during the Second World War. It raised revulsion and condemnation in Russia and India and globally," the Embassy noted in its statement. Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is being checked. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, besides their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda. The United States, along with the G7 nations and European Union (EU), has imposed severe and immediate economic costs on Russia for its "atrocities in Ukraine, including in Bucha". (ANI) Over 8000 Indians are lodged in different foreign jails, with a majority of them imprisoned in the gulf countries, informed Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan at the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Responding to a question seeking details on the Indians lodged in various foreign jails and steps being taken to get them released, Muraleedharan said, "As per the information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners, including under-trials, in foreign jails at present is 8278." United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosts the highest number of Indian prisoners standing at 1480, followed closely by Saudi Arabia which has lodged 1392 Indians in its jails. Nepal hosts the third-highest number of Indian prisoners, standing at 1112. The most common crimes, Indians are lodged in jail for charges including drug trafficking, murder and sexual offences. Notably, Pakistan has lodged the fourth-highest number of Indian prisoners, standing at 701 in their jails. A number of Indian fishermen, trawling in waters off the coast of Gujarat are routinely captured and imprisoned by Pakistani agencies. "The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in the foreign jails. Indian Missions/Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the incidents of Indian nationals being put in jail in foreign countries for violation/alleged violation of local laws," Minister of State Muraleedharan said. "Apart from extending them all possible consular assistance, Indian Missions and Posts also assist in providing legal aid wherever needed. Missions and Posts also maintain a local panel of lawyers where the Indian community is in sizeable numbers," he further said. "The Government, through its Missions/Posts abroad and during high-level visits, also takes up and pursues grant of amnesty/commutation of sentences of Indian prisoners in foreign countries. In the last two years, a total of 700 Indian nationals have received amnesty or commutation of their sentences by foreign Governments," the Minister of State said. (ANI) Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to stage strong protests against the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul over the incidents of cross-border firing and artillery shelling across the Durand Line. In the latest incident, the Afghanistan MoFA has lodged a protest over the incidents of artillery shelling from across the Durand Line and violations of Afghan airspace by Pakistan drones and helicopters during the months of February and March. Earlier, amid the continuous tension along the Durand Line between the Pakistani troops and the Talibani forces, the Foreign Ministries of both sides have exchanged protest notes accusing each other of displaying aggressive attitudes on the border, local media reported. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a note verbale to Afghan Embassy in Islamabad on February 25, condemned the rising incidents of "aggressive attitude, cross border violations and disregard to mutually agreed and established procedures by Afghan border security personnel". It lamented that such incidents were occurring despite the presence of 'Pakistan's Military Liaison Officers' in Kabul and Border Coordination Centers' at Torkham and Chaman, vernacular media said. Notably, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan does not recognise the British-era Durand Line as the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Violations along the Durand Line continue to remain a bone of contention between the two countries. Taliban again lodged a protest with the Pakistan embassy in Kabul on March 27 alleging that Pakistani Army officials were issuing a warning to residents of Jaji Maidan District in Khost Province to leave the area or face serious consequences, local media reported. The Taliban also complained that Pakistani Border Forces have continued resorting to firing heavy and light weapons, targeting residential areas along the Durand Line. (ANI) Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain will travel to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on a three-day visit focused on deepening Indo-French business, cultural and people-to-people ties. During his visit, he will meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy Emmanuel Lenain will attend major cultural events specially organised by France as part of the French Rendez-vous festival taking place in Puducherry, from April 3 to 9, according to a French Embassy statement. Lenain will call on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on April 7 in Chennai. They will discuss ways of boosting trade between France and Tamil Nadu, a state that attracts a significant share of all French investments in India and is home to over 140 French companies operating in a wide range of sectors. The French envoy will also hold a meeting with Chennai Mayor Priya Rajan to present France's expertise in building sustainable, smart cities. He will reaffirm France's support to the "Model and Smart Corporation Schools" project in Chennai, which receives funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) under the CITIIS programme. He will also tour French company Saint Gobain's biggest global manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur. Its latest float glass facility at the World Glass Complex was recently inaugurated by the state Chief Minister. "Saint Gobain has made investments close to Rs 4,700 crore in Tamil Nadu across 15 plants in four locations, a reflection of French companies' confidence in India's vast economic potential," the statement said. Lenain will visit Puducherry on April 8 and pay a courtesy call on Lieutenant-Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and the Chief Minister. He will discuss ways to further strengthen the partnership between France and Puducherry in several sectors, including urban planning, heritage conservation and tourism. Lenain will take part in two cultural events organised by France as part of the second edition of "French Rendez-vous" taking place in Puducherry from April 3 to 9. The statement said the first of these events is Puducherry-based Company Distil's presentation 'Analemma', a modern circus performance bringing together French and Indian artists. The second is the 'Orchestra of Samples' a global music project by audiovisual artists Addictive TV who, since 2010, have been recording hundreds of musicians around the world playing various instruments to create new music. The envoy will also address a gathering of the directors and presidents of the 14 Alliance francaises in India, the second-largest such network in the world. Representatives of the Fondation des Alliances Francaises, Marc Cerdan, General Secretary, and Jean-Francois Hans, Asia Representative, will be present for the occasion. French Rendez vous is a French cultural festival being held in Puducherry, Chennai and Trivandrum with the objective of celebrating and enhancing Francophonie ties between South India and France. Lenain will also interact with software developers of the French Tech firm, Boost My Shop, which provides automated, innovative solutions to e-commerce professionals and represents one of the many Indo-French success stories in the IT sector. (ANI) Along with this, the Nepali premier has also reassigned incumbent Law Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu as Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies. In a release issued by her Office, President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appointed Bandi (Govinda Prasad Sharma) as the Law Minister on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. During a ceremony, the lately inducted Minister also has been administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the President's Office, Sheetal Niwas, on Thursday afternoon. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, heads of constitutional bodies and other distinguished officials. Bandi who isn't a member of the parliament and is being appointed as a non-parliamentarian has to become a member of the federal parliament within six months. The newly appointed law minister earlier had argued in favour of the opposition when the then Prime Minister KP Oli had dissolved the House of Representatives. In addition, Bandi also played a significant role in the ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact by playing a key role in preparing a 12-point interpretative declaration before ratifying the MCC. (ANI) A meeting of joint opposition parties was held at the residence of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad, The Nation reported. The meeting held a detailed discussion on the political situation in the country arising after the ruling of the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. Suri had dismissed the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution. Addressing the media after the meeting, Rehman said the "rejection of the no-confidence motion by violating the Constitution is an attack on Parliament". The joint opposition said that the "unconstitutional ruling" of the Deputy Speaker "is an attack on the foundations of our democratic system" and demanded immediate repeal of this unconstitutional measure, according to The Nation. The joint opposition also demanded that those responsible for violating and attacking the constitution should be identified and given exemplary punishment. The joint opposition said that the Constitution Day of Pakistan will be observed on April 8 across the country while a lawyer convention on the protection of Constitution of Pakistan will also be held, The Nation reported. (ANI) Condemning terrorism of all forms, India and Italy discussed bilateral and multilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime. The developments came during the third meeting of the India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome on April 1, where both countries shared their experiences in fighting terrorism. Condemning terrorism of all forms, India and Italy shared their experience in preventing and countering terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization, cross border terrorist travel and financing of terrorism. During the meeting, high-level Indian and Italian officials met to share views, assess domestic, regional and international terrorist threats and discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime, according to an official statement. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs Mahaveer Singhvi while Principal Director for Security in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Luca Franchetti led the Italian delegation during the meeting. The two sides also recalled their support for a comprehensive approach to preventing and combating terrorism, based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and international law, emphasizing the importance of effective prosecution of those responsible for terrorist acts and condemning all kind of State support to terrorist. The two delegations also exchanged views on cooperation in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force and the Global Counterterrorism Forum. They also committed to advancing ongoing negotiations on a number of bilateral agreements in the judicial and police cooperation. The meeting set the path for future joint training and capacity building programs. The next meeting of the joint working group will be held next year in New Delhi. (ANI) Japan recognizes India's COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN manufactured by Bharat Biotech with effect from April 10 to further facilitate travel from India to Japan, said the Indian Embassy in Japan on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, the Embassy wrote, "Government of Japan includes the indigenously developed and manufactured COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech of India, as one of the recognised vaccines for 1st and 2nd dose with effect from 10 April 2022 to further facilitate travel from India to Japan." Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida welcomed the Quad Leaders' Summits in March 2022 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. In late March, the two leaders 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. (ANI) According to ECP Spokesperson, the commission, in its letter to Pakistan Arif Alvi, has contended that it requires four months to complete the delimitation in addition to organising general elections in 90 days, Radio Pakistan reported. The ECP stated that keeping these reasons in view, elections are only possible in October this year. ECP had said on Tuesday that it was prepared to hold general elections within three months, rejecting the reports which claimed that holding the electoral exercise was not possible in 90 days. The political turmoil in the country turned into a constitutional crisis after Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri rejected the no-trust vote against the Imran Khan-led government on Sunday last. Pakistan opposition parties on Wednesday said that the rejection of the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker is an "attack on Parliament". (ANI) In line with its "neighbourhood first" policy, India stands ready to continue working with Sri Lanka for rapid post-COVID economic recovery, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday. Replying to a question regarding current developments in Sri Lanka during the MEA briefing, Bagchi said, Sri Lanka is a neighbour and a close friend of India and India is closely watching the developments in the island nation. "There have been evolving economic situations as well as other developments in Sri Lanka. In order to help mitigate the economic situation, we have extended assistance worth 2.5 billion USD in the past two to three months which includes credit facilities for fuel and food," said Bagchi. He further informed that India has delivered over 270,000 MT of diesel and petrol to Sri Lanka since mid of March and 40,000 tonnes of rice have been supplied to the island nation under the recently extended one billion USD credit facility. Speaking on the relationship between India and Sri Lanka, the relationship between the two countries is rooted in shared civilisational values and aspirations of the people, cooperation based on commonality and interest, which has been strengthened in recent months. "We stand ready to continue working with Sri Lanka for rapid post-COVID economic recovery. This is in line with our neighbourhood first policy and we have already conveyed to them on various occasions our readiness to extend whatever support we can and as has been demonstrated by our actions till now," said Bagchi. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The island nation is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. As New Delhi is providing financial assistance to Colombo, India recently announced another USD 1 billion as a credit to Sri Lanka to help shore up the sinking economy of the island nation. The USD 1 billion line of credit to Colombo will help in keeping their food prices and fuel costs under check. Last month Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on "initiatives being taken by both countries to increase bilateral economic cooperation, and conveyed his thanks for the support extended by India for the Sri Lankan economy." PM Modi has conveyed to Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who has visited India twice in recent months, that the latter would always stand with the island nation as it occupies a central role in New Delhi's "neighbourhood first policy." In February, New Delhi provided a short-term loan of USD 500 million to Colombo for the purchase of petroleum products through the Ministry of Energy and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. In November 2021, India had given 100 tonnes of nano nitrogen liquid fertilisers to Sri Lanka as their government stopped the import of chemical fertilisers. (ANI) Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday while citing Myanmar's geographical importance defended the country's participation in the BIMSTEC virtual summit and added that India desires to see the restoration of democracy in Myanmar. The fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) virtual summit on March 30 was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the heads of seven member countries of the bloc comprising India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. While replying to Myanmar's participation in the BIMSTEC virtual summit, MEA spokesperson Bagchi emphasized that Myanmar is an important member of the grouping with important geography that can determine the success of BIMSTEC. "Let me emphasize that BIMSTEC is a grouping organized around the geography of the Bay of Bengal. It focuses of course on economic development cooperation. We feel it adds real value to the lives of our people. Activities include cooperation for the effective implementation of SDGs target cooperation and build capacities in disaster management among others. Myanmar is an important member of the grouping with important geography that can determine the success of BIMSTEC," he said during the press conference. He also added that India respects the decision of Sri Lanka, the chair of the BIMSTEC virtual summit which allowed the Myanmar Foreign Minister to attend the summit in virtual mode. "The decision of the chair, Sri Lanka in this case, which we respected, was that the Myanmar Foreign Minister attend the summit in virtual mode," the MEA spokesperson noted. The 'Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)' is a regional multilateral organization. Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal, constituting a contiguous regional unity. Bagchi also reiterated India's desire to see the restoration of Democracy in Myanmar. "We have always welcomed participation by Myanmar in BIMSTIC activities and as regards to our position on developments in Myanmar since last year, we have made clear where we stand and there has been no change in our desire to see the restoration of Democracy in Myanmar," he added. Notably, the Myanmar military junta took control of the country following a coup on February 1 last year. (ANI) India and the US are set to hold the 2+2 dialogue between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and their respective American counterparts on April 11 (Sunday). "The Dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and a vision for further consolidating the relationship," a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said. "The 2+2 Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and how we can work together to address issues of common interest and concern," the statement added. The US State Department in a media note informed that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will welcome their Indian counterparts in Washington D.C. on Sunday. "The 2+2 Ministerial is an important opportunity to advance our shared objectives across the breadth of the US-India Strategic Partnership, including enhancing our people-to-people ties and education cooperation, building diverse, resilient supply chains for critical and emerging technology, scaling up our climate action and public health cooperation, and developing a trade and investment partnership to increase prosperity for working families in both countries," the US statement said. Saying that the dialogue will also be a chance to highlight the growing major defence partnership between the US and India, the US State Department said, "The relationship between the world's largest democracies is built on a foundation of common values and resilient democratic institutions, and the shared Indo-Pacific interests of a rules-based international order that safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold human rights and expands regional and global peace and prosperity." The EAM, who will be visiting the US on April 11-12, will also meet his counterpart, Secretary of State Blinken separately and is also scheduled to meet senior members of the US administration to advance India-US strategic global partnership, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed during a briefing. Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with EAM Jaishankar on a phone call to review regional and global priorities, including the situation in Ukraine. The last 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the two countries was held in October 2020 in New Delhi. India and the United States held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting in September last year in Washington and exchanged assessments on developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the Western Indian Ocean. (ANI) The Embassy of India and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal, signed three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for the construction of school, health post, and irrigation projects in Nepal. An MoU was signed with Duhun Rural Municipality, Darchula, for the construction of Janabikash Secondary School; second with Naugad Rural Municipality, Darchula for the construction of Earcoat Health Post Building and third with Galchhi Rural Municipality, Dhading for Maheshfaat Irrigation Project, release from Indian Mission in Kathmandu stated. As per the release, all the community development projects will be built under the India-Nepal Development Cooperation with the financial assistance of the Government of India at a total estimated cost of NRs.70.87 million for the construction of Janabikash Secondary School (NRs. 33.74 million); construction of Earcoat Health Post Building (NRs. 25.36 million) and Maheshfaat Irrigation Project (NRs.11.77 million) in Darchula and Dhading districts. "As close neighbors, India and Nepal share wide-ranging & multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of these projects reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in the upliftment of its people," the release stated. Further adding, the release claimed that the construction of these projects will provide better education facilities and better health care facilities for the locals and will help local farmers to enhance irrigated agriculture and crops production, thereby raising their livelihood and improving the economic status of the people. Since 2003, India has taken up over 524 High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 467 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation, and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level. Amongst these, 32 projects have been undertaken in Province-7 Nepal, including 6 projects in Darchula District, and 102 Projects have been undertaken in Province-3, including 3 projects in Dhading District. (ANI) Welcoming the announcement of the two-month-long ceasefire in the Yemen conflict, India has expressed hope that this truce will lead to an inclusive political process to end the eight-year-long conflict in Yemen. Responding to a question regarding the ceasefire in Yemen during the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We welcome the announcement of the two-month ceasefire in the Yemen conflict from April 2, 2022, at the initiative of UNSG's Special Envoy Hans Grundberg." "We hope that this truce will lead to a more comprehensive and durable ceasefire and build positive momentum towards an inclusive political process to end the eight-year-long conflict in Yemen," he added. Speaking on India's relationship with Yemen, Bagchi said, "India has historical and friendly ties with Yemen and hopes for peace, security and prosperity for the people of Yemen as well as the region." Notably, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Friday announced a two-month truce in Yemen, which comes into force on Saturday. A civil war has been going on in Yemen since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of Hadi out of Sanaa. According to the United Nations, the war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, displaced around four million people, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. (ANI) A vote on whether or not to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council will happen either Thursday or Friday, UNGA, Paulina Kubiak Greer, said on Wednesday. India will also vote during the session. The development comes after the US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield made a case for seeking the suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council in front of the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Notably, the UNGA would need to vote in favor by two-thirds to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, besides their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia. (ANI) Uyghurs living in Japan held demonstrations in Tokyo to urge Pakistan to stop its support of the 'genocide' of Uyghur Muslims by China. Turmuhamet Hashim, president of Japan Uyghur Union in a letter to the Pakistani government, wrote, "Today, in the holy Ramadan period, we, the Uyghurs living in Japan, are making this kind of demonstration, to ask the government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to stop supporting the genocide of Uyghur Muslims by China immediately!" "Prime Minister Imran Khan and other Pakistani leaders have to remember that they are Muslim, and reflect on the sins they have committed before Alla. If Imran Khan and the Pakistan government want to be a true leader of the Islamic world, the right way is supporting and helping the Uyghur Muslim brothers and sisters, who are facing genocide by China right now!" the letter added. Slamming Pakistan, the President of Japan Uyghur Union said, "As an Islamic country, it would be unconscionable and in clear disregard of your own moral values and principles to close your eyes to the terrible fate of millions of your Muslim brothers and sisters." "If Pakistan Government continues the silence on China's egregious crimes against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslims in East Turkistan (so-called Xinjiang), it would be not only shameful things to your country, but also it would be a terrible crime in front of Allah Suhanallah!" it noted. Moreover, it stated that the presence of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as 'special guest' in the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Pakistan on 22 and 23 March comes at the time when more than three million Uyghur Muslims are in concentration camps in China. While condemning Pakistan for its support to China, the Japan Uyghur Union added, "Because the Pakistan government used its special title to invite Wang Yi as "special guest", it gave him the chance to pull the wool over eyes of whole Islamic world! All the world knows that the Uyghur Muslims of East Turkistan (Xinjiang) are facing "genocide" and cultural aggression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said the letter. It expressed its condemnation towards the Chinese FM Wang and said that he not only used this occasion to push CCP's narrative of how well Muslim minorities in China are treated, but also said, "China and the Islamic world both enjoy a profound history, seek similar values, and share historic missions". "A country like China, with its genocide of Uyghur Muslims, how can they say that they have same values with Muslims? How can they say that the Chinese communist shares same historic mission with holy Islam?! This is a big shame of Pakistan and a big insult to all Muslims in the world!" it stated in the letter. (ANI) US special envoy for human rights and Afghan women and girls Rina Amiri has said that the reopening of schools for girls above the sixth grade in Afghanistan might lead to discord within the Taliban leadership, reported local media. In an interview with Turkish TRT, Amiri claimed that within the Taliban, there is a group that is pro-freedom for people in particular the freedom of work and education for women and the reopening of schools for girls, reported The Khaama Press. "While there is another group of the Taliban that sees Afghanistan as it is in their mind not as it really is. They see Afghanistan in line with their strict understanding of Islam that is in opposition with other Islamic countries." the media outlet quoted Amiri as saying. However, the Taliban Ministry of Education denied there are disputes among government officials over the closing of girls' schools, saying that the final decision on reopening schools above the sixth grade for girls will be made by the leadership, reported Tolo News. The US envoy also warned that the Taliban would not see a reduction in sanctions, or obtain recognition, without meeting international conditions. "There is no possibility to soften or ease sanctions when the Taliban are clearly violating the terms that have been set forth and, for the Taliban themselves-- where is the impact of the sanctions? it is the fact that the Taliban themselves recognize that this is not something that a government that seeks to have international credibility and be a respected member of the community...it's on them to do what is required...to have sanctions removed," Tolo News quoted her as saying. Girls' schools were scheduled to reopen across Afghanistan after months of closure, but the Ministry of Education announced that secondary schools and high schools for girls would remain closed until further notice, which was met with strong domestic and international reactions. Notably, the Taliban regime which took over Kabul in August last year has curtailed women's rights and freedoms, with women largely excluded from the workforce due to the economic crisis and restrictions. (ANI) Anti-government protests continue to take place in the island nation, demanding solutions to the current economic crisis. Meanwhile, the 66th convention and exhibition of Travel Agent Association India (TAAI) which was supposed to be held in Sri Lanka from April 19 to April 22 has been postponed due to ongoing economic turmoil in Sri Lanka. The island nation is presently facing a foreign exchange shortage which has led to a food, fuel, power and gas shortage and has sought the assistance of friendly countries for economic assistance. Sri Lanka's currency has been also devalued by almost SLR 90 against the US dollar since March 8. The economy of the island country that has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID pandemic is now in the throes of a spiralling crisis, with shortages of medicines and food and long power cuts. Further, an emergency health situation has been declared in Sri Lanka from Tuesday because of the severe drug shortage in the country. This decision was announced after an emergency general committee meeting of the country's Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) to discuss the imposition of the emergency law and the severe drug shortage, the Daily Mirror reported. (ANI) A vote on whether or not to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council took place after the US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield made a case for seeking the suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council in front of the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The UNGA voted in favour by two-thirds to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council. With 93 countries voting in favour, 24 against and 57 abstaining on the resolution, UNGA suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council. Notably, condemning the killings in Ukraine's Bucha and supporting the call for an independent investigation, India abstained from voting on the resolution. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, besides their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia. (ANI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday said that Moscow will continue to hold talks with Ukraine despite 'provocations'. Lavrov said, "Despite all provocations, the Russian delegation will continue the negotiation process, promoting our draft agreement that clearly and fully explains our initial key positions and demands," reported TASS. Recently, Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul, Turkey. While speaking on the outcomes of the meeting that took place between delegations from both countries, Lavrov mentioned that Kyiv had presented a draft agreement on April 6 which marked a departure from provisions recorded at the meeting. Lavrov accused Ukraine of undermining the negotiations saying, "We view it as proof of the fact that the Kyiv regime is controlled by Washington and its allies, who are pushing [Ukrainian] President Zelenskyy to continue military activities," as per the Russian news agency. Notably, hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, besides their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda. Photos and video footage published by Ukraine allegedly evidencing the Russian forces' crimes in the town of Bucha close to Kyiv are yet another provocation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "All photos and video materials published by the Kyiv regime allegedly testifying to some 'crimes' committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, Kyiv region, is another provocation. Not a single local resident has suffered from any violent actions while the Russian armed forces controlled the settlement," the ministry said. All Russian units completely withdrew from Bucha as early as March 30, the day after the talks were held between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, the Ministry added. (ANI) The court also set aside subsequent steps including the dissolution of the National Assembly and fixed 10 am on April 9 as the date for the no-confidence vote, local media reported. According to Pakistan's Samaa News, a bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the Deputy Speaker's ruling on the no-confidence vote unconstitutional in a unanimous judgment. The court set aside the ruling and the steps taken after it including the dissolution of the National Assembly, the report said. According to Geo News, Pakistan Supreme Court said the Prime Minister was bound by Constitution and "therefore, he could not advise the president to dissolve assemblies". (ANI) India and 57 other countries on Thursday abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a vote with regard to the suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council. The resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly with 93 members voting in its favour and 24 countries against it. The US-initiated resolution expressed "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights". In his statement on the UNGA resolution, TS Tirumurti, India's Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, said that since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue, and diplomacy. "We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence," he said. "We continue to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterate our call for end to all hostilities. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option," he added. Tirumurti noted that the impact of the crisis has also been felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries. "It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict." He said recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. "We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation," Tirumurti said. He said India has been at the forefront of protecting human rights, right from the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "We firmly believe that all decisions should be taken fully respecting due process, as all our democratic polity and structures enjoin us to do. This applies to international organisations as well, particularly the United Nations," Tirumurti added. (ANI) Afghan refugees in Iran have complained about their deteriorated condition, saying they have been facing harassment there, local media reported. According to TOLOnews, many of them lack legal documents, including visas. "I went to Iran four months ago. But due to their bad treatment even with people who had visas, I went to the police and surrendered myself to come back to Afghanistan," TOLOnews quoted Sayed Mumtaz, an Afghan refugee who returned back to the country. According to Afghan-based media, a video circulated on social media shows Afghan refugees being harassed and tortured in Iran. Notably, the Islamic Emirate urged the Iran government to treat the Afghan refugees well. "The Afghans have recently faced a lot of problems. Although we know that some Afghans are going by illegal ways, they must be treated with soft conduct based on Islamic and neighbourly values," Islamic Emirate's Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said. Meanwhile, the Iran embassy in Kabul denied any harassment or torturing of Afghan refugees and said that the video that is making the rounds on social media is fake. "The videos which are airing on social media are aiming to affect the deep and historic ties between the nations of Iran and Afghanistan," TOLOnews quoted Sayed Abas Badrifar, press councillor of the Iran embassy. This comes as millions of Afghan refugees are based in the neighbouring countries of Iran and Pakistan. According to Iranian officials, around five million Afghans are living in Iran, with many of them lacking legal documents. (ANI) Amid the worst economic crisis since its independence, Sri Lanka appointed Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe as the new Governor of the country's Central Bank. In addition, KMM Siriwardhana was appointed as the new secretary to the country's Ministry of Finance. The appointment letters were handed over by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the appointed individuals in the afternoon on Thursday. Weerasinghe has worked at the University of Colombo, as an external speaker for a post-degree in economics and as an external research economist at the Siasan Center in Malaysia. He is also a member of the advisory board at the Australian National University of Crawford's Public Policy and Applied Economic Analysis Center. KMM Siriwardhana worked as the Alternative Executive Director of the International Finance Fund for Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan. He has also served as the Director-General of the State Finance Department and the Additional Director General of the National Planning Department. Earlier, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday night appointed a new financial and economic team for multilateral affairs and debt sustainability. The members of the advisory group include Indrajit Coomaraswamy, former Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka and former Director of Economic Affairs Department, Shanta Devarajan, Professor of Development Scheme at Georgetown University and former Chief Economist of World Bank, and Sharmini Coorey, former Director of Corporate Capacity Development and former Deputy Director of African Department of International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. (ANI) "Nice to see Secretary to the Cabinet of Mauritius NK Ballah. Glad to note that #IndiaMauritius cooperation is progressing from strength to strength," Jaishankar said in a tweet. Ballabh also met Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla. They reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further strengthen the warm and friendly ties between the two countries. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet that "Mauritius is integral to our vision of SAGAR" Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) has distinct but inter-related elements and underscores India's engagement in the Indian Ocean. Last year, India handed over Dornier aircraft to Mauritius as part of Vision SAGAR for enhanced maritime security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). (ANI) Moscow [Russia], April 7 (ANI/Sputnik): Russia, in response to anti-Russian sanctions, added 130 New Zealand citizens, including the country's prime minister, to its "black list," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In connection with the introduction by the official Wellington of unprecedented sanctions that affected the top leaders of the Russian Federation and a significant part of the parliamentarians, from April 7, members of the government and parliamentarians of New Zealand are included in the Russian "black list" on the basis of reciprocity," the statement says. The ministry noted that this step "was taken in response to the unfriendly actions of New Zealand's cabinet of ministers, which joined the campaign initiated by the US and its satellites to contain Russia." The stop list of New Zealand citizens who are banned from entering Russia includes 130 people, including Governor General Cynthia Kiro, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and all cabinet ministers, including foreign and defense ministers, as well as members of parliament. (ANI/Sputnik) As Sri Lanka continues to face a dire economic crisis, the Colombo Magistrate's Court today issued an order preventing the former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Ajith Nivard Cabraal from leaving the country. Former Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal has been barred from leaving the country until the 18th of this month, reported Colombo Page. After considering a personal complaint lodged by former Governor of the Southern Province Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon against the former central bank chief under six charges of criminal breach of trust by a banker and fraudulent and misappropriation of funds under the Securities and Exchange Ordinance, the order was issued by the Colombo Additional Magistrate. The Former Central Bank Governor has been summoned to appear before the court on the 18th of this month. The complaint has implicated Ajith Nivard Cabraal in a number of cases of misappropriation of government funds during his tenure as the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 1st July 2006 to 8th January 2015. President's Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, who appeared for the complainant, had stated in court that Ajith Nivard Cabraal could flee the country when investigations are being carried out into the matter and requested the court to issue an order preventing the former head of the Central Bank leaving the country. The Magistrate issued the order after considering the facts. Cabraal had resigned from his position as CBSL Governor on Monday (04) following the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers, reported the media portal. (ANI) At the 14th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, Rushan Abbas, a Nobel-nominated activist and Founder of the Campaign for Uyghurs, called on the UN to address China's 'crimes' against the Uyghurs. Rushan Abbas is a sister to detained Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas. "I am a mother with a life filled with a successful career, but I have been the sister of an innocent victim of China's genocide crimes for the last 44 months," Nobel nominated Uyghur activist said. "I never thought in the 21st century, China would conduct a genocide complete with concentration camps on our watch. China claims that these camps are humane vocational job training centers. This is a lie, she said at the summit. She added, "Uyghur women are subject to sexual abuse in their own home. In their own bed. Uyghur women's bodies have become battlegrounds. They are subject to forced rape, forced sterilizations, forced abortions." The activist called "China's war on humanity is ... a war against women, a war against children, a war against freedom, democracy, and human values and yet so much of the world remains quiet." During the summit, she noted that "the founding values of the United Nations are being upended and transformed," adding "It is becoming a shadow of itself, that kowtows to human rights violators like China." (ANI) The department noted that Canberra, in a reckless Russophobic fuse, imposed sanctions that affected the top leaders of the Russian Federation and almost all lawmakers. "In response, from April 7 this year, members of the Australian National Security Committee, the House of Representatives, the Senate and regional legislative assemblies are included in the 'stop list' of persons who are denied entry to Russia," the ministry said in a statement. The move was taken in response to the actions of the current Australian government. A list of 228 people has been published. (ANI/Sputnik) The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have expressed deep concern over the Taliban's recent decision to indefinitely extend the ban on allowing girls in seventh grade and above to attend school. Girls' schools were scheduled to reopen across Afghanistan after months of closure, but the Taliban announced that secondary schools and high schools for girls would remain closed until further notice. This decision was met with strong domestic and international reactions. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament called for a reversal of these restrictions, while noting previous commitments by the Taliban that they would ensure access to education for all citizens. MEPs deplored the steadily deteriorating situation of women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Parliament condemned their persistent focus on erasing women and girls from public life and denying their most fundamental rights, including education, work, movement and healthcare. "Amid a worsening human rights situation and following a recent decision, Afghan women are no longer allowed to travel distances of more than 45 miles (72 km) from their home without the accompaniment of a close male relative," the MEPs said. They praised the bravery of the girls and women who are taking part in street protests against these developments and the Taliban's rule, and call on both the EU and its member states to increase their support for women's rights' activists in the country. The European Parliament also emphasised that the EU delegation in Kabul, re-establishing a minimal presence on the ground for the purpose of coordinating humanitarian aid and monitoring the humanitarian situation, does not constitute recognition of the Taliban regime by the European Union. The Taliban regime which took over Kabul in August last year has curtailed women's rights and freedoms, with women largely excluded from the workforce due to the economic crisis and restrictions. (ANI) World Health Organization (WHO) suspending the supply of Covaxin through UN procurement agencies over "process and facility upgrade" requirements will not have an impact on travel by those who have taken the COVID vaccine, Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Answering a query about the impact on people travelling abroad due to the present suspension of Covaxin supplies, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that in terms of their travel, the vaccine continues to be recognized under the emergency use listing of WHO and various countries have already accepted it. "I think there has been a statement issued by Bharat Biotech as well as from WHO, both of which are very clear in emphasizing that the vaccine is safe, its effective. Its efficacy is not in question," Bagchi said at the regular media briefing. "There is something about process issues that are being worked out between the company and WHO. You will have to ask them about the details," he added. Covaxin, an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, is produced by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. Bagchi said India has mutual recognition of vaccination certificate arrangements with various countries. "I don't think that's a cause for worry at all," he said. The World Health Organization had said on Saturday that it has suspended supply through United Nations agencies of Covaxin in response to the need to conduct process and facility upgrade to address recently identified GMP (good manufacturing practice) deficiencies. However, the UN body has clarified that there are no issues related to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Answering a query on Bucha killings in Ukraine, Bagchi said India has expressed its support for calls for an independent investigation. He also referred to remarks of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a debate on the Ukraine situation in the Lok Sabha. The minister had said that India strongly condemns the Bucha killings. "It's an extremely serious matter and we support the call for an independent investigation," Jaishankar had said. (ANI) While answering a query about how will we ensure independent investigation in the Bucha killings, he said, the "term itself is an independent investigation, it has to be in a way that is independent." "We are not in a position to insist on how or not are we in a position to conduct it, but the independent investigation would help determine further facts about it," he added. He further said that it's "...We have not made any particular clarification on whether this has to be UN-monitored or not. I think they should be investigation and obviously, if it's independent is better." Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is checked. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets, by their homes and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukraine propaganda. (ANI) CANTON A 16-year-old boy is accused of shooting to death two 19-year-old men in their Ellis Avenue NE home a week and a half ago. Detectives arrested Jayvion Burkes, 16, of Cleveland Heights, at a Cleveland address Wednesday night on charges of murder, complicity to felonious assault, complicity to murder, felonious assault and evidence tampering, said Police Chief Jack O. Angelo III. He was taken to the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center on Faircrest Avenue SW in Canton Township. Police declined to provide a motive or say how they believe Burkes came to be in the men's townhouse, and whether any other arrests are pending. Burkes is accused in the March 28 deaths of William Harvey Jr. and Jeremiah Burton. The court complaint alleges Burkes admitted shooting Harvey during an argument. Authorities found them dead in separate bedrooms upstairs, said police Capt. Dave Davis. The men had been shot multiple times. "We are still actively investigating," Davis said. Teen appears in Stark County Family Court Burkes appeared Thursday afternoon in Stark County Family Court before Magistrate Vernon M. Infantino. Burkes was represented by Anthony Kaplanis and Katie Shoemaker. Stark County Prosecutor's Office Juvenile Division Chief Melissa Day and Prosecutor Kyle Stone appeared on behalf of the state. Burkes' mother and grandfather were in the courtroom and remained silent. Down the hall, a large group of family members representing the two 19-year-old victims watched the hearing on a television monitor. Kaplanis entered pleas of "not true," the juvenile equivalent of not guilty, to all counts on Burke's behalf. The matter was set for an April 22 bindover hearing, which will determine if the case should be moved to Stark County Common Pleas Court, where Burke would be tried as an adult. Burkes will continue to be held at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System until his next court appearance. Burkes has no prior cases in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, according to a Canton Repository public record request returned on Thursday. Story continues Canton Police seek public's assistance Canton Police have asked anyone with any information about the incident to contact the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the Tip411 system or the Stark County Crimestoppers. The Tip411 line can be found at www.cantonohio.gov/police. Burkes is one of several teenagers believed to be involved in gun crimes so far this year. "Here's another prime example of juveniles with guns," Angelo said. Other recent incidents involving teens and guns include: Craig D. Avery, 16, and Ajani Smith, 17, will be tried as adults in the Jan. 8 shooting death of Terrell Lipkins, 51. Both remained behind bars, held in lieu of $1 million bond apiece, according to Stark County court records. The first of four teens wanted from an armed robbery and beating of two men in October was arrested March 6. An 18-year-old was jailed on charges of felonious assault and robbery. Police have seized two guns the group reportedly used. Juvenile court officials say the three younger teens two are 16 and the third is 17 have been charged but not arrested. Fifteen-year-old Jacere Jones was in a stolen car when he was shot to death at the corner of 23rd Street and Maple Avenue NE in February. Canton Repository Reporter Cassandra Nist contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Police: Canton men, 19, killed by 16-year-old Cleveland boy A woman is treated near the scene of a shooting attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, April 7, 2022. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit Two people were killed and several others injured in a Thursday shooting in Tel Aviv. The shooting comes as a wave of terrorist attacks targeting Israelis in recent weeks. Tensions have been high as Ramadan, Passover, and Easter all converge this month. At least two people on Thursday were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting in a popular restaurant and bar district in Tel Aviv, according to media reports. Authorities have not yet determined a motive, but the attack is the fourth of its kind in just two weeks. Israeli security forces have been on high alert after officials reported a wave of terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, which has left 11 Israelis dead since mid-March. Footage from Israel's Kan broadcaster showed several police officers pointing their guns toward a building in the district, according to The Associated Press. The footage also reportedly captured an unspecified explosion. The Jerusalem Post reported that the gunman has not been caught, with at least 1,000 police officers and additional IDF soldiers continuing to search the area. Other reports suggest one gunman has been killed, with another possible shooter still on the loose, according to The BBC. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it received reports of shootings at "several scenes" near downtown Tel Aviv. Some of the reports of shootings are said to have occurred on Dizengoff Street, where large crowds of Israeli often gather on the weekend. Over the years, Dizengoff Street has been the site of several other deadly attacks, The AP reported. Emergency services said it evacuated six people to Ichilov hospital, where two people had died. The hospital said eight others were being treated for injuries, four of whom were in critical condition, BBC reported. Tensions in recent weeks have been high as Ramadan, Passover, and Easter all converge this month. Protests and conflict during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan last year resulted in an 11-day Gaza war. Read the original article on Insider Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. If you love to travel, you know a thing or two about jet lag. Jet lag describes the issues you experience after traveling across more than two time zones. Have you ever traveled to an exciting destination, only to feel weak, tired and irritable when you land? Yep, it happens. But luckily, there are a few jet lag remedies to help you get over it fast, along with any other problems you may experience when traveling. Landing in a new time zone disrupts your circadian sleep rhythm, or your bodys internal clock, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Jet lag symptoms often include headaches, insomnia, extreme tiredness or drowsiness, an upset stomach, mood changes and just not feeling like yourself none of which is fun to experience on vacation. To speed up the recovery process, the hospital system suggests drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, avoiding new foods that may further upset your stomach (for at least the first day of your trip) and getting out in the sun during daylight hours to jump-start alertness. However, here are seven more jet lag remedies, so when you get to your destination, you can start enjoying your trip as soon as possible. For tight, sore muscles: Theragun Mini, $199 Credit: Therabody Buy Now Sitting in a small airplane seat for even just a couple of hours can make your legs and back feel stiff. Not to mention, your legs and feet can swell, too. Stash Therabodys Theragun Mini in your carry-on and use it to give yourself a powerful massage. The device works by increasing blood flow to support your bodys natural recovery process and, in turn, treats muscle tension. The Theragun Mini is about 5.5 inches wide and weighs 1.2 lbs. But while its super portable, it also packs some serious power. It has three speeds: 1750, 2100 and 2400 percussions per minute. Plus, it has 150 minutes of battery life but takes only about 80 minutes to charge. Story continues Credit: Sephora Buy Now Whether you were able to fall asleep on the plane or not, these Peter Thomas Roth eye gels will at least make it look like you got a full nights rest. You get 60 eye patches in the pack, which is enough for 30 treatments and breaks down to about $1.70 per use. Simply apply the eye patches to clean, dry skin under the eyes and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Toss them when youre done, and gently pat the leftover serum into the skin. For added de-puffing, keep these patches cold in the fridge. No fridge? You could even place the container in a cup of ice on the plane or in your hotel room for a bit. The extra cooling effect will feel good on your skin. For an upset stomach: Sunwink Digestion Lemonade, $26.99 Credit: Target Buy Now Youre not the only one who feels bloated and gassy when flying. Dr. Lawrence J. Brandt, MD and the emeritus chief of gastroenterology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, explained the phenomenon to travel experts at The Points Guy: A balloon is filled with gas, and as it ascends into the atmosphere, the pressure surrounding the balloon decreases, and the gas contained therein increases. The same thing happens to your body. As the pressure around you decreases, the gas in your belly isnt constrained as much, and it expands. This can make you feel bloated or become distended, he said. If you often get off the plane with a stomachache, you could try a digestion aid like Sunwinks Digestion Lemonade. The prebiotic superfood mix comes in powder form, and you can mix it into water, juice, smoothies and more. According to the product description, it supports a healthy digestive system so you can feel your best. For when you cant fall asleep: OLLY Sleep Gummies, $13.99 Credit: OLLY Buy Now Adjusting to a new time zone can wreak havoc on your sleep. Try getting comfortable in your new surroundings with a meditation or sleep app like Headspace or Calm. If you need extra help getting some shut-eye, OLLYs Sleep gummies contain melatonin and L-theanine a hormone and an amino acid, respectively, both linked to relaxation. And better yet, the gummies taste like blackberries. For when you cant shake a bad mood: Mindright Superfood Snack Bars, $29.99 Credit: Mindright Buy Now Nothing kills a vacation like a bad mood. However, it can be hard to shake it when youre overtired and hungry. However, Mindright, a good mood food company whose investors include Joe Jonas and Travis Barker, makes snack bars and beverage enhancers to help you feel happier (and less hungry). According to the product description, Mindrights Superfood Snack Bars can improve your mood, energy and focus. The plant-based protein bars contain a proprietary blend of all-natural brain-boosting antioxidants, nootropics and adaptogens designed to support a happy and healthy mind. Plus, they taste really good. Try flavors like Chocolate Sea Salt and Peanut Butter Cup. [Editors note: These really work!] For when your skin is dry: Highline Wellness CBD Facial Mist, $20 Credit: Highline Wellness Buy Now The air in a planes cabin is not ideal for any skin type. Celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau explained to Well + Good that airplane air can make dry skin drier and oily skin oilier. Hydration is key in preventing skin woes, so wear your favorite moisturizer and drink plenty of water. However, if you want a little refresh mid-flight, you can also use a hydrating mist like Highline Wellness CBD Facial Mist. CBD in skin care can help reduce inflammation, and this mist in particular contains antioxidants to keep skin looking fresh and healthy. Not to mention, it contains willow bark extract and orange and rosemary oils, so it smells amazing. For when you need a boost of energy: The Good Patch B12 Awake, $12 Credit: The Good Patch Buy Now Yes, these kind of look like those nicotine patches for people trying to quit smoking. However, The Good Patch makes stick-on patches with good-for-you ingredients to help you fall asleep, feel calm, feel less hungover and even feel more energized. The Good Patch B12 Awake patches contain caffeine, green tea and vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 may improve your energy levels, making you feel more awake and with it. If youre feeling tired on your trip, simply put a patch on your wrist or any venous area that is clean and dry. You can wear one for up to 12 hours. If you liked this article, read about how TikTok users and Amazon shoppers rave about this liquid multimineral: The best sleep of my life. The post 7 jet lag remedies to help you enjoy your trip ASAP appeared first on In The Know. More from In The Know: TikToker shares 'beyond genius' cooking hack for measuring sticky ingredients 5 sustainable sneaker brands to add to your closet this season H&M's massive spring sale is on now here's everything I'm buying as a shopping editor Um, Tory Burch's sale section is so good right now! Get up to 60% off handbags, sandals and clothes for spring The Veterans Honor Guard render honors Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center ceremony honoring the transport of eight veterans' remains to Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Area veterans and friends and family from across the Panhandle gathered Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center (TPWC) to pay respects to eight veterans from the Amarillo community en route to their final resting place at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. These forgotten soldiers who had their remains unclaimed were identified as veterans by the Missing in America Project, in a rigorous effort to give proper military burial honors to those who served. Launched nationwide in 2007, the Missing in America Project (MIAP) is a nonprofit foundation that strives to locate, identify and lay to rest the unclaimed remains of American veterans. Since the project came to the Texas Panhandle, 50 veterans have been recognized and laid to rest with the cooperation of local municipalities. More: Texas Panhandle War Memorial honors service on National Vietnam Veterans Day Veterans salute in honor as the remains of a Vietnam veteran are carefully transported Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center's service, which honored those service members who were identified from the unclaimed cremated bodies found in storage in the region. Each year, MIAP in concert with entities throughout the nation, investigates unclaimed cremated remains to determine if any are veterans with the help of volunteers of the organization in a mission to give proper honors to those who served. Joel Carver, the Panhandle representative who oversees the recovery of unclaimed veterans in the area, spoke about his role and the process of MIAP. He said that he and other volunteers contact funeral homes, cemeteries and various municipalities to inquire about unclaimed remains, researching the named individuals to determine if they are veterans. According to Carver, only about 10% of the unclaimed remains are veterans. His group runs all the information that they have through a database one by one to determine veteran status and, if a veteran, to determine if their service was honorable. Joel Carver, the Panhandle representative for the Missing in America Project, opens the ceremony Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center. People dont think, and I did not for many years, know that there were unclaimed veterans among us, said Carver. If we dig a little deep, if we do the research, we will find that there are several of them, unfortunately. Story continues Carver said that during his time with the organization, he had come across one veterans remains that had been in storage in Moore County for a decade. After doing intensive research, he found that the remains were of a veteran born in 1925 who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Once remains have been identified as veterans with honorable service, MIAP works with national cemeteries to find a place to lay their ashes to rest. Carver said his organization is seeking volunteers willing to help or donate to the project, and information can be found at https://www.miap.us/ . Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner spoke at Wednesday's event about the importance of identifying and honoring these veterans, as well as her involvement in the program. More: City of Amarillo breaks down priorities of $39.7 million in American Rescue Plan funds Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner speaks at the Missing In America Project's ceremony held at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center Wednesday, honoring eight newly identified veterans. Tanner said that she became involved with the project in 2016 when Carver contacted her about identifying veterans among the unclaimed cremated remains in Potter County. She said that it took a while to identify individuals, but they found eight veterans in the first year and have found 48 in total since 2016. I cannot think of anything sadder than these veterans who died homeless and forgotten in a vault with nobody to claim them after fighting for our country, Tanner said. We do this for the veterans every year, and we will continue to do so until we have no more veterans unclaimed. This is our duty to honor their service. Tanner said her county was one of the first in the area to work with the project and had inspired other counties to follow suit with their success. She said 71 counties in the state are currently working with the program. Veterans in attendance for the Missing In America Project's ceremony stand in prayer Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center. This is a good thing; this is an American thing and makes me feel really proud to be a small part of helping to honor these veterans, Tanner added. I am so glad that we get to do this for these great Americans. The veterans are being escorted by the Patriot Guard and the Texas Department of Public Service at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio for a military internment at 1 p.m. Friday. The eight veterans who are being transported to the national cemetery are: - David Alexander Navy Vietnam veteran - Melvin G. Atkinson Army Vietnam veteran - Daniel La France Army Vietnam veteran - Roger Long Army Vietnam veteran - Samuel Marez Army Vietnam veteran - William C. Miller Army Vietnam veteran - Buster Shufelt Army Vietnam veteran - Mark Rosta Air Force veteran This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 8 forgotten Panhandle veterans honored, to be laid to rest Actress Jena Malone helped to save a small dog in a citizen's arrest in Hollywood. She said she saw a man beating the dog and chased after him with a group of men to get him to stop. The man was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, according to local NBC outlet KNBC. Actress Jena Malone helped to rescue a small dog during a citizen's arrest in Hollywood earlier this week. Malone said on Twitter that she and a group of men jumped into action on Monday when they witnessed a man attack a small white dog. "I saw a man kicking repeatedly a small dog on the sunset, yanking him up in the air and absolutely choking the dog," the "Hunger Games" and "Pride and Prejudice" actress wrote on Twitter. "I yelled at him to stop from my car but he wouldn't. I got out of my car to try and get the dog but he started running." Malone said on Twitter that she then signaled for a man in an orange vest to run with her to protect the dog. Then, five men were running with her toward the scene, which she said "felt like a miracle." Video obtained by local NBC outlet KNBC shows the group of men beating the suspect and restraining him until police arrived. He was then taken from the scene in handcuffs. The man, who has not been publicly named, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, according to KNBC. He told KNBC before police arrived that he believed the dog should "obey" him. The group of people who were seen beating the suspect have not been charged. The dog was taken by animal control, according to KNBC. Malone said on Twitter that the dog has a fractured rib, bone breaks in its hind legs, and a fracture in its right paw. "The dog was covered in filth and looked like it had been not taken care of for months," Malone said on Twitter. In her Instagram bio, Malone linked to a GoFundMe that said the dog's name is Champ, and that he had been missing for five days before he was rescued by Malone and the rest of the group. Read the original article on Insider PHOENIX (AP) Arizonas Republican attorney general issued an interim report Wednesday on his review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County that outlined his concerns with some election procedures but did not provide proof of any major issues despite six months of investigation. Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is in a tough GOP primary for U.S. Senate, largely reiterated concerns raised by a widely panned election review conducted last year by supporters of former President Donald Trump on behalf of state Senate Republicans. Brnovich is courting Trump's endorsement for his Senate run, which would give him a significant boost in a field with no clear Republican frontrunner to take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Arizona has been ground zero by efforts by Trump and his allies to find proof for their claim that Trump's narrow loss here was marred by fraud. The former president has vented repeatedly about the pace of Brnovich's review of the 2020 election and said people are questioning whether the attorney general is up to doing the right thing. In Wednesday's 12-page letter addressed to Republican state Senate President Karen Fann, Brnovich said some of the forms documenting the transportation of ballots were missing signatures or other information. The issue has been widely discussed among Trump supporters who falsely claim the election was stolen from him, but there has been no evidence produced of tampering, and Brnovich didn't offer any. Brnovich also claimed that election officials worked too quickly in verifying voter signatures on mail ballots. He suggested several changes, including requiring voters to provide additional information such as a driver's license number, adopting uniform statewide standards for accepting or rejecting signatures and allowing partisan observers to watch and challenge the signature verification process. He also contends a drop in the number of ballots with rejected signatures between 2016 and 2018 and again in 2020 warrants scrutiny. Be he rightly noted that the law was changed for 2020 to give voters five days after the election to fix any problems. Story continues Brnovich also complained that county officials have been slow in responding to his requests for information. County officials have previously said they're cooperating but also have to focus on conducting local elections while gathering the extensive array of documents Brnovich has requested. He asked the Legislature to give him subpoena power to force county officials to promptly give him documents he requests, and added a list of recommendations for tightening election procedures. The Attorney Generals interim report about the 2020 election in Maricopa County includes no new evidence, nothing that would have changed the results, and nothing that should lead people to question the overall health of our electoral system, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, both Republicans, said in a statement. The recorder and board jointly oversee elections in the county. They noted that Brnovich didnt address several debunked claims made by Trump allies, including that the election computers were connected to the internet and data was illegally deleted. Fann called the report a historic day for voter integrity in Arizona." Weve wanted an entity with prosecutorial authority to validate the missteps our audit revealed, and this interim report does just that, she said. The AGs findings of failures, fraud, and potential misconduct during the 2020 election in Maricopa County are not surprising, given the lack of compliance and cooperation Maricopa County elections officials displayed from the start." Brnovichs letter to Fann said his election integrity unity has uncovered instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes." But none of the prosecutions in Arizona have anything to do with how the election was managed, and none reveal any instance of malfeasance by public officials or election workers. The attorney general has acknowledged filing criminal charges against nine people across the state for voting crimes stemming from the 2020 general election, where more than 3.4 million ballots were cast. Of those cases, just two were in Maricopa County and both involve people who illegally completed the ballot of their parent, who died shortly before the election. One woman awaits sentencing on a reduced felony charge, and the other already has completed probation she received after pleading guilty in December. Brnovichs office revealed that case on Wednesday, but did not say how the crime was discovered. The first case came to light after a citizens group scoured lists of recently deceased people who may have voted and handed it over to the attorney general. Also Wednesday, the attorney general announced that a woman in southern Arizonas Cochise County had pleaded guilty to voting her dead mothers ballot. Under a plea agreement, the woman will be sentenced to probation and could receive up to 60 days in jail on a low level felony that could be reduced to a misdemeanor. Following an extensive internal review of its election, the Maricopa County Elections Department turned over to Brnovich in January 38 cases of potential voter fraud it uncovered while reviewing its 2.1 million ballots from the 2020 general election. They included five people who may have voted in more than one county and six who may have voted twice in Maricopa County. The county also located 27 voters who may have died before their ballots were returned in the mail. Death records are automatically sent to state and county election officials so their voter registrations can be canceled, but if they happen within two months of an election it is possible a relative can return their mail ballot envelope. Thats what happened in most of the cases The Associated Press has tracked from the 2020 election. The other charges are from felons allegedly voting. The AP spent months last year tracking potential voting fraud cases across Arizona and other battleground states and found few cases, despite Trump's claim of widespread voter fraud. In Arizona, the AP's initial tally from July was fewer than 200. That dropped after Pima County completed its review o f 151 potential voter fraud cases and concluded none merited criminal charges. Since then, just a handful of new criminal cases have been filed. ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports The Browns and Baker Mayfield may eventually need each other in 2022. Someone may be trying to blow things up before it ever gets to that point. A new article from Jake Trotter of ESPN.com throws more bituminous on the burn pile in Cleveland, highlighting how and why player and team got to the point [more] By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Australia will impose financial sanctions and travel bans on an additional 67 Russians over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday, taking the total number of people and entities sanctioned to almost 600. "Today, I'm announcing 67 further sanctions of Russian elites and oligarchs, those close to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin who facilitate and support his outrageous actions," she told reporters as she arrived at NATO. In a media statement issued after her public remarks, Payne said the new listings followed "the emergence of evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv". Russia has said it launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine and denied accusations of the killing of civilians during its occupation of Bucha, calling it a Ukrainian "provocation". Those sanctioned included Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko, Payne said. Australia has supplied defence equipment and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine, while imposing a ban on exports of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia. Payne said Australia has now sanctioned close to 600 individuals and entities, including most of Russia's banking sector and all entities responsible for the country's sovereign debt. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Additional reporting by John Mair in Sydney; Editing by David Evans and Edmund Klamann) WASHINGTON The Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $108 million contract to buy items in advance that will be needed to build the B-21 Raider bomber, but might take a long time to acquire. The contract to support the acquisition of long lead items needed to build the first lot of production B-21s, announced in a Wednesday release, is the services latest step toward fielding the next-generation stealth bomber. Long lead items are components needed to manufacture a system like the B-21, but that take extra time to obtain from suppliers. If those items are not procured in advance, an entire program can be held up while the manufacturers wait for the critical parts to arrive. The military regularly provides advance procurement money on major programs to avoid that situation. The Air Force is starting to ramp up preparations to add the B-21 to its fleet. Northrop Grumman now has at least six bombers in various stages of production at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first flight test B-21 is now undergoing ground testing, which includes checking its structural design and integrity before a flight takes place. Other steps in the B-21s ground test phase will include turning its power on, testing subsystems and applying coatings and paint. The rollout of the B-21 is expected to take place at some point in 2022, although the date has not yet been announced, and its first flight will follow at a later date. The Air Force said in the release the B-21 will become the backbone of its bomber fleet and the advance procurement contract shows its commitment to fielding it. The B-21 Raider program is foundational to the Air Forces operational imperative for an effective, long-range strike family of systems to guarantee our ability to strike any target, anytime, anywhere, even in the most contested environment, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles CQ Brown said. Brown also praised the Raider for its pursuit of game-changing technology. Story continues The quality of the aircraft build, coupled with its open systems architecture design and built-in margin for future growth, will provide our warfighters the competitive advantage well need to deter current and future conflicts, and fight and win if called upon to do so, Brown said. Under an engineering and manufacturing development contract, Northrop Grumman is now building test aircraft on the same production line and with the same tooling, processes and technicians that will be used for production aircraft, the Air Force said. The B-21 test aircraft are the most production-representative aircraft, both structurally and in its mission systems, at this point in a program, that Ive observed in my career, Randall Walden, director of the Air Forces rapid capabilities office, said in the release. The right decisions are being made on this program to pave the way for a high-fidelity flight test campaign and an effective transition to production. The Air Forces proposed budget for fiscal 2023 would add $1.7 billion in procurement funds for the B-21, to the $108 million approved in 2022. The Air Force wants to spend more than $5.2 billion on the B-21 next year, including continuing its EMD phase. The Air Force received funding in 2022 for five new construction projects for the bombers mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, which will be the B-21s first main operating base. Construction has begun on a hangar for maintaining the bombers low-observable stealth coating, which will be Ellsworths first such hangar. The Air Force in 2019 selected Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas as the second and third main bases for the B-21. An environmental impact statement, needed to make the final decisions on the bases, is scheduled to begin this year. This article originally appeared on Velo_News Bahrain-Victorious have terminated Alejandro Osorio's contract with immediate effect after claiming the rider committed 'multiple contract breaches.' In a short statement posted on Twitter, the team confirmed that the 23-year-old was no longer part of the roster. Official Statement Bahrain Victorious Part Ways with Alejandro Osorio Bahrain Victorious have terminated their agreement with Alejandro Osorio following multiple contract breaches. The team wishes Alejandro the best for his future. Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) April 6, 2022 The Colombian had only joined the team at the start of the season, penning a two-year deal after leaving Caja Rural. He raced just eight days for Bahrain Victorious, completing the UAE Tour and then adding a DNF at Strade Bianche. According to the team, Osorio's contract ended last week when official documents were sent to the UCI in Aigle, Switzerland. "He can come out with his explanation and if he wants to talk he can explain," team manager Milan Erzen told VeloNews. "It's not one thing but from the beginning, he made many wrong things and we can't accept that. He put riders and staff in difficult situations. Especially about COVID and everything." "The letter went to the UCI one week and that's it. Some things you can't accept. We have 100 people on our team and the rules are for everyone. We gave him one warning after a couple of things but he made them again. So we decided to terminate the contract. It's more than during the races; he went outside the COVID bubble. We have all the documents." At this time, Osorio had no comment about the contract termination. Osorio, a climber, won a stage at the Baby Giro in 2018. For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. MADRID (Reuters) - The Bank of Spain told lenders on Thursday to adequately monitor credit risks of some of their customers most exposed to the economic impact from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and urged banks not to release provisions given the current uncertainty. "In view of the new shock, we will have to closely monitor the effects of the crisis on institutions and their borrowers," Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos said in the presentation of the central bank's supervisory report. He said lenders needed to maintain a high degree of prudence, with "appropriate and early recognition of the associated risks, in order to preserve confidence in the sector and to facilitate the continued flow of credit to the economy". On Tuesday, the central bank lowered its economic growth forecasts for 2022 and 2023. Deputy Governor Margarita Delgado warned in the report that "it is important that lenders...do not release provisions until uncertainties dissipate." Spanish banks such as Santander and Sabadell have recently started to release provisions, mainly in the United States and Britain. Although Spanish lenders have little exposure to Russian credit, estimated at just above 700 million euros ($770 million) by the central bank, they fear an indirect impact of high energy prices on some of their customers. Analysts have also warned that the conflict could delay interest rate hikes in the long run, and Delgado said it was "difficult to establish clear scenarios for the evolution of interest rates". She saw a more limited scope for further domestic mergers but growing chances of cross-border deals in Europe. The number of significant lenders in Spain has dropped to 10 from 55 before the 2008 financial crisis. Despite a significant rise in property prices in 2021, De Cos did not see any evidence of a "clear overheating in the Spanish real estate sector", but said the bank would closely monitor its performance. Spain's property price index rose 6.4% in the fourth quarter, the biggest increase since early 2019. (Reporting by Jesus Aguado; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Andrei Khalip) WASHINGTON (AP) In targeting Vladimir Putin's adult daughters with sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration ripped aside the privacy Putin has long maintained over his closest ties avoiding mention of the two women's full names in public, and most other references to them as well. The sanctions imposed on immediate family members of Putin and other Russian oligarchs also showcase improved techniques of the U.S. and its allies targeting individuals for financial penalties. In Russia in particular and in autocracies around the world, sanctioning family members is often essential to making sure financial penalties have the desired punch. Powerful and wealthy leaders often employ the tactic common to many tycoons of putting assets under the names of spouses, children and others. We generally want to hold accountable those who have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian state and elevated their family members into some of the highest positions of power in the country, said Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Treasury Department. But also, we know that oligarchs and other sanctioned elites often try to move money or hide assets via family members or other associates, she said. The U.S. announced Wednesday that it would target the assets of Putin daughters Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova. Bill Browder, an influential longtime campaigner for sanctions over Russias human rights abuses, said the move was sort of an obvious thing, particularly in ... the Russian kleptocratic system. You cant just sanction the principal, you have to sanction the family because the family owns a lot of the assets of the principal," Browder said. "Weve seen this in so many different cases now. In the case of Putin, expanding what are already thousands of Western sanctions over Russia's war to include Putin's family may sting him personally, but not prove much of a threat to his wealth. Story continues Putin no stranger to fears of concerted Western moves against him is believed to have taken care to have stashed much of his estimated $200 billion or more with the Russian oligarchs he helped enrich, says Browder, whose decades-long campaign has reshaped the U.S. global sanctions regime overall. Sanctions against oligarchs' family members started to ramp up in early March, when the U.S. specifically targeted wives and daughter of oligarchs. Oil executive Nikolay Tokarevs family members including his wife, Galina Tokareva, and daughter, Maiya Tokareva were said to have benefited from his proximity to Putin and the Russian government and were also hit by the sanctions. Maiya Tokarevas real estate empire in Moscow has been valued at more than $50 million, according to Treasury. One reason family members are increasingly being targeted is that recently passed anti-money-laundering legislation helps federal officials unveil the true owners of property. The targeting of family members goes both ways. Russia recently imposed a travel ban on President Joe Bidens son, although that was seen as more of a symbolic insult, at most. White House press secretary Jen Psaki was dismissive in comments to reporters after Russia imposed its travel ban in mid-March against administration officials, as well as Hunter Biden and Hillary Clinton. It wont surprise any of you that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia," she said. The Biden administration and administrations before it have included children and spouses of other countries' leaders in sanctions. That includes Biden administration sanctions against family members of military officers in the 2021 coup in Myanmar, and Trump administration sanctions against the son of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Kim Richard Nossal, a political science professor at Queens University in Ontario, said financial penalties against children of the wealthy and powerful were in a special category of ethical considerations. Generally speaking, if my father commits a crime, its always wrong to punish me," Nossal said. But if my father commits a crime and I benefit from it, most people would say its entirely appropriate for the community to limit the benefits I get from someone elses wrongdoing. I think most people would say the onus is on the family member to demonstrate they have not benefited from the proceeds of the person being targeted, he said. The U.S. sanctioned Putin himself soon after he launched the invasion. Wednesday's new measures also target the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Putin's main defender to the world, who had already been named in the U.S. sanctions over the invasion. Lavrov's 26-year daughter is reported by British press to have lived a lavish life in London, including buying a multimillion-dollar apartment in cash. Putin stressed the value of discretion in one of his few public mention of his own daughters. I never discuss my family with anyone. Putin told reporters at a 2015 news conference, according to the BBC. Every person has a right for their fate, they live their own life and do it with dignity, he added. Putin married Lyudmila Shkrebneva in the 1980s when he was a KGB agent and she was an Aeroflot flight attendant. They divorced three decades later. Oldest daughter Maria is a medical researcher focusing on the endocrine system of children. She's also reportedly a businesswoman and developer. Younger daughter Katerina was a competitive dancer turned tech developer, appearing publicly at performances and in occasional tech conferences. Left unsanctioned by the U.S. so far is the woman named in news reports as Putin's longtime romantic partner. Photos from public appearances document years of Putin beaming at Alina Kabaeva, an Olympic gymnast in her youth, as he hands her bouquets or state honors. Kabaeva in later years became a lawmaker in the Duma and later a board member of a Russian national media company, whose news outlets have promoted Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As British tabloids noted, Kabaeva's photo and name disappeared from the website of the National Media Group this week, as sanctions on Putin's intimates neared. Imprisoned Russian rights campaigner Alexey Navalny urged sanctions against Kabaeva in a tweet from his cell this week, saying one of the news outlets under her authority was taking the lead in portraying Western accusations over the Russian invasion as an orchestrated campaign of disinformation. Asked about any planned sanctions on Kabaeva, a senior administration official said it was still an option and that more sanctions on Russian elites close to Putin and their family members were possible. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal considerations. Putin is thought to have been careful to hide away his wealth with Russia's oligarchs, businesspeople obligated to the Russian leader for enabling and allowing their prosperity, often with the help of Russia's government and resources, noted Browder. That makes piling on more sanctions against oligarchs essential. But hitting Putin's closest personal figures with sanctions will sting, too. He was living in this world where everybody was tiptoeing around him, Browder said. And now the West is sort of fully ignoring his sensitivities and going for the jugular. And I think that thats a good thing. After Jessica Fullilove, 31, a student at Northern Illinois University College of Law, attended the second day of hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, she couldn't help but feel disillusioned about the process and the Republican senators whom she said had made a mockery of it. "When you see someone who has worked their butt off, has pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, they've been the best of the best in everything, went to Harvard Law, went to Harvard for undergrad, clerked for a Supreme Court justice and graduated with honors, still have their accomplishments diminished, it does something to you," Fullilove said. "That hope that America is supposed to stand for, it dims that light," she added. The Senate confirmed Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday in a 53-47 vote, with only three Republicans supporting her. Fullilove and other Black Americans said in interviews that the behavior of Republican senators like Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and Josh Hawley during the confirmation process had put a bit of a damper on what should have been a celebratory occasion for all Americans. Some Republican senators accused Jackson, the first Black woman confirmed to the court, of being soft on pedophiles and having a secret radical agenda, and that she would have defended Nazis at Nuremberg. "I hate that a Black woman especially had to undergo this process and be faced with such vitriol and used kind of as a wall for the senators to bounce their midterm messaging off of," said Simone Yhap, 24, a third-year student at Northeastern University School of Law, who also attended the second day of hearings. Fullilove, Yhap and other members of the National Black Law Students Association traveled to Washington last month for the hearing. Fullilove said she was particularly moved when Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., the only Black senator on the 22-member Judiciary Committee, told Jackson on the third day of hearings that he knew the systemic barriers she had to overcome to ascend academically and professionally. Story continues "You have earned this spot. You are worthy. You are a great American," he told Jackson. But it was something else Booker told Jackson "I'm not letting anybody in the Senate steal my joy" that Fullilove said she was carrying with her in this history-making moment. "I am still going to celebrate the fact that there's a woman like me, who looks like me, talks like me, probably uses some of the same hair products I use, sitting on the highest court of the land," she said. Jessica Fullilove, Simone Yhap and Sen. Cory Booker (Courtesy Jessica Fullilove) Jacksons nomination, Fullilove said, has reminded her of the joy and pride she felt when Barack Obama was elected president and, 12 years later, Kamala Harris vice president. "And now, I'm thinking about how I feel, as I'm watching another history-making appointment coming with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson," she said. When Fullilove compares herself to family members who lived through the Jim Crow era, she said she feels grateful to have witnessed three racial ceilings broken in her lifetime. Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster who worked for Obama, said the atmosphere at Jackson's hearings was far different from the confirmation of Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice, in 1981. "There was a sense of an important barrier being broken and some bipartisan warmth and celebration," Belcher said of O'Connor, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, 99-0. Some of the toughest questions O'Connor faced during her hearings came from fellow Republicans who didn't believe she took a strong enough stance against abortion. When you compare the treatment O'Connor received with how some Republican senators treated Jackson, the viciousness and racism is apparent, Belcher said. "This barrier-breaking moment was met with disdain that this racial barrier is being broken," said Belcher, an NBC News and MSNBC analyst. "That, to me, was striking but it also was very much in line with the in-your-face tribal politics of the Trump era." Even so, Jeryne Fish, 25, a student at New York University School of Law, plans to celebrate Jackson's confirmation with her classmates and relish the moment with her colleagues in the National Black Law Students Association. "Justices inevitably bring to their jobs their life experiences," said Fish, who is the association's national vice chair and chief operating officer. "Right now, when the justices sit down to deliberate on cases, my lived experience is not reflected at that table. As the court settles on decisions that will shape my life, my lived experience is left out of the room." That will change with the addition of Jackson, she said, but it hasn't come without a cost. "This isn't anything new in spaces not built for us," she said, referring to the attacks Jackson faced, including the false claims that she is soft on crime. "The cost of achieving diversity requires intentionality." Richard Garzola Jr., 26, national chair and chief executive officer of the National Black Law Students Association, attended one of Jackson's hearings and closely watched the others. Some members of the association gathered in-person to watch as Jackson was confirmed, and some chapters scheduled parties on Zoom to attract a larger crowd of students from various cities, Garzola said. Both Garzola and Fullilove said Jackson's confirmation process serves as a reminder of something well known among Black people: They have to work twice as hard to go just as far as their white counterparts. And, they said, even then, their qualifications will still be questioned or undermined. "I think Senator Booker and Sen. [Alex] Padilla said it best, that it is unfortunate that we have to pause such vile language and scrutiny to remind everyone that Judge Jackson is someone with an impeccable resume and near perfect track record," said Garzola, a student at Georgetown Law. Cliff Albright, a founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, said he was confident Republican senators would use the hearings to "spread lies and propaganda" to try to weaken Jackson and get a reaction from her in the hopes that it would doom her nomination. "The ugliness is not surprising, but it's still disappointing," Albright said. "So in that sense, it puts a damper on it." "But in a bigger sense, it can't put a damper on it," he added. "Because at the end of the day, she's going to be Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court." This is a breaking news story. Check back to idahostatesman.com for updates. To sign up for breaking news alerts, click here. An investigation into an October police shooting that left a man dead has determined that Boise police officers were justified in firing their weapons because they acted in self-defense even though the victim did not have a weapon. Information from an Ada County Critical Incident Task Force investigation and a local prosecutors review was reported to the Boise Police Department the week of March 28, according to a Wednesday news release from the Boise Police Department. The Garden City Police Department led the task force investigation, and the Gem County prosecutor reviewed the incident. Police also released body camera and other video footage of the shooting, in which the last moments of Zachary Snows life are visible from multiple camera angles. In the release, police said Snow took a shooters stance imitating that he had a gun before officers fired their weapons. The video footage shows that happening. After a review of the incident, the task force investigation, videos and relevant law, Gem County Prosecutor Erick B. Thomson determined that officers were justified in firing their weapons and acted in self-defense, police said in the release. Thomson told the Idaho Statesman that he received the final report from Ada County, reviewed it over a couple of days and made his decision on the officers actions last week. He said the Boise Police characterization of his report was accurate. Late in the afternoon on Oct. 27, police began searching for Snow, who was said to be potentially suicidal. Snows mother, Melissa Walton, had called police to notify them of his mental health issues, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. Once police came into contact with Snow, 26, officers perceived a threat before firing their weapons, the police department previously said. The newly released footage and details on Wednesday shed more light on what occurred. Story continues After police learned that Snow had a felony failure to appear warrant in court, officers established a plan to check Mr. Snows welfare and take him into custody, according to text from a video compiled by the department. Police were also aware of Snows history with law enforcement, which includes mention of mental health issues. In an interview with the Statesman on Wednesday, Walton said that in her calls to both dispatch and two officers prior to the shooting, she told them that Snow was unarmed and was suicidal. She also told the Statesman that Snow would have made officers shoot him rather than face the prospect of returning to prison. In November 2016, Snow pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to at least two years with a maximum sentence of seven years. He was released from prison last June 15, according to online records. At around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, Snow was located near South Capitol Boulevard and West Myrtle Street, according to the video that was part of the police news release. Four minutes later, officers approached him in between two buildings adjacent to a parking lot. An officer drove up in an unmarked car and attempted to approach Snow with his firearm holstered, according to the news release. Immediately upon contact, Mr. Snow took a defensive posture and refused commands to show his hands, the release stated. He pulled a hard black object from his rear waistband and took a shooters stance imitating that he had a gun. Officers believed he had a gun in hand and that they were going to be fired upon. Two officers then fired their weapons in self-defense. In the body camera footage, officers can be heard shouting commands at Snow. Show me your hands, I do not want to do this, one officer shouts with his gun drawn. Moments later, Snow pulls something quickly from his waistband and points it at the officer, who then fires his weapon. Snow sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the shooting and died at a Boise hospital. The object Snow pulled from his waistband was not a weapon but a black, cylinder-shaped portable speaker, according to the release. The two officers who fired their guns were placed on administrative leave after the shooting, as is standard practice. Spokesperson Haley Williams told the Statesman via text that the two officers Matt Jacobs, a 14-year veteran with BPD, and Clifton Snodderly, a Boise officer for four years have returned from paid leave. It is not clear when that happened. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Zachary Snow, Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee said in the release. The Boise Police Department values the sanctity of human life, and it pains our officers anytime we face this type of situation. Our condolences go out to the officers and their families as well following this incident. Walton said she thinks that police were aggressive and ready to fire. They went in guns ready, she said, noting that she was just informed about the new findings on Wednesday. In December, Walton filed a tort claim against the city of Boise, Ada County and the state of Idaho. The tort claim is a necessary precursor to a lawsuit against such entities. The Boise Police Office of Internal Affairs will review the task forces investigation and final report as part of an internal inquiry, according to the release. The citys Office of Police Accountability also will conduct an independent review. Convicted sex offender Bradley Baker posed as a police officer on dating apps. (SWNS) A convicted paedophile who posed as a police officer on dating apps has been jailed for 28 months. Ex-journalist Bradley Baker, 28, used a fake uniform and warrant cards to travel for free on trains and buses and lied to his ex-partner, family and friends that he worked for British Transport Police (BTP). Baker, of Handworth, Birmingham, was found out when he was reported to North Wales Police for a separate offence. He was reported as a serving BTP special constable based in Birmingham, but enquiries quickly established he had never worked for the force. Officers searched his home on 1 February last year and seized a police uniform including a warrant card badge and holder displaying DC Baker. Two fake BTP warrant cards and multiple police lanyards were also recovered by the force. The convicted paedophile also tried to throw laptops out of his window as officers arrived, which were found to be unregistered. Bradley Baker was jailed for over two years at Birmingham Crown Court. (PA Images via Getty Images) This breached a sexual harm prevention order, handed to him after he committed three sexual offences involving children in 2018. A laptop which was later found to be stolen from his previous job as a journalist was also recovered, as well as amounts of cannabis. Baker pleaded guilty to possession of police articles and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court on 25 March after also pleading guilty to one count of theft by employee and two counts of possession of Class B cannabis. BTP Constable Jade Ledbroo said: Possessing fake items of police uniform and posing as a police officer is an extremely serious offence, and Im glad that the severity of Bakers delusional actions is reflected in his sentence. Sexual harm prevention orders are given to protect the public, and Bakers blatant disregard for this demonstrates his dangerous mindset. Had he not been stopped as a result of this extensive investigation, he could have continued to commit even further, and potentially more serious, crimes therefore Im pleased to see him behind bars. The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office arrested a man in connection to a shooting involving his son Tuesday evening. The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man who allegedly shot and killed his own son. Edward Francis Devenish, 79, is charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly killed his son, Justin Devenish, 39. The shooting happened at the family's home on Francis Street in Supply Tuesday afternoon. Deputies responded to a shooting in Supply Tuesday around 6:45 p.m. It's unclear what led up to the shooting. The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office took Devenish into custody Wednesday and is holding him at the county jail under no bond. Devenish is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. He previously pleaded guilty in 2004 to assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury in Cumberland County, where he was sentenced to 22 to 30 months in prison. Reporter Sydney Hoover can be reached at 910-343-2339 or shoover@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Brunswick County man charged with murder in son's death in Supply (Bloomberg) -- Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has found another way to put even more of its money to work, purchasing a stake in HP Inc. valued at more than $4.2 billion. Most Read from Bloomberg The disclosure that the billionaire investors company holds about 121 million shares in the computer maker sent HPs stock surging to a record. The shares gained as much as 19% on Thursday to $41.47 in New York. Berkshire bought some of the stock earlier this week in multiple transactions, according to a regulatory filing late Wednesday. Berkshire Hathaway is one of the worlds most respected investors and we welcome them as an investor in HP, an HP spokesperson said. Berkshires HP bet is just the latest way the billionaire investors firm has found a way to deploy some of its near-record cash pile, after years of being stifled by high valuations and a competitive dealmaking landscape. In recent months, Berkshire has expanded its $350 billion equity portfolio, helped in part by volatility that dragged the S&P 500 Index down almost 6% this year through Wednesdays close. In March, Buffetts company disclosed that it had been buying up shares in Occidental Petroleum Corp., building a stake that now ranks among Berkshires 10 largest common-stock bets. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says: Berkshire Hathaways $4.2 billion investment in HP Inc. reinforces the computer makers long-term capital-returns value proposition. HP Inc. has become a capital-returns story, given its low-single-digit growth profile. -- Woo Jin Ho, BI senior industry analyst Click here to read the research. Berkshire has also found more luck on the acquisition front, announcing in March a $11.6 billion deal to purchase insurer Alleghany Corp. in the conglomerates largest deal since its 2016 acquisition of Precision Castparts Corp. Still, the purchase price represents just 7.9% of Berkshires cash pile of $146.7 billion at the end of 2021. Story continues Helped by strong performances from businesses such as the BNSF railroad and Berkshires sprawling energy empire, Buffetts conglomerate has been pulling in more cash that he can quickly deploy into higher-returning assets, a skill that had drawn the investor acclaim for years. A shortage of appealing investment opportunities has led the billionaire to increasingly turn to share buybacks, with repurchases totaling a record $27.1 billion last year. Now, some stock valuations have become even more attractive. HP stock rallied last year, gaining 53% in 2021, but had fallen 7.3% this year through Wednesdays close. Berkshire, which had historically shied away from some technology investments, has leaned further into that sector in recent years and built up a stake in Apple Inc. that was valued at more than $161 billion at the end of 2021. As one of the older, more traditional tech stocks, HP, which makes printers and computers, could benefit from a shift into so-called value tech shares, with the prospect for rising interest rates blunting gains for more highly valued Big Tech stocks. HP has benefited from sustained increased demand for PCs, a market that HP now expects to be worth as much as $560 billion by 2024, amid a shift to hybrid work. Its also seeing continued success in segments such as gaming and 3D printing. Last month, HP agreed to buy Plantronics Inc., also known as Poly, which sells phone headsets and audio and video accessories, in a $3.3 billion deal to help it capitalize on the remote-work culture. Berkshire didnt immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours about whether the purchase was made by Buffett himself or one of his two investing deputies. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Stark County Court of Common Pleas CANTON A Stark County woman who shook her 3-month-old son, leading to his death in 2017, has been granted early release from prison. Nicole Bryant, 40, of Canton, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and one count of endangering children, a second-degree felony, on July 5, 2018. She abused the child by shaking him in January 2017, leading to his death, according to court records filed in the case. More: Stark County woman admits to causing infant's death More: Canton woman arrested by federal agents on warrants stemming from death investigation Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge Taryn Heath presided over the case and sentenced Bryant to five years. According to court records, Heath told Bryant she'd consider early judicial release after she'd served four years at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. Bryant filed a motion for early judicial release in April 2020 and was denied. On Feb. 17, a second motion for judicial release was filed by defense attorney Kelly Murray, and was granted during a hearing Monday. Bryant will spend five years of intensive supervised probation and will enter the court's HOPE Program, which addresses mental health issues for those on probation. According to an order filed Tuesday, Bryant was ordered to be released within 24 hours. The Stark County Prosecutor's Office told The Canton Repository their office was aware Bryant would be filing for early release, so they were not surprised. "This was a particularly difficult case because multiple adults had access to the child around the time of his death, so we were very happy Ms. Bryant took responsibility and went to prison for a significant amount of time," Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Petricini said. "If anything, her early release means she is now on (intensive supervision) with many more controls and conditions than if she had served her full sentence and was released to the streets without further services," Petricini added. Reach Cassandra cnist@gannett.com; Twitter @Cassienist This article originally appeared on The Repository: Local mom who killed baby granted early judicial release Catawba Island Brewing Co. workers can Slava Ukraini, a unique beer created from a Ukrainian recipe, on Wednesday. Sales will benefit Ukraine relief efforts. PORT CLINTON This week a local brewery tapped its version of a Pravda Brewery beer it has labeled Slava Ukraini and will host "Brew for Ukraine!" on Saturday, selling the special brew to support a Ukraine relief program. Were excited to be part of this global beer brewing effort to help raise money for Ukraine to defend their country, said , Michael Roder, owner of Catawba Island Brewing Companys (CIBC) at 2330 E. Harbor Road. The Slava Ukraini beer was tapped pm Wednesday and the fundraising event will be held noon to 11 p.m. this Saturday, at Catawba Island Brewing Co. Profits from beer sales and fundraising activities will go to Pravda Brewerys Ukraine Relief Effort. 'A fun way' to help Ukrainians "It looks like a fun way to help raise money for the effort in Ukraine," said Roder. "Breweries kind of stick together and try to help each other out," he added as his staff was tapping their newest brew based on a recipe from Ukraine-based Pravada Brewery. The brewery reported the beer has a citrus aroma and flavor while adding balance to the strong golden ale. Catawba Island Brewing Company is releasing Slava Ukraini, brewed locally using a Ukrainian brewery's recipe. Proceeds will go toward relief efforts in the war-torn county. The beer's name means "Glory to Ukraine." Im excited to brew this beer and work with other people on trying to recreate something that someone else has done and do it justice, said the companys head brewer, Justin Williams. After receiving inquiries from people all over the globe asking how they could help in relief efforts, Pravda Brewery, located in Lviv, Ukraine, provided open recipes and beer label designs for its main award-winning beers, aptly named The Victory Series. They then invited brewers around the world to brew the beers and donate proceeds to their Ukraine relief fund. "We looked closely at all the recipes, raw materials, water profiles and production methods," Roder said of the Pravda recipes. "The beer we chose had the right balance of native water chemistry, ingredients we were comfortable brewing with, and different varieties of hops we were interested in trying out. Not to mention the translation of the beers original name." Story continues Chose to brew dry-hopped golden ale The recipe CBIC chose to brew was Pravda Brewerys dry-hopped golden ale. In honor of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CBIC will distribute this beer in cans and kegs under the name Slava Ukraini, which means Glory to Ukraine, and is often how the president concludes his speeches. "We made a 15 barrel (500 gallon) batch and are working on a 30 barrel (1,000 gallon) to fulfill the rest of the orders that came in," Roder noted. "We will continue brewing Slava Ukraini and sending the money back to Ukraine as long as people are still interested in buying beer to support the effort." He also said that Slava Ukraini will be sold by their distributors all over Ohio in cans and kegs. "We've had an overwhelming amount of interest," the company president added. "Customers have called wanting to know when they can buy a six-pack or stop by for a couple cases just to support the effort. Bars, restaurants, grocery stores are calling "Grocery stores, bottle shops, bars and restaurants have been calling that want to sell the beer and several of them want to host fundraisers of their own," Roder said. "Most breweries use a lot of the same basic ingredients to make beer (water, barley, hops, yeast and sometimes other additives like fruit, spices and nuts). Working with Pravda recipes was fun because they use interesting combinations of grains, strains of hops that you dont normally see in the US," Roder pointed out. More information on CIBC is available online at CatawbaIslandBrewing.com. Patrons can follow the Catawba Island Brewing Company Facebook Page for more details, and wholesale inquiries can be directed to NWO Beverage (N.W. Ohio), Beverage Distributors (Greater Cleveland Area) and Premium Beverage (Central and Southern Ohio). rbrooks@gannett.com 419-334-1059 This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Catawba Island Brewing is offering Ukraine beer in relief effort Whether youre a beer or burrito fan, your day has arrived. Thursday is National Burrito Day, and Mexican chains are going the whole enchilada and passing along hot deals that include buy-one-get-one and discounted entrees. The made-up food holiday is held on the first Thursday of April each year. But this year, its also National Beer Day, which is annually held on April 7, and one of many days to celebrate the beverage. On April 7, 1933, a federal law went into effect allowing the sale of beer containing less than 3.2% alcohol, the first legal alcohol allowed since Prohibition began in 1919. WALMART TRUCK DRIVER PAY: Walmart says starting pay range for new truck drivers is between $95,000 and $110,000 SPRING SALES: The best spring deals you can shop today from All-Clad, Walmart, Wayfair and Keurig According to Google Maps, the most popular burrito chains in the U.S. in 2022 are Chipotle, Qdoba and Moes. Burrito Day free food and deals Here are the deals available at participating locations Thursday. To be on the safe side, check with your closest location before heading out. Some offers will require you to have a restaurants app or be signed up for emails. Chipotle Burrito Day deal, Roblox game Chipotle Mexican Grill launches the Chipotle Burrito Builder on Roblox and the first 100,000 Roblox players to successfully roll a burrito will earn enough Burrito Bucks to exchange for an entree code that can be used on the Chipotle app or the website. The codes will be available while supplies last and are valid through April 13. On Thursday, Chipotle Rewards members can get a free side or topping of Queso Blanco with the purchase of an entree when they use the digital-only promo code NBD2022 at checkout on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com. DAILY MONEY NEWSLETTER: Money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here CHIPOTLE GIVEAWAY: National Burrito Day 2022: Chipotle to give away free burritos in Roblox game Thursday Story continues Taco Bell Burrito Day free burrito Taco Bell Rewards members get a free burrito Thursday with any app order of $15 or more. There's also a separate delivery with Grubhub. Also, for a limited time, new Taco Bell Rewards members get a freebie for signing up. As of Thursday, the deal was a free Doritos Locos Taco for joining at Tacobell.com/rewards. The Roblox game is called Chipotle Burrito Builder. Moes Burrito Day deal: $5.99 burritos, bowls for rewards members Moes Southwest Grill has a Burrito Day deal for Moe Rewards members Thursday. Loyalty members get $5.99 burritos and bowls when ordering through the app, Moes.com, or in restaurants. To join the program, download the app and sign up. To get the discount, you need to apply the reward at checkout. There's a limit of one $5.99 burrito or bowl per purchase. EGG PRICES 2022: Easter eggs price hike? Bird flu, inflation cause egg prices to rise ahead of holiday and Passover WAYFAIR SALE: Wayfair's Way Day 2022 sale is almost herehere are all the best deals you can already shop THIS IS NOT A JOKE: IT'S NATIONAL BURRITO DAY! $5.99 burritos to celebrate! Available for loyalty members at your local Moe's. Moe's Southwest Grill (@Moes_HQ) April 7, 2022 Del Taco Burrito Day deal: BOGO burritos Del Taco Del Yeah! Rewards members can buy two of any Epic Burrito for the price of one Thursday. Registration for the loyalty program is needed to access deals and theres a limit of one offer per guest. Burger King Burrito Day deal For a limited time, Burger King has an "Egg-Normous Burrito" for $4 when ordered on the BK app during breakfast hours. El Pollo Loco Burrito Day BOGO deal At El Pollo Loco, new and existing Loco Rewards members will get a buy-one-get-one free burrito reward Thursday. The offer is valid for all a la carte burritos and the chain will also offer free delivery Thursday with no minimum purchase required. Fuzzys Burrito Day deal: Free Smother Fuzzy's Taco Shop is offering its Fuzzys Rewards members a free Smother with all burrito purchases Thursday. The Smother is a choice of queso or fire-roasted salsa smothered over a giant burrito. The promotion is available for dine-in, to go and online ordering but not valid on third-party delivery orders. Rubios Burrito Day deal Rubios Coastal Grill is offering every burrito on the menu for $6.99 Thursday. To get the deal, use coupon code BURRITO on orders placed on the restaurants website or app. You can also scan a QR code on this coupon at restaurants. On The Border Beer and Burrito Day deals On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is celebrating National Beer Day and National Burrito Day with a $3 Modelo beer and $5 bar bites deal. These deals are at participating locations. Taco Johns National Burrito Day deal Get $3 off any Taco Johns Meat and Potato Burrito Combo Thursday with a coupon on the chains app. Theres a limit of one per guest, per transaction. Happy National Burrito Day! Download our app and get $3 off any Meat & Potato Burrito combo, all day long. See you at the Burrito party! #TacoJohns #NationalBurritoDay #Burritos #OletheDay #BiggerBolderBetter pic.twitter.com/UGJcuPr3c6 tacojohns (@tacojohns) April 7, 2022 Tijuana Flats Burrito Day and Beer Day deal Tijuana Flats weekly "Throwback Thursdaze" promotion includes a burrito, chips and a drink for $7.99. But to celebrate both National Burrito Day and National Beer Day, the chain is offering an upgrade of the drink to a Corona beer for 25 cents at participating locations. The upgrade deal substitutes a Corona for the fountain drink. Consumers must be 21 or older and this deal is for dine-in only. Limit one beer per entree. EASTER SALES: The 66 best Easter 2022 sales on toys, treats and so much more you can shop right now Beer Day 2022 deals The following offers are available Thursday, April 7. BJ's National Beer Day deals BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse is celebrating National Beer Day all week with specials, including $3 domestic bottled beers and $4 BJs Handcrafted Signature Beers. Hours of the deals are 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 p.m. to close Thursday. Bar Louie National Beer Day deals Bar Louie has deals Thursday during its Happy Hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Specials include $4 domestic beers, $5 craft beers and 50% off select bar bites. Pricing and participation can vary by location. Check with your local Bar Louie for more information. Yard House National Beer Day deals Yard House will have $10 Half Yards on select beers all day Thursday at participating restaurants. During happy hour, which is from 3 to 6 p.m., get half off select appetizers, $2 off draft beer, wine, spirits and cocktails and $3 off 9-ounce glasses of wine. Coors Banquet National Beer Day giveaway One of Americas oldest and most iconic beer brands, Coors Banquet, is giving its iconic yellow jackets a makeover by releasing limited-edition collectible cans and also has a giveaway. Coors Banquet Legacy Collection is available on shelves nationwide and features a QR code that unlocks an exclusive merchandise collaboration with the apparel brand Huckberry. Starting Thursday, enter to win the collaboration via the QR code on the Legacy Collection or by visiting OwnTheLegacy.com. More food deals Most of these deals require a promo code or an app. McDonald's free food with app, Spicy McNuggets McDonald's has several ongoing deals on its app and with the MyMcDonald's Rewards program. Offers and daily deals can vary by account and region. Don't have the app? McDonald's says on its website that for a limited time you'll get a free Big Mac for downloading and registering. Then after your first purchase, you get the choice of Hash Browns, Vanilla Cone, McChicken or a Cheeseburger free. Spicy Chicken McNuggets are also at select McDonald's for a limited time. HOT CHICKEN NUGGETS: McDonald's brings back Spicy Chicken McNuggets to select restaurants for a limited time Panda Express free small entree with promo code Through April 17, order Panda Express Wok-Fired Shrimp online and get a free small entree with promo code WOKFIRED. Wendys $1 burger and more deals Wendys has several deals on its mobile app for a limited time. Deals include: $1 Daves Single: Through April 10, Wendys will have singles for $1 via mobile order on the app. The deal will refresh daily. $3 off orders of $15 or more: Get $3 off any order of $15 or more through the Wendys app through April 10. The deal will be refreshed daily. BOGO $1 premium chicken sandwich: This deal will refresh weekly. Buy one premium chicken sandwich and get a second for $1 through April 10 with a mobile offer. Dunkin' deal: $3 Cold Brews Through April 26, Dunkin' has a deal for its DD Perks members. Get a $3 medium Cold Brew if you order ahead, pay with an enrolled Dunkin' card or scan a loyalty card at checkout. Also, check the Dunkin' app for other offers. Domino's deal: $3 coupon for carryout orders For a limited time, Domino's will give you a $3 "tip" to order your pizza online and pick it up yourself instead of choosing delivery. Make a carryout order through May 22 and get a $3 coupon code to redeem the following week on a carryout order of $5 or more before tax and gratuity. Also, earn points to redeem for free pizza with the chain's Piece of the Pie rewards program that you can sign up for at Dominos.com. Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko. For shopping news, tips and deals, join us on our Shopping Ninjas Facebook group. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Burrito Day 2022 deals: Taco Bell, Chipotle, Del Taco have specials CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank, said its Commercial Services business is tapping two industry veterans to support clients and drive growth in the companys factoring business in the Northeast. The company named Howard Moore and Paul Pagano as business development directors. CIT also said Michael Rayner was promoted to director and team leader for the West. Based in Los Angeles, he helps cover the western region with responsibility for leading a team of account executives in overseeing and growing their respective portfolios while also effectively managing risk and driving growth, CIT said in a statement. More from WWD Moore and Pagano will be based in New York and be responsible for developing, maintaining and expanding client and prospect relationships across a wide range of business verticals, the company said. Tom Fingleton, managing director and northeast regional manager for CIT Commercial Services, described Moore and Pagano as experienced financial professionals with the expertise and skillsets needed to help grow our business. Fingleton said the addition of these leaders demonstrates CITs commitment to supporting our clients and continuing to drive growth in this sector. Moore previously served as vice president at Revolution Capital, and specialized in multiple different industry segments. CIT said Moore brings 15 years of experience in factoring, asset-based lending, and specialty lending, having earlier worked in development positions at various financial institutions, including Rosenthal & Rosenthal and Gerber Finance. Pagano joins CIT from Milberg Factors. CIT said Pagano has 25 years of financing experience in a range of industries, including factoring and commercial finance, apparel and design. He also held leadership positions at Global Design Concepts, Ike Behar Apparel and Design, Le Tigre and Christian Dior Couture. CIT said Rayner has been with the company for more than 20 years, most recently serving as a vice president, and account executive in Commercial Services. He previously served as a senior underwriter at CIT and held various positions at Heller Financial including underwriter, unit manager and credit analyst, CIT said, adding that Rayner has experience in portfolio management, client relations and new business generation. President extends New Year wishes to Khmer community at Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho's O Mon district on April 7 to extend greetings to dignitaries at the academy and the Khmer community on the occasion of Chol Chnam Thmay, the traditional Khmer New Year festival. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) presents a souvenir to the Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy (Photo: VNA) The President was welcomed by Most Venerable Dao Nhu, Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and head of the academy, and a large number of Khmer Theravada Buddhist dignitaries and followers in the city. Since its inception in 2006, the Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy has organised five training courses with more than 200 monks graduating with bachelor's degree in Buddhism. In 2017, the academy was expanded to over 6.7 hectares with total investment of 451 billion VND. Its first phase was inaugurated in 2019, with the rest completed in 2020. The State leader wished the Khmer ethnic community a New Year of good health, peace and happiness. He said that last year, thanks to efforts of the business community and people, including those from the Khmer ethnic group, the country managed to control COVID-19 and started the socio-economic recovery process, ensuring social welfare and achieving positive outcomes in ethnic and religious affairs. He affirmed that the Party and State will continue to ensure the rights to belief and religious freedom of people as well as peoples rights to practice their religions in line with the law, while exerting efforts to improve the living conditions of religious dignitaries and followers, including Khmer Theravada Buddhism followers. He said he hopes Most Venerable Dao Nhu will work with Khmer Theravada Buddhism dignitaries and followers to promote their patriotic tradition and close relations with the nation. He expressed his hope that graduates from the academy will work hard to guide the Khmer community to contribute to national building and safeguarding. For his part, Most Venerable Dao Nhu thanked President Phuc for the New Year wishes. He said that over the years, dignitaries and followers of Khmer Theravada Buddhism in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta region have received great attention and support from local authorities during their religious activities as well as in ensuring their livelihoods and production amid the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, the local authorities have helped the Khmer ethnic community to maintain and promote their cultural identity, language, religion and traditions, he said. Most Venerable Dao Nhu expressed his gratitude to President Phuc who, in his former position as the Prime Minister and current position of State President, has always paid attention and created optimal conditions for the construction of the Khmer Theravada Buddhist Academy, meeting the demand for religious study among Khmer Theravada Buddhism dignitaries and followers. He pledged that Khmer Theravada Buddhism dignitaries will continue to work for the solidarity of Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism, implementing orientations given by the VBS, and encouraging the Khmer community to join hands in developing the country./. Trevor Morrin prepares some of the 2,000 Spin electric scooters for transport at their warehouse on Aug. 10, 2020, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Electric scooters are set to return to Chicago streets this spring, as the citys first fully-fledged scooter program gets underway. About 4,000 scooters are expected to hit the streets in early May, operated by three companies and the Divvy bike-share program, city officials said Thursday. Advertisement Scooter companies Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian are set to collectively operate 3,000 scooters. Each will have a two-year permit effective May 10, 2022, Chicago Department of Transportation spokeswoman Susan Hofer said. The Divvy bike-share system, operated by Lyft, will add another 1,000 scooters that can be docked at Divvy stations in and around downtown. Advertisement To start, only Divvy scooters will operate in the downtown area, a move intended to manage the devices in a place typically crowded with pedestrians, city officials said. To encourage docking scooters at stations, a fee will be charged for parking elsewhere, Hofer said. The fee will be $1 for members and $2 for non-members. Around midsummer, the other three scooter companies will be allowed to operate scooters downtown if they meet performance goals, the city said. Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian will be required to deploy half their scooters in equity priority areas, which cover many South and West side neighborhoods, the city said. A scooter program offers another easy way for residents and visitors to choose active transportation to get around Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. As transportation costs go up, it is critical that we support micromobility solutions like shared bikes and scooters, which provide affordable ways to travel in Chicago without needing a car. The full scooter program follows two e-scooter pilots that drew support, but also complaints of unsafe riding and pushback from aldermen who said riders were knocking people over on sidewalks and leaving the devices strewn about when they were finished riding. During the new program, scooters will be banned from sidewalks and must be locked to a fixed object at the end of a ride, CDOT said. All scooters will have cable-locking technology and technology to detect riding on sidewalks, city officials said. Scooters will not be allowed on the Lakefront Trail, The 606, the Riverwalk or at Navy Pier. The scooter companies set their own prices, but all must provide a low-income option, cash payments and access for riders without smartphones.For standard rides, Lime and Spin will charge $1 to unlock the scooter plus $0.39 per minute, and Superpedestrians standard pricing will be $1 to unlock and $0.35 per minute, according to CDOT. Chicago lease tax will be added to the prices. Divvy scooters will be available under existing membership programs, including the bike-share systems program for low-income residents. When Divvy scooters launch, the city and Lyft will add a monthly $10 credit for a year to accounts in the low-income program, which can be used for up to 200 minutes on an e-bike, city officials said. Advertisement Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian were selected from among six applicants, which also included companies Bird, Helbiz and Veo. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com Otoniel was captured by Colombian forces in October Colombia's Supreme Court has approved the extradition of the leader of the country's largest gang to the US. Dairo Antonio Usuga, better known as Otoniel, led the Gulf Clan cartel and is wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges. His capture in October, compared to the fall of Pablo Escobar by President Ivan Duque, ended a seven-year manhunt. The court's decision, announced on Twitter, ends attempts by Otoniel's lawyers to halt his extradition. Colombia's Justice Minister Wilson Ruiz had pledged to extradite Otoniel to the US after his capture last year, and Justice Department officials in Washington made a formal request in November. "Extradition awaits all those who commit international crimes," Defence Minister Diego Molano said at the time. But the drug kingpin's lawyers had argued that Otoniel should have been included in a special tribunal where participants in Colombia's six-decade internal conflict between government forces and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) rebels can receive alternative sentences for confessing their participation. His legal team claimed the 50-year-old was willing to reveal some details of collaboration between central government officials and illegal armed groups in exchange for preventing his extradition. Prior to his capture, Otoniel was Colombia's most wanted man and the government had offered a $800,000 (582,000) reward for information about his whereabouts, while the US had placed a $5m bounty on his head. The Gulf Clan operates in many provinces and has extensive international connections, is engaged in drug and people smuggling, illegal gold mining and extortion. It is believed to have about 1,800 armed members, who are mainly recruited from far-right paramilitary groups. Members have been arrested in Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Peru and Spain. Otoniel was eventually captured in his rural hideout in Antioquia province in north-western Colombia in October, close to the border with Panama in an operation involving 500 soldiers supported by 22 helicopters. A court has decided to allow prosecutors in a Pennsylvania county to continue their quest to drop a misdemeanor charge against a former police officer who shot a man in handcuffs outside a bank almost four years ago. The York Daily Record reports that the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued a two-sentence order Monday to clear the way for an appeal to proceed. Harrison had been on the Southwestern Regional police force for more than 15 years when he shot a handcuffed prisoner in the leg outside a Spring Grove bank in May 2018. He said he meant to use a stun gun. TRENDING NOW: Toddler shoots, kills 4 year-old sister as they sit in car at gas station Police: Distinct clothing, suspicious answer gave away alleged serial burglar Texas man accused of driving 157 mph in crash that killed teen VIDEO: Penn Hills car dealership banned from selling cars in Pennsylvania after selling unsafe vehicles DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Court records from Nate Abates previous sexual assault accusation have been destroyed, San Luis Obispo Superior Court told The Tribune Wednesday in response to a public records request. Abate, who owns a barbershop in Atascadero, and Kin Coffee Bar owner Julian Contreras are facing accusations of sexual and physical assault and harassment after several women came forward on social media. Ash Riddell, who was the first speak out on Instagram, said more than 30 women have shared their experiences with her. The Tribune spoke with Riddell and two other women who say they were assaulted by either Abate, Contreras or both. The women detailed experiences where they either could not consent or did not consent to sexual acts. The San Luis Obispo Police Department has since opened an investigation into the allegations. Neither Abate nor Contreras have been arrested. Why the records were destroyed Abate told The Tribune he was arrested in 2012 on suspicion of sexual assault of a minor but ultimately pleaded the case down to misdemeanor false imprisonment. Under California law, courts only have to retain records of most misdemeanors for five years. Courts can choose to keep records longer or digitize records rather than destroying them. The most common reason to destroy records is to create space in storage. Nikki Rodriguez, spokesperson for the Superior Court, said destroying records once they are eligible is a common practice and they send records to be destroyed at a shredding company when the time comes. However, the process isnt necessarily uniform. For example, the court did not destroy records pertaining to a 2003 misdemeanor case in which David Knight, who was with Thomas Jodry the night he fell to his death from a SLO parking garage, was convicted of molesting a teen. California law requires courts to keep records of cases that result in a sex offender registration permanently, but Knights lawyer successfully argued to avoid Knights name being added to the registry. The 2003 conviction was also expunged. Story continues The records pertaining to Abates 2012 case were destroyed in April 2018, according to the record of destruction. What Abate said about his previous arrest Abate denied all allegations against him, alleging Riddell was upset after a consensual relationship ended. He told the Tribune he has never sexually assault anyone or had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor, despite the 2012 arrest. The arrest resulted from a party at Contreras home in which an underage girl claimed Contreras and he had raped her, he told The Tribune. Abate said that he only entered into the plea agreement for the non-sex-related crime because his lawyer wanted $25,000 to go to trial, which he couldnt afford. Abate said the false imprisonment charge, to which he said pleaded no contest in court, was made against him because he was the only one who was 21. A no-contest plea functions the same as a guilty plea without a defendant admitting direct fault. The arrest report was for sexual assault because thats what I was being accused of, he said. So on the arrest report, thats what it says. But there is no actual conviction because it was unfounded and untrue. The Tribune was unable to confirm any of Abates claims because the records are destroyed. Police investigate allegations The San Luis Obispo Police Department confirmed to the Tribune that it is investigating the allegations, but it has not arrested Abate or Contreras. The department asks anyone who believes they are a victim or has information about the alleged crimes to call 805-781-7317 to file a report. Tribune Reporter Nick Wilson contributed to this report. Anyone with additional information who wishes to speak to The Tribune about their experiences as part of a news tip may send an email to cjones@thetribunenews.com. If you or someone you know are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673. The hotline offers a range of free services including confidential support from a trained staff member, help finding a local health facility, legal and medical advice and referrals for long-term support. Survivor support and resources are also available through Lumina Alliance at luminaalliance.org or their Crisis and Information Line at 805-545-8888. An Eastern District of Texas Courthouse sits in downtown Sherman. An Irving man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas. Deependra Bhusal, 46, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2021, to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. According to information presented in court, Bhusal was involved in a multi-year money laundering conspiracy involving the laundering of criminal proceeds derived from various scams. Bhusals role in the money laundering conspiracy was to open bank accounts and mailboxes that were used to receive and transact victim funds, to receive the victim funds, to engage in subsequent financial transactions, routinely structured in amounts under $10,000 in an effort to evade reporting requirements and to conceal the nature and source of the criminal proceeds, and to move the criminal proceeds to foreign co-conspirators. Bhusal and his co-conspirators routinely exchanged the criminal proceeds for cryptocurrency and directed the cryptocurrency to wallets under the control of their foreign co-conspirators. In August 2020, Bhusal and his co-conspirators traveled to Longview, Texas, where they attempted to exchange approximately $450,000 in criminal proceeds for Bitcoin. In the course of the operation, Bhusal was personally responsible for laundering $1,437,358.99 in criminal proceeds. On March 10, 2022, co-conspirators Lois Boyd, 75, of Amelia Court House, Virginia, and Manik Mehtani, 33, of McLean, Virginia, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, charging them with a violation of the Travel Act, money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, Boyd and Mehtani face up to 20 years in federal prison. A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and L. Frank Coan, Jr. This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Cryptocurrency scheme leads to 46 month fed prison sentence A 22-year-old Sylvania man is charged with manslaughter and felony leaving the scene of an accident in connection with a crash Saturday that killed a 14-year-old near Geraldine. Tyler Blaise Wilbanks was arrested at about 5:40 a.m. Wednesday in Pell City, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol Division. Troopers say Wilbanks was the driver of a 2016 Chevy Equinox that struck a motorcycle at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday. The teen was identified by family members on social media as Harley Lasseter, a freshman at Geraldine High School. The DeKalb County DAs Office, DeKalb County Sheriffs Office, St. Clair County Sheriffs Office, Rainsville Police Department, Albertville Police Department, Fort Payne Police Department, Geraldine Police Department and The Center for Applied Forensics assisted in the arrest, troopers said. Troopers continue to investigate the crash. Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Sylvania man charged in fatal hit-and-run crash near Geraldine The Daily Beast Getty ImagesAmber Heard sobbed uncontrollably on the stand Thursday as she recounted a wild fight with her then-husband Johnny Depp in Australia in which he allegedly penetrated her vagina repeatedly with a liquor bottle, leaving her retching and bloodied.The March 2015 trip for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 was tumultuous from the start, Heard said during her second day of testimony in the trial over Johnny Depps $50 million defamation lawsuit. One day, after he had been drinking, The Daily Beast U.S. MarshalsThe getaway car Alabama prison guard Vicky White used to escape with a murder inmate has been found about 100 miles away in Tennessee, a small breakthrough in the escalating manhunt for the missing pair.Vicky White, 56, and Casey White, 38, who are not related, had developed a special relationship before she signed him out of lockup a week ago under the guise of taking him to a court appointment that actually did not exist.Authorities say the two had unusual contact since 2020 tha The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday upheld a state law that makes it a crime to send repeated emails, texts and other electronic messages with the intent to harass, annoy, embarrass or offend. In two 5-4 rulings in related cases, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said the electronic harassment law does not violate the First Amendment's free-speech protections because it limits actions that are not related to speech. The law focuses on the nature of the conduct repeated messages intended to harass and not on the messages themselves, Judge Scott Walker wrote for the majority. In addition, Walker wrote, the First Amendment does not protect communication "that invades the substantial privacy interests of another in an essentially intolerable manner." Presiding Judge Sharon Keller disagreed, writing in a dissenting opinion that the law's focus on electronic "communications" clearly indicates that the goal is to regulate speech. "The statute encompasses a vast amount of speech that is protected by the First Amendment," Keller wrote. "And the 'electronic' methods of delivering communications including the internet and social media platforms are mediums for delivering speech." The cases involved two men Charles Barton of Tarrant County, charged with nine counts of harassment by sending text messages and emails to his ex-wife, and Nathan Sanders of Lubbock County, charged with sending texts and social media messages, along with letters and phone calls, to a woman. Both men challenged the law as unconstitutionally vague and broad, arguing that it implicates a great deal of speech that is protected by the First Amendment, such as several strongly worded questions emailed to a political candidate, text messages to a police officer demanding updates on an investigation, or comments posted on a Facebook page. Writing for the majority, Walker rejected arguments that the law improperly limited the freedom of speech. Instead, he said, simply sending repeated messages is not speech. Story continues "An observer may glean, at the most, that the sender wants to send something to the receiver," Walker wrote. "The only way for an observer to know that the sender means to express anything by these acts is for the sender to explain it to them" in a separate communication. In a concurring opinion, Judge Kevin Yeary said the law passed in 1973 and amended nine times since offers protection from targeted harassment in ways similar to statutes protecting Texans from stalking, offensive touching or assault. But Keller, in a dissent joined by Judge Mary Lou Keel, said "the people of Texas should be alarmed" by a ruling that affects a broad range of public communication on the internet, from social media platforms to blogs, message boards and news sites. The law also applies to instant messages, network calls, fax machines and pagers. "If we look at the electronic-communications statutes actual sweep, we can see that its language encompasses a truly enormous amount of speech," Keller wrote Judges Michelle Slaughter and Jesse McClure III also dissented without filing an opinion explaining their positions. Mark Bennett, a Houston lawyer involved in both cases, said Wednesday that the next step will be to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Texas law on electronic harassment. In a separate ruling Wednesday, the Court of Criminal Appeals also upheld another section of the harassment law that prohibits using obscene comments, requests, suggestions or proposals that are intended to annoy, alarm, abuse or embarrass. The unanimous ruling rejected arguments that the law was overly broad. Instead, the Texas law defines obscenity more narrowly than the U.S. Supreme Court limiting it to patently offensive descriptions of sex acts or excretory functions or the solicitation of sex acts, the court ruled. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Divided appeals court upholds Texas law on harassment by email, text WASHINGTON The Pentagons fiscal 2023 budget request includes a huge jump for hypersonic weapons testing and facilities, something the defense industry has sought, according to the departments head of research and development. If you look at this particular test asset facilities theres a huge jump in the budget for equipment and test ranges, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, Heidi Shyu, told Defense News on Wednesday. The Biden administration hasnt yet released detailed budget tables, but Shyu said one thing in the request is an expansion of facilities at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee, among other similar proposals. Its where were putting a chunk of the investment because we have a wind tunnel that were upgrading, Shyu said of the facility, which has received a spate of funding over recent years to prepare for a surge in workload. Lawmakers boosted funding for Defense Department laboratory and testing infrastructure by $800 million in the $1.5 trillion federal spending package for fiscal 2022, which was signed into law last month. That infrastructure serves a range of emerging technologies such as hypersonic and directed-energy weapons. Amid complaints from lawmakers that the Pentagon is trailing Russia and China in hypersonic weapons, the FY22 spending bill cut funding for what was thought to be the departments leading effort the Air Forces AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, made by Lockheed Martin. Tests of the ARRW in April, July and December of 2021 all failed due to problems during the launch process. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that he has been pressing industry to lean into hypersonic technology development. I have engaged industry and asked them to make sure that theyre leaning into this issue of hypersonic development, Austin said. Most importantly, Ive asked them to make sure that theyre working with us on how were going to defend ourselves with respect to hypersonics. My R&E staff is working with them to ensure that they have good visibility of what we believe our requirements are. Story continues In February, during a meeting convened by Austin to discuss hypersonic weapons, industry executives identified testing infrastructure shortfalls as a major barrier to fielding the capabilities on a faster timeline. Former DoD officials and analysts told Defense News in February that the FY23 defense budget request will be a key indicator as to whether the department is serious about improving hypersonic test infrastructure. The CEOs indicated they would like to see more test infrastructure, and weve actually funded it, Shyu said of Austins meeting and the FY23 request. Industry would like to have their own test infrastructure, for them to do their own [testing], and what Im investing in is for the government to do the testing. And theres also funding for universities to do research and testing. Shyu made the remarks after a Senate subcommittee hearing where lawmakers pressed her as well as the heads of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit to explain the Pentagons progress in developing hypersonic weapons. DARPA chief Stephanie Tompkins said a successful test last month of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept marked an inflection point on the path to reclaiming U.S. leadership in hypersonic weapons. Courtney Albon and Stephen Losey contributed to this report. Normont Early Education Center teacher Vernida Watson helps student Lazarus Alvarado on the first day of class instruction on Aug. 16. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Once again, Los Angeles Unified School District shows that its great at making ambitious academic plans but downright abysmal at keeping track of how those plans are being implemented and whether they are working. Long before COVID-19 brought chronic absenteeism to crisis levels, the district launched an array of programs in 2016 to increase regular attendance. But by the end of the following year, attendance had not improved and the district assessed the effectiveness of only a couple of the several programs to see if they worked, and found mixed success. L.A. has the greatest plans in the world and probably the worst follow-through, former L.A. Unified board member Richard Vladovic said at the time. Thats still the case now that the topic is tutoring, which is a cornerstone of L.A. Unifieds plan to make up for learning loss from the long months of Zoom school during the pandemic. The district began several programs last spring and this academic year that schools could choose from to help struggling students. And there is evidence that one of them helps: Primary Promise, which provides daily extra reading and math instruction in small groups to children in the earliest grades. Research has found that kind of high dosage tutoring, conducted one-on-one or in small groups several times a week, is one of the most helpful interventions for students who are finding their lessons difficult to grasp. But overall, the school board received deeply disappointing news last week about L.A. Unifieds tutoring efforts. Not even 10% of students have been receiving tutoring, and the numbers are especially dismal in middle and high schools, at 4% to 6%. The district doesn't have a hard number of how many students need tutoring but it's widely acknowledged that it's probably much higher than 10%. And the district can't say how many students have received high-dosage tutoring outside of the Primary Promise program. Staff also reported to the board that they don't know why the numbers are so low. Is there a lack of qualified tutors? Unknown. Is it that more students were receiving tutoring but their numbers hadnt been reported to the district's central office? Also unknown. Story continues It's shameful that the district is unable to answer these simple questions. Once again, the district had grand plans, but little follow through. Its a problem that apparently few students are being tutored but a much bigger one that the district doesnt know where the failure occurred or even which tutoring efforts have been effective. Fixing this frustrating lack of oversight is going to be one of Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalhos biggest challenges because its embedded in L.A. Unifieds culture. The clumsiness and disappointment of promising big things and then not making them happen in an effective and organized way the iPads-for-all mess and the graduation requirement, later weakened, that students must receive a C in all college-prep courses come to mind leads the districts critics to bemoan the massiveness of L.A. Unified and call for breaking up the district. The district also is unaccountably providing tutoring services in middle and high school mostly to students who ask for the extra help, or whose parents step in to seek it. But not all students realize they need a tutor or that one might be available. They might be embarrassed or too shy to ask for one. Parents might not intervene for their children because of past experience feeling that the school isnt responsive or doesn't understand the extent to which their children face major academic challenges. The schools should proactively seek out the students who need the most help and get it to them first. If this were early November, the administration might be forgiven for not having the full picture. But the school year ends in two months. The students need help now; they cant afford to wait another year to fill the academic gaps left by more than a year of remote learning. And the federal pandemic relief money provided to schools for this extra help is scheduled to dry up in 2024. Part of the confusion over tutoring stems from the districts efforts to decentralize authority and allow more decision-making by principals and staff at individual schools. Local decision-making has advantages, such as nimbleness and better knowledge of a particular neighborhoods needs. But that does not absolve the central office of the responsibility for setting academic standards, monitoring whether its plans and programs are effective and stepping in when things are going wrong. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Starbucks worker Rachel Simandl, center, with fellow workers Logan Higgins, from left, Fernando Vargas-Soto, Maria Fantozzi, and Kaylie McKinley, outside a location in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue April 7, 2022, in Chicago. Simandl, who works at a location in the Edgewater Beach neighborhood, has helped file for a union election. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Workers at a Starbucks in Edgewater Beach have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, bringing the number of Starbucks locations in Chicago seeking union representation to six. We just want to come together and have a bit more recognition and have a say in how to best serve our customers, said Rachel Simandl, a barista at the store at 1070 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. on Chicagos Far North Side. Simandl started working at the Edgewater Beach location a couple of months ago and previously worked for three years at Starbucks locations in McHenry County. Advertisement Workers at about 180 Starbucks locations have filed for union recognition across the U.S. since the beginning of last year, though the vast majority have yet to conduct formal votes. Elections have been held at 14 stores across the country, 13 of which have voted to unionize, Starbucks Workers United said in a news release Thursday. Three of the successful elections were held Thursday. Starbucks worker Kaylie McKinley wears a T-shirt and button promoting unionization, outside a location in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue April 7, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) The Edgewater Beach store is the sixth in Chicago to file with the NLRB, following stores in the Loop, Logan Square, Hyde Park, Bucktown and Edgewater. In the suburbs, workers at Starbucks locations in La Grange and Cary have also filed. Advertisement No union elections have been held for Starbucks locations in Chicago, organizers said, nor have dates for elections been set. The filing from the Edgewater Beach workers will move to a hearing with the NLRB. Starbucks will have the chance to challenge the petition, after which it will likely move to an election. I think that we are going to continue to see this momentum, said Kathy Hanshew, manager of the Chicago and Midwest Joint Board of Workers United and the international vice president of Workers United, the Service Employees International Union affiliate that represents the Starbucks workers. I think it speaks to the service sector industry in and of itself and a lot of the challenges of working within that industry. Eleven workers from the Edgewater store announced their intent to form a union in a Thursday letter addressed to interim Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Our commitment to this company and its values has not wavered we love our jobs and are grateful for the benefits we have while Starbucks continues to favor profits and promises over partners and patrons, the letter reads. Starbucks said in a statement Thursday that from the beginning weve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners without a union in between us and that conviction has not changed. Starbucks worker Rachel Simandl puts on a button promoting unionization while standing outside a location in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue on April 7, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Simandl praised Starbucks benefits, which include health care and education benefits, but said some workers are worried they arent getting enough hours to meet eligibility criteria. Simandl hopes to attend Arizona State University in the fall under Starbucks education benefit, which pays for employees online studies at the university, but is worried about getting the 20 hours a week of work necessary to qualify. In their letter to Schultz, workers at the Edgewater store noted the gutting of hours as a particular concern. Advertisement Simandl said workers would also like to see more livable wages, a better system to manage coverage when baristas call out of work and greater independence on the store level. Starbucks national minimum wage for baristas stands at $12 per hour, though Chicagos minimum wage is $15 per hour for employees of large businesses. This summer, the company will raise its wage floor to $15 per hour for baristas, and says hourly employees will average just under $17 per hour. I would just like to say to Howard Schultz and the rest of the company that we all know you care about your partners, Simandl said. What were asking for is just a better and more protected say in how we can work together to continue to deliver a product that people love across the world. tasoglin@chicagotribune.com An elderly Asian woman was stabbed in the back in a purportedly unprovoked attack just outside her Brooklyn home late last month, police announced on Wednesday. The incident occurred near 53rd Street and Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park on March 30 at around 1 p.m. Fang Mei Lin, 70, was heading home to pick up a medication delivery. Lin told New York Daily News through a family translator that her assailant didnt say anything while attacking her. He stabbed me in the back, right by my right kidney, she added. Right after he stabbed me, he ran away toward the avenue. It hurt. I touched it, and I saw blood. Lin was in stable condition when she was brought to NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn. A doctor said the suspects weapon poked her kidney but not all through, her translator told CBS2. The attack occurred a day before Lins 71st birthday. She said she now fears going out. I want the police to catch this guy no matter if hes white or Asian, Lin told the Daily News. I want to know why this guy did this to me. If the police dont catch this person there will be more and more victims. It can happen to anybody. The NYPD released a surveillance image of the suspect on Wednesday. Officers are urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! NYC woman charged with multiple anti-Asian hate crimes held without bail First Arab American Woman Debuts in NASCAR New Jersey mom spent over $10,000 on 3,000 Christmas gifts for needy kids Ex-officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane found guilty of violating George Floyds civil rights (Bloomberg) -- The European Union banned coal imports from Russia in its first move targeting Moscows crucial energy revenue, but some member states say the bloc needs to do much more to punish Moscow for atrocities in Ukraine. Most Read from Bloomberg The sanctions package, which also includes prevents most Russian trucks and ships from entering the EU, was signed off by the blocs diplomats Thursday, France announced. It was also coordinated with the U.S. and the U.K. The bloc had held back from hitting Russias energy sector in previous sanctions rounds after Germany and Hungary blocked the move given their reliance on Russian fossil fuels. Some member states continue to push for further measures on Russian energy imports and oil in particular, with countries due to discuss ideas like an escrow account to freeze additional profits driven by oil price rises since the start of the war. EU nations sparred over the length of the phase-in period for the coal ban, as well as a growing list of exemptions to proposed trade bans before agreeing to the overall package, according to people familiar with the matter. The sanctions package wasnt enough to satisfy some EU nations, particularly when Europe continues to buy significant amounts of Russian oil and gas. Time is working against Europe because were losing our credibility by paying money to Russia, by helping it fight against Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told Lithuanian journalists in Brussels on Thursday, LRT reported. The ban may benefit U.S. miners that are likely to be called upon to increase exports to Europe. Peabody Energy Corp., the biggest American producer, and Arch Resources Inc., the second-biggest supplier, both gained more than 5.8% Thursday in New York on news of the EUs approval. However, they may struggle to significantly increase shipments. Most of their output has already been sold through long-term contracts and labor shortages and transportation bottlenecks will make it difficult to boost production. Story continues As part of the package, the EU targeted more than a dozen entities in the defense sector and four banks that had been cut off from the SWIFT global payments system but hadnt yet been fully sanctioned, including VTB Bank PJSC. The measures enter into force once published in the EUs official journal. The bloc is also strengthening its export control measures, with further restrictions on key technologies such as cloud computing and LNG equipment. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this week the action on coal would amount to 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) a year. Companies would be allowed four months to wind down contracts before theyd be banned from entering new ones, according to two people. As war continues, Russia faces a long descent into economic, financial & technological isolation, von der Leyen tweeted. Member states also agreed to start work immediately on a sixth package of sanctions, with several countries pushing to include oil restrictions in the next round, the people said. Russian coal imports will be sanctioned but even more important are assurances by the European Commission and the readiness of a majority of member states to start work on sanctioning imports of oil, gas and nuclear fuel, Polands ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sados, told reporters in Brussels late Thursday. The preparatory work will begin tomorrow. (Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP the parent company of Bloomberg News committed $500 million to Beyond Carbon, a campaign aimed at closing the remaining coal-fired power plants in the U.S. by 2030 and halting the development of new natural gas-fired plants. He also started a campaign to close a quarter of the worlds remaining coal plants and cancel all proposed coal plants by 2025.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Activists on the coal freighter "Grand T," which is loaded with Russian coal, on its way to Hamburg, Germany. Daniel Bockwoldt/Picture Alliance/Getty Images The EU is planning a ban on Russian coal in response to the invasion of Ukraine. A source told Reuters that the proposal had been changed so the ban would come into effect a month later than planned. This was the result of pressure from Germany, the source said. The European Union's plan to ban Russian coal is expected to come into effect a month later than initially planned due to pressure from Germany, an EU source told Reuters. European envoys are set to vote on the plan on Thursday. The source told Reuters that the plan was changed so that the ban would take place in mid-August, a month later than planned. The Reuters report did not give more details on the apparent pressure from Germany. Germany is heavily reliant on Russian coal, oil, and gas. Earlier this month it was preparing to ration its natural-gas supply amid a standoff over payments to Russia. The proposed ban on Russian coal comes as part of the EU's fifth round of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, which also proposes a reduction in how much oil the bloc imports from Russia. The plan does not mention natural gas imports from Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that an EU import ban on Russian coal would cost Russia 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) a year. EU countries have been trying to find a way to reduce their dependence on Russian fuel, for which they pay Russia billions of dollars, that would not find themselves short of energy and severely damage their economies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized Western countries for not acting fast enough in cutting off Russian energy imports. Read the original article on Business Insider Former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) will join the Crypto Council for Innovation as its chief political affairs strategist, the industry trade group said Thursday. The council, which is backed by crypto exchanges Coinbase and Gemini and several crypto investment firms, announced Gardners hire alongside a slate of new executives. Gardner will lead political strategy and will not lobby lawmakers, the group said. The combined leadership and global experience of our new team members will fortify CCIs expertise in a crucial moment, both within our organization and across the crypto industry worldwide, Sheila Warren, the groups CEO, said in a statement. The crypto industry is dramatically ramping up its lobbying presence in Washington, D.C., as it seeks to help shape crypto regulations. The number of lobbyists representing crypto has nearly tripled over the last three years, a list that now includes several former senators and top financial regulators, according to a report from Public Citizen released last month. Crypto advocates lobbying spending quadrupled from 2018 to 2021. The industry suffered its first lobbying defeat last year, when the final bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law included a transaction reporting requirement that crypto advocates warned could cripple digital asset innovation if implemented incorrectly. Gardner, a one-term senator, chaired the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and led the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2017 to 2019. He lost his reelection bid to Democrat John Hickenlooper in 2020 Last year, Gardner joined the board of Michael Best Strategies, a lobbying firm run by former Trump White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A former Trump administration official slammed the six Republicans who voted against a Russian war crimes bill in the House on Wednesday, labelling the group Vlads guys. Miles Taylor, an ex-chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security under Trump and a former government official within George W Bushs administration, condemned the six representatives who voted against the act, which passed with an overwhelming majority. Six Republicans voted AGAINST a bill to preserve evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. This is the GOP pro-Putin wing. Or as I like to call them, Vlads Cover-Up Crew, he wrote on his personal Twitter account, before listing all six Republicans who voted nay. The representatives who voted against the bill include: Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona. Ms Greene defended her vote, saying: HR 7276 would hand over authority & our intelligence to the ICJ & ICC - international courts that could put our military on trial. Six Republicans voted AGAINST a bill to preserve evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. This is the GOP pro-Putin wing. Or as I like to call them, Vlads Cover-Up Crew: Andy Biggs Warren Davidson Paul Gosar Marjorie Taylor Greene Tom Massie Scott Perry Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) April 7, 2022 I will not vote for globalism & the slow slide to become a one world government. I will only vote to protect America, our military, & our borders. The bill, which will now head to the Senate, was introduced on 29 March and seeks to collect, analyse and preserve evidence and information related to war crimes and any other atrocities committed since Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, the bill reads. The passage of the bill in the House, which saw only those six Republican representatives oppose it, arrives after a week when foreign media was provided a horrifying glimpse into the sieged villages outside Kyiv that were reclaimed from Russian occupation in recent days. Story continues The videos and photographs captured relay a violent aftermath, with some officials saying the alleged mass graves, dead bodies with bound hands, burned corpses and targeted civilians could amount to war crimes. In the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, it goes one step further and asserts that the Russian soldiers are intentionally targeting civilians at nonmilitary outposts, such as apartment buildings, schools and hospitals, and that they are wantonly taking civilians hostage while deporting others to Russia. Today, the House voted to condemn the atrocious actions carried out by Russian forces, under the direction of Vladimir Putin, in areas under their control in Ukraine," House majority leader Steny Hoyer said in a statement after the passage of the bill. The images we have now seen from Bucha and other places as well as the continued brutal attacks on civilians in Mariupol and Russias prevention of humanitarian aid reaching those who need it are shocking the conscience of our country and the world. Earlier in the vote, there had been seven House Republicans who had indicated they were voting nay on the measure, but Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney later said it was a mistake and that she would amend her vote to a yea. Mr Taylor is no stranger to critiquing those from within his own party lines. In 2018, he famously penned The New York Times opinion piece under his then pseudonym of Anonymous, in which he outlined how a resistance of Trump insiders were attempting to buttress against some of the former presidents more extreme policies. He then went on to write a book, under the same name of Anonymous where he continued on that same theme of revealing his experiences from inside the White House during the Trump administration. Clarence Wayne Dixon was convicted and sentenced to death in the rape, stabbing and strangulation of 21-year-old Deana Bowdoin at her Tempe apartment in 1978. Dixon wasn't sentenced for this crime until January 2008. He had been serving a life sentence in an Arizona state prison for a 1986 sexual-assault conviction when police found new DNA evidence that connected him to the Bowdoin case. There are two things we know for sure about death row inmate Clarence Dixon, whom the state of Arizona hopes to execute in May. First, he is a stone-cold rapist and murderer. Second, he is seriously mentally ill. There was a long and ugly history of abuse during Dixons upbringing on the Navajo reservation. The kind of stuff that best serves as an explanation, but not as an excuse. Dixon received the death penalty for the murder of Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. A lovely young woman with a bright future, murdered at 21. The murder shouldn't have happened Just two days before Bowdoin was murdered Dixon was in court facing charges that hed attacked another woman. The Superior Court judge hearing the case was eventual Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor. She ruled Dixon not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors should have followed up on that by immediately commencing civil commitment proceedings for Dixon, which OConnor wanted, but that didnt happen and Dixon simply was released from a state hospital. He was linked to Bowdoins murder years later by DNA evidence. He then fired his court appointed attorneys over some delusional beliefs about the evidence against him and was permitted to represent himself. Given his mental health, winding up on death row was a foregone conclusion. The ultimate penalty for the ultimate crime? When the Arizona Supreme Court issued the warrant of execution for Dixon, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a statement reading in part, I made a promise to Arizona voters that people who commit the ultimate crime get the ultimate punishment. Actually, we know that is not true. The fact is that hardly any of those who commit the ultimate crime receive the ultimate punishment. And for good reason. We reserve the death penalty for the worst of the worst, knowing that execution leaves no room for errors. And errors have been made. In 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing individuals with intellectual disabilities violated the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Story continues But, somehow, a mental health loophole remains. So Dixon, in his 60s, blind and with other ailments, can be executed. Do we rise above or sink to a killer's level? So its not a matter of could we, but should we? Dixons attorney Jennifer Moreno issued a statement saying in part, The execution of Mr. Dixon a severely mentally ill, visually disabled, and physically frail member of the Navajo Nation is unconscionable. The way we determine if the punishment fits the crime and the criminal is meant to be carefully considered, balanced, deliberate, circumspect, reasoned. Executing Dixon is just the opposite. Its acting like him. Whether its legal or not we know that killing a mentally ill person is, in and of itself, crazy. When dispensing justice to someone who committed what Brnovich calls the ultimate crime, we shouldnt sink to the level of the killer. Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. For more opinions content, please subscribe. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Executing a mentally ill Arizona death row inmate is, itself, insane By John McCrank NEW YORK (Reuters) - The West's punishment of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine ramped up this week following the discovery of civilians shot dead at close range in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, seized from Russian forces. Below are details on Western sanctions so far: BANKS & FINANCIAL FIRMS The U.S. imposed "full blocking sanctions" on Sberbank, which holds one-third of Russia's total banking assets, and Alfabank, the country's fourth largest financial institution. That means U.S. persons cannot do business with the lenders, while any of their assets that touch the U.S financial system are frozen. Britain also on Wednesday froze Sberbank's assets. U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday was set to sign an executive order prohibiting new investment in Russia by U.S. persons, which includes a ban on venture capital and mergers, U.S. officials said. Previous sanctions by the U.S., Britain and other Western allies in the days following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which it calls "a special military operation," kicked the vast majority of Russian banking assets out of those countries, although some activities were allowed to continue. U.S. banks were required to sever correspondent banking ties, which allow banks to make payments between one another, with Sberbank. Russian lenders VTB, Otkritie, Novikombank and Sovcombank, were also subject to full blocking sanctions. European Union sanctions hit 70% of the Russian banking system. INDIVIDUALS The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's wife and daughter, and senior members of Russia's security council. Separately, the U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday said it charged Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with violating existing sanctions, saying he provided financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea. Story continues The U.S. government on Feb. 25 joined European countries in slapping sanctions on Putin and Lavrov. More than 100 Russian elites, including members of Putin's inner circle, members of the Russian parliament, and Russian executives and businessmen, have been sanctioned since Feb. 24 by Western nations. SWIFT BAR The United States, Britain, Europe and Canada in February and March blocked certain Russian lenders' access to the SWIFT international payment system, preventing the lenders from conducting most of their financial transactions worldwide. The move also placed restrictions on the Russian central bank's international reserves, the nations said in a joint statement. SWIFT is used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries. SOVEREIGN DEBT & CAPITAL MARKETS This week, the United States stopped the Russian government from paying holders of its sovereign debt more than $600 million from reserves held at U.S. banks. Under earlier sanctions, foreign currency reserves held by the Russian central bank at U.S. lenders were frozen, but the Treasury had allowed Moscow to use those funds to make coupon payments on dollar-denominated sovereign debt on a case-by-case basis. On Monday, Washington decided to cut off Moscow's access to the funds, according to a U.S. Treasury spokesperson. In late February, Britain, the European Union and the United States put new restrictions on dealing in Russian sovereign debt. Britain announced a ban on Russian sovereign debt sales in London, the European Union banned EU investors from trading in Russian state bonds, and U.S. investors, who were already barred from investing in Russian sovereign debt directly, were banned from purchasing it in the secondary market from March 1. ENERGY U.S. President Biden on March 8 imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports and Britain said it would phase out imports through the end of 2022. Berlin on Feb. 22 halted the certification of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline project designed to double the flow of Russian gas direct to Germany. The following day the United States imposed sanctions on the company in charge of building the pipeline. The United States and the EU already had sanctions in place following Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea on Russia's energy and defense sectors, with state-owned gas company Gazprom, its oil arm Gazpromneft and oil producers Lukoil, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz facing various types of curbs on exports/imports and debt-raising. CURBING TECHNOLOGY Sanctions proposed by the European Union on Tuesday, which the bloc's 27 member states must approve, would bar Russian imports worth 9 billion euros ($9.8 billion) and exports to Russia worth 10 billion euros, including semiconductors and computers, and stop Russian ships entering EU ports. The EU earlier vowed to introduce measures to crimp Russia's technological position in key areas - from high-tech components to cutting-edge software. The U.S. Commerce Department imposed export controls that severely restrict Russias access to semiconductors, computers, telecommunications, information security equipment, lasers, and sensors that it needs to sustain its military capabilities. Similar measures were deployed during the Cold War, when sanctions kept the Soviet Union technologically backward and crimped economic growth. (Reporting by John McCrank in New York, Michelle Price in Washington, Karin Strohecker and Catherine Belton in London; Editing by Chris Reese) Finland seized tens of millions of dollars worth of artwork on its way to Russia due to the European Union sanctions imposed on the country. Finnish Customs announced Wednesday the agency took hold of the artwork between April 1 and April 2. The paintings and sculptures were in three shipments that came from Italy and Japan, passing through Finland on its way to Russia. The E.U. sanctions on Russia include a ban of the transportation of works of arts, allowing Finland to seize the property. It is important that the enforcement of sanctions works effectively, Sami Rakshit, Director of Finnish Customs Enforcement Department, said. The enforcement of sanctions is part of our normal operations and we always direct our controls based on risks. The shipments that have now come under criminal investigation were detected as part of our customary enforcement work. Reuters reports the artwork was worth $46 million, with Russia claiming the works were loaned to Italy. The artwork came from The Hermitage Museum and Tsarskoye Selo state museum in St. Petersburg, along with the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russian-state media reported, per Reuters. The seizure of the artworks adds to a long list of Russian properties that have been sanctioned and captured by the West. The U.S. government, aided Spanish authorities, seized the yacht of a Russian oligarch this week, the first such seizure after a pledge by President Biden to go after elites ill-begotten gains. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Recount Governor Ron DeSantis claimed that the Florida Department of Education will not let ideology be injected into the math textbooks. In a statement released by the education department on April 15, it said that 54 textbooks were kept out of the states adopted list among the 132 submitted ones. The rejected books made up around 41% of the submissions and contained references to critical race theory among other reasons. PARIS (Reuters) - Russia's ambassador to France was summoned on Thursday to the Foreign Ministry in Paris after his embassy tweeted a picture claiming to be a film-set in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where the killing of civilians has triggered a global outcry. The tweet, which has since been deleted, appeared to show people preparing to shoot a film, with the words "Film set, Bucha town" written above the image. The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is the third time in as many weeks that Paris has called in the envoy. The embassy previously posted a picture depicting a body lying on a table called "Europe" with characters representing the United States and European Union jabbing needles into it. "In the face of the indecency and provocation of the communication of the Russian embassy in France on the acts perpetrated in Bucha, I have decided to summon .... the ambassador of Russia," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement. President Emmanuel Macron has sought to keep dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He speaks regularly with Putin as part of efforts to get a ceasefire and begin a credible negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow. Macron has faced criticism for maintaining that channel. The French presidency says the contact is at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Bucha, 37 km (23 miles) northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian troops for more than a month following the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Local officials say more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, and around 50 of them were executed. The Kremlin says Western allegations Russian forces committed war crimes by executing civilians in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery," aimed at justifying more financial sanctions against Russia. Speaking on Wednesday, Macron defended his continued dialogue with Putin after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki berated him for talking to the Russian leader, saying nobody negotiated with Hitler. "I think it is my duty. It's neither complicity or naivety," Macron said on broadcaster TF1, accusing Morawiecki of backing far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday's presidential election. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) The new chair of the National Endowment for the Arts will visit Chicago this weekend. Maria Rosario Jackson, who was nominated by President Biden last October and became head of the NEA in January, will take part in a panel discussion Friday at the National Museum of Mexican Art and deliver a keynote address for Expo Chicago Saturday. According to an announcement Wednesday from the Washington, D.C.-based NEA, she will also be meeting with city leaders and arts funders to talk about the recovery of the arts and cultural sector. NMMA: Discussing the role of the arts in supporting equitable communities and economic development. Hosted by the NMMA in collaboration with Arts Alliance Illinois, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Illinois Arts Council Agency. Deepa Gupta of the National Council on the Arts will moderate, with panelists including Jackson, DCASE commissioner Erin Harkey, artist Tonika Johnson, and Vanessa Sanchez, the director of Yollocalli Arts Reach at NMMA. 3 p.m. Friday at National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W 19th St.; free, www.eventbrite.com Advertisement Expo Chicago: Keynote address (not open to the public) at the directors summit for the exposition of contemporary and modern art now in Chicago in Navy Piers Festival Hall. Saturday morning at University Club of Chicago, 76 E. Monroe St.; public programs begin later in the day at 2 p.m.; www.expochicago.com dgeorge@chicagotribune.com PARIS (Reuters) -A French court of appeals upheld a 150 million euro fine levied against Alphabet's Google for abusing its power over the treatment of advertisers, a spokesperson for the U.S. firm said on Thursday. France's antitrust watchdog, which levied the fine in 2019, said in its decision then that Google applied opaque advertising rules and changed them at will. It was the first penalty imposed by the competition authority against Google. "Following the (French competition authority's) original decision we already made some changes to make these policies even clearer and will now study the court's ruling in detail and consider our next steps," Google's spokesperson said. Two of the watchdog's orders that accompanied the 150 million-euro fine were overturned, Google said. The first revoked an order that compelled it to put in place a tool allowing French consumers to file complaints. The second overturned order made it compulsory for Google to issue an annual report detailing the number of websites whose Google Ads accounts were suspended for breaching its rules and the nature of the rules that were breached. Google Ads is the gateway for advertisers that wish to appear in the sponsored section of search results. (Reporting by Mathieu RosemainEditing by GV De Clercq and Chizu Nomiyama) BERLIN (AP) Two former German ministers said Thursday they have submitted a criminal complaint with federal prosecutors seeking the opening of a war crimes probe against Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, over Russia's actions in the war in Ukraine. It comes as the weekly Der Spiegel reports that Germany's foreign intelligence agency has intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians in Ukraine. Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and former Interior Minister Gerhart Baum said they want to use German laws allowing prosecution of serious crimes committed abroad to bring to justice those they consider responsible for atrocities in Ukraine. Germany's application of the rule of universal jurisdiction led to the first conviction of a senior Syrian official for crimes against humanity earlier this year. Lawyer Nikolaos Gazeas, who compiled the 140-page criminal complaint on their behalf, said it targets not just Putin's Russian leadership and the 32 members of his security council, but also a whole series of members of the Russian military. The crimes detailed in the complaint range from the attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine to the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, he said. Gazeas added that federal prosecutors could also use information obtained by intelligence agencies when deciding whether to launch a case. He cited specifically a report Thursday by Der Spiegel that said Germany's BND intelligence agency has intercepted Russian military radio traffic in which soldiers may have discussed specific killings of civilians in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv. Russia has denied that its troops were involved in war crimes before they withdrew from Bucha. But the radio recordings the BND shared with German lawmakers on Wednesday recounted specific killings, including the shooting of a person on a bicycle, Spiegel reported. Story continues The recordings also indicated that the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was involved in atrocities there, the weekly reported. German government officials declined to confirm or deny the report, saying intelligence matters are not discussed publicly. While prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have also launched an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine, Gazeas said parallel probes in multiple jurisdictions made sense and could be mutually reinforcing. The complaint specifically alleges crimes against humanity and war crimes, but not the crime of committing a war of aggression, which Germany only prosecutes if the country itself is attacked or German citizens are involved. The law is a weapon in this situation, said Baum, the former interior minister. And we want to use it. ___ Follow all AP stories on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. BERLIN (Reuters) -The German government has indications that Russia was involved in the killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha based on satellite images, a security source said on Thursday. German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages from Russian military sources discussing the killing of civilians in Bucha. "It's true that the federal government has indications of Russian perpetration in Bucha," said the source. "However, these findings on Bucha refer to satellite images. The radio transmissions cannot be clearly assigned to Bucha." The source did not elaborate. He said there was no indication of an order from the Russian armed forces' general staff regarding Bucha. Bucha, 37 km (23 miles) northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian troops for more than a month following their Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Local officials say more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha alone, and around 50 of them were executed. Moscow denies the accusations. Spiegel said the German intelligence office had intercepted the radio messages and presented the findings in parliament on Wednesday, without giving a source for the information. Spiegel also said there were additional sound recordings whose physical origin was harder to pinpoint, which it said suggested similar events had occurred in other Ukrainian cities. The BND foreign intelligence office declined to comment on the matter. A German government spokesperson declined to comment on the Spiegel report. Ukraine has accused Russia of genocide and war crimes. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Western allegations Russian forces executed civilians in Bucha are a "monstrous forgery" meant to discredit the Russian army and justify new Western sanctions. Russia casts the evidence of civilian executions as a cynical ploy by Ukraine and its Western backers, who Moscow says are gripped by discriminatory anti-Russian paranoia. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Nick Macfie) Germany says it has intercepted Russian radio conversations that talk about killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Germanys foreign intelligence service, the BND, said it obtained two separate communications that feature discussions among Russian soldiers about how they interrogate soldiers and civilians before shooting them, according to The Washington Post, citing an intelligence official familiar with the findings. German magazine Der Spiegel first reported on the intercepted intelligence. Bucha, located northwest of Kyiv, has become a focal point in Russias invasion of Ukraine after photos surfaced last weekend of bodies in the streets. Top international figures have condemned the indiscriminate killings, and some countries are now calling for further sanctions on Moscow. President Biden on Monday said he believes Russia has committed war crimes in Bucha. Sources told the Post that the radio conversations may be a clue that personnel from the Wagner Group, a private military unit with connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his associates, may have been involved in the killings of civilians. Individuals on at least two parliamentary committees were reportedly informed by German intelligence officials of the findings, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the process. A BND spokesperson declined to comment to the Post, and a spokesman for the government, Steffen Hebestreit, suggested to the newspaper that there are credible indications that Russian personnel in Bucha were questioning prisoners who were subsequently executed, citing insights that we have. Reports of German intelligence intercepting Russian communications come after the Post reported that Russian troops deployed in Ukraine are utilizing insecure communication gadgets, which could put them in greater danger of being targeted. Russias invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth week on Thursday. Moscows forces have seized some cities in Ukraine, though its efforts have stalled in others because of the staunch Ukrainian opposition. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Aisha Aslam, center, the principal at Orange Crescent School, invited family and friends over to her home on April 6 to break their fast together for Ramadan. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Ramadan is a time for prayer, fasting and gratitude. But the Islamic holy month is not only about giving up food and water between sunrise and sunset. It's also about giving back to the community. One way this happens is through zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam, which asks Muslims to contribute a portion of their wealth to those in need. "During Ramadan, there's often lots of opportunities and challenges to participate in that charitable giving," said Maimona Afzal Berta, a school board member in the San Jose area who became the first hijabi Muslim elected to office in California in 2018. But it's not just about financial charity. "From a religious aspect, even a smile can act as charity," she said. "So it's about finding ways to promote charitable acts, whether it's giving your time, giving resources or donating money your excess wealth to causes." We want to share your stories of helping the community. Tell us by filling out the form below. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Google announced today that it's rolling out a new "multisearch" feature that allows users to search using text and images at the same time via Google Lens, the companys image recognition technology. Google first teased the functionality last September at its Search On event and said it would be launching the feature in the coming months after testing and evaluation. Starting today, the new multisearch functionality is available as a beta feature in English in the United States. To get started, you need to open the Google app on Android or iOS, tap the Lens camera icon and either search one of your screenshots or take a photo. Then, you can swipe up and tap the "+ Add to your search" button to add text. Google notes that users should have the latest versions of the app to access the new functionality. google multisearch Image Credits: Google With the new multisearch feature, you can ask a question about an object in front of you or refine your search results by color, brand or visual attributes. Google told TechCrunch that the new feature currently has the best results for shopping searches, with more use cases to come in the future. With this initial beta launch, you can also do things beyond shopping, but it won't be perfect for every search. In practice, this is how the new feature could work. Say you found a dress that you like but aren't a fan of the color it's available in. You could pull up a photo of the dress and then add the text "green" in your search query to find it in your desired color. In another example, you're looking for new furniture, but want to make sure it complements your current furniture. You can take a photo of your dining set and add the text "coffee table" in your search query to find a matching table. Or, say you got a new plant and aren't sure how to properly take care of it. You could take a picture of the plant and add the text "care instructions" in your search to learn more about it. Story continues The new functionality could be especially useful for the type of queries that Google currently has trouble with where theres a visual component to what youre looking for that is hard to describe using words alone. By combining the image and the words into one query, Google may have a better shot at delivering relevant search results. multisearch Image Credits: Google "At Google, were always dreaming up new ways to help you uncover the information youre looking for no matter how tricky it might be to express what you need," Google said in a blog post about the announcement. "Thats why today, were introducing an entirely new way to search: using text and images at the same time. With multisearch on Lens, you can go beyond the search box and ask questions about what you see." Google says the new functionality is made possible by its latest advancements in artificial intelligence. The company is also exploring ways in which multisearch could be enhanced by MUM, its latest AI model in Search. Multitask Unified Model, or MUM, can simultaneously understand information across a wide range of formats, including text, images and videos, and draw insights and connections between topics, concepts and ideas. Todays announcement comes a week after Google announced its rolling out improvements to its AI model to make Google Search a safer experience and one thats better at handling sensitive queries, including those around topics like suicide, sexual assault, substance abuse and domestic violence. Its also using other AI technologies to improve its ability to remove unwanted explicit or suggestive content from Search results when people arent specifically seeking it out. While conservative heat has for three years focused on the past business activities of President Biden's son Hunter, a key Senate Republican told CBS News this week that newly obtained banking records raise similar concerns about first brother James Biden. "We have people with the Biden name, dealing with Chinese business people that have a relationship to the Communist Party," Senator Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge. "I think James Biden was very much a part of this." Bank records released by Republican senators this week indicate James Biden's company, the Lion Hall Group, received payments from a Chinese-financed consulting group in 2018, before his brother Joe announced he was running for president. Grassley says that same year James Biden and the president's son, Hunter, received monthly retainers totaling $165,000 $100,000 to Hunter and $65,000 to James. Grassley said his team obtained the records directly from the bank where the consulting group did business. He has spent three years investigating and described James and Hunter Biden's business dealings as "very concerning." FILE: Joe Biden, left, and his brother James Biden during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. / Credit: Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images In a September 2020 report with Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, Grassley alleged Hunter, James, and James's wife Sara tapped into a line of credit Hunter set up with a Chinese business executive to purchase more than $100,000 in airline tickets, hotels and restaurants. Newly released records from Republican investigators show what appears to be the 2017 application for that $99,000 line of credit bearing the signatures of Hunter Biden and the Chinese executive. "These records we got are the first records that have ever been made public on this issue. Nobody else has them," Grassley said. CBS News has also learned more than 150 financial transactions involving either Hunter or James Biden's global business affairs were flagged as concerning by U.S. banks for further review. Some of those concerns included large wire transfers. Such banking reviews could point to deeper problems or they could prove innocuous. Information shared with CBS News does not indicate the outcome of the banking reviews. Story continues In 2019, a bank handling business for members of the Trump family flagged multiple transactions for similar reviews, according to reports in The New York Times. A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization said at the time that company officials were not aware of the flagged transactions. James Biden's name surfaced last year in connection to a separate international business venture, which he abandoned after a White House ethics review flagged it for potentially involving conflicts of interest. Family members of the president are required to notify the White House counsel's office of business engagements, which are then reviewed for conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts. The office then advises the family members on its findings and they make decisions about how to proceed. James Biden, 72, has reportedly been involved with a number of finance and business ventures, including insurance and political consulting jobs even an interest in a nightclub. President Biden has said he was not involved in the business dealings of his son and brother, and there has been no evidence that has emerged to refute this. "I have not taken a penny from any foreign source, ever, in my life," Mr. Biden said in October 2020 at a presidential debate. Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen, criticized Hunter and James Bidens' Chinese business dealings. "I think Hunter and James Biden should not have entered into those relationships, full stop," Weissman said. "To the extent those occurred while Joe Biden was the vice president, there's a worry that they hope to get something direct from the Obama administration." Weissman added that even after Biden was vice president, there should still have been concern about the potential for "investing in these family members to get future benefits in the possibility that Joe Biden would become president later on." Weissman pointed to apparent conflicts of interest that arose during former President Donad Trump's tenure and criticized politicians. "I think during the Trump administration, we saw conflicts of an order of magnitude with no precedent in American history. And Republicans did not complain," Weissman said. "Now, there are legitimate issues being raised about Hunter Biden and they're screaming about them. But there's an obvious hypocrisy." Hunter Biden's attorney did not respond to requests for comment. CBS News reached out to two lawyers who have represented James Biden, but they did not respond.The White House chief of staff said Sunday in an interview with ABC News that the actions of Hunter and James Biden are private matters that do not involve the president. Federal officials have confirmed that Hunter Biden is the focus of an ongoing investigation out of the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware. The probe is centered on tax and other financial issues. A 2019 federal subpoena obtained by CBS News shows the criminal probe in Delaware has sought Hunter and James Bidens' bank records dating back to 2014, when Joe Biden was vice president. House wants U.S. probe of Russian war crimes in Ukraine: CBS News Flash April 7, 2022 London Calling: Global energy prices derail fight against climate change China changes Shanghai COVID lockdown rules amid backlash A Republican-sponsored measure to protect patient visitation rights during a pandemic is headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzkers desk after receiving unanimous approval in the state Senate Wednesday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families were unable to be by their loved ones sides during their final moments, said state Rep. Chris Bos, a Lake Zurich Republican, who sponsored the legislation in the House. If signed into law, the bill would require health care facilities to allow patients to receive least one visitor, regardless of whether the governor has declared a public health-related disaster. This bill came out of those stories, Bos said on the House floor earlier this week. This is an opportunity for us as a body to take a look back. We all acted and reacted at the beginning of COVID-19 because we had to. If we dont look back to make those changes, shame on us. Hospitals and long-term care facilities including nursing homes would be able to set guidelines for visitors, such as requiring health screenings, mask-wearing and vaccination. If a health care facility determined a visitor posed a risk to patients or workers, they could be denied visitation, though the denial would have to be given in writing. Prior to Wednesdays unanimous vote in the Senate, the bill passed the House 105-3 Monday, with three lawmakers voting present. Rep. Carol Ammons, an Urbana Democrat who opposed the measure, said the bill usurps the governors authority. I get the point about making sure family members are not alone, Ammons said. But the governor has to have the ability and authority to make decisions in the best interest of all persons in the state. Rep. Cyril Nichols, a Chicago Democrat who supported the bill, took issue with Ammons, saying that line of debate pointed to lawmakers tendency to complicate a lot of simplistic things. Nichols said he had recently spent 30 days with his mother in the hospital and could not imagine not being with her. Story continues Legislators on both sides of the aisle told of not being allowed to visit family members because of Pritzkers COVID-19 regulations. Republican Rep. Dan Ugaste, of Geneva, said his wife wasnt allowed to visit her mother for more than three months before her death. These were ladies whod speak three times a day, only for the purpose of saying hello to each other, Ugaste said. It wasnt until she was completely comatose that Ugastes wife was able to see her, the representative said. That is inhumane in and of itself. This is not about governor powers, not about executive authority, he said. cspaulding@chicagotribune.com LANSING, Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sued Thursday to protect abortion rights, asking a Michigan court to recognize a right to abortion under the state constitution and to overturn a 176-year-old ban in the state that may take effect if the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. The Democratic governors preemptive lawsuit, which was filed in Oakland County against prosecutors in 13 counties with an abortion clinic, came as the U.S. Supreme Courts conservative majority considers allowing states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy and potentially overturning the right. Advertisement The governor, who is up for reelection this year, was expected to request that the Michigan Supreme Court quickly take the case rather than let it wind through lower trial and appellate courts. A favorable decision could enable abortions to continue in Michigan after the federal high court rules. It was important for us to take action now, to ensure that women and providers across the state of Michigan know whether abortions will still be available in the state because it impacts their lives and our health care providers practices. Its crucial that we take this action now to secure and ensure that the Michigan Constitution protects this right that we have had available for 49 years, Whitmer told The Associated Press, saying nearly 2.2 million women may lose access to a safe, legal medical procedure. Advertisement Michigan is among eight states with an unenforced abortion ban that was enacted before the 1973 Roe decision legalized abortion nationwide. States on both sides of the abortion issue have been taking a variety of steps to prepare for Roe being eroded or rescinded. Michigans 1931 law, which dates to an 1846 ban, makes it a felony to use an instrument or administer any substance with the intent to procure the miscarriage of a woman unless necessary to preserve her life. Whitmer wants the Michigan Supreme Court to declare a state constitutional right to abortion and to strike down the 1931 law, which could go back into effect if Roe is overturned or weakened. The lawsuit argues that the law is invalid under the due process and equal protection clauses of the state constitution. Michigan could soon be left with a near-total ban without even exceptions for rape and incest one of the most extreme laws in the country, Whitmer said. Her call to repeal the law has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Legislature. The state high court has four Democratic and three Republican justices. Whitmer will ask that the court intervene in part to avoid legal uncertainty when the federal high court issues its ruling on Mississippis ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The complaint says that while the Michigan Supreme Court in 1973 ruled that Roe limited the effect of the state ban, the right to abortion has been undermined over 50 years of litigation in federal courts. The states high court has not said whether the state constitution protects the right. The Michigan Court of Appeals, in 1997, ruled there is no state constitutional right to abortion a reason the Michigan Supreme Court should step in immediately, according to her office. The lawsuit points to substantial ambiguity about what the state ban prohibits. Advertisement Abortion rights advocates have launched a ballot drive to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution but need about 425,000 voter signatures to put the initiative on the November ballot. Also Thursday, seven Democratic county prosecutors who were named in the lawsuit pledged to not enforce the anti-abortion law. We cannot and will not support criminalizing reproductive freedom or creating unsafe, untenable situations for health care providers and those who seek abortions in our communities, said the elected prosecutors in Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Washtenaw, Ingham, Kalamazoo and Marquette counties. Instead, we will continue to dedicate our limited resources towards the prosecution of serious crimes and the pursuit of justice for all. The other six elected prosecutors who were sued are Republicans. Associated Press writer Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan, contributed to this report. FIRST ON FOX: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Thursday welcomed Russias suspension from the controversial U.N. Human Rights Council and said that other countries with poor human rights records should be next in line to be kicked off the body. "Todays UN vote kicking Russia off the UN Human Rights Council is the right thing to do," Haley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "When you give war criminals a seat at the table, the council loses all credibility." UN SUSPENDS RUSSIA FROM HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL FOLLOWING ALLEGED BUCHA, UKRAINE ATROCITIES She then added: "Now do Venezuela, Cuba, and China." All three also sit on the Council. The U.N.s General Assembly voted earlier Thursday to suspend Russia from the Geneva-based council following global outrage stemming from alleged atrocities recently committed by Russian troops in Bucha, Ukraine . A total of 93 members of the assembly voted in favor of the measure, while 24 were against and 58 abstained. Those who voted against the resolution included Russia's regional ally Belarus, China, North Korea, Iran and Syria. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield had made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES "We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable," Thomas-Greenfield had said Monday. "Russias participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce." Haley is a consistent critic of the Council, and was serving as U.N. Ambassador when the Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of the Council in 2018. She has noted the bodys anti-Israel bias and the human rights abusers like China, Russia and Venezuela who sit on the council despite their records. She has repeatedly referred to the Council as a "cesspool." Story continues The Biden administration re-applied to enter the Council and regained its seat earlier this year, a move Haley slammed as "embarrassing and "dangerous." In February, Haley for the Biden administration to push back against Russias membership, given the ongoing aggression towards Ukraine. "The Biden administration rushed to get back on the Human Rights Council right after Russia joined it," Haley said. "They should call for Russia to be expelled immediately." Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report. Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody is attending the FBIs National Academy for law enforcement leaders in Virginia through June 9, city officials announced. Assistant Police Chief Kenny Howell is serving as acting chief, according to a news release. Howell worked for 22 years in the New Haven Police Department and three years as police chief in Millbury, Massachusetts. The National Academy includes courses on managing organizational change, advanced investigative strategies for violent crime, advanced concepts of wellness and vitality, breaking barriers and building community, leading at-risk employees, emotional intelligence, the cyber threat landscape for law enforcement, critical incident leadership, the psychology of communication, critical analysis of present-day policing, among others. We are very proud of Chief Thodys selection, Mayor Luke Bronin said. This is a time of swift change and enormous challenge in policing nationally, and Chief Thodys participation in this academy presents an important opportunity to ensure that the Hartford Police Department remains a leader in adopting and implementing best practices. I am honored to have been selected for this prestigious training, Thody said. This is an opportunity to better myself and the department so we can collectively better serve the Hartford community... I am excited to learn from the diverse group of instructors and attendees and share our Hartford successes and experiences with them. Thody will keep in touch with city and police administrators, attending meetings remotely, and return on some weekends to attend city events and catch up on necessary paperwork, the release said. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A haunting image of red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside, with a rainbow in the background, commemorating children who died at a residential school created to assimilate Indigenous children in Canada won the prestigious World Press Photo award Thursday. The image was one of a series of the Kamloops Residential School shot by Canadian photographer Amber Bracken for The New York Times. It is a kind of image that sears itself into your memory. It inspires a kind of sensory reaction," Global jury chair Rena Effendi said in a statement. "I could almost hear the quietness in this photograph, a quiet moment of global reckoning for the history of colonization, not only in Canada but around the world. It was not the first recognition for Bracken's work in the Amsterdam-based competition. She won first prize in the contest's Contemporary Issues category in 2017 for images of protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Her latest win came less than a week after Pope Francis made a historic apology to Indigenous peoples for the deplorable abuses they suffered in Canadas Catholic-run residential schools and begged for forgiveness. Last May, the Tkemlups te Secwepemc Nation announced the discovery of 215 gravesites near Kamloops, British Columbia. It was Canadas largest Indigenous residential school and the discovery of the graves was the first of numerous, similar grim sites across the country. So we started to have, I suppose, a personification of some of the children that went to these schools that didnt come home, Bracken said in comments released by contest organizers. Theres also these little crosses by the highway. And I knew right away that I wanted to photograph the line of these these crosses with these little childrens clothes hanging on them to commemorate and to honor those kids and to make them visible in a way that they hadnt been for a long time. Story continues Indigenous peoples elsewhere in the world featured in two other of the annual competition's top prizes. The winners were chosen out of 64,823 photographs and open format entries by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries. Together the global winners pay tribute to the past, while inhabiting the present and looking towards the future, Effendi said. Australian photographer Matthew Abbott won the Photo Story of the Year prize for a series of images for National Geographic/Panos Pictures that document how the Nawarddeken people of West Arnhem Land in northern Australia fight fire with fire by deliberately burning off undergrowth to remove fuel that could spark far larger wildfires. The Long-Term Project award went to Lalo de Almeida of Brazil for a series of photos for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures called Amazonian Dystopia that charts the effects of the exploitation of the Amazon region, particularly on Indigenous communities forced to deal with environmental degradation. In regional awards announced previously, Bram Janssen of The Associated Press won the Stories category in Asia with a series of photos from a Kabul cinema and AP photographer Dar Yasin earned an honorable mention for photos from Kashmir titled Endless War. Yasin, together with Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography for their coverage of the conflict in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Reuters Alongside her, the bridge was choked with cars and trucks, backed up across the entire 400 metre span because of extra checks from Transdniestria's separatist authorities, who have announced a state of emergency after what they say was a week of terrorist attacks aimed at drawing the region into the Ukraine war next door. Reported shootings and explosions have turned the territory of Transdniestria - long an anomaly on the post-Soviet map rarely noticed by the outside world - into the subject of international speculation that the Ukraine war could spill over frontiers. As state Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago prepared recently to plead guilty to driving under the influence charges leveled against him in Springfield, the 36-year-old called the arrest a learning experience from which he planned to grow. It was Buckners second guilty plea to DUI charges under strikingly similar circumstances, public records show. The first occurred nearly a decade earlier in Urbana. In each case, police said they found Buckner asleep behind the wheel of a running car. Nobody was hurt in either incident but the two guilty pleas raise questions for the up-and-coming state lawmaker who has said hes considering a run for Chicago mayor next year and currently represents a state House district that stretches from the Gold Coast to the Far South Side. Earlier this week, Buckner was asked by the Tribune to explain the two incidents and he said there were extenuating circumstances to the 2019 incident. I would say theres some more nuanced context to that, Buckner said when asked whether he learned anything from the 2010 DUI. He then discussed the 2019 arrest. As I said in 2019 when the situation happened, part of what I learned was that as you deal with personal stuff, I dont know how deep Ill go into this part publicly but I was shuffling back and forth between Springfield, Buckner said. My father was at that point, we thought, on his deathbed. He ended up not dying until a few months later. And, you know, I learned kind of about how to really handle stress and if you ever have to ask yourself if you should be behind the wheel the answer is just you shouldnt. Just straight up like that. The 2019 incident in Springfield has received some media coverage. In that arrest, an officer with the Illinois secretary of state police found Buckner asleep behind the wheel of his running Land Rover at a stoplight about one block from the Illinois Capitol in the early morning hours of March 29, 2019, according to a police report. Story continues A Springfield police officer arrived and reported the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath, according to the report. Buckners movements were slow and he swayed slightly. His speech was slow and he struggled to form sentences on occasion, the report stated. Buckner declined to give a breath sample to test his blood alcohol level in the 2019 incident, according to police. He pleaded guilty in that case on March 11, and was sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge, according to Sangamon County court records. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. The 2010 case, which has not received significant news coverage, occurred in Urbana. Buckner, a former University of Illinois football player who had graduated a few years earlier, was found passed out in the drivers seat of a running Honda Accord in April 2010, according to a police report. When an officer tried to wake him, Buckner took his foot off the brake and the vehicle rolled approximately one block before Buckner stepped on the brake and stopped it, police said. Asked by officers how much alcohol he had consumed, Buckner said, I drank one beer. Im not drunk. I fell asleep, according to the report. There was an empty bottle of Hennessy in the back seat of the car, according to police. After a field sobriety test and his arrest, a Breathalyzer test found Buckner to have a blood alcohol level of 0.18%, more than twice the legal limit, according to police. Buckner pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in September 2010, and was sentenced to 24 months of court supervision and 200 hours of public service, according to Champaign County court records. Buckner said he has not hidden the 2010 DUI, and said he has also spoken about it publicly, just like he has the 2019 Springfield case. Its a moment that I wasnt proud of, right, its a moment that I cant take back, Buckner told the Tribune this week. Its a moment that I can only learn from both personally, spiritually, professionally, which I have done. Buckner also was arrested in Champaign in 2007, on accusations of aggravated assault, obstructing justice and resisting a peace officer. But the Champaign County states attorneys office declined to press charges following that incident. Buckner told the Tribune he had taken a bat away from someone who I thought was probably going to use it for the wrong purposes outside a large party, when a police officer, who had arrived because of a noise complaint, pulled a gun on him. And I dropped (the bat) and I was extremely cooperative with them. There were people outside yelling, like, You cant, you cant, you shouldnt be using a gun. You shouldnt be using a gun. Hes not doing anything, Buckner told the Tribune. And so even without a lawyer, charges were dropped immediately. I did nothing wrong that night. The Tribune viewed a Champaign Police Department report of the 2007 arrest, which corroborated Buckners version of the event. Gorner contributed from Springfield. jebyrne@chicagotribune.com jgorner@chicagotribune.com By Timour Azhari, Enas Alashray and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) -The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday it had reached a draft funding agreement with Lebanon - but that Beirut needed to enact a batch of economic reforms first before its board decided whether to approve the deal. An IMF deal is widely seen as vital for Lebanon to begin recovery from an economic meltdown that has devastated the country since 2019, locking savers out of their deposits, sinking the currency, and causing poverty to soar, in the country's worst crisis since its 1975-90 civil war. Thursday's staff-level agreement covers a 46-month extended fund facility, under which Lebanon has requested access to the equivalent of around $3 billion, the IMF said in a statement. But it is dependent on Beirut enacting reforms that include steps its ruling politicians have failed to deliver since the crisis erupted, such as addressing how to allocate losses from a government-estimated $70 billion hole in the financial system. While Lebanese leaders hailed the preliminary agreement and said they were ready to make it a success, some analysts doubted whether politicians could deliver after more than two years of inaction. Legislative elections are scheduled for May 15, after which a new government will need to be formed - a process that typically takes many months in Lebanon - potentially another complication to implementing the agreement. Lebanese authorities had agreed, prior to the IMF board considering whether to approve the deal, to complete eight reform measures, the fund said. These include a plan to address the huge losses in the financial system, which collapsed in 2019 due to massive public debts racked up by decades of corruption and waste. Cabinet must approve a banking restructuring strategy that "recognizes and addresses up front the large losses in the sector, while protecting small depositors and limiting recourse to public resources", the fund said. Story continues Cabinet must also approve a "fiscal and debt restructuring strategy, which is needed to restore debt sustainability". Lebanon defaulted on its sovereign debt, including $31 billion in dollar bonds, in March 2020. Other measures to be delivered included parliamentary approval of a reformed banking secrecy law, completion of an audit of the central bank's foreign asset position and "initiation of an externally assisted bank-by-bank evaluation for the 14 largest banks". The statement set no timeline for agreeing to a programme, noting "authorities understand the need to initiate the reforms as soon as possible." 'LACK OF CONFIDENCE' President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati affirmed their "close cooperation, in collaboration with the parliament, to ensure fast implementation of the measures," a tweet from the presidency's account said. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the legislature was ready to work "with great seriousness" to make the programme succeed. Still, Mikati in February said agreeing to an economic recovery plan "is a difficult process, a Kamikaze operation," and disagreements persist between main stakeholders, including commercial banks, the central bank and the government. Toufic Gaspard, a former advisor at the IMF and the Lebanese finance ministry, said even if half the reforms were implemented "it would be music to the ears of Lebanese". But he added the measures would "constitute a major source of worry for authorities because they have to implement many reforms even before submission to the IMF board. "This is a major political challenge, and the long list of substantial reforms to be implemented even before submission to the board rightly reflects a lack of confidence in the authorities," he said. The IMF statement said the facility would also depend on enactment of economic reforms aimed at restoring financial sustainability, strengthening governance and transparency and removing impediments to job-creating growth. These would include unification by the central bank of exchange rates, of which there are currently several, "for authorized current account transactions, which is critical for boosting economic activity... and will be supported by the implementation of formal capital controls." Parliament has repeatedly failed to pass formal capital controls. Alongside its financial meltdown, Lebanon has faced political paralysis and a diplomatic crisis in ties with Gulf Arab states - formerly major donors to Lebanon - over their opposition to Iran-backed Hezbollah's influence in Beirut. A number of Gulf states recalled their ambassadors to Beirut last year, but in a sign of a possible thaw in ties, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Thursday evening announced their ambassadors would return. (Reporting by Timour Azhari; Writing by Timour Azhari and Tom Perry; Editing by John Stonestreet, Alexandra Hudson) When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indiana in 2020, it overwhelmed hospitals, businesses, state government and the courts system. It brought physical and emotional suffering to thousands of Hoosier families. It also raised the question of how state government should respond to major emergencies, and on Thursday the Indiana Supreme Court heard arguments on behalf of Republican officials who are at odds over the answer. More: Indiana House votes to override Gov. Eric Holcomb's veto of emergency powers bill Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office have been embroiled in a year-long lawsuit over House Bill 1123, which was passed in the Statehouse in 2021 and gives the legislature the power to call itself into session after the governor has declared an emergency. Holcomb vetoed it last year, claiming it went against the Indiana Constitution, but the General Assembly overrode his veto. Holcomb then sued the General Assembly over the law, which was backed by Republicans in the Statehouse following concerns over the breadth of the governor's COVID-19 mandates. A Marion Superior Court judge upheld the law in October, and Holcomb appealed. More: Expert says emergency powers law could set 'dangerous' precedent for when next crisis strikes On Thursday, justices with the state's highest court questioned his attorney on how exactly the law has harmed the governor. It went beyond harm to the governor, said Holcomb's attorney Richard Blaiklock. "The Constitution was harmed," he said. Any change to who gets to call an emergency legislative session, said Blaiklock, needs to be passed as a constitutional amendment. Holcomb believes the law is unconstitutional because he says the state Constitution gives the governor the exclusive power to call the legislature into session during emergencies. He has also said he thinks it could complicate the government's response to a crisis. More: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb sues over legislation limiting executive powers Story continues Justices also pressed Thomas Fisher, Solicitor General with the Indiana Attorney General's Office, to explain one of his main arguments over the past year that only the attorney general can represent state government in court. Holcomb bypassed state law, according to the attorney general's lawyers, when he hired private attorneys to lead his lawsuit in 2021. Fisher, whose office is representing the General Assembly in the lawsuit, reiterated his argument that the attorney general's responsibility is to harmonize the different positions of the government into one when a dispute spills over into the courts. Fisher also said the state Constitution already gives the legislature the power to decide the length and frequency of its sessions. "We like it when (legislators) debate these things," Fisher said. "We like it when they come together." He also said the law in question would not limit Holcomb's ability to call a special session. The Indiana Supreme Court will now work toward a decision. Holcomb found himself at odds with the state legislature over the issue of legislative powers again during this year's General Assembly session. In March, he vetoed a bill that would have given the Statehouse broader oversight over state agencies and added more restrictions over Indiana's use of grants to increase access to broadband. Call IndyStar courts reporter Johnny Magdaleno at 317-273-3188 or email him at jmagdaleno@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @IndyStarJohnny This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Supreme Court hears arguments in lawsuit over emergency powers The job posting for an assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, set high expectations for candidates: A Ph.D. in chemistry or biochemistry, a strong teaching record at the college level, and three to five letters of recommendation. But there was a catch: The job would be on a without salary basis, as the posting phrased it. Just to be clear, it hammered home the point: Applicants must understand there will be no compensation for this position. Advertisement The posting last month caused an immediate uproar among academics across the country, who accused the university of exploiting already undervalued adjunct professors, and suggested this would never happen in other occupations. Under pressure, UCLA apologized and withdrew the posting. But the unspoken secret had been fleetingly exposed: Free labor is a fact of academic life. Advertisement These arrangements are common in academia, Bill Kisliuk, a spokesperson for UCLA, told Inside Higher Ed when at first defending the job posting. Contingent faculty, the umbrella term for all kinds of generally part-time and untenured college teachers without much if any job security, make up a huge portion of the teaching staff of universities by some estimates, around 70% overall and more in community colleges. They have long complained about the long hours and low pay. But these unpaid arrangements are perhaps the most concrete example of the unequal power in a weak labor market in which hundreds of candidates might apply for one position. Institutions are able to persuade or cajole people who have invested at least five or six years in earning a Ph.D. to work for free, even though, academics said, these jobs rarely lead to a tenure-track position. If your theory is that association with UCLA is itself compensation, then it makes sense, said Trent McDonald, a Ph.D. candidate in English and American literature and union organizer at Washington University in St. Louis. I think there is the belief that you can eat prestige. Very often, adjuncts and other contingent faculty are asked to do unpaid work that is presented not as free labor but as a way to hone their own credentials, according to union activists and some instructors who have received such requests. It may be characterized as professional development or service. Professionals are sometimes willing to teach a class in their field for free so they can put the university affiliation on their business cards, said Joe T. Berry, a former adjunct and historian of contingent faculty. And the instructors who are pressed into teaching without job security are often women or minorities, who began entering academia in force as the system was shifting to contingent faculty, said Berry, who recently co-wrote a book on the subject called Power Despite Precarity. In a previous book, Berry said, he has a page listing all the terms that have been used for contingent faculty: One of them is uncompensated. The union representing contingent faculty at the University of California has been fighting the uncompensated positions for years, said Mia McIver, the president of the union, which represents about 7,000 members. The fact that it is common does not excuse it, she said. Advertisement The union suspects that the number of uncompensated teachers at the university is increasing, said McIver, who is also a lecturer in the UCLA writing program. As of March 2019, we had identified 26 faculty members at UCLA alone, she said. In the California system, the trend seemed to have begun with the financial crisis of 2008, McIver said. By 2010, she said, We became aware of people who had been laid off and who were teaching for free in the hopes, without any commitment from the university, that if the work came back they would be hired back to teach for pay. The union won a settlement with the administration in 2016 requiring compensation for lecturers, who are mostly part-time and make up the majority of contingent faculty, McIver said. But while lecturers are now unionized, adjuncts are not, allowing the university to have adjunct positions known as 0% appointments, meaning that they are unpaid. A spokesperson for UCLA, Steve Ritea, said that before the settlement, the people who taught for free were often full-time professionals with other income. He said he could not comment on the number of 0% appointments without seeing the documents the union was relying on. But he said that a typical example of a 0% adjunct is a tenured professor at another institution who has a formal affiliation with UCLA that might include mentoring students or serving on committees. Or someone who has moved to another university but wants to finish out a grant or a project. The job posting regrettably contained errors and a lack of context, he said, adding, We always offer compensation for classroom teaching. Even if someone takes a 0% position willingly, the union sees it as a disincentive for the university to create more secure positions. Advertisement From my perspective, it doesnt matter whether someone had another job or another position, or is a retired professor who wanted to come back and teach, or a refugee scholar who needed a position, or a postdoc doing research who wanted or needed to teach, McIver said, rattling off possible justifications. Ultimately, all of that doesnt matter because anyone who teaches at a university or any school, let alone the University of California, should be paid for their labor. Liza Loza, a graduate student in molecular microbiology and microbial pathogenesis at Washington University, was excited to be asked to teach a discussion section about four years ago. She had to do a lot of preparation, spending hours reading very dense scientific papers and anticipating students questions. Liza Loza, a graduate student at Washington University, in St. Louis, Mo., on April 5, 2022. Loza taught a discussion section for which she was not paid. (Neeta Satam/The New York Times) But she saw the job as her chance to make those discussions more hospitable to women and other students who had been shut out of the hard sciences. She remembered her own experience having professors who were so intimidating that she was afraid to speak, and she wanted to set a counterexample. She was told that the job was unpaid because it was a professional development opportunity. She says the experience was valuable. I did get a lot out of it on my CV, but also personally, as something that I wanted to help make better about the program, she said. Then last semester, in her third year of teaching the section, she found out by accident that graduate students in other departments were being paid $1,000 for the same work. That was for me a bright line, she said. It just seemed sort of straightforwardly unfair once I figured that out. Advertisement She wonders if she was lulled into working for free by the culture of academia, which drills into everyone that they are lucky to be there. It is a privilege, she said. A spokesperson for Washington University, Joni Westerhouse, said graduate students in Lozas department were required to have one mentored teaching experience, for which they were paid through their stipend. She said they were not considered contingent faculty. Loza said she continued to teach beyond the requirement, and was not compensated for it, while others were. In an indication of how widespread the practice of free teaching may be, the Twitter posts reacting to the UCLA job posting included one from Caitlin DeAngelis, a historian. In 2018, while being paid to work as a research associate on a project about the historical connections between Harvard and slavery, she said that she voluntarily taught a course, called Harvard and Slavery, normally taught by a tenured professor. She did so because she cared so deeply about the subject. The course was an extra responsibility added on (as a lectureship in the history department) that did not come with additional pay, she said in a text message. On Twitter, she expressed some regrets about agreeing to teach without salary. In retrospect, she wrote, I shouldnt have done it for $0.00, but I wanted to get the info out to students. Advertisement Harvard confirmed that DeAngelis had an unpaid lectureship in the fall of 2018. Linn Cary Mehta is a longtime lecturer at Barnard and says she has seen a devaluation, even though adjuncts often have similar credentials to tenured professors. When I first started we were called instructor and then lecturer, she said. The title changed to adjunct instructor, adjunct lecturer, almost aggressively, as if trying to put us in our place. Mehta, who has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Columbia, has spent a career as a part-time worker because she needed the flexibility to care for her husband. She said that unionization at Barnard had provided increased job security through multiyear contracts, and higher salaries per course. Of the UCLA job posting, she said, Its insulting. c.2022 The New York Times Company By Kate Lamb and Stanley Widianto JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo has sought to rein in speculation that he intends to stay in office beyond his legally mandated two terms, ordering ministers this week to cease calls for an extension or postponement of elections due in 2024. The proposal to extend his term, either via a constitutional amendment or an election delay, had recently appeared to gain momentum in the world's third-largest democracy after several influential political figures publicly backed it. [L3N2VI129] This week, the president, better known as Jokowi, ordered his cabinet to stop bringing up the idea and instead focus on addressing economic hardships being faced by the public. "Don't let there be anyone who talks about delaying (the election), or an extension (of the presidential term). Enough," he told a plenary cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in remarks that were released a day later on the state secretariat's YouTube channel. The idea of extending his term has fuelled concerns about a threat to hard-won democratic reforms, with critics slamming what they say are his ambiguous responses to the proposal. The president has consistently said he would abide by the constitution without addressing what he might do if the law was amended to allow him to seek a third term. Supporters of the idea say Jokowi needs more time to oversee economic recovery and implement his agenda, which has been disrupted by the pandemic. Indonesia's constitution mandates that a president can serve a maximum of two, five-year terms, but discussion by legislators about separate constitutional amendments has raised concern that changes to term limits could also be on the table. First elected in 2014, Jokowi retains a high approval rating, but a recent poll by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) shows that more than 70% of Indonesians reject the extension plan. The president's comments marked "a partial step toward reining in the postponement campaign," said political risk analyst Kevin O'Rourke in his Reformasi Weekly Review. Story continues But some called on the president to make his position clearer. "What's so hard for the president to say: 'I reject the term extension, I reject delaying the election, I don't want to run for a third term'?" said Edbert Gani, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. "It's difficult for the public to guess the real situation if the president doesn't make a very clear statement." (Reporting by Kate Lamb in Sydney and Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Ed Davies) Jade Goody and her sons. (Getty Images) Jade Goodys son Bobby Brazier has said he doesnt miss his late mum because he wasnt with her long enough, but misses what could have been. Bobby Jades eldest son with Jeff Brazier was just five when the Big Brother star died in 2009 after battling cervical cancer and his brother Freddie was four. Jeffs wife Kate has been a big support in their lives. Read more: Jeff Brazier says it's been 'tremendously difficult' since Jade's death And Bobby, 18, told The Face: So in a way, I dont feel like Ive missed out on a mum. Its normal life to me. Ive kind of spent more life without her than I did with her. Jade Goody died in 2009. (PA) Asked if he missed his mother, the teenager replied: I dont. Because I dont feel like I was with her long enough to miss her. However, Bobby said other people tell him all about Jade and what she was like as a person, and that he would have loved to have seen what other people had the opportunity to see. I miss what couldve been, he said. Jade and Jeff started dating in 2002 and they welcomed Bobby in 2003 and Freddie in 2004, before splitting that year. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008, while she was a contestant on the Indian version of Big Brother. The star died the following year at the age of 27. Bobby Brazier said he misses what could have been. (Getty Images for Anker) Speaking in 2020, Jeff said it pained him that his sons would not know their mum. Read more: Jeff Brazier says sons ready to watch programmes of their late mum Jade Goody "Of course they were so young when she died and it pains me to think they never knew Jade in the same way we all did," he told The Sun. But he said the boys had inherited all their best qualities from the late star. When I look at Bobby and Freddie I see their mothers colourful personality shining through, he said. Watch: Midnight gym session for Jeff Brazier TOKYO (AP) The defense ministers of Japan and the Philippines agreed Thursday to bolster security cooperation and expand joint drills between their forces as they shared concerns about Chinas increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Philippine counterpart, Delfin Lorenzana, also shared concern about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact in the Indo-Pacific, and noted that any attempts to change the status quo by force is unacceptable, Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that avoided identifying China by name. Japan has significantly expanded joint drills with the United States and other partners, including Australia, India, France, Britain and Germany, that share its concerns about Chinas assertion of its territorial claims in the region, which has some of the worlds busiest sea lanes. Japan is especially concerned about Chinese military and coast guard activity in the East China Sea near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. On Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry said it spotted a Chinese Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft flying over the Sakishima islands, although it did not violate Japanese airspace. Kishi and Lorenzana also agreed to increase cooperation in defense equipment and technology transfer between the two countries. Tokyo and Manila agreed in 2020 on the Japanese export of air radar systems to the Philippine military. For Japan, the Philippines is geopolitically important as China increases its influence in the region. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have been locked in an increasingly tense territorial standoff in the busy waterway for decades. The defense ministers will be joined by foreign ministers from each country on Saturday for the first two plus two security talks between the two countries. E-commerce giant JD.com said its founder Richard Liu Qiangdong has handed over the chief executive role to company president Xu Lei, in the latest example of a Chinese tech billionaire retreating from daily operations. Xu, with more than 10 years at the company, will also join the board as an executive director, while Liu remains as chairman where he will "continue to focus on guiding the company's long-term strategies, mentoring younger management, and contributing to the revitalisation of rural areas", JD.com said in a statement on Thursday. "I'll devote more of my time to JD's long-term strategies and future drivers as we continue to work on the most challenging, yet valuable things", Liu said. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. JD.com's new CEO, Xu Lei, who previously served as company president. Photo: Sohu Xu has held various senior roles during his decade-plus time at JD.com, including CEO of JD Retail, chief marketing officer of the company, head of JD Wireless and head of the marketing department. As president of the company, he was in charge of operations and collaborative development of the various business units. Amid the economic slowdown and Beijing's ongoing antitrust crackdown on internet platforms, JD.com has seen hard times, just like its industry peers. In 2021, the company reported an operational profit of 4.1 billion yuan (US$600 million), down 66.7 per cent year on year, although net revenue grew 27.6 per cent to 951.6 billion yuan. The lay-offs were mainly in JD.com's group-buying business Jingxi, which competes with budget e-commerce site Pinduoduo in lower-tier cities. Jingxi was expected to let go of 10 to 15 per cent of its employees, equal to about 400 to 600 people, according to local media 36Kr. Story continues A JD.com business unit that handled sales of books, pet products and cross-border e-commerce on the company's main site also planned to cut staff by 15 to 20 per cent, 36Kr reported. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. John Ellis, who rose from New Londons baseball hotbed to play for the New York Yankees and then dedicated much of his later life to raising money to help families fighting cancer, died Tuesday. He was 73. Yankees announcer Frank Messer dubbed Ellis The New London Strong Boy for his powerful build and long-distance drives, and he was called Moose in the states amateur circles in the mid-1960s. Having survived cancer 35 years ago, Ellis died from a recurrence. My most vivid memory of him was in the American Legion, said Bobby Valentine, longtime major-league player and manager. Our Stamford team played his New London team [in 1966], and he had a broken hand. He hit a home run to beat us with a little cast on his hand. He was terrific. Ellis signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent soon after that game, impressed the organization with his power and was called up to New York at age 20 in 1969. In his first game, May 17, he hit an inside-the-park home run against the Angels, a drive of well over 400 feet to left-center that got lost in the original Yankee Stadiums Death Valley. I remember when he hit his inside-the-park home run, said Ron Blomberg, Ellis teammate from 1969-72. Being 6-3, weighing 225 pounds, being a linebacker [in high school] and being a moose, you could see him running. He was a great athlete. He always had tons of fans come in from New London and Mystic and Groton. He was the Connecticut brute. He was a great athlete, he was a great teammate, he was great because whenever we got into a fight on the field, he was the first one involved in it. Ellis was the backup catcher to Thurman Munson and also split time at first base with Blomberg. Outfielder Roy White, a Yankee from 1965-79, remembered lively batting practice ribbing and home run contests with Ellis, Munson and Joe Pepitone. John was a lot of fun, said White, who appeared at Ellis charity banquet a few years ago. He was a cocky rookie when he came up. John would say, Watch this watch this, and hed pop one. He had great power. He was a hard-nosed player and he was confident when he came up, he didnt feel overmatched in the major leagues. But his legacy is going to be more about what he did raising money for cancer. What he has done since hes had his foundation is remarkable. Story continues After the 1972 season, Ellis was sent to Cleveland as part of the trade that brought Graig Nettles to the Yankees. In April 1973, after Blomberg became the first DH in baseball history Ellis became the first DH for Cleveland. He went on to play 13 seasons in the big leagues, hitting .262 with 69 home runs. He was known as a combative player and brought that same spirit to the challenges of his post-playing days. Here was a guy who would not back down from a fight, Blomberg said. Look what he did with cancer, beat cancer the first time. He was a tough guy. After his playing career ended in 1982, Ellis had a successful career in real estate and pursued his passion for fishing as a resident of Old Saybrook. In 1986, he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. Ellis, who had lost a brother, sister and sister-in-law to the disease, often told the story of his lying in a hospital bed. I said to God, you let me live and Ill help everybody I can. Ellis beat the disease and, in 1987 with his wife Jane founded the Connecticut Sports Foundation against Cancer, which is now known as the Connecticut Cancer Foundation. Year after year, the Ellis annual banquet, most recently at Mohegan Sun, has grown and drawn baseball luminaries to speak, starting with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. The CCF has raised more than $9 million to support families victimized by cancer, and for cancer research. He was a wonderful, wonderful guy, said Valentine, who appeared at several CCF dinners. He was a loving person, a giving person, really fun to be around. By the people he got to come to all of his events, thats the real testimony of his greatness. It was money, but the money helped people and he was all about people. Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com Apr. 7Hasn't it been grand? Normal? Like the last two years never happened? Isn't it nice seeing smiles again? Is it too much to think, to hope, to assume that COVID-19 is finally over? Well, yes. It's not over. It might never be. That wily virus that has plagued the world like, well, the plague is shifty and smart, lulling us into a false sense of normalcy before, bam, it transformed itself into the delta variant. Then omicron. Now BA.2, a subvariant of omicron. It's too soon to know how much havoc this mutant will cause. But we do know that our best defense against COVID-19 is the vaccine. Recently, the New Mexico Department of Health along with the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that those of us over 50 who received our first booster at least four months ago should now get a second booster. Ditto for those ages 12 and older with immune deficiencies and those who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago. Simple, no? Well, no. To help cut through the confusion, we turn to Dr. David Scrase, acting Health secretary and New Mexico's own Dr. Fauci but without the Fox-fueled scorn. Not everybody gets to talk to Scrase, I am told. But since COVID-19, Scrase has found himself talking to everybody in his ubiquitous news conference appearances. "I always joke, I'd never done a press conference in my 37-year career until this pandemic and then to do it all the time, every week for two years," said Scrase, far more casual on a recent Saturday morning than in those news conferences, flannel-shirted, morning tea in hand, still working even on the weekend. His advice: If you're over 65, absolutely get the second booster. Now. "Vaccines are the only tool we have that can end this pandemic," Scrase said. "The world gets vaccinated, the virus will no longer find a place to live and grow anymore." Story continues He's a little less definitive for those 50 and over who received their first booster at least four months ago. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is as well, saying Tuesday that those 50 and up with chronic health conditions should get a second booster now but that it's a "personal judgment call" for healthy 50somethings and those who had the omicron variant in the last two to three months as to whether they get a second booster now or wait until later when a new variant rears its ugly RNA. Scrase is not as convinced as Walensky that natural immunity is enough to ward off another bout of COVID-19. "It would be like saying, you know, I had the flu last year so I don't really need the flu shot this year. Or yeah, I had a cold once, so that's it, no way I'll ever get another cold," he said. "Again, it's the variants. I've had some patients who had delta in December and omicron in January or February." Scrase said that while the numbers of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in New Mexico are relatively low now, he anticipates another uptick in the state, this one fairly rapid and peaking in early May. Getting a second booster ahead of that poses no known safety issues, even if another shot is needed in fall or even sooner. A new study released Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a fourth vaccine only provides short-term protection. Sigh. Getting a second booster shot is free and easy to sign up for and if you find it isn't so easy, friendly DOH folks are ready to help. They recommend that you don't wait for them to text or email you as was the case during past vaccine rounds. "They should go ahead and register for one using the (website), their provider or local pharmacy," said Katy Diffendorfer, health equity communications manager. "Appointment availability is good and varies by location." If you're having trouble getting through on the hotline, try calling in the evening or over the weekend, she said. "I would emphasize that we take a message, then return their call, and that due to our system that call may show up as being returned from an unlisted number or a number they don't know," Diffendorfer said. "They should be prepared to answer unknown or unlisted numbers until they hear back from us. We make between one to three attempts to return every single call, but I'm sorry to say a high proportion of our return calls don't get answered." Sadly, jerks are taking advantage of the vulnerable by pretending to be from DOH and asking residents for their full Social Security numbers or financial information such as a credit card number. "NMDOH will never ask for that," she said. After our conversation Saturday, Scrase, 69, said he planned to register for his second booster. Ever mindful of science and the ephemeral nature of "normal," he still wears his mask on occasion, including shopping at big box stores and the five days before he is scheduled to see patients at his geriatric practice. He's started going to restaurants again, and he expects he will always wear a mask when he travels by plane. He advises others to use masks depending on the situation or when cases start to rise again. Because inevitably they will. "An analogy might be, is it OK for me to go out in shorts and a T-shirt? Well, yeah, but you might want to check the weather," he said. "You know, because if it's 10 degrees and sleeting you might not want just shorts and a T-shirt. But if it's 90 and sunny, you might." That day, the weather was warm, sunny and grand. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach Joline at 730-2793, jkrueger@abqjournal.com. Take your shot Schedule an appointment for second booster or initial vaccines online at www.vaccineNM.org or call 1-855-600-3453, option 3 for English, option 9 for Spanish. Hotline is available 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A New York appeals judge said he will likely rule Friday on whether to continue blocking a lower court ruling that declared the state's new congressional and legislative district maps unconstitutional. New York's electoral landscape was thrown into question last week when a Republican trial court judge ordered the state's Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw the district boundaries. State Judge Patrick McAllister gave state officials only until April 11 to submit new maps, saying the districts they had drawn up were illegally gerrymandered to favor Democrats. The ruling came even as candidates have begun campaigning in the disputed districts ahead of a June party primary. State Appellate Division Justice Stephen K. Lindley has already issued a temporary stay on that ruling. He said he'll decide sometime after Thursday's hearing whether to leave the stay in place for now, pending more legal action in the weeks ahead. He could also lift the stay, which would put state lawmakers on an incredibly tight deadline to come up with new maps. Judge McAllister has said if lawmakers dont meet his deadline, he would appoint his own expert to draw up new maps. The state would likely cover the cost of a special master. Courts sometimes designate an attorney not directly involved with a case, known as a special master, to address such concerns. Lawyers for the Assembly and Senate argued Thursday that the ruling should be blocked for at least 30 days, and criticized the trial judge's decision to strike down largely uncontroversial Assembly maps. Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Republican voters demanded that lawmakers or a court master start working up new maps soon. Judge Lindley said his primary concern is ensuring New York is ready if appellate judges agree that the new Congressional maps and potentially Senate maps are unconstitutional and must be redrawn. Voters going to go the polls on unconstitutional districts, that's something to be avoided at all costs, Lindley said. Story continues Lindley said that back-up maps could be tossed if the appellate court decides the contested maps pass constitutional muster. He said New York could hold its federal primary as late as around August 23 or 24. Everyday matters and time is of the essence here and ... the work needs to get started now, Lindley said. And a pause of even two weeks might be the difference between having an election this year in August on constitutional districts or having an election on unconstitutional districts. Thursdays hearing likely wont be the final word on the main issue: whether the new maps are so politically biased toward Democrats that they violate the state constitution. The arguments are just a skirmish along the way, according to former U.S. Rep. John Faso, a Republican who has been helping muster support for the lawsuit challenging the maps' legality. A hearing for more arguments has already been scheduled for April 20. Meanwhile, candidates faced a Thursday deadline to submit petition signatures they need to appear on the ballot in the primary. Sen. Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, said this week said he and the New York Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment are not working on new maps. We are confident that weve drawn maps that will withstand scrutiny, Gianaris said Tuesday on the news program Capital Tonight.' Legislative and congressional boundaries are being redrawn as part of the once-per-decade redistricting process kicked off by the 2020 Census. The congressional boundaries passed by the Legislature could expand Democrats power: Democrats would make up a strong majority of registered voters in 22 of the 26 congressional districts the state will have in 2023. Republicans, who now hold eight of New Yorks 27 seats in Congress, would only have an advantage in four districts. Democrats have argued the new maps undo decades of gerrymandering by Senate Republicans, and that all maps reflect years of population loss in upstate communities once considered Republican strongholds. Republicans, and some non-partisan voters rights groups, argue that Democrats went too far to create meandering Congressional districts that violate a 2014 state constitutional amendment banning drawing maps for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or other particular candidates or political parties. Voters in 2014 also tasked a politically appointed commission with drawing up the maps. That commission failed to come to consensus on a single set of maps this year, leaving the job to lawmakers. Judge Lindley Thursday said everyone would agree the commission was set up to fail. Everybody knew it, it was obvious, he said. It was set up that it was going to be a stalemate " So far this cycle, courts have also intervened to block maps they found to be GOP gerrymanders in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a Democratic gerrymander in Maryland. The highest court in North Carolina pushed back March election primaries until May to provide time for state courts to review lawsuits claiming the Republican-controlled legislature illegally gerrymandered some districts. In Ohio, state legislative races are delayed amid a legal fight over gerrymandering. The state hasn't settled on of district boundaries long enough for them to be used for making ballots: The Republican-led Legislature has repeatedly approved maps that the Ohio Supreme Court has found unconstitutionally drawn to unduly favor Republicans. And in Maryland, the Court of Appeals delayed the states primary for all elections from June 28 to July 19. A federal judge nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1996 on Wednesday emphatically rejected Donald Trumps demand that he recuse from Trumps sprawling lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, declaring that theres no legitimate basis to demand that he step back from the case. In a five-page order, Judge Donald Middlebrooks emphasized that he has never met either of the Clintons and was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate, requiring backing from both parties. Every federal judge is appointed by a president who is affiliated with a major political party, and, therefore, every federal judge could theoretically be viewed as beholden, to some extent or another, Middlebrooks wrote. As judges, we must all transcend politics. Middlebrooks also pointed out he was chosen by a judicial selection commission appointed by Floridas bipartisan Senate delegation at the time: Democratic Sen. Bob Graham and Republican Sen. Connie Mack. Middlebrooks noted that all judges swear an oath to faithfully interpret the law, requiring them to put that mission ahead of partisan politics. I have done so for the last twenty-five years, and this case will be no different, he wrote as he turned down the recusal motion Trumps lawyers filed just two days ago. Middlebrooks observed that Trump filed his lawsuit in the Fort Pierce division of the Southern District of the Florida federal court and that the only District Court judge who sits in that division is a Trump appointee. However, under the courts docketing system, the case wound up assigned to Middlebrooks, who sits in West Palm Beach. Despite the odds, this case landed with me instead, Middlebrooks wrote, suggesting that Trumps legal team was judge-shopping seeking to get the case in front of a judge who might view it favorably. He also quoted an appellate precedent observing that recusal demands are sometimes driven more by litigation strategies than by ethical concerns. Story continues Trump, Middlebrooks noted, never seemed to have those ethical qualms when his legal matters landed in front of judges he nominated to the bench. When Plaintiff is a litigant before a judge that he himself appointed, he does not tend to advance these same sorts of bias concerns, Middlebrooks wrote, citing two of Trumps failed lawsuits in his bid to overturn the 2020 election, and a legal fight by the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain Trumps tax returns from the IRS. Those cases were presided over by Judges Brett Ludwig, Stephanos Bibas and Trevor McFadden all Trump appointees without any concerns raised by Trumps legal team about impartiality. The south Florida courts operating procedures say that it tries to make it difficult for litigants to pick their judge and that lawyers should not seek to do so. The assignment schedule shall be designed to prevent any litigant from choosing the Judge to whom an action or proceeding is to be assigned, and all attorneys shall conscientiously refrain from attempting to vary this Local Rule, the policy says. The decision comes at the outset of Trumps massive lawsuit against Hlilary Clinton and other Democrats, Justice Department and political figures, who he claims conspired against him to launch a meritless FBI investigation into potential collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. The suit claims the defendants actions amounted to a racketeering conspiracy, entitling Trump to millions of dollars in damages. The defendants havent filed substantive responses to the case yet, but some have ridiculed the lawsuit. A New Jersey-based attorney for Trump, Alina Habba, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks rejected former President Trumps request that he recuse himself from a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. Trumps lawyers asked Middlebrooks to exit the case due to the fact he was appointed to the bench by former President Clinton around 25 years ago. Trumps lawsuit accuses Hillary Clinton of taking part in a conspiracy to paint Trumps campaign as working with Russia in 2016. Middlebrooks said he has never met former President Clinton or Hillary Clinton. Nor have I ever had any relationship with the Clintons, he added in his Wednesday motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. I am not disqualified from presiding, nor should I recuse on the basis of any appearance of partiality, he wrote. To warrant recusal, something more must be involved than solely my appointment to the bench twenty-five years ago by the spouse of a litigant now before me, the judge added. Trump said in the lawsuit that he suffered at least $24 million in damages from lost business opportunities due to the allegations of collusion with Russia. The lawsuit says Hillary Clinton and others engaged in criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Producer Mike Dean won the Best Rap Song Grammy on Sunday for co-writing Kanye Wests Jail but took his anger out in a series of tweets targeting BTS after not winning Album of the Year for his production work on Wests Donda. On the night of the awards, the Grammys tweeted, Name a group ~smoother~ than @bts_bighit, we dare you. Dean replied with anyone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by thinker (@the.thinkings) This incited a feud with Army, but Dean didnt back down, only taking more jabs at the group by calling out BTS songwriting credits. Twitter user @RideOrDieArmy came to the groups defense with a tweet reading, Nothing is more disgusting than someone Spotify lists with 385 song credits over 41 years trashing a group who have 235 songs, most of which they have written/composed/produced. RM has almost 180 credits at only 27. What a childish, pathetic and trashy person you are...seriously. Its funny to read so many armys saying BTS members write 90% of their music, based on a statement made a BigHit employee. Hahahaha, there is no way BTS members have writen 90% of their music. Just check the writing credits of every single BTS album. In all of them are like MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 4, 2022 Dean replied with, Haha. The industry is a joke. He elaborated: Its funny to read so many armys saying BTS members write 90% of their music, based on a statement made [by] a BigHit employee. Hahahaha, there is no way BTS members have [written] 90% of their music. Just check the writing credits of every single BTS album. In all of them are like 9-10 credited songwriters per song why would a company like BigHit spend so much money [on] so many songwriters who only do the 10% of the job? When BTS fans pointed out that Deans works, like Blood on the Leaves, a Nina Simone-sampled track on the 2013 Yeezus album, also have multiple credited songwriters, Dean seemed unbothered. Story continues A classic MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 4, 2022 As Army continued to swarm Dean with tweets, he fired back,, Team travis and kanye. Get these Bts fans off my dick. He added, U will all grow up and discover music one day. Team travis and kanye. Get these Bts fans off my dick. MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 4, 2022 U will all grow up and discover music one day MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 4, 2022 Dean has since deleted some of his tweets and replies, but multiple sites and Army members were able to snag screenshots. As BTS fans called him out, he seemed to laugh off the situation. He said it was fun to push Armys buttons and that he might produce BTS someday, potentially indicating they had asked for music before. Like when I had issue with asap. I ended up mixing his whole album and we are best of family. https://t.co/XILbjt3FHa MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 5, 2022 BigHit Music producer Docskim backed up BTS fans, tweeting: As a keyboardist/producer and fan of hip hop, Im inspired by @therealmikedean. Hes one of the legends. BTS are my little brothers and amazingly talented guys. Just disappointed that someone I look up to said those things. Hard to explain..But definitely not okay. As a keyboardist/producer and fan of hip hop, Im inspired by @therealmikedean. Hes one of the legends. BTS are my little brothers and amazingly talented guys. Just disappointed that someone I look up to said those things. Hard to explain.. But definitely not okay. Docskim (@docskim_) April 5, 2022 On April 5th, Dean eventually apologized to BTS in another string of tweets reading, OK. SORRY TO BTS. JUST FUCKING TROLLING, and Ok folks. I was mad about the album of the year and made a post I shouldnt have made. My gf just made me feel bad for it. OK. SORRY TO BTS. JUST FUCKING TROLLING. MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) April 5, 2022 Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! New 'Pokemon Legends: Arceus' English trailer reveals rideable Pokemon, real-time battles Lady Gaga is the Latest American Artist to Dip into K-Pop With BLACKPINK 'Now we are enemies': Simu Liu reacts to Toshiba using his stock photo for printer instruction booklet Godzilla battles Smog Monster Hedorah in special kaiju battle film for his 67th birthday CHERNIHIV, Ukraine Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyivs calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscows next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. Advertisement The citys streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Advertisement Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Western allies also ramped up financial penalties aimed at Moscow, including a ban by the European Union on Russian coal imports and a U.S. move to suspend normal trade relations with Russia. Kuleba encouraged Western countries to continue bearing down on Russia, suggesting that any letup will result in more suffering for Ukrainians. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions? Kuleba asked reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where Associated Press journalists counted dozens of bodies, some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. How many children, women, men, have to die innocent lives have to be lost for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital city. Volunteers have spent days collecting the corpses, and more were picked up Thursday in Bucha. Ukrainian and several Western leaders have blamed the massacres on Moscows troops, and the weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that Germanys foreign intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Kuleba became emotional while referring to the horrors in the town, telling reporters that they couldnt understand how it feels after seeing pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. His comments came in response to a reporters question about a video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting a captured and wounded Russian soldier. He said he had not seen the video and that it would be investigated. He acknowledged that there could be isolated incidents of violations. Advertisement The footage has not been independently verified by the AP. In the 6-week-old war, Russian forces failed to take Ukraines capital quickly, denying what Western countries said was Russian leader Vladimir Putins initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. In the wake of that setback and heavy losses, Russia shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years. The United Nations humanitarian chief told the AP on Thursday that hes not optimistic about securing a cease-fire after meeting with officials in Kyiv and in Moscow this week, underlining the lack of trust the two sides have for one another. He spoke hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of backtracking on proposals it had made over Crimea and Ukraines military status. Its not clear how long it will take withdrawing Russian forces to redeploy, and Ukrainian officials have urged people in the countrys east to leave before the fighting intensifies there. The head of Ukraines national railway system said Russian shelling already blocked the evacuation of residents from some eastern areas by train. The situation in Donbas is heating up, and we understand that April will be quite hot, so those who have the opportunity to leave women, children, the elderly need to stay in a safe place, Borys Filatov, the mayor of Dnipro, a city that lies just west of the Donbas, said at a briefing. Advertisement Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish civilian evacuation routes Thursday from several areas in the Donbas. Even as Ukraine braced for a new phase of the war, Russias withdrawal brought some relief to Chernihiv, which lies near Ukraines northern border with Belarus and was cut off for weeks. But the departed troops left behind twisted buildings and traumatized residents. Vladimir Tarasovets described nights during the siege when he watched the city on fire and listened to the sound of shelling. It was very hard, very hard. Every evening there were fires, it was scary to look at the city. In the evening, when it was dark, there was no light, no water, no gas, no amenities at all, he said. How did we go through it? I have no words to describe how we managed. Tatiana Nesterenko, who left Chernihiv for Medyka in Poland, said she spent 40 days hiding out in her basement. Our home was destroyed by an airstrike, she said. There was no help, no volunteers for us. We extinguished the fire by ourselves. Advertisement In addition to spurring NATO countries to send more arms, the revelations about possible war crimes led Western nations to step up sanctions, and the Group of Seven major world powers warned that they will continue strengthening the measures until Russian troops leave Ukraine. The U.S. Congress voted Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, while the European Union approved punishing new steps, including the embargo on coal imports. The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, voted to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.N. vote demonstrated how Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He called the images coming from Bucha horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity, Biden said. Der Spiegel reported that individual radio messages dealing with the killing of civilians may be linked to pictures of bodies found in Bucha. The outlet reported that Germanys BND intelligence agency shared the information with lawmakers Wednesday. In one radio message, a Russian soldier reportedly informs another how he and others shot dead a person on a bicycle. In another message, a speaker allegedly recounts how the Russian military interrogated enemy soldiers before killing them. Advertisement Overnight, Russia kept up its barrage on several cities, striking fuel storage sites around Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Chuguev using cruise missiles fired from ships in the Black Sea. Schreck reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. Ketanji Brown Jackson has become the first Black woman to be confirmed to the Supreme Court in its 233-year history. The 51-year-old justice was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday after a weekslong process in which she faced hours of questioning from senators on both sides of the aisle at her confirmation hearings. The vote was 53 to 47, with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah joining all 50 Democrats supporting the nominee. Jackson becomes the second-youngest member of the nation's highest court behind Amy Coney Barrett, 50, and just the third Black justice in history after the late Thurgood Marshall and current Justice Clarence Thomas. She is the sixth woman in history to join the Supreme Court. Jackson is also the first justice with prior experience as a public defender and defense attorney since Marshall retired from the court in 1991. She is the 116th Supreme Court justice since the court was established in 1789 of those, 108 have been white men. She also has been an inspiration to many Black mothers and her own daughter during her journey to joining the court. Jackson worked as an attorney in private practice and as a federal public defender before serving in multiple positions for the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She was confirmed as a federal judge in 2013 after being nominated by former President Barack Obama. She served eight years as a federal trial judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and then was confirmed as a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in June 2021. Jackson was nominated for the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden in February. She will take the spot vacated by Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, who announced his retirement in January after more than 27 years on the Court. Jackson will take office this summer after Breyer officially steps down following the court's current term. She becomes the latest Ivy Leaguer to join the court, as she graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1996 after earning her undergraduate degree at Harvard in 1992. Seven of the eight current members of the Supreme Court graduated from either Harvard or Yale. Barrett, who earned her law degree at Notre Dame, is the only non-Ivy Leaguer. The phrase in a historic vote gets thrown around a lot in journalism and it isnt always warranted. But shortly after 2 p.m. EDT on April 7, 2022, a Senate roll call confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice the first Black woman to sit on the bench. The elevation of Jackson to the Supreme Court will not change the ideological setup of the bench which would continue to be split 6-3 in favor of conservative justices. Nonetheless, it is an important landmark in the history of the court of the 115 justices on the Supreme Court since it was established in 1789, 108 have been white men. Race featured in Jacksons confirmation process; so too did attempts to define her judicial philosophy. The Conversation has turned to legal scholars to explain the meaning of Jacksons potential ascension to the court. 1. Realizing MLKs dream The Senate Judiciary Committee vote moving Jacksons confirmation toward a final Senate roll call took place on April 4, 2022 54 years to the day since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The significance of the date was not lost on American Universitys Bev-Freda Jackson. Kings words came up in Jacksons confirmation hearing. Republican lawmakers suggested that his vision of an America in which people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character was at odds with critical race theory, a concept much maligned by conservatives that holds that racism is structural in nature rather than expressed solely through personal bias. Their implication: that Jackson believed in critical race theory and therefore rejected Kings vision. Bev-Freda Jackson argues that this is a distortion. By recasting anti-racism as the new racism, conservative GOP leaders use Kings words that advocated for a colorblind society as a critical part of their national messaging to advance legislation that bans the teachings of so-called divisive concepts, she writes. Story continues Ketanji Brown Jackson is the very dream that King envisioned, Jackson notes. But he died before seeing the results of his nonviolent movement for social justice. Read more: Ketanji Brown Jackson and the color blind society of Martin Luther King Jr. 2. On the shoulders of pioneers Now confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice, Jackson has broken through the ultimate glass ceiling in terms of legal careers. She did so so on the shoulders of pioneering Black female judges. University of Floridas Sharon D. Wright Austin notes, even now, relatively few Black women are judges at the state or federal level which makes the achievement of those who have made it to this level all the more remarkable. Of the judges highlighted by Austin, there is Judge Jane Bolin, who became the countrys first Black female judge in 1939, serving as a domestic relations judge in New York for almost four decades. Later, in 1961, Constance Baker Motley became the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. In all she argued 10 cases before the court, winning nine of them. Meanwhile, Judge Julia Cooper Mack is noted as the first Black woman to sit on a federal appellate court, having been appointed in 1975 and serving 14 years on the bench. These women are to be celebrated and remembered. As Austin writes, Representation matters: It is easier for young girls of color to aspire to reach their highest goals when they see others who have done so before them, in the same way that women like Jane Bolin, Constance Baker Motley and Julia Cooper Mack encouraged Ketanji Brown Jackson to reach hers. Read more: Ketanji Brown Jacksons path to Supreme Court nomination was paved by trailblazing Black women judges 3. Echoes of the past The fact that a Black female Supreme Court justice is long overdue is testament to the slow progress the U.S. has made toward racial and gender equality. Margaret Russell, a constitutional law professor from Santa Clara University, saw signs of this lack of advancement during parts of Jacksons Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings. Questions directed at the would-be Supreme Court justice were, according to Russell, tantamount to race-baiting. They also sounded eerily similar to criticisms that then-Supreme Court nominee Thurgood Marshall, the first Black American nominee to the court, faced in his own confirmation hearings in 1967. Both Jackson, now, and Marshall, then, stood accused by senators of being soft on crime and were asked about how they intended to bring race into their legal decisions. Are you prejudiced against white people in the South? Marshall was asked by a known white supremacist senator. Similarly, Jackson was asked during her confirmation hearings if she had a hidden agenda to incorporate critical race theory into the legal system. I find it striking, Russell writes, that race has surfaced in such a major way in these hearings, more than five decades after Marshalls nomination. In some respects, there has been progress on racial equity in the U.S., but aspects of these hearings demonstrate that too much remains the same. Read more: Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court hearing is a flashback to how race and crime featured during Thurgood Marshall's 1967 hearings 4. What Jackson would bring to the Supreme Court Jacksons historic achievement of becoming the first Black female Supreme Court justice may distract from the fact she is also eminently qualified to sit on the highest court in her own right. Alexis Karteron of Rutgers University-Newark notes that the Harvard Law-trained Jackson went on to clerk for Stephen Breyer, the retiring justice she is set to replace. She has served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission as well as acting as both a trial court and appellate judge. [Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.] Jackson is also the first former criminal defense attorney to be nominated to the Supreme Court since Marshall. This puts Jackson in a unique position on the bench. Karteron writes that having served as a public defender will help [Jackson] understand the very real human toll of our criminal justice system. The criminal justice system takes an enormous toll on both the people in the system and their loved ones. I believe having a Supreme Court justice who is familiar with that is incredibly valuable. Read more: Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faces confirmation hearings: 7 questions answered Editors note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversations archives and updates an earlier version originally published on April 4, 2022. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Matt Williams, The Conversation. Read more: President Joe Biden congratulates Ketanji Brown Jackson at the White House moments after the Senate confirmed to be a justice on on April 07, 2022. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Democrats gave a long standing ovation after the vote to confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court. "This is a watershed moment," Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio said. Jackson was confirmed in a bipartisan vote, with three Republicans supporting her. The Senate chamber erupted with cheers after Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated for the Supreme Court, was confirmed in a bipartisan vote on Thursday. Democratic lawmakers and supporters of Jackson leaped out of their seats for a long, standing ovation once Vice President Kamala Harris, who presided over the confirmation, gaveled in the 53-47 tally. All 50 Democrats and three Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah voted for Jackson. While most GOP members shuffled out of the room after they cast their "no" votes, Romney remained, clapping to mark the momentous occasion. He was soon joined by Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat of West Virginia, who gave him a hug. The historic moment came following a delay caused by Sen. Rand Paul, who showed up to vote roughly 15 minutes after the other 99 senators had. The packed chamber grew somewhat restless, with members leaving their chairs and speaking to one another as they waited for the Kentucky Republican. Less than two miles away, President Joe Biden and Jackson rejoiced as they watched the final vote flash across the television in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. The 51-year-old jurist will serve as the 116th justice and first Black woman on the Supreme Court once retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, steps down from the bench this summer. "Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her," Biden said. Lawmakers were swept up both in the history-making moment as well as what it meant to Americans right now. In a Capitol that has long struggled to represent the nation as a whole, they also reflected on what Jackson's confirmation meant for the next generation of public servants. Story continues "We have all witnessed today that history has been made. This is a watershed moment," Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer speaks outside the chamber after the Senate voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer exited the chamber with a smile on his face and two thumbs up. "This has been a long hard road as we tried to get to greater equality, less bigotry in America. And there is often steps backward. But when you have a day like this, it inspires you to keep moving forward," the Democratic leader said in a news conference. Harris' presence at the vote further underscored Thursday's historic nature. Vice presidents usually only preside over the chamber to cast tie-breaking votes, yet here was the United States' first female vice president and first woman of color in her role closing the final tally. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, also in attendance, jumped to his feet after Harris announced the vote and joined in the applause. "I do believe this is a very important statement about who we are as a nation that we have just made a decision to put this extraordinary jurist on the highest court of our land," Harris told reporters before leaving the Capitol. Murkowski said she has not received any significant blowback for her latest independent streak. "No, I think every one of us all, all 50 senators on the Republican side of the aisle, know that we come to these very important votes, we have to come to it in our own way and our own place, our own analysis, our own review, recognizing the states that we come from," Murkowski told reporters after the vote. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which handled Jackson's confirmation process, said Thursday represented a major step for representation in the country. Before the vote, Durbin echoed President Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address and the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in placing the vote on the spectrum of American history. America, Durbin said, was "one step closer to a more perfect union" thanks to this "glass shattering achievement." Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a member of the Judiciary Committee who grew emotional during Jackson's confirmation hearings, said he felt "immense pride and so much joy" on Thursday. "I see in her the affirmation of our ancestors who suffered the indignities of this country yet sacrificed to bend the moral arc of our nation towards justice," Booker said. "They knew that America, though haunted by its past failings, was not bound by them and believed that a day like this would eventually arrive." As the senators waited for Paul's vote, Harris gathered with Booker and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, the only two Black Democratic senators, and handed them two pieces of paper, asking them to write a letter to a young Black woman in their life that would mark this day in history. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who helped lead Biden's campaign, said she was focused on a note that her father once wrote to her. "My dad once wrote me this note - 'You become what you see, unless you see what you want to become,' Blunt Rochester tweeted. "Today - because of Ketanji Brown Jackson - millions of Black girls all across America will look to the highest court in our land and will know what they can become." Members of the Congressional Black Caucus members ringed the Senate floor as they watched the vote unfold. Once it closed, Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri jumped up and down, while Rep. G. K. Butterfield of North Carolina, the caucus' former chairman, waved a handkerchief in the air. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Jackson "is her own person" but at the same time, "a symbol of what Black women were from the centuries that this country was founded." Former first lady Michelle Obama also chimed in on the historic news. "Like so many of you, I can't help but feel a sense of pridea sense of joyto know that this deserving, accomplished Black woman will be a part of the highest court in the land," Obama wrote on Twitter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful women in American politics, remarked on the diverse range of experience Jackson will bring to the court as a soon-to-be former federal judge and federal public defender. "With Judge Jackson's historic confirmation, our nation takes an important step toward realizing our most cherished ideals," Pelosi said. Read the original article on Business Insider Khloe Kardashian discusses relationship with Tristan Thompson while speaking to Robin Roberts (ABC) Khloe Kardashian has spoken candidly about her relationship with Tristan Thompson, and why she decided to allow him into the delivery room when she gave birth to their daughter True, despite his infidelity. The Good American founder was asked about Thompson, who she dated on-and-off for years and who recently confirmed that he had fathered another child with another woman, while speaking to Robin Roberts during an ABC News primetime special on Wednesday. With Tristan, I did feel incredibly safe, in the beginning, Kardashian said of their relationship, which began in 2016. I felt really good for a time. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum then recalled when Thompson had cheated on her shortly before the birth of their daughter in 2018, with the reality star revealing that she decided to allow him in the delivery room because she wanted the home videos to be as pure and perfect as I was able to make them for her daughter. I remember when he cheated on me right before I gave birth and I was able to still have him in the delivery room, and so, yes it might have looked strange to the outside world but when my daughter watches my home videos of it, those videos are going to be as pure and perfect as I was able to make them, she shared. As for the relationship the former couple has now, Kardashian told Roberts that she still thinks hes a great guy and a great dad, but that hes just not the guy for me. When asked what Kardashian and her sisters are looking for, the reality star told the Good Morning America host: I think at the end of the day all of us just aspire to have blissfulness. We want to be happy and we want to feel safe. Kardashians comments come after Thompson confirmed in January of this year that he is the father of a son with Maralee Nichols, after the fitness instructor issued a paternity lawsuit against the basketball star. At the time, Thompson publicly apologised to Kardashian for the heartache and humiliation he caused her over the course of their relationship. Story continues Khloe, you dont deserve this. You dont deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You dont deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you, he wrote. While speaking to Variety in March, Kardashian acknowledged that it is not fun having to discuss Thompson, but acknowledged that it is part of my journey in life, and confirmed that viewers will see their relationship played out on the famous familys new reality show. The Kardashians new reality show The Kardashians will premiere on Hulu on 14 April. (Getty Images for ABA) Kim Kardashian has spoken candidly about her divorce from Kanye West and how her mother, Kris Jenner, helped her focus on being happy after the separation. Kardashian discussed how shes put her happiness first since her split from West, also known as Ye, in a preview of her interview for Hoda Kotbs podcast, Making Space, which airs next week. I think for once I was like, I want to really choose my happiness over anything and my peace of mind, she explained. Like, something just stuck out to me. According to the Skims founder, when she was in her bad relationships, her mother continued to encourage her to find peace of mind. My mom used to always cry to me when I was in these bad relationships and, you know, college and years ago, and she used to say: All I want for my kids and all I want for you is peace of mind, the 41-year-old reality star recalled. And when I woke up and realised that I didnt have that, thats all I was looking for. Kardashian also said that seeing her own mother stay in a relationship for too long taught her the importance of finding inner peace. I saw my mom stay in a relationship too long when she wasnt as happy, The Kardashians star recalled. I realised everyones going to heal quicker if I just make the move instead of not being my authentic self and not finding my inner peace. Regarding her divorce with West, Kardashian said that, while she wished that things had turned out differently, it was a personal strength for her, as she made her own happiness a priority. I think that no matter what, it doesnt mean that everyone didnt try, and it doesnt mean that I dont wish that it had turned out differently, and theres nothing more than youd want for everyone to be happy, she said. But I think it also showed a lot of personal strength for me because I was really a people-pleaser and I wanted everyone else to be happy, that I finally was like: Why am I measuring and trying to make other people happy over myself? she continued. And that takes a lot of strength to do, even if you know that itll make your kids upset, as well, for a time period. Story continues She also acknowledged how important it is to be at peace with herself down the line, as her four children, North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two, who she shares with West, will eventually grow up and move out. Kim Kardashian talks co-parenting children with Kanye West amid divorce (Getty Images) One day theyre going to grow up and be out of the house, and its just going to be me, and Im going to have to sit there with my happiness, she said. Kardashian has previously opened up about prioritising her happiness, and the role it played in her divorce. For so long, I did what made other people happy, she explained to Vogue last February. And I think in the last two years I decided, Im going to make myself happy. And that feels really good. And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think its important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. Ive chosen myself. I think its okay to choose you, she added. Kardashian filed for divorce from West in February 2021 and was ruled legally single at the beginning of last month. Since the former couple separated, the musician has dated Uncut Gems starJulia Fox, before they broke up in February after two months, while Kardashian is currently dating comedian Pete Davidson. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Wednesday slammed the White Houses attempt to walk back controversial comments President Biden made in Poland last month. Biden made headlines over an off-script comment seemingly calling for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be removed. For Gods sake, this man cannot remain in power, Biden said. The White House then swiftly sought to clarify his comments, saying the president was not suggesting a regime change in Russia, but rather referring to Putin exercising control outside of Russia. Kinzinger said that White House effort made Biden appear weak. I wouldve fired everybody that clarified my statement for me, the Republican congressman told Newsweek this week. I would have done that that day if I was president, because I think even if Joe Biden had not intended to say that or for it to come across as it did, you know, the White House had a decision to make, they could have, they either could make him look weak, which is what they ultimately chose to do. Or they could have said, okay, well, we wish he wouldnt have said it, but lets just go with it,' he added. Some lawmakers have expressed similar views, including Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), who said last month that the White Houses backtracking of Bidens remarks damages his credibility. Others have criticized Biden for what they saw as a dangerous mistake, including Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), who dubbed it a horrendous gaffe. Biden has since clarified his own statement, saying he was expressing moral outrage. But I want to make it clear: I wasnt then nor am I now articulating a policy change, he said late last month. The Hill has reached out to Kinzingers office for additional comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - Unhappy fans of South Korean boy group BTS accused President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of trying to use their idols to boost his ratings after his transition team hinted the group could be booked to perform at the inauguration ceremony next month. As of Thursday, there were more than 1,800 posts on the transition committee's website, all decrying the possibility of mixing pop with politics. "Please do not politically exploit BTS. They do not exist to raise your approval ratings. They are global artists who promote Korean culture," said one post. A separate online petition with the presidential Blue House had garnered some 6,000 signatures since its launch on Wednesday. Many fans also took to the Weverse fandom platform posting comments under the hashtag "#NoBTSforInauguration." Yoon's transition team said it was undecided over whether to invite BTS to play, having initial denied there was any such plan. The possibility of involving BTS was first disclosed during a radio interview on Tuesday with the official in charge of preparations for inauguration on May 10. The seven-member group's management, Bit Hit Music, said it has not formally received an invitation from Yoon's office. The outgoing president, Moon Jae-in took office in 2017 without a public ceremony, but popular singers and actors have provided entertainment at past presidential inaugurations. In 2013, rapper Psy showed off his quirky horse-riding dance with his 2012 global smash hit "Gangnam Style" in front of some 70,000 spectators at Park Geun-hye's swearing-in, and Michael Jackson attended the inauguration of Kim Dae-jung in 1998. Yoon, a political novice, won the March 9 election by a record low margin of 0.7% of the votes, following a bitterly fought race that played out against a backcloth of deepening voter disillusion with South Korea's polarised politics, growing inequality and runaway home prices. Story continues With just a month to go before he takes office, Yoon's low approval ratings could be a sign of troubles to come. Despite losing the presidential election, the opposition Democrats will keep a solid majority in parliament until parliamentary elections in 2024, and Yoon must work with them to pass new legislation, budgets and appoint ministers. A Realmeter survey released on Monday showed 48.8% of Koreans said Yoon would perform his presidential duties smoothly, while 47.6% said he would not do well. A Gallup poll last Friday put optimistic respondents much ahead with 55% to 41%, whereas other recent incoming presidents had ratings around 80%. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, acknowledged in an interview published on Thursday that Russia had sustained significant losses of troops and called it a huge tragedy. The remarks, which were made to Sky News, are a rare acknowledgement from Moscow of the difficulties Russia has confronted in its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has not provided many updates regarding its troops casualties; previous figures reported by Moscow have been notably lower than estimates from Ukraine and NATO. The interview comes as Russian troops have left the Ukrainian regions of Chernihiv and Kyiv, unable to quickly seize the capital of Ukraine as initially hoped. Peskov claimed that Russia was acting in goodwill by withdrawing from both areas, telling Sky News, It was a goodwill act to lift tension from those regions and show Russia is really ready to create comfortable conditions to continue negotiations. U.S. officials have expressed skepticism about Moscow pulling back its troops in those areas, however, with Pentagon press secretary John Kirby saying last week, We believe this is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal. Peskov also denied the accusations of Russian atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine, where photos and videos shared by Ukrainian officials have shown bodies strewn in the streets with their hands tied behind their backs. He told Sky News the situation in the Ukrainian city is a well-staged insinuation, nothing else. We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of Bucha, Peskov said. Peskov also claimed Russia had very serious reasons to believe that the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol was fake. The Kremlin spokesperson continued to refer to Russias invasion of Ukraine as an operation rather than a war. The assault on Ukraine has led more than 4 million people to flee the country, according to data from the United Nations refugee agency, and has killed or injured thousands of civilians. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board will seek to have mandatory anti-union meetings during work hours banned. Jennifer Abruzzo, a President Biden appointee, said in a memo released Thursday that the meetings are illegal. The meetings, a tactic of employers including Amazon, discourage workers from exercising their right not to listen to employer speech about their workplace rights. This license to coerce is an anomaly in labor law, inconsistent with the Acts protection of employees free choice. It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of employers speech rights, Abruzzo wrote in the memo. I believe that the NLRB case precedent, which has tolerated such meetings, is at odds with fundamental labor-law principles, our statutory language, and our Congressional mandate. The boards general counsel highlighted two specific cases when workers are forced to convene on paid time or cornered by management while performing their job duties where employers should not be allowed to push anti-union messages. Abruzzo will now have to find a case challenging such behavior and bring it before the labor board, which currently has a 3-2 Democratic majority. Unions have been vocal critics of so called captive audience meetings, saying it gives employers a platform during elections that labor groups do not have access to. Groups organizing Amazon facilities in Staten Island, N.Y., and Bessemer, Ala., have filed unfair labor practice complaints challenging the e-commerce giants use of the meetings. Workers at both facilities have told The Hill that Amazon required them to come to meetings with management frequently in the run up to their respective union elections. Workers in Staten Island voted to be represented by the independent Amazon Labor Union while the result in Bessemer is not yet known. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which would represent the Alabama Amazon workers, said in a statement Thursday that the meetings must be declared illegal. They are the major weapon employers use to spread disinformation, intimidate workers and interfere with their choice as to whether they want union representation, he said. The question of whether workers want a union should be the workers choice not the employers free of intimidation and interference. Captive audience meetings make that impossible. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lafayette's Early College Academy celebrated its ranking as the state's highest-scoring high school with an assembly Wednesday, where students were greeted by school and district staff waving pompoms and cheering them on. ECA is a partnership between the Lafayette Parish School System and South Louisiana Community College and allows students to earn an associate's degree while they get their high school diploma. ECA's school performance score was 132.7 out of 150, jumping from 131.9 in 2019, when it was tied for the top high school score. The scores are intended to measure how well teachers are preparing all of their students for the next grade-level or postsecondary education, according to the state Department of Education. Education: New simulated school performance scores tell story of growth for Lafayette Parish "You've done a lot of preparation for the ACT. You've done well on tests. You've worked your rears off," principal Alexander Melton told students during the assembly. "Yes, the state recognizes us, and I'm very proud of that, and you should be very proud of the number-one ranking, too. But the thing I'm more proud of that you need to be more proud of is what it means to each individual. Because that means that each individual has worked very, very hard." ECA's high score came as the district's score increased 2.7 percentage points, even as many districts in the state struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. LPSS was the only district in the eight-parish Acadiana region to see growth since 2019. Education: The 'best' and 'worst' schools and districts in Louisiana, according to state scores The students received t-shirts from achievements from Love Our Schools to celebrate th "You did all of this during a pandemic," said Superintendent Irma Trosclair. "When so many schools and districts across this nation declined...you all continued to soar. That is an outstanding accomplishment." Story continues Early College Academy has been pointed to as a success story in Lafayette. In 2020, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Frank Brogan visited the school for a tour and to celebrate its status as a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. More: Lafayette's Early College Academy celebrated by Trump administration for 'courage' CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support journalists like William Taylor Potter Melton said he was optimistic that the school would maintain its best-in-the-state status based on its Louisiana Educational Assessment Program scores. Melton said the school's fall LEAP scores increased from last year, so it will come down to how they perform in the spring. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lafayette's Early College Academy celebrates best-in-Louisiana ranking A Chicago police vehicle is parked near debris, marked off by tape, on April 7, 2022, the day after a 22-year-old woman was struck in the head by falling objects in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in the Wicker Park neighborhood. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) As they walked home after class, 21-year-old Elizabeth Evans and her roommate stopped and took a break at a fountain across the street from the CTAs Blue Line Division station Wednesday night in the Wicker Park neighborhood. Suddenly, they heard a deafening blast and felt shards of glass and small rocks pelting them as chunks of concrete plunged off a building across the street. Advertisement Stunned, Evans saw something moving in the rubble. Oh, its probably just a bag, Evans remembers thinking, or part of the stone facade, which was blue in color. Advertisement No, ... its definitely a person! said Evans, when they realized it was the jean jacket of a 22-year-old woman who was on the ground, her head bleeding. Evans, a former lifeguard, sprinted across the street and was about a yard away as she saw another young woman crouching next to her, clasping her hand. Evans called 911. Police tape surrounds debris on the ground at the scene where a 22-year-old woman was struck in the head by falling pieces from a commercial building on the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue the evening of April 6, 2022. According to police, she was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) According to a Chicago police report, the victim and her companion had just come from the Division Street Blue Line station about 6 p.m. and were walking home when a section of the stone facade fell from a commercial building, which was apparently being rehabbed, and hit her head in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. The facade of 1227 N. Milwaukee began to break apart in multiple pieces, causing numerous chunks and particles of concrete to spew onto the sidewalk and street below, the report said. The victim was caught in the storm of debris. The woman suffered a laceration to the head, and unknown internal injuries. She was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, according to police. Everyone just kind of stopped. I was super nervous, Evans said of the moment they heard the crash, which they thought was construction at first, but there was no machinery. A large yellow sign that read Value Pawn had fallen and hit the scaffolding, Evans said. As it fell, all this debris was flying at us, Evans said. Advertisement The yellow sign still hung precariously from a chain about 2 feet from the ground. As Evans worried about more scaffolding falling, she said she mainly was focusing on making sure the victim was OK. Just before paramedics and firefighters got there, bystanders began to try to move her, prompting screams from Evans who said her lifeguarding training taught her that if a person suffers a head or back injury, the injured person should not be moved. Firefighters and first responders cleared the pieces of stone and the sign away and brought her out on a backboard. She was breathing, said Evans, who could see her abdomen moving up and down and her arm shaking. She remained hospitalized Thursday afternoon, but a condition update was not available. Advertisement Evans and her roommate stuck around because they wanted to apologize to the womans friend for yelling but were never able to because police arrived and she was busy speaking with them. Police said a vehicle that had been traveling north on Milwaukee was damaged by debris, but the driver was not injured. It exploded his back window and flattened his tire, Evans said. The building owner told police he saw damage to the building and placed scaffolding up to do repairs, according to the police report. A representative for the citys Department of Buildings was not immediately available. The accident was under investigation by Chicago police, which classified the event as an accidental injury and traffic crash. Advertisement A lot of people were upset, said Evans, adding she hoped the woman was doing better. It was a really horrible thing to happen. Im really worried for her. Chicago Tribunes Shanzeh Ahmad contributed. kdouglas@chicagotribune.com rsobol@chicagotribune.com Twitter @312BreakingNews @RosemarySobol1 Former Hong Kong Chief Secretary and security official John Lee announced on Wednesday that he is running for election to become chief executive of the global financial hub. Lee, 64, led the crackdown on pro-democracy and anti-government protests in Hong Kong during 2019, which occurred in response to the proposed Fugitive Offenders Ordinance amendment bill that would allow extradition of fugitives to mainland China. Over a million people flooded the streets of Hong Kong to fight the bill, but after violent suppression efforts from the government, the protests soon grew to become a broader anti-government movement. Hong Kong police arrested 53 officials and activists. Lee, then secretary of security, defended the move as one necessary to keep the city from becoming a bottomless abyss. Lees announcement comes two days after Carrie Lam, who has been Hong Kongs chief executive since 2017, said that she would be stepping down from her position, citing her family as the main reason for her decision. [My family thinks] it is time for me to go home, she said. Lam dealt with a series of unprecedented challenges this past year, including the city facing the worlds highest COVID-19 death rate. Crematoriums were overwhelmed with more than 900,000 new cases in March, unable to keep up with the number of bodies. Lee was promoted to chief secretary, Hong Kongs second highest post, in 2021 after serving as a deputy commissioner of police. In a Wednesday press conference, he said, This afternoon I have tendered to the chief executive my resignation I indicated in the letter the reason for my resignation is that if my resignation is approved by the Central Peoples Government [of China], I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming chief executive election. Lee is the first government official to place a bid for Hong Kongs top position. If he wins, he would be the first security official to lead Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese rule from the British in 1997. Hong Kongs chief executive election is scheduled for May 8. Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Trump Admin Walks Back Plan to Deport International Students Enrolled in Only Online Classes Woman Put in Headlock After Deliberately Coughing on Thai Airways Flight Attendant Belgian School Posts Obscenely Racist 'Corona Time' Photo for End of the Year Party Chinas Biggest Divorce Makes Ex-Wife of Vaccine Tycoon an Instant Billionaire The president of a West Virginia Proud Boys branch pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of illegally entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, the latest individual to admit to charges connected to the attack on the Capitol. Jeffrey Finley, 29, is facing up to one year in prison, according to his plea agreement provided to The Hill. His sentencing is scheduled for July 19. Finley was initially charged with knowingly entering and remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds, and engaging in disorderly conduct in any of the Capitol buildings. He was photographed the day of the Capitol riot wearing a blue suit, black shirt, red hat and glasses, according to the Department of Justice. He was also seen wearing a wired earpiece in his eight ear. Authorities said Finley was in the crowd of people before it breached the First Street pedestrian gate, and then moved on to Capitol grounds. He was later caught on video entering the Capitol building through a door on the west side of the building. According to the plea agreement, Finley marched with a group to the east side of the Capitol then back to the west side of the building over the course of more than two hours. Additionally, Finley allegedly sent messages to a Telegram channel named Boots on the Ground during the attack. He understood the channel to be a place for Proud Boys members planning to attend the riot, according to the plea agreement. After leaving the Capitol building, Finley sent a video message to the channel in which he said I just got out myself, dude, I was in there, you know, fing taking pictures with the boys, according to the plea agreement. He also told the group We literally cant get back in. Fing crazy, crazy, crazy lockdown. If you guys come out, youre not getting back in. Thats 100%. Days after the Capitol attack, Finley deleted his social media accounts and photos and videos of himself and other Proud Boys members at the Capitol, according to the plea agreement. He also told members of his chapter to dispose of photographs. Finleys plea agreement comes after Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was indicted on a conspiracy charge connected to the Jan. 6 attack. He pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and other felony charges on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CANBERRA, Australia The first of 20 Bushmaster armored vehicles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The 20 Bushmasters cost 50 million in Australian dollars, which is $37 million in U.S. dollars. The vehicles are in addition to $116 million in Australian dollars ($87 million in U.S. dollars) in military and humanitarian aid previously committed to Ukraine. Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. And as soon as he asked, we said yes, Morrison said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on eastern front Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban Ukraine appeals to NATO for more weapons Russia is moving troops and focus toward the east, but that strategy carries risks as well U.N. General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from UN rights council Ukrainian refugees find quickest route into US goes through Mexico Seeing Bucha atrocities is turning point for media, viewers Russia makes debt payment in rubles, a move that could result in historic default Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Story continues Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two-state owned companies come a day after the U.S. announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks and banning new American investment in Russia. __ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that work has begun to dig through the rubble in Borodianka, another city northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians. He also said it is much scarier there, with even more victims of the Russian troops. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy said the Russians were preparing to shock the world in the same way by showing corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they were killed by the Ukrainian defenders. Meanwhile, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said Thursday on Ukrainian television that investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Fedoruk said hundreds have been killed and investigators are finding bodies in yards, parks and city squares. PHOENIX A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraines consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths weapons, weapons and weapons. Kushneruk said its a war for the soul of humanity and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. According to Kushneruk, prompt American help will save civilian lives and he pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government to political and cultural institutions around the world. __ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council a meaningful step by the international community. He also said that it further demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions The United States and Ukraine have called Russias alleged rights violations tantamount to war crimes. In a statement, Biden said the images out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying and an outrage to our common humanity. BRUSSELS European Council president Charles Michel says the blocs top diplomat has proposed adding an additional 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, the fund which has been used for the first time during the war to deliver defensive lethal weapons to a third country. The EU has previously agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on military supplies for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a country under attack. EU countries and NATO have so far excluded the option of a direct military intervention in Ukraine. Once swiftly approved this will bring to 1.5 billion the EU support already provided for military equipment for Ukraine, Michel said in a message posted on Twitter in which he thanked EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. The proposal needs to be approved by the 27 EU countries. The EU said the instrument should help Ukraine armed forces defend the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty and protect the civilian population. __ The World Health Organization has verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the country was first invaded more than a month ago, the organizations top official said Thursday. At least 103 attacks on hospitals and other health-care facilities in the country, and at least 73 were killed and 51 injured in those incidents, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The toll includes medical workers as well as patients, he said. He praised the United States for supporting international health efforts in Ukraine, including the delivery of more 180 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit areas. We are outraged that attacks on health care (in Ukraine) continue, he said. ___ BRUSSELS European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. Reported by Raf Casert. ___ PARIS -- The International Energy Agency says its member countries are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous U.S. pledges to take aim at energy prices that have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Paris-based organization said Thursday that the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the United States and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months. Its the largest release in the groups history. Half of that will come from the U.S. as part of the larger release from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden announced last week. The IEA agreed last Friday to add to the amount of oil hitting the global market. It comes on top of the 62.7 million barrels that the agencys members said they would release last month to ease shortages. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russias invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came Thursday after the Senate approved the two bills and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has already taken executive action to ban Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States. The legislation puts the effort into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. The bills also provide the president with the authority to return normal tariff treatment for Russia as well as resume trade in Russian energy products subject to certain conditions. ___ LONDON - Polands President Andrzej Duda and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the need for ending imports of energy sources from Russia as a form of tough sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda said they also analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy additional taxes on Russian gas, oil and coal until the imports are ended. The U.K. said it will stop importing Russian coal and oil by the end of this year and gas imports will cease soon after. Poland is to end Russian coal imports by May, gas by the years end and oil in 2023, possibly. Russia is not a credible partner and we should not assume that it will ever be, Duda told reporters. ___ NICOSIA, Cyprus - Ukraines president has asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up pressure on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to stop granting Russian businessmen conveniences including Cypriot citizenship. Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid and spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that happened in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union. He said EU membership for Ukraine would help strengthen the 27-member bloc. ___ STOCKHOLM European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to stay together and not decide unilaterally on imposing sanctions against Russia. We have been successful by being together. My plea is that we move forward together, von der Leyen said during a visit to Stockholm where she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The EU chief on Friday will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging event in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland. ___ PODGORICA, Montenegro NATO-member Montenegro is joining a number of countries that expelled Russian diplomats over the past week. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the four diplomats have a week to leave the small Balkan nation. The decision is based on information provided by security authorities about the diplomats activities in Montenegro, the ministry said. No other details were immediately available. Montenegro last month expelled another Russian diplomat. Local media said at the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union but has joined Western sanctions against Moscow. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That is significantly lower than votes on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the Ukrainian town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops were responsible. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. ___ LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following Russian President Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The goal is to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. Other elements include promoting solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. ___ WARSAW, Poland A surgeon in Poland says a seriously wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine will require long, specialized treatment for the injuries he suffered in the early days of Russias invasion. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed on the very serious injuries that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his back, spine and facial nerves. Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the car in which the family were trying to flee Ukraines capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Doctors in Kyiv were able to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, but he is now in a wheelchair due to the spine injuries and one side of his face is paralyzed. Some shrapnel particles in his body still need to be removed, Godzinski said. What moved me most was that he smiled when we told him we will be able to help him, Godzinski said on Polands private TVN24. ___ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is calling for his country to be included in negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations without the participation of Belarus, Lukashenko said at a meeting Thursday of his national security council. There can be no separate agreements behind the back of Belarus. Russia has launched missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There has been no confirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. The minister said Turkey was also talking with both Russia and Ukraine about the possible evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol by sea. ___ BRUSSELS Ukraines foreign minister says hes cautiously optimistic that some NATO member countries will increase their weapons supplies to his country, helping it resist Russias invasion, but he urged swift decisions and action. Speaking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which countries would be providing equipment or what kind they would be, but he said the weapons must get to Ukraine quickly as Russia gears up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Kuleba said: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. ___ HELSINKI Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. ___ BRUSSELS The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. Following allegations this week of war crimes in the city of Bucha, the ministers insist that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. They also repeated warnings about the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, saying that any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. ___ MOSCOW Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscows sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. ___ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. ___ ATHENS, Greece Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to Greek parliament Thursday. Zelenskyy emphasized the destruction wrought on the southern port city of Mariupol, home to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian community, and urged Greece to help prevent the same fate befalling Odesa, another Ukrainian port city with deep ties to Greece. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. ___ A Modesto High School student was arrested Thursday morning after a loaded handgun was found in a bag belonging to him, the school district and police said. The schools security team found the weapon while performing a scheduled search with contraband detection dogs, according to a voice message sent out by the district. It was immediately confiscated. Security officers then detained 18-year-old Adrian Ramirez in connection with the gun. Modesto Police Department officers were called around 10:30 a.m. and arrived to arrest Ramirez, department spokesperson Sharon Bear said. He was booked into Stanislaus County Jail, with bail set at $1,000. He remained in custody Thursday afternoon. Modesto High School Principal Jason Manning sent out a phone message to alert parents about the situation. I commend our school security team for the responsible actions in addressing this situation to ensure the safety of all students, teachers and staff on our campus, the message said. I can assure you that safety is our top priority at Modesto High. A local law enforcement association is asking for crews to attend the funeral of a fallen Bluffton officer Friday. Bluffton Officer Dominic Francis was struck by a car and killed while deploying stop sticks during a pursuit Thursday, March 31. The Montgomery County Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Association released a plan on social media for Miami Valley law enforcement agencies to attend Francis funeral to show their support. >> RELATED: 3 men in custody after high-speed pursuits, crash that killed Bluffton police officer on I-75 They plan to meet at the Dayton Airport Expo Center parking lot in Vandalia at 7 a.m. Friday and make their way to Francis funeral in Bluffton. The funeral will be held at Bluffton University at 11 a.m. at the Sommer Center on campus. Attached is the plan for attending Bluffton Officer Dominic Francis's funeral this Friday. Please share with your agency or any other this may not reach. Posted by Montgomery County Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Association on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Longtime New York Judge John Michalski was reportedly found dead by apparent suicide just weeks after his home was raided by police. The Erie County Supreme Court judges death was confirmed to Nexstar affiliate WIVB. Michalskis lawyer, Terry Connors, confirmed the apparent suicide of the 61-year-old to NBC News and other outlets. Police in Amherst, where Michalski lived, told The Hill they had no comment on the judges death. Michalskis home was raided in March in relation to an investigation into his relationship with Peter Gerace, Jr., the operator of Pharaohs Gentlemens Club in Cheektowaga, who is accused of sex trafficking and drug distribution, according to WIVB. Michalski had not been charged with any crimes. The judge was just recently reinstated to his post in January after a suicide attempt in February 2021. Michalski was seen lying down in front of a slow-moving train and went to a hospital with a leg injury. He was appointed as an acting Supreme Court justice in 2006. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. City Council members and Mayor Eric Garcetti inside Los Angeles City Hall last week. The building will reopen to the public next month. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) Los Angeles City Hall will reopen on May 4 after being closed to the public for more than two years, city officials said Thursday. Visitors will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test within the previous 72 hours to enter the building, officials said. Masks will be also required. The downtown building has been closed since March 2020, when many city employees began working remotely as the coronavirus spread through the region. City Council meetings have also been held remotely at different points during the pandemic. Members of the public have been able to participate remotely. Council President Nury Martinez said she looks forward to "seeing our council chambers full of Angelenos again." "As always with this pandemic, it remains a fluid process, but Im hopeful that we will continue to stay safe in our return to normal," Martinez said in a statement. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city will "continue to make decisions that put the health and safety of our city employees and all Angelenos first. Council committee meetings, commission meetings, and other Brown Act meetings managed by city departments will remain virtual, officials said. City Hall will also remain closed to special events and group tours. The City Council resumed in-person meetings in June 2021, but then returned to virtual meetings in January 2022 as the Omicron variant spread throughout Los Angeles County. The council returned to in-person meetings in March. The decision to keep City Hall closed even as the health risk appeared to diminish last fall angered some groups, including Housing Is A Human Right, the advocacy division of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Separately, the Department of Water and Power's utility disconnection moratorium recently expired, a spokeswoman confirmed this week. DWP spokeswoman Ellen Cheng said the utility will engage with customers who remain behind on their utility bills before any shutoffs occur. Story continues Coronavirus cases have begun to rise in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco counties, likely a result of the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2, decreased use of masks and waning immunity. The increases are modest, and its unclear whether this is a brief hiccup, the beginning of a larger wave of cases or something in between. L.A. County reported 806 cases a day over the past week, up 16% from the prior week. The county is recording 56 cases a week for every 100,000 residents, meaning the rate is once again substantial. L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer described the increase as a small uptick and said that the best way to protect oneself is to get updated on vaccinations and booster shots and to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (Reuters) - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that his country must be involved in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and that he expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next few days. "There can be no separate agreements behind Belarus's back," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the Belarusian state news agency Belta. "Since you dragged us into this - principally Western countries - the position of Belarus naturally needs to be heard at these negotiations." Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei went further, saying that Lukashenko himself "must participate in the (final) meeting". Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 from both Russian and Belarusian territory in what it called a "special military operation" designed to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and Western governments reject that as a false pretext for an invasion that has forced over 10 million to flee their homes, killed or injured thousands and destroyed cities and towns. Lukashenko has said Belarus's armed forces are not taking part and will not take part in the conflict, and asserted on Thursday that Belarus had been unfairly labelled "an accomplice of the aggressor". However, the European Union, the United States and others have included Belarus in the sweeping sanctions imposed on Russia. "We do not need this war," Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying. "Because as a result of this conflict between two Slavic peoples, we are the ones who may suffer the most." Although Belarus now relies heavily on Russia for economic and military support, Lukashenko has at times in the past tried to distance himself from Moscow in favour of better relations with the European Union. In 2020, the Kremlin helped Lukashenko forcibly put down mass pro-democracy protests alleging fraud in an election that gave him a sixth consecutive term as president, and crush what was left of Belarus's political opposition. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson) A man has been charged with arson following an investigation into a Blue Springs fire, which left a woman dead. Anthony D. Jordan, 48, is accused of starting an apartment fire that led to the death of a woman living next door. He was charged with arson in the first degree at Jackson County Circuit Court. The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District responded to calls of a fire at 2:40 a.m. on Monday in a building at the 700 block of Southwest 36th Street Terrace, according to court documents. A woman occupying one of the two apartments in the building suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital in critical condition, according to Chip Portz, a spokesman for the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. The woman died in the hospital on Wednesday. An ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire turned into a potential criminal investigation, Portz said. Investigators believe that the fire was intentionally set by Jordan, who lived in the neighboring apartment, said Michael Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutors Office. The man allegedly told police that he had poured lighter fluid onto clothing in the basement, which started the fire, because he was drunk and angry with his ex-girlfriend, court documents said. A Jackson County judge set his bond at $50,000 on Thursday. A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday at the Neiman Marcus in the Gold Coast after the stores security dog alerted that the man had a gun, according to a police report. Derrick Latham, of the Englewood neighborhood, is facing charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, retail theft and possession of a controlled substance, the report said. Advertisement A Neiman Marcus spokesperson said in a statement that the company is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable in-store experience for associates and customers. To reinforce our commitment, we are investing in additional security measures in select stores, the statement said. In addition to Neimans full-time, in-store security team, we are now working with a private security firm and its K-9 unit for weapons detection. Advertisement The Neiman Marcus store, 737 N. Michigan Ave., on March 23, 2020, in Chicago. (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune) Around 2 p.m., officers were called to the Nieman Marcus, at 737 N. Michigan Ave., where they met with a manager, the report said. The manager said that with security cameras, they saw that Latham took a belt and two buckles and put them in his jacket pockets. The merchandise cost about $995. Latham then left the store through the Michigan Avenue exit without paying, the report said. A security officer with the security dog stopped Latham outside the store on the sidewalk and found that he had a loaded 9 mm handgun in his waistband. The security officer also found that Latham had 16 fake $100 bills, seven loose 9 mm rounds and five white pills believed to be Xanax, the report said. Latham was on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident, the report said. Latham appeared in court Tuesday in front of Judge Susana Ortiz, who set his bail at $30,000 with electronic monitoring and no contact with Neiman Marcus, according to court records. His next court date is scheduled for April 27. Latham was arrested earlier this year for aggravated battery against a police officer, which is still an ongoing court case, according to court records. He violated his bail in that case with the Neiman Marcus-related arrest. He was also arrested last year and found guilty of possession of a firearm. Advertisement pfry@chicagotribune.com Federal authorities said a San Fernando Valley man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for setting the fire that damaged Sake House, seen above on June 1, 2020. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) A San Fernando Valley man who admitted to setting a Santa Monica restaurant on fire during a period of social unrest in 2020 has been sentenced to federal prison, authorities confirmed. Micah Tillmon, a 20-year-old West Hills resident, received an 18-month federal prison sentence, the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California said Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device, prosecutors said. A restitution hearing will be scheduled for a later date. According to his plea agreement, Tillmon went inside Sake House by Hikari, a popular Japanese restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard, on May 31, 2020, during protests over a Minneapolis police officers killing of George Floyd. The downtown Santa Monica restaurant and other businesses in the area had closed for the day in anticipation of burglars and vandals using the protests and police response as cover to wreak havoc. In chaotic scenes broadcast live on television and over social media, police fired on protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas as people broke into businesses. While inside the restaurant, Tillmon possessed and used an incendiary device to ignite a fire that rapidly grew, enveloped the entire restaurant space and spread to other areas of the building adjacent to the restaurant, prosecutors said. Security video from the restaurant showed Tillmon take "a red tube-shaped object from his jacket" and put it behind a reception desk before walking away, according to law enforcement records filed in the case. Fire erupted within seconds. Santa Monica firefighters responded and knocked down the blaze but had to leave the scene prematurely due to safety concerns caused by the civil unrest, prosecutors said. "As a result, [firefighters] needed to return to the scene several times throughout the night to extinguish additional flare-ups," prosecutors said. "The restaurant has since permanently closed." Story continues Tillmon was identified by Santa Monica police detectives after they reviewed security videos and social media posts, prosecutors said. Investigators also reviewed a video showing Tillmon's white Ford Explorer parking next to the restaurant four minutes before the fire started and then reverse across the street soon after flames broke out. "[Tillmon's] actions on May 31, 2020, were only possible because of a complete breakdown in social order," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. "Riots like the ones that convulsed this district in the summer of 2020 are a stark reminder of the thin line that separates state control and anarchy." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A map of the San Fernando Valley showing where a man was shot and killed by police in Panorama City A man was fatally shot by Los Angeles police in the San Fernando Valley on Wednesday afternoon after he threatened people with a knife, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 2:20 p.m. in the 8700 block of Tobias Avenue in Panorama City after police responded to a 911 call about a man in his 20s who was threatening people with a knife, said LAPD Officer Carlos Maldonado. Police at first attempted to de-escalate the situation by using less lethal weapons, but those proved ineffective, LAPD Officer Drake Madison said. That's when officers shot the man, he said. It's unclear how many shots were fired and where the man was hit. Paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department declared the man dead at the scene. He was not identified No one else was injured during the exchange, police said. A knife was recovered at the scene. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A damaged building in Mariupol, Ukraine. Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images More than 5,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol, Ukraine, since the start of the Russian invasion, Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Wednesday. The death toll includes 210 children. "The world has not seen the scale of the tragedy in Mariupol since the existence of the Nazi concentration camps," Boichenko said, per the Ukrainian news agency Interfax. "Russia-occupation forces turned our entire city into a death camp. This is the new Auschwitz and Majdanek." Mariupol is a port city, and for the last several weeks it has been surrounded by Russian troops. If they are able to gain full control of Mariupol, Russia will have a continuous land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014. Before the invasion, 430,000 people lived in Mariupol, and British defense officials say 160,000 remain. With Mariupol under siege, those still in the city are struggling without basic necessities like food, clean water, medicine, and gasoline. Boichenko said civilians are being killed by Russian shelling and in street fighting, and after one hospital was bombed, 50 people inside were burned to death. He estimates that more than 90 percent of Mariupol's infrastructure is now destroyed. You may also like 63 Republicans vote against House resolution affirming support for NATO and its 'democratic principles' Secret Service is renting $30,000-a-month Malibu mansion to protect Hunter Biden, ABC News reports Ukraine's 'stunning' defeat of Russia in Kyiv and the north is a really big deal, military experts say Shoes line the shelves at the Nike store on December 21, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Zhang Congyuan, Taiwan's richest person, built an $11.7 billion fortune making shoes for brands including Nike. The 74-year-old is the richest self-made newcomer to Forbes' World's Billionaires list. Zhang came from humble beginnings, starting his first shoe business on a pig farm in Taiwan. He started his first shoe business on a pig farm. Today, Zhang Congyuan is Taiwan's richest person, and he's built his $11.7 billion fortune making sneakers for some of the world's biggest brands. The 74-year-old is also the richest self-made newcomer on this year's Forbes' World Billionaires list, an annual ranking of the wealthiest people in the world. As founder of Huali Industrial Group, Zhang's firm produces shoes for brands such as Nike, Ugg, and Vans. Huali churns out more than 180 million pairs of shoes a year, according to Bloomberg. For all of his success, he maintains a low profile, rarely giving interviews or appearing at public events. Taiwanese media calls him the "mysterious shoe king." Humble beginnings Born into a farming family in the Taiwanese countryside of Yunlin, Zhang worked in a women's shoe factory after graduating from an agricultural college, according to Taiwan's Business Weekly. He eventually saved up enough money to start his own shoe factory in the 1980s although he had his limitations. "I had no money at home, so I had to live within my means. People buy good plots of land to build new buildings, I got a pig farm and a farmhouse in the countryside," he told the magazine in a rare interview last year. Housed next to paddy fields in western Taiwan, the pig farm produced quality shoes despite its shabby exteriors, the magazine reported, citing Chiang Wei-lun, an executive of shoe box firm Goodbox. "Zhang spent money on good materials, and his equipment was never inferior to other people," Chiang said. By the late 1980s, Zhang had set up several other footwear ventures across Taiwan and in China's southern province of Guangdong. The competition was rife: Guangdong is known as "the world's factory," where everything from handbags and shoes to Christmas decorations is made for export. Story continues But Zhang saw an opportunity to set himself apart, Business Weekly reported. That opportunity was vulcanized shoes the type of shoes popular with skateboarders for their gummy, pliable rubber soles. Even though vulcanized shoes are cheap to produce, the style was not popular with shoemakers at the time because it was unfashionable and signaled low profits. "Other people in the industry gave up on them, but I just wanted to focus on achieving good quality (shoes)," Zhang told the magazine. When these shoes started becoming trendy in the 1990s, Zhang already had a headstart and was able to produce them for the likes of Vans and Converse. Converse filed for bankruptcy in 2001, but Zhang maintained relations with the brand, the magazine said. Two years later, when Nike acquired Converse, it was on Converse's recommendation that Nike work with Zhang. Zhang officially set up Huali Industrial in 2004, and today, it has factories in China, Vietnam, and Dominica. Asked about his secret to success, he told Business Weekly that "there is no mystery." "To get to the bottom of it, it's only about whether you have the determination to do better than others," he said. Insider reached out to Zhang for comment through Huali Group but did not immediately receive a response. Read the original article on Business Insider Joan Rivers. Melissa Rivers via Post Hill Press The late Joan Rivers was naturally fabulous, and according to the person who knew her best, a liar. In an interview with Insider, Melissa Rivers, the only child of the caustic yet beloved comedian, discussed her mother Joan, the groundbreaking funny woman who died in 2014 at age 81 due to complications from a botched throat surgery. The 54-year-old producer and podcaster wrote in her new book, "Lies My Mother Told Me: Tall Tales from a Short Woman," that Joan loved to share with her impressionable daughter outrageous and untrue whoppers from the fake story of the first Thanksgiving (saying the Mayflower was "like a Carnival cruise ship with better plumbing") to the outlandish origin story behind the Leaning Tower of Pisa (tipped due to an unfortunate incident involving Elizabeth Taylor's oft-mocked plump frame). The liberal lying was all part and parcel of a nimble mind that, like Joan herself, never slowed down. Joan's school of thought: Why let the boring truth stand in the way when it can be punched up by a much funnier, if false, version? The Brooklyn-born comedian, who was constantly reinventing herself, still felt like a Hollywood 'outsider' Comedienne Joan Rivers performs live in November 1970 in New York City, New York. Joan Rivers performs live in November 1970 in New York City.I.C. Rapoport/Getty Images The larger-than-life comedian, who stood a mere five-foot-two, cultivated a well-earned reputation for her bawdy and biting humor. She was equally as known for her signature catchphrase "Can we talk?" as she was for her notorious penchant for plastic surgery. Born Joan Molinsky in 1933, the Brooklyn-born and Westchester, New York-bred daughter of a Jewish doctor was raised to live a conventional life: marry the "right" kind of guy by 23 (which she did) and immediately start popping out kids (which she didn't). She left her first husband, the son of a clothing store manager, after six months, with that marriage being ultimately annulled. Story continues Against the backdrop of a disapproving upper-middle-class family who didn't understand her quest for fame, Joan went on to break many barriers and crash through nearly every glass ceiling in a comedy world that didn't quite know what to make of the unconventional upstart. She also transcended generations with her legendary edginess jokes that some people were too scared to laugh at aloud in mixed company unless they saw others let loose too. And the woman was a stalwart, reinventing herself many times over. Being washed up was for other comics. Rivers ably transitioned from a Catskills performer to a stand-up comedian to a late-night talk show host and later a QVC maven. Joan managed to stay not only relevant over the decades, but even well into her 70s, she cultivated a white-hot career drawing in new generations who followed her for her bruising awards show commentary on E! "She always strived to be relevant, and that's why she was so happy with the red carpets and 'Fashion Police,'" said Melissa. Melissa Rivers via Post Hill Press Still, Melissa said that her parents accepted their place in the ever-evolving Hollywood ecosystem. "Both my parents always felt like they were outsiders in Hollywood," she said. "They were never part of the cool kids' club. They were never asked to eat at the good lunch table." According to Melissa, Joan always endured difficult showbiz personalities who didn't always accord parity: "Were there assholes? 100 percent. Was it probably more men than women? Yes." Joan along with her second husband, manager-producer Edgar Rosenberg, carved out their own support system anyway and "ran in a much less showbiz group." It's why Melissa believes Joan bolted for New York shortly after her husband died by suicide in 1987, right after the comedian lost her short-lived late-night show on Fox. Melissa enjoyed a unique yet grounded childhood with her parents Joan Rivers with Melissa Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg. Melissa Rivers via Post Hill Press Melissa had no cookie-cutter childhood; it was filled with long jaunts to Las Vegas and lunches with magic duo Siegfried and Roy. But even though she jokingly wrote in the book that Joan's career was actually her "favorite child," she told Insider that her devoted parents always wanted a "traditional" childhood for her. "It was always made very clear that it was a family business," Melissa, who's now a mother herself to a 21-year-old son named Cooper, said. "It was the three Rosenbergs and the quote-unquote 'career.' It was a separate entity." Melissa, who grew up in the ultra-luxurious Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, added that her parents fostered a normal environment. "Til the day she died, her phone at home was answered, 'Rosenberg residence,'" she recalled. Joan and Melissa Rivers at the 47th Grammys in 2005. Getty Images Although her parents tried to keep her grounded, it still didn't stop Melissa from entering Hollywood on her own terms, often working alongside her mother. Melissa, who worked the red carpet awards pre-show circuit with her mom starting in the mid-1990s and later served as executive producer of E!'s "Fashion Police," acknowledged the role she and her mom had in revolutionizing the red carpet by making four simple words "Who are you wearing?" so iconic. "I always say that somehow we released the kraken. Was it good or bad? Are we going to heaven and hell? Not 100 percent sure. I keep waiting for my mom to come back and tell me what to pack," she quipped. Still, Melissa mourns the red carpet's lost edge over the years."It's become dull and safe," she lamented. "You could see people were scared to say anything." Melissa finds it 'shocking' that some high-profile women in comedy were unkind to Joan Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers onstage at "The Comedy Central Roast Of Joan Rivers" in 2009. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Although plenty of comedians, like Amy Schumer, Amy Poehler and Sarah Silverman, have expressed reverence for Joan's sometimes ruthless form of funny, not every woman who made it in comedy accords Joan with paving the way. "There are a number of very high-profile women in comedy who weren't fans," said Melissa. "I always find that shocking. You don't have to like everybody and I'm not sure they liked her brand of comedy and were never kind to her on the red carpet." She continued: "They never gave her the tip of the hat that she deserved from them, whether they liked her humor or not." Melissa even recalled her mother coming off the air and saying to her, "Wow, they don't like me." After Joan's death, Kathy Griffin reportedly stewed over a fight with Ellen DeGeneres, who, according to Griffin, called Joan's brash brand of comedy "mean." The report came years before multiple stories surfaced of DeGeneres' own behavior on her talk show set, even being accused by multiple staff members of allowing abusive behavior. But Melissa told Insider that the talk show host warmly welcomed her when she wrote her 2015 "Book of Joan" as a tribute to her late mom. "She was beyond gracious and remembers how good my mother was to her when she came out," Melissa said of DeGeneres. "Just because it wasn't her style of humor, Ellen realized how important and meaningful my mother's voice was to her in a personally difficult time." Melissa was 'overwhelmed' by the outpouring of love at Joan's funeral in 2014 Joan Rivers with Melissa Rivers. Melissa Rivers via Post Hill Press Joan often meditated on death, according to her daughter. Melissa wrote in her book that her mother "loved funerals," and Joan's own star-studded goodbye was an A-list affair that she would have approved. According to the comedian's daughter, Joan had strict instructions: "I want my funeral to be a big show biz affair with lights, camera, action I want it to be Hollywood all the way." And she got it. Donald Trump, Hugh Jackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Sawyer, and dozens of other boldfacers paid their respects to the raspy-voiced renaissance woman who died while at the top of her game. "It meant the world to me. Was I overwhelmed by it? Absolutely," Melissa said of the outpouring of love for Joan from around the world. Looking back on her mother's career, Melissa said that Joan earned a legacy that's nothing to laugh at, especially for women in Hollywood. "People always say that she was this feminist icon, but she never thought of herself as a feminist," Melissa told Insider. "We always used to say that she was the accidental feminist. Because she never thought about itshe put her head down and just worked." She also recalled an observation by Chris Rock after Joan died: "She wasn't just the best comedienne, she was the best comic.'" "She didn't think, 'I want to be the best woman.' She thought, "I want to be the best,'" Melissa added. Read the original article on Insider A Ukrainian man was sentenced Thursday in the Western District of Washington to five years in prison for his work with the hacking group FIN7. The Department of Justice says 32-year-old Denys Iarmak served as a high-level hacker who was referred to as a pen tester for FIN7. He was arrested in Bangkok in November 2019. In the United States alone, FIN7 successfully breached computer networks of businesses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with more than 20 million customer card records from over 6,500 individual point-of-sale terminals across 3,6000 separate business locations. According to court documents, victims losses exceeded $1 billion. Companies that have publicly disclosed attacks attributable to FIN7 include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Arbys, and Red Robin. Iarmak is the third member of the hacking group to be sentenced in the U.S. On April 16, 2021, Fedir Hladyr was sentenced to 10 years in prison; on June 24, 2021, Andrii Kolpakov was sentenced to seven years. Scroll down to continue reading More news from KIRO 7 DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP Mr. Iarmak was directly involved in designing phishing emails embedded with malware, intruding on victim networks, and extracting data such as payment card information, said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown of the Western District of Washington. To make matters worse, he continued his work with the FIN7 criminal enterprise even after the arrests and prosecution of co-conspirators. He and others in this cybercrime group used hacking techniques to essentially rob thousands of locations of multiple restaurant chains at once, from the comfort and safety of their keyboards in distant countries. Iarmak was involved with FIN7 from around November 2016 through November 2018. Following his arrest in Bangkok, Iarmak fought extradition but was eventually transferred to U.S. custody in May 2020. In November 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking. Michael Allen NEW PHILADELPHIA Michael Allen has been appointed sales manager for Polyvision Ohio, a global leader in the innovation and manufacture of CeramicSteel, collaborative writing products and architectural panels for cladding. Allen comes to Polyvision after serving more than seven years in the office furniture market, most recently at Maxon Furniture, where he held product management and customer support roles. Prior to that, he worked for The HON Company, where he was involved in sales and customer service functions. During this time, Allen managed customer relationships, key accounts and Independent Rep Groups, while helping to increase revenues and profitability. I am thrilled to join Polyvision during this exciting period of company growth, he said. Polyvisions extensive offering of high-performance products and solutions along with a longstanding history of innovation and service continues to propel the industry forward. Through a customer-first mindset and focusing on key strategic priorities, I look forward to making a positive difference for Polyvision and our customers as we expand and evolve. In his new role, Allen will primarily be responsible for education and product sales, and will report to Polyvision general manager Kevin Taney. With his previous experience in the industry, Michael has been able to hit the ground running in support of our customers, said Kevin Taney, general manager, Polyvision. His depth of expertise coupled with a passion for providing customers with the optimal solution for their project needs makes him an invaluable addition to our team as we execute on our mission to reimagine the wall in public spaces. Allen will be based in New Philadelphia, Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Michael Allen has been appointed Polyvision Ohio sales manager LANSING, Mich. (AP) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a Michigan court to recognize the right to get an abortion under the state constitution and to overturn a 176-year-old ban in the state that might take effect again if the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. The Democratic governor's preemptive lawsuit, which was filed in Oakland County against prosecutors in 13 counties with an abortion clinic, came as the Supreme Court's conservative majority considers allowing states to ban abortion much earlier in a pregnancy and potentially overturning the right. Planned Parenthood of Michigan and its chief medical officer filed a similar lawsuit in the state Court of Claims to block enforcement of the 1931 law, which dates to an 1846 ban. Whitmer, who is up for reelection this year, asked the Michigan Supreme Court to quickly take up her case rather than let it wind through lower trial and appellate courts. A favorable decision could enable abortions to continue in Michigan after the federal high court rules. It was important for us to take action now, to ensure that women and providers across the state of Michigan know whether abortions will still be available in the state because it impacts their lives and our health care providers' practices. It's crucial that we take this action now to secure and ensure that the Michigan Constitution protects this right that we have had available for 49 years, Whitmer told The Associated Press, saying nearly 2.2 million women may lose access to a safe, legal medical procedure. Michigan is among eight states with an unenforced abortion ban that was enacted before the 1973 Roe decision legalized abortion nationwide. The law makes it a felony to use an instrument or administer any substance with the intent to procure the miscarriage of a woman unless necessary to preserve her life. Whitmer wants the Michigan Supreme Court to declare a state constitutional right to abortion and to strike down the law, which could go back into effect if Roe is overturned or weakened. The lawsuit argues the law is invalid under the due process and equal protection clauses of the state constitution. Story continues Michigan may soon be left with a near-total ban without even exceptions for rape and incest one of the most extreme laws in the country, the governor told the AP. Her call to repeal the law has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Legislature. The state's high court has four Democratic and three Republican justices. Whitmer asked that the court intervene in part to avoid legal uncertainty when the federal high court issues its ruling on Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Should Roe be overruled or curtailed, she wrote, health care providers may feel constrained to restrict access to abortion services to avoid potential criminal liability." The complaint says that although the Michigan Supreme Court in 1973 ruled that Roe limited the effect of the state ban, the right to abortion has been undermined over 50 years of litigation in federal courts. The state's high court has not said whether the state constitution protects the right. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in 1997 that there is no state constitutional right to abortion one reason the Supreme Court should step in immediately because that 25-year-old ruling is binding on lower courts, according to Whitmer. The lawsuit points to substantial ambiguity about what the state ban prohibits. Whitmer was criticized by groups that oppose abortion rights. Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing called the suit frivolous." While the legality of abortion is contingent upon democratic structures, it is unfortunate that the judicial branch is being used to try to invalidate a long-standing policy approved by elected representatives and left untouched by the Legislature for nearly a century since, said Rebecca Mastee, a policy advocate at the Michigan Catholic Conference. States on both sides of the abortion issue have been taking various steps to prepare for Roe being eroded or rescinded, including making it a crime to perform an abortion and banning legal action against people who aid or receive an abortion. In Michigan, advocates have launched a ballot drive to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, but they will need about 425,000 voter signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot. Abortion rights proponents in Nebraska scored a surprising victory this week by derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if Roe is overturned. Also Thursday, seven Democratic county prosecutors who were named in Whitmer's lawsuit pledged to not enforce the anti-abortion law in Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Washtenaw, Ingham, Kalamazoo and Marquette counties. The other six elected prosecutors who were sued are Republicans. The defendant in the Planned Parenthood case is Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who has long said she would not enforce the ban. She said her office will not defend the law unless it is ordered to by a court. Other parties that support the law can seek to intervene, she said. I didn't become attorney general so that I could head an office that put women in a position in which some of them will likely die, Nessel said. ___ Associated Press writer Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and video journalist Sharon Johnson in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 Sadia Thiryaya, from left, her 10-year-old son Zayd Ahmed, and Beth Olinger fill their plates during the 23rd annual Muslim-Catholic Iftar dinner and program at the Islamic Foundation North on April 5, 2022, in Libertyville. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) After more than two years of pandemic-era postponements, Cardinal Blase Cupich and Chicago-area Islamic leaders were reunited this week at a breaking of the fast marking the beginning of Ramadan and in anticipation of Holy Week. A long-standing tradition between the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, the annual Muslim-Catholic Iftar dinner was back in person this year following two years of COVID-19 interruptions, said Irshad Khan, chairman of the Council. Advertisement This tradition goes back 23 years, and the last few have been virtual, so we really felt the presence of God. ... It was so spiritual having everyone together again, breaking bread, Khan said. Exclaiming Ramadan Mubarak! blessed Ramadan Cupich asked Muslims and Catholics to join during Tuesdays iftar dinner in a moment of silent prayer for the suffering people of Ukraine. Advertisement Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich speaks with attendees as they wait to have their picture taken during the 23rd annual Muslim-Catholic Iftar dinner and program at the Islamic Foundation North on April 5, 2022, in Libertyville. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) We need each other, grounded in faith and our respective religious practices, to meet the challenges of a post-pandemic world that is becoming more fraught with divisions and acrimony, said Cupich, the events guest of honor. As Christians enter into Holy Week on Sunday and Muslims enter more fully into the holy month of Ramadan, let us together imagine a future filled with peace, hope and joy, Cupich said. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is revered as a sacred and holy month for 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, and includes fasting, engaging in spiritual reflection and taking part in charitable deeds, a council spokesperson said. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which started April 2, coincides with the Catholic tradition of Lent and upcoming Holy Week, including Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, a Saturday Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. Daniel Olsen, the archdioceses director of ecumenical and interreligious affairs, said that as a child growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, he didnt know any Muslims. Years later, he observed that many religious values and traditions are common to both Muslims and Catholics, which he said breaks down some of the misunderstanding. Attendees grab dates after a call to prayer and breaking of the fast. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Catholics are now in Lent, which is all about prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and thats exactly what my Muslim friends are focused on during Ramadan, Olsen said. Understanding those connections are impactful to people, which is why we began our outreach and partnership between Catholics and Muslims, Olsen said. Advertisement Among the traditions shared by the two religious groups are a commitment to social justice, including supporting homeless people, immigrants and refugees. The Islamic Council was among several organizations supporting Afghan refugees in Illinois earlier this year when resettlement agencies had reached capacity. Reflecting on the theme of kindness at Tuesday evenings iftar the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset Cupich said, One cannot be kind in theory. Kindness flows out of a generous response to another in the present moment. Encountering others where they are in their life journey, as Pope Francis often reminds us, is an essential first step in creating the foundation for enduring relationships, Cupich said. Advertisement Attendees fill their plates after a call to prayer and breaking of the fast. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Collectively, we can do more to bring about change for the good than any one of us can do alone, he said. The gathering also included reflections from Sheikh Rizwan Ali, imam and religious director of the Islamic Center of Naperville, who underscored the message of unity, kindness and compassion. Maggie Slavin, 32, a high school biology teacher from Chicago, said she has long admired Cupich, and as a Muslim, was excited to have the chance to hear him speak at Tuesday nights iftar dinner. Everything has become so polarized now, so it was really lovely to have Muslims and Catholics sitting down together, and being together in person, Slavin said. We might not have the same religion, but we all believe in kindness and compassion, and have so many similarities that many people dont realize, Slavin said. Advertisement kcullotta@chicagotribune.com MICHIGAN As pedestrian deaths skyrocket across the country, Michigan saw a 10 percent increase during the first half of 2021, according to a report Thursday that compares the number of people killed while walking during the first six months of the past three years. Michigan saw 77 pedestrian deaths during the first half of 2021, seven more than the final number number in 2020, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association report. Overall, pedestrian fatalities from Jan. 1-June 30 increased nearly 17 percent, from 2,951 during the six-month period in 2019 to an estimated 3,441 in the same period last year. Thats an increase of 507 deaths. Transportation safety expert with the group Pam Shadel Fischer said the number of pedestrians begin struck by cars was "completely unacceptable." "We have to recognize that everybody I know this sounds pie-in-the-sky has a right to the road," Fischer told Patch. "Weve become so car-centric, and thats been our focus. Our priority in infrastructure is how we move vehicles." Fischer noted a troubling, 46 percent increase in pedestrian deaths over the past decade, from 4,457 in 2011 to 6,516 in 2020. "We cant keep doing this," she said. The Governors Highway Safety Association is a nonprofit group representing state safety offices that use federal grant money to address the issues on highways that result from a drivers behavior behind the wheel. Its "Spotlight on Highway Safety" report is based on preliminary data provided by the member public safety departments in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Roads prioritizing fast-moving traffic over slower, pedestrian-friendly speeds along with inadequate sidewalks and poor lighting have contributed to rising pedestrian fatalities for more than a decade. However, Fischer said there were some big behavioral issues at play during the period covered by the report. A surge in dangerous driving that began when Americans saw wide-open highways at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and "put the pedal to the metal" has continued as traffic volume returns to more normal levels, Fischer said. Story continues "Speed is a factor," she said. "Theres a culture in this country that nothing bad happens, but one-third of all fatalities have speed as a factor. The higher the rate of speed, the likelihood of survival is going to go down. Weve got to slow it down." Those heavy-footed drivers may have felt safe in opening up their engines because the behavior of law enforcement agencies also changed, Fischer said, explaining many pulled back on patrols in the wake of George Floyds murder because of perceived safety issues for officers. "We know that. Weve heard it," she said. "Theres been a call since that happened to defund the police because of concerns about equity. Weve heard it from our law enforcement agencies and partners. There are not as many police out there, so people think its less likely theyll be pulled over." For example, in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, police scaled back their patrols, Reuters reported. A report in The Atlantic detailed police sickouts in Atlanta. Floyds killing sparked a nationwide defund the police movement, and the Los Angeles Police Department responded by curtailing in-person responses, the Los Angeles Times reported. All traffic fatalities are increasing: 31,720 people died in the first three quarters of 2021, the highest number of fatalities during the first nine months of any year since 2006. Some driver behaviors that have made the nations open roads so dangerous are spilling into local communities where people are most likely to walk, Fischer said, citing reports from Governors Highway Safety Association members about increases in both distracted and impaired driving, whether from alcohol or drug use. Fischer said the report is a call to transportation planners to think more about pedestrian safety in road design and to consider enforcement tools such as speed and red light cameras. At the same time, she said, law enforcement should flip the switch and get back on track to address risky behavior that puts all road users at risk. "Were coming out of, I hope, a pandemic and public health crisis that has grounded us in thinking about what we can do to protect ourselves," Fischer said. "Our other public health issue is traffic crashes. The vast majority are preventable. Somebody did something, and it would have been prevented if they had not made those choices." Instead of thinking "about how quickly we can get somewhere and how quickly we can do whatever, we need to think about how safely can I get there and make sure all the people out there are safe?" At A Glance Nationally, there were 1.04 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people, up from 0.90 in both 2020 and 2019. The rate of drivers striking and killing pedestrians rose to 2.3 deaths per billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first six months of 2021, an increase from the historically high rate of 2.2 deaths per billion VMT in 2020 and significantly more than the rate of 1.8-1.9, which remained steady in 2017-2019. Pedestrian fatalities increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia during the first half of 2021. At the same time, 11 states saw declines in pedestrian deaths. Three states reported two consecutive years of declines, and two states posted double-digit fatality reductions in 2021. Three states with warmer climates that encourage foot travel California, Florida and Texas accounted for 37 percent of all pedestrian deaths in the first six months of 2021 but are home to 27 percent of the U.S. population. This article originally appeared on the Across Michigan Patch (This April 7 story corrects conversion factor for Moldovan lei from that for Romanian lei) By Alexander Tanas (Reuters) - Moldova's parliament voted on Thursday to outlaw the ribbon of St George, a black and orange military symbol of Russian patriotism, in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Under the new law, anyone who makes, wears or displays the striped ribbon faces a fine of at least 900 lei ($49) or 69 hours of community service. Lawmakers from pro-Western Moldovan President Maia Sandu's PAS party approved the law despite a boycott by opposition parties, mainly made up of socialists and communists who favour closer ties with Russia rather than with the European Union. The ribbon was first introduced as an honour by Catherine the Great, but it has gained particular significance in the Russian-speaking world since separatists in eastern Ukraine adopted it as a symbol of their support for Russia in 2014. "This ribbon has begun to symbolise the horrors committed against innocent people. The aggressor's soldiers wear this ribbon when they kill civilians," said PAS lawmaker Dumitru Alaiba. Russia has repeatedly denied its troops have targeted civilians since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 to carry out what it calls a "special military operation." Socialist party lawmaker Bogdan Tirdea said the new law "deals a heavy blow to Moldovan-Russian relations, effectively recognising Russia as the aggressor." In early March, Sandu signed a formal application for Moldova to join the European Union, hastening its planned pro-Western course in the wake of the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. ($1 = 18.3673 lei) (Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Leslie Adler) The mother of a 13-year-old boy who died after being sold counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl on social media says she desperately hopes no other parents experience her pain. Luca Manuel, of Redding California, was found unresponsive in his bedroom in August 2020 just weeks before his 14th birthday after purchasing a pill online that he thought would provide relief for toothache. His mother Amanda Eubanks told People her son had been cruelly robbed of his future, and she hoped by speaking out it would raise awareness about the dangers of the online marketplace in fake pills. All I have left are these little memories and Luca doesnt get to make any more, she said. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, dealers deliberately press pills laced with fentanyl to look like common prescription drugs. Luca Manuel, 13, who died of a fentanyl overdose, thought he was purchasing a pain relief pill (GoFundme) Deaths among 10-19 year olds are increasing at three times the rate of other age groups, Jon Epstein of fentanyl-awareness group Song for Charlie told People. Youth are getting hammered from these fake pills, he said. Tim Mackey, director of the Global Health Policy and Data Institute, told People that dealers were using social media, encrypted messaging apps and online pharmacies to sell the drugs. Theres no quality control of their products, so any pill youre buying online is extremely dangerous, he said. The response from social media companies varies widely, Mr Mackey says. Some block certain hashtags or search terms, which are easy for teenagers to get around, while others use artificial intelligence to search for harmful content. He said teenagers were particularly susceptible to being exposed to internet drug markets on apps such as Discord or Telegram. Parental oversight of their internet use could be key to preventing tragedy, he added. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 105,752 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months to October 202. About two-thirds of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which are stronger and act faster than natural opiates. Detectives investigating Lucas death have charged Ryan Harrison with murder and selling a controlled substance to a minor. They allegedly found he had been using social media to advertise and sell pills to clients, many of whom were minors. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. What was a mobile home doing in the middle of a dirt road in southeast Kansas? Thats the question many were asking after the Labette County Sheriffs Office requested the publics help in identifying the owner of the abandoned mobile home and solving this mystery. The home was found in the south end of Labette County, and a photo shows it abandoned on a gravel road. Authorities say a blue tractor was also found nearby. When someone replied to the sheriffs Facebook post suggesting maybe the owner had gone to get help at about 1 p.m. April 6, officials said the home had been there overnight, since about 5 p.m. the day before. Several shared their suspicious, and comedic, theories though the following were not correct: Maybe they are on house arrest and needed to go somewhere, one said. Probably saw what property taxes were going to be on it, another person replied. Dang kansas winds, another comment says. Picked it up and dropped it! Shortly after 6 p.m. April 6, the sheriffs office thanked the public for their help and said they had found the owner of the abandoned mobile home. No other details were shared on Facebook, sparking more questions. But why? Why was it abandoned, one person asked. We need a back story here. Lol The public are invested in this and we need to know, said another. Did they get the mobile home moved off the road to where it was headed to, another asked on Facebook. Sheriff Darren Eichinger told McClatchy News on April 7 that the trailer is owned by a man who was moving it to his home in Oklahoma when several of the tires blew out. He says the trailer has since been moved from the roadway to his residence, and no other information was immediately available. Labette County is on the southern border of eastern Kansas, about 130 miles southeast of Wichita. Mysterious mobile home abandoned near Missouri intersection yields suspicious theories Someone stole an entire cabin from Michigan township, police say. Its still missing Body found inside mysterious handmade casket dropped off at Oregon cemetery, cops say Mystery of vanishing bridge is solved. A rental crane hauled it off, Ohio cops say NextShark Indonesian officials announced on Friday that a Russian influencer and her husband will be deported from Bali after they staged a naked photoshoot on a sacred 700-year-old tree three years ago. Alina Fazleeva, who has over 18,000 followers on Instagram, staged a nude photoshoot in 2019 at a weeping paperbark tree inside Babakan temple grounds in the Tabanan Regency. In Balinese Hindu culture, elements of nature, such as trees and mountains, are considered a sacred home for the gods. Apr. 6STARKVILLE Mississippi State is taking part in a nationwide movement with its recent move to start providing financial awards for student-athletes. That goes for all student-athletes, regardless of scholarship status. The announcement comes about a year after the Supreme Court's ruling in NCAA v. Alston in which the court determined the NCAA's unwillingness to pay athletes for academic-related purposes was a violation of antitrust laws. With the ruling, schools have started to provide monetary prizes for accomplishments in the classroom. Mississippi State is among those thanks to contributions from the Hall Academic Awards. The awards were distributed in mid-February for the first time, MSU announced. Over $1 million was awarded. The maximum allowed for a single athlete in a year is $5,980. Since MSU's athletic department is self-sufficient meaning it doesn't take money from the university of state the funds come from its own revenue sources, senior deputy athletic director Bracky Brett told the Daily Journal in an email. "At Mississippi State, we are committed to providing unprecedented support to all of our student-athletes," athletic director John Cohen said. "The Hall Awards program now gives us the means to take care of our student-athletes like never before. The best part is these benefits are available to every Mississippi State athlete. That along with opportunities to capitalize on name, image and likeness means there has been no better time than the present to be a Bulldog." Eligibility, retention and community service are among the factors taken into account when determining amounts. Academic accolades such as SEC honor roll are considered as well. MSU had 65 athletes from four sports earn that honor in the Fall. How schools in Mississippi can be involved in NIL remains to be seen. There is pending legislation to allow for more involvement, but still prohibits universities from making deals with or for the athletes, Brett said. STEFAN KRAJISNIK is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at stefan.krajisnik@djournal.com. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Norwegian woman who disappeared while diving off Malaysia's southeastern coast was found safe on Thursday, maritime officials said, as a search continued for three other missing people. Diving instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, was among four reported missing on Wednesday about an hour after going on a training dive near Pulau Tokong Sanggol, a small island about 15 kilometres (9.32 miles) off the southern state of Johor. She was with three Europeans identified by authorities as Frenchwoman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, Briton Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and son Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, a Dutch citizen. Grodem was airlifted to safety on Thursday morning after being found by a tugboat about 22 nautical miles from the group's last reported location, the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency's Johor director Nurul Hizam Zakaria told reporters. Grodem told authorities she lost sight of the other divers after the group drifted far from their boat due to strong underwater currents, according to Nurul Hizam. Officials however were optimistic of finding the rest, as they had fully-functioning diving equipment and had surfaced before they had disappeared. "We hope to find the other victims as soon as possible," Nurul Hizam said. Authorities in neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia as well as ships passing by the area, have been notified to keep a lookout, he added. The waters off Johor are part of one of the busiest shipping lanes in Southeast Asia. The divers' disappearance comes just days after Malaysia reopened its borders on April 1 after more than two years of pandemic-related closure. More than 55,000 foreigners entered Malaysia in the first four days since reopening, according to the immigration department. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty) Veronica Ortega, right, and her daughter Janeth Vasquez at their home in the Chicago suburbs on March 27, 2022. Thanks to Janeth, a DACA recipient, her parents were able to buy their own home. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Editors note: The Chicago Tribune and Injustice Watch teamed up to report on the challenges facing Illinois aging undocumented population. This is the last installment in a four-part series focused on access to health care and housing. Read the first three parts at chicagotribune.com/undocumentedseniors. Long ago, Veronica Ortega gave up hope that federal immigration reform would come and pave a path to citizenship for her and her husband. Ortega, 51, immigrated to the Chicago area from Mexico more than two decades ago with her husband, Alfonso Vazquez, and their children, Janeth and Omar. In 2012, her children gained deportation protections and work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. But she and her husband have no such protections. They both work at factories in the western suburbs and collectively clock more than 100 hours a week. The couple shares a single-story corner ranch house in Maywood with their daughter and son-in-law. Despite paying taxes that help fund programs such as Medicare and Social Security, Ortega and Vazquez know that theyll never be able to access their benefits, and they doubt federal lawmakers will do anything to improve their situation. To be honest, Ive never been hopeful that there would be immigration reform to help us. Every time it is mentioned, I remind myself that its all politics that they use us to promote their agenda but never intend to really help us, she said in Spanish. Para leer en espanol, haga clic aqui. Janeth Vasquez, left, hugs her mother, Veronica Ortega, outside their home in suburban Maywood on March 27, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Many immigrant rights groups hoped that with a Democrat-controlled Congress albeit by the smallest of margins President Joe Biden would deliver comprehensive immigration reform in his first term. But those hopes, too, have faded. In the meantime, undocumented immigrants like Ortega and her husband are aging in place without the promise of a social safety net to catch them. Immigrant rights activists say its up to state and local lawmakers to protect them from becoming destitute in their old age. Illinois is home to nearly 200,000 undocumented immigrants age 35 to 54, according to census data analyzed by the Migration Policy Institute. Nationwide, about 1 million undocumented immigrants will turn 65 by 2030, and by 2040, that number will more than double if Congress doesnt provide them with a viable pathway to citizenship, according to a recent article in the Journals of Gerontology. That means every year over the next few decades, thousands more undocumented seniors will be working to the bone without being able to retire; in desperate need of immediate and long-term health care; and frantically searching for safe affordable housing. [ [Read more] Aging in the shadows: A crisis of older undocumented workers awaits Illinois ] Advocates say Illinois lawmakers should build state-funded welfare programs for undocumented seniors that mirror those already in place for citizens, like food stamps and unemployment insurance. Illinois has taken a similar approach with a new health care program for low-income immigrant adults who dont qualify for traditional Medicaid. Lawmakers should also provide more funding to community groups and legal aid organizations to service undocumented seniors and ensure that all locally-funded social programs are explicitly open to them, advocates say. Doing so wont come cheap, and would likely elicit an immediate backlash from Republicans and conservative Democrats, policy experts said. But ignoring the plight of undocumented seniors would be a moral failure, said State Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing Chicagos West Side and the most vocal champion for undocumented seniors in Springfield. We call ourselves one of the most welcoming states for immigrants in the country, and being able to cover undocumented seniors basic needs should be necessary for us to call ourselves that, she said. Is help coming from Springfield? As the spring legislative session wrapped up in Springfield this week, state lawmakers considered new legislation that would provide tangible benefits for undocumented older adults but advocates say that the state could go even further. The most comprehensive bill that passed was an expansion of the states Earned Income Tax Credit. Currently, the program benefits only residents who get a federal income tax credit low-income earners with a Social Security number and dependents. The expansionincludes filers age 65 and older regardless of whether they have an income or dependents. It would also include undocumented immigrants who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Immigrant rights advocates pushedstate legislators to expand the Immigrant Family Support Program but came up short. Launched in 2020, the program provides one-time cash grants of up to $2,000 to low-income undocumented immigrants and their families who didnt qualify for federal COVID-19 assistance. The program has already distributed over $36 million to more than 20,000 immigrant families. Nearly 700 households whose principal applicant was at least 60 years old received grants through the program, according to Brandon Lee, spokesperson for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. ICIRR, which distributes the state funds through its coalition partners, asked the state for another $32.5 million to distribute in the 2023 fiscal year as part of a larger package known as the Immigrant Services Line. But state legislators only gave $38 million for the entire service line, well below the $53 million advocates had asked for. [ [Read more] Illinois new health care program for undocumented seniors leaves some of the most vulnerable behind ] But advocates successfully got lawmakersto expand the Illinois Access to Justice program. The program began in 2020 and provides funding for legal aid groups to represent immigrants in deportation proceedings or who are trying to legalize their status but cant afford an attorney. About $14 million has already been allocated for the program and lawmakers allocated another $20 million for the next fiscal year. So far, the program has funded more than 4,800 legal screenings and about 1,900 open cases, according to Erendira Rendon, vice president for immigrant advocacy at The Resurrection Project, a nonprofit based in Pilsen that manages most of the programs funds directed toward immigration relief. Rendon said many undocumented people in Illinois struggle to fix their status because of the high costs of hiring an attorney and going through the process. But lawmakers should make as many state and local programs available even to those who cant, she said. We need the city, the state, the county to be thinking about how do we remove immigration status as a barrier to our programs that we have, she said. And then how do we make sure that undocumented immigrants have the legal representation that they need? State legislators also expanded Medicaid-like healthcare coverage to low-income adults ages 42 to 54 regardless of their immigrantation status under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. The program, which began in late 2020, already covers low-income undocumented immigrants over the age of 55. We have affirmed healthcare as a human right to thousands of low-income people who would have no other options to access affordable healthcare, state Rep. Ramirez said in a statement. But advocates said state and local governments could go even further to protect undocumented seniors. Trinh Phan, a senior staff attorney at Justice in Aging, a national advocacy organization based in Oakland, California, working to end senior poverty, said one major need is food security. Adults without a Social Security number dont qualify for state and federal food stamp programs. Phan said Illinois could emulate whats been done in California, where the states university system developed a grant fund for students who dont qualify for traditional food stamps. Lawmakers there are also developing a food aid program for undocumented adults throughout the state. [ [Read more] Chicagos undocumented seniors face slim and dangerous housing options ] Another idea is for Illinois to create an unemployment insurance fund for undocumented workers, who cant claim traditional jobless benefits or disability insurance. New York lawmakers are currently debating a similar proposal. Illinois lawmakers should also seek to replicate Social Security benefits for undocumented seniors, advocates say. One idea is to create a universal basic income program that would provide the seniors with a monthly stipend for rent, utilities and other necessities, said ICIRRs senior policy counsel, Fred Tsao. Folks should have some level of basic support, regardless of their status, regardless of where theyre from, regardless of who they are, Tsao said. Its a matter of basic sustenance. Both Chicago and Cook County are rolling out universal basic income pilot programs, with Chicago opening applications in April for up to 5,000 recipients regardless of their immigration status. Details on eligibility and enrollment for Cook Countys program have yet to be released. Both programs promise to be two of the largest universal basic income programs in the country, but they would cover only a small fraction of low-income residents. Community resilience Weaving a social safety net for undocumented seniors at the state level is critical, but it doesnt make up for the lack of federal action on immigration reform, advocates say. And while some members of Congress promise to provide more relief for young undocumented immigrants called Dreamers advocates say they shouldnt leave undocumented seniors behind. Glo Choi, 30, the son of an elderly Korean couple who had arrived in the Chicago area in 1996 and eventually overstayed their visas, became a community organizer after living in the shadows and being frustrated for many years. These are the very experiences that I felt of isolation of hopelessness, of just living every day to forget about my problems, because theyre too seemingly insurmountable, Choi said. These kinds of feelings were drowning me for a really long time. Glo Choi, a community leader and organizer with HANA Center, speaks in front of other activists Feb. 28, 2022, at a news conference to launch the Healthy Illinois For All bill at Community First Medical Center in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Choi found purpose and peace at HANA Center, an Albany Park organization that serves the Korean American and multiethnic immigrant communities through various social services after his mother learned about it through the church they attended. Now Choi serves as a community organizer working on immigration, housing and legal services for the organization. He said he is doing the work with his parents in mind. His mother is now 67 and his father is 65. Initially they tried to adjust their status, Choi said, but it was really tough. A lot of broken promises were made to my family. Eventually they gave up, but in 2012 when he became a community organizer, Choi also pledged to help people like his parents find some comfort and peace. Even though one in seven Asian community members are undocumented in the Chicago area, few are open about it, fearing prejudice and avoiding unwanted attention, he said. His parents are among them. They prefer to work quietly and often dont ask or cant find help, he said. Choi tries to encourage his parents to stay positive, like he does with the community members he works with. During his outreach, he reminds them of their value and importance in the country and in the movement to a dignified life regardless of their immigration status. The role that we play in the community is understanding the breadth of the experiences, so we could make a change. And I think thats what drives me, that change is possible, he said. That change can only come with our input, with us holding our legislators accountable, by letting them know that this is the experience of their constituents, whether its right here in our county, or our state, or our federal districts, that this is a reality. larodriguez@chicagotribune.com carlosballesteros@injusticewatch.org Associated Press One of the men convicted of murder in the street chase and fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery spoke with his former boss, the local district attorney, several times by phone in the days and weeks following the 2020 killing, according to a court document filed Thursday. Investigators found that the day after the shooting, then-Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson placed a phone call to Greg McMichael, a retired investigator for her office who initiated the deadly pursuit of Arbery. The call lasted more than nine minutes, prosecutors said in a misconduct case against Johnson said in the legal filing. Associated Press Sri Lankas beleaguered government won a key vote in Parliament on Thursday as a ruling coalition-backed candidate was elected deputy speaker, despite growing public pressure on the government amid the worst economic crisis in decades. The vote was seen as crucial to demonstrate that the government still has majority support in the 225-member Parliament after 40 governing coalition lawmakers said last month they would no longer vote according to coalition instructions. It was feared that their move would significantly weaken the government and that it might also lose a majority. Associated Press A rare but aggressive kind of uterine cancer appears to be driving an increase in U.S. deaths from the disease, particularly among Black women, researchers reported Thursday. Over eight years, deaths from the aggressive type rose by 2.7% per year, while deaths were stable for the less aggressive kind, their study found. Black women had more than twice the rate of deaths from uterine cancer overall, and of the more aggressive type, when compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing on March 21, 202. Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers! House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden's sister became the latest Washington figures to test positive for COVID-19, announcements that came Thursday after two cabinet officials and others tested positive the day before. Pelosi, who is asymptomatic, tested positive on Thursday. She will quarantine, her spokesman Drew Hammill announced. The speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided, Hammill said. Pelosi attended crowded events at the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday hosted by Biden. Pelosi is the eighth member of Congress to test positive this week. All of the members have been fully vaccinated and boosted. The president's test results: Biden tested negative for COVID on Wednesday, the most recent test the president has taken as part of his regular testing regime, according to the White House. It's Amy with today's top stories out of Washington. Ketanji Brown Jackson makes SCOTUS history The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon, which will make her the 116th justice and first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. The Senate's historic vote was 53-47 with three Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah joining every member of the Democratic caucus in voting for her confirmation. President Joe Biden nominated Jackson in February, after Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced he would retire at the end of the current court term. Though confirmed, Jackson will wait months to take her seat on the bench, until Breyer officially steps down. A historical addition: While Jackson's ascension will not change the ideological makeup of the court where conservatives hold a 6-3 advantage she will be the first federal public defender to sit on the high court. Of the 115 justices in the Supreme Court's 233 year history, 108 have been white men. Only five have been women, and three have been people of color. Story continues When Jackson takes her seat, it will mark the first time the court's nine-member bench will include two Black justices and four female justices. Real quick: stories you should read DOJ investigating records at Mar-a-Lago: The Justice Department is moving to investigate the handling of a tranche of White House records, including some marked classified, that were sent to former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. Is 'marijuana' racist? : As legalization and decriminalization of marijuana has expanded, some wrestle with the word because of its racially charged etymology. Secret Service members' housing scheme : At least four U.S. Secret Service employees have been placed on leave related to their association with two men and a scheme to provide the federal officers with tens of thousands of dollars in rent-free apartments and other gratuities. 25K ballots rejected in Texas primary: The final numbers sent in by all 254 Texas counties show that of the 198,947 Texans who sent in their ballots by mail, 24,636 saw their ballots tossed out. The March 1 primary was the first election since the state's new election law overhaul took effect. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for OnPolitics newsletter here. Russia kicked out of UN Human Rights Council The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday approved a U.S.-initiated resolution to suspend Russia from the world organizations Human Rights Council amid mounting evidence of atrocities by the Russian military in Ukraine. The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the 47-member Human Rights Council after videos and photos from the Kyiv-area town of Bucha emerged, revealing streets strewn with corpses of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. Russia becomes the first permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to have its membership revoked from any U.N. body. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week also called for Russia's removal from the Security Council so it can't use its veto power to "block decisions about its own aggression." U.S. Senate takes additional action: The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. Two bills passed the Senate unanimously, 100-0. Both bills are expected to gain the House's support later Thursday before going to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. Happy Opening Day to all the baseball fans out there USA TODAY's Sports team has all the latest updates on your favorite teams available here. -- Amy This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes first Black woman confirmed to SCOTUS A Honduran womans agonizing separation from her seven-year-old grandson as a result of the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy has inspired a new opera debuting at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington this Friday. The opera is named "Zavala-Zavala" after its central character, Natividad Zavala-Zavala, a 61-year-old grandmother who trudged across the Rio Grande west of Downtown El Paso in 2017, after fleeing violence in her native Honduras. She was traveling with her 7-year-old grandson, who was taken away from her hours later by a Border Patrol officer. At the time, zero tolerance was a little-known experiment the Trump administration quietly decided to test in El Paso. The policy mandated that all immigrants, including asylum-seekers, who entered the U.S. outside an official port of entry, be criminally prosecuted. Immigrants who arrived with children were separated from them and given little to no information about how to locate them. "Zavala-Zavala," is based on a federal trial that took place in El Paso in late 2017, months before zero tolerance would become publicly known and widely condemned. Natividad Zavala-Zavala and four other immigrants who were separated from their children were defendants in that trial. All five faced the misdemeanor offense of illegal entry and had no prior criminal records. They were represented by Sergio Garcia, an El Paso-based federal public defender who was among the first to raise red flags about families being torn apart at the U.S./Mexico border. Sergio Garcia, an assistant federal public defender for the western district of Texas, sits outside the federal courthouse in El Paso, Texas on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Garcia inspired a character in an opera about a Honduran woman who was separated from her grandson as part of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy. A bilingual opera with a present-day rawness The opera was penned by Anna Deeny Morales, a multilingual librettist who grew up in a Puerto Rican family of musicians and educators. She now teaches at Georgetown Universitys Center for Latin American Studies. I became interested in those first cases, when individuals in the legal system were starting to realize what was happening, Deeny Morales said. I wanted to understand how such an atrocity makes it through a legal system. Story continues Anna Deeny Morales wrote the opera Zavala-Zavala, about a Honduran grandmother separated from her grandson at the U.S./Mexico border. The opera will debut Friday, April 8, 2022 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. She wrote "Zavala-Zavala" after her friend, Filipino American composer and vocalist Brian Arreola, invited her to write an opera about the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Arreola, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, composed the music for the opera. The work is produced by IN Series, a nonprofit arts organization based in Washington D.C. that aims to elevate the stories of minority and underrepresented groups. Related: Ukraine refugees seek asylum at US-Mexico border in California The opera is performed in both English and Spanish and features an all-Latino cast. Director Corinne Hayes consulted directly with the composer during rehearsals, a rare indulgence in the operatic world. Most of the composers that we work with have been dead for a couple hundred years, she said. It's so rare that I get to just look at the composer and be like, Why? What is this? It's really very exciting. It feels like a living process. Corinne Hayes is the director Zavala-Zavala, an opera that about family separation at the U.S./Mexico border. The opera will debut Friday, April, 8, 2022 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The characters, who are based off actual people confronting high-stakes scenarios, add to the present-day rawness: the jailed grandmother agonizing over her missing grandson; the defense attorney fighting on her behalf; the government lawyer defending a practice that the United Nations would later compare to torture. In the first scene, defense attorney Sergio Garcia faces the audience in a direct address and describes visions he saw in a nightmare. "The boy ... he can only repeat that he is cold and afraid. That he cannot sleep. The woman...she cannot find the boy to hold, to hold, to relieve." He continues, "... that woman in my nightmare, she was your grandmother. And the boy, the boy is you." Engaging the audience by keeping the lights on The audience is further engaged by Deeny Morales decision to leave the house lights on, a way of telling opera-goers that the performance is not meant to be entertainment. Director Hayes hopes that the decision will require audience members to seriously reflect on what they witness on stage. Its very easy in a theater, when the lights go dark, for us as spectators to eschew any responsibility for the stories that are being shared with us, Hayes said. The audience sits back in their cozy cocoon of darkness. They enjoy the music. They enjoy the singing. They golf clap. Nothing is asked of them. They go to dinner and they go home. Leaving the lights on is a simple but shockingly effective way to remind the audience that they are participants in the art making. Biden administration: More than 3,900 children separated under Trump zero tolerance policy Garcia, the real-life attorney who continues to work as a federal public defender in El Paso, will be among those in attendance at the Kennedy Center performance of "Zavala-Zavala." This will be the first time the 58-year-old Mexico City native will attend an opera. Im glad that Ms. Zavalas story has not been forgotten, he said. (The opera) exposes a very dark moment in our legal system, and it could help us prevent it from happening again. Hes still haunted by the moment Natividad Zavala-Zavala saw her grandson in-person for the last time. She held the boy as they slept during the night on the floor of the Paso Del Norte processing center in Downtown El Paso. A Border Patrol officer woke them and told her to hug her grandson. Say goodbye," she recalls the officer saying. "We dont know when youre going to see him again. Soprano Judy Yannini (left) and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon (right) rehearse for the opera Zavala-Zavala, based on the true story of a family separated at the U.S./Mexico border under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy. The opera debuts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Preforming Arts in Washington on Friday, April 8, 2022. Zavala-Zavala was deported back to Honduras before she could reunite with her grandson, a boy she'd raised since his infancy. The boy spent two months in government custody before he was released to his mother, Zavala-Zavalas daughter, who lives in the U.S. Thousands of children were separated from their loved ones as a result of zero tolerance. President Trump ended the practice in the summer of 2018. The American Civil Liberties Union, working in conjunction with the Biden administration, has reunited approximately 150 immigrant families. Another 1,000 families are still waiting to be reunified. Garcia occasionally talks with Zavala-Zavala, who remains in Honduras, over the phone. He said she's glad that her family's story will be shared with others. Many times I saw her behind bars with an expression that said to me, Does anybody care? Garcia said. I am so glad to see that there are a lot of people who care about what happened to her. Monica Ortiz Uribe can be reached at monica.ortiz@elpasotimes.com This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Zavala-Zavala tells tale of a family separated at US-Mexico border Tens of thousands of Ukrainians now live under Russian control in their own country. Civilians in towns and villages from Kherson in the south to Izyum in the east are grappling with crackdowns and, evidence suggests, horrifying war crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers. Ukrainians living in Russian-controlled areas are also doing something else: resisting. Ukraines military is leading the countrys effort to vanquish Russian President Vladimir Putins forces, which invaded in late February. The U.S. and allies from Europe to the Pacific are funneling arms and sophisticated equipment to these troops. But Ukrainian civilians are stepping up, too. With little support and training, ordinary people in war-torn, occupied areas are undermining Russia, supporting their countrys counter-offensives, and fueling unity among Ukrainians and international concern for their nation. Theres no way to over-exaggerate the extreme bravery that these ordinary citizens are demonstrating, said Olga Onuch, an associate professor at the University of Manchester. The civilian resistance to Russia is using time-honored tactics, like daily demonstrations, and foiling occupiers plans to consolidate their rule by refusing to cooperate. The resistance is also developing covert, informal efforts to ease humanitarian suffering and hurt Russias military capabilities by gathering intelligence and training citizens in small-scale guerilla tactics. The choices of everyday people can have huge implications for a campaign like the Russian mission, which depends on controlling strategic population centers and challenging a national identity, military experts say. Russia wants the world to believe Ukrainians want its incursion; their resistance proves otherwise. Some of the most important flashpoints in the conflict in the weeks ahead are connected to occupied towns. Moscow is now focusing on eastern Ukraine, according to national security analysts and Russian leaders. Russias forces seek to hold Izyum, a city they captured on Friday that was once home to 40,000 people, and to conquer the nearby city of Slovyansk. If the Ukrainians can thwart that plan, they might quash Russias hope of cutting off Ukrainian troops in the countrys eastern regions from reinforcements and supplies. Story continues And in the south, Ukrainians are defying Russia in towns like Melitopol, Enerhodar and Kherson areas that are integral to Russias attempt to limit Ukraines access to its coasts, seize the Ukrainian ports of Mykolaiv and Odesa and establish a land corridor between Russian territory and Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia took over in 2014. While Ukraines armed forces are proving themselves capable, no resistance can succeed without an effective auxiliary [of citizens in occupied areas] and underground. The civil element will be essential in the current conflict, Walter Haynes, a U.S. Army major, recently wrote in an essay for the blog War on the Rocks. Demonstrators in occupied Kherson challenging Russian military vehicles on March 20, 2022, in still image from video obtained by Reuters. (Photo: Handout . via Reuters) Demonstrators in occupied Kherson challenging Russian military vehicles on March 20, 2022, in still image from video obtained by Reuters. (Photo: Handout . via Reuters) Trapped But Defiant In March, Kherson became the first large Ukrainian city to fall to Russia. Its residents immediately began protesting against their new rulers, with hundreds gathering in large groups to chant and wave Ukrainian flags. A week later, even bigger crowds demonstrated in occupied Melitopol after Russian soldiers detained the citys mayor. "Theyre distinctly peaceful by using the [Ukrainian] national symbols, people are trying to intervene in Putins narrative that they would like to be part of Russia or that they dont have their own state, said Olga Boichak, a lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney. Russian media is portraying Ukraine as a failed state, a non-entity. What people are doing is directly contradicting that and showing it is not true. Onuch said mass protests are common in Ukrainian history and that citizens know to gather in large main squares near government buildings. Their rallies usually include a diverse sample of the local population: We can look at the images its not all young people, its not all men, she said. Two female journalists in Kherson are documenting developments in the city in weekly dispatches for The Guardian (which is protecting their identities), and other locals are raising the alarm about growing problems like shortages of medical supplies. Through nonviolent methods, Ukrainians hope to prove that Russian control over captured territory is not sustainable. Some who speak Russian are trying to build a rapport with Russian soldiers to humanize Ukrainians, said Marta Kepe, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation. Melitopols mayor, Ivan Federov, challenged the troops who detained him, saying Moscow misled them by claiming that Ukraine hosted Nazis and disrespected World War II veterans. Other Ukrainians are deploying their language skills to demoralize the Russians, telling them they will die in a foreign country or suggesting that food they find in abandoned homes has been poisoned. Consistent, public resistance in cities like Kherson makes it hard for Putin to stage dubious local elections and claim popular support for Russian meddling in Ukraine, as he has elsewhere in the country, Kepe noted. Russia wants the world to believe Ukrainians want its incursion; their resistance proves otherwise. Meanwhile, Russian officials are doing little to build trust or sympathy among Ukrainian civilians. In Kherson, Russians are detaining people in a secret prison and have set up roadblocks that make it impossible for civilians to even visit their loved ones graves, according to Elena Kostyuchenko, a respected Russian journalist who traveled to the town for the independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta. She observed Ukrainians refusing Russian aid and spoke with a local reporter who was kidnapped, beaten and interrogated about who was organizing the pro-Ukraine rallies treatment that a contact of a local correspondent for The Guardian also experienced. (Russian authorities have since forced Novaya Gazeta to remove Kostyuchenkos article.) Because Russias troops mismanaged their supply lines and became desperate for provisions, looting became endemic as they advanced through Ukraine, increasing soldier-civilian contact in all kinds of disastrous ways, Jason Lyall, a Dartmouth University professor, wrote on Twitter. Savagery is a function of how the army was recruited, equipped, and deployed. On April 3, Human Rights Watch released evidence that Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian areas had committed war crimes, including repeated rape, summary executions and theft. Residents of a recently occupied village in northern Ukraine also told The Washington Post a Russian commander subjected them to beatings and mock executions, attacking them in retaliation for Russian battlefield losses and massacring their livestock. Moscow seems set on trying to achieve compliance through intimidation, Kepe said. Journalists and Ukrainian officials found corpses strewn across the streets of Bucha, a formerly occupied town, after Russian forces withdrew in early April. (Photo: RONALDO SCHEMIDT via Getty Images) Journalists and Ukrainian officials found corpses strewn across the streets of Bucha, a formerly occupied town, after Russian forces withdrew in early April. (Photo: RONALDO SCHEMIDT via Getty Images) But Russias repression is backfiring, sparking more Ukrainian outrage, Kepe and other analysts believe. The nature of the resistance makes it hard for the occupying troops to wipe it out. When the Russians have targeted infrastructure like TV and radio stations in the occupied regions, Ukrainians have turned to shortwave radio, Kepe said. Much of the organizing relies on internet communications like the Telegram platform, which Russia has not been able to cut off. Volunteers quietly work to help fellow Ukrainians access electricity and inform each other of where supplies can be found. The movement is virtually leaderless, Boichak said, so if Russian troops try to suppress protests by targeting a few prominent individuals, others are likely to immediately replace them. Russias military is willing to escalate, as soldiers showed in Kherson when they used grenades and gunfire to displace rallies. Still, Ukrainians participating in the resistance take brutality as a given, Onuch said: No one is under any illusion that this is safe. Planning For A Fight In resisting Russia day to day, Ukrainians in occupied territories are preparing for a bigger future clash: the battle to liberate their homes. They are starving, with no electricity, no utilities and they are waiting for the Ukrainian armed forces. They would like to be released, Mariia Ionova, a member of Ukraines Parliament, told HuffPost. Civilians have shaped the fighting in Ukraine since it began, slowing the Russian advance by tearing down or altering road signs and blocking military convoys with sandbags, crates and even their own bodies. Living under Russian occupation, regular citizens can aid Ukrainian counter-offensives by keeping communities in contact with the Kyiv government, sharing information about Russian logistics and ground conditions, and developing their own fighting and medical capabilities, according to the U.S. Armys Haynes. (He published his essay on Ukrainian civil resistance in a personal capacity.) Civilians can also help Ukraine recapture cities by discouraging collaboration between locals and the occupying troops, Haynes continued. Scott Boston, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, told HuffPost that Russian intelligence initially failed to identify sympathetic Ukrainians in captured areas. As Ukrainians have publicized civil resistance and military victories, public collaboration with Russia is now even less likely, Boston said. When battles over occupied areas occur, civilians can use secure communications to keep fellow noncombatants safe, he added. And they can use advice from fellow civilians and Ukrainian authorities to wear down Russian troops, Boichak of the University of Sydney said: creating homemade Molotov cocktails, disarming military vehicles or using whatever they have at their disposal the way one Ukrainian woman destroyed a Russian drone with a jar of pickled tomatoes. Across Ukraine, civilians like those seen here have learned how to make Molotov cocktails to defend their towns and cities. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images) Across Ukraine, civilians like those seen here have learned how to make Molotov cocktails to defend their towns and cities. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images) Boichak noted the morale-boosting impact of Ukraines military sharing stories of villagers gathering with shovels to dig trenches. A lot of it is like that: this understanding that everyone is in it not everyone needs to be at the battlefront, she said. Ukrainians have a recent model for developing a resistance that foils Russias aims. In Mariupol, the port city that Putin is now pummeling, Russian-backed militias previously attempted a takeover in the spring of 2014. Activists began organizing small pro-Ukraine rallies and used social media to dispel Russian propaganda, post updates about city life and rally like-minded citizens, most of whom spoke Russian but were convinced of the importance of Ukrainian independence. That [support] was driven by a sense of Ukrainian national identity as a civic category, not in an ethnonationalist sense Boichak said. A month into the occupation, thousands of steelworkers joined police patrols to prevent pro-Russian fighters from establishing an alternative government. And not long afterward, Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city. Today, regaining occupied territory is a top priority for Ukraine, parliamentarian Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze told HuffPost. Anastasia Radina, a fellow lawmaker, said the best way to help people demonstrating against Russia was for Kyiv to deploy advanced equipment like aircraft from other governments. As the wars trajectory shifts, civilians are making clear that the conflict is about more than military plans and that they are more than victims. The tragedy of this whole thing is that the Russians miscalculate Ukrainians, the West miscalculates Ukrainians and Ukrainians are using the only tool at their disposal, which is going out on the street and showing that they are wholeheartedly against this occupation, said Onuch, of Manchester University. Ordinary people that do extraordinary things always take our breath away. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Overland Park police are investigating a possible murder-suicide after three people were found dead inside a home late Thursday morning. Police were dispatched around 10 a.m. to the 9200 block of Nieman Road after a person called for help with a welfare check of three family members inside a residence there, said Officer John Lacy, a police spokesman. Inside the residence police found three dead, all from gunshot wounds, and a dog that was also shot and killed, Lacy said. Police were called there by the family member who had been unable to contact the victims, Lacy said. Police have yet to disclose the identities of those killed or say who the suspected shooter is. But Lacy said detectives are confident that one of those inside the home carried out the shooting, saying police are not looking for any additional suspects. The victims are all adults from the same family, according to police. The youngest was a woman in her 30s, who is the daughter of the other man and woman, who are in their 60s, Lacy said. Other details, including what led up to the killing and when the crime occurred, were still being investigated. The shooting took place in a small subdivision of multifamily homes off Nieman Road. Investigators were still on the scene several hours later and the road leading up to the building where the shooting unfolded remained blocked off by police patrol vehicles. Some neighbors watched from their back patios Thursday afternoon. One man, who asked not to be named, said the neighborhood rarely sees such a police presence. He recalled a similar response five years ago when a neighbor, Henry Gates Jr., 62, was shot and killed in his home in July 2017. The killings Thursday marked the second and third in Overland Park this year, according to data maintained by The Star. The city saw one homicide in 2021. Police are asking anyone with information about the Thursday killings to contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-890-1374 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. PANAMA CITY BEACH Two of the people responsible for helping "Panamaniac" gain traction on social media have been arrested. According to a press release from the Panama City Beach Police Department, Demarion Ty'Quan Cooper, 20, and Rashad Boyce Glasper, 25, were arrested Thursday in their homes in Alabama for allegedly inciting or encouraging a riot. Demarion Ty'Quan Cooper, 20, of Troy, Alabama "Both of them were here during the weekend that everybody remembers, committing a multitude of crimes," said Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez, who added that Cooper and Glasper are known gang members. "(They're) partly responsible for what we saw. "... These are not the type of people we want visiting Panama City Beach, (and) I think everybody could agree," Talamantez added. "We want people to play with sand castles and sand buckets, not semi-automatic weapons." March arrests: PCB Police arrests 668, cites 1,038, and receives 7,981 calls for service during March More on 'Panamaniac': 161 arrested in Panamaniac spring break weekend: Heres a breakdown of the charge Spring break crime: Social media alerted police to pending madness According to the release, police determined that both Cooper and Glasper "played a substantial role in promoting and influencing their followers to create" the chaotic and unsanctioned event in Panama City Beach from March 25-27 that was known as "Panamaniac." Beach Police, Bay County Sheriff's Office and Panama City Police Department arrested a combined 161 people and seized 75 illegal guns between March 26-27. Talamantez said that Cooper and Glasper were not the sole promotors of the event, and more people who were involved are expected to be arrested in the near future. He added that that during the heat of "Panamaniac," Cooper made a post on social media that said "mask up, glove up, let's burn this place down." Rashad Boyce Glasper, 25, of Wetumpka, Alabama The Beach Police worked in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, BCSO, the Troy Police Department and the Elmore County Sheriff's Office to make the arrests. Story continues As of Thursday afternoon, Cooper awaited his first appearance at the Bay County Jail, while Glasper was being held at the Elmore County Jail pending extraction, the release reads. "There's no words to describe their actions," Talamantez said. "There were seen with guns multiple times throughout the weekend. ... They won a prize, and that's a trip to jail. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes." This article originally appeared on The News Herald: PCB police arrests two Alabama men responsible for 'Panamaniac' A Pensacola man convicted of shooting a victim in the mouth in 2019 was sentenced to life in prison. State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announces that on Thursday, Circuit Court Judge John Simon sentenced Jamal Eric Boyer to serve life in prison for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm. An Escambia County jury previously found Boyer guilty of the crime Feb. 15. On June 3, 2019, Jamal Boyer discharged four rounds from a .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm out from the passenger side of a black Nissan at another motor vehicle on Navy Boulevard near the intersection with Pace Boulevard. Previous coverage: No bond for Pensacola man accused of attempted murder in Navy Boulevard shooting A possible motive: Man shot in moving car might have 'blown a kiss' to alleged shooter's companion One of the shots went through the windshield to strike the victim in the face. The bullet traveled through the victim's front teeth and tongue to become lodged in the back of his throat. He was seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle looking at his cellphone when he was struck. The victim survived after the bullet was surgically removed at Baptist Hospital. At the time of the incident, police said the shooting may have been sparked by the victim blowing a kiss at Boyer's female companion. Boyer was sentenced to serve life in prison pursuant to Florida's 10-20-Life law. He also qualified as a prison release offender due to the fact that he was released from prison less than seven weeks before the shooting. The life sentence must be served day-for-day as a mandatory minimum sentence. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Matt Gordon. Court records indicate Boyer was represented by the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jamal Boyer sentenced to serve life for 2019 Navy Boulevard shooting News Headlines ADB, LDC sign loan to support farmer livelihood and climate resilience Former President Barack Obama has a conversation with The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, during the Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference at the University of Chicago on April 6, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Russia President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine is a warning that world democracy has gotten flabby and confused and feckless at a time of growing boldness and misguided support for authoritarianism, former President Barack Obama told a Chicago audience Wednesday. Putin represented a very particular reaction to the ideals of democracy but also globalization, the collision of cultures, the ability to harness anger and resentment around an ethno-nationalist mythology, Obama said. Advertisement What were seeing is the consequences of that kind of toxic mix in the hands of an autocratic government that doesnt have a lot of checks and balances, he said. Obama appeared in his adopted hometown at a seminar titled Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy, hosted by the University of Chicagos Institute of Politics and The Atlantic. Advertisement Obama said Putins authoritarian control of news in Russia, especially in light of Ukraines resistance, was another example of the increased proliferation of disinformation on a worldwide basis. This speaks to a much more bumpy, difficult, violent, challenging future for the coming generation if we dont get some things right here at home, in Europe, in Asia and Latin America because whats happening there is not isolated, the former president said. What were seeing is a reversion back to the old ways of thinking about power, place and identity, he said, citing a complacency among democracies that began after the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall that led to the end of the Soviet Union. Ukraine is a bracing reminder for democracies that had gotten flabby and confused and feckless around the stakes of things that we tended to take for granted in our democracy: rule of law, freedom of press and conscience, he said. We have gotten complacent and I think I cannot guarantee that as a consequence of whats happened, we are shaking off that complacency. Obama said he was not sure the Putin he knew as president is the same as the person who is now leading the charge, though he was always ruthless. But he said he believed the Ukraine response was more remarkable and less predictable that Putin had expected. Former President Barack Obama has a conversation with The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, during the Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference at the University of Chicago on April 6, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) I also think the thing he did not fully anticipate is that the degree to which the nature of war has changed, where everybody is seeing exactly what is happening on a real-time basis, he said. As for the future of the conflict, Obama said he believed it was too early to tell what an endgame looks like. I would not only try not to predict whats in the mind of Putin, but how the Ukrainians perceive of this struggle, because we are sitting her comfortably and they are going through heck, he said. Advertisement In speaking with Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Obama said he underestimated the degree in which democracies were vulnerable to disinformation. Noting how easily available unfiltered information is in the United States, Obama noted roughly 40% of the country appears convinced that the current president was elected fraudulently and a similar percentage disavowed the value of vaccines to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. If thats true in our society, imagine how any of us would process information if we are not getting, seeing, anything else? Obama asked rhetorically. It is difficult for me to see how we can win the contest of ideas if, in fact, we are not able to agree on a baseline of facts that allow the marketplace of ideas to work. Obama said it was important to restore democracy at home to prevent Putin and authoritarians from trying to take advantage. For all the times we didnt live up to our ideals, for all the times weve made mistakes on the international stage or been hypocritical in terms of how we apply our faith and democracy, if we get democracy right, democracy is stronger around the globe, he said. And when we dont get it right or look like we dont care about it, others fill that gap. Obama also bemoaned the current state of journalism, noting a decline in local media while tech companies and social media have exacerbated making democracy more difficult through a product design that monetizes itself by exploiting divisions. Advertisement It was the second time in two months that Obama appeared publicly in Chicago, the site of his future presidential library, following an appearance at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs. His latest Chicago appearance also marked another step in what Democrats hope is increased public visibility and activism leading up to the midterm elections in November, with Democrats facing headwinds in keeping control of the U.S. House and Senate amid President Joe Bidens sagging approval ratings. A day earlier, Obama made his first visit to the White House since Republican Donald Trumps presidential inauguration in 2017. He joined Biden, who was his vice president, in commemorating the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Biden announced an expansion of health care coverage under the act. In speaking of its passage and Republican attempts to repeal the healthcare law, Obama said he believed debates over the act had been clouded by misinformation and that the Affordable Care Act has become more popular as millions of people obtained healthcare coverage. Obama acknowledged criticism over his proclamation that people would be able to keep their doctor under the plan even though that was not always the case. But he denied it was misinformation, saying that under Obamacare, systemically we are not forcing you out of existing employer-based health care. I believe to this day what I said was accurate, he said. Advertisement rap30@aol.com Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Ukrainian troops unload US-made Stinger missiles and the other military assistance shipped from Lithuania in Kyiv, February 13, 2022. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images The US has approved more than a billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine since Russia's attack began. Those packages, which have included anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, have been arriving in just a few days. Such deliveries have "never been done that fast before," the Pentagon's top spokesman said Wednesday. The billions of dollars in security assistance, including weaponry, that the US has delivered to Ukraine in recent weeks have arrived at unprecedented speed, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday. The latest aid package, worth $100 million, was announced on Tuesday. It is meant "to meet an urgent Ukrainian need for additional Javelin anti-armor systems," the US Defense Department said. Video: Ukrainians use mass grave in Mariupol (graphic content) That followed a $300 million package of security assistance announced on April 1 and an $800 million package announced on March 16. In total, the US has provided $1.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began on February 24 and more than $2.4 billion since the Biden administration took office. At a press conference Wednesday, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby emphasized the speed with which that assistance has been delivered. Ukrainian troops load a truck with US-made Javelins anti-tank missiles at Kyiv's Boryspil airport, February 11, 2022. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images For the recent aid packages, Kirby said, "from the time the president signs it to it actually arriving in the region it can be as little as four days, and then it's not like it's sitting in storage for a week or two." At a briefing on March 31, a senior US defense official, speaking anonymously to describe developments in Ukraine, said that the first delivery from a $200 million package approved on March 12 arrived six days later and that first delivery from the $800 million package approved on March 16 arrived on March 20. "We're able to get this material because we're being so careful and so nimble in how these ground shipments are going," Kirby said Wednesday. "We're able to get it into Ukraine and often into the fight within 48 hours sometimes. I mean, that's incredibly fast." Story continues Kirby added that a $350 million package of security assistance that was approved on February 26 was "completed in about three weeks." Such deliveries have "never been done that fast before," Kirby said. The April 1 package was authorized under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the US procures items from US firms. Other packages have been approved as drawdowns directly from US stocks. The US has hastened to provide anti-aircraft and anti-armor weapons, such as Stinger and Javelin missiles, which US officials say are best suited for the threats faced by Ukrainian forces. The March 16 package included 800 Stingers and 2,000 Javelins, bringing the total of each provided by the US to 1,400 and 4,600, respectively. The $300 million package announced on April 1 included machine guns and ammunition, medical supplies, secure communications systems, armored vehicles, night-vision devices, drones, and counter-drone systems. A US Marine launches a Switchblade drone during an exercise at Camp Pendleton in California, September 2, 2020. US Marine Corps/Cpl. Jennessa Davey Among the drones in the April 1 package were Switchblade tactical unmanned systems, a loitering munition, or "kamikaze drone." Kirby said Wednesday that "a very small number" of Ukrainian soldiers who have been training in the US since the fall have received training with the Switchblades. "We took the opportunity, having them still in the country, to give them a couple of days' worth of training on the Switchblade so that they can go back and they will be going back soon, back home to train others in the Ukrainian military," Kirby said, adding that a person could be "suitably trained" on the Switchblade in about two days. Switchblades come in two variants, a lighter one designed to destroy infantry and artillery targets and a heavier version designed to take out tanks and armored vehicles. Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin indicated that both variants were headed to Ukraine, saying they "will move as quickly as they possibly can." On Wednesday, Kirby declined to confirm both variants were being sent but said the US would continue discussions with the Ukrainians "and helping them get additional ones if they need it." "We're going to keep doing it as much as we can, as fast as we can," Kirby said, "and we're going to be as careful as we can so that that flow can continue, because obviously they're in a very, very active fight." Read the original article on Business Insider Police are searching for a man seen on surveillance video brutally assaulting a customer at a local Walgreens and calling him a racial slur. Witnesses say the man was beaten so badly, his eye was the size of a golf ball. Sources told Channel 11 his injury is so severe, he might lose sight in the eye. Its a tragedy, you dont think going to a store it could even happen, Joseph Miklos told Channel 11. The assault happened March 26 at the Walgreens at the intersection of Saltsburg Road and Leechburg Road in Penn Hills. Witnesses say a man barreled into the store and beat another customer to the ground, kicking him in the eye with his boots, calling him a racial slur and throwing a bag of Cheetos at him. One witness says the victims eye was the size of a tennis ball. Thats crazy, I cant even believe it, I know a person who works at the Walgreens, actually, Zachary Miklos told Channel 11. Witnesses told Channel 11 the victim said something to the woman in passing and minutes later, her husband returned ready to fight. People are angry about everything, Miklos added. The cost of stuff and being cooped up, and now youre out and the littlest things throw you over. Witnesses say the suspect is 6 feet, 1-2 inches tall and weighs about 300 pounds, with a beard. They believe he left the Walgreens in a black pickup truck headed toward Stotler Road. TRENDING NOW: Toddler shoots, kills 4 year-old sister as they sit in car at gas station Police: Distinct clothing, suspicious answer gave away alleged serial burglar Texas man accused of driving 157 mph in crash that killed teen VIDEO: Penn Hills car dealership banned from selling cars in Pennsylvania after selling unsafe vehicles DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Apr. 6SALEM A post card. Checks and deposit receipts. A box containing five pairs of eyeglasses. And five credit or debit cards in the names of five different people, none of them Wensly Plaisir, according to a police report. Those were among the items found by police after spotting and stopping Plaisir, 22, of 50 Palmer St., Apt. 13, Salem, early Tuesday morning at the intersection of Tremont and School streets. Plaisir is now being held in custody in what is commonly known as a "mailbox fishing" scheme. Salem Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating, police said Tuesday evening. A neighbor with home security cameras had spotted Plaisir approaching a mailbox outside "Your Neighborhood Market" just after 3 a.m. Tuesday. She called police. She later provided video that, according to a police report, showed a red Kia with Maryland plates pull into the parking lot. A couple of minutes later, a man approached the box briefly, then ran back to his car as another vehicle passed by. Moments later the man was back at the box, then pulled something out. Patrolman Matthew Fisher happened to be nearby and arrived just as the Kia was pulling out of the parking lot. Fisher stopped the car. It appears Plaisir was about to head to the Gallows Hill neighborhood on one of the two phones found in the Kia, police noticed active GPS directions to an address where another mailbox is located. Later on Tuesday, Plaisir entered pleas of not guilty to four counts of larceny, five counts of receiving a stolen credit card, breaking into a depository, driving after license suspension and possession of a burglarious tool. That tool: a long black shoelace, with a partially-full dish soap bottle tied to the end and three glue traps attached to it. Police found it sitting in a metal paint tray on the passenger side floor of the Kia. Police believe Plaisir would drop the shoelace into mailboxes, then pull it out, along with mail that had become stuck to the glue traps. Story continues A Salem District Court judge set his bail at $2,500 cash, but revoked Plaisir's release in an unrelated Dorchester gun case, meaning Plaisir will remain in custody for at least 90 days. A status hearing in the case was scheduled for May 4. After police posted information about the incident on social media Tuesday evening, several residents described finding a sticky substance on other mailboxes around the city. Police asked anyone with information on mailbox fishing thefts to call their criminal investigation division at 978-745-9700 or the anonymous tip line at 978-619-5627. Police are urging anyone who may have been the victim of mailbox fishing or mail theft to contact either the U.S. Postal Service at 877-876-2455 or the Salem Police Department at 978-744-1212. The U.S. Postal Service has been retrofitting many older mailboxes with new slots that are just wide enough to slide a letter through, some with metal pieces inside that further hinder someone trying to pull something out. On its website, the postal service also recommends that people put their mail in mailboxes boxes as close to the regular collection time as possible, or bring it inside the post office directly to mail. Reports from around the country in recent years cite incidents in which thieves have targeted mailboxes around certain times of the month when people might be mailing rent or mortgage checks or tax payments. Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis Alisa Wash and Talon Rodgers, both 23, married on 11 March. Their bodies were discovered after a neighbour raised the alarm on Monday (Facebook.com/AlisaWash) Police in Virginia Beach are looking for the brother of a newly married man who was found shot dead with his wife in their home this week. Talon Rodgers and Alisa Wash, both 23, were discovered in their apartment in Thalia, Virginia Beach, on Monday, just over three weeks after they were married. A Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman said Talons younger brother Collin Q Rodgers, 20, was last seen at his parents home on 27 March, have declared him an endangered adult. Police told 13 News Now Collin Rodgers had been living temporarily at the apartment in the Thalia Gardens Apartments and Townhomes complex. Neighbour Zak Rabe told the Virginian-Pilot he heard a couple of loud bangs late one night last week. Another neighbour said police were called after a friend showed up looking for Ms Wash after she didnt turn up for work. Police are appealing for information about Collin Q. Rodgers, who has been missing since his brother and sister in-laws bodies were found (Virginia Beach Police Department) According to Ms Washs Facebook account, the couple married on 11 March. They were both motorcycle enthusiasts, and friends from Ms Washs Reckless Ladies social club paid tribute to them on social media. In 2020, Talon Rodgers was awarded a scholarship for his meticulous work while studying for associate degree in diesel marine technician at Tidewater Community College, according to a release on the college website. Collin Rodgers is described as 1.75m (59), 63kgs (140 lbs), and has several distinctive tattoos including a snake and blue Pokemon on his collarbone and another on his forearm. Police says he could be driving a 2008 Hyundai Tiburon with the Virginia licence plate 4871XH. The operator immediately realised that the woman was in danger (Getty Images) Police have revealed how a quick-thinking emergency call handlerbassisted a woman who called 999 and asked for a pizza as a plea for help. On Tuesday evening, the woman - who has not been identified - felt worried for her safety while travelling alone on a bus. She called the force, who explained that when [the call] was answered, the woman on the line said she would like to order a pizza. Luckily, the operator realised that she was in danger. In a statement posted on Twitter, the force said: The police call handler immediately asked the woman if she was in trouble, to which she confirmed yes. The woman was unable to elaborate on any details, but went on to answer the call handlers yes or no questions until the police could work out where she was located. They also figured out that she felt at risk from a man who was travelling on the same bus as her. The force added: While keeping the phone line open, the call handler was also able to text her for more information. Officers managed to locate the bus using an online tracker, and stop it in York. When a call 'to order pizza' becomes an urgent plea for help... We received a 999 call but when it was answered, the woman on the line said she would like to order a pizza. Our call handler immediately asked the woman if she was in trouble, to which she confirmed yes. North Yorkshire Police (@NYorksPolice) April 6, 2022 A 40-year-old man from Leeds was arrested in relation to the incident, and was subsequently released with no further action, whilst the woman was offered safeguarding and support. Inspector Dan Spence, force incident manager in North Yorkshire Polices control room, said: This was really good work by everyone involved, allowing us to take immediate action to safeguard a vulnerable woman. Im aware of people using the pizza ordering technique abroad to contact the police, but I cannot recall a similar call in North Yorkshire. Story continues Social media users were quick to congratulate the handler for their actions in keeping the women safe, calling them an unsung hero. One person said: This is excellent, well done those call handlers and the officers who reached the woman before harm was done, you should be very proud. A second person said: Well done to that call handler. A role with so much pressure to move on to the next call, they listened, took time and understood the assignment. Great work. Another tweeted: I accidentally set my emergency call off on my iPhone and hung up quickly when I realised I was calling 999. Got a call back within a minute checking I was ok. I was very embarrassed but it felt great to know that happens. In a Twitter thread, North Yorkshire Police explained their call handling process. It wrote: All 999 calls are directed to call centres and answered by BT operators. Theyll ask which service you need. If no service is requested but anything suspicious is heard throughout the process, the operator will connect you to a police call handler. The police went on to advise that its always best to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering. If you cant you may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on your phone in response to questions. The force added: The police call handler will attempt to communicate with you by asking simple yes or no questions. If you are not able to speak, listen carefully to the questions and instructions from the call handler so we can assess your call and arrange help if needed. Prosecutors charged two men with giving gifts to ingratiate themselves with federal law enforcement officers. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Two men made their first court appearance on charges they impersonated federal law enforcement. One of the men claimed to have ties to Pakistani intelligence, a prosecutor said in court. Prosecutors accused the other man of offering to buy a Secret Service agent a $2,000 assault rifle. They offered access to a black GMC SUV, provided rent-free apartments, gave away iPhones, a drone, and other items as gifts all in an alleged two-year effort to grow closer to federal law enforcement officials. But a day after the FBI arrested Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali, 35, on charges they impersonated federal law enforcement officials, a prosecutor revealed a new albeit unverified detail in court Thursday: Ali, 35, discussed having ties to the ISI, the Pakistani intelligence service. "He made claims to we haven't verified those claims but Mr. Ali made claims to witnesses that he has ties to ISI, which is the Pakistani intelligence service," said Joshua Rothstein, a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC. Rothstein's comments came as Ali and Taherzadeh made their initial court appearances before a federal magistrate judge in Washington, DC. In the hearing before Magistrate Judge Michale Harvey, Rothstein underscored Ali's claimed connections to Pakistani intelligence to argue that he posed a flight risk and should be held behind bars ahead of trial. Rothstein added that Ali once had a Pakistani visa and two Iranian visas, he suggested that an additional charge looms on the horizon. "This is going to be likely charged as a conspiracy," Rothstein said, Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey set a detention hearing for Friday afternoon. The FBI on Wednesday arrested Taherzadeh, 40, and Ali on charges they impersonated federal law enforcement officers. In court documents, an FBI agent said Taherzadeh and Ali began pretending to be Department of Homeland Security officials as early as February 2020 and used their false personas to ingratiate themselves with the federal law enforcement and defense community. Story continues Taherzadeh gave the Secret Service agents and a Department of Homeland Security official access to what he represented as "official government vehicles." He also provided them with rent-free apartments each with annual rents topping $40,000 surveillance systems, and a drone, among other items, according to an FBI agent's sworn affidavit. For a Secret Service agent assigned to First Lady Jill Biden's detail, Taherzadeh offered to buy a $2,000 assault rifle, the affidavit states. As of April 4, four members of the Secret Service were placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. In the course of their alleged conduct, Taherzadeh and Ali recruited someone to be an "employee of DHS," according to the court records. As part of the hiring process, they required that individual to be shot with an Airsoft rifle to evaluate the recruit's pain tolerance, the affidavit states. The court papers paint a fast-moving investigation that began in mid-March 2022, when a US postal inspector arrived at a Washington, DC, apartment complex in response to an alleged assault on a letter carrier. At the complex, residents identified Taherzadeh and Ali as possible witnesses and said the two represented themselves as special agents with the Department of Homeland Security. Residents also said that Taherzadeh and Ali used several apartments and had a black GMC SUV with emergency lights hat they described as an "official DHS vehicle." In their interview with the postal service inspector, Taherzadeh and Ali both identified themselves as "special police" officers in undercover gang-related investigations and inquiries related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. In the course of the investigation, the postal service inspector learned about Taherzadeh and Ali's contacts with government officials and the gifts they provided to them, including access to the GMC SUV. The inspector relayed the information to the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog office, which then referred the matter to the FBI. The Justice Department announced the charges against Taherzadeh and Ali shortly after FBI agents were seen descending on an apartment complex in the Navy Yard neighborhood in southeast Washington, DC. In response to images and videos posted on social media, the FBI said it was conducting "court authorized law enforcement activity" in the area. Read the original article on Business Insider As Ukrainian and Western officials have decried the atrocities witnessed in the Bucha massacre and around Kyiv, a hardened Chechen fighter and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been posting videos to his Telegram channel saying his men stand ready to finish the job in Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the majority Muslim Chechen Republic, has reportedly visited the badly bombarded port city of Mariupol on the Black Sea as Russian troops have pulled back from the capital region around Kyiv and are regrouping to focus their offensive on southeastern Ukraine. US CALLS OUT CREDIBLE REPORTS OF PUTIN'S FORCES HERDING UKRAINIANS TO FILTRATION CAMPS, THEN INTO RUSSIA Western countries upped their sanctions against Moscow Wednesday in an effort to cripple the Russian war machine after photos surfaced showing corpses in civilian clothing lining the streets of Bucha, some with their hands behind their backs and showing signs of rape and torture. Ramzan Kadyrov attends a reception marking National Unity Day Nov. 4, 2018, in Moscow, Russia. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Defense experts told Fox News Digital signs of such killings are remnants of Chechen fighters or Wagner Group mercenaries who the Kremlin reportedly had been flying into Ukraine throughout the war effort to hunt down and kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Conscript soldiers, regular infantrymen serving in the Russian forces, would be less likely to be trained to round up civilians so efficiently and brutally execute them as evidence in Bucha and around Kyiv suggests. In an address to the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, Zelenskyy, speaking remotely from Ukraine, pointed out how some of the corpses had their tongues cut out, something "terrorists" have done in other territories. Meanwhile, Kadyrov, remaining active on his Telegram channel, released a video of his men sword fighting Wednesday. He said they are ready to "go on the attack with sabers." The intention behind the video remained unclear, but the Chechen leader, who once fought against Russia before he and his father changed allegiance to Moscow, has allowed himself to openly criticize the Kremlin in recent days, signaling potential fractures between Russian leadership as the war drags on for more than 40 days. Story continues Video: Putin reportedly sees himself as the defender of Orthodox Christianity Taking to Telegram again, Kadyrov criticized Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman and Putins chief press officer, on Sunday for defending Russian TV host Ivan Urgant, who fled the country after criticizing the war in Ukraine, according to The Washington Examiner. Kadyrov said Peskov ought to be more respectful of his Chechen fighters who "sit in a cold trench for several days." He also slammed Peskov for failing to congratulate him after Putin awarded Kadyrov the lieutenant general rank in recognition of Chechen military service in Ukraine. The Chechen fighter added that Peskovs "priority scale" is off kilter, suggesting, "We need to do something about it." Throughout the war, Kadyrov and his men have been sharing propaganda videos on his Telegram channel, recently claiming that trucks were arriving from Chechnya to supply humanitarian aid to Mariupol. But Ukrainian officials say those materials were looted from local civilians. Fox News' Amy Kellogg contributed to this report. On Wednesday, the House passed a bill directing the White House to prepare a report in which it collects and examines evidence concerning war crimes committed since Russias invasion of Ukraine. Six Republican members of Congress voted no. Two of them from Arizona. They are, of course, Putinista Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar. Biggs later issued a statement saying he voted against the bill because he didnt want the information turned over to the International Criminal Court. More from the vassals of Vladimir Reps. Andy Biggs (left) and Paul Gosar have a pattern of being the odd votes against measures to punish Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin. As if thats a bad thing. These same two vassals of Vladimir Putin were among 63 members of Congress again, all Republicans to vote no on a non-binding resolution reaffirming our countrys unequivocal support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as an alliance founded on democratic principles. Weakening or destroying the NATO alliance is thought to be at the top of the list for the Russian president. So, again, what Republican Rep. Liz Cheney calls the Putin-wing of the Republican party came through. (Note: Arizona Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko also voted not to support NATO.) A couple of gremlins for the Kremlin Last month, Biggs and Gosar were among 17 House members yep, all Republican to vote against a bill permitting a Russian oil ban and approving additional sanctions against the Kremlin. Biggs was also among only eight House members, all Republicans, to vote against a bill to revoke Russias most favored nation status in the World Trade Organization. Are you sensing a trend? Biggs and Gosar also are among 10 Republicans to have signed onto a bill meant to prohibit any expenditure of military or security assistance to Ukraine until operational control of the United States-Mexico border is achieved. Its official title is Secure Americas Borders First Act (H.R. 6648). It hasnt gone anywhere. Except perhaps into the joyful hands of Russian propaganda specialists. Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. For more opinions content, please subscribe. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Reps. Biggs, Gosar vote against bill to document Russian war crimes Late last month Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she fully expects to return a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus to its former pedestal in Grant Park. That was concerning news to members of the mayors committee reviewing Chicago monuments, emails obtained by the Tribune show. Advertisement University of Illinois at Chicago art history professor Lisa Lee sent an email to the committee and city officials on March 29, saying she was surprised/astounded/perplexed/flummoxed/distraught by the Mayors comments about the Columbus statue ... and I am wondering if you might be able to give us an update about the status of the report or any other insights if possible? She was followed by Northwestern University art professor Michael Rakowitz, who said he wanted to be recused from the report because he wasnt able to participate much but echoed Lees concerns. Advertisement Its great to know the draft report is ready. However, if the Mayor moves forward and reinstalls the Columbus statue, it seems to me that she is making that decision unilaterally, yet our names as a committee will inevitably be attached to that decision, Rakowitz wrote. While I have not been present for the conversations with communities, I cannot imagine that this is what we would have decided as a committee. In my view, this is not OK in terms of process and reduces our report to a symbolic illusion of process. Artist Amanda Williams echoed their concerns regarding the integrity of this committees process in relation to recent news stories regarding the status of the Columbus statue(s). Sources with knowledge of the committees work told the Tribune it will not recommend Columbus statues return. Lightfoots office released a statement Thursday saying the citys efforts throughout this process have not been about a single statue or mural, but about creating a formal process that will reflect our values and elevate our rich history and diversity. Asked about the frustrations in the email thread, a spokesperson for the citys Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events acknowledged that this has been a long and often difficult conversation, but the advisory committee and public should rest assured that their hard and sincere work is meaningful and in no way symbolic. The city is in the final stages of evaluating recommendations about current and future monuments, the spokespersons statement read. It did not address the committees recommendation about Columbus statues. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Lightfoot ordered Columbus statues removed from Grant Park, Little Italy and South Chicago in summer 2020 after a clash between protesters and police injured numerous officers and demonstrators, placing the city at the center of a broader national debate over controversial monuments. Advertisement Amid unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Lightfoot formed a committee to conduct a broad review of monuments as part of what she called a racial healing and historical reckoning project. That committees work has been repeatedly delayed, but a draft report is now complete, the emails show. Its work could present Lightfoot with fraught choices. Part of the commissions work involved making recommendations for new exhibits, but it also focused on identifying monuments for potential removal. The committee still hasnt made its findings public, but Northwest Side Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, who also was a member of the group, said he doesnt agree with its recommendations about Columbus. History is history, good, bad or indifferent, Sposato said. Lightfoots handling of the Columbus statues has generated criticism from all sides. Comparing the debate over Columbus statues to those about Confederate Army monuments being removed in other cities, Lightfoot initially resisted calls to take down the monuments and said she favors acting to not try to erase history, but to embrace it full-on. But she ordered the removals after unrest at Grant Park in July 2020, leading to criticism from Columbus supporters who believe she caved to mob rule. At the time, Lightfoot said the statues removal would be temporary, though the possibility of bringing the massive statue in Grant Park back raises public safety concerns as it could again become a battleground. Advertisement Protesters argue with police officers after trying to topple the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park during a rally calling for the defunding of the Chicago Police Department July 17, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Erin Harkey, Chicagos commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, responded to the concern expressed by committee members with an attempt to reassure them and a plea. Staff has been in this with you, and we have worked hard to ensure that this process was fair and transparent. Please allow us an opportunity to share the report that weve drafted; we believe that it achieves the goals that this committee set out with, Harkey wrote. It will be our job, with your support, to advocate for and implement the recommendations outlined in the report. Were deeply committed to doing that. One member of the committee, Alaka Wali, Field Museum curator of North American anthropology, told the Tribune that the concerns raised by others on the email thread were broadly held. But, Wali said, the committee did a very good job of considering the topic of what to do with the statues and took the time to listen to many Chicagoans in public forums and through feedback on the website. The report, with our recommendations, will reflect these deliberations, Wali wrote in an email. Personally, I am more optimistic that the Department of Cultural Affairs is also supporting new public art that broadens the ways in which the city recognizes and celebrates the achievements collective and individual of so many people of more recent history! Rakowitz, one of the professors who raised concerns, said he thinks the Columbus statues send a negative message to Indigenous people that a man who enslaved and killed many people deserves to be honored. That to me is cruelty, not controversy, Rakowitz said in an interview. Advertisement Even before the unrest sparked by Floyds murder in Minneapolis, cities around the country were grappling with controversies over monuments that celebrate Columbus, Confederate leaders and other historical figures. Some have been marked with graffiti. Others have been pulled down. Activists have urged that public art do a better job of representing a broad spectrum of American life, something Lightfoot said the Chicago effort will accomplish. The Chicago Public Art Guide, a 96-page survey by the cultural affairs department that was last updated in 2014, shows more artwork celebrating mythical women than real women. People of color are broadly underrepresented, too, in the citys public art. In addition to inspiring a thorny debate over public monuments and history in Chicago, Lightfoots handling of the Columbus statues has inspired two lawsuits. Former Park District attorney George Smyrniotis filed the lawsuit against the city last month alleging Lightfoot blocked a deal the district made with an Italian American group to allow a Columbus statue to be displayed in a parade. The suit also claims Lightfoot made obscene remarks aimed at government lawyers during a contentious meeting. Get that f------ statue back before noon tomorrow or I am going to have you fired, Lightfoot said, according to the complaint. Advertisement Lightfoot also allegedly made obscene comments to Smyrniotis and the Park Districts former general counsel, according to the lawsuit, which alleges she called them d---- and asked, What the f--- were you thinking? You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians. ... You are out there stroking your d---- over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot, Lightfoot said, according to the complaint. My d--- is bigger than yours and the Italians, I have the biggest d--- in Chicago. Lightfoot has broadly blasted the complaint as wholly lacking in merit and called his claims ridiculous. At the same time, the city and Park District are defending a lawsuit filed last July by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans asserting that the removal of a Columbus statue in Little Italy violated a deal signed in 1973 to keep the monument on display. gpratt@chicagotribune.com Quintez Brown, the activist accused in state court of shooting at Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg and his campaign staff in February, is now charged with a federal offense punishable by life. A federal grand jury charged him Wednesday with interfering with a federally protected right and using and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence by shooting at and attempting to kill a candidate for elective office. Brown, who was on home incarceration on charges of attempted murder and wanton endangerment, was seized by federal agents Wednesday and brought to the Grayson County Detention Center. The federal case remained sealed Thursday but prosecutors disclosed they will seek Brown's detention pending trial because Brown faces life in prison. Previously: Quintez Brown indicted on multiple charges by grand jury In a statement, Brown's lawyer, Rob Eggert, called the federal indictment an "arrogant exercise of the government's power." "When Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, was killed, the United States Attorneys Office ran from the case," the statement said. "Here, when a Black man suffering from mental illness is accused of committing a crime against a white mayoral candidate, the U.S. Attorneys Office, at the prompting of Sen. Mitch McConnell, jumps in with both feet" and "snatches the case from state prosecutors." "The U.S. Attorneys office is not trying to protect the community," Eggert said. "Instead, it is trying to crush Quintez Brown and destroy his life." Eggert has called on people to protest Brown's treatment outside the federal courthouse at 1 p.m. Friday, when he makes his next court apperance. Carissa Moss, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office, did not immediately respond. McConnell's office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, publicly complained about Brown's release on home incarceration when a non-profit organization posted his $100,000 cash bond. Story continues Federal agents removed Brown from his grandmother's home Wednesday night while he was in his pajamas and a helicopter circled overhead, Eggert said. He said Brown is under psychiatric care and is taking medication. He was supposed to be arraigned remotely Wednesday but attorneys Eggert and Patrick Renn demanded an in-person hearing, which U.S. Magistrate Judge Colin Lindsay set for 1 p.m. Friday in Louisville. Eggert objected to holding a detention hearing Friday, which Lindsay said most likely means he will continue to be held at the Grayson County Detention Center about 75 miles southwest of Louisville. The Courier Journal previously reported that a federal grand jury was exploring possible charges of using force to interfere with a candidate campaigning for elected office and well as possible hate crimes. Greenberg is Jewish and white. Brown is Black. Brown was indicted by a state grand jury late last month. Quintez Brown in front of his grandparents' home on Garland Avenue on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 The Louisville Urban League in March said Brown was under investigation by a federal grand jury, with prosecutors asking that group to consider whether the alleged shooter had broken a federal law barring anyone interfering with a candidate campaigning for federal office by "force or threat of force." The grand jury was also believed to be considering whether Brown committed a hate crime in the alleged shooting. From February: What we know about the attempted shooting of Craig Greenberg Brown, a 22-year-old activist and a former Courier Journal intern and opinion columnist, has been accused of firing a gun on Feb. 14 at Greenberg inside his campaign office at Louisville's Butchertown Market as the Democratic mayoral candidate met with several campaign workers that Monday morning. No one was injured, but a bullet ripped a hole in Greenberg's sweater. Brown was found nearby about 10 minutes later, Louisville Metro Police officials said at the time, and was in possession of a loaded 9mm magazine along with a handgun, handgun case and additional magazines. Greenberg issued a statement Thursday, saying: "I respect the legal process that will unfold over the coming months. My family, my team, and I appreciate the outpouring of support from across the city." Brown, who'd planned an independent Metro Council run in the months before the shooting, had previously been charged in Jefferson Circuit Court in February with attempted murder along with four counts of wanton endangerment in connection with the staffers who'd been in the office with Greenberg at the time of the shooting. He's pleaded not guilty and his next court appearance in that case is scheduled for June. His mental health has been at the center of the case, with Eggert previously telling court officials his client had been dealing with mental and emotional issues. Opinion column: Quintez Brown case shows need for bail reform and greater mental health services He'd been out of jail since Feb. 16, two days since the shooting had occurred, after the Louisville Community Bail Fund put forward $100,000 for his release. He'd been on home incarceration since then, at one point taking part in a mental health evaluation. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Quintez Brown, Craig Greenberg shooting suspect, in federal custody The board showing the passage of the resolution during a UN General Assembly vote on a draft resolution seeking to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council in New York City on April 7, 2022. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images In a rare move, Russia was suspended from the UN Human Rights Council over the Ukraine war. This has only happened to one other country in history: Libya. Ukraine's president has also called for Russia to be removed from the UN Security Council. The United Nations General Assembly voted on Tuesday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over its atrocities in Ukraine. Ninety-three countries voted in favor of the resolution to expel Russia from the Council, where countries are elected to serve three-year terms. Meanwhile, 24 countries voted against the resolution, and 58 abstained from voting. As a result, Russia became the first permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to be suspended from any UN body. "Russia's rights of membership in the UN Human Rights Council has just been suspended," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted after the vote. He added: "War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history." Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said the move marked "an important and historic day." "We have collectively sent a clear message that Russia will be held accountable," she tweeted. Thomas-Greenfield called for Russia's suspension from the UN's top rights body after the recent discovery of mass civilian killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. A suspension has only happened to one other country Libya in 2011. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called for Russia to be removed from the UNSC over its actions in Ukraine. In an impassioned speech to the UNSC on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the body should "dissolve" itself if revoking Russia's membership is not an option. There are open questions as to the legal path to removing Russia from the body, given it's one of five permanent members and has veto power as such. Along these lines, Zelenskyy called for the UN to be reformed "immediately," contending that the international system failed Ukraine. Story continues Suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council required two-thirds of the General Assembly to vote in favor (abstensions did not count as votes). The move marks a historic rebuke of one of the founding members of the UN, and is indicative of the myriad ways in which Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has seen Moscow isolated on the global stage. Read the original article on Business Insider Coverage on this live blog has ended, please click here for the latest updates. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for more weapons for Ukraine and stronger sanctions against Russia in meetings with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday. Ahead of the talks, Kuleba said his agenda was very simple it has only three items on it: Its weapons, weapons and weapons. The Group of Seven major industrialized countries Thursday condemned atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, saying those responsible will be held accountable. Spurred by the Russian forces' atrocities, countries in the Western alliance agreed to provide more arms. With pressure mounting to further isolate Moscow, the Senate passed legislation Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia, while the United Nations General Assembly suspended the country from the U.N. Human Rights Council, an outcome the U.S. had pushed for. See full coverage here. A group of hackers with ties to the Belarusian government broke into the Facebook accounts of Ukrainian military officials and posted videos calling on the Ukrainian army to surrender. According to Facebook's parent company, Meta, the posts appeared as if they were coming from the legitimate account owners. The group of hackers, known in the security industry as Ghostwriter, typically targets victims by compromising their email addresses and using them to gain access to social media accounts. "When it comes to persistent threat actors, we've seen a further spike in activity by Ghostwriter," Ben Nimmo, Meta's global threat intelligence lead for influence operations, said on a call with reporters. He added that since February, "they've attempted to hack into the Facebook accounts of dozens of Ukrainian military personnel." Meta's head of security policy, Nathaniel Gliecher, said the videos posted on the accounts of Ukrainian military officials were not seen by users and were taken down by the platform before it could be shared with others. Meta also removed a network of 200 accounts operating from Russia that were falsely filing hundreds and in some cases thousands of reports against users, mainly in Ukraine and Russia, for various policy violations. The mass reporting was an attempt to silence critics and Ukrainians, Meta said. The operation spiked in mid-February, just before Russia invaded Ukraine. The actors used a variety of fake, authentic and duplicate accounts to falsely report users for violations of hate speech and bullying. Meta said in an attempt to evade detection, the threat actors coordinated their mass reporting activity in a cooking-themed Facebook group that had about 50 members when discovered. "Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we've seen attacks on internet freedom and access to intensify information sharply," said Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta. He said those attacks are manifested through Russian state propaganda, media influence operations, espionage campaigns and attempts to close the flow of credible information. Story continues Meta said threat actors with links to Russia and Belarus who are engaging in cyber espionage and covert influence operations have an interest in the Ukrainian telecom industry, defense and energy sectors, tech platforms and journalists. But Ukrainian officials believe Russia is behind the disinformation efforts, timed to coincide with conventional warfare. "Cyberwar is a component of conventional war, provided by Russia against Ukraine," said top Ukrainian cybersecurity official Victor Zhora during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. One group with ties to the Belarusian KGB, which Meta previously took down in November, returned with a new operation a day before Russia's invasion began. Meta said the group "suddenly" began posting in Polish and English about Ukrainian troops surrendering and leaders surrendering without a fight. On March 14, the group created an event in Warsaw calling for a protest against the Polish government, Meta alleged. The event was on the platform for "a few hours at most" and taken down along with the account behind it, Nimmo said. New information about threat actors with ties to Russia who are targeting Ukrainian officials and public figures on Facebook is part of the company's new quarterly Adversarial Threat report. It builds on the existing quarterly community standards report and the monthly coordinated inauthentic behavior report. The disinformation campaign by Russian-aligned actors targeting Ukrainians on social media and online comes at the same time as other cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian government agencies, media groups and telecommunications. The Security Service of Ukraine announced Thursday it uncovered another text message campaign pushing 5,000 SMS messages to Ukrainian military and law enforcement officers demanding that they defect and surrender to Russian forces. "The outcome of events is predetermined!" the messages said, according to Ukrainian officials. "Be prudent and refuse to support nationalism and leaders of the country who discredited themselves and already fled the capital!!!" Between March 23 and March 29, Ukrainian critical infrastructure registered 65 cyberattacks five times more than the previous week according to a report by Ukraine's State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection (SSSCIP). The agency said top targets included state and local authorities, the security and defense sector, financial companies, satellite telecommunications and the energy sector. "We do not see serious and complicated attacks on critical infrastructure which can be successful so far," said Zhora, deputy chief of Ukraine's SSSCIP. "We register attempts, but I hope we will be able to effectively counteract them and provide security to our IT systems." But hackers did launch a "sophisticated and massive" attack against the infrastructure of one of Ukraine's largest providers, Ukrtelecom, on March 28, Kirill Goncharuk, the company's chief information officer, told reporters on Tuesday. The attack against Ukrtelecom was launched from inside Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, though Goncharuk did not disclose the specific location, citing security reasons. Goncharuk said hackers used an employee's compromised account to gain entry. The employee is currently safe, but the CIO declined to say whether the individual was physically coerced into handing over access. Traffic in the network fell to 13% of the regular regime of the network's functioning but, according to the SSSCIP, Ukrtelecom security experts detected the attack within 15 minutes after its launch and restored 85% of service within 24 hours. During the attack, intruders attempted to disable the company's servers and take control of Ukrtelecom's network by attempting to change the passwords of employees' accounts as well as the passwords to equipment and firewalls, according to Goncharuk. Investigators say it appears that the attackers did not access customer data. Officials have not yet attributed the attack. The investigation in coordination with Microsoft and Cisco is ongoing. "The majority of [cyber]attacks that come to Ukrainian infrastructure at the moment have Russian origins," Zhora told reporters. "And it doesn't matter whether the FSB or GRU originate it. Different APT groups can sit on the same floor in the same buildings." The hack follows an attack on U.S. telecommunications firm Viasat on February 24 that targeted terminals in Ukraine but also caused outages in Germany and other European countries at the start of the Russian invasion. A U.S. official tells CBS News that American intelligence officials believe Russian state-actors were behind the Viasat hack, though the White House has not publicly said so. U.S. officials believe it was meant to disrupt service in Ukraine but spread beyond the intended targets. The Biden administration remains concerned that cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure could "spill over" to the U.S. and its allies, similar to events surrounding the 2017 NotPetya malware attack. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Wednesday that Russian actors "have not attacked our critical infrastructure in retaliation to the sanctions we've imposed." "We are preparing for an attack," Mayorkas added, noting that U.S. officials are on high alert for potential breaches of critical infrastructure, including U.S. banks, the energy grid and water system. "We are poised to defend ourselves." Testifying in the Senate this week, U.S. Cyber Command chief Gen. Paul Nakasone cautiously supported the creation of a "social media data threat analysis center" to help combat foreign influence campaigns. "Based on my experience, watching two different election cycles and the work of our adversaries attempt to garner greater influence, I think such a center would be helpful," he told lawmakers, adding that researchers must evaluate "the full spectrum" of adversaries' capabilities, including tactics, tradecraft and procedures." Speaker Nancy Pelosi tests positive for COVID-19 one day after attending event with President Biden Some GOP-led states pass restrictive abortion laws, as others move to protect access Russian forces shift focus to eastern Ukraine, prompting warning for civilians to flee A new Facebook report found that government-affiliated hackers from Russia and Belarus attempted to use the social media platform for cyber espionage and disinformation campaigns targeting Ukrainians. The report, released on Thursday, said the hackers targeted the Ukrainian telecom industry, defense and energy sectors, tech platforms, journalists, and activists. Facebook said it disrupted a disinformation campaign linked to the Belarusian KGB, which posted that Ukrainian troops were surrendering, and that nations leaders were fleeing the country the day Russia invaded. The tech company said it disabled the account and stopped the campaign that same day. The report also found that Ghostwriter, a hacking group affiliated with Belarus, attempted to hack into the Facebook accounts of dozens of Ukrainian military personnel. In a handful of cases, they posted videos calling on the Army to surrender as if these posts were coming from the legitimate account owners. We blocked these videos from being shared, the report said. Ghostwriter hackers target people through phishing emails and use that to gain access to their social media accounts across the internet, the tech company said in the report. Threat actors will always try: its their job. But having a skilled community out there which is able to detect deception and influence ops fast makes for a much less conducive environment, said Ben Nimmo, Facebooks global threat intelligence lead for influence operations, in a tweet. The Facebook findings follow a Google report released last week which found that Russian-backed hackers attempted to penetrate the networks of NATO, U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations and the militaries of several Eastern European countries, including a Ukraine-based defense contractor. Google said the hackers, known as Calisto or Coldriver, launched phishing campaigns using newly created Gmail accounts to non-Google accounts which made the success rate of the campaigns unknown. The tech giant added that it has not observed any Gmail accounts successfully compromised during these campaigns. Story continues The Washington Post recently reported that the Russian military spy service, the GRU, was behind a hack that compromised the Ukrainian militarys communications at the beginning of the invasion. An official from the communications company Viasat told the Post that satellite modems were hacked in February when the invasion began. The Viasat official said that new modems will be provided to those affected by the hack. Last week, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced additional sanctions on Russias tech companies and cyber actors following malicious cyber activities. Blinken said that the U.S. will hold President Putins cyber actors accountable for their disruptive, destructive and destabilizing cyber activities. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Salina Police Department is asking for the public's assistant as it investigating the death of a 73-year-old male. On April 2, 2022, at 9:48 AM, Salina Police Department Officers responded to Bill Burke Park, 1501 E. Crawford Street, regarding a person floating face down in the Smoky Hill River. Upon arrival, officers observed a deceased white male in the river between the Crawford Street and Iron Avenue bridges. At this time, no foul play is suspected. The body located in the Smoky Hill River on April 2, 2022, was identified as 73-year-old Patrick L. Johnston of Salina. The Salina Police Departments investigation into Johnstons death is ongoing, and the police department is seeking information from the public regarding his whereabouts and activities proceeding his death. Johnston was wearing blue jeans, a camouflage jacket with a black zip-up hoodie and he had a face mask on. If you knew Johnston and had contact with him between March 2 and April 2, 2022, please contact Det. Randy Constantino or Sgt. Kyle Tonniges at (785) 826-7210. If you have any information concerning this incident, call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS. You can also make an online tip at: https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210. This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Police seeking information on body found in Smoky Hill River A Republican-sponsored measure to protect patient visitation rights during a pandemic is headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzkers desk after receiving unanimous approval in the state Senate Wednesday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families were unable to be by their loved ones sides during their final moments, said state Rep. Chris Bos, a Lake Zurich Republican, who sponsored the legislation in the House. Advertisement If signed into law, the bill would require health care facilities to allow patients to receive least one visitor, regardless of whether the governor has declared a public health-related disaster. This bill came out of those stories, Bos said on the House floor this week. This is an opportunity for us as a body to take a look back. We all acted and reacted at the beginning of COVID-19 because we had to. If we dont look back to make those changes, shame on us. Advertisement View of the Illinois State Capitol dome in Springfield. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Hospitals and long-term care facilities including nursing homes would be able to set guidelines for visitors, such as requiring health screenings, mask-wearing and vaccination. If a health care facility determined a visitor posed a risk to patients or workers, they could be denied visitation, though the denial would have to be given in writing. Prior to Wednesdays unanimous vote in the Senate, the bill passed the House 105-3 Monday, with three lawmakers voting present. Rep. Carol Ammons, an Urbana Democrat who opposed the measure, said the bill usurps the governors authority. I get the point about making sure family members are not alone, Ammons said. But the governor has to have the ability and authority to make decisions in the best interest of all persons in the state. Rep. Cyril Nichols, a Chicago Democrat who supported the bill, took issue with Ammons, saying that line of debate pointed to lawmakers tendency to complicate a lot of simplistic things. Nichols said he had recently spent 30 days with his mother in the hospital and could not imagine not being with her. Legislators on both sides of the aisle told of not being allowed to visit family members because of Pritzkers COVID-19 regulations. Republican Rep. Dan Ugaste, of Geneva, said his wife wasnt allowed to visit her mother for more than three months before her death. These were ladies whod speak three times a day, only for the purpose of saying hello to each other, Ugaste said. Advertisement It wasnt until she was completely comatose that Ugastes wife was able to see her, the representative said. That is inhumane in and of itself. This is not about governor powers, not about executive authority, he said. cspaulding@chicagotribune.com Lawyers for the family of ex-Burkina Faso leader Thomas Sankara on Thursday demanded former president Blaise Compaore be extradited after he received a life term in absentia over the revolutionary icon's 1987 assassination. A military court on Wednesday sentenced Compaore -- who seized power in a 1987 coup coinciding with Sankara's death and now lives in exile in Ivory Coast -- after a closely followed six-month trial. The case had afflicted the impoverished and volatile West African state for 34 years. Sankara's demise was taboo throughout the 27-year reign of Compaore, Sankara's comrade-in-arms, until he was forced out by a public uprising in 2014. Lawyer Prosper Farama said extraditing Compaore was "a fight for the Burkinabe state, for the Burkinabe people." "If we want justice to be done and for this justice to have a meaning, the state must use all means, while respecting the rights of those who have been sentenced, to implement this decision," he told a press conference. The court in the capital Ouagadougou also issued life terms to Hyacinthe Kafando, an army officer suspected of having led the hit squad, and General Gilbert Diendere, an army commander at the time of the assassination. Compaore, Kafando and Diendere were all found guilty of harming state security. Eight other defendants were sentenced to jail terms ranging from three to 20 years. "It would not be fair for the other offenders that they are held here and the others are left alone where they are," Farama said. A fiery Marxist-Leninist who blasted the West for neo-colonialism and hypocrisy, Sankara was shot dead on October 15, 1987, little more than four years after coming to power as an army captain aged just 33. - Extradition hurdles - Compaore, 71, took power and served as Burkina Faso's leader until popular protests in 2014 forced him into exile in neighbouring Ivory Coast. A backer of Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara, he technically cannot be extradited because he obtained Ivorian citizenship in 2016. Story continues "It's the pretext that has been found to support impunity," said Benewende Sankara, another lawyer for civilian plaintiffs. Farama accepted that Compaore's nationality "poses a problem" but noted that Kafando was not a naturalised Ivorian and thus could be extradited. "If afterwards they are eligible for an amnesty or a pardon, let that be done in line with professional standards," he added. The Ouagadougou court also renewed a 2016 arrest warrant for Compaore and Kafando on Wednesday. Diendere is already serving a 20-year jail term for his involvement in an attempted coup in 2015. Farama declared "the fate of a country, a continent" was in Ivory Coast's hands. "Africa must understand that friendships should not be put above the interests of peoples." Ouattara in February told the French media outlets RFI and France 24 that his country embraced a policy of "hospitality" and that proceedings related to the extradition would happen "in due course". ab/pid/imm/ri RIYADH (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen on Thursday announced a return of their ambassadors to Lebanon in a sign of improving ties that hit rock bottom last year when the kingdom and other Gulf states withdrew their envoys. Saudi Arabia and fellow wealthy Gulf states were once major donors for Lebanon but relations have been strained for years by the growing influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The Saudi foreign ministry said its ambassador returned in response to calls by "moderate" Lebanese political forces and after remarks by Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding "ending all political, military and security activities" that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The Saudi statement on state news agency SPA stressed the importance of Lebanon "returning to its Arab depth". Kuwait's foreign ministry issued a similar statement. Mikati's office said Kuwait's envoy would return before the end of the week. Mikati, in a Twitter post welcoming the move, said Lebanon was "proud of its Arab affiliation and upholds the best relations with Gulf states", describing them as pillars of support. The Gulf rift has added to the difficulties facing Lebanon as it struggles with a financial crisis that the World Bank has described as one of the sharpest depressions ever recorded. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday it had reached a draft funding agreement with Lebanon - but that Beirut needed to enact a batch of economic reforms first before its board decided whether to approve the deal. Later on Thursday, Yemen's foreign ministry announced the return of its envoy to Lebanon. "The move is in response to Beirut's pledge to halt activities and practices offensive to Arab countries," the Yemeni ministry said in a statement carried by the country's state news agency. Souring ties had hit new lows last October after a former Lebanese government minister criticised the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen - a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Story continues Hezbollah supports Tehran in its regional struggle for influence with U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, which say the group has aided Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Hezbollah has a militia more powerful than Lebanon's army and has backed pro-Iran allies in the region, including in Syria. The group and its allies also exercise major sway over Lebanese state policy. (Reporting by Alaa Swilam, Lilian Wagdy, and Moaz Abd-Alaziz in Cairo; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis and Lincoln Feast.) DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday welcomed the Yemeni president's decision to transfer his powers to a new presidential council, urged the body to start negotiations with the Houthi group and said it would arrange $3 billion of support to the war-torn country's economy, state news agency SPA said. Two billion dollars would come from Riyadh and another $1 billion from the United Emirates, which is part of a Saudi-led military coalition which backs the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. Riyadh called for an international conference to support Yemen's economy and also said it would give $300 million to the United Nations aid response to Yemen's humanitarian crisis. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Reuters Poland has led calls for the EU to toughen sanctions and for the Western NATO alliance to arm Ukraine as it tries to resist Russian forces that have poured into its east. Stanislaw Zaryn, a spokesman for the Polish security services, said that Russia has been conducting a coordinated disinformation campaign against Poland for several days, including suggestions it could be a threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity. "The aim of Russian actions is to create distrust between Poland and Ukraine, as well as to slander Poland and present it as a dangerous country generating conflicts in Eastern Europe," he wrote in an emailed comment. WASHINGTON The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that alleviates bureaucratic hurdles associated with loaning U.S. military equipment to Ukraine. The move came ahead of several other votes on Thursday levying additional penalties on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, revives a World War II-era program that allowed the government to lend or lease military equipment to U.S. allies. The bill would allow the Defense Department to lend or lease defense articles to Ukraine or any other eastern European country, such as Poland, impacted by the invasion. How we address a threat against one democracys sovereignty sends a message about how well act on others, and adversaries like China are watching, Cornyn said in a statement Thursday, following the Senates passage of the bill. If we believe America supports freedom and democracy, we must provide Ukraine with the weapons necessary to protect its citizens. President Joe Biden can already use lend-lease authorities under the Arms Export Control Act, but the latest bill would waive several requirements mandated under that law. Current law governing the lend-lease program also renders the recipient country financially liable for repaying the United States for costs incurred, such as if the items are damaged or destroyed. Congress hopes waivers in the bill will allow Biden to more efficiently deliver military aid to Ukraine. Cornyns bill would also waive a statutory time limit that caps the leases at five years, and require the president to establish expedited procedures for delivering loaned or leased military equipment to Ukraine within two months of it becoming law. The Biden administration on Wednesday authorized another $100 million in Javelin anti-tank weapons for Ukraine from U.S. military stocks. This brings the total of U.S. military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began Feb. 24 to $1.7 billion. Story continues Congress appropriated $3.5 billion to backfill U.S. military equipment sent to Ukraine as part of the $1.5 trillion government funding bill that it passed last month. Cornyn secured passage of the Ukraine lend-lease bill by holding up a vote on separate legislation to end normal U.S. trade relations with Russia. The passage of Cornyns legislation on Wednesday paved the way for the upper chamber to subsequently pass that legislation, as well as a separate bill banning Russian oil imports into the United States, on Thursday. Although the House passed the Russia trade relations and oil ban legislation shortly after the Senate, the lower chamber did not take action on the Ukraine lend-lease bill before adjourning for a two-week recess. TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese retailer Seven & I Holdings Co said on Thursday it would revamp its board of directors as it seeks to accelerate overseas growth. The operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores has been under pressure from activist fund ValueAct Capital to make structural reforms and sell off assets. The company said in a statement it would name two female and three non-Japanese nominees to the new roles of independent outside directors, making external members the majority in its board composition. The revamp is intended to add diversity and bring in new skills as the company pursues growth outside Japan, it said. Seven & i said it would continue reforms of its business portfolio, and that it had hired a financial adviser to conduct a strategic review of its Sogo & Seibu department store unit. ValueAct, which holds a 4.4% stake, had urged the company to sell off Sogo & Seibu, saying in February that Seven & i could more than double its share price by focusing on its convenience stores. Seven & i made the announcement along with full-year financial results. Operating profit rose 5.8% to 388 billion yen ($3.14 billion) in the year through February, it said in a separate statement. ($1 = 123.7000 yen) (Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Muralikumar Anantharaman) People in protective gear unload groceries from a truck before distributing them to locals under the Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China. Wang Gang/Future Publishing via Getty Images Videos have surfaced on Chinese social media platform Weibo of drones broadcasting COVID-19 rules. One of the drones instructed residents to "control your soul's desire for freedom" and stay indoors. Other drones were also seen flying around Shanghai to broadcast masking and social distancing rules. Videos have circulated on Twitter and the Chinese social media platform Weibo of what appears to be a drone hovering in the sky, broadcasting Covid lockdown guidelines to residents under quarantine. One particular clip shows a drone with red, flashing lights hovering above apartment buildings, broadcasting a message loudly. The video's original poster said the clip was taken in a residential district in Shanghai. "Everyone, don't sing songs on your balcony. Songjiang Jiuting Park residents sang a little bit and then there was a drone coming over to say to control the desire for freedom in one's soul," read the poster's caption on the video. In the video, the drone is seen flying over buildings, and a robotic voice broadcasts the message: "Residents of Jiuting. During the pandemic, we request that you strictly abide by COVID-19 restrictions and related guidelines. Control your soul's desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing. This increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission." Other drones have also been seen flying over Shanghainese districts, prompting some posters who filmed videos of the drones to call it "a glimpse of Cyberpunk 2077," referencing the dystopian video game. In other clips on the Twitter-like Weibo platform, drones broadcasting messages to college students were seen taking off. These drones broadcast messages that indicated that due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, one must keep face masks on at all times and stay in the confines of their college dormitories. Story continues It's not just drones that are being deployed in Shanghai. Videos of robot dogs trotting along the empty streets of Shanghai have also been uploaded to Weibo. One robot dog was spotted carrying a loudspeaker from which COVID-19 lockdown guidelines were broadcast. "Disinfect regularly. Ventilate your home. Prevent the pandemic in a scientific manner," intoned the broadcast message, in a similarly robotic voice. Shanghai is currently struggling with a marked surge in COVID-19 cases, prompting the entire city of 26 million to be put on a strict lockdown amid mandated mass-testing for the virus. The city's Covid-zero policy has, however, drawn flak after disturbing videos emerged of infants and toddlers being left unattended in an overcrowded quarantine center in the city a move that the Chinese government has defended. The city's mass-testing regimen has surfaced more than 94,000 infections in the southern financial hub since March 1, per the South China Morning Post. Read the original article on Insider (Reuters) - Canada's Shopify Inc has introduced changes to its employees' compensation packages, giving them more flexibility between cash and stock components, the Globe and Mail reported on Thursday. The changes will fully come into effect by the second half of this year, starting in July, according to the report. Shopify did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The changes were disclosed at a company town hall on Thursday afternoon, the report said, and were aimed at making salaries more competitive at a time when the e-commerce infrastructure firm's stock has taken a beating. As of Thursday's close, Shopify's New York-listed shares had fallen 65% from their peak in November last year, as the company struggles to maintain a sales surge seen during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. (Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) How to stay motivated to workout (Stock) With thousands of excuses to choose from, coming up with a reason not to workout is often easier than going to the gym. Fortunately, lack of motivation is a universal struggle when it comes to exercising - even for the people most dedicated to the gym - personal trainers. For suggestions on how to remain dedicated to your fitness goals and get moving, we asked personal trainers how they stay motivated - and how they keep clients motivated as well. Chris Matsui, a performance training specialist at Fusion Performance Training, told The Independent: Personally, I know that if I dont workout my body starts to fall apart and get worse. Despite being fatigued from [insert excuse] I make it a point to go to the gym a minimum of three times a week. He also always remembers that any exercise is good - even if it isnt your best workout. This doesnt mean that each workout is a home run but its enough to build a sweat and make my body feel better, he said. As for his clients, he told us that he reminds them even a short 20-30 minute workout can be impactful for your long-term goal. The exercise it takes to burn off high-calorie foods Not everyone will have the time to workout 90 minutes each time, so make the best of it and do what you can until you have more free time, he advises. Even two minutes of exercise can make a difference - as researchers from Victoria University in Australia found a two-minute high-intensity workout can be as effective as half an hour of moderate exercise. Benji Tiger, a personal trainer at OrangeTheory in Florida, uses her physical appearance as her main motivator. I remain motivated because I like to look a certain way, she told us. I always saw these people with incredible bodies on social media and I wanted to have a similar body. And although she has achieved her goals, she still uses social media as a motivator to be better. Social media is typically given a bad reputation for promoting harmful or unachievable body ideals but a 2015 study found that the social influence of online peers can actually motivate people to exercise more. Story continues To keep clients motivated, Tiger reminds them of how far theyve come and of their increasing strength. If they dont feel like working out or they feel like theyve hit a plateau, I have them do a workout that they used to find difficult when they first started exercising, she said. It usually works as motivation because it is proof of their progress. She also recommends clients find someone equally motivated who they can workout with on days they arent working with her. It can make exercising more fun, she said. Six workout gadgets to help you train If youve resolved to spend more time in the gym or train in the great outdoors, here are some great bits of kit to improve and track your workout. (Getty)" /> From 159.99, fitbit.com/uk (Fitbit)" /> From 199.95, bose.co.uk (Bose)" /> From 50, store.nike.com/gb (Nike)" /> From 9, josephjoseph.com (Joseph Joseph)" /> From 130, underarmour.co.uk (UnderArmour)" /> From 89.95, withings.com/uk (Withings)" /> Equinox trainer Rob Arreaga told us that he stays motivated by reminding himself to be better than I was yesterday. Even that little push is enough to get him to the gym, he told us. And with clients, he encourages them to be their own competition. I remind them they are fighting to be the best that they can be - and they are the only ones who can do it, he said. When even that fails, Arreaga tells his clients to take the day off - as the occasional skipped workout is okay too. This article was originally published in 2018 In an election year where Gov. J.B. Pritzker is routinely trying to fend off claims he hasnt done enough to address crime or support law enforcement, the Democratic governor now is waging that battle on a pair of often-overlooked state boards. Two boards that deal with the politically charged issues of crime and law enforcement the Prisoner Review Board and the Illinois State Police Merit Board are facing vacancy problems. Advertisement Just last week, Pritzker could not overcome opposition from suburban moderates in his own party when one of his appointees to the Prisoner Review Board resigned and another was voted down in the full Senate, with 14 Democrats siding with Republicans. Now more questions have arisen as the seven-member merit board which handles Illinois State Police hiring, firing, promotions and discipline was recently left with three vacancies, meaning the board has the bare-minimum four members needed to act. And of those four, according to the boards attorney and state records, only one has received Senate confirmation. Advertisement The merit board situation hasnt reached the level of conflict seen between Pritzker and some Senate Democrats over the Prisoner Review Board. But the development comes as the merit board is still reeling from the agencys former financial officer, a Pritzker 2018 campaign volunteer, being indicted on charges she padded her state paychecks with thousands of dollars in extra overtime. Earlier this week, Pritzker tried to brush aside questions about the vacancies, saying the board posts shouldnt be politicized. Were always looking at good options for appointing people to the merit board as we do to the other boards, Pritzker said Tuesday. A Pritzker spokeswoman sought to play down the merit boards lack of members, saying the administration had one person picked to join the board but that potential member fell ill. Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during a news conference at the Thompson Center in Chicago on Feb. 9, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) But Republicans argue Pritzker and his Senate Democratic allies are trying to avoid holding public hearings for the vacancies because they could create unflattering headlines before the June primary and November general elections. Democrats as a whole are afraid of the crime issue, said state Sen. Jason Plummer, an Edwardsville Republican who serves as minority spokesman on the Executive Appointments Committee. Plummer said he sees countless positions filled by Pritzker on all types of boards and commissions, but appointments for agencies related to criminal justice and law enforcement are going unfilled. The criticism comes after the Democratic-controlled General Assembly passed and Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice package last year that many Republicans are trying to say shows Democrats are soft on crime. As part of that package, the number of positions on the merit board increased to seven from five but the board has not yet had a full seven members. Advertisement One vacancy on the police merit board comes because board member Karen McNaught resigned when she recently accepted a position as a U.S. magistrate. But complicating matters is that Pritzker dumped two previous appointees, including the chairman, Andrew Berlin, shortly after the quasi-independent board chose a new executive director, Emily Fox. She was promoted from program director. Appointments take effect automatically if the Senate does not vote on confirmations within 60 legislative days, but governors can withdraw nominees if they expect them to fall short of the votes they need in the Senate. Republicans said the governor has played an old cat-and-mouse trick in Springfield to avoid Senate hearings that might not go well for the governor. On both boards, Pritzker has withdrawn names of nominees close to the 60-day deadline and then reappointed them in order to start a new 60-day clock. The vacancies on the merit board come after the board made headlines last fall when former financial officer Jenny Thornley was indicted by a Sangamon County grand jury on theft, forgery and official misconduct charges. She has pleaded not guilty. As Thornley was being investigated internally over allegations of padding her paycheck with bogus overtime, she accused Jack Garcia, the former executive director, of sexual misconduct a charge he denied. A Chicago law firm brought in to sort out the accusations found evidence to support the allegations against Thornley but not against Garcia. Advertisement The law firm was paid nearly $500,000 for its work. Thornley received more than $71,000 in disability claims tied to the unproven sexual misconduct allegations. The attorney general is working with the Pritzker administration to review the disability payments. If no appointments are confirmed before the spring session wraps up this weekend, the governor would be able to avoid hearings where Republicans would likely ask pointed questions about both the police merit board and the review board. While it is rare for the state Senate to reject a governors appointees to state agencies, particularly when the Senate majority is the same political party as the governors, the issue became a focal point last month for Prisoner Review Board nominees when several moderate Senate Democrats agreed with Republicans that two nominees were too lenient in some of their votes. The first to be rejected was Jeffrey Mears, who voted to parole Paula Sims, a woman convicted in 1990 of killing her two daughters, and Zelma King, who was convicted of three homicides. That rejection was followed by the voting down of Eleanor Wilson, the godmother of former President Barack Obamas children, who was voted down 31-15, with 14 Democrats joining 17 of the senates 18 Republicans in voting no. Twelve Democrats chose not to vote. For Wilson, moderate Democrats joined GOP senators who condemned her votes to grant parole for two men Joseph Hurst and Johnny Veal convicted decades ago in separate killings of Chicago police officers. Just hours before Wilson was rejected, another Pritzker appointee, Oreal James, resigned his seat from the Prisoner Review Board before his nomination was up for a Senate vote. James had also faced criticism for votes to release Hurst and Veal. Now, the 15-member review board is down to just six members. Three of them are Pritzker appointees whove yet to be confirmed by the Senate. Advertisement While the GOP has used Pritzkers handling of the board to paint him as being soft on crime and not backing law enforcement, Pritzker has expressed concern about how the rejections from the Senate could leave the review board with too few members for certain functions. Also, a series of clemency petitions hearings originally scheduled from April 12 to April 15 were postponed to a later date, according to the review boards website. The site didnt give a reason for the postponement aside from (unforeseen) circumstances. rlong@chicagotribune.com jgorner@chicagotribune.com Tribune reporter Dan Petrella contributed. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Somalia's feuding leaders were locked in a new dispute on Thursday after the prime minister ordered the expulsion of the African Union's envoy to the troubled country. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble's office said it had declared Francisco Madeira persona non grata "for engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status as representative of the African Union Commission" and ordered him to leave Somalia within 48 hours. The statement posted on Twitter did not elaborate on the reasons for Roble's decision about Madeira, a Mozambican diplomat who has been the AU Commission chief's special representative to Somalia since 2015. But the office of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known as Farmajo, described his rival's action against Madeira as illegal. The presidency said on Twitter it "has received no complaints of interference with its sovereignty & doesn't endorse any illegal action against Amb. Francisco Madeira". It said Farmajo has instructed the foreign ministry to apologise to the AU over the "illegitimate and reckless decision from an unauthorised office". It is not clear who holds sway over the role of the AU representative in the country. Last week, the UN Security Council voted unanimously for a new peacekeeping force for the Horn of Africa nation, where Al-Shabaab insurgents have been seeking to overthrow the fragile government for more than a decade. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) replaces the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which was created by the Security Council in 2007. Drawn from across Africa, the mission drove Al-Shabaab out of Mogadishu in 2011, creating enough stability for government and federal agencies to take shape, and two rounds of elections to be held. But a bitter power struggle between Farmajo and Roble has hindered efforts to hold long-delayed elections after the expiry of the president's mandate in February 2021. str-txw/spm As the schedule starts to look almost normal, plan your week ahead with us! And while youre at it, keep up with our new stories throughout the month at wncparent.com. To get your organizations family-friendly events on our calendar, email chris@worthyplace.com. Need some extra help this week? YMCA Mobile Market is at the Oakley/South Asheville Library 10:30 a.m. noon. April 8. Bring grocery bags and get fresh food. Distributions are free. The market provides fresh produce paired with healthy recipes and more. Visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library or call 828-250-4758. Parents Night Out is April 8 at We Rock the Spectrum. The cost is $25 each. Registration is required. Visit werockthespectrumasheville.com. Disneys Frozen continues through April 17 at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina. For tickets and details, visit peacecenter.org. ICYMI, you can read our interview with cast member Jeremy Morse here. Saturday STEAM: Engineering Tomorrow, part of NCSciFest, is April 9 at the Asheville Museum of Science. Engage is a hands-on engineering activity. For details, visit ncsciencefestival.org. A Spring Sidewalk Book Sale is 10 a.m. noon April 9 at the Black Mountain Library. For details, visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library. Toddler Time with the Easter Bunny is 10 a.m. noon April 9 at We Rock the Spectrum. Open play with the Easter Bunny for all ages is 1 3 p.m. Registration is required for both events. Visit werockthespectrumasheville.com. Youth Studio: Exploring Shape, Texture, and Color, for grades K 5, is 1 4 p.m. April 9 at the Asheville Art Museum. For details and registration, visit ashevilleart.org. A Statewide Star Party is 7 9:30 p.m. April 9 at Leicester Library. Observe the night sky (and mountain views) from the library. For details, visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library. UNCA Society of Physics Students Demo Day is at 11:45 a.m. April 12 and 14 at Rhoads Robinson Hall at UNC-Asheville. Learn about the fundamentals of physics, astronomy, and mathematics in hands-on demonstrations. For details, visit ncsciencefestival.org. Story continues 4 OClock Club for grades K 5 is at 4 p.m. April 13 the Henderson County Main Library. Visit hendersoncountync.gov/library or call 828-697-4725. Teen Craft Time: Morse Code Bracelets for grades 6 12 is at 4 p.m. April 14 at the Henderson County Main Library. For details, visit hendersoncountync.gov/library. Run, Slither, Swim with WNC Nature Center is at 4 p.m. April 14 at the Swannanoa Library. For details, visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library. Looking ahead: An Easter Scavenger Hunt is April 16 at Biltmore Estate. Hunt for super-sized Easter Eggs inside Biltmore House and around the estate Participating children ages 9 and younger will receive a treat. The Easter Scavenger Hunt is included in daytime admission. Visit biltmore.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Spring into fun and plan your week ahead with WNC Parent Apr. 7HAVERHILL Haverhill High School senior Ruby Kimball told the School Committee, when it met Monday night to discuss what's being done to stop student fights and other disruptions, that the problem lies with school administrators. Kimball said that over the past four years she's seen conditions in her school decline rapidly and that "now it's at a breaking point." "Overall our principal (Jason Meland) has been soft in his way of dealing with misbehavior," she said. "Students have taken over the school." Kimball added that the conditions are leading to students receiving a sub-par education and that she feels unprepared for college. "I'm unable to get tutoring or counseling despite asking multiple times," she said. "I have fellow classmates who have failed the entire year of their high school career but are still getting pushed through to graduate. Some administrators are not concerned with their education and are only concerned about what looks good on paper." The committee called the special meeting in an effort to obtain answers from Meland and Superintendent Margaret Marotta as to what they are doing to discipline students involved in fights and what they are doing to prevent future incidents. The meeting was a response to an incident last Thursday in the high school's cafeteria when two female students got into a fight and one was arrested by police. Mayor James Fiorentini called the fighting and behavior that occurred last week "totally and completely unacceptable." "The kids who insist on settling their grievances by fighting must be dealt with strictly and repeat offenders must be removed from the high school," said the mayor, who serves as chair of the School Committee. "We can not tolerate this type of behavior." A video recording of the 11:30 a.m. fight, which was posted to social media, shows a large crowd of students, some of whom are screaming, watching two peers involved in a fight. The video also captures the image of a knife on the cafeteria floor alongside a cell phone. Story continues "While there are rumors of a stabbing on social media, police found no evidence of this, however, a knife was found on the scene and immediately confiscated by police," Meland said. "This is currently an active police investigation and all involved students, including those who videotaped the incident, will face appropriate school-based consequences." Marotta said 14 staff members were in or around the cafeteria at the time and as quickly as the fight started they intervened. "Unfortunately too many kids made bad decisions," Marotta said about students involved in the fight and those who stood up on cafeteria tables to cheer it on. Parent Robert Dion pointed to Ruby Kimball's comments as being "100%" accurate. "There needs to be order and people need to be suspended," he said. "My daughter tells me there are fights all the time." Parent Brittany Quintana said her son, a freshman, has anxiety and that he was in the cafeteria when the fight broke out. "I would be devastated if that knife that was brought into the school harmed my child, who was feet away from the incident," she said. "If that was the case, this would be a completely different meeting." Quintana said change needs to happen now and that she will continue to speak out. Marotta said that one of the issues the high school is dealing with is a shortage of staff, including security guards. She said she moved her office into Haverhill High School last Friday to "be where we are most needed" and that her team of 10 to 12 staff members are also there to assist in monitoring student movements and checking if they have hall passes. Those who do not will be asked to return to their classroom and if they refuse their parents will be contacted and the student will be sent home. Marotta said 20 students were sent home Friday and two were sent home on Monday. Fiorentini pressed for answers as to what disciplinary actions are being taken in regard to students involved in fights. Marotta said the punishment can range from suspension to expulsion if it's a serious enough fight or if it involves a weapon. Carol Ireland, a former advisor to the high school's VIP program, told school officials they need to offer security guards more than a $20,000 annual salary, which drew applause from students and parents. Committeeman Paul Magliocchetti said changes in laws that happened a few years ago have a lot to do with the problem of fighting while Committeeman Scott Wood said those changes "handcuffed" School Resource Officers. "It's a sad day when students say they don't feel safe at Haverhill High School," said Wood, who asked Meland why it took so long to enforce hallway rules. "We realized we needed to take a more assertive approach," Meland said. "There is now no excuse and no tolerance. If a scholar is in a hallway without a pass not heading to where they need to be they are being sent home immediately." Wood said he was informed by students and teachers that the consequences have been extremely light and have fostered an environment where it's OK to break the rules. "I don't know exactly what is true or what is not but if students and teachers don't believe there are consequences then we have a problem," Wood said. Six weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, authorities are detaining more luxury yachts in global ports than ever. This weeks tally includes 12 vessels under construction in The Netherlandsthe worlds foremost superyacht builderand a $120 million yacht seized in Spanish waters on an FBI warrant. The US Department of Justice worked with Spanish authorities to capture the 255-foot Tango, owned by Motiv Telecom founder Viktor Vekselberg. The US has joined a growing number of countries detaining superyachts suspected of belonging to businessmen connected to Vladimir Putin. More from Robb Report Tango is not the first time the United States has ever asked a foreign government to assist in executing a warrant, said Stefan Cassella, a lawyer who served as Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section in the US Attorneys Office in Maryland. But it does seem to be the first time its happened in the context of property belonging to a Russian oligarch who was evading sanctions. Yacht seizures have been targeting Russian President Vladimir Putins cronies, and Putin himself. Its rumored that he owns the 0-million Scheherazade, which is being held by Italian authorities. - Credit: Courtesy AP/Sputnik Courtesy AP/Sputnik US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Monday that Tango will not be the last yacht belonging to members of Putins inner circle to be confiscated. Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Finland and The Netherlands have detained over the last month billions of dollars in vessels believed to be owned by sanctioned Russians. Last week, the UK government seized its first superyacht, the 192-foot, $45 million Phi in Londons Canary Wharf. The current situation is unprecedented, Benjamin Maltby, partner at Keystone Law in the UK and an expert in yacht and luxury-asset law, told Robb Report. The 433-foot Crescent was seized on March 17 by Spanish authorities. - Credit: Courtesy Sipa USA via AP Courtesy Sipa USA via AP Most large yachts are registered by offshore corporations in island tax havens to obscure their ownership. If the owner wants to make it difficult, then it can be very hard to trace, Maltby said. Owners often use shareholders, directors and family members as proxies. The Phi, for example, is registered to a company based in the Caribbean but flies the Maltese flag. Story continues The multinational effort to seize oligarch-owned yachtswhich often come with swimming pools, helipads, and millions of dollars in annual maintenance feesis expected to put economic pressure on Putin and his allies. Owning a superyacht, the ultimate status symbol, is practically a prerequisite for joining Russias oligarchy. But there are multiple legal considerations. Freezing a yacht means that the owner cant sell the ship or transfer ownership, or provide maintenance services. However, the sanctions dont allow countries to take ownership of oligarch-owned yachts, giving rise to uncertainties over the fates of the superyachts accumulating in shipyards throughout Europe. The seizure of Tango on Monday involved Spanish authorities working with FBI agents. The US seized the yacht after connecting it to Putin crony Viktor Vekselberg. - Credit: Courtesy AP/Francisco Ubilla Courtesy AP/Francisco Ubilla Maintaining a yacht is an expensive endeavor because it is continually exposed to the elements. A vessel is treated very much like a person or corporation, Michael Karcher, a maritime lawyer with Robert Allen Law in Miami, told Robb Report. The boat can run up its own bills. Then, if the yacht is in someones boatyard, theres the question of Can we do any business with them? The ripple effect extends to caterers, yacht brokers, mortgage and insurance companies, and dozens of other industries connected to the yachts operation and maintenance. When a yacht is seized while in a yard, the owner will remain liable for the maintenance costs, Maltby said. But if the owner is unable to pay, the yard is left in a difficult position. Equanimity was seized by Malaysia and sold off in 2019 for half of its value. But the yachting world has never seen anything like the mass seizures taking place with the Russian oligarchs. - Credit: Courtesy AP Courtesy AP The situation remains unclear for the shipyards and marinas docking the yachts. Karcher said that he receives calls from shipyards each time the Treasury Department sends a new round of sanctioned names, asking whether theyve dealt with anyone on the list. Some are saying, Hey, who is this guy. Then they realize theres this boat taking up a few hundred feet of dock space. Whos going to pay for it? The answer may vary by jurisdiction. Roman Abramovich, who was in Turkey earlier this week to observe the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. His 0 million Solaris set sail from Istanbul for international waters this week, while his other yacht Eclipse remains in that country. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives are not seizing the Russian oligarchs yachts, so many targeted vessels have moved into those waters. - Credit: Courtesy AP Courtesy AP The British government has said that Phis owner will be held responsible for all maintenance costs while the boat is ordered to remain at Canary Wharf in Londons docklands. One legal expert said Spanish authorities are likely to maintain Tango while in their custody. But at most marinas, yard invoices are indeed just stacking upunpaid and un-payable, Maltby said. Yet the judicial mechanisms for liquidation remain in place. Will we see some bargains coming onto the market in the summer months? Many analysts expect protracted lawsuits. The United States and Western countries have considerable authority to seize property, but less authority to keep it, wrote Jonathan Turley in USA Today. The reason is that, unlike Russia, these countries are bound by property rights and rules of due process. Lady M was seized by Italian tax authorities on March 5. Owner Alexei Mordashov is on the sanctions list. - Credit: Courtesy AP Courtesy AP To take ownership of an oligarchs yacht, governments have to show that the property was part of a crime. Turley wrote that it may be challenging for prosecutors to prove that the yachts are the result of proceeds of illegal activity rather than purchased via legitimate business channels. The seizures could take years in the courts to sort out. For the moment, the yacht confiscations and freezing of assets seem to be accelerating. The list of detained superyachts include the $580 million Sailing Yacht A owned by coal and fertilizer magnet Andrey Melnichenko; the $153 million Valerie belonging to Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec; and the $120 million Amore Vero linked to Russian oligarch Igor Sechin. Others are under the watchful eye of the US, UK, and EU, as well as amateurs watching VesselFinder, MarineTraffic, and other location-monitoring apps. Town residents in La Ciotat, France, look at the impounded Amore Vera, owned by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. - Credit: Courtesy AP Courtesy AP On Monday, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich moved his $600 million Solaris from a Turkish port and into international waters. His $1.5 billion Eclipse, one of the worlds longest and most expensive superyachts, remains docked off the coast of Turkey. Abramovich is believed to own several other yachts as well. Meanwhile, police in Italy are investigating the Scheherazade, a 460-foot superyacht thought to belong to Vladimir Putin that remains docked at a Tuscan resort. No yachts have been seized in US waters, but the Biden administration has taken aggressive measures to punish Russians who have benefitted from ill-begotten gains, as President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address last month. Seizing a yacht is easy, selling it is much more complicated. Analysts expect many legal battles over the yachts. - Credit: Courtesy AP Courtesy AP Authorities say many yachts remain in international waters or docked in countries that have not imposed sanctions, such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and the Maldives. That island nation is said to have a half-dozen Russian-owned superyachts in its waters, including Andrey Melnichenkos 390-foot Motor Yacht A. The countrys chief prosecutor, Hussain Shameem, told Reuters that the idea of confiscating a Russian superyacht was far-fetched because of the countrys rudimentary legal system and lack of a military. Congress is considering a bi-partisan bill called Yachts for Ukraine that would allow authorities to seize Russian-owned assets of $5 million or more. The bill permits the government to sell the assets and send the cash to aid humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. The Department of Justice also announced a $5 million reward for tips leading to yacht owners on the sanctions list, but so far has not disbursed any reward money. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A week into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a flashpoint Jerusalem site is seeing nightly confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police that have raised concern about a repeat of violence that erupted last year. The amphitheatre-style plaza outside the Old City's Damascus Gate is a popular spot for Palestinians to meet after breaking their daily holiday fast. Vendors roll carts of snacks and juice into the square. Palestinian youth at times perform acrobatics to cheers from the crowd. But tensions are again high in the city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Israel has deployed extra security forces to the area after a string of deadly Arab attacks in Israel and as holidays from each religion - Easter, Passover and Ramadan - coincide. Palestinians say the heavy presence of police, many wearing riot gear, makes things worse. A year ago, nightly clashes between Palestinians and police grew so intense they helped spark an Israel-Gaza war. "We want the Ramadan month to pass peacefully and for people to feel safe and secure," said Palestinian activist Ahed Al-Risheq. But Israel, he said, is looking to stoke tensions. "It is apparent in the behaviour of its forces and its police." Israeli police say that while most present are trying to celebrate, every night a small group of young men who come from outside the city hurl stones at officers. They have arrested 36 people around the Damascus Gate since the start of Ramadan on April 2, according to a police spokesperson. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and was taken by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as the capital of a future state. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its indivisible capital. (Reporting by Sinan Abu Mayzer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) A Dutch dairy farmer walked into his shed to milk his cows one morning last week, and was shocked to see that thieves had broken in overnight and helped themselves to over 60 cheeses. The oversized cheese wheels weighed 10 kilograms (22 pounds) each, so the farming couple from the town of Fijnaart say that they must've been hurriedly hauled away in a wheelbarrow. But they're less concerned about the "how" than they are about the "why" they were targeted especially since they're now down 21,000 ($22,920) worth of inventory. "They must have been watching us for a while. Our gate is always closed except on the day when the milkman comes by. They must have known that," one of the cheese farmers, identified only as Gerda, told Netherlands public broadcaster Omroep Brabant. "They also passed by our house. I can kick myself for not noticing anything. You just don't feel safe and that is a very bad feeling. It will really take a while before I regain trust in people." Gerda said that the farm now has a significantly smaller selection of cheeses in stock. The thieves only left the most mature cheeses probably because they were on higher shelves than the younger ones. "I was completely stunned because who would do such a thing?" she sighed. "You work really hard for it and then everything is destroyed in one night." Theo Dekker, the chairman of dairy farmers' organization Bond van Boerderij-Zuiverlbereiders doesn't think that the theft was the work of amateurs. "This is not just about cheese thieves. This is well-organized crime," he told Omroep Brabant. "We are a bit afraid of this. They don't shy away from entering a cheese farm with brute force. In no time they fill their bus and leave." Dekker also suggested that the cheeses would not be re-sold in the Netherlands, due to the registration code that all Dutch cheeses are required to have. "The number is pressed into the rind and cannot be removed without damaging the cheese," he said. "As a result, the thieves cannot sell the entire cheese in the Netherlands. But yes, if you cut off a piece, you can no longer see where the cheese comes from." (Last year, these registration numbers allowed the Bond van Boerderij-Zuiverlbereiders to identify some cheeses being sold online as the ones that had been stolen from another dairy farm.) Due to this theft, and others that have taken place throughout the country, Dekker is encouraging dairy farmers to beef up their security, and to look out for anyone who seems to be eyeing their property. "It is of course never pleasant to have burglars in your yard," he said. "We know all too well how much craft is involved in the cheeses." On April 4, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with visiting Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes in Tunxi, Anhui Province. Wang Yi said, China and Panama enjoy time-honored friendship, and share similar historical experiences and common struggles against colonization and hegemony. The two sides are both old acquaintances and new friends. Five years ago, China and Panama opened a new chapter in bilateral relations as the two sides formally established diplomatic relations on the basis of confirming the one-China principle. At present, China-Panama relations are developing smoothly with increasingly deepening mutual trust and steady progress in cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. This fully proves that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama conforms to the fundamental interests of both sides, and opens up broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. China is ready to work with Panama to build China-Panama relations into a model of mutual respect between large and small countries, solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, and exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations. Wang Yi said, China is ready to take the fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Panama as an opportunity to take stock of experience and make renewed efforts to realize the "four-wheel drive" of political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and multilateral coordination between the two countries, so as to create more "propellers" for China-Panama friendship. The two sides should seek greater synergy between development strategies and formulate a plan for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Efforts should be made to give full play to Panama's unique geographical advantages and strengthen canal cooperation. The two sides should expand youth, subnational, medical and health cooperation to promote people-to-people ties. China is ready to share development opportunities with Panama, help Panama achieve diversified development, and welcome expanding exports of Panama's quality products to China. Mouynes said, I'm very glad to be the first foreign minister of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to visit China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and China is also the first stop of my trip to Asia, which fully demonstrates the great importance Panama attaches to developing relations with China. The Panamanian people always remember the Chinese people's support for Panama's just cause of resuming the exercise of sovereignty over the Panama Canal, and always remember the Chinese people's contributions to Panama's railway and canal projects in the early years. She thanked China for its strong support for Panama in fighting the pandemic. The economies of Panama and China are highly complementary, with pragmatic cooperation yielding fruitful results. Panama welcomes Chinese investment and will provide a sound investment environment for Chinese enterprises. Mouynes stressed, facts have proved that the establishment of diplomatic relations between Panama and China is a completely correct decision. Panama cherishes the mutual trust with China and will firmly adhere to the one-China principle. Wang Yi expressed appreciation for this, stressing that China is ready to jointly safeguard this cornerstone of bilateral relations and continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and national dignity. Both sides believe that China-Panama relations enjoy broad prospects and great potential for cooperation, and are ready to deepen cooperation in various fields, release more positive information, and turn the right decision of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries into more concrete results. The two sides are willing to actively consider restarting negotiations on the free trade agreement and strive to reach a high-level and mutually beneficial agreement at an early date. Efforts should be made to deepen cooperation in the Colon Free Trade Zone, and enhance connectivity between the two countries. Efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and grain, so as to help Panama build a regional agricultural center. The two sides exchanged views on China-LAC relations. Wang Yi said, China supports the building of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and supports LAC countries in independently exploring development paths in line with their own national conditions and formulating foreign policies according to their own needs. China is ready to implement the important outcomes of President Xi Jinping's five visits to LAC countries and jointly foster a China-LAC relationship for a new era characterized by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness, and benefits for the people. Mouynes said, Panama firmly adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and LAC countries are not the "backyards" of any country. Central American and Caribbean countries should transcend differences in ideology and work together for common development. The two sides had in-depth communication on multilateral affairs. Wang Yi said, it's China's consistent position that all countries, big or small, are equal, and China stands ready to work with Panama to safeguard fairness and justice, as well as the basic norms governing international relations. Panama is welcome to participate in the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and accelerate the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Mouynes appreciated the fact that China has consistently acted on the principle of sovereign equality, and said that Panama attaches great importance to the important GDI put forward by President Xi Jinping and stands ready to promote the strengthening of the synergy between Central American and Caribbean countries and China in this regard. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue, among others. Mouynes said, the current geopolitical conflict further highlights the important value and strategic significance of the Panama Canal. Panama does not subscribe to imposing unilateral sanctions willfully in the international arena, stays committed to maintaining the permanent neutrality of the canal, and hopes to gain the support of China. Wang Yi stressed, China respects and recognizes the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal, and is ready to work with developing countries including Panama to act on true multilateralism, jointly resist unilateralism and oppose bullying practices. Chicagos public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday that the citys outlook for weathering the recent increase in COVID-19 cases remains promising. Cases of the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of omicron commonly known as stealth omicron now make up 67.4% of new cases in the Midwest, Arwady said. That progression is coinciding with a rise in COVID-19 numbers in Chicago: In the past week, the citys average daily caseload of positive tests has spiked 28%, landing at 304. The positivity rate has also ticked up to 1.7%. But Arwady stressed in a news conference that the numbers remain under control compared to the previous winter surge of the original omicron variant that saw up to a 20% positivity rate and about 7,000 daily cases at one point. Right now, still, we are low, Arwady said. I am not alarmed, although our cases are rising. Ive been talking to folks across the country, and we are not alone in this. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Early research suggests BA.2 spreads quicker than the original omicron, but its inconclusive whether it leads to more severe symptoms. The subvariant pummeled much of Europe and Asia last month, but recent data show cases are dropping in hot spots and that vaccines remain effective against serious illness and death. BA.2 is called stealth omicron because it is harder to immediately discern whether a person infected by it has that specific coronavirus lineage or the delta variant, another highly infectious version of the coronavirus that hit the U.S. mid-2021. But current COVID-19 tests can still detect that a person with BA.2 is positive for the virus. Arwady said the reason for her outlook is that Chicagos prior experience with being hit hard by the original omicron variant, also known as BA.1, gives much of the population some immunity toward BA.2. The most important thing is to be vaccinated, especially in terms of preventing that severe illness, Arwady said. But with every passing day, I am more confident that in the very short term, we will avoid a major increase like we saw with the omicron surge. Story continues However, Arwady also noted that anyone over the age of 12 should be getting a booster shot, which only half of eligible Chicagoans have gotten. She noted that during the original omicron surge, Americans with a booster shot were 21 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than people who were not vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this year, Chicago officials celebrated the city emerging from the omicron variant surge, lifting its mask mandate for public indoor settings and in Chicago Public Schools, as well as its proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor settings. Arwady said Thursday that the city is not close to considering a return to any of those mitigations, but she outlined the new metrics for such scenarios. For CPS to reinstate its mask mandate, the city must meet the medium risk level for COVID-19 as defined by the CDC guidance, she said. If the risk level jumps to high, then a mask requirement for most indoor public settings would return, along with a vaccine requirement for places such as restaurants and bars. The CDCs latest metrics for assessing a communitys COVID-19 risk looks at a mix of numbers for caseloads, hospital admissions and occupied inpatient beds. If a region has fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 residents in the past week but has at least 20 COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, as well as at least 15% of its inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, then it is high risk. If the area has 200 or more positive cases, then its considered high risk if it has at least 10 hospitalizations and at least 10% of occupied inpatient beds. Medium risk designation means a region has fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 residents in the past week and there are between 10 to 19.9 COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents as well as 10% to 14.9% of its inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. If the area has 200 or more positive cases, it would be medium risk if there are less than 10 hospitalizations and less than 10% of occupied inpatient beds. ayin@chicagotribune.co (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Five months ago, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy via caesarean section. My labour hadnt gone wrong, and no medical advice had necessitated it. I simply chose to. Yet this choice seems to be one that people make all sorts of assumptions about from the grumpy and reluctant consultant who told me how foolish I was, to the too posh to push brigade who categorise women who have elective C-sections as superficial or cowardly. The truth is that caesarean sections are not simply failures of vaginal births and womens reasons for choosing them are both universally valid and incredibly diverse. For me, it was all about the predictability and certainty a C-section offered. After years of infertility, endometriosis, IVF and miscarriage, I wasnt willing to take my chances with the induction the doctors insisted I needed. The decision saved my final months of pregnancy from descending into an abyss of misery and anxiety and my experience in the end was incredibly calm and positive. Its why Im thrilled that hospitals in England have finally been told to abandon arbitrary targets aimed at limiting the number of babies born via the method, and sadly not at all surprised that this moral weighing of birth options may well have led to tragedy in the past. (The Ockenden report, an investigation into baby deaths and injuries at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, has suggested that mothers were sometimes denied caesarean sections due to an alleged preoccupation with hitting normal birth targets.) For Suzanne Hatcher*, a traumatic experience giving birth vaginally with her first child led directly to her choice of a caesarean section with her next baby. My experience giving birth to my first child was, frankly, dehumanising and led to me developing PTSD, she explains. I felt unsafe and abandoned during large parts of labour and my son was born using forceps in the end. In fact, her experience was so impactful that before becoming pregnant for the second time, Suzanne arranged a meeting with a consultant who was receptive to her wishes for a section and she came away with a letter stating she wouldnt be denied the procedure. It felt so positive to make the decision myself, to have control and do it the way that felt safest, she says. It was empowering. Id advise other women considering how to give birth to look at your own medical position, your own values and your own perspective on risk. And really make sure the resources you consider represent information in an unbiased way. Story continues (Getty Images) Unfortunately, finding resources that give a clear picture can be challenging. Traditionally, evidence around sections has been poor quality with many past studies lumping emergency and planned procedures together. (An issue acknowledged by NICE in their information on the benefits and risks of vaginal and caesarean birth.) And as Pauline McDonagh Hull, director of the voluntary organisation Caesarean Birth and author of Choosing Caesarean, a natural birth plan explains, good information is vitally important when women are considering how to give birth. We really need greater balance in antenatal communication, she says. Generally, a vaginal birth is considered the default option for all pregnant women, so unless a specific risk is identified, or they already know to ask about a caesarean, it isnt discussed. Greater understanding and respect is needed around offering caesarean birth to more women, not only not denying their requests. Until and unless this happens, avoidable deaths and injuries will continue. Sometimes, the reason a woman chooses an elective caesarean section may be something most people wont have considered at all. This is certainly the case for Lauren Frost: My first son, Leo, who was conceived via IVF after six years of trying was born prematurely and passed away eight days later, she explains. I insisted that I wouldnt cope with a vaginal birth for my second child and that I needed a section The trauma from his birth, having been told for three weeks each day to prepare to say goodbye, meant I was terrified of my subsequent births triggering further trauma. I insisted that I wouldnt cope with a vaginal birth for my second child and that I needed a section. Its hard to imagine a more obviously valid experience, but even then, Laurens choice was not straightforwardly accepted. I had the teardrop to show baby loss on my maternity notes but was met with judgement and questioning at every appointment. There is absolutely a stigma still attached to elective sections. Thankfully, the births of Laurens son Teddy and then daughter Lily, both via elective section, were positive. They were managed well by the midwives who were incredibly supportive throughout. A caesarean certainly isnt the easy way out its major surgery but having a choice in how your baby enters the world and managing anxiety around that is so important. The common thread running throughout Suzanne and Laurens stories is one of trauma, for various different reasons, in their first birth experiences. And Kim Thomas, CEO of the Birth Trauma Association confirms that this is not unusual when women are requesting sections: Some women after a traumatic first birth want an elective section to avoid having the same kind of experience again. A lot of them feel genuinely terrified, having been through a difficult or complicated labour that has ended with an emergency C-section or forceps birth, or led to severe tearing or postpartum haemorrhage. But despite the fact that Kim suggests that women who have elective caesareans in these circumstances usually report a positive experience, they often still have to fight for the choice in the first place. We find that trusts vary widely in their willingness to offer maternal request caesareans, some even in cases where the woman is clearly deeply traumatised by her previous experience. Health professionals will often minimise the womans concerns and play down the traumatic nature of her previous birth which can add substantially to a womans feelings of fear and distress. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Of course, like my own, there are also reasons beyond trauma why a woman might choose to give birth via elective caesarean. Sian Downes has always known she would prefer to give birth in this way when the time came: I suffer from vaginismus meaning that basically my body completely tenses up, making it a miracle I even got pregnant, she says. She was able to arrange her section early on in her pregnancy, saving her a great deal of stress and anguish. I told my midwife at 15 weeks so I knew very early on that this was handled. The relief of knowing that I was getting a C-section and that I didnt need to fight for one allowed me to enjoy my pregnancy! Despite this, Sian also acknowledges the baggage that is often attached to sections. It feels like, as a woman who has had a C-section you arent allowed to say youve given birth because it wasnt natural. So there certainly is still a major stigma as if we arent living up to our female duties. Its frustrating but for me I was determined not to soak up any of that negativity, especially when I found out there were no medals at the end! In lots of cases, distinctions are drawn between caesareans where there is some medical indication and those where there isnt often called maternal request caesareans. But sometimes, things arent quite this clear cut. Bec Wooderson found herself pregnant with an unusually large baby and faced with difficult decisions as a result: I was overdue and my baby was measuring big at 10lb 1oz. I also have hyperthyroidism [a condition that can increase the risk of pregnancy complications]. Even after three stretch and sweeps, (a procedure designed to encourage labour) my little boy still wasnt wanting to go anywhere! It feels like, as a woman who has had a C-section you arent allowed to say youve given birth because it wasnt natural In the end, an overheard discussion made up Becs mind. From the ward room I overheard the midwives and consultant at the front desk having a conversation that essentially went something like well because of her age and her condition and the fact that the baby is big, the baby will probably get stuck. I had three options, to do nothing, be induced or have an elective C-section and in the end I decided it wasnt worth risking depriving my baby of oxygen and the possibility of them having brain damage, so I took the elective C-section route. What all of this shows perhaps, is that despite the stereotypes, there is no single set of reasons or character traits that might cause a woman to choose an elective C-section. And despite my own positive experience, it isnt the caesarean section itself that I think really mattered, but the free choice of how I gave birth. Certainly, this was the key for Helen Every, who suffers from tokophobia an extreme fear of labour. Before she started having children, she ensured she had a letter from a consultant promising her a planned caesarean section. I had to get it in black and white before even thinking about getting pregnant, she says. But actually, knowing she was free to make this decision if she needed to, allowed her to make a different one. In the end knowing I could have a section helped me immensely and I chose to have my baby vaginally, she says. *name has been changed Reuters Thousands of people told to flee the largest wildfire burning in the United States have chosen to stay and defend generational homes in the mountains of northern New Mexico, even as some run out of food and water, officials said. In Mora County, population 4,500, around 60% of residents in evacuation areas have remained in centuries-old farming and ranching communities where electric power has been lost, said Undersheriff Americk Padilla. "This is their livelihood, this is all they know, so these elderly people, and a lot of the people, our constituents are not leaving," Padilla said. Apr. 7Salem's Aidan McDonald didn't know quite what to do with himself during the winter. A football and track standout, McDonald was one of a few thousand New Hampshire athletes left without a sport during the winter months, when the NHIAA cancelled the indoor track season for the second straight year due to COVID-19. Massachusetts ran a full indoor season. "It was very annoying to have another season cancelled," said McDonald, a two-time Eagle-Tribune football All-Star. "We wanted to compete. But the team and I have still been diligent on working to improve everything from block starts to running mechanics in general. I'm extremely excited for a competitive season this spring." With the disappointing winter now behind them, Granite State track athletes have finally returned to competition, with the New Hampshire track season kicking off this week. "The kids are extremely happy to be back to a normal track season," said Pinkerton boys coach Carol Quarles. whose squad rolled past Bishop Guertin in its opener on Tuesday. "That includes being able to travel, going to invitationals and especially running without masks!" Plenty of talented returning athletes from The Eagle-Tribune area are ready to contend for New Hampshire titles. One of those standouts is Pinkerton senior Luke Brennan, an Eagle-Tribune track All-Star last spring, when he placed third in the 3,200 (9:37.93) at the Division 1 state meet. "The winter was tough," said Brennan, a two-time Eagle-Tribune cross country MVP. "This is the first outdoor track season since my freshman year that we will be able to compete in big invitationals against other New Hampshire schools. It's exciting that things are going back to normal." Another returning Astros star is junior Briana Danis, who won the Meet of Champions title in the javelin (124-11) and added a victory at Division 1s, where she threw 127-5, seventh best in area history. She tied that mark Tuesday in the Pinkerton opener. Story continues "Now that restrictions have been lifted for the outdoor season, my team is able to compete," said Astro Alex LeBlanc, who competed at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March. "It's super exciting to be able to have official meets at Pinkerton again, and is even more exciting that my whole team is able to run official times to make a name for themselves once again." McDonald is one of the state's premier sprinters. Last spring, he was second in the 200 (23.26) and fourth in the 100 (11.56) at Division 1 States. Fellow Blue Devil David Jacques was sixth in the 110 hurdles (16.60) at Division 1s. "I'm really excited for this season to see the team grow and encourage each other to be better," said Timberlane high jumper Kiersten MacKeen. "It was really hard missing the indoor season because experiencing more competition would've been beneficial, but I'm just glad we're back to normal." Andover's Parrott thrilled for Cornell Coming off a New England champion winter, Andover senior Jodi Parrott announced over the weekend that she will continue her track career at Cornell University. "I'm super excited to have committed to Cornell because of the intensity of their program," said Parrott. "At the Ivy Indoor Championship this winter, Cornell had first-place finishers in both long jump and the pentathlon, as well as three placers in the hurdles. When I went on my official visit I was able to witness how unique the team was. Cornell is the right place for me." During the winter season, Parrott won the New England title in the 55-meter hurdles (8.21) and was third at All-States in the long jump (18-1). This will mark the first spring track season for Parrott since her freshman year. Her sophomore season was cancelled by COVID, and she missed last spring due to an ankle injury. "This will be only my second outdoor season, so just being able to compete is really special to me," said Parrot. "I have two major goals for this season. The first is to break the 100-meter hurdles school record (Stacey Lavoie, 14.65 in 1993). This is the last high hurdle record at the school I haven't broken, and I fell just short as a freshman (14.80). "The second (goal) is to win the state title. I finished second by only three-hundredths of a second at Division 1 states my freshman year. Earning that title would make my younger self extremely proud." Return of Ottaviani Invitational For the first time since the 2018 season, the Haverhill Ottaviani Invitational will return to Haverhill High next Saturday. The 42nd annual Ottaviani Invitational was held at North Andover High in 2019 due to renovations to Haverhill's Sapienza Track. The 2020 and 2021 meets were cancelled due to COVID-19. The event is named after longtime Haverhill High track coach and athletic director John Ottaviani. "Coincidentally, the meet will be on John Ottaviani's 82nd birthday!" noted current Haverhill coach Mike Maguire. TWITTER: DWillisET Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Trump said Putin "overplayed his hand" by invading Ukraine. Trump previously praised Putin's justification for the invasion as "savvy" and "genius." He also said people are "very impressed with Ukraine" but "not impressed with NATO." President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "overplayed his hand" in invading Ukraine in a new interview with the Washington Post. Trump previously praised Putin announcing "a peacekeeping operation" in Ukraine as the basis for his invasion of the country as "savvy" and "genius." Putin's invasion of Ukraine has led to over a thousand civilian casualties, leading President Joe Biden to call Putin a war criminal and call for him to face a war crimes trial over atrocities in Bucha. "A lot of people are a little bit surprised, I think they're very impressed with Ukraine, but they're not impressed with what NATO is doing, because a lot of people think NATO could be doing more," Trump, who has repeatedly attacked NATO and made misleading comments about how it was funded during his presidency, told the Post. Ukraine is not a NATO member, but the United States and other NATO member nations have provided it with military assistance, including lethal aid. NATO has also bolstered its presence in Eastern Europe as a result of the war in Ukraine. Trump also praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the interview, saying he "liked him from the beginning." Trump was impeached in December 2019 for pressuring Zelenskyy to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter, over bogus allegations of corruption as he simultaneously withheld roughly $400 million in congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine. At the time, Ukrainian forces were engaged in a war with Kremlin-backed forces in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, and the aid Trump froze was considered vital. Story continues "When we had the impeachment hoax, based on a perfect phone call, he totally backed me up, and I didn't ask him to do that. They asked him, and he said, he absolutely did nothing wrong," Trump told the Post of Zelenskyy. "He said there was no quid pro quo. He didn't even know what his people were talking about. He thought they were crazy. ... So I gained great respect for him there." Though Zelenskyy did at one point publicly state he did not feel pressured by Trump, the Ukrainian leader had an interest in keeping the US on his side and keeping aid flowing amid the ongoing war in the Donbas. Fiona Hill, who served as the National Security Council's top expert on Russia in the Trump administration, said Trump paved the way for Russia's 2022 invasion by treating it like a "playground." Read the original article on Business Insider A Turkish court on Thursday confirmed a halt to the trial in absentia of 26 suspects linked to the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi and its transfer to Riyadh, a decision that has angered rights groups. The 59-year-old journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a gruesome murder that shocked the world. A Turkish court began the trial in 2020 with relations tense between the two Sunni Muslim regional powers. But with Turkey desperate for investment to help pull it out of economic crisis, Ankara has sought to heal the rift with Riyadh. The judge told the court: "We decided to halt and hand over the case to Saudi Arabia." The court decision comes almost a week after Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that he would approve a Turkish prosecutor's request to hand the case over to Saudi Arabia, at the latter's demand. The prosecutor said the case was "dragging" because, as the defendants were foreigners, the court's orders could not be carried out. -'Entrusting lamb to wolf'- Defence lawyer Ali Ceylan told the court on Thursday that there would not be a fair trial in Saudi Arabia. "Let's not entrust the lamb to the wolf," he said, using a Turkish saying. Another defence lawyer, Gokmen Baspinar, said that the justice ministry's move was "against the law." "There is no prosecution going on in Saudi Arabia at the moment," he said. "Saudi authorities have concluded the trial and acquitted many suspects." He said the decision to hand over the case to Riyadh would be tantamount to a "breach of Turkish sovereignty" and "an example of irresponsibility against Turkish people". The decision has deeply angered rights groups. The Istanbul tribunal "agreed to transfer the case to the Saudi authorities -- in one sentence, just like that. Didn't even bother to state the lawyers' requests are rejected," Milena Buyum, of Amnesty International, said. Story continues She tweeted: "Appalling and clearly political decision." Five people were sentenced to death by the kingdom over Khashoggi's killing, but a Saudi court in September 2020 overturned the sentences, handing jail terms of up to 20 years to eight unnamed defendants following secretive legal proceedings. - Appeal - Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was present at the hearing on Thursday, said that she would appeal the decision. Turkey "is not ruled by a family like in Saudi Arabia. We have a justice system that addresses citizens' grievances," she told journalists outside Istanbul's main court. "We will appeal the decision in line with our legal system". Speaking to AFP, she vowed to "continue to fight. Whoever gives up has given up. I will continue. Sometimes the legal battle itself is more important than the results." To Riyadh's dismay, Turkey pressed ahead with the Khashoggi case and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had, at the time, said the order to kill him came from the "highest levels" of government. Subsequently, Saudi Arabia sought unofficially to put pressure on Turkey's economy, with a boycott on Turkish imports. Last year, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Riyadh to mend fences with the kingdom. Transferring the case to Riyadh removes the last obstacle to a normalisation of ties. In an interview with AFP in February, Cengiz urged Ankara to insist on justice despite the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. "In order for such a thing to not happen again...(Turkey) should not abandon this case," she said. Cengiz had been waiting outside the consulate for Khashoggi when he was murdered. He had gone there to obtain paperwork to marry her. His remains have never been found. Erdogan has sought to improve ties with regional rivals including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in the face of increasing diplomatic isolation that has caused foreign investment to dry up -- particularly from the West. In January, he said he was planning a trip to Saudi Arabia as the economy went through a tumultuous period. Turkey's annual inflation has soared to 61.1 percent, according to official data Monday. fo/spm (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak asked the Bank of England to support the governments new energy strategy, including investment in North Sea oil and gas projects. Most Read from Bloomberg In a letter to BOE Governor Andrew Bailey, Sunak said the banks Financial Policy Committee should have regard to the strategy and its plans for investment in transitional hydrocarbons like gas as it manages risks in the U.K. financial system. Similar letters were sent to two financial regulators: the BOEs Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. The new energy supply strategy and the instruction to regulators reflect growing concerns about energy security in light of Russias war with Ukraine. But the changed remit also appears to contradict instructions given by Sunak to the authorities a year ago to support the governments goals to tackle climate change and achieve net-zero by 2050, essentially eliminating the carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels. The suggestion that the Bank of England should facilitate investment in hydrocarbons like gas directly contradicts the Banks green mandate, which the Chancellor updated only a year ago, said Fran Boait, executive director of Positive Money, a campaign group. In order for the U.K. to meet both our net zero target and ensure energy security, the Bank of England must move urgently to stop the City of London pouring billions into fossil fuels. Sunak said that Thursdays new instructions are intended to supplement rather than replace the recommendations made in the 2021 letter, and that the FPC should still support the governments ambition of a greener industry, using innovation and finance to protect our environment and tackle climate change. Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress voted to impose further economic pain on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, passing one measure to remove its "most favored nation" trade status and another to ban oil imports. The Senate voted 100-0 in favor of the measure removing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status for both Russia and its close ally Belarus. Shortly afterward, it backed the energy measure, also by a 100-0 tally. Senate approval sent the legislation to the House of Representatives, which quickly passed the trade measure by 420 to 3, and the energy legislation by 413 to 9. President Joe Biden supports the measures and will sign them into law, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. The trade bill clears the way for Biden's administration to raise tariffs on imports from Russia and Belarus. The energy measure puts into law Biden's previous executive order banning imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal. "This package is about bringing every tool of economic pressure to bear on (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and his oligarch cronies. Putins Russia does not deserve to be a part of the economic order that has existed since the end of World War Two," Senator Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement. The House passed both bills earlier this year, but they stalled in the Senate as Republicans and Democrats argued over when to vote on the energy measure and wording of a provision in the trade bill reauthorizing the Magnitsky Act, which allows sanctions over human rights violations. U.S. law mandates that Congress must approve the change in Russia and Belarus' trade status. Under a compromise forged late on Wednesday senators agreed to consider both the trade measure and the energy bill. The House had to approve amendments to both measures because of technical changes made in the Senate. Russia calls the assault on Ukraine a "special military operation." (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chris Gallagher and Howard Goller) By Liz Hampton (Reuters) -At least a dozen U.S. shale gas executives on Wednesday held discussions with European energy officials on increasing U.S. fuel supplies to Europe as part of efforts to replace Russian imports. At the meetings in Houston, foreign affairs, economic ministers and commercial buyers discussed how to lower their imports of Russian oil, coal and liquefied natural gas following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, trade group officials said. The European Union plans to cut its reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds this year. Delegations from Latvia and Estonia, diplomats from Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, and the United Kingdom toured the Golden Pass LNG export project in Sabine Pass, Texas, and later met in Houston with shale gas producers, Fred Hutchison, chief executive of trade group LNG Allies, said. Group discussions included top executives from Chesapeake Energy, Coterra Energy, EOG Resources and EQT Corp, he said. Individual meetings are planned between U.S. executives and Latvian, Estonian and Slovak commercial representatives. "The situation in Europe is so precarious. All these countries that are dependent on Russian gas are committed to giving it up, in some cases completely," said Hutchison. Building LNG capacity takes years and ample new supplies will not be available until mid-decade. "The capacity challenges in 2022 are great but the opportunities in a few years are really terrific," he said. The meeting, coordinated by the American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC) along with LNG Allies, focused on ways to move Europe off Russian gas, including the need for more infrastructure in the United States and Europe, AXPC CEO Anne Bradbury said. The need for new LNG plants was highlighted at a congressional hearing earlier on Wednesday by Pioneer Natural Resources Chief Executive Scott Sheffield. He urged Congress to embrace the construction of new U.S. plants. "We need to build LNG facilities in the northeast," Sheffield said. (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; Edited by Gary McWilliams, Richard Pullin and Barbara Lewis) Once a thriving metropolis in the Antioch era, Turkey's southern town of Antakya has many landmarks dating back to great ancient civilizations. A contemporary hotel that displays rare archaeological treasures is one of the latest landmarks here. The Museum Hotel Antakya, a luxurious five-star hotel operating since 2019, features a hybrid architectural feat based on Roman mosaics and magnificent artifacts, serving as an ultra-modern hotel and a museum at the same time. Clients often marvel at the splendidness of the history at the doorstep of their rooms, which were supported by 66 columns, giving the saying "a room with a view" a real meaning. Along with the well-preserved mosaics, the museum comprises a range of ancient sites and antiques, including 5th-century Roman baths, a sumptuous villa, statues, and sculptural objects. A part of the ruins dates back to the third century B.C. Through the glass in the hotel lobby, visitors can glimpse rubbled walls and an ancient streambed in addition to the mosaics of more than 1,000 square meters, which are considered one of the largest in the world. According to the owner, construction costs of the hotel, which was built on an archaeological site found in 2010, have skyrocketed as it has been delayed for years. "It was a very hard project because you are trying to make something different and it's a new way of protecting the old, revealing the old and combining the old with the new world," Sabiha Asfuroglu Abbasoglu told Xinhua in an interview in the lobby of the intriguing building. Abbasoglu, CEO of the company owning the hotel, said that they have devoted themselves to the laborious excavation, protection, and construction work because "we believed in the project." "We believed that (the project) was going to be a present for our region, country, and world. When you look at it, you see that it's alive ... You really feel the energy, it's like a time tunnel," she said. Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, bordering Syria, sits over the ancient Antioch, and is a major tourism and gastronomy destination. "And you can all gaze to all of that during your short walk to the dining rooms, the bar, the gym, or the swimming pool in the hotel, feeling the energy of the ancient world lying beneath your feet," Abbasoglu said. "It's like you are spending a night at the museum, " she said. AeroVironment Switchblade 300s being launched U.S. Army AMRDEC Public Affairs The Biden administration approved another $100 million in military assistance for Ukraine this week and announced that it has sent Ukraine 100 Switchblade drones, a type of light "kamikaze" drone that can be outfitted with explosives and flown into enemy targets. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Ukraine has a particularly "urgent" need for Javelin portable anti-tank systems, and a senior Pentagon official elaborated that the "urgent need for Javelins" and the larger $100 million package is because "Ukrainians wanted to make sure that they're ready for increased Russian activity" in the Donbas. Kirby also said the U.S. military has trained a "very small number" of Ukrainian soldiers in the U.S. to use the Switchback drones. This "very small number" of Ukrainians, "less than a dozen," were already in the U.S. for professional training, "and we took advantage of the opportunity to pull them aside for a couple of days and provide them some training, particularly on the Switchblade UAVs," the senior Pentagon official said. "That is a system that is not organic to the Ukrainian military," though it's "not a very difficult system to operate," and "our expectation is that these individuals will be heading back into Ukraine relatively soon, as they were originally anyway." The U.S. has been getting the weapons to Ukraine "incredibly fast," anywhere from "four to six days has been the average of getting stuff from literally, from taking off from the states and getting into Ukrainian hands," the Pentagon official said. Such transfers have "never been done that fast before," Kirby agreed. The Pentagon official also suggested that the U.S. might help Ukraine's military with fuel, since Russia has been targeting fuel depots. "I will just tell you that we have had discussions with the Ukrainians about fuel needs and fuel requirements. And those discussions are ongoing. And I'll leave it at that." Story continues That comment deserves "special notice," tweeted Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at Scotland's University of St. Andrews. It "looks like the U.S. is going to do what they can to get them the fuel to operate. Maintaining Ukrainian mobility in the Donbas will be crucial." You may also like 63 Republicans vote against House resolution affirming support for NATO and its 'democratic principles' Secret Service is renting $30,000-a-month Malibu mansion to protect Hunter Biden, ABC News reports Ukraine's 'stunning' defeat of Russia in Kyiv and the north is a really big deal, military experts say Russian troops are struggling with supply lines and ebbing morale, according to the latest assessment of the Ukrainian war from British intelligence. In a Twitter post shared Thursday morning, the ministry of defense explained how the Russians have shifted their lines of attack. It wrote: Progressing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine is the main focus of Russian military forces. Russian artillery and air strikes continue along the Donbas line of control. The Donbas region is in eastern Ukraine, and encapsulates Donetsk and Luhansk areas partially occupied by pro-Russian rebels since the annexation of Crimea back in 2014. This renewed focus on the east comes after troops withdrew from the Kyiv region leading to the discovery of the Bucha massacre. Russian invasion of Ukraine (Photo: PA GraphicsPress Association Images) Russian invasion of Ukraine (Photo: PA GraphicsPress Association Images) The U.K. officials also pointed out that Russian forces are trying to impact Ukrainian supplies. Russian strikes against infrastructure targets within the Ukrainian interior are likely intended to degrade the ability of the Ukrainian military to resupply and increase pressure on the Ukrainian government. However, the intelligence suggests that actually it is the Russians who are facing supply shortages along with a lack of morale among its dwindling workforce. The ministry of defense tweeted: Despite refocusing forces and logistics capabilities to support operations in the Donbas, Russian forces are likely to continue facing morale issues and shortages of supplies and personnel. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 7 April 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/dbEzW4mqos #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/hscOPIh85K Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 7, 2022 Russian losses are certainly high. At the end of last month, NATO estimated that up to 40,000 soldiers had been killed, wounded, captured or missing in action. This number is expected to have increased in April as Ukrainians managed to push the Russians out of various cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv. Story continues Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby went even further than the ministry of defense, and expressed his belief that the Ukrainian troops can win the war this week. He told reporters on Wednesday: Mr Putin has achieved exactly zero of his objectives inside Ukraine. He didnt take Kyiv. He didnt topple the government. He didnt remove Ukraine as a nation state. And, hes really only taken control of a small number of population centers and even those werent the ones he was really going after. He pointed out even Mariupol has not been taken the proof is literally in the outcomes you are seeing every day. Mr Putin has achieved exactly zero of his objectives inside Ukraine. He didnt take Kyiv. He didnt topple the government. He didnt remove Ukraine as a nation state. pic.twitter.com/0TpVlrkhps John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) April 6, 2022 Yet, a previous update from the Ministry of Defense, posted on Wednesday, explained that Ukrainians are still suffering, significantly, despite their various successes. For instance, Mariupol, the coastal city in the east of Ukraine, is now under siege as the Russians attempt to cut off their links to the outside world. The humanitarian situation in the city [of Mariupol] is worsening, officials explained. Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6, 2022. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File Russian soldiers took parade uniforms with them to Kyiv, a Ukrainian army official said. Oleksandr Hruzevych said it was a sign that Russia expected to take the city almost immediately. "We can say now that we have completely destroyed their plans," he said. Russian soldiers advancing on Kyiv brought parade uniforms with them, seeming to expect a victory in less than two days, a Ukrainian army official said on Thursday. The official said the soldiers left them behind when withdrawing from the Kyiv area, after weeks of trying without success to take the Ukrainian capital. The claim was made in a briefing for media by Oleksandr Hruzevych, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Hruzevych said that the uniforms were found in abandoned Russian military vehicles in the areas around Kyiv that were recently retaken. Oleksandr Hruzevych, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, speaks on April 7. YouTube/ UkraineMediaCenter Kyiv Eng "We also find some parade uniforms there, so they expected to get Kyiv in two days and then have a parade here. So we can say now that we have completely destroyed their plans." Parade uniforms are usually bright and highly decorated. They are impractical for fighting and only worn for ceremonial events: soldiers expecting resistance wear combat gear, usually rugged and featuring camouflage. This photo shows Russian soldiers in parade gear in Red Square, Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with military officers in Red Square after the Victory Day parade, in downtown Moscow, May 9, 2019. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP via Getty Images The US, the UK, and other Western countries have shared intelligence assessments that say Russia expected to make quick progress in capturing Ukraine. Military analysts said that Russia's initial strategy matched these assessments, and did not appear to anticipate the fierce resistance from Ukraine. Insider's Sam Fellman wrote in early March that Russia's push for a "lightning" victory was centered on taking Kyiv, an objective that it was soon obvious it could not easily achieve. After weeks of stasis, Russia over the weekend began to withdraw from around Kyiv, and Ukrainian officials said this week that it was once more in control of the whole of the Kyiv administrative region. Story continues Hruzevych warned that Kyiv could still be hit by shelling in the city and that Ukraine was finding "sabotage groups" that Russia had left behind. He also warned that Russia is likely to try again to take Kyiv, but said he did not know when that could happen. Read the original article on Business Insider By Natalia Zinets and Gergely Szakacs (Reuters) -Ukraine accused Hungary of undermining the unity of the European Union on Thursday and Budapest told Kyiv to stop meddling in its affairs, deepening a row between the neighbours over the Hungarian response to Russia's invasion. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has condemned the invasion of Ukraine and has not vetoed EU sanctions against Moscow, but he has refrained from criticising President Vladimir Putin directly and said he does not agree with sanctions. Tensions rose on Wednesday when Hungary summoned Ukraine's ambassador over what it said were offensive comments by Kyiv, and after Budapest broke ranks with the EU by saying it was prepared to pay roubles for Russian gas. "The Russian Federation is trying to transfer payments for gas supplies to Europe into the national currency in order to save the Russian economy against the backdrop of international sanctions. The Russian military machine needs resources to continue the war against Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Thursday. "In this context, we consider the statement about the readiness to pay for Russian gas in roubles to be an unfriendly position in relation to our state. Such statements also contradict the consolidated position of the European Union, which has fundamentally refused to satisfy the Russian whim." He said that if Hungary really wanted to help end the war, it should stop undermining EU unity, support new sanctions, provide military assistance to Ukraine and not "create additional sources of funding for Russia's military machine". Noting that Ukrainians and Hungarians were united by centuries of political, economic and cultural ties, he said: "It is never too late to get on the right side of history." HUNGARY HITS BACK Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday, three days after nationalist Orban was re-elected, that his country had condemned Russia's invasion, acknowledged Ukraine's sovereignty and taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war. Story continues Criticising Kyiv at a news conference in Brussels on Thursday, Szijjarto said it as "time for the Ukrainians to stop insulting Hungary and the Hungarian people." "It would be good if they could stop their constant meddling into Hungarys internal affairs," he said. "They are seeking and expecting help, while at the same time launching ignoble attacks and making allegations. These actions are difficult to reconcile." The EU has imposed a range of sanctions on Moscow, which calls its actions a "special military operation", but has struggled to remain united over banning oil and gas imports because so many member states rely heavily on Russian energy. Orban has rejected the idea of curbs on oil and gas imports from Russia, saying that would wreck Hungary's economy. Orban, whose government has pursued close business relations with Moscow, won Sunday's election partly on a pledge to preserve security of gas supply for Hungarian households. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who says an embargo on Russian gas and oil is needed to halt Russia in Ukraine, said on Tuesday Orban feared Russia's influence and would have to choose between Moscow and the "other world". (Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Andrew Heavens) STORY: This band will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision song contest Kalush Orchestra [arrow] performed their song Stefania at a warmup event in Israel The band says the song has recently become an anthem for Ukrainians (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SINGER IN UKRAINIAN BAND KALUSH ORCHESTRA, OLEH PSIUK, SAYING: I really appreciate that so many people have gathered, so many people have come to show their support to the band and for the band to show their support to these people who have gathered, and we are really happy that we have this opportunity to boost the morale of people here. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SINGER IN UKRAINIAN BAND KALUSH ORCHESTRA, OLEH PSIUK, SAYING: "I really don't want to say anything biased in advance. What I really want is Ukraine to be heard, what I really want is our music to be heard, and I want Ukraine to be heard in all kinds of senses. This years competition will take place in Turin, Italy in May Russia has been banned from participating UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote a historic moment, telling the assembly: We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored and that Russia must be held accountable for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war." Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. U.S. President Joe Biden said the vote demonstrated how Russian President Vladimir Putins war "has made Russia an international pariah. He pledged to continue working with other nations to gather evidence to hold Russia accountable, increase the pressure on its economy and isolate it on the international stage. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. It has created commissions of inquiry which provide its highest level of scrutiny on alleged rights violations and abuses for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. Story continues The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russia's deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution an illegitimate and politically motivated step" by a group of countries with short-term political and economic interests" that he accused of blatant and massive violations of human rights." The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France and the United States, which rejoined this year currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from sinking and suspend Russia, saying it has committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russias actions are beyond the pale, he said. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russia's withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. - Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. Apr. 7Victoria Garrick used to think about how if she broke an ankle during a game or practice, her volleyball coaches and teammates would immediately rush to her aid, ushering her off the court and to rest on the bench. But, when someone struggles with something like anxiety or depression, those injuries aren't apparent as a shattered bone. "You can't always see an invisible injury, it's this hidden opponent that's not in another jersey, it's not across the net, it's not in the people next to you, it's inside of you," Garrick said. "You have to let someone see your injury because there is hope." Garrick is a former University of Southern California Division I volleyball player who ended her career with the top five most digs in program history. Today she is the CEO and founder of the mental health nonprofit, the Hidden Opponent. She spoke Wednesday in the Macky Auditorium as the keynote speaker for the University of Colorado Boulder's 74th annual Conference on World Affairs. The conference, which will feature 100 speakers, runs through Saturday and is free and open to the public. Topics discussed this year include art as activism, regenerative agriculture, racism in the U.S., media, music, health and film. Garrick since 2017 has been sharing her own story about battling anxiety and depression. She first spoke out for a TED talk at her university. She's now touring the country to speak and amplify the conversation about mental health and erode the stigma that surrounds it. During her address Wednesday, called "The Hidden Opponent," she talked about her mental health struggles, what led her to get help and how she hoped to inspire anyone else suffering from an unseen injury to do the same. As a student athlete, Garrick faced a tremendous amount of pressure to excel not just on the court, but also in the classroom. Grueling six-day a week practices, coupled with taking 18 credit hours wore on her. She pinpointed a moment when a coach called her out for taking a step in the wrong direction during a drill. Suddenly performance anxiety set in and began plaguing every element of her life. Story continues "My brain was constantly playing the worst case scenario," Garrick said. "I would lie in bed at night thinking: 'OK, what am I going to forget tomorrow?' 'What am I going to do wrong?' And then the next day on the bike ride to the gym my heart would be pounding in anticipation about how I would be performing in practice." Anxiety was robbing her of the ability to be present. She shared with those in the audience the tools she developed to help herself: spot, separate and set. That means starting by spotting and recognizing the anxious thought. Then, separating oneself from the thought such as saying to yourself, for example: "I'm having the thought that I'm not good enough." Finally, setting the mind on growth and looking optimistically at challenges and failures as merely opportunities to improve. While being mindful helps, Garrick said that it isn't always enough. Sometimes people need the support of a mental health professional. For Garrick, suppressing and burying the depression and anxiety she was struggling with only made things worse. Garrick said she was waking up feeling no hope for the day. She found herself at a low-point one day while walking to class when she needed to duck behind a bush to cry. Garrick said she recognizes how challenging it can be to ask for help, especially when the stigma around mental health is so pervasive. Garrick said she had her own preconceived notion about working with a therapist or taking medication and initially saw them as signs of weakness. Now, she thinks of therapy a bit like watching a film on your brain and studying a game plan. "If we can get the courage to just dig deep to step outside of our comfort zone and get real with the people in our life about how we're feeling and what we're experiencing ... on the other side of that could be something beautiful," Garrick said. "But, it takes time. And, it takes work." ------ Know before you go: The Conference on World Affairs is free and open to the public. To check out a schedule of this week's talks, visit: bit.ly/3Jesb7R. A girl with an intellectual disability from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province has learned to play more than 300 songs with Erhu and flute and has won many prizes thanks to her father. Chen Yun was diagnosed with congenital intellectual disability at three. Her mother left the family when the girl was four due to expensive treatment costs, leaving her in her father's care. In 2014, doctors suggested to stop treatment and instead teach the girl basic life skills, painting or to play instruments. Chen was accidentally attracted by the voice of the flute at an afterschool class as a grade one student. Her father was later surprised to learn his daughter could play a few notes under the guidance of a teacher. "I saw a ray of hope so that I signed her up for a flute class," said Chen's father. However, Chen learned very slowly, and teachers were reluctant to help her. When she was transferred to a school for special kids her father decided to teach her the flute himself. Chen's father first taught himself music theory, then his daughter to play her first ever song. With the theoretical foundation, Chen grew fast. She also learnt to play the Erhu (a Chinese musical instrument)taught by her father. She has since participated in many music competitions and even won prizes. "I want to play the Erhu in beautiful clothes on the street. People like my instrumental performance and I want to be part of the street scene," said the girl. In 2017, the father retired ahead of schedule. Since then, he has devoted himself to taking care of his daughter and teaching her to play the Erhu. He even took his daughter to play as a busker at Changsha and Qingdao scenic spots. "I can live on my pension when I am old, but I hope she can earn her own living," he said. As for future plans, Chen's father hopes she could apply for a professional certificate for buskers in cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen after the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), his wife Ludmila (R) and daughter Maria (2ndL) ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty From left, front: Vladimir Putin's daughter Maria with him and mother Ludmila in 2007 Russian President Vladimir Putin's offstage family life is now firmly in the spotlight, thanks in part to a new wave of sanctions from the U.S. and others aimed at two of his children. Putin himself has already been subject to economic retaliation from Western countries amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which began in earnest in late February and has killed at least hundreds of soldiers and civilians since. The U.S., the European Union and Group of Seven countries on Wednesday announced more punishments of Russia for the war, including some directed at the families of Putin and a few of his allies, cutting them off from any U.S. financial systems and freeing any assets they have within the U.S. Those most recent sanctions apply to Putin's adult children, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's wife and daughter and members of Russia's Security Council including former President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. "These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people," the White House said in a release announcing the sanctions. "Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin's war on Ukraine." The economic penalties announced Wednesday also include a full block on Russia's largest financial institution, Sberbank, as well as Alfa Bank, a large private bank. The Kremlin on Thursday called the move against Putin's daughters "difficult to understand and explain." "Of course we consider these sanctions in themselves to be the extension of an absolutely rabid position on the imposition of restrictions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, per Reuters. "In any case, the ongoing line on imposing restrictions against family members speaks for itself." Story continues RELATED: Swiss Chalets, Russian Fairy Tales and Suspected Riches: Why (and How) Putin Is So Mysterious About His Life President Vladimir Putin and his wife Ludmila Alexandrowa Putina Alexander Hassenstein/Getty From left: Ludmila Alexandrowa Putina and Vladimir Putin in 2007 Putin, 69, has long been tight-lipped about his family life (which, as foreign affairs expert Dr. Matthew Schmidt recently explained to PEOPLE, is by design). But a few key things about his personal life have been confirmed. In 1983, Putin a former agent in the KGB, a Soviet intelligence agency married Lyudmila Shkrebneva and the couple had two daughters: Mariya and Yekaterina or Katerina, also known as Masha and Katya. Those are officially Putin's only adult children (and therefore the targets of the recent Western sanctions), though he is rumored to have had children with other women as well. Katerina and Mariya are in their 30s but rarely seen in public, and many details about their lives are not available or occasionally conflict in various reports. They and others close to Putin have been accused of shielding some of his own assets. Reuters previously investigated their possible personal wealth, citing analysts who said Katerina and her husband would have an estimated $2 billion in corporate assets. (Sanctioning Putin's kids, in other words, could be another way to punish Putin himself.) The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Treasury said Katerina works in tech in connection with the Russian government and defense industry and her older sister, Maria, directs genetic research programs funded by the Kremlin which has never publicly identified either woman by her full name. According to the Journal, Maria was born in 1985 in the Soviet Union and Katerina was born a year later in Germany, where her father was then stationed. He and their mother had divorced by 2013, according to the Kremlin. Insider and Reuters report that both Mariya and Katerina attended college, though under false identities. Mariya is thought to be living a somewhat quiet life in Moscow, where she is married with at least one child of her own, according to Reuters. Katerina, meanwhile, reportedly embraces a more public lifestyle and was seen last year at a speaking engagement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia though she was never explicitly linked with Putin at the event, Insider reports. She is also a former dancer. RELATED: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy Wants His Kids to Know Soldiers Are Dying to Keep His Family Alive ukraine Chris McGrath/Getty Images The Russian invasion of Ukraine The sanctions unveiled Wednesday are the latest to be directed at Russia since Putin first began his invasion Ukraine in late February. While Russia remains in a grinding battle for control of Ukraine's cities and, according to mounting civilian reports and President Joe Biden himself, engaging in "war crimes" the sanctions have put Russia under increasingly desperate economic conditions. Kremlin officials have said the U.S. sanctions were likely to have little effect on Putin himself but previously said they were an act of aggression, interfering in Russia's affairs. With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for peace talks so far unsuccessful while urging his country to fight back. Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend. "Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness." The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help. Apr. 7Bring your broken gadgets to the Washington-Centerville Public Library April 23 for a do-it-together repair clinic. The Fixit Clinic will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Woodbourne Library at 6060 Far Hills Ave. Fixit Clinic is a repair event where people can bring their materials that no longer work or function such as electronics, bicycles, toys, appliances and more to the library, according to a press release from the Washington-Centerville Public Library. The items will be assessed, dissembled and possibly repaired, according to the release. Tools, workspace and guidance will be provided but people are asked to bring their own specialty or product-specific tools if needed, the release said. People are asked to stay for the duration of the evaluation time and to partake in hands-on disassembly and repair. Anything brought in to be assessed should be an item or object the person can carry. For more information, visit their website. A woman was taken to a hospital after deputies said her ex-boyfriend ran her over in Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Sheriffs Office responded to the Brooke Mill apartments after they received a call about a person hit by a car Wednesday night. Deputies said that Crystal Christian, 22, and her estranged boyfriend David Moore, 19, were fighting in the parking lot. According to the sheriffs office, Moore reportedly snatched Christians keys and got into her car. To stop him from taking her car, deputies said Christian jumped on the hood of the car. TRENDING STORIES: Witnesses told deputies they saw Moore drive out of the parking lot with Christian holding onto the hood. Christian was eventually thrown from the hood and run over. Moore continued driving, never stopping to check on Christian, according to deputies. Christian suffered serious injuries and was transported to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. Her condition has not been released. Deputies issued a lookout alert for Moore, who was later located on Trabert Avenue in Atlanta. He was taken into custody and returned to Cherokee County. The sheriffs office charged Moore with aggravated assault and robbery. Apr. 7LARAMIE While an abundance of starting spots are up for grabs as the University of Wyoming gears up for its fifth practice of the spring, no position battle has a spotlight on it as bright as the one at quarterback. When 2021 starters Sean Chambers and Levi Williams hit the transfer portal shortly after the season, such was to be expected. These departures spurred some uncertainty, but for those remaining in the quarterback room as well as the newcomers behind center the opportunity to take the reins of the offense has been a source of excitement. Redshirt freshman Hank Gibbs, the most talked about returner at the position, says all of the Cowboys' quarterbacks are hungry to win the starting job. However, he also indicates the primary focus of the group is doing their part to lead the Pokes to success. "People want to play, but everybody is very supportive of each other," Gibbs said. "We understand we're playing for Wyoming. We don't have names on the back of our jersey. It's about playing for Wyoming and going out and getting a win on Saturday. That's all that matters." Gibbs is joined by fellow returners Jayden Clemons and Gavin Beerup, as well as Utah State transfer Andrew Peasley and Snow College product Evan Svoboda, in the competition to claim the starting spot. UW coach Craig Bohl hinted last week that it is unlikely the Cowboys will name a starter before the end of spring practice. However, the group has been an area of emphasis since they returned to the practice field late last month, with each quarterback receiving a significant share of reps. "With the way we stage practice, those quarterbacks get quite a few throws," Bohl said. "I really believe there's nothing better than 11-on-11 practice reps. That's something coach (Tom) Osborne taught me, and something coach (Bill) Parcells did when he was an NFL guy. It's all part of this learning and maturation process." Story continues Gradual growth Gibbs points to these shared opportunities to gain experience in practice as a driving force in his decision to walk on at Wyoming prior to the 2020 season, despite having scholarship offers to play at the FCS level. After taking an official visit to Tarleton State, the Fayetteville, Arkansas, native felt he could play at a higher level. He also considered pursuing a collegiate baseball career, but the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit during his final semester of high school, threw a wrench into those plans. There was already a UW connection through his father, Chris, who played at the school in the 1980s. And after catching the coaching staff's attention at a satellite camp at Lindenwood University just outside St. Louis, he received an offer to walk on with the Cowboys. "I came home from school one day, and I was like, 'You know what? I want to go to Wyoming and at least try it out,'" Gibbs said. "I knew Gavin Beerup came in, and then Sean and Levi were the only other quarterbacks on the roster. "I knew they were going to double-rep, which was huge for me. A lot of schools just have one team going, and as a walk-on quarterback, you're not going to get in. Coach Bohl does a great job of allowing guys to get film and get coached." Gibbs was put on scholarship roughly a week after last year's Brown and Gold game, something that has only further motivated him. "I was excited whenever I heard that, but I felt like I could do more," Gibbs said. "When I came here, I wanted to play. It wasn't my goal to just get on scholarship and get some validation that way. I wanted to prove some people wrong." Bohl has noticed a difference in the young quarterback, particularly when it comes to his mobility. "He's done a really good job of taking his body and getting his core strength stronger, so he's able to run better," Bohl said. "He's still not a 4.5 (40-yard dash) guy, which you would describe as a dual-threat guy. He looks like the NFL prototype. "He stands about 6-foot-6, and he has a strong arm, but mobility is important in our league, so he's continued to work on that. He's really smart; I think he's about a 4.0 (GPA) in school. He also has a good football IQ, so it's been fun to see." UW's pro-style concepts can create somewhat of a learning curve for quarterbacks, something Bohl has referenced throughout the start of spring practice. Gibbs acknowledges that there are some challenges in this area. However, he also believes it will benefit him as he continues to work closely with offensive coordinator Tim Polasek on a daily basis. "I'm taking it day by day and focusing on something to improve, whether it's footwork or something mechanically throwing the ball," Gibbs said. "Coach Polasek does a great job of working with us, and he teaches football at a high level. "We're learning stuff that a lot of NFL teams do, as far as protections and pointing. It's a lot, but he always talks about being the CEO and making it your own. At that point, I won't say it's easy to play, but if you can get it down, you can really use it to your advantage." 'That's why I left' With 1,331 total yards and 10 touchdowns during four years at Utah State, Peasley is UW's most experienced quarterback by a wide margin. He seemed on track to compete for the starting job with the Aggies heading into last season. However, Logan Bonner followed new USU coach Blake Anderson from Arkansas State, and was ultimately named the starter. Peasley says the chance to compete for the No. 1 quarterback spot was a major factor in his decision to transfer to Wyoming this offseason. "That's why I left," Peasley said. "All I wanted was an opportunity to work for something and earn it." Bohl has praised Peasley over the past two weeks for his ability to quickly grasp the Cowboys' offense, although the junior is still focused on improving in this area. "I've been studying a lot, trying to get everything correct with execution," Peasley said. "I know I can throw the ball, and I know I can run the ball, but execution and just being prepared to play (is my biggest focus)." In addition to his understanding of UW's scheme, Bohl has also been impressed with Peasley's improvisation skills. These were on full display in USU's 49-45 win over Air Force last fall, as he averaged 13 yards per attempt, while compiling 224 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. They've also started to become apparent throughout the Pokes' first two full-pads practices of the spring. "He's able to improvise and extend plays," Bohl said. "This is one of the things when you do some of the 11-on-11 work, even though it's not full-speed tackling to the ground, sometimes there are things that are not scripted. You see a quarterback have to improvise. "Where he takes the football, he's showing some maturity, and he's able to command a huddle. But some of the things we've seen is just his ability to extend plays. I think that comes with some of his playing experience he had at Utah State." A new No. 17 Svoboda is another quarterback Bohl has mentioned on several occasions over the past two weeks, and did so again less than a minute into his news conference following Tuesday's practice. "Evan Svoboda is still in a learning process, but he really has an unbelievably strong arm," Bohl said. "We have to keep moving him along. He's a ways away from the other guys, but he has some pretty good ability." Having always played out of the shotgun prior to his arrival in Laramie, grasping UW's system is one area where his coaches would like to see him improve. While not in his comfort zone, Svoboda has embraced the change in offensive style. "I've been in gun my whole life, but it's actually going really well," he said. "I enjoy the pro-style offense. I actually like taking the snaps under center, and reading everything and being able to check stuff. ... It's definitely going to open up some opportunities for us." With a powerful arm, underrated mobility and 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame, Svoboda was already bound to draw comparisons to Wyoming great, Buffalo Bills star and fellow junior college product Josh Allen. Donning the No. 17, just as Allen did with the Pokes, will only amplify this. Svoboda says the number choice was a conscious decision, and one that will drive him to leave his own mark on the Cowboys. "I believe I can really kind of step into what Josh did here, and hopefully fill those big shoes he had," Svoboda said. "The legacy he left here is definitely motivating." Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at jcriswell@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports. Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at jcriswell@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports. WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: U.S. President Donald Trump stands during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House on February 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Getty NY AG Tish James wants a court to impose a daily $10,000 fine on Trump for not turning over evidence to her office. Trump was ordered to deliver the documents to James' office by the end of March but hasn't yet done so. The Trump family is also fighting subpoenas for testimony in James' wide-ranging civil fraud investigation. New York attorney general Letitia James' office has asked a court to fine former President Donald Trump $10,000 per day because he hasn't yet turned over evidence that a judge previously ordered him to, according to new court filings. The AG is also asking that the former president be held in contempt of court, and for him to reimburse her office for the cost of Thursday's filings. In asking New York state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron to set the $10,000-a-day fine, James adds that another dollar amount would also suffice, so long as it is "an amount deemed by the Court to be otherwise sufficient to coerce his compliance." Lawyers for the AG's office had complained publicly just last week that out of 900,000 Trump Organization business documents she's successfully subpoenaed in her three-year civil probe, only 10 came from Trump's personal files. But now Trump's lawyers are insisting that "he would not produce any documents responsive to [her] subpoena," James complained in Thursday's filing. That's because Trump's lawyers now say they "could not find any such documents," the AG said in supporting papers also filed Thursday. Engoron is presiding in Manhattan over James' lengthy battle to get Trump Organization officials to comply with her subpoenas for both documents and testimony in her wide-ranging civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization broke tax, bank, and insurance laws. In February, Engoron ordered Trump and his two adult children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, to sit for AG depositions; the Trumps quickly filed an appeal that remains pending. Story continues But Engoron had also ordered Trump to give James' office documents related to his statements of financial condition statements that his now-former accounting firm, Mazars USA, said in February "should no longer be relied upon" amid James' fraud investigation. Engoron also ordered Trump to submit to a December subpoena for "documents and communications" related to the finances for a Trump hotel in Chicago, development for the Seven Springs Estate in New York, and Trump's claims of personal wealth that he made to Forbes. That evidence was due to be turned over at the end of March. "Rather than "comply in full" with the Courts unambiguous directive by producing all responsive documents by March 31, Mr. Trump did not comply at all," Instead, Trump's lawyers have only filed response papers objecting again to the document subpoena, she complained. "This Court's order was not an opening bid for a negotiation or an invitation for a new round of challenges to the subpoena," her filing stated. James is investigating whether people connected to the Trump Organization, including Trump himself, misstated the value of his properties in order to get the best possible terms when applying for loans and insurance coverage, and when filing his real estate taxes. Trump's own "custodial" hardcopy paperwork those documents directly under his control are key to gauging his possible involvement in any financial crimes, James has argued repeatedly. Trump is notoriously computer averse, relying on printouts of emails and other communications in doing business, the AG has said. "Mr. Trump regularly reviewed printed material and communicated with employees via sticky notes," an AG filing from last week said, referencing a prior deposition by Trump Organization general counsel Alan Garten. "Mr. Trump's assistants maintained his files in cabinets in the Trump Organization's offices," that filing continued. Two attorneys handling the subpoena matter for Trump could not immediately be reached for comment. The Daily Beast first reported the filing. This story is developing. Check back for updates. Read the original article on Business Insider One man is facing charges and a second is being sought in the theft of thousands in merchandise from a Naples shopping center. One man is facing charges and deputies are seeking a second for the theft of thousands in merchandise from a Naples shopping center. Collier County Sheriff's Office reports say Rambo Harna, 29, a convicted felon from Flushing, N.Y., and an accomplice fled in a red Cadillac Escalade after they stole several thousand dollars worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue at Waterside Shops around 6 p.m. Tuesday. Deputies found the Escalade in a parking lot near U.S. 41 North and Neapolitan Way. Deputies arrested Harna after they saw him running along the south side of Neapolitan. GTA charges: Fort Myers man arrested on 23 counts, including grand theft auto, in Naples Theft suspect: Naples homeless man arrested, accused of Lake Park area thefts, police report Coach arrested: Former Palmetto Ridge track coach arrested, accused of having sex with student Detectives said Harna, who was wearing a red ball cap, and a man dressed in a black shirt, black pants and a white fedora-style hat, approached the checkout with several items. Harnas accomplice gave the clerk a large amount of cash and then took the money back. He did this several times before he and Harna ran out of the store with the merchandise without paying and drove away in the Escalade. A search for the second suspect continues. Harna is also faces a felony charge of giving false information to law enforcement after he gave them three pieces of identification that was later found to be fake, an arrest report indicated. They took Harnas fingerprints and ran them through a law enforcement database which confirmed his identity and prior criminal history in New York. Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Convicted New York felon faces charges in Naples Saks Fifth Ave theft Two felony charges against a North Carolina man who was arrested in connection with an incident that led to the death of a 17-year-old in Amherst County were dropped on April 7. Steve Anderson Burrell, 26, of Whiteville, North Carolina, was charged with shooting a firearm from a vehicle and maliciously shooting into an occupied dwelling. He was arrested June 1, 2021, after Amherst County Sheriffs deputies responded to what they found to be two related calls the previous day, one involving shots fired into a residence on Sprouse Drive and the other involving a person in a car near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Virginia 130 in Madison Heights who had been shot. Deputies found the teenager, 17, dead in the vehicle with a gunshot wound to the chest, the Amherst County Sheriffs Office has said. Law enforcement did not name the victim but The News Reporter, a Whiteville-based newspaper, identified him as Malachi Zechariah Mullins. Mullins mother told the newspaper her son was traveling to Amherst County to pick up a car. At a previous bond hearing in Amherst County General District Court, prosecutors mentioned the victim is family to Burrell. During an April 7 hearing in Amherst General District Court, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Adam Stanley said forensic evidence had not yet come back in a timely manner, which is why charges against Burrell are not moving forward at this time. Michael Jerrod Boone, 31, of Whiteville, also faces charges in connection with the case: shooting into an occupied dwelling, shooting from a vehicle, obstruction of justice, giving a false identity to law enforcement and forging public records. Neither Boone or Burrell have been charged with the teens killing, according to court records. At the April 7 hearing in Amherst General District Court, the case against Burrell was continued to 9 a.m. Aug. 9. Stanley said prosecutors have a number of forensic matters, including connecting bullets to the house on Sprouse Drive, and is waiting on a last piece to the puzzle as far as physical evidence. Boone, Burrell and the teen had driven up from North Carolina to purchase a car from two people on Sprouse Drive and after being in the neighborhood for about 20 to 30 minutes heard shots fired, a prosecutor said at a previous bond hearing. Mullins yelled he had been hit, Burrell was in a car when the shots rang out and Boone was behind it, and after they heard the shots Burrell climbed into the car theyd just bought and the three left the scene, a prosecutor said in previous court proceedings. No further details related to the case were discussed in court April 7. Boone remains free on bond while awaiting the Aug. 9 hearing. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEDFORD Bedford County Public Schools is asking county supervisors for about $39 million in local money for fiscal year 2023, up nearly $1.3 million from the year before. Randy Hagler, chief financial officer for BCPS, said during a work session this week the bulk of the requested increase of $1,272,148, if allocated by Bedford County, would: help cover increased fuel costs; help cover a rise in health insurance premiums for BCPS employees; contribute to the local match requirement to increase BCPS teacher and support staff pay as the school division implements salary increases based on a compensation and classification study; and contribute about $200,000 to the schools textbook fund, a reserve designed to save up money for periodic textbook replacements. Implementing the school divisions compensation study is a top priority for BCPSs fiscal year 2023 budget. Virginia government is expected to fund about 85% to 90% of the impending salary increases for teachers and support staff, Hagler said, but a local match still was required. He said $572,000 of the money requested of Bedford County would help cover that match. Of the overall ask from Bedford County, Hagler said a lot of its on fuel and health, as well as implementing the compensation and classification study. Part of that sum $500,000 was asked to go into the schools maintenance reserve. During the past few years, in anticipation of the end of additional money from the state that comes in for schools as a result of the Town of Bedfords reversion from a city, additional money has been set aside by Bedford County in each years local government budget that goes to the school divisions Capital Improvement Plan, meant in part to cushion the effects of the loss of reversion money. This extra money contributed by the county increases each year, following a plan that launched in 2019. The first $500,000 of each contribution, according to county administrators, is directed to BCPSs CIP. The sole purpose of the designation to CIP is to ensure that it is not used as part of normal operations but rather for one-time funding items so that the school system isnt relying on that money for operations when we get to the day that the reversion money goes away, Bedford County officials said in an email. The end of reversion money for schools, scheduled for 2028, would result in a projected $8 million state revenue loss for BCPS, according to BCPS financial documentation and Bedford County District 4 supervisor and board chair John Sharp. Upon reversion, the local government and BCPS were required to develop a plan of local government financial contribution that would help the schools with the future loss of reversion money, Hagler explained. At the board of supervisors work session Monday, discussion primarily touched on whether the school division could try to find a way to move additional money from its other budget areas into its CIP reserve for the end of reversion in other words, add more to the CIP than the yearly contribution from the county. Sharp said he would like to see if the school division could find a way to do this for the next several years so there would be more in BCPSs CIP than the projected $4.5 million come the end of reversion in 2028. This would lessen the resulting financial deficit and hopefully prevent strain such as a hypothetical tax increase. Sharp said he wanted to bring the school division in for a soft landing. Ideally, he said he would like to see the school division find a way to match the countys annual contribution over the remaining years. The sooner we get started in setting aside additional monies due to reversion, not lumping that into operations even though its very tempting, then the more years we have to divide that out by, and it becomes less painful. If we put that off, it only gets worse, Sharp said. Im just asking that you guys help us get there, because its in your interest that we do this, even though its painful today. Hagler said the official amount of state money for public schools in fiscal year 2023 will not be known until at least the end of this month, so the schools budget, at present, is largely based on best estimates and projections. No action was taken during the work session. Further discussions will be had in the coming weeks, and Bedford Countys money allocation for the public schools will take place at a future meeting. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Chinese scholar has collected a total 236 pieces of last words spoken by ancient women of the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), trying to make up for the lack of history on both eras. Yao Zhenhua, an associate professor from the School of History and Culture, Lanzhou University researched vast historical materials and visited major museums in Xi'an of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Luoyang of central China's Henan Province where many Tang dynasty epitaphs were unearthed. The last words from females of various strata, for example, imperial concubines, sex workers and servants, were separated from 700 pieces of last words related to the Sui and Tang by Yao. The scholar has classified these last words by region and analyzed their characteristics. She has further discussed the influence of identity, family, religion and marriage on these last words. She found that compared with males who focused on the long-term development of both their personal families and countries, females often cared more about their children's marriage and families before leaving the world, for example, expressing pity that they cannot see their children's weddings while regretting that they failed to fulfill their filial duty to their parents and elders. "It is obvious that women had high social positions in the Sui and Tang dynasties," said Yao, adding that their last words are of great significance to history. According to their last words, these females were more rational than males before passing away, said Yao. Many Tang females were very calm when facing death, which may be ascribed to the open social background and prevalence of religions such as Buddhism, Yao added. Females of the Tang Dynasty paid much attention to personal happiness while the practice of free marriage was largely preserved. Different times share common ground while retaining individuality in views on death. "We may consciously avoid some regrets and try harder to reach our goals while we are still alive if we knew the last words of ancient people," said Yao. The Town of Bedfords new chief of police officially will begin service to the community next month, filling a vacancy left by former chief Todd Foreman, who retired in February. Ronnie Lewis, 49, a native of the Lynchburg area who has most recently worked as a police captain for the City of Fairfax, accepted the position and will be sworn in May 16, the town announced Wednesday. Town officials received 30 applications and conducted six interviews from the short list of candidates. Ronnie was by far the top choice. Everybody agreed, Town Manager Bart Warner said. A graduate of Rustburg High School, Lewis spent 14 years working for the Lynchburg Fire Department as a law enforcement deputy fire marshal and a firefighter and emergency medical technician. He served Loudon County as a deputy sheriff, then began his career with the Fairfax Police Department as a patrolman in 2011, where he achieved the rank of captain, learning administrative skills along the way, according to a news release from the Town of Bedford. Lewis has a masters degree in management from Kaplan University and has gone through additional professional training programs over the course of his 28-year professional career, including a certified public management program through George Mason University and a program by the Senior Management Institute for Police, the news release stated. While all the applicants were well-qualified for the position, Warner said Lewis stood out the most. The more he gets to know Lewis, Warner said, the more he is impressed by him. Lewis, to Warners knowledge, will be the towns first Black chief of police, marking a historic milestone. Lewis said he is excited to be coming home and looks forward to serving the community in this capacity. Really, my whole vision is to make sure that the police and the community are intertwined together, with a focus on restorative justice and make sure were doing those things, Lewis said. Procedural justice and restorative justice. Those are my two biggest focuses, to make sure that were treating people fairly, and really a community department. Lewis added another priority was making sure police officers in his 90-person department have, or can develop, good mental wellness by offering the equipment they need to that end. Foreman provided a statement on Lewiss hire in the town news release: I am excited to see the work that Chief Lewis will do in our community. He is someone I have met during my own law enforcement career and I have great respect for him. I know that the Town, and especially the Police Department, has a great team in place and I think he will enjoy working with them. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his government will secure seats on direct flights between Japan and Poland for Ukrainian evacuees. Kishida said on Thursday that he was shocked by intolerable acts by Russian troops in Ukraine, noting that bodies of civilians were found on roads near the capital Kyiv with their hands tied behind their back. He stressed that killing civilians is a war crime. Kishida also said that Japan has requested the International Criminal Court for an investigation into the war crimes. He said Russia should be held accountable. He added that Japan will take tough measures to show that it will never tolerate such acts of aggression or war crimes. Kishida plans to announce additional measures against Russia on Friday at the earliest. On the issue of accepting evacuees from Ukraine, Kishida said that a government airplane brought 20 evacuees who had difficulties in arranging travel to Japan on their own. He said that the government will continue to help Ukrainian evacuees to come to Japan smoothly by securing seats on direct flights from Poland every week, starting this week. Japan has expanded employer obligations to prevent power harassment at the workplace to cover smaller firms, in addition to major companies under the scope up to now. Starting on April 1, small and mid-sized companies are obliged by law to set up consultation desks and take other measures to prevent power harassment. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry defines power harassment as words and acts by offenders, taking advantage of their position of authority over victims beyond the scope required and appropriate for work. Specifically, the ministry indicates six types, including physical abuse such as beating and kicking, as well as mental abuse by longtime, repeated reprimand. The ministry says it granted recognition of work-related accidents, including mental depression, to 608 people in fiscal 2020. Among them, the largest number, 16 percent, cited power harassment from those in senior positions as a reason for their sufferings. Some were driven to suicide. Smaller firms are now mandated by law to make clear what constitutes power harassment in the workplace and make it known to all members. Employers also need to set up consultation desks, and deal properly with workers who perpetrated the harassment, after confirming the facts. Employers are also prohibited from treating employees disadvantageously when they seek help about harassment, such as dismissing them. ...continue reading Japan will release a record 15 million barrels of oil from its national reserves as part of a second round of the coordinated release led by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday. The release from state and private reserves is to help curb oil prices following the war in Ukraine, he told reporters. IEA states agreed to tap 60 million barrels of oil from storage, the director of the group said on Wednesday, on top of a 180 million-barrel release announced by Washington last week. In the first round of the coordinated oil release of 60 million barrels, Japan provided 7.5 million barrels of oil reserves held by the private sector, becoming the second-biggest contributor after the United States. Sanctions and buyer aversion have disrupted Russian oil supplies, pushing oil near $140 a barrel on March 7 despite the announcement of the previous IEA release about a week earlier. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation". ...continue reading Wednesday, April 6, is the birthday of a woman of no importance. The beginning of this womans biography notes the rise of political extremism in an earlier era on the back of propaganda, sloganeering, and ruthless media manipulation. In what became known as the decade of lies, truth, and trust were falling victim to fear, racism, and hatred. Virginia found herself in a ringside seat as the increasingly fragile ideal of democracy failed to find champions with alternative answers. The story and the birthday belong to Virginia Hall. She was born on this day in 1906. I learned about Hall while reading her biography A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell. Hall, who later married and took the last name Goillot, grew up in Baltimore. After attending college and graduate school, she went on to study and travel in Europe in the early 1930s, eventually taking a secretarial position with the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Halls dream was to become a diplomat. She studied foreign languages and became fluent in French, German and Italian. While on assignment in Turkey, the 27-year-old Hall was in a hunting accident. She shot herself in the foot. Gangrene set in and she ultimately required a below-the-knee amputation. She was fitted with a wooden prosthetic leg, which she affectionately nicknamed Cuthbert. Once recovered, she applied to the Foreign Service multiple times and was informed that only the able-bodied need apply. Shortly after the start of World War II, Hall drove ambulances for the French Army. She was eventually accepted by the British Special Operations Executive, which trained her in clandestine tactics, communications, weapons and other resistance activities. She spent 13 months in France between 1941 and 1942, organizing spy networks, running safehouses and delivering important intelligence to the British government under the cover of being a New York Post reporter. In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission about the woman Germans nicknamed the limping lady: She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her, according to the biography. While Nazi Germany occupied France, Hall needed to escape through the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain on what is known as the Freedom Trail. The journey was 44 miles long, with elevations as high as 6,000 feet. During the course of the war, more than 2,000 experienced mountain guides and civilians who were escaping through the Freedom Trail were captured and executed by the Nazis. Despite her disability, Hall walked the trail and made it to safety. She ultimately joined the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, which sent her back to France in 1944 to again take up the cause of the resistance. In 1945, Hall was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for her heroic actions during the war. She was the only woman to receive the award in World War II. Even though it was a prestigious honor, she requested the ceremony be held in secret because she wanted to continue working as a spy. She continued her intelligence work for the CIA even after the war had ended and retired in 1966, when she reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. In 1957, Hall married Paul Goillot, who was also a former OSS operative. They lived in Barnesville, Maryland, until her death on July 8, 1982. Hall was smart, brave, resourceful and fearless, and came to embrace her disability. She also eschewed publicity. Halls niece, Lorna Catling, told CNN in 2019 that Hall was not the least bit interested in fame or recognition. She did her work because she loved the excitement of it all. She was an outdoorsman and an extremely good organizer, and she just wanted to do her job. Currently, importance seems to be defined by how many followers a person has on social media, how many retweets, mentions, or downloads a person gets, or how many times a person appears in the media. Those metrics can measure how famous a person is, but not someones importance. Through a lot of her life, the early life, she was constantly rejected and belittled, Purnell told NPR. She was constantly just being dismissed as someone not very important or of no importance. Thus the books title. Halls legacy can teach us that significance is more than who you are. It can be the work you do, the lives you touch, or in Halls case, the lives you save. Or fighting for truth, equality and democracy. Perhaps the best birthday gift for Virginia Hall Goillot would be to redefine what it means to be important. DES MOINES A state facility for Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities that has been under scrutiny from federal investigators will be closed in 2024, state leaders announced Thursday. The Glenwood Resource Center in Glenwood in southwest Iowa will continue to provide care to its residents over the next two years. The state will relocate residents around 200 to another facility or into community-based care and also assist the Glenwood staffers around 600 in finding a new job, according to Gov. Kim Reynolds office. The U.S. Department of Justice in 2019 opened an investigation into two state-run facilities that house people with complex behavioral or medical needs: Glenwood Resource Center and Woodward Resource Center. Federal officials in 2020 found the Glenwood facility likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments. The justice department in 2021 issued a strongly worded 33-page report that said federal investigators found reasonable cause to believe Iowa had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services that integrate people with intellectual disabilities into their communities, the Associated Press reported. 195 RESIDENTS Over a five-year period ending in June 2020, Glenwood housed an average of 195 residents and had an average of 655 staff members, according to a state audit published this past December. The average per-patient cost of care was nearly $384,000, according to the audit. State lawmakers this week proposed a $16.3 million budget for Glenwood for the coming state fiscal year, an increase of $1.5 million over the previous year. DIFFICULT DECISION While necessary, the decision to close the Glenwood Resource Center is a difficult one that I take very seriously, Reynolds said in a news release. For many residents, its the only home theyve ever known, she said. I am fully committed to a seamless and successful transition of care for them, their families and the staff at Glenwood. Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve quality care that aligns with the expectations of the (U.S. Department of Justice). Our best path forward to achieve those standards is closing (Glenwood) and reinvesting in a community-based care continuum that offers a broad array of services. Glenwood residents will eventually be moved to community placement or to the Woodward Resource Center in Woodward, according to Reynolds office. Glenwood staff will be offered retention incentives to continue working at the facility over the next two years, and the state will assist staff in finding new jobs, Reynolds office said. The state also will work with local government officials and community leaders to minimize the impact on the city of Glenwood and Mills County, Reynolds office said. LEGISLATIVE COMMENT Thursdays announcement was made jointly by Reynolds and Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver. Despite significant effort over the last two years to improve care and respond to DOJ directives, continued operation of the Glenwood Resource Center has become untenable, Whitver said in the news release. Democratic statehouse leaders in a statement also expressed their desire to work with Glenwood residents, staff and community members during the transition. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst in their joint statement criticized the states management of Glenwood under Republican leadership. This decision became inevitable because of years of indifference and neglect shown to the Glenwood community by Gov. Reynolds and Republican lawmakers. This transition must be handled far better than previous closures, like those in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant, Wahls and Konfrsts statement said, referring to the closure of state-run mental health care institutions in those communities. As state lawmakers, we have an obligation to ensure the safest and smoothest transition possible for all those impacted by the planned closure. The people whose lives are affected deserve the dignity and respect of a transition that ensures their safety, security, and futures. The Glenwood Resource Center opened in 1876. DES MOINES Legislation to provide new resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing children was approved by the Iowa House on Wednesday and is on its way to the governor. House File 604, sometimes referred to as the LEAD-K Language, Equality, Acquisition for Deaf Kids is the result of more than a decade of work by lawmakers, educators and the families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. LEAD-K is a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of deaf or hard-of-hearing childrens experiences in language learning. It works on school readiness, ensuring deaf children have access to both American Sign Language and English. Iowa will be the 19th state to adopt LEAD-K. Rep. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, said when he first began meeting with members of the deaf community, they would hire an interpreter to help them communicate with legislators. Imagine being a parent from a family with a deaf child, not being able to communicate, no language acquisition of their birth not knowing what to do, how to communicate with their own child, he said. The state Department of Education in 2018 reported 2,800 Iowans under age 21 were deaf or hard of hearing. Many deaf children may be the only one with hearing issues in their class or school, facing barriers to learning and often experiencing loneliness. The House bill calls for the development of language milestones for each age, from birth through age 8, in American Sign Language, English and other languages, as well as milestone assessments. It requires the education department to develop parent resources for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. And it calls for the creation of a family mentoring program to pair families with a deaf or hard-of-hearing adult mentor to provide support. The bill calls for establishing a stakeholder group to advise the education department. Although the Legislative Services Agency projected the costs of implementing HF 604 to be nearly $200,000 the first year, the bill did not include funding. This bill will address the deaf and hard of hearing children and their readiness to learn, said Rep. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, a special-education teacher. The bill was approved 96-0 by the Iowa House in 2021, 48-0 by the Senate with an amendment, and the amended bill, 97-0, by the House on Wednesday. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Mohammed Qureiqa, a Gaza-based artist stood in front of the remains of the destroyed Gaza International Airport terminal in the southern Gaza Strip, overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and astonishment over the fate of this "dream place" for Gazans. "I have heard a lot about the airport in Gaza, but I have not been here before," the 23-year-old artist told Xinhua. "I had imagined what would this place look like and in my imagination, there was an elderly woman waiting for her turn to board the plane." So far, the Gaza airport remains dysfunctional and it makes the young man outraged. "It is not fair that Gazans are deprived of their legitimate right to have their own airport, which gives them freedom of travel," he said. Qureiqa translated his feelings towards the "destroyed airport" into paintings that describe the situation of the besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In one of his works, He painted three stacked suitcases surrounded by large slabs with thorns. The construction of Gaza International Airport began at the end of January 1996 when the late President Yasser Arafat decided to lay the foundation stone for this national edifice, and it was opened in 1998. The airport, sitting on an area of 2,350 dunums (235 hectares), is located in the Rafah Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip. It was designed to receive large Boeing 747 aircraft, and includes a terminal with an area of four thousand square meters, accommodating more than 750,000 passengers per year with the possibility of expansion. However, it stopped operating in 2001, after the Israeli army damaged it as a result of military tensions with the Palestinian factions. It was completely destroyed in 2006, following the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2005. Qureiqa is not the only artist who expresses nostalgia about Gaza airport through paintings. Jihad Jarbou, also embodied her feelings by creating an iron sculpture of a tightly closed travel bag. "For many years, when someone planned to travel, I heard my relatives saying that take me with you in the bag, to express the difficulty of traveling from Gaza," Jarbou, 22, told Xinhua. "I used to travel a lot, and when I landed at the airports in other countries, I was heartbroken because we were deprived of being in our own airport," Jerboa added. "We (Gazans) suffer a lot in our trips, as we take many hours before we reach Egypt, which is our gateway to the outside world," she said, expressing her hope that the Gaza airport will be built again in the near future. Both Qureiqa and Jerboa were among the artists who participated in the exhibition "Gaza International Airport" organized by the Tamer Foundation for Community Education, which aims to document "the Gaza artists' vision of the destroyed Gaza airport and their wishes to re-establish it," said Bissan Nadim, the project coordinator at the foundation. "It is very difficult to paint the airport by pure imagination, where is just rubble and columns. The airport is a civilian entity before it is political or military, as it gives us freedom of movement, which is included in all international laws," she told Xinhua. Control of noxious weeds requires knowledge and experience Todd Herndon has acquired both in his 10 years with Lincoln County. Herndon began his career as a part-time weed sprayer, but worked his way up to noxious weed superintendent in 2015. The Lincoln County commissioners recently recognized him for his 10 years of service. I just learned on the job, Herndon said. I didnt even know what noxious weeds were. Id seen a musk thistle a couple of times, but had never seen or never knew about noxious weeds, and never knew this department existed. Herndon said he had seen the blue lines of weed killer sprayed on parking lots, but didnt know what they were, like many residents. His goal is to bring light to the service his department offers. Ive been wanting to do more community education, Herndon said. A lot of residential landowners either dont know about noxious weeds or they dont know who to contact. Herndon gets a lot of phone calls about neighbors weeds getting too high, but thats not always something his department can handle. I tell them, if they are noxious weeds, I can help, Herndon said. But if they are just regular weeds, thats a city code enforcement issue. Noxious weeds are identified as being plants that cause economic harm. Herndon has a list of nine elements that describe the criteria for labeling a weed as noxious. So basically, plants not native to Nebraska, Herndon said, and (that) pose an immediate threat to Nebraskas economy, environment, social welfare, wildlife or safety. Noxious weeds have no natural predators or enemies, so the plants grow unchecked. Nebraska has been battling Canada thistles since about the time Nebraska was declared a state, Herndon said. Most of the weeds are probably going to go away. Theres a few that were caught early enough that theres a pretty good chance of either keeping them maintained in a small group or completely eradicating some of them. The majority, however, pose a battle year after year. He said most rural property owners hire private companies to spray their land, but within the city limits, the Noxious Weed Department handles the issues. He said the main issue within the city limits is the unsightly appearance of noxious weeds. That could make your property value go down, Herndon said. If someone was going to buy a property and there was musk thistles all over, the buyer should (take that into consideration). Musk thistle is one of the easiest weeds to control, Herndon said, but others arent as cooperative. The Canada thistle, it spreads by seeds and by roots, where musk thistle only spreads by seeds, Herndon said. With Canada thistle, unless you get every fragment of that root, it will regrow. Herndon said he likes the challenge of battling noxious weeds. He said his department is hiring for part-time summer work. Sprayers start at $14 per hour and information is available by calling his office at 308-532-4939. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Just two guys hanging out. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo seem to enjoy each others company. New York Posts Page Six reported that the two pols were spotted dining together Tuesday evening at Le Pavillon, a French restaurant located in One Vanderbilt in midtown. The outlet previously reported that they had dinner at Osteria La Baia back in February. A source told Page Six that Cuomo entered the restaurant first, joining Adamss chief of staff Frank Carone, who was eating with Ken Sunshine, a onetime chief of staff to former mayor David Dinkins. Later, Adams arrived and made a beeline to the table where Cuomo was seated, hugging Governor Cuomo and the other two men at the table, according to the source. Adams, Cuomo, and Carone then went to eat together in a private room. Its unclear whether fish was served. The meeting comes as the disgraced former governor attempts to make a political comeback. Since resigning from office last August amid a raft of sexual-harassment allegations, Cuomo has slowly returned to public life, speaking from the pulpit of a Black church in Brooklyn and joining former councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. at his church in the Bronx to address the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization. In these speeches, Cuomo hasnt said that he plans to run for public office again. But he hasnt done much to tamp down speculation. In recent weeks, Cuomos team rolled out an ad campaign that has cast doubt on the findings of the attorney generals report that led to his resignation and highlighted the achievements of his tenure in the governors mansion. Adams defended having dinner with Cuomo in February, saying that he sits down with elected officials from across the country to talk solutions. I was clear that Governor Cuomo should have stepped down when he did, and I dont step away from that position. But I am not going to leave any stones unturned in getting my city back under control, Adams said at the time. Sixty-three House Republicans voted earlier this week against a resolution expressing support for NATO. That might sound extreme, but a subsequent vote last night exposed a smaller and even more hard-core faction: Six Republicans voted against a bill simply calling on the president to document evidence of Russian war crimes. This bill does not commit the United States to war with Russia over its war crimes. It does not propose any retaliatory sanctions. It merely requires a report. That even this modest step goes too far reveals the full extent of the far rights functional support for Russian atrocities. Before the war, Russia commanded widespread admiration on the American right. Donald Trump repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin as a strong leader, social conservatives praised his advocacy of Christian values, and even traditional Republican hawks like Ted Cruz expressed envy for the manly appearance of the Russian army in contrast to the woke, emasculated U.S. military. The war has, at least temporarily, tamped down open expressions of Russophilia. But the sentiment has instead been channeled into anti-anti-Russian rhetoric. Rather than openly endorsing Putins war aims, they focus their criticism on Putins targets: NATO, military aid for Ukraine, or the legitimacy of Ukraines government itself. Some right-wingers, most notably Tucker Carlson, have spread Russian propaganda about Ukrainian biolabs as a supposed weapons threat. The deeper source of their animus against Ukraine is the fact the war has brought to the surface a conflict between authoritarianism and democracy. Putins goals in destroying Ukrainian sovereignty include destroying a democratic government on his border that might create a counterexample his own people can look to. The invasion has spurred an upsurge in pro-democracy sentiment in the West. Representative Warren Davidson, an Ohio Republican, cited that very idea this week as the reason he opposed the pro-NATO resolution. His objection, he explained, was to the parts of the resolution highlighting the alliances commitment to democratic principles and strengthening democratic institutions. After three pages of whereas statements, here is the actual resolution: https://t.co/DNF9Gkh6Qk pic.twitter.com/D07UxXh4u7 Warren Davidson (@WarrenDavidson) April 6, 2022 This provision would use NATO to interfere in one anothers domestic politics, he complained. But Davidson seems to have deeper objections to the resistance to Putin. He has also voted against the war-crimes report, joining Representatives Tom Massie, Scott Perry, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, and Paul Gosar. The anti-anti-Russia wing has multiple justifications for its stance. Will Saletan chronicles the arguments, which range from disdain for socialist allies to fear of escalation to an association between Ukraine and Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. What connects these disparate beliefs is an animus sympathy for Russia and contempt for its victims rather than a coherent agenda. The war-crimes report is an issue that effectively strips away all those pretexts and reduces the question to a simple desire to record Russian atrocities. The refusal to accept even this step shows how deep the far rights resentment of the resistance to Putin runs. They dont merely oppose any steps to contain Russias war of aggression. They oppose even stating the truth about it. Wells Fargo and FHLB Dallas Provide Funds toward the $27.5 Million Project AUSTIN, Texas, April 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Communities recently celebrated a ribbon cutting and grand opening of Laurel Creek, a $27.5 million affordable housing development in North Austin. The project was awarded a $750,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) subsidy in 2021 from Wells Fargo and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407006099/en/ Foundation Communities opened its 88-unit Laurel Creek affordable apartment complex with the help of a $750K Affordable Housing Program subsidy from Wells Fargo and FHLB Dallas. (Photo: Business Wire) Foundation Communities, which provides affordable, attractive homes and free onsite support services to families with children, as well as veterans, seniors and individuals with disabilities, leveraged the funds to help offset construction costs at the $27.5 million 88-unit apartment complex. "The Laurel Creek development displays Austins values and how we care for one another," said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. "In 2018, we passed in a landslide the $250 million housing bond that funded this project and its 88 affordable housing units. There is still more to do, and we will continue to build communities like this one that helps preserve the people and diversity that keep Austin special." Walter Moreau, executive director at Foundation Communities, said the AHP funds helped create an impact for the residents Laurel Creek will serve. "The AHP played an important role in this project," said Mr. Moreau. "We are grateful to Wells Fargo and FHLB Dallas for supporting our mission and helping us complete the developments construction." Tyler Smith, senior vice president, social impact and sustainability at Wells Fargo, said the AHP provided critical gap funding for the project. Story continues "The AHP offered a win-win situation for both us and Foundation Communities," said Mr. Smith. "We get to take part in creating affordable housing units for vulnerable populations while building and strengthening a relationship with such a critical community organization." AHP funds are intended to assist FHLB Dallas members in financing the purchase, construction and/or rehabilitation of owner-occupied, rental or transitional housing and housing for homeless individuals. The funds must be used to benefit households with incomes at or below 80 percent of the median income for the area. In 2021, FHLB Dallas awarded $18.5 million in subsidies to 26 affordable housing projects. The subsidies will help create 2,113 new or rehabilitated housing units, including almost $7.5 million for 986 units in Texas. Between 1990 and 2021, FHLB Dallas has awarded $344.6 million in AHP and Homeownership Set-Aside Programs and has assisted nearly 60,000 households. "Part of FHLB Dallas mission is to support affordable housing and community investment across our District," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "AHP supports a simple necessity that many of us take for granted safe and affordable housing and we are honored to partner with Wells Fargo to provide that to Laurel Creeks residents." For more information about the AHP, visit fhlb.com/ahp. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $63.5 billion as of December 31, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407006099/en/ Contacts Corporate Communications Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas fhlb.com (214) 441-8445 PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., April 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) ("St. Joe") releases its 2021 letter to shareholders and Annual Report on the companys website at ir.joe.com. About The St. Joe Company The St. Joe Company is a real estate development, asset management and operating company with real estate assets and operations in Northwest Florida. The Company intends to use existing assets for residential, hospitality and commercial ventures. St. Joe has significant residential and commercial land-use entitlements. The Company actively seeks higher and better uses for its real estate assets through a range of development activities. More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.joe.com. On a regular basis, the Company releases a video showing progress on projects in development or under construction. See https://www.joe.com/video-gallery for more information. The St Joe Company 2022. "St. Joe", "JOE", the "Taking Flight" Design, "St. Joe (and Taking Flight Design) " are registered service marks of The St. Joe Company or its affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407006053/en/ Contacts St. Joe Investor Relations Contact: Marek Bakun Chief Financial Officer 1-866-417-7132 marek.bakun@joe.com St. Joe Media Relations Contact: Mike Kerrigan Vice President of Marketing and Communications 1-850-231-6426 mike.kerrigan@joe.com On Day 5 of the capital murder trial for Derrill Richard Rick Ennis, the prosecutors called multiple witnesses including Ennis former co-worker in South Carolina. Ennis was arrested and charged in 2018 following a cold case investigation of the June 2006 disappearance of Lori Ann Slesinski of Auburn. Slesinskis car was found engulfed in flames at the dead end of Dekalb Street in Auburn, but her body was never found. Terry Booth took the stand on Thursday afternoon and told the jury that he first met Ennis in 2008. The two became friends while working together for two years in the electronics department at Sams Club in South Carolina until Ennis left. He said Ennis had told him he left Auburn because hed gotten into some trouble and he had to get out. Booth told the jury the conversation came up again while they were at at Wild Wings Cafe in 2009, and he asked Ennis why he had to get out of Auburn. He said he strangled a bitch, Booth told the jury. Booth said he didnt believe Ennis at the time and thought it was a joke or he was gassing himself up. Ennis didnt say when or where it happened, according to Booth. Booth told the jury that Ennis had told him he and Slesinski were acquaintances, but she didnt want anything to do with him and he was a little upset about that. And he said he strangled her? asked Clay Thomas, Lee County assistant district attorney. Yes, sir, Booth said. While Ennis didnt say where this happened, he did call Slesinski a white piece of trailer park trash, Booth said. In the court room, Ennis was resting his head on his hand looking at Booth on the stand. Later, when Ennis was arrested in 2018, another co-worker from Sams Club sent Booth an article about the arrest. What did you think when you saw this article? Thomas asked. I didnt know what to think, Booth replied. It brought back the memories of what he said. After reading the article, Booth contacted the phone number that was at the bottom of the article and gave statements to police, he said. Forensic analysis Samuel Frederick, a forensic scientist in the biology DNA section of the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, examined several items involved in the case including the coat hanger, trash can lid, three rugs, hand-rolled cigarette, scrub brush and the gold loop earring. Frederick was called to the stand Thursday afternoon. He said no blood or DNA was detected on the coat hanger and the genetic traits on the trash can lid were too limited to make a comparison. On one of the missing rugs from Slesinskis trailer a stain was analyzed and tested positive for presumptive blood. Frederick said the DNA profile matched Ennis. He also said the DNA from the hand-rolled cigarette found at the car fire scene matched Ennis. The scrub brush found in Ennis vehicle tested positive for presumptive blood, but no DNA matches were obtained. When the gold loop earring found in Slesinskis hallway was tested, Frederick said there was a DNA mixture of two components. One matched Slesinski and the other was too limited to find a result, but he was able to tell it was DNA from a male. On Day 5 of the capital murder trial for Derrill Richard Rick Ennis, the prosecutors called multiple witnesses including Ennis former roommate in Huntsville. Ennis was arrested and charged in 2018 following a cold case investigation of the June 2006 disappearance of Lori Ann Slesinski of Auburn. Slesinskis car was found engulfed in flames at the dead end of Dekalb Street in Auburn, but her body was never found. The prosecution called Abram Sissons to the stand on Thursday. Sissons lived in Huntsville from 2005 until 2013 and said he believes Ennis became his roommate around 2007. They met while working together at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. Thomas asked Sissons if Ennis ever mentioned Lori and he said yes. He said Ennis told him he had a really good friend that went missing and that he really loved her. Sissons also told the jury that Ennis had told him that he lived off and on with Lori Slesinski. Ennis was living with another couple in Huntsville at the time but later moved in with Sissons. When he did, he brought rugs with him. Sissions told the jury Ennis had told him they were a gift from Slesinski. Thomas showed three rugs to Sissons who confirmed they were the ones Ennis had. Sissons explained to the jury that he had only known Ennis as Rick, and when he saw a piece of mail addressed to his full name, he Googled it. Sissons said he found some articles and looked in chat rooms. At this point in his testimony, Judge Jacob Walker asked Sisson and the attorneys to approach the bench. After a discussion, Sissons returned and said that after visiting the online chat rooms he called the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and then called Ennis to tell him to leave his apartment. During the phone call, Sissons said Ennis questioned why he had to leave and said he hadnt done anything. After calling the police, Sissons said he didnt go back to his apartment and stayed the night at his girlfriends residence. The next day he said he called the Huntsville police asking them to go with him to his apartment in case Ennis was there. Thomas asked what the apartment looked like when he returned. It was trashed. Things were broken, scattered everywhere, ripped, he said. Sissons had also noticed the oven was on and inside was a glass cup with some kind of liquid and something hanging out of it that was burnt. Ennis left behind clothes, his bed and the rugs he said were a gift from Slesinski, according to Sissons. The rugs were normally in the kitchen and bathroom of the apartment, but Sissons said when he returned to the trashed apartment, the rugs were next to the front door in a bag. Sissons told the jury he met the Auburn police in Birmingham and brought the rugs, a pillow and the glass that was in the oven. In court on Friday, Slesinskis mother testified that besides the missing rugs a Galileo thermometer was missing from her daughters trailer. Sissons told the jury he saw a Galileo thermometer in Ennis room at the place he was living before he moved in with him. Sissons said hes not sure what happened to it when Ennis moved in. While on the stand, Sissons also said he knew Ennis smoked Marlboro Lights and hand-rolled cigarettes. Forensic analysis Samuel Frederick, a forensic scientist in the biology DNA section of the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, examined several items involved in the case including the coat hanger, trash can lid, three rugs, hand-rolled cigarette, scrub brush and the gold loop earring. Frederick was called to the stand Thursday afternoon. He said no blood or DNA was detected on the coat hanger and the genetic traits on the trash can lid were too limited to make a comparison. On one of the missing rugs from Slesinskis trailer a stain was analyzed and tested positive for presumptive blood. Frederick said the DNA profile matched Ennis. He also said the DNA from the hand-rolled cigarette found at the car fire scene matched Ennis. The scrub brush found in Ennis vehicle tested positive for presumptive blood, but no DNA matches were obtained. When the gold loop earring found in Slesinskis hallway was tested, Frederick said there was a DNA mixture of two components. One matched Slesinski and the other was too limited to find a result, but he was able to tell it was DNA from a male. Bowling alley coworker In 2006, Ennis worked at AMF Auburn Lanes off Opelika Road next to Dekalb Street. Jeremy Rogers Brooks, who worked with Ennis at the bowling alley in 2006, was called to the stand Thursday morning. Brooks was a mechanic at the bowling alley responsible for fixing machines. Thomas asked Brooks if he knew if Ennis smoked. He said yes. I dont remember a specific brand. I want to say Camels, but he also did roll his own occasionally, Brooks replied. Did you ever see him roll his own cigarettes? Thomas asked. Yes, sir, Brooks said. Several Auburn police detectives who investigated the car fire scene on Dekalb Street in 2006 testified in court earlier this week that a partially burned hand-rolled cigarette was found at the car fire scene and it looked fresh, according to former detective Lee Hodge. Thomas asked Brooks if Ennis ever talked to him about Slesinski and his relationship with her, and he said yes. Brooks said he knew Ennis had written a letter to Slesinski expressing his feelings, and noticing Ennis body language and demeanor, Brooks said he sensed it didnt go as planned. The weekend Slesinski went missing, Brooks said, Ennis called his house, which was not typical. The call was made between 8 and 10 p.m. on Friday night while Brooks was cooking dinner. He had never called my house prior to that, Brooks said. What did he say when he called you on the ninth? Thomas asked. He said he had run out of gas and he needed it. Was there any way that I could run and get him some gas, Brooks said. Brooks had told Ennis that he didnt want to, but he would after he finished eating dinner. Brooks told the jury he didnt have a gas can, so he went to the bowling alley where he worked because he knew there were three gas cans in the fire cabinet that were for the bowling alleys lawn mower. Brooks said there was a large five-gallon can, which he took to fill up with gas, and two smaller cans. He said he filled up the five-gallon can and went to a church parking lot off South College Street where Ennis was parked. When Brooks had pulled into the parking lot, he said he noticed Ennis car was backed into a spot. At the time, Brooks said he didnt think anything of it, but it still seemed a little weird. He parked next to Ennis, rolled down his window and Ennis walked up to talk to him. He asked me if I would pour the gas into his car for him, Brooks told the jury. And then afterward, is there any way he can keep the can. Brooks said hed told Ennis, Absolutely not. You can pour the gas yourself. When you get done, you can put it back in my car. He also told Ennis that he couldnt keep the gas can because it belonged to the bowling alley and he couldnt give it away. Brooks said Ennis poured the gas, and when he returned the can, it was empty. As they both got ready to leave the parking lot, Brooks said Ennis car cranked right up. That seemed really weird for me, again," Brooks said. "I work with cars a lot. I know if you run a car out of gas, its not going to start right up. It takes a little while for gas to get into the line. But at the moment, he was just trying to get back home, he said. Brooks returned the gas can to the bowling alley the next day when he went to work, and the other two cans were there, he said. After Slesinski was reported missing and her car was found, Auburn police detectives questioned Brooks on June 16, 2006, and asked him to identify a gas can they found in the woods behind Dekalb Street. Brooks said he checked the fire cabinet where the three gas cans were stored and one was missing. It was not the five-gallon can he used and returned, but one of the smaller cans, which he said was the one the police found. He said the bowling alley did not have security cameras in 2006 and didnt get them until 2011. On Thursday, Thomas brought an evidence package to the stand and pulled out the small red gas can that was found in the woods. Brooks identified it as the one missing from the bowling alley. Ennis defense attorney, William Whatley, further questioned Brooks about the gas can, pointing out that there are millions of gas cans that look like the one that was found in the woods, and it could match the one he has for his own lawn mower. It was the same size, same color, same shape, same top, Brooks said. It physically matched the one that was missing from the fire cabinet. Again, it resembles 100% the can that was in the fire cabinet that was missing. In court earlier this week, a fingerprint analyst told the jury that no fingerprints could be identified on the gas can. After being questioned by police, Ennis had called him wanting to know what the police had talked to him about, Brooks said, and he also wanted to sell his motorcycle, DVDs and anything else he could. He was worried because, again, he said in his exact words, Theyre treating me like Im the prime suspect, Brooks told the jury. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday said that the country will maneuver monetary policy tools when appropriate to effectively support the real economy. Chairing a State Council executive meeting, Li also stressed the need for enterprises in strained industries to postpone the payment of pension insurance, as well as stabilize jobs and strengthen employment training. The meeting noted that, despite the current complexity and uncertainty both at home and abroad, the country's overall economic indicators generally remain within a reasonable range. Citing the increasing downward pressure from the sluggish recovery of the global economy, fluctuations in the prices of grain and energy, and domestic sporadic resurgences of COVID-19, the meeting urged efforts to coordinate epidemic control with economic and social development. The country needs to ensure the overall stability of employment and prices to achieve its aim of maintaining major economic indicators within an appropriate range, the meeting said. It also said that efforts should be made to maintain the smooth operations of logistics and industrial and supply chains, safeguard food and energy security, and ensure job creation by supporting market entities. The meeting urged relevant authorities to actively implement existing policies while introducing timely measures to stabilize market expectations in light of situational changes. Noting that some market entities have been hit hard by the epidemic, the meeting stressed the need for intensified efforts to provide relief to struggling businesses and meet the country's basic employment goal. The policy that allows the deferral of pension insurance payments will be implemented during the second quarter of 2022 to address the acute difficulties facing sectors such as catering services, retail, tourism, aviation and transportation, the meeting said. It also stressed the importance of efforts to appropriately and flexibly use a variety of monetary policy instruments such as re-lending to increase support for the real economy. The country will forcefully implement its prudent monetary policy to maintain reasonably sufficient liquidity, explore and adopt financial measures to bolster consumption and effective investment, and support financing in key fields and for weak links, the meeting noted. On Day 4 of the capital murder trial for Derrill Richard Rick Ennis, the prosecution called several more witnesses to the stand, Ennis former girlfriend and retired police officers who had worked the case in 2006. Ennis is on trial for capital murder. He was arrested and charged in 2018 in connection to the cold case of the disappearance of Lori Ann Slesinski whose body was never found. Slesinskis vehicle was found engulfed in flames on Dekalb Street in Auburn. Former girlfriend On Wednesday afternoon, Ennis ex-girlfriend, whom attorneys requested not be named, was called to testify. Earlier in the day, Chris Murray, a former sergeant of general investigations at the Auburn Police Department, said Ennis split time living at his ex-girlfriends unit at Chateau Apartments and a friends house on Emily Avenue. Murray told the jury it would take approximately 10 minutes and 52 seconds to walk from Chateau Apartments to Dekalb Street where Slesinskis car was found. When she walked into the court room Wednesday afternoon, the former girlfriend avoided looking at Ennis, who was sitting on the left side of the court room. Ennis initially was looking down, but looked up at her while she was testifying on the stand. Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere stood on the far right side of the room while questioning the ex-girlfriend. On the stand, she told the jury that she and Ennis were no longer dating in 2006 but were still friends. She also said that he would spend the night either at her apartment or with a male friend who lived on Emily Avenue. She said that Ennis had told her he planned to hang out with two friends in Montgomery on the night of Friday, June 9, 2006, and that he was going to come over to her apartment on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Ennis never showed up on Saturday, according to the ex-girlfriend. She said she tried calling him multiple times on Saturday as well as friends to see if they had heard from him. She told the jury that when she called Ennis it went to voice mail, and that he never called back and no one knew where he was. On the following Monday morning, the friend who lived on Emily Avenue told the ex-girlfriend that Ennis was at his house, so she went over. She said she woke Ennis up and asked him where he had been. She said he told her he had been there at the house on Emily Avenue and wanted to talk to her. They drove separately to her apartment. Thats when he had told me about Lori being missing, she said. And he had told me about the weed that they had grown because he had originally told me that it had died out. She said Ennis had told her earlier that he was growing marijuana at Slesinskis trailer. In court earlier this week, Slesinskis friend and coworker Lindsay Braun told the jury they would smoke together occasionally and sometimes with Ennis. After you finally saw Rick on that Monday morning, how did he act? Ventiere asked. He was worried and upset, she replied. Ventiere asked the ex-girlfriend if she knew Slesinski. She said yes, that they met through Ennis and hung out a few times. She said she remembered being interviewed by police, Ennis being interviewed by police, and her apartment being searched by police. The last time I saw him was when they came in to search my apartment, she said. I cant remember the exact day, but I know that was the last time I saw him. She told the jury that she hasnt received a call or message from him since. The investigator Jason Jenkins, former investigator with the APD who worked on the Slesinski case in 2006, was called to the stand next. He had taken statements from Ennis on June 13 and 14 of 2006, and Ventiere provided the document with the typed statement Ennis made and asked Jenkins to read it to the jury. I went over to Loris on Saturday, June 10, 2006, Jenkins read from Ennis statement. I got there about 3 p.m. I just went over there to say hello as I did regularly. We sat there and talked a while until she had to go to the grocery store. Me and Lori started growing marijuana at my house, Jenkins continued. We wound up having just over five pounds. I got two and a half pounds and Lori got two and one half pounds. She was going to sell hers and give me back $600. She was going to keep the rest since I owe her some money. I do not know if Lori sold hers on Saturday or not. Some places I think she may have went to sell the marijuana are Tuskegee, Union Springs or Auburn. Lori was not scared to deal with people no matter how shady or criminal they appear. In this statement, the past tense was used at times. Im not suggesting anything has happened to Lori. On Wednesday, June 14, 2006, Ennis was called in by the police to provide another statement, which said, Lori had about four pounds of marijuana at her trailer, instead of five. I left Loris and drove straight to Montgomery, Jenkins read from Ennis statement. I drove to the north side of Montgomery and met a guy I know as Rod. Rod is a black male who lives in the projects. I have bought marijuana from him in the past. Rod did not have the money that evening, so I went back to Auburn. Before I left Montgomery I hid the marijuana at a place on Vaughn Road where a friend of mine used to live. In this statement, Ennis said he went back to Montgomery on Sunday and Monday, and on Monday he said Rod paid him $2,400, which he said he hid behind the residence at Emily Avenue. The only thing I forgot yesterday about being at Loris is that I locked my keys in my car and had to borrow a clothes hanger from Lori, Jenkins read. Ventiere pointed out that there had been no mention of a wire hanger at this time. Police didnt collect the hanger until June 17 from the trailer. She also pointed out that the amount of marijuana changed and the location changed in the two statements. Jenkins said police were unable to identify the individual known as Rod, and when he and other officers went with Ennis to recover the cash he said he buried behind Emily Avenue, Jenkins said they spent an hour looking. It became apparent that it was not true, Jenkins said. Ventiere asked if he saw scratches on Ennis when he came in for questioning and Jenkins replied yes. Jenkins said when he had asked Ennis how it happened, Ennis said he didnt know. Ventiere asked Jenkins if he allowed Ennis to read over his statement, make any changes or add anything he wanted to, and Jenkins replied yes. Because Ennis ex-girlfriend previously mentioned Ennis had a dog, Ventiere asked Jenkins if Ennis said anything about a dog. Jenkins said no. Because Jenkins went to Slesinskis trailer on June 13 after she was reported missing, Ventiere asked if he saw any grow lights, pot plants, baggies, scales, client lists or anything that indicated that she was growing five pounds of marijuana. He said no. Jenkins also told the jury he received a call from Ennis on Friday, June 16, because he wanted to tell him what he remembered Slesinski wearing the last time he saw her and that she may have gone to Walmart on South College Street. Police found surveillance footage from Walmart of Slesinski, which was later shown to the jury. The sergeant Murray, the sergeant in general investigations at the APD in 2006, took the stand on Wednesday morning. Thomas showed Murray a package of evidence, and Murray identified a wire coat hanger that he collected from Slesinskis bedroom on the left side of her bed on June 17, 2006. He packaged it and sent it to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for testing. What did it look like? Thomas asked. It was stretched out long ways, Murray said. Thomas asked Murray if Ennis had spoken about his feelings for Slesinski during the police interview, and Murray said he did. He said that he was friends with her and he wanted to become more than friends, and that she didnt want to get romantically involved with him, Murray said. He said he had deep feelings for her. Did he explain to you how he expressed these feelings to Lori? Thomas asked. Murray said that Ennis had told him about a letter he wrote to Slesinski and that Ennis told him the letter made Slesinski mad. The detective Randy Armstrong, a former Auburn Police detective, also took the stand in the morning and told the jury that multiple items of cleaning supplies were found inside Enniss vehicle. Ennis vehicle was searched on June 14, 2006, one day after Slesinski was reported missing. Lee County Assistant District Attorney Clay Thomas brought a box full of evidence to the stand for Armstrong to identify, and he confirmed the items in the box were found in the backseat of Enniss vehicle on June 14, 2006. The items in the box were placed on a table in front of the jury and included two tiki torches, two flair bottles (used by bartenders for mixing drinks), Clorox spray bottle, shoe polish, an air freshener, Febreze spray bottle, polish remover, growing formula, pH test, aerosol air freshener spray, three other types of bathroom cleaner bottles, a cloth and a cleaning brush. In relation to the items that were collected, Thomas asked, do these appear to be items that are primarily bathroom cleaning or kitchen cleaning items? The majority of them, yes, Armstrong said. Ennis defense attorney, Todd Crutchfield, also asked Armstrong about the cleaning supplies. So as we stand here today, youre not saying any of these chemicals or bathroom cleaners or anything like that was used in anything to do with this case? Crutchfield asked. Correct, Armstrong said. Crutchfield asked if Armstrong knew if any tests were performed on anything that was found inside Enniss vehicle, and Armstrong said he wasnt involved in any of that. Tips and Tricks for Improving your Hand Safety Program To date, hand injuries remain the number one preventable industrial accident worldwide, so it only makes sense to understand and apply effective hand safety measure to help reduce the risks. In this webinar, Joe Geng, author of the best-selling hand safety book REThinking Hand Safety, will provide the most practical and effective hand safety tips and tricks to improve your hand safety programtips and tricks that come with years of experience and expertise and can be applied immediately for results. Learn how to make it easier for your employees to comply with glove policies. 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Joe holds degrees from Trinity Western University and attended Reutlingen leather school in Germany, which he describes as the Hogwarts of leather making. Joe lives in Ontario, Canada, with his wife and three children Sponsor: Superior Glove is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of safety gloves and sleeves. Their products protect workers across the globe in many major industries, including construction, oil & gas, mining, and manufacturing. Time: 2:00 PM ET Duration: 1 Hour The European Union seems to be warming to the idea of direct sanctions on Russias energy industry, slapping a ban on imports of coal for starters. The United States is releasing 180 million barrels of crude, and several IEA members are releasing another 60+ million barrels. And Saudi Arabia just hiked its prices for all buyers. Much higher oil prices may be around the corner. When a few months ago analysts were seemingly trying to out-forecast each other on crude oil prices, the most commonly cited bullish factors were OPEC+s unwillingness to boost production by more than originally agreed while demand for oil continued strong. Now, all the news appears to be on the war in Ukraine, and the main bullish factor for oil is the expected continued decline in Russian oil exports. The country is the largest exporter of crude oil and oil products and a big supplier to the European Union, which explains the EUs reluctance to directly target its energy industry. Yet pressure is growing on Brussels to do just that, and with coal already on the sanction list, its probably only a matter of time before oil becomes a target, too. When this happens, Brent may well top $120 and stay there. In the meantime, the United States has publicly stated it had banned all Russian oil and fuel imports, but in fact, the ban is only coming into effect on April 22, and in the meantime, the U.S. is stocking up on Russian oil and products. Per data from the Energy Information Administration, in the week to March 25, the U.S. imported an average of 100,000 barrels of Russian oil and fuels, up from 70,000 bpd in the previous week and zero barrels daily a month earlier. While all this was happening, oil prices dipped after the announcement of the U.S. SPR release, with West Texas Intermediate even falling below $100 per barrel. Yet the dip was only a brief one, and prices are once again above $100 as fundamentals reassert themselves after the initial market reaction to the Biden administrations decision for the reserve release. Now, prices are likely to continue climbing, just like they did after the first Biden SPR release last year, again in an attempt to put a lid on retail fuel prices. At the time, prices reacted with a dip immediately after the news and then rebounded as emotions gave way to facts. These included the one that oil grades to be released from the reserve were not the ones refiners needed to boost their fuel production and the one that a reserve release can only provide temporary relief at the pump without actually fixing the supply problem. Now, the release is massive in comparison to the first one. It would amount to 1 million bpd over a period of six months. Theoretically, this would cover a third of the Russian oil export dip as predicted by the IEA. In practice, traders have probably already started to worry about how the administration will replenish the SPR after the release and what that would do to oil prices. Related: Does Chinas Friendship With Russia Really Have No Limits? Meanwhile, in Europe, coal prices jumped following the news of a coal import ban on Russia, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying, We will impose an import ban on coal from Russia, worth 4 billion euros ($4.39 billion) per year. This will cut another important revenue source for Russia. Sadly, it will also raise energy costs for European further, heating up the debate about who are anti-Russian sanctions actually hurting more: Russia or the EU. The European Union imports 45 percent of the coal it uses from Russia, according to European Commission data. Thats 45 percent of coal imports it will now need to replace because cutting coal use sharply is simply not an option. Incidentally, Indonesia, which is the worlds largest coal exporter, hiked its April delivery prices by as much as 42 percent. This sounds quite similar to what Saudi Arabia did with its oil prices and likely means the same thing: buyers have fewer options now; its a sellers market. But coal prices are set to rise further because Russia supplies as much as 70 percent of Europes thermal coal, the sort used for power generation and heating. And to make things more interesting, global stocks of thermal coal are tight, according to Rystad Energy. What does this mean for oil? Based on what we saw with gas and coal prices in Europe last year, the prices of all fossil fuels are linked. When one becomes prohibitively expensive, demand for the others rises. Thats why coal prices soared last year, in fact, as utilities turned from gas to coal in search of a more affordable source of energy. In this situation, the normal rule of the cure for higher oil prices being even higher oil prices does not really apply, at least not completely. Energy demand is hard to kill, regardless of costs, especially in places like the European Union, where people have lived in complete energy comfort and security for several generations. Oil prices will likely rise after the EUs ban on Russian coal. And if the EU decides to go further and target oil itself, things could get really interesting on the price front and on the streets of European cities. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: President Joe Bidens decision to ban Russian energy imports to the U.S. is boosting the outlook for South Americas newest oil-producing nation Guyana as well as neighboring Suriname. The deeply impoverished microstates share the offshore Guyana-Suriname Basin where global energy supermajor ExxonMobil with its partners has made a slew of quality petroleum discoveries in offshore Guyanas Stabroek Block. In 2000 the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the offshore basin, which is one of South Americas largest, holds mean undiscovered crude oil resources totaling 15 billion barrels. There is growing evidence that the USGS may have grossly underestimated the basins hydrocarbon potential. This resulted in the U.S. government agency announcing it was planning to reassess the petroleum resources of the Guyana Suriname Basin in 2020, although that was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mounting evidence that the Guyana Suriname Basin possesses far greater potential than originally believed indicates that the geological resource will be a game-changer for two of South Americas poorest countries. Exxon estimates its discoveries in the Stabroek Block alone hold 10 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources, which have the potential for at least 10 development projects. As a result, analysts believe Guyana will be pumping over one million barrels of crude oil daily by 2027, which will deliver a tremendous economic windfall for one of South Americas most impoverished nations. Neighboring Suriname, which shares the Guyana Suriname Basin, is also poised to benefit from an oil boom of its own. French oil supermajor TotalEnergies, which is the operator, and partner Apache both have a 50% stake in offshore Suriname Block 58 which is 1.8 million acres in size and contiguous to Exxons prolific Stabroek Block. The partners have reported a slew of oil discoveries since January 2020 with the latest being the February 2022 discovery at the Krabdagu-1 exploration well. This is the fifth significant oil discovery in the block and the sixth if the non-commercial November 2021 discovery at the Bonboni-1 exploration well is included. The oil found in Block 58 is characterized as medium to light crude oil with an API gravity of 25 to 43 degrees. Source: TotalEnergies. Those discoveries demonstrate that Block 58 possesses considerable petroleum potential with some analysts estimating that it could hold up to six billion barrels of recoverable oil resources. TotalEnergies announced that by the end of 2022 it intends to identify sufficient oil resources, through drilling three exploration and appraisal wells in Block 58, to progress investment in operations for first oil development. In a November 2021 media release, Apache announced the successful flow testing of the Sapakara South-1 appraisal well, which the driller estimated had tapped a reservoir containing 325 million to 375 million barrels of oil resources. By February 2022, Apache had revised that estimate upward to over 400 million barrels. The U.S.-based driller has allocated $200 million to conduct further exploration and appraisal activities during 2022 most of which will be directed to offshore Suriname. The planned undertakings include spudding an exploration well in Block 53, located to the immediate east of Block 58, where the Apache has a 45% interest. The raft of discoveries in Block 58 along with Malaysian national oil company Petronas and partner Exxon discovering oil in Block 52 points to Surnames considerable petroleum potential. There is considerable speculation among industry participants and energy analysts that the petroleum fairway which lies underneath the Stabroek Block continues into Surinames part of the Guyana Suriname Basin. It isnt only deep-water blocks in offshore Suriname which possess considerable potential. The shallow waters immediately off the former Dutch colonys coast are also thought to possess considerable hydrocarbon potential. By mid-2021, Staatsolie, Surinames national oil company and industry regulator, had completed a shallow water bid round. Source: Staatsolie. Block 5 was awarded to Chevron while Blocks 6 and 8 went to a consortium composed of TotalEnergies (40%), Qatar Petroleum (20%), and Staatsolie (40%). In December 2021 Chevron sold a 20% stake in Block 5 to energy supermajor Shell while retaining a 40% interest with the remaining 40% held by a subsidiary of Staatsolie. CGX Resources, along with partner Frontera, January 2022 oil discovery in the shallow water Corentyne Block in offshore Guyana bodes well for the success of Surinames shallow-water blocks. The Corentyne Block is contiguous to Block 58 offshore Suriname as well as the shallow water blocks 5 and 6. Analysts believe that the petroleum fairway running through the Stabroek Block extends into the northern tip of the Corentyne Block, where CGX made the Kawa-1 discovery, and into Surinames shallow-water blocks 6 and 8. In a June 2021 speech, Surinames President Chandrikapersad Santokhi stated that his administration expected Apache and TotalEnergies to make a final investment decision regarding developing Block 48 by the end of 2022. Paramaribo anticipates that first oil from Block 58 will be produced by early as 2025 or 2026 at the latest. According to industry consultancy Rystad Energy, Surinames oil production will reach 650,000 barrels per day by the end of this decade. That will deliver a tremendous financial windfall for a country ranked as the fourth poorest, by per capita gross domestic product, in South America. It will also provide Paramaribo with the opportunity to not only resuscitate an economy caught in a deep crisis that was sharply exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic but to restructure Surinames onerous sovereign debt. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, needs to accelerate efforts to decarbonize, including reducing coal consumption, the latest UN climate report says, while China has placed emphasis on coal production and coal-fired generation at least in the next few years as it prioritizes energy security. The massive report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published this week said that the time for action is now if the world has any chance of staving off a catastrophic global warming in three decades. The report also says that "We have options in all sectors to at least halve emissions by 2030." In the scenarios assessed by hundreds of scientists, limiting warming to around 1.5 degrees Celsius requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43 percent by 2030. "It's now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5C (2.7F)," IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Jim Skea said. "Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible." The report calls for slashing coal consumption by between 65 percent and 95 percent by 2050. In this context, China and its still large reliance on coal for power generation are under scrutiny from environmentalists. China is one of the laggards in emissions reductions and its short-term energy policies are incompatible with the global targets, one of the report's authors said. "The opportunity is there," Frank Jotzo, economist at the Australia National University (ANU), said at a briefing, as carried by Reuters. "But the short-term actions overall and the near-term pledges that have been made are incompatible," he added. Earlier this year, China said it would continue to maximize the use of coal in the coming years as it caters to its energy security, despite pledges to contribute to global efforts of reducing emissions. Chinese President Xi Jinping has told representatives from its biggest coal-producing region, Inner Mongolia, that China "could not part from reality" and that it is "rich in coal, poor in oil and short of gas." The energy transition is a long process, and China cannot just "slam the brakes" on coal, according to Xi. China is concerned about its energy security after the autumn 2021 power crisis and, most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which pushed energy commodity prices sky-high. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas would send a strong signal that Russian oil is unlikely to regain its former market in Europe for an extended period. Crude oil prices have continued to move over a wide range, with a weakening trend last week reversed this week by renewed EU momentum towards sanctions on Russian oil. Last week, Crude oil prices posted their biggest one-week loss in nearly two years, thanks to an apparent breakthrough in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Front-month U.S. WTI crude (CL1:COM) plunged 12.8% to $99.27/bbl and while Brent (CO1:COM) fell 11.1% to $104.39/bbl, the biggest weekly percentage decline for both benchmarks since late April 2020. Previously, European countries walked back threats of sanctioning Russian oil after Russia promised to scale down military operations in the north of Ukraine. The promise sparked hope that the war in Ukraine may finally begin to de-escalate. But damning evidence of serious war crimes coming from Ukraine suggests that Russia could face more severe sanctions, including a ban on its oil by European nations. Volatility remains extremely high across energy markets, with 30-day realized annualized Brent volatility increasing 2.2ppt w/w to a 22-month high of 79.2% on 4 April, while Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas for May delivery rose EUR 5.714 per megawatt-hour (MWh) to EUR 109.523/MWh. And the experts are warning that the situation is likely to remain this way for months to come. Ban on Russian Oil Imports The flow of "bloody money" to Russia must stop, Kyiv's mayor has said as the West prepares new sanctions on Moscow after dead civilians were found lining the streets of a Ukrainian town seized from Russian invaders. Since Russian forces withdrew from northern Ukraine, turning their assault on the south and east, grim images from the town of Bucha near Kyiv, including a mass grave and bound bodies of people shot at close range, have prompted international outrage. Related: Russia Threatens G7 Nations As Ministers Reject Gas-For-Rubles Scheme Indeed, commodities experts at Standard Chartered are now saying that the atrocities against Ukrainian civilians revealed by the withdrawal of Russian forces from areas north and east of Kyiv have made it very likely that EU countries will impose sanctions on Russian oil in the coming months. In the United States, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen has warned of "enormous economic repercussions" from the Ukraine war. Yellen is set to brief a House committee on Wednesday about the state of the global economy as the U.S. and its allies prepare more sanctions against Russia. According to StanChart, the EU's most likely immediate measure--i.e., imposing sanctions on coal--will do little to placate member states and public opinion for a significant ratcheting up of the pressure on Russia. The experts say the sanctions will likely eventually result in a complete cessation of Russian oil exports to Europe, though questions remain on the potential timing of an EU agreement on sanctions, its speed of execution, and whether any exemptions would be allowed for specific oil products or specific refineries. Russian Oil Output To Remain Depressed For Years Source: GitHub So far, Russian oil and gas exports to the EU remain largely unchanged since only the Baltic States have announced a 100% ban on Russian energy imports. Poland, a major thoroughfare for Russian energy supplies, has also been more proactive than most, after it took steps to block Russian coal imports and announced steps to halt Russian oil imports by year-end. Poland--home to the ~1.3mb/d Druzhba pipeline that carries Russian crude to several points in Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic--directly consumes ~330kb/d of Russian crude and imported ~9.4mt of Russian thermal coal in 2020, accounting for ~5% of Russian exports. The EU currently gets about 40% of its natural gas from Russia, which powers everything from household heating to factory production, and makes up around 25% of the bloc's total energy consumption. StanChart estimates that Russia's oil flow to Europe before its invasion of Ukraine was 4.5 million barrels per day (mb/d), roughly evenly split between crude oil and oil products. That flow was worth about USD 115bn of export receipts to Russia in 2021 but is now closer to an annualized value of USD 170bn at current prices. However, StanChart says that a move towards explicit EU sanctions on oil imports would keep Russian output below 8.5mb/d for several years, good for a 3mb/d decline compared to pre-invasion levels, and introduce further downside to already low expectations for Russian oil output. Further, EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas would send a strong signal that Russian oil is unlikely to regain its former market in Europe for an extended period, if ever. EU sanctions will also likely increase the pressure on key countries, and particularly India, not to increase their imports from Russia above pre-invasion levels; up to now, part of the pushback from other users of Russian oil has been that they could not be expected to refrain from extra purchases if EU governments were not explicitly limiting their own use. Assuming no increase in Iranian oil exports or in OPEC output beyond that specified in the current OPEC+ schedule of increases, StanChart estimates the average monthly deficit at 1.4mb/d, potentially reaching 2.7mb/d deficit in December. The average gap is less than the fall in Russian supply as the market was tending towards an H2 surplus before the invasion of Ukraine due to offsets on the demand side. However, the experts note that a sustained 1.4mb/d gap is still highly significant, particularly when starting from a base of very low inventories. To cover the gap and allow inventories to rebuild, the balance needs to loosen (through a combination of less demand and more supply) by about 2mb/d for the remainder of the year. An additional loosening of 1-2mb/d in Q2 would also help to minimize the price pressure caused by the short-term dislocations as trade flows readjust. Iran Can Bridge The Supply Gap StanChart says the supply gap does not appear to be unbridgeable, adding that U.S. investment banks that have labeled the current situation as the biggest supply shock in history are wide off the mark. Indeed, the analysts say the shock will be substantially less (in both absolute terms and relative to the size of the market) than the Iranian oil crisis in the early-1950s, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the 1973 oil embargo. In fact, a deal in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) talks in Vienna alone would be enough to cover most of the supply gap, as would even a significantly delayed OPEC reaction to Russia's inability to reach its OPEC+ targets. The commodity experts say that in the final analysis, economic self-interest and the maintenance of OPEC's credibility as a stabilizing force in the market will eventually lead to higher OPEC output. However, they concede that supply shocks and oil price volatility will likely dominate markets in the near-and mid-terms. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The federal government of Canada has granted its approval for a $12-billion oil project offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, to be led by Norwegian state major Equinor. According to the Norwegian company, the Bay du Nord project consists of several discoveries made between 2013 and 2020 that have combined recoverable reserves of some 300 million barrels of oil. Revenues for the Canadian government are estimated at some $2.8 billion (C$3.5 billion), according to the company. For Canada, however, the project is highly controversial given the Trudeau government's energy transition agenda. Media reports on the news note that an environmental assessment for the project had been conducted and had found there would be no adverse effects on the environment from developing these resources. However, environmentalists disagree. "The decision is tantamount to denying that climate change is real and threatens our very existence," said Julia Levin, a program manager with Environmental Defence, who spoke to Reuters. According to the national programs director of Sierra Club Canada Foundation, a blowout from the offshore project would endanger various species in the vicinity, including whales, birds, and fish. Supporters of the project, on the other hand, note that it would have a relatively low carbon footprint and that the project will create a lot of long-term jobs. Canada has pledged to become a net-zero emitter by 2050. As part of this plan, the federal government eyes a reduction in national emissions by 40-45 percent from 2005 levels in the next eight years. The government has already set up a $6.4-billion (C$8-billion) fund to help emitters reduce their carbon footprint. Canada's oil industry is the biggest polluter in the country and has been under growing pressure to reduce its footprint. However, a push for more production has recently developed to take advantage of the new opportunity created by the sanction-induced lower supply of Russian oil in key markets such as Russia and the United States. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The United States Congress voted to ban the import of Russian crude oil, and to suspend normal trade relations with Russia, as the United States moves to increase its pressure on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The bill to ban imports of Russian oil passed 100-0 in the Senate and 413-9 in the House, and will now head to the President for signing. The bill prohibits U.S. imports of crude, gas, coal, crude products, or any other energy products from Russia. President Joe Biden already banned imports of Russian crude oil into the United States on March 8 via executive order. But there was a strong push to put it into law. Since that time, however, the Senate has haggled on the details of the bill. A separate bill to suspend normal trade relationsalso known as favored nation statuswith Russia also passed in the Senate with a 100-0 vote, which will allow the President to assign higher tariffs on imports in an effort to weaken the Russian economy even more. The ban includes not only Russian oil, but also coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The United States imports around 500,000 bpd of Russian crude and products. The ban could likely result in more self-sanctioning from others. The actions from both the House and the Senate on Thursday represent the first time since the invasion that sanctions measures have been sent to Bidens desk for approval. Up until today, the White House has relied on Presidential actions to punish Russia for its aggression toward Ukraine. Also today, the UN voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council. In afternoon trade, crude oil prices were trading relatively flat on the day. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Vietnam Clean Energy Forum looks towards carbon neutrality The second Vietnam Clean Energy Forum took place in Hanoi on April 7, offering a venue for managers, scientists and businesses to exchange views on mechanisms, policies, technology and financing for wind, solar and gas power projects towards carbon neutrality. In his opening remarks, deputy head of the Climate Change Department under the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment Pham Van Tan said that to realise its commitments of bringing net emissions to zero by 2050, and reducing 30 percent of methane emissions by 2030 compared to 2020 announced at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) last year, Vietnam should shift to use renewable energies such as wind, solar and gas power, and other low-carbon sources. Therefore, the forum was a good chance for participants to discuss shortcomings, challenges and also opportunities for the development of clean energy in Vietnam. Delegates participating in the second Vietnam Clean Energy Forum. (Photo: VNA) Hoang Trong Hieu, Deputy Chief of Office of the National Steering Committee for Electricity Development, stated that policies encouraging renewable energy development have paid off. Vietnams renewable energy sources have reached about 20.7 GW, accounting for more than 27 percent of its total power capacity. However, the strong development of wind and solar power projects has led to an imbalance of transmission sources by region because these projects are mainly developed in the central and southern regions. In addition, the implementation of clean energy projects currently is facing many difficulties related to planning, construction investment, site clearance, and financial mechanisms. Pham Thi Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of Credit for Economic Sectors Department under the State Bank of Vietnam, said that by the end of 2021, credit balance for green projects topped 441 trillion VND (19.3 billion USD), accounting for 4.2 percent of the total outstanding loans of the economy, up 32.5 percent compared to 2020. In particular, credit balance for renewable energy projects surpassed 212 trillion VND, or 47 percent of that of green projects. Credit institutions face many difficulties in handling dossiers related to renewable energy projects because they must take into account the project's efficiency. To solve the problem, Vietnam needs a breakthrough policy such as the formation of a renewable energy fund to create favourable conditions for investors. Within the framework of the forum, Top 10 prestigious IPP (independent power project) investors in Vietnam in 2021 and TOP 10 Enterprises with the best solar, wind power technologies, equipment, and services in Vietnam 2021 were honoured. Lebanon's Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam warned Wednesday that Lebanon would face a shortage of wheat if the central bank fails to release sufficient funds for purchasing it. "The cabinet urged the central bank to open lines of credit for the purchase of wheat," Salam in a statement by the Council of Ministers. Lebanon hoards over 50,000 tonnes of wheat, a quantity merely sufficient for one month, said the minister. Salam added that Lebanon is working with the World Bank on a program that will provide the country with wheat and some essential food items to cover a period of six to eight months. Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis amid a shortage of U.S. currency reserves, threatening its ability to import its basic food needs in the near future. The country imports more than 85 percent of its wheat needs from Russia and Ukraine. A planned pipeline to carry natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe is too expensive to build and will be late to help Europe diversify its gas supply away from Russia, U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said on Thursday. The EastMed pipeline, for which a final investment decision is expected this year, is planned to deliver around 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the European Union (EU) through Greece and Italy. The EU has backed the project as a means to diversify its natural gas imports away from Russia. The EastMed project is expected to meet some 10-15 percent of the EU's projected natural gas needs. For the EastMed pipeline project, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus signed in early 2020 an agreement to build the infrastructure, aiming for a final investment decision in 2022 and for pipeline completion by 2025. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Unionwith the help of American liquefied natural gas (LNG)finds itself in a rush to replace as much Russian gas supply as soon as possible. The Russian war in Ukraine made Europe rethink its energy strategy, and the European Union has now drafted plans to cut EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of 2022 and completely by 2030. The Eastmed pipeline will be very long and run very deep in the Mediterranean, which will complicate construction that could take a decade, Nuland said after meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, during a tour in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus. Anastasiades, for this part, said he had stressed in the meeting with Nuland that Cyprus, along with liked-minded countries of our region, can make a substantive contribution to the effort to strengthen EU energy independence. Nuland, however, said about EastMed, as quoted by the Associated Press: And frankly, we dont have 10 years, but in 10 years from now, we want to be far, far more green and far more diverse in energy sources. So what were looking for within the hydrocarbon context are options that can get us more gas, more oil for this short transition period, the U.S. diplomat added. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Executives from several U.S. LNG producing companies met with European energy officials to discuss purchases of liquefied natural gas. The meetings, held in the United States, followed a promise made by President Biden to the European Union that U.S. LNG producers will supply at least 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to the EU this year more than previously planned, per a White House fact sheet from late March. For context, Russia exported over 59 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Germany alone last year, a record high. "The European Commission will work with EU Member States toward the goal of ensuring, until at least 2030, demand for approximately 50 bcm/year of additional U.S. LNG that is consistent with our shared net-zero goals. This also will be done on the understanding that prices should reflect long-term market fundamentals and stability of supply and demand," the fact sheet also said. According to a Reuters report, energy officials from Latvia, Estonia, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the UK met with the industry executives in Texas. These included the top executives of Chesapeake Energy, Coterra Energy, EOG Resources, and EQT Corp. "The situation in Europe is so precarious. All these countries that are dependent on Russian gas are committed to giving it up, in some cases completely," said Fred Hutchinson, the chief executive of trade body LNG Allies. The executive admitted that building new LNG capacity will take years, and there won't be much new LNG export capacity until about 2025. "The capacity challenges in 2022 are great but the opportunities in a few years are really terrific," he said. The problem for the EU is that it is trying to cut its reliance on Russian gas right now, within a year. It appears that U.S. LNG capacity will not be sufficient to help it do that. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: INDIANAPOLIS (AP) An Indiana couple that had been missing for more than a week were at peace with the world as the husband died a day before rescuers reached the wife, their nephew said Thursday. Beverly Barker, 69, was released from a Reno, Nevada, hospital Wednesday, a day after rescuers found her and the body of her husband, Ronnie, 72. "She was at peace with what was happening. Ronnie was at peace. They were lying together in the back seat of the Kia Soul," Travis Peters of Indianapolis said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. The couple was found Tuesday in the mountainous, forested high-desert in the remote Silver Peak area of Esmeralda County about 177 miles (284 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas, west of Goldfield and east of the California line. Both were with the Kia passenger car they had been towing behind a 32-foot (9.8-meter) motor home before the RV got stuck in mud. They apparently decided to try to continue on in the car before it too got stuck. Peter said he spoke for more than an hour Thursday morning with his aunt. The hurt and sorrow that she's feeling were conveyed through her words, he said. Shes doing well. ... You can tell shes still weak. ... But she is strong and so strong-willed that its very therapeutic for me to talk to her," he said. Beverly Barker was released from the hospital Wednesday, he said. "You wouldnt think that someone would be released that soon. She was in the hospital for less than 24 hours, Peters said. His uncle had had part of his lung removed and could not get enough oxygen to survive in the high altitude where they were stranded, he said. My uncle Ronnie was a cancer survivor from exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Peters said. It seems apparent to me that Ronnie was struggling even that first day getting air to his lungs. The couple passed the time together staring at the sky, watching passing aircraft and the stars, he said. Peters criticized Nevada authorities for not doing more to find the couple. They relied on the family to do most of the work looking for the two and did not post a silver alert for eight days, he said. "My uncle Ronnie died 26 hours before rescuers found my aunt. Maybe hed still be alive" with a more timely silver alert, Peters said of Nevada officials. They drug their feet until Monday night. Peters has directed most of his criticism about the handling of the search at Esmeralda County Sheriff Kenneth Elgan, who didnt immediately respond to new requests for comment on Thursday. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The protracted legal case over a long-incarcerated Staffordshire bull terrier again made its way to the Virginia Court of Appeals on Wednesday as the dogs owner continues to seek the release of her pet. Nine-year-old Niko has been in isolated custody at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA for more than six years after a woman said he got loose in her yard and killed her cat. The long legal battle to rehome Niko or return him to his owners has seen multiple appeals since 2015, with the latest being largely denied by the Virginia Court of Appeals in March 2021. However, the state appeals court granted an appeal for a May 2021 decision from an Albemarle County Circuit Court judge, giving the pup what may be one last shot at freedom. Toni Stacy, Nikos owner, was represented Wednesday by Elliott Harding, who argued the complicated case virtually in front of a three-judge panel. The legal saga kicked off in 2015, when Stacy was convicted of being the owner of a dog that killed a cat. On Aug. 6, 2015, Stacy was sentenced to 90 days in jail with 90 days suspended. Part of the sentencing order included putting Niko down. Last year, Harding argued that because Stacys conviction was a Class 2 misdemeanor six years ago, the court no longer has jurisdiction to revoke her suspended sentence for failure to comply with the conditions of suspension. That, he argued, means the courts no longer had the authority to order that Stacy comply with the conditions of the suspended sentence, including euthanizing the dog. This case concerns the scope of a circuit courts jurisdiction to order a third party to execute a condition of a defendants suspended sentence for a class two misdemeanor six years after the sentence was imposed, Harding said Wednesday. This is not the first time Stacys case has appeared before the Virginia Court of Appeals, who last heard an appeal from the defendant in March 2021. That hearing was spurred by a 2019 Albemarle County Circuit Court order that lifted the stay in Stacys criminal matter and ordered Niko to be killed. Stacy filed a motion to vacate the amended order and, after her motion was denied, subsequently appealed the case to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Following her appeal hearing, the Court of Appeals held that the county courts original sentencing was issued under a Virginia law giving trial courts general authority to place reasonable conditions on a suspended jail sentence. The Court of Appeals sent her criminal case back to local courts for the sole purpose of the county circuit court clarifying under which subsection of state code Stacy was convicted. On Wednesday, Harding argued that the county circuit courts ability to hold off her criminal sentence lapsed after December 8, 2016, when the state Supreme Court denied her appeal of the 2015 conviction and the court lifted the stay of sentence. But the issue in this case is a May 21, 2021, order that, when put up against the original sentencing order, has material differences that render it outside of the courts scope and jurisdiction, Harding said. It orders Albemarle county to dispose of Nico six years after the fact, while the original sentencing order just merely listed his euthanization as a condition of Ms. Stacys suspended sentence. It was up for her to either satisfy that or not for fear of incarceration. Arguing on behalf of the Commonwealth, Timothy J. Huffstutter, an assistant attorney general, said the court did have the jurisdiction to enforce the conditions of Stacys suspended sentence and order Nikos death. Citing the many stays issued by the court due to appeals and civil actions, Huffstutter argued that only around 78 days of Stacys sentence have run. This would mean she falls within the 90 days she was given by the court to comply with her suspended sentence requirements, Huffstutter said. That includes euthanizing the dog. Just from a policy standpoint, if Ms. Stacy is correct, then I think trial courts would be influenced to just forgo imposing suspended sentences, which I think makes for poor public policy, he said. If a defendant can appeal and delay and appeal and delay and run out the clock on a condition of a suspended sentence, and then turn around and tell the court well, you dont have the authority to enforce the conditions on my suspended sentence anymore because Ive appealed and delayed then I think thats not a good motivation for trial courts to suspend sentences. During his rebuttal, Harding again emphasized that the issue at hand currently was whether the Albemarle County Circuit Court has the jurisdiction to impose a condition that relies on a third party. This would be a very unique precedent that has negative implications throughout criminal cases throughout the Commonwealth if were going to say that someones potential incarceration is subject to the execution of a condition by a third party, Harding said. It remains to be seen how the state Court of Appeals panel will rule and whether that decision will mark the end of Nikos life. CANBERRA, Australia The first of 20 Bushmaster armored vehicles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The 20 Bushmasters cost 50 million in Australian dollars, which is $37 million in U.S. dollars. The vehicles are in addition to $116 million in Australian dollars ($87 million in U.S. dollars) in military and humanitarian aid previously committed to Ukraine. Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. And as soon as he asked, we said yes, Morrison said. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on eastern front Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban Ukraine appeals to NATO for more weapons Russia is moving troops and focus toward the east, but that strategy carries risks as well U.N. General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from UN rights council Ukrainian refugees find quickest route into US goes through Mexico Seeing Bucha atrocities is turning point for media, viewers Russia makes debt payment in rubles, a move that could result in historic default Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two-state owned companies come a day after the U.S. announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks and banning new American investment in Russia. LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that work has begun to dig through the rubble in Borodianka, another city northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians. He also said it is much scarier there, with even more victims of the Russian troops. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy said the Russians were preparing to shock the world in the same way by showing corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they were killed by the Ukrainian defenders. Meanwhile, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said Thursday on Ukrainian television that investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Fedoruk said hundreds have been killed and investigators are finding bodies in yards, parks and city squares. PHOENIX A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraines consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths weapons, weapons and weapons. Kushneruk said its a war for the soul of humanity and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. According to Kushneruk, prompt American help will save civilian lives and he pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government to political and cultural institutions around the world. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council a meaningful step by the international community. He also said that it further demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions The United States and Ukraine have called Russias alleged rights violations tantamount to war crimes. In a statement, Biden said the images out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying and an outrage to our common humanity. BRUSSELS European Council president Charles Michel says the blocs top diplomat has proposed adding an additional 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, the fund which has been used for the first time during the war to deliver defensive lethal weapons to a third country. The EU has previously agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on military supplies for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a country under attack. EU countries and NATO have so far excluded the option of a direct military intervention in Ukraine. Once swiftly approved this will bring to 1.5 billion the EU support already provided for military equipment for Ukraine, Michel said in a message posted on Twitter in which he thanked EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. The proposal needs to be approved by the 27 EU countries. The EU said the instrument should help Ukraine armed forces defend the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty and protect the civilian population. The World Health Organization has verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the country was first invaded more than a month ago, the organizations top official said Thursday. At least 103 attacks on hospitals and other health-care facilities in the country, and at least 73 were killed and 51 injured in those incidents, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The toll includes medical workers as well as patients, he said. He praised the United States for supporting international health efforts in Ukraine, including the delivery of more 180 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit areas. We are outraged that attacks on health care (in Ukraine) continue, he said. BRUSSELS European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. Reported by Raf Casert. PARIS -- The International Energy Agency says its member countries are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous U.S. pledges to take aim at energy prices that have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Paris-based organization said Thursday that the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the United States and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months. Its the largest release in the groups history. Half of that will come from the U.S. as part of the larger release from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden announced last week. The IEA agreed last Friday to add to the amount of oil hitting the global market. It comes on top of the 62.7 million barrels that the agencys members said they would release last month to ease shortages. WASHINGTON The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russias invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came Thursday after the Senate approved the two bills and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has already taken executive action to ban Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States. The legislation puts the effort into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. The bills also provide the president with the authority to return normal tariff treatment for Russia as well as resume trade in Russian energy products subject to certain conditions. LONDON - Polands President Andrzej Duda and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the need for ending imports of energy sources from Russia as a form of tough sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda said they also analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy additional taxes on Russian gas, oil and coal until the imports are ended. The U.K. said it will stop importing Russian coal and oil by the end of this year and gas imports will cease soon after. Poland is to end Russian coal imports by May, gas by the years end and oil in 2023, possibly. Russia is not a credible partner and we should not assume that it will ever be, Duda told reporters. NICOSIA, Cyprus - Ukraines president has asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up pressure on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to stop granting Russian businessmen conveniences including Cypriot citizenship. Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid and spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that happened in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union. He said EU membership for Ukraine would help strengthen the 27-member bloc. STOCKHOLM European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to stay together and not decide unilaterally on imposing sanctions against Russia. We have been successful by being together. My plea is that we move forward together, von der Leyen said during a visit to Stockholm where she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The EU chief on Friday will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging event in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland. PODGORICA, Montenegro NATO-member Montenegro is joining a number of countries that expelled Russian diplomats over the past week. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the four diplomats have a week to leave the small Balkan nation. The decision is based on information provided by security authorities about the diplomats activities in Montenegro, the ministry said. No other details were immediately available. Montenegro last month expelled another Russian diplomat. Local media said at the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union but has joined Western sanctions against Moscow. UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That is significantly lower than votes on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the Ukrainian town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops were responsible. WASHINGTON The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following Russian President Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The goal is to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. Other elements include promoting solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. WARSAW, Poland A surgeon in Poland says a seriously wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine will require long, specialized treatment for the injuries he suffered in the early days of Russias invasion. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed on the very serious injuries that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his back, spine and facial nerves. Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the car in which the family were trying to flee Ukraines capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Doctors in Kyiv were able to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, but he is now in a wheelchair due to the spine injuries and one side of his face is paralyzed. Some shrapnel particles in his body still need to be removed, Godzinski said. What moved me most was that he smiled when we told him we will be able to help him, Godzinski said on Polands private TVN24. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is calling for his country to be included in negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations without the participation of Belarus, Lukashenko said at a meeting Thursday of his national security council. There can be no separate agreements behind the back of Belarus. Russia has launched missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There has been no confirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine. ANKARA, Turkey Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. The minister said Turkey was also talking with both Russia and Ukraine about the possible evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol by sea. BRUSSELS Ukraines foreign minister says hes cautiously optimistic that some NATO member countries will increase their weapons supplies to his country, helping it resist Russias invasion, but he urged swift decisions and action. Speaking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which countries would be providing equipment or what kind they would be, but he said the weapons must get to Ukraine quickly as Russia gears up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Kuleba said: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. HELSINKI Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. BRUSSELS The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. Following allegations this week of war crimes in the city of Bucha, the ministers insist that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. They also repeated warnings about the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, saying that any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. MOSCOW Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscows sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. ATHENS, Greece Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to Greek parliament Thursday. Zelenskyy emphasized the destruction wrought on the southern port city of Mariupol, home to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian community, and urged Greece to help prevent the same fate befalling Odesa, another Ukrainian port city with deep ties to Greece. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Abortion rights proponents scored a surprising victory in Nebraska by derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure throughout the country. The vote on Wednesday frustrated abortion rights opponents, who usually win fights over the issue in the conservative Legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have passed similar measures already, but abortion rights backers in Nebraska managed to block it using a filibuster in the single-chamber Legislature. The bill's supporters fell two votes short of the 33 they needed to end the filibuster and force a vote. The 31-15 vote left the proposal essentially dead for the rest of the year, even though a majority of lawmakers supported it. The vote largely fell along party lines in the ostensibly nonpartisan Legislature. In 2010, Nebraska became the first state to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, and the state outlawed a second-trimester abortion procedure in 2020 despite fervent protests from abortion rights supporters. The latest bill, however, faced a tougher path because of the current makeup of the Legislature, where Republicans are one seat short of the supermajority needed to overcome filibusters. One Republican and Democrat each crossed party lines, effectively canceling the other's vote. One Republican and two Democrats were absent. Supporters argued that the majority of Nebraska voters oppose abortion, based on who the state consistently elects. We envision a Nebraska where every life is celebrated and protected, said state Sen. Joni Albrecht, the bill's sponsor. Opponents assailed it as an intrusion on women's autonomy and vowed not to budge in their opposition. In state by state, legislatures are taking a sledgehammer to women's freedom," said state Sen. Anna Wishart, of Lincoln. The debate turned personal at times, with abortion rights supporters railing against the bill's backers for supporting it even though it doesn't include exceptions for rape or incest. Proponents of this bill have no shame left, said state Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, adding that she was offended as both a mother and a sexual assault survivor. I will cherish the time that I have worked here forever, but when I am term limited (out of office), I will probably not talk to most of you ever again. The debate came ahead of an expected June ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which concerns a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Both sides have told the court there's no middle ground in the case. In anticipation of the ruling, 13 states have passed so-called trigger laws to automatically ban abortions if the court sides with abortion opponents. Ohio and Oklahoma approved their trigger laws last year. On Thursday, Michigan's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, filed a lawsuit asking a court to recognize the right to get an abortion under the state constitution and to overturn the state's 176-year-old ban, which might take effect again if Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. The Roe v. Wade ruling allows states to regulate but not ban abortions up to the point of fetal viability, which is around the 24th week of a pregnancy. Justices reaffirmed the decision in 1992. The Nebraska vote drew promises of political retribution against some elected officials. Jim Pillen, a top Republican candidate for governor, said Thursday that he would work to unseat some lawmakers who are up for reelection and who voted to block the bill. Last night, the Legislature failed the people of Nebraska in voting to keep abortion legal, Pillen said. Abortion is murder, and as a pro-life state, the majority of Nebraskans realize we need to outlaw it." Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. One by one, the women in Andrew Browns life strode to the front of a courtroom Wednesday, turning to the man who killed Brown. His cousin. His big sister. His twin. One by one, they said they forgave Lawrence O. Bolden. They had to, they said through their tears. Not only did their God demand it; theres no way they could go on carrying hatred in their hearts. I do have to forgive you, twin Andrea Brown said. I want the court to know my brother was loved; he was somebody; he was my other half. You stole someone from me that I can never get back. I will never see him again. Their forgiveness didnt help them make sense of the shooting. Bolden, 34, and Brown, 38, had been friends, at times down on their luck and staying at the Motel 6 at 10919 J St. Bolden had gotten into an argument with three men over who owned a puppy that was at the motel. One of the men had flashed a starter pistol at Bolden, then the three departed to a different part of the motel. That scared an already paranoid Bolden, who was strung out on meth, his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Kyle Melia, told a judge Wednesday. Unaware of any of this, Brown went to open his motel room door, perhaps to see what the commotion was about. Bolden pulled his handgun and fired through the door. The bullet struck Brown, killing him. Bolden then ran to a gas station to get help and soon after told police what had happened. He thought he was firing in self-defense against the three men but mistakenly fired into Browns room. He acknowledged he had no reason to shoot Brown. For that, Douglas County District Judge Russell Bowie sentenced Bolden Wednesday to 40 to 50 years in prison for second-degree murder. Under state law, which cuts most sentences in half, Bolden must serve 20 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. Absent parole, hell serve 25 years. Prosecutor Amy Jacobsen, a deputy Douglas County attorney, said the case proves why felons like Bolden are not allowed to possess guns. On one end of the spectrum, Jacobsen said, theres the felon who stores a gun at his house for protection. On the other end is Bolden, who had just been released Jan. 11, 2021, from prison for being an accomplice in a robbery. Just before that sentence, he had served prison time for meth possession. He had no business being around guns, Jacobsen said. What the state cant get away from he never, ever should have had a gun, she said. And he used that gun while he was high on meth. Browns mother, Marie Brown-William, said a third factor made the case outrageous. At the end of a recent prison term for being a robbery accomplice, Lincoln prison officials had caught Bolden with contraband. Prison staff said they found a phone charger and an I owe you note with lists of names and numbers under his mattress. They then said they found a significant amount of meth hidden in the folds of a bandana on a shelf in his locker. The drugs, discovered in late December, could have led to a new felony charge or a loss of good time. A disciplinary hearing was set for Jan. 12, 2021, but Bolden was released the day before. When he didnt show up for the hearing, the disciplinary action was dismissed. Nine days later, Bolden killed Brown. Melia, Boldens attorney, said Bolden suffered not just from addiction but from mental illness. For his part, Bolden swiveled in his defendants chair, gazed out into the courtroom gallery and apologized to both Browns family and his own. Several members of the families know each other. Several were moved to tears. If I could trade places with him, I would, Bolden said. I feel like youre family to me also. Im sorry for taking him away from you all. I understand my actions caused a lot of grief. The grief was evident in the hallway. Older sister Shannon Brown scrolled her phone for pictures of her baby brother. She talked about having to hold part of a recent baby shower at the cemetery. The reason: Andrew was such a proud uncle he loved to sing and dance with his nephews and nieces. He wouldnt have wanted to miss the celebration. Meanwhile, Browns mother stopped a reporter leaving the courthouse. Make sure you put in there, I do forgive that young man and I hope he gets the help he needs, Marie Brown-William said. But my family were a mess without Andrew. Mom said her son had been through a battle with drugs but was working hard to stay clean. He had worked at Hope of Glory Church near 34th and Burt Streets and would give you the boots off his feet if you asked him. Across the fifth-floor hallway, twin sister Andrea wept against a wall, choking out, I just dont understand it. A female Douglas County sheriffs sergeant approached her and gave her a hug. Andrea collapsed her face into the sergeants chest. He was my left hand; I was his right, she said. I was his No. 1 protector. And now theres just a void I cant describe. She paused. Yall pick these guns up for no reason and its not OK. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. More than 38,000 medics from 15 provincial-level regions have rushed to China's business hub Shanghai to aid the megacity in its fight against resurging COVID-19. Some 27,000 medics are responsible for sampling and testing work, and another 11,000 work in temporary hospitals, according to the National Health Commission. Shanghai reported 311 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 16,766 local asymptomatic carriers on Tuesday. Since March 1, about 90,000 people have been infected with the highly contagious Omicron variant, data from the municipal health commission shows. CONCERTED EFFORT The Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station resumed its bustling scene over the past few days, with dozens of trains carrying thousands of medics and tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies pulling in. Between April 3 and 4, a total of 26 charter flights from seven provincial-level regions landed in Shanghai's two major airports. "We were notified on April 2, immediately formed a team of 60 medics and arrived in Shanghai the next day," said Qi Qin with the Tai'an City Central Hospital, east China's Shandong Province. "Two years ago, when Wuhan and our hospital were in the toughest moment, medics from Shanghai were among the first that arrived," said Cheng Fang, head nurse of the intensive care unit in the south area of Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan City of Hubei Province. "Experts from Shanghai taught us step by step how to strengthen personal protection and treat critically ill patients. Now Shanghai has encountered some difficulties. We are duty-bound and should arrive as soon as possible," Cheng said. Many of the medical teams coming to support Shanghai have rich anti-epidemic experiences. "Among the 28 medical staff from our hospital, some aided the anti-epidemic fight in Wuhan and some had been to Qingdao. They are the most experienced and elite forces," said Teng Tao, associate chief physician of the endocrinology department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. "I was in Hubei for 58 days in 2020. Back then we knew little about the novel coronavirus, as we learn more about it and constantly improve our anti-epidemic measures, I'm sure we can beat it," said Gao Hongyi, a nurse from Shandong. RESOLUTE, SWIFT MOVES Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Saturday urged resolute and swift moves to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Shanghai as quickly as possible. "It is an arduous task and huge challenge to combat the Omicron variant while maintaining the normal operation of core functions in a megacity with a population of 25 million," Sun said. She urged that nucleic acid testing capacity and the organization of mass testing be improved as soon as possible to get a clear picture of the epidemic situation. The megacity is under temporary closed-off management. After the completion of a mass antigen testing on Sunday and citywide nucleic acid testing on Monday, Shanghai has decided on Wednesday to launch a new round of mass testing as a fresh effort to cut off the transmission in communities and contain the latest COVID-19 resurgence. Over 60 venues, including the over 150,000-square meter Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, have been converted into makeshift hospitals. The National Exhibition and Convention Center covering a total construction area of 1.47 million square meters, is also being turned into a quarantine site. Upon completion, the center with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19. In the early hours of Monday, the China Flower Expo park in Chongming District opened as a makeshift hospital with over 2,700 beds and received the first batch of mild cases and asymptomatic carriers. The medical teams are from hospitals in Shanghai and Anhui Province. After registration, the medics will confirm one by one the physical condition of the cases -- whether they have underlying diseases, developed symptoms or have been vaccinated, and make further arrangements and nursing plans. Zhu Minghua, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, meticulously arranged the treatment of patients. "We must pay close attention to the possible emotions of all the people here," noted Zhu. MUTUAL SUPPORT The arrival of medics from outside Shanghai not only enhances the city's treatment ability but also greatly improves the detection capacity. With the joining of 104 medics from central China's Hunan Province on Sunday, the testing capacity of a lab under Shanghai Biotecan Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. has been significantly boosted. "As our cooperation goes smoother, we hope our daily testing capacity can soon exceed 100,000 tubes," said Wu Shouxin, head of the lab. Zhang Yuetao and her colleagues headed for Shanghai from the neighboring Zhejiang Province at about 2 a.m. Monday. They were responsible for taking nucleic acid samples for 31,120 residents in Songjiang District before noon. The seemingly impossible task was completed an hour ahead of schedule. "Shanghai residents are very cooperative, even the children behave so well," said Zhang. "Zhejiang and Shanghai are members of one family and we should work together to win the war without smoke." Residents in Shanghai flooded social media platforms to express their gratitude. Many burst into tears after seeing medics from across the country come to help. "Thank you so much for coming all the way to help us," said an elderly after having the nucleic acid sample taken at home by medical staff from Wuhan. An Omaha man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court for sex trafficking of a minor. Lance Harper, 31, will serve 11 years and three months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He also will register as a sex offender. Federal agents began investigating in September 2020, prompted by the disappearance of two Omaha foster children from their foster home. Harper transported one of the minors to Norfolk, where the minor engaged in sex with an adult for money, a portion of which Harper received, the department wrote in a press release. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office. The state will dismiss a lawsuit against the City of Omaha and the metro areas highest-ranking public health official following the passage of an ordinance that gives veto powers to elected city officials during an epidemic. The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office filed the lawsuit after Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse issued a temporary mask mandate for Omaha amid a surge of COVID-19 infections in January. In a statement Wednesday, Attorney General Doug Peterson said a key concern was that the prior structure created by the City of Omaha for emergency infectious disease management placed exclusive authority in one person, the Douglas County health director, who acts as the citys health director during health emergencies. This structure was lacking both accountability to the citizens and compliance with Nebraska statutes, Peterson said. The changes approved earlier this week address those concerns and create accountability, Peterson said in explaining his decision to drop the lawsuit. Under the ordinance passed by the Omaha City Council on Tuesday and signed by Mayor Jean Stothert on Wednesday, any health mandate determined by the health director would have to be presented to the mayor for review and approval. The mayors decision would then go before the City Council, which would have the power to affirm or reverse it. The council and the mayor lacked that veto authority when Huse enacted a temporary mask mandate in January a fact Stothert, who opposed the mandate, acknowledged at the time. The state reacted to the mandate with a lawsuit in which Peterson sought a temporary and permanent injunction declaring the mandate void and unlawful. He argued that Huse did not have jurisdiction or authority to issue the mandate. Soon after the lawsuit was announced, three of Omahas seven members of City Council joined as plaintiffs. At the time, the council members said: By unilaterally decreeing a mask mandate, Dr. Huse has levied a substantial and invasive burden on the citizens of Omaha without the consideration and approval of their democratically-accountable representatives on the Council and in the Mayors office. The council members also alleged that Huse has assumed for herself a legislative function and usurped the City Councils legislative power. Like the state, Councilwoman Aimee Melton one of the three members who joined the lawsuit said they intend to dismiss their legal action. Our lawsuit was privately funded and we do not wish to incur additional expense to the city in defending Ms. Huse, Melton said in an email Wednesday. Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman rejected the states request for a temporary injunction in January. Siding with the city and county, she pointed out that the plain language of the Omaha municipal code requires that the health director shall take all measures necessary to prevent the introduction ... of malignant, contagious and infectious diseases. However, Stratman did not rule on the case as a whole. The lawsuit motivated Councilman Vinny Palermo to back the proposed ordinance, he said Tuesday, raising a concern that public health powers could be put in the hands of the state, rather than local public health professionals and elected officials. Stothert said Wednesday that her introduction of the ordinance was not made with the intent of resolving the lawsuit. It was, she said, to give Omahas elected officials some oversight in public health decisions during an epidemic or pandemic. The mayor and the City Council report to the citizens of Omaha and are accountable to them, Stothert said. The public health director is not. Stothert said she spoke with Peterson and is pleased the state will dismiss the lawsuit against the city. Before Tuesdays vote, Huse said she shared Palermos goal of keeping health decisions local, but she said those decisions need to be made quickly to avoid unnecessary harm to Omaha residents. Chris Rodgers, president of the Douglas County Board of Health, acknowledged the councils decision. The health board formally opposed the original version of the citys ordinance. We will work with them within the authority to continue to work to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Omaha and Douglas County, Rodgers said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Jackson confirmed as first Black female high court justice WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson was confirmed on Thursday. The vote was 53-47 with three Republicans voting for confirmation. She will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, rejuvenating a diminished liberal wing of the conservative-dominated court. Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. At her hearings last month, she told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor." Russian retreat reveals destruction as Ukraine asks for help CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops have left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid in a northern Ukrainian city. The scenes of destruction give fuel to Kyivs calls Thursday for more Western support to help halt Moscows offensive before it refocuses on the countrys east. Dozens of people lined up to receive loaves of bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv. Russian forces besieged the city for weeks before retreating. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pleaded Thursday for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the western alliance agreed to ramp their supply of arms. Biden bets strong job market will shield economy from slump WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden White House is betting the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand the threats to growth posed by inflation and the war in Ukraine. But there are growing fears of a coming economic slump among voters and some Wall Street analysts. White House officials say the next few months will test whether President Joe Biden built a durable recovery full of jobs with last years $1.9 trillion relief package. But economists such as Larry Summers and Joe LaVorgna warn that the policies needed to reduce inflation could risk a recession. UN aid chief: 'I'm not optimistic' about Ukraine ceasefire KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations humanitarian chief says he is not optimistic about securing a ceasefire to halt the fighting in Ukraine. He spoke Thursday following high-level talks in Moscow and Kyiv that underscored how far apart the two sides are. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths gave the bleak assessment in an interview with The Associated Press in the Ukrainian capital after wrapping up talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other top officials. That followed discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and officials in Moscow earlier in the week. I think its not going to be easy because the two sides, as I know now ... have very little trust in each other, he said. Im not optimistic, he added later. Appeals court OKs Biden federal employee vaccine mandate NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal appeals court has upheld President Joe Bidens requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. In a 2-1 ruling Thursday, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a lower court and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the mandate. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown of Texas had issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. A different 5th Circuit panel had refused to block it on appeal. But Thursday's ruling said the federal judge didn't have jurisdiction in the case and that those challenging the requirement could have pursued administrative remedies under Civil Service law. US speeds entry for Ukrainians as more reach Mexico border TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as even more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of Tijuana had grown to about 1,000 waiting refugees Thursday. But Tijuana officials and volunteers say the U.S. has begun processing much faster. The Biden administration has said it would take up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but Mexico is the only route producing significant numbers. Appointments at U.S. consulates in Europe are scarce, and refugee resettlement takes time. Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death NEW ORLEANS (AP) No longer waiting for a federal investigation, a state prosecutor says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Union Parish District Attorney John Belton told a legislative committee Thursday that U.S. Justice Department prosecutors last week dropped their request for him to hold off on state charges until the federal probe is complete. And he added that Greenes mother also asked him to pursue charges against the troopers seen on video stunning, punching and dragging Greene. Nearly three years after Greene's death, no one has yet been criminally charged. Abortion rights backers block 'trigger' law in Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Abortion rights supporters have scored a surprising victory in Nebraska, derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its Roe v. Wade decision. The vote on Wednesday frustrated abortion rights opponents, who usually win fights over the issue in Nebraska's conservative Legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have passed similar measures already, but abortion rights supporters in Nebraska managed to block it using a filibuster in the single-chamber Legislature. Lawmakers fell two votes short of the 33 they needed to end the filibuster and force a vote on the bill. The 31-15 vote left the proposal essentially dead for the rest of the year. Tiger is back at Masters, and it already felt like a victory AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Tiger Woods was back in the Masters some 14 months after a car crash that shattered his right leg. That felt like a victory alone. Never mind that his 71 left him four shots behind Sungjae Im of South Korea. Still to come is another day of 18 holes at Augusta National. The gallery was electric just seeing the five-time Masters champion because there was reason to believe they might not see him again. The scores were higher than usual because of the wind. Cameron Smith was one shot back. Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler were among those at 69. Opening Day in MLB: New No. 21 patches, NL DHs and Guardians It's opening day in Major League Baseball and a new season has brought a new look. The Cleveland team took the field for the first time as the rechristened Guardians. Some players wore patches with No. 21 to honor the late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. The National League moved full-time into the realm of the designated hitter. And an umpire announced a replay review decision to the crowd for the first time. The season began with a game at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. Andrew McCutchen got the first hit of the year and also scored the first run. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote a historic moment, telling the assembly: We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored and that Russia must be held accountable for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war." Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. U.S. President Joe Biden said the vote demonstrated how Russian President Vladimir Putins war "has made Russia an international pariah. He pledged to continue working with other nations to gather evidence to hold Russia accountable, increase the pressure on its economy and isolate it on the international stage. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. It has created commissions of inquiry which provide its highest level of scrutiny on alleged rights violations and abuses for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russia's deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution an illegitimate and politically motivated step" by a group of countries with short-term political and economic interests" that he accused of blatant and massive violations of human rights." The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France and the United States, which rejoined this year currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from sinking and suspend Russia, saying it has committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russias actions are beyond the pale, he said. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russia's withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. - Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Texas will send busloads of undocumented immigrants to the steps of the US Capitol, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday, in response to the Biden administration ending a pandemic-era health order that effectively blocked migrants from entering the US. Former President Donald Trump implemented the order, known as Title 42, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. His administration said the order was to help prevent the spread of the virus across the US' borders with Mexico and Canada, but public health officials, at the time, suspected political motivations. The Biden administration announced last week the order would end on May 23. "To help local officials whose communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off by the Biden Administration to Washington, DC," Abbott said during a news conference Wednesday along the US-Mexico border in Weslaco, Texas. The state has assembled a pool of up to 900 buses for the operation, according to Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, who joined the governor Wednesday. A migrant who has been processed and released by the Department of Homeland Security "must volunteer to be transported and show documentation from DHS" in order to board a bus or flight, according to a news release from the governor's office. Abbott, who is up for reelection this year, has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden's White House, pinning an increase in migrants on its immigration policies, though there were spikes during Trump's administration as well. This latest effort by the governor is part of a string of initiatives in the last year to limit undocumented migrants entering the US from Mexico and to police the border. When Title 42 ends, the federal government is planning for up to 18,000 illegal immigrants crossing the border each day, as a worst-case scenario, Abbott noted. "That's more than a half a million illegal immigrants every single month from more than 150 different countries across the globe," the governor said. "That's far beyond what Homeland Security Secretary Johnson said was a crisis. It is unprecedented and dangerous." The head of US Border Patrol told CNN last month that he's getting ready for as many as 8,000 people to be apprehended daily this spring. Deteriorating conditions in Latin America, worsened by the pandemic, are among the reasons for the migrations. Also on Wednesday, Abbott signed what he called a "zero-tolerance policy" for unsafe vehicles used to smuggle migrants across the border and said that it will be implemented immediately. The governor claims the policy is a byproduct of cartel crossings at the border and noted there may be more stopping of traffic from Mexico into Texas for vehicle inspections. In March 2021, Abbott launched "Operation Lone Star," citing a crisis at the US southern border. The operation leaned on resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard to police the border. The operation at one point swelled to more than 10,000 service members. As Abbott has deployed thousands of personnel to the US-Mexico border, the operation has been slammed as overtly political and a waste of resources by Democratic lawmakers and even some of the National Guard members participating in the mission. Other Abbott initiatives have included plans to build a border wall. The busing and unsafe vehicle policies will be added to Operation Lone Star, and Abbott said more directives will be announced next week. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. One of the Republican front-runners in the race for Nebraska governor on Wednesday advocated for schools to teach prayer and scrap lessons that cast America in a negative light. In response to a question about critical race theory at a wide-ranging forum hosted by the Greater Omaha Chamber, Conklin Co. CEO Charles W. Herbster said the country has lost the moral compass of what made America great: That is God, the flag, and our families, framing it as a war. He defined critical race theory as teaching whats wrong with the country. Schools should be teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, prayer, and the flag salute and what made America great, he said. Critical race theory is an academic framework that views racism as systemic, embedded in systems and policies, rather than as an individual issue. Its generally taught at the graduate level, but opponents often call it un-American and use the term to cover a broad range of anti-racism and diversity curriculum and initiatives. It has become a key talking point and wedge issue in the past year or so for Republican politicians, and has appeared often in ads for candidates in Nebraskas GOP gubernatorial primary. After the forum, The World-Herald asked Herbster about the inclusion of prayer in that list and whether that creates a concern about the separation of church and state at publicly funded schools. Herbster stood firm. If you go back 40 or 50 years, we had prayer in the school systems, he said. We should have prayer in the school systems today. Ill stand by that. The original question from the forum moderator, KETVs Julie Cornell: Please explain your definition of critical race theory. Do you think that racism exists in Nebraska? And if so, what can you do as governor to bridge that gap? Candidates were given topics ahead of time, but not the specific questions, according to organizers. Answers from the other two participants State Sen. Brett Lindstrom and former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau diverged from Herbsters. (Republican candidate Jim Pillen, a hog producer and University of Nebraska regent, declined to attend the forum and has declined all opportunities to debate his fellow candidates.) Lindstrom said that racism is everywhere, and that part of bridging the gap as governor is realizing youre a representative of the state and that the state needs to be welcoming to all. Nebraska wont just grow organically, he said. It requires drawing people to the state, including people of different backgrounds, sexual orientation, creeds. Hes against critical race theory, he said to reporters after the forum. His campaign website includes that Anti-American, divisive and left-wing propaganda like Critical Race Theory has no place in our public schools. But he defined it as being taught more at the graduate level, not necessarily in K-12 education or in undergrad. He said its become a wedge issue to divide people, and any time theres subject matter used to divide, he wont support it. If it ever does get pushed down on a level that people misunderstand or cant comprehend that, especially within K-12 education, Im not gonna be for that if theres any type of mandate to promote that, he said. Thibodeau contended that critical race theory has taught division amongst our students and said children need to learn how to think critically. We have a saying in our family: Dont come and say you cant do it, come and say how are you going to do it? And thats what we should be teaching in our schools, not roadblocks and not that people cant do something because of the color of their skin, she said. In response to a question about how public schools and colleges should address the concepts of racial justice and inequity, Herbster said if they teach about the countrys founding and the greatness of America, even though we made a lot of mistakes, it would address that. Thibodeau focused her answer on initiatives outside of education, such as mentoring organizations. Education came up at other points during the forum, which lasted about an hour and a half and touched on taxes, energy and more. Lindstrom, whose campaign has focused heavily on cutting taxes, talked about the importance of rural broadband and education funding, laying out his vision of a system that more equitably provides state funding to districts without putting a strain on property owners. Thibodeau talked about ensuring every student is funded equally, focusing on students proficiency in English and math, and the importance of business leaders, colleges and trade schools showing young people in-state opportunities. Herbster talked about promoting trades and his support for school choice while also advocating for protecting public school systems. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers passed a tax cut package Thursday worth close to $900 million when fully implemented. The package, which one supporter described as transformative, would cut the top income tax rates on corporations and individuals, end income taxes on Social Security benefits and boost property tax relief. Legislative Bill 873 passed on a 43-0 vote, with six senators absent, representing a quiet end for a package that generated plenty of controversy along the way. The measure is expected to be signed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, who made tax cuts a priority this year and vetoed money from the state budget bills earlier this week to make room for tax cuts. State Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson originally introduced LB 873 to eliminate community college property tax levies. But it became the vehicle for a tax package negotiated by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chairwoman, and other committee members after two other attempts to advance the package failed. Linehan called passage of the tax package part of a historic time in the Legislature. She said it represents the latest in a series of tax cut measures and passed along with a budget preserving record-high cash reserves to provide stability in fiscal downturns. Under the bill as passed, the top individual and corporate tax rates would ratchet down to 5.84% over five years, ending in 2027. The top individual rate is 6.84% now. The top corporate rate is 7.5% for this year and, under legislation passed last year, was slated to drop to 7% next year. For property owners, the package would create a new refundable income tax credit equal to a portion of what they pay in community college property taxes. The community college credit program would start at $50 million this year and ramp up to $195 million by 2026. The new credit program would be similar to the LB 1107 program created two years ago, which offsets a portion of school property taxes. That program will provide $548 million worth of credits this year. The tax package would set the size of that program at $560.7 million for 2023, then allow the amount to grow as property valuations grow. The new community college credit program also would grow as property valuations grow, after reaching the $195 million level. The final piece of the package would phase out income taxes on Social Security benefits in four annual steps, with taxes being eliminated in 2025. Supporters argued that the changes were needed to keep Nebraskans from leaving the state and to attract new residents and businesses. They also pointed to the record-high cash reserve fund and robust state tax revenue as evidence that the state was collecting too much money from taxpayers. Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, praised the Legislature for taking bold action in passing one of the largest tax cuts in state history. He particularly noted the property tax offsets. This tax relief bill is transformative for farmers and ranchers and all Nebraskans across the state, he said. The successes we saw from the refundable income tax credits passed in 2020 were outstanding, and to be able to secure those successes and ensure even further property tax relief for Nebraskans is a windfall. Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Bryan Slone also hailed the package as part of a game-changing strategy for growth in the state. Critics pointed out that LB 873 would not cut taxes for large numbers of Nebraskans. Those left out would include people who do not own property, do not get Social Security benefits and whose incomes fall below $40,676 for singles or $81,352 for married filers. They also raised concerns about whether the reduction in future state revenue would put Nebraska in a fiscal squeeze down the road. Revenue Department officials estimated the tax package would reduce state revenues more than $863 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the final year of implementation. That equals about 14.5% of the amount of state revenue expected for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2023. These tax cuts are bad news for most Nebraskans, said Rebecca Firestone, executive director for the OpenSky Policy Institute. The wealthy and out-of-state corporations will come out way ahead while in time, everyday Nebraskans will likely end up footing the bill by way of cuts to services they need or increases in other taxes and fees, once the federal funds that are currently bolstering our economy stop flowing. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Wednesday announced that a special campaign has been launched to strengthen judicial assistance to women in need, including those who are victims of abduction and human trafficking. Jointly initiated by the SPP and the All-China Women's Federation, the campaign began in March and will run until the end of this year. The initiative covers women who are victims of crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, abduction and trafficking, as well as those who are disabled or seriously ill. Women who bear the responsibility of raising children or supporting the elderly but whose family's breadwinner has died or lost their ability to work due to criminal conduct are also eligible for assistance. In addition, elderly women who have no one to support them can also receive assistance under this campaign. The Chinese government is weaving an even stronger protection net for women and children in the aftermath of an alleged case of abuse against a woman in east China that recently garnered widespread attention. Other stringent measures include a 10-month nationwide operation, starting from March 1, to crack down on the abduction and trafficking of women and children to better protect these groups. LINCOLN A bill that would have primed Nebraska to ban all abortions died on the floor of the Legislature Wednesday. Legislative Bill 933 failed to receive the 33 votes it needed to end an eight-hour filibuster, which effectively renders the bill dead with no other way to move forward. The final vote was 31-15, with three senators excused. The bills failure, which was celebrated by abortion-rights proponents, leaves anti-abortion lawmakers with few options to restrict access during the final six days of the legislative session. "Today, a small but mighty group of state senators stood strongly in support of gender equity to ensure that abortion access remains safe and legal in Nebraska," Jo Giles, executive director of the Women's Fund of Omaha said in a statement. LB 933 would have banned all abortions in Nebraska if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, or if the U.S. Constitution or federal law is amended to give control over abortion to individual states. Such measures are referred to as trigger bills. The Supreme Court could decide the fate of Roe v. Wade later this year. State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston said she introduced LB 933 so the Legislature could avoid a special session if the trigger event happens before the next regular session. Protesters gathered at the Nebraska Capitol Wednesday to watch the debate from the Legislature's balcony. A group of about 50 people wearing pink shirts collected in the rotunda while the Legislature was in recess during lunch to advocate against the bill. After it failed Wednesday, Albrecht said she hopes voters remember who voted against the bill the next time they are up for election. She said she has no other efforts to restrict abortions this session. Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who led the eight-hour filibuster, described LB 933 as "a church bill" brought by "Christian religious extremists." While senators criticized Hunt for taking time away from discussing other amendments, Hunt said that was her intent. "You're going to wait eight hours, because I'm driving this ship, and it's an eight-hour cruise," Hunt said. How they voted Yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams No (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing-Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart Excused (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne LB 933, along with two other abortion-restricting bills, stalled in the Judiciary Committee in March, but was pulled out of committee through a majority vote in the Legislature. If triggered, LB 933 would have made it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, starting at fertilization. The woman undergoing an abortion, however, could not be charged. Opponents pointed to this aspect of the bill, arguing that the language would not effectively ban all abortions but instead make it impossible for women to receive abortions safely. Lawmakers said women may instead seek out "back alley abortions" or other rumored methods that would endanger their lives. "Abortion needs to be protected, or otherwise it will go underground," said Sen. John McCollister of Omaha. Opponents also criticized the bill for putting the penalty on doctors or other professionals who administer an abortion. LB 933 would not have provided exemptions, including for rape or incest, but would have allowed licensed physicians charged under the law to use as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the womans death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ. Though supporters framed this as a feature that would protect doctors, other lawmakers said the doctors would still need to be charged with a felony in order to use this as a defense. Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, who previously said he always supports anti-abortion bills, said he was concerned this aspect would cost physicians thousands of dollars, and could hinder doctors' chances of continuing their profession. Hilkemann proposed an amendment that would remove the felony penalty for physicians. Instead, abortions would be reported to the Board of Medicine and Surgery. The Legislature did not consider Hilkemann's amendment Wednesday, but Hilkemann still voted to end debate. Supporters argued that doctors would also be protected by language in the bill that specifies that it is only a felony if there is an intent to kill the unborn child. Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk said no physicians have been prosecuted since the 2010 passage of legislation banning abortion in Nebraska beyond 20 weeks of conception. However, Sen. Jen Day of Omaha argued that the language in LB 933 was vague. Even in a scenario where a doctor is performing an abortion to save a woman's life, Day said they are still intentionally ending the fetus' life. "We're creating a whole new area of gray here," Day said. Supporters continually brought back the same argument: That life begins at fertilization. "We need to recognize the stages inside the womb, and protect these human beings," said Sen. John Arch of La Vista. However, opponents said this definition creates other issues, and could unintentionally ban some forms of contraception and in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Albrecht and other supporters denied this. Opponents continually criticized the bill's lack of exception for rape or incest cases. Supporters countered by arguing there are plenty of non-abortion options, such as adoption, for women who don't want to keep their children. Albrecht said Nebraska has more than 20 privately funded centers that help pregnant women. "I am pro-woman," said Sen. John Lowe of Kearney. "I am also pro-child. What we're talking about here is the murder of a child." Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said the group would not be deterred by the defeat of LB 933, which Danek called "historic legislation." "We believe that a mother and her child are worthy of love and support," she said in a press release. "We will continue our work with education, legislative efforts and political action until every life is protected and honored in our state. The two other bills that stalled in the Judiciary Committee last month would ban abortions after a certain period. LB 1086 would ban chemical abortions after seven weeks. LB 781 would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat can be detected usually at about six weeks gestation, before most women are aware that they are pregnant. Under current rulings, abortion is legal until the point a fetus can survive outside the womb, which is usually around 24 weeks. That could change this summer when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a proposed 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. The case could end the national right to abortion enshrined by Roe v. Wade and leave the question up to states. With a ruling likely this summer, a number of Republican-led states have passed aggressive anti-abortion legislation. On Tuesday the Oklahoma House approved a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In March, lawmakers in Arizona and Florida passed 15-week abortion bans. This story has been updated since it was originally published. It includes material from the Associated Press. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The pandemic disrupted many aspects of our lives, and were still dealing with the repercussions. One place that is happening is in schools, where this years high school freshmen havent had a normal COVID-free year since they were in sixth grade. On Sunday, The World-Herald reported on how students and teachers alike say that student behavior has gotten worse in recent years. Many months of virtual learning away from the structure and discipline of the school environment may be part of the reason, although there obviously are other factors besides COVID. The increased misbehavior is seen in students who show up to school but never attend a class, hallways and bathrooms that smell like marijuana, students who curse at staff members, and teachers injured while breaking up fights between students. Its kind of off-the-rails as far as behavior, said one student in Sundays article. Like blunts in the bathrooms, skipping all the time. That student happened to attend Central High School in the Omaha Public Schools, as did a number of other students quoted in the article. But the point of the story wasnt to single out Central as uniquely bad, but rather to illustrate the reality of the behavior problems that exist in local schools today. Those problems have serious consequences. Misbehaving students are, of course, ruining their chances at the education that could improve their lives. But they also can disturb the school environment for the many other youths who are trying to learn. And the disrespectful attitudes, misconduct and the threat (or reality) of violence create unpleasant working conditions for teachers, causing some to bail from the profession. Losing veteran educators amid a labor shortage is not a good way to make schools better. In fact, its likely to lead to further deterioration. As the story said clearly, the broader problem of student misbehavior is not unique to OPS. It is happening around the nation. But the fact is, OPS is Nebraskas largest school district. It has some of the states biggest academic challenges, such as large numbers of students who are low-income or do not come from English-speaking homes. It rightly receives extra federal and state money to deal with those challenges, and its often at the center of debates over whether that funding is adequate. How well OPS is doing is important to its own students, who account for a large percentage of Nebraskas K-12 enrollment. It also has an outsized impact on the states overall test scores, graduation rates and ultimately its future workforce. This newspaper has reported extensively on OPS schools and will continue to do so. Several OPS teachers told The World-Herald in Sundays story that they didnt think district administrators understood whats happening in schools. That seems hard to believe, although such comments certainly reflect an issue with teacher morale. Surely the educators who run the Omaha district would want to understand and address problems that are so apparent to their students and teaching staff. It would have been good for our reporters to hear directly from OPS administrators for this story, but the district did not provide anyone to comment despite having two weeks to fulfill a World-Herald request. Instead, OPS offered interviews but only after the newspapers intended publication date. And none of the nine OPS school board members responded to World-Herald emails. The district did provide a prepared statement, from which the article quoted. But the issues raised in Sundays story call out for OPS leaders to directly address the many questions that parents, teachers and taxpayers may have about the problems and the districts response. All of us have had differing school experiences and perspectives. Some people have commented on social media that these issues represent nothing new. Others were shocked. Some people question whether the pandemic should be blamed for changes in student behavior that had been brewing for years. To some, the problems boil down to poor parenting. To others, it may indicate societal issues or cultural trends or missteps in how schools handle disruptive students. No matter the cause, the fact is that these problems are manifested in the schools today, and educators have to deal with them now. We dont pretend to know all the answers. But we do know this: problems dont get fixed if they are swept under the rug. The behavior issues described in Sundays story are unacceptable. They need to be aired openly and addressed forthrightly for the good of students, teachers and the Omaha community. SPRINGFIELD In the wake of the recent deaths of five children who were in contact with the states child protection agency and eight contempt citations against the agencys director, House Republicans on Wednesday asked for a performance audit at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. House Resolution 824 was filed Wednesday, requesting the states auditor general audit the agency and create a report that details: The types of changes made by DCFS in protocols and training to prevent the deaths of agency-involved children, protect the children in state care, and prevent unnecessary placements of state wards in psychiatric facilities and temporary placements The extent of monitoring by DCFS to see if procedures and protocols are effective in the protection of children The amount DCFS and other state agencies spent in 2020 and 2021 to address preventable deaths and stays in psychiatric facilities beyond medical necessity and emergency placements DCFSs efforts to comply with court orders holding Director Marc Smith in contempt and the reasons for the repeated contempt citations for failing to properly place DCFS wards The amount spent defending legal matters, including efforts to get the agency into court-mandated compliance for failure to properly place wards During a news conference on Wednesday, the resolutions sponsors, Reps. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, David Welter, R-Morris, and Chris Bos, R-Lake Zurich, said they want a snapshot of the agency performance over the last two years. Kids are in danger across the state. Gov. Pritzker and his party have failed, and they need to correct the situation, Welter said. We should not be seeing additional contempt orders. We should move everything we can to help save these kids and protect the youth that's in our care. During a simultaneous news conference in his Capitol office, Pritzker pointed to the decimation of the agency by the previous administration by failing to pass a budget to fund DCFS. The very people who are holding a press conference downstairs are some of the people who voted with Bruce Rauner to undercut that agency, Pritzker said. You need to provide a budget or there is no budget at all for that agency. As a result of that, what I was left with, what the current General Assembly was left with, was a lot of rebuilding that needed to take place. It's not something that you can snap your fingers and have happen overnight. But Bos disagreed. Director Smith has had three years. He could have came in and been a hero and turned this agency around, Bos said in an interview after the news conference. In response to a question about whether Pritzker has confidence in Smith, he said he and the DCFS director are both concerned for child safety. The director is, like me, also deeply concerned about the conditions for these children and making sure that we're doing everything we can with the budgets that we have, with the time that we have, to do it as quickly as possible to bring back beds for these kids to make sure that they're getting the services they need, he said. A federal judge has scheduled a status hearing for Thursday on the federal lawsuit regarding a 30-year-old consent decree to reduce caseloads, ensure that wards are not improperly held in psychiatric facilities and improve outcomes for state wards. Thursday is also the day Cook County Juvenile Judge Patrick Murphy holds the stuck kids docket. Thats the docket for kids who are in psychiatric facilities beyond medical necessity or remain in placements despite orders the agency to move them in accordance with DCFS recommendations. Murphy presides over the docket and issued the contempt orders against Smith. Since December, at least five children have died after contact with the states child protection agency. They are Navin Jones, 8, of Peoria; Damari Perry, 6, of North Chicago; Sophia Faye Davis, 1, of Dawson; Zaraz Walker, 1, of Bloomington; and Tamsin Miracle Sauer, 3, of Nelson. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMINGTON Illinois Wesleyan University has joined the list of schools that have announced plans to help Lincoln College students transfer after that college closes in May. Lincoln College announced last week that it plans to close at the end of this spring semester. Low enrollment, caused in part by the pandemic, has caused the college to reach a financial situation that is forcing it to close. University of Illinois Springfield on Thursday also announced its plans to help Lincoln College students, as well as students affected by Lincoln Christian University's recent decision to reduce its academic offerings. UIS said it plans to attend an April 14 college fair at Lincoln College. It will also offer personal transfer information sessions for students from both Lincoln-based schools and an application process using unofficial transcripts. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court on Thursday was celebrated in McLean County and Illinois as a historic moment if one that many contended should have arrived long ago. Senators voted 53-47 to confirm Jackson, securing the 51-year-old appeals court judge's place as the first Black female justice. The confirmation came mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Today is another historic moment in time for us, said Linda Foster, president of the Bloomington-Normal branch of the NAACP. Something that my forefathers just couldnt imagine but were praying for, something that my parents who are no longer here were hopeful could happen and then my kids can see that our tomorrows are different than our yesteryears. Today is a day that we are going to relish in her confirmation. Were going to smile and were going to jump for joy, but we do know that behind that grin, theres much work. There is much work to do, Foster said. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee who led the nomination to confirmation, said it was a "great day for America" in a press conference after the vote. We want to make our justice system look much more like America, and today we took a great stride forward in giving this judge, Kentaji Brown Jackson, her chance, a lifetime chance, to serve on the United States Supreme Court, he continued. Durbin described Jackson as an extraordinary individual who checked every one of the boxes." She made the case that to be the first, you have to be the best, he said. 'Won't be the last' As the first African American judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit, Judge Carla Barnes said she understands the overwhelming responsibility of being the first. And as I said so myself, she wont be the last, Barnes continued. She also said shes excited about the Supreme Court having another level of diversity. Barnes said that Jackson is extremely qualified as a Harvard Law School graduate and as prior criminal defense attorney, which I am most proud of. She showed an extreme amount of grace and temperament during her hearing, and I find her to be extremely dignified and a top pick, Barnes said. Foster, the local NAACP branch president, said Jacksons confirmation sends a strong signal of hope, possibility and empowerment. The local NAACP leaders said the entire organization is celebrating her confirmation and they dont take this moment lightly, after years fighting and marching toward this moment. We work hard at this. This is nothing that has been given to us. Ketanji Brown Jackson, she earned every bit of this, Foster said. We as Black people are so pleased and honored and she (reached this high) even though everything she had done, there were still roadblocks and challenges put in her way. But she was able to overcome all of those things. Carla Campbell-Jackson, first vice-president of the local NAACP, said she also found the final Senate confirmation vote to be remarkable. We have one of the most qualified candidates ever, one of the most qualified nominees in the nations history, but yet you saw today that we did not have a vote of 100 to zero, she said. The fact that the vote landed at 53 to 47 still says a very strong message that we have yet work to do to make certain that were putting the right people in the right places and that were truly embracing the beauty of diversity and inclusion. Foster said she applauded the three Republicans who crossed the aisle to confirm Jackson, standing to do the right thing. To only have three cross the aisle? Thats disappointing and concerning that were still are at a point where were focusing on a party line versus the right line, she said. Ms. Ketanji Brown Jackson earned every bit of those votes, and yet still she did not get them. Foster said she believed Jackson would be fair as a Supreme Court justice, even though she was treated unfairly, and make sure to treat others as her abilities and experiences have shown. Campbell-Jackson said having watched several Republican senators leave the chambers as Jacksons confirmation was announced, this was not the time to walk out. Now its time to unite. If we are the United States of America then we need to be indicative of that, she said. Campbell-Jackson said she commended the judge for remaining so focused and poised throughout that Senate hearing, despite being brought to tears at moments. When she was crying, I think those were tears of battles overcome that we as African Americans often have to shed as we continue to try to shatter the concrete and the glass ceiling, she said. We know this also sends a powerful message to every beautiful African American male and female, students, young people who are striving for greatness. Because if they see it, they can believe it. 'Professional diversity' Thomas McClure, law professor and legal studies director at Illinois State University, said Jacksons confirmation was not a big surprise, but it is a step in the right direction. The professor said thats because it was not a purely partisan vote. McClure said it was encouraging that there was support from both Republicans and Democrats. Judicial hearings have become a very divisive tool that appears to be used to promote support from the bases of various senators, he said. The ISU professor who practiced law for 28 years also pushed back against what he described as a media narrative that Supreme Court case outcomes won't change because one liberal justice is being replaced by another. I believe shes going to make the court more liberal in the area of rights of criminal defendants, McClure said, adding he predicted the court would move to the left after Jackson's confirmation. He said Jackson will be more pro-criminal defendant because she appeared committed to the rule of law and strictly construing what the Fourth Amendment is all about. McClure said he could see her joining with liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, plus moderate conservatives Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. Chief Justice John Roberts could be a possible joiner. On a historical basis, he said, the diversity of this appointment exists not only on the basis of race, but also professional background. McClure said Jackson brings that to the court from her experience as a federal defender. He said: Typically, the court is made of government attorneys and prosecutors, and that professional diversity is good for the country. For retired Bloomington attorney Guy Fraker, Jacksons confirmation to the bench made it a great day in America. It is the prerogative of the sitting president to choose qualified candidates for the Supreme Court, said Fraker, adding that Jackson is highly qualified. As a Republican, he said he was extremely proud of the three GOP senators who voted for her appointment and embarrassed that more from the party did not join them. He said that issue before the Senate was to remove politics and base their vote on Jacksons qualifications. That was also an opportunity, Fraker said, for the Republicans to show that past Democratic behavior of a purely partisan nature is not appropriate. Lawmaker reaction U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., praised Jackson as "one of the most qualified and impressive individuals ever confirmed" to the Supreme Court. "Her extensive background and wealth of experience, including her time as a federal public defender, will help inform her work and provide her an important perspective that has been ignored for far too long in this country," Duckworth said. "With impressive grace and resilience in the face of profound and offensive mischaracterizations of her record over the last few weeks, she proved she has exactly the kind of temperament our nation deserves." Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Senate made "long-overdue history" with Jackson's confirmation. "Congratulations to Justice Jackson on a historic achievement that follows a lifetime of public service," he tweeted shortly after the vote. Several Illinois lawmakers were present during the first day of Jackson's hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee. State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, attended as Durbin's guests. Stratton, Illinois' first Black lieutenant governor, previously told Lee Enterprises that it was "really an honor for me to meet her and to be in that room during that time." On Thursday, she said she was "filled with joy" about Jackson's confirmation. "In addition to her superb qualifications, legal knowledge, and judicial temperament, Justice Brown Jackson will stand as a symbol of hope and progress," Stratton said in a statement. "She represents what is possible when we dedicate ourselves to equal justice under the law for all." Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kelsey Watznauer City Editor Follow Kelsey Watznauer 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 This is a developing story that will be updated. Illinois lawmakers celebrated the historic confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday. Senators voted 53-47 to confirm Jackson, a 51-year-old appeals court judge with nine years of experience on the federal bench. The confirmation came mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee who led the nomination to confirmation, said it was a "great day for America" in a press conference after the vote. We want to make our justice system look much more like America, and today we took a great stride forward in giving this judge, Kentaji Brown Jackson, her chance, a lifetime chance, to serve on the United States Supreme Court, he continued. Durbin described Jackson as an extraordinary individual who checked every one of the boxes." She made the case that to be the first, you have to be the best, he said. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., praised Jackson as "one of the most qualified and impressive individuals ever confirmed" to the Supreme Court. "Her extensive background and wealth of experience, including her time as a federal public defender, will help inform her work and provide her an important perspective that has been ignored for far too long in this country," Duckworth said. "With impressive grace and resilience in the face of profound and offensive mischaracterizations of her record over the last few weeks, she proved she has exactly the kind of temperament our nation deserves." Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Senate made "long-overdue history" with Jackson's confirmation. "Congratulations to Justice Jackson on a historic achievement that follows a lifetime of public service," he tweeted shortly after the vote. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also voiced his support in a statement: "I congratulate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on her historic confirmation to the United States Supreme Court. I am the proud father of a daughter who aspires to go to law school, and today, I was able to tell her that the sky truly is the limit." He added, Judge Jacksons qualifications speak for themselves, and she will bring not only a wealth of experience and lifetime of public service, but also a needed fresh perspective as a Black woman and the first former public defender to serve on the Supreme Court. I look forward to the highest court in the land better reflecting the diversity of our great country. Several Illinois lawmakers were present during the first day of Jackson's hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee. State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, attended as Durbin's guests. Stratton, Illinois' first Black lieutenant governor, previously told Lee Enterprises that it was "really an honor for me to meet her and to be in that room during that time." On Thursday, she said she was "filled with joy" about Jackson's confirmation. "In addition to her superb qualifications, legal knowledge, and judicial temperament, Justice Brown Jackson will stand as a symbol of hope and progress," Stratton said in a statement. "She represents what is possible when we dedicate ourselves to equal justice under the law for all." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NORMAL Illinois State University will have a celebration honoring Asian art and artistry with a series of events starting April 22 through April 25. The Asian Heritage Week events are presented in partnership and collaboration with the Normal Public Library, Illinois Art Station, Illinois State University Laboratory Schools and sponsorship and support from the university. A staged reading of "Dear Mr. C" will kick off the week on Friday, April 22, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Illinois State Center for Visual Arts, room 110. A personal artmaking demonstration and workshop will take place Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Illinois Art Station, 101 E. Vernon Ave., Normal. The Normal Public Library will host the Asian Heritage Celebration, organized by Illinois State University's AsiaConnect, on Sunday, April 24 from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. The day will include opportunities to learn about Japanese origami, Asian costume dress-up, Indian henna art, Chinese martial arts and Taiwanese tea culture. The week will conclude with an event to learn about authentic Thai cuisine on Monday, April 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Turner Hall, room 131. Registration is required for the staged reading and the Thai cuisine event. The Thai cuisine event is limited to 25 attendees. Visit asiaconnect.illinoisstate.edu/events for more information. Contact Olivia Jacobs at (309)-820-3352. Reach out with questions. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON More than 60 years have passed since a young Willie Brown spent his afternoons learning and growing alongside his peers at the Western Avenue Community Center. Brown grew up to become a senior executive at State Farm and a leader known for championing nonprofits and agencies across Bloomington-Normal. He was widely remembered after his death last month as a generous friend and mentor, relentless in his efforts to give back to his community. To honor that legacy, State Farm CEO Michael Tipsord and Chief Administrative Officer Mary Schmidt presented a $250,000 check Wednesday to the Western Avenue Community Center. "When I think about whats really important and Willies passing crystalized this for me its the impact that a person has on other peoples lives. At the end of the day, thats what really, really matters, Tipsord said, surrounded by State Farm executives and Western Avenue leaders at the insurance companys south campus in Bloomington. I know no one in this community whos had a bigger impact than Willie Brown. Tipsord said he hopes the donation will help the community center expand the impact of Willie through the youth programs in this community that were so near and dear to his heart. We are honored to have the opportunity to be able to make this contribution to Western Avenue knowing that its going to help perpetuate the impact of our dear friend Willie Brown, he said. Mike Jones, WACC board president and retired State Farm vice president, said the donation was the largest single gift the center has ever received, calling it a difference maker." It certainly is a huge gift in the name of Willie Brown that the center will make great use of for all of our programming, but specifically our youth programming," said Jones, who met Brown at WACC when they were youngsters growing up in the same neighborhood. The center, 600 N. Western Ave. in Bloomington, serves more than 1,000 families a year, offering youth after-school programs, activities for seniors, and a Hispanic outreach program with interpretation services. "I am anxious to start working with the board of directors to identify some short-term and long-term objectives for use of this money, Jones said, noting he expects summer programs for middle school kids to be among the short-term plans. Brown, who was 74 when he died from natural causes March 5, had a long career at State Farm that started in 1971 with an entry-level data processing job and ended with his retirement in 2010 as executive vice president. His leadership and service to the community lasted much longer. Brown served as a board trustee for Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan universities, the State Farm Foundation and United Way of McLean County. He was a member of the Urban League, Bloomington-Normal branch of the NAACP and 100 Black Men of America and Central Illinois, which awarded him the inaugural Community Icon Award that later bore his name. Mary Tackett, executive director of WACC, said while she did not know Brown, past center leadership have called him a champion and a hero for this community and also for Western Avenue. He was always an advocate and the biggest cheerleader for us. Im a little lost for words, Jones said. Willie was a great friend of mine and I want to say the right thing to honor him. When they met as children, Brown was "always one of the guys to look up to and not only then, but he continued that with his love and support for this community. Willie certainly was an icon in this community. He was a friend and inspiration to many, Jones said, calling Brown his best friend. The impact of State Farms gift will be tremendous, he said. The fact that it's in Willie Browns name is special, Jones said. Not only is Western Avenue going to benefit from this, but all the people that we serve out of Western Avenue. Tackett said she was so grateful and honored and humbled, for State Farm's gift continued advocacy for Western Avenue. Im so grateful that (Brown) thought of us (over the years) and that we can use this gift to continue his legacy and continue to do good work here at the center," she said. In addition to bolstering the summer program, Jones said the WACC board hopes to establish a signature event and program that embodies three pillars that Brown stood for: academic achievement, leadership and being a good citizen. Willie Brown was special, Jones said. If you didnt know him, you missed out. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD A bill that would have allowed the Department of Insurance to crack down on insurance companies network adequacy standards was shut down by Illinois lawmakers in the waning days of legislative session. House Bill 1463 failed to pass the Illinois House on Wednesday night after garnering only 40 yes votes, a blow to local lawmakers attempts to address the ongoing dispute between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic. The bill, backed by chief sponsor State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, needed 60 yes votes to pass. Fifty lawmakers did not vote. My bill was called to bring transparency and accountability to big insurance companies, Scherer said in a statement. I care deeply about providing affordable, accessible health care to the residents of my district and I will continue to work towards that goal and fight for my constituents as always. Scherer told Lee Enterprises on Thursday she considered pausing the bill before the vote to potentially rework it and send it back to the floor at a later date. She ultimately let it go to vote, she said, because she had done everything (she) could. The legislation faced pushback on both sides of the aisle, including from Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, chairman of the House Insurance Committee. Jones called the bill overkill and said it wont solve patients insurance issues. Jones concerns were echoed by Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, who said it wasnt the General Assemblys role to intervene in a private contract dispute. "This is a dispute between two private entities. That's it," Friess said. "This is not the right way to go about this." During floor debate, Scherer repeatedly argued that the bill was not meant to target Blue Cross directly. The bill would have addressed reported concerns from former Springfield Clinic patients with Blue Cross coverage. Scherer mentioned those concerns during a committee hearing earlier this week. Many of her constituents, she said, reported long wait times and difficulty finding new in-network providers after Springfield Clinic was dropped by Blue Cross. Scherer said she suspected insurance lobbyists were able to rally some lawmakers who originally intended to vote yes on the bill to vote no, though she didnt name names. She said the bills failure only motivated her. Last night, it didn't end. It just started, she said. Scherer will be up for reelection this November and said insurance and health care concerns will remain a top priority for her going into election season. I'm not going away. I can't speak now for what's going to happen next year, but this is not going off my radar. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 More than 60,000 primary and middle school students from over 40 schools in Luohu have so far participated in a housework labor education program launched by Luohu Education Science Research Institute on Feb 21. The Institute built an online platform for the students to upload videos and photos of themselves partaking in household chores, which can be shared and commented on by other students and teachers. The social function of the platform has greatly intrigued the participants interests in learning to do housework that is within their capacity. The program was first piloted in a few schools, including Shenzhen Cuizhu Foreign Language Experimental School, and then rolled out in all schools across the district after it won praise from almost all participants. Teachers in Luohu have offered a series of online courses on labor education and online seminars have also been held to evaluate and improve the courses. CHICAGO - A toothpick is a humble thing, ubiquitous but so commonplace as to be ignored. Not so for Wayne Kusy. For most of his 61 years, toothpicks thousands of them, millions of them have been essential parts of his life. He has used them to create an astonishing and artful armada, a gathering of ships made of toothpicks and glue and his patient energies. They have been shown in galleries and museums and featured on television and in magazines. He should be famous, but he is not and that is OK with him. Most people wouldnt recognize me on the street, he told me a few years ago. But I have become kind of well-known in the folk-art world. Kusy was born and raised in New Mexico and Rogers Park and for decades has lived in a third-floor walk-up in Lincoln Square. Like many youngsters, he played with Legos and, in grammar school, he used popsicle sticks to build a class project. In fifth grade his first ship sailed into his life when he used 3,000 toothpicks, give or take, to fashion a boat, a small boat. I was always fascinated by ships, he said. In part, it was their incredible size. They are, just think about it, buildings that float. I had to know, How do they do that? To satisfy his curiosity, he turned himself into a historian, searching out, finding and studying deck plans, blueprints and mechanical drawings. He read books, ogled photos and watched videos. Understandably, he also followed a more conventional higher learning path, studying marketing at Loyola University and later web design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has spent his for-profit career as a web designer. He is, of course, a self-taught artist. Though there are now more than a few examples of toothpick artistry on the internet, when Kusy began, there was virtually nothing in the way of example or instruction. On his own he became skilled at making toothpicks do what he needed them to do by trial and error, becoming an expert at using pliers to crush and mold toothpicks into pliant form. I first met him nearly 30 years ago, when he showed me his Titanic, a 75,000-toothpick ship nearly 10 feet long. It had taken him more than five years to make. Then came a giant Lusitania, a 16-foot, 194,000-toothpick giant and a Queen Mary, 25 feet long and comprised of 1 million toothpicks. He told me then, What I do is never boring. But it is time-consuming, each boat taking years to create, in part because of Kusys attention to detail, such as the making lifeboats and handrails. Now there are people (perhaps you, now reading this) who might think Kusy is nuts. He is not. He is thoughtful and smart and self-effacing. I will tell you that during all these years I have thought of what I do as a hobby, he said. But recently I have started to really believe that I am an artist. Others were quicker to give him that label. In 1994 when his Titanic was exhibited at a River North gallery, owner Celeste Sotola said, Wayne is in the truest sense an artist because hes a loner, he doesnt follow anyone elses lead, and the amount of time he spends on his art is a real symbol of his dedication. The amount of time was and remains two to three hours every day. When he participated in the inaugural exhibition of the short-lived but wonderful gallery called Chicago Center for Self-Taught Art Museum, its director, Yolanda Saul, said, The first time I saw the Titanic I thought it was amazing. I feel honored that he has agreed to loan us his work for the show. There are other artists who work with toothpicks, Kusy told me without jealousy or pique, but few if any have been at it as long as he. He has never been in this for the money. He did sell his Titanic for $15,000 to a Los Angeles museum and it now rests in the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, Florida. His Lusitania is in the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, and the Queen Mary resides in the National Museum of Ship Models and Sea History in Sadorus in downstate Illinois, near Champaign. Though he has a sponsor, Franklin International, the makers of the glue that holds his sculptures together, surprisingly, no toothpick company has been wise enough to similarly endow him. He continues to buy his own toothpicks and admits he is currently having trouble finding them, saying, I am jonesing for toothpicks. Long a guitar player on open mic nights and in some local bands (one called Heavy Mental), he recently created a wooden one: five musicians each about a foot tall formed his Wood Zeppelin, with is accompanied by a nifty stop motion animation music video made in his living room with a little help from his friends. This came about because I had been commissioned by the Village of Algonquin to build a 45-inch model of the SS Algonquin from 1841, he said. About the same time, someone had suggested I document the construction using time-lapse photography. I thought it was a good idea, and the Algonquin was a small vessel. It took three months, but I shot 4,200 photos as I built the ship. The end result is on YouTube. Doing that inspired me. I thought if I can get a ship to animate, how about some rock n roll characters. That ship is now on display in Algonquins Village Hall and Kusy is laboring on another major work, a sculpture of the SS Bremen, a German ship built in 1929. He traveled to Germany to do research. His apartment also has four smaller ships in various stages of completion. They have been commissioned by boat owners who admire Kusys work, found him on his lively and information-filled website and were able to pay his modest fees, which involve hundreds rather than thousands of dollars. One of these is a boat owned by a woman in Florida. She had me come down so I could see and photograph her boat, said Kusy with his typical enthusiasm. It took me forever to get there but she flew me back on a private jet. Now that was something. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Oil prices rose on Thursday from a three-week low touched in the previous session after consuming nations announced a huge release of oil from emergency reserves, with worries over tight supply still clouding the market outlook. Brent crude futures climbed $1.48 or 1.5%, to $102.55 a barrel at 0442 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.26, or 1.3%, to $97.49 a barrel. Both benchmarks plunged more than 5% in the previous session and hit their lowest closing levels since March 16. International Energy Agency member countries on Wednesday agreed to release 60 million barrels on top of a 180 million-barrel release announced by the United States last week to help drive down prices in a tight market following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. read more But analysts and traders said even with the emergency oil stocks release, supply remained tight. "The oil release from the IEA members reflects strong political determination against Russia oil over its invasion of Ukraine, but it's not enough to fill the actual supply shortage," a Shanghai-based oil trader said. State refiners in China, the world's top oil importer, are honouring existing Russian oil contracts but avoiding new ones despite steep discounts, heeding a call for caution by Beijing. "In addition to the enormous global reserves release, demand destruction and recession are currently the only price-lowering mechanism in a world devoid of inventory buffers," said Stephen Innes, managing director of SPI Asset Management. National Australia Bank analyst Baden Moore said the latest release plus the IEA's coordinated release announced on March 1 equates to 1 million barrels per day in extra supply from May to the end of 2022, which would cap prices in the near-term. "The additional supply reduces the near-term upside risk to the market and likely avoids the need for refinery cuts in the near term," Moore said in a note However, he added, "the need to restock reserves, expected in 2023, adds to the forward market tightness where the fundamental supply outlook remains unchanged, tilting the price risk to the upside." Stalled indirect talks between Iran and the United States on reviving a 2015 agreement on Tehran's nuclear program have further delayed the potential for sanctions on Iranian oil to be lifted, keeping the market tight. Political decisions are needed in Tehran and Washington to overcome remaining issues, negotiators say. Source: REUTERS Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video With subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance, Hollard Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The MOU will enable UCC students' post-academic success as part of its Hollard X Academia programme. Hollard also unveiled a sponsored space within the newly launched UCC Design Thinking and Innovation Hub dubbed the Hollard Mentorship Space to commerce the partnership arrangement. The comprehensive Hollard X Academia initiative will enable a better future for students through; Hollard's Streetwise Finance, mentoring, engagement, and resource sharing programmes aimed at giving back to society. The partnership will last for three (3) years, after which it will be re-assessed for impact and continuation. At a brief ceremony on campus, the Managing Director of Hollard Insurance, Daniel Boi Addo, said the partnership is part of the group's corporate social investment effort. "It's our pleasure to embark on this relationship with the fondly named, University of Competitive Choice. UCC is the third public university added to our partner schools under our Hollard x Academia initiative. We look forward to the impact working with the school will enable for its students." "Being an entrepreneurial-minded business, we at Hollard believe in enabling our community to create better futures. To this end, Hollard X Academia has five advanced modules, including the Hollard Prize, Hollard Scholar Program, Hollard Streetwise Finance Engagement, Hollard Corporate Experience, and annual Thought leadership events. Through this partnership, we are confident UCC students will be well-equipped for the future of work," he added. On the establishment of the Hollard Mentorship Space, Daniel said the country's favourite insurance group was proud to begin the partnership with UCC by supporting innovation. He said, "We're kickstarting our partnership by supporting UCC foster innovation and design thinking amongst students. Working with the School of Entrepreneurship and University management, we've been amazed at their effort to make education functional and future-ready. Therefore, we needed to sponsor a space where students and their mentors could brainstorm and apply innovative thinking. The outdooring of the Hollard Mentorship Space is a testament to our promise to support UCC's exceptional and sustainable growth. The Hollard Mentoring Space was formally unveiled in the presence of Sir Sam Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and Board Chairman of Hollard Ghana and its subsidiaries. The school is complimentary of Hollard's support. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, at the signing event, said: "We are delighted to be part of this partnership. We believe that this MOU is not just a one-off. We know our students will benefit from the initiative starting with the Hollard Mentoring Space at our new Design Thinking and Innovation Hub. We are confident that through the Hollard x Academia initiative, our students will receive the right corporate guidance to become efficient corporate and entrepreneurial leaders in the future." About Hollard Ghana The country's favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market, having operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance, with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries worldwide. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customized to Ghanaians' unique risks. Hollard offers various life and general insurance products, including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more, and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life). Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores, and online at www.hollard.com.gh and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ukraine wants sanctions that are economically destructive enough for Russia to end its war after accusing some countries of still prioritising money over punishment for civilian killings that the West condemns as war crimes. The democratic world must reject Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the international finance system, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his daily video address early on Thursday. r After grisly images of dead civilians in the streets of Bucha sparked international condemnation, Zelenskiy said Kremlin forces were trying to cover up evidence of atrocities. "We have information that the Russian military has changed its tactics and is trying to remove people who have been killed from streets and basements ... this is just an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more," Zelenskiy said, but did not provide evidence. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and says images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace talks. Russia's six-week-long invasion has so far forced over 4 million to flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, left a quarter of the population homeless, turned cities into rubble and prompted a slew of Western restrictions on Russian elites and the economy. Washington on Wednesday announced measures, including sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters and Russia's Sberbank (SBER.MM), and a ban on Americans investing in Russia. The United States also wants Russia expelled from the Group of 20 major economies forum and will boycott a number of meetings at the G20 in Indonesia if Russian officials show up. The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on suspending Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council. But the head of Ukraine's presidential office Andriy Yermak said late on Wednesday that its allies must go further. "Sanctions against Russia must be ruinous enough for us to end this terrible war," he said. "My goal is to impose an embargo on the supply to Russia of technology, equipment, minerals and ores (and) rare earth dual-use minerals and thus stop the production of weapons in Russia." Zelenskiy was earlier critical of some in the West. "The only thing that we are lacking is the principled approach of some leaders ... who still think that war and war crimes are not something as horrific as financial losses," he told Irish lawmakers. read more European Union diplomats failed to approve new sanctions on Wednesday, as technical issues needed to be addressed, including on whether a ban on coal would affect existing contracts, sources said. EU member Hungary said it was prepared to meet a Russian request to pay roubles for its gas, breaking ranks with the rest of the bloc and highlighting the continent's reliance on imports that have held it back from a tougher response on the Kremlin. State refiners in China, which has close ties to Moscow, are honouring existing Russian oil contracts but avoiding new ones despite steep discounts, heeding Beijing's call for caution as western sanctions mount against Russia, six people told Reuters. read more BESIEGED CITY Western policymakers have denounced the killings in Bucha as war crimes, and Ukrainian officials say a mass grave by a church there contained between 150 and 300 bodies. Russia says it is engaged in a "special military operation" designed to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine and Western governments reject that as a false pretext for its invasion. Russia continues to ready for an attack to gain full control over the eastern breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as well as the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where tens of thousands are trapped, the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said late on Wednesday. Ukrainian authorities say they cannot help people evacuate from the eastern front line town of Izyum or send humanitarian aid because it is completely under Russian control as the east sees the worst fighting. Many in the eastern town of Derhachi, just north of Kharkiv and near the border with Russia, have decided to leave while they can. Buildings have been badly damaged by Russian artillery. Kharkiv itself has been hammered by air and rocket strikes from the start. Mykola, a father of two in Derhachi who declined to give his surname, said he could hear the thud of bombardments every night, and had been hunkering down with his family in the corridor of their home. "(We'll go) wherever there are no explosions, where the children won't have to hear them," he said, hugging his young son and struggling to hold back the tears. NEW SANCTIONS The new U.S. sanctions hit Russia's Sberbank, which holds one-third of Russia's total banking assets, and Alfabank, the country's fourth-largest financial institution, but energy transactions were exempted, U.S. officials said. The banking sanctions are "a direct blow to the Russian population (and) ordinary citizens", Tass news agency cited Russia's U.S. ambassador Anatoly Antonov as saying. Britain also froze Sberbank's assets, and said it would ban imports of Russian coal by the end of the year. But Europe is walking a tightrope as Russia supplies around 40% of the EU's natural gas consumption and the bloc also gets a third of its oil imports from Russia, about $700 million per day. Germany, Europe's largest economy which relies on Russian gas for much of its energy needs, warned that while it supported ending Russian energy imports as soon as possible it could not do it overnight. Despite the sanctions, the Russian rouble extended recovery gains on Wednesday, returning to levels seen before the invasion, shrugging off fears of a potential default on international debt as it paid dollar bondholders in roubles. Source: REUTERS Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Burkina Fasos former President, Blaise Compaore, has received a life sentence in absentia for his role in the assassination of his revolutionary predecessor, Thomas Sankara. Sankara, 37, was gunned down along with 12 others during the 1987 coup detat that brought Compaore to power. The pair had been close friends and had jointly seized power in 1983. Sankara remains a hero for many across Africa because of his anti-imperialist stance and austere lifestyle. Compaore has lived in exile in Ivory Coast since he was removed from office following mass protests in 2014, and had taken up Ivorian nationality. Thirteen others were also found guilty, including Compaores security chief, Haycinthe Kafando, who was accused of leading the hit squad that killed Sankara. He too was tried in absentia and received a life sentence. They had both denied the charges. Mr Compaore had previously denounced the trial as a political sham. Gilbert Diendere, one of the commanders of the army during the 1987 coup and the main defendant who was actually present at the trial, was also sentenced to life. He was already serving a 20-year sentence for a coup attempt in 2015. This verdict puts an end to the six-month trial that began 34 years after the death of Sankara, whose assassination in a coup brought his ally, Compaore, to power. Eight other defendants received sentences ranging from three to 20 years, and three more defendants were acquitted. The verdict was greeted by applause in the courtroom, the BBCs Lalla Sy reported from West Africa. The late president of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara an icon for many young Africans in the 1980s remains to some a heroic African Che Guevara, 27 years after his assassination at the age of 37. Be it through the red beret, worn by firebrand South African politician, Julius Malema, or the household brooms being wielded at street demonstrations in Burkina Faso, there were signs that his legacy was enjoying a revival. Praised by supporters for his integrity and selflessness, the military captain and anti-imperialist revolutionary led Burkina Faso for four years from 1983. But he was seen by others as an autocrat who came to power through a coup and valued discipline above human rights. Source: bbc Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 52-year-old Imam, Tamimu Mohammed based in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital has been jailed on three separate occasions for engaging in drugs and illegal mining. According to him, he was an experienced weed smoker who started smoking when he was in class six. The convict who revealed this in an interview with ICrime Check TV GH explained that whilest working with a mining company, his white manager introduced him to cocaine sniffing which became part of him. Unfortunately for him, he was made redundant when he became a victim of a lay-off during the companys downsizing of its employees. He said during his redundancy, he led people to abandoned pits of gold reserves where they mined. He said his drugging lifestyle did not sit well with his family so he did not get support from them when he needed help. I smoked heavily and sniffed cocaine as well. Due to that, I am unable to save. My first time in prison, I was jailed ten days, in my second imprisonment, I was jailed three years and currently, I am serving a nine months jail term, he said. He added, my wife left me when she learnt about my drugging lifestyle. I should not be struggling but because of drugs nobody is willing to help me. Imam Mohammed indicated that he is a plumber and would want to establish a plumbing business when he leaves prison vowing to quit drugs. The recidivist said his family did not help him access his savings to enable him to pay a fine of GHC1200 resulting in his imprisonment. My relatives said I am stubborn so they did not care when I was being sentenced. Though I could afford the fine they did not help me access my money, he said. Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi Central Prison, DSP Richard Bukari has urged Mohammeds family to give him the necessary support to enable him to re-integrate properly into society. He indicated that neglecting such persons rather worsens their situation. Families and societies should rather embrace people no matter how they are. This will help them feel a sense of belonging which will create a safe space for them to reintegrate into society, he entreated. With support from a donor, Star of David, Crime Check Foundation (CCF) paid the fine for his release when it visited him at the prison. Mohammed was grateful for the gesture and promised to turn a new leaf. God bless you for the support. I was very excited when I heard I would be going home. I have been worried about my familys neglect so I have stopped doing drugs, he vowed. Source: daily guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Barring any unforeseen delay, the Kumasi International Airport could start operating international flights from August this year, two clear months ahead of the expected time of completion. In December last year, the contractors working on the airport expansion project, Contracta Construction UK Ltd, told the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) that the project would be completed in October 2022. However, during a tour of the project by the REGSEC last Tuesday, the Project Manager, Alan Frazeto, told the members that by September, Kumasi will have an airport that meets international aviation standards and could be ready to start operating international flights. This follows the steady progress of work done on the expansion project which started in 2018. So far, the construction of the terminal, as well as the installation of escalators, the baggage carousel, check-in points and passenger boarding bridges has been completed. While the total work done in both phases two and three of the project is estimated to be about 82 per cent complete, that of the terminal is about 98 per cent complete. Tour Members of the REGSEC have been visiting all the important project sites in the region on a quarterly basis to appraise themselves of progress of work. In the first quarter of this year, the team visited all the projects being executed by Contracta in the region, except the phase two of the Redevelopment of the Kejetia Market and the Baby and Maternity Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Simulation When the Daily Graphic visited the airport project site last Tuesday, it observed that the contractor was undertaking simulation exercises to test the readiness of installed equipment for a smooth take-off later in the year The luggage carousel for both domestic and international flights was being fixed and the check-in conveyors tested. Work was progressing steadily on the new control tower and the utility block that would house the standby generator, fire tenders and other emergency facilities. Mr Frazeto, who conducted the Daily Graphic around the project, said there had been no major hitch, a situation that had enabled work to progress ahead of the scheduled time of completion, and barring any unforeseen challenge, the rest of the work currently ongoing should be completed and tested before September. Satisfaction The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, who led the REGSEC team, expressed satisfaction with progress of work and the fact that they might even complete the project before schedule. He said he was impressed by the level of improvement from what the team had seen in December when it visited the project. As they promised, it means we are even going get the project completed earlier than they said. Previously, when we came here with the President, they assured us that by October 2022, we would start receiving international flights. Today, we have been informed that by August, we can open up to international travels, which means that they have been able to move faster, and that is excellent and commendable, he said. According to Mr Osei-Mensah, almost all the basic facilities required for international flights were available at the airport, saying: Of the greatest importance to me is that it will have the best scanner, which can even allow flights from here to move directly to the US, something which has been the most difficult eligibility criteria in terms of aviation. Project The expansion work at the Kumasi International Airport is a 124.9-million project being undertaken by Contracta Construction UK Ltd. The scope of work includes the extension of the existing runway pavement from 1,981 metres to 2,320 metres, the construction of a new taxi link and apron, two new apron parking stands and an aeronautical ground lighting system. Others include the design and building of a terminal with the capacity to handle 800,000 passengers per annum, an 11MW substation, as well as the provision of new bulk utility services, independent of the existing utility services for the airport. Phase three of the project involves the construction of the air traffic control building and a fire station, as well as the expansion of the existing runway pavement. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A motorcade of former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in a road crash in the capital, Abuja. The Wednesday evening accident claimed the lives of two policemen attached to him. It occurred when Mr Jonathan, who is a special envoy of the regional bloc Ecowas, was leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to his residence in the city. His spokesman Ikechukwu Eze told the BBC that the former president was not personally affected in the accident. Mr Jonathan has expressed deep sadness over the unfortunate tragic death of the two police officers, the spokesman said in a statement. Mr Eze said it was only the vehicle carrying the policemen that skidded off the road when the driver lost control, leading to the death of the two police officers. Two other policemen sustained injuries in the crash and were taken to a hospital for medical attention. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Rwanda is holding a subdued memorial at the Kigali genocide memorial, for the 1994 genocide that left about 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates dead in just 100 days. Similar events are being held at sites across districts - but they have been restricted to not more than two hours. Rwanda has been holding low-key memorials of the genocide following the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. Previously the government held weeklong events to commemorate the genocide. This year the famous 'Walk to Remember' and night vigil at the Kigali main stadium have been suspended "to limit the spread of Covid, the government said. The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on 6 April 1994. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Osu Kinkawe Dzaase has lodged a complaint against the Oshiahene of Osu, Nii Nortey Adumuah IV and a restrained Atofotse of Osu, Nii Odartey Sro III at the CID headquarters for alleged forgery of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase letterhead. A report made by the Dzaasetse of Osu Kinkawe, Nii Saban Atsen VII on behalf of the Dzaase stated that, on 6th January, 2022, the two wrote a letter on a fake Osu Kinkawe Dzaase letterhead to the District Commander of Osu District Police Command and other officials about the purported enstoolment of a new Osu Mantse. I am by this complaint appealing to your good office to intervene and investigate the fictitious letterhead and prosecute the perpetrators in order to forestall similar fictitious letterheads purportedly from the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase being used to deceive the general public and to avoid chaos, anarchy, and breach of peace within the Osu Traditional Area, the complaint letter stated. In a related development, the Dzaase has dismissed claims by some elders in the Adjuate We on the authority of the Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII, and has affirmed the suspension of three members who were accused of breaching the customs and traditions of Osu. The Head of Family of the Adjuate We, Nii Ashong Omaboe, the Oshiahene who also hails from the Adjuate We, Nii Adumuah IV and the Head of Family of the Teinor We, Nii Akwei Addo have all been indefinitely suspended for acting in breach of the customs and traditions of Osu and installing people deemed by the Dzaase as non-royals as Chief of Osu. A statement signed by the Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII stated that the claim by some elders of the Adjuate We that the two Ruling Houses did not have voting rights in the Dzaase was not only false but also an attempt to distort the customs and traditions of Osu. The Osu Dzaase was established by the Two Ruling houses and naturally they are exempted from voting during the voting of a new Chief to prevent a conflict-of-interest situation. However, in matters relating to subversive conduct of a member, the representatives of the Two Ruling Houses of the Dzaase forms part of the decision making of the Dzaase, the statement said. It added that the Dzaasetse (who heads the Dzaase), the heads of the Adukpono We, Teinor We, Odartey Sro We and the Adjuate We constitute the decision-making body of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase. We wish to put on record that assuming without admitting and for the purposes of this argument, the representatives of the two Ruling Houses do not form part of the Dzaase and do not take part in the decision making of the Dzaase, three of the five undisputed members in the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase being the Dzaasetse, the Heads of the Adukpono and Odartey Sro We were part of the Dzaase members that met and made a decision to suspend the Oshiahene and the two other members, the statement further read. The statement added that the allegation by the Oshiahene and his people that the Dzaasetse was a lone ranger is a palpable falsehood and a mischievous lie calculated to whittle down the powers of the Dzaasetse as he is the overall head and the final decision maker of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase. It would interest the public to know that the suspended Oshiahene was installed on the request of a letter written by the Osu Kinkawe Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII, on behalf of the Dzaase. Today, it is not only surprising, but also ironical and disrespectful on the part of the Oshiahene and his head of family to now challenge the customary position and the authority of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase, it added. Letter Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The passage of the Labour (Domestic Workers) Regulations 2020 (L.I.2408) to formalise domestic work will remain inconclusive unless the country ratified the International Labour Organisations (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention (C189). Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, said Ghana must ratify the C189 as soon as practicable to firm up the countrys commitment towards ensuring that domestic workers enjoyed same basic labour rights as enjoyed by other professionals. ...without ratification, this notable achievement will remain inconclusive if we deny ourselves the regular reporting associated with ratifications, he said. Mr Baffour Awuah made the remarks when he addressed a virtual advocacy meeting for the ratification of ILO Conventions C189 and C190 on domestic workers and violence and harassment at work in the ECOWAS regions. The meeting provided an opportunity to ECOWAS Member States, Policymakers, Social Partners and other organisations to deliberate on issues of ratification of the Conventions as they sought to improve working conditions of identified vulnerable and marginalised groups of workers. The Convention on Domestic Workers (C189) was adopted by the ILO at its annual conference in Geneva in June 2011. The Convention defines domestic work as work performed in or for a household or households, within an employment relationship and on an occupational basis. The ILO says at least 75.6 million people worldwide are domestic workers. Data from ILO indicates that Africa is the largest employer of domestic workers after Asia and Latin America. Approximately 5.2 million domestic workers are employed throughout the region, of whom 3.8 million are women and 1.4 million are men. In its 2021 Report, the ILO indicated that a decade after the adoption of C189, decent work had not yet become a reality for domestic workers. A staggering eight out of every ten domestic workers are informally employed and thus lack effective labour and social protections, it said. Mr Baffour Awuah said it was worrying that eleven years after the adoption of C189, only one country in the sub-region (Guinea), had ratified the Convention. He said the C190 on Violence and Harassment at the workplace, which was adopted in 2019, had also been ratified by only four countries in Africa Namibia, Maurituis, South Africa and Somalia. It is worrying because the sub-region remains one of the vulnerable regions, notorious in terms of instability and political upheavals, and these security breaches have macroeconomic underpinnings of which employment and decent work cannot be excluded. As a sub-region, our journey towards ensuring decent work has been fraught with many challenges, including weak labour market institutions, large size informal economy with vulnerable employment and huge decent work deficits, he said. MR Awuah said the ratification of the two Conventions must be seen as an opportunity to change the narrative not only in expanding the opportunities for employment but also ensuring that the workplace was safe for the average worker, his employer and even third parties. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, has visited some of the coastal communities that were recently hit by tidal waves. He was there to commiserate with the affected persons and to inspect the Agavedzi area the site to temporarily shelter the victims in Ketu South Municipality. Dr Letsa told the people that the government would do everything to provide them with the needed support. He said the priority was to find a place where they could move, to save them from the seas devastation. That was why they had started constructing two-bedroom houses to accommodate the victims. The engineer is doing the markings and the contractors are also trying to create an access to the main road - what is now like a footpath, he said, adding that the displaced people would soon get a roof over their heads. We were at the site and we have seen a land space that can take up about 100, two-bedroom units and the Municipal Chief Executive through support from some organisations is going to start with 15. "And well look for funding to do the rest, 85. So, were expecting that by the end of the year, if were able to do 50 of the units, that will accommodate a lot of the people. The Regional Minister, accompanied by the Municipal and District Chief Executives for Ketu South, Keta and Anloga later paid a courtesy call on Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo. Coastal communities including Agavedzi, Salakope, Amutinu and Adina in the Ketu South Municipality, Vodza in Keta Central, Dzelukope in Keta Municipality, and Fuveme and Atiteti, in the Anloga District, were over the weekend, hit by tidal storm. The disaster came about five months after tidal flooding submerged hundreds of homes at Kedzikope, Abutiakope and Keta Central (Keta Municipality), Dzita, Agbledomi and Fuveme (Anloga District) and, Adina, Agavedzi, Amutinu and Salakope (Ketu South) rendering thousands of people homeless and destroying properties including school buildings. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian billionaire, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi has splashed a whopping GHC2.5 million to purchase the luxurious Rolls Royce Wraith. The business mogul who owns several mining concessions in the last few weeks made attempts to buy English Premier League club, Chelsea. This was after the European club was forcefully taken away from its owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government when Russia attacked Ukraine. To show his seriousness to buy Chelsea, Chairman Wontumi put up a tempting bid but it was not enough to make it into the top ten bids received from interested parties. Moving on from that ambitious venture, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has decided to take his money elsewhere. The mining magnate has splashed GHS2.5 million to buy the luxurious Rolls Royce Wraith with 2022 customisation as well. Check out the car in the video below: Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A road crash at Banana InnMango Down near Dansoman in the Ablekuma South sub-metro has left a police officer with a severe injury. The accident, which happened at about 2200 hours on Tuesday, involved a police motorbike with registration number: GP 2527 and a Toyota Vitz taxi with registration numbers GX 4321-19. Narrating the incident to Ghana News Agency (GNA), Elisha Tamakloe, an eyewitness, said the policeman, who was riding the motorbike was pursuing two commercial motor okada riders. He said upon reaching an intersection at Banana InnMango Down, a taxi driver who was about to take a turn, crossed them. The two okada riders swerved the taxi but the policeman was unfortunate, crashing his motorcycle into a side of the taxi, he added. When the GNA got to the scene around 2210 hours, the police had arrived to assess the incident and moved the motorcycle and the taxi to the Dansoman Police Station. The injured police officer was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Data from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) indicate that more than 230 lives perished and 1,237 people sustained varied degrees of injury through road crashes in January this year alone in the country. Also, a total of 461 motorcycle-related crashes led to the loss of 93 lives and 362 injuries while a total of 707 commercial vehicles were involved in the crashes leading to 95 deaths and 620 injuries. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, Secretary of the Ghana Tuna Association, has called on government to consider the establishment of a training school to build the capacity of value-chain actors in the fishery sector. He said such an institution would provide knowledge, skills, competencies and certification to locals to manage the sector. In the Tuna sector, hundred per cent of the Captains are Koreans, and its because we dont have a single Ghanaian fishery Captain who can man any of our tuna fishing vessels and its a fact. For one to take up this role, one needs competencies, skills, and certification to be able to man a tuna fishing vessel per international standards. And we dont have any training school that is training anybody to be a skipper of any of the fishing vessels, even Engineers, so we dont even have a fishing officer who is a Ghanaian to say we dont want to rely on foreigners again, he stated. Mr Amarfio made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when the Centre for Maritime, Law and Security (CEMLAWS) Africa, with funding from the Bloomberg Philanthropies under its Vibrant Oceans Initiative, launched a fisheries transparency project titled: Enhancing Transparency in the Fisheries Sectors of Benin, Cote dIvoire, Ghana and Senegal, in Accra. The comment followed long-standing grief by stakeholders over how foreigners had taken over management of fishing vessels in the country, with Ghanaians often working as their subordinates and sometimes, treated unprofessionally. The Associations Secretary said fisheries could be a major economic backbone for the nation if well managed. To properly manage the fisheries sector, Mr Amarfio suggested that the capacity of those at the operational level (fishermen), regulatory level, academia and research be well built. We have a trial and error approach to managing our fisheries sector. We do closed season to see if it works without reporting it. Then we say, lets add one more month to the closed season, or move it from November to January or February to harvest more. Those are not fisheries management. Fisheries management are clear scientific process. When you make an input, you know what to expect as an output, he said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It has now emerged that tidal wave victims in some parts of the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region have not received any relief items because they rejected the items. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) says they made an attempt to count the victims and also ascertain what the victims needed but the victims openly told the NADMO officials they do not need relief items but a permanent solution to the problem of the tidal wave. Five days after the tidal wave hit the area, no relief items had reached the victims because the municipal and regional offices of the NADMO did not have any relief items in stock for the victims. The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South, Maxwell Lugudor, had revealed on 3FMs Sunrise on Wednesday that they were waiting for the Volta Regional NADMO office to supply them with relief items. Reacting to the development on Thursday, the Volta Regional NADMO Director, Ivy Amewugah Mawufemor, told host Alfred Ocansey that it is true the items are yet to get to the victims. They said they are not ready to receive rice and oil. They want a permanent solution to the problem, so we found it difficult to send letters to the headquarters to release items. Madam Amewugah Mawufemor continued: We cannot place a request to the headquarters [NADMO] without figures so we needed to ascertain their needs before we place a call. We are working on relief items. We liaised with the headquarters and we are hoping to get something from them very soon but for now, we are yet to receive the relief item from the headquarters. The Director explained that NADMO officials were able to convince the victims to accept the relief items while efforts are being made to respond to their demands. They have now agreed to accept the relief items but they told us point blank that they are tired of rice and oil because this thing happened four months ago. It has been the normal thing that when it happens, they receive such items. They now want a permanent solution which is sea defense. This is what they told our men on the ground, that anytime they suffer to get something, the rain will come and wash them away. Source: 3 news Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist, Kweku Baako, has expressed utter surprise at the Minority in Parliament's new found love for an absentee NPP MP. His reaction comes in the wake of an attempt by certain members of their caucus to block a petition to drag Lawyer Sarah Adwoa Safo to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. Lawyer Adwoa Safo, Dome/Kwabenya MP, together with two other MPs, Henry Quartey of Ayawaso Central constituency and Kennedy Agyapong, Assin Central, has been referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin. The three MPs have been referred to the Committee for absenting themselves from Parliament for more than 15 sittings which is against the standing orders of Parliament. Petition A petition by Ras Mubarak, a former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, to the Speaker read; It has come to my notice through parliaments Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing. In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action. The Speaker accepted the petition based on Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution which states that a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet. Minority's Defence But Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak has built a defence for Lawyer Adwoa Safo. Speaking on JoyNews PM Express, Muntaka Mubarak revealed the reasons for Adwoa Safos absence from Parliament saying her reason has got to do with her children. He explained that the children are at risk of being separated from their mother by the American Social Welfare Department. Shes talking about her children and if shes not careful Social Welfare in America will seize these children. We cannot pretend to say that thats not a serious thing. We cant, he said. This explanation, he disclosed, was contained in the letter she wrote to the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, seeking a leave of absence after her party leadership in Parliament had refused to recommend her leave of absence to the Speaker. He added he's defending Adwoa Safo because he believes it's unfair for her to be listed among the truant MPs. Is she overstretching this? I know because of the numbers and the difficulty we find ourselves this has never been an issue. Evans, Im one who has constantly raised on the floor of Parliament about absenteeism from Parliament. You remember before the 2020 elections whenits not important, dont add constituencies because the 275 that you have, I cant even put my hand on a good 100 that are even doing the work. Ive said all these things before, so Im not just defending unnecessarily, he told the JoyNews interviewer. Soft Spot For Adwoa Safo But Kweku Baako is shocked that the Minority Chief Whip is defending Adwoa Safo, the same person he and his colleagues once claimed had been impersonated during a parliamentary sitting on the 2022 budget. It could be recalled that the Minority claimed that Adwoa Safo wasn't in Parliament but rather someone had been arranged to sit in for her posing like her just so the NPP MPs will have a majority number to vote to approve the budget. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Mr. Baako wondered why the U-turn by the Minority to speak for Adwoa Safo. "It appears there is a certain soft spot from the Minority side for Adwoa Safo. I don't understand it. This same lady was accused by the Minority that she has allowed herself to be impersonated. What is the status of that case?", he queried. To him, the fact that Hon. Muntaka is defending her means they told Ghanaians a lie when they said the NPP Majority had impersonated her. " . . between me and you, it was a bloody lie. It was a fabrication of the highest order, on the Minority side . . . Conspicuously, they are silent on that allegation of impersonation. Yes, because it was a fabrication but I find it interesting that slowly but surely, progressively, they have disengaged from that path," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Johnson Aseidu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has waded into the disputed Assin North parliamentary case before the Supreme Court. Speaking to Mugabe Maase on the Gumbe Show on TV XYZ, he suggested that the NDCs candidate, Mr James Gyakye Quayson, shall win the seat back if the judgement of the court goes another way. Asiedu Nketiah also maintained that Mr Quayson will run on the ticket of the NDC uncontested and win back the seat with a vast margin should there be a by-election. We are very ready for a By-election because, in a By-election, Quayson will not campaign, he will only talk to the people for a while. Quayson shall return to parliament in the worst-case scenario that the courts ruling goes against him he emphasized. Pushed further by Mugabe on his level of certainty that Quayson shall win the seat again, he said he shall win hands down because the margin at which he won the seat in 2020 will increase. Aseidu Nketia again assured Ghanaians that the NDC as a party is ready to handle incidents like that of the Ayawaso West Wagon violence and will not withdraw from any election. We will not withdraw from any form of the election unless I am dead. We will not withdraw from any election. The NDCs slogan in starting all elections is, No retreat, No surrender, No curve, No bend, straight onto victory, he vowed. Expressing himself on matters of election violence and withdrawing from elections, the General Secretary elucidated that there have been a lot of changes in the police and military hierarchy, hence there wont be any negative actions from these institutions. He stated that the new Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, will not allow things that happened in the past to happen again. He was optimistic that the IGPs track record in recent times shows he is different. He added that the military is also disappointed in president Nana Akufo Addo and will not succumb to any instructions to kill the masses. Source: XYZ Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has condemned MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, over a heated exchange between him and the Speaker of Parliament. The NDC MP clashed with Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin Wednesday afternoon on the floor of Parliament over the latters decision to refer some absentee MPs to the Privileges Committee. Muntaka Mubarak who is also the Minority Chief Whip would not allow Speaker Bagbin to go ahead with his statement if the former has not defended his stance. After the Speakers declaration that the MPs in question including Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey; Dome-Kwabenya MP Adwoa Safo and Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, be summoned before the committee, Mubarak raised concern and argued that the MPs should have been engaged before referring them to the Privileges Committee. According to him, Speaker Alban Bagbins decision when allowed to stand will set a dangerous precedence and may be used by another dictator Speaker in the future. If we allow this to stand it will become precedent, tomorrow it may hurt all of us, he stressed. But Bagbin would not take any of the explanations. Reacting to the issue on Gumbe Show on TV XYZ, the NDC Chief Scribe also known as General Mosquito described the situation as unfortunate. I dont agree with Muntaka. He should have allowed the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee, he told host Mugabe Maase. According to Asiedu Nketia, Muntaka could have waited to argue about it after the absentee MPs had defended themselves. Source: XYZ Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A National Communications Team Member for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Mohammed Awal has advised the Member of Parliament for Dome- Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo to bring her children home if she cannot get someone to take care of them in America. This comes after the MP with two other names were mentioned in parliament for absenting themselves. Former Kumbungu lawmaker, Ras Mubarak petitioned the Speaker to discipline these lawmakers for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission. In his petition, he said It has come to my notice through parliaments Hansard, and newspaper and radio report that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing. In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action. The Speaker then referred Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey to the Privileges Committee as stated by Ras Mubarak. In the speakers ruling, he quoted article 75 (2) of the constitution detailing the absenteeism of members of parliament. But Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak forcefully resisted the speakers ruling on referring the three MPs to the Privileges Committee. Muntaka Mubarak later revealed that Adwoa Safos children are at risk of being separated from their mother by the American Social Welfare Department, hence her long stay in the US. It has also been speculated that Adwoa Safo has been in America because she is strugglin gto get someone to take care of her children. Speaking on Atinka TVs morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr Mohammed Awal said Ghana is also home, hence the MP should bring her children home. If the children are there and you are not getting anyone to take care of them bring them home, is it not your country? As Muntaka is saying her children are there and she is scared Social Welfare will take the children, if that is the reason then bring them home, he said. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a time when the 8th Parliament of Ghana has seen grave misconduct from its members, it is uniquely rare to find people admiring the Legislative House as some critics believe intensely that Ghanaians have lost confidence in Parliament and its members. The 8th Parliament led by Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin has been characterized by violent acts from Members of Parliament trading blows in the chamber to removing the Speaker's chair to prevent the Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, from acting as Speaker of Parliament among other unparliamentary incidents in the August House. But even if Ghanaians have indeed lost confidence in the House, Parliament can however be happy to note that all hope is not lost yet. Parliament has a number one fan in the person of seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako. Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, has expressed his unquenchable adoration for Parliament in the wake of the brouhaha happening in the House. Contributing to Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Wednesday morning, Kweku Baako stated emphatically that, among the three arms of government, Parliament is his favorite. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, Mr. Baako confessed his deep love saying, "My favorite arm of government is Parliament. It's the Legislature and this is because, perhaps, where I grew up and how I grew up, I just love Parliament to bits. "And we all know that when there are unconstitutional disruptions, the first casualty is the Legislature and as long as the unconstitutionality prevails, the Legislature is missing from the political landscape. "This is all part of the reasons we feel the Fourth Republic is more or less a blessing in the sense that the more legislative experience we have, the more we can consolidate that culture of governance and in the process make a lot of progress." Source: ghanaguardian.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has indicated that, should the NDC win the 2024 general elections, the party will cancel the Electronic Transfer Levy, E-Levy. Speaking on Joy News, the NDC National Executive Member said, the tax imposes hardship on citizens, therefore the NDC will repeal it. The General Secretary of the party has already said so. Hes my boss. Hes the Chief Executive Officer of the party, [and] he has said so. And I believe that he has the blessing of the leadership of the party, and that is a party position, that we do not subscribe to the E-levy, and we will not continue to take E-levy from Ghanaians should power change hands. "Because we need to bring honesty to the politics we do in this country. If the E-levy is bad now, it cannot be good in 2025. And I believe that the NDC will stand by the position the General Secretary has announced. Im even looking for a situation where that will be captured expressly in our 2024 manifesto, Sammy Gyamfi explained. He is of the view that E-levy is a double taxation that affects the medium of payment. Sammy Gyamfi appealed to Ghanaians not to blame the NDC for the passage of the Bill into law. He noted that the Bill is a tax initiative of the ruling New Patriotic Party, stating that despite the passage of the Bill, the NDC will continue to employ all avenues to fight the said passage. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Head of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly called Opanyin Agyekum, is calling on the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to bring hope to Ghanaians as he readies to speak on the economy today. The Vice President, who is the Head of the Economic Management Team, will be making the presentation on the economy as the main speaker at a National Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) Training and Orientation Conference - a gathering of tertiary students of the students' wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), at Kasoa in the Central region. The event is under the auspices of the NPP Youth Wing in collaboration with the Danquah Institute, a policy Think-Tank. Dr Bawumia has been at the forefront of Ghanas digitalisation agenda. As Dr. Bawumia preps to deliver his speech, people are already expectant of what he has to say to Ghanaians. Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Opanyin Agyekum asked the Veep to tell Ghanaians what the government will be doing to assuage their hardships and not just be speaking the language of an economist with all the economic jargons. He paraphrastically stated that ''saying the GDP is this or that and so forth doesn't concern the ordinary Ghanaian as for him or her, his/her interest is in what you are going to do to reduce the high prices and make their living conditions better''. He implored Dr. Bawumia to offer real lasting solutions to the economic challenges Ghanaians are facing but not give them mere words. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has urged the National Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) to support the ruling government especially "in this period of global economic crisis". The First Lady who was speaking at the TESCON's Training and Orientation Conference being held at Kasoa in the Central region said the students need to engage the public actively in explaining the economic challenges and what government is doing to solve them. I call on the TESCON fraternity to solidly support the government in this period of global economic crisis, there is light at the end of the tunnel but there is also work to be done. You need to engage the public actively in situating Ghanas economic challenges and the solutions by the government, she said. She added that the "future of NPP depends on you (TESCON)" and that government will do everything to support them. You need to have the facts and the necessary arguments to enable better public discourse, she added. Meanwhile, she has commended TESCON for their contribution in bringing the NPP to power. I commend you for the hard work in the 2020 elections which gave us the mandate to govern the country again. The long days and night, strategic meetings, the door-to-door campaign of TESCON has no doubt made NPP formidable, she 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. Featured Video Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has admitted the challenges and economic hardship Ghanaians are going through. From the man on the streets to the business mogul, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the shelter we seek or have, to the benevolence we extend to friends and family, the health of the economy is the cardinal instrument. To bring this home, essentially the economy is what we feel in our pockets. I acknowledge that times are hard. This is the reality irrespective of the cause . . . Today our economy is witnessing rising prices of fuel, and virtually all commodities like bread, rice, sugar, sachet water, cement, iron rods, and so on . . . Even the price of my favorite 'Kofi Brokeman' and kenkey are seeing price increases. These are the stark realities that confront us today, he said. Speaking at a conference held by TESCON, the student wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, April 7, he attributed the cause of the economic challenges to the Russia/Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, Ghana "is directly affected by the Russia-Ukraine war" however, government has introduced measures to reduce the hardship. The increase in commodity prices has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The longer the conflict the greater will be the disruptions to global food supply. In Ghana for example, 30% of our cereal grains, wheat flour and fertilizer is from Russia. 60% of iron rods and metal sheets imports is from Ukraine. 20% of Ghana's manganese exports is to Ukraine. . . So we are directly affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. Unfortunately, we do not know when it will be over..." 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. Featured Video Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has fired shots at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in his public speech on the economy at an ongoing National Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) Training and Orientation Conference. The Vice President was proud of the progress of the economy despite the world economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war. Speechifying before the party's national youth wing, Dr. Bawumia noted economy, under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and himself, has attained an impressive Gross Domestic Product which, he indicated, has been exceedingly higher than the growth rate that the erstwhile Mahama government achieved in its 4-year term. ''After a period of sluggish and declining growth, real GDP growth picked up from 3.4 percent in 2016 to an average of 6.9 percent between 2017 and 2019. The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 however resulted in a sharp reduction in GDP growth to 0.4 percent. In fact, many countries in the world recorded negative [growth] in 2020. Ghana was one of the few countries that had a positive growth even though it was very small. ''The resilience of the economy manifested in 2021 with a pickup of real GDP growth from 0.4% in 2020 to a projected 5.3% in 2021 with the non-oil sector projected to grow at 6.9% in 2021. In fact, the average rate of growth of GDP for 2017 to 2021, this is the period including COVID when we had 0.4% growth in 2020, the average rate between 2017 and 2021 is 5.3%'', he said. He jabbed the NDC stressing ''even with COVID, the growth of the economy is fundamentally stronger than it was in the 2013 to 2016 period''. He also disclosed that the government is majorly focusing on industrialization and production, hence supporting the automotive industry and local businesses. ''Also government, through Exim Bank, has committed 60 million dollars to supporting local pharmaceutical companies. So far, 75 percent of the approved amount has been released to the local pharmaceutical companies'' ''Ladies and gentlemen, changing the structure of our economy through diversification and the value addition will not happen overnight. However, it remains it remains a major preoccupation of the government because it is our pathway'' to reduce ''dependency, expand the economy, create jobs and increase exports and support the value of the currency'', he emphasized. The Veep also revealed that, under their 1 District, 1 Factory policy, ''106 factories have been completed and are operational and 148 factories are under construction...Ladies and gentlemen, this represents the largest number of factories established under a government in Ghana since independence''. To Dr. Bawumia, ''the growth fundamentals of our economy are strong and resilient''. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says "the chaotic battle in Parliament" as well as other factors led to the lack of investor confidence. Dr Bawumia who was giving reasons for the depreciation of the cedi said the brawl in Parliament, delays in implementing major tax reforms, credit rating downgrade by Fitch and Moodys "resulted in an unwillingness of foreign investors to roll over holdings of domestic debt". The "Economic Messiah" as he is called by some members of the NPP communication team speaking at a forum held by TESCON, the students wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, April 7 said: "The chaotic battle in parliament over the budget created uncertainty and signalled to the markets that the government may not be able to get most of its programs passed in a tightly balanced parliament. This further reinforced the lack of confidence investors had in the budget." Furthermore, delays in implementing major tax reforms such as the benchmark policy reversal, tax exemptions bill, common platform for property tax, and the review of fees and charges appeared to support the assessment of the market that the government will have difficulty in getting its programs through parliament. To add to this negative market sentiment, there was a sovereign credit rating downgrade by Fitch and Moodys as a result of concerns about fiscal and debt sustainability. This resulted in an unwillingness of foreign investors to roll over holdings of domestic debt. They demanded foreign exchange to repatriate their investments, he added. Economic hardship Meanwhile, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has admitted the challenges and economic hardship Ghanaians are going through. From the man on the streets to the business mogul, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the shelter we seek or have, to the benevolence we extend to friends and family, the health of the economy is the cardinal instrument. To bring this home, essentially the economy is what we feel in our pockets. I acknowledge that times are hard. This is the reality irrespective of the cause . . . Today our economy is witnessing rising prices of fuel, and virtually all commodities like bread, rice, sugar, sachet water, cement, iron rods, and so on . . . Even the price of my favorite 'Kofi Brokeman' and kenkey are seeing price increases. These are the stark realities that confront us today, he said. According to him, Ghana "is directly affected by the Russia-Ukraine war" however, government has introduced measures to reduce the hardship. The increase in commodity prices has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The longer the conflict the greater will be the disruptions to global food supply. In Ghana for example, 30% of our cereal grains, wheat flour and fertilizer is from Russia. 60% of iron rods and metal sheets imports is from Ukraine. 20% of Ghana's manganese exports is to Ukraine. . . So we are directly affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. Unfortunately, we do not know when it will be over..." 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. Featured Video Former second lady of the Republic of Ghana, Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama(nee Egala) has passed away. She died at the Korlebu Teaching Hospital earlier this afternoon, Thursday, April 7. She was 70. Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama, was the wife of the late Vice President of Ghana under John Agyekum Kufours administration, Alhaji Aliu Mahama. "It is with deep sorrow, I announce the passing of my beloved mom, the former Second Lady of the Republic, Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama(nee Egala). She passed on peaceful in Accra at the Korlebu Teaching Hospital earlier this afternoon," Farouk Aliu Mahama, MP for Yendi constituency and Board Chairman of the Ghana Intergrated Iron and Steel Development Cooperation (GIISDEC) said. "The family has lost a great pillar. Burial and funeral rites would be conducted in accordance with Islamic traditions. Further information will be provided in due course," he added. In line with the Islamic traditions, quick plans must be made for interment but because she is a former Second Lady, the government will be keen on playing a role in her funeral. The late wife of the former Vice President was an educationist in Tamale. Due to her love and care for her pupils, she earned the coveted title Mma Ramatu or Mother Ramatu. Hajia Ramatu Mahama was the daughter of the late Imoro Egala, a Minister for Trade and Industry and first black Chairman of COCOBOD, in the first Republic and a long-standing political stalwart in Ghana through to the third Republic; doubling as a founder of the PNP now PNC. The late Hajia Ramatu Mahama left behind four children, namely; Salma Mahama, Farouk Mahama, MP for Yendi, Fayad Mahama, and Halim Mahama. The late Hajia Ramatu Mahama, 70, would have turned 71 on October 15, 2022. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Thursday, 7th April 2022 addressed the nation on the future of Ghanas economy. His address focused on the exchange rate, depreciation of the cedi, government's flagship programmes, cost of living, and so on. Dr Bawumia spoke at a conference organized by TESCON, the student wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in collaboration with the Danquah Institute held at the Millennium City in Kasoa in the Central Region. Read his full speech below Your browser does not support iframes. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Recent progress in nanotechnology paves the way for improved drug delivery, clinical diagnosis, and even environmental protection against toxic pollutants. Credit: Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis Active nanotech-based research from China has yielded several new advancements with wide-ranging applications. Newly developed nanosensors can be used to detect toxic environmental pollutants, such as chromium; novel medical technologies can be leveraged to allow point-of-care testing for clinical diagnosis and drug analysis; and they can even provide sustained and controlled drug release. Accordingly, these new technologies are expected to usher in an era of improved healthcare at the levels of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Nanotechnology research has found applications in many fields, from medicine and drug research to aeronautics and automobiles. A series of recent studies from Chinese researchers, which were published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, have contributed further to nanotechnology research. The first study, made available online on May 1, 2021 and published in Volume 12 Issue 1 February 2022 of the journal, was published by researchers from Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. These researchers set out to solve the problems caused by environmental contamination with chromium, a carcinogen. They developed nanodots made of carbon using natural polysaccharides from Poria mushrooms, which have no pharmacological activity. These nanodots functioned as an "on-off" fluorescent probe with the ability to detect environmental chromium. Speaking about the applications, the researchers say, "With their inexpensive source material, these nanodots allow for cost-effective and quick chromium detection, and their efficacy has been proven using actual water samples. They also represent a new avenue for the non-pharmacological application of traditional Chinese medicines and could help prevent serious health problems." In another study, made available online on March 31, 2021 and published in Volume 12 Issue 1 February 2022 of the journal, researchers from Chongqing Medical University and Chongqing Normal University found a way to regulate the peroxidase activity of molybdenum-based quantum dots that acted as "nanozymes" (small artificial enzymes). These nanozymes caused a color change in the presence of a particular drug, and the intensity of the color change reflected the concentration of the drug. The researchers state, "These nanosensors could be used to detect drug concentrations depending on the intensity of the color change. Therefore, they could be used to develop robust pharmaceutical detection platforms to make drug assays and diagnosis easier, improving the standard of healthcare." In the final study, made available online on March 9, 2021 and published in Volume 12 Issue 1 February 2022 of the journal, researchers from Lanzhou University used nanotechnology to develop better drug formulations. Controlled drug release helps in targeting tumors and cancer more effectively, but there are few approaches that allow controlled drug release in a tumor's intracellular microenvironment. Therefore, researchers developed a mixed drug self-delivery system (DSDS) with a high drug content that contained two forms of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. This system provided sustained pH-triggered drug release, which could be adjusted by manipulating the ratio of the two forms of the drug. Interestingly, laboratory tests showed that the slow-release mixed DSDS nanoparticles were highly effective in killing cancer cells. "Therefore, this platform could serve as a suitable treatment system, providing improved patient outcomes in the future," the researchers conclude. More information: Qianqian Huang et al, Carbon dots derived from Poria cocos polysaccharide as an effective "on-off" fluorescence sensor for chromium (VI) detection, Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis (2021). Qianqian Huang et al, Carbon dots derived from Poria cocos polysaccharide as an effective "on-off" fluorescence sensor for chromium (VI) detection,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.04.004 Juan Tan et al, Reversible regulation of enzyme-like activity of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots for colorimetric pharmaceutical analysis, Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.03.010 Jiagen Li et al, Regulation of drug release performance using mixed doxorubicin-doxorubicin dimer nanoparticles as a pH-triggered drug self-delivery system, Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.03.001 Provided by Cactus Communications Flash Russia and Ukraine are continuing negotiations but there remains a long way to go, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "There is still quite a long road ahead ... The working process is continuing, but more viscously than we want," Peskov told a daily briefing, stressing that Moscow would like Kiev to be more active during the negotiations. The withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev region was to facilitate the peace talks, he told France's LCI broadcaster earlier in the day. Russia is interested in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to Russia's conditions, which were clearly formulated by the Russian delegation, so that the military operation will come to an end, he said. Dark chocolate, with about 70 to 80 per cent of cocoa, contains lower amounts of sugar and is rich in antioxidants. Credit: Shutterstock There's no denying that chocolate is one of the world's favorite foods. Whether you prefer milk, dark, caramel or added hazelnuts, chocolate is enjoyed by millions of people each year. So much so, that the global chocolate and confectionary production industry is currently worth $100 billion. UNSW food microbiologist, Associate Professor Jian Zhao from UNSW School of Chemical Engineering, says despite advancements in research and manufacturing, the basic chocolate production process has remained largely the same for thousands of years. "Food technologists can experiment with different flavors and styles of chocolate but when it comes down to the very core of how it's produced, we are still doing chocolate the good old-fashioned way because people love the way it tastesso why reinvent the wheel?" he says. "Cocoa trees originated from the Amazon region in Central and South America. Thousands of years ago, the native Indian and Aztec peoples used to make a drink from the beans rather than eat it like we do now. "Now, we have plantations across Indonesia, Nigeria, Ghana, and even small ones in Northern Queensland here in Australia, but most cocoa beans are still sourced from the Ivory Coast. "It's a growing industry because everyone loves chocolateit's almost become a staple in every household's pantry." From bean to block Chocolate production starts with cocoa. Each cocoa tree can bear approximately 1000 beans a year which is typically enough to make one kilogram of chocolate. Growing cocoa is notorious for being very labor intensive and requiring hard manual work with plantation workers cutting the pods with machetes by hand. Once the pods are ripe, they are harvested, and the cocoa beans are removed and placed in a pile covered with large banana leaves. This is called the fermentation stage and allows the beans to break down, says A/Prof. Zhao. "The fermentation stage takes about five to eight days depending on the climate," he says. "During this process, the flesh of the cocoa beans decomposes and lots of flavoring compounds are produced. This part of the process has a huge impact on the taste of the final product. "Once the beans are fermented, they are dried in the sun for several days, packed and shipped to chocolate manufacturers all over the world." At the manufacturing plant, the dried cocoa beans are firstly roasted, which helps the bold colors and flavor of the bean to fully develop. The beans are cracked opened and the "nibs," the small pieces of crushed cocoa beans, are extracted and ground up to produce a cocoa liquor. Depending on the manufacturer's formula, milk and sugar or more cocoa powder can then be added to achieve the desired taste. "This is where chocolate makers get creative and what really sets them apart from each other," says A/Prof. Zhao. "While most of the production process is usually done in large industrial warehouses, there are some smaller makers that still do this manuallyit's a culinary form of art." Old world meets new world A/Prof. Zhao says understanding the science of chocolate has helped develop modern ways to improve the consistency during the fermentation process. "We know that cocoa pods are still harvested by hand and the beans are dried on banana leaves on the groundthey still do things the traditional way so there is little control in things like hygiene," he says. "We're trying to understand what microbes are important to achieve that chocolate flavor we all know and love so we can develop microbes into static cultures. "We then use these static cultures to transform the fermentation process into a more controlled industrial processthat's the goal." What's your flavor? Europe is the world's largest chocolate producer and exporter, with a global market share of approximately 40 percent of industrial chocolate. But who takes out the crown for the world's best chocolate? It depends on who you ask. A/Prof. Zhao says while two brands of chocolate might source their cocoa beans from the very same plantation, there can be a significant difference in taste through the production process. "One chocolate maker might do everything manually and another might have different ratios of milk and sugar they add to it," he says. "Even if you source the same beans from the same plantation, that doesn't mean you're going to get the same tasting block of chocolate at the end. "It's like wine. A bottle of red wine produced by different winemakers but from the same grapes will still taste differenteven if they're both the same type of wine. "Some people will say Swiss chocolate is the best and others will say Belgian chocolate is superior, but it comes down to your own personal preference and taste buds." Explore further Dark chocolate may do your heart good this Valentine's Day Two populations of mule deer featured in Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States: Volume 2 perform transboundary migrations between winter ranges in the Wind River Indian Reservation and summer ranges in surrounding federal lands in Wyoming. Credit: Mark Gocke/Wyoming Game and Fish Department There is perhaps nothing more evocative of the American West than herds of elk, mule deer or pronghorn moving freely across the landscape. And a new series of detailed maps reveals their migration pathwaysthanks to a team of state, federal and tribal scientists. The second volume in a series, the detailed maps will help wildlife managers conserve the big-game migrations that support herd abundance and provide cultural significance and economic benefits to regional communities. "Many ungulate herds have to migrate to thrive on the strongly seasonal landscapes of the American West. These corridor maps make it possible to manage those critical movements," says Matthew Kauffman, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Wyoming, who is the report's lead author. Each spring and fall, ungulates move throughout the western United States in sync with critical food resources. But, as the human footprint in West expands, these species increasingly face obstacles such as new subdivisions, energy development, impermeable fences and high-traffic roads on their long journeys. These barriers can increase mortality from vehicle collisions and disrupt the historical routes used by ungulates, threatening the long-term persistence of existing migrations. Detailed mapping from GPS collar data, like that provided in the "Western Migrations" report series, helps scientists pinpoint those barriers. State and tribal wildlife agencies manage most of the migratory herds in the western United States. Biologists have long tracked animal movements as a cornerstone of state monitoring and management, but extracting the most biologically meaningful migration corridors from the tangle of individual animal tracks has been technically complex. To meet the challenge, a partnership known as the Corridor Mapping Team was established in 2018, leveraging expertise from state wildlife agencies, tribes and the USGS. The Corridor Mapping Team consists of analysts from many Western states and tribes and is led by researchers at the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at UW. The team has been key to developing standard techniques for mapping the corridors and making them available to the public. The team's creation and dissemination of Migration Mapper software facilitated the production of maps for Volumes 1 and 2 of "Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States." These mapping approachesimplemented in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other state wildlife agencieshave gained traction among western land and wildlife managers. "The big-game corridor mapping program is strongly supported by western fish and wildlife agencies and serves as a model of how empirical science facilitates collaborative, landscape-level conservation efforts through state and federal cooperation," says Zachary Lowe, executive director of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. "I am hard-pressed to think of many other successful landscape conservation efforts that have garnered such broad support from these diverse stakeholders so quickly." Unique from the first volume, the second report in the series includes maps of two mule deer populations that migrate across the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, which are primarily managed by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Department of Fish and Game. Other new maps delineate migrations that span state boundaries, such as the Sheldon-Hart Mountain pronghorn that move between Nevada and Oregon, and the Paunsaugunt mule deer that migrate between Utah and Arizona. "This atlas of ungulate migrations is an incredible resource for anyone who cares about the West's big-game herds and the challenges they face," says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). "TRCP appreciates the commitment demonstrated by the Interior Department, USGS, and numerous Western states and tribes in delineating these crucial corridors." Many agencies and conservation groups have developed collaborative programs to sustain migrations by building road underpasses or overpasses to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions; removing obsolete and impassable fences; and protecting agricultural lands from development. In addition to managers from the respective state wildlife agencies, report co-authors include the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Bureau of Land Management. Maps of each herd were produced in collaboration with regional experts by cartographers from the USGS and the InfoGraphics Lab at the University of Oregon. Mapping by partners is ongoing, with a third volume of migration maps currently in preparation. The report, "Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States: Volume 2," includes maps and summaries of 65 big-game migration routes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, the Wind River Indian Reservation and Wyoming. To explore migration routes and ranges, visit the interactive WesternMigrations.net portal. Explore further New maps document big-game migrations across the western United States More information: Matthew Kauffman et al, Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2, (2022). pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2022/5008/sir20225008.pdf Matthew Kauffman et al, Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2, (2022). DOI: 10.3133/sir20225008 Extensive technological developments, a ban on fossil fuels, less construction, fewer flights, fewer car journeys and lower levels of beef and dairy consumption. Only by taking all these measures in combination can Sweden get closer to emission levels in line with the Paris Agreement, according to a new research report commissioned by the Swedish Parliament. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology Extensive technological developments, a ban on fossil fuels, less construction, fewer flights, fewer car journeys and lower levels of beef and dairy consumption. Only by taking all these measures in combination can Sweden get closer to emission levels in line with the Paris Agreement, according to a new research report commissioned by the Swedish Parliament. On April 7, the Swedish Cross-Party Committee on Environmental Objectives is suggesting a new consumption-based climate target, as a complement to the existing territorial climate targets. As a basis for this, a group of Swedish researchers, from organizations including Chalmers University of Technology, have produced a comprehensive report analyzing how consumption patterns need to change for Sweden to reach emission levels in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping the global temperature rise well below two degrees Celsius. The researchers' conclusion is that while extensive technological developments are essential, consumption habits must also changeonly by combining these two approaches do we stand a chance of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The premise in the calculations is that the remaining future emissions are distributed globally evenly per person. "If we are to achieve really low emission levels, we need to both invest heavily in new climate-smart technologies, as well as make significant changes to our behavior when it comes to the goods and services with the highest carbon footprints," says Jorgen Larsson, Associate Professor in sustainable consumption at Chalmers University of Technology, and project manager for the report. Without behavioral changes, emissions will remain high The report is based on analyses of different scenarios and shows that if we rely only on technological developmentsmeasures such as eliminating fossil-fuel vehicles, producing fossil-free steel and fossil-free commercial fertilizeremissions will still be too high. Only when these technological developments are combined with significant changes in behavior does the outlook improveparticularly if the changes are substantial. When combined with fewer flights, less car travel, significantly reduced consumption of beef and dairy products, and radically reduced construction of roads and housingfor example by converting office blocks to residential buildingsemissions could sink by up to 90 percent by 2050, compared with today's level. This reduction of emissions is based on the assumption that the rest of the world also enacts climate change mitigation measures to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, thereby reducing the carbon footprints of imported goods. "The scenario with extensive behavioral changes is a theoretical thought experiment, which aims to show the lowest levels we could reach with the help of both technological and radical social changes and still live a modern life," says Johannes Morfeldt, researcher at the Division of Physical Resource Theory at Chalmers University of Technology. The figure shows the emission levels and reduction potentials for different scenarios in 2050 compared to 2019 for emissions related to transportation, food, buildings and infrastructure. Current trends and policies shows the results for Swedish consumption-based emissions if other countries develop in line with current climate policy. Global climate transition shows results for Swedish consumption-based emissions if other countries develop in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology / Johannes Morfeldt Analyses based on five distinct scenarios The report, which is based on Swedish conditions, outlines scenarios with varying degrees of technological development and behavioral changes. The Reference scenario foresees behaviors and technology evolving according to current trends. The Territorial climate target scenarioSweden's climate targets are achieved mainly through technological changes. Behavior and technology scenarioin addition to the technological changes in the previous scenario, further measures are implemented (both technical and behavioral) to lower Swedish consumption impacts outside of Sweden's borders as well. (not pictured in the diagram) Comprehensive behavior and technology scenarioextensive reductions in flying, driving, consumption of beef and dairy products, as well as in the construction of new roads and housing. Reference scenario with comprehensive behavior changethe same reductions in consumption as in the previous scenario, but without the introduction of advanced technologies, both in Sweden and abroad. More about the research This study outlines a method for scenario analysis based on bottom-up simulations of pathways for consumption sectors with the largest climate impactpassenger car travel, air travel, construction and housing, and food. The study extends previous research by analyzing the impact of lifestyle and technological changes at the national level on consumption-based emissions. The analysis merges methods developed in separate sectoral studies and places them in a prospective lifecycle assessment framework. Assumptions are harmonized for two background scenariosa current trends and policies scenario and a global climate transition scenario in line with the Paris Agreement's goalsto illustrate the strong influence of technological developments in the rest of the world when estimating consumption-based emissions (indicated by a range). Explore further Nature-based carbon removal can help protect us from a warming planet Simulated seismic waves from a multi-physics simulation of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Credit: Dr. Thomas Ulrich For nearly a decade, researchers at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) Munchen and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have fostered a healthy collaboration between geophysicists and computer scientists to try and solve one of humanity's most terrifying problems. Despite advancements over the recent decades, researchers are still largely unable to forecast when and where earthquakes might strike. Under the right circumstances, a violent couple of minutes of shaking can portend an even greater threat to followcertain kinds of earthquakes under the ocean floor can rapidly displace massive amounts of water, creating colossal tsunamis that can, in some cases, arrive only minutes after the earthquake itself is finished causing havoc. Extremely violent earthquakes do not always cause tsunamis, though. And relatively mild earthquakes still have the potential to trigger dangerous tsunami conditions. LMU geophysicists are determined to help protect vulnerable coastal populations by better understanding the fundamental dynamics that lead to these events, but recognize that data from ocean, land and atmospheric sensors are insufficient for painting the whole picture. As a result, the team in 2014 turned to using modeling and simulation to better understand these events. Specifically, it started using high-performance computing (HPC) resources at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ), one of the 3 centers that comprise the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS). "The growth of HPC hardware made this work possible in the first place," said Prof. Dr. Alice-Agnes Gabriel, Professor at LMU and researcher on the project. "We need to understand the fundamentals of how megathrust fault systems work, because it will help us assess subduction zone hazards. It is unclear which geological faults can actually produce magnitude 8 and above earthquakes, and also which have the greatest risk for producing a tsunami." Through years of computational work at LRZ, the team has developed high-resolution simulations of prior violent earthquake-tsunami events. Integrating many different kind of observational data, LMU researchers have now identified three major characteristics that play a significant role in determining an earthquake's potential to stoke a tsunamistress along the fault line, rock rigidity and the strength of sediment layers. The LMU team recently published its results in Nature Geoscience. Lessons from the past The team's prior work has modeled past earthquake-tsunami events in order to test whether simulations are capable of recreating conditions that actually occurred. The team has spent a lot of effort modeling the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquakeone of the most violent natural disasters ever recorded, consisting of a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami waves that reached over 30 meters high. The disaster killed almost a quarter of a million people, and caused billions in economic damages. Simulating such a fast-moving, complex event requires massive computational muscle. Researchers must divide the area of study into a fine-grained computational grid where they solve equations to determine the physical behavior of water or ground (or both) in each space, then move their calculation forward in time very slowly so they can observe how and when changes occur. Despite being at the cutting edge of computational modeling efforts, the team used the vast majority of SuperMUC Phase 2 in 2017, at the time LRZ's flagship supercomputer, and was only able to model a single earthquake simulation at high resolution. During this period, the groups collaboration with computer scientists at TUM led to developing a "local time-stepping" method, which essentially allows the researchers to focus time-intensive calculations on the regions that are rapidly changing, while skipping over areas where things are not changing throughout the simulation. By incorporating this local time-stepping method, the team was able to run its Sumatra-Andaman quake simulation in 14 hours rather than the 8 days it took beforehand. The team continued to refine its code to run more efficiently, improving input/output methods and inter-node communications. At the same time, LRZ installed in 2018 its next-generation SuperMUC-NG system, significantly more powerful than the prior generation. The result? The team was able to not only unify the earthquake simulation itself with tectonic plate movements and the physical laws of how rocks break and slide, but also realistically simulate the tsunami wave growth and propagation as well. Gabriel pointed out that none of these simulations would be possible without access to HPC resources like those at LRZ. "It is really hardware aware optimization we are utilizing," she said. "The computer science achievements are essential for us to do advance computational geophysics and earthquake science, which is increasingly data-rich but remains model-poor. With further optimization and hardware advancements, we can perform as many of these scenarios to allow sensitivity analysis to figure out which initial conditions are most meaningful to understand large earthquakes." After having its simulation data, the researchers set to work understanding what characteristics seemed to play the largest role in making this earthquake so destructive. Having identified stress, rock rigidity, and sediment strength as playing the largest roles in determining both an earthquake's strength and its propensity for causing a large tsunami, the team has helped bring HPC into scientists and government officials' playbook for tracking, mitigating, and preparing for earthquake and tsunami disasters moving forward. Urgent computing in the HPC era Gabriel indicated that the team's computational advancements fall squarely in line with an emerging sense within the HPC community that these world-class resources need to be available in a "rapid response" fashion during disaster or emergencies. Due to its long-running collaboration with LRZ, the team was able to quickly model the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami near Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing more than 2,000 fatalities and provide insights into what happened. "We need to understand the fundamentals of how submerged fault systems work, as it will help us assess their earthquake as well as cascading secondary hazards. Specifically, the deadly consequences of the Palu earthquake came as a complete surprise to scientists," Gabriel said. "We have to have physics-based HPC models for rapid response computing, so we can quickly respond after hazardous events. When we modeled the Palu earthquake, we had the first data-fused models ready to try and explain what happened in a couple of weeks. If scientists know which geological structures may cause geohazards, we could trust some of these models' informing hazard assessment and operational hazard mitigation." In addition to being able to being able to run many permutations of the same scenario with slightly different inputs, the team is also focused on leveraging new artificial intelligence and machine learning methods to help comb through the massive amounts of data generated during the team's simulations in order help clean up less-relevant and possibly distracting data that comes from the team's simulations. The team is also participating in the ChEESE project, an initiative aimed at preparing mature HPC codes for exascale systems, or next-generation systems capable of one billion billion calculations per second, or more than twice as fast as today's most powerful supercomputer, the Fugaku system in Japan. More information: Thomas Ulrich et al, Stress, rigidity and sediment strength control megathrust earthquake and tsunami dynamics, Nature Geoscience (2022). Journal information: Nature Geoscience Thomas Ulrich et al, Stress, rigidity and sediment strength control megathrust earthquake and tsunami dynamics,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-021-00863-5 Provided by Gauss Centre for Supercomputing NASAs Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to take this 360-degree panorama on March 23, 2022, the 3,423th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The team has informally described the wind-sharpened rocks seen here as gator-back rocks because of their scaly appearance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA's Curiosity Mars rover spent most of March climbing the "Greenheugh Pediment"a gentle slope capped by rubbly sandstone. The rover briefly summited this feature's north face two years ago; now on the pediment's southern side, Curiosity has navigated back onto the pediment to explore it more fully. But on March 18, the mission team saw an unexpected terrain change ahead and realized they would have to turn around: The path before Curiosity was carpeted with more wind-sharpened rocks, or ventifacts, than they have ever seen in the rover's nearly 10 years on the Red Planet. Ventifacts chewed up Curiosity's wheels earlier in the mission. Since then, rover engineers have found ways to slow wheel wear, including a traction control algorithm, to reduce how frequently they need to assess the wheels. And they also plan rover routes that avoid driving over such rocks, including these latest ventifacts, which are made of sandstonethe hardest type of rock Curiosity has encountered on Mars. The team nicknamed their scalelike appearance "gator-back" terrain. Although the mission had scouted the area using orbital imagery, it took seeing these rocks close-up to reveal the ventifacts. "It was obvious from Curiosity's photos that this would not be good for our wheels," said Curiosity Project Manager Megan Lin of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which leads the mission. "It would be slow going, and we wouldn't have been able to implement rover-driving best practices." The gator-back rocks aren't impassablethey just wouldn't have been worth crossing, considering how difficult the path would be and how much they would age the rover's wheels. So the mission is mapping out a new course for the rover as it continues to explore Mount Sharp, a 3.4-mile-tall (5.5-kilometer-tall) mountain that Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. As it climbs, Curiosity is able to study different sedimentary layers that were shaped by water billions of years ago. These layers help scientists understand whether microscopic life could have survived in the ancient Martian environment. NASAs Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to survey these wind-sharpened rocks, called ventifacts, on March 15, 2022, the 3,415th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The team has informally described these patches of ventifacts as gator-back rocks because of their scaly appearance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Why Greenheugh? The Greenheugh Pediment is a broad, sloping plain near the base of Mount Sharp that extends about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) across. Curiosity's scientists first noticed it in orbital imagery before the rover's landing in 2012. The pediment sticks out as a standalone feature on this part of Mount Sharp, and scientists wanted to understand how it formed. It also sits nearby the Gediz Vallis Ridge, which may have been created as debris flowed down the mountain. Curiosity will always remain in the lower foothills of Mount Sharp, where there's evidence of ancient water and environments that would have been habitable in the past. Driving across about a mile (1.5 kilometers) of the pediment to gather images of Gediz Vallis Ridge would have been a way to study material from the mountain's uppermost reaches. "From a distance, we can see car-sized boulders that were transported down from higher levels of Mount Sharpmaybe by water relatively late in Mars' wet era," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at JPL. "We don't really know what they are, so we wanted to see them up close." The road less traveled Over the next couple weeks, Curiosity will climb down from the pediment to a place it had previously been exploring: a transition zone between a clay-rich area and one with larger amounts of salt minerals called sulfates. The clay minerals formed when the mountain was wetter, dappled with streams and ponds; the salts may have formed as Mars' climate dried out over time. "It was really cool to see rocks that preserved a time when lakes were drying up and being replaced by streams and dry sand dunes," said Abigail Fraeman, Curiosity's deputy project scientist at JPL. "I'm really curious to see what we find as we continue to climb on this alternate route." Curiosity's wheels will be on safer ground as it leaves the gator-back terrain behind, but engineers are focused on other signs of wear on the rover's robotic arm, which carries its rock drill. Braking mechanisms on two of the arm's joints have stopped working in the past year. However, each joint has redundant parts to ensure the arm can keep drilling rock samples. The team is studying the best ways to use the arm to ensure these redundant parts keep working as long as possible. Explore further Curiosity Mars rover explores a changing landscape More information: For more details about Curiosity, visit: For more details about Curiosity, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/ Spinach harvest in Hollister, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019. Credit: Hector Amezcua, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC-Davis A recent report consisting of dozens of interviews with Oregon farmworkers offers a glimpse into the unsafe, unsustainable and often dehumanizing experiences farmworkers have endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon State University Professor Ron Mize was one of the authors on the COVID-19 Farmworker Study, part of a long-term, multi-state project examining farmworker living conditions in Washington, Oregon and California. "Over the years that I've taught, I still have to remind people that the way food gets to our table is by people's hands," said Mize, whose teaching in OSU's ethnic studies department includes a course on farmworker justice movements. "It's hard labor that's really poorly remunerated that keeps our food prices low, keeps our food plentiful, keeps food on our table; and yet we consistently neglect the reality that farmworkers are fundamental to our food system." The researchers performed an initial survey of 300 farmworkers across Oregon from August-September 2020. For the recent report, they conducted in-depth interviews with 48 workers statewide from February-July 2021, and these findings echo what they learned from the earlier survey. Speaking directly with farmworkers was a priority, the team said. "The scarce data available about farmworkers too often is disjointed and not collected with the intention of capturing farmworkers in all their complexity and their own voices," said Jennifer Martinez-Medina, study director and a Ph.D. student at Portland State University. "They are the experts best positioned to describe their lived experiences and the political action required to be treated with dignity." During the six-month interview period in 2021, more than half of the subjects tested positive for COVID-19. Lost wages due to the mandatory 10-day quarantine and lack of paid sick leave among farmworkers often forced people to choose between basic necessities like rent, food and their children's health care. "That 10 days of quarantine can put you so far behind that you'll never get back to just the scraping by that you were doing before," Mize said. "The impacts of the last two years have been cumulative, and they will continue to impact farmworkers." With children out of school as classes went remote, women often shifted from being co-breadwinners to stay-at-home caregivers for kids and sick family members, which not only added to their stress and emotional burnout but further reduced families' incomes, the report found. Farmworkers who are undocumented face additional challenges. Many still fear that receiving SNAP food benefits or free medical care such as COVID-19 tests and vaccines could get them labeled a "public charge" and render them ineligible to apply for legal residency. That policy was threatened, though never implemented, under the Trump administration, but undocumented workers still avoid seeking public benefits out of fear, Mize said. Language barriers also affect a wide swath of Oregon's farmworkers. Employers often rely on employees themselves to translate required health information into Spanish and Indigenous languages like Mam, Nahuatl and Mixteco Alto, with no guarantee that workers actually receive the information, Mize said. Workers spoke of Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors making site visits and observing people close together without masks or other protective equipment, without reporting any safety violations. More than half of the farmworkers interviewed did not feel fully protected in their workplace, and many reported not being informed of COVID infections in their workplaces. "Too often, the standards for what's OK for farmworkers are different from what's OK for everybody else," Mize said. "OSHA can be held responsible, farms can be held responsible, and we as a collective public can be held responsible." The report concludes with a list of recommendations from workers and researchers. Farmworkers want to have more inspectors on farms to perform regular safety and health checks; more widespread vaccination efforts; better provision for the needs of Indigenous communities; better education of employers; and immigration documents so more workers can receive work benefits. The researchers called for better training, more safety net resources, greater mental health support, and stronger workplace protections and enforcement, among several other recommendations. "There is no one silver bullet. All these elements have to be addressed together," Mize said. "I'm hoping our legislative leaders follow that lead, because we can have much more impact on policy when we're thinking of farmworkers holistically with their whole life, instead of thinking about them as an OSHA inspection or an exposure rate." The report was a collaboration among researchers at Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon Health and Sciences University and the California Institute for Rural Studies, along with more than a dozen community care organizations. More information: OREGON COFS Phase Two Introductory Report: OREGON COFS Phase Two Introductory Report: cirsinc.org/wp-content/uploads f-COVID-19-Final.pdf In this May 2019 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project, dolphins swim together in the Potomac River between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. Dolphins are extremely playful animals and often swim close together, sometimes even touching fins. "We call it holding hands," says Janet Mann, who directs the nonprofit Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project. This photo was made under NOAA NMFS permit numbers 19403 and 23782. Credit: Ann-Marie Jacoby/Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project via AP Three young male dolphins simultaneously break the water's surface to breathefirst exhaling, then inhalingbefore slipping back under the waves of the Chesapeake Bay. "A perfect sync," said Janet Mann, a dolphin researcher watching from a small skiff. Synchronized breathing is something dolphins often do with close pals, like these males, or that mothers and calves do together, said Mann. It's a way of affirming the relationships that are so important to these highly intelligent and social mammals, like a handshake or a hug among humans. "It says, 'We're together,'" said Mann, who is based at Georgetown University. While such close contact is essential to dolphin social bonds, sharing space and air can also quickly spread disease. Mann and other scientists are trying to understand how a highly contagious and lethal disease called cetacean morbillivirusrelated to measles in humans and first detected in Virginia and Maryland waterscan spread rapidly among dolphins along the Atlantic Coast, as it did from 2013 to 2015. During that outbreak, more than 1,600 dolphins washed ashore on beaches from New York to Florida, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Altogether, an estimated 20,000 dolphins died from the virus, and the region's population of coastal dolphins shrank by about 50%. Researchers Melissa Collier, Anne-Marie Jacoby, and Janet Mann travel in their boat Ahoya in Chesapeake Bay near Smith Point Marina in Reedville, Va., on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Mann and other scientists are trying to understand how a highly contagious and lethal disease called cetacean morbillivirus related to measles in humans and first detected in Virginia and Maryland waters spread rapidly among dolphins along the Atlantic Coast from 2013 to 2015. Credit: AP Photo/Christina Larson "It's much like COVIDit's respiratory" in how it spreads, said Mann. "When dolphins breathe together at the surface, they're sharing respiratory droplets just like we do when we're talking or coughing on each other." She realized that the key to understanding swift virus transmission was tracing dolphin social networks, much as public health authorities have tracked the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand how diseases circulate in social animalssuch as humans, dolphins or chimpanzeesscientists must scrutinize not only the biology of a virus, but also how vulnerable populations interact, said Jacob Negrey, a researcher who studies animal viruses at Wake Forest School of Medicine. "Contact networks represent a double-edged sword," he said. "Your friends that you need are also the individuals most likely to get you sick." Dolphins are extremely playful animals and often swim close together, sometimes even touching fins. "We call it holding hands," said Mann, who also directs the nonprofit Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project. Although many people casually refer to a "pod" of dolphins, Mann dislikes the term, because it implies a stable group, like a pack of wolves. What she's observed over 35 years of studying dolphins in the U.S. and Australia is that while dolphins have close buddies, they come and go regularly to check on others. In this May 2019 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project, dolphins swim together in the Potomac River between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. While friendly close contact is essential to dolphin social bonds, sharing space and air can also quickly spread disease. This photo was made under NOAA NMFS permit numbers 19403 and 23782. Credit: Ann-Marie Jacoby/Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project via AP In the Chesapeake Bay area, tracking how dolphins mingle has required the scientists to distinguish more than 2,000 dolphins, mostly by distinctive shapes and markings of their dorsal fins. "To me it's like a face," said Mann. "I joke with my students that if they wore dorsal fin hats, I would remember all their names." On mornings with light wind, the scientists set out in an 18-foot (5.5-meter) skiff to look for dolphins near where the Potomac River empties into the bay. A trained eye can notice slight splashing on the water a mile (1.6 kilometers) away, or catch the glint of sunlight on a fin or tail. "I'm looking for dark objects breaking the surface of the water," said Georgetown biologist Melissa Collier, scanning the horizon through binoculars. Suddenly, she shouted for the boat to slow down and pointed with one hand. "Dolphins by the pier, close to shore." Researchers Anne-Marie Jacoby and Melissa Collier ride in the boat Ahoya in Chesapeake Bay near Smith Point Marina in Reedville, Va., on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. To track a virus outbreak among East Coast dolphins, scientists are tracing the social networks of these playful animals in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Credit: AP Photo/Christina Larson Ann-Marie Jacoby, a Duke University marine and conservation scientist, peered through binoculars, then smiled in recognition. "We have Abe Lincoln and his buddy Andrew Jackson," she cried. Because the Potomac runs through Washington, the researchers have named many dolphins for American historical figures. "It's so nice to find dolphins that we know," said Jacoby. "These males have been seen together regularly together over the past year." The scientists easily recognize a few hundred dolphin fins by sight. To identify less familiar dolphins, they photograph their dorsal fins, then compare them to a catalog of fins created since 2015essentially a Facebook for dolphins. "Andrew and Abe just synced," said Collier, scribbling notes as another dolphin approached. James Buchanan was now less than 16 feet (5 meters) from the other dolphins, which Collier said was close enough for disease spread. "The droplets from their breathing may be shared." In this August 2019 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project, a dolphin swims in the Potomac River between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. This photo was made under NOAA NMFS permit numbers 19403 and 23782. Credit: Ann-Marie Jacoby/Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project via AP All three dolphins surfaced and breathed together, then disappeared under the waves. "This is typical male behavior," said Mann. "The males stay pretty coordinated with each other. The females sync, but not as regularly. They sync mostly with their offspring." That difference in behavior may help explain why males died in greater numbers during the most recent cetacean morbillivirus outbreaka hypothesis the researchers are examining. While Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are not endangered, NOAA considers their coastal populations to be " depleted," meaning "below optimum sustainable population." Outbreaks of the virus emerge here every 25 years or so. And they strike dolphins and their close marine relatives elsewhere, including some endangered whale species. University of Hawaii researcher Kristi West called the diseasewhich causes skin lesions, pneumonia, brain infections and a suppressed immune system"the most significant threat to dolphins and whales on a worldwide scale." In this 2016 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project, Janet Mann and Ann-Marie Jacoby observe dolphins in the Potomac River between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. To track a virus outbreak among East Coast dolphins, scientists are tracing the social networks of these playful animals in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. This photo was made under NOAA NMFS permit numbers 19403 and 23782. Credit: Madison Miketa/Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project via AP While viruses naturally occur in the wild, human disruption of marine habitats has made animals more vulnerable. "The disease becomes an even more significant threat when we combine it with other stressors that dolphins and whales throughout the world are facing," said West. From the boat on the Chesapeake, the water looks clear and calm. "We don't see what's under the surface," said Mann, casting a doleful glance down. "But carbon and plastics and prey depletionthese are all things that threaten the animals," along with warming oceans from climate change. Such stresses weaken dolphins' immune systems. "So they are extremely vulnerable to virus outbreaks," she said. Collier hopes their research can be used to help forecast when epidemics might occur, then use that information "to try to enact policies in areas where human disturbance is really high." Perhaps that could mean limiting noisy boat traffic or run-off pollution when outbreaks are ongoing or likely, she said. In this July 2016 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project, a dolphin leaps into the air in the Potomac River between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. This photo was made under NOAA NMFS permit numbers 19403 and 23782. Credit: Ann-Marie Jacoby/Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project via AP Dawn is seen from the bow of the boat Ahoya in Chesapeake Bay near Smith Point Marina in Reedville, Va., on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Christina Larson It's hard to be dour for long on the boat, as the scientists keep scanning for dolphins. "A baby!" Mann suddenly shouted with glee, as a pair of dolphins approached. In their first few months after birth, dolphin calves have visible lines on their sides from being folded inside the womb. Jacoby recognized this particular mother's fin then, referring to the dolphinnot the former U.S. senator from Texaslet out a cheer: "Kay Bailey Hutchison has a baby with fetal lines!" Explore further US bans swimming with Hawaii's nocturnal spinner dolphins 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Pollution and demographic data used in this study. A,B Average surface PM2.5 and tropospheric NO2 concentrations in the pre-shutdown period of 2020 in California, United States. C Median income ($USD) in each census block group from the U.S. Census Bureau 2018 5-year American Community Survey (ACS). D-F Share of the population in each census block group that is Hispanic, Asian, or Black, from the ACS. G Schematic showing the many slower-changing (assumed to be static over shorter periods) and higher-frequency factors that contribute to heterogeneous pollution exposures. Credit: UC San Diego Asian and Hispanic communities experience significantly more air pollution from economic activity compared to predominantly white neighborhoods across the state of California, according to new research from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy. The study published in the journal Nature Sustainability suggests California's environmental regulations as a whole preferentially protect white, non-Hispanic people within the state from exposure to air pollution. The study focused on 2020 when the state issued shelter-in-place orders in response to COVID-19. The researchers compared patterns of air pollution both before and during the shutdown, using data from public and privately-owned air monitor networks, along with satellite measurements of the pollutant gas nitrogen dioxide. After considering various factors, even how much communities were sheltering-in-place, the researchers found that during the period when the "in-person" economy was shut down, neighborhoods with high Asian and Hispanic populations experienced disproportionately large declines in air pollution. That means the inverse is true when it's business as usual. They also found that Black communities didn't see a similar disproportionate benefit in air quality during the shutdown. Black California residents were exposed to higher levels of pollution compared to whites during the shutdowns when only essential businesses were operating. The same was true after COVID-19 restrictions lifted. This suggests power plants, electricity generators and other emission sources that were not curtailed during the shelter-in-place orders are regularly exposing these populations to dirtier air. The paper also finds low-income communities are consistently exposed to more pollution when the economy is fully functioning and that these neighborhoods also saw disproportionately cleaner air during the shutdown. However, when the researchers accounted for income in their analysis, it didn't explain the findings of higher air pollution exposures for Asian, Hispanic communities throughout the state. "Income only explains about 15 percent of the disproportionate decrease in air pollution experienced by Asian and Hispanic communities during the shutdown," said Jennifer Burney, the Marshall Saunders Chancellor's Endowed Chair in Global Climate Policy and Research at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. "This may be surprising to many because people tend to conflate income and race, both because systemic discrimination is a hard thing to face and because we have accepted that we live in a world where individuals can 'buy' cleaner air through higher housing prices in less polluted areas." Burney added, "the COVID shutdown gave us a window into what pollution patterns look like when most of the economy is turned off and it showed that though there is some small overlap, income does not explain the racial and ethnic bias in how our economy creates and distributes pollution." Burney and the research team take this as evidence of an environmental policy failure. In California, all emissions are subject to regulationtransportation, energy, construction and other industries have to meet strict environmental standards. "One would think that in a state with strong environmental policies, where we track what is being emitted where, that our regulatory system might do a good job of protecting everyone equally," Burney said. "But this is really strong evidence of systemic bias. Pollution sources from everything that was shut down, transportation, businesses, restaurants, etc. all add up during business-as-usual conditions. Thus, the total system is tipped, exposing racial and ethnic minorities to more pollution." The health impacts of poor air quality are far-reaching. Unhealthy air is linked to higher rates of infant mortality and adult mortality as well as respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Policy recommendations to address systemic environmental racism While the study is limited to the state of California, the researchers believe that the disparity in air quality between ethnicities most likely applies to other states. The paper includes various policy recommendations. For example, the largest pollution source affected by the pandemic's slowdown was transportation, so policies that affect transportation emissions could have important impacts for California's underrepresented communities. Additionally, given that air pollution disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minorities are not explained by income, it means environmental strategies based on income alone could not be expected to achieve strong racial and ethnic equity. This suggests that different metrics should be incorporated when evaluating environmental regulations to meet average environmental standards and promote equity. "There is no clear, quantitative equity criterion applied in regulatory analysis to safeguard against environmental racism," said co-author Katharine Ricke, an assistant professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "For example, if an industry wants to build a factory, they have to complete an environmental assessment report, but that report isn't required to include a set of metrics to demonstrate how different demographic groups nearby would be affected. If industries had to run atmospheric models to show that the proposed facility is not going to disproportionately affect minority neighborhoods nearby, that could instigate a significant shift in making environmental regulation more equitable." The authors also suggest including communities in the planning process when there are proposed changes to their surrounding environment that could impact air quality. "This is not new, but procedural justice is also critical," said co-author Pascal Polonik, a Ph.D. candidate at Scripps Oceanography. "Communities need to be engaged in meaningful ways to ensure that everyone has access to what should be a democratic process." Polonik added that "by improving access to information, such as data from the crowd-sourced sensors that were utilized in the study, could help communities be part of informed decision-making. Unfortunately, these sensors tend to be located in the places least likely to be impacted by unjust pollution exposure." Other paper authors include Richard Bluhm, assistant professor at Leibniz University Hannover and fellow in the Department of Political Science at UC San Diego; Kyle S. Hemes, postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment; Luke C. Sanford, assistant professor at Yale University's School of the Environment; Susanne A. Benz, postdoctoral fellow at Dalhousie University; and Morgan C. Levy, assistant professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Explore further Lack of information related to pollution exposure key issue for low-income households More information: Jennifer Burney, Disparate air pollution reductions during California's COVID-19 economic shutdown, Nature Sustainability (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00856-1 Journal information: Nature Sustainability Jennifer Burney, Disparate air pollution reductions during California's COVID-19 economic shutdown,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00856-1 Farmers are at increased risk of loneliness and isolation. Credit: David George/Unsplash In the wake of a chaotic Brexit and an ongoing pandemic, farmers in the UK are experiencing high levels of isolation and loneliness. A poll in Farmers Guardian found that 94% of UK farmers felt this isolation was harming their mental health. In research funded by the British Academy, we looked at how farmers engage with social media to understand whether it can help overcome isolation. To do this, we analyzed 5,000 tweets by farmers and interviewed 25 farmers who use social media. Our findings showed that social media provides farmers with a way of connecting to others and reaffirming positivity about their identity as a farmer. For example, the hashtag #Farming365 started life as an annual social media event to bring farmers together online. Now, it's become a way for farmers to share their everyday lives online all year round to show that farming requires constant commitment. Given the long hours spent in remote locations and the number of social events in the farming calendar canceled thanks to the pandemic, this sense of positivity is crucial to prevent plummeting job satisfaction or even a mass exodus of farmers from their jobs. So anything that can be done to increase it could be worthwhile. Connecting with community Social mediaespecially Facebook and Twittercan help farmers learn about new technologies, equipment and practices. And information shared on social media can offer immediate answers to farming questions ranging from upcoming weather forecasts to fixing farm machinery. But farmers' social media use goes beyond simple information gathering. We found that Twitter is often used by farmers as a diary to map out farm work as it progresses, using photos and videos. Vlogger and farmer Tom Pemberton has achieved online visibility and support sharing his experience of life on a farm. As farming is shaped by annual rhythms, it's common for farmers to reflect on their decisions in relation to previous seasonsfor example, by comparing pictures of their current crops with last year's. Documenting farming online allows farmers to receive empathy and encouragement in real time. Farmers also use social media to interact with the public. In particular, many advertise their skills and productssuch as meat and vegetablesthrough sharing stories about the journey from field to fork. Farming vloggers such as Tom Pemberton have even found an alternative stream of income by making YouTube videos discussing their everyday struggles and achievements. As part of the online event #farm24 run by Farmers Guardian and supermarket Morrisons, Tom shares with viewers the typical tasks he accomplishes in a day's farming: including milking, calf-rearing and running the family's farm shop. Alongside marketing benefits, our findings suggest that social media is an important way for farmers to respond to news items and farming debates. One farmer we interviewed commented that social media offers "a chance to give our side of the story." This might involve revealing unseen aspects of farming to the public, such as routine activities like milking which take place inside farm buildings during the early morning and late night. We found that receiving positive responses to these posts, particularly during the pandemic, helped to boost farmers' sense of pride in their work. On the flipside, negativity was commonly reported by farmers on social media: especially around issues of animal welfare, gender and environmental issues. Our research found that this potential for criticism meant social media posts are often heavily curated and stylised. This can lead other farmers to feel that such posts give a "rose-tinted" view of farming, masking some of the harsher truths of the occupation such as animal death and disease. Such a bias towards positivity can be detrimental to farmers' well-being, with one commenting that "it makes you feel that everyone is doing a better job than you." Social media cannot replace face-to-face contact or in-person networking opportunities, both from a personal and professional perspective. But online platforms can play a big part in bridging the gap between rural and urban communities, offering avenues for support beyond one's immediate farming network, and helping farmers work together with the public to build a more sustainable food system. Explore further Farming practices good for the environment and the farmer's pocket This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Orbiting 500 km above the earth, the Fermi Large Area Telescope collects gamma rays from millisecond pulsars. As these high-energy photons travel across the Milky Way, they encounter a sea of low-frequency gravitational waves produced by pairs of supermassive black holes coalescing in the centers of merged galaxies. The spacetime ripples, with wavelengths extending beyond 100 trillion kilometers, cause each photon to arrive slightly earlier or slightly later than expected. Monitoring the gamma rays from many of these millisecond pulsars---an experiment known as a pulsar timing array---can reveal this telltale signature. Pulsar timing arrays have previously only used sensitive radio telescopes. Now, data from Fermi are enabling a gamma-ray based pulsar timing array and giving a new, clear view of these gravitational waves. Credit: Danielle Futselaar/MPIfR (artsource.nl) Coalescing supermassive black holes in the centers of merging galaxies fill the universe with low-frequency gravitational waves. Astronomers have been searching for these waves by using large radio telescopes to look for the subtle effect these spacetime ripples have on radio waves emitted by pulsars within our galaxy. Now, an international team of scientists has shown that the high-energy light collected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can also be used in the search. Using gamma rays instead of radio waves yields a clearer view to the pulsars and provides an independent and complementary way to detect gravitational waves. The findings of an international team of scientists including Aditya Parthasarathy and Michael Kramer from the Max Planck Institute of Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, are published in Science this week. A sea of gravitational waves At the heart of most galaxiescollections of hundreds of billions of stars like our own Milky Waylies a supermassive black hole. Galaxies are drawn to each other by their immense gravitation, and when they merge their black holes sink to the new center. As the black holes spiral inward and coalesce, they create long gravitational waves that stretch out hundreds of trillions of kilometers between wave crests. The universe is full of such merging supermassive black holes, and they fill it with a sea of low-frequency spacetime ripples. Astronomers have been searching for these waves for decades by observing the pulses from pulsars, the dense remnants of massive stars. Pulsars rotate with extreme regularity and astronomers know exactly when to expect each pulse. The sea of gravitational waves, however, subtly alters when the pulses arrive at the earth, and precisely monitoring many pulsars across the sky can reveal its presence. Previous searches for these waves have exclusively used large radio telescopes, which collect and analyze radio waves. But now an international team of scientists has looked for these minute variations in more than ten years of data collected with NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and their analysis shows that detecting these waves may be possible with just a few years of additional observations. The length of a gravitational wave, or ripple in space-time, depends on its source, as shown in this infographic. Scientists need different kinds of detectors to study as much of the spectrum as possible. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab "Fermi studies the universe in gamma rays, the most energetic form of light. We've been surprised at how good it is at finding the types of pulsars we need to look for these gravitational wavesover 100 so far," said Matthew Kerr, a research physicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington. "Fermi and gamma rays have some special characteristics that together make them a very powerful tool in this investigation." The results of the study, co-led by Kerr and Aditya Parthasarathy, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn, Germany, were published in the April 07 issue of Science. Cosmic clocks Light takes on many forms. Low-frequency radio waves can pass through some objects, while high-frequency gamma rays explode into energetic particle showers when they encounter matter. Gravitational waves also cover a wide spectrum, and more massive objects tend to generate longer waves. It is impossible to build a detector large enough to detect the trillion-kilometer waves powered by merging supermassive black holes, so astronomers use naturally-occurring detectors called pulsar timing arrays. These are collections of millisecond pulsars that shine in both radio waves and gamma rays and which rotate hundreds of times each second. Like lighthouses, these beams of radiation appear to pulse regularly as they sweep over the earth, and as they pass through the sea of gravitational waves they are imprinted with the faint rumble of distant, massive black holes. This visualization shows gravitational waves emitted by two black holes of nearly equal mass as they spiral around each other. Orange ripples represent distortions of space-time caused by the rapidly orbiting masses. These distortions spread out and weaken, ultimately becoming gravitational waves (purple). This simulation was performed on the Pleiades supercomputer at NASA's Ames Research Center. Credit: NASA/Bernard J. Kelly (Goddard and Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County), Chris Henze (Ames) and Tim Sandstrom (CSC Government Solutions LLC) A unique probe Pulsars were originally discovered using radio telescopes, and pulsar timing array experiments with radio telescopes have been operating for nearly two decades. These big dishes provide the most sensitivity to the effects of gravitational waves, but interstellar effects complicate the analysis of radio data. Space is mostly empty, but in crossing the vast distance between a pulsar and the earth, radio waves still encounter many electrons. Similar to the way a prism bends visible light, interstellar electrons bend the radio waves and alter their arrival time. The energetic gamma rays aren't affected in this way, so they provide a complementary and independent method of pulsar timing. "The Fermi results are already 30% as good as the radio pulsar timing arrays when it comes to potentially detecting the gravitational wave background," Parthasarathy said. "With another five years of pulsar data collection and analysis, it'll be equally capable with the added bonus of not having to worry about all those stray electrons." A gamma-ray pulsar timing array, not envisioned before the launch of Fermi, represents a powerful new capability in gravitational wave astrophysics. "Detecting the gravitational wave background with pulsars is within reach but remains difficult. An independent method, shown here unexpectedly through Fermi is great news, both for confirming future findings and in demonstrating its synergies with radio experiments," concludes Michael Kramer, a director at the MPIfR and head of its Fundamental Physics in Radio Astronomy research department. Explore further Pulsar timing arrays take us closer to figuring out supermassive black holes More information: A Gamma-ray Pulsar Timing Array Constrains the Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Background, Science (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm3231 Journal information: Science A Gamma-ray Pulsar Timing Array Constrains the Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Background,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abm3231 You are here: World Flash The Indonesian police said on Wednesday that its anti-terror squad has arrested five suspected terrorists in South Tangerang, a satellite town of the capital Jakarta. National Police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan said the suspects, believed to have affiliated with a terrorist network of the Indonesian Islamic State (NII), were apprehended on Sunday. The police did not revealed the identities of the suspects as the investigation was underway. On March 25 in West Sumatra province, the Densus 88 police force arrested 16 terrorist suspects who massively recruited new members, including children. They were connected with other NII members in Jakarta, West Java province and the country's resort island of Bali. NII is a rebel group that wants to make Indonesia an Islamic state led by Kartosoewirjo who was arrested and executed in 1962. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Partnerships between water utilities, irrigation districts and other stakeholders in California will play a critical role in funding new infrastructure under the Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative announced in 2020 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, but a new study warns that benefits might not be evenly distributed without proper structure to the agreements. California's initiative is a multi-billion dollar effort that encourages different water utilities and irrigation districts to work together to build shared infrastructure to ameliorate the effects of droughts, but a number of questions remain regarding how best to structure these agreements. In a new research article published March 15 in the journal Earth's Future, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Cornell University explored partnership agreements in the context of the Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to irrigation districts and municipal utilities in the southern Central Valley of California. "The canal has been sinking due to groundwater over-pumping and a partnership of local water providers has begun to make repairsprojected to cost $500 millionin coordination with state and federal agencies," said Andrew L. Hamilton, a postdoctoral associate in the School Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell and the study's primary author. "However, benefits to individual providers are highly uncertain. This setting is more broadly representative of the types of infrastructure investment that California and other regions are considering, as well as the challenge of bringing different parties together to collectively fund these projects." The team tested thousands of different ways of designing candidate partnerships, to understand the impact of each design (i.e., which water providers are participating, and what share of funding is each responsible for), the type of infrastructure and the climate scenario. In most cases, performance was very uneven across the different partnerssome received significant new water supplies at low cost, while others received negligible benefits relative to their share of project cost. Local performance varied based on a variety of factors, such as the water providers' location, water rights and local factors. This highlights the importance of detailed models that can capture system dynamics at the level of individual water providers. These results point to the importance of considering multiple factors so that investment partnerships can be constructed to satisfy all partners. Several points should be of interest to policymakers as they seek to make wise investments that improve California's water resilience: If the future is drier than the past, there may not be sufficient "capturable" water available to make the investment worthwhile. This climate-related risk may be borne more heavily by some partners than others. Investments in one project (e.g., canal expansion) must often be paired with another (e.g., water storage) if the full benefits of the investments are to be realized and evenly distributed across a partnership. Larger partnerships make it more difficult to please everyone, since it becomes more likely that at least one partner performs poorly. This introduces a trade-off, since larger partnerships are typically viewed more favorably by the public and by policymakers. The future is highly uncertain due to climate change, regulatory change and other stressors. This study's results demonstrate how poorly planned partnerships can lead to significant financial risk for water providers under unfavorable future scenarios. The authors posit that financial resilience should be a key aspect of water supply resilience planning in California and other regions. Explore further Groundwater in California's Central Valley may be unable to recover from past and future droughts More information: Andrew L. Hamilton et al, Resilient California water portfolios require infrastructure investment partnerships that are viable for all partners, Earth's Future (2022). Andrew L. Hamilton et al, Resilient California water portfolios require infrastructure investment partnerships that are viable for all partners,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021EF002573 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When DNA evidence is available that matches the suspects in sexual assault cases, prosecutors are more likely to litigate and the odds of conviction are more than nine times greater than cases without biological evidence, a new study found. In a project funded by the National Institute of Justice, researchers examined the role of DNA evidence in more than 100 sexual assault cases accepted for prosecution in one metropolitan jurisdiction between 2005 and 2010. They found that DNA evidence had a dramatic relationship with cases' progression in the criminal justice system and on conviction rates. Almost 75% of the cases in which the DNA profile matched the suspect resulted in a guilty plea or a trial, compared with less than a third of cases without a laboratory report. "We did what we thought was the most thorough and incisive research about how DNA is actually used and how it relates to the outcomes of prosecuting sexual assault," said first author Ted Cross, a senior research specialist and professor of social work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. "What we found is this evidence really does matter." Megan Alderden, a professor and chair of criminology at DePaul University; and Laura Siller and Maja Vlajnic, then both doctoral candidates at Northeastern University, co-wrote the study. Published in the journal Violence Against Women, the research sheds light on some of the complexities of using DNA evidence in sexual assault prosecutions. The team said its findings underscore the importance of quality forensic medical exams, investments in DNA analysis and training prosecutors how to use DNA evidence effectively. "Our research benefited from a statewide system in Massachusetts that tracks data on forensic medical exams in sexual assault cases," Cross said. "Every provider that conducts a forensic exam faxes a report to a state agency. That created a data set that enabled us to link prosecutor cases with actual crime lab results, ascertain what those results were and the actions taken by prosecutors." Siller and Vlajnic also spent hundreds of hours combing through prosecutors' paper records and coding data that was linked with information from the state database. Despite public misperceptions that biological evidence is ubiquitous in criminal justice cases, DNA evidence is not a given, Cross said. Prosecutors must actively seek it out, and they are selective about the cases for which they take the extra steps to obtain it. "Testing for DNA is a separate test from the standard lab tests, and not every case gets that test," Cross said. "Crime labs and police agencies are overwhelmed. Sometimes evidence kits don't make it to the crime lab. And even if they do, they're not necessarily tested." To match DNA with a suspect, prosecutors often must obtain a court order for the police to bring the suspect in to collect a sample, usually with an oral swab. "In that respect, DNA evidence can be both the cause and the result of deciding to prosecute a case, and prosecutors need to be aware of that complex relationship," Cross said. In the majority of the 106 cases studied, a crime laboratory report was available but the sample did not match the suspect, the researchers found. DNA matches to the suspects occurred in about 25% of the cases, according to the laboratory reports or prosecution files. Matching a DNA profile to an unknown assailant whose data is on file in the FBI's DNA database happens in a relatively small number of cases, Cross said. In examining how frequently prosecutors used several types of evidence, the researchers found that physical evidence from the crime scene and nongenital injury evidence were used in more than a third of the cases. Evidence on DNA matches to the suspects was used less frequently, presented in slightly more than 20% of the cases. In a related study by the team that was published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence in 2021, prosecutors said biological evidence such as DNA was important to their trial preparations because of a potential "CSI effect"a reference to the TV crime drama that suggests jurors expect biological evidence to be presented. "Some prosecutors feel that juries expect forensic evidence even when it's not reasonable to obtain it and it's not strictly probativethat is, it doesn't help logically prove the case," Cross said. "Regardless, the prosecutors felt that the juries needed, wanted and expected it." Likewise, prosecutors said victims' willingness to undergo a forensic medical examwhich can be long, uncomfortable and emotionally difficult, Alderden saidbolsters their credibility with jurors and communicates that the victims and prosecutors take the case seriously. DNA evidence helps establish that the suspect had sexual contact with the victimeven if the suspect claims that the act was consensualand counters assertions that the allegations are fabricated. However, widespread public awareness and juries' expectations about forensic evidence may make it difficult to proceed with sexual assault cases that lack a DNA match, the researchers said. There are many circumstances outside victims' control when biological evidence cannot be obtained although an assault occurred, such as when an assailant uses a condom or situations that prevent law enforcement from obtaining a sample from a suspect, according to the study. "Given the amount of trauma that victims experience, it is important that criminal justice practitioners and jurors don't jump to the conclusion that just because there is no DNA evidence there's some indication that the victim is not being truthful," Alderden said. "DNA and other biological evidence are simply not always available in these cases." Explore further Study: DNA may have only modest impact on sexual assault arrests More information: Theodore P. Cross et al, The Relationship of DNA Evidence to Prosecution Outcomes in Sexual Assault Cases, Violence Against Women (2022). Journal information: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Theodore P. Cross et al, The Relationship of DNA Evidence to Prosecution Outcomes in Sexual Assault Cases,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/10778012221077124 Fraunhofer IAF has developed an integrable measurement system in collaboration with Fraunhofer CAP for testing applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. Credit: Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF Ensuring quality without losing time: Companies from the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry in particular depend on meeting the highest quality requirements while at the same time optimizing production processes. For such applications, Fraunhofer IAF has developed an integrable measurement system in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics. It uses machine vision to specifically detect samples and verify them contact-free within a few milliseconds using laser-based infrared spectroscopy. With an inline-capable, laser-based infrared spectroscopy measurement system, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF want to support industrial companies from the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry in making quality assurance measures and process controls more reliable and at the same time more efficient. The system is characterized by a flexible design and a high spectral scanning speed that allows it to be integrated into existing visual inspection systems, enabling full spectroscopic inspection. "The measurement system vividly demonstrates the great benefit of laser-based infrared spectroscopy for industrial sectors in which products have to be verified or differentiated reliably and quickly," emphasizes Dr. Marko Hartelt, responsible project manager at Fraunhofer IAF. Mid-infrared backscattering spectroscopy by QCL and MOEMS grating scanner The specific advantages of the system result from the backscattering spectroscopy method in the mid-infrared with wavelengths in the range of 4 to 12 m. Since molecular compounds have very characteristic absorption and emission lines in this spectral range, they can be clearly identified. The broad-emitting and spectrally fast-scanning laser module combines QCL from Fraunhofer IAF and MOEMS grating scanner from Fraunhofer IPMS. Credit: Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF One of the core components of the measurement system is a broad-emitting and spectrally fast-scanning laser module. It combines quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) from Fraunhofer IAF and micro-opto-electro-mechanical grating scanners (MOEMS) from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS. The high brilliance of the light source and the unique properties of the MOEMS scanner enable infrared spectroscopy at a rate of one kilohertz. In the analysis of the measurement results, a neural network supports the system to drastically minimize the error rate and at the same time the required measurement time. Demonstration of industrial use at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2022 To illustrate the measurement system's ability to be integrated into industrial processes, the Fraunhofer IAF team has developed a practical demonstrator: A conveyor belt moves twelve identical-looking tablets in a common tablet blister. The device recognizes the blister contents contactlessly in just 300 milliseconds. The results of the detection for each individual tablet are immediately displayed on the connected screen so that contaminated or defectively loaded specimens can be sorted out. Fraunhofer IAF will present the demonstrator of its QCL-based measurement system at this year's LASER World of PHOTONICS trade fair in Munich from April 26 to 29, 2022 (Hall A6, Booth 441). Explore further Fingerprint spectroscopy within a millisecond Provided by Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF Aftermath of the November 2020 Elliot Creek landslide and tsunami, looking upstream to the landslide debris and West Grenville Glacier. In the 1960s, the glacier extended to the point where this photo was taken. Credit: Brian Menounos/University of Northern British Columbia In 2020, seismologist Goran Ekstrom noticed a peculiar wiggle picked up on Nov. 28 by seismographs around the world. It emanated from a remote area in British Columbia's steep, glaciated Central Coast Mountains, some 2,400 miles from Ekstrom's office at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in Palisades, N.Y. "When I find something [that] looks a bit strange, I look at it more carefully," said Ekstrom, who studies unusual seismic events. Conventional earthquakes usually begin with a big, high-frequency jolt, but this was not the case here. This was more of a low-frequency rumble that gradually accelerated before fading backaccording to Ekstrom's studies, the kind of signal produced by a big landslide. He emailed Marten Geertsema, a natural-hazards specialist with the BC provincial government. Seeing nothing in the news, Geertsema proceeded to scan recent satellite imagery of the area for signs of a disturbance, but couldn't spot anything at first. Around the same time, BC aviators heard about an unusual amount of wood floating in a fjord. They helicoptered in. Flying further up a river feeding the fjord, they saw countless mowed-down trees and a vast new wasteland of sand and gravel. Tracing up a side valley occupied by a stream called Elliot Creek, they found the source: the fresh scar of a gigantic landslide. It had hit a meltwater lake at the toe of the West Grenville Glacier and created a tsunami that devastated everything downstream. The scientists quickly connected the dots. In a new paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Geertsema, Ekstrom and colleagues describe the slide's magnitude and effects, along with its possible causeswhich include the rapid recession of the West Grenville Glacier, which has retreated some 4 kilometers from its mid-19th century position. It is only the latest such occurrence in a warming world where mountain glaciers are rapidly pulling back and creating conditions ripe for such collapses. The paper is accompanied by a spectacular visual interactive feature from the Hakai Institute, several of whose researchers contributed to the report. Since 1900, there have been at least 1,000 known so-called glacial outburst floods worldwide. They have killed at least 12,500 people and devastated dams, towns, farms and wildlife habitat. Many occur in steep areas of the Himalayas; mountainous British Columbia and Southeast Alaska also are hot spots. While the causes can be complex, fast glacial retreat is a suspect in many cases. As ice pulls back through narrow ice-carved valleys, steep rock walls formerly held back by the ice are left fractured and barely hanging together. Often, a meltwater lake forms at the glacier's toe. Time, precipitation, frost action and gravity do the rest. As a result, many scientists believe that landslides and resulting floods will increase as climate warms, if they are not already be doing so. The new paper is one of the most complete analyses of a glacial outburst flood to date. The authors, from more than a dozen universities, government agencies and private research institutes, and the local Homalco and Xwe'malkwhu First Nations, used laser mapping, satellite imagery, seismic data and state-of-the-art computer simulations to model what happened. They concluded that some 50 million tons of rockabout the mass of all the automobiles in Canadaplummeted 1,000 meters down the valley wall into an unnamed meltwater lake at the glacier's toe, and into the glacier itself. They say that some of the ice was probably instantly liquefied. Displaced water and sediment spurted up some 100 meters, then rushed in a wave down the 10-kilometer-long Elliot Creek valley at about 135 kilometers (84 miles) per hour, scouring out trees and soil. When it hit the adjoining Southgate River, debris piled up in a giant fan; floodwater and debris continued through the river to form a sediment plume more than 60 kilometers long in the downstream fjord. No humans were killed, but the outburst destroyed large swaths of forest and salmon spawning habitat in the traditional lands of the Homalco people. Fisheries scientists think hundreds of thousands or even millions of fish were killed outright, and continuing turbidity in the watershed may be compromising fish survival. A logging camp with more than a dozen vehicles was wiped out, and fuel and hydraulic fluid continue to leak from the remains. There could be long-term effects on bears and eagles, who depend on the salmon, as do the native people. The paper says the immediate trigger for the slide is unknown, but factors leading up to it "include fractured bedrock with favorably oriented joints and debuttressing of the base of the slope due to glacier retreat." They characterize the event as "an example of a sometimes underappreciated hazard chain in high mountains undergoing rapid deglaciation. [Rapid] retreat may increase the hazards of these events as the number and size of lakes increase below potentially unstable slopes in alpine valleys." Ekstrom and his onetime Lamont-Doherty colleague Colin Stark began studying the possibility of detecting landslides using seismic signals around 2009. They have since documented more than 50 big events. The Elliot Creek slide is not even the biggest. In 2015, they detected the collapse of 200 million tons of rock at the base of Alaska's Tyndall Glacier, under similar conditions. The following year, they detected a 120 million-ton collapse in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. With the hazard probably growing, scientists are looking into employing seismic instruments in real time to help authorities issue tsunami warnings and search for victims. For example, a 2020 study led by Lamont-Doherty scientists looked at a 1994 slide detected by seismic instruments hours before a subsequent tsunami reached a village in Bhutan, killing 21 people. If the instruments had been hooked to an early-warning system, people could have escaped. "This is a striking and scary reminder that [outburst floods] starting at these high altitudes pick up their devastating energy by gravity on their way downhill," said Joerg Schaefer, one of the study's authors. The researchers in the new paper say that the close agreement between their physical modeling and the field evidence they gathered could be adapted to help predict future outbursts. "Fortunately, these and similar events in Western Canada have occurred in remote mountain valleys," they write. "However, there is no assurance that this will be true in the future, given increased development and tourism in these remote areas." Explore further Massive landslide detected in Glacier Bay's fragile mountains More information: M. Geertsema et al, The 28 November 2020 Landslide, Tsunami, and Outburst FloodA Hazard Cascade Associated With Rapid Deglaciation at Elliot Creek, British Columbia, Canada, Geophysical Research Letters (2022). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters M. Geertsema et al, The 28 November 2020 Landslide, Tsunami, and Outburst FloodA Hazard Cascade Associated With Rapid Deglaciation at Elliot Creek, British Columbia, Canada,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021GL096716 This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. Figure 1. A graphical summary showing:(a) used raw organic and inorganic precursors, their molar ratios in synthesis;(b) laser photopolymerization and high-temperature calcination technology;(c) formed crystalline phase nano-lattices after calcination (cristobalite, SiO2, zircon, monoclinic ZrO2 and tetragonal ZrO2);All of these phases can be observed and tuned depending on the treatment temperature and initial hybrid materials compositions. Credit: Compuscript Ltd A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances reviews laser additive manufacturing of Si/ZrO2 tunable crystalline phase 3D nanostructures. A route for laser nano-printing of 3D crystalline structures was developed employing ultrafast laser lithography, used as additive manufacturing tool for producing true 3D nanostructures, and combined with high temperature thermal post-treatment, converting the printed material into fully inorganic substance. The inter-disciplinary experimental work revealed the potential of tuning the resulting ceramic structure into distinct crystalline phases, such as cristobalite, SiO 2 , ZrSiO 4 , m-ZrO 2 , t-ZrO 2 . The proposed approach achieved below 60 nm for individual feature dimensions without any beam shaping or complex exposure techniques, thus making it reproducible with other established standard or custom-made laser direct writing setups. The principle is compatible with commercially available platforms (for instance: Nanoscribe, MultiPhoton Optics, Femtika, Workshop of Photonics, UpNano, MicroLight, and others). Figure 1 graphically summarizes the approach, involved procedure steps, and resulting outcome. In brief, the validation of the combined laser manufacturing and thermal-treatment technique upgrades the widespread laser multi-photon lithography to a powerful tool enabling additive manufacturing of crystalline ceramics at an unprecedented precision and three-dimensional flexibility. It is a milestone achievement in the ultrafast laser assisted processing of inorganic materials and sets a new high standard for the nanoscale laser 3D photopolymerization, which is no longer bounded to the limitation of just polymer or plastic materials. While biologically derived and plant-based resins are extending applications in biomedicine and life sciences, the production of 3D inorganic nanostructures is opening new scientific technology-oriented research fields and enabling industry to acquire options for the production of 3D nano-mechanics, nano-electronics, micro-optics and nano-photonics, enhanced telecommunication, and sensing chips. Figure 2. A map of mesoscale 3D lithography or in other words true 3D printing multiscale and multi-material is sketched. It covers dimensions from individual features below wavelength of VIS light (sub-diffraction) up to 3D objects above millimeters in sizes, while ensuring continuous scaling with no gaps or limitations in between. On the other angle of view, the materials are in full colors, thus resembling: biopolymers and proteins as natural and purely organic resins, hybrid materials offering glass-like properties or composites with enhanced specific functionalities, and finally inorganic substances such as ceramics or crystals. All of it can be realized via laser mesoscale 3D lithography and is a tool for applications in (a) nanophotonics; (b) micro-optics and precision prototyping in microfluidics and micromechanics; (c) bio-scaffolds. Credit: Compuscript Ltd Dr. Darius Gailevicius with Prof. Mangirdas Malinauskas of Laser Nanophotonics Group (Laser Research Center, Physics Faculty, Vilnius University) proposed an approach for laser 3D additive manufacturing of nanoscale structures out of inorganic materials. The laser-printed objects were subsequently heat treated in order to completely remove the organic part of the hybrid material, thus converting the substance into pure inorganic matter. The aforementioned group members collaborating together with a material scientist Prof.Simas Sakirzanovas (Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University) anticipated the potential of sol-gel synthesis and chemical morphing of the substance into diverse and tunable phases by precisely controlling the initial ingredient ratio and the calcination processing protocol. The main experimental work was performed by Ph.D. student Greta Merkininkaite with assistance of junior student Edvinas Aleksandravicius. A post-doc Dr. Darius Gailevicius has introduced essential conceptual insights and reviewed the experimental workflow. The findings are important to a whole spectrum of scientific research and industrial fields. It extends the widespread established laser two-photon polymerization technology towards additive manufacturing of ceramic and crystalline structures at a sub-100 nm feature definition. This makes the previous limitation of the employed organic or hybrid polymers obsolete. It also enables production of inorganic and tunable crystalline phase 3D nanostructures, which are outperforming the previously available material choices or limited structural (2D or 2.5D geometries) flexibility. In other words, the optical 3D printing is now offering additive manufacturing of various crystals. The principle is advantageous in making three-dimensional nano-photonic, micro-optical, nano-mechanic, micro-fluidic, nano-electronic and bio-medical components. It upgrades the laser 3D nanoscale printer from black and white into a full color, as the colors are represented by specific material and its inherent properties. In Figure 2 continuous scaling and material variations are visually projected. A novel option of true 3D printing inorganic materials is a benchmarking milestone achievementupgrading the existing laser 3D lithography to a new exploitation level. More information: Greta Merkininkaite et al, Laser additive manufacturing of Si/ZrO 2 tunable crystalline phase 3D nanostructures, Opto-Electronic Advances (2022). Greta Merkininkaite et al, Laser additive manufacturing of Si/ZrOtunable crystalline phase 3D nanostructures,(2022). DOI: 10.29026/oea.2022.210077 Provided by Compuscript Ltd Credit: CC0 Public Domain Fan fiction, Minecraft and Taylor Swift lyrics are hardly the stuff of traditional Latin lessons. They are, however, part of an expanding repertoire that teachers are successfully drawing on to deepen students' grasp of the language of Virgil and Cicero. All three are citedalongside many other examples of innovative tools and techniquesin a new handbook which calls for a rethink about how to teach Latin. Its author, the Cambridge academic Steven Hunt, suggests that mainstream teaching practices, some of which date back to the 1950s, are linked to dwindling uptake in the subject and that change is overdue. Part of his suggested solution is for Classics teachers to follow the lead of subjects like French and German, where students learn to use and communicate in their target language. Hunt argues that students would comprehend Latin better if they were exposed to opportunities to speak, sing, perform or write creatively in it, rather than just learning vocab and grammar, and translating set texts. They might also enjoy it more. His book shows that some more adventurous teachers are, indeed, already following this path and innovating in the classroom to engage students and improve fluency. While Hunt does not dispute the value of some traditional teaching methods, he does suggest that a more open-minded approach to how Latin might be taught, drawing on the evidence from other language subjects, would help students to thrive. Hunt has been a Latin teacher for 35 years, and now trains teachers on the University of Cambridge PGCE. "The trouble with Latin teaching is that it's never been subject to thorough academic investigation; we tend to rely on anecdotal information about what seems to work," he said. "There is no 'best way' to teach it, but some teachers are creating a rich set of responses to the challenge. Most draw on principles from modern languages education. Because the human brain is hardwired for sound, it learns by speaking, listening and using language. Some Latin teachers are realising that this is the way to learn any languagedead or alive." Hunt believes that many students are disengaged by the standard teaching model for Latin: an outdated formula focused on vocab, grammar, translations, comprehension exercises and rote-learning. There is little evidence from research in modern languages that this is the best way to develop students' fluency or understanding, and there has been a steady decline in the numbers of students choosing Latin for examination. "Falling uptake means there is now a moral imperative for us to be open to different ideas," he said. His book makes a case for more forms of 'active' Latinencouraging students to use and communicate in the language. One argument is that of 'communicative necessity'. Speaking a language means students have to make themselves understood in real time, so they often grasp core principles, and learn to correct mistakes, quickly. Similarly, he advocates giving students more opportunities to hear Latin being sung or spoken. This can, for example, embed vocabulary in the long-term memory: when we recall a word, what we are really recalling is its sound. The book also suggests new ways to develop the traditionally favoured skills of reading and translation. For example, some teachers have successfully improved students' ability to master complicated texts, like Cicero's speeches, through a process called 'tiering', in which they start with simplified versions and gradually build up to reading the full, complex original. Evidence is also emerging, particularly from the US, that free compositioncreative writing in Latincan improve fluency, translation, and deepen students' appreciation of Roman authors. In some classrooms, students now produce poetry, prose and songs in Latin, as well as their own fan fictionwhich often involves tributes to characters from popular programmes such as the Cambridge Latin Course. One example cited in the book comes from a university tutor who, having struggled to develop his students' understanding of Virgil's poetry, asked them to try translating well-known songs instead. In a research paper, he describes how, for instance, students Latinised the chorus of Taylor Swift's Bad Blood: Quod, care, nunc malum sanguinem habemus. He found their choices about how to translate the hits strengthened their ability to "recognise, comprehend and use" different techniques in Roman poetry. The exercise is now a staple of his Latin Prose Composition course. Similar examples of innovative practice abound in Hunt's book. Adopting principles from language immersion, many teachers use techniques such as storytelling, singing and dramatic performances to get students using Latin, while some universities now have Latin-speaking social circles. Teachers are also producing their own resources to support these endeavours. A thriving culture of self-published Latin short stories and novellas is encouraging students' free reading, which according to one study is up to six times more efficient than traditional teaching at building vocabulary. Elsewhere, one enthusiast has recorded Latinised Disney songs, enabling listeners to hear how Let It Go might have sounded had Frozen been made in Ancient Rome. 3D digital modelling and Google Earth are also being used to create opportunities for students to use Latin during virtual walk-throughs of ancient sites; these include a 3D model of Rome built in Minecraft. Such innovations should, Hunt says, be treated selectively but seriously; while the change they are instigating ought to be welcomed. "Latin's role as the gatekeeper to an elite education is over, but involving more students, especially in state schools, remains a problem," he said. "The challenge for teachers in the years to come will be whether they are prepared to grasp these opportunities to present the subject differently, and widen the appeal for students, or whether they prefer to stick to familiar routines." Teaching Latin is published by Bloomsbury. Explore further Persian-Swedish bilingual students read and write better in Swedish CUORE scientists Dr. Paolo Gorla (LNGS, left) and Dr. Lucia Canonica (MIT, right) inspect the CUORE cryogenic systems. Credit: Yury Suvorov and the CUORE Collaboration In a laboratory under a mountain, physicists are using crystals far colder than frozen air to study ghostly particles, hoping to learn secrets from the beginning of the universe. Researchers at the Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) announced this week that they had placed some of the most stringent limits yet on the strange possibility that the neutrino is its own antiparticle. Neutrinos are deeply unusual particles, so ethereal and so ubiquitous that they regularly pass through our bodies without us noticing. CUORE has spent the last three years patiently waiting to see evidence of a distinctive nuclear decay process, only possible if neutrinos and antineutrinos are the same particle. CUORE's new data shows that this decay doesn't happen for trillions of trillions of years, if it happens at all. CUORE's limits on the behavior of these tiny phantoms are a crucial part of the search for the next breakthrough in particle and nuclear physicsand the search for our own origins. "Ultimately, we are trying to understand matter creation," said Carlo Bucci, researcher at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy and the spokesperson for CUORE. "We're looking for a process that violates a fundamental symmetry of nature," added Roger Huang, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and one of the lead authors of the new study. CUOREItalian for "heart"is among the most sensitive neutrino experiments in the world. The new results from CUORE are based on a data set ten times larger than any other high-resolution search, collected over the last three years. CUORE is operated by an international research collaboration, led by the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy and Berkeley Lab in the US. The CUORE detector itself is located under nearly a mile of solid rock at LNGS, a facility of the INFN. U.S. Department of Energy-supported nuclear physicists play a leading scientific and technical role in this experiment. CUORE's new results were published today in Nature. Peculiar particles Neutrinos are everywherethere are trillions of neutrinos passing through your thumbnail alone as you read this sentence. They are invisible to the two strongest forces in the universe, electromagnetism and the strong nuclear force, which allows them to pass right through you, the Earth, and nearly anything else without interacting. Despite their vast numbers, their enigmatic nature makes them very difficult to study, and has left physicists scratching their heads ever since they were first postulated over 90 years ago. It wasn't even known whether neutrinos had any mass at all until the late 1990sas it turns out, they do, albeit not very much. One of the many remaining open questions about neutrinos is whether they are their own antiparticles. All particles have antiparticles, their own antimatter counterpart: electrons have antielectrons (positrons), quarks have antiquarks, and neutrons and protons (which make up the nuclei of atoms) have antineutrons and antiprotons. But unlike all of those particles, it's theoretically possible for neutrinos to be their own antiparticles. Such particles that are their own antiparticles were first postulated by the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana in 1937, and are known as Majorana fermions. If neutrinos are Majorana fermions, that could explain a deep question at the root of our own existence: why there's so much more matter than antimatter in the universe. Neutrinos and electrons are both leptons, a kind of fundamental particle. One of the fundamental laws of nature appears to be that the number of leptons is always conservedif a process creates a lepton, it must also create an anti-lepton to balance it out. Similarly, particles like protons and neutrons are known as baryons, and baryon number also appears to be conserved. Yet if baryon and lepton numbers were always conserved, then there would be exactly as much matter in the universe as antimatterand in the early universe, the matter and antimatter would have met and annihilated, and we wouldn't exist. Something must violate the exact conservation of baryons and leptons. Enter the neutrino: if neutrinos are their own antiparticles, then lepton number wouldn't have to be conserved, and our existence becomes much less mysterious. "The matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe is still unexplained," said Huang. "If neutrinos are their own antiparticles, that could help explain it." Nor is this the only question that could be answered by a Majorana neutrino. The extreme lightness of neutrinos, about a million times lighter than the electron, has long been puzzling to particle physicists. But if neutrinos are their own antiparticles, then an existing solution known as the "seesaw mechanism" could explain the lightness of neutrinos in an elegant and natural way. CUORE detector being installed into the cryostat. Credit: Yury Suvorov and the CUORE Collaboration A rare device for rare decays But determining whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles is difficult, precisely because they don't interact very often at all. Physicists' best tool for looking for Majorana neutrinos is a hypothetical kind of radioactive decay called neutrinoless double beta decay. Beta decay is a fairly common form of decay in some atoms, turning a neutron in the atom's nucleus into a proton, changing the chemical element of the atom and emitting an electron and an anti-neutrino in the process. Double beta decay is more rare: instead of one neutron turning into a proton, two of them do, emitting two electrons and two anti-neutrinos in the process. But if the neutrino is a Majorana fermion, then theoretically, that would allow a single "virtual" neutrino, acting as its own antiparticle, to take the place of both anti-neutrinos in double beta decay. Only the two electrons would make it out of the atomic nucleus. Neutrinoless double-beta decay has been theorized for decades, but it's never been seen. The CUORE experiment has gone to great lengths to catch tellurium atoms in the act of this decay. The experiment uses nearly a thousand highly pure crystals of tellurium oxide, collectively weighing over 700 kg. This much tellurium is necessary because on average, it takes billions of times longer than the current age of the universe for a single unstable atom of tellurium to undergo ordinary double beta decay. But there are trillions of trillions of atoms of tellurium in each one of the crystals CUORE uses, meaning that ordinary double beta decay happens fairly regularly in the detector, around a few times a day in each crystal. Neutrinoless double beta decay, if it happens at all, is even more rare, and thus the CUORE team must work hard to remove as many sources of background radiation as possible. To shield the detector from cosmic rays, the entire system is located underneath the mountain of Gran Sasso, the largest mountain on the Italian peninsula. Further shielding is provided by several tons of lead. But freshly mined lead is slightly radioactive due to contamination by uranium and other elements, with that radioactivity decreasing over timeso the lead used to surround the most sensitive part of CUORE is mostly lead recovered from a sunken ancient Roman ship, nearly 2000 years old. Perhaps the most impressive piece of machinery used at CUORE is the cryostat, which keeps the detector cold. To detect neutrinoless double beta decay, the temperature of each crystal in the CUORE detector is carefully monitored with sensors capable of detecting a change in temperature as small as one ten-thousandth of a Celsius degree. Neutrinoless double beta decay has a specific energy signature and would raise the temperature of a single crystal by a well-defined and recognizable amount. But in order to maintain that sensitivity, the detector must be kept very coldspecifically, it's kept around 10 mK, a hundredth of a degree above absolute zero. "This is the coldest cubic meter in the known universe," said Laura Marini, a research fellow at Gran Sasso Science Institute and CUORE's Run Coordinator. The resulting sensitivity of the detector is truly phenomenal. "When there were large earthquakes in Chile and New Zealand, we actually saw glimpses of it in our detector," said Marini. "We can also see waves crashing on the seashore on the Adriatic Sea, 60 kilometers away. That signal gets bigger in the winter, when there are storms." A neutrino through the heart Despite that phenomenal sensitivity, CUORE hasn't yet seen evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay. Instead, CUORE has established that, on average, this decay happens in a single tellurium atom no more often than once every 22 trillion trillion years. "Neutrinoless double beta decay, if observed, will be the rarest process ever observed in nature, with a half-life more than a million billion times longer than the age of the universe," said Danielle Speller, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the CUORE Physics Board. "CUORE may not be sensitive enough to detect this decay even if it does occur, but it's important to check. Sometimes physics yields surprising results, and that's when we learn the most." Even if CUORE doesn't find evidence of neutrinoless double-beta decay, it is paving the way for the next generation of experiments. CUORE's successor, the CUORE Upgrade with Particle Identification (CUPID) is already in the works. CUPID will be over 10 times more sensitive than CUORE, potentially allowing it to glimpse evidence of a Majorana neutrino. But regardless of anything else, CUORE is a scientific and technological triumphnot only for its new bounds on the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay, but also for its demonstration of its cryostat technology. "It's the largest refrigerator of its kind in the world," said Paolo Gorla, a staff scientist at LNGS and CUORE's Technical Coordinator. "And it's been kept at 10 mK continuously for about three years now." Such technology has applications well beyond fundamental particle physics. Specifically, it may find use in quantum computing, where keeping large amounts of machinery cold enough and shielded from environmental radiation to manipulate on a quantum level is one of the major engineering challenges in the field. Meanwhile, CUORE isn't done yet. "We'll be operating until 2024," said Bucci. "I'm excited to see what we find." Explore further CUORE experiment constrains neutrino properties More information: Search for Majorana neutrinos exploiting millikelvin cryogenics with CUORE, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Search for Majorana neutrinos exploiting millikelvin cryogenics with CUORE,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04497-4 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Across languages and cultures, words that help direct caregivers' attention are likely to be among the first children learn and use frequently, according to a new Cornell study that is the largest ever, by sample size, of early vocabulary development in an Indigenous language. The early use of words like "this" and "that" has been documented in widely spoken languages such as English, Spanish and Mandarin, which have relatively simple systems for demonstratives, said Amalia Skilton, a linguistics scholar and Klarman Fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Skilton observed similar patterns among 45 Ticuna speakers in Peru, suggesting that children's strong drive to share attention has similar effects on language learningespecially on the first wordseven in languages that differ structurally and that are spoken in very different social settings. "Children learn demonstratives that call others' attention to objectssuch as 'this/that' and 'here/there'at extremely young ages, when they know very few other words," Skilton said. "'This' and 'here' show up just as early as stereotypical first words like 'mama.'" Demonstratives play a "starring role" in language development, Skilton writes in "Learning Speaker- and Addressee-Centered Demonstratives in Ticuna," published April 7 in the Journal of Child Language. They are one of the main tools for directing what linguists call joint attention, which allows us to label objects with names, coordinate our actions and cooperate. "Sharing attention is the infrastructure for the rest of language and social interaction," Skilton said. English has only two primary demonstratives ("this" and "that") but some languages have up to a dozen. Ticuna, spoken by roughly 69,000 Indigenous people living along the Amazon/Solimoes River in Peru, Colombia and Brazil, features six demonstratives, four of which were studied because of their more common usage. Over more than a year in Cushillococha, Peru, a community of about 5,000 that relies on subsistence farming, Skilton recorded children ages 1 to 4 at play and interacting with caregivers in their homes. She analyzed Ticuna language development captured in nearly 15 hours of video samples. Despite their small vocabularies, 12 of the 14 one-year-olds observed in the study said "this/that" or "here/there," demonstrating the universal drive to share attention. Skilton said the research confirms that caregivers can expect children to start using those words at around 12 to 18 months old "no matter what language they speak." But the type of demonstratives used shows that while very young children are eager to share attention, they have difficulty understanding others' perspectives. Ticuna children learned "egocentric" demonstrativesequivalent to "this/here near me"about two years earlier than "interactive" demonstratives like "that/there near you," Skilton found. And they used those egocentric words more often than adults, accounting for as much as 15% of all words spoken. It's already known that children have trouble understanding what others believe or know. Skilton said her research adds the finding that young children also struggle with understanding how other people view objects in space. She believes that's a function of cognitive development, not the learning of any particular language. Thus, Skilton said, parents and other caregivers shouldn't necessarily be concerned if children under age 3 use interactive words incorrectly. "While adults think of these words as simple," Skilton said, "their meanings are fairly challenging for children to understand at young ages and having trouble with them is a typical part of child development." Skilton plans to return to Peru to continue her research, which comprises the first comprehensive study of joint attention development in a non-Western setting, shifting her focus to children's use of pointing gestures to direct adults' attention. She is collaborating during her three-year Klarman fellowship with faculty host Sarah Murray, associate professor in the Department of Linguistics (A&S). Explore further New study finds that iconicity in parents' speech helps children learn new words More information: Amalia Skilton, Learning speaker- and addressee-centered demonstratives in Ticuna, Journal of Child Language (2022). Amalia Skilton, Learning speaker- and addressee-centered demonstratives in Ticuna,(2022). DOI: 10.1017/S0305000922000101 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Ocean water samples collected around the world have yielded a treasure trove of new data about RNA viruses, expanding ecological research possibilities and reshaping our understanding of how these small but significant submicroscopic particles evolved. Combining machine-learning analyses with traditional evolutionary trees, an international team of researchers has identified 5,500 new RNA virus species that represent all five known RNA virus phyla and suggest there are at least five new RNA virus phyla needed to capture them. The most abundant collection of newly identified species belong to a proposed phylum researchers named Taraviricota, a nod to the source of the 35,000 water samples that enabled the analysis: the Tara Oceans Consortium, an ongoing global study onboard the schooner Tara of the impact of climate change on the world's oceans. "There's so much new diversity hereand an entire phylum, the Taraviricota, were found all over the oceans, which suggests they're ecologically important," said lead author Matthew Sullivan, professor of microbiology at The Ohio State University. "RNA viruses are clearly important in our world, but we usually only study a tiny slice of themthe few hundred that harm humans, plants and animals. We wanted to systematically study them on a very big scale and explore an environment no one had looked at deeply, and we got lucky because virtually every species was new, and many were really new." The study appears online today in Science. While microbes are essential contributors to all life on the planet, viruses that infect or interact with them have a variety of influences on microbial functions. These types of viruses are believed to have three main functions: killing cells, changing how infected cells manage energy, and transferring genes from one host to another. Knowing more about virus diversity and abundance in the world's oceans will help explain marine microbes' role in ocean adaptation to climate change, the researchers say. Oceans absorb half of the human-generated carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and previous research by this group has suggested that marine viruses are the "knob" on a biological pump affecting how carbon in the ocean is stored. By taking on the challenge of classifying RNA viruses, the team entered waters still rippling from earlier taxonomy categorization efforts that focused mostly on RNA viral pathogens. Within the biological kingdom Orthornavirae, five phyla were recently recognized by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Though the research team identified hundreds of new RNA virus species that fit into those existing divisions, their analysis identified thousands more species that they clustered into five new proposed phyla: Taraviricota, Pomiviricota, Paraxenoviricota, Wamoviricota and Arctiviricota, which, like Taraviricota, features highly abundant speciesat least in climate-critical Arctic Ocean waters, the area of the world where warming conditions wreak the most havoc. Sullivan's team has long cataloged DNA virus species in the oceans, growing the numbers from a few thousand in 2015 and 2016 to 200,000 in 2019. For those studies, scientists had access to viral particles to complete the analysis. In these current efforts to detect RNA viruses, there were no viral particles to study. Instead, researchers extracted sequences from genes expressed in organisms floating in the sea, and narrowed the analysis to RNA sequences that contained a signature gene, called RdRp, which has evolved for billions of years in RNA viruses, and is absent from other viruses or cells. Because RdRp's existence dates to when life was first detected on Earth, its sequence position has diverged many times, meaning traditional phylogenetic tree relationships were impossible to describe with sequences alone. Instead, the team used machine learning to organize 44,000 new sequences in a way that could handle these billions of years of sequence divergence, and validated the method by showing the technique could accurately classify sequences of RNA viruses already identified. "We had to benchmark the known to study the unknown," said Sullivan, also a professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering, founding director of Ohio State's Center of Microbiome Science and a leadership team member in the EMERGE Biology Integration Institute. "We've created a computationally reproducible way to align those sequences to where we can be more confident that we are aligning positions that accurately reflect evolution." Further analysis using 3D representations of sequence structures and alignment revealed that the cluster of 5,500 new species didn't fit into the five existing phyla of RNA viruses categorized in the Orthornavirae kingdom. "We benchmarked our clusters against established, recognized phylogeny-based taxa, and that is how we found we have more clusters than those that existed," said co-first author Ahmed Zayed, a research scientist in microbiology at Ohio State and a research lead in the EMERGE Institute. In all, the findings led the researchers to propose not only the five new phyla, but also at least 11 new orthornaviran classes of RNA viruses. The team is preparing a proposal to request formalization of the candidate phyla and classes by the ICTV. Zayed said the extent of new data on the RdRp gene's divergence over time leads to a better understanding about how early life may have evolved on the planet. "RdRp is supposed to be one of the most ancient genesit existed before there was a need for DNA," he said. "So we're not just tracing the origins of viruses, but also tracing the origins of life." This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Ohio Supercomputer Center, Ohio State's Center of Microbiome Science, the EMERGE Biology Integration Institute, the Ramon-Areces Foundation and Laulima Government Solutions/NIAID. The work was also made possible by the unprecedented sampling and science of the Tara Oceans Consortium, the nonprofit Tara Ocean Foundation and its partners. Explore further 15,000-year-old viruses discovered in Tibetan glacier ice More information: Ahmed A. Zayed et al, Cryptic and abundant marine viruses at the evolutionary origins of Earth's RNA virome, Science (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm5847 Journal information: Science Ahmed A. Zayed et al, Cryptic and abundant marine viruses at the evolutionary origins of Earth's RNA virome,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abm5847 The Triceratops horridus Big John. (a) The complete restored skeleton; the fenestra analyzed here is indicated by the white circle (courtesy of Ferrara A., and Briano I.). (b) Detail of the skull (courtesy of Ferrara A., and Briano I.). (c) Detail of the fenestra: plaquelike deposition of reactive bone (white arrows) and lytic lesions (black arrows) are visible on the bony surface around the lesion. The region where the sample to be analyzed was taken is visible on the lower margin. Credit: Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08033-2 The fossilized remains of the triceratops specimen known as "Big John" display injuries to the skull that may have occurred during combat with another triceratops, according to new research published in Scientific Reports. Triceratops (Triceratops horridus) is a species of horned dinosaurs characterized by its large neck frill formed from extended patietal and squamosal skull bones. It has been suggested that this bony frill served as protection against injuries from other triceratops during fights. Ruggero D'Anastasio and colleagues examined the triceratops specimen known as "Big John," so named for its large size, which was discovered in 2014 in the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA. They report the presence of a keyhole-shaped opening (a fenestra) in the right squamosal bone. The bone surface around the fenestra is irregular and features plaque-like deposits of bone, which could have resulted from inflammation (possibly from infection). The authors analyzed samples taken from the larger margin of the fenestra, which reveal that the bone tissue around the fenestra is porous with lots of blood vessels compared to bone tissue further from the fenestra, suggesting that this was newly formed bone. The bone also showed signs of remodeling, as demonstrated by the presence of little pits known as Howship lacunae. Together, these features indicate that the fenestra was caused by a traumatic injury but that the bone was healing at the time of Big John's death. The authors suggest that the injury was caused by the horn of another triceratops, and occurred at least six months before Big John's death. Based on these findings, the mechanisms underlying the healing process in dinosaurs appears to be similar to that in mammals. Explore further Researchers discover four dinosaurs in Montana More information: Ruggero D'Anastasio, Histological and chemical diagnosis of a combat lesion in Triceratops, Scientific Reports (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08033-2 Journal information: Scientific Reports Ruggero D'Anastasio, Histological and chemical diagnosis of a combat lesion in Triceratops,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08033-2 You are here: World Flash Ukraine on Wednesday created 11 humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave conflict-affected cities and deliver humanitarian aid, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram. The humanitarian corridors established safe exit routes from five towns in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and five towns and villages in Luhansk, Vereshchuk said. One humanitarian corridor was set up to allow civilians to leave Mariupol in Donetsk, where there has been fierce fighting, via private transport. On Tuesday, some 3,800 people were evacuated from conflict-affected areas in Ukraine. The report, launched this week, shows jobs and labour force participation are far from fully recovered in Victoria. Credit: Shutterstock "Our recovery leads the world," treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Australia on budget night last week. "We have overcome the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression." The government has repeatedly emphasized forecasts of the lowest unemployment rate since the end of the post-World War II economic boom, a time when "full employment" was the norm. But a bigger story lies beneath the headlines. Our new report, titled Scarring Effects of the Pandemic Economy, shows Australia's recovery has not been the rising tide that lifts all boats. While JobKeeper and related policies cushioned the worst impacts of the crisis, the federal government has failed to address rising financial pressure or exclusion of the poorest and most marginalized in our community. An uneven economic recovery Based on two years of research, the report looks at the ongoing impact of the pandemic on social service providers in Victoria. That included organizations offering emergency relief such as food and clothing, temporary accommodation, or help for victims of family and domestic violence. The report, launched this week, shows jobs and labor force participation are far from fully recovered in Victoria. Melbourne had fewer jobs at the end of the delta wave in late 2021 than before the pandemic. This problem was much worse for women already overburdened due to school and childcare center closures and who were also more likely to be exposed to sectors with the highest job losses during lockdown, such as hospitality or retail trade. A further sign of the recovery's unevenness is the number of people registered with jobactive providers, which are supposed to provide services to the unemployed. This number was almost double pre-pandemic levels even before the delta wave began in mid-2021. By early 2022, numbers remained over 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Unable to leave, unable to work, unable to get welfare support The social protection afforded by emergency government spending measures in 2020 were denied to hundreds of thousands of people on temporary visas. This is far from a marginal issue. By the eve of the pandemic, every 18th worker in Victoria had arrived from overseas within the last five years; nearly half of these came from central or south Asian countries. As one social service provider told us: "We had many international students from India and Bangladesh with no income, no family structures and no social safety net. Their resilience was limited." This provider's experience was typical of the sector. Unemployment for workers from this region peaked at 24%four times higher than peak unemployment for workers born in Australia. Joblessness, border closures and government exclusion from JobKeeper and JobSeeker caused untold suffering, forcing many migrants to seek emergency relief for the first time in their lives. Many found themselves in an impossible situationeffectively unable to leave, unable to work, and unable to access welfare support. In 2020, emergency relief providers reported up to a 13-fold increase in the proportion of their clients who had no income. This proportion is lower today but still yet to fall to pre-pandemic levels. The cohort of clients with no income correlates strongly with migrants on temporary visas. People still struggle long after the worst of the crisis Despite a brief fall during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, thanks to JobKeeper and JobSeeker, the pandemic drove people to emergency relief providers in record numbers. In Melbourne, demand for food increased by up to 2.5 times in 2020. As volunteers withdrew due to lockdowns, the pressure on active volunteers increased. In 2021, hours per active volunteer increased by up to five times and did not decline by the end of the year, even after the delta wave lockdown ended. One worker assisting victims of family violence told us: "The burden has been huge. [Victims] were locked down with the person that's abusing [them]. [In bound] calls have just continued to increase." These are just some of the "scarring effects" of the pandemic which the rhetoric of high growth and low unemployment do not address. The report shows the impact of lost jobs and income are not one-off events but have effects which persist long after the worst of the crisis has ended. In response to these lasting effects, the report reiterates widespread calls across the sector for new investment in public housing and a significant rise in the JobSeeker payment. This would help address working poverty. The report also calls for renewed government attention to the challenges faced by social service providers trying to assist the poor and vulnerable. These organizations and the people they're trying to help continue to struggle despite talk of economic recovery. Explore further Reducing poverty and inequality in Australia is possible, report says This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Flash A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to face up to the aspiration of Asia-Pacific countries for peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and abandon the Cold War mindset and zero-sum game, faithfully fulfill their international obligations and do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have all said that they are working on hypersonic weapons under their new trilateral security pact, which is called AUKUS. Zhao said that, exploiting the Ukraine crisis and using the pretext of maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, AUKUS has declared in a high-profile manner that the United States and the United Kingdom will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and the three countries will cooperate in developing advanced military technologies such as hypersonic weapons. It not only increases nuclear proliferation risks and brings shocks to the international non-proliferation system, but also intensifies arms race and undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Zhao said. "Countries in the region should be on a higher alert." AUKUS is an Anglo-Saxon clique, where the old thinking of Cold War mentality and bloc politics persists and the old trick of provoking military confrontation and adding fuel to the flame lingers, Zhao pointed out. "Its ultimate goal is to build a NATO replica in the Asia-Pacific to serve the U.S. hegemony and self-interests through and through. Asia-Pacific countries will resolutely say no to it for sure," Zhao said. FDA approves Novartis Vijoice (alpelisib) as first and only treatment for select patients with PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum (PROS) Details Category: Small Molecules Published on Thursday, 07 April 2022 09:50 Hits: 1172 Vijoice is first approved treatment to specifically address the root cause of PROS conditions in select patients 2 years of age and older 1 PROS is a spectrum of rare conditions and is characterized by atypical overgrowths and anomalies in blood vessels, the lymphatic system and other tissues 2,3 Approval based on real-world data from EPIK-P1 study, which showed patients treated with Vijoice experienced reduction in the size of PROS lesions and improvement of PROS-related signs and symptoms Novartis to offer robust patient support program that includes assistance to access medication, financial resources for eligible patients and continued education BASEL, Switzerland I April 6, 2022 I Novartis today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to Vijoice (alpelisib) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older with severe manifestations of PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum (PROS) who require systemic therapy.1 Vijoice is the first FDA-approved treatment for PROS, a spectrum of rare conditions characterized by overgrowths and blood vessel anomalies impacting an estimated 14 people per million.2,3 In accordance with the Accelerated Approval Program, continued approval may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence. Todays approval of the first treatment for PROS offers hope for a better quality of life to patients and families affected by these rare conditions, said Kristen Davis, Executive Director of CLOVES Syndrome Community. PROS conditions can be debilitating and disabling and can result in disruptions to everyday activities. Until today, often the only treatment options for patients were surgical or interventional radiology procedures. PROS conditions can affect quality of life and pose a range of physical, emotional and social challenges for patients and their families, ranging from functional impacts and developmental delays to chronic pain, mobility issues, and feelings of isolation.3-6 PROS management can be challenging, requiring collaboration from a multidisciplinary team, and patients and physicians have only had access to interventions focused on symptom management.6,7 I am proud of this outstanding achievement for the PROS community. The EPIK-P1 study results build on our earlier pre-clinical findings and demonstrate the efficacy of Vijoice for select PROS conditions, effectively reducing PROS growths, said Guillaume Canaud, MD, PhD, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital AP-HP, the Paris Descartes University, Inserm (INEM Institute Necker Enfants Malades Centre for Molecular Medicine). This is a significant advancement in therapy for PROS with the potential to positively change the treatment trajectory and outcomes for patients. FDA approval was based on real-world evidence from EPIK-P1, a retrospective chart review study that showed patients treated with Vijoice experienced reduced target lesion volume and improvement in PROS-related symptoms and manifestations. The primary endpoint analysis conducted at week 24 showed 27% of patients (10/37) achieved a confirmed response to treatment, defined as 20% or greater reduction in the sum of PROS target lesion volume. Nearly three in four patients with imaging at baseline and week 24 (74%, 23/31) showed some reduction in target lesion volume, with a mean reduction of 13.7%, and no patients experienced disease progression at time of primary analysis. Additionally, at week 24, investigators observed patient improvements in pain (90%, 20/22), fatigue (76%, 32/42), vascular malformation (79%, 30/38), limb asymmetry (69%, 20/29), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (55%, 16/29). These improvements were observed in subsets of patients across the study population (n=57) who reported symptoms at baseline and at week 24.1, The approval of Vijoice marks a turning point for patients who, until now, have not had an approved therapy to specifically address their disease, said Victor Bulto, President, Novartis Innovative Medicines US. We are grateful to the physicians, patients and families who participated in the EPIK-P1 trial. We are continuing to invest in studies to advance the scientific understanding of PROS conditions and to understand the full potential of Vijoice. In EPIK-P1, the most common adverse events (AEs) of any grade were diarrhea (16%), stomatitis (16%), and hyperglycemia (12%). The most common grade 3/4 AE was cellulitis (4%); one adult case was considered treatment-related.1 Novartis is committed to providing patients with access to medicines, as well as resources and support to address a range of needs. The Novartis Oncology Patient Support Program is available to help guide eligible patients through the various aspects of getting started on treatment, from providing educational information to helping them understand their insurance coverage and identify potential financial assistance options. Patients or providers can call 800-282-7630 or visit Patient.NovartisOncology.com or HCP.Novartis.com/Access to learn more about eligibility and to enroll. About PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum (PROS) The PROS classification was proposed by researchers and parent representatives of patient-family support and advocacy organizations at a National Institutes of Health workshop in 2013 to unite a group of rare overgrowth conditions caused by PIK3CA mutations.4,6 Specific conditions associated with PROS include KTS, CLOVES syndrome, ILM, MCAP/MCM, HME, HHML, FIL, FAVA, macrodactyly, muscular HH, FAO, CLAPO syndrome and epidermal nevus, benign lichenoid keratosis, or seborrheic keratosis.4,6 The estimated prevalence of PROS conditions is approximately 14 people per million.3 About Vijoice Vijoice (alpelisib) is a kinase inhibitor that treats rare overgrowth conditions caused by the effects of PIK3CA mutations in adults and children with PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum (PROS). Vijoice works by inhibiting the PI3K pathway, predominantly the PI3K-alpha isoform.1 Vijoice is the first FDA-approved treatment for PROS conditions. Vijoice is not approved for use outside the United States. FDA approval of Vijoice is based primarily on real-world evidence from the EPIK-P1 study. To further understand the long-term efficacy and safety of alpelisib in PROS, Novartis is conducting additional clinical trials. EPIK-P2 is a prospective Phase II multi-center study with a randomized, double-blind, upfront 16-week placebo-controlled period, and extension period to evaluate the safety, the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of alpelisib to treat pediatrics and adults with PROS. EPIK-P3 is a Phase II study to assess long-term safety and efficacy of alpelisib in people with PROS who participated in EPIK-P1. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library For questions about the site or required registration, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. References Vijoice: Prescribing Information. East Hanover, New Jersey, USA: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; April 2022 Canaud G, et al. EPIK-P1: Retrospective Chart Review Study of Patients With PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum Who Have Received Alpelisib as Part of a Compassionate Use Programme. Presented at the 2021 ESMO Congress; September 17-21, 2021. Data on file. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; 2020. Keppler-Noreuil KM, Sapp JC, Lindhurst MJ, et al. Clinical delineation and natural history of the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum. Am J Med Genet A. 2014;164A(7):1713-1733. Parker VER, Keppler-Noreuil KM, Faivre L, et al. Genet Med. 2019;21(5):1189-1198. Mirzaa G, Conway R, Graham JM Jr, Dobyns WB. PIK3CA-related segmental overgrowth. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., eds. GeneReviews [Internet]. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2019. Hughes M, Hao M and Luu M. PIK3CA vascular overgrowth syndromes: an update. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2020;32(4):539-546. SOURCE: Novartis SOMERS POINT Shore Physicians Group announced that Alexandra Buford, DO, has joined its Primary Care division. Dr. Buford is board certified in family health with additional training in allergy and aerospace medicine, and she has a special interest in womens health. She is currently treating patients at the Shore Physicians Group office in Somers Point, located at 401 Bethel Road. She will transition her patient care to the new Shore Physicians Group location coming to the Festival at Hamilton Plaza in Mays Landing later this year. A native of Mays Landing and a graduate of Stockton University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Buford returns to Atlantic County after serving full time in the United States Air Force since 2013. Her Air Force career includes serving as the medical director at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina and as the medical director of the Flight Medicine Clinic at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. In addition to seeing patients with Shore Physicians Group, she serves in the Reserves one weekend each month as a physician at Langley Air Force base in Virginia. To schedule an appointment, call 609-365-6200 or make an appointment online at shorephysiciansgroup.com. MARGATE Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. The funds will be utilized for JFS Atlantic Homeless Alliance Travel Assistance program which provides individuals and families in Atlantic City experiencing homelessness to connect to secure housing and other necessary services. With this program, JFS staff will help individuals reconnect with family, friends or a service provider. JFS staff join with the person in a problem solving conversation and then cover the cost of a bus, train or plane ticket. This emotional support and concrete assistance makes all of the difference between remaining homeless in Atlantic City or gaining viable housing. The generous funds provided by the CRDA are vital to ensure JFS is able to continue to provide this key intervention to address homelessness in Atlantic City. By working in partnership with Atlantic County, Atlantic City and other community providers, JFS staff are able to reconnect individuals to their community of origin and avert homelessness, said Andrea Steinberg, JFS Chief Executive Officer. In 2020, the Atlantic County Point-in-Time Count, an annual snapshot of the population of people experiencing homelessness, showed that 95% of the countys homeless population live in Atlantic City. It also indicated that nearly one-third of those people reported that their last permanent address was outside of the county (Monarch Housing, 2020). The AHA provides a single point of entry to assist individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. AHA staff develop a personalized support plan with the primary goal of addressing concerns and challenges relating to homelessness. Since 2014, JFS has effectively provided travel assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Atlantic City. From April 2020 through March 2021, JFS Atlantic Homeless Alliance helped 2,544 individuals with travel assistance, homelessness prevention, supportive housing, case management and more. In partnership with JFS Project Assistance Transition from Homelessness (PATH), the team offers skilled outreach to the unsheltered and chronically homeless with serious mental illness to develop trusting relationships and provide support. The JFS Travel Assistance program creates an economic benefit for Atlantic City by reducing long-term public costs associated with homelessness, said CRDA Board Chairman Modia Butler. For more information on JFS programs and services, visit www.jfsatlantic.org or call 609-822-1108. WOODBINE Mayor William Pikolycky announce the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has awarded the borough a Small Cities Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $400,000 to replace the aging water system beneath portions of Madison Avenue and Clay Street, and to reconstruct the affected areas of these same rights-of-way. Using an Asset Management Plan to guide ongoing capital improvements, the borough has identified the approximately-70-year-old underground water system which includes the existence of undersized, substandard piping throughout the system is in need of replacement. According to Pikolycky, the borough has made numerous repairs to the water system over the years, and a new subterranean natural gas distribution system has been installed in the subject location and throughout the Borough. This required digging up the roadway and restoring the surface, resulting in a patchwork that can ultimately cause pavement failure, he said. So, the need to replace the aging water system pipes and then reconstruct the roadways go hand-in-hand. The reconstruction of the pavement will also require the replacement of certain curbing and sidewalks to make them Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. Pikolycky also stated the new project is being supplemented by a $365,000 grant to the borough from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, making a combined project total of $765,000. The NJDOT grant includes the reconstruction of disturbed roadway where improvements extend into the road. The DCA Small Cities and DOT grants will complete a project in which the roadway and related infrastructure is reconstructed to ADA standards as well as upgrading an aging water system, borough officials said. The borough was awarded another $900,000 between DCA Small Cities and DOT Streetscape grants for similar work along portions of Adams Avenue, noted Pikolycky. This new project will supplement that work, thus helping us create a more inclusive community for all residents. Both projects were awarded nearly $1,700,000. Pikolycky said without the funding, it would be impossible for local taxpayers to pay for these projects. We thank the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation for these awards and for their continued commitment to the Borough of Woodbine, said Pikolycky. China urges U.S. to cancel proposed arms sales to Taiwan Xinhua) 08:06, April 07, 2022 SourceXinhua BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China said Wednesday it is firmly opposed to and strongly condemns the proposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan worth 95 million U.S. dollars, urging the U.S. to withdraw its plan. "The U.S. arms sales to the Taiwan region of China seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, gravely undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing. According to reports, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Tuesday said that the U.S. State Department has approved the sale, which would include training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance and sustainment of the Patriot Air Defense System and associated equipment. "The U.S. should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, revoke the arms sales plan and stop arms sales to and military ties with Taiwan," Zhao said, adding that China will continue to take firm and strong measures to resolutely defend its sovereignty and security interests. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Du Mingming) Flash China calls on all parties to practice restraint and avoid making groundless accusations before the investigation into the Bucha incident concludes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. "The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing. The truth and cause of the incident must be ascertained," Zhao told a regular news briefing. Media reports state that at least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, a town outside Kiev. The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of the killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha. Zhao said that China pays close attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the suffering of civilians. "Humanitarian issues should not be politicized and any charge should be based on facts," he said. China supports all proposals and measures to ease the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and will work with the international community to prevent any harm to civilians, he said. VENTNOR Susan Berman, owner of Ventnor-based travel agency Berman Travel LLC, will now serve on the Antigua-Barbuda Tourism Authoritys Advisory Board as a U.S. representative, the agency said Friday. Berman has been in business since 2002, having started her agency in Philadelphia. It has won numerous awards, including recognition as a Karisma Resorts G.I. Diamond Agency. Susans extensive knowledge and experience in the travel industry, along with her operating a very successful travel agency for the past 20 years, has made her very well respected in the travel and tourism industry, and we are so fortunate she has accepted this appointment, Dean Fenton, USA Marketing director for the Antigua-Barbuda Tourism Authority, said in a statement Thursday. Susan is a true specialist and a force to be reckoned with, and her expertise will be invaluable as a board member. Susan has visited the Caribbean many times, the organization said in a news release, and can offer detailed travel advice to tourists going to Antigua. I am really honored and excited to be appointed to the eight-member Antigua & Barbuda Travel Agent Advisory Board and look forward to an active role in helping to advance tourism growth to this beautiful Caribbean paradise, Berman said in a statement Friday. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTIC CITY As state legislators continue to sign on to legislation to ban smoking in casinos, groups are planning a rally at McClinton Waterfront Park to encourage the Legislature to pass the bills in both houses. Its time to take the next step and hold hearings on this legislation in both the Senate and Assembly Health Committees, said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. The rally will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to Americans for Nonsmokers Rights and Casino Employees Against Smokings Effects (CEASE). It will mark the 16th anniversary of the law that created a casino smoking loophole, allowing indoor smoking in casinos and simulcasting facilities while banning it in every other type of business. Four more members of the Assembly said Thursday they have become co-sponsors of bipartisan legislation to eliminate the casino smoking loophole. The new co-sponsors are Assembly members John Catalano, R-Ocean; Sadaf Jaffer, D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset; Gabriela Mosquera, D-Camden, Gloucester; and Benjie Wimberly, D-Bergen, Passaic. Casino smoking ban bill now co-sponsored by most health committee members TRENTON Most of the members of both the Assembly and Senate health committees are now co-s State Sen. Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift, all R-Atlantic, were already cosponsors. So are Sen. Michael Testa and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen, both R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic. A report commissioned by the Casino Association of New Jersey recently, conducted by gaming research firm Spectrum Gaming Group, found eliminating smoking could cost up to 2,500 casino jobs and nearly 11% of casinos revenue. Smokers account for 21% of Atlantic City gamblers and tend to lose more money and spend more on nongambling items, according to the report. Joe Lupo, president of the casino association and of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, has said the resort faces some very dire issues, including lower levels of visitors in 2021 than 2019. He has said now is not the time to enact a smoking ban, and that doing so could cause a devastating effect to the community and state. With the four new lawmakers signing on, two-thirds of Assembly Health Committee members are now co-sponsors, while a majority of Senate Health Committee members are also co-sponsors. Greater Atlantic City Chamber opposes proposed casino smoking ban ATLANTIC CITY The Greater Atlantic City Chamber has come out against legislation that woul No employer should be allowed to knowingly subject their workers to a carcinogen, Wimberly said in a news release. Im co-sponsoring A2151 to protect casino workers from the harmful effects of what has been documented to those who breathe in secondhand smoke. The time is now to get this done. Of 40 New Jersey senators, 15 are co-sponsors of S264. Of 80 members of the Assembly, 28 are co-sponsors of A2151. Gov. Phil Murphy has repeatedly said hed sign this legislation. When we gather next week, we will both highlight the unprecedented support for protecting our lives and urge legislators to get this bill across the finish line, said Lamont White, co-leader of CEASE, which has organized thousands of Atlantic City casino workers since smoking returned in July 2021 after being paused during the pandemic. Across parties and among South Jersey legislators, we have strong support. Its time to post the bill in the Health Committees, where we already know it will pass with flying colors, White said. The Smoke Free Air Act took effect on April 15, 2006, and prohibited smoking in almost every workplace and place open to the public except casinos. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New Jersey lawmakers have reignited the debate over whether high schools should begin later to allow students more sleep before starting their day. If approved, a bill recently introduced in the state Legislature would push back the start time for most high schoolers to no earlier than 8:30 a.m. beginning with the 2023-24 school year. The measure does not apply to middle or elementary schools, but those would likely be affected because of buses and after-school activities, officials say. Delaying what time school starts has been widely debated nationally for years, but experts believe later start times for high school students could improve academic outcomes because their shifting sleep patterns require later sleep. The Philadelphia School District announced last month it is moving its start times to 9 a.m. for most high schools in September. Haddonfield High School freshman Gala Durkin says she faces a really big struggle to get out of bed most days. Her mother drops her off at 7:30, and she finds it hard to pay attention in her first-period global impact class, even though its her favorite subject. Im not really focused, said Durkin, 14. I find myself dozing off. The bills sponsors, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, said they were motivated in part because of the impact the pandemic has had on students mental health. They believe students who get more sleep will perform better academically. Gov. Phil Murphy has said he is open-minded about the bill, which heads next to a committee for review possibly in May or June. Stockton returns Carnegie Library to Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY Stockton University said Thursday it has formally returned ownership of the Currently, most New Jersey high schools begin their day at 7:51 a.m., compared with the national average of 8 a.m., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Elementary and middle schools typically start later. The New Jersey Education Association hasnt taken a position on the start-time bill but believes any reform that might benefit students is well worth considering and implementing, said spokesperson Steve Baker. Baker and others, however, believe the change, if adopted, could affect students who work after school or participate in extracurricular activities. It could also cause transportation and child-care problems for families that depend on older children to take care of their younger siblings. Sporting activities would also have to be pushed back. Kimberly Dickstein, an English teacher at Haddonfield High School, said educators should take this opportunity to evaluate how the school day is structured. Instead of a typical eight periods, maybe four periods should be implemented, she said. We dont have to do things the way we have always done them, Dickstein said. We really should be talking about how academics could be different during the school day. In Gloucester County, Woodbury Public Schools began exploring a later start time at its high school in 2020, but that was halted after the pandemic hit, said Superintendent Andrew Bell. School currently starts at 7:45 a.m. Millville High School greenhouse nurtured by community MILLVILLE The growth of the new greenhouse at Millville High School is being nurtured by c Bell said the district is revisiting the issue and sending a survey to parents to possibly push the start back to 8:30 as early as September. The time would likely be changed for elementary schools, too, he said. Some people like it. Some people dont, said Bell. I think its a good move. Cherry Hill Public Schools also has been considering new start times for several years, said Superintendent Joseph Meloche. Any change would likely include all elementary and middle schools, mainly because of transportation issues, he said. Bus drivers, who transport 8,000 students daily, need at least 30 minutes between routes, he said. Meloche is in favor of high school students starting later. In the meantime, the district is getting feedback from the community on the possible impact on families and schedules, he said. I wholeheartedly agree kids need more sleep, said Meloche. Teens especially need additional rest to function well because their sleep patterns shift during puberty, experts say. Most require at least eight hours of sleep, but many dont get that. For the 2021-22 school year, the Camden school district changed to tiered scheduling with a 9 a.m. start time at its high schools, partly because of transportation issues and also to accommodate students who escort younger siblings to school. Even with the later time, Karen Borrelli, a health and physical education teacher at Camdens Brimm Medical Arts High School, said at least a handful of students arrive late every day for her first-period class. A few latecomers were seen arriving at school Tuesday. The later start doesnt help us at all, said Borrelli. The first period is typically toughest for teachers because of chronic tardiness, said Kate Seltzer, a professor in the department of language, literacy and sociocultural education at Rowan Universitys College of Education. A former English teacher in New York City public schools, Seltzer said her students often trickled in about 30 minutes late. An 8:30 a.m. start makes sense, especially for students who commute a distance to school, she said. I think its certainly worth a try if you can get past the logistics issues, Seltzer said. If we had had a later start time, it would have been a more humane morning. EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch, is collecting feminine hygiene products and donations to raise awareness of period poverty during a monthlong Great Big Period Drive. The drive will run through April and host several drop-off locations in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties. People are encouraged to drop off feminine hygiene items including pads and panty liners. The campaign also encourages donations and for volunteers to host their own drives. Period poverty is the inability to access menstruation products due to financial issues, and affects thousands of New Jersey residents, the food bank said in a news release. Two in five people with periods say they have struggled to access necessary products, according to a survey by U by Kotex. According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in four teens has missed class because she didnt have a pad or tampon. A $25 donation can provide a years worth of maxi pads to someone in need, organizers of the drive said. South Jersey's Ukrainian Americans help however they can SOMERS POINT What do you do when your home is under attack but you are thousands of miles away? Combatting period poverty is closely related to our core function of fighting hunger. Period supplies are not covered by most federally funded public assistance programs, and with tight budgets, neighbors in need often struggle to afford them, said Carlos Rodriguez, president and CEO of the food bank. Drop-off locations in Atlantic County include the AtlantiCare HealthPlex in Atlantic City, the AtlantiCare Life Center and the food bank in Egg Harbor Township, and Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties in Margate. Locations in Cape May County include Bethel Commandment Church of the Living God in Whitesboro and Caring for Kids in Cape May Court House. Locations in Cumberland County include the Salvation Army in Bridgeton and Inspira Health locations in Vineland and Bridgeton. Online donations can be made at give.cfbnj.org/team/414820. Local groups and individuals interested in holding their own drives should call 609-383-8843. Contact Selena Vazquez: 609-272-7225 svazquez@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Voters of color in New Jersey are more moderate than the Democratic Party as a whole, according to a new poll from Stockton University. While they still mostly tended toward liberal positions on the issues polled, voters of color were less likely to take liberal stances on several issues than were New Jersey Democrats overall. Likewise, they were more likely to support moderate positions than New Jersey Democrats on several issues polled. Stockton polled the stances of voters of color and compared them to the positions taken by the Democratic Party as a whole, because voters who are members of a racial or ethnic minority are overall more likely to vote for Democrats than are white voters. John Froonjian, director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the university, said the poll found Black and multiracial voters to be slightly more likely to be moderate than Democrats on a wide array of issues. He found the trend notable owing to Black Americans being among the most reliable bloc of voters for the Democratic Party. Analysts credited the victory of now President Joe Biden, seen as a more moderate candidate, in securing the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to his strong support among Black voters. On any given measure, the difference on the ideological scale may be only a few percentage points. But the pattern of more Black and multiracial voters being moderate was consistent on the vast majority of issues polled, Froonjian said. On no issue did a higher percentage of Black and multiracial voters support the more liberal position. Atlantic City superintendent says leaving boathouse was Stockton's choice ATLANTIC CITY Stockton University decided its crew team would leave the school districts Black voters are especially likely to support Democrats in large numbers. According to a Stockton news release, the findings of the poll are salient, as activists are debating what political stances the Democratic Party should take in the midterm elections. The news release highlighted several specific issues on which Black and multiracial voters were more likely to be moderate than Democrats overall. On recreational marijuana legalization, 64% of Black and multiracial voters were in favor, compared with 70% of Democrats; while 27% of Black and multiracial voters were in favor of legalizing marijuana only for medicinal purposes, compared with 22% of Democrats. Recreational marijuana sales were legalized in New Jersey in 2021 after voters approved legalization in a 2-1 referendum vote in 2020. Sixty-five percent of Black and multiracial Americans wanted to make it harder to buy guns, compared with 73% of Democrats. Five percent of Democrats, meanwhile, would make it easier to buy guns compared with 14% of Black and multiracial voters. Thirty-eight percent of Black and multiracial voters wanted to make immigration easier, compared with half of Democrats. About a quarter of Black and multiracial voters said they wanted to make immigration harder, while only 15% of Democrats want the same. On abortion, 55% of Democratic voters wanted to have the procedure legal in all cases, compared with 47% of Black and multiracial voters. About a fifth of Black and multiracial voters found abortion to be morally wrong, and 16% of Democrats felt the same. A majority of Democrats at 57% said it would affect their vote in the midterm election if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion throughout the country in 1973. About half of Black and multiracial voters, at 48%, said the overturning of Roe would affect their votes. Sixty-two percent of Democratic women said overturning Roe would impact their votes. Among the issues cited in the release, the largest gap between Black and multiracial voters and the Democratic Party as a whole came on religion. Asked whether religion played an important role in their lives, 60% of Democrats answered yes, compared with 78% of Black and multiracial voters. On topics related to policing and criminal justice, there was no difference between Democrats and Black and multiracial voters. The same fraction of each group believed that police funding should be decreased. Eleven percent of each group said they wanted in particular to defund the police. About half of each group said they wanted to reduce incarceration rates. Hispanic voters were also found to be less liberal than the Democratic Party overall. There was a critical difference, however, when it came to voting for president. Virtually no Black voters said they voted for former President Donald Trump, compared with nearly a quarter of Hispanic voters who said they supported him. Due to a lack of Hispanic respondents relative to the other groups, however, Stockton is not expected to release exact breakdowns of their policy preferences. The poll demonstrated that New Jersey is a center-left state, with majorities adopting liberal stances on abortion, gun control and marijuana legalization. A majority of New Jersey voters take moderate positions on issues relating to crime and immigration. Second chances enabled Small to fulfill dream of becoming Atlantic City mayor ATLANTIC CITY Three men who gave him a second chance almost 30 years ago, keeping him movi The poll was conducted by the Stockton Polling Institute from March 1 to 12. Pollsters talked with 933 New Jersey registered voters, of which 336 were Democrats and 289 were Black or multiracial. The poll had an overall margin of error of +/- 3% and a 95% confidence level, with larger margins of error for subsets. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP Before the sprawling shopping center, before the Walmart Supercenter near the Starbucks across Route 9 or the super Wawa on the corner, the Rio Station was the Rio Grande landmark. The restaurant and bar opened at 3505 Route 9 in 1986, with a train-station motif that has remained throughout the decades. But big changes are on the way. Bill and Megan Bumbernick, of Wildwood Crest, settled on the property last week. On Monday, they were at the Middle Township Committee meeting where the governing body approved the liquor license transfer, a key step in the sale. The married couple own the Surfing Pig in North Wildwood, a waterfront space with extensive outside seating. Bill Bumbernick told committee members and the residents at the meeting that they will operate the restaurant as the Rio Station this summer, with some upgrades, but plan to eventually demolish and build new. Were super excited to have that location, he said. For this year, were going to spruce up the front a little bit, spruce up the inside, improve some of the operations. He said they will also get a better idea of what will work at the site and work with the township on plans for something new. Well eventually develop it into a new and exciting brand for Middle Township, Bumbernick said. The restaurant had been in the same family for more than 35 years, when Ric Rutherford II opened its doors. His son, Ric Rutherford III, took over the operation decades later. On the restaurants Facebook page, the family posted a photo showing three generations in the restaurant, writing, Its official. We did it! Thank you everyone for all the memories. You are loved and will be missed. Hundreds of people responded, with many offering congratulations or offering stories of memorable times at the station, including some who held their weddings there. The deal included purchase of both the property and the license, Bill Bumbernick said after the meeting. Everything all together was $2.8 million, he said. Plans are to close the restaurant for several days, with planned work to include new paint and improvements in the kitchen. Bill Bumbernick said it will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and ready to reopen by Thursday, April 14. He and his wife have been meeting with staff members. He said they plan to combine some operations with the Surfing Pig, and will try to keep the current staff in place. Everyones staying on, said Megan Bumbernick. Were integrating our staff with the Surfing Pig. Bumbernick said they are working on a site plan for the building, but still need local approvals and may need some state clearances as well. Once we get all the approvals in place were ready to go, he said. The plan is to keep the Rio Station open and operating while construction on the new building is underway. The new owners hope to have the new restaurant complete and operating by May 2023. Bill Bumbernick had been a tech CEO in Philadelphia when he sold his company in 2011. He said the family rode an RV across country, with a teacher along for the children, later buying a 42-acre farm. But he said they wanted to be at the shore. When the owner of the building at South Dock in North Wildwood was ready to sell, Bumbernick said, the family sold the farm and on-site restaurant and began the Surfing Pig. There had been speculation about the future of the Rio Station for years, which got more intense once the liquor license transfer appeared on the Township Committee agenda. The former owner was not above playing into the rumors, Bill Bumbernick said. As an April fools prank, he said, Rutherford put on the sign out front Coming Soon: Applebees. Rio Grande is one of the busiest retail areas in Cape May County, with national chain stores and multiple restaurants near the intersection of Route 9 and Route 47. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP While the U.S. and its western allies continue implementing restrictive measures against Russia as it continues its invasion of Ukraine, the conflict could continue indefinitely, retired Rear Adm. Kevin Sweeney said Wednesday. Sweeney, a former chief of staff to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, spoke during an hourlong online panel discussion sponsored by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University and The Press of Atlantic City. This is a brutal, barbaric operation brought upon the Ukrainian people and really the world around it by an individual, Sweeney said of Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to invade his nations western neighbor. Sweeney made his remarks hours after new sanctions against Russia were announced by the U.S. as the West seeks to hobble the countrys financial infrastructure. The U.S. on Wednesday targeted two Russian banks, prohibiting assets from going through the American financial system and barring Americans from business affairs with either bank. New sanctions were also announced against Putins daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, as well as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russias Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister. Sweeney Center to push for five-year budget forecasts as first project TRENTON In the midst of unprecedented state revenues and state spending, along with fear o The now six-week-old war has forced millions to migrate to other European nations to seek refuge, something Sweeney considers a major crisis in diplomatic affairs. But Sweeney commended U.S. leaders for their actions, saying the Biden administrations choice to publicly warn the world about the impending attack was valuable to U.S. relations with its allies and the American people. Putin claimed Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine to defend his nation. Through state media and other means, such as hindering Western influence online, Putin has been driving a false narrative on the conflict, Sweeney said. Sweeney spent the hour fielding questions from panelists, as well as Press of Atlantic City readers, Stockton students and online viewers. John Froonjian, executive director of the Hughes Center; William Hughes Jr., an attorney whose father is the centers namesake; and Buzz Keough, executive editor of The Press, served as interviewers. Sweeney, a highly respected national security expert with decades of leadership experience, described the Ukrainian peoples will to fight Russia as inspiring, even while Russian military are attacking Ukrainian civilians, a move that has alarmed world leaders. (Ukrainian) President Zeleknskyy demonstrates the importance of critical leadership in the time of crisis, Sweeney said. South Jersey's Ukrainian Americans help however they can SOMERS POINT What do you do when your home is under attack but you are thousands of miles away? While battles continue throughout Ukraine, a former Soviet Union territory, the U.S. and its other Western allies continue to fight Russia from afar through economic penalties. But U.S. or NATO forces would need a greater provocation before getting involved. Sweeney said it would require evidence of Russian use of chemical or other weapons of destruction for the United States or its allies to join the fight. Putin wouldnt benefit from using them, Sweeney said. Theres no value, Sweeney said of Putin considering nuclear weapons. The risk to him is too high. Froonjian said a handful of his students are unfamiliar with international conflict on this scale, because they were born after 9/11 and have grown up in a time of of relative peace. Many, he said, are fearful the Russia-Ukrainian conflict could come onto American shores. Sweeney assured him that Americans are safe and secure, praising U.S. intelligence and its strong Defense Department and military. From chicken dishes to Jason Voorhees, South Jersey fundraises for Ukraine As the war in Ukraine rages on, people across New Jersey are desperate to help any way they can. Theres no question about that, Sweeney said of Americans protection. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Meteorologist It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. I earned my degree from Rutgers and have been at The Press since Fall 2017. I'm honored to be a 10 time N.J. Press Association award winner and a South Jersey "Top 40 Under 40". Flash China and Israel have agreed to accelerate negotiations on a free-trade deal following a phone call between the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Israeli alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, on Wednesday. During their conversation, Lapid said Israel and China are two ancient nations that have created great civilizations, and now both are committed to accelerating the modernization process and have strong innovation capacity, adding the two sides understand and appreciate each other. Noting that the Israeli side regards China as a friend and has always adhered to the one-China principle since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Lapid said the position has never changed and become an important foundation of its relations with China. Israel expects to maintain close high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in various fields with China, he added. Wang said that the Chinese nation and the Jewish nation have helped each other in history, and today we should support each other even more. China appreciates Israel's adherence to the one-China principle and understanding of China's legitimate propositions in safeguarding its core interests, he noted, adding that China believes Israel will continue to support China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides also exchanged views on the Palestinian issue, the Ukrainian issue and the Iranian nuclear issue. Hy-Vee is giving away 500 hams to those in need Monday in Davenport. The grocery chain's One Step Hams for the Holidays campaign will give away 500 Hormel hams from 5 to 7 p.m., (while supplies last) on Monday, April 11, at Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, 2815 W. Locust St., Davenport. Hams for the Holidays is in partnership with Hormel Foods, giving away 7,400 hams at 19 events in 10 states. It's a drive-thru format, Hy-Vee employees and first responders will place the hams in people's vehicles for contact-free pick-up. The campaign kicks off Hy-Vees Food Bank Fridays initiative that raises money for Feeding America-affiliated food banks. The campaign, running in Hy-Vees more than 285 stores and online at Hy-VeeAislesOnline.com, asks shoppers to make a $1 or $5 donation Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. David M. Drawyer faces three counts of predatory sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of six and up to 60 years in prison. Drawyer was arrested following the execution of a search warrant by the Milan Police Department and crime scene investigators with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation at a residence Wednesday in the 100 block of West 2nd Avenue in Milan, according to authorities. During the execution of the warrant, investigators seized evidence supporting Drawyer's arrest, according to a news release from the Milan Police Department. The release does not state what evidence was seized. A man was wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in Rock Island, according to police. Officers were called at about 6:35 p.m. for a shooting in the 1600 block of 6th Street, according to the Rock Island Police Department. When they arrived, police found evidence of gunfire in the area. A 23-year-old man suffering from a superficial gunshot wound arrived at a UnityPoint Health-Trinity hospital not long after police were notified of the gunfire complaints, the department said. He was treated for the wound, then arrested on an unrelated charge and sent to the Rock island County Jail. No other injuries or damage were reported. Police did not release the man's name, nor the charge, and declined to offer those details when asked, citing the active investigation. Arrest records including basic identifying information, the charges and the time and location of arrest have to be provided to news media under the Illinois State Records Act. The information generally must be released within 72 hours of the arrest. Exemptions, including interfering with pending law enforcement proceedings and endangering the life or physical safety of people, including law enforcement officers, are included in the act. Asked Thursday afternoon to cite what, if any, statutory exemption the department was claiming to withhold the release of arrest records, the Rock Island Police department said it would treat the question as an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request and respond accordingly. The person arrested is Aalontai Giovahnni Johnson, who is currently under the management of the U.S. Bureau or Prisons through the Residential Reentry Management Facility-Chicago. Johnson pleaded guilty Sept. 19, 2018, to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 5, 2019, U.S. District Judge James Shadid sentenced Johnson to 54 months in federal prison to be followed by three years on supervised release. According to U.S. Bureau of Prisons electronic records, Johnson is under the management of the Residential Reentry Management Facility-Chicago. He was supposed to have been released from custody of the Bureau of Prisons on April 25. Police ask anyone with information to contact investigators at 309-732-2677, or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500 or send a tip through the P3 Tips app. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Anthony Watt Follow Anthony Watt 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 New generations of students who would be the first in their families to attend college could see their dreams fulfilled at Augustana College thanks to a record-breaking gift. Standing in the Gerber Center dining area, surrounded by students eating and going about their day, Augustana President Steven Bahls announced that the college will receive a gift of $40 million from the center's namesake, 1975 Augustana graduate and long-time supporter Murry Gerber. The funds will be deposited into Augustana's endowed scholarship and financial aid funds and will meet 100% of the financial need for "high-achieving" first-generation students or students coming from low-income households. Endowed scholarship and financial aid dollars currently total about $115 million. The gift will increase the fund's size by almost 75%. Gasps were heard across the crowd after Bahls dropped the number, and for good reason this is the largest gift ever made to Augustana. "This is wonderful news for Augustana College but better news for the students of Augustana College," Bahls said. "Friends, this is a transformational gift because it keeps Augustana College affordable for generations of students." In an effort to encourage other gifts to bolster financial aid and scholarships, Gerber will match other gifts donated in support of endowed financial aid up to $40 million, for a possible total gift of up to $80 million. Gerber has a history of donating to Augustana, funding the construction of the Gerber Center the college's center for student life as well as supporting the First-Generation Student Support Fund, faculty salaries and other initiatives. "I hope everyone who has, like me, benefited from the lift of an Augustana education, as well as the many friends of the college and its mission, will rally to this call for support," Gerber said in a press release. Bahls said the college will receive $10 million of the gift at the end of the 2021-22 school year, with the rest of the funds coming in rounds for the next 10 years. Students who enroll in Fall 2023 will be eligible to receive financial aid through the gift. In order to qualify for these funds, prospective students must demonstrate a financial need of at least $45,000 through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and convey a promise to finish their education at Augustana. Eligible undocumented students and transgender students disqualified from federal financial aid who live in Illinois and are eligible for state financial aid may also qualify. The cost to attend Augustana College for the 2021-22 academic year is $57,685. The figure includes tuition of $46,039, plus a standard meal plan and room and board. It does not include costs for books, supplies and other expenses. "To me, this was very humbling," Bahls said. "That an alum would be so proud of his education 40-plus years ago to give a gift of this size just puts wind in our sails. It makes us want to be better faculty members, better administrators, (and) to honor his vision." Executive Director of Admissions Emma Adebayo said she's grateful the gift will relieve prospective students' stress about being able to afford the higher education they want. Cost is often one of the main components of, if not the driving force in, choosing a college or university, and taking it off a student's plate will only benefit them. "What I hope is that students who are thinking about college and post-secondary opportunities are going to remember they have really great roots where they're coming from," Adebayo said, "but this is a place where we want them to be open and truly accept the gifts that we have to offer, in terms of helping them find their purpose and calling in life." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Concerns over conflicts of interest have raised questions about whether a candidate running for the Scott County Board of Supervisors could fully perform the job. Jennifer McAndrew Lane, wife of Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane, will appear on the ballot in the June 7 primary as one of four Republican candidates vying for their party's nomination to run for three seats on the county board. Though Iowa law does not explicitly prohibit Jennifer McAndrew Lane from holding office on the county board which oversees the budgets of all county offices, including the sheriff's office "it is possible that conflicts of interest may routinely arise in the administration of your duties," according to an attorney from the Iowa Secretary of State's Office. Meaning if elected, there may be portions of the position Jennifer McAndrew Lane may be unable to perform due to her husband's position with Scott County, according to a statement from legal counsel with the secretary of state's office. It would be up to the county attorney to resolve questions of possible conflicts that would arise, Kevin Hall, communications director for the Iowa Secretary of State, responded in an email. "It is possible that the Scott County Attorney's Office may advise she abstain from certain votes, which is why we provided the candidate with that warning," Hall wrote. Scott County Attorney Mike Walton did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Walton plans to retire at the end of the year and is not running for re-election, meaning any questions surrounding possible conflicts of interest would fall to a new county attorney, should Jennifer McAndrew Lane be elected. Two are running to succeed Walton: Democrat and Assistant Scott County Attorney Caleb Copley, who Walton has endorsed, and Republican and Assistant Muscatine County Attorney Kelly Cunningham Haan. Jennifer McAndrew Lane said she does not foresee her husband's position interfering with or affecting her decisions as a county supervisor, and that the question is one for voters to decide. She added that as one of five members of the county board she would not have a monopoly on decisions affecting her husband's job. Jennifer McAndrew Lane said the only situation where she foresaw a conflict arising would be voting on a pay raise for her husband. Scott County supervisors recently voted to approve pay raises for county elected officials, including Sheriff Tim Lane, based on recommendations from a compensation board. "I think I would actually be harder on Tim than the other four supervisors," Jennifer McAndrew Lane said, adding she would vote with Scott County residents' best interests in mind and not her husband's. Jennifer McAndrew Lane said public safety would be her top priority if elected, including updating roads to improve emergency vehicle access to crashes and bolster county correctional staff. She said high staff turnover in the jail represents a safety risk to inmates, employees, and visitors, and if elected, wants to prioritize an incentive structure for workers in those high-stress jobs to stay. "Public safety is an issue for all Scott County residents," she said, adding she would bring a new perspective and empathy to the Board of Supervisors as a parole and probation officer working with multiple law enforcement agencies. Jennifer McAndrew Lane said she believed she could still be an effective supervisor if she needed to recuse herself from some votes. She pointed to sitting supervisor John Maxwell, who also serves on the North Scott school board. A judge in March 2021 overruled a party-line panel decision that Maxwell couldn't serve on both boards, noting that the county and school administer separate taxes. Jennifer McAndrew Lane said if elected she would take into consideration the county attorney's advice on whether to recuse herself for votes beyond the sheriff's pay. Whether she would heed the county attorney's advice, she said, would depend on the county attorney and the vote in question, noting she would be more favorable to heeding the advice of fellow Republican Haan, should she be elected. She said she would respect Copley's opinion, should the Democrat become the new Scott County Attorney. But depending on the issue at hand she may seek a second opinion. Reached by phone Wednesday, Sheriff Tim Lane said it was his wife's decision to run for the board and supported her choice. "I cannot say that I expect any particular actions to be taken at this point to avoid a conflict," he said. Sheriff Lane noted that in smaller counties in Iowa it may not be uncommon to see relatives of county employees serving in elected county roles. "Although it is not something that Scott County has seen, I don't think it would be uncommon for many small counties in Iowa," Lane said. "I do not see any known conflict just based on the fact that she's my wife." Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Iowa cities are one step closer to being able to take bar owners to court to pull their bar license for safety concerns rather than having to rely on state regulators. The Iowa Senate unanimously passed a bill to allow it Wednesday. The bill, backed by the city of Davenport, would allow city and county attorneys to sue alcohol establishments for creating a serious threat to public safety and to seek a temporary injunction before trial, rather than relying on the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to revoke a license. A serious threat to public safety, according to the bill, would exist if an owner, employee, or patron in or near an alcohol establishment would fire a gun, assault someone, or is part of a "riot." The passed House version includes a public safety threat within a radius of 500 feet on that list. The Iowa Restaurant Association raised concerns about business owners facing consequences for threats far from the establishment, so the Senate amended the bill to reduce the scope to the licensed establishment, its parking lot, and adjacent right of ways. The bill passed the Senate 47-0 with three lawmakers absent. Next, the bill heads back to the House to vote on the amendment, and if passed it moves to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk for her signature into law. Mayor Mike Matson said the city initially backed the 500-foot radius because past incidents, the city believes, had happened outside alcohol establishments, but originated from people in the bar. Matson said the change retained the intent of the bill. "The bottom line is we wanted to have a local jurisdiction court, judicial system in the local area address the issue, and that was achieved, and I'm very happy with that." Davenport tried to deny a liquor license to the now-closed Shenanigans Irish Pub at 303 W. 3rd St. because of its public-safety history. The city was overruled by the Alcoholic Beverages Division, which is responsible for regulating and investigating complaints about alcohol establishments. Going through local courts, which typically handle nuisance complaints in all other capacities, will bring parity to the process and, hopefully, swifter resolution, Davenport city officials have said in support of the bill. Should a district court determine a threat to public safety exists, the court could temporarily close the business, revoke its alcohol license or require a change in business practice or operations. It could also require the owner post bond to keep the property open pending final resolution of the lawsuit. The Iowa Restaurant Association, which opposed the bill, argued the measure could discourage alcohol establishments from calling 911 for fear they'd be flagged as part of the problem. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD Even as state lawmakers gather in the Capitol for the final week of an abbreviated spring legislative session, primary election season continues at full steam with two Republican candidates for governor trading barbs over their primary voting records. This time, it was the campaign of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, a favorite of the state's Republican political establishment, attacking state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, a favorite of the conservative grassroots, for voting in the 2008 Democratic primary election. The mailer from Irvin's campaign leads with the big headline "Bailey breaks with Trump" and features a picture of him next to pictures of former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden. It goes onto claim falsely, the Bailey campaign insists that Bailey "voted Obama into office in 2008" and then quotes him as saying that "I might have voted for Biden" that year. It then goes on to read "Reject Obama-Biden Republican Darren Bailey." It's quite a piece of political literature. Bailey, for what it's worth, said that he pulled a Democratic ballot that year in an effort to thwart the potential nomination of Hillary Clinton. It was part of an effort spearheaded by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh known as "Operation Chaos." The Irvin campaign dismissed this explanation, with spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis saying that "the facts show he never could have been a part of any 'Operation Chaos' since that took place a month after the Illinois primary." Bailey spokesman Joe DeBose, however, said that Bailey did indeed participate "in Operation Chaos with thousands of Republicans, which Rush Limbaugh started talking about in 2007" even if it was not an "official" operation until after the Illinois primary. "No one seriously following this race questions whether or not Darren Bailey, who was a Trump Delegate to the Republican National Convention, supported President Trump, thats well documented, DeBose said. According to records from the Clay County Clerk's office, Bailey has pulled a Republican ballot in every other partisan primary he's participated in since 1989. The move to attack Bailey's Republican credentials comes in response to attacks the candidate has levied against Irvin over his own record. Irvin, according to records from the Kane County Clerk's office, pulled a Democratic ballot in 2014, 2016 and 2020 as well as in local primary elections in 2017 and 2021. He voted Republican in the 2018 primary. Irvin has also not answered directly whether or not he voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020. Bailey, on the other hand, was a Trump delegate at the Republican National Convention that year. Bailey and the other Republican candidates for governor, including businessman Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf and venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan, have used this record to accuse Irvin of not being conservative enough to be the Republican nominee. It's a popular line of attack and one of the few that might be able to break through. Irvin, with the funding of billionaire Ken Griffin, has blanketed the airwaves with advertisements that the other GOP candidates, at least at this point, simply can't match. Through those ads, Irvin's campaign has been able to define him as a tough-on-crime prosecutor who supports law enforcement a good message to have in a Republican primary. But in an era where political purity tests are paramount in a partisan primary, the issue of which side you are on and have been on will inevitably keep coming up. And it isn't just Irvin's Republican opponents the Democratic Governors Association is now running ads highlighting Irvin's record as a defense attorney. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, asked Tuesday about the DGA's meddling in the GOP primary on his behalf, said it was fair game. "I think its important that Democrats be involved in telling the truth out there," Pritzker said. "And when it comes to what the DGA is doing here in Illinois, theyre simply telling the truth, which is more than the Irvin campaign can say. So theyre getting the word out about what the truth is about his record." Fair enough. All candidates will have to answer for the entirety of their records. With less than three months until the primary election, there is no doubt that all the gubernatorial candidates will continue to be scrutinized. However, if a Republican candidate for governor says that he is a Republican, it is probably fair to take him at his word. For one, people's opinions can change with time. Heck, Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat before becoming the revered GOP icon he is today. But even more importantly, the belief that participating in a partisan primary outs a person's political affiliation shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the state's primary process. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Illinois' primary elections are "partially open." Voters are not required to register with a party to participate in a partisan primary, but they must publicly choose which ballot they wish to take. So basically, it is not uncommon for Republican voters to pull a Democratic primary ballot and vice-versa depending on the year. In 2014, for example, many Democrats pulled Republican ballots to vote in the competitive governor and U.S. Senate primaries since incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin faced nominal or no opposition in their primaries. Many Republicans in Chicago and Cook County pull Democratic primary ballots simply because that election is paramount to the general election due to the area's Democratic lean. Undoubtedly, it is a fair question to ask candidates who they supported in those elections as well as in the general elections that followed. But the simple act of voting in a partisan primary is less revealing than it appears on its face. Bailey started the attacks by accusing Irvin of being a Democrat. But Irvin has responded in kind with the mailer, which is misleading though not outside the bounds of typical negative campaign literature. It's not likely that these lines of attacks will cease, but it's worth knowing that there are much better ways of determining a candidate's true conservative credentials. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Defending the accused shouldnt be a mark of shame. But in the world of politics, there may not be a more loathsome creature than a criminal defense attorney. Ive been thinking about that these past few weeks as I watched Republican senators attack U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and Democrats assail Illinois GOP gubernatorial hopeful Richard Irvin. Their transgressions? At some point in their careers, they defended people accused of crimes. Never mind that our Constitution gives defendants an absolute right to legal counsel. In our monochromatic world of soundbite politics, prosecutors are good and defense attorneys are bad. The last person to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court with any experience as a defense attorney was Justice Thurgood Marshall, who retired from the bench 31 years ago. And his work as a defense attorney ended in the 1950s. Thats a long time to go without anyone bringing the perspective of a defense attorney into deliberations. According to a study by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, defense attorneys are underrepresented among federal judges. As of April 2021, 318 former prosecutors were sitting as federal judges, more than one-third of the 880 total across the country. This was followed by 243 lawyers who had represented the government as "noncriminal courtroom advocates". Among the smallest fractions of those who became federal judges were former criminal defense attorneys about 76 total and former public defenders, who numbered only 58, less than 7% of all judges. Considering law is a diverse field encompassing nearly every aspect of the human condition it is disappointing that we draw our justices from such a shallow pool. The Democratic Governors Association launched a television ad against Irvin citing his past as a defense attorney. In a breathless voice, a narrator says Irvin defended people accused of domestic abuse and sexual assault as if they have unearthed some hidden character flaw. Well, lawyers defend people. Sometimes they are innocent and sometimes they are guilty but all have a right to effective counsel. The attack is particularly disappointing considering that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is a lawyer himself. He ought to know how important the role of defense attorneys are in our society. (The same could be said of the multitude of Republican lawyers on the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee taking jabs at Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.) A couple decades ago I covered an Illinois Supreme Court race in which one candidate boasted that he had never been a defense attorney. I found it disappointing that this Harvard-educated lawyer embraced the idea of never having defended anyone as a mark of pride, something that would make him a better Supreme Court justice. After all, when choosing a judge dont we want someone with diverse experiences in a variety of areas of law? Ive spent years tracking police misconduct cases. And in my podcast "Suspect Convictions" I took an in-depth look at numerous cases of wrongful convictions. Although it is nothing new, it remains a national shame. Our country sends innocent people to prison. Just consider that a 2019 report by the National Registry of Exonerations found: Between 2% and 10% of convicted individuals in U.S. prisons are likely innocent. 2,666 people have been exonerated in the U.S. since 1989. Proven innocent people have served more than 23,950 years in prison so far. Out of 100 sentenced to death, four are likely innocent, but only two get exonerated. Protecting the innocent should be the highest calling of those serving in the legal profession. Ive met many bright, talented and committed defense attorneys. But Ive also met some who have turned their presence as a safety net for the wrongly accused into a hammock of low expectations. Many of those wrongly accused end up wrongly convicted because of less than zealous work by their attorneys. This underscores the critical need for a vigorous defense bar. We should be praising those who choose this important work not casting aspersions on their character and fitness for office because they chose to serve defendants. One of the most zealous advocates for the accused that I have met is John Hanlon, who recently retired as director of the Illinois Innocence Project. Hanlon expressed disgust for the recent political attacks against members of the defense bar. "It's politics. That's what's going on, pure politics," he said. "It is repeated over and over again depending on what the cycle is and what office the person is seeking. They try to dirty them up with the alleged acts of their clients. And that's just a shame." Former Scott County, Iowa, prosecutor Bill Davis said it smacks of hypocrisy. "The people who attack defense attorneys are the same ones who extol the Founding Fathers. Have they forgotten that John Adams represented the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre? Our founders made a right to counsel a basic constitutional right. The system would not work without defense attorneys." Scott Reeder, a longtime journalist and regular columnist, can be reached at scottreeder1965@gmail.com Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Wabash Spring Fire was 50% contained by late Thursday afternoon, according to Great Plains Fire Information. The wildfire is estimated to be at approximately 111 acres. After battling the blaze that was reported at 7 a.m. about five miles west of Custer, firefighters are optimistic about having the fire 100% contained on Friday. "Winds are expected to decrease overnight, and crews will remain on scene to mop up and secure the fire perimeter," Incident Commander Trainee John Haskivitz said Thursday afternoon. Forward progress has been stopped and I expect to see more progress throughout tonight. Full containment is not expected until sometime tomorrow. According the National Weather Service, wind gusts exceeded 60 mph Thursday in the Black Hills. Evacuations have been lifted for residents along Fjerdingren Place and Big Pine Road, east of the fire perimeter. For residents along Highway 16, Palomino Place and Pinto Lane, evacuations were scheduled to be lifted at 6 p.m. Thursday. Highway 16 from Custer to Pleasant Valley Road, having been closed Thursday morning, was reopened later in the day. Power outages were reported in an area stretching from the Four Mile area to Custer Limestone. Kenneth Barfoot, who lives on Timpo Lane about two miles west of Custer, told a local television station the fire was burning in grass about 300 yards from his home and that firefighters were attempting to back burn it. The Custer Volunteer Fire Department reported Thursday that the Custer High School Armory at 527 Montgomery St. was a Red Cross location and open for all evacuees. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 6 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Rapid City police are seeking the public's help to locate 28-year-old Aquila Mae Herman of Rapid City. She was reported missing to police on April 3. According to information garnered in the investigation, Herman was last seen in the 1300 block of E. Catron Boulevard on March 15. She is described as a Native American female standing 5'5" tall, 160 lbs., with dark colored hair, and hazel eyes. Anyone with any information about her whereabouts should contact Det. Mackenzie Armstrong at 605-394-4134. An anonymous tip can also be submitted by texting the letters 'RCPD' and the information to 847411. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 9 Angry 0 On Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m., the Montana statewide team of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) is hosting: "DROP Water Connects Us All", a virtual film screening and discussion. The public is invited to join this free educational event. The screening will occur Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. People can register at shorturl.at/hjAM9 Drop Water Connects Us All follows a single drop of water on its journey from the Continental Divide, through the rivers of Montana, Idaho and Washington, and into the Pacific Ocean. Along the way it uncovers the truths how changes to the climate may derail that journey with massive harmful consequences, not only to the people whose lives are built around spring run-off, but all of us. From a single drop of water, we are all connected. After the film, people can join a discussion and Q&A with a panel to learn about solutions: Hilary Hutcheson ("Drop" film producer, owner of Lary's Fly & Supply in Columbia Falls, fly fishing guide), Hilary Lindh (ski world champion and Olympic medalist from Whitefish), and David Brooks (executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited.) The MC for the evening is conservationist and environmental educator Travis Kidd. 'DROP' is a delightful short film filled with the beauty of Montana and an unique perspective on this precious resource: water. Weve chosen water as the theme for this years Earth Day event because climate change is threatening our water supply, in southwest Montana and around the world. Bozeman could run out of water by 2033. This drying is directly linked to climate change, said Anne Ready, a CCL volunteer and organizer of Gallatin Valley Earth Day. In addition to hosting public events like these, the Montana chapter of CCL volunteer lobbyists regularly meet with Senators Tester and Daines, and Representative Rosendale about climate solutions they can support in Congress. CCL supports cash-back carbon pricing as a the path to net-zero emissions by 2050. That will go a long way to conserving resources like water in Montana. This policy will also improve health and save lives by reducing the pollution that Americans breathe, and it will boost the economy with millions of jobs, thanks to a monthly dividend cash-back going into Americans pockets, said a press release Here in Montana, were already feeling the impact of climate change, from farmers and ranchers to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and even our patients, said Dr. Lori Byron from Billings. Its important to educate more members of our community and show our members of Congress that were ready for climate action. As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce puts it: Inaction is not an option. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Yellowstone County district court judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked four new Republican-backed election laws that a coalition of Native American tribes, voting-rights groups and Democrats believe unconstitutionally restrict Montanans voting rights. Judge Michael Moses granted a preliminary injunction to the coalition of plaintiffs, putting on hold controversial legislation that added new voter identification restrictions and ended Montanas practice of allowing residents to register and vote on Election Day. Two other laws were also blocked, which limit third-party ballot collection and prevent ballots from being sent out to new voters in advance of their 18th birthdays. Moses ruling applies in three different cases challenging the new election laws that were consolidated last year. It prevents Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, the sole defendant in all three cases, from enforcing the laws until the court makes a final decision on their constitutionality. Oral arguments in the consolidated case were held last month. Members of the coalition challenging the voting laws hailed Moses's decision Wednesday, including Ronnie Jo Horse, the executive director of Western Native Voice. "We will continue to hold our elected officials accountable, especially when it comes to voting rights for our Native communities," Horse stated in a press release. "We look forward to a day when we can continue doing this important work without the added burdens on our right to vote. In an emailed statement on Wednesday, Jacobsen vowed to "immediately appeal" the decision. "Wednesday's decision defies Montana's common-sense approach to running our elections," Jacobsen said. "It's impossible to undo the steps that have already been taken to implement these legislative changes, including direct voter communication, education and outreach." Plaintiffs have argued that the new laws are designed to deter certain groups of voters from exercising their right to vote, while Republicans have argued that the measures were necessary to strengthen Montanas election security. Moses found that each of the four laws potentially creates an unconstitutional burden on the plaintiffs right to vote, as well as their right to equal protection. The Montana Democratic Party last year challenged three of the laws: Senate Bill 169, which added new restrictions to the states voter ID requirements; House Bill 176, which ended Election Day voter registration; and House Bill 530, which prohibits people from collecting and submitting other peoples voted ballots if they are receiving any financial compensation for doing so. SB 169 removed student photo IDs from the states list of acceptable photo identification at the polls. Under the Legislatures changes, those photo IDs would need to be paired with another form of official documentation, like bank statements, tax documents or vehicle registrations. Moses wrote, citing plaintiffs testimony describing the new hoops that out-of-state and transgender students will have to jump through under the new law. These additional costs to voting are unique to young voters given their mobility and the fact that they are less likely to possess the primary forms of ID and the forms that must be presented in addition to the student ID, he wrote in his order. The Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote separately sued to overturn HB 176 and HB 530. They are being represented by the Montana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Moses sided with the plaintiffs arguments that HB 176 may unconstitutionally burden the right to vote by ending voter registration on Election Day. While Jacobsens office presented evidence from some election officials that doing so would reduce extra work for them on Election Day, Moses noted that the plaintiffs also provided testimony from election staff in support of keeping registration open through the last day of elections. He also found that HB 530, placing restrictions on ballot-collection practices in Montana, burdens the voters who rely on organized absentee ballot assistance, specifically citing testimony that Native American voters often have to travel farther to vote in person, and have more difficulties with on-reservation mail delivery. It is still possible that the fundamental right to vote can be infringed by legislation affecting that right through limiting the voting options available to Montanans, Moses wrote. And three groups representing young Montanans Montana Youth Action, the Forward Montana Foundation and the Montana Public Interest Research Group also filed suit to challenge SB 169, HB 176 and House Bill 506. The latter measure prevents anyone who turns 18 before Election Day from getting a ballot before their birthday. The youth groups alleged that newly eligible voters turning 18 in the two weeks before Election Day would be unable to access mail-in ballots, which they may need for reasons including travel, going to school out of state, illness or a disability. Rejecting Jacobsens argument that only a small sliver of potential voters would be affected, Moses wrote that these voters previously had a voting avenue open to them that has now been closed. He noted that the youth groups showed that an estimated 763 new voters would face confusion and difficulty when voting due to the law. Republicans in Montana have argued for tightening up the states voting laws by citing waning public confidence in elections. But Moses wrote that Jacobsens rationale for the laws under review was rebutted by expert testimony from plaintiffs that voter fraud in Montana is vanishingly rare and hasnt been attributed to Election Day registration, ballot collection or the use of student ID as voter identification. He also noted that Jacobsen had presented no evidence of voter fraud in Montana related to student IDs or ballot collection efforts. One of Montana's top two Republican lawmakers blasted Moses's decision as "judicial activism at its worst." "It's no surprise that a liberal judge appointed by Democratic governors ruled in favor of his political allies instead of Montanans who support voter ID and secure elections," Senate President Mark Blasdel said in an emailed statement. But Rylee Sommers-Flanagan, an attorney representing the coalition of youth groups, cast the preliminary injunctions as "a victory for young voters and for all Montanans." We will continue fighting until these laws are permanently prevented from restricting access to the ballot box," she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Following a gate failure at Hebgen Dam in December that dewatered the Madison River for 46 hours, NorthWestern Energy is proposing to improve spawning habitat on tributaries and help monitor fish populations and spawning bed locations as part of its mitigation plan. The details of the companys proposal are outlined in a March 23 letter NorthWestern sent to Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC) secretary Kimberly Bose. FERC oversees dam operations and licensing. The agency has 60 days to respond to NorthWestern. The proposals dont seem likely to satisfy conservation groups that have asked FERC to employ an impartial third party to investigate the incident and the effects of the dewatering. "The long-term impacts of this devastating dewatering event need to be understood, not flushed down the river and ignored, Quincey Johnson, outreach director for Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, wrote in an email. An independent investigation to understand the impacts on this world-class fishery and the downstream communities that rely on a healthy Madison River is the only responsible way to hold NorthWestern Energy accountable and provide additional monitoring and redundancy to ensure it never happens again." Mike Bias, executive director of the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, said he feels the agencies and NorthWestern have done a good job responding to the dam failure and subsequent river dewatering. Were not out to punish NorthWestern Energy, Bias said. Wed like to keep them as a partner and work through it. Impacts According to NorthWesterns letter, company officials met in January with biologists from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management to discuss the incident and potential approaches to identify and address impacts. NorthWestern told FERC the agency biologists agreed the impacts were not catastrophic, such as losing an entire year class of salmonids due to the reduced flows. Salmonidae is the family of fish that includes rainbow and brown trout, the two prized species of gamefish in the river. The greatest impacts, the company went on to say, were likely on brown trout redds, young salmonids, and sculpins. Redds are where fish lay their eggs when spawning. With 45% of the upper Madison Rivers rainbow and brown trout spawning in tributaries, the group agreed the fish were resistant to environmental impacts in the Madison River drainage. Bias questioned how scientists could tease out the effects of the dewatering from the worst drought to hit the region in decades. Hopefully, it wont happen again, he added. By region It was between Hebgen Dam and Quake Lake that the water dropped most precipitously, falling from 648 cubic feet per second to 278 cfs in about 15 minutes. It was in this stretch of river where the largest number of fish were stranded and redds left dewatered. Unfortunately, this is also where the agencies have little fisheries information available to ascertain the impact of the lower flows. The inability to compare future data collected to pre-incident data limits the ability to make inferences about the impacts of the event to the fishery in this reach, NorthWestern wrote. In the next 13 miles of river downstream between Quake Lake and Lyons Bridge the loss of water was slower, providing time for many fish to move from side channels into the main river. In this stretch it was mostly smaller fish trapped when the water dropped. From Lyons Bridge to the community of Ennis, no stranded fish or dry redds were seen. So the advisory group agreed no further monitoring or mitigation would be needed there. Monitoring To establish a baseline elsewhere on the upper river, the group will rely on annual electrofishing population estimates, gillnetting data on Quake Lake, and an otolith microchemistry study that identifies where fish are born. But the group said even this information has limitations to assess the dewaterings impact. To more accurately estimate the effects of the incident, NorthWestern Energy said studies requiring significant additions of personnel and about $900,000 in funding would be needed to conduct long-term studies. However, it was agreed that even if these studies were undertaken there would remain uncertainty and/or lack of confidence that the results would clearly link the flow deviation to potential population level changes given the large amount of variability that drives fish populations, NorthWestern wrote. Furthermore, the length of time for all of the studies to be completed would be upwards of four to six years before results would be fully available. Given the cost, time and uncertainty of the results, the group agreed that obtaining an estimate of fish population was preferable. NorthWestern also contended that mitigation and enhancement work would most likely have the same focus as those proposed following a more rigorous study. Actions Given all of these considerations, the agencies and NorthWestern agreed to: 1. Continue population estimates in the longstanding electrofishing Pine Butte section (near Kirby) to gain information on species ratios and cohort tracking. 2. Backpack electrofishing side channels and margins to look for young-of-the-year, 1- and 2-year-old salmonids. This is primarily a presence/absence exercise and would be focused between the lakes and may include down to Kirby. 3. Electrofishing the section between the lakes to capture catch-per-unit-effort data and population structure information. Safety is a concern in this reach due to swift water currents and large, slippery substrate and will need to be considered before fully committing to this type of sampling. 4. Conduct fall redd counts between the lakes to identify those key areas of fish use. The work will begin this year, with some of it continuing until 2025. The information from the analyses would be published yearly through 2025 as a supplement to the companys annual project monitoring report. Enhancement At the same time, NorthWestern is proposing projects to improve embryo or young-of-the-year survival, developing or enhancing spawning habitat, and/or protection of key habitats from Lyons Bridge upstream to Hebgen. In addition, FWP recommended the following projects to improve instream conditions for fish embryos and fry, estimated to cost from $195,000 to $260,000. 1. Install 2,500 feet of jackleg fence to exclude cattle from a tributary stream to reduce sedimentation and bank trampling. 2. Install two to four miles of cattle exclusion fencing on a tributary, install three water gaps to allow controlled cattle access, and plant willow stakes to improve shoreline stability and minimize erosion. 3. Conduct an alternative analysis and preliminary engineering report to evaluate alternatives to improve spawning habitat, gravel recruitment and embryo survival within the affected reach of the mainstem Madison River. These latest proposals are in addition to FERCs December request for NorthWestern to install alarms to alert the company when the flows downstream of Hebgen Dam drop dangerously low and to consider installing a camera at the dam toe to monitor flows. Whats ahead NorthWestern Energy filed its Root Cause Analysis for the dam failure on March 23. FERC will review the document to determine if the incident violates the companys license. As a public utility, NorthWestern Energy must be held accountable for mismanagement of Montanas natural resources, especially our water, said Derf Johnson, staff attorney and Clean Water Director at the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC), in a January news release. NorthWestern needs to fully cooperate with a comprehensive and transparent investigation, mitigate the impacts to the environment, community, and economy, take measures to ensure that this never happens again, and pay to fix the problem out of its shareholders' pockets. MEIC, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, and the Madison River Foundation have filed a citizens complaint with FERC regarding the Hebgen Dam gate failure and subsequent dewatering of the Madison River. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Altria Group Inc. is expecting to finalize development work by the end of this year on two novel nicotine products that could be submitted to federal regulators for approval soon after that, as the nations top tobacco company continues to push into alternatives to the conventional cigarettes that still produce most of its sales, the company tops executive said on Wednesday. We know that cigarettes are dangerous and addictive, said William F. Billy Gifford, Altrias chief executive officer, in a speech to the Richmond Association for Business Economics on Wednesday. And we know that the No. 1 expectation that society has for us as a company is to reduce the harm associated with cigarettes.So for those adult smokers who cant or wont quit, it makes sense that we focus our resources on moving beyond smoking, said Gifford, who became CEO of Altria in April 2020 after previously serving as vice chairman and chief financial officer and working the company in various leadership roles since 1994. Altria still makes most of of its money more than 80% of its $20.8 billion in revenue in 2020 from the sale of cigarettes, and about half of all the cigarettes produced in the United States are manufactured at its subsidiary Philip Morris USAs cigarette plant in Richmond. Gifford acknowledged Wednesday before the group of local economists, industry analysts and business leaders that it might not seem to make business sense to work against its leading position in the U.S. cigarette market. And thats a fair question one I get asked often, Gifford said. Cigarette consumption has been on a slow decline in the United States for years. Gifford said making products that can reduce the harm from smoking is a generally accepted approach to addressing public health issues. As the industry leader, our goal is to seize the opportunity of harm reduction and fundamentally change the landscape in a way that benefits our adult consumers, our company, its shareholders and the thousands of people we employ, Gifford said. As we say, we are moving from a tobacco company to a tobacco-harm-reduction company, he said. Altria has made various investments to diversify its business in tobacco and nicotine products other than cigarettes over the last 15 years, including a $10.4 billion acquisition in 2009 of UST Inc., the largest U.S. maker of smokeless tobacco products. In 2021, the company paid $372 million to buy a Switzerland-based maker of smokeless, oral nicotine products that are now being sold in the U.S. under the On! brand name. Some of the companys ventures into novel products are facing market and legal challenges, though. For instance, Altria had introduced a heat not burn alternative smoking device called iQOS into the U.S. market under an agreement with its overseas former subsidiary Philip Morris International. However, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled late last year that Altria and Philip Morris International must halt imports and sales of the iQOS device because it infringes two patents held by their top competitor, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Altria is working on ways to bring the product back to the U.S., market, Gifford said. Altria also spent nearly $13 billion in 2018 for a 35% stake in Juul, a California-based leading maker of vaping products, as part of a diversification strategy. Juuls products have since faced a backlash and lawsuits because of underage use, and Altria has had to take several write-downs on its investment, which was valued at just $1.7 billion as of February. The challenge I see is that Altria does so incredibly well from the cigarette status quo, said David Sweanor, a professor of law at the University of Ottawa and a tobacco-control advocate who favors policies that push smokers toward less toxic nicotine products. Their interest in alternatives seemed to be defensive ... and there is a big incentive to slow the transition away from cigarettes, and certainly not lose control of the market, Sweanor said. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] and [tobacco-control] groups like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids assist such a go-slow approach. Gifford said Wednesday that the increase in underage vaping user was one of the reasons that Altria supported raising the federal legal age to 21 for the purchase of all tobacco products in 2019. He said the company is continuing to invest in research and development on new products. Adult smokers continue to experiment with and adopt smoke-free alternatives, which now represent nearly a quarter of the tobacco volume sold, Gifford said. And total U.S. tobacco industry volume has held relatively flat, despite the historical decline of cigarette volumes. As an industry leader, we are responding to that demand by working to transition adult smokers to our smoke-free products. Working as a reporter for this newspaper more than a decade ago, a book idea came to me while I was out on assignment. In 2011, I was asked by my editors to write about Black activists demands to reclaim an African burial ground. The sacred place had been covered by asphalt and utilized as a parking lot by Virginia Commonwealth University. Researching the history of the space, I came upon an article about a nearby archeological dig that three years earlier had uncovered the remains of Lumpkins Jail, termed the Devils Half Acre by the enslaved people who passed through. The piece told the story of Robert Lumpkin, a brutal slave trader who ran a business that housed enslaved people before and after sale to the Lower South, where they would toil on cotton and sugar plantations. It also referenced Mary Lumpkin, who was described as an enslaved woman who had given birth to Robert Lumpkins children and acted as his wife. For years after I read that piece, I thought about her. I wondered what it meant for an enslaved woman to be in her position, living in his jail. I knew she was likely forced to have Robert Lumpkins children, since as an enslaved person she could not consent. I wondered why her compelling and important story had not been told. I thought about why I knew so little about the lives of the enslaved in Richmond or the role of the slave trade in the city. A quest for Mary Lumpkin The questions nagged at me, long after I finished the piece on the burial ground, and after I left the paper to write my first book, Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County. My interest in Mary Lumpkin launched me into a seven-year quest for information about her life. I used all my reporting tools to uncover more details about her. I sifted through crumbling court papers and searched old newspapers. I studied U.S. census records, marriage documents, and death records. I traveled to the other places she lived to look at school and property records, to see the town where she was buried. This is what I found. Mary Lumpkin was born enslaved in Virginia in 1832. Described as nearly white and fair faced, she may have been the daughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, his relative or an overseer. She was likely sold away from some or all of her family as a young child, perhaps by the time she was 8 years old, when census records show there was an enslaved child in Robert Lumpkins possession. Twenty seven years her senior, Robert Lumpkin likely got his start in the slave trade as an itinerant salesman, selling goods from the back of a wagon, when he noticed scrappy young men crisscrossing the state, buying up enslaved people on courthouse steps, in taverns, and from farmers who needed cash, and then reselling them for profit. After the transatlantic slave trade was abolished Jan. 1, 1808, the domestic, or downriver, slave trade from the upper South to the lower South more fully developed, creating demand for safe holding cells for enslaved people before and after sale. Richmond was the second biggest port city for domestic slave sales, after New Orleans, and in 1840, Virginia was responsible for shipping about half of all enslaved people sold across state lines. Life in Richmond By 1844, Robert Lumpkin was operating a slave jail that had been constructed in 1830. The 41-foot jail facility held over 100 people and sat at the center of the plot, which was surrounded by tall fences and tracking dogs. A two-story brick house faced the street, and the property also had a large boarding house or hotel for visiting enslavers and slave traders that also served as an auction house and a kitchen or bar to prepare them food and drinks. In addition to providing lodging for both enslaved people and their enslavers, Robert Lumpkin punished enslaved people for a fee. There were iron rings on the floor of the jail where enslaved people, even children, would be chained down and flogged by an overseer. As I linked together tidbits of information I gathered about Mary Lumpkin and Lumpkins Jail, I wondered how she fit into this world, where she surely witnessed daily violence. If she was treated like a child when she first arrived, it did not last long. By the time she was 13, she was forced to have Robert Lumpkins children. She gave birth to a daughter, who was born enslaved, just as she was. Four more children who lived to adulthood would follow. Once Mary Lumpkin had children, her focus must have been on protecting them. It seems likely she and the children lived in the compounds main house with Robert Lumpkin. She may have run the operations of the house and contributed to operating the slave jail. She employed other enslaved women, including Lucy Ann Cheatham, an enslaved woman about her age who became a lifelong friend. Not long after Mary and Lucy Ann met, Marys new friend was shipped to New Orleans on a slave ship, likely in chains, and forced to bear the children of slave trader John Hagan, who may have noticed her while she was working at Robert Lumpkins jail. As I continued my research, I learned that other enslaved women had been forced to have the children of slave traders and lived near Mary Lumpkin in the slave-trading district. They surely knew one another, and I wondered if their connections made them feel less isolated and empowered them to ask for more from their enslavers. Mary Lumpkin surely benefited in some ways from her relationship to Robert Lumpkin, as she was permitted to stay with her children and to move around the property, if not Richmond. In his home, the children were educated and enrolled in music lessons. Mary learned to read and write, too. As her daughters approached puberty, Mary Lumpkin likely worked with Robert Lumpkin to keep them from sharing her fate. In 1856, at the ages of about 9 and 11, they made the long journey to the free state of Massachusetts to attend a female seminary in the coastal town of Ipswich. A home in her name While they were there, Mary Lumpkin traveled to Pennsylvania, perhaps with Robert Lumpkin, and purchased a house in her name, evidence of the autonomy she sought and was provided by Robert Lumpkin. After the girls had finished two years of schooling, they moved to Philadelphia and met up with their two eldest brothers, Robert and Richard. In this city throbbing with life and home to many free and newly free Black Americans, the four children lived with Harriet Barber, a formerly enslaved woman from Virginia who had been forced to have the children of her enslaver, too. They likely lived in her home, along with other children and young women from Virginia she boarded or employed, but its possible they lived in the house Mary Lumpkin owned. Other children of enslaved women and Richmond slave jail owners were their neighbors. Early in 1860, Mary Lumpkin and her youngest son, John, joined them, and they likely lived in the home she owned in Philadelphia for the duration of the war. Her eldest daughter married and had a child. Robert Lumpkin continued operating his Richmond slave jail until Confederates evacuated the city in 1865 and he was forced to set free the enslaved people he imprisoned. After the war, Mary Lumpkin returned to Richmond, to Robert Lumpkin and the former slave jail. She likely needed money, and perhaps he had agreed to let her go north in 1860 on the condition that she would return when it was safe. Her children likely stayed behind in Philadelphia. Inheritance and a legacy Robert Lumpkin died in 1866, leaving Mary Lumpkin all his possessions, including the Richmond jail compound, the Philadelphia home she had purchased, and a house he had bought for his brother, a slave trader in Alabama. A year later, Mary Lumpkin encountered a white preacher from the North working on behalf of the American Baptist Mission Home Society, and agreed to rent the compound for use as a school to train freemen as ministers. It became the cornerstone for Virginia Union University, one of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America. Virginia Union University has educated generations of Black men and women. In recent years, the school has reclaimed Mary Lumpkins story as one of only a few Black women involved in the founding stories of HBCUs. The school named a road through campus for her and dedicated a plaque in her honor. Yet much work remains to be done to tell the story of Mary Lumpkin and the other enslaved people who suffered at Lumpkins Jail and to share more broadly the impact of the domestic slave trade out of Richmond, which separated children from their parents and husbands from wives. At the site of the Lumpkins Jail archeological dig, Richmond has a special opportunity to share this history. Few slave trading sites still exist in the United States, and Lumpkins Jail is unique in this country as a preserved site. After the archeological dig, it was covered with fill dirt to protect the remains of the jail, and some hope it will be incorporated into a national slavery museum, enabling visitors to walk across the same jail yard where Mary Lumpkin walked. Richmond City Councils now defunct Slave Trail Commission has worked for years to bring the story of slavery to Virginians, and some funding has been set aside by the state to develop a museum and memorial. In 2020, Mayor Levar Stoney announced that over a five-year period the city would spend between $25 million and $50 million to commemorate slavery in Shockoe Bottom, including $3.5 million for a memorial park. Former Gov. Ralph Northam allocated an additional $9 million for improvements to the Slave Trail and the development of the museum and memorial, which he said the city would oversee. Last year, the project was projected to cost up to $220 million. This year Richmond City Council allocated $1.3 million to begin work on a museum and surrounding campus. The funding allows for a museum foundation consisting of members from the Slave Trail Commission to hire professional staff and puts $1 million toward design of the museum and campus. If Richmond moves forward with these plans, the city could become known for telling the full story of slavery, in all its ugliness. It could be known as the city that, once it took down Confederate monuments that told a false history, embraced the truth, telling the painful history of the way children were separated from their mothers, and husbands from their wives. It could tell the story of Mary Lumpkin, a woman who showed resilience and self-determination as she not only survived the worst of circumstances but delivered her children and herself to freedom. Montpelier, the estate of James Madison, became the toast of the museum world with a June 2021 board restructuring that gave descendants of the enslaved there structural parity on its foundations board. It was a crowning achievement at an institution whose staff had embraced the descendant community as equal partners in its onsite archaeological work in groundbreaking ways, culminating in the award-winning 2017 exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour. The following year, the inaugural National Summit on Teaching Slavery met at Montpelier, with participants developing a rubric of best practices. What better place to probe Americas inherent contradictions than the Orange County estate of Madison, the nations fourth president and The Father of the Constitution, where historians and archaeologists have identified 300 enslaved individuals. The Montpelier Descendants Committee (MDC) prepared to share equal power on the Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors. Montpelier appeared poised to become a national model on how to do history right. And then, with a March 25 amendment to its bylaws, the foundation board did history wrong. It walked back its earlier parity action, amending its bylaws to provide that director recommendations by the Montpelier Descendants Committee (MDC) be a manner, but not the exclusive manner, in which the Foundation may achieve structural parity in the composition of its Board of Directors. At issue is the boards desire to maintain a say on which descendants of the enslaved sit on the board. Currently, five descendants sit on the 16-person board three named by the MDC; two, by the foundation. Our goal is 50%, board chair Eugene Hickok said in a statement shortly after the March vote. But if a chunk of that 50% is handpicked by the foundation, is that true parity? One descendant of its choosing, Mary Alexander, has stated that the MDC should be disbanded. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns Montpelier and leases it to the foundation, warned Hickok that the board reversal would set back efforts to uplift descendant voices and repair the relationship between the broader Black community and the former site of generations of enslavement. The commitment to parity with the MDC last June acknowledged the right of the descendant community to define itself, rather than to be defined by the Foundation, wrote the Trusts president and CEO, Paul Edmondson. The newly proposed revisions to the bylaws would do the opposite. Or as board member James French, chair of the Montpelier Descendants Committee, said: They want to maintain power and pick and choose those who agree with them and pretend thats structural parity. The backlash to the boards backtrack has been fierce. More than 6,200 people have signed a change.org petition in support of the Montpelier Descendants Committee. The Association of African American Museums decried the board action. FreeMontpelier became a hashtag. The staff at Montpelier, which has fashioned powerful bonds with the descendant community, issued a statement requesting that The Montpelier Foundation recognize the MDC as the sole representative of descendants of the enslaved at Montpelier as per TMFs signed agreement with the MDC and the National Trust for Historic Preservation of August 21, 2020. Their statement also asked for an end to the intimidation of staff with restrictions on contacting members of the MDC, including requirements to report all contacts, with implied or threatened retaliation for failing to do so. (Hickok denied that Montpeliers management has tried to rein in staff interaction with descendants.) Matt Reeves, director of archaeology at Montpelier, said the boards resistance to full parity with the MDC rests in the threat they see in expanding the national narrative beyond the myth of the Founding Fathers to include all people in this history, and called it a modern version of the struggle between those with power and those without that we find in evidence in the archaeology at Montpelier. Hickok said the board is willing to do whatever it takes to move the needle in the right direction, but complained that the MDCs approach tends toward ultimatums. Frederick Douglass, who escaped enslavement, said it best: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Youd be hard-pressed to name a moment of Black progress in America that didnt come at the business end of an ultimatum. If the board thought this march toward power-sharing would play out to the strains of John Lennons Imagine, its members slept through the tumultuous spring and summer of 2020. This is hard, difficult conversations, I know that, Hickok said. But theyre important and theyre worth having, and were not going to stop having them. It doesnt help to have all the bad press, and it doesnt help to have all the headlines to suggest were backing away when were not. He called the recent board action an attempt to reset the conversation. French said the MDC forwarded the board a list of 40 names of board candidates, top people with impeccable credentials, including historians, scholars, museum directors, journalists and a university president. But the list was not passed on to the full board. Hickok said the list scenario was at odds with collegial recruitment. You cant build a board with an adversarial relationship. And so, we never saw the list. Because it was an our way or the highway approach. Board member Bettye Kearse author of The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a Presidents Black Family, on her familys oral history that they are descended from James Madison and an enslaved cook has another take: People dont like giving up power, especially to a bunch of Black people. French and others describe an insular foundation board at a crossroads of inclusion and national acclaim, uncomfortable at taking the next step. Montpelier was poised to stand out. Now, its standing out for all the wrong reasons. The board has a choice: It can engage in true power-sharing with the descendants of the enslaved in modeling an expansive vision. Or it can maintain an exclusionary death grip on a diminished institution. As a child growing up in Ukraine, Yana Morris was very shy. Then, at age 6, she met Anzhelika, who taught her how to laugh, get in and out of trouble, and be a kid. She always had this fire in her belly, and was never afraid of anything, Morris said of her friend. They were children of perestroika the dramatic restructuring of the Soviet Unions economic and political system in the late 1980s, which presaged the end of the USSR and witnessed as our families lost their savings, their jobs, their sanity as the union fell apart, Morris said. With shortages all over, the friends shared everything from food to clothes. They had one decent dress between them, Morris recalled: Anzhelika would wear it Monday through Wednesday, wash it Thursday, then Morris would wear it over the weekend. For the highs and lows of my childhood, I always had her courage and her energy to get through things, Morris said. This is why I need to be her rock now. The friends took very different paths beginning in their teen years. Morris wound up in the United States and, last August, Richmond. Her friend stayed in Ukraine and made her life there until the Russians invaded in February. When war came to their front door, she fled their home in Kyiv to join their teen daughter who was in school in Poland. Her husband followed later, for three days making his way across western Ukraine by car and bus through territory under attack by Russian forces. It was completely scary and horrific, Morris said. We didnt really think he was going to make it. Morris and her husband, Richard, eventually provided airfare for the couple, along with two others fleeing from Ukraine, to fly to Ireland, where a friend put them up and found them temporary jobs while they determined their next move, which is this: They hope to come to Richmond and, with the help of the Morrises, build a new life here. Morris flew to San Diego on Thursday, then crossed the border into Mexico on Friday to meet Anzhelika and her family who arrived there after a long journey from Europe (from Gdansk to Berlin to Munich to Madrid to Mexico City to Tijuana). They joined many other uprooted Ukrainians in line at the U.S. border to request humanitarian parole so they can enter the United States on a temporary basis. Theyre pursuing the humanitarian parole avenue, rather than the normal visa process, because the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is closed and embassies in nearby countries are overwhelmed with a backlog of requests. President Joe Biden said in a speech recently that the United States would welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Humanitarian parole is granted on a case-by-case basis, according to the Homeland Security website, and Morris knows there are no guarantees. At the moment, it appears those from Ukraine seeking entry have to wait about 48 hours at the border. My biggest fear is that after everything they have been through and what we had to do, they are not allowed into the country, said Morris, who secured a hotel room so the family could shower and eat. Morris also purchased warm-weather clothes for them, as many Ukrainians are arriving in Tijuana wearing the only clothes they have with them, often parkas and boots, she said. Despite her underlying fear, Morris is optimistic. On Saturday afternoon, in an email, Morris said she hoped they would be allowed into the United States later in the day. *** The Morrises moved to Richmonds Fan District in August 2021 with their twins, who turn 4 next week, and a pair of Bernese Mountain Dogs. They had lived in New Jersey and worked in New York. She is chief editorial officer for ION Analytics, a job she handles remotely, and he formerly was a producer at CNN and Bloomberg. He now is a stay-at-home dad for Maya and Richie. Richard was raised in Lynchburg, so Richmond is something of a compromise: He is closer to family, and she is convenient to air service to New York for her job. They want to get the word out about the impending (they hope) arrival of their friends so that the community might welcome them with opportunities to assimilate here. They are not raising money, only awareness of things the family will need, such as language classes, furniture for the apartment the Morrises are trying to arrange for them and employment. Readers can contact the Morrises if theyd like to help at ukr2rva@gmail.com. Anzhelika Ivanisova, 46, is an entrepreneur/restaurateur whose most recent restaurant was on a highway on the way to Kyiv, a contested territory in recent fighting. Volodymyr Shabanov, 50, is a veterinarian whose services were most welcome, Yana Morris said, on the couples recent stay in a farming community outside Dublin. While in Ireland, Anzhelika worked as a hotel housekeeper. Their life redefines the definition of hard work, Richard Morris said. We know if given the right opportunities here, they will truly build a better life here than the one they left in Ukraine. Their daughter, Valeriia Shabanova, is 15. She was a neighbor child that Anzhelika and Volodymyr adopted after her mother died when she was 4. Volodymyr was given an exemption to the currently required military service for Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60 because Ukrainian law states an adopted child should not have to lose a parent twice, said Yana Morris. *** Yana and Anzhelika stayed together in childhood, attending the same schools, as their parents moved around eastern Ukraine. My mothers Ukrainian, my dad is Russian, said Yana Morris. This is a typical family in Ukraine: someone is Russian, someone is Ukrainian. Thats why this war doesnt make any sense. Though their lives went in different directions at age 16, Yana received a scholarship to study in England, which led to life and career in the West their friendship has persevered. Shes always had her own business, Yana said of her friend. Shes an extremely good chef. Whatever the Ukrainians wind up doing here, they will work hard, Yana Morris said. Once Ivanisova and Shabanov arrive in the United States, there will be no government support. They will rely, at first, on the Morrises. I will give them a little bit of stability, Yana Morris said. A roof, food and then well figure out how they can exist here, how they can assimilate into Richmond. Im taking one step at a time. If you were abused by a loved one or sexually assaulted by an acquaintance, would you know where to turn for help? The average Virginian doesnt think about sexual and domestic violence agencies in their community. Yet, every day, trained advocates at these community-based programs are ready to respond, at some of the most dangerous and vulnerable times in our lives. These programs make up a significant and invaluable part of Virginias social safety net. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, requests for crisis services (including emergency shelter) drastically increased in Virginia. One sexual and domestic violence agency reported a 150% increase in the number of individuals residing in shelter, as compared to the previous year. Stay-at-home orders and closures designed to protect the public from widespread infection left many survivors and families isolated or trapped at home with their abusers. Ongoing job losses resulted in more survivors becoming financially entangled with their abusers, while safe and affordable housing remained in short supply in many localities. And the complexity of presenting traumas only grew. But front-line, lifesaving help still was available in every community across Virginia. Sexual and domestic violence advocates risked their health throughout the pandemic to offer 24/7 help. They quickly pivoted shelter and housing services in ways that complied with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, and moved counseling into the virtual sphere while preserving confidentiality. Advocates transported survivors to emergency health care facilities when many other transportation services were unavailable; assisted survivors in filing protective orders and completing immigration visas to ensure their rights and safety were protected; and so much more. According to statewide data collected via VAdata.org, on a single day in 2021, 1,705 individuals received advocacy or hotline services from sexual and domestic violence agencies across the commonwealth. These services included things like emergency shelter and transitional housing, crisis response, safety planning, counseling, health care navigation, legal advocacy and support groups. Trained advocates often are social workers, counselors and survivors, themselves. They are a force for good in survivors lives, helping them find safety, build resilience and move forward after experiencing abuse. Each year, hundreds of survivors tell us access to these programs prevented them from living in cars or on the streets. Many people even report these services literally saved their lives by helping them escape increasingly lethal violence. Yet, the pandemic has strained local sexual and domestic violence agencies resources at a time when the need for them only has increased. While we seek to move past the pandemic, its effects continue to ripple throughout our communities. Survivors of color continue to bear the brunt of shredded social safety nets, like access to affordable housing, living wages, or quality, affordable child care. Virginias sexual and domestic violence agencies have shifted from handling short-term COVID-19 pandemic responses to managing longer-term changes. They are adapting their organizations and resources to meet the expanded needs of survivors in an altered landscape. The pandemic continues to challenge local programs that have struggled to maintain staffing, and meet increased and complex service requests as pandemic-era relief programs end. As with many other front-line essential workers, staff members at these agencies are exhausted and burnt out from struggling to keep 24/7 emergency services operating. If Virginia is to make progress in addressing public health issues of sexual and domestic violence, it needs sustained and diverse investments in this work. We need people throughout the commonwealth to support their local sexual and domestic violence agencies. Start with a simple, thank you, we see you and the work you do in our community. Consider a personal contribution, or even a monthly pledge of support. In addition to individual donations, we need the investments and resources of private foundations. We need government funding both in the short-term response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in the longer term. Right now, Virginia legislators are considering allocating $9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to the commonwealth's sexual and domestic violence agencies. We urge the General Assembly to invest in these lifesaving community services, and to continue to sustain our essential work into the future. Advocates arent always in the spotlight, but they always are on the front lines. Were thankful for the people who show up each day and do what must be done to make sure safety, healing and justice are accessible to every person impacted by sexual and domestic violence. Theyre ready to listen and help you, your friend or your family 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. " " Recruits from boot camp company Papa-200 graduate at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey, June 11, 2021 Seaman Christian Lower/U.S. Coast Guard All U.S. residents between the ages of 17 and 31 with high school diplomas are eligible to enlist in the Coast Guard, providing they pass certain physical exams, as well as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) evaluation test. All recruits go through eight weeks of training at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey. While recruits will be taught how to swim, people who are afraid of being in or on the water should probably consider a different branch of service. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut. Anyone who wants to join the Coast Guard as a commissioned officer (and meets the eligibility requirements) can apply to attend the Coast Guard Academy. Unlike other U.S. military academies, a congressional petition is not required for entry. The academy provides a rigorous four-year academic experience that also prepares cadets for life as an officer in the Coast Guard. Graduates are commissioned as ensigns. Enlisted sailors and airmen can attend Coast Guard officer candidate school if they want to become commissioned officers. Advertisement Another option for joining the Coast Guard is the Coast Guard Reserves. The reserves train and serve two days a month and two weeks each year. The 7,000 reserves don't form separate reserve units they are integrated into full-time Coast Guard operations. Many non-law enforcement jobs are handled by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a volunteer organization with about 26,000 members. People who join their local auxiliary are specially trained in boating safety, search and rescue, and other maritime skills. The auxiliary helps with search and rescue, teaches civilian boaters in special seminars, conducts safety inspections and provides introductory youth classes in boating and maritime safety. After basic training, graduates are promoted to seaman or fireman (E-2). The Coast Guard uses an apprentice system, where recruits work alongside a more experienced seaman and learn their job with hands-on experience. For more technical aviation specific jobs, recruits are sent to technical schools, such as the USCG Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which is a training program into the "A" school curriculum ("A-Schools"). Coast Guard cutters usually make lengthy patrols, during which they don't return to their home station unless they need to. These patrols typically last for four weeks but can be as short as a few days or as long as a few months. An example of a cutter patrol is the one taken by the USCGC Mohawk (WMEC-913) in May 2020. The crew, with a deployed Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron crew, apprehended more than 25 suspected drug smugglers, four suspected drug vessels and seized more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine and 1,500 gallons of liquefied cocaine before returning to their home base in Key West following a 65-day counter-drug patrol throughout the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Life on a cutter is not easy. Space is cramped and you spend a lot of time in very close proximity to your crewmates. However, crews form close bonds and learn to work together smoothly and efficiently. The person with the most responsibility onboard is the captain. Each captain has absolute authority on his or her ship. The personality and habits of a captain can have a tremendous effect on the character of the ship and the way a crew conducts itself. For most mariners, achieving a captaincy is a very high honor. Between patrols, the crew takes care of ship maintenance or may take on shore duties. Some of them will take advantage of leave time (they get 30 days of leave each year). This pattern will continue for an enlisted sailor until his term of active duty has ended. Active duty lasts two or more years, depending on the contract the sailor signed at the time of enlistment. Once active duty is over, the sailor still must provide several additional years of service, either as a reserve or a ready-reserve who can be called to active duty at any time. Recently, members who are assigned to major cutters were eligible for up to 15 days of resiliency absence. As members of a U.S. military organization, all Coast Guard sailors are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Dismissal from the Coast Guard can take a variety of forms, from an honorable discharge to a court-martial, depending on the circumstances. Coast Guard veterans and retirees are eligible for a host of benefits, including health and life insurance, low-interest loans for mortgages or small businesses and veterans' health care. The full suite of benefits available may depend on the nature of the veteran's dismissal usually an honorable discharge or retirement is necessary for access to all benefits. A comprehensive guide to Coast Guard veterans' benefits can be found at Coast Guard Insider. In the next section, we'll explore the history of the Coast Guard. " " There is water vapor rising into the air all the time from rivers, lakes and the world's oceans. KEREM YUCEL/AFP/Getty Images There's water around us all the time, we just can't see it. The air in our atmosphere contains a varying amount of water vapor, depending on the weather. When it's hot and humid, evaporated water can make up as much as 6 percent of the air we breathe. On cold, dry days it can be as low as .07 percent of the air's makeup. This air is part of the water cycle, an Earth process. Crudely put, water evaporates out of rivers, lakes and the ocean. It's carried up into the atmosphere, where it can collect into clouds (which are actually just accumulations of water vapor). After the clouds reach the saturation point, water droplets will form, which we know as rain. This rain runs off the land and collects into bodies of water, where the whole process begins again. Advertisement The problem is, the water cycle goes through dry periods. Because of this, some inventors have begun to wonder, why wait? Why not pull the water vapor right out of the air? Well, some have done just that. Here's a look at some of the latest technologies for creating water out of thin air. Aquaer Enrique Veiga, an 82-year-old Spanish engineer, invented a drinking water extractor that uses electricity to cool air until it condenses into water. It's the same effect that causes condensation in air conditioning units. He's not the first person to use this technology, but his company, Aquaer, is the first to work in temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and humidity as low as between 10 and 15 percent. In other words, his machine can make water in the desert, which happens to be the kind of place where people need water the most. After perfecting the machine, Aquaer was commissioned to supply drinking water to areas of Namibia and in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Veiga founded a nonprofit, called Water Inception, with a vision to distribute his water-making machines to more refugee camps and other dry parts of the world. Whisson's Windmill Australian inventor Max Whisson is using another approach. His Whisson Windmill uses wind power to collect water out of the atmosphere. In 2018, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that water vapor amounts to about "10,000 billion litres [about 2,600 billion gallons] in the bottom kilometere [about .62 miles] of air around the world." And all of this water is replaced every few hours as part of the water cycle. Whisson's windmill uses refrigerant to cool the blades of his mill, which he's named Max Water. These blades are situated vertically rather than diagonally, so that even the slightest breeze turns them. The blades cool the air, causing water vapor to condense and become liquid water again. This condensation is then collected and stored. Whisson's windmill can collect as much as 2,600 gallons (9,842 liters) of water from the air per day. Whisson said that his biggest challenge isn't the engineering behind his invention but finding the venture capital to back it. Tsunami Products' Atmospheric Water Generator Tsunami Products, a Washington-based company operating out of California, has developed a device for creating water that works similarly to an air conditioner. It dehumidifies air, extracts water vapor and then filters it so it's ready for drinking. According to Tsunami Products, the device works by drawing air "through a series of condensing coils, where water vapor is cooled down sufficiently to reach the dew point. This converts water vapor into droplets." The converted water is then filtered for any contaminants, such as pathogens and pollen, and collected in a storage tank ready for tapping. Fog-harvesting Machines The higher the relative humidity, the more water there is in the air to capture. Considering fog occurs when relative humidity is nearly 100 percent, you would think that researchers would try extracting water from fog. And you would be right. Fog-harvesting machines have been around for years and, as logic would suggest, work best in foggy climates such as coastal and mountainous regions. These relatively low-cost collection systems resemble volleyball nets with a fine mesh like a window screen. The screens capture water when wind blows through. Unfortunately, water droplets can clog the screens, preventing the wind from passing through, thus preventing the device from collecting water. " " Fog nets made from polythene fiber cloth catch condensed water from water vapor in the air, directing it into collection vessels underneath. Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 2.0) To improve upon this design, Jonathan Boreyko, who heads up the Nature-inspired Fluids and Interfaces Lab at Virginia Tech, took a cue from Mother Nature. He studied how giant sequoia trees collect water from fog on their needles, which run parallel to the ground. As the water collects on the needles, it then rolls downward and drips onto the ground essentially watering the tree's roots. Based on this insight, Boreyko's lab designed small, lab-scale fog-harvesting "harps" with horizontal collection wires to simulate giant sequoia needles. This method resulted in a water harvest from fog three times greater than similar-sized systems using vertical wires. Drinkable Air Several companies currently sell water-from-air machines, such as Florida-based Drinkable Air. The company uses "atmospheric water generator technology" to pull air through an electrostatic-antimicrobial filter intended to remove airborne particles. A condensation unit receives the clean humid airflow and condenses water vapor into liquid. As the machine collects water, the water "drops into a collection tank where it is ozonated to keep the water pure and fresh," according to the company's website. The machine further chills and filters the water before adding minerals to increase the pH level and improve the taste. Drupps And then there's Drupps, a spinoff of humidity-control company Airwatergreen. It uses a completely different water-collecting technology that relies on a liquid desiccant to pull moisture from the air. The slurry is then heated and the water is boiled off, cooled and collected. While cost effective, there are some drawbacks. As with condenser-style water collection systems, Drupps' technology is energy intensive and thus less kind to the Earth. Speaking of the environment, why go to the trouble of collecting water out of the air? Why not simply cause more rain to fall? It may sound far-fetched, but this is actually done at times, with catastrophic consequences. By vote of 53 - 47, US Senate confirms its second former US Sentencing Commissioner to serve as a Supreme Court Justice | Main | A new normal?: federal prison population now growing by over 1000 persons for multiple months April 7, 2022 South Carolina Supreme Court engages in notable debate over how it engages in capital proportionality review This local article from South Carolina, headlined "Our system is broken. SC Supreme Court justice assails death sentence in Upstate case," reports on an interesting ruling from the top court in the Palmetto State. Here are the basics and the context from the press piece: An associate justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court issued a rare and blunt dissent Wednesday in an Upstate death penalty case about a 1999 convenience store robbery that four of the five justices agreed to uphold. In the nearly 13 years I have served on this Court, I have voted to affirm eleven death sentences on direct appeal and have never dissented, Associate Justice Kaye Hearn wrote in her 14-page dissent. But the spur-of-the moment killing committed by Richard Moore in 1999 during a convenience store robbery in Spartanburg County is so different from the usual brutal premeditated slayings for which South Carolina juries give out the death penalty that condemning Moore to death is disproportional, or so far out of line, as not to be lawful, Hearn wrote. The death penalty should be reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes in our society, and I do not believe Moores crimes rise to that level, Hearn wrote, calling South Carolinas system broken. In Wednesdays majority opinion, four Supreme Court justices upheld Moores death sentence in a case that centered on the issue of whether the sentence was proportional, or roughly the same as, other death sentences for similar crimes. The majority, in an opinion written by Chief Justice Donald Beatty, wrote that Moores crime had the aggravating factors set out in the law such as killing during an armed robbery that qualified a person for the death penalty, Moore, now 57, has been on South Carolinas death row 21 years. The full ruling in Moore v. Stirling, Opinion No. 28088 (S.C. April 6, 2022), is available at this link. Here is how the majority opinion starts: Richard Bernard Moore ("Moore") filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus challenging the proportionality of the death sentence that was imposed for his murder conviction. The Court ordered briefing and granted Moore's motion to argue against the precedent of State v. Copeland, 278 S.C. 572, 300 S.E.2d 63 (1982). In Copeland, the Court discussed the requirement in S.C. Code Ann. 16-3-25(C)(3) (2015) that this Court undertake a comparative proportionality review of "similar cases" in death penalty matters. After review of the record and applicable law and consideration of the parties' arguments, we clarify Copeland and note the Court is not statutorily required to restrict its proportionality review of "similar cases" to a comparison of only cases in which a sentence of death was imposed. We conclude, however, that Moore has not established that he is entitled to habeas relief. And here is how the dissent begins: This Court has never found a single death sentence disproportionate dating back to 1977, the first time comparative proportionality review was required by the General Assembly. This includes the forty-three individuals who have been executed by the State of South Carolina during this modern era of capital punishment, and all of the thirty-five inmates currently housed on death row who have exhausted their direct appeal. The State characterizes these statistics currently, approximately zero for seventy-seven as proof that our capital sentencing scheme functions as it should. I write separately to express my view that our system is broken and to disagree with that part of the majority opinion which finds Petitioner Richard Moore's sentence proportionate to his crime. April 7, 2022 at 05:33 PM | Permalink Comments For an intentional homicide, a death sentence is proportionate. For most other crimes, it would likely be disproportionate. Posted by: William C Jockusch | Apr 8, 2022 8:28:01 AM @William C Jokusch: Current law says otherwise -- not that it should, but it does. Posted by: Marc Shepherd | Apr 8, 2022 8:47:39 AM Marc Shepherd -- There is always, by definition, going to be a case that's the least egregious of the set that got a capital sentence. In such a case, a plausible argument is always going to be possible that the DP there was "disproportionate." But that, I think, is simply a function of the fact that law is about line drawing, and wherever you draw it, cases on just this side of the line or just the other side are always going to be susceptible to the argument that it should be moved to the side it's not on. Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 8, 2022 9:13:22 AM Post a comment Deep Yellow Limited Deep Yellow Limited (DYL.AX) Barking Gecko Phase 2 Drilling Completed Perth, Australia, April 7, 2022 - (ABN Newswire) - Deep Yellow Limited (ASX:DYL) (HAM:JMI) (OTCMKTS:DYLLF) advises that the Phase 2 follow-up RC drill program at the Barking Gecko North prospect (EPL3669) involving ten holes for 2,272m, was completed on 18 March 2022. See Figure 1*. HIGHLIGHTS - Follow-up Phase 2 RC drill program completed at Barking Gecko North involving 10 holes and 2,272m - All holes were mineralised returning greater than 100ppm eU3O8 over 1m - Best intersections include: o TN271RC - 16m at 156ppm eU3O8 from 10m - 10m at 119ppm eU3O8 from 29m - 21m at 214ppm eU3O8 from 50m - 2m at 104ppm eU3O8 from 77m - 7m at 178ppm eU3O8 from 82m - 1m at 276ppm eU3O8 from 93m o TN278RC - 4m at 133ppm eU3O8 from 87m - 4m at 556ppm eU3O8 from 95m - 6m at 558ppm eU3O8 from 127m - 1m at 168ppm eU3O8 from 174m Barking Gecko is part of the Nova Joint Venture Project (NJV) in Namibia, located within EPL3669. Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) completed its 39.5% earn-in obligation through expenditure of A$4.5M. The parties are now jointly contributing and the NJV equity holdings are as follows. Reptile Mineral Resources & Exploration (Pty) Ltd Subsidiary of Deep Yellow Limited 39.5% (Manager) Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) 39.5% (Right to equity) Nova Energy (Africa) Pty Ltd Subsidiary of Toro Energy Ltd 15% Sixzone Investments (Pty) Ltd Namibia 6% (Carried interest) The drill program focused on defining the spatial setting and possible extent of the strongly mineralised alaskite intrusions previously identified at Barking Gecko North. A total of ten RC holes for 2,272m and one diamond tailed-RC hole were drilled in Phase 2. Diamond hole TN270DDT, which was drilled previously, showed exceptionally encouraging results as was reported 18 January 2022. Of the ten RC holes drilled, all ten intersected uranium mineralisation greater than 100ppm eU3O8 over a minimum thickness of one metre. This follow-up drilling did not return the high grades or thicknesses that was encountered previously in the central zone of the Barking Gecko North prospect. The best result from the latest drilling included 57m greater than 100ppm eU3O8 at 174ppm eU3O8 over six intersections in TN271RC between 10 and 94m. In addition, TN278RC intersected 10m greater than 100ppm at 573ppm eU3O8 over two intersections between 95 and 133m. In-house portable XRF assaying identified a thorium component in this intersection showing 10m at 324ppm U3O8 and 88ppm Th. The bulk of the measurements do however generally confirm a uranium dominance in this mineralising system with an average U/(U+Th) ratio of 0.8. Portable XRF analyses are continuing. The previously drilled central NW-SE trending drill line at Barking Gecko North was drilled with holes at 100m to 50m hole spacing. The follow-up Phase 2 drilling flanked this line with a100m step-out both to the north-east and the south-west (see Figure 2*). This drilling failed to locate the thick and strong mineralisation intersected previously. There is the possibility however that the strong mineralisation identified extends at depth trending to the northeast as three holes, (TN273RC, TN274RC and TN275RC) did not reach target depth due to drill rig limitations. The results to date appear to limit the strike length of the mineralised intrusions to 300m and the width to 200m, and the question of whether the mineralised intrusions exist in stacked form (thus increasing potential) has not been resolved. The Phase 2 drill hole locations are shown in Figure 2* with a cross-section in Figure 3*. Downhole optical televiewer logging (OPTV) is underway on selected drill holes. The structural setting of the mineralisation is considered key to understanding where future effort should be focussed. Interpretation of the OPTV data to be collected will be used to further define the structural trends controlling the mineralised intrusions. The main orientation of the mineralised zone is currently interpreted to be northeast-southwest, however other controlling structural trends are expected to be recognised and may assist with identifying additional targets to test and extend the mineralisation at Barking Gecko North. Mineralised intersections from the current reporting period that are above 100ppm U3O8 cutoff over at least one metre are tabulated in Appendix 1, Table 1*. Table 2* in this appendix lists all holes drilled in this period. The equivalent uranium values (eU3O8) are based on down-hole radiometric gamma logging carried out by a fully calibrated Aus-Log gamma logging system. CONCLUSION Although the results of the Phase 2 RC drilling at the Barking Gecko North prospect continue to indicate that a mineralising system of some size exists, it did not replicate the high grades returned from the previous drilling. The lateral size of the prospective area as defined by the high grade and thick uranium mineralisation appears to be restricted laterally but results indicate the potential for continuation of the mineralisation at depth. Evaluation of structural data generated from the OPTV down-hole logging that is currently underway may identify the key trend controlling the high-grade mineralised zone and further targeted drilling may be required to test the true extent and boundaries of the mineralisation. Additional exploration targets also exist east and south of Barking Gecko including at Turtle's Neck further to the south of EPL3669, which require evaluation. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/JDIB3Q51 Story continues About Deep Yellow Limited: Deep Yellow Limited (ASX:DYL) (OTCMKTS:DYLLF) (Namibian Stock Exchange:DYL) is a differentiated, advanced uranium exploration company, in predevelopment phase, implementing a contrarian strategy to grow shareholder wealth. This strategy is founded upon growing the existing uranium resources across the Company's uranium projects in Namibia and the pursuit of accretive, counter-cyclical acquisitions to build a global, geographically diverse asset portfolio. A PFS has recently been completed on its Tumas Project in Namibia and a DFS commenced February 2021. The Company's cornerstone suite of projects in Namibia is situated within a top-ranked African mining destination in a jurisdiction that has a long, well-regarded history of safely and effectively developing and regulating its considerable uranium mining industry. Contact: John Borshoff Managing Director/CEO T: +61-8-9286-6999 Email: john.borshoff@deepyellow.com.au www.deepyellow.com.au Source: Deep Yellow Limited Copyright (C) 2022 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. SEA TO SKY10 200 3D4600 II4 7.07 13.9% 245.68 482.9 4226.4 Spriver Tech Limited10 -SW526 7.8498 4226.4 57 NFT40% 7 Crew-34177 59 10 3 2023 SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Near the end of the month, kids and parents in Siouxland can spend a night out with games, raffle and dancing all while dressed as iconic movie characters. On Friday, April 29, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA at 601 Riverview Drive is hosting a "Movie Magic Family Dance" in the gymnasium. According to a press release for the event, the Sioux City Community Theatre will provide a few movie characters of their own as well. "Family engagement impacts a student academically, socially and emotionally. The YMCA is here to create spaces for those moments to be remembered for a life time," Early Learning and Childcare Director Raelee Thompson said in the release. Admission is $20 for two guardians and one child with $5 charges for each additional child. Per the release, pre-registration is encourage but not necessary. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Staying in? We've got you covered Get the recommendations on what's streaming now, games you'll love, TV news and more with our weekly Home Entertainment newsletter! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. India plans to ramp up of its production of military equipment, including helicopters, tank engines, missiles and airborne early warning systems, to offset any potential shortfall from its main supplier Russia. Defense Ministry officials say India, with the worlds second-largest army, fourth-largest air force and seventh-largest navy, cant sustain itself through imports. To meet short-term requirements it may consider purchases from former Soviet republics and Warsaw pact countries. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment. Former Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda said that during a visit to India last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin the two sides decided to shift some manufacturing to India to meet its requirements. SIOUX CITY -- Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting another man early Monday at a Sioux City bar. Naji Shorter, 29, of Sioux City, was booked into the Woodbury County Jail just before noon Thursday on charges of attempted murder, going armed with intent, assault while participating in a felony, willful injury and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He is being held on $250,000 bond. Shorter is accused of shooting Garry Hill, of Sioux City, after a dispute at 12:17 a.m. at Uncle Dave's Bar, 1427 W. Third St. According to a complaint filed in Woodbury County District Court, Hill told police during an interview after the shooting that Shorter and two other men approached him at his job earlier in the evening and attempted to get into a fight with him. Video surveillance from the workplace confirmed Shorter's attempt to fight Hill. After being kicked out of the business, Shorter returned later to try to fight Hill again. Hill later went to Uncle Dave's Bar, where he saw Shorter and the other two men from earlier, and they became involved in a verbal and physical disturbance. A witness told police Shorter left the bar and returned a short time later. He pulled out a black handgun and shot Hill once before fleeing with the other two men, court documents said. Officers arriving at the scene found Hill laying on the bar's front steps with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. Hill remains hospitalized for treatment of his injuries. Officers arrested Shorter at 10:30 a.m. Thursday as he was leaving his home in the 2600 block of South Nicollet Street. Officers executed a search warrant on the home and found multiple rounds of 9mm and .45-caliber ammunition and marijuana. Shorter is prohibited from possessing firearms after a March 2020 domestic assault conviction in Omaha in which he was placed on 12 months' probation. Nebraska court records show he completed his probation and was discharged in March 2021. Court records in Polk County show Shorter was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon after a March 2018 incident in which he was accused of exchanging gunfire with people at a Des Moines home. The Polk County Attorney's Office later dropped the case, saying in court filings that it was in the interest of justice and that prosecutors intended to file additional charges upon further investigation. No new charges have been filed. In November 2020, Shorter pleaded guilty in Woodbury County to operating while intoxicated. He served two days in jail and was fined $1,250. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- It took more than 77 years for Harry Nichols' remains to be identified. The COVID pandemic delayed his burial by almost three more. But finally, in May, the Sioux City native, killed on board the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, will be returned home, buried next to his parents in Memorial Park Cemetery. "It brings closure to the family. It's really just hard to express in words," his nephew, Mark Nichols said. "Seeing him put to rest with his parents means the world." Storekeeper 3rd Class Harry E. Nichols was among the 429 USS Oklahoma crewmen killed in the attack, in which the battleship took multiple hits from Japanese torpedoes and capsized quickly, trapping dozens of men below deck. His parents rarely spoke about their loss after the war, Mark Nichols said, and neither did his father, Norman, who was a year older than Harry. "He did say there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think of his brother," Mark Nichols said in a telephone interview from his Melbourne, Florida, home. Harry Nichols was the second of Ernest and Florence Nichols' three children. Norman served in the Army during World War II, returned to Sioux City after the war and moved to California in 1973. Youngest child Betty moved to Arizona sometime later. Both died before seeing their brother's remains identified and returned home. Harry Nichols enlisted in the Navy in January 1941 and was assigned to the USS Oklahoma at the time of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. In the days after the attack, victims whose identities were both known and unknown were buried in Honolulu. Remains recovered in 1943 after the ship was righted were buried in mass graves in Honolulu's National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. As of 2003, 394 of the crewmen remained unidentified when efforts were launched to use modern technology to identify the unknowns. In 2015, 388 crewmen remained unidentified, and their remains were unearthed and sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency lab at Offutt Air Force base in Omaha, where a team of anthropologists identified 355 of them before the project ended last summer with just 33 who could not be identified individually. Mark Nichols submitted a DNA sample to the Navy in 2018. The following spring, he was informed his uncle's remains had been identified. "I was excited as well as just kind of shocked," said Nichols, who grew up in the Sioux City area and graduated from South Sioux City High School in 1970. Harry Nichols' remains were identified May 30, 2019. A military service and burial were planned for March 2020, but COVID shut down those plans. Mark Nichols said Navy officers met last week with him and his sister, Nancy Eischeid, a Bishop Heelan graduate, at her home in Cleveland, Tennessee, to resume burial planning. Harry Nichols could have been buried at Pearl Harbor or Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, but the family decided he belonged in Sioux City. "I just thought the proper place would be with his parents," said Mark Nichols, who served four years in the Air Force after enlisting in the fall of 1970. Nichols, 70, said his father's ashes will be buried alongside Harry and their parents, too. As a veteran himself, Nichols said having his father and uncle together again means a lot to him. "I know my dad and Harry sacrificed a lot," he said. Services, with full military rites, will be at 11 a.m. on May 13. A visitation for community members to pay their respects will be 4 p.m.-8 p.m. May 12 at Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, Morningside Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Over 100 high school and college students from Siouxland turned out Wednesday for a first-of-its kind career fair for Iowa Air National Guard, 185th Air Refueling Wing. During the fair, students explored over 90 jobs or Air Force Specialties, available at the guard unit in Sioux City. They learned how they can receive paid technical training for Air Guard careers, many of which award undergraduate college credit. Other opportunities include professional careers in aviation, medicine and management careers for prospects who are interested in obtaining a commission. Traditional careers in the National Guard allow members to attend training on primarily on weekends, plus two weeks each year while also attending college or working full time at a civilian job. The state of Iowa also offers National Guard members 100% state tuition assistance to Iowas state universities and community colleges. Tuition assistance can also be applied to Iowa private colleges. A current list of vacancies and recruiter contact information can be found on the 185th ARW website on the careers page. https://www.185arw.ang.af.mil/About-Us/Careers/ Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Jackson confirmed as first Black female high court justice WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson was confirmed on Thursday. The vote was 53-47 with three Republicans voting for confirmation. She will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, rejuvenating a diminished liberal wing of the conservative-dominated court. Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. At her hearings last month, she told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor." Russian retreat reveals destruction as Ukraine asks for help CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops have left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid in a northern Ukrainian city. The scenes of destruction give fuel to Kyivs calls Thursday for more Western support to help halt Moscows offensive before it refocuses on the countrys east. Dozens of people lined up to receive loaves of bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv. Russian forces besieged the city for weeks before retreating. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pleaded Thursday for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the western alliance agreed to ramp their supply of arms. Biden bets strong job market will shield economy from slump WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden White House is betting the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand the threats to growth posed by inflation and the war in Ukraine. But there are growing fears of a coming economic slump among voters and some Wall Street analysts. White House officials say the next few months will test whether President Joe Biden built a durable recovery full of jobs with last years $1.9 trillion relief package. But economists such as Larry Summers and Joe LaVorgna warn that the policies needed to reduce inflation could risk a recession. UN aid chief: 'I'm not optimistic' about Ukraine ceasefire KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations humanitarian chief says he is not optimistic about securing a ceasefire to halt the fighting in Ukraine. He spoke Thursday following high-level talks in Moscow and Kyiv that underscored how far apart the two sides are. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths gave the bleak assessment in an interview with The Associated Press in the Ukrainian capital after wrapping up talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other top officials. That followed discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and officials in Moscow earlier in the week. I think its not going to be easy because the two sides, as I know now ... have very little trust in each other, he said. Im not optimistic, he added later. Appeals court OKs Biden federal employee vaccine mandate NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal appeals court has upheld President Joe Bidens requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. In a 2-1 ruling Thursday, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a lower court and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the mandate. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown of Texas had issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. A different 5th Circuit panel had refused to block it on appeal. But Thursday's ruling said the federal judge didn't have jurisdiction in the case and that those challenging the requirement could have pursued administrative remedies under Civil Service law. US speeds entry for Ukrainians as more reach Mexico border TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as even more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of Tijuana had grown to about 1,000 waiting refugees Thursday. But Tijuana officials and volunteers say the U.S. has begun processing much faster. The Biden administration has said it would take up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but Mexico is the only route producing significant numbers. Appointments at U.S. consulates in Europe are scarce, and refugee resettlement takes time. Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death NEW ORLEANS (AP) No longer waiting for a federal investigation, a state prosecutor says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Union Parish District Attorney John Belton told a legislative committee Thursday that U.S. Justice Department prosecutors last week dropped their request for him to hold off on state charges until the federal probe is complete. And he added that Greenes mother also asked him to pursue charges against the troopers seen on video stunning, punching and dragging Greene. Nearly three years after Greene's death, no one has yet been criminally charged. Abortion rights backers block 'trigger' law in Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Abortion rights supporters have scored a surprising victory in Nebraska, derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its Roe v. Wade decision. The vote on Wednesday frustrated abortion rights opponents, who usually win fights over the issue in Nebraska's conservative Legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have passed similar measures already, but abortion rights supporters in Nebraska managed to block it using a filibuster in the single-chamber Legislature. Lawmakers fell two votes short of the 33 they needed to end the filibuster and force a vote on the bill. The 31-15 vote left the proposal essentially dead for the rest of the year. Tiger is back at Masters, and it already felt like a victory AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Tiger Woods was back in the Masters some 14 months after a car crash that shattered his right leg. That felt like a victory alone. Never mind that his 71 left him four shots behind Sungjae Im of South Korea. Still to come is another day of 18 holes at Augusta National. The gallery was electric just seeing the five-time Masters champion because there was reason to believe they might not see him again. The scores were higher than usual because of the wind. Cameron Smith was one shot back. Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler were among those at 69. Opening Day in MLB: New No. 21 patches, NL DHs and Guardians It's opening day in Major League Baseball and a new season has brought a new look. The Cleveland team took the field for the first time as the rechristened Guardians. Some players wore patches with No. 21 to honor the late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. The National League moved full-time into the realm of the designated hitter. And an umpire announced a replay review decision to the crowd for the first time. The season began with a game at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. Andrew McCutchen got the first hit of the year and also scored the first run. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his promised effort to diversify the high court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Presiding over the vote was Vice President Kamala Harris, also the first Black woman to reach her high office. Biden tweeted afterward that weve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer exulted that it was a wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and for the United States of America. Harris said as she left the Capitol that she was overjoyed, deeply moved. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in. The two were expected to speak, along with Harris, at the White House Friday. During four days of Senate hearings last month, Jackson spoke of her parents struggles through racial segregation and said her path was clearer than theirs as a Black American after the enactment of civil rights laws. She attended Harvard University, served as a public defender, worked at a private law firm and was appointed as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor, and pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced. Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history. Her eventual elevation to the court will be a respite for Democrats who fought three bruising battles over former President Donald Trumps nominees and watched Republicans cement a conservative majority in the final days of Trump's term with Barrett's confirmation. While Jackson won't change the balance, she will secure a legacy on the court for Biden and fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice. This is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki after the vote. And this is a fulfillment of a promise the president made to the country. The atmosphere was joyful, though the Senate was divided, as Thursday's votes were cast. Senators of both parties sat at their desks and stood to vote, a tradition reserved for the most important matters. The upper galleries were almost full for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago, and about a dozen House members, part of the the Congressional Black caucus, stood at the back of the chamber. Harris called out the tally, pausing with emotion, and Democrats erupted in loud applause and cheers, Schumer pumping his fists. A handful of Republicans stayed and clapped, but most by then had left. Despite Republican criticism of her record, Jackson eventually won three GOP votes. The final tally was far from the overwhelming bipartisan confirmations for Breyer and other justices in decades past, but it was still a significant accomplishment for Biden in the 50-50 split Senate after GOP senators aggressively worked to paint Jackson as too liberal and soft on crime. Statements from Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah all said the same thing they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job. Collins and Murkowski both decried increasingly partisan confirmation fights, which only worsened during the battles over Trumps three picks. Collins said the process was broken and Murkowski called it corrosive and more detached from reality by the year. Biden, a veteran of a more bipartisan Senate, said from the day of Breyer's retirement announcement in January that he wanted support from both parties for his history-making nominee, and he invited Republicans to the White House as he made his decision. It was an attempted reset from Trumps presidency, when Democrats vociferously opposed the three nominees, and from the end of President Barack Obamas, when Republicans blocked nominee Merrick Garland from getting a vote. Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, 50. She will join a court on which no one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years. Jacksons first term will be marked by cases involving race, both in college admissions and voting rights. She has pledged to sit out the courts consideration of Harvards admissions program since she is a member of its board of overseers. But the court could split off a second case involving a challenge to the University of North Carolinas admissions process, which might allow her to weigh in on the issue. Judith Browne Dianis, executive director the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, said Jackson will make the court more reflective of communities that are most impacted by the judiciary. The highest court in the land now will have a firsthand perspective of how the law impacts communities of color via voting rights, police misconduct, abortion access, housing discrimination or the criminal legal system, among other issues, she said. This will ultimately benefit all Americans. Jackson could wait as long as three months to be sworn in, as the court's session generally ends in late June or early July. She remains a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington, but she stepped away from cases there when she was nominated in February. Republicans spent the confirmation hearings strongly questioning her sentencing record, including the sentences she handed down in child pornography cases, which they argued were too light. Jackson declared that nothing could be further from the truth and explained her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. The GOP questioning in the Judiciary Committee showed the views of many Republicans, though, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a floor speech Wednesday that Jackson never got tough once in this area. Democrats criticized the Republicans questioning. You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker at the committees vote earlier this week. The panel deadlocked on the nomination 11-11, but the Senate voted to discharge it from committee and moved ahead with her confirmation. In an impassioned moment during the hearings last month, Booker, who is Black, told Jackson that he felt emotional watching her testify. He said he saw my ancestors and yours in her image. Don't worry, my sister, Booker said. Dont worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because youre here, and I know what its taken for you to sit in that seat. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Jessica Gresko, Zeke Miller and Farnoush Amiri in Washington and Aaron Morrison in New York contributed to this report. Follow the APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyiv's calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscow's next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. The city's streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Kuleba encouraged Western countries to continue bearing down on Russia, suggesting that any letup will result in more suffering for Ukrainians. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions?" Kuleba asked reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where Associated Press journalists counted dozens of bodies, some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. "How many children, women, men, have to die innocent lives have to be lost for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital city. Volunteers have spent days collecting the corpses, and more were picked up Thursday in Bucha. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Most victims died from gunshots, not from shelling, he said, and corpses with their hands tied were dumped like firewood into recently discovered mass graves, including one at a childrens camp. The mayor said the count of dead civilians stood at 320 as of Wednesday, but he expected the number to rise as more bodies are found in his city, which once had a population of 50,000. Only 3,700 now remain, he said. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the horrors of Bucha could just be the beginning. In the northern city of Borodianka, just 30 kilometers northwest of Bucha, Zelenskyy warned of even more casualties, saying there it is much scarier. The world should brace itself, he said, for what might soon be found in the seaport city of Mariupol, saying that on on every street is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the departure of the Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same terrible crimes. He pledged that an international war crimes investigation already underway will identify each of the executioners and all those who committed rape or looting. Ukrainian and several Western leaders have blamed the massacres on Moscow's troops, and the weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that Germany's foreign intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Kuleba became emotional while referring to the horrors in the town, telling reporters that they couldnt understand how it feels after seeing pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. His comments came in response to a reporter's question about a video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting a captured and wounded Russian soldier. He said he had not seen the video and that it would be investigated. He acknowledged that there could be isolated incidents of violations. The footage has not been independently verified by the AP. In the 6-week-old war, Russian forces failed to take Ukraine's capital quickly, denying what Western countries said was Russian leader Vladimir Putin's initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. In the wake of that setback and heavy losses, Russia shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years. The United Nations' humanitarian chief told the AP on Thursday that he's not optimistic about securing a cease-fire after meeting with officials in Kyiv and in Moscow this week, underlining the lack of trust the two sides have for one another. He spoke hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of backtracking on proposals it had made over Crimea and Ukraines military status. It's not clear how long it will take withdrawing Russian forces to redeploy, and Ukrainian officials have urged people in the country's east to leave before the fighting intensifies there. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish civilian evacuation routes Thursday from several areas in the Donbas. Even as Ukraine braced for a new phase of the war, Russias withdrawal brought some relief to Chernihiv, which lies near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus and was cut off for weeks. Vladimir Tarasovets described nights during the siege when he watched the city on fire and listened to the sound of shelling. It was very hard, very hard. Every evening there were fires, it was scary to look at the city. In the evening, when it was dark, there was no light, no water, no gas, no amenities at all, he said. "How did we go through it? I have no words to describe how we managed. In addition to spurring NATO countries to send more arms, the revelations about possible war crimes led Western nations to step up sanctions, and the Group of Seven major world powers warned that they will continue strengthening the measures until Russian troops leave Ukraine. The U.S. Congress voted Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, while the European Union approved punishing new steps, including the embargo on coal imports. The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, voted to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.N. vote demonstrated how Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He called the images coming from Bucha horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity, Biden said. The U.S. State Department said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corp., Russia's largest military shipbuilder, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The move blocks their access to American financial systems. The department also said it would levy sanctions against the world's largest diamond mining company, Russia-backed Alrosa. Schreck reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote a historic moment, telling the assembly: We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored and that Russia must be held accountable for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war." Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. U.S. President Joe Biden said the vote demonstrated how Russian President Vladimir Putins war "has made Russia an international pariah. He pledged to continue working with other nations to gather evidence to hold Russia accountable, increase the pressure on its economy and isolate it on the international stage. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. It has created commissions of inquiry which provide its highest level of scrutiny on alleged rights violations and abuses for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russia's deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution an illegitimate and politically motivated step" by a group of countries with short-term political and economic interests" that he accused of blatant and massive violations of human rights." The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France and the United States, which rejoined this year currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from sinking and suspend Russia, saying it has committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russias actions are beyond the pale, he said. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russia's withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. - Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A man accused of shooting at a candidate for mayor of Louisville was hit with new federal charges Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. Quintez Brown, 22, was taken into federal custody and made an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Kentucky after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of interfering with a federally protected right, and using and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence by shooting at and attempting to kill a candidate for elective office." If convicted of all federal charges, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum sentence of life in prison in addition to any sentence he receives on state charges of murder and wanton endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty in state court. Jail records show that Brown has been held at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield since Wednesday. Brown was arrested by Louisville police shortly after the Feb. 14 shooting. The mayoral candidate, Craig Greenberg, said he was not hit by the gunfire, although a bullet grazed his sweater. Greenberg, a Democrat, said he was at his campaign headquarters with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway and began firing multiple rounds. One staffer managed to shut the door, which they barricaded using tables and desks, and the shooter fled. A police report said Brown was carrying a loaded 9 mm magazine in his pants pocket and had a drawstring bag with a handgun and additional magazines when he was arrested. Brown was placed on home incarceration and fitted with a GPS ankle monitor after a group called the Louisville Community Bail Fund paid the $100,000 cash bond on Feb 16. A judge also ordered Brown to have no contact with Greenberg or his campaign staff and barred him from possessing firearms. Brown's house arrest prompted outrage from Greenberg, who said it was impossible to believe Brown could be released. The federal indictment comes after a Kentucky grand jury in Louisville last week indicted Brown on one count of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, all state charges. Brown, a social justice activist who was running as an independent for Louisvilles metro council, disappeared for about two weeks last summer. After he was found safe, his parents issued a statement asking for patience and privacy while they attended to his physical, mental and spiritual needs. In March, a judge cleared Brown to receive a mental health evaluation to determine if he should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Louisville police said in February that Brown appears to have acted alone. The federal investigation is being conducted by the FBIs Louisville Field Office and the Louisville Metro Police Department as part of FBI Louisvilles Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. The motive remains under investigation and has not been discussed publicly by authorities. Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The mass killing that left six people dead and 12 wounded outside bars just blocks from Californias Capitol last weekend was a gunfight involving at least five shooters from rival gangs, Sacramento police said Wednesday. Police said they identified at least five gunmen but there may have been more. Only two suspects both brothers wounded by gunfire have been arrested in connection with the shooting and, so far, only face firearms charges. We're still working through ... who the actual shooters are in the case, Sgt. Zach Eaton said. Until Wednesday's announcement, police had been silent on what led to the shooting that erupted early Sunday as bars were letting out. Rapid-fire bursts of over 100 gunshots echoed through the streets as terrified patrons ran for their lives and others were hit by bullets. Police said at least two gangs were involved. They declined to provide more details or name the gangs involved or the affiliation of any suspects. Experts said that if gangs were to blame, it would mark an unusually bloody feud. In 20 years of researching gangs in Los Angeles, Alex Alonso said he cant remember a gang-related shooting with such a high body count. Its extremely rare that a gang shooting happened as the way this one is being characterized, Alonso said. Its extremely rare to have that happen in a public place with so many victims. Gregory Chris Brown, a criminal justice professor at California State University, Fullerton, said gangs often target rivals in drive-by shootings with fewer victims, though innocent bystanders are sometimes also struck. The location of the Sacramento shooting in a bustling area of watering holes near the entertainment district was incidental to whatever fueled the fight. If rival gang members see each other it doesnt matter if theyre in the Capitol of the United States of America, Brown said. If you see a rival gang member and youre going to attack them, it doesnt matter where they are. The large number of casualties was the result of high-capacity weapons in a crowded area, he said. Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth who leads gun intervention and prevention programs and offered his services to counsel families who lost loved ones in the shooting, criticized police for characterizing the crime as gang-related, which he said will lead some to think Black people. He said people will see the photos of the Black women and men who were shot, assume they were in a gang and wonder why gang members are downtown. Thats the narrative we dont need at this particular time, Accius said. "This idea that were going to put blame to one demographic of folks and blame them for the violence that ensued. Bill Sanders, a criminologist at Cal State LA, said he wanted to see more evidence the shooting was gang-related, a term police often use to drum up support. He said gang shootings are more mundane and most occur in what are considered gang neighborhoods. If you looked at a map of gang homicides in the city or any city over time, youd see the same areas lighting up meaning thats where they occur. If these guys were white, this wouldnt be considered gang related not even for a minute. Authorities credited witnesses who contributed nearly 200 videos, photos and other tips with helping the investigation. Police were trying to determine if a stolen handgun found at the crime scene was used in the massacre. It had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire. They are also investigating whether a gun one of the brothers, Smiley Martin, 27, brandished in a video was used in the shooting, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to publicly discuss details and spoke on condition of anonymity. Martin and his brother were among those wounded in the gunfire that erupted about 2 a.m. Sunday as bars closed and patrons filled the streets. The Sacramento County coroner identified the three women killed as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. The three men killed were Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and Devazia Turner, 29. Ten people were wounded in addition to the Martin brothers. At least two remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Smiley Martin faces charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. He remained hospitalized and it wasnt clear if he had an attorney who could speak for him. His brother, Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested as a related suspect and appeared briefly Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court on a charge of being a convict carrying a loaded gun. He did not enter a plea and his attorney said she would wait to see if prosecutors brought more serious charges before deciding whether to seek his release. Both men have criminal records. Smiley Martin was released from prison in February after serving about half of a 10-year prison sentence for beating a girlfriend. He was denied parole last year after prosecutors said he clearly has little regard for human life, documents show. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg questioned why the brothers were on the streets. Those questions need to be answered and they will be answered over the days ahead, Steinberg said. A 31-year-old man seen carrying a handgun immediately after the shooting was arrested Tuesday on a weapons charge. Police said they dont believe his gun was used in the shooting. This version corrects that Smiley Martin served about half of a 10-year prison sentence, not about two years of the term. Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Don Thompson in Sacramento, Michael Balsamo in Washington, Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and News Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York City contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CBS News reporter Debora Patta has covered conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Europe. She has seen violence and death at close range before. But the atrocities she witnessed in Bucha, Ukraine, this week stood out, and overwhelmed her. "We need to be disturbed by these pictures," Patta said on "CBS Mornings," after describing what she and other journalists witnessed in the outskirts of Kyiv. The war changed this week from a media perspective, which is how most people outside of Ukraine experience it. Russia Ukraine War Media A journalist takes video of a mass grave Sunday in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders have encouraged journalists to Before, events had been seen primarily from a slight distance fiery explosions caught on camera or drone-eyed views of burned-out buildings. Now, with the Ukrainian army retaking control of villages near Kyiv that had been brutalized by Russian soldiers, journalists are capturing the aftermath of horrific violence at close range of dead bodies bound, tortured and burned. While there's a sense that images like these might change public opinion or have an impact on how a war plays out, historically that hasn't often been the case, said Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in war and the media. Still, several countries, including the United States and Britain, imposed additional sanctions on Russia this week, and they cited the brutality in Bucha as compelling them to do more. Whatever the impact, Adelman said it is critical to have journalists on hand to document what is going on. "Bearing witness is crucially important, particularly in cases of catastrophic loss," she said. "Sometimes the photograph is all you have left." Photographs and video from Bucha showed body bags piled in trenches, lifeless limbs protruding from hastily dug graves, and corpses scattered in streets where they fell, including one man blown off a bicycle. Journalists from around the world also interviewed Ukrainians emerging from their hiding places to tell stories about the barbarism they witnessed from Russian soldiers. Russia Ukraine War Media The hand of a corpse buried along with other bodies is seen Sunday in a mass grave in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. TV anchors and correspondents warned viewers that they were about to see graphic and disturbing pictures a warning that came four times in one episode of "World News Tonight" on ABC. "I'm sorry I have to show you this," CNN's Frederik Pleitgen apologized, before motioning a camera to show body bags piled in a van. "While we may want to look away, it is becoming harder and harder to close our eyes to what's happening," NBC "Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt said in his warning to viewers. Veteran television news producer Rick Kaplan said that, from what he's seen, news organizations have been careful in what they've shown without flinching from the story. "Every day we have these images it brings (the war) home more and more," said Kaplan, a former president of both CNN and MSNBC. "It's a good thing that this horrifies us. Can you imagine if we were blase about it?" The gruesome images from Bucha, in particular, have dominated news reports around the world. The BBC reported on the continued "world revulsion." Italian state TV gave no warning before showing bodies with bound hands, half-buried in sandy terrain. "What you see from here, unfortunately, are signs of torture on the face," journalist Stefania Battistini said. "All are wearing civilian clothes." Narrating a story on Fakty, Poland's most-watched evening news program, anchor Grzegorz Kajdanowicz said "it is our duty to warn you, but also to show you what the Russians did in Bucha and several other places." It was different in Russia, where state television falsely claimed Ukraine was responsible for either killing civilians themselves or perpetrating a hoax. Russian TV has also run images of dead bodies in Bucha, some taken from CNN, with the word "fake" stamped on the screen, according to Internet Archive, a company that collects and saves Web and television content. Russia Ukraine War Media Images from devastation in Ukraine are displayed during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday at U.N. headquarters in New York. Uk The Russian propaganda prompted many Western news organizations to debunk those claims by using satellite imagery to show that many dead bodies that were documented on the ground this week by journalists had been in the same spots when Russia controlled the town. Some of the most graphic images were compiled in a short video made by Ukraine to accompany President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the United Nations on Tuesday. To a soundtrack of somber music and the cries of children, the video showed close-ups of corpses and body parts. Technical difficulties delayed its airing until well after Zelenskyy talked, giving networks like CNN and Fox News Channel that had aired the speech time to present it later in edited form. But MSNBC appeared to show it in full, leaving anchor Andrea Mitchell visibly shaken. "That's just horrific," she said. "I don't think the world has seen anything like it." Ukraine has a clear motivation to show the world what is happening, and journalists accompanied Zelenskyy on a visit to Bucha on Monday. Russia Ukraine War Media Journalists walk inside a destroyed warehouse for storing food after a Russian attack March 29 in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. While television and the Internet give greater immediacy to war coverage, heart-wrenching images and their potential to shape public opinion are hardly new. Harvard historian Drew Faust, author of "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War," noted that when Matthew Brady had an exhibit of his Civil War photographs in 1862, The New York Times wrote, "if he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it." When a memorable photo was circulated of a 5-year-old boy sitting dazed and bloodied after being rescued from a bombing in Aleppo, Syria, in 2016, NPR asked in a headline, "Can one photo help end a war?" It hasn't yet. As more communities are liberated from Russian rule, the number of ghastly images coming from Ukraine will almost certainly multiply. Yet one of the surprises of this war, along with Ukraine's ability to stave off a quick defeat, is the way Zelenskyy has been able to win the information battle and unite opposition in a way that was not anticipated. In that context, the images may help make a difference. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After months of formulating a tax reduction package and weeks of argument over how it should be shaped, the Legislature on Thursday gave 43-0 final approval to a major tax cut bill that will sharply reduce future anticipated state revenue. The proposal (LB873) will reduce the state's top income tax rate for individuals and corporations, expand state income tax credits for property taxpayers and accelerate the previously approved phased elimination of state income taxation of Social Security income. The resulting reduction of anticipated state revenue estimated by the Nebraska Department of Revenue would grow from $213.8 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year to $867.2 million in fiscal 2026-27. A largely unanticipated surge in state revenue and the resulting growth of the state's cash reserve, dubbed the rainy day fund, helped fuel support for the large tax reduction. Under terms of the bill, the top individual and corporate income tax rates would be reduced to 5.84% over a five-year period. The top individual rate currently is 6.84%; the top corporate rate is 7.5%, but already is scheduled to slide to 7% next year. The bill includes a new refundable income tax credit for property taxpayers applied to a portion of the property taxes they pay to support community colleges. The scheduled phase-out of state income taxation of Social Security benefits will be implemented over four years. Thursday's vote marked a major legislative victory for Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, who led the way in shaping and defending the tax package during floor debate, and Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, a committee member who championed the additional property tax reduction. The Nebraska Farm Bureau hailed passage of the bill, describing it as bold action that will be "transformative for farmers and ranchers and all Nebraskans across the state." "When fully implemented over the next five years," Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue of Central City said, the Legislature's tax cut package "will save Nebraskans an estimated $886 million in property taxes per year." Nebraska Chamber of Commerce President Bryan Slone of Omaha said "we appreciate the work of our state leaders in helping us build a game-changing strategy for growth" in the state. "You get less of what you tax and Nebraskans need more right now -- more in their pockets to support their families, more private investment, more innovation, more high-tech jobs," Slone said. "A dynamic, growing economy with lots to do and cutting-edge job opportunities is critical to attracting and retaining more people in Nebraska, especially our talented, young generations entering the workforce," he said. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES -- A state facility for Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities that has been under scrutiny from federal investigators will be closed in 2024, state leaders announced Thursday. The Glenwood Resource Center in Glenwood in southwest Iowa will continue to provide care to its residents over the next two years. The state will relocate the roughly 200 residents at Glenwood to another facility or into community-based care, and also assist the roughly 600 Glenwood staffers in finding a new job, according to Gov. Kim Reynolds office. The U.S. Department of Justice in 2019 opened an investigation into two state-run facilities that house people with complex behavioral or medical needs: Glenwood Resource Center and Woodward Resource Center. Federal officials in 2020 found the Glenwood facility likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments. The justice department in 2021 issued a strongly worded 33-page report that said federal investigators found reasonable cause to believe Iowa had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services that integrate people with intellectual disabilities into their communities, the Associated Press reported. 195 RESIDENTS Over a five-year period ending in June 2020, Glenwood housed an average of 195 residents and had an average of 655 staff members, according to a state audit published this past December. The average per-patient cost of care was nearly $384,000, according to the audit. State lawmakers this week proposed a $16.3 million budget for Glenwood for the coming state fiscal year, an increase of $1.5 million over the previous year. DIFFICULT DECISION While necessary, the decision to close the Glenwood Resource Center is a difficult one that I take very seriously, Reynolds said in a news release. For many residents, its the only home theyve ever known, she said. I am fully committed to a seamless and successful transition of care for them, their families and the staff at Glenwood. Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve quality care that aligns with the expectations of the (U.S. Department of Justice). Our best path forward to achieve those standards is closing (Glenwood) and reinvesting in a community-based care continuum that offers a broad array of services. Glenwood residents will eventually be moved to community placement or to the Woodward Resource Center in Woodward, according to Reynolds office. Glenwood staff will be offered retention incentives to continue working at the facility over the next two years, and the state will assist staff in finding new jobs, Reynolds office said. The state also will work with local government officials and community leaders to minimize the impact on the city of Glenwood and Mills County, Reynolds office said. LEGISLATIVE COMMENT Thursdays announcement was made jointly by Reynolds and Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver. Despite significant effort over the last two years to improve care and respond to DOJ directives, continued operation of the Glenwood Resource Center has become untenable, Whitver said in the news release. Democratic statehouse leaders in a statement also expressed their desire to work with Glenwood residents, staff and community members during the transition. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst in their joint statement criticized the states management of Glenwood under Republican leadership. This decision became inevitable because of years of indifference and neglect shown to the Glenwood community by Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers. This transition must be handled far better than previous closures, like those in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant, Wahls and Konfrsts statement said, referring to the closure of state-run mental health care institutions in those communities. As state lawmakers, we have an obligation to ensure the safest and smoothest transition possible for all those impacted by the planned closure. The people whose lives are affected deserve the dignity and respect of a transition that ensures their safety, security, and futures. The Glenwood Resource Center opened in 1876. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two hundred times, they failed to get it done. They failed after 1899. That was the year an African-American man named Sam Hose was massacred by a white mob near Newnan, Georgia, that castrated him, skinned his face, then cooked him alive over a fire and parceled out pieces of his body; his knuckles were offered for sale by a grocer in Atlanta. They failed after 1904, too. That was the year an African-American man named Luther Holbert and a woman who was never identified were put to death by a white mob in Doddsville, Mississippi, who used a large corkscrew to drill into the pairs flesh and yank out raw chunks of them as spectators dined on deviled eggs and lemonade. And they failed after 1934. That was the year an African-American man named Claude Neal was butchered by a white mob in Marianna, Florida, that castrated, burned and shot him, dragged his ruined body through the streets behind a car and then left it hanging from a tree that still stands in front of the Jackson County Courthouse. This sort of thing was the opposite of uncommon. As documented by Tuskegee University, it happened 4,743 times between 1882 and 1968, the vast majority of the victims African Americans. Their killers were virtually never tried and even less often punished. And approximately 200 times since 1900, legislation has been introduced in Congress to make lynching a federal crime. Each time, Congress has failed to pass it. So its hard to know what to make of last weeks signing of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. The bill, named for the 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for supposedly getting fresh with a white woman, at last achieves the old goal. And the response has been celebratory, as of a mountain finally scaled. You cant begrudge anyone who feels a sense of triumph, particularly Rep. Bobby Rush, the soon-to-retire Chicago Democrat who sponsored the bill. He said in a statement that the new law corrects a historic and abhorrent injustice. And he invoked Martin Luther King: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Youll get no argument here. But you will get some mixed emotions. Two hundred times, Congress failed the likes of Sam Hose, Luther Holbert and Claude Neal. It failed Mary Turner and Rubin Stacy, failed Thomas Shipp, Abram Smith, Laura Nelson, Bennie Simmons, Emmett Till and 4,733 more. Two hundred times, it had the chance to declare on behalf of the nation that these Black lives mattered and it did not. And if Rep. Rush is inspired by what King said about the arc of the moral universe, well, it is apropos that he also said this: We must come to see, with one our distinguished jurists, that justice too long delayed is justice denied. Amen. And no one can give justice to the 4,743 men and women Congress failed. Any meaningful chance to do so long ago turned to dust. Yes, people of color still suffer racially motivated killings, and this bill provides a new tool to hold perpetrators accountable. Thats an undeniably good thing. But its a good thing wrapped in the frustration that getting America to do right by Americans of color is always such an ordeal. As Gil Scott-Heron once said: I have become a special amendment for what included me all along: All men are created equal. The bitterness of that truth shades the sweetness of any joy. Two hundred times, they failed to get it done. Apparently, the 201st was the charm. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Several weeks into the war in Ukraine, ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked President Joe Biden if he agreed with those who call Russian President Vladimir Putin "a killer." "I do," said Biden. Since calling Putin a killer, Biden has progressed to calling him "a war criminal," "a murderous dictator," "a pure thug" and "a butcher." It is difficult to recall an American president using such a string of epithets about the leader of a nation with which we were not at war. What is Biden's rationale? What is his purpose here? Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, to their eternal embarrassment, called Joseph Stalin, a far greater monster than Putin, "good old Joe" and "Uncle Joe" when they sought his cooperation in World War II and the early postwar era. Richard Nixon toasted the century's greatest mass murderer Mao Zedong in the Great Hall of the People during his historic trip to China in 1972. His purpose: establish relations with America's most hostile adversary -- to help Nixon advance a "generation of peace." But when it comes to depicting Putin, who launched this invasion of Ukraine, Biden repeatedly reaches for the nastiest of insults. But why? "Putin deserves it," say the champions of a Cold War II. We need more truth and candor in diplomacy. When Biden referenced Putin in the closing remarks of his address in Warsaw, Poland -- "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power" -- they were elated. Biden was calling for regime change in Russia, calling for the people of Russia to administer to the "killer" and "butcher" the fate he deserves and remove him from power by any means necessary. Within minutes of hearing their president go off-script with his call for regime change in Russia, White House aides and Cabinet officers were scrambling to assure reporters that the president of the United States did not mean what the president of the United States had just said. Biden was expressing his "moral outrage" at the carnage Putin has unleashed on Ukraine, they said -- and not making a change in U.S. policy. For days, the president and his advisers argued over whether Biden had meant it literally when he said, "This man cannot remain in power." Sunday in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to shut down the argument: "As you know, and as you've heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it's up to the people of the country in question. It's up to the Russian people." One problem with Blinken's statement is that the U.S. has been deeply involved, both during the Cold War and afterward, in "color revolutions" to effect the overthrow of autocrats we did not like. Indeed, when Biden characterizes America's cause in the world as leading the global struggle between democracy and autocracy, what is the desired and predetermined fate of the autocrats we oppose, if not their forcible ouster? In 2014, the U.S. helped finance the Maidan Revolution that ousted a democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, in Kyiv. Sen. John McCain and the State Department's Victoria Nuland had both been seen in the square cheering on the rebels. A second problem is that Putin is many things other than the terms Biden used to describe him. He commands the largest nuclear arsenal on earth and 10 times as many battlefield nuclear weapons as the U.S. military. He is the man we must look to if we hope to end the war in Ukraine. For Putin alone can order the Russian army to stand down or withdraw, presumably a goal of U.S. foreign policy. If the president of the United States is the most powerful man in the world, Putin is up there alongside him, disposing of an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could bring an end to Western civilization. Without Putin's cooperation, the bloodletting goes on in Ukraine. How does it advance the goal of getting his agreement to end the war in Ukraine for the U.S. president to repeatedly call him vile names? Already, we have paid a price. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are finding their secure phones to their opposite numbers in the Russian government have gone silent. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov have not been picking up the phone. In Moscow, there is talk of severing diplomatic relations with the United States because of Biden's name-calling. None of the aspiring peace-makers seeking to broker a cease-fire or truce in the Ukraine war are acting like this or using language like that. President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Recep Erdogan of Turkey and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel have not used the kind of public language on Putin as has Biden. We see the cost of what Biden is doing; wherein lies the benefit? Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 'The Crown' is looking for someone to play Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Netflix drama's bosses reportedly put out a casting call to find a lookalike for the minor role in the final series of the show. The sixth season is set between 1997 and the early 2000s, and the 40-year-old royal met future husband Prince William, 39, at St Andrews University in 2001. An insider told The Sun newspaper: Having the Duchess of Cambridge starring is an easy win for 'The Crown', as the creators know it will get more people watching. Particularly as it will show her relationship with William just as their romance starts to blossom when they were both students. But since shes not necessarily a crucial part of the storyline, Kates presence is essentially a bonus, theyll only cast someone if they can find the right candidate. The latest casting call comes after the roles of William and his brother, Prince Harry, 37, were advertised. The show is looking for young actors aged between 16 and 20 to take on the parts of the siblings. The official casting call read: "Robert Sterne, Casting Director of the Netflix series The Crown is searching for two exceptional young actors to play Prince William and Prince Harry in the next series. "These are significant roles in the award-winning drama and we are looking for a strong physical resemblance. Please see photographs for reference." And they won't need to have any acting experience. It continued: "Shooting will commence late August 2022 in the UK. "No previous professional acting experience required. We are very experienced in providing a great deal of support for the young actors and their families through what they find is a uniquely rewarding creative process." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on celebretainment.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. This article is from Full Stack Economics, a newsletter about the economy, technology, and public policy. You can click here to subscribe to the newsletterits free. When my wife and I bought our row house in northwest Washington, D.C. back in 2015, there was a group house next door with an ever-changing cast of 20-something tenants. Then last year, they all moved out. The home now sits empty. A lot of people left the nations capital last year. Recently the Census Bureau announced that Washington DC lost 20,000 people between July 2020 and July 2021, a decline of 2.9 percent. It was a stark reversal for a city that gained 80,000 residents between 2010 and 2020. Advertisement Directly across the Potomac from DC are Arlington County and the city of Alexandria. These affluent, densely populated jurisdictions lost 2.5 percent of their population. The next tier of suburban countiesVirginias Fairfax and Marylands Montgomery and Prince Georgesshrank by 0.8 percent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you zoom out further, to DCs exurban fringe, the story is different. Marylands Calvert, Charles, and Frederick Counties grew by nearly 2 percent. On the Virginia side, seven outlying counties grew by 1.1 percent. If you put these changes on a map, it kind of looks like a doughnut: Advertisement Advertisement In a 2021 paper, Stanford scholars Arjun Ramani and Nicholas Bloom coined the phrase donut effect to describe how COVID-19 was transforming Americas major metropolitan areas. Before the pandemic, people paid top dollar to live close to the center of the D.C. metropolitan area. But when COVID hit, people stopped going to the office, bars and restaurants shut down, and the urban lifestyle became a lot less enticing. Some people responded by fleeing their metropolitan areas altogether. Last year my colleague Alan Cole wrote about the Mountain Lions, nine mid-sized cities whose growth was turbo-charged by the pandemic, as people left Los Angeles and San Francisco for a better standard of living in states like Utah or Idaho. Advertisement But others moved further out in their existing metropolitan areas. These people have driven a massive real estate boom on the fringes of major metropolitan areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not just Washington, D.C. The Census Bureau recently published a fascinating high-resolution map showing county-level population growth across the United States. In the graphic above, Ive zoomed in on four cities that exhibit doughnut-like development patterns. In each case, the urban core is purple, indicating substantial population loss. But further out there are patches of green indicating healthy growth. The donut effect by the numbers You might be skeptical of this analysis. The geographic patterns here are not perfect donut shapes, and you might wonder if I cherry-picked metro areas that best fit the pattern. Advertisement Advertisement But last year, Ramani and Bloom published a systematic empirical analysis that demonstrated how the pandemic was hollowing out Americas biggest cities. They found that central business districts (defined as zip codes within 2 km of the city center) in the 12 largest metropolitan areas lost about 8 percent of their population (cumulatively) in the first two years of the pandemic. Meanwhile, low-density zip codes (those with densities below the median) grew by about 1 percent (thanks to Ramani for sharing updated data with me). Advertisement Advertisement Ramani and Bloom found that this shift has had a big impact on rents. Advertisement The remote work revolution Before the pandemic, the vast majority of jobs required workers to come into an office every day. The pandemic forced a sudden and dramatic change, as most white collar workers were not just allowed but required to work from home. Some workers moved to another part of the country to save money, enjoy more outdoor amenities, or be closer to family. Advertisement Most employers viewed this as a temporary expedient. But many workers enjoyed their newfound flexibility and some wondered if remote work could become a standard perk of a white-collar job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Ozimek, an economist at the Economic Innovation Group, is a leading expert on remote work and also a booster of the concept. Ozimek doesnt think traditional offices will go away, but he believes remote work will become much more common in the coming years. I think were heading toward one out of five jobs being fully remote, Ozimek told me in a phone interview. While 20 percent of jobs might not seem like very many, its important to remember that only about 40 percent of jobs are capable of being done remotely. So Ozimek is predicting that about half of the white collar jobs that can be done remotely will be. Advertisement This would have dramatic implications for the future of American cities. White-collar jobs tend to pay more than other jobs. So if remote work catches on at the scale Ozimek predicts, millions of affluent professionals will have the option to live outside the major metropolitan areas where they live today. Advertisement Advertisement Ozimek also pointed me to a new report from the job placement site Ladders that finds 24 percent of professional job postings now allow remote work. Thats up from 3 percent at the start of the pandemic. And significantly, Ladders found the share of remote jobs is still rising. So this trend may just be getting started. Two models of remote work A big unanswered question is whether well see a lot of jobs go fully remote or if more companies will adopt a hybrid remote work model. In the hybrid model, employees work from home some days, while on other days they travel to the office for meetings. Advertisement Apple is pushing the hybrid model for employees at its Cupertino headquarters. Last month, Apple announced that employees will have to start coming into the office one day a week beginning on April 11. Starting on May 23, Apple employees will be required to come to the office on Mondays, Tuesday, and Thursdays. Theyll still be able to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays. Google employees are supposed to come to the office three days a week starting this week. Advertisement Not everyone is happy with the change. Some anonymous Apple employees have threatened to quit if theyre forced to start commuting to work againthough it remains to be seen how many will follow through. Advertisement Advertisement This standoff between employers and employees has big implications for the future of urban geography. If it becomes normal for employees to come into the office two or three days a week, that will continue to increase the value of homes at the edges of major metropolitan areas. Some people will accept longer commutes if they only have to do them a few times per week. Our largest metro areas will become even more sprawling but retain their primacy. In this scenario we should see a continuation of the donut effect. On the other hand, if fully remote work becomes the norm, employees could leave major metropolitan areas altogether. In this scenario, we should see rapid population growth in lower-cost areas with attractive weather and amenitiesareas like the Mountain Lion economies Alan wrote about last year. In this case, Americas superstar cities could become less important over time. Before my first son was born, Id learned about the golden hour: that magical period right after birth, when the baby would be awake and not fussy and would want to nurse. Its hard to say now where I first heard the term, because it felt like it was truly everywhere: on the mommy blogs I read furtively to try to study my way into motherhood, at prenatal yoga, at the childbirth class led by a doula who warned us against the cascade of interventions that would lead us away from the natural birth our bodies were designed for. Contact during this time was essential, Id been told, not just for breastfeeding, but so we could bond. While pregnant, Id read birth stories written by women whod had that time stolen from them by hospital interventions or a C-section, and this was always presented as tragedy. I took that bit of informationthe golden hour is a crucial time for bonding with my new babyas fact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Becoming a mother was overwhelming. I didnt know how to swaddle a baby or put him down for a nap. Im not sure Id ever even changed a diaper. I hoped that birth would switch something on in me, that the instant love Id surely feel for my new baby would also teach me how to care for him. When my baby was born after two days of labor, and he was laid birth-blue and cone-headed against my chest; when he slept in the recovery room with us, swaddled beside me in a clear-sided bassinet; when I nursed him anytime he rustled, and held and patted him when he sighed in his sleep, I was certain I was doing everything right. Advertisement At the hospital, nurses popped up to help with diapers and swaddling and giving the baby his first bath. Lactation specialists cycled through and assured me I was doing a great job. In those first three days, I felt confident, content, and cared for, just as Id expected I would be. The magic myth of the golden hour assured me that everything I was doing was setting us on the right path for our new relationship, that if I got it right in those first days, wed be fine. Advertisement But once we were home, it was a different story. The baby alternately cluster-nursed and howled. He slept for long stretches in the day, then screamed all night. I loved the baby in an immediate, biological way, but I could never seem to soothe him. I believed our bond had failed. Advertisement Advertisement Im not alone in believing those first moments after birth would result in an immediate connection to my newborn that would guarantee an easy passage into motherhood. The concept of the golden hour shows up everywhere, from a Scary Mommy article issuing a stern warning about this time (no matter what, your child needs for you to defend it) to a piece on the website of Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, which asserts that the first few minutes after birth are a magical time for bonding with baby. And even when the phrase itself isnt used, the idea that the first moments after birth will be filled with joy and immediate connection is omnipresent. Think of the diaper commercials that show a new mother holding her baby for the first time, or basically any movie youve ever seen that includes a birth. No matter how much the birth itself is played for laughs (with the person giving birth swearing and yelling), the moments after are portrayed as bleary-eyed bliss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I spoke with Sarah Oreck, a psychiatrist who specializes in reproductive mental health, she compared our expectations about golden-hour bonding to unrealistic ideals about romantic love. There are these myths of the unconditional love or the greatest love youve ever experienced right in the first moment, Oreck observed. And these expectations, she notes, are at odds with the medical realities of birth, which can involve surgery, sedation, or hours of pushing. Its actually not so common to have that instant euphoric connection, she told me. The stickiness of the story of golden-hour bonding, which persists despite reassuring words from mental health care providers like Oreck and decades of challenges from researchers in psychology, anthropology, the history of science, and more, is emblematic of a larger phenomenon in American parenting culture, in which a bad or incomplete idea, often accompanied by claims about whats natural for human mothers and supported by studies of animal mothering, enters the popular imagination and stays there, long after its been critiqued or debunked by other researchers. One way to unhook from the persistent mythology of bonding is to track its origins, which go back to the midcentury quest to describe a stable set of maternal instincts that were supposedly fixed, innate, and biological. And in so doing, we find ourselves with baby geese and mother goats. Advertisement Advertisement Following the upheaval of World War II, when many children were orphaned or separated from their parents, the World Health Organization tasked British psychoanalyst and psychiatrist John Bowlby with studying what children need from a caregiver to ensure healthy emotional and physical development. The Nature and Nurture of Love, by historian of science Marga Vicedo, tells the story of Bowlbys turn to the animal world, and the emerging field of ethology (the study of animal behavior), for support when his theories about humans were criticized. To support his argument that childrens psychological and biological well-being depends on a stable bond with a single caregiver, ideally the biological mother, Bowlby drew on studies done by ethologist Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz studied imprinting in ducks, geese, and jackdaws; hes most famously pictured trailed by a gaggle of ducklings whove imprinted on him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Bowlby and Lorenz described them, maternal instincts were an automatic, animal response to a newborn. Seen this way, maternal instincts make the mothers presence and attention central for the childs emotional and physical developmentwhile also devaluing the intellectual labor of caregiving. In other words, a mother who loves her child instinctively is merely animal, acting in the way her biology has programmed her. She doesnt really have, or even need, a mind. Though his research subjects were animals, Lorenz argued that his theories about the innate nature of social behaviors applied to human women and their babies, too. Advertisement Advertisement These werent academic studies whose impact was confined to conference rooms. Bowlby and Lorenz were skilled at gaining attention in the press. Bowlbys 1953 book, a shortened version of the report hed written for the WHO, sold more than 400,000 copies in its English paperback edition. Bowlby wrote for popular magazines like Home Companion, and his article Mother Is the Whole World struck an international chord, with its ideas recirculated in press from South Africa to Italy. Lorenz appeared in a 1955 Life magazine article, photographed surrounded by his goslings, under the headline An Adopted Mother Goose. Advertisement Many researchers followed in this vein, studying the mothering behaviors of sheep, rats, and goats, and extrapolating their findings to humans. In one particularly wild study published in the American Scientist in 1971, scientists sprayed cocaine (more precisely cocaine hydrochloride) into the nostrils of goats whod just given birth. With their sense of smell disabled, the mother goats were unable to recognize their young and refused to care for the kids theyd just delivered. Though goats were the sole research subject, the article leapt rapidly to human application. (The studys primary author, Peter Klopfer, later backed away from this speedy leap from animal to human, in a 1996 article titled Mother Love Revisited: On the Use of Animal Models. He admits, in what he calls a mea culpa: We had few inhibitions about extrapolating freely across taxa.) Advertisement Advertisement This all sounds preposterous from our present vantage pointof course, women arent goats or ducks or geese; of course, parents of all genders can develop a supportive, loving relationship with a child, even if theyre not present right at birthbut this kind of animal research has been marshalled time and again to support some of our most persistent, and most damaging, beliefs about motherhood. Research on animal motherhood shows up in the very first sentence of a landmark study of human mothers that led to dramatic shifts in policies on maternity wards from the 1970s on, as hospitals moved away from keeping newborns in nurseries to encouraging mothers to room-in with their new baby. This study, Maternal Attachment: Importance of the First Post-Partum Days, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1972 and later expanded in the book Maternal-Infant Bonding: The Impact of Early Separation or Loss on Family Development, begins by noting that in certain animals such as the goat, cow, and sheep, separation of the mother and infant immediately after birth for a period as short as one to four hours often results in distinctly aberrant mothering. The researchers report that their study was guided by the hypothesis that there is a period shortly after birth that is uniquely important for mother-to-infant attachment in the human being. And for the first time, they tested this idea on humans, not animals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this study, these 28 first-time human mothers were divided into two groups: those who had traditional contact, which was defined as a glimpse of the baby shortly after birth, brief contact and identification at six to 12 hours, and then visits for 20 to 30 minutes every four hours for bottle feeding. In contrast, the extended contact mothers were given their new baby, naked, immediately after birth for one hour within the first three hours after delivery; they were also given an additional five hours of contact each afternoon for the first three days after delivery. This study presented a remarkable finding: This additional contact16 hours across three or four days of a hospital stayapparently produced more tender, engaged mothers, more devoted to their babies, more sensitive to their needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A baby is just the beginning of a child, and a new mother is just thatnew. But the measures used to assess the quality of this bond point to the biases inherent in the research. Women were asked, in a follow-up one month after birth, what they did when their babies cried, even when theyd been fed and had a dry diaper. Women who let their baby cry were scored a zero, while women who reported picking up their baby every time earned a perfect three. The mothers were also asked whether theyd been out in this first month after their babys birth; women who had not left their baby earned a three, as did women who left but thought constantly of their baby while out. Women who reported they felt good and did not think of their baby while out were scored zero. Researchers also scored womens behavior during a checkup of their baby by the pediatrician. If the mother stood by the doctor and watched the entire time, they were rated a three. If they sat or looked anywhere but at their baby, a zero. Advertisement Advertisement These measures, which purported to assess the quality of a mother-infant bond, are rooted in a very specific idea of what makes a mother good. By this standard, a good mother is constantly attentive, perhaps even over-anxious, a mother who believes and behaves as if only she can care for the baby right. This standard judges as insufficiently devoted any mother who leaves her child for work or to see friends, who doesnt feel entitled to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the doctor, who trusts that her co-parent or a member of her community could also be a competent caregiver to her child. It also normalizes an elevated level of vigilance that can contribute to postpartum anxiety and what writer Sarah Menkedick has called a silent epidemic of fear among mothers. Advertisement Advertisement The theory of maternal attachment presented by this influential studythat a new mother can form a robust, long-lasting attachment to her child, given only 16 additional hours of contact in the days right after birthlends itself well to the kind of quick fix American culture loves. Because pediatricians and researchers, following this study, assumed women, like goats and ducks, could bond with their babies in mere days after birth, hospital policies were changed to encourage new mothers to room-in with their newborns. Though rooming-in can help promote early breastfeeding, it also puts the burden of care for the newborn on the person whos just given birth. Sarah Oreck, the reproductive psychologist, noted that rooming-in is, for many new mothers, quite exhausting. Its not restorative. She added, In what other area of medicine have you heard of someone having a surgery and then having to take care of another human being? Rooming-in is also a poor substitute for the paid leave from work that would allow a deep caregiving relationship to develop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oreck told me that she sees many new parents who had a C-section or a complicated birth or a medically fragile infant who required care in the NICU. Because they missed out on the initial bonding and skin to skin, they often worry about what will happen to the baby and to their bond with their newborn. (Numbers of people worried about this may, during the COVID pandemic, have multiplied, as parents fear the possibility of being separated from newborns due to positive tests.) She told me that deviation from the expectation can set a lot of people up for mood and anxiety symptoms and a great deal of grief. Whats going to happen, she told me, is that youre going to be fine. You and your baby can bond at home, and you can have skin-to-skin contact later. Advertisement Advertisement A baby is just the beginning of a child, and a new mother is just thatnew. Oreck explained that bonding evolves over time, particularly as the baby develops socially and begins to acquire language. Unlike the model presented in the mythology around bonding, she reminded me, this relationship is not defined by the first moment that you see your baby. No ones born knowing everything their child needs, and our ideas about maternal instincts have given short shrift to the labor of caregiving. When I spoke to her via Zoom, the historian of science Marga Vicedo, who researched the work of Lorenz and Bowlby, suggested instead that we recognize that mothering is hard work, and its work that requires intelligence and wisdom. Its not something that just comes naturally. Advertisement Advertisement In my own life as a mother, despite an uncomplicated delivery and those three dreamy days of extended contact with my newborn at a baby-friendly hospital, bonding wasnt easy or automatic. For the first weeks of my sons life, I veered wildly between an overwhelming, alchemical love and the certainty that I was not the kind of person who ever should have had kids. As he grew, we got to know each other. I know now that bonding isnt, as the concept of golden-hour bonding suggests, inherent in the hormonal glue of birth and skin-to-skin. My bond with my son didnt switch on all at once, the first time he smiled or waved or called for me when I picked him up from day care. Like any love, it happened in time. As the war in Ukraine moves into its next, possibly decisive phase, the big question is whether the Russian army will perform as disastrously as it did in the wars first phase. The fight for control of DonbasUkraines easternmost region, just across from Russias bordershould be an easier go for Vladimir Putin and his generals than was their initial aim of capturing the entire country and ousting President Volodymyr Zelensky from Kyiv. Still, many thought the Russians would accomplish that feat in a few weeks or even days, too. Advertisement Instead, Russias invasion bogged down almost immediately, for three reasons: Ukrainian soldiers fought more fiercely and cleverly than had been anticipated; they were aided by European-supplied arms and U.S.-supplied intelligence information; and, perhaps above all, the Russian army turned out to be inept at offensive warfare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As some noted at the time, this last factor shouldnt have been so surprising. The Russian armylike the Soviet army before ithas always been lousy at maintaining long supply lines (hence the reports of tanks running out of fuel and troops running out of food). It has always had a top-down command structure, which forbids junior officers from taking the initiative (hence the calamitous breakdowns when things didnt go exactly as planned and the killings of several Russian generals who had to rush to the frontlines to take control). And it had never carried out anything remotely as complex as this invasion, attempting to coordinate ground, air, and naval operations along axes running east, west, and south. Advertisement Advertisement As Napoleon once said, In warfare, morale is to materiel as is the ratio of three to one. Ukrainians fighting to save their own homeland outmatched Russians invading strange territory who, in many cases, didnt know what they were fighting for. Besides that, the West had been supplying the Ukrainians with very good materiel. Lightweight, portable anti-armor missiles ambushed Russian tanks. Shoulder-fired Stinger missiles shot down Russian helicopters. U.S. agents supplied Ukrainian commanders with near-real-time intelligence on the location and vulnerabilities of Russian supply lines. Russia went into the war with a huge edge in firepower; but Ukraines morale, combined with crucial intel and weapons ideal for ambush tactics, more than outweighed that edge in actual combat. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Russian troops have now retreated from the area around Kyiv and are expected to regroup in Donbas, along with the troops and pro-Russia separatists fighting there alreadyeven as Russian bombs, missiles, and artillery shells continue to pound Ukrainian towns and villages from afar, to keep at least some local troops locked in and to keep up the campaign of terror against the civilian population. Advertisement Advertisement But can Russian officers learn the lessons of their failures and then adopt new tactics? Can the retreating Russian troops really regroup in any coherent way? Moscows military chiefs are also calling up reservists to beef up the ranks. Can these troops, having had little or no training, be integrated into active-duty units? The answer to all three questions: maybe, but unlikely. Advertisement Advertisement John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a research firm, says the reserves are too small or too inept to make a difference in Donbas. He adds that the troops redeploying from the area around Kyiv to Donbas are fatigued and demoralized. Together, these weaknesses leave the Russians far short of the 3-to-1 advantage they need to counter the Ukrainians, to use Napoleons rule of thumb. Ukraine faces a challenge in the coming battle as well. Its army has also suffered losses, and it is running low on the European-supplied weapons and ammunition. Little is known and nothing has been leaked about how quickly the latest shipments of these weaponsthe tanks, drones, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, and the restare pouring into Ukraine and, from there, being transported to the eastern front. (The distance between Lviv and Donbas is 800 miles.) Before the main fight begins, there is likely to be a fightinvolving attacks on roads, rail lines, and other supply routes and depotsover which side can get positioned for battle more quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fighting in Donbas has been going on for eight years, ever since Russia-backed militias declared a separatist war against Ukrainian authorities and soldiers. A few days before invading Ukraine this past February, Putin recognized the two districts of DonbasDonetsk and Luhanskto be independent republics. His initial rationale for invading was to protect Russian-speaking citizens in those districts from Ukrainian genocide. (More than 14,000 people have died in this war, even before the invasion.) Advertisement These past six weeks, even as the battles for Kyiv, Odessa, and other parts of Ukraine have raged on, the fighting has continued in Donbasthough now with Russian soldiers openly fighting alongside the separatist militias. (Putin has denied that Russian troops were ever in Donbas between 2014 and earlier this year.) Yet remarkably, the battle lines have barely shifted. Before the invasion, the two Donbas districts were roughly divided in twothe eastern sections occupied by pro-Russia separatists; the western halves controlled by Ukrainian soldiers. Since then, the Russian soldiers have pushed deeper into Donetsk, but the Ukrainians have held their positions in Luhansk. Finally, whereas many, perhaps a majority of eastern Ukrainians were friendly toward Russia before the invasion, manyhaving seen their homes destroyed and their neighbors killedare hostile now. Advertisement Advertisement No one can predict what will happen now. This could slog on as a ghastly war of attrition. Yet the longer it lasts, the more it may seem a defeat for Putin. The Russian president reportedly wants to eke out some sort of victory by May 9, known to all Russians as Victory Day, marking the date in 1945 when Nazi Germany surrendered to Soviet forces in Berlin. It would have been a symbolic, as well as an actual, triumph for Putin to conquer (and, as hes put it, to denazify) Ukraine by that same date. Now its unlikely hell be so quick to conquer Donbasa relatively small oblast in Russias own backyard. I come bearing unfortunate news: The Capitol Hill Fox, which Slate covered with adoration, has been euthanized. I know, tough to hear. But the fox was responsible for nine (!) bites, so it had to be tested for rabies. And in order to be tested for rabies, the fox needed to be put down. I did wonder, however, if it had to go like this. In this case, the fox did have rabies, officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon; rabies is lethal anyway. But why was killing the animal immediately the way to go? Couldnt they have tranquilized the fox, and tested it, while it was still alive? And thenhad it been negativereleased it far, far away from humans? The answer to that is no, for a few reasons. Advertisement The common cultural idea of rabies is an animal foaming at the mouth, ready to bite whoever is unfortunate enough to cross paths with them. This had me thinking that some kind of mouth swab could do the trick. Foaming mouth, bitingthese things all seem to point to an oral disease. But rabies is a virus that is primarily found in the hosts nerves and brain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres how catching rabies works: After an animal or person is bitten, if no post-exposure measures are taken, the virus seeps in through the puncture wound and infects the nerves close to the bite. From there, it takes advantage of the communication system between neurons to hitch a ride to its final destination: the brain. There, it wreaks havoc on the brain cells. It also makes its way to the salivary glands, where its excreted in saliva, and ready to start the whole process over again. Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to testing, though, saliva samples are unreliable: a swab of saliva wont always contain the virus. (In humans, you can do a skin biopsy, but this isnt typically done for animals.) A test might return a negative result for the particular bit of saliva you tested, even if the animal is secreting saliva that does contain the virus. Instead, the gold standard of rabies testing is testing the animals brain, including its cerebellum and brain stem, Dr. Leyi Wang, a veterinary virologist at the University of Illinois, told me. If an animal has rabies, you will definitely find the virus in its brain. This test, called a direct fluorescent antibody test, is thought to have never failed to detect rabies in an animal. And you need to be 100 percent sure if an animal has rabies or not, because rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal in humans once an infection has established itself. This is not a situation where we can afford to risk false negatives. If someone has been bitten, they have to go get a series of shots that will prevent the virus from making itself at home in their brain. But once the infection has taken hold, there is currently no reliable treatment. (Options like the Milwaukee Protocol, which saved one persons life in 2004 by way of inducing a coma, do not usually work.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to test the animals brain, you have to euthanize it. (In the state of New York, it also may have to be decapitated so the head can be sent in for testing.) For pets, there is an exception: if a pet is unvaccinated against rabies and it bites someone, its owner can elect to quarantine it for a few months. But foxes are not pets, cute as this one was (until it started biting people). Wang told me that foxes as a group are a rabies reservoir, meaning that it made a lot of sense to test that fox because its not uncommon to find rabies in foxes. So there was no getting around it: that fox had to be tested. Advertisement Advertisement Rabies infections in humans are very rare. Thats a huge win for public health. That success is thanks to a number of factors: that series of shots immediately after exposure works exceedingly well, pet vaccination programs have curbed transmission and because we use surveillance methods like testing wild animals after we kill them. So Im sorry, animal lovers, but the fox did indeed have to be euthanized. When youre dealing with something as serious as rabies you have to be sureand in this case, since the fox actually had rabies, it paid off directly. It sucks for the fox, but preventing rabies is more than worth it. In the weeks since Russias invasion of Ukraine began, the Kremlin has received a great deal of attention for blocking Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But less attention has been paid to a years-long information war Russia has been waging on mobile map applicationslike Apple Maps and Google Maps. And now that war is coming to a head. It began in 2014, when the Putin regime illegally invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Ever since, Moscow has pressured foreign companies to change their maps to falsely show Russian users that Crimea is part of Russia instead of Ukraine. In response, Google modified its maps within Russia to show Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. The rest of the world saw Crimea separated from the Ukrainian mainland with a dotted line, denoting Googles disputed territory classification. Yet the map arguments didnt end there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2015, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law criminalizing the use of Soviet and Nazi symbols in the country and initiated the process of removing them; the law also criminalized sympathy for communism. While the Ukrainian government got to work in the physical realmsuch as using a crane to remove a statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret policeothers came into compliance in the digital. After Kyiv began changing Ukrainian street and location names per the new law, Google updated its online map of Crimea to reflect those changes. The Kremlin was furious. Russias Foreign Ministry called the law a use of totalitarian methods to attack freedom of the press, opinion, or conscience and wipe out the heroic past of the people of Ukraine. Dmitry Polonsky, deputy chairman of the Council of Crimean Ministersa group the Kremlin forcibly overtook in 2014called Googles digital updates topographical cretinism. Russia has its own maps services, Polonsky said; we do not have to use Google. Advertisement Advertisement During this time, Apple remained largely silent. In 2014, it modified its maps after Russias invasion to show Crimea to all its users as disputed territory, and then in November 2019, it updated maps within Russia to falsely show Crimea as part of the country. Bing Maps, for its part (though of course not even comparable in usage to Apple or Google Maps), still displayed Crimea globally as part of Ukraine. And as expected, Yandex, Russias internet and search giant, reflected the Kremlins bogus view that Crimea, illegally invaded and annexed, was part of Russiaclearly depicting this myth with bright, bold colors. Advertisement Last September, the Kremlin coerced Google and Apple, under the threat of physical violence, into censoring an app made by Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny which showed voters the challengers most likely to beat Kremlin-party candidates. Then, in October, Moscow gave Google a list of several demands. For unclear reasons, as part of those demands, the Russian government said it was unhappy with Googles map compliance and demanded it fully reflect its annexation of Crimea to Russianswhich Google had already done in 2015, suggesting Kremlin frustration with citizen workarounds or with Googles decision to use the street names determined by the Ukrainian government. The company said in a blog following the meeting that it would come into compliance (with whatever issue was supposedly in question), as it does not take sides in territorial disputes (even though not taking a side is, in fact, taking a side). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after Putins war on Ukraine began, Apple changed its map display for users not in Russia to show Crimea as part of Ukrainerather than a disputed territory as previously depicted. It has refused to comment on its current policy for users opening Apple Maps within Russia. Meanwhile, Google still displays Crimea to global users as part of disputed territory. The same appears to be true for users within Russia. Advertisement Advertisement On top of this, some of these tech companies have changed other map features. Immediately following the Russian attack in February, Google temporarily disabled Google Maps real-time traffic layer and its real-time information on how busy stores, restaurants, and other locations are in Ukraine. The company did so out of concern that Russian forces could exploit this information to threaten Ukrainians safetya decision that clearly stands to protect the Ukrainian people. Advertisement Advertisement Moscows information war on mobile maps underscores that companies may need better policies to deal with these kinds of events. Apple and Google, for example, appeared to have clear policiesalbeit playing into a false idea of neutralityaround how to mark disputed territories in years past. Yet when the Putin regime launched an all-out war on Ukraine, and Western governments responded with an array of sanctions, Apple decided it could no longer display the maps as it hadraising questions about what, in general, prompts companies to suddenly undo a years-long disputed territory classification and whether those decisions are rooted in comprehensive policies as opposed to ad hoc calculations. Technology companies managing maps need to better develop contingency plans and policies for this kind of war and crisis in the futureand figure out in advance (to the extent possible, at least) how to best respond to promote justice and support the oppressed. Policymakers likewise should think more about maps and other online visualizations and historical records when thinking about information operations, conflicts, and Big Tech power. Advertisement Advertisement But Google, right now, needs to tread carefully in considering decisions like modifying maps viewable to Russians. Historically, Google has bent the knee to the Putin regime repeatedly, from complying with content censorship demands to, foolishly, opening a local office in Russia in 2021 when it was little more than a tool of Kremlin coercion. Its modifying of maps within Russia to reflect Moscows illegal annexation of Crimea is another example. In the present moment, Google must focus on ensuring YouTube, the most popular social media platform in Russia, remains accessible to Russians while also acting to prevent or mitigate harm to Ukrainians. Google modifying its maps in Russia to show Crimea as part of Ukraine could be the straw that breaks the camels back and prompts the Russian government to move to block YouTube. While some activists are certain that Putin would never block the platform for fear of angering the Russian public, that option cannot realistically be taken off the table. The Russian government has in recent weeks engaged in an unprecedented crackdown on social media platforms and on domestic civil society in Russia. Putin appears increasingly paranoid, Russias internet censor has called YouTube a tool of Western information warfare against the Russian Federation, and the head of the UKs GCHQ intelligence agency says Putins advisers are lying to him about the war in Ukraine out of fear of telling the truth. Most recently, Russias Ministry of Science and Higher Education ordered all universities to migrate their YouTube content to Russian video services RuTube and VK Video (the latter run by VK, Russias Facebook). This may portend further attempts to cut Russians off from access to YouTube. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the Russian governments fault and the Russian governments fault alone that Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms are blocked in Russiathe Kremlin has agency, and the Kremlin made those decisions. Nonetheless, there are often underappreciated ways that Western internet companies, when dealing with the Putin regime, can frame their decisions to play more or less into the Kremlins paranoia and desire to act. And here, doing whatever possible to keep YouTube accessible to Russians, alongside working to protect Ukrainians from harm, is important for Russian civil society and for Russian opposition to the war. There is much talk about information warfare on social mediabut its also happening in the online maps space, and companies need better policies to deal with these kinds of crises and events. Maps, after all, are quite literally how people see the world in its entirety. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Unlike some other military technology, like S-300 or MiG jets, it would not need a replacement for the Zuzana howitzers. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Seized Russian tanks and military vehicles along with damaged Ukrainian military technology might end up at repair companies in Slovakia. As a result, the military aid provided to Ukraine might not be limited to the supplies of fuels and ammunition. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) has confirmed the claims of the US daily Wall Street Journal that Slovakia and the Czech Republic is negotiating a potential service of damaged military technology with Ukraine. It will most probably happen, he added. At the same time, Slovakia might distribute heavy military equipment to Ukraine not tanks or armoured vehicles, but the Zuzana howitzers that have been gradually replaced by a more modern version. Up until now, Slovakias military aid to Ukraine has been limited to aviation fuel, diesel, ammunition, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-tank missiles. Eastern Slovakia already protected by air defence Read more Meanwhile, some Czech media outlets have reported that the Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to deliver tanks to Ukraine. Even though the Czech Defence Ministry has not confirmed the claim, pictures have been published, depicting T-72 tanks and BVP-1 armoured vehicles loaded on the wagons in the town of Jihlava, and heading to Ukraine via Slovakia. At least one Czech coalition MP has confirmed it is a Czech delivery, and another one has thanked the Czech government for this step on social networks. Despite the warning Russia addressed to NATO, saying that it would consider any supplies of weapons a legitimate military target, it has failed to stop deliveries from Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Earthquake in central Slovakia. Slovak student company named best in world. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Good evening. The Thursday, April 7 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready, giving you the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Slovakia could repair Ukraine military technology Howitzer Zuzana (Source: TASR) Slovakia might help Ukraine repair seized Russian tanks and military vehicles as well as damaged Ukrainian military technology. As a result, military aid provided to Ukraine might not be limited to the supplies of fuels and ammunition. Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) has confirmed that Slovakia and the Czech Republic are negotiating potential servicing of damaged military technology with Ukraine. It will most probably happen, the minister said. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Slovakia may supply heavy military equipment to Ukraine 'Zuzana' howitzers that have been gradually replaced by more modern models. Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry has reiterated that it is ready to send Slovakia's S-300 air defence system, but requires an adequate replacement from other NATO countries before it does so. Even though the S-300 is not a modern system, it can still effectively destroy planes, drones and missiles. It could protect cities or strategic aims in Ukraine, such as nuclear power plants. Despite warnings from the Kremlin to NATO that it will consider any supplies of weapons as legitimate military targets, deliveries from Poland, Romania and Slovakia have continued. Russian gas cut off would mean 300 million annual loss for Slovakia (Source: SITA/AP) Slovakia could lose 300 million a year if Russian gas supplies were restricted or halted, new analysis has shown. The company Eustream, which secures transport of gas from the east to west of the country, would suffer the biggest loss, a study by the FinStat organisation shows. The state would lose dividends from the Slovak gas carrier and unpaid income tax. Eustream is the largest payer of income tax every year. FinStat estimated the state would lose around 0.77 percent of general government revenue (2021). "Of course, it would depend on how the whole situation is resolved, but Eustream annually transports more than 90 percent of the gas that does not end up in Slovak industry or households," FinStat said in its analysis. Meanwhile, at a meeting on Wednesday, the government also approved a crisis plan in the event of a power crisis. However, the government did not publish the plan. "There is sensitive, even confidential information [in the plan], Sulik said. The situation is currently stable. We are working towards [having] an independent in our energy supply." Refugees from Ukraine Almost 308,000 refugees from Ukraine have crossed the Slovak-Ukrainian border since the war started. More than 63,000 of them asked for temporary protection in Slovakia. have crossed the Slovak-Ukrainian border since the war started. More than 63,000 of them asked for temporary protection in Slovakia. For several weeks now, a centre where refugees can come and take whatever goods they need has been operating in Bratislava's Aupark shopping centre. The initiative behind the centre emphasise the need to register for a specific date and time when refugees can come and pick what they need. shopping centre. The initiative behind the centre emphasise the need to for a specific date and time when refugees can come and pick what they need. So far, 6,248 Ukrainian students have been enrolled in Slovak schools , Education Minister Branislav Grohling said. , Education Minister Branislav Grohling said. A part of this year's Dobry trh event on Panenska Street in Bratislava will be a bilingual program for Ukrainians. According to organisers, the civic society group OZ Punkt, almost 200 traders will be at the event on Saturday, April 30. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Photo of the day People in Bratislava burnt a 'Morena' at Bratislava's Lake Kuchajda. The effigy of the Morena, which symbolises the winter, was made of straw clothed in a dress. Setting the effigy on fire and thrown into water is part of a traditional ritual which usually takes place two weeks before Easter. Feature story for today Viktor Orban campaigned on a promise not to let Hungary be dragged into the war in Ukraine, and refused to supply Ukraine with weapons or even to allow weapons to be transported through Hungarian territory to Ukraine. He accused the opposition, without evidence, of wanting to drag Hungary into the war. Observers noted that, in terms of his attitude towards Ukraine, Orban is isolated within the Visegrad Group (V4), which includes Slovakia, Czechia, Poland and Hungary. Unless he changes his approach, cooperation within the Visegrad Group will likely be reduced to a minimum. Orban wins re-election, but faces isolation within the region Read more In other news 4,380 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 10,952 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals is 1,831 people. 18 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate stands at 51.28 percent, 2,820,447 people have received a first dose of a vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. out of 10,952 PCR tests performed on Wednesday. The number of people in hospitals is 1,831 people. 18 more deaths were reported on Wednesday. The vaccination rate stands at 51.28 percent, 2,820,447 people have received a first dose of a vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. The student company Scribo from Kosice has won the De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award . has won the . Google launches its product and licence programme for news called Google News Showcase in Slovakia . Slovakia is the third country in the central and eastern Europe region, and 9th country in Europe, where the product has been introduced. its product and licence programme for news called . Slovakia is the third country in the central and eastern Europe region, and 9th country in Europe, where the product has been introduced. A weak earthquake with a 2.1 magnitude was recorded in Slovakia on Wednesday evening . Its epicentre was between Slovenska Lupca and Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia. There have been six earthquakes in the Horehronie region since 2015, including Wednesday's. . Its epicentre was between Slovenska Lupca and Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia. There have been six earthquakes in the Horehronie region since 2015, including Wednesday's. Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlcan (OLaNO nominee) signed a memorandum of cooperation with chair of the board of directors of Polnoservis company Robert Spisak. The aim of memorandum is to ensure production of oil from rapeseed in Slovakia. Prices of oils are expected to rise and while Slovakia is self-sufficient in growth of rapeseed, it is usually processed in other countries. of cooperation with chair of the board of directors of Polnoservis company Robert Spisak. The aim of memorandum is from rapeseed in Slovakia. Prices of oils are expected to rise and while Slovakia is self-sufficient in growth of rapeseed, it is usually processed in other countries. The Education Ministry plans to allocate 7.6 million from Slovakia's resilience and recovery plan to buy foreign-language textbooks for schools. Education Minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) said schools will be given 19.1 million euros to purchase textbooks. Do not miss on Spectator.sk today With one vote, Slovakia could introduce Viktor Orban's winning electoral system Read more Kotleba is guilty and might not meet the deadline to run in the next general election Read more Can the new Spis cycling route become a success? Read more Creating digital vulnerabilities in times of danger Read more If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. How will China consolidate poverty alleviation feats? Xinhua) 08:12, April 07, 2022 Tourists view the scenery of cole flower fields in Panzhou, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A new report showed China has raised nearly 800 million people out of poverty over the past four decades based on the 1.9 U.S. dollar per day global poverty line, accounting for about 75 percent of the global poverty reduction during the period. After declaring the eradication of absolute poverty in early 2021 and setting an example for the rest of the world, China has pledged to make more efforts in consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and preventing a mass return to poverty. What has China done to consolidate such fruits? What still needs to be done? Here is what you need to know: -- What did China do after eliminating absolute poverty? In 2021, a number of measures were rolled out to consolidate the achievements in poverty eradication. A dynamic monitoring and support mechanism to prevent the once poor population from falling back into poverty was established, and nearly 70 percent of those monitored are now risk-free, said Liu Huanxin, head of the National Rural Revitalization Administration. Last year, the central government allocated 156.1 billion yuan (24.5 billion dollars) in subsidies to promote rural vitalization, an increase of 10 billion yuan over the previous year, Liu said. The per capita net income of those having been lifted out of poverty reached 12,550 yuan, up 16.9 percent from 2020. -- What will China do to further help people who had been lifted out of poverty? At present, the income level of people in some areas is still relatively low, and natural disasters, diseases and accidents may cause people to fall back into poverty, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian. The monitoring and support mechanism for key groups should be optimized, Tang said, noting that rural households at risk of returning to poverty should be carefully monitored, while social assistance and health care services should be provided as soon as possible. Measures will be taken to shore up weak links for supported rural industries in terms of technology, facilities and marketing, and create more job opportunities for people who had been lifted out of poverty, Tang said. Technical, educational and medical personnel will assist with relevant development projects in key counties supported in rural vitalization, while the infrastructure and public services of relocation communities will be improved, said the minister. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Du Mingming) New Zealand-born Amazing Dream N is ready to begin what her connections hope is an amazing journey in North America. Sent from Down Under to trainer Linda Toscano, the six-year-old female pacer arrived in February with 24 wins including 10 Group 1 races and more than $1 million in earnings. She finished worse than third only five times in 48 starts. On Saturday, Amazing Dream N will make her North American debut in the $31,500 Fillies and Mares Open at The Meadowlands. She will start from post seven in a seven-horse field with Todd McCarthy in the sulky. The mare, by Bettors Delight out of Christian Dreamer, was New Zealands three-year-old Pacing Filly of the Year and left home as the second-richest stakes-earning mare in Australasian history. She has been owned since March 2021 by Enviro Stables, Richard Gutnick, Tom Pontone, and Joseph Lozito Jr. In her final start Down Under, Amazing Dream N, who was trained by Mark Purdon in New Zealand and his son Nathan in Australia, finished third against male rivals in the Hunter Cup. She has qualified twice in the U.S., with her most recent effort a 1:52.4 triumph at The Meadowlands. She paced her last quarter-mile in :26.2. Shes a pleasure, Toscano said. She really hasnt done anything wrong. Shes fit right into our routine pretty much exactly like an American horse would. Nathan told me not to worry about her traveling or settling in; shes got more frequent flyer miles than most people we know. Shes done a lot of traveling and settling into different places. Any time you have a mare thats professional, thats a good thing for me. She takes care of herself, and her work ethic seems really good. They say she can be a little keen, a little on the grabby side, but thats OK; she wants to beat everybody. But for the most part, shes just a professional. Id say thats the best part about her, her temperament. Amazing Dream N is eligible to the ongoing Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at Yonkers Raceway, but with only two of five preliminary rounds remaining, the New Jersey-based Toscano decided to send the mare to The Meadowlands for her first race. We couldnt make the (Matchmaker) final, so I thought it was better to race her here and get her started this way, Toscano said. Its home. Amazing Dream N, who knocked off the boys four times in major races Down Under, will have plenty of opportunities to tackle the sports top mares on the North American Grand Circuit when the time is right. Shes got everything, Toscano said. She has to step up and be able to go with the big girls. She raced against the boys down there, so were hoping. Her strength down there was distance. I think thats the reason she was able to compete against the boys the way she did because her staying power was just amazing. Now, she will have to sprint. Well just take it one step at a time. Shes a good horse, and usually good horses find a way to win. Amazing Dream N is the 5-2 morning-line second choice in her race Saturday at The Meadowlands. Another New Zealand-bred, Majorca, is the 9-5 favourite. Trained by Dylan Davis, the seven-year-old mare is 3-for-3 since arriving in the States. Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. EDT at The Meadowlands. Saturdays 13-race card also includes a $34,500 Open/Preferred Handicap Trot (Race 7) in addition to the Fillies & Mares Open (Race 12). TrackMaster past performances for all Big M cards can be found at the tracks website. (USTA) CAMP GUERNSEY JOINT TRAINING CENTER, Wyo. Maj. Gen. Gregory Porter will be hosting a town hall for the Guernsey community on April 7 at 1 p.m. on Camp Guernsey. Community members will be able to ask Porter questions regarding the present and future direction and policies surrounding Camp Guernsey and the Wyoming Military Department. The TAG town hall will be held at the General Instruction Buildings Auditorium from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact the TAGs Executive Officer, Maj. Jacque Morey, at 307-772-5335, or Camp Guernseys Community Relations Specialist, 2nd Lt. Jamie Bridenstine, at 307-836-7771. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Area pastors will tell the story of Jesus Christ from the Midwest Theater stage to celebrate Holy Week. This years Holy Week services will return in-person after public gatherings stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottsbluff Noon Kiwanis Club will host the 79th annual Holy Week services at the Midwest Theater April 11-15. Services are held each day from 12:05-12:30 p.m. The series of services is part of the clubs fulfillment of Spiritual Aims. We didnt get to do it in person the past two years because of COVID and thats where partnering with KCMI Radio has been really helpful, Susan Wiedeman said. The ministers just did the message the past two years and then KCMI Radio played it at 12:05 p.m. so we could continue to keep things going. The Scottsbluff Noon Kiwanis Club welcomes the community back to the theater for in-person services. The services will also be broadcast on KCMI Radio. The goal is always to spread the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christs resurrection and that he died for us on the cross, Wiedeman said. To reach people in downtown and really celebrate Holy Week and all that means going from entering the city triumphantly to dying on the cross to rising again. Services are open to the public. Wiedeman also hopes non-believers and believers alike can come together to hear the messages. I would hope that they would hear the message of the good news and want to seek more and get more information about what this week is all about, she said. Scottsbluff Noon Kiwanis Clubs Jerri Goodman lines up the speakers and Tami Lippstreu gets the special music for each service. This years services are as follows: Monday, April 11: Pastor Tim Hebbert, of Gering Zion Church, will be speaking. On the piano will be Tami Lippstreu and special music will be provided by Hebbert. Tuesday, April 12: Pastor Gary Hashley, of Calvary Memorial. will be speaking. On the piano will be Tami Lippstreu and special music will provided by Sandy Massey. Wednesday, April 13: Pastor Jon Simpson, of Mitchell Berean Church. will be speaking. On the piano will be Tami Lippstreu and special music will be provided by Deanna Goranson. Thursday, April 14: Pastor Jeff Banks, of Monument Bible Church, will be speaking. On the piano will be Tami Lippstreu and special music will be provided by Julie Schaff. Friday April 15: Pastor Mike Meysenburg, of Frontier School of the Bible, will be speaking. On the piano will be Tami Lippstreu and special music will be Patrick Newell. A free will offering will be taken and will go to support the local Police Emergency Fund of the Cooperative Ministries. Local police departments use the fund to support people purchase gas, lodging or food as they travel to their destination. The community donates $500-$700 during the week-long services. We just hope people of the community support it, Wiedeman said. Its more of a traditional type service and music, but then the people with the special music, each person has their own musical style. I believe its very uplifting and really gets me in the spirit to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Davis Medical Group, Family Medicine Davie Avenue welcomes Jamie Gregory, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC. She is joining Dr. Michael Salter in the Statesville practice. Gregory, a Mooresville native, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Her medical education includes a diploma in nursing from Mitchell Community College in Statesville, a Bachelor of Nursing from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs and a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. She enjoys building rapport and long-lasting relationships with her patients as a healthcare provider. Her main focuses are on preventative care, monitoring long-term health, health promotion and assisting physicians with any issues that might arise. Gregory is proud to be joining the community and welcomes the opportunity to care for you on your healthcare journey. Gregory is accepting new patients. For more information, visit DavisMedicalGroup.com. To schedule an appointment, call 704-838-7080. Davis Medical Group, Family Medicine Davie Avenue is located at 1217 Davie Ave., Statesville. The Kelso City Council closed out the contract for the second phase of the West Main Realignment project at Tuesday nights meeting. As part of the consent agenda for the meeting, the council voted to close the contract with Midway Underground for the recent work along Catlin Street. The final contract amount was $4.61 million, a slight increase over the original $4.51 million contract was awarded in November 2020. Closing the contract marks an official end to the 12 years of work Kelso put into realigning and improving West Main Street. The phase of work that concluded in February expanded Catlin Street in the blocks between Fourth Avenue and the intersection with Washington Way and Ocean Beach Highway. The final contract increase was the net difference between the $280,000 in change orders and additional costs for the project and the $180,000 worth of elements that came in under budget. During the council meeting, City Manager Andrew Hamilton discussed a proposal to hire a federal lobbyist for Kelso. Hamilton said he and Kelso Mayor Mike Karnofski have been conversing with two firms: Gordon Thomas Honeywell, the firm which Kelso uses for state government lobbying; and CFM Associates, which Longview contracts for its lobbying. Specific proposals for a lobbyist contract will be brought up for an official council vote at an upcoming council meeting. Hamilton expected the hire would pay for itself through federal grants or Congressionally directed spending, which at the low end would likely provide hundreds of thousands of dollars for city projects. The amount we would have to pay would probably return to us with projects, Hamilton said. Kelso is seeking federal money to rehabilitate the Catlin Spray Park. Hiring a full-time lobbyist could help the city take on long-discussed changes to its water system or jointly lobby with Longview for regional projects like the Industrial Way-Oregon Way expansion. The largest new item on the councils agenda was awarding a $224,000 construction bid to A Action Group for roof repairs at several of the citys water pump stations. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Like many Native American activists in the state, Debbie Hassler was excited to see Washington launch the first alert system for missing Indigenous people in the United States. Hassler is the founder and manager of the Cowlitz Tribal Pathways to Healing program, which provides victim services and advocacy for members of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The Pathways program works with people who have suffered sexual assault, domestic violence and other acts of violence. In the last few years, Hassler also became the keeper of a list of missing and murdered members of the Cowlitz tribe. The count stands at six cases: one missing woman and five murdered members. I dont think six is our final number, and six is far too many. We hope that we never have another person murdered, Hassler said. The high rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) has increasingly become a point of emphasis for Native American tribes. Women in some tribal communities face a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average, according to the Department of Justice. Washingtons bill for the alert system passed without opposition in the state Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 31. The law entrusts the Washington State Patrol with treating missing Indigenous people with the same alerts as missing children and medically vulnerable adults. Details about the missing people will be sent to law enforcement and news agencies, as well as posted on social media and electronic highway signs. I saw what those alerts can do to rally people and get multiple jurisdictions to come together. Native people want the same respect and help, Hassler said. Counting the MMIW for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Hassler said she was inspired to start tracking missing and murdered Cowlitz tribal members after a 2018 report on missing and murdered Indigenous women by the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle. The report found that Washington, and the Seattle area in particular, had some of the highest counts of MMIW cases among major cities but did not say how different tribes were affected. Assembling the list took a lot of work, especially since the Cowlitz Tribe is not centered around a reservation where many members live. Hassler posted in the tribal newsletter asking for information. She set up an honoring table at events with details about the missing and murdered members, which inspired other families to share their stories. Hassler said two other Cowlitz people had been listed as missing until recently, when they were found and reunited with their families. The missing Cowlitz member is Misty Copsey. Copsey was a 14-year-old from Tacoma when she went missing while walking home from the Puyallup Fairgrounds in 1992. Copsey was listed as white or Caucasian for years in the police records and news articles about her disappearance, but Hassler said she actually was a member of the Cowlitz Tribe. Hassler confirmed the connection with Copseys mother before she died a few years ago. Hassler said determining the race and ethnicity of missing people needs to be addressed in order for the new alert system to work as intended. If law enforcement is not asking or theyre not writing it down, people will be misclassified. These alerts are only going to work if we can identify people as Native American from the beginning, Hassler said. The Cowlitz Indian Tribes highest-profile advocate for MMIW is Rosalie Fish. A member of the Cowlitz tribe who grew up on the Muckleshoot Reservation, Fish gained attention as a high school track runner in 2019 for competing with a red handprint painted on her face a symbol to honor Native American women who had been silenced. Fish, who is a junior at the University of Washington, spoke in support of the alert system while it was being discussed in the Legislature. Future changes to help Washingtons Indigenous communities could come from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force led by the Attorney Generals Office. Hassler represents the Cowlitz Indian Tribe on the task forces subcommittee for Washington tribes and has attended other subcommittee meetings. The task force is scheduled to present its first report to Governor Inslee and the state Legislature in August. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Vivo Y21G launches in India with certain class-leading features such as big 5000mAh battery and Extended RAM. Here are all details. Vivo has been expanding its affordable smartphone lineup lately and the Vivo Y21G is the latest option in the lineup. Starting at Rs. 13,990, the Y21G takes on the likes of a Moto G31, Infinix Note 11 and a couple of other 4G smartphones under Rs. 15,000. The phone is available in two colours Midnight Blue and Diamond Glow. The Vivo Y21G is essentially a mild refresh of the Vivo Y21 launched last year. As part of the upgrades, consumers will get a more powerful chipset and a cheaper price tag. The Y21G is mainly aimed at those seeking. Stylish smartphone at an affordable price range. Here are all details. Vivo Y21G features at a glance The Vivo Y21G features a 8.0 mm thin body in a 2.5D flat frame that weights 182g. The phone holds a large 6.51-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and a notch on the top. The phone relies on the MediaTek Helio G70 chipset, and Vivo is offering it only with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage as tdnard. The smartphone comes with a fingerprint sensor along with a face unlock feature for faster unlocking. Vivo offers FunTouchOS 12 based on Android 12 experience, which is rare in this budget smartphone space today. The newly updated Ultra Game Mode is said to offer a better gaming experience with enhanced performance. Additionally, the extended RAM feature provides an additional 1 GB memory aid multitasking. The phone relies on a 5000mAh battery and Vivo is offering an 18W fast wired charging solution. Lastly, the cameras. The Vivo Y21G comes with a dual-camera setup, consisting of a 13MP primary sensor and 2MP macro camera. Vivis loading it with a wide range of camera features such as Personalized Portrait Mode, Super HDR, and Super Night Mode for enhanced photography. On the front, it gets an 8MP selfie camera with AI beautifying feature. While India is getting an affordable Vivo phone, Vivo in China is ready to launch its X80 series as well as the Vivo X Fold folding smartphone. It remains to lessen whether Vivo brings these phones to India and how soon. Scientists have discovered a well-preserved leg of a dinosaur that dates back the story to the day of an asteroid strike. Know what scientists have found. We all have often heard about the giant asteroid strike on Earth around 66 million years ago, which killed of all the dinosaurs. This was the massive asteroid Chicxulub and it played a crucial role in the extinction of dinosaurs as well as a wide range of other environmental and biotic organisms. However, no solid proof was ever found that an asteroid killed dinosaurs. Till now, it seems. Scientists have recently found a well-preserved leg of a dinosaur, considered to be from the time when the asteroid hit the Earth. The dinosaur's limb is complete with skin found from the emerging fossil site of Tanis in the US State of North Dakota. But it's not the long survived fossil that is holding prime importance, it's actually the representation of the actual day when a giant asteroid struck Earth. The discovered dinosaur fossil and several other ancient specimens were actually killed and entombed on the very day of the asteroid strike. There are very few dinosaur remains that have been found in the rocks to study the impact of the asteroid, and to have a specimen from that era would be extraordinary in itself, BBC reported. Sir David Attenborough, a biologist, natural historian and broadcaster will review this newly found dinosaur fossil. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: Its not just the dinosaurs fossil.. Along with the dinosaurs leg fossil, scientists have found a fish that breathed in the impact debris of the asteroid as it rained down from the sky around 66 million years ago. Besides these, there is a fossil turtle, remains of small mammals, skin from a horned triceratops; the embryo of a flying pterosaur inside its egg. These fish fossils and sturgeon are the keys to discovering more about that day, as they have small particles of molten rock stuck in their gills, which suggested that fish would have breathed in the particles as they entered the river. These motel rock particles have been linked chemically and by radiometric dating to the Mexican impact location. Professor Phil Manning at Manchester explained to BBC that "We were able to pull apart the chemistry and identify the composition of that material. All the evidence, all of the chemical data, from that study strongly suggests that we're looking at a piece of the impactor; of the asteroid that ended it for the dinosaurs." Though, its known that a giant 12-km wide asteroid Chicxulub hit the Earth to cause the last mass extinction. And according to scientists, the impact site has been identified in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the main question is whether the found dinosaur fossil suggests that they died on the actual day of the asteroid strike? According to BBCs report, Tanis team thinks it very likely did, given the limb's position in the dig sediments. But Professor Steve Busatte from Edinburgh University is still somewhat sceptical about the exact time. He suggests that there is a possibility that animals that had died before the asteroid impact were exhumed by the violence on the day. But surely these fossils pave the further way to understanding the asteroid strike which ended the era of dinosaurs and heralded the rise of mammals like us. Eight years ago, on his first visit to Europe after taking the presidency, Xi Jinping proposed that China and the EU need to build four bridges for peace, growth, reform and progress of civilization, so that the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership will take on even greater global significance, when addressing the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium on April 1, 2014. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen via video link in Beijing on April 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Showing the consistency of Chinas EU policy, in his virtual meeting with leaders of the European Council and European Commission on April 1, 2022, President Xi indicated, Chinas vision remains unchanged. If anything, it has become more relevant under the current circumstances. President Xi Jinping has emphasized on multiple occasions that as two major economies in the world, China and the EU should promote common development and deepen economic globalization through more cooperation. On May 6, 1975, the People's Republic of China and the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, officially established diplomatic ties, opening a new chapter in China-EU relations. Since then, the relationship between the two sides has witnessed steady progress from a constructive partnership formed in 1998 to a comprehensive partnership in 2001, and then lifted to a comprehensive strategic partnership since 2003. Bilateral Economic and trade cooperation has played an important role in advancing their partnership. Their trade volume reached an impressive US $800 billion in 2021, a veritable meteoric rise from the US $2.4 billion in 1975. It registered a 27.5 percent year-on-year growth last year, showing the great resilience and vitality of bilateral economic cooperation, despite the pandemic-induced negative factors. Continually bucking the global trend, the first two months this year saw their trade volume secure more than US $137 billion, an increase of 14.8 percent year-on-year, making the EU Chinas largest trading partner during the period. A freight train bound for Hamburg, Germany is ready to depart at the Shijiazhuang international land port in north China's Hebei Province, on April 17, 2021. (Photo by Zhang Xiaofeng/Xinhua) The China-Europe freight train service, which started in 2011, has greatly facilitated their trade and economic activities. The cumulative number of China-Europe freight train trips topped 50,000 in early 2022. Data from the China State Railway Group show that during the period of 2016-2021, the value of goods transported by the freight trains rose dramatically from US $8 billion to US $74.9 billion. According to the railway group, with 78 routes planned, freight train service now links China with 180 cities in 23 European countries. Known as steel camel fleets, China-Europe freight trains have helped stabilize global supply chains and ensured smooth transportation of much-needed medical supplies and assistance for countries along the routes during the pandemic. When co-hosting a China-Germany-European Union (EU) leaders meeting on September 14, 2020, President Xi Jinping stressed that as important trade and investment partners, the two sides should step up macro-policy coordination, take more measures and unleash more cooperation opportunities. On the same day, the landmark China-EU agreement on geographical indications (GIs) was officially signed, which went into effect on March 1, 2021. Intended to protect over 500 Chinese and European GIs in each others markets, the agreement has set a milestone in intellectual property protection between the two sides. Now, under the agreement, a range of Chinese products like Anji White Tea, Pixian Bean Paste, and Yantai Apple, along with a series of goods from Europe including Danablu cheese, Alsace wines, and Brandy de Jerez, are becoming even more popular in each others markets, benefiting consumers with guaranteed quality and authenticity. Meanwhile, the expanding investment of the two sides in each other is another highlight of their economic ties. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-way investment between China and EU surpassed US $270 billion in 2021. In his latest virtual meeting with EU leaders in April, President Xi indicated that China welcomes European business investment and expects the EU to provide a fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese business investment and development in Europe. The Business Confidence Survey 2021, released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, shows that 68 percent of the 585 responding member companies are optimistic about future growth in China, and their commitment to the China market remains strong, with a mere 9 percent of respondents considering shifting any current or planned investment out of China. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises also registered an uplifting performance in Europe. An annual report published by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU reveals that Chinese enterprises saw a total turnover of 150.3 billion in the 27 EU member states in 2020, up 1.4 percent year-on-year, creating 320,000 job opportunities. In recent years, cooperation between China and the EU has branched out from the original economic sphere into a wide range of sectors, including peace, security, environment, science and technology, culture, education, and health care among many others. China and the EU have correspondingly established more than 70 consultation and dialogue mechanisms. Bilateral exchanges and cooperation have thus been greatly expanded and enhanced. Forging a China-EU green partnership has been frequently highlighted in Xis meetings with EU leaders over the past several years. The EU declared its European Green Deal in 2019, with the set goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. Doing what it can, China is honoring its commitment to peaking its carbon emissions before 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2060. Great cooperation opportunities are being tapped by the two sides in their endeavors to achieve green transformation. Malta's Gozo Island, which aims to become the EUs first carbon-neutral island, is benefiting from the expertise of China's Shanghai Electric Power Company in wind, solar and hydrogen power. Owing to their mature technologies, Chinese companies have been involved in many wind farm construction projects in Europe, including the Mediterranean's first offshore wind farm in southern Italy and Croatia's largest wind farm. Meanwhile, in China, the Denmark-manufactured wind turbines installed in Fuxin are helping the once coal-dependent city in northeast China's Liaoning Province to achieve their green development goal. China and the EU, representing two great civilizations that have advanced progress of humanity, have the potential to play a leading role in steering the now turbulent world towards peace and prosperity by working together. China has been sticking to a consistent and continuous independent EU policy. However, the EU side has been constantly held hostage by its U.S. ally in its China policy. The suspension of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is one such example. President Xi Jinping, in his latest virtual meeting with the EU leaders, called on the EU to form its own perception of China, adopt an independent China policy, and work with China to promote the steady and sustained growth of China-EU relations and to add stabilizing factors to a turbulent world. In the much anticipated China-EU virtual summit on April 1, the two sides stances on the Ukraine crisis have drawn great global attention. President Xi stressed that China advocates the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. He also shared his views regarding how to settle the Ukraine crisis. China supports Europe, especially the EU, in playing a primary role, and supports Europe, Russia, the U.S. and NATO in holding dialogue to face up to the tensions that have built up over the years and find solutions, so as to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework in Europe, Xi emphasized. In particular, he cautioned that the international community should prevent the regional conflict from magnifying, and must not allow attempts to politicize or weaponize the world economy as a tool to serve ones own agenda, as such attempts will trigger serious crises in global finance, trade, energy, technology, food, industrial and supply chains among others. Seven teams representing five countries gathered in the Zachry Engineering Building on Wednesday to showcase their ideas of how to improve the planet during the fourth Invent for the Planet. After canceling the 2021 event due to COVID-19, this years Invent for the Planet saw teams gather again on campus for the showcase and again Thursday at Lake Walk in Bryan where representatives from Texas A&M and different industries will listen to the finalists presentations to determine a winner. The team from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece was named crowd favorite Wednesday after 352 votes were cast during the two-hour showcase. In addition to the team from Greece and the team from Texas A&M chosen at Aggies Invent, there were teams from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, New Mexico State University, Mahidal University in Thailand, Texas A&M University at Qatar and a combined team from two universities in Brazil. The seven finalists were selected out of teams from 22 universities from across the world that entered the competition in February. Each university chose their local winner that then submitted a 10-minute video, and an international panel of judges selected the top six teams that would join the Texas A&M team. The final presentations will begin at 10:30 a.m. today and will be livestreamed on YouTube at tx.ag/oTHlkkj. Thursdays final is not open to the general public. The ideas included a solution to improve access to electronic devices and help recycle broken devices, improve fish farming, find underutilized renewable energy sources, help prevent food waste, a guide robot for visually impaired children and a pod that can save peoples lives in a disaster. Rodney Boehm, director of engineering entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice at Texas A&M, described the ideas the teams came up with as unbelievably brilliant. The cool thing is, students dont know its impossible, so they do it anyway. They dont have all of these old thoughts and ideas, he said. The idea is to help them think innovatively and understand it does not have to take a long time, Boehm said. The challenge of Invent for the Planet is the teams are given just 48 hours to develop their ideas. What we have seen out of this is we have seen teams go on and continue with their project, Boehm said. Weve seen startups created out of it. A team a couple of years ago created plastics out of water hyacinths because water hyacinths were clogging the waterways in Africa, and that was one of the things that they did there. These teams, we dont know where theyre going to go, but what were hoping is that this competition and the little bit of innovation that we were able to help will spur them on. Natalie New, a member of the Texas A&M team AquaBox, said the ideas are all a product of engineers being thrown into a room together and told Go save the world. She said she enjoyed interacting with other teams, especially those from other countries, and learn how they approach problems. New also noticed how many different colleges and majors can come together to use their skills in creating an engineering-based product. Yaitipat Hongthong, a member of Solar Roof Noahs Ark from Mahidal University in Thailand, said he wants to be part of making the world better and give back to the world, and he sees their idea of a capsule families can use to survive disasters as that contribution. It makes sure that in the disaster coming, everyone will survive, he said. Dimitrios Kyriakou, a member of the crowd favorite team Bio Thess from Greece, said their product will supplement how people power their homes by using biogas from food waste to produce energy. He said being able to talk to people who visited the showcase and see the labs available to Texas A&M students made Invent for the Planet a unique experience, unlike what they have in Greece. Its a step to go ahead and think of something more to help your planet, he said, saying their slogan is biofuel your place for a better global space. The crowd favorite win gave the team a $1,000 prize. The winner of todays finals will win $5,000. Chase Austin, a member of New Mexico States Eco Art team, and Nolan Bell, a member of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christis Island View team, both said they appreciated having the opportunity to pitch their product to others. It allows us to practice our presentation skills and then to also talk with other universities, Bell said. When most people think of renewable energy, they think of solar power, they think of wind power, they think of hydroelectric, that kind of stuff. But how many people have heard of triboelectricity? Austin said. Its really only the people that are in the industry that have heard of it, so our product seeks to educate people on the fact that you dont need millions of dollars and hundreds of acres of land to generate electricity. Theres ways to really effectively and efficiently generate small energy sources. Thats what gets into my heart. We get to teach people about theres a really cheap, easy, effective way to push towards a renewable future thats not wind, thats not solar, that kind of stuff. Boehm said it was a risk when they began planning the event in the summer, hoping it would be possible to begin the competition in February for this weeks final. After maneuvering through the process of getting everyone the letters and visas they needed to travel to College Station for the competition, all seven invited teams made the trip. One of the goals of the event is to create excitement, Boehm said. I just feed on the energy here. Its infectious, he said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Threat actors have been distributing malicious applications under the guise of seemingly harmless shopping apps to target customers of eight Malaysian banks since at least November 2021. The attacks involved setting up fraudulent but legitimate-looking websites to trick users into downloading the apps, Slovak cybersecurity firm ESET said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The copycat websites impersonated cleaning services such as Maid4u, Grabmaid, Maria's Cleaning, Maid4u, YourMaid, Maideasy and MaidACall and a pet store named PetsMore, all of which are aimed at users in Malaysia. "The threat actors use these fake e-shop applications to phish for banking credentials," ESET said. "The apps also forward all SMS messages received by the victim to the malware operators in case they contain 2FA codes sent by the bank." The targeted banks include Maybank, Affin Bank, Public Bank Berhad, CIMB bank, BSN, RHB, Bank Islam Malaysia, and Hong Leong Bank. The websites, distributed through Facebook ads, urge visitors to download what the attackers claim to be are Android apps available on the Google Play Store, but in reality, redirect them to rogue servers under their control. It's worth noting here that the attack hinges on the prerequisite that the potential victims enable the non-default "Install unknown apps" option on their devices for it to succeed. What's more, five of the abused services don't even have an app on Google Play. Once launched, the apps prompt the users to sign in to their accounts, allowing them to place fake orders, following which options are presented to complete the checkout process by including a fund transfer from their bank accounts. "After picking the direct transfer option, victims are presented [with] a fake FPX payment page and asked to choose their bank out of the eight Malaysian banks provided, and then enter their credentials," ESET malware researcher Lukas Stefanko said. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to steal the banking credentials entered by the users and exfiltrate it to the attacker-controlled server, while displaying an error message that the entered user ID or password is invalid. In addition, the fake apps are engineered to access and transmit all SMS messages received by the users to the remote server in the event the bank accounts are secured by two-factor authentication. "While the campaign targets Malaysia exclusively for now, it might expand to other countries and banks later on," Stefanko said. "At this time, the attackers are after banking credentials, but they may also enable the theft of credit card information in the future." Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen spoke on election fraud claims and the impact of the Ukraine invasion on Nebraska, among other topics, as guest of Grand Islands Noon Rotary Club on Tuesday. Evnen has served in the role since 2019. Among his duties, he oversees rules and regulations, elections, records management, licensing and international relations. Election Fraud Claims Evnen spoke on election security, refuting claims of possible election tampering at the state level. Ive looked into this. One of the things being said is, I havent looked, I havent investigated, I dont care, Im not paying attention. None of that is true, he said. Ive looked into everything thats been brought to me and many things that were not brought to me, but that I heard about and understood. I run them to ground, and they just dont pan out. A page on the Nebraska Secretary of State website has questions and answers to address the concerns raised by Nebraska voters and what has been found. You can see for yourself and consider for yourself what you think of it, he said. The problem, Evnen said, is theres a group of people who want to count the ballots by hand. If the Legislature wants us to count the ballots by hand, thats what well do. But if youre asking me: Is that justified? The answer is no. Theres no justification for doing that. The machines are not the problem, Evnen said, emphasizing that they are not connected to the internet. The machines are never connected to the internet. The system is designed that way, he said. Its not like we didnt see this coming. Our counting systems, the systems that compile our results, theyre never connected to the internet. This obsessive focus on the machines is taking your eye off the ball. The real security concern, Evnen said, is early voting. There is an increased representation of early voting now, he said. Evnen is a supporter of voter IDs. I just think its common sense, he said. Theres a petition out now for that. If its successful it will be on the ballot, so Nebraskans can decide for themselves whether they want voter IDs. Ukraine Invasion Russias invasion of Ukraine, ongoing since February, has affected Nebraskas agricultural economy, Evnen said. Evnen described Ukraine as the breadbasket of Eastern Europe. Ukraine isnt going to have a harvest this season, of anything, he said. This is driving up prices in Europe, as well as the cost of inputs, Evnen said. Ukraine is one of the foremost producers of fertilizer, and all thats come to a close, he said. This pressure puts pressure on Nebraska producers, but also creates opportunities for those countries that rely on Ukraine, said Evnen. Coping with refugees from Ukraine now and still from Afghanistan remain a challenge for the Secretary of States office. You have to deal with people asking, can you help us get our dear ones out? said Evnen. Its been extremely difficult, and I can tell you the U.S. State Department has not helped. State Board of Education Evnen addressed the State Board of Education sex education standards controversy, speaking about his time previously serving on the board. We were invited to adopt sex education standards at the state level, and our board said, No, were not going to do that. Thats for parents, he said. Its not for us sitting in Lincoln to dictate to the rest of the state. Thats for parents and for local boards because local boards are more accountable to the parents whose children are in these schools. In June, Gov. Pete Ricketts spoke against new sex education standards being proposed by the Nebraska Department of Education, which many Nebraska communities opposed. The proposed changes since have been halted. For more information on the Nebraska Secretary of States office, visit www.sos.ne.gov. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The labor dispute between the Grand Island Education Association and Grand Island Public Schools is one more step closer to going to trial. Grand Island Public Schools motion to dismiss the case brought by GIEA was denied March 28 by the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations, a state agency designed to resolve public sector labor controversies. The five-person commission has jurisdiction over state and local government employees, including public school teachers and public utilities employees. Ashlea R. Whitney, NCIR Legal Counsel, said the GIPSs attempt to dismiss was essentially saying: The petition (by GIEA) is insufficient in some way. Theres not enough here for (NCIR) to hear the case. The Commission of Industrial Relations disagreed and the process will move forward, though Whitney declined to go into specifics concerning why NCIR made the decision it did. Nick Welding, GIEAs legal counsel, said What the district was asserting in their motion was that GIEA is not entitled in relief based on what they have. What (NCIR) is essentially saying is, We agree; if GIEA can prove everything addressed in a petition, theyre arguably entitled to relief. The teachers union (GIEA) filed a complaint with NCIR in January, alleging GIPS shorted some teachers compensation through misclassification. Grand Island Education Association contends complainants included in the filing were deemed by the district as long term substitute teachers, but should have been paid as full-time equivalency positions. The school district, in turn, filed its motion to dismiss. Justin Knight, GIPSs legal counsel, said the motions denial last week was not a setback for the district. Its in the procedural stages right now. Nothing really has changed on our end. We still feel confident and were moving forward as we intended. Welding called NCIRs denial a threshold kind of victory, but certainly a victory nonetheless. Whitney said late this week a scheduling hearing between the parties will determine when the trial will occur. Knight said that late-week meeting, slated for Thursday, will offer the parties involved clarification and a pathway moving forward. I think well get a better understanding after that conference on Thursday as to deadlines and things like that. Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sharpie: The Story of Evelyn Sharp, by Diane Bartels, will be the focus of the Bygone Book Club when it meets at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Grand Island Public Library. The discussion will be led by Stephanie Crosby, a member of the Hall County Historical Society board. Sharpie is the biography of Evelyn Sharp, a barn-storming pilot, who grew up in Ord. She became one of the first women to ferry U.S. Army Air Force fighters during World War II. It is a life story of a woman who simply loved to fly. This biography gives much credit to the community to make her training and career possible. The Bygone Book Club is a partnership between the Grand Island Public Library and the Hall County Historical Society. It meets monthly on the second Saturday at the library. Attendees discuss books relating to Grand Island, central Nebraska and Nebraska history in general. Saturday access to the library meeting room and foyer is provided as a special courtesy specifically to attendees of this event. The library is closed on Saturdays. Sharp was born Oct. 1, 1919, as Lois Genevieve Crouse, but was adopted by John and Mary Sharp two months later and her name was changed. She grew up in Ord and attended Jack Jeffords flying school at age 16. Her first solo flight took place March 4, 1936, when she flew an Aeronca C-3. At 17, Sharp was invited by the Junior Chamber of Commerce to become the first female pilot to land at the Grand Island airport as part of the airports dedication in September 1937. She was just a month shy of receiving her transport license. During World War II she flew for the Womens Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WASP), and put in more hours than anyone. In April 1944, Sharp was killed during a routine delivery of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning when the engine failed at takeoff. She was forced to make an emergency landing but did not survive the crash. For more information, call Crosby at 308-380-5389, or the library at 308-385-5333. As part of an agreement with North Shore Animal League America, the Central Nebraska Humane Society is offering reduced adoption fees this week for dogs and cats. Through Sunday, adoption fees for adult dogs are 25% off. A cat adoption has a set price of $50 each. The discount is part of the Humane Societys partnership with the North Shore Animal League Americas Tour for Life 2022. That event is described as the worlds largest national cooperative pet adoption event. Tour for Life 2022 runs throughout March and April, with weeklong events in 53 communities in 37 states, spotlighting local shelter partners and rescue groups dedicated to finding homes for the animals in their care, according to a news release. North Shore Animal League America is the worlds largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization. Another partner in the program is Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food. No appointment is necessary. The Central Nebraska Humane Society is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. A handful of the GOP candidates for Nebraska governor are household names by now, either due to their public profile or their attention-catching ads. But they arent the only names Republican primary voters will see in the May 10 primary election. In all, nine Republicans, two Democrats and one Libertarian filed to run for the office. Polling released by two campaigns last month suggested that the Republican primary was a three-way race with Conklin Co. CEO Charles W. Herbster, of Falls City, followed by Columbus hog producer Jim Pillen and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha. Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha, who entered the race late after dropping out as Herbsters running mate, has lagged in fundraising and polling. But as a former public official, her name is still somewhat familiar to many voters. Along with better-known candidate Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, Democrats will have the option of voting for lesser-known Roy A. Harris of Linwood. The World-Herald was not able to reach Harris on Friday to learn more about why hes running. Just one Libertarian, Scott Zimmerman of Omaha, filed for the office. Voters registered as nonpartisan can choose to participate in the Democratic or Libertarian primary elections, because both parties opened them up. However, they cant participate in the Republican primary. Heres a quick look at the lesser-known Republican candidates: Breland Ridenour, an Omaha information technology manager, has appeared onstage with other candidates at forums as well as a recent debate hosted by Nebraska Public Media. Ridenour emphasizes protecting constitutional rights and limited government in his messaging and supports the EPIC consumption tax plan, which would scrap the states existing taxes in favor of one consumption tax on services and new goods. Im tired of hearing things like (Florida) Gov. DeSantis whos a wonderful governor Im tired of hearing how great things hes doing or (South Dakota) Gov. Kristi Noem, he said at the Nebraska Public Media debate. We need to start having that leadership here in Nebraska. Michael Connely is a part-time educational adviser and U.S. Marine Corps veteran from York. He has sponsored multiple ballot initiatives this election cycle, including initiatives that would: replace the State Department of Education; allow legally concealed or openly carried weapons in public spaces; ban requirements for vaccines or other medical services and procedures; give the governor authority to overrule political subdivisions rules, laws and regulations; create an election Integrity Judicial Panel; and allow people to use deadly force to protect property from vandalism or theft. He declined to attend the Nebraska Public Media debate after learning the building had a mask mandate at the time of the invitation. As I am the author and sponsor of both the Medical Freedom and Governor Overrule initiatives, it would have been extremely hypocritical of me to attend their event with a mask draped over my face, he wrote in an email. Did it hurt my name recognition ... yes. But I stand behind my principles. Lela McNinch of Lincoln is an adjunct professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She previously worked for the state in various roles she said she worked in corrections, emergency management and the Department of Education. Education is her top priority, she said, and her website also emphasizes tax reform. She supports the legalization of medical marijuana and believes the state should lift restrictions on hemp and work to support more dairy farming in Nebraska. Shes also Connelys sister, but she pointed out that people from the same family can be very different. Donna Nicole Carpenter of Lincoln is a licensed commercial truck driver and said shes an Air Force veteran. She said shes running for governor because shes seen that the law is not applied fairly for people of color and LGBTQ people and she feels shes the only person qualified. She described herself as independent but running on the Republican ticket because she leans that direction on most issues. Troy Wentz of Sterling describes himself as a spiritual person who enjoys creating and helping others on his website. He wrote that hes running for governor in part to change the property tax system to be based on size rather than market value, reduce the cost of state government by 40% and reform voting to make it more secure and transparent. I see how Demon crat Joe Biden, and the Obama people who control him, are hurting a lot of people and destroying America, states a document with his positions. Is it time, to challenge Biden, like the American colonists challenged King George, but instead with law and order? Counties can start mailing early voting ballots Monday. In-person early voting starts April 11, and Election Day is May 10. The diplomatic expulsion war between European countries and Russia is escalating. The EU has declared a number of Russian diplomats working in Brussels "persona non grata," and ordered them to leave host nation Belgium, Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said Tuesday in a statement. Xinhua reporters from multiple locations bring you the latest. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. CARBONDALE A Indiana man has been sentenced to prison time following a home invasion last year. Nathan Bigham, 28, pled guilty on April 4 to a Class X felony offense of home invasion, according to a news release from the Jackson County States Attorneys Office. Bigham was sentenced to ten years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by an 18-month period of mandatory supervised release. Bighams charges stem from a Dec. 8, 2021 incident. On that day, officers from the Carbondale Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Billy Bryan Street after a homeowner called to report a man was breaking into their home, according to the news release. Upon arrival, offices found Bigham fighting with one of the homeowners on the kitchen floor. After a brief struggle with police Bigham was taken into custody. The incident led to an injury as Bigham caused a laceration to the hand of one of the homeowners, according to the news release. The investigation of Bighams case was conducted by the Carbondale Police Department and Assistant States Attorney Jayson Clark was responsible for the prosecution of Bigham. The Southern Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sierra Club Illinois and Prairie Rivers Network joined the lawsuit against Sugar Camp Energy this week. The two groups previously filed a notice of intent to sue in November last year; however, they just recently joined the Illinois Attorney General's Office the original lawsuit with a motion to intervene. Sierra Club Illinois and Prairie Rivers Network joining the lawsuit has also added defendants and complainants to the original lawsuit. The original lawsuit against the Sugar Camp Coal Mine was filed in January of 2022 filed in Franklin County Circuit Court by the Illinois Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Kwame Raouls lawsuit included allegations of water pollution, creating a water pollution hazard, and discharges in violation of the limitations of the companys National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Sierra Club Illinois and Prairie Rivers Network, represented by Great Rivers Environmental Law Center and Albert Ettinger, agree with all of the violations listed by Attorney General Kwame Raouls lawsuit. However, they think there are additional violations at play. While the Attorney Generals lawsuit describes Sugar Camps violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, Sierra Club Illinois and Prairie Rivers Network assert that Sugar Camp Energy also violated the Clean Water Act and Sugar Camps National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in their actions, according to the news release. Despite the additional violations, Sierra Club Illinois Director, Jack Darin, is happy any lawsuit is being pursued. We applaud Attorney General Raoul for seeking to hold Sugar Camp Energy, LLC accountable, and we are moving to join this case to help ensure there is complete relief for the environmental damage theyve caused, Darin said. Knowingly dumping toxic PFAS chemicals underground at Sugar Camp Mine was against the law, puts local communities at risk, and is yet another reminder that Illinois must move beyond fossil fuels to safer, renewable energy options. Sugar Camp Mine, near Benton, allegedly dumped 46,000 gallons of hazardous fire-fighting foam in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish a fire in one of their two longwall mines on or around Aug. 14, 2021, according to Raouls lawsuit. The foam allegedly included at least 660 gallons of concentrated PFAS-based foam deep into the underground mine, according to a news release from Sierra Club Illinois. PFAS is a particularly dangerous chemical and it stays in the environment forever, according to environmental and health experts. Exposure to certain types of PFAS can cause low birth weight in humans, suppressed immune system response, dyslipidemia, impaired kidney function and delayed onset of menstruation. Sierra Club Illinois, Prairie Rivers Network and the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center cite their specific interest in protecting the ecosystem and recreational resources of the Akin Creek and the Big Muddy River as well as the PFAS as their reason for joining the lawsuit and highlighting Sugar Camp Energys alleged violations. Sugar Camp Energy violated their own NPDES permit and the Clean Water Act when they discharged PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, into these local watersheds when using PFAS-based firefighting foam at the coal mine in September 2021, according to the news release. PFAS are highly persistent forever chemicals that, when ingested, can lead to serious health problems including cancer and organ and immune system damage. Sugar Camp Energy and its related corporations have a long history of violations of environmental statutes like the Clean Water Act, and must be held accountable for each violation of the laws that seek to protect Illinois communities and our shared environment. Following the fire, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency received a citizen complaint regarding firefighting foam being discovered in a farm field ditch and a tributary to Akin Creek, located near the facility. The Illinois EPA conducted an inspection and found evidence of the firefighting foam in the tributary to Akin Creek and in other nearby areas. Raouls complaint alleged that laboratory analysis of water samples revealed the presence of PFAS in the water. Further sampling, done by Sugar Camp, further revealed the presence of PFAS in the facilitys impoundments and in permitted outfalls. Andrew Rehn, Water Resources Engineer with Prairie Rivers Network, believes the contamination of the water takes away from the right every human has to undamaged water systems. The public has a right to healthy, undamaged water systems, Rehn said. Sugar Camp Mine has failed to ensure toxic pollutants like PFAS are not discharged into Akin Creek and Middle Fork Big Muddy River, and must be held accountable for the harm they have caused to both the local community and to downstream watersheds. The lawsuit aims to require Sugar Camp to immediately take corrective action to stop the discharge of PFAS or firefighting foam containing PFAS into nearby waters. The lawsuit also aims to achieve civil penalties of up to $50,000 for each violation, and additional civil penalties of $10,000 for each day the violation continues. Foresight Energy LLC, the company that owns the mine, did not immediately respond for comment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MURPHYSBORO Many animal shelters across Southern Illinois are filled to the brim with unwanted dogs and cats. Since summer 2020, dogs and cats have been entering shelters and many of them are not being adopted out. That's led to a clog in the shelter system, according to Rachel Lee, assistant manager and rescue/foster coordinator for the Humane Society of Southern Illinois. I have never seen so many stray dogs in my life, Lee said. I don't know if it's a situation of people during COVID were staying inside and going to the vet less or there were a lot of accidental litters, or what ... but this has been just insane how many stray dogs have come in. Just a lot of dogs coming in and not a lot of dogs being adopted. The HSSI is the only open-access facility in Jackson County and many other Southern Illinois counties. Open access means that they do not turn away any animal brought to them. They are also the stray holding facility for animal control facilities for Jackson County, Murphysboro and Carbondale. The HSSI takes in approximately 3,000 animals a year but much like many other shelters, adoptions have declined this year. St. Francis Care has adopted out 137 dogs since Jan. 1, a decrease from the 172 adopted by the same time last year and 200 the year before that, according to Diane Daugherty, president of the Board of Directors of St. Francis. Daugherty believes people are returning back to work with financial uncertainty. Lee agreed when talking about the decline in adoptions. I know at the start of the pandemic when everyone started working from home, there were stimulus checks, Lee said. We were having like really high adoption rates. But then of course right now everyone's budget is pretty tight. People may not have time or can't afford a new pet. We have definitely seen a decrease in adoptions. One of the largest issues with the dropped off or unhomed dogs in the area are fighting rings, according to Daugherty. Well get in bait dogs every once in a while, Daugherty said. A bait dog is where they filed their teeth down so they can't hurt the fighter, and that dog just gets the crap beat out of him to train the dog to fight. So that happens and it just makes me sick. Another issue is local backyard breeders. Weve got just backyard breeders, Daugherty said. You get a female dog and somebodys got a male dog, so they get them hooked up. So they can have puppies and sell them on Facebook. That is my biggest pet peeve right now ... the other day, we had a little pitbull that was found in a garbage sack with his siblings, and he was the only one still alive. This was in Saline County. Another big issue is owners not microchipping their dog. That helps return escaped or lost dogs to their families, Lee said. However, dogs are not the only issue in the area as feral cats are also a serious problem. Feral cats are not unique to our region because cats can have four litters a year, Daugherty said. They can have their first litter at three months old. There's just so much inbreeding. You get a feral pet cat population of two cats, and pretty soon, that population is 40 cats. Then it's 80. Then it's 100. To help with the feral population it is encouraged to catch, spay/neuter and then release the cat back into their colony so more do not fill in the missing cats place, according to Lee. A lot of people will just trap feral cats and bring them to us, but that doesn't actually solve the problem, Lee said. For every feral cat you trap and bring in, like three to five more cats take their place because they can no longer protect their territory. Despite the difficulties that the shelters are going through, both have received tremendous support from the community through donations and adoptions in the past as people have rallied behind their missions to give the animals a safe and loving home. Were just so proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the unwanted pet population, Daugherty said. We couldn't do it without the people of Southern Illinois that support us. Were just grateful for everybody supporting and realizing the importance of spaying and neutering and supporting our mission. There are multiple ways to help out the shelters during this time. Fostering is the best way to help our rescue program, Lee said. Our partnering rescues are mostly foster-based so they can't pull unless they have a home open for that animal. So the best way to help as far as that is offer to foster anything. If you only have space for one single cat or one single dog, reach out to a no-kill rescue or to us. We might have something that we can put in that home. For fostering you save two lives the one you bring into your home and the room that we have open now. Other ways people can help, according to both Daugherty and Lee, are microchipping their dogs, fostering animals, donating and spaying/neutering your pets. To adopt, donate or volunteer with St. Francis Care you can find information at https://stfrancis-care.org/. To adopt, foster or donate to HSSI you can find information at https://humanesocietysil.org/. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bamberg County Council may ask voters to decide if alcohol sales should be allowed on Sunday. Ive gotten a number of calls, plus I work across the river, too, in Orangeburg County. Of course, they sell alcohol on Sundays in Orangeburg, and they also sell it in Colleton County. So were pretty much surrounded, and were probably losing some tax dollars over this, Councilman Phil Myers said Monday. I think we ought to try to see if we can get it on a ballot for June or November and have an election to see if we can get it amended where we can sell alcohol in Bamberg County, he said. County Council is waiting for additional information, including the cost of a referendum and how much tax revenue could potentially be brought in, before deciding whether to bring the issue before voters. During Mondays council meeting, County Administrator Joey Preston gave council an outline of procedures necessary to authorize the sale of alcohol on Sundays in the county. In a nutshell, theres got to be a countywide referendum on it. The county council can adopt an ordinance to have this referendum. Youre going to probably need to start at the next meeting because you have to have a series of public hearings with it, Preston said. He continued, Theres certain notice requirements. We have to get our legal team to make sure we notice everything properly and theres certain time requirements for those notices. It may vary a little differently, say, from just having a county council meeting. The administrator said the county ordinance must contain certain information, including the form of the question which must appear on the referendum ballot, and that the referendum can only occur on certain days. Because we have a general election coming up, you can have it (the referendum). The county pays the cost, he said. Preston also noted that municipalities within the county dont have to follow suit, even if the countywide referendum is passed. The county can pass it because its a county referendum, but it means nothing to the cities unless the cities sign an intergovernmental agreement with the county. So, in other words, if Bamberg wanted to do it, all they would need to do is really do an intergovernmental agreement and they would sign it, and then it would work inside the city. You may have some cities that dont want to do it, he said. Councilman Clint Carter said, What Im hearing, if the citys taking it up, then we really dont have a say in the fight. Preston said, Well, they could do their own referendum if they wanted to. They could do that, or the county could do it, and then theyd have to sign an agreement with you. Councilman Evert Comer Jr. said, Just like with the masks, we passed it, and other municipalities bought into it, right? Preston said, No, they didnt. The larger cities did, but the smaller communities did not. Carter said, I would like to know what it costs to get it on the ballot. ... If the cities want to do it, I would be more in favor of just letting the cities that want to do it, let them inquire that cost. Nothing against you, Mr. Myers. It dont matter to me. I think if youre going to drink, you ought to be responsible enough to get what they want to drink on Sunday on Saturday. Thats just my opinion. Comer said, I say let them buy what they want to drink on Sunday on a Saturday. Councilman Larry Haynes said, People losing money in Bamberg by not having it here. So why not have it here? Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Branchville resident Ashley Pelzer was in her room, just working at her desk, on Tuesday evening. She got off the phone and everything changed. I just heard a loud noise, the Seacrest Lane resident said. I knew it was raining and it was supposed to be a storm. At first it wasn't bad. All of a sudden, she heard, Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoop! I was like, What is that? What is that? she said. I went to peek out the window and all I saw were trees and a big gust of wind. I have never in my life seen nothing like that. The trees were about to come through my window." Pelzer was crying, so she called her grandmother. I am like Grandma, it is hitting us back here. What am I supposed, to do? she said. The only thing she could think of doing was to get inside her bathtub. When the storm was over, Pelzer walked out the front door of her mobile home and saw a tree scattered about. All I could do was cry and thank God I am still here, she said. I have been through a lot of things, but this here was the scariest. This could have picked my house up. Pelzer was not alone in her fears. Her uncle, Thomas Williams, who lives across the street, said he had just finished making dinner when he looked outside the living room window and saw trees on the ground. I just ran and jumped into the tub and started praying, Williams said. The next thing I know, the whole house was shaking like it was about to come off the ground. After a few minutes, it just stopped, he said. Thank God I am still alive, the 50-year-old Williams said. It was the first time I have ever been in a tornado I have seen Hurricane Hugo, but I ain't never been in a tornado. The neighborhood was still without power early Wednesday afternoon, but Edisto Electric Cooperative crews were on the scene to restore power. Seacrest Lane, which is located about five miles north of Branchville, was among the hardest-hit areas in Orangeburg County, according to County Emergency Services Director Billy Staley. Staley estimates between eight or 12 structures in the county were damaged by the storms that rolled through Tuesday evening. He said the county was still assessing the damage. National Weather Service storm survey crews plan to visit Orangeburg County on Thursday to determine if tornadoes hit the county Staley said Wednesday that, the damage is consistent with the track they were tracking the tornado warning. In addition to Seacrest Lane, Greywood Road, the Cattle Creek area and a Bowman solar farm also sustained damage. There were no known reports of storm fatalities or injuries. The S.C. Department of Transportation was out Wednesday, cutting downed trees and clearing roads. The Orangeburg County Fire District joined Emergency Services on Wednesday in surveying storm damage, primarily in the Branchville and Bowman areas. A S.C. Emergency Management official also joined the damage assessment survey. Staley said hes not seen anything yet that would qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds. Despite the damage, Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said it the county was blessed because a lot of tornadoes spotted on radar did not touch down. The spots that it did come down are some of more rural areas, so we thank God that the spots did not see fit to drop in areas that are really heavily populated," Young said. Young said preliminary estimates are that there were five tornadoes in Orangeburg County on Tuesday. This is a whole lot better situation than we had in the last round of tornadoes we had several years ago, Young said. In April 2020, two people died when their mobile home flipped over. Staley reminded residents to heed the warnings, watch the weather and have a plan. Spring can bring severe weather and tornadoes to South Carolina. Young praised the work of the Orangeburg County volunteer firefighters, first responders, Sheriff's Office, Public Works and Emergency Medical Services for responding to the storms. Young said the county, thanks to County Council, is able to use its own resources to respond rather than having to contract out services. During Tuesdays storms, Greywood Road resident Russell Byrd was at his house and heard a lot wind, a lot of noise. He took shelter in his bathroom. The first thing that went through his mind was: Here we go again. I had been through the last tornado back in '08. It sounds just like a train, he said. Sharlene Williams, who lives on Freedom Road, about five miles north of Branchville, left her mobile home to go to her church in Branchville for shelter. Upon returning to her house, Williams said she was surprised. Her property was cordoned off by caution tape due to electrical lines being down. It was devastating, Williams said. Lord, I have never seen nothing like this personally. There was a lot of wind blowing. It was a scary moment. Hilliary McAlhany, who lives across the street from Sharlene Williams, said she and her mother hid in the bathroom of their home when the storm hit. A gust of wind came, McAlhany said. It was like Shoo coming through the windows. This is an old house. We didn't realize how bad it was until we walked and seen the tree that fell, McAlhany said. I was very concerned because this is an old house. If it was any worse, it would probably have torn the whole roof off, but luckily it was so fast. It probably lasted for five or six seconds and then it went away. The storm caused a tree to fall on her mother's vehicle, busting out the rear window. The home's roof caved in over the kitchen and a back room. The storm also blew out some of the house's windows. McAlhany's neighbor's carport was damaged and one of the windows of a vehicle under the structure was shattered. Jasper Summers, who also lives across the street from McAlhany, was not home at the time of the storm. He was informed of the damage to his property shortly after 7 p.m. The storm imploded some of the windows in his house as well as the garage door. Shingles were also ripped off the roof. The tornado came right through my area, Summers said. When I came home, I was very surprised. It could have been worse because a lot of these big trees could have fell the other way. They definitely could have reached the house. Summers' 1979 Chevrolet truck was not so fortunate. I got my old truck running about two months ago, Summers said. It is running. I was just driving it after I fixed it. Now this happened to it. Cleaning up is going to be a lot of work, he said I have to get all of this stuff cut up and moved, he said. The Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities reported no significant power outages during the storms, noting most of the strong storms moved south of the utility's electric service area. Edisto Electric Cooperative on Wednesday morning reported 284 customers without power in Bamberg County and 34 customers without power in Orangeburg County. The National Weather Service has confirmed that a storm that came out of Lexington County and went to Calhoun County was an EF1 tornado. An EF1 tornado has winds between 86-110 mph. Calhoun County Emergency Services Director David Chojnacki said there were no reports of structural damage in the county. Chojnacki said there were trees down on Savany Hunt Creek Road, Calhoun Hills Road, the frontage road near the Interstate 26 eastbound rest area, Old State Road and on Plantation Estates Lane A preliminary survey showed the storm appeared to track from the Lexington-Calhoun County line on Savany Creek Road and made a line to Plantation Estates Lane. Chojnacki estimates the length of the damage was about three to four miles. There were clearly trees that were uprooted and trees that were snapped, Chojnacki said. A couple blocked the road. The Sandy Run Fire Department was out clearing the roads. As of Wednesday morning, Chojnacki said all the roads in Calhoun County were cleared and passable. Chojnacki encouraged Calhoun County residents to sign up for CodeRED alerts by texting calhounema to the number 99411. He said the Code Red Alert system was used extensively during Tuesday's storms. Those who cant text can contact the Calhoun County Library at 803-874-3389. Heavy rain fell during Tuesdays storms. About 1.16 inches of rain fell at the Orangeburg Municipal Airport. Other rainfall totals from Tuesday's storms provided by weather gauge volunteers include: 2.28 inches at a station about 7 miles west of Santee 2.16 inches at station about 5 miles east of North 1.91 inches at station two miles north of Denmark 1.76 inches at a station 2 miles east of Santee 1.46 inches at station 4 miles northeast of Cope 1.42 inches at a station about 4 miles east of Swansea 1.31 inches at station about 2 miles west of Elloree 1.20 inches at a station about 3 miles west of Holly Hill By Thursday, a cold front will be pushing into the area, with possible thunderstorm development during the late morning or early afternoon. Dry air is expected to quickly move in. The weekend and early next week are forecast to be sunny with a warming trend. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 4 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DENMARK Voorhees College officially became a university on Thursday, more than a century after it was founded by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. This undoubtedly is a time of great joy and jubilation, Tuskegee University President Dr. Charlotte P. Morris said. Morris spoke during Voorhees Universitys Founders Day Convocation ceremony, held at the Dawson Center. Voorhees was founded in 1897, becoming the first HBCU established by an African-American woman. Morris lauded the tenacity of Wright, who forged her way toward the creation of what was initially called Denmark Industrial School despite meager finances and having already dealt with white arsonists who torched the first school she had established. In quoting the words of Booker T. Washington, who was responsible for the early development and success of what is now Tuskegee University, Morris said, Success always leaves footprints. We are here today standing in the footprints of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. Morris said Wright, who studied at Tuskegee and was a protege of Washington, was an example of how to stay focused on your objectives despite obstacles, as well as how to let go of pride in order to obtain better things in life. Morris said Wright initially didn't want any help when she started fundraising for what is now a university, but soon secured needed seed money from philanthropist Ralph Voorhees, whose great-great niece, Nancy Voorhees, and her son, Kevin, were also in attendance at the ceremony. Of the university, Nancy Voorhees said, It builds young adults who are both rich in knowledge and character. Ralph Voorhees and his wife donated $5,000 to buy the land and build the first building, allowing the school to open in 1902 with Wright as principal. It was the only high school for blacks in the area. Your dreams and thoughts have the power to create the conditions of your life. What you speak about, you can bring about, Morris said. She challenged the audience to realize the importance of historically Black colleges and universities, with many facing the challenges of declining enrollment and funds, and to give back to them financially whenever they can. She said Voorhees' affiliation with the Episcopal Church and its lasting values have helped sustain the institution over the years, but it will also take philanthropic support to extend it into the future. We owe it to ourselves to be involved in doing something that will make a difference, including serving as goodwill ambassadors to help mentor and recruit students, she said. Morris said alumni, students, board members, stakeholders and parents all have a part to play in supporting the university. Together we are called to be the beacons of light for the next generation, Morris said. Voorhees trustee board Chairman David Miller said, We are small in number, but we are powerful in faith and light. The Rev. Dr. Willie D. Abney, president of the CSRA Alumni Chapter, said, "We are excited about what's happening here on the campus of Voorhees. Thank God for allowing Elizabeth Evelyn Wright to have her dream." Keyana Yeoman and Xavier Willcox, Mr. and Mrs. Voorhees University-elect, were also excited on Thursday. Yeoman said Wright is an inspiration and an example of how to always chase your dreams, while Willcox also praised her ability to not give up. "She never took no for an answer and always sought God in everything that she did," he said. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TEHRAN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's interior minister said on Thursday the refrainment by the West and the United States from condemning a "terrorist attack" in northeastern Iran proves that "they are among supporters of such acts," according to official news agency IRNA. Ahmad Vahidi addressed reporters that Iran strongly condemns the knife attack in the courtyard of the Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Tuesday, which left one cleric dead and two others wounded. According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the 21-year-old attacker Abdol-Latif Moradi was immediately arrested at the scene of the incident by security forces. Mashhad's Prosecutor General Mohammed Hossein Doroudi said four other people have been arrested in connection with the attack. Iran does not expect the United States and the West to condemn the "act of terror" as "they are the ones who have instilled such a mindset," according to Vahidi. He added that all the "terrorist roots" of the knife attack would be traced. Rat nhieu cong ty hien nay ang bat au can nhac viec chuyen sang mo hinh lam viec ket hop - giua lam viec tai van phong va lam viec tu xa. Cau hoi at ra luc nay la lieu mo hinh nay thuc su phu hop voi nhung linh vuc, nganh nghe nao? It was 12 on a February night when Dawn Serna woke to her alarm. She reached for her phone and dialed the 24/7 sobriety program number as shes been court ordered to do nightly. To Sernas surprise, her phone service had been cut off for nonpayment following a jail stint. She was not able to call in and was arrested around 8 the next morning. She spent a night in jail and went to court the following day. The judge ordered her jailed for another 24 hours. Under Campbell Countys version of the 24/7 sobriety program, participants must call in daily at midnight to find out if theyve been randomly selected for drug testing the following morning. Serna landed in the program after being charged with possession of methamphetamine. She has not been convicted. Participants in multiple counties must pay their own way through the program. In Campbell County, people must pay $30 to enroll and $10 for each test. If someone is terminated for any reason, they cant get back any fees or pre-payments, according to the agreement participants must sign when enrolling. If someone puts extra cash into their account for upcoming tests, the leftover money is nonrefundable and goes to the 24/7 program in their respective county. If Serna is called in, she must walk 3.4 miles to the testing site because she does not have a vehicle. So far, shes been called in four times. Its not right at all, Serna said. While Serna is a Campbell County resident, there are four other Wyoming counties that use the program Sheridan, Sweetwater, Teton and Fremont. The ACLU of Wyoming is suing over the constitutionality of the program in Teton County. The case will be heard Friday in U.S. District Court. Backers of the program say its effective at keeping people from driving under the influence while awaiting trial. But the lawsuit argues that the twice-daily warrantless searches are constitutional violations because theyre applied to people whove only been charged with a crime. Specifically, the 24/7 program violates the Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, the ACLU said in a press release. Pretrial participants in Wyomings 24/7 Sobriety Program should be presumed innocent until proven guilty and are entitled to due process and meaningful hearings, said Stephanie Amiotte, ACLU of Wyoming legal director. Any law that allows the warrantless search of people without probable cause to believe theyve committed a crime violates the Constitution and cannot stand. We hope the court will recognize that the 24/7 Program, as applied in Teton County, is a gross overreach of government power. The Teton County Sheriffs Office requires people in the program to take a breath test between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week. The 24/7 program offers no exceptions for anybody who might be late for a circumstance beyond their control, such as a car breaking down, a sick child or the inability to take off time from work, said Janna Farley, spokeswoman for the ACLU. Those ordered into the program in Teton County also include people facing their first DUI charges, but according to a lawmaker who helped draft the bill that created the program, that was not the original intent. For repeat offenders, its a good way to get them to stop repeating, said Rep. Tom Walters, R-Casper, a member of the Joint Judiciary Committee in 2014, when the panel sponsored the bill. The law hit its sunset date five years later, but the 2019 Joint Judiciary Committee chose to extend the program. When the committee did so, lawmakers also allowed first-time offenders to be included. The details of how the program is administered are not included in statute, but left up to sheriffs offices. Back then we felt it was going to be a good idea. It was supported by a lot of different factions, Walters said. Its meant to have a little burden on those individuals. Again in 2019, it garnered enough support from lawmakers to be reinstated. With drinking and driving there are two parts: the drinking and the driving. Most of our provisions deal with the driving aspect of it, said 2019 judiciary committee member Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper. The 24/7 program was our tool that focuses on the drinking aspect. Because the rules are left up to county law enforcement, each program looks slightly different. In Campbell and Fremont counties, timing is crucial. Campbell County and Fremont County sheriffs run their 24/7 programs differently from Teton County and arrest participants for being late by 1 minute or more, the ACLU said in a press release. This is because the arrest statute is vague and gives arresting officers sole discretion in determining a violation depriving participants of their liberty without due process as required by the Fourteenth Amendment. If you are randomly selected for a test in Campbell County, you must arrive between 6 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. If youre later than 8:45, youre going to jail, Serna said. Serna says she has been sober from meth since Feb. 16, but life hasnt been easy. I was working at Family Dollar. Now I just take care of my dogs. Im getting ready to look for a place because were getting evicted and I have knee surgery on the 11th, she said. Its exhausting. Im 51 years old and stressed to the hilt. The nightly calls dont help, she said. I hate it. You should be able to have a good nights sleep. It gets to you sometimes. I got to the point where I was just so tired I didnt even want to do nothing during the day. On the night her phone service was cut off and she realized she had no way of calling in, Serna said she felt a drop in [her] stomach. You stress out not so much for the test, but missing the call, she said. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHEYENNE A jury on Monday found a Cheyenne day care worker guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Kristina Eileen Croy was charged in Laramie County District Court following the September 2019 death of an 8-month-old girl who was in her care at the time. Croy pleaded not guilty to the charge in July 2020. Croy was accused of placing the infant in a too-small swaddling device against her mothers wishes and against state guidelines. She was also accused of directing an employee of her day care to lie to police following the incident and of changing her story about the incident. The infant, who was referred to during the trial and in court documents as M.G., was identified by family members as Malia Gavagan. Involuntary manslaughter, a felony, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. The jury came back with the guilty verdict around 4:30 p.m. Monday, following about five hours of deliberation. The trial began March 28, and closing arguments took place Monday morning. Marcia Bean, the county and prosecuting attorney for Big Horn County, was appointed to prosecute the case. The victims grandmother, Eileen Gavagan, worked for former Laramie County District Attorney Scott Homar and maintains a connection with current Laramie County DA Leigh Anne Manlove, who worked as a prosecutor in Homars administration. Bean said Tuesday that the trial, which she said was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and filings by the defendant, was a long time coming. The prosecutor said she was very happy that the case was close to a resolution. Im glad for the Gavagans, and I believe that it was an appropriate verdict. The jury worked hard, and so Im satisfied with how it all came out, Bean said in an interview. Eileen Gavagan told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Tuesday that it was very difficult to remain quiet and emotionless during the roughly five-day trial. But as the jurys guilty verdict was read, finally we could breathe, she said. The family members and those that loved Malia Gavagan are so grateful for the hard work of the prosecution team, Eileen Gavagan wrote in an email. We appreciated the jurys attentiveness in the trial despite the very difficult circumstances and the emotions that arise when hearing about a childs death, and seeing videos and photos of a deceased child. We are grateful that we had this precious child for 8 months (and) 21 days, and we will forever miss her, she continued. We hope for healing and peace and look forward to the sentencing hearing. Croys attorney, Dion Custis, gave a short statement to the WTE on Tuesday. It was an incredibly sad case a very tough case for anyone to consider, including the jury, he said. In his opening argument in the trial, Custis called Malias death a tragic accident, and said Croy had not done anything criminal. Custis said Croy likely wouldnt have taken the child into her care if shed known about Malias health issues, which he said included being born premature and her mothers use of marijuana while she was pregnant. Croys attorney said the child was taking medication for acid reflux, but that Croy did not know this. He also referred to Malia as having breathing issues and chronic lung disease. Custis said there was documentation that the child could not roll over on her own, meaning it would not have been unsafe to place her in a swaddling device, he said. Regarding the accusation that Croy had changed her version of events, Custis said the day care worker had been in a frantic state of mind following the incident. In Beans opening argument, she said Malias mother, Julianne Gavagan, stopped using marijuana when she found out she was pregnant. Bean characterized the infant as active and healthy immediately before her death. Croy remains out of custody pending sentencing. Eileen and Julianne Gavagan also filed a wrongful death lawsuit in May 2021 in Laramie County District Court. The suit, which names Croy and her day care as defendants, has a scheduling conference set for May 9. The criminal charge stemmed from a Sept. 25, 2019, incident. The Cheyenne Police Department responded to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center that afternoon, following the report of a deceased infant, according to a probable cause affidavit written by CPD Detective Allison Baca. Malia Gavagan had been in Croys care. Croy operated the day care Its a Childs World They Matter, which was licensed by the Wyoming Department of Family Services, the affidavit said. Croy told law enforcement that shed found Malia at about 1:20 p.m. that day face down on the living room floor. The child was not breathing and had no heartbeat. Croy said she yelled for her then-18-year-old daughter to call 911. Croy said that, at about 12:30 p.m., shed put Malia in a little sleeper, which is described in the affidavit as a swaddling device that zips up to the neck with Velcro flaps, restraining a childs arms. Croy told police she had to use the swaddler for prevention of sudden infant death syndrome. The Mayo Clinic describes SIDS as the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. Croy said Malias mother knew she used the swaddling device, a version of events the parent contradicted. After putting Malia in the device, Croy put the child on the floor on her back. She described looking over a couple times and seeing the infant had dozed off. In at least one instance, Malia had rolled over, which Croy said she didnt like, so she rolled the child onto her back. When she checked on the child again, Croy said Malia was lying face down and not breathing. She said another day care employee stayed with the other children 11 additional small children and infants as her daughter called 911 and Croy began CPR. At this time, Croy said she heard Malia gurgling and noticed her lips were turning purple. Croy said that, at the time of the incident, she was in the kitchen cleaning and doing paperwork, moving between the rooms. Both Croys daughter and the second day care employee later contradicted Croys account in interviews with law enforcement, according to the affidavit. They said the second day care employee had been at lunch during the incident. Croys daughter said a neighbor had come over to help watch the children while waiting for the employee to return. The day care employee immediately reported (in the police interview) that Croy had asked her to lie and say she was there at the time of the incident, the affidavit said. Croy contacted a Department of Family Services employee after the incident and asked her to come to the hospital. Croy initially gave the DFS worker similar information to what she provided to law enforcement, though she did not tell the DFS worker shed found Malia face down, as shed apparently told law enforcement. Croy added that, although her home day care had cameras, she did not know if theyd been recording. Croy said shed noticed the night before that the camera in the living room, where Malia had been at the time of the incident, was pointed toward the ceiling. In an interview with the DFS worker about a month later, Croy changed her story, according to the affidavit. She told the DFS worker that Malia could not roll over independently, and when she checked on Malia at one point, the infants head was turned, and she was not breathing. Malias mother, Julianne Gavagan, told police the infant had no health problems and was not sick on the day she died. Julianne added that Malia could sit up and frequently rolled from her back to her stomach, and had on occasion rolled from her stomach to her back, but that it was difficult for her, the affidavit said. The swaddling device Malia was wearing the day she died had a sewn-in tag indicating it was for babies three to six months old and between 13-18 pounds. It measured 22.5 inches long. Also on the tag were the words: STOP swaddling when your baby shows signs of rolling over or breaking out of the swaddle. At the time of her autopsy, the 8-month-old weighed 19 pounds and was 25 inches long. An autopsy report concluded Malia died of positional asphyxia, meaning the infants position had prevented her from breathing properly. The DFS worker provided Detective Baca with documentation that showed Croy had been trained in safe sleep practices, including that babies should not be swaddled without a written statement and instructions from physician. Wyoming Child Care Licensing Rules say: Sleeping infants shall not be swaddled without a licensed healthcare professional statement, including instructions and a time frame for swaddling an infant, on file. Swaddling is prohibited for infants that have the ability to roll over independently. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Mothers will get extra special treatment on Sundaylavish lunches, concerts and gifts of perfumes and roses. Meanwhile, mere days before the celebration, Port of Spain businesspeoplevendors and huckstersare reporting slow sales. They are cautiously optimistic that it will pick up today. LOOK Shorty! That incredulous shout from a visitor to the Blackman Ranch last Saturday in Piparo drew a chorus of audible gasps from a small touring party. Led by Isaac and Nehilet Blackman, through the green acres theyve called home for more than three decades, the group was halted in their tracks at the sight of a tall, striking figure. Standing between two trees in long, flowing white garb, he smiled welcomingly. Guitar in hand, the man beckoned them forward, saying: This is the exact spot where I wrote so many of my songs. To daddy with love: Grief-stricken siblings Faith, left, Terrell and Melicia display love and affection for one another and their brother Mickello as he delivers his segment of the eulogy for their father, the late soca icon Blaxx (Dexter Stewart), at the Queens Park Savannah yesterday. Speakers hailed Blaxx as a doting father who loved his children dearly. Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, April 7 (Xinhua) -- An unprecedented number of 118 women are running for the elections of the 128-seat Lebanese parliament scheduled for May 15, a move hailed by many as a significant step toward restoring hope for change in a country beset by political and economic troubles. The number of women running in the parliamentary elections grew by about a third from the previous elections in 2018, when 86 women participated. There are 718 candidates competing for parliamentary seats this year. The outbreak of COVID-19 and the deadly Beirut blasts on Aug. 4, 2020 have further exacerbated Lebanon's multi-faceted crises, gravely impacted the already vulnerable population, most notably women, which is a factor encouraging a rising number of female candidates to run for parliamentary elections, according to Wadih el Khazen, president of the central maronite council and former minister of tourism in Lebanon. "We have seen disappointing outcomes with the policies adopted over the past years in Lebanon. Why not give women a chance to contribute to lawmaking, as female legislators have done in other countries? Women have proved to be capable of playing a vital role in other countries' political affairs," he told Xinhua. Women have virtues that will enable them to do a good job in parliament, according to Layal Bou Moussa, a candidate running on behalf of Shamaluna, an alliance of independent groups in north Lebanon. With their hardwork, serious approaches, and strong commitment to principles and values, women can become a main driver of change in Lebanon, she said. Women go to great lengths to safeguard their reputation and career, and they are likely to take a strong stance against corruption, a major concern of Lebanese society, according to Moussa. Zeina Majdalani, a candidate standing for the National Dialogue party in Beirut, believes that more female legislators in the parliament could exert a positive influence. Women might be more conscious of the great role that good social services in education, healthcare and others have on their children and future generations, and would place great emphasis on public welfare if they get elected, according to Majdalani. Lebanon's parliament has yet to implement an electoral gender quota that would increase women's participation in politics, casting uncertainty on whether the electoral environment would change in 2022. However, the circumstances under which the elections will be held in Lebanon are different from past ones. The country now is grappling with crises on political, economic and financial fronts. The impact of a sharp depreciation in the local currency and a deteriorating economic crisis has been felt by most Lebanese. "Women today have become more active in emerging movements and political parties, which partially explains why there are an increasing number of female candidates in the upcoming elections," said Joelle Abou Farhat, co-founder of Fiftyfifty, an NGO that aims to achieve gender equality in political life. Women in Lebanon still face a lack of representation in state institutions and political marginalization, according to El Khazen, who advocated for setting women's quota to secure female participation in parliament. Late last year, Member of Parliament Chamel Roukoz filed a proposal to set a new quota for women in the parliament. The National Commission for Lebanese Women, which prepared the proposal and gave it to Roukoz, was motivated by the fact that only six women were elected to the country's 128-member parliament in 2018, accounting for only 4.7 percent of total number of parliamentarians. However, the proposal has not been reviewed by the parliament. El Khazen said he is optimistic about the increasingly important role of women in the upcoming elections and calls for more support for female candidates in the future, so that the country will benefit from their skills. The country needs female parliamentarians who wish to work toward individuals' liberty and happiness, and bring about change to the society, said Joelle Abou Farhat. There are no more visa appointments at the United States Embassy in Trinidad for 2022, so be When Dr Eric Williams decided to lay down his bucket here in the islands after his release from the Caribbean Commission and his debates with Dom Basil Matthews in the Public Library, he held lectures in Woodford Square, which he called The University of Woodford Square. We who were alive then felt happy. He attracted people of like mind for the betterment of the islands, so he formed the PNMthe Peoples National Movement. Jackson confirmed as first Black female high court justice WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his promised effort to diversify the high court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Presiding over the vote was Vice President Kamala Harris, also the first Black woman to reach her high office. Biden tweeted afterward that weve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer exulted that it was a wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and for the United States of America. Harris said as she left the Capitol that she was overjoyed, deeply moved. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in. The two were expected to speak, along with Harris, at the White House Friday. Russian retreat reveals destruction as Ukraine asks for help CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyiv's calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscow's next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. The city's streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Biden bets strong job market will shield economy from slump WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. economy faces plenty of threats: War in Ukraine, high grocery bills, spiking gasoline prices, splintered supply chains, the lingering pandemic and rising interest rates that slow growth. The Biden White House is betting the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand these threats, but there are growing fears of a coming economic slump among voters and some Wall Street analysts. The next few months will test whether President Joe Biden built a durable recovery full of jobs with last year's $1.9 trillion relief package, or an economy overfed by government aid that could tip into a downturn. On the line for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections is whether voters see firsthand in their lives that inflation can be tamed and the economy can manage to run hot without overheating. Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters this week that the 3.6% unemployment rate and last year's robust growth puts the U.S. in a safe place compared to the rest of the world. The core question is whether the strength of the US economy is now an asset or a liability, Deese said. What we have done over the course of the last 15 months is driven a uniquely strong economic recovery in the United States, which positions us uniquely well to deal with the challenges ahead." UN aid chief: 'I'm not optimistic' about Ukraine ceasefire KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations humanitarian chief said Thursday he's not optimistic about securing a ceasefire to halt the fighting in Ukraine following high-level talks in Moscow and Kyiv that underscored how far apart the two sides are. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths gave the bleak assessment in an interview with The Associated Press in the Ukrainian capital after wrapping up talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other top officials. That followed discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow earlier in the week. I think its not going to be easy because the two sides, as I know now ... have very little trust in each other," he said. I'm not optimistic, he added later. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dispatched Griffiths to the Russian and Ukrainian capitals to explore the possibility of establishing a cease-fire that would allow desperately needed aid into Ukraine and potentially lay the groundwork for talks aimed at ending the war. Appeals court OKs Biden federal employee vaccine mandate NEW ORLEANS (AP) President Joe Bidens requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 was upheld Thursday by a federal appeals court. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the mandate. The ruling, a rare win for the administration at the New Orleans-based appellate court, said that the federal judge didnt have jurisdiction in the case and those challenging the requirement could have pursued administrative remedies under Civil Service law. Biden issued an executive order Sept. 9 ordering vaccinations for all executive branch agency employees, with exceptions for medical and religious reasons. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by then-President Donald Trump, issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. When the case was argued at the 5th Circuit last month, administration lawyers had noted that district judges in a dozen jurisdictions had rejected a challenge to the vaccine requirement for federal workers before Brown ruled. The administration argued that the Constitution gives the president, as the head of the federal workforce, the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated. US speeds entry for Ukrainians as more reach Mexico border TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as even more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of Tijuana grew to about 1,000 refugees Thursday, according to city officials. A canopy under which children played soccer only two days earlier was packed with people in rows of chairs and lined with bunk beds. Tijuana has suddenly become a final stop for Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States, where they are drawn by friends and families ready to host them and are convinced the U.S. will be a more suitable haven than Europe. Word has spread rapidly on social media that a loose volunteer coalition, largely from Slavic churches in the western United States, is guiding hundreds of refugees daily from the Tijuana airport to temporary shelters, where they wait two to four days for U.S officials to admit them on humanitarian parole. In less than two weeks, volunteers worked with U.S. and Mexican officials to build a remarkably efficient and expanding network to provide food, security, transportation and shelter. U.S. officials began funneling Ukrainians Wednesday to a pedestrian crossing in San Diego that is temporarily closed to the public, hoping to process 578 people a day there with 24 officers, said Enrique Lucero, the city of Tijuanas director of migrant affairs. Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death NEW ORLEANS (AP) No longer waiting for a federal investigation that has so far taken two and a half years, a state prosecutor said Thursday that he intends to pursue his own possible charges against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Union Parish District Attorney John Belton told a bipartisan legislative committee looking into the case that U.S. Justice Department prosecutors last week dropped their request for him to hold off on a state prosecution until the federal probe is complete. And he added that Greenes mother, Mona Hardin, also asked him to independently pursue charges against the troopers who were seen on long-withheld body-camera video swarming her son after a high-speed chase, jolting him with stun guns, punching him the face and dragging him by his ankle shackles as he wailed, Im scared! Im scared! No one is above the law -- no one, Belton told committee members at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. He added that, based on the evidence, the officers "committed criminal acts, including the violation of Mr. Greenes civil rights. Belton said he is moving swiftly to empanel a special grand jury as soon as he collects the most up-to-date evidence from the federal investigation. That includes a reexamined autopsy ordered by the FBI last year that rejected troopers initial account that Greene died from injuries suffered in a car crash. It instead attributes Greenes death to physical struggle, troopers repeatedly stunning him, striking him in the head, restraining him at length and Greenes use of cocaine. Tiger is back at Masters, and it already felt like a victory AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Tiger Woods playing the Masters again, his shirt as pink as the azaleas at Augusta National, would have been enough reason to celebrate Thursday. It felt that way to him, too. Woods twirled his club after good shots, and there were enough. He pumped his fist after his longest birdie putt. And then normalcy gave way to reality when he used his wedge as a walking stick for his once-battered and now weary legs for a final climb toward the 18th green. Another par save for a 1-under 71, four shots behind Sungjae Im. But this wasn't just about a score. Woods was competing in a major, the first time in 508 days since a car crash some 14 month ago that shattered his right leg. That much was clear when asked if simply being able to play felt like a victory. His answer: Yes. Abortion rights backers block 'trigger' law in Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Abortion rights proponents scored a surprising victory in Nebraska by derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure throughout the country. The vote on Wednesday frustrated abortion rights opponents, who usually win fights over the issue in the conservative Legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have passed similar measures already, but abortion rights backers in Nebraska managed to block it using a filibuster in the single-chamber Legislature. The bill's supporters fell two votes short of the 33 they needed to end the filibuster and force a vote. The 31-15 vote left the proposal essentially dead for the rest of the year, even though a majority of lawmakers supported it. The vote largely fell along party lines in the ostensibly nonpartisan Legislature. In 2010, Nebraska became the first state to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, and the state outlawed a second-trimester abortion procedure in 2020 despite fervent protests from abortion rights supporters. The latest bill, however, faced a tougher path because of the current makeup of the Legislature, where Republicans are one seat short of the supermajority needed to overcome filibusters. One Republican and Democrat each crossed party lines, effectively canceling the other's vote. One Republican and two Democrats were absent. Opening Day in MLB: New No. 21 patches, NL DHs and Guardians Andrew McCutchen got the first hit of the year, up against the still-dormant ivy at Wrigley Field. He delivered as a National League designated hitter. Wearing a Roberto Clemente No. 21 patch, too. A little later on opening day, Nico Hoerner hit the first home run of 2022. He connected off a pitcher who used an electronic wristband to receive his signals from the catcher. Soon after that, in another yard, the Cleveland Guardians took the field for the first time. New season, and definitely a new look all across Major League Baseball. And if the weather wasn't quite summer-like in some spots Thursday, well, who cares? Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. ADEN, Yemen, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Thursday issued a decree forming a Presidential Leadership Council and handed over his power to the newly-formed council to implement the transitional phase in the war-ravaged country. According to the state-run Saba news agency, Hadi has turned over all his power to the newly formed council and relieved Vice President Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar of his duties. Hadi made the announcement during the final day of the Yemeni consultations held in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh. "By this declaration, I authorize the Presidential Leadership Council to irrevocably delegate all of my power in accordance with the constitution," said Hadi. The newly-formed council, consisting of eight members and headed by Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, will have the power to rule the Yemeni state politically, militarily, and on the security front. Al-Alimi is a well-known Yemeni political official who has been working as an advisor to Hadi since 2014 and held a number of government posts, including minister of the interior. The other seven members of the council include Aidarous Zubaidi, the chief of the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council, and Tariq Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hadi's decision also included forming a 50-member consultative body to assist the council in "unifying the visions and objectives of the various national forces and components." The newly-formed Presidential Leadership Council will also lead the negotiations with the Houthi militia "for a permanent ceasefire throughout the state," and engage in talks to reach a final and comprehensive political solution." Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was elected to lead the turbulent Arab country on February 25, 2012 following the handover of power by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in accordance with the Gulf Initiative on Yemen. ST. LOUIS (AP) A Chinese national who pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing a trade secret from agribusiness giant Monsanto while he worked in Missouri has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. Haitao Xiang, formerly of Chesterfield, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in St. Louis to 29 months in prison and fined $150,000. Xiang also must undergo three years of supervision upon his release from prison. In January, Xiang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit economic espionage. Federal prosecutors said Xiang transferred a trade secret to a memory card and then attempted to take it to China for the benefit of the Chinese government. Xiang worked as an imaging scientist for Monsanto and one of its subsidiaries, The Climate Corporation, from 2008 to 2017. Court records say Monsanto and The Climate Corporation developed a digital online farming software platform to help farmers collect field data to increase productivity. Part of the platform was an algorithm called the Nutrient Optimizer, which the companies considered a trade secret and their intellectual property. In June 2017, the day after leaving employment with the companies, Xiang tried to fly to China, prosecutors said. During a search, investigators found one of Xiangs electronic devices contained copies of the Nutrient Optimizer. Xiang flew to China, where he worked for the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Soil Science. He was arrested when he returned to the United States. The case was brought as part of a 2018 Justice Department effort called the China Initiative, which was intended to crack down on trade secret theft and economic espionage. The department retired the China Initiative name in February amid criticism that federal agents and prosecutors were being overly aggressive in their pursuit of Chinese academics on American college campuses. But the departments top national security official, Matthew Olsen, said at the time that the department would continue to go after Chinese espionage and that it stood behind its ongoing investigations and prosecutions related to China. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. PHOENIX Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Wednesday his office has uncovered instances of election fraud by individuals in 2020. But he is providing no details. And he finds no evidence the election results were rigged or that Donald Trump won the popular vote. Instead, Brnovich is using what he calls his 12-page interim report of his election review to propose changes to state laws and election procedures to prevent problems he says he has found. Among the recommendations are: Instituting new procedures to verify the people using mail-in ballots are who they are. Requiring the Auditor Generals Office, an arm of the Legislature, to review future elections. Spelling out in law the procedures for transporting ballots from drop boxes. Increasing the penalties for election crimes. Providing more protection for whistleblowers. Brnovich also took a slap at counties being allowed to accept outside funds to help administer elections. But that is now a moot issue as state lawmakers already enacted a prohibition against that occurring in the future. The report comes as Brnovich, a candidate for U.S. Senate, has been criticized by some fellow Republicans who accused him of not adequately investigating allegations, all unsubstantiated, that the election results were tainted, and claims that Trump, not Joe Biden, actually won the popular vote in Arizona. Some of Brnovichs foes in the primary election have accused him of dragging his feet. Even Trump called him out by name at a January rally, saying he was anxiously waiting for him to do his job. Brnovich is using Wednesdays report to defend not only the speed of the inquiry, which now has stretched into six months, but his record in vigorously defending Arizonas election integrity laws. He said hes not just relying on the findings of the audit ordered by Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott. The audit included a hand count that determined Biden not only won the popular vote in Maricopa County, but by a larger margin that the official election results. It made no finding of fraud but did claim to find irregularities. Brnovich said his agencys Election Integrity Unit has been doing its own work and producing results. The EIUs review has uncovered instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes, he wrote. But he said the review is ongoing and he is limited in what he can disclose. But much of what has already come to light falls into the area of individual actions and not wholesale fraud, such as the charges Brnovichs office brought against a Cochise County woman who pleaded guilty to voting the absentee ballot sent to her deceased mother. Criminal charges or not, Brnovich said there are bigger problems. We can report that there are problematic system-wide issues that relate to early ballot handling and verification, he wrote. Those start, he said, with procedures that are supposed to match the signatures on ballot envelopes with those already on file. He said that is not taking place at least not in a way to ensure compliance. For example, he said that on Nov. 4, 2020, the Maricopa County Recorder verified 206,648 signatures on early ballot envelopes, at a rate he computed to be 4.6 seconds per signature. There are simply too many early ballots that must be verified in too limited a period of time, thus leaving the system vulnerable to error, fraud and oversight, Brnovich said. He said the evidence suggests that Maricopa County election officials in 2020, faced with an overwhelming number of early ballots, were less than diligent in reviewing the signatures. He pointed to a sharp decline in the number of ballots rejected due to mismatches. Brnovichs proposed answer: More time to review the signatures, complete with spelling out the minimum amount of time that should be spent reviewing each one, as well as an objection and appeal process but he makes no suggestion of how much time would be appropriate. In a joint statement, Maricopa County Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates and County Recorder Stephen Richer said theres a basic flaw in Brnovichs premise. They said they gave the attorney general a list of more than 40 staff members who were involved in signature verification. Yet the calculations in the AGs letter is based on one staff member working signature verification alone, said Gates and Richer, who are both Republicans. The bottom line: The AG has not identified even a single instance where a ballot was accepted with a non-matching signature, or signature that was later cured by contacting the voter to explain any discrepancies. The attorney general also is backing a measure already placed on the 2022 ballot by Republican lawmakers to require those casting early ballots to provide additional forms of identification like drivers license number and date of birth. And he wants the laws to spell out that the election observers from each party have the time and opportunity to meaningfully observe the signature verification process in real time and to raise objections if officials are not doing their jobs to actually and accurately verify signatures. Brnovich said he also found violations of election procedures by Maricopa County workers who were picking up ballots from drop boxes. This included missing audit signatures, missing ballot count fields, missing Election Department receiver signatures, missing courier signatures and missing documentation of security seals and of the two required seal numbers, he said. In other words, it is possible that somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 ballots were transported without a proper chain of custody. Here, too, Gates and Richer found the attorney generals report wanting. We can account for every ballot that was delivered to the Elections Department, whether it was returned in a drop box, voted in person early, mailed back to us, or voted on Election Day, they said. Maricopa County election workers followed the laws as they were written in 2020, they wrote. If the AG wants different laws, hes welcome to advocate for them. Brnovich also wants specific penalties for anyone who tampers with or damages a drop box in a way that could alter the ballots. And he wants lawmakers to set stronger penalties for those who refuse to comply with a legislative subpoena or a demand for information from his office. The legislature should also consider increasing the penalties for election-related crimes and adding protections for whistleblowers, he wrote. While Brnovich also is calling for periodic audits of future elections, that may prove a non-starter at the Legislature. The Senate earlier this month killed a proposal to allocate nearly $4 million a year for the Auditor Generals Office to hire a staff of more than two dozen people to conduct an audit of virtually all elements of the elections in Maricopa and Pima counties, as well as two smaller counties that would be randomly selected. Two Republicans joined the 14 Democrats in killing it. Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. PHOENIX With a holdout in her own Republican caucus, Senate President Karen Fann is moving ahead with a state budget she hopes can pick up some Democratic support. The Prescott Republican said Thursday she remains one vote short of the 16 needed to approve a spending plan for the coming fiscal year. Ditto on a proposal to accelerate implementation of a flat income tax originally approved last year. That missing vote for the moment is Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale. The problem from Boyers perspective isnt enacting a flat tax rate, which would cut taxes. He supports it. But he also wants and believes there is money available to put an extra $900 million into K-12 education. Boyer said thats what voters want, citing their approval in 2020 of Proposition 208, a new tax on the wealthy to raise money for education. That initiative was voided after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled there was no legal way to spend the money it would have raised. That problem could easily be resolved with a vote of the Legislature to provide itself the cash that the tax otherwise would have raised. And lawmakers can waive the education spending cap, just like they did earlier this year to deal with current funding. But Fann acknowledged there are Republicans who would never vote for more funding for education beyond current levels. So theres the stalemate if lawmakers hope to adopt a budget with only Republican priorities and only Republican votes. Friday is day 89 of the legislative session that is supposed to run just 100 days. And while no one expects lawmakers to meet that deadline, Fann said she needs to move forward, with or without Boyer. Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, said she and the other 13 members of the Democratic caucus are waiting to hear what Fann has to say. Were more than willing to sit at the table and negotiate with her, she said. The question is, what is it they are truly willing to put on the table. Were not going to be bought off cheaply, Rios said. For Fann, the problem comes down to the fact that Republicans have the barest majority in the 30-member Senate. That means to advance GOP priorities she needs all 16 to be on board. And the ultimate test every year of the majority party is the adoption of a budget. We have been trying for the last four weeks to work with one of our members that was not comfortable passing something unless they got what they wanted, Fann said. And I think at this point the rest of the members are saying, Were not going to wait any more, lets just go ahead and put our normal budget together and move forward. Its not a question that there isnt money. In fact, the reverse is true. When dollars are short, there isnt a lot of room for lawmakers to hold out for their own priorities, whether it is spending on new programs, construction of bridges or roads in their districts, or tax cuts. But when theres plenty of cash, legislators, particularly in the majority party, each have something they want as part of the budget package. Thats the case this year. In a report Thursday, the staff of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee said tax collections remain strong, in the neighborhood of 18% over the prior year. The report also says there will be close to $1.3 billion available to enact new or expanded programs. That doesnt count another $2.8 billion that could be spent on one-time projects. Boyer is not the only one with priorities. Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, has been arguing for years to have the state start paying down its debts. Some of that is money the state borrowed from public schools using an accounting gimmick, moving certain expenditures from one fiscal year into another. There also are other long-term debts. Cook managed to get some of that paid down last year, a move he said saves the state $270 million a year in debt payments. He figures theres another $100 million to be saved with some further debt reductions. I want that to pay for the tax cut, he said. Cook also said he supports additional dollars for K-12 education, though hes not sure the state can afford as much as Boyer wants. Cook finds himself in somewhat the same position as Boyer. He is one of 31 Republicans in the 60-member House. And if there is to be an all-Republican budget, his vote is needed. Boyer, for his part, said he doesnt need the support of all of the 15 other Senate Republicans to craft a deal on the budget and tax cuts. Id bring in some people to offset those votes, he said. And that would be my friends across the aisle. But theres a complicating factor. Boyer also wants expansion of empowerment scholarship accounts, the program that allows parents to get a voucher of state funds to send their children to private or parochial schools. He said while the current limits are fairly broad, including any student in a public school rated D or F, he wants a special carve-out for children living in poverty. Rios, however, said that wont fly. ESAs are a non-starter for Democrats, she said, with party members saying they divert needed dollars from the public schools that most students attend. All that has left Fann with no clear idea of how long it will take to adopt a budget and tax-cut plan. I will be here as long as it takes, she said, pointing out that lawmakers were in session last year right up to the last day of the fiscal year on June 30. It took us 171 days last year, Fann said. It might be taking us 172 this year to get it. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. RIYADH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday 3-billion-U.S. dollars support for Yemen following the formation of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council. The support includes 2 billion dollars offered jointly by the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates to the Yemeni Central Bank, the Saudi Press Agency reported. It also includes 1 billion dollars from Saudi Arabia, in which 600 million dollars to fund the purchase of oil derivatives and 400 million dollars to support development projects and initiatives, it said. Saudi Arabia also announced offering 300 million dollars for the United Nations' (UN) humanitarian response plan in 2022 to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. Meanwhile, the kingdom urged the newly formed Yemeni council to embark on negotiations with the Houthis under the auspices of the UN to reach a final and comprehensive political solution. Earlier on the day, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has announced the establishment of a Presidential Leadership Council and handed over his power to the council, which will proceed with the duties during the transitional period. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened on March 26, 2015 to support the Yemeni government. SAND SPRINGS Fifty years or so ago, some real estate developer looked out on land just south of the Arkansas River on the western edge of Sand Springs and envisioned row upon row of bright, pretty houses waiting to be filled by happy families. Today, Joe Kralicek, executive director of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency, looks out on that Town and Country neighborhood full of residents who refer to the floods theyve experienced over the decades in a kind of shorthand, citing years and the inches of water with which their homes were inundated and envisions wide-open green space with a meandering river nearby. If we had known in the 70s what we know today, this neighborhood should never have been built, he said Wednesday night at a meeting at the Case Community Center in Sand Springs to discuss a flood buyout plan. This is a prairie river, Kralicek said. By its nature, a prairie river wants to drift. It wants to move. Its pure hubris that we think this river is going to stay within its banks in this one spot because weve told it to, he said. We need to give the river the ability to do what the river does. This should have been floodplain from the get-go. If Kralicek has anything to say about it, thats exactly whats going to happen next. If I had unlimited funds, I would go through and buy out this entire neighborhood and revert this back to green space, he said. The funds might not be unlimited, but Tulsa County officials announced last week that $14.7 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding is being made available for the purpose of offering buyouts to residents whose homes were damaged by catastrophic flooding in May 2019. The flooding along the Arkansas River submerged hundreds of homes and businesses from west of Sand Springs east toward downtown Tulsa, as well as elsewhere across the Tulsa metropolitan area. Near Sand Springs, Town and Country, as well as the nearby Meadow Valley neighborhood and the Candlestick Beach area a little farther west, were also hit hard. All told, the flooding wreaked havoc across a dozen counties in four states, with more than a thousand homes inundated, including more than 300 in and around Sand Springs. Losses totaled $3 billion, officials have reported. But the kicker is that its highly likely almost certain to happen again. As you all know, you could flood again, Tulsa County District 2 Commissioner Karen Keith told the more than 100 people packed into the meeting room Wednesday night. It could be 15 years from now; it could be 10; it could be this spring. We dont know. But that is kind of the reality that you have to live with. Wednesdays meeting was one step in a lengthy, arduous process of righting the ship, so to speak of removing families and structures from harms way, getting those families into replacement housing outside the flood zone and restoring the river to its natural floodplain. Officials are holding public meetings this was the first, and at least three more are scheduled at the moment to gauge voluntary interest. Starting in about June and lasting through much of the rest of this year, the process will involve determining the projects scope, identifying applicants, acquiring cost estimates, prioritizing recipients if necessary and conducting environmental reviews of property, where appropriate. Less certain is exactly when homeowners could expect to receive offers on their properties, but project officials said Wednesday night that they were optimistic that it would be within a year. Officials said about 1,000 properties in Tulsa County have already been preliminarily identified for potential buyout. But Lacie Jones, a project manager for Meshek & Associates, a firm thats helping the county navigate the process, stressed repeatedly that the key word is voluntary. Although the program is open to any Tulsa County resident who experienced damage in the 2019 flooding, no one will be forced to participate, she said. You can opt out at any time. But if you have an inkling of a thought that you might want to participate, see what the offer is, she said. At some point during the meeting, Keith asked for a show of hands of those who had at least some interest in the buyout process, and the vast majority of those in attendance raised their hands. Karla Brown of Sand Springs, who said she has lived in the Meadow Valley subdivision since the 1970s, was one of those. If they can get me out of there and relocate me without too much pain, it could be a good thing, she said. Im going to put in my application and see what happens. Kralicek said he was heartened by the community response and the willingness to consider the (buyout) option. He said he saw a lot of interest in this, and thats wonderful. That shows this is a community thats vested in what happens to it. Not to mention residents who are tired of mucking out their homes after the latest great flood. Theyre tired of this," Kralicek said. "Enough is enough with the flooding. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Tulsa man who admitted to fatally shooting a 15-year-old after he stole fireworks from his family business was sentenced to serve 6 years in federal prison with credit for time already served in state prison for the crime. Johnny Edward Mize II, 36, whose state conviction and sentence were overturned due to the McGirt ruling, had hoped to receive a sentence of time already served in state prison, a request opposed by federal prosecutors who retried Mize. The requested sentence of the 38 months imprisonment already served is hardly appropriate, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Reininger said in a Tuesday court filing. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell allowed for Mize to credit the time he already served in state prison toward his 78-month prison term. Mize also will have to serve three years of post-custody supervision. Mize admitted Dec. 1 to shooting 15-year-old Jake Ulrich on July 4, 2017, after the teen and his cousin stole about $600 worth of fireworks from the fireworks stand operated by the Mize family west of downtown Tulsa, according to court documents. According to the federal government, Mize admitted chasing and shooting Ulrich through the passenger window of the pickup in which the cousins were fleeing, striking him in the chest. The driver, Ulrichs cousin, got out of the pickup and ran after Mize to shoot at him, too, according to court documents. Mize then climbed into the pickup drivers seat and drove it back toward the fireworks stand before abandoning the broken-down vehicle with Ulrich in it on the side of the road, according to court documents. A passerby later discovered Ulrichs body inside the pickup, according to court documents. Mize had been sentenced Jan. 25, 2019, to serve a 25-year state prison sentence after a Tulsa County District Court jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the slaying. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned his conviction and sentence March 25, 2021, in response to his challenge of the states right to prosecute him under the U.S. Supreme Courts McGirt ruling. Ulrichs membership in the Cherokee Nation, coupled with the killing having occurred within the Creek Nation Reservation, meant the state of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to prosecute Mize, the appellate court ruled. Featured video: Supreme Court lets McGirt ruling stand, will consider letting Oklahoma share jurisdiction Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A judge dismissed a federal civil rights lawsuit Wednesday that was filed on behalf of two Tulsa County pretrial detainees who claim state law underpays court-appointed attorneys in death-penalty cases. Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III declined to intervene in the two state death-penalty cases and ordered that the lawsuit be dismissed under a legal doctrine that calls for federal courts to abstain from cases pending in state court under certain conditions. A federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the states pay cap on attorney compensation in death-penalty cases was filed Feb. 17 on behalf of David Anthony Ware and Derrick Wayne Stith, both indigent. Tulsa County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both in their unrelated cases. Ware is currently on trial in connection with the fatal shooting of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson and the wounding of Officer Auresh Zarkeshan. Stith faces the death penalty if convicted of the 2017 hammer beating death of Kimberly Vo. Court-appointed attorneys for both Ware and Stith claim that the states Indigent Defense Act pay cap of $20,000 for lead counsel and $5,000 for co-counsel in death-penalty cases is unconstitutional. However, in a seven-page ruling, Heil determined that the case must be dismissed under the so-called Younger abstention doctrine, based in part on a 1971 California court case. In his ruling, Heil quoted from an earlier federal ruling that said that under the Younger abstention doctrine, federal courts are to abstain from exercising jurisdiction to interfere with state proceedings when three requirements are met: There is an ongoing state criminal, civil or administrative proceeding. The state court provides an adequate forum to hear the claims raised in the federal complaint. The state proceedings involve important state interests, matters that traditionally look to state law for their resolution or implicate separately articulated state policies. All three conditions requiring abstention are met here, Heil wrote in his opinion and order. Ware and Stith alleged that they lack an adequate state forum for their claims because the Oklahoma Legislature has created a system by which the conflict capital counsel is funded out of the same court fund that funds the judicial retirement accounts. The pair alleged that every state judge in Oklahoma has a conflict of interest in deciding their claims since both counsel in capital cases and judicial retirees receive money from the same court fund. But Heil wrote that even if the plaintiffs claims of a conflict of interest are true, they are not precluded from raising their claims in state court. Heil determined that the claims didnt qualify under exceptions to the Younger doctrine, either, including the claim that they would suffer irreparable injury if the pay cap were permitted to continue. Plaintiffs allegations that they will be deprived of their rights to the effective assistance of counsel, to due process, and to equal protection of the law if they are prosecuted in state court do not allege irreparable injury sufficient to warrant federal intervention in their ongoing criminal prosecution, Heil wrote. Should either case result in a state conviction, Heil said an appeal could then be raised in state and federal courts. Ware and Stith had sought a federal injunction against state prosecutors pursuit of the death penalty until the attorney pay cap law was remedied. July 2020: Attorneys discuss video, possibility of death penalty request in shooting of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. More than 100 school districts and charter schools across northeastern Oklahoma received a financial boost Wednesday from the Cherokee Nation. For the second consecutive year, the tribe hosted a virtual Public School Appreciation Day rather than an in-person event to give away $7.5 million to 107 school districts and charter schools. Since 2002, the Cherokee Nation has contributed $76 million in car tag revenue to public education. Wednesdays disbursement is the largest one to date. The past two years have been unlike any other in modern history, and the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of working together as community partners to move forward together, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. I am proud of our longstanding partnerships with school districts in northeast Oklahoma, and I know our investment in public education means we are all in it together. The tribe allocates 38% of its car tag revenue directly to education. School districts that are at least partially in a county that falls within the Cherokee Nation reservation receive money based on the number of Cherokee students enrolled, but school administrators can use those funds however they see fit. In Tulsa County alone, 14 school districts and two charter schools received a combined $1.6 million. Tulsa Public Schools received $262,330.91, which will go exclusively toward programming costs and supplies for its Indian Education program. TPS Indian Education serves about 3,000 Indigenous students across all grades and campuses. Union Public Schools received $111,400.80. In an email, Superintendent Kirt Hartzler said the donation would go toward helping both staff and students. Their contribution has helped us to pay summer school and tutoring expenses for Native American students, he said. Their contribution has also helped to cover school supplies for students and teachers and even some professional development. We are very thankful for their partnership and support for public education. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OKLAHOMA CITY A Senate panel passed a measure Thursday that would create an Oklahoma trade office in Taipei, Taiwan. The Southeast Asia Trade Office would be within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee passed the House Bill 3166 by a vote of 11-0. The goal is to facilitate business relationships between Oklahoma and Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, according to the measure. Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, said it was a first brick in a path for businesses in that region wishing to move to Oklahoma. Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, questioned Pederson about the cost of opening an office in Taiwan, which Pederson said would cost about $250,000. Brooks also asked if any mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of the office were in the bill. Pederson said no. He said the state wouldnt be building anything, adding that a facility is already available for the states use. Seven states already have offices there, he said. Under questioning from Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, Pederson said he was uncertain whether Taiwan would be establishing a trade office in Oklahoma. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said 92% of the worlds microchips are made in Taiwan. Tens of thousands of automobiles are sitting on lots around the country just waiting for a simple processor to go into the onboard computer system so the cars can be delivered to consumers, he said. These types of trade relationships have shown the nations that enter into them see a 17% reduction in costs to the consumer in products, Pugh said. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Taiwan is currently the United States ninth-largest goods trading partner, with $90.6 billion in total (two-way) goods trade during 2020. Featured video: Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LIMA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian President Pedro Castillo on Thursday appointed Jorge Lopez Pena as the new health minister, making him the third of his administration, after Hernan Condori was censured a week ago by the opposition-led Congress. "For my family, for my Peru, for quality health for all, without distinction, I swear," Lopez said during the ceremony held at the Government Palace in the capital of Lima. The new minister, who is a surgeon by profession, previously served as vice minister of public health and director of the Regional Teaching Clinical Surgical Hospital of Huancayo in the department of Junin. As the third health minister, Lopez is preceded by Condori, who served for about two months and Hernando Cevallos, who was the first to hold the post. On March 31, Condori resigned after Congress approved a motion of censure against him calling for his removal. Vietnam's domestic coffee prices edged lower this week, tracking weakness in global financial markets on worries about policy tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve, while favourable crop outlook in Brazil dented sentiment further. Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's largest coffee-growing area, sold coffee COFVN-DAK at 40,500-41,500 dong ($1.77-$1.81) per kg, down from a range of 41,100 to 42,000 dong a week earlier. "Output from Brazil, where a harvest is expected to begin in June, is forecast to be huge, putting downward pressure on global prices," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said, adding that a harvest is also underway in Indonesia. However, local traders said low stockpile will keep domestic prices from falling significantly further, adding that farmers in the Central Highlands have sold 70%-80% of their beans. Traders in Vietnam offered 5% black and broken-grade 2 robusta COFVN-G25-SAI at a discount range of $240 to $250 per tonne to the July contract, unchanged from last week. July robusta coffee LRCc2 settled down $20, or 0.9%, at $2,090 a tonne after slumping to a three-week low of $2,071 on Wednesday. In Indonesia's Lampung province, robusta beans for shipments in May and onwards were offered at discounts of $150, compared with the $150-$160 discount last week. Another trader said the discount was at $200 to the July contract, compared with last week's $200 discount to May contract. Traders in Indonesia said a mini harvest has begun there, starting at farms in the western region of Lampung. Check out the news you should not miss today: Society -- Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Wednesday during the inauguration ceremony of the Hung Kings temple in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho that the temple was built not only to honor the nation's ancestors but also to affirm its independence and self-reliance. The Hung Kings temple in Can Tho City will officially open to visitors on Thursday. -- According to Japanese media, a 50-year-old man has been charged with murder, robbery, and concealment of the body of a Vietnamese woman in an apartment in Osaka's Yodogawa Ward. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday arrested the chairman of a joint stock company for fraud and property appropriation of more than VND650 billion (US$28.4 million). -- Authorities in Hanoi have allowed discos, bars, karaoke parlors, and game centers to reopen on Friday after a year of suspension due to COVID-19, provided they meet the citys safety requirements. -- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City has recently proposed that the municipal People's Committee assign it the task of coordinating with a number of related agencies and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct a comprehensive study on the city's land subsidence issue. -- Police in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province have recently slapped a local man with a total fine of VND7.5 million ($327) for spreading fake news and rumors on social media. Lifestyle -- After nearly a year of preparation and rehearsal, the Hat Boi Artistic Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City introduced the art program 'Sac An Ngoc Nam Phuong' (Edict Nam Phuong's Royal Seal) at the Municipal Theater on Wednesday, with the goal of attracting youngsters, many of those who have never seen 'hat boi' (classical Vietnamese opera), as well as domestic and international tourists. World News -- Japan plans to ease COVID 19-related border restrictions by lifting its entry ban for foreign nationals from 106 countries including the United States, Britain and France on Friday, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in Hanoi have announced the reopening of local bars, karaoke parlors, and online game centers following a ban that lasted for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bars, discos, karaoke shops, and online game centers in the capital city are permitted to reopen from Friday, Truong Viet Dung, head of the Office of the municipal Peoples Committee, said during a meeting on socio-economic development on Wednesday afternoon. The administration advised people with symptoms such as cough, fever, and difficulty breathing against going to these venues. Businesses that offer such services must take pandemic prevention measures during their operations. Owners of bars and karaoke parlors in the city recently complained that they were left behind as they were still not allowed to reopen while most non-essential businesses had already resumed operation. Municipal authorities had shut down local bars, discos, karaoke parlors, and online game centers since April 30 last year due to the serious fourth COVID-19 outbreak, which hit the country on April 27 the same year. Hanoi has recorded more than 1.5 million local infections in this bout. The citys daily count declined sharply from more than 32,000 cases on March 7 to just above 4,000 on April 6. During a meeting on Wednesday morning, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Chu Ngoc Anh stated that Hanoi has passed the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. About 99.5 percent of people aged 12 and over in the capital city have been vaccinated, the official added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) will establish a task force to look into a case where an air traffic controller at Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong City did not keep in touch with the pilot of a departing flight, a leader of the central aviation governing body said on Wednesday. The air traffic controller failed to answer several calls from the pilot who flew flight VJ 671 from Cat Bi Airport to Buon Ma Thuot City in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak ahead of its departure on the morning of March 18. The pilot made ten very high frequency (VHF) radio calls and three emergency frequency calls in total, starting at 5:30 am on the day, 45 minutes prior to the departure time, but received no response from the air traffic controller. After many unsuccessful calls, the pilot reached out to the Hanoi Long-Distance Control Center to report the incident. The Hanoi Long-Distance Control Center then contacted the Cat Bi Airport Traffic Control Tower, which provided the pilot with information facilitating his flights departure. Footage from security cameras installed at the Cat Bi Airport Traffic Control Tower later showed that the staff member on duty at that time sat in the wrong position and did not wear his headphones, so he failed to acknowledge calls from the pilot, which were made earlier than the scheduled departure time, according to the CAAV leader. The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, which manages the Cat Bi Airport Traffic Control Tower, is set to handle the air traffic control crew in question while the CAAV will further clarify the case before making an official conclusion, the leader added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended on Wednesday the inauguration ceremony of the Hung Kings Temple in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. In his remarks, President Phuc said the construction of the temple is not only to honor the national ancestors but also to affirm the nations independence and self-reliance. He expected the Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho to create a connection with a similar temple in northern Vietnam and to become a tourist attraction in the Mekong Delta region. The leader also requested local authorities to effectively manage and preserve the architecture. Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the inauguration of the Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho City, Vietnam, April 6, 2022. Photo: Chi Quoc / Tuoi Tre The Hung Kings Temple covers an area of more than 39,000 square meters in Binh Thuy Ward, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City. Costing VND129.5 billion (US$5,600), the temple was designed and constructed by Van Phu - Invest Investment JSC. Aside from the main temple, the venue also consists of stelae, a ritual house, an operator house, roads and yards, trees, and lawns. The highlight of the work is the main temple, which is shaped as a bronze drum with 18 sculpted pillars representing the 18 Hung Kings of Vietnam. The inauguration of the Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho City, Vietnam, April 6, 2022. Photo: Chi Quoc / Tuoi Tre The building is 19.5 meters tall and covers nearly 1,300 square meters. The main temple is surrounded by a lake and 54 pillars representing 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. The Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho City is open to visitors from Thursday. Hung King is the title given to the ancient Vietnamese rulers of the Hong Bang period (2879258 BC), according to the Vietnam News Agency. The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A 59-year-old man has been charged with murder, robbery, and concealment of the body of a Vietnamese woman in an apartment in Osakas Yodogawa Ward, according to Japanese media. The Japanese press reported that police had found the body of a woman in an apartment in Yodogawa Ward, Osaka Prefecture on Monday. The victims identity was later confirmed as V.T.L.Q., a 31-year-old Vietnamese national, NHK public television reported. The place where Q. was found dead was a flat on the second floor owned by a local man, who is in his 50s, while the first floor is a restaurant where she worked part-time. A day after the discovery of Q.s body, based on the results of an autopsy, Japanese police announced that the cause of her death was strangulation at around 9:00 pm on Sunday (Japan time). A house compound where V.T.L.Q., a 31-year-old Vietnamese national, was found dead in Osaka Prefecture, Japan on April 4, 2022. Photo: KTV Following that, police affirmed on Wednesday that Toshiie Yamaguchi, a 59-year-old local office worker, was the suspect of the case, according to Nippon TV. Yamaguchi was charged with murder, robbery, and concealment of Q.s body. Police officers speculated that Yamaguchi met Q. to borrow some money but the Vietnamese woman refused to lend it to him. He then strangled the victim and stole money from her, using a bag and tape to hide her body. Yamaguchi later confessed to attacking and robbing the victim. The details of the case are being further clarified by local authorities. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The leader of the Hanoi Party Committee has directed the suspension of the demolition of an old French-style edifice, most of which has been destroyed so far, to serve a project on building a modern commercial complex in Ba Dinh District. In his recent direction, Party Committee secretary Dinh Tien Dung asked the city administration and agencies concerned to request the project investor, Hanoi-based Post and Telecommunication Equipment Joint Stock Company, to cease dismantling the ancient building. The two-story building is located at 61 Tran Phu Street near Ba Dinh Square, in an area called 'the Ba Dinh Political Area.' This four-facade building served as the premises of a post equipment factory that had been removed under a construction plan for the area. This image shows a scene of the demolition of the old French-style building at 61 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Dung also asked the Ba Dinh District administration to handle law-breaking acts, if any, in relation to the project being developed at the building, whose four sides are seated on four streets, including Hung Vuong, Tran Phu, Le Truc, and Nguyen Thai Hoc. The results of the implementation of this direction must be reported to the Standing Board of the Party Committee before April 15. The direction came after Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported on Monday that many Hanoi heritage enthusiasts were surprised and sorry when witnessing the dismantling of the house that once marked the historical vestiges of the capital in the resistance war against the U.S. before 1975. Notably, on the wall of the building on the Nguyen Thai Hoc - Le Truc intersection, there is a relief embossed with the image of militia and self-defense forces defending Hanoi during the war. The relief also shows the words indicating that local armed forces shot down an American plane on May 19, 1967 in this location. An artists impression of a new commercial center expected to be built at 61 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Photo: T.D. / Tuoi Tre On Monday, the Ba Dinh District administration issued a document asking the project investor to preserve the historical relief. Currently, except the building facade on Hung Vuong Street that remains basically intact, all the other fronts on Le Truc, Tran Phu, and Nguyen Thai Hoc Streets have been pulled down. The inside part of the edifice was completely destroyed. In a dispatch to the Hanoi administration on Wednesday, the Ministry of Construction demanded that local authorities halt the development of the commercial center project and review its architecture plan to ensure it complies with relevant regulations and stays harmonious with the overall landscape in the vicinity. All the steps to develop the commercial center at 61 Tran Phu have been carried out in accordance with relevant regulations, according to the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture. The Hanoi Peoples Committee licensed the construction in 2017 and approved the change of land use purposes for the project in 2018, the department said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A vendor sells chicken at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. Soaring poultry prices have kept chicken, an iftar dinner basic, off many household holiday menus during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Soaring poultry prices have kept chicken, an iftar dinner basic, off many household holiday menus during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip. For six days in a row, Sohaila Abdel Hady, a mother of seven from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, couldn't afford to cook a chicken for her family. Instead, she chose frozen bovine meat imported from Israel as a cheaper replacement. "My husband works as a day laborer in a local factory, and he can barely earn 10 U.S. dollars a day ... it is not enough to buy one chicken," the 46-year-old woman told Xinhua. For several weeks, Gaza markets have witnessed a remarkable increase in the prices of poultry, as the per kg unit price of chicken has reached 5.5 U.S. dollars for the first time in years. The item cost 1.5 dollars per kg at most before Ramadan, according to the locals. In the Al-Bashir Poultry and Meat Mall in Gaza, chickens were sold at a price range out of reach for most Palestinian families, said Fayez al-Ejla, a worker at the mall, told Xinhua. Expressing support to those consumers who see traders and farm owners' price-fixing behind the recent hike, the mall has left its refrigerators empty with a banner noticing "chicken out of stock due to high prices." "We boycotted purchasing from (these) traders and farm owners because they monopolize prices and want to set the price they want. They are not concerned about the fact that most families suffer from difficult economic conditions," al-Ejla said. The Hamas-run Economic Ministry announced it has tightened up measures to counter monopolist influence on basic commodities prices while saying bird flu in other breeder countries has led to a supply shortage in Gaza. Abdul Fattah al-Zuraei, an undersecretary of the ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday that indicative prices for commodities have been issued in the local market, and traders who raise food commodities prices will be held accountable. Ayman al-Yazuri, an undersecretary of the Agriculture Ministry, said the ministry imports some three million eggs per month from Israel, European countries, and North America to cover the needs for broiler chickens. "As a result of bird flu exposure in egg-producing countries in January and February, hundreds of thousands of mothers of broiler chickens were culled, slashing the quantity of fertilized eggs of broiler chickens in the Gaza Strip," Al-Yazuri added. In a bid to overcome the poultry crisis, Gaza has started importing fertilized eggs from Egypt. About one million such eggs entered Gaza in March, with more to come. Israel has imposed a tight blockade on Gaza, a Palestinian enclave home to 2 million people, since mid-2007, which led to a notable deterioration of economic and social conditions. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, about 1.5 million Gazans have become impoverished due to the Israeli siege. A vendor sells chicken meat at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. Soaring poultry prices have kept chicken, an iftar dinner basic, off many household holiday menus during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A vendor sells chicken meat at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. Soaring poultry prices have kept chicken, an iftar dinner basic, off many household holiday menus during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) By Ann Zlotnik The Marian Library Gallery has been taken back to the early 20th century and transformed into an Art Nouveau haven. In his illustrations and ephemera, the artist Ezio Anichini depicts the many roles of the Blessed Virgin Mary; brings childrens literature to life; and captures Italys classical roots and emerging national identity. Together, the works demonstrate the power of graphic design to convey devotion, imagination and national pride and ideology. Two highlights of this exhibit are Litanie della Madonna, a rare book in the Marian Library collections containing Litany of Loreto imagery by Anichini, along with two intricately embroidered reproductions of Anichini illustrations in gold thread, filoselle and fine floss, on loan from the Royal School of Needlework in England. The majority of the exhibit draws from the private collection and independent research of John A. Shaffer. How to Visit A Vision of Art and Faith: The Litany of Loreto and the Work of Ezio Anichini (1886-1948) is free and open to the public through Aug. 26, 2022. Visit the Marian Library website for more information such as hours, special events, parking and directions to the University of Dayton. Ann Zlotnik designs print, digital and exhibit materials across University Libraries while managing marketing, communication and websites specific to the Marian Library. Potentially dangerous and damaging winds will continue to howl across much of the Central states through Thursday. Not only will the powerful gusts threaten to knock over vehicles, trigger power outages and cause significant property damage, but the effect of the winds will also exacerbate ongoing drought and elevate the risk of wildfires, AccuWeather forecasters say. The strong winds began on Tuesday, with wind gusts over 100 mph in some locations. Winds are not expected to be quite as powerful through Thursday, but they will still be powerful enough to cause problems. "The combination of strong winds, low humidity and warmth can contribute to an extreme fire risk," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike LeSeney. Wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph will be common across a massive area stretching more than 1,000 miles from the Canadian prairies to the plains of Texas and Oklahoma. However, some locations will have much stronger winds than that. "The strongest winds are expected over portions of eastern Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, northern Colorado and northwestern Kansas with gusts of 50-60 mph," said LeSeney. In that zone, an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 80 mph can occur. At this force, there will continue to be the potential for strong crosswinds in open areas, which could cause issues for motorists. Some of the sudden, stronger gusts may even cause trucks and trailers to become unstable and roll over. The strong winds can break tree limbs and knock down power lines and poorly constructed buildings could sustain some damage. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The extreme fire threat has prompted widespread wind advisories, high wind warnings and red flag warnings across the central U.S. High wind watches stretched from the Canada-Minnesota border all the way into Kansas and Colorado as of early Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon, a fire was reported in Boulder, Colorado, with the active fire put out as of 4:55 p.m. MDT. A photo taken from a local aerospace building showed the fire burning rapidly. Story continues With a slow-moving storm spinning over Wisconsin, the wind will continue in many of the same areas right into Thursday. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a statewide disaster declaration earlier this week due to the threat that wildfires posed. "This declaration will allow our state agencies to pre-position firefighting equipment and extra manpower in areas considered to be at the greatest risk," Kelly said, according to KCTV. AccuWeather Many locations in the Central states are under some level of drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Parts of the northern Rockies and central and southern Plains are dealing with extreme to exceptional drought categories, the two most intense classifications of drought. "Regions surrounding far northern Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle have received less than 0.50 of an inch of precipitation over the previous month, on average," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer. This image depicts several levels of wildfire danger on Thursday forecast by the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. Farther to the northeast, blowing snow will be the primary concern instead of fire danger. Heavy snow will continue to fall from portions of eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota to northern portions of Wisconsin and Michigan into Thursday. Even though the snow will be heavy and wet due to temperatures near or just above freezing, forecasters say the wind will be strong enough to cause the snow to be blown sideways at times. The low visibility could cause some motorists to become disorientated in open areas. As the storm over the Great Lakes finally begins to move away into Canada on Friday, a bit of a breeze will continue, but it will not be nearly as windy as it was earlier this week. A new storm system may cause winds to increase once again across portions of the Rockies and High Plains by the beginning of the weekend. As this new storm strengthens, surging warmth can again raise the fire danger in central and southern portions of the Plains from this weekend to early next week. Farther to the north, there is the potential for a heavy April snowfall to fall across parts of Wyoming and Colorado to western Nebraska and portions of the Dakotas and Minnesota over the course of Sunday to Wednesday. For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform. Amazing Astedt Wins Fifth Super MILLION$; Ties All-Time Record April 07 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor Niklas Astedt secured his fifth Super MILLION$ title and $430,646 in prize money at GGPoker on April 5. The amazing Swede came from the middle of the pack to take down the $10,300 buy-in event and tie with Australian superstar Michael Addamo in terms of Super MILLION$ titles won. Almost as impressive as Astedts fifth victory was the fact former champion Aleks Ponakovs came from a 10.2 big blind starting stack to finish second for a $332,073. Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 37 Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Niklas Astedt Sweden $430,646 2 Aleks Ponakovs Latvia $332,073 3 Pablo Silva Brazil $256,063 4 Joao Vieira Brazil $197,452 5 Aliaksei Boika Mexico $152,256 6 TTP_poker Taiwan $117,405 7 Roland "Gwriden" Rokita Austria $90,532 8 pedrinhoOo Austria $69,809 9 Isaac Haxton Canada $53,830 Isaac Haxton was the first of the nine finalists heading for the showers. He opened to 110,000 with ace-jack from late position with blinds at 25,000/50,000/6,000a only for Pablo Silva to three-bet to 260,000 from the cutoff. The action folded back to Haxton who shoved for 857,859 in total, and Silva snapped him off with the dominating ace-king. Silvas king-kicker was good enough to win the pot and bust Haxton. Ponakovs scored two full doubles, first with queens versus the ace-king of Aliaksei Boika, then with ace-king versus Roland "Gwriden" Rokitas king-queen. The latter hand left Rokita with only three big blinds but he was not the next player out of the door, that dubious honor went to "pedrinhoOo." They opened to 340,144 at the 50,000/100,000/12,500a level leaving themselves only 200,000 chips behind. "TTP_poker" made it 647,140 from the next seat across, folding out everyone except the initial raiser who called all-in. It was ace-jack for pedrinhoOo and ace-king for TTP_poker. An eight-high board reduced the player count by one. Win Your 2022 WSOP Main Event Package With GGPokers Road to Vegas Rokita saw his tournament end in seventh place, a finish worth $90,532, the last five-figure haul of the final table. Rokita open-shoved for less than four big blinds from the cutoff with ace-eight. Silva called in the big blind with king-ten and proceeded to flop a ten. The final six became five with the exit of TTP_poker. Everyone folded to Silva in the small blind and he raised enough to put TTP_poker to their test for their 6.5 big blind stack. TTP_poker called with eight-seven offsuit and needed some help to beat Silvas ace-king. TTP_pokers gutsy call saw them spike a seven on the flop but an ace on the river sent them to the rail. Blinds increased to 100,000/200,000/25,000a and the largest stack contained only 25 big blinds so something had to give. It did when Boika ripped it in for 4,349,076 from the small blind with ace-eight and Astedt called from the big blind with pocket tens. Astedt turned a full house to take a commanding lead into four-handed play. Joao Vieira finished in fourth place Joao Vieira busted in fourth in a monster pot. Ponakovs min-raised to 500,000 with ace-jack, Vieira three-bet shoved from the small blind with pocket fours for 5,158,761, only for Astedt to four-bet all-in for 8,502,629 with pocket kings! Ponakovs ducked out of the way, Astedts kings held, and the Super MILLION$ was down to three players. Astedt held more than 14.2 million chips, more than double the combined stack of his final two opponents. The rich got richer when Silva open-shoved for 18 big blinds with ten-eight of hearts only for Astedt to snap-call with pocket jacks! The five community cards brought no drama, and Astedt progressed into heads-up holding a colossal 17,726,914 to 3,573,086 chip lead over Ponakovs. PokerNews is an advocate of responsible gambling but you would wager your house on Astedt winning from this position, which is exactly what happened. The final hand of a short one-on-one battle saw Astedt limp in and Ponakovs check his option. A eight-jack-trey flop saw Ponakovs check-call a 250,000 bet, leading to a nine on the turn. Ponakovs checked again, Astedt bet 530,000, and Ponakovs check-raised all-in for 2,668,086 which Astedt instantly called. Ponakovs flipped over jack-seven which was in a world of pain against Astedts aces. The river improved Astedt to an unnecessary top set, and he became only the second player in GGPoker history to win the Super MILLION$ five times. What a guy! Phil Ivey Does It Again! Wins ANOTHER Short Deck Title April 07 2022 Will Shillibier A final table burst from poker Hall of Famer member Phil Ivey was enough to see him triumph in Event #3: $75,000 Short Deck, taking home $1,170,000 in the process. This is his third final-table in four events at the Triton Poker Cyprus festival. He defeated Wai Kiat Lee heads-up to top a 51-player field and win his second Short Deck High Roller title in eight months, after previous success at the Super High Roller Bowl Europe festival last year. In fact, his last four live tournament wins have come in the Short Deck format, with titles in Cyprus, Sochi and Montenegro. Rank Player Country Payout (USD) 1 Phil Ivey United States $1,170,000 2 Wai Kiat Lee Malaysia $840,000 3 Mike Watson Canada $538,000 4 Elton Tsang Hong Kong $408,000 5 Jason Koon United States $315,000 6 Richard Yong Malaysia $241,000 7 Ivan Leow Malaysia $194,500 Free to Play Slots in the US Day 2 Recap The day began with just 11 players remaining and only 7 places paid. Early eliminations included Mikita Badziakouski, Daniel Cates and Chris Brewer. The latter two were eliminated by Mike Watson who sat atop the counts as the tournament reached the money bubble. There were mixed fortunes for the Yong family, with Richard Yong doubling to stay alive while Wai Kin Yong was sent to the rail by Phil Ivey, with the remaining players all guaranteed $194,500. Read More: Phil Ivey NFT Launch Party a True 'What Happens in Vegas' Night Watson would continue to extend his chip lead during the opening exchanges as Elton Tsang and start-of-day chip leader Jason Koon traded doubles. Ivey would go runner-runner to eliminate Ivan Leow, while another double from Yong would hinder Watson's charge for the title. Ivey gonna Ivey! The legend @philivey hits a Runner Runner to knock out fan-favorite Ivan Leow ## in the https://t.co/CsF0ze3acU Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) Yong was subsequently eliminated by Ivey, who also sent Koon to the rail just minutes later to soar into the lead. Wai Kiat Lee had successfully laddered his way to four-handed, and would send Tsang to the rail to remain in contention. However, Ivey's elimination of Watson in third place saw him take a more than 2:1 chip lead into heads-up, and would dispatch Lee in the first hand of heads-up to secure the title and seven-figure first-place prize. It was the final event of the 2022 Triton Poker Cyprus stop after a 33-month hiatus due to the global pandemic and Winfred Yu topped the field of 41 entries to claim his second Triton Poker crown. Yu outlasted one of his close friends Ivan Leow to take home the top prize of $1,010,000. Yu began the heads-up match with a chip deficit but favorable runouts in the final two hands of the tournament quickly turned the tide and he found himself on the top spot of the podium. Yu managed to double up with ace-jack vs the pocket jacks of Leow and then in the next hand held ace-queen vs Leow's pocket queens. An ace on the river was devastating for Leow who was forced to settle for second place and a $699,500 payday. Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1st Winfred Yu Hong Kong $1,010,000 2nd Ivan Leow Malaysia $699,500 3rd Danny Tang Hong Kong $447,000 4th Elton Tsang Hong Kong $343,000 5th Daniel Dvoress Canada $268,000 6th Ferdinand Putra Poland $208,500 Final Table Action After 41 entries were recorded on the day, only the top six players would reach the money. It was Wei Hsiang Yeu who was the unfortunate one to be eliminated on the money bubble when he ran ace-jack into Elton Tsang's pocket queens. Despite flopping two pair, Yeu was unable to hang on as the board ran out with four clubs and Tsang made a flush. Ferdinand Putra was left on the short stack and wasted little time before his chips went into the middle but was unfortunately eliminated in sixth place with a min-cash. The final five players battled for over two hours until the next elimination occurred. It took two premium hands to see all of the chips go in the middle with Daniel Dvoress holding ace-king while Yu picked up pocket kings. A nine-high board provided no help to Dvoress who was ousted in fifth place. Just moments later, Tsang also ran his ace-queen into the pocket kings of Danny Tang. Within a matter of three minutes, the field was dwindled down to just three players. Tang rode the momentum of his recent knockout to take over the chip lead but eventually, his aggression caught up with him. Tang took his chance with queen-ten but once again it was the pocket kings of Leow who quickly called. Tang managed to flop a lot of equity with a pair and straight draw but was unable to improve from there. That left the final two players, Yu and Leow to battle it out for the title which saw Yu come out on top after a couple of coolers. The first Triton Poker series in nearly three years was a great success and attracted many of the top poker players in the world. Fans were able to tune into the coverage to catch a glimpse of Phil Ivey returning to the poker scene and capturing another Triton Poker title. Teun Mulder and Andras Nemeth also made their way into the winner's circle with victories in the No-Limit Hold'em variant. The next stop for Triton Poker will be a new stop as the circuit heads to Madrid, Spain for the first time ever. That wraps up our coverage of the 2022 Triton Poker Cyprus but stay tuned to PokerNews for many other events coming up in the future. China sends nearly 40,000 medics to Shanghai in tough fight against Omicron Xinhua) 08:20, April 07, 2022 * More than 38,000 medics from 15 provincial-level regions have rushed to China's business hub Shanghai to aid the megacity in its fight against resurging COVID-19. * Since March 1, about 90,000 people in Shanghai have been infected with the highly contagious Omicron variant. * Shanghai has decided on Wednesday to launch a new round of mass testing as a fresh effort to cut off the transmission in communities and contain the latest COVID-19 resurgence. Photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows medics departing Tianjin West Railway Station in north China's Tianjin for east China's Shanghai to help the megacity fight COVID-19 amid the recent resurgence. (Xinhua/Li Ran) SHANGHAI, April 6 (Xinhua) -- More than 38,000 medics from 15 provincial-level regions have rushed to China's business hub Shanghai to aid the megacity in its fight against resurging COVID-19. Some 27,000 medics are responsible for sampling and testing work, and another 11,000 work in temporary hospitals, according to the National Health Commission. Shanghai reported 311 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 16,766 local asymptomatic carriers on Tuesday. Since March 1, about 90,000 people have been infected with the highly contagious Omicron variant, data from the municipal health commission shows. CONCERTED EFFORT The Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station resumed its bustling scene over the past few days, with dozens of trains carrying thousands of medics and tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies pulling in. Between April 3 and 4, a total of 26 charter flights from seven provincial-level regions landed in Shanghai's two major airports. "We were notified on April 2, immediately formed a team of 60 medics and arrived in Shanghai the next day," said Qi Qin with the Tai'an City Central Hospital, east China's Shandong Province. "Two years ago, when Wuhan and our hospital were in the toughest moment, medics from Shanghai were among the first that arrived," said Cheng Fang, head nurse of the intensive care unit in the south area of Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan City of Hubei Province. "Experts from Shanghai taught us step by step how to strengthen personal protection and treat critically ill patients. Now Shanghai has encountered some difficulties. We are duty-bound and should arrive as soon as possible," Cheng said. Many of the medical teams coming to support Shanghai have rich anti-epidemic experiences. "Among the 28 medical staff from our hospital, some aided the anti-epidemic fight in Wuhan and some had been to Qingdao. They are the most experienced and elite forces," said Teng Tao, associate chief physician of the endocrinology department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. "I was in Hubei for 58 days in 2020. Back then we knew little about the novel coronavirus, as we learn more about it and constantly improve our anti-epidemic measures, I'm sure we can beat it," said Gao Hongyi, a nurse from Shandong. Aerial photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 mild cases and asymptomatic carriers at the China Flower Expo park in Chongming District of east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) RESOLUTE, SWIFT MOVES Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Saturday urged resolute and swift moves to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Shanghai as quickly as possible. "It is an arduous task and huge challenge to combat the Omicron variant while maintaining the normal operation of core functions in a megacity with a population of 25 million," Sun said. She urged that nucleic acid testing capacity and the organization of mass testing be improved as soon as possible to get a clear picture of the epidemic situation. The megacity is under temporary closed-off management. After the completion of a mass antigen testing on Sunday and citywide nucleic acid testing on Monday, Shanghai has decided on Wednesday to launch a new round of mass testing as a fresh effort to cut off the transmission in communities and contain the latest COVID-19 resurgence. Over 60 venues, including the over 150,000-square meter Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, have been converted into makeshift hospitals. The National Exhibition and Convention Center covering a total construction area of 1.47 million square meters, is also being turned into a quarantine site. Upon completion, the center with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19. In the early hours of Monday, the China Flower Expo park in Chongming District opened as a makeshift hospital with over 2,700 beds and received the first batch of mild cases and asymptomatic carriers. The medical teams are from hospitals in Shanghai and Anhui Province. After registration, the medics will confirm one by one the physical condition of the cases -- whether they have underlying diseases, developed symptoms or have been vaccinated, and make further arrangements and nursing plans. Zhu Minghua, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, meticulously arranged the treatment of patients. "We must pay close attention to the possible emotions of all the people here," noted Zhu. A medical worker takes a swab sample from a woman for nucleic acid test in Changning District of east China's Shanghai, April 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) MUTUAL SUPPORT The arrival of medics from outside Shanghai not only enhances the city's treatment ability but also greatly improves the detection capacity. With the joining of 104 medics from central China's Hunan Province on Sunday, the testing capacity of a lab under Shanghai Biotecan Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. has been significantly boosted. "As our cooperation goes smoother, we hope our daily testing capacity can soon exceed 100,000 tubes," said Wu Shouxin, head of the lab. Zhang Yuetao and her colleagues headed for Shanghai from the neighboring Zhejiang Province at about 2 a.m. Monday. They were responsible for taking nucleic acid samples for 31,120 residents in Songjiang District before noon. The seemingly impossible task was completed an hour ahead of schedule. "Shanghai residents are very cooperative, even the children behave so well," said Zhang. "Zhejiang and Shanghai are members of one family and we should work together to win the war without smoke." Residents in Shanghai flooded social media platforms to express their gratitude. Many burst into tears after seeing medics from across the country come to help. "Thank you so much for coming all the way to help us," said an elderly after having the nucleic acid sample taken at home by medical staff from Wuhan. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Du Mingming) JERUSALEM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government said on Thursday that it has reached a deal with the workers of the state-owned Israel Post on the company's recovery plan and privatization process. The recovery plan, which came more than three months after the government announced full privatization of Israel Post, includes layoffs and retirements of some 1,600 workers with fair compensation, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Communications said in a joint statement. The plan also includes downsizing and cutting payroll expenses, speeding up transition to digital services, and improving parcels collection services, among others. The state will lend Israel Post 1.7 billion new shekels (about 527 million U.S. dollars) while the company will undertake financing 450 million new shekels through assets sales, Israel's financial website Globes reported Thursday. Some assets would remain under government ownership to preserve the public interest, according to the statement. In December 2021, Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel said 100 percent of the state's holding in the company will be sold, with 40 percent of corporate shares to be floated initially on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The Brandt Companies, which employs 90 on Schroeder Drive in Waco, has been acquired by Southland Industries in a deal announced Monday. Dallas-based Brandt Companies calls itself the largest mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor in Texas, with offices in Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Waco. Southland Industries said in a news release it is a building systems expert specializing in mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Southlands acquisition of Brandt unites a team of over 5,000 talented individuals across 35 states, with full-lifecycle expertise from engineering through fabrication and installation, to post-construction services including operations, maintenance, and energy services on some of the most complex projects in the U.S. according to a press release announcing the deal. California-based Southland said local operations should benefit from the transaction. We expect to continue to grow in the Waco market, Brandt President Steve Hayes said in an email response to questions. This partnership will open new opportunities to take on larger projects within this region. The Waco office already has been growing over the past decade, Waco general manager Oscar Garza said by email. This is just the next step in our journey, and I am excited to see the opportunities this will provide for our organizations and our people, Garza said. Southland Industries CEO Ted Lynch said the buyout is part of a grand plan. One of our strategic objectives is to expand our geographic footprint to become a true national company that can better serve our customers, increase our industry influence towards more collaborative delivery approaches, and create additional opportunities for our employees, Lynch said in the press release. The combined business now has the expertise to tackle the largest, most sophisticated customers in the country, Brandt CEO Barry Moore said in the press release. Brandt is the second company with a Waco presence to be acquired by a company specializing in building control systems in the past year. Chicago-based Reedy Industries bought Wacos Capstone Mechanical in August. Capstone was formed in 2005 by partners Stefan LeRow, Rick Tullis, Brian Aynesworth and Will Fair. A Reedy press release from the time says Tullis would remain president and LeRow executive vice president. We dont hide the fact that we seek to add significant growth and expansion through acquisition, Reedy Industries CEO Joe Kirmser said in the press release. But we pass on far more opportunities than we pursue. It takes a special and unique business for us to get to this point. Capstone checks all the boxes and adds several more including a proven lean operating model that we will look to expand throughout the Reedy-wide platform. Reedy Industries focuses on companies specializing in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and building control systems. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A South Carolina company specializing in fabrics used in paper manufacturing will spend $40 million to place a plant in Waco, and this week secured $2 million from Waco and McLennan County to support the effort. AstenJohnson, which can trace its involvement in the paper industry to 1790, will build a 200,000-square-foot facility near Texas State Technical College, in an area known as the Waco International Aviation Park. It will occupy nearly 38 acres the Waco Industrial Foundation has made available. AstenJohnson will have to have 36 full-time employees locally making a minimum of $15 per hour and an average of $47,360 per year to qualify for the full $2 million in public backing. Talks with the company began last year, after a Dallas-area consulting firm called to inquire about Wacos interest, said Seth Morris, vice president of economic development at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. We are very pleased. This was a multi-community selection process, Morris said. Its family owned, but an international company with nearly 20 locations around the world. Its a very big operation. The company traces its origins back to the Johnson familys Manchester Wire Works in England, opened in 1790, and the Asten familys V. Asten and Co. in Belgium, opened more than a century later. The company operating today was formed in 1999. Our products help create all types of paper. Papermakers in 56 countries trust in and profit from our headbox-to-reel understanding of their operations, the company website says. An AstenJohnson division called Advanced Fabrics aims to meet web processing needs, including a full line of high performance forming, drying, conveying, dewatering and bonding fabrics, according to the website. Products include those for filtration, wastewater treatment, food and beverage production and mining. A company under the AstenJohnson umbrella, Eagle Nonwovens Inc., operates a facility in St. Louis, Missouri, capable of processing more than 40 million pounds of synthetic fiber annually. Specifics about what will be produced at the Waco plant were not included in city or county documents on the economic development incentive. AstenJohnson did not return a call for comment Wednesday. The $2 million to be made available comes from the Waco McLennan County Economic Development Corp. fund, with the city and county each contributing $1 million. AstenJohnson must spend at least $22 million building the plant, and obtain a certificate of occupancy by the end of next year, and must spend $18 million to install equipment and personal property by the same deadline. The Zippia employment site says 68% of AstenJohnson employees have at least a bachelors degree. The average employee at AstenJohnson makes $57,735 per year, and 52% of AstenJohnson employees stay with the company 11 years or more, according to the site. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Thomas Breshears, an instructor in Texas State Technical Colleges automotive technology program in Waco, was named a recipient of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) World Class Technician award. The award is presented in partnership with the Auto Care Association and ASE. The award honors automotive technicians who have met ASE requirements in more than 20 areas in the last calendar year. I am very proud of Thomas obtaining that distinction, said Rudy Cervantez, TSTCs statewide department chair for automotive technology. I have always known he was a well-rounded technician, whether it be automotive, medium and heavy truck, or auto body. Breshears will celebrate six years of teaching at TSTC this fall. I like the interaction with the students, he said. Breshears is excited about the programs shift to a performance-based learning model starting this fall. Students will utilize lectures, videos and other online content through a learning management system and do labs on campus. Some students with professional experience can test out of selected lessons. Its not going to cheat them, Breshears said. We will be able to spend more time with (the students). Breshears said he and the programs faculty must stay current on changes in the automotive industry. He said the automotive technicians of today are vastly different from the workers in shops in the 1970s and 1980s. He said when vehicles began being installed with computers, the industry and the kind of workers pursuing the field changed. Breshears exposure to automotive technology began when he was young and working in a family-owned small-engine repair shop in Temple. He also was in the Army and Army Reserve for eight years. Before coming to TSTC, Breshears owned an automotive repair business for several years in Gatesville and Waco. He experienced the challenge of finding good automotive technicians who can evolve with the industry, which is one of the reasons that he decided to pursue teaching. The votes of more than 24,000 Texans who tried to cast ballots by mail were thrown out in the March primary a dramatic increase in rejected ballots in the first election held under a new Republican voting law. Roughly 12.4% of mail-in ballots returned to the states 254 counties were not counted, according to figures released Wednesday by the Texas secretary of state. Just over 3 million people voted overall in the low-turnout primary. Of 24,636 rejected mail-in ballots, 14,281 belonged to voters attempting to participate in the Democratic primary, and 10,355 belonged to voters in the Republican primary. But the rejection rate by party was fairly aligned; 12.9% of Democratic ballots were rejected and 11.8% of Republican ballots were rejected. Put another way, 1 in every 8 mail-in voters lost their votes in their primary. The rate amounts to a significant surge in rejections compared with previous years, including the higher-turnout 2020 presidential election, when less than 1% of ballots were tossed. In McLennan County, 160 of 2,136, or 7.5%, of mail-in ballots for all March 1 primary races were rejected, county Elections Administrator Jared Goldsmith said last month. Thats definitely more than in the past, where we usually have less than 50 ballots rejected, Goldsmith said at the time. Data previously collected by The Texas Tribune found rejection rates ranging from 6% to nearly 22% in 16 of the states 20 counties with the most registered voters, which overall rejected 18,742 mail-in ballots. In most cases, county officials said, ballots were rejected for failing to meet new, stricter ID requirements enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature last year that require voters to provide their drivers license number or a partial Social Security number to vote by mail. By contrast, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission found less than 2% of mail-in ballots were rejected statewide in the 2018 midterm election. The statewide rejection rate in the 2020 presidential election was less than 1%. In the higher-turnout 2020 election, 8,304 ballots were tossed statewide. In the 2022 primary for which turnout fell shy of 18% roughly three times as many ballots were rejected. The data released by the secretary of state is the most official measure of the fallout of the tighter restrictions on voting by mail, which have so far proven the most frustrating aspect of Republicans voting law in its first test. The requirements were part of a package of voting changes and restrictions enacted last year through legislation known as Senate Bill 1, which Republicans argued were needed to enhance the security of the states election even though they lacked evidence that previous elections had been foiled by widespread irregularities. Republican leaders who championed the law often said the measures in SB 1 would make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. But the requirements vexed both voters and election workers responsible for processing mail-in ballots. In the lead-up to the election, county officials reported that qualified voters some of whom had previously voted by mail many times were being hampered by the law. In some cases, it took Texans as many as three attempts to get their votes through. Others abandoned the voting-by-mail option altogether, opting to vote in person instead for fear of being disenfranchised, county election officials previously said. Texas strict eligibility criteria for voting by mail means the thousands of tossed votes most likely belonged to people 65 and older and people with disabilities. Tina Tran, director of AARP Texas, called the reported numbers deeply troubling and a sad indication that too many voters, including many older voters, are being disenfranchised because of the changes to the states vote-by-mail rules. With a primary runoff election approaching and the states general election scheduled for the fall, it is imperative that state and local election officials work extraordinarily hard and fast to better communicate new identification rules to voters, Tran said in a statement. Lessons must be learned to prevent more voter disenfranchisement in the upcoming elections. The office of Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the bill into law, has not responded to requests for comment about the ballot rejection issues. The secretary of states office has vowed to ramp up voter education about the rules ahead of the general election. But local election officials remained limited in how they can interact with prospective mail-in voters, including a new prohibition on soliciting requests for mail-in ballots from voters that county election administrators say they fear violating. County election officials have also walked away from specific outreach to regular mail-in voters in light of the prohibition. <&rule> <&rdpEm>Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. <&rdpEm>We cant wait to welcome you in person and online to the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol from Sept. 22-24. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/06/texas-mail-in-ballot-rejection-voting/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Capital Wing, in conjunction with the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation (DAMF), will start the 2022 Warbird Showcase tour at Warrenton-Fauquier Airport in Midland, VA over the weekend of May 7th/8th. The event opens at 10 AM and runs until 4 PM each day; there are no parking or entrance fees. Warbirds scheduled to appear at the event will include B-25J Mitchell Panchito, a Stinson L-5 Sentinel, Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder, two Boeing PT-17 Kaydets, and a North American SNJ/T-6 Texan. Members of the public may purchase rides for any of the participating warbirds on hand. To view the full tour schedule or advance ticketing options for warbird rides please click HERE; any seats not sold in advance will be available for sale on-site at the event. There are warbird rides priced to fit almost every budget, starting at just US$105 for a 20-minute flight aboard the Stinson L-5. These magnificently restored warbirds will be at the airport subject to pilot and aircraft availability, maintenance, weather, and provided sufficient numbers of flight experiences have been purchased in advance. Since this event occurs over the Mothers Day weekend, this Warbird Showcase will feature a Women and Girls Can Fly! program where the public can meet and greet our three female pilots, one of whom flies Panchito, while another drives the Fairchild UC-61 and the other is a student pilot. Furthermore, one of the flight school instructors at the Warbird Showcase is also a woman and has been a pilot since 1999. This special Warbird Showcase program aims to demonstrate that women and girls can master both general aviation airplanes and WWII-era warbirds too. In addition to the flying, other attractions will be on hand at the showcase for the entire family. Two flight schools will have airplanes on static display, with flight instructors present to answer questions. A period WWII encampment, set up by local re-enactors, will also be on display along with military vehicles, including a unique Jeep. In addition, the CAF Capital Wing will have their Martin B-26 Marauder 50-caliber machine gun top turret on-site (and yes, the kids can climb inside it!) as well as their PX (Post eXchange) trailer selling warbird-related items. And finally, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will have a food truck on-site so that the public need not leave for lunch. For those wishing to see what its like inside the Capital Wing hangar (a Vultee BT-13 skeleton, sans engine, and ongoing maintenance for the TBM Avenger), a low-key meet and greet event will take place at Culpeper Regional Airport on Saturday, April 23rd, starting at 10:30 AM (warbird rides in the Stinson L-5 and PT-17 Kaydet will be available). The Capital Wing and Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation are both non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and are staffed entirely by volunteers. For more information, please contact CapitalWingRides@gmail.com or info@delawareaviationmuseum.org. WATERLOO Friends of Vincent Hemenway told jurors how a chance meeting while they were fixing motorcycles late at night in August 2020 quickly turned deadly. Robert Hall said he, Hemenway, 49, and others were working in his single-stall garage at 556 Adrian St. when they noticed two men with blue rubber gloves, medical masks and hats walk up them. It looked like they just came out of surgery, said Hall, who was adjusting lifters on Richard Andersons motorcycle. According to witnesses, one of the two asked for a cigarette and then a lighter, which was snatched from Hemenway. Hemenway said something to the effect of he said the man could use the lighter, not take it. The other masked man changed the subject and began asking about motorcycles. The man who grabbed the lighter pulled out a handgun, and the friends were told to get into the garage. Thats when Hemenway, standing by the garage door, made a grab for the gun. Four or five shots rang out. I hit the floor in front of the bike, Anderson said. I laid there for a little while, and then I heard this rough, raspy breathing. Finally I got up and came out, and Vincent was hunched over right here. Paramedics said they found a gunshot wound to Hemenways chest, an exit wound on his back and another bullet wound to his head. His pulse disappeared on the ambulance ride to the hospital, and he quit breathing and was pronounced dead a short time later. Prosecutors said one of the masked men who approached the garage was 31-year-old Ralpheal Rashee Williams, who was in the neighborhood with his brother, Robert Lee Williams, 33, as part of a plan to rob a different house. Ralpheal Williams is charged with first-degree robbery, and testimony in his trial began Wednesday in Black Hawk County District Court. Authorities allege Robert Lee Williams Jr. fired the gun that killed Hemenway. He is charged with murder, and his trial will be at a later date. Ralpheal Williams attorney, John Bishop, argued that the original plan to rob another house was never carried out, so his client cant be guilty of robbery. Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams, no relation, said the Williams brothers had planned a robbery to collect a debt for Tonkeya Vaniece Jackson. Bishop said the plan only involved Robert Williams Jr. and Jackson and Ana Berinobis-McLemore, who also are charged in the case and are being tried separately. He said Jackson was owed $3,000, and the debtor was described as drug dealer who lived on Dearborn Avenue, across from the Adrian Street home. The conspirators exchanged text messages, including an image of a map showing the target house, and they drove past the address earlier that day, Bishop said. Brian Williams said after the shooting, police found Ralpheal Williams walking in the area. He told officers an evolving story about how he was meeting a woman, but her boyfriend showed up and she kicked him out of a car. Prosecutors said police found a 9 mm pistol buried in the area, and the weapon matched spent shell casings from the shooting scene. Investigators also found a buried iPhone and face masks, hats and a discarded T-shirt. One of the masks had DNA consistent with Robert Williams Jr., and the shirt had DNA consistent with Ralpheal Williams, Brian Williams said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Glen Rocca was eight years old when he found his first agates and jaspers. Wed go out on weekends and pick up rocks anything that looked pretty or had character or something special, recalled Glen, who grew up in Cedar Falls. He especially loved it when his dad took Rocca and his siblings to Falls Access, a flood plain forest near the Cedar River, across from Black Hawk Park. He loved finding Lake Superior agates, fossilized horse and camel teeth and other interesting rocks, minerals and fossils. But it wasnt until he was in his mid-30s and early 40s that he became a serious rockhound after joining the Black Hawk Gem and Mineral Society. Luckily, his wife, Mary, shares his enthusiasm. The Roccas are being featured at Sundays annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show. The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St. Admission is free; donations will be accepted. Theme is Iowa Rockhounds Something for Everyone! When we started going to rock club, thats where I really got interested because I meet other people who were interested. We started doing things, going places to dig geodes and other rocks, minerals and fossils. Weve found some really neat stuff, and with geodes, no two are the same, Glen said. Mary remembers, as a child, picking through the pea gravel on her familys driveway looking for agates. Then I dropped it until I meet Glen. Sharing a hobby like this, doing the travel, exploring and looking for neat stuff, we enjoy it. The couple, who live near Tripoli, have shared countless adventures throughout Iowa and the U.S., as well as Thunder Bay, Canada, where they dug for amethyst. One of their favorite destinations is Dust Devil Mine in the Oregon Outback, near Plush, Oregon. Rockhounds can prospect for Oregon sunstones feldspar crystals that formed in lava thousands of years ago on ground that has been excavated by heavy equipment. Visitors are treated like the mine crew, Glen said, and can enjoy breakfast, lunch and supper while digging at the mine. That was the neatest place, said Mary, who described the crystals as semiprecious gemstones. The first rock I hit opened and had red in it, really beautiful. Glen digs for his favorite thunder eggs, which are rough spheres that reveal varied geological structures, patterns and colors when cracked open. Inside, there may be deposits of agate, jasper, opal, quartz and other crystals and minerals. Fifteen years ago, Glen and fellow club member Jim Preslicka of Iowa City, from the Mid-American Palentology Society, discovered a Devonian fossil site at a Buchanan County quarry. It has produced more than 13 species of fossil cephalopods, a class of marine mollusks that includes squid, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus, roughly 385 million years old. Continued exploration by club members revealed fossils of Iowas oldest known ammonoid cephalopod, Tornoceras iowanese, and several species of cephalopods that are rare or not found before in Iowa. A large number of the fossils are being housed and researched at the University of Iowas Oakdale facility, Glen noted. Marys goal is to one day find a really big Lake Superior agate, a 10- or 20-pounder, Glen said. For himself, hed be happy with one of everything, he said, laughing. Club members are an eclectic group, Glen said. Some people really know minerals, some really know fossils and some members are top in the state and the nation on different types of rocks. Its about educating people. We use the resources under our feet. Mary agreed. There is a lot of knowledge, and people are willing to share that. If you have a hard time identifying something, theres someone in the club who can. Exhibits and demonstrations in faceting and flint knapping in addition to vendors of rough rocks, crystals, geodes, fossils and handcrafted jewelry will be available at the annual show. Family activities include hands-on fossil plaster casting to make your own fossil. Silent auctions will be held throughout the show. The Black Hawk Gem and Mineral Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the purpose of studying the sciences of mineralogy, geology and paleontology and the arts of lapidary and gemology. The Black Hawk Gem and Mineral Society works with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the UNI Earth Science department, University of Iowa geology department and Basic Materials Corporation. Proceeds from the show are used to increase knowledge in earth science and lapidary arts through general membership. Membership, available at the show, is open to everyone throughout Black Hawk County and beyond. For questions, call Dave at (319) 266-6433. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES A state facility for Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities that has been under scrutiny from federal investigators will be closed in 2024, state leaders announced Thursday. The Glenwood Resource Center in Glenwood in southwest Iowa will continue to provide care to its residents over the next two years. The state will relocate the roughly 200 residents at Glenwood to another facility or into community-based care, and also assist the roughly 600 Glenwood staffers in finding a new job, according to Gov. Kim Reynolds office. The U.S. Department of Justice in 2019 opened an investigation into two state-run facilities that house people with complex behavioral or medical needs: Glenwood Resource Center and Woodward Resource Center. Federal officials in 2020 found the Glenwood facility likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments. The justice department in 2021 issued a strongly worded 33-page report that said federal investigators found reasonable cause to believe Iowa had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services that integrate people with intellectual disabilities into their communities, the Associated Press reported. 195 residents Over a five-year period ending in June 2020, Glenwood housed an average of 195 residents and had an average of 655 staff members, according to a state audit published this past December. The average per-patient cost of care was nearly $384,000, according to the audit. State lawmakers this week proposed a $16.3 million budget for Glenwood for the coming state fiscal year, an increase of $1.5 million over the previous year. Difficult decision While necessary, the decision to close the Glenwood Resource Center is a difficult one that I take very seriously, Reynolds said in a news release. For many residents, its the only home theyve ever known, she said. I am fully committed to a seamless and successful transition of care for them, their families and the staff at Glenwood. Iowans with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve quality care that aligns with the expectations of the (U.S. Department of Justice). Our best path forward to achieve those standards is closing (Glenwood) and reinvesting in a community-based care continuum that offers a broad array of services. Glenwood residents will eventually be moved to community placement or to the Woodward Resource Center in Woodward, according to Reynolds office. Glenwood staff will be offered retention incentives to continue working at the facility over the next two years, and the state will assist staff in finding new jobs, Reynolds office said. The state also will work with local government officials and community leaders to minimize the impact on the city of Glenwood and Mills County, Reynolds office said. Legislative comment Thursdays announcement was made jointly by Reynolds and Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver. Despite significant effort over the last two years to improve care and respond to DOJ directives, continued operation of the Glenwood Resource Center has become untenable, Whitver said in the news release. Democratic Statehouse leaders in a statement also expressed their desire to work with Glenwood residents, staff and community members during the transition. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst in their joint statement criticized the states management of Glenwood under Republican leadership. This decision became inevitable because of years of indifference and neglect shown to the Glenwood community by Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers. This transition must be handled far better than previous closures, like those in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant, Wahls and Konfrsts statement said, referring to the closure of state-run mental health care institutions in those communities. The Glenwood Resource Center opened in 1876. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds nomination of Erik Helland to lead the states Public Employment Relations Board faces an uncertain future after a procedural vote Wednesday at the Iowa Capitol. The nomination of Helland, a former Republican state lawmaker, was approved by the Iowa Senates committee on labor and business relations on a 7-4, party-line vote. Governors appointees to state boards and commissions must be confirmed by a vote of approval from at least two-thirds of the Iowa Senate, or 34 votes. If no Democrats in the Senate vote to confirm Hellands nomination, it will fail. I have problems with his management style, his philosophy of leadership, Sen. Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said during Wednesdays committee meeting. And I have problems with the way the governor has handled this department. Taylor expressed concern about Helland drawing a higher salary on the board than the member he replaced, who was a woman and a Democrat. Taylor also cited the fact that the board is not politically balanced as required by state law. The three-member board currently has only two members, both of whom are Republican. Reynolds has not appointed a third member to the board. Helland has been serving on the board since Reynolds appointed him in 2020. The other current member is Jane Dufoe. Sen. Adrian Dickey, a Republican from Packwood, said during the committee meeting that he believes Helland has been effective on the board and is a fine fit for the leadership position. BOAT REGISTRATIONS: Iowa boat owners are reminded to update their registrations, which expire April 30. The Department of Natural Resources expects Iowans to register more than 231,000 boats before April 30, when current boat registrations expire. Boat registrations are good for three years and registration fees go to support water trails, navigation enforcement, aquatic invasive species, and boater education and safety. Boat registrations are handled by Iowas county recorders, and boat owners may bring their current registration to any recorders office when they renew. Nonresidents who register their boat in Iowa will go to the county where the boat is primarily used. Owners who bought a boat from a private seller and are registering it in their name should bring the signed registration and to make sure the title is signed over to them, if applicable. Only boats displaying a current registration are allowed to operate on Iowa waters. PIKES PEAK: Pikes Peak State Park will undergo a major overhaul to improve the campground and main parking lot later this month. Detra Dettmann of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said the campgrounds electrical system will be upgraded, space will be added between the camp pads as will some pull-through campsites. Full hookup campsites will be added, additional water hydrants will be placed throughout the campground, and there will be two dump stations. The overall number of campsites will remain about the same. While the work in the park is underway, the main entrance will be closed. For more information and to find out the current status of the closure, go to the Pikes Peak website. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 22, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday made clear China's solemn position on media reports that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would visit Taiwan. Wang made the remarks in a phone conversation with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron. Noting that the current international situation is increasingly turbulent, Wang said that on the Ukraine issue, the United States urges respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country, but on the Taiwan question, it openly tramples on the red line of the one-China principle. This is a blatant double standard, he stressed. If Pelosi, a political leader of the United States, knowingly visits Taiwan, it would be a malicious provocation against China's sovereignty and gross interference in China's internal affairs, and would send an extremely dangerous political signal to the outside world, Wang said. If the United States insists on going its own way, China will surely make a firm response and the U.S. side will bear all the consequences, he added. SIOUX CITY -- It took more than 77 years for Harry Nichols' remains to be identified. The COVID pandemic delayed his burial by almost three more. But finally, in May, the Sioux City native, killed on board the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, will be returned home, buried next to his parents in Memorial Park Cemetery. "It brings closure to the family. It's really just hard to express in words," his nephew, Mark Nichols said. "Seeing him put to rest with his parents means the world." Storekeeper 3rd Class Harry E. Nichols was among the 429 USS Oklahoma crewmen killed in the attack, in which the battleship took multiple hits from Japanese torpedoes and capsized quickly, trapping dozens of men below deck. His parents rarely spoke about their loss after the war, Mark Nichols said, and neither did his father, Norman, who was a year older than Harry. "He did say there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think of his brother," Mark Nichols said in a telephone interview from his Melbourne, Florida, home. Harry Nichols was the second of Ernest and Florence Nichols' three children. Norman served in the Army during World War II, returned to Sioux City after the war and moved to California in 1973. Youngest child Betty moved to Arizona sometime later. Both died before seeing their brother's remains identified and returned home. Harry Nichols enlisted in the Navy in January 1941 and was assigned to the USS Oklahoma at the time of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. In the days after the attack, victims whose identities were both known and unknown were buried in Honolulu. Remains recovered in 1943 after the ship was righted were buried in mass graves in Honolulu's National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. As of 2003, 394 of the crewmen remained unidentified when efforts were launched to use modern technology to identify the unknowns. In 2015, 388 crewmen remained unidentified, and their remains were unearthed and sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency lab at Offutt Air Force base in Omaha, where a team of anthropologists identified 355 of them before the project ended last summer with just 33 who could not be identified individually. Mark Nichols submitted a DNA sample to the Navy in 2018. The following spring, he was informed his uncle's remains had been identified. "I was excited as well as just kind of shocked," said Nichols, who grew up in the Sioux City area and graduated from South Sioux City High School in 1970. Harry Nichols' remains were identified May 30, 2019. A military service and burial were planned for March 2020, but COVID shut down those plans. Mark Nichols said Navy officers met last week with him and his sister, Nancy Eischeid, a Bishop Heelan graduate, at her home in Cleveland, Tennessee, to resume burial planning. Harry Nichols could have been buried at Pearl Harbor or Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, but the family decided he belonged in Sioux City. "I just thought the proper place would be with his parents," said Mark Nichols, who served four years in the Air Force after enlisting in the fall of 1970. Nichols, 70, said his father's ashes will be buried alongside Harry and their parents, too. As a veteran himself, Nichols said having his father and uncle together again means a lot to him. "I know my dad and Harry sacrificed a lot," he said. Services, with full military rites, will be at 11 a.m. on May 13. A visitation for community members to pay their respects will be 4 p.m.-8 p.m. May 12 at Christy-Smith Funeral Homes, Morningside Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 The story behind this Sea Cliff home sounds a little too good be true. Its classic Shingle style blends seamlessly into its surrounds, but modernized exterior finishes, such as a pair of rounded glass lookouts, give away the truth: The house was custom-built for contemporary life in 2001, by late architect Lewis Butler (founding partner of San Franciscobased Butler Armsden) and the highly regarded local contractors at Forde Mazzola, for the family that lives in it to this day. Comfort plus luxury is the obvious theme in the 3,500-square-foot, four-bedroom home, which cost $1,400 per square foot to build. Floor to ceiling windows and skylights cast a glow of natural light throughout all three levels. At street level, a grand foyer opens to the formal living room at left, which is illuminated by one of the curved window banks that look out to the Golden Gate Bridge, and the gourmet kitchen and dining area at right via elegant open archways and crown moldings with a 19th century feel. The kitchen is a standout space, thoughtfully designed with a rounded island, a cozy work nook, marble countertops, and pretty stainless steel appliances. The adjacent dining room has a fully equipped wet bar to keep the party flowing. There are lovely views of the Pacific Ocean to be had from the top floor, which houses the bedrooms as well as a laundry room. The primary suite is a tranquil escape with a wood-burning fireplace and built-in window seat; a spacious marble-clad bathroom with dual vanities, a makeup area, deep soaking tub, and walk-in shower; and a roomy closet with blond wood built-ins. The lower level was made for entertaining and hosting guests with an additional bedroom or family room, a full bathroom, walk-in closet, wet bar, and its own laundry room. There is also a two-car garage. The outdoors here are an oasis with a full kitchen, fire pit, a sunken hot tub, and even an outdoor shower for rinsing off after a soak or trip to Baker Beach or China Beach, which are just a few minutes away. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3.5 Size: 3,510 sq. ft. Asking price: $5,195,000 // 222 El Camino Del Mar (Sea Cliff); for more information, visit ruthkrishnan.com. Farm to table cuisine is as ubiquitous in the Bay Area as overpriced apartments and stunning vistasit's so intrinsic to our culture that it's part of our DNA and, like those magical views, it never grows tired. But it isn't every day that a local farmer actually opens a restaurant; even Alice Waters wasn't growing her own French radishes when she opened Chez Panisse. That's what makes the story behind Oakland's newest produce-driven restaurant so sweet: Pomet, which means "orchard," is owned by the grower herself. Black-and-white photos of K&J Orchards celebrate the restaurant's farmer-owned pedigree. (Aomboon Deasy) Aomboon Deasy is a second-generation farmer and the owner of K&J Orchards, which will be familiar to farmers market shoppers Bay Areawide as well as to our most notable chefs: When Deasy's parents (a registered nurse and pomology professor) got the farm up and running in the early 1980s, The French Laundry was one of their earliest clients. K&J quickly became one of the largest and most trusted fruit and nut suppliers in the region. Oaklanders who've dined at the Piedmont Avenue restaurant Homestead in the past decade have already gotten a taste of the produce from K&J, a longtime supplier, which is carrying on the tradition of seasonal Californian fare at now-closed Homestead's former address. But don't expect Deasy to be doing the cooking. She's hired a legitimate executive chef for that: Alan Hsu, who hails New York's farm-to-table darling Blue Hill at Stone Barns and San Francisco's three-Michelin-starred Benu. Housed in a building designed by the famed architect Julia Morgan, Pomet retains much of Homestead's original charm: the brick exterior and interior accent wall, large windows, and an open-concept copper-clad kitchen. But Deasy has added touches of her own, including caramel leather chairs set around butcher-block tables and black-and-white photographs of the orchards hung on navy blue walls. Copper light fixtures add a warm glow to the cozy 50-seater space, which manages to feel airy despite its small size thanks to the high ceilings and windows. The menu? It doesn't get fresher or more local than this. (Aomboon Deasy) Cured Bodega rockfish with fermented radish, chilies, lemon verbena, and lime. "Pomet is a seasonal and product-driven restaurant, and the menu reflects what is available at the farm and what has been preserved from previous seasons," Chef Hsu says. "The inspiration is the opportunity to represent the people raising and growing amazing products in the greater Bay Area, and the multitudes of cultures and backgrounds that thrive here." Hsu's own background at Asian-inflected Benu comes through in whispers here, as in the starters of sashimi-style cured Bodega rockfish with thinly sliced fermented radish and Shin Li Asian pear with kohlrabi, bitter greens, and pomegranate. Additional small plates on our visit included roasted asparagus atop sesame puree with dollops of emulsified egg yolk squeezed from an icing piping bag; and triple-cooked (boiled, fried, then grilled) Zuckerman potatoes with buttermilk ranch dressing. The entrees represent a little bit of everything, from smoked Half Moon Bay black cod with sunchoke to Liberty duck with sweet potatoes. The presentation of an aged Stemple Creek Ranch short rib is as impressive as the meat's melt-in-your-mouth texture and taste. Vegetarians will also find options, including our favorite dish of the night: the "ugly" mushroomfilled pasta, so called for the "cosmetically challenged" fungi in play. "They still taste great and are useful," says Hsu, explaining that Pomet also aims to "reduce loss" and "make sure farmers can still make money on food that isnt up to a visual standard." The pasta, similar in shape to an agnolotti, is dressed in honey-nut miso butter from Shared Cultures. It's a little sweet, a little salty, and very much savory, a dish that our server swore even mushroom haters will love. As the parade of all-caps vendor names on Pomet's menu attest, the restaurant is intentional about where it source its ingredients, and sustainability practices are top of mind. "We choose to source from our neighbors and highlight the work they do in the field on our plates, so our guests can taste the difference between soil-focused agriculture," Hsu says, citing the integrity of Tomales-based Stemple Creek's soil-raised cattle and sheep. "From the sea and rivers, we source local and abundant seafood with minimally invasive fishing techniques with our purveyors Monterey Seafood and TwoXSea." Another respected Bay Area name is responsible for Pomet's approachable wine list: The Morris owner and sommelier Paul Einbund (previously of Frances and Coi), consulted on a curation of 15 wines that can all be ordered by the glass or bottle. There are also a handful of local craft beers, the odd sake, and a seasonal offering of low-ABV and non-alcoholic drinks. So how's the farmer holding up in the restaurant world? "I knew farming was difficult enough and to dive into a restaurant projectinsane!" says Deasy. "Running a restaurant for the first time has been interesting, exciting, exhausting"...and rewarding. "The reward I get to see and feel at the end of the day is the expression of people's joy that the meal was simply delicious, and the satisfaction that the team feels when their work is completed." // Pomet is open for dinner both indoors and out, Wednesdays through Sundays; 4029 Piedmont Ave. (Oakland), pomet-oakland.com. Liliboas/Getty Images En espanol For Michele Boone, Easter traditions enjoyed around the table are important because they honor moments in time, both past and present. So when the 58-year-old from Tampa, Florida, prepares to host Easter brunch for her family each year, Boone says she makes all the familiar comforting regulars, while rolling out a new item or two for her family to try. Always on the buffet table, she says, is some version of a potato-based casserole, an Easter ham with chutneys and mustards and a dessert shes been making for her son since he was a baby. "It's a one-layer cake that looks like a bunny face," Boone says. "It never looks professional, but every time we serve it I feel like I honor the magic of the first time." In addition to honoring your familys special traditions for Easter brunch, says Jamie Kline, corporate chef for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, its important to balance your menu with sweet and savory items to satisfy the taste buds of all who are in attendance. As with most holiday meals, he says, preparing one main dish with accompanying sides is a good way to approach feeding just your family or a crowd. But be mindful of whos on the guest list. As Jim Pastor, a chef with the Rusty Pelican in Miami, points out, "Some people are breakfast lovers while others are looking for more lunch dishes or salads. Still others, he adds, just want to drink and graze." Read on for five essential categories you might consider for the perfect Easter brunch. 1. Beverages Get creative by offering your family and guests of all ages a mix of classic and unusual non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages alongside ample carafes of hot coffee and tea, of course. Easter is a great occasion for dusting off those champagne flutes for mimosas (a blend of sparkling wine and orange juice) or Bellinis (sparkling wine and peach puree), which work well as a welcome aperitif or alongside the main meal. Maxence Bonnamain, hotel manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe suggests considering spritzers for something on the lighter sidejust add ice and soda water to your favorite sparkling wine, he says. Make them even more festive by topping off with a splash of fresh juice, herb-infused simple syrup (lavender or thyme are lovely), vermouth or a fruit liqueur. For a refreshing and healthy mocktail, Bonnamains team suggests mixing a berry kombucha with ginger ale, soda water, fresh lime and mint. Its light acidity pairs well with food, and the additional effervescence makes it a great palate cleanser, he says. 2. Fruit platters and crudites For many people, Easter is the essence of spring, and your brunch spread is a prime place for showcasing the seasons bounty. Be sure to use whatever fruits and vegetables are freshest and most colorful, and serve them with a sweet or savory dip as a complement, Kline says. Blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, artichokes, peas, wild mushrooms and heirloom carrots are among the seasonal produce items to seek out during the Northern Hemispheres springtime. Boone says she likes to serve multicolored fruit on skewers when entertainingthey look beautiful and can be a handheld treat or be plated alongside a range of small-bite desserts. JERUSALEM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of tourist visits in Israel during the first quarter of 2022 has jumped by 98.2 percent year on year, according to data issued by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The number of tourist arrivals in Israel in January-March reached 303,400, up from 153,100 in October-December 2021 and 16,800 in the first quarter last year. In March alone, 167,300 tourists arrived in Israel, a gradual rise from 89,900 in February and 46,200 in January. In March 2020, following the COVID-19 outbreak, Israel closed its borders to foreign nationals, apart from exceptional cases. In 2021, Israel gradually allowed the entry of tourists, but in late November it closed the borders again after the spread of the Omicron variant. At the beginning of 2022, Israel permitted entry of vaccinated and recovered tourists and then, in early March, of all tourists, vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, leading to the recent jump in tourist arrivals. Agreement Executed to Acquire 51% of High-Grade Hansen Uranium Deposit JORC Resource Increased 81% to 49.8 Mlb U3O8 Okapi to Acquire Hansen Uranium Deposit - Resource Increased by 81% Perth, April 7, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Okapi Resources Ltd ( ASX:OKR ) ( FRA:26O ) ( OTCMKTS:OKPRF ) is pleased to announce it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire an option over a 51% interest in the Hansen Uranium Project in Colorado, USA.Highlights- Acquisition increases the size of Okapi's JORC Resource at the Tallahassee Uranium Project by 81% to 49.8 million pounds of U3O8 and increases the grade by 10% to 540ppm U3O8 transforming Okapi into significant player in the USA uranium market- Hansen Uranium Deposit is a high-grade, shallow deposit located immediately south of, and adjacent to, Okapi's 100%-owned Taylor and Boyer Uranium Deposits- Hansen Uranium Deposit was discovered in 1977, feasibility studies were completed and it was fully permitted to commence production prior to the collapse of the uranium market in 1982- Okapi is continuing to consolidate pounds within the Tallahassee Uranium District- Highly accretive acquisition for Okapi shareholders with the acquisition of 22.2 million pounds U3O8 at 610ppm U3O8 for the modest upfront cost of US$500,000 which is fully funded by existing cash reservesThe Hansen Uranium Deposit is located immediately south of, and adjacent to, Okapi's 100%-owned Taylor and Boyer Uranium Deposits, and comprises two deposits known as the Hansen Uranium Deposit and the Picnic Tree Uranium Deposit. The Hansen and Picnic Tree Uranium Deposit contains a JORC (2012) Mineral Resource of 22.2 million pounds U3O8 at 610 ppm U3O8 (100% of which is attributable to Okapi via its 51% mineral interest). Therefore, Okapi's updated JORC (2012) Mineral Resource for the Tallahassee Uranium Project is now 42.0 million tonnes at 540ppm for 49.8 million pounds of U3O8 representing an 81% increase to the size and an increase of 10% to the grade of Okapi's existing JORC (2012) Mineral Resource. The Company is continuing to assess other opportunities within the district to further consolidate its landholdings.Okapi's Managing Director, Mr Andrew Ferrier said:"This acquisition represents a very important transaction for Okapi and its shareholders. By securing this strategic 51% interest in the Hansen Uranium Project, we now have sufficient resource inventory to advance the Tallahassee Uranium Project as a stand-alone asset.Recent geopolitical events have put increased focus on the importance of the US revitalising its domestically sourced uranium, which will undoubtedly place a significant premium on US uranium assets such as Hansen.The issue is significantly compounded by the fact that 46% of US uranium is currently sourced from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration - Sources and shares of total US purchases of uranium in 2020)."*To view tables and figures, please visit:To view the Investor Presentation, please visit:About Okapi Resources Limited Okapi Resources Limited (ASX:OKR) recently acquired a portfolio of advanced, high grade uranium assets located in the United States of America and in the Athabasca Basin, Canada. Assets include a strategic position in one of the most prolific uranium districts in the USA - the Tallahassee Creek Uranium District in Colorado. The Tallahassee Uranium Project contains a JORC 2012 Mineral Resource estimate of 27.6 million pounds of U3O8 at a grade of 490ppm U3O8 with significant exploration upside. The greater Tallahassee Creek Uranium District hosts more than 100 million pounds of U3O8 with considerable opportunity to expand the existing resource base by acquiring additional complementary assets in the district. The portfolio of assets also includes an option to acquire 100% of the high-grade Rattler Uranium Project in Utah, which includes the historical Rattlesnake open pit mine. The Rattler Uranium Project is located 85km from the White Mesa Uranium Mill, the only operating conventional uranium mill in the USA hence provides a near term, low-capital development opportunity. In January 2022, Okapi acquired a portfolio of high-grade exploration assets in the world's premier uranium district, the Athabasca Basin. The Athabasca Basin is home to the world's largest and highest-grade uranium mines. Okapi's clear strategy is to become a new leader in North American carbon-free nuclear energy by assembling a portfolio of high-quality uranium assets through accretive acquisitions and exploration. The online site Ranker recently ran a list of the 100 most popular superheroes and villains in comic books, with Batman topping the list and other iconic characters such as Superman, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man in the top 10. But when we get to the likes of Martian Manhunter, Sunspot, Jubilee and Juggernaut, well, there are only so many hours in ones life, and Ill freely admit I know little or nothing about some of those latter figures. (Please dont throw things at me at the next Something-Con if we cross paths.) So it goes with Moon Knight, who made his Marvel Comics debut nearly 40 years ago and has appeared in animated series and video games but is just now getting the full MCU treatment in the Disney+ series of the same name. (This is the first live-action Marvel series thats a pure origin story and isnt spinning off characters weve already seen in the franchise, e.g., WandaVision and Hawkeye.) I knew little more than the basic bio of this complex and intriguing superhero who has dissociative identity disorder, but with the chameleon-great Oscar Isaac taking on the multiple-personality role and having great fun with the comedic everyman setup, and the equally versatile Ethan Hawke along for the ride as a cultlike villain who thinks HES the real hero (as do most super-villains), this is an entertaining sliver of the MCU that plays like Minority Report meets National Treasure meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meets Split meets Venom. (Thats a lot of meeting.) With Bob Dylans Every Grain of Sand on the soundtrack, we meet one Steven Grant (Isaac), a mild-mannered, socially awkward Egyptian history buff who works in the gift shop of a London museum, has only a one-finned fish for a companion and, oh yeah every night he bolts the door to his apartment and chains himself to his bed, because he has this habit of sleepwalking and wandering everywhere. Not that the rituals can spare Steven from one day waking up in a glen in the Swiss Alps and then wandering into a village where Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) has a charismatic hold on the townsfolk and serves as judge and jury not for crimes committed, but for misdeeds in ones future. Thats because Arthur is an acolyte of the vengeful god Ammit, whereas Steven, we learn, is connected to the deity known as Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), but wait, theres more! As Steven fumbles about while speaking in an exaggerated Cockney accent, he starts seeing a different version of himself: one Marc Spector, a dashing and lethal American mercenary who keeps telling Steven hes not even supposed to know about this dangerous and mystical other world and he should just go to sleep and let Marc and Marcs white-clad alter ego, the intimidating and nearly immortal Moon Knight take over. Further clouding Stevens head is the appearance of May Calamawys Layla, who doesnt understand why Marc is calling himself Steven and using that stupid British accent. Theres a LOT going on here, people! At times Moon Knight leans into the absurdist, light comedic aspects of the story; anytime a TV series trots out Whams Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, we know the material isnt afraid of severe tonal shifts, from dark and heavy to pure pop silliness. We also have the classic MacGuffin in the magic gold scarab Steven keeps in his possession, which leads to the immortal line: Steven Grant of the Gift Shop, give me the scarab and you wont be torn apart. On other occasions, the violence is real and visceral; you really dont want to get on Moon Knights bad side. As directed by Mohamed Diab and the duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Moon Knight is a cinematic, globe-trotting, mind-bending and worthwhile addition to the ever-expanding Marvel universe. You have questions. I have some answers. Q: I started watching Ordinary Joe and it seems to have disappeared. Will it return? And if it not, why? A: The series about the different paths a mans life could have taken had a first season of 13 episodes, all of which aired. But the ratings were disappointing, and NBC decided not to order a second season. Those 13 episodes are available on streaming service Peacock. Q: Whatever happened to the series Blood & Treasure? Its episodes in 2019 showed promise. A: While it looked as if the adventure drama could quickly come back to the CBS schedule, COVID-19 concerns in 2020 reportedly delayed production. CBS announced plans for a second season in the 2021-22 season. But as of late March the network did not have a date set for its return. Its possible it will show up in May, since that was the month that the first season premiered. The first season is available on streaming service Paramount+. Q: We loved the series The Gilded Age and are wondering if the house interior shots were in actual homes or were they just sets? A: Creating 1880s New York City for the delicious HBO drama involved a variety of techniques including visual effects, set construction, location shooting and the use of historic places for interiors and exteriors. House Beautiful tallied 18 different historic homes used in the Gilded first season all of which can be visited and toured in person. Among those used for interiors are Newport, Rhode Island, sites including the Breakers, the Elms, Chateau-sur-Mer and the Hunter House. The series, by the way, has been renewed for a second season. Q: If I remember correctly, there was an episode of Bonanza that guest starred a young Wayne Newton. He was driving a wagon and he sang Scarlet Ribbons. Am I right? A: Yes. That was in the 1966 episode The Unwritten Commandment. Newton played a young man named Andy Walker and reprised the role later that year in a Bonanza Christmas episode. Q: Many years ago I watched a movie on TV about a woman who felt jinxed by wealth. When she marries, her husband becomes wealthy, then subsequently dies. The pattern repeats. The movie was made in the 50s, 60s or possibly the 70s. What is the name of the movie and the actress who played the leading lady? A: That was What a Way To Go, from 1964. Shirley MacLaine starred as the unlucky wife; the cast also included Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelly and Dean Martin. Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write to Rich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com. Letters may be edited. Individual replies are not guaranteed. Of all New Mexicos incredible landscapes, the Pecos Valley in San Miguel County is one of the most outstanding places to get outside. Each year, the watershed attracts hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans and visitors to hike, fish, hunt, bird watch, camp, bike and more. Not only does this access to nature translate into vibrant, long-term community and public health gains, but also it benefits the regions economy. According to data from the N.M. Department of Game and Fish, 158,402 people fished the Pecos River and its tributaries between 2020-21. In 2020, these visitors, plus hikers, campers, and bird-watchers, spent over $87 million in San Miguel County. For all these reasons, the Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the state Economic Development Department joins dozens of Pecos community members, tribes, outdoor recreationists, local governments, acequia associations, farmers, ranchers and water conservation groups in urging the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) to protect 14 miles of the Pecos River and 165 miles of its tributaries within the watershed as Outstanding Waters officially referred to as Outstanding National Resource Waters or ONRWs under the Clean Water Act. The WQCC hearing begins Tuesday, April 12. This water-quality designation will ensure healthy outdoor access, as well as traditional community water uses, and safeguard waterways from degradation, waste disposal, overuse and the impacts of climate change. Crucially, this initiative has the potential to spur other efforts to protect New Mexico waterways. It complements and strengthens Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams commitment to conserve at least 30% of the states land and water by 2030. This June, the ORD is pursuing a separate ONRW designation for three additional waterways portions of the Rio Grande, the Rio Hondo and the headwaters of the Jemez based on their outstanding recreation significance. If successful, this ORD-led petition would safeguard about 120 miles of northern New Mexico rivers in perpetuity for outdoor recreation, cultural uses and wildlife. The Outstanding Waters designation is a tool available to other communities to use in protecting their watersheds, as well. Communities surrounding the Upper Pecos Watershed depend on clean water to support outdoor recreation, agriculture and the local economy. The Pecos ONRW petition is a hugely important tool to protect both Pecos and New Mexicos waters. Santa Fe is not known for a wild and crazy nightlife. Restaurants and bars typically close at 9 p.m. And while happy hour spots are plentiful, most bars lack the electric energy and atmosphere that begs you to linger and return. But happy hour remains the best way to get your fill of socializing, fun, well-priced adult beverages and an early dinner. One of the best memories I have from my first visit to Santa Fe for a New Years wedding more than 20 years ago was at The Dragon Room Bar at The Pink Adobe. This was part of the wedding party celebration as this was the couples favorite bar. Our group bundled up for the snowy trek up Old Santa Fe Trail and we had a blast kibitzing, taking in the pulsating scene and punctuating the night with a slice of their famous apple pie. This festive and delectable experience firmly cemented my love for Santa Fe. And I am happy to report that The Dragon Room is still a lively and iconic bar to gather and might be the best place to see and be seen in The City Different. We recently went with another couple and were enchanted by the vitality that continues to pack in youthful and seasoned customers. Whether you want to belly up to the bar and meet new friends or gather with old friends at a table for a few drinks and snacks or a meal, The Dragon Room is where you want to be. Happy hour begins when the doors open at 4 p.m. and continues until 7 p.m. And by 5 p.m., the bar area is typically standing room only. In spring and summer, a huge patio is another reason why this bar has been fueling generations of Santa Feans and tourists since 1944. The colorful and art-filled space is quintessentially Santa Fe. Cheerful holiday lights drape from the ceiling, dragons dangle from every angle, lantern lights give off just enough illumination, stained glass adds a sparkle, a tree grows from the center of the room and the well-cared for plants make this a warm, cozy and welcoming environment. The free popcorn engages your taste buds and beckons you to take advantage of the $5 happy hour specials that include margaritas, wine, beer and well drinks. After my female dining companion and I finished our first perfectly-balanced margarita and her husband savored a cold beer (sadly, they didnt have the beer he wanted, so he settled for his second choice), our foursome ordered dinner. To encourage dining during happy hour, the bar menu is 15% off. The menu features nearly 20 options ranging from The Trio, a group starter that includes crispy tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole and queso ($14) and Zucchini Fries ($12) to heartier meals such as a burger, tacos and their classic dish, Petite Steak Dunigan. They also cook up two stews, Gypsy Stew made with chicken and Green Chile Stew with pork (both $13). Some claim this is the best green chile stew in town, but we didnt opt for the stews this time. I ordered Zucchini Fries for the table to share as appetizer. Though they were a little soggy and could have been fried a bit longer, the accompanying chipotle mayo made these fried vegetable sticks go down a lot easier. The gentleman who didnt get his first beer choice also didnt get Chicken Wings ($16). The waitress informed us they didnt have any, though they are on the menu, so he had a burger. Served on an English muffin, the Grass-Fed Dobe Burger ($18) comes with a side of French fries and three sauces ketchup, roasted green chile and dobe sauce (chipotle mayo). He proclaimed the meat had good flavor and also enjoyed the lightly seasoned fries. When I asked if the fries are homemade, the waitress proudly said, Everything here is homemade. His wife ordered the Portabella Mushroom Quesadilla ($12) and was thrilled. Two flour tortillas are stuffed with cheese, roasted mushrooms, avocado, chopped tomatoes and green chile. The interior is melted and the exterior is crispy. Served with a side of guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo, she definitely out ordered me. I had the Quatros Tacos ($14) which come with four different fillings, but I went all pork. Unfortunately, the pork was tough. It seems they multi-purpose the pork chunks they use for the green chile so the chunks are larger than ideal for tacos and not at all tender. The plate comes with a side of pinto beans, rice and three salsas. On reflection, I should have ordered the Shrimp Tacos ($19). My husband had the signature Petite Steak Dunigan ($23), a 6-ounce New York strip steak covered in roasted green chiles and mushrooms. He found the steak to be quite good and an ideal size. Served with a small baked potato and asparagus, he found this to be a filling meal and particularly impressive for bar food. Our meals were accompanied with live music which added to the jubilant scene. On Saturday nights, musician Roy Rougeau plays 60s and 70s tunes from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. He opened his set with Cat Stevens and then Melissa by The Allman Brothers, as well as other songs you know by heart from Al Stewart and Jackson Browne. As this dynamic duo restaurant and bar enter their eighth decade in business, they seem to not have lost their flair or flavor which is why The Dragon Room Bar remains high on everyones list for a happening happy hour, good food and a boisterous evening. Perhaps Ill see you at the bar sometime? ABUJA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A senior commander of the extremist group Boko Haram has surrendered to troops in the heat of ongoing anti-terror operations in Nigeria's northeast region, the military confirmed on Thursday. The terrorist commander, identified as Saleh Mustapha, was a leader of the Boko Haram in Bama area, one of the frequently attacked locations in the northeastern state of Borno, said Bernard Onyeuko, a spokesman for the military, who addressed reporters in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. Onyeuko said Mustapha surrendered to the troops on Tuesday, explaining the military had intensified anti-terror operations in that part of the country since March 25. According to the military official, a total of 51,114 terrorists and their families had surrendered so far due to the intense military operations. Out of the figure, 24,335 are children, while 11,398 are men and 15,381 women. Onyeuko, however, declined to state when exactly the terrorists' surrender began. He said all surrendered terrorists had been documented and handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action. Boko Haram has been collaborating with its sister group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terror groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. Most people know New Mexico offers a plethora of choices when it comes to style and taste of craft beer. Downtowns Sidetrack Brewing wants to highlight another option cask brews. The brewery is hosting the Alley Cask Festival from noon to 4 p.m. on April 16. Co-owner Dan Herr said 11 other breweries have agreed to participate. Tickets are $30 and that will get participants a sample of each beer, a full pour of ones favorite and a pint glass. Cask beers have been a tradition at Sidetrack since they opened in 2016. They continuously offer at least two cask beer on their menu. Herr said because its an uncommon offering, he wanted to host a festival highlighting this style of beer. Sidetrack brewmaster David Kimbell said with traditional keg beer, the carbon dioxide is injected, giving beer that highly-carbonated taste. With cask beers, the beer is unfiltered and fermented long enough to allow the process to happen over time. The result, Kimbell said, is a less carbonated, smoother beer. The general belief is that cask beers allow more of the flavors to emerge. Its served with hand pump system whereas keg beers are pushed out of the keg with carbon dioxide. Kimbell said cask beers provide an opportunity for brewers to try something different. Its a good way to experiment, he said. If it doesnt work out, you arent wasting a lot. Meanwhile, Herr said this is the first festival the brewery has hosted since it opened. Sidetrack is located on Second Street Downtown next to Zendo coffeehouse, and draws a wide range of customers. Herr said when he and his wife opened the brewery, the idea was to have a no-fuss atmosphere where people can just come and have a pint, like the old-style local pub. There are no televisions, just beer and good company. They dont package or distribute their beer either and have no immediate plans to do so. They recently upgraded their patio, adding a shade structure, which Herr said will make a big difference this summer in keeping the outdoor space comfortable. Additional participating breweries are Bathtub Row, Canteen, Ex Novo, Gravity Bound, La Cumbre, Marble, Palmer, Ponderosa, Second Street, Steel Bender and Turtle Mountain. Each brewery will bring a cask to the event for tapping. Mighty Mikes Meats Smoked BBQ food truck will be on-site during the festival. The taproom will be closed to the public during the festival, allowing only those with a ticket entry. Tickets for the festival can be purchased at the Sidetrack Brewing taproom or through the website at sidetrackbrewing.net. New Mexico and the world have just been through a natural disaster. Our children, families and schools are recovering slowly, but recovery will take time. Schools are just beginning to understand and evaluate what was lost during the pandemic, and are moving into recovery mode. Now is not the time to nickel-and-dime school budgets, forcing districts and charter schools to choose between laying off educators or cutting spending for the programs that will bring families back. Albuquerque Interfaiths 22 member churches, synagogue, schools and nonprofit organizations call on the Legislature and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to fully fund the salary increases approved for teachers and other educators. We also call on them to allow two more transition years for schools and districts to find the students and families who left during the disaster. The pandemic hit overnight, but it is unfair to families and educators struggling with its impact to expect recovery to happen instantly and without extraordinary resources. Fortunately for New Mexico, we are blessed with the financial resources to fully support our children, families and schools through this recovery. The states reserves are near 40% of the budget and West Texas Intermediate oil is at $100 a barrel and likely to stay high, even if a recession hits. Now is not the time to stuff money under the states financial mattresses. To use federal emergency funding alone to address funding gaps only kicks the can down the road and prolongs what the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit declared historic under-funding of our schools in the first place. Since public schools are funded based on the previous years attendance, this budgetary double-whammy is forcing schools to plan layoffs just when we need more teachers, educational assistants, social workers, counselors and other staff to encourage families to reenroll and reengage with schools. As an example of the most recent state budgets stinginess toward our schools, in the coming school year, APS will be short $10 million from underfunded salary increases and roughly $35 million from some 4,000 lost students. Many, if not most, will return in the next two years. All those kindergartners kept home will go to first grade. Yet, APS wont have the caring, loving educators those children need and deserve if our legislators and the governor dont act now. Albuquerque Interfaith organizations and leaders know intimately the struggles facing families, students, educators and school leaders on the front lines of this recovery, especially those in our most marginalized communities. Throughout this natural disaster, our public schools held up in their role as critical institutions connecting with families, getting emergency aid out, addressing hunger issues, helping families avoid evictions, and more. We need them now more than ever. Community school coordinators, principals, counselors, teachers, EAs and other staff are the first responders our families rely on now. In the coming economy, human capital will be more critical than it has ever been before. Our states leaders can help us prepare for the transition, and it starts with investing in our recovery from this disaster. We call on our governor and Legislature to hold our public schools harmless from devastating cuts in the coming year so our schools can continue to play their vital role in helping our communities recover from the collective trauma and prepare for our future economy. Every family deserves to know the security that comes from living in a stable, affordable home, especially since stable housing lowers stress for working families and improves outcomes for children. Unfortunately, families who rely on rental assistance are often discriminated against because of the type of income they use to pay rent. This form of discrimination, called source-of-income discrimination, limits families rental options and increases their risk of housing instability and homelessness. It has no place in our state today. More than 51,000 New Mexicans rely on federal vouchers to afford housing, and most of them, 72%, are families with children, seniors and people with disabilities. Stable housing is critical for childrens health and educational attainment, but accessing federal rental assistance is challenging due to limited funding and years-long waiting lists. However, once people finally get assistance, they face another Herculean task of finding landlords who will rent to them. Discrimination based on ones source of income also impacts people who use Social Security, veterans benefits and even New Mexicos emergency rental assistance. As of March 2022, New Mexico had disbursed approximately $110 million in rental assistance to help keep tenants housed and landlords paid, but some landlords refuse to accept this rental relief. This type of discrimination is harmful because it perpetuates housing instability and homelessness and is most likely to hurt people of color and those earning low incomes. In fact, source-of-income discrimination can serve as a proxy for racial and socioeconomic discrimination. To address this problem, 120 states and municipalities nationwide have passed laws to prevent landlords from denying prospective tenants based solely on their sources of income. People living in areas with these protections are less likely to experience housing instability and homelessness. Unfortunately, New Mexico and its municipalities currently fail to provide such protection despite rising rental prices and rates of housing instability. Albuquerque ranked as one of the top 10 cities for rental increases between 2020 and 2021, and almost half, 48%, of New Mexican renters paid more than 30% of their income on rent in 2019, with higher rates for people of color. To make matters worse, the states eviction moratorium will end soon, likely increasing the number of evictions. Banning source-of-income discrimination can address this and help tenants stay housed by preventing landlords from rejecting the states emergency rental assistance. It can also help landlords by making their rental payments more reliable without curtailing their ability to screen tenants, charge security deposits or charge their regular rents. In fact, tenants with federal vouchers owe less back rent than those without, which has helped tenants and landlords withstand the pandemics financial effects. Albuquerque is one of the first New Mexico municipalities considering a ban on this form of discrimination through a city ordinance. Passing this legislation would be an important step to not only help Albuquerque tenants find and maintain housing, but to also provide a model for how other cities and the state can improve housing opportunities for all residents. Everyone should be able to access secure, safe housing, and families who use federal and state assistance should not be penalized for needing help to cover their costs of living. New Mexico should ban source-of-income discrimination and ensure all families have access to the housing they need. N.M. Attorney General Hector Balderas has some explaining to do. New Mexicos Inspection of Public Records Act guarantees the public the right to inspect and copy all public records, except as provided by law. The AGs Office is responsible for enforcing the states public records law, and Balderas hasnt been shy about calling out entities that fall short. And thats a good thing. Example: The AGs Office recently sent a seven-page letter to Rio Rancho officials explaining why the citys refusal to release police records in the apparent gunshot death of the toddler son of a Santa Fe policeman Dec. 8 violated the public records law. Under IPRA, the records custodian must either permit inspection within 15 calendar days after receiving the request or send a written notice explaining the denial. But a new lawsuit claims the AGs Office has dragged its feet producing its own records from an IPRA request. Last week, former Albuquerque Police Chief Michael Geier filed suit alleging the AGs Office violated IPRA as it has not turned over documents requested last year. Penalties for not complying with IPRA can hit $100 a day in damages, plus costs and attorneys fees. Geier was chief from late 2017 when Mayor Tim Keller took office until he was asked to resign in September 2020. Last May his attorney, Thomas Grover, requested all documents and correspondence between APD and the AGs Office related to Geier and his former executive assistant, Paulette Diaz, since the beginning of the year. Eleven months later, Grover says he hasnt received any documents. Here we have the states own point agency for enforcing IPRA not following IPRA, and I think its going to be a problem. Grover said. If the allegations in Grovers suit are accurate, he is right. It shouldnt take a lawsuit to get the states top law enforcement agency to produce records or state clearly why it wont. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. CHERNIHIV, Ukraine Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyivs calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscows next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. The citys streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Western allies also ramped up financial penalties aimed at Moscow, including a ban by the European Union on Russian coal imports and a U.S. move to suspend normal trade relations with Russia. Kuleba encouraged Western countries to continue bearing down on Russia, suggesting that any letup will result in more suffering for Ukrainians. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions? Kuleba asked reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where Associated Press journalists counted dozens of bodies, some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. How many children, women, men, have to die innocent lives have to be lost for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital city. Volunteers have spent days collecting the corpses, and more were picked up Thursday in Bucha. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Most victims died from gunshots, not from shelling, he said, and corpses with their hands tied were dumped like firewood into recently discovered mass graves, including one at a childrens camp. The mayor said the count of dead civilians stood at 320 as of Wednesday, but he expected the number to rise as more bodies are found in his city, which once had a population of 50,000. Only 3,700 now remain, he said. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the horrors of Bucha could just be the beginning. In the northern city of Borodianka, just 30 kilometers northwest of Bucha, Zelenskyy warned of even more casualties, saying there it is much scarier. The world should brace itself, he said, for what might soon be found in the seaport city of Mariupol, saying that on on every street is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the departure of the Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same terrible crimes. He pledged that an international war crimes investigation already underway will identify each of the executioners and all those who committed rape or looting. Ukrainian and several Western leaders have blamed the massacres on Moscows troops, and the weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that Germanys foreign intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Kuleba became emotional while referring to the horrors in the town, telling reporters that they couldnt understand how it feels after seeing pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. His comments came in response to a reporters question about a video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting a captured and wounded Russian soldier. He said he had not seen the video and that it would be investigated. He acknowledged that there could be isolated incidents of violations. The footage has not been independently verified by the AP. In the 6-week-old war, Russian forces failed to take Ukraines capital quickly, denying what Western countries said was Russian leader Vladimir Putins initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. In the wake of that setback and heavy losses, Russia shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years. The United Nations humanitarian chief told the AP on Thursday that hes not optimistic about securing a cease-fire after meeting with officials in Kyiv and in Moscow this week, underlining the lack of trust the two sides have for one another. He spoke hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of backtracking on proposals it had made over Crimea and Ukraines military status. Its not clear how long it will take withdrawing Russian forces to redeploy, and Ukrainian officials have urged people in the countrys east to leave before the fighting intensifies there. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish civilian evacuation routes Thursday from several areas in the Donbas. Even as Ukraine braced for a new phase of the war, Russias withdrawal brought some relief to Chernihiv, which lies near Ukraines northern border with Belarus and was cut off for weeks. Vladimir Tarasovets described nights during the siege when he watched the city on fire and listened to the sound of shelling. It was very hard, very hard. Every evening there were fires, it was scary to look at the city. In the evening, when it was dark, there was no light, no water, no gas, no amenities at all, he said. How did we go through it? I have no words to describe how we managed. In addition to spurring NATO countries to send more arms, the revelations about possible war crimes led Western nations to step up sanctions, and the Group of Seven major world powers warned that they will continue strengthening the measures until Russian troops leave Ukraine. The U.S. Congress voted Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, while the European Union approved punishing new steps, including the embargo on coal imports. The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, voted to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.N. vote demonstrated how Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He called the images coming from Bucha horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity, Biden said. The U.S. State Department said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corp., Russias largest military shipbuilder, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The move blocks their access to American financial systems. The department also said it would levy sanctions against the worlds largest diamond mining company, Russia-backed Alrosa. ___ Schreck reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Hasnt it been grand? Normal? Like the last two years never happened? Isnt it nice seeing smiles again? Is it too much to think, to hope, to assume that COVID-19 is finally over? Well, yes. Its not over. It might never be. That wily virus that has plagued the world like, well, the plague is shifty and smart, lulling us into a false sense of normalcy before, bam, it transformed itself into the delta variant. Then omicron. Now BA.2, a subvariant of omicron. Its too soon to know how much havoc this mutant will cause. But we do know that our best defense against COVID-19 is the vaccine. Recently, the New Mexico Department of Health along with the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that those of us over 50 who received our first booster at least four months ago should now get a second booster. Ditto for those ages 12 and older with immune deficiencies and those who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago. Simple, no? Well, no. To help cut through the confusion, we turn to Dr. David Scrase, acting Health secretary and New Mexicos own Dr. Fauci but without the Fox-fueled scorn. Not everybody gets to talk to Scrase, I am told. But since COVID-19, Scrase has found himself talking to everybody in his ubiquitous news conference appearances. I always joke, Id never done a press conference in my 37-year career until this pandemic and then to do it all the time, every week for two years, said Scrase, far more casual on a recent Saturday morning than in those news conferences, flannel-shirted, morning tea in hand, still working even on the weekend. His advice: If youre over 65, absolutely get the second booster. Now. Vaccines are the only tool we have that can end this pandemic, Scrase said. The world gets vaccinated, the virus will no longer find a place to live and grow anymore. Hes a little less definitive for those 50 and over who received their first booster at least four months ago. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is as well, saying Tuesday that those 50 and up with chronic health conditions should get a second booster now but that its a personal judgment call for healthy 50somethings and those who had the omicron variant in the last two to three months as to whether they get a second booster now or wait until later when a new variant rears its ugly RNA. Scrase is not as convinced as Walensky that natural immunity is enough to ward off another bout of COVID-19. It would be like saying, you know, I had the flu last year so I dont really need the flu shot this year. Or yeah, I had a cold once, so thats it, no way Ill ever get another cold, he said. Again, its the variants. Ive had some patients who had delta in December and omicron in January or February. Scrase said that while the numbers of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in New Mexico are relatively low now, he anticipates another uptick in the state, this one fairly rapid and peaking in early May. Getting a second booster ahead of that poses no known safety issues, even if another shot is needed in fall or even sooner. A new study released Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a fourth vaccine only provides short-term protection. Sigh. Getting a second booster shot is free and easy to sign up for and if you find it isnt so easy, friendly DOH folks are ready to help. They recommend that you dont wait for them to text or email you as was the case during past vaccine rounds. They should go ahead and register for one using the (website), their provider or local pharmacy, said Katy Diffendorfer, health equity communications manager. Appointment availability is good and varies by location. If youre having trouble getting through on the hotline, try calling in the evening or over the weekend, she said. I would emphasize that we take a message, then return their call, and that due to our system that call may show up as being returned from an unlisted number or a number they dont know, Diffendorfer said. They should be prepared to answer unknown or unlisted numbers until they hear back from us. We make between one to three attempts to return every single call, but Im sorry to say a high proportion of our return calls dont get answered. Sadly, jerks are taking advantage of the vulnerable by pretending to be from DOH and asking residents for their full Social Security numbers or financial information such as a credit card number. NMDOH will never ask for that, she said. After our conversation Saturday, Scrase, 69, said he planned to register for his second booster. Ever mindful of science and the ephemeral nature of normal, he still wears his mask on occasion, including shopping at big box stores and the five days before he is scheduled to see patients at his geriatric practice. Hes started going to restaurants again, and he expects he will always wear a mask when he travels by plane. He advises others to use masks depending on the situation or when cases start to rise again. Because inevitably they will. An analogy might be, is it OK for me to go out in shorts and a T-shirt? Well, yeah, but you might want to check the weather, he said. You know, because if its 10 degrees and sleeting you might not want just shorts and a T-shirt. But if its 90 and sunny, you might. That day, the weather was warm, sunny and grand. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach Joline at 730-2793, jkrueger@abqjournal.com. Take your shot Schedule an appointment for second booster or initial vaccines online at www.vaccineNM.org or call 1-855-600-3453, option 3 for English, option 9 for Spanish. Hotline is available 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico is in the running to be the home of two parts of the U.S. Space Forces Space and Training Readiness Command Headquarters, or STARCOM. The U.S. Air Force this week announced that Kirtland Air Force Base is a finalist to be the home of two of five space deltas which are essentially a specific mission or area of focus that will form STARCOM. Kirtland and Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado are both being considered for the Range and Aggressor delta and the Test and Evaluation delta, according to the Air Force. The military branch said in a news release that both Kirtland and Schriver have existing infrastructure that could support test, training and exercise activities within close distance to range and aggressor stakeholders. Schriever, along with five other Space Force bases around the country, is also a finalist to be the STARCOM headquarters. Kirtland is not on that list. Several Democrats in New Mexicos congressional delegation praised Kirtland being named a finalist. New Mexico is the future of space. We are home to an ideal climate, leading public and private space innovators, and an exceptional training pipeline for the growing science and engineering workforce, Sen. Martin Heinrich said in a statement. Kirtland Air Force Base has also built an exceptional track record of supporting training missions, and testing and evaluation of important space capabilities. Heinrich is chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee that oversees military construction funding. Kirtland is already home to the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate and other space-related endeavors. The state is also home to White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico and the two national laboratories, which have also attracted a variety of companies to provide support services to the industry. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan noted that KAFB has a long history of space technology expertise. New Mexico is at the forefront of science, research, technology and security, and Albuquerques endless skies, access to the outdoors, and amazing communities offer a welcoming home to STARCOM, which would bring additional economic development to a community well-positioned to further support the Space Forces work, Rep. Melanie Stansbury said in a statement. I look forward to supporting Kirtland Air Force Base as the Space Force continues the selection process. A member of the clergy within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has been given a new position, according to an announcement this week from Archbishop John C. Wester. The Rev. John Cannon will become rector of the St. Francis Cathedral and pastor of Cristo Rey Catholic Church, both in Santa Fe, succeeding the Rev. Timothy Martinez, who is stepping down due to an immunological illness. In an open letter to the parishioners of St. Francis Cathedral and Cristo Rey Parish, Wester said Martinezs recent sabbatical has given him new insights into his medical condition and an opportunity to work with his doctors. The medical condition, Wester said, makes it difficult if not impossible for him to fulfill his duties and to give you, his valued parishioners, the service he believes you should have. Cannon currently is the administrator of the cathedral and a former pastor of San Isidro in Santa Fe. Discussions are ongoing about how Father Martinez will be able to best serve the people of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe while maintaining and caring for his health issues, Wester said. This image provided by World Press Photo which won the World Press Photo Of The Year award by Amber Bracken for The New York Times, titled Kamloops Residential School, shows Red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside commemorate children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, an institution created to assimilate Indigenous children, following the detection of as many as 215 unmarked graves, Kamloops, British Columbia, 19 June 2021. (Amber Bracken for The New York Times/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows Stray dogs stare at meat hanging in a butcher's shop in Vila da Ressaca, an area previously mined for gold but now almost completely abandoned, in Altamira, Para, Brazil, on Sept. 2, 2013. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo which won the World Press Photo Story Of The Year award by Matthew Abbott for National Geographic Magazine/Panos Pictures, titled Saving Forests With Fire, shows A group of Nawarddeken women elders hunt for turtles with homemade tools on floodplains near Gunbalanya, Arnhem Land, Australia, Oct. 31, 2021. They spent all day finding just two turtles, which are a popular delicacy. Soon the grass will be burned to make the hunt easier. (Matthew Abbott for National Geographic/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award, shows Women and children from the Piraha community, standing next to their camp on the banks of the Maici River, watch drivers passing by on the Trans-Amazonian highway hoping to be given snacks or soft drinks, Humaita, Amazon, Brazil, Sept. 21, 2016. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a video composed of digital and film photographs titled Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) by Isadora Romero which won the World Press Photo Open Format award, and questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. (Isadora Romero/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo which won the World Press Photo Story Of The Year award by Matthew Abbott for National Geographic Magazine/Panos Pictures, titled Saving Forests With Fire, shows A black kite (subspecies Affinis of Milvus migrans) flies above a cool-burn fire lit by hunters earlier in the day, in Mamadawerre, Arnhem Land, Australia, May 2, 2021. The raptor, also known as a firehawk, is native to Northern and Eastern Australia, and hunts near active fires, snatching up large insects, small mammals, and reptiles as they flee the flames. (Matthew Abbott for National Geographic/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a video composed of digital and film photographs titled Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) by Isadora Romero which won the World Press Photo Open Format award, and questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. (Isadora Romero/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a video composed of digital and film photographs titled Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) by Isadora Romero which won the World Press Photo Open Format award, and questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. (Isadora Romero/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a video composed of digital and film photographs titled Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) by Isadora Romero which won the World Press Photo Open Format award, and questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. (Isadora Romero/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a video composed of digital and film photographs titled Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) by Isadora Romero which won the World Press Photo Open Format award, and questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. (Isadora Romero/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows A billboard with a message of support to President Bolsonaro stands alongside the Trans-Amazonian Highway, Altamira, Para, Brazil, July 20, 2020. It was financed by local farmers. Agribusiness is one of the president's main pillars of political support (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows An aerial view of the construction of the Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River, Altamira, Para, Brazil, Sept. 3, 2013. More than 80% of the river's water has been diverted from its natural course to build the hydroelectric project. The drastic reduction in water flow has an adverse impact both on the environment and on the livelihoods of traditional communities living downstream of the dam. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo which won the World Press Photo Story Of The Year award by Matthew Abbott for National Geographic Magazine/Panos Pictures, titled Saving Forests With Fire, shows Nawarddeken elder Conrad Maralngurra burns grass to protect the Mamadawerre community from late-season 'wildfires', in Mamadawerre, Arnhem Land, Australia, May 3, 2021. The late-evening fire will die out naturally once the temperature drops and moisture levels rise. (Matthew Abbott for National Geographic/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo which won the World Press Photo Story Of The Year award by Matthew Abbott for National Geographic Magazine/Panos Pictures, titled Saving Forests With Fire, shows Stacey Lee, 11-years-old, left, setting the bark of trees alight to produce a natural light source to help hunt for file snakes (Acrochordus arafurae), in Djulkar, Arnhem Land, Australia, on 22 July 2021. (Matthew Abbott for National Geographic/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows A boy rests on a dead tree trunk in the Xingu River in Paratizao, a community located near the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, Par, Brazil, on August 28, 2018. He is surrounded by patches of dead trees, formed after the flooding of the reservoir. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows Massive deforestation is evident in Apui, a municipality along the Trans-Amazonian Highway, southern Amazon, Brazil, August 24, 2020. Apui is one of the region's most deforested municipalities. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows A member of the Quilombola community an Afro-Brazilian community consisting of Black Brazilians, some of whom are descendants of enslaved peoples from the African continent lies passed out drunk on a bench, in Pedras Negras, Sao Francisco do Guapore, Rondonia, Brazil, Jan. 29, 2021. The process of providing land deeds to communities started by former enslaved people was already slow before Jair Bolsonaro's election. It has now stalled completely, as a result of the president's resolve not to demarcate further land for such communities in the Amazon. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) This image provided by World Press Photo, part of a series titled Amazonian Dystopia, by Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project award,, shows Members of the Munduruku community line up to board a plane at Altamira Airport, in Para, Brazil, on 14 June 2013. After protesting at the site of the construction of the Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River, they traveled to the national capital Brasilia to present their demands to the government. The Munduruku community inhabit the banks of another tributary of the Amazon, the Tapajos River, several hundred kilometers away, where the government has plans to build further hydroelectric projects. Despite pressure from indigenous people, environmentalists and non-governmental organizations, the Belo Monte project was built and completed in 2019. (Lalo de Almeida for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures/World Press Photo via AP) Prev 1 of 18 Next THE HAGUE, Netherlands A haunting image of red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside, with a rainbow in the background, commemorating children who died at a residential school created to assimilate Indigenous children in Canada won the prestigious World Press Photo award Thursday. The image was one of a series of the Kamloops Residential School shot by Canadian photographer Amber Bracken for The New York Times. It is a kind of image that sears itself into your memory. It inspires a kind of sensory reaction, Global jury chair Rena Effendi said in a statement. I could almost hear the quietness in this photograph, a quiet moment of global reckoning for the history of colonization, not only in Canada but around the world. It was not the first recognition for Brackens work in the Amsterdam-based competition. She won first prize in the contests Contemporary Issues category in 2017 for images of protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Her latest win came less than a week after Pope Francis made a historic apology to Indigenous peoples for the deplorable abuses they suffered in Canadas Catholic-run residential schools and begged for forgiveness. Last May, the Tkemlups te Secwepemc Nation announced the discovery of 215 gravesites near Kamloops, British Columbia. It was Canadas largest Indigenous residential school and the discovery of the graves was the first of numerous, similar grim sites across the country. So we started to have, I suppose, a personification of some of the children that went to these schools that didnt come home, Bracken said in comments released by contest organizers. Theres also these little crosses by the highway. And I knew right away that I wanted to photograph the line of these these crosses with these little childrens clothes hanging on them to commemorate and to honor those kids and to make them visible in a way that they hadnt been for a long time. Indigenous peoples elsewhere in the world featured in two other of the annual competitions top prizes. The winners were chosen out of 64,823 photographs and open format entries by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries. Together the global winners pay tribute to the past, while inhabiting the present and looking towards the future, Effendi said. Australian photographer Matthew Abbott won the Photo Story of the Year prize for a series of images for National Geographic/Panos Pictures that document how the Nawarddeken people of West Arnhem Land in northern Australia fight fire with fire by deliberately burning off undergrowth to remove fuel that could spark far larger wildfires. The Long-Term Project award went to Lalo de Almeida of Brazil for a series of photos for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures called Amazonian Dystopia that charts the effects of the exploitation of the Amazon region, particularly on Indigenous communities forced to deal with environmental degradation. In regional awards announced previously, Bram Janssen of The Associated Press won the Stories category in Asia with a series of photos from a Kabul cinema and AP photographer Dar Yasin earned an honorable mention for photos from Kashmir titled Endless War. Yasin, together with Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography for their coverage of the war in Kashmir. SANAA, Yemen Yemens exiled president stepped aside and transferred his powers to a presidential council Thursday, as international and regional efforts to end the countrys long-running civil war gained momentum with a two-month truce. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, major players in the war, appear to have had a role in President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadis decision, quickly welcoming it with a pledge of $3 billion in aid. The head of the new council has close ties to Riyadh. It remains to be seen how the development will impact Yemens grinding conflict. A Saudi-led coalition of which the UAE is a member has for years been fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to restore Hadis government to power. So far, U.N. mediation efforts have yielded little fruit, and fighting, airstrikes and missile attacks had been escalating in the war until the cease-fire took effect. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed any significance of the new council. The rebels have in the past benefited from squabbles among their rivals. Our Yemeni people are not concerned with any illegitimate decisions made by illegitimate parties beyond their borders, Abdul-Salam tweeted. Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, described the power transfer as the most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Houthi bloc since war began. Hadi, 76, said the newly established council will run the government and lead negotiations with the Houthis, according to a statement aired on state-run media. The development, which could unify the anti-Houthi camp after years of infighting and disputes, was almost certainly orchestrated in Riyadh where Yemens pro-government and pro-Saudi factions have been meeting over the past week to discuss efforts to end the war. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers, Hadi declared on Yemens state-run TV. He also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a powerful military figure, and delegated al-Ahmars powers to the presidential council. The council is chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, an advisor to Hadi and former interior minister with the government of late strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Al-Alimi enjoys close ties with Saudi Arabia and the powerful Islah party Yemens branch of the transnational Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood. Yemens civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. Months later, the Saudi-led coalition entered the war to try to restore Hadis government to power but the war over the years turned into a stalemated proxy conflict with neither side winning. Hadis exile distanced him from events on the ground, with his Saudi backers preventing him from returning to Yemen and the southern port city of Aden the new seat of the exiled government allegedly over safety issues. His administration was accused of gross mismanagement and government employees largely went without salaries. Separately, Aden became the scene of infighting among the coalition when UAE-backed separatists briefly overtook the city in 2019. A Riyadh-brokered deal later that year attempted to reconcile the separatists and Hadis forces but power struggles have persisted. Hadis rule was also undermined by the UAEs influence in the territories nominally under his control. The UAE trained, financed and armed militias in Yemen and set up prisons. Yemens war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14.500 civilians, and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. This month, the warring sides announced a two-month cease-fire the first nationwide truce in Yemen in six years starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia welcomed Hadis move and urged the presidential council to embark upon U.N.-led negotiations with the Houthis to find a political, final and comprehensive settlement to the conflict, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also met with the council head and its members, Saudi state-run TV reported. The council has seven other members, including Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council an umbrella group of heavily armed militias propped up by the UAE since 2015. Also in the council are Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province, and Tariq Saleh, a militia leader and nephew of the late president with close ties to the UAE. Another member is Abdel-Rahman Abu Zarah, commander of UAE-backed Giants Brigades, which played a crucial role recently in repelling the Houthi offensive on the central city of Marib. Hadi was named president of Yemen in 2012 with a mission to oversee a democratic transition following its Arab Spring uprising that ended Salehs longtime rule. Separately, talks hosted by the Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council over the Yemeni war entered their final day on Thursday. The Houthis have boycotted the GCC efforts because they were taking place in Saudi Arabia, their adversarys territory. A number of countries welcomed the change in Yemens leadership, with Egypt, Jordan and France expressing support for the presidential council. The Arab League and the European Union both said they hoped it could help the country further towards peace. At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric thanked Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their $3 billion in aid to Yemen and expressed U.N.s readiness to work with the presidential council, as well all the Yemeni parties, to reach a lasting truce and a sustainable, inclusive and negotiated settlement to the Yemen conflict. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Noha ElHennawy in Cairo and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. KAMPALA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Uganda and neighboring Kenya have signed a defense and security agreement that will facilitate joint cooperation in addressing threats like terrorism, a ministry of defense statement said here on Thursday. The agreement was signed on Wednesday by Uganda's Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Vincent Ssempijja and Kenya's Cabinet Secretary in Ministry of Defence Eugene Wamalwa. "This strategic engagement is a culmination of the strategic vision of their Excellences the Presidents of Uganda and Kenya who implored us to fast track this framework in areas of general interest for the security of both Uganda and Kenya," said Ssempijja. The minister said there is need to jointly fight transitional crimes like terrorism and proliferation of small arms. He hailed Kenya for the cooperation in reviving the bilateral agreement for engagement and collaboration in defense and security. "We need to make sure that we are ready to face the challenges and together, we shall win," Ssempijja said. Wamalwa said with the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) joining the East African Community, the expansion comes with its challenges and terrorism in particular. Wamalwa thanked Uganda for helping pacify eastern DRC and called for enhanced cooperation in defense and security. "I assure you of continued support and enhanced cooperation in the region after operationalizing the agreement," he said. WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and ward off fraudulent or illicit transactions. One potential upside is that users would get documentation of their crypto dealings for use in filing their taxes. Taxpayers should receive the same type of tax reporting on digital asset transactions that they receive for transactions in stocks and bonds, so that they have the information they need to report their income to the IRS, Yellen said in remarks Thursday at American University. It was Yellens first speech about cryptocurrency since President Joe Biden signed an executive order on digital assets in March. The administrations action follows several high-profile examples of alleged cryptocurrency laundering and fraud this year. In February, the Justice Department announced its largest-ever financial seizure more than $3.6 billion and the arrests of a couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. In March, federal regulators accused two siblings of defrauding thousands of investors out of $124 million in unregistered securities offerings involving a digital token. We will make policy recommendations, including assessment of potential regulatory actions and legislative changes, Yellen said. Her speech centered on the importance of reducing digital currencies risks to the financial system, along with maintaining the international prominence of the U.S. dollar. We have a strong interest in ensuring that innovation does not lead to a fragmentation in international payment architectures, she said, adding that over the next six months, Treasury will work with the White House and other agencies to develop reports and recommendations on digital currencies. Bidens cryptocurrency executive order urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directs federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. As banks and other traditional financial firms become more involved in digital asset markets, Yellen said, regulations will need to appropriately reflect the risks of these new activities. The use of cryptocurrency and other digital assets have exploded in recent years. Surveys show that roughly 16% of adult Americans or 40 million people have invested in cryptocurrencies. And 43% of men age 18 to 29 have put their money into cryptocurrency. The White House said in March that digital assets have reached a market cap of $3 trillion last November from $14 billion just five years prior. Our regulatory frameworks should be designed to support responsible innovation while managing risks especially those that could disrupt the financial system and economy, Yellen said. Lawmakers and administration officials have also voiced concerns that Russia may be using cryptocurrency to avoid the impact of the avalanche of sanctions imposed on banks, oligarchs and the energy industry in the past weeks due to the invasion of Ukraine. But Treasury officials and cryptocurrency experts have said crypto is not a workaround for sanctions. The weather is warming up and events across the city are happening. Here is a list of some notable events coming up: The African American Performing Arts Center will celebrate Black history with a youth opera and gospel workshop. Located at 310 San Pedro Drive NE, the event will be from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 29, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, with a showcase following at 7 p.m. with The Walls Group. Steve Springer, director of the University of New Mexico Gospel Choir, will lead the workshop. Students ages 8-17 are encouraged to participate. Free registration at form.123formbuilder.com or email nmappac1@gmail.com or call 505-222-0785. Free tax preparation is available from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at Homewise, 500 Second St. SW. Hosted by the Albuquerque Community Foundation. Free lunch by local food trucks. Register at Go.ABQCF.org/taxprep or call 505-883-6240. Dillards Albuquerque store invites volunteers to sign up and appear in a kids fashion show on Saturday, April 9. Easter basket donations will be made. Call 505-883-5900, extension 5430. Rio Rancho Northwest Mesa NAACP will host Courtyard Calcutta from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at 1305 Rio Grande Blvd. NW. The event will feature live music by Rodney Bowe, Toni Morgan, and Tracy Whitney. There will be dancing, food, drink, and a raffle. Dress to impress and wear your most outrageous/gorgeous hat to be eligible for a prize. Wax your moustache, put on false eyelashes, or dress up in that new outfit that hasnt made it out of the closet yet. There will be prizes for Best Dressed Man and Woman and Best Hat. For adults only. Contact rrnaacp.org/upcoming-events-1. At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10, the Youth Jazz Collaborative will present The Civil Rights Era: A Jazz Perspective at the African American Performing Arts Center, 310 San Pedro NE. This group of young jazz artists continued their practice during the pandemic. April 16 is EmpowHERment Day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the African American Cultural Center, 310 San Pedro NE. This is an education symposium and celebration for Black girls and girls of color ages 11-13. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. There will be seminars on the Black Education Act and New Mexicos Race-Based Hair Discrimination laws. Participation includes activities and goodie bags from Black-owned businesses. Register by April 14 at bit.ly/3DdsZsy. For more information, email nmblackcoc@gmail.com. Sponsored by the New Mexico Black Central Organizing Committee. Facing the Rising Sun: The Journey of African American Homesteaders in New Mexico Vision, Belief and Sovereign Ownership is on display at the Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road NW. This is a high-tech mobile exhibit hosted in collaboration with the African American Museum & Cultural Center of New Mexico, the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture, and the Electric Playhouse. ISLAMABAD Pakistans Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Prime Minister Imran Khans bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was illegal. That set the stage for a no-confidence vote by opposition lawmakers, who say they have enough support to oust him. The decision followed four days of hearings by the top court on the political crisis. Khan had tried to sidestep the no-confidence vote by accusing his political opponents of colluding with the United States to unseat him. Lawmakers will probably convene Saturday for the vote, and the opposition says it has the 172 votes in the 342-seat house needed to oust Khan after several members of his own party and a key coalition partner defected. Its an unfortunate decision, Khans ally and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told The Associated Press following the unanimous ruling by the five-member Supreme Court. He warned that instability will increase and I see no end to the crisis. Dozens of heavily armed police backed by paramilitary Rangers surrounded Pakistans stately white marble Supreme Court building. Roads leading to the court were blocked and a heavily armed contingent of police also encircled the nearby Parliamentary Lodges where opposition and government lawmakers stay when Parliament is in session. Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, who heads the Pakistan Muslim League and is the likely candidate for prime minister if the no-confidence vote succeeds, welcomed the ruling as a victory for justice and the supremacy of law. The political crisis began Sunday when an embattled Khan dissolved Parliament and set the stage for early elections. Chaudhry had stood in Parliament and accused the opposition of disloyalty to the state by working with a foreign power to bring about a regime change. The deputy parliamentary speaker Qasim Suri cited Chaudhrys allegation to toss out the no-confidence resolution, but the Supreme Court ruled that Suri had no grounds to do so. Chaudhry did not say what Khans next step might be. Khan previously had called for nationwide demonstrations to protest what he called Washingtons interference in Pakistans affairs. During the week, the Supreme Court heard arguments from Khans lawyers, the opposition and the countrys president before handing down the decision Thursday night, after iftar, the meal that breaks the daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This is the unfortunate fact about Pakistani politics the political issues, which should be settled in the parliament are instead brought to the Supreme Court to settle, said analyst Zahid Hussain, who has authored several books on militancy in the region and Islamabads complicated relationship with Washington. It is just a weakness of the system, Hussain added. Khan said the U.S. wants him gone because of what he describes as his independent foreign policy, which often favors China and Russia. He also has been a strident critic of Washingtons war on terrorism and was criticized for a visit to Moscow on Feb. 24, hours after Russia invaded Ukraine. The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistans internal politics. Khan tapped into a potent vein of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan that is unlikely to dissipate any time soon, said Elizabeth Threlkeld, Pakistan expert at the U.S.-based The Stimson Center. Young people make up the majority in the country and grew up during the two-decades-long war on terror, which is deeply controversial in Pakistan. She warned the anti-U.S. rhetoric could further complicate Pakistans relationship with Washington Pakistans top court or its powerful military have consistently stepped in whenever turmoil engulfs a democratically elected government. The army has seized power and ruled for more than half of Pakistans 75-year history. The military has remained quiet in the latest crisis, although army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa told a security summit in Islamabad last weekend that Pakistan wants good relations with China, a major investor, and also with the U.S., the countrys largest export market. The ongoing constitutional crisis is a major test for Pakistans institutions, which stems from both tensions between the prime minister and the military and economic pressures that created an opening for the opposition, Threlkeld said. While a serious challenge, this is also an opportunity for Pakistans institutions to demonstrate their resilience should they manage to restore a legitimate constitutional process, she said. The latest political chaos has spilled over into the countrys largest province of Punjab, where 60% of Pakistans 220 million people live and where Khans ally for chief provincial minister was denied the post on Wednesday, after his political opponents elected their own candidate. - Follow Kathy Gannon on Twitter at www:twitter.com/Kathygannon UNITED NATIONS The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote a historic moment, telling the assembly: We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored and that Russia must be held accountable for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war. Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. U.S. President Joe Biden said the vote demonstrated how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He pledged to continue working with other nations to gather evidence to hold Russia accountable, increase the pressure on its economy and isolate it on the international stage. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. It has created commissions of inquiry which provide its highest level of scrutiny on alleged rights violations and abuses for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russias deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution an illegitimate and politically motivated step by a group of countries with short-term political and economic interests that he accused of blatant and massive violations of human rights. The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France and the United States, which rejoined this year currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from sinking and suspend Russia, saying it has committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russias actions are beyond the pale, he said. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russias withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal University of New Mexico Film & Digital Arts students work on a capstone project during the final year of school. In any given year, the projects are completed for the seniors and then showcased to the community. That didnt happen in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. At 4 p.m. Saturday, UNM alumni will get together with the community for The 2020-2021 Lost Capstone Films Premiere Event at the South Broadway Cultural Center. A number of my students from 2020 and 2021 are pulling together a screening of all their senior projects that never had a chance to screen because of the pandemic, said Adam Turner, an adjunct lecturer at UNM. We have the support from the city, as well. Emily Cates and Alex Peterson are presenting their short film, Rob in the Doghouse. Cates is the writer and director, while Peterson is the producer. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Its not a pandemic film at all, Cates said. Peterson was drawn to the project because it had an intelligence to it. The crew worked on the project for five days during spring break in 2021. It was rough because everything was done virtually, Peterson said. Reading the scripts was fine, but we needed that human connection. Once we were in production, we followed all protocols and it was great to be back on set. Cates spent at least one semester working on the script using the tools provided by UNM. Its a luxury to have access to all of the equipment at UNM, Cates said. Once youre not a student, you have to worry about funding these projects. J Wallace will also present his project, Master Bassist, which is about a bass player who gets kicked out of his band and is replaced by a sex cult worker. Wallace and his crew were finishing the project days before the pandemic hit the state. We filmed our last scene in the UNM Hospital the day before the first COVID case in New Mexico, Wallace said. We filmed for eight days during weekends for about a month. The three filmmakers, who are working in the New Mexico film industry, are excited to have the opportunity for the public to see their projects. I was more upset about not being able to screen this project, Peterson said. This is what we worked for during our time at UNM. The show that Im working on currently ends Saturday and Ill be able to attend. TEL AVIV, Israel A Palestinian opened fire into a crowded bar in central Tel Aviv, killing at least two people and wounding several others. The attacker, who was from the occupied West Bank, eluded police for hours before he was killed in a shootout with security forces early Friday, officials said. It was the fourth deadly attack in Israel by Palestinians in less than three weeks and came at a time of heightened tensions around the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Protests and clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan last year eventually ignited an 11-day Gaza war. The militant Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip praised the attack but did not claim responsibility. Hundreds of Israeli police officers, canine units, and army special forces, had conducted a massive manhunt in central Tel Aviv, searching building by building through densely populated residential neighborhoods. Israels Shin Bet security agency said they eventually cornered the attacker in a mosque in the Jaffa neighborhood, where he was killed in an exchange of fire. After a difficult night, and after long hours of activity by police, the army and the Shin Bet, we succeeded this morning, through intelligence and operational cooperation, to close the circle and to kill the terrorist in a shootout, Israeli police chief Kobi Shabtai said. Thursdays attack took place at the start of the Israeli weekend in the popular nightlife area. Medics described scenes of panic, with dozens of people fleeing after the shots rang out. Israels Magen David Adom emergency service said two men around 30 years old were killed. Another seven people were wounded, three of them seriously, it said. Eleven Israelis were killed in three previous attacks, making this one of the worst waves of violence in years. The shooting took place on Dizengoff Street, a central thoroughfare that has seen other attacks over the years. In the most recent, an Arab citizen of Israel shot and killed two Israelis and wounded several others on the street in January 2016. Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have held a flurry of meetings in recent weeks, and Israel has taken a number of steps aimed at calming tensions, including issuing thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Prior to the attack, Israel had said it would allow women, children and men over 40 from the occupied West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem on Friday, the first weekly prayers of Ramadan. Tens of thousands were expected to attend. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and sits on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. The holy site has long been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel has worked to sideline the Palestinian issue in recent years, instead focusing on forging alliances with Arab states against Iran. But the century-old conflict remains as intractable as ever. Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories to form their future state. The last substantive peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is opposed to Palestinian statehood. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and considers the entire city to be its capital. It is building and expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which most of the international community considers illegal. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But along with neighboring Egypt, it imposed a crippling blockade on the territory after the militant Hamas group seized power from rival Palestinian forces two years later. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since then. Hamas spokesman Abdelatif Al-Qanou said late Thursday that the the heroic attack in the heart of the (Israeli) entity has struck the Zionist security system and proved our peoples ability to hurt the occupation. On March 29, a 27-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank shot and killed five people in the central town of Bnei Brak. Two days earlier, a shooting attack by two Islamic State group sympathizers in the central city of Hadera killed two police officers. The week before, an IS supporter killed four people in a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the southern city of Beersheba. The Hadera and Beersheba attacks were carried out by Palestinian citizens of Israel. The recent attacks appear to have been carried out by lone assailants, perhaps with the help of accomplices. No Palestinian militant group has claimed them, though Hamas has welcomed the attacks. Israel says the conflict stems from the Palestinians refusal to accept its existence as a Jewish state and blames attacks in part on incitement on social media. Palestinians say such attacks are the inevitable result of a nearly 55-year military occupation that shows no sign of ending. ___ Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report. TUNIS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Othman Jerandi on Thursday called for further strengthening the Tunisia-Argentina ties during a virtual meeting with his Argentine counterpart Santiago Cafiero. The two ministers discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on many international issues of common interest, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Jerandi praised the level of the Tunisia-Argentina ties on the 61st anniversary of their establishment, while stressing the importance of raising them to a higher level. The Tunisian top diplomat also called for taking advantage of the opportunities available to develop and diversify the areas of bilateral cooperation in such sectors as scientific research, technology, digital and knowledge economy. Jerandi stressed the importance of intensifying the exchange of visits at the level of official delegations as well as economic and trade missions. For his part, Cafiero welcomed the common desire to give new dynamics to the bilateral cooperation between Argentina and Tunisia, expressing his country's readiness to further strengthen them to serve the interests of both sides. They also discussed the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the international economy and the humanitarian situation in the world. The Allana Group, one of Indias largest exporters of Coffee today announced its foray into the Indian domestic market to meet the burgeoning demand in the brewed beverage business. The Group has been a pioneer in the green bean exports since the year 1987 and aims to introduce international grade coffees to the Indian consumers. Curating the finest beans with its in-house quality control, the group will remain focused on a B2B supply to domestic players as well as startups. The group will set up a state-of-the-art roast and ground coffee unit in Karnataka and distribute in all major cities of India. Further, the group will also invest in roaster and instant coffee machines and cater to industrial customers and cafes. The Allana group exports on an average 25000 tons of green coffee beans per annum with an advanced facility having the capacity to cure 30000 tons. Indias coffee market has witnessed an exponential growth with a CAGR of 10% over the last five years. Allana Groups foray into the domestic coffee market will address the rising demand, catering to the capsule market in addition to special coffees and also cater to the medium to high end commercial sector. Commenting on the foray M. P. Devaiah, Business Head Coffee, Allana Group said, Allana has been at the forefront of the green bean coffee business in India. Our strong network in sourcing the finest beans as well as our inhouse quality control differentiate and bring out the uniqueness in our coffee. Our introduction into the domestic market will aim to cater to true coffee aficionados and deliver a premium experience. Asim Allana, a sixth-generation member of the Allana Group promoter family said, Coffee over the years has become a mainstream consumer drink especially amongst the vibrant young generation in India. Our foray into the domestic coffee market is our commitment to provide one of the highest grades of coffee to our consumers. Being a veteran player in the industry, our extensive experience and expertise in the food business along with our world class infrastructure, we aim to create a superior and healthy domestic coffee market in India. With its over three decades of expertise in the coffee business, Allana Group has been acknowledged and conferred with awards as the largest over all exporters of green coffee beans by the Coffee Board of India. The group exports all grades of washed and un-washed Arabicas and Robustas as well as Monsooned Coffees. Further the Company continues to be one of Indias largest exporters of Specialty Coffee, thus catering to the needs of all types of buyers, be it specialty coffee, single estate coffee or commercial coffee particularly in Europe. Insurance CuES India Report, 2022 captures exciting insights about the perception and purchase of life insurance among Indian consumers is an annual syndicated study of Hansa Research. This study ranks insurers by Net Promoter Score (NPS) and has revealed the rankings for Life Insurance Brands for 2022. The study conducted in March 2022 covered around 4000 respondents across India. Commenting on the significance of the Insurance CuES India Report, Praveen Nijhara, CEO - Hansa Research said, The Insurance CuES India Report is a benchmark study for the insurance sector to understand the experiences and expectations of Indian customers. The study highlights the need and importance for these brands to invest in building trust among customers to convert them into consumers. Compared to previous years, last year we saw some of the smaller players had not been able to match customer expectations on experiences due to the sudden onset of the pandemic. However, this year these brands have closed out some key gaps in experiences like purchase, ease of dealing, advisor interaction that has led to a strong positive momentum. Key Findings NPS moved up for the life insurance industry, from 38% to 48% over the last year. HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Insurance, and Max Life Insurance emerge as leaders on the NPS Chart with 57%, 56%, and 55% scores, respectively Comparative to last year, LIC and SBI Life show some improvement in their performance on customer experience but are overtaken by Bajaj Allianz Life, TATA AIA, and Kotak Life in relative rankings, as these brands show a stronger upward momentum Bajaj Allianz Life is one of the top gainers on the NPS leader board HDFC Life has strong and positive brand perceptions. It is also perceived to be delivered on Post Purchase engagement via updates, communication, and engagement via agent/advisor ICICI Prudential has won the lead in Digital Customer Experience, especially since the pandemic and capitalizes by ensuring product suitability and a good range of plans. Max Life Insurance and HDFC Life are both seen as easy to deal with Commenting on the findings of the Insurance CuES India Report, Piyali Chatterjee, Senior Vice President, CX - Hansa Research said, One of the most significant findings is a noticeable positive shift in the industry which has been brought by several factors including increased awareness and relevance of the product spurred by the pandemic. HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential and Max Life Insurance are in the top three scorers in terms of brand NPS as they have been more successful in providing faster and increased communication and post-sales customer support by adopting digital technology. This shows that companies must continue to focus on forging a connection with the customer and engage in frequent intervals for long-term loyalty. Many exciting trends emerged from the Insurance CuES India Report, 2022. These insights indicate how customer experience and post-purchase engagement are driving factors when scouting for insurance: Melorra, (www.melorra.com), one of Indias fastest-growing D2C brands designing BIS hallmarked, and trendy fine jewellery for everyday wear, has unveiled its new TVC with actor and influencer Shraddha Kapoor. The company is urging women to break the shackles and choose fashionable gold jewellery for all day, every day! Melorras quirky TVC provides respite to the age-old concept of buying jewellery to only be stored in lockers and presents options that can be worn every day and with every outfit. The ad film is being promoted through an omnichannel approach and is also being aired during the ongoing IPL matches. The film opens with a bride (Shraddha Kapoor) and groom circling the holy fire during the saat phere. The bride keeps bumping into the groom and finally reveals a phone with the Melorra app open from the folds of her lehenga she has been shopping since she says she cant wear her wedding jewellery on a daily basis! We then see Shraddha acing her looks #EveryDayWithMelorra jewellery. Speaking about this, Saroja Yeramilli, Founder and CEO, Melorra, said, Traditional jewellery goes straight into lockers after every occasion or may not come out at all! However, at Melorra, we make jewellery that is meant to be worn all day, every day. After all, there is so much to our daily life! Our collection of over 15000+ BIS Hallmarked, lightweight jewellery designs is inspired by the latest fashion trends. Melorra has been on the growth path even during the pandemic and we are now set to become the number one brand for everyday, lightweight, gold jewellery both in India and outside. There are different occasions and events that the women of today need to dress up for. Whether it is for everyday work, a function at home, and celebrations or even a casual hangout brunch with friends, Melorra has recommendations for every look. Their designs are light, comfortable, trendy, affordable and inspired by global fashion trends. In fact, Melorra is the only company that launches a new collection every week with over 75 designs. The campaign in addition to the TVC, will also be extensively promoted through radio, print advertisements and on digital platforms OTT through popular influencers and contests led by none other than Shraddha Kapoor. Melorra currently has a physical presence in Bengaluru, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Bhopal, and Noida with the total number of stores standing at 11. The brand will also be expanding its retail footprints throughout India in the next few years. So far, Melorra has delivered to over 3000 cities/towns/villages in the country and made its mark everywhere from villages with a population of less than 10,000 to cities with a population above 1 million. It has also recently expanded delivery capabilities to the US, UK, Singapore, and UAE. Melorra is aiming for $1 billion in revenue by FY 2026. Radisson Hotel Group is embarking on an exciting new era of hospitality in India, as it prepares to double its portfolio in the country and launches a new lifestyle brand extension, Radisson Individuals Retreats, which has been specifically tailored for the Indian market. As one of the most widely recognized hotel companies in India, Radisson Hotel Group continues its focus on the market as a part of its Asia Pacific growth strategy. The Group has unveiled plans to more than double its Indian footprint, with 148 hotels and resorts to be added by 2025. These will be in addition to over 140 properties Radisson Hotel Group currently has in operation or under development nationwide. As part of this strategy, Radisson Hotel Group has unveiled Radisson Individuals Retreats, a collection of upper-upscale and luxury lifestyle retreats, that will deliver exclusive experiences. From soothing spas and wellness sanctuaries to cultural activities and action-packed adventures, these free-spirited retreats will let travelers find their ultimate escape, in tune with the authentic essence of their locale. Each retreat property will be in unique leisure destinations including, Goa, Kashmir, Coorg and Kabini or offbeat locations such as the mountain ranges of Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand, the hills of Karnataka or the historical lands of Rajasthan. The recent years have witnessed significant changes in consumer behavior, as an increasing number of people seek meaningful activities and encounters. According to a recent survey*, 50% of would-be travelers in India would prefer to relax and recharge in nature, rather than visiting a city, and 85% of respondents said they would like to stay in unique accommodation. For guests, Radisson Individuals Retreats will offer one-of-a-kind experiential stays imbued with meaningful activities and encounters whilst also ensuring the high standards of quality and Yes I Can! service that guests have come to expect from Radisson Hotel Group. For the owners of independent hotels and small chains, this new brand extension will enable them to retain their distinct identity, while also benefiting from a global distribution network, cutting-edge technology, sales and marketing support, professional training and access to Radisson Rewards, the international rewards program that delivers unique and memorable moments to close to 10 million members worldwide. We are delighted to announce our continued expansion in India and the launch of Radisson Individuals Retreats. We are fully committed to bringing more exceptional experiences to our domestic and international guests in all parts of the country, from major tier one cities to up-and-coming destinations. Our announcement today represents another important milestone in our journey towards becoming the hotel provider of choice for Indian guests and developers alike, said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President of Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group. Radisson Individuals Retreats exemplifies the future of hospitality, where stays are authentic, sustainable and offer experiences that reflect the essence of their destination. This makes it a great addition to the Radisson Hotel Group portfolio in India. It also highlights the strength and underlying confidence in our brands, which we have worked diligently to build and maintain over many years. We look forward to establishing an exciting new era of mutual prosperity in India, said Katerina Giannouka, President, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group. Radisson Individuals Retreats is an extension of Radisson Individuals, the soft brand concept that made its debut in South Asia in 2021. At present, Radisson Hotel Group operates 106 hotels and resorts in India, covering 7 of its industry-leading brands in all parts of the country. Walt Disney World Resort has earmarked nearly 80 acres of land to bring a new affordable housing development to life in southwest Orange County, Florida. This initiative has been in the works for quite some time and builds on The Walt Disney Companys long legacy of bringing positive, lasting change to the communities it calls homemaking an important difference locally to address one of the nations greatest challenges. This new development, which is still in the early planning stages and subject to appropriate approvals, is expected to include more than 1,300 units and will be constructed by a third-party affordable housing developer on Disneys land near its Central Florida theme parks. The development will offer residents a variety of home choices that are affordable and attainable, located in close proximity to schools and the new and expanding Flamingo Crossings Town Center retail and dining complex. It will offer a variety of amenities to foster a strong community. Known for building industry-leading theme parks and resort hotels around the world, Disney will engage the developer to bring that same innovation, expertise, and attention to detail to this initiative. The development will be available for qualifying applicants from the general public, including Disney cast members. We are invested in working together with our community to solve complex issues, said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort. The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including right here in Central Florida. With this initiative, were lending a hand to make a real and meaningful impact in our community by tapping into the best of our companys strengths. This is the right opportunity and the right time to take action. More details about this initiative will be released at a later date as the Company continues due diligence work with a prominent affordable housing developer. Disneys initiative will play an important role as leaders in the communityincluding Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demingscontinue to prioritize finding lasting solutions to affordable housing in Central Florida. This new initiative in Central Florida will join additional investments Disney is making in affordable housing. Several years ago, Disneyland Resort led an effort to revitalize the Orange County Housing Trust that provides last mile funding for affordable housing projects in Anaheim. This made the Buena Esperanza projecta converted studio apartment community for veterans and homeless individuals with mental illnessa reality. In addition to providing them a place to live, the community offers job placement and mental health and wellness support to residents. As a result of Disneys investment, a second project, Finamore Place, in Anaheim is under construction with an expected completion date of early summer 2022. It will provide more than 100 additional housing units. Disneyland Resort will continue support these and other such worthy endeavors. These initiatives are among the many ways Disney is strengthening its communities, including hundreds of millions of dollars provided in philanthropic donations to local nonprofits, the Disney VoluntEARS program, contributions to local foodbanks, and more. Walt Disney World Resort also recently donated $3 million to important causes in the community, including organizations on the front lines of the affordable housing issue. We, at Adgully, have always saluted and honoured women managers and leaders across diverse fields. W-SUITE is a special initiative from Adgully that has been turning the spotlight on some of the most remarkable women achievers in M&E, Advertising & Marketing, PR & Communication industry. In the refurbished series, we seek to find out how women leaders have been managing their teams and work as well as how they have been navigating through the toughest and most challenging times brought about by the global pandemic. Priya Sharma is the CFO, COO & Co-Founder of ZestMoney, Indias largest and fastest growing Buy Now, Pay Later platform. Using advanced mobile technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital banking, ZestMoney has built a platform to serve the over 300 million households in the country that currently have no access to formal credit due to insufficient credit history. In conversation with Adgully, Priya Sharma, COO, CFO & Co-founder, ZestMoney, speaks about how the pandemic has changed every aspect of life, the steps to take to make things work without getting burnt out, making diversity, inclusivity and respect a non-negotiable integral part of the work culture, and more. How do you think the role and scope of women leaders have widened in the post-pandemic world? The COVID-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of life, including the way we work. But one thing is clear: Though we stumbled, we learnt to navigate and tried to adapt to the unforeseen, unplanned and unprecedented threat to humanity. It may be years before we actually realise the effects positive or negative of the pandemic on society and workplaces, particularly on working women. But, women have always been able to successfully lead while taking everyone along. The recent case in point: Some studies showed that countries led by women leaders did systematically better in COVID-19 management than countries that werent led by women. I think that the pandemic has helped in bringing in flexibility and more choices to women employees, which women in leadership roles have tried to normalise for long. For years, women dealt with a situation where they had the guilt of choosing between work and family, given the fact that women take a disproportionate share of house responsibility. But, that has changed drastically, thanks to the flexible work options such as remote and hybrid in the post-pandemic world. While I am well aware of the difficulty and exhausting efforts involved in balancing their career and family together because of the work from home arrangement, several women folk were able to manage both with the flexibility and choice the situation presented them with. The rapid transition to digital, an uncertain economic landscape, charting unknown waters, working from home how have you been navigating during the COVID-19 times? How are you maintaining work-life balance in the new normal? Pandemic or no pandemic, work-life balance is something Ive always advocated. In my capacity, I have always vouched for flexibility in working. We have people from across the globe working even before the pandemic struck the world. We have no set office hours, we have unlimited sick leaves, we have round-the-clock counsellors available for the mental, psychological and emotional wellbeing of our employees. We encourage our employees to take mandatory time off from work and also organise master classes for their personal growth. We also have learning allowances. Personally, I try to balance my professional life and personal life, but the lines get blurred sometimes, especially with the remote and hybrid way of work. But, one has to remember that it is not about how efficiently we try to do the balancing act, but about the conscious steps we take to make things work without getting burnt out. Multiple studies have shown how women leaders performed better during the COVID-19 crisis. According to you, what makes women the best in crisis management? Women have always been the stronger lot with a high emotional quotient. Although empathy is gender-neutral, womens innate ability to be more empathetic while taking tough decisions, their ability to wear many hats at once, and bring in a holistic view and approach make them stand out. I have seen that women tend to be clearer and more effective in communication as well. Needless to say, effective communication has become all the more critical in the last two years when, for the first time ever, all of us had to work from the confines of our drawing rooms through screens when COVID-19 completely caught us unawares. All these factors help in building a more open work environment and come in handy in the face of adversity. What are the five most effective lessons that you have learned as a woman leader? Conviction matters: Important to always have a vision and equally important is conviction in your idea. Important to always have a vision and equally important is conviction in your idea. Ignore the noise around you: Ignore the surrounding noise and the stereotypes and raise above them. Dont limit yourself and believe in your caliber. Ignore the surrounding noise and the stereotypes and raise above them. Dont limit yourself and believe in your caliber. Feel free to reach out for support: Its important for women to reach out to mentors when they need guidance. There are now a lot of women focussed groups so one knows they are not alone in the journey. A lot of women leaders I know of are open to mentoring people. Its important for women to reach out to mentors when they need guidance. There are now a lot of women focussed groups so one knows they are not alone in the journey. A lot of women leaders I know of are open to mentoring people. Go beyond tokenism: Initiative should not be restricted with the sole aim of bridging the gender representation gap but should be taken up to create a gender-equal working environment where talent and skills are rewarded. Leadership recognising talent just on the basis of merit will organically help create a no bias environment. Initiative should not be restricted with the sole aim of bridging the gender representation gap but should be taken up to create a gender-equal working environment where talent and skills are rewarded. Leadership recognising talent just on the basis of merit will organically help create a no bias environment. Let go of the guilt: Women are prone to feel guilt a lot with the weight of balancing home and work. Apart from figuring out what works best, letting go of the guilt is liberating. Of course, it is easier said than done but one must make a conscious effort to not let it play on the mind all the time. Gender sensitivity and inclusion in the new normal how can organisations effectively encourage and groom women leaders in challenging times? If you ask me, put women in a challenging situation and they are resilient enough to groom themselves. But, that said, organisations can do it on a larger scale, provided there is conviction. The key here is for the organisations to walk the talk. They should be mindful of the values that their actions reflect. For instance, at ZestMoney, we have a womens group that organises monthly events. We do multiple panel discussions where various issues, such as problems and challenges faced by working mothers, are discussed openly. This paves way for gender sensitivity and inclusivity. In addition to this, making flexi-hours a norm, leading with empathy, rewarding talent and merit without bias, and above all making diversity, inclusivity and respect a non-negotiable integral part of the work culture will encourage more women to take the lead. CANBERRA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Australia's top health authority has flagged a move away from reporting the number of coronavirus deaths in the country every day. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Paul Kelly told a senate hearing on Wednesday that it was time for Australia to move towards reporting "excess deaths". Rather than measuring the total number of COVID-19 deaths, as all Australian states and territories have done since the start of the pandemic, excess deaths measure the difference between the number of people expected to die over a period of time and the actual number. "Although every death from COVID-19 is a sad event for family and friends and as a country, this is an outcome we should acknowledge," Kelly said. According to Department of Health data, there had been 6,462 total coronavirus deaths and approximately 4.65 million confirmed cases in Australia as of Wednesday. The number of new cases reported in the previous 24 hours was 63,203. On Thursday morning, Australia reported more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths, including 16 in New South Wales (NSW), the nation's most populous state. John Frewen, the commander of the COVID-19 task force, said that complacency had slowed the uptake of coronavirus booster vaccines in Australia. He said that under-40s were lagging behind ahead of an expected spike in cases in winter. A new national advertising campaign will aim to encourage higher uptake. "It's really about reminding that age cohort that their social life, their fitness routines, their businesses, all of those things are underpinned by the maximum possible take-up of vaccines, including boosters," Frewen said. MUMBAI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- India's state-run Tata Memorial Center (TMC), which operates hospitals for cancer patients, entered into an agreement on Thursday with Indonesia's Dharmais National Cancer Hospital to improve cancer care in the Southeast Asian country. Under the cancer patient navigation program, patients would be offered individualized assistance as also to their family members and caregivers to help overcome the healthcare system barriers, said a statement by the state-run Press Information Bureau. Surveys conducted by the TMC and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have revealed that meeting the economic, emotional, psychological, social and cultural needs of a patient is important for positive results in the treatment. The state-run hospital in India also offers a one-year post-graduate diploma program that provides education in psycho-social aspects of cancer care as well as training in clinical aspects. The intensive training program for Indonesia features a hybrid learning model that combines online tutorial, practical training at TMC, followed with practical training in participating hospitals under the supervision of experts and a joint diploma certificate would be offered to the students. Among the talking heads discussing Ukraine, more than a few have said things like "Ukraine is very corrupt. We don't need to get into that fight" and "We don't have a dog in that fight. The corruption in Ukraine is massive." But how corrupt are we? I don't know much about corruption in Ukraine, but corruption in the United States is a glaring problem that just about every citizen who is paying attention would acknowledge. Are we any better than Ukraine? Maybe worse? It is the nature of corruption in a culture that only a fraction often a small fraction of the people are corrupt. Indeed, if a certain behavior is seen commonly among the people of a culture, it will not be considered corruption. So if context is taken into account, it would be unfair to call that culture corrupt. I contend that the average G.I. Ivan fighting in the rubble in the streets of his own country is probably not corrupt. I would further contend that the elderly men who did not run for the Polish border, but rather picked up a rifle and joined Ivan in the bunker are not corrupt, either. In fact, the men in the bunker are pretty brave and straight-up guys who have justly won the hearts of most of the rest of the world. So let's look at corruption over here. We have a man in the White House who probably didn't win a fair and honest election to get there. It is beginning to look as though he may have been bought by the Chi-Coms. He may also have been bought by some corrupt big shots in Ukraine. His son's laptop is telling tales. We have doctors in the alphabet soup federal agencies who have instituted policies that caused the deaths of somewhere just south of half a million people. People who didn't have to die. People who could have been saved. These same doctors in high places have destroyed the credibility of the medical establishment. We have other doctors who are playing the "go along to get along" game. They probably don't sleep very well at night. We have politicians who have risen to the occasion and become petty tyrants. From these tyrants, we have gotten vaccine mandates forcing people who want to keep their jobs and people who want to serve this country in uniform to be injected with experimental substances that have proven not to be vaccines and are not safe and not effective. We have a porous southern border crossed routinely by people smuggling deadly drugs and people who are not even being tested for COVID. We get this policy from the guy who probably was not actually "elected." We have an energy industry that not long ago gave us energy independence and is now crushed by the guy who was probably not elected. We have a farm economy that will pay so much for fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals that ordinary working people will not be able to afford food, should there be any food for them to buy. This was a foreseeable consequence of shutting down the energy industry. We have an auto industry so over-regulated that used cars have gone up 40 percent. And still our "representatives" pile on the regulations. The administration wants all cars to be electric, but the batteries catch fire, and we can't put the fires out. One auto manufacturer advises that owners not park their electric cars near other cars. How about parking them in garages attached to their homes? How about underground garages under high-rise office or apartment buildings? We have people in high places who are worried about the ethics of global warming or other people's refusal to be vaccinated, but they are not worried about the child and slave labor being used to mine the materials needed to make the fancy batteries that catch fire. We have a media industry that has fed the citizens propaganda instead of news. And we have a "social media" (what a stupid name) industry that censors the citizens so that freedom of speech and freedom to exchange ideas have become impossible. We have an education industry that teaches our young children that they can be any "gender" they want. And that they have 256 to choose from. These poor children should hurry up and choose because they are taught that in just a few years, the planet will be uninhabitable. We have college graduates who are no match for the tradesmen they scorn, the same tradesmen who keep the self-centered graduates alive and comfortable. Many of these college graduates will never pay off their student loans. They will vote for any politician who says they shouldn't have to. In a similar vein, we have a Supreme Court that has ruled that the life-giving compound carbon dioxide is a pollutant. We buy a lot of critical stuff from a communist country that is our sworn enemy. We have allowed ourselves to get in a position where we depend on that communist country for medical supplies and other critical items. I suppose you could ask, since we got the virus from them, why shouldn't we buy the medicine and test kits from them as well? What they buy from us is our politicians. Is that free trade? We have people in high places who gave the Chi-Coms money to run the lab that created the virus. And we have a population that is terrified because it's been told by "experts" that it will be killed in large numbers by a disease that is entirely intangible. The people can't see it, they can't hear it, and they can't feel it. It is everywhere, they are told, and it infects their fellow humans, who then will probably infect them, and all infected will die a horrible death. The current version of this terrifying virus is about as dangerous as any annual flu strain, but the people in high places use fear to take away the God-given rights that are "protected" by our Bill of Rights and other parts of the Constitution. The scare-mongers make good money doing that. They are well respected in some circles and have lavish budgets with which they bribe people to support their narrative. So far, the tyrants are winning. They use fear to motivate, and the public buys their lies at a high cost. That is corruption of the highest order. I wonder if Ukraine has anything to compare with it. So let's talk about fear. There is nothing wrong with being afraid. It is a natural emotion. It gives rise to the fight-or-flight response. That response has kept the human race alive for more than a million years. What we don't tell our people, what we don't teach our children, is that for most people, it's OK to be afraid. Courage is not about being unafraid; courage is about what you do while you are afraid. What an attacking enemy fears most is that the people he is attacking won't run, but will stand and fight. There will always be people who run. I don't know what can be done about that, but if most people resolve to fight, there will be a whole lot less corruption in the world. The bad people in high places who are using us will get their comeuppance. G.I. Ivan and the old guys with him in the bunker made from rubble have shown us something. Sometimes people don't run from the bully. The Russian dictator thought they would run, but they didn't. It looks as though there was no plan for that. Let us salute the guys in the rubble fighting to save their country. Let us not abandon them to their fate because their enemy has weapons of mass destruction and we are afraid of such weapons. Let us confront our own fear before we consider appeasement as a solution. Let us clean up our own corruption. Some will run; it will always be so. But let the rest know their own fear and then dig in and fight. Jerry Powlas has been a naval officer, engineer, and publisher and is the author of Red State Rebellion (published under the pen name Joseph L. Bear). "Everybody should read this book and tell his friends." He recently moved from a blue state to a red state where nobody wears masks and everybody has guns. Image via Max Pixel. Do you know the definition of insanity? Its doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sadly, this is precisely what socialists are trying to do. Without exception, every socialist experiment throughout the world has failed over the past century. (And, in most cases, the failure is swift, messy, and disastrous.) Author Kristian Niemietz says it best in the title of his book, Socialism: The Failed Idea That Never Dies. Socialism is, factually, a deeply flawed and failed idea. Yet it continues to be hailed as the savior. Even worse, its juxtaposed against capitalism as a superior alternative. (Despite the fact that capitalism has proved to be, without question, the most successful economic system in world history.) Its sad that we have to make a case for capitalism in 2022. Greedy, power-hungry politicians on the Left cant seem to let the idea of socialism die. And if they have any say in it, theyll let socialism run this country into the ground once and for all. Its up to those of us with half a brain to continually shut them down and support the economic engine thats turned America into the most powerful country in the modern world. Laying the Groundwork It seems as if basic economics is no longer taught in school. So before we dig into the meat of this debate, lets make sure were crystal clear on what we mean by terms like capitalism and socialism. What is Capitalism? According to ThoughtCo., Capitalism is an economic system under which the means of production are privately owned. Production and consumer prices are based on a free-market system of supply and demand. What is Socialism? Socialism is basically the opposite of capitalism. As ThoughtCo. puts it: Socialism is an economic and political system under which the means of production are publicly owned. Production and consumer prices are controlled by the government to best meet the needs of the people. Truth to be told, most casual supporters of socialism have no idea what these two economic systems actually stand for. They get swept up in fiery campaign speeches and make irrational voting decisions based on lofty promises that are impossible to fulfill. Knowing the definition of each of these economic frameworks gives you the ability to think critically and logically. The Power of Capitalism Capitalism is often framed as a system that only benefits a few, but thats unequivocally false. Here are several of the reasons capitalism is so effective (and why we should take it more seriously than ever before). The United States is the Most Prosperous Nation in the World Here we are, nearly a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and the United States continues to be the most prosperous and free country in the world. It sits atop almost every independent economic index, which is real-world proof that capitalism (executed well) thrives. The only taste of serious socialism that weve had over the last 10 years proved to be a massive failure. (Were talking about the Affordable Care Act, which led the average U.S. household to spend $11,172 on healthcare in 2019.) Capitalism Benefits All Detractors like to throw names at capitalism. They often call it racist or sexist. They say it only benefits the rich while zapping resources from the poor. However, the data simply does not support this notion. From 2013-2018, the five metropolitan areas with the largest black population -- New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. -- saw black median household income increase significantly from rates of 7 percent in Washington, D.C., to 21 percent in Atlanta. In 2019, blacks maintained their lowest unemployment rate ever of 5.5 percent. The jobless rate for Hispanics hit a record low of 3.9 percent, Heritage.org mentions. On top of that, there are now 11.6 million women-owned firms in the U.S. That represents 39 percent of all private businesses, a figure no other country in the world comes close to matching. Are there inequalities and injustices in America? Absolutely. But is capitalism to blame? The answer is no. And, in most cases, capitalism actually helps to combat injustice by giving everyone equal opportunities to pursue entrepreneurship. Capitalism Encourages Entrepreneurship Speaking of entrepreneurship, nothing encourages innovation and creativity quite like the framework of capitalism. It gives people the incentive needed to create things of value. Do you think Jeff Bezos would have created Amazon if it werent for the allure of financial benefit? Would Elon Musk have been as serious about creating electric vehicles if he wasnt able to benefit economically? And heres the best part: You dont have to launch some newfangled idea or come up with a product that nobody has ever seen before. There are plenty of opportunities for everyday folks to thrive in a capitalistic society. For example, you can invest in rental real estate and generate thousands of dollars of additional income every year. Or you can start a side hustle and join the burgeoning gig economy. The options are limitless! Capitalism Provides More Options in the Marketplace From a consumer point of view, capitalism offers more options and diversity of products than capitalism. Instead of there being one brand of hardware store, there are dozens. And instead of two banks, theres a whole economic ecosystem of dozens of banks and financial partners. So not only is there opportunity for business owners but theres more diversity in product selection for consumers. Capitalism Incentivizes Under socialism, theres no incentive to create anything. When property is created and owned by the state, theres simply no reason to put forth the effort. By failing to emphasize incentives, socialism is a theory inconsistent with human nature and is therefore doomed to fail, economist Mark J. Perry writes. Socialism is based on the theory that incentives dont matter! In real life, people respond to incentives. And if you want people to innovate and create, there must be rewards attached to the effort. Socialism: The Greatest Threat to American Democracy Russian cyber threats are not the greatest risk to American democracy. Neither is global warming or a serious energy crisis. Police brutality, North Korea, nor illegal immigration will not be the downfall of the United States. Truth be told, theres only one thing that can totally unhinge this nation in one fell swoop, and thats a shift from capitalistic principles to the failed experiment of socialism. The only way to prevent it from happening is to keep socialist leaders out of power with smart and researched voting habits. Its up to you to do your part! Image: National Archive YANGON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar exported over 1.4 million metric tons of rice and broken rice in the six-month interim budget period, according to the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF)'s figures on Thursday. The Southeast Asian country's interim budget period started on Oct. 1 last year and ended on March 31 this year. The federation's figures said Myanmar exported about 216,375 metric tons of rice and broken rice in October, 285,223 in November, 301,033.9 in December and 269,215.9 in January, 214,335 in February, and 133,972 in March. Myanmar exported rice to Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, China and the Philippines, and broken rice to China, Belgium, Spain, Bulgaria and Indonesia in March. Myanmar's low-grade white rice prices range from 340 to 355 U.S. dollars per metric ton, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar quoted the figures of the Myanmar Rice Federation showing. The country exported some 1.87 million metric tons of rice and broken rice in 2020-2021 fiscal year and 2.5 million metric tons in 2019-2020 fiscal year. The country was now exporting rice and broken rice via sea routes as its border export has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Ministry of Commerce, rice is the most cultivated crop in Myanmar followed by beans and pulses as second most cultivated crop. A couple of years ago I traveled through the Baltic States, finishing up with three days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its an amazing city, having sprung from the ashes of the siege of Leningrad in World War II. The evil done by the Nazis is almost nowhere to be seen, replaced by hundreds of restored palace-style buildings along the shores of the many islands that make up the city. The Hitlerian scar appears to have been fully excised. One of the day trips was to Peterhof, a completely mind-blowing display of radical ostentation. Peter the Great originally built it in the early 18th century as a Russian in your face response to the Palace of Versailles. Put bluntly, no conceivable luxury was overlooked. Current billionaires like Bill Gates or Elon Musk would have wallet cramps paying for such a place. Wikipedia cannot begin to convey its grandeur. Peterhof was built by craftsmen who were often not paid a living wage. They were little better off than slaves. But even their status was a step above that of the common peasant. Taxes were extracted from all to build such monuments. These palaces were of no benefit for any but the few who traveled among their several villas stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The income disparity between rich and poor in Russia dwarfed virtually all others. Thomas Piketty would have had a field dayif he werent executed first for speaking up. Its not hard to see how the Bolsheviks treated people as progress. The 1917 Revolution may actually have made daily life a bit better for the peasantry, but data is sparse. The very existence of markets was often an improvement, and the Cold War pictures of lines in front of empty shelves implied that food did arrive at times. Not exactly inspiring, since Americans had full supermarkets, but still better than starvation. The Great Patriotic War that we call World War II was won by Russian people who were a touch better off than the earlier generations. But the Germans still flattened and burned their cities. With no other place to call home, the square unpainted concrete buildings called Krushchev Classical were a distinct improvement over earlier hovels. So, the people, who had no history of a prosperous society, lived stoically with an any is good approach to comforts, even if several generations had to occupy a poorly heated apartment in the dead of winter. It was still better than nothing. Glasnost and Perestroika brought a rising standard of living. With the fall of Communism, the ZiL tank factory cars were replaced by more modern designs, and the average person had a chance of actually getting one. MacDonalds opened in Moscow and other western companies began to tap a growing market. This trend was very much in evidence when I visited. During the various excursions to tourist sites, it was clear that western-style capitalism was flourishing. Stores of every description were scattered throughout the city. Restaurants were everywhere. Traffic resembled that in many American cities, with recognizable brands and snarls punctuated by the occasional impolite expression as someone was unable to make it through a light. But Nevsky Prospekt was the star. Image: Nevsky Prospekt by Ninara. CC BY 2.0. On the display case in my office sits a bouquet of flowers made from carved Baltic amber. We bought it in a shop in Nevsky Prospekt that would fit in well on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. We bought a small one so we could safely transport it in our carry-on baggage. Many more dramatic pieces worthy of Tiffanys were available. Several blocks down were two very impressive shopping malls. As we walked in, numerous young professionals were exiting carrying bags from Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, and other needlessly expensive stores. Virtually all the signage inside was English and shelves were packed. It seemed that half the city was shopping. And buying. This sort of purchasing power doesnt come cheap. Our tour guide allowed that she, as well as many other young adults, worked two jobs to be able to afford what Americans would consider a relatively minimal level of luxury. But this was so much better than their parents experience that no one complained. An iPhone was definitely a good thing. And as we traveled around the city, she remarked again and again how this or that apartment complex was brand new. They were springing up like mushrooms. When I asked about Putin, she allowed that he was basically part of the furniture. The better life was all-important and, as long as he let it continue, all was good. But you didnt read this far to hear about my summer vacation. You wanted to know how the war in Ukraine is playing behind enemy lines. Russia has a yuppie class for the first time in its history. Its members work hard for personal gain and enjoy the fruits of western capitalism. But that requires access to markets, which the sanctions program has rudely severed. Russian companies cant use western credit cards to process purchases without SWIFT. That means tourists are done. The yuppie class cant buy products because Hilfiger, Kors, and others wont send them. No cash processing means no profit, so Sayonara! No profits mean empty stores. The yuppie class isnt accustomed to being denied. They havent lived with the deprivation their parents knew so well. Their sudden loss of privilege is a severe shock. And Russian kids arent any different from kids anywhere else. They like what they have and, when you take away their toys, they get upset. If they see a real emergency, theyll dive in to help, just as our teens did in World War II. But without a real emergency? Even with the propaganda, real news gets through and lots of families have dead soldiers. For what? must be echoing through the streets. Weve seen reports of civil unrest and other reports of violent crackdowns by Putin. Unfortunately, the reporting from inside Russia is as reliable as that in Ukrainehighly suspect. At the same time, we can make some educated guesses. If the casualties in Ukraine continue to mount, civil unrest will cause significant problems for Putin. A war going against him and public opposition will paint him into a corner, and cornered wounded animals tend to lash out. With the weapons he has, it could get very ugly. On the other hand, the oligarchs who support him are probably feeling the heat more directly, and they dont like it any better than the public. They want to make lots of money to live their lavish lifestyles. Until financial ties to the west are repaired, thats not happening. If the oligarchs get together, Putin may be convinced to retire to Mexico. Then the evil rich can start mending fences. Ted Noel MD is a retired Anesthesiologist/Intensivist who podcasts and posts on social media as DoctorTed and @vidzette. His DoctorTed podcasts are available on iHeart, Stitcher, Pandora and other channels. More than ten years ago I was gratified and impressed by the effort of M. Stanton (Stan) Evans to explain why the vilification of anti-communist Senator Joe McCarthy was unjustified and, in fact, covered up a widespread and effective effort of commies and their running dog allies to infiltrate American culture and government. The reason for my gratitude was Mr. Evanss book Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies (2007). When I read Stan Evanss massive thoroughly researched book that proved Joe McCarthy right, it was a confirmation of what my father, a physician who was a WW II P-51 pilot, said to me in earnest one day when I was old enough: Joe McCarthy was right -- the country was put at risk by infiltration by communists. Evans died in 2014 after a more than 50-year career as a leading conservative thinker, philosopher, writer, advocate, journalism educator, and activist. The biography reviewed here, M. Stanton Evans: Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom, by Steven F. Hayward 400 pp hardcover 33.99 Kindle 9.99, (Encounter Books 2022), was written by one of Evans journalism students and a longtime friend and associate. Steven Hayward has become a prominent writer at Powerline and elsewhere and teaches at UC Berkeley. Evans was a very active, accessible personage in spite of his prominence, so I know some people who worked with him and knew him, and they all tell me he was friendly, engaging, and charming, even on his death bed. But Evans is not well known outside of intensely conservative circles, though he deserves to be remembered for his literary merits and for his critical role in the development of conservatism. Evans was decades ahead of and presaged the development of a blue-collar/middle-class populist conservatism that resulted in Reagan and the arrival of Donald Trump. He articulated an opposition to elitist foreign and domestic policymaking and warned of the deep state before anyone used the phrase. He instinctively was repelled by the administrative state oligarchs and advocated for national conservatism when it was not even a dim light in the tunnel. He never saw a tax that couldnt be eliminated. He also was a friendly and amiable opponent and well known for his deep and arresting voice and laconic humor. Evans was a remarkable advocate for conservatism, a Yale graduate son of a respected and prominent Yale graduate academic and professor. He was liked and respected for his eloquence and intelligence, so he was frequently asked to compose positions statements and resolutions of conservative groups throughout his career. As a result, he was a key figure in many matters after he graduated from Yale in 1955: The Sharon Statement, composed at Bill Buckleys house in Sharon, CT, as the position statement of the Young Americans for Freedom at their founding. The Manhattan 12 statement that suspended conservative support for Nixon in 1971 for failure to hold to conservative principles. Position statements and declarations for the American Conservative Union as their chairman. Essential work with multiple organizations assuring the survival of the Reagan movement and strengthening him to achieve presidential nomination for 1980. Inauguration of the annual spring CPAC gathering that has continued to this day as the most important conservative meeting of the year. Creation and nurturing of the National Journalism Center to encourage integrity in political journalism and good journalistic practices. Many prominent conservative journalists are graduates. Long and active contributions to National Review and Human Events along with a 10-year stint as editor in chief of the Indianapolis News. He worked a 25-year stint during his career as a visiting journalism professor at Troy State University in Alabama and spent a day a week teaching hands-on journalism. Mr. Evans had a deep and abiding dislike of appeasement/accommodation and cooperation with enemiesand was convinced for good reasons that such an approach to political differences invariably was self-defeating. As an editor and essayist Mr. Evans was an anti-communist with no inclination to globalist engagement and a firm belief that the government should secure safety for its citizens, protect national interests, and avoid foreign entanglements, but particularly avoid the temptation to expand government activities. He was a perfect advocate of the Hayek limited government and free-market formula for national welfare and rejected, condemned, and ridiculed liberal ambitions and expanded state activities intended to achieve utopian grandiosity. He asserted that government will inevitably fall short and frequently make things worse with its good intentions. Mr. Evans practiced what he preached in his teaching of aspiring journalists: bring facts to the table. A journalist needs to inquire and gather pertinent information so the reader is better informed by reading the article or report. Evans made that his habit as an editor and reporter. He always couched his opinion pieces with facts that informed and enlightened the reader as well as supported his position. He had a special byline column for the Indianapolis News titled Skeptics Corner that described his attitude as a newsman/journalist. If your mother says she loves youcheck it out. A vivid insight into Evanss thinking is that he thought liberalism was a cult of self-destruction and that was a theme in his writings of the 1960s and 70s. Evans was, even a long time ago, less afraid of Communists than he was of American liberals. As he put it starkly in his book The Politics of Surrender, The Communists have not in fact been winning the Cold War so much as we have been losing it. Mr. Evans had a legendary deadpan wit, with the timing and delivery of a stand-up comic. He was devoted to fast food and rock and roll, even though he was a Yale blue blood with a Phi Beta Kappa key. He blended in with the regular people and liked it that way. No pretentions in the man who said things like Ive discovered there is no absurdity that you can invent that a liberal will not state seriously, or I didnt approve of what Joe McCarthy was trying to do, but I admired his methods. He said that his mother always taught him that breakfast was the most important meal of the day so he made sure he had a cigarette (a vegetable) and coffee (a legume). In regard to public works policy, he said Any country that can land a man on the moon, can abolish the income tax. And Conservatives had to overcome the Goldwater defeat without grief counselors. Mr. Hayward added an appendix of Evans jokes and memorable statements, He will be missed, and I cannot possibly capture the magnitude and excellence of Mr. Haywards biography. It bounces along and delivers information and tells the story of 50 years of the conservative movement and the essential role of the genius, Stan Evans. Pope Francis, despite being the head of worldwide Catholicism, always seems to be apologizing for the faith. In Malta, that apology extended to hiding the cross from illegal Muslim aliens. This act of Christian cowardice was more poignant than usual, given that Malta, in the mid-16th century, was the site of one of the Catholic world's bravest and most successful stands against Islam's push to take over Europe. The Republic of Malta is a tiny island located southwest of both the toe of the Italian boot and the island of Sicily. Travel farther west from Malta, and you will find yourself heading to Tunisia, in North Africa. Alternatively, if you head east from Malta, after passing from the Mediterranean Sea into the Aegean Sea, you will find yourself at the Bosporus, and the country known as Turkey today, but that was once home to the powerful Ottoman Empire. In the mid-15th century, the Ottoman Turks emerged from the east to conquer Constantinople, the last remnant of the great Roman empire. They converted the magnificent Church of Hagia Sophia into the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia and renamed the city Istanbul. From Istanbul, they continued their conquests. The Ottoman Empire didn't stop there. It gradually conquered most of the Balkans (and helped give rise to the story of Dracula, since Vlad the Impaler fought the Turks) and acquired large swaths of the Middle East, including Egypt and other parts of North Africa, the Holy Land, Baghdad, Mesopotamia, parts of the Caucasus region (which eventually were incorporated into the Soviet Union), some of the former Venetian empire, and more. The Ottomans seemed unstoppable. However, by the mid-16th century, Europeans began to fight back. One of the most famous battles between Catholic Europe and the Muslim Ottomans occurred at the Great Siege of Malta. The Knights Hospitaller, whom the Ottomans had driven from Rhodes, had their headquarters there, and when the Ottomans attacked, they refused to yield. Instead, they and the citizens of Malta withstood a devastating siege that lasted nearly four months. Image: Pope Francis in Malta. YouTube screen grab. Nobody knows how many Maltese residents died, but it's accepted that the Turks lost between 25,000 and 35,000 troops from combat and disease. The day before they started the siege marked the apex of the Ottoman Empire's power. After that, its military invincibility ended, and the sultanate become increasingly corrupt, as weaker and weaker men ruled it. Nevertheless, the Ottoman Empire lingered for almost 300 more years, finally ending with WWI. The point I'm trying to make is that when it comes to Europe's survival as a Christian community, the Knights Hospitallers' defense of Malta was one of the most important events in European history. That's why it was so disturbing to read that Pope Francis, when he appeared in Malta, hid the crosses so he wouldn't offend illegal Muslim migrants on that tiny island: Organizers canceled the crucifix from the papal podium because Pope Francis did not want to offend illegal Muslim migrants during the climax of his Malta trip. Instead, recycled plastic bottles with red blobs were used to design the backdrop for the pope's address to migrants at the John XXIII Peace Lab in al-Far on Saturday, a voluntary organization run by leftist Franciscan friar Fr. Dionysius Mintoff. [snip] [Artistic director Carlos] Schembri, who was commissioned to design the key backdrops for the papal visit to Malta, insisted he was being faithful to Francis' primary reason for visiting the island to defend migrants and the ecology. "The podium will not be adorned with a crucifix, given that the majority of migrants are Muslim," the Malta archdiocese noted, in an article published on its website, adding that "the pontiff's visit is expected to draw attention to the brutal situation of Malta's migrant community." You can read more at the link about the way Christianity and traditional values barely factored into the Pope's presentation. Although he did make the point that the current Western worldview "goes against the right to life from the moment it is conceived," he managed to avoid entirely words such as "Jesus," "sin," and "repentance," and he seemed more concerned with church politics and the rights of illegal aliens. The past is in the past, of course. Still, I find it highly ironic that Malta, a place at which Paul preached and those Knights Hospitallers battled to the death in defense of their faith, should host a visit from the pope who seems embarrassed by that same faith and ready to give way to the ideological descendants of the island's one-time enemies. There is nothing more disgusting and demoralizing than watching homemade porn made by a drug addict utterly fascinated by his own genitals and what he can do with them. I know this because, when the story of Hunter Biden's hard drive first emerged in October 2020, the mainstream media refused to investigate its contents. Therefore, it fell to the conservative media to investigate. That's how I read the emails and watched the videos made available on the internet. Awful stuff and now we're learning that there's more much, much more. Jack Maxey was a co-host on Steve Bannon's War Room. He was also someone who had gotten hold of a copy of Hunter Biden's hard drive, which he handed over to outlets such as the WaPo and New York Times, as well as the Daily Mail, the New York Post, and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. The only two recipients to act on the hard drive were the Daily Mail and the New York Post. Social media outlets promptly buried all reports about emails showing that Joe Biden was almost certainly getting a cut from the deals he made possible for his useless, drug-addled, sex-addict son to cut while in Ukraine, China, and other foreign venues. Because Hunter Biden brought nothing to the table in these locations, the only thing he could have been selling was access to his father and the Obama White House. The MSM, with support from former "intelligence" officials, chimed in, assuring people that the hard drive was "Russian disinformation." The tech tyrants and the mainstream media (and, apparently, Chuck Grassley) didn't want Americans to learn these terrible things about Joe Biden lest they interfere with destroying Donald Trump, and they succeeded in that effort. Now, though, when it's clear that Biden must be ousted to save the Democrat party, the party organs the New York Times and the WaPo, along with CNN have suddenly admitted that the hard drive is real and the contents legitimate. I wonder how they'll handle the fact that the first reveal was just a portion of the hard drive. Maxey, who's fled to Switzerland to avoid feared retaliation in America, claims there's a whole lot more on that hard drive: Maxey, a former co-host of exDonald Trump advisor Steve Bannon's podcast the War Room, claims he and his colleagues have found '450 gigabytes of deleted material' including 80,000 images and videos and more than 120,000 archived emails. He said he intends to post them all online in a searchable database in the coming weeks. Oh, joy! Another deep dive into the disgusting swamp that was Hunter Biden's life. Although this time, maybe, the MSM will take that dive, too, in service of getting Biden out of the White House as soon as possible. It certainly will be fascinating to see what happens if this additional material shows how closely Biden was involved in his son's business affairs or reveals that Hunter was engaged in illegal and blackmailable sexual activity. (I've wondered whether, when he was in China, the communists sent little girls to his hotel room. I have no evidence of this; it's just a hunch.) Image: Hunter Biden's drug-addict teeth (hard drive photo). In addition to promising to release more data from the laptop, Maxey also voiced his anger with the FBI, which could have vindicated Trump from the Democrats' Ukraine hoax against him, a hoax that led to his first impeachment in December 2019: The former Bannon podcast co-host said he is livid at the FBI, who he believes slow-walked their investigation into Hunter and failed to enter the laptop they received from Mac Isaac into evidence for months. [snip] 'The FBI had this on the ninth of December 2019,' he said. 'I suppose the first person betrayed was a sitting US president in an impeachment hearing, when the FBI had the exculpatory evidence in their hands to have that end instantly, and they did nothing. 'The second group of people to be betrayed were all of the Democratic candidates in the spring primaries that year,' he added. 'The American people were utterly betrayed, because I guarantee you that Joe Biden couldn't run for dog catcher if the American people knew about this laptop.' It's interesting to wonder when our federal government became so corrupt. Was it in the 1930s, when FDR expanded it? Was it during WWII, when so much money was flowing through D.C.? Was it during the 1950s and 1960s, when J. Edgar Hoover's power was at its apex? Was it when JFK, allegedly as a thank-you to the mob for helping him get elected, unionized the federal workforce? Was it when the Clintons' monumental corruption took D.C. by storm? The one thing we know for certain is that the corruption was in place under Obama. That was when the vice president dragged his son around the world in an influence-peddling operation, while the bureaucrats gave up any pretense of nonpartisanship. The federal beast was ready to act when Trump came into office, promising to clean it up. And to give the bureaucrats credit, they won that battle. Now, though, as part of cleaning Biden (and maybe Kamala) right out of the White House, it's time for the Democrats inside and outside the media to 'fess up and promise to be good, as they continue to do anything and everything to retain power. Recently, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Shia Islamist terrorist group backed by Iran, struck targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates using drones and missiles. The attacks, on two of America's erstwhile allies, prompted Saudi Arabia's oil chief to say markets are going through a "jittery period" and that cross-border attacks have put to question "our ability to supply the world with the necessary energy requirements." Oil prices, already at their highest in years, shot up further as a result of these strikes. These incidents represent another piece of evidence pinning at least part of the blame for the rise in oil prices on President Joe Biden. To paraphrase the famous sticker he did that! The Biden administration's decision to delist the Houthis from those designated as foreign terrorist organizations intended to entice Iran into a new nuclear deal directly emboldened the Houthis to continue their terror attacks. They were also emboldened by U.S. criticism of Saudi actions in the Yemeni civil war, where the Saudis are backing the official Yemeni government, which is led by Sunni Arabs. The U.S. also criticized the Saudi government over the death of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. Relations are so bad between the once allied nations that, reportedly, the Saudi leader refused to take a recent (and likely panicked) phone call by Joe Biden. This is just one instance of the Biden administration acting to court its enemies while punishing our allies. Another example is the administration's nuclear deal negotiations with Iran. The Iranian regime is a longtime enemy of the U.S., which it often calls the "Great Satan." Yet the deal rewards Iran (and others) and is incredibly dangerous for our allies Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Sunni Arab states. Delisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and giving the Iranian regime up to $130 billion in new funding would supercharge the level of terrorist attacks coming from the Iranians and their allies, including the Houthi, but also the Assad forces in Syria, Hezb'allah in Lebanon, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And it would provide the Iranian regime with a pathway to a nuclear bomb, which, coupled with their continuing development of ballistic missiles, will allow them to threaten the entire Middle East, and even the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, the U.S. is also empowering Russia in the Iran deal negotiations. Reportedly, the U.S. will allow the Russians to build a nuclear site in Iran and also exempt Russian-Iranian trade from the sanctions just placed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. And prior to that invasion, the administration courted Russia when it waived sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, despite congressional disapproval and warnings that it could endanger Ukraine. The administration has also reached out to another enemy, this one in our own hemisphere. While looking for more oil supplies following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden's people courted the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Venezuela under Maduro is a hub for the convergence of transnational organized crime and international terrorism, including particularly strong ties to Iran and Hezb'allah. Then there is Afghanistan. The previous Afghan government depended on U.S. assistance, which was cut off last year. The U.S. closed the Bagram Air Base without prior notification to the Afghans, which demoralized their fighters. It ceased to maintain the Afghan air force, despite a warning that this would take the air force, arguably the Afghan government's main edge in its fight with the Taliban, out of the fight. In the end, after the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban rebels regained control of the country, while the U.S.-backed Afghan government fled. The U.S. didn't even make sure to evacuate all of our countrymen and allies from Afghanistan; most of the Afghans whom America had promised to rescue were actually left behind. The signal sent to many of our allies in difficult regions of the world: We may not be there when you need us. It would be nice if the Biden administration behaved more rationally, rewarding its friends and punishing its enemies. It would be nice, but for now, it just isn't the case. Adam Turner is the director of the Center to Advance Security in America. Image: Khamenei.ir. It all began with a tweet about Vice President Kamala Harris's sartorial choices during the State of the Union address. Conservative commentator Amber Athey tweeted the following: Kamala looks like a UPS employee what can brown do for you? Nothing good, apparently. Amber Athey (@amber_athey) March 2, 2022 The tweet wasn't particularly funny or clever. It was just among that innocuous, almost silly variety of tweets that people post after a hard day at work. Athey is the Washington editor for The Spectator magazine's global edition, and she also had a regular spot on conservative radio station WMAL, which also hosts Dan Bongino, Mark Levin, and Ben Shapiro. Athey's tweet about Harris seemed as though it had met its deserved fate of sinking into oblivion. Athey wrote, "No one had a problem with the tweet until a few days later when I spoke critically of protests in favor of 'trans kids' at the University of North Texas. A group of left-wing activists who want to chemically castrate children in the name of 'gender affirmation' came after me." Her tweet was reframed by a Twitter mob as (unsurprisingly) racist. Athey's employers at The Spectator and WMAL received angry emails that described Athey as a racist. They threatened to cancel their subscriptions and those of their friends and relatives if Athey wasn't sacked. Athey even shared a screenshot of one such email. This guy asking my publication to fire me claims he is a subscriber but neither his name nor email show up in our subscriber database. Try harder, KHIVE. Btw, if you want your emails to my employer to carry more weight, you can subscribe first with the promo code AMBER pic.twitter.com/inkbXCkg3W Amber Athey (@amber_athey) March 5, 2022 Athey wrote that her superiors at The Spectator, who have consistently stood for free speech and confronted censorship, ridiculed the angry emails and promptly deleted them. Athey assumed that her superiors at WMAL would have an identical reaction. After a week since the social media storm calmed down, Athey presumed that all had returned back to normal. On March 9, Athey co-hosted her show, presuming it was another day at work. However, later that afternoon, the unexpected occurred. Athey was contacted by Jeff Boden, the vice president of station owner Cumulus Washington, and human resources V.P. Kriston Fancellas, who informed her that her tweet about Kamala Harris was "racist." Also, her subsequent attempts to defend herself and mock the efforts to cancel her were deemed unacceptable. It was claimed she had "violated the company's social media policy," hence she was terminated on the spot. Athey says she wasn't offered an opportunity to defend herself, nor were her colleagues consulted. WMAL has not countered Athey's version of the events, which means that her account is most likely factual. Clearly, this isn't an ideal time for silly jokes. The comedian either runs the risk of being struck in the face or being sacked from his job. But on a serious note, the problem is systemic. Leftists know that they cannot win in the arena of ideas. Despite their dogmatism, the general public does not care for their extreme ideas. From attempting to promote transgenderism among young children to celebrating a male triumphing in a swimming contest against women, the left has lost touch with reality and what is acceptable among decent regular people. Since they cannot win in the free market, they employ draconian measures of cancelation. They pick prominent contrarians such as Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck, Joe Rogan, Bill O'Reilly, Ben Shapiro, etc. who have been in broadcasting for a long period of time. Obviously, they have expressed a lot about myriad key issues that may be deemed "offensive" in social media posts or old videos that can be excavated. The radicals pick random sentences and strip their context to make the individual sound like any variety of bigot they want. At times, they resort to manufacturing allegations, just as they did with Judge Brett Kavanaugh. It begins on social media. They hire P.R. firms to post on social media with specific hashtags that soon become a trend. Many unsuspecting individuals join the trend, hoping to receive the attention they have craved for all their lives, hence the trend is prolonged. The mainstream media that function as a propaganda wing for the left are always eager to amplify obscure left-wing causes. They cover this "sensational" discovery, making the outrage against the individual sound like a national consensus, despite the fact that their opinion is that of a tiny percentage of people. Even the slightest deviation is regarded as blasphemous. Finally, they demand that the contrarian be fired. Next, activists or even paid shills pretending to be the outraged mob confront the sponsors and corporate leadership with questions such as "Do you support bigotry?" or "Do you support a predator?" Sending emails is often cheaper. Most businesses just want to survive the barrage of attacks. Seldom do they investigate the sources of the noises. The cacophony creates a perception that is conflated with reality. Angry rants on MSNBC, vicious op-eds in the New York Times, and fifty paid demonstrators outside a corporate headquarters are enough to make management shudder in their boots. Then some investors, deceived by the noise, sell off investments in the company, causing the value of the stock to plummet, and the corporate surrender is complete. They sack the "offender" with a pledge to stand for whatever virtue the mob demands. They fail to realize that appeasement always emboldens the persecutor and makes him come back for more. A bully can be vanquished only by confrontation. Another reason for the instant capitulation is that quite often, the business side of various conservative platforms is overwhelmingly liberal. They may work for a conservative outlet, but they despise its content. When they see an opportunity to silence a conservative voice, they willingly join the mob. For the left, this is a victory. They have shut down another voice that debunks their propaganda. The climate of fear created deters others from uttering even a syllable against the groupthink. It is important to state that despite their utterances and statements, neither the mob nor the corporate leadership cares about the issues or the persecuted. This isn't about morality or ethics or taste. For instance, if Stephen Colbert had made the joke about the color of Kamala's pantsuit as Athey did, they would probably be guffawing interminably. Since they cannot win people over, they apply iron-fist tactics to shut down their opposition. Amber Athey was not even a top-ranking voice with a syndicated radio audience, yet she was a target. Perhaps they sense a threat and sought to pre-emptively terminate her, hoping she would go gently into the night. Refreshingly, Amber's defiant stand has caused her to receive some media attention, making her more of a major conservative voice and probably even a star. Hopefully, the conservative stars on WMAL will lend their support to Athey. Hopefully, Fox News will hire Athey and give this attractive young conservative voice a bigger platform. For conservative commentators, this is an important lesson. If they can, they must choose only those platforms whose management is independent and fearless. Photo credit: Twitter icon. With the new plans to protect the border by Texas governor Greg Abbott, a physical confrontation between the federal government and Texas may be erupting shortly. It is no secret that the Biden administration is ripping up the U.S. Constitution as it descends into a lawless, rogue dictatorship. The Democrat socialists see illegal immigration as one of their only means of holding on to power. In the first of a two-part plan, the second part to be announced next week, Abbott has put into motion sending illegal aliens via charter buses to Washington, D.C. The program is the first direct pushback of any elected official against the brazen socialist gamble to overthrow the Republic. And it comes with a potentially high price tag. Based on the recent hysterical history of Democrats erecting an embarrassingly unnecessary fence around the Capitol, the corrupt Washington elites and the Biden administration will most likely establish a blockade of any buses coming from Texas to Washington. This will be Democrat socialists and the rest of the Washington, D.C. swamp finally squaring off against the American people. With a projected 18,000 illegal aliens per day anticipated with the end of Title 42, climbing murder rates and human trafficking, and thousands of deaths due to illicit drug smuggling, what other options did Abbott have? The Abbott plan is not the end of the disaster facing Americans regarding the flood of illegals, since a huge sanctuary city known as New York is only 229 miles up the coast from Washington, D.C. New York City mayor Eric Adams may well be delighted with an influx of thousands of illegals who can then be awarded free education and health care in exchange for voting in upcoming elections. Image: Gage Skidmore. This March 24 marked fifty years since the release of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), a film that has garnered such praise since it first appeared in theaters that it hardly seems necessary to rehearse its countless and well-deserved accolades. It is undoubtedly one of those few cinematic works of art that film historians, critics, and the public universally recognize as among the greatest films of all time. What is perhaps most extraordinary is that The Godfather, Part II (1974) somehow managed to attain the same breathtaking pinnacle of aesthetic perfection when sequels are notoriously inferior to their predecessors. In the romantic comedy You've Got Mail (1998), Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) refers to The Godfather as the sum of all wisdom and the answer to every question. ("What should I pack for summer vacation? 'Leave the gun, take the cannoli.'") Let us for a moment regard Hanks's statement not as mere hyperbole. We could invoke many famous lines from the film that convey a certain wisdom (e.g., "keep your friends close but your enemies closer") but any assortment of discrete lines, however memorable, would not justify placing The Godfather next to the I Ching. The enduring wisdom of The Godfather is simply this: that the pursuit of power for its own sake ultimately demands the renunciation of love. Consider the segment in Part II, where, immediately after slaying Don Fanucci, the young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) returns to the bosom of his family, a loving father, and a dutiful husband. Vito is already a man divided within himself: on the one hand, he is a thief and a killer, and at the same time, he is a kind father and a good neighbor who will protect an old widow from the harassment of an unscrupulous landlord. For Vito, power is not primarily an end in and of itself, but how he guarantees the well-being and prosperity of those he loves, and those who are too weak to protect themselves. Nevertheless, he has from the outset unwittingly sown the seeds that will grow to destroy his family from within. However, it will take the person of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), perhaps the most tragic figure in all modern cinema, to in fact bring the contradictions in the family to such a point that maintaining the thing that matters most that is, the Family means simultaneously to lose it. Michael realizes this, but his addiction to power leaves him essentially powerless to prevent the ultimate crisis. On a dreary autumn evening in Nevada, Michael visits his mother and asks what Papa thought deep down if "by being strong for his family, he could lose it." His mother does not even seem to comprehend the question: "But you can never lose your family." "Times are changing," he responds. Michael Corleone is a man who loses his family through his own doing and all in the name of protecting the Family: first his brother-in-law; then his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), who leaves him; their unborn son; and finally his brother Fredo (John Cazale), who dares to commit an act of betrayal against him. Only when he slays his brother does Michael finally sever himself from the humanly recognizable world. This final, monstrous act is carried out with the cold, methodical logic of revenge to which he has bound himself. There are two fundamental ways we may answer an offense: on the one hand, I can nurse my hurt and resolve to hurt the other in return. In that case, I am obeying the logic of revenge which is the natural, mechanical response to a perceived injury. Revenge is the essence of all non-spiritual responses to being injured (as the philosopher Hegel demonstrated). Holding on to that hurt and refusing to let it go is to trap myself in the past to take a bit of the past and let it determine my future, so that, in effect, I have no future. As a permanent, eternal condition, revenge is anti-historical and anti-free. On the other hand, I can let my injury go. I can say, "I forgive you." What I have done at that moment is unmade the past and made it as if it had not been done. In this sense, the act of forgiveness is the supreme spiritual act, because it is premised on nothing but spontaneity. It is the surpassing of natural logic, a reversal of the natural order of things, wholly self-determining. To be wedded to the logic of revenge is to be irrevocably stuck in the past so much so that the future is reduced to the endless rehearsal of past grievances. Unlike certain politicians here in the real world, the Don is not only immensely intelligent but, at the outset, fiercely caring and brave. The ultimate tragedy is that in his striving to maintain power, Michael loses the capacity to forgive. Sam Ben-Meir is a professor of philosophy and world religions at Mercy College in New York City. Image: Movies Deja Vu via YouTube. Jordan Peterson's sixth "Rule of Life" is "Set your own house in perfect order before you criticize the world." You determine your life primarily by the choices you make. Some choices are "meta-choices," the ones that impact numerous other choices. One of the meta-choices is what share of your time you devote to your micro realm versus your macro realm. The micro realm of your life includes your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors those with whom you directly interact, as well as your job and other personal uses of your time. The macro part of your life includes society at large, the economy, climate change, politics, people distant from you, and people you don't know. In which of those two realms, micro or macro, do you want to live? You have a limited amount of time and energy. Whichever realm you choose has what economists call an "opportunity cost." (The MIT Dictionary of Modern Economics defines "opportunity cost" as follows: "Perhaps the most fundamental concept in economics, the opportunity cost of an action is the value of the forgone alternative.") There is an enormous difference regarding the level of control you have in the two spheres. Obviously, you have the most influence and impact on those closest to you. Influence is like gravitational force, inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Also, consider the relative populations. You are a significant part of your micro world. Like it or not, you are a tiny and insignificant part of your macro world. There is also a big difference in your relative knowledge about the two realms. Your macro realm is vastly more complex than your micro realm, and the choices you make there are more prone to error. We all know people who have strong opinions concerning issues they know almost nothing about. Virtually all your power resides in your micro realm. The person closest to you is yourself. Focusing on a small sphere of influence is an aspect of individual responsibility. It is a way of thinking and behaving that shows the difference between progressives and conservatives. Conservatives love being personally responsible. It's part of the price of freedom. Unfortunately, individual responsibility is just too big a burden for some people. Personal problems are often too difficult and painful to face. To focus instead on an "urgent" macro issue is a favorite self-deluding tactic of progressives. Their selected macro issue is typically one dire enough to blind them to the cost of hiding from themselves. It enables them to deny the high opportunity cost to themselves of neglecting their own unsolved personal problems. Ron Ross, Ph.D. is a former economics professor and author of The Unbeatable Market. He resides in Arcata, California and can be reached at rossecon@aol.com. Image: Kim Davies via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. What does the "Palestinian feminist call for love" sound like? According to University of California, Santa Barbara history professor Sherene Seikaly and her co-panelists at the March 28 webinar on "Land, Life, Love, and Liberation," sponsored by the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC), it includes virtue-signaling "land acknowledgments," hatred of Israel, and the exaltation of a fantasy land of bucolic harmony called Palestine. Seikaly's history of anti-Western polemics, such as her efforts to "contextualize" ISIS, complemented the prejudices of the panel's moderator, Selma Al-Aswad, a "queer Palestinian organizer." She explained that the PFC confronts "systemic gendered and colonial violence" by Israel. Like the other panelists, she considered her presence in the United States fundamentally illegitimate, for she spoke from the "occupied ancestral lands of the first peoples of so-called Seattle, Washington." Along with praising the PFC as "life-affirming," Seikaly's fellow Israel-basher, University of Illinois assistant professor of Asian American Studies Lila Sharif, posed as a reformed trespasser. In Illinois, "these lands were nurtured by these native nations prior to their forced removal," she stated, embracing the mythical assumption that American Indians were environmentally conscious. Yet she denied historical Jewish indigeneity in Israel and asserted false "parallel violences" that afflicted the "lands between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, the land of Palestine." Sharif imagined Arabs carefully cultivating Palestinian soil, even though the area was largely a wasteland before Zionist-sponsored development. "Palestinian land workers and shepherds would often tell me that when Palestinians take care of the land, the land takes care of the Palestinian people," she said. Returning to one of her favorite cliches, she noted that in this "symbiotic relationship" reflecting a "Palestinian indigenous approach," the "olive harvest is an expression of that reciprocal love and care." In this harvest, Sharif fancied, "experienced elders share the wisdom of cultivation as children climb trees competing for the highest reach [and] women collect ripe olives in makeshift nets." In this prelapsarian idyll, "there was no garbage strewn about, everyone was taught to respect the land, as well as water, kinship, and ancestral ties, and the bounty of these sacred olive lands." In reality, "Palestine is classified among the top 25 percent of urbanizing countries" by the United Nations, and seventy-five percent of Palestinians live in urban areas. Harvard School of Public Health graduate student Ayah Hamdan echoed Sharif, noting that olive trees "have stood in our families for generations." "We hold these trees dearly" and "celebrate the olive oil that we gain from each olive harvest season," she said. Hamdan charged that Israeli checkpoints hinder delivering Palestinian women on their trips to hospitals, meaning "the occupation of Palestine is an issue of reproductive justice and largely it is a public health issue." Yet health indices, including Palestinian life expectancy and infant mortality rates, have improved dramatically under Israeli rule since the 1967 Six-Day War. Worldwide, rising female literacy contributes to declining birth rates, Hamdan observed. Palestinians, however, are an exception, as Palestinian women have a "consistent fertility rate of around three and a half births per woman" despite rising education levels, demonstrating that these women "are pursuing their academic professional goals while still creating and nurturing families." In fact, the long-term trend of declining Palestinian birth rates indicates that Palestinian demographics will follow global trends. "Palestine has taught me to love life," enthused Hamdan. She praised the "profound beauty of how Palestinians manage to center joy, family, celebration, and love into their daily life" despite the "ongoing settler-colonial project." Such ecstasy overlooks the brutal Palestinian "culture of death," which corrupts youths and celebrates terrorism against Israeli Jews. Rutgers University assistant professor of Africana Studies Noura Erakat imagined this Palestinian utopia within a global struggle for socialism. The terrorist Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) "saw itself as a vanguard against imperialism on behalf of all peoples of the world," she said. The insistence of the PLO and other Palestinians on destroying Zionism "makes Palestinians and Palestine a destructive force," she boasted, with no acknowledgment of the horrors unleashed by PLO oppression and murder. Palestinians, therefore, align "with other disruptive forces," Erakat proclaimed, depicting an irredeemably racist America. The Black Lives Matter movement has accordingly "insisted on the bankruptcy of citizenship" a recipe for tyranny and the "bankruptcy of an equality framework within an enduring colony." Her radical vision ignored the violence committed against LGBT communities among Palestinians and other Muslim communities, for in her mind, women "as well as queer and trans siblings" are prominent among Palestinians. "What does it mean to decolonize?" Erakat asked, answering with incoherent platitudes, such as that land should no longer be "alienated properties rather than a source of life." Collectivism "means the dismantlement of racial capitalism. There is no solution that includes a capitalist economy" in the "rehabilitation of our social fabric," she declared. Somehow, consistently disastrous socialist economics would allow people "to slow down" and "be able to stop, to rest, to help one another, to dance, to share." Poverty's upside, one supposes. Fidel Castrostyle rhetoric appeals to Erakat and her fellow panelists, whose fashion tastes drew more on Vogue magazine than on the rustic garb of happy peasants laboring in an imaginary pastoral society. Affecting radical chic while enjoying the fruits of advanced capitalist societies evinces the intellectual and moral decadence of academe. Taxpayers and tuition-paying students who understand the costs and benefits of free societies should stop wasting resources on these spoiled ingrates. Andrew E. Harrod, a Middle East Forum Campus Watch Fellow, freelance researcher, and writer, is a fellow with the Lawfare Project. Follow him on Twitter: @AEHarrod. Image via Max Pixel. BEIRUT, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will send 200 observers to monitor Lebanon's parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15, according to a statement issued by Lebanon's presidency on Thursday. Giorgi Holvini, chief of the EU Election Observation Mission to Lebanon, said after a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun the observers will start their work ahead of the elections and will monitor all regions in Lebanon, the statement reads. Members of the mission will also monitor the electoral process for Lebanese living in a number of European countries, using the same standards and rules that will be applied in Lebanon, Holvini was quoted as saying. President Aoun told Holvini that all arrangements have been made in order to hold the parliamentary elections on time. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Russia-Ukraine conflict continued on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. Following are the latest developments of the situation: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine are continuing negotiations but there remains a long way to go, stressing that Moscow would like Kiev to be more active during the negotiations. The withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev region was to facilitate the peace talks, he told France's LCI broadcaster earlier in the day. - - - - The Ukrinform news agency reported Wednesday that in an interview with Turkey's Haberturk television channel, Zelensky said "in any case, we must find even small opportunities for the negotiation process. Without this, I think it is difficult to end the war." Zelensky emphasized the importance of the mediation by other countries, including Turkey, in the talks. - - - - Zelensky instructed the government to formalize the cessation of Ukraine's trade with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement Wednesday. In fact, import and export operations between Ukraine and Russia have been completely terminated since the start of the conflict, the statement said. - - - - The United States on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on Russia for its military operation in Ukraine, targeting the country's major financial institutions and the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a factsheet from the White House detailing the measures, U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order banning new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they live. Additionally, Americans will no longer be allowed to conduct business transactions with major Russian state-owned enterprises, whose assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen. The U.S. Department of the Treasury will announce the names of these entities on Thursday. - - - - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday invited Putin to a summit meeting in Budapest to make progress toward an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Orban said that he spoke on the phone with Putin, who called him Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his election victory. "I know (a ceasefire) is not going to happen by itself, so I invited Putin, the presidents of Ukraine and France, and the German chancellor to Budapest, the sooner the better," Orban said. Orban added that Hungary is ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles if necessary, unlike other European Union countries, which have rejected Moscow's request. (ANSA) - ROME, APR 7 - The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday condemned Italy for not protecting a woman and her two children from domestic violence that ended with her one-year-old son being stabbed to death by his father. In the attack at Scarperia near Florence in September 2018, the man also gravely wounded his partner and tried to kill the other child, a girl. The ECHR said that "prosecutors remained passive regarding the serious risks the woman was facing and with their inaction allowed the companion to continue to threaten and attack her". It sentenced Italy to pay the woman 32,000 euros for moral damage. The mother, Annalisa Landi, filed suit with the ECHR saying the Italian State had violated her and her children's right to life and that the violence against her was partly due to a discriminatory attitude towards her by authorities. The woman had already been attacked three times by her partner and had filed complaints with police, in November 2015, September 2017 and February 2018. Despite the opening of a probe into domestic violence and a recommendation that the man should undergo therapy for mental problems, no steps were taken to protect the woman and her children. (ANSA). (ANSAmed) - ROMA, 07 APR - Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on the possibility of a papal visit to Kyiv that "certainly the Pope would not go to take a stance either in favour of one or in favour of the other as he has always done". Pope Francis repeated Sunday he is willing to go to Kyiv if it might help stop the Russia-Ukraine war. "I am willing", Francis said on the flight back to Rome from a three-day visit to Malta. Revealing that he had not spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since Moscow invaded its neighbour over a month ago, the pope said "but my message is the same for all" and said "we are all guilty" of the injustice of war". Francis told reporters on the papal plane: "Several people have asked me to go to Kyiv, and I have always said sincerely that there is willingness, there is no refusal. I'm willing. "It is on the table, but I don't know if it can be done, if it is useful to do it, if it is for the best". The pope indicated that concerns for his safety would not sway his decision but only considerations on how useful a visit could be in terms of bringing peace. (ANSAmed). Tunisian olive oil exports drop slightly But increase in revenue (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, APRIL 7 - Tunisian olive oil exports totalled 59,400 tons from the beginning of November 2021 to the end of January 2022, a drop compared with the 62,000 tons in the same period of the previous year, according to the Tunisian news agency TAP. TAP cited a report from the country's national agriculture observatory ONAGRI, adding that there had instead been an increase in financial revenue to 620.6 million dinars at the end of January compared with 461.5 million dinars in the previous season. Extra-virgin olive oil accounted for 85% of total exports, while it had been 87% in the same period last year. (ANSAmed). All 59 defendants sent to trial over Genoa bridge disaster Including ex-ASPI CEO Castellucci, trial to start July 7 (ANSAmed) - ROME, APR 7 - All 59 defendants have been sent to trial over the Genoa bridge disaster that killed 43 people on August 14 2018 including the former managing director of Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) motorway company, Giovanni Castellucci, a preliminary hearings judge said Thursday. The trial will start on July 7. Also sent to trial were Castellucci's Castellucci, his former number two Paolo Berti and former number three Michele Donferri Mitelli. Earlier the judge on accepted plea bargains from ASPI and its former maintenance unit SPEA over the disaster. The two companies will pay a total of around 30 million euros to avoid a full trial, preliminary hearings judge (GUP) Paola Faggioni ruled. Prosecutors had said they were in favour of the plea bargain. The investigation has taken nearly four years and included technical assessments of the health of the viaduct and the reasons why it collapsed. Prosecutors had placed 71 individuals, ASPI and SPEA under investigation for alleged criminal conduct that failed to avert the disaster taking place. The main investigation also spawned several related probes into alleged wrongdoing by ASPI's former management, which allegedly ordered that corners be cut on maintenance in order to maximize dividends for shareholders. On August 3, 2020, two years after the disaster, President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Giuseppe Conte took part in the ceremony for the inauguration of Genoa's new viaduct. The national anthem was played, the names of the victims were read out and three minutes of silence were observed in mourning. Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci, who was also the extraordinary commissioner for the construction of the new bridge, said in a speech that a disaster of this kind must never happen again Liguria Governor Giovanni Toti and the bridge's designer, architect Renzo Piano, also addressed the ceremony. The committee representing the families of the 43 people who died when the Morandi bridge collapsed did not attend the inauguration. They did, however, have a private meeting with Mattarella beforehand. "I wanted to meet you before the bridge ceremony to publicly and clearly stress that the wound does not heal, the pain is not forgotten and solidarity must not stop in any way," Mattarella said Conte described the rapidly constructed viaduct as "a symbol of the new Italy that is getting back up". Toti stressed that the ceremony is "not a celebration - our thoughts should de devoted to the dead". The new structure was named the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge. Piano, a Genoa native, created the design for the new bridge for free as a gift to the city. It features sail-like structures, to reflect the northwestern port city's rich maritime heritage. The collapse of the bridge led to a deal whereby the Benetton group gradually exited Italian motorway management. Benetton's Atlantia holding company cut its stake in ASPI to zero by mid-2021, and government bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) gradually built up a 51% stake in ASPI. ASPI has thus become a publicly controlled company, quoted on the Milan bourse. The then ruling anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) had vowed to eject clothing icons the Benettons from ASPI, which it blamed for the alleged lack of maintenance that allegedly led to the bridge's collapse. The government had threatened to strip ASPI of its motorway concessions and has said that threat would remain valid if the Benetton family backtracked on the deal. Victims' relatives criticised the decision to allow ASPI to manage the new bridge. (ANSAmed). Turkish judiciary to send Khashoggi case to Saudi Arabia Murdered journalist's fiancee to appeal decision (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, APRIL 7 - The Turkish judiciary has upheld a decision to suspend a trial in absentia of 26 suspects linked to the assassination of the Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi and to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, the judge tasked with the case has said. Immediately after the announcement, Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the journalist assassinated in October 2018 inside the Saudi consulate of Istanbul, announced that she would file an appeal against the transfer. "Here we are not governed by a family, as is instead the case in Saudi Arabia. Here we have a judicial system that responds to the complaints of citizens. Thus, we will appeal" the decision, she told journalists as she was leaving the Istanbul court. (ANSAmed). 'Terrorist' arrested in Algeria calls on Qaeda to surrender Video of Assem Abu Hayyan broadcast on national TV (ANSAmed) -ALGIERS, APRIL 7 - A "terrorist" arrested by the Algerian army three weeks ago has called on the leaders of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to put down their arms and surrender. A video broadcast on Algerian state television broadcast the words of Laslous Madani, also known as Assem Abu Hayyan, who was arrested three weeks ago in the country's coastal province Skikda. On March 17, the Algerian defence minister announced the killing of an Islamist "terrorist" and the arrest of seven others including emir Batyeb Youssef (a.k.a. Osama Abu Sufyan al-Nigassi), one of the leaders of the organisation, during a military operation in the Skikda province. Madani said in the video that he had first entered a terrorist organisation in March 1994. He called on the current AQIM leader, known as Abu Khalil Idris, to put down his arms and surrender, saying that he had repented and had ceased all armed activities. "You should surrender and hand over your weapons to the authorities. This message is being sent of my own will without any coercion," the prisoner added. In recent years, groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) have spread to a limited extent across northern Algeria. (ANSA). People spend their time at the seaside in Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 6, 2022. Cyprus will lift most travel restrictions as of April 18, while a wide range of other anti-coronavirus restrictions will be eased as of April 11. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua) NICOSIA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus will lift most travel restrictions as of April 18, while a wide range of other anti-coronavirus restrictions will be eased as of April 11. The categorization of countries according to their epidemiological situation will be scrapped, and travelers will no longer be required to obtain a CyprusFlightPass, Cyprus' Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works said in a statement. Vaccinated people will be allowed into the country without taking a coronavirus test, while unvaccinated travelers will only be required to provide a negative 24-hour rapid test or 72-hour PCR test. Children under the age of 12 will be exempted from all COVID-19 checks. As of April 11, people will no longer be required to wear a mask outdoors, said Health Minister Michalis Hadipantelas. The SafePass will only be required for health workers and people entering health care units, medical centers, and care homes for the elderly. No SafePass will be required to enter shops or shopping malls, public service premises, museums on archaeological sites and open air markets and festivals. However, it will be required to enter restaurants, including those within malls. Theaters and cinemas can operate at full capacity, while the permitted attendance level at stadiums will remain at 75 per cent. The minister said that infected people will only have to quarantine for seven days, and will no longer have to take a rapid test at the end of this period, provided they have no visible symptoms. Quarantine can also end after five days if a negative PCR test can be provided, at the expense of the patient. Close contacts of an infected person will only have to quarantine for five days, provided they take a rapid test on the third and fifth day after contact. The announcement of the easing of measures was made as the number of daily COVID-19 infections fell from a record high of almost 6,000 about three weeks ago to below 3,000 on Wednesday. However, Hadjipantelas warned that the relaxation of measures must not be misinterpreted, "as COVID-19 is still here and experts insist that it is not a simple cold." The measures were relaxed based on data showing that despite the high number of infections, not many patients require hospitalization, and very few are intubated. Deaths are also rare, and mostly occur among elderly people with underlying medical problems. People spend their time at the seaside in Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 6, 2022. Cyprus will lift most travel restrictions as of April 18, while a wide range of other anti-coronavirus restrictions will be eased as of April 11. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua) People walk on a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 6, 2022. Cyprus will lift most travel restrictions as of April 18, while a wide range of other anti-coronavirus restrictions will be eased as of April 11. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua) People walk on a street in Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 6, 2022. Cyprus will lift most travel restrictions as of April 18, while a wide range of other anti-coronavirus restrictions will be eased as of April 11. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua) A naval uniform worn by the Duke of Edinburgh and his admirals cap are to go on display for the first time on the first anniversary of his death. The items are part of an exhibition at the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard looking at the Queens close links to the Navy as part of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee. As well as being the daughter and granddaughter of monarchs who served in the Navy, the Queen became an officers wife when she married Prince Philip. Kate Braun, at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, with an admirals cap belonging to the Duke of Edinburgh (Andrew Matthews/PA) The exhibition also includes photographs depicting the Queens many engagements as ceremonial head of the Royal Navy. An NMRN spokeswoman said: It captures the wide variety of duties, from the launching of ships, visits to personnel and the presentation of Queens Colours to world tours on the Royal Yacht, fleet reviews and street parties. There have been seven fleet reviews during her reign, including one to celebrate her coronation in 1953 just off the coast of Portsmouth, and most recently in 2005, to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Kate Braun adjusts a naval Wren uniform which once belonged to the Princess Royal (Andrew Matthews/PA) The Queen also has a deeper, more personal connection to the Royal Navy and was born into a family steeped in service with the Royal Navy. As the daughter and granddaughter of monarchs who served as young men in the Royal Navy, she later married a serving naval officer and two of her sons became naval officers. She has experienced the same emotions felt by every member of a naval family and paid testimony to this at the commissioning ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2017. The Duke of Edinburgh (PA) Photographs exploring the Queens long and loyal service and a recently acquired naval uniform belonging to the Duke of Edinburgh displayed for the first time alongside his admirals cap, add an intimate touch to the exhibition. Also recently donated to the museum are 41 shell cases from the gun salute fired to commemorate Philips death. The exhibition, titled Her Majestys Service: The Queens Role At The Heart Of The Royal Navy Family, opens to the public on April 9. A security guard at the British embassy in Berlin accused of spying for Russia allegedly passed secret information about the Government to a Russian military attache, a court heard. David Smith denied nine offences under the Official Secrets Act when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday. The Briton, who was living in Potsdam, is accused of gathering information from the embassy and passing it to someone he believed was a representative of the Russian state, as well as other alleged offences, between October 2020 and August last year. The charges allege Smith attempted to communicate by letter with General Major Sergey Chukhurov, the Russian military attache based out of the Russian Embassy, Berlin. October 2020 to August 2021: Date of alleged offences August 10 2021: David Smith, 57, is arrested by German police April 6 2022: The embassy security guard is extradited to the UK April 7 2022: He appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court and, after denying the charges, is remanded in custody April 13 2022: Date Smith is due to appear at the Old Bailey The material contained details about the activities, identities, addresses and telephone numbers of various members of Her Majestys Civil Service. Smith is accused of committing acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state by gathering information classified as secret about the activities of Her Majestys Government. He allegedly collected material relating to the operation and layout of the British Embassy in Berlin, with that information thought or intended to be useful to an enemy, namely the Russian state. Smith also allegedly made unauthorised photocopies of documents, video recordings of the embassys CCTV system and kept sim card packaging he had been asked to dispose of. And he gave information about building repairs at the embassy after being approached by someone he believed to be a member of Russian Military Intelligence (the GRU), the charges claim. David Smith wearing a headphones device at Westminster Magistrates Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA) The 57-year-old was arrested by German police on August 10 and extradited to the UK on Wednesday. He sat in the dock wearing a blue jumper and jeans and flanked by two plain-clothes guards. He requested a hearing loop to listen to proceedings and confirmed his name and age, adding he no longer has an address. Smith appeared emotionless as he pleaded not guilty. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on April 13. Leo Varadkar has paid tribute to a Ukrainian man who left Ireland to fight in the war after he was killed while defending his country. Oleksandr Zavhorodniy, who lived in Ireland for the last 20 years, died while fighting in Ukraine last week. The father-of-two, who was known to friends and family as Alex, had worked in the Aldi store in Sandyford and left for Ukraine last month. The Tanaiste said he died a hero on the battlefield. Very sorry to hear that Stillorgan resident Oleksandr Zavhorodniy has been killed in Ukraine defending his country He was a much loved member of his community in Stillorgan & Sandyford where he worked My thoughts are with all his family and friends Ireland stands with Ukraine https://t.co/0hDbazamZV pic.twitter.com/P0jlHRJT5m Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) April 7, 2022 Speaking in the Dail, just 24 hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the parliament, Mr Varadkar said: May I take this opportunity, on behalf of the government, to express our condolences to the friends and family of Oleksandr Zavhorodniy. A 45-year-old Ukrainian man who lived, for the last 20 years, in Ireland working in Aldi in Sandyford, and lived in Stillorgan. He sadly lost his life defending his home country in Ukraine from Russian attack. I wanted to express our condolences to his friends and family on on his death and acknowledge his bravery in going there to fight for his country and that he fell as a hero on the battlefield. Mr Zavhorodniys friend, Anna Neilande, set up a fundraising page to help pay for funeral costs. She said: As you know, he spent over 20 years in Ireland, where he found his second home. His heart, however, remained in Ukraine, and thats why he chose to go back, to protect his country and its people. When Alex arrived in Warsaw, he gave everything he had at the time to those in need. When he arrived at the military unit, he kept positive and did his best to calm his worrying family and friends by joking and sending funny pictures. We all will miss his kindness and cracking sense of humour, even in the most challenging situations. This fundraiser aims to try and help his family, who are now away from home, mostly displaced, and devastated. They will not be able to attend his funeral in his hometown Ohtyrka. Still, we want to ensure his family can give Alex the memorial he deserves to honour his memory and say their last goodbyes. Minister for for Tourism Catherine Martin tweeted: Very sorry to hear that Stillorgan resident Oleksandr Zavhorodniy has been killed in Ukraine defending his country. He was a much loved member of his community in Stillorgan and Sandyford where he worked. My thoughts are with all his family and friends. Ireland stands with Ukraine. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing demands to answer very serious questions over his familys finances after it emerged that his wife holds the tax-reducing non-domiciled status. Akshata Murty, estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, confirmed the arrangement, which means she is not legally obliged to pay tax in Britain on foreign income. Ms Murty, the fashion-designer daughter of a billionaire, who married the Chancellor in 2009, insists she pays taxes on all UK income and said the set-up is required because she is an Indian citizen. However, experts disputed this. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, watch a Test match at Lords (Zac Goodwin/PA) Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended the arrangement as in order as he hit out at the scrutiny of Ms Murtys finances as completely unfair. But he was unable to rule out whether the status is being used to reduce tax. Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to comment on the revelation, saying it is important to keep families out of politics if you possibly can. But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded answers and said Mr Sunak could be guilty of breathtaking hypocrisy if his wife is reducing her own tax bill as the Chancellor increases national insurance for millions of Britons. Ms Murty confirmed her non-dom status after the Independent website first reported the arrangement on the day the rise in national insurance took effect on Wednesday. It means her permanent home is considered to be outside the UK despite the Sunaks living in Downing Street. Mr Kwarteng said the Chancellors wife pays tax abroad but was unable to say where when asked if she pays all foreign tax in India or in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands. Asked on BBC Radio 4s Today programme if Ms Murty is a tax avoider, Mr Kwarteng responded: I dont know anything about her tax affairs. What I do know is that she has been very clear about the fact shes an Indian citizen. Once shes lived here for 15 years the non-domiciled status falls away so that will happen in a few years, I dont know when. As far as Im concerned thats good enough for me and I think we can move on from that story. Fashion designer Akshata Murty is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds (Ian West/PA) Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Mr Sunak to come clean about which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven. She also urged the Government to close the loophole that allows spouses to claim non-dom status while MPs have to be treated as tax residents. And, during a visit to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sir Keir told reporters: The Chancellor has imposed tax rise after tax rise on working people and hes said time and again theres no alternative, weve got no option. If it now transpires that his wife has used schemes to reduce her own tax then thats breathtaking hypocrisy and is more evidence of just how out of touch this Chancellor is, and I think hes got very, very serious questions to answer in relation to these schemes. Despite demands for answers, the Prime Minister dodged the question during a visit to the under-construction Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant to promote his energy security strategy. I think it is very important in politics, if you possibly can, to try and keep peoples families out of it, Mr Johnson told broadcasters. Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband argued that it is legitimate to ask questions when Mr Sunak said he is raising taxes to pay for public services while his immediate family (is) sheltering a large part of their income from UK taxes. I think there is a legitimate public question about whether that is the right decision because hes the guy asking us to pay more in taxes, he told BBC Breakfast. Mr Kwarteng rejected the allegation as untrue, saying sheltering sounds as if youre evading things. I think shes been very clear, shes been very transparent, the Chancellors been very transparent, and this non-dom status has been part of the UK tax system for more than 200 years, he told BBC Breakfast. A spokeswoman for Ms Murty confirmed she holds non-dom status after the reports surfaced. Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents home, the spokeswoman said. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously. So, according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income. Professor Richard Murphy, the Sheffield University academic who co-founded the Tax Justice Network, questioned her statement, insisting that being a non-dom is a choice she can relinquish. Domicile has nothing to do with a persons nationality, he said. In other words, the claims made in the statement issued by Ms Murty are wrong, and, as evidence, just because a person has Indian citizenship will never automatically grant them non-dom status in the UK. It is understood that Mr Sunak declared his wifes tax status when he became a minister in 2018 and the Treasury was also aware so that any potential conflicts could be managed. Ms Murty is listed on LinkedIn as being director of capital at private equity firm Catamaran Ventures, gym chain Digme Fitness and gentlemens outfitters New & Lingwood. She is also reported to hold a 0.91% stake in Infosys, which was founded by her now billionaire father. The Government has promised to take back control of energy prices through boosts to nuclear, wind, solar and hydrogen in its long-awaited energy strategy. Ministers are promising cleaner and more affordable energy to be made in this country, aiming to make 95% of electricity low carbon by 2030. But Labour said the Prime Minister had caved to his own backbenchers and that the plan would do nothing to help the rising energy costs faced by households. (PA Graphics) Boris Johnson said the strategy, including new nuclear and offshore wind plans, would reduce the UKs dependence on foreign sources of energy. There has been particular worldwide concern about the reliance on Russian oil and gas since the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. Under the Governments fresh plans a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UKs nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power, 25% of the projected electricity demand. It is hoped the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade. The strategy also confirmed the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey, off the north-west coast of Wales. Mr Johnson said: Were setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead. (PA Graphics) This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills. The rocketing energy bills faced by families have been caused in part by a post-pandemic rise in demand for gas, with lower levels of production. This was only exacerbated by the war in Ukraine both due to energy supplies but also the production of wheat and some metals. On offshore wind, the plan outlines the ambition of producing up to 50GW of energy by 2030, which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) said would be more than enough to power every home in the UK. Some 5GW should come from floating offshore wind in deeper seas and planning reforms will slash approval times for new wind farms from four years to one year. It is thought a major crunch point in the strategy, and one of the reasons its launch has been delayed, is wrangling over onshore wind farms. Several ministers have aired views backing the development of new oil and gas, but not onshore wind, which is one of the cheapest forms of electricity, along with solar. Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg downplayed the earthquake risks from fracking and suggested every last drop of oil should be extracted from the North Sea, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he did not favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms as he said they can create something of an eyesore. The Government said it would be consulting on developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills. It has already commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the moratorium on the controversial process, imposed over the tremors it caused. A 30m competition to manufacture heat pumps is also to be launched, and there are ambitions to increase solar capacity with a consultation of the rules for solar projects. Plus, the Government aims to double its goal of low carbon hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030, with at least half of that coming from green hydrogen. Meanwhile, on oil and gas, a new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the autumn to cover the nearer term. Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (James Manning/PA) Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: We have seen record-high gas prices around the world. We need to protect ourselves from price spikes in the future by accelerating our move towards cleaner, cheaper, home-grown energy. The simple truth is that the more cheap, clean power we generate within our borders, the less exposed we will be to eye-watering fossil fuel prices set by global markets we cant control. Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear, while maximising North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence over the coming years. The plan was welcomed by offshore wind firm Orsted, trade association Hydrogen UK, Shell and EDF, among others. Nuclear Industry Association chief executive Tom Greatrex said the new nuclear target of 24GW by 2050 is a vital step forward for UK energy security and our net zero future. But Ed Miliband, Labours shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, said: The Governments energy relaunch is in disarray. Boris Johnson has completely caved to his own backbenchers and now, ludicrously, his own energy strategy has failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar, the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power. This relaunch will do nothing for the millions of families now facing an energy bills crisis. Ed Miliband, Labours shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, said the Governments energy relaunch is in disarray (Stefan Rousseau/PA) No reversal of the ban on onshore wind and not a penny more on energy efficiency. These decisions will force households to pay hundreds of pounds more for their energy bills and keep the UK dependent on imported gas for longer. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the plans were utterly hopeless. Climate think tank E3G said the announced plans had failed to support the action needed to either get off Russian gas this year or bring down energy bills. Ed Matthew, campaigns director at E3G said: With no new support to save energy and by holding back on solar power and onshore wind, this strategy will do nothing to help the UK get off Russian gas this year. Instead, the Government has prioritised policies that will keep us dependent on high-cost fossil fuels and nuclear power. This isnt an energy security strategy and will do nothing to bring down energy bills. It is a national security threat and the person who will be happiest with it is Vladimir Putin. The Government has promised to take back control of energy prices with its long-awaited energy strategy which aims to make 95% of electricity low carbon by 2030. Ministers are promising cleaner and more affordable energy to be made in this country by boosting wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen. But Labour said the Prime Minister had caved to his own backbenchers and that the plan would do nothing to help the rising energy costs faced by households. File photo of Teesside Wind Farm (Owen Humphreys/PA) Boris Johnson said the strategy, including new nuclear and offshore wind plans, would reduce the UKs dependence on foreign sources of energy. There has been particular worldwide concern about the reliance on Russian oil and gas since the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine. Under the Governments fresh plans a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UKs nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power, 25% of the projected electricity demand. It is hoped the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade. The strategy also confirmed the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site in Anglesey. Prime Minister Mr Johnson said: Were setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead. Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Stefan Rousseau/PA) This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills. The rocketing energy bills faced by families have been caused in part by a post-pandemic rise in demand for gas, with lower levels of production. This was only exacerbated by the war in Ukraine both due to energy supplies but also the production of wheat and some metals. On offshore wind, the plan outlines the ambition of producing up to 50GW of energy by 2030, which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) said would be more than enough to power every home in the UK. Some 5GW should come from floating offshore wind in deeper seas and planning reforms will slash approval times for new wind farms from four years to one year. It is thought a major crunch point in the strategy, and one of the reasons its launch has been delayed, is wrangling over onshore wind farms. Several ministers have aired views backing the development of new oil and gas, but not onshore wind, which is one of the cheapest forms of electricity, along with solar. Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg downplayed the earthquake risks from fracking and suggested every last drop of oil should be extracted from the North Sea, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he did not favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms as he said they can create something of an eyesore. The Government said it would be consulting on developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills. It has already commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the moratorium on the controversial process, imposed over the tremors it caused. A 30m competition to manufacture heat pumps is also to be launched, and there are ambitions to increase solar capacity with a consultation of the rules for solar projects. Plus, the Government aims to double its goal of low carbon hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030, with at least half of that coming from green hydrogen. Meanwhile, on oil and gas, a new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the autumn to cover the nearer term. Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (James Manning/PA) Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: We have seen record-high gas prices around the world. We need to protect ourselves from price spikes in the future by accelerating our move towards cleaner, cheaper, home-grown energy. The simple truth is that the more cheap, clean power we generate within our borders, the less exposed we will be to eye-watering fossil fuel prices set by global markets we cant control. Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear, while maximising North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence over the coming years. The plan was welcomed by offshore wind firm Orsted, trade association Hydrogen UK, Shell and EDF, among others. But Ed Miliband, Labours shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, said: The Governments energy relaunch is in disarray. Boris Johnson has completely caved to his own backbenchers and now, ludicrously, his own energy strategy has failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar, the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power. This relaunch will do nothing for the millions of families now facing an energy bills crisis. Ed Miliband delivers a speech and takes part in a panel discussion at Church House in Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA) No reversal of the ban on onshore wind and not a penny more on energy efficiency. These decisions will force households to pay hundreds of pounds more for their energy bills and keep the UK dependent on imported gas for longer. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the plans were utterly hopeless. Climate think tank E3G said the announced plans had failed to support the action needed to either get off Russian gas this year or bring down energy bills. Ed Matthew, campaigns director at E3G said: With no new support to save energy and by holding back on solar power and onshore wind, this strategy will do nothing to help the UK get off Russian gas this year. Instead, the Government has prioritised policies that will keep us dependent on high-cost fossil fuels and nuclear power. This isnt an energy security strategy and will do nothing to bring down energy bills. It is a national security threat and the person who will be happiest with it is Vladimir Putin. After multiple weeks of controversy and $75,000 in fines, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones finally appeared for a deposition in his case against Sandy Hook shooting victims families. Jones was questioned by the families lawyers Tuesday and Wednesday in Bridgeport, Conn. This Dec. 11, 2018 photo shows radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at Capitol Hill in Washington. This Dec. 11, 2018 photo shows radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at Capitol Hill in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/) Several family members of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., sued Jones for defamation after he claimed the tragedy was staged. Jones has since admitted he was wrong, but still lost the legal case by default for his flagrant bad faith and callous disregard for court orders. A trial to determine how much Jones will have to pay is scheduled for August. The InfoWars host had been attempting to execute a similar noncompliance strategy for his deposition, but Judge Barbara Bellis wasnt having it and ruled March 30 that Jones would be fined for each day he failed to show up. Jones attorneys claimed he missed the deposition because he was sick at his home in Austin, Texas. Despite the illness, he was still able to record his InfoWars show. On Friday, Jones was fined $25,000. On Monday, he was fined $50,000. The punishment wouldve escalated to $75,000 on Tuesday, but thats when he showed up. The depositions have been sealed by the court. Mr. Jones has now been deposed by attorneys representing the Sandy Hook families that he has so deeply and repeatedly harmed over the years, attorney Chris Mattei, representing the families, said in a statement. We appreciate that the Court took firm measures to compel this deposition, which likely would not have happened otherwise. Over our objection, Mr. Jones now insists on declaring his entire deposition confidential even while he and his attorney conduct media interviews discussing the details. With News Wire Services Bruce Willis is enjoying time with his family after the announcement that he's retiring for health-related reasons. Emma Heming Willis, who revealed her husband's aphasia diagnosis publicly last week, shared new video and a new photo of the actor on her Instagram story. In the clip, Bruce is seen walking near a serene river. Emma also posted a picture with Bruce, which was taken by their 10-year-old daughter, Mabel. The couple, who've been married 13 years, also share a 7-year-old daughter, Evelyn. Bruce Willis enjoys a day outside with his family. (Photo: Instagram via Emma Heming Willis) The cognitive disorder that Bruce has been dealing with affects a person's ability to speak and understand others. It's unclear exactly when the Die Hard star was diagnosed, but his cognitive state has reportedly been declining for years. The actor received an outpouring of support after his family, including ex-wife Demi Moore and their three adult daughters, revealed his diagnosis. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all of the messages, all of the prayers, for keeping my poppa and our whole family in your thoughts and prayers," Rumer Willis said on social media earlier this week. "It truly means the world." She continued, "Thank you all for all the sweet messages about my dad. I truly appreciate it more than you know. It means so much, and please know that, even if I don't get to respond to all of the messages, that they are felt. They are heard. They are seen. And unbelievably and deeply appreciated from, not just me, but our entire family." The musician and actress performed the song "Down in Mexico" by the Coasters in honor of her father. "My dad introduced me to the Coasters when I was a kid," she revealed. "He's absolutely the reason why I love music, why I love the kind of music that I do love, why I love oldies. All of it. He's truly the reason why music is such a huge part of my life." After Marjorie Taylor Greene called out Jimmy Kimmel for joking about Will Smith hypothetically slapping her, the comedian defended his humor. Read article The politician, 47, took to Twitter on Wednesday, April 6, writing, @ABC this threat of violence against me by @jimmykimmel has been filed with the @CapitolPolice. Kimmel, 54, for his part, replied to the tweet, Officer? I would like to report a joke. One day prior, the New York native questioned Greenes opinions during a segment on his Jimmy Kimmel Live! late-night show. This woman, Klan mom, is especially upset with the three Republican senators who said theyll vote yes on Ketanji Brown Jackson, whos nominated for the Supreme Court, he explained during a segment on Tuesday, April 5. Where is Will Smith when you really need him? Shutterstock (2) Kimmels reference comes shortly after Smith, 53, made headlines for his altercation with Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards late last month. Rock, 57, made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smiths shaved head while presenting an award. The Girls Trip star, 50, who has alopecia, rolled her eyes before her husband walked over to the stage and slapped the stand-up comedian. Will Smith just smacked the st out of me, Rock said in uncensored footage that later surfaced online. After the Hitch star walked back to his seat, he repeatedly yelled for Rock to keep my wifes name out your fking mouth. The King Richard star, who won the best actor award just moments later, apologized for his unacceptable and inexcusable behavior toward Rock one day later. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness, he wrote via Instagram. Read article Smith added: I would also like to apologize to The Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. Amid public backlash, the Philadelphia star announced his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable, he said in a statement on Friday, April 1, according to Variety. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. Read article At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum is worried about what this incident means for his future. He feels terrible and is trying not to panic, but seeing his roles put on ice has been a hugely bitter pill to swallow, an insider revealed. His biggest fear is that hes in the process of being fully canceled, and theres nothing he can really do about it except sit back, suck up his punishment like a man and try to atone however he can. Rock, for his part, has recently noted that he wouldnt be discussing the situation publicly at a recent stand-up gig. Chris broke the ice by sarcastically saying hes had an interesting week, an eyewitness shared with Us about his New Jersey gig on Saturday, April 2. Everyone laughed because they knew what he was referring to, of course. DETROIT As the biggest city in China goes on lockdown, General Motors is taking extreme measures to keep new car production going, including asking workers to sleep on factory floors. Leaders in Shanghai, China's financial epicenter, started a two-stage lockdown Monday to try to control a massive COVID-19 outbreak on the southeastern coast. That lockdown is forcing automakers and suppliers to scramble and make tough decisions. China has a "zero-COVID" strategy that relies on mass testing, contact tracing and other policies to control the spread of the virus. It also demands that companies use strict measures to keep factories going or else shut down. The latter would produce production disruptions and delayed shipments at a time when consumer demand for new cars is strong. Last year, GM delivered 2.9 million vehicles in China. A source familiar with GM's joint venture with Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor Corp. told the Detroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network, on Tuesday that it has kept production going in Shanghai by keeping employees living in the plant. The person asked to not be named because there was no authorization given to share that with the media. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, volunteers carry daily necessities for residents in Fengxian District in eastern China's Shanghai city on March 28, 2022. China began its most extensive coronavirus lockdown in two years Monday to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai as questions are raised about the economic toll of the nation's But the person said production in its SGM plant continues with the health measures in place, including the "closed loop" requirement. "According to the Shanghai governments pandemic control measures, companies are required to operate either in closed loop if necessary or have the employees work from home," the person said. "Closed loop operation means that employees must stay in the plant." More reliable power source: GM partners with utility companies to use future EVs to power homes Opinion: 5G service is coming to more cars. What can drivers expect and when? The story was first reported by Reuters. It said the workers are being asked to sleep on the factory floor and that GM's joint venture got passes for trucks to continue deliveries. Reuters cited two unnamed sources. A man lifts his child to get a COVID-19 test at a private mobile coronavirus testing facility on March 29, 2022, in Beijing. Closed loop is a form of quarantine. Reuters described it as a "bubble-like arrangement" where workers sleep, live and work in isolation from the outside community to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Ford Motor Co. does not have any manufacturing plants in the Shanghai area, said Ian Thibodeau, a Ford spokesperson. "We do have offices in the Shanghai area and employees there are working from home," Thibodeau told the Free Press Tuesday. "Fords manufacturing plants are located elsewhere in China, and they remain in operation. Shanghai GM Norsom Phase III plant's assembly shop in China. GM's facilities in Shanghai produce Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles. GM spokesman Dan Flores said GM, along with its joint ventures supply chain and engineering teams, have "developed and are continuing to execute contingency plans on a global basis with our suppliers to mitigate the uncertainty related to COVID-19." Follow Jamie L. LaReau on Twitter: @jlareauan. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM keeps plants running in China having workers live in factory WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in the United States on Thursday reiterated China's strong opposition to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan, urging Washington to cancel it. "In the past few days, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang and the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. have lodged stern representations with the U.S. Congress and government on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reported visit to Taiwan, and stated China's solemn position, urging the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, and to cancel Speaker Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan," said a spokesperson of the embassy, according to remarks posted on the embassy's website. The spokesperson's remarks were in response to a question from the media seeking comment on the postponement of Pelosi's upcoming trip to Asia - during which she reportedly will visit Taiwan on Sunday - as a result of the 82-year-old's positive COVID-19 test earlier on Thursday. Although the Food and Drug Administration recently recommended a second COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for older Americans, the country has had to confront an ongoing struggle problems getting initial vaccination series, let alone first booster shots into arms. Solutions to the issue of uptake are critical because they not only affect us now, but are a problem that we will likely have to confront for years to come as COVID becomes endemic in the population. This may mean more frequent boosters until we are able to develop an annual multiple-part immunization package, having a combined COVID and influenza vaccine, for instance. Here are the five things to know about boosters and what we can take to increase uptake nationally: First, the science clearly shows boosters are effective. Data released last month from the L.A. County Department of Public Health shows that individuals who were vaccinated but not yet boosted had six times the protection from a COVID-19 ICU admission compared to the unvaccinated. Yet, for individuals who had the booster, this protection increased to ninefold. This translates to a 50% increased risk of an ICU stay for those fully vaccinated yet without their booster compared to those who received their booster. The bottom line here is clear: booster doses offer critical additional life-saving protection from COVID. MORE: What to know about a 2nd COVID-19 booster for people over age 50 Second, the science only goes so far. Oftentimes its more the messenger than the scientific message that matters. A new study on societal trust from the Ad Council showed that when it comes to COVID-19, Americans trust their partners (61%), medical professionals (61%), scientists (54%) and close family members (52%) most. The COVID-19 Community Corps program by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the ThisIsOurShot-VacunateYa coalition, which we are involved with, are two examples of efforts to mobilize trusted messengers. These initiatives provide support, training, and messaging resources to on-the-ground trusted voices such as healthcare workers, parent and family organizations, faith leaders and Black and Latino focused community groups to tackle difficult vaccine conversations. Such efforts to enlist and empower trusted messengers with the knowledge and tools necessary toward having successful vaccine conversations will be essential to increasing booster uptake. Such efforts will be essential to increasing booster uptake. Unless we actively enlist and mobilize those closest to our lives whom we trust most to encourage and recommend the booster, we will find success hard to come by. PHOTO: Latha Augusthy administers a second COVID-19 booster shot to Army veteran Jerry Koch at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, April 1, 2022, in Hines, Ill. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Third, we must normalize boosters as an expected and routine part of vaccination. Indeed, boosters are a way of life now. Just like its necessary to keep ones home or car in good condition through regular upkeep and maintenance, so too does the human body require regular maintenance. The fact is that immune protection fades over time for most vaccines. Regular maintenance includes updates to the immune system in the form of regular and frequent vaccinations. For example, a typical American by age 90 will have received 14 tetanus doses between their primary series and boosters altogether. This has helped lead to a 99% decrease in the deaths from tetanus since 1947 in the United States. Today, we average just 30 cases of tetanus annually. The take home message is clear: ongoing booster doses are critical updates to the human immune system, and this keeps the body healthy and functioning. Fourth, the low-income and underserved communities we practice in as primary care physicians have lower primary series vaccination rates compared to the average. So we need to get individuals not only vaccinated but also boosted to provide an additional layer of protection for the immunocompromised and children who are left behind by lifting public health mitigation measures. We need to continue to make booster access as easy and convenient as possible. One way to do this would be to make paid sick leave for workers to complete their booster doses a permanent federal policy so that the busy work lives of Americans do not come at the expense of wellbeing and health. In fact, the United States is the only wealthy country currently without this federal policy instead depending on states or employers for this worker benefit. We should also encourage local health partnerships with schools and workplaces to bring the booster to the very doorsteps of Americans. This alone would reach the more than 230 million Americans who are either enrolled in school or working. We also know mandates work. There are other novel approaches as well. For instance, The city of Chicago collaborated with artists to creatively fuel the vaccination effort. VaxChiArt 2.0, an extension of a campaign originally launched last summer, features original art from more than 80 local artists displayed in some of the lowest-vaccinated neighborhoods across the city. MORE: WHO says COVID boosters needed, reversing previous call Fifth, mandates work and improving booster messaging is critical particularly for Americans with poor health literacy. Mandates worked to increase vaccination rates for the country, and they work to increase booster rates too. John Brownstein, Ph.D., chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News Contributor said that booster messaging has "lacked clarity from the start." "Now with a second optional booster, it is not surprising that many Americans are left confused about need, eligibility, and timing," Brownstein added. "Educational strategies must focus on building trust and informing the public about the science. Vaccination campaigns must not only address concerns about product safety but must also provide clear guidance about vaccine benefits. In conclusion, as boosters become available for older Americans, lets not forget that we still have much work to be done to help Americans receive even their first booster dose. If we focus efforts and energy on the five steps laid out above, we have a chance to move the needle forward, help protect human life and prevent another surge too. Dr. Jay Bhatt is an internist, instructor at UIC School of Public Health and an ABC News contributor. Dr. Atul Nakhasi is a primary care physician and policy adviser for the LA County Department of Health Services, the nation's second-largest public health system. The opinions expressed here are not those of ABC News. 5 ways to increase COVID-19 booster uptake: Analysis originally appeared on abcnews.go.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, particularly on human rights issues, held a virtual meeting with Taiwan Vice President William Lai in January. BEIJING (Reuters) - China warned on Thursday it would take strong measures if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and said such a visit would severely impact Chinese-U.S. relations, following media reports she would go next week. China considers democratically ruled Taiwan its own territory and the subject is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, especially given strong U.S. military and political support for the island. The possible visit has not been confirmed by Pelosi's office or Taiwan's government, but some Japanese and Taiwanese media reported it would take place after she visits Japan this weekend. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that Beijing firmly opposed all forms of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan, and Washington should cancel the trip. "If the United States insists on having its own way, China will take strong measures in response to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All possible consequences that arise from this will completely be borne by the U.S. side," he added, without giving details. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that Beijing firmly opposed all forms of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan. In Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou would only say that inviting U.S. officials and dignitaries had always been "an important part" of the ministry's work, and that it would announce any official visits at an appropriate time. Sunday marks the 43rd anniversary of the United States signing into law the Taiwan Relations Act, which guides ties in the absence of formal diplomatic relations and enshrines a U.S. commitment to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. The last time a House speaker visited Taiwan was in 1997, when Newt Gingrich met then-President Lee Teng-hui. Pelosi, a long time critic of China, particularly on human rights issues, held a virtual meeting with Taiwan Vice President William Lai in January as he wrapped up a visit to the United States and Honduras. Pelosi is one of the ruling Democratic Party's most high-profile politicians, and second in the U.S. presidential line of succession after the vice president. Taiwan has been heartened by continued U.S. support offered by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly talked of its "rock-solid" commitment to the island. That has strained already poor Sino-U.S. relations. In March, a delegation of former senior U.S. defence and security officials sent by President Joe Biden visited Taiwan, a strong show of support coming soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. FILE - Ugandans queue to receive Pfizer coronavirus vaccinations at the Kiswa Health Centre III in the Bugolobi neighborhood of Kampala, Uganda Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. In the latest Senate package targeted at stopping the coronavirus, U.S. lawmakers dropped nearly all funding for curbing the virus beyond its borders, in a move many health experts describe as dangerously short-sighted. They warn the suspension of COVID aid for poorer countries could ultimately spur the kind of unchecked transmission needed for the next worrisome variant to emerge. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File) LONDON (AP) In the latest Senate package targeted at stopping the coronavirus, U.S. lawmakers dropped nearly all funding for curbing the virus beyond American borders, a move many health experts slammed as dangerously short-sighted. They warn the suspension of COVID-19 aid for poorer countries could ultimately allow the kind of unchecked transmission needed for the next worrisome variant to emerge and unravel much of the progress achieved so far. The U.S. has been the biggest contributor to the global pandemic response, delivering more than 500 million vaccines, and the lack of funding will be a major setback. The money has paid for numerous interventions, including a mass vaccination campaign in the Cameroonian capital that saw hundreds of thousands of people get their first dose, as well as the construction of a COVID-19 care facility in South Africa and the donation of 1,000 ventilators to that country. Other U.S.-funded vaccination campaigns in dozens of countries, including Uganda, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Mali, could also come to a grinding halt. Any stoppage of funds will affect us, said Misaki Wayengera, a Ugandan official who heads a technical committee advising the government on the pandemic response. He said Uganda has leaned heavily on donor help it received more than 11 million vaccines from the U.S. and that any cuts would make it very difficult for us to make ends meet. This is a bit of a kick in the teeth to poor countries that were promised billions of vaccines and resources last year in grand pledges made by the G7 and the G20, said Michael Head, a global health research fellow at Britains Southampton University. Given how badly weve failed on vaccine equity, its clear all of those promises have now been broken, he said, adding that without concerted effort and money to fight COVID-19 in the coming months, the pandemic could persist for years. While about 66% of the American population has been fully immunized against the coronavirus, fewer than 15% of people in poorer countries have received a single dose. Health officials working on COVID-19 vaccination in developing countries supported by the U.S. say they expect to see a reversal of progress once the funds disappear. Vaccination will stop or not even get started in some countries, said Rachel Hall, executive director of U.S. government advocacy at the charity CARE. She cited estimates from USAID that the suspended funding would mean scrapping testing, treatment and health services for about 100 million people. Although vaccines are more plentiful this year, many poorer countries have struggled to get shots into arms and hundreds of millions of donated vaccines have either expired, been returned or sat unused. To address those logistical hurdles, U.S. aid has financed critical services in countries across Africa, including the safe delivery of vaccines, training health workers and fighting vaccine misinformation. For example, in November the U.S. Embassy in the Cameroonian capital set up a tent for mass vaccination: Within the first five days, more than 300,000 people received a dose. Those kinds of events will now be harder to conduct without American funds. Hall also noted there would be consequences far beyond COVID-19, saying countries struggling with multiple disease outbreaks, like Congo and Mali, would face difficult choices. They will have to choose between fighting Ebola, malaria, polio, COVID and more, she said. Jeff Zients, the outgoing leader of the White House COVID-19 task force, expressed regret the legislation doesnt include resources for the international pandemic fight, noting that would also compromise efforts to track the virus genetic evolution. It is a real disappointment that theres no global funding in this bill, he said. This virus knows no borders, and its in our national interest to vaccinate the world and protect against possible new variants. Still, Zients announced the U.S. would be the first to donate tens of millions of doses for children to poorer countries and said more than 20 nations had already requested the shots. J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, lamented that lawmakers were erring on the side of optimism about the pandemic precisely when another surge might be arriving. Weve made that mistake several times in this pandemic. And we may be making that mistake again, he said. In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases caused by the hugely infectious omicron subvariant BA.2 have surged across Europe, and American officials say they expect a U.S. spike soon. Other experts worried the suspension of U.S. global support for COVID-19 might prompt officials to drop current vaccination goals. The World Health Organization had set a target of immunizing at least 70% of people in all countries by the middle of this year, but with nearly 50 countries vaccinating fewer than 20% of their populations, hitting that target is highly unlikely. Instead, some organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation and Duke University have pushed for officials to refocus vaccination goals away from vaccinating 70% of all adults by summer to vaccinating 90% of those most at-risk in each country, in what some critics say is an implicit acknowledgment of the worlds repeated failures to share vaccines fairly. In Nigeria, which has so far received at least $143 million in COVID-19 aid from the U.S, authorities dismissed suggestions their coronavirus programs would suffer as a result of lost funding. The Nigerian presidents office said help from the U.S. was mostly in kind via capacity building, research support and donations of laboratory equipment and vaccines. We are confident that this will not cause any disruption of our current programs, it said. However, others warned the U.S. decision set an unfortunate precedent for global cooperation to end the pandemic at a time when fresh concerns like the Ukraine war are drawing more attention. U.S. President Joe Biden originally planned to convene a virtual summit in the first quarter of this year to keep international efforts on track, but no event has been scheduled. In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, we dont yet have a final date for the summit, but we are working closely with countries and international partners to advance commitments, said a senior Biden administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly. As of this month, WHO said it had gotten only $1.8 billion of the $16.8 billion needed from donors to speed access to coronavirus vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. Nobody else is stepping up to fill the void at the moment and the U.S. decision to suspend funding may lead other donor countries to act similarly, said Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, director of Duke Universitys Global Health Innovation Center. Keri Althoff, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, described the U.S. suspension of funding as devastating. How could this possibly be what were debating right now?" she asked. Its a moral obligation to the rest of the world to continue to contribute to this global pandemic response, not only to protect ourselves but to protect people from around the world. ____ Megerian reported from Washington. AP writers Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda; Mogomotsi Magome and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, and Chinedu Asadu in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report. A European official criticized the continents sanctions plan for Russia and urged his colleagues to do more ahead of a vote that supported "full" sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Member of European Parliament (MEP) Guy Verhofstadt on Wednesday slammed the governing bodys "ridiculous" approach, which he said "doesnt work" due to the fact Russia is run by an autocrat and the people have "no real" opinion. RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES "That works with a democracy, with democrats, who have a public opinion, a real public opinion," Verhofstadt said. "In Russia, there is no longer a real public opinion." He argued that the newest slate hits only a small amount of trade, such as coal, which he claimed only makes up 3% of Russian exports to Europe. He also took aim at attempts to cut off financial access, saying that "half the financial institutions are still outside the ban." RUSSIAN COMMANDER ORDERS SOLDIERS TO TAKE OUT UKRAINIAN CIVILIANS NEAR BESIEGED MARIUPOL: REPORT "All the rest will not work," he said. "All the rest will prolong the war." Verhofstadts plea seemingly reached his colleagues, as the parliament voted Thursday to support stronger, "full" sanctions against Russia, with 513 votes in favor versus 22 against and 19 abstentions. The vote supported a full and "immediate" embargo on Russian "oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas." MEPs also urged all European leaders to exclude Russia from the G20 and other multilateral organizations, including Interpol, UNESCO and others. Western allies have attempted to improve their sanctions packages after Russia appeared to resist the initial measures. Initial panic following the implementation of sanctions weakened Russias economy as the rubles value plummeted. US, POLAND TO HOLD JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES NEAR UKRAINE BORDER But Russia seemingly stabilized, thanks to strict limits from its Central Bank on currency exchange, withdrawals and hard-currency transfers that helped to rein in the wild fluctuations that initially spooked officials into shutting down trading on the Moscow Exchange for almost a month. The U.S. announced fresh sanctions Wednesday that will hit Mariya Putina and Katerina Tinkonova, Putins two adult daughters, as well as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russias Security Council, including former president and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The U.K. also announced a heavy raft of new sanctions, including an asset freeze for two major banks, a ban on British investment in Russia and a pledge to end dependency on Russian energy resources by yearend. By Emilio Parodi GENOA, Italy (Reuters) -An Italian judge on Thursday ordered 59 people, including former Atlantia CEO Giovanni Castellucci, to stand trial over the deadly collapse of a bridge in Genoa four years ago, judicial sources told Reuters. The trial will start in Genoa on July 7, the sources added. The road bridge, operated by Atlantia's motorway unit Autostrade per l'Italia, collapsed in the port city on Aug. 14, 2018, killing 43 people and laying bare the dire state of Italy's crumbling infrastructure. Paola Vicini, the mother of one of the victims, wept outside the court house on Thursday. "To the other victims' families, I say have strength and courage, and we will get justice," she said. Judge Paola Faggioni, at the end of a closed-door preliminary hearing that began last October, also accepted the settlement proposed by Autostrade and its sister company SPEA to close the case. Autostrade had offered to pay 1 million euros ($1.1 million) as a settlement and 26 million euros in compensation to the Italian state for the case, while SPEA had proposed to pay 810,000 euros to settle. Last June, Italian prosecutors had asked for Autostrade, SPEA and 59 individuals to be sent to trial but the payments mean the companies will not be involved any more. The individuals, Autostrade and SPEA have maintained their innocence over the bridge collapse. The settlement does not involve any recognition of wrongdoing on the part of the two companies. Giovanni Paolo Accinni, a lawyer for Castellucci, said on Thursday that the accusations against his client would "fall away like an autumn leaf". The collapse caused a dispute between Atlantia and the government that ended last June with the sale of Atlantia's controlling stake in Autostrade to state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and investment partners. In a document on the probe's findings seen by Reuters, prosecutors said last year that the collapse was triggered by the rupture of the load-bearing cables inside the stay of the bridge's ninth pillar, which were eaten away by a highly corrosive atmosphere over the 51 years of the bridge's life. Managers at Atlantia units Autostrade and SPEA allegedly avoided proper checks of the state of the infrastructure and did not correct serious issues that started to emerge only a few years after the viaduct had opened in 1967, the document said. ($1 = 0.9163 euros) (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Maria Pia Quaglia and Keith Weir) The arguments used by those who refuse to confirm a Supreme Court justice often register as little more than a historical footnote in the years and decades following an appointment, but the vehemence of some of the Republican opposition to Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman justice on the high court, may not quickly recede from popular memory. While Clarence Thomas, the countrys second Black justice on the Supreme Court, described his 1991 confirmation hearings as a high-tech lynching after a former assistant, Anita Hill, brought forward allegations that Thomas had sexually harassed her, Hills assessment was markedly different. In a Thursday op-ed for the Washington Post, Hill wrote that by coming forward, she was subjected to attacks on my intelligence, truthfulness and even my sanity. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee like Lindsey Graham of South Carolina used much of their time to question Jackson by recounting what they saw as unfair Democratic attacks on Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings. Accused by Christine Blasey Ford of sexual assault when the two were both in high school, Kavanaugh, like Thomas, offered a bitter assessment of the Judiciary Committee hearings. This confirmation process has become a national disgrace, Kavanaugh said of the objections made over allegations of sexual misconduct. While Hill, who is now a professor at Brandeis University, concurred in her op-ed that the confirmation process is broken, she wrote that she was still shocked by the interrogation of Jackson, a nominee with stellar credentials and more judicial experience than any of the sitting justices when they were nominated. Perhaps one thing is sure: The most notable attacks against Jackson will be sure to be employed by and against the senators who made them in the coming months and years. Here is a shortlist of the standout moments. Sen. Marsha Blackburn at Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation hearing on March 22. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) Sen. Marsha Blackburn For Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., two issues that have resonated with Republican voters made up the bulk of her time questioning Jackson: abortion and transgender rights. Blackburn sought to paint Jackson as having characterized all anti-abortion women in a negative light, saying she had attacked pro-life women. She quoted a line from a legal brief co-signed by Jackson that described anti-abortion protesters outside an abortion clinic as a hostile, noisy crowd of in-your-face-protesters, to suggest Jackson viewed all anti-abortion women in the same way. When you go to church and knowing there are pro-life women there, do you look at them, thinking of them in that way that theyre noisy, hostile, in your face? Do you think of them, do you think of pro-life women like me that way? Senator, that was a statement in a brief made in argument for my client. Its not the way I think of or characterize people, Jackson responded. In a subsequent exchange on transgender rights, Blackburn made headlines by asking Jackson, Can you provide a definition for the word woman? Im not a biologist, Jackson, who seemed taken aback by the question, replied. Later, Blackburn explained that the reason she would not vote for Jackson was that dark-money leftist groups were trying to erase woman. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Judge Jacksons Supreme Court nomination: Dark-money leftist groups ... are trying to erase woman. They are trying to push this agenda of woke education. These are some of the reasons, for me, that I cannot vote to confirm her. pic.twitter.com/WBW4jpglDZ The Recount (@therecount) April 7, 2022 Sen. Tom Cotton questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on March 22. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Sen. Tom Cotton Not every Republican is convinced that then-President Donald Trump was right to sign the First Step Act, the criminal justice reform law that helps reduce prison sentences and improves conditions in federal jails. One of those is Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who went after Jackson for reducing the sentence of convicted drug dealer Keith Young using the guidelines established by the new law. Congress changed the law, Congress decided the old penalty, the old crime was no longer eligible for the increased sentence, Jackson told Cotton. So what I determined, under those circumstances, was that I would resentence Mr. Young to the penalty that Congress had decided was the appropriate penalty for the conduct that he committed as of the time of his motion. In response, Cotton said Jackson chose to rewrite the law because you were sympathetic to a drug fentanyl kingpin. Cotton also criticized Jackson for defending terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay prison, claiming that Jackson had called former President George W. Bush a war criminal. As with Blackburns allegation, that wording was contained in a legal brief that Jackson noted was part of the due process afforded all criminal suspects. In summing up his opposition to Jacksons confirmation days after the hearing, Cotton went even further, comparing her in an unfavorable light with former Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, who participated in the Nuremberg trials. The last Judge Jackson left the Supreme Court to go to Nuremberg and prosecute the case against the Nazis. This Judge Jackson might have gone there to defend them. Sen. Josh Hawley at Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation hearing on March 22. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) Sen. Josh Hawley In addition to the accusations of holding sympathies for terrorists and drug dealers, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., tried to make the case that Jackson, the mother of two children, had a habit of being too lenient on convicted pedophiles. During the confirmation hearings, Hawley said Jackson gave child porn offenders below the guidelines and below what the prosecutors were requesting. As he continued, he zeroed in on specific cases in which he concluded Jackson had gone soft on pedophiles. In every case of these seven, Judge Jackson handed down a lenient sentence which was below what the federal guidelines recommended and below what prosecutors requested, Hawley said. Numerous fact checks deemed Hawleys line of reasoning to be misleading, and the National Reviews Andrew McCarthy called the strategy meritless to the point of demagoguery. Moreover, Jackson was far from the only federal judge to hand down sentences for child sex offenders that were lower than those sought by prosecutors and below federal guidelines, including three judges who Hawley voted to confirm. Sen. Ted Cruz holds up the book How to Be an Antiracist as he questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at her confirmation hearing on March 22. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) Sen. Ted Cruz A fixture of Fox News primetime shows in recent months, the teaching of critical race theory has become a hot-button issue for many Republicans. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas ran with that ball during his questioning of Jackson, who serves as a member of the board for Georgetown Day School, a private institution. If you look at the Georgetown Day Schools curriculum, it is filled and overflowing with critical race theory, Cruz said, displaying copies of books he said the school had included in its curriculum. I have not reviewed any of those books, any of those ideas they dont come up in my work as a judge, which I am, respectfully, here to address, Jackson responded. The New York Times reported that Cruz sends his own daughter to a private school in Houston that describes itself as antiracist. For Hill, Cruzs fixation on critical race theory stood out. A confirmation hearing should be about learning how a person will judge, not how well she handles specious browbeating, she wrote in her op-ed about Cruzs line of questioning. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a press event on Capitol Hill. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Never one to be outdone by her Republican colleagues, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who, as a House member, did not vote on Jacksons confirmation, expressed her outrage at Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine for breaking ranks and voting to confirm Jackson. To hear Greene tell it, Jackson, the three lawmakers and President Biden had all shown themselves to be pro-pedophile, an insult that resonates with followers of QAnon conspiracy theories. 1. Any Senator voting to confirm #KJB is pro-pedophile just like she is. There are MANY more qualified black women judges, that actually can define what a woman is, but Biden chose the one that protects evil child predators. And then Romney, Murkowski, and Collins vote for her. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 5, 2022 Murkowski, Collins, and Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for #KBJ. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 5, 2022 Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Alex Brandon/AP, J. Scott Applewhite (2), Evan Vucci/AP, J. Scott Applewhite/AP While an April cold spell in Western Europe has sent temperatures diving nearly 30 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, public campaigns to wean the European Union from its dependence on Russian energy have urged citizens to lower their thermostats, don Pullovers against Putin and Freeze for Ukraine. Margrethe Vestager, vice president of the European Commission, further urged EU citizens to take shorter showers. "When you turn off the water, say 'Take that, Putin!' she said last week, referring to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Similar sentiments have been echoing across Europe since Putin greenlighted a military invasion of Ukraine in late February, and have only been amplified as evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians continues to emerge. President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on agriculture by video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on April 5. (Mikhail Klimentyev/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) Buying Russian oil and gas is financing war crimes, Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said this week, as Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia, announced that it was halting all energy imports from Russia. Reversing course is no easy matter, however, given that the 27-country EU spends roughly $300 million on Russian energy every single day. The rapid about-face in attitudes toward drawing on Russian resources, which, earlier this year, was regarded simply as a given in the EU energy equation, is prompting the EU bloc to attempt to voluntarily reduce Russian fossil fuel purchases by two-thirds this year and phase them out altogether by 2030. Unlike the U.S., however, the EU has not yet imposed sanctions on Russias gas and oil sector. Whether because of the prospect of future embargoes, Putins whims or the high demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), the potential scarcity of gas in Europe is now considered a crisis. This has spurred calls to speed up deployment of the solar and wind energy facilities that are key to Europes Green Deal, the worlds most ambitious proposed transition to renewables, whose goal is to see the EU carbon neutral by 2050. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, jumped into the conversation while visiting Berlin this week, tweeting on Monday that Spain should build a massive solar array. Could power all of Europe." In response, Pedro Sanchez, prime minister of Spain, where renewables provide 45% of electricity, invited the American billionaire to visit, tweeting, In Spain, we welcome investors." Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks to journalists before a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 21. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images) To be sure, Putins invasion of Ukraine is accelerating the push toward green energy. Let's dash into renewable energy at lightning speed, Frans Timmermans, executive vice president for the European Green Deal, recently urged. Putin's war in Ukraine demonstrates the urgency of accelerating our clean energy transition. Despite ever-growing enthusiasm for solar and wind power, which already provide over 38% of electricity in the EU, according to the London energy think tank Ember, in the next two years energy from renewables wont be enough to fill the potential gap caused by reduced trade with Russia, which normally supplies 40% of EU natural gas. To make up for the shortfall, some countries are looking into extending the life of coal-fired power plants, a move drastically at odds with the Green Deals goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. "We're going to see extended use of coal power stations, and we're going to miss our climate targets in the electricity sector in the short term, which is not great, Prof. Johan Lilliestam, who leads the Energy Transitions and Public Policy group at IASS in Potsdam, Germany, told Yahoo News. However, the short-term use of coal can be offset by emissions trading schemes that cap the allowable amount of emissions, he added. So while a limited-duration increase in coal use in the near future not beautiful," he said, "it's also not a disaster." The tanker Gaslog Gibraltar Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) is docked at the Grain LNG importation terminal, operated by National Grid Plc, on the Isle of Grain near Rochester, U.K., on March 30. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The frenzied EU scramble for liquefied natural gas worries Brussels-based Raphael Hanoteaux, senior policy adviser on gas politics at the energy think tank E3G. Its certainly good to hear the European Commission saying that the fastest, easiest and most affordable way to decrease our consumption of fossil fuels is to speed up the Green Deal, he told Yahoo News, and to more rapidly build up solar, wind, even biogas and green hydrogen. But the other side of the coin is the European Commission and member states are saying we are going to need a lot of LNG. The EU, he noted, is figuring out how to reduce our dependency on Russian gas, but not on gas in general. It means were opening up new fossil fuel dependencies potentially with the U.S. or Qatar. In the short term, more expensive LNG is the easiest substitute for piped-in Russian gas. But LNG does not bring anything good or anything new to the table, Hanoteaux said. Its almost a trap to invest in it. He remains wary of building pricy new infrastructure for LNG, which is cooled to minus 260 degrees F. for easy transport and requires special ships, ports and terminals to re-gasify the liquid to its original state. Some EU countries, including Germany, dont have LNG ports and now plan to quickly build them. An abandoned idea for a gas pipeline to France from Spain, which holds the most LNG ports in Europe, is back on the table, said Hanoteaux. There is also talk of retrofitting existing pipelines that are normally used to pump gas from Germany to France, so they would be capable of reverse flows from France to Germany. The EU is also considering purchasing its own LNG ships to transport the condensed gas. This solution runs the risk that once billion-dollar investments are made in the LNG infrastructure, a tendency to lock in the economy will take over, cultivating either a dependency on natural gas for much longer than needed or leaving a slew of very expensive stranded assets. Ships sail into the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands ahead of tanks in February this year. (Federico Gambarini/Picture Alliance via Getty Images) If we dont have any Russian gas tomorrow, we will need LNG, Hanoteaux said. It can bring relief in the very short term. But the question we have is [how LNG affects] the Green Deal, and the more interesting question is what do we should do in the medium term. Titled EU Can Stop Russian Gas Imports by 2025, a report released in March by E3G and the energy think tanks Ember, Bellona Europa and RAP asserts that by accelerating the deployment of renewable electricity [from wind and solar], energy efficiency and electrification, Europe could kick the Russian energy habit much more rapidly than anticipated, without new gas infrastructure or prolonging the use of coal-fired plants. On a three- to five-year horizon, clean energy solutions are able to deliver for a cheaper price and on a more affordable long-term basis than any other strategy, Hanoteaux said of the report. This whole episode has quickly shown gas to be a real vulnerability, Thorfinn Stainforth, an energy analyst at the Institute for European Environmental Policy, told Yahoo News. In the long run, it has taught us that fossil fuels are a vulnerability, because youre dependent on whomever youre importing them from. The war in Ukraine, he added, also illustrates security questions about nuclear power. Nuclear plants are so centralized that they can be captured by your enemy, as in the case of Chernobyl and Enerhodar, Europes biggest nuclear facility, which last month caught fire after Russians shelled it. A distributed network of renewables, he said, is harder to capture. Nevertheless, both France and the U.K. are unveiling plans to bolster their nuclear fleets. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has boasted that the U.K. may have seven new plants by 2050. The Enagas liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Zona Franca in Barcelona, Spain, March 29. (Albert Gea/Reuters) Abruptly cutting off Russian energy, which has prompted a frantic search for substitutes, does have an upside, Brussels-based Roland Freudenstein, vice president of the think tank GLOBSEC in Brussels, told Yahoo News. First of all, we will be forced to reduce private energy consumption, which is something [environmentalists] have preached for decades, he said. In the long run, the crisis is good news for the Green Deal, because it means that we will have to switch more intensively and faster to renewables than we were even planning to. In the short run, its bad, because we will probably have to use more fossil energy than we hoped and planned for. "The climate crisis and the gas crisis have the same long-term solutions, said Lilliestam. Namely, renewables and efficiency. But we need to make sure that they're also synergistic on the way, that policies responding to each separate crisis don't stand in the way of each other as we build the new system and that is a problem that I can anticipate. Beyond that, he said, Europe needs to insulate houses, install heat pumps and refurbish its transportation system. We need electric vehicles, we need trains, we need buses, we need bike lanes, we need windmills. We need more photovoltaic, we need batteries. We need European cooperation in the electricity market. All of these things are the solutions to both crises. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis at the podium, flanked by France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, left, at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 1. (Petras Malukas/AFP via Getty Images) _____ What happened this week in Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out. As President Biden announced a new wave of severe financial sanctions against Russia this week for alleged war crimes against Ukraine, new details have emerged of how Russian soldiers have forcibly removed tens of thousands of Ukrainians from occupied areas and sent them to filtration camps for intense interrogation before shipping them off to various cities around Russia, according to multiple reports. The filtration camps, described as large plots of military tents with rows of men in uniforms, are where deported Ukrainians are photographed, fingerprinted, forced to turn over their cellphones, passwords and identity documents, and then questioned by officers for hours before being sent to Russia. A satellite image captured by the U.S.-based Maxar Technologies last week offered the first glimpse of one camp in the Russian-controlled village of Bezimenne, giving a peek into how Russians are processing Ukrainians and attempting to strip them of their identities. Ukrainian officials say more than 40,000 people have been forced into Russia against their will since last month. Ukrainians share 'degrading' experiences in the camps Many Ukrainians have shared with the Guardian harrowing accounts of being taken from their homes and dropped off in a foreign Russian community. On March 15, Russian troops stormed into our bomb shelter and ordered all the women and children to get out. It was not a choice, one woman, who requested anonymity for fear of her safety, told the British-based paper. People need to know the truth, that Ukrainians are being moved to Russia, the country that is occupying us. They went through my phone; they asked if I knew anything about the Ukrainian army, if I had friends in the military, she added. They also asked me what I thought about Ukraine, about [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and about the conflict. It was very degrading. A temporary accommodation center for evacuees in a school in Taganrog, in Russia's Rostov region, on March 17. (Maxim Romanov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) This claim backs up a recent Telegram post from the Mariupol City Council stating that Russian soldiers have kidnapped Ukrainian residents from the besieged port city of Mariupol, according to the English translation of the post. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, has denied these accusations, calling the reports lies. He claimed that an excess of 420,000 Ukrainians have voluntarily evacuated into Russia from dangerous conditions in Ukraine. Ukrainians who have been forced from their homes, however, contradict this assertion. They say Russian forces have transported Ukrainians through Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine in groups of 200 to 300. U.S. response to filtration camps Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, suggested on Tuesday at a U.N. Security Council briefing that there are similarities between present-day Russian filtration camps and Nazi Germany concentration camps nearly a century prior. Reports indicate that Russian Federal Security agents are confiscating passports and IDs, taking away cellphones, and separating families from one another, she said. I do not need to spell out what these so-called filtration camps are reminiscent of. Its chilling, and we cannot look away. A damaged military bus, formerly marked National Guard of Ukraine, in the courtyard of a hospital in Mariupol on April 4. (Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The scale and force of Russias deportations and widespread assaults on civilians remain unclear but their impact has reverberated around the world. We have all seen the gruesome photos, Thomas-Greenfield said. Lifeless bodies lying in the streets, apparently summarily executed, their hands tied behind their backs. She called the reports of the abduction of children, mayors, doctors, religious leaders and journalists deeply troubling. History of filtration camps This is not the first time Russia has been accused of using filtration camps. The term originated in Europe after the end of World War II, in the mid- to late 1940s, according to Nick Baron, a professor of history at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. After millions of Soviet citizens gained their freedom from Nazi control, many who were living outside the Soviet Union sought to return but were subjected to holding stations and camps for screening before readmission. In 1999, in a truck at a Chechen-Ingush border checkpoint, a Chechen refugee sits on her belongings. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images) Fifty years later, during the first Chechen war in the mid-1990s and the second Chechen war in the early 2000s, as the small European nation vied for its independence, Russian forces once again used these camps for mass internment, according to NPR. The Guardian reported at the time several accounts of escapees detailing the horror inside these filtration camps. One Chechen man recalled men and women being raped by Russian guards, inmates being beaten daily with iron bars and others forced to use their close quarters as an open toilet. Another Chechen survivor said Russian forces were using the filtration camps for extermination, citing various accounts describing suffocation, electric shocks to genitalia, faked executions and exposure to frigid temperatures. Russians sought ransom from Chechens, and those who could not pay were tortured, most of them allegedly dying during the ordeal. Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, detailed the brutal abuse and violence in these camps in a February 2020 report. A child at a refugee camp in the Ingush Republic of the Russian Federation in 2002. (Alexander Sorin/Getty Images) Thomas de Waal, a reporter who covered the war in the 1990s, told NPR last month that he sees similarities between the reports surfacing today and Russias actions then. There are some pretty disturbing parallels, de Waal told the public radio network. The use of heavy artillery, the indiscriminate attacking of an urban center. They bring back some pretty terrible memories for those of us who covered the Chechnya war of the 1990s. Two decades ago, Russia won a victory against Chechnya after those two wars. Global impact of filtration camps Offering some hope, according to the United Nations, the unlawful deportation, transfer or confinement of others constitutes a war crime. But the scope of any potential punishment remains unclear. The international human rights group Amnesty International listed details in its latest press release of extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, as an attempt to record alleged Russian war crimes demonstrating the brutality of Russian forces. Testimonies show that unarmed civilians in Ukraine are being killed in their homes and streets in acts of unspeakable cruelty and shocking brutality, Agnes Callamard, the group's secretary-general, said in the release. The intentional killing of civilians is a human rights violation and a war crime. These deaths must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be prosecuted, including up the chain of command. Civilians walk past a burned building in Mariupol on April 4. (Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Laura Mills, a researcher with the organization, hopes the stories it has personally verified help lead to justice for those involved. These are apparent war crimes, Mills told Yahoo News. They should be investigated and prosecuted as such. Ukrainian officials are hoping resources and increased Russian penalties will help them outlast their larger foe. Bidens most recent sanctions include banning new investment in Russia, imposing the most severe financial sanctions on Russias largest bank and government officials and their family members, who include two of Putins daughters. Were going to stifle Russias ability to grow for years to come, Biden said Wednesday. The U.K. and other European countries have also tightened financial sanctions on Russia. Though they have not thwarted the assault on Ukraine as of yet, the resilience of the much smaller Ukrainian defense shows vulnerability in Russias future. Meanwhile, the appearance of mobile cremation machines has been reported alongside killings of Ukrainian civilians still being carried out by Putin-led troops. According to NBC News, reports of sightings of the machines are credible but there is no evidence they have been used. The mayor of Mariupol estimated on Wednesday that more than 5,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in that city alone since late February and that the death toll continues to climb. In Milan, a woman holds up a poster at a rally on Wednesday against President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images) According to NATO, an estimated 7,000 to 15,000 Russian troops have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine six weeks ago, on Feb. 24. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said that at least 1,300 Ukrainian troops have been killed since then, according to the New York Times. As of Thursday, more than 4.2 million Ukrainians had fled the country, with the majority upwards of 2.4 million finding refuge in Poland, according to the U.N. refugee agency. We want policymakers in all countries to take this seriously, Mills said. [We want them] to take war crimes seriously. _____ What happened this week in Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out. _____ Cover thumbnail photo: Leon Klein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images Russian forces have executed civilians in Ukraine in apparent war crimes, Amnesty International said Thursday. The London-based international human rights group published new testimony after conducting on-the-ground research in areas around Ukraine's capital amid Russia's invasion. Its report adds to a growing body of evidence that Russian troops have committed war crimes amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine -- a charge that U.S. and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly made, but that the Kremlin vehemently denies. Amnesty International said its crisis response investigators interviewed more than 20 people from villages and towns near Kyiv, many of whom claimed to have witnessed or have had direct knowledge of Russian soldiers committing horrific acts of violence against unarmed civilians across the region. "In recent weeks, we have gathered evidence that Russian forces have committed extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, which must be investigated as likely war crimes," Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said in a statement Thursday. "Testimonies show that unarmed civilians in Ukraine are being killed in their homes and streets in acts of unspeakable cruelty and shocking brutality." MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates The organization noted that deliberate killings of civilians, rape and torture, as well as inhumane treatment of prisoners of war, are human rights violations and war crimes, and that those who commit them should be held criminally responsible along with any superiors who knew or had reason to know about such atrocities but did not attempt to stop or punish the perpetrators. The International Criminal Court, a United Nations Human Rights Council commission of inquiry and Ukraine's prosecutor general have all opened investigations into possible war crimes by Russian forces. But the interviews conducted by Amnesty International and published Thursday provide a harrowing window into these kinds of attacks with grisly detail. According to the report, one of the interviewees, 18-year-old Kateryna Tkachova, told Amnesty International that she was at home with her parents in the village of Vorzel, northwest of Kyiv, on March 3 when several tanks painted with the letter "Z," which Russian forces have used to mark their vehicles during the invasion of Ukraine, rolled down their street. Tkachova said her mother and father, who were unarmed and dressed in civilian clothing, left the basement where they were hiding to go into the street, after telling her to stay put. Tkachova said she then heard gunshots. "Once the tanks had passed by, I jumped over the fence to the neighbor's house. I wanted to check if they're alive," Tkachova told Amnesty International. "I looked over the fence and saw my mother lying on her back on one side of the road, and my father was face down on the other side of the street. I saw large holes in his coat. The next day I went to them. My father had six large holes in his back, my mother had a smaller hole in her chest." Seven days later, an unnamed volunteer assisting with evacuations from the areas around Kyiv helped Tkachova leave Vorzel. The volunteer told Amnesty International that he had seen the bodies of Tkachova's parents lying in the street near her house, according to the report. Amnesty International said it has also verified video showing the volunteer and Tkachova writing her parents' names, dates of birth and dates of death on a piece of cardboard before placing it beside their bodies, which were covered with blankets. PHOTO: A family walks amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 6, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP) An unnamed 46-year-old woman told Amnesty International that Russian troops entered her village of Bohdanivka, southeast of Kyiv, on March 7 or 8. On the night of March 9, the woman said she heard gunshots through the downstairs windows of her home, where she lived with her husband, 10-year-old daughter and 81-year-old mother-in-law. She told Amnesty International that she and her husband shouted that they were civilians and that they were unarmed. When they came downstairs, two Russian soldiers pushed them and their daughter into the boiler room. "They forced us in and slammed the door," she told Amnesty International. "After just a minute they opened the door, they asked my husband if he had cigarettes. He said no, he hadn't smoked for a couple of weeks. They shot him in his right arm. The other said, 'Finish him,' and they shot him in the head." MORE: What is genocide and has the legal threshold been crossed in Ukraine? "He didn't die right away. From 9.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. he was still breathing, though he wasn't conscious," she added, according to Amnesty International. "Blood was flowing out of him. When he took his last breath, I turned to my daughter and said, 'It seems daddy has died.'" A neighbor told Amnesty International that they witnessed Russian soldiers breaking into the woman's house that night and also confirmed seeing her husband's body slumped in the corner of the boiler room. The woman and her child escaped from Bohdanivka later that day. The woman's mother-in-law, who has limited mobility, was left behind, according to Amnesty International. PHOTO: Police officers work on identifying bodies of civilians, before sending them to the morgue, in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 6, 2022. (Rodrigo Abd/AP) Another woman, from an unidentified village east of Kyiv, told Amnesty International that two Russian soldiers entered her house on March 9, killed her husband and then repeatedly raped her at gunpoint while her young son hid nearby in the boiler room, according to the report. The unnamed woman managed to escape from the village with her son and they fled to Ukrainian-controlled territory. "The intentional killing of civilians is a human rights violation and a war crime," Callamard said. "These deaths must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be prosecuted, including up the chain of command." MORE: Bucha survivors recount 'senseless' horror as they emerge from hiding Interviewees also told Amnesty International they had lost access to electricity, water and gas in the early days of the Russian invasion and that there was very limited access to food. There was poor cellphone service in the region, and some interviewees said Russian soldiers had confiscated or destroyed mobile phones whenever they saw residents carrying them, or threatened them with violence for having one. Amnesty International found that threats of violence and intimidation were also widespread. One man in Hostomel, a town northwest of Kyiv, reported seeing an entire dormitory of people who were sheltering from shelling and were forced to go outside, where Russian military officers immediately fired gunshots over their heads, forcing them to drop to the ground. Two men from Bucha, another town northwest of Kyiv, also said snipers regularly shot at them when they went to salvage food from a destroyed grocery store near their home, according to Amnesty International. PHOTO: A car with the words 'Children' written on it is seen with bullet holes in the windscreen in Bucha, Ukraine, April 6, 2022. (Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images) Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, seizing territory and shelling cities seemingly indiscriminately. But they have faced strong resistance from Ukrainian troops, who have retaken some territory in recent days as Russian forces retreated. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venedyktova, at least 410 civilians have been found dead in recently recaptured towns near Kyiv, particularly in Bucha, which has galvanized global outrage, while graphic evidence of the atrocities has emerged, including eyewitness testimony along with videos and images, Russia has claimed the scenes were "staged." Amnesty International said it has obtained evidence that civilians were also killed in indiscriminate attacks in Kharkiv and Sumy Oblasts, documented an airstrike that killed civilians queueing for food in the northern city of Chernihiv, and gathered evidence from civilians living under siege in the battered cities of Kharkiv, Izium and Mariupol. "As these horrendous accounts of life under Russian occupation continue to emerge," Callamard said, "the victims in Ukraine must know that the international community is determined to secure accountability for their suffering." Russian forces executed civilians in Ukraine, Amnesty International says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Ukrainian soldier walks next to the wreckage of a Russian tank in Stoyanka, Ukraine. (Vadim Ghirda / Associated Press) As Ukraine braced for a redoubled Russian offensive in the east and unearthed fresh evidence of atrocities outside its capital of Kyiv, the United Nations General Assembly sharply rebuked Moscow on Thursday by suspending it from the world body's 47-member Human Rights Council. The resolution to suspend Russia, spearheaded by the U.S., received 93 votes in favor, with 24 against and 58 abstentions. It needed a two-thirds majority of the yes or no votes cast. Before the vote, the representatives of Ukraine and Russia had a brief but bitter exchange. The Ukrainian U.N. envoy, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said suspending Russia was a duty on the part of the world community in response to the atrocities that witnesses and independent journalists have uncovered around Kyiv in recent days. Russia denounced the measure as U.S.-inspired human rights colonialism. At almost the same time, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to revoke Russias preferential trade status, which would permit the imposition of higher tariffs, and in a separate vote affirmed the Biden administration's ban on the import of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine, meanwhile, appealed urgently for more Western weaponry and harsher punitive economic steps against Moscow. In an overnight address as the war entered its seventh week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest U.S. and British sanctions did not do enough to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of energy revenues that fund his war machine. Failure to cut off that crucial source of money, Zelensky said, would be seen by Moscow as permission to start a new bloody wave in the eastern Donbas region, where Western officials say Russia is trying to rebuild and regroup its forces after a failed bid to seize the Ukrainian capital. Days after a Russian pullback from areas around Kyiv revealed a corpse-strewn landscape of destruction, investigative teams and Ukrainian troops pressed ahead Thursday with their bleak fieldwork. In Borodyanka, north of the capital, recovery workers sifted through the rubble of collapsed buildings in what had been the town center, and tallied up bodies found in a mass grave. A monument to Taras Shevchenko, a Ukrainian poet and national icon, stands near an apartment destroyed by Russian shelling in Borodyanka. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) Zelensky, speaking Thursday to the Greek parliament, called on the West to bring Russia to justice for what he has described as war crimes. Outrage over the apparent execution-style killings of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha galvanized the bid to remove Russia from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. Russia has denied that its troops committed atrocities, but Ukraine and Western governments say there is well-documented evidence of war crimes in Bucha and elsewhere. Multiple news organizations, sometimes using satellite imagery, have debunked Russian claims that photos and video of corpses left lying in the streets some with bound hands and shot point-blank were staged. In Brussels, European allies worked Thursday on parallel military and diplomatic tracks aimed at supporting Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization urged member states to consider providing a broader range of armaments, as the European Union weighed stringent new sanctions against Moscow, including a ban on Russian coal imports. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, arriving at NATO headquarters for ministerial talks that include Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, said his agenda was a simple one. Its weapons, weapons and weapons, Kuleba said, adding: The more weapons we get, and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved. The alliances chief, Jens Stoltenberg, reiterated that NATO ground forces would not join in the fight, lest the West be dragged into a direct battle with Russia that the White House has said could be "World War III." But Stoltenberg cited an increasingly blurred line as to whether arms provided by NATO member states need be defensive only. So far, the U.S. and its NATO partners have balked at providing Ukraine with aircraft and tanks, both of which Kyiv has repeatedly requested. Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesnt actually have any real meaning, said the NATO chief. On the sidelines of the NATO gathering, Russia came in for excoriation from representatives of the Group of 7 advanced economies. Haunting images of civilian deaths, victims of torture, and apparent executions, as well as reports of sexual violence and destruction of civilian infrastructure, show the true face of Russias brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and its people, said a joint statement from the G-7 foreign ministers. Despite Zelensky's repeated appeals for broad sanctions targeting Russian energy revenues, allied responses have diverged somewhat. The United States has banned Russian oil imports, but Europe much more dependent on Russian oil and natural gas has not followed suit. EU officials have left open the door to considering such a measure, but not right away. Even the coal import ban under consideration by the EU might not take effect for some months, diplomats said. The bloc also faces internal obstacles as it seeks to forge a common policy on Russian energy purchases. Newly reelected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Wednesday he would be willing to pay for his countrys natural gas purchases in rubles, although the EU as a whole has firmly rebuffed Putins demand to do so. On Thursday, Ukraines foreign ministry said it considered Hungarys position on ruble payments, which would help prop up Russias currency, to be unfriendly. As the war drags on, Western defense officials have said a full-scale confrontation in Ukraines industrial east could be weeks away. Moscows attention appears increasingly focused on preparations for that assault. Ukrainian refugees wait in a gymnasium Tuesday in Tijuana. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press) Regional officials have urged residents in parts of the country's east to join the 11 million Ukrainians nearly a quarter of the population who have abandoned their homes for safe havens in the western part of the country or in other European nations such as Poland and Moldova. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Thursday that Russian forces had agreed to 10 humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians in three eastern areas. Russian forces are staging continuous air and artillery strikes along the line of control between areas held by Ukraine and by Russia-backed separatists, a British military defense assessment said Thursday. At the same time, Russia is hitting infrastructure targets in Ukraines interior, with the likely aim of degrading defenders resupply capabilities, it said. But some of Moscows early failures in the war spoiling Putin's apparent hope that Ukraine would be quickly subdued might be repeated. Russian forces are likely to continue facing morale issues and shortages of supplies and personnel, according to the British assessment. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that an infusion of Western weaponry would not contribute to the success" of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations aimed at halting the fighting. Those talks have yielded little progress, and Thursday brought an exchange of public barbs between the two sides. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a new Ukrainian draft proposal contained unacceptable elements. Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak dismissed Lavrovs statements as propagandistic, intended to divert attention from the atrocity allegations against Russia. McDonnell reported from Kyiv and King from Budapest, Hungary. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The temperature was 0oC, the floor earthen, and there in a dark recess of the brick hut, stood a middle-aged woman shivering in the freezing cold conditions. But what startled the vlogger, who happened to be walking by, was the chain attached to her neck: she was shackled to a wall, dishevelled and mumbling incoherently. A female slave in modern rural China. The video of this poor woman went viral, with 1.90 billion views on Douyin. (officially her name was Wang, but the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) were caught-out for lying, so later they changed it to Xiaohuamei, perhaps its her real name? The Truth doesnt have much currency in Communist China). How to prevaricate and get away with it, well almost Consistent with the propaganda of the MSM weve come to know and loathe. The way to promote your Leftist agenda is to ignore, and therefore not report on anything that could sully the Marxist cause. You see, not one official news channel in China covered this appalling story of female slavery. (Hmm. sounds familiar, just like our MSM, who dont bother to report on the tens of thousands unwashed protesters, who have the gall to ask for their jobs back I think theyre busy covering more important stories, like Harry and Megans tiff with the Queen). Notwithstanding the scandal wouldnt go away. Netizens (citizens of the internet) around the country rallied to support this poor woman and demand an investigation. The truth finally comes out, well maybe Firstly, the official story was that the hard working, longsuffering husband needed to chain his mentally ill wife, in order to stop her beating their children. Pull the other leg, it whistles. On interviewing her it became obvious that this timid and helpless woman was not capable of this crime, or any crime. So, a second version of events was sought. This time the CCP admitted that Wang, now Xiaohuamei, had been sold as a female slave to her husband Dong. She came from a village near the China-Myanmar border some 1,800 miles from her place of captivity. Worse still was that shed been gang raped by Dongs brother and father, which resulted in eight children in total. In order to recover face the CCP have charged Dong for illegal detention and other villagers for human trafficking. Sadly, Xiaohuamei is not an isolated case. Evidence suggests that although officially CCP bans female slave trafficking, nonetheless its very common in the rural areas of China, with a hint of CCP complicity. CCP self inflicted wound Heres the thing, central planning (a hallmark of all Socialist regimes) never works. The CCP in 1980 set a limit on couples to one child per family, with endorsement of centuries of Chinese culture, most Chinese couples only want male over female children. So, female babies are aborted or sold into slavery when old enough, leaving 35 million men in China without wives. Hmand then they wonder why theres female sex trafficking? Fortunately, this short-sighted, one child policy was abandoned in 2016. Let the feminists arise The majority of Feminists in the West are more concerned with their next coffee latte on the way to the board room, than the desperate plight of their sisters in China. A few have expressed concern. Such as Chinese Feminist Lu Pin, from New York. She avers that Xiaohuameis case proves that Patriarchal societies internalise the exploitation of women. What an amazing insight, and such an attention-grabbing headline in the West, but last time I looked China was a thoroughly Communist country and as such consistent with Maos Little Red Book, had thrown off the shackles of Christian Patriarchy last century. Maybe she could pay a visit to China or stop reading Feminist Weekly, which is tediously preoccupied with ridiculing motherhood. Christianity ennobles the status of women While the high and lofty ideals of Marxism eradicate the God-ordained biological reality of male and female, and thereby apportion societal roles equally between men and women, nonetheless the reality is that hard-line Socialist countries continue to exploit women. Communist China is a case in point. Be that as it may, the Bible tells me that both women and men bear the image of God and are therefore ontological equals. So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them. (Genesis chapter 1, verse 27) Heres the thing, our equal standing before our creator proscribes any exploitation of women, or any mistreatment of them. They are equal to men, full stop. So, for those blokes reading this get over your superiority complex. The Bible goes on to say "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians chapter 3, verse 28) Heres the thing as far as God is concerned, he both acknowledges both male and female, but at the same time sees us as one humanity expressed in a binary form, with different roles and yet with a commonly shared humanity. Finally, Pauls injunction for Husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her (Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25) should sound an alarm, when we as men drift into an attitude of regarding the most important woman in our life as a utensil that exists for the singular purpose of servicing our selfish ambitions. Rather, she is worthy of our respect and devotion. Yemen president cedes powers to council as Saudi Arabia pushes to end war Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Aidarous al-Zabidi, member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council in Riyadh By Mohamed Ghobari and Ahmed Tolba ADEN (Reuters) -Yemen's president delegated power to a presidential council and dismissed his deputy on Thursday in moves aimed at supporting U.N.-led efforts to revive negotiations to end a bitter seven-year war. Riyadh announced $3 billion in financial aid to the Saudi-backed government after the announcement by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It called for talks with the Houthi group that controls the north and has been battling a Saudi-led coalition. Yemen's warring sides, in a major breakthrough, agreed on a two-month truce that began on Saturday, the first since 2016. The deal eased a coalition blockade on areas held by the Houthis, who ousted Hadi's government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014. "I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers in accordance with the constitution and the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism," Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, said on state television. Hadi took the helm of a crumbling state a decade ago in a Gulf-backed transition plan after protests that brought down President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was later killed. Analysts say the new council aims to unify anti-Houthi ranks by giving more parties a seat at the table. With Hadi effectively out of the equation and his controversial deputy dismissed, the hope is the Houthis may also be more amenable. Riyadh, which has struggled to exit the war in Yemen, urged the new council to negotiate with the Iran-aligned Houthis under U.N. auspices "for a final and comprehensive solution". Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a statement that Yemen's future should be decided inside the country. He did not respond, when asked by Reuters, on whether the group would accept an invitation for talks with the council. "Any activity outside Yemen's borders is merely a farce and recreation by aggressor nations," he said. CLOSING RANKS Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was shown in a video on state media meeting with the new eight-member council, led by Rashad Al-Alimi, who has close ties with both Riyadh and major Yemeni bloc the Islamist Islah party. The new body includes several leaders of United Arab Emirates-backed factions, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which distrusts Islah and vied with Hadi's government for control of Aden. "This is an attempt, perhaps a last ditch effort, to reconstitute something resembling unity within the anti-Houthi alliance. The problem is that it is unclear how these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together," Gregory Johnsen, a former member of the U.N. Panel of Experts on Yemen, said on Twitter. Dismissed Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, an Islamist-leaning general, is resented by the Houthis for military campaigns in their northern stronghold and by some southerners for his role in the 1994 north-south civil war. ECONOMIC AID The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated the economy and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The central bank split into rival authorities and the riyal's depreciation in the government-held south pushed basic goods out of reach for many. Saudi Arabia and the UAE will each inject $1 billion into Yemen's central bank and the kingdom will grant an additional $1 billion for oil derivatives and development. Riyadh, which last deposited funds into the Aden-based central bank in 2018, also said it would give $300 million to the U.N. aid response, which in March raised less than a third of the $4.27 billion sought. The United Nations is pushing for measures to stabilise the economy and launch inclusive political negotiations to end the conflict. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression. (Reporting By Mohamed Ghobari in Aden and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Writing Lisa Barrington and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Nick Macfie) HONG KONG North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017, its neighbors said Thursday, in a major escalation of its weapons program likely to stoke fresh tensions with the United States and its allies. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the missile was believed to be a new kind of ICBM and condemned the test, which comes at a time when the world is focused on Ukraine, as an unforgivable outrage. These series of actions taken by North Korea threaten the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community, and they are absolutely unacceptable, he said from Brussels, where he landed Thursday to meet with world leaders as Russias invasion entered its second month. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff also said the missile appeared to be an ICBM. The South Korean military swiftly responded by test-firing multiple ground, sea and air missiles into the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. South Korean President Moon Jae-in strongly condemned the launch, which he said posed a serious danger to the international community as well as the Korean Peninsula amid the war in Ukraine. The launch comes less than two months before Moon leaves office, presenting a challenge to his conservative successor. Image: (Eugene Hoshiko / AP) The dramatic move, which officials in the U.S. had warned might be coming, is the latest in a series of weapons tests that experts say are meant to force the international community to recognize Kim Jong Uns regime as a nuclear power and lift sanctions that have devastated the country's economy. The launch ended a self-imposed moratorium on testing ICBMs and nuclear weapons that North Korea declared in 2018 ahead of diplomatic talks with former President Donald Trump that ultimately collapsed. The country is barred from such tests under United Nations Security Council resolutions. White House press secretary Jen Psaki condemned the test and said the Biden administration was assessing the situation in close coordination with allies. This action demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people, she said in a statement, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. We urge all countries to hold the DPRK accountable for such violations and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations. Japans top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, said the missile was launched east toward the sea. He said it landed at 3:44 p.m. local time (2:44 a.m. ET) about 90 miles west of Oshima Peninsula on northern Hokkaido Island, within Japans exclusive economic zone. Matsuno said the missile was estimated to have been in the air for 71 minutes, flew a distance of 680 miles and reached a maximum altitude of more than 3,725 miles. That compares with 53 minutes, a distance of 590 miles and an altitude of about 2,780 miles when North Korea last tested an ICBM in November 2017. Pyongyang said that missile, the Hwasong-15, could reach anywhere in the United States. The South Korean military said Thursdays missile was launched from the Sunan area, the site of Pyongyangs international airport. A missile launched there on March 16 appeared to explode shortly after liftoff. Earlier this month, the Biden administration had warned that North Korea was secretly testing elements of a new ICBM system ahead of a potential full-range launch. It imposed new sanctions over two missile tests on Feb. 27 and March 5 that it said involved the Hwasong-17, North Koreas largest ICBM system. The Hwasong-17 first appeared at a military parade in October 2020. North Korean state media quoted leader Kim Jong Un as saying that the two tests were part of a plan to launch reconnaissance satellites to monitor military action by the U.S. and its allies. North Korea has not said what kind of missile was used in the test on Thursday. Compared with the Hwasong-15, the Hwasong-17 is much larger and may be better able to thwart missile defense systems, analysts say. It gives the North Koreans more options, said Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations at Troy University in South Korea. They can load two or three or four warheads in the payload and deliver them to separate targets, he said, although North Korea has not yet demonstrated the ability to do so. North Korea has ramped up testing of shorter-range missiles in recent months, especially since the start of the year, leading the Biden administration to impose new sanctions on the country. The tests have included an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, as well as a hypersonic missile and a ballistic missile fired from a submarine. The country hinted in January that tests of nuclear weapons or long-range ballistic missiles might be next. Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong, Stella Kim from Los Angeles and Arata Yamamoto from Tokyo. Ukraine has urged Western allies to increase the supply of weapons to help Kyivs troops fight back against the Russian invasion. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK was stepping up the supply of arms as she joined Nato counterparts in Brussels to hear the demands from Ukraine for increased firepower. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that Ukraine urgently needs more weapons as he appeared alongside Kyivs foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. He said I am certain that we will address the need for more air defence systems, anti-tank missiles and heavier weapons. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives at Nato HQ on Thursday (Olivier Matthys/AP) The Czech Republic has reportedly sent Soviet-era tanks and personnel carriers to Ukraine and The Times suggested the UK was also drawing up plans to supply armoured vehicles to help resist Vladimir Putins forces. In the face of Putins appalling aggression in Ukraine the G7 and Nato are stepping up our efforts on sanctions and on weapons, Ms Truss said at Nato headquarters. The UK is now banning all imports of Russian energy, we are sanctioning more banks and we are stepping up our supply of weapons to Ukraine. Nato allies fear that Russias decision to withdraw from areas around Kyiv will allow Mr Putin to concentrate his offensive in Ukraines south and east. Mr Kuleba told reporters at the alliances headquarters: My agenda is very simple, it has only three items on it: weapons, weapons and weapons. We are confident that the best way to help Ukraine now is to provide it with all necessary (weapons) to contain Putin and to defeat the Russian army in the territory of Ukraine so the war does not spill over further. In recent weeks the Ukrainian army and the entire Ukrainian nation has demonstrated that we know how to fight, we know how to win, but without sustainable and sufficient supplies of all weapons requested by Ukraine, these wins will be accompanied by enormous sacrifices. He suggested an increased supply of arms could help prevent further atrocities such as the slaughter of civilians in the town of Bucha, close to Kyiv. The more weapons we get and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved, the more cities and villages will not be destroyed, and there will be no more Buchas, he said. I call on all allies to put aside their hesitation, their reluctance, to provide Ukraine with everything it needs because as weird as it may sound today, weapons serve the purpose of peace. According to The Times, options under consideration in the Ministry of Defence include sending Mastiff or Jackal patrol vehicles to Ukraine. The UK is already supplying equipment including anti-tank and anti-air missiles to Ukraines armed forces. Ukraines deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov and senior military officers visited the UK this week to examine the equipment that may be available to them including armoured vehicles. Armed forces minister James Heappey said: It was an honour to show minister Havrylov and his generals the kit the UK hopes to provide next and to discuss some new weapons that have been trialled recently with UK forces. FILE -Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listens during a House Committee on Financial Services hearing, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and other digital assets and to ward off fraudulent and illicit transactions. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON (AP) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and other digital assets and to ward off fraudulent and illicit transactions. In practice, one result would be that users would get documentation of their crypto dealings for use in filing their taxes. Taxpayers should receive the same type of tax reporting on digital asset transactions that they receive for transactions in stocks and bonds, so that they have the information they need to report their income to the IRS, Yellen said in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday at American University. It was to be Yellens first speech about cryptocurrency since President Joe Biden signed an executive order on digital assets in March. The administration's action follows several high-profile examples of alleged cryptocurrency laundering and fraud this year. In February, the Justice Department announced its largest-ever financial seizure more than $3.6 billion and the arrests of a couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. And in March, federal regulators accused two siblings of defrauding thousands of investors out of $124 million in unregistered securities offerings involving a digital token. To the extent there are gaps, we will make policy recommendations, including assessment of potential regulatory actions and legislative changes, Yellen said in her remarks. Bidens executive order on government oversight of cryptocurrency urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directs the Treasury Department and other federal agencies to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. As banks and other traditional financial firms become more involved in digital asset markets, Yellen said, regulatory frameworks will need to appropriately reflect the risks of these new activities. The use of cryptocurrency and other digital assets have exploded in recent years. Surveys show that roughly 16% of adult Americans or 40 million people have invested in cryptocurrencies. And 43% of men age 18 to 29 have put their money into cryptocurrency. Our regulatory frameworks should be designed to support responsible innovation while managing risks especially those that could disrupt the financial system and economy, Yellen said. Lawmakers and administration officials have also voiced concerns that Russia may be using cryptocurrency to avoid the impact of the avalanche of sanctions imposed on banks, oligarchs and the energy industry in the past weeks due to the invasion of Ukraine. But Treasury officials and cryptocurrency experts have said crypto is not a workaround for sanctions. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Motherhood and Beauty Day, the Presidential Office said. Dear mothers, ladies, daughters and sisters, I warmly congratulate you on the Motherhood and Beauty Day. This day is yet another opportunity to express our boundless love, admiration, and reverence to you in a new way. Womens role in the family, in upbringing and educating children, fostering a respectful and considerate attitude to generations, and instilling love and devotion to the homeland and nation is undisputable; also in all the spheres of our life, in the political and social arenas. Armenian women are the bearers and transmitters of the centuries-old traditions of our people, the guardians of our value system, and the core of our identity. I sincerely wish you all health, prosperity, love and optimism, also peace, happiness, and solidarity to your homes, the message reads. Rheinmetalls Mission Master Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle has once again proved its versatile capabilities in a demonstration conducted for six European allies. The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP used laser-guided FZ275 rockets from Thales in a live-fire exercise. The demonstration took place at the Trangslet base of the Swedish procurement agency Forsvarets Materielverk (FMV) near Alvdalen. Delegations from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Poland were present. The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP is part of the Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV) family developed by Rheinmetall Canada. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP Fire Support was equipped with a Rheinmetall Fieldranger Multi remotely controlled weapon station armed with two seven-tube 70mm rocket launchers from Thales Belgium, an important partner of Rheinmetall. (Picture source: Rheinmetall) The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP Fire Support was equipped with a Rheinmetall Fieldranger Multi remotely controlled weapon station armed with two seven-tube 70mm rocket launchers from Thales Belgium, an important partner of Rheinmetall. For the demonstration, the A-UGV fired Thales FZ275 70mm laser-guided rockets (LGRs) at a 4x4 vehicle located 4 km away from the firing point. The FZ275 LGR is the lightest and longest range 70mm/2.75-inch LGR in its class, delivering metric precision and accuracy, hence providing unfailing fire support to armed forces. The demonstration marked the culmination of the successful qualification process for the Fieldranger Multi equipped with the Thales 70mm rocket launcher. Previously limited to aircraft, these area saturation and precise strike applications can engage stationary and mobile targets at ranges of up to 7 km with minimal collateral damage. They are now qualified for use with the Mission Master A-UGV. Moreover, this new configuration is now ready to be integrated into other types of platforms and armored vehicles. This only represents one of many possible configurations for the Mission Master SP Fire Support. Featuring a fully modular architecture, this A-UGV can also be equipped with other weapon systems: 12.7mm caliber machine guns, a Dillon Aero M134D gun, or 40mm grenade launchers. The demonstration at Trangslet was performed using a secure, customized, remotely controlled tablet operating in a fully digitized scenario. The firing was controlled using Rheinmetall command and control software. Rheinmetall and Thales both stressed the critical importance of the human-in-the-loop configuration, meaning that the operator has complete control of the weapon system from target acquisition to final fire authorization. Hoping that success begets success, filmmakers are queuing up to register titles similar to The Kashmir Files The success of The Kashmir Files has spawned a host of titles containing the word Files filmmakers big and small are rushing to register such names, hoping to ride on the back of the hit film. Sources with the Film Producers Association inform us that several new titles, ranging from London Files to The Gujarat Files and The Punjab Files have already been registered with the Association and many more applications have been received. Titles like The Bihar Files have come in for registration. The makers of Gangs of Wasseypur and Kai Po Che Jar Pictures have taken the title London Files. Filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah of Namastey London and Aankhen fame wanted The Kerala Files as a title but it was already taken and he registered The Kerala Story instead. The film is to be directed by Sudipto Sen of The Last Monk fame, says the source. Vipul says the film deals with the issue of Hindu and Christian girls being converted to Islam and going to Syria, Afghanistan and ISIS-dominated locations. These girls who run away from home to get married, have children by terrorists and later find themselves in jails in these countries. I had tears in my eyes when I heard the narration of the script. The story is about societys apathy towards these girls and the action the government is taking on this issue, he says. As for London Files, it is an investigative thriller series starring Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Sapna Pabbi among others, which deals with the story of the daughter of a divisive figure in London, who goes missing, and a detective who is assigned to rescue the girl, according to a source close to the production house. The show will air later this month on an OTT platform. Its name was changed after the success of The Kashmir Files, adds the source. Manish Mundhra, who has made films like Masaan and Newton, has registered Unnao Files as the title of a film on the rape case in Unnao, while Surjit Movies from Punjab has registered Punjab Files. ABD Motion Pictures is making films on the recent clash between the army and the Jaish militants and registered Mirpur Files and Nagrota Files as the names. This is always the tendency among filmmakers to latch on to a subject that is doing well and register similar titles. Secondly, people also want to pick up a genre and a title that has done well and make offshoots which sound more like a parody. Many of these films never even get made, says Atul Mohan, Editor, Complete Cinema. - Sanskriti Media In past three weeks, half a dozen seasonal labourers from Bihar and UP and an equal number of local residents were shot at by gunmen Srinagar: In view of persistent targeted attacks by suspected militants, the Jammu and Kashmir police and various other security forces have begun night patrolling in many remote villages and intensified the same in militancy-infested areas of mainly the Kashmir Valley. In a move to deter criminals, anti-social and anti-national elements, the deputy commissioners of several districts including Srinagar have asked all financial and business units located in their respective areas to install good quality CCTVs within 14 days in a move to deter criminals, anti-social and anti-national elements. They have also been asked to inform the Station House Officer of their nearest police station in case any suspicious movement or activity is observed in the video surveillance. In past three weeks, half a dozen seasonal labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and an equal number of local residents including a Kashmiri Pandit were shot at by gunmen in different parts of the southern and central districts of the Valley. A few of them including two Muslim village heads later succumbed to their injuries. Separately, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed and another wounded in a sneak militant attack in the congested Maisuma area of capital Srinagar. These incidents are reminiscent of similar attacks on both Hindu and Muslim seasonal labourers from Bihar, UP, West Bengal and some other states that were carried out by gunmen in different parts of the Valley including Srinagar in October last year leading to a vast majority of such work force leaving Kashmir prematurely. In New Delhi, Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, told Rajya Sabha that four Kashmiri Pandits were among 14 Hindus killed by militants in J&K since August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370 whereas a total of 34 people belonging to minority communities were slain by them in the last five years. He also said that as many as 87 civilians and 99 security personnel have been killed in J&K since August 5, 2019 when the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split up into two Union territories. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range], Vijay Kumar, while speaking to a selected group of reporters here on Wednesday said that the J&K police along with the security forces has intensified the night patrolling in remote Kashmir villages mainly where Kashmiri Pandits live and non-local labourers work to prevent terrorists from attacking soft targets. He, however, claimed that the assailants involved in targeting non-local labourers and a Kashmiri Pandit chemist in Pulwama and Shopian districts in the past week have been identified and would be brought to justice soon. He also said that two militants killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Pulwamas Tral area earlier during the day on Wednesday had apart from being involved in other terror acts killed Sarpanch Sameer Ahmed in Khonmoh area of Srinagar district recently. The deputy commissioners of Srinagar, Anantnag, Budgam and Kupwara districts in the Kashmir Valley and Doda district in Jammu region have while asking the business establishments to install CCTVs said that the orders shall remain in force for sixty days unless withdrawn earlier and subject to further extension or modification. The identical orders read Any contravention of this order shall attract legal consequences as are contemplated under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code 1860. Under this law, a person can be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to 200, or with both. The DCs have in their orders said that, in view of the increased incidence of selective targeting of the innocent citizens in J&K by anti-nationals and subversive elements, several measures including the use of appropriate technologies are required to be taken to safeguard the life and property. They further said that the installation of CCTVs would not only help in controlling crime but will also help in flourishing of business, tourism and overall growth of the society by preventing danger to human life and safety. In order to deter criminals, anti-social and anti-national elements from committing crimes, the installation of CCTV outside such establishments would work as a force multiplier, which would inspire further confidence in general public/customers visiting these establishments, reads the order issued by Srinagar DC Mohammad Aijaz. Key bills passed during the session like the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill and the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31 and the first half ended on February 11 after the presentation of the Union Budget. (PTI) New Delhi: The Budget session of the Parliament concluded on Thursday, a day ahead of the schedule. The second half of the Budget Session began on March 14. According to the original schedule, the session was to conclude on April 8. The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 31 and the first half ended on February 11 after the presentation of the Union Budget. As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Om Birla made the valedictory reference, summing up the proceedings of the session. He later adjourned the House sine die (indefinitely). Thereafter both houses of Parliament went into recess to examine the budget papers. Besides the budgetary process, key bills passed during the session include the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill and the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could not read out his customary closing remarks that sum up the business conducted in the House during the session, as Shiv Sena and other opposition MPs created a ruckus. While Shiv Sena MPs sought to raise the issue of an FIR registered against the BJP's Kirit Somaiya for allegedly siphoning of Rs 100 crore collected from people as donations for saving aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said no discussion on price rise was allowed during the entire session. Congress members supported the Shiv Sena, saying if the issue of price rise was not allowed for a debate, at least a discussion on this alleged scam should be taken up. Naidu said he has allowed the matter to be raised and asked the MPs to not disturb the proceedings. With opposition MPs unrelenting, he adjourned the proceedings sine die. Prime Minister made this remark in reference to the geo-political developments due to Russian invasion of Ukraine New Delhi: Asserting that for the BJP rajniti" (politics) and rashtraniti" (national policy) are the same, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that even now there are some political parties in the country for whom politics means parivar bhakti while for the ruling party it means rashtra bhakti. Noting that the BJPs responsibilities, keeping in mind the global or the national perspective, have been ever expanding, the PM, while virtually addressing the BJP cadre on the 42nd foundation day of the party, said it makes each and every BJP cadre a representative of the nations aspirations and resolve. BJP president J.P. Nadda, who participated in a procession on the BJPs foundation day, interacted with 13 head of missions, including Frances Emmanuel Lenain, EU delegations Ugo Astuto, Portugals Carlos Pereira Marques, Bangladeshs Muhammad Imran, Italys Vincenzo De Luca, Norways Hans Jacob Frydenlund under the Know the BJP programme on the occasion. Taking on the Opposition parties promoting dynasty politics, the PM said such parties do not even promote young leaders and have little regard for constitutional norms and cover up corruption and misdeeds of each other even though they may be active in different states. Congratulating the BJP members, including those living abroad, on the foundation day, the PM asserted that the BJP governments at the Centre and states have worked to take welfare schemes to every beneficiary without any discrimination or biases, reflecting the motto Sabka saath, sabka vikas. Pointing out how earlier political parties for decades practised vote-bank politics and made promises for some sections of society while others were ignored, Mr Modi said discrimination and corruption were the side effects of this politics. He asserted that the BJP not only fought against this vote-bank politics but was also successful in informing the people of the ill-effects of such kind of politics. Mr Modi also hailed women and youth voters who have been supporting the party and said the BJP cadre have been fighting against the discrimination, tyranny and violence against opponents who do not believe in the Constitution and democracy. During his interaction with foreign envoys, Mr Nadda informed them about the BJPs history, organization and the expansion of the partys ideology and principles, including at the global level, under Mr Modis leadership. Earlier in the day, Mr Nadda while addressing party workers said that under Mr Modis leadership the BJP has emerged as the party of the poor, backwards, Dalits and the downtrodden in the society who were not taken care of by anyone so far. Participating in a procession on the BJPs foundation day in the Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency that is due for bypoll, Mr Nadda called upon the party workers to ensure the benefits of the Modi governments schemes reach the street vendors, drivers and rickshaw pullers. The BJPs youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha - organised bike rallies on the occasion and organised Sanmaan Samelans, where senior Jan Sangh and BJP karyakartas were honoured. The normalisation of hate often goes hand-in-hand with normalisation of the 'otherisation' of the minorities Crossing the thresholds of tolerance, whether economic or social, can garner votes in the short term. But in the long term, this can destroy a nation. As I write comes the news that the political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka is worsening, sometimes by the hour. The Sri Lankan rupee has plunged to a record low to become the worlds worst-performing currency as the island nation grapples with looming debt payments, nationwide protests and an economic emergency affecting everyday life. What lessons do these developments hold for India? Sri Lankas crisis came up in a recent four-hour meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with some senior bureaucrats. The media reports note that a few officials flagged fears of India going the Sri Lanka way if some states continue with populist schemes which in their view were not economically sustainable. The officials reportedly said that the announcements made by some state governments, such as Punjab, Delhi, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, are unsustainable and that solutions need to be found. They went on to warn that competition among political parties to outdo each other in offering freebies before every election will have serious repercussions on the finances of the Central and state governments over the long run. The debate over the politics of freebies is not new. Clearly, no individual or state or country can live beyond its means for too long. However, the lack of consensus on what distinguishes a freebie from a scheme in the public interest, especially in times of economic distress, makes the discourse a lot more nuanced than some might like. That this list has only Opposition-ruled states has not gone unnoticed. The reality is that neither populism nor indebtedness is unique to Opposition-ruled states. Many states, including those where the BJP is now in power, have run up steep debts. In a report titled State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2021-22, the Reserve Bank of India has flagged the worrying level of debt and the debt-to-GDP ratio of states. States with high debts include several Opposition-ruled states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal. They also include Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has bounced back to power in the recent Assembly elections. Some argue that if a state is experiencing economic growth, it is very likely that there are social priorities which need resources and that leads to the debt levels going up. This argument should be applied even-handedly, to all the states. What complicates matters further is the absence of a consensus among political parties on what constitutes a freebie. Is free water or free electricity a freebie or a measure in the public interest? In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has promised 300 units of free power to every household and a Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for every woman. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has promised free electricity for irrigation and grants to set up borewells, tubewells, ponds and tanks. In Tamil Nadu, laudable results were achieved in the field of education through the free mid-day meal scheme, free bus passes, free cycles, etc, along with other affirmative action. The fact is that in the election season, each political party promises such schemes. Should we be more circumspect in the language we use? Dr Arvind Mayaram, a former finance secretary, said on Twitter that a Group of Secretaries must list wasteful expenditure, which in his view, was a much more robust categorisation, and this should include wasteful expenditure not just by the state governments but also by the Central government. Quantifying it will be truly reflective of what is busting the Indian economy. Unsurprisingly, defining wasteful expenditure is as tricky as defining freebies. As Dr Mayaram points out: There is no definition of either in the administration. Each given benefit is justified as public purpose. For example, statues, he points out, are justified in the government files as tourism earners. Lest we forget, the Government of India contributed Rs 3,000 crores for the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. While the normalisation of the politics of freebies and running up huge debts and fiscal deficits by some states is being discussed threadbare at high-level meetings, there is also the normalisation of the politics of hate and exclusion that needs urgent attention. The normalisation of hate often goes hand-in-hand with normalisation of the otherisation of the minorities. A hate rally in New Delhi has been in the news in recent days. The Delhi police booked Yati Narsinghanand along with several other speakers for their incendiary speeches at a Hindu Mahapanchayat in the nations capital last weekend. The police claim it had not given permission for the event, but bafflingly, or perhaps not so bafflingly, the organisers went ahead with the Mahapanchayat Sabha anyway. This is not the first time Narsinghanand has been in the dock for making inflammatory speeches about the minorities. The recent hate speech was made while he was on bail over another hate speech in Haridwar. Significantly, soon after booking the organisers and speakers of last weekends rally for alleged inflammatory speeches, the police also registered a separate FIR, citing the Twitter handles of a journalist and a media organisation, for allegedly spreading rumours and inciting hatred. The crowd at the rally had manhandled journalists. The tweets had identified the religion of those doing the manhandling and those who were being beaten up. The normalisation of the politics of unsustainable economic measures and the normalisation of the politics of exclusion and deepening of social fissures are intertwined. An old essay by economist Arvind Subramanian, former chief economic adviser to the Government of India, makes this point forcefully in the context of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka suffers from cleavages along many different lines, notably ideology, ethnicity, language, and religion. Michael Ondaatjes gorgeously sensitive novel, Anils Ghost, captures the human, personal consequences of these conflicts, Mr Subramaniam notes. Societies with stable social and economic compacts between citizens and the state tend to have healthy rates of tax collection, reflecting a broad willingness to share the burden of paying for the services the state provides, he points out. This is a grim warning to all countries playing majoritarian politics and ignoring the cost of deepening fissures. Good governance means knowing the difference between profligacy and spending money in a way that provides long-term benefits to the public. It also means knowing the difference between statements that can yield short-term political benefits but will corrode social harmony in the long term. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg insisted that it is also important for NATO not to be dragged into a wider war with Russia Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (L) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speak to the press as they arrive for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, in Brussels, on April 7, 2022. (Francois WALSCHAERTS / AFP) Brussels: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday called on members of the organisation to provide more weapons for Ukraine and not just defensive anti-tank and anti-craft arms. As NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels, Stoltenberg said, I have urged allies to provide further support of many different types of systems, both light weapons but also heavier weapons. Stoltenberg said NATO countries, but not NATO as an organisation, are supplying many kinds of arms and other support to Ukraine but that the 30 allies can do more. He said, Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesn't actually have any real meaning. Stoltenberg insisted that it is also important for NATO not to be dragged into a wider war with Russia. NATO is not sending troops to be on the ground. We also have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine, and become even more deadly, even more dangerous and destructive, he said. PPG, on April 7, 2022, announced that it has completed the 1,000th installation of its award-winning PPG MOONWALK automated refinish paint mixing system. The installation at Group Perez Rumbaos facility in Vigo, Spain, was celebrated at a special event attended by representatives of both companies. The innovative PPG MoonWalk system saves labor, reduces waste and transforms the refinish mixing room into a clean and safe environment, setting a new standard for the refinish market. Paint technicians and body shop managers benefit from the extreme accuracy of the automated mixing process, which improves speed, quality and color consistency. The PPG MoonWalk system will be more than an automatic paint mixer for us, said Ramon Seijas, vice president, Group Perez Rumbao. It also will be a catalyst in our constant search for the quality and service that we want to give to all our clients. The system will help us repeatedly achieve that quality in the final product in a simple and fast way, as well as facilitate the work of our operators by reducing time and simplifying the process. The PPG MoonWalk system is sized to fit all mixing rooms and features 80 storage spaces for tinters and 13 positions in the dispensing rack. Other components include a barcode scanner, a label printer and a moving scale that is 10 times more precise than a standard scale. The user loads the required tinter, additive and thinner bottles into the dispensing rack. The system then checks each bottles barcode, automatically dispensing the correct amount of product and printing a label. When we first introduced the PPG MoonWalk system, we knew it could boost efficiency, quality, productivity, revenue and employee satisfaction for body shops around the world, said Chancey Hagerty, PPG vice president, global Automotive Refinish coatings. As we celebrate delivery of our 1000th PPG MoonWalk unit, Im pleased to see that so many of our customers have embraced the system and realized those benefits. The PPG MoonWalk system has received a series of awards, including the 2019 Special Innovation award from Equip Auto International Grands Prix for Automotive Innovation; the 2020 Bodyshop Equipment of the Year award 2020 from Decision Atelier Magazine; the 2020 Technology and Innovation award from bodyshop magazine, and the 2021 Sustainable Innovation award from the British Coatings Federation. For more information visit : master.moonwalkrefinish.com Rick Spears, owner of Malibu Collision and TRU-DESIGN, partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to 3D print a 1965 Shelby Cobra replica for the Detroit Auto Show. Share This: Rick Spears, owner of Malibu Collision in Knoxville, TN, has always been interested in new technologies. As a result, he strived to incorporate state-of-the-art equipment and automotive materials in his collision repair facilities over the years. Eventually, he opened TRU-DESIGN, a 3D printing company adjacent to his body shop. The company has worked on a wide range of projects, including a full-size, drivable Shelby Cobra, and produces proprietary additive manufacturing (3D-printed) coatings. 3D printing is going to change everything in the future, including the body shop industry, said Spears. Its really exciting to be part of this growing field that is taking off like a rocket. Born in Texas and raised in Florida, Spears became involved in the body shop business in 1975. He was attending school in Florida in the 1970s and received a scholarship in commercial art. I was dating a lady whose dad owned two Ford dealerships and I began painting for his business while attending college, Spears recalled. I quickly found that artistry paint doesnt act the same as automotive paint. Hoping to work as an artist at Walt Disney World, he realized he could earn more painting cars than working as an artist. He worked his way up from a painters helper and sweeping floors to becoming a driver, then a manager, and later opened two collision repair facilities in Florida. After moving to Tennessee, Spears opened Malibu Collision Center in 1999. The companys mission is to provide the most accurate and quality collision repairs possible. It specializes in using advanced technology on all customer vehicles for major collision repairs, restorations and custom work. This includes... The decision comes after a string of significant seizures, where international authorities impounded some of the most expensive megayachts in the world as a result of ongoing sanctions against Russia and Russian oligarchs. Of these 14 yachts, 12 are currently under construction at five shipyards in the country, while two have been brought in for refits. For the time being, not a single one can leave, regardless of its condition.The other day, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra wrote in a letter to Parliament that a more thorough look at the complex structures of ownership was required, the NL Times reports. At the same time, Hoekstra urged that vessels whose direct beneficiaries are of Russian or Belarusian origin should be held until it is established whether theyre on the sanctions list or not. Russia, Belarus and oligarchs are being sanctioned in response to Russias invasion of neighboring country Ukraine.The current picture is that a total of 12 yachts are under construction at five of the shipyards for so-called Russian UBOs (ultimate beneficial owners). These are not persons who are named on the European sanctions lists, but given the current measures, these vessels may not be supplied, transferred or exported at this time, Hoekstra wrote. Additionally, there are two yachts for maintenance at Dutch yards that have been placed under stricter customs supervision. The connection between one of these yachts with a person named on the European sanction lists is being investigated.The same media outlet notes that Dutch authorities have already moved to seize the vessels until their exact ownership is established. Hoekstra said that The Netherlands had so far seized 516 million (approximately $563 million at the current exchange rate) in assets and 155 million ($169 million) in transactions, but without a doubt, the latest decision will also impact the national economy. Several of the worlds biggest luxury shipyards are located here, including Oceanco, Feadship, Damen Shipyards and Heesen.The five shipyards where the 14 ships are located are fully cooperating with authorities, the report adds. kW What better way to encourage the future generations of specialists in the maritime field to adopt an eco-friendly perspective than to train them onboard a vessel that would incorporate several green technologies? One of the leading Dutch educational institutions in this sector, STC Group, is gearing up to replace its old princesses (as inland navigation lecturer Richard van der Straaten calls the current training ships) with a brand-new platform that will be innovative in every way.The Latin name (meaning from the start) reflects the trailblazing role of Ab Initio, which will pave the way for a future where all shipping is green. Entry-level students will take lessons on board the vessel, while the advanced ones will take advantage of the laboratory onboard to conduct research. This future lab will be placed close to the engine room, with special windows, so that students can observe the equipment at all times der Straaten told Nautilus International. Ab Initio will be 67-meter-long (220 feet), equipped with an electric powertrain and 200 square meters (2,150 square feet) of solar panels. Recently, STC Group also decided to add a 45hydrogen fuel cell system, but zepp.solutions is the one that will provide that, as well as a 350 bar hydrogen storage system with a capacity of 35 kg (77 lbs). Together, they can double the boats zero-emissions range.This future training platform is currently being built by Concordia Damen and is scheduled to welcome its first students on board in September this year. AMG kWh Just a few weeks ago, Alicia Keys revealed she had purchased the Mercedes-One hypercar. Of course, she didnt take delivery of the much-anticipated hypercar because it hasnt come out yet. But what she did receive is the GT Black Series P One Edition. She showed it off while she was out for a couples drive with her husband, DJ Swiss Beatz, who was driving his Ferrari SF90 Stradale.Since Alicia Keys is a brand ambassador for the three-pointed star brand, she continues to show loyalty to them in her latest music video, City of Gods (Part II). The song, which is an ode to New York City, was a collaboration between her, Fivio Foreign, and Kanye West, and it interpolates the chorus from New York City by the Chainsmokers. But her new music video, which could be a futuristic ad for Mercedes-Benz, is a solo version of the song.And one of the main things about it is Mercedes-Benz's concept car, Vision EQ Silver Arrow . It was introduced in 2018 at the Monterey Car Week, and it draws inspiration from the W125.But there are some major differences. The original one came with an eight-cylinder in-line supercharged engine with 646 ps (637 horsepower) and a top speed above 300 kph (190 mph). On the other hand, the 5.3-meter (17.4 ft) concept car, which has a sporty and futuristic silhouette, has an all-electric drivetrain, putting out 750 ps (739 horsepower). Its energy comes from an 80-battery, which reportedly gives it a range of over 400 km (249 mph).The interior of the single-seater is a mix of traditional and modern styles, with its design blending timeless aesthetics and futuristic technology. And it couldn't look better next to Alicia Keys. In late March, news broke out that Conor McGregor got arrested for speeding in his Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible. With him being a huge name, we even got the moment on tape, from a user on Twitter who caught the moment live and shared it on social media The former UFC fighter was reportedly driving along the N4 in the Irish capital, Dublin, when he caught the polices attention. Given that he already had a number of road traffic offenses, that made the officers take him straight to the police station and charged him with dangerous driving. They also temporarily seized his luxury convertible, but returned it to him shortly after he was released on bail.The athlete had to take an alcohol and drug test, but he passed both of them. This isnt Conor McGregor's first rodeo, though, because, in 2017, he was charged with over-speeding and had to pay a $440 (400) fine.This morning, on April 7, he appeared at Blanchardstown District Court, driving there in one of his Rolls-Royces with his security detail.Unfortunately for him, things didnt go very smoothly, because he got another four additional charges, RTE reports. McGregor was also accused of driving without a license or insurance, and of failing to provide said documents.His solicitor, Michael Staines, told the court that the UFC star provided the papers to Garda Denis Lordan of Lucan Garda Station this morning.Judge David McHugh extended bail and remanded Conor McGregor to appear again at Blanchardstown District Court on June 23. The goal of the new center is to allow Torc to tap into the available talent pool in the region. In other words, while Torc Europe will be an independent entity that is a subsidiary of Torc Inc, it will be close to Daimler Truck facilities in Europe , and it will work closely with the German firm. As the founder and CEO of Torc, Michael Fleming, explained, Torc wants to be the first company to launch and scalable and profitable self-driving product. That is an ambitious goal, especially in this segment.The collaboration between Daimler Trucks and Torc has this common goal of developing autonomous trucks for long-haul trucking within the decade. Their plan involves bringing those vehicles to market, along with all the technology that is required to make them drive themselves, not to mention getting them approved by multiple governments, within the decade.The goal described above is ambitious, but not impossible, and reaching it ahead of other competitors in the field will bring a significant advantage for Daimler Trucks, but also for its subsidiary.As a recap, an SAE Level 4 self-driving system means that the vehicle will still have conventional controls present, but that it is capable of driving itself without human intervention.Since trucks are more complicated than conventional passenger cars, it would be reasonable to expect its driver to be in the cabin at all times, and the self-driving system could be engaged during phases of the route that are more tiresome for the driver.For maximum cost savings, the trucking industry relies on drivers to handle many situations on their own, such as changing flat tires, which is something that the autonomous driving tech could not handle, and it may be simpler to just have a driver inside the trucks anyway and just maximize the ability to drive with the autonomous tech Long-haul trucks need to adhere to dedicated rules across the world, and one of those is linked to rest times. Using an autonomous driving system might help the owners of those trucks to move freight faster, but with fewer risks, which may bring more money in the long run. But that is another matter, let's see those self-driving trucks first! SUV If you are thinking about the only vehicle the brand has ever sold so far, that is just part of the story. De Vries said that the companys archives revealed that DeLorean planned to have a four-door sedan, a city bus, a coupe, and many other model ideas. The executive also mentioned that design studios never stopped imagining new DeLorean products. That is something he intends to use to explain where the company was in these last forty years since it went bankrupt and where it will be in 2022.That said, DeLorean will present four vehicles in the next 90 days. De Vries did not mention how these vehicles will be introduced, but it is pretty evident that they will be renderings and sketches about a DeLorean that never was. Well have a car for the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and the EVolved , which is the name the new production vehicle could have.After the first new DeLorean makes its world premiere, well see other vehicles. De Vries mentioned that the company planned to sell an updated version of the DMC-12 but that the lack of regulations prevented that. Far from being a hindrance, that ended up showing that the company had the opportunity to become what John DeLorean conceived it to be.That said, the company cannot survive on a coupe. DeLorean will need a high-volume product. Although the CEO said he would not mention anor a sedan, we can do so. Lotus demonstrated with the Eletre that SUVs are inescapable for those who want to achieve significant sales numbers. You can bet on an SUV, and we would not be surprised with a pickup truck as well, even if that seems more difficult. A sedan would only make sense for the Chinese market.De Vries told Electrify News the new DeLoreans would not use stainless steel but that they would probably appear in movies. Forget about a new Back to the Future. If these cars end up on the big screen, it will be as Audi vehicles were in the hands of Tony Stark when he was not fighting bad guys as the Iron Man.There are more pressing questions wed ask De Vries if he could answer. One example is who is funding the new DeLorean. When the company was planning to sell modern units of the DMC-12 , the idea was to spend the spare parts that the company bought years ago. They were more than enough to keep the current ones running: the company could manufacture new vehicles with them. Yet, that would not demand new investments. What De Vries announced will. The position is described as an entry one, but it is within the design team, and you will have to relocate to Malvern, Worcestershire, or be willing to commute there to work 37.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday. The company is looking for a creative individual, and the person in question needs to be flexible, adaptable, and open-minded.The ability to demonstrate a positive sense of humor is on the requirements list for the successful candidate, as well as the self-starter character trait. The latter refers to people who can start a task themselves, with little to no supervision, and be able to get it done as expected and on time. You know, what most of us expect from other adults to do if we hire them for something.The new employee in the Morgan design department will also have to be an excellent communicator who will have the "confidence to present ideas to the wider team." So, if your sketches are great, but you are a bit too shy, you might need to work on yourself before applying for this job.While people who can work with little supervision are required, it is also important for the successful candidate to know how to work in a team, albeit a small one, just so that all the cogs in the machine turn smoothly.This job is for those who are qualified for an industrial design role, who also have a high proficiency in 2D visual communication, are skilled in 3D digital design, and can work particularly well with Adobe Photoshop, along with the entire Adobe creative suite.The full job advert can be found in the PDF below. Since the Internet can be a powerful thing, out of respect for the British company, we only ask those sufficiently qualified to apply. The A-29 Super Tucano is a versatile turboprop airplane with a durable design and rugged landing gear, which allows it to take off and land in places that dont have paved runways. Its a flexible platform that can perform a wide range of missions, including close air support operations, light attacks, and aerial surveillance.The aircraft is capable of carrying multiple sensors and weapons. That includes an electro-optical/infrared system, which provides situational awareness during the day and at night. It also has a data-link package that allows the gathering and sharing of crucial information. To succeed in combat scenarios, it can be equipped with armament that includes precision-guided munitions and machine guns.In addition to 500,000 flight hours, the A-29 has also accumulated more than 60,000 hours in combat. In fact, it is the only advanced light attack, reconnaissance, and training turboprop platform currently in production with proven combat capabilities across the world, said Bosco Costa Junior, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Defense and Security.The aircraft is also widely used as a comprehensive training solution. Its versatility and ability to simulate combat missions and upload and download flight data make it an effective training platform. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68C engine, the aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 368 mph (593 kph) and climb to 35,000-ft (10,668-meter) altitudes. It can also cover 1,899-mile (3,055-km) distances.Currently, the A-29 Super Tucano is in service with more than 15 air forces around the world, including the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and several countries in Latin America, such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. We first got a glimpse of this futuristic boat last year, but its only now that the Swiss team at SP80 is revealing the concept fully since confidentiality requirements are no longer an issue. It took six months just to refine the design of the boat that is now longer, sleeker, and with a more stable structure.With a length of ten meters (32 feet) and a width of seven meters (22.9 feet), this unusual sailboat is towed by a kite. The SP80 engineers decided that it should have two pilots on board because one wouldnt be able to control both the vessel and the kite at such high speeds. You see, unlike other boats where the comparison with Formula 1 cars is purely metaphorical, the SP80 concept truly is the waterborne equivalent of a racing car.Not only is it specifically meant to reach a stunning speed of 80 knots (92 mph/148 kph), but it is the first boat in the sailing worlds history equipped with bucket seats, helmets, and six-point harnesses for pilots. Also, the hull was reinforced with Kevlar so that in the eventuality of a crash, the pilots would not be injured by carbon shards, and there will be oxygen masks available onboard.The main hull, recently completed by the prestigious Persico Marine shipyard, is due to arrive this month at SP80s workshop in Switzerland. Here, the engineers will integrate all the mechanical systems while Persico Marine continues to work on the other elements of the boat . The team hopes to complete the assembly this autumn and to reveal the finished sailboat by the end of this year.Following several tests, the SP80 will attempt to break the speed record next summer in the south of France.Founded by three graduates of the EPFL Swiss Engineering School (Ecole Polytechnique Feeerale de Lausanne), the SP80 is acclaimed for its disruptive designs, hoping to write history with this advanced new concept. Living small or, as its more widely known, downsizing , has become a life goal in and of itself over the past couple of years. Environmental and economic considerations, together with the high degree of Instagram-ability of the lifestyle, have turned micro-houses, whether theyre RVs or tiny homes, skoolie conversions or all manner of campers, into must-haves.This one is even more special . Its called Tukaya and its a tuk-tuk conversion that serves or, at the very least, served, as a full-time rolling residence for a grown adult. Tukaya dreams of being a micro-house and it is one through functionality and long-term use, but it also has a heart of gold, having been created to serve as a platform for a variety of causes. Tukaya is the brainchild of Andrew Arnott, a 3D visualizer at an architecture firm in Johannesburg, South Africa. He started toying with the idea long before the tiny house movement went mainstream (as it is today), and he was working on the conversion in 2017, all on his own. He never went into the full details of the project, but this is known: Tukaya is a Piaggio Ape three-wheeler that was once used as an ice cream van.Arnott bought it used and had it brought on a trailer to his home, where he proceeded to strip it of its shell and to build a new frame for it out of wood. After several months, he ended up with a proper but very tiny home for himself, measuring a meager 4.5 square meters (48.4 square feet) but somehow still big enough to fit inside a one-person bed (a mattress, in reality), a toilet, a kitchen, storage, and even some art on the walls.Access inside the Tukaya is done through the rear, which opens hydraulically and serves as billboard for ads in road mode. The roof partially lifts in the manner of a pop-up tent, allowing Arnott to sit upright on the bed and giving him a bid more headroom when hes standing. The toilet is hidden under the bed; theres a large window on one side for natural light, a fan for temperature control, a cabinet for storage and hooks to hang up more stuff.Outside, Arnott included a pull-out pantry and a fold-down table that doubles as both counter and kitchen bar. He has a mini-fridge that he powers up with solar panels , a camping gas cooker, and the basics for meal-prep, including cutlery and pots.The base vehicle is a Piaggio Ape tuk-tuk, as noted above, so even cramming all this stuff inside seems impressive but its down to the frame built by Arnott. Power comes from a 400cc diesel engine, capable of taking the micro-home to a top speed of 40 kph (25 mph) not that youd want to go any faster in a three-wheeler with this much weight on top. As Arnott says in the 2019 interview available at the bottom of the page, driving it is knowing youre heading somewhere not particularly fast, while enjoying the journey.Not that speed was ever a priority for him. Arnott built the Tukaya because he needed a moving platform for some of his favorite charities, particularly an animal rescue center. He also wanted to raise awareness on the benefits of micro-houses and he thought it would be a good way to spread it by getting a taste of this lifestyle himself.This project has been inspired by: the growing tiny house/micro-apartment movement worldwide, inclusive communities and cities, the Minimalists movement and the general reuse, repurpose, preserve culture that is required to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle, Arnott explains. I want to explore how I could use these ideals to create a solution for myself and others to empower individual wealth creation.His goal at the time of the 2019 interview was to make it one full year in the Tukaya, living in it on friends driveways or wherever he was welcome for a modicum of a fee. He set off on his (slow-speed) journey in December 2018. As far as we can tell, as of the initial lockdowns of 2020, he was still calling Tukaya his home, which would mean he came very close to his two-year goal.Tukaya is not the first time a tuk-tuk has been used as base for a camper , but its definitely a stand-out. As spy shots of prototypes kept hitting the web, so did other rumors, including one that left the Safari moniker behind, replacing it with the Cross Turismo, like the more rugged-looking variant of the Taycan. Now, it appears that Porsche has finally decided to christen it the 911 Dakar.That would make a lot of sense, as the German automaker is looking to put some distance between the new one and its iconic predecessors, and the moniker would honor their Paris-Dakar wins in 1984 and 1986. Furthermore, it looks like Walter Rohrl himself had used the Dakar hashtag on social media, before deleting the post, according to our man with the cam.Whatever they end up naming it, one thing is certain: no one will mistake it for anything else. Besides the jacked-up design, the 911 Dakar (if that is indeed its name) will feature plastic cladding on the lower parts of the body and will retain the overall shape of the 992 on which it builds. The latest scoops show the prototype on the Nurburgring with multi-spoke alloys, red brake calipers, dual exhaust pipes, and boomerang-shaped rear wing.The big unknown here is what engine they decided to go with, as there are plenty that would fit the bill, making it a true all-weather supercar that is not afraid to get down and dirty. Another thing that we do not know is when they will unveil it, yet the latest reports hint at a possible 2022 presentation, so in all likelihood, its a few months away from showing its true colors. Also, it will not have that many direct rivals to compete against, as the only off-road-themed supercar that will launch before the end of the year is the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato (name unconfirmed). AWD According to Protean, it started collaborating with the Chinese carmaker in 2016. The two companies have then created thederivative of the Dongfeng Fengshen E70, also called Dongfeng Aeolus E70. This car seems to be crucial to the Chinese carmaker as a testbed for several new technologies.On January 22, 2022, Dongfeng announced it would be the first vehicle to present solid-state batteries . Unfortunately, all the company has so far are 50 units of the E70 equipped with these cells. That makes them practically prototypes.The E70 with the new batteries also accepts battery swapping , which means Dongfeng must have many solid-state battery packs available for its tests. The irony here is that the E70 is based on an old vehicle, the Fengshen A60, which was presented in 2011. We have no idea if these 50 prototypes also have the ProteanDrive motors on each wheel. Apparently, thats not the case: the E70 AWD has different wheels, which reveal the electric motors behind them.The new partnership aims to put something that Dongfeng is developing as Any-Drive for sale as soon as possible. According to a document that the Chinese company disclosed in 2018, it means that the vehicle can run with any of its four wheels depending on the conditions. Not only rear-wheel-drive, front-wheel-drive, or all-wheel-drive, but also with left-wheel-drive, right-wheel-drive, or even with opposite wheels (the front left and the rear right wheels, for example).As usual, the main issue people see with in-wheel motors is unsprung mass. Protean published a video on April 20, 2020, to dismiss that. Yet, the lack of vehicles with this solution shows it is not an easy problem to overcome. REE has found a really ingenious way to make it work: integrate the motor not to the wheel but to the vehicle structure. That makes it sprung mass with the hub motors' advantages in terms of weight saving and modularity. SUV National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA One of Scotty Kilmers followers asked him if $17,000 is the right price to pay for a 106,000-mile 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The guy wanted to know if it could've been a good deal. Also, he wanted to find out if there are any problems he should expect during possible ownership. Kilmer immediately told everyone that the FJ Cruiser has now become a collectors car. Hence, the rising prices weve seen this Toyota go for in the U.S. since last year.My wife sold her 2014 FJ magma color to Carvana for $41,000 last September - $11,500 more than she paid for it new. Carvana put it up for $46,000 and it sold in two days, said one of Kilmers subscribers on YouTube.The mechanic argues $17,000 is a lot of money for a 14-year-old car, but also says thats what they go for. He suggests Toyota might never bring thisto America ever again solely because of its gas mileage rating. The carmaker is trying to keep fleet values as low as possible, especially since) decided to make auto companies pay more if they fail to meet CAFE requirements While the American market is trying to snatch as many used FJ Cruisers as possible and theres a hype slowly building up around these rugged Hummer-like Japanese SUVs, people in the United Arab Emirates can buy them brand-new for little over $40,000. Scotty Kilmer warns his follower this kind of truck will rust like no tomorrow and even goes as far as saying that you shouldnt buy one if its not in mint condition.Investing in an undercoating might prove to be a very smart decision. It costs up to $1,000 if you choose a dealer to do it, but it can also be applied at home for less than $150. Its up to you, your budget, and how you value your own time.Kilmer said that he repaired a couple of these FJ Cruisers and sometimes saw so much rust that he couldnt believe it. He advises everyone interested in these trucks to thoroughly check them before making an offer.They are collectors items, but if theyre rusted, theyre going to fall apart in front of your very eyes. () Once the frame and everything rust on them, theyre worth absolutely nothing, said Kilmer.The FJ Cruiser, as the name suggests, was a homage to the FJ40 series of Land Cruisers produced from 1960 to 1984. kW kWh Soel Yachts latest pride and joy is the Soel Senses 62, a fully sustainable solar electric yacht that boasts of featuring trans-ocean capabilities. It features a clean, elegant, timeless design, with straight lines and a spacious interior, and can accommodate up to 9 guests and a crew of 3 members. The crew cabin comes with separate access to ensure privacy for the guests.The Soel Senses 62 has an owners cabin, two master bedrooms, and a triple bedroom, all equipped with their own bathroom. There's also a lounge area in the front and the main saloon is in the back, delivering stunning views.The Netherlands-based manufacturer boasts of its eco catamaran offering relaxing, silent cruises, thanks to its electric motors. Senses 62 is a versatile vessel that comes with two propulsion systems, a Cruise one and a Power one. The former consists of two 100electric motors, a 282battery, and a 100 kW DC generator. Its Power system consists of two 200 kW electric motors, a larger, 424 kWh battery, and a 150 kW DC generator. While the Cruise propulsion system allows the catamaran to reach a top speed of 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph), the Power one boosts that speed to 14 knots (16 mph/25.7 kph).44 solar panels are integrated into the roof of the catamaran, generating 17.6 kWp of solar energy. They also use Soel Yachts proprietary cooling system, giving an energy boost of 15 to 20 percent.When cruising at low speeds, the catamaran boasts of offering an impressive range of up to 263 nautical miles, which is why Soel Yachts says it has trans-ocean capabilities. Soel Senses 62 is not exactly budget-friendly, being priced at around $2.9 million. Tesla will have to wait at least until Friday to reopen Giga Shanghai. The information came from Bloomberg , which found out from sources that preferred not to identify themselves. Considering that Shanghai is now the epicenter of COVID-19 infection in China, the production suspension may take even longer to end.Chinese authorities ordered massive testing on Shanghais 25 million residents last April 3. The three-day testing process ended on April 5. As recent infections take a while to manifest and to be detectable, it would not be far-fetched to expect these folks to have to wait at least two weeks to get back to their everyday lives. In other words, they could eventually be allowed to work again only by April 20.So far, the company has already lost 12 days of manufacturing. If the Chinese government does not allow it to reopen soon, Tesla will have its factory halted for more time than it previously expected. Right now, the Shanghai lockdown has been extended indefinitely. That means that Tesla's hope to start making cars again on April 8 is almost a fantasy.Predictably, the lockdown is affecting much more companies. Semiconductor factories have no way to ship their products because there are no truck drivers to carry them, with all people having to stay at home to prevent the virus from spreading. The impact on the Chinese economy will be severe if the government sticks with the policy of avoiding contamination at all costs. With 1.7 billion citizens to handle, it may be a wise decision. Musk will probably applaud it. SUV EV Of these 127,785 EVs, 34,207 were imported from Fremont, and 93,578 were made at Giga Shanghai. According to Tesla, they were produced from January 11, 2019, until January 25, 2022.The fact that they were made both in China and in the U.S. shows it was a design flaw, not simply something related to a manufacturing process. If that were the case, it would interfere only with the cars made in one of Teslas factories, not with both of the ones it had until very recently.We have already checked the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) page for the same recall in the U.S. Unfortunately, it has not been updated yet. That shows Tesla warned the Chinese market about the defect before contacting American authorities. That may simply have to do with time zones. It may also be a matter of priority.Our readers will remember that ConsumerAffairs noticed that the Model Y has been having many rear motor failure cases. The Model Y shares the platform and major components, such as the motors, with the Model 3. If the sedan presents any defect in its rear motor inverter, themust also have them.According to what Tesla reported to SAMR (State Administration for Market Regulation) , the problem relates to slight manufacturing differences in the power semiconductor components of the rear motor inverters. These differences which Tesla does not detail may cause the rear inverter to fail, causing the inverter not to be able to control the current properly. That may damage the motor.In the defect description, Tesla states that if it fails while the vehicle is parked, the driver will not be able to start the car. If it happens when it is moving, the Model 3 will lose its driving power. Such a description is very close to that offered by Model Y owners affected by rear motor failures. They also mention hearing a thunk before thestops, followed by error messages.Disappointingly, Tesla said it would fix that with an OTA (over-the-air) update , which will deal with the motor control software. The new firmware should monitor the rear inverter more closely. Tesla promises to replace those with related faults free of charge.All the owners affected by rear motor failures in Tesla vehicles in the past should take notes. If Tesla charged them to replace these motors, they are probably entitled to refunds now that the company realized it was a manufacturing defect covered by warranty.Well get back to you when we hear about the recall for Model 3 units sold in the U.S. As we mentioned before, it would be strange if the Model Y were not included in the repairs especially considering we learned about the rear motor issues thanks to Model Y owners. As was the case with Teslas cars since the first Model S examples were handed out to customers, people enjoy talking about their new EVs, sharing their experience with them, and showing how great technology is in these zero-emissions vehicles. But, unfortunately, some drivers forget that not all countries are as friendly as the U.S. when testing automation and advanced driving assistance software.A Model 3 owner from Malaysia decided to show people on TikTok what its like to live with Elon Musks low-budget wannabe all-electric sedan. He managed to gather quite a following in a couple of months, but his popularity is what attracted law enforcements attention. In many videos published on the platform, he can be seen letting go of the steering wheel, which is not something authorities agree with.SGpikarchu tens and hundreds of thousands of views, and hes doing Tesla a big service. He even shows how the charging works and what other costs the car brings. The mans also comparing his Model 3 with other vehicles and even says that the (ed. Tesla) robot never gets tired, while other similar technologies dont bring the same level of certainty.After reviewing these videos, the Malaysian Police decided drivers cant use Autopilot anymore if they plan on enjoying it too much. They reached this conclusion even though the country doesnt have any rules against or in favor of automated driving. Instead, the nation has strict laws regarding being focused while behind the wheel of a vehicle. Furthermore, preventive driving is obligatory, and a good attitude must always be kept.They even quoted the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys (MITs) study on driver assistance systems that says such technology can lead to drivers being inattentive and insensitive to road conditions.The decision to ban taking full advantage of this kind of software doesnt stop at Tesla. All owners of vehicles with advanced programming will have to abide by the rules and always remain in full control of their cars.After the news broke out, the influencer said they let the car do all the driving just for a couple of seconds or a minute at best just to show people how good the Autopilot is and how helpful it can be in a lot of stressful situations.A senior of the Malaysian Police said, the Autopilot feature in Tesla vehicles is helpful to drivers, but it doesnt mean that drivers can completely take their hands off the steering wheel and mistakenly think that the system can automatically and safely control the car, according to Paultan The White House has reportedly held a classified briefing this week, and its goal was critical: the U.S. officials wanted to more accurately highlight the risks created by the chip shortage for the countrys economy, especially as the crisis is expected to continue beyond 2022.The White House is already lobbying for massive funding for chip manufacturing subsidies, and per Reuters , the purpose of the briefing was to emphasize that Congress must approve the proposals as soon as possible.However, the White House believes the semiconductor crisis could have a massive impact on the countrys economy unless its addressed as soon as possible.A White House official said that a significant interruption to our supply of semiconductors could cause historic damage to the U.S. economy, emphasizing that such a problem could lead to other technological and military concerns in the long term.However, dealing with the constrained chip inventory isnt something that can be resolved overnight. While companies like Intel and Samsung have already expressed their intentions to manufacture chips in the United States, building the necessary factories and preparing them for the start of production takes time.In the case of Intel, for instance, the production at a new $20 billion chip facility in Ohio is unlikely to start earlier than 2024. Industry analysts, however, expect the shortage to be over by that time, at least in some key industries, such as car manufacturing.On the other hand, there are now concerns the semiconductor crisis could take more time to be resolved due to the geopolitical tensions fueled by the war in Ukraine. The invasion started by the Russian military has led to other shortages , including neon, as Ukraine has been one of the main suppliers of the gas required for the manufacturing of chips. HMS Bulwark, ordered in 1996 and launched in 2001, is one of the two existing Royal Navy amphibious warships and is used to get personnel and equipment to land by sea and by air. Its been dry-docked since late 2020 at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, Devon, which is also its home-base, for refits and optimization.This extended period of docking proved to be its Achilles heel, allowing thieves to steal the diesel that should have gone on board for the generators, The Telegraph reports (link is paywalled). Reports in the British media note that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) believes the heist extended over weeks, with thieves simply driving away the tankers that should have carried the fuel to the warship for the generators.The fuel, estimated at over 250,000, never made it on board and was simply taken out of Devonport by drivers believed to be working for the civil subcontractors, Babcock International, Plymouth Herald informs. While this was a security breach , it was not as grave as reported by certain outlets because the theft did not occur on the warship but rather on the way there.Unnamed sources say that a similar incident took place in September when someone tried to get away with the diesel in a similar manner, i.e., by simply driving off with the tanker. That time, the person was apprehended. In this new incident, they were not because a security guard rang the alarm on the unusual activity after the tankers had left the premises.The MoD is aware of an incident involving the alleged theft of fuel from a contractor within HMNB Devonport, the Ministry of Defense says in a statement. There was no disruption to Defense operations and the MoD has no further comment.An investigation is now underway. EV SUV While all Toyota fan eyes are for good reason ogling the 2023 GR Corolla five-door purist Hot Hatch and its 300-horsepower, GR-Four all-wheel drive, six-speed manual five-door wide-body, some people are oblivious to any hype. Even when virtual automotive artists are said to be more in tune with novelties than anyone else.Alas, that is not the case with Giorgi Tedoradze, a Georgia-based industrial designer better known as tedoradze.giorgi on social media, as he recently imagined a completely different off-road Toyotathan what might be expected in the real world. As such, he not only ignored the recent GR Corolla altogether but also seems oblivious to the automakers previously-envisioned all-electric full-sizeSure, the latter was usually tucked at the side of the comprehensive new concept EV family, but its imposing dimensions should have made it easily observable. Maybe the styling, quite reminiscent of premium SUV members of the luxury Lexus family, made it much too crossover-like.So, perhaps the CGI expert wanted to achieve a more rugged appearance for this all-electric Toyota SUV, hence the E-Cruiser moniker and its possible association with the iconic Land Cruiser series. Who knows? Frankly, it is anyones guess because the author did not give us any explanation for this imaginative sketch.Instead, he left everything open to interpretation, including the design inspiration (some said it came from Audi, Nissan, and Volkswagen) or its potential affiliation to any of Toyotas current series. All we know is this will forever remain merely wishful thinking and that we are dealing with an intrepid pixel master that likes to defy OEM conventions and is not afraid to step out of their usual comfort zones. BEV Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most outspoken activists for climate change. His entire social media includes posts about protecting the environment, and he has participated in different summits, giving heartfelt speeches.So, youd expect him to put the money where his mouth is and do as he preaches. And he mostly does. Although the actor loves spending time on superyachts that host star-studded parties, when it comes to his day-to-day life, he does seem to be living less lavishly.For a casual outing in Malibu, California, the Academy Award-winning actor stepped out in a casual outfit and headed to his car, a blue Polestar 2. The actor even invested in the company, which was formerly a sub-brand of Volvo and is now a direct competitor to Tesla.The Revenant star was spotted heading to his electric vehicle before driving away. Polestar 2 is one of the two models in the brand's current lineup and was introduced in 2019. The company's first mid-sized battery-electric vehicle () the 2 is available in two versions. There is a Single motor and a Dual motor version. The latter is the more powerful option, and it would be more likely for DiCaprio to go for this one.As the name implies, it is powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, putting out 402 horsepower (408 ps) and a maximum torque of 487 lb-ft (660 Nm). The Polestar 2 can sprint from zero to 60 mph (0-96 kph) in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 127 mph (204 kph). The pricing for a Polestar 2 currently starts at $45,900 for the 2022 model. The electric fastback has just received an update This isnt the first time the actor shows up in his Polestar 2. He made a splash in December, when he arrived in it at the New York premiere of the Oscar-nominated film Dont Look Up (which is about climate change).Other vehicles Leonardo Dipcario drove in the past were either electric or hybrids, including a Toyota Prius, a Lexus RX Hybrid, a Fisker Karma Hybrid, a Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid, and a Tesla Roadster. We have decided all together to launch a concrete process, to prepare a possible peace treaty and to address all necessary elements for such a treaty, Michel told reporters on Wednesday night after his trilateral meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that lasted for more than four hours. I am confident that tonight we took an important step in the right direction, he said. It doesnt mean everything is solved. But it means that we made progress. In a written statement issued shortly afterwards, Michel said Aliyev and Pashinian pledged to move rapidly towards the comprehensive treaty meant to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They will instruct their foreign ministers to work on the preparation of such a deal, added the head of the European Unions main decision-making body. The Armenian governments press office confirmed these instructions in a statement on the late-night talks. Baku wants the peace deal to be based on five elements, including a mutual recognition of each others territorial integrity. Pashinian has publicly stated that they are acceptable to Yerevan in principle, fuelling Armenian opposition claims that he is ready to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said last week that Yerevan will also raise the issue of Karabakhs status with the Azerbaijani side. The Armenian government statement on the Brussels talks made no mention of the issue. Michel said after the talks that the two sides now have a better understanding of possible parameters of the deal. But he did not elaborate. The top EU official also announced that Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The mandate of the Joint Border Commission will be to delimit the bilateral border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and ensure a stable security situation along and in the vicinity of the borderline, he said. The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders already agreed to set up such a commission during their November 2021 talks in Sochi hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was expected that Russian officials will actively participate in the commissions work. It was not immediately clear whether Yerevan and Baku decided to exclude any Russian involvement in the border demarcation. Meeting in Brussels late on Wednesday, Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to start preparing for an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty and to set up a bilateral commission tasked with demarcating the border between their countries. European Council President Charles Michel described the four-hour talks hosted by him as productive, saying that they yielded concrete and tangible results. Lawmakers representing Armenias two main opposition alliances pointed out that Michel made no mention of Nagorno-Karabakh, let alone an agreement on its status or the Karabakh Armenians right to self-determination. They portrayed this as a further sign that Pashinian is ready to help Azerbaijan regain control over the disputed territory. Why are these authorities carrying on with that behavior? For the sake of what? said Aram Vartevanian of the Hayastan alliance. Vartevanian stood by opposition allegations that Pashinian is preparing the ground for further concessions to Baku by scaring Armenians with the prospect of another war with Azerbaijan. War is not the only alternative to this disgraceful situation, he said. Just because there is a possibility of war doesnt mean that you must act meekly and cowardly. Thats not how things work. Hayastan and the other opposition bloc, Pativ Unem, rallied thousands of supporters in Yerevan on Tuesday to warn Pashinian against recognizing Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Pashinian confirmed on Thursday that he and Aliyev agreed to instruct their foreign ministers to prepare for official negotiations on the peace treaty. He reiterated that Bakus proposals on the treaty, including mutual recognition of each others territorial integrity, are acceptable to Yerevan but must be complemented with other issues of the peace agenda, including Karabakhs future status and security guarantees for the people of Karabakh. These issues are included in our responses regarding the peace agenda and must become a subject of negotiations, he said during a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. Pashinian also said the OSCE Minsk Group co-headed by the United States, Russia and France should continue to mediate Armenian-Azerbaijani talks. We need to continue working in that direction, he said. Michel did not mention the Minsk Group either in his comments on the Brussels talks and planned negotiations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry described the Armenian-Azerbaijani summit as an important step for regional security. It said Aliyevs understandings with Pashinian fully correspond to Azerbaijans interests. The issue was on the agenda of his latest talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that was hosted by European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels on Wednesday. One of the topics of discussion was the issue of opening regional communication lines, on which we recorded some differences and agreed to continue working to find solutions, Pashinian told his minister during a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. He did not go into details. Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to restore Armenian-Azerbaijani rail links during their previous trilateral meeting with Michel held in December. But they failed to patch up their differences on the status of a highway that would also connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave via Armenias southeastern Syunik province. Aliyev said at the time that people and cargo passing through that Zangezur corridor must be exempt from Armenian border controls. Pashinian rejected the demand. President Michel welcomed the steps towards the restoration of railway lines, while encouraging Armenia and Azerbaijan to also find effective solutions for the restoration of road links, the European Union said in a statement on the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani summit. The EU is ready to support the development of connectivity links, including in line with its Economic and Investment Plan and by utilizing the proposed economic advisory forum to identify common projects, added the statement. It did not elaborate on that forum. The Armenian government set up in January a task force coordinating construction of the 45-kilometer railway that will connect Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The government said afterwards that it needs to sign a legally binding agreement with Baku before it can start building the railway estimated to cost about $200 million. Pashinian explained that Yerevan is seeking formal guarantees that it will be able to use Azerbaijani territory for cargo shipments to Russia and Iran. Ambassador Arman Hakobian handed his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday 18 months after his predecessor, Armen Smbatian, was recalled by the Armenian government in protest against continuing Israeli arms supplies to Azerbaijan. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said at the time that the Jewish state did not halt those deliveries even after Azerbaijan launched a full-scale offensive in and around Karabakh on September 27, 2020. Smbatian was recalled to Yerevan in October 1, 2020 just two weeks after inaugurating the Armenian Embassy in Tel Aviv. The envoy was subsequently sacked by the Armenian government after being indicted in a corruption investigation. Hakobian was appointed as Armenias new ambassador to Israel in December 2021 one month after a phone call between Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid. The two ministers discussed Armenian-Israeli relations and prospects for their promotion, according to the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan. Reports from Israel said that during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war Azerbaijani transport planes frequently carried out flights between Baku and Israeli airfields. Observers suggested that they delivered more weapons to Azerbaijan. According to the Armenian military, Azerbaijani forces heavily used Israeli-made attack drones and multiple-launch rocket systems throughout the six-week hostilities stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire in November 2020. In an October 2020 report, Human Rights Watch said that the Azerbaijani army used Israeli cluster munitions in the shelling of Karabakhs civilian areas. The U.S. watchdog said its researchers identified the remnants of these widely banned weapons in the Karabakh capital Stepanakert and the town of Hadrut. Azerbaijan received these surface-to-surface rockets and launchers from Israel in 20082009, added the report. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter. For Boston College School of Social Work Assistant Professor Robert Motley Jr., there has always been a personal dimension to his research, which examines the intersection of racism, violence, and trauma for Black emerging adults and associated adverse mental and behavioral outcomes. Growing up on the west side of Chicago, he says, he was exposed to both community- and police-based violence, some of it involving friends and acquaintances. Shortly after moving to St. Louis with his now-wife, Jamie D. Motley, and starting graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, the Michael Brown shooting took place in nearby Ferguson, Mo., sparking an emotional, nationwide debate on police interactions with Black men. Police violence can affect anyone, but there are additional consequences to consider if that violence is perceived to occur because of ones skin color or ethnicity, said Motley, whose dissertation at Washington University-St. Louis was based on interviews with 300 Black college students in St. Louis who had personally experienced or witnessed police violence, or watched it on video. There are quantifiable harmful effects, even if the person was an observer of the violence, and these can endure for a significantly long time. But then came last summer, and Motley was touched by violence in a way he could scarcely have imagined. In August, only weeks after Motley joined the BCSSW faculty, his cousin was shot and killed by an unlicensed security guard at a Memphis, Tenn., gas station. According to police, Alvin Motley Jr. was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend when she parked at the gas station. The security guard, former police officer Gregory Livingston, got into a dispute with Motley over the volume of the music playing on the car stereo. The vision-impaired Motleywho was unarmed, with a beer can and cigarette in handleft the car and approached Livingston, who shot Motley in the chest. In December, Livingston was indicted for first-degree murder. Interviewed by a TV station when the indictment was announced, Robert Motley recalled his cousin as having a beautiful spirit about himself, and a real, real great concern about the well-being of his family and the ones he loved. He would give the shirt off his back. Reflecting more recently on his cousins death, he said, You know that something like this is certainly possible. But that doesnt make it any easier to bear. LONDON (AP) Pink Floyd is releasing its first new music in almost three decades to raise money for the people of Ukraine, the band announced Thursday. Hey Hey Rise Up features Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Nick Mason, with vocals from Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the band BoomBox. Roger Waters, who left the band in the 1980s, is not involved. The track features Khlyvnyuk singing a patriotic Ukrainian song from a clip he recorded in front of Kyivs St. Sophia Cathedral and posted on social media. Gilmour, who performed with BoomBox in London in 2015, said the video was a powerful moment that made me want to put it to music. After Russias invasion, Khlyvnyuk cut short a tour of the U.S. to return to Ukraine and join a territorial defense unit. Gilmour said he spoke to Khlyvnyuk, who was recovering in a hospital from a mortar shrapnel injury, while he was writing the song. He said: I played him a little bit of the song down the phone line and he gave me his blessing. We both hope to do something together in person in the future. The song is being released Friday and the band says proceeds will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund. We want to express our support for Ukraine, and in that way show that most of the world thinks that it is totally wrong for a superpower to invade the independent democratic country that Ukraine has become," Gilmour said. Pink Floyd was founded in London in the mid-1960s and helped forge the U.K. psychedelic scene before releasing influential 1970s albums including The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. Original member Waters quit in 1985, and the remaining members of Pink Floyd last recorded together for the 1994 album The Division Bell." After keyboard player Richard Wright died in 2008, Gilmour said he doubted Pink Floyd would perform together again. Hey Hey Rise Up also features Guy Pratt on bass and Nitin Sawhney on keyboards. ___ Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. A Beaumont man has allegedly turned himself in for an early Monday morning killing. Jermaine Jamarcus Reeder, 25, was arrested for the alleged murder of Christopher D. Smith, 45, of Beaumont. Reeder is being held on bond for $500,000 at the Jefferson County jail. Police said officers originally received a call shortly before 11:20 a.m. on Monday morning in the 2600 block of Pine Street, near Plum Street, for a possible auto-pedestrian victim. Officers found Smith dead on the side of the road when they arrived. "The investigation revealed Smith was a homicide victim," police said. "Detectives questioned possible witnesses and followed leads. They learned a man known as JROCK, was a possible suspect." "Shortly before 7 p.m., a man showed up at the back of the police station and wanted to turn himself in for the murder," police said. Police said Reeder spoke with investigators before his arrest. No further information was immediately available by press time. Hong Kong: Older adults advised to get 4th jab People aged 60 or above are advised to receive the fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least three months after their last dose, the Government said today. Considering the fact that the majority of local fatal cases in the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic involved citizens aged 60 or above, the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging & Zoonotic Diseases, joined by the Chief Executives expert advisory panel, gave such advice after a meeting yesterday. The same principle applies to people aged 60 or above who have recovered from COVID-19. The advisers also re-examined the 21-day interval between the first and second doses of the BioNTech vaccine for immunocompromised children and adolescents and had no objection for recovered people to receive their next vaccine dose at an interval of no less than 28 days after recovery, for personal reasons like studying abroad or overseas travel. Recovered people without a history of COVID-19 vaccination can be vaccinated one month after recovery. Meanwhile, for administrative convenience and achieving better coverage, the advisers had no objection to providing COVID-19 vaccines with seasonal influenza or other childhood immunisation ones on the same visit under informed consent. This principle would apply to similar settings including residential care homes. Separately, for people who are partially vaccinated outside Hong Kong with locally unavailable COVID-19 vaccines on the List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes and under the World Health Organizations Emergency Use Listing, the experts urged them to complete their vaccination course with vaccines using the same platform or any suitable locally available alternative at least four weeks after the previous dose according to their needs. Those who have fully or partially been vaccinated with vaccines not on the aforesaid lists are advised to start over with vaccines available in Hong Kong following the local recommended schedule, the experts added. This story has been published on: 2022-04-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. AUKUS plans hypersonic weapons to confront China as US speeds up NATO, Asian allies' coordination By Liu Xuanzun and Liu Xin (Global Times) 08:43, April 07, 2022 US speeds up NATO, Asian allies' cooperation to keep hegemony House of Hegemony Illustration: Liu Rui/GT As the US, the UK and Australia announced they would cooperate to develop hypersonic weapons under the framework of the new AUKUS alliance and the NATO leaders are set - for the first time ever - to discuss China's influence and "coercive policies" in its next strategic concept, analysts said that the US is making use of the Ukraine crisis to speed up the coordination of NATO and the "Asian version of NATO" to serve its purpose of containing China and keep its global hegemony, which will bring greater harm to both regional and global peace, and risk a regional arms race. US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a joint statement on Tuesday that they were pleased with the progress of the program for nuclear-powered attack submarines for Australia, and they would cooperate in other areas including hypersonics, counter-hypersonics and electronic warfare, Reuters reported. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a routine press conference on Wednesday that exploiting the Ukraine crisis and using the pretext of maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, AUKUS has declared in a high-profile manner that the US and the UK will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and the three countries will cooperate in developing advanced military technologies such as hypersonic weapons. It not only increases nuclear proliferation risks and brings shocks to the international non-proliferation system, but also intensifies arms race and undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Zhao said. Its ultimate goal is to build a NATO replica in the Asia-Pacific to serve the US hegemony and self-interests through and through, Zhao said, urging relevant countries to abandon their Cold War mind-set and zero-sum game. Ahead of the meetings of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was scheduled to start on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference on Tuesday that as the NATO leaders discuss developing NATO's next Strategic Concept, they will, for the first time, take into account China's growing influence and coercive policies on the global stage. The US and its allies are using the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity to deepen more intimate cooperation between NATO countries and the US alliances in Asia and shift NATO's focus to the Asia-Pacific region, Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times. When the US was promoting reforms in NATO to marginalize Russia in Europe, the US and its alliance attempted to build the Asian NATO and use their advantage and strength to marginalize and contain China. The expansion of NATO will bring a shock to the world and undermine China's and the global security environment, Li said on Wednesday. Many recent moves indicate that the US and the UK are arming the Australian military from all fronts, not only in terms of maritime attack capabilities with the new nuclear-powered attack submarine deal, but also its long-range strike capabilities with the latest joint hypersonic weapons program, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Just like the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine, not much information has been released about the hypersonic weapons as of press time. These hypersonic weapons could be land-based, or they can be carried in the air or sea, enabling the Australian military to launch attacks either alone or in coordination with the US military, Wei said. By definition, a hypersonic weapon can travel faster than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, and make maneuvers mid-flight to make its trajectory unpredictable and accurately hit its target. Previous ballistic missiles can exceed Mach 5 but their trajectories are usually fixed, while previous cruise missiles can change course but are not as fast. The combination of the two characteristics makes the interception of a hypersonic weapon very difficult. Plus hypersonic weapons usually fly at low altitudes which makes radar detection difficult. This has led military observers to believe that no current air defense and anti-missile system in the world can reliably defend against a hypersonic attack. That is also why the latest AUKUS cooperation would also include anti-hypersonics and electronic warfare capabilities, as the alliance wishes to find ways to intercept or jam hypersonic weapons, analysts said. The US might also aim to deploy detection, monitoring and tracking systems from key locations in the Asia-Pacific like Australia and Japan to help defend potential hypersonic missile attacks from China, analysts said. Hypersonic weapons can either be a glider vehicle boosted by a rocket just like a traditional ballistic missile, or can be more like a cruise missile but with a more advanced scramjet engine and a special aerodynamic design. China displayed its road-mobile DF-17 missile at the National Day military parade in Beijing on October 1, 2019, with analysts saying that it is likely a short-range boost-glide hypersonic missile. Russia is also in possession of hypersonic missiles. On March 18, Russia destroyed an arms depot near the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine with the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, RT reported at the time. The US successfully tested a hypersonic missile in mid-March, CNN reported on Tuesday, noting that it is an air-launched air-breathing one - more like a cruise missile rather than a ballistic missile. Only the US in AUKUS has grasped a certain level of hypersonic weapon technologies, but even the US has made no mature product of any kind, Wei said. He noted that when the US makes technological breakthroughs, it can transfer the technologies to the UK and Australia, making coordinated deployment and joint maintenance easy. The US bears evil intentions by helping allies like Australia build this offensive combat capabilities, and this will risk an arms race, negatively affect peace and stability in the West Pacific region and pose a larger threat to the US' strategic competitors - at the cost of Australian taxpayers, Wei said. These new weapons could be deployed near China including the South China Sea, making the security environment around China even worse, according to Wei. From a geopolitical point of view, analysts said, another aim of the AUKUS hypersonic weapons plan is to intervene in the Taiwan question. Admiral Charles Richard, head of US Strategic Command, on Tuesday again hyped China's first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile-launched hypersonic glide vehiclelast July, claiming it marked "the greatest distance and longest flight time of any land attack weapon system of any nation to date" and a "technological achievement with serious implications for strategic stability," Bloomberg reported. In response to the claimed test of the hypersonic missile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao said in October 2021 that it was a routine test of a spacecraft to verify the technology of its reusability, saying it was not missile. The US has been hyping and making irresponsible remarks on China's normal military modernization development, but it is enhancing long-range strike capabilities of its own, Wei said. He noted that it is the US that is the true destroyer of regional and global peace and stability. In response to the US' provocations, China should have no illusion and firm up its resolve on strengthening its own capability. As the US works on AUKUS, QUAD, bilateral allies and others to target the China-Russia cooperation, China should also promote the building of a regional security framework and deepen cooperation with regional countries, Li said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) A police department in Massachusetts told prosecutors it lost at least two years of evidence for drug cases. WPRI-TV reports that Fall River Interim Chief Paul Gauvin sent a letter to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn in late March, informing his office that controlled-buy logs for 2019 and 2020 are missing. The information was relayed to defense attorneys and Quinn said hes now investigating the matter. Whether theyre natural or not, disasters seem to be dominating the headlines more than ever. And while its impossible to predict an emergency, you can certainly be better prepared to handle them. One critical resource in an emergency situation? A go bag, also known as a bug-out, ready, survival bag, or emergency kit, that holds essential gear and personal items should you need to make a hasty evacuation. Ideally, the contents of your go bag will keep you and your companions safe, healthy, and, well, alive until you can make it to a temporary shelter or return home. The general rule of thumb for a go bag or emergency kit is to have enough food, water, and other essentials to last for 72 hours. Ready.gov, an official site of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides a comprehensive checklist of items that any emergency kit should have: Non-perishable food, water (or a water purification system), matches (ideally waterproof), a first aid kit, and a crank or battery-powered radio. Since spring 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend adding masks, ideally N95s, to your go-bag for protection against Covid-19. Along with emergency items, you should have copies of important documents such as passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, and bank info. Some survival experts recommend putting together a bag for each family member, with specific items like clothing, medication, extra contact lenses, and books and toys for kiddos. Dont forget about pets, either. There are plenty of options on the market for already-packed go-bags (including those by the Red Cross and Instinct Ready, just to name a few). But with a little prep, you can customize your bag according to your needs and location, starting with items you likely already have on hand like matches, garbage bags, and sanitizing wipes. Here, a few recommendations to get you started (this is by no means an exhaustive list, so be sure to do your homework on what works best for you). Whatever you pack, be sure to keep it light so you can move quickly and nimbly. Build the Perfect Bug-Out Bag, by Creek Stewart, $15.29 Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit Krause Publications amazon.com $15.29 Shop Now Ok, so this book shouldnt go in your bug-out bag. But reading it before (or while) you put yours together is like taking a crash course in emergency scenarios by survival instructor Creek Stewart. His practical, insightful tips wont make you feel overwhelmed or doomsday depressed; instead, youll come away inspired, better educated, and ready to start packing. Kelty Coyote Backpack; starting at $127.96 Kelty Coyote 60-105 Liter Backpack Kelty amazon.com $127.96 Shop Now This sturdy and roomy pack (ranging from 65 to 105 liters) by Kelty, a beloved outdoorsy brand, can easily hold enough supplies for more than one person (the 65-liter version can carry between 30 and 55 pounds). The popular pack features storage galore, with two front zippered pockets, a large J-zip top-loading access to the main compartment, and dedicated spots for a sleeping bag and water bottle. The Coyote also has customized torso fit, which means the pack can be easily swapped and adjusted for different users. ER50 E+Ready Emergency Weather Alert Crank Radio, $49.99 ER50 E+READY Emergency Weather Alert Crank Radio midlandusa.com $49.99 Shop Now A hand-crank radio is a must-have for receiving critical alerts from NOAA and other official agencies, and one with multi-functionality is even better. This one by Kansas City-based Midland, which has more than 50 years in radio technology, is a solid choice. In addition to delivering visual and audio alerts, the radio also features an SOS flashlight beacon and impressive charging capabilities, with multiple sustainable power sources (solar, hand crank, rechargeable battery, and USB connection) to charge devices. Its light and compact (it fits in the palm of your hand), complementing its functionality as an excellent addition to any go bag. Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System; $25 MINI Water Filtration System sawyer.com Shop Now Since drinking water is so heavy (8.3 pounds per gallon), a reliable water filtration system is critical for any go-bag. The top-selling Mini is adept at filtering out bacteria (like salmonella), protozoa (like giardia), and microplastics from sketchy water sources. There are several ways to use it: Attach it to the included drinking pouch, use the included straw to sip directly from a puddle or other water source, connect it to hydration pack tubing (which is sold separately), or screw it onto standard disposable bottles with 28mm thread. And weighing in at just two ounces, its ultra lightweight. Black Diamond Storm 400 Headlamp; $49.95 Storm 400 Headlamp blackdiamondequipment.com $39.96 Shop Now Hands-free lighting is a necessity in survival scenarios, and this newly upgraded headlamp by Black Diamond provides 400 lumens of bright light at its highest setting and is packed with tons of handy features. It comes with three different colored vision night modes and peripheral white lighting for close-range activities. In addition, the headlamp helps users save battery life with a six-setting, three-LED battery meter. Its waterproof and dust-proof, too. Leatherman Skeletool, $74.95 This versatile multitool punches way above its weight, packing eight essential tools into a mere five ounces. Functions include: A stainless-steel combo blade, wire cutters, two sets of pliers, bit driver (and storage), and carabiner/bottle opener. The Skeletool also has a built-in clip to easily attach it to any bag or keychain, and it comes with a 25-year warranty, in case theres any doubt about its durability. Ignik Air Activated Warmers; from $12.99 AIR ACTIVATED WARMERS ignik.com $12.99 Shop Now If youre in a cold-weather destination, toss a few of these Arctic-grade warmers in your bag, and then check frostbitten appendages off your list of worries. These handy little pouches utilize a patent-pending temperature regulation system to give you more control over how long the warmers last. Theyre also 98 percent biodegradable, with 100 percent recyclable (and reusable) packaging. Choose from appendage-specific options (hand, toe, or foot, for example). A 24-hour XL option also is available. Bondic Adhesive, from $19.99 The BONDIC Starter Pack notaglue.com $19.99 Shop Now This handy non-toxic adhesive is a multi-tasker in its own right: It can repair plastic, wood, metal, glass, and anything else that needs a quick mend on the go. Because its liquid plastic (and is also water- and heat-resistant), it wont dry out. A simple, four-step process (clean, fill, cure and shape) makes it a cinch to MacGyver worn-out or broken items back into use. And it takes up little space in a metal tin that's a mere 7 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Communist New Peoples Army troops stand in formation at a location in the Sierra Madre mountain range east of Manila, July 30, 2017. The military said Thursday that it killed four suspected communist rebel leaders during a clash in the southern Philippines, delivering a major blow after government security forces vowed last week to intensify operations to counter Asias longest-running insurgency. Troops were checking information about the presence of about 30 New Peoples Army guerrillas in a remote village in Talakag, a town in Bukidnon province, when gunmen attacked them on Wednesday, the government militarys commander for Eastern Mindanao told reporters. Our troops together with police responded to the reports and moved to secure the area, triggering a firefight lasting almost two hours that led to the death of the rebel leaders, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol said. He identified those killed as Carlisio D. Sumalinog, Jovilito T. Pontillas, Gary I. Juliana, and Jelly A. Sugnot. Troops recovered 16 high-powered firearms, ammunition and other items at the site. The four were high-ranking officials of the NPAs North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, officials alleged. Sugnot was identified as the groups medical and finance officer, and the three others were said to be commanding officers of the NPAs fighting units. The NPA is the military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which has been waging an insurgency against Manila since 1969. Almerol said the killings of the four dealt a major blow to the rebels command structure and would likely put pressure on their followers to surrender. They cannot survive our series of focused military operations without someone to lead them, he said. Manhunt intensified The deadly encounter in Bukidnon came about a week after the national police said they would intensify their manhunt for wanted rebels in prolonging anti-terrorist operations. The CPP-NPA continues to wallow in irrelevance on the 53rd year of its campaign of terror and violence that has only made life more miserable for poor people in the countryside, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, the chief of national police, said on March 29. The NPAs strength is estimated at around 5,000 fighters nationwide, down from at least 20,000 at its peak in the 1980s. The government of President Rodrigo Duterte ended peace talks with the CPP in 2017 after accusing the rebels of carrying out deadly attacks despite the negotiations. Two years ago, the government declared both the CPP and NPA terrorist organizations. In June 2021, the government added the communist partys political wing, the National Democratic Front, to that list and froze bank accounts linked to the movement. The government has failed to break the insurgency even as it has sought to engage rebel fighters in talks at the local level, rather than through negotiations that involve Jose Maria Sison, the CPPs leader who lives in self-exile in the Netherlands. In March, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the rebels were deeply embedded in all sectors of society and that it would take a little more time to finally neutralize them. Thailands long-planned purchase of three Chinese submarines, which a former top Bangkok diplomat described as an insult to the Thai-U.S. treaty relationship, could run into trouble, officials and analysts said. In April 2017, the Thai government approved the Royal Navys plan to buy three Yuan-class submarines from China valued at 36 billion baht (U.S. $1.05 billion). Because of budget constraints, the purchase of one submarine now valued at 13.5 billion baht ($403 million) got the green light but the other two were shelved. The Chinese state-owned submarine developer China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. (CSOC) could not obtain the diesel engine from Germany to fit into the sub because of the European Union arms embargo imposed on China, according to a German official. The engine is manufactured by Germanys Motor and Turbine Union (MTU). The export [of the engine] was refused because of its use for a Chinese Military/Defense industry item, said Philipp Doert, the German defense attache to Thailand, told the Bangkok Post. China did not ask/coordinate with Germany before signing the Thai-China contract, offering German MTU engines as part of their product. The EU imposed its arms embargo on China in 1989 after the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijings Tiananmen Square. Thai-China relations not affected Earlier this week, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said that if China could not fulfill the agreement, the submarine deal could be canceled. What do we do with a submarine with no engines? Why should we purchase it? Prayuth, who serves as the nations defense minister, told local media. Previously, Vice Adm. Pokkrong Monthatphalin, the Royal Thai Navy spokesman, said talks were to be held later this month with CSOC to discuss the engine issue. Local media reported that CSOC had offered an alternative engine an offer rejected by the government, which paid its first installment of 700 million baht (U.S. $20.9 million) in 2017. The submarines delivery is scheduled for 2024. Despite his concerns, Prayuth told Thai reporters that any cancellation would not affect Thai-Chinese relations, according to the Bangkok Post. Trust issues An analyst, meanwhile, said Bangkoks growing military ties with China have led to trust issues with the United States. Thailand and the U.S. are treaty allies. Thailand was designated by the U.S. as a Non-NATO ally, Kasit Piromya, a Thai former foreign minister, told BenarNews. The fact that Thailand commissioned the Chinese submarines is an insult to the Thai-U.S. treaty relationship, he said, adding that the issue must be reset and redressed. Earlier this year, the Thai Royal Air Force expressed interest in purchasing F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S. But the U.S. would be reluctant to sell their state-of-the-art aircraft to Bangkok because of the Thai militarys close links with its Chinese counterpart, said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. In addition, the relationship between Thailand and the U.S. has been up and down in recent years. The Thai military establishment does not like criticism of its role in Thai politics by the U.S. and Western allies, while China avoids political judgment and offers military hardware at friendships cost, Kasit said. The result is Thailand and the U.S. have been failing to hold heart-to-heart talks as allies and strategic partners, he said. Southeast Asian countries, especially those with competing claims in the South China Sea, are joining the submarine club to deal with new security challenges. Vietnam bought six Kilo-class submarines from Russia, both Indonesia and the Philippines are discussing purchasing submarines from France. Singapore and Malaysia operate four and two subs, respectively. China by far has the largest fleet in Asia, with an estimated 76 submarines. The Yuan-class is a diesel-electric submarine designed to operate in shallow coastal waters, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. A Myanmar migrant worker looks out from the balcony of his room during a COVID-19 lockdown, in Bangkok, May 22, 2021. Thailand has made no progress in the past year in its efforts to combat human trafficking, especially of migrant workers, a global seafood industry watchdog said in a report released Thursday. Last year, the U.S. State Department downgraded Thailand in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, from Tier 2 to the Tier 2 Watch List just a notch above the lowest rank, Tier 3 because the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts ... even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity. The Seafood Working Group (SWG), which put out Thursdays report, said Thailand was appropriately downgraded in 2021, and recommended that the country remain at the Tier 2 Watch List in 2022 as well. The group is a coalition of Thai and international organizations working to end labor exploitation in the global seafood industry. Our research shows that numerous factors determining the downgrade have not shifted, the report said, adding there is insufficient evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year, especially with regard to labor trafficking. SWGs report is based on the findings for its submission to the State Departments 2022 TIP report. Thailand has not increased its efforts to combat the problem of forced labor among migrant workers in proportion to the scope of the problem, the group said. It also alleged that the government had failed to conduct regular, effective labor inspections of fishing vessels and seafood processing factories. Thai government officials did not immediately respond to BenarNews request for comment. Better than before, but not enough But according to a leader of the Thai fisheries industry, the situation has improved, although some problems remain and officials are lax in trying to remedy them. He criticized the SWG report, saying U.S. rules cannot be applied in Thailand. The forced labor problem in the Thai seafood industry is not as huge as it was before because of the strict conditions, said Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, president of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand. The new rules have made migrant worker recruitment almost impossible, he told BenarNews on Thursday, referring to provisions introduced during the past seven to eight years. Mongkol said the punishment for flouting the rules is harsh. In fact, he said they have been devastating for the local industry. Being on the U.S. watch list has also hurt the industry, he said. I think if the U.S. listens to just NGOs, they will downgrade Thailand to Tier 3, he said. I want the Thai government to see this problem and find solutions for the people in the seafood industry, instead of just letting the NGOs and the U.S. government take the lead, Mongkol said. Pandemic exacerbated migrant labor issues Meanwhile, the governments COVID-19 policies have increased the vulnerability of migrant workers to labor trafficking and exploitation, including imposing lockdowns on migrant communities, SWG said in its report. These policies deprived migrant workers of their basic needs, led to greater reliance on brokers, and increased their financial debt, it said, adding that laborers were excluded from government social programs. In June 2021, during the Delta-variant-fueled wave in the pandemic, some 80,000 migrant construction workers were put under lockdown in Thailand, according to a case study by SWG. The densely populated camps were closed off with no government support and the workers were not allowed to leave the premises even for food or other necessities. The government also imposed extreme quarantine policies for fishers, forcing many to stay aboard fishing vessels in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it said. In one case study, SWG said 24 workers, including 19 Burmese, were not permitted to return to shore for six months. Instead, the workers were required to work every day without rest some despite injuries. The government has not taken sufficient steps to systematically address labor abuses and indicators of forced labor in the fishing and seafood processing sectors, such as the retention of identity documents, abusive working and living conditions, intimidation and threats, physical violence, excessive overtime, and wage theft, the report said. Kunnawut Boonreak contributed to this report from Chiang Mai, Thailand. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. A man convicted 35 years ago on evidence prosecutors now concede was flawed should not sit in prison while seeking a new trial, his lawyers say. Not when recent Supreme Judicial Court rulings found fault with that sort of delay. You are the owner of this article. PITTSFIELD The Pittsfield School Committee and the union representing some school employees are looking for help in their efforts to negotiate a new contract. The Pittsfield Federation of School Employees, which represents paraprofessionals, bus drivers and attendants, cafeteria workers, custodians and educational secretaries, and the School Committee have agreed to ask the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations to help mediate. The parties have been in negotiations since last summer. Contracts with the union's custodian and education secretary units expired in June and the bus driver and attendant, cafeteria worker and paraprofessional contracts expired in August. At public hearing, Pittsfield schools employees union pushes for better contract Superintendent Joseph Curtis has said that salary increases in the Pittsfield Public School's proposed FY23 budget are some of the largest in recent history. Members of the Pittsfield Federation of School Employees say they've been left out of those increases and are asking district officials to meet their request for higher wages. "The School Committee has concluded that the assistance of a mediator at this stage of bargaining will help us reach a settlement that is both fair to our employees and cognizant of the committees responsibilities over the three years we expect the final agreement to cover," School Committee Vice Chair Dan Elias said in a press release Thursday. Elias, who chairs the committee's personnel and negotiations subcommittee, said that the request for mediation has the backing of the entire committee and that it thinks that mediation is "a positive step toward reaching an agreement. Members of the PFSE have flooded school committee meetings in recent weeks, pleading with School Committee members to meet their requests for pay raises ahead of the school district's budgeting season. Union members have said in recent weeks that the difference between their proposal for pay increases and the School Committee's contract proposals is $690,000 over the course of a three-year contract. Members have calculated that if the district increased their current pay proposal for union salaries for the next school year by $65,000, the union's pay requests would be met. School district officials have proposed a $72.3 million budget for next year. The proposed budget represents a $5 million increase over the current fiscal 2022 budget $4.7 million of which would cover negotiated pay increases according to Superintendent Joseph Curtis. The PFSE is the last of the unions representing school employees without a negotiated contract. The United Educators of Pittsfield, which represents teachers within the district, negotiated a 3 percent pay raise each year of its new three-year contract with the district in February. The Pittsfield Educational Administrators' Association, which represents deans, principals, assistant superintendents, school psychologists and adjustment counselors, negotiated a new three-year contract adopted by the School Committee in August. The contract increased salaries 0.5 percent this school year and 2 percent in the following two school years. 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. Every spring, Christians around the world celebrate Holy Week, commemorating the last eight days of Jesus life on earth. The time is a sacred onean opportunity to reflect on and express gratitude to God for the most important events in the history of the world. The week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, each day set apart by a variety of special services, readings, songs, and events. How Many Days are in Holy Week? Palm Sunday honors the day when Jesus humbly rode into Israels capital city, cheered as the new King of the Jewsand as the Son of God who would usher in an eternal kingdom. A handful of days later, many who misinterpreted His mission called for His death. Jesus was sent to die by crucifixion on Friday and, through His sacrificial death, paid the price for the sins of humanity. On Sunday, He resurrected to new life, proving His claim as the Savior of the world who had the power to defeat death. Since that day, those who believe that He came for that purpose are welcomed as children of God into eternal life. The following lists the days comprising Holy Week, the dates when those days fall in 2022, and the events that took place on those days. While most churches have special programming for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, others devote each day of Holy Week to special meals, songs, and prayers. Palm Sunday (April 10, 2022) Jesus had been teaching about the kingdom of God and His identity as the Jewish Messiah for about three years when the time came for Him to formally, publicly make that claim in Israels capital of Jerusalem (John 12:12-15). When He arrived, people greeted Him with a famous ancient symbol of victorypalm branches. The thousands of Jews carrying the branches had heard Jesuss teaching about Gods kingdom and had been beneficiaries of his miracles. Many believed that He came to usher in the new kingdom promised in the Old Testament. They had waited 400 years to hear from God. Now, here was who seemed to be the Son of God, claiming that He was the king of Israel. But even Jesus mode of transportation into the citya lowly donkey rather than a majestic warhorserevealed the Jews misaligned expectations. Centuries of prophecies had suggested the Messiah would come and overthrow the Roman government and bring Israel back to the glory it enjoyed under King David (Psalm 110, Isaiah 2:2, Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 37:24). But the kingdom God was introducing was an eternal, universal kingdom, not a local, political movement. Just as Jesus birth was marked by unadorned humility, so would be the rest of His short time on earth. During Palm Sunday services, churches across the world gather to wave palm branches as a nod to Jesus triumphal entry. The leaves can also be dried and woven into small, handheld crosses. More traditional churches might sing noted Palm Sunday hymns such as All Glory Laud and Honor. Holy Monday (April 11, 2022) Jesus had spent the evening of Palm Sunday out of the city, and upon return the next day, he taught in the temple of Jerusalem. He shared parables that used simple imagery to explain the kingdom of God. The Jewish leaders thought he was being blasphemous by doing so and questioned him (Matthew 21:23). Later, as he walked through the temple, Jesus became angry that the holy place of worship had become a place for buying and sellingand taking advantage of the poor. In his zeal, he overturned tables, enraging the vendors (Matthew 21:12-16). Then he spent the evening with his friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (Matthew 21:17). It is here, at the beginning of the week, that Jesus increases and intensifies His public messages. The Gospels record the outrage of the leaders of the day, and we are meant to recognize that Jesus death on Good Friday will not be accidental or unexpected. Instead, Jesus deliberately stirs up the anger of those who wish to kill Him because He fully understands His mission as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The magnitude of Jesus messages contrasts with His decision to reconnect with several close friends. This was doubtless an encouragement to the three siblings in question and Jesus Himself as He processed what lay ahead of Him. Jesus had declared Himself to be the resurrection and the life shortly before raising Lazarus from the deada clear foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes Holy Monday with Bible readings and special hymns recounting the days events. Holy Tuesday (April 12, 2022) Gospel accounts suggest that on Tuesday, Jesus continued to publicize His message by teaching parables in the temple. The parable of the tenants in particular (Matthew 21:33-44) depicts a dramatic and even violent reflection of Jesus eventual sacrificean assignment from His Heavenly Father. Jesus also addresses the end times, the kingdom of God, the hypocrisy of those who claim to fear God, and what to expect when the Son of Man comes. In each parable, He speaks with certainty and gravity. Once again, Jesus authority to teach in such a way is questioned. This time, the chief priests seek to arrest Jesus after sensing He is speaking against them (Matthew 21:45). At this point, the crowd still reveres Jesus, so these plans are put on hold. Each of these events is designed to show the reader that Jesus was the Son of God and that He knew it. No one could accuse Jesus of being a humble teacher indignant at the thought of being worshiped. Instead, Jesus invites this recognition of His deity (Matthew 24:25, Matthew 26:1). Though not as highly celebrated as some of the other weekdays, the Catholic Church observes Holy Tuesday with relevant Scripture readings and hymns. In Mexico and Spain, Tuesday marks another day of Semana Santa (Holy Week), in which schools and many businesses are closed to allow for an extended celebration. Holy Wednesday (April 13, 2022) Jesus popularity had reached an apex with His entry into Jerusalem (John 12:19), and the Jewish religious leaders ramped up their efforts to rid themselves of Him. Between (alleged) blasphemy, public miracles, and blatant attacks on the religious establishment, they had now compiled what they believed was sufficient reason to take action. On Wednesday, plans were set in motion to capture Jesusand kill Him. In the words of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish (John 11:49-53). Later, Jesus is anointed by Mary at Bethany, with an expensive jar of perfume that Jesus later suggests is a preparation for His burial. Understandably, Jewish leaders were angered at Jesus claim to be the Son of God and may have feared that they would lose power and authority if Jesus were to come to power. Yet Jesus was very popular with many people, and his miracles were hard to explain away. They needed to find and arrest him, but how? Their question was answered when Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus disciples, approached them with an offer to hand over Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas possible motives have been debated throughout the centuries. One thing is for certain: his involvement meant the chief priests didnt require any extended searches for Jesus the next evening. This day is also sometimes referred to as Good Wednesday, or Great and Holy Wednesday, by Eastern Christian churches. In the West, it's sometimes called Spy Wednesday. In countries such as the Czech Republic, Wednesday is used to give homes a thorough cleaning in preparation for Easter Sunday. Holy Thursday (April 14, 2022) To some, Maundy Thursday may seem like an archaic, mysterious name. Is it a noun? An adjective? What does it have to do with Jesus? It turns out that maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, where we get the word mandate (a word much more familiar to us). The mandate, or command, in question, is Jesus command that His followers love one another (John 13:34). How fascinating that while other moments from this historical day often get more attentionthe Last Supper, the washing of the disciples feet, Judas swift exit from the tablethe early church made Jesus new command the namesake for Maundy Thursday. Many Christians reenact the Last Supper with a traditional seder meal similar to the one Jesus would have shared with His disciples; in this scenario, the words of Jesus are uttered by the priest or pastor. (Foods eaten can include a lamb shank bone, bitter herbs, and salted vegetables.) This special service can also include a foot-washing ceremony. Some churches (particularly Lutherans and Catholics) will choose to offer a Tenebrae service (Tenebrae means Shadow). Here, the sanctuarys candles or lights are gradually extinguished as clergy strip the altar of its linens. This can be accompanied by a loud noise at the end, meant to encourage meditation on the sufferings of Christ. Tenebrae may also start three days of special services, known as triduum. Good Friday (April 15, 2022) The Gospel writers create a stark contrast between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, between the crowds shouting Hosanna! and Crucify him! After Judas betrays Jesus (identifying Him to Roman guards with a kiss), Jesus is quickly carted through one ordeal after another. First, He is taken to the Jewish high priest, Caiaphas, who is joined by other elders and religious leaders (Matthew 26:57, 59-60). It is here that Jesus is physically assaulted for the first time (Matthew 26:67-68). The Jewish leaders realize that their own laws prohibit them from killing Jesus themselves, so they hand Him over to the Roman governor. Pontius Pilate tells the Jews that he finds no fault in Jesus (John 18:28-38). Their rabid response sends him back inside to speak with Jesus once more, eventually relenting to Jesus death sentence. Jesus is whipped with various sharp, maiming implements, then mocked by soldiers (John 19:1-3). Betrayed by His friends and His nation, He now endures increasing physical and social agony. Tucked within the three-hour ordeal of Jesus death are many significant fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, etc.) These contain details about the manner of His physical death (being nailed to a cross), ridicule from onlookers, and separation from God due to taking on the sins of humanity. Many churches hold special Good Friday services that feature Stations of the Cross, interspersing special prayers with passages from the accounts of Jesus arrest, trial, and death. Similarly, passion plays feature multiple church members reenacting the words and actions of Jesus, Peter, Pontius Pilate, and others. In the Philippines, more graphic commemorations involve flagellation (whipping) and crucifixion reenactments. Periods of fasting and total silence are also common. Holy Saturday (April 16, 2022) The Gospels are somewhat silent about what happened on Holy Saturday. In fact, only Matthew gives explicit details about the days events (Matthew 26:62-66). The details about the guard at the tomb are imperative when reflecting on the numerous alternative explanations for the empty tomb that have circulated for centuries. Matthews account makes it plain that no one could have overtaken both the Roman guard and the stone that took several men to move in the first place. Whats more, archaeology and Jewish history reveal that to enter a traditional tomb of that time, one had to stoop down and essentially crawl innot walk in and out upright. We know from the disciples that they likely remained in hiding, fearing punishment from the Romans or the Jewish elite. Like anyone who buries a beloved friend, they wouldve been in a state of mourning, likely too shocked to go about their business. The fact that it was the Sabbath meant that the rest of the community wouldve been somewhat quiet, even after the harrowing events of Friday. Holy Saturday is also sometimes known as Easter Vigil. Some churches will hold prayer vigils and light commemorative candles. However, since Holy Saturday technically marks the end of Lent, certain churches take a more joyous approach with the celebratory ringing of bells. At home, some will prepare for the next days Easter celebration. Easter Sunday (April 17, 2022) Finally, we come to one of the most important days on the Christian calendar. The first Easter morning began quietly, not with the fanfare now associated with the holiday. Like Jesus birth, the day involved several unlikely witnesses to a miracle and an appearance and message from an angel. In one Gospel account, two of Jesus female followers arrive at the tomb to pay their respects. Suddenly, an earthquake rattles the ground, and an angel arrives on the scene to calm their fears, remind them of Jesus promise to rise again on the third day, and to tell the other disciples of the good news. Later, Jesus appears to the remaining disciples, further proving His status as the Son of God. Though He suffered from unspeakable wounds on Friday, His body only shows signs of three nail piercings and a spear wound. Easters overwhelming worldwide popularity (even among nominal Christians or non-Christians) means theres no shortage of Sunday festivitiesor beloved foods. Here are several international favorites: Hot cross buns (New Zealand, United Kingdom, etc.) Babka, or bread with raisins (Poland) Colomba de pasqua, a dove-shaped sweet bread (Italy) The events from the end of Jesus life changed the course of history, offering hope to those who now, through faith in His sacrifice, are called children of God. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Coompia77 Anna Oelerich is a Chicago-area church youth director, freelance writer, and graduate of Taylor University. She received her B.S. in Professional Writing in 2018, but has loved wordsreading, storytelling, list-making, and even handwritingfor as long as she can remember. Previously, she served as the marketing and communications coordinator for a community foundation, where she shared powerful stories of generosity, and encouraged others to give. When writing an article, or developing programming for her students, Anna enjoys highlighting the historical and cultural contexts of familiar Bible passages so others feel they are living the stories for themselves. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) With Congress voting to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, President Joe Biden's action to tighten the U.S. squeeze on Russia's economy now can intensify. The action Thursday by the U.S. House and Senate to revoke Moscow's most favored nation" trade status and ban oil imports intensifies the U.S. response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine amid mounting reports of atrocities. Lawmakers showed overwhelming support for action striking at Russias economy, with the two separate bills each passing the Senate 100-0 and garnering near-unanimity in the House. Last month Biden moved, with European and other key allies, to revoke Moscows normal trade status. He also has taken executive action to ban U.S. imports of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal. Also banned are imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds. Biden can now sign the new legislation into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia opens the way for Biden to impose higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures that Moscow ally Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. And the U.S. is cutting the flow the other way, too: It has barred the export of expensive watches, cars, clothing and other luxury American products to Russia. The U.S. revocation of Russia's long-standing most favored trade status was one in a series of economic and financial sanctions that have been leveled against Russia in response to its brutal war against Ukraine that began Feb. 24. By itself, the downgrade of its trade status won't have an immediate far-reaching effect on the Russian economy. But combined with the other sanctions the U.S. and its allies have imposed, the goal is to intensify the pressure on Putin and force a pullback of his Russian forces. A closer look: ___ WHAT IS MOST FAVORED NATION STATUS? The idea behind MFN status is to equalize the trade treatment in tariffs and import quotas for all of a countrys trading partners. Say, for example, that the U.S. levies a 13% tariff on imported leather gloves. MFN status means that gloves imported from France, China, Brazil and Russia would all be taxed at that same rate. MFN status has been a baseline for global trade, ensuring that countries within the World Trade Organization are treated on a similar footing, with some exceptions that allow, for example, preferential treatment for developing countries. Over the years, the U.S. has revoked the MFN status of more than two dozen countries generally for political reasons, with the Cold War bringing the sanction against the then-Soviet Union and other communist countries, for example. With the exception of Cuba and North Korea, the preferred status of those nations was eventually restored. This was done, for example, after the thaw of the Cold War in Eastern Europe and the opening of U.S.-China relations after the visit of President Richard Nixon. With these latest moves, Russia joins the ranks of those two communist countries in lacking MFN status with the U.S. ___ WHAT ABOUT REAL IMPACT VS SYMBOLISM? For the U.S. at least, removing most favored nation status is a mostly symbolic gesture. The U.S. ban that was announced last month on imports of Russian oil, gas and coal already eliminated about 60% of all U.S. imports from Russia. The import bans against alcohol, seafood and diamonds add up to only about $1 billion in revenue, according to White House figures. Russia provided less than 1% of all U.S. vodka imports in December, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and less than 2% of U.S. seafood imports by volume, according to federal statistics. But symbolism can be important in war. In debate on the legislation Thursday, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said innocent Ukrainians were being slaughtered even as lawmakers were meeting. We have no time to waste and must immediately further punish Vladimir Putin," Neal said. Russia's 6-week-old invasion failed to take Ukraine's capital Kyiv quickly, and in the wake of that failure and heavy losses, Russia has shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's foreign minister begged again Thursday for weapons from NATO and the western alliance agreed, spurred into action by atrocities revealed in the wake of the Russian withdrawal from areas around Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said hundreds of bodies of civilians were found, many lying in the street, in towns around Kyiv. ___ DIAMONDS, VODKA, KING CRAB. WHAT ELSE DOES THE U.S. IMPORT FROM RUSSIA? The U.S. buys mostly natural resources from Russia for which existing tariffs are mostly low or zero oil and metals such as palladium, rhodium, uranium and silver bullion. Imports also include chemical products and semi-finished steel products, plywood and, paradoxically, bullets and cartridge shells. Because the imports from Russia are mostly natural resources, they generally will face little to no increase in tariffs as a result of the lost MFN status, Ed Gresser, director for trade and global markets at the left-leaning Progressive Policy Institute, noted in an online posting. To replace the current tariff rates, U.S. buyers of Russian goods would pay import taxes established under a 1930 U.S. law that disrupted trade during the Great Depression. It would still be zero for the metals. But the rates would soar to levels considered punitive for unwrought aluminum, plywood and semi-finished steel, among other products. Continuous sample monitoring without the technical barriers Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc has announced the release of a new Raman spectroscopic analyser for process monitoring for a variety of applications, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyser offers non-destructive and continuous analysis without the need for sample preparation, with rapid system setup and deployment in as little as 15 minutes to generate spectral data on target analytes within seconds. This easy-to-use system is designed to eliminate the complexity of performing Raman spectroscopy measurements, making the technique accessible to all levels of user experience while maintaining high precision and accuracy. The compact system utilises a range of patented probes to maximize the speed and sensitivity of results, enabling fully automated in situ measurements to calculate concentrations in a reaction vessel. The Ramina Process Analyser offers a rapid and easy-to-use alternative to offline manual or automated wet chemistry testing, and is simpler to install and use compared to traditional Raman process monitoring systems. The MoU sets down the guidelines for establishment of integrative medicine unit, joint research and academic activities in various fields of interests in Ayurveda and modern medicine All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India under the Ministry of AYUSH, and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital (VMMC & SJ Hospital) have signed an MoU to develop a unique centre of excellence (CoE) model of Integrative Health Facility in the country for tertiary care. As per the agreement, both AIIA and VMMC & SJ Hospital will jointly work to treat patients using the best of both Ayurveda and Modern Medicine. Under the agreement, the infrastructural space and other requisites to run the centre on a day-to-day basis will be provided by VMMC & SJ Hospital, whereas the technical support including manpower, technical infrastructure, and running of the centre will be managed by AIIA. The expert faculty and staff of both the signees will form a joint committee of integrated medicine to run and establish the model centre. The faculty and students of AIIA and VMMC & SJ Hospital will have access to the facilities of both institutes, subject to their respective rules and regulations with prior permissions as granted by authorities. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain Can't stop hearing about Will Smith and Chris Rock's Oscar incident? Disappointed at Bafana Bafana's performance against France in the friendly? A round-up of the top search queries generated by South Africans based on Google search activity shows that you weren't alone. What is alopecia / what is alopecia disease? What is aphasia? Who is Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini? What is wrong with Zola 7? What is DRS in F1? What is brain haemorrhage? What is ubuntu? What is a computer? What is perjury? How to split the screen on a laptop? DJ Dimplez Shane Warne Bafana Bafana Will Smith Chris Rock France vs South Africa Australia vs Pakistan Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs Women's Cricket World Cup Man City vs Man United South Africa vs Bangladesh The deaths of prominent Hip Hop musician DJ Dimplez and Australian cricketer Shane Warne early on in March dominated the search results. South Africans love of sport was clear with seven of the top ten search terms for sporting fixtures and events. The Womens Cricket World Cup ranked eighth on the list, after the South African womens cricket team kept the country on the edge of their seats throughout the series.The top two searched questions were both health-related questions linked to celebrities in the news. Following the Oscar slap incident, people turned to Google for more information on alopecia, the hair loss condition that actress Jada Pinkett Smith has been diagnosed with. People also sought out more information on aphasia, after actor Bruce Williss family announced he would quit acting after being diagnosed with the condition which affects the ability to speak, read and write.Heres what South Africans wanted to know in March:Search trends information is gathered from data collated by Google based on what South Africans have been searching for. Google processes more than 40,000 search queries every second. This translates to more than a billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.Top searches indicate searches that topped Googles charts while Most searched queries are the most popular terms for the past 15 years, ranked in order by volume of searches. LiveGoogle search trends data is available at https://www.google.co.za/trends/hottrends#pn=p40 Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, a Zimbabwe-born novelist and filmmaker, has won a Windham Campbell Prize, the prestigious literary award administered by Yale University. Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu is both a chronicler and a conjurer whose soaring imagination creates a Zimbabwean past made of anguish and hope, of glory and despair: the story of the generations born at the crossroads of a countrys history, the judges said.Ndlovu is the third author published by Penguin Random House South Africa to win this major prize, together with Zoe Wicomb (2013) and Ivan Vladislavic (2015).Instituted in 2013, the Windham Campbell Prize is a global English-language award that calls attention to literary achievement and provides writers with the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns. Prize-winners receive an unrestricted grant of $165,000. Eight prizes were awarded, with two recipients in each of the following categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Drama. The other recipient of the Fiction prize is Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga.Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu is a Zimbabwean filmmaker and scholar, as well as the author of two critically acclaimed novels,(2020) and(2018)., which won the 2019Fiction Prize, fuses a range of histories and registers into a distinctive, moving and provocative tale. A richly textured meditation on colonial history and civil war,is also a magical realist novel and a sweeping multi-generational family saga.In her second novel,, Ndlovu continues to explore nationhood and personhood, charting the violently destructive effects ofsettler-colonialism on both. It was shortlisted for the 2021Fiction Prize. The final instalment in the trilogy,, will be published by Penguin in September 2022.Says Ndlovu, This is such a wonderful and great honour, one I will be thankful for the rest of my life. To be awarded the same prize as writers whose work I genuinely admire is just so amazing and beyond believable. What the Windham Campbell Prize continues to do for writers around the world, and for African writers in particular, is truly phenomenal. The University of Johannesburg will host the newly established South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Extramural Research Unit, known as the Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research Unit (Pacer). Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya Launching an effectiveness implementation trial of a package of HIV/PMTCT/SRH prevention and treatment interventions for mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 and sustaining health service utilisation among female sex workers in South Africa Harnessing Big Heterogeneous Data to evaluate the potential impact of HIV responses among key populations in generalised epidemic settings in Sub-Saharan Africa This is all thanks to UJs Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya, who has been awarded a SAMRC Extramural Research Unit for her outstanding scientific stature as a researcher.The SAMRC/UJ Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research will have its primary focus on conducting epidemiological and public health studies with specific focus on heterogeneities in disease risk, differential impacts of pandemics (both direct and indirect impacts) and addressing competing health risks and tailored interventions.It will also be an opportunity to carry out cutting-edge Pan African and global research on epidemics of HIV and AIDS and Covid-19 among marginalised populations in diverse low-resource settings in South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and globally.This is the first ever SAMRC Extramural Research Unit hosted by the University of Johannesburg. Phaswana-Mafuya will serve as the Director of the Unit.In congratulating Phaswana-Mafuya for the award, SAMRC vice president: extramural research & internal, Portfolio Liesl Zuhlke, said: We trust you will continue to provide excellent leadership for the new Unit to achieve exceptional research performance and output.Commenting on the appointment, Phaswana-Mafuya said it would fulfil her broader vision to change, transform and impact lives in these pandemic times, as shared in her recently published book,I am humbled to pioneer the establishment of the first ever SAMRC/UJ Extramural Unit. Specifically, my vision is to see more women scientists. I see more public health innovations, improved health outcomes, improved quality of life, and huge social development.The current studies include:Phaswana-Mafuya is already working on Pacer plans, grant applications and hosting international collaborators. Creative Director Remuneration: cost-to-company Location: Johannesburg Job level: Management (Snr - Executive, 5+ yrs) Type: Permanent Company: VMLY&R South Africa Job description Be a highly creative as well as strategic thinker Build strong relationships with clients to become their most valuable strategic and creative partner Lead the studio, and drive the work by generating ideas, guiding creative teams, developing concepts and executing work to polished completion Present and sell ideas both internally and to clients Collaborate with client service, production and media in a constructive way that builds the work. Maintain high standards of creative excellence and attention to detail Creatively lead both large scale integrated projects as well as ongoing retainer-based work You should always be aware of the latest digital and technology trends You should have a thorough understanding of the production process and collaborating with production partners across sound, photography and film Collaborating well with your team and other departments is a given. You will work closely with the most senior teams and departments in VML SA, and will form part of the Johannesburg agencys leadership team Requirements Minimum of four years of experience as a creative director A killer portfolio of award-winning work Strong copywriting for a variety of media An interest in and awareness of emerging trends in technology and advertising Ability to inspire ground-breaking, innovative and culturally relevant creative ideas Relevant degree/diploma Were looking for a special kind of creative director to join our Johannesburg team. Youll be leading the small studio that managed to produce the work that has taken VMLY&R South Africa from a small digital agency to an integrated agency.Our creative team is super-talented, and in need of a strong leader, who can inspire, guide, push and grow them. If youre it, and you have a mild disdain for traditional advertising and want to create unconventional work that matters, then get in touch.VMLY&R is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability status Posted on 07 Apr 14:04, Closing date 6 Jun Account Executive Remuneration: negotiable to be discussed Location: Cape Town, Eden on the Bay, Bloubergstrand Remote work: Not Applicable Education level: Diploma Job level: Junior/Mid Type: Permanent Company: Paddington Station PR Job description Manage and execute PR plans, projects, campaigns and events within a team environment on allotted clients Work with the social media managers to ensure that content meets the tone of the brands while still being coherent. Manage deadlines and timelines of monthly projects Brief service providers thoroughly and manage deliverables. Manage the compilation of feedback reports before submission to client service director for sign off Administrative matters Monthly PR reports Keep clients abreast daily of developments and activities Dissemination of press releases, follow-ups and content pitching Content plans for social media Activations and event management within a team environment Manage Influencers Requirements A degree or diploma in PR (or related fields) A minimum of one year in a PR agency environment or similar Project management experience is a bonus. Understanding of digital landscape a bonus An amazing grasp for the English language Thorough understanding of the influencer landscape Team player with a positive attitude Committed to succeeding for their clients Understand the pressures that can sometimes come with tight deadlines and consumer campaigns Disciplined to manage deliverables and not be micro-managed Must be a problem-solver Sense of humor a big bonus! Most importantly must be present! Bring your energy, your talent, your noise, your mind and your crazy ideas! Paddington Station PR is a 10-year-old award-winning PR and communications agency. Our focus is primarily in the consumer sector and our client base consists of both local and global brands.The agency has full digital capabilities and manages turnkey communication solutions and strategies for most of its clients.Were looking for an Account Executive to join our team. In this exciting role you will work alongside a team of communication individuals who thrive to always put their best foot forward in everything they do and accomplish. Our space is an environment to learn, grow, be creative and contribute to amazing campaigns that deliver impact.Posted on 07 Apr 13:55, Closing date 6 Jun U.S. 'intelligence' folks tell their stenographers at NBC News that their obvious lies are obvious lies. That announced 'break with the past' of faking 'intelligence' happened when? How 'rock solid' was the 'intelligence' about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction or chemical weapons attacks in Douma, Syria? U.S. 'intelligence', then and now, is pure imagination for the purpose of deceiving the U.S. and 'western' public about the reality of this or that conflict: It was an attention-grabbing assertion that made headlines around the world: U.S. officials said they had indications suggesting Russia might be preparing to use chemical agents in Ukraine. President Joe Biden later said it publicly. But three U.S. officials told NBC News this week there is no evidence Russia has brought any chemical weapons near Ukraine. They said the U.S. released the information to deter Russia from using the banned munitions. Unlike the U.S. Russia no longer has any 'banned munitions': The OPCWs inspection teams have verified the destruction at seven chemical weapons destruction facilities in the Russian Federation. On 27 September 2017, the last of these facilities, located in Kizner, officially concluded its operations. With the total elimination of Russias declared chemical weapons programme, 96.3 per cent of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. That is why the U.S. 'intelligence' claim of a potential use of Russian chemical weapons was obvious nonsense from the get go: Its one of a string of examples of the Biden administrations breaking with recent precedent by deploying declassified intelligence as part of an information war against Russia. The administration has done so even when the intelligence wasnt rock solid, officials said, to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin off balance. Coordinated by the White House National Security Council, the unprecedented intelligence releases have been so frequent and voluminous, officials said, that intelligence agencies had to devote more staff members to work on the declassification process, scrubbing the information so it wouldnt betray sources and methods. Sure, devote more people for the 'declassification process' of creating mere fantasies or for the the reproduction of public sources: Just this week, national security adviser Jake Sullivan stood at the White House podium and read out what officials said was more declassified intelligence, asserting that Russias pullout from areas around Kyiv wasnt a retreat but a strategic redeployment that signals a significant assault on eastern and southern Ukraine, one that U.S. officials believe could be a protracted and bloody fight. That 'declassified intelligence' Sullivan read out was the copy of a public announcement the Ministry of Defense of Russia had made on March 30: Planned regrouping of troops in Kiev and Chernigov directions is underway. The first stage of the special military operation conducted by the Russian Armed Forces in Donbas and Ukraine was planned to force the enemy to concentrate its forces, means, resources and military equipment to hold on to high populated areas in these directions, including Kiev. To bring them down on the battlefield and, without storming these cities to avoid civilian casualties, inflict such a defeat on the armed formations of the Kiev regime that it would not be able to use these forces in the main direction of our Armed Forces in Donbass. All these goals have been met. At the same time, the Russian army also solved another task, namely - in the absence of an inflow of fresh enemy forces from the western and central regions of Ukraine, through professional military action, using the absolute air dominance it had gained, also using modern high-precision weapons - to create all the necessary conditions for the final stage of the operation to liberate the People's Republics of Donbass. ... Thus, all the main tasks of the Russian Armed Forces in Kiev and Chernigov directions have been completed. The objective of the regrouping of the Russian Armed Forces is to intensify action in priority areas and, above all, to complete the operation for the total liberation of Donbass. To claim that official public announcement by the Russian military are 'declassified intelligence' is of course bullshit. But NBC News stenographers won't tell you that. Instead we get more of this nonsense: Multiple U.S. officials acknowledged that the U.S. has used information as a weapon even when confidence in the accuracy of the information wasnt high. Sometimes it has used low-confidence intelligence for deterrent effect, as with chemical agents, and other times, as an official put it, the U.S. is just trying to get inside Putins head. Does anyone believe that Putin gives a f*** about U.S. 'intelligence' claims? No: Some officials believe, however, that trying to get into Putins head is a meaningless exercise, because he will do what he wants regardless. ... The biggest success of the U.S. information offensive may have been delaying the invasion itself by weeks or months, which officials believe they did with accurate predictions that Russia intended to attack, based on definitive intelligence. Those 'accurate predictions' included the false claims that Russia would invade the Ukraine on February 11, February 14 and February 16: In fact, Russia had not decided to invade Ukraine at that time. The decision was most likely made after February 19, after the Ukrainian military had intensified its bombardment of Donbas and after the Ukrainian president Zelinsky had threatened to acquire nuclear weapons: Starting in mid February the OSCE observers around Donbas noted in their daily reports a strong increase in ceasefire violation and explosions. bigger Most of the violations came from the Ukrainian site and the explosions of the fired shells and missile happened on Donbas held grounds. On February 19, at the hight of the fire, Zelensky gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference. He prominently mentioned the Budapest Memorandum under which the Ukraine had given up the nuclear weapons it had inherited from the USSR: ".. Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt." One of the package decisions Ukraine took in 1994 was the entering of Ukraine into the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Russia understood Zelensky's remark in Munich as a threat by Ukraine to acquire nuclear weapons. It already has the expertise, materials and means to do that. A fascist controlled government with nukes on Russia's border? This is not about Putin at all. No Russian government of any kind could ever condone that. I believe that this credible threat, together with the artillery preparations for a new war on Donbas, was what convinced Russia's government to intervene by force. The Russian military operation was clearly provoked. It started on February 24, months after U.S. 'intelligence' had falsely warned of an 'imminent' attack, eight days AFTER Ukrainian artillery preparations to attack Donbas had begun, five days AFTER Zelinsky's nuclear speech and two days AFTER the U.S. and its allies had implemented unprecedented sanctions against Russia. NBC News, as well as other western outlets, allow themselves to be abused by presenting U.S. 'intelligence' claims they know are outright lies: Game or not, U.S. intelligence officials say it has been successful. Intelligence is rarely definitive, and Biden officials have calculated in some cases that its better to pre-empt something that might not happen, rather than stay silent and watch it unfold. It doesnt have to be solid intelligence when we talk about it, a U.S. official said. Its more important to get out ahead of them Putin specifically before they do something. Its preventative. We dont always want to wait until the intelligence is 100 percent certainty that they are going to do something. We want to get out ahead to stop them. Edged on by the 'intelligence' community the 'western' media 'get ahead' and produce one lie after the other. Here they are, reporting on some scruffy cat in Bucha, a town that had seen five weeks of intense front-line fighting. The recently sensationalized mass graves in Bucha were of its Volkssturm 'civilian defenders' and of Russian soldiers deceased there. They were dug on March 12 and had nothing to do with the recent pull back of Russian forces. Some carefully filmed bodies in the streets of Bucha have likely been casualties of weeks old Ukrainian artillery strikes. Others bound and killed there, likely by Ukrainian Azov fascists, were wearing white arm bands identifying them as neutral to Russian forces. Only rarely do we get insight from 'western' media of what the people on the ground in Ukraine really feel: 8:58 6 Apr - In eastern Ukraine, some don't blame Putin for the war Jonathan Beale, BBC News, Donbas We visited the town of Lysychansk, about a mile from the front line. It's one of many residential areas to have been hit by Russian artillery over the past few days. ... A Ukrainian soldier led us through the mostly-deserted streets to an underground shelter. Inside in a gloomy room we talked to two old women, who were trying to keep warm in front of an electric fire. We asked them who they thought was responsible for shelling their town - astonishingly, neither blamed Russia or President Vladimir Putin. They thought their grim situation was as much the fault of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Whenever such rare reality reports, like the above or this one, come out, they get buried in an overwhelming stream of 'intelligence' bullshit and pro-war propaganda: A video posted online on Monday and verified by The New York Times appears to show a group of Ukrainian soldiers killing captured Russian troops outside a village west of Kyiv. Hes still alive. Film these marauders. Look, hes still alive. Hes gasping, a man says as a Russian soldier with a jacket pulled over his head, apparently wounded, is seen still breathing. A soldier then shoots the man twice. After the man keeps moving, the soldier shoots him again, and he stops. At least three other apparent Russian soldiers, including one with an obvious head wound who has his hands tied behind his back, can be seen dead near the victim. All are wearing camouflage, and three have white arm bands commonly worn by Russian troops. Equipment is scattered around them and there are blood stains near each mans head. For every atrocity Ukrainian troops and militia commit U.S. 'intelligence' will create five or more fairy tales of 'Russian atrocities' which the media, well knowing that such claims are likely false, will lap up and repeat. The only advice one can give in such a situation is to always assume that it is the exact opposite of what any 'intelligence' claims that is actually happening. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Hungary's PM proposes Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks in Budapest Xinhua) 08:56, April 07, 2022 BUDAPEST, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to a summit meeting in Budapest to make progress toward an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. "I suggested to President Putin that he should announce a ceasefire immediately," Orban told an international press conference following his landslide victory in the April 3 general elections, which secured him a fourth consecutive term as the country's leader. Orban said that he spoke on the phone with Putin, who called him Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his election victory. "I know (the ceasefire) is not going to happen by itself, so I invited Putin, the presidents of Ukraine and France, and the German chancellor to Budapest, the sooner the better," Orban said. The aim of the summit would be an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. "They should hold talks here in Budapest with one goal: not yet peace negotiations, which would take a longer time, but an agreement on an immediate ceasefire." He also said that Hungary is so "obsessed" with peace because more than 200,000 ethnic Hungarians live in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region and Budapest has a "primary responsibility" for their lives. Asked to respond to the proposal by certain EU member states that the sanctions on Russia's energy sector should be extended, Orban said, "Poland has a large seashore. If they so want, they can harbor tankers with huge amounts of oil and gas, and can make do without Russian imports." However, Hungary is a landlocked country, and it only has "pipelines, which are where they are, we cannot move them, so on this issue we disagree with our Polish friends." Orban added that Hungary is ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles if necessary, unlike other European Union countries, which have rejected Moscow's request. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Du Mingming) WINNIPEG - Manitoba's chief public health officer says there are increasing signs of COVID-19 transmission, but severe outcomes from the virus appear to have plateaued and there are no plans to reimpose public restrictions. Advertisement Advertise With Us Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba chief public health officer, speaks during the province's latest COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg Wednesday, December 16, 2020. Manitoba's chief public health officer says there are signs of increasing COVID-19 transmission, but severe outcomes have plateaued. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - Manitoba's chief public health officer says there are increasing signs of COVID-19 transmission, but severe outcomes from the virus appear to have plateaued and there are no plans to reimpose public restrictions. Analysis of wastewater in Winnipeg indicates the virus is spreading at a higher rate, Dr. Brent Roussin said Thursday. New hospitalization figures show 141 people were admitted with the virus last week an increase of 30 from the previous week. Most of the recent patients are people who are 80 or older. Roussin said other metrics, such as the number of people in intensive care units, have stabilized and are forecast to remain that way or drop slowly. "We are seeing a decrease in the more severe outcomes such as ICU and death," he said. Hospitals continue to be strained by the pandemic. Many patients have been moved to different parts of the province to free up bed space, and the number of people in intensive care, including non-COVID-19 cases, is still above normal pre-pandemic capacity. The Opposition New Democrats said it is too early for the government to assume the pandemic is winding down. "There is an unsustainable burden on our health-care system as a direct result of COVID," health critic Uzoma Asagwara said. The NDP also criticized the reduced amount of data the government is releasing about the pandemic. Bulletins and online data updates have been cut to once a week and public data no longer includes details such as the size of outbreaks at hospitals or care homes. Roussin, in his first news conference in three weeks, said frequent, detailed data is not needed. "At some point we have to transition away from that intense data reporting to (reporting) less frequently," he said. "We've been at this for two years. We've had, at points, daily updates ... this is a virus that is going to be around for a while and we're going to transition the way we're reporting on it." Nor is Manitoba looking at reinstating an indoor mask mandate, which was lifted last month, Roussin said. The New Democrats said more data is needed. "Manitobans are making clear every single day that they want the data, they want the information, so that they can make informed decisions," Asagwara said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. A Brandon employment agency is creating a pre-employment program after receiving $214,500 from a provincial initiative to create Employment and Income Assistance projects. Advertisement Advertise With Us A Brandon employment agency is creating a pre-employment program after receiving $214,500 from a provincial initiative to create Employment and Income Assistance projects. On Tuesday, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced $2.65 million in total funding for EIA programming in an effort to help single parents rejoin the workforce. "Our goal in a transformation of the Employment and Income Assistance program is to ensure that every client can be guided on a clear path toward greater independence and more fulfilling lives," Squires said in a Winnipeg Free Press report. Of the $2.65 million, $1.3 million is going toward a two-year extension for the Single Parent Employment program at Winnipeg-based organization Opportunities for Employment. Another $850,000 is going to Winnipeg-based social services organization Taking Charge! to provide personal development and pre-employment readiness programming. The remaining $500,000 is going to two programs in Thompson and one in Brandon. The Brandon beneficiary of some of those funds is Career Connections. Executive director Tracy Williams told the Sun on Wednesday her organization already operates employment programs for adults with disabilities, but the province approached her to start a pre-employment program for the general population receiving EIA. The program will help participants develop resumes as well as practical and interview skills with hands-on learning relevant to various job sectors. "In food processing, for example, first there are levels one to six in terms of difficulty," Williams said. "The first one, theyll learn how to wrap a cheeseburger the last [level], they learn how to make a cheesecake." There will also be lessons relating to jobs like woodworking and information technology. Ultimately, the goal is to connect participants with employers for work placements once theyve completed their lessons. "My goal is to find lots of people work, give them the skills they need to find the job and keep the job, and well do follow-ups with them as well." The initial proposal, according to Williams, was that Career Connections would accommodate 65 people in the program this year. However, she said she typically surpasses the outcomes she sets with the province and is hoping she could help up to 100 people in 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams said a lot of people on EIA ended up qualifying for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit. Now that CERB has been phased out, many of those people are back on EIA. She hopes the program will help people find work and reduce the amount of EIA the province has to pay out. After wanting to run a program like this for 15 years, Williams is excited to "help individuals in our community prosper and find their self-worth." If all goes well, the program will be up and running by May 1. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com, cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @KyleDarbyson, @ColinSlark OTTAWA - The RCMP is collecting evidence of alleged war crimes in Ukraine from people fleeing to Canada following Russia's invasion of their country. Advertisement Advertise With Us A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. The RCMP is collecting evidence of alleged war crimes in Ukraine from people fleeing to Canada following Russia's invasion of their country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Felipe Dana OTTAWA - The RCMP is collecting evidence of alleged war crimes in Ukraine from people fleeing to Canada following Russia's invasion of their country. The investigation by the Mounties has been launched through the federal war crimes program to ensure important information and evidence is gathered from Ukrainians who wish to provide it upon arrival. The RCMP and federal partners are setting up a website to let Ukrainians know how they can share information about possible war crimes they have witnessed during Russia's attack. In a statement Thursday, the government said details on the effort will also be available starting this week at Canada's main international airports, and through non-governmental organizations and community groups providing assistance to Ukrainians. Officials say information about possible crimes must be collected and protected at the earliest opportunity, to ensure it is not lost with the passage of time and to preserve crucial evidence for future prosecutions. Canada has already dispatched RCMP officers to The Hague to assist the International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes by Russia. Associated Press journalists have reported seeing dozens of bodies in Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Federal officials said Ukrainians and anyone with a Canadian connection who has information about potential war crimes can provide it to the RCMP through the new dedicated website. The RCMP is seeking information about acts of violence in Ukraine since Feb. 24 of this year and in Crimea or the Donbas region since 2014. An RCMP investigator might follow up to provide a secure means of sharing potential evidence, including photos and videos. "Sharing this information is the individual's choice and will not have any impact on their immigration status in Canada. It will be safeguarded by the RCMP and only used for investigative purposes and criminal prosecutions," the government said. Canada will ensure that those perpetrating war crimes in Ukraine are held accountable, added Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. "Canadians have watched in horror as the Putin regime has killed innocent people, targeted civilian infrastructure like hospitals and wantonly disregarded all international rules and norms. There must be consequences for these illegal and immoral acts." The G7 issued a joint statement on Thursday affirming the importance of the ICC to gather evidence in a war crimes investigation, and it also affirmed similar investigations by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. "We underscore that those responsible for war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, including the indiscriminate use of force or attacks intentionally targeting civilians, must be held accountable and brought to justice," the group said. The G7 also vowed to continue exerting economic pressure on Russia to isolate it further from the global economy, including more sanctions on the rich enablers of President Vladimir Putin and Russian state-owned entities. "President Putins war of aggression is causing global economic disruptions. Its impact on Ukraines internationally significant agriculture sector places global food security under severe strain, for which President Putin and his accomplices bear the full responsibility," the statement said. Thursday's federal budget also addressed the global economic uncertainty that has been unleashed by the Russian war on Ukraine. "Putin and his henchmen are war criminals. The world's democracies, including our own, can be safe only once the Russian tyrant and his armies are entirely vanquished," said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister, during her budget speech to the House of Commons. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. With files from The Associated Press Consumers should not eat these products and can return them to the place of purchase for a full refund, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand said. The products have been sold at Coles, Woolworths, Target, Kmart, Big W, IGA and petrol stations, instore and online. Kinder chocolate Easter eggs are being recalled over fears of salmonella. Photo: Facebook Credit:Facebook Ferrero Australia Pty Ltd has ordered Kinder Easter Basket 120 grams (6 x 20g), Kinder Mini Eggs Hazelnut 100 grams, Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 grams and Kinder Surprise Maxi - Natoons 100 grams be recalled. Kinder Surprise chocolate Easter eggs are being recalled in Australia over fears of salmonella contamination. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to chocolate products that has been evolving in seven European countries and Britain. Since Tuesday, 134 cases have been reported, mainly among children younger than 10. The first case was identified in Britain on January 7. In a media release on Wednesday, the agency said the outbreak caused an unusually high proportion of children being hospitalised, with some experiencing severe symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea. Based on interviews with patients and initial analytical epidemiological studies, specific chocolate products have been identified as the likely route of infection, the agency said. Product recalls have been launched in several countries to date, including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the UK, to prevent the consumption of products potentially contaminated with salmonella. The ASX 200 broke its losing streak on Friday but it was not enough to see the index finish in the black for the week which saw tech, consumer discretionary stocks and miners take a hit as global markets fretted over hawkish language from the US Fed. The ASX 200 closed 0.5 per cent higher on Friday, up 35.2 points to 7478 as mining stocks rebounded from a 3 day losing streak. Market heavyweight BHP rose 1.7 per cent after the proposed sale of its energy assets to Woodside was given the green light by an independent expert. Both Australian and global markets were rattled this week by hawkish language from the US Fed and worries aggressive tightening could trigger a recession in the US. Woodside Petroleum will double its size upon acquiring BHPs oil and gas division. Credit:Glenn Campbell Saxo Markets strategist Jessica Amir said a yield curve inversion this month flagged the possibility of recessionary conditions occurring in the next 18 months. We think there will be a slowdown in consumption and that could cause GDP [in the US] to contract, Ms Amir said. But she was among analysts who dont think the Australian economy is at risk. Whats keeping Australia humming along is that our commodities are increasingly being called upon and in demand, she said. Russel Chesler, head of investments and capital markets at VanEck, said commodity prices will remain elevated and could push the Australian dollar up to 80 cents in the next six months. Platinum Asset Management led the declines on Friday, dropping as much as 16 per cent to a record low of $1.86 after it reported that funds under management dropped $1.5 billion as investors walked out the door. It also reported negative returns across almost all of its funds for the year. Shares of uranium group Paladin Energy, soared as much as 14 per cent after the UK Government unveiled plans for a significant boost to its nuclear power generation. Graincorp also showed why commodities have powered Australias sharemarket back near record highs recently with yet another earnings upgrade due to stronger global demand for Australian grain, and good conditions for the upcoming winter crop thanks to La Nina. And real estate agent John McGrath has been reappointed to the chief executive role at McGrath Ltd. The real estate agency listed in 2015 at $2.10 a share and is currently trading around the 50c mark. Run Rose Run, Dolly Parton & James Patterson, Century, $32.99 Credit: Veteran crime writer James Patterson teams up with Dolly Parton for Run Rose Run, a country & western-themed thriller to be published in tandem with Partons album of the same name. The book opens with AnnieLee Keyes, a diminutive young woman with a huge voice whos hitchhiking to Nashville, fleeing a dangerous mess of some kind. When she sings of her woes at a club before slinking off to sleep rough, she gets noticed by Ethan Blake, a rugged veteran of the war in Afghanistan with connections to the music industry. He alerts his boss, the formidable Ruthanna Ryder a larger-than-life figure clearly based on Parton herself to AnnieLees talent, and a star is born but not before her past catches up with her and a violent showdown ensues. A silly fairy tale sporting a thrillerish gloss, Run Rose Run makes no claim to be anything other than escapist fun for country music lovers. The Clone Kid, Caroline de Costa, Clandestine Press, $24.99 Credit: Caroline de Costa has written a sci-fi novel imagining the possibilities and the perils of human cloning. A Sydney couple, doctors Malcolm and Margaret Gledhill, are bereft when their son Simon dies in a car accident. What would happen if they could clone their dead son? It both helps and hinders the story that the author is an obstetrician and gynaecologist. One of the books strong points is its acerbic insiders view of the current human use of reproductive technologies: de Costas novel reflects on the people who seek them; it gives a fly-on-the-wall account of the medical professionals who deliver them. One of its weaknesses is that de Costa injects too much science jargon into the mix, labouring the narrative. Still, The Clone Kid is ambitious science fiction a philosophical allegory as well as a medical satire that flirts smartly with some literary devices from its forebear, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK Sounds Wild & Broken, David George Haskell, Black Inc, $34.99 Credit: We tend not to think of sound as fragile. Yet as David Haskell highlights in this poetic celebration of our acoustic environment, the sonic diversity of the earth is under threat in the same way that many ecosystems are. Habitat destruction and human noise are the primary forces impoverishing the sensory world. Haskell begins with the first living sounds on earth generated by bacteria, which sent out infinitesimally quiet murmurs, sighs and purrs into their watery surroundings. Nothing could be heard, however, until the emergence of cilia, the tiny hairs all animals use to sense aural vibrations. As he explores the evolution of sound and communication, Haskell expands our sensory universe by taking us into unfamiliar aural terrain beneath the surface of marshes, oceans and caves, attuning our ears and minds to the sonic riches that could be lost if we dont act to preserve them. Reckoning, David Hill, Penguin, $34.99 Credit: Britain, says David Hill, is the only country in history to have exported large numbers of its children. This damning opening sets the scene for a poignant, Dickensian tale about the shipping of underprivileged children to the colonies to improve their prospects in life and relieve the mother country of a burden and a menace. Hill, who became chairman and managing director of the ABC, was one of these children. In Reckoning he focuses on the Fairbridge Farm School at Molong, where he was sent, testifying to the harsh conditions and abuse suffered by children there. While the pain remains just below the surface for many of the survivors, their activism resulted in powerful institutions, including governments, being held to account. As gut-wrenching a journey as it has been for Hill, he takes heart that hopefully we have learnt to hear, listen to, and believe, our children. This Is the Canon: Decolonize Your Bookshelf in 50 Books, Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne and Kadija Sesay, Greenfinch, $32.99 Credit: Im afraid my bookshelf needs decolonising if measured against the literary canon proposed here. But as the authors point out, there is no such thing as a definitive canon, despite the narrow selection of works mostly by white men served up in English Literature courses for much of the 20th century. This project to democratise the canon introduces diverse fiction from around the globe, offering a summary of each work and an overview of its significance within the culture from which it emerged. From Elaine Changs Love in a Fallen City and Other Stories about the sexual politics that underpinned marriage and concubinage in 1940s China, to Alexis Wrights dystopic, allegorical novel The Swan, which weaves a narrative of linguistic exquisiteness with trenchant critique of post-colonial Australia, this selection provides a refreshing alternative to the usual suspects. The body of a 68-year-old man was found in a submerged van in floodwaters in Sydneys south-west on Friday morning, police say. Officers with assistance from PolAir, police divers and the NSW SES retrieved the body in Cobbity just before 1pm on Friday. He is yet to be formally identified. A police helicopter at Cobbitty where a mans body has been located in a vehicle after being washed away in floodwaters. Credit:Nick Moir The white van in which the man was found remains stuck in floodwaters. No further information is available at this time, a statement from NSW Police said. Throughout her 34-year career at the helm of American Vogue, Anna Wintour has gathered more titles than the Queen, and weathered almost as many controversies. Installed as editor-in-chief in 1988, she has risen to become parent company Conde Nasts artistic director, global editorial director and global chief content officer, as well as being awarded a damehood in 2017. In the capricious world of fashion, where fortunes rise and fall like hemlines, Wintours survival skills are legendary. Wintours frosty demeanour, love of fur and dextrous way of avoiding being eliminated by circumstances that would end most peoples careers are more than a little reminiscent of a cat. Credit:Getty Images Why has she remained at the pinnacle for so long? Firstly, she is both dedicated to and good at her job: you dont get to stay at the top without this being a given. Secondly, she is surrounded by a loyal team built up over decades, with Conde Nasts board of directors continuing to support her. Thirdly, and most pertinently, she is adroit at adapting: or at least, at seeming to adapt, positioning herself on the right side of history. Like all good editors, Anna is interested in everything, says Australian journalist Jo Elvin, who edited Conde Nast title Glamour between 2001 and 2017. I remember when she put Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover of Vogue in 2014. Some shook their fists at the move... but she rolled with the times and where peoples fascinations lay. Thats what keeps her in the game. Ken West, the founder of one of Australias most popular music festivals, has died at the age of 64. In a statement, Wests family confirmed the creator and promoter of the Big Day Out festival died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning. Big Day Out founder and promoter Ken West. We bring unfortunate news that Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of the 7th April, 2022, the statement read. Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully. What exactly was the point? The wasted years locked up in hotel rooms, behind tinted windows that wouldnt open to let in fresh air and sunlight. People growing paler, sicker and more broken. Refugees stand behind tinted windows at Carltons Park Hotel in Melbourne. Credit:Diego Fedele/Getty Images One man, Ismail Hussain, said he spent his days at Melbournes Park Hotel lying on his bed. He took sleeping tablets day and night to make the time pass more quickly. On Thursday, this ugly era at the Park Hotel finished, its eight remaining refugees released into the community. Another 12 refugees were released from detention in other centres around the country, including six in Brisbane. Twenty-thousand lives a year. Thats how many women could be saved each year by a powder developed at Monash University. Monash University has been ranked as the worlds top university in pharmacy and pharmacology. From left to right: Professor Chris Langmead, Professor Arthur Christopoulos, Professor Margaret Gardner and Professor Chris Porter. Credit:Justin McManus The powder will allow lifesaving oxytocin to be given to women who experience postpartum haemorrhages, one of the leading causes of death during childbirth in parts of the world where refrigerated injections of the drug are not accessible. The development of the oxytocin powder is just one of the reasons the university has been recognised as the worlds best in pharmacy and pharmacology. It is the first time an Australian university has topped the list and follows a second-place ranking last year. Attendees at the Roseville branch of the Liberal Partys next Northern Sydney Conservative Forum have got an upgrade. Previously your columnists brought you news that the good burghers were set to hear from climate sceptic Ian Plimer, visiting fellow traveller Benny Peiser and Sky After Dark host Rowan Dean for a scintillating discussion of the energy crisis. Eric Abetz and Brian Marlowe. Credit:John Shakespeare But branch president George Szabo has thrown in a freebie. Guests at the charming Roseville Golf Club later this month will also be treated to remarks from hard right activist Matthew Camenzuli, there to speak about his (thus far unsuccessful) legal challenge to the selection of Liberal candidates by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and former federal party president Christine McDiven. Alas, even that wasnt enough to lure another political heavy hitter to attend. Politics is a game of impressions, not evidence. Thats especially so on questions of character and skullduggery such as those arrowing the Prime Ministers way about his treatment of Michael Towke in a 2007 preselection contest. Voters are not judges, soberly sifting through sworn statements and dispassionately assessing the credibility of each witness. Often, as in the Towke case, they are presented with little more than blunt allegations and equally blunt denials. The public has no forensic way of adjudicating on it, even if it had the interest to do so. An impressionistic judgment is really all thats left. Michael Towke (inset) accused Scott Morrison of racial vilification in a Liberal Party ballot more than a decade ago. Credit:Jon Reid, Rhett Wyman In the Towke case, that presents difficulties for Morrison. The central charge is icky: that he was involved in a racially charged smear campaign against Towke, telling Liberal preselectors they should reject him as a candidate because hes Lebanese, and (wrongly) rumoured to be a Muslim. But thats not Morrisons real problem. His real problem is that the charge now sounds familiar. It immediately recalls those media reports, refreshed this week, of Morrison suggesting to the Liberal Party room in 2011 that it should exploit anti-Muslim sentiment to question multiculturalism, and the inability of Muslims to integrate. In both these cases, Morrisons denials could hardly be more vehement. For him, they are repugnant lies or malicious slurs by disgruntled colleagues grinding their own political axes. Im voting for ScoMo, Sandilands told listeners on March 15, only to walk back the comment after Albanese turned up to the studio in person a week later, stuck around for 40 mins on air and took questions from callers. Whats not to like about Albo? Sandilands declared, saying perhaps his support for Morrison had been misjudged. As Morrison and Albanese prepare to fight an election campaign on character, trust and leadership, they have intensified their media schedules in an effort to court every last vote among the disengaged, uninterested or undecided. With the election expected to be called any day, the latest Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for this masthead, has Labor leading 38 per cent to 34 per cent on the primary vote. The votes both parties are hunting are the one in five people who are yet to make up their mind, with the Resolve survey of 1618 eligible voters last week finding 21 per cent remain uncommitted. In their sights are the so-called ordinary Australians the suburban mums and dads who have the TV running in the morning as the kids get ready for school, the tradies on the road by 7am with the radio up and the younger voters tuning in to FM for the top 40 hits. Both leaders are beaming regularly into Australian lounge rooms courtesy of breakfast shows Sunrise on Seven and Nines Today, watched by around a quarter of a million people in capital cities each day and at least 100,000 more in the regions. Today co-host Karl Stefanovic says hes noticed Morrison making a concerted effort over the past six months to strike a more empathetic tone in interviews. To a degree, hes been successful at that, but to a large degree it still comes across as if hes trying to sound empathetic, Stefanovic says. Albanese, he says, is a different commodity to the jocular politician who used to appear in the weekly Pyne v Albo segment alongside then Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne. Albo and Pyne in their heyday was as good as it gets in terms of political talent, Stefanovic says. Albo was a dude that really shot from the hip and was an everyday fella. Now hes trying to not make a mistake, whereas before he used to revel in mistakes. When you look at both [Morrison and Albanese], one of them is trying to show more empathy and showing theyre connecting to people because theyve been accused of not connecting in the past. Whereas the other one was definitely connected in the past and is showing less now than they did years ago. Nine Entertainment Co publishes this masthead and owns Nine radio, whose stable includes AM talkback stations 2GB in Sydney, Melbournes 3AW, Perths 6PR and Brisbanes 4BC. Interviews were sought with other outlets including ABC News Breakfast and Sunrise. University of Sydney professor Rodney Tiffen, an expert in the interplay between mass media and politics, says the appeal of breakfast TV and FM radio is the opportunity for politicians to humanise themselves to voters while delivering a soft political pitch. Its a strategy underpinned by what the Nixon Whitehouse popularised as will it play in Peoria a reference to a small town in Illinois that became a political metaphor for heartland America. Basically what they meant by that phrase was getting beyond the beltway elites and asking how do people who dont pay much attention to politics receive this?, Tiffen says. Morrison and others have really taken that message on board. Not many people follow whats happening in question time in the House of Representatives. But you can make a big impression among people not paying attention by going on breakfast TV or talkback or music radio. But exactly how much success Morrison and Albanese have had in engaging these voters is difficult to assess. 3AWs Mitchell who has interviewed most, if not all prime ministers and opposition leaders on air since the late 1980s says Howard cut through with listeners even though he was, at times, awkward and wooden. Howard respected the audience. He wasnt slick with all the practised smart lines. He was real. Thats the key, Mitchell says. Its an authenticity the veteran broadcaster finds lacking in Morrison and Albanese. Neither of them is entirely real. Both waffle. Albo is warmer in his interviews but I wouldnt say he gives much more, particularly as we go into the election campaign. Hes very cautious, Mitchell says. Loading Ive got a pretty much conservative audience, but they used to hate [Malcolm] Turnbulls approach. They used to hate [Kevin] Rudds approach. They are more tolerant of ScoMo, but not greatly. And the same with Albo. But they are still frustrated by their evasiveness. Broadcaster Gareth Parker, who hosts 6PR breakfast radio in Perth, has a slightly different take. He believes Morrison has the edge over Albanese as a communicator. I think Morrison likes the medium and I think it suits him. He engages for the most part with the questions, Parker says. The Prime Ministers election timetable has been called into question after the High Court agreed to hear the case for an extraordinary legal challenge to the federal intervention in NSW preselections on Friday afternoon. On Thursday afternoon, the High Court fast-tracked a special leave application after the NSW Court of Appeal threw out a challenge brought by Matthew Camenzuli to the legitimacy of Prime Minister Scott Morrisons push to directly select candidates across NSW. A fierce contest with Labors Anthony Albanese could be formally started as soon as Friday with Scott Morrison changing his language when facing questions about when he will call the election. Credit:AAP/Getty Images The expedited hearing for Mr Camenzuli, who was booted from the party on Wednesday due to the preselection battle, is set down for 4pm on Friday. Liberal Party sources insisted the hearing did not mean the Prime Minister had to wait until the court matter was resolved given that nominations for candidates do not close until 10 days after the election is called and the writs are issued. Labor will make immigration reform a key plank in its election policy agenda, vowing to end the nations dependence on short-term visa holders and make it easier for foreign workers to become permanent residents. Opposition immigration spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said the re-opening of Australias international borders presented a golden opportunity to overhaul the countrys migration system and reduce the reliance on temporary workers to fill skills shortages. Labors immigration spokeswoman Kristina Keneally in Cabramatta last month. Credit:Steven Siewert We need to reverse the model we were on that was putting Australia on a path to becoming a guest worker nation, Ms Keneally said in an interview. Prior to the pandemic, we had the second-highest number of temporary migrant workers in the OECD behind the United States. For the next decade, he used violence, threats, and psychological abuse to try to control and destroy their lives, Williams said. He exploited them. He terrorised them. He tortured them. Let me be very clear. Larry Ray is a predator. An evil man who did evil things. Todays verdict finally brings him to justice. Jurors concluded deliberations less than a day after receiving the case following a month long trial that featured testimony from numerous victims who usually referred to Ray just as Larry. Some testified that Ray had made them believe they had poisoned or otherwise harmed him and they needed to pay him back. One woman testified that she became a sex worker to try to pay reparations to Ray after becoming convinced that she had poisoned him. She said that, over four years, she gave Ray $US2.5 million in instalments that averaged between $US10,000 and $US50,000 per week. US Attorney Geoffrey Berman points to a photo showing Lawrence Ray during a news conference. Credit:AP Rays lawyers maintained he was victimised by former friends who fabricated their stories. Ray did not testify. Twice, the trial was interrupted as he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for undisclosed illnesses. Several students testified that they were drawn into Rays world as he told them stories of his past influence in New York City politics, including his role in ruining the career of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik after serving as the best man at his wedding years earlier. Ray had, in fact, been a figure in the corruption investigation that derailed Keriks nomination to lead the US Department of Homeland Security. Some of the students agreed to live with Ray in the summer of 2011 at his Manhattan one-bedroom apartment, where his sinister side emerged as he started to claim that the students had poisoned and harmed him or his property. To make amends, they testified, they did what he asked, including turning over money. One man said he gave Ray over $US100,000. Prosecutors said the money was never enough. Through threats and violence and videotaped confessions, Ray tightened his hold on the young people, including forcing them into landscaping and other work at the Pinehurst, North Carolina home of his stepfather for weeks in 2013, they said. A University of Bristol scheme set up to champion research and collaboration in Africa has awarded 200,000 to four academics. Out of more than 50 applications submitted to Bristols Perivoli Africa Research Centre (PARC) Partnerships Fund, Professors Jacques Joubert, Abraham Geremew, James Ogude and Bolelang Pheko were selected by the funding panel, chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise Phil Taylor and comprising both Bristol and Africa-based academics. Each awardee will lead a collaborative project with researchers from the University. Building on equitable partnerships advances made in the UK research sector, this funding provided by Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) specifically aims to help embed a mode of partnerships that goes further in redressing the multiple layers of power imbalances often found in global North-Africa research. Prof Jacques Joubert of the University of Western Cape, South Africa and his team are designing neuro-pharmaceuticals to permeate the blood-brain barrier and combat neurological disorders. The number of people suffering from Alzheimers Disease and other neurological disorders in South Africa has increased by over 30% since the 1990s. Recently the group identified a molecule, known as EBPD, that is able to reduce harmful oxidants and decrease the formation of protein deposits in the brain that lead to the development of Alzheimers. Prof Joubert said: In order to innovate, you must collaborate. Success can be reached by collaborating on innovative ideas and by helping others to succeed. Through the PARC Partnership Fund award, we will strive to build on new Africa-led and centred research collaboration modes. "We look forward to this partnership further driving research and product development for neurodegenerative diseases." Prof Bolelang Pheko of the University of Botswana is developing an indigenous model of crisis-sensitive educational leadership in Botswana. She was driven by the gap in knowledge of school-level priorities and responses since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aims to address these disparities through fieldwork in four sites from two educational regions using an indigenous research methods approach. She said: I am grateful and thankful for this award because it came at the right time. This award will afford me a person from the South to tell my story from the South context. Abraham Geremew of Haramaya University, Ethiopia, caught the judging panels eye for his work assessing climate resilience of multi-village water supplies in Ethiopia. Climate change threatens the drinking water supply of millions of people in rural Ethiopia, where less than 10% of the population has access to water that is free from contamination. To address the risks posed by current and future climate patterns, the Government of Ethiopia is building multi-village, piped-water supplies managed by professionalised rural utilities, informed by Geremew and his teams research. He said: This collaborative research work on measuring the governments responses to the threats of climate change to water supplies is a big opportunity for us to better understand the applicability of the developed framework for its future use at the national level. James Ogude of the University of Pretoria has been allocated PARC funds for his project Sounding East Africa: Music, Technology and Ideology. It sets out to understand the role played by music in mobilising the anti-colonial movement in Kenya and Tanzania, and how it became an important medium through which identities for the newly independent nations were created and disseminated. He said: The award is a remarkable North-Africa research initiative and a celebration of culture as an important site of knowledge production in Africa. The University of Pretoria is proud to be part of this Bristol University initiative. This award is significant because it not only creates the opportunities to collaborate transnationally and regionally, but also because it offers an excellent platform for mentoring young and early career scholars. Isabella Aboderin, Director of PARC, added: The PARC Partnerships Fund is an important element of PARCs work to champion transformation in Africa research and partnerships. We are thrilled that the call found such resonance, and that we were able to select such an exciting set of Africa-led projects across a range of disciplines and subject areas. The projects will not only generate knowledge that speaks to African priorities. By putting a transformed mode of partnership working into practice they will also generate learning and insights to inform PARC's work going forward. Latest News 24 lenders raise interest rates Read the full list here Clients seek advice on interest rate rise City brokers field many enquiries Australias second largest bank has hiked fixed rates for the ninth time in the last six months. Westpac lifted fixed rates for owner-occupiers and investors by up to 0.3 percentage points. RateCity.com.au compiled Westpacs home loan rate changes for owner-occupiers: Rate type Old rate New rate Change (% points) 1-yr fixed 2.99% 3.24% 0.25% 2-yr fixed 3.19% 3.49% 0.3% 3-yr fixed 3.74% 4.04% 0.3% 4-yr fixed 3.99% 4.29% 0.3% 5-yr fixed 4.29% 4.59% 0.3% Note: Above rates are for owner-occupiers paying principal and interest on a package rate with a 70% LVR Heres Westpacs lowest fixed rates compared to one year ago, according to RateCity.com.au: Rate type 1 year ago Today Change (% points) 1-yr fixed 1.99% 3.24% 1.25% 2-yr fixed 1.79% 3.49% 1.70% 3-yr fixed 1.88% 4.04% 2.16% 4-yr fixed 1.89% 4.29% 2.4% 5-yr fixed 2.19% 4.59% 2.4% Note: Above rates are for owner-occupiers paying principal and interest on a package rate with a 70% LVR Less than five months ago, Westpac still had fixed rates starting with a 1. Today, the banks lowest fixed rates now start with a 3, said Sally Tindall, RateCity.com.au research director. Australias second-largest bank has hiked fixed rates repeatedly in response to rising funding costs, with some rates soaring by 2.4 percentage points in less than a year. CBA, NAB, and ANZ are still offering 1-year fixed rates under 3%, but its hard to see these lasting long. According to the latest ABS data, the proportion of new fixed-rate borrowing, as a total of all borrowing, has plunged to 28% in the month of February. It was 46% in July 2021. Its no wonder borrowers are starting to turn their back on fixing, particularly if theyre looking at big-four bank rates, Tindall said. People who are still looking to lock in a rate would do well to shop around beyond the big four banks. There are still two fixed rates under 2%, but theyre only for 1-year terms. RateCity.com.au compiled the lowest big four bank owner-occupier home loan rates: Rate type CBA Westpac NAB 1-yr fixed 2.99% 3.24% 2.99% 2-yr fixed 3.29% 3.49% 3.49% 3-yr fixed 3.79% 4.04% 3.99% 4-yr fixed 3.99% 4.29% 4.19% 5-yr fixed 4.29% 4.59% 4.49% Note: Some loan-to-value ratio requirements apply. on Thursday said it has bagged an order for 1,300 commercial vehicles from . The order comprises medium and heavy and intermediate & light range, suited for logistics operations of VRL Logistics, the Mumbai-based automaker said in a statement. The vehicles were selected basis the superior drivability, high fuel efficiency and low total cost of ownership, which will enable to increase its fleet efficiency, it added. "We endeavour to engineer our vehicles to offer the lowest total cost of ownership and our widest service network will ensure best-in-the-industry service support in all corners of the country. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with and will offer the best support for their seamless operations," Business Unit Vice President, Sales & Marketing Rajesh Kaul noted. said its commercial vehicles are designed and engineered on the Power of 6' philosophy, which delivers driveability, total cost of operations, comfort and convenience, and connectivity. It also offers its flagship initiative, Sampoorna Seva, a bouquet of service offerings including repair time assurance, breakdown assistance, insurance and accidental repair time, extended warranty, and other add-on services for vehicle maintenance and upkeep. The company has operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia, supported by a global network of 103 subsidiaries, nine associate companies, four joint ventures and two joint operations as on March 31, 2021. Its commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries spread across Africa, the Middle East, South & South East Asia, Australia, South America, Russia and other CIS countries. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Former Co-founder and managing director of BharatPe, Ashneer Grover, on Thursday once again hit at the board members of the fintech company, saying snatching the keys and running a corner shop are two different skill-sets. Ashneer was stripped last month of all company titles over alleged "extensive misappropriation of company funds" and using "company expense accounts" to "enrich themselves and fund their lavish lifestyles". "So I just heard @bharatpeindia closed its first quarter of 'degrowth' and 'maximum cash burn' under able (sic) leadership of Rajnish Kumar and Suhail Sameer. 'Chaabi chheenna and hatti chalana do alag alag skills hai !' Ab Nani yaad aayegi - markets are the ultimate test & truth," he posted. Ashneer, also a popular judge on the reality show Shark Tank India, has accused CEO Sameer of siding with the investors to remove him from the company. After reports surfaced that government regulators may expand their probe into BharatPe's financial books after the Ashneer-Madhuri Grover saga, the fintech platform said last month it will fully comply with the law of the land. The company sacked Ashneer's wife Madhuri Jain after the probe found misappropriation of funds during her time as head of controls, while Ashneer quit as accused him, his wife and their relatives of being engaged in extensive misappropriation of company funds and grossly abusing company money to fund their lavish lifestyles. Amid the Ashneer Grover- tussle, the fintech platform's co-founder Shashvat Nakrani had said that the whole episode is an aberration and not the norm and the company will turn this crisis into an opportunity. --IANS na/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The fight between management and co-founder & former MD intensified on Thursday as a war of words broke out between the two on . Tagging CEO Suhail Sameer in a post by a former employee who said that he had not received his dues, Grover took a dig at the management. Folks, please look into this. Not done - their salaries have to be paid first before anything, Grover said. He also later tweeted that the company had seen its first quarter of de-growth after his exit. Meanwhile, Grovers sister Aashima Grover later chipped in, saying: The CEO and entire management is currently in Goa burning company's money, pls ask them to give money to employees. To this, Sameer hit back by alleging that had stolen all of the companys money and so there was not enough cash left to pay out salaries. This drew ire from the social media platforms users. Friends, I apologise to have irked many of you. In hindsight, it was out of line. We are already working on past employees full and final being paid out, Sameer later replied on the post by the former employee. My comment was a reaction to a particular statement, not the post. But I accept the mistake. I request you to also have patience, and refrain from building a story based on false narrative, he added. The company also clarified later denying the allegation of non-payment of salaries and adding that all employees have been paid their March dues in full. As per the company policy, employees serving their notice period will receive their full and final settlement amount in the due course as per company policy, it said. State-owned credit insurance provider has now put Indias crisis-ridden neighbouring country in the restricted cover category-I (RCC-I). Countries are put into the restricted cover category when political or economic conditions of a country start deteriorating, increasing the likelihood of payment delays or defaults. The Mumbai-based company on Wednesday made changes to its underwriting policy for all transactions related to the outbound shipments to . However, the premium rates for the shipments insured under the insurance covers will remain unchanged. After carrying out a review of the rating of in view of prevailing situations, ECGC, which offers credit guarantee, has changed the cover category from Open Cover to Restricted Cover category RCC 1. This category of export credit guarantee offers revolving limits and is normally valid for a year after being approved on a case-to-case basis, an official statement said. This will be implemented from April 7. Steps taken by ECGC will help customers improve payment realisation prospects from buyers in Sri Lanka. India exported goods worth $4.48 billion during April-January (2021-22), as compared to $3.49 billion in FY21. Sri Lanka is Indias 38th largest trading partner, with a trade balance in favour of India. Trade surplus was to the tune of $3.6 billion during the first ten months of 2021-22, according to official statistics. With Sri Lanka going through a severe economic crisis, India has already offered a line of credit to help the country meet its immediate needs. Nova Benefits, which specialises in corporate health insurance, has said it aims to cover 10 million lives in India by 2025. Focused on helping with employees' health, Nova aims to improve by fostering well-being in the workplace. It works with over 250 and covers employers with teams as compact as 10 employees. Nova Benefits began operations in 2020, addressing the need of employers to find the right vendor at the right price. The company offers a tech-based platform to help find the most ideal employee wellness packages including health insurance, wellbeing sessions, doctor consultations, mental health counselling and fitness subscriptions. The firm is backed by investors such as Bessemer Venture Partners, SIG and AngelList Early-Stage Quant Fund. The company has revealed the target at a time when the pandemic has outlined various necessities including those at the workplace and highlighted the need for well-being environments. The aim to cover 10 million lives by 2025 is tantamount to our mission of building healthier and happier workplaces, said Saransh Garg, CEO and co-founder of Nova Benefits. A comprehensive health cover coupled with empathetic policies benefits not only employees but companies too in the long run. In line with the global need for quality health and wellness initiatives in the workplace, Nova Benefits works with SMBs, mid-market and enterprise companies by partnering with multiple distribution partners and recruiting platforms, to provide seamless and high-quality employee benefits. The company has grown to on-board 200 companies including leading names like Relevel, AngelList and Razorpay. Further, to better the employee claims processes, Nova Benefits is constantly working on strategies that will ease bottlenecks in the insurance space; the 24x7 helpline is a step in the same direction. Along with offering a superior claims experience, Nova Benefit provides companies with tools and a self-serve employee portal to ensure smooth HR workflow. Additionally, employees get access to bespoke wellness webinars, community sessions hosted by industry experts and special delight packages for maternity and child care. OPD or Out Patient Department cover is a new feature offered as part of health insurance policies by Nova Benefits. As of now, over 250 companies have been insured with Nova Benefits, with over 100,000 members covered, and 3000 claims processed. Some of the other companies that have insured with Nova include Snapdeal, Pharmeasy, Mygate, CoinDCX, Chumbak, HomeLane, and Zenoti. BENGALURU (Reuters) -Indian carmaker said on Thursday that a deal to sell its bankrupt unit, Motor Co, to South Korean electric carmaker Edison Motors Co had been terminated. The receiver of cited Edison's inability to deposit the bid amount for the termination of the deal, Mahindra said in an exchange filing https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/fa4e307d-87d6-460a-b635-a0d79bed1244.pdf on Thursday. Indian automaker Mahindra, which owned about 75% of as of September end, has been looking for a buyer for all or most of its stake, which it bought when the South Korean automaker was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2010. SsangYong has been under court receivership since last April in an attempt to rehabilitate the carmaker after Mahindra failed to secure a buyer. In January this year, SsangYong Motor had said a consortium led by South Korean electric carmaker Edison Motors Co had agreed to buy it for 305 billion won ($254.65 million). (Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman and Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) (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.) AI-enabled content platform on Thursday said the US-based investment group GEM has committed USD 200 million (about Rs 1,500 crore) investment in the company. GEM will subscribe to the shares of whenever it goes public within a period of three years, founder and CEO Sharmin Ali said in a statement. "GEM will invest USD 200 million in Instoried at the valuation the company will go public," Ali said. Instoried plans to use the capital to expand its global marketing efforts, primarily in the US, and invest in its technology to add a Google Chrome extension, a WordPress plug-in, and other elements to its product portfolio. The company provides technology tools to help content writers improve their content. Instoried said it has plans to grow its executive team and presence to double down its business to help writers, marketing agencies, students and professionals. "For the India market, Instoried will focus on hiring for leadership and technology roles, develop the tech stack to launch their own content generation tool and invest in marketing in India and Asia markets," the statement said. The capital commitment from GEM comes around six months after the company raised Series A funding round which was led by Pritt Investment Partners and 9 Unicorns, with participation from Mumbai Angels, SOSV, Venture Catalysts Angel Fund, and others. Ali said the company has been working with MSMEs and recently made a foray into the B2C segment with lifetime subscription service. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India Ltd., which is undergoing a court-monitored restructuring, plans to return with a hybrid of premium and no-frills services that would allow the former top local airline to claw back market share while managing costs in the fiercely competitive Indian market. The bankrupt airline, now helmed by a new set of owners, will have a two-class configuration where business class passengers will be offered services including free meals, its new Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Kapoor said in an interview near New Delhi on Wednesday. The economy class will, however, be modeled similar to low-cost carriers where flyers pay for meals and other services, he said. Its very difficult in the domestic Indian market to take on the cost of the food and everything else in economy class, where the customer in India chooses primarily on the basis of fares, said Kapoor, an veteran who took charge of the defunct airline this week. Lets just accept that and lets not burden ourselves with extra cost. A successful revival of Jet Airways, which collapsed under a pile of debt in 2019 and became the first airline to enter a reformed insolvency resolution process, will be a landmark moment for Indias laws. The new owners -- Dubai-based, Indian-origin businessman Murari Lal Jalan and Florian Fritsch, the chairman of London-based financial advisory and alternative asset manager Kalrock Capital Management Ltd. -- have pledged to make investments of as much as $120 million, Kapoor said. Kapoor himself is not new to navigating carriers through turbulent skies. He spearheaded SpiceJet Ltd. as its chief operating officer in 2014, helming it through a time when the low-cost carrier was severely cash strapped. He was also the chief strategy and commercial officer for Tata Group-led airline, Vistara. Flying Permit will operate a so-called proving-flight -- one or more test flights with no passengers to assess safety -- as early as this month, using a leased Boeing Co. 737, Kapoor said, adding that this will immediately make the airline eligible for a flying permit. This permit allows the new owners to bring in investments, and enables the airline to negotiate landing and parking slots with airports. We are confident that we are very close to a proving flight, Kapoor said. Proving flight is the last step. If you pass the last step theres nothing preventing you from getting the AOP, he said, referring to an air operator permit which is a license to start commercial operations. will return to Indian skies that are expected to get more crowded and competitive as billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-owned Akasa Air gears up to fly later this year. The unprofitable and former flag carrier Air India was recently acquired by the Tata Group, which is looking to turn it around. Even though air travel is rebounding strongly from two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, India is a tough place to make money in and several carriers have failed amid bruising fare wars and high costs. Jet Airways will prefer hiring employees who were with the airline before it collapsed and try getting as many of them back as possible, Kapoor said, adding that the carrier will also restore the status of platinum members. The management is still assessing whether it should revive the old frequent-flier loyalty plan, which was jointly owned by Etihad Airways PJSC, or launch a new one over which it has full control. Attractive Alternative Founded by ticketing agent-turned-entrepreneur Naresh Goyal after India ended a state monopoly on aviation in the early 1990s, Jet Airways became popular among fliers as an attractive alternative to formerly state-run Air India Ltd., offering full-service flights to cities including London and Singapore, before a bunch of low-cost airlines ushered in cheap fares for no-frills services. The Jalan-Kalrock consortium is currently in court seeking another extension of 90 days to implement the rescue plan it proposed for the bankrupt airline. The successful bidder had proposed to make payments worth Rs 13.75 billion ($180 million), out of which Rs 3.5 billion would be paid in the first 180 days, failing which the plan could be scrapped, according to court documents. The consortium infused Rs 500 million into Jet Airways 2.0 -- as it is dubbed by the new owners -- in January, and lenders have said they dont object to an extension of 60 days. A court decision on the deadline extension request is awaited. Apply Afresh The delay in implementing the resolution plan is in part hampered by the lack of a flying permit, Kapoor said. While the plan initially envisaged renewing the old permit of Jet Airways, that license is no longer valid, which forced the carrier to apply afresh, he said. Jet Airways is also evaluating aircraft from Boeing, Airbus SE and Embraer SA, and has yet to decide on a model, Kapoor said. Due to a heavy backlog with manufacturers of the most-popular planes, Jet Airways will initially start with leased aircraft. The insolvent carrier, in which creditors were forced to take a 95% haircut, was in talks with Airbus and Boeing to induct at least 100 narrowbody jets, Ankit Jalan, a representative for the consortium, told Bloomberg in December. The airline doesnt want to be pushed into an aircraft only because it is available now, according to Kapoor. Wed rather take a longer-term view and do the analysis, and evaluate the entire syllabus and pick what we think is best, he said. We dont want the tail to wag the dog. Rebel Foods, the worlds largest internet restaurant company, said it has made an investment in the luxury chocolate brand, SMOOR, further consolidating its position as the Thrasio of food. The didnt reveal the investment size but said that SMOOR is now valued at upwards of $50 million. This investment is in line with Rebel Foods' recent announcement of investing $150 million over the coming years, as part of its focus on investing and acquiring promising to serve more food categories from its cloud kitchens. With this investment, SMOOR aims to grow by 3x in the year 2022-23. SMOOR has witnessed tremendous growth and customer love even on online platforms and this partnership would further help in the brand growth. The Indian chocolate market is growing at a breakneck pace, and we are proud to state the SMOOR is further spreading its wings in tandem with the industry, said Vimal Sharma, CEO, SMOOR. Having created and leading the couverture chocolate category in India, and introducing Indian dessert lovers to lavish indulgences with premium chocolates, cakes, macarons, and more, we are now thrilled to take the next step. SMOOR said it has single-handedly conceptualised and developed coverture chocolates and finely-crafted desserts in the country, with an above industry average CAGR of over 40 per cent over the last 5 years, indicating its domain leadership. The firm said it is bringing together authentic ingredients and offers a premium range of products including chocolates, signature cakes, gift hampers, desserts, beverages, and much more. It is available across their Signature Lounge, Cafes, Kiosks, own digital platforms as well as online aggregator platforms. With Rebel Foods investment, we are set to make deeper inroads into the global market, introducing new and exciting confectionaries in multiple, accessible formats, said Sharma of SMOOR. The SMOOR brand has grown over 120 per cent since last year and is looking to achieve a scale of $100 million annual revenue by 2026, by expanding its presence in India and globally. SMOOR will continue to build its omnichannel distribution strategy by expanding its physical customer experience centres across Tier 1 cities in India and accelerating its online presence across digital platforms. The future expansion will also include strengthening its physical presence in 9 cities (Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad) and a fast-growing omnichannel presence. This investment gives us further confidence that we have been able to consistently choose outstanding brands, said Raghav Joshi, co-founder, Rebel Foods. Rebel Foods Thrasio-style portfolio, termed Rebel Launcher, aims to add 40 to 50 food categories, prioritising missions like premium North Indian, South Indian, Indian sweets, and sandwiches, in the coming year. Rebel also plans in the mid-to-long run to take all its Rebel Launcher globally across India, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah), the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Bangladesh, with its 10-country footprint. Being an early adopter of the Thrasio model in food in India, we have disrupted 500 years old industry of the traditional restaurant business, by building a full-stack technology-enabled platform - Rebel Operating System, said Joshi of Rebel Foods. Our focus will continue to be on bringing great quality to every neighbourhood across food missions. Against 387 in various high courts, 168 proposals are at various stages of processing between the government and the collegium, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply, Law Minister also said recommendations from various collegiums are yet to be received in respect of 219 . He said the sanctioned strength of judges of the 25 high courts has increased from 906 in 2014 to 1,104 in 2022. "As on March 31, 2022, against the sanctioned strength of 1,104 judges in the high courts, 717 judges are in position, leaving 387 of judges to be filled," he said. Against 387 vacancies, 168 proposals are at various stages of processing between the government and the collegium. Recommendations from collegiums are yet to be received in respect of 219 vacancies, he noted. He also said that the Registry of has compiled data on the status of judicial infrastructure and court amenities. A proposal has been received from Chief Justice of India for setting up of Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI) for arrangement of adequate infrastructure for courts, according to which there will be a governing body with CJI as patron-in-chief. "The other salient features of the proposal are that NJIAI will act as a central body in laying down the road map for planning, creation, development, maintenance and management of functional infrastructure for the Indian court system, besides identical structures under all the high courts. "The proposal, as received from the Supreme Court of India, has been sent to the various state government/UTs, as they are important stakeholder, for their views on the contours of the proposal to enable taking a considered view on the matter," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US on Thursday said its 2+2 dialogue with will reaffirm the importance of the comprehensive and global strategic partnership between the two countries in ensuring international peace and security and the shared commitment to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold the fourth edition of the dialogue with US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 11 in Washington, the Office of the US State Department Spokesperson said. "This year's event will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and reaffirm the importance of the US- Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership in ensuring international peace and security. It will reaffirm our shared commitment to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the spokesperson said in a release. "The 2+2 Ministerial is an important opportunity to advance our shared objectives across the breadth of the US- Strategic Partnership, including enhancing our people-to-people ties and education cooperation, building diverse, resilient supply chains for critical and emerging technology, scaling up our climate action and public health cooperation, and developing a trade and investment partnership to increase prosperity for working families in both countries," it said. The dialogue is also a chance to highlight the growing major defense partnership between the and India, the statement said. "The relationship between the world's largest democracies is built on a foundation of common values and resilient democratic institutions, and the shared Indo-Pacific interests of a rules-based international order that safeguards sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholds human rights, and expands regional and global peace and prosperity," it said, in an apparent reference to China which has been acting aggressively in the region. In New Delhi, Arindam Bagchi, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a media briefing said the dialogue will provide an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and global developments and how both sides can work together to address common interests and concerns. The unfolding situation in Ukraine is expected to be discussed in the fourth edition of the dialogue. The MEA spokesperson said Jaishankar will visit the US from April 11 to 12. As part of an ongoing and regular dialogue, the Minister of External Affairs will separately meet his US counterpart Secretary Blinken. He said Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet senior members of the US administration to further advance the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Jaishankar and Blinken held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, focusing on the latest developments in Ukraine and bilateral ties. Last week, US Deputy Security Adviser for International Economics Daleep Singh visited India. Talking to reporters, Singh had cautioned that there will be consequences for countries actively attempting to "circumvent or backfill" American sanctions against Moscow and that Washington would not like to see a "rapid" acceleration in India's import of energy and other commodities from Russia. At the media briefing, Bagchi said India has established economic relations with Russia and the focus has been to stabilise these ties in the current circumstances. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The data collated by health tech firm about the three waves of Covid-19 pandemic shows that about 25 per cent of the could have caught the Covid-19 in all three waves. The report Understanding Covid-19: Comparing all three waves in India analyses how Indians accessed healthcare during the three covid waves. The average time spent by a patient with a doctor online during this time was 30 minutes, which is comparable to in-person visits. In the last two years, digital healthcare has played an important role in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. With speculations about the impending fourth wave going on, it is necessary to understand the health trends from the first three waves so that we, as a community, are better prepared for it. Report findings during all three waves: 70% of all online consultations for Covid-19 Second wave was the deadliest with a 690% surge in online consultations at its peak 57% of all telemedicine users experienced it for the first time 54% of all online consultations were from millennials and Gen Zs There was 50% growth in alternative medicine like Ayurveda and Homeopathy Specialities like Dental, Psychiatry and Sexology saw growth in in-person appointments Dolo 650mg, Zincovit, Limcee 500mg, Azee 500mg, Pan D capsule were the most ordered medicines Covid-19 swab test, Complete blood count test, Thyroid profile and HBA1c were the most ordered diagnostic tests SPECIALITY-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS Top specialities during the three waves: General Physician Gynecology Pediatrics A few specialities grew sharply during the second wave due to severe side-effects of the Delta variant Cardiology Pulmonology Gastroenterology Post-Covid Impact Diabetology Ophthalmology Orthopedics City Specific Pointers: Bengaluru contributed to 32% of all covid consultations in the third wave Highest consultations came from Delhi during the second wave contributing 29% of total covid consultations Hyderabad was the third most consulted city in all three waves During the first wave, Mumbai contributed to the highest online covid consultations at 8% Among non-metros, Lucknow had the most online consultations during the first wave, contributing to 4% of all covid consultations During the third wave, among non-metros Jaipur had the highest consultations contributing to 3% of all covid consultations Practos Insights Report is based on transactions by 12 crore users. In the first wave the data was collected between September-October 2020. In second wave this was done between April-May 2021 and during the third wave in January 2022. Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, chief healthcare strategy officer, Practo, said that India's healthcare system saw a paradigm shift in its approach to deliver care during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said in managing the crisis - especially through all three waves in India - there has been tremendous growth in telemedicine, raising the possibility of a future where digital healthcare services will coexist with in-clinic visits in a hybrid set-up. At a time when hospitals and care delivery units were overwhelmed by the rising number of positive Covid cases, telemedicine served as an efficient and effective alternative, saving lives and critical resources like hospital beds, said Kuruvilla. Apart from the devastation that the pandemic brought, it also did reinstate the fact that quality healthcare can be made accessible and affordable to all. This study reveals that digital health adoption is growing exponentially across urban, rural areas, specialities, and age groups, said Prof. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Author of the best-seller: Digital Health Truly Transformational and Chairman Digital Health Academy & Health Parliament. As work from home (WFH) becomes a reality, Consult from Home (CFH) is also becoming prominent. The hybrid model of care is a reality now. Amid shortage of potable water reported in several parts of amid early summer, state Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik wants "big companies" to be invited to build a network of dams in the state so that the collected water could be exported to the arid Gulf region. "Dams should be erected between hills in . There should be such a dam network in the entire and the water can be used for horticulture as well as for farming," Naik, a former Chief Minister, told reporters late on Wednesday. "The water should be sold to big companies, who should be asked to put up these dams, for the purpose of export. Send it to Dubai, send it to Kuwait, send it everywhere and across India. They sell us petrol, we should sell them water," he also said. The coastal state has witnessed protests by civil society groups in several parts, including the Bardez, Bicholim and Pernem sub districts, due to shortage of potable water over the past few weeks. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the attack on in Bakhtiyarpur recently, police have prepared a blueprint to enhance the security of the chief minister, an official said. The blueprint was presented at a high-level meeting of the home department in Patna where every point of the security arrangement was discussed. Bacchu Singh Meena, the ADGP security, has issued guidelines to every district magistrate and SP of the state to make the arrangement every time the chief minister visits the district. As per the directive, the district administrations have to provide security as per the recommendation of the Verma committee of 1991. The Verma committee had pointed out special security parameters in its report submitted to the central government. Meena pointed out that the government will not leave any space for the security lapse of the chief minister. The accountability will be fixed on the officers. "The officers would have to take appropriate security measures before the visit of the chief minister and ensure that unwanted people or strangers do not come near him," Meena said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during a visit to Bakhtiyarpur town in Patna district on March 27, was attacked by a mentally deranged person. He had punched on the back before being overpowered by the commandos of special branch of . (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two days after the (ED) attached properties belonging to his wife and associates, Shiv Sena MP on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has declare a war, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra is fully united. Returning to Mumbai, Raut was given a hero's welcome by thousands of Shiv Sainiks with flags, banners, posters, and 'dhol-tasha' outside the airport. "They (BJP) has declared war. The manner in which they are targeting us with the help of central agencies, taking steps against us, we shall also retaliate... If they put us in jail, we are ready... they may kill us, we are prepared. But, we will continue our fight," he thundered. The Sena's chief spokesperson said that the so-called 'sankat' (danger) of the government has now actually proved to be a 'sandhi' (opportunity) for the MVA regime which has emerged stronger. "We are completely together in fighting the attacks of the through the central probe agencies. This is not a show of support or strength. It's the angst and resentment of the people against the INS Vikrant scam," he said. Reiterating the MVA allies Sena-Nationlaist Congress Party-Congress will overcome the threats of the ED, CBI, IT, etc,, Raut warned that "the has dug its own grave" and "a time will come when they will bow down on their knees". He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister and NCP President for their support to him after the ED action against his family. "The very fact that Pawar Saheb raised the issue with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi proves that the MVA allies are united," Raut pointed out. He termed as immaturity the vindictive attacks by the in the past two-and-half years since the MVA came to power, but vowed to fight it out. On the instructions of Thackeray, the party has launched a series of agitations against the BJP at the village level and said the same will spread to the national level and spell doom for the BJP, he said. Raut created a mega-sensation on Wednesday when he accused a BJP activist and ex-MP Kirit Somaiya of allegedly siphoning off an amount of Rs 57 crore collected as 'crowd-funds' by launching the save Vikrant campaign in 2013-2014. As per a RTI reply from Maharashtra Raj Bhavan last month, the amount which was claimed to be deposited with the Governor's office, had never reached there. Raut said that not only did Somaiya misappropriate the public monies for a nationalistic cause but also indulged in money-laundering and he would "definitely go to jail". However, Somaiya has consistently denied all the allegations hurled against him and said he was prepared to face any probe even as police complaints were lodged against him in Mumbai and other cities for the alleged Vikrant scam. --IANS (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.) launched "probing cyber attacks" on India's power grid in strategically located thrice since December 2021 but did not succeed because safeguards were in place to thwart such intrusions, Union Power Minister said on Thursday. Amid reports of Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeting the power grid, the Ministry of External Affairs asserted India has systems in place to safeguard critical infrastructure. According to the reports, the hackers targeted seven Indian state centres responsible for carrying out electrical dispatch and grid control near a border area contested by the two nuclear neighbours. The group reportedly used the trojan ShadowPad, which is believed to have been developed by contractors for China's Ministry of State Security, leading to the conclusion that it was a state-sponsored hacking effort. Asked about the reports at a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have seen the reports. There is a mechanism in place so that our critical infrastructure remains resilient in such cases...We have systems in place to safeguard critical infrastructure." Responding to a question by journalists, Bagchi, however, added cryptically, "I don't have any information that we have raised the issue with ." Speaking on the sidelines of a clean energy ministerial meet in the national capital, Power Minister acknowledged attempts were made by China, but added India's defences against such intrusions were strong. "Our defence against cyber attack is strong. These were probing attacks in December, January and February. They did not succeed. But we are aware," he said. The minister also said action was taken way back in 2018 against suspected cyber attacks on the country's power supply system. "We had put protocols in place. Those protocols are working and we are strengthening those protocols every day. So, our cyber defence against cyber attack is strong. We are confident about that," Singh asserted. Meanwhile, in Beijing, Chinese government denied reports that its hackers targeted the Indian power grid in . "We have noted the relevant reports," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a media briefing on Thursday. He was responding to a query about a report by private intelligence firm 'Recorded Future' on Wednesday that claimed suspected Chinese hackers targeted the Indian power grid in an apparent espionage campaign. "As I repeated many times, we firmly oppose and crack down on all forms of hacking activities. We will never encourage, support or condone such activities," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Thursday directed the to withdraw a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against the chair of Board in a case of an alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act and apologise to him. The court said a "written apology" from Director on behalf of the agency acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate to Patel would help uphold the trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar passed the order and directed the probe agency to file a compliance report by April 30. The court noted that apart from the monetary loss, the applicant had suffered mental harassment as he was not allowed to visit at the scheduled time. The applicant can approach the court or other forum for monetary compensation. This court is of the considered opinion that in this case, a written apology from the head of the i.e. Director, CBI acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate, to the applicant would go a long way in not only healing the wounds of the applicant but also upholding the trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution, the judge said. The court noted that Patel had joined the probe once and that there was no other process or warrant issued against him for his appearance. The judge said LOC is a deliberate act of the investigating agency to put restriction on the valuable rights of the accused. The court also said that if the accused was a flight risk during the investigation or the trial, he would have been arrested during the investigation. There is an inherent contradiction in the stand taken by CBI, on the one hand, CBl claims that the LOC was got issued as the applicant was a flight risk, and in contradiction to that the accused was not arrested during the investigation and charge sheet was filed without arrest, the court said. It said that the CBI also did not explain what precautions or measures were taken during the investigation or at the time of filing the charge sheet to ensure the presence of the accused during the trial. Interestingly, as informed by the investigating officer (IO) the application for the issuance of LOC was moved on the day, the charge sheet was complete and dispatched for filing in the court. It shows that it is not the case of oversight or ignorance rather it is a deliberate act of the investigating agency to put restriction on the valuable rights of the accused, the court said. It is not the case of the investigating agency that the accused had evaded his arrest or did not join the investigation, it said. Before issuance of LOC, the consequences on the rights of the affected person should have been foreseen. The fundamental rights of any person can not be curtailed without any procedure established by law, the judge said. The court also noted that the issuance of the LOC caused a monetary loss of around Rs 3.8 lakh to the accused as he has missed his flight and was not allowed to board. It is correct that the discretion for moving the application of LOC lies with the investigating agency but the discretion can not be exercised arbitrarily without any justifiable reasons or grounds, it said. In the present scenario, the Director, of CBI is expected to sensitize the officials who are part of the issuance of LOC, it said, adding that the accountability of the concerned officials, in this case, should be fixed. Earlier during the arguments, the CBI opposed the application saying there was the likelihood of Patel fleeing from justice if he was allowed to leave the country. The CBI said that Patel was highly influential. " We are not demanding for arrest. We are saying he should not cross the country," the agency said. The court noted the CBI submission that the investigation was continuing since 2021, and said if Patel was a flight risk, he would have been arrested. The court said he could have run away during the investigation also then. Patel's counsel had opposed the CBI's contention, claiming that citizens' rights are being railroaded by the agency. "It is time that we send a suitable reply to law enforcement agencies and society," he told the court. Patel's application has further sought the court's permission to visit the US to take up his foreign assignment and lecture series organised by various universities till May 30. It submitted that Patel was stopped by immigration authorities at the Bangalore International Airport on Wednesday while he was boarding a flight to the US. The application claimed that the action was taken despite an order by a Gujarat court granting him permission to travel abroad. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A source at the institute said the reason for the move was the fact that for quite some years, no student had been enrolling in pre-clinical courses in the college. Representational image/DC Hyderabad: Hit adversely by a lack of applicants, and to keep the show running, two private medical colleges in the state have started offering non-clinical postgraduate courses free of cost. According to a notice issued by MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) in Medchal, the institute is offering MD in anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology for free. In a double delight for students, they are also providing free accommodation once students take admission in any of the courses. A source at the institute said the reason for the move was the fact that for quite some years, no student had been enrolling in pre-clinical courses in the college. This free approach is being emulated by RVM Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre (RVMIMS & RC) in Siddipet district. It has issued a notice stating that NEET PG qualified students can opt for any of six MD courses free of cost. The bonus comes in the form of free accommodation. Commenting on the phenomenon, president of Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) Dr K Mahesh Kumar said the offer was for non-clinical courses, for which the demand is considerably less compared to clinical courses. This year, as NEET PG counselling was delayed, many students are inclined to wait for a few more months and attempt NEET again, instead of joining a course straightaway, Dr Kumar said. He added that the government was focusing on increasing the number of seats for non-clinical PG courses as it was easier and the infrastructure needs were less. In a big push to electric vehicles, government on Thursday announced that it will provide a subsidy of Rs 5,500 each for the first 10,000 buyers of e-cycles in the city. The first 1,000 buyers of passenger e-cycles will also be given an additional subsidy of Rs 2,000 under the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said, claiming that has become the first state in the country to provide subsidy in e-cycle segment. The Delhi Cabinet has also okayed subsidy on purchase of heavy duty cargo e-cycles and e-carts for commercial uses, Gahlot said. The subsidy on cargo e-cycles will be Rs 15,000 each for first 5,000 buyers. The subsidy was earlier provided to individual buyers of e-carts but now a company or corporate house buying these vehicles will also be provided a subsidy of Rs 30,000, he said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said e-cycles will help the residents reduce the use of polluting vehicles. Congrats Delhi! Today we are taking one more important step in the fight against pollution, Kejriwal said in a tweet. Delhi Govt's hugely successful e-vehicle subsidy policy is being enhanced with a subsidy for electric bicycles today. E-cycles will help Delhiites reduce the use of polluting vehicles, he said. The residents of Delhi will be eligible for the subsidy scheme that will be linked with Aadhaar, Gahlot said, adding that all the members of a family having an Aadhaar card will be able to get the subsidy. Meanwhile, the operational guidelines regarding companies and models qualifying for the scheme will be issued by the government in the next two weeks, said Jasmine Shah, vice- chairman of Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission, the policy think tank of the . Shah said that a good quality e-cycle costs around Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000, while a cargo e-cycle is priced around Rs 40,000-Rs 45,000. Different models of e-carts are available in the market ranging from Rs 90,000 to nearly Rs 3 lakh, he said. Shah said that the government is bringing e-cycle segment into mainstream that will help the delivery services and last mile connectivity. Gahlot said that under the Delhi government's EV policy launched in August 2020, a total subsidy amount of Rs 59.44 crore has been paid so far. The minister said that presently 45,900 e-vehicles are plying on the city roads, of which 36 per cent are two wheelers. The percentage of e-vehicles in total registered vehicles in the capital has crossed 12 per cent mark, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government may ask Electric to explain the incident of its electric scooter catching fire in Pune last month, a senior government official said on Thursday. The government had ordered a probe last month after an e-scooter launched by the ride-hailing operator's electric mobility arm caught fire in Pune. "If required, the government may call Electric to explain the incident," Giridhar Aramane, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, told PTI. The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) had been asked to probe the circumstances that led to the incident and also suggest remedial measures, according to the road transport ministry. The ministry had also asked CFEES to share the findings along with its suggestions on measures to prevent such incidents. The incident came to light after a video of the e-scooter engulfed in flame was widely circulated on social media with users raising questions over the safety standards of the vehicle. Reacting to the incident, co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal had said, "safety is top priority. We're investigating this and will fix it". The CFEES comes under the SAM (System Analysis and Modelling) cluster of DRDO labs. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the occasion of World Health Day, Prime Minister on Thursday said the government is working tirelessly to augment India's health infrastructure with a focus on ensuring good quality and affordable healthcare to citizens. Declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. On this year's World Health Day, the WHO is focussing global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on wellbeing. "Greetings on World Health Day. May everyone be blessed with good health and wellness. Today is also a day to express gratitude to all those associated with the health sector. It is their hardwork that has kept our planet protected," Modi tweeted. The government of India is working tirelessly to augment India's health infrastructure, he said. Modi said the focus is on ensuring good quality and affordable healthcare to the country's citizens. "It makes every Indian proud that our nation is home to the world's largest healthcare scheme, Ayushman Bharat," he said in a series of tweets. "I feel very happy when I interact with beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Jan Aushadhi. Our focus on affordable healthcare has ensured significant savings for the poor and middle class," Modi asserted. At the same time, the government is strengthening the Ayush network to further boost overall wellness, he said. "In the last 8 years, the medical education sector has undergone rapid transformations. Several new medical colleges have come up. Our Government's efforts to enable study of medicine in local languages will give wings to the aspirations of countless youngsters," the prime minister said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Commerce and Industry Minister on Thursday said that India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) will create around 10 lakh jobs in the next 4-5 years. Talking with ANI, Goyal said, "Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between India and Australia will help us create about 10 lakh jobs in the next 4-5 years, but won't be surprised if it exceeds further. Indian students will get work visas to work in Australia. The newly signed trade pact with Australia is expected to take bilateral trade from the existing USD 27 billion to nearly USD 45-50 billion in the next five years and the government expects one million jobs to be created in India in the next four to five years. Both countries inked the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on April 2. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade and provides for an institutional mechanism to improve trade between the two countries. Union Commerce Minister further stated that the trade deal with Australia will open new avenues for India. "A trade deal with Australia will open the doors to the developed world, help us reach new markets," said Goyal. He said that the deal was made after ten years and was the first free trade agreement of India with the developed world. "We have finally made a free trade agreement with a developed nation after ten years. It's also an important milestone in our journey because now Indian industry is prepared to compete with the rest of the world from a position of strength, is now much more self-confident than ever before," said Goyal. He also informed that India made the highest ever export in its history this year which is USD 418 billion. "Quality conscious, our pricing is very competitive, our overreach all over the world has increased. We have the highest ever export in Indian history this year which is USD 418 billion. This shows that India is now ready to engage with the world from a position of strength," said Goyal. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As reels under a severe that triggered a political upheaval, on Thursday said it stands ready to continue assisting the island nation to recover from the difficulties in line with its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said has been keenly following the evolving economic situation and other developments in . He said has extended assistance of about USD 2.5 billion in the past three months to and it includes credit facilities for fuel and food. "Since mid-March, over 270,000 metric tonnes of diesel and petrol have been delivered to Sri Lanka. In addition, around 40,000 tonnes of rice have been supplied under the recently extended USD 1 billion credit facility," Bagchi said at a media briefing. Sri Lanka witnessed massive street protests in the last few days view of the and the public anger led almost all the cabinet ministers to quit the government. There have been growing calls for resignation by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. However, he has rejected such demands so far. Referring to India's overall ties with Sri Lanka, he said the relationship is rooted in shared civilisational values and aspirations of the two peoples. "Our cooperation, based on commonality and interests, has been strengthened in recent months. We see the recent developments in this perspective and stand ready to continue working with Sri Lanka for rapid post-COVID economic recovery in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy," Bagchi said. He said: "As a neighbour and close friend, India has been keenly following the evolving economic situation and other developments in Sri Lanka. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Joe Bidens top economic adviser said the administration has warned against aligning itself with Russia, and that U.S. officials have been disappointed with some of New Delhis reaction to the Ukraine invasion. There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and Indias decisions, in the context of the invasion, the director of the White House National Economic Council, Brian Deese, told reporters at a breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The U.S. has told that the consequences of a more explicit strategic alignment with Moscow would be significant and long-term, he said. While the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan have piled economic sanctions onto Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, has declined and instead has sought to continue imports of Russian oil. New Delhis reaction to the invasion is complicating its relationship with Washington, where India is regarded as an important partner in countering Chinese influence in Asia. Deeses comments come after Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh traveled to India last week for meetings with officials. What Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we dont believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week. Indias Ministry of External Affairs didnt respond to a message seeking comment sent after normal business hours. Indias Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Wednesday again underlined the importance of New Delhis ties with Moscow. Russia is an important partner in a variety of areas, the minister told parliament. Like all other countries, we too are assessing the implications of Russias war in Ukraine and deciding what is best for our national interest. The U.S. and the rest of the Group of Seven nations will continue to collaborate with India and hope that they can align efforts to the greatest extent possible, a U.S. official said in a briefing for reporters Wednesday on new sanctions against Russia. India and the U.S. collaborate extensively on food security and global energy, the official said. The official asked not to be identified as a condition of the briefing. In addition to seeking Russian oil, India is the worlds largest buyer of Russian weapons. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resisted entreaties from the U.S. and Australia to scale back the relationship, insisting that India needs Russian weapons to counter both Pakistan and China and that alternatives are too expensive, according to people familiar with the matter. India defends ties with Russia India on Thursday asserted that it has established economic relations with Russia, is very open about it and political colouring should not be attributed to the engagement. The comments by external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came in response to questions on growing criticism of New Delhi by Western powers on its trade ties with Moscow during the Ukraine crisis. PTI Dialogue with India will ensure peace The US on Thursday said its 2+2 dialogue (between the defence and external affairs ministers of both countries in Washington on April 11) with India will reaffirm the importance of the comprehensive and global strategic partnership between the two nations in ensuring peace and security and shared commitment to a prosperous Indo-Pacific region, a US state department spokesperson said. PTI India has unleashed its diplomatic might to end the imbroglio with on import of agriculture products and is hopeful that the shipments from the host country (India) will start moving in the next week to 10 days. Sources in the ministry of commerce and also other places said that in the last couple of days Indian ambassador to has called on the Director General of Agriculture Quarantine Agency (IAAQ) while here in India top officials from APEDA and ministry of commerce have met officials in the Indonesia embassy to clear the confusion. Indonesian agriculture imports from India have come to a sudden standstill since the last few days after the authorities there barred the approval given to certification agencies based in India. These agencies or labs issued certificates that are mandatory for exporting agriculture products to Indonesia and had their license valid till March 25. However, sources said despite India compiling and sending all the required documents that include intricate data for the last three years through its embassy in Indonesia in the last week of February for the renewal of the licenses. The Indonesian authorities issued an order on March 23, cancelling all the license that it has given to the India-based certification agencies calling for fresh applications to be made. Indonesia imported around $692 million of APEDA certified agriculture products from India as of 2020-21 that included rice, groundnut, wheat, onion, dairy and poultry products. Dairy and Poultry products have been kept out of this certification ban for now. On imports, India is one of the biggest buyers of palm oil from Indonesia and imports almost 30 percent of the monthly requirement of crude and refined palm oil from that country. One must understand one thing, that just like we are keen to restart our exports, Indonesia is also looking to end the crisis at the earliest because this is the month of Ramadan there when demand for agriculture products mostly rice, sugar, wheat and onions shoot up, a senior trade official said. He said with the kind of push given by all including highest authorities in the commerce ministry, he was hopeful of solving the imbroglio very soon. The on Thursday upheld Tamil Nadu government's law reserving 7.5 per cent seats for students of in medical college admissions. The court said the law is valid and the government has the power to provide reservation. The court also said the reservation should be reviewed after five years. The case was filed on behalf of the students of government aided schools. Terming the judgement as historic, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin speaking in the Assembly said the law was brought based on proper statistics and discussions. Stalin said this is the third victory for the DMK government in 10 months for social justice. The reservation for government school students was brought in by the AIADMK government. Stalin also said the DMK government had passed a law to provide 7.5 per cent reservation in engineering/agriculture/fisheries/veterinary courses in government colleges, universities and leading self financed colleges. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Russian embassy in India on Thursday said Moscow firmly supports bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Bucha killings, alleging that Kyiv was involved in the crime. The comments by the Russian embassy incidentally came a day after External Affairs Minister strongly condemned the killings and said India supports the call for an independent investigation into them. Images of mass graves and bodies of civilians in Bucha town have triggered global outrage and condemnation with many countries calling for a thorough investigation into the crime. "The heinous attack in Bucha brings back the nightmares of the Nazi crimes during the Second World War. It raised revulsion and condemnation in Russia and India and globally," the Russian embassy said in a statement. "Russia firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this outrageous war crime act. The main challenge is to ensure a genuinely independent and unbiased investigation," it said. The reports of killings emerged in the wake of Russian withdrawals from Kyiv and nearby areas and Western powers have accused Russia of being behind the massacres. "Regrettably there have been so far widespread hollow allegations against Moscow while there's evidence that it was in fact a cynical false flag operation, perpetrated by Kyiv itself," the Russian embassy claimed. "It is vitally important to take this evidence into account as we seek justice," it added. Jaishankar condemned the Bucha killings while speaking in Parliament on Wednesday on the crisis in Ukraine. "Many hon'ble members brought up the happenings in Bucha. And I want to say that we are deeply disturbed by the reports. We strongly condemn the killings that have taken place there. This is an extremely serious matter and we support the call for an independent investigation," the external affairs minister said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister is likely to visit for two days later this month during which he is expected to take part in various official and political programmes, sources said on Thursday. During his trip, Modi is likely to visit the tribal-dominated district of Dahod. This will be the prime minister's second visit to in little over a month. Modi had visited the state on March 11, a day after the results of assembly elections in five states were declared. The BJP had won four of the five states, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to power in Punjab. During his last visit to Gujarat, Modi had held three roadshows. Assembly elections in Gujarat, the home state of Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, are due later this year. Shah is also likely to visit later this week. The visits of senior BJP leaders are being seen as an attempt to galvanise the party ahead of the polls. The party is eyeing a seventh consecutive term in government in the state. Gujarat had mostly witnessed a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress, but the AAP has now thrown its hat into the ring. (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.) Hyderabad: London-based art expert Dr Cleo Roberts-Komireddi has a strong India, and in particular Hyderabad, connection, through marriage with the author and critic Kapil Komireddi, but her interest in art from Asia at large, and specifically India, stretches further back. This interest pushed her to undertake her PhD in 2013, a joint project between the universities of Liverpool and Jadavpur in Kolkata with a research stint at Cambridge, on Indian arts. My first trip had me travelling straight away to Kolkata for my research, said Dr Roberts-Komireddi, on a Zoom call from her London home-office. I was struck by the proliferation of art and artists and at Jadavpur my colleagues combined exceptional intelligence with artistic inclinations. I spent the next three years visiting India, with a base in Delhi, but traveling to Goa, with a strengthening interest in contemporary art. I value rigour, and so to further my understanding of art away from libraries and archives, I began working with the School of Design, Sushant University, Delhi. We organised an art exhibition at one of Delhis most prominent malls, Select CityWalk. It was an unusual context, with the work shown right in the centre so no one could miss it. The exhibition closed with an awards ceremony where the prizes were judged by a board of artists, academics and curators from England and India. Im interested in the possibility of bridging art worlds and creating visibility for artists in a field that is dominated by the markets overseas, she said. Before she went back to England to finish her PhD, Dr Roberts-Komireddi met several artists in India, including Nikhil Chopra at his performance residency space, Heritage Hotel. On returning home, she began chronicling her observations and interactions, and writing about Indian arts and artists. The intense writing resulting from conversations and interactions led to a mission to help make art more accessible, and increase awareness of art among non-specialist audiences. She began reaching out to artists across south Asia, which she described as an exciting and varied art scene but sadly and mystifyingly not necessarily as well known in the west. How is South Asian and Indian art different, what are its peculiar characteristics, I ask. It is for instance, more political, I offer to point out. I have always been struck by how politically aware people in India are. The artists here are unapologetically engaged either with politics directly, or with how it influences or affects the lives of people. But when you try to understand or study contemporary Indian art and artists, however tempting, it is unproductive and artificial to try to find a single grand common theme. Artists are individuals after all, she reflected. They have a holistic view of the world and are often critical about the workings of the world, but there is more to their art than politics or a solitary specific theme, she explains. Expounding on the evolution of Indian art, she says, the art before Independence was predominantly shaped by pressure from a colonial sense of aesthetics. And Indianor so-called nativeartists were, in the large part, undervalued. The slew of Company School images without a named artist speaks to this. In Kolkata, Rabindranath and Abanindranath Tagore recognized that artistic agency, and recognition had to be fought for. And so The Bengal School reclaimed Indian culture and creativity. We can see that this was a precursor to post-independence art, which would bring out aspirations of a new nation. Today, Indian art continues to thrive. Isnt art rather abstract and elite? Does it have any meaning or pragmatic purpose, I quiz. She acknowledges the perception of art as a somewhat elitist preoccupation. Art needs certain resources at your disposal, including financial soundness. For a young person to go to an art school, he or she needs a certain financial ability. But art and creativity are important for every individual. For humanity as a whole, historically art has mattered. Theres been a visceral human need to be creative, whether it is a tool for social cohesion in the Upper Paleolithic or used to articulate faith. Artists are indispensable for their ability to expose the cracks and gaps in society and to bring them to the publics notice. I tend to think that artists think sideways. Of course, it is important to make efforts to enhance engagement with art and make it reach, and speak to, more people. Speaking of her own preferences, Dr Roberts-Komireddi says, I enjoy art which sees and projects stories we miss, work that supplies provocative ideas and draws out different ways of understanding the world. This isnt to say I dont find pleasure in art works that are, in my opinion, aesthetically beautiful. Her own role, she sees as straddling two diverse positions; where on one dimension she tries to understand art and artists, and strives to penetrate their abstract theoretic language, and on the other, to make it easily available to people. India is such a visually complex and rich country. And in its diverse images, which can cut across a formidable range of barriers, art is a great unifier, she explains. Currently, besides her podcasts on Asian art (@artworldspodcast), she is involved with the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru who are compiling an innovative new encyclopedia of Indian art. As a member of the advisory board for the project, she is aiding the ambitious task of creating a compilation in simple language of an otherwise unfathomable volume of information on Indian art. Its a challenge but perhaps the biggest challenge and most exciting part remains informing people about how important art can be, how intrinsic it is to society and therefore how valuable artists are, she says passionately. In a larger way, every bit of human art is connected to some degree, but within those different histories, contexts and underlying motivations make the difference. I constantly explore the nuance and I am reticent to use catchall terminology, she said. There is a danger of people, especially those from the art world, using a standard or evaluation in one country or society and imposing that to other regions and countries. There is absolutely no need for Indian art to seek western validation, she says. Art has gone beyond the traditionally defined art world of galleries and institutions she says. Digital technologies have recalibrated the arts. Instagram is now at the forefront and a platform she herself uses engagingly, connecting with artists around the world. Let us celebrate this democratization of art, with people spreading awareness using social media over those sitting in old school ivory towers. Art needs a lot more fluid conversations about itself, involving those who are not artists but love art. Are there great artists today, I question, a bit naively, a bit churlishly. The only good artists are the dead ones, she says in jest and laughs. I was very taken by Mrinalini Mukherjee, an amazing artist based in New Delhi who worked with jute and hemp to create astounding biomorphic hanging sculptures. Only now, post her death is she becoming a more internationally known name. Henri Matisses work was originally considered shockingmost critics were repulsed by his colour paletteand now he is hugely revered. This is to say that opinions change, were fickle. We would have to travel to the future in a time machine in that sense to discover the greatest artists of our times. But let us brush aside hyperboles and focus on the art we have today, the artists of today, and understand, if not appreciate, their work, she said. Dismissing the commercial appraisal of value of art as a measure of intrinsic artistic worth, she said, prices of a piece or collection of art in London or Delhi or Hyderabad may not always reflect the truest artistic worth. Artists, like everyone else, need commercial success but that is just one criteria. Art is more than its price label. How should a common man buy art? She smiles before explaining, the commercial side of art is very important, especially for an artist to keep producing art. The purchase of art is therefore very important. Today, online portals like Artsy sell a lot of art. Beyond exhibitions and museums, there are initiatives like Art Chain India so people can buy directly from artists, and they have an income that helps them keep the focus on the art. But how should one appraise art? It is hard to judge art, there is not an easy formula. Like music, theres a kind of alchemy. Look at as much art as possible and see whose works speak to you. Build your own taste. I must be having a quizzical look, because she further explains, it is not very different from other arts, like reading a book or listening to a song. Certain words, sentences or tunes may appeal to you more, or maybe certain moods. Something will resonate, if not today maybe later. Some aspects of the visual will leave an effect. Maybe it is the different angles and perspectives explored, or the light, or shading, some moments, mood or emotion. In summation, when asked about some of the exciting Indian artists on the scene, she says, there are many. Shilpa Gupta is a very established name. Others I appreciate and admire would be Sajan Mani, and Priyanka D'Souza. Nikhil Chopras work is perpetually fascinating, his work enthrals. Speaking on the need for formal recognition for artists, she adds, artists are tenacious people, with lots of patience. It is needed to make it to this world. Grants and awards, and other forms of public recognition, are rare. For example, Feroze Gujral, who heads the Gujral Foundation, is introducing an art prize in India. Hopefully it will help throw light on and bring fame to some. Inviting artists and art enthusiasts to connect with her best on her instagram (@cleo__robertskomireddi), she ends the conversation by sharing news of many exciting projects ahead in India next month, where she hopes to tour different art centers to discover more artists. When asked about advice to artists, she says, keep your day job and let some money flow in to supplement your art career. For example, Agnes Martin had multiple jobs to support her in the early days. Cindy Sherman was a receptionist, while Claes Oldenburg, an important artist of our times, was a library assistant. But since there is no clear success path in this area, just keep the faith in what you are doing, apply for residencies and fellowships, meet people, talk about your art and keep working. The world needs you. The Thursday agreed to list for hearing a PIL seeking direction to the Centre and others to detect, detain and deport including Rohingyas and Bangladesh nationals while expressing dismay as to why it should hear matters related to the functioning of the political executive. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana told lawyer petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay that it would hear his PIL on the issue if the Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, has filed the reply. At outset, Upadhyay said that the plea seeks detection, detention, and deportation of who, as per estimation, are five crores in numbers and taking away the right to livelihood of citizens. I have to hear your case every day. The problems under the sun... all problems, parliament, members' issue, nomination issue, election reforms. These all are political issues. You go to the government and you fight with the government and seek resolution, said the bench which also comprised justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli. Few state governments are providing free houses to these illegal immigrants, Upadhyay said. I agree all your matters should be taken up and the orders which you sought have to be passed. I am sorry, I cannot use the words. But the issue is for what purpose they (elected representatives) are there in Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the CJI remarked. On being told that the apex court had issued notices on the PIL in March last year, the bench said that it would hear the matter if the reply has been filed by the Centre. Upadhyay, in the PIL, has alleged large-scale illegal immigrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have not only threatened the demographic structure of bordering districts but have seriously impaired security and national integration. The plea said the Law Commission in its 175th report on September 21, 2000, on the Foreigners (Amendment) Bill, 2000 has also noted that the entry of and other undesirable aliens into India posed a grave threat to democracy and the security of India, especially for the eastern part of the country and Jammu and Kashmir. "Demographic composition in the country, particularly the bordering districts has altered with illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The bordering districts of Assam, West Bengal Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura have recorded a growth of population higher than the national average. Illegal immigrants have been using West Bengal as a corridor to migrate to other parts," the plea said. Upadhyay has also asked the court to direct the central and state governments to declare the making of forged or fabricated PAN, Aadhaar cards, Passport, Ration, Voter Cards, and such other documents, non-bailable, non-compoundable. A separate PIL was also filed earlier by Mohammad Salimullah, a Rohingya refugee through advocate Prashant Bhushan, seeking protection of the right of Rohingyas against their deportation to Myanmar. Violent attacks allegedly by Myanmar army men have led to an exodus of Rohingya tribals from the western Rakhine state in that country to India and Bangladesh. Many of them, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, have settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, and Rajasthan. (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.) Suspected state-sponsored have targeted the in India in recent months as part of an apparent cyber-espionage campaign, the threat intelligence firm Recorded Future Inc. said in a report published Wednesday. The hackers focused on at least seven load dispatch centers in northern India that are responsible for carrying out real-time operations for grid control and electricity dispersal in the areas they are located, near the disputed India-China border in Ladakh, the report said. One of the load dispatch centers previously was the target of another hacking group, RedEcho, which Recorded Future has said shares strong overlaps with a hacking group that the U.S. has tied to the Chinese government. The prolonged targeting of Indian assets by Chinese state-linked groups offers limited economic espionage or traditional intelligence gathering opportunities, the Recorded Future report states. We believe this is instead likely intended to enable information-gathering surrounding critical infrastructure and/or pre-positioning for future activity. In addition, the hackers compromised an Indian emergency response system and a subsidiary of a multinational company, according to the report. The hacking group, dubbed TAG-38, has used a kind of malicious software called ShadowPad, which was previously associated with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army and the Ministry of State Security, according to Recorded Future. Researchers didnt identify the victims by name. Jonathan Condra, a senior manager at Recorded Future, said the method the attackers used to make the intrusions -- using compromised internet of things devices and cameras -- was unusual. The devices used to launch the intrusions were based in South Korea and Taiwan, he said. The Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Beijing has consistently denied involvement in malicious cyber activity. Indian authorities also didnt respond to a request for comment. In a major boost to the Tamil Nadu governments push for new investments, was ranked as the worlds cheapest foreign direct investment (FDI) location for electronics research and development. According to an assessment conducted using Benchmark, an investment location comparison tool, emerged as the cheapest location in the top 100 electronics destinations, with estimated annual operating costs of $1.24 million for a 50-person R&D centre. Malaysian city of Penang took the second spot with a cost of $1.32 million, followed by Gurgaon with $1.52 million and Pune with $1.53 million, Among the worlds competitive locations, was ranked second, only after Seol, which is home for large campuses of players like Samsung and LG Electronics. Chennai was followed by Chinese cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Three Indian cities Bangalore, Pune and Gurgaon grabbed a spot among the top 10 cities in this list. This comes as a positive for that led to an increase in by 41.5 per cent during April to December period and is taking steps to attract more investors by organising a global investors meet in 2023. A senior government official told Business Standard that the state has seen a $50 billion investment through memoranda of understanding, starting 2019. According to Chief Minister M K Stalin, the state has signed 130 MoUs for investments to the tune of Rs 68,375 crore to generate 205,802 jobs since the DMK came to power 10 months ago. During the recent UAE trip by Stalin, the government grabbed investments to the tune of around Rs 6,000 crore. New Delhi, April 7: India said on Wednesday that its approach to the Ukraine crisis remains to promote dialogue to end the conflict; mitigate economic distress for itself and for the world; and to work with its partners to these ends. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while replying to a discussion on the situation in Ukraine in Parliament, admitted that the conflict has had significant consequences for the global economy and for India's national economy. At the same time, he revealed that after delivering vaccines to countries all over the world, India has been approached by many nations for the supply of wheat and sugar by many nations during the ongoing crisis. 'We will step forward where global demands for food, grains and other materials are concerned and we will do it in a manner that is helpful to the global economy; which will not take undue advantage of countries in distress,' the minister said. The EAM said that, like all other countries, India too is assessing the implications and deciding what is best for the national interest. 'At a time when energy costs have spiked, clearly we need to ensure that the common person in India is not subject to an additional and unavoidable burden. Similarly, fertiliser prices have a direct implication for the livelihood of the majority of our population. And indeed, for food prices for all of us,' said Jaishankar. He emphasised that India's approach should be guided by national beliefs and values, by its national interest and by a national strategy. 'Even the security of the nation is at stake, as we maintain our defence posture in the manner that the current security challenges warrant. All these, Speaker Sir, are legitimate pursuits of national interest by India. They are similar to what other nations are doing from their particular perspective. Attributing a political colouring to it is uncalled for, it is unfair. I do not even wish to get into which country is doing how much. Eventually, the numbers will speak for themselves,' he said. Jaishankar reiterated India's stand of pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to end the dispute. 'If India has chosen a side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence. This is our principled stand and it has consistently guided our position in international forums and debates including in the United Nations,' he said. He also said that New Delhi, deeply disturbed by the happenings in Bucha in Ukraine, strongly condemns the killings that have taken place there and supports the call for an independent investigation. Jaishankar highlighted that the Narendra Modi government believes that India's national strategy on Ukraine situation should have four elements: Firstly in terms of diplomacy - India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence. He said that India encourages talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their Presidents. 'Prime Minister has spoken to them both, himself in this regard. This was precisely the message that was conveyed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he was in Delhi. If India can be of any assistance in this matter, we will be glad to contribute,' said Jaishankar. Secondly, the ground situation calls for urgent humanitarian relief. India has already provided 90 tonnes of relief material and that too in the middle of an evacuation exercise. 'Ukrainian Deputy PM Yuliia Svyrydenko called me a few days ago to request the supply of more medicines. The House will be glad to know that this is underway and delivery should start very soon,' said the EAM. Thirdly, India will work with the international community and partner countries to mitigate the economic hardships that are resulting from this conflict. While the focus is to soften its impact on its own economy, India is also helping partners going through very tough times. 'Coordinating on lowering energy prices is one collective initiative. In the case of a neighbour like Sri Lanka, we are even supplying fuel on credit and food on credit,' he said. Jaishankar added that food security is another major concern. 'India has been approached for the supply of wheat and sugar by many countries and we are responding positively. The House will be glad to know that whether it is Basmati rice, non Basmati rice, sugar, wheat, our exports in the last quarter have gone up very substantially,' he revealed. Fourthly, Jaishankar said that commercial diplomacy has to find additional sources to address any disruption of supply of edible oil (India imports sunflower oil in very large quantities from Ukraine) or fertilizers. 'Whether it is the supply of lentils, whether it is the requirement of raw materials for fertilizers, we are in different ways - whether it is edible oil- from MERCOSOUR, to Kazakhstan, Tanzania and Australia, to Canada, we are really looking today at global markets to see how we can lighten the burden for the common people of India, as a result of this crisis,' he said. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday if New Delhi has chosen a side in the Ukraine conflict, it is that of peace. His statement marks Indias diplomatic nuance in dealing with long-time ally Russia, which is under Western sanctions for invading Ukraine. Indias reluctance to criticise Russia, or cut off economic and defence ties, has not impressed the US. The White House, the State Department, and the US National Security Council have reached out to Indian officials, seeking Indian support to pressure . At a virtual Quad conference late in March, leaders of Australia, Japan, and the US denounced Russia's invasion. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated "the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy." India has abstained from key votes on the crisis, calling instead for an "immediate cessation of violence" and a return to dialogue. Here are a few instances when the US and India were not on equal terms during the Russia-Ukraine crisis: India 'somewhat shaky' on Russia: Biden In terms of showing support against the Russian invasion, President Biden said India's response as being "somewhat shaky", while speaking at the Business Roundtable's CEO Quarterly Meeting on March 22. "The QUAD is, with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this. But Japan has been extremely strong, so has Australia, in terms of dealing with Putin's aggression," he said. 'Significant consequences for India Bidens top economic adviser, Brian Deese, said the administration has warned India against aligning itself with Russia, and that US officials have been disappointed with some of New Delhis reactions to the Ukraine invasion. The US has told India that the consequences of a more explicit strategic alignment with Moscow would be significant and long-term, he said. Warning against the rapid acceleration of purchases White House economic adviser Daleep Singh, who led efforts to coordinate the Western response to the war, said Washington would not set any red lines about purchasing oil, but warned India against the rapid acceleration of purchases. There will be consequences for any country, including India, that conducts local currency transactions through Russias central bank or constructs a payment mechanism that circumvents sanctions against Russia, Singh said while visiting Delhi last week. Ready to support India in energy imports, but... White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a daily conference said the US is ready to support India in diversifying its energy imports, reiterating its desire that New Delhi does not purchase oil from amid American sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine. We do not think India should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities even as, obviously, those decisions are made by individual countries, she added. Read it here Not in India's 'best interest' to invest in Russian equipment During a Congressional hearing on the annual defence budget, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said it is not in India's "best interest" to continue investing in Russian military equipment. He added that US' requirement going forward is that India downscales the types of equipment that they're investing in and look to invest more in the types of things that will make us continue to be compatible. Defence Minister released on Thursday a third positive indigenisation list of 101 major pieces of defence equipment that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will no longer clear for import. Instead, these 101 items will be incrementally procured from indigenous sources in accordance with the provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. These weapons and platforms will be incrementally banned for import, with some items embargoed from December 2022, and additional items added each December until 2027. The 101 items embargoed for import today were preceded by two earlier lists: The first list of 101 items was promulgated on August 21, 2020; and a second list of 108 items was announced on May 31, 2021. The list, notified by the MoDs Department of Military Affairs, consists of equipment and systems that are close to being fully developed by indigenous agencies and which are likely to translate into firm orders in next five years, stated an MoD release. The third list includes lightweight tanks, 155 millimetre, 52 calibre mounted artillery gun systems, guided extended range (GER) rockets for the Pinaka multi-barrelled rocket launcher (MLRS), naval utility helicopters (NUH), next generation offshore patrol vessels (NGOPV), multi-function surveillance targeting and acquisition radar (MF STAR), medium range anti-ship missiles (MR-SAM naval variant), advanced lightweight torpedo, high endurance autonomous underwater vehicle, medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV), anti-radiation missiles, and loitering munitions. Import substitution of ammunition, which is a recurring requirement, has been given special emphasis. The items banned for import have been identified after consultations with stakeholders such as the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Service Headquarters (SHQs) and the private industry. said the MoD and the military would handhold the industry to adhere to time schedules. The MoD said the import embargoes reflects the growing confidence of the Government in the capabilities of domestic industry to supply equipment of international standards to meet the demand of the armed forces. The MoD also hopes the positive indigenisation lists will stimulate indigenous Research & Development (R&D) by attracting fresh investment into technology and manufacturing. The defence minister described the third list as a symbol of 360-degree efforts being made by the government to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. DRDO transfers technology to industry The DRDO, too, pitched in to strengthen local manufacturing by signing 30 Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreements with 25 domestic industries. Additionally, the defence minister handed over to industry agreements relating to 21 technologies developed by 16 DRDO laboratories across the country. The technologies include quantum random number generator (QRNG), counter drone system, laser directed energy weapon system, missile warhead, high explosive materials, high grade steel, specialised materials, propellants, surveillance and reconnaissance, radar warning receivers, mine barriers, firefighting suits, anti-mine boots, etc. So far, DRDO has entered into more than 1,430 ToT agreements with Indian industries, out of which a record number of around 450 ToT agreements were signed in the last two years. Rajnath stated that handing over 30 ToT agreements to the industry shows their increasing trust in DRDO-developed technologies. He expressed hope that the private sector would use these technologies fully to make India a global defence manufacturing hub. Reminding domestic industry about the governments support for indigenisation, said, 68 per cent of the defence capital budget has been earmarked for domestic procurement. In addition 25 per cent of the defence R&D budget is reserved for the industry, start-ups and academia and for corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board. The Defence Minister stressed on the danger of importing systems, pointing out that foreign software codes could prove dangerous for the security apparatus as it opens the window of vulnerability. Stressing the need for indigenisation, he said, Today, the scope of defence is not limited to borders only. Anyone can now break into the security system of a country with the help of different communication methods. No matter how strong the system is, if it is linked to another country, there is a possibility of a security breach. Earlier, the defence equipment, such as tanks and helicopters, were mainly mechanical in nature. It was not possible to control them. But, newer defence systems are electronic and software intensive. They can be controlled or subverted from anywhere. Stressing on domestic production of ammunition as it ensures uninterrupted supply during wars, Rajnath Singh appreciated the import substitution of ammunition in the first two positive indigenisation lists. He said, when orders for defence items are given to domestic defense industry, it provides employment to lakhs of people working in MSMEs connected to the sector, spread across the country. The number of in the United States increased by over 12 per cent in 2021, while those from China which accounts for the largest number, dropped by more than eight per cent, a governmental report said Wednesday. In its annual report, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact international student enrolment in the United States in 2021. The total number of SEVIS records for active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,236,748 in the calendar year 2021, a decrease of 1.2 per cent from the calendar year 2020. SEVIS stands for Students and Exchange Visitor Information System. F-1 and M-1 are the two non-immigrant student visas. J-1 is also a non-immigrant student visa but is mostly given to scholars exchange programs. In 2021, 8,038 SEVP-certified schools were eligible to enrol international students, registering a decrease by 280 schools from 8,369 eligible schools in 2020. The number of students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin. However, China sent fewer students in 2021 in comparison to 2020 (-33,569) while India sent more students (+25,391), the report said. As many as 37 per cent of are females. Overall, China continues to top the list of countries sending 348,992 students to the United States. India follows China with 232,851 students. China and India are followed by South Korea (58,787), Canada (37,453), Brazil (33,552), Vietnam (29,597), Saudi Arabia (28,600), Taiwan (25,406), Japan (20,144) and Mexico (19,680). According to the report, only Asia and Australia/Pacific Islands saw an overall decline in the number of students coming to the United States last year as all other continents saw an increase. International F-1 and M-1 students came from every continent in the world other than Antarctica and from more than 224 countries and territories. Students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin, accounting for 71.9 per cent of the international student population. China sent fewer international students while India sent more, it said. In 2021, California hosted 208,257 international students, the largest percentage of international students (16.8 per cent) of any US state. There were 240,479 active exchange visitors in the United States in 2021 compared to 256,944 active exchange visitors in 2020, it said. Most F-1 and M-1 students come to the United States to take part in the higher system. In 2021, roughly 92 per cent of all F-1 and M-1 students were enrolled in a SEVP-certified associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral program. Specifically, international students in the United States pursued 1,142,352 degrees in higher education, which is an increase from the calendar year 2020 (1,121,981). It is important to note that one student might partake in more than one level of in a given calendar year, so they may be counted in multiple educational levels. USCIS said 47 per cent (581,843) of all active SEVIS records hailed from either China (348,992) or India (232,851) in the calendar year 2021, the same percentage as the calendar year 2020. While the overall number of active F-1 and M-1 student records coming from Asia decreased by 34,781 from the calendar year 2020 to the calendar year 2021, student record trends varied across different countries, it said. The number of international student records from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin. However, China sent fewer students in 2021 in comparison to 2020 (-33,569), while India sent more students (+25,391), it said. Still, 71.9 per cent of all international students in the United States call Asia home. Other Asian countries sent fewer students including South Korea (-9,430), Saudi Arabia (-9,439) and Japan (-6,155), the report said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Thursday asked Delhi State to inform which of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) units procured by it for the upcoming are compatible with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Justice Rekha Palli granted 10 days to the State to file its response on this aspect and listed for further hearing on April 29 the plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking to conduct the upcoming with EVMs which are compatible with . Advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, appearing for the State (SEC), said that the state authority is dependent on the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the supply of EVMs and it has procured on loan over 29 thousand control units and over 32 thousand ballot units. The control unit and ballot unit are the two components of an EVM. The answering respondent (SEC) has procured 29,532 Control Units (Series No: J, N, S & G) and 32,028 Ballot Units (Series No: J, N, S, C & M) from 12 districts of Bihar as allocated by ECI. It took about one month to transport these EVMs to the Commission, said the affidavit filed by SEC. "The Election Commission of India has been kind enough in providing the EVMs (M2 without in the present case), on a loan basis to the answering respondent, as it does for other State Election Commissions in the country," it added. In the affidavit, the SEC said that even though non- machines are used for local body in India, it has no objections if the upcoming municipal are to be conducted using VVPATs subject to the availability of the required machinery with the ECI. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the political party, submitted that certain models of the units procured by SEC are not compatible with VVPAT and it should be disclosed as to how many VVPAT compatible machines are there across the country. The lawyer for SEC said that when the political parties were earlier informed about the use of the EVMs without VVPAT, no objections were raised by them. Earlier, the court had asked the ECI to inform whether the VVPAT system can be used only with M-3 EVMs and if they can be made available to Delhi SEC for conducting the municipal . The counsel for State EC had submitted that VVPAT is used only in General elections and Legislative Assembly polls and as a matter of policy, the EC is using M-2 EVMs Pan India for municipal polls. While M-2 EVM stands for 2nd generation Electronic Voting Machines, M-3 is 3rd generation Electronic Voting Machines. AAP, through MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, has said in the plea that the EVMs without VVPAT machines make it almost impossible to ascertain the accuracy of the machines and rule out any tampering. The use of the old M-2 EVMs without VVPAT is in contravention of the express directions issued by the Supreme Court in Subramanian Swamy vs Election Commission of India, (2013), which emphatically recognised that the incorporation and implementation of a system of paper trail in EVMs is an indispensable requirement of a free and fair elections, the plea filed through advocate Rakesh Kumar Sinha said. It has alleged that the decision of the State EC to hold the MCD Elections 2022 with M-2 EVMs without VVPAT is manifestly wrong and amounts to a colourable exercise of power. This raises genuine apprehension about the sanctity of the entire electoral process, it has said, adding that this decision has been conveyed in the reply to the party's March 2, 2022 representation made to the authorities to use the EVMs compatible with the VVPATs. As such the respondent no. 1 (State EC) has apparently violated the constitutional guarantee of elections being free, fair, and impartial, it alleged. (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.) Psychologists say 'recreational drugs' are consumed by software professionals by way of relief from tension due to their long working hours. (Representational Image/ Pixabay) Hyderabad: The state government is concerned about instances of drug abuse among the IT sector workforce. Psychologists say 'recreational drugs' are consumed by software professionals by way of relief from tension due to their long working hours. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan said he interacted with the IT sector chiefs about ensuring a work-life balance and to limit the stress caused by excessive work. "The number of drug abusers is very less in the 6-8 lakh community of IT employees in the state. They are generally stressed. A survey done by Apollo hospital showed how young people are falling prey to hypertension and cardiac issues. I don't speak to the IT chiefs about drugs, per se, but seek to engage them in more CSR activities. We encourage them to go out in the community and help them. We have meditation centers in Cyberabad. With the employees coming back to offices after the pandemic term, IT units should promote team-bonding exercises," he said. Meanwhile, psychologists say IT employees face work overload and job insecurity. These push them to alcohol and drug abuse. "My clients who work for the IT sector complain of overwork during the work-from-home period. They say that the work timings blur and they were clocking in 10-12 hours or more of work, as opposed to 9 hours in the office," said Mamta Rajkumar, who provides counselling to IT employees. Rating agency CARE has upgraded the rating for YES Banks tier-II bonds and infrastructure bonds from BBB to BBB+ on stabilisation of operations, growth in business and continued improvement in profitability. The ratings continue to factor in the improvement in the credit profile of the bank post the implementation of the reconstruction scheme for the private sector lender, CARE said in a statement. In March 2020, Reserve Bank of India, with approval from the government, crafted a reconstruction scheme to protect depositors money, provide capital support, liquidity support and reconstitute the Board for better governance. The bank reported CAR of 17.74 per cent with CET I Ratio of 11.63 per cent as on December 31, 2021. There has been steady growth in the deposit base including in current asset and savings account deposits of the bank. There is a shift towards retail lending and granularization of advances profile and improvement in liquidity profile of the bank. However, the ratings continue to remain constrained on account of weak asset quality parameters. There is concentrated exposure to certain stressed corporate groups and bank witnessed slippages in the retail and MSME advances on account Covid-19 induced lockdowns. CARE said Basel III compliant tier-II Bonds are characterised by a Point of Non-Viability (PONV) trigger due to which the investor may suffer a loss of principal. PONV is a point at which any bank may no longer remain a going concern on its own unless steps are taken to revive operations and to continue it as a going concern. The Reserve Bank of India will determine PONV. on Thursday imposed several restrictions on Bengaluru-based Shushruti Souharda Sahakara Bank Niyamita, including a withdrawal cap of Rs 5,000 per account, following a deteroriation in the lender's financial position. The directions shall remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business on April 7, 2022, and are subject to review, the Reserve Bank said in a statement. The co-operative bank cannot, without prior approval from RBI, grant or renew any loans and advances, make any investment, incur any liability and accept fresh deposits, among other restrictions. "In particular, a sum not exceeding Rs 5,000 of the total balance across all savings bank or current accounts or any other account of a depositor, may be allowed to be withdrawn," the central bank said. It further said the issue of directions should not per se be construed as cancellation of the banking license by . "The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves," the central bank said. The Reserve Bank may consider modifications of these directions depending upon circumstances, it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) .com Inc., the world's biggest retailer, will face a shareholder vote calling for an independent audit of its treatment of warehouse workers after the top U.S. securities regulator turned down the company's request to skip the resolution. The decision means investors will get to vote on the issue for the first time, proponents said, taking advantage of guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in November that made it more supportive of votes on significant social issues. Founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has drawn increasing criticism in recent years for its treatment of workers, including claims of poor working conditions at its warehouses and its attempts to block workers unionising. With investors globally pushing to look after their workforce as part of an increased focus on social issues, London-based retail investor activist platform Tulipshare helped file a resolution seeking to shine a light on Amazon's practices. Specifically, the proposal - filed under the name of a Tulipshare investor, Thomas Dadashi Tazehozi - asked the company to commission an independent audit and report on working conditions at the company. While Amazon asked the SEC to let them refuse to put the resolution to a vote, claiming the issue relates to ordinary business operations, an April 6 letter from the SEC disagreed. "In our view, the Tazehozi Proposal transcends ordinary business matters," said the letter seen by Reuters. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. An annual general meeting of shareholders is scheduled for May 25. A separate shareholder resolution seeking an audit on workplace health and safety submitted to the company by investors including the Domini Impact Equity Fund was not backed by the regulator, though. Noting that the second resolution was "substantially duplicative" of the first, the SEC said there was some basis for the company's request that it be allowed to skip the vote, and it would not recommend enforcement action if Amazon were to do so. Last week some 55% of workers at a Staten Island warehouse voted to form the first U.S. union at Amazon. (Reporting by Simon Jessop, additional reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Mark Porter) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Joe Biden's top economic adviser has said that the US warned against partnering too closely with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, BBC reported. "Our message to the Indian government is that the costs and consequences for them of moving into a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will be significant and long-term," White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told reporters. "There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and India's decisions, in the context of the invasion," he added. has declined to level sanctions against Russia, as other countries have done. The country, which the US sees as a counter to China's power in Asia, is the largest importer of Russian weapons, according to Bloomberg. It comes after the US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh made an official visit to last week. "What Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we don't believe it's in India's interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said after Singh returned this week. (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.) Business Partners is buying CDK Global Inc for $6.41 billion in cash, taking private the last major publicly traded provider of software to auto dealers and manufacturers. The purchase announced on Thursday gives the private equity firm a strong foothold in an industry estimated to reach $29.3 billion by 2026, thanks to the rising software demands of from electric-vehicle startups to established auto manufacturers. CDK Global has over the past several years come under pressure to sell itself and has been an activist target. It has offloaded low-margin businesses and instead tried to build out its digital businesses by buying online platforms such as Salty Dot, Roadster and Square Root. "There was basically a mismatch between the goals of the investor base and the company itself. As a private company, they'll be able to continue this transition and grow their digital presence," Oppenheimer analyst Ian Zaffino said. The deal with Business Partners, a unit of Asset Management , will offer CDK investors $54.87 for each share held, a premium of 12% to the company's closing price on Wednesday. The enterprise value of the deal is $8.3 billion and it is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022. CDK Global shares, which fell 19% last year, rose more than 11% in early trading on Thursday. Brookfield said the deal was a bet on CDK Global's subscription-based software model and that it expects the company to benefit from a rise in consolidation across the dealership industry. (Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's currency regulator expects foreign investments in yuan-denominated assets to increase over the long run, despite recent fluctuations, financial media outlet Caixin reported on Thursday. The remarks came as trimmed their holdings of Chinese government bonds at the fastest rate in three years in February, while major economies including the United States tightened monetary policy, prompting market concerns about higher capital outflows and yuan depreciation. "Short-term fluctuations in cross-border securities investments do not mean a reversal of the long-term trend of foreign investment into China's capital market," the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) was quoted as saying. "Affected by recent changes in the external environment, fluctuations of foreign investments in domestic stocks and bonds have increased, (but) it is normal under the complex economic and financial situation." The foreign exchange regulator added that cross-border capital flows under the financial account remained normal and within control, while the value of the Chinese currency was stable. A number of foreign investment banks and research institutions pointed out heavier capital outflows from after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Outflows from on the scale and intensity we are seeing are unprecedented," analysts at the Institute of Finance said in a note in late March. Data showed that sold more than 45 billion yuan ($7.08 billion) on a net basis through the Stock Connect scheme in March, booking the biggest monthly outflow in nearly two years. Separately, Guan Tao, global chief economist at BOC and a former senior SAFE official, said the regulator has experience in handling such currency fluctuations should conditions worsen. He wrote in a government paper published on Thursday that the private sector could play a role in cushioning the impact of such volatility on international payments. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China warned on Thursday it would take strong measures if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker visited and said such a visit would severely impact Chinese-U.S. relations, following media reports she would go next week. China considers democratically ruled its own territory and the subject is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington, especially given strong U.S. military and political support for the island. The possible visit has not been confirmed by Pelosi's office or Taiwan's government, but some Japanese and Taiwanese media reported it would take place after she visits Japan this weekend. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that Beijing firmly opposed all forms of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan, and Washington should cancel the trip. "If the United States insists on having its own way, China will take strong measures in response to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All possible consequences that arise from this will completely be borne by the U.S. side," he added, without giving details. In Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou would only say that inviting U.S. officials and dignitaries had always been "an important part" of the ministry's work, and that it would announce any official visits at an appropriate time. Sunday marks the 43rd anniversary of the United States signing into law the Taiwan Relations Act, which guides ties in the absence of formal diplomatic relations and enshrines a U.S. commitment to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. The last time a House speaker visited Taiwan was in 1997, when Newt Gingrich met then-President Lee Teng-hui. Pelosi, a long time critic of China, particularly on human rights issues, held a virtual meeting with Taiwan Vice President William Lai in January as he wrapped up a visit to the United States and Honduras. Pelosi is one of the ruling Democratic Party's most high-profile politicians, and second in the U.S. presidential line of succession after the vice president. Taiwan has been heartened by continued U.S. support offered by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly talked of its "rock-solid" commitment to the island. That has strained already poor Sino-US relations. In March, a delegation of former senior US defence and security officials sent by President Joe Biden visited Taiwan, a strong show of support coming soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday noted that National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri's move to dismiss a no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister through a controversial ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95 of the Constitution as the apex court heard the high-profile case for the fourth day. Chief Justice Bandial, who is heading a five-member bench comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mohammad Ali Mazhar Miankhel, Munib Akhtar and Jamal Khan Mandokhail, made the observation during the hearing on Thursday. Pressure is mounting on the court to conclude the hearing at the earliest. During the hearing on the fourth day, Chief Justice Bandial noted that deputy speaker's ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95. Earlier, Barrister Ali Zafar, representing President Arif Alvi, presented his arguments. Bandial questioned Zafar where the constitutional crisis in the country was, if everything was happening as per the Constitution, the report said. The top judge also asked the counsel why he was not explaining whether or not there was a constitutional crisis in the country. "If everything is happening according to the Constitution, where is the crisis?" the chief justice asked. During the hearing, Zafar was asked by Justice Miankhel if the prime minister was the people's representative. The lawyer replied in the affirmative. Miankhel then inquired if the premier would be protected if the Constitution was violated in Parliament. At this, Zafar replied that the Constitution must be protected in accordance with the rules it underlines. He said that in order to protect the Constitution, each and every article had to be kept in mind. Justice Bandial then asked what would happen when an injustice was carried out against the entire assembly, not just one member. Justice Mandokhel pointed out that even though the deputy speaker Suri announced the April 3 ruling which dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan, it was signed by Speaker Asad Qaiser. He made the observation as Suri and Qaiser's lawyer, Naeem Bukhari, presented his arguments in the case concerning the legality of the deputy speaker's ruling, the Dawn newspaper reported. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Suri on Sunday ruled that the no-confidence motion was linked with the "foreign conspiracy" to topple the government and hence was not maintainable. Minutes later, President Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of Prime Minister Khan. During the hearing on Wednesday, the chief justice repeatedly reminded the lawyers to conclude their arguments at the earliest to let the bench issue an order. The outcome will not only decide the fate of no-confidence but also the dissolution of the National Assembly and the upcoming elections. If Khan gets a favourable ruling, elections will take place within 90 days. If the court rules against the deputy speaker, Parliament will reconvene and hold the no-confidence vote against Khan, experts said. (Reported by Sajjad Hussain.) Pakistans Supreme Court cancelled Prime Minister Imran Khans plan to hold an election, a move that could bring the Opposition to power within days. A panel of five judges on Thursday rejected a parliamentary ruling that called off a no-confidence debate on Sunday, which had allowed Khan to call for fresh elections. The opposition had declared the move illegal, as the constitution doesnt allow the dissolution of parliament during a no-confidence debate. The vote on the no-confidence motion will now be held on Saturday morning, state-run Radio reported. The cabinet and parliament were also restored. Pakistans election commission said on Thursday that the earliest it could hold the ballot was October. The parliament ruling is declared contrary to the constitution and the law, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said of the unanimous verdict. The order was handed down under heavy security cover with riot police and paramilitary troops surrounding the court building amid concerns that government and opposition party supporters could clash. Its a bold but much welcome move by the Supreme Court, especially for constitutional supremacy, said Marva Khan, an assistant professor at the law school of the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Having a unanimous judgment on the matter further strengthens the value of this precedent. The constitutional crisis has threatened economic and social stability in the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million people, with the rupee currency hitting all-time lows earlier on Thursday and foreign exchange reserves tumbling. The extra yield investors demand to hold Pakistans sovereign debt, on average, over US Treasuries widened by 8 basis points on Thursday to 10.73 percentage points, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. data, just above the 10-percentage point threshold for distressed debt. Thursdays ruling could spell the premature end of Khans tenure in a country where no elected leader has finished their full term in office. The 69-year-old came to power in 2018 after rallying the country behind his vision of a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage. If Khan were to lose the no-confidence vote, the Opposition could nominate its own prime minister and hold power until August 2023, by which date fresh elections have to be held. The Opposition has said it wants early elections. The Pavilion has been recognised among the top 3 pavilions at the Expo2020 Dubai for its exclusive design and innovation, under the 'People's Choice' category by the Exhibitor Group. This is the first time in the history of the World Expo that the Pavilion has bagged such an accolade. The Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai celebrates #India@75 or '75 years of India's independence and showcases the new and dynamic India with its never-ending opportunities. A star-studded jury established by Exhibitors Insight Awards identified the 'People Choice Awards'. Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General for India at Expo 2020 Dubai said: "We would like to thank the Exhibitor Group for this recognition. It is a testament to India's magnificence which has been exhibited by India Pavilion. With the use of architecture, the Pavilion beautifully captures India's rich cultural heritage and its technological prowess. We are also proud to be one of the most visited pavilions at the Expo as we recently touched the 1.5 million visitor mark. It has been a successful journey over the past 6 months, and we wish to continue strengthening India's global presence." Architect Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects, who designed the India Pavilion said: "Every visitor takes back with them a vast array of experiences and memories, whether it is India's culture, architectural legacy, forays into technology, or the country's beautiful natural landscape. This uniqueness is what we wanted to showcase through our design for the India Pavilion, which transcends the boundaries of time and region and encapsulates India's vibrant diversity." Travis Stanton, jury member of the award said, "The Expo 2020 Award winners and honorable mentions represent some of the world's best examples of how design, technology, presentation and storytelling come together to create immersive experiences and effectively communicate compelling messages." The India Pavilion is created on the theme of "Openness, Opportunity, Growth", in line with EXPO2020 Dubai's theme - "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", to showcase a nation open to new learnings, new perspectives, innovations, and investment opportunities. The state-of-the-art India Pavilion structure is dedicated to 11 primary themes, each having an exclusive zone, all under one gigantic roof, including Climate and Biodiversity, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Global Goals, Health and Wellness, Water, and more. The India Pavilion was also awarded as 'One of the most iconic' Pavilions by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at EXPO2020in November last year. The magnificent four-story Pavilion represents India as the fastest-growing nation in the world with the theme of 'India on the move'. Made up of 600 individual blocks, the facade of the India Pavilion uses kinetic architecture to tell 75 stories about the history, geography, and literature of the country with an engrossing stimulus of "constant change". The interiors of the pavilion employ cutting-edge technologies to craft an interactive journey through India's landscape and interconnect the nation's social, cultural, and natural wealth. The Expo2020 Dubai will come to an end on March 31. (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.) There is an inherent contradiction in the stand taken by CBI, on the one hand, CBl claims that the LOC was got issued as the applicant was a flight risk, and in contradiction to that the accused was not arrested during the investigation and charge sheet was filed without arrest, the court said. (Representational Image/ Dc File) New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday directed the CBI to withdraw a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against the chair of Amnesty International India Board Aakar Patel in a case of an alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act and apologise to him. The court said a "written apology" from Director CBI on behalf of the agency acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate to Patel would help uphold the trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar passed the order and directed the probe agency to file a compliance report by April 30. The court noted that apart from the monetary loss, the applicant had suffered mental harassment as he was not allowed to visit at the scheduled time. The applicant can approach the court or other forum for monetary compensation. This court is of the considered opinion that in this case, a written apology from the head of the CBI i.e. Director, CBI acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate, to the applicant would go a long way in not only healing the wounds of the applicant but also upholding the trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution, the judge said. The court noted that Patel had joined the probe once and that there was no other process or warrant issued against him for his appearance. The judge said LOC is a deliberate act of the investigating agency to put restriction on the valuable rights of the accused. The court also said that if the accused was a flight risk during the investigation or the trial, he would have been arrested during the investigation. There is an inherent contradiction in the stand taken by CBI, on the one hand, CBl claims that the LOC was got issued as the applicant was a flight risk, and in contradiction to that the accused was not arrested during the investigation and charge sheet was filed without arrest, the court said. It said that the CBI also did not explain what precautions or measures were taken during the investigation or at the time of filing the charge sheet to ensure the presence of the accused during the trial. Interestingly, as informed by the investigating officer (IO) the application for the issuance of LOC was moved on the day, the charge sheet was complete and dispatched for filing in the court. It shows that it is not the case of oversight or ignorance rather it is a deliberate act of the investigating agency to put restriction on the valuable rights of the accused, the court said. It is not the case of the investigating agency that the accused had evaded his arrest or did not join the investigation, it said. Before issuance of LOC, the consequences on the rights of the affected person should have been foreseen. The fundamental rights of any person can not be curtailed without any procedure established by law, the judge said. The court also noted that the issuance of the LOC caused a monetary loss of around Rs 3.8 lakh to the accused as he has missed his flight and was not allowed to board. It is correct that the discretion for moving the application of LOC lies with the investigating agency but the discretion can not be exercised arbitrarily without any justifiable reasons or grounds, it said. In the present scenario, the Director, of CBI is expected to sensitize the officials who are part of the issuance of LOC, it said, adding that the accountability of the concerned officials, in this case, should be fixed. Earlier during the arguments, the CBI opposed the application saying there was the likelihood of Patel fleeing from justice if he was allowed to leave the country. The CBI said that Patel was highly influential. " We are not demanding for arrest. We are saying he should not cross the country," the agency said. The court noted the CBI submission that the investigation was continuing since 2021, and said if Patel was a flight risk, he would have been arrested. The court said he could have run away during the investigation also then. Patel's counsel had opposed the CBI's contention, claiming that citizens' rights are being railroaded by the agency. "It is time that we send a suitable reply to law enforcement agencies and society," he told the court. Patel's application has further sought the court's permission to visit the US to take up his foreign assignment and lecture series organised by various universities till May 30. It submitted that Patel was stopped by immigration authorities at the Bangalore International Airport on Wednesday while he was boarding a flight to the US. The application claimed that the action was taken despite an order by a Gujarat court granting him permission to travel abroad. on Thursday said it calls for peace, security and prosperity for the people of and welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in the eight-year-long conflict. "We welcome the two months ceasefire in the conflict from April 2 on the initiatives of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Hans Grundberg," said Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. He further stated that hopes that this truce will lead to a more comprehensive and durable cease-fire and build positive momentum for an inclusive political process to end the eight-year-long conflict in . " has friendly ties with Yemen and hopes for peace, security and prosperity for the people of Yemen as well as for the region," he said. The truce announcement was made by Grundberg on April 1, on the second day of peace talks in Riyadh. The deal between the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels - which can be extended if both agree - came into effect from Saturday. Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents - Shia rebels with links to Iran -- "took control of Yemen's capital and largest city, Sana'a, demanding lower fuel prices and a new government. After failed negotiations, the rebels seized the presidential palace in January 2015, leading President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to resign. Beginning in March 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of Gulf states launched a campaign of economic isolation and air strikes against the Houthi insurgents. The US helped logistically and with intelligence. The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis, using mainly air strikes. In turn, Houthis have used drones and missiles to attack both Saudi Arabia and its ally, the United Arab Emirates. --IANS sk/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Due to the problematic position taken by on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the India-US bilateral relationship is entering uncharted territory, a top former official of the Trump Administration said Wednesday. Lisa Curtis, who was the Trump Administration's point person for during his four years of presidency, made the remark cautioning that in the absence of a course correction by New Delhi, it would become increasingly difficult for the two countries to expand their defence and security ties beyond a certain level. I think the US relationship is entering uncharted territory. The issue of India's close ties with Russia has always been an irritant in the US-India partnership. But with Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country, there are expectations that India would adjust its relationship with Russia, Curtis told PTI in an interview. Curtis, who is now a senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security think tank, said February 24 which marks the Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed everything in terms of what the expectations of the United States are of India moving forward. I think there has been some understanding of India's very difficult position that it can't change its reliance on Russian military equipment overnight and that India has real security interests that it needs to protect, she said. But I think moving forward, the expectation will be that there'll be some adjustment to India's relationship with Russia. Otherwise, I think it'll make it increasingly difficult for the US and India to really expand that defence and security partnership beyond a certain level, Curtis added. Curtis, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for South and Central Asia from 2017 to 2021 under three successive National Security Advisors, praised the Biden Administration for its understanding of India's position on Russia. The Biden administration has built on the momentum that the Trump administration had created with the US India relationship, she said, adding That has largely continued and has built on and extended the progress with the QUAD dialogue. The fact that there's been three QUAD summits -- two virtual and one in person -- since the Biden administration came into office is really quite remarkable. It shows that the QUAD has become a central pillar of the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy, she said. One can see in the Indo-Pacific strategy document that the Biden administration places great value on its strategic partnership with India and it really views India as playing a central role in the Indo-Pacific strategy, she observed. I think that's why we are seeing the Biden administration show tremendous forbearance toward India's very disappointing response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration is taking the long view about India; recognizes that India is important for standing up to Chinese aggression in the region, she said. The Biden Administration has been willing to accept some problematic positions that India has taken on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for instance, abstaining nine times in the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly, refusing to condemn Russia's really unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. So, I think that issue is straining the relationship to some degree, Curtis said. I personally have been quite struck with how patient the Biden administration is on India's failure to condemn Russia's actions when pretty much the rest of the world has been willing to do so, she said. Responding to a question, Curtis said it is in India's interest to speak up against Russia. India, she noted, does not seem to recognize that Russia has aggressive behaviour in Europe, if the rest of the world was to just accept it, and not sanction Russia, not provide military equipment to the Ukrainian government, that would be sort of giving a green light to China to practice aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, whether that's toward Taiwan, or whether that's its disputed borders with India. I think that's where people are surprised that India is not connecting Russia's actions in Eastern Europe to what China could try to do in the Indo-Pacific region, which would have a direct bearing on India's own national security interests, Curtis said. As Russia comes under crushing Western sanctions, which looks set to increase now that we've seen some of the civilian atrocities committed against civilians in Ukraine, that Russia will be a reliable partner for India. It'll be increasingly difficult for India to receive sophisticated technology from Russia because Russia will be cut off from the rest of the world, she said. Russia will also become more dependent on China, she said. Russia will be even more of a junior partner to China than it already is. Meaning that China will call the shots in that partnership. So if India is expecting that its lack of condemnation of Russian aggression against Ukraine is going somehow by its support from Russia, in its own border with China, I think it's mistaken, she said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Ahmad Ghaddar LONDON (Reuters) - rose on Thursday from a three-week low touched in the previous session after consuming nations announced a huge release of oil from emergency reserves, as worries over tight supplies still clouded the market outlook. Brent crude futures climbed $1.05 or 1.%, to $102.12 a barrel at 0921 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 86 cents, or 0.9%, to $97.09 a barrel. Both benchmarks plunged more than 5% in the previous session and hit their lowest closing levels since March 16. Energy Agency member countries on Wednesday agreed to release 60 million barrels on top of a 180 million-barrel release announced by the United States last week to help drive down prices amid supply fears following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Japan will release 15 million barrels of oil from state and private reserves as part of the move, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday. "Although this is the biggest release since the stockpile was created in 1980, it will fail to ultimately change the fundamentals in the oil market," ANZ bank said about the U.S. release. ANZ argued that the release is likely to delay further increases in output from key producers and could give OPEC+ more "breathing room amid calls to increase output further". Other analysts, however, see the stocks release as a big relief to market tightness concerns. "In view of these quantities, the previous concerns about tight supplies are no longer justified, as can also be seen from the price trend," Commerzbank said, noting that Brent prices have plunged by about $12 since the first announcement of a U.S. release came last week. China's oil demand is expected to rebound to 14.26 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, after dropping to 13.9 million bpd in the previous quarter as the country's zero-COVID policy dampened consumption, a senior researcher from China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said. China, the world's biggest oil importer, said it will strictly control new capacity in its oil refining industry and will accelerate the elimination of inefficient and outdated production capacity.. Stalled indirect talks between Iran and the United States on reviving a 2015 agreement on Tehran's nuclear program have further delayed the potential for sanctions on Iranian oil to be lifted, keeping the market tight. Political decisions are needed in Tehran and Washington to overcome remaining issues, negotiators say. (Additional Reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Editing by Kim Coghill) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States is ready to support in diversifying its energy imports, the said Wednesday, reiterating its desire that does not purchase oil from Russia amid American sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine. We do not think should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities even as, obviously, those decisions are made by individual countries, Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. And (the US is) also making clear that we stand ready to support as in any efforts to diversify its imports and serve as a reliable supplier even as they're only importing about one to two per cent of their oil from Russia, she said in response to a question. US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh was in last week to discuss with Indian officials on the Russian sanctions. We have a range of ways to communicate and engage. And obviously, sending our Deputy National Security Advisor is an example of that. But clearly, our preference would be to have a confirmed ambassador, she said. The nomination of the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, is pending in the US Senate as he does not have enough votes for his confirmation. Our preference is always to have a confirmed ambassador on the ground. It's an incredibly important diplomatic position. We also engage with countries through a range of channels. And obviously, our deputy National Security Advisor was just in India recently in the last few weeks, conveying clearly what the consequences of violating sanctions would be and what the mechanisms are, Psaki said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunaks wife, Akshata Murthy, holds non-domiciled status in the U.K., meaning she doesnt pay British taxes on her foreign earnings. The tax status -- first revealed by the Independent newspaper and confirmed in a statement by a spokesperson for Murthy -- could potentially save her millions of pounds over many years in U.K. tax payments. Murthy is the daughter of Indian billionaire, Ltd. co-founder Narayana Murthy, and she owns 0.93% of the companys shares, according to Bloomberg data. Thats valued at almost $1 billion at current prices. Murthy is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents home, a spokesperson said in a statement. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously. So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for U.K. tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay U.K. taxes on all her U.K. income. While there is no suggestion the chancellor or his wife have broken any laws, the revelation about his wifes tax affairs will add to the perception that Sunak is out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Britons. Non-domiciled status isnt conveyed automatically -- its something people apply for to avoid their worldwide income being taxed in Britain. Under so-called non-dom rules, some have to pay an annual fee of up to 60,000 pounds ($78,000) depending on the length of time theyve lived in the U.K. The status also carries the implication that their stay in Britain is not permanent. Slumping Popularity The development comes at a time when the chancellor Sunak has been losing support of both the general public and within his own Conservative Party, after delivering a mini-budget in March that critics said doesnt do enough to tackle a growing cost-of-living crisis. The chancellor told the BBC last week that its very upsetting to see criticism of his wife in the press. Its totally fine for people to take shots at me. Its fair game, he said. Its very upsetting and, I think, wrong for people to try and come at my wife. Sunak declared Murthys tax status to the Cabinet Office when he first became a minister in 2018, and the Treasury was also made aware in order to manage any potential conflicts. Murthy has lived in the U.K. for nine years, and after 15 years in the country will automatically be deemed domiciled in Britain for tax purposes. She pays tax abroad on her foreign income. Recent missteps by the chancellor seized upon by the British media include wearing an expensive pair of sneakers and filling a small car that wasnt his own for a photo-opportunity to publicize a cut in fuel duty. In 2020, he was photographed with a 180-pound coffee cup as he finalized plans to prevent mass unemployment at the height of the pandemic. On Wednesday, a YouGov poll found that his popularity has slumped in the two weeks since he delivered his Spring Statement. His current score of minus 29 -- 57% have an unfavorable opinion of Sunak compared with just 28% who see him in a positive light -- is the lowest hes ever recorded. That came after a separate survey earlier in the week showed his standing has also fallen among Conservative Party members. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Kyiv had presented Moscow with a draft peace deal that contained unacceptable elements, but that would nonetheless continue talks and press to secure its own requirements. Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights by invading Russian troops in . On Thursday, renewed a call for financial sanctions impactful enough to force Moscow to end the war. In Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Nato to provide more weapons. My agenda is very simple its weapons, weapons and weapons, Kuleba said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the democratic world must stop buying Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the finance system. coal, oil paid for in yuan head to China Russian coal and oil paid for in yuan is about to start flowing into China. Several Chinese firms used local currency to buy Russian coal in March, and the first cargoes will arrive this month, Chinese consultancy Fenwei Energy Information Service said. These will be the first commodity shipments paid for in yuan since the US and Europe penalised Russia and cut several of its banks off from the financial system, according to traders. Russian crude sellers have also offered buyers in China the flexibility to pay in yuan. BLOOMBERG Russian President and Serbian President reiterated their readiness to deepen bilateral relations during a phone conversation. Putin on Wednesday congratulated Vucic on his victory in the presidential elections held on Sunday and the success of his party in the parliamentary elections, the Kremlin said in a statement. The leaders reaffirmed their common position to further develop the Russian-Serbian strategic partnership and expand trade and economic ties, including in the energy sector, Xinhua news agency reported. They also discussed the situation in Kosovo and the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. --IANS int/khz/ (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.) Shanghai, the global financial hub and China's biggest city, has become the epicentre of COVID-19 cases in the country as it set a record of six-straight days of logging around 20,000 cases, as the city ramped up mass testing to tackle the rapid spread of the variant. The Chinese mainland reported 1,284 new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 322 in Shanghai, on Wednesday, China's National Health Commission reported on Thursday. Wednesday also saw 21,784 new asymptomatic cases, including 19,660 in Shanghai, it said. with a population of about 26 million, which remained under lockdown for several days, has already conducted three rounds of mass testing. Shanghai's latest caseloads have established it as China's new epicentre for the latest outbreak, pushing the national caseload to 22,995, Hong Kong-based South Morning Post newspaper reported. The outbreak in Shanghai, caused by the highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, is becoming so serious that the city's ruling Communist Party sent an open letter to rally members to help front-line health workers in their quest to find and snuff out the disease, the report said. It was the second letter since March 24 by cadres in the city where the party was established a century ago. has aleready rushed thousands of personnel from various medical services of the military to in a similar move to contain the in Wuhan, where COVID-19 first emerged in 2019, December. Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, a member of the party's Politburo, has been in since Saturday to oversee the city's anti-pandemic work. Shanghai has reported 114,000 cases since the latest wave of outbreaks started on March 1, recording more cases in a month than the previous two years combined. Wednesday's new infection numbers surpassed the 13,436 cases recorded on February 12, 2000 in Wuhan, where the outbreak was first reported, the Post report said. The city was under lockdown to enable health authorities to carry out a fresh round of mass tests since Sunday to spot every infection and break the transmission chain. The city had already undergone three rounds of tests involving every single resident, from April 3 to 6. Meanwhile, chaos had broken out in sporadic areas since Shanghai's lockdown. People jostled and fought for food at the Nanhui quarantine centre on Wednesday before authorities brought the mayhem under control, the Post quoted blog posts on social media. Trust in the local government has been eroded over the past few weeks since their pledge to protect people and ensure adequate food supply proved to be empty promises, said Gordon Zhu, a Shanghai-based software developer. Many people are starving amid the shutdown and they are desperate for meat, vegetables and rice, he said, the Post reported. The first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, 2019. The deadly disease has killed at least 6,167,500 people across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker. The world has also reported over 495,218,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, it says. (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.) Pets beaten to death. Parents forced to separate from their children. Elderly folks unable to access medical care. Locked-up residents chanting we want to eat and we want freedom. As much of the world moves on from the pandemic, the desperate scenes seeping out of Chinas most global city have shocked even citizens who were once staunch supporters of President Xi Jinpings Covid Zero strategy to eliminate the virus. The struggle to obtain daily necessities like food and medical care has triggered rare pushback from residents, with some saying the Communist Partys cure is worse than the disease. In this country its not the virus that scares us, but the chaotic anti-Covid measures that have caused risks to the well-being of the elderly, the children and companion animals, said Lily Chen, who lives in with her three cats. I now realise we can only rely on ourselves not the government to protect our own families. Another resident, Regina Li, said she had long supported the government broke down in tears after seeing social-media posts of a virus-control worker beating a dog to death. The growing angst risks becoming one of the biggest challenges to Xi perhaps since he took power in 2012, and comes just months before hes expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term at a twice-a-decade party congress later this year. The outbreak has virtually immobilised one of Chinas most sophisticated and recognisable cities, with businesses shuttered and factories of companies like Tesla halting production. Although the Communist Party remains firmly in control, the rare grassroots criticism undercuts Xis ability to trumpet his Covid-19 strategy as evidence of Chinas superior model of governance a key justification for him to stay in power. Chinas Foreign Ministry has blasted the US and Europe for allowing so many deaths, saying Xis policy was beyond reproach. The Communist Party is feeling the heat. On Wednesday it issued a rare call imploring rank-and-file members to help contain the in . We must dare to draw our swords and fight against all kinds of behaviours that interfere with and undermine the overall situation of the fight against the epidemic, the partys top branch in Shanghai wrote to members in an open letter. Still, even that was met with scorn from some internet users. Weibo user Ah Dai Is Speechless wrote, we dont see anything but chaos, disorder & discrimination. wants sanctions crippling enough to force to end its war after accusing some countries of putting economic wellbeing above punishment for civilian killings that the West condemns as war crimes. The democratic world must stop buying Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the finance system, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily video address early on Thursday. "Some politicians are still unable to decide how to limit the flow of petrodollars and oil euros to so as not to put their own economies at risk," Zelensky said. Washington announced new measures including sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters and a major bank. However, the failed to approve a new round of sanctions including on Russian coal on Wednesday. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the package could be passed on Thursday or Friday. Speaking at a NATO meeting, Borrell also said the EU will discuss an embargo on Russian oil, which he said he hoped would come soon. After grisly images of dead civilians in the streets of Bucha, a town northeast of Kyiv recaptured from Russian invaders, sparked condemnation, Zelenskiy said Kremlin forces were trying to cover up evidence of atrocities. "We have information that the Russian military has changed its tactics and is trying to remove people who have been killed from streets and basements ... this is just an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more," Zelensky said, but did not provide evidence. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and says images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace talks. Russia's six-week-long invasion has forced over 4 million to flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, left a quarter of the population homeless, turned cities into rubble and set off Western restrictions targeting Russian elites and the economy. Washington's new steps on Wednesday included sanctions top state-run lender Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Russia's fourth-largest financial institution. It also banned Americans from investing in and called for Russia to be expelled from the Group of 20 major economies forum, saying it will boycott G20 meetings where Russian officials will show up. An EU source said the European coal ban would be approved on Thursday but would not take effect until August, a month later than previously proposed after pressure from Germany, EU's top importer of Russian coal. Britain also froze Sberbank's assets, and said it would ban imports of Russian coal, but not until the end of the year. The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on suspending Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council. CALL FOR MORE ACTION But says its allies must go further to stop Moscow's war machine by ending all energy imports from Russia and blocking supplies of technology and materials used for weapons production. "Sanctions against Russia must be ruinous enough for us to end this terrible war," the head of Ukraine's presidential office Andriy Yermak said late on Wednesday. Ukraine's foreign minister called NATO allies to send more planes, air defence systems, missiles and military vehicles. "I think the deal that is offering is fair. You give us weapons, we sacrifice our lives, and the war is contained in Ukraine," Dmytro Kuleba told reporters at the NATO meeting. Breaking ranks with the rest of the EU, Hungary said it was prepared to meet a Russian demand to pay roubles for its gas, in what Ukraine described as an "unfriendly act." The rift highlights the continent's reliance on Russian gas and oil that has held it back from a tougher response on the Kremlin as Russia accounts for some 40% of the EU's natural gas consumption and a third of its oil imports. BESIEGED CITY Western policymakers have denounced the killings in Bucha as war crimes, and Ukrainian officials say a mass grave by a church there contained between 150 and 300 bodies. Russia says it is engaged in a "special military operation" designed to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine, which Kiyiv and its Western allies reject that as a false pretext for its invasion. Russia continues to prepare for an attack to gain full control over the eastern breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as well as the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where tens of thousands are trapped, according to the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces. Many in the eastern town of Derhachi, just north of Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv and near the border with Russia, have decided to leave while they can. Buildings have been badly damaged by Russian artillery. Kharkiv itself has been hammered by air and rocket strikes from the start. Mykola, a father of two in Derhachi who declined to give his surname, said he could hear the thud of bombardments every night, and had been hunkering down with his family in the corridor of their home. "(We'll go) wherever there are no explosions, where the children won't have to hear them," he said, hugging his young son and struggling to hold back the tears. The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said 167 children have so far been killed in the war, with 297 wounded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China, EU make contributions to progress of world peace 09:01, April 07, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen via video link in Beijing, capital of China, April 1, 2022. (Photo/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping met via video link with President Charles Michel of the European Council and President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission in Beijing on the evening of April 1. Providing guidance and charting a course for the healthy and sustained relationship between China and Europe, President Xi stressed that China and the EU should act as two major forces upholding world peace, two big markets promoting shared development, and two great civilizations promoting human progress. He also shared his views on how to settle the Ukraine crisis under the current circumstances. When President Xi paid a historic visit to the EU headquarters in March 2014, he suggested that China and Europe work together to foster a China-EU partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilization, which has endowed the China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership with new connotations. This vision remains unchanged today and is of practical significance under the current circumstances. As the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation, China and the EU should offset uncertainties in the international landscape with the stability of China-EU relations, deepen economic globalization through open cooperation, and meet global challenges through solidarity and collaboration. China and the EU are two major independent forces that share broad strategic consensus and common interests. Dialogue and cooperation remain the mainstream of China-EU relations, and mutual benefit is the keynote of China-EU cooperation. It's a consensus between the two sides that they need peace, multilateralism and dialogue, instead of war, unilateralism, and confrontation. Cooking utensils to be exported to the European and American markets are being assembled at a workshop of the Anhui Hualing Kitchen Equipment Co., Ltd. in Ma'anshan, east China's Anhui province, April 1, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Wang Wensheng) China and the EU should perceive their relations from broader strategic and more profound historical perspectives. Xi said they should take the lead in defending the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and jointly reject the resurrection of rival-bloc mentality and oppose attempts at a new Cold War, with a view to maintaining world peace and stability. Xi called on the EU to form its own perception of China, adopt an independent China policy, and work with China to promote the steady and sustained growth of China-EU relations and to add stabilizing factors to a turbulent world. China and the EU are important trading partners of each other. They carry out cooperation in a wide range of fields and their interests are interwoven. China has remained the largest trading partner of the EU for two consecutive years, and the trade volume between the two sides reached a record high of more than $800 billion last year. The trade structure between them is constantly optimized, with prominent growth observed in aerospace, biology, optoelectronics, and electronics. China's solid efforts to deepen reform and expand opening up have created important opportunities for European business investment. The China-EU agreement on geographical indications has further facilitated bilateral trade, and the China-Europe freight trains are also contributing to the stability of the international industrial and supply chains. As two major economies, China and the EU enjoy strong resilience and huge potential in economic and trade cooperation. The cooperation between them is conducive to not only their own development, but also the economic recovery of the world. A freight train bound for Madrid, Spain is ready to depart from Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province, April 1, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Gong Xianming) Facing increasing global challenges, China and the EU need to follow true multilateralism and advocate a vision of global governance featuring the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. From jointly making important contributions to the reaching of the Paris Agreement to leading cooperation on biodiversity, and from offering mutual assistance in the fight against COVID-19 to further enhancing anti-pandemic cooperation for narrowing the global immunity gap, China and the EU enjoy a solid foundation in strengthening cooperation. China welcomes the EU's support for and participation in the Global Development Initiative. The two sides' efforts to promote world peace, economic growth and common prosperity will contribute wisdom and strength to improving global governance. Concerning regional and global peace and stability, the situation in Ukraine is receiving high attention from the international society. During the meeting with President Michel and President von der Leyen, President Xi called on the global community to encourage peace talks, prevent a humanitarian crisis on a bigger scale, foster lasting peace in Europe and the Eurasian continent, and prevent the regional conflict from magnifying. His proposals fully demonstrated China's major responsibility to always stand on the right side of history and play a constructive role in safeguarding world peace and the common interests of mankind. Promoting peace talks, keeping the situation under control, preventing larger-scale humanitarian crisis and spillover of the Ukraine crisis are a consensus reached between China and the EU. Both of the two sides are unwilling to see the world divided, and oppose a new Cold War in any form. There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and the EU. Cooperation far outweighs competition, and consensus far outweighs disagreement. The two sides should maintain their mutual understanding, and adhere to mutual trust, dialogues and cooperation for win-win results, so as to make constant progress of China-EU relations, and make their contributions to world peace and development as two major forces, big markets and great civilizations. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) New Delhi: To further boost the Make-in-India initiative in defence, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday released the third negative list called the third positive indigenisation list of over 101 military systems and weapons. These include sensors, weapons and ammunition, naval utility helicopters, patrol vessels, anti-ship missile and anti-radiation missiles. Their import will be banned in a staggered manner over five years. These weapons and platforms are planned to be indigenised progressively and will be procured from local sources as per provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. Today, it gives me great pleasure to release the third positive indigenisation list of 101 defence equipment and platforms to the nation. The release of this list shows the fast pace of our self-reliance in the defence sector, said Singh. Our two important objectives are self-reliance in defence sector, and promoting expo-rts of military equipment. The release of this list will encourage indigenisation with the participation of public and private sector, said the defence minister. He said India's self-reliance in the defence sector does not mean working in isolation from the rest of the world. "It means working in our own country with their (foreign firms) active participation and support," said Singh. Import substitution of ammunition which is a recurring requirement has been given special emphasis. The third list comprises highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunitions including light weight tanks, mounted arty gun systems (155mmX 52Cal), guided extended range (GER) rocket for PINAKA MLRS, naval utility helicopters (NUH), next generation offshore patrol vessels (NGOPV), MF STAR (Radar For Ships), medium range anti-ship missile (Naval Variant), advance light weight torpedo (Ship Launch), high endurance autonomous underwater vehicle, medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV), anti-radiation missiles and loitering munitions among others. Defence minister described the third list as a symbol of 360-degree efforts being made by the government to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The defence ministry has set a goal of a turnover of $ 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years which includes an export target of $5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware. Mr Singh described the three lists as a self-imposed vow which can pave the way for a strong and self-reliant New India. He underscored the importance of self-reliance in defence production and promotion in exports, terming it as a crucial aspect which strengthens the economy as well as national security, besides improving the socio-economic condition of the country. The US remains hopeful that it can have policy alignment with "to the maximum extent possible" on sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a senior US official. " is our friend, is our partner and we share interests, and we share core principles that are at stake in this conflict," the official said on Wednesday. "We've had extensive discussions about ways to further our cooperation on global food security, on global energy supplies, and certainly in terms of recognising that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's brutality affects all of us," the official who briefed reporters on condition of not being identified. The official was answering a reporter's question on India and the latest set of sanctions imposed on Russia and how far it has come towards "convergence" with the US on the matter. "The geopolitical implications of Russia's actions do have ripple effects," the official said. "And, of course, we remain hopeful that we can have alignment to the maximum extent possible," the official added. A test of the degree of alignment in the approaches of the two countries can come as early as Thursday when the United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote on a US proposal to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council. On Monday, India made its strongest statement so far on Ukraine with a condemnation of the atrocities committed allegedly by Russian troops withdrawing from Bucha and calling for an independent investigation. Responding to the images of killings and atrocities against civilians in Bucha, the US announced a fresh set of sanctions targeting Russia's largest financial institution Sberbank, and Alfa Bank, as well as the family members of Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other officials. There's an obsession reflective of what can be described as the racially differentiated approach of the US liberal mainstream media to sanctions and India. In a pointed example, NBC network correspondent Andrea Mitchell in an interview broadcast on Wednesday asked Blinken, "Why aren't we sanctioning China and India" because they "keep buying fuel from Russia and fuelling this war, helping to fund Putin's war". And while she admitted that "there are big loopholes and Europe still is buying natural gas and still will for another year," she did not suggest sanctioning European countries for buying Russian energy as she did for India and China. Blinken did not reply to her question about sanctions on India and China. At the White House briefing by President Joe Biden's Spokesperson Jen Psaki, a reporter asked about "pressuring" India to not work with Russia or give it aid. Psaki pointed out that India is importing only between 1 to 2 per cent of its oil from Russia and said, "We stand ready to support India as -- in any efforts to diversify its imports and serve as a reliable supplier." About the part of the reporter's question whether the absence of an ambassador was impacting how the US can pressure India, Psaki said, "We also engage with countries through a range of channels." She referred to the recent visit to New Delhi by Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, who she said conveyed "clearly what the consequences of violating sanctions would be and what the mechanisms are". He also made it "clear that we do not think India should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities, even as obviously those decisions are made by individual countries," she said. The nomination of Eric Garcetti to be the ambassador to India has hit a roadblock in the Senate, which has to approve the appointment of envoys. Because of questions if the Los Angeles mayor was aware of allegations of sexual harassment against a close aide and did not take action, two Republican senators have blocked the nomination from coming to the full Senate for a vote even though it has been approved by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. In the evenly divided Senate, Biden's Democratic Party will need the support of all its 50 senators to OK the nomination without the backing of any Republican senators. But some Democrats are hesitating to declare support for Garcetti. Psaki reiterated that Biden stood by him. New Delhi is "an incredibly important diplomatic position", she said. The senior administration official's mention of "extensive discussions about ways to further our cooperation on global food security" opens another avenue of cooperation between the US and India -- and possibly the Quad -- on a global problem. Exports from the world's largest wheat exporter Russia and the fifth-largest exporter Ukraine have been disrupted by the invasion, leading to warnings from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that a food crisis affecting especially developing nations is in the offing because the availability of wheat and its prices will be affected. India is the world's second-largest wheat producer after China, but its exports have been small -- about 5.5 million tonnes last year, according to the US Agriculture Department data While its domestic consumption is big, India is sitting on a huge stockpile of wheat estimated at about 100 million tonnes -- far more than a safety net buffer would require and New Delhi could step in to fill some of the global food gap. As a model for this, India provided Covid-19 vaccines around the world, especially to developing countries and under a joint humanitarian programme of the Quad -- the Indo-Pacific group of India, the US, Japan and Australia -- India is to produce 1 billion doses of the vaccine for distribution to developing countries. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A powerful Republican Senator on Wednesday welcomed India's condemnation of the killings of Ukrainian people in Bucha by the Russian army, terming it as the country's hardening of stance. Amid India's intensifying its outreach to the US Capitol, the Co-Chair of the Senate Caucus, Senator John Cornyn, who has so far been critical of abstaining itself from the UN Security Council votes on the issue of Russia, welcomed India's remarks on the issue. Welcome response by our friends: condemns killings in Ukraine's Bucha in apparent hardening of stance, Cornyn said in a tweet as he tagged a story of India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations T S Trimurti in which he condemned the Russian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We unequivocally condemn these killings and support the call for an independent investigation, Trimurti told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his remarks in Lok Sabha also condemned the killings in Bucha. I want to say that we are deeply disturbed by the reports. We strongly condemn the killings that have taken place there. This is an extremely serious matter and we support the call for an independent investigation, he said. Meanwhile India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu has intensified his engagement with US lawmakers. Over the past few days, he has met more than a dozen influential lawmakers and briefed them about India's position on . Yesterday, I met with Ambassador Sandhu to discuss the importance of the US-India bilateral relationship, the situation in Ukraine, and the importance of religious tolerance throughout India, said Congresswoman Dina Titus. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said he met with the ambassador to urge the Indian government to stand with the US in supporting its friend and ally and to oppose Putin's murder machine. We discussed ways we can bring India closer to the US via a comprehensive bilateral agreement to include defensive weapons, energy security and food security so that India can permanently sever any and all ties with Russia, the Congressman said. A day earlier, Sandhu hosted the leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Asia, including its chairman Congressman Ami Bera, Ranking member Steve Chabot Congressman Mark Green and Congresswoman Young Kim. Among others, Sandhu met Congressman Chris Pappas, Senator Cory Booker and Congressman Adam Smith, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. (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.) Treasury Secretary says more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of and other digital assets and to ward off fraudulent and illicit transactions. In practice, one result would be that users would get documentation of their crypto dealings for use in filing their taxes. Taxpayers should receive the same type of tax reporting on digital asset transactions that they receive for transactions in stocks and bonds, so that they have the information they need to report their income to the IRS, Yellen said in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday at American University. It was to be Yellen's first speech about since President Joe Biden signed an executive order on digital assets in March. The administration's action follows several high-profile examples of alleged laundering and fraud this year. In February, the Justice Department announced its largest-ever financial seizure more than $3.6 billion and the arrests of a couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. And in March, federal regulators accused two siblings of defrauding thousands of investors out of $124 million in unregistered securities offerings involving a digital token. To the extent there are gaps, we will make policy recommendations, including assessment of potential regulatory actions and legislative changes, Yellen said in her remarks. Biden's executive order on government oversight of cryptocurrency urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directs the Treasury Department and other federal agencies to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. As banks and other traditional financial firms become more involved in digital asset markets, Yellen said, regulatory frameworks will need to appropriately reflect the risks of these new activities. The use of cryptocurrency and other digital assets have exploded in recent years. Surveys show that roughly 16% of adult Americans or 40 million people have invested in cryptocurrencies. And 43% of men age 18 to 29 have put their money into cryptocurrency. Our regulatory frameworks should be designed to support responsible innovation while managing risks especially those that could disrupt the financial system and economy, Yellen said. Lawmakers and administration officials have also voiced concerns that Russia may be using cryptocurrency to avoid the impact of the avalanche of sanctions imposed on banks, oligarchs and the energy industry in the past weeks due to the invasion of Ukraine. But Treasury officials and cryptocurrency experts have said crypto is not a workaround for sanctions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks between and will continue despite the evidence of "atrocities carried out by the Russian military", the Ukrinform news agency reported. "In any case, we must find even small opportunities for the negotiation process. Without this, I think it is difficult to end the war," Zelensky was quoted as saying in an interview with Turkey's Haberturk television channel on Wednesday. He emphasised the importance of the mediation mission of other countries, including Turkey, in the talks, Xinhua news agency reported. At least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, some 28 km northwest of Kiev after the Ukrainian army retook control of the town from the Russian military. Zelensky earlier called the killings of civilians in Bucha a "war crime". The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of alleged killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha in Ukraine's Kiev region. "All photographs and video materials published by the Kiev regime, allegedly evidencing some kind of 'crimes' committed by Russian military personnel in the city of Bucha, Kiev region, are another provocation," the Ministry said in a statement. It said that during the time the settlement was under control of the Russian forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions, adding that "all Russian units completely withdrew from Bucha on March 30". (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of state-run aerospace and defence major (HAL) scaled an all-time high of Rs 1,625.25 on Thursday after the company entered into a pact with its long-term partner Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The stock gained 5 per cent, before partially erasing gains. At 12:00 noon, it was up 2.7 per cent. Under the pact, the company has partnered with IAI to convert civil (passenger) aircraft to multi mission tanker transport (MMTT) aircraft in India. The scope of the partnership also covers "passenger to freighter aircraft" conversion along with MMTT conversions. "HAL will convert pre-owned civil aircraft into air refuelling aircraft with cargo and transport capabilities," it said in a filing. READ HERE The company's chief managing director R. Madhavan said the venture of MMTT conversion business is one of the strategic diversification avenues identified by HAL. In the last four days, the stock has risen 7 per cent. Its previous record high was Rs 1,592.35, hit on Aoril 4, 2022, after the company said it recorded the highest-ever revenue of over Rs 24,000 crores (provisional and unaudited) for FY22, up 6 per cent from last year. "HAL achieved record revenue with production of 44 new helicopters, 84 new engines, overhauling 203 aircrafts and 478 engines," it had said. READ HERE Moreover, the company recently bagged a contract from the government to produce 15 light combat helicopters at a cost of Rs 3,887 crores, along with infrastructure sanctions worth Rs. 377 crores. In an investor presentation last month, the company said the defence ministry has granted it acceptance of necessity (AoN) for several defence platforms, which are expected to strengthen its order book by Rs 30,000 crores and keep its position healthy in the medium term. AoN is accorded by the government for projects related to an operational situation foreseen as imminent, or for a situation where a crisis has emerged without prior warning. Shares of IDFC plunged 7 per cent to Rs 63.5 apiece on the BSE on Thursday, a day after the company announced the divestment of IDFC and IDFC Financial Holdings' entire shareholding in IDFC AMC and IDFC AMC Trustee to a consortium led by Bandhan Financial Holding Limited for Rs 4,500 crore. "we wish to inform you that the board of directors of IDFC Limited and IDFC Financial Holding Company Limited at their respective meetings held on April 06, 2022, have inter alia considered binding bids received in connection with divestment of IDFC AMC along with IDFC AMC Trustee company Limited and have approved sale of the entire shareholding of IDFC AMC and IDFC AMC Trustee held by IDFC FHCL to a consortium comprising of Bandhan Financial Holding Limited, Lathe Investment Pte. Ltd. (affiliate of GIC), Tangerine Investments Limited, and Infinity Partners (affiliates of ChrysCapital)," the company said in an exchange filing. READ HERE The consideration for the Proposed Transaction is Rs 4,500 crore on a fully diluted basis and is subject to customary price adjustments at the closure. This consideration is in addition to receipt of Rs 250 crore as dividend from IDFC AMC in March 2022, it added. "This transaction is a significant milestone in our plan of unlocking value and the consideration demonstrates strong position of IDFC AMC in the Indian Mutual Fund space. We have achieved signing within 6 months of the Board's decision to divest, which further demonstrates IDFC Board's commitment to consummate the merger of IDFC Limited and IDFC Financial Holding Company with IDFC First Bank. The Bandhan consortium with its strong brand and resources will further strengthen distribution of products and improving overall experience for IDFC AMC's investors and distributors," said Anil Singhvi, chairman of IDFC Limited. Bandhan Financial is the holding company of Kolkata-based private sector lender Bandhan Bank. The deal will allow the Bandhan group to enter India's growing mutual fund business, which currently manages Rs 38 trillion of assets. Bandhan Bank itself sells products from some 8-10 mutual funds. However, the group did not clarify how it will market the products of once it takes over after regulatory permission from Sebi and RBI. "The Bandhan consortium was selected through a highly competitive divestment process which witnessed strong participation from strategic players and financial investors. This is a highly tracked acquisition and will be the largest deal in the Indian asset management industry to date," said IDFC said in a statement. "The acquisition of IDFC AMC provides us with a scaledup asset management platform, with a stellar management team and a pan India distribution network. IDFC AMC could benefit significantly from the Bandhan brand and continue strengthening its position in the asset management industry. Also, we are happy to partner with marquee investors such as GIC & ChrysCapital and are confident that this venture will enhance value for all the stakeholders of Bandhan and IDFC AMC," noted Karni S Arha, managing director at Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited. At 10:00 AM, IDFC was down 5.5 per cent at Rs 65 per share as against a 0.6 per cent dip in the benchmark Sensex index. Meanwhile, IDFC First Bank was down 0.35 per cent, while Bandhan Bank was up over 1 per cent. shares zoomed 9 per cent to Rs 26.8 per share on the BSE on Thursday after the government deferred the merger of state-run telecom firms BSNL and due to financial reasons. At 10:20 AM, shares of the state-run telco was up 8 per cent at Rs 28.2 apiece on the BSE as against a 0.6 per cent fall in the benchmark Sensex index. About 4.9 million shares had changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report. With today's gains, the shares have climbed 26 per cent so far in April as against a 1.4 per cent gain in the Sensex index. "Government has approved the revival plan of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) on October 23, 2019, which inter-alia includes in-principle approval for the merger of and BSNL. Due to financial reasons including high debt of MTNL, the merger of MTNL with BSNL is deferred," Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He also added in his written reply that a proposal for the merger of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is under examination. The merger of BSNL and MTNL, approved by the Union cabinet in October 2019, was a part of the revival package for both the telecom companies as a part of which employees of both the telcos would be given the option of choosing voluntary retirement from the service. The Cabinet had then also approved a revival package of Rs 29,937 crore for the two loss-making telecoms. The revival package includes raising of Rs 15,000 crore sovereign bonds and monetising Rs 38,000 crore of assets in next four years. Meanwhile, BSNL Chairman and managing director PK Purwar, who also heads MTNL, has submitted before a Parliamentary panel that the Department of Telecom should consider carving out of over Rs 26,500 crore debt of MTNL and its assets under a special purpose vehicle. He suggested that thereafter operations of MTNL should be merged with BSNL. READ MORE Shares of state-run power companies have been on a roll off late on the back of rising electricity consumption in the country owing to early onset of summer coupled with heat waves. In the last five trading sessions, has soared 17 per cent. The stock hit a record high of Rs 158 on Thrusday, and was up 2.6 per cent at Rs 157 on volume of around 90 lakh shares on the NSE as of 10.21 AM, while the NSE Nifty was down 0.5 per cent at 17,711. Similarly, Corporation registered a fresh summit at Rs 239.80, and was up 0.4 per cent at Rs 237.30. The stock has gained 10.7 per cent in the last five straight trading sessions. India's power consumption has grown steadily at 4.6 per cent YoY in March to 126.12 billion units, showing the impact of early onset of summers and easing of lockdown restrictions by states. According to an ICICI Securities note, India witnessed its worst electricity shortage from March 1 to March 30 since October. The March deficit of 574 million kilowatt-hours amounted to 0.5 per cent of overall demand or half the deficit of 1 per cent in October. "The peak power demand met or highest supply in a day rose to 199.29 GW in the month compared to 170.16 GW in March 2020 and 185.89 GW in March 2021," added the PTI report. A surge in power demand in March forced India to cut coal supplies to non- and hold fuel auction plans for utilities due to slump in inventories. Meanwhile, had recently commissioned its 250 MW Captive Power Unit, at Rourkela, Odisha, of Sail Power, joint venture company. The installed and commercial capacity of NSPCL has become 1064 MW while the group installed capacity of NTPC has become 68881.68MW. Further, had transferred balance 26 per cent equity shareholding of Vizag Transmission to PGlnvlT at a price of Rs 330.78 crore. The company relinquished its right on additional revenue accruing to Powergrid Parli Transmission, Powergrid Warora Transmission and Powergrid Jabalpur Transmission to PGlnvlT for Rs 304.15 crore. Expressing satisfaction over his capital visit, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Thursday, said that his visit has been successful. Bommai was on a two-day visit to the capital to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass including JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the cabinet expansion of his eight-month-old government. "My visit this time was very successful as I met Union Ministers for Water Resources, Energy, Environment, Finance and Defence. I have received a positive response from them," Bommai said to mediapersons in . Adding further, he said, "I am happy that I got an opportunity to participate in BJP's Foundation Day celebrations." "The State Executive Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on April 16 and 17. President JP Nadda has instructed the party and me on preparations for the next assembly election," he said. Bommai also informed about the brief discussion on Cabinet expansion, where Nadda has stated that he would discuss the issues in detail when he arrives to participate in the State Executive Committee meeting. "He (Nadda) would take a final decision after consulting the party top brass and the BJP General Secretary (Organisation)" Bommai added. Declaring the implementation of Budget programmes his priority, the CM said, "Work orders would be issued for the programmes on my return to Bengaluru. The programmes would be implemented in a time-bound manner. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A consortium of Bandhan Bank's parent Bandhan Financial Holdings (BFHL), private equity firm ChrysCapital and Singapore's sovereign fund GIC will acquire IDFC Asset Management Company for Rs 4,500 crore. IDFC said that the Bandhan consortium was selected through a highly competitive divestment process which witnessed strong participation from strategic players and financial investors. The deal envisages continuity of the current management team and investment processes at IDFC AMC. This will be supplemented well by Bandhan's brand as well as GIC's and CC's international network and experience, which will aid IDFC AMC in further cementing its position in the asset management industry and propel further growth, IDFC said in a statement on Wednesday. Established in 2000, IDFC AMC is India's 9th largest asset manager by Asset Under Management (AUM) , with an ontheground presence in over 50+ cities and investors in 750+ cities and towns across the country. It manages over Rs 1,15,000 crore of AUM at the end of 31 March 2022. Anil Singhvi, chairman of IDFC commented: "This transaction is a significant milestone in our plan of unlocking value and the consideration demonstrates strong position of IDFC AMC in the Indian Mutual Fund space. We have achieved signing within 6 months of the Board's decision to divest, which further demonstrates IDFC Board's commitment to consummate the merger of IDFC Limited and IDFC Financial Holding Company with IDFC First Bank." Karni S Arha, managing director, Bandhan Financial Holdings said: "We believe that the asset management industry will be one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian financial services industry and hence has been identified as a key vertical in our future growth plans. The acquisition of IDFC AMC provides us with a scaledup asset management platform, with a stellar management team and a pan India distribution network. IDFC AMC could benefit significantly from the Bandhan brand and continue strengthening its position in the asset management industry." Bandhan Financial Holdings is the promoter and an associate company of Bandhan Bank. It holds about 40% stake in Bandhan Bank. Shares of IDFC rose 3.64% to Rs 68.40 while Bandhan Bank ended almost flat at Rs 315.05 on Wednesday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Prime Ministers Office in Parliament for nearly 20 minutes. The meeting between the two leaders led to speculation about new equations emerging in Maharashtra politics. However, Mr Pawar categorically ruled out a tie-up between the NCP and BJP and criticised the alleged misuse of Central probe agencies. He said that he flagged the issue of Enforcement Directorates (ED) action against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and the alleged inaction of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari on the Maharashtra governments proposal regarding 12 nominations to the state Legislative Council. The NCP chiefs meeting with the PM assumed political significance as it took place a day after the ED attached assets worth more than Rs 11.15 crore linked to Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut. After the meeting, the NCP chief told reporters that he spoke with the Prime Minister regarding the 12 members nomination to the legislative council. The government of Maharashtra had written regarding this nomination to the governor. But Mr Koshyari has not acted on it. Therefore, 12 seats of legislative councils have been lying vacant for the last two and half years. I just brought this thing to the notice of the Prime Minister, he said. I also spoke to the Prime Minister about the case related to my colleague in Rajya Sabha and editor of Saamana newspaper Sanjay Raut. I told him that the way the Central agency attached Mr Rauts flat and half-acre lands is unfair, Mr Pawar said. When asked about the Prime Ministers response, Mr Pawar said, I think that he will seriously think over these issues and take necessary action. Mr Pawar added that there was no threat to the MVA government in Maharashtra due to the Central agencys action against MVA leaders. All three parties have been taking a firm stand against the Central agencies. He also claimed that when elections would be held in Maharashtra after two-and-a-half years, the MVA government would be elected again. Earlier, when asked by reporters about the meeting, NCP leader and Maharashtras deputy CM Ajit Pawar said he had no information about it. The Maharashtra DCM said that there are some important issues which need to be discussed when Parliament is in session. Barometers traded with modest losses in mid morning trade. The Nifty traded below the 17,700 level. Realty and pharma stocks saw buying while IT, banks and financial stocks witnessed selling. At 11:24 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex fell 424.92 points or 0.71% at 59,185.2. The Nifty 50 index shed 107.05 points or 0.6% at 17,699.1. The broader market traded with gains. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.57% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.33%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, shares 2026 rose and 1217 shares fell. A total of 119 shares were unchanged. Economy: Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said that South Asian economies are expected to expand collectively by 7.0% in 2022 and 7.4% in 2023, with Indiathe subregion's largest economyexpected to grow 7.5% this fiscal year and 8.0% next fiscal year. ADB said developing Asia's economies are forecast to grow 5.2% this year and 5.3% in 2023, thanks to a robust recovery in domestic demand and continued expansion in exports. "However, uncertainties stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and tightening by the United States Federal Reserve pose risks to the outlook," ADB Outlook said. Buzzing Index: The Nifty IT index slipped 0.78% to 35,592.6, extending its losing run to second day. The IT index lost 2.4% in two days. Wipro (down 1.64%), TCS (down 1.15%), Coforge (down 1.06%), L&T Infotech (down 1.05%), L&T Technology Services (down 1%) and Infosys (down 0.66%) were top losers in IT space. Stocks in Spotlight: Shares of Bandhan Bank were trading 1.44% higher at Rs 319.60. A consortium of Bandhan Bank's parent Bandhan Financial Holdings (BFHL), private equity firm ChrysCapital and Singapore's sovereign fund GIC will acquire IDFC Asset Management Company for Rs 4,500 crore. IDFC said that the Bandhan consortium was selected through a highly competitive divestment process which witnessed strong participation from strategic players and financial investors. Maruti Suzuki India fell 0.91% after the company announced that it will voluntarily recall 19,731 units of its EECO model. The recall is being undertaken to inspect and rectify 'incorrect marking of wheel rim size', if any, on the wheel in some of these vehicles, company stated. The automobile major said that, in a routine inspection, it found that in some units of EECO, manufactured between 19 July 2021 and 5 October 2021, the wheel rim size was incorrectly marked. This issue has no implication on performance, safety or environment. Global markets: Asian markets were trading lower on Thursday following two days of declines on Wall Street. US stock indexes fell for a second day as investors reacted to Fed guidance on tightening monetary policy. The Fed's release of its meeting minutes indicated on Wednesday afternoon that officials generally agreed it should shrink its balance sheet by $95 billion per month. The minutes also showed central bank officials were considering larger rate hikes than the usual 25-basis-point, or quarter-point, increments. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DCB Bank advanced 2.89% to Rs 80.05 after the Reserve Bank of India approved reappointing Murali M. Natrajan as the MD & CEO of the lender for two years. The Mumbai-based private lender on Wednesday said that it received an approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the re-appointment of Murali M. Natrajan as the managing director & CEO, for another two years starting 29 April 2022 to 28 April 2024. The re-appointment of Natrajan is subject to the approval of shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting of the bank, DCB Bank said in a statement. Murali M Natrajan is serving as MD & CEO of DCB Bank since April 2009. He has 37 years of global experience in banking and financial services especially retail and SME Banking. The net profit of DCB Bank declined 21.7% to Rs 75.37 crore in the quarter ended December 2021 as against Rs 96.21 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2020. Total operating income fell 2.7% to Rs 996.42 crore in the quarter ended December 2021 as against Rs 1,023.86 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2020. DCB Bank is a new generation private sector bank with 367 branches across India as on 31 December 2021. It is a scheduled commercial bank regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. DCB Bank has contemporary technology and infrastructure, including ATMs, internet banking for personal as well as business banking customers and mobile banking app. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HDFC Bank said that it plans to raise capital of Rs 50,000 crore by issuing bonds through private placement mode. In a regulatory filing made after trading hours yesterday, the bank announced a proposal to raise funds by issuing perpetual debt instruments (part of Additional Tier I capital), Tier-II capital bonds and long-term bonds (financing of infrastructure and affordable housing) up to total amount of Rs 50,000 crore over the period of next twelve months through private placement mode. The board of directors would consider this proposal at its ensuing board meeting to be held on 16 April 2022. On the same day, the board will also consider and approve the audited financial results for the last quarter and year ending 31 March 2022 along with the consolidated accounts for the year ending 31 March 2022. HDFC Bank is one of India's leading private bank. As of 31 March 2022, the bank added 563 branches during the current quarter, bringing the branch network to 6,342 branches as against 5,779 branches as at 31 December 2021 and 5,608 branches as at 31 March 2021. The private sector bank's net profit rose 18.08% to Rs 10,342.20 crore on 8.33% increase in total income to Rs 40,651.60 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020. The scrip fell 1.58% to currently trade at Rs 1526.25 on the BSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's exports of agricultural products, including marine, for the year 2021-22 have crossed the $50 billion. This would be the highest level ever achieved for agriculture exports. The Commerce and Industry Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said as per the provisional figures released by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, DGCIS, the agricultural exports have grown by 19.92% during 2021-22. The ministry said the highest ever exports have been achieved for staples like rice, wheat, sugar, other cereals and meat. Wheat exports jumped nearly four-fold from $568 million in 2020-21 to touch $2.12 billion in 2021-22. Export of marine products, at $7.71 billion, is also the highest ever, benefitting farmers in the coastal states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Spices exports has touched $4 billion for second year in a row. Despite facing tremendous supply side issues, coffee exports have crossed $1 billion for the first time, which has improved realisations for coffee growers in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It said that even in the Russia-Ukraine war crisis, the world is looking at India for supplies of wheat and other food grains. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infosys Ltd is quoting at Rs 1825, down 0.21% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The stock jumped 26.75% in last one year as compared to a 19.36% rally in NIFTY and a 31.3% spurt in the Nifty IT index. Infosys Ltd is down for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 1825, down 0.21% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.3% on the day, quoting at 17753.65. The Sensex is at 59392.94, down 0.36%.Infosys Ltd has added around 2.63% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty IT index of which Infosys Ltd is a constituent, has increased around 1.69% in last one month and is currently quoting at 35871.5, down 0.63% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 35.88 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 69.48 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 1836.5, up 0.21% on the day. Infosys Ltd jumped 26.75% in last one year as compared to a 19.36% rally in NIFTY and a 31.3% spurt in the Nifty IT index. The PE of the stock is 37.49 based on TTM earnings ending December 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lupin rose 1.42% to Rs 783.95 after the company announced the completion of acquisition of a portfolio of brands from Anglo-French Drugs & Industries (AFDIL) and its associates. This acquisition is expected to strengthen pharma major, Lupin's India formulation business by adding a fast-growing portfolio of vitamins, minerals, supplements and neurological products. The acquisition of the AFDIL brands will take Lupin further in shaping its portfolio. Anglo-French Drugs and Industries began as an importer of medicines in 1923 and has built over 300 products selling across the world. The company has market leading brands in nutraceuticals, CNS, skin and respiratory segments. Lupin is a transnational pharmaceutical company. The company develops and commercializes a wide range of branded and generic formulations, biotechnology products and APIs in over 100 markets in the U.S., India, South Africa and across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), Europe and Middle-East regions. The company's consolidated net profit jumped 24.47% to Rs 545.52 crore on a 3.57% rise in total revenue from operations to Rs 4,160.93 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RattanIndia backed Revolt Motors is expanding its retail presence in Southern India with the opening of new store in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. After Vizag & Vijaywada, this will be the 3 retail outlet in the State and the 22nd addition to the existing marketplace in southern part of India. The company has been robustly expanding across the nation and aims to open 40+ new stores in this year. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For quicker and efficient evaluation of corporate governance practices Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School have announced their collaboration to make corporate governance assessment quicker and more efficient. This will contribute to the betterment of professional practices among institutions, government bodies and businesses in Singapore and Asia. The collaboration taps on the technology expertise of TCS and corporate governance insights of CGS in creating a new platform, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can acquire and process corporate governance data from various sources. Traditionally, researchers comb through companies' websites to obtain their annual reports or sustainability reports. Retrieving specific information from these reports of different formats, for a fair comparison of how companies are governed, is also a manual process. The new AI platform will reduce the time needed to collate the data, freeing up time for researchers to do a deeper analysis of companies' corporate governance practices. The platform can also generate information dashboards for quick data presentation. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She said that anyone from the Chief Minister to any leader could come to Raj Bhavan and explain about the problems they have with the office of the Governor. (ANI) HYDERABAD: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan rubbished comments made by TRS ministers that she was acting like a leader of BJP and politely challenged those levelling such allegations to come forth with evidence to prove their charges against her. Answering questions from reporters in New Delhi after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday, Dr Soundararajan asked: "How can they say I am acting like a political leader? Let them tell me the basis for such remarks and I will clarify." She said that anyone from the Chief Minister to any leader could come to Raj Bhavan (her official residence) and explain about the problems they have with the office of the Governor. Even as the Governor ripped into the Telangana government for the second straight day, there are no signs that the government is willing to mend fences with Raj Bhavan. On charges that she was meeting BJP leaders often, Dr Soundararajan clarified "I have met leaders from all parties and not just from the BJP." In a pointed dig at Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, and several others in the Telangana government, who travel in helicopters to different districts, she said that whenever she travelled within the state, she did so only by road, or by rail. "I went to Nagarkurnool by road, to Yadadri by road. Since Bhadrachalam is longer at distance, I will be travelling by train to attend the Sri Rama Pattabhishekam. This is the mode of transport of the Governor in Telangana," she said. The Governor again pointed out protocol violations of officials and ministers making themselves scarce during her visits to the districts, as in the case of her visit to the Samakka Sarakka jatara and to Yadadri. All 24 Ministers on Thursday submitted their resignation to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy ahead of the proposed reorganisation of the Council of Ministers. The incumbent Ministers put-in their papers at the meeting of the Cabinet, which was their last, at the Secretariat here. The Ministers remained in their posts for exactly 34 months. We have all submitted our resignations. The Chief Minister said some experienced ministers would be re-inducted to run the government. Some others will be given party responsibilities, Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. The AP Council of Ministers will be reconstituted here on April 11 with new faces. At least four ministers, who resigned today may be re-inducted into the Cabinet on the 11th, the ruling YSR Congress sources said. The Chief Minister had a meeting with Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan on Wednesday night, wherein the Cabinet reorganisation was discussed, the sources said. Caste criteria is likely to play a key role in the formation of the new cabinet, they noted. When he took over as Chief Minister on May 30, 2019, Jagan had announced that he would undertake a complete overhaul of his Cabinet after two and a half years and take-in a new team. The current Cabinet was sworn-in on June 8, 2019 and was supposed to be in office till December 8, 2021. For a variety of reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cabinet reorganization was put off even past the due date. Last month, the Chief Minister announced that he would undertake the Cabinet reorganisation after Ugadi (Telugu New Year's Day that fell on April 2) and the subsequent formation of new districts. The new districts came into being on April 4, clearing the way for the Cabinet rejig. According to indications from the ruling YSR Congress, the existing structure of the Council of Ministers would be retained, with five Deputy Chief Ministers in place. One DCM post will be given each to a legislator belonging to SC, ST, Muslim, Backward Caste and Kapu communities. Based on the caste calculations, at least four incumbent ministers may be re-inducted into the new Cabinet. Apart from the Reddy community, the main support group of the YSRC, Kapu is also expected to get the same preference in the fresh Cabinet as well, essentially to counter the opposition Jana Sena of film star Pawan Kalyan. The one community to be left out again would be Brahmin, which has to remain content with the Assembly Deputy Speaker post. Like in the outgoing Cabinet, the new one is also expected to have at least three women members. Senior Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, who also worked under Jagan's father late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, said they would now work with the responsibility of bringing the YSRC back to power (in the 2024 elections). The Chief Minister had clearly said the Cabinet would be re-constituted after two and a half years. The Chief Minister himself will decide whom to continue in the new Cabinet, Botsa told media. Velampalli Srinivas, who held the Endowments portfolio in the outgoing Cabinet, said they would abide by the Chief Minister's decision. Another outgoing minister Sri Venkateswara Rao noted that the CM himself felt more sad than us over the resignations. We clearly told the Chief Minister we will abide by his decision. New legislators will get an opportunity to become ministers, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MPs on Thursday held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in complex against rising prices of essential commodities and fuel. Wearing garlands of onions and potatoes, the leaders held placards calling the government "fuel thief". Senior MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the common man was excessively burdened due to the steep hike in essential commodities and urged the government to intervene in the matter. Both houses of adjourned sine die on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule. Opposition leaders have been demanding a discussion on rising prices in both houses of during the Budget Session. Petrol and diesel prices on Wednesday were hiked again by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates to Rs 10 per litre or over 10 per cent. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey met Prime Minister in New Delhi on Thursday and requested him to provide a special economic package for the development of tribal communities in Bastar and Surguja regions of the state, an official here said. As per a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here, Uikey informed the prime minister that the special package will help in the expansion of health and education-related facilities in the two tribal-dominated regions and create employment opportunities for youth. The package would also facilitate better development of tribal communities, she told Prime Minister Modi. The governor requested Modi to enact the Municipalities Extension to the Scheduled Areas Act (on the lines of the PESA Act) for urban bodies that fall under the fifth schedule area, and discussed the issue of enacting rules related to the Panchayat (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act for rural areas, it was stated. Uikey informed the prime minister that eligible persons have been facing difficulties in getting their Scheduled Tribe certificates due to spelling mistakes in their caste names and requested to take necessary steps in this direction, the release said. The governor also urged Modi to upgrade universities located in the tribal-dominated districts as central tribal universities in the interest of tribal communities, it said. Citing her interactions with tribals during her visit to different districts of the state, Uikey said there is a need to take several decisions for the welfare of tribals, it added. The governor also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and deliberated on Naxal activities and other issues of the insurgency-hit districts of the state, the release said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The should question former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, arrested in a corruption case, in and not in New Delhi given his health condition and his demand in this regard be considered sympathetically, the said on Thursday. Maharashtra chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase contended party leader Deshmukh's shoulder is dislocated and he is not in a good shape health-wise. His shoulder is dislocated and his health is not good. He is troubled by spondylitis. Hence, he has demanded that he be interrogated in and not Delhi (where wants him to take for questioning). His demand (for interrogation in Mumbai) be considered sympathetically we will be happy if they give him relief by questioning him in Mumbai, Tapase told reporters here. Deshmukh (71) underwent treatment at state-run J J Hospital from April 2 to April 5 after he complained of shoulder pain. A special court here on Wednesday remanded Deshmukh to the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) custody till April 11 in a corruption case registered against him and others. While seeking his remand, the central probe agency had sought the court's permission to take the accused to its head office in New Delhi for interrogation via "scientific techniques".The judge, in his order, said, "Permission to take the accused to Delhi shall be subject to the opinion of an orthopedist from JJ Hospital."Deshmukh's lawyer claimed his client dislocated his shoulder after he slipped in the jail bathroom and hence, he was admitted to the hospital for treatment.Referring to the CBI's request for taking the senior leader to the national capital for questioning, Deshmukh's lawyer had told the court said such pleading needs to be rejected at the outset considering the health condition of his client. Former police commissioner Param Bir Singh had in March last year alleged that Deshmukh, the then-home minister, had given a target to police officers to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in the metropolis.Deshmukh has denied the allegations. The CBI had lodged an FIR after conducting a preliminary enquiry against Deshmukh following an order of the Bombay High Court last April. The NCP leader had resigned from the state cabinet after the HC order. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has abstained on two resolutions on Ukraine in the 15-nation Security Council and one in the 193-member General Assembly. A US Congressman on Thursday said that he is "disappointed" with India's decision to abstain from the voting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania told CNN in an interview that it is necessary to hold countries accountable who are dragging their feet on Russia. I met, just yesterday, with the Ambassador of India, regarding their abstention at the UN, which we're very disappointed in, Fitzpatrick said, referring to his meeting with New Delhi's envoy here Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Holding other countries accountable that are dragging their feet. We got reports this morning that Germany is hesitant, on a complete oil embargo, out of Russia, he said in response to a question when asked about what the needs to do on Russia. It starts with holding Vladimir Putin, and the Russian government, accountable. By completely tightening the noose on sanctions, we have not yet done that, he said. Number two, getting the Ukrainians all the defensive equipment that they need. We have not yet done that, the Republican Congressman said. Last month, abstained in a vote in the UN Human Rights Council that has decided to urgently establish an independent commission of inquiry as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. has abstained on two resolutions on Ukraine in the 15-nation Security Council and one in the 193-member General Assembly. (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.) German lawmakers are debating Thursday whether to require all people aged 60 and over in the country to be vaccinated against the a compromise solution the government hopes will receive a parliamentary majority. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his health minister had originally called for a vaccine mandate to apply to all adults in Germany, but some government lawmakers and most of the opposition have balked at the idea. After months of haggling, a cross-party group has proposed that only older people will be required to get the shot, though there will be compulsory counselling for all adults to help them weigh up the advantages and risks of vaccination against COVID-19. Two opposition proposals are also being debated: the centre-right Union bloc has proposed preparing a vaccine register to determine who has received a shot, but opposes a requirement to get one. The far-right Alternative for party objects to any mandate and wants the existing vaccine requirement for health workers repealed. has managed the pandemic well compared to some of its European neighbours, with fewer deaths per capita than Italy, France, Britain or Sweden. Social Democratic lawmaker Dagmar Schmidt, who presented the compromise bill targeting over-60s, noted that the number of infections has been going down lately. Official figures show the confirmed cases in declined in recent weeks from a peak of about 300,000 daily to just over 200,000 in the past 24 hours. There were 328 COVID-related deaths, according to Germany's disease control agency. But Schmidt said it was necessary to prepare for a new rise in cases and a possible new variant later in the year. We will face the same challenge next fall that we did last fall," she said. "The virus won't simply disappear. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On World Health Day, Prime Minister on Thursday said the government is working tirelessly to augment India's health infrastructure with a focus on ensuring good quality and affordable to citizens. Declared by the (WHO), World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. On this year's World Health Day, the WHO is focussing global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on wellbeing. "Greetings on World Health Day. May everyone be blessed with good health and wellness. Today is also a day to express gratitude to all those associated with the health sector. It is their hardwork that has kept our planet protected," Modi tweeted. The government of India is working tirelessly to augment India's health infrastructure, he said. Modi said the focus is on ensuring good quality and affordable to the country's citizens. "It makes every Indian proud that our nation is home to the world's largest scheme, Ayushman Bharat," he said in a series of tweets. "I feel very happy when I interact with beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Jan Aushadhi. Our focus on affordable healthcare has ensured significant savings for the poor and middle class," Modi asserted. At the same time, the government is strengthening the Ayush network to further boost overall wellness, he said. "In the last 8 years, the medical education sector has undergone rapid transformations. Several new medical colleges have come up. Our Government's efforts to enable study of medicine in local languages will give wings to the aspirations of countless youngsters," the prime minister said. Later, in another tweet, Modi said has had a positive impact on several lives and transformed India's health sector. On World Health Day, he pointed to some facets of this "pathbreaking scheme" such as more than 3.2 crore people got free treatment under the Jan Arogya Yojana, over 18 crore Ayushman cards issued and 10.74 crore families benefited from the scheme. As many as 1.17 lakh health and welfare centres operationalised and 1.03 crore wellness sessions organized, according to the graphic shared by the prime minister. (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.) Dubbing Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's claim that the US is looking to overturn his government as concocted, a former top Trump administration official said Wednesday that the country is entering a period of political uncertainty. I think that has concocted this idea that somehow the US is looking to overturn his government. He simply has concocted this story to try to shore up his own base and gain support for his position, said Lisa Curtis, who was Trump Administration's point person for India during his four years. He brought in the US as a means to try to hold on to his support base and get his support base riled up. He's playing the US card, Curtis told PTI in an interview. Curtis, who is now a senior fellow and a director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security think tank, said the Pakistani military leadership has become disillusioned with him. He's been unable to take care of the economic problems facing the country, she said, adding the lack of his management skills to lead a country like Pakistan has contributed to the military disillusionment with his leadership. Once the army signals that it is no longer supportive of the civilian leadership, the opposition smells blood in the water, and they're taking advantage of that opportunity to try to overturn his government, she observed. I think that we are entering a period of political uncertainty (in Pakistan), said Curtis, a long term close observer of Pakistan. We are going to see Pakistan more focused internally, as they try to work out this transition in leadership. But we've been here before. We have seen this kind of thing happen in Pakistan, she said. In fact, I don't think any government has completed a full term except for President (Asif Ali) Zardari, when he was in power from 2013 to 2018. That is the only administration in Pakistan that has actually lasted its full term. So this kind of political uncertainty that we're seeing is not new in Pakistan. I don't think there's any reason for people to panic, she said. But at the same time, we have to take it seriously. We have to monitor the situation because Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state. And it's something that we don't want to take for granted. But at the same time, I don't see a reason to panic about it, Curtis said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The safety, security, welfare and well-being of all Indian citizens abroad is a priority for the nation, President has said as he lauded the achievements of the diaspora which has been taking small steps towards formulating the policies of their respective countries and playing a role in "changing the geo-politics of the region". "The Indian community abroad is our strength and pride," Kovind said at the Indian Community Reception here in the Dutch capital. Kovind arrived in Amsterdam on Monday from Turkmenistan on the concluding leg of his two-nation visit. It is India's first presidential trip to the Netherlands after 34 years since the visit of then President R Venkataraman in 1988. During his visit to the Netherlands from April 4 to 7 at the invitation of King Alexander and Queen Maxima, President Kovind also held discussions with Prime Minister Mark Rutte on bilateral issues. "When I read about your achievements, when you occupy a big office or file a nomination, taking small steps towards formulating the policies of your respective countries, you are playing a role in changing the geo-politics of the region. Please remember that the land of your ancestors is very proud of you," Kovind told the . He said the safety, security, welfare and well-being of Indian citizens in all parts of the world is a priority for India. "In every corner of the world, over the last two years, the government has made special efforts to enable our citizens to return home during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by undertaking Vande Bharat' mission. "Recently, Operation Ganga brought back more than 23,000 Indian citizens, largely students, who were stranded in the conflict zone in Ukraine. As the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) said, humanity was at the core of the Operation Ganga, not the colour of passport," Kovind underlined. Addressing the diaspora, the president said just like Tulips, which are not native to the Netherlands but have now become a distinct aspect of the country, the Indian community here has become "great representatives of this wonderful country". "It is also apt that the joint logo for the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relationship has a tulip and a lotus as our primary symbols of friendship," he said. Kovind noted that the Indian community in the Netherlands is the largest Indian-origin diaspora in mainland Europe with more than 200,000 members of Hindustani-Surinami community and more than 60,000 Indian professionals and students. "The Indian community is the most important pillar of growing India-Netherlands bilateral relations and serves as a bridge between not just India and the Netherlands, but between India and Europe," he said. Noting that Indian professionals in the Netherlands have done extremely well, the president said, as entrepreneurs, doctors, bankers and technology experts, they are adding immense value to the Dutch society and economy as well as the global community at large. The Netherlands is also home to a substantially large number of Indian students who are excelling on campus in studies, research, and innovation, Kovind said, adding that he is pleased to note that the community is continuously expanding. "India is deeply committed to strengthen its bond with the diaspora and to attend to your needs. In the past few years, our engagement with and outreach to the has grown manifold. We have taken several initiatives under the maxim of 4Cs Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute," he said. The president underlined that the Overseas Citizen of India cards have been issued to give status and privileges in many areas. The travel to India has been facilitated through issuance of long-term visa and E-visa. "To increase the participation of the diaspora youth and familiarise them with Indian youth and their Indian roots, we started the Know India Programme and Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children for the children of Person of Indian Origin to join Indian universities for higher education," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday called on members of the organisation to provide more weapons for and not just defensive anti-tank and anti-craft arms. As defence ministers gathered in Brussels, Stoltenberg said, I have urged allies to provide further support of many different types of systems, both light weapons but also heavier weapons. Stoltenberg said countries, but not NATO as an organisation, are supplying many kinds of arms and other support to but that the 30 allies can do more. He said, is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesn't actually have any real meaning. Stoltenberg insisted that it is also important for NATO not to be dragged into a wider war with Russia. NATO is not sending troops to be on the ground. We also have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine, and become even more deadly, even more dangerous and destructive, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CLP leader said the TRS government failed to respond to the unemployment allowance issue, he said. (Facebook) HYDERABAD: Congress legislature party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that restricting the budget session to seven days did not help in having a fruitful discussion on the states financial position. By suppressing the voices of the Opposition parties, the TRS government scuttled a chance for them to present the peoples problems. The government wanted to avoid a detailed discussion on budget and hence curtailed the session, he said. Bhatti along with Congress MLAs Jayaprakash Jagga Reddy, Sridhar Babu and Seethakka addressed the media. The CLP leader criticised that TRS government, saying it was not observing financial discipline and Telanganas debts will swell to `5 lakh crore by 2024-25. As of now, the state is reeling under a debt of 4.70 lakh crore, he said. Bhatti said the ruling TRS MLAs disrupted the speeches of Congress MLAs. They tried to divert the attention of the members and sought to drown the Opposition voice when it tried to point out the lapses of the government, he said. We had already suggested at the business advisory committee that the government continue the assembly session for more days, he said. The CLP leader said the abrupt adjournment of the session posed a threat to the system of democracy. He demanded zero interest loans, input subsidy, seeds and fertilizers for farmers apart from the Rythu Bandhu benefits. The double bedroom house scheme should be continued, he said. The TRS government failed to respond to the unemployment allowance issue, he said. Bhatti Vikramarka said chief minister Chandrashekar Rao agreed to restore the services of field assistants in MGNREGS due to the agitation of the Congress party for the last two years. The Congress party also forced the government to provide better pay scales for IKP, Mepma staff, he said. The VRAs issue was also discussed in the assembly, he said. in on Thursday held here and elsewhere in the State, demanding that the TRS government withdraw the recent power tariff hike. State president and MP A Revanth Reddy, Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other leaders participated in the protest at Vidyut Soudha', the headquarters of State power utilities here. Police placed barricades at the Vidyut Soudha' to avoid untoward incidents in view of the presence of a large number of protesters. Revanth Reddy and other leaders met Power Transmission Corporation (Transco) CMD D Prabhakar Rao and demanded withdrawal of tariff hike which, they said, was anti-people. The protest against the hike was part of the agitation called by the Congress against fuel price hike in the country and power tariff hike in . (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Biden administration moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. Those restrictions are significant because it's obviously difficult to keep flying if you can't service your planes, Matthew Axelrod, an assistant commerce secretary for export enforcement, told reporters. The effect, he said, is that the sanctioned and their fleet of aircraft will, over time, largely be unable to continue flying, either internationally or domestically, as they are now cut off from the support and the U.S. parts and related services they need to maintain and support their fleets. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The three airlines that were singled out had already violated U.S. government restrictions, and the actions were taken to prevent expected violations in the future, officials said. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The new XE variant of Covid-19 is not a matter of concern as it is not likely to cause any more severity than other sub-variants of (BA.1 and BA.2) did, Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor at Christian Medical College in Vellore, said on Thursday. Variants will come because people are travelling. Of what we know of the variant (XE) is that it is not a point of concern, Kang said. We were worried about BA.2 but it did not cause more serious disease than BA.1. XE does not cause more serious disease than BA.1 or BA.2, she said on the sidelines of a panel discussion organised by John Hopkins Gupta-Klinsky India Institute here. She added that in a vaccinated population XE variant is not something to be bothered about. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued warning against XE, a new variant of first detected in the UK. It has suggested that it could be more transmissible than any Covid strain so far. XE is a combination or recombinant of both sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2) of . The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said it has detected the first case of XE infection in Mumbai. However, the Union Health Ministry said that the sample which is being said to be 'XE' variant was analysed in detail by genome experts of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), who have inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant does not correlate with the genomic constitution of XE variant. When asked about her views on administering booster dose to population below 60 years, Kang said that the country doesn't have enough data to establish the effectiveness of booster doses among people younger than 60 years. Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava echoed a similar view on booster dose and said, I agree with Dr Kang. The panel discussion was held on the theme Applying Lessons Learned from COVID for a Stronger Health System'. Speaking during the panel discussion, Dr Bhargava said that the greatest thing India learnt from Covid was that it became self confident. We got self-confidence that our health care system can deliver, he said. He acknowledged that there was a need to strengthen the primary healthcare system to tackle such situations in future. We need to invest more in primary health care system and impart good training which is much needed. We need good MBBS doctors with proper raining, Bhargava said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, clearing the path for the reunification of three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity. The decision comes a week after Lok Sabha passed the bill for the unification of the municipal corporations South, North and East divisions, which were split nearly a decade ago. While defending the move, the finance minister informed the Rajya Sabha that the new entity would be efficient and provide better services. But how the countrys major municipal corporations are faring financially. Let us see. BMC had presented a budget of Rs 45,949.2 crore for 2022-23, whereas the combined budget of the three municipal corporations in Delhi was a little over Rs 17,000 crore. The total outlay for Bengalurus Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was Rs 10,482.5 crore for 2022-23, whereas Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had a budget of Rs 8,807 crore for the year. Pune Municipal Corporation had a budget of Rs 8,592 crore for 2022-23. It remains to be seen if the reunification will improve the finances of Delhis civic body. An RBI analysis of 2017-18 data of 221 municipal bodies across the country found that nearly half the bodies were under high fiscal stress, given their limited ability to raise their own revenues. An ICRIER study in conjunction with the fifteenth finance commission found that for most of the large entities -- barring Delhi -- own revenues as a proportion of total revenues had declined. For instance, in the case of Mumbai, own revenues accounted for 97.6 per cent of total municipal revenues in 2012-13, but the ratio declined to 73.1 per cent in 2017-18. Bengalurus contribution to municipal revenues was 44.1 per cent in 2017-18 against 49.6 per cent in 2012-13. The rest was being funded from state transfer. Summer has arrived early this year, bringing a bounty to the manufacturers of cooling appliances after two washout years due to the pandemic. The segment, which includes air conditioners, refrigerators, chest freezers and air coolers, saw a decline of 35-40% in 2020. While sales marginally increased the following year, the industry was hit by the second and third waves of the pandemic, with the more severe second wave coinciding with the summer business season that year. This year, sales figures of and refrigerators hit the roof led by pent-up demand and a hotter-than-usual summer across the country. India witnessed the hottest March in its recorded history of 122 years since 1901. The India Meteorological Department has predicted that heat wave conditions will continue over the next five days in central and northern India. Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice-president at Godrej Appliances, says a shift to hybrid working and the expectation that schools and colleges could take up online classes occasionally is driving up demand. Consumers setting up home offices will require to beat the heat. Despite a host of factors helping sales, manufacturers are experiencing disruptions because of escalating lockdowns in China. With supply under threat, companies in India could struggle to meet the resurgent demand beyond a point. 23 Chinese cities including Shanghai are under total or partial lockdown, affecting an estimated 193 million people in regions accounting for 22% of its GDP, according to Nomura. Consumer durable companies are also battling rising commodity costs. They are gearing up for a second price hike of this year in April after effecting three prices increases in 2021. Any disruption in component supply, on top of this, is the last thing the industry would want in their first full summer of business after two years. Apart from a weakening world order, Russias invasion of Ukraine also brought to fore the intimate link between banking and foreign trade. Logged out of -- the messaging service to facilitate and confirm cross-border payments most Russian are looking for alternative ways. India and several other countries too want a way out so that trade can continue. India and Russia are now exploring to directly trade in rupee-ruble. And this is where Nostro and Vostro may come into play. Nostro, along with Vostro, is a term used to describe a bank account. In fact, both terms are used to describe the same bank account. Confused? We will explain. First the basics. These terms come into play when one bank has another banks money on deposit. Typically, this is related to international trade and financial transactions. Nostro and vostro are derived from Latin words that mean "ours" and "yours," respectively. Let us see how it works. Now, let us clear up the earlier confusion. We'll borrow Investopedia's explanation. Bank A will use the term Nostro account to refer to "our" account held by Bank B. Basically, Nostro is shorthand for "our money that is on deposit at your bank". The Nostro account is the record maintained by the bank that has money deposited with another bank. And, what is their use? They enable simplified trade settlements and foreign exchange transactions. Nostro accounts are denominated in foreign currencies. Bank B, where bank As money is deposited, will use the term Vostro account to refer to "your money that is on deposit at our bank". For example, if an Indian bank maintains an account with an overseas bank in the US in dollars, such an account, maintained in a foreign currency at a foreign centre, would be called a Nostro account by the concerned Indian bank. The American bank concerned will refer to the same account as a Vostro Account. So how will it work? Suppose a Russian bank opens a rupee account with a bank in India and puts Rs 10 lakh in it. Then Indias liability becomes rouble 10.1 lakh as the exchange rate is 1.1. It will be a vostro account. Now, if an Indian businessman exports goods to a Russian buyer worth 10 lakh, then the Indian bank will debit the Russian banks vostro account and the transaction will be squared up. Watch video LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional network, this week revealed the top 25 best workplaces in Ireland to build and sustain a long-term career. The Top Companies list, published for the first time in Ireland, identifies the top 25 firms in the country that offer career growth, skills development opportunities and job stability. The list is compiled based on actions taken on the platform by LinkedIns two million Irish members between January - December 2021, also including each companys stability and gender diversity, as well as skills growth and ability to advance internally. The report aims to highlight organisations that, specifically over the past year, have demonstrated they can provide employees with the opportunity to grow both internally and after they have left the business. Accenture was revealed as the top company to work for in Ireland, with IBM and Alphabet Inc (the parent company of Google) placed second and third on the list respectively. Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Operating in Ireland for over 50 years, Accenture has a diverse workforce of over 5,000 people in Dublin and Cork, representing 95 different nationalities. The top 25 companies in Ireland according to LinkedIn this year were: 1. Accenture 2. IBM 3. Alphabet Inc 4. Apple 5. Intel 6. AIB 7. Pfizer 8. AstraZeneca 9. Johnson & Johnson 10. Dell Technologies 11. PayPal 12. PwC 13. Merck 14. GE 15.Meta 16. Citi 17. Boston Scientific 18. KPMG 19.Bank of America 20. PepsiCo 21. A&L Goodbody LLP 22. Abbott 23. JPMorgan Chase & Co. 24. EY 25. SAP Speaking this week, Head of Human Resources at Accenture, Aisling Campbell said, "We are delighted to be recognised as the top company to work for in Ireland by LinkedIn. Todays talent expects to have a variety of work and a number of different career moves within their working life. We actively work with our employees to encourage and grow them for a long-term career at Accenture." LinkedIn News International Executive Editor, Sandrine Chauvin added, "Our Top Companies list recognises the 25 leading employers in Ireland, but also aims to highlight opportunities to our Irish members when taking their next step in their career. Importantly, our analysis highlights that while opportunity and stability are core elements of what influences someone to stay with a company or to move jobs, the opportunities that organisations give staff to develop over the long term is crucial to building loyalty. Seeing colleagues progress and having a clear picture of how they can upskill and gain experience builds loyalty among staff as they gain a clear picture of how they can grow in tandem with their employer." Source: www.businessworld.ie News Details Tatas Tejas to acquire Bangalore based wireless SoC chip Co Saankhya Labs Date: 07-04-22 Tata-group owned Tejas Networks is getting deeper into semiconductor chip design activities through the acquisition of year-2007 started fables SoC design company Saankhya Labs. Tejas Networks has signed definitive agreements to acquire 64.40% of shares of this Bangalore based wireless-communication focused company Saankhya Labs for Rs 283.94 Crores. After the mandatory approval Tejas plans to acquirie the remaining 35.60% shares through a merger process or a secondary acquisition. The leadership team at Saankhya labs inlcudes Parag Naik, Vishwakumara Kayargadde, Hemant Mallapur (brave-heart founders), Anindya Saha, Preetham Uthaiah, and Vivek Kimbahune. With 250+ engineering staff strength, Saankhya designed semiconductor chips for 5G cellular wireless, broadcast radios and satellite communication ground-terminal for its clients in India and worldwide. Company holds silicon and wireless related rich IPR portfolio with 73 international patents (41 granted, 32 filed). Saankhya is leading in building software defined radios (SDR), through its own SDR chipsets. Mr. Sanjay Nayak, CEO & MD of Tejas Networks said, We are committed to our vision to create a global telecom equipment company from India, which will provide an end-to-end stack of world-class products and solutions based on latest technologies and customer requirements. This acquisition shows our continued commitment to expand our wireless product offerings to address the growing market opportunity. Saankhyas products would complement our existing 4G/5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and positions us well for the emerging opportunities in the O-RAN and 5G Broadcast space. We are excited to welcome the highly talented and experienced team of Saankhya and the intellect and domain expertise they bring for wireless as well as semiconductor design. We expect that this acquisition will accelerate our roadmap to create a full range of trusted and secured, world-class telecommunication products. Mr. Parag Naik, Co-founder and CEO of Saankhya Labs said, We are delighted to become a part of Tejas Networks, which is Indias leading telecom equipment company. Being part of Tejas Networks gives us a strong platform to scale up the business for our wireless products and technologies in India as well as in to international markets. Our customers and partners will also benefit from a larger product portfolio and an accelerated roadmap of our products. This merger will further Saankhyas founding teams vision to build a world class technology company from India. ONE Media 3.0, LLC (ONE Media) which is the largest shareholder of Saankhya, will sell majority of its shareholding in Saankhya and post merger, will retain a minority shareholding in Tejas. Mr. Mark Aitken, ONE Medias President said, Our close relationship with Saankhya has been critical to moving our company forward in the world of NextGen Broadcasting. Saankhya has delivered world-class products, technology and solutions, spanning across communication as well as semiconductor domains. From mobile phone design to low-cost, efficient broadcast radio heads enabling single frequency networks, its contributions have been a strategic key for us. We look forward to continuing our business and technology engagement with Tejas Networks, in opportunity areas such as cellularized 5G broadcast infrastructure. The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards have unveiled the nominees for this years fifth edition, honoring the best in animation from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. Returning to its Canary Island home of Tenerife, the Quirinos will be held over May 12-14, inviting guests from both sides of the Atlantic to attend. More than a simple awards ceremony, the Quirinos also hosts a Co-Production Forum, a key event on the annual animation calendar for Ibero-American projects looking for partners. This year, 258 qualifying animated works were submitted from the organizations 18 participating countries. Traditional animation strongholds Brazil and Mexico lead the way with six nominations apiece, matched by Chile, a rising force in the regions animation sector. Spain follows with five nominations of its own while Argentina and Peru each notched three, Colombia and Uruguay two, and each of Ecuador, Portugal, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela received a single nomination. Photo: Contributed Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas It is not a secret that traditional print media organizations have struggled financially as advertisers have increased spending on online advertising. This has forced some media organizations to adapt to this new dynamic by downsizing and in some cases closing their doors, a situation that no one in a healthy democracy embraces. In 2019, the Trudeau Liberal government announced a controversial program by creating a $600 million dollar media subsidy fund. This program raised concerns, even from some journalists, who questioned how media could be independent and criticize a government that was subsidizing it. Others questioned how and who would decide what media organizations would or would not receive this bailout funding, and based upon what criteria. In response to those concerns, the government did what it generally does when facing controversy and that is to make promises it has no actual intention of fulfilling. The minister at the time, when asked if the government would be transparent and disclose in detail how decisions were made on who received the money and why, answered, absolutely. Flash forward to 2022, and while we do know who is on the five-member panel making these decisions, it remains a secret what media organizations were deemed eligible for the funding and how much they received. It is also a secret what media organizations were rejected for the funding and why. Full credit to the relatively small number of media organizations who have openly disclosed they did not apply for this funding. The vast majority are silent on if they applied and received funding. Also, this week the Liberals introduced Bill C-18, an act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada. According to the Liberals, the bill regulates digital news intermediaries to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability. What this really means is that the Liberals are proposing online companies, such as Facebook and Google, will be forced to pay eligible Canadian media organizations for content shared on their platforms. As many experts and stakeholders in Ottawa are pointing out, this raises serious concerns. The purpose of advertising is ultimately to drive customers to a business. Therefore, many media organizations share links of their content on social media sites hoping to drive traffic to their websites. The vast majority of these media organizations sell their own online advertising, so the added traffic from platforms such as Facebook and Google helps increase the revenue generated. Now Bill C-18 proposes to financially penalize these same platforms for the fact that users share links that ultimately benefit the media organizations in question. This process, it is proposed, would be regulated by the CRTC. This once again raises the concern about how eligible media will be determined or rejected, will eligible organizations be disclosed or will this once again be a secret? My question this week relates to Bill C-18. Do you agree with the Liberal government's increasing attempts to regulate approved online content? I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. China endeavors to ensure Internet celebrity economy brings consumers better products and experience 09:08, April 07, 2022 By Zou Xiang ( People's Daily From Internet-famous bread and bookstores to popular towns and coffee shops that won fame online, products and services that have caused an online sensation are springing up everywhere, which also indicates that Internet celebrity economy moves onto the fast lane of development in China. Two livestreaming e-commerce hosts promote products at the Internet celebrity incubation demonstration base of Hainan Free Trade Port in Fullsing Internet Industrial Park in Haikou city, capital of south Chinas Hainan province, on Nov. 17, 2020, when the demonstration base was officially put into use. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhang Mao) The business model of this particular kind of economy is not complicated. Its mainly about gathering fame and popularity on the Internet and social media platforms and translating them into purchasing behavior, thus realizing the value of notability. The continuous development of Internet celebrity economy in China reflects the vitality and potential of the Chinese economy. Statistics showed that the number of people engaging in online marketing in China has exceeded 10 million while the number of relevant organizations has risen rapidly and the annual output value of the countrys Internet celebrity industry has reached 100 billion yuan ($15.69 billion). Internet celebrity economy has become a highlight of Chinas social and economic development. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet celebrity economy featuring livestreaming marketing and other new business forms has not only brought convenience to consumers, but created a huge number of jobs and incubated new professions, such as livestreaming salesperson and online marketer. A group of young tourists take photos with two elderly Internet influencers, Wang Suqing and Du Yunzhen, who have been famous on the Internet for running characteristic homestay hotels and making handmade coffee in Wulong village, Langzhong city, southwest Chinas Sichuan province, March 4, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Wu Xiaorong) While developing rapidly in China, Internet celebrity economy also faces some troubles. Internet celebrities words and deeds have a strong demonstration effect on their followers, and their influence and appeal greatly affect the consumer behavior of Internet users. However, some livestreamers have infringed on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers by exaggerating the benefits of products, excessively marketing products, selling products of poor quality, and failing to guarantee due after-sales service. On the other hand, dishonest behavior and malpractices in the livestreaming e-commerce industry, including faking business data, reviews and viewership data, have undermined consumers confidence and trust in shopping via livestreaming platforms and contaminated the ecology and environment of the industry. Only by paying great attention to and solving these problems can the country continuously enrich and improve the conditions for the healthy growth of Internet celebrity economy. China has never stopped making efforts to promote the sound and orderly development of Internet celebrity economy. The country has released a lot of policies to regulate the industry. It has cracked down on fraudulent online activities including faking sales data and reviews, stipulated the minimum age of livestreaming marketing practitioners and red lines for livestreaming marketing activities, regulated the activities of Internet celebrities through education and training, put main participants in livestreaming marketing activities, including platforms, suppliers of products and livestreamers, under supervision, and taken effective measures to ensure that entertainers who have engaged in illegal or unethical behavior are not given any opportunity to publicly appear on screen. A consumer buys peripheral products of Modern China Tea Shop, an Internet-famous bubble tea chain brand in China, at a shop of the brand in Changsha, capital of central Chinas Hunan province, Jan. 2, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Wang Chu) While helping steer Internet celebrity economy onto a track of development based on the rule of law, relevant policies launched by the country have also reminded every practitioner of the industry that as they gain public attention, they must shoulder their social responsibility and set examples of promoting and spreading positive energy. As an important feature of the times, Internet celebrity economy enjoys broad prospects. It can realize long-term development and generate greater economic and social benefits only by adhering to mainstream values, improving professionalism, strengthening industry self-discipline, and committing to bringing better products and experience to consumers. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) Photo: CTV News British Columbia set a new record for the number of people moving into the province in a single year in 2021. New data released by Statistics Canada shows that B.C.'s net migration, the highest in 60 years, reached 100,797 people in 2021, which is the highest annual total since 1961. Net migration is the number of people who moved to B.C. from another province or territory, or from another country, minus the number of people who left. "People are coming to B.C. in record numbers because they know that by investing in people, we are building a stronger province where their families will have a safe and secure future," said Premier John Horgan. "We welcome these newcomers with open arms, and we are determined to deliver the services and housing people in B.C. need to support this record growth." The province calls the migration an important step to expand the province's workforce and address labour shortages. The province has also made changes to the Provincial Nominee Program so immigrants who received international training in health care and child care can more easily transfer their credentials in B.C. and begin working in these high-demand fields. Of those who moved to B.C. last year, 33,656 people came from other Canadian provinces or territories, which is the highest number seen since 1994 and the highest in Canada. "We are excited to welcome the more than 100,000 people who chose to make B.C. their new home in 2021," said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. "Our StrongerBC Economic Plan makes it clear - B.C.'s strength is its people. Building a B.C. that's attracting record numbers of newcomers is an important part of our work to help tackle the labour shortage, as these new British Columbians will help us fill the jobs of tomorrow, drive innovation and support our care economy." The remaining 67,141 people who made B.C. home in 2021 came from abroad and last year marked the second-highest level of international immigration to B.C. on record. Photo: The Canadian Press Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland will unveil the budget Thursday, Apr. 7,2022. The Trudeau government is reportedly going to follow through on a pledge to ban foreign home buyers. The two-year ban is due to be announced in Thursday's budget. CTV News reports that it is part of a strategy aimed at improving housing affordability. The ban will apply to condos, apartments, and single residential units permanent residents, students and foreign workers would be exempted, along with foreigners who are purchasing a primary residence in Canada. The policy change will come with teeth. It would include legislation giving the government the power to hand out penalties and potential judicial powers to deal with cases of non-compliance. The Liberal's platform in the last election included a pledge to better regulate the role of foreign buyers in the Canadian housing market. B.C. introduced a speculation and vacancy tax in 2018 to try to curb the influx of people from outside the province snapping up properties but not living in them for most of the year. It is collected annually in many parts of the Lower Mainland, southern Vancouver Island, and Kelowna and West Kelowna. CTV News reports another pillar of the housing plan to be announced in the budget is a new Tax-Free First Home Savings Account that would allow those under 40 to save up to $40,000 towards a first home. There will also be $4 billion for municipalities to update zoning and permitting processes to speed up the building of homes, $1 billion for the construction of affordable housing, and $1.5 billion for co-op housing. A report released this week suggested that housing development constraints in cities and towns across Canada could be eased through more co-operation between all levels of government. with files from CTV News Photo: James Doyle The Kelowna Rockets hopes of surpassing the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Conference standing got a short in the arm Wednesday. The Rockets pulled to within two points of the idle T-Birds with a 4-1 win in Prince George, completing a back-to-back sweep of the Cougars. Colton Dach and Pavel Novak led the way offensively with a goal and two assists each. Gabriel Szturc and Dylan Wightman also beat Ty Young in the Cougars net. Dach opened the scoring on a Kelowna power play, beating Young with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. After the Cougars tied it, Novak restored the lead with 68 seconds left in the first, converting a pass from Nolan Flamand on a two-on-one following a turnover at centre ice. After a scoreless second, Szturc put it away with a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle before Wightman iced it into an empty net with his fourth of the campaign. Jari Kykkanen stopped 21 shots to earn the victory. The Rockets have four games remaining in the regular season, including back-to-back games with the Vancouver Giants Saturday and Sunday at Prospera Place. Photo: The Canadian Press Yemens exiled president stepped aside and transferred his powers to a presidential council Thursday, as international and regional efforts to end the countrys long-running civil war gained momentum with a two-month truce. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, major players in the war, appear to have had a role in President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's decision, quickly welcoming it with a pledge of $3 billion in aid. The head of the new council has close ties to Riyadh. It remains to be seen how the development will impact Yemen's grinding conflict. A Saudi-led coalition of which the UAE is a member has for years been fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to restore Hadi's government to power. A series of U.N. mediation efforts have yielded little fruit, and fighting, airstrikes and missile attacks had been escalating in the war until the cease-fire took effect. In a tweet, the Houthis' top negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed the appointment of the new council. The rebels have in the past benefited from squabbles among their rivals. Our Yemeni people are not concerned with any illegitimate decisions made by illegitimate parties beyond their boundaries, he tweeted. Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, described the power transfer as A Big Deal and the most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Houthi bloc since war began. Hadi, 76, said the newly established council will run the government and lead negotiations with the Houthis, according to a statement aired on state-run media. The development, which could unify the anti-Houthi camp after years of infighting and disputes, was almost certainly orchestrated in Riyadh where Yemen's pro-government and pro-Saudi factions have been meeting over the past week to discuss efforts to end the war. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers, Hadi declared on Yemens state-run TV. He also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a powerful military figure, and delegated al-Ahmars powers to the presidential council. The presidential council is chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, an advisor to Hadi and former interior minister with the government of late strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Al-Alimi enjoys close ties with Saudi Arabia and the powerful Islah party the Yemeni branch of the transnational Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood. Yemen's civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis, a religious movement turned rebel militia, seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. Months later, the Saudi-led coalition entered the war to try to restore Hadis government to power but the war over the years turned into a stalemated proxy conflict with neither side winning. Hadis exile distanced him from events on the ground, with his Saudi backers preventing him from returning to Yemen and the southern port city of Aden the new seat of the exiled government allegedly over safety issues. His administration was accused of gross mismanagement and government employees largely went without salaries. Separately, Aden became the scene of infighting among the coalition when UAE-backed separatists briefly overtook the city in 2019. A Riyadh-brokered deal later that year attempted to reconcile the separatists and Hadis forces but power struggles have persisted. Hadi's rule was also undermined by the UAEs influence in the territories nominally under his control. The UAE trained, financed and armed militias in Yemen and set up prisons. Yemen's war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14.500 civilians, and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. This month, the warring sides announced a two-month cease-fire the first nationwide truce in Yemen in six years starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia welcomed Hadi's move and urged the presidential council to embark upon U.N.-led negotiations with the Houthis to find a political, final and comprehensive settlement to the conflict, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also met with the council head and its members, Saudi state-run TV reported. The council has seven other members with political and military influence on the ground, including Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council an umbrella group of heavily armed and well-financed militias propped up by the UAE since 2015. Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province, was also named a member of the council. So was Tariq Saleh, a militia leader and nephew of the late president who has close ties with the UAE. Hadi was named president of Yemen in 2012 with a mission to oversee a democratic transition following its Arab Spring uprising that ended Salehs longtime rule. Also Thursday, talks hosted by the Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council over the Yemeni war entered their final day. The Houthis have boycotted the GCC efforts because they were taking place in Saudi Arabia, their adversarys territory. Jordan and Egypt have welcomed Yemen's newly established presidential council. The Arab League's Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit also expressed his support, saying he hoped the council would lead toward peace. He also called on the warring sides to respect the current truce as a gateway to serious negotiations that could eventually end the suffering of the Yemeni people." Photo: Chung Chow, BIV B.C.'s film industry worth close to $3 billion While B.C. film and TV directors are very much accustomed to casting actors, theyre now in the midst of casting ballots to determine if they should go on strike as voting wraps Thursday. A spokeswoman for the Directors Guild of Canada, B.C. District Council (DGC BC), told BIV its not yet known when results of the vote for a strike mandate will be revealed. Voting began Wednesday and ends Thursday at 5 p.m. The provinces film industry was worth close to $3 billion to the economy in the 2019-20 fiscal year, according to a report released last May from the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), one of the employers at the negotiating table with the guild. Negotiations have been going on more than a year, including mediation conducted with help from the provinces Labour Relations Board (LRB). Both the guild and employers are blaming the other for the breakdown following recommendations from the LRBs mediator. Allan Harmon, district council chairman for DGC BC, said the employers bargaining team has been unwilling to engage with the guild over what it considers to be the most important issues and has kept demanding more and more claw-backs throughout the process. DGC BC said those issues include retroactive wage hikes going back to the expiry of the last collective agreement, payment terms for COVID-19 testing and pay differentials that would increase wages for lower-paid positions as the minimum wage goes up across the province. The DGC BC collective agreement covers directors, second unit directors, production and unit managers, and those working in the assistant director and locations departments. The CMPA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said in a joint statement they had made a comprehensive offer to the guild to address concerns over wages, benefits and residual payments. After being so close to reaching an agreement, the DGC BC then made additional demands and the opportunity for settlement evaporated, the employers statement said. Considering the potential for labour instability in British Columbia, companies represented by the AMPTP and CMPA may be forced to re-evaluate their plans for basing new productions in the province. Photo: Government of BC Artist's rendering of new mass timber building to be built on University of Victoria's campus. NDP cabinet ministers today announced $1.2 million in funding for four new mass timber projects, including a new 783-unit student housing building for the University of Victoria. The announcement was part of the unveiling of the governments new mass timber action plan. Not only will this new building provide affordable housing for nearly 800 students, but because its being built with mass timber, it will be one of the greenest and most sustainable buildings anywhere in North America, said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.s minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. Essentially, the governments plan uses government procurement to encourage the use of mass timber and engineered wood products in the construction of public buildings -- displacing concrete, steel and brick -- as a way of bolstering B.C.s domestic mass timber manufacturing sector. Mass timber includes engineered wood products like cross-laminated timber, which can be made from small dimension lumber. The action plan aims to see as many as 10 new mass-timber manufacturers in B.C. by 2035. Mass timber is a new, value-added, low-carbon wood product that has a potential to revolutionize the way we build here at home, but also in emerging markets around the world, Kahlon said. Faced with a long-term decline in the annual allowable cut in B.C., the John Horgan government has been promoting a strategy of doing more with less, emphasizing higher value-added manufacturing like engineered wood and mass timber. "Growing B.C.'s mass timber sector is key part of our government's vision for the future of forestry - a future where we get more value from every tree harvested," said B.C. Forests Minister Katrine Conroy. In a recent interview with BIV News, Chris Bataille, an academic at Simon Fraser University and contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes Working Group 3s report for the Sixth Assessment, said that it is now expected that the use of steel in construction could be reduced by 40% in the coming decades and cement by 20% through materials substitution. Mass timber is one substitution material that is already beginning to reduce the amount of cement and steel used in high-rise construction. Mass timber can match or exceed the structural performance of concrete and steel while reducing carbon emissions by up to 45%, Kahlon said. Compared to milling for lumber, mass timber can deliver up to seven times the economic value for our forest products. Kahlon said the new mass timber plan will be showcased at an international conference in Portland, Oregon. I will be taking with us our mass timber action plan, which we are releasing today, to show the world what we are doing to support and grow this important industry, Kahlon said. Photo: The Canadian Press A volunteer, right, distributes humanitarian aid in a yard of a school in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) The federal Liberal government is promising $500 million in additional military aid to Ukraine as well as more humanitarian and financial support to Kyiv in response to Russias invasion. The commitments are contained in todays federal budget and follow previous promises from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other ministers that Canada is looking at sending more weapons and other assistance to Ukraine. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says while Canada and its allies have sanctioned Russia over its invasion, recent allegations of Russian war crimes show the Ukrainians need more help. The budget doesnt say how the newly promised military aid will be delivered. Trudeau and Defence Minister Anita Anand have said Canada is looking at buying weapons on the open market for Ukraine, while a group of Ukrainian legislators last week asked the government to provide money so Kyiv can buy arms itself. The budget says Canada is also offering an additional $1 billion in loans to Ukraine through a special account managed by the International Monetary Fund, which is in addition to $620 million in loans already offered. Photo: pixabay A B.C. mushroom farm owner has been fined $650,000 for releasing toxic effluent into nearby waters creating a lethal environment for fish. The court ordered fines apply to two Abbotsford mushroom farms: Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd., which was ordered to pay fine of $265,000, and H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd., which ended up with a $385,000 bill. Both farms are owned by the same person, who last November pleaded guilty to contraventions of the Fisheries Act, according to a written statement from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Federal environmental enforcement officers first inspected the H.Q. Mushroom Farm in 2015, and Delfresh in 2018. In both cases, the officers returned after detecting deleterious substances, and in both cases, the toxic effluent was still pouring into the surrounding waters six months later. Thats when the feds moved forward with charges, according to the ministry's statement. Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. is also required to report to Environment and Climate Change Canada how it will prevent the release of the substances in the future. Money from the fines will go to the Government of Canadas Environmental Damages Fund, a tool built in 1995 to support projects that restore the environment and conserve wildlife and habitats. Photo: CNW Group/Lynx Air Rob Palmer, Vice President Commercial, Strategy and CFO of The Calgary Airport Authority, Merren McArthur, President and CEO of Lynx Air and Brad McMullen, VP of Sales, North America, Boeing, are joined by Lynx cabin crew members to cut the ribbon for Lynx's inaugural commercial flight. Ultra-low-cost carrier Lynx Air launched its first flight today: to Vancouver International Airport from its base in Calgary. Tickets for the flight sold for $39 each way. Lynx's website says that its three new Boeing 737 planes are set to fly between Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, St. John's and Halifax. Non-stop flights out of Vancouver go to Kelowna, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Service to Kelowna starts on April 15. The airline plans to expand its fleet to 46 planes by 2029. Lynx was originally known as Enerjet, when it was originally founded in 2006. It then rebranded in November. Competition in the low-cost fare niche includes Flair Airlines, Air Canada's Rouge, Sunwing, Swoop and Canada Jetlines. These airlines tend to price seats lower than traditional carriers and then tack on extra charges for things such as carrying on more than one bag, or having checked baggage. South Korean producers aim to boost cement production 07 April 2022 South Korean cement companies have agreed to increased their production by 35 per cent for the next three months to ease concerns over a supply shortage amid the crisis surrounding Ukraine, the industry ministry said. During a meeting with government officials, seven major cement companies agreed to produce a combined 3.77Mt of cement in the 2Q22 up 35.7 per cent from the January-March period, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The government also plans to provide around 380,000t of cement to the domestic market, though they are supposed to be sold overseas, it added. The country is running out of cement reserves due mainly to the companies' growing investment in eco-friendly facilities and the unexpected growth in demand by builders, while global supply chains of bituminous coal used to make cement have been unstable due to the crisis surrounding Ukraine. The companies have also sought to diversify their import channels of bituminous coal. Russian coal accounted for about 54 per cent of South Korea's coal imports in the first quarter, down from last year's 75 per cent, as companies increased the imports from Australia from last year's 25 to 46 per cent. In a longer-term plan, the companies plan to reduce their dependence on soft coal to produce cement by using more eco-friendly materials. The government vowed to earmark KRW930.6bn (US$763.54m) by 2030 starting next year to support such moves. "We will closely monitor the supply situation and boost consultations with related industries to ensure stable supplies of cement and other key materials," a ministry official said. Published under This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Michele Reneau has qualified to run against State House District 27 Rep. Patsy Hazlewood. Ms. Reneau is a writer and editor and former realtor. She is the mother of four girls and one boy. Both are running as Republicans. Shawn Patrick Tobin has picked up as a GOP candidate. Michael Potter may run as an Independent. In District 26, it appears that former County Commissioner Greg Martin may gain the office without opposition. No one has yet qualified to oppose him. The commission last week voted to name him as the interim representative for House District 26. The seat came open when Rep. Robin Smith pleaded guilty in Federal Court in the Phoenix Solutions scam. It appears Greg Vital in House District 29 and Esther Helton in District 30 will have no opposition. Senator Bo Watson also has no opposition. Jennifer Mason has picked up against House District 28 Rep. Yusuf Hakeem. A loss prevention officer at Walmart at 3550 Cummings Hwy. told police a black male selected two packs of ribeye steaks, scanned one and placed both packages in the bag. This happened at about 8:30 a.m. The same man entered at 8:52 and once again left with an unpurchased steak. The Walmart employee said the man came back in at 10:52. He left the parking lot around 11:10 in a gray Nissan SUV. * * * Roughly one hour after police dropped off a man on Wilson Street, a woman called police saying he was harassing her. Police called the woman back and she said the man is calling her repeatedly and making unreasonable threats towards her. Police told the woman to not answer his phone calls or make contact with him. Police will continue routine patrol of the area and, if the man is found, police will speak with him. * * * Police were called to CSL Plasma at 2809 East 50th St. where an alarm was going off and found an open door. Police cleared the building and everything was secured. Dispatch couldn't reach a responsible party. An officer closed the door but wasn't able to secure it. * * * Police responded to a suspicious person call on Norcross Road and found a man dressed in black lying in a driveway. The man said he had walked to the store and was walking back to his house further down the road but was tired and cold. He said he didnt need emergency medical care, and police gave him a ride back to his house. * * * Police responded to a suspicious vehicle on Boynton Drive. The white Ford Focus had a VIN that came back not-on-file. Bystanders in the area said the car has been parked there for approximately eight months. It was parked legally and was out of the roadway. Police will continue to monitor the car and it will be towed if it continues to sit on the side of the road. * * * A woman on Wilson Street told police she had some Amazon packages stolen. They included a security box for $69, folding high chair for $60, and Nutri-Bullet for $60. * * * Police were called to Fresh Burger Grill at 6306 Hwy. 58 on an alarm call. Police spoke with staff inside the business and everything checked out fine. * * * A man on Plaza Circle told police his motorcycle had been stolen from his driveway. The bike is blue and silver with an extra large fuel tank with stickers on both side of the tank that say Blue Ribbon Cycles. The man said his neighbors had not seen anything or anyone suspicious in the area. A bolo was broadcast on all channels and the bike was entered into NCIC. * * * An officer conducted a traffic stop in the 2200 block of Milne Street. The officer observed a vehicle sitting in the roadway with a man at the driver's side window speaking with the driver. After circling the block, the vehicle was still in the middle of the roadway and the officer stopped the vehicle for obstructing the roadway. The driver said she was dropping off some shoes with a man named Brad. There was nothing further suspicious and she was released with a verbal warning for obstruction of a roadway. When the officer looked in the location where she was originally observed, the man party she was speaking with was gone and was not found. * * * A man told police he had a woman in his salon at 2020 Gunbarrel Road and he provided hair services for her worth $300. When the woman went to pay, she said she had left her credit card in her car. She left the building and never returned. The man said he posted the situation on Facebook and was able to have help from the Facebook community with identifying the woman. The man wanted to prosecute. The officer was able to speak with the woman over the phone and she said she paid the man in cash but had no way of proving it. The officer was informed later from the both of them that they agreed to settle the situation themselves and the man was able to get his money back. The man wanted to have the woman trespassed from his store and the officer informed her of this. * * * An officer found a purse lying in the roadway on Market Street. The officer found a name on a debit card inside the purse and found her residence was on Wellthor Circle. The officer returned the purse to the owner at her home. Watching news coverage of whats going on in Ukraine homes, schools and buildings being destroyed by the Russian assault our minds are challenged to comprehend whats happening. Most of us have no frame of reference for even beginning to grasp what that experience must be like for the Ukrainians, many of whom are now refugees from their homeland. My friend Albert was just a boy growing up in the Netherlands when the Nazis were bombing his city during World War II. Unlike me, he understands how terrifying and life-changing it is to go through something like that. Now, decades later, the memories remain vivid. He has endured a number of other calamities and challenges over the course of his life, but like many other people, has learned the secret of finding calm in the midst of whatever the surrounding chaos might be. The trials many of us are currently facing might pale in comparison to living in a country under siege of war, but for us they are trials even tribulations just the same. At times it might feel as if were aboard a ship at sea, in the midst of a raging storm. Everything seems to be moving up and down, side to side, with nothing stable for us to grab ahold of. What do we do? Where do we turn? At such times, as a good friend would sometimes remind me, Youre in a great position! What? Are you crazy? How can you think that? Because when times are uncertain, the most unstable, we have no choice but to look to the one true source of hope, stability and security. Recently, I was reading a familiar passage from the Bible that describes well what many of us might be feeling in our tumultuous times. Psalm 46:1-10 gives us this assurance: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. When times are at their worst, when our hardships and adversities seem beyond hope, thats when our Lord does His best work. We might say Hes the God of making the impossible possible. When Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army, the prophet Jeremiah made this declaration: "Oh, Lord God! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You! (Jeremiah 32:17). Many centuries later, Jesus Christ was speaking of a very different challenge, that of being brought into a life-transforming, eternal relationship with God. A wealthy young man had asked Jesus how he could get eternal life. When the Lord answered by instructing him to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor, the rich man had gone away in despair, unwilling to part with all he had. Turning to His disciples, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heavenit is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Upon hearing this, the disciples responded incredulously, Who then can be saved? Then Jesus made the key statement: With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:16-26). This incident is recounted in detail in three of the four gospels, also in Mark 10 and Luke 18, so we know it was significant. The underlying message of each of the passages cited above is that whether its to create and control an entire universe, put an end to wars, calm raging seas, heal diseases, deliver us from many other kinds of crises, and even bring a reluctant, prideful person to saving faith, nothing is too difficult for our God. With this confident assurance, and only because of that, we can comply with what the Lord tells us to do: Be still, and know that I am God. * * * Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net. From Vanderbilt comes a story I hope is an isolated case, but with more than 2,021,445 Tennesseans who have struggled with the coronavirus in these last two-plus years -- this according to Johns Hopkins - I publish the Vanderbilt findings today on the off-chance it may help a fellow struggler who wonders why COVID isnt going away. To date 25,671 in Tennessee have died from COVID-related disease. A fourth-generation vaccine is now available and the experts tell us that while we arent hearing as much about the disease and are thankful hospital admissions have ebbed, there is a real and present danger we still must consider. Get the vaccine! Here is what has happened to Jane Storie, a wife and mother of two in Hermitage, Tn., as told to two writers at the Vanderbilt Medical Center: * * * TEAM HELPS COVID PATIENTS BATTLE POST-COVID COGNITIVE ISSUES by Bill Snyder and Nancy Humphrey, Vanderbilt Medical Center, March 30, 2022 Jane Storie always considered herself to be a sunshiny person. But then, in October 2020, she became ill with COVID-19. Nearly 18 months later, shes still plagued by debilitating symptoms. Trouble breathing. Tight and achy muscles. Anxiety and depression. Panic attacks. Brain fog. Her cognitive impairment, especially, has made it challenging to work with her husband on the familys small business ventures. I have a college degree, but I have a hard time helping my second grader with his math or following a recipe, said Storie, a 38-year-old mother of two young children from Hermitage, Tennessee. I might totally forget I got something going; forget to turn off the stove. Storie is not alone. An estimated 30% of people experience long-haul COVID, what the medical experts call post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), months after recovering from the initial infection. But there is reason for optimism, said Sara Martin, MD, medical director of the Adult Post-Acute COVID Clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. New studies are revealing what may cause these symptoms, and treatments such as physical therapy and cognitive training are often effective in relieving them. Research also suggests that vaccination not only protects against COVID-19 but may reduce the risk of PASC. Most patients seen in the VUMC clinic since it opened last year were not vaccinated before they got COVID-19. They are encouraged to do so now to keep from being infected again. Im hopeful that as more people get vaccinated, we will see a decline in symptoms over the next year, said Sapna Kripalani, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, who joined Martin in a discussion of post-acute COVID March 3 during Medicine Grand Rounds. There is some evidence PASC may be caused by out-of-control immune and inflammatory responses to infection by the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. Other studies point to the virus as the likely culprit because it has been found in tissues throughout the body, including the brain. Whatever the cause, its clear that post-acute COVID has reached epidemic proportions, said James Jackson, PsyD, research professor of Medicine and lead psychologist for the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship (CIBS) Center at VUMC. Eighty million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States to date. If the estimates are correct, as many as 24 million survivors of the greatest pandemic in a century have experienced lingering neurological symptoms. That would make neuro post-acute COVID the nations third most prevalent neurological disorder, behind tension and migraine headaches, and ahead of stroke. Jackson worries that the sheer volume of PASC cases is overwhelming the outpatient mental health system and the governments ability to process disability claims. Patients feel like theyre running into closed doors, he said. To help fill the gap, Jackson, Amy Kiehl, MA, a licensed professional counselor, and their CIBS center colleagues lead five online peer support groups for patients and families. Each week, 50 to 60 people participate. Forty percent live outside Tennessee, some from as far away as the United Kingdom. Increasingly were getting referrals from physicians around the country who know about the work were doing and send their patients to us, Jackson said. If we kept adding groups, we would keep filling groups. Thats how great the need is. Family groups are important. The impact of long COVID on families is consistently underappreciated, he said. When your husband or wife, mother, father, whomever when their life is changed by these dynamics, the whole family system is really upended. Unlike other online support groups that provide a place for COVID-19 survivors to connect with each other, the VUMC groups are led by mental health professionals and physicians. We try to help people learn strategies that can improve their cognition, and in the arena of what we call acceptance, Jackson said. How can I find a way to accept things I cant change? How can I find a way to make peace with that, and live my life? VUMC also is participating in a study to determine whether a video game developed for children with attention deficit disorder by Boston-based Akili Interactive also can improve cognitive functioning in post-acute COVID patients. In the past month, weve had probably close to 30 new patients enter the study from the support groups, with some patients literally crying when they learn that theyre eligible to participate, Jackson said. Were clear about it not being a panacea. We dont know if it works. Thats why were studying it. But the emotionality the patients have shown has been a reminder for us of how debilitated they really are, he said. Jackson is optimistic that most patients will eventually see some improvement because of his experience working with patients with cognitive impairment after long stays in the intensive care unit. That experience led to the establishment of the ICU Recovery Center in 2012, and the CIBS Center in 2018. Years ago, without knowing it, we had been setting the table, if you will, for a moment exactly like this, Jackson said. We already had an established support group, one of the few in the United States. We already had a clinic (for ICU survivors). So, when the tsunami of (COVID survivors) with cognitive and mental health problems emerged, we didnt have to reinvent the wheel. We were just able to pivot. What surprises him and his colleagues is the stubborn severity of symptoms in patients who had only mild cases of COVID-19. Maybe you werent that sick, you never ended up in the hospital, and you certainly were never in the ICU, but the extent to which those folks a year later are quite impaired cognitively, that feels new and that feels worrisome, he said. Jackson also worries about people with pre-existing mental health problems or early symptoms of dementia: will PASC worsen or accelerate their cognitive decline? Jane Storie was vaccinated against COVID-19 last year. While the vaccine didnt relieve her symptoms, she refuses to give up. She participated in one of Jacksons support groups for a while, and texts regularly with some of the group members. Almost every day theres a group chat going on with what someone might be doing thats helping, she said. Im in therapy, doing cognitive rehab. Im putting these practices into place that will hopefully help. Still, its a sobering reality, Storie added. As a society, we expect doctors to know everything, but realize that nobody knows much, and everybodys doing the best they can to figure it out. * * * royexum@aol.com The Dayton City Council sitting as the Dayton City School Board Monday night approved a new three-year contract with current school superintendent Trish Newsom. Ms. Newsom has been with the school system since 2007. She was appointed as principal of the system in 2017. In April 2020, she was selected as superintendent after then superintendent Robert Green left to go to Athens, Tn., City School System. Ms. Newsom has a double major in physical education and home economics from Quachita Baptist University and a masters in school counseling from Dallas Baptist University. She has a post masters certificate from UTC.Vice Chairman Steve Randolph made the motion to give Ms. Newsom a three-year contract with a yearly salary of $91,000. Vice Chairman Randolph pointed out that this salary is well below what most of East Tennessee offers.From research that I have done on comparable size school systems, salaries range from $92,000 to $106,000. This is below the average so at the end of next year, I propose an increase of $1,500 at the end of each of the year's contracts. Also included will be cost of living adjustments. This will be based on an evaluation each year done in April," said Vice Chairman Randolph.Board member Bobby Doss said he had a problem with a three-year contract. We have got in trouble with three-year contracts before, said Mr. Doss.Vice Chairman Randolph reassured Mr. Doss that at the end of each year a satisfactory evaluation will have to be done.Board Chairman Hurley Marsh stated, There were times these past two years I have been disappointed in the system. But things are beginning to turn around. Its a whole lot better today than a year ago. And with this renewal of a contract, I am expecting more community involvement.City Attorney Susan Arnold said she added in the contract where the city would include dues for the Rotary Club and the Tennessee School Board Association for Ms. Newsom.Dayton City School currently has an enrollment of 820 students.Ms. Newsom briefed the board on a traffic study that was underway at the school.Prior to the meeting during public comment, Rick Dye apprised the board of an increasing problem of trying to get out of school when afternoon dismissal is being done. The west side of the parking lot, no one is parking in a space. They are double parking at the end of the striping. The school sent out messages advising on how to park, but the parents are thumbing their noses and blatantly violating the rules of parking. It would be a nicety to have an officer there to keep order.Ms. Newsom said that there would be an update at the next board meeting. We already have the city maintenance department putting up large metal posts to stop people from driving on the grass in that area, she added.The board also voted to renew the contract with the First United Methodist Church, which operates a day care in two of the portable classrooms. They extended a one-year contract with the monthly rent going from $450 to $600, with an option to extend the contract at the end of the year term. The board also put a cap of 42 children, or the number of children that the state will allow the church to have. Currently there are 35 children enrolled in the daycare program, which now operates year-round from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. They also allowed the First Methodist Church program to have access to the front of the school to be used in case of an emergency to shelter the children. The program accepts children from pre-K to 10 years old. Joey Ulibarri always knew he wanted to help people, and that desire led him to enroll in the Basic Law Enforcement program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. The Calhoun natives career path led him to follow in his fathers footsteps. The day after he graduated with his certificate in April 2021, he started working at the Calhoun Police Department, where his father has worked for about six years. I enjoy talking to people when Im not on a call, Officer Ulibarri said. I really like seeing children and enjoy interacting with them. I like to establish a rapport with business people and to have relationships with the community. Officer Ulibarri, 22, sees these interactions as good community policing. I like to let people know Im a human being, he said. Just because Im a police officer doesnt mean I am any different than anyone else. His inherent love for people and empathy lead him to help citizens from answering routine calls to the more unusual, such as helping to rescue a cat from a raccoon trap, he explained. I recently helped a woman find her lost iPhone, he said. When she hugged me (in gratitude), it really made me feel good. Jose Ulibarri Sr., Joeys father, graduated from GNTCs Basic Law Enforcement program in November 2012. He also works at the Calhoun Police Department and said he recommended the program to his son. I had such a good experience in the academy that when Joey said he wanted to go into law enforcement, too, I knew he would get a good education there, Officer Ulibarri Sr. said. I would tell anyone interested in the Basic Law Enforcement program to come speak to Mr. Pledger who can help them figure out their next steps, Joey Ulibarri said. Then I would tell them to learn as much as you can because what the instructors tell you really does help when you get out on the job. The staff at GNTCs Basic Law Enforcement program will help students apply to GNTC and help them complete the Georgia Peace Officer and Training Council P2 application, James Pledger, BLE program director and instructor, said. Both Gary McConathy and I have served with local law enforcement agencies for over 20 years each before coming to GNTC as instructors, Mr. Pledger said. We only call on instructors who have had years of experience. Officer Ulibarri said his favorite course was EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations for Basic Law Enforcement), in which he learned to drive in high-speed situations. Emergency Vehicle Operations gives the student the understanding of patrol car basics, Mr. Pledger said. The students learn dynamic braking, close quarters maneuvering, skid control and the effects of weight shift. They also learn vehicle maintenance and care. Pursuit driving and pursuit intervention technique training are considered advanced training and are not part of the EVOC course. The class is held at the Rome Airport and gives the student a change of scenery outside the classroom where they are actually doing rather than listening to lectures, the instructor explained. It also teaches them skills they may not have had before. I think that is what makes the class enjoyable. Officer Ulibarri praised the program because it offers a path to earn an associate degree. Calhoun Police Chief Tony Pyle commended Officer Ulibarris excellent character, sound judgment, absolute reliability and commitment to the citizens of Calhoun and Gordon County. Officer Ulibarri has shown his ability to handle even the most hectic work load while continuing to make himself available to other officers and citizens in need, Chief Pyle stated. He performs his duties in a professional manner and has set the standard for other young officers to follow. Chief Pyles satisfaction with Officer Ulibarris performance reflects the caliber of the graduates from GNTCs Law Enforcement Academy, he said. The graduates of GNTCs program have been some of the best employees our department has ever had, he said. Joey is personable and well mannered. His father came through this program several years ago, and he is also personable and well mannered, so I expected no less from Joey, Mr. Pledger said. It takes all kinds of personalities to round out a police department, and Joey fits right in. I believe the different customers of the police department will find Joey to be a man of integrity. Officer Ulibarri used the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship programs, which enabled him to graduate college with minimal debt. Officer Ulibarris future plans are to finish his bachelors degree in Information Technology at Western Governors University by the end of the year and then to go back to GNTC to complete an associate degree in Criminal Justice. Officer Ulibarri Sr. described working with his son as a surreal experience. I never would have thought I would be working with my son in law enforcement, he said, adding its a good feeling to know that he and the other Calhoun police officers have his sons back when hes on a call. Over the centuries, migrating birds have filled the skies over Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center as part of an ancient bird migration super highway known as the Mississippi Flyway. Its prominence on this flyway makes Reflection Riding a fertile observation point for migrating birds. To help scientists better understand the migration habits of millions of birds, Reflection Riding installed a Motus Wildlife Tracking Station at its Welcome Center about a year ago. Dr. David Aborn, professor of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science at UTC, said, Many people don't realize the Tennessee Valley serves as a type of off ramp on the migration superhighway known as the Mississippi Flyway. Having a Motus Tracking Station at Reflection Riding will allow for the automated tracking of birds as they migrate each year. This will give us great information now and even better information on migration habits as more stations come into service across the Flyway." Although this cutting-edge science instrument is an international, collaborative research tool that helps scientists follow the movements of migratory birds to help manage and conserve them, the equipment itself looks out of place when compared to the natural beauty of Reflection Riding. To help the MOTUS tracking system fit into its surroundings at Reflection Riding, a mural has been completed on the building hosting the equipment. The mural, entitled Reflection Flyway, was unveiled to the public on Thursday. The tower just looks like a radio antenna, explained Mark McKnight, president/CEO of Reflection Riding. We wanted to draw the communitys attention to the purpose of this technology, which is helping to solve the mysteries of bird migration. To do so, we commissioned this mural to help educate our visitors, members and the entire community about the critical importance of this research on species movement. Collaborating with local artists Gus Gaston, Derek Witucki and Allen Tyus, the mural invites visitors' interest and questions on not just bird migration, but also the role the land and air corridor at Reflection Riding has played over the centuries. Science communication is what brought me into this project," said Mr. Witucki. "Learning about the world, uncovering its mysteriesthat is what excited me as a child. My hope is that other people will find it exciting too. Most importantly, I want to share that excitement and wonder for science with kids. We think this mural will expand the conversation about science and conservation with our community, said Mr. McKnight. Reflection Riding works hard to build a deep understanding of and care for the natural world in the people we serve. Citizen science, particularly when presented in an engaging way, inspires us all to notice nature and protect our natural resources. Reflection Riding received support and funding from Public Arts Chattanooga, ArtsBuild and Southeast Tennessee Development, which allowed Reflection Riding to utilize the talents of local artists. Additional support was provided by UTC and anonymous donors to Reflection Riding. The 51st Annual Spring Tennessee Craft Fair returns to Nashvilles iconic Centennial Park, May 6, 7 and 8. Officials said, "Join us this Mothers Day Weekend on the Parthenon Lawn for a celebration of handmade art and craft by artists from Tennessee and across the Southeast. Guest Juror David Reyes of the Huntsville Museum of Art will make award selections including Best of Show and Best New Exhibitor." The popular Demonstration Tent will feature local artists from The Clay Ladys Campus, the Tennessee Association of Woodturners, and Betty Turner from This Little Light Creative Glass Art. Stop by the tent throughout the weekend to see firsthand creation of craft art! The Kids Tent is another popular stop at the fair! Sponsored by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Publix Super Markets Charities, our youngest fairgoers can make their own artistic creations to take home. Artists who are just starting out in their craft careers will be featured in the Emerging Makers Tent (EMT), sponsored by MW Real Estate. The EMT is an opportunity in which mentors shepherd groups of emerging artists through the craft fair process, from set up to chatting with customers to selling their work. This group selling environment is designed to help emerging artisans take the next step toward exhibiting as independent artists on the main tent circle at Tennessee Craft fairs. This Middle Tennessee tradition will be on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, you can park in the HCA lots on Park Plaza and catch the free shuttle, provided by Gray Line Tennessee, that runs in 15-minute loops. Visit tennesseecraft.org/springfair for more information. Larry Ables, former county chief magistrate, qualified late for a race against General Sessions Court Judge Gerald Webb. Another sitting judge in General Sessions, Alex McVeagh, will have competition from assistant district attorney David Schmidt. Judge McVeagh has been mentioned as a possible candidate to move up to Criminal Court judge with the departure of Judge Tom Greenholtz to the Court of Criminal Appeals in September. Judge McVeagh said on Facebook on Thursday, "A lot of rumors out there, so let me be crystal clear. . . I love my job and can't wait to campaign against my two opponents to retain my position as General Sessions Court judge! The official campaign season starts today." Attorney Caldwell Huckabay earlier announced he was running for the seat held by Judge McVeagh. However, on Thursday he said he is not running. Attorney Huckabay said, "When I qualified to run for Judge of General Sessions Court, Div. II, I saw a clear path to victory. As I stated at the time, Tom Greenholtz was the obvious choice to be elevated to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals creating a vacancy for election of the Judge of Criminal Court, Div. II. The logical choice to replace Judge Greenholtz on the ballot was, and remains, Judge Alex McVeagh. Judge McVeaghs logical move to the Criminal Court, Div. II ballot would create an opportunity to run for the open General Sessions Court, Div. II seat. I fully expected others to throw their hat into the ring, and I anticipated and looked forward to the prospect of a robust campaign for that open seat. "What I did not anticipate was that the only candidate for Criminal Court, Div. II has chosen to remain on the ballot with no intentions of actually serving that term, thwarting a free and fair election. I think we can all agree that our judges should be chosen by a popular vote of the citizens. I also did not anticipate that Judge McVeagh would state in writing that he will not be a candidate for that seat so long as he has opposition in the General Sessions Court race. "It was never my intention to run against Alex McVeagh. He is an outstanding judge who should remain on the bench. Hamilton County is well served by Judge McVeagh, and I am not going to run against him to the detriment of the people of Hamilton County just to realize my own desire to be a judge. It just would not be right. Consequently, I have withdrawn my candidacy for Judge of General Sessions Court, Div. II and give my unqualified support to the election effort of Judge McVeagh. "I want to thank the many people who have reached out to Shelley and me to offer their support. We are grateful beyond words to all of you and remain hopeful that we will have this opportunity again in the future." A Cohutta man was arrested on Thursday in Chattanooga on murder charges connected to the shooting death of Kenneth Ray Townsend on March 31. Gabriel Mekel Adams, 19, of 1247 Derby Drive in Cohutta was arrested in Chattanooga with the assistance of the US Marshalls Office on warrants for murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. Police were called to the apartment of Kenneth Townsend, 62, at 801 Selvidge Street at 2:51 a.m. on March 31, with a report that a man had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Mr. Townsend suffering from gunshot wounds to his arm and chest. He was taken by ambulance to Hamilton Medical Center where he died shortly after. Initial information provided to investigators indicated that the shooter was a black man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. The suspect fled the scene before officers could arrive. Investigators followed multiple leads in the hours and days that followed and developed information that Adams was the shooter. Investigators obtained warrants for Adams arrest on April 2, and have been looking for him ever since. With the assistance of the US Marshalls Office, investigators learned that Adams might be located in Chattanooga. On Thursday, Dalton Police Department investigators accompanied agents from the US Marshalls Office and officers from the Chattanooga Police Department to 1611 North Orchard Knob Avenue in Chattanooga. Adams was located there and he was taken into custody without incident at approximately 11:45 a.m. He is in the custody of the Chattanooga PD awaiting extradition back to Georgia to face charges of murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Thursday announced efforts to recruit out of state law enforcement to the Tennessee Highway Patrol have netted early results as the administration focuses on proven crime prevention methods and addressing law enforcement staff shortages. Just last week, we welcomed five new troopers to our ranks from across the country to strengthen public safety, said Governor Lee. I challenge these new Tennesseans to recruit their former colleagues to the best agency in the country as we continue to welcome troopers nationwide to join us in Tennessee. Last fall, Governor Lees nationwide pitch offered out of state troopers incentives to move to Tennessee and join the Tennessee Highway Patrol. So far, early recruiting efforts have brought 11 new troopers who bring new skills and diverse experience to the ranks. Out of state law enforcement officials interested in joining the Tennessee Highway Patrol can learn more at www.joinTHP.org. In addition to recruitment efforts, Governor Lee has focused on proven crime prevention and key public safety investments to directly support law enforcement across Tennessee: Creation of a $150 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund for law enforcement agencies across the state to invest in evidence-based programming and resources $30 million to support relocation bonuses for out-of-state police officers seeking to move to Tennessee Expansion of state funding for law enforcement basic training and increasing the frequency of training for new recruits Access to a statewide hiring portal that includes qualified law enforcement recruits from outside of Tennessee who are looking to relocate Read more about Governor Lees statewide public safety agenda here. Notably, I am not the first adversary counsel to support Jim Exum for Circuit Court judge of Hamilton County on this forum. Doesnt that speak volumes about the quality of this candidate? Adversary counsel is a term once widely used by lawyers when referring to attorneys on the other side of a lawsuit. According to Merriam-Webster, adversary means one that contends with, opposes, or resists. As a trial lawyer, I believe this definition to be accurate. By its very nature, a lawsuit is adversarial. Nevertheless, the vast majority of attorneys strive to maintain a high level of professionalism and legal decorum while zealously representing their clients positions. In other words, we fight hard for our clients while doing our best to treat our opponents with courtesy and respect. Over 28 years of practice, I have found that is not always easy for me and for the attorneys against whom I have practiced. Jim Exum, however, is one of those rare attorneys who has always maintained the highest level of professional courtesy, respect, and self-control regardless of the pressures and the stakes in an adversarial proceeding. Despite the widely held belief that a trial lawyer should be a bulldog, Jim does not employ those techniques. Jim has been adverse to me in cases with relatively high stakes and some tragic circumstances. Jim opposed me, resisted me, and worked hard against my position. Yet he remained steady, unfailingly courteous, and professional. He wasnt just a nice guy when things were going well or when it benefitted him. That is simply his demeanor. So, why does that matter? Judicial temperament is the umbrella term for a set of personal traits held by judges. It is hard to describe, but we who are involved in the legal system know it when we see it. Judicial temperament has been said to include courtesy, compassion, patience, open-mindedness, sensitivity, and the lack of bias. Jims natural demeanor reveals that he possesses a high judicial temperament that will permit him to be more effective on the bench. Of course, judicial demeanor alone does not qualify a candidate. A judge must have a sharp intellect, be adequately trained, be decisive, and possess integrity. Jim Exum has proven his intellectual capability over his 15+ year career. His integrity is unassailable. In addition to his temperament, Jim is set apart his legal experience and training. He readily knows the law and the legal procedure. When he does not, he knows how to find it and implement it. Knowledge of the law and procedure in a vacuum has little value. Experience in the courtroom is required to understand how to facilely apply that law and procedure to the case before you. Jims learning curve on the bench will be greatly flattened due to his courtroom experience. Hamilton County is fortunate to have the highest quality Circuit Court judges. Having tried cases in Military Tribunals, Federal Courts, Tennessee Courts and Georgia Courts, I believe our Circuit Court judges are among the very best. Jim is seeking to fill the vacancy that will be left by Judge Jeff Hollingsworth. That seems like a daunting task. Judge Hollingsworth has proven to be the epitome of a judge possessing the highest judicial temperament and ability. But, I believe Jim Exum is the right person for this job. He will serve our county well. I think an endorsement by another of his legal adversaries speaks volumes about Jim Exum. Scott Davis Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said a northern Walker County fire was intentionally set and has been ruled arson. The fire occurred at approximately 10:56 p.m. on Friday, March 25, and heavily damaged the residence at 410 Hollywood Dr. Our office is assisting the Walker County Fire Department with this investigation, said Commissioner King. We are asking for the communitys help in bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice. "Anyone with information about this Walker County fire is invited to call my Fire Investigations Unit at 1-800-282-5804. "In coordination with the State Fire Investigations Unit, a reward of up to $10,000 is offered by Georgia Arson Control for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for arson." 90 Day Fiance and its many spinoffs have given birth to some of the most hilarious lines in reality TV history. Here are 10 of the funniest lines ever said on the TLC franchise. Anfisa Arkhipchenko, 90 Day Fiance | TLC 10. Colt is trash man. Jess Caroline Brazilian beauty Jess Caroline found out that her ex-boyfriend Colt Johnson was having an entire relationship behind her back on 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? Season 5 with his current wife, Vanessa Guerra. After Colts ex-wife, Larissa dos Santos Lima, warned Jess about Colt being a trash man, Jess admits that she was right about him. Jess said, I wish I listen to Larissa when she called me and say, Jess, be careful. Colt is trash man. [sic] She admits that he is, in fact, a trash man. 9. Youre blaming an owl with a candle on the fact that you are an a**hole to my kids? Molly Hopkins Three days before Molly Hopkins and Luis Mendez were planning on getting married, Molly confronts her fiance about how hes been treating her children. However, Luis tried to deflect the conversation by bringing up Mollys decor in her home. He said that her owl decor, the status of Buddha, and African-style masks are Brujeria or witchcraft. She says, This is nuts. And tells him the iconic line, Youre blaming an owl with a candle on the fact that you are an a**hole to my kids. 8. Theyre trying to harvest the American dollar. Karen Everett Chantel Everetts mother, Karen Everett, is full of one-liners. One of her most iconic quotes is when she accuses her son-in-law, Pedro Jimeno, and his family of trying to harvest the American dollar. Karen was concerned that Pedro was using Chantel to get a green card and use her for money. Despite her efforts and hiring a private investigator, she found no proof that the Jimeno family has successfully harvested the American dollar. 7. Only sl*t people use the condom, not me. Im not a sl*t. Im good person. Asuelu Pulaa On 90 Day Fiance Season 6, Kalani Faagata found out that shes got pregnant again while still breastfeeding her first child. She blames her husband, Asuelu Pulaa, for not wanting to use protection. He tells the cameras, Only sl*t people use the condom, not me. Im not a sl*t. Im good person. 6. F***ing crazy old man, alone and depressing from Michigan. Jasmine Pineda On 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 5, Jasmine Pineda confronts her then-boyfriend, Gino Palazzolo, for sending nudes of her to an ex-girlfriend. She then finds out from the same ex that he was also previously on a sugar baby website, where he had been paying women $250 a night for sleepovers. Thats when Jasmine confronts him and freaks out. Jasmine told him that she was not interested in being with a man who had to pay for sex. She calls Gino a f***ing crazy old man, alone and depressing from Michigan. RELATED: 90 Day Diaries Benjamin and Akinyi Update: Where Are They Now in 2022? 5. Things are about to get a lot more stupider. Karen Everett When Pedros sister, Nicole Jimeno, comes to visit, she sleeps in Chantel and Pedros living room. Chantel claims that Nicole clapped and said, Thank God, when she left the house. Chantel went to her parents house to tell her what was going on. Karen is upset that Pedro is putting Nicole over Chantel. She wants to go confront Pedro and Nicole and begins taking out her earrings. She says the iconic line, Things are about to get a lot more stupider. 4. Almost there lazy. Azan Tefo On 90 Day Fiance Season 4, Azan Tefo brings Nicole Nafziger to the desert in Morocco for a romantic trip. The morning after he proposes, they plan to ride camels. However, the hike up the dunes to the camels becomes too much for Nicole. Nicole is frustrated that Azan is pushing her so much physically. He says, Stop being lazy and go to do some workouts, honey. And he encourages her up the dunes by saying, Almost there lazy. 3. Who is against the Queen must die! Larissa dos Santos Lima During 90 Day Fiance Season 6, Colts cousins come to visit, where they end up confronting Larissa. They say that shes been using him for money. They end up in a big screaming match where Larissa uninvited them to the wedding. Larissa says, And everyone thats against me, not my wedding, okay? [sic]. She storms upstairs and yells, Who is against the Queen will die! 2. F***ing a** b**** a** sl*t a** wh*re! Chantel Everett During the trip to the Dominican Republic to visit Pedros family, Chantel and her sister-in-law, Nicole, get into a fight after a translation error. While confronting Pedros family about the money hes been sending, Nicole tells him if she doesnt want to be in a marriage with Pedro, she should divorce him, period. Nicole said period in Spanish, which is punto, but Chantel misheard it as punta, which is a major insult in Spanish. Chantel asks her, Did you just call me a f***ing b****? Nicole says, Yes. Thats when Nicole says, You are a f***ing wh*re. And you will not disrespect me like this today. Good night. She then says the iconic string of expletives as she walks away, f***ing a** b**** a** sl*t a** wh*re. 1. Bring me my red bag with my makeup! Anfisa Arkhipchenko Our top funniest 90 Day Fiance quote is from Anfisa Arkhipchenko from 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? Season 4. She and her then-husband, Jorge Nava, were headed to her green card interview but started arguing. Jorge leaves the car, and Anfisa asks him, Where are you going? He replied, Im going to get my wallet. Check out the clip below: She flipped out and yelled, Get me my red bag with my makeup! Jorge asks for the key, and she proceeds to throw it on the ground outside of the car. Some honorable mentions for this list include Darcey Silva telling Jesse Meester to cut the steak on a bias and Azan telling Nicole hes only attracted her about 55%. RELATED: 90 Day Diaries Laura Jallali Update: Where Is She in 2022 After Divorce From Aladin? Ezra Millers recent behavior could see them removed from The Flash and other big titles. They previously went to some fairly dark places for movie roles, but theres one that certainly stands out from the pack. In a previous interview, Miller once stated that theyd happily lose my mind forever for We Need to Talk About Kevin. This is a particularly relevant topic in light of recent events. Ezra Miller played Kevin in We Need to Talk About Kevin Ezra Miller | Eddy LEMAISTRE/Corbis via Getty Images Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) is a travel writer who ultimately agrees to leave her career behind in order to pursue having a family with her husband, Franklin (John C. Reilly). She has difficulty settling with her decision to get pregnant, but things only get worse after she gives birth to a baby boy. We Need to Talk About Kevin sees her son, Kevin (Miller), grow from a fussy toddler to a dangerous and destructive teenager. Eva finds it impossible to bond with her son from a very young age. However, more people are at risk than those living in the family. As a result, she will have to confront the aftermath of her son. Ezra Miller once said that theyd happily lose my mind forever for their We Need to Talk About Kevin role Vanity Fair interviewed Miller about their role in We Need to Talk About Kevin. They talked about some of the dark and disturbing places that their character goes through over the course of the movie. The interviewer asked Miller if they were ever concerned about the negative nature of the role bleeding into their real-life off-camera. No, I always had enough faith that there was some goodness in myself that would await me on the other side of the abyss, Miller said. I held confidence that even if I couldnt do it, my friends and family could potentially pull me back. However, Miller didnt let potential thoughts that the lines between We Need to Talk About Kevin and their real-life could blur. Rather, they decided to embrace it and explained why it wouldnt bother them even if it did. While making the film, I decided to not worry about it and take that leap, Miller said. I was so passionate about this project that I would have happily lost my mind forever in service of the film. This wouldnt be the worst thing to lose your mind for. Ezra Miller could get replaced in The Flash Warner Bros is reportedly hitting pause on any future projects involving Ezra Millers Flash after the recent arrest (via @RollingStone) pic.twitter.com/2y994O3yfz Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) April 6, 2022 Miller played The Flash in Justice League, but Warner Bros. and DC originally intended to bring them back for the superheros solo movie. However, their recent controversies in the news could deeply impact their involvement in future franchises. According to Rolling Stone, the studios agreed to pause all projects with the actor attached after their recent arrest for disorderly conduct and harassment. Miller is no stranger to going to dark places for roles such as We Need to Talk About Kevin. However, the same source explained that their arrest was due to their behavior after patrons at a Hawaii bar started singing karaoke. They shouted obscenities, grabbed the microphone from the singing woman, and lunged at a man playing darts. RELATED: Joss Whedon Controversy Explained: Why Is He Insulting Justice League Stars Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher? John Wayne is a legendary Western actor who knows exactly what his audiences want. It turns out that he had an understanding of more than just the movies he starred in. Waynes name is tied to a casserole recipe that his fans absolutely love to enjoy, but not many understand how it got its name. Heres a look at the original John Wayne Casserole recipe and how it got its name. How did John Wayne Casserole get its name? John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images According to Cooks Info, the John Wayne Casserole was first printed in a 318-page softcover cookbook. The 1979 book called Cooking with Love From Cara and Her Friends brought readers a collection of recipes from various celebrities. Cara Connery assembled these recipes over the course of 2 years. Cooking with Love From Cara and Her Friends was part of a fundraising effort to aid the American Cancer Society. She started to put the book together in January 1978 along with her mother at only 10 years old. Connery wrote to 1,400 celebrities to inquire about their interest in contributing to the cookbook. Wayne directly contributed the John Wayne Casserole recipe, but its unknown where he originally got the recipe. As a result of his submission, the casserole got its name from his involvement. Heres how to make the John Wayne Casserole recipe Cooks Info wrote about the original John Wayne Casserole recipe from Connerys cookbook. Its a crustless, vegetarian, cheese, and egg recipe. The source lists the following ingredients: 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 4 eggs, separated cup evaporated milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon flour teaspoon salt Cayenne pepper to taste 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced thick See below for the step-by-step guide on how to make the John Wayne Casserole recipe: Butter a 2-quart, oven-proof casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the chilies with the cheeses and place into dish. Combine the egg yolks, evaporated milk, flour and salt and cayenne, and beat thoroughly. Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold into the yolk mixture. Pour over cheese mixture in dish and pierce with fork to allow liquid to absorb into cheese. Bake 40 minutes. Place tomato slices in a layer on top and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serves 8 to 10. Future generations added more to the recipe This John Wayne Casserole recipe is easy to make and results in a hearty, comforting casserole dish with loads of south-west flavour! Get the FULL recipe >> https://t.co/kyIjvDvSky pic.twitter.com/bAGMGlFbYP Elizabeth Lampman (@ElizabethL) February 23, 2022 The John Wayne Casserole recipe took on a life of its own. The University of Mississippi Medical Center Cafeteria version in Jackson, Mississippi evolved the recipe. Additionally, plenty of food influencers on YouTube took inspiration from the recipe and also added additional ingredients. Catherines Plates is an example of a YouTube channel taking inspiration from the John Wayne Casserole recipe. She adds ground beef and yellow onion as just a couple of the new ingredients. Its clear that Wayne inspired many folks around the world with more than just his influential Western movies. RELATED: Inside John Waynes Newport Beach Home He Sure as Hell Couldnt Afford Later Marvels Moon Knight cast Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant/Marc Spector, who has a debt to repay to the Egyptian god Khonshu. However, the Marvel Studios Disney+ show points the hero to the tomb of a very different god. The Moon Knight Ennead is based on nine Egyptian deities, but the series set its focus on two rivals in particular; Khonshu and Ammit. Marc Spector seems to have a plan to deal with Ammit and her avatar Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) as he follows the mysterious scarab toward the Ennead gods tomb in new episodes of Moon Knight. WARNING: SPOILERS FOR MOON KNIGHT EPISODE 2 Ethan Hawke and Oscar Isaac | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney Moon Knight characters in episode 2 discussed the scarab leading them to the Ammit Ushtabi Steven Grant finally met Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) in Moon Knight Episode 2, to Marc Spectors dismay. Steven started to tell Layla about Moon Knight, the scarab, and Khonshu, but Marc stopped him. However, she discovered the item Arthur Harrow was after. She scolded him for keeping it a secret, talking about how it led to the Ammit Ushtabi. However, fans might not be up on their Egyptian mythology or the Moon Knight Ennead legends. RELATED: Spider-Man: No Way Home Actor Andrew Garfield Was Once Rumored to Play Moon Knight Before Oscar Isaac An Ushtabi (also called shabti or shawabti with multiple spellings) is a funerary figurine. They were placed in tombs among the treasures and artifacts. According to legends, the ushtabi would act as servants in the afterlife. Real-life archeologists do not have to worry about the ushtabi coming to life, even as a servant. However, the Fist of Khonshu Moon Knight could expect the scarab to lead him to a likely dangerous situation. The Moon Knight scarab is pointing Marc Spector to the Ennead god Ammits tomb Arthur Harrow wants the scarab as part of a ritual to resurrect Ammit to judge the world. He would probably get along well with HYDRA since they tried a similar scheme in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Since Khonshu desires to prevent this, Moon Knight tries to keep the scarab away from him at all costs. New Marvel Moon Knight Scarab Beetle pin at Hot Topic: https://t.co/ZUcA6uQidw pic.twitter.com/muQFMvYTOx Disney Pins Blog (@DisneyPinsBlog) April 1, 2022 However, according to Laylas comments, Marc intended to follow it with her. He likely changed his plans after Arthur Harrow and his cult started hunting him. With the Ammit Ushtabi being a funeral practice, the scarab was almost certainly taking Layla and Moon Knight to the Ennead god Ammits tomb. What does Oscar Isaacs hero plan to do, though? What do Marc Spector and Khonshu plan to do at Ammits tomb? Unfortunately, the audience only knows about as much as the Steven Grant persona. The plans of Khonshu and Marc Spector have remained shrouded in mystery. While Layla remains an archeologist like her Marvel Comics inspiration Marlene Alarune, it does not seem like this would be an academic expedition for her either. Travel back in time as we explore the ways ancient Egypt inspired Marvel Studios' #MoonKnight, an original series now streaming only on @disneyplus pic.twitter.com/LQWFtL03bU National Geographic (@NatGeo) March 30, 2022 Since both Moon Knight villain Arthur Harrow and Marc Spector desire the scarab, it seems to hold the key to either resurrecting or sealing the Ennead god away forever. Until Moon Knight Episode 3 comes out to reveal new info, fans can only wait another week. They can watch new episodes of Moon Knight Wednesdays on Disney+. RELATED: Moon Knight: Crawley, the Gold Statue Man Is Way More Important Than You Think John Wayne was such a huge icon, he is mentioned in several songs. For example, Paula Cole mentioned him in her 1990s hit Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Cole said a popular radio host misinterpreted the sarcastic lyrics of the song. John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images Paula Cole said she isnt the woman pining for a John Wayne type in the song Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? is a song about a woman who settles down with a man. The relationship is traditional and seemingly loveless. She asks Where have all the cowboys gone? and wishes she could be with someone like Wayne. During a 1997 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she explained the meaning of the track. The story in the song isnt about me, Cole said. Its about a sort of every woman, and Im looking at her life compassionately, I hope and saying that, as much as we think were progressing, theres still work to be done. For me, [the lyrics are] sarcastic. RELATED: How a John Wayne Movie Inspired Buddy Hollys Thatll Be the Day Paula Cole discussed how Rush Limbaugh interpreted the John Wayne reference in the song During a 2016 interview with SongFacts, Cole said Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? was partly inspired by the band XTC. I was really in admiration of their wit and their humor and I thought, What do I need to write with some wit and humor and irony,' she said. So, its so many things woven together: wit, irony, humor, melancholy, and gender-role examination. Its pretty simplistic. Cole discussed how Rush Limbaugh reacted to Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Rush Limbaugh really loved this song and he would play it on his radio program because I guess there wasnt much in-depth listening and it was just a skimming of the surface of: Where is my John Wayne?/Where is my prairie son?/Where is my happy ending?/Where have all the cowboys gone?,' she said. That meaning, Im sitting at home and Im pining for my masculine man. Thats it. Rush Limbaugh | Kevin Mazur/WireImage RELATED: Why John Wayne Turned Down the Chance to Work With Clint Eastwood How Paula Coles Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? performed in the United States and the United Kingdom Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? became a hit in the United States. On the Billboard Hot 100, the track peaked at No. 8. It stayed on the chart for 21 weeks. This Fire, the songs parent album, became a hit as well. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? was similarly popular in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company reports the tune reached No. 15 in the U.K. and lasted 10 weeks on the chart. This Fire peaked at No. 60 on the album chart, staying on it for two weeks. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? was a hit even if some listeners didnt interpret it the way Cole did. RELATED: Paula Coles Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Originally Sampled The Beatles Sgt. Pepper In the final episode of Hulus The Dropout Episode 8, viewers watch Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) transform into Lizzy. She and her boyfriend-turned-executive Sunny Balwani (Naveen Andrews) manage the fallout of John Carreyrous (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) Wall Street Journal article. Theranos whistleblowers Erika Cheung (Camryn Mi-Young Kim) and Tyler Shultz (Dylan Minnette) go on the record to help expose the company in the final episode of the true crime drama. Plus, thanks to Cheung, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) filed an official report shutting down one of Theranos labs. [Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The Dropout Episode 8 Lizzy.] The Dropout Episode 8: Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani run damage control The Dropout: Michaela Watkins as Linda Tanner, Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes and Naveen Andrews as Sunny Balwani | Beth Dubber/Hulu As usual, The Dropout Episode 8 opens with another clip from Elizabeth Holmes 2017 deposition. Holmes insists she does not remember her texts with Balwani about Walgreens concerns following the Wall Street Journal John Carreyrou article. Then the Hulu drama switched to October 2015. Holmes speaks to each of her board members and reassures them that the WSJ article was full of lies. She also talks about the hashtag shes promoting, #ironsisters. Balwani supports her but secretly speaks with a lawyer to check his exposure. Although Holmes Theranos lawyer, Linda Tanner (Michaela Watkins), played a role in many previous episodes, she comes to the forefront in The Dropout Episode 8. Holmes thanks Linda for her help and calls the woman her only friend. Linda suggests that Holmes not speak to the CMS representative, Gary, so Balwani takes the lead in the labs investigation. Meanwhile, Holmes mentions that Jared Leto will present her with an award. According to Fashion Week Daily, in real life, the actor presented Holmes with The Entrepreneur award at the 2015 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Carnegie Hall on November 9, 2015, in New York City. Erika Cheung and Tyler Shultz go on the record in The Dropout Episode 8 Also, in The Dropout Episode 8, Erika Cheung contacts the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). She gives her name to the federal regulatory agency so that they can hopefully shut Theranos down. Tyler Shultz informs his grandfather that hes about to go on the record with John Carreyrou at the Wall Street Journal. He asks George Shultz to be the first board member to speak out against Theranos, but instead, his grandfather kicks him out of his home. RELATED: The Dropout: The Real Tyler Shultz Begged his Grandfather, George Shultz, to Expose Elizabeth Holmes George goes to Carreyrou to release a statement clearing Tylers name by the end of the episode. He finally admits that Tyler was right but never apologized to his grandson. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shuts down the Theranos labs In February 2016, the CMS report shut down the labs for two years. The Wall Street Journal released the full 33-page report to the public. CMS orders all lab operations to cease with immediate effect, the report read. In The Dropout Episode 8, while Carreyrou rejoices, Holmes and Balwani fall apart. Carreyrou notifies Cheung that she saved peoples lives by writing the letter to CMS. Meanwhile, Balwani admits hes consulted a lawyer to protect his interests. Holmes suggests her boyfriend take the blame. Meanwhile, Holmes emphasizes that she was barely 18 when they met. Balwani counters with the fact that their home is in his name. However, Holmes has a board meeting without Balwani, informing the members that hes stepping down. She insists in the 2017 deposition that the decision for Balwani to step down was mutual; however, behind the scenes, he screams at Holmes while she moves out. Elizabeth Holmes interview refuting the CMS report Later in The Dropout Episode 8, Linda and Theranos lawyer David Boies (Kurtwood Smith) encourages Holmes to apologize and acknowledge that shes ashamed of the mismanagement of the lab in a public televised interview. However, Holmes doesnt apologize. She uses the word devastating several times but insists Theranos did not put anyones life in danger. George Shultz watches the interview in shock. The real-life interview with NBC special anchor Maria Shriver is below. The Dropout writers and producers use many exact quotes from Holmes interview. RELATED: The Dropout: The Real Elizabeth Holmes Is Currently Out on Bail Holmes parents, Chris (Michel Gill) and Noel Holmes (Elizabeth Marvel), encourage her that the interview is a good start. However, her mothers furious. Elizabeth sends the message back to her mother that Noel is the one who told her to bury her feelings about her rape while at Stanford. The biotech founder compares her lies within the company to her mothers suggestion to forget the sexual assault in college. The Dropout Episode 8: Elizabeth Holmes has a new boyfriend, Billy Evans In the last 15 minutes of The Dropout Episode 8, viewers meet Billy Evans (portrayed by Garrett Coffey), who calls her Lizzy. Billy is in his twenties and younger than Holmes. She also suddenly has a dog. Im just taking a moment to have fun, Holmes tells Linda. Then, Linda says what many people in the world wondered about Holmes when the news continued to break about Theranos. She has a new boyfriend, a dog, and seems to be doing fine, but the company crumbled, and people lost their jobs. Linda says that she cant find a job, but Holmes doesnt care. In the last few moments, Elizabeth screams as she waits on the side of the road for an Uber with her dog. Then the producers give viewers an update on Holmes and Theranos. On August 29, 2018, Elizabeth Holmes and her boyfriend, Billy Evans, attended Burning Man together, the epilogue in The Dropout Episode 8 reads. What remained of Theranos began the formal dissolution process on September 7, 2018. In the end, 700 million dollars of investors money was lost, and 800 people lost their jobs. Between 2013 and 2016, Theranos sent over 7.8 million test results to Arizona patients. Inaccurate results included a false HIV positive, a false cancer diagnosis, and a false indication of miscarriage. The series adds the lasting effects the Theranos scandal had on women in Silicon Valley. Female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley still struggle to find investors in the wake of the Theranos scandal. One female founder was told to dye her hair, so she looked less like Elizabeth Holmes. RELATED: The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes Looks Like Shes Still Rich Today You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Front row (L-R): District 13 Councilor Joe Deere, Treasurer Janees Taylor, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Secretary of State Tina Glory Jordan, Chief of Staff Corey Bunch, Speaker of the Council of the Cherokee Nation Mike Shambaugh. Second row: Tax Commissioner Fan Robinson, Tax Commission Chairman Steve Wilson, Tax Commission Administrator Sharon Swepston, Tax Commissioner Michael Doublehead, Education Services Executive Director Mark Vance, Education Services Deputy Executive Director Aaron Emberton. Third row: District 10 Councilor Melvina Shotpouch, District 8 Councilor Shawn Crittenden, District 5 Councilor E.O. Smith, District 2 Councilor Candessa Tehee, District 15 Councilor Danny Callison. Back row: District 6 Councilor Daryl Legg, District 1 Councilor Rex Jordan, Deputy Speaker of the Council of the Cherokee Nation Victoria Vazquez, District 14 Councilor Keith Austin, District 12 Councilor Dora Patzkowski, District 7 Councilor Joshua Sam, At-Large Councilor Johnny Kidwell. With the start of the Russian military action in Ukraine on the 24th of last February, the Turkish occupation state tried again to benefit from it; to carry out its plans. The Turkish occupation state builds its expansionist policy permanently on the existing conflicts in the world, in an effort to revive its Ottoman era full of massacres, and to establish itself as a leader of the Salafi Brotherhood project in the region, by supporting all terrorist organizations, starting with the Muslim Brotherhood and ending with ISIS mercenaries. In this context, SDF spokesman Aram Hanna said in an interview with our agency: "The Turkish occupation state seeks to take a green light to launch new attacks on north and east Syria to achieve its terrorist interests and ambitions, and sees the world's preoccupation with the Ukrainian-Russian war as an opportunity to carry out this attack. He added, "Also, the Turkish occupation builds its relations on the basis of interest and ambitions in expansion, and we have seen its tendency to the Russian and American sides in order to expand and occupy more areas in northern Syria." In recent days, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries targeted places of worship and inhabited villages, in an attempt to force the people to migrate, as a number of citizens were injured and the people's property was severely damaged. Hanna says, "The features of the political goals of the Turkish occupation state within our areas become clear to us through its attack on all the peoples of northern and eastern Syria with all its components. The occupying state often used the pretext of attacking a specific group or entity in northern and eastern Syria, but through its recent attacks, it was found that they are trying to destabilize the region and make hotbed for terrorist organizations. Hanna continued, "Since the beginning of this April, the Turkish occupation has escalated its attacks in an effort to commit more crimes, and we saw how the poet it targeted Farhad Mardi while he was on his way to celebrate the (Akito) party in Tirbespiye and a member of the General Command of the Syriac Military Council, accompanied by the translator in Tal Tamr." The recent Turkish occupation bombing targeted the Tel Tamer power station, which is only hundreds of meters away from the Russian base, but as usual and in a sign that it agrees with the occupation in its attacks, it remains silent, to the sources of fire. The Turkish occupation is hiding behind the Russian silence, which is the main guarantor in the Tel Tamer area, with the aim of forcing the Autonomous Administration to concede to the Damascus government and accept its conditions to destabilize the region by inciting public opinion against the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration. Regarding their contact with the Russian forces and the international coalition, spokesman Aram Hanna said, "We are in direct contact with the international coalition forces and the Russian forces present in the area. We directly exchange detailed field reports with them and their negative consequences for the citizens and the populated villages." "We value their role in the region within the framework of stopping violations, but it does not translate into effective and serious steps to stop the violations of the occupation," he added. Hanna held the guarantor parties responsible for what is happening, saying, "We hold the international bodies in north and east Syria responsible for the Turkish violations and we demand the international community to clarify its position on these events within our regions and to highlight a serious position to stop them." SDF spokesman Aram Hanna ended his speech by saying: "The SDF took the initiative to take all necessary measures to ensure the security and safety of the region and stand in the face of such ambitions," stressing that they are defensive forces that respond to the sources of fire in the appropriate manner and time. A ANHA Since its publication in 1919, the Chinese Union Version (CUV) of the Bible has become the most dominant and popular translation in Chinese. Despite numerous changes to the Chinese language and a significant increase of new translations, its dominance is unabated and unshaken. It could well be the most influential Chinese text among the Chinese readers for the past one hundred years and also in the future, Taiwan-based scholar Chin Ken-pa wrote in the anthology Ever Since God Spoke Chinese. Undoubtedly, even if we cannot claim it has become a canon in the Chinese world, it is certainly an authority. The translation team of CUV included 16 Western missionaries and a few Chinese Christian experts, including Americans Calvin Wilson Mateer and Chauncey Goodrich; Englishmen George Sidney Owen and Frederick William Baller, and Chinese scholars Cheng Jingyi, Liu Dacheng, and Wang Zhixin. The translation of the Mandarin New Testament started in 1872, and the whole Bible was published in 1919. The guiding principles of translation included that it must be in the national language (not local vernacular), simple enough to be understood by people from all walks of life, and faithful to the original text without losing the rhythm of the Chinese language. The translation of the Scriptures is essential to Christian tradition, as the missiologists Lamin Sanneh and Andrew Walls argue. Bible translation into Chinese has been crucial to the development of Christianity in China. Since the beginning of Protestant missions in China, Bible translation has been a major part of mission work. For most Chinese Protestants, the CUV unquestionably remains an authority with the status of Gods Word. While there are multiple Chinese versions of the Scriptures, occasionally Chinese Christians declare on the internet that only the CUV is the true Bible, and all other versions are erroneous and even heretical (although it is now very rare to hear Chinese pastors and church leaders teaching the inerrancy of CUV). Indeed, how fast the CUV rose to dominance and how enduring its dominance has turned out to be are truly mind-boggling phenomena. How can we explain this? As a historian of Chinese Christianity, I would like to highlight the following factors: 1. The CUV played a pivotal role in providing and shaping the theological vocabulary of the Chinese Protestant Church. In their long and painstaking process of translating the Scriptures into Chinese in the early 19th century, Western and Chinese translators accumulated a rich repository of theological notions and terms in Chinese languages. The CUV inherited and integrated them into its language. The CUV came out as Western missionaries dominance came to an end and the Chinese church came of age. Chinese Christians began to share leadership responsibilities and initiate indigenous evangelical revivals that swept across the country. This was the formative time for indigenous Protestant theological understanding and tradition. The timely arrival of the CUV provided the Chinese Protestant community with a ready-made set of theological notions and vocabulary that Chinese believers immediately received and embraced. It did not take long for the CUVs translation of such key biblical terms as faith, sin, salvation, and grace to become the standard language of faith used by church leaders, theologians, and evangelists as well as the average churchgoer on a daily basis. The CUVs translation of key biblical terms has been deeply ingrained in the theological DNA of the Chinese Protestant community around the world. It is fair to say that this is the only theological language system known and used unquestionably by this community up to today. In contrast, one can hardly identify any single, vernacular translation of the Bible which has had such a commanding and lasting impact on church life in the West. Article continues below 2. The CUV helped shape a universally, unifying identity for Chinese Protestant communities around the globe. Before the CUV, previous Chinese translations of the Scriptures had been done in either classical Chineseonly understandable to the educated elites in Chinese societyor in particular dialects for certain parts of the country. Therefore, the CUVs aim to produce a translation understandable to all people from all parts of the country and all social classes turned out to be hugely strategic. It has served to unite all Chinese Protestant believers under one single Chinese version of the Scriptures. Today, when you worship with any Chinese congregation in mainland China or the Chinese diaspora, you can easily feel the presence of a common, universal, Chinese Protestant tradition cemented by a shared set of spiritual vocabulary, classical hymns, and common version of the Bible, despite very different contexts. The CUV plays a big part in the forging and maintaining of this common identity among Chinese Protestant believers worldwide. 3. The CUV accompanied the Chinese church through its trials and suffering. The past 100 years have been a turbulent time for the Protestant church in China. It endured numerous wars, revolutions, constant pressure from an atheist regime, and finally all-out persecution during the Cultural Revolution (19661976). Many Chinese believers would attest to finding comfort and strength in the CUV. They greatly loved to read and even memorize texts from handwritten copies of the CUV during the darkest years of the Cultural Revolution. The CUV is part of the Chinese churchs collective memory and heritage attesting to its perseverance and cross-bearing under tremendous suffering. There is a strong emotional bond between the CUV and the Chinese Protestant community that will not easily fade away. 4. The CUVs exquisite rendering of the biblical texts gives it a special quality and lingering charm. Linguistically speaking, the CUV does have its own advantage in the contemporary context. It is largely based on the vernacular of northern China but integrates some elements of classical Chinese. This combination reflects the genius of the original translating team. It makes the CUV understandable to ordinary folks but also appealing to the educated segments of society. Having classical Chinese elements sometimes does make certain wordings read awkwardly or seem old-fashioned today. However, in reality, the CUVs combination of the vernacular and classical may play to its advantage. Many Chinese believers, especially the more educated ones, would say they prefer the CUV over other more colloquial translations of the Scriptures precisely because a special charm comes with its unique style. 5. The CUV contributed to the emergence of the modern Chinese national language and the New Culture Movement and still commands significant respect within the greater Chinese society. The longevity of the CUVs popularity also has to do with its influence beyond the church. Since the late 19th century, Chinas modernization project has gradually led to the transformation of a traditional dynasty into a modern nation-state. As part of this nation-building process, attempts were made to replace the single written language (classical Chinese) and diverse dialects with one single, unified, written and spoken language for the entire nation. The breakthrough came in the form of the May Fourth New Culture Movement of the early 20th century, right around the time the CUV was published. The Bible emerged as one of the very few texts that met the goal of a vernacular, Mandarin-based, unified national language and immediately won popular endorsement. Article continues below As both Christian and non-Christian scholars agree, the CUV is a masterpiece of the modern Chinese language. It has served as an example for the May Fourth New Culture Movement and also benefited from the movements successful, rapid popularization of the new vernacular based upon the Chinese national language. The CUVs contribution in this regard is still widely recognized today by Chinese academia. Scholar George Kam Wah Mak even claims in Ever Since God Spoke Chinese that as John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus, these vernacular Mandarin translators of the Bible are the pioneers in making vernacular Mandarin a national language. Not surprisingly, the CUVs role in Chinas nation-building is compared to the roles of Bible translation in nation-building in modern Europe (as scholar Liu Lixia explains in the same book). Additionally, the CUV is the most cited Bible translation when the biblical terms and texts are quoted by secular academia today. In other words, the CUV enjoys de facto status of being the scholarly norm in China. In conclusion, the reasons behind the enduring popularity of the CUV among Chinese Protestants and in society run deep historically and presently. For most Chinese believers, the CUV is much more than just another Chinese translation of the Scriptures; it is very close to their hearts. That is why, with all the criticism of the CUVs antiquity and inaccuracy, there is virtually no sign that its dominance will change in the foreseeable future. We can ask whether it is theologically correct to equate the CUV with the Word of God, and whether some Chinese believers have a tendency to turn the CUV into an idol. However, the reality is if any viable revision of the CUV has a chance to win popular acceptance, it has to keep the CUVs original texts intact as much as possible and make as few changes as possible. The CUV is a precious gift to the Chinese church from God and has been used by him to nurture generations of believers. How much longer is God going to use the CUV for his glory in China? God alone knows. Kevin Xiyi Yao is associate professor of world Christianity and Asian studies at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Originally published by ChinaSource. [ This article is also available in and . ] This piece was adapted from Russell Moores newsletter. Subscribe here. The Western world said Never again after the gas chambers of the Third Reichand yet here we are. Russian troops deployed by war criminal Vladimir Putin are committing atrocities across Ukraine, murdering innocent civilians in cold blood as they move from invasion to occupation to attempted genocide. One of the reasons its difficult to see the images of these slaughtered innocents is because most people wonder, What can we do to stop it? While the Ukrainians have shown grit and valor beyond what anyone could have predicted, by all accounts there is still a long slog ahead. The war crimes will continue. Perhaps, somehow, this invasion will be stopped quickly and the Russian war criminals will be brought to justice in a Nuremberg-style trial, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for. But if not, these murders and crimes may not be called to an account for a long timemaybe even a lifetime. In fact, thats what the war criminals are counting on. The world should watch what these criminals are doingto call it what it is and hold them to account whenever the time comes. But Christians in particular should watch and recognize something we often want to ignore: how the human heart can justify great evil. Human beings are capable of horrific depravity. This we know. Humans, however, are not like wild animals or constructed machines. We have consciences that alert us to what sort of people we are becoming. To carry out criminality of this degree, a Russian soldier must somehow learn to silence that conscienceor at least muffle it. While few, if any, of those reading this are guilty of war crimes, every one of us has grappled with our conscienceand in many cases, we have followed the same path, even when the sins are not as heinous and the stakes not as high. So how does this happen? One of the first steps is to emphasize power over morality. An easy way to do this is to characterize the situation as an emergency, requiring a dispensing of the ordinary norms of behavior. Every criminal regime has done thisusually by identifying scapegoats, blaming them for the peoples ills, and framing the situation as an existential threat. Acting within the bounds of conscience is painted as a luxury, for times that are not as dire as these. This can happen even with situations that appear morally unproblematic. We may rationalize that the mission is too important for us to hold the leader accountable for his or her treatment of people. In church, such reasoning might say, How could we waste time on these niceties when people are going to hell without the gospel? In politics, it might take the form of These theories about character in office or constitutional norms are nice and all. But get in the real world; were about to lose our country. In wartime, it can be framed as We can hear about your ethical qualms with torture later; if we dont act now, terrorists will destroy us. And so on. Those carrying out injustices of any kind must lie to evade accountability. But the most dangerous form of lying is not the propaganda people give to others but the lies they tell themselvesto quiet their consciences. Again, this can happen in matters that fall far short of war crimes. People can wall off certain categories of sin and refuse to view them as suchplacing the blame for the sin not on themselves but on those who would label it sin. For instance, one can define sin merely in social terms: As long as I dont seem to be hurting anyone else in any kind of public way, then why is it anyones business what I do in my private life? Or one can do the opposite and define sin as merely personal, acting as though questions of social injustice are of no moral consequence. Article continues below This is how some American preachers at the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Berlin just prior to World War II were able to excuse Nazi Germanys authoritarianism and demonization of Jews. Those were just social issues, they reasoned. On the moral questions these preachers really cared aboutthe personal onessome of them said the Reich could teach decadent America a thing or two: Adolf Hitler didnt drink or smoke. Women were dressed modestly, not like back home. To read the accounts in light of what was to come is chilling. And yet we hear of the same sort of machinations all the timeat times even within our own hearts. Sometimes an evil is too great to ignore altogether. The conscience must reckon with it, but it does so by projecting that evil onto some other person or group. Rather than grappling with the indictment of ones own sense of right and wrong, one can short-circuit the blame by locating it elsewhere. This is how, for instance, Russian war criminalswhile carrying out the very same tactics as Nazi storm trooperscan claim that they are fighting to de-Nazify Ukraine. Again, this doesnt have to happen on the huge moral scale of geopolitical atrocity. You can see this in your own work breakroom or church foyer. For example, you would be surprised at how many of the most strident culture warriorsidentifying compromise in fellow Christians in the fight against sexual anarchyare addicted to porn. Our consciences work by pointing our psyches to ultimate accountability. The apostle Paul wrote that the conscience bears witness to the day when God judges peoples secrets through Christ Jesus (Rom. 2:16). One cannot bear the weight of that. Either we convince ourselves that such a reckoning will never come, or we find some authoritymaybe even a spiritual oneto reassure us that we will never be found out. The Butcher of Bucha, a Russian commanding officer of a unit that massacred civilians in Ukraine was reportedly blessed by a Russian Orthodox priestjust before the grisly mission in which his troops left the bodies of innocent civilians lying in mass graves or in the streets. The butcher allegedly spoke of his mission as a kind of spiritual warfare in which he was fighting on the side of God. And, of course, this is just one example of how the Russian Orthodox Church is not just complicit but celebratory of the crimes of Putins regime. Again, this is also not unusual. Every evil king in the Bible searched out prophets who would tell him that his actions were sanctioned by God. And even in the smallest of transgressions, the first thing we often want to do when carrying out evil is to find some moral authority that will tell us what we are doing is right. Perhaps the most dangerous step of all, however, is when the conscience gives up altogether and begins to say that this is just the way the world is. It shifts to saying depravity is realistic, while morality is not. We can see this in the smirk behind Putins words and in the throat-clearing whataboutism of his Western defenders. This is all rooted in the idea that accountability will never arrive. And yet it will. We were born into this century, this moment in history, and we have a responsibility to do everything that we can to stand against the murder and genocide of innocent people. We have a responsibility to call evil what it is. We also have a responsibility to take warningto recognize the ways in which we excuse or reassure ourselves in the same way, while not to the same degree, as the most vicious war criminal. Because for us, as for them, Judgment Day is coming. Russell Moore leads the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today. [ This article is also available in espanol. ] When I was in seminary, my husband and I met with a trusted pastor. We told him how we were savoring our courses in systematics and biblical studies. The conversation then turned toward our personal lives. My husband mentioned that he was struggling to spend time in prayer and that he and I were fighting like cats and dogs. Our pastor matter-of-factly replied, You know, you cant have orthodoxy without orthopraxy. We were familiar with this idea, but nonetheless it struck both my husband and me like lightning. We had entered seminary to steep in Scripture and good doctrine, but we needed to be reminded that orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right action) are so essentially entwined that if we neglect one, we lose the other. Christians champion this unity of belief and action. But they often neglect another key part of faithfulness: orthopathy. The word denotes right passions or feelings. It names the reality that we as Christians not only profess the truth of Jesus and practice the things he says to practice, but we also endeavor to do all this in the posture of Christ. Orthopathy involves a redeemed and transformed interior life. This includes our feelings and emotions. But more foundationally, it involves our motivational structure, our longings, and our desiresthat which most deeply drives us. The broader goal of orthopathy is that our total disposition would be changed to be more like that of Jesus. This idea isnt new. Isaac the Syrian said that virtue is not simply doing the right thing but doing it with a heart that is wise in what it hopes for, and whose actions are accompanied by right intention. Augustine told his flock that any study of ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. GLAAD CEO calls for more LGBT stories in children's programming A leading LGBT watchdog group is urging Hollywood to incorporate more LGBT content into childrens programming as it pushes back against a new Florida law that prohibits public school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for kids 9 years and younger. According to Variety, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) CEO Sara Kate Ellis expressed her desire to see more LGBT representation in childrens media during Saturdays GLAAD Media Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Dont wait until youre in the hot seat, Ellis said. Theres no more time to sit on the sidelines. We need Hollywood on the front lines, fighting for our rights and telling our stories. The activist stated the organization will soon convene the biggest brands, agencies, studios and streamers together with two goals: one, to commit to improving the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ images, especially in kids and family programming. And, two, to speak out against anti-LGBTQ legislation in favor of rights like the Equality Act. Ellis' organization, in 2019, called for 20% of all television characters to be LGBT by the year 2025. Meg Kilgannon, the senior fellow for education studies at the social conservative lobbying organization Family Research Council, told The Christian Post that GLAAD making such an announcement at its annual awards event in Los Angeles should be taken very seriously. This is essentially the same thing for them as an announcement from the pulpit is to us as Christians, Kilgannon said. Theyre telling you this is their faith, and they will make sure their children are catechized in it. And not only their own children, but theyre going to try to catechize our children in it. GLAADs recent push for LGBT representation in childrens programming comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education law. The law prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for children in kindergarten through third grade and requires schools to inform parents about changes in services that could impact their childs well-being. In her public remarks Saturday, Ellis criticized the Florida bill, appearing to use its passage as a reason to focus on sharing an LGBT message through kids content. In just one day, on March 8, the Florida Senate passed the Dont Say Gay bill, which was signed into law this past week, she said. The South Dakota Senate passed a bill that bans discussion of divisive concepts like race and sex in college courses. The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill that would send librarians to jail if they let minors check out books that include LGBTQ topics. And the New Jersey Supreme Court denied an appeal that would bar a religious organization from offering so-called conversion therapy. This all happened not in one month, not in one week, but all in one day, Ellis continued. I expect every industry executive in this room to join us. GLAAD will give you the playbook. But we wont give you a pass. In a statement Wednesday, mental health professional Robin Atkins told CP that exposing children to adult sexual preferences could negatively impact their well-being. Children do not have the necessary cognitive skills nor the life experience to incorporate adult sexual content into their lives, Atkins wrote. Children exposed to sexual content are inherently sexualized. Their innocence and natural gradual assimilation of knowledge are destroyed. The GLAAD CEOs remarks come not long after leaked footage from a Disney company meeting showed employees expressing similar intentions for childrens programming. The footage shows Disney Executive Producer Latoya Raveneau referring to her not-at-all secret gay agenda. During the meeting, Corporate President Karey Burke also called for upcoming projects to feature more LGBTQIA lead characters. We have many, many, many LGBTQIA characters in our stories, and yet we dont have enough leads, a narrative in which gay characters just just get to be characters and not have to be about gay stories, she said. In 2020, the creator of the Disney Channel cartoon The Owl House admitted the lead character shared her bisexual orientation. The character is reportedly the first time the network has featured a bisexual character as the lead. Similarly, in 2021, Nickelodeon, another childrens television network, announced it would feature a trans-identified teen in an episode of Danger Force as part of a Trans Youth Acting Challenge. In that same year, the network also showcased an animated Pride parade using characters from the kids show Blues Clues. In a 2021 reboot of the Rugrats childrens series, Nickelodeon rewrote one of its heterosexual characters, turning her into a lesbian single mom. FRCs Kilgannon urged parents to turn to great alternative programming for kids. They dont have these big budgets and the backing of big media, she said. But there is great programming out there for children from Christian sources. ... So, the more they push this, the more youll see a response for an alternative. And the best thing parents can do, of course, is just unplug it all and spend time with your children. In a 2019-2020 GLAAD report, Where We Are on TV, the media watchdog group claimed the role television plays in changing hearts and minds has never been more important. A 2017 GLAAD/Harris survey of 2,037 adults that reportedly found that one-fifth of Americans ages 18-34 and 12% of all adults identify as LGBT or other non-heterosexual, non-biological gender categories. A June 2019 Gallup survey found many Americans tend to overestimate the percentage of how many of their fellow citizens identify as gay or lesbian by a significant margin. Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson as first black female Supreme Court justice The United States Senate has voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, the first African American woman to get a seat on the highest court in the nation. Senators voted 53-47 on Thursday to confirm Jackson, who at present sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She is expected to join the court later this year. Jackson will eventually replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who she once clerked for, when he retires at the end of the current session, which will end sometime this summer. The vote was largely along party lines, though Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine joined 50 Democrat senators to support the nomination. In a statement released in response to the vote, the Democratic National Committee said that history has been made with Jackson's confirmation. The court would greatly benefit from the insight of a black woman, a public defender, a judge who has served at the district and appellate levels and clerked at the Supreme Court. It is staggering that Judge Jackson embodies all those perspectives and more, the DNC said. Judge Jackson has shown girls especially girls of color how big they can dream and just how profound an impact they can have on our nation. Her story is uniquely American. She represents the best of us and our shared values. In a statement emailed to supporters, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel denounced Jackson as an activist who would advance a radical agenda. Bidens pick Ketanji Brown Jackson is a radical, activist judge, one who failed to answer simple questions on her record, including leniency for child porn offenders and support of CRT, stated McDaniel. Jackson has proved to be in lockstep with the far lefts political agenda, even refusing to define what a woman is. The RNC will hold Democrats accountable this November for supporting Bidens radical pick. In February, President Joe Biden announced his nomination of Jackson to fill the soon to be vacated seat of Breyer, honoring a 2020 campaign promise he made to nominate a woman of color to the Supreme Court if given the opportunity. Judge Jackson has broad experience across the legal profession as a federal appellate judge, a federal district court judge, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an attorney in private practice, and as a federal public defender, the White House noted in a statement at the time. Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate with votes from Republicans as well as Democrats three times [Jackson is] an exceptionally qualified nominee as well as a historic nominee, and the Senate should move forward with a fair and timely hearing and confirmation. During lengthy hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republicans grilled Jackson on her record of apparent leniency toward sentencing sex offenders and whether her decisions would be guided by Critical Race Theory. At one point, Jackson garnered much mockery when Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee asked her to define a woman, and Jackson responded by saying that she could not in this context, adding Im not a biologist. The Judiciary Committee, comprised of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans, deadlocked on advancing Jacksons nomination to the full Senate, failing to give her a favorable recommendation. Nevertheless, her nomination went to the full Senate, with all Democrats and three Republicans announcing in advance their intentions to vote in favor of confirmation. Texas Gov. Abbott plans to bus migrants to US Capitol in push back against Biden's border policies Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to send immigrants who illegally cross the border to Washington, D.C., ahead of an expected surge in unlawful border crossings. The Republican governor held a press conference in Weslaco, Texas, on Wednesday to illustrate how Texas is securing the border in the wake of [President Joe] Bidens decision to end Title 42 expulsions. To help local officials whose communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send illegal immigrants who have been dropped off by the Biden administration to Washington, D.C.," said Abbott. We are sending them to the United States Capitol, where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border, he added. Abbott designated Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management as the person in charge of this operation. Kidd, who appeared alongside Abbott at the press conference, reported that his team "has already begun communication with our local officials to identify pickup location points, resources have been ordered and well be ready to implement our part of this plan tomorrow morning. Abbott noted that border cities overwhelmed by the large numbers of illegal immigrants in their communities have been transporting them to San Antonio. Ive got a better idea," Abbott recalled telling leaders of the Texas border communities. "As opposed to busing these people to San Antonio, lets continue the ride all the way to Washington, D.C. Kidd said that in past disasters, we have pulled up to 900 buses for operations to do evacuations, adding, We will use as many buses as we need to follow the governors direction to get this done. In response to a question from a reporter, Abbott explained that the migrants will be dropped off at the steps of the United States Capitol. Abbotts press conference comes after the Biden administration announced its intention to revoke Title 42, which allowed immigration officials to turn away border crossers due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control announced last week that it would terminate Title 42 on May 23 in light of current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19. In a phone call to reporters, an official with the Department of Homeland Security predicted that without Title 42 in place, as many as 18,000 illegal immigrants could cross the border on a daily basis. In a statement released last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas defended the CDCs move and maintained that the federal government was prepared for the influx of migrants associated with the abandonment of Title 42: We have put in place a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to manage any potential increase in the number of migrants encountered at our border. Mayorkas insisted that we are increasing our capacity to process new arrivals, evaluate asylum requests, and quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection, vowing to increase personnel and resources as needed and have already redeployed more than 600 law enforcement officers to the border. He also stated that we are referring smugglers and certain border crossers for criminal prosecution. Over the next two months, we are putting in place additional, appropriate COVID-19 protocols, including ramping up our vaccination program," said Mayorkas. "The root causes fueling irregular migration predate todays announcement, and we have experienced increases in migration over the past decade and long before. DHS is always preparing for the ebb and flow of migration patterns. Even with Title 42 in place, the U.S.-Mexico border saw a surge in border crossings since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. Statistics compiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveal that the number of land encounters at the southwest border increased dramatically from 458,088 in fiscal year 2020 to 1,734,686 in fiscal year 2021, which began in October 2020. With five months of statistics compiled for fiscal year 2022, 838,685 migrants have crossed the border so far. In February 2021, the Biden administrations first full month in office, 101,099 migrants crossed the southwest border. The number of crossings consistently rose before reaching a record high of 213,593 in August 2021. Since then, the number of monthly illegal border crossings has remained above 150,000. Critics of the Biden administration have attributed the rise in border crossings to its discontinuation of the Migrant Protection Protocols, which required those seeking asylum to remain in Mexico while their asylum claims were adjudicated. Pushback against the Biden administrations move to revoke Title 42 extends far beyond Abbott, with the Republican attorneys general of Arizona, Louisiana and Missouri filing a lawsuit in federal court asking a judge to vacate the termination order. If the predictions of 18,000 illegal border crossings per day come to fruition, that would amount to roughly 540,000 per month and more than six million per year. Those figures would more than double the record number of border crossings measured in August 2021 and the nearly two million border crossings in fiscal year 2021. Abbott is not the first governor to suggest sending illegal immigrants to Democratic strongholds or the homes of Democratic politicians. Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis previously expressed interest in sending illegal immigrants in his state to Delaware, Bidens home state. This week in Christian history: MLK assassinated; crusading king captured Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance. Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births, notable deaths and everything in between. Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while other happenings might be previously unknown by most people. The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week April 3 through April 9 in Christian history. 1 2 3 4 Next Conservative UMC faction announces creation of 'Global Methodist Church' once schism is finalized A group of theologically conservative United Methodists has announced the creation of a new denomination once the United Methodist Church officially separates due to its long-standing debate over homosexuality. The Wesleyan Covenant Association and the 17-member Transitional Leadership Council released a statement on Monday morning announcing the creation of the Global Methodist Church. According to the statement, the theologically conservative denomination will not be officially launched until the UMC General Conference, scheduled for 2022, passes a separation measure known as the Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation. The Protocol, which will be up for debate at the General Conference, involves allowing conservative churches to leave the UMC to form their own denomination. Transitional Leadership Council Chairman Rev. Keith Boyette said in a statement that the GMC would make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly. Over the past year, the council members, and hundreds of people who have informed their work, have faithfully and thoughtfully arrived at this point, stated Boyette. They are happy to share with others a wealth of information about a church they believe will be steeped in the life giving confessions of the Christian faith. As part of this preliminary launch, the GMC created a website explaining that the new denomination will allow for female ordination and is committed to racial equality. Alternatively, if it becomes apparent that the leading bishops, centrists, and progressives who covenanted to support the Protocol no longer do so, then the council will consider bringing the new church into existence without delay, explained a frequently-asked-questions section of the site. For approximately one year, the Global Methodist Church will be a church in transition as it prepares for its convening General Conference. Last December, a group of theologically progressive United Methodists announced a plan to create its own denomination as part of the likely separation plan for the UMC. Known as the Liberation Methodist Connexion, its website describes the new church as a grassroots denomination of former, current, and non-Methodist faith leaders working on the unfolding of the kin-dom of God. The LMX went on to say that they welcome all gender expressions and sexual identity, religious or non-religious backgrounds, races and ethnicities, size, and monogamous and non-monogamous. We trust Gods presence and our collaborative labors will guide us toward a new, more liberative way of answering our calling and being in connexion together, stated the LMX, which went on to state that their theology is not written in stone. The UMC General Conference, where the potential separation plan will be debated and possibly approved, is scheduled for Aug. 29 through Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally, the General Conference was supposed to be held last year but was postponed to 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic concerns. The General Conference was again postponed this year. Iraq is witnessing a crisis in forming new Iraqi government after the parliamentary elections that took place on October 10, 2021, where "Sairoon" alliance led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr came first in the elections, but this victory did not enable al-Sadr, who announced an alliance with Massoud Barzani and Muhammad al-Halbousi from forming the government, and announcing the president of the republic and head of the government for the country. And KDP in a move to tighten its grip on Iraq, Kurdistan Democratic Party violated the agreement between it and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, regarding the sovereign and leadership positions in Iraq and southern Kurdistan, as it announced its candidacy from within KDP for the position of the Presidency of Republic, despite the fact that the position is designated for the Patriotic Union according to the previous agreements. Sheikh Raouf, from southern Kurdistan, believes that the main reason for the Iraqi government formation crisis is the intransigence of some power and their marginalization of other political forces, and the preference for their partisan interests over the supreme interest of Iraqi people. Regarding KDP's efforts to provoke the crisis of presidential candidate, and to neutralize and reduce the role of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Burhan Raouf explained that KDP is always trying to monopolize all leadership and sovereign positions in Iraq and southern Kurdistan. Raouf confirmed that PUK insisted on its positions, and said: "In the previous period, there was an agreement between the two parties (Kurdistan Democratic Party - Patriotic Union) on the distribution of positions in Iraq and the region, and in order to maintain this balance, Patriotic Union continues to demand its dues in leadership positions, especially the presidency of Iraqi Republic, but Kurdistan Democratic Party insisted until this moment on its position and presenting one candidate after another to obtain this position, in order to overthrow Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Raouf said that: "Patriotic Union will not give up its dues in the presidency, and will cooperate with allies in order to remain as major power in Iraq working for the rights of Kurdish people and Kurdish cause in general." 'Turkey is trying to take more land' Raouf touched on Turkish role and its endeavors to expand its occupation in southern Kurdistan in cooperation with Kurdistan Democratic Party, and to benefit from the current crisis. He said: "the ambitions of Turkish occupation state in the Iraqi lands is clear from a long time, and these attempts continue, and these ambitions intensify when there is a political crisis, political blockage and lack of understanding between the components of Iraqi people, and Turkey is trying to exploit them and seize more lands and intervene in its affairs and disrespect for the sovereignty of Iraq." Sh-S ANHA Millionaires more outgoing, emotionally stable: German study claims If you want to be rich, it helps if you're outgoing, conscientious, emotionally stable and not averse to taking risks, according to data from a new study that analyzed trends among adults living in Germany. In the study, "The personality traits of self-made and inherited millionaires," published in the journal Nature, researchers Marius Leckelt, Johannes Konig, David Richter, Mitja D. Back and Carsten Schroder examined data on 23,721 individuals in the German Socio-Economic Panel. Among this sample group, 1,125 individuals recorded an individual net wealth of at least 1 million euros. Another 190 had an individual net wealth of at least 5 million euros, 61 had at least 10 million euros, while the richest five respondents had net wealth between 100 million and 131 million euros. Results of their review suggest that when the rich are compared with the rest of the German population they were found to be more outgoing, registered a higher degree of conscientiousness and had a higher tolerance for risk. In this paper, we have shown that the rich differ from the rest of the population not only with respect to their wealth but also with respect to their personality traits. The prototypical personality profile of the rich is marked by higher Risk tolerance, Openness, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, and lower Neuroticism, the researchers concluded. Further, we provide initial suggestive evidence that this unique personality profile may contribute to wealth accumulation. The researchers found that self-made millionaires matched the "prototypical personality profile of the rich." The more closely their personalities aligned with the profile the richer they were, the study said. Rich people who inherited their wealth did not match the prototypical profile as closely as the self-made millionaires. We provide suggestive evidence that personality may be a driving force in the accumulation of wealth rather than a consequence thereof. We show that rich self-mades conform most closely to the prototypical rich personality profile. Rich inheritors, in contrast, do not conform to the prototypical rich personality profile: They are far less willing to take risks and more neurotic, the study said. Thus, it appears that being born into wealth does not automatically lead to the development of the prototypical rich personality profile. Researchers noted that the prototypical personality profile was also observed among non-rich self-made individuals to a lesser extent, which suggests that having a certain personality alone wasnt enough to lead people to wealth. This personality profile therefore does not automatically lead to economic success. Many other factors contribute to an individuals position in the wealth distribution, such as initial capital, education, and abilities. However, the evidence we have gathered conforms to the idea that the unique personality of millionaires is driven by individuals with a self-made personality having a higher chance of becoming rich, researchers noted. It was explained in the study that while the data offers compelling insights into the personalities of the wealthy who are usually difficult to access, the findings were limited because the sample of individuals studied came from only Germany a highly developed nation with a wide dispersion in wealth. It may not necessarily represent all high-wealth countries, such as the United States, where the wealth distribution is even more unequal, researchers said. Further, societal and cultural differences that shape personalities in Germany may also not be generalizable to other countries such as the United States, which is generally considered to be more individualistic than other countries. Missy Robertson shares powerful story behind new baby: 'We're open to whatever the Lord has for us' For years, Jase and Missy Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame have supported causes that encourage women to choose life in the face of an unwanted pregnancy. Just seven weeks ago, their convictions were put to the test when they received a call to help a newborn in need. One of the ministries in which the Robertsons are involved helps women coming out of sex trafficking and drug abuse. About three years ago, Missy Robertson revealed, her husband baptized one of the women in the ministry, but she, unfortunately, fell back into that lifestyle. We had a relationship with her, but we had not talked to her or even seen her; I didn't even know she was still alive, the 50-year-old mother and grandmother told The Christian Post. And got a phone call from our area hospital that said she was in jail, had a baby boy, and signed him over to us. Hed been in the hospital for two days, and they said, Hes ready to go. It was a shock, she added. We werent expecting it. We are not signed up to be foster parents or anything like that. Reeling, the Robertsons decided to spend time in prayer, seeking wise counsel before making a decision: I said, I have to think about this and pray about this. I may not be the right person to do this. I don't want to take him home to a chaotic home, pawning him off to people all the time when he needs to be secure and loved and loved on, she said. There were so many important factors to consider. It was Jase Robertsons words, she said, that made the answer obvious. He said two things: One, she chose life. She had not always done that in the past. Two, she came back to the people who showed her Jesus. As those words settled into her brain and heart, Missy Robertson said it was clear that she and her husband were being called to take in the newborn. Shortly after they received that phone call, the baby joined the Robertson's home. The Lord just opened up the doors. I really did not think that we were going to be able to have him in our house full time, she said. And we have had him except for just a few nights where we had to travel. We have had him in our home every day and night. I think we've given him that security. What the future holds, the Duck Dynasty star said, remains unknown, as the newborns birth mother has indicated she hopes to one day care for him herself. Hes not adoptable right now; he's not available, she shared. We're waiting to see about her situation its not just cut and dry. Its challenging and enlightening, but we're just hoping that we can be there to support the mother right now. Just weeks before the Robertsons made the life-altering decision to welcome a newborn, Missy Robertson had been gearing up to promote her latest book, Because Youre My Family, a childrens book that depicts the journey of a family who has adopted. My father-in-law (Phil Robertson) said to us, Wow, what a way to market a book, she said with a chuckle. We started laughing. It was just so funny; it felt so surreal. The Louisiana native shared that she was inspired to write the book after discovering shed be a grandmother for the first time. In December, Jase and Missy Robertsons son, Reed, and his wife, Brighton, became parents to a baby girl. I started thinking, What if I could contribute something to my grandchilds library or even encourage parents somehow to start that routine with their children and get the Word of God into them? she said. I wanted to write a book not just for children, but for parents to be able to use it as a tool to explain what unconditional love is, Robertson continued. And it's not just about the earthly parents to their children. It's a mirror of what the Lord did for us; what God did for us, for His Son Jesus. God orchestrated the idea of family; that was His idea. This book, I think, is just precious and lovely and all things good and interesting and reassuring. I think it just turned out so wonderfully well. A mother of four, Robertson is passionate about family and encouraging families to discover Gods plan for them. She challenged the Church to come alongside single mothers and those struggling, stressing that doing so begins with supporting and talking positively about life itself. She revealed that she was once asked if she ever considered aborting her daughter, Mia, who was born with a cleft lip and palate and has had to undergo numerous surgeries over the course of her life. I said, Mia was created by the ultimate Creator on purpose. And everything about her is intentional. Shes a life, and life should be celebrated. Abortion never crossed our minds, she recalled. Its important to take a stand and back up what you believe. Through her new childrens book, Robertson said she hopes to encourage mothers, especially, to raise their children to know and love the Lord. The moms are the cornerstone of the family in terms of nurturing our children to choose right and wrong and to have that heart for the right. I pray this book is just another resource for parents to start at home, she said. Though the forthcoming months, or perhaps years, remain uncertain in her and her husbands lives, Robertson encouraged Christians to be open to whatever God has planned for them even if it means welcoming in a newborn. As I said, we werent on a list to have a baby. But His timing is perfect. Jase and I are open to whatever the Lord has for us and whatever Hes preparing us for in advance. Whatever that is, is up to the Lord, and we just try to be available. UK Online Safety Bill threatens free speech, civil liberties groups warn Civil liberties groups in the United Kingdom have expressed concern about a bill in Parliament aimed at censoring harmful speech online, believing that it could be used to censor unpopular opinions on hot-button political issues like sexuality and gender. Introduced last month and making its way through the House of Commons, the Online Safety Bill has garnered concerns from groups like the Free Speech Union. FSU General Secretary Toby Young released a statement expressing concern that the proposed legislation, if passed, could be abused by political activists to silence dissenting views. We are particularly concerned that the government has said it will force social media platforms to remove legal but harmful content, including harassment, stated Young. That will enable political activists and interest [groups] claiming to speak on behalf of disadvantaged groups to silence their opponents by branding any views they disagree with as harassment. Young stated that while the bill includes some free speech protections, it will still have a chilling effect on online speech because the penalty for ignoring free speech will not be nearly as great as the penalties for failing to comply with the new safety duties. Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, wrote a column published by The Telegraph in which she warned against using Americanized terms of service over domestic speech laws. Tech companies rules have seen thousands of people censored, suspended and banned for their views on sex and gender, politics, pandemic policies, and for making anodyne jokes, wrote Carlo. Public outrage at excessive speech interventionism has been, up to now, directed solely at Big Tech, but under these new laws the British Government will be held squarely to blame too. Carlo argued that the legislation reeks of safetyism and threatens liberal free speech values by broadening what constitutes unacceptable online speech. Indeed, the Bill creates new communications offenses for speech that may cause psychological harm. There is no clinical definition here, and I have a feeling that in the Twittersphere this threshold will be interpreted very liberally, Carlo continued. Laws in other countries have been used by Twitter to censor views deemed to be violations of hate speech policy. Last month, Twitter took action against The Christian Post in response to a tweet that labeled Rachel Levine, a biologically male trans-identified Biden administration official, a man. As part of its justification, Twitter sent CP a notification explaining that the account had been flagged for possibly violating Frances LCEN law on internet content and warned that such action could lead to civil and criminal penalties. Last month, the U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Secretary Nadine Dorries announced the introduction of the Online Safety Bill. Today the government is announcing that executives whose companies fail to cooperate with Ofcoms information requests could face prosecution or jail time within two months of the Bill becoming law, instead of two years, as it was previously drafted, the announcement reads. According to the announcement, the proposed legislation would protect children from harmful content such as pornography and limit peoples exposure to illegal content, while protecting freedom of speech. It will require social media platforms, search engines and other apps and websites allowing people to post their own content to protect children, tackle illegal activity and uphold their stated terms and conditions, the announcement continued. The legislation promises to prohibit social media sites from restricting the free speech rights of users, but it will also require sites to tackle legal but harmful content, such as exposure to self-harm, harassment and eating disorders, set by the government and approved by Parliament. The legislation would give the U.K. Office of Communications, commonly called Ofcom, expanded powers to regulate telecommunications and punish companies that fail to comply. The internet has transformed our lives for the better. Its connected us and empowered us. But on the other side, tech firms havent been held to account when harm, abuse and criminal behavior have run riot on their platforms, stated Dorries. We dont give it a seconds thought when we buckle our seat belts to protect ourselves when driving. Given all the risks online, its only sensible we ensure similar basic protections for the digital age. Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes also expressed support for the bill, labeling it an important step towards creating a safer life online for the UKs children and adults. Our research shows the need for rules that protect users from serious harm but which also recognize the great things about being online, and protect freedom of expression. Were looking forward to starting the job, she stated. Vineyard Anaheim leaders 'screaming dishonor' for leaving denomination, says founder's widow The widow of John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard movement, has accused Alan and Kathryn Scott of stealing their brothers house and of actions that are screaming dishonor after the pastors of Vineyard Anaheim announced the church would be officially disassociating from the charismatic denomination. In a letter addressed to the leaders in the Vineyard movement, Vineyard USA, Vineyard National Board and the Anaheim Vineyard Board, Carol Wimber-Wong said she wanted to clarify a few things and give my thoughts concerning the alarming and exclusive decision to disassociate from Vineyard USA. Alan and Kathryn, you speak with your mouth that you want to honor our Anaheim Vineyard history, but your actions are screaming dishonor! she wrote. The economy of Gods kingdom is quite simple. Each new step will cost us everything we have gained to date ... a disciple is always willing to take that next step. These are the words of my late husband, John Wimber. You continuously quote him for your own purpose. He was speaking of what he gave up when he left his earlier life to follow Jesus. And in your new plan, it appears it will only be you that will gain. I fear that you have lost the privilege to quote John Wimber any longer. Vineyard Anaheim was planted in 1977 by John Wimber and is widely considered to be the mother church of the Vineyard movement, which today is a network of over 1,500 churches worldwide. Wimber died in 1997. Jay Pathak, the national director of Vineyard USA, told The Christian Post that while Vineyard Anaheim was not the first Vineyard church, it was undoubtedly the church through which the Vineyard movement was built, hosting conferences for Vineyard leaders at least twice a year through the 1980s and 1990s. Thousands of pastors and leaders who call the Vineyard movement their family have had profound, life-shaping encounters with God at Vineyard Anaheim, he said. In March, the Scotts, who have led Vineyard Anaheim for four years, announced the church would be officially disassociating from Vineyard USA without giving a specific reason for their decision. An official statement posted on the Vineyard Anaheim website states that the churchs leadership heard the invitation and direction of the Spirit (through scripture, counsel, prophecy, evidence of grace, and circumstance) to do what we have always done: take another step of faith and risk. It is clear to us that this new step lies outside the Vineyard movement, the statement reads. We wish to clarify that this is not a rejection of Vineyard values, theology or praxis, but our best effort to respond to the distinct calling on our church at this time, and a desire to say yes to the Spirit. The church, located in Orange County, California, owns multiple buildings on a 5.7-acre property estimated to be worth tens of millions, according to The Roys Report. In her letter, Wimber-Wong called the decision to disassociate abrupt and said it was made in secret. She reflected on how when she and her late husband separated from Yorba Linda Friends Church in 1976 and planted Vineyard Anaheim, they did so with the blessing of the Quaker leadership. I heard mentioned that John would have made the same choices as Alan, wrote Wimber-Wong. Or, that he dealt with the Friends Church the same way. Let me make myself perfectly clear: John Wimber was a man of deep integrity! We agreed to leave, but not until we received their blessing to go. ... What we took from them was their blessing that they bestowed upon us. It never entered our minds to take their building! What sort of mind could do something like that, steal your brothers house? In March, Pathak revealed the Scotts informed the denomination of their decision to disassociate three weeks ahead of the announcement and sent an email to their church less than 24 hours later. Despite Vineyard USAs requests for dialogue, the Vineyard Anaheim board refused to sit down for an on-the-record conversation on the grounds that such a conversation would not be relational or honoring but could only be structural and legal, he said. We disagree wholeheartedly. We do not believe that there is a dichotomy between relationality and accountability in church life, any more than there is in a marriage or a family, Pathak said. Since Vineyard Anaheims announcement, numerous Vineyard pastors and former leaders have expressed their dismay at the decision. In a letter to Vineyard Anaheims board, David and Robin Denunzio, former Vineyard Anaheim board members, said they were deeply saddened and completely blindsided by the move. Rich Nathan, pastor of Vineyard Columbus in Ohio, the nations largest Vineyard church, wrote in part: It is much easier to believe that someone is led by the Spirit when the leading involves a loss of status, money, power or position! Where we find a Cross, Jesus is there! Where we find personal gain and glory, its likely selfish ambition and not the Spirits leading! Christy Wimber, John Wimbers former daughter-in-law, said in an Instagram video that though the move is confusing, shes not at all surprised. She reminded viewers that while the decision is heartbreaking, Vineyard Anaheim is just a building. That church is not a sign of what Gods doing in the Church God is much bigger than a church and a couple of people humility goes a long way, and the ego is so powerful and we have to be careful. if its left unchecked, it can do a lot of damage. City pays $200K to design guaranteed income program for trans-identified, nonbinary residents A city in the Southern California desert known for its LGBT-friendly culture has agreed to provide $200,000 for two nonprofits to research and design a pilot program that will offer trans-identified and nonbinary residents a guaranteed income. The City Council in Palm Springs has allocated $200,000 for the research and design phase of a pilot program that would provide up to $900 per month in basic income to eligible residents for up to 18 months. The proposal comes from nonprofits DAP Health and Queer Works, which said in a statement the program aims to provide direct financial assistance to marginalized local individuals. Based on the early success of other guaranteed income pilots around the country and state including Stockton, San Diego, San Francisco, L.A., and West Hollywood were eager to pilot this approach here, DAP Health CEO David Brinkman said. Helping people in need to better their life circumstances by directly providing them with income is an approach thats showing great promise. Brinkman said the hope is to develop a model that impacts the greatest number of individuals possible. Roughly 40 residents would take part in the pilot, including 20 people who live, work or otherwise spend the majority of their time in Palm Springs, according to The Desert Sun. Another 20 individuals, who would serve as a control group to determine how beneficial the program would be, will not receive funds. The pilots research and design phase is expected to last six months. The organizers will develop a proposal to request additional funding from the state of California and other government and philanthropic financial underwriters to launch the pilot. The reported budget for the pilot program is about $1.8 million. The state has budgeted $35 million in funding for guaranteed income pilot programs and is finalizing funding criteria. While a formal funding request from the California Department of Social Services is still being worked up, officials have indicated that a 50% funding match from other donors will be required. Eligibility requirements will be finalized during the research and design phase. The city told Fox News that only trans-identified and nonbinary individuals who meet a poverty threshold will be eligible for the program. The median household income in Palm Springs is approximately $57,916, according to U.S. Census data, with over roughly 400,000 people living below the poverty line in Riverside County, where Palm Springs is located. While specifics are still being determined, Queer Works CEO Jacob Rostowsky said local trans-identified or nonbinary residents would be prioritized under the plan. Nonbinary people are those who may identify as both male and female or neither male nor female. People who are [trans-identified] and nonbinary are highly marginalized in our society in general, especially economically, said Rostowsky, who cited a recent study that found trans-identified adults are twice as likely to be unemployed. After announcing the plan last month, City Councilwoman Christy Holstege tweeted, It is especially important to reiterate to our trans and non-binary community that you are seen, you are heard, and you are supported. We must fight back against hateful, discriminatory attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. But Mayor Lisa Middleton, who is trans-identified, has expressed concerns about the ability of these guaranteed income programs to scale up to the magnitude of the issues that are before us, according to The Desert Sun. Middleton ultimately voted in favor of the program. If approved and funded, the program would get underway sometime in the next year. The pilot represents the latest effort by Palm Springs to establish itself as a sanctuary city of sorts for those in the LGBT community. Palm Springs became the first U.S. city with an all-LGBT City Council in 2016 and has long been known as a popular Southern California getaway and LGBT-friendly destination. With a population of about 48,000, recent data indicates that just over half of Palm Springs residents identify as LGBT. Most Christian parents are worried about their kids' spiritual health: poll An overwhelming majority of American parents are concerned about their childrens spiritual well-being, with concerns highest among practicing Christians, according to a poll released by Barna. On Wednesday, Barna released the results of a survey that asked 513 parents of children younger than 18 about their level of concern regarding their childrens spiritual development and their childrens relationships with their peers. Conducted April 23 through May 5, 2021, the survey asked parents how concerned are you about your child/childrens spiritual development? A majority of respondents (73%) indicated that they were either somewhat or very concerned with their children's spiritual development. Conversely, only 27% of parents said they were not very or not at all concerned about their childrens spiritual development. The survey broke the respondents down into three categories: practicing Christian parents, Christian parents, and non-Christian parents. It classified Christians who have attended a worship service within the past month and strongly agree their faith is important to their life as practicing Christians. A majority of practicing Christian parents (51%) reported feeling very concerned about their childrens spiritual development, followed by 33% who were somewhat concerned, 9% who were not very concerned and 7% who were not at all concerned. Similarly, 80% of Christian parents were either very or somewhat concerned about their childrens spiritual development, while only 20% were either not very or not at all worried. Non-Christian parents had the lowest level of concern about their childrens spiritual health among the three groups, with 27% telling pollsters that they were very concerned about their childrens spiritual development and an additional 31% identifying themselves as somewhat concerned. The remainder of non-Christian parents were either not very (18%) or not at all (25%) concerned about their childrens spiritual development. Practicing Christians also had the highest level of concern about their children staying true to their faith among the three groups surveyed. A solid majority of practicing Christians (58%) asserted that they were very concerned about whether their children would stay true to their spiritual faith, while an additional 28% were somewhat concerned. The share of practicing Christian parents characterizing themselves as not very or not at all concerned was measured at 8% and 6%, respectively. A plurality of self-identified Christian parents (43%) reported feeling very concerned about their children staying true to their faith, followed by 33% who were somewhat concerned, 16% who were not very concerned and 8% who were not at all concerned. A plurality of non-Christian parents (32%) maintained that they were not at all concerned about their children abandoning their faith, followed by 29% who listed themselves as somewhat concerned, 26% very concerned and 13% not at all concerned. Among U.S. parents as a whole, 38% described themselves as very concerned about the possibility of their children abandoning the faith, while an additional 32% said they were somewhat concerned. The share of U.S. parents who were not very or not at all concerned about their children were each measured at 15%. The survey also asked parents about their level of concern surrounding their childrens ability to make meaningful relationships with other children. A plurality of U.S. parents (48%) said that they were very concerned about their childrens ability to form meaningful relationships with their peers and an additional 35% identified themselves as somewhat concerned. The remaining parents were either not very (11%) or not at all (5%) concerned about their childrens ability to form interpersonal relationships with others in their age group. Concerns about their childrens ability to develop relationships with their peers united all parents, regardless of their faith background. The share of parents who felt very concerned about their childrens ability to make friends was measured at 50% among practicing Christians, 43% among self-identified Christians and 54% among non-Christians. Those who were somewhat concerned about their children making friends included 35% of practicing Christian parents, 37% of Christian parents and 34% of non-Christian parents. Eleven percent of practicing Christians said they were not very concerned about their childrens social lives, along with 13% of self-identified Christians and 9% of non-Christian parents. Seven percent of self-identified Christians were not at all concerned about their childrens ability to make friends, as were 4% of practicing Christians and 3% of non-Christians. Perry Stone under investigation by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, report claims Two years after being accused of sexual misconduct by several women, televangelist and Bible teacher Perry Stone is under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, according to a report. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has a list of at least nine alleged victims and has interviewed at least five people, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. The newspaper adds that a TBI spokesperson confirmed by email that the agency is investigating the Cleveland, Tennessee-based televangelist at the request of the district attorney general, Steve Crump, who has to decide if charges need to be pressed after the results of the investigation. Citing multiple sources connected to Stone and his Perry Stone Ministries, the newspaper claimed in an earlier report that the Federal Bureau of Investigation began looking into sexual misconduct claims against the minister last November. More than a dozen people connected or formerly connected to Stones ministry told the Chattanooga publication at the time that they were worried about what appeared to be a lack of accountability in the ministry. Claims of inappropriate conduct involving groping, unwanted kissing and showing women he was aroused were first made in 2020. Some expressed outrage that the board of directors at Voice of Evangelism, Stones international evangelistic outreach, did not involve law enforcement or fully investigate claims of misconduct against the televangelist. Stone has sought to explain that the victims misinterpreted his social behavior which he described as normal in Italian culture. I am not a perfect man, he said earlier, according to the newspaper. People have taken me hugging and kissing them on the cheek wrong. I quit that. Im Italian. My whole family holds hands, rubs backs. I didnt know you can look at somebody and say, Hey, how you doing? and they can take it wrong. He has also said that secular media cannot be trusted. Over 32 years I have been involved with television. ... Im involved with media, I know how media works, Stone said in a YouTube video, titled The Truth Behind Todays Media, last December. Its not always about whats true or not, its about the advertising dollars, he continued, explaining the relationship between the media and advertising and the need to make money. Information can be twisted by the god of this world so easily. So when youre dealing with a Christian system who wants to be honest ... secular individuals, it has been proven, they will give a false scenario and then you know, two, three years down the road come back and apologize for it and I dont want to go into collusions and all that, he said. During a special service last November, when he tried to explain why some people were no longer with his ministry, an unidentified woman interrupted his address to suggest it was because he is a nasty perv. Why dont you tell them the real reason why they left? Because you kept touching them, she said before she was removed by security. Give the gift of time to your elders She may be hunched over with osteoporosis, but Joy lives up to her name she has a broad smile, twinkling eyes, and a listening ear. With her vibrancy youd not guess shes 88. She quickly became a source of love and hope in her senior living community. She joined many of the activities sit-down exercise and water aerobics. She loves Tuesday bingo and has tried to get to know her fellow residents. But there are still so many quiet hours to fill each day. Joy explains, Its mostly the loneliness that bothers me. I dont mind the aches of getting old, I miss my husband, and I dont see my sons very much. If you live long enough, you may find yourself the resident of a senior living facility. Indeed, there are currently one million Americans living in one of these communities when you add in the seniors living in assisted care, its over two and half million people. By the year 2030, that number will double. Americas aging population will reach 14 million by 2040. Senior living communities are going to be expanding. While senior care can vary at some of the facilities, many train their staff to be kind and respectful. They need to be patient even when coping with a seniors impatience. There are times when memory loss adds its own challenges to those sharing their living spaces. The confusion and frustration only add to the sadness these seniors feel. While senior independent living is encouraged, its also lonely once apartment doors are shut. They decorate their rooms with photos from a former life. Surrounded by old memories and yet, they have so few visitors come to share those memories. Its sad, but its a common theme. Another slow loss of connection with the world they were once such a big part of. Like Joy, many widows are living out their days remembering their child-rearing years and the marriages that saw them into old age. Now, its a slow reversal of fortunes losing the family home, losing the large dining table that was the center of so many family gatherings, and then the worst no longer seeing the family that made life purposeful. According to Linda, a senior center physical therapist, I can get their bodies moving and encourage them to keep active, but so often I see a deep sadness in their eyes that exercise doesnt help. With so many vibrant people living in these centers, could we not do better at alleviating some of that loneliness? So, heres a suggestion, volunteer a few hours every so often to visit an elder. Just one. Get to know them, listen to their stories (youll hear them again). Offer to take them out for errands thats such a treat for them. Your local senior facility will know who could use a friend. When Jesus told us to store our treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6:20), some of that treasure is helping those who no longer can help themselves. In the book of James (James 1:27) we are told that genuine religion in the sight of God is caring for orphans and widows in their distress. So many widows are living their final seasons in solitude, how distressing that must be. These seniors have made an incredibly hard transition. They have lived independently, and now life is beginning to take away their options. For those of us younger, living our lives of freedom, lets appreciate it for the blessing it is. We have a gift these seniors could use a little bit of our time. As a way of thanking God for your health and freedom, go and visit an elder who no longer has either. Its a few hours youll give away, but Ive found when I give my time away, God gives it back in blessed ways. The religion of the Force (book excerpt) The Star Wars series comprises eleven wonderful movies (some more wonderful than others) that, by design, are infused with overtly religious issues. George Lucas said, I put the Force into the movies in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. He admits that he wants to get young people to at least think about the big questions in life: Is there a God? What does God look like? What does God sound like? What does God feel like? How do we relate to God? Just getting young people to think at that level is what I've been trying to do in the films. Not bad for Hollywood! But what kind of answers do the movies provide to viewers, and how do they compare to Christianity? Lucas claims hes not trying to direct viewers to definite answers. What eventual manifestation that takes place in terms of how they describe their God, what form their faith takes, is not the point of the movie.1 Of course, it was unavoidable that his movie would depict a specific kind of worldview with its own view of god. The Force isnt a Christian view of God. The god of Star Wars is closest to the god of pantheism it is omnipresent and binds the universe together, but the Force makes no moral demands on its users. Moral demands are, of course, part of Christianity, which often uses the same light-versus-darkness language found in Star Wars. God calls us to be in the light, as He is (1 John 1:7). Those who are in sin are depicted as being in darkness, while those who have accepted Christ as their Savior are in the light of the Lord. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:811 This idea of affiliating oneself with the light separates Christianity from any type of Force-based religion in a big way. The Force itself is quite clearly neutral equally accessible to both sides and not preferring one over the other. Since the Force is not personal, it cant command anyone to do good with its power. In this way, pantheism is a lot like atheism. Whether you call nature the Force or simply matter and energy, you have no grounds for objective morality. Impersonal nature has no authority or capacity to tell you or anyone what to do. Yet there is morality throughout the Star Wars series. Although the Force is technically neutral, George Lucas admits Star Wars is a morality play. In fact, virtually all good stories, including all superhero movies, are morality plays. There are always good guys and bad guys. Evil always needs to be defeated, which presupposes that there is an objective standard of good we ought to follow. An objective standard of good that all humans are obligated to follow can only exist if a personal God exists. Since the Star Wars universe doesnt have a personal God, how is morality justified in the movies? It isnt. But thats OK. Theyre movies. Not everything has to be justified or make sense. The Force, like Harry Potters magic, isnt meant to be grounded in reality. Its science-fiction. Just like we dont see people flying on broomsticks, we dont see people wielding lightsabers or moving spaceships around with their minds. While Lucas claims the Force is morally neutral, the audience isnt. Because God has written the Moral Law on our hearts, we intuitively and immediately know that the Jedi are the heroes of the story and that the light side is morally better than the dark side. The repeated goal of balance in the Force is another difference between the Force of Star Wars and the God of Christianity. The film is ultimately about the dark side and the light side, said George Lucas. Those sides are designed around compassion and greed we all have those two sides of us and we have to make sure that those two sides of us are in balance. This is really an odd statement to make.2 Do we really want a balance between compassion and greed or between other forms of good and evil? Can you imagine your grandma telling you that as long as you do just as many nice things to the little boy next door, you can do all the bad things to him you want? Christians (and all people) should be fighting to eradicate evil completely, not balance it with good. Furthermore, contrary to the Force of Star Wars, God and Satan are not in balance, as if they are equal and opposite forces. As we saw in the introduction, God is the one sovereign power, and all other creatures derive their power from Him. Just as evil cannot exist without good, Satan cannot exist without God. Neither can the angels and demons. Neither can we. C. S. Lewis put it well, Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.3 The Christian concept of faith is also different from the religion of the Force. In Star Wars,faith means not trusting your senses, but your feelings. Its why Obi-Wan prompted Luke to turn off his targeting computer and trust his feelings. Christianity is exactly the opposite. Faith is trusting in what you have good reasons to believe is true, and the primary way you get those reasons is by using your senses. Once youve discovered those reasons, you dont trust your feelings when they contradict the facts. Feelings are fickle and subject to changing emotions. Feelings change, but facts dont. In Star Wars, the more faith you have, the more power you have. Thats why Yoda can lift the spaceship out of the mud on Dagobah while Luke cannot. But thats not the way the real world works. Imagine you and your friend get on a flight to Hawaii. If you totally trust the pilots but your friend is scared to death (your faith is strong but his is weak), does that mean youll get there but hell crash? Of course not. Once hes on the plane, the strength of his faith isnt the issue. The skill of the pilots is. It's the same in Christianity. Its not the amount of faith that has power the faith of a mustard seed is enough. Instead, power lies in who you put your faith in. Jesus, not humanity, is the source of our power. Taken from Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God by Frank Turek and Zach Turek. Copyright 2022. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. 1. These quotes are from an interview Bill Moyers conducted with George Lucas in 1999, the transcripts of which are available here and here. 2. Some may claim that by balance Lucas means the moderation between extremes that pantheists often advocate (signified by the yin and yang symbol). But if thats the case, why would he claim we should want compassion and greed to be in balance? 3. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (London: MacMillan, 1952), 5051. The Will Smith event: Why it matters Approximately a billion people around the globe witnessed Will Smiths physical assault on comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The event has generated a media frenzy with peoples opinions oscillating all over the emotional map. Will Smith himself, upon reflection, has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and stated that his behavior was shocking, painful, and inexcusable. While I wholeheartedly agree that his behavior was inexcusable, I strongly believe it was understandable. It was inexcusable because, in a society based on the rule of law, private citizens resorting to violence against their fellow citizens cannot be condoned or approved without undermining the rule of law itself, a very precious and valuable thing. At this point, in the interest of full disclosure, I need to acknowledge I have been married for 51 years to a Ph.D. psychotherapist and marriage and family counselor. Consequently, in the course of that marriage and the two becoming one flesh, I have been exposed to, and read, more research on psychology and marriage and family issues than the vast majority of non-psychologists. Conversely, my wife, whom I met in seminary, has been exposed to more theological and ethics research than most psychotherapists. Why then is Will Smiths behavior understandable? A powerful and tragic insight is provided by a searing passage in his memoir, Will, published last year. In talking about his complicated relationship with his father, an Air Force veteran and alcoholic who died in 2016, Will revealed an obviously traumatizing episode of his childhood. He described how, as a 9-year-old child, he witnessed a terrible episode of domestic violence: I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsedI saw her spit blood. That moment in the bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am. Will Smith went on to explain: Within everything that I have done since then the awards and the accolades, the spotlights and attention, the characters and the laughs there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day. For failing her in that moment. For failing to stand up to my father. For being a coward. It has been said, No one ever completely escapes the zip code in which they were born, which is a catchy way of explaining that we are impacted greatly by the socio-economic background and family culture of our families of origin. I cannot even begin to imagine the emotional trauma of being a 9-year-old boy and experiencing what Will did. It is certainly not hard to understand that when Chris Rock made the tasteless and hurtful joke about Wills wife Jadas appearance (hair loss as a consequence of alopecia), it triggered all those emotions of rage, shame, and misplaced guilt. All of a sudden, when his wife expressed her pain, he was that 9-year-old boy again, and By God, Im not going to fail my loved one again, and he jumped up and acted. I have certainly witnessed such triggering episodes in my ministry and in my pastorates. My wife assures me she has seen it as well in her counseling ministry over a half-century of practice. One very memorable episode in my ministry springs to mind. When I was a professor, I had a very bright ministry student who had obvious gifts and a promising future. Then it came to light that he had committed several sexual assaults on older women (he was in his early 20s). When he was arrested, I must confess I have never been more shocked than I was at that moment. I went to see him in jail and over the course of ministering to him while he was tried and found guilty (he confessed to the crimes), he shared with me that when he was a small boy (beginning when he was barely 3), his mother had regularly tied him down and tortured him (and I dont know any other word that adequately describes the nature of the abuse he endured). That deep emotional trauma erupted in acts of sexual violence against women approximately his mothers age. Was this young man guilty? Yes. Did he deserve to go to prison? Yes. Was his behavior at least partially explained by the horrible trauma he experienced at the hands of his own mother? Yes. Inexcusable? Yes! Understandable? Indeed! What lessons should we draw from the Will Smith event? First, we need to reaffirm that mitigating circumstances and childhood trauma do not excuse such violent behavior. However, many people are secretly carrying some heavy and debilitating emotional trauma around with them. Second, understanding this, we need to encourage people to seek counseling to deal with these painful and debilitating experiences from the past. Friends of Will Smith, reading his memoir, should have approached him and urged him to get the psychological counseling he so obviously needed, separate and apart from any counseling he may have received during the process of reconciling with Jada. Third, we need to renew and redouble our efforts to minimize domestic abuse with its ever-widening circles of emotional and physical damage. And while destructive behavior must be punished, as Christians we should always be sharing the Good News of the Gospel, that there is a new beginning in Jesus. As an old poem puts it, Oh, I wish there was someplace called the land of beginning again, where I could take all my heartaches and broken dreams, and drop them at the door like a shabby old coat and never put them on again. The Gospels Good News is that there is a land of beginning again, wherein Christ we are liberated from our past. Christianity proclaims to us that we are not the prisoners of our past. As the Apostle John promised us: For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the worldour faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (I Jn. 5:4-5) P.S. What should Will Smith have done when Chris Rock made his hurtful comments about his wifes appearance? I believe he should have said to his wife, Sweetheart, we are leaving. Then he should have taken his wife by the arm, and as an Oscar nominee, calmly walked out of the theater with his entourage behind him. American Billionaire Warren Buffet returns to the list of the top five richest persons on the planet in the midst of significant drops in technology stocks that eroded the wealth of many Silicon Valley executives. Following a slew of acquisitions, Berkshire Hathaway's stock is at all-time highs. Buffett made a smart gamble on Activision Blizzard last October, investing $1.1 billion in the video game company. Three months later, Microsoft purchased it for $69 billion. Occidental Petroleum shares have been purchased for $7 billion by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway this year, despite rising oil prices, as reported by The National News. He was also the driving force behind Berkshire Hathaway's $11.6 billion cash purchase of insurer Alleghany in March. It is the first time in a year that Mr. Buffett, 91, has ranked this high among the listing of the world's 500 richest people. He fell as low as 11th in October. Warren Buffet, who resides in Omaha, Nebraska, has a Net Worth of 2022 is $125 billion, and his main source of wealth is Berkshire Hathaway, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But Forbes listed his net worth at $118 billion. Buffett's wealth is derived from his 18% ownership stake in Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway's stock price climbed by an average of 20.8 percent between 1965 and 2016. Buffett holds roughly 300,000 Class A and nearly 150,000 Class B shares in the company. He also has about 900,000 shares of U.S. Bancorp and more than two million shares of Wells Fargo and Seritage Growth Properties. Bancorp, as well as 9,000 additional IBM shares. Although with all of those assets, his Berkshire Hathaway stock is estimated to be worth over 98 percent of his total net worth. Modest Lifestyle Buffet made his first million when he reached the age of 30. After five years, his net worth grew to $7 million (equivalent to $53.3 million today). And then it grew more than three times when he was 39 years old ($25 million). At age 47, Warren Buffet's net worth was listed at $67 million. Buffet officially became a billionaire at age 56, with a net worth of $1.4 billion, and he became richer and richer. In 2016, at 72 years of age, Buffett's fortune is at $48 billion. According to 99% of Buffett's net worth was made after he turned 50 years old. Warren Buffet is also known for his books, which are highly recommended for future CEOs as well as individuals who engage in business. Through his books, Buffet shares his knowledge to help people grow their wealth as he did. "That's how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest." He said. He also always gives back to the community. Every summer, he gives approximately 5% of his stock to charity. Despite his massive wealth, Buffett still lives in the modest five-bedroom house he bought in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1956 for $31,500. Today, a house can be had in the same neighborhood for around $2 million. Read Also: Logan Paul Net Worth 2022: How Much Did He Earn in Boxing in 2021, Salary for WrestleMania 38? Where Does He Rank Among America's Richest People? Buffet ranked number 4 in this year's America's 10 Richest Billionaires List by Forbes. Tesla chief Elon Musk topped the list with a net worth of $219 billion. Followed by Amazon's Jeff Bezos ($177 billion); Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates at 3rd ($129 billion); Google's Larry Page ($111 billion ) and Sergy Brin ($107 billion) at 5th and 6th places, respectively; Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, in 7th place ( $106 billion); At 8th is Steve Balmer of Microsoft ($91.4 billion); Bloomberg LP's Michael Bloomberg at 9th place and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (formerly Facebook) ranked number 10. Related Article: Will Smith Loses Major Projects After Slapping Chris Rock at Oscars 2022; Expert Says He 'Deeply Damaged' His Career @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. What do quality produce, migrant workers and leadership have in common? If you ask industry giant Mr. Tomato, hed tell you, Everything. Once I started procuring produce for my own organization, it was Mr. Tomato who showed me how good leaders can change whole industries. Related: The Best Leadership Skill You Can Develop Right Now Mr. Tomato, the man I worked with Paul DiMare, the largest tomato grower in the United States, from when I started my company through my retirement. Originally from Boston, where his father and two brothers sold produce from a pushcart, DiMares success at the helm of his family business earned him the industry title, Mr. Tomato. Mr. Tomato is a great man who is excellent to his people, but DiMare also has an uncanny ability to help other people work through problems. He has spent a lot of time on it: putting peoples problems in a box and working with them to come up with solutions that could be successfully integrated into their business models before opening that box back up. Everyone calls him for advice, including me. His problem-solving skills taught me to make decisions with the bigger picture in mind. Once, on a call with a bunch of government officials discussing a problem, he laid it out for them with ease: I see how your solution works well over there, but transferred here, all these extra people will have to deal with it. Can you explain to me how that might work? After a dead silence on the line, someone mumbled something about getting back to him soon once they worked out a few more details. This big-picture focus gave him the ability to explain problems in ways that both executives and farmers could understand, making him a reliable resource for finding solutions in the middle. Related: 3 Shifts Great Leaders Make to Become Extraordinary Mr. Tomato, the businessman Paul DiMare moved to Florida in 1965 to take over his family business, but he became the top farmer in a state of 50,000 farmers producing over $3.4 billion in produce. By 1998, Dade County Farm Bureau had named him Agriculturist of the Year, and in 2013, the Southeast Produce Council awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Between weather, storage, trucking and potential delays, so many things can go wrong with perishable items, but DiMare found success with a broad understanding that if everything about the industry worked better, his business would work better too. He brought sophistication to the world of transporting raw material imports and exports across different growing regions and got everyone to focus on new areas, like food quality and the rights of migrant workers, that would improve the industry as a whole. This pragmatic approach to leadership taught me to be pragmatic in mine. Ive always been on the buying end of the business, but to get people to want to choose us as their customer, I had to take the sellers seat. These partnerships thrived when I was able to sell them on ways our company would meet their needs better than the average Joe customer. I let them know I wanted them to be profitable because, when you do business with another company, their success translates to your success. Related: 5 Key Habits of Great Leaders Mr. Tomato, the humanitarian A great leader and a good man, DiMare has always been influential in doing the right thing for the people who worked for him. He has encouraged Florida farmers to get involved in the political process and fight against unfair trading practices. As chairman and co-founder of the advocacy group Florida Farmers, Inc., he successfully lobbied Congress to include mandatory country-of-origin labeling on produce in the 2002 Farm Bill, protecting domestic production. He played an active role in the anti-dumping suit that led to the 1996 Tomato Suspension Agreement between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato growers and has testified before Congress on NAFTA, the Trade Promotion Authority and trade in the Americas. Through his actions, DiMare taught me to have courage because leaders arent always going to be popular. Knowing his business, as well as the American food supply, depends on migrant workers, he has stood up to government regulations limiting their rights. He has endeavored, personally and professionally, in the well-being of his migrant workers, keeping their families together and investing in schools and scholarships for them to complete college. A discussion we once had about food waste turned into a plan to accept food bank donations around the country, and now, he serves on the advisory board of Farm Share, a non-profit organization that recovers and distributes fresh food to Americans most in need. His willingness to take on philanthropic social innovations in business also earned him the honor of American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year (2007) and the 2014 Ellis Island Award. Paul DiMare pioneered initiatives that made the whole industry better, bridging the gap between corporate America and leadership with soul and purpose. To be a leader of change can be risky, costly and unpopular, but DiMares bold actions have set a high bar that others in the industry still endeavor to meet to stay competitive. From planting a seed in the field to working for a technology company, people matter, and a businesss leadership matters to its people. You've got to listen to them, walk in their shoes and understand their needs so that they can want to make your business successful. Sometimes, that means making them matter to the world, and according to Mr. Tomato, Paul DiMare, good leaders can rise to that challenge. Business Strategies, Entrepreneurial Advice & Inspiring Stories are all in one place. Explore the new Entrepreneur Bookstore. Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved I was about five years old and living in Beirut, Lebanon. My mother took me and my four older siblings to a wedding up in the mountains. A friend warned us to be careful coming home there was fighting in the city. The warning was well-founded: as we came down out of the hills, my mother was forced to tell us to duck down as bullets hit our car. AT that moment, Lebanons descent into armed civil conflict was etched into my mind for the first time. In the years that followed, I would watch my father establish and lead construction companies and take care of all of us. I learned from him as he struggled and trusted the wrong people. The admiration and empathy I developed for him from my youth continue to influence how I do business today. Related: Family Values Could Be the Missing Piece to Total Success in Business Today Hard work and creativity make up for little formal education As the oldest son, my father had to leave school at just nine years old to help make money for his family. He never had the chance to go to college or have a formal education, so dedication to plain hard work meant everything. What my father did have, though, was an exceptional amount of creativity. When he paired that with his understanding that you couldnt just give up, marvelous things happened. He worked his way up from being the laborer who just did the texturing on the walls to drawing and designing the buildings. He eventually founded his own construction companies. But war doesnt care about the businesses youre running or who you are. As he tried to keep things going, the conflict and its effects on the economy and everything around us became harder to avoid. Bombs would fall near our home, and my mother would take us down to the warehouse below so wed be safe. My father would always tell us the bombs were too far away to worry about, but I was still terrified. Related: 10 Toxic Things Parents Do That Make Their Children Less Functional in Adulthood Instability demands pivots With so much hardship and danger around us, my father decided the best path forward was to try his luck in construction in the United Arab Emirates. He went on ahead of us to Abu Dhabi, starting yet another construction company and eventually building a payroll of about 4,000 people there. When I was seven years old, we followed him and enjoyed the success while it lasted. However, this probably wasnt a decision based only on our immediate and dire situation. When I was just two years old, my father lived in Libya for a while. Hed started a company locally, and it was just starting to find some success. When Muammar Gaddafi came to power, officials threw my father in jail because his business partner was against what Gaddafi was doing. My father knew he wouldnt be safe or free to work if he stayed in Libya, so he cut his losses and headed back to Lebanon. Perhaps it was this previous experience that gave him the confidence that he could pivot again, as hed done before. The move to the UAE was the second time he was forced to literally and figuratively rebuild. As my father got his new company going in Abu Dhabi, we lived in the same building where he had his office. Id sit in his office and admire all the wood walls and his desk everything was impressive to me. Even though I was a child, all of his employees treated me like royalty. I went with my father to his construction sites. It was clear to me as I followed him around that he had people on his team whod stick with him no matter what. The way he treated his employees and the way they responded stayed with me into adulthood. It became the foundation for how I have worked with my own team. Related: To Grow Into Ourselves, We Must First Embrace the Unknown Too much trust, poor laws and worthless money Part of what made my father so successful in business was his attention to relationships. He even brought many family members into his company. He thought that, because they were relatives, they would be loyal and always behave in his best interests. That wasnt reality. He found out that his cousin, who hed paid to take care of paying other employees, was pocketing money meant for the workers. My father simply trusted too much. He hadnt set up an adequate system of checks and balances to protect himself internally in the company. To make it worse, a local business partner also owed him money. This would make it even more difficult for my father to win his case since native residents held a heavy advantage in the courts. He was forced to end his UAE business ventures. So we moved back to Lebanon despite the war still flaring up on occasion. My father took the last of the money he had and put it into one more apartment building. He financed the loans himself. Those loans unfortunately were in Lebanese lira. When the bottom fell out of the currency, he lost everything. Lebanons economy has only gotten worse since. My father decided to retire, but he didnt lose his optimism or his passion. He fell into telling the same stories over and over, but he told them with an excitement that made me love to hear them. His stories were so vivid that his personality was tangible and I could strongly perceive his approach in everything he said. Be kind, but cautious Even though I didnt stay in Lebanon, my fathers successes taught me how important it is to work hard with what you have and to honor the people around you. He also showed me the stress that comes with being at the top only to lose it all. Thus, his struggles have made me realistically apprehensive. I made sure to have a system of checks and balances in my business that he should have had in his. I personally sign all of my companys checks. The silver lining from all of my fathers business struggles is that they helped the dream of every parent come true that I was able to learn from his mistakes instead of having to make my own. Ultimately, my fathers valiant efforts were not in vain. He did the absolute best he could for our family during a prolonged period of hostile conflict. His legacy and spirit lives on in the success of my business endeavors. Always lead with kindness, but be careful who you trust. Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved More than likely you do not have to visit a Social Security office to do business with us. You might not have to call, either. Our online services webpage at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices provides you a wide variety of self-service options you can use on your phone, tablet, or computer. You can even apply for retirement, disability, or Medicare online. Click here to read the full article. How do serial killers get away with murder or, to be more accurate, multiple murders? That question has haunted Americans through the decades known as the so-called Golden Age of Serial Killers until today, fueling the ever-chugging true crime industry. The latest subject under the microscope has undoubtedly been John Wayne Gacy, who got the Peacock treatment last year with John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise, and is the next subject in Joe Berlingers Netflix property Conversations With a Killer. The John Wayne Gacy Tapes premieres on April 20, 2022. Gacy a seemingly upstanding member of his Chicagoland community who performed as a clown at childrens birthday parties became infamous after nearly 30 bodies were found under his home in the late 1970s. He was convicted of 33 murders and executed in 1994. Almost 40 years later and his victims have still not all been identified. Berlingers new three-part series takes a deeper look at Gacys mentality and methods with help from 60 hours of audio recorded between the murderer and his defense team. It also features interviews with survivors and other people affected by Gacys crimes. Berlinger previously directed 2019s Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which centered around similar recordings from the infamous serial killer. Last years John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise also delved into the whys and hows of Gacys killing spree, detailing how he leveraged his construction business to form powerful bonds with local cops and party officials, and how he used his position to lure his victims. Filmmakers also enlisted the help of Chicago journalists Tracy Ullman and Alison True, who have been digging into the case for almost a decade specifically delving into how many people Gacy really killed, where the rest of his victims could be, and where investigators fell short. Along with tens of thousands of feral chickens and boars, Hawaii is now waging war against another invasive species: axis deer. Honolulu Civil Beat reported that there are almost 50,000 of these deer roaming between Ulupalakua and Paia on Maui, according to a recent study from KIA Hawaii, a local ungulate management company. An existential threat to Mauis ranches, theyre destroying watersheds, devouring farmers crops and gnawing plants that help store water, exacerbating the severe drought thats already drying up springs and creating poor conditions for cattle pastures. Streams that are normally gushing with water are barely flowing, the Commission on Water Resource Managements deputy director, Kaleo Manuel, said in a press release earlier in March. This is deepening our already grave concerns about the effects of seasonal drought on water supplies. Now, Civil Beat reports that environmentalists, local hunters and the community at large all agree that the deer population needs to be managed. Originally from India, axis deer were gifted to King Kamehameha V in 1867 and released on Molokai. Nine axis deer, three males and six females, were then introduced to Maui in 1959. According to Civil Beat, Maui County formed its first axis deer task force in 1996 to tackle the issue, as well as a new one in 2021 with members from state and county agencies and landowners. However, axis deer arent the only invasive species damaging Hawaiis native ecosystem. Pacific Conservation Biology said that free-roaming Pigs, Goats, Cattle, Sheep ... and deer Axis axis are described in state reports and plans as high-threat invasive species, while simultaneously being protected under the law as game mammals. Honolulu Civil Beat reported that the deer population increases by 20% to 30% each year, and about 30% needs to be culled just to stabilize it. According to experts, this intervention is necessary because there are no natural predators, such as tigers, crocodiles or bobcats, to help balance out the deer population. Hunting is the only kind of mortality thats imposed on the population and if thats a selective removal of males, then thats after theyve already bred, wildlife biologist Steven Hess told the Honolulu Civil Beat. The outlet reported that Jake Muise, who runs KIA Hawaii, has a 16-strong harvesting team that shoots, butchers and sells 3,000 to 4,000 deer annually on Maui killing about 20,000 animals so far. Muises team does most culling for Haleakala and Ulupalakua ranches, which also employ help from their own staff, friends and family. Per Civil Beat, Muise estimates that there would be 58,000 more deer on Maui otherwise. But you dont have to be part of Muises harvesting team to help cull the islands exploding deer population. Starting May 14, Hawaii residents and non-residents can apply to hunt in Lanai for axis deer and another invasive species, the European mouflon sheep. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) The jury in the trial of four men accused of scheming to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ended its fourth day of deliberations Thursday and said it wants to look at evidence related to an explosive when it resumes its work. The jury gave no signal to the judge that it's struggling to reach decisions about the defendants: Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. When jurors return for more deliberations Friday, they said they want to see pennies that, according to the government, were part of a homemade explosive detonated while the men trained in September 2020. We will have that for you, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said, adding that they can look at any evidence that was introduced during 13 days of testimony. Pennies taped to a commercial-grade firework were intended to act like shrapnel, investigators said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler, in his closing argument, said the explosive was created by Croft. He quoted him as saying the pennies would be so hot they could go right through your skin. Earlier in the week, the jury asked for a definition of weapon. Jonker said it's something that could be used to injure, kill or destroy someone or something. The jury is considering 10 charges in the case: one against Caserta, two against Fox, three against Croft and four against Harris. The men all face the main charge of a kidnapping conspiracy; the other counts are related to explosives and a firearm. A conviction on any count must be unanimous. We can all see you're hard at work, Jonker told the jury. It can be an exhausting way to spend spring break. We know that because that room is not huge. It gets smaller each time you come back and spend more time looking through everything. We appreciate your diligence. The evidence included testimony from undercover agents, a crucial informant and two men who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and pointed a finger at the others. Prosecutors said the group was steeped in anti-government extremism and angry over Whitmer's COVID-19 restrictions. The men trained with a crudely built shoot house to replicate her vacation home in September 2020, according to testimony. Defense lawyers, however, said any scheme was the creation of government agents who were embedded in the group and manipulated the men. Croft is from Bear, Delaware, while the others are from Michigan. Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the plot, though she referred to surprises during her term that seemed like something out of fiction when she filed for reelection on March 17. She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Whitmer kidnap plot trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial ___ White reported from Detroit. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Saudi Arabia announced Thursday it would send its ambassador back to Lebanon after a diplomatic spat last year. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported that the kingdom made the decision after the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon. The kingdom also said Lebanon had agreed to stop all political, military and security activities affecting it and other Gulf Arab nations. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the Saudi decision. We affirm that Lebanon is proud of its Arab affiliation and wants the best relations with the Gulf states, which were and will remain our support, Mikati wrote on Twitter. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador in 2021 after the Lebanese information minister at the time described the war in Yemen as an aggression by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemens Houthi rebels there since March 2015. The row was one of the worst rifts between Gulf Arab nations and Lebanon in years. Relations have been strained over growing Iranian influence in the small nation, where Saudi Arabia has traditionally been a powerful ally. Last December, Frances president and Saudi Arabias crown prince held a joint phone call with Lebanons prime minister during Emmanuel Macrons visit to the kingdom to try to ease tensions between Beirut and Riyadh. But in January, the leader of Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, responded by accusing Riyadh of helping spread extremist Islamic ideology worldwide and taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the oil-rich Persian Gulf region hostage. Lebanon is struggling with an economic crisis that began in October 2019, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement. The meltdown has left three-quarters of the small Mediterranean countrys population of 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, in poverty. The Saudi announcement came amid the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and as the kingdom appears to be recalibrating its diplomatic approach in the wider Mideast. Already, Turkey has dropped a trial targeting those who killed Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi dismembered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018 as it seeks economic ties with the kingdom. Meanwhile, the kingdom has also hosted talks with Yemeni government officials and pro-government factions this month that saw that countrys exiled president cede power to a presidential council on Thursday in hopes of ending the Saudi-led coalition's long war with Yemens Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthis declined to attend the talks as they took place in Saudi Arabia, their adversary in the conflict. Amazon plans to file objections to the union election on Staten Island, New York, that resulted in the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the companys history. The e-commerce giant stated its plans in a legal filing to the National Labor Relations Board made public Thursday. Among other things, the company accused the Amazon Labor Union, a group of former and current employees who spearheaded the union drive, of threatening warehouse workers to vote in favor of the organizing effort. Eric Milner, an attorney representing the ALU, said the claims were patently absurd. The employees have spoken and their voices have been heard, Milner said in a statement. Amazon is choosing to ignore that, and instead engage in stalling tactics to avoid the inevitable coming to the bargaining table and negotiating for a contract on behalf of the warehouse workers on Staten Island. Warehouse workers on Staten Island cast 2,654 votes or about 55% in favor of a union, giving the fledgling group enough support to pull off a victory Friday. Federal labor officials had said the results of the count wont be verified until they process any objections due by April 8 that both parties may file. Amazon requested a two-week extension, which the labor board has granted. It now has until April 22 to back up its claims. The company had initially signaled it planned to challenge the election results based on a lawsuit filed in March by the NLRB, which sought to force Amazon to reinstate a fired employee who was involved in the union drive. In the filing made public Thursday, Amazon said it was also objecting to the labor agency's conduct before and during the polling, that the company says interfered with the election. A labor dispute down in Alabama, where the other union election was held, is also heating up. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which is trying to unionize an Amazon warehouse in the city of Bessemer, said Thursday it filed several objections with the federal labor board over how the retail giant conducted itself in that election. Among other things, the RWDSU said the company fired and retailed against union supporters. Initial results in the Alabama union election show the RWDSU down by 118 votes, with the majority of Amazon warehouse workers rejecting a bid to form a union. The final outcome is still up in the air with 416 outstanding challenged ballots hanging in the balance. A hearing to review the ballots is expected to begin in the coming weeks. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) If a bill legalizing medical marijuana doesn't reach his desk, Gov. Andy Beshear says he's ready to consider taking action himself to give some ailing Kentuckians access to medicinal cannabis. The Democratic governor's comments Thursday reflected his growing frustration as the latest medical marijuana bill is currently stalled in the state Senate. Asked if he could potentially issue an executive order making medical marijuana accessible if the bill dies, the governor told reporters: Were going to explore that. Its something that we will look at," he said. "Its time has certainly come. But the governor called on lawmakers to send him a bill that would allow Kentucky to join the majority of states that legalized medical marijuana. The high-profile Kentucky measure cleared the Hous e on a 59-34 vote last month but it has made no headway in the Senate. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. The bill would strictly regulate the use of cannabis for a list of eligible medical conditions. Beshear said the measure has overwhelming support among Kentuckians. You see people from every part of every spectrum that are in favor of this, Beshear said. The bill's prospects appear to be bleak in the Senate. Senate President Robert Stivers said Thursday that it would be difficult to pass the measure once lawmakers reconvene next week for the final two days of this year's 60-day session. Instead, Stivers touted another pending bill that would create a cannabis research center at the University of Kentucky to study the use of cannabis to treat certain medical conditions. Most definitely, I think there is that desire to help individuals," Stivers said. "But with any drug, I think you need to have the full-blown studies. Those studies at the state's flagship university would shed more light on the medicinal and therapeutic values of marijuana, the Senate leader told reporters. That would give us the impetus to come back maybe within a year and say this is what marijuana could be used for or not be used for, Stivers said. The governor said the passage of legislation legalizing medical marijuana is already along overdue. Under the current bill, doctors could prescribe medical cannabis for a specified list of conditions that include cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy and chronic nausea. The measure also includes home rule provisions. It would make medical cannabis legal statewide but county fiscal courts or commissions could vote to disallow it. However, cities in those counties would have the option to allow it. Supporters say medical marijuana would ease the suffering of many Kentuckians. Eric Crawford, a steadfast medical marijuana advocate in Kentucky, has told lawmakers that he uses medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids to deal with pain and muscle spasms from injuries he suffered in a vehicle crash more than two decades ago. Opponents say they worry that Kentuckys cannabis policy would become more lenient over the years if medical marijuana gets a legal foothold. That would worsen drug addiction woes, they said. If medical cannabis becomes legal in Kentucky, four types of related ventures would result cannabis farmers, processors, dispensaries and safety testers. Republican Rep. Jason Nemes, the bills lead sponsor, has stressed that it would be a home-state enterprise. Meanwhile, the governor also made a late pitch Thursday for a bill that would legalize sports betting in Kentucky. That measure also passed the House but has languished in the Senate. You can drive across virtually every border in Kentucky and place a bet on your phone," Beshear said. "Its time for Kentucky not to be last and to step up and to join the rest of the world. Stivers downplayed the bill's potential as a revenue generator for the state. If you think about a dollar, this wouldnt even be a penny in receipts for what it may generate," he said. "So Im kind of ambivalent towards it. As for entertainment value, it would be what I would call either an appetizer or dessert in a menu of options you would have here for entertainment. Tax revenue generated from sports betting would flow into the state public pension system. Sports wagering is expected to generate at least $22.5 million a year in revenue, its sponsors have said. During his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, a solemn Pope Francis decried the massacre in Bucha and kissed a battered Ukrainian flag from the ravaged hamlet near Ukraine's capital. The pope also raised a soiled Ukrainian flag and asked a group of Ukrainian refugee youngsters and two mothers to join him on the stage. He kissed the flag as he folded it. Pope Francis Condemns "Massacre in Bucha" Women and children account for around 90 percent of the more than 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled their nation since Russia invaded on February 24. Pope Francis shared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's criticism of the United Nations for failing to stop Russia's barbaric assault on his nation, per CBS News. Countries attempted to lay the foundations for a 'new era of peace after World War II, the pontiff said on Wednesday, "but unfortunately, the old story of competition between the greater powers continued, and we are witnessing the impotence of international organizations in the current war in Ukraine." Since the beginning of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, Pope Francis has appealed for an end to hostilities. The pope has acknowledged that he is planning a visit to Kyiv and that Vatican diplomats are working behind the scenes to bring the conflict to an end. When several Western countries voiced their displeasure with Russia by tightening down on diplomats working in their country. Massive crimes were undeniably perpetrated in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, where mass graves were discovered near a church and corpses filled the streets. US President Joe Biden called for a war crimes tribunal in connection with the murder of civilians in Bucha, pledging to seek further sanctions against Russia. Around 410 remains of dead Ukrainians were discovered in Bucha, Irpin, and other towns and villages over the first two days, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry on Sunday, April 3. According to the Defense Ministry, the precise number of Russian military deaths will be significantly higher. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba revealed photographs of the atrocities wrought by withdrawing Russian armed troops in Bucha city on Sunday, April 3, Republic World reported. Read Also: [Report] Russia Attacks More than 20 Schools in Ukraine Each Day; Troops Cut out Civilians' Tongues, Turning Ukrainians Into 'Silent Slaves' Bodies Pile up in Bucha As police went about their business, dead citizens dressed in jeans and winter jackets and wearing sneakers could be seen through the open zippers of a handful of corpse bags. Over 60 dead have been found in Bucha in the last 24 hours. The remains of the family, twisted in death, were buried beside another unnamed Ukrainian in harrowing images. Officials in Makariv, a few kilometers northwest of Motyzhyn, reported that 20 dead had been discovered in and around the town. Rescue workers in Borodyanka, where Ukrainian people are claimed to have fought off a Russian onslaught last month, said they were seeking bodies in the wreckage of demolished apartment complexes. Ukrainian officials warned residents to flee the east, where Kremlin forces are anticipated to advance, in light of the gory trail left behind by withdrawing Russian troops in the north. Officials in Sloviansk, a city in the Donetsk oblast to the east, warned Wednesday that local bank branches, as well as postal and pension functions, were closing down. As Russian shelling hit high-rise buildings in the city of Severodonetsk, authorities in the eastern Luhansk oblast encouraged inhabitants to flee westward, as per New York Post. Related Article: Pope Francis Considers Visiting Ukraine Amid Ongoing Russian Attacks @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Joe Biden recently announced that, in addition to $1 billion in humanitarian aid to Europe, the United States would accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees using the full range of legal pathways. Despite representing a fraction of those fleeing Ukraine, Bidens goal would be a watershed moment if only it were possible. Regrettably, though, this is merely a headline grabber rather than a policy grounded in reality. Aside from the fact that the administration has not laid out any concrete plans to accomplish Bidens commitment, Americas legal refugee framework was not built to handle emergency relief measures on such a large scale. To the extent it could have handled such numbers in the past, thats certainly over post-Trump. Between COVID-19 and the prior administrations anti-immigration policies, a system that processed and welcomed more refugees than other any country since 1980 has been left decimated. The Department of Homeland Security under Trump shifted many government refugee officers to other agencies, adopted new security vetting procedures that lengthened wait times, and added redundant layers of government bureaucracy in order to deliberately slow the process. The proof of the administrations inability to meet these goals is demonstrated in how little progress America has made on recent refugee commitments. Biden raised the refugee cap twice, to 62,500 for 2021 and 125,000 for 2022, yet the United States resettled the fewest refugees ever in a fiscal year, just 11,411 during FY2021. The aftershocks of Trumps putative immigration policies continue to reverberate in disastrous ways, and we do not have the tools to respond adequately. Knowing full well we cannot admit 125,000 refugees, the administration will likely look to other avenues. Using the full range of legal pathways sounds promising, but these measures currently proposed are either meant for temporary protection or are contrary to the way immigration law is designed. The White House has signaled interest in extending the humanitarian parole program to Ukrainian refugees, as it did for Afghan ones, but this would be a temporary and insufficient solution. The program offers no formal pathways to permanent citizenship and would only delay the issue of where such refugees would go, especially for those who cannot return home. Further, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has processed less than 5% of the more than 40,000 Afghan applications in seven months; there is no reason to believe Ukrainian applicants wouldnt be subject to the same arduous wait times. As for other legal pathways, using nonimmigrant visas (NIV) as Biden has suggested, is a non-starter. Such visa classes are designated for temporary tourism, business, study or work and the administration would be hard-pressed to convince consular officers to issue visas they know will not be temporary in nature. Rather than release press statements for proposals that simply are not possible, Biden should instead come forward with an honest assessment to the American people: our immigration system is broken and in dire need of reform. Though Americans desperately want to help Ukrainians, our current system does not allow us to do so. He should go to Congress with a package of smaller, more piecemeal reforms that fit the time-sensitive needs of the situation and reflect bipartisan support for bringing over Ukrainian refugees. Comprehensive reform of the immigration system is likely dead, but proposals from both sides of the aisle remain in reach and should be considered. Biden has already implemented the bipartisan push to grant Temporary Protection Status for Ukrainians already in the United States, but he should go further to bring refugees that are overloading European nations. He should expedite the applications of those with family in the U.S., including those with pending Lautenberg applications designated for persecuted minorities with relatives in the country. These reforms are outlined in a letter written by Rep. Jason Crow and others to the White House last week. If the administration wants to admit Ukrainians rapidly but without bureaucratic hassles, they should consider a parole program similar to the one used to aid Afghans in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover. The United States could also admit Ukrainians by using the Visa Waiver program, known as ESTA, which is used for most Europeans to enter our country. With ESTA, any Ukrainian could be vetted for security and granted parole once they land in the United States. Biden should also focus on institution-level reforms that tackle some of the systems biggest inefficiencies, including the overwhelming USCIS case backlog. Proposals such as those from Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Sen. Thom Tillis would facilitate Ukrainian refugee resettlement, ease processing delays and assist millions already in the country. The window of opportunity to meet the moment and act for those suffering is closing fast. A bureaucracy that allows up to 125,000 refugees this year, yet has processed fewer than 8,000 to date, is not one prepared for the crisis unfolding in Ukraine or any future one for that matter. Biden rightly said that assisting Ukrainians in need is an international responsibility. Now is the time for him to follow the will of the American people and make a statement on what can be achieved through a resolve to preserve human security and democracy. BOSTON (AP) A Boston couple says they have purchased a building in the city to create a Holocaust museum. Jody Kipnis said Thursday that she and Todd Ruderman purchased the 15,000 square-foot building on Tremont Street for $11.5 million. They are co-founders of the Holocaust Legacy Foundation, which seeks to preserve and perpetuate the memory and lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. The New England Holocaust Memorial is in Boston, but this would be the first indoor museum dedicated to the Holocaust in the city. Kipnis said it's still too early to say when the museum could open, but they hope to move quickly because of increased antisemitism and xenophobia around the world. Look what's going on in Europe again, she said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And we've seen a rise in hate crimes and swastika graffiti in schools in Massachusetts. We're looking to build a museum that will be an interactive, cautionary experience. Kipnis and Ruderman went to the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 2018 with a good friend and Holocaust survivor, who asked them to tell his story. After, Kipnis said, they started a fellowship so Jewish teenagers could travel to Germany and Poland and learn about the Holocaust, then return to educate others and serve as a resource when their communities needed to address antisemitism. The trips were canceled during the pandemic and this summer's plans are halted due to the war. Kipnis said they ultimately knew they wanted to make a larger impact. Michael Berenbaum, a professor, author and filmmaker who served as project director for the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is in charge of developing the exhibitions for the Boston museum. He said Thursday that he's working to integrate the story of the Holocaust with the locale of Boston and the people and history of Boston, including the Freedom Trail and Holocaust Memorial. Berenbaum said he signed on to the project in part because Holocaust imagery is widespread these days, but Holocaust education and knowledge is not. The Holocaust, World War II and Nazism have been important tools for Vladimir Putin in his bid to legitimize Russias moves in Ukraine, but historians see their use as disinformation and a cynical ploy to further the Russian leaders aims. Andrea Comi/Getty Images The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer warning Americans to avoid traveling to Canada due to the coronavirus as the CDC designated 25 countries and territories, also including Jamaica and Argentina, at lower-risk categories for the virus on Monday. However, the CDC wrote that Americans should be up to date on their coronavirus vaccinations before visiting Canada, as the level of COVID-19 in the country was bumped down from "very high" to "high." Canada had been at Level 4 in a four-level system since Jan. 10 and is now at Level 3. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) A security alliance between China and the Solomon Islands has sent shudders throughout the South Pacific, with many worried it could set off a large-scale military buildup or that Western animosity to the deal could play into Chinas hands. What remains most unclear is the extent of Chinas ambitions. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, with its massive U.S. military bases. China so far operates just one acknowledged foreign military base, in the impoverished but strategically important Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Many believe that Chinas Peoples Liberation Army is busy establishing an overseas military network, even if they dont use the term base. The Solomon Islands government says a draft of its agreement with China was initialed last week and will be cleaned up and signed soon. The draft, which was leaked online, says that Chinese warships could stop in the Solomons for logistical replenishment and that China could send police, military personnel and other armed forces to the Solomons to assist in maintaining social order." The draft agreement specifies China must approve what information is disclosed about joint security arrangements, including at media briefings. The Solomon Islands, home to about 700,000 people, switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 a move rejected by the most populous province and a contributing factor to riots last November. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded in February by saying that Washington would reopen its embassy in the capital, Honiara, which has been closed since 1993, to increase its influence in the Solomons before China becomes strongly embedded." Both China and the Solomons have strongly denied the new pact will lead to the establishment of a Chinese military base. The Solomon Islands government said the pact is necessary because of its limited ability to deal with violent uprisings like the one in November. The country has been ruined by recurring internal violence for years," the government said this week. But Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. have all expressed alarm about the deal, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing it as gravely concerning. David Panuelo, the president of nearby Micronesia, which has close ties to the U.S., wrote an impassioned letter to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare asking him to rethink the agreement. He noted that both Micronesia and the Solomon Islands were battlegrounds during World War II, caught up in the clash of great powers. I am confident that neither of us wishes to see a conflict of that scope or scale ever again, and most particularly in our own backyards," Panuelo wrote. But the Solomon Islands police minister mocked Panuelo's concerns on social media, saying he should be more worried about his own atoll being swallowed by the ocean due to climate change. Sogavare has likewise dismissed foreign criticism of the security agreement as insulting, while labeling those who leaked the draft as lunatics. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the agreement aims to maintain the safety of peoples lives and property, and does not have any military overtones, saying media speculation on the potential development of a base was groundless. Euan Graham, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore, said China has been pursuing such a port facility for some five years as it aims to expand its naval presence in the South Pacific as part of Beijing's long-game of seeking to become the dominant regional power. If they want to break out into the Pacific, at some point they will need the logistics capability to support that presence, Graham said. We're not talking about war plans here; this is really about extending their presence and influence. Unlike the base built in Djibouti, where China has commercial interests in the region to protect, Graham said any operation in the Solomon Islands would likely be less substantial. Its quite a subtle and interesting geopolitical game thats emerged in the South Pacific, he added. And I think the Chinese have been very successful, if you like, in outflanking the United States and Australia in an influence competition, not a military competition." China's base in Djibouti was opened in 2017. China doesn't call it a base, but rather a support facility for its naval operations fending off piracy in the Gulf of Aden and for its African peacekeeping operations. It boasts a 400-meter (1,300-foot) runway and a pier big enough to dock either of Chinas two operating aircraft carriers. The base, with 2,000 personnel, allows China to position supplies, troops and equipment in a strategically crucial region, while also keeping an eye on U.S. forces that are stationed nearby. Chief among other potential base candidates is Cambodia, whose authoritarian leader Hun Sen has long been a trusted Chinese ally and which reportedly signed a secret 2019 agreement permitting the establishment of a Chinese base. China is dredging the harbor at Ream Naval Base to allow ships larger than any Cambodia possesses to dock, and is building new infrastructure to replace a U.S.-built naval tactical headquarters. A Chinese base in Cambodia would establish a chokepoint in the Gulf of Thailand close to the crucial Malacca Strait. China has also funded projects at Gwadar in Pakistan, another close ally, and in Sri Lanka, where Chinese infrastructure lending has forced the government to hand over control of the southern port of Hambantota. Especially intriguing has been an alleged Chinese push to establish a base in the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea. That would give China a presence on the Atlantic opposite the east coast of the continental United States as well as in an important African oil-producing region. China has seized opportunities to expand its influence at a time when the U.S. and other countries have not been as engaged economically in the Pacific islands, said Elizabeth Wishnick, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Montclair State University in New Jersey. About 80 years ago in the Solomon Islands, the U.S. military began its famous island hopping campaign of World War II to take back Pacific islands from Imperial Japanese forces one-by-one. It successfully won back the main island of Guadalcanal in February 1943 after some six months of fierce fighting. Today, the Solomon Islands would give China the potential ability to interfere with U.S. naval operations in the region that could be crucial in the event of a conflict over Taiwan or in the South and East China seas. Lt. Gen. Greg Bilton, Australias chief of joint operations, said that if Chinese naval ships were able to operate from the Solomon Islands it would change the calculus. Theyre in much closer proximity to the Australian mainland, obviously, and that would change the way that we would undertake day-to-day operations, particularly in the air and at sea, he told reporters. But Jonathan Pryke, the director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, said he thinks that leaders have overreacted to the agreement, perhaps in Australia's case because there is an election looming. It's clearly getting everyone very animated in the West and very alarmed, Pryke said. But I don't think it markedly changes things on the ground. He said the pact could be seen as the first step toward China establishing a base, but there would need to be many more steps taken before that could happen. I think the alarmism has strengthened China's hand by pushing the Solomon Islands into a corner, Pryke said. And they've reacted the way I imagine many countries would react from getting this outside pressure by pushing back, and digging their heels in. ___ Rising reported from Bangkok. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BERLIN (AP) Two former German ministers said Thursday they have submitted a criminal complaint with federal prosecutors seeking the opening of a war crimes probe against Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, over Russia's actions in the war in Ukraine. It comes as the weekly Der Spiegel reports that Germany's foreign intelligence agency has intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians in Ukraine. Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and former Interior Minister Gerhart Baum said they want to use German laws allowing prosecution of serious crimes committed abroad to bring to justice those they consider responsible for atrocities in Ukraine. Germany's application of the rule of universal jurisdiction led to the first conviction of a senior Syrian official for crimes against humanity earlier this year. Lawyer Nikolaos Gazeas, who compiled the 140-page criminal complaint on their behalf, said it targets not just Putin's Russian leadership and the 32 members of his security council, but also a whole series of members of the Russian military. The crimes detailed in the complaint range from the attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine to the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, he said. Gazeas added that federal prosecutors could also use information obtained by intelligence agencies when deciding whether to launch a case. He cited specifically a report Thursday by Der Spiegel that said Germany's BND intelligence agency has intercepted Russian military radio traffic in which soldiers may have discussed specific killings of civilians in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv. Russia has denied that its troops were involved in war crimes before they withdrew from Bucha. But the radio recordings the BND shared with German lawmakers on Wednesday recounted specific killings, including the shooting of a person on a bicycle, Spiegel reported. The recordings also indicated that the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was involved in atrocities there, the weekly reported. German government officials declined to confirm or deny the report, saying intelligence matters are not discussed publicly. While prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have also launched an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine, Gazeas said parallel probes in multiple jurisdictions made sense and could be mutually reinforcing. The complaint specifically alleges crimes against humanity and war crimes, but not the crime of committing a war of aggression, which Germany only prosecutes if the country itself is attacked or German citizens are involved. The law is a weapon in this situation, said Baum, the former interior minister. And we want to use it. ___ Follow all AP stories on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) A Palestinian opened fire into a crowded bar in central Tel Aviv, killing at least two people and wounding several others. The attacker, who was from the occupied West Bank, eluded police for hours before he was killed in a shootout with security forces early Friday, officials said. It was the fourth deadly attack in Israel by Palestinians in less than three weeks and came at a time of heightened tensions around the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Protests and clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan last year eventually ignited an 11-day Gaza war. The militant Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip praised the attack but did not claim responsibility. Hundreds of Israeli police officers, canine units, and army special forces, had conducted a massive manhunt in central Tel Aviv, searching building by building through densely populated residential neighborhoods. Israel's Shin Bet security agency said they eventually cornered the attacker in a mosque in the Jaffa neighborhood, where he was killed in an exchange of fire. After a difficult night, and after long hours of activity by police, the army and the Shin Bet, we succeeded this morning, through intelligence and operational cooperation, to close the circle and to kill the terrorist in a shootout, Israeli police chief Kobi Shabtai said. Thursdays attack took place at the start of the Israeli weekend in the popular nightlife area. Medics described scenes of panic, with dozens of people fleeing after the shots rang out. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said two men around 30 years old were killed. Another seven people were wounded, three of them seriously, it said. Eleven Israelis were killed in three previous attacks, making this one of the worst waves of violence in years. The shooting took place on Dizengoff Street, a central thoroughfare that has seen other attacks over the years. In the most recent, an Arab citizen of Israel shot and killed two Israelis and wounded several others on the street in January 2016. Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have held a flurry of meetings in recent weeks, and Israel has taken a number of steps aimed at calming tensions, including issuing thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Prior to the attack, Israel had said it would allow women, children and men over 40 from the occupied West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem on Friday, the first weekly prayers of Ramadan. Tens of thousands were expected to attend. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and sits on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. The holy site has long been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel has worked to sideline the Palestinian issue in recent years, instead focusing on forging alliances with Arab states against Iran. But the century-old conflict remains as intractable as ever. Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories to form their future state. The last substantive peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is opposed to Palestinian statehood. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and considers the entire city to be its capital. It is building and expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which most of the international community considers illegal. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But along with neighboring Egypt, it imposed a crippling blockade on the territory after the militant Hamas group seized power from rival Palestinian forces two years later. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since then. Hamas spokesman Abdelatif Al-Qanou said late Thursday that the "the heroic attack in the heart of the (Israeli) entity has struck the Zionist security system and proved our peoples ability to hurt the occupation. On March 29, a 27-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank shot and killed five people in the central town of Bnei Brak. Two days earlier, a shooting attack by two Islamic State group sympathizers in the central city of Hadera killed two police officers. The week before, an IS supporter killed four people in a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the southern city of Beersheba. The Hadera and Beersheba attacks were carried out by Palestinian citizens of Israel. The recent attacks appear to have been carried out by lone assailants, perhaps with the help of accomplices. No Palestinian militant group has claimed them, though Hamas has welcomed the attacks. Israel says the conflict stems from the Palestinians' refusal to accept its existence as a Jewish state and blames attacks in part on incitement on social media. Palestinians say such attacks are the inevitable result of a nearly 55-year military occupation that shows no sign of ending. ___ Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report. SPRINGFIELD In the wake of the recent deaths of five children who were in contact with the states child protection agency and eight contempt citations against the agencys director, House Republicans on Wednesday asked for a performance audit at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. House Resolution 824 filed Wednesday requests the states auditor general audit the agency and create a report that details: The types of changes made by DCFS in protocols and training to prevent the deaths of agency-involved children, protect the children in state care, and prevent unnecessary placements of state wards in psychiatric facilities and temporary placements The extent of monitoring by DCFS to see if procedures and protocols are effective in the protection of children The amount DCFS and other state agencies spent in 2020 and 2021 to address preventable deaths and stays in psychiatric facilities beyond medical necessity and emergency placements DCFSs efforts to comply with court orders holding Director Marc Smith in contempt and the reasons for the repeated contempt citations for failing to properly place DCFS wards The amount spent defending legal matters, including efforts to get the agency into court-mandated compliance for failure to properly place wards The resolutions sponsors, Reps. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, David Welter, R-Morris, and Chris Bos, R-Lake Zurich, said they want a snapshot of the agency performance over the last two years. Kids are in danger across the state. Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker and his party have failed, and they need to correct the situation, Welter said. We should not be seeing additional contempt orders. We should move everything we can to help save these kids and protect the youth that's in our care. Since December, at least five children have died after contact with the states child protection agency. They are Navin Jones, 8, of Peoria; Damari Perry, 6, of North Chicago; Sophia Faye Davis, 1, of Dawson; Zaraz Walker, 1, of Bloomington; and Tamsin Miracle Sauer, 3, of Nelson. During a simultaneous news conference in his Capitol office, Pritzker pointed to the decimation of the agency by the previous administration by failing to pass a budget to fund DCFS. The very people who are holding a press conference downstairs are some of the people who voted with Bruce Rauner to undercut that agency, Pritzker said. You need to provide a budget or there is no budget at all for that agency. As a result of that, what I was left with, what the current General Assembly was left with, was a lot of rebuilding that needed to take place. It's not something that you can snap your fingers and have happen overnight. Bos disagreed. Director Smith has had three years. He could have came in and been a hero and turned this agency around, Bos said in an interview after the news conference. In response to a question about whether Pritzker has confidence in Smith, he said he and the DCFS director are both concerned for child safety. The director is, like me, also deeply concerned about the conditions for these children and making sure that we're doing everything we can with the budgets that we have, with the time that we have, to do it as quickly as possible to bring back beds for these kids to make sure that they're getting the services they need, he said. A federal judge has scheduled a status hearing for Thursday on the federal lawsuit regarding a 30-year-old consent decree to reduce caseloads, ensure that wards are not improperly held in psychiatric facilities and improve outcomes for state wards. Thursday is also the day Cook County Juvenile Judge Patrick Murphy holds the stuck kids docket. Thats the docket for kids who are in psychiatric facilities beyond medical necessity or remain in placements despite orders the agency to move them in accordance with DCFS recommendations. Murphy presides over the docket and issued the contempt orders against Smith. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian authorities rescued a Norwegian dive instructor and were searching Thursday for three other Europeans, including two teenagers, who disappeared while diving off a southern island. Kristine Grodem, a 35-year-old registered diving instructor, was rescued by a tugboat early Thursday about 22 nautical miles (40 kilometers) from the dive site and was airlifted to a hospital, according to Johor state maritime authorities. The missing divers are Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, of France; Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, of Britain; and his Dutch son, Nathen Renze Chesters, 14. They were diving together Wednesday afternoon in water about 15 meters (50 feet) deep at an island off the town of Mersing in southern Johor state. First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria, Johor director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, said Grodem was found safe with full diving gear and was in stable condition without any serious injuries. He said she was providing dive training for the other three, who were seeking to obtain advanced diving licenses, and that a report was made after the group did not surface about an hour after their dive. The agency began a search Wednesday afternoon before suspending it for the night due to poor visibility. The search resumed early Thursday with two planes, 18 boats and about 90 personnel, including rescue divers. The operation was halted again for the night and is set to resume early Friday. District police chief Cyril Edward Nuing said Grodem told investigators that the group surfaced after about 40 minutes and began a second dive. He said they surfaced again soon because of rough water conditions, and Grodem tried to get the boat skippers attention but couldnt be heard as they drifted away. She was then separated from the others due to the strong current, she said. Based on her account, the three others managed to surface. With their equipment, their full gear and their experience, we believe there is a strong chance of finding them alive," he said. Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the boat skipper tested positive for drugs and has been detained for further investigation. We will investigate in terms of their diving equipment, the dive center and so on. A forensic team will be arriving. If there is misconduct and so on, we will investigate as well, he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency. Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar ordered a suspension of all diving activities off Mersing pending an investigation into the incident. There are five islands off the town that are popular dive spots for local residents and tourists. We cannot allow diving to continue if safety measures are compromised," he said in a statement. Diving rules and regulations must also be reviewed and made public before the sport is allowed to resume, he said. Malaysia's borders reopened to foreigners on April 1 after being closed for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. The immigration department said more than 55,000 foreigners entered Malaysia in the first four days after the reopening. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The subject during the Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday was wetlands licenses, but Comptroller Peter Franchot brought up the thing that everyone was actually thinking about the boat. Ever Forward, the enormous container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay that has been a nearly one-month headache for the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Baltimore and the Department of the Environment, had become a concern for the governor, the comptroller and the states treasurer. I remain concerned about the ongoing salvage effort, Franchot, a Democrat running for governor, said. Each day that goes by increases the potential for a hull breach, (and) disruptions to the critical Port of Baltimore. A hull breach can result in ecological, reputational and economic risks to Maryland. The ship has been the subject of local curiosity and nationwide conversation. Owned by Taiwan-based shipping company Evergreen Marine Corp, the vessel departed Baltimore at 10:33 p.m on March 13, and steered outside the Craighill Channel and became lodged on the bottom just off the shores of Pasadena, according to information from the Board of Public Works meeting. By the time it is freed, it will have been more than a month since it originally became wedged. At almost 1,096 feet long and nearly 158 feet wide, it is, Franchot said, the largest boat ever stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. Doug Myers, Maryland senior scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, drove the enormity of the situation home during an interview with the Capital News Service. This is a very large ship and its very stuck, Myers said. The ship is 42 feet deep and its in 24 feet of water. So, that means about 20 feet of it is buried in the mud. Rescue efforts are being coordinated by the United States Coast Guard, with support from state agencies. Plans to free the ship were put in place immediately after it ran aground. Initial efforts centered around dredging, clearing away the mud from around the hull, and then using tow boats to pull the ship out. The first attempts failed. Dredging continued to the depth of 43 feet, along with an additional tow. Neither worked and dredging was halted on April 5,, Port of Baltimore Executive Director William Doyle told the Board of Public Works. The mud and sand dredged from around the boat was taken to Poplar Island, a land mass off the coast of Marylands Eastern Shore in Talbot County. With all attempts to free the vessel so far unsuccessful, Coast Guard officials have decided the next course of action is to remove cargo containers from the boat to lighten it. The containers will be returned to Seagirt Marine Terminal in the Port of Baltimore, Doyle said. Weather permitting, the effort is expected to begin on April 8 and run until April 15, he said. Evergreen has cleared the way for the new effort by declaring General Average on the vessel on March 31. By declaring General Average, a principle of maritime law, all parties with an interest in the ship and cargo will share financial responsibility for solving the predicament. If this story sounds familiar, its because Ever Forward is a sister ship of Ever Given, the container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal in Egypt in March 2021. Ever Given blocked traffic in the canal for six days. The incident put pressure on global shipping as scores of ships were unable to move through the canal. The Ever Forward is not preventing travel through the bay. Still, the longer the ship sits, the more environmental concerns arise. In an effort to prevent any negative impacts by the ships grounding, a 500-yard safety zone has been established around the vessel. Ensuring the ships stability and monitoring for any signs of pollution continue to be top priorities for the Unified Command and responders, Doyle said. The threat of pollution and damage has environmentalists concerned. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, has been watching the removal efforts closely, Myers said. Weve been in contact with the Department of the Environment and the Coast Guard since a day or two after the grounding, because of concern that anytime a ship that large is aground, it creates a lot of stress on the hull, he said. This kind of ship is not designed to be sitting on the bottom. Its designed to be floating. We will remain very concerned until it is freed, and were sure no spills have occurred. During Wednesdays meeting, Hogan said he may not have a solution to the grounding, but he did offer one suggestion. Ive had a discussion with Bill Doyle about this, he said. I said I was gonna climb up on the side of that ship and paint an N on it. Never Forward. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters has sent a letter to Gov. Kate Brown and legislative leaders asking for a summit to address a crippling shortage of public defenders that's led to the dismissal of dozens of criminal cases and a huge court backlog. Because of pandemic court closures, public defenders face a tremendous backlog of cases and arent taking new clients. Cases cant be heard unless the defendant has an attorney and several hundred people are currently in custody statewide without representation, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Thirty-five cases in Multnomah County, which is home to Portland, have been dismissed by judges over prosecutors' objections because of the public defender shortage, OPB said, citing a memo. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said in an opinion piece published in The Oregonian/OregonLive last month that the justice system is nearing the point of breakage" because of the public defender shortage and the departure of overworked prosecutors. Schmidt said a judge dismissed three cases in March, including a domestic violence case that included allegations of strangulation, because the defendants lacked an attorney. More than 150 felony cases in the Portland area lack a public defender and can't be prosecuted, he wrote. In nearby Washington County, 11 people in custody are without an attorney, court staff told OPB this week. In Multnomah County, more than 260 people are without an attorney. Of those, 22 are in custody. In Oregon, public defense is run through the Office of Public Defense Services, which secures and pays contracts to public defense firms. Walters, the Supreme Court justice, is responsible for appointing the commission members who hire and oversee the agencys executive director. State lawmakers last month allocated $12.8 million in additional funds to add public defenders and support staff to the hardest-hit counties, including Multnomah, Washington, Lane and Marion. But Walters said in her letter that providers have found it more difficult than anticipated to do that hiring and are also facing the unanticipated loss of experienced counsel" and state leaders need to urgently address the immediate crisis. Leading up to the summit, Walters said shell host a series of meetings with prosecutors, judges and public defenders starting next week. Her first meeting will be next week in Multnomah County where, she noted, a lack of staffing at the sheriffs office has made it challenging to assist with attorney-client visits critical to case resolution, as well as transporting people in custody to court hearings. The current crisis is having a real impact on defendants who have a constitutional right to counsel, on courts ability to resolve cases, on the safety of our communities, Walters wrote. Hungary goes against the bloc and pays for natural gas in rubles despite objections from EU members to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands. This move draws the ire of the rest of the western nations who failed to show a united front against the Kremlin. Since the start of the conflict, its leader, Viktor Orban, has kept ties with Moscow despite opposition to his stand. Hungary in Solidarity With Russia The Hungarian Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations, Zoltan Kovacs, told the media that Prime Minister Orban agreed to pay in rubles and had no problem with it, saying they pay in rubles, reported Express UK. These anti-EU comments came after winning a fourth term over his pro-Brussels opponent in a majority victory last Sunday. Budapest, an EU member state, does not want to risk energy security by giving up Russian energy but does not call out Putin for the attempt to help DPR and LPR to be free of pro-Ukraine forces. Orban attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his victory speech and called him an opponent whose pronouncements tried to make him lose this election, citing The Times of Israel. Last Monday, Moscow sent its congratulations on the mop-up of his pro-west opponent. A Kremlin spokesman said that despite the West's pressure on Budapest, they failed in the country to choose its interests with Russia. Putin Demands Oil, Gas Payments in Rubles Earlier, Putin had enough of the sanctions against his country and used the gas card. He informed hostile nations, excluding Hungary, that the contracts for natural gas would be paid rubles or would be torn up, which caused a flurry of anger, calling it a breach of contract, noted Reuters. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Children: Does Russia's President Have Kids? But a way to pay for natural gas was offered in the form of ruble accounts in Russian banks. Adding that all the accounts for gas payment will be for all deliveries onward last Friday. It came with a warning that if the instructions are not followed, it will be a buyer's default, and gas will stop flowing at the taps, adding to the energy crisis. Putin made it clear that nothing is for free, and charity is not an option, including stopping current gas deals. Many European countries called the demands of Moscow blackmail, which Germany expressed very loudly. The Finance minister of Germany, Robert Habeck, said that getting blackmailed should be avoided, while British PM Boris Johnson said that Downing Street would not listen to Putin's demands. Sanctions that were supposed to deter Russia failed and were weak; it was done as penalties for invading Ukraine. The western alliance has placed sanctions on Russia-based firms and anyone who has links to Putin's government. A move to be less dependent on energy is in the works. According to the European Commission, the plan is to reduce reliance by two-thirds by the year's end and stop getting oil and natural gas by 2030. But it is not that easy, with 40 percent of natural gas and 27 percent of oil being from Gazprom and its pipelines. The UK is less dependent on its energy needs compared to European Union members. Hungary paying for natural gas in rubles is difficult, but Orban sees it as keeping its link with Russia that bothers Brussels. Related Article: Vladimir Putin Orders To Cut Off Germany's Gas Supply Due to Western Sanctions @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. EAST ALTON The National Great Rivers Research and Education Centers (NGRREC) Illinois RiverWatch Network and Education Department were both recently awarded $7,500 grants to produce short films focusing on freshwater science and education. The RiverWatch film will tell a story of the volunteers who represent both the energy and diversity of people participating in a freshwater mussel community science program, and what a small group can accomplish when people work together to understand what is happening in their local environment. We hope the film will encourage viewers to consider the importance of freshwater mussels and other animals living in their local streams said Danelle Haake, RiverWatch Director and Stream Ecologist. The film will also highlight the biodiversity and unique traits of freshwater mussels found in the Sangamon River and the importance of healthy water quality to protect these important animals. Perceptive Visions, Inc. will produce the film, which will feature volunteers with the Upper Sangamon River Conservancy. Although we would love for everyone to have an opportunity to work with us in-person to experience the excitement of finding their first mussel, we know that just isnt possible, Haake said. We hope this film will help us bring that joy to classrooms and computer screens across the region. The NGRREC Education Departments film will capture the transformation of students as they start to learn about and understand how water is integral to their lives and community. Viewers will go with the students on this journey and observe the changes in this student group as they explore what water means to them, Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher said. The education teams film will feature student exploration of science and ecology through experiences with local waterways in the Alton region. It will track their progression through different classroom and outdoor educational activities and will demonstrate the power and impact of place-based education and outside learning opportunities on students overall engagement with and excitement about science. Route 3 Films, out of St. Louis, Missouri will produce the film, and partners on the project include Swarovski Waterschool and Watershed Cairns artist Libby Reuter. Reuter will work with students to channel their creativity while learning about and creating found art pieces with recycled materials. The purpose of this film is to look into how this community of students relates to water in their lives, and explore how that relationship changes as they learn more about the ecological and social issues surrounding water Fisher said. This film will be used to demonstrate the power behind connecting students to sense of place and understanding of the complex interactions between water, humans, and the environment. Both of the projects are being funded by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. through their Lets Talk About Water grant program. They will both be publicly available through NGRRECs YouTube channel, as well the centers social media channels. For more information, contact Haake at dhaake@lc.edu or 618-468-2784 or Fisher at saafisher@lc.edu or 618-468-2783. BANGOR, Maine (AP) Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday just hours after voting to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, her office said. Collins office said the veteran senator, in office since 1997, tested positive late in the afternoon, a couple of hours after the historic vote. She wore a mask while on the Senate floor, her office said. STRATFORD State Senate candidate Justin Gendrons political career has taken a backseat to his professional one, with the Stratford Democrat announcing Tuesday that he has ended his campaign due to time constraints. Gendron previously worked part-time but has now gotten a full-time job in graphic design, making the run for the seat less feasible, he said. I went from a part-time job where I definitely could have done a whole state Senate campaign because they had the time, to a full-time career that really required full-time hours, Gendron, 22, said. Trying to make a living and run a Senate campaign at the same time, its just not something that I could do. A recent Southern Connecticut State University graduate, Gendron filed his candidacy on Jan. 5, running on making the state more affordable, prioritizing clean energy and investing in public education. The 21st District includes Stratford, Monroe, Seymour and Shelton. Gendron said he spoke with Stratford Democratic Town Committee chair Steve Taccogna about the time commitment of a state Senate run and decided it would be too much, considering the increased workload. Gendron also said that some smaller aspects contributed to the decision as well, like not seeing his family or his dog as much as he liked. We just talked about if the timing is right for Justin right now with everything he has going on, Taccogna said. I think it was a very healthy and important conversation between a party chair and somebody as new to it all as Justin. I think it was a good kind of level-setting. Taccogna said that the party is still behind Gendron and the members are all united in a common purpose, even though he is no longer running. His campaign had raised over $3,000 in support from donors, according to campaign treasurer Karen Tracy. It has not yet been determined how the money raised with be handled at this time, Tracy said. I appreciate all the love and support from everyone, and everyone who donated their time, their money, Gendron said. I extend my sincere gratitude to all of them. The campaign is in contact with the State Elections Enforcement Commission on how to move forward. Justin Gendron is a great candidate and has made a decision unrelated to his viability, Nancy DiNardo, chair of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media. Its early in the election season and were confident the Democratic Town Committee can find a replacement. Taccogna said there have been conversations with other possible candidates. Gendron had not officially received the party nomination, which will come in May should there be a new candidate, Taccogna said. Gendron said he will continue to work toward the goals outlined in his campaign and issued an open invitation to help the towns state legislators, Rep. Joe Gresko and Rep. Phil Young. He also sought to reassure those who feared he is ill, or a personal tragedy had happened to him recently. Kelly is a six-term incumbent who has served in the Senate since January 2011. He ran unopposed during the 2020 election. Kelly could not be immediately reached for comment. Republican Town Committee Chair Lou DeCilio wished Gendron well in his career. Im sure the Democrats will try to look for another candidate, but Kevin is in good shape no matter what they decide, he said. mike.mavredakis@hearstmediact.com ISTANBUL (AP) A Turkish court decided Thursday to transfer the trial of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing of Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, raising fears that those responsible for the death of the Washington Post columnist won't be brought to justice for a crime that drew international outrage. The decision, which comes as Ankara is trying to repair relations with Saudi Arabia, was denounced as scandalous by a human rights group. It marked an abrupt reversal for Turkey, which had vowed to shed light on the killing and began prosecuting the defendants in absentia in 2020. Khashoggi, a United States resident who wrote critically about Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed Oct. 2, 2018, at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He had gone into the consulate for an appointment to collect documents required for him to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, and never came out. Turkish officials alleged that Khashoggi was killed and dismembered with a bone saw inside the consulate by a team of Saudi agents sent to Istanbul. The group included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers and individuals who worked for the crown princes office. His remains have not been found. The Istanbul court's decision comes despite warnings from human rights groups that turning the case over to the kingdom would lead to a cover-up of the killing, which has cast suspicion on the crown prince. Last week, the prosecutor in the case recommended its transfer to the kingdom, arguing that the trial in Turkey would remain inconclusive. Turkeys justice minister supported the recommendation, adding that the trial in Turkey would resume if the Istanbul court is not satisfied with the outcome in Saudi Arabia. It was not clear if the kingdom, which has already put some of the defendants on trial behind closed doors, would open a new trial, and there was no immediate reaction from Riyadh to the decision. At Thursdays hearing, lawyers representing Cengiz asked the court not to move the proceedings to Saudi Arabia, the private DHA news agency reported. Lets not entrust the lamb to the wolf, the agency quoted lawyer Ali Ceylan as telling the court. Lets protect the honor and dignity of the Turkish nation. But the court halted the trial in line with the Justice Ministrys positive opinion, DHA reported. It also decided to lift arrest warrants issued against the defendants and gave the sides seven days to lodge any opposition. Saudi Arabia had rejected Turkey's requests to extradite the defendants, who included two former aides of the prince. Some of the men were put on trial in Riyadh behind closed doors. A Saudi court issued a final verdict in 2020 that sentenced five midlevel officials and operatives to 20-year jail terms. The court had originally ordered the death penalty, but reduced the punishment after Khashoggis son, Salah, who lives in Saudi Arabia, announced he forgave them. Three others were sentenced to lesser jail terms. At the time of the killing, Turkey apparently had the Saudi Consulate bugged and shared audio of the killing with the CIA, among others. The slaying sparked international condemnation. Western intelligence agencies, as well as the U.S. Congress, said an operation of such magnitude could not have happened without the knowledge of the crown prince. Human rights advocates had also urged Turkey not to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, arguing that justice for Khashoggi would not be delivered by Saudi courts. Its a scandalous decision, said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, asserting that the court had rubber-stamped a political decision that would allow the Turkish government to repair its ties with Saudi Arabia. In the interest of realpolitik, Turkey is ready to sacrifice justice for an egregious crime on its own soil, she told The Associated Press. (The decision) opens the way for other countries to commit assassinations on Turkish territory and get away with it. Cengiz said she would continue to seek justice. We will continue this (judicial) process with all the power given to me, as a Turkish citizen, she told reporters outside the courthouse. The two countries may be making an agreement, the two countries may be opening a new chapter ... but the crime is still the same crime, she said. The people who committed the crime havent changed. Governments and states must have a principled stance. The Committee to Protect Journalists also criticized the decision. The Turkish governments trial of Jamal Khashoggis suspected killers was politicized from the start, but the decision to transfer his case to Saudi Arabia extinguishes any hope of reaching an impartial conclusion based on the evidence, said Justin Shilad, CPJ's senior researcher for the Middle East and North Africa. The international community must pursue a credible and transparent investigation into Khashoggis murder, and should not allow political expediency or interference to derail justice," Shilad said. Turkey, which is in a deep economic downturn, has been trying to improve its strained relationship with Saudi Arabia and an array of other countries in the region. Some media reports have claimed that Riyadh has made improved relations conditional on Turkey dropping the case, which had inflamed tensions between two countries. The move would pave the way to a resolution of disputes between the two regional heavyweights since the 2011 Arab Spring, including Turkeys support for Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Riyadh considers a terrorist group. Turkey also sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute that saw Doha boycotted by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. ___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. LONDON (AP) Britains Treasury chief faced pressure to explain his wifes tax affairs Thursday after she acknowledged taking advantage of rules that allow many foreigners to escape U.K. taxes on their overseas income. The controversy arose after Akshata Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire, confirmed a newspaper report that she had non-domicile tax status. The admission is sensitive because her husband, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, just increased the income taxes most British citizens pay amid a cost-of-living crisis that is squeezing households across the country. Opposition leaders immediately demanded to know whether Murty was using the status to reduce her tax bill by reporting her overseas income in an offshore tax haven. The chancellor has imposed tax rise after tax rise on working people and hes said time and again theres no alternative, weve got no option, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said. If it now transpires that his wife has used schemes to reduce her own tax, then thats breathtaking hypocrisy. The Independent newspaper revealed Murtys tax status in a story that was posted online late Wednesday. A spokeswoman later confirmed the report, saying that Murty is a citizen of India, where she was born and her parents still live. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously, the spokeswoman said. So, according to British law, Ms Murty is treated as non-domiciled for U.K. tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay U.K. taxes on all her U.K. income. Sunak and Murty met when both were students at Stanford University in California. They have been married since 2009 and have two daughters. Claiming non-domicile status is entirely legal under U.K. tax rules that have been in place for more than 200 years. Under those rules, people who arent considered permanent residents of the U.K. can opt not to pay British income taxes on overseas income. They are still required to pay U.K. taxes on any income earned in Britain and any overseas earnings they bring into the country. Murty, a fashion designer, holds a 0.91% stake in Infosys, the Indian information technology company founded by her father, according to the companys most recent annual report. She would have received dividends equal to more than 10.6 million pounds ($13.8 million) on that stake in the 2020-21 financial year. Murty is also a director of the private equity firm Catamaran Ventures UK, according to UK government records. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng defended Murtys tax status as in order, and he criticized scrutiny of her finances as completely unfair. While he couldnt say where Murty pays her foreign taxes, Kwarteng said the chancellors wife has been clear that shes an Indian citizen and pays all her taxes. As far as Im concerned, thats good enough for me, and I think we can move on from that story, he said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to comment on Murtys tax status when asked about it during a public appearance. I think it is very important in politics, if you possibly can, to try and keep peoples families out of it, Johnson told broadcasters. But Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine called for Sunak to come clean about which country his family pays tax in abroad and if it is a tax haven. SANAA, Yemen (AP) Yemens exiled president stepped aside and transferred his powers to a presidential council Thursday, as international and regional efforts to end the countrys long-running civil war gained momentum with a two-month truce. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, major players in the war, appear to have had a role in President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's decision, quickly welcoming it with a pledge of $3 billion in aid. The head of the new council has close ties to Riyadh. It remains to be seen how the development will impact Yemen's grinding conflict. A Saudi-led coalition of which the UAE is a member has for years been fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to restore Hadi's government to power. So far, U.N. mediation efforts have yielded little fruit, and fighting, airstrikes and missile attacks had been escalating in the war until the cease-fire took effect. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed any significance of the new council. The rebels have in the past benefited from squabbles among their rivals. Our Yemeni people are not concerned with any illegitimate decisions made by illegitimate parties beyond their borders, Abdul-Salam tweeted. Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, described the power transfer as the most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Houthi bloc since war began. Hadi, 76, said the newly established council will run the government and lead negotiations with the Houthis, according to a statement aired on state-run media. The development, which could unify the anti-Houthi camp after years of infighting and disputes, was almost certainly orchestrated in Riyadh where Yemen's pro-government and pro-Saudi factions have been meeting over the past week to discuss efforts to end the war. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers, Hadi declared on Yemens state-run TV. He also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a powerful military figure, and delegated al-Ahmars powers to the presidential council. The council is chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, an advisor to Hadi and former interior minister with the government of late strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Al-Alimi enjoys close ties with Saudi Arabia and the powerful Islah party Yemen's branch of the transnational Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood. Yemen's civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. Months later, the Saudi-led coalition entered the war to try to restore Hadis government to power but the war over the years turned into a stalemated proxy conflict with neither side winning. Hadis exile distanced him from events on the ground, with his Saudi backers preventing him from returning to Yemen and the southern port city of Aden the new seat of the exiled government allegedly over safety issues. His administration was accused of gross mismanagement and government employees largely went without salaries. Separately, Aden became the scene of infighting among the coalition when UAE-backed separatists briefly overtook the city in 2019. A Riyadh-brokered deal later that year attempted to reconcile the separatists and Hadis forces but power struggles have persisted. Hadi's rule was also undermined by the UAEs influence in the territories nominally under his control. The UAE trained, financed and armed militias in Yemen and set up prisons. Yemen's war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14.500 civilians, and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. This month, the warring sides announced a two-month cease-fire the first nationwide truce in Yemen in six years starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia welcomed Hadi's move and urged the presidential council to embark upon U.N.-led negotiations with the Houthis to find a political, final and comprehensive settlement to the conflict, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also met with the council head and its members, Saudi state-run TV reported. The council has seven other members, including Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council an umbrella group of heavily armed militias propped up by the UAE since 2015. Also in the council are Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province, and Tariq Saleh, a militia leader and nephew of the late president with close ties to the UAE. Another member is Abdel-Rahman Abu Zarah, commander of UAE-backed Giants Brigades, which played a crucial role recently in repelling the Houthi offensive on the central city of Marib. Hadi was named president of Yemen in 2012 with a mission to oversee a democratic transition following its Arab Spring uprising that ended Salehs longtime rule. Separately, talks hosted by the Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council over the Yemeni war entered their final day on Thursday. The Houthis have boycotted the GCC efforts because they were taking place in Saudi Arabia, their adversarys territory. A number of countries welcomed the change in Yemen's leadership, with Egypt, Jordan and France expressing support for the presidential council. The Arab League and the European Union both said they hoped it could help the country further towards peace. At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric thanked Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their $3 billion in aid to Yemen and expressed U.N.'s readiness to work with the presidential council, as well all the Yemeni parties, to reach a lasting truce and a sustainable, inclusive and negotiated settlement to the Yemen conflict." ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Noha ElHennawy in Cairo and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Someone decided the fourth estate needed some yard work. Allen Carpenter, the mayor pro-tem of Spring Valley Villageone of several small municipalities located in the Memorial area on Houston's westside had little to say to ABC13's Miya Shay on Wednesday when the reporter questioned him about why the city's police chief was still on payroll despite being accused of stealing close to $300,000 in overtime. Shay was first to report on the allegations, which came to light during a special council meeting the week prior. The city's police chief Loyd Evans is accused of approving $285,078 in overtime for himself on top of his annual salary of $151,000 in 2020 and 2021, Shay reported. He was placed on paid administrative leave as the city worked on a plan to end his employment. When asked to retire, Evans reportedly refused. R. Clayton McKee/For The Chronicle Shay approached Carpenter outside his home and asked why Evans wasn't fired on the spot. Instead of engaging and explaining the situation to the reporter and the city's 4,200 residents, Carpenter dismissed her questions and called the issue simply a "personnel matter." Carpenter then flipped on his electric leaf blower to drown out her follow-up questions. The creative dodging was caught on ABC13's camera as the news crew attempted to get any kind of response from the city. Shay had spent the day trying to reach each of the city's five council members and mayor but was unsuccessful. The only response she received was a letter from the city's attorney outlining the allegations. Shay took the snub in stride while delivering her report. "It seems like a lot of people wouldn't mind trying to turn the leaf blower on me if they had the opportunity," Shay said. Mayra Beltran/Staff One of Houston's most influential Twitter users, Shay is in her 20th year reporting for the Disney-owned news station and is well-known in Greater Houston for her involvement in the community outside of her journalism. Shay reports that Evans will likely resign during a special meeting at Spring Valley Village city hall on Tuesday. It is unclear if leaf blowers will be checked at the door or allowed in the chambers. Sherburne County Jail A Boerne Boogaloo Bois member has been sentenced for his actions in the 2020 George Floyd riots in Minneapolis. Ivan Hunter, 24, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 5 to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for rioting during the 2020 civil unrest, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office news release. According to court documents, Hunter admitted to traveling from San Antonio to Minneapolis with the intent to participate in a riot. Hunter is a self-described member of the Boogaloo Bois, a loosely connected group of far-right individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term Boogaloo references the groups belief in an impending second civil war in the United States that includes a violent uprising against the government, according to the release. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that he plans to send undocumented immigrants to the steps of the U.S. Capitol via charter buses in order to address an expected influx of migrants coming to Texas. The Republican leader later clarified that migrants would only be sent to D.C. if they wanted to travel there. "We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border," Abbott said. The Republican governor, who is seeking reeelection this year and has strongly campaigned on border security, announced the new plan in response to the end of a pandemic-era public-health order used to turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The backlash over Abbott's announcement was swift from both Democrats and Republicans across the state. Abbott's Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke was one of the first to call out the plan. "If Abbott focused on solutions instead of stunts, then Texas could have made some real progress on this issue over the last seven years," the former El Paso congressman shared in a statement shared Wednesday. On Twitter Thursday, O'Rourke stated it's "Just another political stunt, financed by the people of Texas." Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) also took to Twitter and called Abbott "incompetent" over the plan. He instead directed attention to the fallout from last year's Winter Storm Uri. "[Abbott's] incompetence during a severe winter storm last year contributed to the deaths of hundreds of Texans," Castro tweeted. "He wants us to forget that by getting people mad at immigrants. Governor, why don't you just try to keep the lights on for us?" .@GovAbbott is an incompetent governor whose incompetence during a severe winter storm last year contributed to the deaths of hundreds of Texans. He wants us to forget that by getting people mad at immigrants. Governor, why dont you just try to keep the lights on for us? https://t.co/U6eCZYQHSO Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 6, 2022 The Texas Democratic Party called the move an "embarrassing political stunt," and compared the plan to the governor's Operation Lone Star, a 2021 effort during which Abbott sent thousands of National Guard troops to the U.S. southern border to beef up its security at a cost of about $2.5 million per week to Texas taxpayers. "It's time to stop treating humans as pawns and create real, humane policy," the group tweeted. After all, Greg's had 7 years to do so." Abbott also received criticism on behalf of members of his own party. Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Texas) on social media called the announcement a gimmick." U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) tweeted that Abbott has "developed a sickening record of using human beings for political purposes. Vulnerable migrants are more than pawns for political theatre. Our country is supposed to be better than this." Rochelle Garza, Democratic contender for Texas Attorney General and former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, tweeted that "Abbott's recent political stunt against asylum seekers is a waste of taxpayer dollars and a distraction from all the ways he is failing Texans." Despite the criticism, some Republicans backed Abbott on the announcement, including Sen. Ted Cruz who called Abbott's idea "excellent." The Houston Republican also advocated for sending migrants to other places, including cities in Massachusetts, California, Connecticut and New York. It's unclear why he singled out these cities in particular. In response to Abbott's announcement, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) while on Fox News Thursday said he "likes the sound of that" and suggested Abbott also send the buses filled with migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris's house. "Put them there so she can start paying attention to this crisis at our border," Crenshaw concluded. On Twitter, state Rep. Chip Roy (TX-District 21) who has previously said Abbott's Operation Lone Star isn't working to address border security, said the buses were a "giant step forward." "I hope those vehicle inspections are robust, the boat blockades stretch from McAllen to El Paso (& take volunteers), & buses go to the Capitol," Roy said in his post. "Keep at it @GovAbbott, & well defend these actions." Some Republican leaders outside of the state also chimed in to co-sign Abbott's proposal. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote in a Twitter post, "I'm sure Joe, Kamala, Nancy and Chuck will be glad to put them up at their D.C. homes. And AOC will surely celebrate this." History was made Thursday as Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the country. The 51-year-old former appeals court judge with nine years of experience on the federal bench was confirmed 53-47. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer. The historic achievement is being celebrated across the country and locally in Houston. In response to the confirmation, Mayor Sylvester Turner posted a tweet Thursday, saying "Another door has been opened. The Court looks a little bit more like America." In a follow-up statement shared on behalf of the African American Mayors Association, Turner further applauded the "extraordinary moment for the nation." "We are excited about Judge Jackson's confirmation because we understand that her breadth and depth of legal experience, lived experiences and deep commitment to equal justice will ensure all Americans, no matter their race or background, are better represented on the highest court," Turner wrote. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also took to Twitter to congratulate Jackson on the accomplishment, and said it's "a proud day for women everywhere." Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis in a shared statement said Jackson's confirmation "is cause for celebration, reflection and action." "Judge Jackson's ascent to the highest court in the land comes at a pivotal moment in the history we are living now as we face unprecedented, coordinated attempts to roll back the rights won by those who sacrificed and struggled before us." Ellis wrote. "Her confirmation breathes life into making real the constitutional promise of freedom, opportunity and justice for all people." Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee likewise congratulated Jackson and expanded on the importance of the feat. "If youre wondering why this one hits different-Black women across the US are serving honorably as judges, winning big cases, teaching the next gen of lawyers, and breaking barriers," Menefee tweeted. "*Justice* Jackson is a sterling example of the best the legal profession and country has to offer." Menefee followed by urging Wikipedia to update Jackson's page to reflect her new title. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg tweeted a photo of Brown with the word "HERstory" and said Brown is "exceptionally qualified, with a spectacular record & impeccable credentials, & we need her perspective as a Black woman & an expert in criminal justice on the country's highest court. She is a historic nominee and has demonstrated throughout her career that she will be impartial, meticulous, and will put the law and Constitution first in every case." Prior to the confirmation, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) posted a photo in which she is holding hands with Jackson and tweeted "History cannot be denied! The confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be embedded in American history forever!" Across the state, Texas leaders chimed in to extend their praises to Jackson. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson reflected on the impact the inspirational moment will have on his children. "I am pleased that my infant daughter Lela will grow up never having known what it was like NOT to have had a Black woman serve on the highest court in the land," Johnson tweeted. "May your service be an inspiration." On Twitter, Rep. Joaquin Castro retweeted a video of some Republicans walking out of the chamber amid applause for Brown after he shared a message of support for the judge. "Judge Jackson's nomination was historic and her confirmation is proof to young Black girls that they too can sit on our highest bench," Castro tweeted. "Her roles as a public defender and federal judge bring to the Court a wealth of experience in advancing justice and upholding the rule of law." The Russian Finance Ministry on Wednesday said that it paid the United States government $650 million in rubles for dollar-denominated debt obligations after the U.S. Treasury blocked Moscow's access to dollars held in American banks. Several credit rating agencies have indicated that payments made in a currency that was different from the one that the debt was sold in would count as default after the end of the grace period. Moscow's debt payments, which were due on Monday, have a 30-day grace period. $650 Million in Rubles Payment Furthermore, they had no provision for repayment in any other currency except dollars which could cause Russia's first default on foreign currency debt in more than a century. The Treasury Department on Monday tightened its restrictions on Russian financial transactions. Authorities said that the agency blocked Russia from making debt payments using dollars held in American banks. They added that they wanted to force the European nation to either deplete the foreign currency reserves it has in its territory or spend dollars from new revenue to avoid a default, as per the New York Times. Russia bought back three-quarters of the bond that matured on Monday, using rubles as payment, in a transaction last week. The bond was worth roughly $2 billion, but officials said that $552 million, including the final interest payment, was still pending. In March, credit ratings agency Fitch said that a "forced redenomination of payment obligations" suggested that a default or default-like process had started. The situation has forced the company to withdraw all of its Russian ratings. Read Also: Putin's Daughters Included in EU Sanctions List Amid Plans To Ban Investment That Would Benefit Russia According to Yahoo Finance, analysts have expressed their concerns on whether or not foreign holders of Russian dollar-denominated bonds would accept rubles as payment. The U.S. Treasury's decision on Monday is only one among its efforts of pressuring Russia amid the latter's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's Potential Default The situation comes after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia that affected its foreign reserves, equating to roughly $315 billion. In a press conference on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that significant amounts of Moscow's reserves were being blocked in many foreign countries. The official said that Russia would be forced to pay debts in rubles, its national currency, if the blocking continues. Peskov said that if rubles were not an acceptable form of payment, the country would be forced into a default situation. The spokesman argued that a default would only be "artificial" and not official because Russia has enough funds to pay the debts; it is just unable to gain access to them. Peskov noted that there were no grounds for an official default, "not even close." The United States federal government issued new sanctions on Russia in the aftermath of Moscow's attack in Bucha, Ukraine. The incident left dead bodies strewn in the streets, with some having signs of being tortured and raped before being killed. On Wednesday, United States President Joe Biden's administration announced new sanctions on Russian financial institutions and individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's two daughters, Katerina Tikhonova and Mariya Vorontsova, CNN reported. Related Article: Global Fury Grows Over Russia's Atrocities in Bucha; President Joe Biden Urges War Crime Trial Following Spread of 'Genocide' Images @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to suspend official travel to Texas over its recent controversial policies targeting transgender youth. In their motion, board members stated that the Lone Star State's decision to investigate certain gender-affirming medical care for trans youth as child abuse "flies in the face of all that we know about best practices when it comes to supporting children and young adults to discover who they are and feel secure in their sense of self," according to the Pasadena Star-News. Gov. Greg Abbott's declaration last month has led to health providers in the state suspending such treatments. "Caregivers who support youth with affirming care should in no way be labeled as abusive," the motion said, according to Star-News. "This order is discriminatory, harmful and just plain cruel." LA's ban makes an exception for the cancellation of any trips that "would seriously harm the county's interests." It also does not apply to law enforcement, tax auditors and collectors, and anyone who needs to travel to the states to appear before a federal committee. The board also banned taxpayer-funded travel to Florida over its controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill, contending that the bill, which restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, will "perpetuate a culture of bullying, secrecy, shame and fear," Star-News reported. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick earlier this week expressed interest in adopting a similar bill in Texas. California passed a law in 2017 that restricts taxpayer-funded travel to places that "authorize discrimination" against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, effectively barring the state from spending taxpayer money sending state employees or officials to certain states. The prohibition will remain in place as long as Texas and California's policies remain in place. The law does not apply to private citizens. That year, California also banned state-funded travel to the Lone Star State after Texas legislators passed a law providing legal protection for religious adoption and foster care agencies turning prospective parents away for being gay, according to the Dallas Morning News. Texas previously filed a challenge against California's policy. However, last year the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit, allowing the ban to remain in place. Michael Heffernan/Getty Images All of Greater Houston is under a red flag warning Thursday and potentially Friday, and authorities are urging people to avoid fire-related activities in its wake. The warning, issued by meteorologists at the National Weather Service's outpost in League City, is reserved for days with elevated fire weather when winds are high and relative humidity is low, creating conditions that would allow even a small fire to quickly get out of control. Thursday's forecast calls for 15 to 20 percent relative humidity throughout the region and steady winds between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts possible up to 25 mph. ZZ Top pulled into the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Wednesday evening for a rocking performance. The band has been together for over five decades and sold over 30 million records across 15 studio albums. The loss of long-time bassist Dusty Hill in 2021 did not stop the band as his spot o Shanghai converts National Exhibition and Convention Center into makeshift hospital Xinhua) 09:20, April 07, 2022 People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Hunter Biden's laptop was provided to politicians and the media, and the individual who distributed it departed the United States and flew to Switzerland, citing fear of punishment from the Biden administration. In the spring of 2021, Jack Maxey handed a copy of the hard disk from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop. He also turned over copies and materials from it to the Washington Post, the New York Times. Senator Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, claims that everyone on the committee sat on it for months. Lawmakers Demand To Divulge Information in Hunter Biden's Laptop Maxey has been hiding in Zurich for the past two weeks, working with IT professionals to recover additional data from the "laptop from hell." Maxey, a former co-host of ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon's podcast the War Room, claimed that he and his colleagues discovered "450 gb of erased information," including 80,000 photographs and videos and over 120,000 archived emails. In the coming weeks, he plans to put them all online in a searchable database. In 2019, Hunter Biden left his laptop at a computer store in Delaware. John Mac Isaac, the owner, handed a copy to Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who forwarded it to Maxey. Hunter Biden is photographed sleeping with a crack pipe on his lips, one of the photos was seen on the laptop. Maxey said that, after contacting DailyMail.com about the laptop last year, black suburban SUVs arrived outside his house. Former US intelligence officer pals with whom he gave copies reported unusual phone calls. In October 2020, Maxey followed their advice and uploaded batches of emails and other material from his laptop to file sharing sites. However, the connections were removed after roughly an hour. Maxey believes the US government was looking for material from the laptop that had been placed online and had alerted the corporations, Daily Mail reported. Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are demanding information from 51 former intelligence operatives about their 2020 claim that documents from Hunter Biden's laptop could contain Russian disinformation, with a senior GOP aide telling The Washington Post that if they don't comply the ex-spies should expect subpoenas next year. All 19 Republicans on the panel signed a letter demanding records on the intelligence community's claim that the laptop story had all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation, a statement that helped the Biden campaign deflect pre-election coverage of emails linking Joe Biden to his son's business ventures in China and Ukraine, according to the New York Post. The Washington Post and the New York Times recently said they had verified the veracity of the data, a year and a half after the New York Post first reported on the hard drive contents, as a federal investigation into the first son over possible tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign lobbying crimes heats up. Read Also: New Details on Hunter Biden's Federal Investigation Emerge as Washington Post Joins The New York Times in Admitting Laptop's Authenticity Psaki: Joe Biden, Hunter Are Not Colleagues Meanwhile, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, rejected prior rumors that Hunter Biden and his father were "office mates". When asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about "evidence that the president, at one point, was office mates with Hunter and his brother Jim here in D.C.," Psaki stated the stories were false. According to an email acquired by Fox News, Hunter Biden sought keys for his new "office mates" in 2017, identifying his father, Jill Biden, and uncle, Jim Biden, for space he planned to share with an "emissary" for a chairman of the Chinese energy business. The email was addressed to Cecilia Browning, the general manager of the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C., which houses several office spaces and several embassies, Fox News reported. Related Article: Hunter Biden's Secret Service Detail Doles Out Around $30-K a Month To Keep an Eye on the President's Son @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When the world learned that Russia had invaded Ukraine in late February, outside observers expected a heavy dose of cyberattacks to play out in the invasions tactics. But to many peoples surprise, the cyber-attacks have been limited and targeted rather than widespread. Russia certainly has demonstrated its cyber power and capabilities in the past; a key example was the 2016 incident in which Russian hackers took out Ukraines power grid. So why hasnt Russia madelarge-scale cyberattacks a top priority over the last five weeks? We know that the GRU (aka Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, not the character in Despicable Me) was involved in the Disruptive Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against the Ukraine financial sector in mid-February. Another cyberattack, as reported by The Washington Post, hinted that Russian military spy hackers attacked a key satellite broadband service. According to U.S. intelligence experts, this cyberattack did cause a disruption in Ukraines military communications efforts last month. Are more cyberattacks coming? In preparation for an escalation of cyberattacks on U.S infrastructure, the White House put out a statement that suggested Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States. The White House urged each at-risk U.S. company to harden its cyber security defenses to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies Americans rely on. Despite these fears and expectations, little serious activity has occurred. One reason is the Russian government and military assumed that victory would be straightforward and swift, and physical force would be the only means necessary. As a result, cyberattacks, and their complex planning and implementation, would not be required. A second scenario is that even as the war has dragged on, restraint in the area of cyber warfare has prevailed. A major Russian cyberattack against the U.S or NATO would potentially lead to engaging these formidable forces in a much more meaningful way. Another school of thought is that our defenses are actually better than many people assumed. Beyond the U.S. and our NATO allies, even the Ukraines defenses are much more solid than they were six years ago. Ukraine spent time and money to shore up its cyber defense structures in the aftermath of their past experiences with Russian hackers attacking their power grid in 2016. Some have also speculated that the crowdsourced force of cybersecurity talent both inside and outside of Ukraine have helped provide a level of protection against Russian attacks. At the same time, we know that a large number of hackers have come together to aid the Russian effort. It is this group of unorganized, decentralized, hackers that have likely created the most activity over the past month and a half, and will continue to do so. However, it is the organized, advanced cyber weaponry of a government-backed entity that could create the greatest damage. And it isnt just Russia we should be looking at, considering there is evidence to suggest China coordinated hacking attempts on over 600 websites belonging to the defense ministry in Kyiv along with medical and education institutions leading up to the invasion. Many experts would say that more attempts are still coming, that advanced attacks take extensive planning, coordination, and implantation time, and that they are still being formulated against us. So no matter which scenario or scenarios hold true, CISOs need to stay more vigilant than ever to protect against these threats emerging from both the hacker community and government-backed organizations. Protect the network and cloud systems Planning for a potential worst-case scenario is always top of mind for those who work in security roles now more than ever. While there are many attack vectors, one logical and straightforward strategy would leverage compromised credentials from key employees of your organization. The adversaries have unfettered access to your systems and can go after your internal or cloud-based infrastructure, taking it offline. How can you better protect your firm against such an attack? Consider these four practices: Make sure you have your employees identities and access control credentials locked down to the greatest extent possible. Hopefully, two-factor or multi-factor authentication is already in place. Two-step or multi-step authentication can better protect your firm against exposed credentials being put to harmful use. Enforce the need for employees to frequently reset their passwords to ensure that compromised passwords no longer work. Review your incident response playbooks and processes. Many companies have deployed SOAR solutions to help with incident response. It is critical to run drills or tabletop exercises with your teams to make sure you can effectively respond when an attack occurs. Information sharing with partners and peers must become standard practice. CISOs need to consider sharing threat data and best practices with these external organizations. We have talked about this issue for years, and there is still a great deal of reluctance. Protecting your industry, company, and country should outweigh the fear of disclosing problems. Several different industry organizations are involved in data sharing, like IT-ISAC and ISAOs, but this activity can also take place on a more grassroots level. For example, you can set up a private Zoom call with a few peers in the industry to share information. Youll be surprised with the knowledge youll gain and how eager some are to share what they know in this area. Some experts have called for more (or less) government intervention in cybersecurity matters. However, I think thats a topic for another article. In the meantime, we as industry leaders need to step up our corporate defenses and keep tabs on our partners for new and evolving security risks. It can only help us as information architects to build the most powerful framework against any possible cybersecurity risks. Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. United States President Joe Biden signed the U.S. Postal Service Reform bill into law on Wednesday, authorizing the modernization of the agency's processes and operations, by overhauling its finances. During the bill signing ceremony held at the White House, Biden said that the USPS delivers democracy. He added that it was no exaggeration that the agency was essential to the United States. Postal Service Reform Bill The Democrat also noted that the signing of the bill into law sets the USPS on a more "sustainable and stable financial footing." The new measure will require returned postal employees to enroll in Medicare when they become eligible. It also repeals a previous mandate for the agency that forced it to cover healthcare costs upfront and several years in advance. The two measures would already save the agency roughly $50 billion in the next 10 years, based on estimation by the House Oversight Committee. Furthermore, the new legislation requires the USPS to create a new online public dashboard that includes local and national delivery and performance data, as per CNN. Read Also: Emmanuel Macron Will Mold the European Union Into a Stronger Bloc If He Wins the Election The online dashboard should also allow the USPS to work with local governments to offer other helpful non-postal services to Americans. Biden, speaking to an audience filled with members of Congress from both parties, said that the signing of the law was a mark that they were acknowledging the agency as a fundamental part of the country's economy, democracy, health, and very sense as a nation. Attendees of the signing ceremony included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Rob Portman, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Sen. Thom Tillis, and Sen. Gary Peters. The bill passed the Senate last month and the House in February with bipartisan majorities. Long-Term Financial Struggles According to The Hill, Biden said that the new measures were useful because they would let people see, in real-time, how well the USPS was delivering for them and their community. For more than a decade, the Postal Service has operated with a net annual loss as officials previously warned that without reforms the agency would go bankrupt by 2024. A management professor at the University of Notre Dame, James O'Rourke, said that the United States Postal Service was deeply in debt before the reform bill. He said that the agency has an $80 billion long-term debt arrangement. O'Rourke also noted that the USPS's operating revenue is only about $18.5 billion per year. He noted that, while the funds showed a slight increase from last year and the year before, profit was at very slim margins. O'Rourke said that in the last five years, the Postal Service has lost money consistently instead of earning it. When the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 was signed into law, it mandated that the agency serve all Americans but also break even. Co-founder of the Save the Post Office Coalition, Porter McConnell, said that the act basically introduced an identity crisis that had very real consequences for the USPS's operations, USA Today reported. Related Article: Finland Ignores EU Sanctions, Opens Canal To Enable Trade With Russia as a Neutral Country Not Involved With NATO @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Termeni de referina privind selectarea unui expert/e care va consolida capacitatile managerilor scolari privind imbunatatirea serviciilor educationale si documentelor strategice in domeniul egalitatii de gen PEMBROKE, Ga. (AP) Southerners were clearing trees from roads and buildings as weather forecasters planned to survey damage from several possible tornadoes in Georgia and South Carolina, but said that effort could be interrupted by the potential for more storms Wednesday. Tuesdays storms killed at least two people one in Texas and another in Georgia and left thousands of people without power across the South. More than 7,000 customers in Texas and more than 5,000 in Georgia remained without power early Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide. In southeast Georgia, a woman was found dead Tuesday night amid the shredded wreckage of her mobile home in the unincorporated community of Ellabell, said Bryan County Coroner Bill Cox. It was just completely ripped to pieces, Cox said Wednesday. Its like it exploded. Cox said the dead womans husband was taken to a hospital with injuries. He did not give her name, saying relatives were still being notified. A motorists cellphone video taken in Bryan County showed a large funnel cloud crossing Interstate 16 as drivers braked and pulled to the side of the roadway about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Savannah. In the county seat of Pembroke, large sections of roof got torn off the courthouse and the entryway to a government building across was demolished. Several people in nearby neighborhoods were injured as their homes were damaged, said Matthew Kent, a Bryan County government spokesperson. In east Texas, W. M. Soloman, 71, died when storm winds toppled a tree onto his home in Whitehouse, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas, Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley said. As the storms moved into South Carolina late Tuesday, debate was delayed for nearly an hour in the South Carolina legislature after the state House chamber was evacuated for a tornado warning for Columbia. The legislation being debated would require athletes to compete with the gender listed on their birth certificates. About a dozen homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in Allendale County, South Carolina. Tractors and other equipment were flipped and twisted on a number of farms in South Carolinas least populated county. Other storms caused damage to solar panels near Bowman and flipped vehicles and shopping carts in a Walmart parking lot in Manning. In Alabama, the weather service said it was sending survey teams to examine potential tornado damage in the Wetumpka area. Lightning struck a flea market in the northern Alabama community of Laceys Spring, causing a fire that gutted the building, news outlets reported. In Mississippi, fallen trees and limbs closed a stretch of highway for hours in Newton County. Several tornadoes are expected across a large part of the South on Wednesday, the national Storm Prediction Center said. The atmosphere will be primed again for more severe storms as we go through Wednesday, said Jared Guyer, a forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee will be at greatest risk of severe weather. That area of heightened risk includes several large cities, including Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; and Knoxville, Tennessee. About the photo: Damage is seen at a house on South Main Street in Pembroke, Ga., 30 miles from Savannah, after a storm passed through the city, Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Lewis Levine) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. After federal investigators alleged he traded government benefits such as food stamp and unemployment aid for cash, the owner of a Minnesota grocery business was sentenced to jail and compelled to pay millions in restitution. Authorities allege Hared Nur Jibril of St. Cloud, along with several of his workers at Hormud Meat and Grocery Market, defrauded the US Department of Agriculture from 2018 to 2021. According to court papers, he is accused of enabling clients to swap Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits for cash, phone minutes, meals from an adjacent restaurant, and hair treatment. Minnesota Store Owner Steals Food Stamp, Unemployment Aid Money He would then report the illegal activities to the USDA and receive a full return for the food stamps. According to records, Jibril got $212.72 in benefits in January 2020 for Vaseline, dish detergent, perfume, an air freshener, $30 in cash, and other items. According to a news release by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, Jibril defrauded the SNAP and WIC programs of over $4.1 million by participating in these fraudulent exchanges. Authorities also claim Jibril lied about being laid off during the COVID-19 outbreak to earn over $32,000 in unemployment benefits. On April 6, Jibril's defense counsel did not immediately reply to a request for comment from McClatchy News. Jibril is characterized as a man who, beginning in 2009, opened a business and restaurant where the community might come for help in a letter to the court presented by his defense attorney, Miami Herald reported. Jibril regrets breaching the law and stands before the Court at sentence prepared to face a fair and just penalty, according to his counsel. Mr. Jibril, on the other hand, has no regrets about the wonderful influence and transformation his activities have had on numerous individuals and his community. He also said that Jibril is a deportable immigrant, which means that if he is convicted as a criminal, he might be deported to Somalia, where violent crime is rampant. Jibril was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. He was sentenced to 30 months in jail, three years of supervised release, and $4,187,999.72 in restitution, according to The Charlotte Observer via MSN. Read Also: Virginia Multimillionaire's Son Sentenced to 18 Years for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Minors Man Cashed in Multiple Fraudulent Stimulus Checks Meanwhile, the Utica Police Department said that a man was arrested for Grand Larceny in March after allegedly cashing a phony stimulus check. Nicolas Smith, 37, of Utica, sought to cash a $1,400 stimulus check in a local check-cashing shop in February 2022. In March 2021, he had also cashed a check. The firm declined to pay the stimulus money and reported it to the Utica Police Department, believing it was a bogus check. Nicolas Smith was able to cash the second check at a separate location after the investigation was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division. The Treasury Department had documents showing they pushed $1,400 checks forward from their check-cashing account, which put them at a loss, according to the Utica Police Department. Smith had reported the first check as stolen and had cashed it fraudulently, according to investigators in this instance. He was able to get the second stimulus check later. On March 29, Nicolas Smith was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree. Eyewitnesses will update the story as fresh information becomes available, as per Digital Market News. Related Article: BLM $6 Million Home Scandal Draws Angry Reactions: Full Details @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Beijing's assertions regarding its ambitions to build a military base in the Solomon Islands have been contradicted by an official Chinese document. China has taken great efforts to downplay a deal between the two countries reached last week, which opponents say would result in a Chinese naval station on the Pacific island. Concerns that the treaty may allow for the establishment of a People's Liberation Army post were "utterly false purposely propagated with a political aim," according to the Chinese Embassy in the Solomons. China Lies About Security Alliance With the Solomon Islands The spokesperson played off concerns in Canberra, Wellington, and other Pacific Island governments that the deal would lead to the militarization of the area. According to a document obtained by Sky News from Solomon Islands sources, Chinese aspirations to deploy a military presence were considered as early as 2020. The letter was written by Mr. Rong Qian, President of the Chinese state-owned enterprise Avic International Project Engineering Company, and sent to Leslie Kikolo, former Premier of the Isobel Province. The letter, according to Qian, demonstrates desire to examine the possibility to establish Naval and infrastructural projects for the People's Liberation Navy on the leased territory for the Isobel Province with exclusive rights for 75 years. Rong Qian says that, before the establishment of a project, China will aid the Solomon Islands in infrastructure, education, and sports, in what appears to be an incentive by the Chinese. In the recent decade, China's influence in the South Pacific has exploded, and numerous nations in the area have signed trade agreements with Beijing. These agreements are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a worldwide development strategy aimed at establishing economic lines and expanding Beijing's global influence. While China does not have foreign military posts like the US, Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii, said that Beijing used alliances to expand its security apparatus abroad. China's growing international clout was assisting Beijing in gaining support for its Taiwan policy, according to Dr. Guan. Taiwan is viewed by China as a renegade province that will need to be reunified in the future, whereas Taiwan sees itself as a democracy. Read Also: Barack Obama Revisits White House To Push Healthcare Bill, Makes Few Jokes Remembering "Good Old Days" With Joe Biden Pacific Countries Are Alarmed With China's Security Deal The Solomon Islands signed a new diplomatic agreement with China in 2019, ending a 36-year connection with Taiwan. Taiwan has worked hard to build Pacific alliances, but China has won over many of its friends and urged them to embrace the One-China policy. Taiwan has no official diplomatic connections with countries that recognize the policy. However, Beijing's expanding influence has not pleased everyone in the Solomon Islands, ABCNews via MSN reported. China is dredging Ream Navy Base's harbor to allow ships larger than Cambodia's to berth, as well as constructing new infrastructure to replace a US-built naval tactical headquarters. A Chinese facility in Cambodia would create a choke point in the Gulf of Thailand, near the strategically important Malacca Strait. China has also financed projects in Gwadar, Pakistan, a close ally, and Hambantota, Sri Lanka, where Chinese infrastructure funding compelled the government to relinquish control of the southern port. An alleged Chinese drive to create a base in Equatorial Guinea, a West African country, has piqued interest. China would gain a foothold on the Atlantic, opposite the continental US's east coast, as well as in an important African oil-producing area. Around 80 years ago, in the Solomon Islands, the United States military launched its famed World War II "island-hopping" effort to reclaim Pacific islands from Imperial Japanese forces one by one. After six months of hard battle, it finally reclaimed the main island of Guadalcanal in February 1943. Today, China would have the capacity to interfere with US naval activities in the region, which might be critical in the case of a confrontation over Taiwan or in the South and East China seas, according to Charlotte Observer. Related Article: US Army Investigates If Crash of Two Black Hawk Helicopters Was Intentionally Carried out by Medevac Pilot @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United States authorities have ordered the euthanization of a wild fox who roamed the area surrounding Capitol Hill after multiple attacks, including an American official and later testing positive for rabies. The wild animal reportedly attacked a total of nine people around the area before it was caught and tested. The city's health agency said that the D.C. Public Health Lab confirmed the fox was tested for rabies the day after it was caught. The agency also advised any person who may have come into contact with the animal or its offspring to reach out to authorities. Wild Capitol Fox Earlier in the day, Washington officials said that the fox was euthanized so that it could be safely tested for rabies. The situation elicited an outpouring of sorrow for an animal that had somehow become a mascot in the days that it remained near the Capitol. However, with the coronavirus pandemic, some are wondering if the animal was carrying the infection and who could have been exposed. A California Democrat, Rep. Ami Bera, who was reportedly bitten by a fox near the Capitol on Monday, was treated immediately after the incident. He said that he felt "healthy" and was feeling well enough to go back to work, as per the New York Times. Health officials also said that they were contacting all human victims of the animals so they could be monitored. On the other hand, the creatures' kits, which is what baby foxes are called, were later found and "captured" on Wednesday morning. Read Also: Barack Obama Revisits White House To Push Healthcare Bill, Makes Few Jokes Remembering "Good Old Days" With Joe Biden But officials did not disclose where the kits were being kept or whether they would also suffer the same fate as their mother. In an email, city health authorities said that they were working to determine the next steps regarding the fox kits' fates. According to the Washington Post, a fox has to be euthanized for experts to determine whether or not it has rabies. Scientists require samples from the animal's brain tissue which are then tested in a laboratory. Around 120,000 animals per year in the U.S. are tested for rabies and roughly 6% are found to be rabid. Caution for Rabies Bera described the moment that the wild fox "nipped" his leg on Monday, saying he felt something "lunge" at the back of his leg. At first, the congressman thought it was a small dog or some other domesticated animal. He said that he was startled by the incident and was surprised when he saw that the creature that bit him was a fox and not a dog. The official noted that people who were around him suddenly began saying, "Hey, there's a fox attacking that guy." A spokesperson for the official's office said that the wild fox pierced Bera's suit but it was not immediately known if it was able to pierce his skin. Out of an abundance of caution, the congressman went to Walter Reed Hospital on Monday to get appropriate shots. The spokesperson said that Rep. Bera urged everyone to be vigilant around wild animals to consult their physician if they ever get bitten, NBC Washington reported. Related Article: Biden Signs US Postal Service Reform Bill Into Law, Authorizing Modernization of Agency's Operations @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested two men on Wednesday and charged them with impersonating federal agents as part of an investigation that has left four Secret Service personnel on leave. Authorities are accusing 40-year-old Arian Taherzadeh and 36-year-old Haider Ali of obtaining handguns, rifles, and other materials in order to guide themselves as employees with the Department of Homeland Security. Fake Federal Agents The agency said that the two suspects used their made-up identities to get closer to members of the federal law enforcement and the defense community. This includes a U.S. Secret Service agent who was assigned to the first lady's protective detail. Officials said that one of the suspects, Taherzadeh, gave members of the Secret Service and an employee of DHS gifts, including "rent-free apartments (with a total yearly rent of over $40,000 per apartment), iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia," as written in an FBI affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court in D.C., as per the Washington Post. Furthermore, the suspect is believed to have offered employees the use of vehicles that he claimed belonged to the government. Taherzadeh also offered to buy a $2,000 assault rifle for an agent who was assigned to Jill Biden, said the affidavit. Read Also: Ivanka Trump Testifies for 8 Hours in Capitol Riot Probe, Chooses Not To Plead the Fifth Amendment Prosecutors said that authorities placed four Secret Service personnel on leave earlier this week as part of the investigation of the controversy. The plot was discovered when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service started investigating an assault that involved a mail carrier at the apartment building. The two men identified themselves as being part of a phone Homeland Security unit that they called the "U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit." According to the Associated Press, the men are also accused of setting up surveillance in the building and allegedly told residents that they were able to access their mobile devices at any given time. Furthermore, residents said that they believed the suspects had access to their personal information. Getting Close to The Secret Service The arrest involved more than a dozen FBI agents who entered the two men's apartment building on Wednesday night. Taherzadeh and Ali allegedly claimed to be involved in "undercover gang-related investigations" and being responsible for an investigation related to the chaos at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors said that the suspects began posing as federal agents around February 2020 and were questioned on Mar. 14, 2022, as potential witnesses to an assault that involved a U.S. Postal Office worker. On Wednesday, the Secret Service issues a statement regarding the suspensions of its employees, saying they were on administrative leave and were forbidden from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment, and systems. They said that the agency adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will continue to provide active assistance to the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. It was not immediately clear whether the two men had attorneys that could represent them and they are due to appear in court on Thursday, Newsweek reported. Related Article: Hunter Biden's Secret Service Detail Doles Out Around $30-K a Month To Keep an Eye on the President's Son @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to a security source, the German government has evidence that Russia was engaged in the massacre of people in the Ukrainian town of Bucha based on satellite photographs. The intelligence service has intercepted radio transmissions from Russian military sources discussing the massacre of civilians in Bucha, according to the German news magazine Der Spiegel. Germany Found Proof of Russian Involvement in Bucha Killings The insider did not go into further detail. He said that no directive from the Russian military's general staff had been issued about Bucha. Following their February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces besieged Bucha, 37 kilometers (23 miles) northwest of Kyiv, for more than a month. According to local reports, Russian soldiers murdered about 300 individuals in Bucha alone, with roughly 50 of them executed. The charges are denied by Moscow. The German intelligence service intercepted the radio messages and submitted the results to parliament on Wednesday, without citing a source, as per Reuters. Spiegel further claimed that there were more sound recordings whose physical origin was more difficult to determine, implying that similar incidents had occurred in other Ukrainian cities. A representative for the German government declined to comment on the Spiegel allegations. Russia has been accused of genocide and war crimes by Ukraine. Western claims that Russian soldiers murdered people in Bucha, according to the Kremlin, are a "monstrous forgery" intended to discredit the Russian army and justify fresh Western sanctions. The proof of civilian killings is a clever trick by Ukraine and its Western supporters, who are driven by anti-Russian paranoia, according to Russia. Messages demonstrate that the troops discussed potential war crimes on a regular basis, as if they were discussing their daily lives. According to the BND, this proves how the killings were mainstreamed and were part of a planned effort to instill fear and dread in the civilian population. Intelligence chiefs are analyzing further recordings "with significant concern" that have yet to be linked to a specific location in Ukraine, as per Daily Mail. Read Also: Pope Francis Pleads to 'Stop' Russia-Ukraine War, Condemns Cruel 'Massacre of Bucha' France Summons Russian Envoy They do reveal crime scenes similar to those seen in Bucha in other towns around the nation, notably in the area of Mariupol, which is being heavily bombarded. Two former German government ministers have filed a criminal complaint with federal prosecutors, requesting the beginning of a war crimes investigation of Russian authorities, including Vladimir Putin. Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and former Interior Minister Gerhart Baum have stated that they want to use German legislation that allows for the prosecution of major crimes committed abroad to bring those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine to justice. Earlier this year, Germany's use of the rule of "universal jurisdiction" resulted in the first conviction of a top Syrian official for crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, the French government summoned Russia's ambassador to Paris for discussions on Thursday after his embassy shared a photo on Twitter purporting to depict a "film set" by Ukrainians faking civilian massacres in Bucha, which has sparked international outcry. Late Wednesday, France's Europe Minister, Clement Beaune, tweeted that the embassy's assertion was "beyond shame: Stop," NDTV reported. Ukrainian officials believe hundreds of civilian deaths were discovered in Bucha and other cities around Kyiv last weekend after Russian soldiers abandoned their drive into the city. Despite Kremlin accusations that the fatalities were either staged or carried out by Ukrainian soldiers, the terrible photos that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled "war crimes" prompted worldwide criticism from Ukraine's allies. Related Article: [Report] Russia Attacks More than 20 Schools in Ukraine Each Day; Troops Cut out Civilians' Tongues, Turning Ukrainians Into 'Silent Slaves' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. You can react to Facebook posts and Instagram messages, and you'll soon be able to react to Google Docs content as well. Emoji reactions are coming to Google Docs, allowing you to respond to text with a simple symbol rather than a comprehensive comment. Google claims that the feature supports all of the emojis available in the newest edition, including gender-neutral alternatives and sillier symbols like melting face and biting lip. Emoji Reactions Come to Google Docs Emoji reactions have become a typical feature of modern software and social interactions. They can be found on a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook, as well as messaging apps like iMessage and Facebook Messenger. Google announced on Tuesday, April 5, that users of Google Docs will be able to incorporate emoji reactions into their documents, allowing you to respond to text with a simple symbol rather than a comprehensive comment. "This feature will be ON by default and can not be disabled by the user," Google said. While you can already put emojis into the text of a document or a comment, the latest update will allow you to react to highlighted text straight in the browser using Google's sidebar. According to Google, the emoji set, which is updated to the latest version (Emoji 14.0), would include gender-neutral options for gender-modifiable emojis. Emoji skin tone and gender preferences are also stored for each individual emoji. Read Also: Learn How to Activate Dark Mode for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Emoji reactions for rapid release domains have already begun to roll out. Beginning on April 20, they will be gradually distributed on scheduled release domains. The emoji reactions will be available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus users, but not to those on the most basic tiers like Enterprise Essentials, per The Verge. As reported by Gizmodo, markdown support (for formatting choices), the option to launch a Google Meet video chat in Docs, pageless view, and assisted writing recommendations are among the new emoji features for Google Workspace and Google Docs. How To Use the New Feature? When you highlight content, the emoji reaction function will display as a third option alongside "Add Comment" and "Suggest Edits," according to a GIF shared by Google. You may also use your keyboard to search the emoji database. Here's a walkthrough on how to use the new function step by step: To begin, open Google Docs on your computer. After that, you should highlight the text or phrase that you want to react to. Then, you can either go to insert and click emoji reaction or click Add emoji reaction on the right-side of the screen. Finally, you can now select the emoji you want to use to express your thoughts. While Google stated that this feature will gradually roll starting April 20, it also stated that all users will have access to it eventually. Related Article: Google Docs' Latest Features Now Lets Users Write Better Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. An iOS app from the supporters of one prominent Putin critic is back on Apple's Russian App Store. A recent report from The Washington Post mentioned that the Smart Voting app run by the supporters of Putin's critic, Alexei Navalny, makes a return to Apple's Russian App Store after it was forcibly removed by the Russian government almost seven months ago. The Washington Post's report cited independent researchers and Navalny's chief of staff Leonid Volkov as the source of its information. Smart Voting App's Resurrection Details A report from The Verge mentioned that Apple did not respond to the publication's request for comment regarding Smart Voting's return to the Russia App Store. However, the decision is consistent with Apple's move of steering clear of Russia after the country's president, Vladimir Putin, chose to invade the neighboring country of Ukraine, a country Putin says to be "imprisoned by mythic fascists," per The Guardian. Interestingly, Apple previously stopped product sales in Russia due to the continuing political turmoil, leaving Russian customers unable to purchase iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple products online. Read More: Twitter Removing Embeds of Deleted Tweets May Threaten Journalism In relation, it should be noted that the Russian government, specifically the Roskomnadzor, previously forced Apple and Google with fines to remove the app from their respective mobile app stores in September 2021. Russia's internet watchdog alleged that keeping the app on their mobile app stores constituted election interference, according to a separate report from The Verge. Navalny's Smart Voting app has over a thousand endorsements of Russian political candidates with the idea of helping citizens consolidate votes against the ruling United Russia party which has Putin as its de facto leader. Although Apple waited until recently to resurrect the app into its Russian App Store, Google restored the app shortly after Russia's election. Apple and Google Are Not Alone The two tech giants are not the only ones combating Russia's digital iron curtain. Other websites were reported to have made similar attempts to ensure their content would be able to penetrate Russia's great firewall, such as BBC and Twitter. These two companies, for their part, launched or promoted versions of their sites that are compatible with the censorship-resistant web browser Tor, also known as The Onion Router. The Tor web browser is known for its ability to prevent someone from watching a user's internet activity and history, making it the ideal website to slip past the Russian firewall. It also has multi-layered encryption that relays and encrypts a user's internet traffic three times as it passes over the web browser's network. On the other side of the coin, the hacker collective Anonymous is also combatting Russia's censors through their hacks. It previously hacked into Russian streaming services Wink and Ivi, as well as live TV channels Russia 24, Channel One, and Moscow 24 to broadcast war footage from Ukraine. Related Article: Apple Will No Longer Replace iPhone Xs For Face ID Repairs The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form I saw the remote revolution at work in a dusty village in Northwest Africa. I'm a digital nomad who lives internationally. Right now, I'm in Morocco, which is an amazing country to visit and to work from. Last week, on a drive from Essouira to Marrakesh, my wife and I stopped with some friends to visit an argan cooperative. Argan oil is produced in significant quantities only in this region of Morocco, where argan trees are endemic. The oil is used for both cosmetics and food. (Moroccans also use it, combined with almond butter and honey, to create a delicious breakfast dip for bread called amlou.) To extract the oil, each nut has to be carefully cracked a process thats done by hand using stones. Machines that can crack nuts without destroying the kernel are prohibitively expensive, so the industry relies on human labor. It's hard to do it right. This work is done by women, mostly uneducated rural Berber women with limited work prospects from very small villages. Normally, they sit together on rugs on the floor in rooms at the cooperative with between three and 20 women per room, cracking argan nuts and separating the kernels for the next stage in processing. We visited the cooperative, expecting to find rooms full of women workers. Instead, we found wait for it! the argan workers had been working from home since the pandemic began. The cooperative delivers nuts to their homes, where the women crack the nuts and dry the kernels, then picks up the kernels already processed. The argan industry is learning that WFH remote work is more efficient, enabling women to make their own schedules and tend to their families, boosting employee retention and reducing the need for valuable nut-cracking workspaces. Also: workers without daycare alternatives would bring their kids to work, and the kids would just sit there next to them as they toiled away. Processing argan nuts at home is far healthier for these kids. Which raises the question: What other jobs might be better done remotely? And what benefits for both employer and employee might be realized? The ultra high-tech blue collar remote-work revolution A convenience store chain in Japan, called FamilyMart, is experimenting with remotely controlled robots to stock shelves. The employees can work from anywhere using what are essentially VR googles and controllers, and among their number can be disabled employees with limited mobility people who lack the physical ability to stock shelves unassisted by robotics. Heavy equipment maker, Cat, is developing increasingly-capable remote-control earth movers and other such equipment as are several other European companies. For now, it's marketed as a safety technology, so humans don't have to work in dangerous work environments. But in the future, it could be that high-skilled machine operators could be hired from anywhere. Construction. Road work. You name it it could all be done from a city apartment. Planes, trains, and automobiles could be piloted and controlled remotely. Some factory work can be done at home, as long as the equipment isn't too large or complex. In fact, a great many jobs now considered impossible as remote positions could become remote with the right technology, along with some creative thinking. As with Morocco's argan workers, the output and productivity of many of these remote-able, non-information worker jobs is readily measurable. And it often wouldn't require those employees to work quickly, during specific hours or all at once. They would just have to meet quotas and quality standards, however they want to meet them. It introduces enormous flexibility, and therefore job retention. Of course, many jobs cannot or should not be pivoted to remote. Kindergarten teachers, firefighters, nurses I suspect it would be better to let doctors go remote than nurses you name it. We will always need some blue-collar workers to do their jobs in person because of the nature of those jobs. But here's the thing: argan-nut processors were able to go remote, but not because of technology. The possibility that other non-information jobs could go remote will depend on very advanced technology namely, remote control, remote presence, and related technology that call for massive processing power, powerful and secure internet connectivity, and robotics, to name a few. The bottom line is that while we're all fixated on how to proceed with white-collar, information-worker jobs, the blue-collar, non-information worker jobs are poised to go through a remote work revolution of their own, enabled by technology that's far more advanced than what underpins white-collar workers. As a bonus, the coming blue-collar remote work trend could greatly improve opportunities for physically disabled workers, home-bound workers, parents, rural communities and others while expanding the labor pool for the companies that hire them. It's time for forward-thinking companies to start thinking about the possibilities, perils, and business opportunities in the blue-collar remote worker idea. Because that revolution is surely coming. As with companies in the argan oil industry during the pandemic, it could just save your business. Following efforts by the US and others to address cryptocurrency standards, UK officials this week said they want Britain to lead the world and create their own government-backed digital token for international trade. We want this country to be a global hub the very best place in the world to start and scale crypto-companies, said John Glen, MP and UK Economic Secretary to the Treasury. Glen's comments came during a keynote speech at the Innovate Finance Global Summit during Fintech Week 2022. He also asserted the UK is the leading European financial technology (Fintech) hub, second only to the US worldwide. The minister said work is under way to regulate stablecoin and develop more of a regulatory framework for digital assets. He said that the UK Chancellor has asked the Royal Mint to create a non-fungible token (NFT) to be issued this summer. NFTs are digital tokens representing data, media, or valuable assets, such as real estate or memorabilia. The intrinsic value of NFTs varies wildly based on what they represent, making their value highly subjective. The popularity of NFTs, however, has soared in recent years. Last year, NFTs reached $44 billion in sales. Gov.UK John Glen, MP and UK Economic Secretary to the Treasury. Almost half of the Fintech unicorns in Europe are based in the UK. And last year, the sector attracted more investment than France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands combined, Glen said. We think that by making this country a hospitable place for crypto, we can attract investment, generate swathes of new jobs, and create a wave of ground-breaking new products and services. Leaders of Innovate Finance, an industry body representing the UK Fintech sector, lauded the governments embrace of crypto. Innovate Finance CEO Janine Hirt said Glens efforts have led to a comprehensive effort to work with regulators to bring stablecoin into the regulated space, created a more flexible "beta testing" approach to regulation, and updated the tax and legal basis for digital assets and decentralized finance (DeFi). Unlike traditional financial networks, where centralized electronic messaging platforms are used to transfer funds between banks and businesses, DeFi uses secure distributed ledgers or peer-to-peer networks, such as blockchain, to transmit digital money and NFTs. DeFi removes banking control and the clearance and settlement middlemen to move funds near instantaneously across borders. Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates an advocacy network of more than 10,000 tech leaders and 45 working groups called the latest UK efforts a bold step in the right direction. It shows that the UK is getting ahead of the curve with respect to emerging technology, Shaw said via email. There needs to be a degree of regulation for digital assets to become globally accepted, be taken seriously and have widespread adoption. We have to be forward thinking in our approach to digital assets, and it is imperative that the private sector has a seat at the table in the discussions with regulators to get the balance right, Shaw said. Late last month, US lawmakers joined other government officials and called on the US to create a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to ensure it does not fall behind other nations. The legislators introduced a bill that would allow the US Treasury to create a digital dollar a virtual representation of the US dollar that could be transmitted across DeFi networks. Generally speaking, there are three kinds of digital currency: Cryptocurrencies , such as bitcoin and Ethereum, created and traded on blockchain distributed ledger technology (DLT); , such as bitcoin and Ethereum, created and traded on blockchain distributed ledger technology (DLT); Stablecoin , such as Tether and USD Coin, backed by fiat currencies like the US dollar; , such as Tether and USD Coin, backed by fiat currencies like the US dollar; Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), or fiat currencies issued by central banks in digital form and are not categorized as cryptocurrency. The recent flurry of interest in creating a national electronic dollar is evidence the US is playing catch up with other nations already piloting their own central bank digital currencies. As digital payment and currency technologies continue to rapidly expand and with Russia, China, and over 90 countries worldwide already researching and launching some form of Central Bank Digital Currency, it is absolutely critical for the US to remain a world leader in the development and regulation of digital currency and other digital assets," Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass), said in a statement. S&P Global Market Intelligences 451 Research A recent survey by 451 Research found that Millennials lead other generations in using cryptocurrencies, followed closely by Generation Z-ers. According to the US-based think tank the Atlantic Council, among the nations with the four largest central banks, the UK is ahead of the US in creating standards and regulations around crypto. Both nations, however, are following the lead of other countries already using or piloting digital tokens. For example, China has been expanding the pilot program of its retail CBDC the e-CNY while concurrently banning the use of cryptocurrency. Nigeria launched its CBDC, the e-Naira, in October 2021 for retail use. The consequences of falling behind other nations could be serious for both the UK and US, because those leading the charge could by default establish the technology and policy standards for cross-border use of digital currencies for the whole world. One problem with a lack of international standards and regulatory oversight is that cryptocurrencies can be used by criminal groups for nefarious activities, such as money laundering and human trafficking. For example, faced with a growing number of sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is likely using cryptocurrencies to continue cross-border commerce anonymously. It still is a wild west show and we need regulatory clarity to tame it, said Avivah Litan, a distinguished analyst and vice president at research firm Gartner. Regulatory agencies have different views on cryptocurrencies. Since January 2020, crypto-asset firms operating in the UK have been subject to Money Laundering Regulations, and the country recently consulted on implementing the Financial Action Task Forces Travel Rule for transfers of crypto-assets, according to Glen. We have a very robust system in place, and we wont compromise on those high standards, Glen said. The UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a regulatory body, announced this week it will organize the first of a series of "crypto-sprints," or research efforts, next month involving scores of industry experts. The "sprints" will inform FCA policy thinking, and participants will be tasked with coming up with some of the legal, technical and regulatory challenges the industry faces, and then coming up with practical solutions which, we the government, will take forward as quickly as we can, Glen said. We will also deliver the Financial Market Infrastructure Sandboxon which we are making very good progress, Glen added. The Sandbox to be run by the Bank of England and the FCA will allow firms to experiment and innovate in providing the services that underpin markets. It will also enable them to test new technologies that could transform financial markets by delivering greater efficiency, improved liquidity, enhanced transparency, and greater security, Glen said. We intend to have this up and running next year, he said. And if it teaches us that we need to update the relevant legislation, then we will do that too. Congratulations, optiquebetrancourt.nc got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Optiquebetrancourt.nc scored 70 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 10 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. optiquebetrancourt.nc is very popular in Facebook. Furthermore its facebook page has 9006 likes. Add a widget like this on your site: click here This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the optiquebetrancourt homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if optiquebetrancourt has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the optiquebetrancourt homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the optiquebetrancourt homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the optiquebetrancourt homepage on Twitter + the total number of optiquebetrancourt followers (if optiquebetrancourt has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the optiquebetrancourt homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Optique Betrancourt by Samuel Elies en Nouvelle-Caledonie et Wallis et Futuna DESCRIPTION Optique Betrancourt, l'opticien le plus branche de Noumea. Consultez notre catalogue, solaires, optiques, accessoires, lentilles et verres en ligne. KEYWORDS opticien, betrancourt, samuel, elies, sam, optique, lunette, soleil, lentille, verres, branche, catalogue, commerce, magasin, wallis, noumea, solaire OTHER KEYWORDS The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords 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 Strict CHARSET AND LANGUAGE French UTF-8French DETECTED LANGUAGE French French SERVER Apache/2.2.10 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.10 OpenSSL/0.9.8i DAV/2 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 (PHP/5.2.6) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Character set and language of the site. Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. The language of optiquebetrancourt.nc as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for optiquebetrancourt.nc by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOUND FACEBOOK PAGE www.facebook.com/pages/Optique-Betrancourt-by-Samuel-Elies/274295672583946 DESCRIPTION L'opticien le plus branche de Noumea ! LIKES 9006 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 440 PAGE TYPE Shopping/retail TIMELINE PAGE TIMELINE A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND From left, actor Go Chang-suk, director Kim Ji-hoon and actors Chun Woo-hee and Seol Kyung-gu pose during a press conference for the film, "I Want to Know Your Parents," in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mindmark By Kwak Yeon-soo The cast of "I Want to Know Your Parents" echoed sentiments that their film is an essential and urgent story which may allow audiences to start a "much-needed" conversation about the social problem of bullying. Inspired by a true story, the nerve-wracking drama is set in the cruel world of a top-tier private school. An eighth-grade student kills himself after writing down the names of the students who bullied him. The bullies' parents are then called into the school and a dispute arises regarding the note. Unlike many other films on school bullying that follow a fragile victim or guilt-ridden parents, "I Want to Know Your Parents" is told from the perspective of the perpetrators' parents. It raises questions about the adolescents' and adults' shortcomings and the cruelty at some of these elite private schools. Anger and pain are the most powerful emotions that gripped filmmaker Kim Ji-hoon as he shot the film. He offers a wide range of characters for audiences to relate to: frustrated parents, a helpless teacher and confused classmates. Seol Kyung-gu, who plays the role of the culprit's father, fights for his son's innocence and said that he was drawn to the film's title. "This film is based on a true story that occurred in Japan. I was angry after reading the script and thought, 'We need to tell this kind of story to audiences,'" he said during a press conference for the film, Thursday. "However, I acted in a way to make the audience think rather than putting it all together for them." Chun Woo-hee, who stars as the teacher in the film, revealed that she initially turned down the offer after seeing the original Japanese theater play. "At first, I declined the offer because I liked the theater version. I wanted to remain a fan of the original play. But then, Seol and Oh Dal-su called me to persuade me into the role. I was deeply moved. As a person who has a keen interest in social issues, I felt obliged to tell this story," she said. Chun said she hopes the story will resonate with audiences who may realize they have missed out on provocative, yet essential stories about bullying. Director Kim paints a clear picture of a society where bullies are not punished. "I concentrated on the stories of bullies to find out what's made them so horrific. Clearly, efforts need to be made to tackle the school bullying issue, which is also a big problem in Korean society," Kim said. "I Want to Know Your Parents" will hit local theaters, April 27. Congratulations, sighe25.cf got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Sighe25.cf scored 74 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 15 Jul 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the sighe25 homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if sighe25 has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the sighe25 homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the sighe25 homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the sighe25 homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the sighe25 homepage on Twitter + the total number of sighe25 followers (if sighe25 has a Twitter account). Basic Information PAGE TITLE | DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS comments off, comments off , comments off , comments, comments off, comments off , comments 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. 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. Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Persian UTF-8Persian SERVER LiteSpeed (PHP/5.3.28) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of sighe25.cf as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for sighe25.cf 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 URL of the found Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. 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. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND New book on China by renowned British sociologist published Xinhua) 09:22, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A launch ceremony and themed forum for a new book by renowned British sociologist Martin Albrow were held Wednesday simultaneously in Beijing and London, both offline and online. "China and the Shared Human Future: Exploring Common Values and Goals" is the latest literary offering from Albrow, a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. His previous book, "China's Role in a Shared Human Future: Towards Theory for Global Leadership," was published in 2018. Albrow is a pioneer in the study of globalization in the West, and he has been focusing his research on China's development, systems and governance. The newly published book is a compilation of his articles about China in recent years, and it centers on a range of topics, including the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for humanity, global governance and China, poverty reduction and elimination, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belt and Road Initiative, and climate change. Experts attending the forum agreed that the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity has emerged from the fundamental interests of the people of China and the world, and that it points future globalization in the right direction. Through an objective analysis, they said, the book notes that building a community with a shared future for humanity is the solution China has presented for world peace, stability and development, and that it will help international scholars understand China's model of governance and development. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) Currency dealers work in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, April 7, with an electronic signboard showing that the benchmark KOSPI had fallen by over 1 percent. Yonhap Korean stocks fell more than 1 percent Thursday, as minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's March meeting suggested a stronger-than-expected hawkish stance on rate hikes. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar, as the benchmark KOSPI lost 39.17 points, or 1.43 percent, to close at 2,695.86. Trading volume was moderate at around 1.21 billion shares worth some 9.8 trillion won (US$8 billion), with losers far outnumbering gainers 703 to 189. Foreign investors and institutions sold stocks worth 771.3 billion won and 520.9 billion won, respectively, while retail investors alone picked up shares worth 1.28 trillion won. The market opened lower, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, after the Federal Reserve's minutes of its latest meeting showed that the officials are considering raising rates by a half percentage point, rather than the usual quarter point, and they "generally" agreed on a massive balance sheet reduction as soon as next month. "The local stock market moved in line with major markets due to the Fed's monetary tightening," Kiwoom Securities analyst Han Ji-young said, adding that overnight losses of major technology shares on Wall Street pressured blue chips here. Uncertainties surrounding the Ukraine crisis continued, as the European Union on Tuesday discussed additional sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. In Seoul, most large-cap shares finished lower, with tech and financial stocks leading the overall market falls due to profit-taking. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.73 percent to 68,000 won despite its earnings guidance that showed its best first-quarter earnings in four years on the back of solid chip and mobile demand. Major battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 1.8 percent to 436,500 won, and Samsung SDI decreased 2.51 percent to 583,000 won. LG Chem dropped 2.26 percent to 518,000 won. Internet banking firm Kakao Bank fell 4.45 percent to 46,200 won, and Kakao Pay, the fintech arm of internet giant Kakao, dropped 3.26 percent to 133,500 won. In contrast, major chipmaker SK hynix gained 0.44 percent to 113,500 won. The local currency closed at 1,219.5 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.2 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap) Translators' behind-the-scenes roles deserve wider recognition By Park Han-sol On the evening of March 10, Anton Hur was alone in his apartment in Seoul, spending his fifth day in self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. What interrupted his aimless stream of thoughts that day was an email from the British publishing house, Honford Star, saying, "Congratulations!" With that, Hur became longlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, one of the world's most significant awards celebrating literature translated into English, as the translator of Chung Bora's genre-defying short story collection, "Cursed Bunny." Now, the rest of his days in quarantine could be spent musing about how his life might change. Then, another email came, this time from the publisher Tilted Axis Press. Park Sang-young's queer novel, "Love in the Big City," which he had also translated, had been nominated for the International Booker prize as well! "That was when I was like, is this a joke? A prank? A COVID-19 fever dream?" the 41-year-old translator recalled during a recent interview with The Korea Times. More than 100 translated works of fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland compete for the prize every year, including those penned by Nobel laureates. And two out of the 13 nominated works had been translated by him. "The feeling wasn't like joy, but it was just incredulity, like the literal meaning of the word where you don't believe that this is happening because it sounded so absurd." It was announced on Thursday that "Cursed Bunny" made it on to the prize's shortlist of six titles. Anton Hur is a Seoul-based translator behind Chung Bora's "Cursed Bunny," which is in the running for the 2022 International Booker Prize. His other translations include Park Sang-young's "Love in the Big City," Shin Kyung-sook's "The Court Dancer," Kang Kyeong-ae's "The Underground Village" and "Hwang Sok-yong's "The Prisoner." Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho In addition to the Booker Prize's announcement, a string of translated Korean publications have recently made headlines after taking home notable international literary awards. Yun Ko-eun's "The Disaster Tourist," an eco-thriller with a feminist edge, became the first Korean text last year to win the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger from the U.K.'s Crime Writers' Association (CWA). The book had been translated into English by Lizzie Buehler, a Ph.D. student in comparative literature at Harvard University, who also worked on Yun's short story collection, "Table for One," slated for publication next year. "I first translated 'Table for One,' or at least part of it, as my senior thesis as an undergraduate. I really liked it," Buehler told The Korea Times, adding that she ended up getting in touch with the author herself to translate the entire book, and later "The Disaster Tourist." However, in Korea, the celebration of such literary achievements and authors often excludes translators. When the translators do come into the discussion, the debate often fails to move beyond a simple compare-and-contrast session between the source and the translated language and the age-old argument that the "essence of Korea" was somehow "lost in translation." What is woefully underrepresented is the sheer extent of the role played by literary translators beyond the art of translating. In fact, the translation itself only accounts for a fraction of their job description. "This magical publishing fairy who just gives jobs to translators doesn't exist. I am the magical publishing fairy who goes around looking for books to translate," Hur said. "I have to basically create my own job." Literary translators are tasked with establishing direct contact with the authors and Korean publishers, who are usually the rights holders of the literary works, to request permission to do a sample of the piece they are interested in. Already at this stage, they should brace themselves for the worst-case scenario: outright rejection, with some local publishing houses unfamiliar with the process even questioning their motives or identity. Even after getting the necessary rights and finishing up the sample, the job is far from over. Now, it's time to do a sales pitch of the work to Anglosphere agencies and publishers by writing up a book proposal, making appropriate comparisons to books in English that may be similar to the one in question, among others. Lizzie Buehler, the translator of Yun Ko-eun's CWA Dagger-winning "The Disaster Tourist" and her short story collection "Table for One," as well as Seo Su-jin's "Korean Teachers" / Courtesy of Lizzie Buehler BRIDGEPORT A former Fairfield chemist, who pleaded guilty to coercing a 13-year-old girl to send him naked video of herself which he then posted on a pornographic website, was given a suspended sentence. While Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton agreed that Joseph Pisano matched the description of a predator, she said, I do think, however, there was going to be some level of difficulty, embarrassment, concern about having the child testify, especially with her parents. I also think that this was an appropriate resolution based on the fact that there was no actual physical contact between the two individuals. Pisano, 26, who now lives in Massachusetts, had previously pleaded guilty to risk of injury to a child, voyeurism with malice and illegally disseminating intimate information in the case. He was sentenced by the judge to a suspended seven-year term, followed by five years of probation. The judge also imposed on Pisano a lifetime order to have no further contact with the victim and to pay a $151 fine. Susan Hankins, who represented the victims family, told the judge that the familys primary concern was that Pisano acknowledge that he was a child predator and that an order be imposed to protect the victim from Pisano for the rest of her life. He (Pisano) will have a significant amount of time hanging over his head and hopefully he can use this time to reflect on what he had done, added Assistant States Attorney Edward Lee Miller. While Pisano did not address the court, his lawyer, Frederick Ury, told the judge his client is very sorry for what he did. This is his first offense. It is definitely not who he is, but it is what happened and I think Joeys been extremely remorseful, Ury said. According to police, in 2019 the parents of the girl were notified that video showing the girl naked had been posted on the website Pornhub. The parents contacted the website but received only an automated response that the matter was being looked into, police said. Fairfield police began an investigation. Police said the girl had gone on the website Omegle.com where she began chatting with a man who at some point wrote her, If you dont show me you naked Im going to find you and put you all over social media. Police said the man then instructed the girl to make a naked video of herself and send it to him. The video was subsequently uploaded to Pornhub, police said. Pisano was later identified as the man who had contacted the girl, police said. They said he admitted his activity but claimed he didnt know how old she was. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BERLIN (AP) German lawmakers on Thursday rejected a bill requiring all people 60 and over in the country to be vaccinated against coronavirus a compromise solution the government had hoped would get a parliamentary majority. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his health minister originally called for a vaccine mandate to apply to all adults in Germany, but some government lawmakers and most of the opposition had balked at the idea. The vote prompted joy from anti-vaccine activists, who staged a march through Berlin's government district banging drums, blowing horns and carrying banners with slogans such as We are the red line or simply No. The bill was put forward by a cross-party group after months of haggling. It envisaged requiring older people to get the shot, but for there to be compulsory counseling for all adults to help them weigh the advantages and risks of vaccination against COVID-19. In the end, 378 lawmakers voted against the bill, 296 were in favor and nine abstained. Germany has managed the pandemic well compared to some of its European neighbors, with fewer deaths per capita than Italy, France, Britain or Sweden. Social Democratic lawmaker Dagmar Schmidt, who presented the compromise bill, noted that the number of infections has been going down lately. Confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany have declined in recent weeks from a peak of about 300,000 a day to just over 200,000 in the past 24 hours. There were 328 COVID-19-related deaths reported Thursday, according to Germany's disease control agency. But Schmidt said it was necessary to prepare for a new rise in cases and a possible new variant emerging later this year. We will face the same challenge next fall that we did last fall," she said. "The virus won't simply disappear. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) Greek authorities say a man who was seriously injured in a fire that broke out in the COVID-19 ward of a hospital in northern Greece has died of his injuries, bringing the total death toll from the blaze to two. The 52-year-old man who died Thursday had been a patient in the Papanikolaou Hospitals coronavirus ward when the fire broke out Wednesday morning due to as yet undetermined causes, police said. Firefighters discovered the body of a 79-year-old coronavirus patient at the scene on Wednesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIJING (AP) Residents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the government tries to contain a spreading outbreak. People in China's business capital complain online grocers often are sold out. Some received government food packages of meat and vegetables for a few days. But with no word on when they will be allowed out, anxiety is rising. Zhang Yu, 33, said her household of eight eats three meals a day but has cut back to noodles for lunch. They received no government supplies. Its not easy to keep this up, said Zhang, who starts shopping online at 7 a.m. We read on the news there is (food), but we just cant buy it, she said. As soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, it says todays orders are filled. The complaints are an embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party during a politically sensitive year when President Xi Jinping is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as leader. Shanghai highlights the soaring human and economic cost of China's zero-COVID strategy that aims to isolate every infected person. On Thursday, the government reported 23,107 new cases nationwide, all but 1,323 of which had no symptoms. That included 19,989 in Shanghai, where only 329 had symptoms. Complaints about food shortages began after Shanghai closed segments of the city on March 28. Plans called for four-day closures of districts while residents were tested. That changed to an indefinite citywide shutdown after case numbers soared. Shoppers who got little warning stripped supermarket shelves. City officials apologized publicly last week and promised to improve food supplies. Officials say Shanghai, home of the worlds busiest port and Chinas main stock exchange, has enough food. But a deputy mayor, Chen Tong, acknowledged Thursday getting it the last 100 meters to households is a challenge. Shanghais battle against the epidemic has reached the most critical moment, Chen said at a news conference, according to state media. He said officials must go all out to get living supplies to the citys 25 million people. At the same event, a vice president of Meituan, China's biggest food delivery platform, blamed a shortage of staff and vehicles, according to a transcript released by the company. The executive, Mao Fang, said Meituan has moved automated delivery vehicles and nearly 1,000 extra employees to Shanghai. Another online grocer, Dingdong, said it shifted 500 employees in Shanghai from other posts to making deliveries. Li Xiaoliang, an employee of a courier company, complained the government overlooks people living in hotels. He said he is sharing a room with two coworkers after positive cases were found near his rented house. Li, 30, said they brought instant noodles but those ran out. Now, they eat one meal a day of 40 yuan ($6) lunch boxes ordered at the front desk, but the vendor sometimes doesn't deliver. On Thursday, Li said he had only water all day. The local government office "clearly said that they didnt care about those staying in the hotel and left us to find our own way," Li said. "What we need most now is supplies, food." After residents of a Shanghai apartment complex stood on their balconies to sing this week in a possible protest, a drone flew overhead and broadcast the message: Control the souls desire for freedom and do not open the window to sing. This behavior has the risk of spreading the epidemic. The government says it is trying to reduce the impact of its tactics, but authorities still are enforcing curbs that also block access to the industrial cities of Changchun and Jilin with millions of residents in the northeast. While the Shanghai port's managers say operations are normal, the chair of the city's chapter of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, said its member companies estimate the volume of cargo handled has fallen 40%. Some large factories and financial firms are having employees sleep at work to keep operating. But Schoen-Behanzin said with no timetable to end lockdowns, some workers aren't volunteering any more. Residents of smaller cities also have been confined temporarily to their homes this year as Chinese officials try to contain outbreaks. In 2020, access to cities with a total of 60 million people was suspended in an unprecedented attempt to contain the outbreak. The ruling party organized vast supply networks to bring in food. A resident of the Minhang district on Shanghai's west side who asked to be identified only by her surname, Chen, said her household of five was given government food packages on March 30 and April 4. They included chicken, eggplant, carrots, broccoli and potatoes. Now, vegetables are available online but meat, fish and eggs are hard to find, Chen said. She joined a neighborhood buying club. Minimum orders are 3,000 yuan ($500), so you need other people," she said. Everyone is organizing to order food, because we cant count on the government to send it to us, Chen said. Theyre not reliable. A message from a viewer of an online news conference by the city's health bureau challenged officials: Put down the script! Please tell leaders to buy vegetables by mobile phone on the spot. Gregory Gao, an operations specialist for an automaker who lives alone in the downtown Yangpu district, said only Meituan remains after food sellers said supply sites in the area were closing. I cant get anything for two or three days in a row, said Gao, 29. Zhang said some of her neighbors have run out of rice. The government told us at the beginning this would last four days, she said. Many people were not prepared. ___ AP researchers Chen Si in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly will vote Thursday on whether to suspend Russia from the U.N.s premier human rights body. The move was initiated by the United States in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, sparking calls for its forces to be tried for war crimes. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The videos and reporting from the town have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility. We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable, Thomas-Greenfield said Monday. Russias participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said Wednesday the assemblys emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday when the resolution to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation will be put to a vote. While the Human Rights Council is based in Geneva, its members are elected by the 193-nation General Assembly for three-year terms. The March 2006 resolution that established the Human Rights Council states that the assembly may suspend membership rights of a country that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. The brief resolution to be voted on expresses grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights. To be approved, the resolution requires a two-thirds majority of assembly members that vote yes or no. Abstentions dont count. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for the March 2 resolution the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Thomas-Greenfield said Monday that her message to the 140 members who voted in favor of those two resolutions to support Russias suspension from the Human Rights Council is simple: The images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us now to match our words with action. We cannot let a member state that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council, she said. Supporters of the resolution are optimistic about its approval, though not necessarily with the support of 140 countries. Russia asked an unspecified number of countries to vote no, saying an abstention or not voting would be considered unfriendly and would affect bilateral relations. In its so-called non-paper obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the attempt to expel it from the Human Rights Council is political and being supported by various countries to preserve their dominant position and control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Russia said its priority Is to promote and defend human rights, including multilaterally in the Human Rights Council. Russias ambassador in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, called the U.S. action unfounded and purely emotional bravado that looks good on camera -- just how the U.S. likes it. Washington exploits the Ukrainian crisis for its own benefit in an attempt either to exclude or suspend Russia from international organizations, Gatilov said, in comments relayed by a Russian diplomatic mission spokesman. Russia and the other four veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France, and the United States all currently have seats on the Human Rights Council, which the U.S. rejoined this year. The only country to have its membership rights stripped at the council was Libya in 2011, when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi, said council spokesman Rolando Gomez. No permanent member of the Security Council has ever had its membership revoked from any U.N. body. WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his promised effort to diversify the high court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Presiding over the vote was Vice President Kamala Harris, also the first Black woman to reach her high office. Biden tweeted afterward that weve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer exulted that it was a wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and for the United States of America. Harris said as she left the Capitol that she was overjoyed, deeply moved. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in. The two were expected to speak, along with Harris, at the White House Friday. During four days of Senate hearings last month, Jackson spoke of her parents struggles through racial segregation and said her path was clearer than theirs as a Black American after the enactment of civil rights laws. She attended Harvard University, served as a public defender, worked at a private law firm and was appointed as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor, and pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced. Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history. Her eventual elevation to the court will be a respite for Democrats who fought three bruising battles over former President Donald Trumps nominees and watched Republicans cement a conservative majority in the final days of Trump's term with Barrett's confirmation. While Jackson won't change the balance, she will secure a legacy on the court for Biden and fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice. This is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki after the vote. And this is a fulfillment of a promise the president made to the country. The atmosphere was joyful, though the Senate was divided, as Thursday's votes were cast. Senators of both parties sat at their desks and stood to vote, a tradition reserved for the most important matters. The upper galleries were almost full for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago, and about a dozen House members, part of the the Congressional Black caucus, stood at the back of the chamber. Harris called out the tally, pausing with emotion, and Democrats erupted in loud applause and cheers, Schumer pumping his fists. A handful of Republicans stayed and clapped, but most by then had left. Despite Republican criticism of her record, Jackson eventually won three GOP votes. The final tally was far from the overwhelming bipartisan confirmations for Breyer and other justices in decades past, but it was still a significant accomplishment for Biden in the 50-50 split Senate after GOP senators aggressively worked to paint Jackson as too liberal and soft on crime. Statements from Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah all said the same thing they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job. Collins and Murkowski both decried increasingly partisan confirmation fights, which only worsened during the battles over Trumps three picks. Collins said the process was broken and Murkowski called it corrosive and more detached from reality by the year. Biden, a veteran of a more bipartisan Senate, said from the day of Breyer's retirement announcement in January that he wanted support from both parties for his history-making nominee, and he invited Republicans to the White House as he made his decision. It was an attempted reset from Trumps presidency, when Democrats vociferously opposed the three nominees, and from the end of President Barack Obamas, when Republicans blocked nominee Merrick Garland from getting a vote. Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, 50. She will join a court on which no one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years. Jacksons first term will be marked by cases involving race, both in college admissions and voting rights. She has pledged to sit out the courts consideration of Harvards admissions program since she is a member of its board of overseers. But the court could split off a second case involving a challenge to the University of North Carolinas admissions process, which might allow her to weigh in on the issue. Judith Browne Dianis, executive director the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, said Jackson will make the court more reflective of communities that are most impacted by the judiciary. The highest court in the land now will have a firsthand perspective of how the law impacts communities of color via voting rights, police misconduct, abortion access, housing discrimination or the criminal legal system, among other issues, she said. This will ultimately benefit all Americans. Jackson could wait as long as three months to be sworn in, as the court's session generally ends in late June or early July. She remains a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington, but she stepped away from cases there when she was nominated in February. Republicans spent the confirmation hearings strongly questioning her sentencing record, including the sentences she handed down in child pornography cases, which they argued were too light. Jackson declared that nothing could be further from the truth and explained her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. The GOP questioning in the Judiciary Committee showed the views of many Republicans, though, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a floor speech Wednesday that Jackson never got tough once in this area. Democrats criticized the Republicans questioning. You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker at the committees vote earlier this week. The panel deadlocked on the nomination 11-11, but the Senate voted to discharge it from committee and moved ahead with her confirmation. In an impassioned moment during the hearings last month, Booker, who is Black, told Jackson that he felt emotional watching her testify. He said he saw my ancestors and yours in her image. Don't worry, my sister, Booker said. Dont worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because youre here, and I know what its taken for you to sit in that seat. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Jessica Gresko, Zeke Miller and Farnoush Amiri in Washington and Aaron Morrison in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote a historic moment, telling the assembly: We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored and that Russia must be held accountable for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war." Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. U.S. President Joe Biden said the vote demonstrated how Russian President Vladimir Putins war "has made Russia an international pariah. He pledged to continue working with other nations to gather evidence to hold Russia accountable, increase the pressure on its economy and isolate it on the international stage. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. It has created commissions of inquiry which provide its highest level of scrutiny on alleged rights violations and abuses for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. The vote on the U.S.-initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russia's deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution an illegitimate and politically motivated step" by a group of countries with short-term political and economic interests" that he accused of blatant and massive violations of human rights." The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France and the United States, which rejoined this year currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from sinking and suspend Russia, saying it has committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russias actions are beyond the pale, he said. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russia's withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. - Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. South Korean novelist Chung Bora has made it to the shortlist for the 2022 International Booker Prize, one of the three largest literary awards in the world. The author of "Cursed Bunny" was among the six finalists for the British prize, established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English, the event's organizer announced on social media Thursday (local time). Anton Hur, a Sweden-born Korean who translated the book into English, was also put on the list along with Chung. "Cursed Bunny" is a collection of 10 science-fiction short stories on curses and revenge. Novelist Park Sang-young of "Love in the Big City," who was longlisted for the prize together with Chung last month, was not included this time. It is the third time a South Korean author has advanced to the final stage of the prize. Han Kang's "The Vegetarian" and "The White Book" were shortlisted for the prize in 2016 and 2018, respectively, and Han was the winner in 2016. The winner will be announced on May 26, with the top prize of 50,000 pounds (US$65,000) to be shared equally by the author and the translator. (Yonhap) Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Connecticut's beer scene has exploded into a microcosm of taprooms, brewpubs and microbreweries across the state, and what better way to celebrate these breweries than raising a pint on National Beer Day, April 7. Despite a pandemic, which saw the shuttering of a number of breweries including Better Half Brewing and 30 Mile Brewing Company, the scene continued to thrive as new breweries began to spring up. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CANBERRA, Australia The first of 20 Bushmaster armored vehicles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The 20 Bushmasters cost 50 million in Australian dollars, which is $37 million in U.S. dollars. The vehicles are in addition to $116 million in Australian dollars ($87 million in U.S. dollars) in military and humanitarian aid previously committed to Ukraine. Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. And as soon as he asked, we said yes, Morrison said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on eastern front Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban Ukraine appeals to NATO for more weapons Russia is moving troops and focus toward the east, but that strategy carries risks as well U.N. General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from UN rights council Ukrainian refugees find quickest route into US goes through Mexico Seeing Bucha atrocities is turning point for media, viewers Russia makes debt payment in rubles, a move that could result in historic default Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two-state owned companies come a day after the U.S. announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks and banning new American investment in Russia. __ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that work has begun to dig through the rubble in Borodianka, another city northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians. He also said it is much scarier there, with even more victims of the Russian troops. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy said the Russians were preparing to shock the world in the same way by showing corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they were killed by the Ukrainian defenders. Meanwhile, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said Thursday on Ukrainian television that investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Fedoruk said hundreds have been killed and investigators are finding bodies in yards, parks and city squares. PHOENIX A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraines consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths weapons, weapons and weapons. Kushneruk said its a war for the soul of humanity and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. According to Kushneruk, prompt American help will save civilian lives and he pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government to political and cultural institutions around the world. __ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council a meaningful step by the international community. He also said that it further demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions The United States and Ukraine have called Russias alleged rights violations tantamount to war crimes. In a statement, Biden said the images out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying and an outrage to our common humanity. BRUSSELS European Council president Charles Michel says the blocs top diplomat has proposed adding an additional 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, the fund which has been used for the first time during the war to deliver defensive lethal weapons to a third country. The EU has previously agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on military supplies for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a country under attack. EU countries and NATO have so far excluded the option of a direct military intervention in Ukraine. Once swiftly approved this will bring to 1.5 billion the EU support already provided for military equipment for Ukraine, Michel said in a message posted on Twitter in which he thanked EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. The proposal needs to be approved by the 27 EU countries. The EU said the instrument should help Ukraine armed forces defend the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty and protect the civilian population. __ The World Health Organization has verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the country was first invaded more than a month ago, the organizations top official said Thursday. At least 103 attacks on hospitals and other health-care facilities in the country, and at least 73 were killed and 51 injured in those incidents, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The toll includes medical workers as well as patients, he said. He praised the United States for supporting international health efforts in Ukraine, including the delivery of more 180 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit areas. We are outraged that attacks on health care (in Ukraine) continue, he said. ___ BRUSSELS European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. Reported by Raf Casert. ___ PARIS -- The International Energy Agency says its member countries are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous U.S. pledges to take aim at energy prices that have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Paris-based organization said Thursday that the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the United States and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months. Its the largest release in the groups history. Half of that will come from the U.S. as part of the larger release from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden announced last week. The IEA agreed last Friday to add to the amount of oil hitting the global market. It comes on top of the 62.7 million barrels that the agencys members said they would release last month to ease shortages. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russias invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came Thursday after the Senate approved the two bills and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has already taken executive action to ban Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States. The legislation puts the effort into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. The bills also provide the president with the authority to return normal tariff treatment for Russia as well as resume trade in Russian energy products subject to certain conditions. ___ LONDON - Polands President Andrzej Duda and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the need for ending imports of energy sources from Russia as a form of tough sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda said they also analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy additional taxes on Russian gas, oil and coal until the imports are ended. The U.K. said it will stop importing Russian coal and oil by the end of this year and gas imports will cease soon after. Poland is to end Russian coal imports by May, gas by the years end and oil in 2023, possibly. Russia is not a credible partner and we should not assume that it will ever be, Duda told reporters. ___ NICOSIA, Cyprus - Ukraines president has asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up pressure on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to stop granting Russian businessmen conveniences including Cypriot citizenship. Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid and spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that happened in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union. He said EU membership for Ukraine would help strengthen the 27-member bloc. ___ STOCKHOLM European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to stay together and not decide unilaterally on imposing sanctions against Russia. We have been successful by being together. My plea is that we move forward together, von der Leyen said during a visit to Stockholm where she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The EU chief on Friday will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging event in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland. ___ PODGORICA, Montenegro NATO-member Montenegro is joining a number of countries that expelled Russian diplomats over the past week. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the four diplomats have a week to leave the small Balkan nation. The decision is based on information provided by security authorities about the diplomats activities in Montenegro, the ministry said. No other details were immediately available. Montenegro last month expelled another Russian diplomat. Local media said at the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union but has joined Western sanctions against Moscow. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That is significantly lower than votes on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the Ukrainian town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops were responsible. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. ___ LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following Russian President Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The goal is to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. Other elements include promoting solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. ___ WARSAW, Poland A surgeon in Poland says a seriously wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine will require long, specialized treatment for the injuries he suffered in the early days of Russias invasion. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed on the very serious injuries that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his back, spine and facial nerves. Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the car in which the family were trying to flee Ukraines capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Doctors in Kyiv were able to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, but he is now in a wheelchair due to the spine injuries and one side of his face is paralyzed. Some shrapnel particles in his body still need to be removed, Godzinski said. What moved me most was that he smiled when we told him we will be able to help him, Godzinski said on Polands private TVN24. ___ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is calling for his country to be included in negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations without the participation of Belarus, Lukashenko said at a meeting Thursday of his national security council. There can be no separate agreements behind the back of Belarus. Russia has launched missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There has been no confirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. The minister said Turkey was also talking with both Russia and Ukraine about the possible evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol by sea. ___ BRUSSELS Ukraines foreign minister says hes cautiously optimistic that some NATO member countries will increase their weapons supplies to his country, helping it resist Russias invasion, but he urged swift decisions and action. Speaking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which countries would be providing equipment or what kind they would be, but he said the weapons must get to Ukraine quickly as Russia gears up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Kuleba said: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. ___ HELSINKI Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. ___ BRUSSELS The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. Following allegations this week of war crimes in the city of Bucha, the ministers insist that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. They also repeated warnings about the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, saying that any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. ___ MOSCOW Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscows sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. ___ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. ___ ATHENS, Greece Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to Greek parliament Thursday. Zelenskyy emphasized the destruction wrought on the southern port city of Mariupol, home to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian community, and urged Greece to help prevent the same fate befalling Odesa, another Ukrainian port city with deep ties to Greece. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. ___ This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Moments before the Senate began Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation vote to become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, the chamber filled with the swell of history. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus walked through the doors of the Senate to witness the moment. Black female lawmakers sat shoulder to shoulder along the back walls. The visitor galleries above, largely closed these past two years, first from the COVID pandemic and then insurrection at the Capitol, filled with young people, including many young Black men and women, some congressional staffers, to watch. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who protected the chamber against an extremist mob on Jan. 6, 2021, ushered people into the gallery, guarding the members and their visitors once again. Im here today to witness history, freshman Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., said in the halls. Its touching, its moving and Im so proud. Vice President Kamala Harris, who presided over the session, called for the vote. The clerk will call the roll, she said, beaming. Senators remained seated, as is the tradition for momentous votes, and the roll was called one name at a time. Despite the political divisions over President Joe Bidens historic Supreme Court pick, the first Black woman in the court's 233-year history, the last day of the process carried more celebration than tension, coming to a final vote not with a bitter public fight but a flourish. The 53-47 tally was no cliffhanger. Democrats had the votes to confirm Jackson on their own with their slim majority, boosted by three Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney who crossed party lines. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff watched from the gallery as Harris, his wife, presided over the session, though her tie-breaking vote would not be needed. A short delay emerged when Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was late, making him the last to vote and slightly prolonging the inevitable outcome. What a great day it is for the United States of America, said Sen. Raphael Warnock, the first Black senator from Georgia, in a speech before voting began. Jacksons journey to this moment is a reflection of our own journey toward the nations ideals, the senator said. Harris, Warnock and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey all huddled near the dais. She then reached into a folder she had on her desk and pulled out two pieces of vice-presidential stationery paper. Harris handed one each to Warnock and Booker. The assignment for the only two Black Democrats in the Senate, she told them, was to write a letter to a young Black woman in their life to mark this day in history. I thought it was a beautiful gesture, Booker told The Associated Press after the vote. The former presidential candidate said there were a few people in his life that immediately came to mind, but he wanted more time to think it over. Shortly after, Paul popped his head out from the side cloakroom to cast his no vote. On this vote, the yeas are 53, the nays are 47, Harris said. The nomination was confirmed. Cheers broke out in the gallery. Louder than any at the Capitol in recent memory. Democratic senators stood in ovation. Murkowski joined their side of the aisle. Many Republican senators had already left as the Senate is about to start a two-week spring recess. The remaining Republicans filed out of the chamber. Romney, alone on his side, stood clapping. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee who led the nomination to confirmation, gave a nod to the rare show of bipartisanship, harkening back to an earlier era. During the debate, he noted that Romney's father, a former Republican governor, had marched for civil rights in Michigan. "To my colleague, Sen. Mitt Romney you are your fathers son, he said. After the vote, the vice president, herself a history-making leader, took stock of the moment, at a time of brutal war overseas. There is so much about whats happening in the world now that is presenting the worst of ... human behavior," Harris said. "And then we have a moment like this that I think reminds us that there is so much left to accomplish. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) The young woman from Myanmar and her family now live amid the tall grasses of a riverbank on the Thai border, trapped between a country that does not want them and a country whose military could kill them. Like thousands of others fleeing mounting violence after a military takeover in Myanmar last February, Hay left her village for neighboring Thailand in search of a safe haven that does not exist. Returning to Myanmar would place her and her family at risk of death. And yet that is precisely what Thai authorities wary of jeopardizing their relationship with Myanmars ruling military tell them to do at least once a week, she says. When they told us to go back, we cried and explained why we cant go back home, says Hay, who lives in a flimsy tent on the Moei River, which divides the two countries. The Associated Press is withholding Hays full name, along with the full names of other refugees in this story, to protect them from retaliation by authorities. Sometimes we cross back to the Myanmar side of the river. But I have not returned to the village at all. Though international refugee laws forbid the return of people to countries where their lives may be in danger, Thailand has nonetheless sent thousands of people who fled violence by Myanmars military back home, according to interviews with refugees, aid groups and Thai authorities themselves. That has left Hay and other Myanmar refugees ricocheting between both sides of the river as the fighting in their home villages rages and briefly recedes. It is this game of ping-pong, says Sally Thompson, executive director of The Border Consortium, which provides aid to Myanmar refugees in Thailand. You cant keep going back and forth across the border. Youve got to be somewhere where its stable.And there is absolutely no stability in Myanmar at the moment. Since its takeover last year, Myanmars military has killed more than 1,700 people, arrested over 13,000 and systematically tortured children, women and men. Thailand, which is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention, insists Myanmars refugees return home voluntarily. Thailand also insists it has complied with international non-refoulement laws, which dictate that people must not be returned to a country where they would face torture, punishment or harm. As the situation on the Myanmar side of the border improved, the Thai authorities facilitated their voluntary return to the Myanmar side, says Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tanee Sangrat. Thailand remains committed and will continue to uphold its long-held humanitarian tradition, including the principle of non-refoulement, in assisting those in need. Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj, governor of Thailands Tak province, where thousands of people from Myanmar have sought refuge, said many crossed illegally when there was no fighting. We had to send them back as the laws said, Somchai says. When they faced the threats and crossed here, we never refused to help them. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Thai government sources estimate around 17,000 Myanmar refugees have sought safety in Thailand since the takeover. But only around 2,000 are currently living in Thailand, said the Thai-Myanmar Border Command Center. Most of those fleeing clashes between the military and ethnic minority armed groups along the border must wade across the rivers dividing the two countries, belongings and babies balanced atop their shoulders. They are then relegated to living in crowded cattle sheds or rickety tents made of tarpaulin and bamboo. The moment there is a pause in fighting, refugees and aid groups say, Thai authorities send them back, despite Myanmars military taking over villages, burning homes and setting land mines. I have seen some of them being forced to get in a car, get off at the river, and cross over to the other side, says Phoe Thingyan, secretary of Thai aid group the Overseas Irrawaddy Association. In Myanmars border regions, ethnic minority armed groups have been fighting the central government for decades in a bid for greater autonomy, with more clashes after the military takeover. Despite some pauses, witnesses say the fighting there is now the worst its been in decades. At times, the gunfire, bombing and fighter jets have been audible from Thailand. Life along the river is grim and frightening. It is not far from the war zone, says Naw Htoo Htoo, of the ethnic Karen Human Rights Group. The elderly and children are not comfortable in the makeshift tents.There are illnesses not only caused by the weather, but also by COVID-19. On the Thai side of the river, Hays tent offers virtually no protection from the sweltering sun, mosquitoes and drenching rains. Food and other supplies are scarce, yet the Thai authorities have refused to allow international aid groups access to the refugees. The Thai military doesnt even want to acknowledge the existence of Myanmar refugees in Thailand because that alone could upset Myanmars military leaders, says Patrick Phongsathorn, human rights specialist with the Asia-based group Fortify Rights. The Thai military is intent on controlling the situation, controlling the narrative, because obviously they have political skin in the game, in whats happening in Myanmar, he says. They are very close with the Myanmar junta authorities. Somchai, the Thai governor, seemed to hint at this: When the fighting stopped, they had to go back, he said of the refugees Thailand returned. Otherwise, it could be a sensitive issue for the relationship between both countries. The Thai military declined to comment. Win, a 23-year-old chemistry student who lives on the Myanmar side of the river, now regularly wades through chest-deep water to retrieve food from the Thai side. Then he wades back to his campsite in Myanmar, where he lives alongside around 300 other refugees. They are surviving, but only just. What he wants more than anything, he says, is the one thing he cannot have. I just want to go home, he says. I do not want anything else. ___ Gelineau reported from Sydney. A Bridgeport man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for illegally possessing firearms, according to federal prosecutors. One firearm was reported stolen and was later found in possession of a gang member, according to Leonard Boyle, the United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Police arrested Reys Alfredo Vasquez, 30, of Bridgeport, on Sept. 22, 2020. At the time, police found Vasquez with several fake drivers licenses from multiple states, each with Vasquezs picture and a different name, and his cellphone, Boyles office said. A court-authorized search of the cellphone revealed a video of Vasquez holding a Glock handgun with a drum and laser sight that he was offering for sale on Aug. 22, 2019. Investigators determined that the gun had been reported stolen in Georgia in June 2019, Boyles office said. Later that year, police recovered the gun from an SUV outside a Waterbury nightclub. The investigation found that the gun had been in the possession of the members of the Bridgeport-based Original North End, or O.N.E., street gang, according to Boyles office. Vasquezs criminal history includes state felony convictions, making it illegal for him to posses a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce, Boyles office said. Investigators arrested Vasquez on Dec. 7, 2020, on a federal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon. After his arrest, investigators seized a loaded Glock handgun, which had also been reported stolen, in Vasquezs possession, according to Boyles office. Vasquez has been detained since his federal arrest. In November 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Earlier this week Mayor Joe Ganim submitted a $605.1 million budget to the City Council that he called comprehensive and balanced and will have a positive, tangible impact on our residents quality of life. But that fiscal proposal, a roughly $7 million increase over the current years, relies on millions of dollars in one-time and hoped-for revenues, including $10 million from Bridgeports portion of last years federal coronavirus relief package; $4 million from the pending sale of city-owned, Stratford-based Sikorsky Memorial Airport; and $2.1 million in additional state aid. The airport deal, which the administration has been negotiating with the Connecticut Airport Authority and could total $10 million, is not done, with Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick recently notifying the city of a last minute offer for her town to purchase the facility. The councils budget committee hosted the first of several spring meetings on Ganims draft, 2022-23 plan Wednesday ahead of a final vote on the document in early May. Co-chairmen Scott Burns and Ernie Newton and their colleagues were given an overview of the proposal by Nestor Nkwo, Bridgeports budget chief, and Finance Director Kenneth Flatto. Nkwo emphasized the $10 million in COVID relief and $4 million from selling off Sikorsky are one-shot items, meaning the city will need to make up for those substantial lost dollars in future budget seasons. This is not a permanent revenue source, he said. The mayor, who just officially launched his 2023 reelection bid, did not participate Wednesday, but in a press release and separate interview with Hearst Connecticut Media touted what he considers his budgets highlights. Those include holding the tax rate at the 43.45 mills passed last May, which represented a significant 10 mill reduction; breaking Ganims tradition of flat funding education in his draft budget by offering an extra $2 million to the school board, which wants an $8.5 million increase instead; and urging the council figure out how to expand a senior tax relief program established in 2019. Flatto told the budget committee that Bridgeport currently spends around $1.3 million on senior tax relief. The mayors 2022-23 budget would add another $400,000 to that, though the criteria are to be determined. Asked in an interview Wednesday afternoon why he did not propose reducing the mill rate to provide more residents and businesses a tax cut, Ganim said doing something meaningful would require a substantial dent to the budget. The impact is probably better targeted to individuals with the greatest needs, he said. On his added education spending, Ganim said its never enough and that he believes Superintendent Michael Testani and the Board of Education have generally done a good job running the public schools. Theres a level of confidence there, he said. On the face of it it would seem the mayor and council could be able to afford popular aims like lowering taxes across the board and investing more in education. The city over the last two years has seen a massive influx of federal and state dollars aimed at relieving financial burdens and economic hardships caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Plus Bridgeports real estate market and values are booming. And Flatto advised the council earlier this year that, with a $36.7 million rainy day fund, This is really the best financial position the citys been in in decades. However, according to the administration and Burns, Bridgeport will not receive an extra $12 million in state dollars used to balance the current budget, so there is not a lot of fiscal wiggle room. The (mayors proposed $7 million) increase is pretty small across the board in comparison to previous years, so we know we have a pretty tight budget were looking at, Burns said during Wednesdays meeting. The budget is very tight, echoed Nkwo later. At one point he mentioned how the mayors proposal is counting on $600,000 in parking enforcement revenues, but that figure is not a sure thing. Thats predicated on improving our parking enforcement, Nkwo said. Some work needs to be done. Besides relying on one-time revenue boosts like federal COVID aid and the airport sale, Ganim is also counting on an extra $2.1 million from the state. Nkwo told the budget committee that the mayors plan relies on that figure to be balanced and, if that money does not come through, Ganim is committed to finding savings. In the past, for example, the mayor has been slow to fill personnel vacancies something that has sometimes been criticized by council members and department heads if they feel manpower issues impact the quality of municipal services. Delays in hiring jobs that are needed is not good. Delays in hiring unneeded jobs is good, noted Councilman Matthew McCarthy Wednesday. Where did we come up with that $2.1 million number? Just to balance the budget, basically? McCarthy asked. Yeah, the budget is balanced, Nkwo responded. Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. I wanted you to hear straight from me that I tested positive for COVID-19 today, Lamont tweeted Thursday afternoon. Lamont said in the tweet that he was feeling well and was not experienced symptoms. According to his office, Lamont took a regularly scheduled rapid COVID-19 test on Thursday morning and it came back positive. He then took a second rapid test, which was also positive. He is currently awaiting the results of a PCR test. Our office has also conducted contact tracing to identify and inform close contacts, Lamont spokesperson Max Reiss said in a statement. Lamont is the 16th U.S. governor to test positive for COVID, which has been on a slight rise in Connecticut with more cases attributed to the BA.2 subvariant. Currently, the prediction is that this new wave will be small, said Pedro Mendes, who specializes in disease modeling at the University of Connecticut. The current prediction is that hospitalizations would start reducing after reaching around 200. The state reported Thursday there had been 2,870 new COVID cases detected in 58,767 reported tests over the past seven days, for a positivity rate of 4.88 percent. Thats the highest seven-day average since the state started reporting the metric last week. COVID-related hospitalizations increased by 39 over the past seven days for a total of 127. An additional 19 COVID-related deaths were reported over the past week, for a total of 10,795 since the start of the pandemic. School-based COVID cases also increased week over week, for both students and staff. There were 1,015 students with COVID identified in Connecticut schools in the past week, according to state data, an increase from 886 the previous week, the third week in a row that cases have increased. There were 332 COVID cases identified among school-based staff, according to state data, an increase from 247 last week. COVID cases among school staff in Connecticut have increased every week since Feb. 23, when there were 141 infections identified. Though it is unclear where Lamont may have contracted COVID-19, the governor has averaged about three public appearances a day in recent weeks, with intermittent mask wearing, less frequently as the events are increasingly outdoors. On Wednesday alone, Lamont attended the opening of a train station platform in Clinton, held an announcement of the recipients of a statewide grant program at a well-attended event in Middletown and then ended the day visiting a vaccination clinic at a local restaurant in Hartford. At points in some of the events Wednesday, Lamont is pictured without a mask while gathered with other people. At least two of the events were largely outdoors. At the event in Hartford, the governor appeared in the late afternoon at a cafe and tea shop, with more than 20 people in close proximity under a small tent. He did not wear a mask at the formal event or while mingling with people afterward in the parking lot and while speaking with reporters. Dr. Manisha Juthani, the state Department of Public Health commissioner, and state Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, who is also a physician, spoke at the event alongside Lamont and both wore masks. That event marked health equity, celebrating the ongoing rollout of pop-up clinics for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters around the state. Food was served indoors, but Lamont remained outside. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, the governor plans to quarantine at home for the next five days and will not attend any in-person events, Reiss said. He will continue to monitor himself for symptoms and will take another PCR test in several days, Reiss said. Lamonts positive test result comes a week after he received a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a school-based clinic in Hartford. Thankfully, Im double boosted and I encourage everyone to get your vaccine and boosters if eligible, Lamont said in the tweet. When asked how long after a COVID vaccine dose the body will reach peak immunity, Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital, said it takes two weeks. You are considered immune approximately two weeks after vaccine dose as this is when antibody levels start to spike, he said. The peak is usually between two to four weeks and wanes from there. Staff writer Jordan Fenster contributed to this story. Amid Republican criticism that proposed adjustments to the next budget would put Connecticut on track for a hefty billion-dollar deficit, majority Democrats on the legislative Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a $24.1-billion spending plan to start July 1. After a three-hour review and discussion, the vote was mostly along party lines, with Rep. Kathleen McCarty, R-Waterford, joining the majority. The debate also focused on Democratic plans relying on short-term federal COVID-relief money to provide more funding for a variety of programs, including law enforcement and other anti-crime initiatives. This should in no way be an acceptable budget to the residents of Connecticut, said Sen. Craig Miner, R-Litchfield, a top Republican on the committee, stressing the rise in violent crime needs longer range support, not the one-time spending of American Rescue Plan Act. I think its a very serious problem, Miner said, referring to his corner of northwest Connecticut. We know whats going on and we think we should be appropriating money there. To do it out of a one-time fund like ARPA seems misguided at best. We need increased enforcement. People need to be managing crime. Miner pointed out a recent shooting in New Haven that left bullet holes in the home of Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, a co-chairman of the law-writing Judiciary Committee who also serves on the Appropriations Committee. In response, Winfield said he hopes for a broader discussion in the legislature on the type of long- and short-term investments needed to heal communities and offer lifestyle alternatives to youngsters. The police are on it, he said of the incident this week, in which a person was shot on the street in front of his home, sending his family to the floor inside the home to seek cover. They are investigating it, Winfield said, his voice cracking with emotion. That doesnt stop it from happening, Winfield said. What stops that from happening is that those young people who were involved in that ... dont get involved in those types of crimes. I recognize that it is important that law enforcement has the tools it needs. But it is just as important that we think about keeping those young people from being on those streets doing the things that theyre doing. But this legislature is not really good at doing that. Miner agreed with Winfield that the public-safety budget is just one part of the states potential for getting to the root cause of gun trafficking, the root cause of the sale of drugs and other issues. It should be represented in the budget on an ongoing basis, not a one-time basis. The committee slightly reduced Gov. Ned Lamonts proposed spending plan, adding small amounts to the states tourism account and slashing funding for the Consumer Counsel and Public Utilities Control Fund. While Lamont had proposed using about $797 million in ARPA funding next year, the committee leaders opted for $676 million, leaving $375 million in reserve for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2023. They do hold dollar amounts for nearly every state agency, state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chairwoman of the committee, said of the proposed spreading of ARPA support. As has been discussed, some will have ongoing consequences. Many will not. For me, this is a COVID-relief budget, a budget that meets the immediate challenges we face today by investing in an equitable future. Miner, who is not seeking reelection after serving in the legislature since 2001, said that while Lamont is claiming credit for the states fiscal improvements, it was the bipartisan work in 2017 that set parameters for growth. No one could have anticipated COVID when we put that budget together, Miner said, warning that the budget proposal includes $23 million in raises for non-unionized state employees and $74 million to provide wage enhancements for child care. I cant help but say what kind of a long-term commitment should anyone take away from the way those two things are being funded? Miner said. In the years to come, its going to be difficult for this committee to fund all the good things in this budget. State Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, co-chairwoman of the committee, stressed that every year is different and the General Assembly should invest more this year, while it can. Its important for us to understand that helping people now with the federal dollars is the best thing that we can do until we can figure out how to make things more permanent and more clear, Walker said. While some estimates project a $1.4 billion deficit in the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2023, Walker said robust sales and income tax collections, which raised the surplus in the current budget year to $1.7 billion with less than three months to go, are expected to continue. If we dont have child care, we dont have the ability of people to do jobs, Walker said. Theres no support for them. I would wish that people would understand that funding is something that changes every year, because were not sure what were going to have in the budget, and in revenue next year. The panels vote, combined with the tax plans approved Wednesday by the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, will become the basis of closed-door negotiations between Democratic leaders and Lamonts budget staff as the General Assembly heads toward its May 4 adjournment deadline. Democrats have a 97-54 majority in the House and a 23-13 edge in the Senate, although Sen. Mary Daugherty Abrams, D-Meriden, has been ill most of the year. Overall, the committees budget is about $14.4 million less than Lamonts proposal. It includes $100 million to reimburse municipalities for reducing local automobile property tax rates to a maximum of 32.46 mils statewide. On Wednesday, the legislative Finance Committee, in a competing plan, approved a bill that would give taxpayers in towns with mill rates of 29 or greater $5,000 exemptions on the value of personal motor vehicles at a cost to the state of about $250 million. The appropriations budget also has $72 million for state nonprofit providers; $20 million for infant and toddler day care slots; $15 million for new construction and renovations to child care facilities; $14 million for domestic violence prevention programs, including 18 new positions in the state network of shelters; $12 million to the Tobacco Trust Fund for smoking cessation programs; $10 million for commercial business vouchers to purchase medium-and heavy-duty electric vehicles; $7 million to initiate or enhance student mental health services at 36 school-based health centers. Among items in the budget that differ from Lamonts proposal are $4.5 million more for the state Workforce Reinvestment Act; $3 million in additional support for short-term residential psychiatric treatment for youths; $2.3 million for the Project Longevity, aimed at steering urban youths away from crime; $2.2 million for pay raises for state judges; $1.4 million extra for the states Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative; $1 million to help repopulate the Atlantic salmon and the American eel; $400,000 for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. And after a debate in recent months over whether the current biennial budget included money for the removal of the controversial statue of colonial soldier John Mason, Osten allocated $100,000 to remove the 3,000-pound marble replica from the third floor exterior of the State Capitol building to likely be moved to the Old State House in downtown Hartford. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman speaks to the United Nations Security Council, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., March 29. Reuters-Yonhap The United States seeks to ensure peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region partly by reinvigorating its trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Wednesday. Sherman also highlighted the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, noting it is home to more than half of the global population and over 60 percent of the global economy. "The United States is a proud Indo-Pacific nation. Our future is entwined more closely with the Indo-Pacific than with any other part of the world," the deputy secretary said in a House Foreign Services Committee hearing on restoring American leadership in the Indo-Pacific. "Our vision a vision we share with our Allies and partners across the region is to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains free and open, and becomes more interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient," she added. To this end, the U.S. is working to strengthen its alliances and partnerships with other countries in the region, she noted. "America's network of alliances and partnerships is one of our greatest strengths. That is why we are prioritizing strengthening our collaboration in a variety of forums," said Sherman. "We elevated the Quad, created AUKUS, appointed a Special Presidential Envoy to lead our COFA negotiations with the Freely Associated States, and reinvigorated trilateral diplomacy with Japan and the Republic of Korea." Sherman underscored growing threats to peace and security in the region. "Threats to our security are evolving, and our security approach must evolve with them. We are strengthening and deepening our five treaty alliances and other vital partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and working to enhance our capabilities," she said. She did not mention any countries by name, but her remarks come after North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile in over four years on March 24. Pyongyang has also conducted 11 other rounds of missile launches this year, including seven rounds in January alone that marked the largest number of missile launches in a single month. Sherman expressed hopes the U.S.-South Korea alliance will be further strengthened under South Korea's incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration when asked. "I think that President-elect Yoon in South Korea will be a terrific partner and ally of the United States," she said. Yoon is set to take office on May 10. (Yonhap) PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine's largest hospital is leaving the state's largest health insurer next year in a dispute over bill practices and delayed payments, its corporate parent announced Wednesday. MaineHealth accused Anthem of underpaying and refusing to pay Maine Medical Center claims, while a spokesperson for Anthem accused MaineHealth of overcharging for its services. Anthem owes MaineHealth in excess of $70 million for health care services dating back over three years, MaineHealth officials said. Stephanie DuBois, spokesperson for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine, accused MaineHealth of unacceptable fee increases. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said Wednesday that she's deeply concerned and urged the two sides to resolve their differences. Anthem has 300,000 customers in Maine, she said. Termination of the contract would significantly harm the cost of and access to care for Maine people who are Anthem customers, particularly in southern Maine, and seriously impact the operation of the health care market across the state, she said. Anthem and MaineHealth have a contract that runs through Sept. 30, 2024, but MaineHealth intends to leave on Jan. 1. The early announcement gives Anthem customers nine months to prepare, said Andrew Mueller, CEO of MaineHealth. Both companies have engaged with an independent mediator but there has been little progress, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The state Department of Labor Thursday announced a second round of recovered wages and penalties levied against John Vazzanos local restaurant and catering empire totaling $103,993. Following a year-long investigation by its wage and workplace personnel, the agency said it found widespread instances of labor violations that included failure to maintain lawful payroll processes and employee time records; failure to pay employees the minimum wage or overtime; and failure to provide meal periods as required under the law at three of Vazzanos five establishments Four Seasons in Stratford, Vazzys Cucina in Shelton and the 19th Hole at Bridgeport-owned Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course. As a result of the probe, the labor department said it recovered $16,030 in back wages for 33 Four Seasons employees and fined that business $4,800; recovered $73,784 in back wages for 20 workers at Vazzys Cucina and fined that restaurant $7,500; and recovered just short of $979 in back wages for four staffers at the 19th Hole and imposed a $900 civil penalty on that operation. Last October state labor officials announced that the Original Vazzys establishment on Broadbridge Road in Bridgeport would pay nearly $80,000 in back wages to dozens of employees and $20,000 in civil penalties for similar violations. The labor department said it continues to investigate Vazzanos fifth restaurant, Monroe-based Vazzys Osteria. Labor Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo in a statement Thursday said, Connecticuts workforce is the backbone of our economy; its imperative that workers are compensated justly, treated fairly, and able to seek recourse for infringement on their rights as employees. The wage and workplace investigators have been diligent and thorough. I commend them for their work on behalf of these employees and for ensuring these workers are made whole again. Vazzanos attorney, Justin Falco of Shelton-based Fashjian & Falco, issued a brief statement Thursday, saying This resolution is part of our effort to work with the state Department of Labor to resolve all outstanding labor issues and bring the restaurants into compliance. Vazzanos businesses first came under Department of Labor scrutiny early last year, based on information contained in the February 17, 2021 arrest warrant affidavit for Vazzano. He was charged with allegedly interfering in a sexual assault investigation against two longtime staffers at the Original Vazzys. Signed by an investigator from the Office of the Chief States Attorney, that affidavit included summaries of witness interviews and other information collected in the criminal investigation that stated Vazzano was paying some workers off the books in cash and keeping insufficient records. Then in July the state confirmed that all five of Vazzanos operations were being looked at for possible labor violations. In February the criminal charges against Vazzano related to the sexual assault investigation bribery of a witness, third-degree hindering prosecution and interfering with an officer were dismissed by a state Superior Court judge after the restaurateur successfully completed the conditions of accelerated rehabilitation. The court had granted Vazzano the pretrial probation program for nonviolent offenders in December. He was required to commit no other crimes and provide a luncheon to a charitable organization that counsels sex assault victims. The victim and her father did not object to Vazzano getting the program. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) A subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. providers of renewable energy pleaded guilty to criminal charges and was ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and restitution after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. NextEra Energy subsidiary ESI Energy was also sentenced to five years probation after being charged with three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during a court appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The charges arose from the deaths of nine eagles at three wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico. In addition to those deaths, the company acknowledged the deaths of golden and bald eagles at 50 wind farms affiliated with ESI and NextEra since 2012, prosecutors said. Birds were killed in eight states: Wyoming, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona and Illinois. NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, bills itself as the worlds largest utility company by market value. It has more than 100 wind farms in the U.S. and Canada and also generates natural gas, nuclear and solar power Almost all of the eagles killed at the NextEra subsidiary's facilities were struck by the blades of wind turbines, prosecutors said. Some turbines killed multiple eagles and because the carcasses are not always found, officials said the number killed was likely higher than the 150 birds cited in court documents. Prosecutors said the company's failure to take steps to protect eagles or to obtain permits to kill the birds gave it an advantage over competitors that did take such steps even as ESI and other NextEra affiliates received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal tax credits from the wind power they produced. NextEra spokesperson Steven Stengel said the company didn't seek permits because it believes the law didn't require them for unintentional bird deaths. The company said its guilty plea will resolve all allegations over past fatalities and allow it to move forward without a continued threat of prosecution. The criminal case comes amid a push by President Joe Biden for more renewable energy from wind, solar and other sources to help reduce climate changing emissions. It also follows a renewed commitment by federal wildlife officials under Biden to enforce protections for eagles and other birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Criminal prosecutions had been halted under former President Donald Trump for birds killed inadvertently by industry. Its illegal to kill or harm eagles under the migratory bird act. However, a wide range of industries from energy firms to manufacturing companies have lobbied for years against enforcing the law for accidental bird deaths. The bald eagle the U.S. national symbol since the 1700s saw its populations widely decimated last century due to harmful pesticides such as DDT and other problems. Following a dramatic recovery, it was removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2007. Biologists say more than 300,000 bald eagles now occupy the U.S., not including Alaska. Golden eagles have not fared as well, with populations considered stable but under pressure from wind farms, collisions with vehicles, illegal shootings and poisoning from lead ammunition. Most of the eagles killed at the ESI and NextEra wind farms were golden eagles, according to court documents. There are an estimated 31,800 golden eagles in the Western U.S. with an estimated 2,200 killed annually due to human causes, or about 60% of all deaths, according to a study released last week by leading eagle researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other entities. The study concluded that golden eagle deaths will likely increase in the future because of wind energy development and other human activities. Companies historically have been able to avoid prosecution under the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty law if they take steps to avoid deaths and seek permits for those that occur. Charging documents said company representatives, including ESI's president, were warned that eagles would be killed if the company built two wind farms in central and southeastern Wyoming, and also knew about a risk to eagles when they authorized the repowering of a New Mexico wind farm, about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from Albuquerque. The company proceeded anyway and at times ignored further advice from federal wildlife officials about how to minimize the deaths, according to court documents. For more than a decade, ESI has violated (wildlife) laws, taking eagles without obtaining or even seeking the necessary permit, said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division in a statement. ESI agreed under a plea deal to spend up to $27 million during its five-year probationary period on measures to prevent future eagle deaths. That includes shutting down turbines at times when eagles are more likely to be present. Despite those measures, wildlife officials anticipate that some eagles still could die. When that happens, the company will pay $29,623 per dead eagle under the plea deal. NextEra President Rebecca Kujawa said collisions of birds with wind turbines are unavoidable accidents that should not be criminalized. She said the company is committed to reducing damage to wildlife from its projects. We disagree with the government's underlying enforcement activity, Kujawa said in a statement. Building any structure, driving any vehicle, or flying any airplane carries with it a possibility that accidental eagle and other bird collisions may occur. ___ On Twitter follow Matthew Brown: @MatthewBrownAP STORY LINK Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) Exchange Rate Trades Narrowly as Risk Appetite Remains Fragile Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) Exchange Rate Rangebound amid Volatile Risk Appetite Euro (EUR) Dips as Ukraine Prepares for Fresh Russian Offensive Pound (GBP) Edges Higher amid UK Business Fears GBP/EUR Exchange Rate Forecast: Will either Central Banks Signal Hawkish Turn? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate is trending sideways today. A lack of data today is leaving both currencies at the whims of risk appetite. The Pound is edging higher against many of its safer rivals despite pessimism from UK businesses over the countrys long-term outlook. The Euro meanwhile is struggling amid worries of a fresh Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.At time of writing the GBP/EUR exchange rate is at around 1.2005, virtually unchanged from this mornings figures.The Euro (EUR) is slipping against many of its rivals today. The war in Ukraine is continuing to heap pressure upon the single currency. A downtick to German bond yields is also pulling the Euro lower today. On the other hand, above-forecast retail sales for February may be helping to limit significant losses for EUR.Peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia have continued to falter in recent days. On Sunday, reports from the town of Bucha indicated the widespread killing of civilians by Russian forces. The reports were met by outrage from the international community, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy clearing labelling the actions as war crimes.Attempts by the EU to impose further sanctions on Russia have been hampered by continued resistance from Germany. A proposed ban on Russian coal has been pushed from July to August. Continued resistance from the blocs largest member could limit gains for the single currency.Warnings from Ukraine of a fresh Russian offensive in the countrys Donbas region are also likely to push the Euro lower today. Ukrainian officials have urged civilians to leave the east of the country while the opportunity still exists.Better than expected retail sales for the Eurozone may be helping to keep the Euro propped up today. Februarys retail sales rose 5% year-on-year above forecasts of 4.8%. Analysts highlighted fuel and non-food products as the main reason for the rise.The Pound (GBP) is making gradual gains against many of its competitors today. Soaring prices and pessimism from businesses over the UKs economic outlook may also be weighing upon Sterling today. On the other hand, a rise in UK consumer spending may be prompting some optimistic bets on GBP.UK business are most concerned about the impact of rising goods and services prices, as well as soaring energy prices. The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlighted the accommodation and food services industries as those most concerned with the increase to energy prices.Additionally, a survey conducted by the Bank of England (BoE) found that nearly 50% of UK businesses expect the war in Ukraine to negatively impact their sales over the next 12 months. This pessimism could weigh on the Pound over the course of todays session.A cautious market mood may also be limiting gains for Sterling today amid faltering Ukraine-Russia peace talks. The Kremlin warned today that the continued supply of weapons to Ukraine from Western nations will have a negative effect on diplomatic efforts.With no further significant data for the Pound this week, the currencys movements are likely to be dictated by global risk appetite. On Thursday, a speech from Bank of England (BoE) policymaker Huw Pill could see GBP slip should he echo the central banks dovish stance.The Euro also has no other significant data due this week. Further developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict are likely to continue to weigh on the single currency. A speech from European Central Bank (ECB) board member Fabio Panetta on Friday could prompt some movement in EUR. The ECB has been particularly dovish recently although has recently signalled that it may be open to a 2022 rate hike. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Euro Forecasts Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor, left, and Rev. Lee Young-hoon, the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, pose before the prayer breakfast held at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, Thursday, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Israel. Courtesy of Yoido Full Gospel Church By Park Han-sol In celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Israel, politicians, diplomats and religious leaders from the two countries have come together to pray for peace in Jerusalem and on the Korean Peninsula, as well as for the people of Ukraine, currently in crisis. The Korea-Israel 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations Prayer Breakfast, co-hosted by the Korea-Israel Friendship Association, the Embassy of Israel in Korea and Yoido Full Gospel Church, was held at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, Thursday. Rev. Lee Young-hoon, the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, stated in his congratulatory message that the two countries share commonalities in their histories. "Like Israel which established its independence from the British mandate on May 14, 1948, Korea became independent from the trusteeship of the U.S. to establish its government on Aug. 15, 1948. Both Israel and Korea are independent nations founded on democracy," Lee said. He urged that the political and religious leaders of the two nations must pray together for global peace. "We must pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the war in Ukraine to end swiftly. We must also pray for the peace of Korea, the world's only divided nation. The peace of Jerusalem will bring about the peace of the world." Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivers a speech in a video message during the Korea-Israel 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations Prayer Breakfast at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Yoido Full Gospel Church By Jung Da-min The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed regret over Chinese state-run media depicting clothes imported from Korea as the possible source of COVID-19 infections in China. "China has recently stepped up quarantine measures not only on clothes they import from South Korea but also for almost all imported goods from other countries," a ministry official told reporters, Thursday. "But some government offices or Chinese state-run media are failing to properly explain the whole context of the matter and, therefore, are making inappropriate and inconsiderate remarks, which is not desirable in terms of Korea-China relations." The official said the Korean government has raised the issue with the Chinese central government and some state media which have made the inappropriate remarks to ask them to take sensible measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again. China's state-run newspaper Global Times published an article on Monday titled, "COVID-19 cases in 3 regions in China linked to imported clothing from South Korea," which said, "The COVID-19 cases recently reported in at least three Chinese cities were found to be related to clothing imported from South Korea, raising concerns that the source of infection may be contaminated imported clothing." China's top envoy to South Korea Amb. Xing Haiming delivers a speech during a forum about the two countries' relationship as South Korea is about to be headed by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's new administration, at Millennium Hilton Seoul, April 7. Newsis South Korea and China can overcome their differences over the former's hosting of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system, Beijing's top envoy here said Thursday, noting the thorny issue has hurt public sentiment in both countries. Amb. Xing Haiming made the remarks during a forum amid concerns the THAAD issue could resurface as a thorn in bilateral ties, as South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol advocated for the deployment of additional THAAD units during his campaign. "As bilateral ties have deepened and evolved, issues, including the THAAD issue and the deterioration of public sentiment, have surfaced," the ambassador said. "It is normal that the two countries have different views on those issues, and they can overcome them." Xing, however, pointed out THAAD has become a "taboo word" in bilateral relations in an apparent display of Beijing's opposition to any move to bring in additional THAAD batteries here. "THAAD has become a taboo word in China-South Korea relations, and the two countries should not follow the same footsteps," he said. China has long opposed the installation of the U.S. missile defense system, arguing it could undermine its security interests. South Korea and the U.S. have said the THAAD battery here is a defensive asset to address North Korea's evolving missile threats. Touching on the Korean Peninsula issues, Xing stressed the importance of dialogue and negotiations. "Recently, a new trend in the security of the Korean Peninsula has emerged, and the risks of tensions have expanded," he said. "This is by no means what China wants." Xing also said China hopes to strengthen communication with the incoming Seoul government in pursuit of a "political" resolution of the peninsula issues, and for peace and stability on the peninsula. (Yonhap) The timing couldnt have been worse for Prince Charles and those close to the future king know it. Amid a series of damaging international headlines for the Royal Family following Prince William and Kates Caribbean tour and Prince Andrews unwelcome return to the spotlight, the heir to the thrones once close friendship with the beastly paedophile Jimmy Savile has been dragged up for the world to devour, thanks to a major new series by Netflix. An exasperated ally of the Prince of Wales had a simple question during a downbeat call this week: Why now? This has been known for years. Its easy to think this has been timed for maximum damage. Its no exaggeration to say Netflixs already tense relationship with the British monarchy just hit an all-time low. The US streaming giant has loomed large in the life of courtiers for Prince Charles for many years. While they publicly dismiss the suggestion, there is deep concern that the portrayal of their boss as egotistical, callous and weak in the royal drama The Crown a huge hit internationally has done lasting damage to his reputation, especially among younger generations who didnt live through the so-called War of the Waleses in real time. DAN WOOTTON: Amid a series of damaging international headlines for the Royal Family following Prince William and Kates Caribbean tour and Prince Andrews unwelcome return to the spotlight, the heir to the thrones once close friendship with the beastly paedophile Jimmy Savile has been dragged up for the world to devour, thanks to a major new series by Netflix Royal staff are braced for the forthcoming next series to be the worst yet, as Princess Dianas death is played out on screen. Dianas close friend Jemima Khan has already quit as a consultant on the series because she realised the Princesss story would not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped. But the damaging Savile documentary promoted to British newspapers solely around the disgraced BBC presenters friendship with Charles comes hot on the heels of the grotesque Diana: The Musical, amid a feeling that Netflix is increasingly looking to broadcast ever more provocative content about the British Royal Family. And then theres the elephant in the room or, to be more accurate, a $14million mansion in Montecito, California. All these damaging Netflix shows have been scheduled since Prince Harry and Meghan joined the staff of the streaming service on a mega-money deal (rumoured to be worth $100million). DAN WOOTTON: The timing couldnt have been worse for Prince Charles and those close to the future king know it While the couple get exercised about various aspects of what they consider to be unfair media coverage on a regular basis, the Sussexes have remained suspiciously silent about how Netflix has treated their own relatives. That has resulted in increasing fury behind-the-scenes at various royal palaces, as Harrys relationship with his family continues to break down. A royal source seethed: Of course, there is a feeling that the Savile documentary is unfortunate and very unfair on the Prince of Wales, given everyone in authority, including the Prime Minister of the time, was taken in by him. But the biggest amount of anger is reserved for the fact Netflix is a broadcaster that now employs his son and the Sussexes dont appear to have said a word about this. It feels like yet another betrayal. Prince Harry is well aware of just how sensitive his father has been about Netflix in the past. Back in October 2019, I revealed how staff at Clarence House insisted no stars from The Crown were invited when Charles attended the launch of Netflix series Our Planet alongside David Attenborough and his two sons, who were made aware of his discomfort. Just a year later, in November 2020, friends of Charles told The Mail on Sunday Netflix was trolling on a Hollywood budget, after the recently released fourth series of The Crown delved into the unsavoury treatment of Diana in the early days of their marriage. DAN WOOTTON: Its no exaggeration to say Netflixs already tense relationship with the British monarchy just hit an all-time low Its dragging up things that happened during very difficult times 25 or 30 years ago without a thought for anyones feelings, a pal told the newspaper then. That quote very much reflects the mood of his friends this week about the Savile expose. Reflecting her lighter approach aimed at disarming critics, Camilla for her part recently agreed to pose with Emerald Fennell the actress who portrayed her in The Crown suggesting she is less bothered by Netflix. But the awkward questions for Harry and Meghan have not gone away. How can they claim to be bastions of truth in the media when they are happy to take tens of millions from a company that seems to take a deranged glee in regularly misrepresenting their family to secure viewers? Given they were so public about their concerns regarding misinformation and Spotify, have they had similar discussions with Netflix about misinformation regarding the British Royal Family? Are they planning to make any shows for Netflix cashing in on the royal titles they refuse to give up? Perhaps Harry is quite happy to see his fathers reputation trashed, given he did his best to start the backlash against Charles during his downright delusional interview with his pal Oprah Winfrey. But what about the fact the Diana musical suggested his mother whose memory he has always argued he works to protect used HIV patients for publicity? Sadly, I believe that I know the answer to all of these questions. For both Netflix and the Sussexes, it comes down to one thing: Moolah/big bucks/greenback. Harry and Meghan have a Hollywood lifestyle to protect and they are more than happy to turn a blind eye to Netflixs egregious treatment of their relatives, as long as the company continues to pay them. And Netflix, which is on a desperate quest for new subscribers, knows salacious content about the royals helps attract paying customers. Especially now they have the veneer of royal respectability, given their formal relationship with Harry and Meghan. Sadly, Prince Charles and other senior royals should brace for further trashing from Sussex TV over the next few years. Drum-roll, please. It was part of an 18 million contract and has been nearly two years in the making but, hallelujah, it is here at last. No, not the latest stretch of Crossrail or a new cancer ward for the little kiddies, but the Duchess of Sussex's much-trumpeted Spotify podcast. Called Archetypes, the series will be launching soon, with Meghan promising to use the broadcasts to look at the way women are portrayed in the media and 'the labels that try to hold them back'. Uh-oh. I think I can see where this is going. And I've got a feeling that those 'holding back' labels are not going to be the ones on the back of a max-control Spanx bodysuit. Is it so terribly wrong and bad of me to envisage a series of grim, earnest chats where the underlying theme is the Duchess of Martyr herself, and the terrible, terrible life she has had since joining the British Royal Family, stepping down as a working member of the British Royal Family and trying to make an honest-to-goodness fortune out of her association with the British Royal Family? Is it so very, very awful to suggest that a better and more accurate title for the podcast series would be 'The One Where I Get Even With Every Bad Bitch Who Ever Bitched About Me'? Uncensored: The Duchess of Sussex. (Pictured: Meghan Markle during a video released to launch 4040, a global project to encourage people around the world to commit to giving 40 minutes of their time to support women going back to work) As is so often the case with the Sussexes, one is torn between applauding them for a marvellous tranche of pure altruism which will benefit the entire world, or wondering if what they are doing is only a bit of cold-eyed, legacy-building, myth-controlling PR? Meghan promises that Archetypes will feature 'uncensored conversations' with historians, experts and women 'who know all too well' that being categorised can influence and change narratives. Of course, she doesn't mean archetypes: she means stereotypes. But that would also mean she'd have had to call her son Stereo, and in the stampede to trademark everything 'Arch', she probably didn't think of that. I digress. A Spotify statement says Meghan plans to uncover the origins of these oh-so damaging stereotypes, and address the ones that have 'historically generalised women through the lens of popular culture and media'. What does that actually mean? That we're going to have to get furious all over again at the way Goldie Hawn was portrayed as a dizzy blonde in Private Benjamin, while agreeing that the 1990s tabloid fixation with Pamela Anderson's breasts was, you know, a bit off? Or is it going to be much more specific? The smart money is on the latter and on deep-dive Sussex specifics in particular. Certainly, Sussex confidant and biographer Omid Scobie has, in the past, written and talked about the reputation Meghan has as a 'Duchess Difficult character' and how such 'cliched stereotypes are quite dangerous, particularly when we're talking about successful women of colour being called too difficult, too demanding, too ambitious'. This is problematic ground. While not wishing to undermine what the Duchess sees as her lived experience, the concept of 'being difficult' as a racial stereotype is a new one on me. Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pictured, as they arrive to attend The Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2020 Seduced by The Split? You bet The Split is back but only for a third and final series. Please don't stop now, I love this show! Described by the BBC as 'a steamy legal drama', it features the Defoes, a family of female divorce layers whose own relationship problems would keep the courts busy for months. It stars Nicola Walker as Hannah, a woman whose eyes fill up like paddling pools when she discovers husband Stephen Mangan's latest betrayal, despite the odd Dutch-based dalliance of her own and I'm not talking tulips. The Split is so deftly written, acted and produced that each episode is an hour of pure bliss. But most of all I love the show's wardrobe, especially the perfectly pitched London lady lawyer outfits. 'You have to look reassuringly in control and reassuringly expensive,' Walker said, in an interview, of Hannah's clothes, which includes blazers from McQueen, bodycon dresses from Roland Mouret and this week, a perfect blue silk blouse from The Fold very reassuringly priced at more than 300. Hannah wears her tailored jackets as if they were armour. In many scenes, she is as miserable as a salted slug, but every man she meets wants to sleep with her. What is her secret? It can't just be her expensive briefs. Suited: Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan, both pictured in BBC's The Split Advertisement If you were to fish out some random guppies from the celebrity swamp of strop, your net would bulge with the likes of Madonna, Russell Crowe, Prince Andrew, Naomi Campbell, Nadine Dorries, Morrissey, Alec Baldwin, Kanye West, Elton John and Sharon Stone, to name a few. All have reputations for being difficult people, and all have nothing in common except their tantrums. Despite the Duchess of Sussex's proposed focus on the media, female stereotypes alongside equally pejorative male stereotypes exist in films and television as well as in newspapers and magazines. Indeed, Meghan could kick off her podcast by examining her own film career, in which she has played every female stereotype known to forgive me man. For example, there is the common stereotype of the airhead party girl who wears little black dresses and obsesses about getting a boob job. As evinced by a character called Dana, played, in a 2006 film called The Boys & Girls Guide To Getting Down, by a young actress called Meghan Markle. Another party girl who hangs around in a gold dress waiting to be snogged by Russell Brand? Meghan again, in Get Him To The Greek (2010). A stripper called Kelly with a heart of gold? That's the character played by Meghan in a 2008 film called The Apostles. How about an ambitious small-town girl who sacrifices everything for a big-city job, only to realise she should have stayed at home and married the boy next door instead? Let's hear it for Meghan as Amy in the 2014 film When Sparks Fly. 'I went after the wrong dream and lost the person I cared about the most,' she simpers in the final scenes. Yes, sisters! Stay at home where you belong and polish the glass ceiling instead of trying to smash it, you crazy chick. Look. No one ever suggested, then or now, that Meghan Markle somehow did a disservice to women of colour by playing these characters who weren't perfect or inspiring, but were all too human instead. Why not? Because it would be preposterous, unwarranted and unfair but the rules for real life seem to be different. Anyway, archetypes, stereotypes, media types call them what you will, it's all going to be great. I look forward to seeing which typecast females the Duchess of Martyr will consider worthy of examination, while wondering if Evil Half-Sister, Grandma Moneypot and Jealous Sister-In-Law will make the cut. Most of all, I am hugely looking forward to the episode in which Meghan will be having an uncensored conversation with herself about stereotyped females and her own role in perpetuating so many of them. There is no shame in public life any more. Look at Prince Andrew attempting to thrust himself back into the front line of royal duties, instead of retreating to a potting shed on the Windsor estate, whereupon to compare himself to a worm and come off badly in the analysis. Prince Andrew, right, after leading the Queen into the service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey Actor Will Smith appears to be carrying on as if nothing bad had happened at the Oscars, when he should be hiding out of sight under the rock of disgrace. And at the Grammy Awards this week, the six nominees in the best comedy album category included Chelsea Handler and Lewis Black but somehow the judges voted for Louis C.K. to win, despite his admission in 2017 of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. That is the biggest joke of all, but no one is laughing. There are to be no more daffodils grown in a park in Cornwall after the St Blaise council said children might eat them and fall ill. Why? Because the bulbs are toxic. Good grief, I didn't realise death by daffodil was a thing. Nor that if children are told not to dig up daffodil bulbs and eat them, they will just go right ahead and do it. Pictured: Old Roselyon Play Area in St Blaise and daffodils They will disobey their parents, they will run to the nearest daffodil patch and they will dig up the bulbs with their bare hands, truffling for the delicious golden snack that they prefer instead of yukky chocolate or sweets. Once they locate the buried treasure, they will munch away like squirrels while singing 'I found my thrill, on Daffodil Hill' at the tops of their little voices. Or perhaps they won't. Not for the first time this week I find myself wondering, whatever happened to common sense? Let's not start blaming Prince Charles for Jimmy Savile. HRH didn't ignore alarm bells; he wasn't in possession of insider knowledge about the perverted entertainer. Like the rest of the country, just like all of us, he was fooled by a master manipulator who kept his terrible act going for years. Let us eat cake, you meanies I'd like to weigh in on 'cakeage', the practice in which restaurants charge customers for bringing along celebration cakes for their party. London-based TV writer Ivor Baddiel reported that one restaurant wanted to change him 10 per head for his cake, which not only seems extortionate, it also makes it clear to the customer that they are not a valued guest in the restaurant, but merely a transaction. Fair enough that restaurants want to charge something they are a business and they are losing the sale from the dessert menu. But a one-off charge similar to corkage, perhaps of around 20, seems about right to me. After all, the restaurant has no financial layout for labour or ingredients and to insist on anything more puts a downer on the whole evening. Some restaurants don't charge anything at all, and I bet their goodwill brings in more business. However, the sad truth is that the hospitality industry can sometimes be very inhospitable indeed, far more concerned with profit margins than customer satisfaction. If the restaurant business wants to tempt people back after the pandemic, then they are going to have to try a lot harder and care a bit more than this. In Glasgow Sheriff Court, William Weir walked away with just paying 1,000 compensation for beating his girlfriend's face to a pulp and leaving her with lifetime scars. Now 20, Jordana Rutherford says his punishment is a joke and she is right. Meanwhile, at Westminster Magistrates, Nathan Blagg was jailed for eight weeks for posting racist comments on Twitter. There is no excuse for the behaviour of either man, but don't you get the feeling something is very wrong in the deployment of justice? Soho heiress India Rose James is launching an art exhibition to raise money for Ukraine after hearing harrowing stories of 'rape and sex trafficking'. The multi-millionaire granddaughter of late British porn and property mogul Paul Raymond was invited to be chief curator for an auction hosted by the Art On A Postcard charity. The exhibition, in aid of the Choose Love charity appeal, will sell small artworks from celebrities and budding artists including Courtney Love and Joe Lycett from 50. Polly Edsell, an artist who has previously created collages using copies of old porn magazine's by India's grandfather, will also feature in the collection - showcased in a private exhibit at the heiress' Soho galley later this month. The 30-year-old explained to Tatler that she's been horrified by images of 'people in a desperate situation'. Soho heiress India Rose James is launching an art exhibition to raise money for Ukraine after hearing harrowing stories of 'rape and sex trafficking'. She is pictured attending a private viewing at her gallery, Soho Revue 'I'm not a political person, but being a mum, watching the news and hearing of Gemma [Peppe's] story and of so many other horror stories of young girls being raped and sex trafficked, I wanted to do what I can to help.' Gemma Peppe is founder of Art on a Postcard whose mother was taken into a Russian prisoner of war camp as a child after being arrested in Lviv after a German-Soviet invasion in 1939. She founded the charity with the aim of eliminating Hepatitis C - however decided to deviate from tradition considering the situation in Ukraine. India, whose 329million fortune saw her beat the Queen 's wealth and make the Sunday Times rich list at just 21, launched her London gallery, Soho Revu, in 2015. India, whose 329million fortune saw her beat the Queen 's wealth and make the Sunday Times rich list at just 21, launched her London gallery, Soho Revu, in 2015 It originally opened in an old recording studio on Greek Street but has since relocated to Walkers Court - which was once the site of site of Britains first-ever strip club, the Revuebar. Paul Raymond, India's beloved 'Papa', opened the famously raunchy Raymond Revuebar in 1958 before branching out and founding his own adult magazine empire in 1964. Over the following years ploughed his profits into property to the extent that it was said he bought a freehold a week in 1977. The nickname 'the King of Soho' followed. When Paul died in 2008, the majority of his portfolio was left to India and her half-sister Fawn (whose biological father is Duncan Mackay from the rock band 10cc, but was adopted by India's father John James as a child) then aged 16 and 22, respectively. A hefty chunk was also left to Paul's son Howard. India and Fawn's mother Debbie died of a drug overdose at the age of 36, leaving behind ten-month-old India and six-year-old Fawn. Paul Raymond, India's beloved 'Papa', opened the famously raunchy Raymond Revuebar (pictured) in 1958 before branching out and founding his own adult magazine empire in 1964 The family fortune, which was estimated at 482 million in the 2016 Sunday Times rich list, is derived from a property empire that includes the site of Soho House, nightclub The Box, and the former premises of the bookshop Foyles. In her early 20s, India, who has been sober for four years, became a firm fixture on the London social scene, frequenting fashion launches and art openings. It was on a night out at celebrity haunt Brown's Hotel, in Mayfair, that she met former fiance Hugh Harris, lead guitarist of The Kooks. Their first kiss was at Reading Festival in 2015 and three months later India was pregnant. Hugh proposed with an enormous emerald on the roof of the Hotel Cafe Royal in Piccadilly Circus in 2016. Soon afterwards their daughter Sapphire, known as Saffi, was born at The Portland Hospital in Central London, where well-heeled women including Victoria Beckham and the Duchess of York go to give birth. The couple never married and later separated. Finding the right time and place to end a relationship is always a tough call, not to mention choosing the most sensitive words. However, some people choose to deal with the uncomfortable task by getting creative, as these hilarious snaps from around the world of brutal break ups, collated by Traveler Door, have revealed. One man, from the US, decided to dump his wife along with all her belongings and even invited the neighbours along to the garage sale. Another drew a picture of himself riding a giraffe in a bid to get out of the tricky situation without offering an explanation. Meanwhile, a woman named Nikki, from Colorado, dumped her husband, Dave, and hit him where it hurts, by drawing on his car and clearing out his bank account. Some people get creative when dumping someone with many from around the world sharing images of their brutal breakups and Traveler Door has taken the hilarious snaps and combined them into a funny gallery. This man, from the US, decided to dump his wife along with all her belongings in a garage sale Driving him away! Nikki, from Colorado, dumped her husband, Dave, and hit him where it hurts, by drawing on his car and clearing out his bank account Having a giraffe! A man who didn't feel like explaining his feelings decided that scrawling a picture would be the best way out of the situation Pregnant pause: This man could have at least checked his spelling was correct before he tried to pretend his phone was no longer in service Awkward! One Imgur user known as BinanoSplat wanted to create as much public humiliation as possible for his ex so he shared this on Reddit then posted it through her post box It started off so well! This person broke up with their girlfriend Erin because the relationship lost its 'sparkle of 100,000,000 trampolines' Poof. You're a father! This guy tried to make a funny joke but it completely backfired on him instead Pizza fixes everything! Imgur user Kansas12, from the US, broke up with his girlfriend with this delicious cheesy pizza, at least it softened the blow What a journey! This man, from New South Wales in Australia, broke up with his lover Jennifer on on a busy road This poor women was the one who had to move out even though her husband was the one who cheated. At least his neighbors will no loner like him. Na Na Na Na Batman! This guy, whose location is unknown, has been watching to many movies Emily, a New Jersey realtor, took revenge on her cheating husband, Steven, by advertising his infidelities on a billboard A woman has revealed how she accidentally shot and killed her own mother during a suicide attempt when she was 12 years old - after she spent years being molested by her cousins. Tammy 'Jojo' Johnson, now 44, who is originally from Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in Akron, tried to take her own life after she endured years of abuse. As a child, she was molested by her cousins and severely bullied by her classmates at school, so Tammy, who believed in reincarnation, tried to kill herself in an attempt to 'start over' - but instead, she tragically shot her mom. Now, the mom-of-three, who works at Google, is sharing her story. She spoke out about the horrifying incident during mini-doc with Real Women/Real Stories (which was created by Lauren Santucci) recently, in an attempt to let other abuse victims know that they are not alone. A woman has revealed how she accidentally shot and killed her own mother during a suicide attempt when she was 12 years old - after she spent years being molested by her cousins Heartbreaking: Tammy 'Jojo' Johnson, now 44, who is originally from Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in Akron, tried to take her own life after she endured years of abuse As a child, she was molested by her cousins, so Tammy - who believed in reincarnation - tried to kill herself in an attempt to 'start over.' But instead, she tragically shot her mom 'It was just me and my mom; my dad died when I was three so she pretty much raised me as a single mom,' she recalled. 'I would say that my mom and I were pretty close. There were of course mother-daughter disagreements but we were really close.' Tammy revealed that she was being sexually assaulted by three different family members for years, but her mom had no idea. She told Essence in a 2020 interview that she decided not to tell her mother about the abuse because she wanted to protect her. 'I had a rough time dealing with it all and I didnt tell my mom. I was trying to protect her because my brothers were locked up and I didnt want her to have to worry about me too,' she explained. 'She loved me. She did everything for me. 'I didnt know anything about being the victim. I didnt know that what was happening was wrong, though it felt wrong. 'My abusers told me if I said something I would get taken away from my mom. And I didnt want to do that because I knew that if I left the things that were happening to me would happen to my nephew.' Due to the abuse, Tammy began acting out, and was diagnosed with night terror disorder, disassociation disorder, and PTSD. She said she was plagued with horrible nightmares, and the 'only way she could get away in her dream was to kill herself.' 'I didn't understand what suicide was at the time, that's not what I called it when I was 12,' she added to Real Women/Real Stories. 'It was more like a reincarnation. If I could just take myself out and start over, then I wouldn't have to worry about some of the things that were happening to me.' Tammy said she knew there was a gun in the house but after she 'messed with it' once, her mom decided to hide it - which made her even more determined to find it. 'When I went to go find the gun where I last saw it, it wasn't there. My guess is, as an adult, I think that my mom probably saw that I messed with it so she moved it,' she said. 'That's my guess. What happened in that moment was, it made me determined to find it. 'When I found it, I remember feeling so relieved. I took the gun to bed with me that night and I put it under my pillow. Now, the mom-of-three spoke out about the horrifying incident during an interview with Real Women/Real Stories in an attempt to let other abuse victims know that they are not alone 'I didn't understand what suicide was,' she said. 'It was more like a reincarnation. If I could just take myself out then I wouldn't have to worry about the things that were happening to me' Tammy fired the gun multiple times, but instead of hitting herself, she accidentally shot her mom, who was asleep on the couch 'The goal was, if something were to try to mess with me I would shoot it and then I would take my life so I could start over. This was the idea.' Tammy fired the gun multiple times, but instead of hitting herself, she accidentally shot her mom, who was asleep on the couch. Afterwards, she was convicted of murder and sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Delaware, where she stayed until she was 21. 'People were already saying I'm not gonna make it, I'm not gonna function. I was scared,' she admitted. 'Some of that stuff was spoken into me but I had another part that was spoken into me from church organizations that came into the institution that said, "Hey. You are forgiven, you are loved, you are chosen." 'I had these opposing sides and I had to choose which identity I was going to take. Eventually, obviously since I'm here now, I chose the better one but the struggle inside was still really hard.' For years she didn't speak of the abuse that she had previously endured. But at age 15, she decided to finally open up about it after other women at the institution inspired her. 'The reason I started opening up because the girls there were opening up,' she explained to Essence. 'I took a leadership position in that institution and I got to hear the stories behind the crimes that took place. 'These young girls didnt get to tell their story. The courts told their story. These young girls who had been molested by their mothers boyfriends or were bullied or tortured at school because of their race or their sexual orientation, they didnt get to tell their story the way that I get to tell you mine, but they survived and it was because of them I knew what it was to be a leader.' After leaving the facility, she recalled struggling to do normal things like pay bills or drive a car. Afterwards, she was convicted of murder and sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Delaware, Ohio, where she stayed until she was 21 For years she didn't speak of the abuse that she had previously endured. But at age 15, she decided to finally open up about it after other women at the institution inspired her 'I didnt know how to live independently as a woman ... but I left that institution with so much support and so much love from other women,' she said. Now, Tammy, who has a 22-year-old daughter, a 17-year-old son, and a 10-year-old son, has learned to accept herself and her past. She said to Real Women/Real Stories: 'I learned how to go above what people say or think about who I am and what I can become. 'There's always a time when the smoke clears. There's always a different season that you can walk into but it's going to start with who you are, accepting what you've done, and not choosing to be the victim or not choosing to be what other people call you. 'I just want to be the example and I don't want people to just hear it, I want them to see it in my life. 'I was sexually molested, I was bullied, I committed murder, the victim was my mom. I was in an institution from 12 to 21, I was in a dark place, I tried to kill myself. ... But here I am today. 'I'm 44, I have a great job, I'm about to be married to an amazing person. I have a group of wonderful friends and I have advocates and people who know me from that time until now that can say the same thing, that's important.' She also told Essence that she 'thinks about her mom all the time,' especially when she is parenting. 'I think about my mom all the time and I see her everywhere. I see myself as her when Im dealing with my girl,' she gushed. 'I see myself in her when Im trying to get my son to put down Minecraft or when Im trying to talk to my [younger son]. They are good kids.' She concluded: 'I want to tell every woman I dont care what happen to you, you have a right to move forward. 'You have a right to live your life. You have a right to redefine your journey.' For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255. After a quick visit to the UK earlier this week, Queen Letizia was back to stepping out in style in Spain where she attended an event for the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards today. The mother-of-two, 49, opted to recycle a checked grey skirt by Massimo Dutti for the ceremony to honour social initiatives undertaken by young people across Spain. The Princess of Girona Foundation Social Awards recognise young people aged 16-35 who started a business that produces positive changes for society. Princess of Girona is the title held by Letizia's eldest daughter Leonor, 15, who will one day be Queen of Spain. After a quick visit to the UK earlier this week, Queen Letizia of Spain, 49,was back in style in Spain where she attended an event for Princess Leonor's Princess of Girona Foundation Awards The mother-of-two looked very stylish in a Massimo Dutti skirt that has been one of her wardrobe staples since 2019 Letizia looked glamourous as ever in the Massimo Dutti number which she debuted in 2019 to open the 39th edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid in 2019, and has worn several times since. Today she paired the skirt with a silk blouse with puff sleeves and a pussy bow at the collar. Known for her impeccable sense of style, the Spanish queen added a pop of colour with her accessories, wearing a pair of suede tan heels that matched her handbag. She sported d a very glamourous hairdo, with glossy curls bouncing on her shoulders. The mother-of-two first donned the skirt in 2019 to attend the International tourism fair in Madrid with King Felipe Vi, pictured Letizia paired the skirt with a silk white blouse with bow sleeves and a pussy bow at the collar. She was also wearing a white face mask The mother-of-two, who was wearing a face mask,still sported a glamourous eye-makeup, with a smoky eye, a brown eye-shadow and a sculpted brow that added a sophisticated air to the everyday look. Letizia is well-known for her love of minimalist jewellery and sported a discreet pair of gold hoop earrings. Letizia, who attended the event without her husband King Felipe VI, looked relaxed as she made her way into the Riojaforum auditorium this morning. The Spanish Queen has just returned from the UK, where she shared an engagement with Prince Charles, 73. The royal sat down with the Princess of Girona Awards' contestant, who are all aged 16 to 35 and promote change in a vast variety of disciplines across Spain Letizia, who was in the UK for a brief visit earlier this week, looked in great spirit back in her home country The mother-of-two, who was among the foreign royals who attended Prince Philip's memorial service on March 29, cut an elegant figure during the appearance, donning a raspberry dress and wrapping up against the cool spring chill in a black coat. Meanwhile Charles donned a light grey suit for the outing, which he paired with a burgundy tie and matching pocket square. The pair opened the exhibition Zurbaran: the twelve tribes of Israel: Jacob and his sons at the Spanish Gallery of the castle during the visit. The Spanish Gallery at the castle is the home of the biggest assortment of work Spanish works from the Golden Age in the UK. The mother-of-two showed her fashion skills by pairing the skirt and shirt with a tag handbag and tan heels Prince Charles has met with Queen Letizia on a number of occasions in the past, including in 2017 when he hosted a meeting with her and her husband King Felipe at Clarence House. Meanwhile in 2019, the Queen of Spain and Prince of Wales jointly celebrated the opening of a National Gallery exhibition of works by a Spanish impressionist, in an evening hailed as a moment of European unity. The Prince of Wales is a Patron of the National Gallery and they both previewed the new exhibition by the late Spanish impressionist, Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida. Queen Letizia and the Prince, who spoke warmly throughout the hour-long visit, were shown dozens of works by Sorolla, described as the 'master of light' in a glamorous evening at the London gallery. While the Spanish royal attended Prince Philip's memorial service, it is unknown if she spoke with Prince Charles during the event. Seoul City Hall in central Seoul /Yonhap Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to offer support programs to 1,200 socially isolated young people this year to help them connect with society, officials said Thursday. The city plans to offer six programs tailored to the individual needs of 1,000 socially isolated young adults, including in-depth counseling, confidence-boosting sessions and employment search support. A cohabitation experience program will be offered to 200 people experiencing long-term home seclusion to help them become accustomed to regular daily routines and interpersonal skills. This year's recipients represent a nearly fourfold increase from last year. Officials also plan to launch a survey on socially isolated people aged between 19 and 39 with the goal to complete it by the end of the year. (Yonhap) A woman who discovered that her her boyfriend was cheating on her with a friend got the ultimate revenge by injecting chili oil into his condoms. Agustah, 29, thought she had finally found her dream man after they were together for two-years. However, she then realized that he was secretly dating her close friend at the same time, after she unearthed some flirty messages between the two. The 'heartbroken' business owner, from Texas, decided revenge was a dish best served hot - and she injected her cheating beau's condoms with extra spicy habanero oil in an attempt to get him back for his betrayal. And after he got hurt from the condom, she used habanero-infused ice to nurse the wounds - leaving him screaming in pain. Painful: A woman who discovered that her her boyfriend was cheating on her with a friend got the ultimate revenge by injecting chili oil into his condoms Betrayal: Agustah, 29, realized her boyfriend of two-years was secretly dating her close friend at the same time, after she unearthed some flirty messages between the two The 'heartbroken' business owner, from Texas, decided revenge was a dish best served hot - and injected her cheating beau's condoms with extra spicy habanero oil Agustah said: 'In the beginning he was a dream, a gentleman. He was really nice to me and I fell hard for him. 'I had my suspicions he was cheating when I found condoms in his car but he said he had them before we met and never got around to throwing them away. 'I didn't believe him and went through his phone to discover chatting with my friend who I had known for over five years. 'I was heartbroken. Seeing the man I trusted and thought he was different hurt me and really broke my spirit.' The chocolate company owner wanted to teach him a harsh lesson, and she began plotting her revenge. She then became inspired while eating hot food, and decided to scorn the womanizer - while also catching him in the act - by putting some spices that she found in her kitchen into his condoms using a syringe. Ouch: And after he got hurt from the condom, she used habanero-infused ice to nurse the wounds - leaving him screaming in pain The truth: After his genitals started burning, Agustah said the 'clown' claimed that it was his shower gel that had made them irritated. But after using the spicy ice, he finally came clean And after his genitals started burning, Agustah said the 'clown' claimed that it was his shower gel that had made them irritated. Agustah then decided to use ice covered in more spices to help sooth the wounds, which resulted in him finally coming clean. She continued: 'I used a syringe to inject habanero oil in his condoms. 'Two days later, this clown comes home holding his private area telling me he was at the gym and used a shower gel that is currently irritating his penis. 'I played along and told him to lay down while I went to get ice. 'I like spicy cocktails and always made spicy ice to enhance the flavors. I took the ice cubes, put them in a face towel and helped him cool off. 'After a while he started screaming and said the ice was making it worse. Agustah blocked her ex-friend on social media, however she decided to forgive her boyfriend and give him one more chance But, after he was caught cheating for a second time, she broke things off for good and punished him once again when she turned up to his graduation as his dad's date 'I couldn't stop laughing so he caught on and asked me what I had done. I told him and he confessed to having an affair with my friend and apologized.' Agustah blocked her ex-friend on social media, however, she decided to forgive her boyfriend and give him one more chance. But, after he was caught cheating for a second time, she broke things off for good. She then decided to punish the adulterer once again, and turned up to his graduation as his dad's date - which left him in tears. She added: 'I was really close with his family and when they found out, his mom offered I go to the graduation as his dad's date as they were divorced. 'I never actually dated his dad. My ex was furious and cried his eyes out as he walked the stage to collect his degree. 'I am doing great now. I have since moved on from him and I know he was toxic for me.' The Dutch royal couple enjoyed their day walking hand in hand in fields of tulip. Queen Maxima, 50, and King Willem-Alexander, 54, travelled to the aptly named Dune and Bulb Region of the Western Netherlands today. The royals, who have been entertaining the Indian presidential couple for the past two day, enjoyed an engagement as a pair, touring the blossoming fields of tulips that are the pride of their country. Because tulips and flowers are so integral to the economy of the Netherlands, local entrepreneurs have created fields specially for tourists, so that the majority of their production is not damage or trampled by careless feet. Queen Maxima, 50, and King Willem-Alexander, 54, travelled to the aptly named Dune and Bulb Region of the Western Netherlands today Lucky Maxima was gifted a bouquet of beautiful and fresh blooms in yellow, orange, red and pink, which matched her outfit perfectly Maxima was a vision in blue, donning a navy trench coat with a matching Jackie Onassis-style hat. A gust of wind ruffled the coat, revealing the mother-of-three was wearing a day dress embroidered with silver flowers under the warm garment. The Dutch Queen, who loves matching her accessories to her outfit, picked a ring mounted with diamond and sapphires for the occasion, which she paired with pearl drop earrings. Her blonde locks were styled in a glossy hairdo, tied at the back under the hat into a luscious ponytail. For today's event, the Dutch Queen opted for a navy look, with a matching coat and hat, and an embroidered dress of the same hue Royal fans presented the Dutch Queen with crowns of flowers and bouquets during her and her husband's visit The Dutch royal opted for a natural, yet glamourous makeup for today's occasion. She was sporting bronzer, which complimented her healthy glow, and a dash of eyeliner and mascara brought the focus to her hazelnut pupils. Never one to leave the house without lipstick, Maxima sported a rosy tint on her lips, beaming next to her husband. Willem-Alexander was dapper in a navy suit, which he paired with a white shirt and a blue tie. The handsome couple looked as in love as ever as they made their way through the tulip field. Wearing heels in the field of tulips, Maxima reached out to her husband for balance during today's event Ever the gentleman, King Willem-Alexander guided Maxima through the field with an expert hand Both wearing navy, the royal couple made a handsome pair as they arrived in the Dune and Bulb Region this morning Ever the gentleman, the Dutch King took Maxima's hand to guide her through the flowers. They posed for pictures as the mayor of the region and other attendees looked on. Lucky Maxima was gifted a bouquet of beautiful and fresh blooms in yellow, orange, red and pink, which matched her outfit perfectly. The couple also met locals, including local children who were starstruck to meet their Queen and shyly waved at her from the side. After touring the plantations, the couple also toured a factory next to the field where tulip bulbs waited to be planted. Maxima breathed some fresh flowers in. Willem-Alexander seemed to find the moment amusing and laughed as he watched on A vision in blue! The Dutch Queen's look today was an ode to her love of monochrome outifts, sporting blue from head to toe The look of love! While Maxima fretted with her hat, Willem-Alexander gave her a loving look during the engagement Maxima was the picture of good humour during the visit. She promised the tulip producers to come back, and to come by bike, The Dutch publication AD reported. Yesterday ,the mother-of-three and King Willem-Alexander stepped out for an evening of music in Amsterdam. The couple, who were entertaining the visiting president of India Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita, treated their guests to an evening of music at the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam's biggest stage. After dazzling in a blue gown for a state dinner on Tuesday, Maxima opted to wear crimson from head to toe for tonight's event. The royal seemed delighted to take her guests, who are due to depart tomorrow, on a cultural outing tonight. After touring the field, Maxima and Willem-Alexander leared more about the tulip bulbs that are looked after by a nearby flower producers A single mom who went to the bathroom thinking she was suffering from a stomach bug was shocked to deliver her own baby on the toilet. Victoya Venise, from Louisiana, was 37 weeks along and not expecting to go into labor while on a work trip to Georgia last week. When she started experiencing stomach discomfort on April 1, she assumed she had caught the same stomach but that her four-year-old daughter had been suffering from until her son came out. Venise, who had been planning to give the baby to another family for adoption, felt so bonded with the little boy after the unusual delivery that she decided to keep him and named him Rocky, after her grandfather. Victoya Venise, from Louisiana, was 37 weeks along and not expecting to go into labor while on a work trip to Georgia last week Her four-year-old daughter had just had a stomach bug, so when she felt unwell, she assumed she was sick. She went to the bathroom in her hotel and delivered her own baby on the toilet Venise was planning to give the baby to another family for adoption, but bonded with him upon the unique delivery and decided to keep him Venise, a graphic designer and social media manager, was staying at a Georgia hotel while traveling for work when she began to feel unwell. 'I had just came back from urgent care with my daughter. And she had a stomach bug,' she told NBC affiliate WXIA-TV. 'By the time I realized it was a baby and not poop, it was just too late.' 'I turned around, and it was the baby, and I was like [gasp],' she told FOX 5 Atlanta. 'I hurried up, and I grabbed him out of the toilet. 'I found a towel and I wrapped him up. I was sitting on the toilet and I called my mom. I was like mom, I just had the baby. I was like he fell in the toilet. She was like, "Call 911, call 911." Venise and Rocky were taken to a nearby hospital, where he was issued a unique birth certificate. She named him Rocky, after her grandfather, and is moving to Georgia to be near her own mother 'If I could literally bring you into the world by myself, I think I could take care of you,' she said "[I'm] listed as the doctor, [and] his place of birth will say Extended Stay America,' she told People, referring the hotel where she was staying. Venise is a single working mother, and had initially planned to give Rocky up for adoption but she is now so taken with the boy that she is keeping him, and is in the process of moving back to Georgia to be near her own mother. 'I feel like the experience made me connected to him and made me want to keep him. So I'm going to keep him,' she said. 'It gave me more courage and made me believe I can do this. If I can do that, I must be able to do a lot.' 'No, you're mine, I'm going to take care of you,' she recalled telling the baby. 'If I could literally bring you into the world by myself, I think I could take care of you,' she said. Last summer, Kaitlyn Fullerton gave birth in a gas station bathroom stall after assuming her stomach discomfort was just an urge to use the toilet 'I kept on said like a water pressure.... because [when] I stood up, my water broke,' Kaitlyn explained Last summer, a Texas woman gave birth in a gas station bathroom stall after assuming her stomach discomfort was just an urge to use the toilet. Kaitlyn Fullerton, 22, and her husband Sergio Mancera, 24, were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their second child and were a week out from her due date when they set out to drive home from Victoria to Houston. On the drive, Kaitlin started feeling the urge to poop, but felt like she could hold it. But as they continued to drive, she had Sergio make a stop at a fas station in Beasley, Texas. 'We got further along the road and I felt like I needed to start pushing. Well, I thought I needed to go to the bathroom,' she told KTRK. The feeling only increased when she got to the bathroom stall. After delivering in the stall, Kaitlyn was taken to a nearby hospital where she and baby Callihan were checked out Kaitlyn later shared the video on TikTok, writing: 'When you think you can hold it, and give birth in a gas station' 'I kept on said like a water pressure.... because [when] I stood up, my water broke,' Kaitlyn explained. Things progressed quickly from there, and within minutes, she had delivered a baby boy alone in the stall. Kaitlyn said that women in neighboring stalls heard what was going on and checked on her, so she sent one to fetch her husband. Sergio said: 'I was on my phone and 10 minutes later, a woman showed up and said, "Hey, your wife just gave birth," and I was like, "What! Really?" I couldn't believe it.' Kaitlyn later shared video of the moment her husband came to find her on TikTok, writing: 'When you think you can hold it, and give birth in a gas station.' After delivering in the stall, Kaitlyn was taken to a nearby hospital where she and baby Callihan were checked out. John Leslie will 'never be free' of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him, presenter Carole Malone has told a new Channel 5 documentary looking back at the fallen TV star's story. The Rise & Fall of John Leslie, airing tonight at 10pm looks back at how the former Blue Peter presenter and This Morning host saw his career ruined by false rumours he'd raped fellow TV star Ulrika Jonsson, and three separate charges of sexual assault - none of which resulted in convictions. Speaking in the documentary, columnist Carole Malone, who wrote about Leslie's misfortune for the tabloids at the time, said she believes Leslie will 'never be free' of these allegations, because there will always be people who believe he did it. She added that the fact Leslie's reputation for partying did not help his case, and that people wouldn't have given the rumours of his sexual misconduct much thought if he had not behaved like a 'Jack the lad.' Leslie, 56, who has been working as a property developer and a part-time DJ for the past decade, was most recently cleared of assault by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in October 2020, where he stood trial accused of groping a woman in Soho. The Rise & Fall of John Leslie, airing tonight at 10pm looked back at how the once famed Blue Peter presenter and This Morning host was repeatedly accused of sexual assault over the years, but never proven guilty In 2018, Leslie appeared on This Morning to discuss the allegations of sexual misconduct that have following him for the past two decades Columnist Carol Malone said in the documentary she feels 'sorry' for Leslie and that his life was 'ruined by unfounded allegations' 'I don't know that there is anything John Leslie could do to take away this narrative that surrounds him that cloud of suspicion that surrounds him,' Carole said. 'Because there'll always be people saying "He did it, he just got off with it". The court says "You didn't do it," the judge says "You walk away a free man". He's not a free man, he'll never be free. Never. Not as long as he draws breath, he won't be free,' she added. 'I don't know John Leslie did in his private life. I don't know how he was as a boyfriend. What I know is his life has been ruined based on unfounded allegations,' she went on. 'I don't know that victim is the word. But do I feel for him? Yes, yes I do.' Before the allegations came out, Leslie, right, with Jonathan Coleman and Annabel Giles, was one of TV's fastest rising stars In 2002, he was named as the alleged rapist of TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson. Later, he was charged with indecent assault of another, unnamed woman (pictured in 2002 with his girlfriend Abi Titmuss and his parents) At another point in the documentary, Carole also suggested that Leslie's party-loving reputation did not help his case. 'The fact he had a reputation as a bit the Jack The Lad, a man about town, probably didn't help him when his name was leaked as being the alleged rapist of Ulrika,' she said. 'I can think of a lot of celebrities that would have been accused of that, and everyone would have said "Don't talk nonsense." But I guess the fact that he was a single guy, dated a lot of women, a lot of good looking women, I guess that made things more tricky for him,' Carole said. Timeline: Damning claims that torpedoed Leslie's career 2002 - Journalist Matthew Wright falsely accuses Leslie of raping Ulrika Jonsson. 2002 (December) - He is arrested on one count of rape and two concerning indecent assault, before being released on bail after an interview; June 2003 - Charged with assaulting a woman twice between May 25 and 28 1997. These charges were dropped on July 31. 2004 - Photographs emerge of him taking cocaine, and a stolen sex tape of a threesome involving Leslie and his then girlfriend Abi Titmuss, a nurse who went on to become a glamour model, was leaked on the internet. 2018: Leslie was charged with sexual assault after being accused of groping a 26-year-old woman in an Edinburgh nightclub in 2017. Following a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Sheriff Adrian Cottam gave a 'not proven' verdict 2020 - Leslie denied sexual assault after being accused of grabbing a woman's breasts at the Soho Revue Bar in London in 2008. He was cleared by a jury after 23 minutes. Advertisement In 2020, Leslie was cleared of the latest sexual assault claims against him, which dated back to 2008. The case at Southwark Crown Court saw Leslie accused of grabbing a woman's breasts at the Soho Revue Bar, in London's West End. He vehemently denied the incident and told the jury he could not remember being at the party, and described the single allegation of sexual assault from December 5, 2008 as 'crazy' and 'ludicrous'. The woman said she came forward after being 'inspired' by the MeToo movement, but Leslie was cleared of sexual assault by a jury of nine men and three women after just 23 minutes deliberation. The court had previously heard a woman claimed, out of nowhere, that the 'over-excited' presenter who 'didn't get out much' grabbed her breasts and gave a 'hearty laugh' when she introduced himself to him. Witnesses in the West End bar testified they were told about the alleged incident 12 years ago, but did not see it. Famous faces Fern Britton, Anthea Turner, Yvette Fielding and Diane-Louise Jordan, from his time presenting This Morning and Blue Peter, all gave character statements to support their friend, calling him a 'gentleman'. Turner posted a photo of her and Jordan with Leslie after they gave testimony at his trial, with a caption reading 'not guilty!' It was the second time he had successfully contested sexual assault charges at the same court building. However, the case did not help his battered reputation, with his own lawyer branding him an 'embarrassment'. Leslie's career first took a downward spiral when he was falsely accused of raping Ulrika Jonsson by the TV presenter Matthew Wright. Wright later apologised, saying he had given his name in error. Several other women have made claims of sexual misconduct against Leslie, and he was arrested in December 2002 on one count of rape and two concerning indecent assault. In June 2003, he was charged with assaulting a woman twice between May 25 and 28, 1997. The charges were dropped at Southwark Crown Court on July 31, 2003 after new information emerged about the alleged victim. John Leslie was found not guilty of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court in October 2020. He attended court in a face masks Leslie took to Instagram where he thanked his followers and told them he was putting his family back together In her 2002 autobiography, Honest, she talked about being raped by a fellow TV star. Rumours started swirling, and allegations that Leslie was her rapist began to spread But he remained the subject of scandal, with photographs emerging of him taking cocaine, along with a video of a threesome involving Leslie and his then girlfriend Abi Titmuss, a nurse who went on to become a glamour model. Judge Deborah Taylor, using Leslie's legal name, said: 'Mr Stott, you for the second time leave this court without a stain on your character and I hope it will be the last time you have to attend.' Leslie said his life changed completely in 2002 when he was wrongly identified on live television as the unnamed alleged rapist in his former girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson's autobiography. Presenter Matthew Wright later apologised, saying he named him in error, the court was told. Ms Jonsson had never made any complaint to police, the jury heard. Leslie, from Edinburgh, said there had never been any sexual assault allegations against him before his name was wrongly linked to the book, and described the fallout as 'Armageddon'. Jenna Bush Hager has revealed that her father, former President George W. Bush, wanted her to elope instead of planning a big wedding while he was in office. The Today host, 40, wed her husband, Henry Hager, at the Bush family's Prairie Chapel Ranch ranch near Crawford, Texas, on May 10, 2008, but it could have been an entirely different affair if she had listened to her dad. 'My dad wanted us to elope because it was a pain,' she told her co-host Hoda Kotb on Wednesday's show. 'He was like, 'What are y'all doing? Y'all should just elope.' Jenna Bush Hager, 40, revealed on the Today show that her father, former President George W. Bush, wanted her to elope instead of planning a big wedding 'because it was a pain' The Today star (pictured with her father on her wedding day) recalled how he said, 'What are y'all doing? Y'all should just elope' Jenna was reminded of her father's suggestion while they were discussing Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's impromptu Las Vegas wedding after the Grammys. The couple's 'practice' ceremony was reportedly not legally binding because they didn't have a marriage license. Jenna noted that her father was still in office when she and Henry got engaged in 2007 and started planning their big day. While then-President Bush liked the idea of her eloping, she wasn't sure how he would feel about a wedding in Sin City like Kourtney and Travis. Jenna added that while her dad liked the idea of an elopement, she doesn't know if he would have wanted her to fly to Las Vegas to do it Jenna and her husband, Henry Hager, said 'I do' at the Bush family's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas, on May 10, 2008 'I don't know if he wanted us to go to Vegas to do it,' she said. Jenna opened up about her wedding day on the Today show last May, recalling how her father picked her up in his pickup truck before walking her down the aisle. 'My dad picked me up in a pickup truck in his pickup truck and he said, "You look beautiful, baby." And then we both just wept,' she shared. 'I remember seeing Henry clearly, standing there at this cross that my dad had helped build for us,' she added. They exchanged vows in front of a cross her father helped build for them, which they still have Jenna (pictured with her family) opened up about her wedding on the show last May, recalling how her father picked her up in his pickup truck and told her, 'You look beautiful, baby' Jenna shared photos from her wedding on her Instagram Stories last May in honor of their 13-year anniversary, including pictures of her late grandparents George H.W. and Barbara Bush In one sweet snapshot, Henry is pictured wiping tears from Jenna's eyes at the altar 'Its still there, so we have our Christmas services there that we put together. Our kids have gotten to stand on it.' After the sunset ceremony, the couple's 200 guests enjoyed dinner and dancing under tents on the property. 'The wedding was spectacular. It's all we could have hoped for,' President Bush said at the time. 'It was just a special day and a wonderful day, and we're mighty blessed.' 'Our little girl, Jenna, married a really good guy,' he told reporters before returning to Washington, D.C. after the wedding. Jenna shared this photo of Henry dipping her on Valentine's Day this year, writing, 'Be mine, Henry.' They will be celebrating their 14-year wedding anniversary next month Jenna and Henry are proud parents to three children: Mila, eight, Poppy, six, Hal, two Jenna shared photos from her wedding album on her Instagram Stories last May in honor of their 13-year anniversary, starting with a picture of Henry giving her a sweet kiss. The former first daughter wore a custom Oscar de la Renta gown to say 'I do' while Henry sported a sharp navy suit and powder blue tie. The mother of three posted snapshots of herself kissing her twin sister Barbara and Henry wiping her tears away at the altar. She also included an image of her paternal grandparents, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, who both passed away in 2018. Jenna and Henry are proud parents to three children: Mila, eight, Poppy, six, Hal, two. Advertisement Prince Charless proximity to the late sex-offender Jimmy Savile were laid bare in a new Netflix documentary this week. Royal writer Angela Levin believes that the heirs coterie of Yes-men might have been to blame for failing to do their due diligence over the disgraced TV star. For all the number of aides that hes got most of them are Yes-men, most of them are frightened to tell him what they really think, because they dont want to say no to him, she tells our royal talk show Palace Confidential. I think with aides theyre very good up to a certain extent I mean Camilla would have probably made a big difference. Prince Charless proximity to the late sex-offender Jimmy Savile were laid bare in a new Netflix documentary this week. Royal writer Angela Levin argues that the Prince's 'yes-men' didn't do their due diligence over the disgraced star Levin, who interviewed Savile twice, also recounts on the programme her own shocking experiences when she met him in the 1980s. Meanwhile, Prince Andrews finances were thrust into the spotlight this week after it was revealed that he had received payments of more than 1m from a Turkish man accused of fraud. Andrew and Salman Turk deny any wrongdoing but, says the Daily Mails Stephen Wright, a lot of unanswered questions remain about the wisdom of them receiving this money from Salman Turk and not asking more questions about where it came from. Its Andrews hold over the Queen that prevents the royal family doing more to make Andrews finances more transparent, argues Angela Levin. Meanwhile, Prince Andrews (pictured right with his mother, the Queen) finances were thrust into the spotlight this week after it was revealed that he had received payments of more than 1m from a Turkish man accused of fraud He has a way of manipulating her and using her to give him what he wants, she says. And I dont think she will change while shes alive. With Meghan Markles new podcast on the way, legal team have been busying themselves trying to trademark the shows title Archetypes. The Daily Mails diary editor Richard Eden points out that unlike the Sussexes foundation Archewell archetype is an old word dating to the 15th century. Its very general, anyone now who wants to have a programme about say women in classical music and call it Archetypes, they would legitimately say, no youre infringing my trademark, he says. The idea of trademarking and owning a word like that does seem quite strange. Model Lauren Scruggs and her husband, former E! New host Jason Kennedy, have taken their newborn son, Ryver Rhodes, home from the hospital three days after she gave birth. The couple welcomed their baby boy on April 3 after years of fertility struggles and an IVF journey. They documented the milestone on Instagram, including heartwarming footage of their dog, Bennett, meeting their son for the first time. Kennedy, 40, shared a photo of himself standing behind Scruggs, 33, who was cradling their son in a hospital wheelchair, on Instagram Wednesday with the caption: 'Here we go.' Model Lauren Scruggs and her husband, former E! New host Jason Kennedy, took their newborn son, Ryver Rhodes, home from the hospital on Wednesday Kennedy, 40, shared a number of videos on Instagram, including footage of his wife and son being wheeled out of the hospital On his Instagram Stories, the proud dad posted a video of his wife and son being wheeled out of the hospital that was fittingly set to John Denver's song 'Take Me Home, Country Roads.' Kennedy also shared clips of himself pushing a fake baby in a stroller car seat for practice and someone showing them how to properly install their car seat. He brought their Labradoodle with him and posted a snapshot of himself holding the dog in his arms, writing: 'Benny came for a visit... He loves being a big brother.' Another sweet video shared on his page showed Benny running up to him while he carried Ryver's car seat into their home. The dog couldn't contain his excitement as he sniffed and licked the baby. He protectively followed Kennedy as he brought his son into the kitchen and stood watch when the car seat was placed on the counter. Scruggs, 33, was cradling their son in a hospital wheelchair in the clip that was set to John Denver's song 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' Kennedy also shared clips of himself pushing a fake baby in a stroller car seat for practice and someone showing them how to properly install their car seat He brought their Labradoodle with him and posted a snapshot of himself holding the dog in his arms, writing: 'Benny came for a visit... He loves being a big brother' Scruggs, who lost an arm and an eye in a horrific plane propeller accident in 2011, celebrated the day with Instagram Stories photos of her newborn son. 'My little angel,' she captioned a snapshot of herself holding him. In another picture, the baby boy was fast asleep on her stomach. The new mom was greeted with a kitchen counter filled with flowers that were sent to her when she returned home. 'So overwhelmed by all the love,' she wrote. Scruggs announced their son's birth on Instagram Monday, revealing they named him Ryver Rhodes. She posted a series of photos taken inside the hospital, including an intimate snapshot of Kennedy cradling the baby boy. Another sweet video showed Benny meeting the couple's newest addition for the first time The dog couldn't contain his excitement as he sniffed and licked the baby While Benny clearly loves Ryver, the baby slept through their entire meeting Kennedy opened up about what it was like to meet Ryver for the first time while speaking to Access Hollywood about his son's birth. 'Trying to come up with words to fully process the last 48 hours arent possible,' he said. 'Seeing my son for the first time felt like a movie, I kept closing my eyes and finally realized it was true. 'We love this boy so much and are so thankful for this time together. Lo and Ryver are doing great,' he added. The dad posted several images of his bouncing baby boy, as well as a video of the newborn swaddled in a hospital blanket, which he set to the Leon Bridges son 'River' a nod to his child's name. The couple didn't give any further details about Ryver's arrival, but Scruggs had previously shared in a blog post that her 'ultimate birth plan [was] a natural birth.' Scruggs also shared photos of her 'little angel' on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday The new mom snapped a picture of her first child fast asleep on her stomach Scruggs was greeted with a kitchen counter filled with flowers that were sent to her when she returned home She explained that she initially thought she'd give birth in a hospital with an epidural, but after she began 'not feeling totally comfy with my OB,' she turned to midwifery and met with a doula, suggesting she wanted a home birth. 'Our doula has helped me replace fear with the beauty of birth, letting go of control, accepting support, and sinking and opening into the pain because the joy is ahead,' she said. Scruggs added that she had been preparing for a natural birth with ayurvedic treatments, prenatal lymphatic drainage treatments, prenatal chiropractic care, and pelvic floor therapy. She also began drinking raspberry leaf tea 'to tone and strengthen the uterus,' eating up to six dates a day 'to soften the cervix,' and sitting on a bosu ball to 'open [her] hips and strengthen [her] back.' The new mom has yet to share specifics about her labor and birth experience, but it looks as though she ended up delivering Ryver in a hospital. Postpartum images show the new family of three cuddling in a bed inside a private room. Scruggs and Kennedy welcomed their baby boy on Sunday, April 3, and announced is birth the next day The model shared several sweet images of her newborn son on Instagram on Monday while revealing the newborn's precious name Kennedy, who also posted photos of the newborn, told Access Hollywood that his son's arrival 'felt like a movie' She was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages in the comments section of her post, where sweet sentiments poured in from a host of high-profile friends and followers, including Jenna Bush Hager, Heather Dubrow, Derek Hough, and Liana Liberato. Scruggs and Kennedy first announced that they were expecting in September, eight months after they started IVF treatments following years of infertility. 'PREGNANT!' Kennedy wrote on Instagram at the time. 'So many of you have prayed for us and wished us well on this 4 1/2 year journey. Our hope is that this news encourages anyone going thru IVF or any fertility struggle.' 'It's always tough when a doctor tells you you can't have kids naturally and you keep running into complications, but we didn't sit and wallow in that. We were really blessed to meet with some amazing doctors and specialists,' he added. 'And one time Lauren had to be rushed to the ER because of unbearable pain a few days after the egg retrieval. Not to sound cliche, but it really has brought us even closer together because we have never been through this before, and it's been really special supporting each other.' 'Trying to come up with words to fully process the last 48 hours arent possible,' Kennedy said of his first hours of fatherhood The proud dad posted a video of Ryver swaddled in a hospital blanket, which he set to the Leon Bridges son 'River,' a nod to his child's name Scruggs shared a final photo of her baby bump on March 31 (pictured), three days before she welcomed son Ryver Kennedy shared that their faith helped. 'There is an overall sense of peace because of our faith in God, and then it just comes down to our incredible friends and family who walked closely with us through it all,' he said. It had been a difficult journey to parenthood, with the couple starting to try to have a family four years after their 2014 nuptials. In January 2021, they began the IVF process, and in March of that year, Kennedy discussed Lauren's egg complications on social media. 'Well this one right here gave me a scare last night,' he posted on Instagram. 'A trip to the ER for severe pain post egg retrieval but our doctor assured us this morning that everything will be ok. The couple didn't give any further details about Ryver's arrival, but Scruggs had previously shared in a blog post that her 'ultimate birth plan [was] a natural birth' Although Scruggs (pictured during a check-up) wanted to have a natural birth with a doula, her birth announcement suggests that she delivered Ryver in the hospital In January 2021, Scruggs and Kennedy revealed they were starting IVF, and they announced they were expecting a baby in September of that year 'Shes STRONG and will be back on her feet in no time. This is where nurse Jason steps in with that 24/7 love and care. Oh and slide 2 is bunny, she requested he stay close at all times.' In July 2021, Scruggs told People that it was a 'blessing' to have IVF. 'I'm committed to this journey, and it's a blessing, no matter what, because this could result in something so incredible,' she said. 'It's such an amazing method of enhancing your fertility and having a sweet baby come into the world ... [I'm] really just trying to make the best of it by being grateful and flipping the script and just embracing it fully.' Scruggs' positive attitude has helped her through trials before. The birth of their firstborn comes just over a decade after Scruggs lost an arm and an eye in a plane propeller accident in 2011. She is pictured revealing her facial scars during an appearance on NBC in 2012 The model climbed out of a two-seater plane (similar is pictured) at Aero County Airport in McKinney and walked into the propeller After the crash, Scruggs opened up about how she was learning to use a prosthetic arm, which she continues to wear, wrote two books, and started a foundation In 2011, she had climbed out of a two-seater plane at Aero County Airport in McKinney, Texas, after a flight to see Christmas lights when she walked into one of the plane's propellers, which was still running. She suffered a fractured skull, broken collarbone, and brain injuries, and she lost her left hand. Two weeks after the tragic accident, doctors decided that they had to remove her eye. After the terrifying incident, she started blogging and she wrote her first book, 'Still Lolo: A Spinning Propeller, A Horrific Accident, and a Family's Journey of Hope in 2012.' Her second book, 'Your Beautiful Heart,' was published in 2015. She now heads up the Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation, which raises money for girls and women to 'receive cosmetic silicone coverings for their prostheses, with the hope that they will experience both physical and spiritual restoration and healing.' Poll Do you expect guests to take their shoes off at the door? Yes, always No, it doesn't bother me Do you expect guests to take their shoes off at the door? Yes, always 132 votes No, it doesn't bother me 91 votes Now share your opinion A simple question posted online has ignited a lively debate between Australian mums about whether it's appropriate to ask guests to take their shoes off before entering the house. In a post to a popular Facebook group, a mum posed the question: 'Do you ask guests to take their shoes off before coming into your house?'. While hundreds of commenters were split between yes and no, experts have said wearing shoes in the house can bring in harmful bacteria or even faecal matter. Those with young children should be even more inclined to implement the rule as toddlers and young kids are most at risk. A post to popular Facebook group, Mouth of Mums, posed the question: 'Do you ask guests to take their shoes off before coming into your house?' and divided members in the comments Some commenters noted that taking shoes off indoors is the norm in many countries in places including Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia, however Australians had a mixed response with many preferring people keep their feet covered. Some commenters noted that taking shoes off indoors is the norm in many countries, however Australians had a mixed response with many preferring people keep their feet covered 'No I don'teven if they offer to take them off, I say no. Can't be risking stinky, sweaty sock feet filling the house,' one mum said. 'I tell people to leave them on! Most of the time we are in and out so no point taking them off every time. We are tiles though. Would probably be different if carpet,' a second agreed. Others felt it was 'rude' or inhospitable to ask people to take their shoes off while some said they would only ask if their shoes were particularly muddy or wet. One member wrote: 'I get bad dermatitis on my feet and would feel embarrassed if people saw it. I guess if there's carpet and it's raining I might feel differently and ask people.' A lot of users were firm in their 'no shoes in the house' rule saying it keeps dirt and grime from being brought inside. 'I don't want anyone wearing shoes in my house that have been in public toilets and goodness knows where, yuck! We have a shoe rack by the front door for guests to put their shoes on,' a woman responded. 'Imagine all the things we are stepping on outside everyday. I don't want that brought into my house. Ew!,' another answered. 'I grew up in a Scandinavian family and you NEVER wear your shoes into someone's house. I take my shoes off whenever I enter anyone's home to this day, even if they say I can leave them on. Think about it...shoes are dirty even if they look clean,' a third commented. A lot of users were firm in their 'no shoes in the house' rule saying it keeps dirt and grime out from being brought inside According to Dr Jonathan Sexton you should consider asking your guests to take their shoes off at the door. He said it is not only cleaner but studies show that footwear is home to many bacteria, some of which are a health threat if consumed in large amounts - especially for young children. 'For a healthy adult, it's not too big of an issue. I'd be more worried about a child crawling around on the floor,' Dr Sexton, who is an environmental microbiologist and research specialist based at the University of Arizona, told Live Science. Studies have found 'hundreds of thousands of bacteria per square inch', including faecal matter, which can cause dangerous infection or illnesses, on the bottom of shoes. Shoes can be contaminated outdoors, and then bring germs indoors where they dwell on the floors and surfaces. Top five reasons to take your shoes off before going in the house 1. Shoe soles are dirtier than toilet seats: According to Dr Jonathan Sexton, a research assistant at the University of Arizona's College of Public Health, toilet seats generally have about 1,000 bacteria or less, while the soles of shoes typically play hosts to millions. 2. Faeces are present on almost 100 per cent of shoes: A University of Houston study found that coliforms, which are universally present in faeces, are found on 96 per cent of shoe soles. What's more, 39 per cent contain C.diff, an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes diarrhoea, and 27 per cent contain E. coli. 3. Bacteria lives on shoes longer than almost anywhere else: After thorough researching, the University of Arizona found that bacteria live a very long time on shoes longer than in most other places. They speculate the reason is because there is a continuous build up of new bacteria that feeds the growth of the existing bacteria. 4. There's s 90 per cent chance whatever is on your shoes will transfer to the floor of your house: Numerous tests have shown that bacteria, fungus and viruses present on the bottom of your shoes don't wear off the more you walk. They cling to shoe soles and eventually end up on the tile, wood and carpet floors of your house. 5. Despite what you think about building up your immunity, youre wrong when it comes to shoe bacteria: Exposure to some types of bacteria is actually a good thing as it builds up the bodys immunity and makes you stronger. However, most of the bacteria present on shoes is from faecal matter, and the truth is that most of it can be pretty harmful to your health. Source: FootFiles.com Advertisement He said: 'The exposure makes the poison. So if you're not exposed to it, you're not going to get sick from it.' The only possible cause of this happening would be if the bacteria were lifted into the air we breathe, such as by a draft from a window. Not only are youngsters playing on the floor at risk - but people who have lower immune systems. 'In a person who is at risk for infections usually someone recently hospitalised attention to good household cleaning can be important,' Professor Kevin Garey from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy told Live Science. The bacteria found on the soles of our shoes do not pose an immediate risk however, if you have a small child, or are more prone to infection, 'it would be a good idea to take your outdoor shoes off when you enter your home,' Dr Garey said. 'For most healthy persons, however, you can make the decision as much based on preference and habit, as potential health concern.' An amateur chef has shared how to make a delicious beef wellington with roasted vegetables - but the dish has a huge twist. Sydney foodie, Ayeh Manfre, better known as Cooking With Ayeh created the dish a an Easter idea with a plant-based Wellington from Woolworths. To make the vegan feast Ayeh first sliced potatoes in half, peeled and chopped two carrots and cut up one head of broccoli. Scroll to watch video Sydney foodie, Ayeh Manfre, (pictured) better known as Cooking With Ayeh created a dish that's perfect for Easter dinner with a plant-based Wellington from Woolworths She then placed the vegetables onto a tray lined with baking paper and drizzled over a generous amount of olive oil, followed by a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Ayeh grated one garlic clove over the vegetables and added fresh rosemary leaves for extra flavour, she then placed a Plantitude Wellington onto the tray. She baked the wellington and vegetables in her oven for 30 minutes until the pastry was golden and the vegetables were ready to enjoy. How to make Ayeh's wellington dish: Ingredients: White potatoes Carrots Broccoli Olive oil Salt Pepper Garlic clove Fresh rosemary Plantitude Plant Based Wellington Method: Slice potatoes in half, peel and chop two carrots and cut up one head of broccoli. Place vegetables onto a tray lined with baking paper and drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil, followed by a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Grate one garlic clove over the vegetables and add fresh rosemary leaves for extra flavour. Place the Plantitude Wellington onto the tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden to enjoy. Advertisement 'This wellington is the perfect dish to serve over the Easter period that everyone can enjoy,' Ayeh wrote. The Plantitude Plant Based Wellington from Woolworths is made from wheat, oats and soy with a mushroom duxelle that comes wrapped in flaky pastry. The home cook shared the Easter dinner idea to her huge following to receive thousands of views and comments from fellow foodies. The Plantitude Plant Based Wellington (pictured) from Woolworths is made from wheat, oats and soy with a mushroom duxelle that comes wrapped in flaky pastry 'Yum! It looks so much like the real deal,' a foodie wrote. 'Oh I will have to look in Woolworths! I wanna get one for Easter now,' another wrote. 'Gordon Ramsey may not approve of this but I do! YUM,' another added. A baker has shared her latest creation after she jumped on board the Bunnings-themed birthday party trend that is sweeping the nation. Tigga Maccormack, from Melbourne, created a cake complete with a Bunnings truck centre piece to celebrate the Australian hardware store launching new party packs. The $29 Bunnings Kids Party Pack is available in-store and comes complete with invitations, envelopes, cups, plates, hats, bunting and a birthday badge. Scroll to watch video Tigga Maccormack from Melbourne, has created a cake complete with a Bunnings truck centre piece to celebrate the Australian hardware store launching new $29 party packs To create the themed cake Tigga first stacked alternate red and green cakes on top of each other with white buttercream in between each layer. Once they were stacked she applied a crumb coat to the exterior of the cake to create a semi-naked finish. She then piped on swirls of buttercream frosting on top and down one side of the cake to create a 'waterfall' effect. She alternated red and green cakes with buttercream frosting and created a semi-naked finish then piped frosting down the side and added gumballs down the side How did Tigga make the Bunnings cake: Stack alternate red and green cakes on top of each other with white buttercream in between each layer. Apply a crumb coat to the exterior of the cake to create a semi-naked finish. Pipe on swirls of buttercream frosting on top and down one side of the cake to create a 'waterfall' effect. Place a Bunnings Lego truck on top as the centre piece, then place gum balls into the truck tray and scale them down the frosting swirls. Arrange a variety of smarties, sprinkles and other colourful chocolates on top of the frosting. Add a Bunnings Warehouse store badge and a miniature bunting to finish. Advertisement Tigga sat a Bunnings Lego truck on top as the centre piece, then placed gum balls into the truck tray and scaled them down the frosting swirls. She also arranged a variety of smarties, sprinkles and other colourful chocolates on top of the frosting, then added a store badge and miniature bunting to finish. The baker sat her themed cake in the centre of the party table and on top of the reversible Bunnings box surrounded by the party pack items. The baker sat her themed cake in the centre of the party table and on top of the reversible Bunnings box surrounded by the party pack items Tigga was quick to post her cake creation to TikTok where she received more than 27,000 likes and hundreds of comments in just 24 hours. 'I mean can I have this as an adult for my birthday this month or is that just sad,' one cake fan wrote. 'I am going to attempt at making this cake! It is too cool not to try,' another wrote. In 2018 a mum from Perth hosted a Bunnings-themed party for her son Carter's fourth birthday, which quickly went viral online In 2018 Perth mum, Kylie Stingers hosted a Bunnings party for her son Carter's fourth birthday, which quickly went viral. She said Carter was excited to hear about the new kids party packs that he and other Bunnings fans helped inspire. 'When Carter saw the packs, he thought they were 'soooooo cool' and loved the hammer characters and birthday badge,' Kylie said. Shoppers are enticed to act quickly because the Bunnings Kids Party Packs will only be available nationwide while stocks lasts 'He thinks lots of kids are going to have the best Bunnings parties this year!' Shoppers are enticed to act quickly because the Bunnings Kids Party Packs will only be available nationwide while stocks lasts. Due to trading restrictions in Western Australia, the Party Packs will only be available in Armadale, Broome and Bunbury stores. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, then the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, looks at the North Korean side of the inter-Korean border through binoculars during a visit to an observation post of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas at the central section of the inter-Korean border in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Dec. 20, 2021. Yonhap President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol was en route to the U.S. military base Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Thursday, his spokesperson said, as tensions have been running high over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs. The base, located 70 kilometers south of Seoul, serves as the headquarters of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea and the U.S.-led U.N. Command. Yoon's visit comes as North Korea has ratcheted up tensions by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile last month, breaking its self-imposed moratorium on ICBM and nuclear weapons tests. Concerns have also risen that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test. The president-elect was flying to the base by helicopter, according to his spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin. He is expected to meet with Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of USFK and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, as well as Deputy CFC Commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, to discuss the allies' joint defense posture. The CFC is in the process of relocating to Camp Humphreys from Yongsan in Seoul, the same area that Yoon is pushing to move the presidential office to. Past presidents-elect, including Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak and Roh Moo-hyun, visited the CFC in Yongsan but not the base in Pyeongtaek. (Yonhap) Lola Dolores has revealed what it is really like to be a nanny A young woman has revealed exactly what it is like to be a nanny and how she was treated by the mums and dads who hired her. Lola Dolores, 24, was a nanny for six years to many clients and said the mums were super chill and the dads, perfect gentlemen. 'They treated me like I was their own daughter,' The Queensland woman told 9Honey. Adding that when she first took up the career she dressed ultra-conservatively in order to win favour from the mums but realised they didn't care. 'But then as I got more comfortable and realised how amazing they would be and how much they loved me, I'd wear crop tops to work,' she said. Suspicion and jealousy came from the friends of the women who would hire her - and flirtatious advances from the single dads at the school gate. On one occasion she wore a cute cut-out one-piece to the beach on an outing with the little girl she was looking after. The 24-year-old spent six years looking after other people's children and is constantly asked about the family dynamic She insists she was always treated like part of the family and was never hit on by fathers or targeted by jealous mothers She felt so judged by one of the youngster's family members that she texted the mum to apologise if the swimsuit was inappropriate. But she was relieved when the mum came straight back telling her she can wear whatever she wants. And she has never been hit on by any of her dads on the job and neither have her nanny friends: 'It just doesn't happen'. She said if it ever were to happen their wives would know immediately which makes it far too risky for even the most brazen cheaters. The male family friends are also respectful and never hit on her but she has been chatted up at school by single dads. She said most of the parents at drop off and pick up and many of the teachers think she is mum to the children she cares for. But she has been hit on by other single dads at the school gates and been given filthy looks by friends of the women she works for Lola hopes to own a childcare centre of her own and has stopped nannying to focus on that dream And while she gets some looks if she turns up in a crop top most parents treat her just like any other. Lola dreams of opening her own childcare centre and has stepped back from nannying to pursue that. She currently lives in Mt Isa but spent most of her life and career on the Gold Coast. An NHS contract that forces GPs to work Saturdays and weekday evenings contains a loophole that means a 'physical' doctor doesn't need to be available, the country's biggest medical union has claimed. Under a drive to make it easier for patients to get appointments, health officials will make GPs offer consultations until 8pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays. But the British Medical Association is now disputing whether a GP actually has to be 'physically' present for the appointments. It said the wording of the contract which it was 'bitterly disappointed' at merely stated that a family doctor had to be 'available'. The union argued it means GPs don't need to be 'actually physically there'. Dr Richard Van Mellaerts, of the BMA's GP committee, said that interpretation 'is what we will be pushing'. However, NHS England bosses today insisted the contract does not give GPs who are paid an average of 100,000 per year a clause to get out of seeing patients in-person. The contract, which will come into effect from October, says a 'reasonable' number of appointments must be held face-to-face. Campaigners said it is a 'tragedy' that patients could face phone call appointments from doctors 'in their PJs over the breakfast table'. Before the virus hit the UK, around eight in 10 GP appointments only half of which are actually with family doctors took place face-to-face. The figure plummeted to 46 per cent at the start of the pandemic as phone and video call appointments were hailed as a way to reduce the spread of Covid. But despite the easing of restriction, the proportion of consultations that are in-person has only bounced back to 61 per cent It is the latest dispute in an ongoing row about access to face-to-face appointments. Before Covid hit the UK, eight in 10 appointments took place in-person. However, the figure plunged to fewer than half during the pandemic. Even now, the proportion of consultations that are in-person has only bounced back to 61 per cent. BMA GP executive officer Dr Richard Van Mellaerts (pictured) said the wording of the new NHS contract does not make it clear that there needs to be a GP present for evening and weekend appointments The new NHS contract sets out that primary care networks groups of GP practices must draw up plans for delivering appointments at evenings and weekends. Patients must be able to book the appointments up to two weeks in advance or on the same day, 'up until as close to the slot time as possible'. Practices should offer a 'reasonable' amount of face-to-face appointments, as well as remote consultations via telephone or video calls to meet patients' needs. Nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists will also be available at more convenient times under the plans. And doctors with available slots should take NHS 111 calls during the appointment time. Not all GP surgeries are expected to offer the slots, but primary care networks must offer a minimum of 60 minutes of appointments for every 1,000 patients on their books. During a webinar yesterday, the BMA's Dr Van Mellaerts said that the wording of the contract does not make it clear that there needs to be a GP present. Pulse reported he said: 'The wording is "GP available" and we would take the view that a GP being available does not necessarily require them to be actually physically there at the time of provision of care during the PCN extended hours. NHS trust asks families to take Covid-infected relatives HOME to free up beds as figures show hospitals are now treating MORE virus patients than at peak of January's Omicron wave NHS hospitals have started pleading with families to take their Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds as trusts battle a 'perfect storm' of pressures. The chief medical officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area urged those who have loved ones in hospital to 'help staff to get them home quickly when they are well enough even if they are still testing positive'. Meanwhile, millions of patients in Yorkshire have been told to stay away from A&E departments except in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'. One ambulance service in the south of England even asked patients to make their own way to hospital. Officials say the crisis which is affecting every area of the health service is being driven by a combination of a high level of Covid admissions and staff absences. Health bosses have warned that the situation is already having a 'knock-on effect', jeopardising attempts to tackle the backlog of 6.1million patients whose treatment was effectively ground to a halt because of the pandemic. Government statistics show 20,000 Covid patients are currently in hospital meaning trusts are now busier than they were in January at the height of the Omicron wave. Advertisement 'We will be seeking clarification on this but that is our position and that is what we will be pushing.' Dr Van Mellaerts added: 'In some ways, we need to decide whether or not we actually go back and ask for clarity on that just in case there is clarity in a way that we prefer not to have. 'We're going to establish that and then we'll come back with some up-to-date guidance.' A spokesperson for the BMA insisted that GPs want to provide convenient and safe appointments for patients. They said: 'With widespread workforce shortages, it's not safe for GPs and other staff to spread themselves even more thinly to cover increased appointment slots. 'Practices will need therefore to make best use of the limited workforce and mix of professionals they have available, to come to a solution that is safe for both patients and staff. 'The current guidance from NHS England is open to interpretation and we are seeking clarification over what exactly is required.' An NHS spokesperson told MailOnline all primary care networks must ensure a GP is available to see patients face-to-face. A health service spokesperson said: 'From October all Primary Care Networks will be required to ensure a GP is available to see patients face-to-face on Saturdays between 9am and 5pm, as is already the case in many parts of the country.' Dennis Reed, the director of Silver Voices, a campaign group for the over-60s, told MailOnline he is getting 'more and more frustrated with the way the BMA is trying to wriggle out of face-to-face appointments'. He said there is 'no sign' of an increase in in-person consultations, despite calls from the Health Secretary and patient groups to offer more. Mr Reed said: 'Patients expect professional work and to suggest the appointments can be a call with a doctor in their PJs over the breakfast table is a tragedy. 'Patients want to see doctors in their practice with access to the appropriate equipment and tests. 'The BMA is thumbing its nose to the Government, which has been remarkably quiet in recent weeks on the whole issue which is encouraging them. It needs to take action.' He added: 'We've heard so many stories of misdiagnosis because of remote consultations. Doctors say face-to-face appointments are safer so their approach bemuses me.' Quitting smoking could give you an extra five years of healthy life, researchers said today. Dutch cardiologists claim the benefits of kicking the habit are even bigger than they previously thought. The study involved nearly 1,000 smokers who had recently had a heart attack or bypass surgery but didn't actually track participants. Instead, academics just relied on a mathematical model to calculate the effects of giving up cigarettes. They claimed giving up smoking was, theoretically, just as effective as taking three types of heart medications. Dutch researchers found the benefits to the heart of giving up smoking could be larger than previously thought How dangerous is smoking for the heart? How does tobacco damage the heart? Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels. While nicotine - a highly addictive toxin found in tobacco - is heavily linked with dangerous increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Smoking also unleashes poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood - reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart. How many people does smoking kill? Smoking is known to kill more than seven million people across the world each year, including 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke. But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Advertisement Smoking is responsible for half of all avoidable deaths in smokers, with half of those caused by cardiovascular disease. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels, leading to heart problems. Around 6.9million Britons smoke but more than half say they want to quit. In the US there are 34.1million smokers. Lead author Dr Tinka Van Trier, of Amsterdam University Medical Centre, said: 'The benefits of smoking cessation are even greater than we realised. 'Kicking the habit appears to be as effective as taking three medications for preventing heart attacks and strokes in those with a prior heart attack or procedure to open blocked arteries. 'Patients could gain nearly five years of healthy life.' The research, presented at a European Society of Cardiology conference, involved 989 patients aged 45 or older. They were all still smoking at least six months after having a heart attack or bypass surgery. Dr Van Trier added: 'This analysis focused on smokers who had experienced a heart attack and/or undergone stent implantation or bypass surgery. 'This group is at particularly high risk of having another heart attack or a stroke and stopping smoking is potentially the most effective preventive action.' The analysis was based on a mathematical model, designed to calculate the number of years of life they would gain by giving up smoking. They compared this to taking three medications: colchicine an anti-inflammatory therapy and cholesterol-fighting bempedoic acid and PCSK9 inhibitors. Quitting smoking added an extra 4.81 years to people's lives, on average, the model claimed. This compared to 4.83 years from the three medications. Dr Van Trier said: 'This indicates that smoking cessation is a very important step towards adding healthy years to one's lifetime.' 'Giving up cigarettes after a heart attack is linked with improved survival compared with persistent smoking. 'If you are considering becoming smoke-free, or would like more information about it, please talk to a health professional. 'Your motivation is key to successfully quitting, but beating an addiction becomes easier with medical and psychological assistance.' Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, told MailOnline: 'It's estimated that at least 15,000 deaths in the UK each year from heart and circulatory diseases can be attributed to smoking. 'If you want to quit, it helps to have some extra support so ask at your GP surgery if there is a nurse or counsellor in your area who can help. 'Alternatively, look for a local stop-smoking service. You could also ask your doctor or pharmacist about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or medicines that can help you quit. 'Stopping smoking is just one of the steps you can take to improve your heart health. 'It's also important to eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink, and be aware of your cholesterol and blood pressure.' Advertisement Covid cases are starting to rise once again in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as experts warn that cutting back on data reporting across the country in recent months may leave Americans unprepared to deal with another wave of the virus. Daily Covid cases have jumped from around 600 per day to 1,400 per day since mid-March in the Big Apple, reversing the downward trend of cases in the city over the past two and a half months. In San Francisco, daily infections neared zero in mid-March, but have since jumped as high as 100 per day to start April. Los Angeles cases have only slightly increased in recent days but an uptick of cases in schools has officials starting to sound alarms once more. None of these cities are facing anything near a Covid surge yet, with figures still relatively low. The reversal of trends in recent weeks could be the sign of a surge to come, but with many states having now slashed daily reporting, experts warn that local officials, and the general public, do not have the information necessary to protect themselves. The lack of data availability becomes especially worrying as the COVID-19 'stealth' variant begins to take over the country, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting this week that the highly infectious strain now makes up 72 percent of sequenced cases in America. Covid cases in New York City have doubled over the past few weeks, reversing weeks long trends of declines coming off of the Omicron surge Many states around the country have cut back on daily COVID-19 case and death reporting in recent weeks as cases continue to fall across America, and much of the population prepares a 'return to normal' after two long years of Covid. Daily infections in the U.S. are down seven percent over the past week, nearing a pandemic low at 28,429 per day. The mortality of the virus has significantly fallen as well, dropping 27 percent over the past week to 541 per day. Some feared that the rise of the 'stealth' variant, which is the BA.2 lineage of Omicron and believed to be more infectious than the BA.1 strain that emerged late last year, would cause cases to surge in the U.S. BA.2 has now over taken its predecessor without making a major dent into case figures, though. The variant now makes up 75 percent of cases in the New York and New Jersey region, and while both states have seen slight case increases in recent weeks, it is nothing near large enough to be considered a 'surge'. BA.2 also makes up nearly 70 percent of cases on the West coast, including California, but has not caused major case surges on that end either. Some are hopeful that the U.S. has avoided a major surge from the BA.2 lineage, unlike the UK and Denmark which saw large increases in cases when the variant took hold in the nations. 'I'm not so sure that what's going to happen here in the United States as BA.2 becomes the dominant sub-lineage is all basically going to be doom and gloom,' Dr George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Los Angeles Times. Still, some are worried that a lack of available data is still putting people at risk. 'Testing has always been a cornerstone of our pandemic response. Without this surveillance data, we are flying blind and are almost certainly going to repeat mistakes of the past,' Dr John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital, told ABC last month. Some officials disagree, though. Gathering, vetting, and publishing daily data can be arduous and labor intensive. As Americans start to care less about the virus, it may not be an efficient use of limited resources to keep publishing this data. 'The County could resort to pulling, processing, and vetting raw data from the State database to continue daily updates, but doing so would be labor-intensive, costly to the taxpayers, and seemingly of little value as the numbers are currently changing very little day-to-day,' David Wert, an LA county spokesman, told the Los Angeles Daily News. 'In the event of a sustained caseload surge, the State would likely pivot back to daily updates and the County could easily do so as well.' 'We have learned over the course of this pandemic that it is more helpful to look at data trends over time and that public health recommendations should be based on consistent trends rather than day-over day changes,' a representative from the California Department of Health told the Daily News. Brandon Brown, a public health expert at the University of California, Riverside, agreed as well. 'Public health departments are absolutely overworked and under-resourced,' he told the Daily News. Statewide, daily Covid cases are actually down 34 percent over the past two weeks in California, has slight uptick in some major population centers have not offset the overall trends across the nation's most populous state. In New York, cases have nearly doubled over the past two weeks, as areas outside of New York City are being slammed with the virus after avoiding the brunt of the surge over winter. Despite things largely returning to normal across the state, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has refused to lift mask mandate for children under the age of five in the city. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that drinking water in some parts of America may contain unsafe levels of uranium. Researchers from Columbia University analyzed nationwide data, and compared it to safety standards laid out by the EPA. They found that many localities in the south and Midwest in particular had unsafe levels of uranium detected in water. While small amounts of many chemicals are acceptable in water, according to safety standards, consistent exposure to it in drinking water can cause a long list of deadly and debilitating diseases. Contaminated water has become a rising issue in America off of the back of the flint water crisis, an increased attention has been paid to contamination of lead and other metals in U.S. drinking water - which is more common than many may believe. Researchers found elevated uranium levels in two-thirds of community water systems they gathered data from, with those in the South, Midwest and Western regions most affected Researchers, who published their findings at the start of the month in The Lancet Planetary Healthy, gathered data from 2000-2011 for the study, reviewing recorded metal levels from nearly 38,000 sites. Levels of antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, selenium, thallium, and uranium were studied. They found elevated levels of uranium across the country, with researchers nothing that semi-urban and Hispanic communities were most at risk of being exposed to the contaminated water. In total, nearly two-thirds of sites tested had some sort of uranium contamination. Counties across the Midwest, West coast and southern regions of the country were most affected. Some counties across Kansas and Nebraska in particular were displaying the highest levels of uranium. Many Americans may not think that uranium poisoning is a thing to worry about in their day-to-day life, and may not even be aware that it can be found in their drinking water. 'Uranium is an under-recognized contaminant in [community water systems],' the researchers wrote in the study. The research presents grave implications for the health of Americans, as the problem is wide reaching and can have disastrous health effects in the future. Researchers write that 90% of Americans use public drinking water, making uranium contamination a wide-reaching problem (file photo) 'Previous studies have found associations between chronic uranium exposure and increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, and lung cancer at high levels of exposure,' Dr Anne Nigra, an assistant professor of environmental health at Columbia University wrote in a release. The release points out that 90 percent of Americans rely of a public drinking water system of some kinds, making contaminated water at this scale an issue that touches nearly every American. Researchers are calling for further investment and regulation to prevent suffering from uranium exposure. 'Additional regulatory policies, compliance enforcement, and improved infrastructure are therefore necessary to reduce disparities in CWS metal concentrations and protect communities served by public water systems with elevated metal concentrations,' Nigra said. 'Such interventions and policies should specifically protect the most highly exposed communities to advance environmental justice and protect public health.' Elevated levels of arsenic, barium, chromium, selenium were found in community drinking water as well, though not to the same extent as uranium. Officials in both the United States and Canada are warning that raw oysters are at the center of a norovirus outbreak that has erupted across America. Contaminated oysters harvested in British Columbia, Canada have been distributed to 13 U.S. states, officials warn. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Agency Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to track and control the spread of the virus. While norovirus is not often deadly, infection can cause a person to suffer from severe diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms for around three days. Officials from the FDA, CDC, and Canadian health agencies are warning that a norovirus outbreak in 13 states is tied to oysters harvested in British Columbia (file photo) 'The FDA and the states conducted a trace forward investigation to determine where the raw oysters were distributed and to ensure theyre removed from the food supply,' the agency wrote in a release. 'Oysters can cause illness if eaten raw, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal.' Officials have traced contaminated oysters to California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Contaminated oysters were harvested as early as January 31, and restaurants are advised not to serve any that were gathered after that date. The CDC says that a recall will not be issued on the oysters for the time being. Consumers are advised not to eat oysters if they are in a location where the contaminated shellfish were distributed. If they have oysters at home that they believe could be potentially contaminated, they are advised not to eat them, even when cooked. Oysters are usually steamed for cooking, and temperatures may not reach high enough to kill the virus, the FDA explains. A person who is infected with norovirus may not develop symptoms for 24 to 48 hours, the CDC says. The CDC and FDA advise restaurants to discard oysters in the state that were harvested on January 31 or later (file photo) When someone does get ill, they will often feel symptoms for around one to three days before it resolves - usually without the need for medical intervention. The period of sickness can be brutal for the infected, especially for young children and the elderly who catch the virus. Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. While death from norovirus is incredibly uncommon, it can occur is some fringe cases where a person gets so dehydrated that they suffer organ issues. Norovirus is responsible for around 900 deaths every year, and causes 109,000 hospitalizations, the CDC reports. The virus is also extremely contagious and can easily jump from one infected person to another. Outbreaks of the virus are fairly common, and often associated with cruise ships because of the unsanitary and crowded conditions on board. The popular fast-food chain Chipotle was also found to be at the center of multiple outbreaks between 2015 and 2018, and agreed to pay a $25 million settlement in 2020 as a result. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has elected to limit coverage of Aduhelm, an Alzheimer's drug that received controversial approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year despite calls from experts that it did not work. The drug, developed by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based, Biogen, received a green light from regulators last summer, a decision that kicked off a tumultuous period for both the agency and the company. Opponents to the drug include many doctors and scientists who criticize the failed clinical trial process and data collection practices performed by Biogen in the lead up to approval. Some key lobbyists, like the Alzheimer's Association, have backed the drug, though, as there are no other drugs on the market that have the potential to slow down the cognitive decline caused by the disease. Aduhelm will not be covered under Medicare in situations that are not part of a clinical trial, the CMS announced Thursday, meaning the drug will not be affordable for many patients, and is unlikely to be used (file photo) Medicare officials announced the decision on Thursday, and will now limit coverage only to people who receive it as a part of a clinical trial. HOW TO DETECT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills and the ability to perform simple tasks. It is the cause of 60% to 70% of cases of dementia. The majority of people with Alzheimer's are age 65 and older More than six million Americans have Alzheimers. It is unknown what causes Alzheimer's. Those who have the APOE gene are more likely to develop late-onset Alzheimer's. Signs and symptoms: Difficulty remembering newly learned information Disorientation Mood and behavioral changes Suspicion about family, friends and professional caregivers More serious memory loss Difficulty with speaking, swallowing and walking Stages of Alzheimer's: Mild Alzheimer's (early-stage) - A person may be able to function independently but is having memory lapses Moderate Alzheimer's (middle-stage) - Typically the longest stage, the person may confuse words, get frustrated or angry, or have sudden behavioral changes Severe Alzheimer's disease (late-stage) - In the final stage, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, carry on a conversation and, eventually, control movement Advertisement As part of the FDA approval received last year, Biogen is expected to keep collecting data on the drug to prove it is effective, or have the green light revoked. Aduhelm being removed from Medicare coverage is likely a death knell for its future, at least for now. The drug is very expensive, with the current $20,500 price for one year of treatment being less than half of what Biogen wanted to initially charge. The company only elected to slash prices after receiving wide-scale backlash from consumers, U.S. Senators like Vermont's Bernie Sanders, advocacy groups and others because of its astronomical costs. Alzheimer's is a largely a disease of the elderly, and many will opt for other treatments covered by CMS instead of forking over the bill out-of-pocket. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of CMS, told the New York Times that the decision was made to protect patients from using a drug that may not work. 'It's our obligation at C.M.S. to really make sure it's reasonable and necessary,' she said. 'The vast majority [of input the agency received]... [was in favor of] really limiting coverage of Aduhelm to a really controlled space where we could continue to evaluate its appropriateness for the Medicare population.' Biogen launched two clinical trials for Aduhelm in 2016. Both were stopped midway because researchers concluded that neither trial would end up reaching its goal. Later, the company revealed updated data from the second study showed patients had 22 percent decrease in speed of their cognitive decline. It also showed that Aduhelm could remove amyloid beta plaques on the brain. Some believe the removal of these plaques can stop cognitive decline, which would make the drug the only available Alzheimer's treatment to do so. Others criticize Biogen for pulling data from a failed trial, and do not interpret the company's data in the same way. Dr David Knopman, a neurologist with the Mayo Clinic, published an analysis of Biogen's data in November, where he disagrees with the companies conclusions on the drug's effectiveness. Knopman was on an FDA advisory committee that voted 10-0 against approving the drug, and he later resigned in protest of the drug's approval, as the agency disagreeing which its advisors to this extent is unprecedented. A survey of neurologists by Spherix Global Insights found that neurologists only believe the drug is adequate for use in one-in-seven Alzheimer's patients. 'Regardless of pent up patient demand, expansion of the Aduhelm prescriber base will likely be slower than typically seen with other launches in the neurology market as less than half of neurologists believe they will become adopters within the first six months of availability,' Spherix wrote in a release. Biogen, which developed Aduhelm, has been criticized for its practices of gathering data for the drug after two failed clinical trials (file photo) The FDA is also began to show doubts in its own approval of the drug last year. The agency revised their label of the drug, now only recommending it to people in the early stages of the condition or with a mild case of Alzheimer's, going back on the initial recommendation to all Alzheimer's patients. Dr Janet Woodcock, former commissioner of the FDA, even asked for the Office of the Inspector General to investigate communications between her staff and Biogen employees in the lead up to the drug's approval. High profile health networks like Mount Sinai in New York City, New York, and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, have already chosen not to offer the drug to Alzheimer's patients. BIOGRAPHY The Young Alexander by Alex Rowson (William Collins 25, 494pp). The horse was a Pharsalian stallion, worth an astronomical 13 talents. Not a big animal but stocky, barrel-chested, immensely strong and so skittish that no one could ride him. But the boy wagered he could or he would pay the price himself. His father laughed. The boy took the horses reins and turned it gently around, having noticed it was unnerved by its own shadow. Then he quietly mounted up and galloped away. When he returned, the father told his son that he would have to find an empire of his own to rule over. Macedonia is too small for you. Pictured: : Angelina Jolie playing Olympias in the 2004 film Alexander. Author Alex Rowson explores the life of the young boy Alexander The Great Its one of the best attested tales from ancient history and the boy grew up to become Alexander the Great. Hes inspired countless books and a memorably bad film directed by Oliver Stone, with poor Colin Farrell sporting dyedblond hair. Do we really need another book about Alexander? Yes, says author Alex Rowson, sometime TV producer on Time Team. Because the powerful modern science of archaeology is adding to our understanding of Alexander all the time. And the better we understand his boyhood and youth, the more we might understand his ferocious energy and ambition, his furious will to conquer half the known world in a blaze of brutality and brilliance. Never defeated in battle, he built one of the largest empires in history before dying of a fever in Babylon at just 32. Alexanders father, Philip, a fierce warrior-king in his own right, was surely the single biggest influence on his son. History is replete with powerful kings Attila the Hun, Henry V, Napoleon who produced weak and feeble sons incapable of escaping their fathers shadows. But in Alexanders case he was driven to outshine his father not to mention his formidable mother, Olympias, who claimed direct descent from Achilles. Alexander once complained that she charged a high rent for his nine months lodging in her womb, with her difficult and domineering ways. She did have to hold her own against Philips six other wives, though. Macedonian means literally Highlander and, like all mountain peoples, they were a tough lot farmers, shepherds and lumberjacks. Never defeated in battle, he built one of the largest empires in history before dying of a fever in Babylon at just 32 And despite the grandeur of his palace home, Alexanders was no education for snowflakes. He was raised to be scholarly, as well as physically tough enough to match his troops. Boys of his aristocratic warrior class were drilled in the gymnasium, practising archery and javelin-throwing, learning to march great distances and eat sparingly. Hot baths were forbidden, and so was lying on couches until they had killed a boar without a net an extremely dangerous feat involving a 15in blade. Homers Iliad was Alexanders code of honour, his Bible. The 400-year-old text taught him that to be pre-eminent above all was the greatest aim in life. His personal tutor in ethics, politics and how to live a noble life was none other than Aristotle, who famously observed that the trouble with the young is that they think they know everything, and whose educational approach was ruthlessly elitist: Drive those in front hard, and dont wait for those left behind. Aristotles teaching was done on foot and strolling about, as this kept the mind of the students more alert. As for Alexanders lessons in, ah, human biology, his mother very pragmatically hired a beautiful courtesan called Kallixeina to instruct him. Whether he was also fond of the boys, a common taste in his society, Rowson says we cant be sure, but certainly his greatest devotion was to his male friends. Incredibly, we now know about the palace of the Macedonian royal family, where Alexander grew up. Only later, Rowson admits, did Alexanders ambitions turn increasingly desperate and his actions tyrannical, with countless villages and cities across Asia paying a high price for his quest for glory In 1855, a French archaeologist called Leon Heuzey was rootling round a remote Greek village called Palatitsia, meaning little palace, when he spotted local churches were built of fragments of ancient monuments. He realised he had stumbled on a site of huge significance. But, interrupted by both civil wars and world wars, it took decades more for proper excavations to reveal just what. It is only since ambitious restoration began in 2007 that the palace has been revealed as a colossal building with an imposing entrance flanked by ionic columns, and wooden doors at least a foot thick. Floors were decorated with rich mosaics and the ceilings rose to a majestic 11 m high. Thirty years earlier, in 1977, archaeologist Manolis Andronikos had a truly Indiana Jones moment. He was excavating some nearby tombs, most of which had long since been broken open and looted, when he found one that seemed more intact. Shining his torch down into the gloom, Andronikos called back to his colleagues, trying to maintain his slow, authoritative voice. I see a small marble sarcophagus... On the left there are silver vessels... When he stood up, a colleague described his face as lit by an imperceptible ecstasy. They had found the tomb of Alexanders father, King Philip II. The fresco from his tomb shows a chariot very like that of the Ancient Celts, while the image of the chariot driver seems to support the notion that many Ancient Greeks, Philip II and Alexander included, were indeed red-heads. Rowson is wonderful at conjuring the setting of rugged ancient Macedonia, the pelicans and the glossy ibis on the coasts, lions in the mountains, boys playing at knucklebones in the shade, women in their colourful shawls carrying offerings to the shrine of Athena, and, far away to the south, the snowy peaks of Mount Olympus, home of the gods. From a detailed description of an ancient boar hunt, to a battle with the barbarous Scythians, who drank from the skulls of their enemies, there are terrific set pieces here. The crucial set piece though is the death of Philip and a bloody, Game Of Thrones-type spectacle it was. The squat, one-eyed, limping, battle-scarred warrior-king was at the wedding celebrations for his daughter, Kleopatra, and wearing a white robe and golden wreath, when an embittered former favourite called Pausanias ran at him and thrust a Celtic dagger between his ribcage. The wound was fatal and Alexander, aged just 20, became King of Macedonia. Its impossible not to feel a slight disappointment that the book ends just as Alexander steps ashore in Asia (modern Turkey) and the great epic begins. But as a colourful and learned evocation of the great conquerors shaping boyhood its a wonderful read. Only later, Rowson admits, did Alexanders ambitions turn increasingly desperate and his actions tyrannical, with countless villages and cities across Asia paying a high price for his quest for glory. Would-be tyrants and empire-builders always leave a lot of bodies in their wake... as we are regularly reminded to this day. BOOK OF THE WEEK A LIFE OF PICASSO Volume IV: THE MINOTAUR YEARS, 1933-1943 by John Richardson (Cape 35, 368pp) Pablo Picasso didnt visit the northern Spanish town of Guernica to inspect the carnage; in fact, he hardly visited his native country of Spain throughout the whole ten-year period covered in this fourth volume of John Richardsons magisterial and superbly illustrated biography. But as an expat in Paris, from the safety of his studio in the Rue des Grands Augustins and revolted by news of the violence initiated by General Franco, Picasso caught, in photo-like sepia colours, on a vast seven-metre-wide canvas, the unspeakable horror of the 1937 flattening of Guernica in a raid by the Germans, a highly effective technical experiment in the art of annihilation, in which 1,500 civilians were killed, many of them women and children. Pictured: Picasso in 1937 with primary mistress Dora Maar. John Richardson's fourth volume of Picasso follows the artist as an expat in Paris Taking only 25 frenzied days to paint, Picassos Guernica was a terrifyingly prophetic work, with its screaming mothers, dead children, flames and severed limbs. One critic wrote: Picasso sends us our letter of doom: all that we love is going to die. When the painting was exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1939, Clement Atlee, just returned from fighting on the Republican side in Spain, stood in front of it Friday books and declared it a diatribe against fascism. People queued to see it, including young John Richardson (born in 1924) on a school trip; its power ignited in him what was to become a lifelong fascination with the artist. Dora captured his attention, stabbing between her fingers until they bled Spot the minotaur in the top left-hand corner. That was Picasso, turning his head away from the carnage. The 1930s seems to have been his minotaur period, long, long after his Blue Period (1901- 1904) was over. Theres hardly a picture in the 1930s without some kind of bull in it, either a bullfighting one or a Classical one; and Richardson tells us that the brawny bull/ minotaur was Picasso. Pity the wives or mistresses he was falling out of love with, whom he depicted in increasingly twisted guises in his art, often naked and splayed over a dying horse, or being gored by a bull. By now, in his early 50s, wealthy, famous, and deep into an affair with a sweet, gentle model called Marie-Therese Walter who would bear him a daughter, Maya, Picasso was seriously out of love with his Russian wife Olga whom hed married in 1918 just before an injury had ended her balletdancing career. Picasso's work La Femme Qui Pleure, which depicts Dora Maar. Throughout the book Richardson reads sexual innuendo into Picassos works Olgas heavy cloud of refugee resentment, grief and nostalgia was getting on his nerves. She was maddeningly over-protective of their son Paulo, who would be damaged by his parents warring relationship, needing rehab in a Swiss clinic. Picasso filed for divorce but couldnt get one, as he would have had to give Olga half of his possessions, including his artworks, which he refused to do. She became the focus of his hatred. He depicted her as a hideous horse, or with a red tongue protruding from a row of stubbly teeth, with a pair of disembodied eyeballs. This was mild compared to the way Picasso would soon be depicting the photographer Dora Maar his primary mistress for the next eight years, as Richardson writes, somehow validating the whole idea of an artist having a hierarchy of mistresses to act as his adorers and muses. His rages were frequent, often ending with an exchange of blows Dora was a masochist, so didnt seem to mind Picassos increasingly weird portrayals of her as a weeping woman, all jagged edges. When she first spotted him in 1936 at the cafe Les Deux Magots, she captured his attention by stabbing between her fingers till blood appeared on her gloves. Picasso kept the gloves. Richardson likes to read sexual innuendo into Picassos works, and overdoes it sometimes. Typically, he describes Dora in Picassos Night Fishing At Antibes as licking testicular scoops of ice cream, having a penile head, and sitting on a vaginal bicycle seat. As Dora became more and more paranoid and jealous, knowing Picassos affair with Marie-Therese was still going on, their quarrels were daily, and the rages more frequent, often ending with an exchange of blows. But her tears and suffering galvanised his work. And we have Dora to thank for the abundance of photographs of Picasso, often wearing a short-sleeved vest, with his distinctive comb-over. Its the astonishing energy, the prolific, unstoppable output of the man, that pours out of these pages. He worked furiously, obsessively, churning out masterpiece after masterpiece, with all the selfishness weve come to expect from creative geniuses. Picasso (pictured) tried to become naturalised as French when the war broke out. But the authorities would not grant this as he'd been overheard in a cafe criticising French institutions and supporting the Soviet Union One day he decided to be a surrealist poet as well, and wrote mad poems, one of them going on for 34 pages with no punctuation, as he declared that punctuation marks were loin-cloths concealing the pudenda of literature. When war broke out, he tried to become naturalised as French, but the authorities would not grant this as hed been overheard in a cafe criticising French institutions and supporting the Soviet Union. So, as a Spaniard who had openly expressed his anti-fascist feelings, he was in constant danger of being kidnapped or extradited to Spain, as other expats were, and sentenced to death by Francos thugs. He was harassed by Gestapo agents. In 1942, two Nazi officials in green raincoats came into his studio, called him a degenerate, a Communist and a Jew, kicked in his canvases and said: Were coming back. But for some reason they never did. Hitlers favourite sculptor Arno Breker, who lived in Paris during the occupation, claimed to have intervened directly with Hitler to ensure Picassos safety. When the Nazis came to inspect the bank vaults in Paris where Picassos and Matisses art-works were stored, to take an inventory with a view to looting the artworks for themselves, Picasso used a brilliant ploy of confusing the inspectors and undervaluing the works. Miraculously, both his and Matisses vaults were left alone from that day on. Defying advice, he remained in Nazi-ruled Paris. He called it inertia, but in Richardsons view, it was proof of his implacable strength of mind. He was impervious to fear. His affair with Francoise rejuvenated his psyche Subversively, he painted box-like heads on upside-down pages of the collaborationist newspaper Paris-soir with its headlines announcing things like the funeral of a Nazi soldier killed by resisters. These works were a kind of war diary in which he registered his rejection of German propaganda. Uh-oh! Dora your time is almost up. In 1943, a 21-year-old artist called Francoise Gilot caught Picassos eye at Le Catalan restaurant. Their ten-year affair, Richardson writes, would rejuvenate his psyche and inspire a brilliant sequence of paintings. Sadly, though, Richardson will not tell us about it here. Picasso still had 30 more years to live the man seems indestructible. (Gilot, however, is still alive, aged 100.) Richardson himself died in 2019 at the age of 95. As for Dora, she turned to religion and became an obsessively devout Catholic. After Picasso, she said, there is only one God. HISTORY THE MERCENARY RIVER by Nick Higham (Headline 20, 480pp) In November 1478, a Londoner named William Campion was paraded around the city wearing a vessel on his head which was kept filled with water. This ran down his person from small holes made for the purpose. He was then sent to prison. Campions crime was stealing water. In the medieval period, water was precious stuff and anyone pinching it from his neighbours deserved public humiliation. Author Nick Higham explores the history of London's relationship with H2O. Debate about Londons water supply in the Victorian era was over its ownership As Nick Higham points out in this excellent history of Londons relationship with H2O, We have forgotten what it is to have to work for our water. There was no danger of doing so in those earlier centuries. There was no water on tap, so people had to fetch it themselves from wells and conduit houses or buy it from the water carriers who hawked it around the city. The carriers were tough characters. In 1541, the Lord Mayor banned them from carrying clubs because they were so keen to fight one another to be first in the queue at the conduit house. The New River Company began supplying water in 1613, the brainchild of an entrepreneur named Hugh Myddelton. His statue now stands on Islington Green, close to the terminus of the artificial waterway he constructed to bring fresh water from Hertfordshire into the city. The New River, neither new nor a river, still provides between 8 and 12 per cent of Londons drinking water today. Further companies soon sprang up to supply it, and a network of pipes brought it into individual houses. There is never a city in the world that is so well served with water, one Londoner boasted in 1720. Not all the pipes were hidden. Higham quotes a diarist from 1773 who described some on ground at the back of the British Museum which were propped up in several parts to the height of 7 and 8ft, so that persons walked under them to gather water cresses. Perhaps unsurprisingly, mischievous boys bored holes in them to create fountains. Water carriers still walked the streets, crying out, Fresh water, fair water! None of your pipe sludge! They were highlighting one of the major problems the water companies and their customers faced over the next century. Their product was often disgusting. The Thames, the mercenary river of Highams title, was the source for the water supplied by most companies. And the Thames was foul with sewage. THE MERCENARY RIVER by Nick Higham (Headline 20, 480pp) In the 1820s, water supplied by the Grand Junction Waterworks Company was alleged to be charged with the contents of the great common sewers and the drainings from dunghills. Although Victorian theories of disease were often misguided (bad air rather than bad water was long thought to be responsible for cholera outbreaks), common sense dictated that human excrement in the water supply was not a good thing. I can only say that when you have once put sewage in the water I should be reluctant to drink it, remarked Sir Benjamin Brodie, Oxford professor of chemistry and master of understatement, addressing an inquiry into Londons water supply. Matters came to a head with the so-called Great Stink in the summer of 1858. The stench rising from the Thames was so bad no Londoner could fail to notice it. That noble river, the Tory politician Benjamin Disraeli noted in a parliamentary debate, has become a Stygian pool, reeking with ineffable and intolerable horrors. Money was found over ensuing years to finance Sir Joseph Bazalgettes grand plans for Londons sewers. The other great debate about Londons water supply in the Victorian era was over its ownership. Should it be in the hands of private companies? Or under municipal control, run for public good rather than profit? It was not until 1904 that what Higham calls the clamourfor public control of Londons water resulted in the surviving companies handing over their customers, pipe networks and pumping stations to the Metropolitan Water Board. Public ownership lasted little more than 80 years. Margaret Thatchers shareholder democracy in the 1980s included water. You too can be a H2 owner, the marketing campaign told us. Its fair to say that privatisation hasnt always been a huge success. Londoners are again dependent on companies which, in Highams words, have often proved more interested in cash flow than water flow. Most of us nonetheless never think about how the water in our taps gets there. Higham certainly has and his book proves a consistently fascinating read for all those curious about Londons history. Kang Yong-seok, a lawyer who runs the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, waves to his supporters during a press conference at a train station in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, 46 kilometers south of Seoul, April 4, to proclaim his intention to run in the June 1 Gyeonggi Province gubernatorial election. Yonhap The conservative People Power Party (PPP) rejected a request by former representative Kang Yong-seok to rejoin the party, PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said Thursday. PPP leaders voted against Kang's re-entry into the party, Lee told reporters. He declined to give details of the vote, saying a majority voted down Kang's application. Kang, a lawyer who runs a right-wing YouTube channel, was expelled in 2010 from the then Grand National Party, which has since changed names and adopted the new name of the PPP, after newspaper reports alleged that he made lewd and sexist remarks about TV anchorwomen and women's appearance. Earlier this week, Kang declared his bid to run for Gyeonggi Province governor in the June local elections. (Yonhap) The lockdowns proved that reading is the perfect way to spend time alone, but research shows that one in six adults in England has difficulties with literacy, perhaps because they missed out at school or lack the confidence to tackle long books. Which is why the Quick Reads series, published on April 14, is a wonderful way to introduce reluctant or time-pressed readers to top authors who have written short, easily digested stories that can be finished in one sitting. Just 1 in supermarkets and shops, the books are around 100 pages long and cover romance, history and crime. Supported by the generosity of writer Jojo Moyes and the Reading Agency charity, they can also be borrowed from libraries. Pictured left: Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins, Pictured right: The Black Mountain by Kate Mosse Maybe dont read Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins (The Girl On The Train) before you go to bed, because the ruthless, twisty, revenge thriller in which Edie, a young widow, is forced to confront her past will have you double-checking the locks on your doors and windows. Darker still is M.W. Cravens The Cutting Season, in which his rulebreaking detective Washington Poe and his lightning-brain computer-expert sidekick Tilly Bradshaw take on the vicious London underworld with a surprising twist in the tail. Chat-show host and novelist Graham Norton makes use of his native Irelands coast as a setting for his mystery The Swimmer, in which a retired teacher witnesses a young man disappear beneath the waves in a tragic accident. Or is it? The dangers of contemporary gang culture are confronted in Alex Wheatles powerful Witness. Troubled teenager Cornell becomes involved with a notorious local family, and when he unwillingly supports them against a rival, he finds his life changes for ever. A volcanic eruption on Tenerife in 1706 provides the dramatic backdrop for Kate Mosses The Black Mountain. Ana suspects her father was murdered but why and by whom? When the local volcano shudders, she faces a race against time to warn the islanders and solve the riddle of her fathers death Ayisha Maliks modern romances have emotional depth. In Sofia Khan And The Baby Blues we meet the twice-divorced Sofia, who is battling traditional Muslim family values as she tries to adopt a baby on her own while juggling what is best for everyone. Meanwhile, The Kiss by Santa Montefiore sees a night of passion come back to haunt the wealthy, successful Robert in the shape of an 18-year-old illegitimate daughter. She soon becomes part of the family in more ways than you might think... And if you didnt catch it when it first came out, do not miss this abridged edition of poet Lemn Sissays My Name Is Why, a heartbreaking, brutally honest account of how he was taken from his Ethiopian mother and raised in a deceitful and cruel care system that deprived him of the truth about his identity. Bunnings' oldest employee Harold has proven you are never too old to pick up the tools after he celebrated his 91st birthday. The extraordinary milestone along with Harold's history with Bunnings was revealed by the hardware store this week. Harold has worked for Bunnings for four years after he decided to rejoin the workforce at the age of 87. Bunnings gave a backstory on Harold's life, jobs and history with the tools in a heartwarming post on LinkedIn. Bunnings' oldest team member, Harold (pictured), has proved you're never too old to pick up the tools after he recently celebrated his 91st birthday - and joining the company at 87 'Harold started his career at 16 years of age as a fitting and machinery apprentice, went on to become a mechanical engineer by trade and has worked across a wide range of industries during his career - such as sales, operations, maintenance and industry safety,' it read. Harold works at the Canberra Airport Bunnings store. The post says he's either 'at the tool shop register or one of the front registers, helping customers and chatting to them about their DIY projects'. Harold said the best thing about working at the hardware chain is his team and how they regularly check-in with him to see how he's going. The post then shares Harold's favourite memory working with Bunnings, which was the response he received from the hardware chain in light of his 91st birthday. 'His favourite Bunnings memory is having over 400 team members acknowledge his birthday on Bunnings' internal social network, and was blown away by the response and the well-wishes,' it read. The Canberra Bunnings team has described Harold as having a 'humble nature' and 'go-getter energy,' which they love about their older colleague. They also admire how he's always willing to contribute and get involved in work and different projects. Harold currently works at the Canberra Airport Bunnings store (pictured). The post says he's either 'at the tool shop register or one of the front registers, helping customers and chatting to them about their DIY projects' Bunnings asked Harold what advice he would give to people re-joining the workforce at an older age, to which the 91-year-old shared his view that you're 'never too old' to get back into work. 'He joined Bunnings when he was 87 and believes that age should never be a barrier, as you should focus on your strengths and capabilities.' Harold added that many customers and fellow team members value the experience and knowledge of older members. Bunnings HR director Damian Zahra told Daily Mail Australia: 'We know that Harold is a really valued member of our Canberra Airport team, and we're so pleased to be able to help acknowledge his 91st birthday as a Bunnings team member, which is an incredible milestone. 'A diverse team creates the best mix of perspectives to make better decisions, innovate and understand our customers better.' Mr Zahra said older and more experienced staff were an 'integral part of creating a great place to work and offering our customers a great experience'. Advertisement A former Hells Angels bikie has inked 'f**k the police' onto his forehead in an attempt to cover up existing gang tattoos, after hardline laws banned him from displaying club insignia. Dayne Brajkovich is covered head-to-toe in ink but has recently had to slightly alter some of his Hells Angels markings to get around Western Australia's new anti-bikie laws. The laws ban bikies from displaying their club logos - whether they be gang patches, stickers or tattoos - in public. The move led senior police to joke Brajkovich will have to smother himself in make-up to go about his business. Months after the laws passed, Brajkovich was charged with allegedly displaying club insignia in public - but pictures show he has taken drastic measures to comply with the legislation. Dayne Brajkovich is covered head-to-toe in tattoos but has slightly altered a few of his Hells Angels markings to get around Western Australia's new anti-bikie laws. One tattoo on his forehead reads 'f**k the police', in place of an alleged insignia. Black stripes have also covered up another tattoo while a diamond on his chest was coloured in with black ink Above, the new 'f*** the police' tattoo on his forehead. Senior WA Police joked that Brajkovic would have to smother his body in make-up to cover up some of his bikie-related tattoos The picture published above show the bikie has now inked black stripes onto his skin over a large Hells Angels tattoo on his head. The words 'sergeant at arms' also been covered up. A '1 per cent' tattoo on his chest is now a black diamond but the words 'revenge' and 'enforcer' are still clearly marked around Brajkovich's head. He is also infamous for his distinctive 'HAMC'- the acronym for Hells Angels Motorcycle Club - tattooed on his nose, but it's unclear if that still remains. The bikie had received the tattoos before the new laws were introduced last Christmas, and was warned he may have to wear make-up to cover up his ink. It's understood Brajkovich was kicked out of Hells Angels in February after he fell into a dispute with senior members of the club. In March 2021, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson slammed Brajkovich's attire at a Perth Magistrates Court sentencing hearing as 'unacceptable'. 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. 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'.' The bikie had received the tattoos before the new laws were introduced last Christmas, and was warned he may have to wear make-up to cover up his ink. He is seen left with his tattoos covered up and right before they were altered Acting WA Police commissioner Col Blanch suggested in October last year that bikies will need to cover their tattoos with make-up or band-aids. '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 was fined $800 for bashing Rebels boss Nick Martin just weeks before he was assassinated in December, 2020. Advertisement The advance of Vladimir Putin's war machine continues to be halted by a heroic Ukrainian resistance that has seen Moscow completely withdraw from the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian troops failed to gain ground despite relentless shelling and swathes of heavy fighting. Putin was last week forced into a withering face-saving climbdown over the failed march on the capital - that his forces, which have been devastated with more than 20 battalions wiped out since the start of the war, would focus on 'liberating' the eastern Donbas region instead of trying to take the capital. Russian forces have also withdrawn from Chernihiv, Konotop, Chernobyl, Sloboda and Lukashivka in recent days after facing a staunch fightback from Kyiv's troops and volunteers. Moscow's men are though to be regrouping on Ukraine's eastern border ahead of a heavy onslaught on the Donbas region and residents in Donetsk and Luhansk have been told to evacuate now ahead of the impending manoeuvre. The besieged southern port city Mariupol, where residents have been trapped without food, water, electricity or heat for more than a month, has continued to hold firm against Moscow's attacks despite facing continued Russian bombardment and heavy street-to-street fighting. Mykolaiv, Severodonetsk and Kharkiv have continued to come under Russian shelling though Moscow has failed to take control of any of the three cities. Meanwhile Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that 'those who choose war always lose'. His comments come after drone footage emerged showing an obliterated Russian convoy lying along a highway west of Kyiv following an ambush by Zelensky's troops - a tactic Ukraine has employed to great success across the country to repel Putin's vast numbers of slow-moving military hardware. As Putin's invasion enters its 42nd day today, MailOnline takes a look at how Russian forces have gained territory and then been repelled by Ukrainian forces in a heroic fightback. February 24, day one: Putin announces 'special military operation' in Ukraine Vladimir Putin announces that Russia has launched a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, claiming that he only intends to demilitarise rather than occupy the country. Missiles and bombs subsequently rained from the sky, tanks rolled across the border, troops parachuted down on eastern regions and explosions were seen across the country after Putin gave the order for his troops to move in from the north, east and south. Luhansk, Sumy and Chernihiv in the east of Ukraine all came under attack, while tanks battled on the outskirts of Kharkiv after paratroopers dropped in. Blasts were also reported in the west - in Zhytomyr and Lviv, close to the border with Poland. In Kherson, in the south, Ukrainian units had reportedly been routed by Russian tanks rolling out of Crimea, which had arrived at the Dnieper River by mid-morning. Russian forces seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a 'fierce' battle, with the condition of nuclear storage facilities 'unknown' - sparking fears of a radiation leak that could cause fallout in Europe. Following the first day of conflict, President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russia as 'evil' and said Putin had attacked 'like a suicidal scoundrel... just as Fascist Germany did in World War II'. February 25, day two: Kyiv bombarded as Russian forces take control of Chernobyl Kyiv came under bombardment in the early hours of day two of the invasion, with the skies ablaze as Putin's tanks moved to within 20 miles of the capital. Bridges leading to Kyiv and to Kharkiv, in the east, were destroyed by Ukrainian forces to try and slow the Russian advance. Footage also revealed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor at Chernobyl. A squad of Chechen special forces 'hunters' were said to have been unleashed in Ukraine to detain or kill a set of specific Ukrainian officials. Each soldier was understood to have been given a special 'deck of cards' with Ukrainian officials' photos and descriptions on them, a Moscow Telegram channel with links to the security establishment reported. Ukraine's government claimed to have retaken an airport on the outskirts of Kyiv that Russian airborne troops had earlier seized, as President Zelensky ordered compulsory enlistment and banned all men aged 18-60 from leaving the country. February 26, day three: Missile hits block of flats in Kyiv but Russia makes limited progress The civilian death toll reached 198 after a devastating missile struck a high-rise apartment block as fighting continued to rage around Kyiv following a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country. Russia said it was not willing to negotiate with the Ukrainian government until its military operation is over, despite President Zelensky calling for sit-down talks with Putin. Russia's military said it seized a strategic airport outside Kyiv, allowing it to quickly build up forces to take the capital. Intense gunfire broke out on a bridge across the Dnieper River dividing eastern and western Kyiv, while another key bridge to the capital was blown away. The Ministry of Defence said Russia's invasion had so far made limited progress and Ukraine retained control of key cities, including the capital. February 27, day four: Russia nuclear forces on alert as troops encounter strong opposition Putin says he has placed Moscow's nuclear forces on a 'special regime of combat duty' in response to 'aggressive statements' from members of the NATO defence alliance. Russian forces took Berdyansk, a Ukrainian city of 100,000 on the Azov Sea coast, while also making advances toward Kherson, another city in the south of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials claimed to have repelled attacks on the country's second city Kharkiv. Mariupol in southern Ukraine was 'hanging on' as Russian forces encountered strong opposition from Ukraine defenders across the country - most notably in Kyiv. Moscow had also so far failed to win full control of airspace, despite advances across the country, with US officials saying they believe the invasion had been more difficult than the Kremlin envisioned. February 28, day five: Russia denies shelling residential areas as blasts heard in several cities Day five saw an escalation in fighting as supposed peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials took place. Blasts were heard in the early hours of day five in several of Ukraine cities including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, the country's second biggest city and Chernihiv, north of the capital, but overall, it was a quiet night on the streets of the capital with an almost two-day curfew lifted . Satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies depicted a three-mile long convoy of Russian military vehicles lined up on roads leading to Kyiv, thought to be less than 40 miles away. And a 400-strong squad of bloodthirsty mercenaries were reportedly flown in from Africa with orders to kill Zelensky - a notorious private militia linked to a string of rapes, robberies, murders, and alleged war crimes. March 1, day six: Zelensky declares Putin a 'terrorist' after 18 killed in Kharkiv rocket strikes The war entered a new phase, with Russia's aim seemingly to surround and besiege cities such as Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson which have so-far put up fierce resistance - and bomb them into submission. Russian forces strike the square in front of a civilian public administration building in Kharkiv, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out on day six. Missile strikes in the city killed at least 18 civilians and injured dozens more. Explosions erupted around Kyiv's 1,300ft television tower, just hours after Russia told civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets. Ukraine claimed it destroyed an elite group of Chechen fighters that were plotting to assassinate Zelensky. A huge Russian column of military vehicles, stretching for around 40 miles, was pictured around 17 miles from Kyiv. US officials said it appeared to have stalled due to the brave fighting of Ukrainian forces. March 2, day seven: Russia claims to have taken first city as war machine steps up efforts Ukraine denied Russian claims that its troops had seized the southern city of Kherson, on the Black Sea, in what would have been the first major city to fall. Heavy shelling of Ukraine's major cities continued, though, as Russian paratroopers landed in Kharkiv in the early hours following several days of bombardment. Kyiv also came under further bombing as Russian forces stepped up attempts to try and take the capital. The port city of Mariupol, another key strategic target, was encircled by Russian troops as Ukrainian forces continue to put up fierce resistance leaving 'hundreds' dead. Mayor says they cannot get remove dead bodies from the streets as 'the shelling does not stop'. Ukrainian emergency services say more than 350 civilians have been killed, though officials also say thousands of Russians have died in the conflict. March 3, day eight: Mariupol bombarded with shelling as huge Russian convoy is halted Russian forces claim to be in control of government buildings on Kherson, while Mariupol is also understood to be encircled and under constant shelling. Odessa also prepares for an amphibious assault with strategists believing it is being targeted to cut off Ukraine from the sea and to create a land corridor. About 80 per cent of Russia's invasion force are now said to be in Ukraine, with as many as 15,000 troops - an entire Russian army division - bearing down on Kyiv. But the huge convoy outside the capital continues to remain stagnant as it becomes plagues with breakdown issues and Ukrainian attacks. March 4, day nine: Russia seizes Europe's largest nuclear plant as heavy shelling intensifies Russian troops seize Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia after heavy shelling caused a large fire. A projectile hit one of its six reactors overnight, causing a fire that was later extinguished. Putin's forces also intensified their bombing of Mariupol after already taking Kherson, while Russian troops were also said to have entered Mykolayiv and Kharkiv following shelling. Mykolaiv, another port city, also comes under attack from Russian forces as Putin looks to seize control of the Black Sea. March 5, day ten: Ceasefire to allow refugees to flee is broken by shelling after 45 minutes A ceasefire is agreed between Russia and Ukraine in Mariupol to allow hundreds of thousands of residents to flee the city for safety. However, shells rain down on the port city just 45 minutes into the ceasefire, leaving residents trapped without electricity or water. Russia's defence ministry accused Ukrainian 'nationalists' of preventing civilians from leaving, RIA news agency reported. But Mariupol's city council said Russia was not observing the ceasefire. The Kremlin also threatened Britain with 'tough retaliatory measures' as Putin said devastating Western sanctions against Russia are verging on a declaration of war, and warned that any country imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be considered to have entered the ongoing conflict. Thousands of Ukrainian residents marched through the streets of Kherson in defiance of Russian troops. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed Russia has lost more than 10,000 troops since the invasion began. March 6, day 11: Mariupol ceasefire interrupted by bombing as Vinnytsia airport is destroyed The Kremlin is understood to be recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine, US officials say, as Russian advances stall in the continued face of strong resistance. Zelensky also warned that Russian forces are preparing to shell Odessa, much like Mariupol, as the relentless bombing continued. A second agreed ceasefire to allow residents to leave Mariupol safely is also again interrupted by Russian shelling after just minutes. Heartbreaking footage, taken in Irpin, located on the outskirts of the besieged capital city Kyiv, also confirmed that Russian forces are attacking heavily populated civilian areas where men, women and children are leaving the country. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says there is 'very credible reports' that Russia has committed war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine - particularly in attacking civilians. Russia is said to have deployed around 95 per cent of its combat forces it had prepared on the Ukrainian border, with Vinnytsia airport totally destroyed by a reported eight Russian missiles on day 11 of the war. March 7, day 12: Russia pummels Ukrainian cities with shelling as Russian war ship struck Russia announced yet another ceasefire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine today ahead of a third round of planned talks. The Russian Defence Ministry said a ceasefire would start in the morning, and safe passages would open for civilians from Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy. But some of the evacuation routes would funnel civilians toward Russia or its ally Belarus and hopes were dim that the latest talks would yield breakthroughs. Russian forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets even after the new announcement of corridors and fierce fighting continued in some areas, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities. Well into the second week of war, Russia's plan to quickly overrun the country has been stymied by fierce resistance. Its troops have made significant advances in southern Ukraine and along the coast, but many of its efforts have become stalled. A Russian war ship was struck by Ukrainian forces as they continued to defend the port of Odessa from invading troops, according to Ukraine 's navy. Video footage appeared to show Ukrainian defence forces, based in Odessa, cheering as they exchanged fire with ships in the Black Sea. March 8, day 13: Russia launches 'psychological combat units' to influence local population Russia masses troops on the north, west and east of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in preparation for an assault on the city. Ukrainian forces fightback starts in earnest as Kyiv's troops recapture the city of Chuhuiv and repel an attack by Moscow's men on Mykolaiv's airfield. Strikes on civilian areas also continued, with the city of Sumy - in the east - struck by bombs which the local mayor said killed 21 people including two children and left others wounded. Ukraine's parliament published a photo of a bloodied infant they said was hurt in the attack. Russia again offered to open up 'humanitarian corridors' today to allow civilians to flee bombarded cities - but the move was swiftly dismissed by Kyiv, with President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Moscow of 'cynicism'. March 9, day 14: 'New low' rocket attack destroys maternity hospital in Mariupol A maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol is decimated in a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets leaving children buried in the rubble. Footage emerges of badly wounded patients and nurses being evacuated from decimated buildings, while pregnant women were carried out on stretchers into a courtyard covered in rubble and littered with huge craters. At least 17 people, including women in labour, were injured in the attack. Days later, an injured pregnant woman and her unborn baby - whose image being stretchered from her Putin-bombed maternity ward became one of the war's most shocking images - died. Russian forces accused of rounding up 400 activists and taking them hostage after they were caught protesting Moscow's invasion in Kherson. But Ukrainian counter attacks see Chuhuiv retaken and Moscow's men repelled from Mykolaiv's airfield. Fighting continues on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv as Russia continues to mass forces in the north, east and west flanks of the city. Moscow's men also advance on Sumy in north eastern Ukraine as they try to surround the country's second biggest city Kharkiv and cut it off. Nuclear safety watchdogs warn of a potential unfolding disaster at Chernobyl after the International Atomic Energy Agency says it has lost touch with the power plant's systems that monitor nuclear material. The IAEA also say they have lost contact with the captured Zaporizhzhia power plant. March 10, day 15: Civilians in Mariupol 'fight over food' and bury bodies in trenches in siege Imprecise Russian missiles fired from a Grad launcher strikes a Physics institute in Kharkiv which houses the Neutron Source nuclear research facility and contains 37 nuclear fuel cells in its core, raising fears of a radiation leak that could spread across Europe. Airstrikes strike the cities of Dnipro, in central Ukraine, Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, in the west, which have largely been spared attacks. The strike on Dnipro hit civilian areas including a shoe factory, killing at least one person. The bombings in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk are thought to have targeted military airports - mirroring attacks in the early days of the war. Two soldiers were killed. Civilians in Mariupol are reported to be fighting over food and burying bodies in trenches before they pile high in the streets amid 'apocalyptic' humanitarian conditions after Russian forces laid siege to the southern port city leaving inhabitants without food, water, electricity or heat. March 11, day 16: Russian 'death convoy' disperses around Kyiv as battle for capital begins Russia's 40-mile 'death convoy' - which had been stuck for two weeks due to fuel and logistical issues - starts to disperse and encircle the city. Moscow's men take up firing positions and start concealing themselves in civilian areas and forests to prevent attacks. Ukraine's territorial defence units, charged with protecting the city, were pictured digging trenches and setting up barricades, as mayor Vitali Kitschko says the capital has been turned into a 'fortress'. A psychiatric hospital and 50 schools were destroyed in shelling in the eastern city of Kharkiv but early warning systems repel an early morning attack in Dnipro. Russian rocket attack hits mosque in Mariupol harbouring more than 85 people, mostly Turkish nationals and including 34 children. In nearby Melitopol, Moscow's men kidnap the mayor after he refused to cooperate with them. March 13, day 18: Russia accuses Ukraine of killing civilians in attack Kyiv says is a 'false flag' Russia accuses Ukraine of killing 23 civilians, including children, in an attack involving cluster munitions in the rebel-held Donetsk oblast in eastern Ukraine on March 14. Kyiv hits back, denying the attack had come from them and claiming the missile was Russian - suggesting Moscow carried out the attack itself as a bloody 'false flag' attack intended to justify an attack in retaliation. A television tower in the Rivne region in the northwest is destroyed. Explosions rang out overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson as the bombardment intensifies in Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv hitting hospitals and civilian infrastructure. Airstrikes in Kyiv target residential buildings and a plan factory while residents in Chernihiv lose heating in shelling. Meanwhile the death toll in Mariupol rises to 2,500 as the strategic port city remains encircled by Russian forces. March 14, day 19: Heavy artillery fired at Odesa as Moscow's men fail to penetrate capital Ukraine's interior minister warns that a 'huge amount' of Russian artillery was fired at Odesa on Ukraine's south coast overnight. It comes as Russian forces advance northwards from Kherson towards Kryvyi Rih in preparation for an attack on the city. Moscow's men advance on Kyiv but fails to penetrate the capital's outskirts while their artillery carries out a sustained bombardment of the city. Putin's troops attempt to march on Kyiv from Sumy on the eastern border but are met with heavy resistance. March 17, day 22: Lightly-armed Ukrainians fend off Russian battalion, inflicting heavy losses Russian airstrikes pound the city of Lviv in the west of Ukraine in the early hours on March 18, as Vladimir Putin increasingly strikes close to NATO-member Poland in his bloody-minded invasion of his ex-Soviet neighbour. Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Lviv, said two Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea - likely by warships - had destroyed an aircraft repair facility and a bus garage close to the airport. Kyiv was also struck in the early hours. Russian forces take control of half of Izium but fail to capture key river crossings as Ukraine's valiant fightback continues with lightly armed soldiers fending off one of Moscow's battalions and inflicting heavy losses on the invading force. March 18, day 23: Russia claims first use of 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missile Russian forces continue to make steady territorial gains around Mariupol as they start targeting residential areas of the city in attacks. Meanwhile the Kremlin claims its forces have recorded the first successful use of its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on a weapons depot in Deliatyn on March 19. Moscow claims the nuclear capable 'Kinzhal'- or Dagger - with a range of 1,250 miles is 'unstoppable' by current Western weapons. 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 Ukraine. Ukrainian forces repel Russian operations around Kharkiv, reportedly killing a regimental commander, as Kyiv's forces launched a string of local counterattacks in the suburbs of the capital, inflicting heavy damage on Moscow's men hiding the outskirts. Fears of a Russian amphibious assault on Odesa are relieved amid reports Moscow is parceling out elements of its reserve force that would take part in any attack from the sea to help support stalled efforts else in Ukraine. March 20, day 25: Mariupol rejects Russian offer for surrender to allow civilians to escape Russia has also kept up its bombardment of other Ukrainian cities today, hitting the sprawling 'Retroville' mall in Kyiv and several apartments in the capital in the early hours - reducing the former to rubble in a blast powerful it pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a massive crater, as well as bodies scattered in the carnage. Kyiv department of the state emergency service said four people had been killed but there were reports as many as six were dead with dozens more missing in the debris. In Sumy, emergency officials said they had contained an ammonia leak at a chemical plant that contaminated wide area on the city's eastern outskirts forcing everyone within a three mile radius to evacuate. Officials in the Black Sea port Mariupol rejected Russian demands that troops lay down their weapons and surrender in return for letting tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the heavily besieged city leave safely - saying promises of amnesty cannot be trusted and they are determined to fight 'to the last soldier'. Meanwhile Russian troops open fire on civilian protesters in Kherson and cause multiple injuries. Moscow claims to have used its second Kinzhal hypersonic missile on a fuel depot in Kostyantynivka, central Ukraine. March 21, day 26: Mykolaiv residents refuse to abandon their homes to stop Russian advance Residents in Mykolaiv refuse to abandon their homes on March 25 in order to prevent the Russian advance on Odesa, where houses on the outskirts are shelled by Moscow's warships stationed in the Black Sea - though naval personnel have not yet come onshore as part of a larger assault. Ukrainian forces repel Russian efforts to capture the besieged port city of Mariupol while Kyiv claims Moscow's men are retreating after failing to advance in the strategic suburb of Makariv, in a move which could stop Vladimir Putin's forces from surrounding the capital. Ukrainian think tank The Centre for Defence Strategies claimed that Russian troops in the Okhtyrka region of Sumy 'left the area of operations' in order to 'choose desertion to avoid death' and in Havronshchyna, in the Makariv district, that Russians had stolen cars to drive towards the border with Belarus. March 23, day 28: Volunteers destroy Russian tanks as Moscow warship hit in Black Sea Ukraine destroys a huge Russian ship Orsk, a 370ft Russian Alligator-class tank carrier, as it was sitting at anchor in the captured port of Berdyansk on March 26, just days after state media filmed it unloading reinforcements in the south of the country. A Russian tank column is destroyed by Ukrainian troops and volunteers at Voznesensk - pushing Moscow's forces back 60 miles from the strategically-important town that spans the Bug River. Attacks are also launched on the captured city of Kherson, where Russian troops are 'repositioning'. Russian troops are also forced to reposition around Mykolaiv after coming under attack by Ukrainian forces, the Pentagon says, while heavy fighting rages in Izyum - hundreds of miles away to the northeast - as Ukraine tries to thwart attempts to surround its armies near the Donbass. March 24, day 29: Mariupol city council evacuated as Malynivkia recaptured by Ukraine Mariupol city council workers are evacuated and are working from outside the city as Russian forces continue to advance on the centre weeks after laying siege to the strategic southern port town. It comes as Ukrainian forces recapture Malynivka as Kyiv's soldiers focus on preventing its troops being surrounded in Donbas. Heavy fighting is underway in Izium, where Russian troops are advancing but are yet to take full control of the eastern Ukrainian city by March 27. Ukrainian counterattacks in Mykolaiv defeat the Russian advance on the city and push Moscow's force back towards Kherson. Similar fighting underway in Kyiv sees Ukrainians forces prevent Russian troops from surrounded the capital and repel Moscow's advances in the city's east. March 27, day 32: 'Significant' fires break out in Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk warns Russian forces are 'militarising' the exclusion zone around Chernobyl - the site of the world's worst civil nuclear accident in 1986 - saying that it is 'completely impossible' to put out 'significant fires' started in the exclusion zone on March 28. A fire at a major oil depot started when two missiles reported within 15 minutes of each other hit Lutsk, Volyn oblast, around 10:30pm on March 27 is brought under control, local authorities confirm. Renewed shelling targets Kharkiv and Kyiv, as Russia withdraws troops from the Ukrainian capital after suffering heavy losses. More than 160,000 civilians remains trapped in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol as heavy fighting rages in the area. Authorities scramble to organise 26 buses of civilians in an attempted evacuation. March 28, day 33: Russian military slow activity around Chernihiv as troops retreat from Kyiv Authorities warn that 'time is running out' for residents in Mariupol who have no food or water as heavy fighting continues in the besieged port city's streets. The Russian military says it will reduce its activity around Chernihiv as troops are seen withdrawing from the capital, Kyiv, after sustaining heavy losses in the suburbs and failing to capture the heart of the city - but Moscow's men continue to shell Ukraine's second city Kharkiv. Three Ukrainians are killed and 22 are wounded in Mykolaiv after a Russian missile strike hits a government building as officials streamed into the office. March 29, day 34: Russia continues bombardment of cities despite promise to stop assault Ukraine warns of the danger that Russian ammunition could explode at the Chernobyl nuclear plant while frequent explosions are heard 60km in Irpin, a western suburb on the outskirts of Kyiv. Heavy street fighting in the encircled southern port city Mariupol sees Russian forces take half of the city. In Mykolaiv, a strike kills 12 people and injures 33 more, while in Khmelnitsky industrial facilities are hit with Russian rocket attacks overnight. Rights groups claim Russia has used banned antipersonnel landmine in Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, after Moscow's pounds nearby Chernihiv 'all night long' with air strikes, despite promising to stop the bombardment. March 30, day 35: Red Cross hospital in Mariupol hit as Ukrainian forces regain parts of Kyiv Russians continue to hold positions in the east and west of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, after Moscow announces a limited withdrawal from the suburbs including Irpin, which though recaptured remains disconnected from electricity and water. Moscow's men continue to bombard Chernihiv in northern Ukraine and Mariupol in the south with strikes hitting a Red Cross warehouse in the port city, stalling efforts to evacuate civilians launched after Russia promised to scale back the offensive. Making the promise, Russia hinted that its forces would instead focus on 'liberating' the eastern Donbas region in a potential face-saving climbdown amid Western claims that Putin's military has been devastated and 20 battalions have been wiped out. March 31, day 36: Ukraine regains Chernobyl and attacks Sloboda, Lukashivka and Kyiv Russian troops, who have been subjected to 'significant doses' of radiation from digging trenches in the forest of the exclusion zone, leave the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site and state energy company Energoatom regains control. Ukrainian forces also retake villages Sloboda and Lukashivka, which are primary sites for supply routes, and start counter attacks in the suburbs of Kyiv, despite ongoing Russian missile strikes. Moscow's men continue to pound Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, and Chernihiv, in the north, despite promises from the Kremlin that Russian forces would slow the bombardment. It comes as the Mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boichenko accused Russian forces of blocking vital humanitarian aid and evacuation routes. April 2, day 38: Fighting reaches Lviv as Ukraine helicopters 'hit fuel depot in Russia' Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a Russian bombardment of satellite towns near the Ukrainian capital was ongoing early on April 3 as President Zelensky warned that Moscow's men had moved towards Kharkiv in the country's east. A Red Cross convoy was on route to the besieged port city Mariupol in another bid to evacuate civilians trapped in the city. Fighting reached Lviv after at least three Russian ballistic missiles struck the western Ukrainian city, resulting in multiple casualties. Meanwhile Moscow hit back at Ukrainian claims, saying that two of Kyiv's helicopters had struck a fuel depot over the border in Belgorod, causing a huge fire. Ukraine denies responsibility for the attack raising fears the alleged strike could have been a false flag operation by Putin's men. April 3, day 39: Russian forces withdraw from Kyiv's suburbs revealing war crimes in Bucha Russian forces completely withdraw from the northern suburbs of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on April 4, leaving evidence of war crimes in Bucha. Pictures show dead civilians shot at close range, many with their hands tied behind their backs. Russian airstrikes hit Odessa early in the morning sending up at least three columns of black smoke with flames visible apparently in an industrial area but there were no reported casualties. Rocket strikes also hit Mykolaiv and were blamed on Moscow's men by the city's mayor. Heavy fighting was reported in Mariupol in southern Ukraine as Russian forces keep trying to take the besieged port city where thousands of civilians have been trapped since the early days of Putin's war. April 5, day 41: Ukrainian forces retake 'key terrain' around Kyiv as Russian forces retreat Ukrainian forces retake 'key terrain' around the capital Kyiv on April 5, a day after Russian troops completely retreated from the area and headed north. Putin's men also continue to retreat in Chernihiv as 'low level fighting' continues in the northern region. US intelligence claims Russian forces are withdrawing to refocus the invasion's attention on Donetsk, a separatist region of eastern Ukraine, which sees increased attacks. Nearby in Rubizhne a nitric acid tank is hit by Russian shelling and locals are warned to stay indoors. Russian forces maintain their stranglehold on Ukraine's second city Kharkiv with a sustained shelling campaign overnight and sink a civilian ship in the besieged port city of Mariupol after hitting it in a rocket strike. Moscow allegedly uses banned cluster munitions on civilian buildings in the encircled southern city Mykolaiv, killing at least 10 people and wounding 46 in the city centre. April 6th, day 42: Russia 'shoots down two helicopters carrying military leaders in Mariupol' Shells and rockets are landing regularly in the industrial city of Severodonetsk, the easternmost city held by Ukrainian forces on the eastern frontline, as Putin refocuses his brutal campaign in the Donbas after suffering major losses further west. Russia says it has shot down two Ukrainian helicopters that were trying to evacuate leaders of the controversial nationalist Azov battalion from besieged Mariupol, adding that Kyiv's soldiers have refused an offer from Moscow to lay down their arms and leave the city 'via an agreed route'. Mariupol city council have accused Russians of setting up mobile crematoriums to remove any evidence of potential war crimes. Officials estimate the death toll in the port city is as high as tens of thousands, and the Kremlin is now trying to 'cover their tracks' after the international condemnation to the horrific scenes of Bucha where civilian bodies were piled high and buried in mass graves, they said. Meanwhile in Luhansk, residents have been ordered to evacuate today as a strike on a humanitarian aid distribution centre killed two and injured five. In Mykolaiv a fuel depot and factory were hit overnight in Russian shelling while Ukrainian forces retook 'key terrain' in the northern suburbs of Kyiv. Hillsong founder Brian Houston has shared a cryptic post to Instagram after quitting the international megachurch over inappropriate behaviour towards women. Houston is yet to address his resignation as global pastor with his one million social media followers but on Wednesday shared a photo of himself with his daughter Laura Toggs. 'My beautiful daughter loving her dad,' the post read. Comments were disabled. Ms Toggs also shared the same picture to her account, captioned 'yesterday with my dad'. Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston shared a post with his daughter Laura Toggs on Wednesday amid his shock resignation from the church (pictured) Houston stepped down from the church at an emergency staff meeting in the Sydney head office. An internal investigation found he had breached the church's moral code of conduct for pastors in the two incidents. 'We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong and the board has accepted his resignation,' the church said on March 23. 'Irrespective of the circumstances around this, we can all agree that Brian and Bobbie have served God faithfully over many decades.' Brian and Bobbie Houston (pictured) steered the church to become a global phenomenon A previous statement from the Hillsong board said the two complaints were treated 'extremely seriously'. 'The first issue was approximately a decade ago and involved inappropriate text messages from Pastor Brian to a member of staff, which subsequently resulted in the staff member resigning,' the board said. Mr Houston was 'under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence' when he sent the texts, the board said. The second incident was when Mr Houston knocked on the Sydney hotel door of a female guest following the 2019 Hillsong Conference and spent 40 minutes in her room. 'An in-depth investigation found that Pastor Brian became disoriented... following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol,' it said. The exact nature of the woman's complaint has not been publicly revealed and Houston has denied any sexual activity took place. Hillsong added it had also committed to a review of its governance and structure as a result of the investigation. Houston in a grovelling apology described his wife Bobbie as 'Christ-like' and told church members he was 'deeply sorry' in a leaked email. Hillsong now has more than 300 churches across 25 countries and more than 150,000 weekly attendees (pictured: a Sydney location) The organisation, which started as a modest Sydney church, grew rapidly over two decades to become a global powerhouse. There are now more than 300 churches across 25 countries and 150,000 weekly attendees. But nine congregations have cut ties with Hillsong since the complaints against Houston became public. A report on Wednesday by the ABC's 7.30 said the rapid growth was fueled partly by Hillsong absorbing smaller churches and taking control of their finances. The first overseas location for Hillsong was in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the 1990s as the fledgling nation was emerging from the shadow of the Soviet Union. Zhenya and Vera Kasevich established two Pentecostal congregations - one in Kyiv and one in Moscow - which they ran for two decades after developing a passion for the church's music and modern format. They used the Hillsong name despite having no official connection to the church, but the organisation caught wind and sent over a pastor from Australia and some initial funding. By 2014, the Kyiv and Moscow churches had grown in popularity and were operating on million dollar budgets. But the pair had grown disillusioned with some aspects - such being required to pay $13,000 for guest speakers to fly over first class from the US. 'We could not look at our poor people's eyes and tell them we are using church money for that,' Mr Kasevich said. Zhenya and Vera Kasevich (pictured) claim when they tried to break away their congregation in Kyiv from Hillsong, they were bullied and their church's assets were taken over When the two tried to break away from Hillsong, documents seen by 7.30 show the church requested a 'voluntary donation' of the proceeds of a property and $230,000 in cash. And that Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian told them he could 'make things very difficult' in regards to an application they had put in for US residency. 'Basically [Brian Houston] said... "This church is mine. I will make your life small. I will squash it",' Vera Kasevich said. Mr Kasevich added he believed the takeover from the Sydney head office was intended to seize control of the church's assets. They claimed Houston threatened to open a rival Hillsong church in Kyiv and they eventually agreed to the demands so as not to split their congregation. Brian Houston called the Kasevich's account 'fantasy'. The 7.30 reports lists multiple churches in Australia that Hillsong merged with and now controls their assets, including in NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory and WA. It is also claimed Hillsong keeps many assets separate from the church using a complex web of companies, charities, and legal entities. Hillsong has launched a review of its governance as a result of the investigation Jaime San Martin, a previous assistant pastor at the Botany Spanish Church in Sydney in the early 2000s, said when they agreed to a merger they expected the co-operation would help the church grow. But he said the merger turned out to be 'just a financial thing'. 'We were having difficulties accessing our own funds,' he said. Hillsong made a similar expansion in the USW where there is now 16 churches. Dozens of properties have also been acquired including apartments in New York and Los Angeles and more than 40 properties in Arizona expected to be worth $40 million by 2023. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Hillsong for comment. Prosecutors on Long Island said Wednesday that the woman known as 'Diablita' - the 'Little Devil - who lured four teens to a local park where MS-13 gang members hacked them to death with machetes showed little compassion for the victims - and even licked their blood off her lips while watching the massacre. Leniz Escobar, 22, drew the young men to a local park after lying to the MS-13 members, saying that they had 'mocked' the gangsters, prosecutor Justina Geraci said during closing arguments in the trial, which wrapped up this week in Central Islip, New York. 'You heard [MS-13 gang member] David Gaitan-Rivera's testimony,' Geraci told the jury of the 2017 slayings. 'He told you how one of the victims had reached for [Escobar] before he was killed and his blood had gotten all over her shirt. He told you how she licked her lips.' Keyli Gomez, a friend of Diablita, testified that she and Escobar 'crouched down by the victims and watched as they were killed. Not screaming or crying while the victims were macheted to death.' Geraci also said Escobar - whose boyfriend was a high ranking member of the gang - smiled as Michael Lopez, 20, was hacked to death. Leniz 'Little Devil' Escobar, 22, is on trial on federal racketeering charges for allegedly luring four high school students to their deaths at the hands of MS-13 gang members in 2017 Justin Llivicura (left) and Jefferson Villalobos (right) were hacked to death in a Central Islip, New York, park in April 2017 Michael Lopez Banega (left) and Jorge Tigre (right) were the other two victims killed by MS-13 members after allegedly being lured by Escobar While prosecutors were outlining their case one last time for the jury, Escobar was seen smiling and joking with her legal team, wearing her hair in a ponytail and chrome piercings on her cheeks. Prosecutors say Lopez, 20, and three friends - Justin Llivicura, 16, Jorge Tigre, 18, and Jefferson Villalobos, 18 - were executed by the notorious gang. Escobar is said to have snitched on the teens for claiming to have been MS-13 gang members on social media, with its real members deciding to execute them for it -deeming the social media boasting a show of disrespect. They were also accused by the gang of being members of the rival 18th Street Gang. One of the intended victims, Elmer Alexander Arteaga Ruiz, made it out alive by running for his life. He testified against Escobar at trial. They allege that Escobar and Gomez brought them to a park to smoke marijuana as the gangsters waited to kill them. Recalling the moment his friends were hacked to death, Ruiz told the court: 'They came through a hole in the fence. 'There were eight or nine. They covered their faces with sweaters. They came and formed a semi-circle. They told us get down on our knees. 'They said, Dont move. Whoever moves, dies. A photo of Leniz 'Diablita' Escobar from Snapchat, whom prosecutors allege brought the victims to a park to smoke marijuana as the gangsters waited to kill them Family and friends say goodbye to Justin Llivicura at his burial in a cemetery on April 19, 2017 Llivicura was just 16 years old when he was brutally murdered by gangsters on Long Island A car found just outside the Central Islip Recreational Center where more than a dozen MS-13 members armed with machetes, knives, an axe and other weapons lay in wait for the victims The area of the Central Islip Recreational Center where the four boys were killed, with a fifth running away 'I ran because the first words they said was that we were going to die, they were going to kill us, and they had weapons... 'I took off running and there were two people who started to follow me,' he said. 'Thank God I managed to escape.' Ruiz said he and his friends had made the MS-13 posts in a bid to impress women and that he and his young pals were 'just high school kids who were trying to look tough.' '[Ruiz] was a poser and that's why he was marked for death,' Geraci said of Ruiz. 'He thought this stuff would attract girls and it did - but not in the way he had hoped.' Escobar's boyfriend, an MS-13 member, testified saying the gang was being overrun by kids and had no balls. Prosecutors say Escobar was 17 years old in April 2017, when she helped orchestrate the massacre as an associate of the notoriously ruthless gang before falsely claiming to be a victim in the ambush. MS-13 had been seeking to settle a score, prosecutors allege, and believed the young victims - - to be members of the rival 18th Street Gang. The victims families have denied that any of the slain men were in a gang. Diablita's attorneys have argued that she did not know the victims would be in any way attacked and that she was not a member or associate of the gang. Feared gang is behind thousands of US murders MS-13 is a transnational gang that has committed horrendous acts of violence across America. The gangs motto is mata, viola, controla which means kill, rape, control'. There are more than 10,000 MS-13 members in the US and more than 30,000 worldwide. MS-13 leaders in the US often communicate and take orders from gang leaders in El Salvador. Long Island communities have been strongly impacted by the violence and suffering spread by MS-13. Police suspect the gang was involved in at least 25 killings on Long Island between 2016 and 2018. Advertisement 'Not every girlfriend is an associate,' defense attorney Jesse Siegel said. 'Her boyfriend was a homeboy. She was there. She certainly didn't prevent it from happening. The issue is if she knew something was going to happen.' At one point Siegel accidentally said 'you should find her guilty' before correcting himself. During opening statements on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Megan Farrell said that the victims were 'just high school kids' whose only crime was flashing MS-13 gang signs on social media to 'look tough and get attention,' reported New York Post. Their macho posturing, however, was interpreted by the MS-13 cohorts as a sign of disrespect punishable by death. According to prosecutors, Escobar, known then by the moniker 'Diabalita,' or 'Little Devil,' was seeking to curry favor with MS-13 and alerted its members to the victims' location in a wooden area. Farrell described Escobar as a 'devoted associate' of the gang, where her boyfriend was a high-ranking member. On April 11, 2017, the four victims founded themselves in a Central Islip park, surrounded by more than a dozen MS-13 gang members brandishing machetes, knives and tree limbs. Farrell told the jury that the killers ordered the five high schoolers to get down on the ground. 'The defendant pretended to be one of the victims and got down. The real victims took off running, but [Artega Ruiz] was the only one fast enough to escape. The other four were hacked to death,' the prosecutor said, describing the victims' terrified screams filling the night air. Under MS-13 rules, the killings had been 'pre-authorized' by gang leadership, prosecutors said, and contributors to the carnage stood to gain membership or ascend the organizations ranks. Farrell said that a day after the slaughter, Escobar 'bragged about her important role in the murders' and told her boyfriend that 'she did it to be happy and was happy it happened.' Authorities said Escobar later tossed her cellphone from a moving vehicle as well as a SIM card that had been removed and damaged so badly law enforcement couldnt recover its contents. The mutilated bodies of the victims were discovered on April 13, 2017, in a Central Islip park. They were slaughtered with machetes, knives and tree limbs The casket of Justin Llivicura is carried from St. Joseph the Worker Church after Llivicura's funeral on April 19, 2017, in East Patchogue, New York 'Additionally, Escobar discarded the bloody clothing that she had been wearing on the night of the murders,' prosecutors wrote in a court filing. In his opening statement, Escobar's defense attorney, Keith White, attempted to distance his client from the attackers and argued that she did not know that the victims would be killed. On Day 1 of the trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks, the jury also heard testimony from Nassau County Detective Donal Britton, who described the gruesome scene that officers came upon in the park after the killings. 'They were lying on top of each other,' he said of the victims. 'There was a lot of blood.' Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment an unidentified arsonist poured gasoline on the floor of an LGBTQ bar in Brooklyn, setting the establishment ablaze and injuring two staff members. Police are continuing to search for the man, who was captured on security footage entering Rash Bar in Bushwick and starting the blaze before fleeing on Sunday. The fire caused significant damage to the packed bar and injured two female employees, a bartender and a DJ, who were both taken to a local hospital with minor burns. One owner of the bar, which just opened its doors last October, said they would be forced to 'start fresh' after the disturbing incident - but vowed to reopen 'no matter how long it takes us.' Police have still not captured the arson suspect, described as a man in his twenties, five foot nine and around 180 pounds who was last seen wearing a dark hoodie and a backpack at the time of the alleged crime. Scroll Down For Video: Police are searching for an unidentified man who was captured entering LGBTQ bar Rash Bar in Bushwick, pouring gasoline on the floor and lighting a fire A bouncer told the bar co-owner that once security approached the suspect he lit the fuel The suspect was caught lighting the fuel he poured on the floor, causing an explosion that led to an evacuation of the Brooklyn bar Jake Sillen, the co-owner of the bar told the New York Daily News that the arsonist was confronted by a bar worker when he was caught pouring the gasoline but he claimed he was cleaning the floor. Once security approached the suspect he lit the fuel, causing an explosion in the bar room, a bouncer told the 26-year-old. In order to flee the suspect himself had to run through the flames, Sillen added. A look inside the bar following the fire. Only two staffers were injured in the blaze, suffering minor burns The bar's co-owners said the damage is so extensive they will have to start over with the bar they opened just last October The bar owners added that police still do not have a lead on the suspect or their motives for setting the establishment on fire, damaging it extensively The owners of the bar say they have been left in shock by the purposefully lit blaze The owners of the bar say they have been left in shock by the purposefully lit blaze. 'We still don't know what to make of this cruel act of violence,' a GoFundMe for the bar which has raised over $50,000 said. 'In only five short months we were privileged to become home to such a talented and vital community of artists. It breaks our hearts that anyone would seek to threaten that for any reason.' The bar owners added that police still do not have a lead on the suspect or their motives. 'At this time we haven't identified the suspect or any motives but we're working closely with the authorities to investigate. If anyone has any information that might be useful in the investigation, please share it with us directly,' they posted. But Sillen also said he suspects it could have been a hate crime. The fire caused significant damage to the packed bar and injured two female employees, a bartender and a DJ, who were both taken to a local hospital 'We still don't know what to make of this cruel act of violence,' a GoFundMe for the bar which has raised over $50,000 said 'We don't want to jump to any conclusions,' Sillen said. 'But we're also definitely considering the fact you know, in the last year there's been like a pretty sharp rise in violence within queer nightlife, and so we're definitely feeling that loss right now.' Sillen and their co-owner Claire Bendiner, 32, said the damage is so extensive they will have to start over with the bar they opened just last October. 'Very little of it will be salvageable, we'll have to start fresh,' Sillen told the New York Post. 'We spent the last year putting all of our time and energy and heart into this place and we were really proud of what it was becoming. It was only just getting on its legs.' But the owners were committed to reopening the bar with the help of the community. 'We're going to reopen no matter how long it takes us,' Sillen said. 'Pretty much everyone in the area has been working on a fundraiser for us. It's been amazing.' Australia could stop recording daily Covid fatalities as the country moves into a new phase of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly announced the 'time is right' for the country to shift to a new concept dubbed 'excess deaths'. Prof. Kelly explained this was the difference between the number of people that were expected to die over a period of time, in an event such as a global pandemic and the actual number of deaths recorded. 'On this metric, Australia has performed extremely well throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,' Professor Kelly told a Senate estimates hearing. Australia could soon move away from recording daily Covid deaths as the country heralds a new phase of the pandemic (pictured, a pedestrian walks in Sydney on Friday) Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on Wednesday announced the 'time is right' for the country to shift to a new concept dubbed 'excess deaths' during a senate estimates on Wednesday 'Although every death from Covid-19 is a sad event for family and friends and as a country, this is an outcome we should acknowledge.' Former chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth took to Twitter to applaud the decision and reflect on the country's response to the virus. 'Today, the Chief Medical Officer of Australia indicated it was time to stop reporting daily COVID deaths,' he tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. He said the chief medical officer had quoted the medical journal Lancet that noted Australia is one of only five countries to record a 'negative excess mortality rate' - fewer deaths than they would normally have recorded. One of the reasons Australia and New Zealand have reported negative excess mortality is due to the high vaccination rate. 'Thanks Paul for your leadership on this,' Dr Coatsworth continued. 'Whilst individual deaths from COVID are terribly sad for friends and family, the national response can be thought of as an overall success compared to other nations. 'Both can be true. In short, we have got the balance as right as we could have done.' Australia has reported 6,462 Covid deaths, with the large bulk of these coming from Victoria (2,766), NSW (2,489) and Queensland (756). In the United States, 1,010,028 people have died while the United Kingdom has reported 166,148 Covid fatalities. New Zealand has reported 404 deaths. Globally, 6,186,273 have died with the virus. Prof. Kelly said be believed the country was well placed to handle any new variants that may emerge in coming months. 'While there may be challenges ahead, I see no reason why, even with the easing of restrictions, the strong position in Australia will not likely change over the winter months,' he said during the estimates hearing on Wednesday. While the chief medical officer said the threat of a new variant was a possibility, Australia would be prepared to handle the situation. 'Work is well under way in all states and territories ... to prepare our healthcare system for the likely co-circulation of Covid-19 and influenza,' he said. Last week, Dr Coatsworth took to social media to slam mask mandates for children and hit out at politicians perpetuating fears about the virus. Australia's former chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) took to Twitter to applaud the decision as well as reflect on the country's response to the virus Prof Coatsworth said children are not at risk of becoming seriously ill themselves from Covid-19. 'Youre not actually protecting the kids themselves because its a very, very mild disease in children with or without the vaccine,' he said. 'It doesnt stop them from getting very sick because they dont get very sick. 'Yes theres lots of cases around. The people who are getting very sick with this are the very frail elderly in nursing homes. Or the people with severe underlying conditions. 'There is an overemphasis on the risks posed by Covid in a fully-vaccinated population and an overemphasis on the benefits of masking kids.' Prof Coatsworth explained how he spent a week working in a hospital recently and struggled with wearing a mask. 'I have trouble communicating with my patients (while wearing a mask),' he said. 'Its hard for them to hear me, its hard for them to know who I am, and if thats hard for me then I can only conclude that it would be detrimental to kids.' He said it would be reasonable for people over 70 to keep wearing masks until the Omicron wave subsides. When that happens, he says it should be time to stop counting daily cases. 'This needs to move beyond cases now. There needs to come a time when we need to stop counting the cases. Thatll probably be when the Omicron curve comes well and truly down.' Last month, Victorian chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton defended the decision saying it would 'put downward pressure on transmission'. Meanwhile, Premier Dan Andrews added the decision was made because vaccination rates in kids aged 5-11 were slow compared to the rest of the population. There are growing calls to strip convicted paedophiles of their superannuation and hand the cash to the children they abused. Independent Senate candidate Nick Xenophon put forward the proposal this week with a number of victims and victim advocates publicly supporting the measure. One man who was one of many abused by prolific South Australian paedophile Peter Liddy as a child endorsed Mr Xenophon's plan. 'Some circumstances need amending, and this is one - if a perpetrator is allowed to hide his assets or put his assets into superannuation, and not allow victims to obtain their compensation or their entitlements, that's just not on,' he told the ABC. Independent Senate candidate Nick Xenophon (pictured) put forward the proposal this week with a number of victims and victim advocates publicly supporting the measure 'What's a legal system if it's not a justice system? This has to stop now.' Liddy, a former Magistrate, was jailed for 25 years in 2001 for sexually abusing boys between 1969 and 1986. He often targeted his victims at an Adelaide surf life saving club during camping trips in the 80's. Xenophon believes Liddy still has a small fortune in his superannuation account and said his money should go to his victims. 'If you've committed this type of abhorrent offence, you shouldn't be able to live in luxury after you get out of prison,' he said. The independent candidate's proposal would not only strip perpetrators of their super, but it would also save the government billions in taxpayer money that's usually set aside for the ongoing care and support of victims. Former magistrate Peter Liddy (pictured) was jailed for 25 years in 2001 for sexually abusing boys between 1969 and 1986. He often targeted his victims at an Adelaide surf life saving club during camping trips in the 80's Mr Xenophon said there are numerous convicted paedophiles in Australia who have hidden millions in their super. Lawyer Andrew Carpenter said offenders have proactively taken steps to hide their money for fears of having it stripped from them. He told the ABC that he and fellow lawyers have seen 'across the board' criminals 'burying their assets in superannuation'. 'They'll sell their house, put money into their lawyer's trust account and then cry poor, yet they've worked for the past 40 years in a cushy job and they're saying, "I've got millions of dollars in super but you can't touch this",' he said. Another child sex abuse survivor who was abused by Bega Valley paedophile Maurice Van Ryn has also supported the proposal. The survivor said the measure was a 'no brainer' and would 'benefit survivors, decrease the liability on the Australian taxpayer and act as a deterrent'. The idea for child sex offenders to have their super funds removed and given to their victims was previously raised in 2018, but the plan saw little progress. Under current bankruptcy laws, there is no provision allowing offenders' super to be used for compensation or redress. The House on Wednesday voted 220-203 to hold Trump insiders Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress, a referral that will now be sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for possible criminal charges. Navarro, a Trump trade advisor, and Scavino, who headed the former president's social media operations failed to appear before the committee investigating Jan. 6, ignoring a subpoena to do so. The DOJ can now choose whether to move forward with misdemeanors that can result in up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Reps. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo, were the only two Republicans to join all Democrats in voting in favor of contempt. They are the only two GOP members of the Jan. 6 committee and none of the other eight Republicans who voted in favor of Trump's second impeachment joined them in voting for contempt. But frustrations have mounted among the committee as the Justice Department has so far failed to take action on its last criminal referral of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. The House on Wednesday voted 220-203 to hold Trump insiders Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress, a referral that will now be sent to the DOJ for possible criminal charges Attorney General Merrick Garland dismissed criticisms last week in a news conference, saying he would not rush the DOJ's investigation of the attack on the Capitol. Asked about the delay in making a decision on Meadows and weather that undercut the weight of a Congressional subpoena, Garland only said that prosecutors would 'follow the facts and the law.' 'We don't comment any further on investigations,' Garland said. Meanwhile, Trump strategist Steve Bannon has already been indicted for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena, arguing he was bound by the principle of executive privilege. The trial is due to start on July 18. 'This kind of cynical behavior as we investigate a violent insurrection is just despicable. It can't stand. Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro must be held accountable for their abuses of the public trust,' said Jan. 6 committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Md. on the House floor ahead of Wednesday's vote. Frustrations have mounted among the committee as DOJ has so far failed to take action on its last criminal referral of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, left, pictured chatting with Scavino Reps. Liz Cheney, left, and Adam Kinzinger, right, were the only two Republicans to join all Democrats in voting for the contempt charge 'Sadly a few of the former President's former allies think they're special above the law,' Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said during debate. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ill., took the floor to defend Scavino. 'Mr. Scavino has two boys. He's a good dad. He doesn't deserve this. His boys don't deserve this. Can anyone here explain to those boys why their dad deserves to be behind bars for a year?' He called the vote un-American. 'It might feel really good in a vindictive sort of way to vote to put their political opponents behind bars,' Banks said. 'That might feel really good for my opponents across the aisle, but I guarantee you, that history will not look back kindly on those actions in the years to come.' Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., meanwhile, criticized the cost of the 'sham investigation,' which he said was $9 million. Cheney noted that a California judge last week said that Trump more than likely committed a felony as he demanded Trump lawyer John Eastman turn over his emails. 'Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,' U.S. District Court Judge David Carter wrote. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said on the House floor that the committee's goal was keeping Trump off the ballot in 2024, before he went off on tangents about gas prices and the Hunter Biden laptop. The contempt vote came one day after Ivanka Trump spent eight hours testifying before the Jan. 6 committee. The former First Daughter spoke to the committee one week after her husband Jared Kushner spoke to the panel for six hours. She's the first of the former president's children to testify in the investigation. Thompson suggested that she was at least somewhat cooperative. 'She's answering questions. I mean, you know, not in a broad, chatty term, but she's answering questions,' Thompson told reporters on Capitol Hill. U.S. will finally hurt itself by weaponizing its economy 09:29, April 07, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily Photo taken on Nov. 19, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Countries are in a tough situation today, having to cope with COVID-19 while ensuring economic development and livelihood. However, ignoring global stability and livelihood concerns, the U.S. has imposed a series of unilateral sanctions against Russia and forced other countries to obey them through the threat of secondary sanctions. Its practices of weaponizing its economy, economic hegemony and financial terrorism have triggered widespread concerns of the international society, and are condemned by many countries. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the U.S. has made every effort to avoid direct military engagement. However, by providing massive military assistance for Ukraine and imposing sanctions, it has launched hybrid warfare against Russia. The U.S. not only imposed sanctions on Russian government officials, but also excluded a number of Russian banks from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messaging system, the main system underpinning global financial transactions. Besides, it has frozen the assets of Russia's central bank, placed new debt and equity limitations on Russian enterprises and entities, imposed bans on the exports of over half of its high-tech products to Russia, and prohibited the purchase of petroleum and natural gas from Russia. The facts demonstrate that the target of these unprecedented sanctions is not a truce, but rather the militaristic and economic annihilation of Russia. Even after positive signals were released from the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held on March 29, the U.S. and its allies still said they would keep intensifying sanctions on Russia. It's fair to say that the Ukraine crisis once again revealed the true colors of the "sanctions superpower" - to safeguard its hegemony by fair means or foul and at the expense of the interests of all the people in the world. Driven by economic hegemonism, the U.S. implemented comprehensive and indiscriminate sanctions, which impeded global economy and hurt the people. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the war in Ukraine and massive sanctions against Russia have triggered a contraction in global trade, driving up food and energy costs and forcing the IMF to lower its global growth forecast. According to Oxford Economics, the sanctions against Russia may bring down the GDP in the Eurozone by 0.5 percentage points before the end of 2023. It is obvious that if the U.S. further escalates its sanctions, a major crisis may hit global trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, wreaking havoc on the already slow global economy. Plundering the world with financial terrorism, the U.S. has exacerbated global poverty and inequality. The middle-income trap in Latin American countries, Japanese economic crisis and Southeast Asian economic crisis were all related to American financial hegemony. The number of sanctions imposed by the U.S. has surged tenfold during the past 2 decades. Economic and financial sanctions are what the country constantly resorts to. Recently, the White House unfroze and embezzled $7 billion in Afghan funds in U.S. banks, sparking protests in many places across Afghanistan. Such practice was called a bare robbery. Today, freezing the assets of Russia's central bank, the U.S. is once again making the rules of international finance a tool for it to plunder others. The U.S. will definitely hurt itself upholding economic hegemonism and financial terrorism. Chief Economist of Euro Pacific Capital Peter Schiff believes that the U.S. would suffer a long-term consequence of turning the U.S. dollars into a weapon with sanctions, which will cause countries to worry about whether this weapon would be used against them one day. IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said the world would reevaluate the security of taking U.S. dollars as foreign exchanges. Zoltan Pozsar, a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of the Treasury noted the U.S. and other Western countries have shaken the foundation of the existing international monetary system by freezing the assets of Russia's central bank. Even the allies of the U.S. are trying to mitigate the damaging consequences of U.S. sanctions. An expert pointed out that a crack is appearing in the monetary system from which the U.S. has long benefited, and the Ukraine crisis will hasten the process. It is neither responsible nor ethically justifiable for the U.S., under the disguise of the so-called "rules," to undermine international order and provoke confrontations with economic and financial hegemony. The U.S. should immediately discard the Cold War mentality. It needs to see farther and pursue common interests, rather than hegemony and private gains, so as to work with all relevant parties to safeguard the long-term stability and sustainable development of the world. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Korea University said Thursday it had nullified the 2010 admission of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's daughter after finding falsehoods in her high school records submitted during the admission process. The decision came two days after Pusan National University in Busan voided the 2015 admission of Cho Min, the former minister's daughter, into its medical school for using a false internship certificate and other forged documents in her application. Korea University said it voided Cho Min's acceptance to its college of life science and technology, Feb. 25, after learning that parts of her high school records in her admission application were falsified. The school said it later notified Cho Min of the decision. Cho Min's admission cancellations from both institutions this week came after the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of her mother, Chung Kyung-sim, in January for academic fraud, including forging a university president's citation for her daughter, and other charges. The mother was sentenced to four years in prison. The 2019 scandal involving the family of Cho Kuk, considered then one of the closest confidants of President Moon Jae-in, ended up sharply dividing the nation, prompting massive rallies both in support and against his justice minister nomination. He left office just 35 days later. Cho Min has sought a court injunction against the medical school admission nullification. A hearing on the injunction request is scheduled for next week. (Yonhap) Dr Kerry Chant sent an urgent email to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and his cabinet pleading with them to reintroduce Covid restrictions with rising cases - but they ignored her advice. The chief health officer (CHO) sent recommendations to lessen the spread of the highly-infectious Omicron strain on January 3, with numbers in the tens of thousands per day. While the Omicron variant spreads more quickly than past versions of the coronavirus, it's less likely to cause severe illness. There also seems to be more asymptomatic infections with Omicron. This probably facilitates transmission, as people don't realise they're infected and will move around normally. Dr Chant called for density limits, a ban on standing in pubs and clubs while drinking, banning singing and dancing, and even cancelling festivals in a leaked correspondence obtained by the Sydney Telegraph. 'To slow the spread to allow time for booster administration and flatten the curve to reduce the impact on critical services, the following recommendations are made for Statewide implementation,' she wrote. Dr Kerry Chant (pictured) recommended Dominic Perrottet bring in a number of new restrictions in January - but all were ignored by the NSW premier The email, sent on January 3, calls for a number of changes including the cancellation of the Tamworth Music Festival which she said could become a 'series of super spreader events' The NSW CHO wanted density restrictions in hospitals reduced to one person per four square metres. Dr Chant also wanted singing and dancing banned, and household gatherings limited to 10 people. These rules would coincide with the mandates in place following the lifting of Sydney's lockdown in October. She called for large indoor events to reinstate capacity limits, including sporting events and concerts, with higher standards of Covid safety practices in place. Dr Nick Coatsworth says Omicron is 'clearly not' more dangerous than the flu and slams health bureaucrats for Covid fearmongering Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says omicron variant of Covid is 'clearly not' more dangerous than the flu. Dr Coatsworth said people without pre-existing medical conditions had little to fear from the milder strain once vaccinated and most wouldn't need booster shots. Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says the omicron variant of Covid is 'clearly not' more dangerous than the flu 'No, it's not. It's clearly not,' he told Sky News when asked if Omicron was more dangerous than seasonal flu. Dr Coatsworth claimed Covid booster shots were only necessary for vulnerable or elderly Australians and those with chronic illnesses. 'Young, fit, healthy adults and kids, their risk was so low anyway that if you take it from 0.007 to 0.001 per cent I'm using those numbers to demonstrate the effect, I'd have to get the actual numbers for you,' he said. 'So, for the booster perspective, from the disease perspective, this is an illness that will very rarely cause harm to young, fit, healthy adults and kids,' he said. He has also slammed public health and political leaders for perpetuating fears about Covid. In a message posted to Twitter last week, Dr Coatsworth wrote: 'Its time. #UnmaskOurKids. After sending the message, Dr Coatsworth faced an onslaught of support from parents calling for the mask mandates to end. However, he also faced criticism from several trolls who claimed he was 'misinformed.' One wrote: 'Nick, is this your idea of an April Fool's Day prank or are you once again unmasking how little you care about vulnerable people (including children)?' But Dr Coatsworth quickly fired back with a brutal message for political and public health leaders: 'I forgive the abusers in the comments section,' he wrote. 'Who I dont forgive is the leaders, both political and public health, that perpetuate the level of COVID fear that leads to this level of discourse. The community has a right to an accurate representation of risk.' While almost all mask rules were scrapped for adults at the beginning of March, primary school kids in Grades 3 to 6 are still forced to wear masks while at school in Victoria. Prof Coatsworth said children are not at risk of becoming seriously ill themselves from Covid-19. Advertisement Dr Chant also warned the Tamworth Musical Festival could become a 'series of super spreader events' and hinted it should be canned. 'The fesitval draws a demographic (large numbers of older people) at higher risk of severe disease from all over rural NSW,' she wrote. 'Many were vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine and due to the longer interval between doses will not have been due for a booster, with a great risk of breakthrough infection and disease.' Mr Perrottet (pictured) has been slammed by Labor for 'ignoring' Dr Chant's advice A spokesman for the premier said the state's 'number one priority' was to keep its residents safe but said it was considering a large number of factors when it came to reintroducing restrictions. 'The NSW Government has adapted and will continue to adapt its response to the pandemic as needed depending on the circumstances we face, taking into account advice regarding impacts on a range of matters, including our health system, the mental health of the community and the economy,' they said. A Labor health spokesman accused Mr Perrottet of 'ignoring' the advice of his chief health officer. 'The Premier's decision to essentially ignore the health advice coming from the experts has had devastating impacts on our community both in terms of our health system and the economy,' Ryan Park said. Kenosha has elected its first ever GOP executive after the city was hit by Black Lives Matter riots that caused $50 million of damage. The state turned red for the first time in since 1998 and saw Samantha Kerkman elected as county executive. Kerkman was backed by Republicans, although the race was described as being 'nonpartisan'. She was running against Democrat Rebecca Matoska-Mentink, with political pundits saying Kerkman's win is another sign of the 'red wave' that will see Republicans hammer the Democrats in the November midterms. Kenosha was traditionally a swing county but the county had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon campaigned in 1968. GOP-backed Samantha Kerkman, left, defeated Democrat Rebecca Matoska-Mentink in Tuesdays Spring Election to become the next Kenosha County executive Rioters set fire to buildings across Kenosha, destroying over 100 businesses and causing $50million in damage, between August 24 and August 28 after Jacob Blake was shot by a white cop The chaos in Kenosha came as the result of this shooting on August 23. Jacob Blake, a black man (shown in white) was shot in the back by Kenosha cop Rusten Sheskey. Blake was armed with a knife and the police had been called by his girlfriend who said he had their child. Sheskey shot him seven times in the back. He was never charged, because both federal and state prosecutors ruled they wouldn't have been able to prove that he wasn't in fear of his life, since Blake was armed Trump-era White House comms worker Mercedes Schlapp tweeted that the Kenosha GOP win was a sign of an oncoming 'red tsnuami' in the November midterms Wisconsin is also a swing state. Kenosha county voted for Trump in 2020, but the state swing to President Biden during that election. This week's vote for a GOP representative could also be seen as a snub to the Democrat party, which was blasted for being slow to condemn BLM rioters, while many progressive members of the party even called for defunding of the police. Former Trump White House spokeswoman Mercedes Schlapp tweeted excitedly about the win, saying: 'Red tsunami is coming!' Crime has since soared across most major American cities. Kerkman thanked her supporters late Tuesday and pointed to her experience serving as a state representative as resonating with voters. 'I think it was the experience that I bring from Madison,' Kerkman said on Tuesday night as she thanked her supporters. 'I have been working with the county executive for years on issues that impact the county.' Kenosha, a town of just 99,000, first came to the attention of the entire country after the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake who was left paralyzed from the waist down. Kerkman, pictured, thanked her supporters late Tuesday and pointed to her experience serving as a state representative in the capital Madison as resonating with voters Blake's shooting set off protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020, in a summer that saw nationwide protests over other officer-involved shootings of black people across the country Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, killed two people during the unrest in Kenosha after Blake's shooting Rittenhouse surrendered himself to the cops but they didn't arrest him. They later claimed they didn't know who the shooter was Blake who was shot in the back on August 23, 2020 during a domestic disturbance with the mother of his children. The cop who shot Blake was never charged because Blake - who survived but is paralyzed - was carrying a knife. Within 24 hours of that shooting, protesters had taken to the streets and hundreds of others from different cities had flocked to the small town to seize the moment. The shooting led to riots and protest following the shooting which also coincided with similar demonstrations across the country after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The protesters were bolstered by Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Tony Evers, who immediately decried the Blake shooting on Twitter on August 23. Within 24 hours, the town of Kenosha - 113 miles from Governor Evers' mansion in Madison - was under siege. The morning after the governor's tweets in the town of Kenosha. A car lot had been burned and other businesses were destroyed in the first night of rioting A police armored vehicle patrols an intersection in Kenosha, Wisconsin during the second night of rioting after the shooting of Jacob Blake, 29. Blake was shot multiple times in the back by Wisconsin police officers after attempting to enter into the drivers side of a vehicle There were more than 1,000 people at the courthouse alone on August 24, but only 466 cops and National Guard troops on the ground to face them. On the second night of unrest in Kenosha, Kyle Rittenhouse shot dead two men and injured a third. He was acquitted of all charges in during his high profile trial last year, but the city was left 'looking like a war zone' business owners said at the time with the cost of the damage believed to be as high as $50 million. Kenosha County Sheriff's Department had 116 sworn officers on the ground that night. Kenosha Police Department had a few dozen more, but fewer than 200. On August 26, the day after the Rittenhouse shooting, the county board tweeted that it had asked for 1,500 troops that day. There were more than 1,000 people at the courthouse alone on August 24, but only 466 cops and National Guard troops on the ground to face them Blake said of the unrest: 'I didn't agree with what they were doing, but I understood'. Pictured, an aerial photo made with a drone shows damaged and destroyed businesses 'We got the help but not as quickly as we'd wanted, or as much of it as we'd wanted in the time frame,' a department source revealed. At the same time, Kyle Rittenhouse - who lived across the state border in Antioch, Illinois, 20 miles away but frequented Kenosha to visit his father's family - was watching the mayhem play out on social media. On the night of August 24, he had just finished a shift at the Pleasant Prairie RecPlex, a gym, when the riots began. 'I knew there was protests, demonstrations and riots going on in the later evening. 'I saw videos on social media, Facebook live streams, TikTok, I saw the lot being burned down, I saw a police officer being assaulted, he had a brick thrown at his head, and I saw the mattress store owner get knocked out. 'I believe his jaw was broken it had to be wired shut or something,' Rittenhouse said at his trial. On the morning of August 25, after a night of violence, the Kenosha County Board begged for more help from Governor Evers, pleading for more troops to be sent to help. But Evers only sent bolstered the total number of troops 250 and he rejected an offer of federal troops from then President Donald Trump, insisting he could handle the situation on his own. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said at the time: 'We have a National Guard standing by that if the general for the National Guard needs additional help, we're there to do it. Evers, convinced that 250 National Guard troops would be enough, said he thought it would send the wrong message to the protesters to have federal troops there. 'I have no regrets because the only thing I said no to was Homeland Security and I knew that would not work out because of what I saw in Portland,' he said, referring to the presence of federal troops in Portland, Oregon, which enraged protesters. On the ground in Kenosha, vigilantes - like Rittenhouse - weren't as convinced that the violence would be contained. They had watched the previous night's chaos unfold and were gathering momentum. In August 2020, on the ground in Kenosha, vigilantes - like Rittenhouse, pictured, - were not convinced that the violence would be contained, so took matter into his own hands Demonstrators chant in front of a burning truck in August 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin Speaking of the election results, Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, was buoyed by the results, saying Republicans should have performed better in a year that is supposed to favor them. They needed to perform better in swing parts of the state, he said. 'What we saw last night is a sharply divided state thats likely to come down to the wire in the fall,' Wikler said Conservative candidates picked up school board seats in Waukesha, Wausau and Kenosha, but lost races in Beloit and the western Wisconsin cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire. The results reinforce the idea that the goal of Republicans getting behind school board candidates in a way they haven't in the past was to reinforce their base ahead of the midterm elections, Ford said. It also shows that key voters in Milwaukee's suburbs, who were uncomfortable voting for Donald Trump, swung back and voted for conservatives in the school board races, he said. That could be a good sign for Republicans heading into the fall, when Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are up for reelection in November. Johnson last year talked about the importance of local elections heading into the midterm and encouraged constituents to 'take back our school boards, our county boards, our city councils.' Republicans also saw wins beyond school board races. The Republican-backed candidate for a state appeals court seat in southeastern Wisconsin, Maria Lazar, defeated a sitting judge who was appointed by Evers. Australian influencers caught giving their followers financial advice could be fined up to $1million and face time behind bars in a new federal crackdown. Content creators who don't have a license to give social media followers advice on budgeting, stocks or investments will be targeted in the initiative. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission has warned unlicensed influencers will bear the brunt of severe punishments if they continue to tell everyday Aussies how to invest, spend or save their money. ASIC can now fine creators up to $1million in addition to five years behind bars. Australian influencers caught giving their followers financial advice could be fined up to $1million and face time behind bars in a new federal crackdown (stock image) Content creators who don't have a license to give social media followers advice on budgeting, stocks or investments will be targeted in the initiative (commuters in Sydney) Finfluencers - people who use social media to give advice on budgeting, financial products and even buying a house - have gained popularity in Australia in recent years after first kicking off in the United States. The digital content creators commonly use social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok or Facebook to connect with their virtual audience. Some have welcomed the new wave of creators, who cost less than hiring a financial planner and can inspire young people to make good financial decisions. However, others have accused finfluencers of pushing financial products for their own benefit or not always giving followers advice in their best interests. Around 30 such creators attended an ASIC briefing last week which outlined the new regulations to determine if they could still profit from their content. Grey Yanco, ASIC's executive director of market supervision, told the ABC the commission expected every finfluencer dishing out advice to have a license. Canna Campbell, known as SugarMammaTV, (pictured) is a licensed financial planner who is also certified on Instagram, said she supports the 'great move' from ASIC Content creators commonly use social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok or Facebook to connect and share advice with their virtual audience (pictured, Sydney commuters) 'In fact, you're required to have a licence. And if you don't have a licence, then you need to be careful not to provide financial advice,' he said. Mr Yanco said influencers were welcome to talk about 'safe' areas which included explanations of what a share is and different kids of investments. He said digital creators crossed the line when they suggested particular types of shares or what investments would or wouldn't be appropriate. Canna Campbell, known as SugarMammaTV, is a licensed financial planner who is also certified on Instagram, where she boasts over 57,000 followers. She told her social media following she thought the crackdown was a 'great move' and said she looked forward to more clarity being shared by ASIC. 'Cream always rises to the top, so the genuine people in this space will keep creating great content and the ones who were in it for the wrong reasons will probably fade away with these new protective laws,' she wrote. Around 30 financial advisors attended an ASIC briefing last week which outlined the new regulations to determine if they could still profit from their content (stock image) Finfluencers have been accused of pushing financial products for their own benefit or giving followers advice not in their best interests (pictured, Sydney commuters in March) Some of the new rules for financial planners mean they can no longer post affiliate links, give product or investment advice, give opinions on financial products or portray any misleading or deceptive conduct, even unintentionally. The new regulations do not cover advice on cryptocurrency, a digital currency that allows people to make payments directly to each other through online systems. Mr Yanco said the digital currency could not be monitored by ASIC due to loopholes caused by cryptocurrency not being registered as a financial product. He told the ABC the lack of protections were 'concerning' for the commission. 'ASIC is not able to regulate crypto assets that are not financial products. So if you do invest in those products, you're effectively on your own,' he said. New York City's party-loving mayor was out on the town on Wednesday night, attending a Broadway show and speaking unmasked to the crowd as it emerged that young children are being forced to wear face masks outdoors in parks. Eric Adams has made a point of being out and about unmasked in the city, rubbing shoulders with celebrities such as Cara Delevigne to promote the idea that New York is back for business. On Wednesday night, he was at a performance of the musical Hamilton, speaking unmasked indoors to the crowd. The city still requires all those attending Broadway shows to wear masks and they only can be removed while eating or drinking in designated areas. His appearance comes as it emerged that children aged two to four are now being told by Adams's team to wear face masks outdoors, in parks. Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, is pictured on stage on Broadway, introducing a performance of the musical Hamilton on Wednesday night. His appearance, maskless, comes as children aged two to four are being forced to wear masks outdoors in parks The mayor is making a name for himself as a social butterfly, frequently seen out on the town Brooklyn Nature Days, which organizes trips for youngsters in Prospect Park, wrote to parents explaining that their children will still have to wear face coverings outside to comply with Adams' rule. The Brooklyn-based organization sent an update to parents saying that the city's liaison officer from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) told them that masks would still need to be worn - even while outdoors. 'Our liaison at the DOHMH reached out to let us know that ... we should remain masked as we travel through the park in large groups,' the organization wrote on March 25. Children will be allowed to take their masks off when they reach a designated 'play spot,' the organization added. 'Because children will still need to have masks on to walk into the park, please have them on your child during check in.' 'We will also still wear masks on any occasion where we will need to go indoors, such as when we seek shelter in the Picnic House due to extreme weather events.' Children are pictured out and about in New York City wearing face masks in November. Those aged two to four are the last group to be forced to still wear masks - even outdoors apparently Children wearing face masks are pictured playing in the park in Manhattan Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, is pictured partying with model Cara Delevigne on March 28 at a business event Adams is seen with boxer Floyd Mayweather at the March 28 event. He has made a point of rubbing shoulders with famous faces while he forces children to wear face masks Adams has been confronted several times in recent days by angry parents after his administration went to court on Friday to get an emergency appeal against a judge who ruled that the masking of the youngsters did not make sense. Those aged two to four are the last remaining category forced to wear masks, with Adams citing the fact that they remain ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Children aged five and above, however, can now go mask-less at school after Adams lifted the mask mandate last month. But one mother told DailyMail.com that it was absurd that there was no requirement to check the vaccination status of five-year-olds before they go maskless. 'Why do two to four year olds have to mask, when unvaccinated five-year-olds don't?' she said. A father added: 'Between nap time and meal or snack time, I think they are mask free about a third of the day anyway.' Brooklyn Nature Days did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com about their policy. The city's Health Department has also not responded to DailyMail.com's inquiries. Children are seen on March 7, playing outside while forced to wear face masks in the city Parents demanding that the mask mandate be lifted confronted Adams on Sunday The news came as Adams continues to face questions about the policy. On Wednesday, he said that a city attorney who was fired after berating him over the child mask mandates at a press conference was terminated for her 'inappropriate' tweets. Adams told reporters that he had no idea who Daniela Jampel was when the mother of three confronted him during a press conference about mask mandates for kids under age five. The mayor insisted that the city's Law Department, where Jampel had worked since 2016, had made the decision to fire her prior to the confrontation at Monday's press conference. 'Did not know who she was, did not make the call to fire her,' said Adams. 'It doesn't bother me when people call me names - listen I'm an ex-cop, people have been calling me names for years. 'But what she tweeted, sent out, it was inappropriate, and the Law Department made the decision and notified me of that prior to that press conference. I had no interaction with that at all.' Daniela Jampel confronted him during a press conference about mask mandates for kids under age five New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said that a city attorney who was fired after berating him over child mask mandates at a press conference was terminated for her 'inappropriate' tweets Adams did not clarify which of Jampel's tweets had triggered her termination, and a Law Department spokesman did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon. Jampel is vocal on Twitter, and it's unclear which of her tweets Adams was referring to Jampel is vocal on Twitter, and on Friday she had written that her 'summer goal is to chase down the ineffective and spineless NYC politicians (including @NYCMayor) who do nothing as public health petty bureaucrats continue to force toddlers to mask for no other reason than they can.' The Law Department previously told DailyMail.com that Jampel had been fired for making 'made troubling claims' in public statements. Adams said on Wednesday that he did not recognize Jampel when she confronted him on Monday. 'When she spoke, it was clear that she was not a reporter, but what did I do? I said, 'allow her to speak',' he said. Jampel issued these tweets after her dismissal from NYC's Law Department, saying she regretted nothing and that 'the fight continues' Children are NOT at serious risk from Covid, multiple studies show Multiple studies have shown young children are not at serious risk from Covid-19. Data from from American Academy of Pediatrics shows children accounted for about 19 percent of all COVID cases, but less than 0.26% of cases resulted in death. A study from October found that around half of pediatric Covid cases are asymptomatic, and that was before the more mild Omicron variant became dominant in the U.S. Hospitalizations of pediatric COVID patients are also rare. A study in February, found the Pfizer vaccine was only 12% effective at preventing Omicron in five- to 11- year-olds. The main argument in favor of vaccinating children is to prevent them from spreading the virus but researchers from University of Berlin found, on average, children release less Covid particles into the air. Experts believe people who release lower amounts of aerosol particles when speaking have smaller viral loads, which also means they do not spread the virus at the same level. Advertisement The mayor implied that she was part of a group that had threatened city officials. 'There is a group traveling around this city, banging on my health commissioner's door, shouting and screaming while his children are inside, threatening his life,' he said. 'There's a group running around this city who is the numerical minority, but they are loud so people believe they are the majority,' added Adams. A source close to Jampel told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that her firing 'could not have been performance related' as she has been out of the office on maternity leave for several months. The person also says that Jampel received email notice of her termination within 30 minutes of the press conference, and that her direct supervisor in the Law Department did not seem aware that she was being fired. The source also strongly disputed City Hall's claim that Jampel 'lied' to get into the press conference by posing as a journalist. 'She did not pose as a member of the media to crash the press conference as has been reported,' the source added. 'She entered the press conference as everyone else did.' A Law Department spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement earlier this week: 'We hold all of our employees to the highest professional standards. In public statements, Ms. Jampel has made troubling claims about her work for the city Law Department.' 'Based on those statements, the decision had been made to terminate her prior to [Monday],' the spokesman added. The statement added that Jampel's 'decision to lie to City Hall staff and state she was a journalist at a press conference, demonstrate a disturbing lack of judgment and integrity.' Jampel on Twitter announced her intention to hire an attorney and told DailyMail.com: 'I can't really talk about it, until I have a lawyer.' An infamous animal rights activist has again bared her chest outside court after she was found guilty of disorderly conduct when she stormed a designer store half-naked. Tash Peterson, 28, was found guilty by a Perth magistrate on Wednesday for charges relating to a 'bad taste' stunt where she stormed a Louis Vuitton store in nothing but a G-string and a sign reading 'rather naked than wear someone's skin'. But Ms Peterson appeared defiant when she walked free from court and immediately took her jumper off in front of reporters, revealing the words 'wear ur (sic) own skin' had been etched across her chest. Outside court the activist was flanked by protestors holding signs imploring passersby to watch the documentary 'Dominion' (pictured) Ms Peterson told reporters that the verdict didn't bother her at all and she wouldn't stop her campaign (pictured) Magistrate Michelle Harris had found that the activist's actions at the luxury store were 'in sufficient bad taste' to amount to disorderly conduct, according to Perth Now. Ms Peterson's lawyers had argued that her behaviour wasn't sexualised. Ms Peterson's associates, boyfriend Jack Higgs and animal rights activist Arkadiusz Swiebodzinski. however were found not guilty of the charges against them, after filming and accompanying the activist. The court found they had no role in procuring Ms Peterson to commit the act. Ms Peterson took her jumper off revealing the message 'wear ur (sic) own skin' which was written across her chest in marker (pictured) Ms Peterson arrived at the luxury store in August last year to protest animal products in fashion with a sign that read: 'If you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser' on one side (pictured) Mr HIggs and Mr Swiebodzinski were each awarded $3000 to cover their court costs. Outside court the bare-breasted battler told reporters the verdict 'doesn't bother (her) at all.' 'I'm here to speak up for the non-human animals who are suffering in the meat, dairy, leather, wool and fur industries, so I'm not going to stop. 'There's no stopping until the animal holocaust ends,' Ms Peterson said. The uncovered campaigner was flanked by sign-holders spruiking the animal-rights documentary 'Dominion'. Tash Peterson (pictured with partner Jack Higgs) says it's time to stop viewing non human animals as less superior to us and more as equals to humans The last time Ms Peterson left court in similar tape nipple covers, she ripped them off in the face of Perth police when they confronted her for taking her shirt off. Ms Peterson said she had nothing against the people in the Louis Vuitton store that day and was not trying to offend. 'I actually find it very ironic that people would find my conduct to be that way (intimidating and threatening) when they are the ones who are paying people to stab animals in the throat. 'I have nothing against them I'm just here to bring light to these atrocities people have the right to know the truth,' Ms Peterson said. The three activists had staged the protest at the Raine Square Louis Vuitton store in Perth on August 21 last year. Prosecutors argued in court that the words and tone Ms Peterson used during the protest, as well as her decision to enter the store in nothing but her underwear, would 'seriously offend the beliefs and practices of most people' and amounted to disorderly conduct. The defence argued that the prosecution's definition of 'offensive' was outdated, Perth Now reported. Tash Peterson (pictured) staged the protest at the Raine Square Louis Vuitton store in Perth on August 21 last year The outspoken and controversial activist smeared her torso in fake blood which she claimed was menstrual blood in a Facebook post before entering the store Not a stranger to nudity in previous topless protests and her OnlyFans account, Ms Peterson agreed with a reporter that the issue of gender equality definitely 'tied into' the trial. Ms Peterson's lawyer argued that had a man pulled the same shirtless stunt it would not be treated the same. The trio faced fines of up to $6,000 each if they were all found guilty of disorderly conduct. The last time Ms Peterson went bare-chested outside court she ripped off her nipple coverings after a police officer confronted her about taking her top off with 'dairy is rape' scrawled across her torso. That court appearance had been for arriving at the Boatshed Markets in Perth in 2020 while naked from the waist up with her body painted in a black and white cow hide pattern holding a sign reading: 'They raped me and stole my babies so you can have my meat'. Qantas has apologised for its 'unacceptable' customer service after travellers were forced to endure long call wait times, with some on hold for up to eight hours. After years of border closures and flight cancellations, airlines are seeing an influx in calls from customers desperately trying to use their stored up credit and rebook flights. Qantas saw an all-time high in calls, from an average of 7,500 a day to 14,000. 'Australians have waited a long time to get back in the air, so the last thing you want is to wait hours on the phone to talk to our contact centres,' Qantas wrote in its email to frequent flyers. Qantas (pictured) apologised for its 'unacceptable' customer service after a slew of travellers complained after they were forced to wait hours on calls to the airlines contact centres Despite having more staff answering calls than before the pandemic, Qantas explained it is spending an average of 50 per cent more time with travellers as they try to rearrange pre-Covid holiday plans. The airline has made 'fixing this issue a top priority' and asked customers to be patient. 'Each month we are recruiting and training more people, and well keep hiring more people and investing in better technology so its easier to talk to us, which will mean we will see improvements each week,' Qantas said. Qantas travellers unleashed on the 'terrible' service on 2GB radio last week after Ben Fordham took a call from a frustrated passenger. Disgruntled flyers complained to 2GB radio host Ben Fordham (pictured) on Tuesday with some Qantas customers saying they spent more than eight hours on the phone with the airline's call centre One passenger said they were charged $800 to change flights while another claimed they were bizarrely put through to a customer service agent in South Africa after several hours on hold. The discussion kicked off when a listener named Todd called in claiming he was on hold with Qantas for six hours and 31 minutes. Todd claimed that after complaining about his six-hour wait, he was told to ring another number to sort out his booking - which ended up being the same line he was already on. Another disgruntled traveller said she spent eight hours and 39 minutes on hold with customer service. The frustrated flyer joked that the bulk of the call was in the last nine minutes. The complaint joined a chorus of unhappy customers as Qantas faced backlash for extended wait times and fees. Qantas said more than half of the calls received can be resolved online and are developing a series of 'how to' videos to help explain the most common questions. Airports and airlines across the country have also warned travellers to brace for holiday chaos as staff shortages, caused by personnel in isolation with Covid or as a close contact, may cause delays on international and domestic flights ahead of the Easter holiday break. A Russian commander allegedly ordered his troops to shoot at Ukrainian civilians near besieged Mariupol. In a foul-mouthed radio dispatch intercepted by Ukraine's SBU and published on the security service's official Facebook account, an unnamed soldier details the positions of non-combatants to nearby troops in a village near the southern port city. His superior then demands: 'Take them all f**king out', before doubling down on his bloodcurdling instructions as the troop says that two people emerging from a nearby grove were dressed in 'civilian clothes'. The commander screams: 'Off them all, f**k!'. The port city of Mariupol has become a living hell for those still trapped there by Russian occupiers. Local officials estimate up to 5,000 have died from Moscow's shelling, while 90 per cent of the city's infrastructure has been destroyed. In recent days, Ukraine's security officials have warned that Russia is preparing an alleged false flag provocation in the besieged city of Mariupol in which they will accuse Ukrainian troops of committing atrocities against their own populace. 'The main task of Russian propaganda today is to divert the attention of the audience, both international and domestic, as much as possible', the SBU said. 'According to existing data, the occupiers are preparing a large-scale falsification: They plan to collect the bodies of Mariupol residents killed by the Russians themselves, and present them as mass victims of the Ukrainian troops. 'For this reason, there have been false theses recently that Ukrainians use peaceful residents as human shields.' Leaked audio footage captured the moment a foul-mouthed Russian commander demanded his troops 'open fire' on civilians in the besieged city of Mariupol (pictured) A Ukrainian serviceman examines destroyed Russian heavy armour near the capital of Kyiv Incredible moment woman is pulled alive from rubble after Russian shelling in Luhansk as Putin's forces 'use mobile crematorium to erase evidence' in Mariupol A woman was pulled alive from the rubble of a home in Rubizhne after a Russian airstrike which killed a civilian, as Putin's forces continue to pound the east of Ukraine. Emergency services shared photos this morning of the distressed woman buried under timber and rocks as they scrambled to free her following the latest savage attack. Once she was pulled to safety yesterday afternoon, the woman was carried by rescuers to an ambulance and she is being treated at hospital. The airstrike injured five people and seven more 'extricated themselves from the rubble', the local governor Sergiy Gaiday said. Meanwhile, in Mariupol, the city council have accused Russians of setting up mobile crematoriums to remove any evidence of potential war crimes. Officials estimate the death toll in the port city is as high as tens of thousands, and the Kremlin is now trying to 'cover their tracks' after the international condemnation to the horrific scenes of Bucha where civilian bodies were piled high and buried in mass graves, they said. The city council said: 'After the widespread international genocide in Bucha, Russia's top leadership ordered the destruction of any evidence of crimes committed by its army in Mariupol. 'All potential witnesses to the occupiers' atrocities are being identified through filtration camps and destroyed... The scale of the tragedy in Mariupol the world has not seen since the times of Nazi concentration camps.' Russia has attempted to install a pro-Kremlin puppet mayor in Mariupol, Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, while mayor Vadym Boychenko remains trapped. Advertisement In the leaked audio recording, another soldier complains about their battalion being outnumbered by their Ukrainian adversaries. 'Their [Ukraine's] group has 150,000 soldiers and there's f*** 3,000 of us... They are on the left, right, encircling us, f***! 'There's so many of them and few of us. We don't have any support, no aviation, not a f****** thing!' Other leaks have painted a picture of dissent and freefalling morale within Russian ranks, leading to troops being denied the right to use their own smartphones. Moscow's armies are expected to tighten their grip on their soldiers' access to the internet and limiting their use of social media applications. 'The security services have become aware of numerous cases of soldiers being blackmailed through their personal data and cases of soldiers being deceived with false information communicated to them personally through messenger apps such as Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Vkontakte and others,' according to a document. Ukrainian sources have said intercepting Russian communications has been a simple task because they still use technologically-inept equipment or commercial walkie-talkies. Ukrainian authorities have residents of the country's eastern regions to evacuate 'now' or 'risk death' as Putin ramps up plans for a fresh offensive to create a land bridge connecting his forces with Crimea. To the south, the besieged southern port of Mariupol has been under bombardment throughout most of the invasion that began on February 24, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power. The crucial port city remains surrounded and under siege from Russian forces amid constant shelling. Mariupol's capture could enable Russia to entrench a land passage between two separatist, self-proclaimed people's republics in Donbas and the Crimea region which Russia seized and annexed in 2014. 'The humanitarian situation in the city is worsening,' British military intelligence said on Wednesday, while Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said people trying to flee would have to use their own vehicles. 'Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender', the MoD added. Residents walk past a near entirely burnt out building in Mariupol on Monday The besieged southern port of Mariupol has been under bombardment throughout most of the invasion that began on February 24, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power Victims 'blown up with a grenade', a father shot dead in front of his 14-year-old son and troops who 'executed all men under 50': Horrifying details emerge of Russian atrocities in Bucha By Jack Newman and Chris Pleasance for MailOnline Charred body parts lay scattered over the streets of Bucha for days after a man was killed with a grenade, while men were stripped naked, tied up and summarily executed by Russians, traumatised civilians have revealed as vile stories emerge from the Ukrainian town. Survivors from the month-long occupation of the town in Kyiv oblast have started to describe their gruesome treatment at the hands of Putin's invading troops after area was liberated. Mykola, a 53-year-old resident, spent a month hiding in the cold and dark cellar of his apartment building with his wife after witnessing callous executions on the streets of his hometown. He told ABC that when the Russians arrived, they killed all men aged under 50 and then ordered him to bury his friends within 20 minutes. Two of his friends were shot in front of him and another was hit by a grenade, blowing his body to pieces, which lay untouched for days until Mykola was allowed to quickly gather his parts in a bag and bury them in a shallow grave to ward off the dogs. Vanya Skyba told The Economist how Russians rounded up a group of builders, ordered them to strip naked and lie face down on the floor while their bodies and phones were searched for evidence of military tattoos or anti-Russian sentiment. One of the men was killed as an example to make the group talk, forcing one of the men to admit he had been a member of Ukraine's territorial defence who had served in the Donbas, prompting the Kremlin thugs to execute him too. The others were beaten and tortured until an order to kill was issued by a Russian saying: 'F***ing do them in.' They were led to the side of the building and each shot, and Skyba took a bullet in the side which went through his body. He played dead on the concrete floor until he heard silence when he fled over a fence to a nearby home. He was later found there by Russians from a different unit who believed his cover story he was the owner of the home, but they led him back to the cellar where he had been shot where he sheltered with a dozens woman and children until they were freed. After the savage killings, locals said Putin's army occupied the dead civilians' homes, drinking their alcohol, partying and stealing their belongings. Advertisement The city council have since accused Russians of setting up mobile crematoriums to remove any evidence of potential war crimes. Officials estimate the death toll in the port city is as high as tens of thousands, and the Kremlin is now trying to 'cover their tracks' after the international condemnation to the horrific scenes of Bucha where civilian bodies were piled high and buried in mass graves, they said. The city council said: 'After the widespread international genocide in Bucha, Russia's top leadership ordered the destruction of any evidence of crimes committed by its army in Mariupol. 'All potential witnesses to the occupiers' atrocities are being identified through filtration camps and destroyed... The scale of the tragedy in Mariupol the world has not seen since the times of Nazi concentration camps.' Russia has even attempted to install a pro-Kremlin puppet mayor in Mariupol, Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, while the true mayor Vadym Boychenko remains trapped in the besieged city. Remarkable footage from Thursday showed the moment a woman was pulled alive from the rubble of a home in Rubizhne in the wake of heavy Russian shelling, as Putin's forces continue to pound the east of Ukraine. Emergency services shared photos this morning of the distressed woman buried under timber and rocks as they scrambled to free her following the latest savage attack. Once she was pulled to safety yesterday afternoon, the woman was carried by rescuers to an ambulance and she is being treated at hospital. The airstrike injured five people and seven more 'extricated themselves from the rubble', the local governor Sergiy Gaiday said. It comes as NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today warned the war in Ukraine could last 'months, even years' as there is no sign Vladimir Putin has lost 'his ambition to control the whole country'. Stoltenberg, speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, said the international community should be 'realistic' about Moscow's intentions and 'realise that this may last for a long time' as the war entered its 41st day. 'We need also to be prepared for the long haul, both when it comes to supporting Ukraine, sustaining sanctions and strengthening our defences,' he added. Stoltenberg also confirmed that some members of the alliance had sent heavy weaponry to Ukraine following reports the Czech Republic had supplied Soviet-era tanks to Kyiv. 'Since the invasion allies have stepped up their support. I also expect that ministers when they meet today and tomorrow will discuss how they can further support Ukraine,' he said, declining to give details. 'I can say that the totality of what allies are doing is significant and that includes also some heavier systems combined with lighter systems.' Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed. The Czech delivery has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv. A woman has been pulled alive from the rubble of a home in Rubizhne after a Russian airstrike which killed a civilian, as Putin's forces continue to pound the east of Ukraine Field engineers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine stand next to destroyed armoured vehicles on a street in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, April 5, 2022 Zelensky accused the West of holding back on supplies because of 'intimidation' from Moscow and suggested Russia is in charge of NATO The Czech delivery of T-72s (pictured) has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv Ukraine burns through in a single day the same amount of weaponry it receives in a week, according to a senior Polish official, and Kyiv's eastern neighbours are concerned with keeping up with demand. Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia which has no tanks to give, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment. Germany will send several dozen infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv and the UK has approved the delivery of 20 ambulances. The United States has agreed to provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-armour systems, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. US chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) said it had suspended business operations in Russia, joining a growing list of companies leaving the country. NATO has already supplied fuel, ammunition, helmets, protective gear and medical supplies to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said yesterday. Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk today said in a message on Telegram that residents of the country's eastern regions should evacuate 'now' or 'risk death' due to a feared Russian attack. 'The governors of the Kharkiv, Lugansk and Donetsk regions are calling on the population to leave these territories and are doing everything to ensure that the evacuations take place in an organised manner,' she said. The call for urgent evacuations comes as Ukraine says Russian forces are regrouping to launch a fresh offensive in the country's east after retreating from the Kyiv region. Vereshchuk asked residents to cooperate with authorities, saying Kyiv will 'not be able to help' them after an attack. 'It has to be done now because later people will be under fire and face the threat of death. There is nothing they will be able to do about it, nor will we be able to help,' she said. 'It is necessary to evacuate as long as this possibility exists. For now, it still exists,' she added. More babies will die unless the Government launches a Shrewsbury-style public inquiry into poor maternity care at another failing NHS hospital, campaigners warned yesterday. Around 100 families have written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid demanding he appoint maternity expert Donna Ockenden to lead a second independent review into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where at least nine babies and three mothers have died over the past three years. Last week Mrs Ockenden delivered her report on the UK's biggest maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, where at least 201 babies and nine mothers died because of substandard care. She said the situation in Shrewsbury is not 'unique' and called for 15 'immediate and essential actions' implemented by all England trusts providing maternity services. Around 100 families have demanded a review into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where at least nine babies and three mothers have died over the past three years. Pictured: Queen's Medical Centre (QMC), operated by NUH The families asked Health Secretary Sajid Javid to appoint maternity expert Donna Ockenden to lead a second independent review. Last week Mrs Ockenden delivered her report on the UK's biggest maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, where at least 201 babies and nine mothers died because of substandard care The Nottingham families say they are aware of at least 34 investigations following adverse maternity incidents at NUH since 2018, including three maternal deaths, four babies who died soon after birth, five stillbirths and 22 babies left with severe brain damage. A 'thematic review,' ordered by the local NHS commissioning group and NHS England last summer, is already underway but families say they have little faith that it will get to the truth of why their children died or were harmed. Ockenden herself highlighted the fact that - despite repeated reviews by health watchdogs sent in to investigate what was happening at Shrewsbury - little changed and poor care was allowed to continue for decades. Dr Jack Hawkins, a former medic employed at NUH whose daughter Harriet was still-born because of maternity failings in April 2016, said babies, mothers and families would continue to receive unsafe care and die unless Ockenden was appointed and a public inquiry launched. 'We are writing to the Health Secretary because I don't want Harriet to die in vain,' he said. 'Despite repeated investigations and promises, nothing has changed. We have 117 families in our private Facebook group who've suffered because of maternity failings at NUH and their stories are harrowing. The most recent baby death was in November. 'We have got an urgent problem here because mothers and babies are still coming to harm. The thematic review is the latest in a series of reviews but we don't have any confidence in the process. 'These aren't tragic, isolated incidences, there are hundreds of people harmed. We need someone to come in to make changes to ensure maternity safety.' The letter, sent to Mr Javid last night, states: 'Historically there have been reviews, nothing has changed. Coroners have publicly raised concerns, nothing has changed. If families are to be safeguarded, real and impactful intervention is required. 'The thematic review so far has been less than impactful, understaffed and moving with the viscosity of treacle. How can the public have faith in this process? The only answer is Donna Ockenden and a public inquiry.' The Ockenden report looked at 1,862 cases within the maternity unit at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, with most of the incidents taking place between 2000 and 2019 The families say they are concerned about the independence of the review, which they claim has been commissioned by two former employees of NUH and that not enough is being done to reach out to those potentially affected. There have been just two adverts placed on social media about the review last month and, despite the limited advertising, the number of families contacting the review team has jumped from 84 to more than 460 in little over two weeks. They also say the review team, which has just three clinical leads, compared to 76 in Ockenden's team, ought to be better staffed. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust was rated inadequate last year by health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). At another inspection last month the maternity units at both the City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre (QMC), operated by NUH, were issued with a notice to say services were 'falling below standards legally required.' The CQC letter said 'women attending triage were not consistently reviewed within 15 minutes' at both units. The watchdog also highlighted 'increases in stillbirths' at City Hospital but said 'no apparent rationale had been established'. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'The Ockenden report paints a tragic and harrowing picture of repeated failures in care over two decades at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust. The Health and Social Care Secretary has been clear we will leave no stone unturned in addressing these failures. 'We take the patient safety concerns at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust's maternity services very seriously. 'The Trust is taking action to improve services but we are closely monitoring progress in improving the standard of care for mothers and babies.' A spokesman for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'We are cooperating fully with the ongoing independent review, and work closely with local families to learn where we can make improvements at an individual level as well as develop better services for the future.' A spokesman for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG and NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, which commissioned the thematic review, said: 'We will continue to monitor the progress of the review and ensure that any necessary improvements to maternity services are put in place as soon as possible.' Woke Yale students are now planning to protest a scheduled talk with Republican Senator Ted Cruz just three weeks after they threatened violence against a female conservative speaker. Cruz will visit the campus on April 11 to record an episode of Verdict, the political podcast he hosts with Michael Knowles, after an invite by the school's William F. Buckley Jr. program in partnership with the Young America's Foundation's Irving Brown Lecture Series. The Buckley program, a student-run group which promotes political programming, strives to 'promote intellectual diversity on Yale's campus,' according to the Yale Daily News. But some students have called for Cruz - one of America's most outspoken conservatives - to be censored, according to the Yale Daily News. Student Jamie Nichols said: 'I feel like, in this case, it's better to not give him the platform, given his actions and bringing him to campus kind of affirms those actions.' And senior Naomi D'Arbell Bodabilla sniffed: 'That some perspectives diverging from those held commonly may have value, does not mean that perspectives have value because they diverge from the majority. 'This is especially worth remembering when the majority in question is the majority of people who do not enable a right-wing insurrection, which Ted Cruz did. Students told the newspaper that they expect there to be protests at the April 11 event, which has already been sold-out as hundreds of people are expected to attend. That has sparked fears of a repeat of a now-notorious event held by the college's law society last month, which saw a female conservative speaker threatened with violence by a furious woke mob. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, pictured on April 4, was invited to speak on the Yale campus on April 11 by the school's William F. Buckley Jr. program He and Michael Knowles, right, are set to record an episode of their podcast Verdict at the campus on April 11 Carly Benson, a sophomore from Texas, also said: 'I think he has to understand that people are not going to be that excited about him coming. 'I feel like he's probably excited for people to hate him because then he can be the victim ... he gets to be like "Oh I went to Yale, and look what the radical left did,' she alleged. And Zaharaa Altwaij, a freshman, expressed concern that giving the senator a platform could legitimize 'polarized' and 'to some groups, problematic ideas. 'Although I do believe there is value in having a voice that diverges from many student perspectives, I do not believe that Ted Cruz should be that voice,' she said. 'I believe that there are other individuals with divergent political beliefs who may be better suited for speaking to Yale students, since their beliefs do not implicate racial harms or possible anarchy.' Some students at the Ivy League school (pictured) say it should not provide Cruz with a platform Buckley President Kevin Xiao, a junior at the ivy league school, has already found himself defending his decision to invite the Texas senator. 'Yale students rarely have the opportunity to hear from speakers like Sen. Cruz, and listening to different perspectives in good faith fosters a healthy and lively discourse both on campus and beyond,' he told the Yale Daily News. He said students will have the opportunity to ask questions. Xiao added that Cruz has said he's keen to hear questions from attendees who disagree with him, with the organizer insisting it will be healthy for students to hear from different perspectives. 'In fact, such differences of opinion remind us of why we have free speech, especially at institutions of higher learning where the mission is the cultivation and creation of new knowledge,' Xiao wrote in an email to the Daily News. 'Students should be able to hear different voices, engage with them in good faith and decide for ourselves whether we agree or disagree. 'Only through open and honest discussion can we grow and better understand our own values and beliefs,' he added. But opponents of the conservative senator say he should not be allowed to speak on the campus, given his questioning of transgenderism and his support for the theory that the 2020 election was 'stolen.' For his part, Xiao said he expects that some students would protest the event, and that he respected these students' right to free expression 'peacefully and in a manner that does not disrupt the event.' Nearly 120 Yale students were filmed yelling as they protested a conservative speaker's views at a debate last month The protesters berated the speaker, chanting 'protect trans kids' and 'shame, shame' throughout the law school building The panel featured conservative Kristen Waggoner who was threatened with, 'I'll fight you b*tch,' among other profanities But just last month, nearly 120 Yale students were filmed yelling at Kristen Waggoner, a conservative from the Christian of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) nonprofit during a debate with a liberal humanist about freedom of speech. Video from the incident shows the students threatening the guest speakers and staff at a free speech event where Waggoner successfully defended a Supreme Court decision of a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a gay wedding ceremony. The protesters then berated the speaker, chanting 'protect trans kids' and 'shame, shame' throughout the law school building after police officers escorted Waggoner and her debate opponent out of the building. Students and professors claimed the protesters were so loud that they disrupted classes, exams and faculty meetings. Ironically, however, the purpose of the panel was to illustrate that a liberal atheist and a conservative Christian could find common ground on free speech issues, according to the Washington Free Beacon. Both the ADF and the American Humanist Association took the same side in a 2021 case involving legal remedies for First Amendment violations that was presented to the Supreme Court, but protesters were outraged by the ADF's successful Supreme Court defense of a Colorado baker who refused to make a gay wedding cake. A member of the Federalist Society, which hosted the panel, said they selected Waggoner and progressive Monica Miller from the American Humanist Association to demonstrate how a conservative Christian and a liberal atheist could were able to find common ground on issues of free speech. 'It was pretty much the most innocuous thing you could talk about,' he alleged. Students and professors claimed the protesters were so loud that they disrupted classes, exams and faculty meetings However, the nearly 120 demonstrators still managed to cause havoc amid the event, violating the university's free speech policies which prohibit any protest that 'interferes with speakers' ability to be heard and of community members to listen.' When law school professor Kate Stith reminded the protesters of the policy, she was met with chants and raised middle fingers, to which she replied: 'Grow up.' The students hit back, arguing that their disturbance was execution of 'free speech' and continued to scream at the panelists. Eventually, police were called to the auditorium to safely escort the speakers out of the building. Three members of the Federalist Society allege Heather Gerken, Dean of Yale Law School, contacted authorities for additional security, however the law school declined to comment on the request. As protesters left the event, one yelled 'F**k you, FedSoc' as others began to stomp, shout, clap, sing and pound on the hall walls. Yale Law School officials later issued a statement claiming the rabble-rousers had been 'spoken to' about their threatening behavior and added they were 'in serious conversation with students about our free speech policies, expectations, and norms.' But they claimed the fracas hadn't actually broken any rules. Some federal judges are said to have taken note of the incident, and are now discussing the potential issues involved in hiring a woke Yale student to clerk for them. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called on the government to immediately remove Russian president Vladimir Putin's cronies from Australia because of 'sickening abuses'. 'Given the reported atrocities by Russian forces in Ukraine, I call on the Morrison government to expel Russian diplomats, in lockstep with European partners,' Mr Albanese said. In recent days, European Union countries including France, Germany and Italy have announced the expulsion of 206 Russian diplomats and staff, while allowing ambassadors to remain in most cases. 'Australia should follow suit,' the Labor leader said. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called for the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Australia 'Foreign minister Marise Payne has said that the matter is being kept "under review at the highest levels of the Government". 'It is hard to conceive how the decision can be made to allow these individuals to stay, given the sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces. 'The mass killing of innocent civilians and the use of rape as a weapon of war can only be described as war crimes,' he said. Mr Albanese added that those responsible must be held to account, and Australia must carry out immediate diplomatic consequences. 'Labor supports all efforts to ensure these crimes are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted through the International Criminal Court process, including the provision of Australian experts to assist the investigation,' he said. In February, Ms Payne said the government was not 'considering currently' the expulsion of Russian diplomats. 'It enables us to have a direct line of communication with the Russian government. We did call in the ambassador to meet with the Secretary of DFAT to make absolutely clear our views. Australia has already targeted Russian oligarchs with sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called on the government to immediately remove Vladimir Putin's (pictured) cronies from Australia because of 'sickening abuses' They are senior figures in mostly state-owned banks and all reportedly close to Mr Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a powerful speech by video to MPs in Australia's federal parliament last week. He warned that if Russia is not held to account, then other countries who have 'similar aspirations' will follow suit, with Moscows aggression posing a 'real threat' to Australia and the rest of the world. 'We can surely say that there is now only one way of bringing global security and bringing Russia to peace and silence,' he said. Firefighters remove debris from a building bombed by the Russian army in Borodyanka, Ukraine on April 6, 2022 Mr Zelensky also referred to the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, killing everyone on board, including 38 Australians. He has used speeches to parliaments to make localised appeals tailored to the country whose politicians he is talking to on any given day. When speaking to German MPs, Mr Zelensky spoke about the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Talking to Poland's politicians, he continually addressed them as his 'Polish brothers and sisters'. Addressing Japan's parliament on March 23, Mr Zelensky spoke about Russian forces seizing control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Russia's possession itself of nuclear weapons. ]Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured left on video screen) just before he addressed MPs in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on March 31, 2022. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pictured centre, standing He focussed on that because the US detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 1945, respectively. The bombings killed up to 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and the attacks remain the only use of nuclear weapons in a war. The nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan in 2011 was the world's most severe nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Speaking to the US Congress on March 16, Mr Zelensky spoke about some of the worst tragedies faced by the country. 'Remember Pearl Harbor, terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you,' he said. 'Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities into a battlefield, when innocent people were attacked in a way no-one expected.' On Wednesday night, Mr Zelensky addressed a joint sitting of both houses of Ireland's parliament. In the speech he accused Russia of 'deliberately provoking a food crisis' in Ukraine by targeting storage depots. This served to remind Ireland's politicians and its people of the Great Famine from 18451852 in which one million people starved to death. By Doh See-hwan Again this year, the Japanese government continued to push ahead with an event called "Takeshima Day," which was declared through Shimane Prefecture in 2005 to commemorate the history of the invasion on Dokdo sovereignty in Korea in 1905. In the same vein, it must be noted that the Japanese Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall, which reopened in 2020, has emphasized Japan's "legal control" over Dokdo and Korea's "illegal" occupation since 1905. This is not only because the history of Japan's continuous invasion of Dokdo sovereignty based on Japanese colonialism is still ongoing, but also Japan's attempt to invade Dokdo in 1905 is resuming. Moreover, there is a seriousness of the problem in that the long-term strategic distortion frame of Japan's claim to Dokdo, which is mobilized to conceal historical truths, is transformed into a comprehensive policy to strengthen international legal titles. On such premises, I have reviewed the legal problems and traced the genealogy of the study on the legal principle of titles of Japanese society of international law, which is establishing the policy basis for Japan's claim to Dokdo based on Japanese colonialism. The genealogy of the study of the title to Dokdo in Japanese society of international law leads to "Theory of historical title" by Takeshi Minagawa, "Theory of original title" by Toshio Ueda, "Theory of substitutional title" by Kanae Daijudo, "Theory of commonable title" by Gentaro Serita and "Theory of effective title" by Hirose Yoshio. After Yoshio, which is the epitome of the genealogy of the title to Dokdo sovereignty, international legal scholars such as Takashi Tsukamoto and Tetsuya Nakano, who appear as mainstream researchers, must be noted because all classified the genealogy of the "Theory of original title" on the premise of "the doctrine of terra nullis" are in line with the claims of the Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall. First, the international legal problems of Tsukamoto's claim to Dokdo's sovereignty and title are as follows. Tsukamoto argues that it is necessary for Japan to reinforce uncertain primitive titles under modern international law through a territorial acquisition process based on effective possession such as occupation of territory with historical titles in the 17th century. However, this is noteworthy in that it resembles the claim of "Substitutional title" by Daijudo, which I reviewed in previous studies. Because, contrary to Daijudo's claim, it is not required to substitute the inherent territory with other titles in modern international law in order to preserve the inherent territory with historical titles under international law, and there is no validity in international law in that there are no cases substitute for many islands that Japan actually owns based on historical titles as other titles such as occupation. Tsukamoto's argument, which basically presents the same argument in such a premise, is evaluated as not free from the same criticism. In addition, the Japanese government at the time of 1905 denied the document of Yozaburo Nakai which recognized Dokdo as a territory of Korea and described as a territorial incorporation in military need, but the claim that his fishery activities were approved as an exercise of national authority and had occupation requirements is a distortion of not only historical facts but also international law. On that premise, Tsukamoto's historical perceptions related to three major historical points the Dajokan Directive of State in 1877, Edict No. 41 of the Korean Empire in 1900 and Japan's incorporation of Dokdo in 1905 are analyzed utilizing the issue of Korea's claim to Dokdo as the basis of the doctrine of terra nullis. In other words, Tsukamoto claims that the name of Dokdo in Korea is not clear. But rather, Japan is facing limitations, such as distorting the problem of calling Ulleung Island Takeshima in the Dajokan Directive of State of a modern legislative system into confusion caused by the influx of Western maps due to its opening of borders. Next, Nakano, unlike Tsukamoto, raised the occupation theory based on the international law relationship after the Treaty of Ganghwa Island in 1876 on the premise of some insulation from the historical title. In other words, Nakano criticized that there is no international case of reaffirming its own territory in order to confirm its territory in the modern international legal system based on the principle of sovereignty equality. However, it is noteworthy because Nakano claims that Japan's illegal invasion of Korean sovereignty as well as Dokdo after the 1904 Korea-Japan Protocol were legitimate acts under international law at the time, despite violating the principle of sovereign equality. His claim was clearly exposed in the "issue of notification" as an occupation requirement. In this regard, he argues that there is no international law principle that paradoxically it is an absolute requirement for the acquisition of a territorial title, while acknowledging the obligation of notification presented in the General Protocol of the Berlin Conference in 1885 and the International Law Society of the United States in 1888. In addition, he insists on the completion of the occupation through Shimane Prefecture's notice, but it seems difficult to ensure the validity of the legal norm itself that international law is the same as the notice of local governments. To sum up, Tsukamoto's interpretation has limitations in that it follows the legal problems inherent in Daijudo's "theory of substitutional title" and distorts Japan's confusion with the name of Dokdo. While Nakano insists on the modern international legal system based on the principle of sovereign equality, it exposes the limitations of legalizing Japanese colonialism in issues such as the invasion of Dokdo's sovereignty and notification issues. Moreover, the advocates of the doctrine of terra nullis as Yoshio should not be interpreted arbitrarily and used to invoke cases such as the Clipperton case between France and Mexico in 1931, the Eastern Greenland case between Norway and Denmark in 1933 and the Minquiers and Ecrehos case between France and the U.K. in 1953, which are cases related to the ruling that in the exercise of state authority in an uninhabited island, isolated location alleviates the strict requirements of normal effective control. Ultimately, it should be noted that the claims of the genealogy of the study related to the title of the Japanese Society of International Law, which has established the policy basis of Japan's claim over Dokdo, are consistent with Japanese colonialism as the essence of violence and greed proclaimed in the Cairo Declaration. Therefore, the comprehensive legalization of colonial rule and invasion of Dokdo, which is raised by the advocates of the original title on the premise of terra nullis, such as Tsukamoto and Nakano, after Yoshio, is a legal distortion of international legal title and a serious violation of Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo. I would like to urge Japan's international legal obligations and responsibilities for 21st century peace. Doh See-hwan (drdoh@naver.com) is a senior research fellow at the Northeast Asian History Foundation. Britain must massively expand wind, solar and nuclear power so that nearly all our electricity is homegrown and low carbon by the end of the decade, ministers will say today. The Government will unveil its long-awaited Energy Security Strategy to reduce reliance on the international market following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Boris Johnson has won arguments with Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the cost of nuclear power, sources said. The plan will set out an ambition to build up to eight nuclear plants to meet around a quarter of projected electricity demand by 2050. The ambitious proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britains electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. But it was unclear last night precisely how the Government could achieve this without energy bills rocketing. Boris Johnson has won arguments with Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the cost of nuclear power, sources said. The Government will unveil its long-awaited Energy Security Strategy to reduce reliance on the international market following Russias invasion of Ukraine Above: Construction workers at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, near Bridgwater. Ambitious proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britains electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. Above: Plans and proposals for new nucelar power plants around the UK, with as many as eight by 2050. The ambitious Energy Security Strategy proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britains electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. Ministers will open the door to onshore wind in England by consulting on relaxing the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015. Local communities who wish to have wind farms installed will be guaranteed lower energy bills potentially saving households hundreds of pounds a year although details of how it will work remained unclear last night. Approval times for building offshore wind farms will be slashed from four years to one year to rapidly expand their development, with an ambition to generate 50GW by 2030 more than enough to power every home in the UK. And solar capacity could grow five-fold by 2035, with more panels placed on domestic and commercial rooftops. Ministers will also consult on changing planning rules to increase solar farms on non-protected land a move that is likely to prove controversial in rural areas. Ministers will open the door to onshore wind in England by consulting on relaxing the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015 (stock image) The Government hopes the strategy will make Britain a net energy exporter by the end of the decade, and insulate the country from global energy price shocks. Mr Johnson, the Chancellor and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng held a series of crisis meetings yesterday to finalise the plan after weeks of wrangling, but Mr Sunaks objections about the cost of nuclear were ultimately overruled. A source said: The PM and Business Secretary won on nuclear. The strategy also includes plans to launch a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects this summer to reduce reliance on imports. And it contains an ambition to double low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 to replace gas in the longer term. The Prime Minister said last night that the plan will allow Britons to enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills by reducing dependence on volatile international prices. Mr Johnson said: Were setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain from new nuclear to offshore wind in the decade ahead. This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills. Business secretary Kwarsi Kwarteng sided with the prime minister in the debate over nuclear Mr Kwarteng added: We have seen record high gas prices around the world. We need to protect ourselves from price spikes in the future by accelerating our move towards cleaner, cheaper, home-grown energy. The simple truth is that the more cheap, clean power we generate within our borders, the less exposed we will be to eye-watering fossil fuel prices set by global markets we cant control. Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear, while maximising North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence over the coming years. The F-18 pilot who filmed a famous 2015 UFO encounter gave secret evidence to Congress and explained that he initially thought the flying object was part of training and locked onto it like an adversary. New, heavily redacted documents released to government document repository The Black Vault reveal that the pilot who encountered an 'unexplained aerial phenomena' off the coast near Jacksonville, Florida, in 2015, known as the "Gimbal' sighting, briefed Senate staffers in 2019 on the event. The Navy prefers to call the objects seen in the videos 'unexplained aerial phenomena' (UAP), as opposed to the more commonly-used 'unidentified flying object' (UFO). The naval pilot who encountered the 'Gimbal' told Senators that he initially believed the aircraft was part of a training exercise and locked onto it like an adversary. 'Towards the end of one of the night flights (redacted) was conducting during the at-sea period, he and his pilot detected an air contact via (redacted) coming from the east and heading towards the ship. Initially thinking it may be a simulated advisory aircraft as well part of the COMPTUEX scenario, he took a (redacted) lock to investigate further,' the documents said. 'The contact was at approximately (redacted) With a stable track file, the tow aircraft determined it was not a 'false hit' and they were able to gain a lock via the (redacted) which further indicated the vehicle had a (redacted) It became clear via (redacted) the pilot maneuvered the (redacted to maintain (redacted)' the documents added. The new documents provide more context to the infamous footage - and additional pictures taken by U.S. Navy pilots between mid-2014 and March 2015, which were leaked to the New York Times three years ago, sparking widespread public interest in the phenomena. One of the videos was shot in November 2004; the other two were shot in January 2015. The three videos were code-named 'FLIR1,' 'Gimbal,' and 'GoFast.' In the 2015 videos, Navy pilots can be heard expressing disbelief. All three UFO videos were captured by Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets. The videos were made public and published because of efforts by the New York Times, as well as through efforts by To The Stars Academy, which was founded by Tom Delonge, the founder and lead vocalist for the bands Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. Public interest in UFOs heightened in 2017 after the release of Navy pilot footage that captured an' unidentified aerial phenomenon' known in UFO circles as 'The Gimbal,' pictured above The pilot who first encountered the "Gimbal' briefed Senate staffers in 2019 on the event, according to newly released documents The newly released documents also state that staff members were very receptive to the pilot's account of events. 'The overall atmosphere in this meeting was very professional, the professional staff members were genuinely interested in his account of what happened during his air vehicle detection in (redacted). They continue to show interest in learning more about this types of detection, and are curious as to the way ahead the Navy intends to take.' Two other naval officers who did not have first hand encounters with UFOs also offered up their knowledge to staff members as well. 'In addition to, two naval officers from ONI (redacted) were also in attendance at this brief. Both of them been part of squadrons based out of NAS Oceana. While they offered no firsthand accounts of detecting anomalous aerial vehicles, they were very familiar with the occurrences and were queried by the PSM a few times as to what they observed and what they learned.' In December 2020 it emerged that two Pentagon reports had been produced, providing detailed classified information about strange sightings. The DoD's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force issued the two classified intelligence 'position reports' in 2018 and summer 2020, and they circulated widely in the U.S. intelligence community, according to a detailed account from The Debrief based on interviews with multiple intelligence sources. The position reports' startling contents included a leaked photo that has never before been made public, accounts of 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' (UAP) emerging from the ocean and soaring through the sky, and an admission that extraterrestrial origins for the objects cannot be ruled out. The leaked photo was was captured in 2018 off the East Coast of the United States by a military pilot using his cell phone camera, the sources said. The photo was previously described as depicting an 'unidentified silver 'cube-shaped' object' hovering over the ocean at an altitude of roughly 30,000 to 35,000. It appears that the image was captured by the backseat weapons systems operator of what appears to be an F/A-18 fighter jet. Experts were baffled by the photo, but noted that the object somewhat resembles a GPS dropsonde, an atmospheric profiling device designed to be dropped from aircraft, typically over a hurricane. 'These revelations are extraordinary, and give the public a genuine peek behind the curtain when it comes to how the US government is handling the UFO issue,' Nick Pope, who investigated UFOs for the UK Ministry of Defence, told DailyMail.com. This leaked photo, published by The Debrief, depicts an 'unidentified silver 'cube-shaped' object' hovering over the ocean at an altitude of roughly 30,000 to 35,000 The leaked photo was was captured in 2018 off the East Coast of the United States by a military pilot using his cell phone camera 'What this new information does is confirm that the US government is taking the UFO phenomenon more seriously than ever before,' he added. 'I anticipate further revelations shortly.' The Pentagon has not confirmed the existence of the two position reports, as well as the authenticity of a leaked cockpit photo included in one of the reports. Even more shocking were the revelations contained in a second, revised report issued by the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force in early 2020. The report delved deeply into the possibility that UAP are able to freely move both through the air and underwater, zipping through the ocean undetected and emerging into the air at incredible speeds. The report contained an 'extremely clear' photograph of an unidentifiable triangular aircraft that emerged from the ocean in front of a F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot, sources told The Debrief. YouTube pranksters have tricked an unmanned Amazon store into not charging them for food worth 25 after replacing it on the shelves with bags of sand weighing the same amount Boasting 1.46million subscribers on their YouTube channel, Archie Manners and Josh Pieters, set out to fool one of the world's biggest companies by not paying for goods at one of its cashierless tech stores. The duo's video shows them bi-passing the over 2,000 sensors that watch your every move and scales on shelves in lieu of any staff checking your scanning items at the Amazon Fresh store in London. To achieve this they bought products at Sainsbury's and replaced them with sand and water so they could go back to Amazon Fresh and put fake items on the shelf. They then walked out of the Amazon store with 25-worth of items for free. In another video the pair have appeared to trick anti-vaxxer Piers Corbyn into being willing to accept 10,000 in exchange for an end to criticising AstraZeneca in his speeches. Boasting 1.46million subscribers on YouTube, Archie Manners and Josh Pieters, pictured eating a cream egg they did buy outside an Amazong Fresh store, set out to fool one of the world's biggest companies by not paying for goods at one of its cashierless tech stores Before making their move, they cased the Amazon Fresh shop, demonstrating in the video that if you pick up an item from a shelve, which has scales, Amazon knows you have picked up the product. Josh said: 'When I pick it up it knows I've picked it up and if I walk out with it it knows I've pick it up and will charge it to my Amazon account 'If I put it back it knows it's been put back and I won't get charged.' The pair then demonstrated this with a Cadbury's cream egg and then left the store. This was then set out on their plan to trick the store by going back in with the replacement items from Sainsbury's filled with sand and water. They did this by buying 25 worth of shopping from Sainsbury's and then replacing the exact same products that Amazon also stock with sand and water. Their prank was done by buying 25 worth of shopping from Sainsbury's and then replacing the exact same products that Amazon also stock with sand and water A Cadbury's Easter egg, a packet of Kellogg's Fruit 'n' Fibre, a Pot Noodle, Kettle crisps, Heinz Cream of Tomato packet soup and a bottle of wine that were replaced with similar weights that they checked. And they also set up another Amazon account - not their own, called 'Robert Da shop' - to use while shopping. Returning to Amazon Fresh in Kensington with their fake items, Archie and Josh put the fake items on the shelf and took the real ones home. Not being able to resist, they took some Mini-eggs as a control and were billed for those. They then went back to Sainsbury's to get a refund and ended up with their money back and free food. A Cadbury's Easter egg, a packet of Kellogg's Fruit 'n' Fibre and a bottle of wine that were replaced with similar weights Archie told the Times that they consulted a lawyer beforehand and it was not illegal because they did not intend to 'permanently deprive' Amazon of the goods Archie told the Times that they consulted a lawyer beforehand and it was not illegal because they did not intend to 'permanently deprive' Amazon of the goods. In a video they also claim it's because Amazon's slogan at its fresh stores is to 'just walk out' and they would be 'just walking out' with their goods and 'accidentally leaving some others behind'. Later on a friend went back into Amazon Fresh to buy back the items so a customer did not mistakenly purchase the sand-filled items. He added: 'If anything, we're showing Amazon where there might be vulnerabilities in their system and where they might need to tighten things up so this doesn't happen in the future. 'As we said in the video, we wouldn't encourage anyone to do this so if anything, maybe it was just a bit of free help to Amazon. 'Looking at it, you might take the opinion that man can outwit machines but also big companies might want to think twice before getting rid of their human workforces, because perhaps a human is better at keeping a shop order than a machine is right now.' Scott Morrison has dismissed claims he is a serial liar as 'silly word games' and 'juvenile debates' that don't matter to ordinary Australians in a heated interview with a teenage journalist. The Prime Minister agreed to an interview with 14-year-old Melburnian Leonardo Puglisi on Wednesday with the Year 9 student focusing on his credibility. After Puglisi's insistent questioning, Mr Morrison did concede politicians 'might get the odd fact wrong' - but he insisted he tells 'the truth' and that Australians know he is 'up front' with them. Puglisi, who founded his news channel 6 News at the age of 11, repeated claims made by political news website Crikey that Mr Morrison had lied 50 times, and that ABC fact-checkers had also caught him out. The Prime Minister confidently rebuffed a grilling from cool-headed teen journalist, Leonard Puglisi, who is just 14 and in Year 8 in Melbourne Mr Morrison quickly tripped Puglisi up over his sources: 'That's not a good start, if you're starting with Crikey and you're talking about credibility it's not a good start.' The cool-headed journalist quickly responded: 'Absolutely, you can assert it strongly, and we're giving you a platform to assert that, no-one's stopping you.' The Prime Minister said claims he lied on multiple occasions were driven by the Labor Party and arose because 'a lot of people that like to throw stones'. But he maintained, 'Australians know that I'm upfront with them'. Puglisi repeated claims made by political news website Crikey that Mr Morrison had lied 50 times, and that he had also been caught out by ABC fact-checkers - which the PM laughed off Mr Morrison conceded politicians 'might get the odd fact wrong' - but he maintained he tells the truth and that Australians know he is 'up front' with them He conceded 'politicians occasionally... might get the odd fact wrong or the odd figure wrong or you might be taken out of context. That's all just silly word games. 'What Australians care about is their job, their national security, they're not interested in these types of juvenile debates.' But Puglisi stuck to his line of questioning. 'So you don't think Australians are interested in whether their leader tells the truth or not?' 'I do tell the truth,' Mr Morrison responded. Puglisi gave two examples of alleged lies Morrison has told: His use of the term 'Shanghai Sam' about disgraced former senator Sam Dastyari, and over his comments about his Hillsong Church attendance in the wake of allegations about its ex-pastor Brian Houston. Mr Morrison distanced himself from Houston, regarded as a friend and mentor, after Houston resigned from Hillsong following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards two women. He said he was 'disappointed and shocked' at the claims about Houston and added 'I havent been at Hillsong now for about 15 years'. On Puglisi's show, Mr Morrison clarified he meant Hillsong hasn't been his primary place of worship. 'I didn't say I've never walked into the door of Hillsong church. It hasn't been my home community church. On occasion I've visited there, I've visited many churches in the last 15 years Coptic orthodox, Greek orthodox, Maronite churches, I've been inside synagogues, I've been inside temples, I've been in mosques, I've been in many places.' Last November Labor senators pursued Mr Morrison over his use of the phrase 'Shanghai Sam' when referring to former ALP senator Sam Dastyari. Mr Morrison speaks alongside his close friend Brian Houston at Hillsong in 2019 Mr Morrison denied having used the term last year, which Puglisi reminded him of. He said his comments were taking 'out of context'. 'Of course I said "Shanghai Sam", I said it over and over and over again, I wasnt disputing that. 'Labor like to say this, they throw a lot of mud at you when you're a Prime Minister, and that's because they havent got any policies, if you've got nothing to say, and you've got nothing to offer, you'll sledge and you'll throw mud.' Mr Dastyari resigned from Parliament in 2018 after the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation revealed he had met with Chinese billionaire and political donor Huang Xiangmo at his Mosman mansion, on Sydney's lower north shore. He also gave a media interview to Chinese-language media contradicting Labor's position on the disputed South China Sea, and had also allowed a Chinese donor to foot a $1,670 travel bill. In his interview with Puglisi, Mr Morrison listed his achievements, including that that he had increased the number of young people in apprenticeships. He also dismissed his recent dip in the polls, pointing out that Australians in the past have trusted the Coalition over Labor on election day despite research in the lead-up showing otherwise. 'The Coalition has won seven of the last nine elections and only on two of those occasions did people think we would win those elections,' he said. 'As you get closer to the election all the opinion, sentiment and noise, it all burns off because when you walk into a polling booth you're not expressing an opinion, youre casting a vote and when you cast a vote you're deciding the economy you want to live in for the next decade, you're deciding the security of your job, and Australia's national security.' A one-month-old baby has died after he was found unresponsive at a home in suburban Perth. Emergency services were called to the house in Beeliar, in the city's south, around midday on Wednesday. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the little boy but he died shortly after arriving at the Fiona Stanley Hospital. Emergency services were called to a home in Beeliar, south Perth, on Wednesday after a one-month-old baby boy was found unresponsive Homicide detectives and forensic officers have been investigating the circumstances of the baby's death at the home, collecting evidence and speaking to neighbours. The one-month-old had no visible injuries, Nine News reported. No arrests have been made. Jon Venables is hoping to be released on parole ahead of the introduction of new laws that could block his freedom. Venables, who killed two-year-old James Bulger in Merseyside in 1993, was reported to be pushing for parole in February and could have a full hearing as early as September. However, James' father has now asked to present at the parole hearing and explain why Venables release should be blocked. Ralph Bulger, 55, also called on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to let him speak if he is 'serious' about his new crime reforms. Mr Raab's new laws would allow ministers to block the release of the most dangerous criminals for public safety reasons. However, the bill could take until next year to become law with Venables' parole bid already underway. Jon Venables was reported to be pushing for parole in February and could have a full hearing as early as September Dominic Raab's new laws would allow ministers to block the release of the most dangerous criminals for public safety reasons Officials last week contacted James's family to ask them to submit new victim impact statements. These statements could be completed within weeks, paving the way for Venables' hearing. Ralph Bulger told the Sun: 'If the Justice Secretary is serious on reform then he must allow me to be present at Venables's parole hearing, just as I was at his Old Bailey hearing. 'I want Venables to hear why I believe he should have his parole denied. For too long, victims and families have been ignored while authorities put the so-called rights of dangerous criminals first.' Jon Venables and Robert Thompson tortured and killed James, two, when they were just 10 Venables and Robert Thompson tortured and killed James, two, when they were just 10. Both were released in 2001 with new identities before Venables was jailed in 2017 for possessing child abuse images. He was denied parole two years ago. In Venables' last failed bid for freedom in 2020, the Board said he still showed an attraction to sexual violence as the reason for keeping him locked up. A Whitehall source said: 'The Justice Secretary is determined to reform the Parole Board to ensure public safety remains paramount. Ministers will get new powers to veto the release of Britain's most heinous criminals, under the new plans to reform the parole system. Murderers, rapists, terrorists and violent criminals convicted of causing a child's death will be forced to stay in jail until their release is signed off by ministers. The plans will grant Justice Secretary Dominic Raab the final say on the release of about 660 offenders a year. Victims will get rights to attend Parole Board hearings in full and ask questions. They will also be entitled to receive more detailed information from the board's officials. A tradie stormed a backpacker hostel to threw a Molotov cocktail at the door of his love rival's room, before getting into a taxi and bragging about his brazen daylight attack. Dylan Barfoot, 32, was sentenced to two years and six months for the bizarre incident at the popular Frogshollow Backpackers in Darwin on November 13. He told the shocked female driver: 'I just threw a Molotov cocktail at this c**t's front door'. 'The whole thing lit up on fire it was crazy. Then I punched on with this c**t,' he added after running from the budget accommodation facility pursued by angry residents. Barfoot had even ordered the taxi driver to wait outside as he would 'be coming out in a hurry' Chief Justice Sonia Brownhill told the Northern Territory Supreme Court Barfoot had been motivated by 'revenge and jealousy' after his casual girlfriend started seeing another man. The concreter had been 'binge drinking' all night and was 'too drunk' to go to work the following day, so he returned to the pub and drank until he 'had no money left'. He then jumped in a taxi with the 'real' intent to harm his ex-girlfriend's new partner. 'Your intoxication is not an excuse for your actions,' Justice Brownhill said. 'The offending was planned, because you had to acquire or make the Molotov cocktail, you went and bought a lighter to light it and then you travelled to the location in a taxi, and you arranged for it to take you away after you had committed the offence.' As Barfoot got in the taxi sporting a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid tied off with a cloth, he told the taxi driver: 'I've just got to go into town real quick and then I'll come back'. He added: 'When you drop me off it'll only be two seconds. I'll be coming out in a hurry.' Dylan Barfoot, 32, stormed a backpacker hostel (pictured) and threw a Molotov cocktail at the door of his love rival's room Flames erupt at the Frogshollow Backpackers (pictured) after the tradie launched a makeshift explosive CCTV footage captured the moment flames erupt when the jealous lover launched the Molotov cocktail at the door of room 104. While sprinting back to the awaiting taxi in thongs and shorts, several men attempted to detain him but Barfoot was able to get away. The Melbourne-born man then boasts about the entire encounter to the stunned driver as they left. 'That's why I made sure you were ready to go,' he joked. Justice Brownhill said 'the offending was unsophisticated' and that there 'no attempt by you to hide your identity'. 'The risk of harm to others from throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at the door of a room in a residential building in which people were present, including an occupant in the room next door, was real.' Barfoot (pictured) bragged about his brazen daylight Molotov cocktail attack to a taxi driver Barfoot was also ordered to pay compensation to the Frogshollow Backpackers (pictured) for the $990 in damages The court heard Barfoot had met his ex-girlfriend when they were both living at the backpackers but their relationship soon fell apart when they 'got involved in heavy drinking and partying culture.' Barfoot's lawyer told the court the former miner and Gold Coast amusement ride operator had struggled with drugs and alcohol for much of his life and had a troubled childhood. His sentence will be suspended after 10 months, on the condition he not consume alcohol and be subject to a strict parole supervision program. Barfoot was also ordered to pay compensation to the Frogshollow Backpackers for the $990 in damages. Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Mila Kunis have been accused of pushing cryptocurrency investments on women without explaining the risks involved. Paltrow, famed for her acting and wacky Goop brand, joined Kunis for a January Zoom seminar held by 'women and non-binary centered crypto community' BFF. There, the millionairesses encouraged 5,000 female viewers to break into the traditionally male-dominated world of cryptocurrency; digital currency, and NFTs; digital artworks. Experts have warned that buying crypto and NFTs is more akin to gambling that a safe investment. During the BFF Zoom, first reported by The Washington Post, Paltrow, who wore a businesslike turtleneck and thick-framed glasses, gushed: 'We have watched a lot of these bros get together and earn a lot of money. We deserve to be in this space just as much.' Later, Kunis, who has an estimated net worth of $75 million, chimed-in with: 'We are so conditioned as women to be risk-averse. I want to take risks and I want to see what happens.' Kunis said she'd been inspired to invest in cryptocurrency and NFTs during COVID while stuck in the house with her actor husband Ashton Kutcher. She said: 'I kept hearing about this world of web 3 and NFTs and crypto in my house for about 10 years, and I was like well, it's COVID, so if you can't beat them, join them.' Also present at the event was Mark Zuckerberg's sister Randi Zuckerberg, who told the excited crowd that she too had recently become an NFT convert. She even likened the digital artworks to Chanel handbags or paintings by Michelangelo. Gwyneth Paltrow and Mila Kunis are both pictured at the BFF crypto summit, where the millionaire stars espoused the potential benefits of cryptocurrency and NFTs without going into the risks involved in investing in either Also present was Mark Zuckerberg's sister Randi, pictured, who likened NFTs to a Chanel handbag or Michelangelo painting, despite experts warning that many are worthless Zuckerberg, a former Facebook executive who's worth $200 million, said: 'I was skeptical, I was confused. Fast-forward to now, I now own more than 100 NFTs!' 'Things have value because of a backstory sometimes it's the person who created it. 'Sometimes it's just your personal taste if I came over and I drew on your ceiling you would not be happy about it but if Michelangelo did it voila, priceless work of art. 'So an NFT applies to digital assets that are unique and have value they can be anything it doesn't just have to be art. 'It can be a music clip, a video, a super special recipe, a book, it can be a ticket to a conference or a concert, or an event, but because the asset is created on the blockchain (cryptocurrency ledger) you know 100 that it's authentic. 'Let's say you're buying a Chanel bag. Like you want to make damn sure that that bag is authentic before you spend thousands of dollars on it but with digital assets the proof is right there.' NFTs - non-fungible tokens - are original pieces of artwork which exist only in digital form, and which can be bought, traded and sold using cryptocurrency. They have proven more popular among female buyers than cryptocurrencies themselves, the most famous of which is Bitcoin. The most expensive ever NFT, an artwork called The Merge, which depicts two spheres, sold for $91 million in December last year. It was bought from artist Pak by a consortium of almost 29,000 buyers. But many NFTs are essentially worthless, with those that end up selling for millions usually receiving a great deal of online hype - often from celebrities. Investment experts warn most NFTs are a waste of money, and some believe the trend for the digital artworks has already peaked. Cryptocurrency offers an online, anonymous method of digital payment - the most famous form of which, Bitcoin, has shot up hugely in value since launching in 2009. A single Bitcoin is worth over $43,000 as of April 6, but its popularity has spawned copycat cryptocurrencies, many of which are as worthless as most NFTs. Cryptocommunity BFF was co-founded by Brit Morin, pictured, who says she wants to encourage woman into the traditionally male spheres of crypto investments Attendees received a digital friendship bracelet, similar to this one, which can currently be resold for $3,000, and which offers advance access to an upcoming BFF NFT sale The most expensive NFT ever sold is an artwork called The Merge, pictured, which was bought for $91 million by 29,000 buyers in December 2021 There is no suggestion that Paltrow, Kunis or Zuckerberg were trying to mislead potential investors. Paltrow is so enthusiastic about crypto that she's even a member of a private 25 person group on messaging app Signal whose female members share 'Alpha Chat' - tips on which NFT projects could be worth investing in, and which are frauds. Reese Witherspoon is also a member of the group, as is BFF co-founder Moj Mahdara. Kunis and husband Ashton Kutcher also recently launched a cartoon series that offers NFTs, suggesting they're equally committed to the concept. But the Post found that many questions about the risks of investing in NFTs during the BFF Zoom chat at which Paltrow and Kunis were speakers went unanswered. BFF co-founder Britt Morin pushed the event as promising to answer whether NFTs 'are all a scam' Morin enthusiastically pushed the potential payouts from crypto during the same Zoom, highlighting an NFT collection recently sold by by Christie's for $69 million, while saying: 'This is the type of wealth that's possible for people that are participating in this new ecosystem.' NFTS: The future of art, or a bubble that's about to burst? What is a NFT? A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a unique digital token encrypted with an artist's signature which verifies its ownership and authenticity and is permanently attached to the piece. What do they look like? Most NFTs include some kind digital artwork, such as photos, videos, GIFs, and music. Theoretically, anything digital could be turned into a NFT. Where do you buy them? At the moment, NFTs are most commonly sold in so-called 'drops', timed online sales by blockchain-backed marketplaces like Nifty Gateway, Opensea and Rarible. Why would I want to own one? There's an array of reasons why someone may want to buy a NFT. For some, the reason may be emotional value, because NFTs are seen as collectors items. For others, they are seen as an investment opportunity. When were NFTs created? Writer and podcaster Andrew Steinwold traced the origins of NFTs back to 2012, with the creation of the Colored Coins cryptocurrency. But NFTs didn't move into the mainstream until five years later, when the blockchain game CryptoKitties began selling virtual cats in 2017. Advertisement During the event, a livechat box saw moderators answer some questions - but other important queries were ignored. One woman asked about an NFT collection called the Bored Ape Yacht Club, saying: 'What gives a monkey that value? What makes it worth $500,000?' only to be ignored. Other viewers appeared to have fallen hard for Paltrow and Kunis's pitches, saying: 'Truly feeling part of history right now =)),' and 'They're going to explain everything.' Morin did close the event with a seemingly magnanimous gift for viewers - offering all attendees a free digital friendship 'bracelet' currently reselling for at least $3,000. Anyone who does sell the bracelet receives early access to BFF's NFT collection which launches this month, and hands over 7.5 per cent of the proceeds should they choose to sell the cyber garment. Another crypto expert called Faith Love told the Post that promising women the prospect of great riches was 'just bait.' Others have said that the tactics used are similar to those deployed by so-called 'girlbosses.' They've been blasted for hailing financial successes while using sexist power structures originally created by men to keep women out of the boardroom. BFF, which organized the glitzy Zoom, has refuted claims it is trying to perpetuate such issues. Spokesperson Rakia Reynolds told the Post that the term 'refers instances where women-centered empowerment efforts, especially related to tech, have allowed bad actors with toxic traits and supremacy-formed intentions to block access and take up space.' She added: 'BFF is trying to achieve the opposite of this.' Former Labour MP George Galloway has threatened to sue Twitter after the social media giant marked his official account as Russia state-affiliated media. The 67-year-old hard-Left politician, who presented the Mother Of All Talk Shows on Kremlin-owned Radio Sputnik, branded Twitters decision to flag his account Kafkaesque and urged Twitters biggest shareholder Elon Musk to reverse the decision. In a post to his 400,000 Twitter followers, Mr Galloway wrote: 'Dear @TwitterSupport I am not Russian State Affiliated media. 'I work for NO Russian media. I have 400,000 followers. Im the leader of a British political party and spent nearly 30 years in the British parliament. If you do not remove this designation I will take legal action.' He later sent a direct tweet to Twitter's latest high profile shareholder, Elon Musk, demanding the tag's removal or else 'action will follow'. The 'Russia state-affiliated media' tag is part of a new attempt by Twitter to curb growing Russian misinformation regarding war crimes and humanitarian atrocities in Ukraine. The social media giant, alongside its Silicon Valley rival Meta, banned the accounts of Russian state-backed media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik earlier this year. Former Labour MP George Galloway has threatened to sue Twitter after the social media giant marked his official account as Russia state-affiliated media (pictured above appearing on RT) The 67-year-old hard-Left politician, who presents the Mother Of All Talk Shows on Kremlin-owned Radio Sputnik, branded Twitters decision to flag his account Kafkaesque and urged Twitters biggest shareholder Elon Musk to reverse the decision Posters advertising Mr Galloway's role in Sputnik's 'Orbiting the World with George Galloway' can still be viewed online, despite him claiming he does not work for any Russian media. The 67-year-old and his wife, Gayatri Galloway, have presented the show since 2013. Sputnik is a media channel owned by the Kremlin. Its access was cut off from parts of the European Union in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. Last month, Ofcom revoked the Kremlin-backed broadcaster's UK licence amid 29 ongoing investigations into the 'due impartiality of the news and current affairs coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine'. George Galloway and his wife Gayatri Galloway have presented Kremlin-backed broadcaster Sputnik's 'Orbiting the World with George Galloway' since 2013 A later tweet from Galloway that tagged Elon Musk read: 'Its Kafkaesque really. When I did present on Russian state media I had NO Twitter designation. Now that I dont cant and would be committing a crime if I did I have been given the designation. Shome mishtake shurely'. Official Twitter accounts with the 'Russian-state media' designation will no longer be recommended to users, including in searches. Twitter said in a statement: 'We will not amplify or recommend government accounts belonging to states that limit access to free information and are engaged in armed interstate conflict - whether Twitter is blocked in that country or not. 'When a government blocks or limits access to online services within their state, undercutting the public's voice and ability to freely access information, but continues to use online services for their own communications, a severe information imbalance is created.' Ukraine could 'break' the Russian army if it was given enough weapons from Western allies, British government sources have claimed. Last night, intelligence chiefs told The Times there is a more positive mood on the Ukrainian side with a belief that the Russian army is 'exhausted' and could be pushed back with better weaponry. The weaponry sought by the Ukrainians has been compiled into a shopping list and submitted to allies. It is believed to include aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles, long range artillery, anti-ship missiles and air defence systems. Today, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called on NATO members to provide Kyiv with all the military equipment it needs to fight Russia, demanding 'weapons, weapons and weapons.' Yesterday, the Czech Republic became the first NATO member to supply tanks to Ukraine and now Britain is considering following suit. The Ministry of Defence is said to be considering providing reconnaissance or long-range and protective patrol vehicles, such as the Mastiff or a Jackal. Sensitive equipment would be stripped from the vehicles and British soldiers sent to a neighbouring country of Ukraine to carry out training, a defence source said. Additional support which is likely to include anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles is also expected to be announced in the coming days. It is hoped this will help to enable Ukrainian troops to push towards Russian lines. The next three weeks are thought to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the war. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow is trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the Donbas, Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland. The Ukrainian leader called for more weapons to stop Russia taking Donbas. In a video message on the Telegram app he said: 'If there is no really painful package of sanctions against Russia and if there is no supply of weapons we really need and have applied for many times, it will be considered by Russia as a permission. 'A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the Donbas A destroyed Russian tank is seen on a highway, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region Yesterday, the Czech Republic became the first NATO member to supply tanks to Ukraine and now Britain is considering following suit. Pictured is a Mastiff 2 armoured vehicle 'The fate of our land and of our people is being decided. We know what we are fighting for. And we will do everything to win,' Mr Zelensky said, six weeks into the war. Meanwhile Kuleba said today ahead of a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels: 'My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. Its weapons, weapons, and weapons. 'I call on all allies to put aside their hesitations, their reluctance, to provide Ukraine with everything it needs,' he said. Kuleba said economic powerhouse Germany 'can do more' as he criticised allies that remain reluctant to send so-called 'offensive' arms. 'This distinction between defensive and offensive doesn't make any sense when it comes to the situation in my country. 'Those countries who are saying we will provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, but we are not in a position to provide them with offensive weapons - they are hypocritical, this is simply unfair, unjustified approach.' NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he was certain that allies would 'address the need for more air defence systems, anti-tank weapons, lighter, but also heavier weapons and many different types of support to Ukraine'. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was 'looking closely with our partners how we can support Ukraine in the future, more intensively and more coordinated because they have a right of self-defence.' Ukrainian authorities urged people living in the Donbas to evacuate now, ahead of an impending Russian offensive. 'Later, people will come under fire,' Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, 'and we won't be able to do anything to help them.' Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the Chatham House think tank, added that better weapons could help Ukraine push back the Russians. He told the Times: 'What has been supplied publicly in terms of weapons shipments are primarily weapons that would assist Ukraine in not losing the war and conducting defensive operations against Russian advances. 'A new phase where Russia is on the back foot in multiple areas - which Ukraine needs to exploit would suggest that the most relevant weaponry to be supplied might now be in different categories.' NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg yesterday warned the war in Ukraine could last 'months, even years' as there is no sign Vladimir Putin has lost 'his ambition to control the whole country'. It comes as Ukrainian authorities warned civilians in the country's east to flee 'now' or 'risk death' as Russian forces regroup ahead of what is expected to be a fresh offensive in the Donbas region. Stoltenberg, speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, said the international community should be 'realistic' about Moscow's intentions and 'realise that this may last for a long time' as the war entered its 41st day. 'We need also to be prepared for the long haul, both when it comes to supporting Ukraine, sustaining sanctions and strengthening our defences,' he added. NATO's foreign ministers were meeting yesterday and today to discuss sending more arms to Ukraine after the Czech Republic became the first bloc member to send tanks and armoured infantry vehicles to Kyiv. Members of the trans-Atlantic alliance had until yesterday given Ukraine only anti-tank and anti-craft missiles, small arms and protective equipment, but not offered heavy armour or fighter jets. Yesterday's delivery is understood to be a gift agreed on by NATO allies, raising fears the bloc could be dragged into the Russian war in Ukraine despite remaining on the sidelines for more than a month. Stoltenberg also confirmed that some members of the alliance had sent heavy weaponry to Ukraine following reports the Czech Republic had supplied Soviet-era tanks to Kyiv. 'Since the invasion allies have stepped up their support. I also expect that ministers when they meet today and tomorrow will discuss how they can further support Ukraine,' he said, declining to give details. 'I can say that the totality of what allies are doing is significant and that includes also some heavier systems combined with lighter systems.' Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today warned the war in Ukraine could last 'months, even years' as there is no sign Vladimir Putin has lost 'his ambition to control the whole country' Members of the trans-Atlantic alliance had until today given Ukraine only anti-tank and anti-craft missiles, small arms and protective equipment, but not offered heavy armour or fighter jets (pictured, destruction wreaked by Russian forces in Borodyanka) A car is seen riddled with bullet holes on the street on April 5, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. Milley said the war in Ukraine could last for years Chief Stoltenberg said the international community should be 'realistic' about Russian President Vladimir Putin's (pictured) intentions and 'realise that this may last for a long time' as the war entered its 41st day The Czech delivery has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv. Ukraine burns through in a single day the same amount of weaponry it receives in a week, according to a senior Polish official, and Kyiv's eastern neighbours are concerned with keeping up with demand. Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia which has no tanks to give, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment. Germany will send several dozen infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv and the UK has approved the delivery of 20 ambulances. The United States has agreed to provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-armour systems, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. US chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) said it had suspended business operations in Russia, joining a growing list of companies leaving the country. NATO has already supplied fuel, ammunition, helmets, protective gear and medical supplies to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said yesterday. President Joe Biden has in recent weeks ordered more US troops to NATO's eastern flank to reassure edgy allies and pledged to protect the bloc's territory if Russian forces stray over more borders. The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky's plea for help (pictured, tanks loaded on a train bound for Ukraine on Tuesday) Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (pictured) and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Ukraine, footage published by Czech Television showed The Czech delivery of T-72s (pictured) has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk today said in a message on Telegram that residents of the country's eastern regions should evacuate 'now' or 'risk death' due to a feared Russian attack. 'The governors of the Kharkiv, Lugansk and Donetsk regions are calling on the population to leave these territories and are doing everything to ensure that the evacuations take place in an organised manner,' she said. The call for urgent evacuations comes as Ukraine says Russian forces are regrouping to launch a fresh offensive in the country's east after retreating from the Kyiv region. Vereshchuk asked residents to cooperate with authorities, saying Kyiv will 'not be able to help' them after an attack. 'It has to be done now because later people will be under fire and face the threat of death. There is nothing they will be able to do about it, nor will we be able to help,' she said. 'It is necessary to evacuate as long as this possibility exists. For now, it still exists,' she added. Russian forces last week pulled back from positions outside Kyiv and shifted the focus of their assault away from the capital, and Ukraine's general staff said the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the country's second-largest, also remained under attack. Authorities in the eastern region of Luhansk on Wednesday urged residents to get out 'while it is safe' from an area that Ukraine also expects to be the target of a new offensive. The Kremlin has declared that Ukraine's Donbas is now a priority for the Russian army. NATO believes Moscow aims to take control of the whole Donbas region in eastern Ukraine with the aim of creating a corridor from Russia to annexed Crimea. Russian artillery pounded the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Kharkiv today as the West prepared more sanctions against Moscow in response to civilian killings that Kyiv and its allies have called war crimes. Zelensky accused the West of holding back on supplies because of 'intimidation' from Moscow and suggested Russia is in charge of NATO Ukrainian servicemen inspect the wreckage of houses, cars and Russian military vehicles in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, yesterday Giant mobile messenger operator should reduce subsidiaries Kakao Group's top manager expressed his intention to reduce the number of the group's affiliated firms in an online news conference Wednesday. "By the end of this year, we expect our subsidiaries to decrease by 30 to 40," said Kim Sung-su, who chairs the board of directors at the nation's top mobile messenger operator, Kakao Talk. As of Dec. 31, Kakao's number of affiliated firms totaled 134, so Kim's remark means that the figure will fall to around 100. Kim also pledged to increase the share of overseas business from the current 10 percent of the group's revenue to 30 percent within the next three years. Kakao seems to be going in the right direction. Last year, the internet business group experienced some adverse effects of rapid growth. Its founder, Kim Beom-su, was summoned to the National Assembly and chastised. The two main reasons for the parliamentary reprimand were the group's "octopus-like expansion" and "infringement of the commercial rights of traditional small businesses." The unethical stock selloffs by eight Kakao Pay executives following the company's IPO ended up causing the shares to plunge, which also drew public criticism. The increase in the number of Kakao affiliates went a little too far. According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), the number of Kakao's subsidiaries rose from 97 in 2020 to 118 in 2021 and to 134 currently. The number of affiliates often increases to a certain extent when a company grows. However, Korea's major conglomerates have reduced their subsidiaries since they experienced the Asian financial crisis 25 years ago. Accordingly, Samsung Group had 59 affiliates last year compared to Hyundai Motor Group's 53 and LG Group's 70. Kakao should learn from their examples. Kakao's promotion of overseas business is also a task that cannot be put off any longer. The company is now called a "big tech company in a small pond" or a "company for domestic consumers." New CEO Namkoong Whon did the right thing by presenting "Beyond Korea" as Kakao's new slogan. The power of big tech comes from global influence, as shown by Google, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix. The small Korean market and the linguistic barrier of being a company in a non-English speaking region cannot be excuses. Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK have all overcome these barriers to grow into global conglomerates. Global reputation doesn't come for nothing. Biological males should not compete in female sports. Single-sex spaces for women, from changing rooms to prisons, should be protected. Parents must have a say if their child wants irreversible gender treatment. Travel back a few years and none of these statements would be remotely contentious. That it is now considered hugely controversial when the Prime Minister makes them illustrates how insidiously radical trans activism has gripped society. While Sir Keir Starmer struggles to tell us whether women can have penises, Boris Johnson has injected badly needed common sense into the transgender debate. Boris Johnson has injected badly needed common sense into the transgender debate The Mail, which has repeatedly highlighted this vital issue, applauds his unequivocal commitment to defend women's basic rights, privacy and safety from cancellation. And we welcome his determination to protect children, frequently vulnerable, from rushing into life-altering sex changes. By exempting trans cases from a (laudable) new legal ban on conversion therapy, he has ensured parents, teachers and doctors will not face prosecution for encouraging youngsters to take their time before embarking on drugs and surgery. Afterwards, there's no going back. We have only one question: What took the PM so long to say it? Inevitably, an extreme fringe will falsely denounce Mr Johnson as transphobic. But with most ordinary people on his side, he should stick to his guns. The overwhelming majority are instinctively respectful and compassionate towards trans people. Equally, they believe women who want to safeguard their sex-based rights should be given the same respect and compassion. EU's blood money Irrespective of how many stories emerge of Russian atrocities in Ukraine, they have not lost their power to horrify. Richard Pendlebury's harrowing dispatch describes another dark chapter: The murder of civilians by Putin's depraved forces in the town of Borodyanka. Mr Johnson, who rightly describes the carnage as 'close to genocide', deserves plaudits for tightening the screw on Russia by imposing ever more punitive sanctions. Compare this to the EU, which has scandalously paid the Kremlin 30billion for oil and gas since the war began, while giving Ukraine a footling sub-1billion in military hardware. Hooked by its own foolishness on Russian fossil fuels, Germany refuses to agree an outright ban. This is a moral disgrace. Every single euro that swells Putin's war chest is drenched in Ukrainian blood. Reform to perform A damning study today provides yet more evidence that those who rhapsodise about the NHS being the envy of the world are kidding themselves. A staggering 40 per cent of cancer patients were only diagnosed after being rushed to hospital for emergency treatment a delay that worsened their chances of survival. On this metric, the UK limped painfully behind many comparable countries. While record (and rising) sums are pumped into the behemoth, it remains truly sub-standard. Even as struggling workers start paying more of their wages to supposedly fix the NHS's problems, its ungrateful managers are holding out the begging bowl and braying: 'More.' Until pusillanimous politicians get serious about reforming this unwieldy anachronism, patients face increasingly poor services. An Australian bikini model who lied about being raped by a tuktuk driver and two other men in Thailand has been arrested again. Stevie Bamford, a 30-year-old influencer and daughter of former rugby league star Peter Tunks, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud after attempting to stay in a luxury Sydney hotel using another woman's credit card. Bamford, who lives in Maroubra in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was arrested in September after booking a $1,544 room at The Hilton in the Sydney CBD. The model has been charged nine times in the past 10 years, including accusing a tuktuk driver and two other men of raping her in Thailand when coming home from a night out with her boyfriend. Bikini model Stevie Bamford pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud after attempting to stay in a luxury Sydney hotel using another woman's credit card Bamford was charged in September after booking a $1,544 room at The Hilton in the Sydney's CBD in September, according to documents seen by News Bamford pleaded guilty in Downing Centre Local Court to one charge of fraud on Wednesday after falsely using the credit card on September 13 last year. She checked in at about 7.20pm under the booking 'Teee Parkinson', staying for three days for more than $1,500, according to documents seen by News Corp. The 30-year-old used the hotel's features and had several guests in the room while she was there, according to court documents. The following day the hotel manager was alerted by the owner of the credit card that the transaction was not made by her and immediately declined the payment. The money was returned to the woman and hotel staff asked Bamford to pay for the room. When she said she couldn't pay, they called police. The bikini model claimed a friend booked the room and wasn't able to use it, so they gave it to her instead. Court documents explained she couldn't say why her friend wasn't able to use the room. She was arrested and charged with fraud. Her lawyer told court the 30-year-old suffered from 'significant mental health issues', with Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund telling court she'd already breached bail conditions by failing to turn up to court in late March. The case was adjourned until May where Bamford will be sentenced. She checked in at about 7:20pm under the booking 'Teee Parkinson', staying for three days for more than $1,500 at The Hilton on George Street The bikini model claimed a friend had booked the room and weren't able to use it, so they gave it to her instead. She has been charged nine times in the last 10 years Bamford made news around the world in 2012 when she was 21 after she made up a story about being raped by a tuktuk driver in Patong. She alleged the driver sexually assaulted her while two other men held her down on a beach. After being interrogated by Thai police, Bamford admitted she made the story up so her boyfriend wouldn't get upset that she returned to their accommodation so late. She was found guilty of the false claim by Phuket Provincial Court in June last year and forced to serve 15 days in Baan Bang Jo jail. Months after her 2012 arrest, Bamford claimed Australian consular officials told her to confess to lying to Thai police about being raped so she would be able to 'walk away' from the incident. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said at the time Australian consular officials gave no legal advice to Bamford, or advised her to sign any statement. Bamford was sentenced to 15 days in a Thailand jail for falsely accusing a tuk tuk driver of rape in 2012 Her lawyer told court the 30-year-old is suffering from 'significant mental health issues' In March last year Bamford pleaded guilty in Waverley Local Court to the aggravated entry of a home and stealing a silver watch, water pipe, and CCTV camera. She admitted entering the unit in nearby Eastlakes with two men and another woman on June 20 last year and stealing goods worth $400. Her burglary case was delayed so she could undergo residential rehabilitation and prepare an application to have the charges dealt with under the mental health act. In the past three years Bamford has also been caught driving with ice and cocaine in her system and pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. Bamford, who was already on a community corrections order, was arrested again on February 4 and charged with of possessing a suspected stolen driver's licence in Malabar. She was back before Waverley Local Court on Wednesday after being charged with failing to comply with her bail conditions between February 22 and March 1. The sometime interior design student resolved to stay out of trouble in June 2019 after being caught with drugs in her system while giving her mother a lift to Sydney Airport. She completed drug and alcohol counselling and was now 'going to be good'. 'I'm dealing with my problems and I'm much more mature now,' she said at the time. 'I'm more aware of the consequences from what partying does to your lifestyle.' This did not last long. Scott Morrison has brushed off a furious pensioner berating him at a pub, insisting 'I like hearing from people'. The man was filmed swearing at the Prime Minister in an obscene rant about his pension and immigration issues for his partner. Mr Morrison revealed his staff chatted to the man to help him with his issues after the outburst at the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW. Mr Morrison offered to sit down and talk to the man (pictured) as he raised his concerns 'There was one gentleman, Ray, who was very upset about a complicated case, it was involving iCare and immigration issues,' the PM said on Thursday. 'It was also involving income definitions under the pension regime. He has had a lot of complications with those cases. 'And my staff met with him after I carefully listened to what he had to say and respectfully listened to what he had to say. He was not asked to leave or anything like that.' Mr Morrison said the vast majority of pub-goers gave him a 'welcome reception' but said he understood the man's frustration. The man (pictured in blue) launched his rant when Scott Morrison entered the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW 'I could understand that he was very upset about some very significant issues that happened his life,' the PM said. 'And so I was keen to understand what he was saying to me and I believe we have. It is a complicated case but we will see how we might be able to assist and progress that. 'As you move around, I like hearing from people. I hear from people all the time. 'While some may have some very complex issues that need to be addressed, others it was great to see them'. Chief Advocate for National Seniors Australia, Ian Henschke, told 3AW the man was probably angry because of the different rules for the disability and aged pension. Aged pensioners can only earn up to $300 a fortnight before losing their entitlements. Scott Morrison stopped by Edgeworth Tavern, in Newcastle, on Wednesday (pictured) as part of his pre-election trail In the furious spray the man said: 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: "We're going help all those people that worked all their lives, paid their taxes and those that have a go, get a go". 'Well, I've had a go, mate, I've worked all my life and paid my taxes.' When Mr Morrison tried to coax the man away from cameras to explain his situation to staff he became angrier. 'You better f***ing do something ... I'm sick of your bullsh**,' he said. Also in the pub, one woman cunningly asked Mr Morrison to pose with her for a selfie video, before telling him 'congratulations on being the worst prime minister we've ever had'. Mr Morrison's smile quickly disintegrated into a frown as the video, which has gone viral on Twitter, came to an end. 'Just got to give Slomo my sincerest congratulations,' she wrote, 'I never thought Id get the chance to meet him dreams do come true.' Asked how Mr Morrison responded, the woman wrote: 'He said thanks, then processed what I said and lost his smirk and turned his back on me.' The disability support pensioner had also cornered the Prime Minister to blast him in an expletive-riddled rant over his measly disability pension. 'Listen to me for a change. You can have a million dollar house, $250,000 in the bank and franking credits but a disability pensioner can't have an income,' the man said to Mr Morrison. 'You've also been immigration minister. I've got a partner I've been with six and half years and I've got a right as an Australian to choose who my partner should be. 'We've been to the tribunal twice and won on both occasions. That was 14 months ago. Why can't I have a partner? 'You know another promise you made. You were going to have an integrity commission. As the punter bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns. 'I've been fighting for 12 years, you treat a disability pensioner who's worked all his life, paid his taxes... now he's getting taxed again,' the elderly man continued. As the punter (pictured with his back to the camera) bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: "We're gonna help all those people who worked all their lives and paid their taxes, those who had a go." Well I've had a go, mate. 'I'm doing this before the election because this is two promises that you made.' The interaction sparked mixed reactions online, with many praising the man for speaking out. 'That man is a hero, right there. Morrison speechless for once,' one person tweeted. 'To be honest I think this confrontation from a pensioner tonight will hurt Scomo more than any ad,' a third said. But others claimed the man hijacked the event. 'I was there and very disappointed I did not get the opportunity to talk on account of this man and others poor behaviour,' one woman said. 'He took the whole floor what about everyone else waiting to speak.' The bitter showdown was the latest saga in a tumultuous week for Mr Morrison, rocked by in-house friction and allegations of racism and bullying. Last week, Liberal Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells accused Mr Morrison under parliamentary privilege of being a 'bully' and 'autocrat' and claimed he made racist remarks about his former political rival Lebanese-Australian Michael Towke. The personal attacks continued with Catherine Cusack, a member of the Upper House who lives in the flood-devastated Northern Rivers region, days later accusing Mr Morrison of only providing disaster relief to Coalition-backed regions. Mr Morrison's opponent, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, faced his own unruly hecklers on the campaign trail on Wednesday. He awkwardly refused to take a question from a voter who crashed his press conference with Mark McGowan in Perth on Wednesday morning. 'I'm not a media person, I'm just a local resident, I've got a tough question for you,' the man said, asking the Labor leader if he was 'up for' answering. Mr Albanese responded: 'I'm absolutely up for it' but then rejected taking a question from the man in front of the media. 'Sorry we can't really do that. The media alliance will be a bit upset,' he said. Anthony Albanese awkwardly refused to take a question from a voter who crashed his press conference with Mark McGowan While Mr Morrison was copping the fury of Hunter locals, more bombshell allegations were levelled at him. During a live TV interview with The Project's Waleed Aly, Lebanese-Australia former politician Michael Towke accused Scott Morrison and his allies of launching a vicious smear campaign against him in a 'desperate' bid to secure the future PM his first seat in federal Parliament. Mr Towke and Mr Morrison were both vying for pre-selection for the seat of Cook, which takes in part of the Sutherland Shire, in Sydney's south, for the 2007 election. Mr Towke claimed Liberal party apparatchiks both publicly and privately smeared him as a Muslim crime figure even claiming he was associated with neo-Nazis. There were brazenly false rumours spread that he ran a brothel and was somehow involved in the Cronulla riots. Mr Towke also claimed he was coerced by senior party officials to drop out of the contest against Mr Morrison or he would 'never be able to find a job' ever again. Mr Morrison has emphatically denied the 'malicious' claims he would use a candidate's racial background against him, after they resurfaced last week. Lebanese-Australia former politician Michael Towke (pictured) levelled a series of bombshell allegations against Scott Morrison on Wednesday Mr Towke claimed another dissenter within Mr Morrison's ranks recently reached out to him to express their support after the PM repeatedly denied the accusations. 'I've got text messages from a cabinet minister telling me "I believe you, and do what you need to do, just be careful",' he said. This was just the latest leaked text scandal for the prime minister, whose own close colleagues and allies exchanged unflattering words about him. In one an exchange, a minister branded Mr Morrison a 'complete psycho' to former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, who in response called him a 'horrible, horrible person'. More details were released on Tuesday by the 7.30 report with Ms Berejiklian questioning his motives and handing of the bushfires which devastated large parts of Australia in 2019. 'Morrison is a horrible horrible person. He is actively spreading lies and briefing against me re fires,' she wrote followed by a red-faced emoji. The politician on the other end is even more scathing in reply, calling the PM a self-obsessed 'psycho'. 'Morrison is about Morrison. Complete psycho. He is desperate and jealous. The mob have worked him out and think he is a fraud.' The text message exchange between Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed politician calling Mr Morrison a 'fraud' An leaked internal Labor Party memo reveals Anthony Albanese's secret strategy to 'censor' his frontbenchers. Pictured: Mr Albanese with WA Premier Mark McGowan on Wednesday The plot to keep shadow ministers out of the limelight was detailed in this email from Labor's campaign directors to press secretaries and candidates. Scroll down for the full email Other texts by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce labelled Mr Morrison a 'hypocrite and liar' whom he 'never trusted'. Also on Wednesday, a leaked internal Labor Party memo revealed Mr Albanese's secret strategy to 'censor' his frontbenchers and dominate media coverage during the election campaign. The plot to keep shadow ministers out of the limelight was detailed in an email from Labor's campaign directors to press secretaries and candidates. In what is called 'a very different way of operating', Labor HQ said transcripts of interviews, speeches and opinion pieces will be hidden from the media unless they involve the leader. Labor politicians will have to get advance permission to hold a press conference, send quotes to media or give a speech. They have also been told to cancel regular TV and radio interviews, with every appearance now 'subject to approval based on the media context on that day'. The memo said the strict measures have been taken to 'keep our daily message clear'. Mr Morrison is expected to call the election any day now for either May 14 or 21. Labor is ahead by a sizeable eight points according to the latest Newspoll. Anthony Albanese has claimed a well funded, shadowy right wing group called Advance was behind a supposed 'tough question' from a passerby, but the group has denied this. The Labor leader refused to take a question from a man who crashed his press conference with Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan in Perth on Wednesday. 'I'm not a media person, I'm just a local resident, I've got a tough question for you,' the man said. But on Thursday morning, Mr Albanese claimed: 'The gentleman was associated with the truck that was there yesterday. This wasn't someone just passing by.' Mr Albanese was referring to billboard-carrying trucks seen in cities throughout Australia which show Chinese President Xi Jinping voting for Labor. One of those trucks gatecrashed the Labor leader's press conference with West Australian Premier Mark McGowan yesterday. Anthony Albanese (second left) has revealed that a shadowy right wing group called Advance was behind a supposed 'tough question' from a passerby (pictured right) on Wednesday An anti-Labor advertisement on a truck is seen during a press conference with Labor leader Anthony Albanese outside Midland Hospital on April 6, 2022 in Perth The truck was one of several funded by the well-resourced group, Advance, that have been seen in Australian cities including Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Newcastle and Perth. The ads feature Xi placing a ticket that says 'LABOR 1' into a ballot box, a hammer and sickle communist logo on a red background and the words 'CCP (Chinese Communist Party) SAYS VOTE Labor.' While Advance does not deny it is behind the trucks, it does deny the man asking a question to Mr Albanese is connected to it. 'Although we'd happily claim this concerned Aussie as a member of Advance, unfortunately he has nothing to do with us hes just a genuine punter who saw an opportunity to ask a question and took it,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. Little is publicly known about the mysterious group behind the ads though it has been accused of being a front for the Liberal Party, which it denies. Its first national director, Gerard Benedet, was a former chief of staff to then Queensland Liberal National Party leader Tim Nicholls. Liz Storer (pictured) is a former Liberal government adviser who recently led Advance, a right wing activist group Mr Benedet stood down in September 2019 and was replaced by Liz Storer, a former Liberal councillor and adviser to Senator Zed Seselja. At some point recently Ms Storer stood down and the organisation is now run by a Matthew Sheahan. The group's website lists no office holders and no phone numbers. The only way to contact it is by email. Advance previously said it was set up to counterbalance left wing activist group GetUp and the conservative group has deep pockets. In the 2019-2020 financial year, Advance spent $1.5million on political campaigning, which was more than 10 times the $114,570 spent by GetUp in the same period. In 2020-2021 Advance raised $1.3million in donations, mainly from corporations, while GetUp raised $553,000, all from individuals. A huge chunk of Advance's money in the last financial year came from one man, according to reports. Matthew Sheahan, pictured, runs right wing activist group Advance Former fund manager Simon Fenwick donated $1million to Advance because he thought Australian politics had leaned too far to the left. 'Im concerned that Australias freedom, prosperity and security is being undermined by left-wing agendas and that a strong counter-voice is needed,' he told the Nine newspapers in September 2020. 'I decided to donate to Advance Australia instead of the political parties because we still need to be able to criticise the Prime Minister,' he added. The man was wearing a grey T-shirt and had headphones around this neck as he crashed the press conference Anthony Albanese awkwardly refused to take a question from a voter who crashed his press conference with Mark McGowan Mr Albanese refused to take a question from the voter despite his persistence Advance says its core beliefs are freedom, security and prosperity. Its website says 'We believe Australia is a free country. But you wouldnt know it from the way woke politicians and the inner city elites carry on.' On security it says 'While the elites forget about the threats of Islamic terrorism and the spectre of the aggressive Chinese Communist Party, Advance fights for a defence force that's fit for purpose.' Shadowy right wing group Advance sees Extinction Rebellion protestors (pictured) as one of its targets And on prosperity it says 'Mainstream Australia is under siege by stupid laws and woke ideologies like 'net zero'. Having got the media's attention with its fake Labor ad trucks and interrupting Anthony Albanese, we are sure to be hearing a lot more from Advance between now and the federal election. 'Advance will campaign across the country in key seats with a focus on freedom, security and prosperity and a warning to all voters that if they vote Labor they will get the Greens,' the group's spokesperson said. Advertisement A prospective juror for the sentencing of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz was excused on Monday after telling the judge she didn't have time for it because she is too busy juggling her husband and her sugar daddy. The woman, known only as 'Miss Bristol', told the court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that she had a lot of other commitments that she couldn't divert her attention from in order to serve on the jury in Cruz's death row case. Cruz pleaded guilty in November to the premeditated murder of 14 students and three members of the staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Valentine's Day in 2018. A jury will now determine whether the judge should sentence him to life in prison or the death penalty. Footage from the courtroom shows Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, 46, asking whether anyone has any concerns about the requirements asked of them. 'Miss Bristol' piped up to say not only was the trial expected to take 'a whole entire month', it conflicted with her birthday and would interrupt her love life. 'First of all let me clarify myself, July second is my birthday, July Fourth is my son, and the 18th is my other son. And again, I need to figure out something. I have my sugar daddy that I see every day.' The judge replied: 'I'm sorry?' Bristol replied: 'My sugar daddy.' The judge, looking increasingly confused, said: 'I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about.' 'Well I am married and I have my sugar daddy. I see him every day.' Lost for words, Judge Scherer replied: 'OK. All right. Ma'am, we'll come back to you, OK? Thank you.' 'Miss Bristol' was later excused. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, presiding over a court in Fort Lauderdale, was asked on Monday by a prospective juror if she could be excused owing to her romantic entanglements Judge Scherer was baffled by the woman's excuse and said: 'OK ma'am, we'll come back to you' before dismissing her Nikolaz Cruz, who shot and killed 14 students and three teachers at his school on Valentine's Day in 2018, is pictured in court on Wednesday A video of the judge's exchange with the woman has now gone viral, with many calling her sugar daddy story the 'best excuse' they've ever heard for getting out of jury duty. 'I mean, who hasn't tried the sugar daddy excuse to get out of jury duty at least once?' said one user. 'Florida court clerks are going to have to add the sugar daddy exception to jury service,' another said. 'Well this has to be the best excuse I've ever heard!' another quipped. 'If having to see my Sugar Daddy isn't a viable excuse to be dismissed from jury duty, then what is?!' said another. The sentencing trial is scheduled to last between June and September. Monday was the first day of jury selection. Cruz was a 19-year-old expelled student with a history of mental health and behavioral issues at the time of the killings, prosecutors said last year. Under Florida law, a jury must be unanimous in its decision to recommend that a judge sentence Cruz to be executed. If any of the 12 jurors objects, Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Among the mitigating factors the defense will ask the jury to consider are Cruz's brain damage from his mother's drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy, his long history of mental-health disorders, and allegations he was sexually abused and bullied. Judge Scherer, a registered Republican who lives in Broward County, has been on the case since 2019, when Cruz was charged Scherer is a mother, wife and avid horse rider who, according to social media profiles, belonged at one time to the Stanford Equestrian team Judge Elizabeth Scherer is pictured on Wednesday during a sidebar discussion with attorneys in the Nikolas Cruz trial In this Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2022 photo, Judge Elizabeth Scherer is shown on the bench during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings Judge Scherer, a registered Republican who lives in Broward County, has been on the case since 2019, when Cruz was charged. She sparred with his attorneys during proceedings, labeling them 'disrespectful' at times. Scherer has been on the bench for ten years and the Parkland case is by far her most high profile. In 2018, she threatened to restrict reporting of the case after a local newspaper published information about Cruz that was not intended to be part of the public record. Fort Lauderdale attorneys told The Sun Sentinel at the time that she had a reputation for showing up late to court and for being 'testy' and 'cranky.' Scherer is a mother, wife and avid horse rider who, according to social media profiles, belonged at one time to the Stanford Equestrian team. Some of the teenagers who survived Cruz's deadly rampage formed 'March for Our Lives,' an organization that called for gun control legislation such as a ban on assault-style rifles. In March 2018, the group held a nationally televised march in Washington that sparked hundreds of similar rallies worldwide. Cruz was 18 when he legally purchased from a licensed gun dealer the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting. Sydney's cliffs have been transformed into rushing waterfalls as a rain bomb continues to drench the city with torrential downpours. Incredible images captured in the city's eastern suburbs on Thursday show the relentless rainfall pouring over the side of the cliffs and into the ocean below. Towering water-front mansions in Diamond Bay and Dover Heights were seen being drenched in the deluge, which cascaded off the cliff face in heavy streams. The wet and wild conditions saw the cliffs battered with large waves and powerful sea spray gusts as the city surpassed its average annual rainfall. Many homes and businesses in Chipping Norton, in the city's south-west, have been ordered to evacuate by 3pm on Thursday afternoon. Sydney's rocky cliff's have been transformed into rushing waterfalls as a rain bomb continues to drench the city in torrential downpours (pictured, wild weather in the city's east) The wet and wild conditions saw the cliffs battered with large waves and powerful gusts of sea spray (pictured) as Sydney officially surpasses its average annual rainfall total Towering water-front mansions in Diamond Bay and Dover Heights were drenched in the deluge which cascaded off the rock-side in heavy streams (pictured) Incredible images captured in the city's eastern suburbs on Thursday show the relentless rainfall pouring over the side of the cliffs and into the ocean below Powerful streams were seen cascading off the rock-face in Sydney's east on Thursday Residents on Newbridge Road between Riverside Road and east to Georges River, Davy Robinson Drive, Rickard Road and Arthur Street had been asked to evacuate. An evacuation warning has also been issued for parts of Camden with residents in affected areas asked to leave their homes in the next few hours. The rainfall showed no sign of stopping on Thursday afternoon with the Nepean River at Menangle having risen more than 13 metres in the past 24 hours. The river passed major flood levels by two metres by 11am on Thursday morning. Canterbury Bankstown council has asked Milperra residents to prepare for 'potential flooding and evacuations' as the Georges River in Sydney's south and west continues to rise and threatens to overflow. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for potential major flooding for Menangle, Liverpool and Milperra and a flood watch for other catchments. 'Rainfall is expected to intensify around coastal areas of Wollongong today and continue tomorrow. The rainfall is expected to ease on Saturday,' it said. At Coalcliff in Wollongong, about 60km southwest of Sydney, the downpour has triggered a landslide at the Seacliff Bridge (pictured) Emergency crews (pictured) attended the scene and diverted oncoming traffic after one lane of the Lawrence Hargrave Drive had to be closed NSW SES acting commissioner Daniel Austin on Thursday afternoon said flash floods were developing in the space of 45 minutes in some areas. The commissioner said the SES has responded to over 680 requests for assistance as a result of the wild weather and had performed 25 flood rescues. He asked that the community remained vigilant and responded to evacuation notices, adding the state had a 'long way to go' before the weather plateaued. Meanwhile at Coalcliff near Wollongong, about 60km south of Sydney, the downpour has triggered a landslide at the Seacliff Bridge. Emergency crews attended the scene and diverted oncoming traffic after one lane of the Lawrence Hargrave Drive had to be closed. As the east coast continues to be smashed by more torrential rain, millions of locals in coastal areas have been ordered to stay at home. Rainfall continues to drench areas south of Newcastle, two hours north of Sydney, with the deluge expected to cause rivers to overflow and significant flash flooding. Jetties were pictured underwater along the Woronora River in the Sutherland Shire with residents reporting boats and pontoons floating away downstream. In Corrimal, in Wollongong's north, incredible footage has revealed a mass of brown swirling water creating what appears to be a whirlpool on a suburban street. As the east coast continues to be smashed by more torrential rain millions of locals in coastal areas have been ordered to stay at home (pictured, a landslide at Coalcliff, south of Sydney) Areas of heavy rainfall continue to be directed towards areas south of #Newcastle. This is likely to continue for much of Thursday, resulting in significant flash and riverine flooding. Many areas south of the Central Coast have received over 100mm of rain during Wednesday night with another 100-200mm possible during today. Keep an eye on local warnings and flood updates. Register now to receive SMS alerts for severe weather, flooding and Major road closures. www.nswincidentalerts.com Posted by NSW Incident Alerts on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Large swathes of the southern Central Coast have been pounded with heavy rain receiving 100mm overnight, with another 100 to 200mm forecast for the area. New South Wales is already saturated after being hit by repeated flooding in recent months, with the Northern Rivers area devastated by two deluges within weeks and Sydney drenched in its wettest March on record. More than 100mm of rain fell on parts of southern Sydney overnight, with a further 140mm expected to be dumped on coastal areas in just six hours on Thursday. The Harbour City has surpassed its average annual rainfall total of 1213mm, setting a new record for the fastest time to receive a year's worth of rain. An urgent evacuation warning has been issued has been low lying parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay in Sydney's south and Picton in the south-west outskirts to get out now before it's too late. A severe weather warning is in place for southern and central NSW, metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra, the South Coast, the Central and Southern Tablelands and parts of the Hunter. Some of Sydney could receive up to 250mm of rain on Thursday (pictured, Sydneysiders battling the wild weather on Wednesday) A severe weather warning has been issued for much of the NSW coast. Areas in purple should expect at least 100mm of rain Severe thunderstorms are also predicted inland for the Central West Slopes and Plains near Parkes and the Upper West near Cobar. BoM on Thursday warned there was an increased risk of landslides, with one already killing a British father and son hiking with their family in the Blue Mountains. A flood watch has also been issued for central NSW, with minor to moderate flooding forecast for the Southern Coastal Rivers including the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Macquarie and Queanbeyan rivers on Thursday and Friday. An urgent warning was issued for low lying parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay in Sydney's south and Picton in the south-west outskirts to evacuate on Thursday morning. 'Floodwaters may isolate the area. If you remain in the area, you may be trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous to rescue you,' an alert read. 'Residents of areas expecting to be flooded should make plans to leave when advised to do so. Ensure you take pets and valuables with you.' Sydney's south-west is on high alert with major flooding expected at Liverpool and Milperra on Thursday afternoon. Authorities have urged Sydney motorists to stay off the roads if possible. Sydneysiders were faced with a difficult commute to work on Thursday as the city was pounded with torrential rain that showed no time of stopping 'We have seen widespread heavy rainfall overnight and it is expected to continue today with a high risk of flash flooding with lots of roads closed cut off and flooded,' NSW SES assistant commissioner Dean Storey told Sunrise. 'The key message for the community, particularly those getting up getting ready to go to work and hit the roads, is avoid unnecessary travel. 'If you don't have to take to the roads today, please avoid it. If you need to travel, drive to the conditions and never drive through those floodwaters. 'If you live in a flood-prone area that is forecast to the impacted, have a plan in place and be ready to enact that plan if you are required to evacuate your home.' Commuters battled a tough run into work from Sydney's Northern Beaches, with Pittwater Road inundated with water. Wakehurst Parkway is also closed between Narrabeen and Oxford Falls. Sydneysiders have been urged to stay off the roads. Pictured is flash flooding on Pittwater Road on the Northern Beaches on Thursday morning In the city's south, the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass is closed due to landslip while flooding has cut Audrey Road in the Royal National Park. Lawrence Hargrave Drive is closed in both directions on Seacliff Bridge between Coalcliff and Clifton due to a fallen tree. Waterfalls have formed off the cliffs at Vaucluse in Sydney's east after heavy rain on Thursday morning. SES crews have responded to almost 600 requests for help in the last 24 hours, including seven flood rescues. One man is lucky to be alive after a dramatic rescue from a flooded creek in Epping in Sydney's north. Sydney's south copped an battering overnight, where Cronulla has received a 150mm drenching in the last 24 hours. Two thirds fell within three hours overnight. Sydney Airport recorded 111mm, well above its average monthly rainfall for April. The overnight deluge has already caused widespread damage on Rose Bay North (pictured) Dozens of roads are closed across Sydney, including Audley Weir (pictured Wednesday night) Flood warnings are in place for 12 rivers across NSW, including the Hawkesbury, Nepean, Colo and Georges rivers. Minor warnings have been issued for the Hawkesbury River at Windsor and North Richmond and the Cooks River at Tempe Bridge and the Woronora River at Woronora Bridge. Moderate flooding could occur on the Colo River at Putty Road. Little Bay in Sydney's south-east copped a 107mm drenching overnight while Darkes Forest on the south-west outskirts received 67mm within two hours. On top of the wild weather, an oil spill has sparked havoc at Kurnell in Sydney's south after a pump at the nearby Caltex Refinery, Australia's largest fuel import terminal failed. It's been a wet night on Sydney roads with some areas receiving up to 120mm overnight on Wednesday The weather is caused by a strong upper trough and embedded low amplifying over the centre of NSW, working to deepen another trough sitting off the coast. The systems are expected to weaken on Friday morning. 'Heavy and persistent showers over the coming days will increase the chance of flash flooding and landslips over already saturated catchments,' BOM meteorologist Sarah Scully said on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms also pose a threat, including in northeast NSW. 'They may produce localised heavy falls (but) it is not expected to produce that riverine flooding,' Ms Scully said. 'Instead, it'll be more localised flash flooding.' Six-hourly rain totals between 60 and 100mm are forecast for Sydney on Thursday Joe Biden's brother James has been linked to first son Hunter's shady dealings after it emerged both men were paid huge retainers by a Chinese firm. James Biden, 72, received $65,000 a month from the Chinese-linked consulting group throughout 2018, totaling $780,000. The cash was given to his Lion Hall Group. Meanwhile, the same firm - which has links to China's ruling communist party - paid Hunter a cool $100,000 a month for the same year, as well as a $500,000 retainer - meaning he earned a cool $1.7 million from the firm in 2018. Further details on what exactly the pair were paid for have yet to emerge, as CBS News reported that a total of 150 of their transactions had been flagged as 'concerning.' They underwent a review, although the outcome of those reviews has not been shared. The documents were obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, who spent three years digging into James and Hunter's business dealings, which he called 'very concerning.' He said his team obtained the records directly from the bank where the consulting firm did business. 'We have people with the Biden name, dealing with Chinese business people that have a relationship to the Communist Party,' Grassley told CBS. 'I think James Biden was very much a part of this.' President Joe Biden's brother, James, right, has officially been caught up in the Chinese payment scandal after newly-released documents showed he received $65,000 from a Chinese consulting firm. He and the president are pictured in 2008 And Robert Weissman, president of advocacy group Public Citizen, told CBS News that Hunter and James' business dealings with Chinese officials are concerning. 'I think Hunter and James Biden should not have entered into those relationships, full stop,' he said. 'To the extent those occurred while Joe Biden was the vice president, there's a worry that they hope to get something direct from the Obama administration.' And even after Joe Biden left office as the vice president, Weissman said, there should still have been a concern about the potential for 'investing in these family members to get future benefits in the possibility that Joe Biden would become president later on.' The documents came directly from the bank where the Chinese consulting firm did business, Grassley said First son Hunter Biden, right, also received between $100,000 to $165,000 from the firm. The father and son duo are pictured in 2010 The documents were obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, who has been looking into the Biden's financial transactions for the past three years. He is pictured last month revealing receipts that claim Hunter had business dealings with the Chinese firm Senate Republicans have been looking into Hunter and James' business dealings for years, with Grassley co-writing a report with Sen. Ron Johnson in 2020, publishing bank documents obtained by his committee evidencing millions of dollars sent by the Chinese to Hunter and James. The documents published at the time alleged that Hunter, James and James' wife, Sara, tapped into a line of credit Hunter set up with a Chinese business executive to purchase more than $100,000 in airline tickets, hotels and restaurants. The newly-released records from Republican investigators show what appears to be the 2017 application for that $99,000 line of credit bearing the signatures of Hunter Biden and the Chinese executive, CBS reports. 'These records we got are the first records that have ever been made public on this issue,' Grassley claimed. 'Nobody else has them.' Also on Wednesday, CBS learned that more than 150 financial transactions involving either Hunter or James' global business affairs were flagged as concerning by US banks for further review. Some included large wire transfers, which could point to deeper problems, or could be innocuous. The astonishing news comes a full two years after it was first revealed that files on Hunter's personal computer documented apparently shady business dealings between him and foreign officials. Hunter faces a federal tax investigation over his tangled finances. He has battled drug addiction, and has sired five children by three different women, including a son born to an Arkansas stripper. He has also faced questions over why he was paid large consulting firms by Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, despite having no specialist knowledge of the energy sector. Some of the documents from his laptop, which were finally verified by the New York Times and the Washington Post 18 months after DailyMail.com, showed that the Chinese government-linked oil company CEFC wired the Biden family a total of $5 million, with Hunter himself receiving a whopping $1 million in 2017 to represent his business partner. One astonishing email indicates the president could have been involved in Hunter's business dealings with the Chinese. In September 2017 Hunter was planning to open a new office for his multi-million-dollar joint venture with CEFC at the House of Sweden, a Georgetown building home to the Swedish embassy. He wrote to a building manager: 'please have keys made available for new office mates: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Jim Biden, Gongwen Dong (Chairman Ye CEFC emissary). 'I would like the office sign ton [sic] reflect the following: The Biden Foundation, Hudson West (CEFC US).' 'We are very excited and honored to welcome your new colleagues!' the manager replied. And other files allegedly show that the president wrote a college recommendation letter for the son of Hunter Biden's Chinese business partner in 2017. The letter for the son of Jonathan Li, CEO of Chinese investment firm BHR, was sent directly to the president of Brown University through FedEx, according to a chain of emails that have recently resurfaced. Jack Maxey, who gave DailyMail.com as well as other outlets a copy of the hard drive from Hunter's abandoned laptop in the spring of 2021, also claims he and his colleagues have found '450 gigabytes of deleted material' including 80,000 images and videos and more than 120,000 archived emails. He said he intends to post them all online in a searchable database in the coming weeks. Senate Republicans have been looking into Hunter Biden's business dealings since 2020, when files on Hunter's personal computer documented apparently shady business dealings between him and foreign officials President Biden has long denied having conversations with Hunter about his business dealings James' name, meanwhile, first surfaced in the ongoing investigation last year in connection to a separate international business venture, which he abandoned after a White House ethics review flagged it for potential conflicts of interests. Family members of the president are required by law to notify the White House counsel's office of business engagements, which are then reviewed for conflicts of interest - or even the appearance of a possible conflict of interest. The office then advises the family members on its findings, and they make decisions about how best to proceed. It is unclear which of the business ventures James, 72, had to abandon, but he has reportedly held insurance and consulting jobs. The president, though, has denied having conversations with Hunter about his business dealings, and, speaking to ABC News on Sunday, the White House Chief of Staff emphasized that the Biden family's business dealings are private and do not involve the president. Pictured: Ali Khamis Moh'd, who is accused of sexual assault A nurse has been charged after he allegedly sexually assaulted a middle-aged woman while she awaited heart surgery - in what is now his fourth alleged victim to come forward. Ali Khamis Moh'd, 42, was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault on Thursday in relation to a 58-year-old woman at a Bella Vista hospital, in Sydney's north west. Police received reports the woman was allegedly assaulted in August last year at the hospital while waiting for surgery. Moh'd was arrested over the latest charges on Thursday morning and will appear in Parramatta Local Court today. The internationally-educated heart specialist has also been charged with raping a 25-year-old woman as she recovered from surgery at Norwest Private Hospital last September. Moh'd is also accused of sexually touching a 67-year-old woman while she awaited heart surgery at the nearby Nepean surgery last month, and of groping a 21-year-old nursing student at that same hospital in December. Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed details of the prosecution case against Moh'd - a highly qualified specialist who studied at both the Jordanian University of Science and Technology in Ar-Ramtha, north-west Jordan, and the University of Technology, Sydney. Two of the four alleged victims, aged 25 and 67, were cardiac patients when Moh'd allegedly assaulted them. Ali Khamis Moh'd was released on bail on Friday before he was charged again on Thursday morning, and was filmed running from police custody (pictured) During his studies, Moh'd specialised in cardiac catheterization - a procedure where a thin tube, called a catheter, is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat heart conditions, such as clogged arteries or an irregular heartbeat. According to court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia, Magistrate James Viney said during a bail hearing for Moh'd last week that the accused had access to 'vulnerable patients as a consequence of the high trust model under which he is employed'. 'The accused has shown he targets vulnerable persons in an isolated location in obvious attempts to conceal his offences. 'He is in a position of trust,' Mr Viney said, adding that Moh'd allegedly took advantage of said trust. Mr Viney said the case against Moh'd is 'strong' with credible witnesses. One of the alleged victims 'provided an account on several occasions to several different sources where the account of events have not wavered', the court heard. Mr Viney also noted that Moh'd has no criminal history in Australia. Moh'd is unable to to work as a nurse until criminal proceedings conclude. He will face one charge of sexual intercourse without consent before Parramatta Local Court on May 19. He will front Liverpool Local Court on April 22 for two counts of sexually touching another person (in circumstances of aggravation) and inciting another to sexually touch them (aggravated), and sexually touch another person without consent. President Barack Obama appeared to have been surprised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine based on his dealings with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over his two terms as president. Obama, 60, spoke with Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg Wednesday at an event hosted by the University of Chicago 's Institute of Politics and The Atlantic. The former president noted that he was always 'ruthless' but seemed not to recognize Putin after spending years meeting with him on the world seen. 'I don't know that the person is the same as the person who is now leading this charge,' Obama said of Putin. 'For him to bet the farm this way? I would not have predicted it from five years ago.' Obama, who was president during the 2014 invasion of Crimea by Putin, said he was 'encouraged' by the actions the west had taken against the invasion this time around versus his efforts eight years ago. Former President Barack Obama has a conversation with The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, during the Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference at the University of Chicago on Wednesday The former president noted that he was always 'ruthless' but seemed not to recognize Putin after spending years meeting with him on the world seen Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on the development of agricultural and fishing industries via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 5 'In 2014, I often had to drag them kicking and screaming to respond in ways that we would have wanted to see,' he said. The ex-president said that the invasion is a warning that democracy has gotten 'flabby and confused and feckless' as authoritarians are on the rise. 'Putin represented a very particular reaction to the ideals of democracy but also globalization, the collision of cultures, the ability to harness anger and resentment around an ethno-nationalist mythology,' Obama said. 'This speaks to a much more bumpy, difficult, violent, challenging future for the coming generation if we don't get some things right - here at home, in Europe, in Asia and Latin America because what's happening there is not isolated,' he added. Obama added that he was unsure of how this would all end, saying it was 'too early to tell.' President Joe Biden talks as he leaves after signing the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 6 'Putin represented a very particular reaction to the ideals of democracy but also globalization, the collision of cultures, the ability to harness anger and resentment around an ethno-nationalist mythology,' Obama said In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 6 'I would not only try not to predict what's in the mind of Putin, but how the Ukrainians perceive of this struggle, because we are sitting her comfortably and they are going through heck,' he said. The Pentagon estimates Russia has withdrawn about two thirds of the troops it had around Kyiv and will redeploy them to the east and south, with the White House warning the war's 'next phase could be measured in months or longer.' Even where troops have withdrawn, fears remain, with Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko telling residents to wait before returning, citing the danger of continued shelling and the danger of unexploded munitions. Europe's worst conflict in decades, sparked by Russia's invasion on February 24, has killed as many as 20,000 people, according to Ukrainian estimates. More than 4.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country and about 6.5 million have been internally displaced, UN agencies say. Though Obama took a swipe at journalists as well, he said that the destruction of local media and the rise of news through big tech and social media have 'exacerbated making democracy more difficult.' Obama also criticized social media outlets for filling what he calls a 'demand for crazy' and spreading disinformation in a way that he said he's underestimated. 'I do think that there is a demand for crazy on the internet that we have to grapple with,' Obama said. While praising how easily available information had become in the United States, he did say it led people to mass belief of conspiracy theories. 'Roughly 40 percent of the country appears convinced that the current president was elected fraudulently and that the election was rigged' he noted, with about 30-35 percent not taking advantage of vaccines for Covid-19, which he called a 'medical miracle' that had been clinically tested out by a billion people. Firefighters are battling a massive blaze that has engulfed a factory in inner-city Melbourne with large plumes of black smoke seen from nearby suburbs. Crews were called to John Street in Brunswick East around 1pm on Thursday following multiple reports of a blaze and arrived within five minutes to find the Alpha Trading wholesale premises well alight. Extraordinary photos and footage shared by shocked onlookers show the blaze threatening to spread to an adjoining block of apartments and surrounding homes. Firefighters are battling to contain a fire which has engulfed a business in Brunswick East More than 60 firefighters are battling to save neighbouring properties and bring the blaze under control. There are fears the blaze has spread to the adjoining apartment block. Locals in surrounding streets have been evacuated by authorities. 'I'd hear panicked knocking and screaming 'get out get out',' one man told the Herald Sun. '(I saw) fireballs four-storeys high,' Flames and billowing smoke can be seen from surrounding suburbs, including North Carlton, Coburg, North Fitzroy, Northcote, Parkville, Princes Hill and Thornbury. Oscar from Fitzroy told 3AW he's 'never seen smoke like this'. 'It's getting worse as well,' he said. 'It's pretty bad. if you look out now, you'll be able to see it from the city. There's a lot of black fumes and smoke, even some flames.' Jill was 13km away at Armadale train station when she noticed 'huge, big black plumes'. 'It's massive, I've never seen anything like it,' she said. Flames and large plumes of smoke from the John St blaze can be seen from nearby suburbs The fire in Melbourne's inner-north (pictured) began around 1pm on Thursday There were grave fears the intense inferno (pictured) would spread to adjoining homes Police and paramedics are also at the scene. 'Members of the public are asked to avoid the area to allow emergency vehicle access,' a Fire Rescue Victoria spokeswoman said. 'A community advice message has been issued to people in nearby areas that smoke may be visible, and to stay informed and monitor conditions.' There is currently no threat to the community. Residents are being warned to stay indoors and to close windows and doors if they're sensitive to smoke. Motorists are also urged to avoid the area with detours in place. The factory is believed to be an importing/exporting business. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Kim Cheol-yeon, CEO of KT Studio Genie, speaks during a press conference in Seoul, April 7. Yonhap KT said Thursday that it plans to invest 500 billion won ($410 million) over the next three years to expand its lineup of intellectual property in media content. As part of an ambitious goal to become the country's leading media group, the company said its media unit KT Studio Genie will first showcase 24 works of original content by next year. In 2021, KT created the unit to serve as the group's overarching control tower for its media content business, ranging from video streaming platform Seezn to web novel unit Storywiz. "Starting this year, KT Studio Genie will showcase well-made dramas and expand both distribution channels and its production spectrum through partnership with businesses from both home and abroad," Kim Cheol-yeon, CEO of KT Studio Genie, said during a press conference. The production company will first supply the titles to other affiliates under the broader KT Group, which operates a range of media platforms from internet protocol TV to video streaming service Seezn, and has 13 million paid subscriptions. The telecom giant's latest investment comes as video streaming platforms have stepped up spending on original content in South Korea amid the pandemic. Local rival Wavve, operated by top carrier SK Telecom and the country's three major broadcasters, has promised to invest 300 billion won in original content by 2023. Global streaming service Netflix said earlier that more than 25 Korean-language works, including five original films, will be released this year. Kim said KT is aiming for annual revenue of 5 trillion won from its content and media sectors by 2025, up from 3.6 trillion won this year. (Yonhap) The ongoing tensions surrounding reporter Tegan George's lawsuit against network Ten have reached new heights with high-profile political editor Peter van Onselen refusing to interact on air with some of her supporters. Mr Van Onselen, who is at the centre of George's lawsuit after she claimed he bullied her during her time in the Canberra press gallery, refused to do Federal Budget-related crosses involving Narelda Jacobs and Lachlan Kennedy. Both Ms Jacobs and Mr Kennedy are vocal supporters of Ms George and made public donations to the 'fighting' fund set up to help in her legal battle against her bosses at the network. Peter van Onselen refused to deliver live crosses to two of Ten's highest profile journalists after they publicly supported Tegan George Narelda Jacobs has been a vocal supporter of Tegan George and her legal battle with Ten Other Ten employees are also believed to have contributed to the fund but chose to remain anonymous. Internal sources claim Mr van Onselen, Ten's polarising but high-profile political editor, steadfastly refused to cross to either presenter during his coverage of the March 29 Federal Budget. However he did deliver crosses involving other staff. The snub allegedly sent shockwaves through the Ten newsroom with bosses concerned the rift could cause major disruptions to their coverage of the looming federal election. '(The) network doesn't know what to do because there's an election coming and he's our political editor and he refuses to interact on air with two of our presenters,' one source told Daily Mail Australia. 'The newsroom is in full crisis mode because of it.' It's understood Mr van Onselen has indicated to the network he feels uncomfortable working with colleagues who have publicly sided with George over 'unfounded' allegations. A Ten spokeswoman has been sought for comment. Tegan George has named van Onselen - among others - in her bullying claim against Ten Ten presenter Lachlan Kennedy publicly donated money to Ms George's legal fund Mr Van Onselen is one of several senior employees named in Ms George's lawsuit which claims the station failed to provide a safe working environment. Ms George joined the station in 2011 and started the new role in 2019 but has been on leave since June 2021 after allegedly suffering 'personal injury' brought on by 'stress to the point of incapacity', the lawsuit alleged. Ms George's fighting fund, which has also seen contributions from several other high-profile media and political personalities including Tracey Spicer and the ABC's Sommer Tothill, now stands at just over $53,000. More than half of all donors have chosen to remain anonymous. However some have been very visible in their support, including Ms Jacobs, who made the move from Perth to Sydney in 2021 and has become one of the network's biggest stars. Ms Jacobs has risen to be one of Ten's biggest stars and is considered by many as the future of the on-air team Ms Spicer, who worked for Ten for 14 years before being unceremoniously sacked 'via email' back in 2006, has also been particularly vocal. 'It's incredibly difficult for one woman to stand up against a TV network. Scared the crap out of me when I did it back in 2006,' she posted on Twitter soon after Ms George launched her legal action. 'Again, without commenting on the particular allegations that's a matter for the court Tegan George is courageous.' Ms George's fundraising page says the money raised will help her with legal costs, including paying for her legal team at Maurice Blackburn, as well as the barrister and court fees. 'The fundraiser will also help to provide basic support for Tegan as she goes through the legal process, helping out with general necessities and support with medical treatment and psychological support,' the page says. Incredible footage captured the moment NYPD officers rush to save a four-year-old boy who fell from a six story window in an apartment complex in the Bronx. On Tuesday at around noon police were called to the Patterson Houses NYCHA complex where they found the boy 'conscious and alert lying on the pavement,' police said. The boy, who fell between a gap in the window of his six-floor apartment, appeared to have a leg injury, police said. Bodycam footage shows multiple police officers rush to his aid as a crowd of spectators look on. A man in a grey sweatshirt covers the child in a blanket before officers lift him up and rush him to a police van to get him to a hospital. Incredible footage captured the moment NYPD officers rush to save a four-year-old boy who fell from a six story window in an apartment complex in the Bronx Officers were captured on bodycam footage lifting the boy up and rushing him to a police van to get him to a hospital On Tuesday at around noon police were called to the Patterson Houses NYCHA complex where they found the boy 'conscious and alert lying on the pavement,' police said Once they arrive at the local hospital, police officers carry the small boy - who is only wearing boxer shorts underneath the blanket - and place him on a stretcher outside the hospital, where emergency personnel take over. Police said the boy suffered non-life threatening injuries and is expected to survive. At the time of the accident the boy's 29-year-old mother was home, the New York Post reported. Neighbors say the moment must have been horrifying for the young mom. 'Just even thinking it and just imagining a little kid coming out of the window, it's horrifying,' neighbor Lei Suarez said. 'It's horrifying.' Police suspect the boy might have fallen while trying push the air conditioner out the window, the Post reported. Police rushed the small child to a local hospital inside a police van Police then placed they boy on a stretcher outside the hospital where he was attended by emergency personnel In New York City all apartments with children under the age of 10 are required to have window guards installed. According to a NYCHA official who has seen photos of the boy's apartment, his windows did have guards and the air conditioner remains in the same window it is believed he fell from, ABC 7 News reported. A NYCHA spokesperson said the agency has launched an investigation into what happened in the incident. 'NYCHA is investigating this unfortunate incident and will work with the family to make sure that they have the services they need,' the agency said. 'Upon initial review, window guards are present throughout the apartment where required and were last checked in February 2022, and there are no repair work orders on record for the air conditioners present in the residence.' The president of NBC News has been forced to hold a meeting with staff outraged over the network's decision to hire Jen Psaki as an MSNBC host. Noah Oppenheim held the call with staffers at the network's Washington DC bureau over their fears that hiring the White House press secretary will tarnish the brand. According to CNN, Oppenheim told his journalists that Psaki would only appear on MSNBC, which is known for its left-wing opinion shows, and not NBC News itself, which bills itself as a neutral news network. She is said to have informally agreed to host an MSNBC show that'll be screened on the Peacock streaming service. One person who was on the call said: 'Here's what he was saying: They have perspective programming. This was done on the perspective programming side. Not anything that reflects on NBC News. A source inside NBC News told DailyMail.com. Noah had absolutely nothing to do with the discussions with Jen. This is all on MSNBC,' said the source. Noah does not oversee MSNBC and Jen will not be appearing on NBC News. Our journalists at NBC News have every right to be concerned, but on Noahs watch, Jen wont be appearing on any NBC News programming. MSNBC's decision to court White House press secretary Jen Psaki as a host has angered staff at the sister NBC News network, over fears her presence will tarnish the brand 'People wanted answers on what NBC's role was in this and NBC News had no role in this. This is MSNBC's perspective programming.' NBC News are said to have been particularly perturbed at news of Psaki's hiring emerging while she remains the White House's top spokeswoman. She has yet to formally confirm she is leaving, but did not deny it when grilled by an NBC reporter at a White House briefing last week, and insisted she had acted ethically. CBS News journalist Ed O'Keefe and NBC NEWS Kristen Welker took Psaki to task over news of her planned move in the White House briefing room on April 1 Is it ethical for you to continue conducting this job while negotiating with a media outlet? NBC News boss Noah Oppenheimer, pictured at South by Southwest in March, reassured staff that the White House press secretary would be joining opinion-heavy MSNBC, and not NBC News, which bills itself as a neutral news network I have always gone over and above the stringent ethical and legal requirements of the BA and i take that very seriously. As is standard for every employee of the White House, I have received vigorous ethics counseling, including, as it relates to, any future employment. I've complied with all ethics requirements and gone beyond and taken steps to recuse myself from decisions as appropriate. And so I hope all of you would judge me for my record and how I treat all of you in the briefing room and otherwise. And I try to answer questions from everybody across the board. I know that not everybody in the back of the room may not be pleased with me, but I'll try to continue with that.' Welker then followed-up, asking: 'How can you continue to be an effective briefer if you do, in fact, have plans to join a media outlet?' Psaki answered: 'Well, I have nothing, again, to announce about any conversation, or any future plans. 'And at whatever time I leave the White House, I can promise you the first thing I am going to do is sleep, and spend time with my three and six year-old, who are my most important audiences of all.' 'But I would say, Kristen, that again, I have taken the ethics, legal requirements, to the highest, very seriously in any discussions, any future considerations about any future employment, just as any White House official would, and I have taken steps beyond that to ensure there is no conflict.' Clearly unhappy with Psaki's answer, Welker pushed again, asking: 'And I understand what you're saying, but I guess the question is, how is it ethical to have these conversations with these media outlets while you continue to have a job standing behind that podium?' Psaki answered: 'Well, there are a range of stringent ethical and legal requirements that are imposed on everybody in this administration and many administrations past about any conversations you're having with future employers. 'That is true of any industry you're working in. I have abided by those and tried to take steps to go beyond that' NBC, whose New York headquarters is pictured, bills it NBC News division as politically-neutral - but its MSNBC rolling news network broadcasts liberal programing But Welker continued to probe Psaki, asking: 'And broadly speaking, is it the policy of this White House to allow staffers to have discussions, even if indirectly, with institutions that impact and affect their jobs and your job here?' The press secretary answered: 'Well, it is the policy of this White House to ensure that anyone who is having conversations about future employment does so through consultation with the White House counsel's office, ensuring they abide by any ethics and legal requirements. 'And those are conversations that I have taken very seriously, and abided by every component of.' Other White House press secretaries have gone on to media roles after leaving. Donald Trump's press secretaries Sarah Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany both became Fox News contributors after stepping down - but neither bagged a presenter role. NBC News staffers are also said to be uncomfortable that some of the news department's biggest hosts - including Chuck Todd and Hallie Jackson - appear on both NBC News and MSNBC, further narrowing the distinction between the two brands. A suspected burglar was beat up by a Southern California homeowner after he was caught in the act. It was just after 6 p.m. on April 1 when Sal Marcado from Oak Park in Ventura County came home to find an SUV parked outside his home, with one suspect in the driver's seat, while a second man, Alexis Provoste, 43, was inside busy filling his pockets and stealing anything he could lay his hands on. When Marcado, 60, who stands at 6-feet tall and weighs 185-pounds, walked inside, he didn't waste any time dishing out his own version of instant justice, beating Provoste with a number of blows to his face. 'He starts to go through the side of me to get out of the house, but I went BAM with the right cross, and he went down onto the grass of the front yard, picked himself up and ran to the car,' recalled Marcado. 'I just didnt give him a chance, just hit him, because first of all, I dont know if he has a gun, a knife, any kind of weapon, right? You just dont know. Your mind goes crazy,' Marcado told KTLA. 'The thought was, "I got this guy. I'm going to catch him. I want to make sure he gets prosecuted. I want to make sure I hold him down until the cops get here, because our government is not doing enough to fight crime,"' said Marcado to ABC7. 'My mentality was, "Don't let this guy escape."' The alleged burglar was left with cuts and bruises, together with a black eye and swelling around his head. Alexis Provoste, 43, is the suspect in a Ventura County burglar. He was beaten to a pulp by the homeowner and pled not guilty to burglary; he is being held on $150,000 Sal Marcado, 60, had just returned to his Ventura County home when he found a burglar inside stealing his things including a camera and computer. He made it known he was not welcome Police say the episode is an example of 'crime tourism' whereby criminals come over from South America on 90-day visas and burgle wealthy homes in SoCal The pair ended up tussling in the bushes outside Marcado's home in Oak Park, California 'He came at me ... I didn't know if he had weapons before anything could happen,' said Marcado 'I just went BAM with the right, BAM with the left ... I went Mike Tyson on him. He stumbled then he fell on the grass coming out of the house. 'I tackled him and shoved him into the bushes on the side of my house again,' Marcado explained. 'The way I tackled him ... grabbing his arms pulling them back, pin them on the back, and then put my full weight on his head, but he was all bloody and my whole arms were bloody.' Provoste was held by Marcado until the police arrived to arrest him but his getaway driver managed to speed away. A search of Provoste found stolen property in his pockets and a laptop and high-end camera fell to the ground. 'I was very fortunate and blessed that there were no weapons,' Marcado noted. 'I was very fortunate and blessed that there were no weapons,' Marcado noted. Marcado said that he is a leftie and made sure the thief was going nowhere until cops arrived Four days later, Provoste appeared at Ventura County Superior Court charged with first-degree residential burglary and conspiracy. He pled not guilty. He is currently in custody with bail set at $150,000. Provoste is from Chile and thought to be part of what police are calling a "South American Theft Group." The thieves are believed to operate a form of 'crime tourism' whereby criminals come up from South America with the intention of burglarizing wealthy homes in America. Four men were arrested last month for a similar crime in the nearby town of Camarillo. 'Theyll typically case neighborhoods in advance and see ways they can get in and out,' said Deputy Ashley Barrios. They have also carried out similar raids across the country in recent months, including sprees in Indiana, Texas, New York, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Police in California, Texas, Indiana, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, New York and New Jersey have all reported robberies they believe were conducted by the so-called 'crime tourists' The criminals apply for 90-day tourist visas online and then fly into LAX and target homeowners. Most of crimes are nonviolent property crimes, and involve residential burglaries and stealing credit cards and other items from cars. 'We are all very terrified of the situation,' said Marcado's wife, Denise. They were very brazen to come on a Friday night. 'Ive lived here for 30 years and theres never been anything like this,' she said to The Acorn. Four men were arrested just last month for a similar crime in Camarillo. The crooks' operation was well coordinated. Marcado believes the driver in the getaway car was in radio communication with the the man inside which is why they were making their way out when Marcado walked in. 'My office will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to charge and prosecute South American Theft Groups and crews that target residential communities,' said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. NYC's woke health commissioner has been provided with security after being confronted at his $4 million home over plans to mask under-5's indefinitely. About two dozen protesters were seen by the New York Daily News on Monday night who allegedly shouted death threats while outside Ashwin Vasan's lavish brownstone property in Fort Greene. An NYPD patrol car has since been stationed outside the three story home ever since. The group were upset after the commissioner, together with Mayor Eric Adams, decided to keep a school mask mandate in place for children under the age of five. Those demonstrating shouted 'unmask our kids' while another flew a 'F**k Biden' banner. New New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan (pictured) has sparked outrage for saying mask mandates for kids under five should remain in effect 'indefinitely' On Wednesday, Adams criticized the group and the personal attacks on his Health tsar. 'There's a group traveling around the city banging on the doors of my health commissioner even though his children are inside, yelling and screaming, threatening his life,' Adams explained. Adams and Vasan had stated jointly in March how the mask mandate for children under five would be finally removed on April 4 unless there was a spike in COVID-19 cases. New York's Health Commissioner has been given an NYPD security detail after angry parents showed up at his Fort Greene, Brooklyn home, pictured, to protest (file photo) Infections have indeed begun to rise as a result of the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of the virus. On Friday, the pair said children younger than five will have to wear masks while in school for the foreseeable future. Children are NOT at serious risk from Covid, multiple studies show Multiple studies have shown young children are not at serious risk from Covid-19. Data from from American Academy of Pediatrics shows children accounted for about 19 percent of all COVID cases, but less than 0.26% of cases resulted in death. A study from October found that around half of pediatric Covid cases are asymptomatic, and that was before the more mild Omicron variant became dominant in the U.S. Hospitalizations of pediatric COVID patients are also rare. A study in February, found the Pfizer vaccine was only 12% effective at preventing Omicron in five- to 11- year-olds. The main argument in favor of vaccinating children is to prevent them from spreading the virus but researchers from University of Berlin found, on average, children release less Covid particles into the air. Experts believe people who release lower amounts of aerosol particles when speaking have smaller viral loads, which also means they do not spread the virus at the same level. Advertisement That has infuriated parents who say the risk of COVID posed to young children is extremely low - and that their development is being stunted by the continuation of the masking policies. Public health experts have backed Vasan's backtrack. 'It's really horrifying how difficult it has become to have rational conversations about complex public health topics. It's particularly frustrating, because these issues have to be debated publicly since most often there is no 'right' answer, only least bad options,' tweeted Jay Varma, former Mayor Bill de Blasio's top pandemic adviser. A spokesman for Vasan, Patrick Gallahue, has condemned those who harassed the commissioned. 'To promote public health, we welcome public debate. But harassment of someone's family and home is out of bounds and wholly unacceptable,' Gallahue said in a statement. 'This should not and cannot be tolerated.' Over 100 parents and their children rallied at New York City Hall just weeks ago to demand Adams 'unmask our toddlers' - days after Vasan sparked outrage by announcing that children aged five and under should wear face masks indefinitely. 'I think it's indefinite at this point,' Dr. Ashwin Vasan said when asked about how long the policy would remain in place. '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.' Multiple studies have shown Covid does not present a serious risk for children - with data from from American Academy of Pediatrics showing children accounted for about 19 percent of all COVID cases, though less than 0.26% of those cases resulted in death. 'With BA.2, we're not seeing it causes more severe illness in any age group,' Vasan said in a recent press conference. 'At this point, we're very concerned about the effects of long-term COVID in everyone.' Hospitalizations of pediatric COVID patients are also rare. 'Hospitalizations have consistently remained higher for this age range, but they're still considerably low,' Vasan said, adding that kids 2-4 are able to mask, and are really the 'target age range when people talk about kids wearing masks under the age of five.' Vasan, a primary care physician with twenty years in the medical field, epidemiologist and public health expert, has been tasked to address pandemic management and recovery. He also works on chronic disease prevention, 'health equity' and mental health. Children are pictured out and about in New York City wearing face masks in November. Those aged 2-4 are the last group to be forced to still wear masks - even outdoors in some cases Children are seen on March 7, playing outside while forced to wear face masks in the city The mandate for children under five years old has become a flashpoint of parental ire in recent weeks, with several fiery protests outside City Hall garnering hundreds of attendees. Children aged between two and four are the last remaining category forced to wear masks, with Adams citing the fact that they remain ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Children aged five and above, however, can now go mask-less at school after Adams lifted the mask mandate last month. But one mother told DailyMail.com that it was absurd that there was no requirement to check the vaccination status of five-year-olds before they go maskless. 'Why do two to four year olds have to mask, when unvaccinated five-year-olds don't?' she said. A father added: 'Between nap time and meal or snack time, I think they are mask free about a third of the day anyway.' Parents demanding that the mask mandate be lifted confronted Adams on Sunday From supporting Critical Race Theory and BLM, to blaming climate change for mental health issues: The bizarre woke tweets of NYC health commissioner 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 On Wednesday, Adams has said that a city attorney who was fired after berating him over child mask mandates at a press conference was terminated for her 'inappropriate' tweets. Adams told reporters that he had no idea who Daniela Jampel was when the mother of three confronted him during a press conference about mask mandates for kids under five. The mayor insisted that the city's Law Department, where Jampel had worked since 2016, had made the decision to fire her prior to the confrontation at Monday's press conference. 'Did not know who she was, did not make the call to fire her,' said Adams. 'It doesn't bother me when people call me names -- listen I'm an ex-cop, people have been calling me names for years.' 'But what she tweeted, sent out, it was inappropriate, and the Law Department made the decision and notified me of that prior to that press conference. I had no interaction with that at all.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said that a city attorney who was fired after berating him over child mask mandates at a press conference was terminated for her 'inappropriate' tweets Daniela Jampel confronted him during a press conference about mask mandates for kids under age five Adams did not clarify which of Jampel's tweets had triggered her termination, and a Law Department spokesman did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon. Jampel is vocal on Twitter, and on Friday she had written that her 'summer goal is to chase down the ineffective and spineless NYC politicians (including @NYCMayor) who do nothing as public health petty bureaucrats continue to force toddlers to mask for no other reason than they can.' Jampel is vocal on Twitter, and it's unclear which of her tweets Adams was referring to The Law Department previously told DailyMail.com that Jampel had been fired for making 'made troubling claims' in public statements. Adams said on Wednesday that he did not recognize Jampel when she confronted him on Monday. 'When she spoke, it was clear that she was not a reporter, but what did I do? I said, 'allow her to speak',' he said. The mayor implied that she was part of a group that had threatened city officials. 'There is a group traveling around this city, banging on my health commissioner's door, shouting and screaming while his children are inside, threatening his life,' he said. 'There's a group running around this city who is the numerical minority, but they are loud so people believe they are the majority,' added Adams. Jampel issued these tweets after her dismissal from NYC's Law Department, saying she regretted nothing and that 'the fight continues' A source close to Jampel told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that her firing 'could not have been performance related' as she has been out of the office on maternity leave for several months. The person also says that Jampel received email notice of her termination within 30 minutes of the press conference, and that her direct supervisor in the Law Department did not seem aware that she was being fired. The source also strongly disputed City Hall's claim that Jampel 'lied' to get into the press conference by posing as a journalist. 'She did not pose as a member of the media to crash the press conference as has been reported,' the source added. 'She entered the press conference as everyone else did.' A Law Department spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement earlier this week: 'We hold all of our employees to the highest professional standards. In public statements, Ms. Jampel has made troubling claims about her work for the city Law Department.' 'Based on those statements, the decision had been made to terminate her prior to [Monday],' the spokesman added. The statement added that Jampel's 'decision to lie to City Hall staff and state she was a journalist at a press conference, demonstrate a disturbing lack of judgment and integrity.' Jampel on Twitter announced her intention to hire an attorney and told DailyMail.com: 'I can't really talk about it, until I have a lawyer.' The pub where a seething pensioner ripped into Scott Morrison said 'dozens' of people have come in demanding to buy the old man a beer. An elderly man named Ray was filmed yelling and pointing in the face of the Prime Minister on Wednesday night, accusing him of breaking promises and saying 'I'm sick of your bullsh**'. Ray isn't a regular customer at the Edgeworth Tavern, in Newcastle, north of Sydney. But a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the bar has been inundated with patrons begging to buy him a beer on Thursday. 'We've been trying to track him down because we want to start a tab for him,' the source said. The Newcastle pub where a seething pensioner named Ray (pictured) ripped into Scott Morrison said 'dozens' of people have come in asking to start a tab for the local hero The manager of the Edgeworth Tavern (pictured) said Ray wasn't a regular customer but said they'd been inundated with patrons wanting to buy him a beer Footage of Ray's outburst went viral on Thursday morning, with a cornered Mr Morrison standing quietly as the pensioner unloaded on the PM. 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: "We're going help all those people that worked all their lives, paid their taxes and those that have a go, get a go". 'Well, I've had a go, mate, I've worked all my life and paid my taxes,' Ray shouted. When Mr Morrison tried to coax the man away from cameras to talk about his situation, Ray became even angrier. 'You better f***ing do something ... I'm sick of your bullsh**,' he said. The tavern spokesman said people have turned up en-masse on Thursday trying to shout Ray a schooner. 'We've had dozens of people come in this morning asking to buy him beers, hopefully we can find him,' he told Daiy Mail Australia. The footage of Ray's outburst went viral on Thursday morning, with a shocked Mr Morrison standing aghast as he unloaded on the PM Mr Morrison attended the pub in Labor Party heartland on Wednesday afternoon as the election trail heats up One of Ray's concerns was about the measly size of his disability support pension. 'Listen to me for a change. You can have a million dollar house, $250,000 in the bank and franking credits but a disability pensioner can't have an income,' the man cried to Mr Morrison. 'You've also been Immigration Minister. I've got a partner I've been with six and half years and I've got a right as an Australian to choose who my partner should be. 'We've been to the tribunal twice and won on both occasions. That was 14 months ago. Why can't I have a partner? 'You know another promise you made. You were going to have an integrity commission. As the punter bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns. 'I've been fighting for 12 years, you treat a disability pensioner who's worked all his life, paid his taxes... now he's getting taxed again,' the elderly man continued. As the punter (pictured with his back to the camera) bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: "We're gonna help all those people who worked all their lives and paid their taxes, those who had a go." Well I've had a go, mate. 'I'm doing this before the election because this is two promises that you made.' Mr Morrison has brushed off a furious pensioner berating him at a pub, insisting 'I like hearing from people'. Mr Morrison revealed his staff chatted to the man to help him with his issues after the outburst at the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW. Mr Morrison offered to sit down and talk to the man (pictured) as he raised his concerns 'There was one gentleman, Ray, who was very upset about a complicated case, it was involving iCare and immigration issues,' the PM said on Thursday. 'It was also involving income definitions under the pension regime. He has had a lot of complications with those cases. 'And my staff met with him after I carefully listened to what he had to say and respectfully listened to what he had to say. He was not asked to leave or anything like that.' Mr Morrison said the vast majority of pub-goers gave him a 'welcome reception' but said he understood the man's frustration. The man (pictured in blue) launched his rant when Scott Morrison entered the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW 'I could understand that he was very upset about some very significant issues that happened his life,' the PM said. 'And so I was keen to understand what he was saying to me and I believe we have. It is a complicated case but we will see how we might be able to assist and progress that. 'As you move around, I like hearing from people. I hear from people all the time. 'While some may have some very complex issues that need to be addressed, others it was great to see them'. Chief Advocate for National Seniors Australia, Ian Henschke, told 3AW the man was probably angry because of the different rules for the disability and aged pension. Aged pensioners can only earn up to $300 a fortnight before losing their entitlements. Scott Morrison stopped by Edgeworth Tavern, in Newcastle, on Wednesday (pictured) as part of his pre-election trail Also in the pub, one woman cunningly asked Mr Morrison to pose with her for a selfie video, before telling him 'congratulations on being the worst prime minister we've ever had'. Mr Morrison's smile quickly disintegrated into a frown as the video, which has gone viral on Twitter, came to an end. 'Just got to give Slomo my sincerest congratulations,' she wrote, 'I never thought Id get the chance to meet him dreams do come true.' Asked how Mr Morrison responded, the woman wrote: 'He said thanks, then processed what I said and lost his smirk and turned his back on me.' President Barack Obama criticized social media outlets for filling what he calls a 'demand for crazy' and spreading disinformation in a way that he said he's underestimated. Obama, 60, spoke with Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg Wednesday at an event hosted by the University of Chicago 's Institute of Politics and The Atlantic. 'I do think that there is a demand for crazy on the internet that we have to grapple with,' Obama said. While praising how easily available information had become in the United States, he did say it led people to mass belief of conspiracy theories. 'Roughly 40 percent of the country appears convinced that the current president was elected fraudulently and that the election was rigged' he noted, with about 30-35 percent not taking advantage of vaccines for Covid-19, which he called a 'medical miracle' that had been clinically tested out by a billion people. President Barack Obama criticized social media outlets for filling what he calls a 'demand for crazy' and spreading disinformation Though Obama took a swipe at journalists as well, he said that the destruction of local media and the rise of news through big tech and social media have 'exacerbated making democracy more difficult.' The former president appeared to be citing a Axios-Momentive poll from January which found that 40% of Americans still do not believe Joe Biden is the legitimate winner of his 2020 election against Trump. Obama took a swipe at journalists as well, saying that the destruction of local media and the rise of news through big tech and social media have 'exacerbated making democracy more difficult.' He made the point of comparison to how Russians were unable to see any information about their invasion of Ukraine. 'If that's true in our society, imagine how any of us would process information if we are not getting, seeing, anything else? It is difficult for me to see how we can win the contest of ideas if, in fact, we are not able to agree on a baseline of facts that allow the marketplace of ideas to work.' Obama cited things like rule of law, freedom of press and conscience, independent judiciaries, fair and free elections as issues where there needed to be agreement. Biden, and former President Barack Obama listen to US Vice President Kamala Harris (out of frame) speak on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in the East Room of the White House US Vice President Kamala Harris, US President Joe Biden, and former President Barack Obama arrive to deliver remarks on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in the East Room He then tied it into a growing laziness from people operating on behalf of democracies and that it led to the invasion. 'We have gotten complacent. And I cannot guarantee that as a consequence of what has happened that we are shaking off that complacency,' he said. Obama also said that he was surprised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine based on his dealings with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over his two terms as president. The former president noted that he was always 'ruthless' but seemed not to recognize Putin after spending years meeting with him on the world seen. 'I don't know that the person is the same as the person who is now leading this charge,' Obama said of Putin. 'For him to bet the farm this way? I would not have predicted it from five years ago.' A young girl who raised the alarm after a freak landslide killed her father and brother has been reunited with her grandparents three days after the tragedy. The 15-year-old has been in the care of staff at Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital, where she was treated for shock after witnessing the rockfall crush her father and brother during a hike in the Blue Mountains on Monday afternoon. The bodies of respected British lawyer Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his nine-year-old son were airlifted from the scene following weeks of heavy rains and flooding. Mr and Mrs Nazir, who loved the great outdoors, recently flew in from Singapore for a family holiday but their plans were hampered by torrential rain. On Thursday morning, the girl's maternal grandparents Rex and Susan Lowin, both 76, arrived in Sydney from Northamptonshire in the UK in a mercy dash to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. The girl's mother, 50-year-old yoga instructor Ana Nazir, remains in a critical condition while her 14-year-old brother is stable after surgery. Mr and Mrs Nazir, who loved the great outdoors, recently flew in from Singapore for a family holiday but their plans were hampered by the persistent deluge The girl's mother, 50-year-old yoga instructor Ana Nazir, remains in a critical condition while her 14-year-old brother is stable after surgery A brief reprieve from the rain came on Sunday, giving the Nazir family the opportunity they'd been waiting for to get outdoors and experience all that Sydney has to offer. Many of the Blue Mountains tracks had been closed for weeks due to heavy rainfall, but authorities had reopened most of them and deemed them safe on Monday. The safety and wellbeing of their young children was always at the forefront of Mr and Mrs Nazir's minds. During a family holiday to Bali in 2018 they mulled over surf lessons and were swayed into participating because 'the instructors kept close to the kids at all times'. 'We quickly realised we could relax as the instructors kept close to the kids... especially our youngest. The children were comfortable with them,' Mrs Nazir said in a Facebook post. The comments, made by Mrs Nazir after the holiday, indicate her family wouldn't have set out for their hike on Monday if they believed there was any safety risk. While Mr Nazir has been remembered by colleagues as a quiet and grounded man, he and his wife also had an affinity for adventure and a determination to try new things in the countries they visited. 'We hadn't surfed before but we were all up on our feet on day one. We had 3 lessons on 3 consecutive days and the kids would happily keep going if we didn't have to head home,' Mrs Nazir noted after the trip to Bali. She hoped to bring her family back for another holiday soon after the 2018 trip. Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his nine-year-old son were killed while hiking in the Blue Mountains Mrs Nazir became a yoga instructor upon moving to Singapore and was part of a tight knit community of women who practised meditation and ran workshops near her children's elite school Covid grounded any immediate travel plans they had and, within weeks of border restrictions ending in Australia and Singapore, the Nazir family had booked their trip to Sydney. The family moved from London to Singapore more than a decade ago when Mr Nazir, a lawyer, was promoted to partner at international law firm Watson Farley & Williams. Colleagues and friends have remembered Mr Nazir as an 'instantly likeable gentleman' and the type of person strangers gravitated toward. 'He was just so grounded, kind, humble and good fun. The kind of person you want to spend time with. A loss and tragedy that is so hard to process,' a colleague said. Another described the Nazir's as 'the most wonderful and kind family'. 'Mehraab was a brilliant, humble and incredibly generous guy who had time for everyone. I will remember with great fondness the beers together and all I learnt from him,' another said. Paramedics were winched from a rescue helicopter down the cliff face as they searched for anyone who had been taken by moving debris Mrs Nazir became a yoga instructor upon moving to Singapore and was part of a tight-knit community of women who practised meditation and ran workshops near her children's elite school. The family are part of the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world's oldest faiths which is based in Iran and follows the teachings of the ancient prophet Zoroaster. A member of the religious community said they're mourning such a 'tragic loss'. 'While we all still come to terms with this immense tragedy, the outpour and generosity of our community is very heart-warming,' a spokeswoman said. 'The community always rallies around to help each other,' a spokesman from the Australian Zoroastrian Association said. 'It's a case of strangers helping strangers.' The tiny Zoroastrian religious community in Sydney are in mourning after the deaths of a father and son during a freak landslide Mr Nazir, a partner at Watson Farley & Williams, Singapore, is pictured speaking at a legal conference in 2019 The group helped to communicate with Mr Nazir's next of kin after word spread of his death. 'There is much grief among both the London and Sydney Zoroastrian community for this family tragedy,' another said. British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell issued a statement early on Wednesday confirming she is assisting the family. 'My team are providing support & in contact with the local authorities,' she said. According to the last census results, there are just 3,000 people who identify as Zoroastrian in Australia. The family's 15-year-old daughter escaped the landslide physically unscathed and raised the alarm in a frantic call to emergency services at around 1.30pm. It's understood the distraught teen told the operator: 'I don't know where we are'. Police rescue crews returned to the scene on Tuesday morning to recover the bodies of the father and his young son killed by a landslip She walked from the scene with the help of emergency crews, which involved trekking for an hour-and-a-half along the hiking track. The family were permitted to use the advanced Wentworth Pass track, famous for its stunning waterfall views and valley lookouts, despite weeks of wild weather making the area dangerous for hikers. NSW National Parks confirmed the 5km loop was inspected days before the landslide as part of a routine assessment program. The Wentworth Pass track has a grade four difficulty under NSW National Park and Wildlife Service guidelines, which recommends only experienced bushwalkers use it. A day trip to the Blue Mountains ended in tragedy for a British family after a man and his nine-year-old son were killed by a freak landslide (pictured, emergency crews making the trek) Authorities are still working to determine whether the landslide fell on the group while they were walking along a bush track, or if they were trekking along the cliff face that fell. 'In terms of the site, it's extremely dangerous and unstable,' NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent John Nelson said. Police crews returned to the scene early on Tuesday morning to recover the bodies of Mr Nazir and his son. The retrieval of the bodies was a planned and delicate operation due to the nature of the terrain at the site. The tracks remain closed. A young woman who killed her three-month old baby in a bungled murder suicide attempt has walked free from court on a good behaviour bond. Veterinarian Melissa Arbuckle, 32, laid her little girl Lily on the train tracks in Upwey in Melbourne's east last July. Arbuckle used the little girl's tiny hand to wave at a train moments before another driver frantically hit the brakes. The driver, who was about 52 metres away, didn't manage to stop in time and the infant died of her injuries - although Arbuckle survived. On Thursday afternoon, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Jane Dixon sentenced Arbuckle to a three year good behaviour bond and let her walk. Melissa Arbuckle kept a personal blog, where she journaled about trips overseas with her husband and her dreams of one day starting a family Arbuckle pleaded guilty to one count of infanticide, which in Victoria carries a maximum five-year prison sentence. During sentencing, Justice Dixon agreed with the defence submission that Arbuckle's was a case that 'needed to be tempered with mercy'. 'I agree that you have done everything you possibly could possibly be expected of to attempt to expedite the offence before the court and to recover psychiatrically,' she said. 'Your bright prospects for rehabilitation were not challenged by the Crown. ' Justice Dixon further accepted Arbuckle had suffered both physical injuries after surviving her murder-suicide attempt, as well as mental injuries from the associated trauma. Arbuckle had spent 18 days handcuffed to a bed following the incident - the only time she has or will spend in custody. The court heard she had also suffered from further shame after reading media reports about her crime. 'I agree that these matters are relevant in mitigation,' Justice Dixon said. The court heard Arbuckle's husband had since disowned her for killing his child. Just five-years-ago Arbuckle wrote about her then-successful and happy life as a well-respected veterinarian who travelled the world with her 'cheeky' husband. But upon the birth of Lily, she developed severe major postpartum depression and psychosis. She was diagnosed too late to save the life of her baby. The court heard in the weeks before Lily's death, Arbuckle had been 'really down' and believed she hurt the little girl after rocking her bassinet too vigorously, according to the summary read in court. Arbuckle (pictured) worked at a veterinary clinic in inner eastern Melbourne for several years WARNING SIGNS IGNORED Arbuckle commenced a suicide note at 6.01pm on July 8, which was completed on July 11, 2021. She had numerous social media conversations with friends expressing anxiety about medical issues relating to herself and Lily, lactation issues, reference to having been sick with a cold, feeling stressed without electricity at home, feeling inadequately supported and being worried about Lilys wellbeing. It was in that context of spiralling depression Arbuckle became focused on the idea that the only solution was to take her own life and that of her daughter. Advertisement She started to believe the child had shaken baby syndrome as a result. 'She had a fixed delusional belief she had harmed her child and they were both broken,' Arbuckle's lawyer Megan Tittensor said this week in court. 'She had a perfectionist personality and need for control she wanted to be the perfect mother. 'She had come to believe dying was her only option. She would hear voices telling her she was a bad mother.' Crown prosecutor Robyn Harper told the court that on the day of the horror Arbuckle's sister and mother came to visit Lily. Moments after the visit, Arbuckle texted her husband and said their daughter was 'losing it after a feed' and decided to take her for a walk, Ms Harper told the court. A train driver then spotted Arbuckle walking on the tracks. The train driver told police he 'closed his eyes' when he knew a collision was imminent. The baby was struck and thrown under the carriage while Arbuckle was left with serious injuries. The train came to a stop 41 metres further down the track. The mother laid the baby on the tracks in front of a moving train (stock image) Witnesses rushed to help the pair and helped to pull out the still breathing baby. When first responders arrived at 5.18pm, Arbuckle was found still attempting to inflict injuries upon herself with railway ballast, bashing herself violently on the head with it. Her baby was rushed to hospital, but died shortly after from head injuries. Associate Professor Alexander Holmes later told the court Arbuckle had been planning on seeing her GP and getting a mental health care plan, but could not see it making any difference. Arbuckle had been experiencing auditory hallucinations that she was not good enough and that she had to take her own life. 'The voices were there all the time and they were commanding, saying that you just had to do it,' Justice Dixon said. 'You had thoughts that Lily was broken and that Lily could see that you were broken, "She could see that mum was broken and that we will both be better off dead. We wouldnt suffer, we would both be dead". You said it was all you thought about. ' The court heard Lily's father, who has asked not to be named, has been profoundly affected by her death. 'He states that he loved Lily more than life itself and thinks of her constantly. He struggles with his feelings towards you,' Justice Dixon told Arbuckle. Arbuckle and her husband in happier times 'Some days he finds himself unable to go to work or to carry on. He says that the worst thing that could possibly happen to him has already happened and that seeing Lily at the hospital broke his heart.' Justice Dixon noted she was 'acutely aware' that it was beyond the power of the court to repair the suffering and loss flowing from Arbuckle's actions. 'I accept your counsels submission that you are deeply remorseful for the suffering caused to Lilys father and to all who loved her,' she said. 'You also regret the impact on the driver of the train that struck Lily, and you. Your life and the lives of others has been forever changed.' 'I also accept that you feel that, because of your own actions, you are under a life sentence. At times you have believed that you deserve any suffering you have experienced since the commission of the offence, as punishment for your actions.' The court heard Arbuckle was back working as a vet and had entered an agreement with the Veterinary Registration Board placing conditions on her practice and to the supply of treatment reports to its board as required. For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue 1300 22 4636. For postpartum depression support call PANDA on 1300 726 306. President Joe Biden on Thursday praised the UN General Assembly for its vote to kick Russia off its human rights council following images of horror in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns amid Russia's invasion. 'Biden called the move a rare rebuke of the powerful member of the UN Security Council a 'meaningful step by the international community further demonstrating how Putin's war has made Russia an international pariah. 'The images we are seeing out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying,' he said in a White House statement. 'The signs of people being raped, tortured, executedin some cases having their bodies desecratedare an outrage to our common humanity.' Biden said Russia's 'lies are no match for the undeniable evidence of what is happening in Ukraine. That's why nations in every region condemn Russia's unprovoked and brutal aggression against Ukraine and support the brave people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom.' 'The images we are seeing out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying,' said President Joe Biden, as he applauded the UN General Assembly vote to suspend Russia from the body's Human Rights Council He pledged to work with responsible nations to gather information to hold Russia accountable amid reports that Germany had intercepted communications of Russians discussing shooting civilians in Ukraine. ' 'The United States worked closely with our Allies and partners around the world to drive this vote because Russia is committing gross and systemic violations of human rights. Russian forces are committing war crimes. Russia has no place on the Human Rights Council. After today's historic vote, Russia will not be able to participate in the Council's work or spread its disinformation there as the Council's Commission of Inquiry investigates Russia's violations and abuses of human rights in Ukraine,' BIden said. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. Biden said Vladimir 'Putin's war has made Russia an international pariah' The invasion has featured repeated destruction of apartment buildings Biden referenced the horrors in Bucha, where bodies were found in the street after Russian troops left It was a rare, if not unprecedented rebuke against one of the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. Among the key 58 abstentions was India, an emerging economic power that has declined to blame Russia for civilian deaths but cited reasons of 'substance and process' for abstaining. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote 'a historic moment,' telling the assembly: 'We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored' and that Russia must be held accountable 'for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war.' Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos showing streets in the town of Bucha strewn with the bodies of civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. Russia is only the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the rights council. The other, Libya, was suspended in 2011 by the assembly when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is tasked with spotlighting and approving investigations of rights violations, and it does periodic reviews of the human rights situation in all 193 U.N. member nations. A completed resolution vote tally to affirm the suspension of the Russian Federation from the United Nations Human Rights Council is displayed during a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, April 7, 2022, at United Nations headquarters. UN General Assembly approved a resolution suspending Russia from the world body's leading human rights organization. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) It has created commissions of inquiry - which provide its highest level of scrutiny on rights violations and abuses - for conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has also set up fact-finding missions in places like Libya, Myanmar and Venezuela. The vote on the U.S. initiated resolution suspending Russia was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. Russia's deputy ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said after the vote that Russia had already withdrawn from the council before the assembly took action, apparently in expectation of the result. By withdrawing, council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Kuzmin said Russia considers adoption of the resolution 'an illegitimate and politically motivated step' by a group of countries with 'short-term political and economic interests' that he accused of 'blatant and massive violations of human rights.' The 47-member Human Right Council was created in 2006 to replace a commission discredited because of some members poor rights records. The new council soon faced similar criticism, including that rights abusers sought seats to protect themselves and their allies, and for focusing on Israel. Along with Russia, four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, China, France, and the United States, which rejoined this year - currently are serving three-year terms on the Human Rights Council. Other members with widely questioned rights records include, along with China, Eritrea, Venezuela, Sudan, Cuba and Libya. While almost half the U.N.s 193 member nations supported the resolution, more than half either voted against it, abstained or didnt vote. Explaining their decision not to support the resolution, some countries called it premature, noting there are ongoing investigations into whether war crimes have occurred, or said it would undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council and the United Nations. Others said the resolution reflected American and European geopolitical agendas and what opponents called Western hypocrisy and selective outrage about human rights. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, April 7, 2022, at United Nations headquarters Gennady Kuzmin, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, speaks during the debate on kicking Russia off the council U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote 'a historic moment,' In addition to a Human Rights Council investigation, being led by former Norwegian judge Erik Mose, who previously served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court is conducting an investigation of possible war crimes in Ukraine. Before the vote, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged assembly members to keep the Human Rights Council from 'sinking' and suspend Russia, saying it has committed 'horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity.' 'Russias actions are beyond the pale,' he said. 'Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security.' In a document circulated by Russia and obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the U.S. and other opponents want to preserve their control over the world and continue 'the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights' in international relations. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints saying: 'We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim.' The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for a March 2 resolution that the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Both of those votes were not legally binding but did have clout as a reflection of global opinion. Thursdays vote and Russia's withdrawal, however, have a direct impact on Moscows voice in a human rights body that has increasingly become a venue for a global stand-off between Western democracies and autocratic countries. China will lose a key ally there. China abstained in both assembly votes last month but voted against suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. Hyundai cars are on standby to be shipped at the company's export loading dock in Ulsan. Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Hyundai Motor and Kia have been unable to deliver vehicles to all their customers on time, as the global shortage of automotive semiconductors continues, with their combined backorders exceeding 1 million as of March, according to industry officials on Wednesday. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the shutdown of plants in China amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the company's production capabilities. Kia's domestic backorder volume increased from 100,000 vehicles at the beginning of last year to 500,000 last month. The figure combined with Hyundai Motor's backorders is expected to exceed 1 million vehicles, which means their production has been delayed. The backorders account for 15 percent of Hyundai Motor and Kia's total sales of 6.66 million cars last year. The two companies have set a sales goal of a total 7.47 million cars this year, but the delay has become a major barrier. In March, Kia's domestic production was set back by 26,000 vehicles, with the company only able to reach 82 percent of the production target. Among the setbacks, 19,000 vehicles were due to a lack of semiconductors and 7,000 cars were from shortages of wiring harnesses. Overseas factories in the U.S., Mexico, Slovakia and India also suffered production disruptions of 14,000 vehicles. In a recent conference call, Kia explained, "The average number of contracts per day is increasing, but backorders are also increasing due to a lack of production." Many analysts believe the global semiconductor supply shortage will continue throughout the rest of the year. According to market research firm AutoForcast Solution, the global car production delay this year is due to the shortage of semiconductors, and has already reached 1.34 million vehicles as of Sunday. The shipment crisis is also getting worse. In the case of Kia Sorento Hybrid and Sportage Hybrid, it takes over 18 months for a customer to receive a vehicle, while the Carnival takes eight to 11 months, the Niro Hybrid 11 months, the K8 six to 13 months, the K5 five to 11 months and Bongo four to 10 months. Hyundai customers will also have to wait more than 12 months to receive their GV60, GV70, IONIQ 5 and Porter EV vehicles. "Recently, the production of vehicles has been delayed due to the lack of supply of semiconductors and parts, so the number of backorders has increased," an official at a local carmaker said on condition of anonymity. This is the tragic moment a mother kissed her daughter goodbye moments before she is thought to have become the first Briton to die after eating a cannabis sweet. Damilola Grace Olakanmi, a 23-year-old law student who lived in Ilford, East London, fell ill immediately after eating just one sweet laced with the drug. Now a photo showing her mother Wumi tenderly kissing her daughter, who can be seen in a hospital bed with tubes taped to her face, has been released by the family. The University of Hertfordshire student bought the 'gummies' using a messaging app on her phone and had them delivered to her home the same day. A 21-year-old friend visiting from America also became gravely ill after the pair each had one sweet. An ambulance was called to the property at 11.30pm on March 29. Miss Olakanmi was taken by air ambulance to Queen's Hospital in Romford in a critical condition. Damilola Grace Olakanmi is kissed in hospital by her mother Wumi. The 23-year-old law student is thought to have became the first Briton to die after eating a cannabis sweet Her mother Wumi, 51, a churchgoer, kept a vigil by her bedside until she lost her fight for life on Saturday. Doctors were able to save her friend, who was later discharged. Yesterday justice campaigner and relative Richard Taylor, 75, urged young people to 'resist drugs'. Mr Taylor, who consoled the student's distraught mother, told the London Evening Standard: 'Wumi has lost her only child she has nothing now. 'It's a tragic warning to all young people about how they live their lives. They should resist drugs. Damilola was a promising young woman who should be looking forward to her future and having children of her own.' Damilola Grace Olakanmi fell ill immediately after eating just one sweet laced with the drug A relative, named only as Dunni, said: 'Damilola was a sweet, quiet girl a bit of an introvert. Her mother looked up to her. She loved looking after children and wanted to please everyone. 'The family will never come to terms with this. We need to know what happened. We don't want Damilola's memory to be just like that. You want her to be remembered as the girl who asked everyone, 'Are you OK and do you want anything?' ' Scotland Yard has warned about a potentially fatal batch of cannabis sweets with the branding 'Trrlli Peachie O's'. Officers are investigating whether the same batch is responsible for the case of a woman who needed treatment last month after eating the sweets in Tower Hamlets. Miss Olakanmi was a law student at the University of Hertfordshire (file picture) Detectives are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination and tests on a number of sweets recovered from Miss Olakanmi's home. Police have arrested a man in connection with the case after they found a large quantity of cash and suspected edible cannabis products. Leon Brown, 37, of South Norwood, south-east London, has been charged with possession with intent to supply Class B synthetic cannabinoid, being concerned in the supply of a synthetic cannabinoid, and possession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance. At Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Monday, he appeared in the dock where he was remanded in custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court next month. Last year schoolchildren as young as eight were taken to hospital after eating cannabis sweets in Bradford. In London, a number of youngsters hallucinated and passed out after taking the substances. A beloved family dog was found mutilated with her skin removed leaving its owners 'deeply unnerved'. Georgia - a 12-year-old brindle staffy cross - was reported missing from her family home in Bungundarra, Central Queensland, before she was found dead on a nearby property along Norpine Road on March 23. The innocent pup had been found with her skin removed. Beloved Queensland dog Georgia was found mutilated with its skin removed leaving its family 'deeply unnerved' Georgia - a 12-year-old brindle staffy cross - was reported missing from her family home in Bungundarra, Central Queensland, before she was found dead on a nearby property RSPCA Queensland spokesperson Emma Lagoon told Seven News the cruel death was 'beyond upsetting'. 'You just can't un-see this. I really feel for the dog's owners, the property owner and our inspector,' she said. An autopsy on Georgia could not determine her cause of death but said she most likely died of shock. An autopsy on Georgia couldn't determine her cause of death but said she most likely died of shock after she was found with her skin removed 'We're absolutely disgusted that someone out there thinks it's OK to remove the skin from someone's pet,' Ms Lagoon said. 'The vet says this was done post-mortem, but either way it's sickening. What could they possibly gain from doing this?' Georgia's heartbroken family said they will miss their 'much- loved family member' and that no owners should have to 'suffer the same way we have'. The RSPCA has issued a warning for pet owners in the Yeppoon and Rockhampton areas to ensure their pets are kept safe and secure in their homes. Melbourne dog owners have been on high alert after reports of dog baits around the city flooded social media Anyone with information about this incident should contact the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625). The incident follows a string of reports in Melbourne this week of poisoned dog meat left along major roads. Dog walkers were told to steer clear of piles of suspicious meat after people found mustard-coloured 'pills' that left one dog ill and another blind in one eye. A woman was arrested on Tuesday night after a witness allegedly saw her drop 19 baits down High Street between Glenferrie and Orrong roads. If found guilty she will face fines up to $90,870 or two years in prison. A secret document has lifted the lid on China's intention to set up a permanent military base in the Solomon Islands, just 2000km from Australia's east coast. The leaked letter of intent penned in 2020 by a Beijing-backed engineering firm shows how the communist superpower is seeking a base of operations for naval forces for the next '75 years'. The alarming development comes just 24 hours after the Chinese Embassy in the capital Honiara said reports of Beijing setting up a military base are 'utterly misinformation (sic) deliberately spread with political motive'. It also follows days of tough talking from Beijing diplomats who've slammed Canberra and Wellington calling their fears of Chinese militarisation in the South Pacific a relic of 'Cold War and colonial mentality.' In the document, Mr Rong Qian from the Avic International Project Engineering Company, writes to Leslie Kikolo who is the former Premier of the Isobel Province. The leaked letter of intent penned in 2020 by a Beijing-backed engineering firm shows how the communist superpower is seeking a base of operations for naval forces for the next '75 years' The letter 'demonstrates our intent to study the opportunity to develop Naval and infrastructure projects on leased land for the People's Liberation Navy, for the Isobel Province with exclusive rights for 75 years,' Mr Rong said in the document published by news.com.au. Mr Rong promised the Chinese state firm that 'before development of project, China would assist Solomon Islands, including infrastructure, education and sports'. 'Our expertise in the related sector will not only contribute to the success of Vocational Training in the Solomon Islands but will also help the country to improve her education level and military cooperation with China.' Last month the region was shocked when a secret security agreement between China and Solomon Islands was uncovered. The draft security agreement says Solomon Islands, could 'request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces' to the country. It further states China may 'make ship visits, to carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands'. Australia's north could soon be encircled by Chinese military forces as Beijing carries out a secret campaign to wield influence over small South Pacific nations, muscling in their seaports and eyeing off strategic patches of land Solomon Islands's pro-China stance has been the centre of division for years among the local population. Tensions have been simmering in island state since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favour of Beijing in September 2019. The move angered many locals who fear the country's natural resources - mainly fishing, palm oil and logging - are being fleeced by the authoritarian power. Beijing handed over about $730million to the Solomon Islands government after the diplomatic switch was made. Public sentiment is that this money was paid in exchange for a piece of their sovereignty including access to politicians and backdoors to ownership of both public and private businesses. Smoke rises from a burnt out buildings in Honiara's Chinatown after riots in November 2021 A building prominently displaying three Taiwanese flags (pictured) was left untouched during anti-China riots while other shops and businesses were torched in the Solomon Islands in 2021 Opposition politicians also claim the Chinese Government funded Mr Sogavare's political campaign at the last election and gifted him a personal slush fund to win the votes of fellow MPs. In the wake of anti-Beijing riots in November that left almost every building in Chinatown smouldering, Mr Sogavare called on Australian Police and military to send a peacekeeping force. In the weeks that followed, a contingent of Chinese police officers were also deployed to Solomon Islands to work with local authorities to maintain order and guard Chinese interests. Hundreds of NSW residents have been ordered to evacuate as unrelenting rain sparks widespread major flooding and a raging whirlpool opens up on a suburban street. Residents in parts of Chipping Norton and Camden in Sydney's southwest were issued with an immediate warning to leave on Thursday afternoon due to rising waters. In Camden, those in Exeter Street west of John Street, Milford Road Camden West, and Peter Avenue between Onslow Avenue and Belgenny Avenue, were told by the NSW SES to leave by 6pm. The same evacuation order also applies to Cawder Rd between Barsden Street and Murray St, Sheathers Lane, Kirkham Lane, Menangle Rd near Racecourse Rd and Poplar Caravan Park. An earlier alert was issued for Chipping Norton residents to leave Newbridge Road between Riverside Road and east to Georges River, Davy Robinson Drive, Rickard Road and Arthur Street by 3pm. Parts of Camden (pictured) have been ordered to evacuate as the southwest Sydney suburb is hit with major flooding The alerts came after people in parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay in the city's south were told to evacuate in the morning. Warnings for possible evacuations are also in place for Stuarts Point on the mid-north coast, and Stonequarry Creek, and Picton in southwestern Sydney. Major flooding is expected on the Nepean River, with Menangle and Wallacia also expected to be affected in coming days. Flood levels at Menangle could surpass the record set in April 1988, Bureau of Meteorology senior hydrologist Ailsa Schofield said. The '88 flood peak was higher than the levels reached in 2021 and in 2022, she said. 'There is also the significant risk of continued flash flooding in the Greater Sydney, Upper Hunter, Illawarra and South Coast areas from today and into the weekend,' Ms Scofield said. 'So I'm really urging residents to stay up to date with the local weather and warning information and stay safe.' SES volunteers head out in a boat to help residents in Camden, who are under evacuation orders NSW SES issued a notice urging residents in parts of Camden to clear out by 6pm as the area goes under water Camden was pounded by more than 30mm of rain between 9am to 4pm, with experts warning the Nepean River may peak at 13.80m by Thursday night at Camden Weir. Water is spilling at Warragamba Dam, which was already at capacity before the rain began. 'This is a highly dynamic situation,' State Emergency Service Acting Commissioner Daniel Austin said. 'These events are moving exceptionally quickly as was witnessed in the Illawarra this morning ... in the space of about three-quarters of an hour significant downpours, significant flash flooding, and a number of properties impacted by those flash events.' The SES has responded to almost 700 requests for assistance and conducted 25 rescues, the majority for people caught out by flash flooding. Meanwhile, the wild weather has created formidable spectacles along the east coast, as Sydney's cliffs were transformed into rushing waterfalls and a gushing floodwater formed a whirlpool in Wollongong. Footage posted online shows brown murky water churning in a circle as it streamed down a road in Corrimal, in Wollongong's north. Sydneysiders have been urged to stay off the roads. Pictured is flash flooding on Pittwater Road on the Northern Beaches on Thursday morning The overnight deluge has already caused widespread damage in Rose Bay North (pictured) In Sydney's eastern suburbs, incredible images captured on Thursday show the relentless rainfall pouring over the side of the cliffs and into the ocean below. Towering water-front mansions in Diamond Bay and Dover Heights were seen being drenched in the deluge, which cascaded off the cliff face in heavy streams. The wet and wild conditions saw the cliffs battered with large waves and powerful sea spray gusts as the city surpassed its average annual rainfall. The rainfall showed no sign of stopping on Thursday afternoon with the Nepean River at Menangle having risen more than 13 metres in the past 24 hours. The river passed major flood levels by two metres by 11am on Thursday morning. Canterbury Bankstown council has asked Milperra residents to prepare for 'potential flooding and evacuations' as the Georges River in Sydney's south and west continues to rise and threatens to overflow. Sydney's rocky cliff's have been transformed into rushing waterfalls as a rain bomb continues to drench the city in torrential downpours (pictured, wild weather in the city's east) A whirlpool emerged in a Corrimal street, in north Wollongong, (pictured) as floodwaters streamed down suburban streets The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for potential major flooding for Menangle, Liverpool and Milperra and a flood watch for other catchments. 'Rainfall is expected to intensify around coastal areas of Wollongong today and continue tomorrow. The rainfall is expected to ease on Saturday,' it said. NSW SES acting commissioner Daniel Austin on Thursday afternoon said flash floods were developing in the space of 45 minutes in some areas. He asked that the community remained vigilant and responded to evacuation notices, adding the state had a 'long way to go' before the weather plateaued. Meanwhile at Coalcliff near Wollongong, about 60km south of Sydney, the downpour has triggered a landslide at the Seacliff Bridge. Emergency crews attended the scene and diverted oncoming traffic after one lane of the Lawrence Hargrave Drive had to be closed. It's been a wet night on Sydney roads with some areas receiving up to 120mm overnight on Wednesday A severe weather warning has been issued for much of the NSW coast. Areas in purple should expect at least 100mm of rain As the east coast continues to be smashed by more torrential rain, millions of locals in coastal areas have been ordered to stay at home. Rainfall continues to drench areas south of Newcastle, two hours north of Sydney, with the deluge expected to cause rivers to overflow and significant flash flooding. Jetties were pictured underwater along the Woronora River in the Sutherland Shire with residents reporting boats and pontoons floating away downstream. Large swathes of the southern Central Coast have been pounded with heavy rain receiving 100mm overnight, with another 100 to 200mm forecast for the area. New South Wales is already saturated after being hit by repeated flooding in recent months, with the Northern Rivers area devastated by two deluges within weeks and Sydney drenched in its wettest March on record. Sydneysiders were faced with a difficult commute to work on Thursday as the city was pounded with torrential rain that showed no time of stopping Dozens of roads are closed across Sydney, including Audley Weir (pictured Wednesday night) Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday there was a sense of deja vu in the area following flooding last month. 'We know what's going to happen, we just hope it won't get worse than last time,' Mr Mannoun said. More than 100mm of rain fell on parts of southern Sydney overnight, with a further 140mm expected to be dumped on coastal areas in just six hours on Thursday. The Harbour City has surpassed its average annual rainfall total of 1213mm, setting a new record for the fastest time to receive a year's worth of rain. A severe weather warning is in place for southern and central NSW, metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra, the South Coast, the Central and Southern Tablelands and parts of the Hunter. Severe thunderstorms are also predicted inland for the Central West Slopes and Plains near Parkes and the Upper West near Cobar. Several schools have closed in Sydney's south, the Illawarra and the South Coast, including Dapto High School, Kanahooka High School, Kurnell Public School, Terara Public School, and Woronora River Public School. BoM on Thursday warned there was an increased risk of landslides, with one already killing a British father and son hiking with their family in the Blue Mountains. A flood watch has also been issued for central NSW, with minor to moderate flooding forecast for the Southern Coastal Rivers including the Hawkesbury-Nepean, the Macquarie and Queanbeyan rivers on Thursday and Friday. An urgent warning was issued for low lying parts of Woronora and Bonnet Bay in Sydney's south and Picton in the south-west outskirts to evacuate on Thursday morning. 'Floodwaters may isolate the area. If you remain in the area, you may be trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous to rescue you,' an alert read. 'Residents of areas expecting to be flooded should make plans to leave when advised to do so. Ensure you take pets and valuables with you.' At Coalcliff in Wollongong, about 60km southwest of Sydney, the downpour has triggered a landslide at the Seacliff Bridge (pictured) Pictured: Flash flooding in Dee Why on Thursday turned a road into a river Authorities have urged Sydney motorists to stay off the roads if possible. 'We have seen widespread heavy rainfall overnight and it is expected to continue today with a high risk of flash flooding with lots of roads closed cut off and flooded,' NSW SES assistant commissioner Dean Storey told Sunrise. 'The key message for the community, particularly those getting up getting ready to go to work and hit the roads, is avoid unnecessary travel. 'If you don't have to take to the roads today, please avoid it. If you need to travel, drive to the conditions and never drive through those floodwaters. 'If you live in a flood-prone area that is forecast to the impacted, have a plan in place and be ready to enact that plan if you are required to evacuate your home.' Commuters battled a tough run into work from Sydney's Northern Beaches, with Pittwater Road inundated with water. In the city's south, the Illawarra Highway at Macquarie Pass is closed due to landslip while flooding has cut Audrey Road in the Royal National Park. Areas of heavy rainfall continue to be directed towards areas south of #Newcastle. This is likely to continue for much of Thursday, resulting in significant flash and riverine flooding. Many areas south of the Central Coast have received over 100mm of rain during Wednesday night with another 100-200mm possible during today. Keep an eye on local warnings and flood updates. Register now to receive SMS alerts for severe weather, flooding and Major road closures. www.nswincidentalerts.com Posted by NSW Incident Alerts on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Some of Sydney could receive up to 250mm of rain on Thursday (pictured, Sydneysiders battling the wild weather on Wednesday) Lawrence Hargrave Drive is closed in both directions on Seacliff Bridge between Coalcliff and Clifton due to a fallen tree. One man is lucky to be alive after a dramatic rescue from a flooded creek in Epping in Sydney's north. Sydney's south copped an battering overnight, where Cronulla has received a 150mm drenching in the last 24 hours. Two thirds fell within three hours overnight. Sydney Airport recorded 111mm, well above its average monthly rainfall for April. Flood warnings are in place for 12 rivers across NSW, including the Hawkesbury, Nepean, Colo and Georges rivers. Minor warnings have been issued for the Hawkesbury River at Windsor and North Richmond and the Cooks River at Tempe Bridge and the Woronora River at Woronora Bridge. As the east coast continues to be smashed by more torrential rain millions of locals in coastal areas have been ordered to stay at home (pictured, a landslide at Coalcliff, south of Sydney) Six-hourly rain totals between 60 and 100mm are forecast for Sydney on Thursday Moderate flooding could occur on the Colo River at Putty Road. Little Bay in Sydney's south-east copped a 107mm drenching overnight while Darkes Forest on the south-west outskirts received 67mm within two hours. On top of the wild weather, an oil spill has sparked havoc at Kurnell in Sydney's south after a pump at the nearby Caltex Refinery, Australia's largest fuel import terminal failed. The weather is caused by a strong upper trough and embedded low amplifying over the centre of NSW, working to deepen another trough sitting off the coast. The systems are expected to weaken on Friday morning. 'Heavy and persistent showers over the coming days will increase the chance of flash flooding and landslips over already saturated catchments,' BOM meteorologist Sarah Scully said on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms also pose a threat, including in northeast NSW. 'They may produce localised heavy falls (but) it is not expected to produce that riverine flooding,' Ms Scully said. 'Instead, it'll be more localised flash flooding.' Around 60 Russian paratroopers have staged a mutiny and refused to fight in Ukraine, local reports say. The men, who were from key airborne forces headquarters Pskov in northern Russia, could now face jail sentences for the insubordination. The refusenik troops had been moved to Belarus as part of the invasion force but after their mutiny were sent in disgrace back to their base in Pskov. Around 60 Russian paratroopers have staged a mutiny and refused to fight in Ukraine. Pictured: Pskov paratroopers in 2019 Defence minister Sergei Shoigu (pictured) is reported to have sent one of his deputies to Pskov to handle the insubordination Some have been dismissed and branded 'cowards' while others are set to face the Russian equivalent of a court martial with likely jail sentences. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu is reported to have sent one of his deputies to Pskov to handle the insubordination. Ukraine claimed that the troops were elite paratroopers but this has not yet been confirmed, even though Pskov is a key HQ of Russia's most elite airborne forces. Russian opposition outlet Pskovskaya Guberniya reported: 'About 60 servicemen from Pskov refused to go to war on Ukrainian territory, according to our sources. 'After the first days of the war, they were first brought to the Republic of Belarus, and then they returned to their base in Pskov. The men, who were from key airborne forces headquarters Pskov in northern Russia, could now face jail sentences for the insubordination An earlier captive Russian soldier from Pskov, Vladimir Safronov (pictured), 23, told his Ukrainian interrogators about problems with rations 'Most of them are currently being dismissed, but some are threatened with criminal cases.' It is the latest of several cases of Russian troops refusing to obey Vladimir Putin's orders to invade Ukraine and 'deNazify' the country. An earlier captive Russian soldier from Pskov, Vladimir Safronov, 23, told his Ukrainian interrogators about problems with rations, and how his officers were looting the civilian population. 'Things are bad with food, we are constantly saving it,' he said. 'Very often we have a situation that a ration for one person is shared between two people. It is the latest of several cases of Russian troops refusing to obey Vladimir Putin's orders to invade Ukraine and 'deNazify' the country 'We are eating mostly what we find inside [civilian] houses [in occupied Ukraine]. He said: 'There is a lot of looting, I've personally seen it. 'I don't support it, it was mainly senior sergeants and the commander who did it 'I saw civilians who were hiding, people who were unable to evacuate, who lived in constant fear. 'I felt awfully sorry for them, it was scary to find them.' Earlier reports said that elite OMON special forces troops from Khakassia had refused to fight. In another case, troops from unofficial statelet South Ossetia reportedly went on foot back to their homes after refusing to participate on hostilities in Ukraine. Advertisement An eco-fanatic who has tied himself to a tanker at an oil depot has shared a toe-curling video of himself impersonating British national treasure Sir David Attenborough slamming 'homo sapiens who want to kill themselves with the black stuff'. Some 15 members of the Just Stop Oil group were arrested on Thursday morning over the protest at Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire which began at 0.40am as they try to impact fuel availability at petrol pumps across England. The group said more than 400 activists have now been arrested over the protests which began last week as they continue to disrupt oil facilities amid demands that the UK Government ends all new oil and gas projects in Britain. Campaigners have since shared the awkward nature documentary-style video to their social media channels. The video opens with the activist calling himself David Attenborough Junior Junior Junior and stating: 'Welcome to another episode of Black Planet. 'We're here looking at the devastation that the black stuff that the homo sapiens love so much but is ultimately going to kill them all. 'I've been around the planet and seen many species but never have I seen an animal that so vehemently wants to kill itself. So I've come to this Kingsbury Oil Depot to see a few homo sapiens fighting for their lives in an attempt to just stop oil.' No relation: An anti-oil activist (left) who locked himself to a tanker at an oil depot has shared a toe-curling video of himself impersonating Sir David Attenborough (right) slamming 'homo sapiens who want to kill themselves with the black stuff' Who was arrested at the Kingsbury oil terminal? Warwickshire Police said 15 arrests were made overnight into today at the Kingsbury oil terminal for offences including criminal damage and going equipped. Here is the force's list of who was arrested: 71-year-old woman from Cumbria Criminal damage 62-year-old woman from Cambridge - Section 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 51-year-old man from Northamptonshire Criminal damage 51-year-old woman from Cumbria Criminal damage 51-year-old man from Cambridge Criminal damage 25-year-old man from Germany going equipped 64-year-old woman from Shropshire Criminal damage 51-year-old man from Oxfordshire Criminal damage 65-year-old woman from Hampshire Criminal damage 49-year-old man from Ipswich Criminal damage 67-year-old man from Cheshire Criminal damage 35-year-old man from Barnsley Criminal damage 71-year-old woman from West Yorkshire Criminal damage 65-year-old woman from Shropshire Criminal damage 64-year-old man from Norwich - Criminal damage Advertisement It is unknown if the campaigner in the video is among those who were arrested but the group claims there are still some activists on site. The group said more than 400 activists have now been arrested over the protests which began last Friday as they continue to disrupt oil facilities amid demands that the UK Government ends all new oil and gas projects in Britain. Just Stop Oil - which is linked to the larger Extinction Rebellion group, whose demonstrators have also been taking part in the past week's protests - said it had also set up a roadblock today at an entrance to a nearby BP oil depot. The group said operations at the Navigator oil terminal in Grays, Essex, were still suspended due to its occupation - and it comes ahead of the planned daily 'mass participation' protests from London's Hyde Park this Saturday. Extinction Rebellion has warned that these protests will be 'more disruptive than ever' and they are 'expecting huge numbers', adding: 'We won't have pink boats, we won't have pink tables, we will just have people power.' Also this morning, a group of protesters from the 'Doctors for XR' offshoot held a demonstration outside the Treasury building in Westminster in protest against fossil fuel finance and subsidies. They wore labels on their blue and green scrubs saying 'Doctor - protesting for public health' and held banners saying: 'Clean energy, less war'. Meanwhile, UK motorists continue to suffer at the pumps with petrol prices hitting record levels in recent weeks after Brent crude oil hit a high of $128 last month - up from lows of $19 seen at the peak of the pandemic. Warwickshire Police said more than 100 arrests have been made over the past week amid the Kingsbury protests - with an additional 15 arrests made overnight for offences including criminal damage and going equipped. The force said a 'large policing presence' remained in the area today, and all 15 of those arrested were in custody. The oldest people arrested today were two women both aged 71, while the youngest was a 25-year-old man. A police spokesman said: 'We will always respect people's right to peaceful protest but we are committed to taking action against those who break the law and significantly impact on the lives and livelihoods of others. Chief Inspector Darren Webster from Warwickshire Police added: 'Officers remain at the site of the protests and are taking action where we identify offences have been committed. 'I would like to reassure local people the protests today have been contained to the area around Trinity Road and there is only minimal disruption to the local community and local road network.' Protesters from Just Stop Oil clambered onto oil tankers and pipework at the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire today Eco protesters caused disruption for the seventh day in a row as they went to the Kingsbury oil terminal, pictured today One of the Just Stop Oil activists taking part in the demonstration at the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire today Two of the Just Stop Oil activists who are trying to disrupt operations at the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire today Protesters from the Just Stop Oil organisation try to cause chaos at the Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire today Just Stop Oil said today: 'The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report issued on Monday made clear that staying below 1.5C is now a fairy tale, what is now at stake is humanity's survival, a liveable planet. 'Its message was clear: any further delay in implementing rapid and deep carbon cuts will result in the death of millions.' The group also quoted a tweet Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, who said on Tuesday: 'Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. 'But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.' The Just Stop Oil statement continued: 'Fast forward not three days and the publication of the UK Government's Energy Security Strategy. What do they propose? Granting licences to new North Sea oil fields, another look at fracking and purchasing oil and gas from Saudi Arabia? These are the morally bankrupt plans of a criminal cartel protecting oil over life on earth. 'Reducing energy demand through insulating housing is among the most cost-effective measures to cut our carbon emissions and enjoys huge public support, yet it barely figures. The Government has fallen under the spell of shadowy lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry and is obsessed with huge infrastructure projects. 'Boris (Johnson) needs to get a grip, he has referred to the oil funded war in Ukraine as genocide, what then do you call the planned deaths of millions due to the on-going support of the carbon economy?' The Extinction Rebellion offshoot Doctors for XR protest outside the Treasury building in Westminster this morning Members of the Doctors for XR organisation hold a demonstration outside the Treasury building in Westminster today The Doctors for XR protest is being held against fossil fuel finance and subsidies and taking place in Westminster today Members of the Doctors for XR group hold banners outside the Treasury building today, saying: 'Clean energy, less war' The Doctors for XR group wear labels on their blue and green scrubs today, saying: 'Doctor - protesting for public health' The Extinction Rebellion group is planning daily 'mass participation' protests from London's Hyde Park this Saturday PM promises to take back control of energy costs with nuclear expansion The Government has promised to take back control of energy prices through boosts to nuclear, wind, solar and hydrogen in its long-awaited energy strategy. Ministers are promising 'cleaner and more affordable energy' to be made in this country, aiming to make 95 per cent of electricity low carbon by 2030. But Labour said the Prime Minister had 'caved to his own backbenchers' and that the plan would do nothing to help the rising energy costs faced by households. Boris Johnson said the strategy, including new nuclear and offshore wind plans, would reduce the UK's dependence on foreign sources of energy. There has been particular worldwide concern about the reliance on Russian oil and gas since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. Under the Government's fresh plans a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UK's nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power, 25 per cent of the projected electricity demand. It is hoped the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade. The strategy also confirmed the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey, off the north-west coast of Wales. Mr Johnson said: 'We're setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead. This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills.' The rocketing energy bills faced by families have been caused in part by a post-pandemic rise in demand for gas, with lower levels of production. This was only exacerbated by the war in Ukraine both due to energy supplies but also the production of wheat and some metals. On offshore wind, the plan outlines the ambition of producing up to 50GW of energy by 2030, which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) said would be more than enough to power every home in the UK. Some 5GW should come from floating offshore wind in deeper seas and planning reforms will slash approval times for new wind farms from four years to one year. It is thought a major crunch point in the strategy, and one of the reasons its launch has been delayed, is wrangling over onshore wind farms. Several ministers have aired views backing the development of new oil and gas, but not onshore wind, which is one of the cheapest forms of electricity, along with solar. Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg downplayed the earthquake risks from fracking and suggested 'every last drop' of oil should be extracted from the North Sea, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he did not favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms as he said they 'can create something of an eyesore'. The Government said it would be 'consulting on developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills'. Advertisement The Government has promised to take back control of energy prices through boosts to nuclear, wind, solar and hydrogen in its long-awaited Energy Security Strategy. Ministers are promising 'cleaner and more affordable energy' to be made in this country, aiming to make 95 per cent of electricity low carbon by 2030. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the strategy, including new nuclear and offshore wind plans, would reduce the UK's dependence on foreign sources of energy. Yesterday, Essex Police said they had arrested more than 70 people, including two who 'voluntarily emerged from a tunnel'. The force said the pair were arrested in Grays shortly after 5.30pm on Tuesday after they came out of a tunnel 'where they had remained in situ for several days'. They were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing danger to other road users. Police said regular welfare checks had been carried out on them for their own safety and that of others. They said supporters of the group who had dug a secret network of tunnels at the Navigator oil terminal and Grays oil terminals had gone underground as part of the action. Police said more than 70 arrests were made yesterday following the arrival of more protesters at several locations in Thurrock in the early hours. They were arrested on suspicion of a 'variety of offences', the force said. On Tuesday, a group of seven people were arrested shortly after 4.45pm following a short protest, police said. They were held on suspicion of committing a public nuisance and obstructing a highway. The force said a total of 250 arrests have been made to date in connection with the protests. Essex Police said 'a small number of people' remain at one site, with 'all other sites originally affected now clear'. Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said: 'Despite having a period on Tuesday when all sites were cleared, the protesters have returned in the early hours today, causing disruption to the business community. 'We continue to engage with a small number of people who continue to cause disruption and who remain on site. 'We want to bring this situation to a safe conclusion for everyone concerned, allowing the Thurrock communities to resume their business activities. 'We want to resume normality as quickly as we can.' James Palmer, head of prevention and protection at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said crews have been 'on-hand to maintain a safe environment and assist in the safe removal of protesters' at the site still occupied by protesters. On Monday, Extinction Rebellion said around 30 protesters returned to the Esso oil facility, near Heathrow Airport in West London, at 4am, erecting a bamboo structure in front of its entrance. A spokesman or the Metropolitan Police said four people had been arrested, bringing the total number of arrests following protests in London and Staines to 18. West Midlands Police said 13 people had been arrested following a protest at a terminal in Tyburn, Birmingham last Sunday. Hampshire Police said its figure stood at four arrests after demonstrations took place last Friday at Hythe Terminal in New Road in Hythe and at BP in Hamble Lane and Copse Lane. A Government spokesman said earlier this week: 'Any criminal activity will not be tolerated, and swift action is being taken by the police, preventing significant disruption to the public and industry. 'While we are working to drive down our use of expensive fossil fuels, there will continue to be ongoing demand for oil and gas over the coming decades while we transition to cheaper low-carbon energy. 'As the Business Secretary has said, turning off our domestic source of gas overnight would put energy security, British jobs and industries at risk, leaving us more dependent on foreign imports. A teenager has appeared in court accused of murdering a baby when she was just 15. Paris Mayo, 18, allegedly killed the newborn in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, in March 2019 when she was just 15 years old. A neighbour had raised the alarm and five police cars turned up at the semi-detached house. The woman, then 15, was arrested at the family home but was released on police bail. Mayo appeared at Worcester Crown Court yesterday. Paris Mayo, 18, allegedly killed the newborn in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, in March 2019 Ms Mayo, then 15, was arrested at the family home but was released on police bail. She sobbed during the brief hearing and was wearing a white jumper and jogging pants. Superintendent Sue Thomas, Police Commander for Herefordshire, said in 2019: 'Police were called at around 8.40am Sunday 24 March to reports of a concern for welfare for a newborn baby at a property in Ross-on-Wye. 'On attendance, the body of a baby was discovered. The baby's next of kin and the coroner have been informed. Ms Mayo sobbed during the brief hearing and was wearing a white jumper and jogging pants Paris Mayo, 18, from Ruardean, Gloucestershire, was arrested over the death of the youngster in near Ross-on-Wye near Herefordshire (pictured, one of the roads in the area) in March 2019 'The death is being treated as suspicious and investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the baby's death. 'A 15-year-old girl from Ross-on-Wye has been arrested in connection with this incident and has been released on police bail while investigations are ongoing.' The father of murdered Briton Caroline Crouch has described his daughter's killer as a 'weasel' as details emerged that Babis Anagnostopoulos will blame her for the crime claiming she 'mistreated' their baby and that he acted in 'self-defence' because of her martial arts skills. Anagnostopoulos, 33 will appear before an Athens court on Friday where he stands accused of murdering Caroline Crouch, 20, as she slept, her pet dog Roxy and two counts of perverting the course of justice. He then concocted an elaborate ruse that the killings occurred during a botched burglary. Caroline's heartbroken father, David Crouch is unable to attend the high-profile hearing as he is ill but her mother, Susan Dela Cuesta will be there and is expected to give evidence during the trial. Anagnostopoulos' lawyer confirmed to MailOnline that a key part of his defence is that Caroline 'triggered' him into a 'fit of rage' after she violently pushed a crib in which their then 11-month old daughter Lydia was sleeping. Anagnostopoulos, 33 (R) will appear before an Athens court on Friday where he stands accused of murdering Caroline Crouch, 20, (L) as she slept, her pet dog Roxy and two counts of perverting the course of justice (the couple's daughter Lydia is pictured centre) Prosecutors claim that the murders were pre-meditated and that Anagnostopoulos also be given a life sentence for killing Caroline Anagnostopoulos' lawyer confirmed to MailOnline that a key part of his defence is that Caroline 'triggered' him into a 'fit of rage' after she violently pushed a crib in which their then 11-month old daughter Lydia was sleeping David Crouch, Caroline's father, said the killer's defence is unlikely to stand given Caroline is believed to have been asleep for some time prior to her death Mr Crouch, 78 a retired engineer who was born in Liverpool, fumed: 'I understand that Babis will use as his defence that he was provoked by Caroline and he was acting in self-defence. 'He will also cite her martial arts skills. This is not likely to fly as she had been asleep for several hours when he killed her.' He added: 'I just wish I could get my hands on the little weasel.' Last year after Anagnostopoulos was initially arrested just hours after crying crocodile tears at Caroline's funeral and hugging her mother, Mr Crouch said he would have 'blown his head off', there and then if he knew the truth. Mr Crouch, who lives on the island of Alonissos, explained how his illness would keep him from the trial and said:' It would be impossible for me to tolerate the journey to Athens although Susan will go. 'I will stay here and look after Lydia.' Mr Crouch and Susan were given custody of baby Lydia last year following a ruling by a Greek court. He added: 'She is into everything and with the most winning smile.' Alexis Papaioannidis, Anagnostopoulos' lawyer told MailOnline: 'There is no doubt that the couple was going through a rough patch and that it wasn't the first time they were embroiled in a heated exchange. 'But it was that night when Caroline turned ever more abusive, violently pushing the crib to the side, that set off Babis.' He thought, 'Lydia is in danger.' Helicopter pilot Anagnostopoulos initially claimed that robbers broke into his home and killed Caroline and her dog Roxy, attacked him and then made off with cash and jewellery. Following his arrest, he confessed that he was the killer and that he suffocated Caroline last May as she slept and then hanged Roxy from the bannister of their Athens home by his leash in an attempt to make his story more credible that burglars had burst in and committed the crime. After suffocating Caroline as she slept, Anagnostopoulos then smothered puppy Roxy (pictured) and hanged the pup's lifeless body on the banister of their first floor flat in Athens. Anagnostopoulos is also being charged with animal murder - something made possible following a new law introduced last year that forbids their unlawful killing Speaking of the forthcoming trial, Mr Crouch said: 'We are also pleased that the Greek prosecutor intends to throw the book at Caroline's killer. 'Here in Greece, husbands often receive relatively light sentences for killing their wives if they can show they have been provoked; something that is currently enraging the women's movement here. 'It is something that they are actively working on, lobbying lawmakers and politicians.' He added: 'However in his report the prosecutor contends that Caroline was killed after a period of careful planning, that she had been asleep for two and a half hours and that he had been in a calm state of mind. 'It seems inconceivable that he will get anything less than a life sentence.' On Friday, Anagnostopoulos will face what is known as a mixed jury trial which is made up of three full-time judges and four jurors who will be chosen from the public. There will be nine prosecution witnesses, including Susan Dela Cuesta, Caroline's mother; a therapist who Caroline was seeing with her husband; their former next-door neighbour; the coroner; three police officers and some childhood friends of Caroline. Anagnostopoulos is relying on six witnesses, including his parents and some friends to help him prove his case that he acted in the 'heat of the moment.' He also claims that Caroline became more aggressive after suffering a miscarriage. Believing he had got away with the elaborate cover up, Babis even asked her parents to shell out 3,500 - about 4,000 Euros - for her coffin (pictured) Police became suspicious when data collected from a fitness tracker on Caroline's wrist showed her heart had stopped beating before the alleged break-in took place and data from other technical devices highlighted discrepancies Following legal wranglings, Anagnostopoulos has also specifically been charged with murdering Caroline's beloved five-month-old pup called Roxy, after initially being charged with animal cruelty. The animal murder charge was made possible following a new law introduced last year that forbids their unlawful killing. Friday's trial will be the first time that the Greek legal system will hear a case of animal murder. Evangelia Tsanopoulou, Roxy's lawyer told MailOnline that she would argue for Anagnostopoulos to be given a maximum ten-year sentence for killing the puppy in addition to any sentence he may receive for the murder of his wife. Ms Tsanopoulou added: 'This was a pre-meditated crime against Roxy. He (Anagnostopoulos) could have left the door open for the dog to leave, which it most certainly would have done. 'It shows his incredible apathy and lack of sentiment because he killed Caroline's dog to try and achieve his goals.' Boris Johnson unveiled a big bet on nuclear today as part plans to shore up the UK's energy supplies - but ministers admitted that it will do nothing to help the crisis in the coming months. After weeks of bitter haggling in Whitehall, the PM finally published the strategy saying it 'tackles the mistakes of the past' to ensure the UK can never again be 'blackmailed by people such as Vladimir Putin'. It will massively expand wind, solar and atomic power so that nearly all our electricity is homegrown and low carbon by the end of the decade. But although Mr Johnson appears to have won arguments with Chancellor Rishi Sunak over funding nuclear, a Tory revolt has blocked targets for onshore wind and there is little detail on subsidies for domestic generation and efficiency measures. In a round of interviews this morning, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng conceded that the strategy is a 'three, four or five-year answer' and will not address the immediate problems amid the standoff with Russia. Meanwhile, the managing director of Hinkley Point C - the UK's first new nuclear power plant in 30 years - said Covid and higher costs mean it will not be up and running by 2026 as scheduled. Labour accused the government of being 'held to ransom' by restive Conservative MPs and failing to take action that would help hard-pressed families now. And experts complained that the strategy does not include anything 'radically new and different'. Above: Plans and proposals for new nucelar power plants around the UK, with as many as eight by 2050. The ambitious Energy Security Strategy proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britain's electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. Boris Johnson (pictured visiting the Hinkley Point C site today) has won arguments with Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the cost of nuclear power, sources said Mr Johnson (right) said the strategy 'tackles the mistakes of the past' to ensure the UK can never again be 'blackmailed by people such as Vladimir Putin'. But Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng (left) conceded that the strategy is a 'three, four or five-year answer' and will not address the immediate problems amid the standoff with Russia Above: Construction workers at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site, near Bridgwater. Ambitious proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britain's electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. The plan sets out an ambition to build up to eight nuclear plants to meet around a quarter of projected electricity demand by 2050. A new body, Great British Nuclear, will bolster the UK's nuclear capacity with a target of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 25 per cent of projected demand. The plan also confirms the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site on Anglesey, north-west Wales. The ambitious proposals include a target to generate 95 per cent of Britain's electricity from nuclear and renewable sources by 2030 up from 55 per cent at present. It is not clear how the Government will achieve this without energy bills rocketing. Ministers will open the door to onshore wind in England by consulting on relaxing the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015. Local communities who wish to have wind farms installed will be guaranteed lower energy bills potentially saving households hundreds of pounds a year. Again, details of how it will work remain unclear - and crucially the idea of setting targets for onshore wind generation has been abandoned. The Government said it will not introduce 'wholesale changes' to planning regulations, which have effectively halted the development of new wind farms in England. But it will consult on 'developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills'. Approval times for building offshore wind farms will be slashed from four years to one year to rapidly expand their development, with an ambition to generate 50GW by 2030 more than enough to power every home in the UK. Solar capacity could grow five-fold by 2035, with more panels placed on domestic and commercial rooftops. Ministers will also consult on changing planning rules to increase solar farms on non-protected land a move that is likely to prove controversial in rural areas. The strategy also includes an aim to double the goal of 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, with at least half from 'green' hydrogen, produced from renewable electricity rather than natural gas. A 30million competition to manufacture heat pumps will be launched, and there are ambitions to increase solar capacity with a consultation on the rules for solar projects. A new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the autumn to cover the 'nearer term', despite a UN report this week which called for rapid and substantial cuts to fossil fuel use to avoid dangerous warming. The Government also this week commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the moratorium on the controversial process, imposed over the tremors it caused. But the absence of any mention of fracking in the strategy will anger some Tories who have been calling for immediate action. Ministers will open the door to onshore wind in England by consulting on relaxing the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015 (stock image) The Government hopes the strategy will make Britain a net energy exporter by the end of the decade, and insulate the country from global energy price shocks. Mr Kwarteng insisted targets to reduce the climate crisis are not being deprioritised, telling Sky News today: 'Not at all, I think that the net zero legislation is, after all, in law, it's still in the law of the land, we're focused on that, but of course given what's happening around the world, given the pressure on energy prices, we're also doing lots of other things to make sure we get energy independence back into the UK.' Pressed on the impact it will have on energy bills now, he said: 'You are right to say that the strategy is more of a medium term, three, four or five-year answer, but that doesn't mean that we can't address this. 'It's really important that we get an energy strategy, an energy policy, that means we can have more security and independence in the years ahead.' Hinkley Point C managing director Stuart Crooks told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the project is 'around 54 per cent' complete. He warned that while 2026 was the scheduled finish date, they had been hit by the same problems as other industries. '2026 is our forecast date but like every other industry we're in the middle of this energy crisis,' he said. 'We're off the back of Covid and we have been impacted by all of those factors. 'So, we are reviewing our schedule on our cost base to make sure we bring this power to the public of UK as soon as possible. 'Our overriding priority is always safety and quality, and we'll make sure that the plant is built absolutely right.' Mr Miliband said that a few Tory backbenchers were 'holding the Government's energy policy to ransom'. 'Onshore wind is the cheapest, quickest form of energy we can get,' he told the BBC. 'It's been blocked since 2015 because of Government rules, not because of the views of the population but because a few Tory backbenchers are holding the Government's energy policy to ransom and people are paying higher bills as a result.' Ministers have promised cleaner and more affordable energy to be made in the UK, aiming to make 95 per cent of electricity low carbon by 2030. Mr Miliband added: 'The Government wanted to have a target to double onshore wind that is the equivalent of building five new nuclear power stations between now and 2030. 'I'm in favour of new nuclear but stations that the Government is talking about today won't be built for at least a decade. That's why this strategy is so deeply flawed.' Mr Johnson, the Chancellor and Mr Kwarteng held a series of crisis meetings yesterday to finalise the plan after weeks of wrangling, but Mr Sunak's objections about the cost of nuclear were ultimately overruled. A source said: 'The PM and Business Secretary won on nuclear.' The strategy also includes plans to launch a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects this summer to reduce reliance on imports. And it contains an ambition to double low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 to replace gas in the longer term. The PM said last night that the plan will allow Britons to 'enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills' by reducing dependence on volatile international prices. Mr Johnson said: 'We're setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain from new nuclear to offshore wind in the decade ahead. 'This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills.' Mr Kwarteng added: 'We have seen record high gas prices around the world. We need to protect ourselves from price spikes in the future by accelerating our move towards cleaner, cheaper, home-grown energy. 'The simple truth is that the more cheap, clean power we generate within our borders, the less exposed we will be to eye-watering fossil fuel prices set by global markets we can't control. 'Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear, while maximising North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence over the coming years.' Australia has issued fresh sanctions against 67 Russian nationals including oligarchs, soldiers and government officials following the country's invasion of Ukraine. Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced the latest round of sanctions on Thursday from Brussels where she had been invited to speak at a meeting of NATO countries. The announcement is in response to evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Bucha and other areas around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. There are now more than 600 people sanctioned by Australia. The new round includes Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who has been labelled the 'Butcher of Mariupol' for attacks in the city that targeted buildings sheltering civilians. Australia's foreign minister Marise Payne (pictured) announced a new round of sanctions on Wednesday against 67 Russians Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol, the city council said (pictured) The Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre was almost totally destroyed by Russian bombs aimed at the building on March 16 despite a large inscription saying 'children' being clearly visible on the pavement outside. City councillors said accounts they had been given from survivors of the bombing suggested that hundreds of people had died in the attack. 'From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft,' Mariupol city hall wrote on Telegram. Authorities in Ukraine also said that the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in areas outside of Kyiv - specifically in the town of Bucha - after last week's withdrawal of Russian troops. Horrific images show many civilians with tied hands and close-range gunshot wounds. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko has also been sanctioned in the new round, along with other senior Russian officials. 'The Australian government is committed to imposing the highest costs on those who bear responsibility for Russia's aggression in Ukraine or hold levers of power,' Senator Payne said in a statement. Satellite pictures showed the word 'children' written in Russian outside the Mariupol Theatre building (pictured) Russian forces bombed the building - which was being used to house up to 1,300 civilians (pictured) NEW ROUND OF SANCTIONS ON RUSSIANS BY AUSTRALIA The new round of sanctions on 67 people includes: Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who has been labelled the 'Butcher of Mariupol' Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov Kremlin-installed so-called 'mayor' of Melitopol, Ukrainian Galina Danilchenko Member of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleg Voloshyn, who has been working with Russia to undermine the Ukrainian Government Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Aleksander Babakov Other senior Russian government officials Advertisement 'The Australian government reiterates our strongest support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the people of Ukraine.' It comes as Australia joined part of a growing push to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Similar calls have been made by the United States and the United Kingdom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a UN address on Tuesday to call for the expulsion of Russia - one of five permanent members who hold veto powers - from the security council so it cannot block peace resolutions to the war being waged on his country. But under the UN charter there is no direct way to remove a permanent member of the security council. However, Russia can be suspended from the Human Rights Council with a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly. Three people were killed and five wounded in shelling in residential area in Kharkiv city in mid-March despite Moscow maintaining its forces are only targeting strategic military infrastructure (pictured) The Mariupol Theatre attack is more evidence that Russia is committing war crimes (pictured, the destroyed building) Australia has co-sponsored the resolution required, but a senior foreign affairs official says the push was in train just prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has threatened to retaliate against states who vote for its suspension. Senator Payne and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the efforts to hold Russia accountable and to provide security assistance to Ukraine during NATO ministerial meetings in Brussels. 'Authoritarian states cannot be allowed to trample on the rights of democratic countries,' Senator Payne said. Evacuees from Mariupol are seen upon arrival at the car park of a shopping centre on the outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is now a registration centre for displaced people on March 16 Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has called on the federal government to take further action and ban Russian goods from entering the country. 'I encourage all those Australian companies to stop that operation. It is toxic to be doing any business,' he told the Ten network. 'I have an indication there may be some companies in oil and gas and mining industries who still continue working in Russia. I will reach out to those companies directly.' POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-zoon speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the company's high-nickel cathode materials factory in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Courtesy of POSCO Chemical By Park Jae-hyuk POSCO Chemical started construction on a high-nickel cathode material factory in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday, two weeks after POSCO Group broke ground for its lithium plant in Argentina. The chemical firm said that the new factory's construction is part of its efforts to grow into an eco-friendly materials manufacturer and to increase investments in POSCO's hometown of Pohang, where POSCO Chemical completed the construction of Korea's first synthetic graphite anode plant in 2021. According to the company, 290 billion won ($238 million) has been invested in its new factory which will begin producing 30,000 tons of cathode materials annually from 2024. It plans to make additional investments to increase the factory's annual production capacity to 60,000 tons by 2025 an amount that can be used to equip batteries in 600,000 high-performance electric vehicles (EVs). POSCO Chemical expects the new factory to play a key role in the company taking the initiative in next-generation materials, given that the factory will produce cathode materials with nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum, which can enhance the stability and mileage of EVs. Once the factory starts operations, POSCO Chemical will be ready for the rising demand for cathode materials for high-performance EVs, by producing up to 160,000 tons of cathode materials annually through its manufacturing facilities in Pohang, as well as in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, and Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. It also seeks to produce a combined 115,000 tons of cathode materials annually in North America, China, Europe and Indonesia, which are considered the largest markets for EVs. "We have been able to construct our value chain for the EV battery business, by securing lithium and nickel from POSCO Group," POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-zoon said during the groundbreaking ceremony. "The new cathode materials factory in Pohang will be the center of the battery materials industry." POSCO Chemical said the ceremony was attended by around 100 participants, including North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok and lawmakers representing Pohang residents. POSCO Group Chairman Choi Jeong-woo did not pay a visit, although he had been expected to meet with the Pohang mayor at the event and discuss the planned relocation of the group's holding firm to the port city from Seoul. The wreckage of an obliterated Russian convoy lying along a Ukrainian highway west of Kyiv has been captured on video by a drone, after Vladimir Putin's forces fully retreated from the region. President Volodymyr Zelensky's forces ambushed the tanks as they travelled down the highway - a tactic Kyiv has employed to great success across the country to repel Vladimir Putin's vast numbers of slow-moving military hardware. Two aerial videos show several rusting wreckages of the tanks and other military vehicles on the E40 highway, a main road that runs into Kyiv from the west. The footage emerged as Russia completed the pullout of 24,000 troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv in preparation for an expected major offensive in the Donbas. Putin's soldiers have been sent to Belarus and Russia to resupply and reorganise before the heavy onslaught in Ukraine's east, US intelligence sources said. Residents in the Donbas have been told to evacuate now ahead of the impending manoeuvre, as Zelensky warned that Moscow is now marshalling reinforcements and trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the region. 'The fate of our land and of our people is being decided. We know what we are fighting for. And we will do everything to win,' Zelensky said, six weeks into the war. Meanwhile, British intelligence sources claimed last night Ukraine could 'break' the Russian army if it was given enough weapons from Western allies. The weaponry sought by the Ukrainians has been compiled into a shopping list and submitted to allies. It is believed to include aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles, long range artillery, anti-ship missiles and air defence systems. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today repeated calls for NATO members to provide Kyiv with all the military equipment it needs to fight Russia, demanding 'weapons, weapons and weapons.' Yesterday, the Czech Republic became the first NATO member to supply tanks to Ukraine and now Britain is considering following suit. A destroyed Russian tank is seen on a highway, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region Pictured: Drone footage shows around ten blackened wreckages in a closely-packed row down the middle of a three-lane highway. Another is shown off to the side. It appears they have been attacked by Ukrainian artillery fire some time ago Pictured: Rusting wreckages amidst debris on a scorched road are shown in drone footage from Ukraine, on a highway west of the capital Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow is trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the Donbas In the first video capturing the trail of destruction along the E40, around ten blackened wreckages can be seen in a closely-packed column down the middle of a three-lane highway. Another is shown off to the side. The position of the wreckages suggests they were destroyed in an ambush and well-targeted artillery strike - a tactic that has proven effective for Kyiv's forces against Russia's superior numbers. The vehicles have rusted, suggesting they were destroyed some time ago. Debris is scattered all around them on the scorched stretch of road. Towards the end of the footage, two civilian cars are seen approaching the wrecks, are are forced to skirt around the devastated vehicles. Shrapnel marks can be seen on a nearby building, while other civilian vehicles parked on a nearby side road have also been destroyed, possibly caught in the blasts from the artillery fire. In the second drone video, more rusting vehicles are shown on the side of the highway and are spaced further apart than in the first. One is shown abandoned, left parked sideways across a slip road, blocking part of the road. From their position, the vehicles appear to have been ditched by Russian forces coming under fire. They all also show signs of having come under aerial attack. It is unclear if there were any surviving Russian soldiers in the attacks. Other videos of artillery strikes on Russian armoured columns have shown crews jumping out of their vehicles and making a break for it, and in some cases escaping. Others have shown soldiers being killed in the strikes, unable to escape the vehicles in time. Pictured: An armoured Russian military vehicle is shown in drone footage abandoned on the side of the E40 highway in Ukraine. It appears it has been hastily ditched by its crew as it came under attack from artillery fire Pictured: Another rusting armoured vehicle is shown on the side of the E40 highway, a main motorway that runs into Kyiv from the west A Russian tank shown parked sideways across a slip road, blocking part of the road. It also appears to have been quickly abandoned by its crew as it came under attack The same E40 highway was the scene of horrific discoveries last week, when BBC investigators found 13 civilian bodies along one short stretch of the road. Two of the bodies were of a couple who were killed in early March trying to escape the capital when they came under fire from a Russian tank crew. The man - a husband and father - was shown in other drone footage stopping his car and getting out with his hands up in a sign of surrender. The crew gunned him down anyway. The horrific scenes from the region began to emerge as Russian forces began to pull back, allowing Ukraine's forces and journalists back into the area for the first time in more than a month. Despite Putin's invading forces vastly outnumbering Kyiv's, Ukrainian troops have employed targeted strikes to great effect. Experts, meanwhile, have said that Moscow's armies have left themselves open to attack by using slow-moving Soviet-era logistical tactics to move vast numbers of vehicles into and around Ukraine. As demonstrated by the latest drone footage, this has made tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks and other Russian hardware vulnerable to Kyiv's more mobile units that have been able to destroy thousands of the Kremlin's vehicles. Military blog Oryx has been tracking Russia's hardware losses, tallying visual confirmations from pictures and videos coming out of Ukraine. A man pushes his bike through debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street on April 6, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine A Ukrainian serviceman walks on an abandoned Russian army tank in Andriivka, April 5 Local residents explore a destroyed Russian tank in the small city Hostomel in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, April 6 A Ukrainian serviceman walks next to the wreck of a Russian tank in Stoyanka, March 27 By Oryx's latest count, Russia has lost 2,572 items of military hardware - including tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, as well as communication stations, artillery and air defence systems. Of those, 1,322 have been visually confirmed as destroyed, 38 have been damaged, 238 have been abandoned and 974 have been captured, by the blog's count. Given that Oryx's figures are based on visual confirmations, this is seen as a minimum count. The true figure is believed to be higher, with Kyiv's defence ministry claiming more than 4,000 vehicles have been destroyed. The ministry has also claimed that 18,900 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion began on February 24, with some estimates putting this figure over 20,000. Meanwhile, a US defence official said on Wednesday that Russia had pulled all of its estimated 24,000 or more troops from the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas in the north, sending them into Belarus or Russia to resupply and reorganise. They are expected to return to fight in the east of the country, where Russia has said it intends to focus its military efforts in a new phase of the invasion. Growing numbers of Vladimir Putin's troops, along with mercenaries, have been reported moving into the Donbas. 'Later, people will come under fire,' Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in urging civilians to evacuate from the mostly Russian-speaking industrial region, 'and we won't be able to do anything to help them'. Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas since 2014. Ahead of its February 24 invasion, Moscow recognised the Luhansk and Donetsk regions as independent states. Another Western official said it may take Russia's battle-damaged forces as much as a month to regroup for a major push on eastern Ukraine. In his nightly address on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also warned Russia's military is gearing up for a new offensive in the east. Ukraine too was preparing for battle, he said. At a cemetery in the town of Bucha, workers began to load more than 60 bodies apparently collected over the past few days Hostomel was occupied for more than a month by Russian forces as they pushed toward the Ukrainian capital, before ultimately retreating to Belarus last week Firefighters remove debris from a destroyed building bombed by the Russian army in Borodyanka 'We will fight and we will not retreat,' he said. 'We will seek all possible options to defend ourselves until Russia begins to seriously seek peace. This is our land. This is our future. And we won't give them up.' In areas north of the capital, Ukrainian officials were gathering evidence of Russian atrocities amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what Mr Zelensky said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and Some were found with their hands bound. Mr Zelensky accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Mr Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. Rescuers are still searching for a 46-year-old British man and his 14-year-old son after they went missing while diving off the coast of south east Malaysia. Norwegian woman Kristine Grodem, 35, was today rescued alive after going missing when a group of four went diving off the tiny island of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, nine miles from the coast. But Brit Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and his son Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, a Dutch citizen, and Alexia Alexandra Molina, an 18-year-old French woman, are amongst three others still unaccounted for. Today diving instructor Ms Grodem, was found 30 nautical miles from where she was last reported seen, where she and the group were diving, nine miles from the coast, before they vanished on Wednesday. Officials say the four, who were in the water for 40 minutes, 'failed to return after undergoing a diving exercise'. Mersing police chief Superintendent Cyril Edward Nuing said the divers could not see their boat when they resurfaced, and they ended up drifting in strong currents. 'The instructor tried to keep all of them together but they got separated,' he said. 'We believe the three victims will be found safe as they are experienced divers.' A hunt involving boats from the coastguard, the police and the fisheries department was launched at 2.45pm (6.45am GMT) on Wednesday, senior coastguard official Nurul Hizam Zakaria said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for a 46-year-old British man, Adrian Peter Chesters, left, and his 14-year-old son, Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, a Dutch citizen, right, after they went missing while diving off the coast of south east Malaysia Alexia Alexandra Molina, an 18-year-old French woman, pictured, is amongst the three others still unaccounted for after diving training at Pulau Tokong Sanggol Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said Grodem was found by a tug boat in the waters off Tanjung Sedili in Kota Tinggi, en route from Indonesia to Thailand at 8.15am (2.15am GMT) 'floating and fully equipped' with her diving gear. 'After being found, the 35-year-old victim was transferred to a MMEA helicopter and then taken to Mersing [Stadium] for further treatment,' he reported. She is said to be in a stable condition. But it was postponed at 7.30pm local time due on Wednesday to poor visibility and amid bad weather. The search resumed at 7am today. Helicopters, boats and dozens of divers are still hunting for Adrian Chesters, 46, Nathen Chesters, 14, and Alexia Molina, 18. Police also revealed the boat captain who had taken the group to the diving site had been arrested after testing positive for drugs. Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said officers arrested the man at 11.30pm on Thursday after he gave a statement to Mersing district police. Today diving instructor Kristine Grodem, 35, (pictured) was found 30 nautical miles from where she was last reported seen, where she and the group were diving off the tiny island of Pulau Tokong Sanggol, nine miles from the coast, before they vanished on Wednesday Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said Grodem was found by a tug boat in the waters off Tanjung Sedili in Kota Tinggi, en route from Indonesia to Thailand at 8.15am (2.15am GMT) 'floating and fully equipped' with her diving gear (pictured after being transferred to a MMEA helicopter and then taken to Mersing Stadium) Mr Mamat said: 'He tested positive for methamphetamine use when we conducted a urine test. 'The forensics team will arrive to conduct the investigation. We will also investigate if there is any issue of negligence.' He said that police will conduct a 'thorough investigation' on the incident, including on the dive equipment and location used for diving, adding that the captain is being investigated under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Officials say the four, who were in the water for 40 minutes, 'failed to return after undergoing a diving exercise' - pictured, the tug boat which found Norwegian diver Kristine Grodem After being found, the 35-year-old victim was transferred to a MMEA helicopter and then taken to Mersing Stadium for further treatment (pictured upon helicopter landing at Mersing) Grodem (pictured in the helicopter after rescuing) had been instructing the divers close to a small island about nine miles (15 kilometres) off the coast when the accident happened, authorities have said Grodem had been instructing the divers close to a small island about nine miles (15 kilometres) off the coast when the accident happened, authorities have said. 'The instructor tried to keep all of them together but they got separated,' he said. 'We believe the three victims will be found safe as they are experienced divers.' The area where they disappeared is popular with foreign and domestic visitors - there are resorts dotted along the coast and on nearby islands. The island where they disappeared, Pulau Tokong Sanggol, is about nine miles (15km), off the Malaysian coast The area is popular with foreign and domestic visitors - there are resorts dotted along the coast and on nearby islands. Pictured: Paradise island Pulau Sibu near the search area Diving accidents, while rare, do occasionally take place in Malaysia. In 2013, a British tourist died when she was struck by a passing boat's propeller while diving off resort islands in the South China Sea. The tropical Southeast Asian nation's white-sand beaches and lush rainforests have long made it a major draw, but the tourism industry was hit hard by travel curbs during the coronavirus pandemic. The country's borders reopened to foreign tourists last week after a two-year closure. This is the moment an audacious gang of four thieves strolled out of a Brooklyn apartment building after holding two residents at gunpoint and stealing $200,000 from their safe. Two armed men walked into the Flatbush building and barged their through the apartment's unlocked door shortly before 5:30pm Sunday. After entering the apartment, tying up their victims with tape and forcing them to unlock a safe containing $200,000, two more gang members arrived. Thick as thieves: The Flatbush four are caught by a building security camera strolling away free The criminal quartet are then caught by a building security camera waltzing out the building near East 21st Street, in footage released by the NYPD. Neither of the robbery victims, aged 41 and 32, were injured in the theft, cops said, as they put out an urgent request for help identifying the perpetrators. Cops did not know whether the men were targeted or whether they knew the thieves. The Flatbush heist comes as New York City is in the grip of a serious crime wave. Major crimes were up 44 percent between January 1 and April 3 compared to the same period last year - prompting many New Yorkers to say they want to leave. The gang of four were spotted walking out the Brooklyn block after entering an unlocked door The gang (pictured) tied up their victims with tape and stole $200,000 in savings cash The crime spike includes an 81 percent hike in grand larceny auto and a 47 percent increase in robberies. Murders are down 9 percent on the early 2021 tally - but shootings are up 14 percent and burglaries have risen by 31 percent. NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell told a press conference yesterday: 'It's clear what we are confronting: a perception among criminals that there are no consequences, even for serious crime. 'We need tangible changes.' Sewell also appeared to criticize New York state's controversial bail reform, which allows charged criminals to more easily walk free without paying cash bonds. Flanked by senior NYPD cops, Commissioner Sewell said NYers 'expect and deserve better' She said: '[The justice system] must be fair, but it must first and foremost favor the people it was designed to safeguard and protect. 'When the focus on those people is lost -- New Yorkers, who deserve to be free from fear -- the policies fail to deliver on their most basic purpose, which is public safety. 'Everyday New Yorkers need more help. Our police need more help. We need help from every corner of the criminal justice system, and from everyone who lives in, works in, or visits our great city.' In an emotional statement streamed via YouTube, the police commissioner recounted the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Kade Lewin in Brooklyn last week. Though murders are down 8.6 percent, robberies are up 47 percent and rapes up 16 percent Sewell insisted 'preventing and deterring crime remains our commitment' and said that so far this year there were 335 arrests linked to murders and shootings, up from 257 early last year. She added the murder clearance rate stood at 89 percent for the year - higher than any year-end rate in the CompStat era. Meanwhile, shootings are rising despite the state's strict gun laws. Compared to the same period last year when 290 shootings were reported, this year's numbers have gone up 14.5 percent. A staggering 332 shootings have been reported so far in 2022. Last year, 354 rapes were reported between January 1 and April 3. This year, it's 410. Robberies are by far the most common crime in the city. An astonishing 47 percent increase has seen 3,945 robberies committed so far this year. In 2021, over the same time period, 2,680 had been committed. The latest crime surge comes after Mayor Eric Adams last month promised a designated subway police task force to tackle crime and homelessness in stations and on trains. The Democratic mayor, an ex-NYPD captain, was elected on a vow to crack down on crime and clean up the city. Anyone with information relating to the Flatbush robbery can call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or Spanish line 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Yulia Navalny and her daughter Dasha attended the New York premiere for Navalny, a film about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on Wednesday evening. Yulia, 45, and Dasha, also known as Daria, 21, posed on the red carpet at Lincoln Center alongside the cast and crew of the thriller, which originally premiered during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in January. The secretly filmed 98-minute documentary details the anti-corruption activist's life focusing on the second half of 2020 when Alexei and his team discovered the assassination plot against him while in their Black Forest hideout. Yulia Navalny and her daughter Dasha showed solidarity on Wednesday evening as they attended the New York premiere for Navalny, a film about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (pictured with producer Maria Pevchikh) The leader of the opposition Progress Party, 45, fell ill after he was exposed to the same nerve agent used against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2018. Canadian director Daniel Roher had unparalleled access to Alexei following his poisoning, a period during which Navalny and his team partnered with the investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat, as well as other international news organizations such as CNN. Produced by CNN Films and HBO Max, Roher extensively examines how they investigated Alexei's attempted assassination (which Vladimir Putin and the Russian government deny) and found proof of the Kremlins involvement. Roher said in a statement: 'Alexei Navalny was just last week convicted and sentenced in Russia and cannot tell the story of what happened to him. Yulia, 45, and Dasha, also known as Daria, 21, posed for selfies on the red carpet at the Licoln Center alongside the cast and crew of the thriller which originally premiered during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in January 'Our film shows his tremendous courage fighting an authoritarian regime and its corruption inside Russia. 'Im looking forward to the Fathom Events engagements and speaking to CNNs Clarissa Ward. I appreciate Warner Bros. Pictures creating these experiences for theatrical audiences.' The film also features scenes between Alexei and his wife, and American-accented daughter Daria, a student at Stanford University in California. Navalny will screen on CNN in North America and streaming platforms HBO Max and CNN Plus at a later, yet-to-be-determined date in Spring 2022. Navalny was jailed last year when he returned to Russia after receiving medical treatment in Germany following a poison attack with a Soviet-era nerve agent during a visit to Siberia in 2020. Navalny blamed Putin for the attack. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, is seen via a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, standing next to his lawyers during a court session in Pokrov, Vladimir region The Kremlin said it had no evidence that Navalny was poisoned and denied any Russian role if he was. Russian authorities have cast Navalny and his supporters as subversives determined to destabilise Russia with backing from the West. Navalny's opposition movement was labelled 'extremist' and shut down, although his supporters continue to express their political stance, including their opposition to Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine, on social media. After Navalny suffered the near-fatal poisoning in August 2020, the Kremlin posted a cryptic show of support wishing Navalny a 'speedy recovery'. The secretly filmed 98-minute documentary details the anti-corruption activist's life focusing on the second half of 2020 when Alexei and his team discovered the assassination plot against him while in their Black Forest hideout (pictured from L-R: Diane Becker, Yulia, Christo Grozev, Maria, Daniel Roher, Dasha, Melanie Miller and Odessa Rae 'Navalny') It comes after the State Department denounced the nine-year sentence that a Russian court handed down for the opposition leader amid a fierce Kremlin crackdown on dissent in the country. A Russian court convicted Navalny of fraud and contempt of court last month, as Russian authorities continued to jail and try to silence street protesters who have defied new decrees against criticizing what the Kremlin calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. 'We condemn Russian authorities politically motivated conviction and sentencing of opposition leader Aleksey Navalny on additional spurious charges to nine more years in a high security prison,' State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement released Tuesday night. 'This outlandish prison term is a continuation of the Kremlins years-long assault on Navalny and on his movement for government transparency and accountability. Of course, Navalnys true crime in the eyes of the Kremlin is his work as an anti-corruption activist and opposition politician, for which he and his associates have been branded extremists by Russian authorities,' he said. The U.S. denunciation of the sentence came as tweets posted from Navalny's Twitter account called for action against Vladimir Putin's 'war criminals.' The State Department blasted the 'outlandish prison term' a Russian court handed down for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalany Navalny was given a nine-year sentence Tuesday. 'Now more than ever, the people of Russia must be able to hear voices of courage and integrity that tell the truth about the Kremlins wrongdoing at home and abroad,' said State spokesman Ned Price Navalny was already serving a two and a half year sentence for parole violations. He was jailed last year after he left the country for medical treatment following his poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok. The State Department put Navalny's sentencing in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin launched Feb. 24. It also Navalny's 'near-fatal poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020 by Russias security services and his unjust imprisonment since January 2020,' and Russia's suppression of free expression. 'This campaign has intensified as the Kremlin seeks to hide the truth of its brutal war against Ukraine from its own people. More than 15,000 citizens of Russia have been detained for taking part in anti-war protests since February 24,' said Price, calling for Russia to 'unconditionally release' Navalny. 'Now more than ever, the people of Russia must be able to hear voices of courage and integrity that tell the truth about the Kremlins wrongdoing at home and abroad.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov defended the sentencing of Putin's political opponent in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. She asked him what he and the regime were 'afraid of.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov defended the sentencing of Putin's political opponent in an interview, claiming it was purely for an 'economical crime' President Joe Biden heads to Europe on Wednesday to meet with allied leaders to counter Russia's invasion of Ukraine 'No. Navalny is a prisoner. He had his first sentence. Now he's got his second one. And he's blamed and then it is proven by the prosecutor's office, that he's blamed for fraud. So it's purely economical crime. He was collecting money by his foundation, from citizens, regular citizens of Russia and also from abroad,' he said. 'And he was spending part of that money for his personal purposes. This is fraud in our country. And he was supposed to be punished and no one is afraid of him. It sits. If people is a criminal, he should be in prison. This is the same thing that is happening in the United States and in European countries,' he said. That prompted Amanpour to interject: 'I know you say that. I know the prosecution says that. But the people who allegedly claimed that he was taking their money and using it for himself then said on the stand that they had been forced to, to make to make those testimonies.' Navalny said on his Twitter account that Mr Putin is afraid of the truth, adding: Fighting against censorship and bringing the truth to the people of Russia has remained our priority. The Kremlin smashes the media, and in response we create new ones. A security guard at the British embassy in Berlin accused of spying for Russia has today denied allegations he passed 'secret' information about the Government to a Russian military attache. David Smith, 57, is accused of collecting information 'useful to the Russian state' and sending a letter to Russian military attache containing details of embassy officials. He is also accused of collecting material classified as secret, including unauthorised copies of documents, a SIM packaging and CCTV footage. Wearing jeans and a blue jumper, Smith appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act. He pleaded not guilty to each of the charges. The British national, who was living in Potsdam, Germany, allegedly committed the offences between October 2020 and August last year. David Smith (pictured in August last year) appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act. He pleaded not guilty Smith was arrested by German police at his apartment in Potsdam on August 10 last year Court lists detailing the charges allege Smith 'attempted to communicate' by letter with 'General Major Sergey Chukhurov, the Russian military attache based out of the Russian Embassy, Berlin'. The material 'contained details about the activities, identities, addresses and telephone numbers of various members of Her Majesty's Civil Service', in breach of the Official Secrets Act. In eight other charges, Smith is accused of committing acts 'prejudicial' to the safety and interest of the state by gathering information classified as 'secret' about the 'activities of Her Majesty's Government'. It is also alleged he 'collected material relating to the operation and layout of the British Embassy in Berlin, and that information was calculated to be or might be or was intended to be directly or be indirectly useful to an enemy, namely the Russian state'. Prosecutor Louise Gray said: 'There are nine offences before the court all of which carry a sentence of a maximum of 14 years.' Smith was arrested by German police on August 10 and was remanded in custody in the country. Smith was arrested by German police on August 10 and was remanded in custody in the country. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today. Pictured: A Police van believed to contain Smith arriving at court today David Smith appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court (pictured) on Thursday to face charges Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said: Because the charges are so serious the powers of this court will be insufficient. I decline jurisdiction and send the charges to the Central Criminal Court for a first hearing on the 13 April. Smith was remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing at the Old Bailey. In a statement issued yesterday, Nick Price, head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: 'David Smith has been charged with nine offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act. 'He is accused of seven offences of collecting information with the intent of sending it to the Russian authorities, one of attempting communication and one of providing information to a person he believed was a member of the Russian authorities. 'After reviewing the case and authorising charges, we obtained an extradition warrant and worked closely with our German counterparts in order to bring Mr Smith back to the UK.' Scotland Yard has said the nine charges relate to 'the collection and communication of information useful to the Russian state'. A statement from the Met Police, released yesterday, said: 'A man is due in court charged with Official Secrets Act offences, following an investigation that is being led by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command. 'David Ballantyne Smith, 57, a British national who was living in Potsdam, Germany, is charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act 1911. 'Smith, who was employed as a security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin, was extradited back to the UK from Germany on Wednesday following his arrest by German police on 10 August 2021.' He had warned police of her suicidal thoughts on day she died but mix-up meant officers went to wrong address Also said that Bianchi had 'no active involvement' in her death Came a week after ex-boyfriend Alessio Bianchi sent sex act clip of her to friend The boyfriend of a student who 'deliberately' threw herself from her flat window after she left was mentally disturbed when he released revenge porn of her had 'no active involvement' in her death, an inquest has heard. Damilya Jussipaliyeva, 24, plunged 80 feet to her death a week after Alessio Bianchi sent the video of her performing a sex act on him in a phone booth to a friend. Bianchi admitted to releasing the revenge porn of his on-off girlfriend because she had been 'spreading dangerous rumours' about him. An inquest heard how the business student 'deliberately jumped' from her flat window after he released it. Damilya left a suicide note which read: 'Alessio I love you, sorry,' and another to her parents that read: 'Mommy and Daddy I'm sorry.' Damilya Jussipaliyeva (pictured), 24, plunged 80 feet to her death from her London flat a week after her on-off boyfriend Alessio Bianchi sent the video of her performing sex act on him to a friend. Bianchi admitted to releasing the revenge porn of his on-off girlfriend because she had been 'spreading dangerous rumours' about him. Inner West London Coroner's Court heard he had 'no active involvement' in her death Despite this, it was said he had 'no active involvement' in her death. It was also heard that on the day she died Bianchi called the police to warn she might be suicidal, but a mix-up by officers meant they went to the wrong address. Hours before her death, Damilya and Bianchi had fought outside his flat and he pushed her into a fountain, Inner West London Coroner's Court heard. Recording a narrative verdict assistant coroner Bernard Richmond said: 'This is a tragic case.' He added: 'Her mind was plainly disturbed and in that state she formed an intention to kill herself.' The coroner said Damilya had 'suffered stress depression and anxiety due to a number if factors, including her relationship with her family, her own drug and alcohol use, difficulties in coping with her degree course and her relationship with her boyfriend The coroner said Damilya had 'suffered stress depression and anxiety due to a number if factors, including her relationship with her family, her own drug and alcohol use, difficulties in coping with her degree course and her relationship with her boyfriend. 'She had twice prior to June 2017 attempted to get out of a window located at a dangerous high level and was prevented from doing so. 'By the 1st of June 2017 her mental state had significantly deteriorated. 'At 1.20am she deliberately jumped from the window. Her mind was plainly disturbed and in that state she formed that intention to kill herself evidenced by goodbye notes to her parents and partner.' Damilya and Bianchi were studying at Regents University in London at the time they met in June 2017. Bianchi, who was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Damilya, who was from Kazakhstan, had been in an on-off relationship for two-and-a-half years. The officer in case, Det Sgt Emma Kirby, now attached to the Mets Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, confirmed there was evidence that Bianchi was trying to support Damilya while she was upset and had expressed suicidal tendencies. Bianchi said: 'She was a sweet girl. We had similar personalities. We had similar backgrounds.' The couple's friends were aware of their tumultuous relationship and Bianchi had reported her to police himself on several occasions, when she had scratched him and she had attempted suicide. He told the inquest he had yanked her back from his flat window when she had tried to jump out in September 2016. The court heard they were both using drugs including cocaine, cannabis and ketamine, as well as alcohol. She was sent a video recording on WhatsApp of her performing oral sex at a phone booth in north London, on 25 May 2017. Attached was a message saying: 'I am going to keep destroying you.' One of her friends received the same clip from three different numbers, with one containing the threat: 'I will f*** you up next, my love.' Bianchi claimed she had been spreading rumours about him and he sent the sex video to make her stop. 'I just felt I had been done wrong and I wanted to get revenge,' he told the court. 'She had been spreading dangerous rumours.' 'It's the worst thing I have ever done. My regret is sincere. I acknowledge how foolish a reaction it was. 'In hindsight it was a stupid, childish and immature and I regret it more than anything I ever did.' Damilya reported the sending of the revenge porn to police and said she did not know she was being recorded. 'I found it really insulting and humiliating, I think he's doing this for revenge because of the argument,' she explained. 'I am still in shock and feel broken.' She said she was 'very scared mentally and physically' because Bianchi had threatened to send the porn video, as well as footage of her taking cocaine, to her Muslim family. Damilya told police that there had been a row at his apartment on May 12 and he had 'grabbed her by the throat, struck her four or five times, spat on her and that she had passed out for a few seconds.' But the relationship continued even after she went to the police. On June 1 the pair went out drinking with friends, arriving back at Bianchi's apartment at around 11.30pm. They had an argument before Bianchi pushed Ms Jussipaliyeva into the water feature in front of the building. The violence outside the building lasted for over half an hour before the concierge called police in the early hours of 2 June. The next day he received distraught text messages from Damilya. He called police and who went to his flat and then to her apartment in South Wharf Road, Paddington where Damilya was found lying dead on the ground outside. In April 2018 Bianchi was spared jail after admitting disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress and one count of assault by beating. Bianchi was handed a 12-week suspended sentence, ordered to carry out a rehabilitation activity requirement and made to pay 250 costs. His defence barrister Steven Powles had said before he was sentenced: 'It was a difficult relationship, both were immature and at times, jealous of each other.' The sight of his lover crumpled on the pavement had a lasting impact on Bianchi, who has received treatment at the Nightingale Hospital for PTSD and complex bereavement disorder. 'He has lost someone who he loved and someone he intended to marry,' Mr Powles told the court. The officer in case, Det Sgt Emma Kirby, now attached to the Mets Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, confirmed there was evidence that Bianchi was trying to support Damilya while she was upset and had expressed suicidal tendencies. Electronic devices showed she had been searching for methods of suicides, terraces and heights, the inquest heard. It was clear her preferred method was defenestration, said the coroner. There had been a rapid deterioration in her mental health in the last few days. She was in a very disturbed state immediately prior to her death. He added that although police responded swiftly to Bianchis 999 call an opportunity to attend her address while she was alive at that address was lost. Ms Jussipalenya's family, from Kazakhstan, earlier said in a statement: 'We cannot describe the pain we feel of losing our beloved Damilya. 'She was such an adorable, wonderful, loving, caring and intelligent girl. 'She loves everyone with all of her heart and tried to see the good in everyone she encountered. 'We are heartbroken to hear the details of the abuse and torment in which our daughter had to endure because of Mr Bianchi. 'She had a bright future ahead of her and had so many dreams and aspirations to accomplish great things. 'While we mourn the loss of a very good girl, we also celebrate her remarkable life and hope that the memory will live on in all that know her.' For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a Samaritans branch A government contractor from New Mexico who described the January 6 Capitol riot as 'magical' has become the first defendant to be acquitted of all charges he faced. Matthew Martin, who testified in his defense, was found not guilty by a federal judge on Wednesday of four misdemeanor charges that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol and engaged in disorderly conduct after he walked into the building during last year's riot. Martin, who was working for a private defense contractor at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos and had top-secret clearance at the time of the Capitol attack, successfully argued that a US Capitol police officer waved him into the building after the riot erupted. He was fired after being charged. 'I'm very thankful for the judge's verdict,' Martin said outside the federal courthouse after being acquitted, 'and I'm hoping I could get my life back together and get my job back.' Video played at the trial appeared to show an officer moving his arm in a waving motion inside the building as the rioters moved past them. US District Judge Trevor McFadden said it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter the Capitol through the Rotunda doors. McFadden, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, also said Martin's actions were 'about as minimal and non-serious' as anyone who was at the Capitol that day. Martin's acquittal is a major milestone in the January 6 trials, as hundreds of others face the same charges as him. He is the third Capitol riot defendant whose case has been resolved by trial and is the first of the three to be acquitted of all charges. Matthew Martin, who testified in his defense, was found not guilty by a federal judge on Wednesday of four misdemeanor charges that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol and engaged in disorderly conduct after he walked into the building during last year's riot. Pictured: Martin (circled) inside the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 Matthew Martin pictured in a selfie outside the US Capitol before entering Rotunda Martin, who was working for a private defense contractor at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos and had top-secret clearance at the time of the Capitol attack, successfully argued that a US Capitol police officer waved him into the building after the riot erupted Matthew Martin and his lawyer speak outside the courthouse after his acquittal. Martin wants his job back. pic.twitter.com/QwYD7RhOMs Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) April 6, 2022 Video played at the trial appeared to show an officer moving his arm in a waving motion inside the building as the rioters filed in Pictured: Footage from inside the building shows rioters entering 'If the cops weren't letting people in, I would not have gone in,' Martin said during his testimony without a jury on Tuesday, adding that he 'enjoyed the day' of the riot. 'It was a magical day in many ways,' he testified on Tuesday before adding, 'I know some bad things happened.' 'You understand that police officers died?' Justice Department prosecutor Michael Romano asked Martin. At least nine people died in the riot or its aftermath. One officer died after he collapsed hours after being sprayed with bear spray and other officers who tried to quell the riot died by suicide in the months following the attack. In the same courthouse where Martin was acquitted, a fourth trial continued on Wednesday for a former Virginia police officer who is charged with storming the Capitol with another off-duty officer. Jurors heard testimony from the fellow officer, who pleaded guilty to a riot-related charge and agreed to be a witness for prosecutors. Martin, whose bench trial started Tuesday, testified that a police officer waved him into the building after the riot erupted. A prosecutor dismissed that testimony as 'nonsense.' The judge, however, said video shows two police officers standing near the Rotunda doors and allowing people to enter as Martin approached. One of the officers appeared to lean back before Martin placed a hand on the officer's shoulder as a possible sign of gratitude, the judge said. McFadden described Martin's testimony as 'largely credible.' The judge said it was not unreasonable for him to believe that officers allowed him to enter the Capitol, even though alarms were blaring and broken glass was strewn about the floor. Martin was charged with four misdemeanor counts: 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. US District Judge Trevor McFadden (pictured) said it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter the Capitol Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021 The judge said Martin appeared to be a 'silent observer of the actions of others.' McFadden did not find any evidence that Martin intended to disrupt Congress from certifying Joe Biden's electoral victory. Dozens of Capitol riot defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, but Martin is the first to testify at a trial. His acquittal could embolden others to gamble on a bench trial, although McFadden so far is the only judge to preside over one and decide a case. Martin said he 'went with the flow' as he approached the Capitol and testified that he saw a police officer wave him into the building. Martin remained inside the Capitol for about 10 minutes after entering the building through the Rotunda doors, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said Martin, an engineer, worked for a government contractor at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and held a top-secret security clearance on January 6. Martin said he actually worked at a different facility in Los Alamos. Defense attorney Dan Cron said Martin saw another person shake a police officer's hand after entering the Capitol. Martin placed his hand on an officer's shoulder 'as a gesture of thanks and of good will,' Cron said. Romano, the Justice Department prosecutor, said Martin joined the mob in crowding police officers who were trying to disperse the crowd. The prosecutor said Martin knew that he wasn't allowed to be in the Capitol. 'The idea that he thought he had permission to do that is nonsense,' Romano said. Other riot defendants have claimed police waved them in or said they could enter. McFadden presided over a bench trial last month for Cuoy Griffin, a county official in New Mexico. The judge on March 22 convicted Griffin of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. On March 8, a jury decided the first Capitol riot trial by convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of storming the Capitol with a holstered handgun. Trump supporters wave banners and swarm the Capitol on January 6, 2021 After Martin's acquittal Wednesday, a jury in a different courtroom heard a second day of testimony for the trial of former Rocky Mount, Virginia, police officer Thomas Robertson. The town fired Robertson and another officer, Jacob Fracker, who joined him at the Capitol on January 6. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to testify against somebody who was his mentor and a father figure. 'I absolutely hate this,' Fracker said. 'I've always been on the other side of things, the good guys' side so to speak.' Fracker testified that he and Robertson both believed the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from Trump. Fracker said they both wore gas masks as they joined a mob in storming the Capitol. Asked why he went to the Capitol that day, Fracker said he wanted to play a part in overturning the election results. 'I felt like we had maybe been heard by whoever it was we needed to be heard by,' Fracker said. He said he has grown ashamed of his actions on January 6. 'That's not the person I am,' he said. 'I wasn't raised like that.' Fracker is due to be cross-examined by one of Robertson's lawyers on Thursday. Prosecutors plan to call two more witnesses, a police officer and an FBI agent. A defense attorney said Robertson may testify. Jurors could hear attorneys' closing arguments as soon as Friday. More than 770 people have been charged with riot-related federal crimes. Over 240 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and over 140 of them have been sentenced. More than 530 criminal cases related to the riots are still pending. A 12-year-old rape victim killed herself after police came to her home and discouraged her from pressing charges, a devastated family has claimed, as they say she was made to feel 'like she was an inconvenience'. Semina Halliwell, from Southport, was allegedly raped by an older boy after being groomed over Snapchat before her death on June 12 last year. The schoolgirl, who had autism, broke down when informing her mother Rachel of the horrific ordeal following a self-harm incident. However, family members have claimed she was told by detectives she would not 'want this thing hanging over her head' as the case 'wouldn't go to court for 18 months to two years', The Telegraph reports. The family say Semina was 'made to feel like she was an inconvenience' to Merseyside Police and no charges were brought against the alleged offender - whom she had named. Semina's mother and aunt, Clare, said the lead detective investigating her allegations instead 'sat there and started talking about all the forms he'd have to fill in if she made the complaint' and the length of time it would take him. The detective is also said to have told the family that it would be 'your word against his', with relatives later telling Sky News that the force did not inform her school of the alleged incident - despite assurances that safeguarding would be put in place. Semina Halliwell, from Southport, was allegedly raped by an older boy after being groomed over Snapchat before her death on June 12 last year Semina's mother Rachel (right) and aunt Clare (left) told Sky News that Semina was 'made to feel like she was an inconvenience' by Merseyside Police Rachel Halliwell, pictured with her daughter, says Semina was targeted by bullies before her death and her grave was subsequently desecrated Rachel said the family received threats they were 'going to get their heads kicked in' if they approached police Instead, the family say Semina was forced to stay at home in order to prevent coming into contact with the alleged offender. Semina already found it difficult to express herself to strangers and was subsequently subjected to vitriolic online and offline abuse and violent assaults after reporting the incident. Her family believe these offences were carried out by associates of the alleged suspect and claim Merseyside Police again failed to fully investigate the allegations. Rachel said the family received threats they were 'going to get their heads kicked in' if they approached police, with Semina later filmed while being assaulted at school. But the family again claimed officers did nothing to probe the assaults because 'going around might might make it kick off again'. Two girls were prosecuted for assault, while Semina's mother was convicted of an offence after her daughter named the alleged offender. In a later interview with police in the living room of the family home, three months after the initial allegations were raised, Semina said 'I've had enough of this' and went upstairs. Her mother took that to mean she was fed up of dealing with the officers and the lack of progress being made in investigating her allegations. But she went upstairs to take her own life by lethal overdose. Paramedics rushed to the scene after the family discovered empty medicine packets and Semina was taken to hospital. She was placed into an induced coma, but suffered multiple organ failure and died. Rachel said: 'It was horrific to watch my daughter pass away. Everybody who is paid to safeguard her let her down. Not one of them told her she was worth their time.' 'People seem to think that when you take an overdose you go to sleep and you die. No she didn't. She didn't at all. We had to watch her die, her body shut down first. No parent should go through that.' Semina's aunt Clare also recalled the medical team sobbing around the schoolgirl as they tried to save her life. Semina died on June 12 last year after spending four days in hospital. Her mother alleges that the youngster was 'raped and bullied before taking her own life' The funeral of Semina at St Patrick's Church in Southport last year. Her coffin was carried by a horse drawn carriage as mourners carried white roses Following her death, they endured further suffering when a video emerged on social media offering 10,000 to 'trash' Semina's grave. And footage of her being bullied at school were also directed at the family around the time of her funeral. It included edited pictures of Semina 'lying in a coffin' sent from fake accounts, but the family say police did not adequately probe further allegations of harassment. Rachel branded Merseyside Police 'absolutely disgusting' and attributed her death to the force, along with 'the perpetrator, his family and social services'. Semina's phone, which the family claim is a key part of the investigation, is still in possession of the police. The family have asked that it be returned as it contains pictures of Semina not available elsewhere. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said an inquest is currently being considered by Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens Coroner and it would not be appropriate to comment on the allegations until the inquest process is complete. They added: 'However, we have, and are, co-operating fully with the Coroner in this matter.' Snapchat said it is unable to confirm if the app received requests for information from detectives for Semina's case. A statement added: 'This situation is devastating and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time. 'Nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of our community. We strictly prohibit bullying, harassment and other types of unwanted contact. 'Our global law enforcement operations team supports police investigations, and we have the ability to preserve and provide content to the authorities when we receive requests for assistance.' An inquest will be held in due course. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details. A man has been jailed for seven years and seven months after he carried out a 'terrifying' five-month stalking campaign against Loose Woman star Denise Welch which included setting fire to her home. Toraq Wyngard, 53, was convicted last September of stalking causing serious alarm or distress to the actress between September 18, 2020, and February 11 last year. The former Coronation Street actress gave evidence over video-link from the US as Wyngard, 64, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Thursday. She said: 'It has changed my life. I have a wonderful life and this man has permanently scarred it.' Sentencing him today, Judge Michael Leeming said his actions had impacted the couple and caused them 'alarm and distress'. The judge also imposed a restraining order, preventing Wyngard from entering Wilmslow or approaching the couple or doing any research into their private lives. Chester Crown Court heard how Denise's stalking hell began in September 2020 when Wyngard turned up at the 800,000 home she shares with husband Lincoln Townley in Wilmslow, Cheshire. He set fire to a skip on the driveway, with the blaze, which caused 4,285 of damage, spreading to the garage. CCTV had caught Wyngard approaching the property and he was arrested by police nearby that night and found to be carrying a four-inch kitchen knife in his backpack. He returned to Denise's home the following February and damaged a garden gate and daubed it in graffiti - writing in marker pen the words 'witch' and 'pimp' and an upside-down cross. Toraq Wyngard (pictured), 53, could face a lengthy jail sentence after he was convicted last September of stalking causing serious alarm or distress to the actress between September 18, 2020, and February 11 last year Chester Crown Court previously heard how Toraq Wyngard (right) plagued Ms Welch (left), 63, by turning up at the 800,000 Cheshire home she shares with husband Lincoln Towney and leaving unwanted messages Gareth Bellis, prosecuting, told the court that the fire service had attended the property on the night of the blaze after the couple had been alerted by a member of the public ringing their doorbell. The fire - believed to have been started using an accelerant - was soon extinguished but there had been a risk of the fire spreading and 'creating a large amount of toxic smoke' and causing 'serious injury or death'. Wyngard, Mr Bellis told the court, had claimed the knife he was carrying was used to cut flowers while two cameras - also in found in his backpack - were used in his press photographer role. During police interviews, Wyngard - who has a history of mental illness including bi-polar disorder - denied being involved and answered no comment to questions. But he admitted a charge of stalking the ex-Hollyoaks actress and causing serious alarm or distress between September 18, 2020 and February 1, 2021 and a hearing in September. He also admitted charges of arson, possession of a bladed article, and criminal damage. But on the day he was originally due to be sentenced, in October, last year, he indicated he intended changing his pleas - causing a delay in the case. A judge was then forced to apologise to Denise for attending court 'unnecessarily' because the sentencing did not go ahead. The case has dragged on since then but a judge finally rejected Wyngard's application to vacate his pleas at a hearing at last month. Denise and Lincoln appeared via videolink at court today to deliver victim impact statements. Denise, 63, is known as an actress as well as her role on the panel on ITV's Loose Women Denise Welch and her husband Lincoln attended Chester Crown Court in October expecting to see Wyngard jailed, but he attempted to change his plea She said Wyngard's actions has left her 'terrified' and she would 'never forget what happened' and no longer felt safe in her home or walking the nearby shop. 'It's terrifying to think what could've happened if he gained access,' she said. 'It terrifies me to think somebody could have been capable of committing this act. 'He could've caused serious injury to me or my family and just walked away as if nothing had happened. 'It's changed my life. I have a wonderful life but this man has permanently scarred it.' Lincoln said his family meant 'everything to him' and not being able to protect them had left him 'angry'. He added: 'I feel angry that someone I don't know has targeted our home and I don't feel safe in the place where I should feel safe.' The court heard the couple have since upgraded their security at at cost of 2,000 per month. Louise Bellis, defending, said Wyngard, who had a previous conviction in 2005 for shooting two people with a BB gun, had suffered from bi-polar issues following the death of his partner in 2004. The TV personality has previously spoken of the heavy toll Wyngard's harassment has had on her family. 'This has been an incredibly terrifying and stressful time for me and our family,' said Ms Welch. 'We are grateful to the fire service for their prompt action saving our house and to the police for their amazing vigilance and support. 'Special thanks go to the Harm Reduction Unit assigned to us who have guided us through this horrible time every step of the way.' An associate of members of the notorious Alameddine crew has had lap band surgery to shed a serious amount of weight. Sydney based Trent Jeske, 23, is now sporting next to no stomach fat - and only has one chin. The now less rotund figure is currently on bail for a raft of charges, including possessing an unauthorised firearm, affray and breaching Covid restrictions during the pandemic. His home was raided by NSW police in September last year. Jeske is also alleged to have been in a brawl at an address on Osgood St in Guildford in Sydney's west on September 5. Trent Jeske (pictured left) is now sporting next to no stomach fat - and only one chin - after recent lap band surgery An alleged associate of members of the Alameddine crew, Jeske (pictured after his surgery) is currently on bail for a raft of charges, including possessing an unauthorised firearm, affray and breaching Covid restrictions during the pandemic According to the Daily Telegraph, police allege the fight unfolded after an associate of the Alameddines wouldn't talk about one of their neighbours, believed to be Salim Hamze. Hamze was then killed on October 19 with his father Toufik outside their family home as the pair went to work. Neither Jeske or any Alameddine associates are alleged to be involved in the double murder. The high profile Sydney family has been in an ongoing feud with the rival Hamzy family which has resulted in a string of killings, including the deaths of senior underworld figures Mejid Hamzy and his cousin Bilal Hamze. Mr Hemzy, the younger sibling of Brothers for Life founder Bassam Hamzy, was gunned down at Condell Park in 2020 due to the belief he had stolen a large quantity of drugs destined for the Australian market. The two alleged contract killers, Bryce Williams, 30, and Christopher OBrien, 34, were arrested in dawn raids on homes across south-west Sydney last month. Both were charged with murder, with police alleging both men shot Hamzy at Condell Park in 2020. Bilal Hamze was murdered in Sydney's CBD in June 2021. Police described the execution as 'brutal' following the drive-by shooting. Before he was allegedly murdered, Mr Hamze ignored a tip-off from police that his life was in danger. A digital billboard advertising LG OLED TVs in Times Square, New York, is seen in this file photo provided by LG Electronics, Sep. 12, 2021. Yonhap LG Electronics estimated Thursday that its first-quarter operating profit would rise 6.4 percent from a year ago, driven by its strong home appliance and TV businesses, as well as one-off patent profits. In its earnings guidance, the South Korean tech firm projected its January to March operating profit to reach 1.88 trillion won ($1.5 billion). Operating profit was 37.6 percent higher than the average estimate, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data arm of Yonhap News Agency. Revenue is expected to rise 18.5 percent to 21.1 trillion won, which also surpassed market expectations. The data for net income was not available. The company did not disclose details about its one-off profits from patents, citing confidentiality clauses in contracts. Should its forecast stand, it would mark record first-quarter sales for the company, breaking the previous record of 18.81 trillion won last year. LG did not break down the performances of its respective business divisions it will announce detailed earnings later this month. During a conference call in January, LG said it was working to save logistics costs by improving the efficiency of transportation, maximizing container utilization rates and expanding direct shipments. Given the better-than-expected earnings forecast, the company could have successfully managed to cushion rising costs for transportation and materials. LG also warned that the chip shortage and production disruptions were expected to continue to put upward pressure on costs and that it expected limited room for improving profitability this year. In February, LG said it would discontinue its solar panel business due to rising costs and fierce competition, as part of efforts to streamline its business portfolio and to commit more resources to core business sectors and other future growth engines, such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions. LG's business solutions division, which runs its solar panel business, will "reorganize its portfolio around key pillars information technology and information displays," the company said. Last year, the company closed its 26-year-old mobile phone business as part of such efforts. (Yonhap) Rail customers who have booked Easter journeys and do not want to travel on replacement buses may have to pay to receive a refund if they cancel their trip. Rail firms have been accused of charging a 'ridiculous' 10 admin fee to travellers who booked their Easter journeys not realising they would be travelling on a rail replacement service and now no longer want to take the trip. Nationwide travel disruption is set to add to an expected Easter bank holiday weekend of travel chaos. The rule will impact those who booked tickets in advance to avoid holiday queues. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail companies in Britain, said the 10 fee covered costs such as staffing, internal systems and banking charges. Rail passengers who cancel their Easter journeys amid nationwide travel disruption, which will see many bus replacement services in action, will face a 10 admin fee (pictured: Euston, likely to be among the worst affected stations over the Easter weekend) Passengers have been left with a small fraction of the price they paid for some of their tickets after the 10 fee has been taken (stock photo) If a journey was booked when a bus replacement service was already confirmed, cancelling it will incur a 'ridiculous' 10 charge (file photo of bus replacement service) There will be disruption between April 15 and 18 across Overground services, London Underground and airport shuttle trains all because of 530 Network Rail upgrade projects. Those making rail trips over the weekend will be hit by line closures, with London Euston and London Victoria among the worst-affected stations. Train travellers can avoid the 10 fee by moving their journey to another day or can get credit towards a new ticket, provided they do so by 6pm the day before the journey. If a rail replacement bus service was not confirmed when the ticket was purchased, it is considered to be a delay and no administration fee applies. But for passengers who did not notice the confirmation of a rail replacement service and can't change their journey to another day, or particularly do not want to take a bus rather than a train, will be forced to pay 10 for a refund. Research by the Office of Rail and Road found that the average the actual costs of processing refunds amount to less than 5 (file photo) One Twitter user said: 'I have managed to get refunded before with no issues, but now it seems they've introduced a 10 admin fee and won't refund anything under 10, so the fact that it's their service cancellations that meant I couldn't get a train means nothing.' Another customer, who booked a return ticket from Liverpool to Glasgow and only later realised the return journey involved a rail replacement bus, said: 'I asked for a refund as I never booked to travel by bus and was charged 10 admin. Cheers, National Rail.' National Rail responded: 'Depending how far in advance you booked, there will have been a notification alerting you that your journey may be affected by engineering works. I am sorry if it wasn't made clear about the 10 admin charge however. Apologies for the inconvenience.' One rail passenger tweeted: 'Why 10 taken off every refund? I had to change 2 tickets this week and lost 20 seems a lot for what must surely be a very small amount of admin!!!' Trainline responded to the user: 'Hi there. We're allowed by the rail industry to charge up to 10 per ticket for refunds and changes. 'This is to cover losses from revenue distribution, system/staffing costs and other overheads. Instead of a flat 10 fee, we've opted to implement a tiered fee structure.' Labour MP Barry Gardiner (pictured), thinks the decision to charge customers for not wanting to travel on a bus service will 'alienate' customers In February this year, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) called on train ticket retailers to reflect the actual costs incurred when charging administration fees on train ticket refunds. The current cap on admin fees is set at 10, ORR found that on average the actual costs of processing refunds amount to less than 5. Stephanie Tobyn, deputy director for consumers at ORR, said: 'With 92% of refund claims now submitted electronically and almost all refunds paid out by bank transfer or card payment, we're asking retailers to assess whether their administration fees for ticket refunds are cost-reflective and reasonable. 'We are working with DfT and the Rail Delivery Group to ensure these findings are taken into account when considering whether the maximum caps for administration fees, particularly the current 10 cap in respect of ticket refunds, should be lowered.' Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North and a former shadow business secretary, said: 'We need to be encouraging more people to travel by train. Putting a surcharge on customers when the railway companies have decided they cannot run a service is only going to alienate further business from what is already a far too expensive rail network. 'Perhaps, as a gesture of goodwill, they might wish everyone a happy Easter by waiving this ridiculous charge.' Travelling by car will also be impacted by the Easter holiday surge, with millions more journeys expected to be made of the weekend (file photo) Roads are likely to be extremely busy, with the RAC estimating that almost 21 million leisure trips will be made during the weekend, peaking on Saturday with 5.6 million journeys planned. There has already been travel disarray in the lead up to the Easter holiday, with airports being completely packed due to a surge in Covid-related staff sickness that has resulted in a shortage of workers. Gatwick Airport is advising passengers to arrive for flights as soon as check-in opens up to three hours in some cases and get ready for security checks so they are not delayed. David Sidebottom, a director at Transport Focus, an independent watchdog, said many people would be relying on trains to meet family and friends during the Easter weekend and any alterations to services should be clearly communicated well in advance. 'Passengers understand that welcome improvements will mean some disruption, but they need plenty of information before, during and after,' he said. 'This includes how their journeys are affected and what their choices are.' A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: 'Network Rail and train operators are working hard to minimise disruption over Easter where essential improvement works are taking place but, if a journey is cancelled or delayed, customers can claim a full refund on their tickets with no admin fees. We are also running rail replacement buses to help people get to where they need to be. 'To give people more flexibility with their plans, we have extended the Book with Confidence scheme, which means people can move their travel to another day.' A Trainline spokesperson said: 'We follow the rail industrys rules on when administration fees are charged for refunds. 'If a customer's train is cancelled after they have booked, they are entitled to a full refund, without any admin fee, or they can choose to travel on the next available train with their existing ticket. 'Otherwise customers can change their journey date and time fee-free, up until departure for Flexible tickets or up to 18.00 the night before for Advance tickets. 'If customers decide they no longer want to travel, at Trainline weve introduced a tiered system, which reduces the admin fee to below 10 for many of our customers, and makes a refund possible for more low-value tickets.' The Spanish tourist board in London has spectacularly U-turned on its announcement yesterday morning that the country will open up to unvaccinated British holidaymakers. The board declared Spain would open up to all UK travellers - including the unvaccinated - with no restrictions, provided passengers could provide a negative pre-departure test. But in a matter of hours the decision was reversed, with the board's deputy director labelling the erroneous announcement a 'miscommunication' which arose from a 'misinterpretation of the rules' laid out in a Spanish health department bulletin. Much to the frustration of thousands of eager holidaymakers, UK travellers aged 12 and above are still required to show proof of being fully vaccinated - or a certificate of recovery obtained than 180 days from the date of travel - to get into the country. The only exception to this rule applies to those aged 12-17, who are able to get into the country unvaccinated provided they have proof of a negative, approved PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival. The Spanish tourist board in London has spectacularly U-turned on its announcement yesterday morning that the country will open up to unvaccinated British holidaymakers Much to the frustration of thousands of eager holidaymakers, UK travellers aged 12 and above are still required to show proof of being fully vaccinated - or a certificate of recovery obtained than 180 days from the date of travel - to get into the country Deputy director of the Spanish tourist board in the UK Pedro Medina said in a statement: 'We apologise unreservedly for the miscommunication earlier today which was due to a misunderstanding of the new entry requirements.' The tourist office also said: 'If more than 270 days have passed since the final dose, certification of a booster vaccination is also required, except for teenagers aged 12 to 17 inclusive.' Furthermore, travellers looking to gain entry to Spain via a certificate of recovery must have a document obtained from 'the official authorities' in connection with a test 'carried out by qualified personnel'. This means that a self-testing kit is not valid, and travellers aiming to show proof of recovery must have a certificate from a test administered by an EU-approved list of providers. It is not yet clear how airlines and tour operators conducting flights from the UK to Spain will respond to the Spanish tourist board's announcement, nor whether unvaccinated travellers who rushed to book a holiday in light of the false information will be compensated. MailOnline has contacted several airlines and operators including British Airways, Ryanair, TUI and Jet 2 Holidays for comment. The tourist board's blunder comes just one week after it announced an extension of travel restrictions on unvaccinated travellers from the UK until April 30. That announcement stated only fully vaccinated Brits or those who can show proof of recovery from Covid could enter the country. The Spanish Ministry of Health also required all travellers from an EU/EEA risk country need to fill out the Health Control Form. 'If you come from a country at risk in relation to COVID-19, you must present a certificate or document proving vaccination, diagnostic test for active infection or recovery from COVID-19,' a statement of the ministry read. Spain, one of the most popular holiday destination among Brits, was expected to relax the entry requirement at the end of March in a boost for Easter holiday travel. But officials chose instead to extend the rules until the end of this month. Meanwhile, UK transport secretary Grant Shapps last month announced an end to all coronavirus travel rules. Passenger locator forms and Covid tests were both scrapped on March 18. The tourist board's blunder comes just one week after it announced an extension of travel restrictions on unvaccinated travellers from the UK until April 30. That announcement stated only fully vaccinated Brits or those who can show proof of recovery from Covid could enter the country. The Spanish Ministry of Health also required all travellers from an EU/EEA risk country need to fill out the Health Control Form It is not yet clear how airlines and tour operators conducting flights from the UK to Spain will respond to the Spanish tourist board's announcement, nor whether unvaccinated travellers who rushed to book a holiday in light of the false information will be compensated Spain meanwhile is one of several European holiday destinations that has placed an expiration date on vaccines. But the country's tourism industry is expecting international arrivals to reach 80 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes this year, as northern Europeans shrug off concerns over the Ukraine conflict and return en-masse for Easter, a senior tourism official said on Friday. 'Easter isn't showing any direct impact from uncertainty caused by the conflict,' Secretary of State for Tourism Fernando Valdes said, adding that he was confident the industry would bounce back from the drop caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant in late 2021 and early 2022. Any future hit from the war in Ukraine to Spanish tourism would depend on its duration and intensity, he told a news conference. Bookings for the long Easter weekend have already reached 90 per cent of 2019 levels, according to data from market-intelligence firm ForwardKeys he showed at the news conference. Reservations from Denmark and Sweden were nearly 40 per cent higher than over the same period before the pandemic, while the number is 26 per cent higher for Germans and 13 per cent for Britons, the data showed. New covert traffic cameras have collected over $30 million in revenue in just three months. New penalties and latest tech cameras - some hidden in road signs - have seen a huge spike in drivers caught on mobile phones and not wearing a seatbelt while driving in Queensland. Between the introduction of the new cameras on November 1 last year and February 7 this year, 37,594 Queensland drivers have copped hefty fines. The penalties were doled out to 26,491 unlucky drivers for mobile phone related traffic offences and another 11,103 were fined for not wearing their seatbelt. New covert cameras and road penalties have seen 37,594 Queensland drivers cop hefty fines between November 1, 2021 and February 7 this year Over $27.3 million in fines were collected for the mobile offences and $4.6 million for seatbelt offences. New covert cameras in Queensland are small, hidden in road signs and mounted at special angles above major roads to catch offenders without them even realising. Brisbane drivers bore the brunt of most of the fines, accounting for over half of the offences with an average of almost 300 fined each week. On Monday one Brisbane Reddit user revealed they had received a total of nine fines after driving with a phone on their lap. Over $27.3 million in fines were collected for the mobile offences and $4.6 million for seatbelt offences The user said they didn't realise it was illegal and didn't receive their fines in the mail as they'd only recently moved house. 'I'm an absolute emotional mess right now. I got an infringement notice reminder in my email,' the user wrote. 'I looked into it and discovered 9 infringement notices in the system for 'use mobile phone/resting on body' while driving. 'My little ritual after work is to rest my phone on my leg and chat with friends (hand free I guess, but not according to the law). On Monday one Brisbane Reddit user said they'd received a total of nine fines after resting their phone on their lap while driving 'My stupid little dock thing I'd use snapped and I just never fixed it. This is totally my fault but oh my god.' The Courier Mail reports the value of unpaid fines for mobile phone offences had almost doubled since the new penalties and hidden cameras were introduced. The State Penalties Enforcement Registry is now missing about $15.2 million in unpaid fines compared to just $7.8 million in January 2020. Queensland has the highest penalty in the country for mobile offences with drivers facing a $1,033 fine and the loss of four demerit points if caught Queensland is now renowned for having the highest penalty in the country for mobile offences with drivers facing a $1,033 fine and the loss of four demerit points if caught. A full Queensland licence holds 12 demerit points but drivers can receive more for good driving behaviour. Transport Minister Mark Bailey said Queenslanders wanting to avoid the hefty fines should simply follow road rules. 'It's simple. If you don't want a fine, don't break the rules,' he said. 'The funds from distracted driver cameras, as with all camera-detected offences, are reinvested in road safety initiatives and education programs.' An Oxford University-trained doctor suffering from Long Covid gassed himself in his mother's car because he could no longer cope with the illness, an inquest heard. Abhijeet Tavare, 27, was found slumped in the car by his doctor friends who went looking for him on the middle of the night. A coroner heard his mother had returned to their home on London Road, Bushey, Herts., after her usual morning walk, only to realise something was wrong. She went into her son's bedroom and found his suicide notes. In a statement from Abhijeet's GP which was read to the inquest, it was revealed that the son, known as Abhi to friends, had contracted Covid-19 in September 2020, which he initially recovered from, only for symptoms of Long-Covid to emerge. The inquest in Hertford was told that he reported he was suffering from palpitations, difficulty sleeping, extreme fatigue, as well as cognitive decline caused by brain fog - the latter meant he could no longer work for the international management consulting company and moved back home with his mother. Abhijeet Tavare, 27, had caught coronavirus in September 2020 but later got Long Covid The Oxford University-trained doctor could not find treatment to help his ongoing problems He had already seen five different doctors and therapists for his physical and mental health issues, all to no avail. He was prescribed sleep medication by his GP and it was recorded in the inquest that no mention of self-harm or suicidal ideation was reported. A statement from police constable Holly Edwards read: 'Police received a phone call from Abhijeet's sister-in-law, saying he wasn't in his room and had left notes, saying he could no longer live with his illness and didn't want to suffer anymore. 'His mum woke up and went for a walk. She got back and noticed he hadn't left his bedroom. She opened his door and he wasn't there. Then she found the letters and immediately called his sister-in-law, who then called police.' Officers declared him a high-risk missing person and began a search after finding CCTV of where the car he was driving was last spotted. Meanwhile, his closest friends - all junior doctors - heard the news he was missing and formed a search party. The inquest was told that a combination of police investigations and reports, as well as the friends' use of iphone-tracking and bank transaction tracking, led them to an area where he was last believed to have been. Mr Tavare, 27, was found dead by friends in the Chenies Hill area of Rickmansworth, Herts. LONG COVID: WHAT IS IT AND COULD IT BE FOUR DIFFERENT SYNDROMES? Covid-19 is described as a short-term illness caused by infection with the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Public health officials tend to say people will recover within two weeks or so. However it's become increasingly clear that this is not the case for everyone, and that the two-week period is only the 'acute illness' phase. The North Bristol NHS Trust's Discover project, which is studying the longer-term effects of coronavirus, found that out of a total of 110 patients given a three-month check up, most (74 per cent) had at least one persistent symptom after twelve weeks. The most common were: Excessive fatigue: 39% Breathlessness: 39% Insomnia: 24% Muscle pain: 23% Chest pain: 13% Cough: 12% Loss of smell: 12% Headache, fever, joint pain and diarrhoea: Each less than 10% Other long term symptoms that have been reported by Covid-19 survivors, both suspected and confirmed, anecdotally, include hearing problems, 'brain fog', memory loss, lack of concentration, mental health problems and hair loss. The impact of Long Covid on people who had mild illness have not been studied in depth yet. Data from the King's College London symptom tracking app shows that up to 500,000 people in the UK are currently suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19. In October, scientists claimed Long Covid could actually be split into four different syndromes. Academics at the National Institute for Health Research headed up by Professor Chris Whitty were asked to review the limited evidence on long Covid to help both patients and doctors understand the 'phenomenon'. Their findings warned that even children can suffer and it can't be assumed that people who are at lower risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19 are also at low risk of lasting side effects. Doctors cautioned some mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in 'long-haulers', as they are known, could be down to lockdowns, as opposed to the virus itself. The experts also claimed that the symptoms could be grouped into four different groups: Post intensive care syndrome (PICS) Post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) Permanent organ damage (POD) Long term Covid syndrome (LTCS) Advertisement A statement from Abhi's friend and search-party member, Rebecca Evans, revealed what had happened on the night of tragedy. She said: 'He got brain fog and moved in with his mum. At that point he couldn't work as he wasn't able to, as he was struggling with fatigue. 'On October 29, I was at work at the hospital when I got a call from a friend who said Abhi had gone missing. I wasn't sure what to do but his friends asked me if I knew any of his bank details. I sent them across. Another friend was already liaising with police. 'Given that both of us had cars we thought to drive around and try to find his car. We drove around looking at all the country lanes with no luck. We reconvened outside a pub when it was said that was an area nearby was where people often went to take their own lives. 'Around 10 minutes after this we saw his vehicle. My partner and I rushed to the car and my partner told me to stay back and call 999. We tried to use jump-leads to smash the cars rear window but that wasn't working. 'I also called the other search group and said we found him and we thought he was dead. We couldn't get into the vehicle as he had locked himself in. 'One of our friends brought a head-lamp and saw a large rock and threw it at the car passenger window.' After the grim discovery in Chenies Hill, Rickmansworth, Herts., a post-mortem report on Abhi's body revealed that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning by inhalation. He was declared dead by paramedics more than 12 hours after he was first reported missing. His brother, Aniket Tavare said: 'He was my younger brother. He was a very happy and well-adjusted child. Our dad passed away when he was six years old. He was very sporty and he never let life get in his way. 'When Covid struck, he stayed with my mum and worked from home. He felt fine for a little bit, but then he started rapidly declining. He was extremely frustrated by this. When I last saw him he was very different - we couldn't really talk about anything as his life was on pause. 'There were no specific mental health concerns - we knew he was down, but that was more for his circumstances. I thought he would ride it out like every other challenge he faced in life. He will be missed by a lot of people.' Concluding the inquest, assistant Hertfordshire coroner Jonathan Stevens said: 'Abhi Tavare was an extremely talented man. He had beem to Oxford University and had excelled. 'He had a very tight-knit group of friends. He was due to be best man at one of their weddings in the following year. He was an exceptionally talented person. 'He contracted Long Covid and that presented him with a dramatic change to his life. He had seen numerous consultants to no avail. Once he was declared missing, the response from his friends was quite overwhelming. 'They all just dropped everything they were doing and came to his mum's house to offer support and assist. They were all junior doctors and once they found the car it was quite clear he had been dead for some time. 'Despite their diligence, tragically, it was too late. I conclude his cause of death as suicide.' For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123, or visit their local branch Advertisement A victim of the Bucha massacre, who dreamed of becoming a popular make-up blogger, has been identified by her unique manicure that was pictured in one of the most tragic images from the Ukraine war so far. The hand in the gut-wrenching picture, it turns out, was that of 52-year-old Iryna Filkina - an aspiring artist who posted beauty tutorials to her social media pages. She was identified after the photograph of her hand and bold red and pink nail varnish was shared widely on social media, as the atrocities in the town came to light. But in addition to her identity being revealed, shocking drone footage released earlier this week appears to have captured the moment she was killed as she was pushing her bicycle home, wearing a blue coat. The video suggests she was gunned down by a tank seconds after she rounded a corner. The footage showed a previously unidentified cyclist pushing their bike up the street, unaware that several Russian military vehicles lay in wait around the corner. A second video, taken a month later once Ukrainian forces had re-taken the town, showed a cyclist, also in a blue coat, in the same location lying dead on the pavement. Since her mother was identified as the victim in the photograph, Ms. Filkina's daughter - who fled Bucha before Vladimir Putin's invasion - has said that she begged her mother not to cycle home on the day that she was killed, and instead flee the town as she had done. That same day, her mother had been unable to find space in a car evacuating to the town, and tried to cycle home. She was just 15 minutes away from home when she was killed. The heartbreaking story behind one of the war's saddest and most iconic images (pictured) has been uncovered, as Ukrainian authorities continue to count the dead in Bucha. It has been reported that this hand was that of 52-year-old Iryna Filkina, who was killed when a Russian tank gunned her down early last month The hand in the gut-wrenching picture, it turns out, belonged to 52-year-old Iryna Filkina (pictured) - an aspiring makeup artist who posted tutorials to her social media pages. Her red and pink nails can be seen in this photograph she posted online A Russian tank (left) is shown firing moments after a cyclist (right) turned the corner on the junction. The video, released a couple of days ago, is now thought to show the moment Iryna Filkina was killed in Bucha The photograph showed the manicured hand of a previously unnamed woman killed during Russia's brutal occupation of the town north-west of Kyiv. Her body was found lying on the side of the road next to her bicycle, her arm outstretched to her side. Her bold red and pink nails stood out amidst the dirt. After the image was shared widely on social media and by new organisations, and as the tragic events inside the town at the hands of the Russian occupiers were being pieced together, the woman's unique manicure was recognised instantly by a makeup artist in nearby Gostomel. Anastasiia Subacheva told the New York Times that she recognised Ms Filkina's hands and distinctive nails from her videos, as they would often be shown applying makeup, lipstick and foundation. Ms. Subacheva told the newspaper in a telephone call that her heart broke when she saw the photograph. She said that she knew many women from Bucha as she would often travel to the town to do the makeup for many women there. 'When I saw it, I felt physically like my heart started to break,' she told the Times. She said that Ms. Filkina - a heating station operator - had contacted her in February enquiring about makeup classes. Ms. Filkina said that her dream was to become a popular artists and to increase her following on Instagram, Ms. Subacheva said. To realise her dream, Ms. Filkina wanted help to become beautiful and fashionable. The makeup artist said her client was particularly excited about an up-coming concert, for which she wanted to look her best. Ms. Subacheva recalled that the Ms. Filkina, who is believed to have been shot on March 5 while returning from work on her bicycle, one told her: 'I finally understood the most important thing: You need to love yourself and live for yourself.' On Tuesday, drone footage surfaced from Bucha showing the moment a Russian tank gunned down a cyclist in the town in early March. The drone appeared to be watching a Russian tank column that was positioned in the town, but the camera also tacked the cyclist as they walked up the road that runs through a neighbourhood of destroyed or damaged buildings. As the cyclist - now believed to be Ms. Filkina - reached a junction in the road, she turned left down a narrower street, where an armoured vehicle and a tank were positioned around 150ft away. As soon as she turned the corner into the side road, a flash was seen from the armoured vehicle's turret. The video shows the armoured vehicle opening fire, letting off several more shots in the direction of where she entered the side road. After several blasts, the camera zooms in, and a larger flash was also when the tank - positioned parallel to the armoured vehicle - also fires in the her direction. By this point in the video, the view of Ms. Filkina was obstructed by a tree and some fencing after she turned the corner. However, another video taken on the street - shared by investigative agency Bellingcat and captured around a month later - reportedly showed the same junction after the attack. A person, said to be the same as in the first video, can be seen dead - slumped on the side of the road with his bicycle - wearing a blue coat. Using geolocation techniques, the location has been confirmed to be the same in both videos - Yablunska Street - where a further 20 civilian bodies were found in recent days. Pictured: A cyclist (circled) is seen riding up a road in Bucha, Ukraine, just one street away from where several Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles are positioned (top-left) As the drone camera panned up from where the cyclist was, it captured a long line of several Russian military vehicles - including tanks, armoured vehicles and personnel carriers - taking cover among civilian buildings The Russian vehicle opened fire after the cyclist turned the corner. A round is shown flying through the air towards the cyclist A flash is seen as a tank (left) also fires after the cyclist turned the corner into the side road Pictured: Still grabs from a video purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack on the cyclist in Bucha Anastasiia Subacheva told the New York Times that she instantly recognised Ms Filkina's hands and distinctive nails from her videos, as they would often be shown in posts applying makeup, lipstick or foundation (pictured) The New York Times reported that Ms. Filkina's daughter, Olha Shchyruk had fled Bucha soon after Vladimir Putin's invasion on February 24. Ms. Filkina stayed behind. Russian forces moved into the region a few days later, which saw heavy fighting between Moscow's troops and Kyiv's. The town was ultimately lost, but has since been reclaimed as Ukrainian forces pushed Russia's back north. Ms Shchyruk, 26, said that she was told of her mother's death on March 6, but posted in a Telegram channel that she was holding out hope that she may still be alive. 'I understand that it wasn't possible, because she hadn't been in touch for a month,' she wrote on a post last week. 'But a child will always be waiting for her mother.' On Friday, she said she was sent a video that showed her mother lying on the ground. The daughter said even without the recognisable nails, she would have no trouble identifying her mother. According to the New voice of Ukraine, she is now waiting to bury her mother's body, but must wait until forensic examinations have been carried out. Ms Shchyruk also posted a lengthy message to Instagram, along with pictures of her mother. In one, the pair were shown hugging in a swimming pool. 'Today is exactly a month since the day they took offense against her. And all I can do is just cry, sometimes even that doesn't work,' she wrote, adding that her mother was killed about 15 minutes away from her home. 'To other people and those who watch the news, this information hits a little different. Some people even doubt that this was real. As for me, this is a living picture that rises in my head, again and again. The war came not only to my country. It came to my house and took, no, to be more precise, stole...my universe,' she said. The New York Times reported that Ms. Filkina's daughter, Olha Shchyruk had fled Bucha soon after Vladimir Putin's invasion on February 24. Ms. Filkina stayed behind The daughter said Ms. Filkina was found dead on her birthday. 'You made it possible to find you on your birthday, but I still can't even take your body away, because there are so many (victims) there and they took you all together somewhere,' she wrote. 'They don't say where, and they don't say if they have you. They don't know because unfortunately there are so many of you there. They need to know how you died.' Speaking to CNN, Ms Shchyruk said she begged her mother not to cycle home on that day, and instead leave the area on a train. She said her mother tried to get a seat in a car leaving Bucha on March 5, but there wasn't enough space. Instead, she said, she decided to cycle home. The images and stories tumbling out of Ukrainian towns like Bucha in the wake of the withdrawal of Russian troops bear witness to depravity on a scale recalling the barbarities of Cambodia, the Balkans, World War II. Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other cities, amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Pictured: An image posted by Ms Shchyruk to Instagram with her mother, who she said was killed on March 5. She said the day she found out her mother had been killed would have been her birthday Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and Some were found with their hands bound. Mr Zelensky accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Mr Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. A man pushes his bike through debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street on April 6 in Bucha, Ukraine A member of the Ukrainian army stands next to a mass grave in front of an Orthodox church, in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 2022 Since Bucha, a chorus has resounded at the highest levels of Western political power calling for accountability, prosecution and punishment for war crimes in Ukraine. On Monday, Zelensky denounced the killings as 'genocide' and 'war crimes,' and U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin was 'a war criminal' who should be brought to trial. But the path to holding the Russian president and other top leaders criminally responsible is long and complex, international lawyers caution. 'Certainly, the discovery of bodies which bear signs of executions - such as gunshot wounds to the head - presents strong evidence of war crimes,' said Clint Williamson, who served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 2006 to 2009. 'When victims are found with their hands bound, with blindfolds and bearing signs of torture or sexual assault, an even more compelling case is made. There are no circumstances under which these actions are permitted, whether the victims are civilians or military personnel who had been taken prisoner.' Residents look at destroyed Russian military machinery on the street, in Bucha, the town which was retaken by the Ukrainian army, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 A burned car next to destroyed houses, in Bucha, the town which was retaken by the Ukrainian army, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 Meanwhile, a US defence official said on Wednesday that Russia had pulled all of its estimated 24,000 or more troops from the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas in the north, sending them into Belarus or Russia to resupply and reorganise. They are expected to return to fight in the east of the country, where Russia has said it intends to focus its military efforts in a new phase of the invasion. Growing numbers of Vladimir Putin's troops, along with mercenaries, have been reported moving into the Donbas. 'Later, people will come under fire,' Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in urging civilians to evacuate from the mostly Russian-speaking industrial region, 'and we won't be able to do anything to help them'. Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas since 2014. Ahead of its February 24 invasion, Moscow recognised the Luhansk and Donetsk regions as independent states. Another Western official said it may take Russia's battle-damaged forces as much as a month to regroup for a major push on eastern Ukraine. In his nightly address on Wednesday, Zelensky also warned Russia's military is gearing up for a new offensive in the east. Ukraine too was preparing for battle, he said. Full inquest will now take place after Mystery death in March 1994 remains unsolved and suspect was cleared by jury A post-mortem later revealed the grandmother had died before the fire started A family will get a fresh hearing into a grandmother's unsolved 'savage' murder 28 years after she was killed. Doreen Morris, 64, was found dead by police after she suffered horrific burns when a blaze ripped through her home on the Isle of Anglesey. But a post-mortem later revealed she died before the fire started - and detectives believed it was a bungled burglary. Her mystery death has remained unsolved since the incident on March 25, 1994 and her family has fought tirelessly for an inquest. A fresh hearing is set to be held into the unsolved murder of Doreen Morris, 64, who was found dead by police when a blaze ripped through her home on the Isle of Anglesey A pre-inquest hearing was scheduled to take place in Caernarfon, North Wales on April 6. A suspect was charged with murder the following year but was later cleared by a jury at Chester Crown Court in 1996. During that trial it was heard that Mrs Morris, a farmer's widow, had been stabbed to death with a kitchen fork after disturbing a burglar who then set fire to a bed. Another man was arrested in connection to her murder in March 2004 but there were no convictions. North Wales Police Detective Chief Superintendent Ross Duffield, who previously led the investigation called her murder 'savage'. Mrs Morris' death in Holyhead, Anglesey, was recorded as 'not ascertained' at an inquest following her death. But her daughter Audrey Fraser spent years battling for it to be changed to unlawful killing. Her mystery death has remained unsolved since the incident on March 25, 1994 and her family has fought tirelessly for an inquest It follows years of campaigning by Ms Morris's family, who said that there has never been a chance to establish the facts of how she died. Her family applied to the high court in London in 2010 for an inquest to take place, but coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones ruled it was not 'necessary or desirable in the interests of justice' for a fresh inquest to be held. Coroner Katie Sutherland has now opened the new inquest at a hearing in Caernarfon, North Wales. She said: 'It has been the family's case that there has never been a fact-finding exercise on how Mrs Morris died, so it is appropriate to resume the proceedings.' Her daughter Ms Fraser has welcomed the re-opening of her mother's inquest. She said: 'I am very pleased that HM Acting Senior Coroner Katie Sutherland has resumed the inquest touching on the death of my mother, Doreen Morris. 'I hope that this investigation will answer many of the questions that have remained unanswered for the last 28 years.' The full hearing expected to last two weeks will now take place in December. A seething pensioner who ripped into Scott Morrison was fed up with being 'ignored by the government for years' and has 'no regrets' over the now-viral exchange. Ray Drury, 73, was filmed yelling and pointing in the face of the Prime Minister at Newcastle's Edgeworth Tavern on Wednesday night, accusing him of breaking promises and saying 'I'm sick of your bullsh**'. Footage of the heated confrontation has circulated on social media, with hundreds of Aussies praising Mr Drury's action as fans offered to by their 'hero' a beer. Mr Drury, who has cancer, said he had reached boiling point over the government failing to address the repeated concerns he has expressed to MPs about his inadequately sized pension. 'When you're stewing up over 12 years, and are being rejected - not even listened to - well then of course I am going to take the opportunity,' he told NBN News. Ray Drury (pictured) has spoken out after he went viral for confronting Scott Morrison in a Newcastle pub on Wednesday night Mr Drury worked in the mining industry for 30 years, but is now retired and living off compensation from Dust Disease Care after being exposed to harmful pollutants. But he says he has lost more than $70,000 in pension payments because of government deductions due to his workers compensation. Mr Drury said he has spent years writing to dozens of MPs in hopes someone would fix the oversight but no action has been taken. 'I've got prostrate cancer, I've got asbestos tumours, and being just ignored by everybody. Why wouldn't I be upset? Every week I get $200 taken out of my pension. 'I've got a right to earn an income too.' Mr Drury believes the federal government will soon be forced to remedy the issue because he will not stop fighting for his cause. The revelation comes as the Newcastle venue at the centre of the outburst has been bombarded with phone calls from Australians trying to get into contact with Mr Drury. The Newcastle pub where a seething pensioner named Ray (pictured) ripped into Scott Morrison said 'dozens' of people have come in asking to start a tab for the local hero The manager of the Edgeworth Tavern (pictured) said Ray wasn't a regular customer but said they'd been inundated with patrons wanting to buy him a beer A spokesman for Edgeworth Tavern told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday the bar has been inundated with patrons begging to buy him a beer. 'We've been trying to track him down because we want to start a tab for him,' the source said. Footage of Ray's outburst racked up thousands of views after being posted on Twitter Wednesday night, with a cornered Mr Morrison standing quietly as the pensioner unloaded. 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: 'We're going help all those people that worked all their lives, paid their taxes and those that have a go, get a go'. 'Well, I've had a go, mate, I've worked all my life and paid my taxes,' Ray shouted. When Mr Morrison tried to coax the man away from cameras to talk about his situation, Ray became even angrier. 'You better f***ing do something ... I'm sick of your bullsh**,' he said. The tavern spokesman said people have turned up en-masse on Thursday trying to shout Ray a schooner. 'We've had dozens of people come in this morning asking to buy him beers, hopefully we can find him,' he told Daily Mail Australia. The footage of Ray's outburst went viral on Thursday morning, with a shocked Mr Morrison standing aghast as he unloaded on the PM Mr Morrison attended the pub in Labor Party heartland on Wednesday afternoon as the election trail heats up As the punter (pictured with his back to the camera) bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns Mr Drury slammed Mr Morrison for failing to up his disability support pension. 'Listen to me for a change. You can have a million dollar house, $250,000 in the bank and franking credits but a disability pensioner can't have an income,' the man cried to Mr Morrison. 'You've also been Immigration Minister. I've got a partner I've been with six and half years and I've got a right as an Australian to choose who my partner should be. 'We've been to the tribunal twice and won on both occasions. That was 14 months ago. Why can't I have a partner? 'You know another promise you made. You were going to have an integrity commission. As the punter bristled, Mr Morrison said he had 'raised very important issues' and offered to sit down with him to 'get to the bottom' of his concerns. 'I've been fighting for 12 years, you treat a disability pensioner who's worked all his life, paid his taxes... now he's getting taxed again,' the elderly man continued. 'This is what you said when you got elected last time: 'We're gonna help all those people who worked all their lives and paid their taxes, those who had a go.' Well I've had a go, mate. 'I'm doing this before the election because this is two promises that you made.' Mr Morrison has brushed off a furious pensioner berating him at a pub, insisting 'I like hearing from people'. Mr Morrison revealed his staff chatted to the man to help him with his issues after the outburst at the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW. Mr Morrison offered to sit down and talk to the man (pictured) as he raised his concerns The man (pictured in blue) launched his rant when Scott Morrison entered the Edgeworth Tavern west of Newcastle, NSW 'There was one gentleman, Ray, who was very upset about a complicated case, it was involving iCare and immigration issues,' the PM said on Thursday. 'It was also involving income definitions under the pension regime. He has had a lot of complications with those cases. 'And my staff met with him after I carefully listened to what he had to say and respectfully listened to what he had to say. He was not asked to leave or anything like that.' Mr Morrison said the vast majority of pub-goers gave him a 'welcome reception' but said he understood the man's frustration. 'I could understand that he was very upset about some very significant issues that happened his life,' the PM said. 'And so I was keen to understand what he was saying to me and I believe we have. It is a complicated case but we will see how we might be able to assist and progress that. 'As you move around, I like hearing from people. I hear from people all the time. 'While some may have some very complex issues that need to be addressed, others it was great to see them'. Chief Advocate for National Seniors Australia, Ian Henschke, told 3AW Mr Drury was probably angry because of the different rules for the disability and aged pension. Aged pensioners can only earn up to $300 a fortnight before losing their entitlements. Advertisement Traffic on major routes in Kent was brought to a standstill again today due to delays in Channel crossings - as P&O Ferries was accused of refusing to refund customers who cancelled bookings despite promising to on its website. A 23-mile coastbound stretch of the M20 was closed from junction eight for Maidstone to junction 11 for Westenhanger to store thousands of lorries heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel as part of Operation Brock. Disruption began last Friday night before worsening over the weekend and continuing into this week - and the Highways England operation means freight lorries must hold on the M20 until sailings become available. The closure again caused chaos on nearby local roads today amid gridlock for Dover residents. The A20 Roundhill Tunnel was shut under the Dover Traffic Assessment Project (TAP) scheme to prevent HGVs jumping the queue. Aerial photographs showed huge lines of trucks on the motorway - with one driver claiming to Kent Live that he was stuck in traffic jams for more than 30 hours, while ferry operator DFDS warned that freight traffic was 'busy'. Delays to Channel crossings are being driven by the suspension of P&O Ferries sailings after the operator sacked nearly 800 seafarers without notice last month. This is putting more strain on other ferry operators amid increased demand as many families travel overseas for Easter holidays after schools broke up at the end of last week. Cross-Channel services between Dover and Calais are still suspended. The firm is struggling to restart them after firing 800 staff with no notice on March 17, and needs the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's approval to do so. Seven of P&O's eight ships are yet to pass full safety inspections. P&O hopes to restart ferries this weekend on the key Dover to Calais route, and also expects to soon be operating between Hull and Rotterdam and Larne and Cairnryan. Its fourth route, Liverpool to Dublin, is the only one that is already back in operation. There was further misery for Britons heading to France when DFDS said P&O customers will be unable to transfer their bookings onto its Dover-Calais sailings between tomorrow and Sunday because of a lack of capacity. Operation Brock uses a moveable barrier to create a contraflow system enabling lorries to queue and other traffic to keep moving in both directions. But the system has been overwhelmed, with long queues every day for a week. Meanwhile a man, believed to be a lorry driver, was airlifted to hospital this morning after being found seriously injured by a bridge close to the M20 at Hollingbourne at around 9am. He was assessed and treated at the scene before being taken to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford by air ambulance with injuries including a head injury. Lorries queue in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent this morning as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover Lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover today A 23-mile coastbound stretch of the M20 is closed today from junction eight for Maidstone to junction 11 for Westenhanger A man, believed to be a lorry driver, was airlifted to hospital today after being found seriously injured by a bridge close to the M20 at Hollingbourne at around 9am. He was assessed and treated at the scene before being taken to hospital in Ashford He was taken to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford by air ambulance after the incident near the M20 at Hollingbourne today The Port of Dover urged passengers to 'allow plenty of time for their journey', adding: 'Last weekend, port staff together with ferry operators and Kent partners worked tirelessly to move traffic as effectively as possible. 'We served 30,000 departing passengers, triple that of the corresponding weekend in 2021. Tourist vehicles moved continuously through the port, with no queuing outside the port. 'Unfortunately, the commencement of the busy Easter getaway period coincided with the ongoing impact of reduced ferry services and bad weather that affected remaining operators earlier in the week, causing one vessel to be taken out of service for a couple of days. This caused some delays, notably for freight. 'The remaining ferry operators are now back to their full complement of ships and the Port of Dover will be working with our operators and Kent partners, including the local resilience forum, National Highways and Kent Police to ensure passenger journeys are as smooth as possible.' Ashford MP Damian Green called for changes to be made to Operation Brock. He told KentOnline: 'What we need is to make Brock work. We have established that up until now it does work, even in times of stress because the motorway is kept open. 'Once you close the motorway it makes it impossible, so the Kent Resilience Forum needs to look at what changes need to happen so Brock can cope with what is a very unusual situation, where more than half of the freight-carrying capacity at Dover has disappeared in one time.' Lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Hythe in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover today A police car passes lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent this morning An aerial view of lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent today as freight delays continue in Dover Meanwhile it was claimed yesterday that P&O is refusing to give refunds to customers who cancel their bookings, despite promising to on its website. On its website the firm claims: 'Any customers booked to travel during this period of disruption who choose not to travel can have a full refund.' But customer Julia Ferrari, who was due to sail from Hull to Rotterdam on Friday with her family, said this wasn't true. She told ITV News: 'I contacted them but apparently 'customer choice' means you only get a full refund if P&O cancel the ship. 'As a customer, I'm really angry about this. I'm obviously angry about how they treat their staff. 'But as a customer, the fact the website says you can have a refund if you want one and then you contact them and find out you can't.' She had planned to visit relatives in Germany who she hasn't seen for almost two and a half years due to Covid restrictions. Lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover today P&O Ferries routes: The firm said it expects to have two of its vessels ready to sail on the Dover to Calais route by next week. It is also expecting to be able to sail the Larne to Cairnryan route, and the Hull to Rotterdam route. The Liverpool to Dublin route is already back in operation Lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover today P&O has now cancelled the ferry and offered a refund, but she has had to spend an extra 40 to book with rival ferry firm DFDS. An ITV News report claimed it had spoken to 'several' P&O customers who were refused refunds. Yesterday a P&O spokesman said it is hoping to have two ferries back in service on the Dover-Calais route 'from this weekend'. It also hopes to have another ship operating between Hull and Rotterdam and Larne and Cairnryan. All will be 'subject to regulatory sign off' from the MCA, which has so far detained at least two P&O ships which failed full inspections. P&O said it is providing refunds to all who 'booked to travel with us to whom we have not been able to provide alternative services.' DFDS, which also operates cross-Channel, has been allowing customers to use P&O tickets on its services but is unable to this weekend. P&O customer Julia Ferrari was due to sail from Hull to Rotterdam on Friday with her family P&O Ferries promises on its website to give refunds to customers who cancel their bookings A spokesman for P&O said: 'From this weekend, P&O Ferries are getting ready to resume services across a number of vital routes. 'P&O has been working closely with regulators to ensure our ships are safe to sail. 'P&O is looking forward to welcoming back vital services and we expect to have two of our vessels ready to sail on the Dover/Calais route by next week, subject to regulatory sign-off, namely both the Pride of Kent and Spirit of Britain between Dover/Calais. 'P&O are also expecting to be able to sail both the European Causeway, which runs between Larne and Cairnryan, and the Pride of Hull, which runs services between Hull and Rotterdam.' He added: 'We thank our customers for their patience during this time and we apologise to those customers whose journeys have been cancelled and disrupted.' The ferries will need to pass inspections by the MCA before operations can restart. However, the MCA said: 'There are no further inspections of P&O Ferries at the moment and we will reinspect at the appropriate time'. Two P&O ferries are seen at the Port of Dover in Kent over the weekend. Cross-Channel services between Dover and Calais are still suspended over P&O's jobs massacre scandal The announcement comes as a former P&O Ferries chef is reportedly suing the company for unfair dismissal, racial discrimination and harassment. Former P&O Ferries chef John Lansdown filed a tribunal claim against the firm and its chief executive, and wants financial compensation and exemplary damages of up to 76 million The BBC reported that John Lansdown has filed a tribunal claim against the firm and its chief executive, and is seeking financial compensation and exemplary damages of up to 76 million. P&O Ferries said its job cuts were 'categorically not based on race or the nationality of the staff involved', in a statement carried by the broadcaster. Mr Lansdown said the action was about the 'bigger picture'. 'This is not just about me. Seven hundred and ninety nine of my seafaring family have lost their livelihoods, their way of life, their homes for half the year,' he told the BBC. Criminal and civil investigations have also been launched into P&O Ferries' move. Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said on April 1 that the Insolvency Service had started 'formal criminal and civil investigations'. The Insolvency Service said: 'Following its inquiries, the Insolvency Service has commenced formal criminal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent redundancies made by P&O Ferries. 'As these are ongoing investigations, no further comment or information can be provided at this time.' P&O Ferries chief executive, Peter Hebblethwaite, told a joint hearing of the Commons' business and transport committees that his company broke the law by not consulting with trade unions before sacking workers. An Iowa man who faked his own death and fled the state to avoid a trial on child pornography charges has been arrested after six years on the run. Jacob Channce Greer, 28, from Des Moines, was found on Monday and arrested in Spanaway, Washington, 1,700miles away from his grandmothers home after fleeing with money, a bow, arrows and a backpack full of survival gear. Jacob Channce Greer, 28, from Des Moines, was found on Monday and arrested after last being seen at a Wal-Mart in Kalispell, Montana, on June 3, 2016, wearing a camouflage hat He was last seen at a Walmart in Kalispell, Montana, on June 3, 2016, wearing a camouflage hat. Mike Powell, supervisory deputy U.S. marshal for the Southern District of Iowa, told the New York Times that Mr Greer was living 'off the grid' after he fled his grandmother's property. 'After that, we think he probably traveled to the state of Washington,' Mr Powell added and that he was living in homeless shelters 'and taking odd jobs when he could.' It is not known how Mr Greer made it to Spanaway, whether he was helped or how he managed to survive for six years. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers first arrested Mr Greer on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography in April 2016. Described by the authorities as a 'survivalist', he was released under pretrial supervision with an ankle monitor and was living with his grandmother in Des Moines. On May 31, 2016, Mr Greers probation officer received a monitoring alert indicating his GPS device had been removed. A multiagency search effort ensued and Mr Greers vehicle was found with a suicide note inside of it. Mr Greer was arrested in Spanaway, Washington, 1,700miles away from his grandmothers home after fleeing with money, a bow, arrows and a backpack full of survival gear However, searchers did not find Mr Greers body and a federal arrest warrant was issued that day. Through additional interviews, investigators learned Mr Greer was a 'survivalist' and had plans to 'live off the land' in remote areas of the upper western states or southern Canada, hiding out in abandoned cabins. On June 8, 2016, the forestry service located another vehicle associated with Mr Greer in Tuchuck Campground in Flathead, Montana, but he was not there. Described by the authorities as a 'survivalist', he was released under pretrial supervision with an ankle monitor and was living with his grandmother in Des Moines (pictured) Through additional interviews, investigators learned Mr Greer was a survivalist and had plans to live off the land in remote areas of the upper western states or southern Canada, hiding out in abandoned cabins (stock image of Spanaway, Washington) Investigators discovered Mr Greer had purchased the car with a $1,000 loan from a friend and that he had fled Iowa. 'The arrest of Jacob Greer after six years is a testament to the tenacity of Deputy U.S. Marshals and our investigative partners,' said U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa Ted Kamatchus. 'Even though the case went cold, they would not quit.' Mr Greer is currently at the Federal Detention Center in Seattle and he will be brought to Des Moines to stand trial. The West is 'stepping up' military support for Ukraine, Liz Truss said today - as the country's foreign minister pleaded for 'weapons, weapons, and weapons ' to defeat Russia. She spoke at Nato in Brussels this morning amid reports that the UK is planning to supply armoured fighting vehicles to Kyiv to push back Vladimir Putin's forces. The Ministry of Defence is said to be considering providing reconnaissance or long-range and protective patrol vehicles, such as the Mastiff or Jackal, the Times reported. 'In the face of Putin's appalling aggression in Ukraine the G7 and Nato are stepping up our efforts on sanctions and on weapons,' Ms Truss said at Nato headquarters. 'The UK is now banning all imports of Russian energy, we are sanctioning more banks and we are stepping up our supply of weapons to Ukraine.' Additional support which is likely to include anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles is also expected to be announced in the coming days. It is hoped this will help to enable Ukrainian troops to push towards Russian lines. Boris Johnson used a meeting with the Polish president in Downing Street today to launch a 'proper thoroughgoing security defence partnership' with a nation bordering Russia. Speaking alongside Andrzej Duda, Mr Johnson said: 'What is going on today, the current crisis is bringing us even closer together. And with every day that goes by, we see the opportunity to do more together. She spoke at Nato in Brussels this morning amid reports that the UK is planning to supply armoured fighting vehicles to Kyiv to push back Vladimir Putin's forces. The Ministry of Defence is said to be considering providing reconnaissance or long-range and protective patrol vehicles, such as the Mastiff (pictured) or Jackal, the Times reported. Speaking alongside Andrzej Duda, Mr Johnson said: 'What is going on today, the current crisis is bringing us even closer together. And with every day that goes by, we see the opportunity to do more together. 'In the face of Putin's appalling aggression in Ukraine the G7 and Nato are stepping up our efforts on sanctions and on weapons,' Ms Truss said at Nato headquarters. Ukraine could 'break' the Russian army if it was given enough weapons from Western allies, British government sources have claimed. Last night, intelligence chiefs told The Times there is a more positive mood on the Ukrainian side with a belief that the Russian army is 'exhausted' and could be pushed back with better weaponry. The weaponry sought by the Ukrainians has been compiled into a shopping list and submitted to allies. It is believed to include aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles, long range artillery, anti-ship missiles and air defence systems. Today, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called on Nato members to provide Kyiv with all the military equipment it needs to fight Russia. Mr Kuleba told reporters at the alliance's headquarters: 'My agenda is very simple, it has only three items on it: weapons, weapons and weapons. 'We are confident that the best way to help Ukraine now is to provide it with all necessary (weapons) to contain Putin and to defeat the Russian army in the territory of Ukraine so the war does not spill over further. 'In recent weeks the Ukrainian army and the entire Ukrainian nation has demonstrated that we know how to fight, we know how to win, but without sustainable and sufficient supplies of all weapons requested by Ukraine, these wins will be accompanied by enormous sacrifices.' He suggested an increased supply of arms could help prevent further atrocities such as the slaughter of civilians in the town of Bucha, close to Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the Donbas A destroyed Russian tank is seen on a highway, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region The next three weeks are thought to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the war. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow is trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the Donbas, Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland. The Ukrainian leader called for more weapons to stop Russia taking Donbas. In a video message on the Telegram app he said: 'If there is no really painful package of sanctions against Russia and if there is no supply of weapons we really need and have applied for many times, it will be considered by Russia as a permission. 'A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas.' Kuleba said economic powerhouse Germany 'can do more' as he criticised allies that remain reluctant to send so-called 'offensive' arms. 'This distinction between defensive and offensive doesn't make any sense when it comes to the situation in my country. 'Those countries who are saying we will provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, but we are not in a position to provide them with offensive weapons - they are hypocritical, this is simply unfair, unjustified approach.' NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he was certain that allies would 'address the need for more air defence systems, anti-tank weapons, lighter, but also heavier weapons and many different types of support to Ukraine'. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was 'looking closely with our partners how we can support Ukraine in the future, more intensively and more coordinated because they have a right of self-defence.' Ukrainian authorities urged people living in the Donbas to evacuate now, ahead of an impending Russian offensive. 'Later, people will come under fire,' Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, 'and we won't be able to do anything to help them.' Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the Chatham House think tank, added that better weapons could help Ukraine push back the Russians. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today warned the war in Ukraine could last 'months, even years' as there is no sign Vladimir Putin has lost 'his ambition to control the whole country' He told the Times: 'What has been supplied publicly in terms of weapons shipments are primarily weapons that would assist Ukraine in not losing the war and conducting defensive operations against Russian advances. 'A new phase where Russia is on the back foot in multiple areas - which Ukraine needs to exploit would suggest that the most relevant weaponry to be supplied might now be in different categories.' Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, howitzer artillery pieces and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Slovakia where they are expected to head on to Ukraine, footage run by public broadcaster Czech Television showed. Members of the trans-Atlantic alliance had until today given Ukraine only anti-tank and anti-craft missiles, small arms and protective equipment, but not offered heavy armour or fighter jets (pictured, destruction wreaked by Russian forces in Borodyanka) A car is seen riddled with bullet holes on the street on April 5, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. Milley said the war in Ukraine could last for years Chief Stoltenberg said the international community should be 'realistic' about Russian President Vladimir Putin's (pictured) intentions and 'realise that this may last for a long time' as the war entered its 41st day The Czech delivery has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv. Ukraine burns through in a single day the same amount of weaponry it receives in a week, according to a senior Polish official, and Kyiv's eastern neighbours are concerned with keeping up with demand. Prague, and neighbouring Slovakia which has no tanks to give, are also considering helping repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment. Germany will send several dozen infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv and the UK has approved the delivery of 20 ambulances. The United States has agreed to provide an additional $100 million in assistance to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-armour systems, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. US chipmaker Intel Corp said it had suspended business operations in Russia, joining a growing list of companies leaving the country. NATO has already supplied fuel, ammunition, helmets, protective gear and medical supplies to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said yesterday. President Joe Biden has in recent weeks ordered more US troops to NATO's eastern flank to reassure edgy allies and pledged to protect the bloc's territory if Russian forces stray over more borders. The Czech Republic has become the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine, providing T-72 and armoured infantry vehicles following President Zelensky's plea for help (pictured, tanks loaded on a train bound for Ukraine on Tuesday) Several BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (pictured) and more than a dozen T-72 tanks were yesterday loaded on a train bound for Ukraine, footage published by Czech Television showed The Czech delivery of T-72s (pictured) has been funded by Prague as well as private donors who have contributed to a crowdsourced fundraising campaign to supply arms to Kyiv Zelensky accused the West of holding back on supplies because of 'intimidation' from Moscow and suggested Russia is in charge of NATO Ukrainian servicemen inspect the wreckage of houses, cars and Russian military vehicles in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, yesterday Burned cars are seen in a car service station, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 5, that was damaged during shelling, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Reuters-Yonhap Russian forces bombarded cities in Ukraine as the United States imposed more sanctions Wednesday after civilian killings widely condemned as war crimes, and Ukraine's President urged a decisive Western response amid divisions in Europe. Russia's 42-day-long invasion has forced more than 4 million people to flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, left a quarter of the population homeless, turned entire cities into rubble and prompted a slew of Western restrictions on Russia's elite and its economy. The new measures announced by Washington included sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters, days after the grim discovery of civilians shot dead at close range in Bucha, north of Kyiv, when it was retaken from Russian forces. "We're going to keep raising the economic costs and ratchet up the pain for Putin, and further increase Russia's economic isolation," U.S. President Joe Biden said. The United States wants Russia expelled from the Group of 20 major economies forum, and will boycott a number of meetings at the G20 in Indonesia if Russian officials show up, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy was critical of some in the West and said he could not tolerate "any indecisiveness." "The only thing that we are lacking is the principled approach of some leaders political leaders, business leaders who still think that war and war crimes are not something as horrific as financial losses," he told Irish lawmakers. European Union diplomats failed to approve new sanctions Wednesday, as technical issues needed to be addressed, including on whether a ban on coal would affect existing contracts, sources said. EU member Hungary said it was prepared to meet a Russian request to pay rubbles for its gas, breaking ranks with the rest of the bloc and highlighting the continent's reliance on imports that have held it back from a tougher response on the Kremlin. Western policymakers have denounced the killings in Bucha as war crimes, and Ukrainian officials say a mass grave by a church there contained between 150 and 300 bodies. Moscow denied targeting civilians there or elsewhere. Russia's foreign ministry said that images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace talks with Kyiv. Russia says it is engaged in a "special military operation" designed to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine and Western governments reject that as a false pretext for its invasion. Reflecting such fears, the EU executive said it had begun a stockpiling operation to boost its defenses against chemical, nuclear and biological threats. A Turkish court has suspended the trial of 26 Saudi nationals accused of the gruesome killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and sent the case back to Saudi Arabia. Washington Post journalist Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the Saudi regime and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed on 2 October 2018 while visiting the consulate in Istanbul to retrieve papers to prove he was divorced from his ex-wife in Saudi Arabia. The former member of the Saudi royal family turned dissident had gone to the building in the Turkish capital to collect documents required for him to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, but was murdered and dismembered with a bone saw. The group included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers and individuals who worked for the crown prince's office. His remains have not been found. The Istanbul court's decision comes despite warnings from human rights groups that turning the case over to the kingdom would lead to a cover up of the killing, which has cast suspicion on the crown prince. Turkey, which had vowed to shed light on the brutal killing, is in the throes of a deep economic downturn, has been trying to repair its troubled relationship with Saudi Arabia and an array of other countries in its region. A Turkish court has suspended the trial of 26 Saudi nationals accused of the gruesome killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured in December 2014) and sent the case back to Saudi Arabia Some media reports have claimed that Riyadh has made improved relations conditional on Turkey dropping the case, which had inflamed tensions between two countries. A Saudi court convicted eight unnamed individuals over the murder in 2019, and Turkey began prosecuting the remaining defendants in absentia in 2020 after Saudi Arabia rejected requests for their extradition. The defendants included two former aides of the prince. Some of the men were put on trial in Riyadh behind closed doors. A Saudi court issued a final verdict in 2020 that sentenced five mid-level officials and operatives to 20-year jail terms. The court had originally ordered the death penalty, but reduced the punishment after Khashoggi's son Salah, who lives in Saudi Arabia, announced that he forgave the defendants. Three others were sentenced to lesser jail terms. Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, said she would continue to seek justice. 'We will continue this [judicial] process with all the power given to me, as a Turkish citizen,' she said outside the Istanbul Caglayan Justice Palace courthouse. Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, said she would continue to seek justice. 'We will continue this [judicial] process with all the power given to me, as a Turkish citizen,' she said, pictured outside the Istanbul Caglayan Justice Palace courthouse 'The two countries may be making an agreement... they may be opening a new chapter... but the crime is still the same crime. The people who committed the crime haven't changed. Governments and states must have a principled stance, said Hatice Cengiz (pictured) 'The two countries may be making an agreement, the two countries may be opening a new chapter... but the crime is still the same crime,' she said. 'The people who committed the crime haven't changed. Governments and states must have a principled stance.' Milena Buyum, Amnesty International's official for Turkey said the decision was an 'appalling and clearly political' one. Last week, the prosecutor in the case recommended that it be transferred to the kingdom, arguing that the trial in Turkey would remain inconclusive. Turkey's justice minister supported the recommendation, adding that the trial in Turkey would resume if the Turkish court is not satisfied with the outcome of proceedings in the kingdom. It was not clear, however, if Saudi Arabia, which has already put some of the defendants on trial behind closed doors, would open a new trial. The court ruled to halt the trial in line with the Justice Ministry's 'positive opinion,' the private DHA news agency reported. Human rights advocates had urged Turkey not to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, arguing that justice for Khashoggi would not be delivered by Saudi courts. 'It's a scandalous decision,' said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, adding that the court had 'rubber stamped' a political decision that would allow the government to repair its ties with Saudi Arabia. Human rights advocates had urged Turkey not to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, arguing that justice for Khashoggi would not be delivered by Saudi courts 'In the interest of realpolitik, Turkey is ready to sacrifice justice for an egregious crime on its own soil,' she told The Associated Press. '(The decision) opens the way for other countries to commit assassinations on Turkish territory and get away with it.' At the time of the crime, Turkey apparently had the Saudi Consulate bugged and shared audio of the killing with the CIA, among others. The slaying sparked international outrage and condemnation, with western intelligence agencies, as well as the US Congress, who said that an operation of such magnitude could not have happened without knowledge of the prince. The move would pave the way to a resolution of disputes between the two regional heavyweights since the 2011 Arab Spring, including Turkey's support for Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Riyadh considers a terrorist group. Turkey also sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute that saw Doha boycotted by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Conor McGregor today appeared in court in Dublin charged with six motoring offences including dangerous driving after he was pulled over in his 150,000 Bentley Continental GT last month. The mixed martial arts fighter, 33, appeared at Blanchardstown District Court accused of two counts of dangerous driving on March 22, as well driving without insurance and a licence and failing to produce a certificate of insurance or licence. He was stopped by gardai for alleged dangerous driving while on the way to the gym on the N4 motorway between Lucan and Palmerstown in Dublin. His supercar was seized but has since been handed back to him. McGregor's solicitor Michael Staines told the court his licence and insurance were shown to police this morning ahead of the 11am hearing, which lasted for only two minutes. Garda Denis Lordan told the court the four charges were put to McGregor on Thursday morning. He made no reply to each charge and was handed a copy of the charge sheet. District Judge David McHugh remanded McGregor on continuing bail and he will appear at the same court again on June 23. Conor McGregor today appeared in court in Dublin over alleged dangerous driving after he was pulled over in his 150,000 Bentley Continental GT last month Former two-weight UFC world champion McGregor, 33, was pictured in one of his trademark suits at Blanchardstown District Court in northern Dublin shortly before 11am for a hearing that lasted only two minutes McGregor, wearing a grey blazer and navy trousers, did not speak during the court appearance. But speaking to reporters outside, he said he is going 'straight back into training'. 'I am going straight back in, and I am looking forward to getting back into it.' Asked if he has an opponent in mind, he replied: 'We will see what happens man. Taking it day by day. The leg is getting better every day and I am happy with that.' A Garda spokesperson confirmed last month that a man was arrested in relation to the incident and taken to Lucan Garda Station. He was later released. In a statement, the police service said: 'Gardai arrested a man aged in his 30s in relation to an incident of dangerous driving in the Palmerstown area yesterday evening, Tuesday 22nd March 2022. 'The man was taken to Lucan Garda Station where he was later charged. He has been released pending an appearance before Blanchardstown District Court at a later date.' A spokeswoman for McGregor told MailOnline at the time: 'Mr McGregor was driving to the gym when he was stopped by Gardai for alleged road traffic violations. 'He passed the drug and alcohol tests taken at the station.' McGregor, who will return to court on June 23, was arrested last month for alleged dangerous driving in his 150,000 Bentley Continental GT (pictured) while on the way to the gym on the N4 motorway between Lucan and Palmerstown in Dublin The Irish MMA star (file photo above) was charged with dangerous driving and appeared at Blanchardstown District Court today McGregor is currently on the comeback path and has not fought since losing against Dustin Poirier back in July last year, a fight which saw him break his leg in his third defeat in four matches. 'The Notorious', a former two-weight world champion, is expected to return to the Octagon later this year and has vowed to fight again for a world title despite losing his last two bouts. Although the date and opponent when he returns has not yet been confirmed, McGregor is reportedly keen to face the winner of the Justin Gaethje vs Charles Oliveira fight in May, with a mooted return in early July. Businessman Sir Frederick Barclay has still not paid a penny of his ex-wife's 100million divorce bill, leaving her unable to pay her lawyers, a court heard today. Sir Jonathan Cohen is overseeing the latest round of the dispute between Sir Frederick and Lady Hiroko Barclay at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London. The 87-year-old - who formed one half of Britains ultra-secretive media mogul twins - was ordered to pay lump sumps of 100million to his former wife in May last year following the breakdown of their 34-year marriage. But Lady Barclay, 78, says Sir Frederick has breached court orders by failing to hand over the money owed, and called on the judge to consider committing him to jail for alleged contempt of court. A barrister leading Lady Barclay's legal team told the judge on Thursday that money has not been paid - as sources indicated she had already run up legal bills exceeding 300,000. 'Not a penny has been paid towards the 100 million order,' Stewart Leech QC told Sir Jonathan. 'My client has not been able to pay a penny towards our costs', he added. Meanwhile, he said 400,000 has been paid to cover Sir Fredericks legal costs. Businessman Sir Frederick Barclay has still not paid a penny of his ex-wife's 100million divorce bill, leaving her unable to pay her lawyers, London's High Court heard today Lady Hiroko Barclay, 78 says her ex-husband has breached court orders by failing to hand over the money owed, and called on the judge to consider committing him to jail for alleged contempt of court Last month, it was claimed in court that the billionaire tycoon had been evicted from his home, and his legal costs were to be covered by his family. The court was also told that Sir Frederick was also significantly in default of payment of legal fees. Mr Leech previously said Lady Barclay was asking a judge to commit her ex-husband to jail for breaching an order to produce documents and pay a 50million tranche of their settlement. Charles Howard QC, representing Sir Frederick, acknowledged certain sums had not been paid but said: Whether hes at fault remains to be decided. He says hes got no money to do it and his bank statements... show that. Hes been evicted from his home, the barrister added. Mr Howard previously argued Lady Barclay would have to show Sir Frederick had the means to meet the 50 million and had wilfully refused or neglected to pay. Sir Frederick and his twin brother, Sir David, were among the UK's most high-profile businessmen. Sir David (left) died in January last year, aged 86 Sir Jonathan criticised Sir Frederick in a earlier ruling, saying he had behaved in a 'reprehensible' fashion during the dispute. The judge said the businessman had sold a luxury yacht and 'applied the equity for his own use' in breach of orders. He said Lady Barclay had wanted 120 million and Sir Frederick had made an offer which might have led her to getting nothing. Sir Jonathan wants to consider evidence relating to Sir Frederick's mental capacity, and is due to oversee a further hearing in June. Mr Leech said lawyers representing Sir Frederick had indicated that a decision on whether the businessman had breached orders might not be possible for some months. A barrister leading Lady Barclay's legal team told the judge on Thursday that money has not been paid - as sources indicated she had already run up legal bills exceeding 300,000 He said Sir Frederick's age had to be taken into account and told the judge that any 'drawing out' of proceedings would be wrong. Charles Howard QC, leading Sir Frederick's legal team, said it would be 'grossly unfair' to suggest the businessman was employing 'delaying tactics'. Sir Frederick was not at Thursday's hearing but watched by video link, while Lady Barclay did appear in court. Sir Frederick and his twin brother, Sir David, were among the UKs most high-profile businessmen. Sir David died in January last year, aged 86. Their business interests included the Telegraph Media Group and The Ritz hotel in London. The family also has links to the Channel Islands and Monaco. Health experts have warned Aussies to prepare for a 'twindemic' as winter brings rising cases of Covid and the flu. New research from The Lancet shows Australians are at risk of contracting influenza and Covid at the same time due to weak immune systems. Early animal testing of the effects of the dual infection showed it had the potential to damage lung tissue and lead to fluid in the lungs. New research from The Lancet shows Australians are at risk of contracting influenza and Covid at the same time due to weak immune systems While the possibility of a double infection is low, University of Queensland National Health and Medical Research Council scientist Kirsty Short has urged people to stay up-to-date with their flu vaccinations. 'TWINDEMIC' FACTS The chances of becoming infected with both influenza and Covid are very low A dual infection can potentially cause long-term damage to the lung Covid cases rise in winter You can now receive a booster shot for your flu vaccination at the same time as a Covid booster Flu cases also peak in winter Advertisement 'If you never got a flu vaccination before in your life, now is the time,' she told Courier Mail. 'It is wise to be wary of the coming season. Co-infection in mice and hamsters in small animals models show that the animals suffer significantly more with both pathogens. 'The antibody response to the flu vaccine can give good response to co-infection.' Only 199,000 Australians have received their flu shot so far this year and Deputy Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza Professor Ian Barr, said more people will need to get their jab. Influenza cases have been low in recent years due to increased health and hygiene procedures and border closures but now the population is facing an open Australia with a low immunity population. Australia recorded 409 lab-confirmed cases of influenza in the first three months of 2022, close to the total 598 cases recorded throughout 2021. 'As Arnie said "He's going to be back" and so is influenza,' Prof Barr said. Dr Short said flu vaccinations can now be given at the same time as Covid booster shots and explained why they were previously separated. Only 199,000 Australians have received their flu shot so far this year with health experts warning the number needs to dramatically increase 'The reason they were separated before was due to surveillance,' she said. Free flu vaccines are available to children aged from six months to under five years of age, people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and older. Flu vaccines are readily available at GPs and some pharmacies. A homegrown terror suspect accused of murdering veteran MP Sir David Amess said he wanted to kill the politician to 'help Muslims by stopping him from voting again' after he backed the bombing of Syria, a court today heard. Ali Harbi Ali told jurors at the Old Bailey he wanted to 'make hijrah', to travel and fight in support of the terrorist organisation Islamic State, but he found it too difficult to get there. He also described Kuwaiti-British terrorist 'Jihadi John' - infamous as the masked knifeman videotaped beheading western hostages in Syria in 2014 and 2015 - as a 'brother.' The 26-year-old stabbed Sir David more than 20 times with a foot-long carving knife at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, shortly after midday on October 15 2021, the court was told. Sir David died at the scene. Ali Harbi Ali (seen after his arrest) told jurors at the Old Bailey he wanted to 'make hijrah', to travel and fight in support of the terrorist organisation Islamic State, but he found it too difficult to get there The 26-year-old stabbed Sir David more than 20 times with a foot-long carving knife at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex The university drop-out is said to have been motivated to kill the veteran Southend West Conservative and father-of-five because of a grievance with MPs who voted in favour of bombing Syria. His previous targets included Cabinet minister Michael Gove. Giving evidence from the witness stand today, Ali said he decided to kill Sir David because of his previous voting record on the UK's foreign policy, including air strikes on Syria. Ali told the court: 'I decided to do it because I felt that if I could kill someone who made decisions to kill Muslims, it could prevent further harm to those Muslims. 'He voted previously in Parliament, not just him... I decided if I couldn't make hijrah, if I couldn't help the Muslims (in Syria), I would do something here.' Asked what difference killing Sir David would make, Ali said: 'For one, he can't vote again. 'If he had previous for doing votes like that he won't do it in the future, and perhaps send a message to his colleagues. 'You need a certain number of votes for these things to pass and that is one off the list and for his colleagues to realise you can't just carry out wanton destruction overseas.' Ali was asked why he had a note on his phone about his 'plans' to kill Mr Gove. Ali said: 'That was plans I had to attack and hopefully kill Michael Gove at the time. 'I believe he was someone who was a harm to Muslims. 'I thought if I couldn't go join Islamic State, I should try and do something here to help Muslims here.' Ali said he 'deeply' regretted not being able to join the terrorist group and did not think the attack was wrong. Tom Little QC, prosecuting, asked Ali: 'Do you regret anything you did on October 15?' 'No,' Ali said. 'If you could turn the clock back to the morning of October 15, you would leave your property in London and head to Leigh on Sea intending to kill Sir David Amess?' 'Yes,' Ali replied. 'You are utterly shameless about that?' Mr Little asked. 'I wouldn't use the word shameless but I don't feel any shame,' Ali said. Ali (seen in a court sketch) told witnesses he wanted to be shot by police and die a 'hero' after stabbing the Tory MP for Southend West 21 times, the jury were told 'You regret nothing?' Mr Little asked. 'Nothing,' Ali replied. 'If I thought there was something wrong, I wouldn't have done it.' Seeking to justify his actions on the day, he added: 'I consider myself a Muslim who went out and killed someone who killed Muslims.' Prosecutor Tom Little QC asked: 'You don't regard yourself as a radical?' Ali replied: 'I am a moderate Muslim.' Mr Little said Sir David 'posed no risk' but Ali insisted: 'He posed risk to the ummah. In Islam we have the concept of the global Muslims. 'He posed a risk of harm to me as a result of posing harm to the Muslims.' Mr Little told him: 'You stabbed him solely because of how he had voted in the British parliament?' 'Yes and also he was a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel as well,' Ali added. 'You didn't like the way he voted because it resulted in the very significant destruction of your beloved ISIS and that is why you murdered him, you murdered him in the cause of ISIS,' Mr Little said. 'I killed him in the cause of Muslims and for the sake of Allah,' Ali said. Ali captured on CCTV walking around the gates of the Houses of Parliament on September 22 last year - around a month before the fatal stabbing of Sir David Amess in Essex Ali said he killed Sir David 'for Islam' and described Jihadi John as a 'brother.' He told the court: 'It was done for Islam. Not necessarily Islamic State. 'I said in interview if it is said it was [done for] Islamic State I would be fine with that.' On terrorist Jihadi John, he said: 'He is a brother, you can't say anything bad about him. 'To criticise a brother in a room full of non-Muslims is something I would not be comfortable about at all.' Ali had managed to arrange an appointment with Sir David, 69, by duping the politician's office into believing he was a healthcare worker moving to the area and wished to discuss local matters. The trial previously heard how Ali allegedly spent years hatching his plot, researching a number of potential high-profile political targets including Mr Gove, Dominic Raab and Sir Keir Starmer, before settling on Sir David. Mr Little said Ali had taken the 'deliberate decision to kill an MP' in 2019 and had also gone to the home of Michael Gove intending to attack him if he had seen him. 'It was more than just an idle thought, you had taken steps to prepare for such an act?' Mr Little said. 'Yes,' Ali replied. Ali's police interviews were played to the jury two weeks ago, in which he told officers: 'It sounds like what a terrorist act is. I went into an MP's surgery and I killed him with the idea of vengeance in a way.' But giving evidence he changed his mind saying: 'If it was just revenge it would be self-gratification, nothing beyond that. 'Response would be a better word. I wanted a holistic thing to happen as a result rather than just a feeling. 'I wanted something to happen afterwards. I don't think revenge was the best word to use in that instance.' Ali, from Kentish Town in north London, denies preparing terrorist acts and murder. The trial continues. Sophie George (pictured), 20, filled bags with bleach, duct tape, forensic clothing, bin liners and lighter fuel before arranging to meet Adam Yiosese near her Brighton home in October 2019. She has been jailed for 13 and a half years. A teenager who planned to torture and kill a casual fling for sleeping with other women made a meticulous 'to do' list which outlined the steps she would take. Sophie George was 'consumed with revenge' when she filled bags with bleach, duct tape, forensic clothing, bin liners and lighter fuel before arranging to meet Adam Yioses near her Brighton home in October 2019. In the lead up to her sinister plan, she had written detailed plans which included 'drive to grave site', 'torture' and 'kill and bury him'. George, who was 18 at the time, attempted to make Mr Yioses drive towards Wild Park before she pulled a large serrated knife on him and slashed his hand as he defended himself. The victim managed to get out of the vehicle and called 999 before George, now 20, punched him and bit his finger to the bone. When police arrived at the scene they initially placed Mr Yiosese in handcuffs before realising the true nature of the situation and discovering George's murder kit, stashed inside two plastic bags she had brought with her. The macabre note was discovered during a later search of George's house which revealed her 'chilling' written plans of how to kidnap and murder her victim - as well as how to change her identity and start a new life. The written guide also included plans to force Mr Yiosese to walk to a grave she had dug and to torture him to reveal the names of other women he had slept with. Police found an application to change her name and apply for a new passport. A judge at Hove Crown Court yesterday told George she posed a danger to anyone else she might meet as she sent her to prison. Judge Christine Henson told her: 'It seems from all I have read in this case, that you were fixated and consumed by revenge as you considered the victim had been seeing other women. 'You went to meticulous lengths to plan your attack. This was a highly planned attack. It is clear you knew what you were doing was wrong and your planning included evading responsibility and detection.' George admitted two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of an offensive weapon. She was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison, of which she must serve at least two thirds in custody, with a four-year extended licence. 'Drive to grave site... torture:' The 'chilling' murder 'to-do list', found during a search of George's house after her plot to kill her casual lover was rumbled Rubber gloves, pliers and a phone sim card were among the items found in George's 'murder kit' following her arrest Lighters, brushers and duct tape, recovered from the 'torture and murder kit' of George The chilling murder 'to-do' list found in the house of would-be killer Sophie George A search on Sophie George's home uncovered a macabre to-do list on how to torture and murder her lover Adam Yiosese. The 'chilling' note read: Charge phone and add credit (make phone call) In car - turn off phone Drive to place - get keys if possible (lock doors) Knife and duct tape Put protective gear Post notes and questions Change snapchat password Delete whatsapp and text messages (uninstall) Turn off phone and track my iphone Drive to girls? Drive to grave site Torture Walk him to site and kill and bury -with bag Wipe hands and body suit with cloth Change shoe covers Cleaning process: Tape all fabric areas, scrub hard surfaces including outside Black bag front seat and under bag Walk to call place (wipe shoes on grass) Advertisement The judge added: 'The author of the pre sentence report considers you to be a very high risk to intimate partners if you feel jealous or insecure. 'Although it is an isolated incident it is deeply concerning and your ability to conceal it from those around you makes it all the more troubling. 'A casual relationship is a relatively common occurrence in the lives of many. 'The extreme nature of your response to this was completely abnormal. 'It is clear you pose a risk to those you believe has let you down. 'This was not a sudden and spontaneous reaction but one you thought about and planned for weeks before attempting to carry it out. 'It was meticulous in its preparation including forensic and technological awareness and your response to not being the 'only partner' is so beyond any ordinary comprehension that I am quite satisfied that you do present a significant risk. 'Your notes about torture to reveal the whereabouts of other women is an extreme reaction to a regular occurrence of a casual partner seeing others.' The court heard Mr Yiosese has been left with flashbacks and difficulty trusting friends, because he had trusted George and then discovered she had been planning to kill him. As she was sentenced George, who wore two Dutch braids, a grey headband, a white t-shirt and a black cardigan, sobbed and dried her eyes with tissues. Prosecuting, Jennifer Gray said George and Mr Yiosese had met when she was 17 at Moulsecoomb Station, when he was studying at the University of Brighton. By the time of the attack, he had graduated with a first class degree and was working as a railway engineer in London. They had exchanged messages that summer, but she had put him off coming to Brighton for a couple of months - it later became clear this was because she was busy planning to kill him. She eventually suggested meeting on October 9 at 11.15pm, after he had finished work. She told him to pick her up in Selsfield Road, near her home in Highbrook Close. He was confused when she became angry he had brought his work van rather than his car. Police later discovered she had been researching how to lock the doors from the inside in the model of car he usually drove. She got him to drive to what she said was a friend's house, where she picked up two carrier bags filled with her 'murder and torture kit'. She then told him she wanted to go to a park, and got him to drive in the direction of Wild Park - and when he said he wanted to go and get food instead, she twice grabbed the steering wheel to get him to change direction. Terrifying 'murder kit' of 18-year-old who plotted to torture lover for sleeping with other women Sophie George, 20, has been jailed for 13 and a half years for planning to torture and murder her casual lover because he was sleeping with other women. She was 18 at the time of the of her offence. The 'full murder kit' discovered in her bags included: 11 bottles of bleach Full body forensic suit Shoe covers - the sort worn by police when attending a crime scene A box of vinyl gloves (George was wearing a pair under her woollen gloves during the attack) 2 pairs of household gloves Packet of shower caps Long lighter Black refuse sacks Three rolls of strong silver tape Stanley knife Cleaning cloths and sponges A Post it note with actions A mobile phone and portable charger Two and a half bottles of bbq lighter fuel Advertisement When they were back by Selsfield Drive, she then pulled a knife on him, and tried to stab him. He cut his hand deflecting the blow, and fled the van. A woman in flats overlooking the road saw George attacking him, and called 999, taking pains to tell them it was the woman she saw attacking the man, not the other way round. When police arrived, he had injuries to his face where she had punched him, and she had bitten his finger to the bone. Ms Gray said: 'The victim was very compliant and obviously relieved the police had arrived. 'When the police began unravelling what happened, they removed the handcuffs from the victim, and arrested the defendant. 'One of the officers noticed two carrier bags in the road, and asked the victim who they belonged to, and he told them they belonged to the defendant. 'The officer then started to examine the contents of the bags and the whole scene became very much more serious.' At her home, they discovered a plan to kidnap and torture Mr Yiosese, including how to turn off her phone and delete messages and contacts to avoid detection. Fifteen minutes before yesterday's hearing was due to start, the judge was handed a handwritten letter from George in which she expressed remorse for her actions. Defending, Graeme Wilson said that there had been an 'imbalance' in their relationship, pointing to her youth and what he said was social isolation and a difficult home life. He said: 'There's a human element and an individual who has feelings and emotions and in sentencing this individual it's not a simple question of categorisation and ticking boxes which is how some people may think sentencing happens with the guidelines today. 'When they first met, she was 17 and when the offence happened, she was 18. She was due to stand trial when 19 and stands before you now aged 20. A woman in flats overlooking the road saw George attacking her lover and called 999, taking pains to tell them it was the woman she saw attacking the man, not the other way round. (Pictured: Post-it notes and cloths recovered from George's bags) Shoe covers - the sort worn by police when attending a crime scene -, face masks and vinyl gloves were also discovered in George's bags 'She's not mature, she's frightened. Frightened at the time, frightened of what she did and that's expressed in the letter that Your Honour has before you today. 'She's frightened that she's capable of doing what she did at that particular time.' George initially denied two charges of attempted murder and one of possessing an offensive weapon. She pleaded guilty in May last year, just before the jury was due to be sworn in, after two days of legal argument. The court heard that sentencing was significantly delayed because she had refused to engage with professionals so a psychiatric report could be produced, even after Judge Henson ordered that she be sent to hospital to be assessed. The psychiatrist could only say that she did not appear to have any mental health problems, learning difficulties or autism. She was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison, of which she must serve at least two thirds in custody, with a four-year extended licence. A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the knife. The grief-stricken mother of Amir Locke has vowed 'not to give up' in her fight for justice as she slammed the decision not to prosecute charges against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who shot dead her innocent son while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant. Karen Wells and her family will demand that the US Justice Department review the case after Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges on Wednesday against police officer Mark Hanneman. Locke, 22, who was black, was staying on a couch in his cousin's apartment when authorities entered it on February 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul. Prosecutors said body camera video showed that Locke pointed a gun at Officer Mark Hanneman, justifying his use of deadly force. Locke's family has disputed that, calling his killing an 'execution' whilst arguing that the footage suggests Locke was startled awake and that he grabbed for the gun he was licensed to carry. Body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot, but it is unclear from the video if he pointed it at officers. Wells said she was disgusted by the decision not to file charges against Hanneman. 'This is not over. You may have been found not guilty, but in the eyes of me, being the mother who I am, you are guilty,' Wells said at a news conference in New York on Wednesday. 'And I'm not going to give up. Continue to have your restless nights, because I know you do.' Karen Wells (pictured on Wednesday), the grief-stricken mother of Amir Locke, has vowed 'not to give up' in her fight for justice as she slammed the decision not to prosecute charges against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who shot dead her innocent son Amir Locke, 22, who was black, was staying on a couch in his cousin's apartment when authorities entered it on February 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul. He was shot and killed by a police officer Locke was shot seconds after officers entered the apartment. The body camera footage shows that Locke was holding a gun before he was shot. The family's attorney Ben Crump faulted police for creating a life-or-death situation, and said gun rights groups should join with the family in demanding an end to no-knock warrants. Crump connected Locke's death with that of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a botched police raid in Kentucky in 2020 in which her boyfriend shot at officers first as they broke into her apartment. 'Because if it can happen to Amir, it can happen to Breonna Taylor, it could happen to your children, too,' Crump said. Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman, whose offices reviewed the case, said Locke might never have been shot if not for the no-knock warrant. But they said there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hanneman violated the state statute governing when police can use deadly force. 'It would be unethical for us to file charges in a case in which we know that we will not be able to prevail because the law does not support the charges,' Ellison said. Minneapolis Police Department bodycam footage shows, 22-year-old Amir Locke wrapped in a blanket on a couch holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by police People gather outside the Hennepin County Government Center to decry the lack of charges brought after the death of Amir Locke on Wednesday in Minneapolis Amir Locke, 22, (pictured) was shot and killed by a Minnepolis cop in February after police the home in an early no-knock search Locke's death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd's killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and on Tuesday, he formalized a new policy requiring officers to knock and wait before entering a residence, with limited exceptions. Some lawmakers have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances. The department issued a statement from Interim Chief Amelia Huffman saying that Hanneman returned to active duty on February 28 but is no longer on a SWAT team. She did not comment directly on Hanneman's actions but said: 'Officers never want to face split-second decisions that end in the loss of life.' Locke's family was angry that police initially described him as a suspect, which police later said was a mistake. 'Our investigation found no evidence that he had any role in the homicide investigation that brought the police to his door at 6:48 on Feb. 2,' Ellison said. 'Amir was a victim. He never should have been called a suspect.' In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Locke's 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder's killing (pictured: Otis Elder) Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the January 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence. Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment at 6:48 a.m. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, 'Police, search warrant!' They also shout 'Hands!' and 'Get on the ground!' The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends. Locke's parents have said it appeared to them that their son was startled awake and his mother called his death 'an execution.' 'I was convinced that the individual was going to fire their handgun and that I would suffer great bodily harm or death,' Hanneman wrote in his statement to investigators. 'I felt in this moment that if I did not use deadly force myself, I would likely be killed.' Ellison and Freeman said they spoke with Locke's parents on Wednesday before announcing they wouldn't file charges. 'They, like us, are very frustrated with no-knock warrants. They, like us, believe that if a no-knock warrant hadn't been used Amir Locke might well be here today,' Freeman said, declining to give further details about their conversation. Although Locke was not named in the warrant, his then-17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder's killing. The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder's death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder's SUV, according to court documents. The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given. Loche's mother laid her son to rest at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries on February 17, stating: 'It's sad because Amir Locke was born on 11-11-99, around 4-ish pm and it took 10 hours of labor to push him into this world. 'And on 2-2-22 those thugs that represent the Minneapolis Police Department executed my baby boy, my beautiful baby boy in less than nine seconds.' Addressing the cops behind the shooting, she added at the time: 'How dare you? You're not above the law. You're not above a higher power that we worship. 'The disrespect you did to my son, you're going to learn who his mother is.' Locke's father Andre said his son was an aspiring musician and was just days away from moving to Texas to be closer to his mother when he was killed. His father is also a musician. 'He was a young man with plans to move to Dallas, where he would be closer to his mom and he hoped build a career as a hip-hop artist, following in the musical steps of his father,' Ellison and Freeman said in a joint statement. His mother (left, next to Locke's father Andre) said at his funeral: 'It's sad because Amir Locke was born on 11-11-99, around 4-ish pm and it took 10 hours of labor to push him into this world. And on 2-2-22 those thugs that represent the Minneapolis Police Department executed my baby boy, my beautiful baby boy in less than nine seconds' He was laid to rest at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries on February 17 Reverend Al Sharpton also spoke, and said Amir's killing was racist. Sharpton told the audience: 'Amir was not guilty of anything but being young and black in America' Amir's family say he was disturbed and fearful by the raid while sleeping and have now called on Minneapolis to ban no-knock warrants. Ellison and Freeman said in a statement that it was 'not the role of our offices to evaluate whether the decision to seek a no-knock warrant was appropriate.' Wells was joined at the February funeral by Amir's father Andre Lock. Civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton also spoke, and said Amir's killing was racist. Sharpton told the audience: 'Amir was not guilty of anything but being young and black in America.' Other speakers at Locke's funeral at Shiloh Temple International Ministries condemned police for the events that led to Lockes killing, as they remembered Locke and other black people who have died in encounters with police. Other speakers at Locke's funeral at Shiloh Temple International Ministries condemned police for the events that led to Lockes killing, as they remembered Locke and other black people who have died in encounters with police. Sharpton said if Minneapolis had passed a ban on no-knock warrants 'we wouldnt be at a funeral this morning.' Sharpton also referenced Black History Month and talked about slavery, detailing how slaves had their names taken away from them and were forced to take the names of their masters. He said black people for too long have been seen as 'nameless suspects.' Protesters held signs reading 'Justice for Amir' as they walked the cold streets of Minneapolis in February Students participated in a state-wide walkout demanding justice for Amir Locke in February 'Enough is enough. We are no longer going to be your nameless suspects,' Sharpton said, as the crowed applauded. Before Sharpton spoke, congregants were prompted to 'Say his name.' They responded: 'Amir Locke.' Locke's aunt, Linda Tyler, denounced racism in policing and demanded that officers stop talking about the need for more training, and instead start using de-escalation techniques on white and black people alike. 'If it is something you simply cannot do, we just ask that you resign today instead of resigning another brother or sister to her grave,' she said. She also said she doesnt want to hear about how policing is a difficult job. 'If you think being a police officer is a difficult profession, try to be a black man,' she said, as the crowd erupted in cheers. A large portrait of Locke was displayed at the front of the church, with a white casket topped with roses and bouquets of flowers nearby. Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter were among those in attendance. Locke's death has provoked an outcry against no-knock warrants, with a push by his family and others to ban them in Minnesota and beyond. DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Karen Wells and the family's attorneys. LA County's woke board of supervisors has banned all official tax-payer funded to Florida and Texas in protest over the states adopting a Don't Say Gay Bill. The all-female board of supervisors voted on Tuesday to halt official business in Texas and Florida until the bill is revoked. It's unclear exactly how work many trips L.A. County officials take every year, and what those trips include. The Board of Supervisors did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries about how many trips would be canceled as a result of the decision. Sheila Kuehl, one of the supervisors who helped drive the decision through, is the first 'the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the California Legislature'. She said of the decision: 'As weve done in the past where states have enacted some egregious laws that contravene everything that we have done in L.A. County and in California, this motion calls for a travel ban on all travel to these states. 'Were not gonna spend our money going to your states and it sends a message that we wont support this egregious behavior.' Critics have accused the board of putting their own interests ahead of that of the county, and making a decision based on their personal belief rather than that of the district they represent. LA County's five District Supervisors (left to right): Holly J. Mitchell, Sheila Kuehl, Hilda L. Solis, Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, in a promotional shot posted on the Board's website Solis, pictured at a housing project meeting in Long Beach, branded the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills passed in Florida and proposed in Texas and Ohio 'egregious' Sheila Kuehl (left) and Holly Mitchell (right) have enforced County vaccine mandates Supervisors Janice Khan (left) of the Fourth District and Hilda Solis of the First (right), who co-wrote the Board's joint statement in favor of the temporary travel ban Supervisor Hilda Solis added: 'I too come from a family that has parents whose children are LGBTQ, and I know what it was for them to raise their children and even to talk amongst our own larger family, and how important it is to support each other and in particularly these young people who are trying to live out their best in life.' Florida's 'Parental Rights in Education' bill, signed by governor Ron DeSantis late last month, bans class discussions on sexuality and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. LGBTQ activists say it discriminates against young children who may want to discuss the topics. Many parents in the Republican states say it will ban inappropriate discussion of sexuality and gender that some kids are too young to understand. The law allows those parents to sue school districts if they push the issues in the classroom. New York Mayor Eric Adams has also weighed in on the issue. He says he plans to erect billboards in states that adopt the bill inviting residents to come to New York instead. L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, the first 'openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the California Legislature' shown promoting vaccines New York Mayor Eric Adams says he is putting these billboards up in Florida to run for eight weeks Criticism: Some said the move would only harm L.A. County residents if it means politicians were no longer attending worthy events, while others mocked the grandstanding board LGBT advocacy organizations launched a legal appeal against the bill on March 31. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told supporters in a letter Monday that he will work to pass Austin's own version of the law in 2023. Patrick wrote: '[The Florida law] simply says schools cannot sexualize children in elementary school. I will make this law a top priority in the next session.' Ohio Republicans have tabled a similar plan, which also bans 'critical race theory'. What is the Parental Rights in Education bill? HB 1557 was introduced by two Republican members of the Florida Legislature - Representative Joe Harding and Senator Dennis Baxley. They say the bill's aim is to 'empower parents' in their children's education, and make teachers recognize the distinction between 'instruction' and 'discussion.' 'What we're prohibiting is instructing them in a specific direction,' Baxley said about how teachers lead students in a classroom. 'Students can talk about whatever they want to bring up, but sometimes the right answer is, ''You really ought to talk to your parents about that.''' The bill applies to children in kindergarten through third grade. It states that 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur.' It also requires districts to 'adopt procedures for notifying a student's parent if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,' something LGBTQ advocates argue could lead to students being outed to their parents without the student's knowledge or consent. It was passed on March 8 in a 22-17 vote. The state House had approved the bill late last month. DeSantis signed it into law on March 28 and it will come into effect on July 1. Advertisement At least 51 percent of Americans support enacting the Florida law nationwide. Opponents argue the legislation's true intent is to marginalize LGBT families and silence free speech. LA County Board Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis branded the Texas and Florida laws 'egregious' and said they are 'designed to encourage harassment and suffering' for LGBT youth. They said: '[The Texas plan] flies in the face of all that we know about best practices when it comes to supporting children and young adults to discover who they are and feel secure in their sense of self. 'Schools should be spaces that foster open discussion, critical thinking, meaningful engagement and the safe exploration of ideas. 'The implementation of this bill would create an atmosphere that stifles such a culture and stifles learning itself.' The Board of Supervisors got into a scrap with the LA sheriff's department earlier this year after Sheriff Alex Villanueva refused to enforce a vaccine mandate. Villanueva, a Democrat, said: 'This is nothing but a power grab by the board' and part of a wider 'defund the police agenda'. Signing the Parents Rights in Education bill on March 28, Governor DeSantis said: 'We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination.' He said Disney employees protesting the bill 'support sexualizing kids'. The Walt Disney Company employs 77,000 people in Florida. The entertainment giant courted controversy when it was revealed the company had given hefty donations to sponsors of the Florida bill. Amid a staff outcry and staged walkouts, Disney CEO Bob Chapek reversed the company's course and apologised for misjudging employees' feelings. He said: 'I and the leadership team are determined to use this moment as a catalyst for more meaningful and lasting change.' The law has catapulted Florida and DeSantis, a wannabe Republican presidential candidate, to the forefront of the nation's culture wars. California banned officials from travelling to 17 states last summer, arguing their legislation on trans schoolchildren represented an 'unprecedented wave of bigotry'. In June Florida, Montana, Arkansas, and West Virginia passed laws that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. North Dakota signed into law a bill allowing certain publicly-funded student organizations to restrict LGBTQ students from joining without losing funding. Arkansas passed the first law in the nation to prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming healthcare to transgender minors regardless of the wishes of parents or whether a physician deems such care to be medically necessary. These lawmakers 'would rather demonize trans youth than focus on solving real issues like tackling gun violence beating back this pandemic and rebuilding our economy,' Attorney General Rob Bonta said. It's not yet clear what effect California's travel ban will have. It also remains unknown whether other California public institutions will follow the Board's lead or if they will be the only official state body to introduce a travel ban. Elon Musk is sharing memes expressing his seeming excitement to shake up Twitter as its newest board member and majority shareholder - even as the tech tycoon faces the possibility of another Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe over the massive profits he reaped after delaying the disclosure of his stock purchase. The Tesla CEO took to his social media platform Thursday morning to inform his more than 80 million followers that Twitter's next board meeting was 'gonna be lit' by sharing an image of himself smoking a blunt on Joe Rogan's podcast in 2018. Musk, 50, also made a post appearing to show the domino effect of selling his first company Zip2 - which provided and licensed online city guide software to newspapers - to Compaq in 1999 to Twitter creating an edit button. Zip2, which is recognized as the entrepreneur's biggest failure, sold for $307million, earning Musk $22million for his 7 percent share of the venture when he was only 27 years old. The meme seems to imply that sale spearheaded his success and allowed him to become Twitter's largest shareholder. The billionaire polled his Twitter followers about the creation of an edit button on Monday, just hours after he filed an SEC disclosure declaring his 9.2 percent stake in the social media platform. Twitter has confirmed it is working on adding the feature to its interface but denied Tuesday that it was pushed to do so by Musk. Musk's seemingly laissez-faire attitude online comes amid speculation he may face SEC penalties after he was 11 days late in declaring his 9.2 percent stake in Twitter, during which time he earned approximately $156million in profits. Musk is no stranger to SEC scrutiny and has been under investigation relating to potential federal securities law violations as recently as last month. Elon Musk took to Twitter Thursday morning to inform his more than 80 million followers that social media platform's next board meeting was 'going to be lit' Elon Musk (pictured in December 2020) is sharing memes expressing his seeming excitement to shake up Twitter as its newest board member and majority shareholder - even as the tech tycoon faces the possibility of another Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe over the massive profits he reaped after delaying the disclosure of his stock purchase The Tesla CEO became Twitter's majority shareholder on March 14, but failed disclose his stake in the social media giant by the March 25 deadline, violating a 50-year-old SEC law that requires investors notify the regulator once they surpass a 5 percent stake in a company. Musk filed ownership disclosure documents on Monday. Musk purchased Twitter stock at approximately $39 per share during the period of omission, SEC filings obtained by DailyMail.com revealed. After his disclosure on Monday, Twitter stock prices surged roughly 30 percent to above $50 per share, allowing the billionaire to reap millions in profit. Additionally, legal and securities experts allege the SpaceX CEO, who was named to Twitter's Board of Directors on Tuesday, could be under fire for also filing a misleading SEC report claiming to be a 'passive investor' in the company, meaning he had no plans to change or influence the company. Musk did file proper documentation for active investors afterwards. 'I really dont know whats going through his mind,' University of Maryland finance professor David Kass told The Washington Post Wednesday. 'Was he ignorant or knowledgeable that he was violating securities law? Whoever was handling the trades for Musk should have known.' Musk also shared a meme Thursday showing how the sale of Zip2 in 1999 caused a domino effect that led to his involvement at Twitter Analysts argue Musk's disregard for securities law, whether intentional or accidental, highlights how billionaires and powerful people evade tax laws and federal rules to build their fortunes. Some allege the SEC may look to make an example out of Musk by issuing him a penalties worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, a financial slap on the wrist for the entrepreneur who is the world's richest person with a net worth pegged by Forbes at $290billion. The SEC could also argue Musk needs to give up the theoretical profit - assumed value of a position during a specific measure, which in this case would be time - earned during his period of omission, but most experts think that is unlikely. '[The SEC] would have to be really angry with him to try that because they would have a good chance of a court rejecting that argument,' Adam Pritchard, a professor of securities law at University of Michigans law school, argued. However, SEC Chair Gary Gensler has been trying to tighten regulations surrounding investor disclosure and even proposed new rules that would drop the required threshold allowed to reveal one's stake from 10 days to five. 'It is important that shareholders get that information sooner,' Gensler said in a statement obtained by the newspaper. Twitter stock prices surged roughly 30 percent, to above $50 per share, after news of Musk's board membership and stake in the company went public, allowing the billionaire to reap approximately $156million in profits Twitter closed at its 2022 low point on March 7 when shares were trading at $32.42 each. The shares had ended January at $37.51 and have significantly surged in the wake of the news surrounding Musk's involvement with the platform Additionally, Tuesday's filing chaos would not mark the first time Musk apparently violated SEC rules, which some analysts allege could lead the regulator to 'tell a court that he's a recidivist violator of the securities laws and that he needs to be dealt with harshly.' The regulator said last month it has told Musk's and Tesla's counsel that staff are conducting an investigation relating to potential federal securities law violations. In 2018, the agency entered into a consent decree with Musk after he allegedly mislead investors by tweeting he had 'funding secured' to take Tesla private. Musk paid a $20million fine, agreed to step down as chairman and have his tweets pre-approved by lawyers. The SEC is also investigating Musk's Nov. 6, 2021, tweet asking his followers whether he should sell 10 percent of his Tesla stake. The regulator in February said it was probing a stock sale by Musk's brother a day before that tweet. Musk asked the SEC to scrap his consent decree last month, according to the newspaper. Twitter announced Tuesday morning that Musk would hold a seat on the company's board of directors until the platform's 2024 annual shareholders meeting. In exchange, Musk - either alone or as a member of a group - is not allowed to push his stake in the company past 14.9 percent during the duration of his board membership and for 90 days after. The billionaire also became Twitter's majority shareholder after he acquired 73.5 million shares of the platform, worth about $3billion. The billionaire also became Twitter's majority shareholder after he acquired 73.5 million shares of the platform, worth about $3billion. An SEC filing (pictured) revealed that Musk began purchasing Twitter stock on January 31 and continued to buy shares during every trading session through April 1 He began purchasing Twitter stock on January 31 and continued to buy shares during every trading session through April 1, according to a SEC filing obtained by DailyMail.com. His largest purchase occurred on February 7 when he acquired more than 4.8 million shares, worth approximately $176million. Twitter closed at its 2022 low point on March 7 when shares were trading at $32.42 each. The shares had ended January at $37.51 and have significantly surged in the wake of the news surrounding Musk's involvement with the platform. On Thursday, shares opened at $50.77. Analysts allege it is unclear why Musk failed to reveal his stake in the company by the SEC deadline, noting the $156million in gains is insignificant for the PayPal co-founder. The billionaire has not responded to requests for comment. It is also unclear why Musk would initially file a passive investor report to the SEC when he planned to take an active role in the company, which he has not been shy about. 'Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months!' Musk tweeted on Tuesday after the social media giant announced his board membership. On Tuesday, after his board membership was announced, Musk said he was 'looking forward' to making 'significant improvements' to the platform The day before, Musk had posted a poll asking his followers if they wanted the platform to add an edit button. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal later responded to the tweet: 'The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully,' apparently trolling Musk for saying the same thing in a March 25 tweet when he questioned whether Twitter 'adheres to the principle' of free speech. In a tweet on April 1, the Twitter communications department wrote, 'we are working on an edit button.' That same day, Musk acquired the final block of his a 9.2% stake in the social media giant, regulatory filings show. But many Twitter users had assumed the company's tweet was an April Fools joke - that is until Musk tweeted a poll to his 80.6 million followers Monday night asking whether the platform should add the edit button. 'Now that everyone is asking yes, weve been working on an edit feature since last year!' the social media giant wrote Tuesday confirming the news. 'No, we didnt get the idea from a poll,' it added, referencing Musk's post. The company clarified on Tuesday that it was already working on adding an edit button before Musk's poll, pointing to an April 1 tweet announcing their plans Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted out a poll Monday night asking his followers whether they would like Twitter to have an edit button Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted afterwards that 'the consequences of this poll will be important,' apparently trolling Musk for saying the same thing in a March 25 tweet about whether the company 'adheres to the principle' of free speech Musk has been highly critical of Twitter and its policies of late, having even accused the company of failing to adhere to free speech principles. On March 25, Musk tweeted a poll: 'Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?' A day later, Musk, a prolific user of Twitter himself, said that he was giving 'serious thought' to building a new social media platform. Analysts claim his comments about the social media platform were market-moving and made during the period in which he failed to disclose he held stake in the company. Although he could face consequences from the SEC, individual Twitter shareholders have no grounds to sue Musk because public disclosure is a regulatory requirement and not something that is legally owed to shareholders. The United Nations dramatically suspended Russia from its Human Rights Council on Thursday following widespread allegations that Putin's invading forces have committed mass atrocities against civilians in Ukraine. More than 90 countries voted to kick Moscow off the council after an American-led drive, while 24, including the despotic regimes of China, Syria, Belarus and Zimbabwe all Russias closest allies voted against the measure. Nearly 60 countries including India, which continues to buy weapons from Russia, abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. Suspensions from the council are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The vote followed allegations that Russian troops systematically executed civilians in Bucha, a town north-west of Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, and amid other reports of human rights abuses since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. Russia voiced regret at its suspension from the council but vowed to defend its interests. 'We're sorry about that,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Britain's Sky News. 'And we'll continue to defend our interests using every possible legal means.' The resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly draft expresses 'grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,' particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia in the town of Bucha and others. Russia had threatened countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an 'unfriendly gesture' with consequences for bilateral ties. The country denies attacking civilians in Ukraine. U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Tuesday that while Bucha was under Russian control 'not a single civilian suffered from any kind of violence' - despite swathes of evidence on the contrary. Screens show results from voting by the United Nations General Assembly as member countries pass a resolution to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine at United Nations headquarters in New York, April 7 2022 The results of the votes to expel Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council The U.S.-led push won 93 votes in favour to suspend Russia, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council Over 90 countries voted to kick Russia of the UN Human Rights Council, while the world's despotic regimes, China, Syria, Cuba, Zimbabwe led the no votes Ukraine's U.N. ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya introduced the U.S.-initiated resolution before the 193 members of the General Assembly vote. He urged members of the UN to suspend Russia, saying it has committed 'horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity.' 'Russia's actions are beyond the pale,' he said. 'Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security.' China was one of the 24 countries to vote 'no', with China's ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun saying: 'We oppose double standards and oppose exerting pressure on other countries in the name of human rights.' Earlier, the G7 and Ukraine urged the council to vote to remove Russia. 'We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the Human Rights Council,' G7 foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States said in a statement. Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence from Bucha and other cities, amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and some were found with their hands bound. Zelensky has also previously called for Russia to be expelled from the UN Security Council 'so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.' Ukraine's U.N. ambassador urged members of the United Nations on Thursday to suspend Russia, saying it has committed 'horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity' Russia had threatened countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an 'unfriendly gesture' with consequences for bilateral ties. Pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin is seen during a meeting in Moscow on Thursday The G7 foreign ministers, who have been meeting on the sidelines of a NATO gathering in Brussels this week, said those responsible for 'heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure' would be held accountable and prosecuted. 'We welcome and support the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence of these and other potential war crimes and crimes against humanity,' they said. The ministers also called for Russia to suspend its offensive in Ukraine immediately and warned against the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. 'We underline our unwavering support for Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and express our readiness to assist further, including with military equipment and financial means,' they said. Ahead of the vote, Russia's deputy ambassador Gennady Kuzmin urged members to vote 'no,' with the Kremlin saying an abstention or not voting would be considered an unfriendly act and would affect bilateral relations. 'What we're seeing today is an attempt by the United States to maintain its dominant position and total control,' he said. 'We reject the untruthful allegations against us, based on staged events and widely circulated fakes.' In its so-called 'non-paper' obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the attempt to expel it from the Human Rights Council is political and being supported by countries that want to preserve their dominant position and control over the world. Pictured: Bodies of civilians in plastic bags lay in a mass grave in Bucha city, which was the recaptured by the Ukrainian army, Kyiv area, April 4 2022 Workers examine the documentation of civilian bodies prior to loading them onto a truck in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, after the Ukrainian army secured the area following the withdrawal of the Russian army from the Kyiv region, April 6 Kyslytsya responsed to Russia's complaints about the proceeding saying: 'We have heard, many times, the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim.' And his message to those who would abstain: He quoted the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel: 'Indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor - never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten.' U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible. 'We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable,' Thomas-Greenfield said Monday. 'Russia's participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce.' General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said the assembly's emergency special session on Ukraine would resume Thursday morning, when the resolution 'to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation' will be put to a vote. More than 11 million people have been displaced since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Scenes of carnage that Ukrainian officials have accused retreating Russian troops of leaving behind in towns including Bucha have sparked outrage and led to a wave of fresh sanctions against Moscow. Journalists over the weekend found corpses in civilian clothes, some with their hands bound, in the town of Bucha outside Ukraine's capital after Kyiv's forces retook it from Russia's army. The Kremlin has denied Russian forces killed civilians, and alleged that the images of dead bodies in Bucha were 'fakes.' Pictured: The body of a woman, who according to residents was killed by Russian army soldiers, lies on the street, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2. She was later revealed to have been a beauty blogger, identified by her unique nails Bucha victim who dreamed of becoming a make-up blogger is identified by her unique manicure The heartbreaking story behind one of the war's saddest and most iconic images has been uncovered, as Ukrainian authorities continue to count the dead in Bucha. The photograph in question showed the manicured hand of a woman killed during Russia's brutal occupation of the town north-west of Kyiv. Her body was found lying on the side of the road next to her bicycle, her arm outstretched to her side. Her red and pink nails stood out amidst the dirt. After the photo was shared on social media, and as the tragic events inside the town at the hands of the Russian occupiers were being pieced together, the woman's unique manicure was recognised by a makeup artist in nearby Gostomel. The hand in the gut-wrenching picture, it turns out, belonged to 52-year-old Iryna Filkina - an aspiring makeup artist and blogger who posted tutorials to her social media pages. Anastasiia Subacheva told the New York Times that she instantly recognised Ms Filkina's hands and distinctive nails from her videos, as they would often be shown applying makeup, lipstick and foundation. Ms. Subacheva told the newspaper in a telephone call that her heart broke when she saw the photograph. She said that she knew many women from Bucha as she would often travel to the town to do the makeup for many women there. 'When I saw it, I felt physically like my heart started to break,' she told the Times. She said that Ms. Filkina - a heating station operator - had contacted her in February enquiring about makeup classes. She told Ms. Subacheva that her dream was to become a popular artists and to increase her following on Instagram. Iryna Filkina Advertisement Meanwhile on Thursday, Ukraine urged its residents in the east of the country Thursday to take their 'last chance' to flee mounting Russian attacks, after devastation around the capital Kyiv shocked the world. Six weeks after they invaded, Russian troops have withdrawn from Kyiv and Ukraine's north and are focusing on the country's southeast, where desperate attempts are under way to evacuate civilians. The retreat from Kyiv revealed scenes of carnage, including in the town of Bucha, that Ukraine said were evidence of Russian war crimes, and which triggered a fresh wave of Western sanctions against Moscow. Mr Zelensky has accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Mr Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. Since Bucha, a chorus has resounded at the highest levels of Western political power calling for accountability, prosecution and punishment for war crimes in Ukraine. On Monday, Zelensky denounced the killings as 'genocide' and 'war crimes,' and U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin was 'a war criminal' who should be brought to trial. But the path to holding the Russian president and other top leaders criminally responsible is long and complex, international lawyers caution. 'Certainly, the discovery of bodies which bear signs of executions - such as gunshot wounds to the head - presents strong evidence of war crimes,' said Clint Williamson, who served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 2006 to 2009. 'When victims are found with their hands bound, with blindfolds and bearing signs of torture or sexual assault, an even more compelling case is made. 'There are no circumstances under which these actions are permitted, whether the victims are civilians or military personnel who had been taken prisoner.' Meanwhile, a US defence official said on Wednesday that Russia had pulled all of its estimated 24,000 or more troops from the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas in the north, sending them into Belarus or Russia to resupply and reorganise. A man pushes his bike through debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street on April 6 in Bucha, Ukraine Residents look at destroyed Russian military machinery on the street, in Bucha, the town which was retaken by the Ukrainian army, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 A burned car next to destroyed houses, in Bucha, the town which was retaken by the Ukrainian army, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 They are expected to return to fight in the east of the country, where Russia has said it intends to focus its military efforts in a new phase of the invasion. Growing numbers of Vladimir Putin's troops, along with mercenaries, have been reported moving into the Donbas. 'Later, people will come under fire,' Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in urging civilians to evacuate from the mostly Russian-speaking industrial region, 'and we won't be able to do anything to help them'. Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas since 2014. Ahead of its February 24 invasion, Moscow recognised the Luhansk and Donetsk regions as independent states. Another Western official said it may take Russia's battle-damaged forces as much as a month to regroup for a major push on eastern Ukraine. In his nightly address on Wednesday, Zelensky also warned Russia's military is gearing up for a new offensive in the east. Ukraine too was preparing for battle, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the screen, addresses the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Thursday, April 7, 2022. AP A Sydney childcare worker accused of duct taping a young boy with a disability while laughing it off as a joke, says she was framed by a disgruntled manager. Jennifer Helen Wood, 33, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault in Sydney in 2017. Her lawyer said the allegations that led to her dismissal arose in suspicious circumstances six months after she made several formal complaints about the chief executive of the childcare centre. The centre's director told Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday she reported the incident in October 2020 after receiving complaints about Wood from parents. Jennifer Helen Wood (pictured), 33, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault The witness said in mid-2017 she watched the four-year-old boy walking out of a bathroom with his hands tied in front of his body, while Wood pushed him from behind. 'He had Down syndrome, he didn't understand he was just looking at me,' she said. 'I asked her 'why you do that?' ... she was just laughing saying it was just a joke.' Barrister Catherine Newman, representing Wood, questioned why the director had previously made reports of other minor incidents, knowing her obligations to do so, but had failed to report this incident. The witness said she thought someone else had lodged a report. In April 2020 Wood filed several complaints against the chief executive of the childcare centre, relating to managerial issues. Wood said her boss then called a meeting interrogating and intimidating her, and said he was 'heartbroken' she made such accusations. Wood further complained to the board of directors, including that she no longer felt safe in the manager's presence. In October 2020 a meeting was called with Wood and the board, and interventions were put in place regarding her 'poor work performance,' the court was told. Her defence lawyer claims the allegations were fabricated by a disgruntled manager Ms Newman accused the chief executive and the centre's director of subsequently working in conjunction to falsify serious misconduct claims against Wood. 'You agreed together to fabricate these allegations.' Both witnesses denied lying about the incident. Ms Newman submitted that the pair deliberately chose a boy with a disability who could not respond to questions about what happened. The chief executive denied the allegation, saying other people had seen the incident. The judge-alone hearing continues. The National Union of Students should be 'sanctioned' over its 'poor treatment' of Jewish students, a government adviser has said - days after the group's president-elect issued an apology over old 'anti-Semitic' social media posts. Shaima Dallali was voted president-elect of the NUS last week, but Jewish students have raised concerns after historic tweets emerged referencing the massacre of Jews in the 628 Battle of Khaybar. She also came under fire for having a 'death for the sake of Allah is our most exalted wish' in the bio of an old account - a slogan used by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Ms Dallali issued a public apology after receiving a fierce backlash over the posts, but former Labour MP Lord Mann has now said Boris Johnson should refuse to recognise the union as the 'legitimate voice of students'. He called for tough sanctions to be imposed as a response to 'escalating revelations about the continuing poor treatment of Jewish students and the lack of leadership on anti-Jewish racism from the union', The Times reports. Lord Mann said the NUS should also be denied access to ministers, be removed from bodies or committees where the government has a say over membership and should be 'disregarded' for positions on higher and further education bodies. It comes after historic tweets emerged in which Ms Dalalli referenced an ancient Islamic battle cry relating to a massacre of Jews. Ms Dallali (pictured) apologised after receiving a fierce backlash over 'anti-Semitic' social media posts including an ancient Islamic battle cry relating to a massacre of Jews Former Labour MP Lord Mann has now said Boris Johnson should refuse to recognise the union as the 'legitimate voice of students' In 2012, she wrote: 'Khaybar Khaybar O Jews Muhammads army will return #Gaza.' She apologised for the 'wrong' and 'unacceptable' post last week, which has since been deleted, saying the tweet was made as a teenager. But The Jewish Chronicle last week claimed Ms Dallali had 'sung the praises of a Jew-hating cleric' and labelled Waseem Yousef as a 'dirty Zionist' after he wrote that Hamas was launching rockets from between residents' homes and was making a 'graveyard' for children in Gaza. It also said she praised Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who was expelled from the UK, US, France and Germany, for being a 'moral compass for the Muslim community at large' in a 2018 article. The NUS, meanwhile, was also slammed by Jewish student groups last month, who said they had been 'failed' after the union invited controversial rapper Lowkey to appear at its annual conference for students from marginalised groups. The rapper, whose real name is Kareem Dennis, has previously expressed support for former Labour MP Chris Williamson, who was suspended from the party in 2019 before being kicked out over allegations of anti-Semitism, and Professor David Miller, a former sociology lecturer at Bristol University who was sacked after alleged antisemitic comments. Lowkey (pictured performing on stage) pulled out of his scheduled appearance as a guest at the annual NUS conference, with the union later releasing a lengthy statement in which it acknowledged the 'strong response' to his announcement The City University activist came under fire for having a slogan used by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in her bio. The sentence - which experts said is not in the Quran and is associated with the two groups - written in Arabic next to #Tunisia In order to avoid sanctions, Lord Mann said the government should hold a summit with the Union of Jewish Students to agree a 'permanent action plan' to address their concerns. He added that the NUS should also appear before the Commons Education Select Committee to set out plans on how it will ensure 'respect for all Jewish students'. In a tweet last week addressing concerns, she said: 'My hands are outstretched to all students and staff that work in our movement, including Jewish students, and would love to arrange a meeting once I'm in office. 'I stand ready to listen to the concerns of all students on how we can make our movement inclusive and open to all.' And addressing the tweet on the Battle of Khayber on March 23, she added: 'Earlier today, I was made aware of a tweet I posted 10 years ago. 'During Israel's assault on Gaza in 2012. I reference the battle of Khayber, in which Muslim and Jewish armies fought. I was wrong to see the Palestine conflict as one between Muslims and Jews. 'This reference made as a teenager was unacceptable, and I sincerely & unreservedly apologise.' A statement from the NUS said: 'NUS unequivocally support and fight for Jewish students right to live and study free from the threat of antisemitism. 'We have a proud and longstanding relationship with the Union of Jewish Students who we welcome warmly within the NUS community; we see UJS as an important voice in improving our work to make education, and the student movement, safer for Jewish students. 'Thats why we regularly sit down with UJS, and why we look forward to continuing to do so in the future. 'The past few weeks will have given Jewish students cause for concern about NUS and many may be wondering if this is a safe space for them. For that, we are truly sorry. 'We want to reaffirm that this is and will continue to be a safe space. Our actions must speak louder than our words so we will be reviewing what has happened over the past few weeks and making changes in the future. 'We think that it is important that this issue is treated incredibly seriously. The voices of Jewish students must be front and centre, and we are happy to receive external expertise as we go forward. 'But for this process to take place in a constructive manner, we would welcome being approached in good faith instead of learning about plans in the press.' Addressing Lord Mann's comments directly, a spokesperson for the union accused him of making 'vague allegations about an organisation he hasn't contacted'. They continued: 'We work with the UK Government and their various advisors and officials all the time. And were more than happy to work with John Mann on the important issue of antisemitism if he wishes to work with us. 'It is somewhat concerning to us, however, that he should make such a public statement without having made any attempts to make contact with us or find out exactly whats happened here. 'Allegations of antisemitism are incredibly serious matters which is why it is critical that due process is followed. 'For John Mann to make vague allegations about an organisation he hasnt contacted based on media reports alone seems to be below the standards we would expect our Government or their appointed advisors to be operating at.' The NUS said it takes all allegations of anti-Semitism extremely seriously and it 'won't hesitate' to take action if required. Valerie Biden Owens described her brother Joe Biden as 'incandescent' with rage and grief after his wife Neilia and their daughter Amy were killed in a car crash in 1972. In her forthcoming memoir, 'Growing Up Biden,' the president's sister writes about the car accident and its aftermath, as revealed in a excerpt published by Axios on Thursday. 'Joe's suffering and anger radiated outward from him like a heat signature. His rage was incandescent, horrible, and I could tell that he was nearly breaking under its weight,' she writes. She adds he showed his sons Beau and Hunter that 'Daddy would make things all right' but that 'just beneath the surface, though, he was howling in pain.' Owens, 76, has a close relationship with her brother. Since she was 25 years old she has managed his seven Senate campaigns and two presidential bids. She is one of Biden's closest confidents and married his law school friend John Owens. The couple has three children. Many expected Valerie Biden Owens to play a formal role in the Biden White House but instead she heads the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware. Her memoir 'brings readers into the Biden home, watching as the siblings were raised to live with deep empathy, to work hard, and to help wherever they can,' the publisher notes. It will be published on Tuesday. Some of its most moving and memorable passages have to deal with the death of Biden's first wife and daughter and Biden's heartbreaking reaction to the news. Joe Biden's family in 1972 on a postcard that was used for Biden's first campaign for the U.S. Senate. Pictured are (l-r) Hunter Biden, Neilia Biden and infant daughter Naomi 'Amy' Biden, Joe Biden, and Beau Biden After Neilia and Amy were killed in a car crash, Joe Biden took his Senate oath in the hospital at the side of his injured sons Hunter and Beau in January 1973 Valerie Owens writes about the accident in her forth-coming memoir, above she is seen with Joe and Jill Biden during the March 2020 presidential primaries Valerie Biden Owens' memoir will be published on Tuesday On December 18, 1972, a few weeks after Biden won his first election to the Senate, Neilia Biden took her and Joe's children - Beau, Hunter and Amy - Christmas tree shopping while Joe Biden and Valerie Owens were in Washington D.C., interviewing staff for his Senate office. Their station wagon was hit by a semi-trailer truck as Neilia Biden pulled out of an intersection. She and one-year-old Amy were killed while Beau and Hunter were seriously injured. 'The car was in the air 150 feet, hit three trees, and flipped over. The boys were severely hurt. Hunter had some serious head injuries, and Beau had so many broken bones, he was put in traction. Amy and Neilia had both passed,' Valerie Biden Owens writes. Owens recalled how their brother, Jimmy Biden, called her down in Washington D.C. to tell her the news, leaving her to tell Joe Biden. 'She's dead, isn't she?,' she recalled Joe saying to her. And she revealed she was unable to tell him, responding 'I don't know.' The two raced to Wilmington to be with the family. Biden told sons Hunter, 2, and Beau, 3, of the mother and sister's death. He slept on a cot in their hospital room, Owens writes, and their brother Jimmy slept near them. 'If Joe woke up at 4:30 a.m., racked with anger or sobbing quietly, Jimmy wanted to be there, and he was. Joe would shake him awake and they would go out for a walk. Jimmy would follow Joe outside onto the streets of downtown Wilmington, Joe never saying a word. The understanding between them was unspoken but clear: Joe was looking for a fight. And Jimmy was there for whatever happened,' she writes. Senator-elect Joseph Biden and wife Neilia cut his 30th birthday cake at a party in Wilmington, November 20th, 1972. His son, Hunter waits for the first piece - the car accident would happen a few weeks later on December 18 This is the remains of the car in which Neilia Biden and, Amy, 1, were killed when the family's station wagon was hit broadside by a flat-bed tractor-trailer Joe Biden and Valerie Biden, who is preparing for the release of her memoir The president has spoken often of the deaths of Neilia and Amy. The fatal car crash and their deaths became a defining moment that has shaped his persona and career. He met Neilia Hunter poolside in the Bahamas during spring break his junior year at the University of Delaware. They were married two years later. He often visits Neilia and Amy's graves at the Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on the anniversary of their passing. Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, is buried near them. Biden has written and spoken of his grief. 'I began to understand how despair led people to cash it in; how suicide wasn't just an option but a rational option,' he recalled in his memoir 'Promises to Keep.' And he told families of fallen soldiers in May 2012: 'For the first time in my life, I understood how someone could consciously decide to commit suicide. Not because they were deranged, not because they were nuts, because they had been to the top of the mountain, and they just knew in their heart they would never get there again." Biden married Jill Jacobs in 1977 and they added daughter Ashley to the family. At the time of the accident in 1972, Biden, who was one of the youngest people ever elected to the Senate, had yet to be sworn into office and debated whether to take his Senate seat, Owens writes in her memoir. 'Delaware can get another Senator, but the boys can't get another father,' she recalls him saying. She writes at one point Biden wanted to move to Vermont to start a law practice in a little village near Sugarbush Mountain. But, she says, he agreed to give the Senate a try after colleagues like Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Senator Ted Kennedy called and encouraged him to give it six months. Biden took his oath of office in the hospital with Beau and Hunter by his side. Valerie Biden Owens moved in with him and the boys to help with childcare. And Biden famously commuted on Amtrak to Washington D.C. every day to be with his family. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk side by side in a graveyard on December 18, 2021, just outside of St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church on the anniversary of Neilia and Amy's death President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wait for family as they walk from St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church on the anniversary, including Biden's son Hunter carrying his young son Beau in his arms Owens writes she wanted Biden to serve in the Senate because he owned it Neilia, who 'gave everything she had to help him fight that battle and get him elected. I couldn't imagine what she would have thought if he had just walked away.' She also writes that Biden 'needed a reason to get up in the morning. Joe Biden needed a cause, something to devote himself to that was bigger than him. That was part of his identity, was integral to who he was.' Advertisement Millions of Puerto Ricans are still without electricity on Thursday after an overnight fire at a main power plant saw schools, businesses and government offices forced to close. Puerto Rico's LUMA Energy may take until Friday to restore power to restore power to much of the island after the massive fire and outage at the plant. 'The system is being restored little by little,' said Kevin Acevedo, a vice president of Luma, adding that the company is trying to complete the work within 24 hours. 'The people of Puerto Rico have to understand that it's a system with a lot of years. Bringing back Puerto Rico's system is a delicate and complicated process.' 'It's going to require an exhaustive investigation,' Acevedo added, adding that that the equipment whose failure sparked the fire had been properly maintained. The exact cause of the island-wide power outage was unknown, LUMA said, but a failed circuit breaker at Costa Sur power plant - one of four main plants on the island - may be to blame. The blackout also left some 160,000 customers without water and caused traffic across the island of 3.2 million people, where the roar of generators and smell of diesel filled the air. Those who could not afford generators and have medical conditions such as diabetes, which depends on refrigerated insulin, worried about how much longer they'd be without power. The exact cause of the island-wide power outage on Wednesday was unknown, energy company LUMA said, but a failed circuit breaker at Costa Sur power plant (pictured) may be to blame First responders give medical assistance to a driver on R.H. Tood Avenue after a car crash near an intersection during a blackout in San Juan on Thursday On Wednesday evening, the entire island of Puerto Rico was affected by the power plant outage, affecting nearly 1.5 million customers In this file photo, taken by Agence France Presse on Wednesday evening, a cars headlights are seen past people walking on a dark in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the U.S. territory's capital was without power until Thursday morning A man holds up the light of his mobile phone so that another can read from a notebook in San Juan, as his home was one of many without power on Wednesday night A rare sighting of electricity could be observed looking at this lit up billboard from a residential solar energy company in San Juan Puerto Rican flags hang from a balcony as San Juan had the atmosphere of a ghost town on Wednesday evening during the island's power outage Long lines formed at some gas stations as people sought fuel for generators. Others tried to charge their cellphones at businesses in scenes reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which struck as a Category 4 storm in 2017. Officials in at least one city distributed food to hundreds of elderly people as well as ice to those whose medication must be kept cool. 'This is horrible,' said Luisa Rosado, a mother of two who lives in the San Juan neighborhood of Rio Piedras. She said she and her husband had sacrificed their savings to install a solar electricity system at their home after Hurricane Maria, which left them with at least partial power following the blackout. She said her neighbors had been outraged by recent increases in power bills, which were already higher than in most U.S. states. 'To increase bills when you dont provide a perfect service ... the level of impunity is absurd,' Rosado said. As of Thursday morning, most parts of the island had found electricity again albeit not a full capacity. Some southern parts of the island though still remain without power As the power outage took place throughout the evening, many Puerto Ricans were left without internet until Thursday morning A couple walks on a dark street in San Juan, as most shops, pharmacies, bars and restaurants closed on Wednesday evening A woman on the island spread an urgent message regarding her father, who is on a ventilator at the Mayaguez medical center, which is without power. She said that the hospitals generator did not turn on when the power went out and that its battery life is draining by the hour on Wednesday evening Luma is the island's main energy provider after it took over transmission and distribution from Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority last year. Officials said at least three generation units were back online by Thursday, with crews working to restore more. The outage occurred two months before the Atlantic hurricane season starts, worrying many about the condition of Puerto Rico's electrical grid. 'Yes, the system is fragile, no one is denying that, but were prepared,' Acevedo said. Police officers were stationed at main intersections to help direct traffic on Thursday while health officials checked in at hospitals to ensure generators were still running. Families of hospitals in need of ventilators, which require electricity to charge, were worried about their loved ones. A woman, whose father is on a ventilator at the Mayaguez Medical Center, said that the hospital did not have its generators working properly after the power outage took place. On Wednesday evening, the worried woman said her father's ventilators only had half of its battery life yet. She spread a message across the island, asking people to 'please report and inform in order to resolve this matter as soon as possible,' and that her father is not the only patient in emergency with electricity.' The outage further enraged Puerto Ricans already frustrated with an electricity system razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Emergency repairs were made at the time, but reconstruction efforts have not yet started, and power company officials blame aging, ill-maintained infrastructure for the ongoing outages. Stop lights are out of service on a street in San Juan, causing traffic chaos in the capital as millions of Puerto Ricans were affected by the island's power outage on their commute back home from work A police officer directs cars along R.H. Tood Avenue after a crash near an intersection during a blackout in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday morning Many commuters struggled to get to work on time on Thursday morning as traffic piled up on the island's streets after a crash near an intersection A series of strong earthquakes that struck southern Puerto Rico where the Costa Sur plant is located also had damaged it. The Electric Power Authority also is trying to restructure $9 billion worth of public debt to emerge from a lengthy bankruptcy. The company has struggled for decades with corruption, mismanagement and a lack of maintenance. In June last year, a large fire at a substation in the capital of San Juan left hundreds of thousands without power. Another fire at a power plant in September 2016 sparked an island-wide blackout. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has accused the police department of a 'serious breach of trust,' saying two officers lied about an attempted carjacking of their marked police car at gunpoint. On March 19, two St. Louis (Missouri) Police Department officers, who were not identified, claimed a man tried to carjack them in their police car. The officers had responded to reported gunshots near South Tucker Boulevard and Chouteau Avenue around 3am. They said a man stepped in front of their car as they were moving, before pointing a gun through the passenger window. They also claimed he ran off without taking the car after realizing officers were inside. He was apprehended about a block away in a restaurant parking lot. But the Circuit Attorney's Office is now saying that the man, Allen Robinson, 27, was simply crossing the street and never raised a weapon at the officers. Robinson reportedly has a rap sheet with domestic violence and first-degree property damage convictions in the local area. The CA did not explain why the officers would lie, but said one of the cops provided most of the evidence and was heard speaking the most on body cam video. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (pictured) and her office held a press conference on Tuesday revealing body camera and local surveillance footage of a March 19 incident that they said proved two officers were lying The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office released a statement (pictured) accusing the police department of a 'serious breach of trust' after two officers lied about being carjacked in a marked police car at gunpoint Allen Robinson, 27, (pictured) was arrested by two officers, who were not identified, on March 19 after they claimed he held them at gunpoint and attempted to carjack their marked police car. Robinson, who is currently still in custody, was later seen through local business surveillance footage simply crossing the street and continuing on his way, never once interacting with the officers Police had submitted paperwork to the violent crimes unit attorney for several charges, including armed robbery in the second degree, but were told the charges 'did not meet the elements based on what the police officer was stating,' Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hinckley said at a press conference on Tuesday. 'Specifically, the violent crime attorney told him: "Get me the body-worn camera footage and the in-car camera footage,"' Hinckley said. But the officer failed to give the footage to the attorney by a 1pm deadline the following day. Robinson was held without bond due to other arrest warrants from other jurisdictions. The prosecutor 'advised the officer to gather up the evidence - because he had yet to gather the body-worn camera and he had yet to ask local businesses for surveillance. He told them to gather up that evidence and meet in his office on Monday morning to issue warrants based on the evidence [the officer] had gathered,' said Hinckley, referring to a 'disconnect' between the officer's story and the evidence. Local business footage shows the police truck stop near the bus stop as Robinson crossed the road Seconds later the truck continues on as Robinson, who never broke stride, continued down the sidewalk in the opposite direction Moments later the police truck was seen circling back toward Robinson and he was later arrested. Officer #1 filed a first-degree robbery charge against him after he was told he couldn't charge Robinson with carjacking based on lack of evidence When the officer had not provided the bodycam or local surveillance footage, despite filing for charges, Hinckley told the officer that 'no decision will be made' until the footage came in, but days went by and the officer continuously failed to deliver the footage. Later, Jay Schroeder, the president of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, claimed Robinson was released from jail after Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner 'failed' to press charges. Hinckley said, 'The implication made by the president of the association was that Kim Gardner's lack of attention to this, unwilling to issue carjacking charges that they, of course believed happened, resulted in the release of the defendant. Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hinckley (pictured) said he and the Circuit Attorney's Office saw the case in the news before their investigation had even begun. Hinckley went on to say that his job to make sure that what is being 'reflected in the press' and what the facts of the case are should be very similar. 'If that does not happen, there's a disconnect,' he said. 'Something's interfering with the incident and the press...Somebody was not being straight, more likely because they were not happy that there were unable to get carjacking charges issued without evidence' PRESS CONFERENCE WITH CIRCUIT ATTORNEYS OFFICE OF ST LOUIS MO Posted by The New Real Stl News on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 'As you well know - and as they knew at the time - the defendant was not released. The defendant was in custody and remains in custody. 'That didn't sit well, but it set off a red flag. Somebody was not being straight, more likely because they were not happy that there were unable to get carjacking charges issued without evidence,' Hinckley said. On March 23, the prosecutor received 'a bunch of the body-worn camera' footage, however, the officer did not hand over local business surveillance or his own bodycam footage, as he was driving the vehicle. From the bodycam footage of a second officer, the CA's office charged Robinson with exhibiting (a weapon) on March 24. Later on March 24, the police turned over the bodycam footage from the officer who was driving. 'That body-worn camera contained four hours of footage,' Hinckley said at the press conference. The officers could not turn in in-car footage, as the vehicle had not yet been equipped with it. The footage showed the officer discussing the incident with fellow cops, claiming that the suspect 'walked up to my car and put the gun like this at my window' and that he 'came charging' at them. 'He came walking, he came charging like this...He came from that bus stop and came literally charging at our car with the gun out and put the gun up to the window at Ricky like this. I said: "Is this dude for real?"' the officer recounted on the scene. 'He literally came up to the police car and put the gun up to the window.' Bodycam footage (pictured) revealed the officers claimed they were carjacked by Robinson, who was sitting in the back of a cop car in the footage. Officer #1 said: 'He came walking, he came charging like this...He came from that bus stop and came literally charging at our car with the gun out and put the gun up to the window at Ricky like this. I said: "Is this dude for real?"' Officer #1 forgot to turn off his bodycam footage and the Supervising Lieutenant can be heard telling the officer to tell the press the story the next day, despite the violent crimes unit attorney denying the carjacking charges because the officer failed to produce evidence He can later be heard saying in the restroom: ''He ran up towards the car, like, full speed,' When the CA reviewed the footage - as well as local business surveillance the office collected, they found the story the police were spreading did not match any surveillance footage gathered. Footage showed Robinson crossing the road as the police car pulled up, but he kept his hands at his side, the CA's office said. Surveillance footage also showed the police car driving away seconds after stopping to let him cross. Moments after that, the police truck was seen circling back toward Robinson. 'This is nowhere near what he represented,' Hinckley said. 'These versions of events differed from the accounts of Officer #1 in the interview with the VCU attorney, they differed from the police report. They were unknown to us until viewing [the footage], we normally don't, obviously, get to view the bathroom.' The office later collected the local business surveillance themselves and said 'it was provided without any issues.' When asked if the business had been contacted by police to get the footage, the business told the CA's Office they hadn't been. Robinson was arrested in a nearby restaurant parking lot (pictured) The business surveillance footage contradicts the officers' claims that they had to 'swerve out of the way' and 'accelerate.' 'And you wonder why nobody got this footage,' Hinckley said. Hinckley said, without investigation, Robinson faced a Class A felony and could have been imprisoned for '10 to 30 to life;' in addition to criminal action, which holds three to life; and felony resisting, which holds seven years. 'This case has been dismissed for good reason. I hope to never see something like this enter the circuit attorney's warrant office again,' Hinckley said. The Police Association also released a statement, saying they back the officers' story. 'The St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA) stands behind the two officers who are victims of a crime perpetrated on March 19, 2022.' The CA is investigating the officers at the moment and did not comment on any consequences they will face and had 'no idea' what the police department will do. DailyMail.com has requested the bodycam footage from the Circuit Attorney's Office. A 'lake of blood' has been created in front of a Russian embassy in Lithuania to to condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine invasion. The protest in Lithuanian capital Vilnius aims to highlight the threat of genocide from Russian military operations and highlight to diplomats the horror of Putin's war. Lithuanian Olympic swimming Ruta Meilutyte, 25, swam across the red-coloured pond dyed with ecological paint to highlight the horror of the war. 'The performance "Swimming Through" is a call for action in support of the Ukrainian people who are facing genocide committed by Russia,' said one of four artists behind the project, Berta Tilmantaite. In Riga, capital of neighbouring Latvia, the road where the Russian embassy is located was renamed the Street of Ukrainian Independence. The road in front of the embassy bears a huge message: 'Putin, The Hague is waiting for you.' A 'lake of blood' has been created in front of a Russian embassy in Vilnius to highlight to Russian diplomats the horror of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine The protest in Lithuanian capital aims to highlight the threat of genocide from Russian military operations (pictured, Lithuanian Olympic swimming Ruta Meilutyte swims across the lake) Lithuanian Olympic swimming Ruta Meilutyte, 25, swam across the red-coloured pond dyed with ecological paint to highlight the horror of the war 'The performance "Swimming Through" is a call for action in support of the Ukrainian people who are facing genocide committed by Russia,' said one of four artists behind the project, Berta Tilmantaite (pictured, people bathe in the lake during a protest today) A huge poster with Putin's deformed face was hanged opposite the Russian Embassy in Riga, Latvia Protesters also hung caricatures of President Vladimir Putin outside of the Russian embassy in Riga, Latvia, where the road the consulate sits on was renamed the Street of Ukrainian Independence Tilmantaite said: 'It's a call to not remain neutral in the face of the war. A call to take an active part in protecting the lives, the freedom, and the democracy of Ukrainian people who are being tortured, raped, and killed by Russia. 'It is important not to get numb to the horrific images of mass killings of Ukrainians and their pain. 'The seemingly never-ending horrors imposed by Russia on the Ukrainian land must not become the norm. 'With countries such as Germany not stepping up and posing adequate sanctions on the aggressor - choosing money over people, makes it hard to remain hopeful. People bathe in a pond, colored red to signify blood, during a protest performance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania A woman floats in a pond, colored red to signify blood, during a protest performance in Vilnius today against the Russian invasion of Ukraine People lay on the ground to symbolize the people killed in the war on Ukraine during a protest performance against Vladimir Putin today 'Therefore, it's crucial that we keep acting spreading truthful information, volunteering, protesting, donating, and pressuring our governments to take action,' Tilmantaite added. 'The bloody pond emphasises Russia's responsibility for committing war crimes against Ukrainians.' In Riga, the Museum of Medicine opposite the Russian Embassy has a huge portrait of Putin's deformed face appeared looking at diplomats. The Russian embassy sent a note to protest to the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. People bathe in a pond, colored red to signify blood, during a protest performance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania A mom-of-three who had to have both her arms amputated following a horrific attack by three pit bulls has had emergency surgery to help her breathe properly as her brave fight for life continues. Kyleen Waltman, 38, was attacked by the trio of dogs while walking home in rural Honea Path, about 80 miles northwest of Columbia, South Carolina. When she woke from her coma to be told she'd lost her arms, she was so distraught she had to be sedated again. In her latest battle, doctors have performed a tracheostomy on her, which is when a hole is cut in the neck of a patient and a tube inserted to their lungs to help them breath. Further details of her fight for life have been revealed by her sister, Amy Wynne, in a post that's part of the family's GoFundMe campaign. Waltman has had her colon removed, is likely to also lose her esophagus too, and has been experiencing high blood pressure, fever, and respiratory issues. 'They had to do a tracheotomy and put a shunt in her left lung because of all the fluid,' Wynne wrote on Wednesday. 'I will update you all once I know more. I know Kyleen is very thankful for you all.' The injuries to Wynne's arms means she cannot have regular prosthetics, she wrote. 'So here we are trying to figure out how to keep her from thinking negative thoughts about her life. I understand that for 38 years she's had arms and now she doesn't, how she's thinking. She's still fighting. Prayers are working and slowly she is healing.' Kyleen Waltman, 38, received a tracheotomy this week, just days after she angrily woke up, realizing she had lost both arms and part of her colon due to a hideous attack by three pitbulls. Doctors sedated her after her reaction to the severity of her injuries Waltman has also been developing other health issues including high blood pressure, fever, and respiratory issues Amy Wynne, sister of Kyleen Waltman, has been providing regular updates on a GoFundMe page that she started to raise medical funds. As of Wednesday, more than $180,000 have been donated Tanya Gilmer, Waltman's best friend, told WGN Radio that the attack came as she was walking from her boyfriend's home to her mother's property. 'As far as I know, the dogs just jumped on her and you can actually see in the road if you go down there, where she fought the dog, trying to fight them off,' Gilmer said. The dogs were seized by Abbeville County Animal Control, and the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office before being euthanized and sent away for testing. Avery Presley, a local farmer who was driving his tractor to feed his cows just down the road, saw Waltman under attack in a ditch and was able to scare the dogs away by firing his gun into the air, police said. 'I ain't no hero,' Presley told the Greenwood Index Journal. 'I still feel guilty about not getting there earlier. I always carry a gun for safety.' Two days after the attack, dog owner Justin Minor was arrested and charged with three counts of owning a dangerous animal that attacked and injured a human, rabies control violation and dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless restrained, according to The State. Dog owner of the three pitbulls Justin Minor (pictured) was arrested and charged with three counts of owning a dangerous animal that attacked and injured a human, rabies control violation and dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless restrained. His pitbulls have been euthanized since the attack and his other breeds have been taken away from him On Minor's property, a 'Beware of dog' sign can be seen as one town resident claims that the dog owner around Minor's property. A family relative of the victim said Minor 'made those dogs mean on purpose. They've bitten people before' Justin Minor is pictured at his bail hearing last month before he was released on $15,000 bond The owning of a dangerous animal charge carries a penalty of $5,000 or a sentence of three years in prison. He was released on a $15,000 bond last month after appearing handcuffed and teary eyed during a bond hearing before Magistrate Susan Gladden. He sniffled, periodically wiping his eyes and shaking his head, as Gladden read his charges to him. Minor did not have an attorney present at the hearing - he told the judge that he already had a public defender assigned to him, and that he was currently employed. Gladden told the dog owner that he could apply for a jury trial or a probable cause hearing if he wished. He was also told that he could not have any contact with Waltman or her family as his trial proceeds. No one from Waltman's family attended the bail hearing. He will reappear next on May 6. It wasn't immediately clear why Minor's dogs were on the street. 'She'll always be the same beautiful Kyleen to me,' Wynne said of her sister. Pictured: Waltman before the attack 'She didn't deserve it. She was a good person. She helped everybody... She just found out she's a grandma [and]... can' even hold the grandbaby and that's going to be devastating,' Shenna Green, Waltman's other sister, said Waltman has undergone several surgeries, according to her GoFundMe page, which was set up by Wynne for her medical care. It has raised more than $186,928 as of Thursday morning. 'If it wasn't for [the passerby], my sister wouldn't be here,' Waltman's sister, Shenna Green, said. 'By that time, they couldn't even tell who she was.' 'She didn't deserve it. She was a good person. She helped everybody... She just found out she's a grandma [and]... can' even hold the grandbaby and that's going to be devastating.' Gilmer told the local radio station that the dogs 'pretty much ripped all the meat from [Waltman's] arms,' and that the woman now has 'a hole in the back of her head.' 'I'm still in shock of it. The pictures of her tore my heart to pieces, but regardless, she's still the same beautiful Kyleen to me,' said Gilmer, who has been friends with Waltman for three decades. 'She'll always be the same beautiful Kyleen to me.' Gilmer said that Waltman, who is also a grandmother of one, will be in the hospital for at least three to four months, followed by a long period of rehabilitation. 'She's alive. She's a fighter. She's going to fight through this. I know her. She's going to fight through it.' Benjamin Alewine (pictured), Minor's neighbor and cousin, saw Waltman lying in the ditch after she was attacked. He told the Greenwood Index Journal that the 'hole' in the back of her head was about the diameter of a coffee cup Benjamin Alewine, Minor's neighbor and cousin, saw Waltman lying in the ditch after she was attacked. He told the Greenwood Index Journal that the 'hole' in the back of her head was about the diameter of a coffee cup. 'I ain't never seen no dog do that to anyone,' he said. 'This is the most awful sight I ever seen, for a dog attack.' 'It's hard to forget it. 'I asked her what her name was and she couldn't even move her lips.' He had known Waltman for 25 years, but was unable to recognize her until deputies came to the scene and pulled her identification from her pocket. Alewine said he didn't know where Minor got the dogs, but said he had a habit of adopting strays. A few days before the attack, he said, he carried a PVC in his hand for protection against the dogs as he walked down the road. 'If you ain't got a stick in your hand, they'll bite you,' he said. 'I'm scared of walking on my property at night.' He told the outlet that his Chihuahua, which he'd had for three years, had gone missing about three weeks ago - he wondered if Minor's dogs had gotten to it. There is a leash law in Honea Path, he said, and that he supposes residents just ignore it. Local news outlets have photographed 'Beware of dog' signs around Minor's property. Animals services said it impounded another eight dogs from the owner's property on a ten day quarantine because of unknown circumstances surrounding the attack. Waltman's family wants Minor held accountable for the attack that changed the woman's life forever. Adonia Gymer, Walteman's cousin, told DailyMail.com that she was 'personally angry' about the attack. 'Justin Minor knew his dogs were vicious and he let them run free,' she said on Saturday. 'I've known Justin for years. He made those dogs mean on purpose. They've bitten people before.' 'Kyleen is a loving, big-hearted woman,' Gymer said. 'She especially loves animals. Nobody deserves this, but Kyleen really didn't.' 'It could've been prevented,' sister Amy Wynne, said. Kyleen worked with her mother at Lou & Perry's restaurant, according to the Greenwood Index Journal. Her manager, Eric Vaughn Jr. (pictured), said she'd worked there since she was 17 or 18 years old, and that her mother was struggling emotionally after the attack 'If the dogs were locked up or if the dogs were chained up, or if they were never there to begin with, this would've never happened.' Kyleen worked with her mother at Lou & Perry's restaurant, according to the Greenwood Index Journal. Her manager, Eric Vaughn Jr., said she'd worked there since she was 17 or 18 years old. 'She's a tough woman for sure and I'm hoping she'll be able to fight this,' he said. 'I hate it. All we can do is let the doctors do their best and let everything take its path.' He said Waltman's mother, who visited the restaurant before traveling to Greenville to see her daughter in the hospital, is 'taking it hard.' More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, with 800,000 of the victims requiring medical attention, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Across studies, 22.5 percent of reported dog bites - the highest percentage among breeds - were attributed to pit bulls, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. A pontoon boat with several partying passengers on board in Florida nearly flipped as it sheltered from the rain under a drawbridge that suddenly started to rise. In March, the boaters had tied up under a section of Cato's Bridge in Jupiter during bad weather when the bridge began folding onto the vessel, almost crushing it. The terrifying daytime incident was captured by witness Jillian Pisciotta, who feared 'not everyone would make it.' 'I think they were trying to move the boat but the bridge ended up folding on them so they couldn't move,' Pisciotta told ABC. 'I started screaming at them to move. I thought everyone was not going to make it.' The now-viral video shows the partiers jumping from the thatched-roofed pontoon boat and scrambling in the water for their lives. The drawbridge stopped moving shortly after and nobody was injured. A distraught group of boaters lived moments of horror when the Cato's Bridge in Jupiter began folding on them after they had tied up their boat under a section to avoid the rain Palm Beach County said the bridge was authorized to open at the time and that operators had no knowledge of the incident until they were informed about it by a supervisor the next day. There were cameras near the bridge, but officials refused to say whether the area where the boat was tied up was captured by them, ABC reported. Signs in the area warn boaters to avoid the intercoastal section of the bridge, and stay in the main channel. The now-viral video shows partiers jumping from the pontoon boat and scrambling in the water for their lives Luckily, the drawbridge stopped folding shortly after and nobody was injured Signs in the area warn boaters not to go into the intercoastal section of the bridge According to Pisciotta, instead of passing under the main bridge channel, the boaters stopped under a portion of the bridge close to the restricted signs warning 'unauthorized personal prohibited' and 'danger, moving machinery.' The group had been tied up in the spot during the storm for about 20 minutes before the bridge began folding. Pisciotta said she and her friends tried to tell the passengers to get off the boat when the bridge started to move, but they couldn't hear them. 'We started screaming at them to move but they ended up not hearing us,' Pisciotta told Good Morning America. The 47-second video of the scary incident in March has since become viral. 'I thought that someone was going to get hurt or someone was going to end up dying,' Pisciotta told GMA. 'I don't know why they kept going on and off the boat.' Luckily, no one was injured and when the bridge stopped folding, the group dislodged the boat. The terrifying incident in March was captured by witness Jillian Pisciotta, who feared 'not everyone would make it.' Pisciotta said she and her friends tried to tell the passengers to get off the boat, but they couldn't hear them Palm Beach County said they were authorized to open the Cato's Bridge at the time and that operators had no knowledge of the incident until they were informed about it by a supervisor the next day In recent months, several dangerous incidents involving drawbridges have been caught on camera in Florida. In mid-March, a man threw himself off his motorcycle at the last second before it nearly sailed off the edge of an opening drawbridge, with the vehicle ultimately hanging on by just the hitch of the trailer he was pulling. Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach when he reportedly crashed into one of the traffic safety arms as it lowered before the bridge rose. It broke in half as he shot onto the bridge. Surveillance footage shows him wobbling on his bike while crossing the slick lanes on the gloomy, rainy day. Hagen was heading east across the bridge, which connects Daytona's Surfside Historic District and Orange Island Park. Seconds later he loses control of the bike and falls sideways just as the bike nearly reaches the gap. He landed so hard his helmet flew off - but was otherwise uninjured, police said. In the video, he can be seen rolling onto his back just as the bridge stops rising and locks into place. In mid-March, a man had to launch himself off his motorcycle at the last second before it nearly sailed off the edge of an opening drawbridge, with the vehicle ultimately hanging on by just the hitch of the trailer he was pulling The driver - who was identified as Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia - was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach Last month, West Palm Beach police arrested Artissua Lafay Paulk 43, in connection with the death of Carol Wright, 79, who plunged 60 feet to her death after Paulk opened the Royal Park Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The older woman was walking her bike from Palm Beach toward West Palm Beach in February and was within 10 feet of the safety of the barrier arm 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 over the edge of the rising bridge, desperately trying to cling on, plunging more than five stories to the concrete base of the 1,238-foot span over the Intercoastal Waterway. Carol Wright, 79, a grandmother, died after she plunged 60 feet after falling gap formed between the roadway and the rising bridge The woman was walking her bike from Palm Beach toward West Palm Beach in the Royal Park Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said in its incident report 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 clear of cars and pedestrians, which the employee claimed she had. The FDOT report said Paulk told investigators that she walked onto 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. Wright's family is suing Florida Drawbridges Inc and Paulk for more than $30,000 in damages and also seeking drawbridge safety changes. An academy school has been criticised by parents after introducing gender neutral toilets for its children. Cedars Academy says the facilities were introduced after requests from students themselves. But after some concerns from a child at the Leicester school, one parent took to Facebook to complain about the decision. While a few parents agreed, many pointed out that the academy in Birstall still has gender separated toilets around the campus. James Rolfe, associate principal said the toilets were introduced at the request of the student council and the student LGBTQ+ group. The school says the facilities have floor to ceiling cubicles to ensure privacy and are also in an open plan area covered by CCTV, for easy supervision. Cedars Academy says the facilities were introduced after requests from students themselves The parent posted to Facebook, writing: 'Have I heard right that Cedars has made all toilets 'gender neutral'? My child now refuses to go toilet at break times as doesn't want to be in mixed toilets. 'Thus will be asking to go during class time, however this is generally frowned upon and often not allowed! What is my child supposed to do?' Other parents flocked to the comments to weigh in on the discussion. One mum agreed, posting: 'Don't think my son could handle going in with girls, they are just all starting out puberty, it won't be nice for girls either!' Another mum said she thought parents should have been consulted in the decision. She wrote: 'Yes this is true, my daughter has told me this on Friday. Not right not consulting with us parents. However I have been assured that there is a set of male only and female only toilets onsite.' An example of a different gender neutral toilet, this time across the world in Australia But many defended the school's decision. One Facebook user wrote: 'Someone has explained there are girls, boys and gender neutral toilets. They have not made 'all toilets gender neutral'. We are all trying to move towards a more accepting society and for that young person who is struggling and/or embracing their gender identity, a gender neutral bathroom may be a safe haven for them.' Another agreed, writing: 'You go to a cafe with one toilet and no one has an issue, but someone labels some toilets gender neutral and the snowflakes throw a strop. Calm down, it's a toilet.' One parent made a suggestion: 'I would have the conversation about why they don't feel comfortable in mixed toilets. There might be something deeper going on.' James Rolf, principal, said: 'The Cedars Academy prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive school for all students. We work hard to educate on, and discuss, a broad spectrum of subjects so that our young people are understanding and respectful of each other and the world around them. 'At the request of our student council and LGBTQ+ group, we are changing some, but not all, toilets to gender neutral. The gender neutral facilities have floor to ceiling cubicles, are in an open plan area that is covered by CCTV and therefore, are easily supervised. 'We are keeping other toilet facilities as male only and female only, ensuring all our students have a choice.' One of the victims of the shooting in Sacramento on Sunday was friends with one of the alleged gunmen, DailyMail.com can disclose. Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, was one of six shot dead during the 2am rampage that also left 18 people wounded. Last month, he appeared in a social media photo alongside Smiley Martin, 29, who has been now arrested and charged with gun offenses connected to the shooting. The picture, which was posted on Martin's Facebook page on March 4, shows the two men posing together in the parking lot of a rundown apartment block. Hoye-Lucchesi, who went by the name Jay Cee online, also posted the photo to his own page adding the caption: 'tmk_smiley bulletproof love'. The 32-year-old also appears to have been friends with Martin's brother Deandre, 26, who was arrested on Monday for his part in the shooting. A third man, Daviyonne Douglas, 31, was also arrested for illegally possessing a firearm but has already been released on bond. Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, (left) was one of six shot dead during the 2am rampage that also left 18 people wounded. Last month, he appeared in a social media photo alongside Smiley Martin, 29, (right) who has been now arrested and charged in the shooting. Hoye-Lucchesi, who went by the name Jay Cee online, posted the photo to his own page adding the caption: 'tmk_smiley bulletproof love' Hoye-Lucchesi, who went by the name Jay Cee online, posted the photo to his own page adding the caption: 'tmk_smiley bulletproof love'. Martin is seen in a mug shot from February Speaking after his death, Hoye-Lucchesi's mother Sherilyn, 60, described her only son as a devoted father and said his birth changed her life. She added: 'I never wanted kids, and if I said if I was to have a kid, I just wanted a boy. And I was blessed with a boy.' But a look at Hoye-Lucchesi's social media pages suggest he also had a darker side and, like the Martins, was associated with the Crips street gang. His final Facebook post which he made a week before he died blasted a woman named Keke Taylor and told her to mind her own business. On March 23, he posted an obscene meme that read: 'Destroy her cervix and her throat, not her life' and added the comment 'still on that'. The dad-of-two also appears to have been battling for custody of his children, complaining 'my baby mama needs to take notes on the set I just want to see my kids'. Like career criminal Martin, Hoye-Lucchesi has had several brushes with the law with his name appearing alongside three cases listed in 2020, 2012 and 2010. The 2020 case was dismissed. Both Martins have long criminal histories, with Smiley recently released from jail after serving just four years of a 10-year sentence for domestic violence and assault. The 29-year-old used his time in jail to post repeated videos from inside his cell and a series of photos of him with his prison buddies in the yard. He also posted a photo of a zoom call with three other jailed men and captioned it: 'Crip street'. Authorities are seen searching the area of the scene of a mass shooting with multiple deaths in Sacramento on Sunday The shooting broke out at 2.01am in downtown Sacramento after a brawl broke out on 10th Street Dandrae Martin, 26, is seen on Tuesday in court in Sacramento (right) He did not enter a plea Like Hoye-Lucchesi, he is also fond of misogynistic memes most complaining that women are after his money. Martin's release six years early was vigorously opposed by the Sacramento County DA, who asked the California Department of Corrections to deny him an early exit on the grounds 'he poses a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community.' In a letter sent in April 2021, Danielle Abildgaard, the deputy district attorney, said Martin 'clearly has little regard for human life and the law,' and has displayed a pattern of criminal behavior his entire adult life as he has committed several felony violations. The letter from the DA's office says Smiley had prior felony convictions of robbery and possession of a firearm. He also had a prior misdemeanor conviction of providing false information to police. 'Inmate Martin has demonstrated repeatedly that he cannot follow the laws, or conditions the court places on him,' the letter adds. 'His history indicates that he will pursue his own personal agenda regardless of the consequences and regulatory restraints placed upon him. 'If he is released early, he will continue to break the law.' His brother also has several convictions and served time in an Arizona jail for assault and is being held on an outstanding warrant from Riverside County on domestic abuse charges. The shooting in the early hours of Sunday morning left downtown Sacramento looking like a war zone with bodies and bloody cloths still littering the street more than 15 hours later. DailyMail.com photos show that cops left some of the bodies uncovered in 80F heat for hours after the shooting, only removing the final victims at 8.30pm on Sunday night. One of the photos shows body of one of the male victims and the foot of a second on the floor outside Pre Flite Lounge one of two bars where a huge brawl kicked off in the minutes before the shooting happened. Cheryl Keyes, 58, who lives above the bar told DailyMail.com that the foot belonged to a woman who was lying on the street next to him but largely out of view. She said the bodies of a further two victims were also still on the street below her home and had been there all day, in spite of temperatures that topped out at 80c. Distraught Keyes said: 'Those are people's sons and daughters lying out there. I have six kids of my own and I can't imagine how I'd feel if that were them.' Melinda Davis, 57, (left) and Yamile Martinez-Andrade (right), 21, were killed in Sunday's mass shooting. Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32,(left) and Johntaya 'Jojo' Alexander (right) were both killed Sergio Harris, (left), and DeVazia Turner, (right), have been named as two of the six people killed during a mass shooting outside a Sacramento bar in the early hours of Sunday Five people died alongside Hoye-Lucchesi in the 2am attack They are Sergio Harris, 38, DeVasia Turner, 29, Melinda Davis, 57, Johntaya 'JoJo' Alexander, 21 and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. Keyes told DailyMail.com she had spent time with Harris earlier that evening and said: 'We had been there chatting and at the end he started calling me 'aunty'. 'He was a good guy. I never thought something like this would happen to him.' The destruction left by the shootout spanned two city blocks, with markers indicating that more than 250 shots were fired. Police have said five shooters were involved in the massacre and said they believe the mass killing was gang related. In a statement, Sacramento PD said: 'Evidence in the case indicates that at least five shooters fired guns during the shooting, and that an exchange of gunfire took place between at least two groups of men. 'As detectives continue to identify shooters and weapons involved, the number of identified shooters may grow beyond five. 'As detectives learn more about the shootings, it is increasingly clear that gang violence is at the center of this tragedy. 'While we cannot at this time elaborate on the precise gang affiliation of individuals involved, gangs and gang violence are inseparable from the events that drove these shootings.' Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester added: 'This tragedy downtown is a very public example of what families in many of our neighborhoods know too well. 'The suffering inflicted by gang violence does not limit itself to gang members. It spills over to claim and shatter innocent lives and harm our entire community.' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she has reported late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel to the Capitol Police for a joke he made about Will Smith slapping her. '@ABC, this threat of violence against me by @jimmykimmel has been filed with the @CapitolPolice,' the Georgia Republican wrote on Twitter. She quoted a clip from Kimmel Live where the comedian said: 'This one Klan mom is especially upset with the three Republican senators who said they'll vote yes on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.' He then read Greene's tweet about the Supreme Court nominee. 'Murkowski, Collins and Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for #KBJ.' 'Wow where is Will Smith when you really need him, huh?' Kimmel shot back after Greene's police report: 'Officer? I would like to report a joke.' Greene has been banned from Twitter on her personal account for sharing anti-vaccine conspiracies but used her congressional account to share the message. Jimmy Kimmel read Greene's tweet about the Supreme Court nominee. 'Murkowski, Collins and Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for #KBJ.' 'Wow where is Will Smith when you really need him, huh?' Greene announced on Twitter she had reported Kimmel to the police for the joke A number of Republicans went after Jackson over what they called lenient sentencing in child porn cases during her time as a trial judge. Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock last week on stage at the Oscars for making a joke about his wife. Greene last year was stripped of her committee assignments in the House after posting messages that included anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments, as well as sharing conspiracy theories. Greene herself has come under fire for liking social media posts that call for violence against lawmakers. In 2019, she liked a post that said it would be 'quicker' to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a 'bullet to the head.' She has said that shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida were false-flag operations and has also supported conspiracies regarding QAnon and 9/11. The Senate is set to confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday evening with the votes of all Democrats and three Republicans - Sens. Susan Collins, Maine, Mitt Romney, Utah and Lisa Murkowski, Alaska. The three senators each said they thought she was 'well-qualified' even if they didn't think they would agree with every decision she made, believing the president should have wide discretion over his judicial nominees. Other Republicans cited her lighter sentencing, lack of a judicial philosophy and refusal to share opinions on matters like court packing and the definition of a 'woman' as reasons to vote now. A man and a woman have been charged with murder over the alleged hit-and-run death of a teenager. Police say Indigenous 18-year-old Taj Hart was allegedly hit by a ute on Old Southern Road at South Nowra in NSW's southeast around 3pm on February 24 and died in Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital a short time later. Following inquiries detectives seized a white Mitsubishi Triton ute from a Currarong address and on Thursday arrested an 18-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman at a cabin on Mona Vale Rd at Terrey Hills in Sydney's northern beaches. Police have arrested a man, 18, and woman, 37, they allege killed Indigenous teenager Taj Hart (pictured), 18, in a hit-and-run on February 24 The pair have been charged with murder and were refused bail to appear at Manly Local Court on Friday. An outpouring of grief and community support was shared on the Justice for Taj Hart Facebook group after the teen's tragic death. 'Taj was just 18 years old when his life was so unjustly taken from his mum, nan, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles and friends,' one person shared. Police have seized the vehicle they allege hit Mr Hart on February 24 after sharing dashcam footage of the ute 'Life is too valuable for this level of violence.' Mr Hart's older brother told The Daily Telegraph his brother would be remembered as a good soul. 'He was kind-hearted, he had so many friends and knew so many people in this town,' he said. 'The incident is horrific (We will do) anything that helps bring the people in (to police) that stole my little brother from us.' The two men arrested in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday who attempted to cozy up to Secret Service agents could face conspiracy charges after spending their year-and-a-half living in a luxury apartment building allegedly posing as federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security. Just a mile from the Capitol and three miles from the White House, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Sher-Ali, 35, were conducting an operation where they posed as agents with Homeland Security Investigations tricking a luxury DC apartment building and its high profile residents as well as appearing to convince Metro Police Department that they were working for the government. The question remains, however, on what Ali and Taherzadeh's motives were in getting close to people with White House access by impersonating government agents and who was funding their lavish lifestyle and slew of gifts. Taherzadeh and Ali are said in the affidavit to have successfully ingratiated themselves with Secret Service agents, at least two of whom were reportedly given rent-free in penthouse and multiple-bedroom luxury apartments as well as high-end electronics and policing equipment. The free rent in several units valued at a minimum of $40,000 per year for just one of the penthouse apartments was apparently not paid for at all. A former representative of Crossing DC who worked at the building since the start of Taherzadeh's lease confirmed that none of the units were being paid for at any time. When asked why they were not paying rent on the units, the individual responded with one word: 'Government'. Taherzadeh will be held until his 3:30 p.m. detention hearing on Friday after an arraignment on Thursday afternoon revealed there could be connections between Ali and the Pakistani Intelligence Service. Both Pakistani and Iranian visas were found during the search Wednesday, according to prosecutors, and there will likely be a conspiracy charge. Potential crimes, according to a Magistrate judge, involves possession and use of a firearm and the destruction of potential evidence after learning an investigation was underway. Among the firearms being kept in the unit occupied by Taherzadeh, sources claim, were a Glock 19 .9mm with high capacity magazines, a fully automatic suppressed M4-style rifle, an AR pistol and a Sig Sauer handgun. He also showed some residents training weapons, including the airsoft gun used to 'test' so-called 'recruits' on their reaction and pain tolerance. Among other items found was a binder with information on residents in Crossing DC, which includes many real federal agents, those working for the White House and congressional aides and advisors. Haider Sher-Ali, 36, (left) and Arian Taherzadeh, 40, (right) were arrested Wednesday for impersonating federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security claiming to be involved in an investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack Agents with the FBI, NCIS and USPIS swarmed several floors and units of a luxury apartment building in southeast Washington, D.C. Taherzadeh (right) and Ali (not pictured) spent a year-and-a-half of residency hanging out with residents and cozying up to people working for government including at lest four Secret Service agents. Pictured: Ali at Crossing DC's rooftop pool with other residents and guests One of the Secret Service agents accused of getting gifts from Taherzdeh and Ali worked on First Lady Jill Biden's security detail, according to the affidavit. That agent, as well as three others, have been placed on leave as an investigation continues. Pictured: First Lady Jill Biden speaks during a commissioning ceremony on April 2 White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had no comment on the matter during her Thursday press briefing, telling reporters: 'I don't have any comment from here. I'd point you to the Secret Service and others investigating.' During their time living at the building in the Navy Yard neighborhood of D.C., Ali and Taherzadeh spent months wining and dining government workers and contractors, cooking them filet mignon and salmon and inviting them over for beers and hookah in order to work their way into the inner circle. Management office staff for Crossing DC did not respond to DailyMail.com for a request for comment. In early 2021, Metro Police did a search of Taherzadeh's unit when a person from a surrounding apartment building made a call reporting a sighting of firearms in his 3-bedroom corner unit through an open window. Video footage viewed by DailyMail.com showed members of the Metro Police Department and United States Capitol Police searching Taherzadeh's apartment on the 7th floor. They saw firearms in plain sight that are illegal to own in the District of Columbia, but were provided with credentials that seemed to convince them that Taherzadeh was an agent permitted to own such weapons. MPD told DailyMail.com that the issue has been moved to the FBI and did not provide further statement. A member of building management, Kelly Cianciola, sent a statement to Crossing DC tenants around 11:30 a.m. Thursday claiming that the 4:00 p.m. raid came after search warrants were presented to front desk staff due to an FBI investigation. 'The building staff fully cooperated with the investigation, while doing our best to minimize disruption to our residents,' the statement, obtained and read by DailyMail.com, reads. 'The FBI concluded its search overnight and is no longer on the premises.' Much of Ali's Facebook has been deleted, but some images remain Taherzadeh went on a trip to Nashville with some residents of the building Arian Taherzadeh, 40, left and right, was one of two men arrested Wednesday for allegedly impersonating Department of Homeland Security officers to infiltrate the Secret Service. He and Haider Ali, 36, allegedly showered the Secret Service officers with gifts No other details have been shared with residents about the ongoing investigation and who their neighbors really are and when asked for more information on the matter, no response was given. Units on at least the 5th, 6th, 7th, 13th and Penthouse levels were raided and carefully combed through by agents with the FBI, NCIS and United States Postal Inspection Service. It is not clear if NCIS and USPIS are still on premises. Taherzadeh and Ali stand accused of impersonating federal agents and were arraigned in court Thursday afternoon. Fake websites helped them corroborate their claims to residents that they were members of the 'special police' and the two stand accused of attempting to con an unnamed 'applicant' to join their Homeland Security task force they invented. The recruitment process included shooting the applicant with an airsoft rifle to supposedly evaluate their pain tolerance, the affidavit lays out and sources confirmed. The individual being 'recruited' was instructed to research an unnamed person who worked as a contractor for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. According to sources, the Tishman Speyer-owned and operated building cooperated with Taherzadeh and Ali believing the guise that they were federal agents. Building management, the sources allege, provided the duo with access to surveillance cameras, including codes to access all doors in the building and a list of personal information about a number of residents. A former security guard for the building, however, said that an overnight concierge would call down Ali and Taherzadeh when things happened in the building to show them surveillance footage. Ali and Taherzadeh provided the all-access door code to several residents, another source confirms. The luxury building has at all times a front desk concierge and security guard stationed in the building. The company contracted for the front desk staff is from Classic Concierge and security is provided by Allied Universal, which also staffs some government and corporate buildings. Crossing DC upper management refused to speak out further on the matter, claiming the next available time is Friday around 11:00 p.m. Questions regarding why Taherzadeh and Ali were given access to security cameras, door codes and personal information of residents are still going unanswered and the potential level of complacency of Tishman Speyer's residential property staff is still unknown. Neither the FBI nor other police or law enforcement have alleged wrongdoing by Tishman Speyer, Crossing DC or Allied Universal the building's contracted security. FBI personnel were seen entering the Crossings Apartments in southeast DC on Wednesday Residents were told in an email obtained by DailyMail.com on Thursday that FBI agents were no longer on the premises. Pictured: Federal officials entered both Taherzadeh and Ali's apartments and began combing through their belongings A separate unit, leased by Taherzadeh, was raided by U.S. Postal Inspector agents. The case against Taherzadeh and Ali stemmed from a USPIS probe into an alleged assault on a USPS letter carrier that happened in the building, which the impersonators witnessed The two men's motive for the scheme has yet to emerge, with an investigation into their behavior ongoing Access to residents' personal identifiable information, like full names and workplaces, allowed Taherzadeh and Ali to target who to get close with this included at least four members of the United States Secret Service and those working for other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. Four members of the agency, which includes a member of the first lady's security detail, have been placed on leave. Their identities have still not been revealed, but, according to other tenants, at least two have moved from the building in the last few months. U.S. Secret Service Media Relations released a statement Thursday morning on the connection of the impersonators and their agents, claiming they have and continue to work with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation. 'All personnel involved in this matter are on administrative leave and are restricted from accessing Secret Service facilities, equipment, and systems,' the statement reads. 'The Secret Service adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will remain in active coordination with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.' Residents of the 800-unit building went nearly 20 hours without an update from building management following images of a slew of federal agents occupying the lobby and halls since Wednesday afternoon. As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, other occupants of the unit where Ali lives were allowed back in including at least one woman and a few young children. A Quora account with the name Ari Taherzadeh shows several posts from two and three years ago talking about firearms and what weapons are used by Secret Service detail to protect members of the executive. 'What is the typical weapon the Secret Service carries when providing close protection for the vice president?' one question on the profile asks. An answer posted by the account listed to 'Ari Taherzadeh' responded with a detailed description of the firearms used by Secret Service agents, claiming: 'Since 1999, the current standard sidearm issued to Secret Service agents has been the Sig Sauer P229 DAK chambered in the .357 Sig round.' A Russian lawmaker has warned Finland it faces serious repercussions if it joins NATO, saying it would make it a valid 'target' and secure the 'destruction of their country'. The Nordic country has been flirting with becoming a member of the transatlantic military alliance, with foreign minister Pekka Haavisto today saying its position will be clarified in the coming weeks. But lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov from Russia's upper house said joining the pact would be 'a terrible tragedy', in a threat of similar aggression seen in Ukraine. He said: 'If the leadership of Finland goes for it, it will be a strategic mistake. 'Finland, which has been successfully developing all these years thanks to close trade and economic ties with Russia, would become a target. 'I think it [would be] a terrible tragedy for the entire Finnish people.' The senator added that it is not likely 'the Finns themselves will sign a card for the destruction of their country'. Vladimir Dzhabarov from Russia's upper house said Finland joining NATO would be asking for 'the destruction of their country' The threat made it clear Russia could carry out similar attacks in Finland as it has been waging in Ukraine His warnings came as Haavisto said today that NATO member countries have offered to help Finland with ensuring security during the application process. Member countries have estimated it would take from four months to one year to approve the application. Support for long neutral Finland for joining NATO has risen since neighbouring Russia invaded Ukraine in February, he added. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said earlier this week: 'Both joining (NATO) and not joining are choices that have consequences. 'We need to assess both the short-term and long-term effects. At the same time, we must keep in mind our goal: ensuring the security of Finland and Finns in all situations.' Marin added that Finland's relationship with neighboring Russia has changed irreversibly after the assault on Ukraine, and 'it takes a lot of time and work for confidence to be restored'. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said earlier this week: 'Both joining (NATO) and not joining are choices that have consequences' Finland shares an 830-mile (1,340-kilometre) border with Russia, the longest by any European Union member. It has remained militarily non-aligned, therefore not engaging in war or conflict, since the end of the Cold War for fear of provoking Moscow. Haavisto previously said Russia's actions in Ukraine have 'totally changed the security landscape in Finland'. He told Kyodo News that Finland must be prepared for 'more negative military scenarios'. This comes despite hints of retaliation from Moscow should the country join NATO. Last month a Russian politician warned of 'serious military and political consequences' if Finland and Sweden joined the alliance. Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto today said Finland's position will be clarified in the coming weeks Russian Foreign Ministry Second European Department Director Sergei Belyayev told Interfax: 'It is obvious that Finland and Sweden's joining NATO, which is a military organization in the first place, would have serious military and political consequences requiring use to revise the entire range of relations with these countries and take retaliatory measures.' Last month Finland also detected interference with passenger jets' GPS signals near Russia's Kaliningrad enclave and the country's eastern border with Moscow. Finnish airline Finnair said its pilots had noticed the disturbances near Kaliningrad, which is sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea's east coast. Other aircraft reported unusual disturbances in GPS signals near Finland's eastern border with Russia, with planes unable to land at Savonlinna airport due to the interference. The interference with planes' GPS signals began soon after Finland's President Sauli Niinisto met his US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington on March 4 In February Helsinki also received letters from Russia, demanding clarity on the Nordic nation's future regarding security. Haavisto then told The Times the instance 'reminded (him) of the Cold War', when the country was used to 'this kind of Russian letter asking for 'consultations'. Until now, nothing was able to persuade Finland or Sweden to join NATO, throughout the Cold War from 1947 to 1989, and in the decades since. But in March it appeared that Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine increased public support in Finland for joining the NATO alliance to record levels, according to a poll. A total of 62 percent of respondents in Finland had supported their government applying for NATO membership. According to the survey which was commissioned by Finland's public broadcaster Yle, this is up from 53 percent in the same poll which had been released two weeks ago. Later that month another poll from newspaper Helsingin Sanomat also suggested a majority of the nation is in favour of joining NATO, with 54 per cent responding they would back the decision. In neighbouring Sweden, a similar recent poll showed those in favour of NATO membership outnumber those against. Vladimir Putin has used NATO's eastward expansion as one of several justifications for his brutal war, and has demanded Ukraine pursues neutrality as a condition to withdraw. Meanwhile, NATO countries have repeatedly refused requests from Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky to directly aid his country's fight against Moscow's invading forces out of fear of being dragged into a wider conflict with Russia. She alleges when in role, multiple employees approached her with abuse claims Dench recently launched legal action in the Federal Court against the SSO The one time chief executive of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has taken legal action after claiming she was sacked when she followed up multiple claims of sexual abuse. Emma Dunch has alleged she looked to investigate at least six allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment by male musicians in the orchestra - only to then be axed from her $530,000-a-year job. When she pursued a review by former Commonwealth Sex Discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick of other claims, Ms Dunch alleges she was let go with two years to run on her contract. Ms Dench has launched legal action in the Federal Court against the SSO as well as former chair Geoff Wilson, alleging adverse action under the Fair Work Act and breach of her contract, according to The Australian. She was paid $471,302 on termination but is seeking an extra $74,560 for breach of contract, and also alleges she suffered from 'anxiety, shock and distress' when unexpectedly sacked. Ms Dunch was dismissed in December last year, and claimed she was a 'hit job' victim after she had pushed the NSW government to honour previous funding commitments. Emma Dunch, the one time chief executive of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, has taken legal action against her former employer after claiming she was sacked when she followed up multiple claims of sexual abuse Ms Dunch also alleges she was continually harassed as she chased up $5million in promised funding from the NSW government Earlier renovation delays of the Sydney Opera House concert hall could have resulted in multi-million-dollar losses for the orchestra. Ms Dunch pointed to what she believed was 'ongoing harassment' as she pursued up to $5million in funding. 'We all know NSW politics is a blood sport, however I've been targeted with a politically architected 'hit job' of the highest order across the past several years,' she said at the time. Her time in charge of the SSO was controversial. A review by the former chief executive of the London Philharmonic, Tim Walker, found many staff were seeking opportunities elsewhere due to constant 'micromanagement.' According to the court documents, in May last year a female musician alleged she had been sexually assaulted by another performer. Over the next two months, six current and former SSO employees approached Ms Dunch with similar complaints, she alleges. She then hired former Commonwealth Sex Discrimination commissioner Ms Broderick to conduct a review of the workplace. Ms Broderick concluded there had been 'systemic sexual harassment, bullying, racism and behavioural issues...dating back more than two decades, as attested to by approximately 60 interviewees' at the SSO. In December, Ms Dunch's employment was terminated with immediate effect. An SSO spokesman said they would be 'vigorously contesting' the claims made by Ms Dunch. Two more of Vladimir Putin's tanks have been destroyed in Mariupol, new drone footage shows. Separate aerial video shows Ukrainian soldiers dodging a Russian bombardment as they run through trenches in Donetsk Oblast, where civilians have been told it is their 'last chance' to flee before a fresh offensive by Moscow. Footage posted online purports to show two Russian tanks driving along the road in a residential area in the outskirts of the besieged southern port city Mariupol. Moments later Moscow's men are ambushed by Ukrainian troops using tracers with two direct hits. The Russian tanks attempt to flee the scene but are gunned down a second time in a volley of shots. The Azov Battalion forces then fire off a round of extra ammunition, with several shots flying wayward of the flaming targets, in an apparent attempt to make sure the tanks have been destroyed. It comes as Russia completed the pullout of 24,000 troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv in preparation for an expected major offensive in the Donbas with Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv now seeing the worst of the fighting. Meanwhile Mariupol remains under siege with 170,000 still trapped in the besieged city where the civilian death toll has risen to 5,000, including 210 children. Footage posted online purports to show two Russian tanks being ambushed by Ukrainian troops using tracers with two direct hits. The Russian tanks attempt to flee the scene but are gunned down a second time in a volley of shots The Azov Battalion forces then fire off a round of extra ammunition, with several shots flying wayward of the flaming targets, in an apparent attempt to make sure the tanks have been destroyed Rescuers clear the debris at the site of a multi-story residential building destroyed by the Russian army shelling in Borodyanka Vladyslava Liubarets, a Bucha resident, walks with her family past destroyed Russian military machinery Drone footage shows Russian artillery in Donetsk as Putin focuses his war efforts in the east of Ukraine Ukraine today told residents of its eastern industrial heartland to leave while they still can and urged Western nations to send 'weapons, weapons and weapons'. Russia's six-week-old invasion failed to take Ukraine's capital quickly and achieve what Western countries say was Putin's initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. Russia's focus is now on the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking region in eastern Ukraine. Growing numbers of Putin's troops, along with mercenaries, have been reported moving into the Donbas, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces for eight years and control some territory. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged civilians to evacuate to safer regions before it was too late. She said Ukrainian and Russian officials had agreed to establish 10 civilian evacuation routes today. The change of Russia's focus brought relief to Chernihiv, a city near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus that was encircled and cut off for weeks, The departed troops left behind twisted buildings and traumatized residents, who clambered over rubble and passed cars destroyed by the fighting. Dozens of people lined up for food, diapers and medicine today at a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point. The blackboard in one classroom was chalked, 'Wednesday the 23rd of February - class work.' Russia invaded Ukraine the next day, besieging Chernihiv as its troops tried to sweep south towards the capital. The change of Russia's focus brought relief to Chernihiv, (pictured) a city near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus that was encircled and cut off for weeks The departed troops left behind twisted buildings and traumatized residents, who clambered over rubble and passed cars destroyed by the fighting Debris of Russian military aircraft shot down in the city of Chernihiv and now lying in the middle of the town following Moscow's retreat Ukraine today told residents of its eastern industrial heartland to leave while they still can and urged Western nations to send 'weapons, weapons and weapons' Britain's defense ministry said today that Russia was targeting the 'line of control' between Ukrainian-held and rebel-controlled areas in the Donbas with artillery and airstrikes and hitting infrastructure targets around Ukraine to wear down the Ukrainian defense. Russia's Defense Ministry said it struck fuel storage sites around the cities of Mykolaiv, Zaporozhe, Kharkiv and Chuguev overnight using cruise missiles fired from ships in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian naval vessel caught fire under unclear circumstances in the besieged port city of Mariupol, satellite photos today. The images from Planet Labs PBC appear to show the Ukrainian command ship Donbas burning at the Sea of Azov port on Wednesday afternoon as a nearby building also burned. Mariupol has experienced some of the war's greatest deprivations. Russian forces are fighting street by street to capture the city; doing so would allow Russia to secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said more than 5,000 civilians have been killed, including 210 children. British defense officials estimate that 160,000 people remain trapped in the city, which had a prewar population of 430,000. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv, victims of what Zelensky has portrayed as a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. In areas north of the capital, Ukrainian officials gathered evidence of Russian atrocities amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Some victims were apparently shot at close range or died with their hands bound. Western officials warned that similar atrocities were likely to have taken place in other areas occupied by Russian troops. The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine before the grim discoveries near Kyiv fueled more urgent calls for the perpetrators of civilian atrocities to be brought to justice. Ukrainian authorities were transferring piles of body bags to a facility for identification and investigation, The Kremlin insists its troops have committed no war crimes and alleged the Ukrainians staged images of brutality coming out of Bucha and nearby towns. Bodies of civilians in plastic bags lay in a mass grave in Bucha city, whose horrors were revealed after it was recaptured by the Ukrainian army Serhii Lahovskyi, 26, mourns his friend Ihor (covered by a house rug) in stricken Kyiv suburb Bucha after their street was hit A Ukrainian serviceman stands amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 More than 30 bodies in black bags were lined up in a Ukrainian cemetery in Bucha before being taken to the morgue Tanya Nedashkivs'ka, 57, weeps in the street over the death of her husband at the hands of retreating Russian forces A 13-year-old girl has been arrested after it was alleged that she was the 'main aggressor' when an elderly woman had her purse violently stolen in New York City on Saturday by a gang of three. The girl is accused of robbery and assault after the muggers followed the woman into her apartment building and hurled her to the ground. The disturbing incident - caught on surveillance video from the building's lobby - is just the latest shocking robbery amid skyrocketing crime in the five boroughs, with robberies up 47 percent from the same period last year. The incident, which happened near Roberts and Hobart Avenues in the Bronx around 12.30am, left the 76-year-old victim with minor injuries, according to authorities. Video of the violent mugging was posted by the NYPD on Twitter Sunday, showing the three suspects run up behind the woman as she enters her building. She attempts to force the door closed with her hands but the three quickly overpower her and make their way into the building. One of the suspects, who appears to be a young female, then grabs the woman's purse before swinging her to the ground and running off. Scroll down for video The victim, 76, attempts to force the door closed with her hands, but the three quickly overpower her and are seen as they make their way into the building The video of the violent mugging was posted by the NYPD on Sunday showing the three suspects run up behind the woman as she enters her building One of the suspects, who appears to be a young female, then grabs the woman's purse before swinging her to the ground as she makes off with it The incident, which happened by Roberts & Hobart Avenue in the Bronx around 12.30am, left the elderly victim with minor injuries, according to authorities Pictured: Several of the suspects after mugging the woman in the Bronx on Sunday Her neighbor, Benny Santiago, told WNBC: 'She was laying right there. I said are you OK and she said "No my hip hurts, my back hurts."' The elderly woman's son, Sean, said: 'For something like this to happen is completely senseless and random violence. Its shocking and heartbreaking. 'She loves to go out and hang out with her girlfriends, she goes dancing maybe once a month at a bar that has live music. She was out that night. She had her dancing shoes on.' Neighbors allege that one of the attackers is known for causing problems in the area and that they recognized her. It is not known if they were referring to the 'main aggressor'. Another elderly woman was left with bruises, a black eye and a chipped tooth after a separate incident over the weekend when a criminal intentionally tripped her after arriving at Penn Station for a theater trip - a Christmas gift from the woman's daughters. New York City tourist Cyndi Gradwell, 72, of Ocean City, Maryland, saw her dream trip to the city quickly turn into a nightmare Friday. As the trio was walking down Ninth Avenue between 35th and 36th streets in Hell's Kitchen, a career criminal named Kelvin Winfield started yelling at Gradwell's daughters. He said: 'Where are you going? Where are you going?' as he walked closely behind the two women, according to ABC 7. One of the suspects wanted for Sunday's violent mugging of an elderly woman. The suspect pictured was responsible for hurling the victim to the ground before making off with her purse Though murders are down 8.6 percent, robberies are up 47 percent and rapes up 16 percent He then stuck out his leg to trip Gradwell, causing a number of injuries. 'My mouth hurts a little bit, because a couple of my teeth were knocked [loose]. I need to go to a dental surgeon, so I can't eat,' she told ABC 7. Police have reportedly arrested Winfield, who has six prior arrests, including a 2019 assault at Penn Station, according to the New York Post. Gradwell, who has been in the city many times and enjoys the theater district, said she won't be returning to New York after the assault. It was unclear if she was in town to watch a specific play or musical. Gradwell isn't the only one hesitant to return to the Big Apple due to crime, which is up almost 45 percent with felony assaults up 19 percent compared to the same time last year. All areas of violent crime, except murder, are up with shooting victims, rape and robbery up 16.9, 23.7 and 46.1 percent, respectively. Cyndi Gradwell, 72, of Ocean City, Maryland, was left with a black eye, a chipped tooth, and bruises after criminal Kelvin Winfield intentionally tripped her as she and her daughters walked down Ninth Avenue in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen district Winfield, who has six prior arrests, reportedly shouted: 'Where are you going' to her daughters as she tried to veer around him He intentionally moved toward her (pictured) before sticking his foot out to trip her Winfield (pictured in a white and black coat) tripped Gradwell (pictured on the ground) as she walked down the street Meanwhile, a 12-year-old died in Brooklyn earlier this week as he and his 20-year-old cousin Jenna Ellis and another female relative, 8, were sitting in a car eating Boston Market when a shooter shot several bullets into their car. Kade Lewin was shot in the head and chest with multiple bullets after he and two relatives pulled over to eat their Boston Market food on East 56th Street and Linden Boulevard in East Flatbush at around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. He was pronounced dead at the scene after the shooter fired 11 bullets into the Toyota Corolla. His cousin Jenna Ellis, 20, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was hit in the upper leg and right cheek. She was rushed to Kings County Hospital where she is expected to survive, but remains in critical condition. She had recently gotten her license and was driving Lewin's mother's car. Lewin and Ellis were reportedly very close and saw each other frequently. The eight-year-old relative was left uninjured. Investigators believe the family was not targeted. A source told the New York Daily News that the gunman was targeting someone who drives a similar make and model car. Immediately after the shooting, two black sedans were reported to have fled the scene at high speeds. The Senate unanimously approved a World War II-era program first implemented to fight Adolf Hitler on Wednesday night, in a major move to help Ukraine stand against Russia's brutal invasion. The historic voice vote saw every lawmaker in Congress' upper chamber rally to bolster Kyiv's forces by more quickly and efficiently sending arms and supplies to Ukraine. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives, where it is also likely to pass -- though not by a unanimous vote. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Lend-Lease program was widely seen as having helped turn the tide against Nazi Germany in World War II. Months before Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, forcing the U.S. into the conflict, the agreement gave the American president virtually unlimited authority to supply Europe's Allied countries with weapons, tanks, airplanes and food, among other necessities. It enabled the country to provide indirect support to others deemed in the U.S.'s national security interests, at a time when Roosevelt favored American intervention in the war but many others in the country did not. The bravery and ferocity with which Ukrainian soldiers have fought has impressed lawmakers in the U.S. and abroad, but the extraordinary escalation of invoking the World War II-era measure also suggests officials fear Moscow could present a more brutal threat if not defeated in Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has spurred the U.S. Congress to act in an unprecedented show of unity amid a hyper-partisan climate of domestic politics. The Senate unanimously passed the new Lend-Lease agreement by voice vote, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (left) called Vladimir Putin's actions a 'genocide.' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) said on Thursday that the U.S. has a 'moral obligation' to help Ukraine The move comes at a pivotal time in Ukraine's defense against Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin. Kyiv's forces have mounted an unprecedented resistance effort for 43 days, forcing Russian forces to retreat from the capital city's suburbs after occupying them for weeks. Scenes of what the Kremlin's troops have left behind have spurred international outrage. Pictures of civilians of all ages lying dead in the street, some burned, some with their hands bound behind their backs, have amplified Western governments' accusations of war crimes against Russian forces and Putin himself. Accounts from survivors allege brutal treatment from occupying forces, including rape and torture of women and children. When pleading for more help with the West, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the atrocities seen in towns like Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs could pale in comparison to those that will come out of areas still under Russian occupation. 'It reminds us of the worst moments in human history, caused by an evil man, Putin,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in Wednesday evening remarks. He accused Putin and the Russians of committing 'genocide' in Ukraine. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is pictured in March 1941 signing the first Lend-Lease agreement to help European Allied countries fight Adolf Hitler's attack The historic move, which has not been invoked in more than eight decades, will bolster Ukraine's ability to fight Vladimir Putin (left) by allowing for more expedited shipping of arms and other equipment to Kyiv's forces. Roosevelt at the time got near virtual freedom to send as much supplies as necessary to fight Hitler (right) 'When we wantonly murder innocent civilians because of who they are, whether it be their religion, their race, their nationality -- that is genocide. And Mr. Putin is guilty of it,' the Democrat said. Schumer, who is Jewish, is known to have lost relatives in Nazi Germany's genocides -- specifically in Ukraine, he revealed in 2017. Senator Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, said Putin was 'determined to destroy' freedom and representative government in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. The bill, called the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, will allow for military equipment and other supplies to be de facto given to Kyiv without normal bureaucratic hang-ups. The debts are meant to be repaid at a later date. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has spurred members of Congress to come together in an unprecedented show of unity despite the hyper-partisan climate of domestic politics. It comes after Russian forces left scenes of death and devastation in their wake as they retreated from Kyiv's suburbs Images show civilians with bound hands. Pictured: Ira Gavriluk walks next to the corpses of her husband and her brother Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Axios on Thursday morning that the U.S. as well as the GOP had a 'moral obligation' to help the people of Ukraine. 'We have a strategic obligation. It is in our best interest to be helping the Ukrainians and I think they're an inspiration to all of us,' McConnell told the outlet. As the Senate voted for the historic Lend-Lease agreement on Wednesday night, the House overwhelmingly voted to support calls for a war crimes investigation over Russia's alleged targeting of civilians and nonmilitary targets like schools, hospitals and recreational facilities. Earlier this week the State Department authorized an additional $100 million to Ukraine for more anti-armor systems. The department said the new funds would add up to more than $1.7 billion in U.S. aid to Kyiv since Russia's invasion started, and more than $2.4 billion since Biden took office. A 'cruel' father who dropped, slapped, struck and slammed his five-month-old son so hard that the baby died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries has been found guilty of murder. Calib Scott, 26, could face the death penalty after he murdered his baby son Damon at his home in Ormand Beach, Florida, on June 11, 2019. The infant endured 'unimaginable' suffering for the five months he was alive at the hands of Scott, with a cigarette burn found on his ear and wounds to his face and mouth, State Attorney R. J. Larizza said. Scott murdered his five-month-old son, who weighed just 12 pounds at the time, in 2019 after he struggled to stop Damon from crying. When he couldn't get the baby to stop, Scott dropped, slapped, struck and slammed his baby. The father called 911 to his mobile home at 19 N. Yonge St after he said his son was struggling to breathe but when medics arrived at Scott's home, they found the five-month-old unresponsive and dehydrated. Medics rushed the baby to Halifax hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Following a three-day trial and after five hours of deliberation, a jury on Wednesday found Scott guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. The sentencing phase of the trial will begin on Monday when the jurors will determine whether Scott, who did not testify in his trial, will be put to death or spend the rest of his life in prison. Calib Scott, 26, (pictured on Monday during his trial) could face the death penalty after he murdered his baby son Damon at his home in Ormand Beach, Florida, on June 11, 2019 'Baby Damon suffered through five months of hell and ultimately died at the hands of his father,' State Attorney Larizza said. 'What he suffered is unimaginable. How could a father be so selfish and cruel? 'We will remain dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable and precious members of our community as we prepare for the sentencing phase of the trial.' Damon's mother, Stephanie Holly, 36, who was at work when Scott called the police, has been charged with the neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, failure to report child abuse and neglect and culpable negligence. A hearing is set for May 3. As a result of the abuse Damon endured, his autopsy found he had suffered a 'subdural hematoma' - bleeding on the brain often caused by a severe head injury During the trial, Scott mostly looked straight ahead as the prosecutors described the multiple injuries inflicted on the five-month-old baby, reported The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 'You saw the interview of Calib Scott and you saw his admission that he smacked... his child, that he slammed him down, that he picked him up by the throat,' Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak told the jury. Following a three-day trial and after five hours of deliberation, a jury on Wednesday found Calib Scott (left) guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. Damon's mother, Stephanie Holly, 36, (right) who was at work when Scott called the police, has been charged with the neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, failure to report child abuse and neglect and culpable negligence Scott had told police he had beaten his child to stop the child from crying, Urbanak said, adding: 'You've got a grown man slapping the [expletive] out of a child that weighs 12 pounds.' Assistant State Attorneys Heatha Trigones told the jury Scott had picked up the five-month-old baby by his throat before throwing him to the ground. 'You don't pick a baby up by its neck. That's anger, there's intent to harm,' Trigones said. Trigones told the jury Scott had described hitting the five-month-old to knock his teeth down his threat, and a doctor said the baby had lost tissue from his nose and lips. 'You cannot inflict those types of injuries on a person, let alone an infant, and not have an evil intent and ill will,' Trigones said. Assistant Public Defender Larry Avallone, who along with Rosemarie Peoples and Brian Smith represented Scott, had argued for manslaughter. Avallone said that Scott had initially lied to police to protect the baby's mother, Holly, and referenced a witness who had testified saying that Holly had admitted to burning the child with a cigarette accidentally. In the sentencing phase, the jury must give a unanimous recommendation for death for Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols to have the option of handing Scott the death penalty. If they do not, the judge must sentence the father to a mandatory life in prison with no parole. Former President Donald Trump said in an interview published Thursday that there was one thing that could beat him in the 2024 presidential election: His health. The 75-year-old has dropped multiple hints that he is planning to run for a second stint in the White House but suggested he could end up settling to watch the political battle play out among his rivals for the Republican nomination. He confirmed he has told advisers that his health would factor into his final decision. 'You always have to talk about health. You look like you're in good health, but tomorrow, you get a letter from a doctor saying come see me again. 'That's not good when they use the word "again,"' he told the Washington Post, adding that he was currently in good health. But he went on to again hint that he planned to stand. 'I don't want to comment on running, but I think a lot of people are going to be very happy by my decision,' he said, adding: 'Because it's a little boring now.' Donald Trump has repeatedly hinted at a 2024 run but in an interview with the Washington Post he admitted that his health will have to be a factor in his final decision In the interview, Trump also suggested that other leading Republicans - Mike Pence, his former vice president, Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of state, and Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, would step aside if he did run for the party nomination in 2024 Doctors who study ageing and presidential health, have suggested that Trump could be a 'super ager' - fit and active into his 80s, although his obesity and a family history of dementia could shorten that timeframe. Trump leads potential Republican rivals by sizable majorities in polls. It leaves much of the rest of the possible field waiting to see when and whether he throws his hat in the ring. The former president also spent much of the interview focused on his grip on his party, at a time when some of his endorsements have backfired. This weekend he travels to Selma, North Carolina for a rally. But some local Republicans are annoyed he has endorsed Bo Hines, a 26-year-old candidate who doesn't live even close to the congressional district where he is running, over homegrown candidates. It is the latest in what critics suggest are missteps as he flexes his muscles ahead of November's midterms. But still Trump claimed that he will be the candidate if he decides to run, and the likes of Mike Pence, his former vice president, Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of state, and Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, would simply stand aside. 'If I ran, I can't imagine they'd want to run. Some out of loyalty would have had a hard time running,' he said. 'I think that most of those people, and almost every name you mentioned, is there because of me. In some cases, because I backed them and endorsed them. 'You know Ron was at 3 percent, and the day I endorsed him, he won the race.' So did Trump 'make' DeSantis? 'As soon as I endorsed him, the race was over,' Trump replied. Trump also used the interview to defend his actions on Jan 6, 2021, saying no records were destroyed amid questions over a seven-hour gap in the White House call log He also used the interview to defend himself against allegations he may have used 'burner' phone on January 6 last year as his supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol. Several news organizations reported last week that there was a gap of more than seven hours in the White House record of Trump's calls as the rioting unfolded. Trump said no records had been destroyed, nor did he use unregistered cellphones. 'From the standpoint of telephone calls, I don't remember getting very many,' he said, according to the Post. 'Why would I care about who called me? If congressmen were calling me, what difference did it make? 'There was nothing secretive about it. There was no secret." Several U.S. lawmakers, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, have said they talked to Trump during the riot but their details do not appear on White House logs. Spokesperson slams Taiwan's DPP for exploiting Ukraine issue Xinhua) 09:30, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for exploiting the Ukraine situation to mislead the island's residents and international public opinion. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, was asked to comment on a DPP official's recent interview on cross-Strait relations. The DPP authority's true intention in showing its "value" as a strategic pawn of external forces and clamoring the so-called "military threat" from the mainland is to "internationalize" the Taiwan question and justify "Taiwan independence" provocations, Ma said. Noting that Taiwan is a part of the Chinese territory and that China's reunification cannot be stopped, Ma said that whatever disguise the DPP authority may use, it cannot hide its intention of secession from the country and selling national interests, and any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" is doomed to fail. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) Advertisement The world's skinniest skyscraper is ready to throw open its doors to customers with fat wallets after squeezing itself into the ever-spiking New York City skyline. The 84-story Steinway Tower, or 111 West 57th Street, sits on Billionaires' Row in midtown Manhattan at approximately 1,428 feet tall - but just 57 feet wide. The luxury building has a height-to-width ratio of 24:1, developers confirmed to CNN Style, making it both the 'most slender skyscraper in the world' and one of the tallest buildings in the Western hemisphere. Steinway Tower falls only a few feet short of being the tallest residential tower in the world, edged out by next-door neighbor Central Park Tower, which stands at 1,550 feet. Manhattan's own One World Trade Center at 1,776 feet is the city's tallest building. The newly finished development, which overlooks Central Park, features 60 apartments - starting at $7.75million for a studio unit. The penthouse apartment is listed for $66million. Steinway Tower, the world's skinniest skyscraper, is standing tall amid the New York City skyline and ready to welcome residents to its multi-million dollar luxury apartments The $66 million penthouse apartment features 360-degree panoramic views of the city, including onto Central Park The building's first five floors are home to high-end retailers and recreation spaces, including an 82-foot swimming pool, private dining room and a double-height fitness center with a terrace. Amenities also include a common area outdoor space, 24-hour doorman and a concierge service Steinway Tower has a height-to-width ratio of 24:1, making it both the 'most slender skyscraper in the world' and one of the tallest buildings in the Western hemisphere The luxury building has a height-to-width ratio of 24:1, making it both the 'most slender skyscraper in the world' and one of the tallest buildings in the Western hemisphere Steinway Tower was designed to be 'a project of extraordinary proportions and epic grandeur,' developers told the news outlet. 'Any preconceived notions that our team had about skyscrapers of New York City developments were replaced with an opportunity to do something that had never been done before,' Gregg Pasquarelli, principal at SHoP Architects, said. The architects sought to make a powerful statement with the building, having it elegantly taper from its tip, which houses a triplex penthouse apartment. The building's east and west faces feature terracotta tiles with bronze accents, as depicted in images captured by architectural photographer Evan Joseph. Glass curtains clad its north and south walls which face Central Park and lower Manhattan, respectively. The design team's main goal was to create a 'new and bold interpretation' of New York's skyline while also memorializing the area's historic roots. They drew inspiration from 'the golden age of the Manhattan skyscraper' and the city's Art Deco history. Steinway Tower is an addition to adjacent Steinway Hall, once a cultural hub in Manhattan. The landmarked Steinway Hall, constructed in 1925, served as a concert hall and the former headquarters of piano maker Steinway and Sons. The venue has since been converted into luxury residences which now connect to the super-tall, slender tower. Steinway Tower construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2021. Residents are just now able to move into the complex. The east and west faces feature terracotta tiles with bronze accents that seemingly change colors as the sun moves around the building Construction on Steinway Tower (center) began in 2013 and was completed in 2021. Residents are just now able to move into the complex Steinway Hall: Center of the piano universe German-American piano company Steinway & Sons was founded in New York City in 1853 by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. The company, which has factories in both New York City and Hamburg, Germany, has been manufacturing and showcasing pianos in the city - and around the world - ever since. Steinway & Sons opened their piano showroom at Steinway Hall, once known as the 'center of the piano universe,' on West 57th Street in 1925. The building, designed by the architects responsible for Grand Central Terminal, sat across from Carnegie Hall. The building - which featured a reception room, salesrooms, and a recital hall seating 240, as well as executive offices and music studios - served as a beacon in the art world. Some of the greatest known pianists in the world performed at the facility. Steinway & Sons sold the location in 2015, resulting in the development of the luxury apartment complex that several Manhattan residents now call home. Advertisement The 84-story building features 82 floors, 77 of which offer luxury housing. There is only one residence per floor. The building's first five floors are home to high-end retailers and recreation spaces, including an 82-foot swimming pool, private dining room and a double-height fitness center with a terrace. Amenities also include a common area outdoor space, 24-hour doorman and a concierge service. The building's interior was designed by Studio Sofield, in an attempt to highlight the grandeur of the complex. The tower's most expensive unit, the Triplex Park Loggia Penthouse 72, features an indoor-outdoor living space spanning across three full floors, all of which offer an unobstructed 360-degree view of Manhattan. The four-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom condo has 7,130 square feet of interior space on three floors and a 1,397 square foot loggia, according to the property listing. In heightened drama, the unit is designed around a central entrance gallery clad with white macauba stone floors and an oval staircase connecting the upper and lower levels. It also has a private elevator. The unit's great hall features floor-to-ceiling windows facing Central Park, 14-foot-tall ceilings and a wet bar. The formal dining room faces south with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of downtown Manhattan. The unit also has a separate eat-in kitchen and a library. The master bedroom faces Central Park and features dual windowed bathrooms, walk-in closets and a separate sitting room. One of the suite's bathrooms is clad in white onyx and includes a handmade nickel bathtub by British designer William Holland. The suite's second bathroom is finished in grey onyx with custom fixtures in blackened steel and glass. The 84-story building (center) joins the rising spires along Central Park's Billionaire's Row The penthouse has already been scooped up by an international buyer who only toured the unit virtually and signed for it less than a month later. In 2019, when the building was still under construction, Business Insider toured a three-bedroom unit on the 43rd floor. The unit, about halfway up the building, had its own private elevator entrance and featured about 4,500 square feet of living space. The great room spanned approximately 50 feet long and sat opposite the dining room, which Warren said could comfortably fit 10 people and featured a full wet bar. The apartment had an open-concept design, with the kitchen flowing seamlessly into the living area. Each bedroom had floor-to-ceiling windows and its own en suite bathroom. In addition to its marble-clad bathroom with dual vanities and a rain shower, the master suite featured a walk-in dressing room. The building offers 60 luxury apartments valued from $7.75M for a studio to $66M for the penthouse overlooking Central Park Steinway Tower was designed to be 'a project of extraordinary proportions and epic grandeur,' developers claim The building's east and west faces feature terracotta tiles with bronze accents. Glass curtains clad its north and south walls which face Central Park and lower Manhattan, respectively The skyscraper is an imposing addition to the Manhattan skyline and of Billionaire's Row that runs along 57th Street The sun sets on Central Park Tower and the Steinway Tower on Billionaires' Row, Hudson Yards and One and Two Manhattan West in New York City along with Hoboken, New Jersey, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey A vertical view of Manhattan's westside, featuring the Steinway Tower and Central Park Tower at sunset Travellers have posted photos of long queues at Sydney Airport in a sure sign Australia's Covid era stay-at-home days are over. Social media pictures on Thursday night showed long, snaking queues that extended outside of the Terminal 2 and 3 buildings in Sydney as people waited to go through security to board flights. Airport bosses blamed school holidays, a shortage of security personnel and, remarkably, forgetful passengers out of the habit of removing items from their luggage for scanning. 'We're facing a perfect storm at the moment. Traffic numbers are picking up, travellers are inexperienced after two years of not travelling, and the close contact rules are making it hard to fill shifts and staff the airport,' Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert told the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Culbert apologised for the inconvenience of the delays. Sydney Airport WTF pic.twitter.com/52nf2dlQoc Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) April 7, 2022 Sydney Airport bosses blamed school holidays, a shortage of security personnel and, remarkably, forgetful passengers out of the habit of removing items from their luggage for scanning 'Thousands spilling over into carpark next to terminal. Only one officer controlling the crowd. How many flights are going to be missed??' one traveller tweeted Nine Network reporter Tom Steinfort was one of those caught up in the delays, tweeting 'Sydney Airport WTF' as he panned across long queues of people inside the terminal. Journalism lecturer Sue Stephenson was also caught up in the extensive delays. 'Thousands spilling over into carpark next to terminal. Only one officer controlling the crowd. How many flights are going to be missed??' she tweeted. 'Security line starts inside and snakes back and forth, then it goes outside and snakes back and forth, then you can go back inside and snakes back and forth,' traveller James Ryall posted about the delays Passengers have been warned to get to the airport two hours before their flights in the lead-up to Easter Another traveller, James Ryall, described the scene as 'absolutely insane'. 'Security line starts inside and snakes back and forth, then it goes outside and snakes back and forth, then you can go back inside and snakes back and forth,' he posted. Passengers have been warned to get to the airport two hours before their flights in the lead-up to Easter, as Mr Culbert urged travellers to be 'patient' as the industry got back in the swing of processing large numbers of people though gates. One traveller said an announcement was made that Thursday was the busiest day at Sydney Airport this year One traveller said an announcement was made that it was the busiest day at Sydney Airport this year. Some people said they waited between 90 minutes and two hours from the time they joined the queue to reach the security gates. Widespread domestic air travel only recommenced earlier this year as states dropped Covid border restrictions as nationwide vaccination levels rose above 90 per cent. While people appeared initially reluctant to travel again for fear of being caught away from home in a snap lockdown, today's numbers at Sydney Airport suggests that fear has been overcome. Hundreds of military officers have had injuries including brain damage and burns after encounters with UFOs, a top brain expert and former CIA officer has revealed. Detroit Professor Christopher Green was commissioned around 2010 by a secret $22million defense program monitoring UFOs, to write a paper on injuries from close encounters with 'anomalous' craft. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com the forensic neuroimaging expert, who has worked with the CIA since the 1960s, said he dealt with 'hundreds of patients' including special forces officers and other military personnel hurt after interacting with unidentified craft, some of whom later died. Some of the injuries resembled the mysterious 'Havana Syndrome', which intelligence agencies believe could be a series of clandestine attacks on US diplomats by a foreign power using targeted microwaves. But Professor Green's cases presented decades before the spate of injuries at the Cuban embassy in 2016 that gave the illness its name. US intelligence officials have evidence that UFO sightings can lead to adverse health effects including radiation burns, according to a study released this week. Above, a photo of a UFO taken by navy pilots in 2020 In May, a video was released that appeared to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019 An unclassified version of Dr. Green's paper, titled 'Clinical Medical Acute & Subacute Field Effects on Human Dermal & Neurological Tissues', was released last year under the Freedom of Information Act and describes symptoms of multiple sclerosis, brain damage, and burns sustained by patients from 'CE-III-IV events' [Close Encounters of the Third and Fourth Kind] an apparent reference to interactions with, and even abductions by, UFOs. The news comes after Congress approved funding in December for an official government UFO-monitoring program which will include 'an assessment of any health-related effects for individuals that have encountered unidentified aerial phenomena.' And earlier this week, a newly released report from a shadowy Pentagon program that closed in 2012 similarly revealed that US intelligence officials have evidence that UFO sightings have led to adverse health effects like radiation burns, paralysis and even brain damage. Dr. Green said he became the go-to expert for military patients who had out-of-this-world experiences backed up by witnesses and radar data including cases of 'big silent drones' which 'hovered and moved in odd ways', 'showed emanations of funny lights, patterns and strobes', and even 'cloaked or changed shape' and 'instantaneously appeared and disappeared'. Forensic neuroimaging expert and university professor Christopher Green says he has dealt with 'hundreds of patients' who were injured or died after interacting with UFOs Although his paper, published in March 2010, makes references to 'ETs' and 'off-world exposures', Green told DailyMail.com that he was able to explain every injury he has treated by currently existing, albeit advanced, human technology. The Wayne State School of Medicine professor said he believed some of the injuries he has seen arose from patients being too close to 'subtle, highly powered, highly modulated microwaves' and suggested in his study that soldiers could have been accidentally hit with powerful radio or electromagnetic frequencies from the propulsion systems of these strange hovering and rapidly moving aircraft. Green said that symptoms of many of the cases he saw were similar to the 'Havana Syndrome', a mysterious illness affecting diplomats and US government officials in embassies around the world believed by intelligence agencies to be a targeted hi-tech attack. In January the CIA released a report from a panel of experts who analyzed 1,000 patients' cases and found two dozen with injuries they believe could have been caused by pulsed electromagnetic waves from a device used by a hostile foreign power most likely Russia. Several of those injuries were sustained by diplomats at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba, in 2016. But Green's paper focused on cases of US government and military personnel with similar injuries referred to him decades before 'Havana Syndrome' was identified. The professor refused to discuss his 2009 DoD-commissioned research paper in detail citing his oath to keep classified secrets, but added that his was one of 38 studies commissioned by the $22million initiative called the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), overseen by the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2007 to 2012. 'I had said some things in the paper that they [the DIA] did not want me to say,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The reason I was told was, I referred to radio frequencies as having to do with alien spacecraft, and UFOs. Symptoms of Havana Syndrome include loud noise, ear pain, intense head pressure or vibration, dizziness, visual problems, and cognitive difficulties 'I think that there are serious people in the Department of Defense who believe that some of the objects that are identified as 'unidentified flying objects' are real, and are extraterrestrial. 'It's reasonable that reasonable people are concerned about that.' The former Assistant National Intelligence Officer for Science and Technology, who described himself as having been 'an intelligence officer for the government since 1969,' said that as well as writing his 2010 study on injuries from UFOs, he has also for decades treated classified cases of soldiers injured in unexplained ways, referred to him by government officials. 'Because I'm a forensic neurologist and a brain imager, I'm the go-to physician in the Department of Defense for unexplained morbidity and mortality,' Green said. 'I do look at injuries and mortality from unidentified UAPs. 'My client population is heavily within intelligence, Department of Defense, Special Forces, aerospace industry, people that work under contract for aerospace companies that get ill and they don't know why. 'What my cases are exposed to are things they see in daylight, with witnesses under battle conditions, in circumstances of test and evaluation at advanced facilities.' Green said many of his patients experienced burns and brain damage from their encounters with 'unidentified aerial phenomena'. He listed his patients' varied descriptions of getting up close to a 'big drone', a 'silent drone' or something even stranger. 'Sometimes they hovered. Sometimes they moved in odd ways,' he said. 'Some did show clear, advanced cloaking. Some did show emanations of funny lights, patterns and strobes. The report from 2010 was compiled for the now-defunct Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program. It ranks several kinds of UFO encounters as well as the adverse health effects reported by witnesses 'There are a lot of cases of things that instantaneously appear and instantaneously disappear. 'There are a lot that will instantly disappear and then instantly appear close by but in another angle of sight. In a blink of an eye it will not appear to be directly ahead of you but will appear to be 30 degrees to the right, or 30 degrees to the left. 'Some of them did come close, and make them become unconscious and they woke up burned or injured.' Green said around one in ten of his patients died within seven years of their reported encounter. A small percentage of the professor's patients even said they encountered 'something cloaked that was a human being'. He said he was even aware of injuries from encounters with UFOs 'near the White House' and over the Capitol Mall, though he said he had not personally treated any of those cases and declined to comment further. Despite the strangeness of his patients' descriptions, Green said their injuries could all be explained by current human technology, including advanced microwave and radio frequency non-lethal weapons developed by the US and other countries. 'I don't have to invent aliens in order to explain the cases that I get,' he said. What is 'Havana Syndrome'? The mysterious illness that started in the US embassy in Cuba and causes memory and hearing loss The problem has been labeled the 'Havana Syndrome,' because the first cases affected personnel in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. At least 200 cases across the government are now under investigation. People who are believed to have been affected have reported headaches, dizziness and symptoms consistent with concussions, with some requiring months of medical treatment. Some have reported hearing a loud noise before the sudden onset of symptoms. Countries its been reported in: Cuba, United States, China, Russia, Vietnam, Austria, Germany, Serbia, United Kingdom, Georgia, Poland, Taiwan, Australia, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan Symptoms include: -hearing loss -severe headaches -memory issues -dizziness -brain injury Advertisement Green's 2010 study said that humans already had technology to use electromagnetic and radio waves as weapons, including devices to cause 'second degree burns' from up to hundreds of meters away, the 'ability to cause frontal-temporal headache', radio frequencies that 'disorient and destabilize muscular coordination' and even 'loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, muscle weakness' from certain directed bursts of waves. 'The use of Very High Intensity RF [radio frequency] pulses at, for example, 915 MHz will cause an elevation in brain temperature of 8'C, resulting in petit mal or grand mal seizures after one minute exposure, followed by 5 minutes of unconsciousness,' he wrote. Dr. Green wrote that the injuries to humans from getting too close to UFOs could give clues as to how the strange craft work, including hypotheses about how they use strong electromagnetic fields for propulsion. 'The purpose of this paper is to argue that data exists to 'reverse engineer' propulsion systems of anomalous aerospace vehicles,' Green's paper said. One theory is that UFOs bend the fabric of spacetime to allow them to defy gravity, and in doing so turn the heat from their engines into high-energy microwaves or ultraviolet waves in a process called 'blue shifting'. Anyone who gets too close to those UFOs while their engines are on would be hit with a blast of radiation, scientists hypothesize. Green referenced the Cash-Landrum case in his study, where two women famously sued the US government over illness resembling radiation exposure after allegedly encountering a diamond-shaped UFO on a Texas country road in 1980 that hovered in front of them, caused their car to heat up, then was escorted away by dozens of Chinook helicopters. A disturbing UFO injury case investigated under the DIA's AAWSAP contract was described in an October 2021 book co-authored by two of the program's managers. A 48-year-old biotechnologist given the pseudonym Ron Becker by the authors told AAWSAP investigators he was with his daughter driving 50 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon in May 2005 when they saw three blue orbs flying about in a field a hundred yards away. Father and daughter told AAWSAP manager and book co-author Colm Kelleher that as they watched, the softball-sized orbs flew towards them and through their vehicle, one passing through Becker's arm and chest. In the days after Becker felt dizzy and nauseous, began losing hair and started losing his sight and hearing. Blood tests over the next two years showed severe abnormalities and he was diagnosed with a rare cancer in his chest. Pilots who witnessed the famous 'tic tac' white oblong UFO flying around a US aircraft carrier off the coast of San Diego were among those who suffered physiological effects, according to a book published last year by two managers of the DoD's secret $22million program. The UFO was recorded by Navy pilots in videos leaked in 2017 to the New York Times, sending shockwaves round the world. The stunning revelations in the book, Skinwalkers at the Pentagon, include the claim that Navy pilots who intercepted a UFO in 2004 flying at incredible speeds without any visible means of propulsion near the USS Nimitz, had 'biological sequelae' and 'adverse psychological or medical effects'. However the book, co-authored by AAWSAP program managers Colm Kelleher and James Lacatski, said HIPAA regulations for medical privacy prevented them from going into further detail. 'We are aware of some biological sequelae of the Nimitz event but unfortunately we are precluded from discussing it, due to the fact that the medical data and details are embargoed under HIPAA regulations,' they wrote. 'We were strongly admonished not to break HIPAA medical privacy rules when it came to any military pilot or crew UAP encounters. 'Secondly, the pilots themselves are in a very difficult position because reporting any adverse psychological or medical effects after UFO encounters will mean probable interruption in their ability to fly. This outcome would be simply unacceptable to most Navy or Air Force pilots.' An American man alleged to have faked his death and fled to the UK to evade sex and fraud charges before being caught in Scotland after nearly dying of Covid has been told to get a lawyer 'with haste'. The accused claims to be Arthur Knight, a victim of mistaken identity who says he has never been to America. But US authorities insist he is Nicholas Alahverdian, 34, a suspect wanted for extradition back to Utah to face a rape charge. The man made headlines when was arrested on an Interpol notice at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on December 13, having checked in under the alias Arthur Knight and been intubated after nearly dying of the virus. A man believed to be Nicholas Alahverdian, who faked his death and fled to the UK to evade sex and fraud charges before being caught in Scotland after nearly dying of Covid, has been told to get a lawyer 'with haste' Alahverdian - who claimed to have died of cancer in February 2020, aged 32, before being buried at sea - is being sought over a 2008 sexual assault charge in Utah He has since been on bail. Alahverdian - who claimed to have died of cancer in February 2020, aged 32, before being buried at sea - is being sought over a 2008 sexual assault charge in Utah. He is accused of raping an ex-girlfriend in September 2008, with police investigating Alahverdian discovering he'd been reported to the police over similar alleged attacks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Utah and Ohio. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, defence lawyer Anna Kocela from Dunne Defence Lawyers said the man had not formally instructed solicitors about his case. But the accused, who arrived in a wheelchair and was wearing an oxygen mask in court, claimed he had Nicholas Alahverdian, 34, faked his own death in March 2020 and moved abroad under the aliases Arthur Brown and Arthur Knight to evade sex and fraud charges in the US The suspect, who is also known as Nicholas Rossi, was convicted of sexual assault following an 'encounter' with another student at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, defence lawyer Anna Kocela from Dunne Defence Lawyers said the man had not formally instructed solicitors about his case. But the accused, who arrived in a wheelchair and was wearing an oxygen mask in court, claimed he had. An memorial tribute was posted in February 2020 which claimed Alahverdian had died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that his last words were 'fear not and run toward the bliss of the sun' But in a new interview Alahverdian gave while out on bail, he claimed police were mistaken and that he truly is an Englishman named Arthur Knight. He's pictured with wife Miranda When Ms Kocela confirmed a second time that the firm had not been given information about the case, Sheriff Nigel Ross, overseeing the hearing, urged the defendant to contact a lawyer before proceedings can continue. He gave him a deadline of two weeks. The man attempted several times during the hearing to ask for an extension, but this was denied. Sheriff Ross had to ask him to stop interrupting during the hearing, telling him: 'Make sure with haste you have a discussion with whichever lawyer you wish to instruct and have them come and address the court in two weeks' time.' The case was continued until April 21. Two US soldiers suffered minor injuries after a rocket strike on a base in eastern Syria - an attack which a war monitor and a tribal source said was carried out by Iran-backed militias. A pair of shells fell on the base in Green Village, Syria, on Thursday. The base is used to train local forces to fight against what remains of the Islamic State. One of the soldiers was treated for a traumatic brain injury and the second was treated for minor injuries, according to a since-deleted tweet from the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant, which oversees the U.S. led forces in the region. An anonymous American official told the Reuters that both soldiers have been cleared and returned to duty. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, though its comes amidst years of continued violence against U.S. forces by Iranian-backed militias. A tribal source in the area said several rockets were fired by an Iran-backed militia, and two landed in the area of al Omar oil field where U.S. forces are based in Deir al-Zor province, near the Iraqi border. The rockets were launched from an area west of the Euphrates River, where Iran-backed militias have a presence, the source said. Two American soldiers were injured in a rocket attack that ignited two firest on a U.S. Air Force base in eastern Syria on Thursday. A pair of shells fell on the base in Green Village, Syria, which is used to train local forces to fight against what remains of the Islamic State. Pictured: US soldiers patrol the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province near the Turkish border in March U.S. forces have deployed into Syria during the campaign against Islamic State, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. Iran-backed militias have established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during the country's 11-year-long war. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rockets had been fired after midnight at the base from an area where Iran-backed militias exercise influence. The Observatory, a UK-based organisation that reports on the war in Syria using what it describes as sources on all sides of the conflict, said the U.S.-led forces returned fire. This is the first attack on an American base since March, where a missile strike landed near an American consulate in Erbil, Iraq. No US personnel were harmed in that assault, but in a rare move Iranian forces claimed credit for the attack. In October a U.S. base in Al-Tanf, Syria, used for training local forces against ISIS was hit by a coordinated drone and ground fire attack. All personnel were unharmed after the attack on the base, which is located on a road that is vital to Iranian-backed forces in the region. In January of 2020 the US attempted to temper Iranian-backed violence in the region with an airstrike that targeted and killed Qasem Soleimani, the mastermind behind Iran's paramilitary operations in Iraq and Syria. About 2,500 U.S. military personnel remain deployed in Iraq and 900 in Syria with the aim of training local forces to combat ISIS. A bipartisan group of senators, led by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, will propose a new bill on Thursday that would prevent the Biden administration from lifting Title 42 without a plan in place to stop an expected surge of migrants at the border. Republicans oppose ending the public health order that the Department of Homeland Security has used to turn migrants back around when they reach the Southern border. Several vulnerable Democratic senators, who represent swing states, also have questioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to lift Title 42. Joining Sinema in co-sponsoring the bill are Democratic Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire - both of whom face tough re-election campaigns - and Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana, Axios reported. 'It just doesn't seem at all workable that this, that whatever plan they're working on right now can be ready to implement in a way that is both safe for our border communities and respects the humanitarian crisis that is coming,' Sinema told Axios. The bill urges the Biden administration to delay ending Title 42 until 60 days after the Surgeon General submits written notification to Congress formally rescinding the COVID-19 public health emergency and the national emergency. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Republicans doubled down on their demand to hold a vote on an amendment that would keep the Title 42 border restrictions in place as part of $10 billion covid funding bill that President Joe Biden wants passed. 'No amendments, no bill,' GOP Senator Mitt Romney, the lead negotiator for Republicans, told reporters on Capitol Hill. And Republicans put the blame for the delay in pandemic funding on the White House, calling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement that the Trump-era policy on the border would expire in May 'not helpful.' 'Putting this Title 42 issue out just as we were about to move forward on this $10 billion deal was not helpful,' said GOP Senator Roy Blunt. He said the issue was going to to get punted to after Congress' two-week Easter recess, pushing a vote on the measure closer to the end of April. The White House has described the funding measure as 'vital.' A bipartisan group of senators, led by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, will propose a new bill on Thursday that would prevent the Biden administration from lifting Title 42 without a plan in place to stop an expected surge of migrants at the border Republican Senators Mitt Romney (left) and Roy Blunt (right) doubled down on their demand to hold a vote on an amendment that would keep the Title 42 border restrictions in the covid funding bill Asylum-seeking migrants from Turkey are detained by a U.S. Border Patrol agent after crossing the Rio Bravo river as officials brace for a surge in migrants when Title 42 is removed in May On Tuesday night, every Republican senator voted against beginning debate on the bill, halting the legislation in its path. Senate Democrats needed 10 Republicans on board for the measure to move forward. The $10 billion funding measure - which is less than the White House wanted and contained no international aid - got caught up in border politics after the CDC announced on Friday they would rescind the publich health order known as Title 42 on May 23. Since March 2020, the Department of Homeland Seurity has used the public health order to quickly expel migrants at the border due to health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans want the order to stay in place. Three GOP-led states are suing to keep it. The White House slammed Republicans for stopping the legislation. 'It is disappointing that Senate Republicans voted down consideration of a much-needed bill to purchase vaccines, boosters, and life-saving treatments for the American people,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement hours after the vote. 'As we have repeatedly said, there are consequences for Congress failing to fund our COVID Response. The program that reimbursed doctors, pharmacists and other providers for vaccinating the uninsured had to end today due to a lack of funds.' Asylum-seeking migrants from Turkey are detained by a U.S. Border Patrol agent after crossing the Rio Bravo river 'It is disappointing that Senate Republicans voted down consideration of a much-needed bill to purchase vaccines, boosters, and life-saving treatments for the American people,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a Tuesday evening statement after the GOP blocked the $10 billion Covid aid bill in a 47-52 vote Ahead of the vote, she told DailyMail.com in the daily White House press briefing that Title 42 was health policy and should not be wrapped up in politics. 'This is a decision made by the CDC. It's a public health decision. It's not one that should be wrapped up, of course, in politics,' she said. 'Certainly COVID-19 doesn't look at your party affiliation before it decides to inflict you with the virus.' Democrat Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon voted with Republicans against moving the bill forward. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer switched his 'yes' vote in a last-minute procedural move to enable him to bring the package back to the floor. Their fellow Democrat Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey did not vote, according to the Senate Press Gallery. Schumer said after the vote, 'This is a potentially devastating vote for every single American who was worried about the possibility of a new variant rearing its nasty head within a few months.' It comes as scientists warn a new sub-variant of the Omicron Covid strain, known as BA.2, could lead to a spike in virus cases in the US after recent waves in Europe and Asia. One Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, joined Republicans in blocking the measure. Schumer switched his vote to 'no' in a last-minute procedural move GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier on Tuesday that there would need to be an amendment keeping Title 42 in place in order for Democrats to pass more Covid aid with the 10 Republican votes they needed to make it happen. 'There'll have to be an amendment on Title 42 in order to move the bill,' McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters on Tuesday. 'We'll need to enter into some kind of agreement to process these amendments in order to go forward with the bill.' Schumer said that the Covid relief bill should 'not be held hostage' to other proposals. Lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal to offer $10 billion in additional Covid-19 funding on Monday. The bill funded vaccines, therapeutics and other Covid safety measures domestically, but dropped funding for fighting the pandemic abroad. 'There'll have to be an amendment on Title 42 in order to move the bill,' McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters on Tuesday. 'We'll need to enter into some kind of agreement to process these amendments in order to go forward with the bill' Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he 'absolutely' wanted a Title 42 amendment to the bill. 'It's utterly insane that the administration claims to be concerned about COVID,' he said. 'At the same time, they've decided just to throw open the doors to illegal aliens who are COVID-positive.' Title 42 was first implemented by the Trump administration in March 2020 and has been used to expel most migrants at the border. In February, 55 percent of people who arrived at the border were turned away due to the order. More than 1.6 million migrants - mostly single adults and family units - have been expelled under Title 42 by both Trump and Biden. In order to pass the $10 billion coronavirus aid deal before April 9, when both chambers go on a two-week break, all 100 senators need to cooperate, potentially giving Republicans leverage to force an amendment vote. The $10 billion plan is less than half of what the White House originally requested, but some Republicans were prepared to offer nothing as they claimed previous Covid funding had been squandered or still had yet to be spent. While past Covid-19 relief bills, such as the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, have been saddled with funding for struggling families and businesses, the new deal would be narrowly tailored to public health efforts to fight the virus. A migrant girl walks through an encampment where she lives along with other migrants that were mostly sent back to Mexico and now they wait to be allowed into the U.S. when Title 42 is lifted, in Reynosa, Mexico, April Elvia, 9, Sarai, 10, and Yadira, 8, asylum-seekers from Central America, pass their time at a migrant camp at the border where they have lived for months with other migrants that were mostly sent back to Mexico and now they hope to be allowed into the U.S. when Title 42 is lifted, in Reynosa, Mexico, April 1 Migrants that were mostly sent back to Mexico wait to receive a meal prepared by other migrants that live at the encampment yards away from the border as they hope to be allowed into the U.S. when Title 42 is lifted, in Reynosa, Mexico, April 1 Senate Republicans including Mitt Romney, Utah, Richard Burr, N.C. and Roy Blunt, Mo., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were working with Democrats after the pandemic funding was pulled from the 2022 budget bill. Lead negotiators on the Democratic side were Sens. Chris Coons, Del., Chuck Schumer, N.Y., and Patty Murray, Wash. The new deal could clear the upper chamber as soon as this week. A number of moderate Democratic senators have opposed the rescission of Title 42, but none have weighed in on the amendment suggestion. Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, both Arizona Democrats, put out a statement warning against rolling back the order without a plan to deal with an onset of migrants, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., said he is discussing with Republicans what to do about the matter. A number of House Democrats had threatened to vote against the new aid deal without international funding, arguing it was necessary to keep new variants from developing and spreading to the U.S. But during a Democratic Caucus meeting Tuesday leadership urged them not to vote 'no' on the package. Some have suggested a separate bill on international Covid aid could come up later in the year. Migrants that were mostly sent back to Mexico pass their time at an encampment yards away from the border while many hope to be allowed into the U.S. when Title 42 is lifted Biden asked Congress for another $22.5 billion to fight the pandemic, and lawmakers had originally included $15.6 billion in aid as part of the fiscal year 2022 budget bill, meaning it could have passed with a simple majority vote. But the Covid aid was yanked at the last second after progressives protested the pay-fors of the funding - repurposing about $7 billion in leftover state and local Covid relief. Moderate Republicans who could be swayed to vote for further aid insisted it was paid for, and demanded a full accounting of where other aid money has gone so far. The new deal set to be announced Monday is paid for by repurposing aid from previous Covid-19 bills, but does not dig into state assistance. Police have searched the headquarters of the Unite union as part of an investigation into allegations of bribery, fraud and money laundering. The union said one of its employees is subject to a criminal investigation and that the person's office in Holborn, central London, was searched by police on Wednesday. Asked about the search, South Wales Police said it had executed a number of warrants at addresses across England and Wales, including in London, in relation to allegations of bribery, fraud and money laundering. A spokesperson for the force said no-one had been arrested at this stage. A Unite spokesperson said: 'A Unite employee is subject to a criminal investigation by the police. The Unite union headquarters in Holborn in Central London are pictured (file image) 'On Wednesday April 6, the employee's office at Unite HQ, in Holborn London, was accessed and searched by the police under warrant.' In a statement, South Wales Police said: 'South Wales Police has executed warrants as part of an investigation into allegations of bribery, fraud and money laundering. 'The warrants were executed on Wednesday 6th April at addresses in the South Wales, Metropolitan, Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Dyfed Powys and Northamptonshire police force areas. 'The joint investigation with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is continuing and a number of suspects will be interviewed in due course.' Two police vans and a number of unmarked police cars were involved in the operation It comes after up to 20 officers were seen leaving with boxes of files, paper and a computer at the Unite headquarters in London. Two police vans and a number of unmarked police cars were involved in yesterday's operation which was led by South Wales Police. Unite was formed in 2007 when the Transport and General Workers' Union merged with Amicus, and it is Britain's second biggest union with 1.24million members. Unite's general secretary is Sharon Graham, who was elected in August 2021 and took over from Len McCluskey, who had run the union since 2011. There is no suggestion that either Ms Graham or Mr McCluskey are being investigated. Residents are furious after an administrative error by blundering council planners led to a 5G mast being erected directly outside their homes. The 60ft 'monstrosity' went up overnight on a grass verge in a residential suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset - despite having planning permission refused in October 2021. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council failed to notify the mobile network Three of their decision to reject the application within a 56-day notice period. They did publish their decision on their planning portal 54 days after it was submitted, however this was not communicated with the applicant in time. As a result, Three assumed they had 'deemed consent' to put up the mast, which will soon be operational. The council, who made the exact same mistake less than six months ago, has admitted their mistake but do not have the legal power to get the mast removed. Instead they have advised Three to 'paint it green to better match the surroundings'. A 5G mast with no planning permission (pictured) was erected overnight in a Bournemouth suburb after the council failed to tell mobile network Three that its application was rejected The grass verge in Bournemouth before it had an unplanned mast built on top of it BCP Council have said their internal processes been 'tightened' to prevent this issue occurring for a third time A resident, who lives near the mast location, said: 'We are hopping mad about it. The planning permission was refused. 'If they refuse it how can they just stick it up? 'They shouldn't be allowed to get away with putting these up without a proper consultation.' Another resident described it as a 'monstrosity', adding that it should not be allowed in residential areas. Other locals took to social media to express their horror at the 'eyesore' which could affect house prices. Pauline Albiges said: 'Good grief, what an eyesore. I'm sure they could have been put somewhere less obvious.' Phillip Ray added: 'I would bet the value of those homes have just dropped by 20%.' Residents have called the enormous mast an 'eyesore' and a 'monstrosity', the council have asked Three to paint it green to help it match it surroundings and blend in It is the second time Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (offices pictured) have failed to tell an applicant their 5G mast has had it's planing permission rejected - allowing it to be built and legally remain Mast applications are submitted through the prior approval procedure, which does not require the same level of consultation as a typical planning application. 5G vs 4G: Whats The Difference? The biggest difference between 4G and 5G is the speed 5G has the potential to be up to 10 times faster 5G uses smaller wavelengths and much higher frequencies which can support far more simultaneous connections than 4G This means when youre in a place with a lot of people, like a football match, a concert, or in a busy city centre your connectivity remains consistent A 50-minute Netflix show would take you under 20 seconds to download on 5G Source: Tesco Mobile Advertisement A BCP Council spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that this was the result of an administrative error which prevented the decision made on day 54 from reaching the operator within the 56-day notice period.' It is the second time in five months that the local authority has gaffed leading to masts going up directly outside homes in Bournemouth. In response to this, the spokesperson said: 'As previously advised, the council in these instances did not meet the 56-day time limit for dealing with these applications, which is part of the legislation that surrounds submissions such as these. As such, the erection of these masts are lawful. 'Our internal processes have been tightened to address this issue going forward. 'However, the council are working closely with the mast providers who have been advised to paint the masts green to better match their surroundings.' The planning application for Castle Lane West was submitted on August 19 last year by Three's parent company Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Limited. A Three spokesperson said: '5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses in Bournemouth. 'We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making that happen.' Since March 2020, CK Hutchinson has submitted 41 planning applications to erect 5G masts in Bournemouth. Just four of these were formally approved in addition to the two that had deemed consent after refusal decisions. Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar was listed as a featured guest speaker at a neo-Nazi event scheduled on Adolf Hitler's birthday, but his campaign has since denied that he will attend. The politician promoted appearing at the American Populist Union (APU) event to be held in Tempe, Arizona, on April 20, The Arizona Mirror first reported. But Gosar's campaign consultant, Rory McShane, said on Wednesday that he had not approved Gosar's appearance. 'I never approved this event and have never spoken to this group,' McShane told The Washington Post. 'The only event we have that day is a farm tour.' The conference will be hosted by the APU, a non-profit linked to white-supremacist and neo-Nazi ideals. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the organization 'champions anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and regards the modern GOP as a corrupt, globalist conservative establishment.' The APU advertised the mixer as a 'chance to meet some of the best legislatures (sic), best people running for office, and media personalities in the country,' selling regular tickets at $45 and VIP tickets at $60. On Thursday, the organization put out an statement noting that the April 20 date was 'was a logistical decision made based on venue availability - and nothing more.' 'As for it being "HITLERS BIRTHDAY!" Really? Is this what we're doing now? Conservatives can't gather because someone was born 48,309 days ago? We didn't even know; why would we? Who cares?,' the APU Twitter account tweeted. The remarks by Gosar's campaign strategist come just a week after the controversial congressman said he regretted having appeared at another white-nationalist conference earlier this year. Paul Gosar allegedly promoted appearing at the neo-Nazi American Populist Union (APU) event to be held in Tempe, Arizona, on Hitler's birthday, April 20 Gosar was listed as a featured guest speaker at the mixer, but his campaign consultant, Rory McShane, said on Wednesday that he had not approved Gosar's appearance The APU advertised the mixer as a 'chance to meet some of the best legislatures, best people running for office, and media personalities in the country,' selling regular tickets at $45 and VIP tickets at $60. On Thursday, the APU put out an statement noting that the April 20 date was 'was a logistical decision made based on venue availability - and nothing more' Gosar blamed his pre-recorded video appearance at the February 26 America First Political Action Conference on miscommunication issues with staff members, who sent the video to the wrong group. 'It wasn't supposed to go to Nick's group,' Gosar told Politico, referring to the organization's leader, Nick Fuentes. 'We're kind of short-handed ... And there was miscommunication.' Fuente, a Holocaust-denier, has said he and Gosar will continue to collaborate 'behind the scenes.' 'The young people that were being misled by somebody - we should be trying to mentor, trying to change them. I've given up on dealing with Nick. Nick's got a problem with his mouth,' Gosar said. Fuentes, who has been described as a white supremacist by the Anti-Defamation League, founded AFPAC in 2020 to rival the popular Conservative Political Action Conference. He has gained infamy for making many anti-Semitic comments, denying the Holocaust happened and opposing women's right to vote. Gosar blamed his pre-recorded video appearance at the February 26 America First Political Action Conference on miscommunication issues with staff. Above, Gosar pictured at the conference in 2021 Before his sudden change of heart about Nick Fuentes, Gosar defended him after finding out that he was being investigated by the January 6 Capitol riot committee Another Republican firebrand, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, attended the America First February rally in February 2021 and 2022, run by Fuentes' group, in person. After speaking at the event, Greene posed in a photo with Fuentes and right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin, but when questioned about her appearance at AFPAC and relationship with Fuentes, Greene denied she knew him. 'I do not know Nick Fuentes,' Greene told CBS in February. 'I have never heard him speak, I have never seen a video [of him]. 'I do not know what his views are so I am not aligned with anything that is controversial.' She went on to explain that she appeared at Fuentes' AFPAC event to talk about 'God and liberty', and reach out to his young followers because 'it's a generation I'm extremely concerned about.' Marjorie Taylor Greene (center) denied knowing white nationalist Nick Fuentes (right) despite taking a picture together with him and right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin during his America First Political Action Conference in Orlando in February Greene was a special guest at Fuentes' AFPAC event to talk about 'God and liberty' Gosar is a close ally of former President Donald Trump's and embraced his false claims that the election was stolen from him. Before his sudden change of heart about Fuentes, Gosar, along with Greene, sought to create an America First Caucus in Congress, The Arizona Central reported. Gosar later denied any involvement, as did Greene. 'The liberal media have recklessly claimed I am the author of a document,' he said in a statement. 'Let me be perfectly clear, I did not author this paper. In fact, I first became aware of it by reading about it in the news ... like everyone else.' He also defended Fuentes after finding out that he was being investigated by the January 6 Capitol riot committee. 'The phony January 6th Committee's partisan witch-hunt continues as they have now set their sights on young conservative Christians like Nick Fuentes,' Gosar wrote on the social media site Gab. Gosar, who has held office as Arizona's Fourth District since 2013, previously came under fire last year for sharing a photoshopped anime video online that showed him killing New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Politico reported Gosar told his colleagues that he didn't intend to encourage violence, but was trying to appeal to 'a younger audience.' The video shows a sword-wielding character with Gosar's superimposed face using a jetpack to soar onto a rooftop before attacking Ocasio-Cortez, striking her with the weapon as blood flies out of her. Advertisement A father of four has described the moment he rushed onto the family's burning bus home to save his two children after a propane explosion during a cross country trip. Former Air Force intelligence officer, Kyle Copeland, 33, has released pictures of the harrowing aftermath of the explosion on December 26 that left him, and his two children, Krew, 4, and daughter Pepper, 12, with horrific third-degree burns. While all three escaped with their lives thanks to Copeland's quick response, which he described as 'looking right into hell', they are still recovering from the explosion in a hospital burns unit in Las Vegas. The family are now using their traumatic experience to raise awareness about using propane gas in mobile homes. 'Watching my children suffer physically is the hardest thing I've ever done, deep heartache, but we choose to embrace this trial fully and take responsibility for our experience of life,' Kyle said. Kyle Copeland (pictured), 33, a former Air Force intelligence officer, suffered burns on his face and body after he rushed into his burning bus home to save his children when their propane tank suddenly exploded on December 26 The Copelands were in the middle of a cross country trip when they stopped in Veyo, Utah for the holidays. Copeland and his wife, Whitney, 33, started a bus life and homeschooling adventure with their four children in August last year Copeland likened the fire that claimed their bus home to that of hell as he desperately worked to pull his kids out The fire claimed nearly all the family's belongings save for a few items and has left them homeless Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the flames after Copeland was able to get out with both his children Copeland and his wife, Whitney, 33, started a bus life and homeschooling adventure with their four children in August, but were left injured and homeless after the explosion just four months later left the homeless. The couple was attaching a trailer outside when their third child, Emree, 6, got off the bus and said the propane heater was making noises. It was at that moment that the bus caught fire and moments later the explosion occurred. The Copeland family's bus erupted into a fireball with three of their four children inside. The flames could be seen three miles away from the explosion site in the small town of Veyo, Utah. Kade, 10, managed to jump out of the window head-first to escape harm. Pepper, the eldest sibling, suffered burns on over 52 percent of her body. She has endured 32 surgeries so far. Krew is still recovering from burns on his hands, arms, and face in the temporary home the family are staying in close to the specialist burns unit at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas. The middle two children escaped serious physical injuries and went to stay with family as the rest of the family recovers in the hospital. Copeland was intubated and sedated for four days before he was able to talk to his wife. 'Kyle is healing. His hands and neck accepted the grafts taken from his thigh and the doctors are very happy with how they look,' Whitney said. Kyle Copeland (right) and wife Whitney are using the horrible experience as a way to help others, sharing their story in hopes of raise awareness about the use of propane gas in mobile homes Pepper is pictured recovering at the hospital after more than half her body was burned in the explosion Four-year-old Krew is pictured resting at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas while his parents look over him The horrible incident happened after the family celebrated Christmas. (L-R): Krew, Emree, Kade, Pepper, Whitney and Kyle. Emree, 6, had stepped out the vehicle moments before the explosion, and Kade (10) was able to jump out a window to safety Emree had gotten out of the bus to tell her parents the propane tank was making a weird noise when the explosion occurred A family member was pictured salvaging what little remained of the families belongings from the destroyed bus 'He has follow up appointments now to treat the burns around his eyes. My Kyle and my children's faces and bodies will most likely not be the same. 'I will forever be grateful that Kyle made it to the bus first,' she added. 'Kyle said that he ran through the flames to run to the back of the bus and he saw Pepper and Krew both standing in the back of the bus in between the bunk beds. 'He says he knew he couldn't let them down and he had to get them out [or] die trying. Kyle scooped Krew into his arms. Then turned to Pepper, who was stunned. 'When he grabbed onto her she was very reluctant and started pushing against him. She thought Kade was still inside,' Whitney noted. 'Kyle then put her in the tightest head lock he could and turned towards the flames. Then it was as if everything stopped and time froze.' Whitney suffered burns on her hands from helping her husband and children get out of the RV and from putting out the flames on Pepper. She pulled her injured family away from the burning vehicle and just a minute later it exploded. The Copelands suited up a bus last year to take them on a cross country trip to enjoy life following recent hardships The children slept in bunk beds while the parents slept in the back. Whitney said the children stood frozen in fear in between the beds when Kyle ran in to get them out of the blazing inferno Kyle said Pepper, the oldest of the four children, fought back when he was trying to rescue her because she believed Kade was still in the bus. The younger brother was able to jump out of the vehicle shortly after the explosion The beds at the back end of the bus where the children stood was barely standing after the fire was put out 'I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the bus and threw my body onto her, patting her down and extinguishing the flames all over her body and hair,' Whitney said. 'Within 1 minute of Kyle exiting the bus the first explosion happened. If Kyle would have hesitated it wouldn't have worked. I just know the outcome would have been far worse. 'Me and Kyle have talked about how we believe that these bodies are temporary and any lasting scars, deformities or ailments will be part of the experience. We thank God we are alive. 'I told Kyle I was particularly grateful that he will have sustained some of the same injuries as the kids. They will have a parent that can relate and empathize with them. 'I'm grateful again that our kids don't have to walk the path of recovery alone. He is the dad that got them out and the dad that will get them through this tragedy, alongside them. I have full confidence in his role to protect and lead.' The Copeland family sold their home in May 2021 to embark on a summer journey that continued over the winter The Copeland family sold their home in May 2021 to embark on full-time travel that summer to make-up for 'years filled with military separations, addiction recovery and medical trauma,' according to their Instagram page, @copelandbuslife where 26,000 fans follow their family's journey. Since the accident friends and family have rallied around to support the Copeland family with fundraising efforts and salvaging any undamaged belongings from their bus. 'We are becoming so much stronger as a family and feel deeper degrees of compassion and love,' Copeland said. 'Life is good and we choose to see life as a beautiful experience. We are survivors, not victims. 'I am grateful for my wife who is willing and able to take on enormous stress and responsibility while also being able to nurture and love her family with grace. 'It's true, moms just make everything feel better and we all know it,' he added. 'I can run through flames, but don't ask me to do what she is doing it's incredible and divine.' A GoFundMe for the family has raised more than $240,000 to help the family. Two people have appeared in court today charged over the death of a 10-year-old boy who was mauled by an American Bully dog. Jack Lis was mauled to death by the dog - named 'Beast' - while playing at a friend's house after school in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, Caerphilly. The schoolboy's death, in November last year, took place days after Beast had attacked two other people, a court heard. Today Amy Salter, 28, and Brandon Hayden, 19, appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court accused of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in death. Hayden is also charged with a further five offences of owning a dog dangerously out of control between November 4 and 7. Today Amy Salter, 28, and Brandon Hayden, 19, appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court accused of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in death. Hayden is also charged with a further five offences of owning a dog dangerously out of control between November 4 and 7. Jack Lis (pictured) was mauled to death by the dog - named 'Beast' - while playing at a friend's house after school in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, Caerphilly The schoolboy's death, in November last year, took place days after American Bully Beast (pictured) had attacked two other people, a court heard The court heard two of those incidents resulted in injuries to two members of the public, Michael Ball and Sian Sullivan. Salter and Hayden, both of Caerphilly, spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses. They did not enter any pleas to the charges they face, and their cases were committed to Newport Crown Court. The defendants were released on conditional bail until their next court appearance on May 5. The emergency services including paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service were called to the property at around 3.55pm but were unable to save Jack and he died at the scene. Police firearms officers, who also attended the scene, destroyed the dog. The animal was later found to be an American bully or XL bully, which are not on the banned breed list. In a statement issued the day after he was killed, Jack's family said: 'Our boy made us the proudest parents and family on the planet. He was the sweetest of boys.' A funeral held for Jack at St Martin's Church in Caerphilly was attended by hundreds of people wearing red and carrying red balloons in his memory. The emergency services including paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service were called to the property at around 3.55pm but were unable to save Jack and he died at the scene. Pictured: Police at the scene A funeral held for Jack at St Martin's Church in Caerphilly (pictured) was attended by hundreds of people wearing red and carrying red balloons in his memory A procession of high-end cars, including a silver DeLorean DMC-12 and red Mustang, took place prior to the service around the town and castle. An inquest previously heard that Jack had gone to the property on November 8 last year. Senior coroner Caroline Saunders previously told the inquest in Newport: 'Upon entering the home Jack was attacked by a dog'. The inquest heard paramedics were called but Jack's injuries were 'unsurvivable' and he was pronounced dead just after 4pm. A 62-year-old man has been found guilty of conning a wealthy family into believing he was their missing teenage son for 41 years. In 1981, Dayanand Gosai approached Kameshwar and Ramsakhi Singh, who lived in Nalanda, Bihar district, in the north east of India, to claim he was their only son, teenager Kanhaiya Singh, who had gone missing four years earlier. Within 15 years of meeting the family, both Kameshwar and Ramsakhi passed away, and as the 'heir' to their fortune, Gosai inherited land and properties of the Singh family, later selling them to make his own wealth. When approached by Gosai years after his son went missing, heartbroken Mr Kameshwar, who was considered to be one of the wealthiest landlords in the region, took Gosai into the family and ignored his wife and five daughters who were suspicious of the then 21-year-old. Mrs Singh and her daughters pointed out that Gosai did not have the same childhood scar of Kanhaiya, also failing to answer any questions they put to him to identify if it really was their loved one. According to a local journalist who knows the family, Gosai also could not recognise any family members in photo albums. Dayanand Gosai, 62, pictured, has been found guilty of conning a wealthy family into believing he was their missing teenage son for 41 years after approaching them in their home town of Nalanda, Bihar, India Speaking to The Times, Ram Ravi Prakash said: 'They showed him family albums, he couldnt identify anyone. 'They made him meet his earlier teachers and tutors, he couldnt name them. They asked him about family events, likes and dislikes and he had no clue.' Gosai's presence divided the family, with Mr Singh and other relatives determined to keep his 'son' and insisting that he was genuine in his claims, allowing him to live in the home which sits on 50 acres of the family's land. Mr Singh's wife Ramsakhi persisted and went to court to evict Gosai later in the same year he appeared in their lives, but the case went on for decades. Rajesh Kumar, Mrs Singh's lawyer, said that judges died or were transferred elsewhere, witnesses died, the pandemic got in the way of proceedings. During which time, the five daughters got married, and Gosai too, who also now has two children. In 1990, father Kameshwar died, and in 1995, Ramsakhi died. Kumar added: 'Till her dying breath, she said this liar was not her son.' Following her mother's death, eldest daughter Vidya Singh decided to pick up where her mother left off with her case of evicting Gosai after police closed it - but it took years to allow her permission to be plaintiff, even going as far as the Supreme Court. The evidence built up against Gosai, but despite a court ruling in 2019, the 62-year-old refused to take a DNA test. Even during his trial, before being convicted of fraud at Nalanda District Court (pictured), he continued to try and dupe the court, by producing a fake 'death certificate' for himself to show he could not possibly be himself, but instead, the missing son This week, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for forgery, and another six months on account of criminal conspiracy for pretending to be Kanhaiya and targeting the wealthy family. Even during his trial, before being convicted of fraud at Nalanda District Court, he continued to try and dupe the court, by producing a fake 'death certificate' for himself to show he could not possibly be himself, but instead, the missing son. The certificate was found to be forged. Kumar Singh, eldest daughter Vidya's husband, said on the verdict: 'All she said to me was that she wished her mother were alive to see that the truth did finally prevail.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for covid on Thursday as a new wave of cases hit the Washington D.C. area. Her office said she had tested negatively previously this week. The speaker is vaccinated and boosted. Pelosi, 82, was at the White House on Wednesday when President Joe Biden signed a postal reform bill. She stood by the president and shook hands with him. She was also at the White House on Tuesday for an event with Biden and former President Barack Obama to mark the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. She hugged Obama and Biden at that event. She was seen wearing a mask at one point on Wednesday but she also took it off for the bill signing. The White House said Biden was not considered a close contact and tested negative for covid on Wednesday night. 'The President is not considered a close contact of Speaker Pelosi as defined by the CDC,' the White House said in a statement on Thursday. 'The President saw Speaker Pelosi at White House events and had brief interactions over the course of the last two days. Last night as a part of his regular testing cadence, the President tested negative. He will continue to be tested regularly. The President wishes Speaker Pelosi a speedy recovery.' Pelosi's office said she has no symptoms and is quarantining. 'After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic. The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided. The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly,' Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said. Pelosi was not at Saturday night's Gridiron dinner, a white-tie event of Washington media and officials. Hammill was in attendance. Biden's sister Valerie Biden Owens, 76, was at the Gridiron dinner and tested positive for covid, her publisher announced. A planned party for her memoir was canceled and her publisher said she is not a close contact with the president or first lady. But Biden's maskless appearances at events featuring people who later tested positive for covid will raise more questions about the safety protocols surrounding the 79-year-old president. Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for covid on Thursday - she was at the White House on Wednesday when President Joe Biden signed a postal reform bill (above) Speaker Nancy Pelosi wears a mask as she arrives for an event with President Joe Biden signing the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also at the White House on Tuesday for an event marking the anniversary of the Affordable Health Care act - she hugged former President Barack Obama (left) and President Joe Biden (right) at the event Biden's sister Valerie Biden Owens, 76, was at the Gridiron dinner and tested positive for covid On Wednesday, several lawmakers, cabinet members and senior staff announced they tested positive for covid after attending the invitation-only exclusive Gridiron dinner, which is showing signs of being a super spreader. Kamala Harris' communications director was one of them and is considered a close contact to the vice president, Harris' office said. Jamal Simmons, who joined Harris' office in early January, is isolating and working from home. Simmons was spotted shaking hands and hugging former President Barack Obama at a packed White House event on Tuesday celebrating the anniversary of the Affordable Healthcare Act. Obama had covid last month. President Biden was next to Harris at Tuesday's event in the East Room. The White House said he was last tested for covid on Monday and was negative. Harris 'will follow CDC guidance for those that have been in close contact with a positive individual and will continue to consult with her physician,' her spokesperson Kristin Allen said in a statement. 'The Vice President plans to continue with her public schedule.' It's the second recent exposure for the vice president, whose husband Doug Emhoff tested positive for covid last month. Harris' office did not immediately respond to inquiries about when the vice president was last tested for covid. She did not appear with President Biden at an event Wednesday afternoon where he signed a postal reform bill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a close contact as someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected individual for more than 15 minutes. Jamal Simmons (left) with former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris at an event at the White House on Tuesday; Simmons tested positive for covid on Wednesday Obama gave Simmons a hug at the event NEW: Responding to my question what he says to Democrats worried about the midterms, President Obama tells me: We got a story to tell, just got to tell it. pic.twitter.com/eBFsi0o9rA Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) April 5, 2022 Simons is the latest covid case among a spike of positive tests through Washington D.C.'s bold-faced names, many of which have close ties to the White House. Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for covid on Wednesday after sitting at the head table with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, another positive case, at the white-tie Gridiron Dinner. Garland, who is vaccinated and boosted, is showing no symptoms. 'He asked to be tested after learning that he may have been exposed to the virus,' the Justice Department said in a statement. The announcement came after Garland held a press conference Wednesday on Russian sanctions. He did not wear a face mask and was surrounded by his deputies. He will isolate at home for at least five days and return to the office following a negative covid test. Earlier Wednesday Raimondo tested positive with an at-home antigen test after 'experiencing mild symptoms,' the Commerce Department said in a statement. 'Today, I tested positive for COVID. Fortunately, I am fully vaccinated (and boosted!), and I am confident that this vaccine is the reason I don't have more severe symptoms,' she wrote on twitter. The department said she shared her diagnosis 'out of an abundance of transparency.' She will isolate for five days and work from home. Raimondo stayed late at the event, hanging out at an after party and speaking to several members of the media who were in attendance. President Biden was not considered a close contact, the Commerce department said. Biden was not at Saturday night's dinner. Neither Garland nor Raimondo attended a packed White House event on Tuesday celebrating the Affordable Healthcare Act, where Biden and former President Barack Obama spoke. Gridiron Club president Tom DeFrank said on Wednesday afternoon that there are 14 dinner guests who are known to have tested positive for covid. 'There is no way of being certain about when they first contracted Covid,' his statement says. 'But they did interact with other guests during the night and we have to be realistic and expect some more cases.' Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for covid after attending the Gridiron dinner; he spoke at a press conference earlier Wednesday Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tested positive for covid after attending the white-tie Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night Raimondo was the keynote speaker at Saturday night's Gridiron dinner, one of the poshest events of the D.C. social season. The private dinner, held in a Washington D.C. hotel, did not release photos or video footage of the night. Guests were required to show proof of vaccination but were not required to have a negative covid test ahead of the dinner. More than 600 people crowded together in rows of tables in the Renaissance hotel ballroom. Raimondo was seated at the head table with high-profile guests like Garland, Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova and White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Most attendees at the dinner, which included members of Congress and other administration officials - were maskless. Among those in attendance were Dr. Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro, both of whom attended the dinner, also announced positive covid tests this week. Multiple reporters who attended the dinner have also tested positive. 'I'm feeling fine, and grateful to be vaccinated and boosted. In the coming days, I will quarantine and follow CDC guidelines,' Schiff tweeted. 'Unfortunately, after avoiding COVID-19 for two years, I've come down with it. I tested negative yesterday & last Thursday, but positive today,' Castro tweeted on Tuesday. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff (left) and Joaquin Castro (right), both of whom attended the Gridiron dinner, also announced positive covid tests this week Psaki said on Monday that the White House covid policies have not changed in light of the jump in cases with close ties to the administration. 'Our policy is that all Executive Office of the President employees surrounding the President are on a regular testing schedule to screen for COVID on campus. That is a step beyond CDC guidance. If you're going to see the President, you will be tested that day, even if you're not traveling with him just if you're going to see him for a meeting,' she said at her press briefing. 'And meetings with the President are often socially distanced in many circumstances as an additional precaution, even as people are tested,' she noted. Biden is vaccinated and boosted. He received his second booster shot last week. The Gridiron Club dinner is an off-camera, off-the-record event for members of the media. Politicians and other a-list figures are invited to its annual dinner. The event features a Republican speaker, a Democratic speaker, and a speaker representing the sitting administration, along with a series of sketches performed by club members. This year's dinner - the club's 137th - featured Raimondo, Republican Gov. of New Hampshire Chris Sununu, and Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland. Advertisement Britain's daily Covid cases fell by another third today, official data showed as the end of free testing continues to obscure the true shape of the outbreak. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses logged another 47,126 positive tests over the last 24 hours, down 36.9 per cent on the 74,720 recorded last Thursday the last day of England's mass-swabbing regime. Experts warn the daily figures are now almost meaningless because they rely entirely on people coming forward for tests. MPs have called for the end of the constant updates. Despite the drop-off in cases, the number of people dying with the virus jumped 65.1 per cent in a week to 317. It was the highest total since the end of the Omicron wave on January 20 when 330 were recorded. But the figure encompasses all people dying 'with' the virus rather than just those whose death was caused by it. This means large numbers could be so-called 'incidentals' due to the virus's high prevalence. Separate infection surveys using random swabbing, rather than official testing, show Britain is currently at record levels of infections. Meanwhile, hospitalisations crept up slightly after dropping for two days in a row. The number of admissions rose 2.4 per cent to 2,274 on Sunday, the latest date data is available for. NHS bosses say the rising figures, combined with staff absences, has left hospitals in crisis mode. The UKHSA's weekly flu and Covid surveillance report shows the number of cases picked up by lateral flow tests and PCRs both fell in the week ending April 3. Test positivity also fell, suggesting actual infections may be on the decline as well The number of cases picked up by lateral flow tests and PCRs fell in all age groups in the week ending April 3, according to the UKHSA's weekly flu and Covid surveillance report The number of cases picked up by lateral flow tests and PCRs fell in all regions in the week ending April 3, according to the UKHSA's weekly flu and Covid surveillance report NHS trust asks families to take Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds NHS hospitals have started pleading with families to take their Covid-infected relatives home to free up beds as trusts battle a 'perfect storm' of pressures. The chief medical officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area urged those who have loved ones in hospital to 'help staff to get them home quickly when they are well enough even if they are still testing positive'. Meanwhile, millions of patients in Yorkshire have been told to stay away from A&E departments except in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'. One ambulance service in the south of England even asked patients to make their own way to hospital. Officials say the crisis which is affecting every area of the health service is being driven by a combination of a high level of Covid admissions and staff absences. Health bosses have warned that the situation is already having a 'knock-on effect', jeopardising attempts to tackle the backlog of 6.1million patients whose treatment was effectively ground to a halt because of the pandemic. Advertisement Amid the rising hospitalisations, a data error last night caused UKHSA bosses to an extra 2,714 Covid deaths to their total on top of today's tally of 317. It means the total number of deaths in the UK within 28 days of a positive test now stands at 169,412. The UK Health Security Agency said that 'due to a data processing error, a number of people who died within 28 days of a positive Covid test were not reported in a timely manner'. The 2,714 deaths, all of which have occurred in England this year, were 'added retrospectively' to the Government's coronavirus dashboard on Wednesday evening. The revision to the figures narrows the gap slightly between the Government's preferred death toll, based only on people who have died within 28 days of testing positive. The number of people who have had Covid recorded on their death certificate, which is published by the Office for National Statistics and currently stands at just over 190,000. Both measures of Covid mortality have shown a small increase in recent weeks in the number of deaths occurring each day in the UK, reflecting the impact of the surge of infections driven by the Omicron BA.2 variant. The number of deaths per day remains well below levels reached during the first and second waves of the virus, however. Meanwhile, millions of patients in Yorkshire have been told to stay away from A&E departments except in 'genuine, life-threatening situations'. One ambulance service in the south of England even asked patients to make their own way to hospital. Officials say the crisis which is affecting every area of the health service is being driven by a combination of a high level of Covid admissions and staff absences. Health bosses have warned that the situation is already having a 'knock-on effect', jeopardising attempts to tackle the backlog of 6.1million patients whose treatment was effectively ground to a halt because of the pandemic. Government statistics show 20,000 Covid patients are currently in hospital meaning trusts are now busier than they were in January at the height of the Omicron wave. The graph shows the number of Covid hospital patients in England (blue line), of which there were 16,587 yesterday, and the number in mechanical ventilation beds, which was 317 yesterday Some 16,587 infected people were in beds in England yesterday morning, the highest figure since January 17 and six per cent higher than one week earlier. However, NHS data shows just 42 per cent of those in hospital were admitted because they were primarily unwell with the virus (blue line) Boris Johnson's decision to axe England's 2billion-a-month free testing regime means that tens of thousands of cases are being missed. MailOnline can also reveal people who buy a test privately are unable to report a positive result to the Government, skewing the case numbers even further. And scientists have for months warned the daily hospital and death numbers are misleading because they don't necessarily equate to patients who have been killed or left severely ill from the illness. No10 insiders originally hinted the daily dashboard would be stood down in April, coinciding with the end of the Government's mass-testing programme. But health officials have yet to pull the plug, despite months of appeals to stop publicising the figures every day. Department of Health insiders say there are 'currently no plans' to ditch the daily 4pm releases, even though the weekend dashboard reporting system has already been cancelled under the Prime Ministers strategy to live with coronavirus like the flu. Another 364,012 lateral flow tests were recorded in England yesterday , down 30 per cent on the 522,554 sent in last Wednesday. Separate Covid-tracking surveillance projects show infections have hit pandemic highs and are yet to slow down. Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE Covid Study app, said the daily updates have been 'irrelevant' for months and that we should be ignoring it because it is 'very misleading'. Epidemiologist Professor Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said the daily dashboard had never provided an 'accurate' picture of cases. And senior Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith told MailOnline: 'It's time to stop these daily reports.' He added the figures are 'of little interest and in isolation tell us nothing'. A brazen mob of thugs beat and stabbed a 16-year-old boy in broad daylight in New York City as they robbed him and his friend of their scooter. The brutal attack, which was caught on surveillance video on March 29, shows two people sitting on the scooter in Queens as the hooded thugs swarm towards them down the sidewalk. The victims can be seen trying to roll back on their scooter and escape as the gang closes in. The attackers then charge, and throw the boy and his friend to the ground. A brazen mob of hooded thugs beat and stabbed a 16-year-old boy in broad daylight in New York City as they robbed him and his friend of their scooter on March 29 In surveillance footage, one victim is seen being thrown to the ground One victim flees across a sidewalk but falls and is chased down by a hooded individual who repeatedly punches him where he lies One of the suspects from the March 29 robbery is seen on surveillance footage. The attack is the latest incident in a slew of violent crimes in NYC One victim flees across a sidewalk but falls and is chased down by a hooded individual who repeatedly punches him where he lies. That victim regains his feet and flees off camera, while his attacker scrapes several items from the pavement before pocketing them and rejoining the fray. Back by the scooter, the other rider has been picked up and tossed to the ground while at least five individuals repeatedly punch and kick him. One of the thugs picks up the scooter and begins to roll away with it, while the victim is still being tossed about the street. Finally, the victim wrangles free and takes off across the sidewalk, but not before receiving a final shove from behind from one of his attackers, who then regroup and slink of camera with the motor-scooter. One of victims, a 16-year-old boy, was left with stab wounds from the attack. No arrests have been made in the case according to the NYPD, and the identities and current condition of the victims remain unreleased. The attack occurred days before the NYPD released data showing an astounding spike in crime over the past year. For the year through April 3, major crimes are up 44 percent from the same period in 2021, with felony assault up 19 percent and robberies rising 47 percent. On Wednesday, the NYPD released new crime statistics which shows that crime in 2022 is 44% higher than it was at this time a year ago. 'This is not what New Yorkers expect or deserve, and we will not stand for it,' NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said at a Wednesday press conference about the latest troubling data. 'It's clear what we are confronting: A perception among criminals that there are no consequences, even for serious crime. We need tangible changes,' added Sewell. Sewell appeared to slam the recent trend toward policies such as bail reform, and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's stance reducing or dropping charges for many crimes. '[The justice system] must be fair, but it must first and foremost favor the people it was designed to safeguard and protect. When the focus on those people is lost -- New Yorkers, who deserve to be free from fear -- the policies fail to deliver on their most basic purpose, which is public safety,' said Sewell. 'Everyday New Yorkers need more help. Our police need more help. We need help from every corner of the criminal justice system, and from everyone who lives in, works in, or visits our great city,' said Sewell. One of the the two men, identified as the main suspect, repeatedly beat the victim with a brick in broad daylight until he fell to the ground The attack in Queens is one in a series of disturbing crimes in the Big Apple. Last week, a 60-year-old man in Harlem was bludgeoned with a brick after a dispute with a woman at his apartment building. The elderly victim, who lives in an apartment complex on the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard and West 132nd St., approached a woman in his building and accused her of stealing packages from the lobby. The woman, who remains unidentified, left and came back with two people. One of them started hitting the victim with a brick and his fists in the middle of the street until he crumpled to the ground, video released this week shows. In another attack, a commuter was slashed in the neck with a box cutter on Tuesday morning at the Wall St subway station. Juana Esperanza Soriano De-Perdomo, 61, was killed on Monday as she walked past a deli on 164 East and 188th Street in the Fordham Heights neighborhood Soriano De-Perdomo was returning home after buying groceries when she was hit in the back by a bullet fired during a gang-related feud between four men And on Monday evening, Juana Esperanza Soriano De-Perdomo, 61, was killed as she walked past a deli on 164 East and 188th Street in the Fordham Heights neighborhood. Soriano De-Perdomo was returning home after buying groceries when she was hit in the back by a bullet fired during a gang-related feud between four men. The woman was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital at around 7pm but died shortly after. The suspects fled on foot and no arrests have been made. A House Committee probing potential record-keeping violations by former President Donald Trump is blasting the Justice Department for failing to turn over the contents of 15 boxes of material Trump took with him when he left office. Her push comes amid a report that DOJ has begun 'taking steps' to investigate the former president over the matter, the Washington Post reported, calling the probe in its 'early stages.' It was not clear in agency responses to a key congressional investigator why it was holding back, or whether it has dug through a trove of material Trump took with him when he left office. Some of the material was later found to be 'top secret.' Trump removed the material and took it to his home at Mar-a-Lago prompting a congressional probe of potential record keeping abuses as well as potential destruction of documents. House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney is now accusing Attorney General Merrick Garland of preventing the National Archives and Records Administration from complying with their requests for materials and consequently 'interfering with the Committees investigation.' But DOJ is blocking the move in what Maloney suggests is the agency giving precedent to its own probe. The Archives cited its own 'consultation' with DOJ, and said it was 'unable to provide any comment' when pressed by the committee for further information in a March 28 letter. Former President Donald Trump returned 15 boxes of material he took with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving office. The chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee wrote the Justice Department asking for access to the documents 'By blocking NARA from producing the documents requested by the Committee, the Department is obstructing the Committees investigation. The Committee does not wish to interfere in any manner with any potential or ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice,' Maloney wrote Garland in a letter dated April 7. 'However, the Committee has not received any explanation as to why the Department is preventing NARA from providing information to the Committee that relates to compliance with the PRA, including unclassified information describing the contents of the 15 boxes from Mar-aLago,' she continued. She asked DOJ to tell her by mid-April whether it would allow the Archives to cooperate and hand over material. There are no indications that a probe into Trump on presidential records, who the Post attributed to people familiar with the matter, is connected to a broader probe of Jan. 6th. Many elected Democrats are calling on Garland to home in in Trump's actions that day, as prosecutors continue in a probe that has swept up hundreds of people who entered the Capitol during the riot that day. The Washington Post reported in February that Trump took information marked 'classified,' and the Archives confirmed this in a prior letter to Maloney. Trump returned 15 boxes of material to the government, following reports they contained classified material The boxes went to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump maintains a home Rep. Carolyn Maloney accuses Justice Department of 'obstructing' her committee's probe The material included Trump's 'love letters' with Kim Jong-on 'NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes,' wrote Archivist David S. Ferriero. Trump aides returned the boxes to the Archives. The paper even reported that that the trove included the 'love letters' that Trump exchanged with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un while he was in office. The back-and-forth suggests the possibility that DOJ is conducting its own probe of potential violations of the Presidential Records Act although Maloney stopped short of saying so outright. She said she didn't want to interfere with 'any potential or ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice.' Mishandling or destruction of classified material is a criminal offense as Trump knows from the 2016 campaign, when he regularly brought up Hillary Clinton's email scandal. A woman reunited with her sister after the pair was separated at the start of Russia's invasion shared an emotional embrace amid devastating scenes in war-torn Bucha yesterday. Vladyslava Liubarets passed by damaged Russian military equipment in the town, northwest of Kyiv, which has been retaken by Ukraine's army. The brief moment of reprieve is one marred by the distressing accounts emerging from Bucha in the wake of Russian troops' withdrawal. Vladyslava Liubarets (right) shared an emotional embrace with her sister in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv The horrific images and stories tumbling out of such Ukrainian towns bear witness to depravity on a scale recalling the barbarities of Cambodia, the Balkans, World War II. Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other cities, amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what President Volodymyr Zelensky said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and some were found with their hands bound. Ms Liubarets passed by damaged Russian military equipment in the town, northwest of Kyiv, which has been retaken by Ukraine's army Zelensky also accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. Ms Liubarets (centre), a Bucha resident, walks with her family past destroyed Russian military machinery, to meet her sister Bucha resident Ms Liubarets (centre-right) hugs her sister, who she had not seen since the beginning of the war He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. Buchans are now left to deal with the aftermath of the massacre amid the reports of corpses strewn across the streets and images showing collapsed buildings and broken homes. Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, resident Halyna Opalat said: 'Why do they hate us so much? Why? Because we're a nation? 'This used to be such a beautiful city. Now it's frightening to look at. My soul hurts.' Lyudmila Khoda, 79, told the outlet she would hear frequent stories of people her neighbours knew being killed. 'They were very ferocious,' she added. Today the United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The push, led by the US, won 93 votes in favour to suspend Russia, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. Residents look at destroyed Russian military machinery on the street, in Bucha, the town which was retaken by the Ukrainian army, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. The vote followed allegations that Russian troops systematically executed civilians in Bucha alongside other reports of human rights abuses since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. Ukraine's UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya introduced the resolution before the 193 members of the General Assembly vote as he urged UN members to suspend Russia. A member of the Ukrainian army stands next to a mass grave in front of an Orthodox church, in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 6 A man pushes his bike through debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street on April 6 in Bucha, Ukraine He said: 'Russia's actions are beyond the pale. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security.' China was one of the 24 countries to vote 'no', with China's ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun saying: 'We oppose double standards and oppose exerting pressure on other countries in the name of human rights.' Russia has denied claims that its forces are behind the atrocities understood to have taken place in Bucha. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing yesterday that images of dead civilians in the town were fake and published in order to justify further sanctions by the West against Moscow and 'to complicate, if not completely disrupt, (peace) talks'. The New York Times has told its journalists to get off Twitter after recent concerns of online harassment - and have issued a 'reset' on how the newsroom uses the social media platform. New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet has written to staff telling them that maintaining a Twitter presence is now 'purely optional' for staff, a memo leaked to The Insider revealed. Baquet also told staffers who choose to stay on Twitter to 'meaningfully reduce' their time on the platform. 'We encourage you to meaningfully reduce how much time you're spending on the platform, tweeting or scrolling, in relation to other parts of your job,' Baquet wrote in the memo. New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet wrote in a leaked memo obtained by the Insider, that maintaining a Twitter presence is now 'purely optional' for Times staffers A Times spokesperson told Insider that this 'reset' is 'absolutely not a ban' and that the policy change is in response to an uptick in concerns of harassment. But the top editor made clear that masthead editors will monitor reporters' tweets for any behavior that violates the paper's editorial standards. 'Tweets or subtweets that attack, criticize or undermine the work of your colleagues are not allowed,' Baquet wrote in the memo. As part of NYT's social media policy 'reset,' Baquet added that the Times will be stepping up efforts to support their journalists by rolling out new training and tools to help prevent and respond to online abuse, saying it's an 'industry-wide scourge.' 'We can rely too much on Twitter as a reporting or feedback tool which is especially harmful to our journalism when our feeds become echo chambers,' the editor wrote in the memo. 'We can be overly focused on how Twitter will react to our work, to the detriment of our mission and independence. We can make off-the-cuff responses that damage our journalistic reputations. And for too many of you, your experience of Twitter is shaped by harassment and attacks.' Former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss has long been a critic of the Times' use of social media, stating that 'Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor.' Weiss quit the paper with a resignation letter that went viral where she railed against the liberal bias and said the paper no longer served journalism. Weiss, in her resignation letter, said her opinions had resulted in her being bullied by coworkers. 'Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space.' She described the Times as a 'hostile work environment' and criticized management for allowing her co-workers to 'publicly smear' her on Twitter and also on company-wide Slack messaging channels. Weiss said some employees would post an axe emoji next to her name on company Slack channels and others would discuss the need for her to 'rooted out' if the NYT was 'truly inclusive'. In recent months, several journalists at the Times and other media outlets have shared concerns about an uptick in threats they say they've received online. Taylor Lorenz, a former New York Times reporter, has been outspoken about online harassment and attacks of her reported that she faced while at the Times - which she has criticized for how the paper handled. In response to the Times' Twitter policy change, Lorenz, who is now a Washington Post tech columnist, tweeted that the new social media rule 'only deepens the NYT's vulnerability to bad faith attacks.' She accused Times editors of being 'more obsessed' with Twitter than 'the majority of the newsroom' and that they have been 'stalking down employees every reply.' Taylor Lorenz, a former NYT reporter, has been outspoken about online harassment of her reported that she faced while at the Times - which she has criticized for how the paper handled In response to the Times' Twitter policy change, Lorenz, tweeted that the new social media rule 'only deepens the NYT's vulnerability to bad faith attacks' She accused Times editors of being 'more obsessed' with Twitter than 'the majority of the newsroom' and that they have been 'stalking down employees every reply' She pointed out that the rule was also 'regressive' and not consistent with how younger people use the internet. 'This is not how a newsroom should approach the internet or social media,' she wrote in a thread of tweets on Thursday. 'A good social policy is about *supporting* your staff, protecting them against bad faith attacks, and recognizing that we all live as full humans online now,' she continued. Lorenz added that top bosses policing staffers' tweets is something 'counterproductive, damaging to journalists, especially those who need to use the internet for reporting.' Lorenz described a situation at the Times right before she left where she was 'reprimanded saying 'doxxing is bad' on social media because it was 'expressing an opinion' and expressing opinions is banned in the social media policy.' She added that she 'argued it's a fact, they disagreed. This is how ineffective policies like this play out.' Lorenz described a situation at the Times right before she left where she was 'reprimanded saying 'doxxing is bad' on social media because it was 'expressing an opinion' and expressing opinions is banned in the social media policy' A New York Times spokesperson told The Insider 'What Dean is calling for is a reset in our newsroom's approach to Twitter and other social media platforms. He's telling our journalists that there's no expectation that they individually need to be on social media. He's responding in part to the concerns of numerous colleagues in our newsroom who told us that change was needed. But this is absolutely not a ban. The New York Times is committed to promoting our best-in-class journalism wherever our audience is, including on Twitter and other platforms.' Read the full memo below: Staffing for Chicago's embattled police force has reached a new low not seen in more than half a century, department records reveal, as hundreds of officers resign and switch professions amid the city's pandemic-spurred crime wave. According to department data updated March 30, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) currently boasts 11,669 sworn officers, down more than 300 from the beginning of the year when the force reported 11,983 cops - a number that still pales in comparison to the force in recent years. At the start of 2021, CPD brass reported it had 12,739 sworn officers on the force - down 560 from the year prior, and 747 from 2019. In the last three decades, that number had not dropped below 12,000. The loss of 1,070 officers since the start of last year, was panned in March by CPD Superintendent David O. Brown as a product of 'generation resignation' - a trend that's emerged among workers during the pandemic. According to department data updated March 30, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) currently boasts just 11,669 sworn officers, down more than 300 from the beginning of the year when it reported it had 11,983 cops. Over the past three decades, the number had not dropped below 12,000 The term refers to workers in the US quitting their jobs in droves in favor of better wages, benefits, working conditions and hours, to take advantage of a severe worker shortage in the U.S. job market. In 2021, police officer departures reached the highest point in decades, when 965 uniformed personnel resigned or retired from the force, joined by a further 100 non-uniformed members who also cut ties with the department, the statistics show. The data represents a staggering increase from prior years, with 678 sworn officers leaving the force in 2020, 611 retiring or resigning in 2019, 476 in 2018, and 627 in 2017, according to the department. The influx of retirements seen in 2021 are likely linked to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who that year announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for city employees - including cops - and championed an effort to 'defund the police.' CPD officials in recent months have stressed a need for recruiting in recent months, going as far as to loosen requirements for prospective uniformed recruits (pictured). The city did not hold an in-person recruiting exam for most of the past two years due to the pandemic The year prior, following protests from activists outraged over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis cop, the city of Chicago slashed the force's budget by $59 million. The politician has since backtracked on the Defund the Police movement, pulling an about-face in August after the shooting death of Chicago officer Ella French and astronomical crime numbers spurred by the pandemic. She unveiled a new plan to - ironically - 'refund the police.' In September, Lightfoot unveiled a $16.7 billion spending plan that lifted the Chicago Police Department's annual budget to $1.9 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 2021. The plan relied on federal money to help dig the city out of a deficit that reached new heights during Lightfoot's time in office, and outlined prospective funding new community programs. The influx of retirements seen in 2021 are likely also linked to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who that year announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for city employees - including cops - and championed an effort to 'defund the police' At the time, Lightfoot asserted the plan would help the crime-ravaged city - there were 800 homicides in 2021, a level not seen in 25 years - pull through the pandemic and address the prevailing issues of gun violence and crime. The plan has so far proved astonishingly ineffective, with the city since experiencing frightening new rates not seen in half a decade. Barely four months in, the latest crime statistics show 3,778 complaints of theft already, up 69% from 2,238 for the same time period last year. Battery, burglary and theft also appear to be on the rise. Criminal sexual assault seems to emerge as a growing problem, with 489 complaints this year to date - up from 476 same time last year. Instances of shootings and murder, meanwhile, historically the city's most prevailing crimes, appear to be decreasing - albeit marginally - from last year, but are still well above pre-pandemic levels. As cops resign and retire, the city is experiencing frightening new crime rates not seen in half a decade So far this year, the city has recorded 525 shooting incidents - down 75 from last year. Similarly, there have been 132 murders in the city in 2022 so far, compared with 139 during the same span of 2021 - a year that saw a historic rise in homicides, especially by gun. CPD officials in recent months have stressed a need for recruiting, going as far as to loosen requirements for prospective uniformed recruits. The department decided last month to waive the minimum 60 college credits for certain candidates and offer online testing opportunities, after having nixed the in-person recruiting process for much of the pandemic. 'The @Chicago_Police Department is now waiving the 60-college credit hour requirement for candidates with experience in: social services, healthcare, education, trade industries, licensed security agencies, detention and corrections, and law enforcement. #ItStartsWithYou,' Superintendent of Police David Brown, 61, wrote. 'I encourage anyone who is compassionate and cares about public safety in our communities citywide to begin the process of becoming a #ChicagoPolice officer,' the CPD superintendent added in another tweet. In-person exams for prospective officers were held from March 17 through March 19. Brown blamed the decreases on the lack of an in-person police recruitment test during all of 2020 and the first half of 2021, and also the 'great resignation.' Early last month, CPD Superintendent Brown revealed on social media that the department was waiving the minimum 60 college credits for certain candidates and offering online testing opportunities, after having nixed the in-person recruiting process for much of the pandemic 'So, a couple things happened in 2021,' Brown said. 'What happened is that we really thought that this would be an ongoing challenge in the impact of what many called, "Generation resignation"not just policing, but in other professions.' The head cop asserted that the difficulty to hire employees during the pandemic era 'impacted us, as well. Not just us here in Chicago, but across the law enforcement profession.' CPD officials also made the departments hiring push evident on social media, with frequent posts about the effort on a near-daily basis. Chicago police union president John Catanzara, Jr. - who famously challenged Lightfoot last year to suspend up of half the city's cops by telling them to ignore her order to submit their vaccination status or face termination - estimated in April that it would take 'at least five to 10 years to recoup the losses in manpower in police forces' in Chicago and the US in general. 'I mean, when were looking at 7, 800, 900 retirements or departures, resignations and younger officers leaving for other departments in comparison to two or three hundred recruits coming through the door in a given year in the process,' Catanzara told Fox News. 'That is not a sustainable number, and its gonna make these streets less safe for a long time to come, even if you flip the switch today.' Schools have to tread a 'careful path' between being 'damned for being intolerant' or 'slammed for being woke', Ofsted's chief inspector has said. Speaking at an Office for Students event, Amanda Spielman said schools and colleges have to navigate the 'whole landscape of equalities and rights' with caution. 'We want schools to encourage children to become engaged citizens without tipping over the line of impartiality,' she added. The Government released guidance on political impartiality for schools in February, aimed at helping teachers avoid 'promoting contested theories as fact' in England. It suggested the teaching of historical figures should focus on 'factual information' about them, while lessons on the British empire should be presented in 'a balanced manner'. Some anti-racism campaigners criticised the guidance as 'disturbing', claiming it appeared to focus on 'creating a debate about the 'culture wars'' rather than helping pupils learn about racism and prejudice. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said the issue of political impartiality in classrooms is 'a complaint I'm hearing more and more', and that teachers should cover 'the full range of political issues they need to'. He said pupils should be able to read books containing racial slurs at school, adding it is 'really important that children are allowed to be able to be curious... to understand where this stuff comes from, rather than (where you) create these sort of false filters for them'. Ofsted's chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, (above) said teachers now had to tread a 'careful path' between being 'damned for being intolerant' or 'slammed for being woke' Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi had urged teachers to cover 'the full range of political issues they need to' Meanwhile, Ms Spielman said the pandemic is still 'looming large over everything that we do' from early years to universities, and schools and higher education institutions need to work together to give young people the 'confidence' to go on to further study. 'A big part of that will always sit with schools and colleges themselves,' she said. 'They need to set a culture that values learning and one that sees the accumulation of qualifications as the natural by-product of a rounded education, rather than an end in itself. 'In the wake of Covid and the learning gaps that so many young people have, it's not good enough to cover the same ground at twice the speed - that won't help these young people as they develop and it won't help universities as you take on the next generation of students.' She said schools are expected 'to handle so much more than academic education, as society evolves, and sometimes, as support services are withdrawn'. Schools' vital role in safeguarding had been exposed during the first lockdown when social services referrals fell dramatically as 'children just slipped out of sight of teachers', she said. The Government released guidance on political impartiality for schools in February, aimed at helping teachers avoid 'promoting contested theories as fact' in England. Some anti-racism campaigners criticised the advice as 'disturbing', claiming it appeared to focus on 'creating a debate about the 'culture wars'' rather than helping pupils learn about racism and prejudice. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the issue of political impartiality in classrooms is 'a complaint I'm hearing more and more'. He said pupils should be able to read books containing racial slurs at school, adding it is 'really important that children are allowed to be able to be curious... to understand where this stuff comes from, rather than (where you) create these sort of false filters for them'. Last month, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said when she was growing up in Nigeria the legacy of the British Empire was taught in a 'nuanced' way. She urged schools to emulate this and teach about both the positive and negative aspects. Ms Badenoch had just published the Government's strategy on tackling racial disparities, which includes plans for a new model history curriculum. A world map showing the British empire in 1902. Britons were more nostalgic for an empire than any other former imperial power, according to a 2020 YouGov survey A 2020 survey found Britons were more nostalgic for an empire than any other former imperial power. The polling, from YouGov, showed 27 percent of people in the UK would have liked Britain to still have an empire, 50 percent would not and 23 percent did not know. It also found a third of Britons believe countries colonised by Britain were 'better off'. A federal judge on Thursday refused Donald Trump's request to stand aside from handling his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, saying there was no legitimate reason why his appointment by President Bill Clinton should disqualify him. In a strongly worded five-page ruling, Judge Donald Middlebrooks said he had never met the Clintons and hinted that Trump was 'judge-shopping.' 'Every federal judge is appointed by a president who is affiliated with a major political party, and, therefore, every federal judge could theoretically be viewed as beholden, to some extent or another,' he wrote. 'As judges, we must all transcend politics.' Trump last month filed a suit against Clinton and a slew of other Democrats, accusing them of trying to spread smears about him during the 2016 campaign. The case was assigned to Middlebrooks, who was appointed by President Clinton in 1997 to the Southern District of the Florida federal court. In his Thursday ruling, he said all judges - by virtue of their appointment could be considered to have political backgrounds - but without any evidence to the contrary should be considered impartial. He said that while judges had a duty to step aside if there were grounds for claims of partiality, they also had a duty not to step aside if complaints were being made as part of 'litigation strategies' - a course sometimes known as 'judge-shopping.' Donald Trump's lawyers asked that U.S. District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks be disqualified from hearing his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton Middlebrooks was appointed by Hillary Clinton's husband Bill in 1997 'I have never met or spoken with Bill or Hillary Clinton,' he added. 'Other than my appointment by Bill Clinton, I do not now have nor have I ever had any relationship with the Clintons.' His order came in response to a motion filed by Trump's lawyers at the start of the week. 'Due to the fact that the Defendant, Hillary Clinton is being sued by her former opponent for the United States presidency, an election that she lost, regarding serious allegations on her part, as well as her allies, of engaging in fraudulent and unlawful activities against the plaintiff, and because her husband nominated Judge Middlebrooks to the Federal Bench, there exists a reasonable basis that Judge Middlebrooks impartiality will be questioned,' his lawyers Alina Habba and Peter Ticktin wrote. Trump's 108-page suit reads like a who's who of rightwing conspiracy theory. t The names include Christopher Steele, a former British spy who assembled a dossier of alleged links between Trump and Russia, James Comey, the then director of the FBI who investigated possible connections, and the Democratic National Committee. It accuses them of an 'unthinkable plot' to 'weave a false narrative' that Trump was working with a foreign power. In the latest filing - first reported by Politico - Trump's lawyer's contend that Judge Middlebrooks could be seen as biased in overseeing a case against Clinton. 'There is no question that Judge Middlebrooks' impartiality would be questioned by a disinterested observer, fully informed of the facts, due to judge's relationship with the defendant, either, individually, or by the very nature of his appointment to the Federal Bench, by the defendants husband,' they write. Motions to disqualify are rarely granted. But recusals sometime occur when the judge has worked on political campaigns or has a relationship with the defendant. Trump, who beat Democratic nominee Clinton in the 2016 election, alleges racketeering, the theft of trade secrets, and 'conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood,' among other crimes. 'In the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts orchestrated an unthinkable plot one that shocks the conscience and is an affront to this nations democracy,' reads his complaint. 'Acting in concert, the defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty. 'The actions taken in furtherance of their scheme falsifying evidence, deceiving law enforcement, and exploiting access to highly-sensitive data sources are so outrageous, subversive and incendiary that even the events of Watergate pale in comparison.' Former President Donald Trump launched a lawsuit on Thursday accusing Hillary Clinton, former British spy Christopher Steele, and indicted lawyer Michael Sussmann - among others - of conspiring against him to spread a false claim that his campaign was linked to Moscow Also named in the case were former FBI Director James Comey, as well as agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, whose messages were seized on by Trump supporters to claim a plot Trump's suit alleged that 'the defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty' The suit demands an unspecified amount of punitive damages. A federal investigation into Trump campaign's ties with Russia triggered a string of convictions when some of his associates were found to have lied about meeting with Russian officials. And a 966-page report issued by a Republican-led U.S. Senate committee in August 2020 detailed how Russia used Trump ally Paul Manafort and the WikiLeaks website to try to power Trump to victory in the 2016 election. But the episode has been used by Trump ever since to complain he was the victim of a witch hunt, providing with a cast of villains that have fuelled his rally addresses ever since. Among the names is Jake Sullivan, who is now President Joe Biden's national security adviser. As well as FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, whose text messages were seized on by Trump and his supporter as evidence of a plot, Clinton's 2016 campaign manager Robbie Mook, and Charles Dolan, a PR consultant, who was connected to Steele's dossier. The 108-page complaint turns his rhetoric into a lawsuit. It accuses Clinton and her allies of trying to create and leak false reports about ties between his campaign and Moscow. Others named are President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Clinton's 2016 campaign manager Robbie Mook, and spin doctor Charles Dolan Clinton lost the 2016 election to Trump, but the case alleges that it was just the start of attempts by her supporters to undermine him and his administration When those reports were proved false, Clinton's allies took another course of action. 'On a separate front, [indicted lawyer Michael] Sussmann would commission the information technology company, Neustar, to brazenly hack servers from highly-sensitive locations including Donald J. Trumps private residence, Trump Tower, and, most shockingly, the White House to uncover proprietary data that could then be manipulated to give the impression that Trump was engaged in illegitimate business with a Russian bank, Alfa Bank,' alleges the complaint. Those hacking allegations triggered a storm in conservative media circles earlier this year. In a February court filing, John Durham, the special counsel appointed to probe the FBI's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, alleged that a tech executive 'exploited' access to White House data to locate damning information about Trump. The former president seized on the document to claim he was right to say that he had been hacked during the 2016 election. But factcheckers were quick to point out that Trump was not in the White House at the time and that the data in question were often passed to third parties in order to hunt down for fraudsters of bad actors. Even so, the details have provided the former president with ammunition for his rally appearances and TV interviews, even as allies have quietly tried to nudge him away from trotting out historical grievances. The case was brought by Florida attorney Peter Ticktin, center, who was Trump's platoon sergeant when they both attended New York Military Academy The case, filed on Thursday, offers a who's who of grievances dating back to the 2016 election The legal team who prepared the suit included a new name in the Trump team. Peter Ticktin, a courtroom litigator based an hour down the Florida coast from Mar-a-Lago, was Trump's platoon sergeant when they both attended New York Military Academy. The suit, lodged in the Southern District of Florida, claims that the defendants efforts began in 2016 but continued after their defeat in an effort to discredit the Trump administration. 'In short, the defendants, blinded by political ambition, orchestrated a malicious conspiracy to disseminate patently false and injurious information about Donald J. Trump and his campaign, all in the hopes of destroying his life, his political career and rigging the 2016 presidential election in favor of Hillary Clinton,' reads the complaint. 'When their gambit failed, and Donald J. Trump was elected, the Defendants efforts continued unabated, merely shifting their focus to undermining his presidential administration.' Trump has faced a string of legal woes since leaving office. A House committee is investigating the Jan. 6 violence, when Trump's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol last year. And his businesses have been under scrutiny in both civil and criminal investigations in New York. Putin stooge Alexander Lukashenko today admitted that Belarusian troops have carried out at least one 'special operation' inside Ukraine. The tyrant, who allowed Moscow's forces to invade the former Soviet republic from Belarus on February 24, said that his forces burst into Ukraine to 'free truckers' allegedly captured by 'scoundrels'. According to Belarusian state media, Lukashenko said: 'It got to the point that these scoundrels began to capture our people there, primarily drivers... that happened to be there at the time. 'I warned the Ukrainians that we would be forced to carry out an operation to free these people. We carried out such a special operation and freed all our people.' Lukashenko also repeatedly chose to use the word 'war' when meeting with security officials, even though Putin's regime has criminalised the use of the word to describe the conflict. The Belarusian authoritarian runs Europe's most eccentric dictatorship outside of Russia, which has launched a sweeping crackdown on anti-war dissent since Kremlin forces first attacked Ukraine. Alexander Lukashenko (pictured) claimed this was done in order to free 'our people', who were being captured by 'scoundrels' Belarusian troops taking part in a military training in Brest Province, Belarus on Friday on March 4, 2022 A man pictured as he walks past an apartments building damaged by shelling in Chernihiv, Ukraine today According to the country's state-run news agency Belta, Lukashenko said: 'It got to the point that these scoundrels began to capture our people there, primarily drivers...that happened to be there at the time. 'I warned the Ukrainians that we would be forced to carry out an operation to free these people. We carried out such a special operation and freed all our people.' Lukashenko also repeatedly chose to use the word 'war' to regard the conflict at a meeting with security officials today, despite Russia referring to a 'special military operation' in Ukraine and insisting that the public and media use this term, while the use of words such as 'war' or 'invasion' can incur heavy penalties. Lukashenko complained that Minsk is not a participant in rounds of peace talks between delegations from Kyiv and Moscow, which have been held in Belarus and Istanbul. He said: 'We are working on the basis that this war is just over the fence from our country and it affects the situation in our country in the most serious way. Therefore there should not be any separate agreements behind Belarus's back. Lukashenko added: 'There can be no negotiations without Belarus. If you dragged us into this - primarily Western countries - then Belarus's position naturally should be heard at talks. 'We don't proceed from the fact that we've been put into the same basket together with Russia. Rescuers work among remains of residential building destroyed by Russian shelling, amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, in Borodyanka, Kyiv region, today 'No. We proceed from the fact that this war is just over the fence of our country. And it is most seriously affecting the situation in Belarus. This is why there can be no separate agreements behind Belarus' back.' The country's president also said that Belarus was deemed an 'accomplice of the aggressor' without any evidence to back up claims, Belta reports. Lukashenko added Belarus does not want a war at its border and once again stressed the need for negotiations. He said: 'We don't need this war, because we can end up suffering the most as a result of this conflict, the conflict between the two Slavic peoples. 'I have been saying this from the very first day of this confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. 'We once again offered Russia and Ukraine a safe place for negotiations. 'Our initiative was heard, appreciated and accepted. Belarus hosted three meetings of Russians and Ukrainians where they charted ways towards a peace deal. 'However, professional actions of our military and diplomats went unnoticed in the West. 'Belarus was declared an accomplice of the aggressor for no good reason. This was immediately followed by new sanctions.' Belarus has allowed Russian troops to use the country bordering Ukraine as a rear base and has hosted three rounds of peace talks close to the border with Ukraine. In early February Russia was reported to be massing nuclear-capable missiles along with 30,000 troops in Belarus, NATO had warned. Ukrainian authorities in March accused Belarus of moving forces into Chernihiv, a city near the country's border with Belarus, but this has been denied by Lukashenko who nevertheless had said he would send troops to the border to halt 'provocation' against his country, the Independent reports. Lukashenko has also complained that last month's talks in Istanbul were the result of 'pressure from the west on Ukraine, not to go to Belarus at any cost'. He said that Belarus was not insisting on talks being held on its territory, however. 'Let them hold talks there. The main thing is for there to be a result. Because, I stress again, war causes great harm to Belarus,' Lukashenko added. It comes as Russia completed the pull-out of 24,000 troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv in preparation for an expected major offensive in the Donbas. Putin's soldiers have been sent to Belarus and Russia to resupply and reorganise before the heavy onslaught in Ukraine's east, US intelligence sources said. Residents in the Donbas have been told to evacuate now ahead of the impending manoeuvre, as Zelensky warned that Moscow is now marshalling reinforcements and trying to push deeper into the country's east, where the Kremlin has said its goal is to 'liberate' the region. A Minnesota college professor who organized a viral online fundraiser to pay off student lunch debts in Philando Castile's name has been ordered to repay $120,000 that prosecutors said she pocketed. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office last week announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with Pamela Fergus, a professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University, who created the 'Philando Feeds the Children' crowdfunding campaign. The restitution will be used to pay off lunch debts of children in need in St Paul, which was the intended purpose of the fundraiser. Castile, a 32-year-old black elementary school cafeteria worker, was fatally shot by a police officer in suburban St Paul during a July 2016 traffic stop. 'This settlement helps to ensure that the money donors gave in Philandos name will go back to where it was intended to help Saint Paul kids who struggle to pay for school lunches,' Ellison stated. 'Philando Castile cared deeply about the children he served, and the children loved him back. Ellison said this settlement will help right a wrong by continuing Castile's commitment to serving students in need. 'You should put that money where its supposed to go,' said Valerie Castile, Philando's mother. 'These things are not for your personal gain. Its not right.' Pamela Fergus, a Minnesota college professor, has been ordered to repay $120,000 in donations made to her fundraiser honoring Philando Castile, which prosecutors said she had pocketed A year after Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop, Fergus started an online campaign called 'Philando Feeds the Children' to pay off student lunch debts at the school where Castile worked as a cafeteria supervisor Fergus started the campaign on the site YouCaring as a semester project for her class with a modest initial goal of $5,000, which she later increased to $999,999 Castile, a 32-year-old black elementary school cafeteria worker in St Paul, was fatally shot by a suburban police officer during a July 2016 traffic stop The state attorney general's office filed a civil lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court last year against Fergus, alleging a breach of charitable trust, deceptive solicitation of charitable contributions, failure to maintain proper records and unregistered solicitation of contributions. 'Philando Castile cared deeply about the children he served and the children loved Mr. Phil right back,' said Ellison, calling Castile a 'hero' in his lunchroom. 'Raising money supposedly to serve those children, then not doing so, is an insult to Philando's legacy and all who loved him.' Fergus launched the online fundraiser a year after Castile's fatal shooting. His killing gained widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car, livestreamed its bloody aftermath on Facebook. St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino, was later acquitted of manslaughter, which prompted days of protests. Castile was known to pay out of pocket for children whose families could not afford to buy their own lunches when he worked as a nutrition supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul. Fergus' campaign attracted a lot of media attention, causing donations to pour in Ferus' fundraiser promised that 'every dollar' donated would help students in needs, but prosecutors say of the $200,000 raised, only $80,000 went to schools Fergus started the campaign on the site YouCaring as a semester project for her class with a modest initial goal of $5,000, promising that 'every dollar' donated would help pay down student lunch debts. As the campaign went viral, Fergus increased the goal to $999,999. Speaking to a newspaper in October 2017, the professor boasted: 'We actually have enough money now to pay off all of the schools in the St. Paul public school district. . . . So all of the grade schools, all of the middle schools and all of the high schools. Plus more. I mean, were still making money.' According to the civil complaint, Fergus deposited the more than $200,000 she ultimately collected through the crowdfunding website into her personal checking account. She also allegedly welcomed donors to mail her checks. Castile's killing gained widespread attention after his girlfriend, who was in the car, livestreamed its bloody aftermath on Facebook (pictured) Valerie Castile, Philando's mother, said of Fergus' misappropriation of funds in her son's name: 'You should put that money where its supposed to go' St. Paul Public Schools reported that Fergus wrote three checks from her group's proceeds to go to the district totaling more than $80,000 between October 2017 and August 2018. But the remaining $120,000 was not accounted for, court papers said. Ellison's office did not reveal how Fergus spent the misappropriated funds, only saying that she used less than half of the donations she received for the purpose that she solicited them for and donors, which violated the state's charities laws. Under the conditions of the settlement, Fergus will be required to make monthly payments of $400 to the state from June through February 2024, then pay the balance in a lump sum of $111,000 when she gains access to her retirement funds. The Senate voted 53-47 on Thursday to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, with three Republicans voting with all Democrats. Jackson, a 51 year-old federal appeals court judge, will be the first black woman on the high court and the third black justice. Her confirmation vote was not nearly as bipartisan as that of the justice she'd been chosen to replace, Stephen Breyer, and others. But still, President Biden can tout a bipartisan win thanks to yes votes from GOP Sens. Mitt Romney, Utah, Susan Collins, Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, Alaska. Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the Senate and banged the gavel to declare the final vote count and seal Jackson's confirmation, as Democrats throughout the Senate chamber broke out in raucous applause. President Biden watched the vote tally come in with Jackson in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Photos showed them holding hands and excitedly hugging as enough votes came in to confirm Jackson's nomination. Breyer, 83, had come under intense pressure from progressives to retire while Democrats still hold the White House, House and Senate and let someone younger step in. Jackson joins two other Democrat-appointed justices, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, on the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She will be sworn in during the summer recess, when Breyer officially steps down. President Biden watched the vote tally come in with Jackson in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Biden had promised to put a black woman on the Supreme Court. Jackson will now be the first black woman to sit on the high court After 99 senators had voted, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., held up the vote when he was nowhere to be found on the Senate floor. After about 30 minutes he finally showed up to cast his 'no' vote. Paul, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., had to cast their 'no' vote from the cloakroom because they did not wear a tie. Senate dress code requirements require a jacket and tie for men. Seated in the front row of the VIP gallery was Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Members of the White House 'sherpa' team were also in the gallery, along with Democratic commentator Donna Brazille and at least 17 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. President Biden's designated sherpa, former Alabama Democrat Sen. Doug Jones, was standing in the back of the chamber. The sherpa guides a Supreme Court nominee through the interviews and hearings that make up the confirmation process. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee aggressively interrogated Jackson over her sentencing record, arguing that Jackson had offered lenient sentences, particularly to child porn offenders. Some went after her record defending Guantanamo Bay detainees as a public defender, at which time she called President George W. Bush a 'war criminal.' Other Republicans cited her refusal to offer a judicial philosophy and her refusal to weigh in on issues like court packing and the definition of a 'woman' as reason to vote no. Biden and Jackson excitedly hugged as the vote tally came in to confirm his nominee to the high court Biden took a break from watching the Senate confirm his nominee's position on the bench to take a selfie The President then posted the result of the selfie on Twitter and called her confirmation a 'historic' day for the U.S. Harris told reporters after the vote: 'I'm overjoyed, deeply moved. You know, there's so much about what's happening in the world now that is presenting some of the worst of this moment and human behaviors. And then we have a moment like this that I think reminds us that there is still so much yet to accomplish and that we can accomplish, including a day like today that is so historic and so important, for so many reasons.' 'I do believe is a very important statement about who we are as a nation, that we have just made a decision to put this extraordinary jurist on the highest court of our land. It's a good statement about who we are.' Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Jackson ahead of the vote and touted that she would be the first justice with experience as a public defender. 'As I've said over and over again, there are three words that I think best fit Judge Jackson: brilliant, beloved, belongs.' He called Jackson 'one of the most experienced individuals ever nominated to the Supreme Court.' 'There is no question: The country, by and large, wants the Senate to confirm Judge Jackson.' Harris, who presided over the vote, told reporters: 'I'm overjoyed, deeply moved. You know, there's so much about what's happening in the world now that is presenting some of the worst of this moment and human behaviors' Democrats broke out into raucous applause after Jackson was confirmed. Sen. Mitt Romney is seen above applauding alone on the Republican side - he was one of only three GOP senators to vote for Jackson's confirmation Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Jackson ahead of the vote and touted that she would be the first justice with experience as a public defender GOP leader Mitch McConnell said that Biden had set out to nominate a 'judicial activist' and Jackson checked off that box. 'Today the far left will get the Supreme Court justice they want,' the Kentucky Republican said on the Senate floor. 'As a violent crime wave sweeps America, Democrats are pursuing a nationwide campaign to make the justice system softer on crime.' Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in a press conference ahead of the vote said he believed Jackson would be 'the furthest left justice to have ever served on the Supreme Court. Cruz and Jackson were schoolmates at Harvard Law. 'There is no area of law where her record is more extreme than in criminal law,' Cruz added. Jackson throughout the hearing repeatedly reiterated that she would rule with impartiality and would not 'legislate from the bench' as some have predicted. First Lady Jill Biden talked about Jackson's family's pride after she was confirmed to the Supreme Court Jackson, a 51 year-old federal appeals court judge, will be the first black woman on the high court and the third black justice 'I have been a judge for nearly a decade now, and I take that responsibility and my duty to be independent very seriously,' Jackson said. 'I decide cases from a neutral posture. I evaluate the facts, and I interpret and apply the law to the facts of the case before me, without fear or favor, consistent with my judicial oath.' In addition to her nine years on the federal bench, Jackson has worked both as a public defender and at a private law firm and served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She also clerked for Breyer. Jackson was confirmed to the D.C. circuit just last June. 'Can you define the word ''woman''?' Sen. Marsha Blackburn had asked Jackson in one viral moment of the Judiciary Committee hearings. 'Can I provide a definition?' Jackson responded. 'No, I can't,' she declared, before adding: 'I'm not a biologist.' And of Jackson's 100 sentencings over eight years as a trial judge, Republicans focused in on eight child porn cases where they viewed her sentences to be too lenient. In these cases, the sentences she offered were far short of what federal sentencing guidelines would dictate and what prosecutors sought. Jackson implied that in the age of the internet, some child porn sentences needed to be lighter than others because of ease of access. 'With one click you can receive, you can distribute tens of thousands.' 'You can be doing this for 15 minutes and all of a sudden, you are looking at 30, 40, 50 years in prison,' she said. 'Good! Good! Absolutely, good! I hope you are!' Graham shouted back. 'I hope you go to jail for 50 years if you're on the internet trolling for images of children and sexual exploitation,' he said. 'I think the best way to deter people from getting on a computer and viewing thousands and hundred and over time maybe millions, the population as a whole of children being exploited and abused every time somebody clicks on is to put their a** in jail,' he offered. 'Not supervise their computer usage.' Murkowski on Thursday lauded the judge's 'grace' throughout the attacks by her colleagues. 'Think about the kind of the strength under fire that we saw with this nominee, a level temperament that I think was very clear, you saw what I would call grace under pressure,' she told reporters after the vote. A Missouri man has been sentenced to federal prison for groping an ER nurse during an Atlanta-bound flight last year. Scott Russell Granden, 36, of St. Louis, got 21 months in jail on Tuesday for sexually assaulting his female seatmate aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. On March 25, 2021, the nurse was traveling to Atlanta after a shift at a St. Louis hospital. She dozed off, then woke up to Granden groping her crotch. Granden, who was in the middle seat beside the victim, eventually asked her to get up from her aisle seat so he could go to the restroom. When the terrified victim complied, Granden proceeded to smack her buttocks. The woman then alerted flight attendants of the assault while Granden was in the restroom, and she was moved to another seat. Atlanta Police officers were waiting for the flight to land at the Atlanta International Airport. Bodycam footage from police shows Granden yelling racist and homophobic slurs to officers who arrested him. He was later charged with sexual assaults on aircraft and pleaded guilty on September. 'This was not an isolated incident,' the airport attorney coordinator told local news station WSB-TV. 'He just continued over and over.' Granden has a lengthy criminal record and has been charged with distribution of controlled substances, assault and driving under the influence. He will be required to register as a sex offender when he returns to Missouri. Scott Russell Granden, 36, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 21 months in jail on Tuesday for sexually assaulting his female seatmate aboard a Southwest Airlines flight last year Bodycam footage from police shows Granded yelling racist and homophobic slurs to officers. He also told a black FBI officer who responded to the scene that he should 'be out picking cotton.' According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Graden was seated next to the victim on 12B. Another passenger next to Granden told police that they believed Granden and the victim were together because he had been particularly 'chatty' with her. The passenger also noted that Granden appeared drunk and had been touching the nurse inappropriately. After rejecting several attempts at conversation, the victim decided to ignore Granden, put her AirPods on and tried to get some sleep. She dozed off and woke up moments later because of turbulence. She initially thought Granden was holding her tight because he was scared, but he proceeded to move his hands toward her crotch area. The victim removed his hand several times before Granden asked her to get up so he could go use the restroom. When she got up, the woman was groped and smacked on her buttocks by Granden. According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Granden was flying to Atlanta and seated next to the victim on 12B when the attack unfolded The victim decided she wanted to press charges and the flight staff alerted Atlanta Police officers, who were waiting for the flight to land at the Atlanta International Airport Granden will be required to register as a sex offender when he returns to Missouri She asked a flight attendant for help and was moved to another seat; she told the other passenger in the row, 'I am not with him and I am uncomfortable'. 'She was terrified when he got up to use the bathroom', that passenger told police. Granden was moved to the front of the plane when it landed, and the victim told flight attendants she wanted to press charges after he kept staring at her. When confronted by police officers, Granden pulled down his pants and mockingly screamed, 'you're raping me!' He went on to yell slurs to officers with the APD and told an FBI agent that 'he should be out picking cotton.' Granden was charged with abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft and was sentenced to 21 months in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty in September. When confronted by police officers, Granden pulled down his pants and mockingly screamed, 'you're raping me!' 'Passengers have the right to fly in peace and to expect that their personal dignity will be respected,' said US Attorney Kurt R. Erskine In court, he claimed to have taken anxiety medication and alcohol before the flight that 'made him think [the victim] was his fiancee,' but his remarks were dismissed by the judge. Granden also must register as a sex offender and will have one year of parole when he returns to Missouri. 'Passengers have the right to fly in peace and to expect that their personal dignity will be respected,' said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. 'When this defendant started groping and sexually harassing the female passenger in the next seat, he humiliated and degraded her. We will not tolerate this type of behavior on an airplane, and this sentence shows the consequences for such abusive sexual conduct.' The New York City attorney that berated Mayor Eric Adams about mask mandates claims her termination from her job with the city stemmed from remarks she made that are 'constitutionally protected' under free speech. Daniela Jampel confronted Adams during his Monday press conference about mask mandates for kids under age five. The mother-of-three, who had worked for the city Law Department since 2016, was fired later that day. 'I am extremely confident that the decision to terminate my employment was a result of my constitutionally protected speech regarding my views on mask mandates,' Jampel said in a statement Thursday. 'Regardless of an individuals position on mask mandates, I believe that all Americans understand and appreciate the sacrosanct right of freedom of speech under the First Amendment and the ability to criticize the government without fear of retaliation.' 'There are 400,000 people who work for the City of New York. Every single one of them deserves to ability, as private citizens, to speak about matters of public concern and regardless of their stance on a given issue,' she added. Although the attorney argues her termination was a direct result of her opposition to the city's coronavirus restrictions, Adams on Wednesday said was fired over 'inappropriate' tweets. The mayor did not clarify which of Jampel's tweets had triggered her termination but insisted the city Law Department had made the decision to fire her prior to the confrontation at Monday's press conference. Daniela Jampel (at the podium) claims her termination from New York City's Law Department stemmed from remarks she made that are 'constitutionally protected' under free speech Jampel, who is seemingly certain her career came to 'such an unfortunate end because of my advocacy for my children,' said she will not pursue legal action despite the violation of her constitutional rights. 'I am intimately familiar with the litigation process and have decided that I do not want to put my family, friends and colleagues through a protracted legal battle,' she wrote. 'My focus continues to be on my family and especially on my children, who continue to suffer from over two years of pandemic restrictions.' The attorney noted that New York City, which mandates face coverings in schools for children under five years old, remains a 'national and international outlier' in its policy. '[This] is the fifth week that NYC toddlers, and only toddlers, are required to wear masks in their daycares and preschools,' she wrote. 'It is cruel, unjust, anti-science and must end.' Jampel also thanked her fellow New Yorkers for their outpouring of support and applauded her colleagues for the successes they shared together over the course of her six-year career. 'I wish the best to my former colleagues and know that the attorneys and staff I worked with for over six years are amongst the most dedicated and talented in the field,' Jampel said. The mother-of-three, who confronted Mayor Eric Adams about mask mandates during a press conference on Monday, issued a statement Thursday saying: 'I am extremely confident that the decision to terminate my employment was a result of my constitutionally protected speech regarding my views on mask mandates' The city Law Department previously told DailyMail.com that Jampel had been fired for making 'troubling claims' in public statements. Jampel is vocal on Twitter, and last Friday she had written that her 'summer goal is to chase down the ineffective and spineless NYC politicians (including @NYCMayor) who do nothing as public health petty bureaucrats continue to force toddlers to mask for no other reason than they can.' Adams said on Wednesday that he did not recognize Jampel when she confronted him during his Monday press conference, but implied that she was part of a group that had threatened city officials. 'When she spoke, it was clear that she was not a reporter, but what did I do? I said, "allow her to speak,"' the mayor said, adding: 'There is a group traveling around this city, banging on my health commissioner's door, shouting and screaming while his children are inside, threatening his life. 'There's a group running around this city who is the numerical minority, but they are loud so people believe they are the majority.' Although the attorney (pictured with her daughter) argues her termination was a direct result of her opposition to the city's coronavirus restrictions, Adams on Wednesday said was fired over 'inappropriate' tweets Adams (pictured Monday) said on Wednesday that he did not recognize Jampel when she confronted him, but implied that she was part of a group that had threatened city officials As a city employee, Jampel has 'free speech protections that are more limited' than other citizens, New York City employment attorney Joshua M. Friedman, of Phillips & Associates, told DailyMail.com. However, he argued if she could prove her social media comments were a 'matter of public concern' that she may be able to 'establish a First Amendment retaliation claim'. 'While generally almost any speech can be protected under the First Amendment, the scope of Ms. Jampels free speech protections are more limited as a City employee,' Friedman explained. 'To establish that Ms. Jampel was terminated in retaliation for her tweets (or other related speech) she must show the speech was regarding matters of public interest, and made as a member of the public, rather than as a City employee.' He added: 'If Ms. Jampel can sufficiently establish her speech was a matter of public concern (rather than a personal issue), she may be able establish a First Amendment retaliation claim that her termination was causally connected to her tweets. Should it be determined that her tweets were related to personal issues that First Amendment Retaliation claim may fail.' Friedman, however, noted that Jampel's tweet threatening to 'chase down the ineffective and spineless NYC politicians' could negatively impact her case. 'The tweet may ultimately present an issue of fact for a judge or jury to decide whether the tweet is a matter of public concern allowing her claims to proceed, or a personal matter which may be fatal to her claim,' he said. 'The fact finder would then have to decide what, if any, role the tweet played in her termination.' The employment lawyer also said that if she filed her claim in court, the city would likely seek to have the case dismissed at the 'outset as insufficient to state a claim for First Amendment retaliation claim.' Jampel would have to argue against the motion to prove the exact reason for her termination, likely requiring the city to produce documentations and information detailing the basis for termination. 'It seems unclear at this juncture what actually caused the termination, but the documents, information and depositions may provide vital information to the ultimate success of her claims,' Friedman explained. As a city employee, Jampel (pictured with her family) has 'free speech protections that are more limited' than other citizens, an employment attorney told DailyMail.com. However, he argued if she could prove her social media comments were a 'matter of public concern' that she may be able to 'establish a First Amendment retaliation claim' Jampel (pictured at an anti-mask rally) said in her statement Thursday that she does not plan to pursue legal action because she does not 'want to put my family, friends, and colleagues through a protracted legal battle' A source close to Jampel told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that her firing 'could not have been performance related' as she has been out of the office on maternity leave for several months. The person also says that Jampel received email notice of her termination within 30 minutes of the press conference, and that her direct supervisor in the Law Department did not seem aware that she was being fired. The source also strongly disputed City Hall's claim that Jampel 'lied' to get into the press conference by posing as a journalist. 'She did not pose as a member of the media to crash the press conference as has been reported,' the source added. 'She entered the press conference as everyone else did.' A Law Department spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement earlier this week: 'We hold all of our employees to the highest professional standards. In public statements, Ms. Jampel has made troubling claims about her work for the city Law Department.' 'Based on those statements, the decision had been made to terminate her prior to [Monday],' the spokesman added. The statement added that Jampel's 'decision to lie to City Hall staff and state she was a journalist at a press conference, demonstrate a disturbing lack of judgment and integrity.' Advertisement Vladimir Putin's spokesman has admitted Russia has suffered 'significant troop losses' in its invasion of Ukraine but dismissed claims of war crimes in Bucha and Mariupol as 'fake'. Speaking on Sky News, Dmitry Peskov failed to reveal exactly how many Russian soldiers had died but said: 'We have significant losses of troops. And it's a huge tragedy for us.' Russia in late March said it had lost 1,351 soldiers with another 3,825 wounded. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said two days later that at least 10,000 Russian soldiers had probably been killed. In a wide-ranging interview, Peskov repeatedly refused to admit any wrongdoing on Russia's part and described footage of war crimes committed by its soldiers as 'fake' and 'lies'. He rejected allegations of a massacre in the Ukrainian town of Bucha as 'a well-staged insinuation', claiming that bodies found in the streets were placed after Russian troops withdrew. 'We are living in days of fakes and lies which we meet every day,' he said, speaking in English by video link from Moscow. 'We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of Bucha.' Taking aim at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he said: 'He's very loud in his rhetorics from the very beginning of the operation. He's not constructive in his attitude. 'We have never heard any any similar rhetoric coming from Boris Johnson during last eight years when people in Donbass were killed by Ukrainian nationalists, when they were heavily bombarded and shelled by heavy artillery. We have never heard a word coming from Mr. Johnson.' Peskov also defended the reasons for Russia's invasion and described it as a 'special military operation' that was necessary because Ukraine has been an 'anti-Russian centre' since 2014. He also revealed that Putin was intending to continue attempts to seize Mariupol, which has faced horrific shelling. In a wide-ranging interview, Peskov repeatedly refused to admit any wrongdoing on Russia's part and described footage of war crimes committed by its soldiers as 'fake' and 'lies' He said: 'Mariupol is going to be liberated from nationalistic battalions. We hope it is going to happen sooner than later.' Peskov added that Mariupol is part of the 'Luhansk people's republic' which Russia recognises as a separate state and claimed troops were there 'to assist those people who were suffering for eight years from heavy shelling from Ukraine'. One of the more horrific episodes of Russia's invasion of Ukraine took place on March 9 when the Russian Air Force bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol, killing at least four people and injuring at least 16, while leading to at least one stillbirth. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a war crime but Peskov today dismissed the report as a 'fake'. He said: 'We have very serious reasons to believe it was a fake, and we insist on that.' Peskov also refused to comment on the number of Ukrainian civilians killed during Russia's invasion, warning that figures needed to be 'double confirmed'. The Kremlin spokesman also addressed the issue of Finland joining NATO. The Nordic country has been flirting with becoming a member of the transatlantic military alliance, with foreign minister Pekka Haavisto today saying its position will be clarified in the coming weeks. Peskov said that if Finland and Sweden joined NATO then Russia would have to 'rebalance the situation' with its own measures. He added: 'We'll have to make our western flank more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security.' However, he said Russia would not see such a move as an existential threat, of the kind that might prompt it to consider using nuclear weapons. Earlier, a Russian lawmaker warned Finland it faces serious repercussions if it joins NATO, saying it would make it a valid 'target' and secure the 'destruction of their country'. The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The U.S.-led push won 93 votes in favour to suspend Russia, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. The vote followed allegations that Russian troops systematically executed civilians in Bucha, a town north-west of Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, and amid other reports of human rights abuses since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on Feb. 24. The heartbreaking story behind one of the war's saddest and most iconic images (pictured) has been uncovered, as Ukrainian authorities continue to count the dead in Bucha. It has been reported that this hand was that of 52-year-old Iryna Filkina, who was killed when a Russian tank gunned her down early last month The hand in the gut-wrenching picture, it turns out, belonged to 52-year-old Iryna Filkina (pictured) - an aspiring makeup artist who posted tutorials to her social media pages. Her red and pink nails can be seen in this photograph she posted online A Russian tank (left) is shown firing moments after a cyclist (right) turned the corner on the junction. The video, released a couple of days ago, is now thought to show the moment Iryna Filkina was killed in Bucha Vladyslava Liubarets, a Bucha resident, walks with her family past destroyed Russian military machinery Civilians inspect the wreckage of a tank in the town of Bucha, the scene of horrific Russian atrocities Suspensions from the council are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly draft expresses 'grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,' particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia in the town of Bucha and others. Russia had threatened countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an 'unfriendly gesture' with consequences for bilateral ties. Reacting to the suspension, Peskov said: 'We're sorry about that. And we'll continue to defend our interests using every possible legal means.' Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other cities, amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and Some were found with their hands bound. Mr Zelensky accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Mr Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. Policemen work on the identification process following the killing of civilians in Bucha as audio messages suggest the massacre was part of a deliberate Kremlin strategy Smoke is seen rising over civilian areas of Mariupol, which has been almost totally levelled by Russian forces in an attempt to take the city - which has been without water, food or electricity for almost a month Heavily damaged buildings and apartment blocks are seen in a satellite image of Mariupol, where more than 100,000 people are still said to be stranded in conditions likened to a 'hell-scape' Bodies of civilians in plastic bags lay in a mass grave in Bucha city, whose horrors were revealed after it was recaptured by the Ukrainian army A satellite image taken of a street in the city of Bucha on March 19 - when Russian forces were in full control of the city - shows dark objects in the road that exactly match where civilian corpses were later discovered by Ukrainian troops Since Bucha, a chorus has resounded at the highest levels of Western political power calling for accountability, prosecution and punishment for war crimes in Ukraine. On Monday, Zelensky denounced the killings as 'genocide' and 'war crimes,' and U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin was 'a war criminal' who should be brought to trial. But the path to holding the Russian president and other top leaders criminally responsible is long and complex, international lawyers caution. 'Certainly, the discovery of bodies which bear signs of executions - such as gunshot wounds to the head - presents strong evidence of war crimes,' said Clint Williamson, who served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 2006 to 2009. 'When victims are found with their hands bound, with blindfolds and bearing signs of torture or sexual assault, an even more compelling case is made. There are no circumstances under which these actions are permitted, whether the victims are civilians or military personnel who had been taken prisoner.' Meanwhile Mariupol remains under siege with 170,000 still trapped in the besieged city where the civilian death toll has risen to 5,000, including 210 children. Mariupol has experienced some of the war's greatest deprivations. Russian forces are fighting street by street to capture the city; doing so would allow Russia to secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said more than 5,000 civilians have been killed, including 210 children. British defence officials estimate that 160,000 people remain trapped in the city, which had a prewar population of 430,000. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said for the first time on Thursday that the U.S. is helping Ukrainian troops with intelligence to help them fight Russian forces. The Biden administration has been wary of doing anything that could be seen by Moscow as an escalation of the conflict, and that could be used for Russia to broaden the war. But with Russia shifting its focus away from Kyiv to the eastern Donbas region, Austin revealed on Thursday that the U.S. was helping Ukrainian forces there. 'We are providing them intelligence to conduct operations in the Donbas, that's correct,' he said in response to questioning by Sen. Tom Cotton during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He added that new guidance would be sent on Thursday to ensure that U.S. officials were aware of that position. His comments reflect the new geography of the war in Ukraine as well as increasing openness among American officials to discuss intelligence and training support. US officials have previously said they are supplying intelligence to Ukraine. But in a sign of how the conflict is shifting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that the U.S. was now supplying intelligence to Ukrainian forces battling Russians in the eastern Donbas region As Russian forces have pulled back from Kyiv, Moscow has made clear that its focus now in on the Donbas area where it has been fighting for control since 2014 Two days earlier, the Pentagon revealed for the first time it had been training a small number of Ukrainians in how to use 'kamikaze' Switchblade drones that had been supplied by the U.S. He also described the speed at which security assistance - in the form of weapons, ammunition, and other military gear - from the U.S. was arriving in Ukraine. 'We are flowing resources into Ukraine faster than most people would have ever believed conceivable,' he said. 'From the time... that the authorization is provided, you know, four or five days later we see real capability begin to show up.' A day earlier, a U.S. defense official said Russian forces had now completely withdrawn from Kyiv - once the main objective of invading troops. They have been withdrawn to Russia and Belarus, where they are expected to be resupplied before being deployed to the eastern Donbas region where Ukraine and Russia have been fighting since 2014. The withdrawal has exposed multiple allegations of war crimes as Ukrainian forces take over territory held by Russians since the early days of the invasion The latest shipments of weapons include a type of drone that can be used to attack tanks. On Wednesday Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the Switchblade was not a system familiar to Ukrainian forces. 'So there is going to need to be a little bit of training,' he said. 'It is not a very complex system that doesn't require a lot of training. 'An individual could be suitably trained on how to use the switchblade drone in about two days or so.' The administration has already sent 100 series 300 Switchblade drones, which are designed to attack personnel and light vehicles with a warhead carrying the equivalent power to a 40mm grenade. On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the latest shipment will include the Switchblade-600. The 50lb drones can fly 24 miles, 'loiter' above a target for 40 minutes before flying into them at 115mph and exploding using special armor-piercing warheads that can destroy a tank. Both models have been likened to 'flying shotguns' and have been selected for use in Ukraine because of their ease of use and deployment, with the drones able to take off from portable tubes planted on the ground. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that a small number of Ukrainian personnel already in the US were being trained in the use of Switchblade drones Ukrainian forces have proven adept at stopping Russian armored vehicles with armor-piercing weapons sent by the U.S. and other partner nations. The latest US assessment revealed that Russia has now pulled all its forces back from Kyiv to be reequipped and redeployed Switchblade 300s were first deployed in secret in Afghanistan in 2010 to fight the Taliban, and were deemed a huge success. N.A.T.O. nations made clear that they were ready to send more weapons, as the scale of abuses is revealed by withdrawing Russian troops. The alliance itself has decided not supply weapons to Ukraine, for fear of being drawn into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. But individual countries have been at the forefront of delivering the weaponry and materiel that has helped halt and reverse Russian momentum. 'There was a clear message from the meeting today that allies should do more, and are ready to do more, to provide more equipment, and they realize and recognize the urgency,' NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after a meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said 'sickening images' from places such as Bucha - where photographs showed the bodies of civilians left in the streets - had strengthened the West's resolve to take action. Florida police have arrested and charged an 18-year-old over a high-speed that saw the high-powered BMW he was driving slam into a Nissan SUV at 151 mph, killed all six passengers inside. Investigators arrested Noah Galle, of Wellington, on Wednesday, alleging he was responsible for the January 27 crash in Delray Beach that killed Mirlaine Julceus, 45, Filaine Dieu, 46, Vanice Percina, 29, Remize Michel, 53, and Marie Louis as drove home from work at the Pero Family Farms. Galle, who was 17 at the time, faces six counts of vehicular homicide, with police yet to determine whether he will face the charges as an adult or a juvenile. While Galle returned a negative toxicology report, major Talal Masri, of the Palm Beach County Sherriff's Office, said the speed the teenager was driving at demonstrated 'clear recklessness' behind the wheel. 'He was driving a BMW M5 and there was no breaking according to our investigation,' Masri said. 'The vehicle was traveling northbound when it struck from behind, and the impact was at 151 mph.' Noah Galle, 18, was arrested for vehicular homicide on Wednesday after police said he was responsible for a crash in Delray Beach, Florida, that killed six The impact sent the SUV rolling and ejected three of the victims out of the car. Five died at the scene while the sixth victim died at a nearby hospital. Pictured, part of the wreck hours later Police said the impact of the crash was so great, the SUV rolled over and three of the victims were thrown from the car. Five of them died on the scene, while the sixth died on the way to hospital. Galle sustained only minor injuries in the crash and was not charged until his arrest on Wednesday. Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw did not say why the investigation had taken so long despite saying that the department had expedited the toxicology report. 'This process takes time and we can't go fast,' Bradshaw said. 'We've only got one opportunity here to get this right. If we make a mistake and these people walk, it's back on us and it's not what the family and the community expect.' Marc Freeman, a spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, told the Sun Sentinel that it typically takes months to finalize crash reports, get toxicology reports and review the black boxes of both cars before any decision is made about specific charges and whether to charge a juvenile driver as an adult. The Palm Beach Sherrif's Office said Galle was driving at 151 mph when he slammed his BMW M5 into a Nissan SUV full of co-workers carpooling together on January 27 News coverage of the crash was only able to capture the aftermath the following morning Galle's attorney, Elizabeth Parker, told WPTV that the teen is being held at a juvenile detention center but will be transferred to adult court now that he's 18. She said that Galle has been having suicidal thoughts since the arrest. 'We received a call today or Noah's mom did from the [Juvenile Detention Center], and they expressed concerns that Noah is suicidal,' Parker told WPTV on Thursday. She added that the teen had been on psychiatric medication since he was 12, without specifying what he was treated for, and that the medication may have contributed to the accident. Assistant State Attorney Jean Francis noted that Galle has had a history of speeding. 'The probable cause affidavit indicates that this is not the only time that this has happened,' Francis told WPTV. 'This youth was previously driving approximately 180 miles an hour on a roadway in Palm Beach County.' The arrest comes days after Julceus' husband, Robens innocent, filed a lawsuit against the teen's parents, Craig and Helena Galle, claiming they were responsible for their son's 'negligent acts.' The lawsuit states that Julceus was the primary provider of her family, and that her nine-year-old daughter was 'wholly dependent upon [Julceus'] services and support' and has incurred 'mental pain and suffering' as a result of her death, the Sentinel reported. It also states that Galle 'negligently operated his motor vehicle by failing to observe traffic conditions,' drove excessively fast and failed to yield the right of way, leading to the crash. Rapper T.I. stormed the stage at a female comedian's show in Atlanta earlier this week and fumed at her to 'take off her wig' after allegedly heckling her throughout her set. The comedian, Lauren Knight, claims she was hosting the show in peace but that T.I. heckled her from the crowd after performing a 30-minute set of his own. She claims he yelled at her to 'take off her wig' and she responded saying she would - but only if he addressed claims that he and his wife drugged and sexually assaulted people. The rapper then stormed towards the stage, according to photos and videos from the show. The comedian, Lauren Knight, claims she was hosting the show in peace but that T.I. heckled her from the crowd after performing a 30-minute set of his own at Our Bar ATL on Monday T.I. shouted at Lauren to 'take off her wig' after performing his own set. She shot back and told him to address allegations he and his wife drug and rape people T.I. and his wife Tameka have never been charged for any of the allegations. The LAPD investigated one claim but California's statute of limitations meant it could not be prosecuted He has now made peace with Lauren after a round of sparring Instagram videos. In the first video before they reconciled, Lauren explained to followers: 'T.I. came to the show. It's about over, he comes he does 30 minutes. After he gets off stage I'm hosting, he keeps telling me to shut the f*** up. Heckling me. 'He then starts yelling: Take your wig off right now. He was harassing me. I said, 'I'll take my wig off when you speak on the allegations.' 'Everybody was tight except from him - nobody ever called him a rapist. I made a joke just like he did,' Lauren said in an Instagram video earlier this week. She then joined T.I. for another video which he posted on his own Instagram page. Female comedian Lauren Knight says she and T.I. have now made peace The pair filmed an Instagram video together on Wednesday announcing they had made peace 'We triggered each other. I triggered her first. She triggered me second. 'I accept that. The main part of it is I do not stand by or condone any unnecessary death threats, people going after her. Do not to that s**t in my name. 'At the end of the day, ain't nothing else we can do. In his own video, T.I. addressed the controversy too.' T.I. and his wife Tameka 'Tiny' Harris have been accused in the past of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2005. The case was not tried because it fell outside of California's statute of limitations laws. The couple had always denied the allegations, calling them 'meritless'. In March 2021, attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn claimed he had been contacted by '30' women who all said that the rapper and his wife had at one time spiked their drinks with drugs and sexually assaulted them. None of the claims have been proven in court. New CNN hire Chris Wallace pushed back against claims by Nikole Hannah-Jones that the generation of Americans that fought in World War II were guilty of 'brutally suppressing democracy' for black Americans during a 'heated' interview with the firebrand author of the 1619 Project. Wallace interviewed Hannah-Jones for his new series on CNN's streaming service on Wednesday night, and while the discussion was civil he admitted that it got 'a little heated' at times. During the interview on CNN+, Wallace read Hannah-Jones a passage from her Pulitzer-winning New York Times series, which aimed to 'reframe the country's history' to focus on the consequences of slavery. The passage read: 'Without the idealistic strenuous and patriotic efforts of black Americans, our democracy today would most likely look very different. It might not be a democracy at all.' CNN+ host Chris Wallace has debated 1619 Project author Nikole Hannah-Jones over her assertion that the Greatest Generation were brutal oppressors Chris Wallace Goes At Nikole Hannah-Jones for Claim Greatest Generation 'Violently Suppressed' Black Voters in Heated CNN+ Exchange https://t.co/6q1RyKcwzi via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/X95MhXtt7e Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) April 7, 2022 'We like to call those who lived during World War Two, the Greatest Generation, but that allows us to ignore the fact that many of this generation fought for democracy abroad, while brutally suppressing democracy for millions of American citizens.' Wallace asked the author: 'Again, I am in no way minimizing our terrible racial legacy. But in some of these things, aren't you overstating?' Hannah-Jones fired back: 'If you have half of the country, where it's in some states majorities, in many other states pluralities, 25 percent of the population, 40 percent of the population cannot vote, have their vote violently suppressed, where they're a single one-party, one-race rule in a region where about 30 percent of the population is black. Would you consider that democracy?' 'I agree with that. I'm just not sure that I would say that if it weren't for blacks, that there wouldn't be a democracy at all,' Wallace responded. Wallace explained that he took issue with the notion that young men who 'came out of ethnic neighborhoods in Brooklyn and South Philly to storm the beaches of Normandy' were responsible for 'brutally suppressing blacks.' 'Well, they were,' Hannah-Jones responded. 'Many of this generation fought for democracy abroad, while brutally suppressing democracy for millions of American citizens,' Hannah-Jones wrote in her work Wallace asked the author: 'Again, I am in no way minimizing our terrible racial legacy. But in some of these things, aren't you overstating?' Wallace responded: 'No, they weren't - you're telling me that a farm, that a kid coming off a farm in Indiana or a kid who came from Brooklyn, was suppressing black people?' 'Indiana has the largest population of the Klan in the United States,' Hannah-Jones replied, sparking a heated back and forth. Wallace accused Hannah-Jones of painting with a 'broad brush the 20- and 30-year-olds who defended democracy' as oppressors. 'A 30-year-old is a fully grown person who can serve in Congress,' Hannah-Jones fired back. 'These are not babies.' 'We have to be more honest about piercing that mythology not to destroy our country, but if we can honestly face who we are, then we can actually become the country that we want to be,' she continued. 'Ask a black person whose view of the Greatest Generation was black people are getting lynched...having these gauzy narratives about the Greatest Generation doesn't help us confront the facts,' she continued. Wallace praised her response, saying 'this is just what this is here for.' In this file photograph taken on June 6, 1944, US troops of the 4th Infantry Division "Famous Fourth" land on 'Utah Beach' as Allied forces storm the Normandy beaches on D-Day The testy exchange comes as Discovery moves to complete its merger with CNN parent WarnerMedia, amid executive shakeups that could see the cable network move towards the political center. New York Times' 1619 Project In August 2019 the New York Times Magazine published the 1619 project, a collection of essays, photo essays, short fiction pieces and poems aimed to 'reframe' American history based on the impact of slaves brought to the US. It was published to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in the English colonies. It argues that the nation's birth was not 1776 with independence from the British crown, but in August 1619 with the arrival of a cargo ship of 20 to 30 enslaved Africans at Point Comfort in the colony of Virginia, which inaugurated the system of slavery. The project argues that slavery was the country's origin and out of it 'grew nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional.' That includes economic might, industry, the electoral system, music, public health and education inequities, violence, income inequality, slang, and racial hatred. However, the project is debated among historians for its factual accuracy. In March 2020 historian Leslie M. Harris who served as a fact checker for the project said authors ignored her corrections, but believed the project was needed to correct prevailing historical narratives. One aspect up for debate is the timeline. Time Magazine said the first slaves arrived in 1526 in a Spanish colony in what is now South Carolina, 93 years prior to the landing in Jamestown. Some experts say slaves first arrived at present-day Fort Monroe in Hampton, instead of Jamestown. Others argue the first Africans in Virginia were indentured servants as laws on lifetime slavery didn't appear till 17th century and early 18th century, but worked essentially as slaves. Advertisement Nine high-level WarnerMedia senior executives, including Chief Executive Jason Kilar, and Studios and Network chief Ann Sarnoff announced their exits ahead of the formation of the combined company. The $43 billion merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia is expected to close as soon as Friday. The newly formed company will be led by Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Wallace, a former Fox News anchor, joined CNN+ in December. The streaming service launched late last month, and his one-on-one interview show Whos Talking to Chris Wallace airs on weeknights. Hannah-Jones, who is no stranger to controversy, won a Pulitzer for her reporting on the 1619 Project. Published in August 2019, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colony of Virginia, the work has been criticized by some academics for its claims - and angered many others who saw it as unpatriotic. In December, Hannah-Jones told the Associated Press that the ongoing debate was unsurprising. 'We've been taught the history of a country that does not exist,' she said. 'We've been taught the history of a country that renders us incapable of understanding how we get an insurrection in the greatest democracy on January 6.' She said that America was 'willfully' avoiding its complicated and painful past, and that was why her work was so polemical. 'Steps forward, steps towards racial progress, are always met with an intensive backlash,' she said. 'We are a society that willfully does not want to deal with the anti-blackness that is at the core of so many of our institutions and really our society itself.' Her work has sparked intense discussion about teaching of history in schools. Critical Race Theory, which evaluates race and its impact on society, questioning whether racism is embedded in legal systems and policies, has enraged parents and inflamed school board meetings over the past year. The 40-year-old academic theory has become a symbol of America's culture wars, and in the years since The 1619 Project it has sparked furious debate about what should be taught to children. Hannah-Jones was considered for a tenured position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last year, but in response to pressure from donors she was ultimately offered the position without tenure - something she said was deeply disappointing. She ultimately turned it down, and instead accepted a tenured position at Howard University. Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks onstage at The Hollywood Reporter 2021 Power 100 Women in Entertainment in December Nikole Hannah Jones appeared on the cover of Essence Magazine. She won a Pulitzer for her reporting reframing the history of the United States She bounced back, however: a book based on the articles was published in November, and has become a bestseller. A TV documentary on the work is due out later in 2022. 'I've gone from being just a journalist to becoming some sort of symbol for people who either love me and my work or revile me and my work,' she said. 'Certainly the fact that very powerful people are so concerned about a work of journalism called The 1619 Project that they would seek to discredit it, that they would seek to censor it, that they would seek to ban it from being taught, does speak to the fact that there are millions of Americans who want a more honest accounting of our history, who want to better understand the country that we're in, who are open to new narratives.' She said that questioning the academic merit of her work was 'legitimizing what was a propaganda campaign.' Yet Hannah-Jones, when asked how she felt about critics calling it 'an agenda-driven piece of work,' replied: 'They'd be right.' She said: 'The agenda is to force a reckoning with who we are as a country. 'The agenda is to take the story of black Americans in slavery, from being an asterisk to being marginal to being central to how we understand our country. 'When people say that, though, I know that they're saying it in disparaging ways. 'I'm just being honest about the nature of this work.' Hannah-Jones sparked further controversy by saying last year that parents should not decide what's being taught in schools. 'I don't really understand this idea that parents should decide what's being taught. I'm not a professional educator,' she said on NBC's Meet the Press. 'I don't have a degree in social studies or science. We send our children to school because we want them to be taught by people who have an expertise in the subject area. And that is not my job.' Advocates say teaching The 1619 Project is necessary to underline how deeply racism pervades society. Critics say it is divisive and paints everyone as a victim or oppressor. 'This is why we send our children to school and don't homeschool, because these are the professional educators who have the expertise to teach social studies, to teach history, to teach science, to teach literature,' she said. 'And I think we should leave that to the educators.' She also told Fox News that 'professional K-12 educators, not parents, are the experts in what to teach, including those educating my own child.' A Florida OnlyFans model has been arrested for her boyfriend's murder after she stabbed him in an apparent domestic dispute. Courtney Clenney, 25, known on the subscription service as Courtney Tailor, stabbed her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, in the shoulder amid a struggle at their Miami condominium on Sunday, police said. Obumseli, 27, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The influencer, who has not been formally charged in her boyfriend's death, was hospitalized over mental health concerns after making suicidal threats while in police custody, police said. Her current condition remains unknown. Investigators are working to determine if Clenney, whose neighbor alleges was abused by Obumseli, acted in self-defense. OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, 25, (left) has been arrested for her boyfriend's murder after she stabbed him in an apparent domestic dispute. Christian Obumseli, 27, (right) died from his injuries Miami police responded to multiple domestic disturbance calls at the couple's apartment over the last three months. A neighbor claiming to have a direct view of the couple's apartment said he witnessed Obumseli strike Clenney about a week before the fatal stabbing. 'I could not tell if it was open-handed or closed-handed, but he was swinging at her,' the unnamed resident told WPLG. However, a trio who identified themselves as close friends of the couple alleged the social media model was the violent one in the 'rocky relationship'. 'We've seen her hit him. I've never seen him hit her,' Ashley Vaughn said. 'From what we've personally experienced between the both of them, we believe that Christian wouldn't put her in a position where she would need to stab him to protect herself.' 'We didn't think this is how far it would have gone,' Tahki Banks said. 'Even that we really lost Christian only, it feels like we lost Courtney at the same time.' The influencer, who has not been formally charged in her boyfriend's death, was hospitalized over mental health concerns after making suicidal threats while in police custody Investigators are working to determine if Clenney, whose neighbor alleges was abused by Obumseli, acted in self-defense. The couple is pictured together Clenney, who has more than two million Instagram followers, was hospitalized Sunday under Florida's Baker Act. The law allows law enforcement, judges, doctors and mental health experts to commit a person to a treatment center for 72 hours if certain violent or suicidal tendencies are displayed. It is unclear if or when she will be released from the hospital. However, new content was added to her OnlyFans page the day after she was detained. While specific details surrounding their relationship remain in question, it does appear the couple has been together for several years. Their friends said Clenney and Obumseli moved to Miami from Texas a few years back. The group, which reportedly dined, traveled and regularly socialized with the pair, said they are completely distraught over the situation. 'He was just really high-energy, bright, intelligent, would bring a smile to anyone,' Josh Ramsey told WTVJ. 'These are our two friends we've gone on vacation with, we go to dinners with, we go out on the town with them, and it seems like it's straight out of a crime documentary,' Ramsey told WTVJ. 'We would have never guessed it would have escalated to this point. I think I speak for our whole friend group, we are just shocked. Very distraught about this,' he added. A neighbor claiming to have a direct view of the couple's apartment said he witnessed Obumseli strike Clenney about a week before the fatal stabbing. They are pictured together However, a trio who identified themselves as close friends of the couple alleged the social media model was the violent one in the 'rocky relationship'. Clenney and Obumseli are seen holding hands A GoFundMe account established in support of Obumseli's family has raised more than $65,000. The account creator said Obumseli was killed a week before his 28th birthday, leaving 'many unanswered questions and creates a void that can never be fixed or filled.' 'That someone's selfish act ripped Christian away from this world. It is not enough to say we are shocked and hurting - We are utterly devastated,' his loved ones wrote. 'Christian was extremely compassionate with a desire always to uplift those around him. He did not deserve for his life to be cut short by a heinous act of violence. We will never forget his infectious smile that could light up any room or his caring spirit.' Clenney was hospitalized on a mandatory 72-hour hold. It is unclear if or when she will be released from the hospital. However, new content was added to her OnlyFans page the day after she was detained A German Shepherd born with six legs, four testicles, two colons and bladders, as well as an extra penis, was not expected to live past his young puppyhood. But after undergoing a series of complicated surgeries to remove his various ancillary organs and appendages, Raga is now a healthy seven-month-old dog. 'He probably shouldnt be alive, he was such a mess,' Anita Horne, hospital manager at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana, told Indianapolis Star, which first reported on the story. Raga, a rescue, was brought to the clinic for the first time in the fall of 2021, not long after his birth. Gina Elliott, a technician supervisor, agreed to foster Raga, expecting that he would soon die, which is usually the fate of small animals born with additional organs and limbs. Raga was born in the fall of 2021 with six legs, four testicles, two colons, bladders, penises and urinary tracts. Pictured, nurse at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana, holds puppy before surgery to remove extra legs In December 2021, surgeons performed an operation to remove Raga's extra legs, which were lighter in color and non-functioning A radiograph shows Raga's two extra partially joined legs protruding from the center backside Raga was prone to serious infections caused by one of his colons sending bacteria-laden fecal matter into one of his two penises and bladders, requiring the use of powerful antibiotics to save him. But each time, the resilient pup bounced back and carried on living, running around in his foster owner's yard, with his partially conjoined extra legs dragging behind him. Last December, two surgeons at the animal hospital, Drs Jae Tobias and Nicolas Vecchio, performed the first surgery on Raga to remove his useless extra legs and pelvis. After his successful recovery, in February Raga was back on the operating table, this time to extract most of his unnecessary organs, including his second penis and urinary tract. Dr Tobias said she has never encountered an animal with two penises before, and that condition presented challenges to her and her colleague 'because we had to get rid of one of them,' she said. Raga's two penises are seen while a veterinary technician is shaving Raga's abdomen in preparation for surgery on December 3, 2021 Surgeons also removed a small extra pelvis during the December surgery, pictured above Raga looks robust after the removal of his extra legs (pictured on March 30 near fishers, Indiana) Once again, Raga survived, after having his bonus retrodictive organ and ureter removed. Raga is expected to undergo a third surgery sometime in the future to rid him of his two additional testicles that are currently embedded in his abdomen. Throughout his medical saga, Raga continued living with Elliot on a temporary basis. But the two eventually bonded, and Elliot, who said that she previously did not see herself a 'German Shepherd gal,' decided to adopt the playful pooch. A former Trump White House aide told the House committee investigating Jan. 6th that Rep. Matt Gaetz sought a 'blanket pardon' from Trump before the president left office, according to a new report. Eric Herschmann, the former aide who testified, joined the Trump White House from the law firm of Kasowitz Benson Torres, the firm of longtime Trump lawyer Marc Kasowitz. He served as a senior advisor and helped defend Trump during his first impeachment, helping to ensure Trump's political survival. But later in Trump's term, he reportedly clashed with 'Kraken' lawyer Sidney Powell during a tense White House weeks after the 2020 election and before Trump left office. He recently appeared before the House select committee probing the Capitol riot, and spoke about the effort by Gaetz to secure a presidential pardon and the immunity it conveyed during Trump's last weeks in office. According to Punchbowl News, Herschmann told investigators Gaetz sought a 'blanket pardon' on 'multiple occasions.' A former Trump White House aide told the Jan. 6th committee Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sought a 'blanket pardon' from Trump before he left office. The committee asked him about pardons a source of controversy in Trump's final months in office that was overshadowed by Jan. 6th. Trump also pardoned officials close to him including longtime advisor Roger Stone and former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon. Trump also pardoned former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who resisted prosecutors' efforts to gain cooperation, and former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn. The New York Times reported in September that Gaetz had sought the pardon for himself. Gaetz is a close ally of former President Donald Trump Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) boards Air Force One in Orlando, Florida, on March 9, 2020. He reportedly sought a 'blanket' pardon Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg and Gaetz 'wingman' has been cooperating with prosecutors His spokesman denied wrongdoing at the time. 'Entry-level political operatives have conflated a pardon call from Representative Gaetz where he called for President Trump to pardon "everyone from himself, to his administration, to Joe Exotic" with these false and increasingly bizarre, partisan allegations against him,' said the spokesman. 'Those comments have been on the record for some time, and President Trump even retweeted the congressman, who tweeted them out himself.' A Gaetz spokesman on Thursday provided a statement from former President Trump: 'Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon. It must also be remembered that he has totally denied the accusations against him,' Trump said. Gaetz was a staunch Trump defender, and flew with the president aboard Air Force One. He was calling for pardons for Trump loyalists while federal investigators had begun asking associates about whether he had sexual relations with a 17-year old girl in potential sex trafficking violations. It is unclear whether he knew about the probe at the time he sought the pardon, according to the original report. Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations. The investigation was generating regular headlines last year. Gaetz friend and 'wingman' former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg has been cooperating with authorities, and had his sentencing repeatedly delayed. Greenberg pleaded guilty to multiple counts including sex trafficking with a child. Politico reported last June that prosecutors were probing whether Gaetz obstructed justice during a call with a witness in the sex trafficking case. Gaetz has also denied obstruction. He was involved internal discussions as Trump sought to overturn the election results. Herschmann took part in a Dec. 18, 2020 meeting involving Powell, Flynn, and Overstock.com CEO Patrick Bryne where Trump loyalists pushed Trump to declare a national emergeny and seize voting machines, with Herschmann arguing with other officials over the powers. A Swedish aid worker who was held hostage in northern Syria relived some of her darkest moments Thursday as she testified against one of her captors, El Shafee Elsheikh, a former British national who is accused of leading a kidnapping plot that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Nothing in her captivity nightmare horrified Frida Saide more than the day she was released in March 2014, when she pleaded with her captors to release Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old American with whom she had shared a room for weeks. Taking the stand at a federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, Saide said the hostage-takers, a notoriously sadistic bunch captives dubbed the ISIS 'Beatles' because of their British accents, told her she and her companions would need to raise the ransom to free Mueller. Otherwise, they told her, Mueller would be tormented and die. 'We sleep at night,' Saide said they taunted her. 'Will you be able to sleep at night, knowing that you have abandoned your friend?' Frida Saide, (pictured left during an ABC interview in 2016) a Swedish aid worker who was held hostage by jihadists, took the stand Thursday, reliving the day she pleaded with her captors to release Kayla Mueller (right) a 26-year-old American with whom she had shared a room for weeks in 2014 The testimony came in the trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, 33 (pictured in a court room sketch on April 1) and 'The Beatles' so-called because they were all from the UK who are said to have captured 26 hostages between 2012 and 2015 in Syria Saide (pictured during her testimony) told the court she pleaded with her captors to release Kayla Mueller. Mueller's mother is seated at the far bottom right in the audience The two-week trial has detailed the gruesome brutality inflicted on more than two dozen Western hostages held captive by the Islamic State roughly a decade ago, specifically the killings of US aid workers Mueller and Peter Kassig and journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Kassig, Foley, and Sotloff were beheaded by terrorists in videos distributed across the world in 2014. Mueller was raped and tortured by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she was killed in 2015. Thursday's proceedings began with Saide sharing her own story of captivity and how it intersected with several of the Americans victims, as well as Elsheikh and other Beatles who were accused of carrying out the killings. Saide was kidnapped in January 2014 along with several fellow members of Doctors without Borders, who were working in the region. 'They said we were spies and [that they] want to go through our things to determine why we were really there,' she recalled. She was captured along with Patricia Chaves and a Swiss colleague, who were shuttled between houses and office buildings turned into makeshift prisons, where they slept on wet concrete floors and endured harsh treatment by guards. El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, is standing trial in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, on charges including lethal hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder She described her stay in a large building called the 'Office Prison' where the windows were covered with cardboard and they could hear the screams of other hostages, including one with a Spanish accent that she heard beg guards to let him phone his children back home. They later joined a convoy said to be transporting over 1,000 mujahideen to the city of Raqqa. It was then that the IS terrorists revealed they were being held for ransom. 'My heart really sank because we realized if this was for money, it would be a really long time,' she testified. In late January, they were taken by a captor they named Scarface to a villa they called the 'River Palace,' given its proximity to a river, she said. It was there, she noted, that 'the old team of guards disappeared, and the new guys moved in.' They were the Beatles she described as 'genuine psychopaths with no moral boundaries' and who enjoyed inflicting pain. 'They treated Americans the worst, then the British,' Saide testified. 'But they hated all of us.' With the Beatles taking care, she said, a sofa was placed in front of their room, and 'they told us we weren't allowed to move around.' The terrorists told them that they were being punished for western actions in the region. Saide, who had asked a previous crew if they could get her some needed eyeglasses, was berated by a Beatle who accused her of being selfish and blaming westerners for leaving millions of Iraqis blind. They also threatened to cut out the tongue of her Swiss colleague for talking. The hostage-takers, meanwhile, asked them 'proof of life' questions for their families requesting proof that they were alive. Pictured left: James Foley while covering the civil war in Aleppo, Syria. Pictured right: US aid worker Peter Kassig - otherwise known as Abdul-Rahman Kassig - in Syria Left: US freelance journalist Steven Sotloff. Right: Kayla Mueller is shown after speaking to a group in Prescott, Arizona. Both were killed in Syria by ISIS Saide, for her part, was asked the names of the cats she had as a child. While at the River Palace, she said, they heard about some of the other hostages who were being held there, including journalist James Foley who she could hear calling out his name, and aid worker Peter Kassig, both of whom were later beheaded. In early February, Saide and her companions had suffocating blankets placed over their heads as they were taken to yet another prison that they dubbed the 'Oil Facility' because of its oil installation nearby. They were led into a ground floor room with covered windows, where Saide said, 'there was another person who entered the room behind us.' Saide paused then her eyes teared up as she explained that this was the moment she met Kayla Mueller. She, Mueller, and the others all introduced themselves, and shared their back stories, how they were taken hostage. Mueller was captured in Aleppo in August 2013 while accompanying her ex-boyfriend Rodwan Safarjalani, a Syrian national who was working to repair a satellite dish as a consultant with the Turkish humanitarian group Support to Life. In conversations with Saide and her colleagues, Mueller detailed how her boyfriend, after being released, came back for her. He presented a fake marriage certificate to try to convince her captors to free her. The terrorists asked Mueller whether the certificate was real, and 'Kayla was too afraid to be caught in a lie, so she said no,' Saide explained. Carl Mueller, center, and Marsha Mueller, right, parents of Kayla Mueller who was killed by Islamic State militants, depart for a break at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday Kayla's parents Carl and Marsha Mueller spoke movingly at the Republican National Convention in 2020 about their daughter's captivity. At the RNC Carl said: 'Kayla was mostly held in a 12-by-12 cell in solitary confinement. It was cold and dirty' Over the ensuing days and weeks at the Oil Facility, Saide said, they'd talk at length about their lives back home, why they came to Syria and their aspirations for the future. They'd play card games on a deck made out of notebook paper, and discuss politics and faith. According to Saide, Patricia Chavez taught Kayla how to braid hair because Kayla wanted to learn how to braid her little niece's hair. The Beatles demanded they all film ransom videos demanding a large sum of money or the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national who was convicted in 2010 of trying to shoot US military officers while she was in Afghanistan. The terrorists told Saide and her companions that Siddiqui was tortured and raped in prison and forced to abort a baby, and described their treatment of the hostages as payback. Saide said that when she filmed her video, Mueller was sitting just off to the side. Saide was forced to beg for $1.5million Euros or Siddiqui's release, and to say she would be killed if the demands weren't met. After her first take, her captors said she seemed like she was reading a weather report. One of them then got close to her face and stomped his feet to scare her, saying she needed to seem more afraid. The Beatles, meanwhile, told Mueller that she had demons inside her and that they were going to forcibly expel them. 'We took this as a threat to torture,' Saide said. Saide and her Doctors without Borders colleagues were released from the facility in March. Kayla's mother, Marsha Mueller, sat in the gallery Thursday, struggling to maintain composure while hearing new details about her daughter's final days. On Tuesday, she took the stand herself, recounting how she and her husband tried for years to save their daughter, before she was murdered in February 2015. The jihadis had reportedly demanded 5million euros - or about $5.4million - for Kayla's release, Mueller testified, but because they did not have the money, she and her husband desperately tried to plead with the leaders of the terrorist group for her safe return. Elsheikh is pictured, right, with ISIS Beatle Alexander Kotey, left, who struck a plea bargain last year in return for life behind bars The fourth suspected 'Beatle', Aine Davis, is pictured in 2014. He is currently serving a prison sentence at a Turkish jail At one point, she said, she and her husband even sent a video message to al-Baghdadi, in which Mrs. Mueller pleaded: 'I am coming to you with a mother's heart for the love of her daughter.' On Wednesday, jurors heard the moving goodbye letter Peter Kassig wrote to his parents Ed and Paula five months before he was beheaded by Mohammed Emwazi, known as 'Jihadi John,' in November 2014. He revealed that he did not believe his captors' claims that his family had given up on him. It was read by Peter's retired teacher dad Edward Kassig, who struggled to hold back tears, as Kassig's mom Paula, a former nurse, watched. 'But of course we know you are doing everything you can and more,' the letter said: 'Don't worry Dad, if I do go down I won't go thinking anything but what I know to be true, that you and Mom love me more than the moon!' the 26 year-old aid worker wrote. Kassig, who was adopted by his parents, also detailed his fears that he was going to die, writing: 'Dad, I'm paralyzed here. I'm afraid to fight back. Part of me still has hope. Part of me is sure I'm going to die.' He continued: 'I spent a long time taking life for granted and taunting death. I have never wanted to live more. I don't want you and mom ruined over this.' Kassig, a former US Army ranger, continued: 'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can take some refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.' 'I spent a long time taking life for granted and taunting death. I have never wanted to live more. I don't want you and Mum ruined over this.' He also revealed that in the wake of his October 2013 abduction he'd 'cried a lot, but doesn't anymore.' The missive was so moving that even Judge TS Ellis III was seen to fight back tears, before calling for an early recess so the court could compose itself again. The letter was delivered to the Kassigs, who live in Indianapolis, by another hostage who'd managed to escape ISIS captivity. Sharing his thoughts with the court on reading it for the first time, Edward Kassig said: 'This was a young man knowing his time had come. It was his farewell.' The savage ISIS Beatles, including Jihadi John ringleader who shared beheading videos online and killed innocent British aid workers Jihadi John Mohammed Emwazi - Jihadi John Emwazi was one of the most prominent members of the so-called ISIS Beatles and was regularly seen carrying out executions in their horrific beheading videos. He took part in the barbaric beheadings of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and US humanitarian worker Peter Kassig. The terrorist, who was born in Kuwait and grew up in Queen's Park, West London, was charged with 27 counts of murder and five counts of hostage taking in November 2014. He was killed in a Hellfire missile drone strike in Syria in 2015. Jihadi Paul Aine Lesley Davis - Paul Davis was born Aine Leslie Junior Davis in 1984 to Fay Rodriquez, and is believed to have spent the early years of his childhood in Hammersmith, London, where his mother lived. He was one of 13 children his father had by four different women. The former tube driver, who has drug-dealing and firearms convictions to his name, converted to Islam while in prison. In 2014 his wife, Amal el-Wahabi, was convicted of funding terrorism after she persuaded a friend to try and smuggle 16,000 ($21,000) in cash in her underwear to him. Davis was captured by Turkish security officials in 2015 and was later found guilty of being a senior member of a terrorist organization and was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Alexanda Kotey Alexanda Kotey - George Kotey, 38, was born to a Ghanaian father and a Greek Cypriot mother and grew up in Shepherd's Bush, London. Before his radicalization, he is thought to have worked as a drug dealer before converting to Islam in his early 20s. In 2012, he left for Syria where the US claims he was involved in beheadings and known for administering 'exceptionally cruel torture methods', including electronic shocks. He is also accused of acting as an ISIS recruiter who convinced a number of other British extremists to join the terror group. Kotey was captured in Syria while trying to escape to Turkey in 2018 and was held in a US military center in Iraq. The British Government wanted him tried in the US, where officials believe there is a more realistic chance of prosecution than in the UK. He was extradited last year and was charged with a number of terror offenses. El Shafee Elsheikh El Shafee Elsheikh - Ringo Born in Sudan, Elsheikh, 33, grew up in West London and is the final member of the four British terrorists who fled to join ISIS. He has been linked to the killings of a number of hostages after heading to Syria to join the extremist group. He was captured along with Kotey when they tried to flee to Turkey in 2018 and has since been transported to the US where he now faces charges relating to terrorism and beheading Western hostages. Advertisement The testimony left many in the courtroom fighting back tears. Also Wednesday, the jurors heard testimony from French hostage Nicolas Henin, who survived 300 days of captivity before his release in 2014. Under questioning from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, Henin described escaping several days after he was taken hostage, and the torture inflicted on him when he was recaptured. Henin said he asked his guards for a broom to clean up his cell, and he used the broom to help knock loose the bars covering a window. He crawled through the window in the middle of the night and ran for miles across the Syrian desert until he came to a village near the city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold, where he sought help. 'I met two people in pajamas,' he said. 'Unfortunately you can't recognize an ISIS fighter in their pajamas. They took me to the local police station.' The authorities returned him to his captors, who beat him, strung him up in the air dangling from handcuffs that dug into his flesh in the Syrian sun, and finally left him in a cell for 11 days with his wrists chained to his ankles. In his later months of captivity, he came across the Beatles, who were already recognized by his fellow hostages as particularly sadistic. He said the three Beatles would regularly inflict beatings, and that the Beatle they dubbed 'Ringo' - said to be Elsheikh - would frequently lecture the hostages on the justification for their captivity. 'They were trying to explain to us that even though we were not carrying weapons, we were still somehow a kind of fighter in the war between the infidel West and Islam,' Henin said. Prosecutors have said that Elsheikh is 'Ringo,' though none of the hostages who has yet testified has been able to explicitly identify him. Witnesses have said all the Beatles took great pains to keep their faces fully masked when they were in contact with the hostages. 'They liked to consider that as long as they were masked, they were protected from prosecution. This was maybe a stupid idea,' Henin said, grinning broadly in the direction of Elsheikh, who sat just feet from him at the defense table. On Monday, James Foley's mother testified that she initially hoped reports her son had been executed were 'some cruel joke.' 'I didn't want to believe it,' Diane Foley testified. 'It just seemed too horrific,' Foley said. 'I was hoping it was just some cruel joke.' Foley said it sank in later that day when US president Barack Obama went on television to confirm that James had indeed been executed by his IS captors. Diane Foley, who worked tirelessly to try to obtain her son's release, said James, a seasoned combat reporter, left for Syria in October 2012 and promised to be back for Christmas. The family began to worry when he did not call in November on Thanksgiving. 'Jim always called us on the holidays,' she said. 'There was a deafening silence when we did not hear from him.' She said the family was informed by a colleague of James that he had been kidnapped. 'Those first nine months, we didn't know if Jim was alive or not,' she said. The first tangible proof that James was alive came when his captors provided emailed answers to three questions that only he would know. The brother of a journalist murdered by ISIS killer Jihadi John has told a terror trial how he watched the clip of his sibling being beheaded 'once or twice', saying the footage is 'burned into my brain'. James' brother Michael Foley also testified, saying that he watched the clip of his sibling being beheaded 'once or twice', and that the footage is 'burned into my brain'. He also said ransom demands made by the terror group in 2012 and 2013 - including 100 million Euros and the release of Islamist prisoners - showed they were never serious about sparing his late brother James. The war photographer was executed in Raqqa, Syria, in August 2014 aged 40, with footage of his murder horrifying the world. Michael told the hearing in Alexandria: 'We had no ability to secure either of those demands. It's not a reasonable demand. It's not a negotiation, in my mind.' He went on to say how he'd first learned of his brother's death after being called for confirmation by reporters, which was finally provided days later by then-President Barack Obama. Michael said he went online and watched the video of his brother in an orange jumpsuit and the knife-wielding IS executioner known as 'Jihadi John.' 'I watched it once or twice,' he said. 'I haven't seen it since but it's burned into my brain.' Last week, his trial was told of the horrific brutality Elsheikh allegedly meted out on prisoners, including 'going away' batterings for hostages who'd been freed. Elsheikh is also said to have beaten one hostage 25 times on learning that it was the unnamed captive's 25th birthday. Elsheikh and a longtime friend, Alexenda Kotey, were captured together and brought to Virginia to face trial. Kotey pleaded guilty last year in a plea bargain that calls for a life sentence. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 29. A third Beatle, Mohammed Emwazi, served as executioner in the video of Foley's execution. Emwazi - better known as 'Jihadi John' - was killed in a drone strike in November 2015, and was the face and voice of some of ISIS's most horrific execution videos. There have been conflicting statements trial about the existence of a fourth Beatle. An individual previously identified in public discussion as a fourth Beatle, Aine Davis, is serving a prison sentence in Turkey. Defense lawyers have highlighted the discrepancies over the Beatles' identities, and say there is insufficient evidence to prove Elsheikh was one of the Beatles who participated in the hostage-taking scheme. Prosecutors, though, plan to present evidence later in the trial that Elsheikh confessed to his role under questioning from interrogators and in media interviews. Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was supported in court on Thursday by the man raising his 21-year-old orphaned brother as if he were his own son. Cruz, now 23, is back in court to be sentenced. It is likely to take until September for a jury to determine whether or not he should be executed or sentenced to life without parole for murdering 17 people at the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School on Valentine's Day, 2018. On Thursday, Richard Moore attended court in Broward County, Florida, to support Cruz. Moore and his partner Michael Donovan took Nikolas's younger brother Zachary in after the 2018 shooting. Cruz, now 23, is back in court to be sentenced. It is likely to take until September for a jury to determine whether or not he should be executed or sentenced to life without parole for murdering 17 people at the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School on Valentine's Day, 2018 Moore, who lives in Virginia with his partner and with Zachary, said he was there to support Nikolas Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz (left) in court on Thursday and his adopted brother Zachary (right) at a hearing for trespassing in 2018. He skateboarded onto the school campus where his brother murdered 17 people in 2018 Both Nikolas and Zachary grew up mostly with their adoptive parents Lynda and Roger. Roger died in 2004 and Lynda died in November 2017, barely six months before the massacre. Zachary - who has also been in trouble with the law - went to live with Moore and Donovan to get away from Florida. In the years since, he and the couple have sued Dog the Bounty Hunter, who they say defamed them by openly questioning and criticizing the living arrangement they have with Zachary. Moore said on Thursday that he had traveled to the court to represent Zachary, who could not attend himself. 'I think that this is not the part really for him to be here. Zack will absolutely be here at some point in time for his brother' he told The Sun Sentinel. The boys' adopted mother Lynda died in November 2017, barely six months before the shooting. They shared a biological mother but had different fathers. Lynda took them both in He added that while he does not 'condone' what Nikolas did, 'no one should have to face this alone.' Moore and his partner sued Dog the Bounty Hunter in a joint lawsuit with Zachary. It was settled for $3,000. Cruz was a 19-year-old expelled student with a history of mental health and behavioral issues at the time of the killings, prosecutors said last year. Under Florida law, a jury must be unanimous in its decision to recommend that a judge sentence Cruz to be executed. If any of the 12 jurors objects, Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Among the mitigating factors the defense will ask the jury to consider are Cruz's brain damage from his mother's drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy, his long history of mental-health disorders, and allegations he was sexually abused and bullied. Cruz was 18 when he legally purchased from a licensed gun dealer the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting. The Mayor Pete documentary was released on Amazon Prime on Nov. 12 Ethics watchdog Protect the Public's Trust (PPT) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation (DOT) for refusing to respond to their request for documents related to whether taxpayer money was used to produce 'Mayor Pete,' a documentary profiling the DOT secretary currently streaming on Amazon Prime. The watchdog claimed that the release of the documentary during Buttigieg's time at the helm of DOT rose questions about whether any officials in the department 'improperly used official time and resources to facilitate or promote the film highlighting the Secretary.' The group filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on Dec. 8 requesting all records since President Biden's Inauguration relating to the 'Mayor Pete' movie. PPT said that DOT had told the group in early February that it could have records regarding the film to them by the end of the month. But as of Thursday, still no records had been received. 'Despite their earlier pronouncements, DOT seems to want to avoid the transparency that might expose any ethical missteps. The public can draw their own conclusions from that...' PPT said in a statement. The Department of Transportation could not be reached for comment on the documents. Just last month the Department of Justice put out a memorandum directing federal agencies how to handle FOIA requests, underscoring that 'Transparency in government operations is a priority of this Administration.' Watchdog Protecting the Public's Trust claimed that the release of the documentary during Pete Buttigieg's time at the helm of DOT rose questions about whether any officials in the department 'improperly used official time and resources' The group filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on Dec. 8 requesting all records since President Biden's Inauguration relating to the 'Mayor Pete' movie The 'Mayor Pete' documentary first began production on the campaign trail in 2019, and was only originally going to be released if Buttigieg's race went well The memo told federal agencies they may only withhold records requested under FOIA if an agency 'foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by one of the nine exemptions that FOIA enumerates' or if disclosure is prohibited by law. The memo said that when there was a case of doubt on whether information could be revealed, 'openness should prevail.' 'This episode represents yet another case in which agencies have failed to exemplify the administration's stated commitments to ethics and transparency,' PPT said. The 'Mayor Pete' documentary first began production on the campaign trail in 2019, and was only originally going to be released if Buttigieg's race went well. The film, an Amazon original, was released on Prime on Nov. 12, 2021. The documentary chronicles Buttigieg's shot at becoming the first gay president, beginning one year before the peak of his campaign, the Iowa caucuses, which he won. It does not include any footage from his time after he took office in DOT. The goal of the film was to peel back the layers of the perfectly polished young mayor of South Bend. A graduate of both Harvard and Oxford and a veteran of the Navy Reserves, Buttigieg's pedigree and poise led some to question whether he'd been born looking to seek the presidency. And though pundits often remarked that he came across as incredibly intelligent in debates, they said it sometimes seemed a little bit too well rehearsed. Filmmaker Jesse Moss decided on the idea to make a documentary to get behind the facade of the South Bend mayor after watching him in the first Democratic debate. Buttigieg chats with President Biden in the 'Mayor Pete' documentary Buttigieg's husband Chasten, right, offered criticism in the film: 'He did everything to climb every ladder without being his authentic self' But some remarked that Buttigieg did not open up during the documentary in the way the filmmaker had intended. Moss told Politico Buttigieg would often slip into campaign mode during interviews. Even Buttigieg's husband Chasten offered the criticism: 'He did everything to climb every ladder without being his authentic self.' 'My way of coming at the world, the stronger the emotion is, the more private it is,' Buttigieg explained at one point. 'And it is a strange thing, because politics is an emotional pursuit, of course.' The 26-year-old Wisconsin surgeon and hiker fell to her death over the weekend after the ground beneath her collapsed on a local trail overlooking a 90-foot waterfall, cops said. Kelsey Musgrove's body was recovered by Iron County lawmen April 3 following a four-day search of the area near Potato River Falls in Gurney, a small town in the northern part of the state near Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The discovery came a week after the doctor, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at the University of Wisconsin, set off alone on a hike through the area, which features trails and a towering waterfall, surrounded by steep clay banks. Cops late Wednesday night said Musgrove, who told family that she reached the falls March 26, died after veering away from an observation area overlooking the waterfall to get a closer look at the river. 'While walking along the edge of the embankment, it appears that the ground beneath her collapsed, bringing her down the bank along with clay and rocks,' Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich said at a press conference. He said Musgrove's body was found by deputies partially buried in the clay embankment. The autopsy revealed that Musgrove suffered traumatic injuries and died within minutes of the fall, Samardich said. It was not immediately clear how far she fell. A Wisconsin surgeon and hiker, Kelsey Musgrove died after venturing away from an observation area overlooking a 90-foot waterfall over the weekend, after a clay embankment underneath her collapsed, cops said Wednesday night Musgrove, who had told family that she had reached the falls on March 26, met her tragic end after veering away from an observation area overlooking the waterfall to get a closer look at the river, cops said Musgrove set off on the hike March 26 and phoned her parents to tell them she had arrived at the falls safely. However, four days later on March 30, after not hearing from their daughter, the couple reported her missing, notifying police in her native Middletown. Middletown cops asked Iron County lawmen to search for the aspiring surgeon. Authorities would eventually find Musgrove's car in the parking lot at the falls, as well as her body, on April 3, they said in a press release. The sheriff's office said at the time that it did not suspect foul play. Musgrove, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at the University of Wisconsin, set off alone to hike the area, which features an abundance of trails and a towering waterfall, surrounded by steep clay banks Musgrove, 26, had told family that she had reached Potato River Falls (pictured) in the town of Gurney on March 26, according to sheriff in Iron County Musgrove, who often posted her outdoor exploits on social media, was found dead a week later The sheriff's office did not suspect foul play but did not yet give a reason for Musgrove's death 'All indications at the scene and information from family and friends lead us to believe she had gone hiking along Potato River and had not returned to her vehicle,' they wrote. 'We would like to express our sincere condolences to Kelsey's family,' police added. UW Health, where Musgrove did her fellowship, put out a statement of their own lamenting her death. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague Dr. Kelsey Musgrove,' spokesperson Emily Kumlien said. 'She was recognized by her peers as a great surgeon, an outstanding mentor and an incredibly kind and positive spirit. Our thoughts and condolences are with her friends and family during this difficult time.' Sara Margaret Grossi, a frequent travel companion and close friend of Musgrove, also posted about her grief to her Facebook page. 'I could always cheer her up no matter how big the problem with pistachio ice cream. I cant fix this with a few scoops this time but I can keep loving her even though shes not here to lay under the stars with me anymore and guess constellations. Well meet again one day in those stars and awkwardly wink at one another and laugh.' A fellow doctor at UW Health remembered her in another Facebook post. Post from a good friend of Kelsey Musgrove, Sara Margaret Grossi, someone she traveled with often Doctors at UW Health also remembered Musgrove as a caring person and beloved colleague 'She was well on her way to becoming a great surgeon,' wrote one co-worker of Musgrove Statement and photo from the Iron County, WI Sheriff's Office on the disappearance and death of Kelsey Musgrove 'Kelsey Musgrove was one of the kindest and most positive residents Ive had the privilege of working with and she was well on her way to becoming a great surgeon,' wrote Aaron Zachary. 'Shes gone way too soon and had so much more life to live. May we all remember the kindness she showed us and strive to be great and kind the way she was.' Jad Sattar added: 'I love you, Kelsey. Forever and always. Until we meet again.' Musgrove often posted herself on hiking trails and in the great outdoors on her Facebook and Twitter accounts. She was also a Black Lives Matter supporter and posted recently about raising money for MS research. Jad Sattar wrote: 'I love you Kelsey. Forever and always. Until we meet again' In the wake of Musgrove's tragic death, Samardich issued a warning to other solo hikers concerning the danger of veering off park-approved trails and onto clay embankments. 'Clay banks are always unstable and be undermined in areas not visible from above,' Samardich told attendees. 'When hiking, please stay on marked trail and observation areas. If you choose to hike alone, always make sure someone knows your route of travel and when you plan to return.' Southern California prosecutors have charged two men after authorities said they found enough fentanyl to kill nearly 5 million people in their minivan. The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday that Edgar Alfonso Lamas, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53, were charged with six drug-related counts with enhancements. Authorities pulled over a minivan leaving a Buena Park home on March 17 and found more than 20 pounds of fentanyl, nearly 200 pounds of cocaine and more than 800 pounds of methamphetamine. The DA's office said the seized fentanyl is enough to kill 4.7 million people, as a lethal dose of the drug is as little as two milligrams. Lamas and Raygozaparedes are being held on $5 million bail each and have pleaded not guilty to the charges. A preliminary court hearing is set for June 7. Authorities pulled over a minivan leaving a Buena Park home on March 17 and found more than 20 pounds of fentanyl, nearly 200 pounds of cocaine and more than 800 pounds of methamphetamine The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday that Edgar Alfonso Lamas, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53, were charged with six drug-related counts with enhancements Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Wednesday that Edgar Alfonso Lamas, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53, were charged with six drug-related counts with enhancements Prosecutors said Buena Park police officers' massive drug bust is the largest in 16 years. 'Millions of unsuspecting people have the grim reaper looking over their shoulder and they have no idea how close they actually are to dying from taking a single pill,' said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. 'Fentanyl is cheap, it's easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who don't have to die.' 'Drug dealers don't care about you or your loved ones they only care about their bottom line and making as much money as possible,' Spitzer added. Lamas and Raygozaparedes were charged with one count of possession of sale of a controlled substance, three counts of sale or transportation for sale of a controlled substance, and two counts of possession or sale of a controlled substance. If convicted, they each could face up to 37 years in prison. This week, the top U.S. agency combatting drug trafficking warned of a surge of 'mass overdose' cases involving cocaine spiked with deadly amounts of fentanyl. In a letter to law enforcement authorities around the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration cited seven incidents since January in which multiple people overdosed and died in the same location after unintentionally ingesting fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. 'In just the past two months, there have been at least seven confirmed mass overdose events across the United States resulting in 58 overdoses and 29 overdose deaths,' the DEA letter said. 'Many of the victims of these mass overdose events thought they were ingesting cocaine and had no idea that they were in fact ingesting fentanyl.' Packets containing the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl undergoing testing by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration The DEA cited one case on January 28 where 10 people on the same city block in the Washington overdosed after ingesting crack cocaine laced with fentanyl. Nine of the ten died. On March 4 at a homeless shelter in Austin, Texas, 21 people overdosed and three died after taking crack cocaine and methamphetamine that included fentanyl. Other such overdoses took place in southern Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri, demonstrating the breadth of the problem. 'Fentanyl is highly addictive, found in all 50 states, and drug traffickers are increasingly mixing it with other types of drugs - in powder and pill form - in an effort to drive up addiction and attract repeat buyers,' the DEA said. It said traffickers are putting fentanyl in fake prescription pills like OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin that are popular among drug abusers. Fentanyl, which is cheap to make and is deadly in small amounts, and other synthetic opioids were involved in two-thirds of the 105,000 U.S. overdose deaths in the year to October 2021, according to the DEA. It told local law enforcement to assume that fentanyl is present in any drugs they come across. Advertisement A shocking photo of a woman waiting for the bodies of her sister and nephew to be found in the rubble of bombed flats has been shared by Ukrainian government sources, exposing the lies of Putin's spin doctor who ranted about 'fake' war crimes in a TV interview. The photo, taken in Borodianka, a town near Kyiv, shows the woman sitting on a chair as rescuers desperately comb for survivors. According to locals, the Russians blocked rescue efforts, leaving people buried under rubble for a week before Putin's forces eventually withdrew. The identity of the woman is unclear, although Ukrainian sources say she is named Liudmyla and is from the town. Rescuers are said to have brought her a chair because she had been standing for three days waiting. The building was destroyed on March 1. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said Thursday that rescue workers recovered 26 bodies from underneath two destroyed apartment buildings in Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv, again accusing Moscow of targeting civilian areas. 'Just in the rubble of two apartment blocs, 26 bodies were recovered,' Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook. 'Only the civilian population was targeted: there is no military site here,' she said, adding it was 'impossible to predict' how many more dead there were at the site. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday warned that the situation in the Ukrainian town is 'significantly more dreadful' than in nearby Bucha. The killing of civilians in the town of Bucha have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes, increasing pressure for stricter sanctions against Russia. The president said: 'They have started sorting through the ruins in Borodianka. It's much more horrific there, there are even more victims of Russian occupiers.' Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv region about a week ago to regroup in the east, leaving scenes of death and horror in commuter towns around the capital. Ukraine has accused the Russians of executing hundreds of peaceful civilians, some of whom were discovered dead with their hands tied behind their backs, as well as of torture and rape. Prosecutor General Venediktova said the Russians have used cluster bombs and heavy multiple rocket launchers 'that bring death and destruction.' 'Evidence of the Russian forces' war crimes is at every turn,' she wrote. 'The enemy treacherously shelled residential infrastructure in the evenings, when there was a maximum amount of people home,' Venediktova said. She accused Russian forces of engaging in 'killings, torture and beatings' of civilians, as well as sexual assault. Venediktova said Ukrainian law enforcement officers were collecting evidence from Borodianka for local and international courts. The Ukrainian Parliament added in a tweet: 'The destruction in Borodyanka was considered even worse than in Irpen and Bucha. The world will soon learn about the atrocities of the occupiers there, but now only one thing is clear - the village in ruins. 'Of the 29 high-rise buildings, 21 were damaged, 8 of them were completely destroyed. Rescuers have been dismantling the debris for several days now, so the horrific finds will soon be known to everyone.' It comes as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeatedly refused to admit any wrongdoing and described footage of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine as 'fake' and 'lies' A woman waits for her family to be unearthed from under the rubble in Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv recently occupied by the Russian army War crime prosecutor's team member speaks on the phone next to buildings that were destroyed by Russian shelling, amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, in Borodyanka Cemetery workers unload bodies of civilians killed in and around Bucha before they are transported to the morgue at a cemetery In a wide-ranging interview, Peskov repeatedly refused to admit any wrongdoing on Russia's part and described footage of war crimes committed by its soldiers as 'fake' and 'lies' Ukrainian officials have warned that the slaughter of hundreds of civilians by Russian troops on the outskirts of Kyiv could just be the 'tip of the iceberg' as more allegations of atrocities emerge. Pictured: A destroyed building in Borodyanka, Ukraine Pictured: Locals carry a coffin on a wheelbarrow as the city was hit by shelling in the small city of Borodyanka near Kiev A residential building destroyed by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Borodyanka in the Kyiv region He rejected allegations of a massacre in the Ukrainian town of Bucha as 'a well-staged insinuation', claiming that bodies found in the streets were placed after Russian troops withdrew. 'We are living in days of fakes and lies which we meet every day,' he said, speaking in English by video link from Moscow. 'We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of Bucha.' Moscow has been accused of war crimes and genocide after photos emerged from the commuter town of Bucha, near Kyiv, which showed streets littered with the bodies of civilians, many with their hands behind their backs, gunshot wounds and signs of torture. But Ukrainian officials have warned that other areas nearby may have seen worse atrocities and that Bucha could be just the beginning. Ukrainian prosecutor-general Iryna Venediktova told Ukrainian TV that a 'similar humanitarian situation' to Bucha exists in other parts of the country where Russian forces recently left, such as the areas around the northern cities of Sumy and Chernihiv. She also said the situation in Borodyanka, which is further from Kyiv and was also held by Russian forces until recently, may be even worse. Venediktova didn't specify what exactly had happened in Borodyanka but said 'the worst situation in terms of the victims' is there. The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The U.S.-led push won 93 votes in favour to suspend Russia, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council. Screens show results from voting by the United Nations General Assembly as member countries pass a resolution to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine at United Nations headquarters in New York, April 7 2022 Vladyslava Liubarets, a Bucha resident, walks with her family past destroyed Russian military machinery A man pushes his bike through debris and destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street in Bucha Civilians inspect the wreckage of a tank in the town of Bucha, the scene of horrific Russian atrocities The vote followed allegations that Russian troops systematically executed civilians in Bucha, a town north-west of Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, and amid other reports of human rights abuses since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on Feb. 24. Suspensions from the council are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly draft expresses 'grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,' particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia in the town of Bucha and others. Russia had threatened countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an 'unfriendly gesture' with consequences for bilateral ties. Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other cities, amid signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately before retreating. Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of least 410 civilians were found in towns around Kyiv, victims of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a Russian campaign of murder, rape, dismemberment and torture. Some victims had apparently been shot at close range and Some were found with their hands bound. Mr Zelensky accused Russia of interfering with an international investigation into possible war crimes by removing bodies and trying to hide other evidence in Bucha, north west of Kyiv. 'We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied,' he said during his latest video address. 'This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more.' The heartbreaking story behind one of the war's saddest and most iconic images (pictured) has been uncovered, as Ukrainian authorities continue to count the dead in Bucha. It has been reported that this hand was that of 52-year-old Iryna Filkina, who was killed when a Russian tank gunned her down early last month The hand in the gut-wrenching picture, it turns out, belonged to 52-year-old Iryna Filkina (pictured) - an aspiring makeup artist who posted tutorials to her social media pages. Her red and pink nails can be seen in this photograph she posted online A Russian tank (left) is shown firing moments after a cyclist (right) turned the corner on the junction. The video, released a couple of days ago, is now thought to show the moment Iryna Filkina was killed in Bucha A satellite image taken of a street in the city of Bucha on March 19 - when Russian forces were in full control of the city - shows dark objects in the road that exactly match where civilian corpses were later discovered by Ukrainian troops Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Mr Zelensky urged ordinary Russians 'to somehow confront the Russian repressive machine' instead of being 'equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life'. He called on Russians to demand an end to the war 'if you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine'. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the evidence of civilian killings was just the 'tip of the iceberg', with Ukrainian forces yet to reach all areas vacated by Russian troops, and showed the need for tougher sanctions on Moscow. It comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Romania's parliament Monday evening in a video call in which the leader said had Ukraine not defended itself, Russia would have carried out atrocities like that of Bucha 'all over Ukraine.' Zelenskyy, who was visibly emotional when he visited the town of Bucha on Monday to see the alleged crimes of Russia's forces against Ukrainian civilians, shared grim video footage during his address that showed areas strewn with dead bodies. 'The military tortured people and we have every reason to believe that there are many more people killed,' Zelenskyy said. 'Much more than we know now.' The Ukrainian leader also called for tougher sanctions, saying 'Russia must be deprived of all resources, primarily economic' and said that the fate of the region will be decided by the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Before the Ukrainian leader's address, the president of Romania's Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, said the last few days 'have shown us horrible images that have overwhelmed and revolted us all.' 'I support a speedy investigation by the International Criminal Court,' Ciolacu said. The Ukrainian President appeared overwhelmed during his visit on Monday, admitting he found 'it very difficult to talk when you see what they've done here'. On the streets of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, the bodies of civilians have been found scattered, many with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture, after Russian forces retreated from the area. Ukraine and Western leaders have accused Russia of carrying out the massacre of civilians and dumping their bodies in mass graves, with one pit in Bucha containing at least 57 people. Jen Psaki started her daily briefing on Thursday as she has all week with a shout-out to a member of her press team. This time it was Assistant Press Secretary Vedant Patel - 'He's a beautiful writer. He's a fast writer,' she said. But with reports circulating that she is about to leave her role as press secretary for a lucrative job at MSNBC she was quickly forced to explain that her tributes were not a parting gift as she worked her final days at the White House. 'I think it is simply a reflection of my appreciation for the incredible people on my team that I get to work with every day,' she said when asked. 'I've shouted them out in the past before ... I've presented them with sashes, to wear all sorts of embarrassing things. 'I think working in the White House - just like being a reporter ... -eople think you have glamorous, glamorous setups back there. I'm here to confirm that is not the case. 'But our team works their tails off. There's a lot going on and it's just simply an effort to recognize that.' She added that she had nothing else to announce on her own plans. Jen Psaki on Thursday said her shout-outs to colleagues were not part of her departure from the White House, amid reports that she is about to join MSNB as a host On Thursday, Psaki praised the work of Assistant Press Secretary Vedant Patel, for his work on climate change and immigration. 'He's a beautiful writer,' she said Yet her string of shout-outs to more junior members of staff has sounded at times like a briefing room goodbye. And her comments came soon after it emerged that the president of NBC News held a meeting with staff furious at the decision to hire Psaki as an MSNBC host. Noah Oppenheim held the call with staffers at the network's Washington DC bureau over their fears that hiring the White House press secretary will tarnish the brand. According to CNN, Oppenheim told his journalists that Psaki would only appear on MSNBC, which is known for its left-wing opinion shows, and not NBC News itself, which bills itself as a neutral news network. She is said to have informally agreed to host an MSNBC show that'll be screened on the Peacock streaming service. One person who was on the call said: 'Here's what he was saying: They have perspective programming. This was done on the perspective programming side. Not anything that reflects on NBC News. A source inside NBC News told DailyMail.com. Noah had absolutely nothing to do with the discussions with Jen. This is all on MSNBC,' said the source. Noah does not oversee MSNBC and Jen will not be appearing on NBC News. Our journalists at NBC News have every right to be concerned, but on Noahs watch, Jen wont be appearing on any NBC News programming. 'People wanted answers on what NBC's role was in this and NBC News had no role in this. This is MSNBC's perspective programming.' NBC News are said to have been particularly perturbed at news of Psaki's hiring emerging while she remains the White House's top spokeswoman. Reports that she is joining MSNBC have angered staff at NBC News who fear it risks politicizing their output. She has not yet confirmed the reports NBC News boss Noah Oppenheimer, pictured at South by Southwest in March, reassured staff that the White House press secretary would be joining opinion-heavy MSNBC, and not NBC News, which bills itself as a neutral news network She has yet to formally confirm she is leaving, but did not deny it when grilled by an NBC reporter at a White House briefing last week, and insisted she had acted ethically. CBS News journalist Ed O'Keefe and NBC NEWS Kristen Welker took Psaki to task over news of her planned move in the White House briefing room on April 1. 'Is it ethical for you to continue conducting this job while negotiating with a media outlet?' she was asked. And she replied: 'I have always gone over and above the stringent ethical and legal requirements ... As is standard for every employee of the White House, I have received vigorous ethics counseling, including, as it relates to, any future employment. 'I've complied with all ethics requirements and gone beyond and taken steps to recuse myself from decisions as appropriate. 'And so I hope all of you would judge me for my record and how I treat all of you in the briefing room and otherwise. 'And I try to answer questions from everybody across the board. I know that not everybody in the back of the room may not be pleased with me, but I'll try to continue with that.' Welker then followed-up, asking: 'How can you continue to be an effective briefer if you do, in fact, have plans to join a media outlet?' Psaki answered: 'Well, I have nothing, again, to announce about any conversation, or any future plans. 'And at whatever time I leave the White House, I can promise you the first thing I am going to do is sleep, and spend time with my three and six year-old, who are my most important audiences of all.' 'But I would say, Kristen, that again, I have taken the ethics, legal requirements, to the highest, very seriously in any discussions, any future considerations about any future employment, just as any White House official would, and I have taken steps beyond that to ensure there is no conflict.' Clearly unhappy with Psaki's answer, Welker pushed again, asking: 'And I understand what you're saying, but I guess the question is, how is it ethical to have these conversations with these media outlets while you continue to have a job standing behind that podium?' Psaki answered: 'Well, there are a range of stringent ethical and legal requirements that are imposed on everybody in this administration and many administrations past about any conversations you're having with future employers. 'That is true of any industry you're working in. I have abided by those and tried to take steps to go beyond that' NBC, whose New York headquarters is pictured, bills it NBC News division as politically-neutral - but its MSNBC rolling news network broadcasts liberal programing But Welker continued to probe Psaki, asking: 'And broadly speaking, is it the policy of this White House to allow staffers to have discussions, even if indirectly, with institutions that impact and affect their jobs and your job here?' The press secretary answered: 'Well, it is the policy of this White House to ensure that anyone who is having conversations about future employment does so through consultation with the White House counsel's office, ensuring they abide by any ethics and legal requirements. 'And those are conversations that I have taken very seriously, and abided by every component of.' Other White House press secretaries have gone on to media roles after leaving. Donald Trump's press secretaries Sarah Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany both became Fox News contributors after stepping down - but neither bagged a presenter role. NBC News staffers are also said to be uncomfortable that some of the news department's biggest hosts - including Chuck Todd and Hallie Jackson - appear on both NBC News and MSNBC, further narrowing the distinction between the two brands. A Texas man was arrested earlier this week for viciously beat his roommate with a stick during a late-night argument over the appearance of a mosquito. Victor Symone Shavers, 43, faces a charge of aggravated assault and remained in the Dallas County jail on Thursday following the bloody scuffle. Shavers and his roommate were both beaten and bloodied when Dallas Police arrived to their Dallas, Texas house in the 1500 block of Cape Cod Drive, near East Kiest Boulevard and South Lancaster Road on Sunday. Shavers' roommate, who met police outside the house when they arrived about 2:45 a.m., said the pair's mosquito argument escalated dramatically, Dallas Morning News reported citing the arrest affidavit. Victor Symone Shavers, 43, faces a charge of aggravated assault and remained in the Dallas County jail on Thursday following the bloody scuffle Dallas Police responded to the 1500 block of Cape Cod Drive, near East Kiest Boulevard and South Lancaster Road on Sunday where they found the roommates bloodied after the scuffle The roommate, whose face was still bloodied from the fight, claimed Shavers grabbed a stick from behind his bed and started hitting him on the head with it. He said Shavers hit him at least six times, according to the affidavit. The roommate then grabbed a metal bat from his closet and struck Shavers multiple times in the head. Police found Shavers sitting on his bed with blood on his head and hand, according to the affidavit. Both Shavers and his roommate were injured in the fight. The roommate had deep cuts on his left cheek and side of his head - which required multiple stitches. Shavers had a cut on the back of his head and a possibly broken hand. Shavers admitted to hitting his roommate first, the affidavit stated. He was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault. Shavers remained in custody Thursday at the Dallas County jail on $28,000 bond. He is also being held on a misdemeanor count of family-violence assault stemming from a June incident. Sajid Javid last night urged the NHS to protect women-only hospital wards. The Health Secretary told the health service to take full account of a landmark ruling from the equalities watchdog which said trans people can legally be excluded from single-sex spaces. Mr Javids intervention will put significant pressure on NHS bosses as they review whether trans women should be allowed on female-only wards. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) this week produced guidance saying it was legal for hospitals as well as other public venues to offer single-sex services. It said trans people could be excluded from areas such as wards, toilets and changing rooms, provided such a move was proportionate. An NHS equality chief led a health service mutiny over the ruling, labelling it transphobic and saying it should be put in the bin. Sajid Javid last night urged the NHS to protect women-only hospital wards after some staff publicly criticised the Government equality watchdog's ruling that single sex spaces are legal But the Daily Mail can reveal that Mr Javid has pressurised health bosses to accept the guidance and protect single-sex wards. A senior government source said: The Health Secretary welcomes the EHRC guidance and he is going to ask the NHS to take it fully into account as part of the review into same-sex wards. It comes after Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that women should have access to single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and toilets. NHS England is reviewing health service rules which allow trans people to gain access to single-sex wards based on how they dress or which pronouns they use. It emerged last month that a hospital had taken nearly a year to admit that a woman on a single-sex ward may have been raped by a transgender patient. Mr Javids intervention will serve as a rebuke to those in the NHS who rubbished the EHRC ruling and will put pressure on health service chiefs to ensure women-only wards are protected. Mr Javid has pressurised health bosses to accept the guidance and protect single-sex wards Maya Forstater, who is leading the Respect My Sex campaign, which urges voters to question politicians over their stance on gender issues, said last night: The NHS needs to review its policy on single-sex hospital accommodation. The current policy which allows self-ID and non-binary people to choose where they go is not in line with the EHRC guidance or the law which recognises binary sex. The Government promised single-sex accommodation for dignity and privacy, and thats what they should deliver. At present, NHS England has a policy known as Annex B, which allows patients to be placed on single-sex wards depending on the gender they identify with. The policy states that trans people should be accommodated according to their presentation: the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they currently use, rather than their biological sex at birth. Annex B is being reviewed by Englands chief nursing officer, Ruth May. Last night NHS England confirmed the review would take into account the EHRC guidance. NHS policy states that trans people should be accommodated 'according to their presentation: the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they currently use', rather than biological sex Last month in the House of Lords, Baroness Nicholson, 80, (pictured) told peers that the current NHS policy on single-sex wards 'gives priority to trans people over women' Last month the House of Lords was told about a case in which a trans woman on a female ward may have raped a woman. Baroness Nicholson told peers that when police were called to the unnamed hospital in England, they were told by staff that there was no male on the single-sex ward, therefore the rape could not have happened. But almost 12 months later, they revealed one of the patients had been trans. Lady Nicholson said: The result of Annex B is that hospital trusts inform ward sisters and nurses that if there is a male, as a trans person, in a female ward, and a female patient or anyone complains, they must be told that it is not true there is no male there. I think it is completely wrong that the National Health Service should be instructing or allowing staff to mislead patients. It is not acceptable. Lady Nicholson told the Upper Chamber she believes the policy should be withdrawn because it gives priority to trans people over women and therefore threatens the dignity, privacy and safety of female patients. The EHRC guidance states that it is legal for services to exclude trans people if it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. Maya Forstater, who is leading the Respect My Sex campaign (pictured centre with fellow campaigners), said the NHS needs to review its policy on single-sex hospital accommodation It says that single-sex wards in hospitals are legal because the service is likely to be used by more than one person at the same time and a woman might reasonably object to the presence of a man (or vice versa). It adds: You must be able to demonstrate that providing a separate or single-sex service is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. It is therefore good practice to record the reasons why you have taken the decision to provide a separate or single-sex service, along with any supporting evidence. For example, you have chosen to provide a single-sex hospital ward because patients have told you they have legitimate concerns about staying on a mixed ward, e.g. privacy. If this is the reason for your decision, it would be good practice to support this with evidence, such as a patient survey. The EHRC goes on to state that transwomen can be excluded from services, if to do so is justified and proportionate and as long as separate facilities are provided for them. Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said there is 'no place for discrimination against anyone based on their sex or gender reassignment' It said: Under these provisions, your approach must be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. The guidance gives an example of a community centre deciding to bring in a gender-neutral toilet as well as separate male and female ones, after some people said they would not use the centre if the toilets were open to members of the opposite biological sex, for reasons of privacy and dignity or because of their religious belief. Last night a spokesman for the EHRC confirmed that this could apply to single-sex wards in NHS hospitals. Ionela Gherghisan was left in fear of her life by estranged husband Koci Selamaj, who choked her several times in the weeks before he killed Sabina Nessa. But the 45-year-old said she never imagined that Selamaj, 36, would go on to commit such an appalling crime. Miss Gherghisan, who lived in Eastbourne, East Sussex, with Selamaj but has now returned to her native Romania, said she was haunted by grief for Miss Nessa's family. Ionela Gherghisan (right), 45, said she never imagined that Koci Selamaj (left), 36, would go on to commit such an appalling crime. The mother of one told the Daily Mail: 'It is very hard for me to find the words to say to the family of Sabina, because I am just as shocked by what he did as they are. 'I also have a 26-year-old daughter and I can relate to their pain. I have a lot of pain in my heart and feel very alone with no help. 'I am so sorry that so many people got hurt because of him. I never believed he was capable of murder.' Miss Gherghisan, a cleaner and part-time belly dancer, said Selamaj became 'unrecognisable' and violent in the weeks before the murder. She moved out of the family home last August after he throttled her in bed because she had missed his phone calls while working a double shift. 'There were times when I was scared to stay in the same house with him because I was afraid for my life,' Miss Gherghisan said. Miss Gherghisan said she is shocked by the extreme violence inflicted on Sabina Nessa (pictured) by Selamaj, whom she met at an Albanian car wash 'He tried to strangle me three times, but the last time was when I became really terrified. He came home from work and put his hands around my neck, yelling, 'Why didn't you answer your phone?' 'I was in bed, shocked. He snapped out of it and let go of me but he didn't apologise. I was his first victim, but something stopped him from killing me.' The pair then had limited contact until the day of the murder when Selamaj propositioned Miss Gherghisan for sex in the car park of the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne where she worked. Miss Gherghisan had no idea that he had checked into the five-star hotel despite living just a mile away on the High Street and that he would go on beat Miss Nessa to death just two hours later. She said: 'He was very anxious and impatient and I had never seen him like that. 'I saw a bottle of alcohol in his car and could smell it on his breath. He wasn't drunk, but he was acting very strangely. 'He tried to have sex with me in his car in the car park, but I said no so he left and I went back to work.' She went back to the couple's flat on September 25 eight days after he had killed Miss Nessa, and the night before his arrest. 'He was on his phone and he was lucid there was no sign of what he had done in his behaviour,' she said. 'The only thing that was strange was that he had new shoes, and he rarely changes his shoes. He buys new ones only when the ones he has are broken.' The Old Bailey heard that Selamaj wore 'distinctive trainers with a thick white sole' during the attack. They were later recovered from his home and found to have traces of blood on them. Miss Gherghisan sobbed at a vigil in Eastbourne for Miss Nessa before visiting Kidbrooke to try to make sense of the atrocity Miss Gherghisan said she is shocked by the extreme violence inflicted on Miss Nessa by Selamaj, whom she met at an Albanian car wash. The couple married in November 2018 after much pressure from Selamaj, whose native Albania is not part of the EU. By marrying Miss Gherghisan he would have been able to stay in the UK. Miss Gherghisan said: 'He married me for the papers. He told me that in different ways. I remember that nine months after we began a relationship he pressured me into marriage, saying that if I loved him I needed to marry him. 'He was always anxious and concerned about being deported. And I agreed in order for him to be at peace. I loved him.' Miss Gherghisan who was taken into care at two and was a homeless teenager when she had her own daughter adopted is now trying to come to terms with Miss Nessa's murder at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on September 17. She sobbed at a vigil in Eastbourne for Miss Nessa before visiting Kidbrooke to try to make sense of the atrocity. 'I wanted to give Sabina's family my condolences at the vigil held in Eastbourne,' she said. 'I went to see the crime scene and the park where it all happened and I took pictures of the area. I will never understand why he planned to kill Sabina.' Britain is to supply heavier weapons and armoured combat vehicles to support Ukraine. UK aid is being ramped up as the war enters what Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called a new and difficult phase. She predicted a more concentrated Russian offensive in the days and weeks ahead as she met Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. The offensive is expected to involve tens of thousands of Russian troops taking on Ukraine forces in the east of the country. To ensure the protection of Ukrainian troops, Britain will provide armoured vehicles which can withstand explosive devices, rockets and rifle fire. According to sources, the UK has also agreed to send Harpoon anti-ship missiles in a bid to break the Russian navys siege of Black Sea ports. Ukrainian top brass witnessed what vehicles and weapons the UK can provide at a demonstration on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, this week. Ukrainian top brass witnessed what vehicles and weapons the UK can provide at a demonstration on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, (pictured) this week According to sources, the UK has also agreed to send Harpoon anti-ship missiles in a bid to break the Russian navys siege of Black Sea ports. Pictured: HMS Montrose test-fires a powerful 800mph anti-ship Harpoon missile in 2013 Among the kit expected to be sent is the biggest of the vehicles from the Armys Protected Patrol fleet the Mastiff, which weighs 23 tons. This 6x6 wheel-drive patrol vehicle can carry eight troops and two crew, and was designed to withstand high-grade Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) used by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Such is the level of protection it provides, a defence source last night likened it to the concrete defences built into coastlines during the Second World War. Sources have said the smaller Ridgeback armoured patrol vehicle (above) could also be among the British hardware sent to the East The British hardware heading to Ukraine Harpoon anti-ship missiles: Fitted with a 500lb high explosive blast warhead, the system is carried by 600 Nato warships and 180 submarines around the world. The 15ft missiles are accurate to a range of 70 miles. Mastiff armoured patrol vehicles: Designed to be impregnable of the battlefield, it was developed after hundreds of British troops were killed or wounded by Taliban IEDs while in vehicles equipped with inferior armour. The vehicle has a top speed of 50mph and is armed with a 7.62mm general purpose machine gun, 12.7mm heavy machine gun or 40mm grenade launcher. Other vehicles may include the smaller Ridgback and the faster Husky: Reconnaissance vehicles such as the Jackal may also be sent. Advertisement The source said: It is basically like a mobile pill box. You can pretty much fire anything at it in an urban environment and it will keep on going. It is pretty well armed too. This vehicle should prove ideal for the Ukrainians given where the fighting is going to be taking place. Other vehicles from the Armys fleet being considered for deployment include the Ridgback and the Husky. UK military reconnaissance vehicles such as the Jackal may also be sent, however these offer less protection. Ukraine is suffering significant shortages of military vehicles and fuel, with Russia using precision air strikes to target fuel depots and oil refineries. Kyivs foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also attended the Nato talks. Asked what his priorities from the summit were, he replied: Weapons, weapons, weapons. He later delivered a dramatic ultimatum, effectively telling Western leaders it was now or never to give Ukraine what it needs. Mr Kuleba warned: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days not weeks, or your help will come too late and people will die. 'We know how to fight. We know how to win. 'But without sustainable and sufficient supplies requested by Ukraine, these wins will be accompanied by enormous sacrifices. The more weapons we get and the sooner they arrive, the more human lives will be saved. After failing to capture Kyiv, Russia wants to tighten its grip on the eastern regions, known as the Donbas. The Kremlin is sending thousands of extra troops to the area which consists of two regions, Luhansk and Donetsk. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss predicted a more concentrated Russian offensive in the days and weeks ahead as she met Nato foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday Speaking after the Nato meeting, Miss Truss said: We agreed to step up support for Ukraine and weve also recognised the conflict has entered a new and different phase with a more concentrated Russian offensive. 'Putin has changed his tactics but not his intent. He wants a hold over the whole of Ukraine. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinkin said Ukraine has, or will soon have, ten anti-tank systems for every single Russian tank. It might take time, but there was no scenario where Ukraine fails to triumph in the war with Russia, the diplomat added. The woman known as 'Diablita' - the 'Little Devil - who allegedly lured four teens to a local park where MS-13 gang members hacked them to death with machetes said in a video of a jailhouse call released Thursday that she 'was really happy' with what she'd done. Leniz Escobar, 22, is accused of drawing the young men to a local park after lying to the MS-13 members, saying that they had 'mocked' the notorious gangsters, prosecutor Justina Geraci said during closing arguments in the trial, which wrapped up this week in Central Islip, New York. The conversation, played during Escobar's trial Thursday and obtained by the New York Post, was released just before the jury began their deliberations. Escobar tells boyfriend Jeffrey Amador she 'f--ked up' because one of the five young men - Elmer Alexander Arteaga Ruiz, who testified at the trial - escaped. Amador then angrily asked: 'So, why the fk do you have to get involved in that st?' What you'd get out of all this?' 'Nothing,' Escobar replied. 'I was gonna be happy. Because I was really happy. I'm telling you straight out, I was happy for this to happen.' 'Yeah,' Amador said. 'I know that you get excited with stuff like that, with crazy stuff, you know?' 'Yeah,' Escobar answered. 'I was happy for that to happen.' This comes after Geraci detailed the joy Escobar seemed to take in the death of Michael Lopez, 20, and three friends - Justin Llivicura, 16, Jorge Tigre, 18, and Jefferson Villalobos, 18 - all executed by the notorious gang. 'You heard [MS-13 gang member] David Gaitan-Rivera's testimony,' Geraci told the jury of the 2017 slayings. 'He told you how one of the victims had reached for [Escobar] before he was killed and his blood had gotten all over her shirt. He told you how she licked her lips.' Leniz 'Little Devil' Escobar, 22, is on trial on federal racketeering charges for allegedly luring four high school students to their deaths at the hands of MS-13 gang members in 2017 Justin Llivicura (left) and Jefferson Villalobos (right) were hacked to death in a Central Islip, New York, park in April 2017 Michael Lopez Banega (left) and Jorge Tigre (right) were the other two victims killed by MS-13 members after allegedly being lured by Escobar Keyli Gomez, a friend of Diablita, testified earlier in the week that she and Escobar 'crouched down by the victims and watched as they were killed. Not screaming or crying while the victims were macheted to death.' Geraci also said Escobar - whose boyfriend was a high ranking member of the gang - smiled as Lopez, 20, was hacked to death. While prosecutors were outlining their case one last time for the jury, Escobar was seen smiling and joking with her legal team, wearing her hair in a ponytail and chrome piercings on her cheeks. Escobar is said to have snitched on the teens for claiming to have been MS-13 gang members on social media, with its real members deciding to execute them for it -deeming the social media boasting a show of disrespect. They were also accused by the gang of being members of the rival 18th Street Gang. One of the intended victims, Elmer Alexander Arteaga Ruiz, made it out alive by running for his life. He testified against Escobar at trial. They allege that Escobar and Gomez brought them to a park to smoke marijuana as the gangsters waited to kill them. Recalling the moment his friends were hacked to death, Ruiz told the court: 'They came through a hole in the fence. 'There were eight or nine. They covered their faces with sweaters. They came and formed a semi-circle. They told us get down on our knees. 'They said, 'Don't move. Whoever moves, dies. A photo of Leniz 'Diablita' Escobar from Snapchat, whom prosecutors allege brought the victims to a park to smoke marijuana as the gangsters waited to kill them Family and friends say goodbye to Justin Llivicura at his burial in a cemetery on April 19, 2017 Llivicura was just 16 years old when he was brutally murdered by gangsters on Long Island A car found just outside the Central Islip Recreational Center where more than a dozen MS-13 members armed with machetes, knives, an axe and other weapons lay in wait for the victims The area of the Central Islip Recreational Center where the four boys were killed, with a fifth running away 'I ran because the first words they said was that we were going to die, they were going to kill us, and they had weapons... 'I took off running and there were two people who started to follow me,' he said. 'Thank God I managed to escape.' Ruiz said he and his friends had made the MS-13 posts in a bid to impress women and that he and his young pals were 'just high school kids who were trying to look tough.' '[Ruiz] was a poser and that's why he was marked for death,' Geraci said of Ruiz. 'He thought this stuff would attract girls and it did - but not in the way he had hoped.' Escobar's boyfriend, an MS-13 member, testified saying the gang was being overrun by kids and had no balls. Prosecutors say Escobar was 17 years old in April 2017, when she helped orchestrate the massacre as an associate of the notoriously ruthless gang before falsely claiming to be a victim in the ambush. MS-13 had been seeking to settle a score, prosecutors allege, and believed the young victims - - to be members of the rival 18th Street Gang. The victims' families have denied that any of the slain men were in a gang. Diablita's attorneys have argued that she did not know the victims would be in any way attacked and that she was not a member or associate of the gang. Feared gang is behind thousands of US murders MS-13 is a transnational gang that has committed horrendous acts of violence across America. The gang's motto is 'mata, viola, controla' which means 'kill, rape, control'. There are more than 10,000 MS-13 members in the US and more than 30,000 worldwide. MS-13 leaders in the US often communicate and take orders from gang leaders in El Salvador. Long Island communities have been strongly impacted by the violence and suffering spread by MS-13. Police suspect the gang was involved in at least 25 killings on Long Island between 2016 and 2018. Advertisement 'Not every girlfriend is an associate,' defense attorney Jesse Siegel said. 'Her boyfriend was a homeboy. She was there. She certainly didn't prevent it from happening. The issue is if she knew something was going to happen.' At one point Siegel accidentally said 'you should find her guilty' before correcting himself. During opening statements on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Megan Farrell said that the victims were 'just high school kids' whose only crime was flashing MS-13 gang signs on social media to 'look tough and get attention,' reported New York Post. Their macho posturing, however, was interpreted by the MS-13 cohorts as a sign of disrespect punishable by death. According to prosecutors, Escobar, known then by the moniker 'Diabalita,' or 'Little Devil,' was seeking to curry favor with MS-13 and alerted its members to the victims' location in a wooden area. Farrell described Escobar as a 'devoted associate' of the gang, where her boyfriend was a high-ranking member. On April 11, 2017, the four victims founded themselves in a Central Islip park, surrounded by more than a dozen MS-13 gang members brandishing machetes, knives and tree limbs. Farrell told the jury that the killers ordered the five high schoolers to get down on the ground. 'The defendant pretended to be one of the victims and got down. The real victims took off running, but [Artega Ruiz] was the only one fast enough to escape. The other four were hacked to death,' the prosecutor said, describing the victims' terrified screams filling the night air. Under MS-13 rules, the killings had been 'pre-authorized' by gang leadership, prosecutors said, and contributors to the carnage stood to gain membership or ascend the organization's ranks. Farrell said that a day after the slaughter, Escobar 'bragged about her important role in the murders' and told her boyfriend that 'she did it to be happy and was happy it happened.' Authorities said Escobar later tossed her cellphone from a moving vehicle as well as a SIM card that had been removed and damaged so badly law enforcement couldn't recover its contents. The mutilated bodies of the victims were discovered on April 13, 2017, in a Central Islip park. They were slaughtered with machetes, knives and tree limbs The casket of Justin Llivicura is carried from St. Joseph the Worker Church after Llivicura's funeral on April 19, 2017, in East Patchogue, New York 'Additionally, Escobar discarded the bloody clothing that she had been wearing on the night of the murders,' prosecutors wrote in a court filing. In his opening statement, Escobar's defense attorney, Keith White, attempted to distance his client from the attackers and argued that she did not know that the victims would be killed. On Day 1 of the trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks, the jury also heard testimony from Nassau County Detective Donal Britton, who described the gruesome scene that officers came upon in the park after the killings. 'They were lying on top of each other,' he said of the victims. 'There was a lot of blood.' The parents of a US Marine jailed in Russia say they fear their son has died after they were unable to contact from for a week. Joey and Paula Reed say their son Trevor last made contact with his girlfriend on April 1, and have urged the Kremlin to let them see 'proof of life.' Reed went on hunger strike to protest his conditions in jail, with his parents fearful he may have since succumbed to an associated illness. 'To the Russian Govt: Please let us speak to our son so we know he is alive and his condition,' the account Free Trevor Reed tweeted on Thursday. 'We are urgently calling on the Russian government to provide proof of life and resume allowing Trevor to call us. Our son is critically ill. This is not the time for cruelty for crueltys sake.' 'To the US Govt: Bring Trevor Reed and (fellow US prisoner in Russia) Paul Whelan home now! You have the capability, Just Do It!' The Reeds want President Biden to organized a prisoner exchange to get Trevor Back. They also fear their son will become 'the next Otto Warmbier.' Warmbier was an American tourist who was jailed in North Korea for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster in 2016, and who was flown home to the US on June 2017 after suffering severe brain damage while incarcerated. He died six days later, with doctors unable to determine how he was fatally starved of oxygen. Trevor Reed, pictured during a Moscow court hearing in July 2020, is feared by his parents to have died while jailed in Russia Joey and Paula Reed are demanding that Russia provide proof that their son is still alive, while imploring President Joe Biden to organize a prisoner swap in an effort to bring their son home The 30-year-old, pictured above in uniform, is a US Marine veteran 'To be clear, we are unable to confirm Trevor was even transferred to the "prison hospital," nor can we confirm he has ended his hunger strike, nor that he has received any real medical care as Russian officials have claimed,' the family said in a statement released by their spokesman Jonathan Franks. Reed has been jailed in Russia following his 2019 arrest for reportedly assaulting several police officers in Moscow as the cops drove him to a nearby police station after picking him up following a night of heavy drinking at a party. The 30-year-old was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to nine years in prison. His family alleges the charges against Reed were trumped-up, but diplomatic relations between the US and Russia are worse than ever because of the Ukraine war, making release talks unlikely. The Reeds want Biden to offer a prisoner exchange to get Trevor back to the US. Since Reed's conviction, Russia has engaged in an ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which has already waged on for over 40 days. Joey and Paula Reed pose for a photo with a portrait of their son Marine veteran and Russian prisoner Trevor Reed at their home in Fort Worth, Texas on February 15, 2022 Joey and Paula Reed, parents of U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Russian prisoner Trevor Reed, stand in Lafayette Park near the White House, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Washington Now, Reeds parents said they fear their son's health is rapidly declining in prison, and warned of him becoming 'the next Otto Warmbier.' Last month, Reed was reportedly 'coughing up blood' and being denied medical care for tuberculosis, his parents say. 'He sounded terrible and had been coughing up blood daily,' Reed's mother, Paula, told WFAA over the weekend in an interview from her and her husband's Texas home, after receiving a call from her son early Saturday - the first in nearly eight months. 'We want to get him home before something really bad happens to him,' she told the network, with her husband at her side. Pictured: an undated image provided by the Reed family showing Trevor Reed and his mother Paula Reed American student Otto Warmbier, center, is escorted at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea on March 16, 2016 The State Department on Monday said it was concerned for the health of Trevor Reed, a former US Marine jailed in Russia, following local reports that he was being treated in prison hospital after ending a hunger strike. Last week, Reed's parents finally met with Biden to discuss their son's release. Joey and Paula Reed sought to remind Biden of their son's service to the country during a 30-minute meeting on Wednesday, as Russia-US relations continue to sour during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'He listened intently to everything we had to say until we were through talking. We couldn't have asked for more,' Joey Reed told CNN. Advertisement Australia has ramped up its support for Ukrainian forces by sending $50million worth of military vehicles to assist in the European nation's ongoing war with Russia. The first convoy of 20 refitted Bushmaster vehicles will leave Brisbane on aircraft C-17 Globemasters on Friday. Australia is one of the first countries to provide combat vehicle support to Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its sixth week. The armoured vehicles have been repainted olive green with Ukraine's flag stencilled on each side. The first Bushmaster PMV is loaded into a C-17 Globemaster aircraft headed for Ukraine following the federal government announcement Ukraine Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko thanks Major General Scott Winter after Australia announced $50million worth of military vehicles will be sent to the Ukraine Australia is one of the first countries to provide combat vehicle support to Ukraine (pictured is a vehicle being repainted) The words 'United with Ukraine' are also emblazoned on the vehicles in both English Ukrainian in a pledge of solidarity. The vehicles have been fitted with radios, a global positioning system and additional bolt-on armour, along with protection against mines, artillery shrapnel and small arms fire. 'Australia may be thousands of kilometres away but we're standing side by side with Ukraine against this illegal invasion with arms, equipment, aid and even energy sources,' Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. 'Once again Ukraine has asked for our help and once again we have stepped up.' 'Our Australian-designed and made Bushmasters are known around the world for their usefulness in a combat zone and they will help boost Ukraine's defence against Russia's unprovoked and illegal violence. 'This fight is important because not only are Ukrainian lives and their lands at stake, but so are the principles of freedom and the rule of law.' Two ambulatory vehicles (one pictured on Friday) are among 20 retired Bushmaster PMVs which were repainted and refitted to be used in the Ukraine Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Ukraine Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko and Major General Scott Winter checked out the first convoy of Bushmaster PMVs now on their to the Ukraine The combat vehicles (pictured being refitted) will provide support to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia The military support is the result of a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after he addressed federal parliament a week ago. It's on top of almost $120million in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The retired Bushmasters previously been used by Australian forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and disaster zones at home. 'It is one of the world leading vehicles and it provides protection to the crew that are onboard that,' defence minister Peter Dutton told the Today show on Friday. 'It will be a big win for the Ukrainian forces in their attempts to stare down the barbaric efforts of the Russian forces.' Meanwhile, Mr Morrison and more than 200 other Australian officials have been banned from entering Russia. Defence Minister Peter Dutton (pictured left with Ukraine Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko) inspected the vhicles before the first convoy left Brisbane The first of the armoured vehicles will make their way from Brisbane RAAF Base Amberley to Ukraine on Friday The ban is in response to foreign minister Marise Payne declared Australia will take action against 67 elites linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a new round of sanctions. Mr Dutton said Australia will continue to stand with Ukraine again tyranny and autocrats. 'People have fought and died for the freedoms that we have in our country. We need to realise we just can't take for granted what we have - our system of democracy and freedom of speech,' he said. 'These are values that dictators like Putin and Hitler and others will always be against. We need to stand up against them.' The Ukrainian flag is painted on each side of every vehicle, along with a special message written in English and Ukrainian Why Ukraine is DESPERATE for Australian made troop carriers to take on the Russians - so what's so special about the famed Bushmasters that even Americans are jealous of? Australia's famed Bushmaster military vehicles will be shipped to Ukraine following a plea from the nation's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky specifically requested the Bushmasters during a historic address to Federal Parliament on Thursday when he appealed for further international aid. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Friday that the armoured, high-tech, vehicles will be sent to help Ukraine fend of Russia's invasion. Morrison said the vehicles will be flown the 9,000 miles (14,000km) to Kyiv on Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport planes. He later said four Bushmasters would be sent. President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) specifically requested the Bushmaster while appealing for further international aid on Thursday The Bushmaster (pictured) is an 11-tonne armoured military vehicle designed to carry and deploy up to ten soldiers onto the battlefield What is the Bushmaster? The Bushmaster Protected Military Vehicle (PMV) - or Infantry Mobility Vehicle - is an Australian built, four-wheel drive armoured vehicle that has seen action in several wars. Nicknamed 'The Bushy,' the PMV is designed to transport troops safely through war zones and to deploy them on the front-lines. First produced: 1997 1997 Number built: 1,195 1,195 Cost: $500,000 (AUD) $500,000 (AUD) Crew: 1 driver, 9 passengers 1 driver, 9 passengers Weight: 11 - 15 tonnes Designed by: Australian Defence Industries (ADI) Australian Defence Industries (ADI) Currently produced by: Thales Australia (formerly ADI) Thales Australia (formerly ADI) Used in: War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, East Timor, Golan Heights, Iraqi Civil War, Syrian Civil War, Northern Mali Conflict War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, East Timor, Golan Heights, Iraqi Civil War, Syrian Civil War, Northern Mali Conflict Used by: Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, The Netherlands. (Several others, including the United States , France and Spain, have expressed an interest) Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, The Netherlands. (Several others, including the United States , France and Spain, have expressed an interest) Variants: Several versions of 'The Bushy' have been produced. These include: Troop, Command, Air Defence, Ambulance, Assault Pioneer, Mortar variant, Direct Fire Weapons, General Maintenance. Advertisement The Bushmaster, nicknamed 'The Bushy', is an 11-tonne armoured military vehicle designed to carry and deploy up to 10 soldiers on to the battlefield. The four-wheel-drive vehicles are built to withstand any environment and protect troops from bomb blasts, and were widely used by the Australian Defence Force during the conflict in Afghanistan. The Bushmaster can carry mortars and other heavier weapons, and can also be equipped with machine guns and other military equipment. It can also carry enough fuel and supplies to operate for three days without resupply and has a central tyre inflation system allowing it to function with punctures. The vehicle's design means it can serve a variety of roles, including as an ambulance, giving it a fierce reputation amongst Coalition forces in the Middle East with even American troops praising the vehicles. Mr Morrison has not revealed how many Bushmasters he will ship off or when they will head to Ukraine. 'We are not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, ammunitions, humanitarian aid, all of this, our body armour, all of these things,' he said. 'We will send out armoured vehicles, Bushmasters as well and we will fly them over there in our C-17s to make sure they can be there to support.' Mr Zelensky addressed the Australian parliament on Thursday, warning Russian aggression posed a direct threat to Australia and asking for tanks. 'You have very good armoured vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment could strengthen our position in terms of armaments,' he told the parliament. 'If you have an opportunity to share these with us, we would be very grateful. In Ukraine, they will do much more for our common freedom and common security than staying parked on your land.' Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks before an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday The vehicle's design means it can serve a variety of other roles, including as an ambulance (pictured, Bushmaster armoured vehicle's prepare for deployment to assist flooded communities in March 2022) Australia's Defence Minister Peter Dutton said they were reviewing the number of Bushmasters available and the logistics of sending them to Ukraine in the quantity needed, saying the government was 'pretty much open to whatever support we can'. 'The number they need obviously takes longer than what will be ideal. We have identified Bushmasters that we can send and we are going through the logistics of that now,' he told Sky News. 'We might only be able to upload three or four Bushmasters onto a C17 (military transport aircraft) at once. The other option is we can try and source something out of Germany or France or somewhere else in Europe.' The defence minister noted timelines did not allow for the usual process of sending the vehicles by ship. The federal government also announced a further $25 million in defensive military equipment for the besieged nation ahead of Mr Zelenskiy's address. The package includes tactical decoys, unmanned aerial and ground systems, rations and medical supplies. Mr Morrison used his opening remarks to the address to brand Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal. Australia will send Bushmasters (pictured) to Ukraine following a request by the war-torn nation's president Volodymyr Zelensky 'Ukraine and Australia are separated by half the earth. Our languages, accents, histories and cultures are different but we share an affinity for democracy or freedom,' Mr Morrison told the president and the parliament. 'Mr President, you have our praise. But you also have our weapons, our humanitarian aid, our sanctions against those who seek to deny your freedom.' Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese likened Russia's invasion to the devastation wrought by Hitler in World War II, saying Putin's aggression was prefaced by a 'poisonous, nationalistic lie'. 'As you stand up to this latest tyrant, you are showing us what true courage is,' Mr Albanese said. 'It is the courage that is embodied by you (President Zelenskiy). You are fighting for your country and your people.' Zelensky has been tailoring his message to individual countries through video appeals like the one shown to legislators in the Australian Parliament. Lawmakers gave him standing ovation at the start and end of his 16-minute address. He also called for tougher sanctions and for Russian vessels to be banned from international ports. 'We need more sanctions against Russia, powerful sanctions until they stop blackmailing other countries with their nuclear missiles,' Zelenskyy said through an interpreter. While the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles) from the Australian capital Canberra, Zelenskyy said Australia was not safe from the conflict which threatened to escalate into a nuclear war. Pictured: Australian members of Parliament give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on screen) a standing ovation as he addresses the House of Representatives via video-link, at Parliament House in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 31 March 2022 He suggested that a Russian victory over Ukraine would embolden China to declare war on Taiwan. 'The most terrible thing is that if we don't stop Russia now, if we don't hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to similar wars against their neighbors will decide that such things are possible for them as well,' Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy also said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Moscow had been punished for the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane in Ukraine. Australia has already promised or provided Ukraine with $91 million in military assistance, AU$65 million in humanitarian help and 70,000 metric tons of coal. Earlier Thursday, the government announced Australia was imposing an additional 35 percent tariff on all imports from Russia and Belarus starting April 25. Oil and energy imports from Russia will be banned from that date. Exports to Russia of Australian aluminum ore will also be banned. Sanctions have been imposed on more than 500 individuals and entities in Russia and Belarus. The sanctions cover 80 percent of the Russian banking sector and all government entities that handle Russian sovereign debt. Two weeks ago, the Australian and Dutch governments launched a legal case against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organization to hold Moscow accountable for its alleged role in the missile strike that killed all 298 people on MH17. Of the victims, 196 were Dutch citizens and 38 were Australian residents. More residents have been ordered to evacuate houses and caravan parks after forecasters predicted historic flooding for parts of NSW. More than 2,000 people have been told to prepare to leave their home as evacuation orders were issued at Cornwallis and the eastern part of Richmond lowlands on Friday morning. Residents in parts of Cattai, Pitt Town and Agnes Banks were also told to clear out for fear of being trapped without power and water. Major flood warnings are in place for rivers in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley and the NSW Central and South Coast after torrential rain drenched the Sydney, Shoalhaven and Wollongong regions on Thursday. More than 150 NSW schools have been closed on the last day of term with parents told it is unsafe to send their children to the classroom. Weatherzone meteorologist Joel Pippard warned the south coast would cop the worst of the downpour on Friday before the wild weather finally cleared by Sunday. More residents have been ordered to evacuate houses and caravan parks after forecasters predicted historic flooding for parts of NSW due to the severe weather (The Boatshed at Woronora, in Sydney's south) Major flood warnings are in place for rivers in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley and the NSW Central and South Coast after torrential rain drenched the Sydney, Shoalhaven and Wollongong regions on Thursday (Cliffs transformed into waterfalls along the coast of Diamond Bay and Dover Heights in Sydney) The torrential downpour has already caused widespread damage in Rose Bay North (pictured) 'For the coast expect widespread rainfall of between 20 to 40mm,' he said. 'I may be a little bit lighter for Sydney with 15mm to 30mm. 'The heaviest rain will be on the south-coast, south of Ulladulla, where 30 to 60mm is expected to fall. Some isolated pockets could record 70 to 80mm.' Water is also spilling over Warragamba Dam, which was at capacity when the downpour started. Resilience NSW Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Nine's Today program on Friday three evacuation centres have opened to support people who are facing another evacuation after already fleeing their homes several times in the past 18 months. 'This is really taking a toll with people right across NSW,' Mr Fitzsimmons said. The NSW education department has listed 154 schools, predominantly around Greater Sydney, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions that are not operating due to adverse weather conditions on Friday morning. Schools closed include Kurnell Public School in the Sutherland Shire, Camden High School in southwest Sydney, Fairy Meadow Public School in the Wollongong area, and Mount Kembla Public School in the Illawarra. The Nepean River at Wallacia is expected to reach 12.9m - smashing the 11metre major flood level. SES volunteers head out in a boat to help residents in Camden, who were placed under evacuation orders on Thursday Flash flooding on Pittwater Road on the Northern Beaches on Thursday morning On Thursday, evacuation orders were issued for residents in Camden and Chipping Norton in Sydney's southwest and Woronora, Bonnet Bay and Gronos Point on Thursday, as flood waters began to rise. The Central Coast experienced the worst of the rainfall with Woy Woy recording 146mm over the past 24 hours. Mount Pleasant, south of Wollongong, recorded 128mm while Newcastle down to the Illawarra and Central Tablelands recorded between 50 to 100mm. People were also warned to prepare to clear out in parts of Ebenezer, Emu Plains, Mulgoa, Sackville North, Pitt Town Bottoms, Camden, Elderslie, Wallacia Weir and North Richmond for fear of being trapped without power and water. In Camden, numerous rescues were carried out on Thursday afternoon as the Nepean River burst its banks, with at least five people retrieved with State Emergency Service boats, footage aired on the Nine Network showed. Sydney's rocky cliff's have been transformed into rushing waterfalls as a rain bomb continued to drench the city in torrential downpours on Thursday Sydney roads were submerged by flash flooding as torrential rain battered the city on Wednesday A small whirlpool emerged in a Corrimal street, in north Wollongong, (pictured) as floodwaters streamed down suburban streets on Thursday Warnings for possible evacuation were also in place for Stuarts Point on the mid-north coast, Stonequarry Creek, Picton and parts of Camden and Elderslie Sydney's southwest, and Wallacia Weir in the Blue Mountains. Major flooding is occurring on the Nepean, and flood levels at Menangle are expected to peak over record heights reached in 1988. There is also major flooding at North Richmond on the Hawkesbury River, although the Bureau of Meteorology believes the rises will not be as severe as the flooding that occurred last month. Mr Pippard said the rainfall would move towards the Central Corridor and bring much needed rain for farmers. 'This rain will pick up in inland areas that have not been as wet as the coast,' he said. 'From Bourke down to Dubbo and down to Griffith and Deniliquin Residents walking with umbrellas in the Parramatta CBD, in western Sydney, as flooding hit regional towns Residents of 'Britain's kindest village' have blasted shambolic delays in the Ukraine refugee scheme which have prevented the safe arrival of dozens of evacuees. Three weeks after submitting 39 applications to the Homes for Ukraine programme, only three visas have so far been granted for homes in North Moreton, Oxfordshire. Villager Polly Vacher, who is co-ordinating the initiative, said: 'I feel huge frustration that we haven't been able to welcome the refugees to our village yet. 'We feel completely helpless, because the visa applications simply seem to be stuck. It's shameful.' Mrs Vacher, 78, a former music teacher, and husband Peter, 79, a retired printing firm boss, have offered a granny flat to a Ukrainian mother from Chernihiv, her 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. Katie Love, 47, and retired policeman Andy Fittes, 56, offered to host the family at their holiday cottage in Wales The Daily Mail recently revealed how kind residents of picture-postcard North Moreton (above) with a population of around 350 are throwing open their arms and doors to help Polly and Peter Vacher (pictured), the couple organising North Moreton's remarkable bid to give homes to 50 Ukrainian refugees from the war 'Fifteen host families are still waiting and are part of this debacle. It is a travesty. The system is simply shambolic,' added Mrs Vacher, who became an amateur pilot aged 50, and has flown solo around the world twice in a single engine aircraft. The minister in charge of the refugee scheme said on a radio phone-in that he found it 'hard to disagree' with a caller who described the initiative as 'ridiculous, a shambles and a disgrace'. Lord Harrington said he wanted processing times to be down to 48 hours by the week after next. Above, a destroyed building in Chernihiv on March 27. Three weeks after submitting 39 applications to the Homes for Ukraine programme, only three visas have so far been granted for homes in North Moreton, Oxfordshire He added that 32,000 completed Homes for Ukraine applications had been submitted in total, with 9,000 visas issued so far. More than 200,000 British families have volunteered to take in refugees for a minimum of six months under the scheme. The visa programme has been slammed for a 50-page application form which can take even native English-speakers hours to complete. Unlike EU countries, ministers here insist refugees must complete security and vetting checks so that criminals and potential spies can be identified. A Government spokesman said: 'We have streamlined the process so valid passport holders do not have to attend in-person appointments before arriving in the UK, simplified our forms and boosted caseworker numbers, while ensuring vital security checks are carried out.' Emmanuel Macron was last night facing a battle to convince French voters to back him in the first round of the presidential election this weekend. Mr Macron is facing a historic low turnout, with up to a third of voters set to snub the ballot, after barely campaigning in recent weeks in order to focus on Ukraine. But by ignoring the French electorate he had blamed diary constraints for skipping a national TV debate earlier this week the president has aided the momentum of far-Right firebrand Marine Le Pen. On the campaign trail: Emmanuel Macron, pictured, in the town of Spezet Momentum: Marine Le Pen, pictured ...as she vows to ban headscarves on streets Despite a push to rebrand herself, Marine Le Pen returned to familiar themes on the election trail last night by pledging to fine Muslims who wear headscarves in public. She held a campaign rally in the southern stronghold of Perpignan where her National Rally party runs the local council. Speaking to RTL radio beforehand, Miss Le Pen explained her pledge to ban the headscarf in all public spaces would be enforced by police in the same way as seatbelt-wearing in cars. Miss Le Pen said she will use referendums to avoid challenges to proposed laws on the basis they are discriminatory and an infringement on personal freedoms. Advertisement Miss Le Pen has clawed back her initial deficit from the start of the ace to almost erase the popularity gap between her and Mr Macron by focusing on the cost of living crisis amid rising energy prices. And last night one opinion poll suggested Miss Le Pen would sneak a surprising victory by 50.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent. Her numbers rallied thanks to policies, including making workers under 30 exempt from income tax, which have hit home as families struggle to pay their bills. The National Rally candidate, beaten by Mr Macron in 2017, has made attempts to soften her political image efforts which have been helped by the emergence of an even more radical far-Right candidate: ex-TV pundit Eric Zemmour. One source inside Mr Macrons Republic On The March party admitted the presidents closest aides are panicking after the poll results. Mr Macrons campaign team has hit back in recent days, painting Miss Le Pen as a Moscow stooge over alleged Russian finance links and her support for the 2014 annexation of Crimea. There is a great deal of apathy amongst the electorate, convinced Mr Macron is assured of victory. French political analyst Gerard Grunberg said theres a risk of a drop in turnout in part due to the forgone conclusion of a Macron win at the end the month. Investigators have called off a week-long search after failing to find any evidence of the remains of a woman who was kidnapped and held to ransom 53 years ago. Murder detectives had scoured an 11-acre farm and its fields in Stocking Pelham Hertfordshire, where one of Muriel McKay's abductors confessed to burying her body after she was taken. Mrs McKay, 55, was the victim of a bungled abduction by Nizamodeen Hosein and his older brother Arthur Hosein in 1969 after they mistook her for the wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. The brothers forced their way into the McKay home in Wimbledon, south London on December 29 and bundled her into a car and took her to a Hertfordshire farm where they lived. They then demanded 1million for the return of Mrs McKay, who was married to Mr Murdoch's deputy Alick, pretending to be a member of the mafia. She was never seen alive again and her body was not found. Following trial in 1970, the brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment in one of Britains first convictions for murder without a body. Mrs McKay's daughter, Dianne, 81, has maintained belief that the remains are at the farm despite the Metropolitan Police suspending their enquiries at the property. She told the Times: 'I feel deflated but... I do still believe that the killer was telling the truth. My mother was taken from us a long time ago... but we hoped we were going to be able to lay her to rest in a more respectful way'. Investigators have started digging in fields where they believe the remains of a woman kidnapped and held to ransom 53 years ago could be buried Muriel McKay was kidnapped from her Wimbledon home on December 29, 1969 after she was mistaken for Anna Murdoch, the 25-year-old wife of media tycoon Rupert, and later died. She was never seen alive again and her body was not found One of her abductors Nizamodeen Hosein, now 75, revealed that Mrs McKay was buried on the 11-acre Hertfordshire farm where she was held. The admission was made to a lawyer representing Mrs McKays family In December, Hosein, now 75, revealed that Mrs McKay was buried on the 11-acre Hertfordshire farm where she was held. The admission was made to a lawyer representing Mrs McKays family. Officers with the Met's specialist crime command unit and forensic analysts have been carrying out visits to the farm near Royston in recent months. Pictures shared in February show police forensic tents over being set up on the farm and detectives moving away wheelbarrows of soil that has been dug up. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: 'We are very grateful to the landowners for allowing us to carry out this work and have been keeping Muriel's family fully informed. Since February, officers have been carrying out visits to the farm near Royston, and now work has begun in an effort to find answers. Pictures show police forensic tents over being set up on the farm and detectives moving away wheelbarrows of soil that has been dug up Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: 'We are very grateful to the landowners for allowing us to carry out this work and have been keeping Muriel's family fully informed' 'While two men were previously convicted of murder, the family have lived for more than 50 years without knowing where Muriel's remains lie. 'At this stage we don't know how long the dig will take or what we will find but it would be an enormous relief and sense of closure for everyone if Muriel's remains were discovered.' The killer, who has denied involvement in the kidnap, also insisted that no violence was used against her. He told her family that she collapsed and died while watching a TV news report with him about her kidnapping. The confession was made after he was tracked down in Trinidad by documentary makers covering the story last year. Mrs McKays daughter Dianne, 81, told The Times: Were pleased the police are taking it seriously. We have worked hard for the last few months to get this far and we just want to get on with it. Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein thought they were abducting Rupert Murdoch's then wife Anna Murdoch, pictured here in 1988 Muriel McKay's family (pictured in January 1970) are pressuring the police to excavate the farmhouse where she is thought to been buried in a bid to find her remains Nizmodeen Hosein protested he had not killed McKay, maintaining instead that she had collapsed and later died from a heart attack while sitting downstairs in the farmhouse (pictured) Its very frustrating because weve talked about nothing else, and now Nizam told us where he buried my mother and now we have to stop and wait. Its very difficult. We are aware there are certain protocols which must be followed, for example obtaining a search warrant to search the area she is buried, but all we really wish is to move on and achieve the closure that we have been seeking for the past 52 years. A spokeswoman for the Met told MailOnline: The Met were contacted in December 2021 by the family of Muriel McKay regarding information they had obtained in relation to her murder. Officers from the Mets Specialist Crime Command have met with the family and are in the process of reviewing all the material. According to The Times, detectives travelled today to the National Archives in Kew to retrieve the original case files. However, the farms present owner has refused to co-operate with requests from the family to allow them on to the farm so that the location pinpointed by Hosein can be scanned using a ground-penetrating radar. Depending on the evidence, the Met Police may decide to launch a search for Mrs McKay's remains. Nizmodeen said: 'At the farmhouse there's a wooden gate, there's a few wooden gates, it has barn beside, barn beside, and ten foot forward, ten foot this side [left], the body's somewhere around there' Nizamodeen (right) and Arthur Hosein (left) were convicted of her murder though police never recovered McKay's body The pair claimed they were innocent but Arthurs fingerprints were found on the ransom notes and a notebook filled with the same paper that Muriel's letters were written on were discovered at the site. Nizmodeen told Matthew Gayle, a British barrister in Trinidad hired by the family, that he wanted closure before he died and so would reveal the location of McKay's body. He said: At the farmhouse there's a wooden gate, there's a few wooden gates, it has barn beside, barn beside, and ten foot forward, ten foot this side [left], the body's somewhere around there. Next to the barbed wire fence, about three foot [from the fence]. Mrs McKay was kidnapped after the brothers tailed a chauffeured Rolls-Royce belonging to Murdoch that was on loan to her husband Alick McKay. She was abducted in the brotherss Volvo and taken to Rooks Farm, where they lived with Arthurs wife and children, who were on holiday at the time. Newspaper executive Mr McKay returned home to find the telephone ripped off the wall, the contents of his wife's handbag strewn over the hall. He later received a call from a man demanding 1million - equivalent to 20million today - if Mrs McKay was to be returned alive, sparking the UKs first high-profile, kidnap-for-ransom case. Over the 40-day ordeal the brothers, who claimed to be a mafia group called M3, sent three letters and made 18 further calls demanding the money. They also sent Mrs McKays husband five letters allegedly written by Muriel, including one in which she said she was cold and blindfolded, as proof of life. Two attempts by police to deliver fake notes to the kidnappers failed but the second try led officers to Rook's Farm, where Mrs McKay was taken by the brothers. Nizmodeen told the lawyer he was the only person who buried Mrs McKay, refusing to implicate his brother Arthur who was also convicted for her murder. Nizmodeen (above), 75, has now revealed the site where McKay was buried to a lawyer representing her family He also protested he had not killed Mrs McKay, maintaining instead that she had collapsed and later died from a heart attack while sitting downstairs in the farmhouse. This will forever haunt me for the rest of my days, Nizmodeen said, adding he had fed fried rice to Mrs McKay after kidnapping her. His brother Arthur died in prison in 2009. Nizmodeen also agreed to talk to Mrs McKays sister Dianne, 81, in a video call. She said: I was dreading speaking with him. At first I wrote him a letter and I couldn't do it, I felt physically ill. Since then I've got more into it and eventually I was able to front him up on a Zoom call. He told me he wanted closure before he met his maker. I felt utter relief when he said she's buried at the farm. I've just thought about it so much over the years. For years I had terrible dreams of them throwing my mother in the sea. We haven't had a good Christmas since it happened. To me it's a horrible time, it's the anniversary of it happening and New Year I find particularly upsetting. We always went abroad at Christmas so we could avoid the issue. Dianne added: It's always there in the back of your mind somewhere. It makes you more anxious - I lock the doors and moved abroad to somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I retreated to a very isolated place. You didn't know whether to cry, or to accept, it was a very confusing emotion. You cannot grieve, you cannot accept, because there was no body... When he told us those details, he said where it was, how to get there, how many steps, it was quite a lot of detail and I thought, My God, he's telling the truth, he can't be making this up. China is using drones flying above Shanghai apartment blocks to tell grumpy residents to 'control the soul's desire for freedom' over harsh lockdown rules. The move comes as residents banned from leaving their homes have reportedly taken to singing 'why are you starving us?' from their balconies in protest at the lack of food and water. A clip shared by a senior correspondent for the Economist, Alice Su, from Chinese social media site Weibo, appeared to show a drone in the sky telling residents to stop singing. Su wrote: 'Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing and protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: 'Please comply with Covid restrictions. Control your soul's desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.' Other technology Chinese authorities are using to reinforce their message are robot dogs with loud speakers that repeat a handful of simple messages: 'Wear a mask, wash your hands, check your temperature.' According to local news site The Paper, they're already having the desired effect as locals feel they can't disobey the dogs' diktats. A drone that appears over the apartment blocks of Shanghai neighbourhoods telling residents: 'Please comply with Covid restrictions. Control your soul's desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing.' Residents are confiend to their apartments without exception in Shanghai as the metropolis attempts to enact a zero Covid policy. Above: A resident sits on the roof of his apartment in Shanghai The robo dog is surprisingly agile and capable of quick movement despite its heavy cargo The four-legged friend roam the streets to give public safety advice as Shanghai locks down The dystopian scene comes as Chinese authorities impose a draconion lockdown on the country's most populous city in an effort to enforce their 'zero Covid' policy. The 26 million people living in Shanghai are now forbidden from leaving their houses, with locked up residents entirely dependent on local authorities to deliver essential supplies. And social media is full of angry residents complaining that they can't order food because the delivery system is clogged up. Under strict lockdown conditions, Shanghai residents are subject to constant testing for the virus. Above: A man is tested by a hazmat-suited Covid tester Above: Workers in personal protective equipment work to load up a truck with food supplies and necessities for local residents during the Covid-19 lockdown. The biggest source of grumbling for most residents is the lack of essentials that they have to put up with Authorities have ordered the whole city to lockdown when previously there had been separate measures for the eastern and western sides. The harsh rearguard action against Covid comes at a time when western societies are relaxing all restrictions completely. While the West lets Omicron wash through a largely vaccinated population, China has been trying to stamp it out completely since an outbreak of 30,000 cases in March in Shanghai. Advertisement At least two people are dead and a further eight wounded after a suspected terrorist opened fire on a crowd in central Tel Aviv in a horrific attack on Thursday night before escaping on foot and sparking a massive manhunt, Israeli police have said. Mayor Ron Huldai said the shooting was suspected to have been carried out by an Arab attacker with 'nationalistic' motives who entered a pub along Dizengoff Street and opened fire on revellers at around 9pm at the start of the weekend in Israel. Hundreds of Israeli police officers, canine units, and army special forces are conducting a massive hunt for the suspected gunman in central Tel Aviv, searching building by building through the densely populated residential neighborhoods. Within hours of the attack, police said there were 'indications' that the shooting was a politically motivated attack the fourth deadly assault in Israel in less than three weeks. In the immediate aftermath, police spokesman Eli Levy declared on Channel 13 television: 'A terrorist opened fire at short range and then fled on foot. Several people are wounded.' The militant Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip praised the attack, celebrating the 'heroic' killing of 'occupying soldiers and Zionist settlers' but did not claim responsibility. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been sky-high after a series of attacks by Palestinian assailants killed 11 people just ahead of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, which began nearly a week ago. Last year, protests and clashes during Ramadan ignited an 11-day Gaza war. Israeli security and rescue personnel work by the entrance to a restaurant following an incident in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 7, 2022 First responders arrive at the scene of a shooting attack at a cafe in Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv, April 7, 2022 A woman reacts at the scene of a shooting attack In Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, April 7, 2022 People flee in panic as a suspected terrorist opened fire in the middle of Tel Aviv Security forces gather at the scene of a shooting attack in Dizengoff Street in the centre of Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv, April 7, 2022 Israeli security personnel work near the scene of a fatal shooting attack near a bar in Tel Aviv, April 7, 2022 Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was monitoring the situation from the Israeli military headquarters, which is also in downtown Tel Aviv, his office said. Outside a cafe, a man comforted a woman sitting on a bar stool as heavily armed police deployed nearby. Witnesses told AFP they had heard gunshots. Brenda Ehrlich, 31, an insurance agent from the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon, said she learnt of the attack as she rode a bus into the city to celebrate a friend's birthday. 'I feel in a state of alert,' she said, as she and her friends took cover. 'I feel like I need to look in all directions to not be caught by surprise. We were thinking of heading home but it feels a little dangerous so we might stay inside in Tel Aviv before we go home,' Ehrlich added. Ichilov Hospital said two people have died and another eight are in the hospital's trauma wounded. Four of those are in 'critical condition' and undergoing surgery, a spokesman added. Live footage from Israel's Kan broadcaster showed police flooding the area and training their guns on the upper story of a building. It also showed an explosion of some kind. In a statement, police asked residents to stay inside during the incident 'which is still ongoing.' The gunman escaped on foot and it still at large, with heavily-armed Israeli security forces patrolling the area in force Security forces take aim at the scene of a shooting attack in Dizengoff Street. At least two have died in the attacks Security forces gather at the scene of a shooting attack in Dizengoff Street in the centre of Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv, April 7, 2022 The gunman is reported to have opened fire on crowds in a busy tourist district of Tel Aviv, packed with bars and restaurants. Above: People hug at the entrance to a bar near the scene of the fatal shooting Tensions have been high after a series of attacks by Palestinian assailants killed 11 people just ahead of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, which began nearly a week ago. Above: Security personnel at the scene Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it received reports of a shooting at 'several scenes' around downtown Tel Aviv. At least one shooting took place on Dizengoff Street, a central thoroughfare and popular weekend hangout. Police urged people to avoid the area. Dizengoff Street has been the scene of several deadly attacks over the years. Most recently, an Arab citizen of Israel shot and killed two Israelis and wounded several others on the street in January 2016. Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have held a flurry of meetings in recent weeks, and Israel has taken a number of steps aimed at calming tensions, including issuing thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Prior to the attack, Israel had said it would allow women, children and men over 40 from the occupied West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem on Friday, the first weekly prayers of Ramadan. Tens of thousands were expected to attend. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and sits on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. The holy site has long been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence. Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories to form their future state. The last serious and substantive peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is opposed to Palestinian statehood. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognised internationally and considers the entire city to be its capital. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but along with neighbouring Egypt it imposed a crippling blockade on the territory after the militant Hamas group seized power from rival Palestinian forces two years later. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since then. The first fully commercial crew of astronauts will fly to the International Space Station tomorrow, with three businessmen each paying $55 million for a seat. Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy, US entrepreneur Larry Connor, and ex-Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe will spend a tenth of their time on science, medical and technical investigations and experiments. The group, which also includes former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria acting as commander for Axiom Space, are launching on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They will lift off from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17am EDT on Friday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, arriving at the orbital laboratory at about 7:30am EDT the next morning to start a 10 day stay. It was originally scheduled to launch on Wednesday, and while the company did not specify a reason, it was likely due to NASA rescheduling the Wet Dress Rehearsal for its massive SLS moon rocket and Artemis 1 mission until Friday. The group will spend a day travelling to the ISS, eight days at the space station, where they will conduct 'scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities', followed by another day to get back to the Earth on the same Crew Dragon.. Canadian investor Mark Pathy (middle, right), US entrepreneur Larry Connor (left), and ex-Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe (right) have reportedly paid $55 million each Former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (pictured second from the left) will serve as commander on the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), which will see the crew devote roughly a tenth of their time (100 hours) to science, medical and tech investigations This is the first all private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), a joint project of Russia, US, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency (ESA). SpaceX has previously operated an all commercial spaceflight - sending the Inspiration4 crew on a three day orbit of the Earth - but this is the first to dock with the orbital laboratory. The trip, carried out in partnership with the commercial spaceflight company Axiom Space, is designed to be a pre-cursor to wider moves into the commercial space sector. Axiom Space is behind the first fully commercial module being developed for the ISS - due to launch in 2024. The firm has loftier ambitions than just a module on the ISS, with aspirations to build a free floating commercial space station in low-Earth orbit once NASA retires the ISS in 2031. So far, Russia has sent seven self-funded tourists to space in partnership with the US-based company Space Adventures. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa along with his assistant Yozo Hirano became the latest to do so when they had a 12-day stay on the ISS at the end of last year. Stibbe (left) will be joined by Larry Connor (right) and Mark Pathy (second right), and led by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (second left), who has travelled to space four times and is now the vice president of Aximo Space EXAMPLES OF AX-1 MISSION RESEARCH Larry Connor, Ax-1 mission pilot, entrepreneur, and non-profit activist investor, has a number of projects in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. Connors experiments on behalf of Mayo Clinic would provide data on space travels impact on senescent cells and heart health. Connor is expected to be in charge of maintaining senescent cells cells that have stopped dividing at the ISS. These cells are linked to multiple age-related diseases, and understanding them can help protect astronauts on long-haul trips to Mars. Mark Pathy, Ax-1 mission specialist, is working on behalf of The Montreal Childrens Hospital, Canadian Research Universities and The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is working with six Canadian universities, as well as two startups on 'proof of concept' ideas. This includes the worlds first in-space demonstration of two-way holoportation a mixed reality app for special lenses that receives two-way 3D projections as a hologram to communicate between users remotely. In addition to human research, Pathy plans to lead Earth observation activities which will contribute to further analysis of the impact of climate change, urbanization, and other factors on the ecology and human habitation of North America. Eytan Stibbe, Ax-1 mission specialist, social impact investor, and Israeli philanthropist, is working on behalf of the Ramon Foundation. His mission is named "Rakia," after the dome (atmosphere) created by God on the second day after the firmament, which protects life on Earth. During his mission, he will facilitate scientific experiments and will conduct educational and artistic activities to connect the younger generation in Israel and around the globe on the values of peace, innovation, and social responsibility. For the first time, an astronaut will represent Israelis on the International Space Station in Hebrew. Advertisement Pathy, Connor and Stibbe have taken part in hundreds of hours of training ahead of their upcoming launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, including test driving the Dragon spacecraft. Connor will serve as pilot, with Pathy and Stibbe working as mission specialists during the day-long trip to the station. Axiom Space will manage the entire process of their stay on the ISS, in coordination with NASA ground control. 'For us, it [Ax-1] really is the first of a series of flights precursor missions before our station comes to orbit,' said Michael Suffredini, Axiom's president and CEO and NASA's former International Space Station program manager from 2005 to 2015. 'The first module will come into orbit in the latter part of 2024, and so this really is paving a way for a new era where there are more and more opportunities for individuals and nations around the world to live and work in the microgravity environment.' Mo Islam, Head of Research, Republic Capital, a major investor in Axiom, said the need for a successor to the ISS for the West has never been more clear. 'The fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created existential issues that the U.S. government and NASA can no longer ignore. 'Demand for a platform in low Earth orbit (LEO) is expanding as governmental space budgets around the world increase significantly and commercial use cases take shape. 'Tiangong, Chinas first long-term space station is on track to be completed by the end of this year. As NASAs relationship with its Russian counterpart deteriorates, a new LEO outpost could shift the balance of power in orbit and without orbiting infrastructure, the research impact alone for NASA is significant. 'Axioms business model is particularly unique because its the only commercial space station that can physically attach to the ISS thanks to its exclusive partnership with NASA. 'Until the first module launch in 2024, the company can capture revenue via private astronaut missions to the ISS. 'The Ax-1 mission isn't so much about space tourism as it is more a representation of a paradigm shift in how astronauts are now trained. 'This mission showcases that the commercial space industry can train and prepare astronauts just as well as governmental agencies. The mission lays the groundwork for a new era of commercial low Earth orbit activity.' Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also has a vision for a business park in space, which would see his Blue Origin company build the Orbital Reef station in partnership with several other companies, including Boeing and Sierra Space. The Ax-1 crew have been training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and other NASA facilities, since August 2021. This training has allowed them to become familiar with the ISS systems, scientific facilities on board and emergency procedures. As well as training with NASA, the four have been working with the European Space Agency (ESA) and SpaceX at its Hawthorne, California facility. The SpaceX training has allowed them to become familiar with the operation of the Crew Dragon capsule, which will take them to the station and back. NASA started working with the Axiom mission operations team on simulations in December to get a feel for how the first all civilian crew on the ISS would operate. This work allowed ground control for NASA and Axiom to familiarise themselves 'with the dynamic phases of the private astronauts' flight to and from the space station.' The US space agency confirmed that it would continue these joint simulations through the next few months, in preparation for launch. 'This represents another significant milestone in our efforts to create a low-Earth orbit economy,' said Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight at NASA. 'I wish these Axiom crew members safe travels, and I hope they find their time in space productive and enjoyable.' Expedition 1 was the first launch of astronauts to the space station on November 2, 2000. The ISS has been continuously occupied since then. Lopez-Alegria (left) will serve as the commander of the mission and Connor (right) as pilot Stibbe (left) and Pathy (right) will work as mission specialists during the day-long trip to the ISS Axiom Space, the private space company developing its own module for the ISS, will operate the trip, sending the four to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule PREVIOUS SPACE TOURISM FLIGHTS Canadian investor Mark Pathy, US entrepreneur Larry Connor, and ex-Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe are the first would-be spaceflight crew comprised entirely of private citizens in a mission to the International Space Station. So far, Russia has sent seven self-funded tourists to space in partnership with the US-based company Space Adventures. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa along with his assistant Yozo Hirano became the latest to do so when they had a 12-day stay on the International Space Station at the end of last year. Their trip came at the end of a groundbreaking year for space tourism which saw Elon Musk's SpaceX take the first ever all-civilian crew in a three-day journey orbiting the earth, while competitor Blue Origin owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also completed two missions beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Advertisement That first crew of three included NASA commander William Shepherd, alongside cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei K. Krikalev. Axiom has also revealed that the astronauts will be taking technology built by Israeli company, Aleph Farms, to the station. This technology involves turning cells taken from a cow into raw meat by growing the cells and turning them into muscle, fat and other components. 'Aleph's general goal is to be able to provide nutritious, tasty, sustainable food anywhere, anytime,' said Zvika Tamari, the head of space research, adding that ' stretching that to its limit is the ability to also provide nutrition in space.' In terms of outreach, an ancient coin minted by Jewish rebels revolting against the Romans 1,900 years ago will accompany former Israeli pilot Stibbe to the ISS. The coin comes from the Bar Kokhba revolt, which took place from 132 to 136 AD and was the final of three Jewish-Roman wars that first began when Romans took control of Jerusalem in 63 AD. It bears etchings of a palm tree on one side and a vine leaf with the inscription 'Year Two of the liberty of Israel' on the other.' NASA recently announced the ISS had just nine years of operational life left, with plans to sink it in the South Pacific Ocean in January 2031. On the run up to that happening, the space agency plans to support commercial operators in launching privately funded and run space stations, starting with an Axiom Space module attached to the ISS. This launch is a precursor to that module, which is expected to dock with the station by the middle of this decade, part of NASA's efforts to built a robust low-Earth orbit economy driven by the private sector, rather than national players. Axiom recently completed the preliminary design review of two modules that will be attached to the ISS this decade, then separate into its own free-flying station. For more than 21 years, NASA has supported a continuous US human presence in low-Earth orbit aboard the space station. 'The agency's goal is to enable a strong, commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit with private industry where NASA is one of many customers,' a spokesperson said. 'This strategy will provide services the government needs at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on its Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while continuing to use low-Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.' Advertisement A striking new superyacht that's due to set sail on the River Thames, hosting 'lavish weddings and private cocktail parties', has been unveiled. Renderings of the 25million ship show it will have a stylish bar area, a spot-lit dance floor with a stage, and will cruise past some of London's most iconic landmarks, such as Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. Launching in autumn 2022, the 'Oceandiva London' vessel promises to be the 'largest floating events space' on the Thames, measuring 282ft (86m) in length and 55ft (17m) in breadth. A superyacht that's due to set sail on the River Thames, hosting 'lavish weddings and private cocktail parties', has been unveiled Aside from nuptials and cocktail soirees, it's proposed that the ship ideal for a 'discerning party host [who is] keen to wow their guests' - will host 'glamourous high-profile events for private and corporate celebrations, fashion and film shoots, launches, milestone birthdays, and cultural celebrations'. Partygoers can climb aboard the ship at six different docking points in the city - Butler's Wharf, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Greenwich and Royal Victoria Dock. Spanning across three decks, Oceandiva London can carry up to 1,500 guests standing and 600 seated, with guests flitting between the 'al fresco' deck space and the ship's interior once it sets in motion. Renderings of the 25million ship, called Oceandiva London, show it will have a stylish bar area (pictured) The above rendering shows the dance floor and stage area onboard Oceandiva London, which launches in autumn 2022 And revellers won't go hungry. The vessel, which promises to 'revolutionise the luxury events and hospitality sector', will be catered by Moving Venue, which creates menus in Kensington Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum, in collaboration with Last Supper, a luxury catering company that counts high-end names like Gucci, Sotheby's and Mont Blanc among its clients. Menus will revolve around 'local and seasonal' ingredients. Finger food will range from 'perfectly curated' canapes like treacle-cured salmon with caviar to 'substantial and satisfying 'mini-meals' in bowls, such as steak tartare with chips, cured egg, and mustard. And for sit down dinners, guests might dine on a main course of short rib served with sweet potato and parmesan, followed by mango, lime and coconut tart for dessert. Spanning across three decks, Oceandiva London can carry up to 1,500 guests standing and 600 seated It's said the vessel will be the 'largest floating events space' on the Thames, measuring 282ft (86m) in length and 55ft (17m) in breadth Partygoers can climb aboard the ship at six different docking points in the city, including London Bridge and Canary Wharf To wash it all down, the venue has recruited 'London's leading mixologists' to create the bar's drinks menu, with tailored beverage offerings available for each event. One of the defining factors of the vessel is that it's CO2-neutral, meaning the CO2 released into the atmosphere by the ship will be balanced by the same amount being taken from the atmosphere. It will be powered by two Lithium battery packs that are charged by a green power connection on the shore, as well as by solar panels, according to a statement. The swish new party venue has been designed by Oceandiva, a Dutch company that already operates similar ships in The Netherlands and Germany. The British events company Smart Group, working in collaboration with Oceandiva, will own, manage and operate Oceandiva London. The vessel promises to 'revolutionise the luxury events and hospitality sector' Renderings show the ship will cruise past some of London's most iconic landmarks, such as Tower Bridge, pictured Oceandiva London will be powered by two Lithium battery packs that are charged by a green power shore connection and solar panels It's said that Oceandiva London will 'raise the bar for luxury venues for private celebrations' in the city Edwin Petersen, CEO of Oceandiva, said: 'We have had great success in the Netherlands and Germany so we are incredibly excited to launch our first concept in London which we believe will be the hottest venue in the capital for the most lavish celebrations. 'London is undeniably one of the most attractive cities for overseas visitors and we are looking forward to hosting extraordinary celebrations onboard.' And Greg Lawson, the CEO of Smart Group commented: 'We are excited to bring a stylish new events space to London, one that raises the bar for luxury venues for private celebrations. 'Traditionally the Mayfair hotel ballrooms have dominated this area of hospitality and Oceandiva London will provide an entirely unique alternative for the more discerning party host keen to wow their guests.' For more information visit www.oceandivalondon.co.uk. Two stars from Channel Nine reality show Travel Guides were involved in a heated encounter with a shopkeeper during a recent visit to country Victoria. Kevin and Janetta, who call themselves 'travel snobs' for only wanting the best on holiday, were seen arguing with a woman behind the counter as she filmed them. The store worker tells the retired couple they are not welcome at her place of business, in the town of Maldon, 136km from Melbourne. Viral moment: Kevin and Janetta, from Channel Nine reality show Travel Guides, were involved in a heated encounter with a shopkeeper during a recent visit to country Victoria The video, which has gone viral on TikTok, begins with Kevin, 61, approaching the camera and hissing into the lens. He then comes closer and says, 'You stink.' While it's unclear what exactly caused the dispute, the shopkeeper claims the celebrity tourists 'banged on' her shop window. Stand-off: The store worker tells the retired couple they are not welcome at her place of business, in the town of Maldon, 136km from Melbourne Kevin and Janette, 67, eventually turn their backs on the woman, who follows them with the camera and yells, 'Who do you work for?' The pair then turn around and Kevin asks, 'Who do you work for?', to which the woman replies: 'The Painter and the Writer Gallery.' Janette turns to Kevin and says, 'Someone might see us talking to her, then no one will talk to us.' Kevin and Janetta, who call themselves 'travel snobs' for only wanting the best on holiday, were seen arguing with a woman behind the counter as she filmed them A Channel Nine spokesperson declined to comment. The couple have featured in all five seasons of Travel Guides, which sees ordinary Australians become travel critics on international and domestic holidays. The new season premiered last week. Craig Revel Horwood has reportedly received a telling off by Strictly Come Dancing bosses after telling an audience that Anton Du Beke is returning as a judge this year while on his All Balls and Glitter Tour. Anton, 55, stood in for Bruno Tonioli, 66, on last year's series when the Italian star was unable to travel to the UK from the US last year due to pandemic travel restrictions. When Anton wasn't on the list of professionals when the line-up was announced last week, it was assumed he would be back on the judging panel. Speaking out: Craig Revel Horwood has reportedly received a telling off by Strictly Come Dancing bosses after telling an audience that Anton Du Beke is returning as a judge this year while on his All Balls and Glitter Tour (pictured in 2019) However, nothing has been confirmed, with a TV insider telling The Sun: 'When Anton wasnt included on the announced line-up of Strictly pros, it was assumed hed be back as a judge again. 'But the BBC said nothing was nailed on yet. 'Now Craig has blabbed the news and the Beeb arent happy they hadnt even told Bruno he was being replaced.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Craig and for Strictly for comment. Secrets: Talent show judge Craig is said to have told an audience that Anton Du Beke, 55 (pictured), is returning to the BBC ballroom dance contest this year as a judge Speaking during a show on his All Balls and Glitter UK tour, Craig revealed bosses had told the judges that ballroom dancer Anton would be waltzing back to the judging panel this autumn. According to The Sun, Craig said: 'I really love Anton. I think he is fantastic. I think last year he did a great job on Strictly as a judge. 'And we have just found out he is going to do it again this year.' Craig went on to tell the audience that he did miss his co-star Bruno, who had been on the Strictly panel since the show launched in 2004. Pals: Bruno Tonioli, 66 (left), was unable to travel to the UK from the US last year to be a judge due to pandemic travel restrictions The choreographer said they remain to be 'great mates' after working side by side for 16 years together. He went on to reveal that while he did miss the Italian's energy - Bruno actually struggled to deal with his dramatic performance. He said: 'He always used to come off and say, ''Darling, I am exhausted.'' Concerns? It has been claimed there are fears Anton might quit the show, which he has appeared on as a professional dancer since its inception, if he is axed from the judging panel 'And I used to say, ''Well, you created this character darling.'' I will just sit there. My job is easy.' Craig previously branded Anton a 'great addition' to the Strictly judging panel as the pair admitted that they love playing 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' on the show. The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 professional line-up was announced at the end of March ahead of this year's series. Keep dancing! The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 professional line-up was recently announced ahead of this year's series Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones and series winner Giovanni Pernice are among the dancing stars returning to the hit ballroom show for another spin on the dancefloor. Following the exits of two-time winner Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Skorjanec - who both recently revealed they were quitting the programme - Strictly bosses have not yet added any new professionals to this year's line-up, but teased that new arrivals may still be announced. Other returning pros include Dianne Buswell, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard and Gorka Marquez. They're back: Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones and series winner Giovanni Pernice (pictured) are the dancing stars returning to the hit ballroom show for another spin on the dancefloor The complete line-up concludes with Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu. Sarah James, Executive Producer, said: 'We could not be more proud of the Strictly professional dancers and we are so happy to have so many returning for 2022. 'The world-class skill and extraordinary care they bring to everything they do, from working with their celebrity partners to choreographing and performing remarkable and unforgettable routines, never ceases to amaze us. 'They really are the best in the business and we cant wait to see what they bring to the Strictly ballroom for our twentieth fabulous series.' Personal items that once belonged to late comedian Betty White, who passed away this past New Year's Eve at the age of 99, are set to go up for auction in September. In all, about 1,500 pieces taken from her two California homes will be up for grabs, including clothes and jewelry worn by the star, along with various awards, scripts and memorabilia collected during her eight-decade career in show business. Ahead of the live auction event in Beverly Hills, the collection will be set up as an exhibit aboard the flagship Queen Mary 2. Estate auction: Some personal items that once belonged to late actress and comedian Betty White are set to go up for auction at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills September 23-25 The transatlantic exhibition aboard the Queen Mary 2 is set to depart out of New York on August 5, and will eventually arrive in Southampton, England on August 12. There will also be exhibitions in Santiago, Chile from May 12-July 4, and then in Kildare, Ireland from August 1-September 11. The final stop of the celebratory tour will be at Julien's Auction in Beverly Hills from September 19-22. The Property From The Life And Career Of Betty White auction will begin on Friday, September 23 at Julien's Auctions and online on juliensauctions.com, and go for three days, until Sunday, September 25. TV memorabilia: In all, about 1,500 pieces taken from White's two California homes will up for grabs, including her director's chair from The Golden Girls set Pieces of television history: White's scripts from The Golden Girls are up for auction Golden pieces: There's an assortment of The Golden Girls memorabilia that are personalized by the four stars: 'Love, Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty' Among the prized possessions up for auction will be White's original director's chair from The Golden Girls set, which is expected to fetch between $1,000 and $2,000, according to Los Angeles Magazine. Fans of the iconic sitcom will also be happy to learn that the first draft script for The Golden Girls pilot in 1985, and the production-used pilot script, signed by White, are also for sale, with bidding also expected to be $1000 to $2000. Also on the block are White's many awards and accolades, such as her Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement award; her 1994 Television Academy Hall of Fame award; the entertainers' 2015 People's Choice Award for Favorite Icon, all of which could land $800 to $1,200 each; as well as her Emmy Award nomination certificates for The Golden Girls, Saturday Night Live, and Hot In Cleveland that range between $300 $700. Even the yellow-painted front door from White's longtime Brentwood home, complete with a vintage brass cat door knocker, is up for auction at around $2,000 to $3,000. There's also a Golden Girls artifact from 1989 that were also personalized by the stars Sitcom smash: This 'four' seemingly refers to season 4 of The Golden Girls in 1988 Personal belongings: There's also more sentimental belongings from her third marriage to Allen Ludden, such as the gold leaf wedding band that he wore with an engraving that reads: ' 6-14-63 I really do', a reference to their June 14, 1963 wedding Up for bid: There are costumes and other clothing worn by White that are on the auction block There's also more sentimental belongings from her third marriage to Allen Ludden, like her gold leaf design wedding band, and the gold leaf wedding band Ludden wore with an engraving that reads: '6-14-63 I really do', which was a reference to their June 14, 1963 wedding ($600 $800 each). A 14 karat white gold necklace worn by White to the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976 ($1,000 $2,000) and an oil on panel painting called 'Waiting For His Master' by 19th century painter Sir Henry Edwin Landsmeer are also up for bid ($10,000 $20,000). 'This is an auction representing an incredible life and career. It's a lifestyle auction,' said Martin Nolan, the executive director of Julien's Auctions, as reported by the Toronto Sun. 'All these items came from her home in Brentwood or her residence in Carmel in northern California, where she lived with her husband Allen Ludden,' he added. Nolan has valued the entire Betty White collection at $1 million to $2 million. Again, after the transatlantic tour, the Property From The life And Career Of Betty White auction will take place September 23-25 in Beverly Hills. Piece of home: Even the yellow-painted front door from White's longtime Brentwood home, complete with a vintage brass cat door knocker, is up for auction Furnishings: Lots of furnishings from White's homes in Brentwood and Carmel are on the block Awards and certificates: Many of her awards and accolades that she accumulated during her eight-decade career in show business are up for auction Images: Photographs taken throughout White's life are a part of the list of auction items Widely considered a pioneer of early television, who was often referred to as the First Lady Of Television, Betty Marion White is among one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. She began her career in radio in the 1940s, and then made the transition to television in the 1950s. Her early accolades included earning the distinction of being the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life Of Elizabeth) in the United States. After making the transition to TV, the Illinois native became a staple panelist of popular game shows, including the likes of Password, The Hollywood Squares, Match Game, Tattletales, To Tell The Truth and The $25,000 Pyramid, among many others. She would also be heralded for her many guest appearances on such iconic shows as The Odd Couple, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Carol Burnett Show. Many fans know her for playing the role of Rose Nylund in the hit series The Golden Girls (1985-1992), and for portraying Elka Ostrovsky in the sitcom Hot In Cleveland (2010-2015). In all, White received eight Emmy Awards in various categories, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award during her career. Iconic: White is widely considered a pioneer of early television, who first made her mark in radio in the late 1940s, and then transitioned to TV in the early 1950s Aaron Paul and wife Lauren Parsekian were seen with their newborn baby for the first time Wednesday after they welcomed their second child. The 42-year-old actor and 35-year-old actress, who are also parents to four-year-old daughter Story Annabelle, stepped out for lunch in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Breaking Bad star was seen holding a car seat on the sunny day in Southern California. He was clad in a long-sleeved black button-up shirt that had sunglasses dangling from it, khaki pants and black boots with black socks. The latest: Aaron Paul, 42, and wife Lauren Parsekian, 35, were seen with their newborn baby for the first time after they welcomed their second child, as they stepped out for lunch in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday Paul, who reprised his role as Jesse Pinkman on the hit AMC series for the 2019 film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, sported a close cropped hairdo with a beard as he carried his newborn on the spring day. Parsekian, who's been married to Paul since May of 2013, donned a light brown wool button-up coat over a black top with light brown pants with black and red checkers, and light brown sandals. The new mom-of-two had her brown locks down and parted on the daytime outing. The couple jointly revealed on social media that they were expecting their second child last year, as they posted a shot of Story patting her mom's baby bump while standing in front of a large stone fireplace. The Breaking Bad star was seen holding a car seat on the sunny day in Southern California Parsekian donned a light brown wool button-up coat over a black top with light brown pants with black and red checkers, and light brown sandals Parsekian captioned the December 1 shot, 'We can't wait to meet you baby! We love you so much already,' while Paul wrote, 'Love you so much already little one. Cant wait to meet you number 2.' The Westworld actor chat with the publication Haute Living in 2020, saying that he couldn't 'wait to have another baby,' and that being a parent had 'definitely changed' him for the better. 'Having a child is the closest thing to magic that anyone can have,' Paul said. 'I see why people rush home to be there when they get home from school. You don't want to miss any of it.' Paul had expressed similar sentiments in an October 2019 chat with People, as he said that being a father was the 'greatest joy' he'd ever experienced. 'Becoming a father is the greatest gift that anyone could ever be given,' he told the outlet. 'I had that kind of assumption beforehand, but no one truly knows until it happens.' The Iconic Series, Breaking Bad is available only on Stan in Australia. The couple jointly revealed on social media that they were expecting their second child last year, as they posted a shot of daughter Story patting her mom's baby bump while standing in front of a large stone fireplace She's been soaking up the sun in Miami, where she owns a coastal property. And Kimberley Garner looked sensational on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps of herself in a white swimsuit while walking her dog Sasha on the beach. The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, who's never been shy of flaunting her incredible figure, oozed confidence in the one-piece. Pet pooch: Kimberley Garner looked sensational on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps of her in a white swimsuit walking her dog Sasha on the beach Jetting off: Captioning the shots, she wrote: 'beach walkies before to London' Kimberley turned heads as she flashed her tanned legs and hid her face underneath a matching white visor. The swimwear designer looked phenomenal as she accessorised by wearing several understated rings and bracelets as she held on to Sasha's lead. She left her blonde locks down in loose waves while opting for a fresh face, flaunting her natural beauty. Captioning the shots, she wrote: 'beach walkies before to London'. Flawless: The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, who's never been shy of flaunting her incredible figure, oozed confidence in the one-piece Leggy display: Kimberley turned heads as she flashed her tanned legs and hid her face underneath a matching white visor Despite now enjoying huge fame as a swimwear designer, Kimberley has previously revealed how she used to pretend to be an intern when she first started the business as nobody took her seriously. However, the property heiress insisted she's more than just the face of her line Kimberley London and is involved with every aspect of creating her sell-out swimwear range. She told MailOnline: 'I think people sometimes think that Im only the face, but I am responsible for every bit of the business. Stunning: The swimwear designer looked phenomenal as she accessorised by wearing several understated rings and bracelets, as she held on to Sasha's lead 'I was 18 when I started my first company - I came up with an idea, stayed up for days learning how to register the company and teaching myself. It became very successful overnight.' She explained: 'However, as I was only 18, no one ever imagined it was mine. I was a young blonde girl with a soft voice. No one would take me seriously or realise it was my company. So, I pretended to be the Intern! 'I handled all the meetings, phone calls, and emails for the company. When it became a success, I put all the revenues into starting Kimberley London.' Incredible: She left her blonde locks down in loose waves while opting for a fresh face, flaunting her natural beauty Meadow Rain Walker - the only child and heir of the late Paul Walker - and her husband Louis Thornton-Allan took a stroll through Manhattan on Monday. The 23-year-old DNA Model wore a navy-blue ribbed sweater and blue jeans while the 24-year-old aspiring actor rocked black sweats emblazoned with the colorful phrase: 'F*** All.' April 11 will mark Meadow and Louis' sixth month of wedded bliss after a whirlwind romance. Belly flash! Meadow Rain Walker - the only child and heir of the late Paul Walker - and her husband Louis Thornton-Allan took a stroll through Manhattan on Monday Walker and Thornton-Allan famously got engaged only one month after going Instagram official as a couple on July 9. The Cali-born, Hawaiian-raised beauty's London-born beau is currently enrolled at the New York City branch of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting - according to The Sun. On Wednesday, Meadow - who boasts 1.1M social media followers - flew to France where she Instastoried a snap of a bouquet of white flowers in Paris. Ever the influencer, Walker tagged all her fashion credits for her first day in the City of Light - Palace Skateboards, Calvin Klein, Prada, String Ting, and Praying. Hold your tongue! The 23-year-old DNA Model wore a navy-blue ribbed sweater and blue jeans while the 24-year-old aspiring actor rocked black sweats emblazoned with the phrase: 'F*** All' Still going strong! April 11 will mark Meadow and Louis' sixth month of wedded bliss after a whirlwind romance 'Best friend': Walker and Thornton-Allan famously got engaged only one month after going Instagram official as a couple on July 9 (pictured) The Pencils of Promise supporter then stripped down for a pamper session at The Scar Lab, a spa/clinic that provides face and body beauty treatments. Meadow last posted a tribute to her famous father on the eighth anniversary of his death on November 30 captioned: 'I love and miss you endlessly. Today and everyday I celebrate your life, your love. And you, my best friend.' Paul perished, age 40, in 2013 shortly after hopping into a Porsche Carrera GT with his pal Roger Rodas, who crashed into a concrete lamp and two trees in Valencia, CA. Walker's cremated remains were buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills in a non-denominational ceremony. Jet setter: On Wednesday, the Cali-born, Hawaiian-raised beauty - who boasts 1.1M social media followers - flew to France where she Instastoried a snap of a bouquet of white flowers in Paris Ever the influencer! Walker tagged all her fashion credits for her first day in the City of Light - Palace Skateboards, Calvin Klein, Prada, String Ting, and Praying 'The best in Paris!' The Alexander McQueen FW/22 catwalker then stripped down for a pamper session at The Scar Lab, a spa/clinic that provides face and body beauty treatments Meadow was only 15 when the Fast & Furious action star died and she received $7.2M in her 2014 settlement from the Rodas estate, according to TMZ. And by 2017, the Alexander McQueen FW/22 catwalker and her grandfather Paul Sr. settled a separate lawsuit against Porsche 'to the satisfaction of all involved' - according to the Los Angeles Times. Meadow - whose mother is Rebecca Soteros - serves as the president of the Paul Walker Foundation. Meadow last posted a tribute to her famous father on the eighth anniversary of his death on November 30 captioned: 'I love and miss you endlessly. Today and everyday I celebrate your life, your love. And you, my best friend' RIP: Paul perished, age 40, in 2013 shortly after hopping into a Porsche Carrera GT with his pal Roger Rodas, who crashed into a concrete lamp and two trees in Valencia, CA Gemma Collins claims she was kicked out of a private members club in Los Angeles after speaking to Leonardo DiCaprio. The Diva Forever star, 41, who is currently on tour with her one woman show Big Night Out, says she went to introduce herself to the star while on a night out in California. However, things didn't quite go to plan, with Gemma telling The Sun: 'Leonardo DiCaprio I said hello to him and got thrown out of the club in LA.' Memories: Gemma Collins, 41, claims she was kicked out of a private members club in Los Angeles after speaking to Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured on Wednesday) She continued: 'I mean, he looked at me and I looked at him back and all I said was hello. Next thing I know, Ive been thrown out. 'I thought, "You do realise I am famous as well. Thank you very much!".' The former TOWIE star admitted she was mortified by the occurrence, adding: 'I could never go back there again.' MailOnline has contacted a representative for Leonardo for comment. Meeting her idol: The Diva Forever star says she went to introduce herself to Leo (pictured in December) while on a night out in California Gemma's comments came as she was seen heading to Rosso Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday night after the opening night of her Big Night Out tour at the city's Opera House. She opted for a chic yet casual look as she donned a cream winter coat and a pair of matching leggings and wore a pair of navy blue heels. During her one woman show, Gemma hit out at critics claiming she only got her upcoming role in the UK and Ireland tour of Chicago because of her celebrity. Gemma said: 'Leonardo DiCaprio I said hello to him and got thrown out of the club in LA' According to The Sun, Gemma told the audience at Tuesday's show that she auditioned and won the role of Matron 'Mama' Morton and has 'trained really hard' for the role. 'I didn't just get it because of the GC. I auditioned for the role. I trained really hard and auditioned and got it on the second one. 'So please if you can come, it would mean the world to me.' Insiders told the publication Gemma was cast by producers after she impressed them with her audition and seemed a 'natural fit' for the role. Stepping out: Gemma was seen heading to Rosso Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday night after the opening night of her Big Night Out tour at the city's Opera House In style: She dressed in a cream winter coat and a pair of matching leggings and wore a pair of navy blue heels Meanwhile, Gemma was seen heading to Rosso Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday night after the opening night of her Big Night Out tour at the city's Opera House. She dressed in a cream winter coat and a pair of matching leggings and wore a pair of navy blue heels. The star shielded her eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses and carried her handbag under arm. Speaking out: Gemma has hit out at critics claiming she only got her upcoming role in the UK and Ireland tour of Chicago because of her celebrity Gemma ensured all eyes were on her during her one woman show this week as she arrived on stage wearing a nude bodysuit with a bright pink detail. The garment featured a sequinned embellishment along with a tassel detail on the arms and hemline. Gemma added height to her frame with a pair of matching boots while her platinum locks were styled into a curly bob. The media personality displayed some of her old fashion choices on screen behind her during the show while some audience members were also brought on stage. The stage layout featured a pink chaise longue along with a drinks tray. The Manchester gig was the first of Gemma's tour, with the star having a total of seven gigs lined up around the country. Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor showed off her sensational sense of style as she posed with Tommy Dorfman at the press night for play Daddy on Wednesday. The actress, 26, looked effortlessly chic in a black collared shirt and distressed low-rise jeans as she attended the star-studded after party at the Almeida Theatre. She gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of pointed heels while she kept her essentials in a black crossbody bag with a chain strap. Stunning: Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor showed off her sensational sense of style as she posed at the press night for melodrama Daddy on Wednesday Looking good: The actress, 26, looked effortlessly chic in a black shirt and distressed low-rise jeans by FRAME posed with Tommy Dorfman at the after party at the Almeida Theatre Phoebe styled her auburn tresses in a straight fashion tucked underneath a black baker boy cap. She accentuated her good looks with a slick of mascara and a touch of pink lipstick as she posed for photographs with Tommy. The American actress, 29, looked sensational in a figure-hugging strapped black gown, which she paired with chunky black boots. She styled her brunette bob in a straight fashion and accentuated her features with a light dusting of make-up. Chic: She gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of pointed heels while she kept her essentials in a black crossbody bag with a chain strap Stylish: Phoebe styled her auburn tresses in a straight fashion tucked underneath a black baker boy cap They were joined at the press event by Olly Alexander, who showed off his edgy sense of style in black trousers with grey panelling, a brown patterned top and a patent black jacket. The It's A Sin actor completed his ensemble with red creeper shoes and a crossbody bag, while he wore his rouge tresses in a natural fashion. Elsewhere, Gwendoline Christie put on a fashionable display in a white collared dress, which she wore underneath a black faux fur coat. The Game Of Thrones star, 43, was the epitome of glamour as she completed her attire with a pair of black loafers. Pals: Phoebe accentuated her good looks with a slick of mascara and a touch of pink lipstick as she posed for photographs with Tommy Glam: American actress Tommy, 29, looked sensational in a figure-hugging strapped black gown, which she paired with chunky black boots Smart: They were joined at the press event by Olly Alexander, who showed off his edgy sense of style in black trousers with grey panelling, a brown patterned top and a patent black jacket All smiles: The It's A Sin actor completed his ensemble with red creeper shoes and a crossbody bag, while he wore his rouge tresses in a natural fashion She styled her golden tresses in loose waves across her shoulders and flaunted her fresh-faced beauty as she posed with her partner Giles Deacon. Fashion designer Giles, 53, looked dapper in black trousers and a blue striped shirt, while he also sported a navy jacket as he cosied up to Gwendoline. Gwendoline was also seen posing with playwright Jeremy O Harris, who wrote Daddy, a play about a young black artist called Franklin who meets an older white art collector called Andre as he is on the verge of his first show. Actor Laurie Kynaston showed off his sensational sense of style in black trousers and a moss green shirt. Stylish: Elsewhere, Gwendoline Christie put on a fashionable display in a white collared dress, which she wore underneath a black faux fur coat Loved-up Gwendoline flaunted her fresh-faced beauty as she posed with her partner Giles Deacon Smitten: Fashion designer Giles, 53, looked dapper in black trousers and a blue striped shirt, while he also sported a navy jacket as he cosied up to Gwendoline The Cradle to Grave star completed his ensemble with black boots and a leather jacket, while he wore his blonde tinted locks in a messy style. Singer Dan Gillespie Sells also made an appearance at the event and was seen posing with actor John McCrea. Dan, best known as the lead vocalist for rock band The Feeling, looked smart in a brown checkered suit, which he paired with a grey T-shirt. Pals: Gwendoline was also seen posing with playwright Jeremy O Harris, who wrote the melodrama play Daddy Snazzy: Jeremy looked dapper in black trousers and a cream satin shirt, which he paired with a bow-tie and a patterned purple jacket as he posed with Gwendoline Stars: Gwendoline flashed a huge smile as she posed for photographs with Daddy star Jenny Rainsford, who looked effortlessly chic in a black ensemble Style: Also at the press event was actor Laurie Kynaston, who showed off his sensational sense of style in black trousers and a moss green shirt While Everybody's Talking About Jamie star John was a vision in a pastel coloured suit paired with a coral T-shirt. It comes after Phoebe recently shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps from the set of Bridgerton. The star, who played Daphne Bridgerton in the steamy Netflix series, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the never before seen images. Uploading for her 2.7million followers, Phoebe treated fans to some exclusive content of the cast and crew while looking radiant in a dusty pink floral print Regency style dress. Kisses: Singer Dan Gillespie Sells also made an appearance at the event and was seen posing with actor John McCrea Good spirits: Dan, best known as the lead vocalist for rock band The Feeling, appeared to be in excellent spirits as he posed with John Style: Dan looked smart in a brown checkered suit, which he paired with a grey T-shirt while Everybody's Talking About Jamie star John was a vision in a pastel coloured suit Cast: Director Danya Taymor, Jenny Rainsford, Sharlene Whyte, Anjali Mehra, Jeremy O. Harris, T'Shan Williams, Rebecca Bernice Amissah, Claes Bang, Ioanna Kimbook, Terique Jarrett and John McCrea attend the press night after party for Daddy Good look: Australian model Jordan Barrett showed off his fashion expertise in black trousers and a beige jacket while actor Claes Bang looked smart in brown trousers and an olive jacket The actress shared the mirror selfie which appeared to be taken from one of the dressing rooms with two of the costume designers in the background. The image also gave a glimpse of the fabulous 19th century frocks which feature on the show. An additional frame saw the Bridgerton family all huddled up together which appeared to be taken in a church setting. Venture: Jeremy O Harris wrote Daddy, a play about a young black artist called Franklin who meets an older white art collector called Andre as he is on the verge of his first show Good form: Remi Lamande, Playwright Jeremy O. Harris and Jordan Barrett all appeared to be in excellent spirits at the after party Daddy: Ioanna Kimbook cut a smart figure in a black V-neck dress while her co-star Rebecca Bernice Amissah caught attention in a red gown with puffed sleeves Co-stars: Keisha Atwell and Rebecca Bernice Amissah flashed huge grins as they arrived for the press night party for Daddy, which they are both starring in Play: Daddy stars Terique Jarrett and T'Shan Williams appeared to be in good spirits as they joined the star-studded guest list for the press night Exclusive: It comes after Phoebe recently shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps from the set of Bridgerton to her Instagram account We are family! An additional frame saw the Bridgerton family all huddled up together which appeared to be taken in a church setting The on-screen family looked as close as ever as Luke Thompson who plays Benedict beamed while taking the selfie. Phoebe also gave devotees a glimpse of Daphne and the Duke of Hastings' baby who looks simply adorable in a white gown and matching bonnet. Golda Rosheuv who plays Queen Charlotte also makes the cut as she's seen in full costume while taking a break from filming cooling down with a fan as she's joined by her cast member Ruth Gemmell who plays Lady Violet. Cute: Phoebe also gave devotees a glimpse of Daphne and the Duke of Hastings' baby who looks simply adorable in a white gown and matching bonnet Glam: Golda Rosheuv who plays Queen Charlotte also makes the cut as she's seen in full costume while taking a break from filming cooling down with a fan as she's joined by her cast member with Ruth Gemmell who plays Lady Violet Bridgeton brothers Anthony and Benedict who are respectively played by Jonathan Bailey and Luke Thompson also took some time out to chill out with a mini portable fan on set. Lady Cowper (Joanna Bobin) and and her on-screen daughter Cressida (Jessica Madsen) also feature in the impressive album as they are seen sporting some elaborate hairdos and fancy gowns during a glam ceremony. Phoebe's collection of images also showed the busy film crew in action between takes while Eloise Bridgerton - played by Claudia Jessie featured in a stunning outside shot on the vast grounds while smiling for the camera in full attire. On set: Phoebe's collection of images also showed the busy film crew in action Mother-daughter duo: Lady Cowper who is played by Joanna Bobin and and her on-screen daughter Cressida who is played by Jessica Madsen also feature in the impressive album as they are seen sporting some elaborate hairdos and fancy gowns during a glam ceremony Cool down: Bridgeton brothers Anthony and Benedict who are respectively played by Jonathan Bailey and Luke Thompson also take some time out to chill out with a mini portable fan on set On location: Phoebe's impressive collection of snaps gave a fans a sneak peak behind the scenes of the Netflix hit She's living the dream as an in-demand fashion model in Europe. And Lucciana Beynon revealed on Wednesday that beauty comes at a price as she underwent a cosmetic procedure at a clinic in England. The 20-year-old stopped by Este Medical Group for a laser treatment to remove unwanted body hair, and documented the session on Instagram. Beauty treatment: Venezuelan-Australian model Lucciana Beynon underwent a laser treatment to remove unwanted body hair in England on Wednesday Lucciana, the daughter of Australian tobacco tycoon Travers 'The Candyman' Beynon and Venezuelan former beauty queen Ninibeth Leal, showcased her incredible figure in a black bra and matching underwear. She also donned special sunglasses to protect herself from the lasers used by the clinician during the procedure. It comes after Lucciana went public with former Love Island UK star Wes Nelson, 23, on Valentine's Day earlier this year. Personal care: The 20-year-old stopped by Este Medical Group for a laser treatment Flawless: Lucciana showcased her incredible figure in a black bra and matching underwear She posted a photo on Instagram of herself kissing Wes on a balcony alongside the text 'mi amour', which translates to 'my love'. The couple later went for dinner at Aqua Shard, on level 31 of The Shard in London. Lucciana looked spectacular in a leopard-print dress, opted for a glossy makeup palette and styled her raven hair loosely. The genetically blessed couple are rarely seen on social media together, and prefer to keep things private. It's love! It comes after Lucciana went public with former Love Island UK star Wes Nelson (left) on Valentine's Day earlier this year Low-key couple: Despite only going 'Instagram official' recently, the pair have actually been an item since April last year Despite only going 'Instagram official' recently, the pair have actually been an item since April last year. 'Wes met Lucciana in Dubai and it wasn't long before they started spending more time together,' a source told MailOnline at the time. 'Friends say Wes and Lucciana really get on and something may progress between them, especially as they continue to hang out together in London. Couple: Wes also wished his girlfriend happy Valentine's Day with this loved-up post 'Lucciana supports Wes' music career while she has ambitious plans with her modelling, they definitely inspire each other to do well.' Lucciana promoted the release of Wes' single Nice To Meet Ya on her Instagram account last year. Wes regularly likes Lucciana's sexy posts, including one recent snap of her wearing a red G-string along with the caption: 'Patient I'm not.' Caught his eye: Wes regularly likes Lucciana's sexy posts, including this recent snap of her wearing a red G-string along with the caption: 'Patient I'm not' Lucciana's father made his millions in the tobacco business, but is also well-known for his playboy ways and hosting extravagant parties at his lavish 15-bedroom mansion on Australia's Gold Coast. Travers, a.k.a. The Candyman and Australia's answer to Hugh Hefner, engages in a 'polyamorous lifestyle' and despite being married also has a harem of live-in lovers he likes to 'spoil'. In a recent interview, Lucciana said she will not be following in her father's footsteps by having multiple partners, but she doesn't find his relationship choices 'weird'. Heating up: The Love Island star and Lucciana met in Dubai in 2019 but are now both in London She said: 'People ask me all the time, "Isn't it weird that your dad has all these girlfriends?" 'To me, it's not weird. I love my dad no matter what and if he's happy then I'm happy and I think it's cool. 'I wouldn't do it; I wouldn't do that s**t because I'm crazy but if he's found a group of girls that can do it and he's happy, they're happy. And who wouldn't want to get spoilt like he spoils them? 'I would never, ever change him. I would never, ever want him to change. 'I'm grateful he is the way he is because I just learn so many things with men and women and the way people work. 'I feel like it made me almost ready to be by myself out in the big world. Anything that happened, he would always give me a life lesson.' The Crown bosses are reportedly on the hunt for a 'stunning' actress who can play a young Kate Middleton in the sixth season of the Netflix drama. The show recently issued a casting call looking for 'exceptional young actors' to play Prince William and Prince Harry aged 16-21. According to The Sun, bosses are also hoping to find an actress who can play the Duchess of Cambridge so they can depict her and William's blossoming romance whie they were students at the University of St Andrews. Role: The Crown bosses are reportedly on the hunt for a 'stunning' actress who can play a young Kate Middleton in the sixth season of the Netflix drama (Kate pictured with William in 2005) A source said: 'Having the Duchess of Cambridge is an easy win for The Crown, as it will get more people watching. 'Particularly as it will show her relationship with William as their romance starts to blossom when they were both students. 'But since she's not a crucial part of the storyline, Kate's presence is a bonus. They'll only cast her if they can find the right candidate.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Netflix for comment. Plans: Bosses are also hoping to find an actress who can play the Duchess of Cambridge so they can depict her and William's blossoming romance whie they were students at the University of St Andrews (pictured in March 2022) It comes after the casting call for William and Harry said the roles in the drama are 'significant' indicating there may be storylines effecting the young Prince's lives in the late nineties and early noughties. Over the first four series of The Crown, the Netflix hit has become well known for bending facts to suit its narrative, and while some artistic license is inevitable, some critics have been outraged in its rewriting of history and relationships. Royal experts have indicated that Prince Harry is now facing a dilemma over his casting after signing a 100million deal with the streaming service - with upcoming series covering some of the most painful and traumatic points of this life. In Season 5, which is currently being filmed, Dominic West's son, Senan West, 14, will play a young Prince William. Fittingly, his father is playing Prince Charles. It is not known if a fictionalised Prince Harry will appear. A source said: since she's not a crucial part of the storyline, Kate's presence is a bonus. They'll only cast her if they can find the right candidate' Directors are looking for actors that bare a strong resemblance to the royals and say no previous acting experience is required. 'We are very experienced in providing a great deal of support for the young actors and their families through what they find is a uniquely rewarding creative process,' the notice read. The casting call indicates the series will run until at least 2005, likely starting around 1998 - just a year after Princess Diana's death. The time period will likely cover William attending University of St Andrew's in Scotland where he met Kate as well as Prince Charles' wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles and the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. It may also cover Prince Harry's party days, including alleged experiments with cannabis and alcohol, which resulted in Prince Charles taking the then 16-year-old Prince to a rehab centre in a bid to set him straight. On the lookout: The show recently issued a casting call looking for 'exceptional young actors' to play Prince William and Prince Harry aged 16-21 The dates also cover the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration as well as the royal family's reaction to wider world events including the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Other key events in the time period including Edward's marriage to Sophie Wessex in 1999 and the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen mother in 2002. William and Harry - as well as Kate Middleton and Harry's then girlfriend Chelsy Davy were regulars on the London club scene in the early noughties. While Netflix's artistic license has been called into question before, creator Peter Morgan has said he feel a 'sense of duty' towards the royal brothers. Sources close to the creator previously told the Daily Mail he felt a sense of 'responsibility' towards the pair. Final season: Directors are looking for actors that bare a strong resemblance to the royals -and say no previous acting experience is required. It will likely cover 1998 to 2005 (the brothers are pictured at the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002) Timeline: The time period will likely cover William attending University of St Andrew's in Scotland where he met Kate Middleton as well as Prince Charles' wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles and the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana However, royal editor and author Duncan Lancombe told OK! that the Prince 'can't not be upset' at 'Netflix cashing in on your trauma'. 'Netflix can just make up conversations with the premise that it is a drama. They are basing it on history, but in order to make it something watchable they are dramatising it.' 'The only two humans that know what they said to each other at the most horrendously traumatic time of their lives is them. Netflix now thinks it's acceptable to put two child actors doing it with made up lines.' 'What I've said about how William will feel. Take that and double it for Harry. Harry is an emotional guy, whereas William is quite insular and shy when he needs to be.' Alexandra Daddario hit the red carpet to promote her upcoming series Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches at the AMC upfronts. The 36-year-old actress signed on to the project in March, playing Rowan, a doctor who grapples with her fate as the heir to a family of witches. She was joined by a number of AMC luminaries including Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Sehorn, the upcoming series Moonhaven's Joe Manganiello, Growing Up Hip Hop's Tahira Francis, Da Brat, Jessica Dupart and Angela Simmons and Dark Winds' Noah Emmerich. Alex steps out: Alexandra Daddario hit the red carpet to promote her upcoming series Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches at the AMC upfronts Bob and Rhea: She was joined by a number of AMC luminaries including Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Sehorn Daddario hit the red carpet at The Peak in New York City's Hudson Yards with an elegant and unique black gown from the Michael Kors Collection. The gown only had one sleeve with a cutout exposing her midriff and a slit up the left leg. She completed her look with a pair of black pumps, a number of gold bracelets and her engagement ring from producer/fiancee Andrew Form, who have been engaged since December. Alex's look: Daddario hit the red carpet at The Peak in New York City's Hudson Yards with an elegant and unique black gown The series was given the green light back in December, based on Anne Rice's novel trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches. AMC had acquired the rights to 'an expansive collection' of Rice's work, featuring 18 novels in her library. The show will follow Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire, which are both expected to debut in late 2022 or possibly early 2023. Green light: The series was given the green light back in December, based on Anne Rice's novel trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches While he wasn't at the upfront presentation, Harry Hamlin was recently cast in Mayfair Witches as Cortland Mayfair, described as the, 'current reigning patriarch of the Mayfair clan with a voracious appetite for more money, more power and more life, in his first series regular role in over two decades.' There's no indication when Daddario will start production on Mayfair Witches, but with an expected debut later this year, it will likely start sooner than later. She is coming off HBO's White Lotus, with a new movie dubbed Wildflower with Jacki Weaver, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Plummer and Jean Smart, in post-production. Production: There's no indication when Daddario will start production on Mayfair Witches, but with an expected debut later this year, it will likely start sooner than later New roles: She is coming off HBO's White Lotus, with a new movie dubbed Wildflower with Jacki Weaver, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Plummer and Jean Smart, in post-production Better Call Saul stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Sehorn were in attendance, ahead of their show's final season, debuting April 18. Bob opted for a grey dress shirt under a cobalt blue suit coat and black pants for the Wednesday afternoon event. Sehorn opted for a full-length black floral print gown and black pumps for her appearance on the red carpet. Bob and Rhea: Better Call Saul stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Sehorn were in attendance, ahead of their show's final season, debuting April 18 Bob's look: Bob opted for a grey dress shirt under a cobalt blue suit coat and black pants for the Wednesday afternoon event Rhea's look: Sehorn opted for a full-length black floral print gown and black pumps for her appearance on the red carpet MC: MC Lyte hit the red carpet to promote Love and Hip-Hop at the AMC Upfronts Joe: Joe Manganiello hit the red carpet in a black and grey plaid suit to promote Moonhaven at the AMC Upfronts Colman: Colman Domingo hit the red carpet to promote Fear the Walking Dead at the AMC Upfronts Tahira: Tahira Francis steps out with a stylish ensemble at the AMC Upfronts Da Brat and Jesseca: Da Brat and Jesseca Dupart hit the red carpet at the AMC Upfronts Zahn: Zahn McClarnon hits the red carpet at the AMC Upfronts Sir Rod Stewart and wife Penny Lancaster were in good spirits as they enjoyed a night out at Oswalds in London's Mayfair on Wednesday night, sharing a kiss before dashing off home in their car. The musician, 77, and his model partner, 51, were all smiles as they left the venue, with Sir Rod wearing cream coat over a crisp white shirt which he wore unbuttoned at the collar and a tie which hung loosely around his neck. He completed his look with a pair of grey trousers and some worn white and grey shoes as he walked close behind Penny. Loved-up: Sir Rod Stewart, 77, and wife Penny Lancaster, 51, were in good spirits as they stepped out to Oswalds in London on Wednesday, kissing before dashing off home in their car Penny looked stylish in an animal print blouse while she wore a chic black trouser suit. She carried a matching black handbag with her and accessorised with a pair of gold hoop earrings. The volunteer policewoman went for a simple look with her make-up, showing off her natural beauty. In love: Sir Rod was more than happy to be on the receiving end of Penny's affection, with the star smiling as she kissed him Playful: Penny reached over to tenderly touch Sir Rod's face before planting a kiss on his cheek in the back of their car In style: The musician and his model partner were all smiles as they left the venue, with Sir Rod wearing cream coat over a crisp white shirt Keeping it casual: Sir Rod wore unbuttoned at the collar and a tie which hung loosely around his neck The couple, who married in 2007, recently returned from New York, with Sir Rod taking to social media to share snaps of himself posing in front of the city's skyline last month. The outing comes after Penny and Rod rang in her 51st birthday in style as they joined revellers to attend Cheltenham Festival for the opening day of the four-day event. Rod appeared to be having a blast and larked around for cameras as he was puckered up to Penny's chest while posing for photos with pals. Stepping out: He completed his look with a pair of grey trousers and some worn white and grey shoes as he walked close to Penny Out on the town: The couple, who married in 2007, recently returned from New York with Penny Quality time: Sir Rod took to social media to share snaps of himself posing in front of the city's skyline last month Union: Back in London the pair were in a good mood as they flashed broad grins while leaving Oscar's Penny looked quintessentially English as she nailed Country chic in corduroy trousers and a checked blazer for her outing. The model opted for a colour-blocked look as she donned shades of tan for her fashionable ensemble. Underneath her jacket she added a knitted sweater and a crisp white shirt that peaked out at the sleeves. Fashionista: Penny looked stylish in an animal print blouse while she wore a chic black trouser suit Completing the look: She carried a matching black handbag with her and accessorised with a pair of gold hoop earrings Natural beauty: The volunteer policewoman went for a simple look with her make-up, showing off her natural beauty Penny completed her outfit with a practical pair of knee high leather boots and a matching weaved belt. Rod put on a dapper display in a checked waistcoat with cream chinos and a beige wool coat. Posing for the sweet snap in front of Rod's lavish car, he penned: 'Happy Birthday darling, lets get a winner.' Tourist: Sir Rod and Penny enjoyed the sights of New York, with Rod sharing a black and white snap of himself posing in front of the city's skyline last month Sienna Miller cut a glamorous figure as she stepped out in New York City ahead of an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday. The actress, 40, showed off her sense of style as she donned a white middie dress with a low-cut neckline. The garment also featured a pleated detail and leg split while Sienna added height to her frame in a pair of white heels. Stunning: Sienna Miller cut a glamorous figure as she stepped out in a white midi dress in New York City ahead of an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday The film star wrapped up for the day in a black coat while she added to her outfit with a pair of silver earrings. Styling her blonde locks into an updo, the actress completed her look with a red lip. Sienna appeared in good spirits for her apperance on the chat show where she discussed her new series Anatomy Of A Scandal. It comes after Sienna admitted that playing the role of a cheated wife in the Netflix series took her back to a 'familiar ugly space.' Outfit: The garment also featured a pleated detail and leg split while Sienna added height to her frame in a pair of white heels Speaking to ELLE UK, the actress explained she's experienced 'some of the things' her character is forced to endure, having faced public scrutiny when her then-boyfriend Jude Law confessed to cheating on her with a nanny in 2005. Discussing her role in Anatomy Of A Scandal, Sienna admitted she could sympathise with her character Sophie, whose politician husband James is accused of sexually assaulting a young political aide. The actress' then-partner Jude issued a public apology when it was revealed he'd cheated on her, and the pair eventually separated in 2006, before rekindling their romance between 2009 and 2011. Stunning; Styling her blonde locks into an updo, the actress completed her look with a red lip Show: Sienna appeared in good spirits for her apperance on the chat show where she discussed her new series Anatomy Of A Scandal Candid: It comes after Sienna admitted that playing the role of a cheated wife in the Netflix series took her back to a 'familiar ugly space' She said: ''It was familiar terrain, because I've experienced some of the things that she experienced. And the feelings were familiar. '[But] her way of dealing with what's thrown at her is the absolute antithesis of what my way is. And so, in a kind of twisted, tourism sense, I just wanted to see how it would feel to react differently. 'I know that sounds weird because you'd think it would be deeply unpleasant to sit in that space. There is something cathartic, I suppose, about spending time in an ugly space that's familiar. 'And maybe reclaiming it? I don't know what the psychology of it is. But there is something where maybe you can substitute a memory with something else.' Character: Sienna admitted she could sympathise with her character, whose politician husband James is accused of sexually assaulting a young political aide Outing: Sienna added to her outfit with a navy jumper and a brown handbag Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan, the series follows Sophie (Sienna) and her husband James (Rupert Friend), a minister accused of sexually assaulting a young political aide named Olivia (Naomi Scott). The series focuses on the trial and his attempts to prove his innocence, as Sophie struggles to consider her husband might not be the man she thought he was. Sienna also discussed her role in the series with The Radio Times, explaining how her character is torn whether to support her husband, who notes such a scandal could help boost his political prowess. Past: Sienna explained she's experienced 'some of the things' her character is forced to endure, after her then-boyfriend Jude Law confessed to cheating on her with a nanny in 2005 (pictured in 2010, after they rekindled their relationship the previous year) She added that top of consent remains a highly-discussed issue, adding: 'In terms of consent, it's still a really very complicated and important thing to look at. 'It's very, very difficult to prosecute a rape case of this nature. It's just impossible. There's an alarming statistic which I'm going to get wrong, but I think only 3 per cent of cases will end up in trial or prosecution.' 'Women often don't report things that they know are wrong because why put yourself through something like that to end up with nothing?' Abbie Chatfield says she is being 'bombarded' by angry Italian men after calling out a 'sexist' tradition in the country of having separate menus for women at restaurants. The Australian reality star, 26, recently complained about her dining experience at a posh restaurant in Venice after she was handed a menu without the prices, while her boyfriend Konrad Bien-Stephen was given the full menu including prices. Abbie's complaint was soon reported in the Italian press, which she says resulted in her being trolled by men who insist the 'ladies' menu' is just a harmless tradition. Annoyed: Abbie Chatfield says she is being 'bombarded' by angry Italian men after calling out a 'sexist' tradition in the country of having separate menus for women at restaurants 'It may be a tradition, but it is still rooted in patriarchy,' Abbie said. She explained she'd been eating out three times a day on holiday in Italy but only one restaurant had given her a ladies' menu. 'I'm allowed to say it's sexist as the tradition is rooted in misogyny and patriarchy,' she added, before confirming she had paid for the meal in question, not Konrad. Furious rant: 'It may be a tradition but it is still rooted in patriarchy. Also this is the only restaurant I have been to where that has happened,' the 26-year-old said Abbie said the idea that men pay at restaurants comes from a time when 'women did not have bank accounts' and were assumed to be 'financially dependent' on their husbands. She said the food and service at the restaurant was 'beautiful', but the fact there were separate menus for men and women made her feel 'uncomfortable'. 'Even if he was paying... It's the assumption I cannot or will not pay [that annoys me],' she concluded. Paying the bills: 'I'm allowed to say it's sexist as the tradition is rooted in misogyny,' Abbie added, before confirming she had paid for the meal in question, not her boyfriend Konrad Abbie revealed her 'sexist' dining experience on TikTok on Sunday, saying she found the menu ridiculous because she is the 'breadwinner' in her relationship. 'So we're at the boujee restaurant, and my menu didn't have prices on it?' she said in a viral video. 'Konrad was like, "Yeah it's expensive." I was like, "How do you know that?" Obviously look where it is, obviously it's expensive,' she added, showing her luxurious surroundings. '[But] he got a menu with prices on it, and I didn't. B***h, I'm the breadwinner! The f**k? Patriarchy strikes again.' Not impressed: Abbie was left stunned by a 'sexist' dining experience in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, after she was handed a menu that was seemingly intended for women only. (Pictured with her partner Konrad Bien-Stephen at a wedding in Scotland over the weekend) She captioned the video: 'Only men get a menu with prices? PATRIACRHY.' Abbie has already made a name for herself in the feminist sphere with her popular podcast It's a Lot, where she has interviewed guests like Clementine Ford. She also has the word 'feminist' tattooed on her arm, and has spoken several times on her radio show Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield about gender equality. Sexist: Abbie noticed her menu didn't have any prices, but the one given to her boyfriend had all the prices listed. The different menus implied only men should pay the bill at this particular restaurant, which Abbie found ridiculous because she is the 'breadwinner' in her relationship It comes after Abbie lifted the lid on just how much someone can earn as an influencer - and it's not always simply because of the number of followers they have. 'I have been paid double what people who have 1-2 million followers have [been paid] for certain posts,' Abbie, who has 390,000 Instagram followers, revealed on her radio show last month. She went on to explain that what brands look for are 'impressions' rather than followers. Furious: Abbie said on TikTok, 'B***h, I'm the breadwinner. The f**k? Patriarchy strikes again' 'Impressions for the week are how many times your [Instagram] account has been interacted with,' she said, explaining that a view, a like and a comment on a post counted as three impressions. Abbie, who recently dropped $1.45 million on two-bedroom Byron Bay cottage, has been dating her carpenter beau Konrad since November after he appeared on Brooke Blurton's season of The Bachelorette. The pair are currently happier than ever in an open relationship, and announced earlier this year that he has moved into her home. New reports the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has produced on Benin, Djibouti, Somalia, Zimbabwe and Liberia show the countries have successfully put national policies in place to advance gender equality. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic has sharpened the challenges women face. Prepared in collaboration with the countries and the international partner, UN Women, the Banks country gender profiles evaluate gender equality and offer recommendations to drive parity across a range of metrics. These include strategies to bolster the responsiveness of development initiatives. The country gender profiles are timely as countries define actions and policies to support recovery from the pandemic. Gender data and analysis are critical but remain limited, slowing the achievement of the gender agenda. We hope these reports will help address this important challenge, said Amel Hamza, Acting Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society at the Bank. Benin, Djibouti, Somalia, Zimbabwe and Liberia have achieved progress in addressing discriminatory laws and policies, the reports show. In addition to establishing national gender policies, the five countries also have institutional mechanisms dedicated to gender equality, such as the Gender Ministry, Gender focal points (and other examples from the profiles). The reports nonetheless conclude that women remain disproportionately affected by poverty, and that the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated gender inequality. During the pandemic, women experienced an increase in gender-based violence, and bore the burden of performing unpaid work or low-paying labor in the informal sector. The reports recommend that gender equality be prioritized in Covid-19 recovery programs. The Bank issued its first Country Gender Profiles in 2004. The latest publications in the series are part of a roll out of its new Gender Strategy for 2021-2025 (https://bit.ly/3r76joW): Investing in Africas women to accelerate inclusive growth. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires For Australia's Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo it's the ultimate inside knowledge. And it's knowledge he and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation are banking on when F1 returns to Melbourne from Friday. Ricciardo and his F1 rivals are preparing for a new Albert Park track - they're all yet to drive on the redesigned, resurfaced circuit. But Ricciardo has revealed he helped remodel the track in a potential inside edge for the Australian. Ricciardo's input resulted in the Albert Park circuit being remodelled, with two corners removed and five others widened in a bid to offer more overtaking opportunity. 'Not taking credit, but I was a little bit involved in the talks about revamping the circuit a few years ago when they had the first idea of what to do to try to make the racing a bit better,' Ricciardo told reporters at a Heineken media opportunity in Melbourne on Wednesday. 'It has always been a fun track but on Sundays it has been a little bit tricky for overtaking just through the layout and the nature of it. 'Really, the idea was to try and open it up and just to make Sunday a bit more exciting and try to have more overtakes. 'As a race now you're going to see a totally different Sunday here in Melbourne.' Australian officials used the two-year F1 absence from Melbourne to perform remedial work, an absence Ricciardo said was hard to take particularly in 2020 when the race was called off as spectators lined up to enter. 'It was pretty heartbreaking and that's from a selfish point of view as a driver,' Ricciardo said. 'But for everyone that was here expecting to see a race, too. Australia is quite remote so for Aussies to travel to other destinations around the world for races isn't easy. 'It was hard on everyone. So very happy we're back.' Ricciardo admits some concern at the performance of his McLaren, which has recorded a didn't finish and 14th in the fresh season. And so does Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief Andrew Westacott, who is hoping Ricciardo contends in Melbourne to give the home punters what they crave: a local hero. 'There's an Aussie factor that is always at play,' Westacott told AAP. 'Whether that's with Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Casey Stoner or Geoff Miller in MotoGP or Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo in Formula One. 'There's definitely the Aussie factor. We want to see them go well. 'Apart from Daniel in 2014 getting stripped of the silverware for second, we actually haven't had an Aussie on the podium at Albert Park.' Ricciardo spent the past week in his home city of Perth ahead of arriving in Melbourne, reflecting on his battles in the two races this year. The 32-year-old infamously finished second some eight years ago before his car was disqualified for breaking fuel flow laws. And he's failed to finish two of his past three races in Melbourne, which has lost its season-opener status to be third on the F1 race calendar, not that the timing bothers Ricciardo. 'Honestly, now that we've missed it for a couple of years, I'm just kind of thankful that it's on the calendar,' he said. 'Right now, it doesn't really bother me where it is. As long as we've got an Aussie grand prix then I'm happy.' An American influencer has been roasted by Aussies for her 'genius' kiwi-eating hack that is actually common knowledge. Fashion blogger Nena Evans announced she had discovered a 'random' way of eating a kiwi that was a lot more convenient than peeling it. She shared a tutorial video on Instagram in which she sliced a kiwi in half and scooped out the flesh with a spoon - unaware this is how most people have been eating kiwis for years. Her clip was reposted by snark account Celeb Spellcheck on Thursday, which resulted in Ms Evans being mocked for her 'groundbreaking' technique. 'Revolutionary hack': American influencer Nena Evans has been roasted by Aussies for her 'genius' kiwi-eating hack that is actually common knowledge 'So random but I swear it makes me want to eat more of this fruit,' Ms Evans, who has 466,000 followers on Instagram, said in the video. Speaking from her kitchen at home, she then gave detailed instructions on how best to enjoy the juicy fruit. 'So I just cut a kiwi in half and then I take a spoon and like kind of scoop it out to eat it and that way... Wow, look how juicy this thing is,' she said. 'Hack': She shared a tutorial video in which she sliced a kiwi in half and scooped out the flesh with a spoon - unaware this is how most people have been eating kiwis for years Ms Evans explained that by using a spoon she didn't have to peel the fruit, and this made her want to 'eat these more often'. She concluded by describing the method as 'random' but 'genius'. Followers of Celeb Spellcheck were quick to roast Ms Evans in the comments section, with one sarcastically writing: 'Revolutionary hack.' Oh, dear! Her clip was reposted by snark account Celeb Spellcheck on Thursday, which resulted in Ms Evans being mocked for her 'groundbreaking' technique That's handy! Ms Evans explained that by using a spoon she didn't have to peel the fruit, and this made her want to 'eat these more often' Others joked it was 'groundbreaking' and 'life-changing'. One Aussie said they'd been eating kiwis 'like this' since they were a toddler, while another suggested they had missed their calling as an influencer. 'Turns out I learned this back when I was in Year 3. Missed my call to be an influencer,' they wrote. Hilarious: One Aussie said they'd been eating kiwis 'like this' since they were a toddler, while another suggested they had missed their calling as an influencer Celeb Spellcheck is run by a Melbourne woman in her late twenties whose identity has not been revealed. The hugely popular account was created several years ago with the intention of mocking celebrities for their typos in sponsored Instagram posts. However, the page has since transformed into a platform for holding influencers to account for other gaffes and shady behaviour. Nicole Kidman is set to return to the big screen soon in the blockbuster Viking drama, The Northman. But there's a glaring mistake in the official poster for the Robert Eggers-directed film. For some reason, the title of the movie was left off a number of posters that popped up in New York this week. Oh no: Nicole Kidman's (pictured) new film The Northman is causing a stir due to a mistake on the film's poster One filmgoer who spotted the blunder shared it on Twitter, which sparked some interesting conspiracy theories. 'Well if this "error" was intentional to get buzz, it's working. Never heard of this until this morning after seeing three tweets like this,' one person commented. 'The bus stop posters have the title,' someone responded. 'Its only the subway posters. I sincerely doubt it was an intentional attempt to get buzz.' Forget something? For some reason, the title of the movie was left off a number of posters that popped up in New York this week Kidman isn't the only A-list name attached to the historical epic. Alexander Skarsgard is joined by a diverse all-star cast including Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Bjork, and Willem Dafoe. The film is the latest from Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse), which will hit theaters nationwide on April 22. New trailer: Alexander Skarsgard (pictured) returns to the silver screen as a Viking prince seeking vengeance in the trailer for The Northman Cast: Skarsgard is joined by a diverse all-star cast including Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Bjork, and Willem Dafoe The trailer begins with a royal party approaching on horseback as a smiling young man proclaims, 'He's here! Mother, father is here!' King Horwendil (Hawke) is seen riding through the village, while Hemir the Fool (Dafoe) tells the young man, 'your fate is set and you cannot escape it.' The King says how much he's missed his son, and adds, 'one day this kingdom will be yours,' as he thanks his father, with his mother, Queen Gudrun (Kidman) at the King's side. King's daughter: The trailer begins with a royal party approaching on horseback as a smiling young woman proclaims, 'He's here! Mother, father is here!' King: King Horwendil (Hawke) is seen riding through the village, while Hemir the Fool (Dafoe) tells the young woman, 'your fate is set and you cannot escape it' The king and his son are outside when the king is pierced by an arrow, when it's revealed that arrow was fired by the boy's uncle, Fjolnir (Bang). The young man runs off, screaming that he will avenge his father, save his mother and kill his uncle... when it morphs into the adult Amleth (Skarsgard). He's seen rowing a large boat with many others, repeating his same promise in his head from all those years ago, seeing visions of his slain father. Uncle: The king and his son are outside when the king is pierced by an arrow, when it's revealed that arrow was fired by the boy's uncle, Fjolnir (Claes Bang) Amleth: The young man runs off, screaming that he will avenge his father, save his mother and kill his uncle... when it morphs into the adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) Slain: He's seen rowing a large boat with many others, repeating his same promise in his head from all those years ago, seeing visions of his slain father Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) asks Amleth, 'why would you stow away to such a hellish place,' which he responds, 'To find what was stolen from me.' When she asks what that was, he says, 'The kingdom' as we see his treacherous uncle beheading someone in the woods. Amleth is told by a mysterious character that he must, 'choose between the kindness for your kin or hate for your enemies.' Stolen: Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) asks Amleth, 'why would you stow away to such a hellish place,' which he responds, 'To find what was stolen from me' Beheading: When she asks what that was, he says, 'The kingdom' as we see his treacherous uncle beheading someone in the woods Olga tells Amleth he has the 'strength to break men's bones' but she has 'the cunning to break their minds.' Amleth is seen carrying out his vengeful plan, wearing an animal's hide on his head as he begins his attack. His mother Gurdun is seen as Amleth keeps pledging to 'save' her as he's seen charging into battle as the trailer comes to an end. The Northman hits theaters nationwide on April 22, 2022. Cunning: Olga tells Amleth he has the 'strength to break men's bones' but she has 'the cunning to break their minds' Plan: Amleth is seen carrying out his vengeful plan, wearing an animal's hide on his head as he begins his attack Mother: His mother Gurdun is seen as Amleth keeps pledging to 'save' her as he's seen charging into battle 'Bitcoin babe' Eunice Wong caused a stir on Below Deck Down Under when she requested McDonald's for dinner instead of a gourmet dish the chef had prepared. And it appears the Malaysian-born cryptocurrency influencer's aversion to fine dining extends beyond the hit yachting show. Earlier this week, Eunice turned her nose up at the caviar she ordered on her first-class Emirates Airlines flight to Miami. No frills: Cryptocurrency influencer and Below Deck Down Under star Eunice Wong (pictured) complained about the caviar on her first-class Emirates flight this week The NFT enthusiast took to Instagram to tell her 200,000 followers not to order the Gourmet House caviar off the Emirates menu. She began by filming the menu, before showing off the small tin filled with shiny black fish eggs. 'This is what I got,' she said, clearly disgusted, as she picked up the tin, before adding: 'Hmm, nah.' While it's unclear exactly how much the caviar was worth, 30g tins from Gourmet House can go for as high as $510 each. The next morning, Eunice filmed herself relaxing in the first-class seat with a plate full of scrambled eggs, spinach and mushrooms. 'Don't order this!' The NFT enthusiast took to Instagram to tell her 200,000 followers not to order the Gourmet House caviar off the Emirates menu Unimpressed: 'This is what I got,' she said as she picked up the tin, before adding: 'Hmm, nah' Eunice has been dubbed 'Australia's crypto queen' by various financial media outlets. The jet-setting socialite loves to document her lavish lifestyle on Instagram, which includes her first-class flights on various airlines. Last year, she told Stockhead she learned how to trade from her boyfriend, Assad Tannous. That's more like it! The next morning, she filmed herself relaxing in the first-class seat with a plate full of scrambled eggs, spinach and mushrooms Tannous runs the boutique investment firm Asenna Capital and is also a well-known 'finfluencer', or financial influencer, with more than 100,000 followers on Twitter. Eunice made her TV debut on Below Deck Down Under this week, turning down two of the chef's gourmet dishes and requesting McDonald's and scrambled eggs instead. The glamorous Bitcoin mogul was joined on the show by her pal Karim Gharbi, who starred in Channel 10's short-lived reality series Sydney's Crazy Rich Asians. The good life! The jet-setting crypto queen loves to document her lavish lifestyle on Instagram, which includes her first-class flights on various airlines Their diva antics started when Karim criticised the dated decor on the Thalassa superyacht, before demanding that his master cabin be redecorated. 'So many angels everywhere,' he said, clearly unimpressed by the angelic statuettes that adorned the interior. 'This boat is a bit like Versace. It's a bit '80s. It just needs restyling,' he added. Upon seeing his cabin, Karim complained 'it was the smallest room I've ever been to'. Demanding: Eunice and her pal Karim Gharbi (left) brought the drama to Below Deck Down Under this week He then asked Chief Stewardess Aesha Scott to redecorate his cabin. 'I don't like these little angels,' he said. 'These freak me out. If you can just get rid of them? It feels a little bit like a horror movie.' He also told Aesha to remove some fake flowers that were on his bedside table. 'I can't do fake flowers!' he said. 'I can't do fake people and fake flowers. And fake fashion designers!' 'It needs restyling!' The antics started when Karim criticised the dated decor on the Thalassa superyacht, before demanding that his master cabin be redecorated Aesha later moaned to producers about Karim's attitude, saying: 'If you're that bougie, buy your own bloody yacht!' The crew ran into more trouble later with crypto queen Eunice, who was less than impressed with Chef Ryan McKeown's steamed barramundi during lunch. She screwed up her face in disgust after the first bite. 'Nah, I can't eat this,' she complained. 'It smells... I think it's a bit too overwhelming for me.' Big Mac! Eunice (pictured) requested McDonald's for lunch after being unimpressed with the chef's steamed barramundi Eunice requested a salad from the chef instead, before asking if she could get some fast food delivered to the luxury yacht. 'Can I have McDonald's?' she asked. 'I would love to have McDonald's!' Eunice and Karim continued to complain during dinner when they learned that Chef Ryan had prepared a cured fish dish. 'I'll skip that because I don't eat raw fish,' Karim snapped. 'Can you just give me some scrambled eggs?' Eunice asked Ryan. 'No, I'm serious. I just wanna eat.' Below Deck Down Under is streaming exclusively on hayu in Australia and on Peacock in America A leading TV producer has confirmed the use of a sneaky editing technique that some disgruntled reality stars say allows them to 'twist' their words. Jaala Webster, the head of post-production for ITV Studios Australia, said at the Screen Forever conference on the Gold Coast last week that 'Frankenbiting' is used on most reality shows - but it's not as bad as some ex-contestants make it out to be. 'Frankenbiting' is a technique in which various audio snippets are mashed together in post-production to form a new sentence. Scroll down for video Controversial: A leading TV producer has confirmed the use of a sneaky editing technique that some disgruntled reality stars say allows them to 'twist' their words. (Pictured left to right: MAFS participants Samantha Moitzi, Al Perkins, Tamara Djordjevic and Brent Vitiello) Some critics of the method - including former reality TV stars who believe they have been edited unfairly - claim it allows post-producers to make it look like somebody said something they didn't actually say or mean. However, people who work behind the scenes of TV insist the technique is only used sparingly to 'tidy up' messy dialogue or make conversations more concise. Ms Webster said 'Frankenbiting' has its limits and editors 'don't have the capacity' to make someone look like a 'villain' unless they were actually behaving badly. Trick: Jaala Webster, the head of post-production for ITV Studios Australia, said at an industry conference on the Gold Coast last week that 'Frankenbiting' is used on most reality shows - but it's not as bad as some ex-contestants make it out to be. (Pictured: MAFS bride Olivia Frazer) '[Frankenbiting] is basically where you might take different parts of what someone has said, and you can make a cleaner sentence, which is generally what we use it for,' she said, according to TV Tonight. 'I can't Frankengrab you together having a fight with someone. I don't have the capacity to do that. So if you look back in the edit, it's probably because you did say or do something not so great.' While Ms Webster acknowledged 'music choices' and the juxtaposition of scenes can affect how a person's behaviour is portrayed, it's almost impossible to make a genuinely nice person into the bad guy using 'Frankenbiting' alone. 'I have very rarely been able to make someone more villainous, or questionable in their behaviour, than they were actually being,' she said. Divisive: Some critics of the method - including former reality TV stars who believe they have been edited unfairly - claim it allows post-producers to make it look like somebody said something they didn't actually say or mean. (Pictured: MAFS groom Dion Giannarelli) Two brides from this year's season of Married At First Sight, Olivia Frazer and Tamara Djordjevic, have accused producers of giving them a dodgy edit. While she didn't single out the 'Frankenbiting' technique, Frazer alleged earlier this week she'd effectively been coerced into admitting on camera she had 'no empathy'. She claimed on the No Filter podcast that sexologist Alessandra Rampolla had 'told me for five minutes straight all the reasons why I don't have empathy' before she eventually conceded: 'Sure, okay, I don't have empathy.' But when the program aired on TV, it looked like she confessed to this straight away, which Frazer said made viewers 'compare me to Ted Bundy'. Kidd Creole has been found guilty of first-degree manslaughter in a New York City court in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man named John Jolly after the rapper thought he was gay. The 62-year-old musical artist, a member of the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, faces a prison sentence of up to 25 years after a jury delivered the verdict after hours of deliberation following closing arguments in the case. Kidd Creole, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, dropped his head when the jury delivered its guilty verdict, an eyewitness in the court told Rolling Stone Kidd Creole was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter in a New York City court in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man named John Jolly John Jolly, 55, died in the wake of the stabbing from the musical artist In the years prior to the stabbing, Glover had been living by himself in a Bronx apartment and working in a copy shop. The incident took place on August 1, 2017, when he was headed to work and had a confrontation with Jolly, 55, in midtown Manhattan, using a steak knife to stab the man, who died in a nearby hospital following the encounter. A wounded Jolly was found by tourists minutes after he was attacked, prosecutors said, and Glover fled the scene and went to his office, where he washed the knife, and later disposed of it in a sewer at the Bronx subway station, TMZ reported. Police recovered the weapon the following day, when Glover was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing. He has been in custody at Rikers Island jail complex since then. Kidd Creole at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, New York, in 2007 Kidd Creole was seen entering the court in Manhattan last month The musical artist was seen earlier this week during the manslaughter trial Glover told authorities in a taped interview that he 'was a little annoyed' in thinking that Jolly was seeking a romantic encounter, according to Rolling Stone. 'To tell the truth, I thought he was gay and because I thought he was gay, and he was saying that to me, "Whats up," I was thinking that he was thinking I was gay,' Glover said in the police interview, adding that he 'got a little nervous' when Jolly approached him. Glover, who was not aware Jolly had died following the stabbing at the time of the interview, told police, 'I tried to back up a little bit, and he moved forward, and then I just took the knife and stabbed him I wish I never would have seen him. Its all my fault, because I chose to stab him. I have to take responsibility for that.' In the case, prosecutors said that Glover didn't have any reasons to be afraid of Jolly, and linked his actions with potential homophobia. Defense attorneys said that Glover was fearful of Jolly, and that Jolly's death was due to a combination of alcohol and a sedative he was given while hospitalized. Glover's attorney Scottie Celestin said that police and prosecutors rushed to judgment of his guilt, saying, 'They did the perp walk. They paraded him in front of the camera, thats it.' Kidd Creole (second from left) was a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, pictured in 1980 The group in 2007 was placed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Jay-Z inducting them Celestin said that medical records obtained years after Jolly's death indicated that the stabbing didn't kill him, but prosecutors forged on with the case out of 'self-preservation;' and that testimony of witnesses in the case was 'tainted and slanted' in helping prosecutors in their 'incompetent' and 'malicious' attempt to convict Glover. Celestin noted how Glover 'repeatedly' told police he 'didnt want to hurt' Jolly. Prosecutor Mark Dahl told jurors that Glover had taken Jolly's life 'in cold blood,' and that none of the witnesses who took the stand in the case had any vested interest in Glover's fate. Dahl also used a two-liter bottle to illustrate how much blood Jolly had lost after being stabbed by Glover, and said that Glover's use of the knife illustrated an 'intentional' act of violence as opposed to a defensive act. Glover is slated to be sentenced on May 4. Glover, as Kidd Creole, was a member of the New York City-based Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, hailed as a group of pioneers in the hip-hop movement with their signature track, The Message. The group in 2007 was placed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Jay-Z inducting them. WAG-turned-fashion designer Nadia Bartel will make her Australian Fashion Week debut next month with her popular clothing label, Henne. A Henne catwalk show was announced in the programme for the Afterpay event by IMG on Thursday. Australian Fashion Week will take place between May 9 and 13 at Carriageworks in Sydney, and will also offer a virtual component. Fashion star: WAG-turned-fashion designer Nadia Bartel will make her Australian Fashion Week debut next month with her popular clothing label Henne Nadia's label has gone from strength-to-strength after she launched it two years ago. On Monday, the mother-of-two also revealed she is opening a Henne store in Melbourne. Leading the way: Nadia's label has gone from strength-to-strength after she launched it two years ago The building is currently under construction and Nadia gave fans a tour of the space on her Instagram page. 'This is going to be our new Henne store,' Nadia said. 'It's all in the works at the moment and I'll share more soon.' Exciting times: On Monday, the mother-of-two also revealed she is opening a Henne store in Melbourne Nadia then took fans upstairs to show the area that will be the fitting room. Henne has been a runaway success. The website lists its core values as a commitment to women's voices, circularity, mindful consumption, working conditions, and environmental impact. 'It's all in the works at the moment and I'll share more soon': The building is currently under construction and Nadia gave fans a tour of the space on her Instagram page Nadia has continued to put her infamous white powder snorting scandal behind her. Last year, she was filmed snorting a line off a cheap K-mart plate during one of Melbourne's six Covid lockdowns. Damning footage from the gathering was posted online by her friend and business partner Ellie Pearson posted by mistake. Nadia issued an apology on Instagram just 24 hours after the video leaked. Busted: Nadia has continued to put her infamous white powder snorting scandal behind her. Last year, she was filmed snorting a line off a cheap K-mart plate during one of Melbourne's six Covid lockdowns 'Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions,' she wrote. 'I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in [the] future. The ex-wife of Geelong great Jimmy Bartel and three other women were each fined $5,452 for breaking lockdown rules. A five-time winning auctioneer on The Block has responded to his critics after he killed a deer and posted a celebratory photo of the hunt on Instagram on Tuesday. Damien Cooley told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that anti-hunting activists are entitled to their opinion, but he is nevertheless 'genuinely proud' of his kill. Animal rights advocates were disgusted by the image of Mr Cooley crouching next to the dead animal and revealing he'd 'ticked off a very big life goal this week'. Five-time winning auctioneer on The Block Damien Cooley has responded to his critics after he celebrated killing a deer and posted this photo on Instagram on Tuesday Mr Cooley, who is a farmer in addition to being an auctioneer, said: 'Deer are classed as a feral animal in New South Wales and are culled regularly. I hunt for the table and my family enjoy eating venison and many other animals like rabbits, pigs and more.' However, he said he 'appreciates social [media] may not have been the best platform to show this'. 'I was genuinely proud. Some see that as egotistical but I see it differently. They are entitled to their opinion as am I, and I respect theirs.' Mr Cooley added that his Instagram account is mostly for personal posts, and that his close friends know how much respect he has for all animals. No regrets: Damien Cooley (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that anti-hunting activists are entitled to their opinion, but he is nevertheless 'genuinely proud' of his kill Mr Cooley sparked backlash on Tuesday when he posted the confronting photo of his hunt on Instagram and captioned it: 'Ticked off a very big life goal this week. 'I understand some may not like it but this is me. 'I hunt for the table and have so much respect for these animals. I'm with my best mates and this was a special moment we shared. This fallow stag will be respected for the rest of my time.' The criticism came in thick and fast, with one person commenting: 'Magnificent animal - better off alive. Gross. Get better "life goals".' Mr Cooley added that his Instagram account is mostly for personal posts, and that his close friends know how much respect he has for all animals Mr Cooley captioned the confronting photo on Tuesday, 'Ticked off a big life goal this week. I understand some may not like it but this is me... I have so much respect for these animals' 'The world needs less death and trauma at the moment. See ya,' another wrote. 'Sorry, not a fan of this. How this could be an achievement, I don't know,' a third critic wrote, while another said they'd 'lost all respect' for Mr Cooley. 'So much tragedy, trauma, killing in the world and you smile and proudly contribute to it by killing a beautiful animal. Disgusting!' one person commented. The criticism came in thick and fast, with one person commenting: 'Magnificent animal - better off alive. Gross. Get better "life goals"' Feminist firebrand Clementine Ford weighed in to say the photo was 'absolutely grotesque' Mr Cooley has overseen the winning auction on The Block five times. He is pictured with The Block 2021 winners Mitch Edwards (left) and Mark McKie (right) Feminist firebrand Clementine Ford also weighed in to say the photo was 'absolutely grotesque'. Daily Mail Australia contacted Channel Nine for comment at the time. Mr Cooley has overseen the winning auction on The Block five times, and started his company, Cooley Auctions, in 2003. He has starred on other reality shows, including The Renovators, Under the Hammer, Hot Auctions and Selling Houses Australia. The Below Deck franchise has become a blockbuster hit in recent years, spawning multiple spin-offs including the Australian version Below Deck Down Under. And now a real yachting industry professional has revealed exactly how much money it can cost to be a charter guest on a luxury superyacht. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Jocelyn O'Keefe of Coral Sea Marina Marketing said that a week-long trip could set somebody back up to $300,000. Cha-ching: A yachting industry professional has revealed how much it REALLY costs to charter a luxury superyacht like on Below Deck 'We often have superyachts berth at Coral Sea Marina in between their charters, with two popular domestic charter agents being Ocean Alliance and The Super Yacht People,' she explained. 'For a week-long trip, a superyacht could cost you anywhere between $150,000 to $300,000.' 'A superyacht is the most premium yacht experience in The Whitsundays, but we have many other yachts available for all different budgets,' she continued. 'The larger the superyacht, the more expensive the charter.' Expensive: 'For a week-long trip, a superyacht could cost you anywhere between $150,000 to $300,000,' revealed Jocelyn O'Keefe of Coral Sea Marina Marketing Jocelyn also offered some tips on how to experience a yachting trip on a budget, suggesting that guests opt for a smaller sailing yacht instead. However, she advised that it's still vital to ensure that the yacht has a crew to manage the boat, and an on-board chef to do all the cooking. 'Our recommendation would be hiring the largest bareboat available for your budget and then hiring a cruise guide and a cook,' she explained. Crew: Even when yachting on a budget, it's still important to have a crew to run the boat and a chef on board for all the cooking 'The Leopard 50 is an incredible yacht that can fit a large group or two families its the best option if youre looking for a superyacht experience on a smaller budget everything is included, you just need to take yourself,' she continued. 'The Whitsundays has several provisioning companies who can take the thought out of the food and beverage. Alternatively, you could hire a private charter for 1 7 nights.' Below Deck Down Under was filmed on location in The Whitsundays last year. Location: Below Deck Down Under was filmed on location in The Whitsundays last year Guests take short charters of three days and two nights, and are believed to receive a large discount in exchange for allowing the trip to be filmed. However, the charter isn't free, and guests are also required to leave a tip at the end of the charter which can be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000. This season of Below Deck Down Under has already featured some outrageous guests, from influencers and strippers to a cryptocurrency entrepreneur. The series is currently streaming exclusively on hayu in Australia and on Peacock in America. Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio passionately kissed her boyfriend Richard Lee during their spring break vacation to the Bahamas' main island of New Providence on Tuesday. The Wilhelmina Model scooped up the CAA Model - turning 41 next Monday - into his arms as they waded in the turquoise waters of Cable Beach in Nassau. Richard swung Alessandra around in the picturesque spot located outside the 1K-acre luxury complex, Baha Mar Resort. Still going strong! Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio passionately kissed her boyfriend Richard Lee during their spring break vacation to the Bahamas' main island of New Providence on Tuesday Lee grinned after accidentally dropping Ambrosio on to the white sand below the surface. The Cut Brazil host - who boasts 18.6M social media followers - captioned her Instagram slideshow: 'Everyone falls in love sometimes.' Alessandra and her 6ft silver fox - who began dating on December 14, 2020 - then took turns playfully splashing each other. Romantic: The Wilhelmina Model scooped up the CAA Model - turning 41 next Monday - into his arms as they waded in the turquoise waters of Cable Beach in Nassau So in love: Richard swung Alessandra around in the picturesque spot located outside the 1K-acre luxury complex, Baha Mar Resort Oops! Lee grinned after accidentally dropping Ambrosio on to the white sand below the surface The Cut Brazil host - who boasts 18.6M social media followers - captioned her Instagram slideshow: 'Everyone falls in love sometimes' Richard is Ambrosio's first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with Alanui co-designer Nicolo Oddi in the winter of 2020. The GAL Floripa co-founder represented her three-year-old swimwear brand by wearing the $128 black 'Venyx' bikini top. Alessandra and Lee later glammed up a bit to celebrate their final night of their holiday, which reportedly began last Thursday. Playful: Alessandra and her 6ft silver fox - who began dating on December 14, 2020 - then took turns splashing each other Sense of humor: Richard is Ambrosio's first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with Alanui co-designer Nicolo Oddi in the winter of 2020 Always branding: The GAL Floripa co-founder represented her three-year-old swimwear brand by wearing the $128 black 'Venyx' bikini top Ambrosio was also joined on the lavish getaway by her two children - 13-year-old daughter Anja Louise and nine-year-old son Noah Phoenix - as well as a pair of young family friends. The glamorous globe-trotter mothered Anja and Noah during her decade-long romance with ex-fiance - Re/Done denim co-founder Jamie Mazur - which amicably ended in 2018. On Monday, Kim Kardashian unveiled her new SKIMS 'Fits Everybody' campaign featuring Alessandra alongside her fellow former Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel Tyra Banks, and Heidi Klum. Bridge moment: Alessandra and Lee later glammed up a bit to celebrate their final night of their holiday, which reportedly began last Thursday Group trip: Ambrosio was also joined on the lavish getaway by her two children - 13-year-old daughter Anja Louise (2-L) and nine-year-old son Noah Phoenix (2-R) - as well as a pair of young family friends Co-parents: The glamorous globe-trotter mothered Anja and Noah during her decade-long romance with ex-fiance - Re/Done denim co-founder Jamie Mazur (T-L, pictured in 2019) - which amicably ended in 2018 Ambrosio officially retired her 'wings' with the San Francisco bra brand in 2017 after 12 years. Meanwhile, the Utah native's last gig was for the revamped Century City hotel, Fairmont Century Plaza Residences. Richard also regularly models for brands like Lands' End, DITA Eyewear, Stitch Note, and johnnie-O. 'Iconic': On Monday, Kim Kardashian (M) unveiled her new SKIMS 'Fits Everybody' campaign featuring Alessandra alongside her fellow former Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel (L), Tyra Banks (2-L), and Heidi Klum (2-R) As the world debates climate change and whether we should be utilizing/monetizing gas and other natural resources, we must not lose sight that by 2050 nearly quarter of the worlds population (two and half billion people) will be living on the continent of Africa. In particular, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050 (that constitutes a 99% increase) with 60% of the population being under the age of 25. The statistics are worrying and suggest a war raging between energy access and population growth the solutions however lie in advanced technology adoption and the proliferation of free Wi-Fi to bolster learning and access to already available resources but critically in the framework with which projects are developed. This is not beyond the capabilities of the current market players, however the number of IPPs reaching financial close is woefully low and painfully slow and runs the risk of being outpaced by population growth within ten years yes, Africas energy sector is at war against population growth and if the investment community cannot compete, it runs the risk of becoming obsolete. As always the Africa Energy Forum will focus on project development, bringing stakeholders together to have explicit private sector anchored discussions. However, the framework in which the private sector operates needs to evolve to promote greater stability from the perspective of governmental elections and further changes as political climates evolve and ministerial roles change. Egypts sectoral framework has liberated 28GW in only 8yrs and is a model which can be replicated across the continent at varying scales. South Africas IPP Office model was widely agreed to be the most successful (and aggressive) renewable energy programme anywhere in the world and again can be replicated across the continent Yes, there are many examples that decision makers and stakeholders can draw from and time is running out, but the battle is not yet lost. Joining us at AEF to make your voice heard and with less 11 weeks to go and nearly 60% of the agenda already closed, over 150 speakers including 8 Ministers of Energy, 10 utilities, 21 development financial institution and over 70 private sector investors, the stage is set for another impactful #aef22 like never before. Sign up and take part in, Interactive discussions that will focus on crucial topics such as: Project preparation How can stakeholders work better together to increase the number of projects coming to a financial close? What are recent successful and failed examples? Implementing practical solutions for Africas utilities What are the realistic solutions to tackle the financing and modernisation challenges? COP26 to COP27 how is the conversation changing Africas voice in the global fight against climate change, and what does Africa want from COP27? How are commitments made by the development finance community at COP26 being channelled through what does energy transition funding mean and how is it being deployed? Gas Africas fuel here to stay Is there a disconnect between policy and reality? Where will financing come from? Building Africa as a green hydrogen power house How much will African countries actually score economically from investing in hydrogen Integrating Solar and Wind into the Grid Putting in place distribution infrastructure needed to soak up generation Industrial and Corporate De-Carbonisation How are industries and mining sector playing their part in de-carbonising? Country Spotlights will also bring Ministers and Heads of Utilities from, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Tanzania, Botswana, Morocco, Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Mozambique and more to announce real time projects and opportunities for stakeholders to get involved. After the Country Project Spotlight: Ghana session we were inundated with investors wanting to meet with us for further discussions. I want to say a big thank you for giving us the opportunity. Since the meeting, six investors have travelled to Ghana for further discussions on development opportunities in RE development. Anthony Boye Osafo-Kissi, Deputy CEO, Engineering, Bui Power Authority, Ghana Recent leading experts confirmed for the event include: Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (MP), Minister of Energy, Ghana H.E. Honourable Fafa Sanyang, Minister of Petroleum & Energy, The Gambia Christopher Kirigua, Director General, Public Private Partnerships, The National Treasury, Government of Kenya Ngozi Beckley-Lines, Director of Projects, Ministry of Energy, Sierra Leone Marcelino Gildo Alberto, Chairman & CEO, Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM), Mozambique Mandy Rambharos, General Manager: Just Energy Transition, Eskom, South Africa Daniel Bargoria, Director General, Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Kenya Hizkyas Dufera, Special Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Water, Irrigation & Energy (MoWIE), Ethiopia Make sure you join us at this years 24th annual Africa Energy Forum on 21-24 June at Tour & Taxis in Brussels, as we return to our full scale event, catering for all your business development needs. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Kim Kardashian got a little too candid about her love of cleaning in a teaser clip for her family's Hulu show The Kardashians, which was aired during Wednesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live! In the clip, the 41-year-old expressed joy over successfully tidying up her children's playroom at her sprawling Hidden Hills estate. 'People don't see that I cleaned out the playroom today. That makes me horny to literally cleaning out my f***ing playroom,' admitted the star in a confessional. No filter: Kim Kardashian got a little too candid about her love of cleaning in a teaser clip for her family's Hulu show The Kardashians, which was aired during Wednesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live! She continued: 'Like, any mom will get that. If you have a clean playroom, you can sleep at night.' Kim was explaining to viewers at home that she's most excited to '[show] that part of our lives' which is a little less glamorous but a lot more relatable in their forthcoming reality show. For the teaser, she donned a skintight black catsuit as her eldest son Saint was captured wandering around the cleanly home. Kim is mom to four children: North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, two. The brunette beauty shares her brood with ex-husband Kanye West, whom she split from last February. Job well done: In the clip, the 41-year-old expressed joy over successfully tidying up her children's playroom at her sprawling Hidden Hills estate She said it: 'People don't see that I cleaned out the playroom today. That makes me horny to literally cleaning out my f***ing playroom,' admitted the star in a confessional The SKIMS founder was joined by her sisters Khloe, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner, as well as their mother Kris Jenner, on Wednesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live! in anticipation of their ABC News special - which also aired Wednesday evening. During the appearance Kim revealed that she got a very sentimental gift from her boyfriend Pete Davidson for their first Valentine's Day. She said that Pete, 28, presented her with the costumes and props used in the famous Aladdin sketch they performed in during her Saturday Night Live hosting gig in October. It was in this sketch that Kim, who played the role of Princess Jasmine, and Pete, who played the Disney film's title character, shared their very first kiss on live television. Promo mode: The SKIMS founder was joined by her sisters Khloe, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner, as well as their mother Kris Jenner, on Wednesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live! in anticipation of their ABC News special - which also aired Wednesday evening Sentimental: She revealed during the show that she got a very sentimental gift from boyfriend Pete Davidson for their first Valentine's Day Specifically, the SNL funnyman gifted the reality star the costumes they wore, the magic carpet and the gold Genie lamp. Kim was inspired to dish about the sweet gesture when host Jimmy Kimmel held up a photo of the pair performing the Aladdin parody during Wednesday's episode of the late-night talk show. The entire Kardashian-Jenner clan will welcome fans back into their lives following the end of Keeping Up With The Kardashian with their new Hulu series, The Kardashians, which premieres on April 14. Perfect gift: She said that Pete, 28, presented her with the costumes and props used in the famous Aladdin sketch they performed in during the 41-year-old's Saturday Night Live hosting gig in October. Specifically, the SNL funnyman gifted the reality star the costumes they wore, the magic carpet and the gold Genie lamp Memorable moment: It was in this sketch that Kim, who played the role of Princess Jasmine, and Pete, who played the Disney film's title character, shared their very first kiss on live television KUWTK, which catapulted the family into superstardom back in 2007, aired on E! for 14-years and 20 seasons before coming to an end in June 2021. In the ABC News special, Kim shared some details about her flourishing relationship with Pete, which was confirmed November after weeks of speculation. She made their romance Instagram official this past March and had since introduced the comedian to the four children she shares with ex-husband Kanye. Kim filed for divorce in February 2021, citing 'irreconcilable difference,' after nearly seven years of marriage. She was declared legally single by a judge in March. Confronted: Kim was inspired to dish about the sweet gesture when host Jimmy Kimmel held up a photo of the pair performing the Aladdin parody during Wednesday's episode of the late-night talk show Her relationship with Pete has been a point of contention in regards to her co-parenting/civil relationship with Kanye, who has repeatedly attacked the SNL star on social media in recent months. The Stronger rapper, 44, was temporarily suspended from Instagram last month after he posted a string of vile posts about Pete, as well as posts about Daily Show host Trevor Noah - one of which included a racial slur. He also notably appeared to bury a claymation figure of Pete alive in the music video for his controversial track Eazy, which was released in early March. The song featured a lyric where Kanye threatens to 'beat Pete Davidson's a**.' Coming soon: The entire Kardashian-Jenner clan will welcome fans back into their lives following the end of Keeping Up With The Kardashian with their new Hulu series, The Kardashians, which premieres on April 14 Kanye's 'concerning online behavior' also got him banned from this year's Grammy Awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday, despite being nominated for his work. Although the drama surrounding her ex-husband and his public posts have caused her 'emotional distress,' Kim has not let it thwart her burgeoning romance with Pete. She told Robin Roberts on Wednesday that she is 'happy and content' with her boyfriend of nearly six months. 'Obviously, I want to take my time, but I'm very happy and very content. And, it's such a good feeling just to be at peace,' Kim explained. 'Happy and very content': In the ABC News special, Kim shared some details about her flourishing relationship with Pete, which was confirmed November after weeks of speculation Instagram official: She made their romance Instagram official this past March and had since introduced the comedian to the four children she shares with ex-husband Kanye West When asked 'How serious is it?' she replied, 'I am a relationship kind of girl, for sure, and I wouldn't be with someone if I didn't plan on spending a lot of my time with them.' She added that it's 'such a good feeling just to be at peace.' Her family is supportive of her new love interest, as parts of the clip showed mom Kris Jenner and younger sister Khloe Kardashian weighing in. 'Pete's great, Pete's great,' the matriarch said. 'He's a really nice guy,' she emphasized. Khloe mentioned the entertainer's comedic talent as she noted, 'He just makes her laugh and she laughs all the time.' She is enjoying her first international getaway since the Covid pandemic began. And weatherman Steve Jacobs' ex-wife Rosie looked incredible as she proudly posted a picture of herself in Bali on Thursday. Rosie went braless under a tight singlet teamed with a chic pair of tailored trousers as she posed outside of a popular bar and restaurant. Chic: Weatherman Steve Jacobs' ex-wife Rosie looked incredible in a tight singlet and tailored pants as she returned to Bali on holidays this week since the pandemic began The TV personality and mother-of-two teamed the top and pants combo with a clutch and heels. 'BALI NIGHTS,' Rosie wrote. 'Two and a half years of pandemic and at last we are coming up for air! What a magical way to celebrate freedom again here in Bali with my bff.' She went on to say she was exploring 'extraordinary places' with her pal. Time to party: The TV personality said she was exploring 'extraordinary places' with her pal. Rosie rocked her cropped hairstyle and barely any makeup on her visage. The TV personality told News.com.au she decided to trim her brunette locks after she contracted dengue fever while living in Vanuatu with her family. 'When I was living in Vanuatu, I unfortunately contracted dengue fever, which is something that is similar to malaria. It's a mosquito-born virus that's really common in tropical environments,' she said. 'The reason I cut my hair initially was that I actually had a health situation which most people don't know about. Ex factor: Rosie married former Today weatherman Steve Jacobs (right) in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019. Pictured together at a charity gala in Sydney in December 2015 Rosie explained it was much easier to maintain shorter locks and feel comfortable amid Vanuatu's soaring temperatures. 'I was extremely unwell for a period of time,' she said. Rosie started her career as a television producer, but is perhaps best known for hosting a variety of shows on Nine, 10, Foxtel and The Weather Channel. She married Steve, 54, in 2010, but they divorced nine years later in 2019. The former couple share daughters Isabella, 10, and Francesca, eight. Steve and Rosie married three years after meeting on the set of the Today show, where he was a star weather presenter and she was a behind-the-scenes producer. They separated in late 2017, just a few months after relocating to Vanuatu in what friends described as a 'last-ditch attempt' to save their seven-year marriage. Kim Kardashian found out her sister Kourtney had got married in Las Vegas via a message on the family group chat. Kourtney, Kim, sisters Khloe and Kendall Jenner and their mom Kris Jenner stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night to promote their new Hulu reality series, and talk soon turned to Kourtney's drunken wedding to Travis Baker. Over the weekend, Kourtney and Travis shocked their fans when they confirmed they had a 'practice' wedding at a chapel in Las Vegas after attending this year's Grammy Awards. Not in the loop: Kim Kardashian found out her sister Kourtney had got married in Las Vegas via a message on the family group chat Jimmy Kimmel asked if the family were aware of eldest sister Kourtney's nuptials, with Kris admitting: 'I knew, and Khloe knew.' 'I was on FaceTime,' Khloe said, before Kim admitted, 'I was sleeping.' Kim explained that the famous family have a group chat to keep up with one another, and she found out from the excited chatter when she woke up on Monday morning. 'She put it in the group chat,' Kim continued. 'Like, "Oh, hey guys, by the way...I got married last night!" And I woke up to like, a million texts.' Family: Kourtney, Kim, sisters Khloe and Kendall Jenner and their mom Kris Jenner stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night to promote their new Hulu reality series I do! Over the weekend, Kourtney and Travis shocked their fans when they confirmed they had a 'practice' wedding at a chapel in Las Vegas In the family's ABC News special, which also aired on Wednesday Kourtney opened up about taking her relationship with Travis from 'friend' to 'fiance'. The reality star, 42, confessed to host Robin Roberts that she knew there'd be no going back for herself and the Blink-182 drummer, 46, once they took things in a romantic direction. 'I felt deep down if we looked into each other's eyes, you know, made it physical, that it would just be over,' she said. Kourtney and Travis were friends for over a decade before they began dating in late December 2020. They've long lived in close proximity to one another in celeb-loved Calabasas, California. Surprise! Kim explained that the famous family have a group chat to keep up with one another, and she found out from the excited chatter when she woke up on Monday morning In October 2021, Travis asked the mother-of-three for her hand in marriage during a romantic seaside proposal in Montecito, California. 'It's so funny when we think about,' said Kourtney, who expressed disbelief over their love story. She continued: 'Like, this is us, can you believe it? We're Kourtney and Travis, who are friends.' On Wednesday, Kourtney shared behind-the-scenes photos from their 'epic' drunk wedding, which was held at the One Love Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in the early hours of Monday morning No going back: In the family's ABC News special, which also aired on Wednesday, Kourtney opened up about taking her relationship with Travis from 'friend' to 'fiance' 'Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no license). (sic)' captioned the star. In the photos, Kourtney and Travis are seen wearing leather jackets, while the brunette beauty is holding a bouquet of flowers. She also confirmed that it was not an actual legal ceremony as they did not have a marriage license but it will help them for their actual wedding as she wrote 'Practice makes perfect.' Just married! Kourtney shared snaps from her 'epic' drunk Vegas wedding to Travis on Wednesday ahead of the family TV appearances Helping hand: Travis later shared a snap of Kourtney rolling around on the floor at the altar as he had a smile on his face while trying to assist her Under her leather jacket Kourtney wore a yellow 2012 vintage Versace bustier with a huge crystal gothic cross down the middle as she and her man packed on the PDA by sharing several kisses. They both also sported a pair of black designer sunglasses as Travis opted to show off his body art by going shirtless under the outerwear. As an Elvis impersonator to officiate the wedding was mandatory, the one they got did not disappoint as he sported a shiny gold jacket and several matching chain necklaces with the King Of Rock 'N Roll's signature large shades. 'Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila': Kourtney said that some drinking lead to the impromptu trip as she captioned the gallery of retro snaps to her 168million followers Kourtney's social media post was met with much joy from her celebrity family and friends in addition to her loyal followers as many commented on the post sending their love. Travis commented on the post with two people wearing formalwear emojis with a female gender symbol in between as younger sister Kim replied with four house emojis. Travis later also shared his own gallery of photos with the caption: 'What happens in Vegas.' She's the former star of The Bachelor who regularly discusses her sex life with her co-host Brittany Hockley on their tell-all podcast, Life Uncut. And during Wednesday's episode, Laura Byrne, 36, made the relatable admission that she has 'faked an orgasm' with her fiance Matty 'J' Johnson in the early stages of their romance, as well as 'every single one' of her exes. In the middle of a discussion, Brittany bluntly asked her co-host: 'Have you ever faked one with Matt?' Confession: On Thursday's episode of Life Uncut, Laura Byrne, 36 (pictured) made the relatable admission that she had 'faked an orgasm' with her fiance Matty 'J' Johnson in the past, as well as 'every single one' of her exes Without hesitation, Laura said: 'Yes! In the early days, I don't fake them anymore. 'I'm too lazy to fake an orgasm, that's too much effort. I'd rather just say, "It's not going to happen for me", roll over and go to bed.' She continued: 'I think I've faked an orgasm with every single one of my exes. Just because at the time I wanted to be enthusiastic, and I didn't want them to think... 'Because like, it wasn't that they were doing anything wrong! Can I say this - for all the orgasms I have faked, no man has ever known that I have faked an orgasm. 100 per cent. My acting is on point.' Relatable: Without hesitation, Laura said: 'Yes! In early days, I don't fake them anymore - I'm too lazy to fake an orgasm, that's too much effort. I'd rather just say, "It's not going to happen for me", roll over and go to bed' Pictured with Matty J Laura quickly added that she doesn't whip out her acting skills on many occasions with her doting partner Matt. 'I would say that I have faked very, very very... like literally, I could count them on two fingers the orgasms I have faked with Matt,' she said. 'He is gonna die!' Brittany added, to which Laura responded: 'Matt loves that I have a podcast where I talk about intimate details of our sex life.' 'I bet he does!' Brittany laughed, while Laura quipped: 'He doesn't. Anyway!' Rare: Laura quickly added that she doesn't whip out her acting skills on many occasions with her partner. 'I would say that I have faked very, very very... like literally, I could count them on two fingers the orgasms I have faked with Matt,' she said Matty and Laura fell in love on the 2017 season of The Bachelor. They have been engaged since 2019, when he popped the question during their babymoon in Fiji. The couple recently bought a $1.87million home in Bangalow, in Byron Shire. They purchased the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in September, but are still living in Sydney's east for the time being. The pair also share two children together; Marlie-Mae, two, and Lola, one. They've jetted to Los Angeles to shoot even racier content for their fans. And Megan Barton Hanson and Lottie Moss are staying true to their word, teasing a jaw-dropping joint shoot on their Instagram accounts on Thursday. The Brit models filmed themselves as they posed in racy 3D printed lingerie from artist Nusi Quero. Wow! Megan Barton Hanson and Lottie Moss teased a jaw-dropping joint shoot on their Instagram accounts on Thursday, wowing in 3D printed lingerie Former Love Islander Megan wowed in a black latex design which barely covered her ample assets. Every inch of her incredible figure was on show, as she turned to flaunt the skimpy thong and suspenders. Lottie meanwhile posed up a storm in her pink design, with strategically-placed hearts ensuring she didn't quite bare all. Artist Nusi Quero has created futuristic 3D-rendered couture pieces for the Brit beauties, and the pair were delighted with the results as Megan teased in her posts 'Your not ready'. Strike a pose: The Brit models filmed themselves as they posed in racy 3D printed lingerie from artist Nusi Quero with Megan looking incredible in a black latex design Pretty in pink: Lottie meanwhile posed up a storm in her pink and pearl design, with strategically-placed hearts ensuring she didn't quite bare all Lottie revealed last month that she was moving to Los Angeles in order to do more work with her OnlyFans account. She explained: 'I need cheering up. I'm having a very stressful time at the moment. I'm moving to LA soon - in two weeks. 'I'm moving to get more content. Lots more people do OnlyFans out there. London just isn't for me. I'm moving with Megan Barton Hanson and we're going to live in the same apartment and shoot content together. It's going to be so hot.' Detailing her plans, she continued: 'I'm going to do more variations, more girl on girl. I'm not sure if I would do anything more intense but definitely more girl on girl like kissing and stuff.' Cheeky: Every inch of Megan's incredible figure was on show, as she turned to show off the tiny thong and suspenders Lottie's decision to move abroad comes after it was revealed that she has been axed by her modelling agency Storm. Industry insiders have warned for months that Lottie was putting her promising fashion career in jeopardy by selling raunchy photos of herself on the downmarket erotic website OnlyFans. Sources close to Storm Management suggest that the firm, which has nurtured the careers of many successful young models including Cara Delevingne , 29, may have finally run out of patience with Lottie and permanently cut ties with her. Couture: Artist Nusi Quero has created futuristic 3D-rendered couture pieces for the Brit beauties, and the pair were delighted with the results As well as deleting her portfolio from the company's website, Storm haven't posted about Lottie to their Instagram profile, which is followed by 439K fans and industry professionals, since September 2020. Lottie, in turn, has removed all mention of Storm from her social media where she now states that she is represented by We Are Verified, an independent agency based in Los Angeles that looks after social media influencers. A fashion source told MailOnline that the company was forced to distance itself from Lottie after she confessed to having a 'really bad addiction to cocaine' and checked herself into rehab. There was also growing concern amongst industry bosses over the amount of cosmetic surgery she has undergone when Storm models are banned from drastically altering their appearance. Barely there: Lottie showed off her incredible bespoke lingerie, with its graphic, 3D printed bra New content: Lottie revealed last month that she was moving to Los Angeles in order to do more work with her OnlyFans account An insider revealed: 'Lottie got caught up in the world of partying and drug taking and even confessed to having a cocaine addiction on social media. 'She left Storm Management with no choice but to sever ties because that's not the way they operate. 'They are known for launching the successful careers of hundreds of models and the association with Lottie was beginning to tarnish their reputation. 'Her partying lifestyle, sexualised content on Instagram, and her OnlyFans profile, made it impossible for Lottie to be signed for high fashion campaigns with the likes of Chanel and Calvin Klein, who she's previously worked for.' Best pals: Lottie teased of her big move: 'I'm moving with Megan Barton Hanson and we're going to live in the same apartment and shoot content together. It's going to be so hot' Kate Garraway has detailed how she struggles with 'loss' amid her husband Derek Draper continues his lengthy recovery from Covid. The 54-year-old presenter spoke candidly about the struggle during Wednesday's episode of Your Body Uncovered, detailed how his ongoing health battle has put strain on their relationship. Derek, also 54, returned home from hospital in April 2021 after a year-long battle with Covid, and still requires round-the-clock care in the midst of his lengthy recovery. Candid: Kate Garraway, 54, has detailed how she struggles with 'loss' amid her husband Derek Draper continues his lengthy recovery from Covid Kate was joined by guest Paul on the show, who suffered a stroke three years ago and now battles symptoms such as neuro-fatigue, which produces an overwhelming feeling of tiredness, making everyday activities extremely difficult. Paul's story resonated with Kate, who related her husband Derek's neurological health battle with Paul's. Kate shared: 'When something is neurological, it's not just caring for the physical problem, it affects the relationship as well' Battling: Derek, also 54, returned home from hospital in April 2021 after a year long hospital battle with covid, and has been in an intense health battle ever since Similar: Kate offered insight into her relationship with Derek on her BBC series Your Body Uncovered, where she spoke to Lynn, whose husband Paul suffered a stroke three years ago She took time to chat to his wife Lynn, who was going through a similar struggle to Kate as a partner, with Lynn sharing: 'And you don't know how it is going the affect the non-affected person, as it was, because you're still the same and they might not know how different they might be' Kate agreed that there is a loss for both sides of the relationship: 'There's a loss I think, there's a loss for them in the fact that they're changed in some way, but there's a loss that you have to adjust to as well, as a partner,' she explained. Kate also spoke on Derek's condition during Wednesday morning's Good Morning Britain, while chatting to The Bill star Chris Ellison, who has been diagnosed with the speech-debilitating condition aphasia. Insight: Kate shared: 'When something is neurological, it's not just caring for the physical problem, it affects the relationship as well' Candid: She added: 'There's a loss I think, there's a loss for them in the fact that they're changed in some way' She revealed how Derek can say some words, but not express himself completely, sharing: 'In a sense Derek because of Covid has a version of this where he can understand, sometimes do odd words, but can't express himself.' Derek is currently in critical condition and needs round-the-clock care, with Kate previously admitting that if left unaided for over three days, he could die. He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself as she insists she won't 'ever give up on him'. Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway is now available on BBC iPlayer. She knows how to turn up the heat and loves to post racy snaps on social media. And Megan Barton Hanson posed up a storm as she put on a very busty display in white lace lingerie on Instagram on Wednesday. The former Love Island star, 28, left little to the imagination in the ensemble, writing: 'Guess where the rest of this set is' Stunning: Megan Barton Hanson left little to the imagination as she posed up a storm in a white lace lingerie set on Instagram on Thursday Little to the imagination: The former Love Island star flashed her toned physique in Las Vegas in a white lace lingerie set as she shared a video to her Instagram Megan showed off her incredible figure as she stripped down to her underwear in Las Vegas for the racy post. The blonde beauty donned a full-glam makeup look for the shots, showing off her plump lips with a matt pink nude and a bronze-pink base. Offering a nod to her zodiac sign, Megan donned a diamante Pisces necklace with a dainty gold chain. The reality star,is working on a new project with model Lottie Moss, 24. Accessorises are key: The former Love Island star, 28, offered a nod to her zodiac sign, sporting a diamante Pisces necklace with a dainty gold chain Wow: Megan showed off her incredible figure as she stripped down to her underwear in Las Vegas for the racy post Megan, who rose to fame on season four of Love Island, often takes to Instagram to share sultry snaps. And this revealing post comes amid her recent drama with on/off ex James Lock, where she was reportedly left terrified after her hotel room door was 'kicked in' during a heated row with the TOWIE playboy. Megan had been staying at the 350-a-night Courthouse Hotel in central London, after she enjoyed a date with Life On Marbs star Adam Graham at the same club where James, 35, was also partying with a date of his own. Glamorous: The blonde beauty donned a full-glam makeup look for the shots, showing off her plump lips with a matt pink nude and a bronze-pink base It is believed that TOWIE star James was then informed of Megan's room number, after convincing staff they were together by showing pictures of him and Megan. James reportedly kicked the hotel door, with a lot of shouting during the 'aggressive' encounter. The respective date night's came just days after they had split, after giving their relationship a second go. Busty: The reality star, who is working on a new project with model Lottie Moss, 24, in Las Vegas, captioned the glamorous post: 'Guess where the rest of this set is....' Exes: The post comes amid her recent drama with on/off ex James Lock, where she was reportedly left terrified after her hotel room door was 'kicked in' Initially, James and Megan went Instagram official with their rollercoaster romance in October last year, after meeting on Celebrity Ex On The Beach, but their union lasted just two months before they split after Christmas. They reunited earlier this month, with James gifting Megan with a cake shaped like her breasts - before the most recent split and bust up. It seems Megan is ready to move on from the debacle, jesting that 'it's been a while' in a post to her Story on Wednesday evening. Drama: The Love Island star was allegedly left 'terrified' and quickly alerted hotel staff who called the police She always has known how to make an entrance. And Heidi Klum looked incredible as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening to meet three friends for dinner, including fellow AGT judge Sofia Vergara. The 48-year-old model sported a form-fitting black midi dress with a sweetheart neckline - showing off her assets in the number. Gorgeous: Heidi Klum, 48, looked sensational as she cut a busty figure in a black midi dress for dinner with Sofia Vergara and pals in Los Angeles She paired the outfit with bow-detailed strapped heels, flashing a glimpse of her toned legs. Heidi pulled her blonde tresses into a high ponytail, leaving her fringe and some strands to fall and frame her face. Her complexion was ultra-radiant, sporting a subtle bronzed look with a nude lip choice. Sizzling: The form-fitting black midi dress had a sweetheart neckline - showing off her assets in the number Blonde bombshell: Heidi pulled her blonde tresses into a high ponytail, leaving her fringe and some strands to fall and frame her face The German-American model kept her accessories minimal, only grasping a croc clutch bag and her iPhone. She seemed in high spirits as she arrived to Craig's, a West Hollywood dining hotspot - flashing a smile as she walked in. Sofia also looked gorgeous for the outing, posting a snap of her donning an off-the-shoulder polka dot dress from designer Saloni, with a Hermes bag. Couture: Sofia also looked gorgeous for the outing, posting a snap of her donning an off-the-shoulder polka dot dress from designer Saloni, with a Hermes bag Sensational: Heidi paired the outfit with bow-detailed strapped heels, flashing a glimpse of her toned legs Less is more: The German-American model kept her accessories minimal, only grasping a croc clutch bag and her iPhone Heidi and Sofia were joined by two other friends, as they ordered the restaurants iconic 'Tinx Hot Girl Sundae' - which is a massive sharing sundae, coming with a sparkler on top. Heidi took to her instagram to share a snap of the dessert, as her friends jested 'who's birthday is it?' in the background. The TV personality also shared a boomerang to her Instagram Stories as the four ladies dug in to the sweet treat. Girls night: The pals went to Craig's for dinner, a West Hollywood dining hotspot among celebrities Yum! They ordered the restaurants iconic 'Tinx Hot Girl Sundae' - which is a massive sharing sundae, coming with a sparkler on top Heidi also enjoyed some oysters during the meal, with Sofia posting a snap to her Story of Heidi at the table. The hotspot is popular among famous faces, with actress Ashley Benson visiting for the same dessert the night before. The judges enjoyed the night of letting their hair down, as they currently filming for America's Got Talent in Pasedena. The auditions are taking place for the upcoming season at the moment, as Heidi and Sofia join Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel to judge the show. Besties: The judges enjoyed the night of letting their hair down, as they currently filming for America's Got Talent in Pasedena For the gram: Heidi took to her instagram to share a snap of the dessert, as Sofia giggled and took her own picture She landed hunky pilot Jimmy Nicholson in the most recent season of The Bachelor. And following their stint on the show, it seems Holly Kingston, 27, and her partner haven't stopped trotting across the globe together. On Thursday, the blonde beauty gave fans a glimpse of her impressive body as she lay by the pool in an itsy-bitsy bikini during a romantic holiday in Bali. Beauty in a bikini: The Bachelor star Holly Kingston showed off her sensational bikini body during a holiday to Bali with her boyfriend Jimmy Nicholson this week 'Pig in the mud,' the marketing manager cheekily captioned a picture of her enviable physique. She also shared another image of herself in the same floral bikini set, showing off her toned arms as she pressed her body against the side of the pool. Meanwhile, Jimmy, 32, shared footage from the couple's tropical island adventure on his Instagram Stories on Thursday. The two enjoyed everything from a seafood lunch, to cocktails at popular hotspot Finns Beach Club. 'So fortunate to be able to come back to Bali with this special girl,' he captioned a photo of himself and Holly by the beach. Looking good! She also shared another image of herself in the same floral bikini set, showing off her toned arms as she pressed her body up onto the side of the pool 'So fortunate to be able to come back to Bali with this special girl,' Jimmy captioned a photo of himself and Holly by the beach Lunch is served! Jimmy and Holly enjoyed a seafood lunch at popular hotspot Finns Beach Club Cocktails anyone? The two also downed cocktails at a beach club He also spruiked the couple's travel Instagram page titled 100 Honeymoons. 'Stay tuned for for episode 9 of @100_honeymoons featuring our bali adventures. Ep 3 coming to a phone near you next week!' he wrote. The couple only recently returned to Sydney after a trip to Europe, visiting France, parts of Italy and Switzerland. Ski bunnies: The couple recently returned to Sydney after a trip to Europe, visiting France, parts of Italy and Switzerland Jimmy and Holly fell in love in front of Australia on The Bachelor last year and recently celebrated their one-year anniversary together. The pair currently live together in North Bondi after moving in together in September last year after finale episode of The Bachelor aired. The couple shot down engagement rumours in Stellar magazine in January. Khloe Kardashian chose two show-stopping looks for her family's visit to Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday. The star was pictured arriving at the Hollywood studios in a hot pink suit, before changing into a nude leather mini dress for her equally chic departure. Khloe was spotted stepping out of a large black Rolls-Royce in an oversize pink blazer with thick padded shoulders. Gorgeous: Khloe Kardashian chose two show-stopping looks for her family's visit to Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, first wowing in a hot pink suit She matched it with baggy pants in the same hot pink shade, along with pointy pink heels. The Revenge Body star's gorgeous blond hair fell down the front of her jacket in majestic waves while she flashed an impeccably manicured hand to wave at onlookers. She showed off the ensemble without the jacket in a stunning Instagram snap, teasing the Kardashian family's upcoming reality show by writing: 'Hulu anyone??? #TheKardashians'. For her appearance Khloe changed into a new ensemble, rocking the same look as she left the building. Blond beauty: The star was pictured arriving at the Hollywood studios for the late night show in a hot pink suit Stunner: Khloe was spotted stepping out of a large black Rolls-Royce in an oversize pink blazer with thick padded shoulders On point: She matched it with baggy pants in the same hot pink shade, along with pointy pink heels Pretty in pink: The Revenge Body star's gorgeous blond hair fell down the front of her jacket in majestic waves while she flashed an impeccably manicured hand The Good American founder wore a sizzling beige leather mini dress that emphasized her hourglass figure. The reality star elevated her 5ft10in stature with a set of pointy beige open-toe heels that strapped around her ankles. The Jimmy Kimmel appearance saw Kourtney Kardashian defend her 'practice' non-legal wedding to Travis Barker saying she wasn't 'fake married'. Jimmy, 54, joked that Kourtney, 42, hadn't properly tied the knot as she and Travis couldn't get a marriage license when they wed in a boozy 2am ceremony in Las Vegas on Sunday. New look: Khloe had also changed into a new ensemble as she left the building. The Good American founder wore a sizzling beige leather mini dress Red hot: The figure-hugging outfit emphasized her hourglass figure and her tanned legs Watching her tan: She had assistants keeping her out of the piercing sun with black umbrellas Her sister Kim then bragged that she was able to have a real wedding at 3am when she wed music producer Damon Thomas in Sin City aged just 19. 'It's not called ''fake married'',' said Kourtney, who appeared on the ABC talk show with her mother Kris, Kim, Khloe and Kendall, and told how even though it wasn't officially legal she did it anyway as it was 'what was in her heart'. 'It is called that,' Jimmy said, to which Kourtney said: 'There was no, like, possibility to get a marriage license at that hour,' Kourtney said. 'Isn't everything 24/7 there?,' Kim, 41, then asked. 'In Las Vegas?,' Jimmy then asked. 'That's what I thought. I'm like, are you guys lying? We asked, like, five times. What do we have to do to make this happen?,' Kourtney said. Candid: Kourtney Kardashian defended her 'practice' wedding to Travis Barker saying she wasn't 'fake married' during the family appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Joint appearance: 'It's not called ''fake married'',' said Kourtney, who appeared on the ABC talk show with her mother Kris as well as sisters Kim, Khloe and Kendall 'I feel like when I did it, it was 3 in the morning,' said Kim, who got married at age 19 in Las Vegas to music producer Damon who later filed for divorce. 'It was 2am and they were like ''it opens at 8 o'clock'',' Kourtney said. 'You wanted to get married for real but were unable to get married for real?,' Jimmy asked. Just married! Kourtney on Wednesday shared snaps from her 'epic' drunk Vegas wedding to Travis Teen bride: 'I feel like when I did it, it was 3 in the morning,' Kim then quipped, who got married at age 19 in Las Vegas to music producer Damon Thomas who later filed for divorce 'Yes,' Kourtney replied. 'Well, that's a twist,' Jimmy said back. 'We just did it anyway. It's what's in the heart,' said Kourtney, who later called it a 'practice' wedding on Instagram. Jimmy then showed a photo from their wedding in Las Vegas with an Elvis Presley impersonator officiating. Wedding photo: 'By the way, all the photographers you have surrounding you all the time, this is the picture they got of this wedding,' Jimmy quipped Helping hand: Travis later shared a snap of Kourtney rolling around on the floor at the altar as he had a smile on his face while trying to assist her 'By the way, all the photographers you have surrounding you all the time, this is the picture they got of this wedding,' Jimmy quipped. He then asked if the rest of the family knew what was happening. 'I knew. And Khloe knew,' said momager Kris, 66. 'I was on Facetime,' Khloe said. Online video: 'I was on Facetime,' Khloe said of Kourtney's wedding in Las Vegas Bond: The 42-year-old reality star and her 46-year-old drummer beau donned black leather jackets as they said 'I do' in Las Vegas , Nevada, at 2am on Monday, although it turns out it wasn't legal 'I was sleeping,' Kim admitted. Jimmy wondered what the next morning was like for the family when they found out. 'She put it in the group chat. ''Oh, hey guys, by the way, I got married last night'',' Kim said. 'I woke up to like a million texts,' she added. Barrows, the provider of hotel investment and advisory services for hotels in the Middle East and Africa, launches the first Mauritius Hotel Innovation Conference called MHIC22. MHIC22, the only exclusive hotel conference in Mauritius, with authenticity, craftsmanship and sustainability as the pillars, shows a deep focus on entrepreneurship and connection. It is the Hotel Innovation Conference of hospitality, that will transform the prestigious One Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius into a major business arena in September 2022. MHIC22 sees opportunities for sustainable and future-proof premium businesses that are trendsetting and connecting in the hotel industry. A unique opportunity for the sustainable further development of craftsmanship and top quality. During the two-day conference, the unique offer of the visitors comes together with entrepreneurs, institutional investors, owners, influencers, CEOs, thought leaders, and politicians are challenged to think about the future of Mauritius Hotel and Tourism Industry. All this accompanied by a substantive challenging and inspiring program. In the heart of MHIC22 visitors will experience unique moments. They can enjoy delicious food at the table all day long in an atmospheric ambiance. And there is more: from oyster and champagne bar to French haute cuisine or vegetarian cuisine. Barrows Hotel Enterprises internationally manages over 10,000 hotel rooms in more than 10 countries. Barrows is specialized in the fast-growing hotel industry in the entire MEA Region including West Africa. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires They went Instagram official last October. And Ioan Gruffudd, 48, and his girlfriend Bianca Wallace, 29 appear to be going the distance as the pair continue their loved-up European trip as seen on the actress' latest social media snaps. Showing off her beau's photography skills, the pretty brunette uploaded some stunning shots on Wednesday during their recent cosy getaway to Scotland. Picturesque: IIoan Gruffudd, 48, and his girlfriend Bianca Wallace, 29 are continuing their loved-up European trip in Scotland as seen on the actress' latest social media snaps Sharing with her 11,100 followers she penned: 'Yos photography + B + Scotland An incredibly great time.' The pretty brunette looked stunning as she posed with her hands in her pockets while standing in the middle of the road in the Scottish countryside. Wrapping up for the chilly highland weather, Bianca looked smart in a padded black jacket and leggings. Happy couple: In March the duo also enjoyed a sightseeing trip in London as Bianca shared a picture of the pair cosying-up to one another as they stood by the River Thames Cute: Taking to her 11,100 followers she penned: 'Yos photography + B + Scotland An incredibly great time' Preparing for a day of trekking, the Australian beauty donned a pair of hiking boots while she wore her tresses swept back in a half pony. On Tuesday, the producer shared a picture of herself during a trip to Loch Ness which she described as 'one of the best places' she had ever seen. The image captured her taking a selfie of herself while her film star boyfriend snapped the picture of her overlooking one of the most famous locations in the world. Posting to her account she wrote: 'What he sees, What you see'. Reflection: On Tuesday, the producer shared a picture of herself during a trip to Loch Ness which she described as 'one of the best places' she had ever seen Couple goals: Posting to her account she wrote: 'What he sees, What you see' Blown away: She described the lake as 'one of the best places' she had ever seen In March the duo also enjoyed a sightseeing trip to London as Bianca shared a picture of the pair cosying-up to one another as they stood by the River Thames. The couple's outing comes after Bianca wrote on Instagram last month how she has been 'too scared to go out in public with it yet' as she detailed her symptoms of multiple sclerosis. In January, Bianca revealed she was diagnosed with 'aggressive' multiple sclerosis three years ago and told how she didn't know if she would ever walk again after being told she had the condition at the age of 25. Brave: Bianca recently shared a candid snap with her walking stick which she uses to help with 'spasms and loss of balance' due to her devastating MS diagnosis She explained how she often loses her motor skills, stumbles and has a pain in her heel that feels 'like a giant pin'. She posted: 'Seeing as though it is MS awareness month I thought I would share some more with you. 'Recently I decided to take control of my illness and the information that was heartbreakingly made public before I was ready. I made a video talking about it myself for the first time and I truly thought that would be the first and last time I discussed it and that I would move on with my life. 'However, what I did not except was to find out how much me opening up about my life was helping people who have been, or are, suffering in their lives.' 'I realised that my health was outed because it was time for me to help show people a way of finding a little bit of light in some very dark situations. She signed off by saying: 'I thank you so much for telling me your stories of heartbreak, suffering and how you found your silver lining! You're all so inspiring to me.' Sad news: Bianca has previously detailed how she now suffers with occasionally going blind in her left eye, has a tremor and that the whole right side of her body has nerve damage Bianca has recently hit headlines for her new relationship with Ioan, with the pair both frequently coming under fire from Ioan's estranged ex Alice Evans. Alice dramatically quit Twitter recently after slamming Bianca over a perceived 'lack of empathy'. 102 Dalmatians star Alice announced her split from the Welsh actor in a series of angry tweets last January, with Ioan subsequently confirming a new romance with Bianca in October. Bold move: In January Ioan's ex Alice dramatically quit Twitter after slamming the actor's new girlfriend Bianca over a perceived 'lack of empathy' Charlotte Crosby FINALLY shared a picture of her businessman boyfriend Jake Ankers on social media on Thursday. The reality star, 31, has been keeping her boyfriend under wraps on her Instagram but couldn't resist revealing him on TikTok and Instagram while on their Abu Dhabi getaway. The latest comes after the couple teased a possible engagement with Jake admitting that he might propose soon. About time: Charlotte Crosby FINALLY shared a picture of boyfriend Jake Ankers on Instagram from their romantic holiday in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after she teased a possible engagement Stunning: Charlotte and Jake have been enjoying a very romantic break away - but is he about to get down on one knee? The black and white video sees the happy couple holding their heads close together while Charlotte mouthed along to song lyrics. Jake sported a pair of sunglasses while the reality star showed off her natural beauty and let her tresses fall below her shoulders. Charlotte penned to the clip: 'Do you no how hard I had to force him to do this. Late to the trend I knoooowwwwwwwww but being late is kinda my thing.' The couple are enjoying a stay in the luxury Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara - which is on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. Romantic: The 31-year-old reality star has been teasing her new boyfriend Jake, to her 7.6million followers on Instagram by keeping his appearance covered up until now She has been sharing a number of snaps from her trip, keeping her beau's face private in the cleverly-angled shots. While she kept him private, she did share a number of videos of the pair - showing Jake holding her hand and rubbing her feet. She then took to Stories to answer some questions from fans, with one saying they thought she was getting proposed to on the holiday. While Charlotte confirmed she was not yet engaged, her beau said a proposal was coming in 'due course' as she giggled behind the camera. Couple goals: The black and white video sees the happy couple holding their heads close together while Charlotte mouthed along to song lyrics Low-key: Charlotte has been keeping Jake's face private from her Instagram posts - his account also remains private She also shared an insight into the details of their relationship, revealing that the pair have been together for around seven months. She then revealed it 'feels like a year the amount of stuff we've already experienced together'. The pair are enjoying a relaxed getaway to the dessert, with Charlotte revealing they had a 'once in a lifetime experience' as they lay to watch the stars in the desert. The pair went public with their romance last year, and have been keeping the relationship under wraps and fairly private - after her former relationship with Liam Beaumont ended in August 2021. Smile: Jake sported a pair of sunglasses while the reality star showed off her natural beauty and let her tresses fall below her shoulders Salma Hayek cut a casual figure on Tuesday as she stepped out for a dog walk with pal Mia Maestro in Hampstead Heath, London. The 55-year-old actress bundled up in cosy loungewear for the outing - donning taupe joggers and a white sweatshirt which read Power Of Sound. The make-up free star added a matching shawl over her shoulders, pairing the low-key look with heavy duty black boots. Low-key: Salma Hayek, (left) kept comfortable in taupe loungewear as she enjoyed a dog walk with her actress pal Mia Maestro in Hampstead Heath, London on Tuesday Smoking: Salma then stopped during the walk to enjoy a cigarette break in the London park, stepping away from her pups The House Of Gucci star styled her brunette tresses in two side plaits, adding a navy beanie and wide-framed glasses. Salma, who was in London for the BAFTAs three weeks ago, was enjoying a takeaway coffee as she seemed to be deep in an animated conversation. She then stopped during the walk to enjoy a cigarette break in the London greenery, stepping away from the pups. Cosy: The 55-year-old make-up free actress bundled up in cosy loungewear for the outing - donning taupe joggers and a white sweatshirt which read Power Of Sound, (left) Bundling up: The House Of Gucci star styled her brunette tresses in two side plaits, adding a navy beanie and wide-framed glasses as she walked alongside Mia and a male, who held the pups Argentina-born actress Mia walked alongside her, dressed in a pair of dark wash blue jeans and a longline brown-green coat. She added leopard print trainers to the ensemble, donning a Stetson style hat over her dark locks. Mia also enjoyed a coffee, holding onto a bottle of water for the walk too - as the pair were joined by an adorable French Bulldog and a Golden Retriever. The pair were later seen back at a large black SUV in the carpark - as the inquisitive dogs peered into the boot. Animated: Salma enjoyed a takeaway coffee as she appeared to be deep in an animated conversation Layers: She added a matching shawl over her shoulders, pairing the low-key look with heavy duty black boots Friends: Argentina-born actress Mia walked alongside her, dressed in a pair of dark wash blue jeans and a longline brown-green coat The Bulldog, which belongs to Salma's 14-year-old daughter Valentina, then sat in the boot as he waited for Salma and Mia to wrap up their conversation. Salma has previously revealed her love of animals, sharing that she has either rescued or adopted a myriad of animals as pets, including alpacas, dogs, parrots, fishes, horses and many more. In 2021, she shared that she gifted an owl to her husband Francois-Henri Pinault as a Valentines Day present, giving it the moniker Kering. Deep in conversation: The pair were later seen back at a large black SUV in the carpark, carrying on their chat Curious: Her inquisitive dogs peered into the boot as the prepared for home time Patient: The Bulldog, which belongs to Salma's 14-year-old daughter Valentina, then sat in the boot as he waited for Salma and Mia to wrap up their conversation The official trailer for The Railway Children Return was released by StudioCanal on Wednesday and it promises to be an 'enchanting and heart-warming' adventure for a new generation. The film, slated for release on 15 July 2022, is an eagerly-anticipated sequel to the 1970s classic The Railway Children and will follow child evacuees from Salford to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth during the Second World War. Jenny Agutter is reprising her role as Roberta 'Bobbie' Waterbury over five decades since the original film - and she is joined by onscreen daughter Sheridan Smith (Annie) as they dote on the evacuees: Lily (Beau Gadsdon), Pattie (Eden Hamilton) and Ted (Zac Cudby). The Railway Children Return FIRST LOOK: Trailer for the sequel to the 1970s classic sees an American soldier in need of saving while Sheridan Smith and Jenny Agutter (pictured left and right, far left Austin Haynes) dote on World War II evacuees While navigating their new surroundings, the curious children find injured American soldier, Abe (Kenneth Aikens [KJ]), hiding in the yard at Oakworth Station. They quickly befriend him and embark on a potentially-dangerous quest to assist him in finding his way home. Also starring in the upcoming feel-good family feature include Austin Haynes as Bobbie's grandson, as well as BAFTA-Award winning actor Tom Courtenay and Game Of Thrones' John Bradley. Upcoming: The film, slated for release on 15 July 2022, is an eagerly-anticipated sequel to the 1970s classic The Railway Children (Kenneth Aikens pictured as American soldier Abe) Quest: The story will follow child evacuees from Salford to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth during the Second World War Heartwarming: The children quickly befriend injured solider Abe and embark on a potentially-dangerous quest to assist him in finding his way home At the directorial helm is Morgan Matthews, whose previous credits include Taxidermy: Stuff the World, Channel 4's My Crazy Parents and feature-length Beautiful Young Minds. The crew shot scenes in key locations from the original film, including the Haworth, Oakworth Station, The Bronte Parsonage and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Filming commenced in May 2021 and took between six and eight weeks. Feel-good: The crew shot scenes in key locations from the original film, including the Haworth, Oakworth Station, The Bronte Parsonage and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Countryside: Filming commenced in May 2021 and took between six and eight weeks Scenes: At the directorial helm is Morgan Matthews, whose previous credits include Taxidermy: Stuff the World, Channel 4's My Crazy Parents and feature-length Beautiful Young Minds Famous faces: Also starring in the upcoming feel-good family feature include Austin Haynes (middle left) as Bobbie's grandson, as well as BAFTA-Award winning actor Tom Courtenay (bottom right) and Game Of Thrones' John Bradley (bottom left) Follow-up: The 1906 novel The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit has been adapted for the screen multiple times, however the 1970 enactment is best known The 1906 novel The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit has been adapted for the screen multiple times, however the 1970 enactment is best known. It tells the story of a mother and her three children who move to the Yorkshire countryside after their father is falsely imprisoned. Alongside Jenny, who also starred in the 1968 dramatisation, Dinah Sheridan, Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins also snatched leading roles. The cast of Gogglebox Australia weighed in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at this year's Oscars during Thursday's episode of the hit reality show. Speaking about the highly publicised incident, Matty Fahd admitted: 'I have lost half my day looking at clips of this. It's taken over the world.' While some of the cast maintained Chris' joke about about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith being bald 'was in bad taste', others argued that he may have had no idea the 50-year-old actress suffers from alopecia. Stunned: The cast of Gogglebox Australia weighed in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at this year's Oscars during Thursday's episode of the hit reality show Leanne Lai suggested that Chris, 57, had been in the wrong, insisting you 'don't make fun of somebody's medical condition'. Meanwhile, Matty said he'd 'probably smack him one' too if the comedian had made fun of his wife, Sarah. Anastasia Katselas maintained that Will, 53, could have handled the situation better: 'When you're in the public eye, you've got to expect it.' Obsessed: Speaking about the highly publicised incident, Matty Fahd admitted: 'I have lost half my day looking at clips of this. It's taken over the world.' Pictured, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at last month's Oscars in LA 'They're both in the wrong. It was a bad joke, and he shouldn't have hit him,' added Adam Densten. The show's cast were then stunned to discover that Will still went on to win the award for Best Actor following his violent outburst. 'That's like commending a bully,' said Tim Lai, while Kerry Silbery added, 'Now there's a man who has no remorse.' Mixed: While some of the cast maintained Chris' joke about about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith being bald 'was in bad taste', others argued that he may have had no idea the 50-year-old actress suffers from alopecia But Patrick Delpechitra said he hoped the King Richard actor would be able to recover from incident. 'I hope he'll come back. He's a damn good actor,' he said, while Tim added, 'Well, for me personally, I've lost all respect for Will Smith.' Will stunned the star-studded audience and movie fans alike when he walked onto the stage and smacked Chris, who was presenting the award for Best Documentary. Shocking scenes: Will stunned the star-studded audience and movie fans alike when he walked onto the stage and smacked Chris, who was presenting the award for Best Documentary The comedian had made a joke about Will's wife Jada losing her hair when the actor took offence. 'Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see ya,' Chris told the crowd, referring to the 1997 film, G.I. Jane, which starred Demi Moore with a shaved head. As Will turned and made his way back down to his seat in the front row, a shell-shocked Chris told the audience: 'Oh, wow. Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me.' Rewarded for bad behaviour: The show's cast were then stunned to discover that Will still went on to win the award for Best Actor following his violent outburst After sitting down again, a furious Will repeatedly warned Chris to 'keep my wife's name out your f**king mouth,' as the audience sat in stunned silence. A happier Will later returned to the stage to accept the award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard, in which he portrayed Venus and Serena Williams' father. The tearful actor apologised for his earlier behaviour without directly addressing Chris in his acceptance speech. Saying sorry: The tearful actor apologised for his earlier behaviour without directly addressing Chris in his acceptance speech 'I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award,' he began. He added: 'I know to do what we do, you got to be able to take abuse. You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. 'In this business you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you got to smile and you got to pretend like that's okay.' 'I hope he'll come back. He's a damn good actor,' said Patrick, while Tim added, 'Well, for me personally, I've lost all respect for Will Smith' Will issued an apology a day after the show, saying in an Instagram post that he was 'embarrassed' by his actions. 'Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,' he wrote. 'My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. 'My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,' he wrote 'I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.' Smith then went on to say sorry to the organizers and the producers of the show. 'I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world,' Smith continued. 'I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.' The Philadelphia-born actor concluded: 'I am a work in progress. Sincerely, Will.' Big Day Out founder Ken West has died at the age of 64. The vibrant music promoter passed away 'peacefully in his sleep' at his Central Coast home on Thursday, his family have confirmed. 'We bring unfortunate news that, Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of the 7th April 2022,' his family said in a statement. Tragic loss: Big Day Out founder Ken West has died at the age of 64, his family have confirmed 'Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. 'Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully.' Ken is survived by his wife Cathy and son, Oliver. The Big Day Out was incredibly popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with West and his business partner Vivian Lees bringing some of the biggest acts to parks and showgrounds around Australia. The first ever Big Day Out was staged at Sydneys Hordern Pavilion on January 25, 1992, with a then-unknown Nirvana taking the middle slot. 'We bring unfortunate news that, Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of the 7th April 2022,' his family said in a statement. Pictured: West in 2001 The festival soon became a massive hit, and was later staged across six cities every summer. Past acts who have taken to the stage include Metallica, Silverchair, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kanye West. Big Day Out ended in 2014, after it was bought by US concert promoters C3 Presents. After the festival's last show, West had largely kept his life out of the limelight. Epic: Big Day Out was incredible popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with West and his business partner Vivian Lees bringing some of the biggest acts to parks and showgrounds around Australia. Pictured: The crowd at The Big Day Out in 2010 'After a lifetime living in the future, Im loving living in the now,' he told Double J in 2019. 'Thinking more than doing, advising without judging. Im in a rare position and I know it.' To mark the 30th anniversary of the first festival in January 2022, West shared chapters of the book he had written about his experiences in the industry on his website. Epic: The first ever Big Day Out was staged at Sydneys Hordern Pavilion on January 25, 1992, with an unknown Nirvana (pictured) in the middle slot He said his book was completed, and he hoped to release it later this year. 'The Big Day Out for me was life changing, and the first six years were the heart and soul of a great adventure. A different world, innocent, dangerous, optimistic and a lot of fun,' he wrote. 'Working and partying with incredible artists who motivated me to create beautiful complex events. Human alchemy was taken to its limits. Continually evolving and growing for over 20 years.' He concluded: 'The complete book itself is written, however with thousands of photos, artwork and documents to integrate it is constantly evolving. 'As for the E-book, thats another story. Hopefully at least one will be available by the end of the year. I will let you know, when I know.' Khloe Kardashian revealed Wednesday recovering from her nose job 'was a breeze' and that her 'only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.' The 37-year-old revealed only last year that she had gotten the procedure done, and this week on Twitter she filled in a few more details. When a fan tweeted about the surgery she revealed that she went under the knife just 'a couple weeks' before her daughter True turned one in April 2019. Before and after: Khloe Kardashian revealed Wednesday recovering from her nose job 'was a breeze'; she is pictured before the procedure in 2017 (left) and this week after it (right) Slide me The way she was, the way she is: On the left she was seen in 2012 with her natural nose; on the right she was seen last month with her thinner nose. She looks fantastic in both shots, but her nose is undeniably different 'Yes! I spoke about it at the reunion with Andy Cohen as well,' she wrote. 'I got it a couple weeks before Trues first birthday. Love it!' Another fan dished about having a difficult recovery period from a nose job, but Khloe responded: 'Stop!!! Mine was a breeze. Thats crazy. It honestly was so easy for me. My only regret is that I didnt do it sooner.' Last year on the Keeping Up With The Kardashians finale special Khloe insisted that the only plastic surgery she has ever had was a nose job. 'I've had one nose job - Dr. Raj Kanodia,' she told Andy Cohen, who was hosting the Final Curtain specials that closed out the series. Details: When a fan tweeted about the surgery she revealed that she went under the knife just 'a couple weeks' before her daughter True turned one in April 2019 Then and now: Khloe is pictured attending the People's Choice Awards in 2018 before the procedure (left) and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week (right) Her latest twitter exchanges were prompted by her family's new ABC special where they were interviewed by Robin Roberts. 'My whole life I would say I've always wanted my nose done, like forever,' she confessed to Robin, 'but it's in the middle of your face and it's scary to think about. But I finally got the courage and I did it and I love it!' During the same interview she revealed she 'never felt like the pretty sister' and experienced insecurities because of her previous size. Fans have watched her figure evolve over the years, including with a stunning weight loss journey that led her to host a show called Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian. 'That's so funny ha!': Khloe laughed off claims she has had buttock implants in the comments of an Instagram fanpage last week Details: The page posted a video of Khloe doing stretches with a suspicious outline in her leggings, setting off a storm of speculation in the comment section Rumors have been swirling about various cosmetic procedures she is said to have had done, with a particular focus on her rear end. She has always denied having her behind augmented, writing on social media years ago: 'Sorry 2disappoint.... I've always had an a**. I know it's more fun 2believe it's not real, kind of a compliment since I kill myself in the gym.' Just last week the reality TV superstar laughed off claims she has had buttock implants in the comments of an Instagram fanpage. The page posted a video of Khloe doing stretches with a suspicious outline in her leggings, setting off a storm of speculation in the comment section. Remember when: During the same interview she revealed she 'never felt like the pretty sister' and experienced insecurities because of her previous size; she is pictured in 2008 One comment read: 'Omg u can see her implants when stretching. A 2nd layer of her bum on top of her bum,' prompting the reply: 'Are they implants or padded tights?' Khloe then replied to the initial comment: 'lol silly goose. It's the seam design of the leggings. that's so funny ha! You guys just want to believe anything bad.' Cosmetic surgeon Dr Benji Dhillon once told the MailOnline that 'Khloe's buttocks could simply be down to a strong squat routine.' Said he: 'Although buttock lifts were one of the fastest growing surgical procedures in the US (according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons), it is difficult to tell if Khloe has had this done.' Charlie Lawson found himself at the heart of a fervent discussion on Thursday morning, which raised the topic of soaps becoming a 'box-ticking' exercise. The former Coronation Street actor, who portrayed imprisoned Jim McDonald, made an appearance on GB News alongside former fellow Weatherfield resident Sherrie Hewson and Brookside's Tina Malone. And Charlie, 62, did not mince his words when journalist and broadcaster Dan Wootton prompted the conversation on 'wokeness', admitting that he 'despairs' over the constant stream of 'new things that you can't do and you can do.' 'Boxes are being ticked with such heavy black ink': Corrie's Charlie Lawson said he 'despairs' over 'wokeness' on soaps as he branded his wheelchair portrayal as 'the best scenes you've seen in your b****y life' during a GB News appearance on Thursday He said: 'We're great at being a silent majority in this b****y country over a great deal of things and I try not to be, to my detriment.' 'There's always new things that you can't do and you can do and I despair and that goes across society in my humble opinion.' The Northern Irishman claimed that 'box-ticking' is causing viewers to 'switch off' and firmly believes there are people remaining tight-lipped about what they want to watch. Soap star: The former Coronation Street actor, 62, portrayed notorious bank robber Jim McDonald, who was temporarily left wheelchair-bound during a storyline in 1998 (pictured with Beverley Callard - Liz McDonald - that year) 'I hope to God that Corrie and EastEnders or whatever, Emmerdale Farm are around in 10 years but I think people start to switch off because boxes are being ticked with such heavy black ink and I mean that across the whole television industry. 'There is a silent majority out there who just want to say, excuse my French, they want to say, "B******s to that, I want to watch what I want to watch,"' he raged. Charlie's Coronation Street character became temporarily wheelchair bound in 1998 following an altercation with son Steve, which resulted in him plummeting from scaffolding. Speaking out: The Northern Irishman claimed that 'box-ticking' is causing viewers to 'switch off' and firmly believes there are people remaining tight-lipped about what they want to watch Of representing a disabled person - and how he deems it to differ from today - Charlie said: 'I mean, the sheer thought that somebody even back in the day would say, "Oh my God we cant have a b****y actress in a wheelchair", because, you know, its just crazy. 'I was lucky enough to play Jim McDonald and I had eight months in a wheelchair and theyre the best scenes youve seen in your b****y life.' He continued: 'Or when I had scenes with Elizabeth Bradley, they were well-written and I dont think anybody gave a flying fiddlers about the fact that the two actors were able to run about and do whatever they want.' Firm: 'I was lucky enough to play Jim McDonald and I had eight months in a wheelchair and theyre the best scenes youve seen in your b****y life,' he said (pictured October 2019) Charlie concluded: 'It would be difficult for the character I played for a long time on Coronation Street to respond to someone who identified as a plant pot or whoever they wanted to identify with.' Tina, 59, meanwhile voiced that soaps should 'reflect reality' and that doesn't automatically mean they are 'woke.' Charlie first hit the cobbles in 1989 and was a regular for 11 years. He made brief comebacks between 2003 and 2018. Danniella Westbrook took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal the results of her recent nose surgery after she had the first in a series of reconstruction operations. The former EastEnders actress, 48, who was pictured with a heavily bandaged face last week, recently revealed plans to have a rib inserted into her face as one of those surgeries after years of drug abuse caused her nose to collapse. Taking to Instagram, a happy Danniella revealed her new look as she posed for the camera in a fun video. New woman: Danniella Westbrook revealed the results of her recent nose surgery as she peeled the bandages off her face after beginning a series of facial reconstructions With her blonde hair styled in a chic bob and glamorous make-up, the star wore a white jacket with striking black thread detail. Danniella captioned the video: 'I can't help but take the Mickey - all these sultry insta posts are everywhere So here's one from me.' 'Representing the old girls, it's only a bit of fun people #justforlaughs.' Getting her confidence back: The former EastEnders actress was spotted with a heavily bandaged face last week Wow: The former EastEnders actress now with a more defined feature, took off her red spectacles before winking into the camera Joking: Danniella captioned the video: 'I can't help but take the Mickey me all these sultry insta posts are everywhere So here's one from me.' Saucy: The actress posted the fun clip to her 86,000 followers on Tuesday Danniella previously underwent a rib insertion procedure in 2018, after osteoporosis rotted away her cheekbones and gums and, after spending the last year getting lip filler and Botox, in addition to surgery on her face, she is hoping to get back to her best. The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate has previously had five reconstructive operations but she is still targeted by cruel online trolls over her appearance, with people telling her to 'just go and kill yourself'. She told The Sun: 'I hate the way I look. I'm constantly made fun of, and trolled for Before: Danniella previously underwent the rib procedure in 2018, after osteoporosis rotted away her cheekbones and gums (pictured in March 2022) Fab: With her blonde hair styled in a chic bob and glamorous make-up, the star wore a white jacket with striking black thread detail 'People message me, saying, 'You're so ugly, you're a junkie, you should just go and kill yourself.' I've also had messages saying they are glad I'm not coming back to EastEnders because no one wants me scaring their kids on the telly.' However, the star insists she is not undergoing surgery to appease her bullies - she says she wants to be happy with herself and no longer wants to suffer with the breathing issues she suffers with as a result of her collapsed face. She explained: 'I've got to a point where looking like this upsets me, so I'm going to make a change not because of what others think but so I can be happy with the way I am. Get outta my pub: The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate has previously had five reconstructive operations but she is still targeted by cruel online trolls over her appearance, with people telling her to 'just go and kill yourself' (pictured in 1993) 'It will change the way I look but also help my breathing and sinus issues. 'So it's about my health as well. I'll be in for the big surgery, which is the bone replacement, at the end of April. And then the final operation to tweak and finish the nose is at the end of May.' 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.' New woman: Danniella is hoping her operation to have a rib inserted into her face will rebuild her confidence after years of drug abuse caused her nose to collapse (L: seen in 2021, R: seen in 1996) She 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.' In February, Danniella revealed that she was looking forward to her upcoming set of surgeries. Sharing a throwback snap of herself on Instagram, she penned: 'Can't wait for all my surgery to be done will be back too my best and fighting fit and next year I will be 50! Bring it on I'm ready. More than ready, I'm ready for a full transformation physically.' Troubles: The actress' battle with drugs has been well-publicised, and she famously had her nose reconstructed after her septum collapsed from excessive cocaine use in 2002 (pictured before face collapse in 1993) Danniella previously vowed to turn her life around following years of drug abuse and relapsing onto 'cocaine and champagne' last year. The actress' battle with drugs has been well-publicised, and she famously had her nose reconstructed after her septum collapsed from excessive cocaine use in 2002. At the height of her use, it was reported she would take up to five grams of cocaine a day, blowing close to 250,000 on the drug. The star has since embarked on multiple rehab stints in order to battle her demons - and revealed she was finally clean in June 2020, after attending a clinic in Mijas, Spain. Tamzin Outhwaite has spoken out on her menopause symptoms, admitting she lost confidence in herself. Appearing on Thursday's Loose Women the ex EastEnders star, 51, explained how she found out she was perimenopausal during lockdown in 2020. She admitted she had no idea how debilitating menopause symptoms can be after 'all my mum told me was "you'll feel a bit hot sometimes".' Tough time: Tamzin Outhwaite has spoken out on her menopause symptoms, admitting she lost confidence in herself Speaking to the Loose Women, Tamzin said of her experience: 'You feel like you're not in your own body and it really knocked my confidence. I found out in lockdown that I was perimenopausal'. 'All my mum told me was "you'll feel a bit hot sometimes". I went to my GP and I didn't want it to get bad.' Tamzin, who is mum to Florence, 13, and Marnie, nine, added that going through the menopause at the same time as her eldest reached her teenage years has been an added challenge. 'When you're menopausal and you have teenagers it becomes a house of hormones!' she confessed. Speaking out: Appearing on Thursday's Loose Women the ex EastEnders star, 51, explained how she found out she was perimenopausal during lockdown in 2020 Symptoms: She admitted she had no idea how debilitating menopause symptoms can be after 'all my mum told me was "you'll feel a bit hot sometimes"' Hormones: The mum of two said that going through the menopause at the same time as her eldest daughter reached her teen years has been an added challenge Tamzin's new YouTube series Dun Breedin' follows a group of women going through menopause together. She worked on the series with her boyfriend Tom Child, 31 - a documentary maker. Tamzin recently expressed how grateful she is to her toyboy boyfriend for being a 'dream stepdad' to her children. The actress is coupled-up with partner Tom but shares her daughters with her actor ex Tom Ellis, 43, who she was married to from 2006 to 2014. Tamzin said in a social media post on Monday that her 'kind' boyfriend comforts her daughters when they are upset about missing their biological father and that he 'loves them deeply'. Happy family: Tamzin recently expressed how grateful she is to her toyboy boyfriend for being a 'dream stepdad' to her children The clan: She is coupled-up with Tom Child, 31, but shares daughters Florence, 13, and Marnie, nine, with ex Tom Ellis, 43 - she expressed her gratitude for her beau on Twitter on Saturday She wrote on Twitter: 'Gratitude tweet. My youngest is ill. My schedule has been manic. My love has done school runs, vet visits, made dinner, packed lunches, cleaned, dog walks, taken the car to mechanics, & generally lightened my load to the max, all with kindness & a smile. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork 'For those saying thats a normal day or what every man does, he also moved to the spare room so I can sleep with my 9 yr old to check her temp & give her meds. He holds her when she is sobbing cos she misses her biological dad & then makes her laugh out loud. #dreamstepdad 'My kids sometimes give him a hard time as thats what kids do to step parents, but deep down they know he is kind, he cares and loves them deeply, and I know how lucky I am. #appreciationpost #stepparentgratitude.' Looking back: Former EastEnders star Tamzin was married to Lucifer actor Tom Ellis from 2006 to 2014 (pictured 2012) Tamzin and toyboy Tom met in 2017 when they were attending the same yoga class. Documentary maker and personal trainer Tom and Tamzin began meeting up casually but they embarked on a whirlwind romance after jetting off to the Maldives. In November, the couple celebrated four years together, with Tamzin writing on Instagram: 'If it all ended tomorrow I would be thankful and grateful and I know you would too yet what we have is a unique and beautiful LOVE.' Tom and Tamzin split in 2014 after he admitted to cheating with the Lost actress Emilie de Ravin. But soap star Tamzin said in a 2015 interview with Essentials Magazine that there was more to the split than just an act of infidelity. She said at the time: 'I wouldn't not be with my husband over a one-night stand is all I'll say.' In the present: Tamzin and toyboy Tom met in 2017 when they were attending the same yoga class (pictured this year) DPP quenches thirst in arms deal with US for protection By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 09:30, April 07, 2022 Illustration: Liu Rui/GT According to the press release of Taiwan's external affairs department on Wednesday, the US State Department has "mercifully" approved the potential sale to Taiwan of equipment, training and other items to support the Patriot Air Defense System in a deal valued at up to $95 million. This is the third arms sale announced since US President Joe Biden took office. It takes place not long after Biden, during a video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in March, reiterated that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China and does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support "Taiwan independence," and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. The US government has abandoned its promise and seriously violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques. The office of Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's external affairs and defense departments all expressed "gratitude" to the US, showing a minion's flattery gesture as always. However, the attitude of the people on the island has changed significantly. Taiwanese netizens said, "It is already possible to subsidize the monthly loss of health insurance. Buying those scraps of iron will not save so many people." "The wise should avoid war instead of provoking war." "This is pure extortion!" Many netizens also quoted the recent speech of Sun Ta-chien, former Kuomintang legislator: "The people who incite you behind your back are very likely to be those who destabilize the world." These vivid folk expressions reveal the essence of US arms sales to Taiwan. After experiencing so many rounds of US arms sales to Taiwan and imports of US beef and pork containing ractopamine, and after closely observing the real performance of the US from the "Kabul moment" to the "Ukraine crisis," more and more Taiwan people have truly realized that the US is unreliable, and the second-hand weapons sold by the US to Taiwan are even more unreliable. They have become more and more immune to the political deception of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This is a positive change in the right direction of the political ecology of the island. The story that the DPP has carefully fabricated over the years is almost impossible to continue. A survey conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in late March showed that the Taiwan public's expectations toward "US intervention" once a military clash occurs in the Taiwan Straits decreased 30.5 percentage points compared to half a year ago. A total of 55.9 percent doubted the US will directly intervene. Another poll in the US showed that only 8 to 18 percent of US elites being surveyed support a direct military action against the People's Liberation Army to defend Taiwan. Even former politician Lu Hsiu-lien known for her pro-secession stance recently questioned Tsai's move of dispensing large amounts of money to buy weapons and called for peace through demonstrations. As the dream of "the US sending troops to help defend Taiwan island" is about to wake up, the DPP authority is telling the story of "self-defense." They pretended to discuss the reform of the military service system, and also carried out intense propaganda to ramp up investment in weapons research and development, as if they could really engage in a "decisive battle" with the Chinese mainland. However, these cannot shake the cross-Straits strength situation. In other words, these tricks are not played for the Chinese mainland, but to fool the people in Taiwan. This deception looks more like a burned-out candle, with only a faint flame swaying, while the unwilling DPP authority is trying in vain to keep out the wind by tugging at the curtain. Washington certainly hopes Taiwan island "holds on," and will repeatedly express that it "stands with Taiwan." In the absolutely unequal relations between the US and Taiwan island, the US has always been the absolute beneficiary. The US not only can sell arms to Taiwan island at a higher rate, but also can gain the gratitude of the DPP authority who is willing to be a pawn in Washington's game against China, and create mutual consumption across the Taiwan Straits. In a bid to court the US, the DPP authority has repeatedly betrayed the interests of Taiwan residents' livelihood: US beef and pork containing ractopamine has been on the dining table of Taiwan people, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company had to hand over the core data to the US. The one that the US has by the short hair is not Taiwan, but the DPP authority. It is the DPP authority that feels jittery and insecure most at the moment. This is because it has placed all its bets on the US. When it finds its backer is not reliable and "the pawn" will be discarded at any time, its panic can be imagined. But the facts will eventually prove that the so-called "guarantee" for which the DPP authority paid high "protection fees" to "seek independence" is nothing but "poison" to quench its thirst. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) Alan Ganoo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, participated in the Global Diaspora Summit (GDS) held in Dublin on 4 and 5 April 2022, at the invitation of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Government of the Republic of Ireland. Mauritius was one of the 12 Lead Participating States at the Summit. The GDS was held in preparation for the International Migration Review Forum, a major review of global migration policy being organised by the United Nations in New York from 17 to 20 May 2022. It took stock of international developments and achievements in the field of migration. In his statement, Minister Ganoo highlighted the importance of the Mauritian Diaspora which can bring a major contribution to the socio-economic development of the country. He mentioned the establishment of a Mauritian Diaspora Scheme to provide fiscal incentives in favour of the Mauritian Diaspora willing to return to/invest in Mauritius, and indicated that the Government is setting up a Diaspora Cell to coordinate and facilitate diaspora initiatives and programmes to engage and mobilize the Diaspora. The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Dublin Declaration a future agenda of action for global diaspora engagement, which will be presented at the first UN International Migration Review Forum taking place in New York this May. In the margins of the GDS, Minister Ganoo had a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Mr Colm Brophy, Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora of the Republic of Ireland and they exchanged views on international and bilateral issues of common interest. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires They moved away from Hollywood back in 2012. And Camila Alves certainly doesn't miss the glitz and the glam. The 40-year-old wife of Matthew McConaughey gushed about her family's life in Texas a decade after moving to her husband's home state in 2012. Scroll down for video Family first: Camila Alves gushed about her family's life in Texas a decade after moving to her husband Matthew McConaughey's home state in 2012 in a new interview with Fox News (The family are seen in November 2014) Camila - who calls Austin, Texas her home with the 52-year-old Oscar winner and their three children Levi, 13, Vida, 12, and Livingston, 9 - said she prefers living in The Lone Star state as she told Fox News: 'It's been great. 'It really embodies our belief system, especially the ones I grew up with, like going to church every Sunday, saying "yes ma'am" or "no, sir." I grew up saying those things coming from a family of farmers.' Camila moved from her native Brazil to New York City when she was 19 but can't help but compare her new home in Austin to where she grew up. Camila (seen in Los Angeles last week) - who calls Austin, Texas her home with the 52-year-old Oscar winner and their three children Levi, 13, Vida, 12, and Livingston, 9 - said she prefers living in The Lone Star state as she said : 'It's been great' 'The kids get to have a private way of growing up. So from that perspective, it was very important': The stunning star - who has been promoting her first children's book Just Try One Bite - said the best benefit of the move halfway across the country was the privacy for her family, as they are seen out in New York back in August 2012 She said: 'For me, being from Brazil and then coming to Texas, I discovered a lot of similarities in terms of what families practice here, especially going to church on Sundays, and being very into the outdoors. Its been a great transition.' The stunning star - who has been promoting her first children's book Just Try One Bite - said the best benefit of the move halfway across the country was the privacy for her family. Camila explained: 'We lived in Malibu for many years and having the paparazzi outside our door every day - every single day - when that becomes your normal, you dont realize how much thats actually affecting the things you do until you actually leave and get out of it. 'The kids need to understand that as parents, we are on the same page': No doubt family is important to Camila and Matthew as they work as a team to co-parent their three children Loved up: McConaughey and Alves (seenn in LA back in December) initially met in 2006 when they were introduced at a bar in Los Angeles as they married in Austin six years later in 2012 'The kids get to have a private way of growing up. So from that perspective, it was very important.' No doubt family is important to Camila and Matthew as they work as a team to co-parent their three children. She said: 'Matthew is the one the kids will usually go to [if they want to get away with something]. 'She gives us a completely different perspective': Their home has become even fuller in recent years as her mother-in-law and Matthew's mother Kay, 90, moved in amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the entire family are see in Austin in February 2019 'We joke about this all the time. Before she was living with us, she had a different perspective on what kind of advice she would give us': She said of Matthew and her relationship with Kay before and after the move in, as they are all seen together at The Oscars in 2014 'But Matthew and I have a pretty good system where we dont play good cop, bad cop. The kids need to understand that as parents, we are on the same page.' Their home has become even fuller in recent years as her mother-in-law and Matthew's mother Kay, 90, moved in amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She talked about how the environment in the home has changed since welcoming her mother-in-law as she said: 'We joke about this all the time. Before she was living with us, she had a different perspective on what kind of advice she would give us. Now that shes living with us, she gives a completely different perspective. Shes softer.' 'She brings so much joy to our household': Camila gushed about having her mother-in-law in their home and what an amazing effect she has had on every single person in the household Camila gushed about having her mother-in-law in their home and what an amazing effect she has had on every single person in the household. She said: 'I think once you become a grandparent, you become more forgiving in situations. Sometimes Ill be disciplining the kids or having a more stern conversation with them, and I can tell she has that face like, she doesnt feel good about it. 'Like, "Do you need to do that?" But, shes been a great influence in not only our kids' lives but our lives. She brings so much joy to our household.' McConaughey and Alves initially met in 2006 when they were introduced at a bar in Los Angeles. Stunning: The Brazilian-American model is seen in Austin in March 2019 The happy couple began a relationship shortly afterward, and they started a family with the birth of their son Levi, aged 14, in 2008. The two expanded their family with the 2010 birth of their daughter Vida, aged 12, before they became engaged on Christmas in 2011. The pair went on to tie the knot in Austin in 2012, and they added another son named Livingston, aged nine, to their lives that same year. Camila's children's book - co-authored by Adam Mansbach - Try Just One Bit is in stores now. Georgia Harrison showed off her incredibly toned physique in a purple bikini alongside a cryptic message about love on Instagram on Thursday. The former Love Island star posed up a storm in two busty mirror selfies as she crouched down on a tiled floor flashing her toned abs in the Pez Leon two-piece. The 27-year-old beamed for her 1.1million followers as she showed off her tan in the selfies which featured an incredible view of a harbour behind the mirror. Incredible: Love Island's Georgia Harrison showed off her incredibly toned physique in a purple bikini on Instagram on Thursday as she posted a message about love The reality star added a pair of tan sandals to the beach look and accessorised with several bracelets on her wrist as she posted from an undisclosed location. Georgia styled her light tresses in loose waves as she pulled half of her locks up in a matching purple scrunchy and let the other half cascaded past her shoulders. She looked glam wearing a full face of makeup as she pouted in a pink glossy lipstick. She penned to the post: 'Everytime you give a f*** about someone that treats you less than you deserve a fairy dies. Summer vibes: The 27-year-old beamed for her 1.1million followers as she showed off her tan and flashed her toned abs in a purple cross front Pez Leon bikini 'Stop accepting less than you give, stop murdering fairies.' Recently, Georgia left her fans gushing over her incredibly youthful looking mother Nicola. She took to her Instagram account to share the stunning snap of her lookalike mum as the pair enjoyed a drink after being pampered in a beauty salon earlier that day. Twins: Georgia Harrison left fans gushing over her incredibly youthful looking mother Nicola in an Instagram post Georgia even joked her age-defying mum looked younger than she did. Posting to her social media, she said: 'WARNING taking your mum too @modebeautytherapy could result in her looking younger than you. I took @nicolaharrison465 for an early mothers day facial!' Within moments, fans and friends flocked to Georgia's post to share their admiration for Nicola who looked radiant in a green satin halter neck and tailored trousers. Taylor Ward penned: 'She's beautiful.' Georgia's Love Island co-stars went on to applaud the gorgeous photo with Chloe Crowhurst posting: 'Beautiful mumma' and Dubai based Laura Anderson said: 'Unreal.' While Hayley Hughes and Tyne-Lexy Clarsson posted some adoring emojis. Beauty: Georgia joked her age-defying mum looked younger than she did as Nicola looked radiant in a green satin halter neck and tailored trousers Jodie Comer has spoken out about playing Russian hired assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve as the government of the character's native land continues its attacks on Ukraine. The actress, 29, has portrayed the psychopathic killer who has been involved in a cat-and-mouse game with MI5 intelligence operative Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) since the BBC drama first aired in 2018. And Jodie says she finds it 'terrifying' how Russian citizens are being fed misinformation about the war in their home nation by President Vladimir Putin and his state, describing the current situation as 'extremely sinister' as she continues with her life and career in peace and safety. Honest: Jodie Comer, 29, has spoken out about playing Russian brutal hired assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve as the government of the character's native land continues its attacks on Ukraine She told the Evening Standard: Everything else is so insignificant. The world right now is extremely sinister. 'Russian people are being fed so much misinformation. 'Its terrifying when you realise there are people in power who have the ability to do that, and choose to do that. And the number of people who are none the wiser.' Telling the tale: The actress has portrayed the psychopathic killer since the BBC drama first aired in 2018 Her comments come as Russia completed the pullout of 24,000 troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv in preparation for an expected major offensive in the Donbas with Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv now seeing the worst of the fighting. Meanwhile Mariupol remains under siege with 170,000 still trapped in the besieged city where the civilian death toll has risen to 5,000, including 210 children. Jodie has earned a BAFTA and Emmy for playing Villanelle in Killing Eve but the current fourth series is the show's last. War: Her comments come as Russia completed the pullout of 24,000 troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv in preparation for an expected major offensive in the Donbas The show, written and executively produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, sent Jodie skyrocketing to fame back in 2018. Later this month, Jodie will make her West End debut in a one-woman play, Suzie Miller's Prima Facie, following a barrister, Tessa, who is subjected to a sexual assault, with the audience acting as witnesses to the attack and the grim aftermath. Jodie pulled out of starring in Ridley Scotts upcoming film Napoleon to take part in the play. Drama: Jodie stars alongside Sandra Oh (pictured), who plays MI5 intelligence operative Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, with the pair involved in a cat-and-mouse game on the show The story is a timely one in today's current climate, something that has not been missed by Jodie. She said she threw herself into research for the role, speaking to numerous barristers about their experiences as well as a Rape and Serious Sexual Offences officer. 'They care so much about what theyre doing, but its very evident that the system doesnt work for women,' she said. 'If a woman reports being raped, its her whos on trial. Shes given this burden of responsibility to prove what happened.' She recently told PORTER: 'It's so present and so upsetting. When you do material like this it feels so relevant to today, but it's sadly never been any other way.' Speaking on the impact of the #MeToo movement, she added: 'I think I've noticed it in myself and finding my own boundaries and what I'm comfortable with and not comfortable with, and the ability to be vocal about it. I wish I would have found that earlier, but you have to go through your own experiences in life, so that's how I feel the change. But I haven't had any awful experiences to speak [of]; I've been extremely lucky.' Colin Morgan filmed a tense action scene for IRA thriller Borderland as he was seen firing a gun in Glasgow on Thursday. The actor, 36, was surrounded by a film crew as he walked down an empty street in the city centre before he opened fire for the scene. The Northern Irish star sported a khaki jacket along with a white shirt and black trousers for filming. On location: Colin Morgan filmed a tense action scene for IRA thriller Borderland as he was seen firing a gun in Glasgow on Thursday He was also seen sporting a padded coat for some of the day while a car nearby had been damaged for a crash scene. Colin's role in the upcoming film, which also stars Jack Reynor, is not currently known. The actor most recently appeared in Belfast opposite Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe. According to Deadline, Borderland follows an Irish paramilitary named Michael (Jack Reynor) who witnesses the death of his pregnant wife at the hands of SAS agent Tempest. Filming: The actor, 36, was surrounded by a film crew as he walked down an empty street in the city centre before he opened fire for the scene Action: A car nearby had been damaged for a crash scene during filming Casual: Colin was also seen sporting a padded coat for some of the day Tempest is sent back to London to lead a counter-terrorist operation while Michael joins an active service unit wrecking havoc in the city. Michael aims to hunt down Tempest to avenge his wife's death. The film will also star The Theory of Everything actress Felicity Jones and Queen Sugar star Jodie Turner-Smith. The screenplay was written by Felicity's husband Charles Guard and his brother Thomas. Part: Colin's role in the upcoming film, which also stars Jack Reynor, is not currently known Role: The actor most recently appeared in Belfast opposite Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe Plot: According to Deadline, Borderland follows an Irish paramilitary named Michael (Jack Reynor) who witnesses the death of his pregnant wife at the hands of SAS agent Tempest The pair said: 'Borderland is a vengeance fueled chase movie, fusing some pulse ticking action with a powerful message for our times. 'We're thrilled that the script, driven as much by character as it is by plot, has attracted such a first rate cast.' Producer Chris Coen added: 'It's been a pleasure working with Rocket Science putting the film together and I couldn't be more excited to get this prodigious project into production later this year. The Guard Brothers make for a terrific team who are assembling a formidable cast and crew.' Cast and crew for The Witcher were seen shooting scenes at a beach shack in Croatia on Thursday as filming for series three of the Netflix show continues. Dozens of actors gathered to shoot exciting scenes for the next instalment of the hotly-anticipated fantasy drama. Photographs showed the cast and crew setting up film cameras outside a building on the Zala Stara Baska beach on Krk Island. It's back! Cast and crew for The Witcher were seen shooting scenes at a beach shack in Croatia on Thursday as filming for series three of the Netflix show continues They have touched down in Croatia after a week-and-a-half filming in Italy and Slovenia. It comes days after The Witcher's official Twitter account confirmed that season three was in production. They tweeted on Monday: 'Our family is back together again. #TheWitcher Season 3 is officially in production!' The Twitter account also revealed the official plot summary for the much-anticipated series, which will see Geralt (Harry Cavil) take Ciri of Cintra (Freya Allan) into hiding. Filming: Dozens of actors gathered to shoot exciting scenes for the next instalment of the hotly-anticipated fantasy drama Croatia: Photographs showed the cast and crew setting up film cameras outside a building on the Zala Stara Baska beach on Krk Island They explained: 'As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. 'Entrusted with Ciri's magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl's untapped powers; instead, they discover they've landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. 'They must fight back, put everything on the line - or risk losing each other forever.' Monster hunter: It comes after The Witcher's Twitter account confirmed season three was in production, which will see Geralt (Harry Cavil) take Ciri of Cintra (Freya Allan) into hiding Henry made his highly-anticipated return as monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in the second season of The Witcher. After a long delay due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the fantasy series' eight-episode sophomore season premiered on December 17. Based on a series of bestselling books, previously adapted as a trilogy of video games, The Witcher drew critical acclaim and a season two was quickly confirmed. She has recently opened up about staying in shape. And Martine McCutcheon flaunted her trim figure as she stepped out at the Klarna x Shein event in Convent Garden, London, on Thursday. The actress, 45, looked sensational in distressed jeans and a black blazer, which she teamed with a pair of sandals. Stunning: Martine McCutcheon flaunted her trim figure as she stepped out at the Klarna x Shein event on Thursday She kept her essentials in a small black clutch bag and accessorised her chic ensemble with a pair of gold globe earrings. Martine swept her chocolate tresses into a slicked back ponytail while she showed off her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up. Also at the event was Georgia Toffolo, who looked effortlessly chic in flared jeans and a plunging collared white shirt with puffed sleeves. The reality TV star, 27, gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of nude pointed heels with chain detailing. Chic: The actress, 45, looked sensational in distressed jeans and a black blazer, which she teamed with a pair of sandals Style icon: She kept her essentials in a small black clutch bag and accessorised her chic ensemble with a pair of gold globe earrings Beauty: Martine swept her chocolate tresses into a slicked back ponytail while she showed off her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up All smiles: Martine appeared to be in excellent spirits as she stepped out at the event in Convent Garden Georgia added a pop of colour to her ensemble with a green knitted clutch bag while she donned a pair of coordinated earrings. The I'm a Celebrity winner bolstered her good looks with lashings of mascara while she swept her golden tresses in an up-do, letting strands loosely frame her face. Also attending the event was Nicola Hughes, who flaunted her incredible figure in a beige ensemble. The Made In Chelsea star showed off her midriff in a white bralet, which she teamed with a beige skirt and a coordinated blazer. Health: It comes after Martine opened up about about staying in shape as she revealed it has taken her 'such a long time to do what works for me' Stylish: Georgia Toffolo showed off her sensational sense of style as she stepped out for the Klarna x Shein event on Thursday Stunner: The reality TV star, 27, looked effortlessly chic in flared jeans and a plunging collared white shirt with puffed sleeves She completed her stylish ensemble with a pair of nude quilted heeled sandals and a black shoulder bag. Nicola styled her blonde locks in a straight fashion while she accentuated her features with a bronzed make-up palette. It comes after Martine opened up about about staying in shape as she revealed it has taken her 'such a long time to do what works for me'. In an interview with OK! magazine, the Love Actually star noted that she didn't like to discuss her weight but told how she stays in shape by following the 80/20 rule diet, which she revealed 'works for me'. Looking good: Georgia added a pop of colour to her ensemble with a green knitted clutch bag while she donned a pair of coordinated earrings Classy: The I'm a Celebrity winner bolstered her good looks with lashings of mascara while she swept her golden tresses in an up-do, letting strands loosely frame her face Friends: She posed with her pal Emily Blackwell as they enjoyed the Klarna x Shein event Stunning: The reality TV star, 27, gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of nude pointed heels with chain detailing Pals: Emily stunned in black flared trousers, which she paired with a black satin wrap-around shirt Making an appearance: Welsh actor Scott McGlynn was also pictured at the event The chat also saw Martine open up on how she copes with her fibromyalgia, with the beauty detailing how having a cold shower helps with her symptoms. Martine has recently embarked on a modelling career after having been signed by Elite model agency, which has represented supermodels including Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. And it's not hard to see why Martine has been snapped up, with the stunner showcasing her svelte frame in a photoshoot in the magazine. Discussing her frame, Martine told how it hasn't always been straightforward in finding the right healthy eating lifestyle that works for her, with the star stating how important it is to just be the 'best version' of herself. Health: Last month, the Laurence Olivier Award winning actress revealed it has taken her 'such a long time to do what works for me' as she opened up on her health and staying in shape (pictured right in 2003) She said: 'I think it takes a long time to work out what your own recipe is. It's taken me such a long time to look through all the stuff that's out there, and do just what works for me. So it's not as simple as just going on a crazy diet. I just feel it's really important to encourage women to just be the best version of themselves.' Detailing her diet, she added: 'The 80/20 rule is what works for me. For 80% of my week, I will have mainly just healthy proteins, vegetables and fruit, organic and veggie juices, and Flora ProActiv spread. And then I'll have treats 20% of the time.' She details how she indulges in pizza, chocolate or a G&T for special occasions, noting that she doesn't feel guilty because she's doing 'good bits for my heart' for most of the week. Elsewhere, Georgia enjoyed an 'epic adventure' in South Africa, keeping fans updated on her travels with a slew of sun-kissed pictures. Glam: Also attending the event was Nicola Hughes, who flaunted her incredible figure in a beige ensemble In one snap, she looked gorgeous in a knitted keyhole bra top which she wore with a matching skirt. Posing for the camera, her hip dropped to one side, the blonde beauty showed off her fantastically toned midriff. The strapless top clung to the Made In Chelsea stars enviable assets, with a racy cut out at the centre. Her long blonde locks fell down past her shoulders in a relaxed curl, framing her beautiful face. Holiday: It comes after Georgia enjoyed an 'epic adventure' in South Africa, keeping fans updated on her travels with a slew of sun-kissed pictures Blonde beauty: The former I'm a Celebrity contestant visited Kenya on another glamorous trip last month (pictured in March) Looking fresh faced with very little make-up, the TV personality accessorised her sexy look with a simple gold chain around her and teal rings on her fingers. Captioning the snap: 'Not sure I'll be wearing this in London! Sad to be leaving South Africa, but looking forward to seeing my pup after a epic adventure. I can't wait to show you on @thismorning.' The former I'm a Celebrity contestant visited Kenya on another glamorous trip last month. The reality TV regular went on to shared photos of her adventures, in one picture she posed with a pair of elephants at an orphanage. Departure: The reality star (pictured in March) said before heading back to the UK: 'Sad to be leaving South Africa, but looking forward to seeing my pup after a epic adventure' Writing: 'Up early to go to the elephant orphanage just outside of Nairobi, It is the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world!'. The star also shared videos of her holiday, one of which was filmed by her friend and The Island With Bear Grylls star Barnes Thomas - who joined her on the trip. The pals enjoyed a boating adventure on the ocean, where they swam and spotted dolphins. However Georgia also posted that the group were covered in 'guts' after they attempted to catch fish. Candice Swanepoel released her inner mermaid during a photo shoot on a secluded beach. The glamorous cover girl shared a video clip of her day in the white sand with an azure sky behind her on Instagram and the model's social media fans went wild. The alluring South African chose a brown and pink paisley string bikini for the shoot, wearing a gold belly chain across her mid-section, drawing focus to her taut abs as she moved gracefully from pose to pose. Sand and sea: Candice Swanepoel released her inner mermaid during a photo shoot on a secluded beach Beach day: The glamorous cover girl shared a video clip of her day in the white sand with an azure sky behind her on Instagram and the model's social media fans went wild Her highlighted locks were styled in lose layers and the Hot 100 List veteran had no problem letting her dark roots show. Fellow models Andres Velencoso, Amelia Gray and Anne Vyalitsyna gave the video a thumbs up via a series of emojis, with Anne V commenting, 'Beauty .' Candice explained the post writing, 'in the works ..' and tagged her bathing suit company Tropic of C. Approving the message: Fellow models Andres Velencoso, Amelia Gray and Anne Vyalitsyna gave the video a thumbs up via a series of emojis, with Anne V commenting, 'Beauty .' Candice explained the post writing, 'in the works ..' and tagged her bathing suit company Tropic of C Promoting her brand: The blonde beauty founded Tropic of C, a luxury swim suit company, 2018. The line bills itself as as eco-lifestyle brand, focusing on using fabrics from sustainable sources The blonde beauty founded the luxury swim suit company, which bills itself as as eco-lifestyle brand focusing on using fabrics from sustainable sources, in 2018. Many of the materials are made from recycled fishing nets, plastic bottles and polyester yarn. The company also creates partnerships and programs that support women around the globe, including buying products from artisan groups in the developing world to promote female empowerment. Recycled luxury: Candice decided to choose materials for her swimsuit company from sources that turn recycled fishing net, plastic bottles and polyester yarn into fabric The mother of two also made sure her business benefits the South African charity mothers2mothers. The non-profit group's goal is to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV via education, support for pregnant women and new mothers living with the virus. The model and entrepreneur is one of several 'iconic' models signed to promote Kim Kardashian's Skims shapewear, appearing alongside Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Alexandra Ambrosio in a series of seductive poses. An accident that allegedly took place Monday on the set of Tales Of The Walking Dead in Atlanta, Georgia is currently under investigation. A female crew member reportedly tumbled off the top deck of a riverboat being used for the shoot - the same one that doubles as as the casino boat on the Netflix show Ozark. The crew member is said to have plunged into Stone Mountain Lake, hitting a lower deck railing on her way down, according to Deadline. Incoming series: An accident that allegedly took place Monday on the set of Tales Of The Walking Dead in Georgia is currently under investigation She is said to be a member of the International Alliance Of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), a union that has expanded beyond theater to showbiz generally. Now the Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA) has begun looking into the alleged incident, which caused the shoot to be halted through Tuesday before restarting Wednesday. The crew member, who is said to have recently had an operation, has not been publicly identified by OSHA, IATSE or the production company, nor has any information about her present condition been released. A US Labor Department spokesperson said: 'OSHA initiated an investigation into this incident, and therefore we are unable to share anything further at this time.' The vessel: A woman in the crew reportedly tumbled off the top deck of a riverboat being used for the shoot - the same one that doubles as the casino boat on Ozark (pictured) Location: The crew member is said to have plunged into Stone Mountain Lake (pictured), hitting a lower deck railing on her way down, according to Deadline Tales Of The Walking Dead is an upcoming anthology series spun off from the smash hit zombie show The Walking Dead. The alleged Tales Of The Walking Dead accident comes less than a month after Norman Reedus injured his head on the set of the original series' final season. His spokesperson told Deadline: 'Norman suffered a concussion on set. He is recovering well and will return to work soon.' Seen onscreen: The alleged Tales Of The Walking Dead accident comes less than a month after Norman Reedus injured his head on the set of the original series, on which he is pictured The trade publication noted that it was unknown whether he had actually been shooting a scene at the time his on-set accident took place. Norman sustained his concussion on March 11 but announced on Instagram the following week that he would be returning to work March 22. 'Thank u for the nice thoughts its been a week. or two,' wrote Norman, who has been romantically involved with Diane Kruger since 2016. Heading to the finish: Last week The Walking Dead wrapped its 11th and final season, which has already begun airing and continues this Sunday evening 'I was in an accident. but getting better getting cleared and gonna be back at work Tuesday they tell me,' the TV star added. Last week The Walking Dead wrapped its 11th and final season, which has already begun airing and continues this Sunday evening. Tales Of The Walking Dead, which is set to premiere this year, has a star-studded cast including Samantha Morton, Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Anthony Edwards and Poppy Liu. Nina Dobrev seemed to be enjoying a peaceful vacation in Greece this week. The 33-year-old actress was seen strolling along the Thessaloniki promenade with her boyfriend, 35-year-old retired professional snowboarder Shaun White. At one point he tenderly placed his hand on her back as they took in the local charm with her dog Maverick. In love: Nina Dobrev seemed to be enjoying a peaceful vacation in Greece this week. The 33-year-old actress was seen strolling along the Thessaloniki promenade with her boyfriend, 35-year-old retired professional snowboarder Shaun White She appeared effortlessly chic in a long camel coat over a cream-colored button-up blouse that she tucked into matching high-waisted cropped jeans. And the star added white sneakers. The Canadian national shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of gold-rimmed shades and carried a small black quilted Yves Saint Laurent crossbody bag. The brunette beauty wore her long locks down in loose waves under a mustard yellow beanie and accessorized with gold necklaces and rings. A camera in a brown case dangled from a strap around Nina's neck and she held her iPhone in her hand as she chatted animatedly with Shaun. Chic: She appeared effortlessly chic in a long camel coat over a cream-colored button-up blouse that she tucked into matching high-waisted cropped jeans Shaun was clad in a white t-shirt under a brown suede jacket that had green plaid lining. The three-time Olympic gold medalist completed his ensemble with black jeans and white slide sneakers. The San Diego native sported tortoiseshell-framed sunglasses and held Maverick's leash as the adorable pup trotted after the pair. Sweet: At one point he tenderly placed his hand on her back as they took in the local charm with her dog Maverick Nina is currently shooting the action-thriller The Bricklayer on location in Thessaloniki. She is starring opposite Aaron Eckhart in the movie, which centers on a series of assassinations of foreign journalists that someone using to blackmail the CIA by making it appear like the agency is responsible. Directed by Cliffhanger and Die Hard 2 filmmaker Renny Harlin, the film also stars The Ballad of Buster Scruggs actor Tim Blake Nelson, Westworld actor Clifton Collins Jr. and Rocky IV actress Brigitte Nielsen. They love to go on vacation: Here they were seen months ago in their matching Fendi suits In addition the The Bricklayer, Nina's other upcoming projects include Netflixs The Out-Law and comedy The Reunion. Last month, Shaun and Nina, who have been dating for two years, enjoyed a tropical vacation in Costa Rica to celebrate the star athlete's retirement from professional snowboarding after dominating the sport for almost two decades. Shaun holds the world record for the most X Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder and is widely regarded as one of the greatest snowboarders of all time. Sarah Jessica Parker tested positive for COVID-19 just days after her husband and co-star Matthew Broderick caught the coronavirus, as both stars are now forced to pull out of the Broadway show Plaza Suite. 'With both Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker positive for COVID, tonights performance of Plaza Suite is canceled,' the shows producers said in a statement to Variety. 'The producers apologize for the inconvenience this has caused audience members. Ticket holders should contact their point of sale to reschedule for a future performance or obtain a refund.' Feel better: Sarah Jessica Parker tested positive for COVID-19 just days after her husband and co-star Matthew Broderick caught the coronavirus , as both stars are now forced to pull out of the Broadway show Plaza Suite Red carpet ready: Only 10 days ago, Matthew and SJP stunned at the premiere of their long-awaited Broadway show Producers added: 'Everyone wishes Matthew and Sarah Jessica a speedy recovery.' The show had kept going despite Broderick's absence on Tuesday with an understudy, but with neither star now available who play three couples over three acts in a hotel suite producers had little options. The First Wives Club star had performed opposite Matthew's understudy, Tony Award winner Michael McGrath. It's unclear if any other cast or crew members on the production have since tested positive for the viral disease. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick appear at the curtain call following the opening night performance of Neil Simon's 'Plaza Suite' on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre on Monday, March 28 in New York Their play has gotten off to a rocky start after having to go on a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. It was initially supposed first set to begin Broadway previews on March 13, 2020, but Governor Cuomo shut down all Broadway theaters on March 12, and only recently were they allowed to reopen again. 'We're overjoyed to finally be able to welcome Broadway audiences to the Hudson Theatre to see Neil Simon's celebration of New York, New Yorkers, and the wonderful ways they fall in love. We simply can't wait,' Broderick and Parker said in a joint statement last month at the premiere. The couple celebrated 24 years of wedded bliss in December and have three children together: James, Marion and Tabitha. The Plaza Suite revival initially began preview performances in February to positive reviews nearly four decades after the original show premiered at the Plymouth Theatre Feb. 14, 1968. The original show earned three Tony nominations, won a Best Direction of a Play for Mike Nichols work and played 1,097 performances before closing on Oct. 3, 1970. Tough time: Their play has gotten off to a rocky start after having to go on a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. It was initially supposed to debut in 2020 after previews began in February 2020, but Governor Cuomo shut down all Broadway theaters on March 12, and only recently were they allowed to reopen again 'The producers apologize for the inconvenience this has caused audience members. Ticket holders should contact their point of sale to reschedule for a future performance or obtain a refund,' the show said in a statement Playbill described the new show: 'Real-life couple Broderick and Parker play three different twosomes each spending an evening in the famed Plaza Hotel: one couple dealing with difficulties in their marriage on their 24th anniversary, a pair of high-school sweethearts reuniting after many years apart, and the frenzied parents of a jittery bride on her wedding day.' The twin cases at Plaza Suite comes at a time when coronavirus cases are rising in the city and on Broadway again. The musical A Strange Loop canceled its first preview performance after COVID-19 cases were discovered within the company and the off-Broadway musical Suffs has been derailed. Daniel Craig was also sidelined from his revival of Macbeth. Travis Barker, who has over 100 tattoos on his muscular body, showed off his expansive ink collection while going shirtless on the cover of Billboard. While appearing on the magazine's latest issue, the 46-year-old drummer can be seen leaning on the handle bars of a black bike as he stared directly at the camera with a stone-cold expression across his face. The father-of-two, who is engaged to reality star Kourtney Kardashian, wore two silver chains around his neck and a pair of black shorts in the image. Travis Barker, who has over 100 tattoos on his muscular body, showed off his expansive ink collection while going shirtless on the cover of Billboard Just one day after sharing photos from his non-legal wedding to the Poosh founder, Barker posted photos from the shoot in various different outfits. On his Instagram, he shared three snaps of himself in a black tuxedo jacket, white button-down and long black skirt. 'I say no a lot @billboard,' he captioned the slideshow, which received more than 109,600 likes and a comment from Kardashian. In response to Kardashian's comment of a string of emojis, including a burning heart, black heart and sweating face, he cheekily responded: 'thank you for letting me borrow your skirt.' During his interview with the magazine, Barker noted how alike he and his bride-to-be are. They have a lot in common: During his interview with the magazine, Barker noted how alike he and his bride-to-be are; here they are seen on Sunday at a chapel. Their wedding was not legal as they could not get a marriage license that late at night 'We're very similar, with our backs to the wall,' Barker said. 'We have no quit, and I need someone like that in my life.' He added: 'No matter how late we stay up, whatever we do the night before, she still wants to get up and go to the gym with me or run on the beach, or whatever. That's so important.' Barker also divulged five unknown facts about him, like how he prefers matcha to coffee and owns five French bulldogs in a video for the outlet. His lady: 'We're very similar, with our backs to the wall,' Barker said. 'We have no quit, and I need someone like that in my life' The rocker shared that he likes running in 'complete silence,' was a garbage man at one point in his life and is left-handed. Despite his tremendous success, Barker stated he was happy working as a 'trash man playing in a punk rock band, skateboarding...everyday... being a bum, not having any money' because he was doing what he loved. 'I was doing exactly what I was doing now. Playing music, playing drums, I've never looked back and wished I'd done something different,' he concluded. Still, a lot has changed, which he reflected on when talking about one of his rare days off spent in Laguna Beach with his fiancee. Happy couple: During his interview with the magazine, Barker noted how alike he and his bride-to-be are because neither of them ever quit (pictured on March 27, 2022) 'I was [once] a trash man there playing in a punk-rock band called Feeble, so to go back in 2022 with my fiancee and just have a day laying on the beach I can't say how amazing it is,' Barker said. He continued: 'I feel like I'm learning how to structure my time, trying to work enough to where I feel comfortable and feel like I earn days off and vacations, which I never took until this past year.' He noted his friends always say he works like he's 'broke.' 'I feel unfulfilled if Im not being creative and producing stuff, being productive but Ive also learned to make sure Im not measuring my happiness by how much I work,' the performer explained. The cost (unless otherwise noted) is $5 members, $10 non-members in advance; all tickets at the door are $12. Join us on select Thursdays for sparkling conversation in the galleries, followed by a champagne toast, in this new series of talks. Sparkling conversation, followed by a champagne toast Members of The DAIs curatorial and education teams highlight works from the permanent collection or current special exhibitions in each Curatorial Conversations program. A reception follows each talk. Space is limited for each talk, and advance reservations are recommended. Upcoming Talks Curatorial Conversations - Black Heritage Through Visual Rhythms in person talk at the museum: May 7 Reservations may be made by calling 937-223-4ART (4278) or in person at the museum's Guest Services Desk during regular hours. In its annual report released on Wednesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact international student enrolment in the United States in 2021. (PTI/Representational Image) Washington: The number of Indian students in the United States increased by over 12 per cent in 2021, while those from China, which accounts for the largest number, dropped by more than eight per cent, according to an official report. In its annual report released on Wednesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact international student enrolment in the United States in 2021. The total number of SEVIS records for active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,236,748 in the calendar year 2021, a decrease of 1.2 per cent from the calendar year 2020. SEVIS stands for Students and Exchange Visitor Information System. F-1 and M-1 are the two non-immigrant student visas. J-1 is also a non-immigrant student visa but is mostly given to scholars exchange programmes. In 2021, 8,038 SEVP-certified schools were eligible to enrol international students, registering a decrease by 280 schools from 8,369 eligible schools in 2020. The number of students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin. However, China sent fewer students in 2021 in comparison to 2020 (-33,569) while India sent more students (+25,391), the report said. As many as 37 per cent of Indian students are females. Overall, China continues to top the list of countries sending 348,992 students to the US. India follows China with 232,851 students. China and India are followed by South Korea (58,787), Canada (37,453), Brazil (33,552), Vietnam (29,597), Saudi Arabia (28,600), Taiwan (25,406), Japan (20,144) and Mexico (19,680). According to the report, only Asia and Australia/Pacific Islands saw an overall decline in the number of students coming to the United States last year as all other continents saw an increase. International F-1 and M-1 students came from every continent in the world other than Antarctica and from more than 224 countries and territories. Students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin, accounting for 71.9 per cent of the international student population. China sent fewer international students while India sent more, the report said. In 2021, California hosted 208,257 international students, the largest percentage of international students (16.8 per cent) of any US state. There were 240,479 active exchange visitors in the United States in 2021 compared to 256,944 active exchange visitors in 2020, it said. Most F-1 and M-1 students come to the US to take part in the higher education system. In 2021, roughly 92 per cent of all F-1 and M-1 students were enrolled in a SEVP-certified associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral programmes. Specifically, international students in the US pursued 1,142,352 degrees in higher education, which is an increase from the calendar year 2020 (1,121,981). It is important to note that one student might partake in more than one level of education in a given calendar year, so they may be counted in multiple educational levels. USCIS said 47 per cent (581,843) of all active SEVIS records hailed from either China (348,992) or India (232,851) in the calendar year 2021, the same percentage as the calendar year 2020. While the overall number of active F-1 and M-1 student records coming from Asia decreased by 34,781 from the calendar year 2020 to the calendar year 2021, student record trends varied across different countries, it said. The number of international student records from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin. However, China sent fewer students in 2021 in comparison to 2020 (-33,569), while India sent more students (+25,391), it said. Still, 71.9 per cent of all international students in the United States call Asia home. Other Asian countries sent fewer students including South Korea (-9,430), Saudi Arabia (-9,439) and Japan (-6,155), the report said. The Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) on Thursday claimed that the occupancy at offices, currently around 15 per cent, would be around 40 per cent by June-end. (Bloomberg) Hyderabad: Software enterprises in Hyderabad are bullish on getting employees back to offices now that the Covid cases are on a two-year-low across the country. The Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) on Thursday claimed that the occupancy at offices, currently around 15 per cent, would be around 40 per cent by June-end. There is a lot of traction of people returning to office, said HYSEA president Bharani K Aroll. CEO, Raheja Mindspace, AP & Telangana, G. Shravan said the occupancy levels at IT offices had dropped with the Covid first wave, after which occupancy levels were at just five per cent for about 15 months. Today the levels are close to 15 per cent. Firms too are now trying to get employees back to offices, he said. Shravan added that many offices had adopted certain practices keeping in mind the pandemic. At Mindspace IT park, for instance, all elevators are touch-free and thermal scanners have been installed at the entry points, he said. Satyanarayana Mathala, president, Telangana facilities management council, said offices were now ready to accommodate 100 per cent of employees, with even cafeterias being operational. As regards transport facilities, he said that there was a shortage of drivers as most of them had returned to their native places during the pandemic. However, vendors are now trying to bring back those drivers asking them to re-join work. Occupancy of hostels where IT employees stay also provides an indication of the number of employees returning to offices. Mahender, treasurer of the IT Hostels Association, whose members provide accommodation to hundreds of employees in IT corridors, said, If there is no new wave, we expect occupancy to rise to 50-60 per cent by June-July. He added that about 20 per cent of the 3,500 hostels in the city had shut down when the pandemic began, while about 30 per cent had gone through financial difficulties. Chaired by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy, the AP cabinet has directed the health department to draft a policy to ensure government doctors dont do private practice. (DC File Image) VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday has taken several key decisions. These included creation of two new revenue divisions, approving YSR Sunna Vaddi, the start of AP Millets Mission, and nod for land allotments for setting up health hubs, among others. The cabinet has directed the health department to draft a policy to ensure government doctors dont do private practice. Briefing the media, Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah said the cabinet has approved the YSR Sunna Vaddi scheme for the third consecutive year. The CM will launch the scheme and disburse the interest amount of Rs 1259 crore, benefitting around 90 lakh DWACRA women, on April 22. The cabinet approved creation of two new revenue divisions the Kothapeta division of East Godavari district and the Pulivendula division of YSR district. Kothapeta revenue division will have seven mandals -- Athreyapuram, Alamuru, Ravulapalem, Kothapeta, P Gannavaram, Ambajipeta and Ainavalli. The Pulivendula division will consist of Pulivendula, Vempalli, Vemula, Chakrayapeta, Simhadripuram, Veerapunainpalli, Lingala and Thonduru. The cabinet approved the setting up of 12 police sub divisions and 16 circle inspector offices. It passed a resolution to continue Zilla Parishads as they are despite the reorganization of the districts. The cabinet gave its nod for sanction of seven teaching posts and five non-teaching posts in the Agriculture Polytechnic College in Punganuru of Chittoor district. It also approved the launch of the AP Millet Mission (2022-23 to 2026-27 ) to encourage millets cultivation. The cabinet agreed to sanction one assistant general manager post and two office subordinate posts in the Andhra Pradesh Education and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation and 253 posts for higher education department. Of these, 23 were Principal posts, 31 teaching posts and 199 non-teaching posts. This apart, the cabinet approved 24 teaching posts and 10 non-teaching posts in government degree college at Thogaram in Amudalavalasa mandal of Srikakulam district and the government degree college in Darsi of Prakasam district. The cabinet approved one principal post in the dental college in Kadapa and ratified GOs 27, 28, 29 related to HRA in implementation of PRC. The cabinet approved allotment of land for setting up health hubs in the state, which include 5 acres of land for a super specialty hospital in Suryaraopeta of Kakinada Urban and Kalluru of Kurnool district, 4.5 acers in Santhapeta of Vizianagaram district, 4.32 acers in Pathrunivalsa of Srikakulam district and 4 acers in Anantapur rural. Besides, the cabinet approved allotment of six acers of land to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department for a hotel and convention centre in Rajahmundry urban. It also gave its nod for grant of 100 acres to APIIC to set up an MSME Park in Bethamcherla of Kurnool district. There were also other minor land allocations to various government and private institutions for development and other purposes. VIJAYAWADA: AP government on Thursday issued orders permitting minority Muslim employees to leave office early an hour in the evening in view of the Holy Ramzan. Chief secretary Sameer Sharma issued the circular that will be in force till May 2. The government permitted all the government staff, teachers, those hired on contract and outsourcing personnel, who profess Islam, to leave offices/schools early by one hour in the evening on all working days during the period till May 2 to, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services. Muslim employees welcomed the decision and thanked the government. They recalled that every year the government gives relaxations to minority employees which would be very helpful to them towards performing Roja (fasting) rituals in the evening. Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court issued an order on Wednesday, saying a person with a flat foot is not eligible to be appointed as an assistant motor vehicle inspector. It would be a hindrance to discharge duties properly. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Mishra and Justice Satyanarayana Murthy heard the petition filed by Nageswaraiah hailing from the Kadapa district. The petitioner applied for APPSCs general recruitment notification for the selection of 23 persons for the posts of assistant motor vehicle inspectors, which was issued in December 2018. He had appeared for the test, scored 194.26 marks out of 300 and stood in the second position on the state merit list. Out of 21 applicants selected, the petitioners name was not found as he was declared medically unfit for the reason he had a flat foot on his right leg. He moved the high court to set aside the recruitment notification and issue directions to the transport department to select him as AMVI based on his merit. The government argued that flat foot was a disqualification for appointment. Government pleader submitted that denial of appointment was not discrimination to attract a citation of violation under Article 14 of Constitution. The court opined that the person having a flat foot would not have a grip while walking or running and it would become a hindrance to the discharge duties as AMVI. VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence here on Tuesday evening and discussed several key issues related to the state. The subjects included the Polavaram project, the Kadapa Steel Plant, the rationality in coverage of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, and the arrears from Telangana Discoms to the state, among others. The Presidential elections was also on the agenda about which the CM and the PM exchanged views. The YSRC would play a vital role in these polls, as the votes of the party will be of help to the ruling BJP. During the interaction, the CM requested the Prime Minister to approve the revised cost estimates of Rs 55,548.87 crore for Polavaram as per the technical advisory committee meetings proposals on February 11, 2019. He said Rs 31,118 crore would need be be spent on the project, of which Rs 8,590 crore is for construction and Rs 22,598 crore for rehabilitation. He also requested the PM to clear the bills in total and not component-wise and to directly transfer the R&R package amount to the accounts of beneficiaries without delay. Jagan said there is inadequate coverage of beneficiaries under NFSA (National Food Security) Act. He said while the state government has listed 1.45 crore families for ration, only 0.89 crore families are receiving ration from the central government. The state government is providing ration to the remaining 0.56 crore families, he said, and requested the PM to direct the officials that the states data be revised. The chief minister urged the Prime Minister to renew the approvals of the site clearances for the greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram. As regards the setting up of an Integrated Steel Plant in YSR district, he said MECON, a Government of India undertaking, has not yet concluded its report vis-a-vis the feasibility of the integrated steel plant. The state government has incorporated YSR Steel Corporation Ltd for establishing the steel plant and sought the Centre's support. The chief minister urged the PM to give approvals for release of beach sand minerals to the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation at 16 places. He also urged the PM to give approvals for setting up another 12 teaching hospitals in the state. He said the state government has spent Rs 32,625.25 crore in the form of pending bills during the bifurcation and as a part of implementation of the X-th Wage Commission recommendations and urged the PM to fill the revenue deficit. Jagan said the state government has lost revenue due to the bifurcation and Covid pandemic and urged the PM to relax the credit limit for the state. The CM said an amount of Rs 6,455.76 crore was receivable by the Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation Ltd (APGENCO) from the Telangana State Distribution Utilities and the Telangana DISCOMs and requested the PM to direct the concerned authorities to settle these dues at the earliest. This, he said, will help the state power sector to be financially strengthened. Later, the CM called on Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed issues related to the state. The CM also met Union minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and explained to him about the Polavaram project progress and sought clearance of the bills. Jagan also sought the cooperation of the Centre for the swift completion of Polavaram project. Earlier, YSRC MPs Vijayasai Reddy, Mithun Reddy, Vemireddy Prabhakar, Margani Bharath, Vanga Geeta, Madhavi, Ayodhya Ramireddy, Gurumurthy, Madhav, Rangaiah, Reddappa, Satyavarthi and others welcomed the CM at the airport in Delhi. NARASARAOPET (Palnadu district): Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy changed his gear coming into action mode and lambasted the Opposition, mainly Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, terming them as a gang of dacoits desperate to grab power and loot the state. Addressing a public meeting during the felicitation of Volunteers programme at Narasaraopet in the newly-formed Palandu district, Jagan used strong words against Opposition leaders. Claiming that he was fighting against demons like Mareecha, the CM said those in the the yellow media were also a part of the dacoit gang. The TD is crying that it wont be able to get even their candidate deposits back in elections. It joins hands with parties and snaps ties with them at will, he said. In a scathing attack on Telugu Desam and its allies, the CM said the Opposition is jittery and green with jealousy as the welfare schemes have been providing a groundswell of popular support to the state government. Coming down heavily on the Opposition and a section of the media for equating the state with crisis-ridden Sri Lanka, the chief minister reiterated that there is no medicine for their jealousy. This can lead to health issues and can be fatal, he said. Terming Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and their friendly media as a bunch of thieves and desperate power-mongers out to loot the state, Jagan said the gang has taken up a smear campaign to defame the government by sitting in Hyderabad. The state was looted and pushed into a debt trap during the TD period. I am fighting such unscrupulous elements, he said and urged the people not to believe in the falsehoods of Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and some media houses. Referring to the malicious reports carried by a section of media about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the chief minister said that he met the PM in a cordial atmosphere. The chief minister felicitated the Volunteers, saluting them for their exemplary services. The village and ward volunteer system has redefined governance, making Andhra Pradesh a role model to other states, he said, and added that the service-orientation of the volunteers was laudable. About 2.32 lakh volunteers are being given awards in three levels with a cash incentive, medal, badge and a certificate at an expenditure of Rs 239 crore. The chief minister said the award presentations will go on at mandal level for the next 20 days. Volunteers played a key role in taking welfare schemes to the beneficiaries by creating awareness on every government initiative including the welfare calendar, he said, and asked the volunteers to continue their good work. New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said he held a broad discussion on the issue of his cabinet rejig with BJP National President J P Nadda, and further discussion will be held next week. Speaking to reporters before leaving for Bengaluru, Bommai said he held a meeting with Nadda on Wednesday on the matter. "I had a broad discussion on cabinet expansion. The party top brass has obtained all the information. Nadda has said further discussion would be held during his visit to Karnataka for the state party executive committee meeting," he said. After deliberation on the issue at the party state executive committee meeting scheduled on April 16-17, the party chief will take a final decision after consulting senior leaders and the BJP National General Secretary, Bommai said. "Naddaji also asked me to make all preparations for the state executive committee meeting and discuss on how to prepare to face the next assembly elections," the CM said. Bommai was in the national capital on a two-day visit to meet Union ministers and party leaders. Pressure has been mounting on the chief minister to expand or rejig his cabinet soon, after the recent assembly elections in five states. Some legislators have even been advocating a Gujarat-like overhaul of the Karnataka cabinet to make way for new faces ahead of the assembly election next year. There are currently 30 ministers in the State Cabinet, including the chief minister, against the sanctioned strength of 34. Shah, who recently visited the state, had given a target to Karnataka BJP leaders to ensure the party's victory in 150 seats out of the total of 224 in the 2023 assembly elections. The BJP is eyeing a second consecutive term in the state. Hyderabad: Ministers and top TRS leaders led the party cadre and activists on Thursday in laying siege to district collectorates and revenue divisional offices (RDOs) across the state to protest the Centres decision against procuring paddy from Telangana in the ongoing rabi season. A large number of TRS leaders and cadre including ministers, party MLAs, MLCs, MPs and elected representatives of local bodies participated in the dharnas that were held from 8 am to 1 pm. With Thursday's protests, the party has completed three of the five phases of the agitation from April 4 to 11, announced by the party leadership. TRS working president and IT minister K.T.Rama Rao participated in a protest at Sircilla. Addressing a rally there, Rama Rao accused Union food minister Piyush Goyal of insulting Telangana with his remarks that the state government should make its people habituated to eat broken rice since the Centre cannot procure boiled rice. He termed Goyal's statements in Parliament on the lack of demand for boiled rice as 'blatant lies'. Rama Rao said the Centre had exported one crore tonnes of boiled rice to 90 countries. He said BJP's Delhi leaders and Telangana galli leaders were trying to confuse farmers on paddy procurement with their contradictory statements. Taken in by their words, farmers had sowed paddy in over 35 lakh acres even after the TRS government had advised them in advance against doing so as the Centre had refused to purchase the crop. "Now these BJP's Delhi and galli leaders are hiding their faces. We will not let the BJP leaders go till the Centre procures the paddy," Rama Rao said. Finance minister T. Harish Rao took part in a massive protest at the RDO in Siddipet. He lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of running the government for the benefit of 'corporates' at the cost of farmers and the common people. "The Modi government has the money to waive Rs 11 lakh crore loans of corporates but says it has no money to procure paddy from Telangana farmers. He is talking about the government suffering losses if paddy is procured." Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali and energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy took part in a dharna at Nalgonda. Ali termed Centre as 'dushman government' for discriminating against Telangana while procuring paddy in Punjab. Jagadish Reddy said the TRS was forced to hit the streets after eight years due to the indifferent attitude of the Modi government. Tribal welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod took part in a dharna at Maabubabad. She alleged that Modi government was indulding in 'vendetta politics' since TRS is fighting against anti-farmer, anti-people, anti-labour policies of the Centre. Sri Lankan government doctors sprotest against the government near the national hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. (AP/Eranga Jayawardena) Washington: The United States has advised its citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka, pointing to the fuel and medicine shortages, as well as the COVID-19 and terror threats in the Island nation where the worst-ever economic crisis has triggered political unrest. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the UK in 1948. Sri Lankans have protested for weeks over lengthy power cuts and shortages of gas, food and other basic goods. The public anger has prompted nearly all Cabinet ministers to quit, and scores of lawmakers to leave President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government. Reconsider travel to Sri Lanka due to COVID-19 and fuel and medicine shortages. Exercise increased caution in Sri Lanka due to terrorism, the State Department said on Wednesday in its latest travel advisory which has now been placed on Level 3. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Sri Lanka due to coronavirus, indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, it said. The State Department said Sri Lanka is experiencing shortages of fuel and cooking gas as well as some medicines and essential food items, due to the ongoing economic situation in the country. There have recently been protests over the economic situation and queues at gas stations, grocery stores and some pharmacies. Protests have occurred throughout the country and have mostly been peaceful. In some instances, police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, it said. There have also been daily planned power outages across the island, as well as some unplanned power outages, as fuel for backup generators is increasingly scarce. Public transportation in some instances has been limited or curtailed. Travellers should monitor local media for updates on the ongoing situation, said the State Department. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals, and other public areas, the travel advisory said. Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts, the public has been suffering for months. Despite the declaration of a state of emergency and a weekend curfew, people joined the protests calling for the resignation of Rajapaksa throughout the island nation on Tuesday. Protesters even blocked the access roads to parliament. The President late Tuesday night revoked the emergency after huge public protests demanded his resignation. The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, continue to hold power in Sri Lanka, despite their politically powerful family being the focus of public ire. President Rajapaksa has defended his government's actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his making and the economic downturn was largely pandemic driven with the island nation's tourism revenue and inward remittances waning. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 6, 2022. MANDEL NGAN / AFP) Washington: The US stands ready to support India in diversifying its energy imports, the White House has said, reiterating its desire that New Delhi does not purchase oil from Russia amid American sanctions on Moscow for attacking Ukraine. The remarks made by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday come amid increasing disquiet in the West over India's indication to buy larger volumes of discounted crude oil from Russia. On Monday, the White House said the US views that it is not in India's interest to "accelerate or increase" imports of Russian energy and other commodities while offering to work with New Delhi to help it reduce its reliance on imports from Moscow. We do not think India should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities even as, obviously, those decisions are made by individual countries, Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. And (the US is) also making clear that we stand ready to support India as in any efforts to diversify its imports and serve as a reliable supplier even as they're only importing about one to two per cent of their oil from Russia, she said in response to a question. India gets the bulk of its energy supplies from the Middle-East and around 7.5 to 8 per cent from the US, while the procurement from Russia in the past was less than one per cent. Asserting that India is strongly against the Russia-Ukraine conflict as no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that if New Delhi has chosen a side, it is the side of peace and an immediate end to violence. Jaishankar also said that attributing a political colour to India's actions in the wake of the Ukraine situation was uncalled for and unfair. He said India's approach should be guided by its national beliefs and values, national interest and by its national strategy. US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh was in New Delhi recently to discuss with Indian officials on the Russian sanctions. We have a range of ways to communicate and engage. And obviously, sending our Deputy National Security Advisor is an example of that. But clearly, our preference would be to have a confirmed ambassador, Psaki said. The nomination of US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, is pending in the US Senate as he does not have enough votes for his confirmation, she said. Our preference is always to have a confirmed ambassador on the ground. It's an incredibly important diplomatic position. We also engage with countries through a range of channels. And obviously, our deputy National Security Advisor was just in India recently in the last few weeks, conveying clearly what the consequences of violating sanctions would be and what the mechanisms are, Psaki said. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Friday held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, a day after the US warned of consequences over attempts to "circumvent" American sanctions against Moscow. In his opening remarks at the talks, Jaishankar, referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said India is in favour of resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. "We have diversified our cooperation by expanding our agenda. Our meeting today takes place in a difficult international environment apart from the pandemic," he said. Sri Lankans participate in a protest demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign, before the beginning of curfew in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, April 2, 2022. (AP/Eranga Jayawardena) COLOMBO: Sri Lanka blocked access to social media platforms on Sunday after authorities imposed a weekend nationwide curfew to contain protests over a worsening economic crisis. The South Asian nation is facing severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials, along with sharp price rises and crippling power cuts, in its most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa imposed a state of emergency on Friday, the day after a crowd attempted to storm his home in the capital Colombo, and a nationwide curfew is in effect until Monday morning. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp were among the platforms shut down by internet service providers on the orders of defence authorities, the pro-government Ada Derana news channel said. "On the request of the defence ministry, service providers advised to temporarily restrict social media platforms," the broadcaster said, quoting Sri Lanka's media regulator. Anonymous activists had called for mass protests on Sunday on social media before the order went into effect. Hundreds of people defied the curfew on Saturday night and staged small demonstrations in various Colombo neighbourhoods, but dispersed peacefully, police and residents said. The anti-government hashtags "#GoHomeRajapaksas" and "#GotaGoHome" have been trending locally for days on Twitter and Facebook after severe shortages of essentials, sharp price rises and crippling power cuts. Police said one social media activist was arrested on Friday for allegedly posting material that could cause public unrest. Western ambassadors in Colombo have expressed concern over the use of emergency laws to stifle democratic dissent and said they were closely monitoring developments. Armed troops have been deployed around the country to maintain order. Foreign exchange shortage A critical lack of foreign currency has left Sri Lanka struggling to service its ballooning $51 billion public debt, with the pandemic torpedoing vital revenue from tourism and remittances. The crisis has also left the import-dependent country unable to pay for sorely needed goods. Diesel shortages have sparked outrage across Sri Lanka in recent days, causing protests at empty pumps, and electricity utilities have imposed 13-hour blackouts to conserve fuel. Many economists also say the crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing, and ill-advised tax cuts. Sri Lanka is in negotiations for an International Monetary Fund bailout and ratings agencies have cast doubt over the government's ability to service its spiralling $51 billion in public debt. Former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel was on Wednesday barred from boarding a flight to the United States at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). In a tweet, Aakar said he was put on the exit control list, although he got his passport through a court order specifically for the US trip. His inclusion in the list was related to a case filed against Amnesty India International by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Aakar has now filed a petition in Delhi to quash the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by the CBI. The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) declined to elaborate but confirmed that the decision to stop him from flying was made by the Immigration officials. Aakar was to board a British Airway flight at about 6.30 am on Wednesday. I had checked in my bags and got my boarding pass. At the Immigration, I was told that I couldn't go because my name was in the LOC, he told DH. It is malicious and the government knew that I was leaving. They had opposed giving my passport back to me. Why did they not tell me you are there on another list? I would have taken them to court on that. But they didn't do that. This is devious, he said. A BJP MLA had filed a case under seciton 153A against Aakar in Surat in late 2020. As part of my bail condition, I had surrendered my passport and it was with the court all this time. Last time I had an engagement with the CBI in 2020 when they sent summons and I went and met them. I have not heard from the CBI in the last 13 months. Aakar had moved the court to get his passport back after being invited for lectures in the Michigan, Berkeley and New York universities. Despite the government's objection that he was a flight risk, the passport was returned to him. He was allowed to go but asked to be back by the end of May. Agencies citing sources said the CBI had filed a case against Amnesty International India and three of its associate organisations in November, 2019, based on a complaint by the Home Ministry for alleged violation of the provision of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and the Indian Penal Code. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Pakistan's Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday noted that National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri's move to dismiss a no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan through a controversial ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95 of the Constitution as he said the court will issue a decision in the high-profile case today. Chief Justice Bandial, who is heading a five-member bench comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mohammad Ali Mazhar Miankhel, Munib Akhtar and Jamal Khan Mandokhel, made the observation during the hearing on Thursday. During the hearing on the fourth day, Chief Justice Bandial noted that the deputy speaker's ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95. Read | Imran Khan's US claim 'fictional': ex-Trump official "The real question at hand is what happens next," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. "We have to look at national interest," he said, adding that the court would issue a verdict today. Security was beefed up around the court premises in anticipation of the important verdict. Riot police were deployed outside the court. Earlier, Barrister Ali Zafar, representing President Arif Alvi, presented his arguments. Also Read | Imran Khans claim on US seeking to overturn his govt fictional: ex-Trump official Bandial questioned Zafar about where the constitutional crisis in the country was if everything was happening as per the Constitution, the report said. The top judge also asked the council why he was not explaining whether or not there was a constitutional crisis in the country. "If everything is happening according to the Constitution, where is the crisis?" the chief justice asked. During the hearing, Zafar was asked by Justice Miankhel if the prime minister was the people's representative. The lawyer replied in the affirmative. Miankhel then inquired if the premier would be protected if the Constitution was violated in Parliament. Also Read | Pakistan army disputes PM Imran, says no evidence suggesting US involvement in regime change: Report At this, Zafar replied that the Constitution must be protected in accordance with the rules it underlines. He said that in order to protect the Constitution, each and every article had to be kept in mind. Justice Bandial then asked what would happen when injustice was carried out against the entire assembly, not just one member. Justice Mandokhel pointed out that even though the deputy speaker Suri announced the April 3 ruling which dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan, it was signed by Speaker Asad Qaiser. He made the observation as Suri and Qaiser's lawyer, Naeem Bukhari, presented his arguments in the case concerning the legality of the deputy speaker's ruling, the Dawn newspaper reported. Also Read | Pak's apex court seeks minutes of NSC meeting; adjourns hearing till Thursday on no-trust motion Justice Mandokhel also pointed out that the minutes of the parliamentary committee meeting, which were submitted to the court by Bukhari, didn't prove if the deputy speaker was present. He asked whether the foreign minister was present during the parliamentary committee meeting, during which contents of the threat letter were shared with parliamentarians, noting that his signature was not included in the record. "Shouldn't the foreign minister have been present?" the judge asked, which prompted the lawyer to admit the minister should have been present. Chief Justice Bandial pointed out that the name of the national security adviser at the time, Moeed Yusuf, was also not included in the record. Also Read | Ties with Pakistan 'rock solid'; political crisis won't affect cooperation, CPEC projects: China National Assembly Deputy Speaker Suri on Sunday ruled that the no-confidence motion was linked with the "foreign conspiracy" to topple the government and hence was not maintainable. Minutes later, President Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of Prime Minister Khan. Chief Justice Bandial on Wednesday sought the minutes of the recent meeting of the National Security Council which had discussed a letter purportedly showing evidence of the "foreign conspiracy" to oust the PTI-led government Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, who was the last to give his arguments on Thursday, told court that he would not be able to give details of the recent meeting of the National Security Committee in an open courtroom. He asserted that the court could issue an order without questioning anyone's loyalty. He argued that the prime minister was the "biggest stakeholder" and, therefore, had the power to dissolve the assembly. Also Read | Pakistan president wants election date set as political crisis continues He also pointed out that the assembly would stand dissolved if the president did not make a decision on the prime minister's advice within 48 hours. He argued that voting on the no-confidence motion was not the fundamental right of a lawmaker. During the hearing on Wednesday, the chief justice repeatedly reminded the lawyers to conclude their arguments at the earliest to let the bench issue an order. The outcome will not only decide the fate of no-confidence but also the dissolution of the National Assembly and the upcoming elections. If Khan gets a favourable ruling, elections will take place within 90 days. If the court rules against the deputy speaker, Parliament will reconvene and hold the no-confidence vote against Khan, experts said. Watch latest videos by DH here: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday raided multiple locations across Kashmir in connection with radicalising/recruiting and motivating youths to join militancy by The Resistance Front (TRF) commander Sajad Gul and others. A spokesperson of the NIA said the probe agency conducted raids at six locations in Srinagar, two in Baramulla, one each in Awantipora, Budgam and Kulgam districts in case (RC-32/2021/NIA/DLI). The locations searched include the house of active terrorist Basit Ahmad Dar against whom the NIA has recently announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh, he said. The case relates to activities of TRF, a frontal outfit of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its self-styled commander Sajjad Gul, who has been actively radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K to affect violent activities, the spokesperson said. He (Gul) along with his other associate commanders of LeT based in Pakistan, has been recruiting individuals (over ground workers) to do reconnaissance of pre-determined targets, coordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and TRF, he said and added that during the searches conducted, incriminating materials such as digital devices, SIM cards, digital storage devices, documents were seized. Since early 2017, the NIA has raided hundreds of places in Jammu and Kashmir and arrested dozens of people, including businessmen and politicians in alleged terror funding cases. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Amid shortage of potable water reported in several parts of Goa amid early summer, state Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik wants "big companies" to be invited to build a network of dams in the state so that the collected water could be exported to the arid Gulf region. "Dams should be erected between hills in Goa. There should be such a dam network in the entire Goa and the water can be used for horticulture as well as for farming," Naik, a former Chief Minister, told reporters late on Wednesday. "The water should be sold to big companies, who should be asked to put up these dams, for the purpose of export. Send it to Dubai, send it to Kuwait, send it everywhere and across India. They sell us petrol, we should sell them water," he also said. The coastal state has witnessed protests by civil society groups in several parts, including the Bardez, Bicholim and Pernem sub districts, due to shortage of potable water over the past few weeks. Check out DH's latest videos: The death of Chandru, 22, who was stabbed during a road rage altercation is tragic and condemnable. The guilty must be brought to book. But Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendras bid to evoke passions by giving the incident a communal twist is dangerous and must be condemned. The minister made a statement suggesting that Chandrus assailants had stabbed him because he had refused to speak in Urdu as they had demanded. The minister claimed that he had gathered information on the incident and went on to suggest that it was a Hindu-Muslim fight. The facts of the incident are otherwise. The minister should be held accountable for prejudging an incident, distorting facts and making a public statement that had the potential to inflame communal passions, that too when the communal temperature is already high in the state, thanks to the ministers party and Parivar. Ministers, who have taken oath on the Constitution, are expected to act and talk with the utmost sense of responsibility. The Home Minister later retracted the statement and said that his earlier version had been wrong, but by that time, much damage had been done, with other members of the BJP, led by its national general secretary C T Ravi, stoking communal frenzy over the incident. Why did the Home Minister choose to make a statement based on information he had apparently gathered from sources, rather than going by the version of the Police Commissioner? Were his sources Hindutva groups and their social media accounts? Police Commissioner Kamal Pant had already issued a detailed clarification: Simon Raj and ChandruChristian by community, had gone to an eatery on Mysuru Roadthey collided with another bike ridden by one Shahid. It led to a quarrel. During the fight, Shahid stabbed Chandru on his right thigh and the assailants fled the spot. Chandrusuccumbed to injury. All three accused are arrested. Did the ministers own biases and prejudice convince him that what he had heard and read from his sources must be true? It is this danger of ones own biases and prejudices affecting ones public work that those in high office must guard against. The Home Minister will do well to remember this. Recent incidents and deliberate communal campaigns have made it clear that the state government is unwilling to act on its own to correct course and bring the communal temperature down. It may be time for Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to convey to the Chief Minister and the government to act strictly in accord with the Constitution and to uphold rule of law. Communal amity must be restored at the earliest, and this cannot be achieved as long as people in high offices keep stoking the fire. Premier pacer Pat Cummins shone with the bat-like never before, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL, including amassing 35 in an over, as Kolkata Knight Riders crushed Mumbai Indians by five wickets here on Wednesday. Cummins blazed away to his fifty in just 14 balls, joining KL Rahul on the top of the leaderboard, while opener Venkatesh Iyer batted through the innings for his unbeaten 41-ball 50, as KKR completed a chase of 162 with as many as four overs to spare. It was unbelievable stuff from Cummins as KKR, needing 35 from 30 balls, got them all in just six deliveries with the Australian Test captain hitting six sixes and four boundaries in his 15-ball 56. Daniel Sams bore the brunt of Cummins' onslaught the most, conceding 35 runs in the 16th over, which sealed it for KKR. Together with Iyer, Cummins, who came in at number six, shared 61 runs in just 2.1 overs to overhaul MI's total of 161 for four. MI, thus, slumped to their third defeat in as many matches. KKR made a sedate start reaching 16 off the first four overs. The wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer made life difficult for KKR as they slumped to 35 for two in the sixth over. Sam Billings made 17 off 12 balls before he dismissed by Murugam Ashwin. Iyer, on the other hand, went about his business in his own way and kept the scoreboard ticking. While Iyer stood firm at one end, wickets kept tumbling from the other as Nitish Rana failed once again, caught at deep midwicket by Sams off Ashwin. Andre Russell played a five-ball 11-run knock before he left Iyer stranded, top-edging a Tymal Mills short delivery to Dewald Brevis. Cummins then took the attack to the opposition and struck Mills for a boundary and a six of consecutive balls. Having conceded 23 runs in the final over when MI batted, Cummins clobbered the MI bowlers to all parts of the ground to take KKR home in a grand fashion. Earlier, veteran Kieron Pollard complemented Suryakumar Yadav's brisk half-century by amassing 23 runs in the last over to propel MI after KKR kept things tight for a major part of their innings. After an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Suryakumar Yadav (52) and Tilak Varma (38 not out), Pollard (22 not out) smashed the world's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins for three sixes to end MI's innings on a high. Opting to bowl first on a fresh pitch with plenty of grass, KKR's opening bowlers used the conditions to perfection as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/25) and debutant Rasikh Salam (0/18) relied on back of length deliveries to trouble MI's opening duo of skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Umesh and Cummins (2/49) picked up early wickets to reduce MI to 55 for three. Umesh looked more threatening of the two as he consistently tested the high-profile MI opening batters with his probing length, producing a fantastic first over which yielded just one run. Salam tried to match his senior pro. Umesh struck first blood in the third over with a back-of-length delivery to get Rohit for the fifth time in IPL, with the MI skipper failing to control a pull. Then came another debutant Dewald Brevis (29), known as 'Baby AB' for his 360 degree shot-making abilities, and he tried to attack the KKR bowlers. He succeeded in his endeavour for a brief period, hitting two fours and as many sixes, but fell to Varun Chakravarthy (1/32). All this while, MI's man-in-form Ishan Kishan (14 off 21) was a quiet spectator at the other end. Unlike his last two innings, Kishan seemed to be struggling from the onset and a poor start didn't help his cause either. Kishan's struggle came to an end in the 11th over when he miscued a pull off Cummins to KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer. Varma got a reprieve in the 13th over when Ajinkya Rahane spooned him after a confusion with Billings. Yadav struck a four and a huge six in the final two deliveries of the same over to give MI's innings some momentum. Varma grabbed the missed chance with both hand and scooped Cummins over fine leg for a maximum and then followed it with a slash over mid-wicket for a boundary off Chakravarthy. Yadav, on the other hand, looked in ominous form after returning from injury, dealing mostly in fours and sixes to notch up his fifty in 34 balls. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Members of the SSK community and Hindu outfits staged a huge protest in front of the Sub-urban police station here on Wednesday, alleging that a Love Jihad with regard to the registered marriage of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy. The protest was staged till late at night, and it was withdrawn with a condition that the police should trace and hand over the girl to her family members before 12:00 noon on Thursday (April 7). Sneha Damamghar of Unkal and Ibrahim Sayed of Keshwapur were in love with each other, and they married at the sub-registrars office in Gadag on February 11. The girls family members had filed a missing complaint on April 2. They along with the members of the community and Hindu outfits staged a protest on Wednesday after they learnt that she had married. They also sang bhajans and raised slogans. The protesters charged that marriage was registered forging the signature of the girl. It is a Love Jihad incident for conversion, and she was brainwashed. Action should also be taken against the sub-registrar, said SSK community leader Hanumanthsa Niranjan. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Sahil Bagla said that the girl was traced and it was found that she had married. The investigation is still underway, he added. Muthalik warns of intense stir Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik demanded suspension of Gadag sub-registrar, charging that he registered the marriage with fake documents. Love Jihad through the conversion of Hindu girls into Islam is going on continuously. We also have information that MLA Prasad Abbayya is pressuring the police in favour of the boy. If the girl is not handed over to her family tomorrow (Thursday), the protest would be intensified, and the police would be responsible for the consequences, he warned. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday claimed that the youth was stabbed to death in Bengaluru last night because he couldnt speak Urdu, only to make a U-turn later. Jnanendra was talking about the murder case reported under the JJ Nagar police limits in which one Chandra was allegedly stabbed by one Shahid. The killing of ChandruIve obtained information. He was asked to speak in Urdu. He said he cant speak Urdu and that he knows only Kannada. After he said this, he was stabbed repeatedly, inhumanly, Jnanendra said, adding that Chandru was Dalit. Also Read | Bengaluru murder: Jnanendra blames Urdu, makes u-turn later A few persons have been arrested by our police and further investigation is on, he said. Soon, Jnanendra said he was wrong. A detailed report has come. Two vehicles collided and there was an argument. Chandru was stabbed in the thigh and he succumbed to the injury. The thing about language, its not that. What I said before was based on some sources and its wrong, he said. The Congress and JD(S) slammed Jnanendra for the hasty statement. Araga Jnanendra is the most unfit home minister, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said. The government has no religion in a secular state and all religions should be treated equally, he added. Also Read: Home minister has 'failed' Karnataka: Siddaramaiah Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council B K Hariprasad demanded Jnanendras resignation for painting the crime with a communal colour. JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy accused BJP leaders of taking political advantage of murders. Jnanendra has made loose remarks. His statement would disturb communal harmony. Wasnt he aware of his position and responsibilities, he asked. The home minister claimed that the youth belongs to the SC community and not the Hindu community. People must observe closely. It shows the BJPs mindset towards SC/STs, he said. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he had no information on the incident. I wont comment without details. Ill get the details and see what he said, he said. Jnanendra has courted controversy earlier, too. After the gang rape incident in Mysuru, he said the survivor and her male friend should not have gone to the deserted place at night. He later said Congress was trying to rape him over the gang rape crime. Check out DH's latest videos: The state governments announcement to build a ropeway at Chamundi Hills in Mysuru has snowballed into a controversy with Greens flagging possible large-scale destruction of the fragile ecosystem. Now, with more people joining the chorus, Mysuru District-in-charge Minister and Minister for Cooperation S T Somashekhar said the government wont pursue the project if public doesnt want it. Citizens, activists, heritage experts and engineers have condemned the two-way carriage ropeway, which is proposed to cover a distance of 8 km from the foothills. The long list of infrastructural projects under the Centres PRASHAD scheme has also unsettled conservationists. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru, said on Wednesday, There is no necessity for a ropeway to cover a distance of 20 minutes travel. She said a lot of damage has already been done to the hillock. A township and commercial complex seem to have been planned atop the hillock which is again out of context. The site has to be conserved as a place of worship and retained intact. She also argued that all projects have to be backed by scientific studies. Dropped twice in the past, the project has made a comeback for the third time, according to experts. Prof (Retd) N S Rangaraju of Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Mysuru said, No study has been done on the carrying capacity of the hillock whose historical relevance dates back to 950 AD. On average, 40 to 50 lakh people visit Mysuru annually. A ropeway to a monolithic hillock can be considered but not at Chamundi Hills, which is dotted with fragile landscape. At best, the government has to regulate the current traffic to the hillock and enforce a ban on heavy vehicles. Maj Gen (Retd) S G Vombatkere, VSM and an expert in structural dynamics who was part of the Institute of Engineers Team that assessed the landslide at the hillock a few months ago, said the hillock is a composition of several geographical forms. While the southern side is steep, the northern and western sides reveal unique topography. A ropeway with pillars all along the alignment path violates forest laws as the hillock was notified as a reserve forest in 1929. The government has no clue on the economic viability of the project, he said. Citing the changing climatic conditions, Vombatkere said, Due to the unusual precipitation, the entire hill was saturated with rainwater. A longitudinal gap varying 250 to 300 mm in width and 200 to 250 mm in depth was noticed between the hill slide cut-face slope above the road. The rainwater flowing through this gap entered the road sub-structure underneath the asphalted surface, resulting in the failure of the fill embankment slope. PWD engineers confirmed to DH that the repair work as recommended by the IISc experts will be taken up by the end of April. However, they clarified that they have not been consulted on the ropeway project. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Released: April 7, 2022 Delaware County Health Department Director Melissa Lyon provided an update on the newly established County Health Department during the County Council Public Meeting on April 6. The Delaware County Health Department (DCHD) was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to act in its official capacity as a health department on April 2, 2022. This marks the first health department to be established in the state of Pennsylvania in the past 33 years. While there is still much foundational work being done, Im excited to share that within each of our departments, many of the standard operating procedures are under way, said Delaware County Health Department Director Melissa Lyon. For example, under the guidance of our Environment Health Division, inspectors are currently in the field monitoring and enforcing Delaware County health codes, in addition to state and federal regulations. Theyre responding to applications which can be found on our website, and addressing and investigating public health complaints and inquiries, many of which are coming into the DCHD Wellness Line. During the presentation, Director Lyon provided several examples of the current responsibilities and services provided by each division of the County Health Department including the Environmental Health, Population Health, and Personal Health Divisions. Under the leadership of the Population Health Division, the newly rebranded Delaware County Health Department Wellness Line staff has been receiving calls and emails from across the county addressing a variety of issues and connecting callers to much needed resources. Members of the Health Department have worked with local homeless shelters to provide PPE requested for the safety and protection of those staying at the shelters and the staff. The Personal Health Division, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to work to address the increase in reported cases of STIs across Delaware County and launched its first STI clinic in the Chester community. The Personal Health Division effectively managed its first case of Tuberculosis with medication management and Direct Observed Therapy set up a mini-clinic to launch the Vaccines for Children Program in support of a family from Ukraine with two school-aged children to receive up to date immunizations in order to remain in school through the academic year. COVID-19 mitigation remains a top priority. The Delaware County Health Department continues to monitor the data surrounding the BA.2 variant, currently the most predominant and highly transmittable variant of COVID-19. While the percentage of positive cases has increased slightly due to the BA.2 variant, the community level of COVID-19 remains low. County-sponsored vaccine clinics have seen an increase in participants with the recent FDA recommendation for a second COVID-19 booster. This week, the Delaware County Health Department welcomed Deputy Health Director, Lora Werner. Deputy Director Werner joins the Health Department team with twenty-plus years experience in public health at the federal level, having served as Regional Director for Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This is an extremely exciting week for Delaware County! said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, who has led the efforts to establish a County Health Department over the past two years, beginning just days after being elected in Nov. 2019. Our residents deserve their own health departmentone with a local team who understands the needs of the county and is working to ensure our residents have the highest quality of life possible. This is something Council promised our residents in 2019 and thanks to the dedication, passion, determination, and countless hours from the County team community partners, and residents who shared our vision- we were able to deliver on that promise. Residents are encouraged to learn more about the Delaware County Health Department and the services and resources it provides by visiting: www.DelcoPA.gov/health The Delaware County Health Department Wellness Team is able to assist residents with public health-related topics, including: Assist residents in locating convenient COVID-19 vaccination sites Assist residents in locating convenient COVID-19 vaccination sites Assist residents in locating convenient COVID-19 testing sites Assist residents in locating convenient COVID-19 testing sites Add homebound residents to the homebound roster for at-home on-site vaccinations Add homebound residents to the homebound roster for at-home on-site vaccinations Answer general questions about COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and booster shots Answer general questions about COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and booster shots Answer general questions about public health-related matters Answer general questions about public health-related matters Help residents locate public health resources PHONE: (484) 276-2100 EMAIL: DelcoWellness@co.delaware.pa.us Derry and Strabane City Council is set to light up blue for World Parkinson's Day on Monday April 11. The buildings set to illuminate in blue to show support and raise awareness include the Guildhall Clock, Strand Road Council buildings and the Playhouse Theatre. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition and causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. The main symptoms of the disease are shaking, slow movements and stiffness. Treatments for Parkinson's disease include therapies to help with movement problems, medicines and sometimes brain surgery. Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain. Its not yet clear exactly why this happens. Around 145,000 people live with Parkinsons in the UK with just over 3800 living with the condition in Northern Ireland. Parkinson's is also the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. Chairman of the Parkinson's Foyle Branch, Leslie Hill, is grateful for the Council's support and wants to raise awareness or the condition. Leslie was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in April 2016. Leslies first symptoms were shown in his handwriting when it was still neat but very small. Then, in January 2016, the 51-year-old, was getting ready to go to the dentist when his left hand would not move to brush his teeth. Leslie said: After several attempts to brush my teeth, I realised something wasn't right. I contacted my GP and was sent to the hospital to do tests. I was kept in for five days and had numerous tests. It was then that I was diagnosed. My whole life came to a halt. Shortly after, I became a member of Parkinson's Foyle branch. I really enjoyed and appreciated the support that I got. I helped to organise events and helped with fundraising. I was a committee member within six months and then I was asked to become Chairman. It is and was such an honour, I was very pleased to be voted in. We have approximately 70 members and we are all one big family. I have been acting Chairman since September 2017 and officially since March 2018. During my time as Chairman, we have given approximately five to six thousand pounds every year to Parkinsons research. Leslie Hill was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2016 and became Chairman of Parkinson's Foyle Branch in 2017 Parkinsons Foyle Branch is a self-funded charity and they depend on the generosity of members of the public to keep the branch going. Their mission is Together we will find a cure, and improve life for everybody affected by Parkinsons. Leslie continued: Were close to major breakthroughs. Funding the right research into the most promising treatments, we get closer to a cure every day. Until then, we're here for everyone affected by Parkinsons. Fighting for fair treatment and better services. Making everyone see its real impact. People with Parkinsons, scientists and supporters, fundraisers and families, carers and clinicians, all working side by side. We are impatient for change, were taking a stand, speaking out, chipping in, and playing our part. I cannot thank the members of the public enough as they have been tremendous. We also organise events with the money we receive to help Parkinsons patients. I want to speak about and raise awareness for Parkinsons because you dont see a lot about it on the news and not many people know about this illness but together, we will beat Parkinsons. "The Council and city's support on such an important day is much appreciated. You can find more information about Parkinson's Foyle Branch, the support available and fundraising opportunities via: https://localsupport.parkinsons.org.uk/provider/foyle-branch Almost 16,000 people used the Foyle Foodbank in Derry last year, it has emerged. Those using the Foodbank increased by 230% from 6,805 individuals to 15,735. During that time, the Foodbank distributed 96,732 tonnes of food which equates to 230,314 individual meals. Denis McGowan, the chairperson of the Foodbank, said the facility was only able to meet this huge demand through the selfless efforts of its volunteer workforce and by the continued 'generous support' of its patrons and donors without which the Foodbank could not continue to operate. He added: We act as a conduit between those who generously donate food, hygiene products and funds with those in food crisis. Former MLA takes up role Mr McGowan was speaking as he announced the appointment of former Foyle MLA Karen Mullan as the Foodbank's new strategic development officer. Following an extensive recruitment exercise Foyle Foodbank has announced the recent appointment of Karen Mullan to the role of strategic development officer. Ms Mullan, a graduate from Ulster University and former MLA for Foyle, is well known throughout the area having worked in community development roles during her professional life. She has a proven track record in addressing difficulties and challenges faced by individuals and communities throughout the city and beyond and her considerable skills and experience will be of immense value to the Foodbank. The board of management at the Foodbank say they are 'deeply indebted' to Trussell Trust, the UK-wide charity which supports over 1,200 foodbanks, for funding the full cost of the two-year post. This will enable Foyle Foodbank to take part in Trussells Pathfinder programme aimed at deter- mining and highlighting the causes of food poverty throughout the UK while encouraging foodbanks to take a more holistic approach to addressing issues of poverty in their area. A spokesperson for Foyle Foodbank said: The board members feel that Karen's commitment and experience, working alongside James McMenamin, our existing operational manager, will bring considerable benefits at this challenging time when the demand for our services are at unprecedented levels. Working alongside Trussell Trust we want to create a future where no one is forced to a charity for emergency food a future where all our local and national systems provide the support needed to protect people from poverty. Unfortunately, the number of people in food crisis in Foyle continues to grow. In 2020 the Foodbank helped 6,805 individuals which increased by 230% to 15,735 in 2021. Former MLA Karen Mullan has taken up role with Foyle Foodbank. In a statement, Denis McGowan, the chairperson of the Foodbank, said: During 2021 we distributed 96,732 tonnes of food which equates to 230,314 individual meals. We are only able to meet this huge demand through the selfless efforts of our volunteer workforce and by the continued generous support of our patrons and donors without which the Foodbank could not continue to operate. We act as a conduit between those who generously donate food, hygiene products and funds with those in food crisis. In these challenging times we are very pleased about Karens appointment. The Foodbank will benefit greatly from her previous experience and the qualities that she brings to the post will ensure that she will play an invaluable role in the interests of the wider Foyle community. A number of prominent secondary schools across County Derry are in the process of appointing new principals. St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt, Loreto College, Coleraine and St Cecilia's College in Derry city are currently inviting applications for the leadership toles. Applications for a similar position at St Patrick's College, Maghera, closed on Wednesday, as they move to appoint a successor for Mrs Brenda Mussen. Last week, principal of St Cecilia's College, Mrs Patricia Mulhern, announced she would be retiring from her role at the end of the academic year. Both Loreto College and St Mary's Grammar School have acting principals at present, with Miss Belinda Toner in place in Coleraine and Mr Frank Dunlop in Magherafelt. In an advertisement on their website, St Mary's said they were looking for an 'outstanding' principal, who must 'clearly demonstrate a clear vision for the School and a strong Catholic ethos'. The advertisement also gives the proposed salary as between L32 and L38 on the leadership scale, a salary of between 89,713 and 103,915, with the school's enrolment at 1,170 pupils. Mrs Mulhern's successor at St Cecilia's will inherit an enrolment of 860 pupils and command a salary between L29 (83,352) and L35 (96,557). Applications for the Loreto role close at 3.00pm on Thursday April 14, St Mary's at 12.00pm on Friday April 8 and St Cecilia's at 12.00pm on Wednesday April 13. A 40-year-old man charged in connection with an attack on Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney in Belfast last week runs a gym in County Derry. Darren Service, with an address given as Ballysillan Road, Belfast, appeared in court last week charged with three offences linked to the hoax bomb alert at the Houben Centre in the city on March 25. The defendant was charged with the hijacking of a Ford Transit Van and a further offence of placing an article in the vicinity of Holy Cross Church, 432 Crumlin Road, Belfast, with the intention of inducing in some other person a belief that it was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property. Defence for Service said his client owned three gyms, one of which is Riverside Fitness at Riverside Park North in Coleraine. The defendant is listed on Companies House as being appointed director of the company in July 2020 alongside one other man. A similar entry on Companies House lists another business, Causeway Fitness Limited at the same address as Riverside Fitness Limited. The defendant is the only named director, appointed in February 2020. A third business, AB Fitness Limited with a registered address of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus, also lists Service as a director, appointed in February 2021. Last week, the court was told the defendant had applied for 'three bounce back loans to the sum of 150,000' which were offered to businesses as a result of the pandemic. Service was remanded in custody to appear in court again in four weeks' time. A County Derry company is one of the first firms in the UK to receive a esteemed industry award. Moyola Precision Engineering in Castledawson was awarded the EFQM Six Star status at an awards ceremony hosted by the Centre for Competitiveness (CforC) last Tuesday. Bangor based Denroy Ltd, was also presented with the award making both companies the first in the UK to hold such a prestigious accolade. EFQM helps organisations perform better by creating data-driven insights backed up by organisational experts. The EFQM Model is an internationally recognised change management framework which helps organisations to perform better in line with their purpose and priorities, through an assessment of their maturity against best performance indicators across critical business indicators. Companies must complete a self-assessment before a team of assessors review the submission and spend three to four days on site at the premises of the business to review every aspect of the activity. After undergoing the rigorous assessment, companies are then given a star rating based on their overall score. Speaking about the event and congratulating those that achieved the industry awards, Bob Barbour, CforCs Director and Chief Executive said: On behalf of everyone at CforC, I would like to say congratulations to all the companies that achieved EFQM recognition and especially to Denroy Ltd and Moyola Precision Engineering, which are the first organisations in the UK to hold EFQM Six Star recognition. This is an exceptional achievement. The EFQM programme is extremely stringent, and participants need to meet the rigid standards of criteria. The achievement of these awards is testament to those within each company, their hard work, determination, and dedication to continuous improvement, which during the age of Industry 4.0, Net Zero and the Department for the Economys (DfE) 10X Economic Strategy, cannot be underestimated. We hope that all those in attendance were able to gain some insights into the various best practice approaches from our quest speakers, which will assist with whatever challenges that may come in the future. I would also like to sincerely thank our event sponsors NIE Networks, Spirit AeroSystems, Balcas Energy and Belfast Harbour for their generosity, he added. Enda Lagan, Chief Operating Officer at Moyola Precision Engineering commented: The EFQM journey started in 2017 and some five years later, the company has achieved the six-star award a remarkable achievement for the team at Moyola. "The key objective was to ensure that there was a structured and integrated approach to improvement within the company and, of course, validation of our work through an internationally recognised assessment framework. "We have achieved this through this programme and the award of EFQM six star. Geoff Carter, from EFQM added: It was fantastic to see so many companies achieving EFQM recognition many congratulations to all! Our aim through EFQM is to help companies to develop a culture of sustainable improvement and innovation which is vital to progress in the modern business world. We hope that even more companies will be inspired to sign up for the EFQM programme which can assist any business, regardless of sector. For more information about the EFQM programme, visit www.cforc.org. Indias telecom minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Lok Sabha (House of the People) that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to install 112,000 mobile towers across India to roll out 4G services. According to a PTI report, Vaishnaw said that the homegrown 4G network is being appreciated worldwide and it has a core network, radio network, and full telecom equipment. BSNL is in the process of ordering 6000 towers immediately followed by 6000 more and then finally 1 lakh towers to be installed throughout the nation for 4G network, said the Minister. Furthermore, the minister said that the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) fiberise their Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) put in on cell towers. According to him, the TSPs fiberise their base transceiver stations (BTSs) installed on mobile towers and 7,93,551 BTSs have been connected with optical fibre. The number is fairly low compared to the total mobile towers there are in the country. For 5G to be a success and a better 4G experience, more towers need to be connected with fibre. The 4G telecom network is ready to roll out soon and it is developed in India by Indian engineers and scientists. Our development of 4G network is being appreciated worldwide and it has a core network, radio network with full telecom equipment, he said. He said the development of 5G technology is going on in parallel and will be ready in a few months. Vodafone has reportedly entered a joint venture with Papua New Guinea operator Digitec and will begin rolling out services under the red banner later this month (April). The Post Courier reported the operators will sell mobile phones, plans and SIM cards under the Digitec-Vodafone brand in 25 locations, by April 21. The minister for ICT Timothy Masiu welcomed the new player stating there are around three million mobile subscribers in the country, leaving ample space for competition to drive lower pricing for consumers. Masiu said the government has a responsibility to push sustainable competition in the communications sector, and Digitec-Vodafones entry rejuvenates competition. This follows recent a massive US$100 million tax levy on fellow operator Digicel which threatens to scupper plans by Australian operator Telstra to buy Digicels operations in the Pacific. Reportedly, Digicel executives including its CEO, have left the country following the revelation of the massive tax bill, although the reason for the departures is still unknown. Digitec is finally making good on its word to launch services in Papua New Guinea, it originally targeted the end of 2021 for its launch. India has more than 1.15 billion mobile phone subscribers and nearly 98% of the population is covered with a 4G network, the government informed the Indian Parliament. The number of telecom base stations in the country has grown from 6,49,834 (as of 31 March 2014) to 23,25,948 (as of 28 February 2022), said Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha (House of the People). "At present, the mobile networks in India are serving more than 115 crores (1.15 billion) subscribers (as of 31 December 2021). Nearly, 98% of the population is covered with a 4G network," he stated. Further, there has been a significant reduction in tariffs for voice and data since 2016 which also indicates the presence of adequate competition in the telecom sector, the minister added. There has been a consolidation in the Telecom Sector since 2012. Even after the consolidation, there is sufficient competition in the sector as at least four Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) including one public sector unit (PSU) - BSNL/MTNL - are present in each Licenced Service Area (LSA). The country is divided into 22 LSAs. Consolidation in the telecom sector has resulted in optimum utilisation of resources including the radio spectrum. The same is evident from the substantial increase in the number of telecom towers, network coverage, and subscriber base. Not too surprisingly perhaps, the Nigerian federal governments call to operators to bar outgoing calls by subscribers that have yet to link their SIMs with their National Identity Numbers (NIN) has reportedly led to huge crowds at enrolment centres. So far 125 million SIMs have been submitted for NIN linkage. However, if the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) estimate of 197.77 million active telecom subscribers as of February 2022 is true, over 72.77 million active subscribers will be affected by the government directive. Over the past two years the deadline for registration has been extended multiple times. The policy, which aims to ensure that subscribers are captured in the National Data Base (NDB) of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is supported by over 15,000 NIN enrolment centres. The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria has confirmed that its members are complying with the directive. Thus many subscribers have been unable to make calls since Tuesday. Local news sources say that this has in turn led not just to queues but also to unverified fears that some NIN agents may request bribes to speed up the process. Operators nevertheless are also taking a hit from the directive, both because people with more than one SIM may abandon one or two but also because overall subscriber numbers will be hit. This is not just a Nigerian issue. Kenyans are apparently scrambling to register their SIM cards before the deadline of 15 April, when unregistered SIM cards will be deleted as part of a government effort to combat crime and improve data accuracy. Long lines have been seen in a number of registration centres across the country. This is the third registration drive following attempts in 2012 and 2018. Minister Byrne welcomes publication of new European Commission HR Strategy Press release The European Commission has this week launched a new Human Resources strategy aimed at streamlining its selection, recruitment and promotion processes and increasing the overall attractiveness of the Commission as an employer. Welcoming the publication of the report, Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., emphasised the importance of Irish representation within the EU institutions: Given the challenges Ireland faces in relation to adequate representation among Commission staff, encouraging reform of the EU recruitment process has been a pillar of the Governments own strategy A Career for EU. Ireland has proactively engaged with the Commission on the development of this HR strategy and it is welcome to see the Commissions commitment to ensuring geographic diversity among its staff. We look forward to working with the Commission on the implementation of this and of our own strategy in the months ahead. Ireland has a strong tradition of working at the heart of European affairs in fields as varied as science, agriculture, health, finance, ICT, justice and external affairs. In the coming years, however, many senior Irish personnel in the EU are expected to retire, so it is more important than ever that we work to ensure that Irish people secure roles in the Institutions in the short and medium term. The Government is committed to increasing the Irish presence in the EUs Institutions. We recognise the vital role played by so many officials through the years who shaped policies and decisions which have had such a positive impact on our lives here in Ireland, and on the lives of 450 million EU citizens across the Union. It is important that Irish EU officials continue to act as important channels of interaction between our national system and the EU Institutions, bringing the insights and skills that only they have. It is also important for the EU that it continues to benefit from the expertise and creativity of gifted and committed Irish people. ENDS Press Office 7 April 2022 Notes for Editors The Commissions HR Strategy is available here. The Governments A Career for EU Strategy aims to increase the number of Irish people working for the EU Institutions and agencies. The ambitious measures set out in the Strategy include greater outreach to schools and universities, increased scholarships in European Studies, and practical support, training and information being made available to any Irish citizens applying for positions within the European Institutions or agencies. Further information on these supports and opportunities available for Irish citizens in the EU is available at www.dfa.ie/EUJobs A Career for EU can be accessed here. Previous Item | Next Item The current target API level for Play Store apps is Android 11 (API level 30). Google Play Store clamps down on older Android apps that dont match the target API level. This privacy measure will revoke permissions of outdated apps, or even prevent the users access to these apps on the Android app store. As a step toward this new security initiative, users with Android versions 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will start receiving a Google Play Protect update now. But while it does, lets understand what this update changes and what the new Google Target API policy entails. Google Play Store API requirements for Android Apps Target API Level requirements for existing apps, starting November 1 Before we get into the new update from Google, you may want to know what the minimum API level and the target API level mean. Here on we will be talking about the latter which is the most recent Android version based upon which the app is built. Meanwhile, the former refers to the oldest Android version it is meant for. Now, coming to the topic at hand. At present, New Android apps must adhere to a Target API level within one year of a new Android OS release. In this case, that is Android 11 (API level 30) and from Android 2022, the Target API requirement will be raised to Android 12 (API level 31). With the new announcement, Google extends the target API policy to existing apps, particularly old apps. If these dont meet a Target API level within two years of the latest Android OS release, they will not be available for discovery or installation for new users with devices running Android OS versions higher than apps target API level. So, basically, such apps wont appear on the Play Store or be available for download. Users may find the app only if it supports the Android OS on their device. Note that, with the release of every new Android OS version, this requirement window will adjust accordingly. Also, if you have an older device running on Android 6 to Android 10, your device would soon get a Play Store update. This will reset the permissions of the apps on your device that havent been used in a while. It all will be done automatically and you dont have to do anything. Well, if you want, you can backup any old apps that you may have on your Android handset for if they go missing after November 1, you could sideload them. For other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. You can buy the Realme Book Prime starting at 64,999, Realme Buds Air 3 at 3,999, and Realme Smart TV Stick at 2,999 in India. At the Realme GT 2 Pro launch event, the company also unveiled the Realme Book Prime, Realme Buds Air 3, and Realme Smart TV Stick. So, a specced-up laptop which is an upgrade over the predecessor, i.e., Realme Book( 44999 at flipkart) Slim. The new Prime model boasts a higher TDP Intel 11th gen processor backed by a new dual-fan cooling system. Then there is the new pair of ANC earbuds and an FHD-resolution smart streaming device. Realme Book Prime Specs and Features Launched initially at MWC 2022, the Realme Book Prime is finally available in India. It flaunts a 14-inch 2K resolution panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB, and 440 nits peak brightness. There is a 720p webcam up top and a 3-level backlit keyboard below. The internal housing consists of an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-11320H quad-core processor with Intel Xe Graphics, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 54WHr battery. There is support for 65W PD charging. The software on top is Windows 11. Other things you get with the laptop are WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a fingerprint scanner on the power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a dual speaker system, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, and a Thunderbolt 4/ USB 4 port. Realme Buds Air 3 Specs and Features Realme Buds Air 3 packs in a 10mm dynamic bass boost driver. It offers up to 42dB of Active Noise Cancellation and dual-mic noise cancellation for calls. You also get Transparency Mode for listening to ambient sounds. You can connect to two devices simultaneously. The repertoire also consists of 88ms super latency mode, IPX5 sweat resistance and a claim of 30 hours of total music playback. Realme Smart TV Stick FHD Specs and Features This new Realme Smart TV Stick is a downgrade as it only gets up to FHD (1080p) resolution output with HDR10+ encoding. There is support for HDMI 2.0 for media transfer and the processing under the hood is taken care of by a quad-core processor. The streaming device also features Android 11 OS, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Realme AIoT Price and Availability You can purchase the Realme Book Prime at 64,999 for the solo 16GB + 512GB memory variant. The launch price for the first sale will be 57,999. It will go on sale from April 13 at 12 noon through Flipkart and Realme.com. The Realme Buds Air 3 has been priced at 3,999 although with the special offer on the first sale you can purchase it for 3,499. It will be available via Flipkart and Realme stores starting April 7 at 2 PM. Finally, the Realme Smart TV Stick carries a price tag of 2,999 and will be up for grabs from April 13 at 12 PM. The outlet is Flipkart and Realme stores only. The company also announced that Realme GT 2 will be arriving soon during the company's 4th-anniversary celebration. For more news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. On account of the International Week of the Deaf, Snapchat rolls out a new type of lens that will allow Snapchatters to use their fingers to spread awareness of American Sign Language (ASL).Basically, ASL is native to America. It is a type of visual language that is expressed by gestures as well as non-verbal movements. This nifty Lens uses AR technology to teach you the expressions of the American Sign Language Alphabet while testing your recognition in several social gaming and community engagement experiences. In short, using Artificial Intelligence and advanced computing, Alphabet Lens would be able to fingerspell most of the words such as Thanks, Have Fun, Love,etc. This will also enhance the knowledge of users to understand the basics of ASL. Snapchat has launched this AR-based sign language in partnership with Hungarian startup SignAll, an application striving to build a bridge of communication between impaired hearing and normal individuals. SignAll has hand-tracking technology incorporated in the system that is able to translate fingerspell into spoken language.Previously, the companys hearing-impaired employees requested to launch a mechanism by which they can easily communicate with each other. So, Snapchat engineers worked really hard to incorporate AR lenses in the application to help the hard-hearing individuals and aware people more about hand gestures and learn sign language by playing games and various exercises within Snapchat. Before this Lens, a similar series of lenses were launched last year to motivate deaf people and encourage others to fingerspell unlimited alphabets and words.This feature seems exciting as it will allow Snapchatters to play different games to put new skills to test and also be able to learn sign language so that one can spell their name via fingers. Along with other community benefits, Alphabet Lens also facilitate marketers to keep in touch with their target audiences. Amazingly, this update will also give rise to generating more revenues and potentially boost the business.ASL Fingerspelling lenses are now available on IOS as well as on the Android version of the app.Read next: Snapchat has enabled its users to share YouTube videos on their snap stories, heres everything you need to know about it Microsoft acquires process mining vendor Minit to expand automation business Microsoft Corporation has acquired Minit, a Bratislava, Slovakia-originated process mining technology vendor, for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced last week. Microsoft said the purchase will further empower it to help customers digitally transform by creating a more complete picture of their processes and identifying which of those processes are ripe for automation. Minit currently enables businesses to transform the way they analyse, monitor and optimise their processes. Minits solutions have helped businesses gain deep insights into how processes run, uncover root causes of operational challenges and help mitigate undesired process outcomes, Justin Graham, Microsofts general manager of process insights, wrote in a post on Microsofts corporate blog. Customers will be able to better understand their process data, uncover what operations look like in reality, and drive process standardisation and improvement across the entire organisation to ensure compliance at every step. Microsoft entered the Power Automate sector in 2019 and acquired Softomotive, an RPA software provider, a year later. With Minit, the tech giant is doubling down on a software category that could be worth over $11 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research. Minit is currently headquartered in Amsterdam, with satellite offices in London and New York.) CEO James Dening said customers shouldnt expect a change in the level of support theyre currently receiving. We are looking forward to what it means to become part of an industry leader like Microsoft and what that brings us how we can use that scale and excellence to continue to deliver great solutions to our customers, Dening wrote in a blog post on Minits website. It has been a privilege to lead the company for the last year, and Im excited to continue my journey with the team, as part of what I consider to be the worlds leading software company. Minit, which was founded in 2015 by Rasto Hlavac, had raised 10.3 million (~$11.40 million) prior to the acquisition. It is among an expanding number of startups developing process mining tools aimed at enterprise clientele. Process mining, also known as task discovery, involves spotting root cause workflow issues and bottlenecks by pulling data from systems, including desktop, email apps and workflows. Its a key part of robotic process automation (RPA), a technology that promises to automate monotonous, repetitive tasks traditionally performed by human workers while at the same time generating logs to identify potential cost savings. Microsofts acquisition of Minit comes at a time when the broader business process automation industry heads toward general consolidation. SAP acquired German process automation company Signavio in January 2021, just before ServiceNow got into the RPA segment with the buyout of India-based Intellibot.io. IBM acquired process mining software company MyInvenio in April. And Salesforces MuleSoft and Microsoft followed suit with the purchases of automation tech providers Servicetrace and Clear Software, respectively. Organisations across the globe are seeking to be more operationally resilient and accelerate their digital transformation plans. Seamless operations and ensuring that every component of each business process runs smoothly is critical, but most leaders are not able to understand the actual performance of their processes and end up making decisions based on subjective information. Gartner notes that Recent trends in automation and knowledge of the underlying processes and interactions are key to digital transformation. Minit enables businesses to transform the way they analyze, monitor and optimize their processes. Minits solutions have helped businesses gain deep insights into how processes run, uncover root causes of operational challenges and help mitigate undesired process outcomes. This acquisition will further empower Microsoft to help our customers digitally transform and drive operational excellence by creating a complete picture of their business processes, enabling every process to be easily and automatically analyzed and improved. Customers will be able to better understand their process data, uncover what operations look like in reality and drive process standardization and improvement across the entire organization to ensure compliance at every step, Microsoft stated. Todays announcement further signals Microsofts commitment to help organizations quickly discover and optimize their business processes by bringing data and execution together to unlock powerful insights, it added. India's agricultural and processed food exports hit $21.5 bn in AprFeb 2021-22 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has exported agricultural and processed food products worth $21.5 billion, or about 90 per cent of the target for the fiscal year 2021-22, in the first 11 months of the current fiscal and looks set to achieve the annual export target of $23.71 billion. This comes at a time when the country also achieved the ambitious target of $400 billion in merchandise exports, nine days ahead of schedule, in the current fiscal. APEDA has a share of more than 5 per cent in this target of $400 billion of mercantile exports in the current fiscal. India set an ambitious target of $400 billion of goods exports and achieved this target for the first time ever. I congratulate our farmers, weavers, MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters for this success. This is a key milestone in our Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in a tweet. Rice export, which is the highest foreign exchange earner in the APEDA basket, accounted for 91 per cent of the export volume, earning $8.67 billion the highest ever achieved by APEDA so far. During April-February in the current fiscal, India exported rice worth $8.62 billion, while export of other cereals jumped to 105 per cent of the export target of $847 million. In the fruits and vegetables category, against the export target of $3.05 billion till February, APEDA has achieved exports of $2.51 billion, which is 75 per cent of the total target. Cereal preparations and miscellaneous processed items have been exported to the tune of $2.04 billion, which is 89 per cent of the export target of $2.10 billion till February in the current fiscal year, while the export of meat, dairy and products stood at $3.77 billion, which is 82 per cent of the $4.21 billion export target fixed till February 2022. Wheat exports recorded a huge surge at $1.74 billion during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched $358 million, while other cereals recorded a growth of 66 per cent by fetching $869 million during April-January 2021-22 over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched $527 million. Meat, dairy and poultry product exports grew over 13 per cent to $3.41 billion in April-January 2021-22 against $3.01 billion in the corresponding ten-month period of 2020-21. Fruits and vegetables exports were up 16 per cent at $1.21 billion during April-January 2021-22, against $1.04 billion in April-January 2020-21, while processed fruits and vegetable exports were up 11 per cent at $1.27 billion during the first ten months of 2021-22 against $1.14 billion in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. For promoting exports of unique products during the year, APEDA organised series of flag off events where Geographical Identification (GI) certified Dahanu Gholvad Chikoo, Jalgaon Banana and Marathwada Kesar sourced from farmers in Maharashtra were exported for the first time. APEDA akso facilitated the first consignment of Leteku (Burmese Grape), a fruit rich in vitamin C and Iron, from Guwahati airport to Dubai, besides the fresh jackfruit from Tripura to UK and Germany through Guwahati. The first consignment of fresh Raja Mircha also referred to as king chilli was exported from Nagaland to London and Honey was exported for the first time from Assam to Dubai. The first consignment of GI tagged Nendran banana from Kerala to Singapore and the value added products from Jackfruit and Passion fruit were exported to New Zealand. APEDA also facilitated the first consignment of GI tagged Vazhakulam Pineapple to Dubai and Sharjah and GI tagged Marayoor Jaggery from Marayoor, Idukki, Kerala to Dubai. For the first time APEDA facilitated exports of banana from Lakhimpur, UP to Iran and five traditional varieties of rice from Gujarat - Gujarat 17 Rice (Jeerasar/Jeera Samba), Surti Kolam Rice, Ambemohar Rice, Kali Mooch Rice and Indrayani Rice was exported to the United Kingdom. APEDA also supported exports of Himalayan Millets (Organic Barnyard, Finger Millets and Amaranthus) to Vietnam for the first time from Uttarakhand and shipment of puffed rice sourced from Cuttack, Odisha has been exported to Malaysia via Vizag seaport. We continue to provide assistance to exporters based on clusters approach in collaboration with state governments while taking into consideration objective of Agriculture Export Policy, 2018, M Angamuthu, chairman, APEDA, said. APEDA has been collaborating with 28 states and 4 union territories over the last couple of years for implementation of agriculture export policy aimed at boosting agri-exports. Towards this, nodal agencies, nodal officers and state level monitoring committees have been formed in 26 states and 4 UTs. Twenty-two states and 2 UTs (Ladakh/ A&N Islands) have finalised the state specific Agri Export Action Plan, viz, Maharashtra, UP, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, MP, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa. APEDA has notified 38 Cluster level committees in several cluster districts across the states. Export of horticulture produce has taken place from the clusters of Anantapur (Banana), Theni (Banana), Nagpur (Orange), Nashik (Grapes), Chikaballapura (Rose Onion). To give impetus to the export of potential products as well as to remove the bottlenecks in the supply chain, APEDA created Export Promotion Forums (EPFs) with representatives from the departments of commerce, agriculture, state governments, national referral laboratories and top 10 leading exporters of each product for Grapes, Onions, Mango, Banana, Rice, Dairy Products, Pomegranate, Floriculture and Nutri Cereals. Accreditation/Compliance/Enforcement Under National Programme for Organic Production Export of organic products during April-February 2022 topped $700 million, with exports mainly to USA, EU, Canada, Switzerland and Great Britain. In order to promote the exports of GI products, as emphasised by the prime minister, two V-BSMs have been organised with the embassies of UAE and USA. APEDA officials have participated in several district level meetings for deliberation and promotion of GI registered products like Banganpalli mango in Andhra Pradesh, Govindbhog rice in West Bengal, Black rice in Manipur, Assam ginger etc. An exclusive new section for GI products has been created in the APEDA portal and 112 GI registered agriproducts have been identified. Development of traceability system for GI products has been initiated. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Besides APEDA has signed MoUs with ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI), Nagpur, Maharashtra, Jawahar Lal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar on mutual areas of cooperation for enhancing exports. The rise in export of agricultural and processed food products has been largely due to the various initiatives taken by APEDA such as organising B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product specific and general marketing campaigns by active involvement of Indian Embassies. APEDA also assists in upgradation and strengthening of recognised 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 export of agricultural products. APEDA organises participation of exporters in the International Trade Fairs, which provides a platform to the exporters to market their food products in the global marketplace. APEDA also organises national events like AAHAR, Organic World Congress, BioFach India etc to promote agri-exports. In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, APEDA has recognised 220 labs across India to provide services of testing to a wide range of products to exporters. India, Australia sign trade deal to forge closer ties India and Australia formally signed a trade deal on Saturday in a development that would help the two nations forge closer trade and economic ties. Australias trade minister Dan Tehan and India's minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal signed the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement in a virtual ceremony. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the virtual ceremony. The two countries have been in negotiations for a decade and the trade deal comes as a big boost to Morrison, who is expected to call a general election within days. Speaking to reporters in Tasmania, Morrison said the agreement with the world's second most populous nation represented one of the biggest economic doors there is to open in the world today. These are never all or nothing deals as far as we're concerned, we see all of these as the next step and the next step and the next step, he said, expressing both countries intention to build closer trade links. The deal with India removes tariffs on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods exports to India, currently worth A$12.6 billion. This would rise to almost 91 per cent over the next 10 years. With the trade deal, tariffs on import of Australian sheep meat, wool, copper, coal, alumina, fresh rock lobster, and some critical minerals and non-ferrous metals to India will be scrapped. It will also see 96 per cent of Indian goods imports enter Australia duty-free. The India-Australia ECTA encompasses cooperation across the entire gamut of bilateral economic and commercial relations, and covers areas like Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Customs Procedures, Pharmaceutical products, and Cooperation in other areas. Eight subject specific side letters covering various aspects of bilateral economic cooperation were also concluded as part of the Agreement. The ECTA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries. It covers almost all the tariff lines dealt in by India and Australia respectively. India will benefit from preferential market access provided by Australia on 100 per cent of its tariff lines. This includes all the labour-intensive sectors of export interest to India such as Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, leather, footwear, furniture, food, and agricultural products, engineering products, medical devices, and automobiles. On the other hand, India will be offering preferential access to Australia on over 70 per cent of its tariff lines, including lines of export interest to Australia, which are primarily raw materials and intermediaries such as coal, mineral ores and wines etc. As regards trade in services, Australia has offered wide ranging commitments in around 135 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) in 120 sub-sectors, which cover key areas of Indias interest like IT, ITES, Business Services, Health, Education, and Audiovisual. Some of the key offers from Australia in the services space include: Quota for chefs and yoga teachers; Post study work visa of 2-4 years for Indian students on reciprocal basis; mutual recognition of Professional Services and Other licensed/regulated Occupations; and Work and Holiday visa arrangement for young professionals. On the other hand, India has offered market access to Australia in around 103 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation in 31 sub-sectors from the 11 broad service sectors such as business services, communication services, construction and related engineering services, and so on. Both sides have also agreed to a separate Annex on Pharmaceutical products under this agreement, which will enable fast track approval for patented, generic and biosimilar medicines. Both countries would continue to work towards a full-scale free trade agreement. Minister of commerce and industry Goyal said India wanted to move towards a full-scale free trade agreement with Australia in an accelerated manner. Soon after this current agreement comes into force, well get down to cracking the whip on the next stage to make this a comprehensive economic partnership, he said. Australian trade minister Tehan said he was confident that negotiations would advance even if the Morrison government was replaced at the upcoming national election. Scott Morrison lags in the polls leading up to the general election due in May. I have very strong hope, no matter who fills our chairs going forward, well be able to build on this ground-breaking agreement, he said. Australian government is seeking to diversify export markets and reduce the countrys dependence on its biggest trading partner China, after diplomatic spats led to Beijing sanctioning certain Australian products. ATHENS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Greek Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced that 12 members of the Russian diplomatic and consular missions in Greece have been declared as personae non gratae. The decision was made in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Russian ambassador had been earlier notified of the decision. The statement didn't reveal any specific time schedule about the diplomats' departure. It might seem odd to say that Changingoftheguard was the star turn on a night when Movie King won at Dundalk, but in many ways he was. The Aidan OBrien-trained three-year-old holds Epsom and Irish Derby entries and, judging by the way he simply ran away with the BetVictor Proud To Support Irish Racing Maiden as the 4/9 favourite under Wayne Lordan the winning distance was six lengths his future looks promising. Stable representative Chris Armstrong said afterwards: He could end up in one of the staying races at Royal Ascot, adding Hes progressed nicely over the winter. He could turn out to be yet another talented Dundalk maiden winner. The good form of Jessica Harringtons stable continued when Its Showtime Baby (5/2) landed the opening race on Fridays card, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. The daughter of Showcasing, who cost 52,000 guineas as a yearling and races in the colours of Alpha Racing 2022, certainly knew her job first-time up, winning quite snugly under Shane Foley and, in doing so, made it a fifth winner in the last nine days for her trainer. Rocky Dreams (6/4 fav) and Inflection Point (7/4) dominated the betting for the second race, the BetVictor Loyalty Club Apprentice Claimer, with the Denis Hogan-trained market-leader edging out his market rival by a head in a thrilling finish. Rocky Dreams has now won on his last two visits to the Stadium, on each occasion for promising apprentice Daniel King. In fairness, the five-year-old gelding, who was gaining a first career win in what was his fifteenth race, always looked likely to hold the runner-up, Ballymist, who was showing much-improved form, his best runs until tonight for Caroline McCaldin having come in point-to-point and bumper races. Mind you, he is closely related to Ted Walshs Grade 1 novice chase winner, Southern Vic, so the fact that he has ability hardly came as a surprise. County Meath trainer Tony Martin made it two winners from the last four Dundalk meetings when Movie King (9/2) scored by half-a-length under Robbie Colgan in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap. Movie King races in the well-known colours of New York-based John Breslin, whose big-race winners include dual-Galway Festival scorer, Quick Jack, who also finished second in the 2015 Chester Cup and third in the 2015 County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Quick Jack was also trained by Tony and they have enjoyed great days together. Rosscarbery was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the mile maiden and so it proved, with the daughter of Sea The Stars running out an easy winner in the hands of Billy Lee having been backed from on course into an SP of 11/10 favourite. Having originally sold for 130,000 guineas, Rosscarbery was having her first run tonight for Paddy Twomey, who said, "She is a nice filly who had shown very good form last year for John Murphy. We've had her since last year and she is just running to the level she ran to before. I'm very happy with her." The winner, who is owned by Robert JW Moran, is a daughter of a Listed-Race winner and her grand-dam won the 2008 Group 1 German Oaks. Shes an interesting proposition going forward. We went from a well-backed winning favourite to the proverbial skinner in the next race when The Mpex Kid put a sequence of six unplaced runs behind him when battling well under Gavin Ryan to land the cards mile handicap at an SP of 50/1. Given that he had been narrowly beaten at Dundalk in a mile handicap in December 2020 from a seven-pound higher rating than he raced from tonight, a case could have been made for the enigmatic, but fairly lightly-raced, six year-old. Ciaran Murphy trains the winner for former trainer Dot Love, and he said afterwards: A great friend of mine, Timmy Moore, looked after him over the winter and did a great job, adding about the winning rider, Gavin is a class act. The cards final race saw the Eddie Lynam-trained Persian Wolf (9/2) arrive late on the scene to collar Alhaajeb, who had travelled smoothly during the contest, eventually winning by a neck in the hands of Ben Coen. The fitting of first-time cheek-pieces no doubt helped the lightly-raced four-year-old to record a first career win at what was the tenth attempt. The winner is a full-brother to four-time Dundalk winner Sister Lola (two of those successes coming for Eddie). For good measure, Eddie also trained their dam, Riobamba, who was also successful at the Stadium. Limerick hosts an eight-race National Hunt card on Thursday, with 138 horses declared. Racing begins at 1.20pm and concludes at 5.20pm - find all the latest horse racing odds with Betfair. The ground is currently Good, Good to Yielding in places. At 3.38pm, the McDermotts Gala Patrickswell Handicap Hurdle is the most valuable race on the card, contested over two miles and five furlongs, with a field of 16 runners heading to post. Noble Birth finished second of 10 at Navan last month and will appreciate this step back up in trip - judged on his staying on performance last time. With a similar profile is Francois, who also moves up following a second last time and there is little to separate the two on paper. Sparkling Stars won over hurdles at Naas, before finishing second at Navan just over a month ago and is also firmly in the mix here, although conceding weight all-round will be tough. Itsnotinit was a course and distance winner back in December and is not without hope on this switch back to hurdles - with the blinkers on. Opening the meeting at 1.20pm is the Mollys Late Bar Maiden Hurdle, with a full field set to compete over the two-mile trip. Bynx was massively unlucky not to score in a three-way blanket finish at Cork a fortnight ago, and on form, is plenty good enough to shed her maiden tag here. Weddell Sea was useful on the flat and looks progressive, having ran into fifth on hurdles debut in February, in a race that was won by HMS Seahorse. Prince Of Peace is another useful flat performer who has joined a new yard for this hurdle debut, and could be the pick of the unraced over hurdles. Closing the card at 5.20pm is the two-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat race. Walk In The Park mare and newcomer Leitrim Park is the pick on paper, related to smart dual-code gelding Clondaw Warrior, as well as being closely related to a couple of bumper winners. Magic Conquerers third in a bumper at Naas is the pick of the form from those already raced, and the Presenting mare is entitled to do better this time around. Visible Attraction was somewhat disappointing when 6/4 favourite on debut, but may well be better for that run and enters calculations. Limerick Selections 1.20pm Bynx 1.55pm Champagne Town 2.28pm Mount Brown 3.03pm Kashi 3.38pm Noble Birth 4.13pm Ask And Answer 4.45pm Holiday In Kerry 5.20pm Leitrim Park Former champion jockey Nina Carberry was the special guest at the prizegiving for the Grand National-themed Flogas/Mens Shed Reimagine Drogheda competition on Monday 4th April 2022 at the Millmount Museum in Drogheda at which Dundalk Mens Shed was one of the runners up. The Reimagine Drogheda competition was created by Flogas as energy partner for the Irish Mens Sheds Association (IMSA) to commemorate a legendary Irish winner of the 1898 Aintree Grand National named Drogheda. The champion racehorse was born and reared in Knockbrack House, Drogheda, the site of the head office of Flogas Ireland, and won the iconic race as a 25-1 outsider. The overall winner was the Ardara Mens Shed in Donegal. Using material that included horseshoe nails, timber, Donegal tweed, leather and even bone, the members created a stunning 3D collage in which the media coverage generated by the horses surprise win also formed a central part of the piece. The regional winners were Drogheda Mens Shed, Doon & District Limerick, Kinlough Mens Shed in Leitrim and Tullyallen Mens Shed in Louth. Dundalk Mens Shed and Clane Mens Shed were joint runners up. John Rooney, managing director, Flogas Ireland presented members of the Ardara Mens Shed with the winning voucher for 2,500. He said: Congratulations to the Ardara members on their well-deserved win and a huge thank to you to all the other Sheds that submitted top-class entries. "The competition struck a chord with the members, and I think its because the Grand National is such an iconic race, few others come close. "It takes an incredibly special horse to win it and Drogheda was one of those. The competition is a fitting tribute to his memory. The panel of judges were John Crumlish, chief executive of the Galway International Arts Festival, Vicki Donlon, commercial manager, Horse Racing Ireland, Dom Gradwell, the great grandson of Droghedas owner George Gradwell and Flogas brand ambassador, former Olympian David Gillick. Dundalk Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick has called on the government to make supports available to Irish people and families who opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees in a leader's questions speech to the Dail yesterday. Deputy Fitzpatrick told the Taoiseach that he had received calls from local constituents in Louth who were finding it financially challenging to cope with the increase in their energy and food bills having taken in Ukrainian refugees. Over the past weeks, I have had many calls and visits from the families who took in Ukrainian refugees to outline the difficulties that they face. It is important to put on record that those people have not for one minute regretted their decision to take in Ukrainian refugees, and if they had to do it again, they would not hesitate. The issue people are having is that they feel isolated, with no support. They have very little, if any, contact from the relevant Departments. They feel they have nowhere to go for support and advice. They have increased energy and food bills and, on top of this, there are massive hikes in energy prices. The commercial hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation are being paid to house Ukrainian refugees. The people who opened their homes to the same refugees are not getting any support. He continued: I ask the Taoiseach to assist with this issue and get proper support to the many thousands of Irish people and families who have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees. This morning, the Taoiseach told the Ukrainian president, "our home is your home." Thousands of Irish people have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees. I believe this is the right place for them to be. It is a family atmosphere. Irish people have always put their shoulders to the wheel when needed. Irish people are not complaining and would do this again and again but they are getting no support. They get bills, including electricity bills, pick up Ukrainian children to bring them to school every day, and are looking for nothing. Everything is increasing. All I am asking for is for the Government to help these people the way they helped the Ukrainian refugees." The Taoiseach told Deputy Fitzpatrick that income support is immediately available from the Department of Social Protection once refugees come into the country, under the European Union's temporary protection directive. Health services are also being provided for the families who have arrived in the country. He went on to state: We are establishing community response forums in each local authority to coordinate local responses to the Ukraine crisis. That forum will bring together all of the community and voluntary organisations which are active locally, as well as the mayor or cathaoirleach of each local authority. These local forums are best placed to put arrangements in place to help the new arrivals from Ukraine to access services. In response Deputy Fitzpatrick told the Taoiseach that: These families are not looking for profit, they are simply looking for support for the extra costs that they have incurred. While I appreciate the Taoiseachs reply, he never once mentioned the people. These people went up to Dublin Airport, they collected these families and they took them back in good faith. Now they realise that there is a serious cost there. Many of these families have children and families of their own. With ESB bills, electricity bills and all of these bills rising, all they are doing is looking for a bit of help. The Government is quick enough to pay the hotels. It is quick enough to pay the bed and breakfasts. They are not looking for a profit. On social protection, I acknowledge that these refugees are getting social welfare, which is fine, but they need that money for themselves, for shoes and clothes for their own family. An update from National Broadband Ireland (NBI) about the progress being made in in rolling out fibre to homes is "a cause of huge concern", Sinn Feins spokesperson on broadband, Ruairi O Murchu TD, has said. The Louth deputy received the update from NBI which shows that despite the "much reduced" target of 60,000 homes to be passed for broadband by the end of January, just over 40,000 were, with the target for the end of 2022 being reduced to 102,000 from the original target of 205,000. The matter was raised in Leinster House with Minister Ossian Smyth by Darren ORourke TD today who said it was "time to raise a flare" about what was happening with the rollout. Deputy O Murchu said: "The update from NBI is a huge cause of concern to me, and to those who have put their faith in the rollout of broadband under this scheme. The 60,000 target for January was already way below the original target of 115,000 and Covid 19 is being blamed for that, but just 40,053 homes were actually done to the end of March this year. "This is obviously significantly lower than the already low target. Pressure has to be maintained by government to ensure that the rollout of broadband continues at as fast a rate as possible. The fewer premises that are passed for broadband means the longer the people at the end of the list will have to wait." He continues, "the government talks a lot about remote working and hubs for people who wish to work close to home, but they need to ensure that reality is closer to their aspirations and ensure that the broadband in this State is fit for purpose. People cannot wait longer than they are already for broadband. While I accept that there have been difficulties for every sector caused by Covid 19, and while I accept that the way NBI is set up is not what I would have wanted from the start, the government has to take responsibility and ensure that everything possible is being done to ensure that the broadband plan is ramped up this year. "NBI was meant to have 205,000 homes passed by January 2023, that figure is now down to 102,000 and at the current rate of work, they will not even reach 60,000 this year. The government cannot keep making excuses for NBI, and telling the public they are financially penalising NBI for not reaching the targets. Neither of these things gets broadband into peoples homes any faster. "Minister Smyth told Deputy ORourke that there are penalties being imposed on NBI because of the targets being missed and we need more detail on what these are. We also need more detail on what NBI says the ongoing issues are that are stalling the project. We are certainly a long way from acceleration." Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Lisa Smith's lawyers have made a fresh bid to have the charges against her of funding terrorism and membership of Isis dismissed. If the three-judge, non-jury court does not accept the arguments made by her lawyers they will reveal their verdicts on May 30th. During a brief hearing this morning, Thursday April 7th 2022, Michael O'Higgins SC, for Ms Smith, said that a previous judgement of the High Court ruled that the Terrorism Offences Act 2005 can only be used to prosecute people for offences committed against the Irish State or Irish citizens abroad. He said the Special Criminal Court is bound by the High Court judgement and therefore has no jurisdiction to try Ms Smith under the 2005 Act. Counsel apologised to the court for not bringing the ruling to its attention during the trial which ran from late January and ended on March 30. He said he was only made aware of it on the final day of the trial while he was delivering his closing speech and needed time to consider it. The ruling referred to was delivered by Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly in relation to an extradition request for Charaf Damache, who was wanted by the US authorities to face terrorism charges. Damache, aka theblackflag, conspired with American woman Colleen LaRose, known as Jihad Jane and others to carry out terror attacks in Europe and Asia. In 2014, LaRose was jailed for conspiring with Damache to try to kill Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who depicted the Prophet Mohammed on the head of a dog. Damache was involved in lengthy extradition proceedings brought by the State. However, the High Court refused to order his surrender after holding that there were substantial grounds for believing that he will be at real risk of being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment if extradited to the USA. Damache was released from custody but was later arrested and extradited to the US after he took the decision to travel to Spain. He pleaded guilty to the offences and was jailed for 15 years in October 2018. Among the paragraphs relied on by Mr O'Higgins is one that states: "For such activity to be an offence in this jurisdiction, a relevant requirement is that the offence be directed against this State or a citizen of the State." Sean Gillane SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 could not have the meaning that was suggested by Mr O'Higgins. He pointed out that the Court of Appeal subsequently commented on the judgement made by Ms Justice Donnelly in the Damache case, saying that she had "tried to deal with too much too quickly" without hearing arguments from lawyers. Mr Gillane said the defence was relying on a short passage from a document that is more than 300 pages long. He said that the 2005 Act "couldn't be clearer" in stating that it relates to an Irish citizen who has committed an offence abroad. Mr O'Higgins responded that it is not for lawyers to argue whether the High Court judge was right or wrong as the Special Criminal Court is bound by the ruling of the High Court. In April 2018, the State successfully appealed one section only of Ms Justice Donnelly's judgement refusing Mr Damache's surrender. That section appeared to suggest that the Director of Public Prosecutions is obliged to consult other EU member states in deciding whether to prosecute terrorism offences in Ireland. Counsel for the State had argued before the Court of Appeal that the particular section of the High Court's judgement was of immense importance and it was not immediately clear quite how far reaching its significance and impact was. The Court of Appeal found that Ms Justice Donnelly's decision in Part 12 of the judgement was made without any pleadings or submissions to assist her on the discrete issue. The parties had no notice or opportunity to advance any argument on the issue. As a result, the relevant section of the judgement was set aside and the appeal allowed. The court also said that any issues relating to the 2005 Act would have to await further consideration by the High Court and an opportunity for all parties to make whatever arguments they wish. Mr Justice Hunt, sitting at the Special Criminal Court with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne, said the court will reveal its decision on the defence application on May 30. If the court accepts jurisdiction it will also reveal its verdict on that date. Ms Smith (40) from Dundalk, Co Louth travelled to Syria in 2015 after Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on all Muslims to travel to the Islamic State. She has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Dr Tony Holohan said he does not intend to return to the role of chief medical officer amid questions over his new role at Trinity College Dublin. In an opening statement sent to the Oireachtas Health Committee, he said he wanted to address some of the controversy over his appointment as professor of public health strategy and leadership at the university. Questions, including why the Department of Health is funding the secondment and who approved it, have dogged the Government in recent days. In the statement, Dr Holohan said he wished to clarify matters. He wrote: The Department of Health is committed to the development of public health capacity for the future. While Ireland has fared well in many aspects of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is room for development of our capacity in this regard. The third-level sector will play a key role in providing thought leadership, critical analysis, research as well as the development of knowledge and skills to better support public health leadership, policy making and public health practice. It is to further this potential that I am taking up the professorship of public health strategy & leadership in Trinity College Dublin. Specifically, the department intends me to lead the development and activities of inter-institutional collaboration between universities and the health sector and to develop stronger links with the WHO (World Health Organisation) and agencies of the EU. Dr Holohan said he has agreed to relinquish his role as chief medical officer. It is not my intention to return to this role at any point in the future, he said. It is important that my successor feels fully empowered and enabled to undertake the role as they see fit. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had no hand, act or part in the appointment of Dr Holohan to the new teaching role. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has also faced questions about his exact role in the approval of the secondment. Aerial photo shows the first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula leaving Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) CHONGQING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula left Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon on Thursday. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore. The new transport service offers another quick passage from western China to the Indian Ocean, said Wang Yupei, chairman of the corridor operator. Compared with traditional logistics routes that extend to eastern coastal cities via the Yangtze River and then to the sea, the new route can save over 20 days on the way. Guoyuan Port in Chongqing is the largest port on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and a key point connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt and regions along the Belt and Road. By the end of 2021, destinations that can be reached via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor had been expanded to 315 ports in 107 countries and regions worldwide. The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula leaves Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula prepares to leave Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula leaves Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula prepares to leave Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) Aerial photo shows the first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula leaving Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) The first outbound international rail-sea freight train from China's Yangtze River to Indo-China Peninsula leaves Guoyuan Port in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for Myanmar's Yangon, April 7, 2022. The new route from the inland port along the Yangtze River to Yangon also links Chongqing with the Indian Ocean. It comes under the framework of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and Singapore.(Xinhua/Huang Wei) African refugees see racial bias as U.S. welcomes Ukrainians: AP Xinhua) 09:48, April 07, 2022 WASHINGTON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- As the United States prepares to welcome tens of thousands of Ukrainians leaving their country due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Washington continues to deport African and Caribbean refugees back to their homelands, which many African refugees see as racial bias, according to a recent report by The Associated Press. Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a plan to welcome 100,000 Ukrainians leaving their country, granted Temporary Protected Status to another 30,000 already in the United States, and halted Ukrainian deportations, said the report on Friday. However, African refugees were seriously concerned over the swift expulsions of Haitian refugees, and the frosty reception African and Middle Eastern refugees have faced in western Europe, "compared with how those nations have enthusiastically embraced displaced Ukrainians," it added. This has also made Cameroonian advocates strengthen their calls for humanitarian relief, as they protested in front of the Washington residence of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the offices of leading members of Congress this month, the report mentioned. It also noted that the Department of Homeland Security has declined to respond to the complaints of racism in American immigration policy. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China's time-honored trade fair, China Import and Export Fair, will hold its 131st event online from April 15 to April 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. Held since 1957, the fair is held twice a year in south China's Guangzhou City to facilitate global trade. It was held both online and offline for the first time in autumn last year. The 10-day spring session includes online exhibitions, market match-making and cross-border e-commerce. It will offer the 25,000-plus domestic and overseas exhibitors a variety of online services such as online showcases, business exchanges and product launches. A specific zone showcasing products from once poverty-stricken areas will also be in place at the fair, also known as the Canton Fair, to introduce rural revitalization progresses. No fees will be charged from participating exhibitors and cross-border e-commerce platforms, the ministry said. LUSAKA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ICT giant Huawei on Thursday expressed optimism that Zambia was destined for greater heights in its digital transformation agenda. While acknowledging that there was still more space to support the digital environment in Zambia, Phil Li, the Huawei Vice-President for the Southern African Region, said the current situation was encouraging compared to the past. In remarks delivered during a media engagement meeting, the official said there has been an increased number of people in Zambia using digital platforms in recent years but expressed concern that most of the rural areas remain unconnected. He said the company was happy to be part of Zambia's digital transformation through various projects such as the erection of communication towers in all parts of the country to enhance access. According to him, the company's digital innovation leadership program, launched in collaboration with the government last month was a step in the right direction in building the digital environment in Zambia. Under the partnership, Huawei will provide training to 500 students and 50 instructors in digital skills, construct a premier digital innovation hub to act as a center of excellence for ICT and establish a digital innovation scholarship under the patronage of the country's president over the next four years. According to the official, having more local people trained in ICT will go a long way in transforming the digital space in the country as well as contribute to the country's economic development. Simon Li, the Huawei Managing Director in Zambia, said the company has been a key partner to the achievement of some of Zambia's milestones Zambia has achieved in the ICT sector. He said the deployment of over 1,009 telecommunication towers across the country, the commissioning of the country's first-ever data center as well as the first-ever 5G network launched in partnership with mobile service provider MTN Zambia, show that the company has been a strategic partner to Zambia's ICT development. "Huawei sees itself as part of Zambia's future and it sees the recent investment in building a healthy and sustainable ecosystem will benefit many Zambian youths," he said. The EBRD has been promoting innovation and digitalisation across the economies it invests in. For instance: In Serbia, the EBRD has supported a government digitalisation project. Together with bilateral donors under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), around 90,000 households and 600 schools and public institutions in rural areas will gain access to fast broadband. This project was part of Serbias initiative to promote digitalisation as a driver of economic growth and position the country as an IT development hub. Greek companies now have the ability to test innovative financial products and services with EBRD support using the Bank of Greeces regulatory sandbox. The EBRD participated in implementing the EU-funded project, with consultants support from EY Greece. An EBRD loan supported the modernisation of Armenias power supply network. The investment promotes digital transition through large-scale automatic control and smart metering implementation, primarily in Yerevan and Gyumri. Many companies in the EBRD regions lack the expertise to engage in the digital agenda and need independent advice on how to start their journey and build the case for investment. As companies digitalise their activities, there are risks as well as opportunities. The growth of cybercrime is one example. Cyber challenges require a response from public policymakers at both a national and international level, as well as investment by private actors to build more resilience into the system. The EBRD will collaborate with our international partners on this area, given cybersecuritys emergence as an issue in our economies, with ever-growing threats from criminal, geopolitical and hacktivist actors. In parallel, the Digital Hub is also designing a Cyber Tool Kit to support our clients with digital and cyber resilience, which will soon be deployed to assist EBRD economies. The digital transformation of the EBRD regions can only take place through comprehensive engagement, something the Bank is perhaps uniquely best placed to deliver, given our rich combination of private-sector investment, advisory activities and public-sector policy engagement work. EBRD Board adopts new strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina Priorities: Private-sector skills and digitalisation; infrastructure and regional integration; low-carbon transition Vice President for Policy Mark Bowman to visit Sarajevo next week The EBRDs Board of Directors has approved a new country strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina that will define the Banks investments there in the period 2022-27. The strategic priorities of the EBRD will be: to strengthen the role of the private sector, including through the upgrade of skills and digitalisation; to close key infrastructure gaps, pursuing governance improvements and further regional integration; and to support energy diversification away from coal and promote a low-carbon transition. The strategy was approved days before a planned visit to the country by EBRD Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, Mark Bowman, who will be in Sarajevo on 11 and12 April to discuss its implementation with the authorities. The EBRD remains as committed as ever to Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the past 25 years, we have invested in flagship projects such as the motorway Corridor Vc, in municipal infrastructure and in private businesses. With five Bosnian cities already in our successful Green Cities programme, I am delighted to be signing new investments during my visit to support greener municipal services and public transport in the Sarajevo Canton and Brcko District, said Bowman. The Bank started investing in Bosnia and Herzegovina 25 years ago, with its first investment in 1996 made just after the end of the war supporting the emergency reconstruction of electricity and telecommunication networks. Since 1996, the EBRD has committed more than 2.83 billion across 200 projects in the country. Investments in 2020 and 2021 alone exceeded 300 million. Disbursements of committed funds did not slow down during the pandemic, reaching 190 million in 2021 and showing that EBRD projects approved in earlier years are successfully moving towards implementation. In 2022, the EBRD stands ready to increase its support for Bosnia and Herzegovinas infrastructure, greener cities and better municipal services for citizens, as well as for energy efficiency in public and private buildings. In addition, it stands ready to increase support for credit lines to local banks to support women entrepreneurs and the digital readiness and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. In the days ahead, the Bank will also sign a financing agreement with local transmission-system operator Transco, to strengthen network connectivity and readiness for the expansion of renewable energy. The EBRDs work in the country is supported by donor funds. The largest international donor is the European Union; contributions from Sweden, Austria, Italy, Japan and many others are also vital in supporting the Banks policy-reform and technical-cooperation efforts. EBRD, EU, AZPROMO team up to boost FDI in Azerbaijan Focus is on the non-oil sectors of the economy Initiative to boost integration into European value chains The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Union (EU) and AZPROMO, the export and investment promotion agency are teaming up to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) in Azerbaijan. Attracting investors to Azerbaijans non-oil sectors and increasing their integration into European value chains are key to further unlocking the countrys economic potential. A five-year national export strategy developed by AZPROMO aims to double the volume of non-oil exports by 2026. The EBRD and AZPROMO, with financial support from the EU, are developing pitching packs and investment-targeting strategies for up to five priority projects in sectors such as agriculture and fisheries. They will then work to identify investors, especially from European markets. This initiative includes analysing target markets and investors, training AZPROMO staff in effective pitching and organising roadshow events in priority European markets with a view to securing investment for the five projects. This is the EBRDs first technical collaboration with AZPROMO as part of a wider effort to improve the capacity of investment promotion agencies in Eastern Partnership countries, supported by the EU under the EU-EBRD Investment Climate Action Plan. It will support the Eastern Partnerships agenda for recovery, resilience and reforms, underpinned by the EU Economic and Investment Plan to mobilise investment in Azerbaijan. ___ AZPROMO is the lead investment promotion body in Azerbaijan. It is responsible for attracting FDI to export-oriented sectors and increasing the export capacity of the non-oil sector to support the countrys ongoing economic development. The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Azerbaijan and has so far invested close to 3.4 billion in more than 180 projects in various sectors of the economy. The Banks strategy in Azerbaijan focuses on efforts to help diversify the economy and develop the non-oil private sector. The EU is the leading grant donor in Azerbaijan, supporting agricultural sector governance reform, strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary measures and promoting the commercialisation of traditional crops and food preparations. THE Irish Prison Service has confirmed that 87 prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 in Cork Prison, with infections in the prison trebling since Monday. It follows confirmation earlier in the week that an outbreak in the prison had seen 28 prisoners testing positive. A total of 87 prisoners from the A and B Division of Cork Prison have tested positive for Covid-19, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said. A review team has been established and as a precautionary measure all prisoners who require testing on A and B division have been tested, the spokesperson said. A restricted regime will be in place until all test results are returned. When asked by The Echo the specifics of those restrictions, the spokesperson said prisoners who have tested positive for Covid-19 will not be able to receive prison visits until they test negative. The total number of prisoners that have tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic is 1,270. Given the current level of prevalence of the virus in the community the Irish Prison Service now faces an ongoing challenge in continuing to keep prisoners safe from infection, the IPS spokesperson said. The service is working closely with Public Health [and] HSE with regard to the management of the current outbreaks including testing arrangements for staff and prisoners, if required. A fictitious patient was checked into a room at the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork with cash in his wallet and he was then transferred to intensive care in an effort to catch the member of staff who had been stealing from patients. Judge Olann Kelleher noted that management at the hospital in Cork had to go to great lengths to find out who had been stealing money from patients. Judge Kelleher noted that one of the patients who had cash stolen from his room when he was at the Bon Secours was 90 years old. 40-year-old Claire Murphy of 33 Hillcrest, Kildorrery, County Cork, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of cash from the rooms of patients at the hospital. Sums of 50, 50, 200 and 700 were stolen. Defence solicitor, Ciaran OKeeffe, said, She has brought 1,000 to court covering the full amount of the money taken. She put her hands up straightaway. They released her from her job. She had been working 20 years in the Bon Secours. Mr OKeeffe said there was an effort made to pay the money back at an early stage but that this was not possible because the prosecution had been initiated. The solicitor said that the defendant and her husband had purchased a house and were both working hard to pay the mortgage on it. Judge Kelleher said, It is a very serious matter taking money from patients in the course of her employment. Great lengths had to be taken by the Bon Secours to find out who it was. Sentencing was adjourned until June 16 to allow time for preparation of a probation report. Sergeant Pat Lyons gave an outline of the background to the thefts: On February 15, 2021, Detective Garda James Bugler was called to the Bons Secours Hospital to take a report of a theft of 200 cash which had been taken from a suitcase in a patients room. On March 4, he was called back again to take a report of a further theft, over 700 from the trousers pocket of a 90-year-old patient. There was no CCTV cameras covering the entrances to these two rooms. The facilities manager suspected that it was a member of staff and he booked a room in the hospital using a fictitious name and installed a covert camera in the room, as well as 150 spread across different locations in the room. He informed some staff members that this patient had been transferred to ICU. On March 16, Claire Murphy - a health care assistant in the hospital - was captured on the covert camera entering the room on two occasions during her shift and removing 100 of the 150 from the room, which she put into her scrubs pocket. On March 30, Det. Garda Gary Duggan met Claire Murphy and invited her to make a voluntary cautioned statement. She made full admissions to the four thefts. She was apologetic and cited money problems as the reason for her actions. * Since late February, the United States has continued to add fuel to the fire by delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine, goading allies into cornering Russia, and imposing massive economic sanctions on Russia's institutions and enterprises. * The United States, obsessive about political coercion and economic bullying, has sowed discord between Russia and European countries, and driven Russia and Ukraine into a corner of confrontation, causing geopolitical tensions and economic shocks that jeopardize world stability. * All these moves run counter to global efforts to de-escalate the crisis and put world stability in peril. by Xinhua writer Zhang Yisheng BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- As the Russia-Ukraine conflict grinds on, picturing Washington's role in the chaos is less challenging than predicting an endgame of the crisis. Since late February, the United States has continued to add fuel to the fire by delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine, goading allies into cornering Russia, and imposing massive economic sanctions on Russia's institutions and enterprises. All these moves run counter to global efforts to de-escalate the crisis and put world stability in peril. No matter which side gains the upper hand in the crisis, "the United States is the winner," Chen Fengying, a researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Xinhua on Wednesday. Staff members provide living necessities to people from Ukraine at Berlin Central Train Station in Berlin, Germany, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Stefan Zeitz/Xinhua) ANOTHER ROUND OF SANCTIONS The United States on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on Russia for its military operation in Ukraine, targeting Russia's major financial institutions and the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a factsheet from the White House detailing the measures, the United States will impose full blocking sanctions on Russia's largest financial institution, Sberbank, and the country's largest private bank, Alfa Bank, freezing any of the two banks' assets in the U.S. financial system and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them. U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order banning new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they live, the factsheet said, adding the executive order aims to "ensure the enduring weakening of the Russian Federation's global competitiveness." A man walks into a Sberbank office in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn) Since the conflict broke out in Ukraine, the United States has imposed rounds of sanctions on Russia, despite experts' warning that sanctions alone are inadequate to de-escalate the tensions and might even invite a nightmare scenario. "The U.S. approach of imposing successive batches of sanctions complicates the situation," Ahmed Eliba, a researcher at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Xinhua. "These sanctions also backfire on the Western side, which, I believe, pays a high cost." Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of Philippine BRICS Strategic Studies, said, "For the U.S. allies in Europe, the sanctions punish them as much as predictable skyrocketing energy prices bedevil their economies now, and threaten even the very survival of the European economy." "We should fully understand the causes and consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Will the sanctions against Russia solve the problem? Will the sanctions force Russia to withdraw their troops? The answers unfortunately are No. The sanctions will only deteriorate the world economy already weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic," Wichai Kinchong Choi, senior vice president of the leading Thai bank Kasikornbank, told Xinhua. U.S. ROLE IN CRISIS The root cause of the outbreak of the conflict, analysts have said, is the continuous eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led by the United States. Putin had repeatedly warned NATO against deploying its troops and weapons to Ukraine, saying this represents a red line for Russia and would trigger a strong response. Russia's concern that NATO is expanding to its borders has never been heeded by the United States, "which is only interested in maintaining its hegemonic status in Europe, and which has been steadily retreating from that collaborative policy which the West committed itself to after the Cold War," said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review. The tragedy in Ukraine "could have easily been avoided if the Biden Admin and NATO had simply acknowledged Russia's legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine becoming a member of NATO," former U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard tweeted. In the past several weeks, U.S. politicians have flown back and forth across the Atlantic to instigate hostilities against Russia, while showing little interest in acknowledging the root cause of or brokering a political solution to the tragedy in Ukraine. Fuel prices are displayed at a gas station in Paris, France, March 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) Immediately after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Biden announced that the United States would provide 350 million U.S. dollars in military aid to Ukraine. On March 16, Biden announced an additional 800 million dollars in security assistance to Ukraine. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States has already sent 100 killer drones called Switchblade to Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said on Wednesday that his country and its allies have provided Ukraine with 10 anti-tank systems for every single Russian tank. John Pang, a senior fellow at New York-based Bard College, said U.S. sanctions "worsen the situation," adding that "they possibly prolong the conflict because of suffering in Russia, but also in Europe and around the world. They will bring the global economy into, very likely, a recession in which millions of innocent people will suffer." "If you put this together with the fact that ... NATO and the U.S. continue to arm Ukraine, the actual effect will be to prolong the conflict, not to end it," Pang told Xinhua on Wednesday. Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament, has doubted the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia, saying that sanctions could only affect ordinary people. "Sanctions are a form of war, and often the consequences are shocking," Wallace said in a video released on his social media platform on Wednesday. "500,000 children died in Iraq because of sanctions. 40,000 people died in Venezuela in recent years because of illegal U.S. sanctions. Tens of thousands have died in Syria because of U.S. and European sanctions. What are the sanctions that you have on Russia going to do?" WORLD STABILITY IN DANGER The United States, obsessive about political coercion and economic bullying, has sowed discord between Russia and European countries, and driven Russia and Ukraine into a corner of confrontation, causing geopolitical tensions and economic shocks that jeopardize world stability. The country, unconfident and insecure, still wants to maintain hegemony in the international system or a dominant position in the global economy, thus attempting to suppress countries that it thinks could threaten and challenge it, said Zhao Suisheng, a professor at Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. The current disruptions in energy, metals and food markets caused by the month-long conflict in Ukraine are "broad and savage," The Economist magazine reported in mid-March, warning that a retreat to Cold-War spheres of influence or self-sufficiency would be "a mistake" and the costs would be "vast." A customer chooses cooking oil at Lidl supermarket in Brussels, Belgium, March 29, 2022. Due to rise of high energy prices, Belgium markets witnessed the rise of prices of petrol, diesel, cooking oil, flour, etc. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Renowned American linguist and foreign policy critic Noam Chomsky said, "We're approaching the most dangerous point in human history ... We are now facing the prospect of destruction of organised human life on Earth." "What we do know is that Ukraine will be further devastated. And we may move on to terminal nuclear war if we do not pursue the opportunities that exist for a negotiated settlement," Chomsky was quoted by The New Statesman magazine as saying on Wednesday. "Virtually any additional steps -- reducing imports of oil and gas, banning a wider range of exports, or telling European firms to withdraw from Russia -- would entail an economic cost for Europe," Jean Pisani-Ferry, a senior fellow at Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel, said in an article published by Project Syndicate in late March. "Today's uncertainty understandably makes European policymakers nervous," Pisani-Ferry said, adding that the economic conflict "is entering a hazardous new phase. The risk of failing is too big to be taken." (Video reporters: Kang Wenjun, He Fei, Roberto Ferranti, Liu Zongya, Yu Shuaishuai, Liu Yanan, Zhang Mocheng, Sun Ding, Hu Yousong, Deng Xianlai; video editors: Hong Liang, Zhang Yuhong) A GARDA on duty in Cork City approached a drunken man who reacted by telling the officer he would box the head off him. Garda Sean Finnegan testified at Cork District Court that he encountered Adrian Curran, aged 51, of Ardcullen, Hollyhill, Cork, at Cornmarket Street, Cork, on January 27. The defendant had an open container of alcohol in his hand and he was slumped against a wall in an intoxicated condition. When Garda Finnegan approached him he said the defendant told him, F*** off or I will box the head off you. Adrian Curran was arrested and charged with being drunk and a danger and engaging in threatening behaviour. He did not appear in court for the case against him. Judge Olann Kelleher said he would hear the evidence in the case in the absence of the accused. The judge proceeded to convict him on the two charges after hearing the evidence. Sergeant Pat Lyons then said the accused had 12 previous convictions and had two suspended sentences hanging over him. Judge Olann Kelleher said after convicting the defendant on the two public order charges that he would issue a warrant for his arrest to be brought before Cork District Court for sentencing. THE legendary Aslan are on stage at the Opera House tomorrow and Saturday night, celebrating, would you believe it, their 40th anniversary of sell-out concerts and world tours. We cant get enough of them. 8pm start, strictly over 18s. That gifted impressionist and satirist Mario Rosenstock is here next week, Tuesday to Saturday, with The Very Best of Gift Grub Live. This show has been rescheduled from February 2021 and any tickets booked for that original time are still, of course, valid. The premiere of An Evening With Reggie is in full swing right now at the Everyman, although it is whispered that the author himself is not happy with the venue. As you can imagine, Im devastated that my play will run on the Northside, but unfortunately the GAA is refusing to give me Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Still, Im delighted to get this chance to work with The Everyman, and not just because they promised to bar people from Kilmallock. Id say it will be a total hoot. And my accountant Scobie Comerford says a theatre show is very tax efficient. So, its win-win unless youre a Revenue Commissioner. Fantastic. Running until Saturday April 16 (excluding Monday and Tuesday). Written and performed by Pat Fitzpatrick (the eponymous Reggie), it is directed by Pat Kiernan. 8pm start. See www.everymancork.com At the Cork Arts Theatre, a new and experimental work, STYX, opened on Tues. This multi-disciplinary exploration focuses on the forced migration of peoples seeking refuge from catastrophes, using real-life personal stories. Devised by Strive Theatre and facilitated by Christian Cruceru and Ciaran MacArtain, its for ages 14+ and upwards, and runs for 60 mins with no interval. STYX is part of the Cork Arts Theatre Creative Empowerment Programme 2022. To April 16 at 8pm nightly (no shows Sunday, Monday). Coming up at the Cork Arts Theatre from April 19 to 23 is Unmasked, an exciting event from CADA, described as an evening of pure drama which showcases stars of the future. Some little performers are treading the boards for the very first time at the age of three, while others have a few more years experience under their belts. Expect a wide variety of plays with very different storylines each night, including some written and performed by the young actors themselves. Artistic Director: Catherine Mahon-Buckley; directors: Fionula Linehan, Moyra OHare, Geradine OSullivan, and Siomha Marron; music: Pavla Moore, Jessica O Connell, and Siomha Marron. 7pm start for this one (note earlier time). Booking for all Arts Theatre shows on 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com. Comedian Terry Alderton. City Limits Comedy Club on Coburg St is hosting a brand new show featuring renowned comedian Terry Alderton on Saturday, April 23. One of the most exciting comedians around, Terry regularly performs all over the globe, and appeared alongside some of comedys biggest stars, including Joan Rivers, and Eddie Izzard. The Gathering Traditional Festival, now in its 21st year, opens tonight in Killarney, and runs until Sunday, featuring concerts, ceilis, sessions, and storytelling as well as set dancing, singing and instrument masterclasses. Headquartered at The Gleneagle Hotel, this five-day festival attracts trad fans from the US, Britain, France, Germany and all over Ireland. Danu, Iarla O Lionaird, and Steve Cooney, Derek Hickey, MacDara Faolain, and more. Get all the info on https://www.inec.ie/festivals/the-gathering/. The 67th Cork International Choral Festival takes place this year from April 27 to May 1. Highlights will include the Big Sing, the premiere performance of the winning entry for the Sean ORiada composition competition, the Fleischmann International Trophy event, and free public performance all over the place. It will be a memorable occasion for the many visiting choirs from all over Ireland and the world beyond, as well as for the volunteers who work so hard to make it a success. www.corkchoral.ie for all the detail. By Dominic McGrath, PA The full details of a new university role created for Dr Tony Holohan should have been made public earlier, the Tanaiste has said. Taking questions in the Dail on Thursday, Leo Varadkar indicated that greater transparency over the appointment would have been preferable. Questions, including why the Department of Health is funding the secondment for Dr Holohan at Trinity College Dublin and who approved it, have dogged the Government in recent days. The Chief Medical Officers new role is an open-ended secondment, Mr Varadkar said. Leo Varadkar called Dr Holohan an excellent public servant (PA) It would have been far preferable if the full details around the secondment had been put in the public domain at the outset and I think that should have been done. I know Minister McGrath, the Minister for Public Expenditure, is not satisfied with how this has been done, and he is engaging with the Department of Health on that at the moment. The Tanaiste said that he was not casting aspersions on Dr Holohan or on Trinity College Dublin He called Dr Holohan an excellent public servant. Earlier, the top health official said he does not intend to return to the role of CMO. In an opening statement sent to the Oireachtas Health Committee, he said he wanted to address some of the controversy over his appointment as professor of public health strategy and leadership at the university. In the statement, seen by the PA news agency, Dr Holohan said he wished to clarify matters. He wrote: The Department of Health is committed to the development of public health capacity for the future. While Ireland has fared well in many aspects of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is room for development of our capacity in this regard. The third-level sector will play a key role in providing thought leadership, critical analysis, research as well as the development of knowledge and skills to better support public health leadership, policy making and public health practice. It is to further this potential that I am taking up the professorship of public health strategy & leadership in Trinity College Dublin. Specifically, the department intends me to lead the development and activities of inter-institutional collaboration between universities and the health sector and to develop stronger links with the WHO (World Health Organisation) and agencies of the EU. Dr Holohan said he has agreed to relinquish his role as CMO. It is not my intention to return to this role at any point in the future, he said. It is important that my successor feels fully empowered and enabled to undertake the role as they see fit. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had no hand, act or part in the appointment of Dr Holohan to the new teaching role. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has also faced questions about his exact role in the approval of the secondment. Brazil beef output projected to reach 9.85 million tonnes in 2022 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Brazil's beef production is expected to reach 9.85 million tonnes this year, surpassing the 9.5 million tonnes produced in 2021, Merco Press reported. This would result in about 37.7 million head of cattle to be slaughtered in 2022, compared to the 36.3 million head last year. The USDA report said Brazil will export 2.6 million tonnes of beef this year, 300,000 tonnes more compared to the 2.32 million in 2021. Local demand for beef in Brazil is projected to reach 7.31 million tonnes in 2022, higher than the 7.24 million tonnes in 2021. The USDA report also showed neighbouring Uruguay's beef exports to reach 490,000 tonnes in 2022 thanks to high meat suppliers, increased demand from overseas, and exports restrictions imposed on competitors. Uruguay's beef production is expected to hit 615,000 tonnes this year, its second highest volume on record, with cattle slaughter at 2.4 million head, the highest in 16 years. - Merco Press Pork seized at Malaysian airport tests positive for African swine fever Pork sausage products seized from a traveller from China at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by Malaysian customs has tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), Bernama Malaysia reported. The Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) said the pork sausages weighed 10 kg worth MYR 350 (US$82.97; MYR 1 = US$0.24) were seized from the Chinese traveller's hand-carried luggage. Malaysia's Veterinary Public Health Laboratory confirmed that the meat was infected with ASF. The seized meat will be disposed according to standard operating procedures. Malaysia has banned pork imports from countries affected by ASF outbreaks, which includes prohibiting air passengers from carrying pork in hand luggages. MAQIS said ASF is capable causing a very high mortality rate of up to 100% of domestic pigs which could cripple the domestic swine sector in a short time. - Bernama Malaysia UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday welcomed the international community to assess the discovered documents related to U.S. biological military activities within appropriate frameworks. Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at the UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting on biological security. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Facebook says its eyeing new ways to limit the influence of official Russian government accounts as it sees a surge in cyber espionage and covert influence operations tied to government-linked actors from Russia and Belarus. Facebooks security researchers shared the update as part of the companys first quarterly adversarial threat report, which detailed its latest efforts to prevent its platform from being exploited amid Russias invasion of Ukraine. During a call with reporters, Metas President of Public Policy Nick Clegg said that the company has seen an uptick in state-backed disinformation and other efforts to sow misinformation. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we've seen attacks on internet freedom and access to information intensified, Clegg said. It's manifested itself in two ways: One focus is on pushing state propaganda through state-run media, influence operations and espionage campaigns. And the other aimed at closing down the flow of credible information. Clegg added that the company is considering new steps to prevent official government accounts from spreading disinformation, but didnt elaborate. Though Facebook has been demoting Russian state media outlets since March, the company hasnt had a clear strategy for addressing misinformation and lies about the war from official government accounts. Up to know, its taken one-off actions against specific posts, like when an account belonging to Russias UK embassy falsely claimed a photo of a hospital bombing was staged. Now Facebook is apparently considering how it can better prevent these accounts from spreading misinformation, said Clegg, who has previously been a vocal defender of Facebooks policy against fact-checking politicians. We are actively now reviewing additional steps to address misinformation and hoaxes coming from Russian government pages, Clegg said. Official pages are just one area of concern for Facebook though. In its report, Facebook security researchers detailed several influence operations and other campaigns to manipulate its platform in favor of pro-Russian interests and disinformation. For example, we detected and disrupted recidivist CIB [coordinated inauthentic behavior] activity linked to the Belarusian KGB who suddenly began posting in Polish and English about Ukrainian troops surrendering without a fight and the nations leaders fleeing the country on February 24, the day Russia began the war, they wrote in the report. On March 14, they pivoted back to Poland and created an event in Warsaw calling for a protest against the Polish government. We disabled the account and event that same day. The company also said it saw renewed activity from Ghostwriter, an entity that uses phishing attacks on email accounts to take over its targets social media accounts. Facebook previously said Ghostwriter targeted a handful of Ukrainian journalists, military officials and other public figures at the start of the war. This time, Ghostwriter attempted to hack into the Facebook accounts of dozens of Ukrainian military personnel, Facebook wrote. In a handful of cases, they posted videos calling on the Army to surrender as if these posts were coming from the legitimate account owners. We blocked these videos from being shared. Facebook also spotted renewed activity from Russias Internet Research Agency, the troll farm behind Russias 2016 election interference campaign thats made repeated attempts to get back on Facebook in recent years. Facebook said their attempts to make new accounts on the platform were unsuccessful and appeared to be trying to drive traffic to a separate website that blamed Russias attack on NATO and the West and accused Ukrainian forces of targeting civilians. Finally, Facebook also said it has removed tens of thousands' ' of accounts, pages and groups for using spammy and misleading tactics in an attempt to profit off the war in Ukraine. These efforts included meme pages posing as on-the-ground reports from Ukraine as well as spammers trying to sell merch or lure people to outside websites for ad revenue. Attorney General Merrick Garland has revealed that the United States secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world over the past few weeks to pre-empt Russian cyberattacks. As The New York Times reports, Garland's announcement comes shortly after the White House warned companies that Russia could attack critical infrastructure in the country, such as financial institutions and the electric grid. Apparently, the malware the US removed enabled the intelligence arm of the Russian military called the GRU to create botnets out of the infected computer networks. According to the Justice Department, the malware was designed to infect firewalls and made the compromised networks part of a botnet called Cyclops Blink. It's controlled by Sandworm, a notorious group that the US government had previously connected to the GRU. Cyclops Blink is Sandworm's latest known botnet, and it only came to light back in February. It's still unclear what Russia was planning to do with the hijacked computers, but botnets are typically used to perform large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, as well as to send spam and to compromise sensitive information. In its press release, the DOJ said the FBI notified owners of infected devices in the US before Cyclops Blink was identified in February 23rd. It also notified companies outside the country through local law enforcement partners. However, US authorities didn't want to wait to find out what the botnet would be used for. The Justice Department and the FBI obtained secret court orders in the US and secured the help of governments worldwide to quietly remove the malware from infected devices. Those court orders even gave them the power to remotely remove the malware from American companies' networks without their knowledge. After the feds disinfected the compromised machines, they also closed the external management ports Sandworm was using for access. Over the past months, the Biden administration has been exposing as much intelligence on Russia as possible without giving away its actions to catch Putin off guard. This disclosure is just its latest effort to send a message to the Russian president. The fact that Sandworm infiltrated networks around the world to create a botnet just shows, however, that there's a cyber warfare going on that might end up affecting countries other than Ukraine. If you'll recall, a major cyberattack took down Ukraine's government websites before the Russian invasion of the country began. Ukraine's government, as well as US and UK authorities, blamed the attacks on the GRU. Google has pulled dozens of apps used by millions of users after finding that they covertly harvested data, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Researchers found weather apps, highway radar apps, QR scanners, prayer apps and others containing code that could harvest a user's precise location, email, phone numbers and more. It was made by Measurement Systems, a company that's reportedly linked to a Virginia defense contractor that does cyber-intelligence and more for US national-security agencies. It has denied the allegations. The code was discovered by researchers Serge Egelman from UC Berkeley and the University of Calgary's Joel Reardon, who disclosed their findings to federal regulators and Google. It can "without a doubt be described as malware," Egelman told the WSJ. Measurement Systems reportedly paid developers to add their software development kits (SDKs) to apps. The developers would not only be paid, but receive detailed information about their user base. The SDK was present on apps downloaded to at least 60 million mobile devices. One app developer said it was told that the code was collecting data on behalf of ISPs along with financial service and energy companies. Measurement Systems also said it wanted data mainly from the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. "A database mapping someones actual email and phone number to their precise GPS location history is particularly frightening, as it could easily be used to run a service to look up a persons location history just by knowing their phone number or email, which could be used to target journalists, dissidents, or political rivals," Reardon said in the AppCensus research blog. Though Google has pulled those apps from the Play Store, the researchers noted that they still exist on millions of devices. At the same time, they found that the SDK stopped collecting user data after their findings were revealed. The Measurement Systems domain was registered by a company called Volstrom Holdings Inc., which deals with the federal government through a subsidiary called Packet Forensics LLC. A company called Measurement Systems S de R.L. "also listed two holding companies as officers, both of which share a Sterling, Va., address with people affiliated with Volstrom," the WSJ noted. In a statement, Measurement Systems told the WSJ by email that "the allegations you make about the companys activities are false. Further, we are not aware of any connections between our company and U.S. defense contractors nor are we aware of a company called Vostrom. We are also unclear about what Packet Forensics is or how it relates to our company." Google has unveiled new policies for the Play Store that will effectively bar any existing Android Apps that are significantly out of date. All apps in the Store must target an API level within two years of the latest major Android release, or they won't be available for discovery or installation, it announced on its Android Developer blog. The aim is to "protect users from installing older apps that may not have these protections in place," the company said. The changes will go into effect on November 1st, 2022. Currently, Google requires new apps and app updates to target an Android API level within just one year of the latest Android OS version release. The new changes, by contrast, target existing apps that may not have been updated in a while. Google notes that if you're running an older device, you'll "continue to be able to discover, re-install, and use the app on any device running any Android OS version that the app supports." Google said the "vast majority" of apps already follow the incoming standard. While that may be true, the Play Store has around 2.87 million apps in total, so there are a no doubt a huge number that need attention. For those that don't conform, it's notifying developers and giving them any resources needed to update. Play has seen a lot of new security measures over the last few years. The most significant came in 2017 when Google launched Play Protect designed to scan for rogue apps with help from machine learning. However, some still get through that pose security risks and violate user privacy. The new policy may help stop a good chunk of those, but as we all know by now, it will never catch them all. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a real, human man who works understands the plight of those who work remotely. The 37-year-old founder of one of the worlds largest companies is actually working remotely as you read this. But unlike you or me, Zuckerbergs home office is in the metaverse. Zuckerberg on Facebook today teased an upcoming software update to the Quest 2s Horizon Home that includes a home office space. It looks kind of like a Blue Bottle Coffee, or maybe a dentists office. But its in VR, you see. Its becoming glaringly clear that Zuckerberg wants the future of work to look like the worlds most boring VR video game. It's less boot stamping on a human face forever, and more expensive, inconvenient solution in search of a problem. According to Zuckerberg, workers can use the metaverse office to take Messenger calls, read emails or work on your next big project. Its also true that most of us can do those tasks just fine on our computers. But imagine the productivity boost youll get doing all these mundane tasks while strapped to a Quest 2 headset! Metas Horizon, for those who dont know, is a group of three social VR apps that rolled out last December. It includes Horizon Worlds (user-created experiences), Horizon Venues (sports and concerts) and Horizon Workrooms (work). They resemble 3D social playplaces, where users create their own avatars and interact with each other (all the while keeping a four-foot personal boundary from each other.) As of February, Worlds and Venues had around 300,000 users, against an estimated 10 million Quest 2 headsets sold. Dismal numbers, some might say. A company spokesperson would not disclose many people including Meta employees currently use Workrooms in any capacity. Working in VR is still a relatively novel concept, mostly because its been terrible so far. If youre curious about what kind of work applications are available in VR for Quest 2, there are still only a handful two of which are Facebook and Instagram (both in beta). There are also apps for spreadsheets (Smartsheet), visual collaboration (MURAL), email (Spike) and VR versions of Dropbox and Slack. If you want to know what it feels like to read your emails in VR, Lifewire took one for the team. While reading emails can become grating in the real world, the Quest 2 speedruns the experience and gets "uncomfortable after half an hour." Spike's VR app also lacks the ability to attach files to an email, a feature that has been available outside the metaverse since 1998. While Workplaces might seem to an outsider like a complicated, physically nauseating way to perform tasks most people already hate doing, what matters most is how the product is being received by Meta's audience. I really don't see the point of it? Why would you need to do office work in a virtual world? It looks great for sure, but that's about it, wrote one user in the comments to Zuckerberg's post. From another enthused user: "How primal and old-fashioned. It looks like the futuristic spaces of the 80's lol. Who in their right mind will waste their time on this." As dubious as a VR-enabled workspace may be, theres still more interest than ever in all that virtual reality entails. IDC reported that more than 11.2 million VR/AR headsets were sold in 2021, a 92.1 percent increase from the year prior. The newly rebranded Meta Quest 2 (formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2) hit stores this week. The Quest 2 is currently the worlds best-selling VR headset, but that could change when Sony, Apple and other tech giants enter the space. While we can't know for sure how much Meta has spent developing digital cubicles specifically, the company plans to sink at least $10 billion in metaverse projects this year alone. For reference, WeWork essentially a mass subletter of actual, physical offices went public on a valuation of $9 billion although simply buying up companies may no longer be a viable growth strategy. Read more Smart is finally ready to show the production version of its Concept #1 electric SUV, and you'll be glad to hear that the distinctive design largely remains intact. The newly unveiled Smart #1 looks much like the prototype compact SUV inside and out, including the frameless windows and "floating halo" glass roof. You mainly give up usual concept car excesses like the scissor doors and giant 21-inch wheels (you'll have to make do with 19-inchers), and there's a standard three-seat bench in the back instead of two chairs. More importantly, the performance appears healthy for an EV this size. While the 273 miles of maximum range (according to the WLTP test cycle) isn't exceptional, it comes from a 66kWh battery that charges rather quickly. You can reportedly bring the Smart #1 from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in under 30 minutes if you use a 150kW DC charger, and even a 22kW AC supply will accomplish the same feat in less than three hours. You could plug in at the end of a long day knowing that you'll have plenty of range in the morning. The mini-ute should be reasonably quick, too, with the equivalent of 268HP and 253ft/lbs of torque. The 112MPH top speed isn't blistering, but it easily puts the 81MPH of Smart's EQ Forfour to shame. The in-cabin tech will also seem familiar if you've seen the concept. The finished Smart #1 includes a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch heads-up display. You can also expect driver assistants (including for the highway and stop-and-go traffic), over-the-air updates and a "digital key" option to share your EV with friends. Smart hasn't narrowed down the release window or pricing, but said last fall that it would sell the #1 in China in 2022. It's headed to Europe as well. We wouldn't count on a North American debut when Smart backed out of the region years ago. With that said, this is the closest Smart has come to appealing to the continent's SUV-centric tastes it's something you could imagine on American roads, however unlikely that may be. SpaceX can't start expanding its launch facilities in Boca Chica, Texas anytime soon. According to documents obtained by Bloomberg and CNBC, the Army Corps of Engineers has closed its review of the company's application to build a new launch pad, landing pad and other related infrastructure in Boca Chica. SpaceX reportedly failed to provide the Army Corps with the environmental information it requested, and the permit process can't continue without it. The company was planning to build new infrastructure on 17 acres of land that includes wetlands and mud flats. As CNBC notes, the Army Corps has stewardship over wetland areas that serve as habitat for fish and wildlife in the country. It oversees any development over wetlands to ensure it doesn't cause significant impact on the endangered species living in them, as well as on drinking water for people in the area. It's also in charge of examining whether it's feasible for companies applying for a permit to move construction elsewhere. In the letter it sent to the company, the Army Corps listed the information it's seeking from SpaceX, including how its expansion would impact the wetlands exactly. It's also asking for data on threatened or endangered species that may be significantly impacted by the construction, as well as the company's current knowledge on the presence or absence of historic properties on the land. While the Army Corps suspended the company's application, SpaceX can reinitiate the permit process if it can provide all the information being requested. The Federal Aviation Administration is also conducting a separate review of the facility to determine whether launching the Starship out of Boca Chica will cause safety issues or have significant environmental impact on the area. SpaceX was supposed to hear from the FAA last year, but the agency has delayed its decision quite a few times since then: Its latest target date of completion is April 29th. Without permission from the FAA, it won't be able to launch its massive spaceship from Boca Chica for its first orbital test flight that's expected to take place in the next few months. Elon Musk previously said that if SpaceX fails to secure the permits company needs in Texas, it will move Starship launches to Cape Canaveral in Florida. Yemeni President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi (L) delivers the opening speech during the parliamentary session in Seiyun city of Hadramout province, Yemen, on April 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Ismail Rabidhy) ADEN, Yemen, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Thursday issued a decree forming a Presidential Leadership Council and handed over his power to the newly-formed council to implement the transitional phase in the war-ravaged country. According to the state-run Saba news agency, Hadi has turned over all his power to the newly formed council and relieved Vice President Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar of his duties. Hadi made the announcement during the final day of the Yemeni consultations held in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh. "By this declaration, I authorize the Presidential Leadership Council to irrevocably delegate all of my power in accordance with the constitution," said Hadi. A Yemeni national flag is seen at a huge rally held in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, on Oct. 18, 2021 to celebrate the upcoming Mawlid, also known as the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed) The newly-formed council, consisting of eight members and headed by Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi, will have the power to rule the Yemeni state politically, militarily, and on the security front. Al-Alimi is a well-known Yemeni political official who has been working as an advisor to Hadi since 2014 and held a number of government posts, including minister of the interior. The other seven members of the council include Aidarous Zubaidi, the chief of the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council, and Tariq Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hadi's decision also included forming a 50-member consultative body to assist the council in "unifying the visions and objectives of the various national forces and components." The newly-formed Presidential Leadership Council will also lead the negotiations with the Houthi militia "for a permanent ceasefire throughout the state," and engage in talks to reach a final and comprehensive political solution." Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was elected to lead the turbulent Arab country on February 25, 2012 following the handover of power by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in accordance with the Gulf Initiative on Yemen. Wednesday, April 6, 2022 The objective of the Death Cafe is To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. Its all about an interesting, unstructured conversation open and free-flowing with no specific agenda. The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held online on Sunday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m. MDT. Get the link for this online conversation through this Meetup group event listing. During the pandemic, Albuquerque Death Cafes have been, and continue to be, held online on Zoom. The format proved to be popular, not only with people in New Mexico, but also for those across the U.S. and around the world. As the weather warms up, Albuquerque Death Cafe host Gail Rubin will continue the online discussions as well as holding in-person gatherings outdoors in Historic Fairview Cemetery. Discussing death while surrounded by gravesites in a cemetery founded in 1881 adds perspective to the conversation. Your Death Cafe Host Albuquerque Death Cafes are hosted by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, and a pioneering death educator. Rubin is a public speaker, a published author of three books, host of a TV interview series and podcast, a blogger, a funeral industry trade journalist, a Certified Funeral Celebrant, and an innovator in the funeral business. She created a conversation-starting game called The Newly-Dead Game, introduced the Death Cafe movement in the United States, and held the first Before I Die Festival west of the Mississippi in 2017. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their 2019 Women of Influence. About Death Cafes The Death Cafe concept was started in the United Kingdom by Jon Underwood. He was influenced by the ideas of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who started holding Cafe Mortel events in France and Switzerland. At these events, people come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. Read more here, or visit the worldwide website, www.DeathCafe.com. Related This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A haunting image of red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside, with a rainbow in the background, commemorating children who died at a residential school created to assimilate Indigenous children in Canada won the prestigious World Press Photo award Thursday. The image was one of a series of the Kamloops Residential School shot by Canadian photographer Amber Bracken for The New York Times. It is a kind of image that sears itself into your memory. It inspires a kind of sensory reaction," Global jury chair Rena Effendi said in a statement. "I could almost hear the quietness in this photograph, a quiet moment of global reckoning for the history of colonization, not only in Canada but around the world. It was not the first recognition for Bracken's work in the Amsterdam-based competition. She won first prize in the contest's Contemporary Issues category in 2017 for images of protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Her latest win came less than a week after Pope Francis made a historic apology to Indigenous peoples for the deplorable abuses they suffered in Canadas Catholic-run residential schools and begged for forgiveness. Last May, the Tkemlups te Secwepemc Nation announced the discovery of 215 gravesites near Kamloops, British Columbia. It was Canadas largest Indigenous residential school and the discovery of the graves was the first of numerous, similar grim sites across the country. So we started to have, I suppose, a personification of some of the children that went to these schools that didnt come home, Bracken said in comments released by contest organizers. Theres also these little crosses by the highway. And I knew right away that I wanted to photograph the line of these these crosses with these little childrens clothes hanging on them to commemorate and to honor those kids and to make them visible in a way that they hadnt been for a long time. Indigenous peoples elsewhere in the world featured in two other of the annual competition's top prizes. The winners were chosen out of 64,823 photographs and open format entries by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries. Together the global winners pay tribute to the past, while inhabiting the present and looking towards the future, Effendi said. Australian photographer Matthew Abbott won the Photo Story of the Year prize for a series of images for National Geographic/Panos Pictures that document how the Nawarddeken people of West Arnhem Land in northern Australia fight fire with fire by deliberately burning off undergrowth to remove fuel that could spark far larger wildfires. The Long-Term Project award went to Lalo de Almeida of Brazil for a series of photos for Folha de Sao Paulo/Panos Pictures called Amazonian Dystopia that charts the effects of the exploitation of the Amazon region, particularly on Indigenous communities forced to deal with environmental degradation. In regional awards announced previously, Bram Janssen of The Associated Press won the Stories category in Asia with a series of photos from a Kabul cinema and AP photographer Dar Yasin earned an honorable mention for photos from Kashmir titled Endless War. Yasin, together with Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography for their coverage of the conflict in Indian-controlled Kashmir. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HOUSTON (AP) A group of bipartisan Texas lawmakers on Wednesday visited a death row inmate whose execution they are trying to stop amid doubts about whether she fatally beat her 2-year-old daughter. State Reps. Jeff Leach, a Republican, and Joe Moody, a Democrat, led a group of lawmakers to the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where the state houses women on death row. Melissa Lucio faces execution on April 27. We are blessed to have the opportunity to meet with Melissa, to pray with her, to spend time with her and were more resolute and committed than ever to fighting over the next three weeks to save her life, Leach told The Associated Press in an interview after the meeting. Lucio was convicted of capital murder for the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah. Prosecutors say Mariah was the victim of child abuse and there is no evidence that would acquit Lucio of her daughters death. But Lucios lawyers say jurors never heard forensic evidence that would have explained Mariahs various injuries were actually caused by a fall days before her death. They also say Lucio wasnt allowed to present evidence questioning the validity of her confession, which they allege was not actually a confession and was given under duress after hours of relentless questioning. Among those who have doubts about Lucios guilt are a bipartisan group of 83 Texas House members led by Leach and Moody. They sent the states Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. Greg Abbott a letter last month asking them to grant an execution reprieve or commute her sentence. A spokeswoman for Abbotts office did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Leach said he and six other lawmakers toured the prison for about two hours before meeting privately with Lucio for about 40 minutes. The meeting was first reported by The Quorum Report, which covers Texas politics. The lawmakers encouraged Lucio and talked with her about their efforts to stop her execution, Leach said. It was just a sweet, sweet time together, very powerful, Leach said. After Wednesdays meeting, Moody tweeted that, She prayed with us & hugged us; today might be the last genuine human contact she has before the state kills her. Efforts to stop Lucios execution have also received support from reality TV star Kim Kardashian West and from several jurors at her trial who are now expressing doubts about her conviction. In an op-ed published Sunday in the Houston Chronicle, juror Johnny Galvan Jr. said he believes jurors werent given all the information needed to make a proper decision and he now feels deep regret for sentencing Lucio to death. The idea that my decision to take another persons life was not based on complete and accurate information in a fair trial is horrifying. There are so many problems in this case that I believe she must not be executed, Galvan wrote. In 2019, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Lucios conviction, ruling she was deprived of her constitutional right to present a meaningful defense. However, the full court in 2021 said the conviction had to be upheld for procedural reasons. Lucios attorneys had asked the appeals court to recall its decision but the request was denied last week. But in a footnote in the brief decision, 5th Circuit Judge Patrick Higginbotham called Lucios case a systemic failure, producing a train of injustice which only the hand of the Governor can halt. Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas since 1863 and the first woman since 2014. Only 17 women have been executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 ___ This story has been corrected to show that Lucio would have been the first Latina to be executed by Texas since 1863, not ever. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Matthew Delmont, Dartmouth College (THE CONVERSATION) Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had a problem. In June 1944, Allied forces had landed on Normandy Beach in France and were moving east toward Nazi Germany at a clip of sometimes 75 miles (121 kilometers) per day. With most of the French rail system in ruins, the Allies had to find a way to transport supplies to the advancing soldiers. Our spearheads were moving swiftly, Eisenhower later recalled. The supply service had to catch these with loaded trucks. Every mile doubled the difficulty because the supply truck had always to make a two-way run to the beaches and back, in order to deliver another load to the marching troops. The solution to this logistics problem was the creation of the Red Ball Express, a massive fleet of nearly 6,000 2-ton General Motors cargo trucks. The term Red Ball came from a railway tradition whereby railmen marked priority cars with a red dot. From August through November 1944, 23,000 American truck drivers and cargo loaders 70% of whom were Black moved more than 400,000 tons of ammunition, gasoline, medical supplies and rations to battlefronts in France, Belgium and Germany. These Red Ball Express trucks and the Black men who drove and loaded them made the U.S. Army the most mobile and mechanized force in the war. They also demonstrated what military planners have long understood logistics shape what is possible on the fields of battle. Thats a point well known in todays war in Ukraine: As the Russian invasion stretches into its second month, logistics have been an important factor. Supplying the front lines The Red Ball Express gave the Allies a strategic advantage over the German infantry divisions, which were overly reliant on rail, wagon trains and horses to move troops and supplies. A typical German division during the same period had nearly 10 times as many horses as motor vehicles and ran on oats just as much as oil. This limited the range of the vaunted Blitzkrieg, or lightning attacks, because German tanks and motorized units could not move far ahead of their infantry divisions and supplies. Driving day and night, the Red Ball truckers earned a reputation as tireless and fearless troops. They steered their loud, rough-driving trucks down pitch-black country roads and through narrow lanes in French towns. They drove fast and adopted the French phrase tout de suite immediately, right now as their motto. Gen. George S. Patton wanted us to eat, sleep, and drive, but mostly drive, one trucker recalled. James Rookard, a 19-year-old truck driver from Maple Heights, Ohio, saw trucks get blown up and feared for his life. There were dead bodies and dead horses on the highways after bombs dropped, he said. I was scared, but I did my job, hoping for the best. Being young and about 4,000 miles away from home, anybody would be scared. Patton concluded that the 2 truck is our most valuable weapon, and Col. John D. Eisenhower, the supreme commanders son, argued that without the Red Ball truck drivers, the advance across France could not have been made. Fighting Nazis and racism The Red Ball Express was a microcosm of the larger Black American experience during World War II. Prompted by the Pittsburgh Courier, an influential Black newspaper at the time, Black Americans rallied behind the Double V campaign during the war, which aimed to secure victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home. Many soldiers saw their service as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of their race. The Army assigned Black troops almost exclusively to service and supply roles, because military leaders believed they lacked the intelligence, courage and skill needed to fight in combat units. Despite the racism they encountered during training and deployment, Black troops served bravely in every theater of World War II. Many saw patriotism and a willingness to fight as two characteristics by which manhood and citizenship were defined. The boundaries between combat roles and service roles also blurred in war zones. Black truck drivers often had to fight their way through enemy pockets and sometimes required armored escorts to get valuable cargo to the front. Many of the white American soldiers who relied on supplies delivered by the Red Ball Express recognized the drivers valor at the time. [Theres plenty of opinion out there. We supply facts and analysis, based in research. Get The Conversations Politics Weekly.] An armored division commander credited the Red Ball drivers with allowing tankers to refuel and rearm while fighting. The Black drivers delivered gas under constant fire, he said. Damned if Id want their job. They have what it takes. A 5th Armored Division tank driver said, If it wasnt for the Red Ball we couldnt have moved. They all were Black drivers and they delivered in the heat of combat. Wed be in our tanks praying for them to come up. Logistics in Ukraine Days into the war, Ukraines armed forces destroyed all railway links between Ukraine and Russia to thwart the transport of Russian military equipment and tanks. Relying on trucks and road networks, Russian convoys encountered fuel shortages and counterattacks from Ukrainian military and civilians. The Russian militarys ability to move supplies across extended distances as well as Ukraines ability to disrupt those supply lines is pivotal in determining the future direction of the war. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-story-of-black-soldiers-and-the-red-ball-express-during-world-war-ii-179743. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that Texas would transport apprehended migrants to Washington, D.C., he left the impression that people would be forcibly shipped off to the U.S. Capitol as soon as they crossed the border illegally and were rounded up by state authorities. But a few hours after Abbott rolled out the plan at a press conference, the governors office revealed several new details that painted a much different picture. In a news release, Abbotts office clarified that Texas would only transport migrants to Washington and other destinations outside the state if they wanted to go there and had already been processed and released by federal authorities. Asked Thursday by Fox News host Dana Perino about the plan, Abbott said forced bus trips would run afoul of the law. Dana, if I were to go to Washington, D.C. and put you on a bus and take you down to the Rio Grande Valley, that would be kidnapping, Abbott said. Same thing applies to anybody who refuses to get onto a bus. That would be kidnapping, even though it would be by a law enforcement agency. So, there are laws that have to be followed in this process. Still, Abbott said, officials from multiple communities in the Rio Grande Valley had contacted his office overnight to ask for buses and maybe even planes to transport migrants outside the state. The governor, who is running for re-election and thought to be considering a future bid for the White House, said he issued the policy in response to President Joe Bidens move to lift a Trump-era policy used to turn away asylum seekers at the border 1.2 million times since 2020. Federal immigration officials have projected as many as 18,000 daily crossings roughly triple the daily average in February once the Trump-era rule, called Title 42, expires next month. IN-DEPTH: Biden to lift Trump expulsion order at Mexican border, bracing for flood of migrants Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, whose agency is overseeing the busing operation, said the trips to Washington would begin Thursday. He did not say where in Texas the initial trips would begin. Abbott, asked where the apprehended migrants will be dropped off, said, The first location will be the steps of the United States Capitol. Theyre going to see the wonderful Capitol, but also get closer to the people who are making these policies that are allowing people to come across the border illegally, Abbott said. The governors announcement received bipartisan criticism after it came to light the trips would be voluntary, along with the other details. Its a gimmick, state Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Republican from Tyler, tweeted. Democrat Beto ORourke, the former congressman who is challenging Abbott in November, called the busing policy a stunt and said the governor had failed to achieve real progress on border security and immigration while in office. Some rallied to Abbotts defense, voicing support for the governors approach to border security under Operation Lone Star, through which he has deployed thousands of state troopers and National Guard soldiers to the border since last March. Hes done more to secure our southern border than anyone in the [Biden] administration has, Tom Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said on Fox News Wednesday. Every person that [the Texas Department of Public Safety] arrests is one less got-away. Every ounce of fentanyl they seize is a lot less deaths of overdoses in the United States. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he thought Abbotts busing plan was a way to try to get the Biden administrations attention as much as anything. I think its probably an act of frustration on the part of the governor and Texas at the complete abdication of responsibility by the Biden administration and the federal government to deal with this crisis, Cornyn said. On top of the busing policy, Abbott announced Wednesday that state troopers would step up vehicle inspections near immigration checkpoints, with an eye on commercial trucks used by cartels to smuggle people and drugs across the border. State authorities will also deploy boat blockades along the Rio Grande, install razor wire at heavily trafficked areas on the river, including low-water crossings, and place lighting at prominent smuggling areas to more easily detect activity, the governor said. He teased plans to roll out additional border security measures next week but did not provide any details. Ben Wermund contributed to this report. jasper.scherer@chron.com The Bexar County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday night identified the deputy who was shot on Tuesday while trying to serve an arrest warrant on the far West Side. Miguel Gonzalez, 54, was recovering at University Hospital and was "in good spirits," according to a BCSO news release. The Bexar County Medical Examiner also identified a suspect involved in the shooting at 18-year-old Robert Otoniel Inosencio. The sheriff's office is piecing together how deputies attempting to execute an arrest warrant on a man in a backyard shed ended up in a gunfight that left the Inosencio dead and a Gonzalez shot in the back. Bexar County Sheriff The shootout occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 200 block of Demya Drive on the far West Side, where deputies were looking for the man believed to be 18 or 19 years old with felony warrants for his arrest for aggravated robbery and a narcotics-related charge. After getting no response from knocking on the houses door, they went behind it to the shed, which had been converted to a bedroom. Gonzalez, a 29-year veteran of the force, was wounded while retreating amid a burst of gunfire after opening the door to the shed. Hours later, after further gunfire, the man was found dead via a drone that was flown through a window. And soon after, investigators found two weapons, including what appeared to be a Glock-style pistol, altered to fire .223-caliber rifle bullets and fitted with a high-capacity magazine. Sheriff Javier Salazar, who recounted the incident Tuesday evening after viewing body camera footage from the wounded deputy, did not immediately know whether that weapon was used in the shootout. He also did not know whether the man was killed by return fire from the deputies or whether he killed himself. Deputy Johnny Garcia, a sheriffs office spokesman, said five deputies were on scene at the time of the shooting. Investigators are reviewing body camera footage to determine how many deputies returned fire. On ExpressNews.com: Controversial 2018 shooting of teen by San Antonio police cleared for trial The incident began as the deputies who are part of the countys fugitive apprehension unit went to the home and made contact through the shed in the backyard where the suspect may have been living. One deputy believed the suspect had acknowledged his presence from inside the shed, Garcia said. The deputy knocked on the door and began opening it. But something made him turn and run, Salazar said. The sheriff described the deputys reaction as a small exclamation. As the deputy turned, he was struck at least once in his upper left back by what sounded like a burst from an automatic weapon, Salazar said. You see him fall. You hear him react, Salazar said of the footage. He then retreats, gets himself out of the line of fire. The deputy ran for cover behind a house and radioed to other deputies that he had been shot, Salazar said. One deputy ran to his aid while others returned fire. Salazar said at least one other volley of automatic gunfire was directed at the deputies, who held their ground until a SWAT team arrived. He fired several rounds. We fired several rounds, Salazar said. Meanwhile, at least one deputy took the wounded deputy to a Sheriffs Office vehicle and drove him to University Hospital. Negotiators attempted to make contact with the man after the shootout. It was unclear how long the standoff lasted. The deputies were also able to tell that the man was inside the shed during the ensuing standoff because he was wearing an ankle monitor, which was transmitting its location, Salazar said. Later that evening, San Antonio police flew a drone through a window in back of the shed and found the man dead on the ground. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Boogaloo Boi sentenced for shooting Minneapolis police station during Floyd protests The wounded deputy was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to recover, officials said. His sergeant, who was among the deputies who returned fire, has been with the Sheriffs Office for 25 years. Salazar said he hopes to release body camera footage of the incident in the next 10 days. The sheriff said his condolences go out to the deceased mans family but that he determined how Tuesdays situation unfolded. The situation could have and should have ended differently, had this young man decided not to fire an automatic weapon at deputies, the sheriff said. jbeltran@express-news.net Courtesy San Antonio Police Department San Antonio police have identified a man accused of killing the son of an East Side pastor and activist during a feud. Vernon Keno Dixon, 55, is wanted on a charge of murder in the death of Avante AB Boyce, 19, San Antonio police said. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A protocol on upgrading the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and New Zealand took effect Thursday, aiming at further facilitating bilateral trade and investment, said China's Ministry of Commerce. The two sides will further open the markets for goods, services and investment while optimizing rules to promote trade facilitation, according to the protocol. Bilateral cooperation will also be strengthened in the fields of e-commerce, competition policy, government procurement, the environment and trade. The upgraded protocol has improved the quality and efficiency of bilateral trade relations on the basis of the China-New Zealand FTA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, said the ministry. It will help deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields between the two sides, release the dividends of high-level opening up, promote bilateral trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and constantly enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. China signed an FTA with New Zealand in April 2008, which came into force in October the same year. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019 and signed a protocol in January 2021. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A recently opened North Side cafe hoping to drum up business turned to one of San Antonio's most well-known content creators Amanda Spencer. The 40-year-old, who runs S.A. Foodie and Texas Explorer on various social media platforms, begins her video for Old Fashioned Sticky Buns by showing an employee pouring a pecan and bourbon glaze over a cinnamon roll. Once the viewers are hooked by the visually appetizing intro, she gives them a behind-the-scenes look at how the new dessert shop makes its cinnamon rolls. On ExpressNews.com: The 6 best panaderias, Mexican bakeries, on San Antonios North Side Spencer then posted the video on her S.A. Foodie Instagram and TikTok accounts on April 1, receiving over 100,000 views combined on both platforms. It was the kind of publicity Old Fashioned Sticky Buns was looking for. The day after Spencer's post, the cafe experienced a surge of customers and had to close early because it sold out of cinnamon rolls. "After being featured on S.A. Foodie we were slammed!!!" the dessert shop said in a Facebook post. Theres nothing more gratifying than hearing companies and owners tell you how amazing the outcome theyve had from working with me, Spencer told the Express-News. The San Antonian has amassed more than 1 million followers combined across her Instagram, TikTok and Facebook accounts since 2014. Spencer said her accounts serve to highlight San Antonio-area businesses. Spencer does not consider herself a social media influencer, but a content creator with a viable marketing business. She rarely posts photos of herself on Instagram and instead utilizes the platform for marketing purposes. I really love my job and love to stay busy, she said. I built this to be more than just a blogger on social media; I built it to be an effective marketing business. She began managing her S.A. Foodie Instagram account while she was a bartender. In 2019, after more than 18 years of serving drinks, she walked away to turn her social media hobby into a lucrative career that provides large and small businesses with marketing material and a massive built-in following. On ExpressNews.com: Shaquille ONeals Big Chicken franchise is coming to San Antonio Spencer said her main source of income is through partnerships with large companies like Pepsi, Culvers restaurants, and Raising Canes Chicken Fingers, which pay her at least $2,000 per social media post. The big brand deals allow her to charge affordable rates to smaller businesses, she said. Spencer charges local businesses anywhere from $400 to $850, depending on how much content she posts and the size of the business. Its so important to me to be very affordable, especially for my locals, but I still need to get some type of compensation for my work, she said. One of her repeat clients is Nicola Massey, a chef and co-owner of The Jerk Shack and Mi Roti. Massey, 36, said Spencer helped her launch The Jerk Shack twice in 2018 when the eatery first opened and again earlier this year when the restaurant reopened near SeaWorld San Antonio. After Spencer's first social media post, the restaurant's Instagram following grew from 1,000 to 6,000 in one day. The Jerk Shack now has almost 20,000 followers. Courtesy of Amanda Spencer I dont know how I would have reached that many people in San Antonio that fast without her help, she said. She taught me how to give credit back when you post and what to say in the caption, and the lighting, and so much more." Following her success with businesses, Spencer created social media accounts known as Texas Explorer, which focus on travel destinations in the Lone Star State. She launched the new social channels just months before the onset of the pandemic in 2020, which turned out to be perfect timing as there was a high demand from travelers looking for remote and safe places to visit. Working with tourism agencies, cities, hotels and unique stays in the state, Texas Explorer now has more than 600,000 followers on TikTok and over 100,000 on Instagram. On ExpressNews.com: Texas State buys new president a $2.9 million home from university donors more than 3 times its value Ann-Tyler Konradi, the owner of Yurtopia, a yurt resort in Wimberly, said her top form of marketing is to allow social media influencers to stay for a free night in return for posting on their social media accounts. Konradi said Spencer is the only creator she pays in addition to the free night and says that shes worth every penny. About 48 hours after one of Spencers posts, the resort's Instagram account grew by over 6,000 followers. Today, it has more than 45,000. In comparison, Konradi said it took 10 months for the resort to amass 1,000 followers when it opened in 2019. Her audience is extremely authentic, she said. Her following is an actual local following that looks to her for experience, food and travel. She has a very curated and engaged audience. Malak.Silmi@express-news.net Getty Images A San Antonio man was sentenced Wednesday to five years of house arrest for preparing false tax returns and running an unregistered business for three years. Richard Medina Sr., 68, ran an unregistered tax return preparation business from 2013 to 2016 in which he prepared false federal income tax returns for clients. Bexar County Jail A San Antonio woman was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for embezzling from a Castle Hills company, the Department of Justice said. Cindy Ellen McCarthy, also known as Cindy Wojtaszek, worked as a bookkeeper at an unnamed company and paid her personal credit card from the companys bank account from 2012 to 2018. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Seguin Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Seguin Police Department Show More Show Less Seguin police have arrested two people and have an arrest warrant for a third in connection with a shooting that left a teenage girl dead this week. Sahra Vega and Christanio Soto, both 21 from Seguin, were in the vehicle used in the shooting that killed 18-year-old Maekalyn Ann Marie Smith and wounded another 18-year-old on April 4. The story goes that many years ago, Leticia Van de Putte and her wheelchair-bound grandmother were outside a polling center when a woman began to harass them. Van de Putte, who was pregnant at the time, responded by giving the woman a verbal dose of what-for. Before long, she and the woman were tussling on the ground. Van de Putte emerged as the winner. You hurt my kids, you hurt my grandma, Van de Putte later said. Im sorry, Im coming after you. No one has ever questioned Van de Puttes toughness, her resilience or her fighting spirit. Those attributes will be called on in the coming days, as the 67-year-old former state senator from the West Side of San Antonio goes through what looks to be a long and difficult recovery from a horrific accident that occurred last Sunday in Orlando, Fla. Van de Putte was crossing an intersection when a driver made a left turn and struck her, leaving her with pelvic fractures, two broken ribs, compressed vertebrae in her lower back, a subdural hematoma of the brain and lacerations to her arms and legs, according to her husband. I cant begin to imagine the physical pain that Van de Putte is enduring right now. But I know there are few people better equipped to handle this kind of challenge than she is. After all, Van de Putte is the person who, as chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, guided a group of 11 Democrats on a 2003 quorum-busting exile in New Mexico to block a mid-decade GOP redistricting gambit. While the Democratic boycott ultimately failed, Van de Putte held the group together for 45 days and willingly took the heat as public pressures mounted for the senators to return. Van de Putte has the capability as a leader to draw you into her vision and make it seem as if it was your original idea, then-Sen. Eliot Shapleigh told Sharon Navarro, author of a 2008 Van de Putte biography. In June 2008, after Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, he summoned a group of Latino leaders to Washington, D.C., for a private meeting. Van de Putte didnt hesitate to offer Obama some blunt advice about how he should approach the Latino electorate. When you come into our communities, no Sombrero Politics, she later recalled telling him. Dont come in, listen to a little bit of Latino music, take a couple of chips-and-salsa, speak a couple of words in Spanish, and then youre gone. Obama agreed. His campaigns subsequent outreach to Latino voters helped fuel his landslide victory in the 2008 general election. In December 2012, while visiting the nations capital for a state lawmakers conference, Van de Putte stepped off a curb and landed in a pothole. She broke her foot and had surgery on it four days later. Nonetheless, she was ready when the 2013 legislative session began a few weeks later. It was a session that would make merciless demands on her emotional strength. In May 2013, her 5-month-old grandson, Rex, died of sudden infant death syndrome. Van de Putte turned that unbearable pain into an opportunity to spread awareness and raise funds for safe sleep outreach efforts in Bexar County. Six weeks later, Van de Puttes father, Daniel San Miguel, was killed in a car crash. Four days after her fathers passing, Van de Putte left a family gathering and headed for the Texas Capitol to help her Senate colleague, Wendy Davis, make it through the stretch drive of a filibuster in opposition to a Republican bill designed to restrict abortion access in Texas. By her own admission, Van de Putte was still in a fog of grief when she made it to the Capitol, but that night she uttered the most famous line of her career: At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room? Despite such high-profile moments of parliamentary combat, Van de Putte has really been defined by her ability to find areas of consensus when it comes to boosting small businesses, improving public education, addressing the needs of military families and waging war against human trafficking. During the 2009 legislative session, I spent some time with Van de Putte at her Capitol office. I was struck by the way she thought about how to pitch legislative proposals to lawmakers across the aisle. During a meeting with representatives from Voices for Children and Texans Care for Children, she talked about how she had learned to sell education and green energy programs to Republicans as return-on-investment concepts, rather than moral imperatives. When one path didnt work, Van de Putte looked for another. Its a trait that should serve her well now. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 San Antonio has a rich history and culture, as its been around for more than 300 years. Fiesta is a time when the community comes together to celebrate our citys cultural heritage. This years event seems even more festive as we come together in a way many of us havent for two years due to COVID. While COVID is still a worry, with the advent of vaccines and lower case numbers, it feels fairly safe to celebrate once again and that alone is worth celebrating. Its uplifting to once again see my friends and family posting pictures downtown, smiling and sporting medals and flower crowns. But, and this is partly because of my past work as a news researcher, I also cant help but think of the Fiesta sniper attack in 1979 and those who were killed, injured and permanently scarred physically and emotionally. The very first Battle of Flowers parade took place on April 24, 1891, to commemorate heroes of the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. And the very first parade very much resembled a battle with reports in the San Antonio Light of crowds fighting with horse whips and throwing flower decorations, a stampede of horses and a dog fight. On Friday, April 27, 1979, Fiestas Battle of Flowers was turned into a battle as a gunman opened fire on a crowd and a group of policemen patrolling the parade route. The most chilling account of events came on the shootings one-year anniversary, chronicled in the opinion section of the Sunday San Antonio Express-News titled, The day no one cheered. The commentary revisits those affected by the sniper attack, from the innocent people injured, to the wounded police officers trying to protect them, to the family of the woman who disappeared and, finally, the family of the sniper who ultimately took his own life. For these people, Fiesta would never be the same, let alone their everyday lives. In the commentary, the Express-News spoke with several police officers including Lt. Robert Maldonado, who wound up spending 10 days in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds to the abdomen and legs. Maldonado shared how the shooting changed his life, physically and emotionally. And its hard sometimes to put on the uniform knowing I cant do what I could do before I cant run now to save someones life. I couldnt really run now to even save my own life, he said. Its something I think about a lot. Kathi Lapping, was in attendance with her son and her sister, Diane Wick, visiting from St. Louis. Wick was photographed shielding her nephew from bullets, but Lapping was shot in the neck. Doctors told her if the bullet was only an eighth of an inch over, she wouldnt be alive. When asked about her plans to celebrate Fiesta, she told the Express-News: I plan on enjoying Fiesta. I doubt I will go to another parade. With that many people together, you cant tell what will happen. There never can be enough police to stop something like that. But through this tragedy we also saw strength and hope such as Wick shielding her nephew, or Armando Hernandez protecting his pregnant wife, Irene, and soon-to-be daughter. While Hernandez was attempting to move his wife behind a police car for protection, she was struck in the leg with a bullet. Hernandez quickly removed his shirt, using it as a tourniquet until EMS arrived. They would welcome a healthy daughter, Isabel, less than a week later. So, while we all enjoy Fiesta this year, as we should, we should also pause the celebration to remember those who might not be able to enjoy another Fiesta those of the 1979 sniper attack. But also remember the people around us making Fiesta possible, the police officers, health care workers, organizers, our family and friends celebrating. Over its 131 years, Fiesta has grown from one parade commemorating war to a celebration of all things we love about San Antonio such as the food, music, people, history and art. One lesson from the Fiesta shooting is San Antonio comes together whether in times of joy or tragedy. mharris@express-news.net Last fall, a group of researchers conducted a vaccine promotion experiment: They showed an advertisement to millions of U.S. YouTube users highlighting Donald Trumps support for COVID-19 vaccines, using news footage in which the former president urged people to get vaccinated. This was a randomized controlled trial, comparing counties that were exposed to the ads to counties that werent, and in a new paper, the researchers claim the ads worked: Over the course of the 2-week experiment, the 1,014 counties that were part of the campaign saw an estimated 104,036 additional vaccinations overall. Like all studies, these results should be handled with care, but they speak to a key question as the United States emerges hopefully from the worst of the COVID era but also nears 1 million deaths: How much more could have been done to combat vaccine hesitancy, and how much more could Republican vaccine hesitancy especially have been overcome? This question is sharpest for conservatives, and well get to the rights responsibility in a moment. But its an important question for liberals, too, because a liberal administration has been governing the country throughout most of the vaccination era, and a heavily liberal public health establishment has been responsible for figuring out how to get through to the unvaccinated. Communicating through a polarized environment is a hard task, and some degree of failure was inevitable. But once it became clear that Republican vaccine resistance was going to be a problem, it felt as if the liberal authorities had only two responses: mandates and scolding, trying to force people to get shots and complaining about misinformation when they didnt. My view last summer was that more creative options were available, including simply paying wavering Americans to get vaccinated not the small sums or lottery tickets offered by some states and localities, but a sum more commensurate with the risks that healthy people felt they were taking with newly developed shots and the time that they might fear losing to any side effects. But the advertisement experiment, the apparent effectiveness of just highlighting Trumps pro-vaccine rhetoric to receptive audiences, is an example of a different kind of creativity. Republican vaccine skepticism was hardly monolithic: Most Republicans got the vaccines; many prominent conservatives politicians, Fox News figures, more urged people to take them; and plenty of figures on the right insisted they were pro-vaccine, anti-mandate. All this could have been material for more Republican-friendly and therefore more persuasive forms of advertisement and outreach than what the Biden administration, with its mandates-and-misinformation focus, ultimately delivered. Or so I tend to think. But in the end, its Republicans themselves officeholders, media personalities, Trump who had the best opportunity to do outreach to their own vaccine-hesitant supporters, to cut the ads and hold the events and otherwise break down the more understandable and sincerely motivated forms of skepticism. And so its within conservatism that the failure of the past year was the clearest. The best way to understand that failure is to connect it to the things that conservatives got right, or partly right, during the course of 2020 and 2021. In particular, as we look back over the pandemic era, the right-wing doubts about the various mitigation strategies mask mandates, school closures, lockdowns, social distancing now have a certain amount of data to support them. For instance, there was a lot of talk throughout 2020 about how quick-to-reopen red states were killing their residents while blue states were protecting them. But as my colleague David Leonhardt has pointed out, by the end of COVIDs first year in the U.S., the virus had swept across the country, and there was no significant partisan divide in deaths. More recently, as omicron swept through the country, he noted that it was hard to discern a clear difference in infection rates between liberal and conservatives counties, even though liberal areas were still implementing more mitigation measures. Or to step outside the United States: A study published last month in the Lancet looking at excess death rates worldwide in the COVID era found that two European countries often critiqued for being too lax relative to their neighbors, Sweden and the United Kingdom, didnt have notably worse outcomes relative to their peers. These trends are suggestive; they dont mean that all nonpharmaceutical interventions were in vain. But they do imply that they were often oversold, their capital-S Scientific basis emphasized at the expense of reasonable doubts. Combine this reality with the manifest harms of some interventions, school shutdowns especially, and you get the fact pattern that made a figure like Ron DeSantis into a conservative folk hero for resisting many of these measures. But then out of that fact pattern, the right drew erroneous conclusions for the vaccine phase of the COVID era. The more sweepingly erroneous conclusion was the one drawn by outright anti-vaxxers which was that if public health authorities had exaggerated benefits and played down costs when promoting nonpharmaceutical interventions, you should assume that they were wildly exaggerating the benefits and hiding some even greater cost when promoting the vaccines. But even the conservatives who didnt go all the way to vaccine opposition often seemed to take vaccine uptake somewhat for granted, treating it as a purely individual decision and training most of their fire on the perils of the next round of public health overreach. Those perils existed, in blue America especially but the vaccines were so much more effective at preventing deaths than the most common nonpharmaceutical interventions, the stakes of their uptake so much higher, that a lot of conservative leaders ended up imbalanced, saving their enthusiasm for opposition to whatever the liberals were up to next, when what was needed first was just some over-the-top Republican enthusiasm for the vaccines. A figure like DeSantis exemplified this problem. He made a big initial push for vaccination in Florida, but he was clearly much more comfortable pushing back against mandates than he was being a permanent salesman for a vaccine that part of his core constituency resisted. And this was a problem because he, precisely because of the credibility hed built up resisting prior public health overreach, was the best possible salesman available in Florida and not only in Florida not named Donald Trump. The fact that he wasnt anti-vaxx was not enough: Precisely because red America was more resistant than blue America, it needed its leaders to be vaccine salespeople not only at the outset but through the delta and omicron waves as well. As with my sentiments about the Biden administrations failings, I cant prove to you that DeSantis didnt do enough selling or that the red-over-blue gap in COVID death rates that opened after vaccines arrived would have been narrower with more zeal and enthusiastic public relations among officially pro-vaccine Republicans. Confounding factors remain, and everyone in these debates would benefit from one degree more humility. But a study that used clips of Trump to sell more than 100,000 more Americans on vaccination fits, at least, with what I think we observed in 2021. A lot of vaccine resistance, and not just on the right, was more contingent and malleable than narratives about lock-step anti-vaxxers often suggested. And it could have been more amenable to old-fashioned persuasion, if only the right persuasion had been used. Last week more than 100 San Antonio community and business leaders traveled to the nations capital in the 43rd SA to DC trip the first after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before 2020, the annual trip to advocate for the area ran unhindered since 1978. And, before the pandemic, such a visit might not make the news, but this year is different. The fact that the trip occurred is something to celebrate. Here is something else to celebrate: During the trip, the Department of Transportation announced it would recommend $158 million to fund the first line in VIA Metropolitan Transits advanced rapid transit system. This would be a North-South line, connecting the San Antonio International Airport to downtown and then Brooks City Base. The line, separate from traffic, will be a game changer for the city for mobility and economic development. On ExpressNews.com: VIA hosts public meetings on proposed North/South corridor line on San Pedro So thats a huge win for San Antonio, Jonathan Gurwitz, the 2022 SA to DC chairman and former Express-News Editorial Board member, told us. This speaks to the importance of lasting relationships with federal lawmakers and agencies and the value of the annual SA to DC trip. An unseasonable cold snap 28 degrees greeted the delegation, but that didnt chill conversations with members of congress and federal agency executives. I think that it was a success, said Richard Perez, president and chief executive of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Just being able to go to D.C. and get back into kind of a routine after travel restrictions and schedule changes was fantastic. The trip is a collaboration with the North San Antonio Chamber, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber, the San Antonio Mobility Coalition and the South Texas Business Partnership. We see it as crucial to ensure community priorities like transit receive federal funding and to ensure we remain Military City, USA. People do business with people they know when they trust, Perez said. Same thing when youre advocating for projects. The annual trek began as a chance to dialogue with Congress and Pentagon officials about the regions military presence. With time, the program grew. On ExpressNews.com: Former Bexar commissioner Kevin Wolff and engineer Ayda Gonzalez join VIA board In line with the chambers Federal Legislative Agenda, this years delegation represented diverse sectors including aerospace, cybersecurity, education and workforce development, energy, health care, housing, hospitality and tourism, immigration, trade, military, small business, transportation and water. The delegation met with congressmen from across the country and agencies such as the Department of Defense, National Security Agency and Department of Transportation. When you have an administration that is clearly trying to partner with local communities, every possible chance to meet with them and discuss our needs moves the ball forward, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement. When we have partners in the federal government with resources that they are trying to push to local communities, it is definitely worth spending time with them. The visits timing was fortunate because San Antonio representatives learned about potential funding opportunities from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed in November. A number of governmental entities in the San Antonio area have submitted or will be submitting grants to obtain some of that funding,Gurwitz said. Some of our participants had some very important meetings to advance their brand applications. He expects the announcement of several other grant approvals within the next month or so. Better transit, sustained workforce development, improved infrastructure, preserving military presence here, lasting connections with federal agencies and better relations with members of Congress. The city will always need a federal partner and that requires a seat at the table. Northwest Houston resident Donna Hackemack Bryant thought she had done her due diligence when she voted by mail in last months Democratic primary election. She even checked her status on the Harris Votes website, which said the ballot had been received. But Bryant, who is 70 and the president of the Cy-Fair Area Democrats, received a letter last week notifying her that her vote never counted. Shed forgotten to include an ID number, a new Republican-backed requirement that tripped up many Texas voters and led to unusually high rejection rates statewide. Bryant was one of nearly 25,000 voters whose ballots were rejected during the March 2022 primary, new data shows. I was highly incensed, and thats putting it without expletives, Bryant said. A lot of the candidates I voted for didnt make it. Im wondering: How many of those rejected ballots did it mean would have voted for those same people like I did? The overall rejection rate was 12.4 percent statewide, with a slightly more pronounced rate in Democratic primaries, at 12.9 percent compared to 11.8 percent of Republican ballots, according to figures released Wednesday by the Texas Secretary of State. More than 3 million ballots were cast in this years primary about 2 million on the Republican side and 1 million on the Democratic side. Texas' largest counties by rejection rate According to data from the secretary of state's office, these are the state's 10 largest counties ranked by their rejection rates of mail ballots submitted for the March 1 primary election. Bexar County: 22% Harris County: 19% Hidalgo County: 19% El Paso County: 17% Denton County: 15% Collin County: 13% Fort Bend County: 12% Tarrant County: 8% Dallas County: 7% Travis County: 8% See More Collapse By comparison, Texas rejected just under 1 percent of mail ballots in the November 2020 election in which more than 11 million people voted, according to federal data. Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said the 2020 data is based on self-reporting from Texas counties, and the office hasnt verified its accuracy. The data released Wednesday did not specify how many Texas voters ended up voting in person after receiving notice a mail-ballot had been rejected. MAIL BALLOT DO-OVERS: Texas woman recounts her mail ballot hassle: 3 forms, 28 days, lots of guesswork Local election officials say the problem stems from the new requirement that absentee voters include either a drivers license number or the last four digits of the voters Social Security number on the ballot. The number submitted by voters often did not match what the county had on file or they forgot to provide a number altogether, requiring them to hustle to correct their applications in time for their ballots to be counted. Texas Democrats and voting rights advocates on Wednesday denounced the unusually high rejection rate as unacceptable. A 12-factor jump in the number of votes by mail rejected from 2020 is absolutely disastrous, and this new ID requirement was totally unneccessary, said James Slattery, a senior state attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project. It does nothing to make our elections more secure and now we know the primary effect on Texas elections was just to desenfranchise voters on a massive scale. State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, vice-chair of the House elections committee, said the figures released Wednesday confirmed her fears prior to the bills passage. Democrats warned in committee and on the House Floor that new SB1 requirements would disenfranchise voters, Gonzalez said in a tweet. Now we are seeing it in action. Republican lawmakers who supported the legislation have said voters troubles are part of a normal learning curve that will eventually improve over time with education. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who helped craft the voting bill, said his office is checking in with county election offices to figure out why some fared better than others. He is also looking to get more data on how many people were still able to vote, either by canceling their mail ballot and voting in person, or by voting provisionally in person. What I know for sure is weve got an application rejection rate of 3.35 percent (statewide), and now weve got this 12 percent number, Bettencourt said. So Im spending my time understanding why is there a difference between the two of that magnitude. Harris and Bexar counties rejection rates were among the highest of large counties. In San Antonios Bexar County, about 22 percent of more than 18,000 mail ballots were rejected. The nearly 7,000 ballots rejected in Harris County far exceeded the 135 mail ballots rejected during the 2018 primary. Of more than 7,700 mail ballots flagged there due to confusion over new ID requirements, less than 11 percent of voters resubmitted ID information and got their ballots corrected, officials said. This came despite efforts by Harris County that included sending letters instructing them how to correct their ballots and doubling the number of staff assigned to help handle voter questions. TEXAS TAKE: Get the latest news on Texas politics sent directly to your inbox every weekday Slattery said the effects of a rejection should not be underestimated. I think we underappreciate how damaging the message is to voters when they have their ballot or application rejected wrongly, he said. For many voters who go through this, the clear message is the government doesnt want to hear your voice, and its not interested in helping you participate in the democratic process. The secretary of states office says it plans to make the ID field stand out more by putting bold red lines around it on ballots going forward. The office launched its VoteReady education campaign on Feb. 7 with radio, digital, billboards and grassroots advertising and plans to continue that through the runup to the general election in November. Taylor said the office received $500,000 less this year from the Legislature to educate voters about voter ID requirements. Bryant, who suffers from back, hip and knee pain and has voted by mail the last three years, said she wont go back to absentee voting again in the next election. I will drag myself to the nearest polling place rather than risk the mail ballot process again, she said. I dont want to do this again. I dont think I trust the process. One of the former Democratic candidates for Bexar County judge whose backing from voters helped throw the March 1 primary into a hotly contested runoff is endorsing former District Judge Peter Sakai. Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, said shes throwing her support behind Sakai in his bid to succeed Nelson Wolff as Bexar Countys top elected official. Sakais opponent, State Rep. Ina Minjarez, last week won an endorsement from the Texas Organizing Project. The winner of the May 24 runoff will face Republican nominee Trish DeBerry in the Nov. 8 general election. Gonzalez said she feels Sakai has articulated the best vision among the three candidates, and he has priorities that I think our new judge should have. On ExpressNews.com: Wolff says voters have two strong candidates to choose from to succeed him Over the course of the campaign, I got to learn about Judge Sakais vision, and it aligns with mine, she said. Hes focused on taking care of families and children in Bexar County, whether its through better access to health care, education, economic development or creating jobs with livable wages. I think he has a commitment to this community. Noting that decisions of Commissioners Court are critical to the health and well-being of our families and businesses and the economy, Gonzalez said Sakai has also shown the connection he has with this community. People know him they trust him, she said. As a judge, he has proven that he has a commitment to fairness and transparency. In the primary, Sakai, 67, led a field of four Democratic candidates with 40.6 percent of the votes, followed by 30.8 for Minjarez, 18.9 percent for Gonzalez and 9.7 percent for Gerardo Ponce. Two days later, Ponce endorsed Sakai. Kelton Morgan, campaign strategist for Minjarez, has said his candidate has been on a good trajectory since the start of the year and is on a pace to win the runoff. Minjarez, 47, won a 2015 runoff to secure her Texas House District 124 seat, representing the West Side, and is achieving rapid growth in name recognition in her first high-profile countywide race, Morgan said. He predicted it would be a close race. A member of several key legislative committees, including appropriations, Minjarez touts a record of securing more than $1 billion for local priorities, including a bill she co-sponsored to provide $60 million in property tax relief for Bexar County homeowners. Michelle Tremillo, Texas Organizing Projects executive director, told the Express-News last week that of the three front-running Democratic candidates, Minjarez provided answers to the groups questionnaire that best aligned with its policies on housing, health care, immigration, criminal justice reform, economic justice and education. Tremillo said Minjarez offers the best opportunity to bring needed change in Bexar County to support communities of color and is committed to a more equitable and transparent county government. On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County plans updates to voter registration data to avoid mail ballot chaos Minjarez also has endorsements from local state legislators and County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, who has called her a champion for Bexar County in the Legislature. County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores endorsed Minjarez on March 21, touting her record as a legislator of delivering results for Bexar County. Sakai is endorsed by the Tejano Democrats of Bexar County and in late March got the backing of the San Antonio AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, which represents over 30,000 union members and their families in and around Bexar County. For Gonzalez, 40, the primary was her first run for public office. She said she felt good about the decision to resign as Nirenbergs chief of staff to pursue the first opening in the county judges seat in more than 20 years, even though working for the mayor during the pandemic has really been one of the favorite things Ive ever done. Shes trying to take a break right now and focus on family. You run to win these campaigns, and that didnt happen, but I respect the voters decisions, Gonzalez said, encouraging voters to actively participate in the city bond election May 7 and the runoff May 24. Early voting in the runoff will be held May 16-20. shuddleston@express-news.net UNITED NATIONS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the recent establishment of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Through a statement, the top UN official reiterated the "unwavering commitment" of the United Nations to Somalia and expressed his "full support" to ATMIS and the Somali security forces in their ongoing fight against al-Shabab. The secretary-general urged all partners to urgently ensure sustainable and predictable funding for ATMIS and resourcing of the Somali security forces in support of the country's security transition. The UN chief looked forward to working closely with the African Union, Federal Government of Somalia and all partners to support a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somali security forces. Guterres also paid tribute to the significant achievements of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) over the past 15 years. He expressed his gratitude to the AMISOM troop- and police-contributing countries for their commitment to advancing peace in Somalia, and honored those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. San Antonio will pay $300,000 to settle two state lawsuits stemming from a 2017 smuggling incident in which Attorney General Ken Paxton accused city officials of offering a sanctuary city for immigrants, violating state law. The settlement ends an unnecessary and political lawsuit, said City Manager Erik Walsh. One that the city believes we would have won, but at continued expense to the city and the taxpayers. City Council approved the settlement agreement in a 10-0 vote Thursday, with District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval absent momentarily. It was approved on the councils consent agenda without discussion. In addition to settling Paxtons initial suit against the city, the $300,000 also will bring to a close a second lawsuit aimed at removing San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, City Attorney Andy Segovia said. McManus will remain in place. San Antonio taxpayers would be off the hook for up to $150 million in penalties sought by the Attorney Generals office if the state had won at trial. The trial was slated to begin March 28. The state approached the city about settling prior to then, Segovia said. San Antonio was prepared for trial, and city leaders believe they would have emerged victorious had it gone through. But theres always uncertainty and extra costs with a trial. Even if the city were to win, the decision likely would have been appealed. The city already spent nearly $6.4 million on the states lawsuits, not including the $300,000 settlement or any costs San Antonio would have incurred at trial. That covered attorneys time, document review and preparations for depositions and trial over the last three years. In December 2017, police were called to an area near Splashtown on the Northeast Side, where they found a tractor-trailer of undocumented immigrants. Police arrested the driver under state law for smuggling and contacted Homeland Security to handle federal immigration law, city officials said. But federal authorities were difficult to get a hold of and took a while to respond just two days before Christmas, the city has argued. San Antonio police had no legal ability to hold the immigrants themselves since immigration enforcement falls to the federal government, Segovia said. The immigrants eventually were released. City officials notified nonprofits, including Catholic Charities, which had transportation available for immigrants after the incident. Paxton argued the city did not cooperate with federal immigration officials and essentially had a policy not to do so in releasing the immigrants. The lawsuit was the first filed under Senate Bill 4, a controversial state law known for targeting so-called sanctuary cities. It punishes local officials who enact policies restricting the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The city has no such policy, Segovia said. As part of the settlement, the city is required to put in writing its protocol for handling immigration incidents a policy that wont change much, officials said. While Paxton argued the city didnt cooperate with federal officials, Segovia said the city never heard that same complaint from the federal government. Paxtons office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Through the settlement, the city did not acknowledge any fault or violation of SB4. Thats the result we wanted, Segovia said. So we accomplished our mission. A judge still must approve the dismissal of both cases, which Segovia expects to happen in the next month or two. City officials still disagree with SB4, Walsh said. A city lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the law will continue to move forward. The settlement doesnt change how San Antonio police will operate moving forward including notifying nonprofits about similar incidents in the future, officials said. One of the allegations by the state of Texas was having that protocol where we notified them was also a violation of SB4, Segovia said. Obviously, we contest that. Federal authorities themselves often contact Catholic Charities to provide humanitarian aid in situations like this. megan.stringer@express-news.net WASHINGTON Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday became the first Black woman to be confirmed to the Supreme Court as the Senate advanced her nomination over GOP resistance bolstered by Texass Republican senators. What a great day it is in America, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, said in a speech before the vote. Today the word of justice and equal protection under the law becomes flesh and lives among us in new ways. Today at the highest levels of our government, the administration of our Constitution looks a little bit more like what it says. Three GOP senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah sided with every Democrat in confirming Jackson on a 53-47 vote. Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were instrumental in the GOPs efforts to oppose Jacksons nomination. Both voted against her confirmation as expected. This is a nomination that was out of the mainstream, and I believe it is a nomination that jeopardizes the constitutional rights of every American, Cruz said at a Republican press conference he led before the vote. IN-DEPTH: Ted Cruz shouts in SCOTUS hearing, asks Ketanji Brown Jackson to define woman Jackson, 51, watched the vote with President Joe Biden at the White House. The president tweeted pictures of the two taking selfies in front of a TV as the votes were tallied. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Miami, Jackson attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School, where she and Cruz were classmates. Cruz described their relationship in law school as friendly and cordial during her confirmation hearing. But the bipartisan vote capped a deeply polarized confirmation process that saw conservative Republicans painting Jackson as a soft-on-crime radical, a label Democrats dismissed as inaccurate at best and offensive at worst. Cruz was a key figure in that effort, focusing his criticism on sentences Jackson handed down that Republicans deemed too lenient, especially in cases involving child pornography. He also led the GOP in quizzing Jackson on her views on critical race theory, reading aloud from the picture book Antiracist Baby in a moment that went viral online. In another exchange, Cruz pressed Jackson to define woman, and asked if he could decide Im an Asian man in order to sue for discrimination. Cornyn grilled Jackson about her work as a federal public defender representing Guantanamo Bay detainees. He pressed her on how the high court has established new rights over time, such as in the landmark 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, something he said he believed she would try to do as a justice. Judge Jackson will attempt to use her vast legal skills to deliver specific results and get outside of her lane by making judge-made laws that are not supported by the text of the Constitution itself, Cornyn said. The Republicans who voted for Jackson, however, said they believe she will serve as an independent jurist. One of them, Murkowski, also took a swing at how members of her party had handled the confirmation process, saying her support for Jackson also rests on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year. Shrill hearings now the norm The polarized confirmation process was in keeping with other recent high court confirmations, including those of Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who barely received the necessary votes in a process that once regularly drew wide bipartisan wins. Former Justice Antonin Scalia was confirmed 98-0 and former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was confirmed on a 96-3 vote. Justice Stephen Breyer, who Jackson will replace on the high court, was confirmed on an 87-9 vote. Cornyn said he believes the process has become more partisan because the Supreme Court has come to be viewed as more and more of a policy-making body. That is the reason why there is so much at stake and so much controversy, he said. Democrats cheered the confirmation vote as a historic moment and a major step forward. There have been 115 justices on the Supreme Court, just three have been people of color. Jackson will be the first Black woman to receive a lifetime appointment to the court. Today is the day! History cannot be denied! U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, tweeted. The confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be embedded in American history forever!! Jackson is also the first former federal public defender to serve on the high court, a piece of her resume that Cruz and some other Republicans scrutinized as they worked to portray her as soft on crime. Cruz said in an appearance on Fox News that people go and do that because their heart is with criminal defendants their heart is with the murderers, with the criminals, and thats who theyre rooting for. Jackson later served as a judge for roughly a decade, most recently on the D.C. circuit court of appeals, where she replaced U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland last year. Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and first Black and Asian woman to serve in that office, presided over Thursdays confirmation vote. Harris said she was overjoyed and deeply moved by the confirmation vote, which she said was a very important statement about who we are as a nation. Its a good statement about who we are, she said. benjamin.wermund@chron.com Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that Texas will begin busing and flying migrants to Washington, D.C in response to the Biden administrations plan to lift a Trump-era policy used to turn away more than a million asylum seekers at the border. The move is intended to help local officials whose communities are overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants, Abbott said at a news conference. State troopers are also planning to step up vehicle inspections near immigration checkpoints, a move the governor acknowledged would dramatically slow traffic from Mexico into Texas. Abbott said the inspections would help crack down on cartels, which routinely use commercial trucks to smuggle people and drugs across the border. Texas will be taking its own unprecedented actions this month to do what no state in America has ever done in the history of this country to better secure our state, as well as our nation, the Republican governor said. Federal immigration officials have projected as many as 18,000 daily crossings once the Trump-era rule, called Title 42, expires roughly triple the daily average in February. But while Abbott suggested it would be open season for cartels without Title 42, immigration advocates applauded the move, arguing the policy had been a boon for cartels that target migrants expelled to Mexico. Critics of Title 42 also note there has been a massive spike in repeat border crossings since Trump began enforcing the rule, which they argue has inflated border numbers. The evidence is clear: Title 42 is neither a meaningful public health measure nor a successful deterrent, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior policy counsel for the American Immigration Council, testified at a congressional committee hearing Wednesday. The busing and inspection policies are a further expansion of Texas already ramped-up border security operations, which critics deride as an infringement on the federal governments near-exclusive power to enforce U.S. immigration laws. Both new measures are an extension of Abbotts border initiative, known as Operation Lone Star, through which he has deployed thousands of state troopers and National Guard soldiers to the border since last March. IN-DEPTH: Gov. Abbott is extending border arrest program into three new South Texas counties Stationed along parts of the southern border, state authorities have apprehended and turned over to federal authorities more than 200,000 migrants and arrested thousands more on state criminal charges. Abbott and officials with the Department of Public Safety have insisted they are merely enforcing state laws while playing no role in federal immigration enforcement. Abbott also announced plans Wednesday to deploy boat blockades along the Rio Grande, install razor wire at heavily trafficked areas on the river, including low-water crossings, and place lighting at prominent smuggling areas to more easily detect activity. He teased plans to roll out additional border security measures next week, without providing any details. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said troopers began conducting the enhanced vehicle inspections at 4 p.m. Wednesday along each of the states more than 20 roadway ports of entry that border Mexico. He noted that vehicles are already subject to these inspections, all of which take place on Texas land, away from federal property such as international bridges. Meanwhile, state officials will begin busing migrants to Washington, D.C. Thursday morning, said Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, those agency is overseeing the operation. Abbott, asked where the apprehended migrants will be dropped off, said, The first location will be the steps of the United States Capitol. Later Wednesday, Abbott clarified that Texas would only transport migrants to Washington if they wanted to go there as well as other destinations outside of Texas after they have been processed by federal authorities and released. Abbotts announcement came a day after leaders of the Texas Military Department told a state Senate committee that Operation Lone Star was blowing well past its initial budget and would need an injection of more than $500 million to continue through August, when Texas fiscal year ends. The governor said his newly announced policies would not cost any additional money, though he acknowledged the overall operation comes with a high pricetag. Thats the reality. Securing the border does not come cheap," Abbott said. Abbott is running for re-election this year and faces Democrat Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman, in November. ORourke called Abbotts new border policies a stunt and said the governor had failed to achieve real progress on border security and immigration while in office. jasper.scherer@chron.com Los Angeles County officials this week voted to block official travel to Texas and Florida over anti-LGBT policies passed in those states. The countys Board of Supervisors pointed to Texas new policy to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender youth as possible child abuse and to new legislation in Florida that blocks public school teachers from addressing sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, according to the Pasadena Star-News. Opponents have labled the Florida crackdown as the Dont Say Gay bill. In the motion, co-sponsored by Sheila Kuehl, who was California's first openly gay state legislator in 1994, board members said Texas order flies in the face of all that we know about best practices when it comes to supporting children and young adults to discover who they are and feel secure in their sense of self. Caregivers who support youth with affirming care should in no way be labeled as abusive, the sponsors said. This order is discriminatory, harmful and just plain cruel. BACKGROUND: Texas appeals court blocks child abuse investigations targeting families of transgender children The ban will not be universal; it can be disregarded in cases when the Chief Executive Officer determines that the failure to authorize such travel would seriously harm the Countys interests, according to KTLA. Gov. Greg Abbotts February order to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to start investigations came after fellow Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a non-binding legal opinion finding that gender-affirming treatment could be considered child abuse under state law. Paxton has said that the treatments could constitute physical and mental harm and violate a childs right to procreate. Most major medical associations classify transition care as medically necessary, and common treatments like puberty blockers are reversible. The investigations are currently on hold after a state appellate court reinstated a stay from a lower court. Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court to allow investigations to resume while the suit is ongoing. RELATED: Families of trans kids are living in fear of CPS investigations, some leaving Texas altogether A 2017 California law prohibits taxpayer-funded travel for certain state employees or officials to states with legislation that authorizes or requires discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Texas was among the 18 conservative states banned and sued to overturn the policy, but it survived after the Supreme Court last year passed on taking up the case. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com Former President Donald Trump is coming back to Texas, this time in a for-profit Austin speech on May 12. The event is part of the American Freedom Tour, a for-profit corporation that has held political events around the country since last year, including one in Houston in January ahead of Trumps political rally in Conroe later that evening. Trump will be joined onstage at a yet unannounced venue by Donald Trump Jr., former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump Jr. will discuss How to Win Back America, Guilfoyles speech is titled Strategies to Strengthen the Economy and Encourage Legal Immigration and Pompeo will speak on How Diplomacy and Faith Can Move Mountains. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Tickets will range from $9 for satellite viewing to $2,995 for Presidential, which includes seating directly in front of the stage. An even more exclusive Patriot section is available upon request. For-profit speaking engagements are a large source of income for ex presidents and former political insiders. Trump and his political staff criticized Hillary Clinton throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and afterward for her practice of delivering pricey speeches to Wall Street firms. Because the event is for-profit rather than affiliated with Trumps Save America political group, disclosures will not be required on who donates. When the tour stopped in Houston in January, the crowd was more sparse and subdued than past Trump events. It ran all day. Trump has not announced a 2024 bid for the presidency, but his political rallies this year have taken on the shape of campaign events, where he doles out endorsements to loyal state candidates. In Conroe in January at Trumps rally, the crowd chanted 2024 at many points, and several statewide elected Republicans called on Trump to run again and endorsed him for election. edward.mckinley@chron.com Croatia Airlines will likely need financial support if existing negative effects such as the Covid pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine continue. According to analytics company Credit Analyst, which reviewed Croatia Airlines recent financial reports , the carriers business outlook remains negative. Should the negative trends continue, it is likely that the company will need more external support to stay afloat. This year, it will likely have to invest more, as we think that capital expenditures of approximately 2.3 million euros, as in 2020, will not be enough to cover the whole fleet. One of the Covid loans was supposed to mature in January this year, but it remains unclear whether the loan was refinanced or repaid, the analytics firm noted. It added, Liquidity will likely remain stretched during this year, absent of any additional external support. Unfortunately, the company is running out of acceptable collateral, as only one Airbus remains unencumbered. This could significantly limit the companys future access to capital, in addition to the likely near-term end of the Covid support schemes for the airline industry by regulators. Croatia Airlines, which registered a 38-million-euro loss in 2021, warned at the end of last year that, The company continues to face reduced demand, resulting in low levels of revenue which may raise issues of maintaining liquidity in the coming period". The company will post results for the first quarter of 2022 at the end of this month. The outlook on Croatia Airlines business remains negative. The pandemic started to ease with the omicron variant, however, the Ukraine - Russia war could severely impact bookings for this year. Uncertainty remains a common denominator for many industries, including airlines and tourism, which is another relevant aspect of Croatia Airlines business due to its high seasonality linked to the Croatian tourism season, Credit Analyst said. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was hired last year with the aim of turning around Croatia Airlines business. BCGs post-Covid strategy will be the foundation of the airline's development for years to come. We continue to take all the necessary measures to safeguard liquidity and optimise the business, as well as undertake rigorous cost cutting measures. In 2021, we worked with the leading international strategic consulting company BCG to develop a post-Covid strategy in order to define strategic initiatives, the implementation of which, with prior consent of the majority owner - the government of the Republic of Croatia - will take three years to enable a sustainable business. In 2022 our focus will be on greater rationalisation of costs and the implementation of the companys defined post-Covid strategy, Croatia Airlines CEO, Jasmin Bajic, said. The post-Covid strategy is yet to be adopted by the government. It foresees fleet renewal, improvement in efficiency and competitiveness, implementation of new software, as well as the optimisation of Croatia Airlines year-round route network. Faced with strong competition from low cost carrier Ryanair at its home base in Zagreb, the airline has announced five new seasonal routes from Split this summer, all of which it had previously served out of Zagreb. By Vince Bielski, RealClearInvestigations April 7, 2022 Making a box of Cocoa Puffs is a complicated global affair. It could start with cocoa farms in Africa, corn fields in the U.S. or sugar plantations in Latin America. Then thousands of processors, transporters, packagers, distributors, office workers and retailers join the supply chain before a kid in Minnesota, where General Mills is based, pours the cereal into a bowl. Now imagine the challenge that General Mills faces in counting the greenhouse gas emissions from all of these people, machines, vehicles, buildings and other products involved in this Cocoa Puff supply chain then multiply that by the 100-plus brands belonging to the food giant. Thousands of public companies may soon have such a daunting task to comply with a new set of climate rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hailed by prominent environmental groups as a long sought victory, the sweeping plan released in late March would force companies to grapple with the unpredictable impact of climate change by disclosing reams of new information to investors. What are your companys climate risks, such as severe weather, and the possible financial impacts? How have the threats affected your business strategies and whats the plan to avoid the dangers? The most consequential and controversial piece of the SECs proposed regulations would require corporations to calculate their total greenhouse gas footprint, including from the supply chain. The regulations also carry political weight for Democrats in the runup to the midterms in November. The Biden administration and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia are trying once again to breathe life into clean energy legislation that died earlier this year amid a feud between them. If this latest effort at compromise fails with Manchin reportedly looking for federal support for fossil fuels as well as renewable energy then much of President Bidens ambitious climate agenda will be left riding on the SEC proposal. SEC head Gary Gensler says shareholders are demanding climate risk disclosures to make smarter investment decisions and hold companies accountable for greenwashing their operations. The regulations will also provide investors in the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) movement more leverage in their ongoing campaigns to pressure companies to reduce their carbon footprints. While many companies like Walmart and business groups like the Chamber of Commerce generally support the idea of required climate disclosures, they object to what they see as the SECs heavy-handedness in standardizing rules across the economy. The Chamber is calling for flexibility so companies can customize their climate disclosures based on whats relevant to their businesses and investors. Counting Supply Chain Emissions The biggest beef from companies is the rule that would require them to calculate and disclose supply chain emissions, called Scope 3. Big companies have thousands of suppliers operating in hundreds of countries, making the task of coming up with a reasonable accounting enormously complicated. First of all, many suppliers of products and services are private companies not under the control of the SEC. They may refuse to cooperate in a count because of the costs and the implications that they might have to change their business practices to reduce emissions, said Professor Gerald Patchell, who has analyzed the problems of supply chain reporting. Another obstacle is that many smaller suppliers, like General Mills cocoa farmers in Africa, dont have the capacity to measure the emissions from their own fertilizers, tractors and farming practices. So companies will have to rely on broad country or industry averages that likely dont reflect the actual emissions created by the suppliers, according to researchers. The data that companies will be asked to collect from thousands of suppliers is mind-boggling and certainly unprecedented, said Patchell, who researches environmental policy and business. Its an idealized concept of what can actually be done by a company. The upshot is that regulations meant to bring clarity to investors on climate risk may end up providing highly unreliable emissions disclosures, leaving them worse off, wrote SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, a Trump appointee who voted against the 500-page proposal. It forces investors to view companies through the eyes of a vocal set of stakeholders, for whom a company's climate reputation is of equal or greater importance than a company's financial performance." Birth of the Investor Campaign Two decades ago, the international environmental group CDP pioneered the strategy of organizing institutional investors to pressure companies around the world to reveal at least a piece of their carbon footprint. The CDP pitch: If companies figure out which parts of their sprawling global operations produce the most emissions from farming and manufacturing to distribution and consumer use they are better able to reduce them. For automakers, most emissions come from driving vehicles, not making them. For tech firms, its the opposite. Manufacturing devices is a bigger climate issue than using them. CDPs campaigns have made grinding progress over the years. In 2021, it gathered more than 160 global investment firms, including bond giant Pimco, Harvard Management Company and hedge fund AQR Capital Management, to target 1,300 companies worldwide. They are asked to make a long list of climate-related disclosures on CDPs platform. Some companies have resisted the pressure while others likely have been shamed into making rudimentary examinations of their emissions to appease investors. In all, about 570 U.S. public companies an estimated 15% of the total have reported a bit of climate data to London-based CDP, with Intel and PepsiCo among the dozens that earned high marks for transparency. More recently, some companies have come to see climate change as a direct threat to the bottom line, particularly those that depend on commodities like General Mills. It didnt require much pushing from investors to begin studying its own supply chain to find that farming is by far its biggest emissions hot spot, mostly through the use of chemical fertilizers and tilling of the soil which releases sequestered carbon. In a candid 2021 Global Responsibility Report, the company said extreme weather events were already hurting its ability to deliver quality food products. With the backing of CDP and investment goliaths like BlackRock, the SEC now wants to turn this scattershot voluntary reporting into a mandatory regime for most public companies. The easier pieces force companies to report emissions from operations they own or control such as a corporate headquarters (Scope 1), and the energy they use (Scope 2). Some firms already send this data to CDP without much trouble. The Scope 3 rule on counting emissions from the chain of thousands of suppliers, on the other hand, may be a world of trouble. The agency acknowledges that it doesn't have a handle on the costs but that they may be significant as companies hire consultants, accountants and data specialists to do the job. But since the vast majority of emissions come from supply chains, environmental groups are advocating that Scope 3 remain in the final SEC regulations after the 60-day public comment period. Big companies could start making disclosures to the agency as early as 2024, although lawsuits challenging the authority of the SEC to make climate rules are likely. We see the disclosure of Scope 3 emissions as essential in order to make sure that companies have plans to be able to address those emissions, said Julie Nash, a senior program director at Ceres, another prominent investor advocacy group. Disclosure is the essential first step. Lessons From the Food Industry Ceres, however, also knows how tough it will be for companies to calculate supply chain emissions from its own campaign focusing on the food industry. The industry is the perfect target. It produces a third of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to a UN agency. For many of these companies, the supply chain generates about 80% of their total emissions. Last year, Boston-based Ceres organized more than 30 institutional investors, including giants such as Allianz Global Investors, to press 50 food companies to report Scope 3 emissions. Ceres used the same reporting requirements called the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as the SEC proposes in its rules. The protocol covers 15 reporting categories from the beginning of a products creation to the end of its life. McDonalds, for instance, would have to account for emissions from the production of beef it buys from many countries. The disclosures would include processing and transporting the ingredients, packaging the products, disposing of waste and burning energy along the way. Then there are emissions from business offices, the commuting of 200,000 employees and the operations of 40,000 restaurants globally. So how is Ceres' young campaign going? So far, few if any of the 50 companies are fully reporting their supply chain emissions. Only 23 disclose some of them, according to Ceres. Nash says the complexity of counting emissions and the lack of data pose big obstacles for food companies. Consider how a food company would have to account for beef supplied from Brazil. The cattle may move to five different ranches before reaching the slaughterhouse. The company would need to know precise details of the operations of each of those ranches. What did the cattle eat at each ranch? How efficiently did the animals turn food into meat? Did their grazing cause the destruction of forests, which store carbon in trees and soil? Each of these factors, which differ depending on the ranch and the country, significantly affects the carbon footprint of cattle. Its very difficult for companies to trace this information because there are so many different stages in the supply chain, said Nash, a Ph.D. who directs Ceres food and forest program. So theres a great deal of work that's needed to improve traceability and transparency to have the most accurate numbers for a Scope 3 analysis. General Mills Emissions Count General Mills stands out among the 50 companies. A spokesperson for the company, which makes breakfast cereals, soups, pizza, and pet food, says it follows almost all of the reporting protocols in its quest to reduce its emissions 30% by 2030. The companys Scope 3 calculations revealed that 54% of its emissions come from growing and transporting crops and turning them into food ingredients, according to its website. General Mills breaks out 28 categories of emissions, including packaging at 8%, and consuming its products, such as shopping and cooking, at 17%. But how accurate are any of these emissions numbers? Its impossible to say. The maker of Cocoa Puffs doesnt send bean counters to every cocoa farm in Ghana and Cote dlvoire to find out the precise types of fertilizers, tractors, fuel and agricultural practices they use. That would be prohibitively expensive, given that the company has suppliers operating in more than 100 countries. Instead, General Mills and other companies use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) computer models to tally emissions. But these models, like those used in everything from economics to climate science, are only as accurate as the consultants who design them and the data thats fed into them. The data is the biggest problem. General Mills hired the consulting firm Quantis to calculate its supply chain emissions. Quantis uses national averages for particular businesses like cocoa farms in Ghana that may be several steps removed from the actual farms that supply General Mills, creating uncertainty about the accuracy of the estimates. Nor do computer models typically include some of the biggest sources of emissions, such as the release from tilling the soil and from converting forests and grasslands, which sequester carbon, to crops. Quantis didnt respond to a request for an interview. We need a more accurate estimate of our baseline emissions, Steven Rosenzweig, a soil scientist at General Mills, told the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February. Using these databases means our current footprint is static, it doesnt change from year to year. It also might be based on the global average that isnt very relevant to the practices that farmers in our supply sheds are using. To make better Scope 3 estimates, Rosenzweig said, companies need to develop more sophisticated data tracking systems, which will require satellites to monitor changes to land use. In the meantime, General Mills is taking the ambitious step of attempting to transform the agricultural practices of its farmers in the U.S. and abroad who supply key ingredients like wheat, oats, dairy and cocoa. The company and industry partners are financing efforts to support and train farmers in regenerative agriculture. It uses less fertilizer and tilling to reduce emissions and other methods to improve the health of soil, which is rapidly degrading worldwide. General Mills has more than 115,000 acres enrolled in its regenerative management programs and aims for one million acres by 2030. We consider regenerative agriculture to be our greatest opportunity for meeting our commitment to reduce our climate footprint by 30% by 2030, Rosenzweig said. Seeking Principle-Based Rules Advocates of the SEC proposal say todays reporting flaws will be improved as more companies develop Scope 3 expertise and collect better data to share with each other. The number of companies that disclose emissions to CDP continues to grow every year, showing its just a matter of time. Professor Patchell disagrees, saying that forcing companies to make such elaborate disclosures is a waste of resources. Big firms already have a general understanding of the main sources of their emissions, such as agriculture in the food industry. The money needed to produce a precise accounting of emissions, he says, would be better spent on actually reducing them. McDonalds, for instance, didnt need a full accounting of its greenhouse gas footprint to pledge to reach net-zero by 2050. Given the difficulties in determining supply chain emissions, the SEC has carved out a few exemptions. For instance small firms, such as those with less than $100 million in revenue, wont have to comply. The companies also will be shielded from lawsuits for passing on faulty data provided they have a reasonable basis for disclosing it. The SEC says it will help investors judge the reliability of the disclosures by requiring companies to reveal the sources of the data, including economic and government studies, suppliers, consultants and other third parties. Asking investors to wade through all those footnotes is a tall order, but its not unlike what they already do with other financial disclosures, said Michael Lepech, a Stanford professor of environmental engineering who has worked with LCA models. When you read a financial statement, businesses talk about significant uncertainties associated with the assets and liabilities, he said. Its just buried in the extensive notes. And carbon accounting is in many regards no different than that. But the Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby, says the Scope 3 mandate may leave investors more confused than informed. The Chamber is pushing for an open-ended reporting mandate based on general principles to determine whats relevant for investors rather than precise rules, such as the Scope 3 protocol. Companies and their investors should be left to determine the necessary metrics, which means some may choose to report Scope 3 and others wont, said Evan Williams, director of the chambers center for capital markets. Critics of this principles-based approach say its so vague that companies will find ways to avoid any meaningful accounting of their carbon footprint. There is that concern, Williams said. But what we have seen is that companies are responsive to their investors, and if they demand more information on climate risks, the companies have provided it. Devon firefighters rescued a young bullock trapped in a swimming pool for four hours after he had escaped a nearby farm. Buckfastleigh, Torquay and Paignton fire stations posted images of the successful rescue operation on social media. The bull became trapped in a swimming pool in Marldon after he had escaped from a local field. The Paignton crew were first to arrive, and the officer in charge initially decided to pump some of the water out. "When they started pumping out the water, the cow seemed to swim along the pool and investigate the pump," Paignton Fire Station said on Facebook. Once a specialist animal team turned up, the crews discussed the safest and least stressful way to remove him from the pool. (Photo: Paignton Fire Station/Facebook) They decided to feed webbing strops under the bull after getting him in the corner of the pool, then bring in a telehandler and lift him out supported comfortably. Whilst this was ongoing, a local farmer positioned a cattle trailer ready for him to move straight into. Paignton Fire Station added: "The operation went very smoothly, cow lifted, moved to the trailer, and was then held in the harness for a few minutes until he could support himself again. "By this time, he had been in the pool for 3-4 hours and was very cold, with obviously numb legs. "A really good outcome for one very cold young bullock. He did spend quite some time with his nose just below the surface blowing bubbles, which he seemed to enjoy!" A large amount of farmland in Wales is being lost to carbon offset projects sold at high prices to wealthy corporations, MPs have warned. Concerns have been raised that companies could be attempting to "game the system" by investing in farmland to offset emissions which is then lost to Welsh agriculture. Farmers could find themselves "priced out" of good quality land as many cannot compete with the prices paid by wealthy companies. The Welsh Affairs Committee said it was concerned to hear that around a fifth of farms had a business income of less than zero with an average income of 26,000 per farm. The Welsh government should consider whether it had "appropriate safeguards" in place to ensure firms investing in carbon offsets had "credible" emission reductions schemes. The UK government should also improve the transparency and regulation of such schemes, which in "effect create a change of land use". MPs said greater transparency may be achieved by the creation of a register of carbon offset schemes so that the extent of this problem could be monitored. Stephen Crabb MP, chairman of the Committee, warned that Welsh agriculture was facing a challenging time in a number of different areas. He said that farmers, many of whom were already struggling financially, could not compete with wealthy companies buying up land for carbon offset projects. "While offsets could be a useful tool in meeting net zero, there must be adequate safeguards in place to avoid greenwashing by companies relying on offsets to avoid difficult decisions to tackle emissions at source," he said. The potential lack of farmland is just one of the issues facing farms in Wales. Farmers feel the "economics are stacked against the family farm" referring to the single farm payment, working hours and rent. MPs said that both the UK and Welsh governments should work together to create a scheme to support farmers plan for their retirement. The language and cultural traditions maintained by family farms across Wales are also at risk, MPs who sit on the Committee warned. Wales' agriculture sector represents 43% of Welsh speaking workers, and with farming dominated by over 60s, when they retire there are concerns that the language could be further eroded. Many younger generations are leaving due to the lack of work, and the Committee recommended that new entrants are supported into farming. Mr Crabb added: With older generations dominating the farming community, we must make sure they have a suitable route into retirement so farming, and the rich legacy of traditions that come with it, continue in younger generations. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China warned on Thursday that it would take firm and robust measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity should U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insist on visiting Taiwan. Urging the U.S. side to stick to the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan must be cancelled immediately. Otherwise, the U.S. side shall bear all ensuing consequences, Zhao said during a news briefing. He added that China has made solemn representations to the U.S. side. He said that China is against any form of official exchange between the United States and Taiwan, adding that as an integral part of the U.S. government, the U.S. Congress should strictly abide by the one-China policy that the United States upholds. Zhao stressed that Pelosi's move, if materialized, would gravely violate the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, massively impact on the political base of the China-U.S. relations, and send the very wrong signal of supporting the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. The United States should immediately cancel Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan, stop official exchanges with Taiwan, and honor its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" with concrete actions, said the spokesperson. When answering a query regarding some U.S. officials' remarks linking the Taiwan question with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Zhao pointed out that these are "fundamentally different" issues. Anyone who attempts to confuse the public for own interests is playing with fire, he said. Noting that there is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, Zhao said that the Taiwan question was a carry-over from the Chinese civil war, and how to resolve it is China's internal affair and no foreign country has the right to interfere. The Chinese people are determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will strive for peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity, but reserve the option to take any necessary measures against the interference of external forces and the "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities, according to Zhao. The root cause of the latest round of tensions across the Taiwan Strait stems from the Taiwan authorities seeking independence by soliciting U.S. support, and the attempts by some U.S. personnel using Taiwan to contain China, said the spokesperson. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category How the fairytale began When they made their first public appearance at Sonam and Anand's wedding reception, Ranbir and Alia made heads turn. From then to now, fan-favorite B-town couples have come a long way. Filmfare takes this opportunity to chart their unique and romantic love story. Alia had revealed very early on, that she had her first crush on Ranbir Kapoor ever since she was a mere eleven-year-old. Reacting to the statement, Ranbir Kapoor, the other half of this power couple said, Well, I have a boy crush on her now.The two individuals later came together to create Brahmastra, directed by Ayan Mukerji. While shooting for the movie in the midst of snow-capped mountains in Bulgaria, both the actors deeply fell in love with each other. They began their romantic rendezvous in 2017, back when the press was rife with news of their mutual admiration. Making the love story official After their first public appearance at Anand Ahuja and Sonam Kapoors wedding, the couple got unfailing love and support from friends and family. This made way for the countless public appearances that followed. This included family weddings, brunches, and dinner parties. In September 2018, when Ranbirs father Rishi Kapoor got admitted to a hospital in New York, the couple was often seen visiting together. Shortly after, Ranbir got candid in an interview with a magazine and confirmed his relationship. He said, "Its really new right now, and I dont want to overspeak. It needs time to breathe and it needs space. As an actor, as a person, Alia is whats the right word? flowing right now. When I see her work, when I see her act, even in life, what she gives is something that Im aspiring to for myself. Its new for us, so let it cook a bit." But they made a place in not only each others hearts but also in their families. Shortly after Ranbirs interview went viral, Alias father Mahesh Bhatt was questioned about their budding relationship. To this, he said, "Well, of course, theyre in love. You dont need to be a genius to get that! I love Ranbir hes a great guy. What they do to their relationship is something theyll have to figure out. Whether its heading towards that port called marriage which is an institution that needs to be questioned in the second decade of the 21st century is something for them to figure out." All the big moments Shortly after in 2019, the 64th Filmfare Awards was graced with the couples presence. The couple truly proved their mettle as both actors won Best Actor and Best Actress Awards respectively. While Ranbir Kapoor bagged the award for Sanju, Alia Bhatt bagged one for Raazi. Later in an interview, Alia confessed that their moment together on stage was a perfect moment for her. She shared an AMA (ask me anything) Youtube video, where the fans asked her about her most memorable day in 2019. To this, she replied, "Well, there have been quite a few memorable days. But I think for me, the most special moment was when I received my Filmfare award and also Ranbir had just received his Filmfare Award. There was a moment of us on stage and pictures were clicking, that was the most memorable moment. I kind of imagined it in my head and it came true." Soon after at another award, the couple danced to Ishq Wala Love, and fans couldnt help but swoon at their everlasting chemistry. If you think this checks their relationship bucket list, wait till you see their vacation pictures. Taking a break from their busy schedule, and celebrating their wins the couple jet-setted on a vacation in Africa. In September of 2019, Alia shared a Safari vlog, where she was seen with her beau, Ranbir in Kenya. Ranbir is probably the one who helped Alia shoot her vlog. Going through the tough times together The pandemic had affected the lives of both actors tragically. After the passing of Ranbirs Kapoor father, both the actors were left heartbroken. It is reported that they were pillars of strength to each other. After the senior actor passed away from a two-year-long battle with leukemia, his final rites were performed by his wife Neetu Kapoor and son Ranbir Kapoor. Alia Bhatt who was also part of the ceremony couldnt hold back her tears. She was also seen consoling Neetu Kapoor and video calling Ranbirs sister Riddhima Jain who couldnt be a part of the ceremony. Alia heavily grieved the loss of Rishi Kapoor. In a moving Instagram post, she wrote, What can I say. About this beautiful man... who brought soo much love and goodness into my life. Today, everyone speaks of the legend that is Rishi Kapoor... and though Ive known him like that all my life... for the past two years Ive known him as a friend, a fellow Chinese food lover, a total cinema lover, a fighter, a leader, a beautiful storyteller, an extremely passionate tweeter and a father! In these past two years, the love I have received from him is like a warm hug that I will always cherish! However, with each other by their sides, they made it through the tough times. Coming back stronger In September 2021, the actors flew down to the Sujan Jawai Camp in Rajasthan to celebrate Ranbirs 39th birthday. The actress took to her Instagram to post a beautiful picture of them by the lake. She captioned the post, happy birthday my life. Recently, during a promotional event for Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia Bhatt spoke about her romantic relationship with Ranbir, she said, Im already married to Ranbir Kapoor in my head. And, I think Ive been married to him in my head for a long time. I feel like the timing of even when we get married, its all going to work out in all the right and beautiful ways. Meanwhile, their new home is also nearing completion. Ranbir and Alia have refurbished their family home, the Krishna Raj bungalow. The bungalow which is now reportedly being converted to a fifteen-story building is located in Bandras Pali Hill. The first five floors of this house will be saved for the Kapoors, Alia-Ranbir, and Neetu Kapoor. The remaining ten floors will be rented out. The couple is likely to move in here after their alleged wedding. The couple has been through the good times and tough times, and come out stronger than ever. The couple is allegedly all set to begin their wedding rituals on the 13th of April at the RK Bungalow. Filmfare wishes them a very happy and fulfilling future ahead. Fort St. John, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 6, 2022) - MACRO ENTERPRISES INC. (TSXV: MCR) (the "Company" or "Macro") is pleased to announce that the Company has obtained a final order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia approving the plan of arrangement (as amended, the "Arrangement") involving 1325996 B.C. Ltd. ("AcquireCo"), pursuant to which, among other things, AcquireCo will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of the Company. Receipt of the final order will allow Macro to complete the Arrangement in the coming weeks subject to satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions precedent of the Arrangement. Further information about the Arrangement is set forth in the materials filed under the Company's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com. About Macro Enterprises Inc. Macro's core business is providing pipeline and facilities construction and maintenance services to major companies in the oil and gas industry in northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta. The Company's corporate office is in Fort St. John, British Columbia. The Macro Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") under the symbol "MCR". Information on the Company's principal operations can be found at www.macroindustries.ca. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), as such terms are defined under applicable securities law, regarding the Company's business and operations. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements (including execution risk, market risk, industry risk, market sentiment, the impact of general economic conditions and competition from other industry participants, as well as stock market volatility). In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, information regarding the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent to the Arrangement, if at all, and the likelihood of the Arrangement being completed within a reasonable period, if at all. Readers are referred to the Company's public disclosure record, including the Circular which is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). While such forward-looking statements are expressed by the Company, as stated in this release, in good faith and believed by the Company to have a reasonable basis, they are subject to important risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to stock exchange and other approvals required in connection with the Arrangement, risks relating to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent to the Arrangement and adverse changes in applicable laws or regulations, which in each case could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by the forward-looking statements. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the proposed transaction could be modified, restructured or not be completed, and the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, given that they involve risks and uncertainties. The Company is not affirming or adopting any statements made by any other person in respect of the proposed transaction and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities or to comment on expectations of, or statements made by any other person in respect of the proposed transaction. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Reliance on forward-looking statements is at investors' own risk. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable laws and the policies of the TSXV, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. There can be no assurance that Company will be able to achieve all or any of its proposed objectives. For further information please contact: Frank Miles President and C.E.O. Phone: (250) 785-0033 Bob Fedderly Special Committee Phone: (250) 787-0398 Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119590 WOODLAND HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 6, 2022 / Premier Products Group (OTC PINK:PMPG) released a letter to shareholders. Dear Shareholders, As CEO of Premier Products Group, Inc. (PMPG), I make it a priority to write to you about the current health, goals, and future plans of the Company. The majority of PMPG's Shareholders are long term Shareholders. Our business and investment thesis is a long-term endeavor, and we have continuously taken a long-term approach to shareholder returns, analyzing business transactions and investment opportunities on behalf of PMPG. PMPG must create value for and be valued by its full range of stakeholders in order to deliver long-term value for its shareholders. PMPG entered into various business agreements and potential joint venture projects over the past year. PMPG's primary function in the past practices and actions were to help raise funds and manage the joint ventures and business agreements, we entered. PMPG's ability to deliver on its promises over the past 12 months have been hindered by lack of funding from the right debt/equity investors, that fit into PMPG's long term goals. PMPG would like to assure PMPG shareholders that we have not abandoned them and are working diligently every day to transform any City, Road Authority or Municipality that strives to turn their cities and roads into the smart cities and roads of the future, that we envision. PMPG understands the frustrations you feel and we would like to ask your understanding and patience, as we will strive to do better of communicating the progress of the Company going forward. The SmartRoad technology we are pursuing is a huge undertaking within a new Industry. We have learned many lessons on the job, to mitigate all the twists and turns that have been put in our way. In the end, we feel we will ultimately succeed. Over the last 6-7 months we have done the following to better align PMPG and its pending venture with their various business segments, and a corporate realignment to better allow us to manage our assets and business portfolio for growth in the future. The steps we have taken over the last 6 months are as follows: 1. Working to bring the Company into compliance with the new rules and regulations put forth during the 3rd Quarter of 2021. 2. Structuring the various alliances and partnerships needed to roll out the products and services needed to enable our vision of the future as it pertains to our Smart Cities And Roads initiatives. 3. Restructuring our Company Board of Directors to bring on new Directors who better understand the needs of the company and will include outside independent Directors. 4. Launching by Q2 a new social media platform. This will be helpful in better communication with Investors and Shareholders. 5. Leveraging the provisions of the new US Infrastructure Bill and the funds that will be made available to companies involved in building and rolling out new technologies to advance things like Internet and Smart Road and Cities deployment. PMPG 10k late filings were not filed due to our inability to secure a new Auditor for our Audits ending the 2021 accounting year. PMPG stated in a prior 8k on October 25th, 2021, "The Auditor overlooked prior filings, the non-booking of derivatives on liability notes. At this point, it was PMPG's understanding that PMPG cannot file the 2nd Quarter 10Q filing before the amended filings are completed. Due to the extremely short and limited time frame to complete the amendments, PMPG could not complete the two amended filings and 2nd quarter filings prior to the September 28th 15c2-11 amendment date. The non-filing resulted in PMPG being classified to the Expert Market. This oversight by the previous Auditor forced PMPG to seek a new Auditing Partner. Could PMPG have prevented the corporate Action? PMPG met its obligations to the Auditor and PMPG could have provided the financials on time for the Auditor's review of the financials. While the previous Auditor had five (5) months to review and amend the prior filings, the previous Auditor made the decision to amend the prior filings in early September. This extremely late decision by the previous Auditor put a strain on PMPG Management and our Accountants. PMPG and our Accountants worked day and night to complete the amended financials for the previous Auditor's review in a limited time frame. As of April 5th, 2022, PMPG has not secured a new Auditing Partner. Once a New Auditing Partner has been selected, PMPG will work diligently to file all appropriate SEC Filings and have our stock trading status in good standing. Shareholder Transparency In the Spirit of Transparency, PMPG's management understand the reporting obligations of the Company and is working vigorously to rectify our current standing. PMPG Updates: PMPG's 5G Infrastructure Division is currently seeking funding. With funding secured, PMPG intends to generate revenues for the Division within one quarter from funding. The 5G Infrastructure Division will have access to multiple 5G contracts with funds used to deploy our field services on all 5G contracts secured. PMPG will move forward with contract finalization once funding is secured. PMPG is currently planning to renegotiate its position with our potential SmartRoad and Smart City JV partners. Once funding is secured, a Proof of Concept field trial is planned for deployment. Funding for deployment has to be secured prior to negotiating & accepting a contract for the Smart Road / Smart City Proof of Concepts. PMPG is awaiting a final term sheet from a potential Investment Fund Partner. The Investment Fund plans to fund in these JV's in 3 stages: Stage 1 - Secure a New Audit Partner for PMPG, and file all appropriate SEC filings to publicly trade again. Stage 2 - Secure 5G contracts and deploy 5G field services teams Stage 3 - Negotiate and Finalize Smart Road / Smart City Contracts & Sites for Proof of Concept deployment. In closing, I would like to reaffirm that PMPG will do everything possible to regain your Support and Patience. We believe that PMPG can become the company synonymous with Smart Cities and Roads. Looking forward to the future, with your support. Keep the Faith. Safe Harbor Statement: Except for historical information, certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and those statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance such statements will prove accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions these forward-looking statements are qualified by other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any statements in this release. CONTACT: Tony Hicks, CEO Premier Products Group, Inc. info@pmpginc.com SOURCE: Premier Products Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696421/Premier-Products-Group-Releases-Letter-to-Shareholder Not for release to US wire services or distribution in the United States ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE AND AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE SUBIACO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 6, 2022 / The Board of RTG Mining Inc. ("RTG", the "Company") (TSX Code:RTG)(ASX Code:RTG) is pleased to announce that Mr Kenneth Caruso has agreed to join the Board of Directors. Mr Caruso has over 40 years of legal experience, specialising in both civil and criminal matters, often involving international jurisdictions. Prior to his current position, he was a partner in the New York office of the global law firm, White & Case. Mr Caruso is one of the few lawyers in New York to be recognised for both white collar and commercial work, including in many of the most respected guides to leading lawyers. Before he entered private practice, Mr Caruso served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC. He holds a BA, from Rutgers College, magna cum laude, and a JD, from Columbia University School of Law in New York. Mr Caruso will fill the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Mr David Cruse. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Cruse for his valued contribution to the Board over many years. We welcome Mr Caruso to the RTG Board and look forward to working with him to progress the development of the exciting high grade copper gold mine in the Philippines, the Mabilo Project and also on a number of other new opportunities. ABOUT RTG MINING INC RTG Mining Inc. is a mining and exploration company listed on the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange. RTG is currently focused primarily on progressing the Mabilo Project to start-up having recently received a mining permit for the Project, with a view to moving quickly and safely to a producing gold and copper company. RTG also has a number of exciting new opportunities including the Panguna Project in Bougainville, which it remains committed to with the primary focus on advancing the Mabilo Project. RTG has an experienced management team which has to date developed seven mines in five different countries, including being responsible for the development of the Masbate Gold Mine in the Philippines through CGA Mining Limited. RTG has some of the most respected international institutional investors as shareholders including Franklin Templeton, Equinox Partners and Sun Valley. ENQUIRIES Australian Contact US Contact President & CEO - Justine Magee Investor Relations - Jaime Wells Tel: +61 8 6489 2900 +1 970 640 0611 Fax: +61 8 6489 2920 Email: jmagee@rtgmining.com jwells@rtgmining.com COMPLIANCE STATEMENT Date: 7 April 2022 Authorised for release by: By the Board of Directors CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor does it accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. This announcement includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation including, among others, statements made or implied relating to the interpretation of exploration results, accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, parameters and assumptions used to estimate mineral reserves and mineral resources, realization of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, estimated economic results of the Mabilo Project, future operational and financial results, including estimated cashflow and the timing thereof, estimated expenditures, expansion, exploration and development activities and the timing thereof, including expectations regarding the DSO, plans for progressing Stage 2 development, completion of a debt funding package, the negotiation of contracts for start up works and offtake arrangements and the completion of merged documentation, RTG's objectives, strategies to achieve those objectives, RTG's beliefs, plans, estimates and intentions, and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "objective", "may", "will", "expected", "likely", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "should", "plans", or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RTG's expectations include uncertainties related to fluctuations in gold and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development of RTG's mineral projects; the need to obtain additional financing to develop RTG's mineral projects; the possibility of delay in development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for RTG's mineral projects and other risks and uncertainties as discussed in RTG's annual report for the year ended December 31, 2021 and detailed from time to time in our other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. RTG will not release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority. NOT FOR RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES This announcement has been prepared for publication in Canada and Australia and may not be released to US wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, registration under the US Securities Act and applicable US state securities laws. SOURCE: RTG Mining Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696467/Appointment-of-a-New-Director WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - AvalonBay Communities (AVB) said that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 2 million shares of common stock for expected gross proceeds of about $497.2 million. Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. The company noted that it has entered into forward sale agreements with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or their affiliates with respect to 2 million shares of its common stock. In connection with the forward sale agreements, the forward purchasers or their affiliates are expected to borrow and sell to the underwriters an aggregate of 2 million shares of the common stock that will be delivered in the offering. The company plans to deliver, upon physical settlement of such forward sale agreements on one or more dates specified by the Company occurring no later than December 31, 2023, an aggregate of 2 million shares of its common stock to the forward purchasers in exchange for cash proceeds per share equal to the applicable forward sale price, subject to certain adjustments as provided in the forward sale agreements. The offering is expected to close on April 11, 2022. The company will not initially receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of its common stock by the forward purchasers or their affiliates in the offering. The company intends to use the net proceeds, if any, it receives upon the future settlement of the forward sale agreements for identified and prospective land acquisitions, the development and redevelopment of apartment communities, the acquisition of communities, and working capital and general corporate purposes. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Harbour BioMed said that it has reached license agreement with AstraZeneca (AZN, AZN.L) for CLDN18.2xCD3 bispecific antibody (HBM7022). HBM7022 is a bispecific antibody, currently in pre-clinical stage, that crosslinks tumor cells and T cells by targeting a tumor-associated antigen (Claudin18.2) and CD3, and thus leads to potent T cell activation and tumor elimination. Upon the execution of the license agreement, AstraZeneca will be granted an exclusive global license for research, development, registration, manufacturing, and commercialization of HBM7022 and shall be solely responsible for all costs and activities associated with its further development and commercialization. As per the license agreement, Harbour BioMed shall receive an upfront payment of US$25 million with the potential for additional payments up to US$325 million pending achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Harbour BioMed is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The Customer Engagement Hub helps customers increase revenue and retain end users while meeting their demands for optimized solutions. SAN ANTONIO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan recently assessed the APAC contextual marketing solutions for telecommunications industry. Based on its research results, the company recognizes Pelatro with the 2022 Asia-Pacific Contextual Marketing Solutions for Telecommunications Company of the Year Award. The company's technology platform, mViva, has a customer value management solution (the primary source of its revenue) and an increasingly popular complementary loyalty management solution. Telco marketers have successfully used Pelatro's solutions and customer-centric strategies to increase revenue. Pelatro offers telcos solutions through the comprehensive approach of consumer, retailer, and enterprise needs, shifting the conversations about customer value management. This helps telcos address the challenges of convincing independent retailers to sell a particular pre-paid service product. Retailers who sell pre-paid service products are vital entities that connect consumers with telcos in growing markets, such as developing countries. Pelatro's contextual marketing product profiles customers and increases their value in the supply chain. The process also accounts for feedback in the loop of learning and strategizing, thereby completing the customer value management system. Pelatro's loyalty management system involves exchanging points with goods and sometimes partnering with other product-based companies to design loyalty campaigns. As a result, Pelatro has utilized data monetization strategies that built trust among its client's stakeholders. The company forges a strong partnership with its clients to enable it to focus on outcomes. In addition to the software, Pelatro also provides a variety of services including implementation support and managed services to help telcos realize the maximum value from the solution. According to Neha Pokharel, a Best Practices Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, "Pelatro's solutions and services offer a one-stop-shop for businesses that demand optimized solutions to help their customers. It profiles telcos customers and matching solutions based on customer needs to provide telcos with customer-centric solutions." Pelatro generates trust among its more than a billion global customers because it regards them as partners. It has invested significantly in its technology through business innovation and offers its worldwide telco clients an end-to-end solution that combines segmentation analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and workflow capabilities, eliminating the need for multiple systems. The one-stop solutions-based disruption helps telcos increase their business velocity while shortening the life cycle of telcos campaigns from a traditional three to four-week timespan to less than a day. Vodafone Idea is one of the biggest implementers of Pelatro's customer value management system, reaching over 400 million subscribers, and executing 4800 campaigns per day in 23 regions. "Pelatro thrives by offering products that empower its customer base and increase its client's business velocity. Pelatro's unique innovations and products allow its clients and marketers to conduct a significant level of analytics independently," said Pokharel. "Pelatro's telcos system customers receive real-time intervention offers to update their data plans in the middle of their online browsing. Innovation, next-generation technology implementation, and maintaining a loyal customer base are part of Pelatro's DNA." "We are excited to be recognized by Forst & Sullivan with the 2022 APAC Contextual Marketing Solutions for Telecommunications Company of the Year Award. It validates our efforts to build a solution that can enable telecom operators to transform their customer engagement by operating in a fully digital mode. Declining ARPU and soaring customer churn are the two biggest challenges that telcos face these days. Our aim is to be a partner for telcos in this journey to overcome the above by implementing a solution that can solve complex problems with AI/ML and real-time analytics and decisioning capabilities. Deep domain expertise, managed services, and recurring revenue model further help us in strengthening the partnership and delivering better results to our customers," said Subash Menon, CEO of Pelatro. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies, and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Kala Mani. S. Phone: +603-2023 2037 Email: kala.manis@frost.com About Pelatro Pelatro is a leading Customer Engagement Hub provider for global Telcos offering a one-stop solution that delivers improved consumer engagements, better ROI, and seamless data monetization for subscribers, retailers, and enterprise customers. The company's key strengths include deep domain expertise to assist telcos with data analysis and campaign design through big data capabilities enabled by AI/ML techniques and managed services. Founded in 2013, Pelatro serves leading telecom operators across 19 different countries and processing the data for more than 1 billion subscribers. It is listed on London Stock Exchange, with R&D centre in India and Sales offices across the US, Singapore, Dubai, and India. Contact: Sanjay Bhatt Phone: +91-9773853213 Email: Sanjay.bhatt@pelatro.com Photo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1781669/Frost_Sullivan_Pelatro_Award.jpg GUANGZHOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people died, and two were injured at a wholesale market fire early Thursday in the city of Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, the local fire department said. The fire broke out at about 1 a.m. Thursday in the Nanhai District. It was brought under control about two hours later. The injured were immediately sent to a local hospital for treatment, and no lives are presently in danger. The fire broke out from a wholesale fruit stall. Further investigations into the incident are underway. Rapid reversal of cytokine storm in septic patients Enhanced resolution of biomarkers for inflammation including leukocytosis compared to standard of care No treatment-related serious side effects Regulatory News: ABIONYX Pharma (FR0012616852 ABNX PEA PME eligible), a new generation biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapies for patients, today reported positive interim results of an open-label Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating CER-001 as a treatment for septic patients at high risk of developing Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The RACERS study aims to include 20 patients with gram-negative sepsis who are at high risk for acute kidney injury due to high levels of endotoxin activity and decline in function of one or more organ systems. Completion of the study has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, which has limited availability of critical care beds and medical staff for non-COVID patients, since the first study patient was enrolled in June 2021. To date, thirteen patients have been enrolled and seven remain to be recruited. An interim review for the first ten patients to complete the study has been performed. Compared to standard of care therapy, CER-001 rapidly improved biomarkers of inflammation including leukocytosis, and endothelial dysfunction, preventing septic patients' decline into acute kidney injury. CER-001 treatment was well tolerated at all dose levels (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, twice a day). No treatment-related serious side effects were seen in this critically ill patient population. Loreto Gesualdo, full Professor, Head of the Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation unit, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy and lead investigator of the RACERS study stated: "This is the first study in humans using a recombinant Bio-HDL to treat acutely ill septic patients. The results to date with CER-001 are consistent with the known pleiotropic effects of HDL, scavenging endotoxin, reversing the cytokine cascade and improving endothelial function. Response to CER-001 treatment was rapid, relative to standard of care therapy, with clinical benefit demonstrated as soon as Day 3. These preliminary data reproduce the results we observed in our pre-clinical swine model of sepsis-induced AKI. We look forward to completing the study and using the results to design the phase 2/3 study." Connie Peyrottes, Senior VP clinical development at ABIONYX Pharma, added: "We believe the interim results from the RACERS study represent a unique opportunity for ABIONYX in the sepsis landscape, and suggest that CER-001 may have utility as a safe and effective treatment for critical illnesses marked by inflammation and organ failure across different high mortality clinical indications with high unmet medical needs." Cyrille Tupin CEO of ABIONYX concluded: "The promising interim results of this Phase 2a study confirm that CER-001 could potentially fill a void that exists in treating sepsis and other severe, acute inflammatory diseases. If consistent results are found in the remaining patients, these results, along with the recently published results in COVID-19, support our strategic decision to develop bio-HDL as short-term therapy for acute conditions." Next financial press release : Annual Results, April 28th 2022 About ABIONYX Pharma ABIONYX Pharma is a new generation biotech company that aims to contribute to health through innovative therapies in indications where there is no effective or existing treatment, even the rarest ones. Thanks to its partners in research, medicine, biopharmaceuticals and shareholding, the company innovates on a daily basis to propose drugs for the treatment of renal and ophthalmological diseases, or new HDL vectors used for targeted drug delivery. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220406006068/en/ Contacts: NewCap Investor relations Louis-Victor Delouvrier abionyx@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53 NewCap Media relations Arthur Rouille abionyx@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15 PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Gradient Denervation Technologies, a Paris-based medical device company developing a minimally-invasive solution for the treatment of heart failure patients with pulmonary hypertension, announced today the appointment of Martin Grasse as Chief Executive Officer. With over 15 years in the medical device industry, Grasse joins the company as it works to freeze the design of its novel catheter-based system and prepare for early clinical trials. Based on a concept developed within the Stanford Biodesign program, Gradient Denervation Technologies ("Gradient") builds on an innovation from two clinicians, Dr. Swami Gnanashanmugam and Dr. Jeffrey Feinstein. The company raised seed financing from Sofinnova Partners in 2020 and since then has been managed by the team at Sofinnova MD Start, a medtech accelerator that actively works with clinicians and entrepreneurs to develop disruptive medical devices. The company also secured additional non-dilutive funding via two grants from BPI, France's state-backed investment bank, through the i-Lab innovation contest and the Deeptech program. "We are very excited to have Marty onboard to guide Gradient on the next steps of the company's journey," said Anne Osdoit, Partner at Sofinnova Partners and a member of the Sofinnova MD Start team. "His experience in building early-stage ventures and strategically de-risking development programs is a perfect fit for Gradient." Prior to joining Gradient, Grasse held operational roles in numerous venture-backed medical device companies including Ablacon, EPIX Therapeutics, Cibiem and Bridgepoint Medical. He also served as Operating Partner at Ajax Health. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Harvard Business School. "I'm thrilled to be joining Gradient to work with the team to bring this breakthrough therapy to patients. Pulmonary hypertension is a debilitating condition, especially in those patients with heart failure. The Gradient approach has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for these underserved patients," said Grasse. "Operating within the Sofinnova MD Start medtech accelerator, we are plugged into a rich ecosystem of resources, positioning Gradient for success." Gradient is developing a solution designed to restore the benefits of a healthy, elastic pulmonary artery, which in turn reduces cardiac workload, enhances blood flow and brings pulmonary pressure back under control. Sofinnova MD Start is comprised of a team of serial entrepreneurs using a unique model to discover and nurture ground-breaking ideas for therapeutic medical devices. Its goal is to create and build companies to turn the best of these ideas into tools that practitioners can use to save and improve patients' lives. About Gradient Denervation Technologies Gradient Denervation Technologies is developing a device-based, minimally invasive solution for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in patients with heart failure with technology developed by two clinicians from Stanford University, Dr. Swami Gnanashanmugam and Dr. Jeffrey Feinstein. It is a privately held portfolio company of Sofinnova Partners, financed through the Sofinnova MD Start III Fund and based in Paris, France. For more information, please visit: https://www.gradientdenervation.com. About Sofinnova Partners Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future. Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply-established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over 2.5 billion under management. For more information, please visit: www.sofinnovapartners.com For more information about Sofinnova MD Start, please visit: www.sofinnovapartners.com/strategy/md-start Media Contacts: Charlotte Cave Chief Operating Officer, Gradient Denervation Technologies Email: charlotte@gradientdenervation.com Phone: +33 (0)6 63 84 25 01 SOURCE: Sofinnova Partners View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696478/Gradient-Denervation-Technologies-Announces-Appointment-of-Martin-Grasse-as-Chief-Executive-Officer COMBINATION BETWEEN FRONTLINE LTD. AND EURONAV NV Creating a global leader in the oil tanker industry HAMILTON, Bermuda and ANTWERP, Belgium, April 7, 2022 -Frontline Ltd. ("FRO" or "Frontline") (NYSE: FRO - OSE: FRO) and Euronav NV ("EURN" or "Euronav") (NYSE: EURN & Euronext: EURN) are pleased to announce that the companies have signed a term sheet that has been unanimously approved by their Board of Directors and Supervisory Board, respectively, on a potential stock-for-stock combination between the two companies, based on an exchange ratio of 1.45 FRO shares for every EURN share resulting in Euronav and Frontline shareholders owning approximately 59% and 41%, respectively, of the combined group. It is anticipated that Euronav will pay total dividends of up to 12 cents before the closing of the business combination with no impact on the exchange ratio. If the combination materializes, the combined group would continue under the name Frontline and would continue to operate from Belgium, Norway, UK, Singapore, Greece and the US. The combined group will be headed by Mr. Hugo De Stoop as the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors of the combined group is expected to consist of seven members, including three current independent Euronav Supervisory Board members, two nominated by Hemen Holding Limited ("Hemen") and two additional new independent directors. Frontline's largest shareholder Hemen, and related companies owning shares in Euronav, have committed to support the potential transaction. Commenting on the possible combination, Mr. John Fredriksen said: "A combination of Frontline and Euronav would establish a market leader in the tanker market and position the combined group for continued shareholder value creation in addition to significant synergies. The new Frontline would be able to offer value enhancing services for our customers and increase fleet utilisation and revenues which would benefit all stakeholders. I am very excited and give my full support and commitment to this combined platform". A combination would create a leading global independent oil tanker operator, with: A market capitalization of more than USD 4.2 billion based on market values of the respective companies as of 6 April 2022 Leading global tanker market participation with 69 VLCC and 57 Suezmax vessels, and 20 LR2/Aframax vessels A strong balance sheet and access to attractive financing, supporting industry leading operational break-even levels for the combined fleet Leading combined expertise in the shipping industry with the ability to attract and retain world-class talent Significant benefits arising from a larger combined fleet leading to, among other benefits, improved overall utilization and cost synergies which will lead to uplifted shareholder value Significant synergies related to SG&A and other savings expected to be extracted from the combined entity; and Leadership in sustainable shipping, aiming for the highest ESG standards in the industry A combination between Frontline and Euronav would bring together two complementary platforms in a highly competitive environment. The two organisations would create a single best-in-class, highly competent and experienced team. The enlarged fleet would enable the combined group to provide better service to customers on a global basis. Additionally, and in view of rapid technological changes, including digitalization and new "low carbon fuels" adoption, the combined group would be able to mobilise more resources and achieve meaningful scale to meet these challenges and opportunities from the energy transition. Mr. Lars H. Barstad, CEO of Frontline said: "Frontline believes this transaction would form a powerful combination at an exciting point in the cycle. The combination would create a strong platform to further enhance shareholder value for our investors." Mr. Carl Steen, Chairman of Euronav said: "A transaction between Frontline and Euronav is expected to deliver real value for both sets of shareholders. The financial strength of the combined group, with a strong leadership team, would make the combined entity well placed to maximize value throughout the tanker market cycle." Mr. Hugo De Stoop, CEO of Euronav said: "This transaction would mark an exciting development for the tanker industry, creating a leading tanker company which would be positioned to serve the needs of customers, support partners and drive technology and sustainability initiatives to lead the energy transition." A combination remains subject to agreement on a transaction structure, confirmatory due diligence, agreement on the terms and conditions of the potential combination agreement, applicable board, shareholder, customer, lender and/or regulatory approvals, employee consultations and other customary completion conditions. Frontline and Euronav are working diligently to agree on and finalise an appropriate transaction structure for the potential business combination. It is premature to guide the market on when such combination can be completed and there can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be reached between the parties, and the consummation of any transaction is subject to several conditions as set forth above. Frontline and Euronav will update all stakeholders on any future developments in accordance with applicable regulations. Advisors Lazard is serving as financial advisor to Euronav. Advokatfirmaet Schjdt AS, Allen & Overy LLP, Seward & Kissel LLP and MJM Limited are serving as legal counsel to Frontline in connection with the combination. KPMG is advising Frontline on tax related matters. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is serving as legal counsel to Euronav. ABG Sundal Collier ASA is serving as financial advisor to Frontline and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA, has acted as financial advisor to the independent part of the Frontline Board. April 7, 2022 The Board of Directors Frontline Ltd. Hamilton, Bermuda Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act") provides safe harbor protections for forward- looking statements within the meaning of the Reform Act. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. Frontline and Euronav desire to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Reform Act and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe", "anticipate", "intends", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "plan", "potential", "may", "should", "expect", "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Euronav and Frontline management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in company records and other data available from third parties. Although Euronav and Frontline management believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the companies' control, there can be no assurance that Frontline or Euronav will accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the ability of Frontline and Euronav to successfully complete the proposed combination on anticipated terms and timing, including, among other things, agreeing on a transaction structure, negotiating and executing definitive documentation, obtaining required shareholder and regulatory approvals, unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies, expansion and growth of the combined group's operations and other important conditions to the completion of the acquisition, risks relating to the integration of operations of Frontline and Euronav and the possibility that the anticipated synergies and other benefits of the proposed combination will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected timeframe, the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the proposed combination, the failure of counterparties to fully perform their contracts with Frontline or Euronav, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values (including the possibility of a material decline or prolonged weakness in such rates), changes in demand for tanker vessel capacity, changes in the companies' operating expenses, including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, the market for the companies' vessels, availability of financing and refinancing to meet the capital needs of the combined group, charter counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities in the tanker industry, including without limitation, legislation adopted by international organizations such as the International Maritime Organization and the European Union or by individual countries, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns, crew wages, changes in demand for oil and petroleum products and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see Frontline's and Euronav's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Frontline's and Euronav's forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are and will be based upon Frontline and Euronav management's then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance, and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. Neither Frontline nor Euronav assumes any duty to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, as of any future date. The information included in this announcement is defined as inside information pursuant to article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation and is publicly disclosed in accordance with article 17 of the Market Abuse Regulation and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The announcement is made by the contact person. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS This announcement is not a recommendation in favour of a vote on the proposed combination, nor is it a solicitation of proxies in connection with any such vote. In connection with the proposed combination, Frontline and/or Euronav may file with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-4 that may constitute a prospectus and may include a proxy of Frontline and/or Euronav (the "Registration Statement"). Frontline and Euronav may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed combination. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED COMBINATION AND RELATED MATTERS. You may obtain a free copy of the Registration Statement (if and when it becomes available) and other relevant documents filed by Frontline and Euronav with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, you will be able to obtain free copies of these documents by contacting the investor relations department of Frontline or Euronav at the following: Frontline Ltd. Euronav NV Lars H. Barstad Chief Executive Officer, Frontline Management AS Tel: +47 23 11 40 37 Email: Lars.Barstad@frontmgt.no Mr. Brian Gallagher Euronav Investor Relations Tel: +44 20 7870 0436 Email: IR@euronav.com NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, sell, or solicit any securities or any proxy vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. About Frontline Ltd. Frontline is an independent tanker company engaged in the ocean transportation and storage of crude oil. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Oslo, Norway with commercial offices in London, UK. Frontline is listed on both the NYSE and OBX exchange in Oslo under the symbol FRO. Frontline employs its fleet both on the spot and period market. Frontline's owned and operated fleet consists of 19 VLCCs (with further six due for delivery in 2022), 27 Suezmaxes and 18 LR2 tankers. About Euronav NV Euronav is an independent tanker company engaged in the ocean transportation and storage of crude oil. The company is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, and has offices throughout Europe and Asia. Euronav is listed on Euronext Brussels and on the NYSE under the symbol EURN. Euronav employs its fleet both on the spot and period market. VLCCs on the spot market are traded in the Tankers International pool of which Euronav is one of the major partners. Euronav's owned and operated fleet consists of 2 V-Plus vessels, 41 VLCCs (with further three under construction), 27 Suezmaxes (one of which is in a joint venture and two vessels time chartered in) with a further three under construction and 2 FSO vessels under long term contract. Attachment Regulatory News: Air Liquide (Paris:AI) releases the inaugural publication of its Sustainability Report which presents the Group's sustainability ambitions and extra-financial results. It showcases its achievements in contributing to a low-carbon society, improving the quality of life in healthcare and engaging with employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders to nurture a safe, inclusive and collaborative environment. As the first Air Liquide publication dedicated exclusively to the Group's sustainability ambitions, the Sustainability Report outlines the commitments announced on March 23, 2021 (ACT Abatement, Care, Trust) and illustrates proof of its actions to create positive and sustainable impacts for climate, health and people. It also regroups key ESG indicators, in the report as well as in an easy-access downloadable data format. Air Liquide has long been integrating sustainability in its strategy through its contributions to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) actions and commitments across its organization. Unveiled on March 22, 2022, the Group's new strategic plan for 2025, ADVANCE, further integrates sustainability into its strategy by combining financial and extra-financial performance, positioning Air Liquide to continue its growth trajectory while contributing to a sustainable future. The report provides an update of Air Liquide's progress on its ESG objectives in 2021. The Group reduced its carbon intensity by 24% versus 2015, and is on track to achieve its objective of 30% reduction by 2025 with various decarbonization initiatives across the organization. Despite the strong growth in activity, the Group's absolute CO2 emissions increased less than 1% on a comparable basis versus past year. This is fully in line with the objective to start decreasing its absolute emissions by 2025, and achieve a 33% reduction by 2035 1 (vs. 2020) on the trajectory to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 with various decarbonization initiatives across the organization. Despite the strong growth in activity, the Group's absolute CO2 emissions increased less than 1% on a comparable basis versus past year. This is fully in line with (vs. 2020) on the trajectory As a major global player in healthcare, the Group continued in its pivotal role in improving the quality of life of chronic patients at home in mature economies and by facilitating access to medical oxygen for rural communities in low and middle income countries, with more than 1 million people having benefited from easier access to oxygen at the end of 2021. having benefited from easier access to oxygen at the end of 2021. Through the Group's efforts as a trusted partner, it increased the percentage of women among its managers and professionals, achieving 31% in 2021 (vs. 21% in 2012). It is well on the way to reach its target of 35% by 2025. In addition, the Group launched new initiatives to bring a common basis of care coverage to 100% of its employees by 2025 Fabienne Lecorvaisier, Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee, in charge of Sustainable Development, Public and International Affairs as well as the supervision of Societal Programs and General Secretariat, said: "Through the publication of the Sustainability Report, the Group enhances its transparency to the market on the progress achieved towards our stated sustainability ambitions announced on March 23, 2021. Sustainability is firmly embedded in the Group's strategy as a concrete commitment and an enabler linking growth and sustainable development, to build a better future for us all. We know where we are today and where we want to go, and this clear understanding distinguishes Air Liquide as a leader in sustainability." 1Scope 1 and 2 CO 2 emissions A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 75 countries with approximately 66,400 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide's revenue amounted to more than 23 billion euros in 2021. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes. www.airliquide.com Follow us on Twitter @airliquidegroup View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220406006170/en/ Contacts: Corporate Communications media@airliquide.com Investor Relations IRTeam@airliquide.com LIZ BARBER TO RETIRE AS YORKSHIRE WATER CEO - NICOLA SHAW APPOINTED AS SUCCESSOR Yorkshire Water announces today (April 7) that after nearly 12 years with the company, nine as CFO and close to three years as CEO, Liz Barber is to retire with effect from May 6. Nicola Shaw, most recently UK Executive Director for National Grid, has been appointed as CEO to succeed Liz and joins the company on May 9. She was previously CEO of High Speed 1 and a Director of First Group and is currently a Non-Executive Director of International Airlines Group. Liz first joined Yorkshire Water in November 2010 as Group Director of Finance and Regulation, having previously been a senior partner at Ernst & Young where she led the firm's national water team. She later became CFO and was appointed CEO in September 2019. Commenting, Yorkshire Water Chair, Vanda Murray said: "Liz has made a huge contribution to the company in both her leadership roles. As CFO, she did a great deal to improve financial resilience and also set the pace for increased transparency in the water sector. Her time as CEO has led us through the global pandemic and dealt very effectively with the challenges this caused for both our staff and customers. During this period the business was also hit by at least six named storm events and Liz's leadership ensured that we remained resilient throughout. "On behalf of the board, I would like to thank her for all she has done and wish her well for the future." She added: "We are delighted to be able to appoint Nicola Shaw as CEO. She brings extensive experience in regulated infrastructure businesses with a high public profile and has an excellent track record in driving efficient delivery whilst also improving customer service and staff engagement. She recognises the importance of environmental performance and the criticality of climate resilience and adaptation." Commenting on the new role, Nicola Shaw said: "I am delighted to be joining Yorkshire Water and the great people who work there delivering water and wastewater services to the county day in and day out. I recognise the importance of the service Yorkshire Water provides to the communities we serve and look forward to delivering for them and becoming part of the community in Yorkshire." Liz Barber said: "I have had nearly 12 great years at Yorkshire Water and it has been a privilege to play a part in providing an essential service by an organisation which is a part of the fabric of Yorkshire. I am particularly proud of what we have done to ensure that the organisation has sustainability at its heart and is resilient, both financially and operationally. "My colleagues, on the board, in the leadership team and throughout the company have been a huge support throughout my time at the company and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with them." There are no further details or disclosures required under Listing Rule 9.6.13R. For further information, please contact: YORKSHIRE WATER SERVICES LIMITED WESTERN HOUSE HALIFAX ROAD BRADFORD, BD6 2SZ ATTN: Company Secretary Email: compsec@yorkshirewater.co.uk For media enquiries, please contact: Richard Emmott, Director of Corporate Affairs Email: richard.emmott@yorkshirewater.co.uk Tel: 07790 616888 For investor enquiries, please contact: Chris Johns, Chief Financial Officer Email: chris.i.johns@yorkshirewater.co.uk MAGDEBURG, Germany, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dear Media Professionals, The Californian company Intel wants to build two state-of-the-art semiconductor plants in Magdeburg - the first on the European continent for this American corporation. The investment volume is 17 billion euros. Construction is planned to start in the first half of 2023. Production should commence in 2027. Furthermore, the company is committed to the very highest sustainability standards. For example, the corporation wants to supply its production facilities around the world with 100% green energy, and to stop disposing of waste at landfill sites. Ice cream manufacturer Florida-Eis in Berlin plans to build Germany's first carbon neutral ice cream factory in Schonebeck on the outskirts of Magdeburg, creating 250 jobs. The company is a firm believer in photovoltaic and solar thermal technology, recovery systems from refrigeration technology and maximum savings; it also uses efficient deep-freezing and refrains from using pumps and dosing systems. These are just two of numerous examples, which show: HERE in Saxony-Anhalt, the thinking is focused on sustainability and saving resources. One thing is certain: the manufacture of products by industry and commerce always uses up environmental resources such as land or raw materials, and it always produces emissions. And the response of businesses in Saxony-Anhalt is unanimous: measures integrated in production must be put in place to prevent or reduce harmful emissions. That's why the development and marketing of innovative, more environmentally friendly technology is a key aspect of their work. In Saxony-Anhalt, their ideas can fall on fertile ground: the region is committed to ecological and socially sustainable development and offers solutions that are simultaneously economically successful, socially justifiable, and make environmental sense. Institutes, associations, universities and companies are also forging ahead with innovations that focus on clean technologies and are changing the entire value chain for the long term. A comprehensive strategic paper geared toward the year 2030 sets out planned long-term measures for achieving the cross-sector Saxony-Anhalt Sustainability Targets. The Saxony-Anhalt Sustainability Strategy has been adapted in line with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. We have compiled further examples for you in a press kit. We're also happy to talk to you about this. We look forward to your feedback and questions. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1781653/IMG_Bioeconomy_Saxony_Anhalt.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1781654/IMG_Logo.jpg Contact: Sabine Kraus +49 391/568 9920 sabine.kraus@img-sachsen-anhalt.de Spin-out from the University of Edinburgh commercialising a decade of drug discovery research on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a pivotal enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism commercialising a decade of drug discovery research on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a pivotal enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism Kynos programmes are focused on three key areas: in critical illness post-surgery; in conditions driven by inflammation; and in cancers where inflammation is preventing the immune system from fighting back 9m financing made up of 6.5m equity financing led by Epidarex Capital, together with IP Group and Scottish Enterprise, alongside 2.5m Innovate UK grant funding for a Phase 1 clinical trial of lead KMO inhibitor Innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMO inhibitors exclusively licensed from the University of Edinburgh after a co-development programme with GSK after a co-development programme with GSK Company led by industry-experienced team with world-leading knowledge in KMO biology, Professor Damian Mole , CEO and Professor Scott Webster , CSO EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kynos Therapeutics Ltd (Kynos or the Company), an immune-metabolic company with world-leading expertise in the kynurenine pathway and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) biology, today emerges from stealth mode with 9 million to finance its lead KMO inhibitor (KMOi) programme through Phase 1 clinical trials and to progress its innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMOi across key indications in inflammation, immunity and metabolism. Kynos is a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh (UoE), based on over a decade of research into KMO biology and its inhibitors. Its technology and KMOis were co-developed during a multi-year collaborative programme between the UoE founders and GSK. The collaboration concluded in 2019 and data packages and all rights and intellectual property were transferred to the UoE. GSK is eligible for a royalty should a medicine be registered. The 6.5m Initial Venture Financing Round Was Led By Epidarex Capital, Joined By Ip Group And Scottish Enterprise. Kynos Has Also Been Awarded 2.5m Through An Innovate Uk Grant To Fund A First-time In Human Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of Its Lead Kmoi, Kns366. Kynos Has A Completed Ind-enabling Package And Is Preparing To Start A Single Ascending Dose Study With Biomarker Analysis. KMO plays a major role in the control of inflammation and metabolism, contributing to the regulation of the immune system. It is a mitochondrial enzyme that converts kynurenine into biologically active 3HK that damages cells. Blocking KMO reduces 3HK, protecting against tissue damage. Kynos's pipeline is focused on three key areas: in critical illness post-surgery; in conditions driven by inflammation; and in cancers where inflammation is preventing the immune system from fighting back. This financing will be used to build out its core team and to fund preclinical indication expansion studies as well as to initiate development of oral formulations of KMO inhibitors. These activities will run in parallel to the Innovate UK-funded Phase 1 clinical trial in humans. Kynos's core founding team are leading experts in KMO biology and medicinal chemistry with clinical, translational and drug discovery experience: CEO Damian J Mole (Professor of Surgery and MRC Senior Clinical Fellow, the University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research; and CSO Scott Webster (Professor of Medicines Discovery, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh). The industry engagement and launch of the spin-out company have been supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh's commercialisation service. Professor Damian Mole, CEO of Kynos Therapeutics, said: "Our goal is to improve health and make a positive impact for patients, by developing our programme in the therapeutic area of inflammation and immunometabolism. We are very excited by the potential of our first-in-class KMO inhibitors and we are ready to enter the clinic with our lead asset. "Our programmes are based on extensive industry collaborative research with a robust science base supported by multiple high impact publications. There are no approved or marketed medicines for our gateway indication, for which there is a significant unmet need." Following the Financing Dr Elizabeth Roper, Partner at Epidarex Capital, and Dr Tassos Konstantinou, Investment Manager, Life Sciences at IP Group plc, have joined Kynos's board of directors. Dr Elizabeth Roper, Partner at Epidarex Capital and Kynos Investor Director, said: "Kynos has a first-in-class set of KMO inhibitors that we believe have potential in multiple therapeutic areas. We look forward to working closely with the team and the syndicate to progress these assets into the clinic and to realise the potential of Kynos's world-class science." Dr Sam Williams, Managing Partner of Life Sciences at IP Group plc, said: "KMO is rapidly becoming a target of great interest in drug discovery. IP Group is excited to support Kynos as it seeks to become a leading player in the KMO field and develop inhibitors with the potential to transform patients' lives across multiple indications." Kerry Sharp, Director of Growth Investments at Scottish Enterprise said: "Scotland is globally renowned for its strengths in life sciences because of our innovative companies, incredible talent and world-class universities. Supporting companies in this sector, such as Kynos Therapeutics, to progress its ground-breaking medical research is a priority for Scottish Enterprise. Kynos is developing an innovative portfolio of first-in-class medicines and this funding will help deliver therapies for patients impacted by inflammatory conditions." About Kynos Therapeutics - www.kynostx.com Kynos Therapeutics is developing an innovative portfolio of first-in-class medicines where there is an unmet medical need for new therapies. It is a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh commercialising a decade of drug discovery research on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a pivotal enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. Its innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMO inhibitors across key indications in inflammation, immunity and metabolism, was originally co-developed through a collaboration between GSK and the University of Edinburgh and is now exclusively licensed to Kynos. Based in Edinburgh, UK, the company is financed by equity investment led by Epidarex Capital joined by IP Group plc and Scottish Enterprise, as well as a grant from Innovate UK. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter About IP Group plc - www.ipgroupplc.com IP Group develops world-changing science and technology businesses across life sciences, technology and cleantech. The Group has a strong track record of success, having been the founder investor in a number of high-profile companies including Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, and has one of the most exciting portfolios of high-growth businesses in Europe. The Group also owns Parkwalk, the UK's largest growth EIS fund manager which backs world-changing technologies emerging from the UK's leading universities and research institutions. IP Group is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the code IPO. About Epidarex Capital - www.epidarex.com Epidarex Capital is a transatlantic venture capital firm with a track record of building exceptional life science companies in emerging hubs in the US and UK. Epidarex' experienced team of early-stage investors partner with entrepreneurs and leading research institutions to transform world-class science into highly innovative products addressing major unmet needs in the global healthcare market. About Scottish Enterprise?- www.scottish-enterprise.com Scottish Enterprise?is Scotland's national economic development agency. We're committed to growing the Scottish economy for the benefit of all, helping create more quality jobs and a brighter future for every region. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn For further information please contact: At the Company Professor Damian Mole, CEO of Kynos Therapeutics E: media@kynostx.com Media enquiries (for Kynos Therapeutics) Sue Charles, Charles Consultants T: +44 (0)7968 726585 E:sue@charles-consultants.com Elanders will issue its Quarterly Report for the first quarter 2022 on Thursday April 21 at 07:30 CET, followed by a conference call at 08:30 CET, hosted by President and CEO Magnus Nilsson and CFO Andreas Wikner. We invite fund managers, analysts and the media to participate in the conference call. Please see below details to join the conference. To join this event, please use the below Click to Join link 5-10 minutes prior to start time, where you will be asked to enter your phone number and registration details. Our Event Conferencing system will call you on the phone number you provide and place you into the event. Please note that the Click To Join link will be active 15 minutes prior to the event. CLICK TO JOIN Use the Click to Join option above for the easiest way to join your conference or use one of the access numbers below: Sweden: +46 (0)8 5664 2754 Germany: +49 (0)69 22222 5195 UK: +44 (0)330 165 3641 USA: +1 646-828-8082 Participant Passcode: 351623 Agenda 08:20 Conference number is opened 08:30 Presentation of quarterly results 08:50 Q&A 09:30 End of the conference During the conference call a presentation will be held. To access the presentation, please use this link: https://www.elanders.com/presentations For further questions, please contact Magnus Nilsson, President and CEO, telephone: +46 31 750 07 50 Andreas Wikner, CFO, telephone: +46 31 750 07 50 Attachment VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Gold Mountain Mining Corp. ("Gold Mountain" or the "Company") (TSX:GMTN) (OTCQB:GMTNF) (FRA:5XFA) is pleased to announce it has intercepted additional mineralization at the Elk Gold project during its Phase lll drill campaign in the Siwash North Zone. Highlights: Drilling highlights include: 1.50 m grading 42.39 g/t Au including 0.30m of 207.00 g/t Au 2.31 m grading 18.90 g/t Au including 0.43m of 101.00 g/t Au 1.60 m grading 26.03 g/t Au including 1.09 m of 38.20 g/t Au 1.17 m grading 16.46 g/t Au including 0.30 m of 35.30 g/t Au 1.00 m grading 12.04 g/t Au including 0.30 m of 39.60 g/t Au Hole SND-066 intercepted 207 g/t along the Siwash North's 1400 vein, located below the Company's current mine operations. Intercepting these grades allows the Company to fill spatial data gaps and increase the geological confidence in veins directly adjacent to the current mining area. "After marching this resource passed a million ounces and making a new high-grade gold discovery in our Phase ll exploration program, we moved the drill back to the Siwash North zone for Phase lll to perform infill and step-out drilling along our high-grade mineralization," commented CEO and Director Kevin Smith. "Connecting with high-grade directly below our current mine plan gives us the opportunity to analyze bringing both the 1350 and 1400 vein into our mine plan sooner. While the mine is now into cash flow and ramping up to our proposed 19,000 oz production profile, management remains focused on continuing to scale our high-grade resource and our goal of building a multi-million-ounce gold producer." Phase lll Following the success of its Phase ll exploration program, Gold Mountain returned to the Siwash North Zone for Phase lll to perform infill and step-out drilling along its well-established mineralization targeting the veins surrounding its open pits. The Company's goals for Phase III are to add ounces to its resource, establish vein continuity in its open pits and further validate its geological model. The Company anticipates releasing an updated resource estimate that includes the Phase III results in the second half of 2022. High-Grade Intercepts In Phase lll's first batch of assays, Gold Mountain intercepted high-grade in the Siwash North Zone while targeting both the 1350 and 1400 veins. Intercepting ultra-high grade directly below the footwall of the 1300 vein, which is currently being mined, allows the Company to fill spatial data gaps and increase the geological confidence in veins adjacent to the current mining area. The Company's final drill holes of the campaign are targeting the Gold Creek Zone, with a goal of extending its vein model to the east and at depth. Once all assays are reported, Gold Mountain and HEG & Associates Exploration Services Inc. the Company's exploration management partner, will refine the Elk's geological model which will assist in delineating the updated resource estimate anticipated for the second half of 2022. Drill Results Below is a table of selected core drill results from Phase lll. A complete list of all drill results to date have been posted to the Company's website at www.Gold-Mountain.ca : Assay Results Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m)* Au (g/t) SND21-066 66.56 68.06 1.50 42.39 Including 67.17 67.47 0.30 207 SND21-068 276.46 278.77 2.31 18.9 Including 278.34 278.77 0.43 101 SND21-074 77.60 79.20 1.60 26.03 Including 78.11 79.20 1.09 38.20 SND21-053 25.70 26.87 1.17 16.46 Including 26.57 26.87 0.30 35.30 SND21-055 36.70 37.70 1.00 12.04 Including 37.40 37.70 0.30 39.60 SND21-056 37.72 39.52 1.80 7.90 Including 39.22 39.52 0.30 42.20 SND21-061 24.11 26.07 1.96 2.84 Including 24.11 24.64 0.53 7.82 *Assay intervals are presented as apparent thickness. True thickness will vary depending on the orientation of the drill hole but are typically 70-90% of the apparent thickness. Drill Collar Locations Drill collar locations, azimuths and dips for the drill holes included in this release are provided in the table below and have been posted to the Company's website for all drill holes: Drill Collar Locations Drill Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Depth (m) Dip SND21-053 693,387.9 5,525,501.8 1,614.8 51.5 359.8 -53 SND21-055 693,414.1 5,525,567.3 1,623.5 61 359.5 -70.1 SND21-056 693,414.1 5,525,567.3 1,623.5 58 320.1 -59.9 SND21-061 693,386.6 5,525,530.3 1,614.5 43 359.6 -60.1 SND21-066 693,488.4 5,525,590.3 1,639.7 86 189.6 -50.1 SND21-068 693,209.1 5,525,614.0 1,621.3 470.2 360 -60 SND21-074 693,354.1 5,525,416.0 1,621.3 120 330 -44 Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Measures and Analytical Procedures Gold Mountain adheres to a strict QA/QC monitoring program that includes the insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample stream, as well as the re-submission of select samples for check assays by an independent third-party laboratory. Core samples were analyzed by Actlabs in Kamloops BC using Fire Assay methods with a gravimetric finish for results over 10g/t gold. No material QA/QC issues were noted with the results received from the laboratory. Qualified Person The foregoing technical information was approved by Grant Carlson, P.Eng., a Qualified Person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and the Chief Operating Officer for the Company. About Gold Mountain Mining Gold Mountain is a British Columbia based gold and silver exploration and development company focused on resource expansion at the Elk Gold Project, a producing mine located 57 KM from Merritt in South Central British Columbia. Additional information is available at www.sedar.com or on the Company's new website at www.gold-mountain.ca . A complete copy of the OPA was filed on the Company's SEDAR profile on February 3, 2021. For further information, please contact: Gold Mountain Mining Corp. Phone: 778.262.0933 Email: IR@gold-mountain.ca Website: www.gold-mountain.ca Twitter: www.twitter.com/goldmtnmine_ Forward-Looking Statements This includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward- looking statements include statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release and are not purely historical including any information or statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future and often, but not always, use words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release include any impact to the mine plan from mining the 1350 and 1400 veins, any increase in ounces or the resource estimate resulting from the Phase III exploration, becoming a multi-million ounce producer, the planned meterage for the Phase III drilling and the timing for the release of an updated resource estimate at the Elk Gold Project. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; the price of gold; and the results of current exploration. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Gold Mountain disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For a comprehensive overview of all risks that may impact the Company, please see the Annual Information Form for the year ended January 31, 2021 a copy of which was filed on November 4, 20201 and is available on SEDAR. The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this News Release. SOURCE: Gold Mountain Mining Corp View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696474/Gold-Mountain-Intercepts-207-gt-at-the-Elk-Gold-Project Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (FSE: DTC) (OTC Pink: DTCFF) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a Canadian biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of novel vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted patent number US 11,291,717 ('717) covering its breakthrough vaccine platform technology for the treatment/prevention of a wide range of cancers and infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. This platform utilizes components of Defence's proprietary Accum technology attached to various tumor, viral, or bacterial antigens to enhance both humoral and cellular immunity, providing remarkable protection in challenge studies. The '717 patent provides broad protection for Defence's extremely versatile vaccine platform that can be incorporated into virtually any cell-based or protein subunit vaccine to enhance immunogenicity. Defence's '717 patent was allowed by the USPTO within an expedient three months without any substantive amendments, which is a strong testament to the novelty and inventiveness of the pioneering technology, as well as to the robust data supporting the utility and versatility of the vaccine platform. Included in the '717 patent are claims directed to immunogenic compositions of matter comprising Defence's first and subsequent generation Accum technologies, as well as methods directed to their production and use in vaccination and/or immunotherapy. "This US patent is not only another important milestone in protecting the commercial potential of Accum, but along with new patent families currently in the pipeline, demonstrates Defence's strong overall commitment to protecting the innovation and commercial potential of the entire product portfolio as well as to becoming a leader in vaccine development," said Sebastien Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics Inc. About Defence: Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the AccumTM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases. For further information: Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director P: (514) 947-2272 Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com www.defencetherapeutics.com Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119497 HARBIN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- When Dorshi got a phone call from his parents about their arrival, the 27-year-old Tibetan doctor was busy working in a hotel designated for COVID-19 quarantine in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. It was March 2, the eve of this year's Tibetan New Year. The family had decided to celebrate it in Harbin together after Dorshi had missed the occasion for two consecutive years. Hailing from the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in southwest China's Sichuan Province, he has worked in the Harbin Derge Tibetan Hospital since 2019, dedicated to Tibetan medicine, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage of China. However, COVID-19 cases resurged in late February in Harbin when Dorshi's parents were about to arrive. Dorshi volunteered to assist in the local anti-epidemic efforts, meaning that he could not physically stay with them even when in the same city. Dorshi's parents recognized him through the window outside the hotel, although he was clad in a hazmat suit and his face covered by a mask and a shield. They smiled and waved to their son with lunchboxes in their hands. The boxes contained his favorite food prepared by his mom. Dorshi waved back. Due to epidemic prevention measures, he could not go outside the hotel. He wanted to say something or write something on the window with his finger, but eventually, he did nothing. The parents and the son just looked at each other quietly. "I felt so sorry," recalled Dorshi. "I haven't seen my parents for nearly three years, but we didn't even talk during that brief 'reunion.'" The lunchboxes were brought inside by a hotel staffer and handed to Dorshi. After opening them, he was blown away by the familiar smell of home. He couldn't help taking photos of the dishes, including the Tibetan-flavor yogurt, mutton sausages, and Tibetan rice cakes. It marked the most special New Year's dinner he'd ever had. "I appreciate my parents so much for their support of my work," he said. After graduating from a Tibetan medical school in Sichuan, he decided to leave for Harbin. "There are numerous Tibetan hospitals in Sichuan. Why do you choose somewhere so far away from home?" Dorshi's mom used to complain about it. But the young man wanted to see a bigger world and use his specialty to heal more people. After his parents returned to Sichuan, Dorshi was still working in the hotel, getting up every day at 4 a.m. and collecting nucleic acid samples door-to-door. Four hours of sleep a day was normal for him and his colleagues. Doctors also had to take care of other issues, such as the mental health condition of people in quarantine. "Some of them suffered from hypertension and anxiety and needed our comfort," said Dorshi. Hard work pays off. He was deeply touched once by a handmade 'certificate of merit' after collecting a child's swab sample. "Thanks for your work, brother. This is a gift I reward you," said the child while handing him a piece of colorfully painted paper. "This kind of encouragement is my lasting motivation," said Dorshi. He added that he's been in love with Tibetan medicine since he was little. "Safeguarding people's health with Tibetan medicine is a way of self-fulfillment for me." LVIV, Ukraine, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned humanitarian Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE has been appointed to head Aerial Recovery United Kingdom, the newly established UK arm of the US non-profit Aerial Global Community. Aerial Recovery UK has been created to facilitate and simplify the process by which UK based individuals and organisations can aid the Aerial Recovery orphan rescue and support missions. Allesch-Taylor has been operating in Ukraine as a member of the leadership team of Aerial Recovery, working to coordinate the evacuation of orphanages in Ukraine, for several weeks. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has trapped thousands of vulnerable orphaned children, either behind, or in the path of Russian military advances and shelling, often in blockaded areas, in desperate situations with no access to food, medicine, water, or sanitation. UNICEF estimates that over 100,000 children live in orphanages or institutional homes in Ukraine.Russia's war in Ukraine has forced a million children to flee, but many children in institutional care remain trapped according to Save the Children. "These children are some of the most vulnerable in Ukraine and face a heightened risk of trafficking, abuse, and other forms of exploitation" said Irina Saghoyan, Eastern European Director of Save The Children in a statement last week. Since his appointment, Allesch-Taylor has supplied medical equipment, transport vehicles, drivers, administrative personnel, communications, and strategic counsel to support Aerial Recovery's forward rescue teams. Aerial Recovery has formal approval from the Ukrainian Military Administration and Child Services in Lviv Oblast, headed by Volodymyr Lys, to evacuate children from orphanages in especially dangerous locations. In the last few weeks Aerial Recovery, composed primarily of former US Special Forces veterans, has rescued over 600 children from dangerous and dire conditions in Eastern Ukraine and relocated them to safe areas in Western Ukraine. Another key element of Aerial's mission is to protect the children from human traffickers operating around the borders of Ukraine and the organisation works hand in hand with the Ukrainian Government to ensure the children are protected and, equally importantly, stay visible and accounted for. Aerial Recovery UK is inviting organisations and individuals in the UK who can offer assistance to get in touch via email: jana@aerialrecovery.org.uk Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE FKC FRSA A highly experienced and multi-award-winning philanthropist, Allesch-Taylor has led NGOs in challenging environments in Africa through which he has partnered, most notably, with the United Kingdom FCDO, USAid and UNICEF. He is a recognised expert in humanitarian interventions. Allesch-Taylor is an experienced financier and entrepreneur and is King's College London's Professor of the Practice of Entrepreneurship. In 2017 a charity he Chairs, Pump Aid was awarded 'Charity of the Year' (Aid & Development) at the UK Annual Charity Awards for its pioneering solution to alleviating water and food poverty in Malawi. He has worked extensively in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa, providing safe education, sustenance, and support to over 6,000 children between the ages of 2 and 6 to get them 'School Ready' through his NGO the Afri-Can Children's Charity. Media Contact: Zara Shirwan - zara@zscomms.com OSLO, Norway, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker Horizons ASA ("Aker Horizons") has today closed the transaction with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui") announced on 24 March 2022, resulting in the Japanese trading and investment group owning a 27.5 percent stake in Mainstream Renewable Power ("Mainstream"). On 24 March 2022, Mainstream Renewable Power, the global renewable energy company, announced that Mitsui agreed to invest EUR 575 million in Mainstream in the form of new common shares, corresponding to a 27.5 percent equity stake. Mitsui joins as a long-term strategic investor in Mainstream, alongside Aker Horizons, which owns 54.4 percent of Mainstream following the transaction. "We are excited to be off and running with this strategic partnership between Mitsui and Aker Horizons in Mainstream," said Kristian Rkke, Chief Executive Officer of Aker Horizons and Chairman of Mainstream. "We see Mainstream as an integral part of Aker Horizons' plans to develop green industrial hubs globally and this partnership as a way to leverage our respective companies' strengths to accelerate growth." Mitsui and Mainstream's portfolios are focused and complementary, with both companies having significant assets in operation or under development in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Mitsui will leverage its global business network across industries and its wide-ranging industrial capabilities, including global independent power producer (IPP) competence from 22 countries. Mitsui is one of the leading Japanese general trading and investment firms, with approximately 45,000 employees in 63 countries. Mitsui's business activities span across mineral and metal resources, iron and steel, infrastructure, chemicals and energy. Mitsui's global presence, deep experience in the power sector and global strategic alliances, coupled with Aker Horizons' industrial capabilities, will have significant strategic implications for Mainstream's transformation into a renewable energy major, including: Accelerating Mainstream's geographic expansion into high-growth markets Broadening its routes to market, particularly in the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) sector Accelerating the increase in its construction and operations capacity across multi-gigawatt platforms Augmenting its energy solutions capabilities including battery storage and power trading Spurring its growth in green ammonia and green hydrogen production, thereby rapidly advancing its Power to X offering This transaction values Mainstream at approximately EUR 2.1 billion on a 100 percent basis. ENDS For further information, please contact: Christian Yggeseth, Investor Relations, Tel: +47 915 10 000, christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com Ivar Simensen, Communications, Tel: +47 464 02 317, ivar.simensen@akerhorizons.com IMPORTANT INFORMATION This announcement is for information purposes only and does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement to any person in any jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aims", "expect", "anticipate", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although Aker Horizons believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Aker Horizons and its affiliates expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date and are subject to change without notice. This information is subject to section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/aker-horizons/r/aker-horizons-closes-transaction-with-mitsui-as-strategic-partner-and-investor-in-mainstream-renewab,c3541843 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BARCELONA, Spain, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Openbravo, announced Matthijs Kneppers has joined the company as its new Chief Product Officer, effective April 1, 2022. In his new role at Openbravo, Matthijs will oversee the company's overall vision, strategy and development of its unified commerce platform for retail and restaurant chains. Matthijs brings to Openbravo more than 20 years of experience in a variety of product and technology-centric roles that have provided him with a strong background in different retail focused system architectures and technologies. Prior to joining Openbravo, Matthijs was Director Software Product Management at Diebold Nixdorf, where among other responsibilities he was in charge of Diebold Nixdorf's global retail cloud platform and the retail API platform, as a foundation for all next-generation retail software solutions of the company, managing and developing a team of highly skilled product managers and business analysts in multiple countries. In the words of Marco de Vries, CEO of Openbravo said: "I am fully convinced that Matthijs will play a key role to further strengthen and to accelerate the development of our product vision. The fact that highly skilled professionals like Matthijs, with a proven track record in globally leading software providers for retail, decide to join us, is a clear demonstration of the growing market recognition towards Openbravo." "From the moment I met the Openbravo team and was able to learn firsthand about its strategy, I saw clearly that it is a company with a strong vision and ambition to be a global reference in the retail software space. I immediately experienced a great fit with its impressive team of highly skilled professionals to which my experience can bring great value, and I did not hesitate to accept this new challenge. I look forward to helping position Openbravo as one of the world's leading retail software solution vendors," said Matthijs Kneppers. About Openbravo Openbravo is the software platform of choice for brands and retailers looking to accelerate their unified commerce strategy and increase the agility of their operations. It is a fully modular platform that integrates the online and offline channels and provides intelligent order management, a single, real-time view of customers and inventory, and a complete store solution to deliver more personalized and convenient experiences. It is an all-in-one cloud-based solution. International clients such as BUT, Decathlon, Norauto, Sharaf DG, Toys 'R' Us Iberia and Zodio prefer Openbravo, which is today used by more than 10,000 back office users and in more than 40,000 points of sale in more than 50 countries. To learn more, visit openbravo.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Xavier Places, Marketing Director, +34 607 676 568, xavier.places@openbravo.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782069/Openbravo_image.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/703504/Openbravo_Logo.jpg Dev3lop Offers Tailored Advanced Analytics Consulting Services Designed to Support Any Analytics Environment AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Dev3lop, a tech startup based in Austin, Texas, is pleased to announce the launch of their advanced analytics consulting services. To learn more about the new analytics services, please visit https://dev3lop.com/advanced-analytics-consulting-services/. As a company spokesperson noted, the new services are customized value-added solutions to help decision makers at small-medium size businesses, large enterprises, government agencies and e-commerce platforms. "At Dev3lop, we understand that as data sizes continue to grow, so can a business owner's ability to gain insights from the data," the spokesperson said, adding that if data is broken apart across a number of teams and silos, it can be especially challenging to make sound analytics-based decisions about the direction of the business. This knowledge inspired the team at Dev3lop to create and launch the new analytics consulting services, which includes data warehousing, data visualization and data architecture, all custom designed and tailored for each client's specific needs. Dev3lop's new service also includes both server and serverless analytics data engineering across both spaces including SQL, nodejs, python and many others. "Also, business owners who work with us will never have to worry about becoming 'just a number'. We are proud of our partner lead 'all hands-on deck' approach to working with our clients, rather than shuffling them around between associates," the spokesperson said. While Dev3lop may not yet be a large industry player, the spokesperson noted that they offer enterprise level consultants who are fully knowledgeable about how to build, document and develop analytics solutions, including data modeling and adoption. "At Dev3lop, we ask the right questions to better understand our client's needs. We listen, we understand, and we make it work.," the spokesperson noted. About Dev3lop Dev3lop.com is a grassroots tech startup based out of Austin, Texas. They offer tailored consulting solutions to their customers across an array of services, with a major focus on data analytics and tableau consulting service engagements. They have also launched a new task scheduler software called Canopys, as well as a new advanced analytics consulting service. For more information, please visit the Dev3lop.com LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/dev3lop/ or visit the company website at https://dev3lop.com. Media Contact Tyler Garrett tyler@dev3lop.com 214-971-9869 SOURCE: Dev3lop View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696493/Advanced-Analytics-Consulting-Services-are-Now-Available-from-Dev3lop HONG KONG, Apr 7, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - On 31 March 2022, Legend Capital's portfolio company Jiangsu Recbio Technology Co., Ltd. ("Recbio", stock code: 2179.HK), a leading novel vaccines company, went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The listing makes Recbio "the first HPV vaccine stock in Hong Kong" and "the first novel adjuvant vaccine stock in Hong Kong". Recbio is expected to inject new vitality into the capital market in Hong Kong.Recbio is a novel vaccine company driven by independent novel adjuvant technology. It has built a comprehensive and high-valued vaccine portfolio consisting of 12 candidates, covering cervical cancer, COVID-19, adult tuberculosis, shingles, HFMD, influenza, etc. Recbio is primarily focused on the R&D of HPV vaccine candidates. Its core product REC603, a recombinant HPV 9-valent vaccine, is currently under phase III clinical trial, and is expected to become the first approved domestic HPV 9-valent vaccine in China. In addition, Recbio has also begun to deploy in the mRNA vaccine field and is currently developing the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.Recbio has constructed the three core technology platforms consisting of independent novel adjuvants, protein engineering and immunological evaluation. It is one of the few companies capable of independent development of novel adjuvants and the novel adjuvants it developed have been successfully applied in various innovative vaccines such as COVID-19 vaccines, HPV vaccines and shingles vaccines.Legend Capital led Recbio's Series B financing in 2020, through a coordinated investment of the comprehensive growth fund and the healthcare fund and re-upped on its Series C financing in 2021, marking Recbio another successful case towards Legend Capital's multi-fund coordinated investment. As the major institutional investor to Recbio, Legend Capital provides Recbio with multi-faceted support involving corporate governance, business strategy, technical route, R&D resources, management improvement and financial support.Dr. Liu Yong, the Founder, Chairman of the Board, and General Manager of Recbi, said, "We are much appreciated Legend Capital's long-term and firm support to Recbio. As the institutional investor with the largest shareholding in the company, Legend Capital's investment philosophy of 'Business First, People Crucial' is highly compatible with our corporate culture. Legend Capital has always supported our management team in major decision-making and continued to assist in the development, becoming one of the most trusted and respected investors of Recbio. The listing is just a new chapter of Recbio, and the management team hopes to work closely with all the investors represented by Legend Capital to write a new legend!"Hank Zhou, the Co-Chief Investment Officer of Legend Capital, said: "Congratulations to Recbio and its team led by founder Dr. Liu Yong. Liu has been engaged in vaccine research and development for over two decades, with high academic status and extensive experience in the industry. Liu's team has been deeply involved in the field of vaccine research and development for many years. Its vaccine portfolio strategically aimed at major disease and the team is actively deploying large-scale production. We admire Liu's great enthusiasm for the vaccine industry and his strong sense of responsibility and commitment. Recbio is now the leading vaccine company in China. After the successful listing, we believe that Recbio will continue to make breakthroughs in its core field of new adjuvant and vaccines to benefit more patients."Frank Hong, the Managing Director of Legend Capital, said: "After the outbreak of the pandemic, the vaccine industry has stepped into a high-speed development stage after years of accumulation on technology and talent pool. Recbio is one of the few vaccine companies with high-quality technology platforms, which can continuously produce high-quality vaccine products to meet unmet clinical needs. We are optimistic about Recbio's future of its core pipelines, including the HPV vaccine, recombinant shingles vaccine REC610 and COVID-19 vaccine. Advanced with its disruptive technology in the field of recombinant protein vaccines, Recbio is expected to be a company with strong competitiveness in the global market."Legend Capital has long paid close attention to investments in the field of life sciences. In addition to Recbio, there are other portfolio companies listed on A shares or H shares, including Pharmaron Inc. (300759.SZ; 03759.HK), KingMed Diagnostics (603882.SH), WuXi AppTec(603259.SH; 02359.HK), WuXi Biologics (02269.HK), Innovent Biologics (01801.HK), Berry Genomics (000710.SZ), Harbour BioMed (02142.HK), New Horizon Health (06606.HK), Chemclin Diagnostics (688468.SH), etc.Source: Legend CapitalCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. ROME, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forums, workshops, exhibitions, and shows have characterized the participation of Luiss University in the Italian Pavilion at Expo Dubai, one of the most visited in the entire exhibition. In six months, 1.6 million visitors were welcomed in the Italian Pavilion, which received the "Best innovation that achieves sustainability award" at the UAE Innovates awards. Two technological applications with a highly immersive approach were included in the exhibition, with a program developed in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo. Luiss and Intesa Sanpaolo were the protagonists of the Italian Pavilion with two projects: "Leading an Orchestra" and "Hologram Talks." The first, "Leading an Orchestra," offered visitors the opportunity to conduct the famous Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale of Santa Cecilia in Rome in renowned musical pieces that made history. "Hologram Talks," on the other hand, allowed visitors to listen to speakers and lecturers from the University in the Italian Pavilion to stimulate the visitors' curiosity. The holographic projection showed life-size holograms of professors and students who described the University's educational offer, making it possible to experience an innovative and high-impact show. Paola Severino, Vice-President, Luiss "Guido Carli" University, said that the participation of Luiss in the Expo Dubai was coherent with its values: "The Luiss' distinctive factor is to stimulate cultural reflections that take into account our tradition and at the same time consider the future. These are the two elements that we have tried to put together in the project that we presented in Dubai." Andrea Prencipe, Rector, Luiss "Guido Carli" University, explained the choice of a musical challenge to involve the visitors of the Italian Pavilion: "The metaphor works well because leading an orchestra also means leading a company, leading an organisation, leading a firm. And this does reflect the way we think about leadership as an experience. As we know, the payoff of the Italian Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai is 'beauty connects people.'" Giovanni Lo Storto, General Director, Luiss "Guido Carli" University explained in a message to students how important Luiss' presence in this global event was: "The Expo 2020 universal exhibition was an opportunity to witness how and in what direction the nations of the world are looking to the future. In Dubai, all the countries showed their ideas for the future, which is coming faster than we imagine, and the only way to face it is to have the right instruments." For more information: LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it +39 02 26305578 M +39 333 3905243 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/701acfcf-5a7a-4256-9a60-551e43f82573 The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress. OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning against potentially contaminated raw oysters harvested in Canada that are linked to a norovirus outbreak. As of April 6, at least 103 norovirus illnesses have been reported from 13 states. In a statement, the agency urged restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell these raw oysters harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, with harvest starting as early as January 31, 2022. The tainted oysters were distributed in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington states. Additional states also could have received these oysters through further distribution within the U.S. In its update about the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC noted that oysters and other filter-feeding shellfish, if eaten raw, can contain viruses and bacteria that can cause illness or death, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal. Oysters are required to cook well to a temperature of at least 145 degrees F to avoid food poisoning. Norovirus is a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States. The CDC noted that each year, there are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks in the country, most common from November to April. The most common symptoms of norovirus are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body ache. In order to make sure the affected products are removed from the food supply, the FDA and the states conducted a trace forward investigation to determine where the raw oysters were distributed. Restaurants and retailers are urged to dispose of any products by throwing them in the garbage or returning to their distributor for destruction, and also to be concerned about cross contamination. The FDA said it is working with CDC, federal, state, and local officials, and with Canadian public health authorities regarding the norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. READING, England, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In-line with the strategic direction of its parent company, ECA Services Ltd today announced it is aligning itself as the UK division of newly branded entity HIPER Global (TASE: HIPR), an OEM-focussed solution provider, joining 4 other companies from across the HIPER Global Group. HIPER Global Ltd, the parent company, began trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchanged effective March 9, 2022, and has undergone a rebranding. HIPER Global enable leading technology leaders to develop software-based IP to transform a concept into a full commercial product, accelerating time-to-market, improving competitive advantage, and delivering a holistic view to global excellence through technology. This transition will see ECA Services undergo a legal name change and rebranding into HIPER Global UK Ltd, taking effect from April 1, 2022. Derived from the term "high performance," the logo, strapline, and branding reflect on one hand, the solid reputation ECA has built over the last 18 years, and on the other, the creative technological solutions of a growing, dynamic, and forward-thinking organisation. Paul Fiander, HIPER Global UK CEO, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to have grown ECA into a truly value-driven engine for the OEM industry, and I know all of my team are incredibly excited to be taking this next step as part of the HIPER Global team, strengthening our capabilities and scope within the OEM space!" Shahaf Shrager, HIPER Global CEO, added: "Trading on the stock exchange is a significant milestone in the company's development. In recent years, we have evolved into a global organisation by bringing similar companies into the fold from across the UK and US. It will allow us to continue the company's growth and enable our customers to get closer to their target markets and maximise their competitiveness - a key power in the global arena." About HIPER Global With manufacturing facilities in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, HIPER Global offers the benefits of local production, supply chain support, and logistical operations on a global level. Formerly part of the EMET Group; HIPER Global is a publicly traded company in the TASE and has top-level partnerships with world-leading hardware manufacturers including Advantech, Matrox, and Dell Technologies. Find out more at www.hiper-global.co.uk. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782489/HIPER_Global_Logo.jpg Contact: Christopher Betton Marketing Manager +44 (0)118 929 4990 christopher.betton@hiper-global.com Extension of previous funding round brings total raised to 7 million GBP (circa $9.2 million USD) Investment from Calculus Capital, Par Equity, and Scottish Enterprise Funding will support continued development of Axol's human iPS cell lines and reagents, and expansion of its commercial team Axol Bioscience Ltd. (Axol), an established provider of iPSC-derived cells, media, and characterization services for life science discovery, today announced that it has raised 3.2 million GBP (circa $4.2 million USD) in the extension of its previous funding round, bringing the total raised to 7 million GBP (circa $9.2 million USD). The round was led by existing investors Calculus Capital, Par Equity and Scottish Enterprise, with support from Meltwind, including early investor Dr Jonathan Milner. The funds will be used to bring new human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) products and service solutions for cardiac, neuroscience, and immune cell modeling to the drug discovery and screening markets, including Axol's recently developed comprehensive in vitro proarrhythmia assay (CiPA)-validated human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Funding will enable Axol to further optimize cell culture quality and iPSC manufacturing capabilities at its Edinburgh, UK, site based at the Roslin Institute, as well as support recruitment efforts to expand its commercial team. It will also facilitate the continued development of the Company's digital platform. Liam Taylor, CEO, Axol Bioscience, commented: "At Axol, we're setting a new standard in iPSC quality and manufacture. This investment enables us to continue to build and apply our quality-driven mindset to develop robust, reliable, ready-to-use iPSCs for pre-clinical R&D and drug development, as well as to focus on the expansion of our commercial team." Dr Thomas Stratford, Interim Chairman, Axol Bioscience, added: "We are delighted to have secured additional funding from our existing investors in this oversubscribed round. This reflects both the potential of Axol's iPSC technology and products, and the unrivalled expertise of our team. This investment reinforces our ongoing mission to develop the high-quality, validated human cell biology tools needed to drive innovation in medical research and drug discovery. Dr Jonathan Milner, Investor and CEO, Meltwind, said: "Axol is well positioned in the global iPSC market to support advances in drug screening and discovery. We look forward to the Company's future iPSC product developments, poised to provide more physiologically relevant and consistent human disease models and screening assays to, ultimately, progress next-generation therapies for neuroscience and cardiac diseases to the clinic, faster." For further information about Axol, please visit: www.axolbio.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005448/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Zyme Communications Dr Michelle Ricketts Tel: +44 (0) 7789 053 885 E-mail: michelle.ricketts@zymecommunications.com South Africa: South Africa on the cusp of green hydrogen boom South Africa has a tremendous opportunity to take the global lead in hydrogen and fuel cell production. This is according to Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, who was speaking at the Platinum Group Metals Industry Day held at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park on Wednesday. The new global dispensation of green energy offers South Africa a rare and tremendous opportunity to become a global leader in the production of hydrogen, as well as fuel cells. This is primarily because South Africa holds nearly 80% of the worlds platinum reserves. It is the leading global supplier of primary mined PGMs (Platinum Group Metals), accounting for approximately 80% and 40% of the worlds platinum and palladium supplies, respectively, he said. Mantashe said the worlds move towards cleaner energy sources will boost demand for platinum metals. Undoubtedly, the future PGMs demand will largely be driven more by the implementation of tighter emissions legislations, which will boost platinum use in autocatalytic converters in the short to medium term. In this context, the PGMs commodities are poised to make a significant contribution to domestic and global economies. They provide our country with a comparative advantage, thereby enabling South Africa to benefit in the trade of these commodities, he said. According to Mantashe, government is planning to establish a platinum valley project and has already embarked on a hydrogen valley feasibility study to take full advantage of the opportunity. [The] demand for platinum in hydrogen-fuelled cell powered vehicles is expected to increase. Government has announced plans to establish a Platinum Valley project that will be built as a new industrial cluster for South Africa. We must support the conversion of truck diesel engines into hydrogen powered vehiclesthis will enhance demand not only for PGMs but also the technologies to be championed. South Africas hydrogen valley will identify stable and established project opportunities for kick-starting hydrogen initiatives in promising hubs, with the aim of boosting economic growth and job creation. This in turn is set to spur the development of circular industries, increasing local platinum demand, and reducing its carbon footprint, Mantashe said. The Minister said the industrial corridor project is expected to start in Limpopo and continue through the Johannesburg-to-Durban corridor. These initiatives are poised to be trend setters in the application of PGMs as green source of energy. This requires bold leadership on our part as government and as the private sector, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-04-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China-Mongolia land port sees robust growth in freight exports Xinhua) 10:01, April 07, 2022 HOHHOT, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The land port of Erenhot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region saw its freight transport export volume increase 41.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, local authorities have said. In the first three months, 642,000 tonnes of freight were exported via the port, according to the Erenhot station under the China Railway Hohhot Group Co., Ltd. During the period, the port logged 734 China-Europe freight trains, up 25.7 percent year on year, said Yun Zhijun, director of the Erenhot station's dispatch desk. Currently, 57 China-Europe freight train routes pass through Erenhot Port, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China has seen multi-dimensional progress in public sanitation work over the past 70 years, including improvements to the environment, epidemic control and public health standards, a national health official said on Thursday. Statistics show that over 60 percent of cities above the prefecture level across the country have met national hygiene standards, said National Health Commission official Mao Qun'an at a press conference. China has effectively controlled acute infectious diseases such as the plague and cholera, as well as a variety of other epidemics over the past seven decades, Mao said. With the country's improved public health standards, the Chinese people's average life expectancy has climbed to 77.3 years, Mao said. China's public sanitation achievements are of particular note on April 7, which marks World Health Day. The GTCC Power Plant in Chonburi TOKYO, Apr 7, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has commenced operation of a third M701JAC gas turbine unit that is part of a project to build two natural gas-fired power plants in Thailand. Inaugurated on March 31, this is the third of eight units ordered on a full-turnkey basis as part of a joint venture between Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, one of Thailand's largest independent power producers (IPP), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. The first unit, which was also the first M701JAC in Southeast Asia, started commercial operation at the end of March 2021. The first and second units have been in commercial operation for one year and half a year respectively, both of which boast high operating rates.This M701JAC joins the global fleet of J-Series and JAC-Series gas turbines that have amassed over 1.6 million operating hours; with 83 units ordered across the globe. When completed, the eight units in the project will form a gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power system with a total output of 5,300 megawatts (MW). A 25-year long-term service agreement (LTSA) for these units is also in effect. Mitsubishi Power is providing reliable support for the customer's operation and maintenance of the three units through remote monitoring of operations with TOMONI - Mitsubishi Power's suite of intelligent solutions that includes an analytical platform which helps optimize power plant operations. The construction of the remaining five units have commenced and will be completed in 2024 when the final unit starts commercial operations.Koji Nishikawa, President and Managing Director of Mitsubishi Power (Thailand) Ltd., commented on the milestone, "We've successfully completed three, and look forward to delivering the remaining five units of our highly efficient and reliable world-class gas turbines. As we work toward dutifully providing more reliable, stable and clean energy to support sustainable economic development in Thailand, we will also provide reliable operations and maintenance support, leveraging advanced analytics to ensure smooth operations and optimization of the completed units."The two ultra-large-scale power plants are under construction in Chonburi and Rayong Provinces, approximately 130 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Each plant will have an output of 2,650MW and use natural gas as its primary fuel source, along with four power trains each incorporating a gas turbine, steam turbine, heat recovery steam generator and generator.Mitsubishi Power will manufacture and supply the gas and steam turbines as well as ancillary equipment, while Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will provide the generators. The power generated will be sold to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to provide the country with a reliable and highly efficient source of clean energy.The newly inaugurated M701JAC is a core component of the power plant in Chonburi Province, which is operated by Gulf SRC Company Limited.Mitsubishi Power is committed towards helping build a more sustainable energy future in Thailand and will continue to exploring ways to encourage the adoption of its J-Series gas turbines, such as this project that will lay the foundation for new, cleaner power plants in Chonburi and Rayong.About MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, logistics & infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks edged higher on Thursday, even as a cautious undertone prevailed following hawkish Federal Reserve minutes and Washington's new sanctions against Russia. After digesting more details about the Federal Reserve's plan to shrink its massive $9 trillion balance sheet, investors now await the European Central Bank's minutes due later in the day for further direction. The minutes from the ECB's March meeting could shed light on how the central bank is to switch to a tightening regime. The benchmark CAC 40 edged up 0.2 percent to 6,509 after plunging 2.2 percent on Wednesday. Sanofi rose about 1 percent. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the French drug maker announced that the European Commission has expanded the marketing authorization for Dupixent (dupilumab) in the European Union. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. STOCKHOLM, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zinzino is very proud to announce the launch of its business in Singapore on April 7, 2022 as a strategic next step in the company's global expansion plan. After several years of preparing the launch of the Singapore market and having carried out multiple country establishment processes in recent years, Zinzino has learned the importance of ensuring thorough preparatory work and adapting to the local conditions in each market. Profitable growth is an important business strategy for the global, direct selling company within test-based, scientifically proven nutrition. During 2021 the company sales target was exceeded showing excellent sales growth and a strong 10% EBITA performance. Overall sales grew with 20% to 1.137 billion SEK. This is an optimal time for Zinzino to enter the dynamic and expanding Singapore market, says Kenneth Koh , Zinzino Sales Director. Zinzino's robust and proven business model with a marketing strategy that targets customers with personalized messages, individual consultation and tailored products is going to send our Singapore Partners well on their way to sustainable success. In Singapore, direct sales is a young, but fast growing trend?as more and more businesses are experiencing first-hand the consequences of the tectonic shift in technology, media and consumer behavior. Conventional marketing is rapidly losing ground as today's consumers expect a familiar face and a dialogue when making their choices. A personalized shopping experience that direct sales distributors have provided for centuries. The Singapore Department of Statistics showed an average monthly household expenditure ofS$4,906 during the pandemic period and the Direct Sales Association (DSA), disclosed direct selling revenues in Singapore at US$990 (March 2020). This is a strategic launch for the e-commerce based health tech company. Zinzino has high growth ambitions and is expecting to reach 1 million customers by the year 2025 and 20 million by 2035. ?With the launch in Singapore, Zinzino will be operating on more than 100 markets while keeping its focus on further global expansion. CONTACT: For more information: Dag Bergheim Pettersen CEO Zinzino +47 (0) 932 25 700, zinzino.com Pictures for publication free of charge: marketing@zinzino.com Certified Adviser: Erik Penser Bank Aktiebolag, +46 (0) 8 463 83 00, email: certifiedadviser@penser.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/zinzino/r/zinzino-announces-the-launch-of-singapore-as-next-step-in-their-global-expansion,c3541895 The following files are available for download: Community Leaders Gathered To Celebrate Arkansas's Only Licensed Auto Manufacturer OSCEOLA, AR / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (OTCQX:EVTV), a provider of new zero-emission, purpose-built electric vehicles (the "Company"), announced that it is holding an event today, April 7, 2022, in Osceola to celebrate the first electric vehicles to undergo final assembly at its new U.S.-based manufacturing facility. Representatives of the Company will be joining community and business leaders from across the state and region to commemorate this milestone as Arkansas's only auto manufacturing facility. Phillip Oldridge, Chief Executive Officer of Envirotech Vehicles, commented, "As the only auto manufacturer in the state, we are honored to be leaders in the future of Arkansas's transportation industry. Today's event is a great reminder that, as our Company continues to progress through this new journey, we are thankful for all of the support we have received from community and business leaders across the state who believe in our expertise and mission. Our facility will not only do great things for our Company but also the local economy in Mississippi County and surrounding areas as we provide more jobs and more revenue generation for the state." "Envirotech Vehicles is an incredible addition to our city's workforce," said Sally Wilson, Mayor of Osceola. "Companies that are willing to go the extra mile to be leaders in their respective industries are exactly what Osceola needs as our city continues to grow and look for ways to bolster its employment offerings and liveability." Clif Chitwood, President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation commented, "We're glad to officially be welcoming Envirotech Vehicles to Mississippi County. As we continue to diversify and fuel our workforce, we are thrilled that Envirotech Vehicles chose our county for their new U.S.-based manufacturing facility." During the event, the Company will announce final assembly of 58 vehicles and 10 right-hand drive vehicles, marking the first final assembly taking place at its new headquarters in Arkansas. Vehicles commemorated at the event will be delivered to customers all across the country, from New Jersey to Utah. For photos, video and more information, please visit bit.ly/EVTVPressKit22. About Envirotech Vehicles Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. is a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership and helping fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology. We serve commercial and last-mile fleets, school districts, public and private transportation service companies and colleges and universities to meet the increasing demand for heavy-duty electric vehicles. Our vehicles address the challenges of traditional fuel price cost instability and local, state and federal environmental regulatory compliance. For more information visit www.EVTVUSA.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in this press release that relate to future plans, events, financial results, prospects or performance are forward-looking statements. While they are based on the current expectations and beliefs of management, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this press release, including the risks and uncertainties disclosed in reports filed by Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available online at www.sec.gov. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including statements containing the words "planned," "expected," "believes," "strategy," "opportunity," "anticipated," "outlook," "designed," and similar words. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Envirotech Vehicles undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, changed circumstances or unanticipated events. Contact Information Investor Relations Contacts: IMS Investor Relations John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau Telephone: (203) 972-9200 Email: jnesbett@imsinvestorrelations.com Arkansas Press Inquiries Kristen Nicholson, APR Telephone: (501) 350-3658 Email: knicholson@mhpteamsi.com Envirotech Vehicles Susan Emry, Executive Vice President Telephone: (951) 407-9860 ext. 1207 Email: sue.e@evtvusa.com.com SOURCE: Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696235/Envirotech-Vehicles-Celebrates-Final-Assembly-at-New-US-Based-Manufacturing-Facility-in-Osceola-Arkansas SURREY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSXV:GUG)(OTC PINK:ASWRF) ("Gungnir" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has added the Hemberget Property to its package of polymetallic projects in northern Sweden. The 29.4 sq. km property was acquired by staking in order to evaluate potential for intrusion hosted copper-nickel and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization. Please see accompanying maps ( see Figures 1-3 ). "The Hemberget area has been on our radar for a few years now after we made new copper-nickel and VMS discoveries on our Knaften project, which was previously regarded as a gold-only area," commented Jari Paakki, CEO of Gungnir. "The striking feature on the newly acquired Hemberget permit is an impressive, 11-km long magnetic anomaly which maps out a gabbro-ultramafic intrusion similar to much smaller bodies on the Knaften project that we now know are copper-nickel mineralized. In addition to potential copper-nickel mineralization, the property covers some text-book VMS geology which adds further potential at Hemberget." Location, Geology and 2022 Work Plans: Hemberget is located approximately 6 km north of Gungnir's Knaften project in the Vasterbotten region of northern Sweden hosting the prolific Skellefte VMS-gold belt, "Gold Line" and "Nickel Line". Hemberget is situated with the broader Gold Line along with Knaften and the Company's two nickel deposit, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget which collectively containing 177 million pounds of nickel (see below), are located along the Nickel Line to the east. The property covers the northern part of the Knaften greenstone belt, covering a thick package of dacite and rhyolite volcanics, including fragmentals, along side mafic pillow lavas, straddling the large magnetic anomaly which corresponds to the "Hemberget" gabbro-ultramafic intrusion. Please refer to accompanying Figures 1-3 for maps and references. The Company plans detailed compilation work as well as initial prospecting and mapping at Hemberget. Based on information on hand, including the SGU (Swedish Geological Survey) website, the property has seen minimal exploration. The bulk of the Company's 2022 exploration program will be devoted to drilling nickel projects as well as our new, large gold target at Knaften (see news release March 1, 2022). Stock Options: The Company has also granted, in compliance with the Company's stock option plan, 2,539,778 incentive stock options to purchase common shares of the Company at $0.14 per share for five (5) years to the directors and a consultant of the Company. Nickel Resources: Gungnir's nickel sulphide resources in Sweden include Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget. In 2020, the Company updated both resources which collectively total 177 million pounds of nickel. The properties are accessible year-round with good transportation and industrial infrastructure including shipping facilities and are located about an hour drive from Boliden's mill complex. Lappvattnet: Inferred Resource of 780,000 tonnes grading 1.35% nickel for 23.1 million lbs (10.5 million kg) of nickel. Rormyrberget: Inferred Resource of 36,800,000 tonnes grading 0.19% nickel for 154 million lbs (70 million kg) of nickel. The NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled "TECHNICAL REPORT on the LAPPVATTNET and RORMYRBERGET DEPOSITS, NORTHERN SWEDEN" was prepared by Reddick Consulting Inc. Qualified Persons are John Reddick, M.Sc., P.Geo., and Thomas Lindholm, M.Sc., Fellow AusIMM. The Effective Date is November 17, 2020. The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Jari Paakki, P.Geo., CEO, and a director of the Company. Mr. Paakki is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. About Gungnir Resources Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V, ASWRF: OTCPK) with gold and base metal projects in northern Sweden. Gungnir's assets include two nickel-copper-cobalt deposits, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget, both with updated nickel resources, and the Knaften project which hosts a developing intrusion-hosted gold system, and VMS (zinc-copper) and copper-nickel targets, all of which are open for expansion and further discovery. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com. On behalf of the Board, Jari Paakki, CEO and Director For further information contact: Head Office/Investor Relations Phone: +1-604-683-0484 Jari Paakki, CEO Email: jpaakki@eastlink.ca Chris Robbins, CFO Email: robbinscr@shaw.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (also known as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or industry results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "feel", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "subject to", "will", "would", and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Some of the specific forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: expectations that compilation work and prospecting will lead to discovery of copper-nickel and/or VMS mineralization or drill targets; and Gungnir's plan for development of its properties and the timing thereof. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by Gungnir, including, without limitation: access to the resources will remain available year-round; transportation and infrastructure will remain available as anticipated; the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian and global economy and Gungnir's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect Gungnir's business; there will be a demand for Gungnir's services and products in the future; Gungnir will be able to operate its business as planned; Gungnir will be able to access capital markets on and successfully complete financings on terms it determines to be reasonable; and Gungnir's plans for future exploration and development of its properties is reasonable and will be possible within the anticipated timelines. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Gungnir believes to be reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: no certainty that any economically viable mineral deposit will be located on Gungnir's properties; that Gungnir may not be able to complete its planned drilling as anticipated; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; the impacts of war and/or other international conflicts; ability to access capital markets and complete successful financings on terms Gungnir determines to be reasonable; environmental matters; changes in legislation or regulations; receipt of required licenses, permits and approvals; and resource estimates may not be accurate and may differ significantly from actual mineral resources. Management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information contained herein are based upon reasonable assumptions and information currently available; however, management can give no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Gungnir. The forward-looking information is stated as of the date of this news release and Gungnir assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. SOURCE: Gungnir Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696448/Gungnir-Adds-to-its-Swedish-Property-Portfolio-Includes-11-km-Long-Gabbro-Ultramafic-Intrusion Acquisition reflects ABM's ELEVATE strategy by expanding in attractive geographies and broadening exposure to fast growing markets NEW YORK, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABM (NYSE: ABM), a leading provider of integrated facility services and solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Momentum Support ("Momentum"), headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, in an all cash transaction. Momentum is a leading independent provider of facility services, primarily janitorial, across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Momentum generated annual revenue of approximately $70 million in 2021 and has a workforce of 2,300. This acquisition is reflective of ABM's ELEVATE strategy to grow via strategic acquisitions which expand the Company's footprint in attractive geographies and end-markets. The addition of Momentum gives ABM access to Momentum's blue-chip customer base and provides the opportunity to cross sell ABM services to existing ABM clients who also have a footprint in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Further, by acquiring Momentum, ABM increases its ability to serve clients in faster growing markets like technology and life sciences, many of whom maintain a significant presence in Ireland. Scott Salmirs, ABM's President & CEO, said, "I am thrilled to welcome the Momentum team to the ABM family. Momentum is recognized as a customer-centric, award-winning provider of janitorial and associated services, as evidenced by their strong, long-standing client relationships. Many of our clients have substantial operations in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, making this transaction a great example of our ability and desire to grow with our core customers in attractive markets. With Momentum, we gain even greater capacity to deliver market-leading services and efficiencies in more locations to our existing client base. I am also excited that the well-respected Momentum management team, along with their results driven culture, will be joining ABM to help us grow the business." "We are very pleased to be joining a world leader in facilities services," said Ian Anderson, who served as Momentum's chief executive, and will continue to lead the business within ABM as Managing Director for the region. "ABM is such a strong fit for us because our companies share the same values. Like ABM, we are laser focused on complete client satisfaction, accountability, and providing a respectful and rewarding experience for our team members. This transaction provides the opportunity to launch our organization into a bright future while continuing to serve our customers with excellence." Momentum's results will be reported as part of ABM's Business & Industry segment. In the transaction, ABM acquired the equity interests of three legal entities which together comprised Momentum Support. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ABOUT ABM ABM. Cautionary Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This press release contains both historical and forward-looking statements addressing the plan of ABM Industries Incorporated (together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as "ABM" "we," "us" or "our") to acquire Momentum Support. In this context, we make forward-looking statements related to future expectations, estimates and projections that are uncertain, and often contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "likely," "may," "outlook," "plan," "predict," "should," "target" or other similar words or phrases. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) the acquisition of Momentum Support may not provide the benefits that we anticipate receiving from this acquisition due to any number of factors, including inability to retain Momentum's existing customers; (ii) we may not be able to successfully cross-sell business between our existing customers and Momentum's existing services, or expand services to new customers; and (iii) we may encounter material unanticipated costs related to the acquisition. For additional information on these and other risks and uncertainties we face, see ABM's risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings. We urge readers to consider these risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. CONTACT Investor Relations: Paul Goldberg 212-297-9721 ir@abm.com Media: Michael Valentino 848-255-5040 media@abm.com Carie Barkhuizen Seymour Public Relations +44 COEUR D'ALENE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (AMEX:IDR) ("IDR", "Idaho Strategic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its latest high-grade intercepts from drill hole GC 22-212 in the Klondike Zone at the Golden Chest Mine, highlighted by 1.3 m assaying at 37.35 grams of gold per tonne, within a larger interval of 9.2 meters assaying at 8.77 grams of gold per tonne. The latest intercept highlights below are reported in grams of gold per tonne (g/t) and in drilled thickness, as vein orientations have yet to be determined. GC 22-212 8.77 g/t gold over 9.2 meters (m) from 137.6 m to 146.8 m including the following higher-grade interval: 37.35 g/t gold over 1.3 m from 143.3 to 144.6 m 3.14 g/t gold over 1.3 m from 149.6 to 150.9 m 13.87 g/t gold over 0.7 m from 157.6 to 158.3 m 3.17 g/t gold over 1 m from 192.2 to 193.2 m 7.00 g/t gold over 1.4 m from 218.3 to 219.7 m Idaho Strategic has spent the last six months of drilling, delineating a new zone of gold mineralization at the Golden Chest mine discovered in the hanging wall of the Idaho Fault within the Klondike shoot. The latest core hole, GC 22-212, drilled from the southernmost drill pad, has extended gold mineralization to the south roughly 50 meters from an existing face of underground workings accessed from the North Portal (Figure 1). The Company is actively re-establishing utilities (electricity and compressed air) to the North Portal in preparation to drive a drift to the newly discovered gold zone. From there, the Company will be better positioned to confirm the gold grade of the vein intercepts, define the shoot dimensions, and optimize a mining plan for future gold production. IDR's CEO and President, John Swallow commented, "The team has done it again. It's always impressive to drill a hole with grades like this at any project, let alone at an operating mine where its value is closer to realization. Our successful drill results in the Klondike over the past six months, followed by the decision to expand production into the Klondike shoot, is indicative of the mineral-rich environment and understanding that our team has developed of the geology at the Golden Chest. Our folks continue to demonstrate why they are the domain experts when it comes to exploration, drilling, and gold operations at the Golden Chest and in the greater Murray Gold Belt, and our drill results have proven that." The 9.2-meter zone of mineralization is characterized by a sheared and folded, strongly banded quartz vein with visible gold, sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite. The vein is locally brecciated and re-silicified. Idaho Strategic's Vice President of Exploration, Rob Morgan commented, "This drill hole was a pleasant surprise; not only because it displayed extensive mineralization that yielded strong gold values, but because it strategically connects to our existing underground. Just as we are finishing up open pit operations where the Klondike Zone outcrops at the surface, we located an entirely new area of mineralization in the hanging wall of the Idaho Fault. We are excited at the prospect of defining the dimensions of this mineralization as a future production area." The North Portal, established in 2004, was the first underground infrastructure developed by the Company. A 440-meter spiral ramp was constructed from the surface down to the historic "Idaho #3 Level" at the 915 elevation. No mining has been conducted from the North Portal since 2013 and it is currently used as an escapeway. Figure 1 Qualified person IDR's Vice President of Exploration, Robert John Morgan, PG, PLS is a qualified person as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this press release. About Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. Domiciled in Idaho and headquartered in the Panhandle of northern Idaho, Idaho Strategic Resources (IDR) is one of the few resource-based companies (public or private) possessing the combination of officially recognized U.S. domestic rare earth element properties (in Idaho) and Idaho-based gold production located in an established mining community. Idaho Strategic Resources produces gold at the Golden Chest Mine located in the Murray Gold Belt (MGB) area of the world-class Coeur d'Alene Mining District, north of the prolific Silver Valley. With over 7,000 acres of patented and unpatented land, the Company has the largest private land position in the area following its consolidation of the Murray Gold Belt for the first time in over 100-years. In addition to gold and gold production, the Company maintains an important strategic presence in the U.S. Critical Minerals sector, specifically focused on the more "at-risk" Rare Earth Elements (REE's). The Company's Diamond Creek and Roberts REE properties are included in the U.S. national REE inventory as listed in USGS, IGS, and DOE publications. Both projects are located in central Idaho and are participating in the USGS Earth MRI program. With an impressive mix of experience and dedication, the folks at IDR maintain a long-standing "We Live Here" approach to corporate culture, land management, and historic preservation. Furthermore, it is our belief that successful operations begin with the heightened responsibility that only local oversight and a community mindset can provide. Its "everyone goes home at night" policy would not be possible without the multi-generational base of local exploration, drilling, mining, milling, and business professionals that reside in and near the communities of the Silver Valley and North Idaho. For more information on Idaho Strategic Resources, click here for our corporate presentation, go to www.idahostrategic.com, or contact: Travis Swallow, Investor Relations & Corporate Development Email: tswallow@idahostrategic.com (208) 625-9001 Forward Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "goal", "plan", "intend", "potential', "estimate", "may", "assume" and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions, or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, Idaho Strategic Resources expectations, intentions, plans, assumptions, and beliefs with respect to, among other things, estimated and targeted production rates and results, the Company's expansion, production development plans and performance expectations from the Klondike zone at the Golden Chest Mine, including the anticipated timing of any commercial production from this area of the mine. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of Idaho Strategic Resources as of the date such information is provided and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of IDR to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. With respect to the business of Idaho Strategic Resources, these risks and uncertainties include risks relating to widespread epidemics or pandemic outbreak including the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of COVID-19 on our workforce, suppliers and other essential resources and what effect those impacts, if they occur, would have on our business, including our ability to access goods and supplies, the ability to transport our products and impacts on employee productivity, the risks in connection with the operations, cash flow and results of the Company relating to the unknown duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; interpretations or reinterpretations of geologic information; unfavorable exploration results; inability to obtain permits required for future exploration, development or production; general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuating mineral and commodity prices; the ability to obtain necessary future financing on acceptable terms; the ability to operate the Company's projects; and risks associated with the mining industry such as economic factors (including future commodity prices, and energy prices), ground conditions, failure of plant, equipment, processes and transportation services to operate as anticipated, environmental risks, government regulation, actual results of current exploration and production activities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, permitting timelines, capital and construction expenditures, reclamation activities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from this forward-looking information is available in Idaho Strategic Resources filings with the SEC on EDGAR. IDR does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law. SOURCE: Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696443/Idaho-Strategic-Drills-Additional-Klondike-High-Grade-Gold-Intercepts--Highlighted-by-13-m-Assaying-3735-Grams-per-Tonne-Included-within-92-m-at-877-Grams-per-Tonne VANCOUVER, BC and HONG KONG / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV:RSLV)(OTCQX:RSNVF)(FRA:4ZC) ("Reyna" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from its 8,000 m Phase 2 drilling program on its 100% owned Guigui Project in the heart of the historic more than 500 million ounce Santa Eulalia Silver District in central Chihuahua-Mexico's largest Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD). Reyna's exploration is focused on finding the source of the system and believes that Phase 1 Hole GG21-28, which cut multi-stage Silver-Copper-Zinc-Lead sulphide-mineralized skarn (high-temperature alteration) overprinted on a previously unknown highly-felsic intrusive lies close to that inferred source (See Press Release of Oct., 28, 2021). Phase 2 follow-up drilling was designed with two goals. The first was to take aggressive step-outs from GG21-28 to determine the extent and zoning of that mineralized skarn. Four of the five Phase 2 holes cut intrusive-hosted mineralized skarn very similar to that in GG21-28 (Table 1), significantly increasing confidence in the expanded mineralization footprint, which now covers an area of at least 0.5 km2. The second important focus was to look within the overlying 1,200m thick historically productive limestone sequence for mineralization potentially sourced from the mineralized skarn. Silver-bearing sulphide veins ranging from a few centimetres to 4.5 metres wide (core length) cutting massive limestone were identified in 4 of 5 holes between about 340 and 720m above the mineralized skarn zone (Table 2). These are all high-angle structures that closely resemble "feeder" or "bleeder" structures that extend to and from major replacement bodies in the historic mines and may provide important mineralization vectors moving forward. Phase 3 will focus on seeking massive sulphide replacement mineralization related to these upper-level structures while continuing to zero in on the source of the district. Highlights from the Phase 2 Drilling Program: Holes drilled 650, 770, and 1089 metres from discovery Hole GG21-28 (as well as from the same pad) all intersected varying thickness and grades of intrusive-hosted mineralized skarn. The mineralized skarn footprint now exceeds 0.5 km 2 (Fig.1) (Fig.1) Hole GG21-31, 650m north of Hole 28, intersected 34.5m of mineralized skarn including 2.62m of 130 g/t Ag with 0.7m of 338 g/t Ag (Table 1). Four holes intersected high-angle silver-bearing sulphide veins 342 to 719m above the mineralized skarn, including Hole GG21-30 which reported 2.11m of 233 g/t Ag (Table 2). Click here to watch Jorge Ramiro Monroy and Dr. Peter Megaw talk about Phase 2 at Guigui. "With Hole 28, we were excited to discover strongly mineralized skarn and are delighted that our aggressive Phase 2 step-outs expanded the skarn footprint so dramatically. We are equally pleased to have cut multiple high-angle silver-rich veins higher in these holes. These were probably fed by the underlying skarns and are the type of structures the old-timers chased towards the district's famous silver-rich orebodies," said Jorge Ramiro Monroy, CEO of Reyna Silver. "Phase 2 has given us multiple targets and areas of interest to follow up, which validates our commitment to true district-scale exploration. We have already begun the groundwork in preparation for our minimum 8,000m, fully-financed, Phase 3 drilling campaign." "When we're exploring at district-scale, we follow up a discovery hole like Hole 28 with widely spaced drilling to determine the variations and scope of the mineralization. A 0.5 km2 footprint of repeatedly mineralized skarn with multiple overlying mineralized structures is extremely encouraging and gives us two exciting exploration targets to pursue," said Dr. Peter Megaw, Chief Exploration Advisor for Reyna Silver. "The first thing is to try following the high-level structures into high-grade, limestone-hosted massive sulphide mineralization like that mined historically in the district. Then we can seek high-volume mineralized skarn related to the district's source intrusion - a key piece of the puzzle and a principal component of our ongoing exploration program. We are currently concatenating all the data to strategically target Phase 3 drilling." Table 1. Mineralized Skarn Highlights in Hole GG21-31. Hole ID# From (m) To (m) Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Zone GG21-31 1,304.73 1,307.35 2.62 130 0.17 0.17 Silver Zone including 1,305.75 1,306.45 0.70 338 0.44 0.42 with 1,305.75 1,305.93 0.18 1,040 1.47 0.45 1,337.65 1,340.80 3.15 54 2.17 9.94 Zinc-Lead Zone including 1,337.65 1,339.50 1.85 128 3.69 16.00 Table 2. Silver-bearing Sulphide Veins in upper-level, limestone-hosted structures. Hole ID# From (m) To (m) Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) GG21-30 643.80 645.80 2.00 106 0.12 0.24 887.69 889.80 2.11 233 0.02 0.02 GG21-31 547.58 548.78 1.20 105 4.88 0.62 GG21-33 648.03 652.54 4.51 106 0.88 0.11 Phase 2 Drilling Phase 2 was an aggressive follow-up of Hole GG21-28, which intersected multi-stage Silver-Copper-Zinc-Lead sulphide-mineralized skarn (high-temperature alteration) overprinted on a previously unknown highly-felsic intrusive (See Press Release of XX/YY 2022). Phase 2 consisted of 5 holes, GG21-29 to GG21-33, totaling 8,562m drilled in a 50 ha (0.5km2) area within Reyna's 4,750 ha (47.5 km2) Guigui concession package (Figure 1). Working outwards from Hole 21-28, targets were designed to determine the extent and zoning of that mineralized skarn by integrating the results of Phase 1 with detailed surface mapping and geochemistry, airborne geophysics, and hyperspectral satellite imagery all plugged into our district exploration model based on 300 years of historic underground mining. After the completion of each hole, results were remodeled, and targets were modified accordingly. Relative to Hole GG21-28: Hole GG21-30 was 777m east, Hole GG21-31 was 615m north, Hole GG21-32 was 1089m east, and Hole GG21-33 was drilled from the same pad (Figure 1). Notable results from Holes GG21-30 to GG21-33 are presented in Table 3 Figure 1. Map of the combined Guigui Property showing its location south of the historic district mines and locations of drill holes described in the release. The most recent Reyna Silver drill holes are black, prior Reyna Silver drill holes are in grey, and the MAG Silver drill holes are in pale grey. Four of the five Phase 2 holes succeeded in intersecting intrusive-hosted mineralized skarn (Table 1). The best hole was GG21-31, which cut 35.5m reporting 2.35% Zinc, 40 g/t Silver, and 0.44% Lead; including 3.15m assaying 9.9% Zinc, 54 g/t Silver, and 2.1% Lead and a separate 0.7m grading 338 g/T Silver, 0.42% Zn and 0.44% Lead. These individual high-grade zones are very similar to those of GG21-28, which significantly increases confidence in the expanded mineralization footprint, which now covers an area of at least 0.5 km2. The second important focus of Phase 2 drilling was to look above the mineralized skarn zone within the overlying 1,200m thick historically productive limestone for mineralized structures potentially sourced from the mineralized skarn. Silver-bearing sulfide veins ranging from a few centimetres to 4.5 metres wide (core length) cutting massive limestone were identified in 4 of 5 holes between about 340m and 720m above the mineralized skarn zone. Hole 30 cut two such structures the better of which cut 233 g/t silver over 2.1m (Table 2). These are all high-angle structures that closely resemble "feeder" or "bleeder" structures that extend to and from major replacement bodies in the historic mines and may provide important mineralization vectors moving forward. The two near end-members of the CRD spectrum emerging from Phases 1 and 2 provide critical tools for focusing ongoing exploration (See Figure 3 for a simplified CRD model). Phase 3 will focus on the upper-level structures potentially indicative of massive replacement mineralization while continuing to hunt for the source of the district. Intrusive-Hosted Mineralized Skarn Compositionally, texturally, and geologically the intrusive-hosted mineralized skarn found in Phase 2 drilling appears to be an extension of the mineralization discovered in Hole GG21-28- expanding the known footprint of mineralized skarn to at least 0.5 km2. A key characteristic of large CRD systems is the presence of multiple, progressively differentiated intrusive stages fed from a source intrusion. Discovery hole GG21-28, plus four of the Phase 2 holes, cut a previously unknown quartz-eye rhyolite, a highly evolved style of intrusive, probably closely linked to the source intrusion and affected by strong, multi-stage mineralization and skarn alteration caused by hydrothermal fluids emanating from it. Compositionally, the mineralized skarn continues to look very similar to the mineralized skarn and sulfide replacement mineralization exploited in the San Antonio mine 2 km east of the Hole GG21-28 area. These similarities include multi-stage epidote-dominated skarn alteration and elevated tungsten and indium values (Hole GG21-31 anomalies: Tungsten 330-550 ppm; Indium 17-68 ppm). Features like these seen in the expanded mineralized skarn footprint should help in vectoring to the source, where mineralization is expected to be larger scale and more pervasive. Limestone-Hosted, Silver-Rich Sulphide Veins Importantly, silver-rich distal-style sulphide veins, ranging in width from 1 cm to over 4.5 metres were discovered well above the mineralized skarn in four of the holes drilled in Phase 2. The largest of these silver-bearing sulphide veins were cut in Holes GG21-30, GG21-31, GG21-32, and GG21-33 and lie 342m, 478m, 719m, and 435m respectively above the intrusive skarn (Table2). Numerous narrower examples were also found in these holes and Hole GG21-29. These high-angle veins show multiple stages of manganoan "fugitive calcite" veining bracketing silver-bearing sulphide mineralization stages. The silver values and trace metal geochemistry indicate that they are similar to the "fluid escape structures" typically found distal to massive sulphide CRD mineralization. These types of structures are classified as "feeder" or "bleeder" structures, depending on whether they "fed" massive sulphide mineralization or "bled" mineralizing fluids outwards from them. Similar structures were historically used by the district's miners to lead to the chimney-manto mineralization exploited in the district's mines. Figure 2. Cross-section showing Phase 1 and 2 drill results. The red colour represents the higher-level silver-bearing sulphide veins found in Phase 2. Intrusive-hosted mineralized skarn is shown in hot pink for Phase 2 and pale pink for Phase 1. Table 3. Notable Mineralized Skarn results from Holes GG21-30 to GG21-33. Hole ID# From (m) To (m) Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) GG21-30 1,260.25 1,260.55 0.30 22 2.88 1.67 GG21-31 1,304.73 1,307.35 2.62 130 0.17 0.17 including 1,305.75 1,306.45 0.70 338 0.44 0.42 including 1,305.75 1,305.93 0.18 1,040 1.47 0.45 1,337.65 1,340.80 3.15 54 2.17 9.94 including 1,337.65 1,339.50 1.85 128 3.69 16.00 GG21-32 1,133.07 1,134.43 1.36 22 1.80 1.17 1,238.95 1,239.57 0.62 142 10.39 1.06 GG21-33 1,094.54 1,095.30 0.76 18 2.68 4.87 Figure 3. Simplified CRD system model. The source intrusion and related proximal mineralization shown within the highlighted area have yet to be found in the Santa Eulalia District and are the principal focus of Reyna Silver's exploration program. However, the potential for additional manto and chimney-style massive sulphide mineralization in the limestone outboard of the source zone remains high and is an equally important exploration focus. QA/QC STATEMENT Reyna Silver follows industry standard procedures for diamond core drilling and sample analysis. Drilling is carried out using NQ and HQ size tooling. Drill core is cut in half using a diamond rock saw with one-half of the core taken as an analytical sample and the other half kept for reference. Sample intervals are generally 0.2 to 1.5 m; producing samples weighing between 0.2 and 8 kg. Half-core samples are security sealed and delivered directly by Reyna Silver's contract geological team to the internationally certified ALS Minerals laboratory facilities in Chihuahua City where the samples are prepared and shipped to Vancouver, Canada for analysis. Assaying is done by ALS in Canada under an ISO 1702 Quality management system. Samples are fire assayed for Au and analyzed for Ag and multi-elements using method code ME-MS41 following an aqua regia digestion. Overlimits are analyzed using the most appropriate method. Multi-element geochemical standards and blanks or duplicates are inserted systematically into the drill core sampling series to monitor lab performance. QUALIFIED PERSON Dr. Peter Megaw, Ph.D., C.P.G., the Company's Chief Exploration Advisor and Qualified Person, reviewed the technical aspects of exploration projects described herein and is responsible for the design and conduct of the exploration programs and the verification and quality assurance of analytical results. Dr. Megaw is not independent as he and/or companies with which he is affiliated hold Net Smelter Royalties on the Guigui and Batopilas Projects that predate Reyna Silver acquiring them. ABOUT REYNA SILVER Reyna Silver Corp. (TSXV: RSLV) is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on exploring for high-grade, district-scale silver deposits in Mexico and USA. Reyna's principal properties are the Guigui and Batopilas Properties in Chihuahua, Mexico. Guigui covers the interpreted source area for the Santa Eulalia Carbonate Replacement District (CRD) and Batopilas covers most of Mexico's historically highest-grade silver system. The Company also has an option to acquire 80% of the Medicine Springs property in Nevada, USA as well as the early stage La Durazno and Matilde and La Reyna mineral properties in Mexico. For Further Information, Please Contact: Jorge Ramiro Monroy Chief Executive Officer Info@reynasilver.com reynasilver.com SOURCE: Reyna Silver Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696494/Reyna-Silver-Follows-Up-Discovery-Hole-GG21-28--Expands-Mineralized-Skarn-Footprint-to-05-KM2-and--Finds-Multiple-Indications-of-High-Level-Mineralization Andera Partners, a leading European private equity player, through its practice Andera Life Sciences, focused on investments in companies developing breakthrough therapeutics and medical technologies, announced today that Pfizer Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Andera Life Sciences' portfolio company ReViral Ltd. Under the agreement, ReViral, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics, with an initial focus on treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), will be acquired for a total consideration of up to $525 million, including upfront and development milestones. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. Andera co-led the Series A of $21 million in 2015 and re-invested in the subsequent financing rounds alongside a group of international blue chip investors. RSV is a respiratory pathogen, which can lead to severe and life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in high-risk populations, including young infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. It is estimated to cause infections in approximately 64 million people, resulting in about 160,000 deaths, globally each year. ReViral has a portfolio of promising therapeutic candidates, including sisunatovir, an orally administered inhibitor designed to block fusion of the RSV virus to the host cell. Sisunatovir is currently in phase 2 clinical development in infants. A second program is focused on the inhibition of RSV replication targeting the viral N protein. The lead candidate in this program is currently in phase 1 clinical development. Raphael Wisniewski, Partner at Andera Life Sciences and member of the board of ReViral commented: "We at Andera Partners are delighted to have backed such a talented team of drug developers in the field of RSV for which treatment options are severely limited. We are extremely proud that the work accomplished to date has been recognized by a world-class leader such as Pfizer, and the development of these important therapeutic products will continue "We are grateful to Andera to have funded and supported us since the early days of the company, alongside a group of leading international investors. Andera has been an exceptional partner to work with on our transformation from an early-stage research company to a clinical-stage organization," said Alex C. Sapir, CEO, ReViral. This transaction is the latest of recent M&A transactions in Andera Life Sciences portfolio including the sale of Sanifit to Vifor, the sale of Corvidia to Novo Nordisk, the sale of Arvelle to Angelini. It adds to three recent initial public offerings (Axonics, LogicBio and Nyxoah). About Andera Partners Created over 20 years ago, Andera Partners is a major player in private company investments in France and internationally. Its teams manage over 3.2 billion in investments in life sciences (Andera Life Sciences), growth and buyout capital (Andera MidCap, Andera Expansion, Andera Croissance, Andera Co-Invest), sponsorless transactions (Andera Acto) and ecological transition (Andera Infra). Based in Paris, with offices in Antwerp and Munich, Andera Partners is wholly owned by its teams, which count nearly 90 professionals, of which 56 investment professionals. It is structured as a partnership and managed by a board of 10 partners. Responsible and committed, the management company regularly forms partnerships with non-profit sector entities and takes concrete action in the fight against global warming. Andera Partners has been certified carbon neutral since 2018. Andera's 15-person life sciences team brings together extensive experience in the life sciences industry, private equity and venture capital. Active since 2000, the team has raised over 1.1 billion through its BioDiscovery family of funds and is currently investing from its new BioDiscovery 6 fund. Since inception, the BioDiscovery funds have invested in more than 75 European and U.S. biotech and medtech companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005523/en/ Contacts: Media Contacts: Nicolas DELSERT, Andera Partners: +33 6 22 67 71 17 n.delsert@anderapartners.com Marie-Charlotte POTET, Bien Commun Advisory: +33 6 47 97 39 46 mc.potet@bcadvisory.fr Clement BENETREAU, Bien Commun Advisory: +33 6 76 14 02 02 c.benetreau@bcadvisory.fr Raimund GABRIEL, MC Services: +49 89 210 228 30 raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu Dr. Johanna KOBLER, MC Services: +49 89 210 228 46 johanna.kobler@mc-services.eu Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: TUC) (the "Company" or "Tudor Gold") is pleased to announce that crews have been mobilized to prepare for the Company's upcoming exploration program at their flagship property, Treaty Creek, located in the heart of the Golden Triangle of Northwest British Columbia. Crews are currently transporting heavy equipment and drilling supplies to site along our winter access from the Brucejack Lake Road. Crews will also be preparing the camps for the upcoming drill campaign set to commence early May. Tudor Gold's President and CEO, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states, "As in the previous season, the priority of our upcoming exploration program will be to expand and define the limits of the Goldstorm Deposit (GS), as mineralization remains open in all directions and at depth. Ten diamond drill rigs are scheduled to be mobilized to site throughout the month of May for an aggressive diamond drilling program. While the priority remains to complete the exploration and definition of the Goldstorm Deposit, exploration drilling will follow up on several other discoveries including the Eureka Zone (EZ), located 800 meters southeast of GS, and the Company's newest discovery, Calm Before the Storm (CBS), located two kilometres northeast of GS. Tudor's priority is to define the limits of the GS mineralized domains in order to complete an updated resource estimate and support a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). At the end of the 2021 drill program, some of our best Au-Cu-Ag results were encountered from our step-out drilling to the north within the 300H and CS-600 domains from drill holes GS-21-113 (1.44 g/t Au Eq over 405.0 meters within CS-600), GS-21-113-W1 (2.35 g/t AuEq over 159.0 meters within 300H) and GS-21-113-W2 (1.38 g/t AuEq over 556.5 meters within CS-600 ). To the northeast, we encountered some of strongest gold mineralization within the DS-5 domain with drill hole GS-21-119 (1.76 g/t AuEq over 196.5 meters). Not only is the size of the deposit increasing, but the values are also some of the highest that we have received within GS and these latter drill holes are those which we will be stepping out from in 2022." This season, Tudor Gold Corp and our associated service companies will continue to focus on measures to maintain the highest professional standards while working within COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Only essential personnel are permitted to enter the camp and staging areas. Of those workers who are at the project site and staging site, we have strict daily monitoring of the workers temperatures and general health conditions. We plan to have a certified paramedic at the staging area to examine and test all in-coming and out-going workers of all Tudor personnel including all service providers. Qualified Person The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company's President and CEO, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. About Tudor Gold Corp. Tudor Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with properties in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Pretium Resources Inc.'s Brucejack property to the southeast. In April 2021, Tudor published their 43-101 technical report, "Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Treaty Creek Gold Property, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia Canada" dated March 1, 2021 on the Company's SEDAR profile. The Company also has a 100% interest in the Crown project and a 100% interest in the Eskay North project, all located in the Golden Triangle area. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUDOR GOLD CORP. "Ken Konkin" Ken Konkin President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.tudor-gold.com or contact: Chris Curran Head of Corporate Development and Communications Phone: (604) 559 8092 E-Mail: chris.curran@tudor-gold.com or Carsten Ringler Head of Investor Relations and Communications Phone: +49 151 55362000 E-Mail: carsten.ringler@tudor-gold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the expectation that the Offering will close in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, market conditions and timeliness regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119581 Li Xinyue, director of the first service branch of the China Will Registration Center in south China's Guangdong Province, receives an interview in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, March 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jun) by Xinhua writers Zhou Ying, Deng Ruixuan, Li Jun GUANGZHOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A young man surnamed Deng, born in 2000, was concerned about the eventual fate of his WeChat and QQ accounts until he listed the digital assets in his will, choosing to leave them to his younger brother. Deng, who chose not to give his full name, visited the China Will Registration Center branch in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, to make a will. "I want to do something meaningful when I'm young," Deng said. As he currently has no houses or cars, he said the only things he can leave for his brother are his digital assets. Like Deng, an increasing number of young Chinese people are beginning to write their wills. After analyzing 220,000 copies of wills, the China Will Registration Center, a public welfare project, found that the average age of individuals who had made a will decreased from 77.43 to 68.59 from 2013 to 2021. By 2021, 1,204 adults born after 1990 had made a will. People born after 2000 have even joined in on this trend. Most wills are made to distribute physical property, such as real estate and bank deposits, to avoid unnecessary family disputes. However, unlike the wills of older generations, young people's wills focus more on digital assets, like Alipay, WeChat and gaming accounts. "The younger generations in China have become more open-minded, and their wills are no longer associated with death, but are more about conveying love to family members and friends they care about," said Li Xinyue, director of the first service branch of the China Will Registration Center in south China's Guangdong Province. "I finally got a copy of my will. It's so cool," Luo Wenya, who was born after 1990, wrote on one of her social media accounts after she successfully made a will at the registration center. "I chose to make a will because I want my son to know that I love him very much, even if I pass away unexpectedly one day," said Luo, who counseled her son to be independent, brave and confident in a video attached to her will. Li said she had been most impressed by a young male nurse, who chose to make a will to leave all his property to his mother after seeing patients die in hospital. "It would be a great regret if I were to leave this world unexpectedly one day without leaving any words for my loved ones," the nurse said. "Making a will is not the end, but a new beginning of life. A will can help you reflect on the past and better embark on a new journey," Li said. BENGALURU, India, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, and Rolls-Royce, one of the world's leading industrial technology companies, today inaugurated their joint 'Aerospace Engineering and Digital Innovation Centre' in Bengaluru, India. This centre has been established to provide high-end research and development (R&D) services integrated with advanced digital capabilities to Rolls-Royce's engineering and group business services from India. Infosys and Rolls-Royce's collaboration has been reinforced through strategic deals, aimed at yielding mutual benefits to both organisations over the next seven years. Speaking about the new centre,Kishore Jayaraman, President - India and South Asia, Rolls-Royce, said, "Our strategic partnership with Infosys presents an exciting opportunity for both companies to leverage combined strengths in engineering and digital innovation to accelerate growth in the civil aerospace market. Given the aerospace sector is poised for revival and growth in India and across the world, this joint innovation centre will strengthen Rolls-Royce's global engineering ecosystem and position us well for the future." Astrid Hartmann, Director of Global Business Services, Rolls-Royce added, "Infosys is a valued partner to Rolls-Royce, and the capabilities from this collaboration will certainly enhance our shared services portfolio and bring greater value to the business. We remain committed to India and look forward to tapping the rich talent and potential in this market." Commenting on the engagement, Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, "We are delighted to extend our collaboration with Rolls-Royce and work towards digitally transforming engineering and business process management shared services in India. We will aim to be a catalyst for Rolls-Royce to deliver efficiency, effectiveness and experience while driving continuous change towards creating a value ecosystem that is sustainable. This engagement is testament to the longstanding collaboration between Infosys and Rolls-Royce, which is poised to set new benchmarks in the aerospace, defence, and manufacturing sectors." As part of this collaboration, Infosys and Rolls-Royce will combine their aerospace, engineering and digital services capabilities to explore opportunities for driving digital and engineering innovation and associated cost optimisation strategies. By expanding the local talent pool in the country, the two companies will also deliver manufacturing engineering services for the global civil aerospace ecosystem. Over the last decade, Rolls-Royce established a multidisciplinary engineering centre in Bengaluru as part of its efforts to boost engineering and R&D services in India. In December 2020, Infosys and Rolls-Royce announced a collaboration for sourcing engineering and R&D services for Rolls-Royce's Civil Aerospace business, whereby Rolls-Royce transitioned a significant part of its engineering centre capabilities to Infosys. Infosys will continue to harness its experience, expertise, and investments in the domain to strengthen its existing capabilities and deliver enhanced end-to-end solutions while optimising operational costs for its customers. About Rolls-Royce plc Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030 (excluding product testing) and joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, affirming our ambition to play a fundamental role in enabling the sectors in which we operate achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. Annual underlying revenue was 10.95 billion in 2021, underlying operating profit was 414m and we invested 1.18 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is publicly traded company. Visit www.Rolls-Royce.com About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg BlueSnap now offers three products to allow flexibility and speed to market for software platforms looking to drive new revenue while enhancing user experience in global markets. LONDON and BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueSnap , a global payment orchestration platform committed to helping B2B and B2C businesses accept and optimize payments around the world, has launched its Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service offering for software platforms looking to scale their customer base globally. BlueSnap has been helping software platforms monetise their payments for several years with their Integrated Payments for Platforms. The new Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service suite expands and innovates on this to include three new products: BlueSnap Dash, BlueSnap Relay and BlueSnap Flex. These solutions are designed to help software platforms drive revenue growth, enhance the user experience, and increase product retention. BlueSnap developed these products to give software companies the flexibility to choose which model of embedded payments suits their specific needs. BlueSnap is one of very few providers worldwide to support the global payment facilitation model. Ralph Dangelmaier, CEO of BlueSnap, said: "The traditional development cycle for payments processing infrastructure and global licensing takes up to three years in-house. This extended time to market puts software companies at risk of falling behind competitors and losing traction with customers. BlueSnap is on a mission to help empower platforms to reach customers globally and profit from a key, but often overlooked, part of the customer journey - payments. That's why we've developed three tailored solutions for businesses so that they can crawl, walk, or run on their journey to become payment facilitators - choosing the best option for their growth cycle and the unique needs of their company." BlueSnap Dash : The fastest speed-to-market offering, this is BlueSnap's hosted turnkey solution. BlueSnap Relay : The quick-to-market, white-label Payfac-as-a-Service offering shields businesses from risk while simultaneously letting them brand it their way. BlueSnap Flex: The branded Payfac-as-a-Service solution that leverages BlueSnap's APIs while giving software platforms complete control. The expansion comes amid growing demand for embedded payments among software firms worldwide, with the industry set to grow by over 40% to reach $124 billion in 2022. According to BlueSnap research, over 2 in 5 tech leaders are now considering becoming payment facilitators. And the vast majority (88%) would opt to embed third-party technology into their platform instead of building a payment facilitation solution from the ground up. BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions enable companies to build and implement their own branded payment experiences globally, which can increase revenue for their business through payment monetisation. Software platforms leveraging BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions are able to build more meaningful revenue streams because of the ability to profit from payments revenue as well as increase customer retention. According to research from JPMorgan., software platforms can see a two to five time increase in revenue per customer using embedded payments. This means that any Independent Software Vendor (ISV) can become a payment facilitator without wasting time, money, and resources building a solution from scratch. It also significantly reduces the risk for software platforms by alleviating the responsibility of meeting and tracking complex regulatory guidelines and compliance rules. BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service is part of their All-in-One Payment Orchestration Platform which helps businesses accept payments globally. The platform provides a comprehensive back-end solutions that simplifies the complexity of payments, managing the full process from start to finish. With one integration and contract, businesses can sell in over 200 regions with access to local card acquiring in 47 countries, 100+ currencies and 100+ global payment types, including popular eWallets, automated accounts receivable, world-class fraud protection and chargeback management, built-in solutions for regulation and tax compliance, and unified global reporting. To learn more about BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions, please visit https://bit.ly/3ttuLRK Notes to editors For media enquiries, please contact bluesnap@hardnumbers.co.uk About BlueSnap: PHOENIX, LONDON and DUBAI, UAE, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lakemore Partners Ltd. and its group entities ("Lakemore"), a leading private credit investment firm primarily investing in control CLO equity, today announced it has named Howard Tiffen to its Board of Directors as an Independent Board Member. Mr. Tiffen is a recognized loan and CLO industry leader with more than 40 years of credit, portfolio management, and product experience. Mr. Tiffen began his career in the high yield and structured capital markets in 1972. He has held senior credit management positions at Continental Bank, Bank of America, Pilgrim Investments (now Voya Investment Management), Van Kampen (now Invesco), and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Mr. Tiffen has also been associated with the Eaton Vance Management Bank Loan Team in an advisory capacity, and as a Client Portfolio Manager for the Leveraged Finance Investment Team at First Trust Advisors. Throughout his career, Mr. Tiffen has managed loan portfolios and built global products and distribution systems in North American, Europe and Asia. "Howard's exemplary knowledge of and expertise in the high yield capital markets is unparalleled in the industry," said Ahmed Farid, Chairman and President of Lakemore. "His insight, experience and relationships will be invaluable to Lakemore in supporting our business management decisions. We are excited to welcome Howard to our Board and are eager to begin leveraging his unique, in-depth perspectives as we strengthen our ability to provide international investors with compelling U.S. CLO equity investment opportunities." "Lakemore is an admired and respected leader in U.S. CLO equity investing, driven by a team of talented professionals with a culture built on teamwork, respect and support that is second-to-none in the industry," said Howard Tiffen. "I look forward to working closely with the Board and the entire Lakemore team as the firm continues its global expansion." Mr. Tiffen holds an AM from the University of Chicago, and a BS from Northwestern University. About Lakemore Partners Lakemore is a leading private credit investment firm primarily investing in control CLO equity. Serving as a partner of choice for global top-tier collateral managers in the CLO market who are aligned to the firm's portfolio management style and risk appetite, Lakemore aims to deliver attractive returns by leveraging the extensive expertise of its dedicated team and by investing within its well-defined framework of cycle-aligned risk allocation. Founded in 2016, Lakemore has offices in Phoenix, London and Dubai. Lakemore's mission focuses on providing sustainable and reliable income, with the firm currently managing US$1.2 billion in credit assets under management, the majority of which is from institutional clients. For more information, please visit www.lakemore.com . Lakemore Partners Ltd. is the group parent and is domiciled in the Cayman Islands. Lakemore Partners Management US LLC and Lakemore Partners (UK) Ltd. are registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission as investment advisers (RIA). Lakemore Partners (UK) Ltd. (FRN: 837603) is also an appointed representative of Kroll Securities Ltd. (FRN: 466588), which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Lakemore Partners (DIFC) Ltd. is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Lakemore Partners Management US LLC, Lakemore Partners (UK) Ltd., and Lakemore Partners (DIFC) Ltd. are wholly owned subsidiaries of Lakemore Partners Ltd. Media contacts: Doug Allen/Josh Gerth Dukas Linden Public Relations lakemore@dlpr.com +1 (646) 722-6530 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1781853/Howard_Tiffen.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1587091/Lakemore_LOGO.jpg The national hommus brand pledges support to fight food insecurity on the Ukrainian border Cedar's Foods, a Haverhill, Massachusetts-based company with national distribution of Hommus and Mediterranean products, has donated $100,000 to World Central Kitchen (WCK) to help feed Ukrainian refugees. Since military operations began in Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes to stay in western Ukraine or other countries and WCK is serving millions of fresh meals to displaced families. Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion, and are now serving round-the-clock dishes at eight border crossings across the country. Additionally, they are supporting local restaurants preparing meals in cities across Ukrainian including in Odessa, Lviv, and Kyiv. WCK teams are also on the ground serving thousands of meals every day in Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, and Spain. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005011/en/ As part of Cedar's Cedar's with Heart, the company's non-profit initiative to invest and honor its employees, communities, and consumers, the national leading hommus brand in the natural and organic grocery channels is committed to fighting food insecurity both in its community and around the world. "At Cedar's, we believe in the power of sharing better in the form of authentic, honest foods. Cedar's with Heart extends that mission to not only share better with the world, but do better for the good of our community and our planet," said Charles Hanna, Chief Executive Officer President, Cedar's Foods. "We hope to lead by example through our acts of service and our commitment to promote positive change for the next generation and generations to come. The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is one of the worst that we have seen in decades. Our commitment to fight food insecurity transcends borders and when we heard of the great work WCK is doing, we wanted to help." Cedar's Foods' commitment to doing better is stronger than ever and its platform of Know Better Hommus has become a launchpad for its social responsibility. "Knowing better means doing better not only for our community, but for our global community as well. No family should have to worry about where their next meal will come from, especially after fleeing their homes and making the daunting journey to refuge," said Charles Hanna. "Food is a human necessity, a common ground among us all. It provides comfort and a sense of hope and stability. As a leader in the food industry, we are proud of the work WCK is doing on the frontlines and honored to be able to support them in feeding Ukrainian refugees." World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. When disaster strikes, WCK's Chef Relief Team mobilizes to the frontlines with the urgency of now to start cooking and provide meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of food trucks or emergency kitchens, WCK provides freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. About Cedar's Foods Our story began in the sunlit kitchens of the Mediterranean, where Cedar's founders Abe Layla Hanna lovingly perfected the way we make Hommus. They made it the traditional way, with pure ingredients and a simple process. Today, Cedar's Foods is the national brand leader in hommus in the Natural and Organic grocery channel and a leading co-packer and co-manufacturer for private label and branded hommus and other products for prominent consumer packaged goods brands. Learn more at cedarsfoods.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005011/en/ Contacts: Aimee Tsakirellis, Executive Vice President of Marketing Cedar's Foods 978.372.8010 atsakirellis@cedarsfoods.com LeanIX surveyed Enterprise Architects and IT leaders from 140 companies globally about the strategic relevance and urgency of various IT initiatives including technical debt, cloud migration, security and sustainability BONN, Germany and BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LeanIX ( https://www.leanix.net/ ), the platform that enables continuous transformation across the enterprise, today announced the release of its Enterprise Architecture and IT Strategy Survey. Among the key findings, the survey found 41% of Enterprise Architects (EAs) and IT leaders consider reducing technical debt and modernizing legacy systems the top IT priority. In support of this, close to 60% of respondents placed a high priority on migrating key applications to the cloud. For the full survey findings please download the report here: https://www.leanix.net/en/download/enterprise-architexts-on-it-priorities-2022?hs_preview=WdfzLZZC-70190775190 Technical Debt and Cloud Initiatives Go Hand-in-Hand Between December 2021 and January 2022, LeanIX surveyed EAs and IT leaders from more than 140 global companies. Per the survey findings, reducing technical debt is a clear priority for EAs. Technical debt - extra unplanned work a company needs to perform in order to upgrade or change technical systems - poses security risk, adds avoid cost to IT operations, and hobbles innovation. The survey found that EAs are eager to address this challenge: 96% of respondents acknowledged their company has at least one project planned for this year aimed at reducing technical debt. 52% of respondents said that retiring IT applications, which are no longer used but still consume resources, is the top initiative for reducing tech debt. In addition to the risk and inefficiency associated with it, technical debt also impacts other critical organizational priorities and initiatives, such as cloud migration. 24% of respondents indicated that cloud initiatives should be a top IT priority. This relatively low number could be due to the fact that many companies already have at least some workloads in the cloud or have already begun their cloud transformation journey. When asked further about which cloud initiatives were most important, the survey found that 60% of EAs are focusing on migrating key applications to the cloud. Cloud migration, when done right, involves optimization for the cloud. Technical debt can get in the way of this optimization, so managing technical debt is a necessary complement to a successful cloud strategy. The second most important cloud initiative (41%), according to the survey, is increasing the amount of SaaS in enterprise application portfolios. Replacing on-prem or self-developed systems with SaaS solutions is a tried-and-true method for reducing technical debt. Additional Considerations for IT Leadership Per the survey results, EAs and IT leaders are clearly focused on reducing technical debt and moving key applications to the cloud. However, there are other IT strategies that are on the rise: Key Security Initiatives Come into Focus : While only 16% of those surveyed considered the evolution and improvement of their security posture a top priority, more than two-thirds overall saw security initiatives such as improving risk assessment capabilities and adopting more Zero Trust technologies as important or highly important. : While only 16% of those surveyed considered the evolution and improvement of their security posture a top priority, more than two-thirds overall saw security initiatives such as improving risk assessment capabilities and adopting more Zero Trust technologies as important or highly important. The Case for Value Stream Management (VSM): 73% of respondents agree that EAs should form a closer connection with software development and expand collaboration. Almost three quarters of respondents agree on the importance of tracking the business impact of software development, a key tenet of VSM. 73% of respondents agree that EAs should form a closer connection with software development and expand collaboration. Almost three quarters of respondents agree on the importance of tracking the business impact of software development, a key tenet of VSM. Lack of Commitment to Sustainability: Many companies publicly claim a commitment to sustainability, but only 52% of the IT leaders surveyed reported concrete sustainability initiatives in their organizations for 2022. The majority of these initiatives focused on data collection and reporting. About LeanIX LeanIX's Continuous Transformation Platform is trusted by Corporate IT and Product IT to achieve comprehensive visibility and superior governance. Global customers organize, plan and manage IT landscapes with LeanIX's automated and data-driven approach. Offering Enterprise Architecture, SaaS Management, and Value Stream Management, LeanIX helps organizations make sound decisions and accelerate transformation journeys. LeanIX has hundreds of customers globally, including Adidas, Atlassian, Bosch, Dropbox, Santander or Workday. The company is headquartered in Bonn, Germany, with offices in Boston, San Francisco and around the world. Contact: Olivia Heel Catapult PR-IR 303-521-5049 oheel@catapultpr-ir.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782375/IT_Strategy_Survey_2022.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1450225/LeanIX_Logo.jpg PARIS, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The WATO agency was created in 2011 with a desire to make Parisian evening events more creative and mysterious. The agency quickly acquired a reputation as the queen of unusual events. With a portfolio of over 150 events, it is now extending its range of spectacular events across the globe for the benefit of big brands and well-off individuals. Its most recent adventure to date, an imperial Wedding in Malta, included a plane party: a technical feat which definitely projected WATO into another dimension. On land, on sea and in the skies, WATO created a marriage of superlatives in Malta. The agency excels in organising private parties, just like its most recent creation: an Imperial wedding in Malta. In 48 hours, the 200 guests experienced a plane party up in the sky, with a DJ and sound and light in the cabin and in the clouds, something which required all of the agency's technical skills. And there was also a boat party in Valletta bay, a pool party under the stars, a secular ceremony in a cathedral open to the skies, 8 cannon shots and an after party in a secret barn. This spectacular wedding, organised with the collaboration of the Maltese tourist office, took guests' breath away. Watch a video of the wedding: https://vimeo.com/666918241. From secret dinners to the grandest events For WATO, everything started in Paris with the organisation of elegant dinners in locations that were closed to the public, such as the catacombs. WATO put clandestine events behind it in favour of grandiose celebrations with several thousand guests. Big companies (LVMH group, Chaumet, Canal+, L'Oreal group) approach the agency to ask them to make their wildest dreams come true. In 2019 the agency's reputation opened the doors to operating internationally. Recognised as an expert in the creation of events in unusual places, WATO has successfully risen to the challenge in London, Berlin, Venice, Madrid, Saint-Petersburg and Marrakesh. The 2020 pandemic was an opportunity for the agency to reinvent around hybrid formats with an immersive livestream for Amazon. A trademark: sky is the limit Building a rocket, a submarine or crossing the Swiss mountains in a vintage train...Whatever the language barriers, nothing stops WATO. In a few words: sky is the limit. For more information about WATO: www.agence-wato.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782536/WATO_Dream_Wedding_Malta.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782537/WATO_Plane_Party.jpg Contact: Frederic Henry FHCOM frederic.henry@fhcom.net TORONTO, ON and NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / GlobeX Data Ltd. (OTCQB:SWISF) (CSE:SWIS) (FRA:GDT) ("GlobeX" or the "Company"), the leader in Swiss hosted secure communications and secure data management, is pleased to announce that it plans to change its name to "Sekur Private Data Ltd." and the trading symbol will change to "SKUR". The new name synchronizes the Company's branding with Sekur, its consumer and business suite of secure communications including SecureMail and SekurMessenger. The change of name is subject to acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange. About GlobeX Data Ltd. GlobeX Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure communications and secure data management. The Company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers, secure communication tools, and secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management. GlobeX Data Ltd. sells its products through its approved wholesalers and distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. GlobeX Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. On behalf of Management GLOBEX DATA LTD. Alain Ghiai President and Chief Executive Officer +1.416.644.8690 corporate@globexdatagroup.com For more information, please contact GlobeX Data at corporate@globexdatagroup.com or visit us at https://globexdata.com For more information on Sekur visit us at: https://www.sekur.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guaranteeing future performance. GlobeX cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond GlobeX's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in GlobeX's prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com . Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, GlobeX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. SOURCE: GlobeX Data Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696465/GlobeX-Data-Ltd-to-Change-its-Name-to-Sekur-Private-Data-Ltd Assay results confirm new zinc discovery at Mountain Project TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSXV:BAY) (OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to present preliminary results from its recently completed diamond drill program at the Mountain Zinc-Copper Project (the "Project") in Central Virginia. A total of 3,746 metres (m) were drilled in 10 drill holes over a 1.6 x 0.7-kilometre (km) (1.0 x 0.4-mile) area. Highlights from the initial six holes include 0.46% Zn over 11.4 m (core interval) in ABM-001, 0.49% Zn over 9.36 m (core interval) in ABM002 and 0.58% Zn over 5.47 m (core interval) in ABM-005. Assay results from the final four holes are pending. Zinc mineralization, with accompanying minor copper and lead, was encountered in all 10 drill holes. The mineralization intersected in the drilling comprises stacked zones of disseminated and semi-massive sphalerite and minor chalcopyrite and galena, with pyrite and pyrrhotite, hosted within metamorphosed carbonate rocks. The style of mineralization suggests a SEDEX (sedimentary exhalative) deposit model, a style of mineralization previously unrecognized in Central Virginia. "We are very pleased with this discovery of zinc mineralization in Virginia, an area where no significant zinc has been previously reported," stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO of Aston Bay. "This is an important discovery, and it is just the beginning: we believe the area is highly prospective for larger and higher-grade SEDEX-style mineralization. Zinc is critical to the green economy as well as to US national security, having been recently added to the US Geological Survey's draft list of critical minerals. Aston Bay is proud to continue working towards a potentially significant future contribution to the US domestic critical minerals supply chain." "The drill results, albeit not high grade, are amazing in that they substantiate a previously unrecognized/unexplored SEDEX district with the potential to host multiple zinc/lead/silver/copper deposits of significant size," stated Don Taylor, advisor to Aston Bay. "The drilling to-date is of limited extent when one considers the size and footprint of the overall district. Surface sampling and geophysics have outlined additional targets for testing the extensions of the known mineralization as well as other areas of similar mineral signatures." The Mountain Zinc-Copper Project sits within a 100 km (60 mile) trend of mineral occurrences that is highly prospective for zinc, copper and lead deposits. The Company is the exclusive holder of a proprietary database containing regional geophysical, stream sediment, geochemical and drill data for the area. Aston Bay has entered into exploration agreements with local landowners for over 2,127 acres (861 hectares) of land at the Project. Negotiations for agreements over other prospective parcels continue as the Company seeks to further expand the project area. Intercepts of significant zinc mineralization are presented in Table 1. A map showing the location of the drill holes and sections is presented in Figure 1. Two cross sections showing select drill holes and a preliminary geological interpretation are presented in Figures 2 and 3. A complete geological description will be presented when all assay results have been received and interpretations finalized. Figure 1: Location of drill collars and drill traces, Mountain Zinc-Copper Project, Virginia. Cross sections traces A-A' and B-B'. Local grid in metres. Figure 2: Cross section A-A' with significant zinc intercepts, Mountain Zinc-Copper Project, Virginia. View looking northeast. Figure 3: Cross section B-B' with significant zinc intercepts, Mountain Zinc-Copper Project, Virginia. View looking northeast. Table 1: Significant zinc mineralization intercepts for initial six drill holes, Mountain Zinc-Copper Project, Virginia. Drill hole From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Zinc (%) ABM-001 278.06 279 0.94 1.58 and 283 294.4 11.4 0.46 including 283 286.23 3.23 0.79 ABM-002 127.5 128.5 1 1.05 and 333 342.36 9.36 0.49 including 338 340 2 1.31 ABM-003 257.37 261.95 4.58 1.40 ABM-004 106.8 110 3.2 0.74 including 108 110 2 1.06 ABM-005 237.53 243 5.47 0.58 including 237.53 240.08 2.55 1.03 ABM-007** 257.75 258.57 0.82 1.14 and 291.5 291.76 0.26 3.70 ABM-008 assays pending ABM-009 assays pending ABM-010 assays pending ABM-011 assays pending *core intervals are not true width **ABM-006 was abandoned due to bad drilling conditions near surface, replaced by nearby collar and drilled as ABM-007 Qualified Person As per National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Andrew Turner, P.Geol., a consultant to Aston Bay, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities. About Aston Bay Holdings Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for base metals and gold deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona. The Company is currently drilling the Mountain Base Metals Project in Virginia, exploring the Buckingham Gold Project, also in Virginia, and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands in the area. The Company is also 100% owner of the property Storm Project, which hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit and has been optioned to American West Metals Limited. For more information contact: Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer thomas.ullrich@astonbayholdings.com 416-456-3516 Salisha Ilyas, Investor Relations salisha.ilyas@astonbayholdings.com 647-209-9200 SOURCE: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696507/Aston-Bay-Reports-Preliminary-Assay-Results-from-its-Mountain-Zinc-Copper-Project-Virginia-USA TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Electrovaya Inc. ("Electrovaya" or the "Company") (TSX:EFL)(OTCQB:EFLVF) a lithium-ion battery manufacturer with differentiated intellectual property that allows heightened safety and improved longevity, today announced that the Company recently received further purchase orders valued at about US$10.6 million. The Company received a blanket purchase order from its OEM sales partner valued at more than US$9.4 million, and other purchase orders worth approximately US$1.2 million. The blanket purchase order will be replaced by detailed purchase orders specifying the battery models and delivery sites. It represents a firm commitment for deliveries by the end of September2022. It is anticipated that a major portion of the blanket purchase orders will be for a leading Fortune 100 company to power Materials Handling Electric Vehicles in distribution centers in the US. Investor and Media Contact: Jason Roy Director, Investor Relations & Communication Electrovaya Inc. / 905-855-4618 jroy@electrovaya.com/ www.electrovaya.com About Electrovaya Inc. Electrovaya Inc. (TSX:EFL)(OTCQB:EFLVF) is a pioneering leader in the global energy transformation, focused on contributing to the prevention of climate change and decarbonization by supplying the safest and longest-lasting lithium-ion batteries. Electrovaya, a technology-focused company with extensive IP, designs, develops, and manufactures proprietary lithium-ion batteries, battery systems, and battery-related products for energy storage, clean electric transportation, and other specialized applications. To learn more about how Electrovaya is powering mobility and energy storage, please explorewww.electrovaya.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the deployment of the Company's products by the Company's customers, receipt of purchase orders, blanket purchase orders, and detailed purchase orders, and the timing for delivery thereof, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "possible", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" (or the negative thereof) and words and expressions of similar import. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors and assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Statements with respect to the purchase and deployment of the Company's products by the Company's customers and users, and the timing for delivery thereof, and levels of expected sales and expected further purchases and demand growth are based on an assumption that the Company's customers and users will deploy its products in accordance with communicated intentions, that the Company will be able to deliver the ordered products on a basis consistent with past deliveries, and that the company's anticipation of specific purchase orders from the user in calendar 2022 to power Materials Handling Electric Vehicles at other sites and delivered during 2022 fiscal year are forward-looking statements and are based on assumptions by the company and its users. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to macroeconomic effects on the Company and its business and on the Company's customers, economic conditions generally and their effect on consumer demand, labour shortages, supply chain constraints, the potential effect of COVID restrictions in Canada and internationally on the Company's ability to produce and deliver products, and on its customers' and end users' demand for and use of products, which effects are not predictable and may be affected by additional regional outbreaks and variants, and other factors which may cause disruptions in the Company's supply chain and Company's capability to deliver the products. Additional information about material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and about material factors or assumptions applied in making forward-looking statements may be found in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended September 30, 2021 under "Risk Factors", and in the Company's most recent annual Management's Discussion and Analysis under "Qualitative And Quantitative Disclosures about Risk and Uncertainties" as well as in other public disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Electrovaya, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696479/Electrovaya-Receives-Purchase-Orders-of-US106-million Local car wash pledges $15,000 to charity; asks community to vote on where funds are invested SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Soapy Joe's , the locally-loved and family-owned car wash, hosts its annual Soapy Joe's Day on Thursday, April 21, offering the entire San Diego community free car washes and the chance to support three local charities. A running tradition in its 7th year, the third Thursday of April has been dubbed Soapy Joe's Day, as proclaimed by sitting mayors starting in 2016 with Faulkner, to Gloria in 2021 and this year presented by Councilmember Raul A. Campillo. Each year, the beloved car wash celebrates its eco-friendly practices, provides free top-of-the-line washes to the community and selects a local charity to receive a donation. This year, Soapy Joe's has selected three deserving groups and asks: where do YOU want to see Soapy Joe's invest in our shared community? The participating charities represent a range of interests and are: Helen Woodward Animal Center, Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) and The Emilio Nares Foundation. "Soapy Joe's Day is something our team looks forward to each and every year," said Lorens Attisha, founder and CEO of Soapy Joe's. "We always say we love our communities, and this year, we want to directly reflect their preferences on where our charitable contributions are going. It's a great way to give a voice to our members and those enjoying the free wash on Soapy Joe's Day." The family-owned car wash company has committed to a total donation of $15,000 in commemoration of Soapy Joe's Day. This donation will be split in three parts: the organization that gets the most community votes will receive $10,000, and the runners up will receive $2,500 each. Building community is intrinsic to Soapy Joe's, which has proudly supported San Diego over the past 11 years by donating more than 100,000 free washes and 2 million dollars in cash donations to date. This year, Soapy Joe's has carefully selected a number of charities that support local children, the military community and animals; each close to the Soapy Joe's team's heart. The three charities include the Emilio Nares Foundation , the non-profit that provides free transportation for low income children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases to get to and from their medical appointments; STEP (Support the Enlisted Project) , to help build financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted members and recently discharged enlisted Veterans and their families facing financial crisis through counseling, education and grants; and the Helen Woodward Animal Center , local San Diego non-profit where 'people help animals and animals help people'. Soapy Joe's Day is open to the San Diego community and is completely free of charge. The free $20 Magic Joe washes will begin at 7:00 am and end at 9:00 pm. Attendees must sign up in advance of the event online to receive a barcode, and cast their vote. The barcode can be redeemed at any of the 16 Soapy Joe's locations on Thursday, April 21. The winning charity will be announced on Friday, April 22nd. "We love being involved in our communities, and this is a great way to engage directly with our fans," said Anne Mauler, VP of Marketing at Soapy Joe's. "We anticipate a strong event for 2022 and hope to get as many people involved in our big day as possible." Event Details: What: 7th Annual Soapy Joe's Day When: Thursday, April 21st from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm Where: All 16 Soapy Joe's locations. See the store locator HERE for how to find a location near you for how to find a location near you How to participate: Sign up online to receive a free wash barcode HERE . While on the Soapy Joe's Day web page, vote for your choice of charities! . While on the Soapy Joe's Day web page, vote for your choice of charities! Cost: Free of charge; Magic Joe washes valued at $20/each What else: Soapy Joe's will release a collectible commemorative air freshener available 1-day only For more information about Soapy Joe's Day, please visit www.soapyjoescarwash.com , reserve your spot HERE , and follow @soapyjoes on Instagram. About Soapy Joe's Soapy Joe's is a locally owned family business with multiple locations serving San Diego County. Soapy Joe's prides itself in its commitment to the environment, using advanced water reclamation systems, and earning the International Carwash Associations WaterSavers designation. Over the past 11 years Soapy Joe's has donated nearly 100,000 free washes, benefiting communities such as veterans, healthcare workers, schools, hospitals, and firefighters, and more.?Soapy Joe's prides itself not just on their contribution to the environment but the community and members as well. For more information, current brand news and updates please visit www.soapyjoescarwash.com and follow Soapy Joes on Instagram @soapyjoes . CONTACT: Alex James PR Managing Director alex.james@powerdigitalmarketing.com (619) 820-9281 SOURCE: Soapy Joe's Car Wash View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696423/7th-Annual-Soapy-Joes-Day-Returns-Bringing-Free-Washes-to-All-for-a-Good-Cause MOSCOW, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The United States is consistently building up its military biological potential in various regions of the world, taking advantage of gaps in international law, the Russian military said Wednesday. Washington is creating biological laboratories in different countries and connecting them to a unified system, said Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces. In territories bordering Russia and China alone, there have been about 60 facilities modernized since 2005 with funding from the U.S. military, he said at a meeting. Kirillov noted that the United States has spent more than 5 billion U.S. dollars on military biological programs since 2005. According to him, these biological facilities are carrying out work in three areas: monitoring the biological situation in proposed areas for the deployment of military contingents of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; collecting and delivering strains of dangerous microorganisms to the United States; and studying potential agents of biological weapons. Agents specific to a given region, having natural foci and capable of being transmitted to humans are also being studied, he added. The Latest Investment is Part of GPJ's Expansion and Commitment to German and European Markets AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- George P. Johnson (https://www.gpj.com/) (GPJ), the world's leading event and experience marketing agency, announced that it has acquired the German-based boutique design and experience design studio The Sane Company. (https://thesanecompany.com/) This latest acquisition shows the strength of GPJ's commitment to the German and European markets while also doubling down on expansion and doing so with an emphasis on breakthrough creative and experience design. The Sane Company, which was founded in 2015 by architect Patrick Schmidt and Sabine Wiese, specializes in event and exhibition design, architectural planning, motion design, storytelling and more. GPJ and The Sane Company have a proven track record of working together on various accounts, projects and pitches including Bosch, MINI and Porsche. "Welcoming the immensely talented group from The Sane Company into GPJ's global network of creative minds and studios will allow us to deliver on even more creativity and strategy when planning events in Germany, Europe and beyond," said Chris Meyer, CEO of GPJ. The investment is being fostered by GPJ's holding company, Project (https://project.com/), in alignment with its passion and the increasing desire from clients for an elevated experience design. "We know that stakes are higher than ever - in order to spend time away from family traveling to an event or taking time out of the workday to join a virtual or hybrid event, consumers have to be inspired and excited by the look and feel at every touchpoint," said Oliver Ehmke, Managing Director of GPJ Germany. "With the integration of The Sane Company into our existing creative team, we are establishing a new creative powerhouse at Stuttgart to exceed the constantly growing demands of our existing and new clients in experience design and storytelling. This investment will help solidify GPJ's vision of making the human experience priority #1." In addition to the German market expansion, GPJ is also finalizing its move into a brand-new headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Located directly in the creative heart of Stuttgart, the Marienplatz, the new 15,880 square foot office will be the home for the current GPJ team including The Sane Company team members. With over 90 employees at the start, the new space also allows further growth and will open in May 2022. "At The Sane Company, our philosophy has always been that 'story living' is better than storytelling," said Patrick Schmidt, Founder and CEO of The Sane Company. "Through relevant analogue and digital experiences, we transport brand identity into a hybrid space and thus create sustainable, interactive and successful communications with a human factor and can't wait to join forces with GPJ who has been a long-time leader in event design, experience and execution." The investment in The Sane Company is the 2nd acquisition within 12 months after announcing a significant minority stake in GPJ's long-time partner NOMOBO, a full-service creative broadcasting and video production agency based in Amsterdam. "The EMEA region is extremely important for our constant growth and our global customers, and we will therefore continue to invest in Europe," announced Chris Meyer, CEO of GPJ. Financial details of the acquisition are not being released. About George P. Johnson Experience Marketing GPJ is the world's leading experiential marketing agency. GPJ enables brand marketers to benefit from integrated experiential programs that leverage online, mobile and physical brand interactions fueled by data. Clients in technology, automotive, healthcare, consumer goods, finance, and other industries rely on GPJ to help them compete more effectively on a global basis by creating and accelerating relationships with customers, employees, partners, media, and other influencers. GPJ is part of Project Worldwide, a modern agency network built for the needs of contemporary marketers. Learn more at gpj.com (http://www.gpj.com). About The Sane Company The expertise of the Sane Company is the creation and construction of an impactful, concentrated, and consistent experience in a digital or real space. From event and exhibition design, architectural planning, motion design, storytelling and more, the Sane Company closes the gaps, round off the edges and link the visibility with the invisible. Learn more at thesanecompany.com (https://thesanecompany.com/). Media Contacts: Scott Kellner Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing George P. Johnson Experience Marketing Tel: 408-410-9535 Scott.Kellner@gpj.com (mailto:Scott.Kellner@gpj.com) Jeannie Evanchan Vice President of Media Strategy Praytell Agency jeannie@praytellagency.com (mailto:jeannie@praytellagency.com) A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2295f97c-73cf-43c9-9a5c-9d1a008c89fe (https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2295f97c-73cf-43c9-9a5c-9d1a008c89fe) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / NV Gold Corporation (TSX-V:NVX)(OTCQB:NVGLF)(FRA:8NV) ("NV Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has initiated a first-stage four- hole drilling program at the Discovery Bay Gold Project in Nevada. The Discovery Bay Project is located approximately 14 km southeast of the McCoy Cove gold deposits in Lander County, Nevada (see figure 1). The Discovery Bay target is focused on an almost unexplored window of Triassic Osobb Mountain Quartzite and Cane Springs Limestone (host rocks at McCoy), along with additional underlying promising host lithologies. Most of the target is covered by thin layers of Tertiary volcanics (Basal Tuffs), Quaternary gravels and sediments with little outcrop. Historical drilling in 2018 did encounter a promising layer of sulfidized intrusive rocks in contact with decalcified and Au-anomalous silty limestones. This initial program will consist of approximately 1500 - 1800 meters of reverse-circulation drilling in four holes. The Company expects the drilling to be completed in approximately six weeks. Discovery Bay is in alignment with major multi-million-ounce gold districts, starting in the north with Turquoise Ridge and Phoenix, and in close proximity to the McCoy- Cove Mines. This mineralized NS structural trend is also referred to as the "Rabbit Suture Corridor". To have potentially mineralized McCoy-Cove host lithologies exposed at the surface, and mostly being covered by Tertiary volcanics and Quaternary gravels, makes this a prime target for a potential exciting discovery! NV Gold has conducted ground gravity and IP (Induced Polarization) surveys to capture the full extent of this narrow Triassic window (see figures 1 & 2). This first pass of drilling will be very wide-spaced (a kilometer plus!). It was designed to calibrate our geophysical models and to confirm the presence of host lithologies. NV Gold is aiming for a Carlin-type gold system and any type of intercepted alteration or gold mineralization can be considered a success and opens a path to a possible new discovery," stated Thomas Klein, VP Exploration, NV Gold. John Watson, President, and CEO of NV Gold added, "The Discovery Bay program is the latest step in our stated plan to investigate and drill multiple projects each year to advance our Nevada portfolio. Although Discovery Bay will be a somewhat modest initial program, our near-term project goal is the development of a three-dimensional model of this promising geologic setting. On behalf of the Board of Directors, John E. Watson President & CEO For further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com or contact: Freeform Communications at 604.245.0054 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration activities, the size and timing for completion of the drill program and the potential for a Carlin-type gold system or another type of discovery at Discovery Bay are forward- looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include regulatory issues, market prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals, the lack of continuity of mineralization, the extent to which mineralized structures extend on to the Company's Projects and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Figure 1: Project Location Map (To view the full sized image, please click here) Figure 2: The Discovery Bay target with almost unexplored window of Triassic Osobb Mountain Quartzite and Cane Springs Limestone (host rocks at McCoy), and drill hole locations. (To view the full sized image, please click here) Figure 3: Drill rig on site TOF-2. (To view the full sized image, please click here) SOURCE: NV Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696451/NV-Gold-Initiates-First-Stage-Drilling-Program-at-the-Discovery-Bay-Project Ridley Doolittle has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer of Red Light Holland Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC Pink: TRUFF) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth, and sale of a premium brand of magic truffles, is pleased to announce Ridley Doolittle will become Red Light Holland's Chief Marketing Officer ("CMO") effective immediately. Mr. Doolittle, formerly a Senior Brand Innovation Officer at Bacardi, previously joined Red Light Holland's strong team of advisors, including the Chairman of the Advisory Board Bruce Linton, back in September 2021. Ridley brings a proven track record in driving accelerated growth for industry-leading brands. His extensive experience in growing consumer loved brands will further advance Red Light Holland's growth strategy and expand Red Light Holland's presence across our key focus markets. "As Red Light Holland continues to grow their psychedelic products and brands in the Netherlands and other consumer packaged goods such as Happy Caps Mushroom Home Grow Kits in North America, a full time Chief Marketing Officer was a natural progression," said Bruce Linton, Red Light Holland's Chair of the Advisory Board. "CEO Todd Shapiro is one of the best brand strategists and marketers I've ever worked with but time management is key for him as Red Light Holland continues to rapidly grow. We are excited for Ridley Doolittle to join us in a full-time senior position." "I'm honored to have the opportunity to join the team at Red Light Holland in a larger capacity, and contribute to what I believe is an industry leading approach to the business," added Ridley Doolittle, incoming Red Light Holland CMO. "Continuing to drive strong profitable brand growth across all of our business units will be a core focus for everything we do and I look forward to bringing my expertise to the Management team and working closely with all of them including CEO Todd Shapiro." "This is another significant day for Red Light Holland and all of our shareholders," said Todd Shapiro, CEO and Director of Red Light Holland. "Ridley Doolittle will immediately help us with several important marketing initiatives focused at increasing sales while growing exposure for our unique brands. I'm really looking forward to working even closer with Ridley, who is completely aligned with Red Light Holland's Rec and Tech approach, products, brands, mission and vision of equitable and affordable access with the goal of creating positive experiences." About Red Light Holland The Company is an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth and sale (through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform) of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal market within the Netherlands. For additional information on the Company: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer & Director Tel: 647-643-TRIP (8747) Email: todd@redlight.co Website: https://redlight.co Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or their respective subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Examples of such information include statements with respect to: the appointment of Ridley Doolittle as it relates to the expected growth initiatives including increasing revenue growth and potential future marketing campaigns. 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, expectations regarding future growth and expansion of the operations of the business; regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial and stock markets; risks related to infectious diseases, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; legal and regulatory risks inherent in the psychedelics industry, including the global regulatory landscape and enforcement related to psychedelics; political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; risks relating to anti-money laundering laws; compliance with extensive government regulation and the interpretation of various laws regulations and policies; public opinion and perception of the psychedelics industry; and such other risks contained in the public filings of the Company filed with Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including the Company's annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2020. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119607 Phase One Launch in Twelve Gelson's Markets Locations, Establishes Rritual Brand For Growth at One of America's Premier Supermarket Chains Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Rritual Superfoods Inc. (CSE: RSF) (FSE: 0RW) (OTC: RRSFF) ("Rritual" or the "Company") is excited to announce the Company's Superfood Products have launched at Gelson's Markets in Southern California. "The Gelson's seal of approval is extremely valuable, and we are encouraged to be featured in twelve key locations in Southern California, with the aim to expand to all twenty-seven locations," said Mr. Warren Spence, Rritual CEO. The full line of Rritual Superfoods products will be available in 12 Gelson's Market Locations in Southern California. Phase one will feature a strong marketing presence for Rritual products being introduced to Gelson's customers with stand alone endcap displays in each location. Building upon results, the Rritual sales and marketing team with work with Gelson's to evaluate and align the product line for growth and expansion throughout Gelson's Markets 27 locations in Southern California. "Gelson's is a premium supermarket chain in Southern California, with prized locations from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Gelson's are highly conscientious, and they serve very loyal consumers who we believe will embrace the Rritual product line - and brand - fueling growth and reputation in this decisive "tastemaker" region," said Mr. Warren Spence. Rritual product offerings are all USDA-certified organic and are a caffeine-free option that can be mixed with other beverages or enjoyed by itself. Rritual's proprietary Immune-Synergy Six Mushroom Blend is the only functional health product on the market that contains a daily prebiotic blend which nourishes a healthy gut microbiome and facilitates balanced digestive function. About Gelson's Markets Gelson's was founded in 1951 by brothers Bernard and Eugene Gelson as an extraordinary grocery shopping experience for discerning consumers. Gelson's Markets is recognized as one of the nation's premier supermarket chains. Each location is singularly known as the area's best market for superior produce, highest quality meat, seafood and deli, an unmatched selection of wine and liquor, and exceptional service. About Rritual Rritual Superfoods is the first award winning, premium brand in the emerging functional mushroom & adaptogenic superfood market. More than a functional mushroom company, Rritual is a Superfood Platform. At the forefront of innovation in the space, we have entered the market with plant-based elixirs, and continue to consistently expand our offering to meet and exceed our customer's needs. As a company, we believe in the power of plant-based nourishment and the vital life force that adaptogens, superfoods, and mushrooms can offer our bodies. Our products are made with mindfully-selected, organic functional mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs, traditionally consumed for their ability to support a healthy response to stress and help optimize mental, cognitive, digestive, and immune health. Rritual's superfood elixirs can be found online at www.rritual.com. Follow Rritual on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. For further information please contact: Warren Spence - Chief Executive Officer and Director Investor Relations: E-mail: investors@wearerritual.com Telephone: (844) 809-5709 Functional Foods Market According to Grandview Research*, it is estimated that the global functional food market is projected to reach $275 billion by 2025, growing at 7.9% each year with consumers putting more emphasis on health and wellness. *https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-functional-foods-market Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to Rritual's current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "expects", "will continue", "is anticipated", "anticipates", "believes", "estimated", "intends", "plans", "forecast", "projection", "strategy", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company's plans to leverage third party manufacturing and logistics, the Company's broader retail distribution plans and the Company's other plans, focus and objectives. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rritual's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors set forth under "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the final long form prospectus of the Company dated February 26, 2021 and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Rritual undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Rritual to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119576 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is pleased to announce drill results at its 100% owned Love Lake Nickel-Copper-Palladium project in north-eastern Saskatchewan. The Love Lake layered mafic complex is located approximately 100 kilometre east of Cameco's Key lake uranium mill along Highway 905 to the Rabbit Lake/ McClean Lake uranium mills (Figure 1). Forum completed twelve holes for a total of 2,844 metres on three targets - Korvin Lake, Korvin Creek and What Lake. HIGHLIGHTS What Lake LL-03 - 0.23% Cu, 0.05% Ni, 85 ppb Pt, 118 ppb Pd over 8.5 metres from 34.5m to 43m Korvin Creek LL-08 - 0.56% Cu, 0.06%Ni, 5 ppb Pt, 14 ppb Pd over 13.5 metres from 24.5m to 38m LL-10 - 0.45% Cu, 0.07% Ni over 23 metres from 3m to 26m Larry Hulbert, Cu-Ni-PGE Consultant to the Love Lake Project, stated, "The unusually high Copper/Nickel ratios associated with the magnesium-rich mafic to ultramafic host lithologies at Korvin Creek and their extreme PGE-depletion are incompatible and could suggest an unrecognized earlier sulphide-PGE segregation event. The anomalous Platinum and Palladium association at What Lake needs further investigation." Over 2000 samples of core were taken to examine the geochemistry of this large layered system to determine the geological controls of the nickel, copper, platinum and palladium mineralization encountered at Love Lake. Detailed chemostratigraphic analyses through all the drill holes clearly indicate that these intersections reflect lithologies that are the products of an intrusive complex that has experienced a high degree of differentiation. Such differentiation is a fundamental requirement of intrusions that host Platinum Group Element (PGE) mineralization. Drill holes 3 to 12 display classic textural examples of layered intrusion features and magmatic sulphides over wide intervals. However, anomalous concentrations of PGE only occurred in holes 3 and 4 at What Lake in lithologies that appear to be no different than that seen in holes 5 to 12 at Korvin Lake (Figure 2). Results from this initial drill program by Forum are shown in Table 1. TABLE 1 WHAT LAKE DDH From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Copper (%) Nickel (%) Platinum (ppb) Palladium (ppb) LL-03 34.5 43 8.5 0.23 0.05 85 118 LL-03 46 48.5 2.5 0.28 0.07 65 79 LL-04 201 206 5 0.37 0.01 KORVIN CREEK LL-08 24.5 38 13.5 0.56 0.06 5 14 LL-08 39 44 5 0.18 0.03 LL-08 68 69.5 1.5 0.19 0.01 LL-09 72 73 1 0.25 0.02 LL-10 3 26 23 0.45 0.07 LL-10 94.5 101 6.5 0.21 0.04 LL-10 106.5 108.5 2 0.20 0.02 LL-12 66.5 68 1.5 0.30 0.09 LL-12 73 77 4 0.15 0.05 LL-12 91 94.5 3.5 0.15 0.03 LL-12 123 125.5 2.5 0.11 0.01 LL-12 134 135.5 1.5 0.18 0.03 Love Lake Nickel-Copper-Platinum-Palladium- Project The Peter Lake Domain in northern Saskatchewan is the largest mafic/ultramafic complex in North America second only to the Duluth Complex which is centered in the heart of the Midcontinent Rift System in Minnesota and Ontario and is host to numerous magmatic copper/nickel and platinum/palladium deposits. For over 250 km of the Peter Lake Domain numerous copper/nickel and platinum/palladium showings have been uncovered over the past fifty years that have received only sporadic exploration. Forum staked 32,075 hectares over the 20km by 5km Love Lake Complex in 2019, a 2.56 billion year old, palladium enriched layered gabbroic intrusive. A 4,412 line kilometre Heli-GT magnetic/gradiometric survey was completed for Forum by SHA Geophysics in 2020, two field programs of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and prospecting were completed by Forum in 2019 and 2020 and a 588 line kilometre HeliSam Time Domain airborne EM survey was completed in 2021. Larry Hulbert, P.Geo., Forum's Copper-Nickel-PGE Consultant and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. Figure 1: Location of the Love Lake Cu-Ni-PGM Project along Highway 905. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/119600_6ebc63dfd4cae991_003full.jpg Figure 2 Hole LL-08 at 28 metres showing classic magmatic silicate-sulphide textures. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/119600_6ebc63dfd4cae991_004full.jpg About Forum Energy Metals Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is a diversified energy metal company with uranium, copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan, Canada's Number One Rated mining province for exploration and development, a strategic uranium land position in Nunavut and a strategic cobalt land position in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. For further information: www.forumenergymetals.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo. President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO mazur@forumenergymetals.com Phone - 604-630-1585 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119600 Club dVIN's proprietary Digital Cork NFT technology is set to revolutionize the industry NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Club dVIN , the world's premier global non-fungible token (NFT) wine club, will officially launch to the public on Saturday, May 14 with an initial offering of 4,000 functional NFT memberships. Club dVIN's exclusive network provides access to curated wine and fine-dining experiences across the globe, physical and virtual tastings with the world's best winemakers and experts, and access to rare collections and exclusive drops by top winemakers. In addition, Club dVIN is introducing new proprietary Digital Cork NFT technology, which provides a certificate of authenticity, chain of custody and proof of provenance. This new technology is set to revolutionize the industry by utilizing blockchain technology that provides confidence to buyers and valuable data to producers. "Club dVIN is made possible through proprietary technology that uses the blockchain to bring together a global wine community in a way that has never before been possible," said David Garrett, who is co-founder of Club dVIN along with Behdad Shahsavari and Brian Feuer. "We have built a foundation for Club dVIN through a community of the ultimate wine insiders; a group of 100 founding members who are the top names in wine's new guard, from Masters of Wine to top winemakers." Exclusive to Club dVIN are Tasting Token NFTs, which are functional NFTs that are connected to a Digital Cork. As soon as the bottle is tagged by the producer, it is linked to a Digital Cork NFT on the blockchain. Tasting Token NFTs are minted when a bottle connected to a Digital Cork is opened. In addition to the visual storytelling element of the NFT and detailed information about the wine, the holder of the Tasting Token can add their own tasting notes, as well as photos or videos to commemorate the event. As Tasting Tokens are collected, holders gain access to Club dVIN's curated experiences, as well as special benefits and rewards from winemakers. Over time, these NFTs will become an immersive virtual tasting journal. Winemakers and other collaborators can use Tasting Token NFT data to communicate with wine lovers at the moment of consumption, and to provide benefits and incentives to their biggest fans. Club dVIN's Digital Cork tracks each bottle of wine "from grape to glass," starting with the winemaker and through sale to the consumer and subsequent resale. Wine collectors will be able to access every detail of the chain of custody, from the dates of shipment and where the bottle was stored, to climate control data and other care and handling details. With this transparency, a Digital Cork NFT will act to increasingly disincentivize fraud. "Genesis" Club dVIN members will gain access to a global community of like-minded wine and web3 enthusiasts and experts, including the 100 founding members who represent some of the most revered names in wine, crypto and media. They include sommelier-turned-winemaker and author, Rajat "Raj" Parr; leading sommeliers Valentina Litman and Michael Madrigale, who is co-founder of Grande Cuvee; Rich Antoniello, founder of Complex Media; tastemaker Jana Kreilein; Bordeaux expert Jane Anson; Philip Harden, Richard Hemming and David Forer, all Masters of Wine; and accomplished winemaker and vintner Sashi Moorman; as well as several members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The diverse membership spans more than a dozen nations including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Venezuela, Spain, Hong Kong, France, Canada, Singapore and Argentina. The entry price for the first 4,000 NFTs is 1.5 ETH, currently valued at approximately $3,750/USD, with the proceeds of the sale of 100 of those earmarked for charitable contributions. A comprehensive outline of privileges of membership can be found on the website and includes: access to Club dVIN's extensive network of winemakers, wineries, wine experts, collectors and more; rare wine tastings and experiences around the globe; exclusive offers, including highly coveted library wines and first releases straight from the producer; and exclusive content and education, such as stories about specific winemakers and expertise shared directly from Club dVIN's community. Upcoming private, members-only wine tastings and experiences will be held during Paris Blockchain Week; Devconnect in Amsterdam; En Primeur in Bordeaux, France; and London Wine Week. Additionally, Club dVIN will be announcing a surprise once-in-a-lifetime harvest experience for late summer that is, by any standard, historic. Club dVIN was created by Garrett, whose expertise spans more than 25 years in the technology and wine industries, globally; Feuer, whose 30-year career in finance and venture capital includes 20 years of venture structuring with global leader, McKinsey & Company; and Shahsavari, who brings decades of experience in wine, venture capital, start-ups and management consulting to the first-of-its-kind NFT club. Together, they are working alongside a collective of some of the best minds and companies in wine and technology, including Rarible Protocol, Protokol and Logos, each industry leaders in web3, NFTs and cryptocurrency. Rarible Protocol is the leading open-source and cross-chain NFT protocol. It is composed of a decentralized exchange, NFT minting smart contracts and an open source NFT indexer currently deployed on Ethereum, Tezos, Flow and Polygon. Club dVIN is building its NFT marketplace within the Rarible Protocol ecosystem and will collaborate with Rarible Protocol on several events and activations in the near future. Full-scale blockchain solutions provider, Protokol , is working with Club dVIN to build the revolutionary new application. Built with the customer experience in mind, the application simplifies the onboarding of users who may not be experienced in NFTs, allowing them to benefit from a familiar Web2 experience in a Web3 world. Protokol delivered Club dVIN's vision integrating and utilizing multiple technologies including the Ethereum and Polygon blockchains, along with a number of other innovative components. All of which combine to produce an engaging and simplified application that provides an exclusive experience to Club dVIN members. More information about Club dVIN is available on the website at www.clubdvin.com , as well as on Club dVIN's Instagram and Twitter channels. Daily content is posted on Club dVIN's Discord ( https://discord.com/invite/clubdvin ), including wine discussions and weekly events around all things wine and crypto. About Club dVIN: The world's premier global non-fungible token (NFT) wine club, Club dVIN provides access to a global community of wine lovers, rare wine offerings and curated experiences. Club dVIN's Tasting Token NFTs provide proof of experience and can be used to access unique opportunities around the globe. Members will also be able to access Club dVIN's signature Digital Cork technology, making it possible to certify authenticity and track the life of a bottle of wine "from grape to glass." More information about Club dVIN can be found on the website at www.clubdvin.com and on Club dVIN's Discord as well as on Instagram and Twitter . Trademarks for Tasting Token and Digital Cork are currently under review. Membership tokens and Tasting Tokens are not securities and are not intended for investment purposes. About Rarible Protocol: Rarible Protocol is a set of tools for NFT builders. It was developed by Rarible.com, and later inherited by Rarible DAO, governed by $RARI token holders. For more information, please visit www.rarible.org and follow Rarible DAO on Twitter at @raribledao or on our Discord. About Protokol: Protokol is a full-scale blockchain provider that offers a range of blockchain services, products and solutions. All about simplicity, Protokol's streamlined and phased approach to service delivery minimizes complexity and reduces the barriers to entry for implementing blockchain technology. Whether acting as a full solution provider, consultative partner or system integrator - Protokol delivers tailored blockchain solutions in an open and inclusive ecosystem to help businesses turn complex blockchain technology into tangible business outcomes. To find out more, visit https://www.protokol.com/ . About Logos: Logos DAO is the DAO of DAOS helping people discover, connect and join DAOS that align with their passions. Logos DAO is building a curated treasury of the best DAOs by providing support, tools, people, and communities to help them scale. For more info, visit www.logos.xyz. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782181/Club_dVIN_Membership_Card.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782182/Club_dVIN_Tasting_Token.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782183/Club_dVIN_Logo_Logo.jpg VICTOR, N.Y., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") agreement with Bank of America, N.A. to repurchase $500.0 million of its Class A common stock ("Common Stock"). Under the ASR agreement, Constellation will receive approximately 1.7 million shares on April 8, 2022, representing approximately 80% of the expected share repurchases under the ASR agreement, based on the company's April 6, 2022 closing stock price of $231.81. The repurchased shares will become treasury shares. The specific number of shares to be repurchased in the transaction is generally based upon the volume-weighted-average price of the Common Stock during the term of the ASR agreement, less a discount and is expected to be completed no later than May 2022. The purchase price for shares repurchased in the accelerated share repurchase transaction will be paid primarily with cash on hand and will be completed under the company's current share repurchase authorization, which currently has approximately $2.6 billion in authorization remaining before giving effect to the ASR. This ASR agreement will not change the fiscal 2023 EPS guidance provided in our news release of earlier today and constitutes the $500 million share repurchase referenced in that news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The word "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to business strategy, future operations, prospects, plans, and objectives of management, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur or will occur on any contemplated timetable. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It's worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. It's what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what's next. Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, our fine wine and craft spirits brands, including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey, and our premium wine brands such as Meiomi and Kim Crawford. But we won't stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering what's Worth Reaching For. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrandsand visit www.cbrands.com. MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 / michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com (mailto:michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com) Amy Martin 585-678-7141 / amy.martin@cbrands.com (mailto:amy.martin@cbrands.com) Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 / patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com (mailto:patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com) A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/967ca0c8-37eb-43b2-91d9-79f79e8872c4 Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Nevada Exploration Inc. (OTCQB: NVDEF) (TSXV: NGE) ("the Company"), a company disrupting Nevada's exploration industry by applying new technology to systematically explore for the second half of Nevada's gold endowment waiting to be discovered beneath Nevada's valley basins. CEO of the Company, James Buskard, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. "Could you give us an update on your current drilling program?", asked Jolly to begin the interview. Buskard elaborated on the Company's ten-hole drilling program designed to validate the primary target at their flagship South Grass Valley project. "These first couple of holes are really hitting it out of the park in terms of confirming geologically that we have a good handle on what is happening," shared Buskard. "We are transitioning from this first phase to now continuing on with the balance of the holes, which is to make sure we have a constellation of ten drill holes to assess this target for what we believe could potentially be a globally significant discovery." "To continue to de-risk the project, we've partnered with a new drilling company called Drill NV Inc.," explained Buskard. "They have given us the guarantee that they are going to hit our target depths, or else they will not get paid," he said. "Drill NV is also taking a 25% equity piece in the payment because they really believe in the project." Jolly then asked about the addition of Nancy Richter to the Company's board. Buskard elaborated on Richter's extensive exploration experience in Nevada, as well as her contributions to one of the most significant discoveries over the last ten years. "It was a fantastic match and we feel very fortunate to be able to work with Nancy and advance these projects." "Could you tell us more about the strategic partnership with Astro Resources?", asked Jolly. "With Astro, we have agreed to an area in Nevada, which we believe is very prospective, and Astro has the ability to move a number of targets forward within this million-acre box whereby we get to enjoy a 30% carried interest." "We're excited to be able to add what we expect to be a number of new projects into the pipeline," continued Buskard. "We believe this is going to be an opportunity for our shareholders to take additional rides on a number of other projects." Jolly then commented on the Company's current valuation, which remains undervalued. "We're really going into company-making strategies," said Buskard. "We're going into a prolific search space that hasn't yet been explored, that has a significant residual endowment of potentially globally significant discoveries, and then using the best science over a very large area to come up with a systematic approach." "I believe our ongoing work at South Grass Valley is going to continue to unlock a lot of value in terms of validating our exploration model, as well as being able to introduce additional projects through strategic partnerships," continued Buskard. To close the interview, Buskard discusses the potential of the Company's current drilling program, which has now been validated by the results of their progress. He also encouraged listeners and shareholders to keep up-to-date on the Company's current and upcoming projects as they continue to execute on their strategic plans and create value. To hear James Buskard's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8062728-nevada-exploration-inc-discusses-new-strategic-partnerships-and-2022-drilling-program-with-the-s Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/. About Nevada Exploration Inc. Led by an international team of proven explorers, NGE is disrupting Nevada's exploration industry by applying new technology to systematically explore for the second half of Nevada's gold endowment waiting to be discovered beneath Nevada's valley basins. NGE is advancing a portfolio of new gold exploration projects, primarily focused on three district-scale Carlin-type gold projects, which include its flagship South Grass Valley project where it is currently drilling approximately 50 kilometres south-southwest of the Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Corporation joint venture) Cortez complex. For more information, subscribe and join: Email sign up: www.nevadaexploration.com/investors/signup Twitter: www.twitter.com/NV_Exploration Instagram: www.instagram.com/nevadaexploration Facebook: www.facebook.com/NevadaExplorationInc For further information, please contact: Nevada Exploration Inc. Email: info@nevadaexploration.com Telephone: +1 (604) 601 2006 Website: www.nevadaexploration.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. SOURCE: Stock Day Media (602) 821-1102 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119645 NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Infertility Treatment Market is expected to clock US$ ~3.98 billion by 2031 owing to changing lifestyles and the rising prevalence of infertility in both genders. Growth Factor Various fertility chain clinics are implementing strategies such as acquisitions to expand their geographical footprint and strengthen R&D activities. This factor is expected to boost the infertility treatment market growth. For instance, in July 2020, The Fertility Partnership (UK) signed an agreement to acquire VivaNeo GmbH from Waterland Private Equity. The Fertility Partnership ("TFP") is one of the leading European providers of fertility services, ultrasound pregnancy scans, and hormone treatments with 10 fertility clinics in the U.K and Poland. Whereas, VivaNeo is one of the leading European providers of fertility services with 9 clinics supported by 5 satellite clinics across Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The partnership is aimed to improve patient experience and success rates through broader investment in research and technology. The global infertility treatment market has been analyzed from five different perspectives-Type, Procedure Type, Gender Type, End User, and Region. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/request-sample/infertility-treatment-market/7652 Excerpts from 'Competitive Landscape The prominent players operating in the global infertility treatment market are: Esco Micro Pte Ltd IVFtech ApS Fujifilm Irvine Scientific Rocket Medical plc Zeiss Microscopy Somatex Medical Technologies GmbH Cooper Surgical Fertility & Genomic Solutions Cook Vitrolife Genea Limited among others Excerpts from 'By Procedure Type Segmentation' The global infertility treatment market has been segmented majorly into four distinct categories depending on procedure type; viz. Assisted reproductive technology Artificial insemination Fertility surgery Others. The assisted reproductive technology segment dominated the market with the largest share owing to its greater success rate and favorable reimbursement policies. The assisted reproductive technology procedure is further categorized into in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and others (zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), frozen embryo transfer (FET) etc.). Inquire Before Buying Report: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/before-buying/infertility-treatment-market/7652 Excerpts from 'By Region Segmentation' The global infertility treatment market has been segmented into North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to command the largest share of the global infertility treatment market in 2020, followed by Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Factors such as favorable reimbursement policies, presence of large number of fertility clinics, and greater presence of the prominent players are attributed to the large share of the region in the global market. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Market Ecosystem Geographic Scope Timeline Under Consideration Historical Years - 2018 & 2019 Base Year - 2020 Forecasted Years - 2021 to 2031 Currency Used in the Report RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Approach Data Collection Methodology Data Sources Secondary Sources Primary Sources Market Estimation Approach Bottom Up Top Down Market Forecasting Model Limitations and Assumptions TOC continued Quick buy this report: https://growthplusreports.com/checkout?_token=tU3f8kpBp7m1K3eKYabmyuPfayzWqABHOEXqUR4W&report_id=7652&license=Single Check out more related studies published by Growth Plus Reports: Bioinformatics Market by Products & Services (Bioinformatics Platforms, Knowledge Management Tools, and Bioinformatics Services), Applications (Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Transcriptomics, and Drug Development), End User (Medical Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology, Agricultural Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology, and Forensic Biotechnology) - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2031 Molecular Diagnostics Market by Product & Services [Systems & Instruments, Assay Reagents & Kits, and Software & Service], Technology [Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), DNA Sequencing & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), In Situ Hybridization, and Microarrays], Application [Infectious disease, Oncology, Pharmacogenomics, Genetic Testing], End User [Hospitals, Academic Institutes & Research Centers Biomarkers Market by Offering [Consumables, Services, and Software], Type [Safety Biomarkers, Efficacy Biomarkers and Validation Biomarkers], Application [Diagnostics, Drug Discovery, and Development, and Personalized Medicine], Disease Indication [Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases, Neurological Diseases, and Immunological Diseases] - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2031 Cardiac Safety Services Market by Type (Standalone and Integrated), Services (Cardiac Imaging, ECG/Holter Measurement, Blood Pressure Measurement and Thorough QT Study), End User (Pharmaceutical Companies and Contract Research Organizations (CROs)) - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2031 Genetic Testing Market by Testing Type [Prenatal & Newborn Testing, Diagnostic Testing, Carrier Testing, Predictive & Presymptomatic Testing, and Pharmacogenomic Testing], Technology [Cytogenetic Testing, Biochemical Testing, and Molecular Testing] - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2031 About Us: Growth+Reports is part of GRG Health, a global healthcare knowledge service company. We are proud members of EPhMRA (European Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Association). Growth+ portfolio of services draws on our core capabilities of secondary and primary research, market modelling and forecasting, benchmarking, analysis, and strategy formulation to help clients create scalable, ground-breaking solutions that prepare them for future growth and success. We were awarded by the prestigious CEO Magazine as "Most Innovative Healthcare Market Research Company in 2020. Contact Data Manan Sethi Director, Market Insights Email: enquire@growthplusreports.com Phone no: +91 96545 76783 Web: https://growthplusreports.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1671244/Growth_Plus_Reports_Logo.jpg VAIL, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / The RideForPKD announced today that they have received a $50,000 challenge grant from The PKD Outreach Foundation (pkDO). The grant will double the impact of all donations made during the month of April 2022 to the PKD Foundation - in support of the RideForPKD - to support their research programs. Visit www.RideForPKD.org, click on the Donate button to make a tax-deductible donation to the PKD Foundation, and all donations will automatically be matched dollar-for-dollar. "We are honored and humbled that Rich Kellner and pkDO have made such an unbelievably generous gesture to support the RideForPKD and help us double support for the PKD Foundation's research program," said RideforPKD's Founder Glenn Frommer, a PKD sufferer and avid cyclist who will be riding 5,300 miles across the entire United States this Summer. "I begin the RideForPKD journey on May 1 and we ask anyone who is graciously considering supporting our cause to donate during this last month before the riding begins to leverage the generosity of pkDO." "April is 'National Donate Life Month', and what better way to raise awareness about organ donations, honor those that have saved lives, and bring awareness to pkDO's living kidney donation pilot programs," said Rich Kellner, Founder of pkDO. "My wife Jo had PKD, and it contributed to her passing in January 2021. I applaud Glenn's efforts to raise money and awareness for this disease and hope we will be able to double others' donations to $100,000 in total by the time Glenn embarks on his journey across America." The RideForPKD, a 5,300-mile cross country bike ride to raise money for the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation, is committed to raising at least $500,000 to help fund research and find a cure for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an inherited and incurable genetic disease in which clusters of damaging cysts develop primarily within the kidneys leading to life-altering symptoms and ultimately kidney failure in so many of the 600,000 Americans who have the disease. The ride begins on May 1st in San Francisco, CA and ends on September 3rd in Cape Cod, MA. The PKD Outreach Foundation (www.pkDO.org) provides support for families with PKD through the creation of programs to increase live donor transplants, increase awareness of ways to slow disease progression, and to PUT an END to PKD by increasing awareness and access to Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) to prevent the disease from being passed down to future generations. pkDO has launched a pilot program at University of Utah Health as part of its mission to help endPKD. The funds raised from the RideForPKD, with the support of pkDO, are donated directly to the PKD Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit and the only organization in the U.S. dedicated solely to finding treatments and a cure for PKD. The organization advances research, education, advocacy, support, and awareness of PKD on a national and local level. Since 1982, the PKD Foundation has funded more than 1,300 research projects and leveraged $1.5B in research funds. For more information on the PKD Foundation, please visit pkdcure.org. The RideForPKD has already raised over $350,000 in personal donations plus sponsorships from more than 30 wonderful sponsors including RBC Wealth Management, pkDO, 28Freight, Bank of Colorado, Milkbox Partners, Palladio Biosciences, Goally, VAREco, Bridge of Life, City National Bank, Domino's Pizza, Grossman Wellness, Brinkman Real Estate, quip, Fruition Partners, Regulus Therapeutics, Murray & Stafford, Santa Barbara Nutrients, Primalwear, TLD Group, and many others. Visit https://www.rideforpkd.org/ to learn about donating, becoming a sponsor, registering to join any portion of the cross-country ride, or volunteering. Follow the ride on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative 978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@riemercommunications.com SOURCE: Ride for PKD View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696384/The-RideForPKD-Receives-a-50000-Challenge-Grant-From-The-PKD-Outreach-Foundation-pkDO-pkDO-Will-Match-all-New-Donations-Made-in-April-National-Donate-Life-Month BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held a phone conversation with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg at the latter's request. Wang said that not long ago, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene made a special trip to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and that during their respective meetings with Oyun-Erdene, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang reached important consensus with him, injecting new impetus to the development of bilateral relations. The more turbulent the international situation is, the more China and Mongolia, as close neighbors, should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation, he added. Echoing Wang's words, Battsetseg said that the Mongolian side is ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, keep close exchanges at different levels and strengthen communication and cooperation in various fields. She said that the Mongolian side looks forward to giving full play to the Mongolia-China "green lanes" to further improve port operation capacity and shipment, and effectively cope with the negative impact caused by the spillover of the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Wang said that as good neighbors and friends, China and Mongolia have always stuck together through thick and thin and overcome difficulties together, and that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia on recovery and boost Mongolia's economic and social development. Recently, the "green lanes" between China and Mongolia have been reopened, and positive progress has been made in railway transportation, road freight, customs clearance and energy and mineral trade, he said. China is willing to work with Mongolia to speed up the construction of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor and promote the connectivity of railway lines between China and Mongolia, Wang said. China will continue to provide Mongolia with anti-epidemic materials and equipment, support the country's efforts in epidemic prevention and control and ensure the smooth operation of the border ports, he added. The two sides agreed to continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, avoid external interference and promote healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. Battsetseg said Mongolia respects China's core concerns, and will as always handle religious affairs independently. The two sides also exchanged views on multilateral affairs. Battsetseg appreciated China's sense of responsibility as a major country in the fight against COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis, and spoke highly of China's commitment to promoting peace talks, resolving differences and providing humanitarian assistance. Wang stressed that the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis have an impact on normal economic and social affairs of all countries, and Asian countries should strengthen communication and coordination to jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and development. ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Supernova Energy, Inc. (OTC PINK:SPRN) ("SUPERNOVA" or the "Company") today, discusses the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change and how its subsidiary Klir Sky, Inc. ("KLIR") can help to solve the problem. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) simply trap heat and make the planet warmer, known as global warming, this slow but steady increase to the earth's temperature is detrimental to wildlife, oceans, and crop production. Since 1970 these emissions have risen over 90% about 2% year over year. The steady rise in these gases is mainly caused by fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes which contributes to about 78% of greenhouse emissions worldwide. The United States (15%), China (60%) India (8%) and the European Union (9%) are the heaviest contributors. In the United States the following industries who contribute the most emissions are: Transportation (29 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) - The transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes. Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, which includes primarily gasoline and diesel. Electricity production (25 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) - Electricity production generates the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 62 percent of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas. Industry (23 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) - Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily come from burning fossil fuels for energy, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials. Nicholas Upchurch CEO of Supernova Energy, Inc., and founder of KLIR comments: "The steady rise in greenhouse gas is taking a toll on the planet, I can see it personally through extreme weather events, hotter summers, and reduced crop yields from farmers. Climate change is a critical global issue that needs to be solved as a fast as possible. Although I am in industries that produce greenhouse gasses, I want to do everything in my power to mitigate and offset where I can. That is what spawned the idea for Klir Sky, Inc., and the technology we are using." KLIR and its Pollution Reduction as a Service ("PRaaS") helps to effectively reduce harmful greenhouse gasses emitted from industry and smokestack polluters. The technology KLIR will deploy essentially scrubs noxious pollutants, liquefies the gases, and contains them for future sale. Nicholas Upchurch CEO of Supernova Energy, Inc., comments further "KLIR allows me to pursue my personal mission to help take action against climate change by mitigating greenhouse gasses effectively and economically for both the Company and our clients. This is a service the world needs to help save the planet and we are gearing up to provide it. I look forward to sharing updates through an upcoming VLOG series, our social media platforms, and of course traditional news releases." *All figures above are from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. About Supernova Energy, Inc. Supernova Energy, Inc. (OTC PINK:SPRN) is an American-based oil and gas production and exploration company with key holdings Kentucky. The Company's goal is to acquire economical leases in known oil and gas formations with a low cost of recovery. The strategy is to specialize in wellbore completion, re-completion, and workovers on existing oil and gas production. The Company is also in the business of greenhouse gas exhaust mitigation through its majority owned subsidiary, KLIR Sky, Inc. (www.klirsky.com). Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The foregoing contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend for these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws relating to forward-looking statements. This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect Supernova Energy Inc., plans, and expectations. In this press release and related comments by Company management, words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "goal," and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, representing management's current judgment and expectations about possible future events. Management believes these forward-looking statements and the judgments upon which they are based to be reasonable, but they are not guarantees of future performance and involve numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, achievements, or financial position to be materially different from any expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements are outlined in our quarterly and annual reports. Contact: Nicholas Upchurch Supernova Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer info@snenergyinc.com SOURCE: Supernova Energy, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696452/Supernova-Energy-Inc-Discusses-Climate-Change-Problem-and-How-Klir-Sky-Inc-Can-Be-Part-of-the-Solution Support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Key to Improving Health Equity Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced a partnership with The Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice, a national think tank and research center rooted in the African American community, to support research and innovative health-related programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In addition to a financial contribution, Philips will provide in-kind efforts such as capacity building for grant and proposal opportunities and additional support services in this progressive partnership. The Payne Center is an initiative of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College community. HBCUs have traditionally been underfunded, creating a key challenge in addressing health equity and health issues with the African American community. 80% of Black doctors and dentists are trained at an HBCU and 56% of HBCU faculty are African American or Black, making HBCUs uniquely positioned to understand the needs of the Black community. Working together, Philips and the Payne Center will not only advocate for increased research grants and appropriations for programs that drive solutions to improve access to care in underserved communities but will also support faculty research on HBCU campuses that will inform policymakers. "Partnerships, like the one announced today with Philips, provide the lifeblood for our organization and the HBCUs we support. Their financial contribution and resources will afford the Payne Center additional capacity to pursue more research opportunities for our HBCUs and move the needle when it comes to relevant legislation," said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "Ultimately, we hope to see our HBCUs develop solutions by the Black community, for the Black community, that will drive health equity. By working with a leading health technology organization such as Philips we believe we will be able to meet our goals." There are more than 100 HBCUs across 19 States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, educating 300,000 students annually. While recent investment in HBCUs has improved, a previous study indicated that HBCUs had received less than 1% of the $18.4 billion in grants awarded to higher education by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), making support through partnership a critical element to the success of HBCUs. "Our purpose is to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people a year by 2030, including 400 million in underserved communities, and working with leading organizations that share our commitment to improve health equity and health outcomes for underserved communities is an important part of this," said Pamela Hall, senior executive, Philips and TMCF business liaison. "As a proud graduate of Delaware State University, I have seen first-hand the talented professionals and world-changing initiatives that come from HBCUs. Combining forces with The Payne Center will help drive much needed research that focuses on the health and well-being of the African American community." To view a video about the partnership, please click here. About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. About the Dr. N Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice The Thurgood Marshall College Fund created the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice to serve as a nexus in advancing social justice for Black Americans. The Payne Center is a national think tank and research center rooted in the African American community that draws together top HBCU scholars, national thought leaders, community advocates, and on-the-ground solution-makers. Together, we identify, evaluate, and scale new evidenced-based programs and policies designed to create sustainable, positive change to the fabric of Black life in American society. Learn more: paynecenter.org About the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005147/en/ Contacts: Silvie Casanova Philips North America Tel: +1 781.879.0692 E-mail: silvie.casanova@philips.com Avi Dines Philips North America Tel: +1 781-690-3814 E-mail: avi.dines@philips.com BAGHDAD, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium automobile brand EXEED, after making its Russian debut earlier this year, received unanimous high praise from Russian drivers and was awarded the distinction of "Breakthrough of the Year" by Russian media. EXEED is now scheduled to soon enter the Iraqi market. A new entrant in the global high-end automotive market, EXEED, an automobile manufacturer that has inherited the accumulation of some hundred years of experience in the European car industry, has brought on board hundreds of competent designers and engineers with profound experiences from BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and other European carmakers. EXEED has incorporated into its production processes the latest intelligent technologies from around the world, empowering the automaker in its challenge to traditional premium car brands. The brand stands apart from its rivals by virtue of its lineup of vehicles that can withstand extreme weather conditions, as evidenced by the results of tests performed at the extreme low outside temperature of -50C, at the extreme high of 55C that can be experienced in Middle East deserts as well as amid the rugged conditions found atop South America's 3,750-meter-high Altiplano. EXEED comes equipped with a proprietary four-wheel drive architecture, a spacious interior, an intelligent panoramic sunroof as well as heat insulation and sun protection. The premium luxury leather seats and two 12.3-inch HD LCD screens empower a high-end and comfortable experience. In addition, the top-class Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) ensures safe driving. EXEED is scheduled to make debuts in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar in 2022 and is preparing to enter the Iraqi market. Two of Iraq's leading dealers are now also in talks with the automaker. The car is on track to start appearing in Iraqi showrooms later this year. EXEED aims to exceed and transcend traditional expectations and limits and lead the automobile industry to a new frontier with continuous breakthroughs in technology and experience. The entry into Iraq is expected to deliver a premium driving experience to local consumers. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1782433/EXEED.jpg Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Green River Gold Corp. (CSE: CCR) (OTC Pink: CCRRF) (the "Company" or "Green River") is pleased to announce that it has commissioned a contractor to complete a UAV-MAG survey over the remaining portion of the Quesnel Nickel Project. The previous UAV-MAG surveys did not cover the entire 93 square kilometer property because a portion of the property was briefly under option to another company. As a result, the UAV-MAG survey completed in 2021 was completed in two pieces and a portion of the property was not covered at all. When the two pieces of the map were put together, the potential for a larger magnetic anomaly connecting the two sections became clear. The area outlined along the Western edge of the property is the area to be targeted by the additional UAV-MAG survey. The magnetic anomaly is indicated by the purple areas trending North West to South East. The area of recent drilling is indicated at the bottom of the upper North-West portion of the UAV-MAG survey. That drilling is being done in a known talc occurrence and it has encountered anomalous amounts of nickel, magnesium, and chromium along with the talc. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/119624_a705037ae4f71ac3_002full.jpg Perry Little, President and CEO of Green River Gold Corp. comments "Once the two maps were combined, the possibility for the magnetic anomaly to continue through the area that was not covered by the initial UAV-MAG survey jumped out at us. The additional UAV-MAG survey holds the potential to significantly increase the size of the magnetic anomaly. The known talc occurrences extend in to the area not covered by the original surveys and we are hopeful that the magnetic anomaly will continue as well." The previously completed UAV-MAG survey results over the Quesnel Nickel Project area indicated the presence of highly magnetic rocks co-incident with the interpreted surface exposure and down-dip projection of a favorable ultramafic rock assemblage. These results are similar to the aeromagnetic response in the area of nickel-alloy mineralization found throughout the BC Decar District. Recently the Company received the initial assay results for drilling done late in 2021 at its wholly owned Quesnel Nickel Project (the Project) in the Cariboo Mining District of British Columbia. The initial assay results covered the top 10 meters of hole Do-21-06 which was drilled to a depth of 15.24 meters. The assay results received were significantly higher than the preliminary results released on February 7, 2022, which were based on readings from a portable XRF sampler. The assay results show 17.99% magnesium content where the XRF gun results indicated only 1.4% magnesium content. The higher percentage of magnesium was not expected and added yet another mineral to the existing nickel, chromium and talc that has already been shown to exist on the property. Magnesium and nickel prices have increased significantly over the past year. The average nickel assay results over the 10 meter interval came back at 0.19% versus 0.11% shown by the XRF readings. In addition, the chromium assay results over the 10 meters assayed at 0.16% versus 0.13% based on the XRF readings. These results begin right at surface. The assay results over the 10 meters also showed 85 ppm of cobalt and 664 ppm of manganese. Assay results on the bottom 5 meters of the hole as well as the other 8 holes drilled in 2021 are pending and will be released as received. The Company is looking forward to receiving assay results very shortly on one of the sections that showed higher grades of nickel and chromium in the prior testing with the XRF sampler. The assay results for the bottom 5 meters of hole Do-21-06 showed significantly higher XRF results than the top 10 meters discussed above. The XRF results for the bottom 5 meters of hole Do-21-06 were 0.25% nickel versus 0.11% nickel in the top 10 meters of the hole. The assay results for the bottom five meters are expected within a few days along with Davis Tube Recovery testing for nickel recovery from that same section. According to preliminary tests made with a portable XRF sampler, tests indicated the presence of elevated nickel and chromium in core recovered from 9 shallow holes. The holes were drilled during the last 2 months of 2021 and range up to 18.3 m deep. The elevated elements are hosted in serpentinized ultramafic rocks belonging to the Slide Mountain Terrane. The rock terrane reaches up to 500 m wide and extends more than 3 km NW across the Project area. Elevated nickel and chromium concentrations were present in each XRF gun sample point in every drill hole, starting right from the surface. The Company is very encouraged by the discovery of this mineralization so close to the surface of a known area of talc alteration. Although XRF results are currently considered less definitive than standard analytical techniques, they are nonetheless indicative of grade and are generally considered qualitative rather than quantitative. Our experience with the XRF unit has encouraged us to continue to use it for preliminary guidance on our future drilling. Samples have been prepared and sent to ALS labs located in Vancouver for sample preparation and will undergo a four-acid digest multi-element suite including nickel and cobalt as well as a fire assay for platinum and palladium. Certain sections of the drill core will also have a nickel-sulphide fire assay along with Davis Tube Recovery testing. The Company has purchased and modified a portable Winkie drill and will commence drilling deeper holes from the same location on the talc outcroppings as soon as ground conditions allow. That is expected to happen within the next couple of weeks. The new drill is capable of reaching depths over 100 meters and will give us a preliminary indication of the depth of the talc occurrence as well as an indication as to whether the nickel, chromium and magnesium mineralization continue throughout. Quesnel Nickel/Talc Project Highlights: There are 3 BC MINFILE occurrences as follows: 093A 013 - Sovereign Creek - developed prospect containing talc and magnesite, and a co-incident nickel sulfide showing. 093A 130 - Sovereign - showings containing talc and nickel sulfides. 093H 061 - R.T. - showing containing nickel, chromium, and cobalt. Historical records indicate four widely separated areas of talc alteration along a 1-kilometer trend. Having discovered the presence of nickel in the talc mineralization in the area of Do-Do- Creek, we will be further investigating the other three known areas of talc alteration for the presence of nickel this season. In addition to finding out more about the potential for a commercial talc deposit, the exploration focus will be on nickel, chromium, magnesium, and cobalt. Preliminary metallurgical work completed in 1971 has suggested the presence of nickel sulfide or nickel alloy minerals. One focus in the initial phase of exploration is to prioritize the multiple Nickel/Magnesium/Chromium/Cobalt targets within the project area for a follow-up RC/DD drill program and to expand the areas of mineralization in 2022. Regional Exploration Plan: Additionally, there will be some upcoming exploration plans for the Fontaine Lode Gold Project, which is contiguous to the Quesnel Nickel Project and is also contiguous to Osisko Development Corp.'s Cariboo Gold Project. Qualified Person: Stephen P. Kocsis is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and he has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. About Green River Gold Corp. Green River Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on its wholly owned high-grade Fontaine Gold Project, Quesnel Nickel/Talc Project, and Kymar Silver Project which are located in renowned mining districts in British Columbia. The Fontaine and Quesnel properties straddle an 18 km length of the Barkerville and Quesnel Terranes and are contiguous to Osisko Development Corp.'s mineral claim group containing a proposed mine location at its Cariboo Gold Project. The Kymar Silver Project is located in southeast BC, approximately 28 kilometers west of the town of Invermere in the Golden Mining Division. The property is made up of two mineral tenures, totaling 1,440 hectares, along the southeast flank of Mount Catherine. For more information contact: Green River Gold Corp. Mr. Perry Little - President and Chief Executive Officer perry.little@greenrivergold.ca 780-993-2193 Additional information about Green River Gold Corp. can be found by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com Forward Looking Information: This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Expressions such as "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "estimates", "could", "intends", "may", "plans", "predicts", "projects", "will", "would" and other similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, are generally indicative of forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In addition, the forward- looking information contained in this release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as it is inherently uncertain, and no assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in such information will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this release is made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances. The securities of the Company have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This release is issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119624 Increase in adoption of single-use technologies, reduced risk of product cross-contamination, and lowered floor space requirements drive the growth of the global single-use bioprocessing market. PORTLAND, Ore., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Single-use Bioprocessing Market by Product (Bioreactors, Tangential-Flow Filtration Devices, Depth Filters, Disposable Filter Cartridges, Media Bags And Containers, Mixing Systems, Tubing Assemblies, Sampling Systems, Others), by Application (Monoclonal Antibody Production, Vaccine Production, Plant Cell Cultivation, Patient-Specific Cell Therapies, Others), by Method (Filtration, Storage, Cell Culture, Mixing, Purification), by End User (Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers, Life Science R&D Companies & Academic Research, Contract Research Organization & Manufacturers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030." According to the report, the global single-use bioprocessing industry generated $7.0 billion in 2020, and is estimated to reach $38.8 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 18.4% from 2021 to 2030. For Right Perspective, Download Sample PDF at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2359 Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities Increase in adoption of single-use technologies, reduced risk of product cross-contamination, and lowered floor space requirements drive the growth of the global single-use bioprocessing market. In addition, high efficiency and cost-effectiveness of single-use bioprocessing technologies supplement the market growth. However, issues related to extractability and stringent regulations limit the market growth. On the other hand, technological advancements and potential in untapped markets such as China and India provide new opportunities in the coming years. Covid-19 Scenario Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the utilization of single-use bioprocessing products increased for the development of vaccines. Clinical and commercial manufacturers utilized the single-use equipment and systems during the trial phases. Most of the leading Covid-19 vaccine programs utilize novel approaches such as mRNA, DNA vaccine, and vectors, single-use systems played a crucial role in the development of these platforms. Single-use systems provide flexibility and incur lower cost as compared to traditional stainless-steel equipment. The media bags and containers segment to maintain its dominant share during the forecast period Based on product, the media bags and containers segment accounted for the highest market share in 2020, contributing to more than one-fourth of the global single-use bioprocessing market, and is projected to maintain its dominant share in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is due to single-use bioprocessing media bags & containers used in various bioprocessing processes. However, the bioreactors segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR of 20.1% from 2021 to 2030, owing to surge in demand for bioreactors for different applications. Do You Have Any Query Or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2359 The biopharmaceutical manufacturers segment to continue its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on end user, the biopharmaceutical manufacturers segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for more than half of the global single-use bioprocessing market, and is projected to continue its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to increased adoption of these systems for production of vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and personalized medicine. However, the contract research organization & manufacturers segment is projected to manifest the largest CAGR of 20.0% from 2021 to 2030, owing to advancements in R&D activities. North America to maintain its leadership status by 2030 Based on region, North America contributed the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2020, accounting for more than one-third of the global single-use bioprocessing market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status by 2030. This is due to rise in the adoption of single-use bioprocessing technologies for various biopharmaceutical applications. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to portray the fastest CAGR of 19.8% during the forecast period, owing to significant demand for bioprocess equipment including laboratory filtration systems and membrane-based microbial analysis in the region. Leading Market Players 3M Company Applikon Biotechnology Cesco Bioengineering C0. Ltd. Danaher Corporation Eppendorf AG Merck Milipore PBS Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A. Thermo Fisher Scientific Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Request for 14 days free trial: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter "We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market." Trending Reports in Healthcare Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): Electronic Health Records (EHR) Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Disposable Medical Supplies Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Orthodontics Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Telemedicine Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 DNA Vaccines Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 Enteric Softgel Capsules Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2028 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/life-sciences Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/life-sciences-industry-research/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Whittier Trust Company promotes Robert LeBeau, J.D. to serve as Senior Vice President, Client Advisor in Whittier Trust's Reno office. Robert provides financial and fiduciary services to high net worth individuals and their families, working closely with multi-generational relationships including grantors, trustees, beneficiaries and business owners. He also works extensively with his clients in the areas of trust and agency administration such as document review, fiduciary accounting, investments, finance, real estate, taxes and estate planning. "Robert is a cornerstone of our Reno office. His diligence and enthusiasm for his client relationships made the elevation to Senior Vice President an easy choice. We see him playing a large role in the growth of that office for years to come." - David Dahl, CEO of Whittier Trust Robert has over 25 years in the trust and fiduciary services industry. Prior to joining Whittier Trust, he served as Vice President at Mechanics Bank in San Francisco, CA and as a Trust Officer for BNY Mellon. Robert received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and obtained a J.D. from San Francisco Law School. He also holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM (CFP). Robert also serves on the Board of Directors of Sky Tavern. For more information or upcoming events, contact Brandi J. Fields at, BFields@whittiertrust.com, or visit www.whittiertrust.com . Collectively, Whittier Trust Company and The Whittier Trust Company of Nevada, Inc. (referred to herein individually and collectively as "Whittier Trust"), are state-chartered trust companies wholly owned by Whittier Holdings, Inc. ("WHI"), a closely held holding company. Whittier Trust is the oldest and largest private multi-family office headquartered on the West Coast. Whittier Trust works with 514 families and over 40 foundations throughout the U.S. and advises on nearly $19 billion in assets. The firm has helped individuals and families manage, grow and transfer wealth intergenerationally for six generations. The firm has offices in South Pasadena, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Reno, Seattle, and Portland. To learn more, visit http://www.whittiertrust.com . Contact: Brandi J. Fields Whittier Trust Email: BFields@whittiertrust.com SOURCE: Whittier Trust View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696522/Whittier-Trust-Promotes-Robert-LeBeau-to-Senior-Vice-President-Client-Advisor All currencies are shown in Canadian dollars (C$) unless otherwise stated. WHITE ROCK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / TDG Gold Corp (TSXV:TDG) (the "Company" or "TDG") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced private placement financing (the "Offering"). The Offering consisted of the issuance of (i) 10,600,000 charity flow-through shares of the Company (the "Charity FT Shares") at a price of $0.60 per Charity FT Share for gross proceeds of $6,360,000; (ii) 2,181,819 flow-through shares of the Company (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.55 per FT Share for gross proceeds of $1,200,-000; (iii) 5,200,238 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of $0.42 per Common Shares for gross proceeds of $2,184,100. In aggregate, the gross proceeds to the Company total $9,744,100. The Offering was conducted by a syndicate of agents bookrun by Raymond James Ltd. (collectively, the "Agents"). The gross proceeds from the Offering of Charity FT Shares and FT Shares will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the Company's projects on or before December 31, 2023. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the Charity FT Shares and FT Shares effective no later than December 31, 2022. The remaining net proceeds from the Offering of Common Shares will be used for general working capital purposes. In connection with the Offering, the Agents received a cash fee of $535,866.53. In addition, the Company granted the Agents 1,003,504 non-transferable compensation warrants of the Company (the "Compensation Warrants"). The Company also paid aggregate cash finder's fees of $153,333 and granted 312,741 Compensation Warrants to four arm's length finders in connection with the Offering. Each Compensation Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.42 per common share expiring on October 7, 2023. All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on August 8, 2022 in accordance with applicable securities laws and TSX Venture Exchange policies. The Offering was completed on a private placement basis pursuant to prospectus exemptions under applicable securities laws and is subject to final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About TDG Gold Corp. TDG is a major mineral claim holder in the historical Toodoggone Production Corridor of north-central British Columbia, Canada, with over 23,000 hectares of brownfield and greenfield exploration opportunities under direct ownership or earn-in agreement. TDG's flagship projects are the former producing, high grade gold-silver Shasta, Baker and Mets mines, which are all road accessible, produced intermittently between 1981-2012, and have over 65,000 m of historical drilling. In 2021, TDG advanced the projects through compilation of historical data, new geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, and, for Shasta, drill testing of the known mineralization occurrences and their extensions. TDG currently has 96,343,142 common shares issued and outstanding. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Fletcher Morgan Chief Executive Officer For further information contact: TDG Gold Corp., Telephone: +1.604.536.2711 Email: info@tdggold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, and the planned use of proceeds of the Offering. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the state of the equity financing markets in Canada and other jurisdictions; the receipt of regulatory approvals; fluctuations in metals prices, the actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; and delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE: TDG Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696542/TDG-Gold-Corp-Announces-Closing-of-97-Million-Equity-Offering MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - Major restaurants are celebrating the National Burrito Day on Thursday, April 7 with various deals for the popular Mexican dish. Chipotle Mexican Grill, California Tortilla, and Del Taco among others are offering free food, buy-one-get-one burrito deals, extra rewards points, free toppings and more on National Burrito Day, which is celebrated on the first Thursday of April. This year, the day also happens to be the National Beer Day. Chipotle: The Mexican restaurant is launching Chipotle Burrito Builder on Roblox. It allows players to roll burritos in the metaverse to earn Burrito Bucks, the brand's in-experience currency on Roblox, starting on April 7, National Burrito Day. The first 100,000 Roblox players to successfully roll a burrito will earn enough Burrito Bucks to exchange them for an entree code that can be used for purchase on the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, or Chipotle.ca. On Thursday, Chipotle Rewards members in the U.S. can get a free side or topping of Queso Blanco all day long with the purchase of an entree when they use the digital-only promo code 'NBD2022' at checkout, exclusively on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com. Chipotle Burrito Builder is scheduled to go live at 3:30pm PT/6:30pm ET on April 7. The codes will be available while supplies last and are valid through April 13. The top five players on the leaderboard by 11:59pm PT each day from April 7 to April 13 will win free burritos for a year. California Tortilla: If ordering a burrito or burrito bowl at the fast-casual Mexican chain on April 7, the customer will get a golden ticket that can be redeemed for menu items on next visit, starting April 8. Del Taco: Del Yeah! rewards members can buy one Epic Burrito on the Del Taco app and get a second one free exclusively on Thursday. The restaurant offers varieties including Epic Beer Battered Crispy Fish & Guac Burrito; Epic Loaded Queso Burrito; Epic Fresh Guacamole Burrito, and Epic Cali Bacon Burrito, among others. Moe's Southwest Grill's Rewards members can get a burrito or bowl for just $6, while Rubio's Coastal Grill offers every burrito on its menu at $6.99. Dos Toros' burritos are just $5 on the special day. Further, El Pollo Loco's Rewards members get a buy-one-get-one-free burrito deal. Also, all orders will get free delivery. Chronic Taco, El Gallo Giro, and Tijuana Flats are among many others which offer various burrito deals on National Burrito Day. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de The "Europe Clinical Trials Market Size, Share Trends Analysis Report by Study Design (Interventional, Observational, Expanded Access), by Phase (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe clinical trials market size is expected to reach USD 20.2 billion by 2030. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2030. The rise in technological advancement for clinical trials is one of the key factors driving the market. The growing adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence, big data analytics, blockchain, clinical trials payments, and patient engagement solutions among others have significantly contributed to the market growth. The COVID-19 pandemic had improved the adoption of virtual clinical trials in the region. Therefore, the growing adoption of new technologies is likely to promote the growth of the market. The demand for personalized medicines has significantly improved in the region owing to significant research funding for personalized therapies by the European Commission. The aim of various countries in Europe is to collaborate research and health policy to accelerate the adoption of personalized medicine with the formation of the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine, which brings together health research funders and policymaking groups. Such activities are likely to promote market growth. The region suffers from growing disease variation and prevalence. A significant number of people in the region suffer from chronic and rare diseases. For instance, the European Commission states that approximately 5,000-8,000 distinct rare diseases affect around 6-8% of the European population i.e., between 27 36 million. Thus, the high burden of rare diseases is likely to increase the demand for researchers to develop therapeutics for rare diseases. The rising cost associated with research studies has increased the demand for CROs in the region for conducting clinical trials. The partnership agreement between pharmaceutical companies and CROs is likely to promote market growth. Europe was one the worst affected region by the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to which public organizations in the region made significant funding in research to boost the development of COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics. For instance, in June 2020 the French president pledged to invest USD 679 million to support the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Owing to the pandemic several research centers were shut down due to the national lockdown implemented by the government authorities, owing to which several clinical trial organizations opted for in silico trials and virtual clinical trials to speed up the research process. Such actions had profited the growth of the market. Europe Clinical Trials Market Report Highlights The phase I trial segment is projected to witness a remarkable growth rate of 6.1% over the forecast period. This can be attributed to the significant R&D spending by public and private organizations to support new researches The interventional study design segment held the largest market share of 78.6% in 2021 owing to the greater accuracy offered by these studies, as compared to other clinical study designs European countries such as Germany and the U.K. are spearheading the revenue share, as these have a large patient pool and the presence of advanced medical infrastructure Market Dynamics Market Driver Analysis Growing Adoption Of New Technology In Clinical Research Shift Toward Personalized Medicine Growing Disease Variation And Prevalence Growth In CRO Market Market Restraint Analysis Regulations In New Drug Development Pricing Pressure Europe clinical trials Market: Analysis Tools Porter's Five Forces Analysis Pestel Analysis Major Deals Strategic Alliances Analysis Analysis of Total Number of Clinical Trial Studies Conducted, by Countries Cost Breakdown analysis for CRO's Percent Of Outsourced Vs In-House Clinical Trial Categories Cost Breakdown Analysis For CRO's By Phase I, II, III Cost Breakdown Analysis For CRO's By Phase I, II, III FOR Germany Covid-19 Impact Analysis Company Profiles IQVIA Holdings, Inc., Parexel International Corporation PPD, Inc. Syneos Health Eli Lilly and Company Novo Nordisk A/S Pfizer, Inc. Dr. Notghi Contract Research GmbH Charite Research Organisation GmbH Janssen Global Services, LLC KFGN Clariness Invisio Clinical Studies Consulting GmbH For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/32qmf9 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005658/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits saw a modest decrease in the week ended April 2nd, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report showed initial jobless claims dipped to 166,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level of 171,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to edge down to 200,000 from the 202,000 originally reported for the previous week. 'The low reading was the result of a revision to seasonal adjustment factors, which produced a level shift down in claims in recent weeks averaging 30k,' said Nancy Vanden Houten, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics. She added, 'We expect initial claims to remain well below 200k as employers, who continue to struggle to attract and retain workers, will keep layoffs to a minimum.' The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also slipped to 170,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average of 178,000. Meanwhile, the report showed continuing claims, a reading on the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment assistance, rose by 17,000 to 1.523 million in the week ended March 26th. The four-week moving average of continuing claims still fell to 1,541,250, a decrease of 35,250 from the previous week's revised average of 1,576,500. The Labor Department noted that beginning with this week's data, the methodology used to seasonally adjust the national initial claims and continued claims reflects a change in the estimation of the models. Last Friday, a more closely watched report from the Labor Department showed U.S. employment increased by less than expected in the month of March. The report showed non-farm payroll employment jumped by 431,000 jobs in March after surging by an upwardly revised 750,000 jobs in February. Economists had expected employment to spike by 490,000 jobs compared to the addition of 678,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month. While the job growth in March fell short of estimates, revisions to data for the two previous months showed employment increased by 95,000 more jobs than previously reported. The Labor Department said notable job gains continued in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing. The strong job growth still contributed to a drop in the unemployment rate, which dipped to 3.6 percent in March from 3.8 percent in February. The unemployment rate was expected to edge down to 3.7 percent. With the bigger than expected decrease, the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since hitting 3.5 percent in February of 2020. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- All 50 U.S. states exported goods and services to China and benefited from the 858,000-strong American jobs supported by these exports, according to a report published Tuesday by the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC). U.S. goods exports to China last year increased 21 percent to a record high of 149 billion U.S. dollars, the report showed. The bump in goods exports was "welcome news," especially in rural states, where Chinese buyers scooped up soybeans, corn, sorghum, pork, and other agricultural commodities, the group said in a statement. Other sectors seeing sizable exports last year include oil and gas, semiconductors, and medicines and pharmaceuticals, said the trade group, which represents 260 companies including some of the most iconic American brands. The amount of U.S. services bought by Chinese customers, however, sank by 33 percent in 2020, the report showed, noting that the services export data reveal just how "devastating" the COVID-19 pandemic has been for the travel sector and American colleges and universities. "The jobs numbers tell a complicated story," said Craig Allen, president of the USCBC. "While strong goods exports bolstered jobs in many communities across the country, the collapse of travel and the service industries tied to it was so severe that the total number of U.S. jobs supported by exports to China fell from the year before." Allen, who served as deputy assistant secretary for Asia at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, and later the deputy assistant secretary for China, noted that there are a record number of China-related bills in Congress and a general U.S. political atmosphere toward China that is "increasingly negative." "No one knows where U.S.-China relations will go from here," said Allen. "The bottom line is that exports to China help a range of industries across the United States stay profitable and competitive." "They also support American jobs, from the tourism industry, to farmers and ranchers in Iowa, to chipmakers in Oregon, and to innovative drugmakers in North Carolina," he added. While he is frustrated with the Biden administration's trade policy, which focuses on defense rather than opportunities, Allen said at a virtual press briefing Tuesday that he thinks it's quite "remarkable" that the exports from both China and the United States "have risen quite briskly" in 2021 despite the additional tariffs remaining in place. "I think an interesting question to ask ourselves is what if there were no trade war? What if there were no trade tariffs?" Allen said, adding that without additional tariffs, U.S. exports to China would be much higher than they are currently. In a recent virtual interview with Xinhua, Allen said he is glad that the Office of the United States Trade Representative is reviewing the additional tariffs on over 300 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports imposed by the Trump administration. "We have consistently called for exclusions to tariffs, reduction of tariffs with a pathway to eventual elimination of tariffs," Allen said, noting that the U.S. government and the Chinese government both have a role to play. The U.S. business leader said he worries that the additional tariffs imposed by the Trump administration would become permanent. "Permanent tariffs would permanently distort the U.S.-China economic relationship and would lead to yet more bilateral tension," Allen told Xinhua. "There is already so much tension at the ideological level, at the geopolitical level, at the technology level. We really don't want endless economic distortions." New York, NY, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of AIChE, the Global Home of Chemical Engineers, announced today that Darlene S. Schuster, PhD, AIChE's current Chief of Technical Operations, Membership, and Business Development, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Institute. An experienced business leader, Dr. Schuster will become CEO and Executive Director effective April 25. She will succeed June C. Wispelwey, who is retiring on April 22. In making the announcement, Christine Grant, AIChE's 2022 President, said "The Board and I are delighted that Darlene will serve as AIChE's next CEO and Executive Director. She has a deep knowledge of AIChE, and her background as a chemicals industry leader from a corporate, academic, and non-profit perspective, as well as her deep understanding of the dynamic of the chemical engineering professional, will be an asset to the continued growth of AIChE." Grant noted Schuster's strong track record of developing and executing strategies to structure and achieve significant, sustainable growth, which will lead AIChE to its next phase. "Darlene personifies the values and integrity that are essential as the next leader of AIChE. I want to express my special thanks to the search committee for their commitment and hard work in this process," added Grant. June Wispelwey said, "I am confident that Darlene possesses the strategic and leadership skills necessary to help AIChE fulfill its commitment as an integrated community of chemical and related engineers, united in our determination to meet society's challenges as the global leader of the profession." "I am excited by this opportunity to lead AIChE, an organization that has meant so much to me over the course of my career - as we expand our many points of excellence across the chemical engineering profession, inclusive of all," said Schuster. She added, "In our ever-changing world, AIChE is pleased to be the global home of chemical engineers as we continue to provide career support and lifelong learning opportunities for the broad engineering community, and continue to serve the chemical engineering profession." Dr. Schuster received her BS from West Virginia University, her MS from the University of Pittsburgh and her PhD from West Virginia University - all in chemical engineering. She started her career working in the oil fields at Gulf Oil. Later, as a Bucknell University Clare Booth Luce Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering, she was one of 50 inaugural female science and engineering faculty who worked to promote women's entry into the study and teaching of engineering and science. Schuster is also an entrepreneur, and founded a consulting and distribution company specializing in medtech and biotech industry sectors. Over the past twenty years, Schuster has served AIChE as a volunteer, consultant, and employee - most recently leading AIChE's publications, membership, meetings, business development, education, and technical entities as Chief of Technical Operations. # # # About AIChE AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities, and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org. # # # Attachment LA JOLLA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / TONOGOLD RESOURCES, INC. (OTC PINK:TNGL) ("Tonogold" or "the Company"), a company holding rights to acquire a substantial portion of the Comstock Mining District, is pleased to announce the results of an independent resource estimate for the Lucerne Deposit and a summary of the Comstock gold-silver project including exploration targets on the Gold Hill section of the Comstock Lode and the Occidental-Brunswick Lode, located in Storey County, Nevada. Mine Development Associates ("MDA"), a division of RESPEC, prepared the technical report on behalf of Tonogold Resources, Inc. The Lucerne Deposit is located along the Silver City Lode, one of three principal mineralized zones of interest within the package of land rights controlled by Tonogold. The remaining two dominant mineralized zones are the nearby Comstock Lode and Occidental-Brunswick Lode. The estimated resource for the Lucerne Deposit is constrained within an open pit and reported at a cutoff grade of 0.005 oz Au/ton. Pit design and cutoff grade are based on a gold price of $1,750/oz. The following table summarizes the gold and silver resources by category. The resource is based on data that includes 88,786 gold assays and 89,236 silver assays from a total of 477,099 feet of drilling (1,045 reverse circulation holes, 407 core holes, and 402 air track holes). Interpolation dominantly utilized inverse distance to the power of four (ID4). A decrease in the density of drilling with depth and locally along strike resulted in a volume of mineralization that was estimated but not reported in the resource categories. Additional drilling in these areas has the potential to expand the resource and upgrade the resource classification. No drilling has been completed by Tonogold in the resource area. Dr. Odin Christensen, Tonogold's Technical Advisor (a 45-year veteran of the mineral exploration industry, including eight years as Chief Geologist for Newmont Mining) commented, "Over the past five years, Tonogold has created an extraordinary 3D virtual model of the geology and mineralization within the district-an innovative model that integrates historical maps and primary source documents with modern digital geological data. Tonogold looks forward to resuming exciting and promising exploration of the Comstock District." Dr. Christensen continued, "Success in exploration is built upon Property, People, and Project. Tonogold holds rights to an exceptional property position along the Comstock Lode, the parallel Occidental-Brunswick Lode, and the connecting Silver City Spur within the Comstock District, one of the premier silver-gold districts in the world. Tonogold has engaged a team of experienced professionals to lead and conduct the exploration program. The project will be guided by the exceptional exploration model, using the wisdom of history to inform today's exploration. This is an exciting time for Tonogold." Tonogold plans to build upon the Lucerne resource base by targeting areas in the district that have the potential to host open pit or high-grade underground resources. This includes the southern Occidental-Brunswick Lode, where drilling by Tonogold encountered intercepts up to 25 meters of 13.49 grams per tonne gold and 48.4 grams per tonne silver (see Tonogold's press release dated Feb 2, 2021). Tonogold is currently planning a drill exploration program to expand on this known mineralization. Brian Metzenheim, Tonogold's Interim CEO commented, "The Occidental-Brunswick Lode has many similarities to the Silver City Lode, host of the Lucerne deposit. One major difference is the surprisingly limited amount of exploration work that has been done on this lode. A focused and methodical exploration program has the potential to define resources comparable to those in the Silver City Lode." Tonogold's press release dated April 4, 2022 announced the elimination of debt held by Comstock Mining, Inc. (CMI) in the amount of $6,650,000. In exchange for eliminating this debt, Tonogold reconveyed 100% of the membership interests in Comstock Mining LLC to CMI (Comstock Mining LLC is the entity that owns the Lucerne Mine and mineral resource). Tonogold has retained an exclusive option to reacquire these membership interests. Details can be found in that press release. MDA prepared their Technical Report Summary of the Comstock Project, Storey County, Nevada, USA for Tonogold in accordance with the disclosure and reporting requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's new mining rules under subpart 1300 and item 601 (96)(iii) of Regulation S-K. MDA is a third-party firm comprising mining experts, geologists, and mining engineers. MDA is the author of Technical Report Summary of the Comstock Project, Storey County, Nevada, USA. MDA is independent of Tonogold and all their subsidiaries and has only a client/consultant relationship with these companies. The technical report titled Technical Report Summary of the Comstock Project, Storey County, Nevada, USA will be made available on the Company's website (tonogold.com). Forward-Looking Statements : This press release and any related calls or discussions may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about Tonogold. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements about matters such as: capital raising activities and negotiations; market conditions; future changes in exploration activities, production capacity, and operations; future exploration, production, operating, and overhead costs; production of feasibility studies, technical reports, or other findings related to estimated mineralization; operational and management restructuring activities; capital expenditures (by Tonogold or other parties) and their impact; investments, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, asset sales; consulting, operational, tax, financial and capital projects, and initiatives; contingencies; environmental compliance and changes in the regulatory environment; offerings, sales, equity dilution, and other actions regarding debt or equity securities; including a redemption of the debenture, and future working capital, costs, revenues, business opportunities, debt levels, cash flows, margins, earnings, and growth. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "potential," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of doing so. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by Tonogold management in light of their experience and their perception of historical and current trends, current conditions, possible future developments, and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, representations, or warranties, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Occurrence of such events or circumstances could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, or the market price of Tonogold's securities. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements by or attributable to Tonogold or persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Tonogold does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. Neither this press release nor any related calls or discussions constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any other securities or Tonogold. Contact Information for Tonogold: Brian Metzenheim Interim CEO M: +775 848 9578 bmetzenheim@gmail.com SOURCE: Tonogold Resources, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696483/Tonogold-Announces-Completion-of-Technical-Report-on-the-Comstock-Project-Including-Resource-Estimate-for-Lucerne-Deposit-and-District-Wide-Exploration-Potential LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Horizonte Minerals Plc, (AIM:HZM) (TSX:HZM) announces that on 06 April 2022, Allan Walker, Non-Executive Director of the Company, purchased 566,367 ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at an average price of 6.99 pence per Ordinary Share (the "Purchase"). Following the Purchase, Mr. Walker is now interested in 1,271,846 Ordinary Shares representing 0.033% of the total voting rights of the Company. 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Allan Walker 2 Reason for the notification a) Position/status Non-Executive Director b) Initial notification/Amendment Initial Notification 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Horizonte Minerals plc b) LEI 213800OEYYR39UNYQY91 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary Shares of 6.99 pence each in Horizonte Minerals plc ISIN: GB00B11DNM70 b) Nature of the transaction Share Purchase Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s) 6.99 pence 566,367 d) Aggregated information Aggregate volume Price 566,367 Ordinary Shares purchased at 6.99 pence per Ordinary Share e) Date of the transactions 6 April 2022 f) Place of the transactions London Stock Exchange For further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact: Horizonte Minerals plc Jeremy Martin (CEO) Anna Legge (Corporate Communications) info@horizonteminerals.com +44 (0) 203 356 2901 Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Ross Allister David McKeown +44 (0)20 7418 8900 BMO (Joint Broker) Thomas Rider Pascal Lussier Duquette Andrew Cameron +44 (0) 20 7236 1010 About Horizonte Minerals: Horizonte Minerals plc (AIM & TSX: HZM) is developing two 100% owned, tier one projects in Para state, Brazil - the Araguaia Nickel Project and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt Project. Both projects are large scale, high-grade, low-cost, low-carbon and scalable. Araguaia is fully funded and in construction. The project will produce 29,000 tonnes of nickel per year to supply the stainless steel market. Vermelho is at feasibility study stage and will produce 25,000 tonnes of nickel and 1,250 tonnes of cobalt to supply the EV battery market. Horizonte's combined near-term production profile of over 50,000 tonnes of nickel per year positions the Company as a globally significant nickel producer. Horizonte is developing a new nickel district in Brazil that will benefit from established infrastructure, including hydroelectric power available in the Carajas Mining District. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Company to complete the acquisition of equipment as described herein, statements with respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral projects; the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study regarding the second RKEF line at Araguaia on time, or at all, the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the costs and timing for delivery of the equipment to be purchased as described herein, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates and achieving production in accordance with the Company's potential production profile or at all. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: the inability of the Company to complete the acquisition of equipment contemplated herein, on time or at all, the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study regarding the implementation of a second RKEF line at Araguaia on the timeline contemplated or at all, exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates, together with the risks identified and disclosed in the Company's disclosure record available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including without limitation, the annual information for of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2020, the Araguaia Report and the Vermehlo Report. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Horizonte Minerals PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696514/Horizonte-Minerals-PLC-Announces-Director-Dealings AESARA is pleased to announce the return of Chad Patel to the AESARA team (www.aesara.com). "Chad represents a new breed of Life Sciences industry executives with extensive field experience coupled with health ecosystem and business acumen, who has a proven track record of success, a vision and an ability to transform the market access agency services to support the transition from volume- to value-based health care services delivery," said Sissi Pham, CEO of AESARA. Chad re-joins AESARA from Genentech after serving there as a Medical Affairs Executive Director and the co-leader of the Carolinas ecosystem which delivered $1.8 billion in sales and provided strategic vision to his field medical team to execute medical strategies and generate research to improve patient outcomes. He led initiatives to address health inequities that enabled more access to medicines, drove change management via an integrated customer experience, and supported people development growth of his team. AESARA began the search for the U.S. Head of Strategic Partnerships having crossed the line from a successful start-up to a growth company at the end of 2021. In his new role Chad will head the US Strategic Partnerships team and will focus on strengthening relationships with our life sciences clients and further developing strategic Market Access and Digital solutions. Ruslan Horblyuk, Chief Strategic Consulting Officer of AESARA added, "Chad's experience across multiple pharma companies, backed with a strong understanding of the evolving U.S. healthcare landscape, and a passion to help our clients evolve and adapt to remain relevant have led him back to AESARA, and we are thrilled to share this news." About AESARA AESARA is a market access agency with a focused purpose to impact healthcare decision-making to improve people's lives. Established in 2016, we are a woman and minority-owned company with biopharma seasoned industry professionals in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Our diverse team is passionate about delivering to our client's transformative market access strategies and innovative digital communication solutions. For more information, please visit www.aesara.com and connect with AESARA on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005260/en/ Contacts: Pam Read +1 587 233 4260 pam@aesara.com NOIDA, India, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive overview of the global wind energy market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The report has been aggregated by collecting informative data from various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the wind energy market in the global context. This report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the global wind energy market at the regional & country levels. The global Wind Energy Market is likely to showcase a significant growth rate of around 24.4% during the forecast period (2021-2027). Request Sample Copy of this Report @https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=11849 Market Overview With surging demand for electricity from renewable power, sources led to year-over-year (YoY) growth of 53% in the global wind industry. Amidst the Covid19 pandemic installation of more than 93 GW of wind power was a challenging job with disruption to both the global supply chain and project construction has demonstrated the incredible resilience of the wind industry. Additionally, the 93 GW of new installations in FY 2020-21 brought global cumulative wind power capacity up to 743 GW. In terms of cumulative installations, the top five markets as of the end of 2020 were China, U.S., Germany, India, and Spain, which together accounted for 73% of the world's total wind power installations. China and U.S. remained the world's largest markets for new onshore additions, and the world's two major economies together increased their market share by 15% to 76%. COVID-19 Impact Travel bans, supply chain pressure, and deferred maintenance of wind energy are among the key challenges faced by wind farm owners during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of manpower to fix the breakdown of wind farms is another challenge that companies in the wind energy market need to tackle. Moreover, factory shutdowns worldwide have affected the uptake of renewable energy. This led to difficulties in adhering to deadlines for building new projects. However, as per IEA, the impact of Covid-19 on offshore deployment in 2020 and 2021 remains limited as offshore projects have longer construction periods than do onshore projects. Most projects in their period for 2020 and 2021 are either partially commissioned or at an advanced stage of development. Ask for Price & Discounts @ https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=11849 The global wind energy market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated. By Component, the market is primarily categorized into: Turbine Support Structure Electrical Infrastructure Others More than 80% of total wind turbine mass is made up of recyclable materials, such as steel, iron, copper, and aluminum, according to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). But anywhere from 11-16% is composed of carbon fiber or fiberglass composites, plastics, and resin, primarily for rotor blades which have a life expectancy of up to 25 years and are currently difficult to recycle commercially. By Application, the market is primarily studied into: Onshore Offshore The onshore wind became one of the cheapest new sources of electricity in 2020, while offshore wind has delivered an incredible global levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) reduction of more than 67% over the last 8 years. Costs will decline by another third by 2030. In 2020, 86.9 GW of onshore & 6 GW of offshore wind capacity was added globally, wind capacity beyond the 700 GW milestone. Global Wind Energy Market Region Segmentation Includes: North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of World Based on the estimation, Asia Pacific dominated the market in 2020 and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period (2021-2027) owing to increasing development in regional economies like China, India, and Japan. Ask for Report Customization @ https://univdatos.com/report/wind-energy-market/ The major players targeting the market includes: Nordex SE Suzlon Energy Ltd. rsted A/S GE Renewable Energy ABB Ltd. Vestas Wind Systems A/S Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. Envision Energy Limited Enercon GmbH Competitive Landscape The degree of competition among prominent companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating in the Global context. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as Global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Global Wind Energy Market. The major players have been analyzed using different research methodologies for getting insight views on market competition. Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include: What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the global wind energy market? Which factors are influencing the global wind energy market over the forecast period? What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the global wind energy market? Which factors are propelling and restraining the global wind energy market? What are the demanding global regions of the wind energy market? What will be the market size in the upcoming years? What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by the companies? We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature. Please let us know If you have any custom needs. For more informative information, please visit us @https://univdatos.com/report/wind-energy-market/ About UnivDatos Market Insights UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients. Contact UnivDatos Market Insights Ankita Gupta Director Operations Ph: +91-7838604911 Email: Ankita.gupta@univdatos.com Website: https://univdatos.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg IQM Quantum Computers, Hebrew University of Jerusalem andBar-Ilan University have started a research cooperation on quantum technologies, with IQM providing commercial-grade quantum-computing hardware components to both universities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005722/en/ Picture 1. -IQM processor example (Graphic: Business Wire) IQM, the Pan-European leader in quantum computers, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University, among the leading universities in the world, announced today cooperation in quantum computing focused on research, exchange of know-how and quantum hardware. The purpose of the cooperation is to provide the researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (in the group led by Professor Nadav Katz within its Physics Department and Quantum Information Science Center) and Bar-Ilan University (in the group led by Professor Michael Stern, of the Department of Physics) commercial-grade quantum-computing hardware developed by IQM. Researchers in these groups will conduct experiments using the IQM hardware and further advance scientific development. The initiative also includes testing IQM's qubit technology and conducting experiments based on its hardware. This long-term cooperation will result in significant scientific breakthroughs, several academic contributions and new product innovations. This is in line with IQM's chosen strategy of providing its customers and partners direct access to hardware components. Speaking about this announcement, Dr. Juha Vartiainen, COO and cofounder of IQM, said, "We are very happy to be working with both the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University and look forward to a fruitful, long-term scientific and commercial cooperation. This announcement aligns well with our strategy to provide commercial-grade quantum-computing hardware to global research groups." "This cooperation is also a significant milestone for our cooperation with the world-class quantum ecosystem in Israel. As quantum computers develop further, the know-how developed in Israel-for example, around machine learning and quantum software-is going to become more critical in the future," added Juha. In the future, all parties also aim to extend the collaboration toward building full-stack quantum computers for scientific and commercial purposes in Israel. "We are excited about this new collaboration with IQM and have already measured several consistently high-coherence IQM devices in our lab in Israel. This is just the beginning of a productive and fruitful joint venture," shared Prof. Nadav Katz, director of HUJI's Quantum Information Science Center. Highly coherent controlled oscillations of IQM's qubits measured in Israel (HUJI). "We are proud to take part in a study that places Israel and its universities at the forefront of the global effort to develop quantum computers. The road is still long, but I believe that we at Bar-Ilan, together with our partners at the Hebrew University, will succeed in achieving groundbreaking results," said Prof. Michael Stern. About IQM Quantum Computers: IQM is the Pan-European category leader in building quantum computers. IQM provides on-premises quantum computers for supercomputing data centers and research labs and offers full access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers a quantum advantage through a unique, application-specific, co-design approach. IQM is building Finland's first commercial 54-qubit quantum computer with VTT, and an IQM-led consortium (Q-Exa) is building Germany's quantum computer, which will be integrated into an HPC supercomputer to create an accelerator for future scientific research. IQM has over 160 employees with offices in Paris, Bilbao, Munich and Espoo. For more information: www.meetiqm.com Recent IQM announcements: BioNTech Chief Operating Officer Dr. Sierk Poetting is to steer IQM global expansion as chairman IQM continues its European expansion; the new French subsidiary will focus on IQM's co-design customers in aviation, space and cybersecurity. IQM has opened its exclusive quantum fabrication facility in Finland. IQM has delivered the first milestone of the Finnish quantum computer co-innovation project with VTT; the 5-qubit quantum computer is now operational. IQM, as part of the Q-Exa consortium is building a quantum computer in Germany that will be integrated into an HPC supercomputer for the first time. Registered office: IQM Finland Oy, Keilaranta 19, 02150 Espoo, Finland About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) is Israel's leading academic and research institution, serving over 25,000 students from some 80 countries on 6 campuses. Founded in 1918 by luminaries including Albert Einstein, Chaim Weizmann, Sigmund Freud and Martin Buber, HUJI is ranked in the top echelon of the world's leading universities. To date, HU faculty and alumni have won 8 Nobel Prizes, 1 Fields Medal and 1 Abel Prize-a proud tradition of innovation and excellence. https://en.huji.ac.il/en About Bar-Ilan University: Bar-Ilan University, founded in 1955, is one of Israel's leading institutions of higher education, uniquely combining cutting-edge scientific research with education steeped in Jewish values and social responsibility. Having grown from 70 students to close to 20,500 students, its milestone achievements in the sciences and humanities and all fields of human endeavor have made an indelible imprint on the landscape of the State of Israel. https://www.biu.ac.il/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005722/en/ Contacts: IQM Quantum Computers Media Contact: Raghunath Koduvayur, Head of Marketing and Communications Email: Raghunath@meetiqm.com Mobile: +358 50 4876509 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) Media Contact: Tali Aronsky, Director of International Media Email: taliaron@savion.huji.ac.il Mobile: +972-55-666-4371 Bar-Ilan University Media Contact: Elana Oberlander Director of Media Relations Bar-Ilan University Email: elanadovrut@gmail.com Tel. +972-53-425-5152 Incoming goods lab of the service provider among the best ten percent in the industry Independent audit with focus on regulatory requirements Benchmarking supports status quo and operational excellence strategy Network expansion promotes new methodological approaches Vetter, a global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), successfully participated in a lab benchmarking with its incoming goods lab in the past year. The University of St. Gallen (HSG) participated in the project as a scientific partner. This educational institution not only offers a wealth of comparative data but is also familiar with the requirements of the authorities, for example, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). This independent review supports Vetter's strategy of operational excellence. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005776/en/ Vetter Pharma International GmbH: Thanks to sustainably robust processes, Vetter presents itself as a stable and future-proof partner for customers worldwide. "Comparing ourselves with other companies in the industry is an excellent way for Vetter to review our own performance and derive valuable connecting points for our laboratory divisions," explained Dr. Anne Kuhlmann, Vice President Quality Control. Using a standardized questionnaire, key figures on quality, cost level, and productivity have been raised. HSG evaluated the data and then compared it with other companies in the industry. Recently, the results of the benchmarking have been published: in terms of overall performance, Vetter is among the top ten percent of the industry. "The balanced performance result in the areas of effectiveness and efficiency is particularly noteworthy," said Gian-Andri Steiger, Research Associate at HSG. If the results in those two areas are in harmony, this indicates sustainably robust processes in the context of scientific benchmarking while providing constantly high quality. "Vetter thus shows itself to be a stable and future-proof partner for its customers," said Steiger. After the microbiology and chemical analysis departments had already taken part previously with very good ratings as well the audit of the incoming goods laboratory was the company's third benchmarking with the University of St. Gallen. "The collaboration with HSG was very sound and profitable," said Dr. Kuhlmann. Another important outcome for Vetter: the network expansion of all benchmarking participants, including customers and competitors who take part in a monthly roundtable. This enables a quick and easy exchange on a variety of complex topics that affect the industry and enables continuous progress to be made together for the benefit of patients worldwide. Find the Vetter press kit and more background information here About the University of St. Gallen (HSG) For more than a hundred years, the HSG has been part of St. Gallen in the beginning as a "commercial academy", today as a university. In accordance with the HSG's vision and its guiding principles, it is internationally recognized not only for its teaching but also for its research in selected areas. The HSG conducts problem-solving-oriented basic research on the one hand, and research-based teaching on the other. In doing so, it systematically exploits synergies with traditionally practice-focused research. As a respected research institution, it offers attractive research conditions to both young and experienced scientists, with targeted support for junior researchers. About Vetter Headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter is a family-owned, global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production facilities in Germany, Austria and the United States. Currently employing more than 5,700 individuals worldwide, the company has long-term experience in supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers both large and small. Vetter services range from early stage development support including clinical manufacturing, to commercial supply and numerous packaging solutions for vials, syringes and cartridges. As a leading solution provider, Vetter appreciates its responsibility to support the needs of its customers by developing devices that contribute to increased patient safety, convenience, and enhanced compliance. Great importance is also given to social responsibility including environmental protection and sustainability. Learn more about Vetter at www.vetter-pharma.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005776/en/ Contacts: Vetter Pharma International GmbH Markus Kirchner Corporate Spokesperson Media Relations Eywiesenstrasse 5 88212 Ravensburg Germany Phone: +49 (0)751-3700-3729 E-mail: PRnews@vetter-pharma.com CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "ATP Assays Market by Product (Consumables (Kits, Reagent, Microplate), Instrument (Luminometer, Spectrophotometers)), Application (Contamination, Disease Testing, Drug Discovery), End User (Hospitals, Pharmaceuticals, Food Testing) - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 412 million by 2027 from USD 276 million in 2022, at a CAGR of 8.4%. Browse in-depth TOC on "ATP Assays Market" 158 - Tables 46 - Figures 226 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=223438780 The increasing incidence of chronic & infectious diseases, increasing drug discovery & development studies, favorable regulatory guidelines, the growing focus of global market players on emerging Asian economies, increasing research funding, increasing investments by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and research infrastructure modernization are some of the key factors driving the market for ATP assays. The pandemic has mildly impacted ATP assays worldwide. It has disrupted supply chain of raw materials but after few months the market bounced back again. The COVID-19 pandemic has limited the movement of people, goods, and services worldwide, disrupted supply chains, restricted sales operations, marketing efforts, and customer field support, and impeded the shipping and delivery of products to customers. Due to the high spending on research and increase in drug discoveries post COVID-19, ATP assays are used to measure cytotoxicity and cell viability, which will drive the growth of the ATP assays market in pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies and research labs. The consumables and accessories segment accounted for the largest share of the ATP assays, by product in 2021 Based on products, the ATP assays market is segmented into consumables & accessories and instruments. The large share of the consumables and accessories segment is attributed to the extensive usage of ATP assays in research institutes to measure cell viability, increase in drug discovery due to a surge in chronic diseases which requires tumor testing and cell proliferation (in cancer), and the repeated purchase of consumables by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=223438780 The contamination testing segment accounted for the largest share of the ATP assays market in 2021 Based on application, the market is segmented into contamination testing, disease testing, and drug discovery & development. The large share of the contamination testing segment can be attributed to the rising regulatory stringency of pharmaceutical and food & beverage companies for non-contaminated production, an increase in drug discovery post COVID-19, and the need for cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in hospitals. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest share of the ATP Assays market in 2021 Based on end users, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, the food & beverage industry, hospitals & diagnostic laboratories, and academic & research institutes. The large share of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology segment can be attributed to the presence of a large number of pharmaceutical players with growing investments in this market, growing regulatory approvals for cell culture-based vaccines which require the use of ATP assays in contamination testing, commercial expansion of various pharmaceutical companies, the increasing demand for cell and gene therapies for chronic diseases, significant R&D in pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, increasing production of COVID-19 drugs, increasing adoption of cell-based assays for drug development, and the ease of use of ATP assays in contamination testing. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=223438780 North America accounted for the largest share of the ATP Assays market in 2021 In 2021, North America accounted for the largest share the market, followed by Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The large share of North America can be attributed to the large pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry in the region, rising demand for cell-based assays in research, growing food safety concerns, and an increase in government funding for life science research. The prominent players in the ATP assays market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), Promega Corporation (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), PerkinElmer, Inc. (US), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), Abcam plc (UK), Lonza Group (Switzerland), NEOGEN Corporation (US), 3M (US), Danaher Corporation (US), PromoCell GmbH (Germany), Geno Technology, Inc. (US), Abnova Corporation (Taiwan), AAT Bioquest (US), BioThema AB (Sweden), Elabscience Biotechnology Inc. (US), MBL International Corporation (US), Biotium (US), Creative Bioarray (US), Canvax Biotech S.L. (Spain), Ruhof Corporation (US), Charm Sciences, Inc. (US), Bio Shield Tech LLC (US), Cayman Chemical (US), and Cell Signaling Technology (US). Browse Adjacent Markets: Analytical and Scientific Instrumentation Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Cell Culture Market by Product (Consumables (Media, Serum, Reagent, Vessels), Equipment (Bioreactor, Centrifuge, Incubator)), Application (Vaccines, mAbs, Diagnostics, Tissue Engineering), End User (Pharma, Biotech, Hospital) - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cell-culture-market-media-sera-reagents-559.html Cell Therapy Technologies Market by Product (Consumables, Equipment (Single-Use Equipment, Other Equipment), Systems & Software), Process (Cell Processing), Cell Type (T-cells, Stem Cells), End User (Research Institutes) - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cell-therapy-technologies-market-213334978.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/atp-assay-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/atp-assay.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg INFICON Holding AG / Key word(s): Conference INFICON to Publish its First Quarter 2022 Results on Friday, April 22, 2022 07.04.2022 / 17:40 Corporate Contact Matthias Trondle Chief Financial Officer +423 388 3510 matthias.troendle@inficon.com Bad Ragaz/Switzerland, April 7, 2022 We look forward to welcoming you to the Media/Analyst Web Conference on INFICON's first quarter 2022 results. INFICON will host a Web Conference via Microsoft Teams on Friday, April 22, 2022 at 09.30 a.m. CEST. The presentations and the following question and answer session will be in English. You may join the presentation using the following links: http://bit.ly/IFCN_WebConference https://ir.inficon.com/conference-calls-or-webcasts/ On April 22, 2022, INFICON will issue a press release at 07:00 a.m. CEST on the first quarter 2022 results. At the same time, the accompanying presentation visuals will also be available in the Investor Relations section of the INFICON website at https://ir.inficon.com/financial-results-and-presentations/ . Communication Calendar The communication calendar of INFICON is continuously updated and available on online in the Investor Relations section of the INFICON website at https://ir.inficon.com/financial-calendar/. E-Mail Alerts To automatically receive notification via e-mail of the latest financial information from INFICON, sign-up for e-mail Alerts at https://ir.inficon.com/contact-and-information-request/. 07:00 a.m. CEST: Publication of Media Release and Presentation 09.30 a.m. CEST: Web Conference via Microsoft Teams About INFICON INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 software solutions that enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes and complete factories. These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration, and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other users of vacuum based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental monitoring. INFICON is headquartered in Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. INFICON registered shares (IFCN) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. For more information about INFICON and its products, please visit www.inficon.com. This press release and oral statements or other written statements made, or to be made by us contain forward-looking statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of our management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect our current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. End of Media Release Cardston, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AMK) ("the Corporation") is pleased to announce that Tudor crews have been mobilized to prepare for the upcoming exploration program at our JV flagship property, Treaty Creek, located in the heart of the Golden Triangle of Northwest British Columbia. Crews are currently transporting heavy equipment and drilling supplies to site along our winter access from the Brucejack Lake Road. Crews will also be preparing the camps for the upcoming drill campaign set to commence early May. Tudor Gold's President and CEO, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states: "As in the previous season, the priority of our upcoming exploration program will be to expand and define the limits of the Goldstorm Deposit (GS), as mineralization remains open in all directions and at depth. Ten diamond drill rigs are scheduled to be mobilized to site throughout the month of May for an aggressive diamond drilling program. While the priority remains to complete the exploration and definition of the Goldstorm Deposit, exploration drilling will follow up on several other discoveries including the Eureka Zone (EZ), located 800 meters southeast of GS, and the Company's newest discovery, Calm Before the Storm (CBS), located two kilometres northeast of GS. Tudor's priority is to define the limits of the GS mineralized domains in order to complete an updated resource estimate and support a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). At the end of the 2021 drill program, some of our best Au-Cu-Ag results were encountered from our step-out drilling to the north within the 300H and CS-600 domains from drill holes GS-21-113 (1.44 g/t Au Eq over 405.0 meters within CS-600), GS-21-113-W1 (2.35 g/t AuEq over 159.0 meters within 300H) and GS-21-113-W2 (1.38 g/t AuEq over 556.5 meters within CS-600). To the northeast, we encountered some of strongest gold mineralization within the DS-5 domain with drill hole GS-21-119 (1.76 g/t AuEq over 196.5 meters). Not only is the size of the deposit increasing, but the values are also some of the highest that we have received within GS and these latter drill holes are those which we will be stepping out from in 2022." This season, Tudor Gold Corp and our associated service companies will continue to focus on measures to maintain the highest professional standards while working within COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Only essential personnel are permitted to enter the camp and staging areas. Of those workers who are at the project site and staging site, we have strict daily monitoring of the workers' temperatures and general health conditions. We plan to have a certified paramedic at the staging area to examine and test all in-coming and out-going workers of all Tudor personnel including all service providers. Sulphurets Hydrothermal System To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/682/119669_f00e0714845e0ba3_001full.jpg Qualified Person The Qualified Person for Tudor's news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is Tudor's President and CEO, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for their disclosure contained in their news release. The Qualified Person for this news release is James A. McCrea, P. Geo., for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. While American Creek has not independently confirmed Tudor's information, Mr. McCrea has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. Treaty Creek JV Partnership The Treaty Creek Project is a Joint Venture with Tudor Gold owning 3/5th and acting as operator. American Creek and Teuton Resources each have a 1/5th interest in the project creating a 3:1 ownership relationship between Tudor Gold and American Creek. American Creek and Teuton are both fully carried until such time as a Production Notice is issued, at which time they are required to contribute their respective 20% share of development costs. Until such time, Tudor is required to fund all exploration and development costs while both American Creek and Teuton have "free rides". About American Creek American Creek is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company with gold and silver properties in British Columbia, Canada. The Corporation has an interest in the Treaty Creek property, a joint venture project with Tudor Gold/Walter Storm located in BC's prolific "Golden Triangle". The Corporation also holds the Austruck-Bonanza gold property located near Kamloops. For further information please contact Kelvin Burton at: Phone: 403 752-4040 or Email: info@americancreek.com. Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Corporation expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the completion and anticipated results of planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Corporation's planned exploration activities will be completed in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Corporation in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Corporation's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Corporation with securities regulators. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119669 TIANJIN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China's chemical distillation pioneer and well-known chemical industry expert Yu Guocong passed away Wednesday at the age of 100 in north China's Tianjin municipality. Yu was the pioneer of modern industrial distillation technology in China. He developed heavy-water separation technology, laying the foundation for China's nuclear industry. Yu's distillation technology was also widely applied in China's chemical engineering industry. He carried out research on the technology of large industrial distillation towers, which has promoted the leap-forward development of China's petrochemical industry. Yu has also made several achievements in the fields of gas-liquid interface and computational transmission. Yu was born in November 1922 in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province. He graduated from Southwest Associated University in 1943. In 1945, he went to study in the United States, where he was awarded a doctorate degree. Yu was among the first scientists to return to the motherland after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. He began to teach at the Tianjin University in 1952 and continued working there into his 90s. In 1991, Yu was elected as an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Regulatory News: The Axway (Paris:AXW) Combined Shareholders' meeting will be held on: Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. (UTC+2) Etoile Business Center 21-25 rue Balzac, 75008 Paris, France Shareholders are invited to consult the section dedicated to the 2022 General Meeting on Axway's investors website: https://investors.axway.com/en/shareholders-and-investors/shareholders-meeting. This section will be updated regularly to specify the definitive terms and conditions of participation in the Shareholders' Meeting and/or to adapt them to changes in the health situation and in legal and regulatory provisions that may occur after the publication of the notice of meeting. About Axway Axway (Euronext: AXW.PA) enables enterprises to securely open everything by integrating and moving data across a complex world of new and old technologies. Axway's API-driven B2B integration and MFT software, refined over 20 years, complements Axway Amplify, an open API management platform that makes APIs easier to discover and reuse across multiple teams, vendors, and cloud environments. Axway has helped over 11,000 businesses unlock the full value of their existing digital ecosystems to create brilliant experiences, innovate new services, and reach new markets. To learn more, visit www.investors.axway.com/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005483/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations: Arthur Carli +33 (0)1 47 17 24 65 acarli@axway.com Press Relations: Sylvie Podetti +33 (0)1 47 17 22 40 spodetti@axway.com Regulatory News: MERCIALYS (Paris:MERY) will be holding its ordinary and extraordinary shareholders' general meeting on Thursday April 28, 2022 at 10 am (CET), at the Cloud Business Center, 10 bis rue du Quatre-Septembre in Paris (75002), France. This general meeting is being called to approve the accounts for the fiscal year 2021. The meeting notice was published in the BALO (Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires) on March 21, 2022 and includes the agenda, the draft resolutions and the main terms of participation and voting at this general meeting. The meeting summon will be published in the BALO on April 8, 2022. The preparatory documents related to this general meeting may be consulted on the Company's website www.mercialys.com (section Investors Shareholders Annual General Meetings Annual general meeting of April 28, 2022 ). These documents are available to shareholders, under the conditions provided for by current legal and regulatory provisions, to MERCIALYS' head office at 16-18 rue du Quatre-Septembre 75002 Paris. They also may be received by letter post through a simple and free request addressed to: BNP Paribas Securities Services CTO Service Assemblees Grands Moulins de Pantin 9, rue du Debarcardere 93761 Pantin Cedex (France). Given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, shareholders are invited to regularly consult the section dedicated to the general meeting on the Company's website www.mercialys.com, which could be updated to specify, if applicable, the organizational arrangements for this general meeting according to health and/or legal requirements. This press release is available on www.mercialys.com. About Mercialys Mercialys is one of France's leading real estate companies. It is specialized in the holding, management and transformation of retail spaces, anticipating consumer trends, on its own behalf and for third parties. At December 31, 2021, Mercialys had a real estate portfolio valued at Euro 3.1 billion (including transfer taxes). Its portfolio of 2,134 leases represents an annualized rental base of Euro 168.8 million. Mercialys has been listed on the stock market since October 12, 2005 (ticker: MERY) and has "SIIC" real estate investment trust (REIT) tax status. Part of the SBF 120 and Euronext Paris Compartment B, it had 93,886,501 shares outstanding at December 31, 2021. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets. These forward-looking statements are subject to identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to Mercialys' Universal Registration Document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2021 for more details regarding certain factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys makes no undertaking in any form to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, nor to report new information, new future events or any other circumstances that might cause these statements to be revised. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005510/en/ Contacts: Mercialys Group turnover up by 23% at 31.3 million Operating income and revenue of 36.2M, offsetting the foreseen discontinuation of the GSK subsidy (8M) R&D investments amounting to 7.4M Net profit/loss near the break-even point (-0.3M) Service BU: Very strong organic growth in external turnover at +31%, reaching 27.6M, EBITDA has doubled, from 3.3M to 6.1m (+2.8M) to reach 20% compared to 11% in 2020, Order book up by 39% to 36M Biotech BU: 3.7m turnover and 2 programs ready to enter clinical trials in 2022: The ODS-101 program, which is being developed in-house, The LRRK2 program, in partnership with Servier, for which the Biotech BU earned sales of 3.3m in 2021, including a milestone of 2m for the selection of its second drug candidate after ODS-101 Substantial cash position of 25M on December 31, 2021 Regulatory News: ONCODESIGN (ALONC FR0011766229) (Paris:ALONC), a biopharmaceutical group specialized in precision medicine, announces its FY 2021 results and takes stock of its activities. Philippe GENNE, Chairman and CEO of Oncodesign, states: "Oncodesign has achieved several major targets, two years after implementing its new organization into Business Units, with: the growth in our overall turnover of +23% to reach 31.3M, supported by the external turnover of our Service BU, which increased by +31% to 27.6M, combined with EBITDA that reached 20% at 6.1M, one year ahead of our roadmap on the way to CRO profitability standards. The Biotech BU meanwhile earned 3.7M in turnover, driven mainly by the progress of the LRRK2 program in partnership with Servier and the selection of our 2nd drug candidate (after ODS101). Our two drug candidates from our Nanocyclix technology will go into clinical studies on healthy volunteers in 2022. Last but not least, thanks to these efforts, we have managed to make up for the scheduled end of the 8M GSK subsidy with a net result close to breakeven (-0.3M) while continuing to invest 7.4M in R&D this year (i.e. 24% of our turnover). Of course, all this was accomplished without going to the market and thus without exposing our shareholders to dilution. The prospects for 2022 are excellent. Firstly, organic growth in Service turnover is right on track, drawing on its 2021 order book, up +39% to 36M, and thus on a record stock to be produced of more than 20M in turnover. DRIVE and InPact contracts account for 40% of this inventory, as compared with 27% last year. In addition, we are very active in our search for acquisitions, which is the stated objective of reaching 50M in Service turnover by 2023. The Biotech BU is engaged in the regulatory development of ODS101 to bring it to clinical research this year. Concurrently, our partner Servier is doing the same with the LRRK2 inhibitor candidate, which should enable us to reach a significant milestone in the year. In addition, we have signed two new early stage international drug discovery partnership agreements (with TiumBio in Korea and SEngine in the US) around our Nanocyclix technology, which will continue to provide us with turnover and new compounds in 2022. In parallel, we are working to build our systemic radiotherapy platform, the recent FDA approval of Pluvcito and its diagnostic companion Logametz is a very strong signal for non-responding metastatic prostate cancer patients and the future of this therapeutic approach in oncology. In 2021, we developed a platform for the selection of new therapeutic targets within the scope of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) BU and we are focusing this year on its scientific and commercial exploitation through pharmaceutical partnerships." Arnaud Lafforgue, Chief Financial Officer of Oncodesign, continues: "We knew that with 8M less in revenue due to the end of the GSK subsidy this year, we had to implement an aggressive strategy combining growth in our Service business and productivity/profitability gains. The near-balance of our net income (-0.3M) demonstrates both the relevance and the good execution of our projects for the Group. Our cash position meanwhile stands at nearly 25M, with cash consumption, mainly for ODS-101 and for the AI BU, remaining moderate in 2021." Oncodesign Group Income statement In M Audited consolidated data 2021 2020 Evolution In % In value Turnover 31.3 25.5 + 23% 5.8 Other operating income and revenue 4.9 13.0 - 62% - 8.1 Total operating income and revenue 36.2 38.5 - 6% - 2.3 Goods and raw materials purchased (16.4) (16.0) + 3% - 0.5 Personnel expenses (17.9) (17.5) + 2% - 0.4 Other operating expenses (0.5) (0.6) - 15% 0.1 Taxes and duties (0.8) (1.1) - 34% 0.4 Net changes in amortization and depreciation (1.5) (1.9) - 19% 0.3 Total operating expenses (37.1) (37.0) + 0% - 0.1 Operating profit/loss (0.9) 1.5 - 160% - 2.4 Financial income and expenses (0.3) (0.6) - 47% 0.3 Extraordinary income and expenses (0.1) (0.2) - 20% 0.0 Taxes on profits 0.0 0.4 - 88% -0.3 Share of profit of companies accounted for using the equity method Reversal of amortization 1.0 1.0 + 0% Consolidated net profit/loss (0.3) 2.1 - 114% - 2.4 2021 results Group turnover in 2021 amounted to 31.3M, up 23% compared with 2020, driven by growth in the Service BU's turnover, which grew by 31% to 27.6M, and by Biotech BU's turnover, at 3.7M, including in particular the 2M of the milestone received for the selection of the LRRK2 inhibitor drug candidate. Other operating income and revenue, reached 4.9M compared with 13M in 2020 with GSK's 8M subsidy, composed primarily of the Research Tax Credit (4M in 2021, i.e. 1M more than in 2020 thanks to the growth in our North American and Asian customers in the Service BU's turnover). Operating expenses at 31.7M did not vary compared to the previous year thanks to our purchasing optimization efforts (+3% to 16.4M) and productivity, while over the same period, our taxes and duties, and changes in depreciation decreased. Investments in Research and Development represented 7.4M in 2021, compared with 10.8M in 2020. These expenses stem from the development of our drug candidate ODS-101, mainly for the regulatory development stages paving the way for the start of the phase I trial with healthy volunteers in 2022. This work has been largely outsourced to specialized service providers. The AI BU is also investing in the development of its technological platform, with nearly 1M in 2021 going towards its OncoSNIPE program, as well as in its recruitment and infrastructure, doubling its effort compared to 2020, year of its inception. The sharp increase in our turnover and the control over all our expenses has enabled us to achieve operating income of -0.9M, down by 2.4M compared with 2020, demonstrating the strong momentum that enables us to largely offset the end of the GSK subsidy of 8M. As a result, net income amounted to -0.3M, almost at break-even. We paid close attention to our financial expenses (down 50%) and our exceptional expenses (down 20%) when our reversals of depreciation and amortization (restatement of goodwill, following the sell and lease-back of the building in Les Ulis) enabled us to record income of +1M in our consolidated financial statements. Cash flow Available cash as at 31 December 2021 amounted to 25M. SERVICE BU: External turnover up sharply by 31% and overall EBITDA at 6.1M (20%) Oncodesign Service BU P&L In M Audited consolidated data FY21 FY20 Evolution In % In value External turnover 27.6 21.1 + 31% 6.5 Internal turnover 3.3 8.5 - 61% - 5.2 Turnover 30.9 29.6 + 4% 1.3 Direct costs (6.6) (6.4) + 2% - 0.1 Gross margin 24.3 23.2 + 5% 1.1 Internal costs (16.8) (17.5) - 4% 0.7 Net margin 7.5 5.7 + 33% 1.8 Other costs and income (1.4) (2.3) - 41% 1.0 EBITDA 6.1 3.3 + 84% 2.8 % of gross margin 78.8% 78.3% % of net margin 24.3% 19.1% % of EBITDA 19.9% 11.3% Total turnover for the Service BU reached 30.9M, up by 4% compared with 2020, mainly due to growth in External turnover (+31%), which amounted to 27.6M. The current development phase of ODS-101 was in very large part outsourced to external service providers and little was carried out within the Service BU. The result was a fall in internal turnover, to 3.3m compared with 8.5M in 2020. The Service BU also significantly improved its EBITDA by doubling it to 6.1M, i.e. a margin rate of 20%. Direct costs (purchases of services on behalf of our customers) remained stable in 2021 (+2%), as the studies carried out were mainly internal, and thus without subcontracting. At the same time, our internal costs dropped by 4%. They are made up of payroll, which reflects our efforts in terms of productivity. Lastly, our other costs and products are made up of Corporate and Business Development costs, which remain stable, and along with the research tax credit. Consequently, the significant increase in our turnover generated with our customers in the United States and Asia enable us to generate +1M in additional research tax credit in 2021. The Service BU's objectives are unchanged: to speed up the development of the sale of integrated, long-term service contracts in Drug Discovery to ensure growth in the Service BU's turnover and EBITDA. Oncodesign's objectives for 2023 for the Service BU are to achieve turnover of 50M and EBITDA of 20%. Biotech BU: Turnover of 3.7M and controlled expenditure Oncodesign Biotech BU P&L In M Audited consolidated data FY21 FY20 Evolution In % In value Turnover 3.7 4.4 - 16% - 0.7 Direct costs (5.2) (10.4) - 50% 5.2 Gross margin (1.5) (6.0) - 75% 4.5 Internal costs (0.9) (0.9) + 7% - 0.1 Net margin (2.4) (6.9) - 65% 4.5 Biotech BU's turnover comes from the sale of early partnerships targeting kinase inhibitors and licensing agreements from our portfolio. In 2021, this turnover amounted to 3.7 million, resulting mainly from our partnership with Servier. It should be noted that the Biotech BU has signed two new early partnerships with TiumBio (Korea) and SEngine (USA), the impact of which in terms of turnover will be expected in 2022. The Biotech BU's expenditure is derived mainly from the regulatory development of ODS-101, which is on track. In 2021, this new compound, which inhibits a new target, also required further regulatory toxicological analysis in various animal species in order to better prepare for the entry into phase I trial with healthy volunteers in 2022. Previously, Oncodesign had run the back-up program and validated the follower compounds1. No major problems related to the toxicity of the product likely to stop development have been identified to date. After intensive discussions with several pharmaceutical companies, Oncodesign chose to develop this promising compound internally through to the Phase 1 Healthy Volunteers stage, which will begin in 2022. The financing for future stages is already in place, with the objective of licensing the compound under the best possible conditions. The objectives of the Biotech BU are: to continue to enable the ramp-up of the pipeline through, first of all, the selection of kinase inhibitor drugs candidate derived from Nanocyclix technology and, secondly, the selection and development of systemic radiotherapy compounds. Oncodesign's ambition is to bring 3 products to the clinical phase by 2023. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BU Oncodesign AI BU P&L In M Audited consolidated data FY21 FY20 Evolution In % In value Turnover 0.0 0.0 Direct costs (0.2) (0.2) - 11% 0.0 Gross margin (0.2) (0.2) - 19% 0.0 Internal costs (0.7) (0.3) + 116% - 0.4 Net margin (0.9) (0.5) + 67% -0.3 The AI BU is continuing the construction phase of its platform for selecting new therapeutic targets, dedicating nearly 1M to it in 2021 after having invested 0.5M in 2020. Advanced-stage discussions are underway to enter strategic partnerships in 2022. The AI BU continues to run the OncoSNIPE project (PSPC/2017) in which it has invested 2M since the start and which is progressing according to plan, with steady patient recruitment in the 3 selected indications (Lung, Breast, Pancreas). This observational trial makes it possible to build up high-quality data and thus rapidly educate the algorithms and isolate resistant patient populations. This BU is aimed at building, by 2023, a platform for identifying and validating new therapeutic targets, to improve reliability and reduce the time needed for the Drug Discovery process, all while developing its turnover within the industry. Oncodesign's mission is to discover effective therapies to fight cancer thanks to its precision medicine platforms and innovative model, and through three strategic activities: Experimentation, Discovery and Etiology. Each BU brings its own respective technology to the table with the aim of generating innovative therapeutic products and targets, and thus fulfilling Oncodesign's mission together. Oncodesign's three techno-scientific challenges for 2025 are: To develop an innovative and effective drug discovery platform based on precision medicine To constitute a portfolio of therapeutic products focused on oncology To build an effective platform for selecting new therapeutic targets in oncology Oncodesign's economic model is built on the various business models in place at its BUs, each in line with specific markets. This integrative vision lies at the very foundation of our ability to adapt, and affords us extreme agility in an ever-evolving environment. The 2021 Annual Report will be available on the company's website www.oncodesign.com, on 28 April 2022. The consolidated financial statements have been reviewed, and the Statutory Auditors' report will be issued shortly. About Oncodesign www.oncodesign.com Oncodesign is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in precision medicine, founded in 1995 by its current CEO and majority shareholder. It has been listed on the Euronext Growth Market since April 2014. Its mission is to discover effective therapies to fight cancer and other diseases without a therapeutic solution. With its unique experience, enriched thanks to over 1,000 customers including the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and based on a one-of-a-kind technological platform combining artificial intelligence, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, regulatory bioanalysis and cutting-edge medical imaging, Oncodesign is able to select new therapeutic targets, then design and develop potential preclinical candidates up to the clinical phase stage. Oncodesign has configured its organization to offer innovative services to its customers and licenses for its proprietary molecules. Applied to kinase inhibitors molecules that represent a market estimated to be worth more than $65 billion by 2027 and nearly 25% of R&D investments in the pharmaceutical industry Oncodesign's technology has already made it possible to target several molecules of interest with a high therapeutic potential, both in and outside of oncology, and has signed partnerships with international pharmaceutical groups. Based in Dijon, France, at the heart of the University Hospital complex and part of the Paris-Saclay complex, Oncodesign has 230 employees across three Business Units (BU): Service, Biotech, Artificial Intelligence, and has subsidiaries in Canada and in the United States. Forward-looking statements This document contains forward-looking statements and estimates regarding the financial position, results of operations, strategy, projects and future performance of the Company and the market in which it operates. Some of these statements, forecasts and estimates may be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, "believe", "anticipate", "predict", "expect", "project", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "want", "continue" and similar expressions. These include all questions that are not historical facts. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that were considered reasonable when made but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend on factors beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, the Company's actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements, or industry results, may differ materially from future results, performance or achievements as expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. In light of these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. In addition, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates are only valid as of the date of publication of this document. The Company disclaims any obligation to update such forward-looking statements, forecasts or estimates to reflect any change in the Company's expectations relating thereto, or any change in the events, conditions or circumstances on which such statements, forecasts or estimates are based, except as required by French law. 1 Back-up and follower compounds are molecules that have the same mode of action on RIPK2 and fall respectively within the same chemical series as the lead candidate or a different chemical series, thus de-risking the program. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005810/en/ Contacts: Oncodesign Philippe Genne Chairman and CEO Tel.: +33 (0)380 788 260 investisseurs@oncodesign.com NewCap Investor Relations Mathilde Bohin Tel.: +33 (0)144 719 495 oncodesign@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Arthur Rouille Tel.: +33 (0)144 710 015 oncodesign@newcap.eu Regulatory News: ESI Group (Paris:ESI) (FR0004110310 ESI), leader and pioneer in Virtual Prototyping solutions, hereby releases the total number of shares making up the company's capital and the total number of voting rights in March 31, 2022, in accordance with articles 223-16 and 221-3 of the General Regulations of the "Autorite des Marches Financiers". Number of shares Number of theoretical voting rights * Number of voting rights ** 6,065,304 8,109,558 7,765,182 * The number of theoretical voting rights is calculated based on all shares eligible for voting right (single or double), including shares temporarily deprived of voting rights (treasury shares). ** All Group shares have equal right to vote, except treasury shares, which are deprived of the right to vote, and registered shares held for more than four years that are eligible for double voting rights. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005103/en/ Contacts: ESI Group Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a French clinical-stage biotech and a pioneer in the development of microbiome-based ecosystem therapies dedicated to improving survival outcomes for patients with cancer, announced today the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical trial1 sponsored by AP-HP2, evaluating MaaT013, MaaT Pharma's lead Microbiome Ecosystem Therapy candidate, in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo), which are standard first line treatments for patients with metastatic melanoma. The Phase 2a clinical trial is coordinated by Professor Franck Carbonnel, MD, Professor of Gastroenterology at the Kremlin-Bicetre Hospital in Villejuif, France, and is being carried out in collaboration with INRAE3 and Institut Gustave Roussy. The trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled study and is expected to enroll 60 patients in France. The primary endpoint is safety, while the secondary endpoint will evaluate MaaT013's potential to improve the response to ICI therapies, as a consequence of MaaT013's impact on the patient's gut microbiome. Patients will be randomized to receive either MaaT013 in combination with both ICIs or a placebo with both ICIs. MaaT Pharma will provide MaaT013 drug candidate and the placebo for this study as well as perform the microbiome profiling of patients using its proprietary gutPrint platform. This clinical trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Several studies have suggested that gut microbiota diversity and richness are predictors of response to ICI treatment4 in patients with solid tumors. Notably, in two recent studies conducted in melanoma patients5, fecal microbiota transfer from ICI therapy responders could overcome resistance to that same therapy in non-responders. About MaaT013 MaaT013 is a full-ecosystem, off-the-shelf, standardized, pooled-donor, Microbiome Ecosystem Therapy. It is characterized by a consistently high diversity and richness of microbial species and the presence of ButycoreTM (group of bacterial species known to produce anti-inflammatory metabolites). MaaT013 aims to restore the symbiotic relationship between the patient's functional gut microbiome and their immune system to correct the responsiveness and tolerance of immune functions and thus reduce steroid-resistant, gastrointestinal-predominant aGvHD. MaaT013 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD) and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial. MaaT Pharma has obtained positive safety and efficiency clinical data for 76 patients with aGvHD (Phase 2 clinical trial and Early Access Program in France). About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has launched, in March 2022, a Phase 3 clinical trial for patients with acute GvHD, following the achievement of its proof of concept in a Phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, supports the development and expansion of its pipeline by determining novel disease targets, evaluating drug candidates, and identifying biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 1 NCT04988841: Prospective randomIzed clinical trial assessing the tolerance and clinical benefit of feCAl tranSplantation in patientS with melanOma treated with CTLA-4 and PD1 inhibitors. 2 AP-HP: Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris 3 INRAE: Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement 4 Routy B. et al, Science 2018, Matson et al, Science 2018, Gopalakrishnan V. et al, Science, 2018 5 Davar D. et al, Science, 2021; Baruch E.N. et al, Science, 2021 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005797/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Herve AFFAGARD Co-Founder and CEO Sian Crouzet, COO/ CFO +33 4 28 29 14 00 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline RICHAUD Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 07 55 25 36 prichaud@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Corporate Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Gretchen SCHWEITZER +49 89 23 88 77 31 maat@trophic.eu April 7, 2022 U.S. Oil & Gas Plc. ("US Oil" or the "Company") Notice of AGM and Update NOTICE OF AGM U.S. Oil & Gas Plc, ("USOIL" or the "Company"), the oil and gas exploration company with assets in Nevada, makes the following announcement: The Company's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") will be held on 29 April, 2022 at 11.00 a.m. at Alexandra House, the Sweepstakes, Ballsbridge Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, D04 C7H2, Ireland. Due to the current high level of reported COVID-19 infections, U.S. Oil and Gas plc has put in place arrangements to protect the wellbeing of shareholders and company officers. AGM proceedings will be conducted via teleconference from the company's headquarters, Alexandra House, the Sweepstakes, Ballsbridge Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, D04 C7H2. Full details are outlined below. Notice of the AGM, a form of proxy and the Annual Report and Accounts (see also www.usoilandgas.us) for the period ended 31 July 2021 (the "Documents") were posted to shareholders on 6 April 2022, including information on how to use the electronic voting facility. AGENDA Ordinary Business To receive and consider the financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2021 and the reports of the Directors and Auditors thereon Re-election of Karim Toma Akrawi as a Director To re appoint Nexia Smith & Williamson Chartered Accountants as Auditors Special Business 4. Authorisation to allot equity securities otherwise than in accordance with statutory pre-emption rights Proxy voting We strongly advise our shareholders to submit their proxy forms by post or electronically to ensure their vote counts at the AGM. Voting and conference call details We request all shareholders to refrain from attending the AGM in person, but instead: - to vote: please use the proxy voting services (electronic and/or paper) available to all shareholders as set out. Voting by proxy is the means by which a great majority of the shareholders usually vote at the AGM. Any shareholders who need further information in respect of the proxy voting or require assistance in submitting their vote using this service, should call the Registrars of the Company, Computershare Investor Services (Ireland) Limited on + 353(0)1 447 5566; and - to raise questions: please submit any questions that you would like to ask and/or might otherwise have asked in person at the AGM in advance in writing by either (A) post to AGM 2022, US OIL and Gas, Alexandra House, the Sweepstakes, Ballsbridge Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, D04 C7H2 so as to arrive by no later than 11.00 a.m. on 27 April 2022, or (B) email to info@usoilandgas.us by no later than 11.00 a.m. on 27 April 2022. All correspondence should include sufficient information to identify you as a shareholder on the Register of Members. Further details and teleconference dial-in numbers are set out in the Notes to the notice of AGM. All resolutions at the AGM will be put to a poll (which incorporates proxy votes received 48 hours prior to the time of the meeting). Shareholders are encouraged to submit their proxy votes as soon as possible but in any event no later than 11.00 a.m. on 27 April 2022. We encourage shareholders to appoint the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy. The results of the votes at the meeting will be announced on the Company website as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the AGM. Copies of the Documents will be available for inspection for one month from today's date, free of charge, from the Company's registered office at: Alexandra House, The Sweepstakes, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland. UPDATE Lease suspension/extension requests As previously reported, the company has applied to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the suspension of certain leases in order that their terms be extended. Although the Board has grounds for believing that some or all of the requests will be approved, no formal notification of the BLM's final decision has yet been received. Funding The Company is currently engaged in active discussions with potential funders and will inform shareholders of the outcome in due course. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The statements in this communication reflect the current thinking of the Board and the Company's present plans. The Company reserves the right to alter plans in the light of developing knowledge and circumstances. Shareholders' attention is drawn to the note below concerning Forward-looking Statements. This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information". Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: business plans and strategies of US Oil and Gas; operating or technical difficulties in connection with drilling or development activities; availability and costs associated with inputs and labour; drilling and exploration costs; the speculative nature of oil exploration and development; diminishing quantities or quality of reserves; synergies and financial impact of completed acquisitions; the benefits of the acquisitions and the development potential of properties of US Oil and Gas; the future price of oil; supply and demand for oil; the estimation of reserves; the realization of reserve estimates; costs of production and projections of costs; success of exploration activities; capital expenditure programs and the timing and method of financing thereof; the ability of US Oil and Gas to achieve drilling success consistent with management's expectations; net present values of future net revenues from reserves; expected levels of royalty rates, operating costs, general and administrative costs, costs of services and other costs and expenses; expectations regarding the ability to raise capital and to add to reserves through acquisitions, assessments of the value of acquisitions and exploration and development programs; geological, technical, drilling and processing problems; treatment under governmental regulatory regimes and tax laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein constitutes an offer or solicitation by U.S. Oil and Gas Plc for the purchase or sale of any securities nor does it constitute a solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction where solicitation would be unlawful. For further information contact: Brian McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer +353 (1) 631 9022 About U.S. Oil & Gas: U.S. Oil & Gas plc is an oil and gas exploration company with a strategy to identify and acquire oil and gas assets in the early phase of the upstream life-cycle and mature them. The Company's main asset is in Nye County, Nevada where it holds the entire share capital of US-based company, Major Oil International LLC ("Major Oil"). Major Oil has acquired rights to exploration and development acreage in Hot Creek Valley, Nye County, adjacent to the oil and gas rich Railroad Valley area of Nevada, both of which are part of the Sevier Thrust of central Nevada and western Utah, USA. For further information please refer to our website at: www.usoilandgas.us Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Wurk, Leading Cannabis Payroll, HR, Compliance and HCM services, will be participating in the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, which will take place on April 20 and April 21 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Scott Kenyon, CEO will be speaking at 1:50 ET on April 20th. Interested parties can register to attend here. The panel will be moderated by Emily Paxhia, Poseidon. Members of the Wurk management will also be holding one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. "Why head out West when you can attend the biggest cannabis event to hit the East Coast? The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference will bring more than 1,000 of the top movers and shakers in the cannabis industry to your backyard," said Chief Zinger Jason Raznick. "We've kept the pedal to the metal during COVID-19 and continue to be very excited to shine the spotlight on the cannabis industry. This conference will be the best place to raise money, create partnerships, and expand media visibility for all involved." To register and access please follow this link. About Wurk Wurk enables clients to effectively manage the industry's rapid growth by providing leading HCM tools and solutions to normalize the economy of cannabis. In addition to Payroll and HR, the company uses its expertise and trusted partnerships to provide guidance on 280E tax law, accounting, and banking. Its platform is designed to scale nationally with the growth of the industry while incorporating the local laws and regulations unique to individual states. About The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference The premier gathering of cannabis entrepreneurs and investors in North America is returning to Miami. The next iteration of the famed Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference will gather industry insiders and investors from around the world once again on April 20 and 21 in Miami. Attendees can expect two full days of keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, networking, company presentations, celebrity appearances, and more. The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is guaranteed to offer participants all the benefits of an immersive and robust in-person conference from any remote location. The conference will feature an interactive forum of live and on-demand presentations from top CEOs, investors and leaders in the cannabis space. For further information: Colton Keluche 8333659875 ckeluche@enjoywurk.com In accordance with article L233-8 of commercial law, Wavestone informs its shareholders that as of March 31, 2022, its capital was composed of 20,196,492 shares representing 32,530,433 voting rights according to article 223-11 of the AMF. About Wavestone In a world where knowing how to drive transformation is the key to success, Wavestone's mission is to inform and guide large companies and organizations in their most critical transformations, with the ambition of a positive outcome for all stakeholders. That's what we call "The Positive Way." Wavestone draws on some 3,000 employees across 9 countries. It is a leading independent player in the European consulting market. Wavestone is listed on Euronext Paris and recognized as a Great Place to Work. Wavestone Pascal IMBERT Chief Executive Officer Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 03 20 00 Benjamin CLEMENT Financial communication Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 03 20 00 Actus Financial news Mathieu OMNES Analyst & investor relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92 Nicolas BOUCHEZ Press relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: lJhsYMiaZWfFlXJvZJ2Za5eUamdkk2CWbmacl2mak5/InGuUm5doapjGZnBknmVq - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-73904-wavestone_declaration-amf_220407-en.pdf 7 April 2022 Rightmove plc Share buy-back programme Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 190,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 641.535p. The highest price paid per share was 648.600p and the lowest price paid per share was 635.600p. Rightmove purchased these shares through UBS AG London Branch. The number of shares purchased represented 0.0225% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled. Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 463,348,729 ordinary shares. The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 843,238,177. Rightmove holds 12,467,174 shares in treasury. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by UBS AG London Branch on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme. Contact Michelle Palmer, Assistant Company Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions RICHMOND HILL, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX:HBP) ("Helix" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing unique therapies in the field of immuno-oncology, based on its proprietary technological platform DOS47, today announced the resignation of Dr. Krzysztof Saczek from the Board of Directors with immediate effect. "On behalf of Helix, I would like to thank Krzysztof for his service to the Company" said Mr. Artur Gabor, Chair of the Audit Committee. "The Company continues to pursue the identification of additional independent directors to fulfill the vacant director positions, and is also working to fill the CEO and CFO positions on a permanent basis," continued Mr. Gabor. About Helix BioPharma Corp. Helix BioPharma Corp. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing unique therapies in the field of immune-oncology for the prevention and treatment of cancer based on our proprietary technological platform DOS47. Helix is listed on the TSX under the symbol "HBP". For more information, please contact: Helix BioPharma Corp. 9120 Leslie Street, Suite 205 Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3J9 Tel: 905-841-2300 x 233 Frank Michalargias, Chief Financial Officer ir@helixbiopharma.com Forward-Looking Statements and Risks and Uncertainties This news release contains forward-looking statements and information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements and information that are not historical facts but instead include financial projections and estimates, statements regarding plans, goals, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to the Company's future business, operations, research and development, including the Company's activities relating to DOS47, and statements regarding the identification and appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officers and new members of the Board of Directors. Forward-looking statements can further be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "ongoing", "estimates", "expects", or the negative thereof or any other variations thereon or comparable terminology referring to future events or results, or that events or conditions "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved, or comparable terminology referring to future events or results. Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that are also uncertain. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements, including financial outlooks, are intended to provide information about management's current plans and expectations regarding future operations, including without limitation, future financing requirements, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including without limitation; the risk that the Company's assumptions may prove to be incorrect; the risk that additional financing may not be obtainable in a timely manner, or at all, and that clinical trials may not commence or complete within anticipated timelines or the anticipated budget or may fail; third party suppliers of necessary services or of drug product and other materials may fail to perform or be unwilling or unable to supply the Company, which could cause delay or cancellation of the Company's research and development activities; necessary regulatory approvals may not be granted or may be withdrawn; the Company may not be able to secure necessary strategic partner support; general economic conditions, intellectual property and insurance risks; changes in business strategy or plans; and other risks and uncertainties referred to elsewhere in this news release, any of which could cause actual results to vary materially from current results or the Company's anticipated future results. Certain of these risks and uncertainties, and others affecting the Company, are more fully described in the Company's annual management's discussion and analysis for the year ended July 31, 2021 under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" and Helix's Annual Information Form, in particular under the headings "Forward-looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", and other reports filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com from time to time. Forward-looking statements and information are based on the beliefs, assumptions, opinions and expectations of Helix's management on the date of this new release, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement or information should those beliefs, assumptions, opinions or expectations, or other circumstances change, except as required by law. SOURCE: Helix BioPharma Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696587/Helix-Announces-Board-Resignation Photo taken on April 6, 2022 shows landmine detection equipment at an event marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) April 4 marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action in Afghanistan, the country that is one of the most landmine contaminated in the world. "Marking this special day gives us opportunities to study and observe all challenges and problems ahead of mine clearing program in Afghanistan," said head of the Directorate for Mine Action Coordination of the ministry. KABUL, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Landmines have continued to kill or maim more than 120 people every month in Afghanistan, one of the most landmine contaminated countries, authorities said on Wednesday. "Landmines and explosive remnants of war kill or maim more than 120 Afghans every month," Nooruddin Rustamkhil from the State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs said at an event marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The day is observed annually on April 4. Afghan Sappers attend a press conference on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 6, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) "We are marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Marking this special day gives us opportunities to study and observe all challenges and problems ahead of mine clearing program in Afghanistan," Rustamkhil, head of the Directorate for Mine Action Coordination of the ministry, said. The official noted that the Afghan caretaker government has speeded up its efforts to clear the country from mines. However, he acknowledged that "it was impossible to have Afghanistan free of mine without international support." "During the past four decades of war, Afghanistan has been contaminated by millions of mines. During the past 30 years, about 3,323 square km of land has been cleared from millions of mines and explosive remnants of war. However, some 606 square km of Afghan land is still contaminated by landmines," he said. The official said it would take seven to eight years to have the mountainous country completely free from the menace of mines. The Mine Action Program of Afghanistan has cleaned some 26 square km from landmines and explosive ordnance in 21 of the country's 34 provinces since August in last year, according to Rustamkhil. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Highmark Interactive Inc. (TSXV:HMRK), a global leader in digital health technologies with their FDA approved EQ Remote Monitoring solution, is pleased to announce that it will be co-exhibiting with United States Orthopedic Association (USOA) at the California Orthopedic Association (COA) Annual Meeting starting on April 7th, 2022. Highmark and USOA will be co-hosting an educational event for physicians, speaking to the strength of their recently announced alliance. For orthopedic practices, the EQ Remote Patient Monitoring Platform enables physiologic monitoring of the patient before and after surgeries as well as in between clinic visits. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) assists in understanding a patient's recovery and alerting practitioners much earlier of issues that can minimize or prevent more expensive downstream costs, thus improving outcomes for patients, practitioners and payers. RPM has recently been approved by Medicare for reimbursement. It is estimated that the typical surgeon can generate at least an additional $200k per year by incorporating RPM into their practice. Highmark is currently short listed with several large orthopedic organizations and RPM channel partners and is deepening its relationships with existing customers. Highmark is also pleased to announce an upgraded version of its EQ Software for monitoring resilience, which is the balance between stress and recovery, at work. The EQ platform is being deployed into the corporate employer market, most recently in one of Canada's largest law practices, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. The launch of EQ at Work for mental wellness has been well received - says one Fasken employee participating in the new program: "I found the EQ Brain Performance app to be very engaging in the activities! I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but found the gamified analysis interesting in the ways it challenged my brain. I actually felt less anxiety after using the app, and felt motivated to check in again days later to see if my scores improved in regards to anxiety, stress, and lack of sleep" About Highmark Interactive Highmark Interactive was created to change the paradigm of testing and management for brain and mental health. Highmark's approach is focused on providing real-time data to health providers to support proactive, preventative interventions and targeted care planning to improve health outcomes. In addition to a growing network of virtual, in-person and hybrid clinics, Highmark Interactive offers the world's first gamified, FDA cleared patient-led assessments as well as digital clinician-led assessments of neurofunction and balance. Together, the technology is used in more than 300 clinics globally. By unlocking insights, Highmark's platform enables precision medicine and creates a more contemporary model for delivering better outcomes in medical, mental health and rehabilitation services. Learn more: https://www.highmark.tech/ For further information: Highmark Interactive Inc. Investor Relations ir@highmark.tech SOURCE: Highmark Interactive View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696588/Highmark-Interactive-Inc-to-Present-at-California-Orthopedic-Association-Conference-on-April-7th-2022-and-Announces-Release-of-an-Upgraded-Version-of-EQ-for-Workplace-Health Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 7 April 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 50,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 834.12p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 1,810,421; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 223,180,882. The figure of 223,180,882 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Evolva Holding SA / Key word(s): AGMEGM Evolva's AGM postponed to May 5, 2022 / agenda remains unchanged 07-Apr-2022 / 18:54 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Ad Hoc Announcement (PDF) PRESS RELEASE | AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR Reinach, April 7, 2022 - Evolva (SIX:EVE) today announced that it has postponed its AGM 2022, which was originally scheduled for April 12, 2022 to May 5, 2022 due to technical reasons. The agenda items and proposals of the Board of Directors remain unchanged. The new invitation will be officially published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC) on April 12, 2022 in the form available under https://evolva.com/shareholder-info/annual-general-meeting-of-shareholders/. Information about the full year 2021 results including the Annual Report 2021 is available on the company website at https://evolva.com/financial-data/full-year-results/. In line with the 'COVID-19 Ordinance 3', physical attendence by the shareholders at this year's AGM is not possible. Shareholders may cast their votes in writing or by electronic power of attorney to the independent proxy. Important dates May 5, 2022 Annual General Meeting August 25, 2022 Half-year 2022 Report About Evolva Evolva is a Swiss biotech company focused on the research, development and commercialization of ingredients based on nature. We have leading businesses in Flavors and Fragrances, Health Ingredients and Health Protection. Evolva's employees, half of which are women, are dedicated to make the best products that can contribute to health, wellbeing and sensory enjoyment. Find out more at evolva.com and connect with us on LinkedIn . For Evolva multimedia content, please visit: evolva.com/multimedia-library . Contact Thomas Schneckenburger, PhD, CFA Head of Investor and Corporate Relations +41 61 485 2003 +41 79 407 9952 thomass@evolva.com Disclaimer This announcement is not an offer of securities into the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act'), and may not be offered, pledged, sold, delivered or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. Further, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Canada, Australia or Japan or under the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation of such laws. This press release contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like believe, assume, expect or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - Le avril 7/April 2022) - The common shares of Gama Explorations Inc., have been approved for listing on the CSE. Listing and disclosure documents will be available at www.thecse.com on the trading date. Gama Explorations is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of properties for the mining of copper. The company currently has the right to acquire 100% interest in the property known as the Big Onion Project located a short 20 minute drive from the town of Smithers in northern British Columbia. _________________________________ Les actions ordinaires de Gama Explorations Inc. ont ete approuvees pour etre inscrites au CSE. Les documents d'inscription et d'information seront disponibles sur www.thecse.com a la date de negociation. Gama Explorations est une societe d'exploration miniere axee sur l'acquisition, l'exploration et le developpement de proprietes pour l'exploitation du cuivre. La societe a actuellement le droit d'acquerir un interet de 100 % dans la propriete connue sous le nom de projet Big Onion situee a 20 minutes en voiture de la ville de Smithers dans le nord de la Colombie-Britannique. Issuer/Emetteur: Gama Explorations Inc. Security Type/Titre: Common Shares/Actions ordinaires Symbol(s)/Symbole(s): GAMA Number of securities issued and outstanding/ Titres emis et en circulation: 7 542 700 Number of Securities reserved for issuance/ Titres reserves pour emission: 0 CSE Sector/Categorie: Mining/Minier CUSIP: 36459L 10 3 ISIN: CA 36459L 10 3 1 Boardlot/Quotite: 500 Trading Currency/Monnaie de negociation: CDN$/$CDN Trading Date/Date de negociation: Le 11 avril/April 2022 Other Exchanges/Autres marches: N/A Fiscal Year end /Cloture de l'exercice financier: le 31 janvier/January Transfer Agent/Agent des transferts: Odyssey Trust Company The Exchange is accepting Market Maker applications for GAMA. Please email: Trading@theCSE.com. If you have any questions or require further information please contact Listings at (416) 367-7340 or E-mail: Listings@thecse.com. Pour toute question, pour obtenir de l'information supplementaire veuillez communiquer avec le service des inscriptions au 416 367-7340 ou par courriel a l'adresse: Listings@thecse.com. Developing the Clinic of the Future, Cloud DX work to be supported by Sheridan College through federal grant News in Summary Funding awarded for mobile and machine learning healthcare innovation projects Supports commercialization of patented Cloud DX technology for the Medical Metaverse Research partnership between Sheridan's CMI and Cloud DX's eXtended Reality division, Cloud XR KITCHENER, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Cloud DX (TSXV:CDX) (OTCQB:CDXFF), leading Virtual Care platform provider, will partner with Sheridan College (the grant recipient) on a project with Cloud XR, the company's eXtended Reality division, to further develop the Clinic of the Future, an augmented reality (AR) platform. This is made possible through the support of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) non-dilutive funding grant. As a key industry partner, Cloud DX will work with Sheridan College who will conduct a portfolio of applied research projects in Mobile Health and Health and Machine Learning. Cloud XR's Clinic of the Future demonstrates how its patented Vitaliti continuous monitoring device displays real-time patient information in the form of 3-D holographic images. The Clinic of the Future is the Medical Metaverse in action, a fully remote, touchless, seamless method enabling healthcare professionals to interact with patients. Dr. Sonny Kohli, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at Cloud DX states: "Improving healthcare is important to everyone, we all use it throughout our lives, and advancement in healthcare and medicine is only possible through innovation. Working with partners such as Sheridan's Center for Mobile Innovation is essential to push the industry into the future. At Cloud DX working with leaders such Dr. Edward Sykes helps bring our inventions to life and supports our commercialization of new healthcare devices, such as our patented Vitaliti. This NSERC funding not only recognizes Canadian technology leadership like our partnership, more importantly it advances the MedTech industry - one where virtual and remote care, AI, and Augmented Reality are embedded throughout; the Medical Metaverse. Think about it, a leading specialist can now examine a patient on the other side of the world, its limitless. The Medical Metaverse will improve access to healthcare, create more efficiencies, lead to better patient outcomes, and much more." About the Sheridan Centre for Mobile Innovation The Sheridan Centre for Mobile Innovation (CMI) creates innovative solutions to industry-relevant challenges, in close collaboration with industry, community, and academic partners. CMI uses leading technologies in its research including: mobile, Artificial Intelligent/Machine Learning/Deep Learning, wearable computing, augmented/virtual reality/mixed reality and Internet of Things. Please visit: cmi.sheridancollege.ca. For more information on research and innovation at Sheridan, please visit research.sheridancollege.ca. About Cloud DX Accelerating virtual healthcare, Cloud DX is on a mission to make healthcare better for everyone. Our Connected Health TM remote patient monitoring platform is used by healthcare enterprises and care teams across North America to virtually manage chronic disease, enable aging in place, and deliver hospital-quality post-surgical care in the home. Our partners achieve better healthcare and patient outcomes, reduce the need for hospitalization or re-admission, and reduce healthcare delivery costs through more efficient use of resources. Cloud DX is the co-winner of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, a 2021 Edison Award winner, a Fast Company "World Changing Idea" finalist, and was named a "New Innovator 2022" by Canadian Business magazine. Cloud DX is an exclusive virtual care partner to Medtronic Canada and Equitable Life. Cloud DX Investor Site https://ir.clouddx.com/overview/default.aspx Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. # # # For media inquiries please contact: Janine Scott Marketing Lead 888-543-0944 janine.scott@CloudDX.com For investor inquiries please contact: Jay Bedard Cloud DX Investor Relations 647-881-8418 jay.bedard@CloudDX.com SOURCE: Cloud DX Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696594/Cloud-DX-partners-with-Sheridan-College-on-Medical-Metaverse-Research-and-Development Uplift students' individual and collective strength is a result of the social and economic challenges they face every day. We come together at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to celebrate this resilience and the bright future of our students. DALLS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2022 / Uplift Education is excited to announce the 12th annual Senior Decision Day (formerly College Signing Day), which will honor 940 high school seniors in the class of 2022 on Monday, April 11th at 11:40 a.m. (doors open at 11:00 a.m.) at AT&T Stadium. Senior Decision Day is the opportunity for Uplift soon-to-be graduates to announce their college and career plans to nearly 8,000 family, friends, classmates and VIPS in attendance. This high-energy event is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and focus for Uplift students, and a tradition that is looked forward to by underclassmen. 100% of Uplift graduates are accepted to college and nearly 90% matriculate to college each year. Uplift graduates also earn college degrees at a rate of 4X the national average for economically disadvantaged students (80% of Uplift graduates are low-income). While Uplift believes that college success is possible for all its graduates, the network also helps build sustainable futures for those graduates who choose not to go to college, through pathways to trade schools and licensure programs. Whether their future is college, career, or military service, Senior Decision Day celebrates all those bright futures. "We are incredibly proud of the way this year's senior class is maintaining their academic goals, "said Uplift CEO, Yasmin Bhatia, "often while working to help support their family. They have also shown creativity and enthusiasm as they have built new traditions and memories for their senior year during a continuation of our pandemic. We want them to celebrate and to be celebrated by their families, friends and the educators who helped get them to achieve their goals. The class of 2022 is proof that college is a possibility for any student, regardless of their zip code. We encourage the community to watch via live stream, which can be accessed through our Uplift website, and post to social media using the hashtag UpliftSDD to support our seniors. While we all adapt to this "new normal", we are confident that NOTHING has changed for our seniors as they prepare for their future. They are equipped with solid, globally-focused academic knowledge, key critical thinking skills, and strong leadership abilities. This pandemic has created a critical void across Dallas/FW's most underserved and challenged communities. Schools play a vital role in every neighborhood and are often the source of stability in a young person's life, providing education, meals, and a place to stay safe. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there is no way we can let that go unrecognized. Uplift Education Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teachers, families, and, most importantly, students. With a network of 45 college preparatory, public charter schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Uplift offers students of any background the powerful chance to study within a multidisciplinary curriculum and prepare for the college career they deserve. Uplift is the largest International Baccalaureate district in Texas and the #2 IB district in the nation because of the number of holistic extracurricular and educational programs. The incredible educators in the Uplift network guide and teach nearly 23,000 students in Pre-K- 12th?grades, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information Uplift's mission and their blind lottery selection system, visit?uplifteducation.org?or?facebook.com/uplifteducation. CONTACT INFORMATION: Deekay Fox Senior Marketing and Communications Director dfox@uplifteducation.org 661-378-2353 SOURCE: Uplift Education View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/696595/Uplift-Honors-the-High-School-Class-of-2022-at-Senior-Decision-Day-on-April-11-2022 West Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Magnum Goldcorp Inc. (TSXV: MGI) (the "Company" or "Magnum") is pleased to provide its 2022 plans to further explore the Company's LH Property located near Silverton, British Columbia. With a 2-year Multi-Year Area Based (MYAB) work permit in hand for its LH Property, the Company is planning a diamond drill program to further explore its LH Property, commencing in late Spring once snow conditions and weather conditions permit access. The planned drill program will continue evaluation of an interpreted pyrrhotite-bearing vein system, interpreted to comprise multiple en echelon veins identified in both underground workings and previous drilling (see News Releases dated Nov. 25, 2019, Feb 8, 2018, Aug. 18, 2015). Highly anomalous gold results, up to 20.76 g/t over 11.0 m, were documented in the 2015 drill program from a total of 11 drill holes drilled at a shallow to moderate angle to the vein system. A follow-up program in 2017, comprising 5 holes drilled at a moderate to high angle to the vein system, documented slightly lower gold grades, up to 1.59 g/t over 11.97 m. A third drill program in 2019, comprising 4 drill holes drilled at a moderate to high angle to the vein system, returned up to 5.15 g/t over 5.58 m. True widths for mineralized intervals documented to date vary between approximately 0.5 to 9.00 m for multiple veins to vein segments comprising an interpreted en echelon system. The pyrrhotite-bearing veins and vein segments return strong magnetic signatures, spatially associated with the underground workings developed along the vein system, as well as the 2015 drill intercepts. Drill intercepts from 2017 and 2019 are associated with less intense magnetic signatures and were interpreted to have tested a pyrrhotite mineralized halo, rather than the vein system itself. Evaluation of results from the 2019 airborne magnetic drone survey has identified several magnetic highs. Given a strong correlation between pyrrhotite content and gold grade, these magnetic high are interpreted to represent gold-bearing intervals along the vein system and comprise the targets for the 2022 drill program. The LH Property is a gold exploration property consisting of 19 contiguous crown granted claims and 7 mineral claims, located approximately 7 km south of Silverton, British Columbia, on the east side of Slocan Lake. Access to the LH Property is via Highway 6 for 1.1 km south of Silverton and then via Red Mountain Road for 1.6 km to the Hewitt Mine Road, and then along a four-wheel drive road along Fingland Creek for approximately 5 km. Stock Option Grants In accordance with the terms of the Company's stock option plan, the Company has granted 3,200,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants, at an exercise price of $0.05 per share for a term of 5 years. For further information visit the Company's website at www.magnumgoldcorp.com. Magnum Goldcorp Inc. "Douglas L. Mason" _______________________________________ Douglas L. Mason, Chief Executive Officer Magnum Goldcorp Inc. Phone 604.922.2030 Fax 604.922.2037 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address such matters, including exploration of the LH Property, are forward-looking statements and, as such, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which are beyond he reasonable control of the Company. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, this forward-looking information. Any forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and subject to change after that date and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such Act. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119729 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - CoinAnalyst Corp. (CSE: COYX) (FSE: 1EO) ("CoinAnalyst" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of RockStock Equities Inc. ("RockStock") pursuant to the share purchase agreement (the "SPA") dated April 1, 2022 with RockStock and all of the shareholders of RockStock (the "RockStock Shareholders"). As part of the closing of the Acquisition, the Company issued an aggregate of 3,750,000 common shares of the Company at a deemed issue price of $0.25 per share (the "Consideration Shares") to the RockStock Shareholders. Please refer to the Company's news releases dated January 20, 2022, April 4, 2022, and the SPA, each of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile for additional information on the Acquisition. Appointment of Director In addition, the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. David Abbott to the board of directors of the Company. About RockStock RockStock Equities Inc.'s vision is to capitalize on the dramatic impact of blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs on a once beleaguered music industry. With a primary focus on developing an artists/fans platform (the "RockStock Platform"), RockStock intends to facilitate and empower artists through a state-of-the art app platform allowing artists to directly monetize their music, create "pay-per-view" performances and participate in the exciting new world of NFT revenue generation. For the fans, it is an opportunity to connect and support the artists they love through a multi genre, online competition and participate in profit opportunities to be created through the purchase of artist security tokens and NFTs. For more information about RockStock, please visit www.myrockstock.com. About CoinAnalyst CoinAnalyst focuses on the business which includes an artificial intelligence ("AI")-based big data analytics platform (the "Platform") that enables investors in the digital asset sector and other industries to access a dashboard. The dashboard monitors and analyzes real-time data from the digital asset market (Coins/Tokens/NFTs/initial offerings). The Company's software monitors news sources, tracks influencers, scans online social media, and provides sentiment analysis, forecast and trade signals on the top 300 digital assets. Additionally, the software system provides news, price quotes and allows for messaging. To learn more about CoinAnalyst, please visit https://coinanalyst.tech/en/ For more information, please contact: Andrew Sazama Chief Operating Officer and Director Email: contact@coinanalyst.tech Phone: + 49 69 2648485 - 20 Forward-Looking Information and Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". No assurance can be given that potential future results or circumstances described in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. By their nature, these forward-looking statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to significantly differ from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the view of the Company with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions, which it considers reasonable. Management cautions readers that the assumptions relative to the future events, several of which are beyond management's control, could prove to be incorrect, given that they are subject to certain risk and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected. Management disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S. OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119736 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Meryllion Resources Corporation (CSE: MYR), ("Meryllion" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement pursuant to which the Corporation has issued a total of 6,154,615 common shares at a price of $0.065 per share for gross proceeds of $400,050 (the "Private Placement"). Certain insiders of the Corporation subscribed for a total of 2,307,693 common shares pursuant to the Private Placement. The issuance of shares to each insider constitutes a related-party transaction within the meaning of Multi-Lateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Neither the Corporation, nor to the knowledge of the Corporation after reasonable inquiry, a related party, has knowledge of any material information concerning the Corporation or its securities that has not been generally disclosed. The share issuances to the insiders are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to Sections 5.5(c) and 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101 as they were a distribution of securities for cash and neither the fair market value of the common shares distributed to, nor the consideration received from, interested parties exceeded $2,500,000. The Corporation did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Private Placement because the details of the participation therein by related parties to the Corporation were not settled until shortly prior to the closing, and the Corporation wished to close on an expedited basis for business reasons. All common shares issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. The Corporation also wishes to announce that, effective immediately, Jeremy Edelman has resigned as a director and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. The Corporation would like to thank Mr. Edelman for his contributions to the Corporation and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours. Richard Revelins, currently a director of the Corporation, has been appointed as the Corporation's new Chief Executive Officer. Finally, the corporation announces that David Steinepreis has resigned as the Corporation's Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Steinepreis will continue to serve as a director of the Corporation. Chuck Forrest has been appointed as the Corporation's new Chief Financial Officer. Early Warning Disclosure In connection with the Private Placement, David Steinepreis acquired ownership, control or direction over common shares of the Corporation requiring disclosure pursuant to the early warning requirements of applicable securities regulation. Immediately prior to the Private Placement, Mr. Steinepreis had ownership of, or exercised control or direction over, 3,538,076 common shares of the Corporation. Pursuant to the Private Placement, Mr. Steinepreis, indirectly through Croesus Mining Pty Ltd., acquired 769,231 common shares and now holds, or exercises control or direction over, 4,307,307 common shares of the Corporation. Following the Private Placement, Mr. Steinepreis' common share ownership (direct and indirect) in the Corporation decreased from approximately 16.28% to 15.44%, since the effective date of his last early warning report (January 17, 2022) and after taking into account subsequent issuances of common shares by the Corporation since said last report. All common shares of the Corporation held or controlled by Mr. Steinepreis are held for investment purposes. In the future, Mr. Steinepreis (directly or indirectly), may acquire and/or dispose of common shares through the market, privately or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions may warrant. This portion of this news release is issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related and Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues of the Canadian Securities Administrators, which also requires an early warning report to be filed with the applicable securities regulators containing additional information with respect to the foregoing matters. A copy of the early warning report will be filed by Mr. Steinepreis in accordance with applicable securities laws and will be available on the Corporation's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For further information please contact: Mr. Richard Revelins Director and Chief Executive Officer Meryllion Resources Corporation T: (310) 405-4475 E: rrevelins@peregrinecorporate.com Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119720 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Zedcor Inc. (TSXV: ZDC) (the "Company" or "Zedcor") announces that, further to its press release dated February 28, 2022, the Company has completed the conversion (the "Conversion") of its 4,400,000 outstanding Series 1 preferred shares (the "Series 1 Shares"). The Conversion was completed pursuant to the terms of the Series 1 Shares and pursuant to a conversion notice from Dean Swanberg, a director of the Company and the Company's largest shareholder, on behalf of D.S.S. Holdings Inc., a private Alberta corporation controlled by Mr. Swanberg, and the sole holder of the Series 1 Shares. Pursuant to the Conversion, the Company issued 4,400,000 common shares ("Common Shares") of the Company, at the stated conversion price pursuant to the terms of the Series 1 Shares of $0.70 per Common Share. In addition, in respect of the cumulative dividend payable on the Series 1 Shares in the amount of approximately $1.44 million, the Company issued 2,883,386 Common Shares (the "Dividend Shares") at a deemed price per Dividend Share of $0.50. The Common Shares issued pursuant to the Conversion and the Dividend Shares are subject to a hold period pursuant to the policies of the TSXV Venture Exchange of four months and one day from the date of issuance. As a result of Mr. Swanberg's status as an insider of the Company, the issuance of the Dividend Shares constitutes a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). This transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the securities issued does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization, calculated in accordance with MI 61-101. About Zedcor Inc. Zedcor Inc. is a Canadian public corporation and parent company to Zedcor Security Solutions Corp. Driven by its guiding principles of being pioneers and innovators, Zedcor is engaged in providing technology based security & surveillance services in Western and Central Canada. The Company is disrupting the security industry with its three main service offerings to customers across all market segments: 1) rental, service and remote monitoring of its proprietary MobileyeZ security towers; 2) live monitoring of fixed site locations; and 3) security personnel. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ZDC". Forward-Looking Statements and Information Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements or information can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "budget", "should", "project", "may be", or similar words suggesting future outcomes or expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations implied in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements or information because the Company can give no assurance that such statements or information will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of assumptions about the future and uncertainties, including general market and economic conditions, current forecasts and utilization. Although management of the Company believes these expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements or information to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will be proved to be correct, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. For this purpose, any statements or information contained herein that are not statements or information of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements or information and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new contrary information, future events or any other reason, unless the Company is required by any applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. For further information, please contact: Todd Ziniuk President and Chief Executive Officer Zedcor Inc. P: 403-930-5432 E: tziniuk@zedcor.ca Amin Ladha Chief Financial Officer Zedcor Inc. P: 403-930-5435 E: aladha@zedcor.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119735 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday warned that if U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists on visiting Taiwan, China will take firm and robust measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and the U.S. side shall bear all ensuing consequences. Urging the U.S. side to stick to the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan must be cancelled immediately. LONDON, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BusinessesForSale.com - the leading marketplace for business buyers and sellers - recently conducted a survey on the Australian business buyer outlook. The survey uncovers some valuable insights into what entrepreneurs and business owners are looking for. More than half of the respondents run their own business (53%), and 32% of respondents are in full time employment. Business owners are looking to diversify their income streams through expansion - testing the waters for profitable opportunities. "As we emerge from two years of lockdowns and restrictions, it is no surprise that there is a new appetite amongst business owners to grow and expand through acquisitions," says BusinessesForSale.com Sales Director, Faye Ferris. Around 70% of respondents are looking to buy a business, demonstrating a strong appetite for business ownership. The survey shows that 47% of respondents are first-time buyers, while 53% are experienced buyers looking for profitable targets. Data demonstrates that buyers are interested in the following businesses: Online and SaaS businesses Digital communications Fuel stations Hospitality Breweries Child and elderly care Food-related businesses Manufacturing "Due to unpredictable market conditions, buyers appear to be focused on businesses with less dependency on physical supply chains, and durable and resilient business models," Ferris emphasizes. "Of course, sectors that were severely impacted by the pandemic are still a valuable target, as they are consumer focused," she adds. The survey also shows that 34% of respondents are interested in buying an online business. Most justifications lean towards low overheads, remote and flexible working conditions, convenience, lower risk, and a technological shift in consumer behaviour. Data also demonstrates that 15% of respondents have capital in excess of $1m, where the majority (51%) have up to $250k. More than one in seven buyers have more than $500k cash deposit to begin their investment journey, whilst over 71% of respondents have up to $250k to lay down on the table. As the Australian economy stabilises post pandemic, buyers are ready to invest in opportunities with lasting prospects and high growth potential. For more information about how you can buy or sell your business, visit https://australia.businessesforsale.com. Other valuable information: BusinessesForSale.com is owned by Dynamis Ltd, a privately owned company based in London . Its subsidiary company is Dynamis APAC Pty Ltd based in Sydney, Australia . . Its subsidiary company is Dynamis APAC Pty Ltd based in . BusinessesForSale.com was established in 1996 and is now the world's largest platform for businesses for sale, with over 61,000 opportunities. The site sees over 1.3 million visitors every month, including 75,000 monthly enquiries. For further information about this topic, please contact: Faye Ferris faye.ferris@dynamis.com.au +44 (0)2073241937 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - Aardvark Capital Corp. (TSXV: ACCA.P) (the "Company") and 2766604 Ontario Ltd. ("GoldCo", and together with the Company, the "Parties") are pleased to announce that the Parties have received conditional acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") for the closing of the previously-announced arm's length qualifying transaction of the Parties (the "Qualifying Transaction"). In connection with the Qualifying Transaction, the Parties have publicly filed a filing statement dated April 7, 2022 (the "Filing Statement"), prepared in accordance with the requirements of the TSXV, as well a technical report in respect of the FAD Property (as defined below) with an effective date of April 7, 2022 (the "Technical Report"), prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Filing Statement and the Technical Report are both available under the Company's issuer profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") at www.sedar.com. Further to the Parties' comprehensive news release dated December 24, 2021, the Qualifying Transaction will be completed by way of a three-cornered amalgamation (the "Amalgamation") under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) among the Company, GoldCo, and 1000031859 Ontario Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated for the purpose of completing the Amalgamation. The Amalgamation will result in the reverse takeover of the Company by the shareholders of GoldCo, following which, the Company, as the issuer resulting therefrom (the "Resulting Issuer"), is expected to carry on the current business of GoldCo under the name "Paycore Minerals Inc." or such other name as may be determined by GoldCo and be acceptable to the applicable regulatory authorities. The business of the Resulting Issuer will be primarily focused on mineral exploration and development of the "FAD Property" (the "FAD Property") located on the Eureka-Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, USA. It is anticipated that the common shares of the Resulting Issuer will trade on the TSXV under the ticker symbol "CORE" shortly following the closing of the Qualifying Transaction. The completion of the Qualifying Transaction is subject to a number of conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including final TSXV acceptance, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Assuming all conditions for closing are satisfied, the closing of the Qualifying Transaction is expected to occur on or about April 20, 2022, or such other date as the Parties may determine. For further information regarding the Qualifying Transaction, please see the Filing Statement, which is available under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Cautionary Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends" "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Qualifying Transaction (including the anticipated timing of the closing thereof), and the Resulting Issuer (including, the anticipated business focus of the Resulting Issuer, as well as the ticker symbol under which the common shares of the Resulting Issuer are expected to trade on the TSXV). Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Parties, including expectations and assumptions concerning (i) the Company, GoldCo, the Resulting Issuer, and the Qualifying Transaction, (ii) the timely receipt of all required shareholder and regulatory approvals (as applicable), including the final approval of the TSXV, and (iii) the satisfaction of other closing conditions in accordance with the terms of the business combination agreement previously entered into by the Parties. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Parties. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by the respective management of the Parties at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, neither Party undertakes any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Completion of the Qualifying Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable pursuant to the requirements of the TSXV. There can be no assurance that the Qualifying Transaction will be completed at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Filing Statement, any information released or received with respect to the Qualifying Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Qualifying Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Further Information All information contained in this news release with respect to the Company and GoldCo was supplied by the respective Party for inclusion herein, and each Party and its directors and officers have relied on the other Party for any information concerning the other Party. For further information please contact: Aardvark Capital Corp. Zachary Goldenberg C.E.O, and Director Telephone: 647-987-5083 Email: zach@libertyvp.co 2766604 Ontario Ltd. Christina McCarthy President, CEO, Director Telephone: 416-712-6151 Email: Christina.mccarthy10@gmail.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release, publication, distribution or dissemination, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119761 Binance.US, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a digital asset exchange and marketplace, raised over $200M in Seed funding at a $4.5 Billion valuation. Backers included RRE Ventures, Foundation Capital, Original Capital, VanEck, and Circle Ventures, Gaingels and Gold House. The company intends to use the funds to enhance its spot trading platform, develop a suite of new products and services to be introduced in the near-term, and invest in marketing and consumer education initiatives. Launched in 2019 and led by CEO Brian Shroder, Binance.US is a large digital asset exchange offering trading features, with the ability to process 1.4 million orders per second, all while maintaining compliance and security structures. Today, there are more than 85 tokens and 190 trading pairs available on Binance.US. To date in 2022, it has launched in two new states, Connecticut and Louisiana, bringing the total number of states and territories where the platform is available to 45 and 8, respectively, and continues to work closely with the remaining state regulatory agencies to secure approvals so it can offer its services across all U.S. states and territories. The company has also this year secured Money Transmitter Licenses in West Virginia and Wyoming. Since the appointment of Mr. Shroder as Chief Executive Officer in October 2021, the company has doubled its workforce headcount and has bolstered its leadership team with several senior hires, including Sidney Majalya as Chief Risk Officer, Norman Reed as General Counsel, Tammy Weinrib as Chief Compliance Officer, and Carol Mackinlay as Chief People Officer. FinSMEs 07/04/2022 Camino Financial, a Los Angeles, CA-based AI-powered community lending platform offering affordable credit and wealth building solutions to overlooked entrepreneurs, closed a $150m debt facility. Community Investment Management (CIM) provided the financing. The credit facility will be invested in providing innovative debt financing for these qualified U.S. micro-businesses and will create a scalable impact within these underserved segments. Led by Sean Salas, Chief Executive Officer, Camino Financial is an AI-powered community lending platform that offers affordable credit and wealth building solutions to overlooked entrepreneurs. The company builds proprietary credit assessment and data aggregation AI to identify, price and provide affordable loans tailored to credit-invisible, cash-heavy businesses. The company has supporting offices in Mexico City, Mexico and Bogota, Colombia. FinSMEs 07/04/2022 Groups360, a Nashville, Tenn.-based platform for booking group travel, closed a $35m funding round. The round was led by Zigg Capital with participation from Blackstone Innovations Investments, and Fir Tree Partners. They join existing investors Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International. The company intends to use the funds to continue to grow its operations and expand further in EMEA and APAC. Led by Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360 provides real-time availability and instant booking capabilities for both hotel room blocks and meeting space, streamlining group travel for organizers, attendees, and hotels alike. The GroupSync platform, which is the companys proprietary bookings marketplace, enables travel organizers and hoteliers to have access to enhanced global search capabilities, hotel group inventory and rates, and choice of purchasing method via instant booking or simplified proposal process. Groups360 also provides these capabilities to hotels via private label group booking engines. Over the last 12 months, Groups360 has launched instant booking for group stays at over 7,000 hotel properties and booking capabilities at 200,000 hotel properties worldwide via GroupSync. The company recently announced commercial partnerships with Omni Hotels & Resorts, TFE Hotels, and Premier Inn joining the ranks of Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International. Groups360 also has offices in London, and Singapore. FinSMEs 07/04/2022 Collection from different coins of crypto currency, pattern from a ethereum, litecoin, bitcoin, monero, ripple, dash on dark background. Cryptocurrency and blockchain trading concept. Coinbase, Gemini, and Binance are just the tip of the icebergs. Every crypto enthusiast looks for the best cryptocurrencies to buy in 2022. However, the smarter ones of the lot also give thought to which exchanges they should use. For those who havent done any research on the best crypto exchanges, this article would be quite helpful to you. Cryptocurrencies cant just be bought from the banks and then paid-in-cash for it. Firstly, you have to choose which cryptocurrency do you want to buy. It can be Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other Altcoins. Secondly, you create an account on a crypto exchange app and then exchange US dollars or your currency into that particular cryptocurrency. You can even exchange your bought crypto in another cryptocurrency. You can exchange your cryptocurrency into the currency of any country and cash out the money anytime you want. Since the value of cryptos is dynamic and ever-changing, people rely on the crypto market to cash out when the value goes up. How to Choose A Crypto Exchange in 2022? A financial advisor for a crypto investment platform, Tyrone Ross, suggests that it is best for every user to find the best exchange app for itself. The reason being only you know what tools you need what features you require to understand the market. Once you get clear on your research, it would be only a matter of time and youll quickly choose a perfect crypto exchange app for yourself. With time you will definitely learn what you need in exchange. However, beginners might still need help. Thats why below we have mentioned some basic points you need to look for while choosing a crypto exchange app. Accessibility Various states all over the world impose different rules and regulations on the use of cryptocurrencies in their territories. In China, theres a complete ban on using cryptocurrencies. In NY, you need a BitLicense to buy certain approved coins. The first step would be to know the rules and regulations in your state and then choose an app that follows every rule. Security Since theres no one institution, or any institution protecting cryptocurrencies, theres a lot of scope for fraudsters and scammers to lure you into a malicious activity. The process with which cryptocurrencies are managed is a lot different than the traditional banking process. Coinbase has insurance of $255 million. Just in case theres a hack on the app, Coinbase can provide money up to $255 million. In the same way, Kraken uses strict security practices. Fees Usually, the apps with the best interface and easiest management tools come at a higher price. Theres a reason these exchanges are charging for that money. So, do not get turned off by higher fees. Education Tools The exchange app you are using knows that you are a beginner, and it should definitely help you in getting more knowledge. Regular notifications updating you about the market values and other informative tools must be there on the app. It can help you a lot to learn about crypto trading as a beginner. Check out different crypto exchange tools before landing on one. Check for multiple criteria and make sure they fulfil all your needs. Instoried, a Bangalore, India-based provider of a web platform to help people craft empathetic and effective written content, raised $10M in Series A funding. The round was led by Pritt Investment Partners and 9 Unicorns, with participation from Mumbai Angels, SOSV, and Venture Catalysts Angel Fund. Instoried also signed an agreement with the Global Emerging Markets Group, an alternative investment group with operations in Paris, New York, and the Bahamas. Under the agreement, GEM will provide a Share Subscription Facility of up to $200m, to be drawn at the option of the Company. The company intends to use the funds to expand global marketing efforts, primarily in the United States, and invest in its technology to add a Google Chrome extension, a WordPress plug-in, and other elements to its product portfolio. Led by Sharmin Ali, Founder and CEO, Instoried uses AI to help people write original and more lively content, improve headline impact, improve empathy and tone creating a better connection with the target audience. The platforms proprietary algorithm powers a top-notch collaborative content creation tool that provides instant feedback in real-time. FinSMEs 07/04/2022 Kynos Therapeutics, an Edinburgh, Scotland, UK-based immune-metabolic company, raised GBP9M in funding. The 6.5m equity round was led by Epidarex Capital, joined by Ip Group and Scottish Enterprise. Kynos has also been awarded 2.5m through an Innovate Uk Grant. Following the financing Dr Elizabeth Roper, Partner at Epidarex Capital, and Dr Tassos Konstantinou, Investment Manager, Life Sciences at IP Group plc, have joined Kynoss board of directors. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts, in particular to finance its lead KMO inhibitor (KMOi) programme through Phase 1 clinical trials and to progress its innovative pipeline of first-in-class KMOi across key indications in inflammation, immunity and metabolism. Kynos Therapeutics is an immune-metabolic company with world-leading expertise in the kynurenine pathway and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) biology. A spin-out from the University of Edinburgh, the company has a pipeline of KMO inhibitors across key indications in inflammation, immunity and metabolism, which was originally co-developed through a collaboration between GSK and the University of Edinburgh and is now exclusively licensed to Kynos. KMO plays a major role in the control of inflammation and metabolism, contributing to the regulation of the immune system. It is a mitochondrial enzyme that converts kynurenine into biologically active 3HK that damages cells. Blocking KMO reduces 3HK, protecting against tissue damage. Kynoss pipeline is focused on three key areas: in critical illness post-surgery; in conditions driven by inflammation; and in cancers where inflammation is preventing the immune system from fighting back. Kynoss core founding team are leading experts in KMO biology and medicinal chemistry with clinical, translational and drug discovery experience: CEO Damian J Mole (Professor of Surgery and MRC Senior Clinical Fellow, the University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research; and CSO Scott Webster (Professor of Medicines Discovery, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh). The industry engagement and launch of the spin-out company have been supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburghs commercialisation service. FinSMEs 08/04/2022 Viz.ai, a San Francisco, CA, and Tel Aviv, Israel and -based AI-powered disease detection and care coordination platform, raised $100m in Series D funding round at a $1.2 billion valuation. The round was led by Tiger Global and Insight Partners with participation from early backers, including Scale Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Threshold, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Sozo Ventures, CRV, and Susa. The company intends to use the new funds to expand the platform to detect and triage additional diseases, and grow its customer base globally. Led by Chris Mansi, MD, co-founder and CEO, Viz.ai leverages AI algorithms and machine learning to increase the speed of diagnosis and care for a variety of acute and emergent diseases across hospitals and health systems. The intelligent care coordination solution unifies synchronized care collaboration, high fidelity mobile image viewing, automated workflows and improved visibility at decision-making moments. Viz.ais comprehensive neurovascular and vascular AI platform is clinically proven to save time and improve patient outcomes and access to care and is used in more than 1,000 hospitals in the US and EMEA.Customers include Mount Sinai Health System, Thomas Jefferson University, Banner Health, CommonSpirit Health, and HCA Healthcare, which is also an investor. The company is located in San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Portugal and Amsterdam. FinSMEs 07/04/2022 Demonstrators shout slogans in downtown Athens, Greece, on April 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) The ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict has sent energy and food prices skyrocketing and households and businesses find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, according to the labor unions. ATHENS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of Greeks walked off the job across the country on Wednesday to join a 24-hour general strike over soaring heating, electricity and housing costs. Public services and transport were disrupted. Approximately 10,000 demonstrators participated in a rally organized in front of the Parliament by umbrella labor unions for civil servants and private sector workers. "Wages are small, bills are huge, we demand solutions," they chanted. "Today's nationwide strike is an important step in escalating the struggle of workers' movement against the big front of huge living costs," Dimitris Koutsoumpas, general secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), told journalists. The ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict has sent energy and food prices skyrocketing and households and businesses find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, the labor unions said in press statements, demanding more support measures, like substantial salary increases, from the state. Demonstrators shout slogans in downtown Athens, Greece, on April 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) The government has recently allocated about four billion euros (4.37 billion U.S. dollars) to ease the burden on Greek society and the real economy, but much more is needed, they said. "We are here today to protest against the increase in energy and fuel prices, which affects us as professionals, but also our clients. Some of them are already on the brink of collapse," tax consultant Apostolos Dalas told Xinhua. "Today we are asking for immediate measures to help the average income employees, the low-wage earners, the unemployed. Something must be done so that we do not pay for this crisis," hotel employee Yannis Sozos told Xinhua. Between 2010 and 2018, Greece experienced an acute debt crisis coupled with harsh austerity measures. The economy had just started to return to growth when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Today, Greeks once again feel their incomes squeezed by the effects of the conflict in Ukraine. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollars) I've never used one of these apps. I don't eschew technology, but I've never bothered planning with anything other than paper map's or an Atlas. Well, that's not technically true as I often punch a destination into the old spy machine here and see what route it spits out. But after getting the gist of it I rely on the physical maps or the route that I pre-burned into my brain. I would still bring hard physical maps of course, but I'm wondering if one of these app's could save me a couple re-routes and or possibly lead us to some spots barely off the hwy that we otherwise would have missed.This will be one of the further trips I have driven while wanting to minimize travel on the Interstate. I'm not avoiding them completely, I just want to see a little bit more of the country off the beaten path is all. Going from Western Montana to near Salt Lake City and then onto Southern Colorado. Picking up our new trailer in Utah, visiting Family in Colorado and then coming home to Montana.Also we were at Cabela's recently and my 3 year old daughter said, "Dad let's get one of these!" She was pointing at all of the nice Garmin units they had on display. I've been wanting one forever, but again;paper mapsI'm old schooletc.Taking suggestions for the app and a specific Garmin unit if you have any.I did a tiny bit of research on the apps maybe a year ago. Gaia is what I found and there was another one that seemed popular. One seemed more geared towards straight up offroading which will come in handy as I am building a wheeler. They just seemed kinda sort of involved and I don't want to devote a ton of time to them right now. So something that is a little more on the simple side that will just help me avoid switch back's on boulder strewn roads, private land, 10' wide....path's, and anything that would hinder our progress. And just to be clear I have no intention of off-roading on this trip. But I do not mind taking a gravel road at all.Appreciate the help.This is what we're picking up Vortex 4025VPXL BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- "The key to running a country is making its people better off." The wisdom of this Chinese proverb, which dates back over 2,000 years, lives on in President Xi Jinping's philosophy of how to govern the nation. Addressing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in 2015, Xi cited the old saying, which originated from the "Guanzi" collection of ancient Chinese writings. He noted that the ultimate purpose of development is to improve the lives of the people and bring more fruits of development to all. During his visit to Shanxi Province earlier this year, Xi emphasized an idea in the same vein. He said enabling people to live more prosperous and happier lives is a dedicated pursuit of the Communist Party of China (CPC). While presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in February, Xi reiterated that living a life of contentment is the ultimate human right. The pursuit of common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism and another embodiment of the proverb. "The wealth of a country is measured by the abundance of its people," Xi said in a special address to the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session, adding that China will strive for more visible and substantive progress in the well-rounded development of individuals and the common prosperity of the entire population. China will attach greater importance to the pursuit of common prosperity on its new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, Xi said last year at a grand gathering to mark the nation's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor model poverty fighters. It's Oregon's mystery political job. One of five elected executive offices alongside governor, secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general. The position has been around since 1903 with different names. It has no term limits one man served 24 years. Four Republicans and three Democrats held the job before it became a non-partisan office with the 1996 election. The mystery office? Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, commonly referred to by its acronym as "the BOLI." Often, the job is called by its original name, Labor Commissioner. The official title has changed several times, with the longest moniker from 1918 to 1930: Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops. The vacuum left by Hoyle's departure from the race drew three veteran political candidates. Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla switched from the Democratic primary for governor to the BOLI race. Portland employee rights attorney Christina Stephenson, who placed second in a 2020 run for the House District 33, filed the day after Kulla. On the last day to file for office, former Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, jumped into the race. Rounding out the field are Cornelius forest management businessman Aaron Baca, Aloha banker Brent Barker, Oregon City truck driver Chris Henry, and Greenhorn laborer Robert Neuman. If one can win more than 50% of the vote in the May 27 primary election, the race is over there would be no run-off in November. With seven candidates and three with political track records, it's a longshot that the final winner won't be determined in the Nov. 7 general election. The BOLI job is part workplace referee, part civil rights enforcer, part job training promoter, part government information desk and complaint box. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. There's a $31 million budget for the office not a lot by state government standards. The job pays $77,000 less than the $98,600 the governor makes and barely twice the $32,839 paid state lawmakers for their officially part-time jobs. Unlike other offices, it hasn't been a springboard to bigger things. Incumbents have run for governor, U.S. Senator, Oregon Supreme Court Justice, and secretary of state. None has won. The three most active candidates have been Helt, Kulla and Stephenson. Cheri Helt A restaurateur in Bend, Helt served about 10 years on school boards, and two years in the Oregon House representing Bend. Helt is a remnant of a vanishing political species that once dominated state politics: the moderate Republican. Elected to the House from a Democratic-leaning district in 2018, Helt often bumped heads with the GOP caucus sponsoring legislation for mandatory vaccinations for school children that was opposed by Republicans. When the House GOP caucus walked out to deny a quorum to consider a controversial carbon cap bill, Helt was the only one of 22 Republicans who remained in Salem. After losing her 2020 re-election bid to now Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, Helt's focus was on maintaining her family business and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking to return to public office, Helt felt she was a good match for the politically moderate electorate in the newly aligned 5th Congressional District. She could win a general election, but winning a closed primary against opponents who are avidly pro-Trump and supported by vaccine skeptics seemed unlikely. Hoyle's decision to drop her re-election bid for BOLI was an opportunity. "I liked that BOLI was non-partisan," Helt said. "It fits my experience well. I've been a business owner for 18 years. We've had 103 employees. BOLI has 120. No other candidate has run a business with over 100 employees." Helt said she'd seen the ups and downs of career and technical training programs as a school board member. She praised Hoyle for realigning programs to better fit with real world job demands in Oregon. Her time in the Legislature gave her a view on how workplace law evolves. "The office takes all of my hats and combines them into one," Helt said. Helt rejects the label of conservative in the race, but wants to bring an open and pragmatic approach to the job. "The job is to uphold the civil rights of all Oregonians," Helt said. "It has to be a fair process and a balanced process. Part of the job is ensuring that everybody knows the rules. This shouldn't be a 'gotcha' agency. I think most employers want to do the right thing. But for the bad actors, I'll enforce the law." Casey Kulla Kulla was the first candidate to sign up for the 2022 Democratic primary for governor when the window to file opened last autumn. But as more candidates entered the race, the Yamhill County commissioner saw money and attention among Democrats focused on former House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, state Treasurer Tobias Read, and, before he was ruled ineligible because of residency requirements, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. In mid-January, Kulla switched to run for BOLI. With Hoyle running for Congress, Kula was briefly the clear frontrunner. Kulla says the labor commissioner's top priority is ensuring the civil and working rights of workers and people seeking housing are protected. The commissioner's office has to be a place that proactively gets out information to workers that business owners don't make the rules and BOLI is a place to get information and if necessary, seek help to resolve disputes. "But first, they need to know that BOLI exists," Kulla said. "It doesn't matter if there are rules if people don't know about them and who enforces them." Kulla said relations between businesses and workers that come to BOLI don't have to always be adversarial. As one of the first cannabis licensees in the state, Kulla took part in creating the rules and regulations that would guide the legal marijuana business into the future. Both the state and the growers shared expertise and dispelled inaccurate information. "It was a great example of the regulators and the regulated listening to each other and finding solutions that worked," Kulla said. Oregon's economy and workforce are rapidly evolving, Kulla said, with areas such as gig workers and farm workers whose jobs don't fit easily into existing definitions of jobs. BOLI needs to keep both workers and operators in these areas up to date with changes in the rules. On technical job training, Kulla said he wants to see more cooperation with Oregon employers so that the students who commit to the programs as a path to their post-high school or community college working lives don't just end up with a certificate. "There has to be a clear path to real jobs at the end," he said. Christina Stephenson The day after Kulla filed for BOLI, he was followed by Christina Stephenson, a Democrat and employee rights attorney. Stephenson has won the backing of at least 21 labor union groups, including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Teamsters, along with political action committees for Planned Parenthood and Pro Choice Oregon. She's been endorsed by Hoyle, and four former BOLIs. Political backers include U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, former Gov. Barbara Roberts, House Speaker Dan Rayfield, retiring U.S. Rep. Peter De-Fazio, D-Springfield, and eight current state lawmakers, along with several local officeholders. Stephenson says she's had a front row seat to the shortcomings of labor law in Oregon. "My job has been representing workers getting a raw deal for employers who aren't following the rules," Stephenson said. Stephenson said BOLI needs to be a resource for both employers and employees so that they know what's right and wrong from the start. "The law is complicated," she said. "There are a number of different tests civil rights vs. wage and hour laws, workers compensation, unemployment. Both sides are probably unsure of where they stand. BOLI's role is to help everyone understand rights and responsibilities." Stephenson said the gig economy in which businesses consider themselves middlemen between customers and contracted workers will be a challenge to define in labor law. So will the evolving status of farm workers. "It's up to the Legislature to make the laws," she said. That may mean taking a step like California to legally define the status of gig workers as employees or something else. "What everyone wants and needs is clarity and simplicity," Stephenson said. BOLI's role in job and technical training is to align students as early as middle school to know their options. Programs have to match employers' needs. The result has to be good jobs that pay a living wage. Stephenson said she was proud of the support she's received from organized labor, but that didn't mean she would come into the job in an adversarial stance to business. "Quality jobs, fair housing, fair wages, should all be pretty non-controversial issues," she said. "Our good employers don't want these bad actors breaking the law. It puts them at a competitive disadvantage when someone else is making money through wage theft." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 China to regulate use of Chinese characters Xinhua) 10:06, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has launched a nationwide campaign to regulate the use of Chinese characters in publications and on radio, TV, and the internet. The National Press and Publication Administration and the National Radio and Television Administration jointly launched a notice, asking local authorities to investigate and correct the misuse of Chinese characters in traditional publications such as books and newspapers, online publications, advertisements, radio, TV programs, and online audio and video programs. The notice stressed the actions to regulate typeface designs of Chinese characters, removing the designs that deviated from the accepted writing principles and cultural or aesthetic tastes. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji) WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Upgrade to New Zealand's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China entered into force on Thursday, further accelerating New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19, said a New Zealand senior trade official. "China continues to be an important market for New Zealand, with goods and services exports reaching 21.5 billion NZ dollars (14.83 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021," Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O'Connor said in a statement. This Upgrade is very good news for New Zealand's forestry sector, which exported 4 billion NZ dollars (2.76 billion U.S. dollars) of product to China last year, he said. The elimination of tariffs on an additional 12 wood and paper products means 99 percent of wood and paper trade to China will be tariff-free, removing an additional 1.5 million NZ dollars (1.03 million U.S. dollars) in tariffs, on top of those already delivered through the 2008 FTA, O'Connor said. "Customs red tape will also be cut, with the introduction of a faster six-hour clearance time for perishable goods, which will hugely benefit businesses such as our seafood exporters," he said. New Zealand's service exporters will benefit from improved access to China's services market, including environmental services, airport and ground handling services, as well as commitments to deliver New Zealand any future improvements in key services sectors including education, said the minister. "The upgrade also modernizes other key aspects of the original agreement including in the areas of e-commerce, government procurement, environment and trade, and competition," he said. In addition to the upgrade, as of Jan. 1, 2022, most dairy products exported to China are entitled to duty-free access, immediately saving businesses 200 million NZ dollars (138 million U.S. dollars) in tariffs. Remaining costs will be removed in 2024, O'Connor said. Common People Presents... Lee Mvtthews Dunedin Town Hall 3rd June 2022 8pm - 1am R18 with support from ( A-Z) Elipsa, Pirapus & Syrup One of NZs top Drum & Bass acts, Lee Mvtthews return to Dunedin this June for a full-send! We feel right at home in Dunedin, a region full of absolute battlers who love to party. We've been itching at the bits to get back out on the pitch, and what better place than at the hub of a good time! says Tom. This round, we're taking things up a notch at Dunedin's Town Hall and we're bringing some of New Zealands finest talent with us. The fellas, Pirapus have been smashing every release and their sets are just as infectious. Elipsa has been dominating the scene with her incredible vocals featuring on numerous Drum and Bass hits over the last year. And last but definitely not least, Syrup, who have been doing the rounds at every major festival and for good reason! So strap in, well see you at the show and maybe back at yours for a lock-in. Any send-off will do! adds Graham Its been over a year since the last Lee Mvtthews show in Dunedin, which sold out in 8 hours, so definitely dont delay getting your tickets to this one! Tickets on sale now HERE LEE MVTTHEWS Lee Mvtthews, aka, Graham Matthews and Tom Lee started working together in 2013. Since then, theyve gone from strength to strength, gaining a reputation for turning out infectious tunes that pair colourful melodies with bass-driven drops, garnering them plays from industry greats such as Andy C, Sub Focus, Pendulum, Netsky, Metrik, Koven, K-Motionz, DC Breaks, and Hybrid Minds. They have become a favourite on the New Zealand festival circuit, playing at the likes of Rhythm & Vines, Northern Bass, Homegrown & Summer Classic as well as headlining shows up and down the country. In addition to this, they have become a go-to support act for an array of international talents, including Wilkinson, Netsky, Kanine, Grafix and more. Their hard work hasnt gone unnoticed, winning Best Electronic Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards in November 2020 as well as Best Artist 3 years running at the George FM awards, where they have also taken out several top spots including Biggest Banger and the DNB Hundy countdowns. Their efforts have landed them on labels such as UKF, Viper Recordings, DeVice & Dark Machine Records, cultivating a massive 20 million streams. Growing exponentially and with more new music ready to go for 2022, it seems nothing can stop these two as they hold their spot as one of the hottest New Zealand drum & bass acts. With support from ELIPSA Elipsa is one of the rising stars of New Zealand's Drum and Bass scene. An affiliate of DnB legend MC Tali, this talented vocalist and producer brings sass and soul to the stage with her sweet husky vocals and freestyle melodies. Elipsa has released tunes with NZ producers Lee Mvtthews, Sly Chaos, Burnzy & Willy Mav, as well as starting to make her mark on the International DnB scene, co-releasing with scene legends Kanine & Enei. With more releases in the works & multiple live shows booked, Elipsa is one to watch in 2022. PIRAPUS Pirapus, also known as George Murray and Ben Hollamby (aka Tex), are a drum and bass duo from Christchurch, New Zealand. Their musical backgrounds range from hip-hop to classical music, but it was their obsession with drum and bass which brought them together during university. Pirapus various musical influences translate to their diverse catalogue of DNB music, making their DJ sets entertaining and loaded with energy. Their production has gained praise both nationally and globally from Netsky, Koven, Lee Mvtthews and The Upbeats to name a few. Its safe to say Pirapus are only just beginning their exciting journey in the world of drum and bass. SYRUP SYRUP combines the musical stylings of two of New Zealand's beloved house music selectors, TETO & SAMMIE. TETO & SAMMIE discovered their shared love for deep baselines and silky smooth vocals in 2019 and with that, SYRUP was born. After only a few short months as a duo, SYRUP were invited to perform at some of New Zealands top festivals including Hidden Valley, Baseline festival and Rhythm & Vines. They have been keeping dancefloors busy ever since. You can also SYRUP on the George FM Saturday Night House Party at 7pm every Saturday. KIEV, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 civilians have been evacuated from Ukraine's conflict-affected city of Mariupol in the eastern Donetsk area with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the ICRC said. The ICRC team has led a convoy of buses and private cars with civilians to enable them safely leave Mariupol to Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, the ICRC said in a statement on Wednesday. The ICRC remains ready to facilitate the safe passage of civilians from Mariupol and other cities, it said. Separately, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram that 4,892 people were evacuated from conflict-affected areas in Ukraine on Wednesday. Sweat with Pride is back for 2022 and we want you to help fight discrimination with perspiration! This June, sweat for at least 21 minutes a day to get active and raise money for Aotearoas Rainbow communities! What is Sweat with Pride? Sweat with Pride is asking Kiwis to sweat for at least 21 minutes every day this June to get active and raise money to support Aotearoas Rainbow communities. You can take part alone, or as a group, and the money you raise by asking your friends and whanau to sponsor you will fund projects at the New Zealand AIDS Foundation ,RainbowYOUTH, OutLine Aotearoa to improve the physical and mental health of Rainbow New Zealanders. Plus, this year, youre getting your own personal trainer. Chill and laid back? Upbeat and energized? Whether you need some kind words of encouragement or a strict taskmaster, you can choose the perfect trainer for you. Sweat With Pride - June 2022 Register Now! MOSCOW, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that the draft agreement submitted by Ukraine on Wednesday demonstrated a shift in Kiev's negotiating positions. "Yesterday, the Ukrainian side presented its draft agreement to the negotiating team. It showed a departure from key provisions which were presented at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement citing Lavrov. According to the minister, the previous document clearly stated that Ukraine's security guarantees would not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, but this principle was absent in the revised draft. Lavrov added that Moscow would nonetheless continue the negotiation process promoting its agreement, which includes the country's key demands. A Zimbabwean was killed in Diepsloot on Wednesday night, allegedly by a mob, just hours after Police Minister Bheki Cele and the polices top brass visited the area. Diepsloots community policing forum secretary, Kutlwano Moalosi, said they received information on Thursday morning that the man was killed in Extension 1. Moalosi said: The report we received says that community members were patrolling the area and they got into a yard and asked for documents of residents. Apparently, one resident did not have registered documents and then he ran. The community chased after him and caught him and burnt him apparently. Moalosi said they were still trying to get more information. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, said the mob went door to door at around 21:00 on Wednesday, and demanded passports from foreigners. When they entered one home, a man fled the scene, she said. They chased after the man and killed him. The man has been identified as a Zimbabwe national. On Wednesday, Cele told the media that seven people were killed in the area over the weekend. The spate of killings triggered mass protests, and the community threatened to shut down the township. Cele promised the community that about 30 members of the Tactical Response Team and Public Order Policing would be deployed to the area. The new national commissioner will bring 10 police vehicles from tonight, and the province will bring six more. This means that in the next 24 hours, the station will have 16 new cars, he said. New observations of the sun could help develop better solar thermometer A sophisticated new observation of a cool zone on the surface of the sun could help scientists develop a new kind of solar thermometer. A team of astrophysicists led by researchers from the University of Glasgow are the first to use observations from the ALMA observatory in Chile to estimate the temperature of a solar prominence. Solar prominences are zones of plasma on the surface of the sun which are contained by its powerful magnetic fields at a temperature much lower than neighbouring areas. While areas of the sun can exceed a million degrees Kelvin, the centres of solar prominences are usually between 5,000 and 8,000 degrees. They can last for weeks before becoming unstable and erupting outwards into space. In a paper published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, the researchers outline how they harnessed the ALMA observatorys ability to generate high-resolution images of the sun using data collected from across its array of radio antennas. This process, known as interferometry, allowed them to make a detailed examination of the temperature of a solar prominence which occurred on 19 April 2018. They examined data from the H-alpha and 3mm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing them to measure the optical thickness and brightness temperature of the prominence over the course of around two hours. Those observations allowed them to generate images of the prominences spine, outlining barb-like structures on the edges of its plasma sheath. Analysis of its brightness suggested that the temperature of the plasma contained in the spine was between 6,000 and 7,000 degrees Kelvin. The prominence was also measured by two other observatories, one on Earth and one in space. The Biakow Observatory at the University of Wrocaw in Poland took measurements of the prominence at the same time, as did the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. The team correlated the observation data from both with the ALMA results and found a high degree of agreement, suggesting that the ALMA results were reliable as an estimate of the shape and temperature of the prominence. Dr Nicolas Labrosse of the University of Glasgow School of Physics and Astronomy is the papers lead author. Dr Labrosse said: Solar prominences are one of the most striking illustrations of how magnetic fields shape the atmosphere of our sun, creating and controlling structures of much cooler plasma in an almost unimaginably hot environment. Understanding how solar prominences form and evolve over time will help us answer a number of fundamental questions about how our sun works, along with others like it across the universe. Unlocking those answers could also help us better understand how to use magnetic fields to control plasma here on Earth, in environments like future fusion reactors. Were very pleased to have been able to demonstrate for the first time that we can take high-resolution measurements of solar prominences using interferometry data from ALMA. While we used only two of the bandwidths available from ALMA on this occasion, expanding our observations across other bands will allow us to make even more detailed observations, which could take us one step closer to developing a better kind of solar thermometer. Dr Labrosse is a co-author of a second research paper led by astrophysicists from the Czech Academy of Sciences, published in the Astrophysical Journal, which also examines solar prominence data from ALMA. Dr Labrosse added: These two papers were written independently of each other but show complementary results on how we can use ALMA to measure the temperature of solar prominences. The second paper shows that there are still unresolved structures in our ALMA data - prominence threads which have a characteristic spatial scale smaller than the resolution of ALMA. This is interesting because we may learn more from this about how prominences are formed and how the building blocks of prominences are related to what we observe with our instruments at the current resolution. Taken together, the results of these papers suggest that there is a great deal that we can learn from ALMA data about solar prominences. Were looking forward to working with our research partners in the future to take further measurements with ALMA. Researchers from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; the University of Wroclaw, Poland; Northumbria University, Newcastle, England; the University of Oslo, Norway; KU Leuven, Belgium; Observatoire de Paris, France and Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, Brazil contributed to the paper. The teams paper, titled First High Resolution Interferometric Observation of a Solar Prominence With ALMA, is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. The research was supported by funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). LOS ANGELES, April 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Swann, the leading DIY security company for almost four decades, releases new security kits with 12 Megapixel (12 MP) heat and motion sensing dome and bullet cameras. With the 12MP resolution or image size, this is the same as an iPhone to provide crisp and clear footage to provide peace of mind that things are secure. The latest version of the CES Innovation Award Enforcer security camera kits from Swann are additions to the CES Innovation award-winning Enforcer System. Swann's Enforcer Cameras are known for their red and blue flashing lights, spotlights, and sirens for security deterrence against intruders and porch pirates. "We are pleased with the debut of Swann's latest Enforcer Kits with 12MP Heat and Motion Sensing Security Cameras," says Leslie Conover, Vice President of the Americas at Swann. "These are a wonderful addition to our award-winning Enforcer Kits to keep homes and properties secured everywhere." These new 12 MP Dome and Bullet Enforcer Kit cameras will be available at Swann.com and Best Buy online and in-store. Product links here: 16 Camera 16 Channel 12MP Pro Enforcer NVR Security System: https://us.swann.com/sonvk-1690008b8de/ 6 Camera 8 Channel 12MP Pro Enforcer NVR Security System - SONVK-890004B2DE: https://us.swann.com/sonvk-890004b2de/ 4 Camera 8 Channel 12MP Pro Enforcer NVR Security System - SWNVK-890004: https://us.swann.com/swnvk-890004/ The Dome and Bullet Cameras will be available to purchase individually as Enforcer Kit add-ons soon. For more information, including a complete list of Swann products, visit the company on the web at www.Swann.com. ABOUT SWANN: Swann has been in the security business for 35 years. As the worldwide leader of wired, DIY security solutions, Swann helps its customers protect their homes, businesses, and garages no matter where life takes them. Founded in Melbourne, Australia, Swann creates innovative DIY security solutions. Swann is the only brand that offers a complete lineup of inter-connectable wired and wireless security solutions via the Swann Security app, wholly integrated with Hey Google and Alexa. Follow Swann on social media for the latest products and news: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. MEDIA CONTACT: Tiffany Woo Tiffany@presspassla.com (310) 817-0230 Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Washington, D.C., April 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has disclosed that its enforcement staff accessed documents in at least two adjudicatory matters currently in litigation in federal court, including SEC v. Michelle Cochran. The New Civil Liberties Alliance represents Ms. Cochran in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of SECs in-house Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), who enjoy multiple layers of protection from removal by President Biden. In December 2021, the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of Ms. Cochran, declaring that she has the right to challenge the constitutionality of her ALJs removal protections in federal court before undergoing an administrative adjudication. SEC released a statement yesterday admitting that administrative support personnel from Enforcement, who were responsible for maintaining Enforcements case files, accessed [restricted] Adjudication memoranda via the Office of the Secretarys databases. This self-described control deficiency is actually an outrageous breach of ethicsand possibly lawby SEC that illustrates why the Constitution forbids housing prosecutorial functions and adjudicatory functions in a single agency. SEC filed in Cochran simultaneously with publishing the statement, so Ms. Cochran was not informed of SECs control deficiency when it was discovered. NCLA and Ms. Cochran were only made aware of the Commissions breach when it was publicly disclosed. The Commission has known about this issue long enough to hire outside investigators, conduct an audit with dozens of interviews, and collect documents. Yet critical details, including who knew what and when, remain undisclosed. If this breach of ethics had occurred in private litigation or before a federal court, it would raise red flags. SEC claims this access did not impact the actions taken by the staff investigating and prosecuting the cases or the Commissions decision-making in the matters. At present, there is no way to verify that this breach did not impact Ms. Cochrans case. To make matters worse, SEC hired an outside firm that regularly does millions of dollars of business with the agency to investigate the scandal. Hiring a firm with a conflict of interest to investigate a conflict of interest hardly inspires confidence. Restoring the controls that were disregarded here is not enough. As this breach has demonstrated, it would be impossible to monitor the internal controls at SEC sufficiently to guarantee that agency staff would not make the same error again. A computer correction of a purported control deficiency cannot repair the all-too-human impulse to abuse power, win at all costs, and share information inside an agency. Whatever controls are baked into the software, none of those can remedy the inherent problems that combining the enforcement and adjudication power inside an agency create. The two powers must be structurally separated. Until the adjudicative function is returned exclusively to Article III courts, and those courts rein in SECs abusive regulation by guidance and other efforts to expand their regulatory power far beyond what Congress ever contemplated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, constitutional order will not have been restored at the SEC. NCLA released the following statements: NCLA has been at the forefront of challenging the concentration of executive, adjudicative, and legislative powers within administrative agencies. This weeks revelation shows, as nothing else can, that SEC allowed its enforcement staff to read the adjudicatory staffs work product on cases where respondents were fighting for their professional lives and reputations. The Founders, with their deeper understanding of human nature, understood from the beginning that separation of these awesome powers is a precondition of securing liberty. This problem will never be solved until the adjudicative function is returned exclusively to Article III courts. Peggy Little, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA SEC says it deeply regrets these breaches, but its deep regret does not undo the harms that occurred because of its negligence. It is hard to accept the Commissions statement of contrition at face value when it did not see fit to disclose the breach to affected parties like our client, Ms. Cochran, until the same time as it informed the general public. Its disclosure fails to establish when the breach was identified and by whom, how long the breach persisted, when the Commission was made aware of the breach, and how many other individuals and entities going through SEC enforcement proceedingsor who have already settled their caseshave been affected. To paraphrase Justice Brandeis, sunlight would be the best disinfectant here. Kara Rollins, Litigation Counsel, NCLA For more information visit the case page here or watch the case video here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### English Lithuanian The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Grigeo AB, legal entity code 110012450, registered office: Vilniaus str. 10, Grigiskes, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania (hereinafter the Company), is convened by initiative and the decision of the Board of the Company on 29 April 2022, at 11.00 a.m. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be held at the Companys Office at Vilniaus str. 10, Grigiskes, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania, the first floor of Companys administration building. Registration of shareholders starts at 10.15 a.m., ends at 10.55 a.m. The accounting day of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is 22 April 2022. Persons who were shareholders of the Company at the close of the accounting day of the Meeting shall have the right to attend and vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders in person or may authorize other persons to vote for them as proxies or may conclude an agreement on the disposal of the voting right with third parties. The shareholders' proprietary rights accounting day is 13 May 2022. The proprietary rights (right to receive dividend) will be held by persons who, at the close of the tenth working day after the General Meeting of Shareholders which adopted the appropriate decision, i.e. on 13 May 2022, will be the shareholders of the Company. The agenda of the Meeting: Consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2021. Assent to the Remuneration Report of the Company. Companys Auditors report. Approval of consolidated and separate financial statements of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2021. pproval of the Rules for Granting Shares of the Company. Approval of the Remuneration Policy of the Company. The appropriation of the Companys profit for the year 2021. Election of firm of auditors and determination of conditions for auditor remuneration. Given the current situation with regard to COVID-19 (coronavirus infection), please do not attend the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders if you have signs of upper respiratory tract infections (e.g. fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, etc.). A person attending the General Meeting of Shareholders and entitled to vote shall produce a document which is a proof of his identity. A person who is not a shareholder shall additionally produce a document attesting to his right to vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholder entitled to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders shall have the right to authorise, in writing, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on his behalf at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a written authorisation must be approved in accordance with the procedure laid down in legal acts. Shareholder entitled to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders shall also have the right to authorise, by means of electronic communications, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on his behalf at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a proxy of the shareholder need not be certified by a notary. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication means must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The proxy given by means of electronic communications and the notice of the given proxy shall be submitted to the Company by e-mail info@grigeo.lt not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders. The authorised person shall have the same rights as would be held by the shareholder represented by him, unless the issued authorisation or laws provide for narrower rights of the authorised person. The Company has not set the proxy form. The Company is not providing the possibility to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders by means of electronic communications. A shareholder or a person authorised by him shall have a right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the general ballot paper. The general ballot paper will be provided on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt under the heading "For Investors". If the person who had completed the general ballot paper is not a shareholder, the completed general ballot paper must be accompanied by a document confirming the right to vote. The duly completed, printed and signed general ballot paper must be sent by mail to the Company's Office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders or presented to the Company until the end of registration of shareholders on the day of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. The shareholder or his authorized person may also sign the duly completed general ballot paper with a qualified electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania and send it to the Company by e-mail info@grigeo.lt not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes, have a right of proposing to supplement the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders. Draft decisions on the proposed issues or, when it is not mandatory to adopt decisions, explanatory notes on each proposed issue of the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented alongside with the proposal. Proposal to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to info@grigeo.lt or delivered or sent by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus str. 10, Grigiskes, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania. Proposal to the agenda sent by e-mail must be signed with a qualified electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes, have a right of proposing draft decisions on the issues already included in the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders, the audit firm. The proposed draft decisions at any time before the General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented in writing by sending them by mail by e-mail info@grigeo.lt or delivering or sending by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus str. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus City Municipality, Lithuania. The proposed draft decisions sent by e-mail must be signed with a qualified electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholders shall also be entitled to propose draft decisions on the agenda issues of the General Meeting of Shareholders, the audit firm in writing during the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders have the right to ask questions regarding the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in advance. Questions may be submitted in writing by e-mail to info@grigeo.lt or delivered or sent by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus str. 10, Grigiskes, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania not later than 25 April 2022. Questions sent by e-mail must be signed with a qualified electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. Responses of a general nature shall be posted on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors". The Company will not respond personally to the shareholder if the respective information is presented on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt. The shareholders can get acquainted with the documents held by the Company related to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, draft resolutions of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, and other documents to be submitted to the General Meeting of Shareholders as well as to get information regarding execution of the shareholders rights at the Companys office located Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania on weekdays from 8.00 a.m. till 4.00 p.m. or on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors". The total number of the Company's shares and the number of shares granting voting rights during the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is the same and amounts to 131,400,000. ISIN code of the Companys shares is LT0000102030. All the information regarding the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is presented on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors" or provided by phone +370 5 243 5801. Gintautas Pangonis President of Grigeo AB +370 5 243 5801 We're sorry, you encountered a page that doesn't exist. Dublin, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cardiac Monitoring Market - Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The cardiac monitoring market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.86% during the forecast period. In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 are included in this report. COVID-19 led to an increasing preference for remote monitoring patients with cardiovascular conditions. The government and some vendors have also taken various steps to raise awareness among patients and the public. September marks National Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Awareness Month, a critically important time for the Heart Rhythm Society to raise awareness for this life-threatening arrhythmia. The market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period due to increasing technological advancements, new product launches, increasing elderly population, and reimbursement policies for implantable cardiac monitors & other ambulatory devices. Moreover, the COVID-19 impact will result in AI-based cardiac monitoring devices gaining traction across all regions. The resting ECG segment accounted for a major share of 38.95% in 2021. In developing countries, physicians are forced to use resting ECG devices instead of the latest high-end devices due to the cost-effective factor. This is driving growth in resting ECG devices sales. Based on mode, the global cardiac monitoring market is segmented into standard and ambulatory. The ambulatory cardiac monitoring market will grow with an absolute rate of 79.5% in the forecast period. Based on end-user, the global Cardiac Monitoring market is segmented into hospitals, specialty cardiac centers and clinics, diagnostic centers and others.The hospital segment had the highest share amongst end-users. BY GEOGRAPHY North America is a major revenue contributor and is the fastest-growing market for cardiac monitoring devices. The presence of a large pool of patients with atrial fibrillation requiring cardiac monitoring devices, higher acceptance of advanced and innovative cardiac monitoring devices, and high awareness toward the availability of advanced treatment options using devices for atrial fibrillation and stroke have collectively supported North America's dominance in the global market. VENDOR LANDSCAPE Major vendors in the cardiac monitoring market include Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Mortara Instrument and Welch Allyn owned by Hill-Rom Services, Spacelabs Healthcare owned by OSI Systems, and iRhythm Technologies. Key Company Profiles Abbott Boston Scientific Corporation Ge Healthcare Hill-Rom Services Irhythm Technologies Medtronic Osi Systems Koninklijke Philips Other Prominent Vendors Bpl Medical Technologies Biotronik Bardy Diagnostics Bittium Cortrium Deltex Medical Edwards Lifesciences Fukuda Denshi Getinge Masimo Medicalgorithmics Aerotel Medical Systems Acs Diagnostics Scottcare Cardiovascular Solutions Vaso Corporation Schiller Alivecor Cardiocomm Solutions Imedrix Connected Care India Advanced Instrumentations Amedtec Medizintechnik Aue Aspel Hangzhou Beneware Medical Equipment Biotricity Borsam Biomedical Instruments Btl Contec Medical Systems Custo Med Oy Diagnostic Devices Development (Ddd) Dms-Service Eb Neuro Edan Instruments Forest Medical Holter Supplies Labtech Lepu Medical Technology (Beijing) Lumed Medical Econet Medicomp Meditech Kft. Meditech Equipment Midmark Monitor Nasan Medical Electronics Nasiff Associates Neurosoft Norav Medical Northeast Monitoring Rhythmedix Remo Care Solutions Key Topics Covered: 1 Research Methodology 2 Research Objectives 3 Research Process 4 Scope & Coverage 4.1 Market Definition 4.2 Base Year 4.3 Scope of The Study 5 Report Assumptions & Caveats 5.1 Key Caveats 5.2 Currency Conversion 5.3 Market Derivation 6 Market at a Glance 7 Introduction 7.1 Overview 7.1.1 Cardiac Monitoring Devices 7.1.2 Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring 7.1.3 Privacy & Data Security for Wearable Cardiac Monitoring Platforms 7.1.4 Digital Health Adoption Increasing in Cardiac Monitoring 8 Market Opportunities & Trends 8.1 Technological Advances in Cardiac Monitoring Devices 8.2 Increase in Demand for Compact, Mobile, & Wearable Cardiac Monitors 8.3 Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac Monitoring 9 Market Growth Enablers 9.1 Increasing Global Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases 9.2 Growing Popularity of Smart Wearable Cardiac Monitoring Devices 9.3 New Product Launches in Cardiac Monitoring Market 9.4 Growing Focus on Mergers & Acquisitions 10 Market Growth Restraints 10.1 Limitations & Risks Associated with Cardiac Monitoring Devices 10.2 Stringent Regulatory Scenario 10.3 Dearth of Skilled Professionals 10.4 High Cost of Equipment & Infrastructure 11 Market Landscape 11.1 Market Overview 11.2 Market Size & Forecast 11.2.1 Geography Insights 11.2.2 Product Insights 11.2.3 Usage Mode Insights 11.2.4 End-User Insights 11.3 Five Forces Analysis 12 Product 12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 12.2 Market Overview 12.3 Resting ECG 12.4 Stress ECG 12.5 Cardiac Event Monitoring 12.6 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry 12.7 Holter Monitoring 12.8 Cardiac Output Monitoring 12.9 Implantable Cardiac Monitoring 13 Mode 13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 13.2 Market Overview 13.3 Ambulatory 13.4 Standard 14 End-User 14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 14.2 Market Overview 14.3 Hospitals 14.4 Specialty Cardiac Centers & Clinics 14.5 Diagnostic Centers 15 Geography 15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine 15.2 Geographic Overview For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ehmdwh Attachment LONDON, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a move to bolster diplomatic ties, the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Kingdom of Morocco signed a roadmap for cooperation. The Dominican Prime Minister is currently on an official visit to Dakhla as the government of Dominica opened a general consulate on behalf of The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in Morocco. The significant and promising diplomatic presence will present an opportunity to further boost bilateral exchanges between the Kingdom of Morocco and OECS. The OECS is an eleven-member grouping of islands spread across the Eastern Caribbean. Together, they form a near-continuous archipelago across the eastern reaches of the Caribbean Sea. They comprise the Leeward Islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands; and the Windward Islands: Dominica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, Martinique and Guadeloupe. "I am very happy to be here in Dakhla to inaugurate the embassy and to exchange views with his excellency on the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Commonwealth of Dominica," said Prime Minister Skerrit. "I want to say to all of you, the citizens of the Kingdom of Morocco, that the relationship between Dominica and Morocco is strong and sincere. We value the leadership of His Majesty the King, especially in dealing with so many global challenges." Prime Minister Skerrit also stated that King Mohamed VI led the global fight with respect to climate change, migration, access to education, and economic prosperity. "The opening of a consulate in Dakhla is the manifestation of the strong relationship that exists between the Kingdom of Morocco and the OECS," he further emphasized. Furthermore, the Dominican prime minister stated that Dominica reaffirms the royal vision of upholding stability and security in the Caribbean region through tangible social-economic projects. With the opening of the general consulate in Dakhla, the Caribbean island country of Dominica has taken one step ahead in creating its presence in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. The meeting also features the promise of the promotion of the economic and cultural links by signing the first agreement. The agreement will aid both countries economically. It will also access the people of both nations to connect with each other culturally. Caribbean and African ties run deep the territories have shared history and a lot is being done to strengthen and foster Caribbean-African relations and increase their bargaining power with the world. Last September, for example, leaders from the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened the first Africa CARICOM Summit. Bilateral diplomacy is a key building block of international relations and this participation by Dominica in regional and multilateral frameworks supports the countrys bilateral diplomacy goals by increasing a countrys capacity to respond to regional and global opportunities and challenges. The strength of a countrys bilateral connections impacts its standing in the global arena. All countries benefit from strong diplomatic cooperation. However, when it comes to small states foreign policy, the relevance of bilateral diplomacy is most visible. Though smaller states limited capabilities might place them in an inferior position when dealing with larger ones, the starting disadvantage can be overcome. This may include dependence on collective solidarity and the rule of law, a tight engagement on certain tasks, and the application of new solutions. About CS Global Partners CS Global Partners is the worlds leading government advisory and marketing firm, specialising in residency and citizenship by investment solutions. Governments around the globe partner with CS Global Partners, relying on our in-depth expertise about the citizenship by investment market. We work closely with government authorities to create synergies to protect and promote the security of their citizenship by investment programmes and attract prospective applicants through stringent due diligence processes. Over the years, we have helped countries attract foreign direct investment into their markets, equating to more than half their GDP. We have been expanding our foreign direct investments and further focusing on recommending premium citizenship and residency programmes to our clients. With our strong reputation, expertise and integrity, CS Global Partners has created a robust community, linking a well-established global business network with investment bankers, lawyers, high-net-worth individuals, and other like-minded professionals. Our objective is to educate markets, create awareness about global citizenship by investment, and ensure that international stakeholders work effectively with these programmes by properly educating their ultra-high net worth and mass affluent clientele about the best RCBI options available. Headquartered in the heart of London, the venture was founded in 2012 by Micha-Rose Emmett. Emmett is a dual-qualified attorney and entrepreneur with years of practice in citizenship and residency by investment. Working across multiple time zones, the CS Global Partners team consists of passionate professionals, making it a highly international, multicultural, and multilingual name in the industry. CS Global Partners provides tailored guidance and advice with a global physical presence and an expert legal advisory and marketing team. CS Global Partners holds government mandates to promote and develop citizenship by investment programmes for St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. Contact Information: pr@csglobalpartners.com www.csglobalpartners.com +447824029952 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ranchero Gold Corp. (Ranchero or the Company) (TSX.V: RNCH) is pleased to provide a summary of its successful inaugural drill program at the Maiz Azul prospect which is part of its 100%-owned Santa Daniela gold project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Daniela concessions represents one of the largest unexplored claim blocks (>22,200 hectares) located within the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental gold belt and is surrounded by six major gold mining operations. Bill Pincus, Chief Executive Officer and Director stated: The success of our first ever drill program at Maiz Azul has confirmed a significant gold discovery at the highly prospective Santa Daniela project. Our team is working tirelessly to prepare our Phase II drill program which will build upon the exploration success that we have had thus far. Exploration efforts are already underway at the greater Santa Daniela project area where a number of new exploration targets are undergoing field visits. There are currently nine targets that are located in close proximity to existing deposits or past producing operations at the neighboring Mulatos Gold mine to the northwest. We look forward to advancing these exploration targets to drill ready prospects in the second half of 2022. Successful Phase I Drill Program at Santa Daniela The Phase I drill program was designed to test two principal targets at Maiz Azul: La Colmena and La Cascada. Drilling has confirmed widespread gold mineralization at both targets and also provided confirmation that high grade mineralization exists within a lower grade halo. Highlights: Ranchero completed its Phase I drill program with total diamond core drilling of 3,112 meters which exceeded the Companys original planned drill program due to continued exploration success. All 16 completed drill holes intersected gold mineralization confirming widespread mineralization at Maiz Azul. confirming widespread mineralization at Maiz Azul. Near surface drill results included: 1) 4.0 g/t gold over 31.5 meters (MA 22-10); 2) 1.2 g/t gold over 21.2 meters (MA 21-14); 3) 1.2 g/t gold over 15.6 meters (MA 22-25); and 4) 1.1 g/t gold over 21.0 meters (MA 21-11) (refer to press releases dated January 18, 2022, January 26, 2022, and February 23, 2022). (MA 22-10); 2) (MA 21-14); 3) (MA 22-25); and 4) (MA 21-11) (refer to press releases dated January 18, 2022, January 26, 2022, and February 23, 2022). Expansion of the combined mineralized footprint at La Colmena and La Cascada to 500 meters by 550 meters where mineralization remains open in all directions . . The Companys initial focus has been on the shallow, near surface mineralization where the majority of drilling has been limited to 100 to 150 meters from surface and mineralization remains completely open at depth. During the course of the drill campaign, Ranchero geologists have expanded their understanding of the Maiz Azul prospect and how it relates to the nearby San Carlos deposit, part of the Mulatos gold mine, owned by Alamos Gold (Figure 1). A greater understanding of the volcanic stratigraphy has allowed Ranchero to identify both the most receptive host rocks and understand the complex post-mineralization faulting. Figure 1: Maiz Azul in relation to the neighboring Mulatos Gold Mine https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1571090-b431-454b-90ae-b143ca02851b Enhanced Geological Mapping and Update to 3D Model Underway Ranchero is currently updating and expanding the geologic map of the Maiz Azul area beyond its previous limits principally eastward. Upon completion, Ranchero will incorporate the new map into its three-dimensional model providing a geologic context for understanding the location of gold mineralization. The goal is to define drill targets for its upcoming Phase II campaign. Ranchero is also investigating the likelihood that out-cropping gold mineralization extends beneath the cover of volcanic rocks deposited after the gold-forming events. Ranchero believes this may greatly extend the potential footprint for gold mineralization at Maiz Azul. Phase II Drill Program Planning Underway Planning is well underway for the Companys Phase II drill program at Maiz Azul. Drilling priorities are to: 1) expand the La Colmena zone eastward; 2) initial drill testing of the X-Structure target; 3) initiate drilling of new targets identified by the on-going modelling; and 4) commencement of resource definition drilling. Currently, Ranchero has budgeted for a minimum 4,000 meters of combined diamond core and reverse circulation drilling. Expansion of the La Colmena zone will build upon the success of drill holes MA22-22 and MA22-23 (refer to the press release dated February 23, 2022) where Ranchero believes that the principal mineralized structure continues eastward well beyond the known mineralization. The X-Structure target had been identified earlier but was not tested during the recently completed Phase I drill campaign. New targets, identified by lithologic and structural interpretation, particularly those not exposed on surface will also be tested. Finally, infill drilling at the La Colmena zone is warranted based on the successful results of the Phase I drill program. Regional Exploration Program to Unlock District Scale Potential Ranchero is also advancing its regional reconnaissance program on the entire Santa Daniela concession block in tandem with its drilling at the Maiz Azul prospect. Santa Daniela is one of the largest unexplored areas in the Sierra Madre Occidental gold belt and its potential for new discovery is excellent. An Aster/Landsat satellite-based study conducted by Perry Remote Sensing LLC in 2020 identified the presence of hydrothermal alteration minerals (related to possible gold deposition) at 47 separate locations. Ranchero is currently working with GoldSpot Discoveries (GoldSpot) to update its reconnaissance efforts. New ultra-high-resolution imagery from the WaveView3 satellite has been acquired and is being processed to more precisely highlight areas of hydrothermal alteration. Aster satellite data is also being used to identified major faults that control gold deposition. These, together with regional geochemical data, will be integrated by GoldSpot with their proprietary machine-learning technology to refine target areas. Ranchero has conducted field visits to a number of these areas and has currently identified nine high-priority targets that warrant further field studies including geophysics, alteration studies, detailed mapping, and systematic sampling. It anticipates that additional areas will be added to the priority list based on the work with GoldSpot and will also be reviewed in the field. The priority areas are shown on Figure 2 and are based on the presence of favorable lithology, hydrothermal alteration, geochemical anomalies and proximity to other known third-party prospects. Ranchero will continue its field investigations in parallel with the work conducted at Maiz Azul with the objective of identifying new drill targets by year-end. Figure 2: Near mine reconnaissance targets https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6166b275-3b9e-4136-8848-ee38a58572af Qualified Person Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Pincus, CPG, who is a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101. About Ranchero Gold Ranchero is a gold exploration and development company currently focused on its 100%-owned Santa Daniela project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Daniela project consist of a large land package in excess of 22,200 hectares within Mexicos Sierra Madre Occidental a newly emerging gold belt. The Santa Daniela project is also near a number of major gold mining operations in the region. Maiz Azul is the Companys most advanced prospect where exploration efforts are underway. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company: William Pincus Chief Executive Officer and Director +1 303 589 3734 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate plans, estimates or intends or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, the final acceptance of the TSXV to the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSXV. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Dublin, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Aerostructures Market by Material(Composites, Alloys & Superalloys and Metals), Component, End User (OEM, Aftermarket), Platform (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, UAVs, Advanced Air Mobility) & Region (North America, Europe, APAC, RoW) - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The market for Aerostructures is estimated to be USD 49.0 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 75.0 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. Increasing need new aircraft, new designs and adoption of composites are fueling the fuselage market which is projected to be the highest in the Aerostructures market during the forecast period Based on component, the fuselage segment is estimated to lead the market during the forecast period, with a share of 39% in 2021. Fuselage controls the position and stabilize the surface with regards to lifting surfaces and ensures maneuverability and stability of the aircraft. Fuselage is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull. The composites segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on material, the composites segment is projected to be the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. Composite materials have played a major role in weight reduction, and hence they are used for both structural applications and components for all spacecraft and aircraft such as fighter planes, space shuttle and passenger airliners. The development of next-generation composite materials with lightweight and high-temperature resistance will help in designing high-performance, economical aircrafts. The OEM segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on the end user, the OEM segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. Technological advancements and the need for better connectivity and communication in the aviation industry are additional factors influencing the growth of the Aerostructures market. The UAV segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on aircraft type, the UAV segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the Aerostructures market during the forecast period. The increasing applicability of UAVs in the defense sector has boosted the Aerostructures market. UAVs have less demanding flight profiles and environmental standard requirements than manned aircraft, and hence, the antennas used in UAVs are smaller and have lower mass as compared to those used in manned aircraft. The North American market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2025 The key factor responsible for North America leading the Aerostructures market is the high demand for new aircraft in the region. The growing demand for aircraft for commercial applications and their increasing utility in the defense sector to carry out transport and surveillance activities are additional factors influencing the growth of the North American Aerostructures market. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in Aerostructures Market 4.2 Aerostructures Market, by Component 4.3 Aerostructures Market, by Material 4.4 Aerostructures Market, by Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.3 Drivers 5.3.1 Growing Demand for Air Travel Around the World 5.3.2 Increasing Demand for Outsourced Aerostructure Manufacturing 5.3.3 Rise in Adoption of Composite Aerostructures 5.4 Restraints 5.4.1 Recyclability Issues of Composite Materials 5.5 Opportunities 5.5.1 Adoption of 3D Printing for Aerostructure Manufacturing 5.5.2 Use of Morphing Technologies for Wings 5.5.3 Increasing Adoption of Hybrid-Electric and Evtol Aircraft 5.5.4 Decline in Cost of Composite Materials 5.6 Challenges 5.6.1 High Cost of Transportation and Hurdles in Supply Chain 5.6.2 Uncertainties in Failure Prediction of Composites 5.7 Operational Data 5.8 Range and Scenarios 5.9 Aerostructures Market Ecosystem 5.9.1 Prominent Companies 5.9.2 Private and Small Enterprises 5.9.3 End-users 5.10 Disruption Impacting Customer's Business 5.11 Value Chain Analysis 5.12 Case Study Analysis 5.13 Trade Data Analysis 5.14 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.15 Key Stakeholders & Buying Criteria 5.16 Average Selling Price 5.17 Volume Data 5.18 Key Conferences & Events in 2022-2023 5.19 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 6 Industry Trends 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Emerging Trends 6.2.1 Internet of Things (Iot) 6.2.2 Artificial Intelligence (Ai) 6.2.3 4D Printing 6.2.4 Industry 4.0 6.2.5 Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 6.2.6 Morphing Technology for Wings 6.3 Technology Analysis 6.3.1 Robotics 6.3.2 Additive Manufacturing (Am) 6.4 Innovation & Patent Analysis 6.5 Impact of Megatrend 7 Aerostructures Market, by Component 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Fuselage 7.2.1 Need for New Modern Aircraft Increases Need for Different Fuselage Designs 7.3 Empennage 7.3.1 Increase in R&D of Aircraft Will Lead to New Varieties of Empennages 7.4 Flight Control Surfaces 7.4.1 Increase in New Technologies Drives Flight Control Surfaces Segment 7.5 Wings 7.5.1 Need for Reduced Fuel Consumption Drives Wings Segment 7.6 Nose 7.6.1 Development of Complex Machining Techniques Drives Nose Segment 7.7 Nacelle & Pylon 7.7.1 Demand for New Technologies in Engines Increases Development of Nacelles 7.8 Doors & Skids 7.8.1 Increase in Number of Helicopters Drives Skids Segment 8 Aerostructures Market, by Material 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Composites 8.2.1 Reduction in Weight and Improved Efficiency Drive Use of Composites 8.3 Alloys & Super Alloys 8.3.1 Need for Lightweight and Corrosion-Resistant Material Boost Segment Growth 8.4 Metals 8.4.1 High Strength and High Corrosion Resistance Make Metals Suitable for Aerostructure Manufacturing 9 Aerostructures Market, by End-user 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Original Equipment Manufacturers (Oem) 9.2.1 Increasing Need for New Aircraft Drives Growth 9.3 Aftermarket 9.3.1 Need for Reduced Repair Time and Improved Readiness Increases Need for Aftermarket Refurbishment 10 Aerostructures Market, by Platform 10.1 Fixed-Wing Aircraft 10.1.1 Commercial Aviation 10.1.1.1 Increased Aircraft Orders Drive Segment Growth 10.1.2 Narrow-Body Aircraft 10.1.2.1 Increasing Domestic Air Travel Drives Market for Aerostructures in Narrow-Body Aircraft 10.1.3 Wide-Body Aircraft 10.1.3.1 Wide-Body Aircraft to Lead Market in Terms of Growth Rate 10.1.4 Regional Transport Aircraft 10.1.4.1 Increasing Demand for Short-Distance Transport Fuels Demand for Aerostructures in Regional Jets 10.2 Business & General Aviation 10.2.1 Business Jets 10.2.1.1 Increasing Customization in Jets Increases Need for Aerostructures 10.2.2 Light Aircraft 10.2.2.1 Increasing Use of Light Aircraft for Business Travel Fuels Market 10.2.3 Ultralight Aircraft 10.2.3.1 Increasing Use of Ultralight Aircraft for Training Fuels Aerostructure Demand 10.3 Military Aviation 10.3.1 Fighter Aircraft 10.3.1.1 Increasing Modernization Programs by Militaries Drive Market for Fighter Aircraft 10.3.2 Special-Mission Aircraft 10.3.2.1 Demand for Special-Mission Aircraft Increases Demand for Aerostructures 10.3.3 Transport Aircraft 10.3.3.1 Increasing Need for Transport Aircraft for Military Supplies Fuels Demand for Aerostructures 10.4 Rotary-Wing Aircraft 10.4.1 Commercial Helicopters 10.4.1.1 Demand for Civil Helicopters for Domestic Use Expected to Drive Market 10.4.2 Military Helicopters 10.4.2.1 Increasing Procurement of Military Helicopters by Emerging Economies Boosts Market for Aerostructures 10.5 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uav) 10.5.1 Fixed-Wing Uavs 10.5.1.1 Use of Uavs Presents New Market Opportunity for Aerostructure Manufacturers 10.5.2 Fixed-Wing Hybrid Vtol Uavs 10.5.2.1 Long Flight and Large Payload Capacity Drive Segment 10.5.3 Rotary-Wing Uavs 10.5.3.1 Demand for Rotary-Wing Uavs Increases Opportunities for Aerostructure Manufacturers 10.6 Advanced Air Mobility 10.6.1 Air Taxis 10.6.1.1 Countries Eager to Adopt Air Taxis to Cope with Rapidly Expanding Megacities 10.6.2 Air Shuttles & Air Metro 10.6.2.1 Need for Rapid Transportation Vehicles Increases Demand for Aerostructure 10.6.3 Personal Aerial Vehicles 10.6.3.1 Private Air Transport Vehicles Offer Convenience, Speed, and Routing Efficiency 10.6.4 Cargo Air Vehicles (Cav) 10.6.4.1 Development of Cargo Air Vehicles by Key Evtol Aircraft Manufacturers to Boost Aerostructures Market 10.6.5 Air Ambulances & Medical Emergency Vehicles 10.6.5.1 Increasing Developments in Evtol Aircraft Enabling Organ Transport to Drive Segment 10.6.6 Last-Mile Delivery Vehicles 10.6.6.1 Rising Adoption of Autonomous Vehicles Fuels Aerostructures Market 11 Aerostructures Market, by Region 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Market Share Analysis, 2020 12.3 Revenue Analysis of Top 5 Market Players, 2020 12.4 Company Evaluation Quadrant 12.4.1 Star 12.4.2 Emerging Leaders 12.4.3 Pervasive 12.4.4 Participants 12.5 Start-Up Evaluation Quadrant 12.5.1 Progressive Companies 12.5.2 Responsive Companies 12.5.3 Starting Blocks 12.5.4 Dynamic Companies 12.6 Competitive Scenario 12.6.1 Deals 12.6.2 Product Launches 12.6.3 Others 13 Company Profiles 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Key Players 13.2.1 Spirit Aerosystems, Inc. 13.2.2 Airbus Se 13.2.3 Saab Ab 13.2.4 Triumph Group 13.2.5 Leonardo S.P.A 13.2.6 Gkn Aerospace 13.2.7 Safran Sa 13.2.8 Arconic 13.2.9 Elbit Systems Ltd. 13.2.10 Facc Ag 13.2.11 Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. 13.2.12 Products Offered 13.2.13 Collins Aerospace 13.2.14 The Boeing Company 13.2.15 Sonaca Group 13.2.16 St Engineering 13.2.17 Ruag Group 13.2.18 Latecoere 13.3 Other Players 13.3.1 Iai (Israel Aerospace Industries) 13.3.2 The Nordam Group LLC 13.3.3 Aernnova Aerospace S.A 13.3.4 Magellan Aerospace Corporation 13.3.5 Cyient 13.3.6 Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (Aidc) 13.3.7 Korea Aerospace Industries 13.3.8 Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. 13.3.9 Sabca Nv 13.3.10 Mhi Canada Aerospace, Inc. 13.3.11 Daher 14 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3fekmc Attachment Dublin, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Air Quality Monitoring System Global Market Report 2022: By Product Type, Component, Pollutant, End User, and Covering" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global air quality monitoring system market is expected to grow from $5.05 billion in 2021 to $5.57 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2%. The market is expected to reach $7.63 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.2%. Major players in the air quality monitoring system market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Emerson Electric, General Electric, Siemens AG, Teledyne Technologies, PerkinElmer Inc., Agilent Technologies Inc., TE Connectivity, 3M, Honeywell International Inc., Horiba Ltd., Merck KGaA, TSI, Tisch Environmental, Testo, Plume Labs, Aeroqual and Forbes Marshall. The air quality monitoring system market consists of sales of air quality monitoring systems by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used to measure the levels of air pollutants. These are devices that assess pollution levels of an particular area in accordance to ambient air quality standards. Air quality monitoring systems are used in outdoor ambient applications. North America was the largest region in the air quality monitoring system market in 2021. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. Technology advancements are gaining significant popularity in the air quality monitoring system market. Major companies operating in the air quality monitoring systems sector are focused on developing technological solutions to meet the consumer demand. For instance, in March 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, a US-based company that specializes in reagents and consumables, scientific instrumentation and software services launched AerosolSense Sampler based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. AerosolSense Sampler is a new surveillance tool that provides quick and accurate information about the presence of in-air viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. The AerosolSense Sampler is the next step in supplying institutions with extremely accurate data to aid in the safety of their personnel and the general public. The increasing levels of air pollution is expected to propel the growth of the air quality monitoring system market in the coming years. Air pollution is defined as the introduction of pollutants into the atmosphere, which can be in the form of carbon dioxide, methane gases, or other gases containing chemicals. The rise in air pollution drives the growth of air quality monitoring systems as this systems measures the pollutant levels. For instance, according to the World Health Organization report, every year, an estimated 7 million people die as a result of air pollution around the world. Additionally, according to the American Lung Association's 2021 State of the Air report, four out of ten Americans, or 135 million people, reside in counties with harmful levels of air pollution (ALA). Therefore, the increasing levels of air pollution drives the growth of the air quality monitoring system market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Air Quality Monitoring System Market Characteristics 3. Air Quality Monitoring System Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Air Quality Monitoring System 5. Air Quality Monitoring System Market Size And Growth 5.1. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Historic Market, 2016-2021, $ Billion 5.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.1.2. Restraints On The Market 5.2. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Forecast Market, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.2.2. Restraints On the Market 6. Air Quality Monitoring System Market Segmentation 6.1. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Segmentation By Product Type, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Indoor Outdoor 6.2. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Segmentation By Component, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Hardware Software 6.3. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Segmentation By Pollutant, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Chemical Physical 6.4. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Segmentation By End User, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Industrial Commercial Residential 7. Air Quality Monitoring System Market Regional And Country Analysis 7.1. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 7.2. Global Air Quality Monitoring System Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Companies Mentioned Thermo Fisher Scientific Emerson Electric General Electric Siemens AG Teledyne Technologies PerkinElmer Inc. Agilent Technologies Inc. TE Connectivity 3M Honeywell International Inc. Horiba Ltd Merck KGaA TSI Tisch Environmental Testo Plume Labs Aeroqual Forbes Marshall For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z4xlyx Attachment THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has attracted public scorn after its spokesperson Jasper Mangwana claimed that Zimbabwe had one of the most transparent electoral systems in the world. Zec has been under the spotlight for the wrong reasons after the electoral management body failed to explain discrepancies uncovered in the voters roll by data analysts. In a tweet on Wednesday, Mangwana compared Zimbabwes electoral systems to those of Botswana and Gambia, which use metal ballot boxes. Botswana uses metal boxes for their elections. But credibility issues are not raised. I imagine if Zimbabwe used these metals and not the translucent boxes, what narrations would we have? Zimbabwe has one of the most transparent electoral systems in the world, Mangwana tweeted. Yesterday, Zec commissioner Joyce Kazembe insisted that the voters roll with discrepancies was leaked, before saying social media trolls wanted to tarnish their image. There are people on social media that are there to discredit the operations of Zec for whatever reasons that we dont know, Kazembe said during an interface with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information and Media. How do you entice employees of an organisation (Zec) to actually leak documents to you unless there is a sinister agenda? That document was leaked in its very raw form when we were still in the process of registering people and it had not yet been cleaned. But Zimbabwe Christian Alliance executive director Useni Sibanda said Zec had failed the credibility test. The issue we need to appreciate is that people in Botswana trust their independent commission to the extent that even if it uses tin boxes, people still trust it, while in Zimbabwe, although Zec uses translucent boxes, people dont trust it, Sibanda said. Elections Resource Centre programmes manager Solomon Bobosibunu said: A wholesome comparative will be important. Zec must engage its stakeholders in a sincere manner, just like the commissions which are running elections with metal ballot boxes. Heal Zimbabwe Trust research and advocacy officer Edknowledge Mandikwaza said the transparency of any electoral body could not be measured by the type of ballot boxes used. Electoral transparency is about concerned parties accessing the voters roll upon request, and Zimbabweans being able to register to vote, accessing polling stations without challenges and having their names on the voters roll, Mandikwaza said. Newsday Dublin, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cell Harvesting - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Cell Harvesting Market to Reach $359.2 Million by 2026 The global market for Cell Harvesting estimated at US$233.2 Million in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$359.2 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.3% over the analysis period. Cell harvesting is a next-generation technique that involves collection of stem cells from the culture media for R&D and therapeutic applications. Growth in the global market is spurred by of increasing investments in clinical, cell-based and regenerative medicine research. The technique is likely to gain from rising incidence of infectious and chronic diseases coupled with continuous expansion of the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries. Stem cell research is estimated to witness fastest growth as stem cells derived from the bone marrow hold potential to advance stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and stem cell-based therapies. Stem cells are one of the latest entrants joining the race for COVID-19 cure. The therapy involves intravenous administration of MSCs derived from the human placenta to COVID-19 patients for boosting the immune response and helping the body in fighting the infection. The approach is being investigated by various researchers in the US and China, with some of them observing positive outcomes. Manual, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 7.9% CAGR and reach US$284.4 Million by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Automated segment is readjusted to a revised 5.6% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The Manual segment dominates market share owing to extensive adoption of these systems as a result of their affordable and user-friendly nature. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $78.8 Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $32.1 Million by 2026 The Cell Harvesting market in the U.S. is estimated at US$78.8 Million in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$32.1 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 10.4% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 6.1% and 7% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 6.6% CAGR. The US dominates market share due to increasing R&D investments and favorable government policies. The US FDA has approved cord blood-based blood-forming stem cells for use in the US. These cells along with stem cells derived from the bone marrow are widely used in medical transplant procedures for treatment of cancer along with diseases related to the immune system and blood. The Asia-Pacific market expansion is being driven by increasing R&D spending to develop new treatments, government policies favoring stem cell research, and public-private efforts to foster stem cell-based treatments. Key Topics Covered: I. METHODOLOGY II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Influencer Market Insights World Market Trajectories Impact of Covid-19 and a Looming Global Recession Cell Harvesting - A Prelude With Stem Cells Holding Potential to Emerge as Savior for Healthcare System Struggling with COVID-19 Crisis, Demand for Cell Harvesting to Grow Select Clinical Trials in Progress for MSCs in the Treatment of COVID-19 Lack of Antiviral Therapy Brings Spotlight on MSCs as Potential Option to Treat Severe Cases of COVID-19 Stem Cells Garner Significant Attention amid COVID-19 Crisis Growing R&D Investments & Rising Incidence of Chronic Diseases to Drive the Global Cell Harvesting Market over the Long-term US Dominates the Global Market, Asia-Pacific to Experience Lucrative Growth Rate Biopharmaceutical & Biotechnology Firms to Remain Key End-User Remarkable Progress in Stem Cell Research Unleashes Unlimited Avenues for Regenerative Medicine and Drug Development Drug Development Therapeutic Potential A Prelude to Genetic Testing 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS (Total 30 Featured) ADS Biotec Inc. Argos Technologies Inc. Arthrex, Inc. Avita Medical Bertin Bioreagent BRAND GMBH + CO KG Biomedical Research & Development Laboratories Inc. (Brandel) (USA) Connectorate AG Cox Scientific Ltd PerkinElmer Inc. SP Industries Terumo BCT Inc. TOMTEC Imaging Systems GmbH 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Development of Regenerative Medicine Accelerates Demand for Cell Harvesting The Use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine to Drive the Cell Harvesting Market Rise in Volume of Orthopedic Procedures Boosts Prospects for Stem Cell, Driving the Cell Harvesting Increasing Demand for Stem Cell Based Bone Grafts: Promising Growth Ahead for Cell Harvesting Spectacular Advances in Stem Cell R&D Open New Horizons for Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell Transplants Drive the Demand for Cell Harvesting Rise in Number of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Procedures Propels Market Expansion Growing Incidence of Chronic Diseases to Boost the Demand for Cell Harvesting Fatalities by Heart Conditions: Estimated Percentage Breakdown for Cardiovascular Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, Stroke, and Others Ageing Demographics to Drive Demand for Stem Cell Banking Global Aging Population Statistics - Opportunity Indicators High Cell Density as Major Bottleneck Leads to Innovative Cell Harvesting Methods Advanced Harvesting Systems to Overcome Centrifugation Issues Sophisticated Filters for Filtration Challenges Innovations in Closed Systems Boost Efficiency & Productivity of Cell Harvesting Enhanced Harvesting and Separation of Micro-Carrier Beads 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. REGIONAL MARKET ANALYSIS UNITED STATES Cell Harvesting Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial - Key Competitors in the United States for 2022 Increasing Research on Stem Cells for Treating COVID-19 to drive the Cell Harvesting Market Rising Investments in Stem Cell-based Research Favors Cell Harvesting Market A Strong Regenerative Medicine Market Drives Cell Harvesting Demand Arthritis Percentage of Population Diagnosed with Arthritis by Age Group Rapidly Ageing Population: A Major Driving Demand for Cell Harvesting Market Increasing Incidence of Chronic Diseases Drives Focus onto Cell Harvesting CVD in the US: Cardiovascular Disease* Prevalence in Adults by Gender & Age Group Rising Cancer Cases Spur Growth in Cell Harvesting Market CANADA JAPAN CHINA EUROPE FRANCE GERMANY ITALY UNITED KINGDOM REST OF EUROPE ASIA-PACIFIC REST OF WORLD IV. COMPETITION For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j6gnlu Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ValOre Metals Corp. (ValOre; TSXV: VO; OTC: KVLQF; Frankfurt: KEQ0, the Company) today announced the commencement of a board approved and fully funded CAD$11 million exploration program at ValOres 100% owned 59,483-hectare Angilak Property Uranium Project (Angilak), located in Nunavut Territory, Canada. ValOres Chairman & CEO, Jim Paterson, stated: Angilak represents a world-class advanced uranium exploration project with compelling resource expansion and regional discovery potential. The Lac 50 inferred resource represents Canadas highest grade uranium deposit outside of the Athabasca Basin and one of the highest-grade uranium resources on a global basis. Importantly, Nunavut Territory, Canada is an active and supportive mining jurisdiction, hosting the producing Meadowbank and Meliadine gold mines (Agnico Eagle) and the recently permitted Goose Mine at the Back River project (Sabina). ValOres Vice President Exploration, Colin Smith, stated: CAD$85M of historical expenditures at Angilak, CAD$55M of that by ValOre between 2009 2016, served to generate the Lac 50 resource estimate, which is supported by 335 drill holes (60,258 m). The substantial prior investment will be fully leveraged in 2022, with this years comprehensive program designed to further demonstrate and rapidly advance the district-scale resource potential of this prolific uranium, base and precious metals property with ~8,000 m of project-wide drilling, ~2,400 ln-km of ground VLF-EM and magnetics, and multi-faceted geochemistry programs. Angilak Property Uranium Project 2022 Exploration Program Highlights: Mobilization of crews, consumables, and equipment commenced March 23; Initial 4,000 metre (m) Reverse Circulation (RC) drill program to commence by April 15, with a focus of expanding known zones of U 3 O 8 mineralization; O mineralization; Geophysical program of 2,400-line-kilometres (ln-km) of ground VLF-EM and magnetics to commence by April 15; Geochemical sampling (1,000+ samples) including Enzyme Leach (EL) soils, rock sampling and lake sediment sampling to vector future exploration efforts; Baseline environmental and archaeology studies; Initial 4,000 m diamond drilling to commence in the summer, with a focus on resource expansion and following up positive RC drill results. Lac 50 Trend NI 43-101 Inferred Resource Estimate The Lac Trend (Lac 50) inferred mineral resource estimate comprises 2,831,000 tonnes grading 0.69% U 3 O 8 , totaling 43.3 million pounds (Mlbs) of U 3 O 8 . The resource estimate is supported by 335 drill holes (60,258 m) and represents Canadas highest grade uranium deposit outside of the Athabasca Basin and one of the highest-grade uranium resources on a global basis. In addition to uranium, the Lac 50 Trend resource also contains significant quantities of silver, molybdenum and copper, and is interpreted as a basement hosted, vein-hydrothermal type, unconformity-associated uranium deposit. CLICK HERE for a summary table of the 2013 Lac 50 inferred resource estimate. Lac 50 Metallurgical Work In 2012 and 2013, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) and TOMRA Sorting Inc. (TOMRA) conducted metallurgical and beneficiation testing respectively on Lac 50 Trend uranium mineralization. Optimized results from alkaline leaching indicate that 94.1% of uranium can be extracted in 48 hours and 95.9% of uranium extracted in 72 hours. Furthermore, the final yellowcake produced from a conventional preliminary precipitation test of the alkaline leach solution was low in impurities (below penalty levels), with a 71.9% uranium value attained. Ore characterization testing carried out by TOMRA on a suite of high grade, medium grade, low grade and waste specimens demonstrated excellent sensor based sortability, with 96.7% cumulative uranium recovery in a mass recovery of 49.2% (i.e. 50.8% of the rock mass is rejected with a 3.3% loss of uranium). The testing reflects the high-grade uranium characteristics at Lac 50 where most of the uranium mineralization occurs as disseminations and veins of massive pitchblende within the carbonate and hematite alteration zone comprising the Lac 50 Trend inferred resource. District-Scale, High-Grade, Near-Surface Potential Angilak represents a world-class advanced uranium exploration project with considerable upside potential in a largely underexplored district. Exploration tenements are strategically staked around the margin of the Proterozoic Angikuni sedimentary sub-basin, enabling ValOre geologists to target the high-grade uraniferous structures from surface. In the case of Lac 50, mineralization has been traced by drilling from surface to a vertical depth of approximately 380 m and along a strike length of over 6 km, with mineralization occurring as southwest plunging shoots within the plane of a tuff unit. Comprehensive exploration programs continue to demonstrate the district-scale potential of Angilak, as evidenced by the drilling discovery at the Dipole Trend, situated 30 km west-southwest of Lac 50, and on the opposing side of the Angikuni sub-basin. U 3 O 8 , mineralization was intercepted in all nine 2015 core holes, and included highlight hole 15-DP-009 which returned 2.34% U 3 O 8 , 1.13% Mo and 44 g/t Ag over 1.3 m from 28.3 m to 29.6 m, within a wider 3.5 m interval that assayed 0.88% U 3 O 8 , 0.46% Mo and 17.6 g/t Ag, and 6.7 m of 0.21% U 3 O 8 from 46.4 m to 53.1 m. Dipole will be the first target tested in the spring 2022 RC drill program. A total of 300 historical drill holes are situated outside the Lac 50 Trend: of these holes, 230 holes (77%) returned anomalous radioactivity, with counts per second (CPS) values above 200, and 171 holes (57%) returned CPS values above 1000. Evidence of high-grade, near-surface uranium mineralization is further demonstrated across the property by the presence of extensive historical rock samples, including 50 samples >1% U 3 O 8 , 18 samples >5% U 3 O 8 , and 8 samples >20% U 3 O 8 (Figure 1). Ground VLF-EM Uranium mineralization at Angilak is structurally controlled (vein-hydrothermal type), and thus the identification of these prospective uraniferous corridors is a critical component of the exploration methodology. Ground VLF-EM has proven to be the most effective geophysical technique to delineate prospective structures property-wide, as evidenced by the ~230 km2 (2,320 ln-kms) of historical coverage. The Lac 50 Trend (and most targets) are spatially associated to moderate to strong VLF-EM conductors, which are interpreted to be mapping graphite-chlorite-sulphide (and uranium) bearing structures. An extensive ground VLF-EM and magnetics program is planned due to commence by mid-April. The proposed survey comprises approximately 2,400 ln-kms, with a dominant focus on the sparsely covered western half of the property which hosts several priority exploration targets, and over 40 km of highly prospective geological strike along trend from Lac 50 (Figure 1). Geochemistry Surficial geochemistry serves to identify the prospective sections of mineralized structures and supports more targeted follow-up initiative such as trenching and drilling. The historical database includes: 4,180 EL soils, 763 conventional soils, 583 rock samples, and 1,152 lake sediment samples. ValOre will be expanding Angilaks surficial geochemical coverage in 2022, with additional property wide EL soils, rocks and lake sampling, to commence in July once the snow and ice have melted. Program totals are dependent on results of both the RC and ground geophysics programs. The 2022 lake sampling program is comprised of a 70-sample orientation survey (35 samples over Lac 50, and 35 samples over a presumed background area), analyzing multiple sample mediums (lake bottom sediments, lake water and off-gases from lake sediments), and multiple uranium pathfinder analytes (helium, radon, ICP-MS major and trace elements). The most effective technique(s) will be identified and considered for a property-wide program in 2023 to further amplify Angilaks district-scale potential. Helium and radon are both continuously produced from the decay of uranium, and thus provide a potential pathfinder for remote detection of uranium deposits, and light hydrocarbon gases (C1 to C4) have been found in world class uranium deposits like Cigar Lake. About Angilak The 59,483-hectare Angilak Property is situated in the mining- and exploration-friendly Nunavut Territory, Canada, and has district-scale potential for uranium, precious and base metals. Since acquisition, ValOre has invested over CAD$55 million on resource delineation and exploration drilling (89,572 metres in 589 drill holes), metallurgy, geophysics, geochemistry, and logistics across the large land package. This work supported the development of the significant Lac 50 Trend NI 43-101 inferred resource estimate (Lac 50). The Lac 50 NI 43-101 Technical Report (effective date March 1, 2013) defined an inferred resource estimate which represents Canadas highest-grade uranium resource outside of Saskatchewan, and one of highest-grade uranium resources on a global basis. Highlights include: 43.3 Mlbs U 3 O 8 in 2,831,000 tonnes grading 0.69% U 3 O 8 . CLICK HERE for a summary table of the Lac 50 Trend inferred resource estimate; in 2,831,000 tonnes grading 0.69% U O . CLICK HERE for a summary table of the Lac 50 Trend inferred resource estimate; Supported by 351 resource delineation drill holes totaling 62,023 metres (m); Metallurgical results for Lac 50 demonstrate high uranium recoveries and rapid leach kinetics. See news releases: February 28, 2013, September 11, 2013 and February 27, 2014; Lac 50 Trend is a 15 kilometre (km) by 3 km area with excellent potential for resource growth and new discoveries; Uranium mineralization starts at surface, and has been drilled to 380 m vertical depth; CLICK HERE for ValOres May 6, 2021 video summarizing the highlights of Angilak. CLICK HERE for ValOres May 6, 2021 video reviewing the 2021 focus for Angilak. Qualified Person (QP) The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Colin Smith, P.Geo., ValOres QP and Vice President of Exploration. Information in this presentation related to the independent Angilak mineral resource estimate has been approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc. P.Geo., President of Apex Geoscience Ltd., Robert Sim, P.Geo. of SIM Geological Inc. and Bruce Davis, FAusIMM of BD Resources Consulting Inc., who are independent QPs as defined under NI 43101. Susan Lomas, P.Geo., of LGGC is the QP, as defined in NI 43-101, responsible for the Pedra Branca mineral resource estimates as reported below. About ValOre Metals Corp. ValOre Metals Corp. (TSXV: VO) is a Canadian company with a portfolio of highquality exploration projects. ValOres team aims to deploy capital and knowledge on projects which benefit from substantial prior investment by previous owners, existence of high-value mineralization on a large scale, and the possibility of adding tangible value through exploration, process improvement, and innovation. In May 2019, ValOre announced the acquisition of the Pedra Branca Platinum Group Elements (PGE) property, in Brazil, to bolster its existing Angilak uranium, Genesis/Hatchet uranium and Baffin gold projects in Canada. The Pedra Branca PGE Project comprises 52 exploration licenses covering a total area of 56,852 hectares (140,484 acres) in northeastern Brazil. At Pedra Branca, 7 distinct PGE+Au deposit areas host, in aggregate, a 2022 NI 43-101 inferred resource of 2.198 Moz 2PGE+Au contained in 63.6 Mt grading 1.08 g/t 2PGE+Au (CLICK HERE for news release dated March 24, 2022). All the currently known Pedra Branca inferred PGE resources are potentially open pittable. Comprehensive exploration programs have demonstrated the "District Scale" potential of ValOres Angilak Property in Nunavut Territory, Canada that hosts the Lac 50 Trend having a current Inferred Resource of 2,831,000 tonnes grading 0.69% U3O8, totaling 43.3 million pounds U3O8. For disclosure related to the inferred resource for the Lac 50 Trend uranium deposits, please CLICK HERE for ValOre's news release dated March 1, 2013. ValOres team has forged strong relationships with sophisticated resource sector investors and partner Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) on both the Angilak and Baffin Gold Properties. ValOre was the first company to sign a comprehensive agreement to explore for uranium on Inuit Owned Lands in Nunavut Territory and is committed to building shareholder value while adhering to high levels of environmental and safety standards and proactive local community engagement. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Jim Paterson James R. Paterson, Chairman and CEO ValOre Metals Corp. For further information about ValOre Metals Corp., or this news release, please visit our website at www.valoremetals.com or contact Investor Relations at 604.653.9464, or by email at contact@valoremetals.com. ValOre Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: http://www.discoverygroup.ca/ Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Although ValOre believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements have been based on factors and assumptions concerning future events that may prove to be inaccurate. These factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information to ValOre. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. A number of important factors including those set forth in other public filings could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the future operations of ValOre and economic factors. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and, except as required by applicable law, ValOre does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ValOre undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of ValOre, or its financial or operating results or (as applicable), their securities. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/833b9e6a-01cd-424d-b520-9ddce8d55064 Dublin, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Rail Asset Management Global Market Report 2022, By Solution, Services, Deployment Mode, Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global rail asset management market. This report focuses on rail asset management market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the rail asset management market which will be shaping and changing our lives over the next ten years and beyond, including the markets response to the challenge of the global pandemic. Reasons to Purchase Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies. Understand how the market is being affected by the coronavirus and how it is likely to emerge and grow as the impact of the virus abates. Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis. Identify growth segments for investment. Outperform competitors using forecast data and the drivers and trends shaping the market. Understand customers based on the latest market research findings. Benchmark performance against key competitors. Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing. Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis Major players in the rail asset management market are Siemens, Hitachi, Wabtec, DXC Technology, L&T Technology Services, SAP, Capgemini, Cisco, Accenture, Atkins, Trimble Inc., WSP, Tego, KONUX, Oxplus, Bentley Systems, Trapeze Group, Uptake, Huawei, Cyient, Assetic, Machines With Vision, ZEDAS, SNC-Lavalin and Bombardier. The global rail asset management market is expected to grow from $9.85 billion in 2021 to $10.61 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%. The change in growth trend is mainly due to the companies stabilizing their output after catering to the demand that grew exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The market is expected to reach $13.78 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 6.8%. The rail asset management market consists of sales of rail asset management services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that plan, advise on and manage various kinds of rail assets. Rail assets management includes several solutions that enable improvement in the management of rail assets. It comprises several activities such as design, construction, operations, maintenance & support, traffic planning, infrastructure management, communication network, station control, rail-facility information management, among others. These solutions and services enable timely monitoring and efficient scheduling of assets with reduced downtime. The main types in rail asset management solutions are asset performance management, analytics, asset planning and scheduling, security, workforce management, and others. Asset performance management solutions encompass the capabilities of data capture, integration, visualization and analytics tied together for the explicit purpose of improving the reliability and availability of physical assets. These solutions are offered through professional services and managed services and deployed through cloud and on-premise locations. Rail asset management solutions can be applied in areas such as rolling stock and infrastructure. Europe was the largest region in the rail asset management market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. Rising investments of various governments in rail infrastructure and digitalization projects worldwide are anticipated to contribute to the demand for the rail asset management market over the forecast period. The expansion of rail services necessitates the optimization of existing passenger and freight schedules to achieve higher output. For instance, according to the International Railway Journal (IRJ), in 2021, the Norwegian government has set up NKR 32.1 billion ($3.51 billion) for railway infrastructure investments, operations, and maintenance, an increase of 20% over 2020. Moreover, according to the Federation of Indian Industry (FII), Indian Railways is planning to invest $4 billion in world-class private passenger trains. Additionally, as per the Indian Railways report in 2021, railway projects can attract over $ 7.5 billion in investment over the next five years. Huge investments in the rail industry will generate higher demand for the management of rail asset services, thereby propelling the demand for the rail asset management market. The companies operating in the rail asset management market are increasingly undergoing strategic partnerships and collaboration to improve their financial position, strengthen their product portfolio, and expand the global presence of the company. The countries covered in the rail asset management market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK and USA. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Rail Asset Management Market Characteristics 3. Rail Asset Management Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Rail Asset Management 5. Rail Asset Management Market Size And Growth 5.1. Global Rail Asset Management Historic Market, 2016-2021, $ Billion 5.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.1.2. Restraints On The Market 5.2. Global Rail Asset Management Forecast Market, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.2.2. Restraints On the Market 6. Rail Asset Management Market Segmentation 6.1. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Segmentation By Solution, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Asset Performance Management Analytics Asset Planning & Scheduling Security Workforce Management Others 6.2. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Segmentation By Services, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Professional Services Managed Services 6.3. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Segmentation By Deployment Mode, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Cloud On-premises 6.4. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion Rolling Stock Infrastructure 7. Rail Asset Management Market Regional And Country Analysis 7.1. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion 7.2. Global Rail Asset Management Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/stpuy8 Attachment Pune, India, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global solar carport market size is slated to expand at a substantial pace owing to the vast economic and environmental advantages of these structures, shares Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Solar Carport Market 2022-2029. Solar carports are essentially solar panels that are mounted on the ground, covering parking lots like a canopy. They offer a host of benefits and are, thus, being eagerly adopted worldwide, especially in urban areas. For example, carport solar panels can lower utility by reducing energy consumption from conventional sources as well as decreasing carbon footprint. A recent development in this context is EnergyLinks solar carport project for Faber and Brand that is expected to save the law firm approximately USD 700,000 over the lifespan of the project. Another critical advantage of these panels is that they can be oriented at the optimal angle to capture maximum sunlight, further raising energy savings for consumers. The enormous energy and cost saving potential of solar carports is the primary reason for their increasing demand and uptake around the globe. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/sample/solar-carport-market-104006 List of Key Companies Profiled in the Market Report: Schletter Inc. Upsolar Global Green Choice SunPower Corporation SolarCity Envision Solar Solarcentury Cenergy SunWize Technologies, Inc. Orion Solar Racking Phoenix Solar US SunEdison The advent of COVID-19 has led to an explosion of uncertainty in the business world. While some businesses are in a relatively insulated condition, numerous others are experiencing unparalleled suffering because of the pandemic. We aim to provide businesses with thoroughly researched market intelligence reports regarding this crisis so that they can formulate well-informed market strategies. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future. To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/solar-carport-market-104006 Highlights of the Report: Thorough analysis of the factors driving and restraining the market; Exhaustive research into the key market segments; Detailed diagnosis of the leading players and their strategies; and Comprehensive study of the regional developments & dynamics impacting the market. Driving Factor: Initiation of Carport Projects by Leading Economies to Boost the Market Formulation and implementation of large-scale solar carport projects in major world economies are rapidly widening the scope of this market. In India, for example, Tata Power signed a power purchase agreement with Tata Motors to launch Indias largest solar carport project in Pune, Maharashtra in September 2020. Featuring a capacity of 6.2MWp, the installation is foreseen to bring down carbon emission by 1.6 lakh tons over the projects lifetime. Similarly, in France, Neoen, a renewable energy company, built a 16.3 MW solar array in a car parking lot in the city of Corbas in April 2019. The project covers 4,600 industrial parking spaces, spans 12.5 hectares, and cost 19.1 million. In the same year, Australia unveiled one of its biggest solar carports in Brisbane. The 100kW structure has been designed to generate energy enough to power car parks, businesses, and shops, cutting utility costs between 30% and 40% and reducing carbon emissions. The successful completion and smooth functioning of these projects are likely to prove favorable for the growth of this market in the forthcoming years. Quick Buy Solar Carport Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/104006 Regional Insights: Supportive Framework for Novel Clean Energy Projects to Bolster the North America Market Growth North America is expected to dominate the solar carport market share in the near future on account of the active policy support to novel renewable energy projects in the US and Canada. This support is based on the regions gradual transition towards clean energy sources. In addition, both the US and Canada are home to a large number of solar power companies, which will further contribute to the regions leading position in this market. In Europe, the market will be primarily driven by the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and massive investments in renewables. On the other hand, the market in Asia Pacific will derive growth from the rising number of solar carport projects in India, China, and Singapore and focus of these countries to meet their green energy targets. Industry Development: June 2020: Paradise Energy Solutions successfully installed a 1 MW solar carport structure for Turn 14, a Pennsylvania-based automotive parts distributor. Turn 14s Horsham headquarters are now home to one of Pennsylvanias largest solar-powered carports. Competitive Landscape: Top Players to Capitalize on Business Expansion Opportunities Key players in this market are augmenting the solar carport market growth by exploiting the speedily growing business expansion opportunities. These opportunities are also enabling companies to enhance their innovation capacities and entrench their position in the market. Solar Carport Market Segmentation: By Type: One-Row Vehicle Arrangement Carport Two-Row Single Slope Vehicle Arrangement Two-Row Dual Slope Vehicle Arrangement By Application: Commercial Non-profit Others By Design: Cantilever Design W Frame Design Ask for Customization of this Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/solar-carport-market-104006 About Us Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 OTTAWA, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadians for Nuclear Energy (C4NE) concluded a day of successful pre-budget advocacy as the grassroots climate group continues to lead the call for a rework to the Government of Canadas Green Bond Framework. The Framework currently excludes Nuclear Energy alongside arms manufacturing, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling activities. C4NE believes the exclusion of nuclear energy and its association with sin stock activities is out of line with science, modern trends in green finance and an affront to the 76,000 Canadian workers who provide the clean air, medical isotopes and ultra-reliable carbon-free power that we urgently need to meet our climate and electrification goals. I am grateful to have had a chance to connect with both Liberal MPs and Conservative MPs in advance of todays Budget on the vital role for Nuclear Power in meeting Canadas climate targets, said Dr. Chris Keefer, President, Canadians for Nuclear Energy. While on Parliament Hill, Dr. Keefer delivered a well-received keynote address to Liberal MPs and Ministry staff, covering the issues associated with the Green Bond Framework exclusion. Dr. Keefer also delivered public remarks during an event in the House of Commons alongside Conservative MP Corey Tochor (Saskatoon-University) to promote their very successful House of Commons Petition, which has garnered over 10,000 signatures in 30 days. MEDIA NOTE: PETITION CAN BE FOUND HERE - CLOSES FOR SIGNATURE ON APRIL 8 I want to sincerely thank MP Tochor for sponsoring the Green Bond Petition and bringing together members of the Conservative caucus to hear our concerns. I applaud him for championing Canadian uranium, used in nuclear reactors domestically and around the world to produce carbon-free electricity which offsets one third of Canadas annual national emissions, said Dr. Keefer. C4NE is grateful as well to MP Arif Virani (Parkdale-High Park) for bringing together many members of the Liberal caucus to hear our concerns ahead of the Budget. We hope that Minister Guilbeault will review the Canada Green Bond Framework and urgently reverse the decision to exclude nuclear energy. 7 April 2022: Borregaard ASA (Borregaard, OSE ticker: BRG) Borregaards Annual General Meeting today adopted all items as proposed on the agenda. The minutes and the list of attendants are available on www.borregaard.com. Contact: Lotte Kvinlaug, Investor Relations Officer, +47 922 86 909 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to the Norwegian Securities Trading Act 5-12 and the Public Limited Company Act 5-11b item 4. POTOMAC, Md., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Castellum, Inc. (OTC: ONOV) announces that it has received $1.5 million in new investment capital from Crom Cortana Fund LLC to finance the uplisting of Castellum's common stock to a listed exchange later this year. Additionally, Castellum restructured its Series A convertible preferred stock and paid down $500,000 of its convertible debt to enhance the Company's capitalization table ahead of the expected uplisting. The net effect of the transactions reduces the fully diluted share count of the Company by more than 8% while giving the Company the capital necessary to hire outside advisors and start to take the requisite steps for the uplisting. "The transactions we announced today are powerful for our shareholders. They both provide Castellum with the capital needed to pursue an uplisting while restructuring Castellum's capitalization table in an accretive way," said Mark Fuller, President, and CEO of Castellum . "We are excited to be working with Crom Cortana Fund LLC , a capital source backed by successful entrepreneurs who understand what it means to grow a company. The uplisting will provide greater liquidity for our stock and further enhance the aggressive pursuit of our growth objectives." "We saw in Castellum an exciting opportunity to help restructure and recapitalize a company with a highly competent executive team proving its growth strategy for a listing on a national exchange," said Liam Sherif, General Partner at Crom Cortana Fund. "Both the combination of reliable revenues derived from long term government contracts and exposure to secular tailwinds that encourage U.S. government investment into cybersecurity efforts were major factors in our investment thesis." About Castellum, Inc.: Castellum, Inc. (OTC: ONOV) is a technology service and solutions company executing strategic acquisitions in Cyber Security, Information Technology, Information Warfare, Electronic Warfare, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, and Software Development. About Crom Cortana Fund: Crom Cortana Fund is a New York City-based investment firm focused on special situation investment opportunities across the growth spectrum. Managed by Liam Sherif and John Chen , the firm is advised by several successful public market entrepreneurs who lend a unique combination of operating and venture capital experience that enable Crom to be a value-add investor. Notable investors include Raghib Hussain and Tarek Sherif. Crom invests in companies with high-quality management teams with proven operating capabilities seeking to establish themselves as leading competitors in their field. Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should carefully review various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters disclosed at www.otcmarkets.com. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Contact: Mark Fuller, President & CEO info@castellumus.com 301-961-4895 A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcf99310-7ec1-4366-9f26-fa840a34fbaf NEW YORK, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via CannabisNewsWire -- IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork), an innovative content distributor and multifaceted communications organization with 50+ brands including CannabisNewsWire, is pleased to announce that it will be collaborating with the organizers of Lift&Co. Expo, which is set to take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on May 12-15, 2022 (Exhibits Open May 13-15). Lift&Co. Expo is renowned as Canadas #1 cannabis conference and trade show. It is a must-attend event for cannabis industry professionals, investors, consumers and media covering the cannabis industry. As a media partner of Lift&Co. Expo, CannabisNewsWire will work towards furthering the distribution and publication of content generated for the event. This years event is expected to bring together more than 10,000 attendees and over 250 exhibitors showcasing hundreds of products, services and cannabis industry innovations. In addition, the events signature surprises and a-ha moments have generated some 15 million-plus exuberant social media impressions since inception. An immersive four-day educational agenda will invigorate attendees passion for learning while creating career-enhancing connections. The exclusive Lift Cannabis Business Conference takes place May 12, with Canadas top cannabis business leaders, innovators and regulators. Each speaker, presentation and panel will offer leading-edge education on todays most important issues facing Canadas cannabis business sector. Topping the agenda are discussions on international cannabis markets, trends and projections; production and profitability; economic shifts in the cannabis sector; and key deliverables for Canadas Cannabis Legislation Review. May 13 and 14 have been designated as Lift&Co. Expo Industry Days. They will include networking opportunities and time to engage with fellow exhibitors and industry professionals, while exploring some 250-plus exhibitors from across the cannabis industry landscape. Agenda items include panels on best practices for cannabis medical clinics; promotional principles for responsible cannabis use and prosperity; master classes in budtending; cannabis for pain management; and an industry report from Canadas leading cannabis industry pioneers. Last but certainly not least, May 15 will be Lift&Co. Expo Consumer Day. It is designed to provide cannabis consumers, enthusiasts and patients the perfect opportunity to explore, learn and discover what's new in the marketplace. Timely topics include women and cannabis, the future of edibles, innovative new accessories and breakthroughs in psychedelic therapies. For more information about Lift&Co. Expo or to purchase tickets, visit https://liftexpo.ca/ . About IBN IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork) consists of financial brands introduced to the investment public over the course of 15+ years. With IBN, we have amassed a collective audience of millions of social media followers. These distinctive investor brands aim to fulfill the unique needs of a growing base of client-partners. IBN will continue to expand our branded network of highly influential properties, leveraging the knowledge and energy of specialized teams of experts to serve our increasingly diversified list of clients. CannabisNewsWire (CNW), one of 50+ brands within our InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN), is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news; (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks to quickly update investors in the space; (3) enhances corporate press releases; (4) provides social media distribution via IBN to 2+ million likes and followers; and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of 5,000+ key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry. To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only). For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com . Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on IBNs website, applicable to all content provided by IBN wherever published or re-published: http://IBN.fm/Disclaimer . PORTLAND, Ore., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite all the setbacks that parents have faced during these past two years, parenting confidence is on the upswing, as revealed in the 2022 Parent Confidence Report, a national study from KinderCare Learning Companies, conducted by The Harris Poll. After two years of lagging confidence levels, 86 percent of parents now report they feel confident on a typical day. At the same time, stress levels have reached an all-time high at 59 percent, making the state of parenting more complex than ever. Many parents made career changes, navigated school closures, and juggled the social, emotional, physical and academic needs of their children these past two years. The study shows that parents now expect even more support from employers and the government when it comes to child care. In fact, working parents prefer child care assistance more than established "off hours" from their employers and, more than ever, parents agree that government should help offset the cost of child care. "While this year's Parent Confidence Report shows the true cost the pandemic has had on parents across the nation, it also shows that parents - like children - are resilient," said Dr. Elanna Yalow, Chief Academic Officer of KinderCare. "Our report underscores what we hear every day from families in our centers and from our employer partners: child care is the most pressing need for parents today. In fact, parents across the political spectrum agree that child care is at a crisis point and that employers and the government need to provide more support." Key findings from this year's report include: Child care needs are driving the future of work. Parents are at the forefront of reimagining work and are making career modifications to be more available for their children. Forty percent of parents are open to or actively seeking new jobs right now, and roughly 60 percent have or have considered taking a career break due to child care needs. Working parents prefer employer-provided child care assistance, either through subsidized tuition or in a center, over employers setting "off hours" where parents are unplugged and unreachable. Parents are at the forefront of reimagining work and are making career modifications to be more available for their children. Forty percent of parents are open to or actively seeking new jobs right now, and roughly 60 percent have or have considered taking a career break due to child care needs. Working parents prefer employer-provided child care assistance, either through subsidized tuition or in a center, over employers setting "off hours" where parents are unplugged and unreachable. Hybrid work could shape the future of child care. Sixty-nine percent of parents believe that "hybrid work has or will change my child care needs." Working parents are looking for flexible, employer-sponsored care to support them. Outside of family and friends who can help, the biggest needs for hybrid workers are co-working and play centers (39 percent), multiple locations for child care (37 percent) and on-demand care options (36 percent). Sixty-nine percent of parents believe that "hybrid work has or will change my child care needs." Working parents are looking for flexible, employer-sponsored care to support them. Outside of family and friends who can help, the biggest needs for hybrid workers are co-working and play centers (39 percent), multiple locations for child care (37 percent) and on-demand care options (36 percent). Parent confidence is at an all-time high, yet so are stress levels. Eighty-six percent of parents report that they "feel confident in their parenting on a typical day," rising from its 2020 and 2019 low of 77 percent. Despite growing confidence, parents' stress levels are also at an all-time high - 59 percent of parents feel that "parenting during Covid-19 has been the most stressful time of my life," up from 55% in November 2020. Eighty-six percent of parents report that they "feel confident in their parenting on a typical day," rising from its 2020 and 2019 low of 77 percent. Despite growing confidence, parents' stress levels are also at an all-time high - 59 percent of parents feel that "parenting during Covid-19 has been the most stressful time of my life," up from 55% in November 2020. Uncertainty around child care is a key factor in parents' stress. Many parents have spent more time with their children these past two years than ever before, likely contributing to parenting confidence. In fact, more working parents are leveraging work flexibility to be present in their children's lives (69 percent), an increase of 10 percentage points from February 2020. At the same time, many of the reasons for this increased time together are also some of the main causes of stress: Nearly half of parents said the uncertainty around the safety of sending their children to school and child care has complicated their ability to confidently navigate parenting (44 percent), followed by uncertainty around school/child care closures (36 percent). Many parents have spent more time with their children these past two years than ever before, likely contributing to parenting confidence. In fact, more working parents are leveraging work flexibility to be present in their children's lives (69 percent), an increase of 10 percentage points from February 2020. At the same time, many of the reasons for this increased time together are also some of the main causes of stress: Nearly half of parents said the uncertainty around the safety of sending their children to school and child care has complicated their ability to confidently navigate parenting (44 percent), followed by uncertainty around school/child care closures (36 percent). Parents expect more from child care providers, with mental health & inclusion taking a front seat. With increasing reporting on mental health challenges among children, roughly 80 percent of parents think that mental health needs to be part of the school curriculum moving forward. Eighty-three percent of parents also feel that all types of families should be celebrated in classrooms, and 81 percent note the importance of their child(ren) seeing themselves reflected in these spaces, such as in books, activities, or cultural celebrations. With increasing reporting on mental health challenges among children, roughly 80 percent of parents think that mental health needs to be part of the school curriculum moving forward. Eighty-three percent of parents also feel that all types of families should be celebrated in classrooms, and 81 percent note the importance of their child(ren) seeing themselves reflected in these spaces, such as in books, activities, or cultural celebrations. Where do we go from here? Insights show a turning point for America. Americans of all political beliefs agree that child care in this country is at a crisis point in terms of accessibility and affordability (77 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Republicans). More than ever, they're looking to the government for assistance. Seventy-two percent of all parents believe that the government should help offset the cost of childcare, a 10 percent increase from November 2020. More information about this year's Parent Confidence Report is available here. The full report is available here. ### About the Parent Confidence Report 2022 The Parent Confidence Report examines confidence levels of parents and the factors that impact them. The first study was conducted in 2019, and this year's survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of KinderCare from Jan. 14, 2022, to Jan. 22, 2022, among 2,023 parents with children aged 12 and younger representing a national sample. Within the sample, 992 parents with children ages 5 and under and 1,031 parents with children aged 6-12 were also surveyed. About KinderCare Learning Companies KinderCare Learning Companies is one of America's largest providers of early childhood and school-age education and child care. KinderCare supports hardworking families with differentiated flexible child care solutions to meet today's dynamic work environment in 40 states and the District of Columbia: In neighborhoods, with KinderCare Learning Centers that offer early childhood education and child care for children six weeks to 12 years old; that offer early childhood education and child care for children six weeks to 12 years old; At work, through KinderCare Education at Work , providing customized family benefits for employers across the country, including on-site and near-site early learning centers and backup care for last-minute child care, and , providing customized family benefits for employers across the country, including on-site and near-site early learning centers and backup care for last-minute child care, and In local schools, with Champions before and after-school programs. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, KinderCare operates more than 2,000 early learning centers and sites. In 2021, KinderCare earned its fifth Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award - one of only four companies worldwide to win this award for five consecutive years. To learn more, visit KC-Learning.com. PR Contact: media@kc-education.com 503-872-1300, option 3 Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment CHICAGO, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS, the global leader in cloud-based environmental, health, safety (EHS) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) software, congratulates its customers Danone and Incitec Pivot Limited for their recent Innovation Excellence Awards. Presented by the leading independent research and advisory firm Verdantix, the annual awards recognize companies that demonstrate outstanding achievements in EHS, ESG, Sustainability and Operations, along with the contributions of technology and consulting firms that support them. Out of a record number of entries, Danone won for EHS Compliance Digitization and Incitec Pivot Limited for Operational Risk Management. Our hats off to Incitec Pivot Limited and Danone for this well-deserved recognition and their outstanding commitment to their people and communities, said John Damgaard, CEO of VelocityEHS. Our team is passionate about making workplaces safer and more sustainable, so it is the highest honor to be a part of the success that game-changing companies like Danone and Incitec Pivot Ltd are having on the world. They are proof that excellence in EHS and ESG favors vision and boldness. Danone, a leading global food and beverage company, was recognized for its implementation of the VelocityEHS Control of Work solution at its Macroom site to manage permit to work and related reporting in pursuit of its vision of going 100 percent paperless. Control of Work provides industry leading capabilities for contractor management (including induction and orientation), electronic permit-to-work, site-specific activity maps, visitor recognition and management, and contractor self-service portals. Incitec Pivot Ltd, a global leader in the resources and agriculture sectors with an unrelenting focus on Zero Harm, was recognized for its deployment of the VelocityEHS Risk Management platform to streamline and standardize practices. Results include an 80 percent reduction in time spent by employees on aggregating data and generating insights, a 53 percent decrease year-on-year in total recordable injury frequency rate and a 39 percent reduction over a two-year period in significant event frequency rate. Risk Management empowers customers to identify, assess and control risk using a variety of analysis, including Bowties, an advanced risk evaluation tool that enables users to visually map risks and illustrate the pathways between their causes and potential impacts. To win an Innovation Excellence Award, a company must do more than just implement an outstanding new technology or achieve impressive results related to EHS, ESG, operations and sustainability, said, David Metcalfe, CEO at Verdantix. Our winners are creating paths for others to follow and providing bold leadership that helps to transform industries. In a year where we had a record number of entries, Danone and Incitec Pivot Limited have truly distinguished themselves as the best of the best in their categories. Congratulations to them and their teams. Control of Work and Risk Management are part of the VelocityEHS Accelerate Platform , which delivers best-in-class performance in the areas of health, safety, risk, ESG and operational excellence. Backed by the largest global software community of EHS experts and thought leaders, the software drives expert processes so that every team member can produce outstanding results. For more information about VelocityEHS and its complete award-winning software solutions, visit www.EHS.com . About VelocityEHS Trusted by more than 19,000 customers worldwide, VelocityEHS is the global leader in true SaaS enterprise EHS technology. Through the VelocityEHS Accelerate Platform, the company helps global enterprises drive operational excellence by delivering best-in-class capabilities for health, safety, environmental compliance, training, operational risk, and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). The VelocityEHS team includes unparalleled industry expertise, with more certified experts in health, safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, sustainability, the environment, AI, and machine learning than any EHS software provider. Recognized by the EHS industrys top independent analysts as a Leader in the Verdantix 2021 Green Quadrant AnalysisVelocityEHS is committed to industry thought leadership and to accelerating the pace of innovation through its software solutions and vision. VelocityEHS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Tampa, Florida; Oakville, Ontario; London, England; Perth, Western Australia; and Cork, Ireland. For more information, visit www.EHS.com . Media Contact Brad Harbaugh 312.881.2855 bharbaugh@ehs.com ZANU PF youths have allegedly been hired as enumerators for the forthcoming national census, raising fears that the party may tamper with census figures ahead of the delimitation exercise as the country heads to the 2023 polls. A delimitation exercise redrawing of electoral constituencies will be conducted based on the census figures. The last delimitation exercise was held in 2008, with opposition parties querying the outcome, arguing it exposed glaring gerrymandering in favour of the ruling Zanu PF. Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency spokesperson Mercy Chidemo confirmed that 20% of the enumerators were drawn from unemployed youths, with the Public Service Commission (PSC) co-ordinators conducting the recruitment. I can confirm that we hired unemployed youths drawn from the enumeration areas, she said. The majority are civil servants and there is only a small number reserved for youths, who are also below 35 years, that are computer literate and are able to communicate properly. Ministries have been submitting their lists to PSC for vetting. Teachers unions, which have been all along used as census and polling agents, alleged that Zanu PF had hijacked the census enumeration exercise. In the previous census exercises, government engaged civil servants for enumeration purposes due to the nature of the exercise, which involves a certain level of literacy. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said it was disturbing that professionals like teachers were being left out in such exercises. One can only surmise that these are Zanu PF youth militias and those they want to reward for beating people during elections, he said. Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure told NewsDay that their members were told that they would not be hired. There are teachers who have been participating in this process, but they were told that they were going to be replaced by people from the youth assembly of the Zanu PF party and some members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, he said. Zimbabwe National Teachers Union chief executive officer added: If there are any plans to exclude members of the teaching fraternity from conducting the census, we then cant rule out isms such as favouritism, nepotism and unjustifiable exclusivist preponderances. Educators Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Tapera Zhou said: A census is a delicate programme and a premise for national planning and human development, which has to be based on accurate statistics. The deliberate choice to use poorly qualified personnel in place of teachers is a clear indication of the value attached to the whole process. Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, however, rubbished allegations that the ruling party had hijacked the census and electoral processes. Zanu PF was not advised about how the national census was going to be carried out. People just worry, and they are so obsessed with Zanu PF, he told NewsDay. I dont know what the problem is. We are the ruling party, and we are the party-government. We cannot be part of those irregularities as alleged by yoursources. In a recent post-Cabinet media briefing, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced that youths would be engaged as enumerators following a Cabinet resolution. Newsday SAN JOSE, Calif., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartDV Technologies, leading supplier of semiconductor design and verification intellectual property (IP), in February welcomed McKenzie Ross as vice president of marketing. Ms. Ross has a decade of marketing experience in semiconductor IP and electronic design automation (EDA). Her most recent role was director of corporate marketing for OneSpin, which was acquired by Siemens EDA in May 2021, at which time Rosss role expanded to include strategic program management for integration of the companies. Earlier in her career, she served as director of marketing for IPextreme until the companys acquisition by Silvaco. Ross is perhaps best known for branding videos and interviews, users group management, tradeshow exhibit design, and industry social events. Her varied skillset will be a key piece of the puzzle as SmartDV accelerates expansion worldwide. SmartDV is growing rapidlyincluding more than doubling our sales from 2020 to 2021but predominantly on the merits of our broad, proven IP portfolio and superior customer support, observed Barry Lazow, executive vice president of sales, marketing, and business development for SmartDV. To take our business to the next level on a global scale, we need additional emphasis on our messaging and brand image. McKenzies visionary perspective and creative methods will enable us to get there. Upon joining SmartDV, I was immediately impressed with our close customer relationships, vast selection of design and verification IP, and ability to customize products to meet each users unique needs, noted Ross. A strong technical reputation is the ideal foundation for an aggressive, scalable marketing strategy to accelerate growth and expansion. Exciting things are comingwatch this space. SmartDV Continues Hiring Join the SmartDV team! Interested candidates may view career opportunities at https://www.smart-dv.com/career.html and submit resumes to jobs@smart-dv.com. About SmartDV SmartDV Technologies offers the worlds broadest portfolio of design and verification intellectual property (IP), giving its customers a distinct competitive edge by delivering high-quality, proven IP and productivity tools that speed time to market. SmartDV IP is used today by more than 300 customers worldwide, including seven of the top 10 semiconductor companies and four of the largest consumer electronics companies. The companys catalog of more than 800 design and verification IP products spans 5G, automotive, defense and aerospace, mobile, networking, serial bus, storage, protocols, video and display markets. SmartDV is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, with U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California and sales and support offices in all major geographies, with more than 250 experienced ASIC and SoC design and verification engineers providing 24/7 technical support. Visit www.smart-dv.com to learn more. Connect with SmartDV on LinkedIn and Twitter. SmartDV, SmartDV Technologies, SmartDV NA, SmartCompiler, and the SmartDV logo are trademarks of SmartDV Technologies India Private Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Media Contact Barry Lazow Executive Vice President, SmartDV press@smart-dv.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/778c43b3-a7e0-46eb-9574-ffe1f9ca6428 NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Demand for temporary workers in the United States is expected to increase 7.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the 2022 second quarter, when compared with the same period in 2021, according to the Palmer Forecast, released today. The increase in demand principally reflects the continuing economic recovery. The Palmer Forecast indicated a 7.0% increase in temporary help for the 2022 first quarter. Actual results as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) came in better, with an increase of 9.4%, reflecting a stronger than anticipated increase in GDP, with higher demand in jobs across all categories, including 11.3 million open jobs reported by the BLS as of March 29, 2022. The BLS reported that temp help jobs increased by 4,900 in March, equal to 9.0% year-over-year. There was a solid rebound in temp help jobs in 2021, with a total of 302,800 added for the year and 25,200 average per month. According to the BLS, 201,000 temp jobs were lost in 2020, or an average job loss of 16,700 per month. The BLS also reported 27,000 temp help jobs were lost in 2019, an average of 2,200 fewer jobs per month. In 2018, more than 99,000 temp help jobs were added versus 2017, an average of 8,200 per month. Additionally, 96,000 temp jobs were added in 2017 over 2016. The Labor Department reported that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 431,000 jobs in March 2022, in line with consensus estimate increases of 477,000 jobs. For the 2022 first quarter, there were 1.7 million nonfarm jobs added, averaging of 562,000 per month, up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. For 2021, nonfarm employment was up by 6.4 million jobs, compared with 2020. To put this in perspective, there were 9.4 million jobs lost in 2020, and 2.1 million total jobs added for 2019. For 2018, a total of 2.6 million new jobs were created, versus 2.1 million new jobs in 2017 and 2.2 million new jobs in 2016. The key categories of jobs created are as follows: Private Sector: +426,000 Total Non Farm: +431,000 Leisure and Hospitality: +112,000 Professional and Business Services: +102,000 Education and Health Services: +53,000 Manufacturing: +38,000 Construction: +19,000 Government Sector: +5,000 Temp Help: +4,900 In March 2022, the labor participation rate was unchanged at 62.4%, and it has been in a narrow range of 64.4% to 61.9% since June of 2020. The U3, commonly referred to as the unemployment rate, decreased slightly to 3.6% in March, from 3.8% in February. As reported by the BLS, the rate of unemployment for workers with college degrees decreased 20 bps in March versus February, to 2.0%, and the unemployment rate for workers with less than a high school education increased 90 bps to 5.2%. The U6 unemployment rate, which tracks those who are unemployed, as well as those who are underemployed and are working part-time for economic reasons, was down 30 bps to 6.9% in March versus February. The U6 rate is considered the rate that most broadly depicts those most affected by the last economic downturn and measures the rate of discouraged workers. The temp help employment market improved again in March, and the trend likely will continue, said Greg Palmer, founder and managing director of G. Palmer & Associates, an Orange County, California-based human capital advisory firm that specializes in workforce solutions. One of the most revealing indicators to watch is the temp help penetration rate, because it measures temp help as a percentage of total employment. In March, the temp penetration rate decreased marginally by 10 bps from Februarys all time high, to 2.08% of the total labor market. This as compared to 1.57% pre-pandemic level. The penetration rate cycle last peaked at 2.05% in December 2015 and was at a low of 1.3% in June 2009. The largest issue remains the number of workers re-entering the workforce, since there is greater selectivity in seeking new opportunities, with the current high demand for employees. Staffing companies are reporting extreme difficulty filling the many current open jobs they have. The American Staffing Association (ASA) Staffing Index also is continuing its rebound from an index low of 59.9 on May 10, 2020, to a strong close of 106 on March 13, 2022, a 11.4% increase from the comparable week last year, and exceeding the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The BLS reported a year-over-year increase of 9% versus the ASA index of 11.4%, and we expect there will be revisions likely to come from the BLS in the near future. This all adds up to further signs of recovery in temp help, Palmer added. About the Palmer Forecast The Palmer Forecast is based, in part, on BLS and other key indicators. The model was initially developed by the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University and serves as an indicator of economic activity. Companies that employ temporary staff use the forecast as a guide to navigate through fluctuating economic conditions in managing their workforce to meet business demands. About G. Palmer & Associates G. Palmer & Associates, founded in 2006, provides advisory services in the human capital sector. Founder Greg Palmer has served on the board of the American Staffing Association and was president and chief executive officer of RemedyTemp, Inc., one of the nations largest temporary staffing companies, prior to its sale in June 2006. For more information, visit www.GPalmerandAssociates.com . Contact: Roger S. Pondel/Judy Lin Sfetcu Philip Boronow, Analyst PondelWilkinson Inc. G. Palmer & Associates 310.279.5980 949.201.7296 www.GPalmerandAssociates.com NEW YORK, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandline Global, a premier litigation support and eDiscovery service provider, announces that Robert B. Fried, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Forensics & Investigations, a digital forensic expert, private investigator, and sought-after industry thought leader, has published his book, Forensic Data Collections 2.0: The Guide for Defensible & Efficient Processes. The book contains invaluable information related to the identification, preservation, and collection of electronic evidence from the most common data sources. For over twenty years, Fried has been consulting clients, which include global law firms, corporations, private investigators, and individuals, on methods by which data can be forensically collected and examined in the most defensible and efficient manner - allowing it to be admissible in court. Forensic Data Collections 2.0 presents a technical subject matter, in a manner that can be understood by individuals of any background. Whether new to the fields of digital forensics or eDiscovery, or an experienced practitioner, the reader will understand key concepts and methodologies that are utilized throughout the various stages of the process. Fried is happy to be able to share his knowledge with others: "Having an academic background in forensic science, computer forensics, and information security, I had to learn how to apply my knowledge within the field of eDiscovery, when consulting clients. I achieved this by listening closely to the needs and concerns of each of the stakeholders involved in litigation matters or investigations. Data Collections 2.0 is a culmination of what I have learned over the years, including what to consider, and the right questions to ask, when identifying, preserving, and collecting relevant data." Fried leads the day-to-day operations of the Forensics and Investigations practice for Sandline Global, including overseeing the firm's forensics and investigations services, and its state-of-the-art digital forensics laboratory in New York City. Fried is a member of several professional organizations, is a featured author in industry publications, and is an invited speaker and guest for industry events, and podcasts. He obtained a BS and MS in Forensic Science from the University of New Haven, maintains several industry certifications in digital forensics, and cryptocurrency, and is a private / professional investigator in New York and Michigan. Data Collections 2.0: The Guide for Defensible & Efficient Processes is available for purchase from online retailers, or direct from the book's website: www.forensicsbook.com. Media Contact: Dominic Piernot dpiernot@sandlineglobal.com Related Images Image 1: Forensic Data Collections 2.0: The Guide for Defensible & Efficient Processes Book by Robert B. Fried, with Foreword by Dr. Henry C. Lee. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, THE UNITED STATES OR ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA (OTHER THAN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA WHERE THE COMPANY'S SECURITIES MAY BE LEGALLY MARKETED), OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER TO ISSUE OR SELL, OR ANY SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO SUBSCRIBE OR PURCHASE, ANY INVESTMENTS IN ANY JURISDICTION. 7 April 2022 HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC (the Company) Allotment of Shares The Board announced on 2 September 2021 that the Company had published a prospectus (the "Prospectus") in relation to an offer for subscription of ordinary shares of 1p each (the "Ordinary Shares"), to raise up to 20,000,000, together with an over-allotment facility to raise up to a further 20,000,000 (the "Offer"). On 7 April 2022 the Company allotted a further 1,008,168 new Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Offer conditional only on Admission (the timetable for which is set out in more detail below). The offer price at which the 1,008,168 new Ordinary Shares were allotted was 79.93 pence per Ordinary Share, which was calculated, in accordance with the terms of the Offer, by reference to the net asset value of an Ordinary Share on 31 March 2022 (as announced on 6 April 2022, being the last published net asset value per Ordinary Share) divided by 0.965 (to allow for the costs of the Offer). Application will shortly be made for the 1,008,168 new Ordinary Shares to be admitted to the premium segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the premium segment of London Stock Exchange plcs main market for listed securities ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will occur and dealing will commence in the new Ordinary Shares on or around 12 April 2022. When issued, the new Ordinary Shares will rank pari passu with the existing Ordinary Shares. As a result of the issue, the total number of Ordinary Shares in issue will be 268,567,862 with each Ordinary Share carrying one vote each. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company will be 268,567,862. This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. The new Ordinary Shares will be issued in registered form and may be held in uncertificated form. Definitive documents of title are expected to be despatched within 15 business days of allotment. The new Ordinary Shares will be eligible for settlement through CREST with effect from Admission. Unless the context requires otherwise, terms defined in the Prospectus have the same meaning where used in this announcement. END For further information, please contact: JTC (UK) Limited Susan.Fadil Ruth Wright HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com +44 203 893 1005 +44 203 893 1011 LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31 Important Information This announcement is an advertisement for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation Rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and is not a prospectus. This announcement does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, an offer for sale or subscription of, or solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or to acquire, any ordinary shares in Hargreave Hale AIM VCT plc (the "Company") in any jurisdiction, including in or into Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of South Africa, the United States or any member state of the EEA (other than any member state of the EEA where the Company's' securities may be lawfully marketed). Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any ordinary shares referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information in the Prospectus in connection with the proposed admission of new ordinary shares to the premium segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on London Stock Exchange plc's main market for listed securities. A copy of the Prospectus is available for inspection, subject to certain access restrictions, from the Company's registered office, for viewing at the National Storage Mechanism at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism and on the Company's website (www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk). Approval of the Prospectus by the FCA should not be understood as an endorsement of the securities that are the subject of the Prospectus. Potential investors are recommended to read the Prospectus before making an investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and rewards associated with a decision to invest in the Company's securities. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute, and may not be construed as, an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire or subscribe for, securities of the Company in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation is unlawful or would impose any unfulfilled registration, qualification, publication or approval requirements on the Company or Dickson Minto W.S. The offer and sale of securities of the Company has not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or the United States. Subject to certain exemptions, the securities of the Company may not be offered to or sold within Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of South Africa or the United States or any member state of the EEA or to any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of South Africa or the United States. This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America. This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any national, resident or citizen of the United States. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. In addition, the Company has not been and will not be registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the Company or the Offer. The price and value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as up. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and prospective investors may not receive any return from the Company. Before purchasing any securities of the Company, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks set out in the Prospectus. Information in this announcement or any of the documents relating to the Company or the Offer cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Potential investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of the Offer for them. Dickson Minto W.S, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting only for the Company in connection with the matters described in this announcement and is not acting for or advising any other person, or treating any other person as its client, in relation thereto and will not be responsible for providing the regulatory protection afforded to clients of Dickson Minto W.S. or advice to any other person in relation to the matters contained herein. Neither Dickson Minto W.S. the Company, or any of their respective parents or subsidiary undertakings, or the subsidiary undertakings of any such parent undertakings, or any of such person's respective directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates or advisers or any other person ("their respective affiliates") accepts (save where required by law) any responsibility or liability whatsoever for/or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to this announcement, including the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Pune, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- REPORT OVERVIEW The E-cigarette and Vaping Market provides vital information about the global, regional, and top companies, such as E-cigarette and Vaping market share analysis, winning strategies, latest developments, and financials. Aside from giving information on the top participants in the E-cigarette and Vaping market, the study also recalculates the influence of macroeconomic and microeconomic factors that may have an impact on the E-cigarette and Vaping markets development. The report begins with an overview of the industrial chain structure, followed by a description of the increasing trend. Furthermore, the study examines market size and predictions for several geographic areas, kinds, and end-use sectors. Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats results in fact-based analysis, new insights, increased revenue, historical data, and predicting new ideas. The E-cigarette and Vaping market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players, the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon. The E-cigarette and Vaping Market key insights have been presented through the frameworks of SWOT and Porters Five Forces analysis along with the attractiveness of the market has been presented by sales, revenue, distribution channel, product type, and region. Request a Sample PDF of report @ https://www.industryresearch.biz/enquiry/request-sample/19862202 MARKET ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS An electronic cigarette[notes is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global E-cigarette and Vaping market size is estimated to be worth US$ million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ million by 2028 with a CAGR of % during the review period. Fully considering the economic change by this health crisis, Mechanical E-cigarettes (Mods) accounting for % of the E-cigarette and Vaping global market in 2021, is projected to value US$ million by 2028, growing at a revised % CAGR in the post-COVID-19 period. While Online segment is altered to an % CAGR throughout this forecast period. COVID-19 IMPACT We have been tracking the direct impact of COVID-19 on this market, as well as the indirect impact from other industries. This report analyzes the impact of the pandemic on the E-cigarette and Vaping market from a Global and Regional perspective. The report outlines the market size, market characteristics, and market growth for E-cigarette and Vaping industry, categorized by type, application, and consumer sector. In addition, it provides a comprehensive analysis of aspects involved in market development before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Report also conducted a PESTEL analysis in the industry to study key influencers and barriers to entry. To Understand How Covid-19 Impact Is Covered in This Report https://www.industryresearch.biz/enquiry/request-covid19/19862202 KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS The market is fragmented due to the presence of a large number of regional and local enterprises from various nations. Mergers, expansions, acquisitions, and collaborations, as well as new product development, are emphasised as strategic strategies utilised by major firms to boost customer brand awareness. The markets leading businesses invest extensively in research and development to increase the effectiveness of their products and eliminate negative effects. List of Market Players Profiled: JUUL Vuse MarkTen Blu Logic SR Vapes Comp Lyfe RNV Designs Timesvap This report provides an analytical representation of the global E-cigarette and Vaping Market, current trends, and future projections in order to discover prospective investment possibilities. The report contains a comprehensive analysis of the global E-cigarette and Vaping market share, as well as data on major drivers, constraints, and opportunities. The study provides a complete market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will evolve in the next years. Enquire before purchasing this report https://www.industryresearch.biz/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/19862202 SEGMENTATION The scope of the report includes worldwide and regional markets, as well as a complete analysis of the markets overall development prospects. It also highlights the global marketplaces broad competitive environment. This research also includes an overview of leading companies, including the most recent effective marketing techniques, market contributions, and present and historical context. The E-cigarette and Vaping Market is segmented by product type and end-user industry/application. Growth across segments is used to identify the many growth factors that are predicted to dominate the market as a whole, as well as to design diverse tactics to distinguish between key applications and target markets. By Type Analysis: Mechanical E-cigarette and Vapings (Mods) Rechargeabl By Application Analysis: Online Offlin DRIVERS AND RESTRAINS The research report provides an analysis of the various factors driving the markets growth. It creates trends, constraints and impulses that change the market in a positive or negative direction. This section also discusses the various segments and applications that could affect the future market. The report includes a comprehensive boundary condition assessment that compares drivers and provides strategic planning. REGIONAL INSIGHTS Global and country analyses are some of the main metrics used to predict domestic market scenarios. It takes into account the presence and availability of global brands, the problem of strong or little competition with local and domestic brands, and the impact of national tariffs and trade routes on country data projections. Regionally, the E-cigarette and Vaping Market is clubbed into, - North America [US, Canada, Mexico] - Europe [Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe] - Asia-Pacific [China, India, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific] - South America [Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America] - Middle East and Africa [GCC, North Africa, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa] Get a Sample Copy of the E-cigarette and Vaping Market Report Here Key Reasons to Purchase: - Gained an analysis of market insights and a comprehensive understanding of the Global E-cigarette and Vaping Market and commercial environment. - To mitigate development risk, the production process evaluates key problems and solutions. - Recognize the driving forces and impediments that have the biggest influence on covid-19 in the E-cigarette and Vaping market, as well as its worldwide market. - Explains the market strategies adopted by each major institution. - Understand the E-cigarette and Vaping Market's future view and forecast. - In addition to standard structure reports, we also offer custom studies tailored to specific requirements. Purchase this Report (Price 4900 USD for a Single User License) - https://www.industryresearch.biz/purchase/19862202 IMPORTANT POINTS FROM TABLE OF CONTENT (TOC) 1 Study Coverage 1.1 E-cigarette and Vaping Product Introduction 1.2 Market by Type 1.2.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size Growth Rate by Type, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 1.2.2 Mechanical E-cigarettes (Mods) 1.2.3 Rechargeable 1.3 Market by Sales Channel 1.3.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size Growth Rate by Sales Channel, 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 1.3.2 Online 1.3.3 Offline 1.4 Study Objectives 1.5 Years Considered 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales Estimates and Forecasts 2017-2028 2.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue Estimates and Forecasts 2017-2028 2.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Region: 2017 VS 2021 VS 2028 2.4 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Region 2.4.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Region (2017-2022) 2.4.2 Global Sales E-cigarette and Vaping by Region (2023-2028) 2.5 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Region 2.5.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Region (2017-2022) 2.5.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Region (2023-2028) 2.6 North America 2.7 Europe 2.8 Asia-Pacific 2.9 Latin America 2.10 Middle East & Africa 3 Competition by Manufacturers 3.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Manufacturers 3.1.1 Global Top E-cigarette and Vaping Manufacturers by Sales (2017-2022) 3.1.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2022) 3.1.3 Global Top 10 and Top 5 Largest Manufacturers of E-cigarette and Vaping in 2021 3.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Manufacturers 3.2.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Manufacturers (2017-2022) 3.2.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2017-2022) 3.2.3 Global Top 10 and Top 5 Companies by E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue in 2021 3.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales Price by Manufacturers (2017-2022) 3.4 Analysis of Competitive Landscape 3.4.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI) 3.4.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3) 3.4.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Manufacturers Geographical Distribution 3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans 4 Market Size by Type 4.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type 4.1.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Historical Sales by Type (2017-2022) 4.1.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Forecasted Sales by Type (2023-2028) 4.1.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales Market Share by Type (2017-2028) 4.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type 4.2.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Historical Revenue by Type (2017-2022) 4.2.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Forecasted Revenue by Type (2023-2028) 4.2.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue Market Share by Type (2017-2028) 4.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price by Type 4.3.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price by Type (2017-2022) 4.3.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price Forecast by Type (2023-2028) 5 Market Size by Sales Channel 5.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel 5.1.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Historical Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2022) 5.1.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Forecasted Sales by Sales Channel (2023-2028) 5.1.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Sales Market Share by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 5.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel 5.2.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Historical Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2022) 5.2.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Forecasted Revenue by Sales Channel (2023-2028) 5.2.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue Market Share by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 5.3 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price by Sales Channel 5.3.1 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price by Sales Channel (2017-2022) 5.3.2 Global E-cigarette and Vaping Price Forecast by Sales Channel (2023-2028) 6 North America 6.1 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Type 6.1.1 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type (2017-2028) 6.1.2 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 6.2 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Sales Channel 6.2.1 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 6.2.2 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 6.3 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Country 6.3.1 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Country (2017-2028) 6.3.2 North America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 6.3.3 U.S. 6.3.4 Canada 7 Europe 7.1 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Type 7.1.1 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type (2017-2028) 7.1.2 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 7.2 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Sales Channel 7.2.1 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 7.2.2 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 7.3 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Country 7.3.1 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Country (2017-2028) 7.3.2 Europe E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 7.3.3 Germany 7.3.4 France 7.3.5 U.K. 7.3.6 Italy 7.3.7 Russia 8 Asia Pacific 8.1 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Type 8.1.1 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type (2017-2028) 8.1.2 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 8.2 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Sales Channel 8.2.1 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 8.2.2 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 8.3 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Region 8.3.1 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Region (2017-2028) 8.3.2 Asia Pacific E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Region (2017-2028) 8.3.3 China 8.3.4 Japan 8.3.5 South Korea 8.3.6 India 8.3.7 Australia 8.3.8 Taiwan 8.3.9 Indonesia 8.3.10 Thailand 8.3.11 Malaysia 8.3.12 Philippines 9 Latin America 9.1 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Type 9.1.1 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type (2017-2028) 9.1.2 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 9.2 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Sales Channel 9.2.1 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 9.2.2 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 9.3 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Country 9.3.1 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Country (2017-2028) 9.3.2 Latin America E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 9.3.3 Mexico 9.3.4 Brazil 9.3.5 Argentina 10 Middle East and Africa 10.1 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Type 10.1.1 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Type (2017-2028) 10.1.2 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Type (2017-2028) 10.2 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Sales Channel 10.2.1 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 10.2.2 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Sales Channel (2017-2028) 10.3 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Market Size by Country 10.3.1 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Sales by Country (2017-2028) 10.3.2 Middle East and Africa E-cigarette and Vaping Revenue by Country (2017-2028) 10.3.3 Turkey 10.3.4 Saudi Arabia 11 Company Profiles Continue...... Browse Detailed TOC of E-cigarette and Vaping Market @ https://www.industryresearch.biz/TOC/19862202#TOC REPORT COVERAGE The E-cigarette and Vaping Market study includes data on market size, price trends, and emerging growth, as well as a comprehension of industry features that can lead to profitable prospects for new entrants and established organisations. This study examines the market's primary drivers and constraints in depth. The market trends discussed in the studies will influence the market's future orientation. The research also contains a complete analysis of the accomplishments of the worldwide market's leading players. It also discusses crucial market trends that are likely to be beneficial. The study report's purpose is to offer a fair and truthful picture of the situation. What the Report has to Offer? - Market Size Estimates: The report offers accurate and reliable estimation of the market size in terms of value and volume. Aspects such as production, distribution and supply chain, and revenue for the E-cigarette and Vaping market are also highlighted in the report - Analysis on Market Trends: In this part, upcoming market trends and development have been scrutinized - Growth Opportunities: The report here provides clients with the detailed information on the lucrative opportunities in the E-cigarette and Vaping market - Regional Analysis: In this section, the clients will find comprehensive analysis of the potential regions and countries in the E-cigarette and Vaping market - Analysis on the Key Market Segments: The report focuses on the segments: end user, application, and product type and the key factors fuelling their growth. - Vendor Landscape: Competitive landscape provided in the report will help the companies to become better equipped to be able to make effective business decisions. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The collection and analysis of the base year data was performed using a large sample data collection module. Market data is analyzed and forecasted using consistent statistical market models. In addition, the most important success factors in market reporting are market share analysis and trend analysis. The main research methods are data mining, data triangulation and preliminary analysis and validation (industry experts) of the impact of data fluctuations on the market. In addition, the data model includes vendor positioning grid, market timeline analysis, market overview and leadership, industry positioning grid, enterprise operation analysis, metrics, top-down analysis, and vendor analysis. ABOUT US Market is changing rapidly with the ongoing expansion of the industry. Advancement in the technology has provided todays businesses with multifaceted advantages resulting in daily economic shifts. Thus, it is very important for a company to comprehend the patterns of the market movements in order to strategize better. An efficient strategy offers the companies with a head start in planning and an edge over the competitors. Industry Research is the credible source for gaining the market reports that will provide you with the lead your business needs. Pune, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global topical drug delivery market is expected to grow from USD 100.46 billion in 2020 to USD 158.76 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 5.83% during the forecast period 2021-2028. Request Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/12563 Skin diseases are ranked as the fourth common cause of human illness and affect millions of people worldwide. Skin disorders are the most common and increase the overall burden on the healthcare system. Genetic factors, ageing, and environmental factor are some of the leading causes for the development of skin disorders. Topical drug delivery system is one of the most common methods used for drug delivery for skin disorders. The human skin is one of the most preferred routes for topical drug delivery. The topical drug exerts their action at the surface of the skin, or underline tissues. Thus, increasing prevalence of skin disorders driving the growth of the market. The topical drug delivery refers to the introduction of the drug in the body via the surface of the body in the formulation which can be absorbed. It is one of the easiest and accessible routes of administration of drug delivery. Topical drug delivery includes a large number of pharmaceutical dosage, including semi-solid formulation, solid powder, liquid formulations, and sprays. Topical drug delivery system offers a suitable drug delivery system because they are less greasy and can be easily removed from the skin. Among all the gel application provides stability and better application stability as compared to cream and ointments. Browse the full report with Table of Contents and List of Figures: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/report/topical-drug-delivery-market-12563 Increasing prevalence of skin disorders is one of the most key contributing factors for the growth of global topical drug delivery market. With the increasing incidences of eye and ear disorders, the demand is rising for the eye and ear drops, which results in the growth of topical drug delivery market. Furthermore, increasing spending on dermatology across the globe is likely to provide new growth opportunities. However, rising preference for the alternative mode for the drug delivery may hamper the growth of the market over the forecast period. Major players in the global topical drug delivery market are Bausch Health Companies, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer AG, Crescita Therapeutics Inc., Novartis AG, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Cipla Ltd, and Mylan among others. The key players of global topical drug delivery market are majorly focusing on adoption of various strategies such as new product development, joint venture, collaboration, technological integration, product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, and partnerships to gain the significant market share in the industry. In August 2019, Bausch Health Companies Inc. announced that the company has received the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for DUOBRII (halobetasol propionate and tazarotene) Lotion, 0.01%/0.045%, for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. In February 2020, GlaxoSmithKline announced that the company has received the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval forVoltaren Arthritis Pain (diclofenac sodium topical gel, 1% (NSAID), an over-the-counter (OTC) product for the temporary relief of arthritis pain. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/buying-inquiry/12563 The semi-solid formulation accounted for the largest market share and valued at USD 55.82 billion in the year 2020 The type segment is divided into the semi-solid formulation, solid formulation, liquid formulation, and transdermal products. The semi-solid formulation accounted for the largest market share and valued at USD 55.82 billion in the year 2020. Increasing usage of semi-solid formulation products such as creams, ointments, gel, and lotion for the topical drug delivery driving the growth of the market. The ophthalmic is likely to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period The route of administration segment includes skin, ophthalmic, rectal, vaginal, and nasal. The ophthalmic is likely to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period. Increasing various types of eye disorders has increased demand for ophthalmic drops. Thus increased demand for eye drops diving the growth of the market. The home care settings accounted for the major market share of 56.26% in the year 2020 The end-user segment includes hospitals & private clinics, home care settings, and others. The home care settings accounted for the major market share of 56.26% in the year 2020. Increased convenience, beet affordability, and rising use of topical drug delivery at home care, driving the growth of the market. Regional Segment Analysis of the Topical Drug Delivery Market North America (U.S. , Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of the Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and Rest of South America) Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA) Inquire for Customized Data: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/request-customization/12563 The North America region emerged as the largest market for the topical drug delivery market and valued at USD 42.46 billion in 2020. The growth is mainly due to higher adoption of topical drug administration in the home care settings across the region. In addition to this, increasing prevalence of skin disorders in the countries such as the U.S. and Canada, further boosting the demand for more and more topical drugs in the region. In addition to this, the presence of key market players in the region further driving the growth of the market, The Asia Pacific region projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period. The growth is mainly due to increasing healthcare spending in countries such as India and China. In addition to this, growing awareness about skin health among the people, further driving the growth of topical drug delivery market in the Asia Pacific region. About the report: The global topical drug delivery market is analyzed on the basis of value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analyzed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes an analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porter's five forces model, attractiveness analysis, and competitor position grid analysis. Avail access to The Brainy Insights and our exceptional market research database. About The Brainy Insights: The Brainy Insights is a market research company, aimed at providing actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. We have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the clients' objectives of high-quality output within a short span of time. We provide both customized (clients' specific) and syndicate reports. Our repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Our customized solutions are tailored to meet the clients' requirements whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market. Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-315-215-1633 Email: sales@thebrainyinsights.com Web: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com NEW YORK, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against C3.ai, Inc. (C3.ai or the Company) (NYSE: AI) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 22-cv-01413, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) C3.ai Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents issued in connection with the Companys initial public offering conducted on or about December 9, 2020 (the IPO or Offering); and/or (b) C3.ai securities between December 9, 2020 and February 15, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired C3.ai Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO; and/or securities during the class period, you have until May 3, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] C3.ai operates as an enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) software company. The Company offers a variety of software-as-a-service applications for enterprises and software solutions and integrated turnkey enterprise AI applications for oil and gas, chemicals, utilities, manufacturing, financial services, defense, intelligence, aerospace, healthcare, and telecommunications market segments. The Company also purports to have strategic partnerships with Baker Hughes related to oil and gas markets; FIS related to financial services markets; Raytheon; and AWS, Intel, and Microsoft. The complaint alleges that the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation. Additionally, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, the Offering Documents and Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) C3.ais partnership with Baker Hughes was deteriorating; (ii) C3.ais was employing a flawed accounting methodology to conceal the deterioration of its Baker Hughes partnership; (iii) C3.ai faced challenges in product adoption and significant salesforce turnover; (iv) the Company overstated, inter alia, the extent of its investment in technology, description of its customers, its total addressable market, the pace of its market growth, and the scale of alliances with its major business partners; and (v) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On February 16, 2022, during pre-market hours, Spruce Point Capital Management (Spruce Point) issued a report and strong sell research opinion regarding C3.ai (the Spruce Point Report). Specifically, Spruce Point alleged that it had uncovered, inter alia, [e]vidence of a severely challenged partnership with Baker Hughes, a related-party and C3.ais largest customer; [s]igns of problematic financial reporting and accounting regarding the Baker Hughes joint venture and a revolving door in C3.ais Chief Financial Officer position; that [c]hallenges in product adoption and significant salesforce turnover make it unlikely that C3.ai will meet aggressive analyst estimates; [e]vidence of exaggerated or irreconcilable claims made by C3.ai[,] including numerous discrepancies regarding the value of and cumulative investment made by C3.ai in its technology, description of its customers, its total addressable market, the pace of its market growth and the scale of alliances with companies such as Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Google Cloud, Intel and Amazon Web Services; and [w]orrisome corporate governance practices and insider enrichment. As a result, Spruce Point conservatively estimate[d] 40% - 50% downside risk to C3.ais share price. Following publication of the Spruce Point Report, C3.ais stock price fell $1.01 per share, or 3.93%, to close at $24.70 per share on February 16, 2022. As of the time this Complaint was filed, the price of C3.ai Class A common stock continues to trade below the $42.00 per share Offering price, damaging investors. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . CONTACT: Dallas, TX, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the world's largest industry association for meeting and event professionals, is excited to announce destinations for the next four editions of the World Education Congress (WEC). WEC is MPIs signature event, drawing approximately 2,500 event professionals annually. The event aims to provide leading edge education, share the latest industry innovations and ultimately take risks in its design and implementation, so that attendees can glean from its learnings. MPI is committed to growing and designing global experiences and strives to find destinations for its events that are aligned with its mission. Through an extensive, competitive Request for Proposal process, it considered a strong selection of prospective destinations in its review process. After careful review the following destinations have been selected to host the 2023-2026 editions of WEC. WEC heads to Riviera Maya, Mexico in June 2023 at the Barcelo Maya Riviera resort. This will mark the second time since 2019 that WEC has taken place outside the U.S. and is aligned with MPIs dedication to think global. In the Mexican Caribbean, we are very excited to be hosting the World Education Conference 2023, where we will have the opportunity to showcase not only all the beautiful sceneries that our destination has, but also the facilities, meetings infrastructure and the high-quality service that the meeting professionals of the Mexican Caribbean offer, stated Dario Flota, CEO for Quintana Roo Tourism, We are confident that WEC 2023 will be a great experience, and with that joy we are preparing everything to welcome you and make this event one of the best yet. Previously announced, WEC returns in 2024 to St. Louis, Missouri, where it was last held in 2012. In 2025, WEC will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, where for the first time in more than a decade, WEC will return to the southeastern U.S. It is an honor to host MPI WEC and welcome the industry to Louisville in 2025, said Cleo Battle, President and CEO at Louisville Tourism, By hosting one of the industrys major think tanks, we are moving our business forward together and creating growth opportunities for both Louisville as a destination and our peers. As the host destination, we are certainly looking forward to showcasing our citys unique brand of Southern hospitality, iconic attractions, Urban Bourbon Trail experience and rich culinary scene, while supporting the continuing growth and development of our meeting facilities, hotels and attractions. We are looking forward to welcoming our industrys own to experience the Kentucky International Convention Centers $207 million renovation and expansion in the center of downtown, just steps from Louisvilles world-class tourism assets and historic Whiskey Row. Also announced recently, the associations largest annual event will make its way to San Antonio, TX in 2026. San Antonio is very excited to host the World Education Congress (WEC) for the first time in 2026. We appreciate that MPI has placed such confidence in San Antonio, and we are honored to host this exceptional event, said Marc Anderson, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio, San Antonio offers an experience unlike any other, where a cutting-edge, modern meeting scene has evolved amid a city full of rich culture and history. We cannot wait to showcase all San Antonio has to offer to the MPI community. We are thrilled about our future WEC destinations. said Annette Gregg, CMM MBA, Senior Vice President of Experience for MPI, Each of these areas is unique, with authentic and diverse cultures. Their destination assets will help us craft incredible experiences for our WEC participants. This years WEC will take place in San Francisco, CA from June 21-23, where MPI will celebrate the return of meetings and events together as a global community. Registration for WEC San Francisco is now open. Visit mpi.org/wec for more information. About WEC: MPIs award-winning World Education Congress (WEC), is one of MPIs annual signature events. The 2022 edition takes place June 21-23, 2022 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, CA. WEC San Francisco will be an in-person event, featuring the award-winning education and inspiring programming WEC is known for. Learn more and register at mpi.org/wec. About MPI: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including 13,000 engaged members. It has nearly 70 chapters and clubs with members in 75 countries. "When we meet, we change the world." mpi.org London, England, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Net Savings Link, Inc. (OTC Pink: NSAV), a cryptocurrency, blockchain and digital asset technology company, today announced, in partnership with Metaverse Network LLC. (MNC) https://metaversenetwork.llc/ , the unveiling of BLACK HIVE https://hive.codes/ , the next generation of HIVE Home Mining, PoF (Proof of Flow). The variety of selections in our HIVE Apps CRYPTO STORE will expand in a decentralized format. The new BLACK HIVES Proof of Flow model of mining has replaced the PoW (Proof of Work) and PoS (Proof of Stake) and makes this new generation device more ECO friendly and power consumption friendly. The product technology design team put in over 1 year of work into this new device. BLACK HIVE The Next Generation of Home Mining WY Cheung, CEO of MNC stated, "The HIVE team have successfully improvised the CRYPTO STORE in the HIVE App. Once the user's BLACK HIVE synchronizes with the HIVE App, HIVEminers can subscribe to their favorite Crypto to start mining in their Home HIVE with ease. This is a true innovative blockchain mining ECOsystem with many possibilities. Dato' Sri Desmond Lim, Interim CEO and Senior Vice President of Cryptocurrency Operations for NSAV and Silverbear Capital partner stated, We are very proud of this new generation HIVE product coming to the market. The look is very stylish and futuristic The functions have been upgraded. We love it and our users can now mine crypto in style. About MNC: MNC is a centralized App that transforms diversified users to decentralized universe DApps. It is a playground that supports both creators and users for access, allowing to create a link between the present universe and Metaverse to work together in harmony. As Blockchain environments are dominating the landscape in the next era to come, MNC believes token ecology is essential to access the new era community and to operate in the decentralized economy. About NSAV: NSAV's vision is the establishment of a fully integrated technology company, which provides turnkey technological solutions to the cryptocurrency, blockchain and digital asset industries. Over time, the Company plans to provide a wide range of services such as software solutions, e-commerce, financial services, advisory services and information technology. For further information please contact NSAV at info@nsavholdinginc.com The NSAV Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/nsavtech The NSAV corporate website can be accessed at http://nsavholdinginc.com The NSAV Centralized Cryptocurrency Exchange (CEX) website can be accessed at https://ex.nsavexchange.com/main The NSAV CEX Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/nsavcex The NSAVDEX 1 Exchange website can be accessed at https://nsavdex.org/#/home The NSAVDEX 2 Exchange website can be accessed at https://nsavdex.io/ The NSAV NFT Marketplace website can be accessed at https://nsavnft.com/ The NSAV Premium OTC Crypto Trading Desk website can be accessed at https://nsavholdinginc.com/otc-desk/ The NSAV Hong Kong OTC Crypto Trading Desk website can be accessed at https://hkotc.co/ The NSAVDEX Exchange Telegram account can be accessed at https://t.me/NSAVDEXorg Silverbear Capital Inc. https://www.sbcfinancialgroup.com.hk/ , a leading, global investment banking firm, will be advising NSAV on strategic matters related to this transaction. Silverbear Capital Inc. (SBC) has a dynamic of disciplines on a broad commercial level and practice. SBC has a strong group of Partners in a wide range of disciplines with seasoned experience in finance, management, and professional practice. https://www.sbcfinancialgroup.com.hk/meet-our-team/ . Disclaimer: Silverbear Capital Inc. does not constitute investment advice, or an offer or solicitation to sell, or a solicitation to buy, or any other investment product (nor shall any such shares or product be offered or sold to any person) in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of that jurisdiction. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Net Savings Link, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Net Savings Link, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Net Savings Link, Inc. or any other person. Contact Net Savings Link, Inc. info@nsavholdinginc.com Attachment TORONTO, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Realty Partners ("Crown") is pleased to announce the acquisition of a 1.2 million square foot office community in the heart of one of Ontarios most dynamic business nodes. The investment is made on behalf of two of Crowns value-add funds, Crown Realty IV and Crown Realty V Limited Partnership. Located along Mississaugas prominent Hurontario corridor in the Heartland Business Community, the 50-acre property is comprised of five office buildings and a retail bank branch. It boasts attractive features including: Proximity to 400-series highways, public transit, and the highly anticipated Hurontario LRT On-site food services, fitness centres, collaborative spaces, and daycare Electric vehicle charging stations and access to manicured greenspace ESG-focused initiatives will be essential to Crowns repositioning of the already LEED and BOMA BEST certified properties. In addition, Crown plans to elevate the workplace experience and ESG profile of the buildings through: Decarbonization planning and climate-risk assessments to enhance energy savings and reduce GHG emissions Upgraded collaborative zones and environmentally friendly, move-in ready office suites Rolling out Crowns digital tenant app, Connect by Crown, offering tenants more autonomy over their workday Our repositioning plan is geared towards elevating the workplace experience for tenants and attracting top businesses and talent. We are focused on being the office manager of choice for the workplaces of the future, said Scott Watson, Managing Partner, Acquisitions and Leasing. This is Crowns strategic advantage and the value we bring to our tenants and our investors. This portfolio aligns with our strategy of acquiring and investing in properties to increase their long-term value and resiliency. Improving and building upon the environmental, social and governance credentials of these buildings will be key for their future value, stated Emily Hanna, Managing Partner of Investments at Crown. Our team has already identified upgrades that could result in 20% energy savings and emission reductions. Together, the buildings form an office community that offers the best of work-life balance. Each building has its own distinct property profile, appealing to a wide array of businesses and office users. Crown can accommodate flexible office designs up to 85,000 square feet in size. About Crown Realty Partners Crown is an integrated commercial real estate investment and management firm focused on value-add opportunities across Canada, with approximately $3B of real assets under management. Founded in 2001, Crown has a well-established track record, an experienced team and takes a hands-on approach to provide superior returns for investors and better workplaces for tenants. For more information, please contact: Scott Watson Managing Partner, Acquisitions & Leasing swatson@crp-cpmi.com 647.729.2617 Emily Hanna, PhD Managing Partner, Investments ehanna@crp-cpmi.com 647.729.2609 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a47b9fe-ec91-46c1-b05b-725d43e2f465 Lang Tengah Island, Malaysia, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Malaysia has recorded more than 34,000 deaths and over 3.84 million total cases of Covid-19 as of March 15, 2022. On average, estimated 5,000-20,000 Covid-19 cases are reported per day as the Omicron variant continues to spread in the country. During October 2021, Summer Bay Resort in Lang Tengah Island started its "Island Rental Service" program at 12,000 USD per day, allowing vaccinated international and domestic travelers from all countries to enter without lengthy quarantine restrictions. However, the program only allows a maximum of 100 people on the island which makes the island more attractive. This successful program made the island owner earn more than RM 5 millions within 2 months. According to John Chong Tze Seng, the founder and CEO of Summer Bay Resort, he stated that the reason for the success is due to its own unique features of his resort that provides stunning views of the resort and its surroundings. The resort is located at Lang Tengah Island just off Malaysias east coast, the resort features beauty and tranquility; picture tall coconut trees overlooking white sandy beaches, complete with crystal-clear sparkling water teeming with well-preserved marine life. Despite the series of world unfortunate events affecting the tourism industry. According to John Chong, his business sales declined by about 90%. This is a wake-up call for him to make some changes to his business. COVID-19 has caused a huge setback for the tourism industry. The breakthrough idea popped up by him was a success. It had been so popular to the residents despite the island not being affected by the pandemic at all. Throughout the up and down, the iIsland had gone through a remarkable journey and it is popularized as the Maldives of Malaysia. I developed Summer Bay Resort to share with the world what we locally call the Maldives of Malaysia, says John Chong, the founder and CEO of Summer Bay Resort. Whether you come here to relax, eat, drink, dive, or enjoy a fun-filled family vacation, our resort consists of 60+ friendly staff that offer an industry-leading service and travel experience. So come sit back, relax, and enjoy the silence of the sea, the music of the forest, the breeze of the South China Sea, and soak up the sunshine in our beautiful corner of the world! Summerbay Resort aims to be a 5-star and claims to serve the best for the customer. The grand package that is offered by the resort consists of lots of rare activities. With the purest white sands and blue oceans, experienced the only night snorkeling ever offered by local islands. Good corals, the mysterious sea life, and calmness in the dark ocean are truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Following any acquisition the Summer Bay Resort will implement an operating strategy to generate value for its customers and shareholders through operational improvements, and building a 5 stars resort within 3 years time, according to John Chong . For more information, read more on: https://www.summerbayresort.com.my/ Connect with Summerbay Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | +609-6313366 enquiry@summerbayresort.com.my Country: Malaysia Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. For more info, please contact brandnewsproject@gmail.com. Attachment BROOKFIELD, News, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEP, BEPC; TSX: BEP.UN, BEPC) will hold its First Quarter 2022 Conference Call and Webcast on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. ET to discuss results and business initiatives. Results will be released on Friday, May 6, 2022 at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET and will be available on our website at http://bep.brookfield.com under Press Releases. To participate in the conference call, please dial 1-866-688-9430 toll-free at approximately 8:50 a.m. ET. If calling from outside Canada or the U.S., dial 1-409-216-0817. When prompted, enter the conference ID, 2250265. The conference call will also be webcast live at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/dnicumbs, where it will be archived for future reference. For those who are unable to participate in the conference call, a taped rebroadcast will also be available until May 13, 2022. To access this rebroadcast, please call 1-855-859-2056, or from outside Canada and the U.S., please call 1-404-537-3406. When prompted, enter the conference ID, 2250265. Brookfield Renewable operates one of the worlds largest publicly traded, pure-play renewable power platforms. Its portfolio consists of hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, and totals approximately 21,000 megawatts of installed capacity and an approximately 62,000-megawatt development pipeline. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (NYSE: BEP; TSX: BEP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Renewable Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BEPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at www.bep.brookfield.com and https://bep.brookfield.com/bepc. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Renewable is the flagship listed renewable power company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $690 billion of assets under management. Mississauga, ON, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TECHNATION, Canadas leading technology association, is pleased to see increased investments in cyber and digital government in todays 2022 Federal Budget. The Association has long advocated for government to significantly enhance federal investments in cyber security as Canadas current level of investment is not sufficient to secure our economy, critical infrastructure, or government enterprises. TECHNATION is pleased to see the commitment of $875.2 million over 5 years to address cyber threats. Cybercrime (ransomware) and nation state actions are the two most prevalent threats to our country right now. The need to prioritize cyber security measures for government, businesses and individuals alike is critical. This additional funding will help the Government of Canada secure its own enterprise and lead by example. However, the Government of Canada must also improve collaboration with Canadas tech sector, infrastructure, and reporting mechanisms. Just spending money will not be enough; Government also needs to mobilize the innovation potential of our strong domestic industry, especially leading-edge Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in cyber. While we appreciate the Budget 2022 proposes to provide $17.7 million over five years for the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) to establish an academic research programs on cutting-edge technologies, the tech sector would rather see a program to allow Canadian scale-up cyber companies to supply the government. Contracts are more important to our cyber industry than grants. While we appreciate the commitment to accelerating and expanding digital government services to Canadians and COVID-19 has demonstrated this is critical, we do have concerns over the continued expansion of the Canadian Digital Service (CDS). We look forward to clarification of CDSs responsibilities with respect to the services it provides, especially relating to other jurisdictions in Canada. We are pleased to see $30 million over four years for the Coordinated Accessible National Health Network (CAN Health Network) for made-in-Canada technologies, building upon the CAN Health Network and the expansion to Quebec, the Territories, and Indigenous communities. While we are pleased to hear the additional measures to help bring high-skilled immigrants to Canada, the tech sector needs workforce development as a national priority. This includes a meaningful focus on the talent crisis that exists now; clearly identified ways to recruit international tech talent; and investment into remote learning opportunities. Finally, a focus on ensuring the development of leading-edge tech like cybersecurity and AI talent as a strategic priority. We are pleased to see both the additional funding to the innovation clusters as well as the new innovation agency. Canadas tech sector is an economic engine that will create jobs of today and tomorrow. However, for both the clusters, the new agency as well as initiatives to grow the semi-conductor capacity in Canada, it is critical that industry is at the table with government and especially the design of this new agency is done in a collaborative approach that includes tech industries of all sizes. However, we do have some concerns including the continued introduction of a Digital Services Tax. Canada has seen increased threats of action from Washington and should not be surprised if this comes to fruition. This can be avoided by working with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) multilateral process. Canada must have the right digital, data, and technology-driven policies in place that can support Canadian businesses and ensure they succeed in the new global economy. The Government of Canada needs to enhance engagement with industry-experts to develop a focused approach for industry/ government collaboration and tech policy co-creation. The government should aggressively target growing Canadas digital and data-driven economy through a clear, integrative national strategy. This means a coherent approach that combines Canadas digital transformation agenda with an economic development lens fueled by Canadas innovative technology businesses that are creating the jobs of today, and tomorrow. To see the full list of recommendations to the Federal Government through our Pre-Budget Submission here. Angela Mondou, President & CEO, TECHNATION Canada: Given the uncertain times Canada and the world is facing right now, it makes sense that this Federal Budget has focused on key issues like increasing defence spending or bolstering the rising housing crisis. We are pleased that this Budget saw significant cyber investment that will help keep the nation secure. However, we must not underestimate the critical role the technology sector is and will continue to play in managing the uncertainty. - 30 - TORONTO, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is applauding the federal government for making housing affordability a priority of the 2022 Federal Budget but is questioning the need and effectiveness of some of the announced actions. Specifically, TRREB is encouraged that the budget includes initiatives intended to increase the supply of homes for sale and rent but believes that other policies intended to artificially suppress demand will not have the intended effect. TRREB is encouraged that governments at all levels continue to make housing affordability a priority, but it is critically important that governments take actions that will have meaningful impacts. All levels of governments should be implementing evidence-based initiatives that address the real cause of affordability challenges, which is an inadequate supply of homes for sale or rent, said TRREB President Kevin Crigger. With this in mind, TRREB is pleased to see measures that the federal budget includes funds to help municipalities modernize their zoning, planning and building approval processes, so that new ownership homes can be brought to the market quicker. The federal government has the levers to push municipalities into modernizing their exclusionary zoning policies, and should use that leverage. The funding committed for the construction of affordable housing units and for co-op housing will also help in this regard, continued Crigger. While TRREB is encouraged by budget actions intended to increase housing supply, it is raising concerns about the effectiveness of policies intended to suppress demand. Government initiatives intended to artificially suppress demand are aiming at the wrong target. Past demand-focused government actions have clearly not had the desired effect. Unfortunately, the federal government appears poised to repeat the same mistake by focusing on banning foreign buyers who continue to be a small slice of the overall market. It is important that governments do the right thing by implementing proven evidence-based measures that deal with the real problems, and not be distracted by what is popular. There is also a potential unintended consequence that this move could dissuade immigration to Canada. The population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe doesnt grow, on net, without immigration. Population growth is required to sustain continued economic growth, added Crigger. TRREB research indicates that foreign buyers do not account for a significant portion of market activity they typically make up less than five per cent of all home buyers. Governments at all levels should think big and that attention should instead be focused on decisive action to improve much needed supply in a significant way rather than on policies that could suggest that Canada is not open for business or not as amenable to immigration. The challenge facing our housing market is an imbalance between domestic demand and the supply of homes for sale and rent, not an imbalance between domestic and foreign buyers. The GTA continues to experience rapid population growth, and we need adequate housing supply and choice to meet the housing needs of these people, said TRREB Chief Executive Officer John DiMichele. Media Inquiries: Genevieve Grant Public Affairs Specialist ggrant@trebnet.net 416-443-8159 The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board is Canadas largest real estate board with more than 64,000 residential and commercial professionals connecting people, property and communities. www.trreb.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/trebypn/ https://twitter.com/TheReal_TRREB https://www.youtube.com/user/TREBChannel http://www.linkedin.com/company/toronto-regional-real-estate-board/ https://www.instagram.com/thereal_trreb/ https://www.trrebwire.ca/ x Translation Disclaimer What is Google Translate? Google Translate is a third-party service provided by Google that performs all translations directly and dynamically. 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Formula 1 had to anticipate a missile attack on an oil depot that took place right next to the Saudi Arabia circuit a week and a half ago. Several drivers then spoke out critically about the country in which the race took place. Alex Wurz thinks this is a good thing. Saudi Arabia is not the only country in the Middle East that is criticized every year. Indeed, not everyone agrees about the Grands Prix in Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi either. After the events in Saudi Arabia, however, the drivers also made themselves heard louder than ever. Wurz does not expect the current drivers to drop their criticism any time soon. "Its definitely very impressive to watch that they strongly came together," the president of the Grand Prix Drivers Association informed The Guardian. "As they did so over the last few years, but now it is demanded of athletes. The transformation of young people taking this responsibility is impressive." Domenicali takes up for Saudi Arabia F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali actually believes that the sporting event in Saudi Arabia contributes to a better world. According to Domenicali, he sees that the country is improving a lot for women and children, among others, which is why hosting the Formula 1 event would actually make sense. Read more Why Hamilton's chances for another world title remain alive in 2022 China-proposed BRI welcomed in "Global South": The Guardian Xinhua) 10:12, April 07, 2022 LONDON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought hundreds of billions of dollars to the developing world in the form of infrastructure, public health and digital connectivity, and been "avidly welcomed" in "Global South", an opinion piece published by The Guardian has said. "These essential investments have been neglected by western investors and development agencies for decades," noted the article on Monday co-authored by Tobita Chow, director of Justice Is Global, a project of the U.S. organization People's Action, and Jake Werner, a Global China post-doctoral research fellow at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center. "China's global vision in some ways challenges the power of the rich countries and the free-market principles of the liberal international order, but it also holds out the promise of solving some of the most intractable and destabilizing problems facing humanity," the article said. "Far from imposing a new global order, China is inviting the West to work together on reforming the status quo," it added. The article also called for greater U.S.-China cooperation on infrastructure and other global public goods, noting that it "would both benefit developing countries and point towards a just, sustainable and peaceful alternative to escalating great power rivalry." (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji) BANGKOK (AP) India's power sector has been targeted by hackers in a long-term operation thought to have been carried out by a state-sponsored Chinese group, a U.S.-based private cybersecurity company detailed in a new report. Over the last several months, the Insikt Group, the threat research division of Massachusetts-based Recorded Future, said it has collected evidence that hackers targeted seven Indian state centers responsible for carrying out electrical dispatch and grid control near a border area disputed by the two nuclear neighbors. The group primarily used the trojan ShadowPad, which is believed to have been developed by contractors for China's Ministry of State Security, leading to the conclusion that this was a state-sponsored hacking effort, the group reported. ShadowPad continues to be employed by an everincreasing number of Peoples Liberation Army and Ministry of State Security-linked groups, with its origins linked to known MSS contractors first using the tool in their own operations and later likely acting as a digital quartermaster, Recorded Future said in the report late Wednesday. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday the report had been noted by Beijing, but that China firmly opposes and combats any form of cyberattacks, and will not encourage, support or condone any cyberattacks. I would like to advise the company concerned that if they really care about global cybersecurity, they should pay more attention to the cyberattacks by the U.S. government hackers on China and other countries, and do more to help promote dialogue and cooperation among countries, instead of using the cyberattack issue to stir up trouble and throw mud at China, he told reporters. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India hasnt discussed the issue with China. "We have seen reports. There is a mechanism to safeguard our critical infrastructure to keep it resilient. We havent raised this issue with China, he said. Indian Minister of Power R.K. Singh said the report was not a cause for concern. We are always prepared, he said. "We have a very robust security system. We are always alert. Insikt Group already detected and reported a suspected Chinese-sponsored hack of 10 Indian power sector organizations in February 2021 by a group known as RedEcho. The more recent hack displays targeting and capability consistencies with RedEcho, but there are also notable distinctions between the two so the group has been given the working name of Threat Activity Group 38, or TAG-38, as more information is gathered. Following a short lull after its first report, Recorded Future said the Insikt Group again started tracking hacking attempts on India's power grid organizations. Over the last several months, through late March, it identified likely network intrusions targeting at least seven of India's so-called State Load Dispatch Centers all in proximity to the disputed border in Ladakh, where Chinese and Indian troops clashed in June 2020, leaving 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese dead. Recorded Future continues to track Chinese state-sponsored activity groups targeting a wide variety of sectors globally a large majority of this conforms to longstanding cyber espionage efforts, such as targeting of foreign governments, surveillance of dissident and minority groups, and economic espionage, the report said. However, the coordinated effort to target Indian power grid assets in recent years is notably distinct from our perspective and, given the continued heightened tension and border disputes between the two countries, we believe is a cause for concern, it added. Hackers are thought to have gained access through third-party devices connected to the internet, like IP cameras, which had been compromised, the company said. Investigators have not yet determined how they had been compromised, but Recorded Future suggested they may have originally been installed using default credentials, leaving them vulnerable. Because the prolonged targeting of India's power grid offers limited economic espionage or traditional intelligence-gathering opportunities, Recorded Future said it seems more likely the goal is to enable information gathering around surrounding critical infrastructure systems, or to be pre-positioned for future activity. The objective for intrusions may include gaining an increased understanding into these complex systems in order to facilitate capability development for future use or gaining sufficient access across the system in preparation for future contingency operations," Recorded Future said. ___ Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committees investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two men became the latest members of former President Donald Trump's inner circle to face legal jeopardy as the select committee continues its more than nine-month-long probe into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years. The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The contempt action followed hours of raw debate on the House floor as Republicans stood by Trump and charged that Democrats were trying to politicize the attack on the Capitol by his supporters. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of criminalizing dissent, defended Scavino as a good man and lobbed harsh criticism at members of the committee, some by name. Lets be honest, this is a political show trial, McCarthy said. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, among the nine members of the Jan. 6 panel, noted that the committee has two Republicans, including Liz Cheney of Wyoming. He added that the purpose of the floor vote was to make clear that open contempt and mockery for this process, and for the rule of law will not be allowed by the chamber. I mean, it is just amazing that they think they can get away with this, the three-term lawmaker told reporters about Scavino and Navarro as the debate raged on Wednesday. Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is also on the select committee, were the only Republicans who voted in favor of the contempt charges. While pursuing contempt charges may not yield any new information for the Jan. 6 committee any prosecutions could drag for months or years the vote Wednesday was the latest attempt to show that witnesses will suffer consequences if they dont cooperate or at least appear for questioning. Its all part of an effort to claw back legislative authority that eroded during the Trump era when congressional subpoenas were often flouted and ignored. This vote will reveal to us who is willing to show tolerance for the intolerable, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said on the floor, directing his comments to Republicans across the aisle. Raskin and other Democrats made their case that Scavino and Navarro are among just a handful of individuals who have rebuffed the committee's requests and subpoenas for information. The panel has interviewed more than 800 witnesses so far. In the last week alone, the committee scored two of those interviews from Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Their virtual testimonies are the closest lawmakers have gotten to the former president. Members of the panel said Kushner's testimony last Thursday was helpful. Ivanka Trump, who was with her father in the White House on Jan. 6, was questioned for eight hours Tuesday as congressional investigators tried to piece together her fathers failed effort to delay the certification of the 2020 election results. The main focus of the committee's outreach to the former first daughter surrounds a telephone call they say she witnessed from her father to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Bidens 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Pence rejected those efforts. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, highlighted Ivanka Trump's voluntary cooperation with the committee as opposed to Scavino and Navarro's defiance. Raskin said Scavino has "refused to testify before Congress about what he knows about the most dangerous and sweeping assault on the United States Congress since the War of 1812. The committee says Scavino helped promote Trump's false claims of a stolen election and was with him the day of the attack on the Capitol. As a result, he may have materials relevant to his videotaping and tweeting messages that day. A lawyer for Scavino did not return multiple messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Navarro, 72, a former White House trade adviser, was subpoenaed in early February over his promotion of false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election that the committee believes contributed to the attack. Navarro cited executive privilege when declining to testify, saying the committee should negotiate this matter with President Trump. He added, If he waived the privilege, I will be happy to comply. But the Biden administration has already waived executive privilege for Navarro, Scavino and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying it was not justified or in the national interest for them to withhold their testimony. Executive privilege was developed to protect a presidents ability to obtain candid counsel from his advisers without fear of immediate public disclosure, but it has limits. Courts have traditionally left questions of whether to invoke executive privilege up to the current White House occupant. The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected a bid by Trump to withhold documents from the committee. The vote Wednesday will be the third time the panel has sent contempt charges to the House floor. The first two referrals, sent late last year, were for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump ally Steve Bannon. The contempt referral against Bannon resulted in an indictment, with a trial set to start in July. The Justice Department has been slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows, much to the frustration of the committee. Its the committees hope that they will present it to a grand jury, Thompson told reporters Tuesday. Obviously, the Meadows case is still outstanding. We dont really know where that is, other than weve done our work. He added, "The firewall goes up from our standpoint, and DOJ uses its systems to take it from there. Thompson suggested more witnesses could still be held in contempt in the weeks ahead even as the committee looks to wrap up the investigative portion of their work in the next two months. A conviction for contempt of Congress carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison. ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Charter Communications, the Fortune 500 company that provides Spectrum-branded services, has sold its former downtown headquarters for $72 million a deal that ranks among the largest property sales of the past year in Connecticut. The sale of 400 Atlantic St., follows Charters $100 million acquisition of the approximately 500,000-square-foot property in late 2020 and its opening last year of a new headquarters a few blocks away at 400 Washington Blvd. The transaction was confirmed in property-transfer records received this week by the Stamford Town Clerks Office. Charters purchase of 400 Atlantic proved to be a sound strategic and financial move for the company as it provided owner/occupant cost savings and increased flexibility while we planned for and transitioned employees to our new facility, Charter said in a statement. We wish the buyer well with the property and are pleased to now have our more than 1,600 Stamford-based employees working together at our new corporate headquarters. SLJ Atlantic Stamford LLC and 400 Atlantic Joint Venture LLC are the buyers, according to the property records. SLJ Atlantics and 400 Atlantics listed addresses in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Manhattan, respectively are the same as those of the main offices of commercial real estate firms AVG Partners and George Comfort & Sons. AVG Partners and George Comfort & Sons also comprise the ownership and management of the office complex at 677 Washington Blvd. That property stands a couple of blocks from 400 Atlantic and has recruited a number of major tenants in recent years such as Philip Morris International, KPMG and WWE. George Comfort & Sons declined to comment on 400 Atlantic, while a message left for AVG Partners was not immediately returned. The sale of 400 Atlantic produced $358,500 in local conveyance taxes. No state conveyance tax was levied on the transaction. Among other major commercial real estate deals in recent months in southwestern Connecticut, the office complex at 200 Elm St.-695 E. Main St., in downtown Stamford, sold late last year for $235 million. Last month, alternative-assets manager Apollo Global Management confirmed it was buying the office property at 100 W. Putnam Ave., in downtown Greenwich, for approximately $200 million. From 400 Atlantic to 400 Washington Following the opening last year of its new headquarters at 400 Washington, Charter continued to occupy a few floors at 400 Atlantic. But all of its remaining employees at 400 Atlantic have since transferred to the new offices. Before opening the new headquarters, Charter had reached a peak occupancy of nine full floors and parts of two other levels at 400 Atlantic. It started in the building in 2012 with a sublease across two floors, after relocating its main offices from St. Louis, Mo. In the wake of Charter vacating its old offices, 400 Atlantic has large amounts of available space. Norwalk-based commercial real estate brokerage Choyce Peterson Inc., is listing 19,000 square feet to 38,000 square feet of subleased space on the 11th floor. Remaining tenants at 400 Atlantic include audio-electronics company Harman International, which is headquartered there. The new ownership of 400 Atlantic is a proven owner in this market particularly with the extensive renovations theyve completed at 677 Washington Blvd., John Hannigan, co-founder and principal of Choyce Peterson, said in an interview. 400 Atlantic is in a terrific location, as its within a few blocks of I-95 and the downtown Stamford train station. It also has an abundance of amenities, including a cafeteria, fitness center and covered parking. In addition, it has great views of Long Island Sound. The 15-story building was constructed in the early 1980s as the headquarters for paper company Champion International. In the early 2000s, it served the same purpose for International Paper after its acquisition of Champion. In 2005, IP announced that it would move its headquarters to Memphis, Tenn. After about 10 years at 400 Atlantic, Charter is now based in one of the largest office complexes built in the past generation in Connecticut. Located next to the downtown train station, the new headquarters stands out with its glass-sheathed 14-story and nine-story buildings. The Spectrum provider represents the largest company headquartered in southwestern Connecticut, ranking No. 64 on last years Fortune 500 list. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Spring is in the air this weekend, giving Nutmeggers a chance to pick up a plant of their very own, as well lots of other fun weekend activities. Here are 25 things to do in Connecticut this weekend: Back in February, Motorola made the Moto G Stylus (2022) official, but like last year, there's a separate 5G version coming too. This will be known as the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022), and it's been leaked today. The device is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 695 SoC, and will allegedly have a 5,000 mAh battery. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) will be offered in two colors: black and Seafoam Green. It's reportedly codenamed Milan 5G, and the base model will come with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) has a 6.78-inch 1080x2460 LCD touchscreen with 120 Hz refresh rate, and a centered punch-hole housing a 16 MP selfie camera. The display goes up to 650 nits of brightness in high brightness mode (otherwise only to 450 nits). On the rear there's a 50 MP primary shooter with OIS, an 8 MP ultrawide with autofocus for macro shots, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The phone retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, and it runs Android 12. Source Update (April 21): Samsung changed up the offer slightly. First, you can get up to $1,000 of trade-in credit for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, up from $850. An old S21 Ultra in good condition is worth that much, but keep in mind that the you can send up to two devices (smartphone, tablet and/or smartwatch) to get the credit. Phones with cracked screens are accepted too (at a lower valuation). The bigger change is that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is now part of the deal as well and you can support the purchase by trading in up to two old devices for up to $1,000 of credit. The base price for the 256 GB model (unlocked) is $1,800, so the trade-in credit can cover most of the cost. This deal is available at the Samsung US store. The flagship foldable now also comes with $250 of instant Samsung Credit, quite a bit higher than the $100 that the S22 Ultra and S22+ get ($50 for the S22). This you can spend right after clicking Continue on various accessories and Samsung products. Some of those are discounted by 30-50%, so the Instant Credit can buy more than its dollar value. Especially with the Z Fold3's $250 worth of Instant Credit. You can get a Galaxy Tab S7 FE (128 GB, Wi-Fi) basically for free it is 56% off and costs $260. Same with a Galaxy Watch4 Classic (46 mm, Bluetooth), which is 30% off and costs $266. One final note the Galaxy Z Fold3 comes with $100 of Google Play Store credit that you can spend on apps, games, movies and books. Also, both the Z Fold3 and the S22 Ultra come with 4 free months of YouTube Premium, 3 free months of Spotify Premium and 6 free months of SiriusXM Streaming. The original article continues below. During the pre-order period Samsung US was offering $50 discounts on the regular prices of the Galaxy S22 series those regular prices being $800 for the S22, $1,000 for the S22+ and $1,200 for the S22 Ultra (for the base memory configuration). Those prices haven't budged since then, however, the company has offered new ways to save some money almost every week. This week the offer is simple you get store credit with your purchase. The Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S22+ come with $100 of Samsung Credit attached, the Galaxy S22 with $50. Note that this offer only for US customers. You can get up to $100 instant Samsung Credit to spend on accessories, bundles and even tablets Using the credit is pretty straightforward after you pick out the phone configuration you like, you hit Continue and you are taken to a page where you can spend your credit. Keep in mind that a lot of accessories are 20% off this week, so a $100 go further than usual. You can keep it simple and just grab Samsung Care+ ($12/month), which covers accidental damage (drops, spills) and cheap screen repairs ($29). Alternatively, you can pick up an extra gadget or three. For example, the Galaxy Watch4 (44 mm, Bluetooth) is 30% off right now and costs $196. The Galaxy Buds2 have their own discount and are selling for $130. A fitness companion bundle gets you the watch and Buds2 for $300 (a bit less than if you get them separately). This is before you apply the Credit, of course, so the Watch4 can be yours for under a hundred bucks. One of the highest discounts is on the Galaxy Tab S7 FE the Wi-Fi models (64, 128 and 256 GB) are 40% off, so the slate starts at $318. Finally, dont forget that the Enhanced Trade-in program is still active. This means you can send up to 2 old devices, including phones (in good condition or with a cracked screen), tablets and smartwatches. 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. The local contingent of the BTS fan base, which dubs itself ARMY, is prepped and ready to go for the K-pop groups Las Vegas concerts, which start today. The hugely popular band will also be performing at Allegiant Stadium Saturday and April 15-16 as part of their Permission to Dance on Stage tour. Fans of all ages will be attending, including 50-year-old Maria Abante of Dededo. Shes got tickets for the April 15 and 16 shows, making them the ninth and 10th BTS concerts shes attended since 2018. I have been coordinating with friends for hotels, car rentals, parking and reservations for restaurants and events. I made a checklist of all the things I need to bring like my ARMY lightstick, extra batteries, a concert bag, backup charger, water, snacks and comfortable shoes, Abante said. Another fan, Ronald Hidalgo, estimates the overall cost for attending the mainland concert at $2,100. The 26-year-old Dededo resident has created stickers to hand out for free to other fans and even customized a T-shirt. I like to go all out at themed events, or at least try to. For my first day outfit, I put together an ensemble similar to what BTS Member, Jungkook wore during his vacation in Hawaii, Hidalgo said. For the second day, I custom designed a shirt stylized with Permission to Dance themed shapes using different colored iron-on vinyls that I cut out using the Cricut Maker machine. Hidalgo also is hosting an ARMY photo op event, where Guam concert attendees will have the opportunity to take photos with the Guam flag. Marshelly Borja, a 19-year-old Dededo resident, is beyond ecstatic to have her concert v-card taken at the Saturday performance. During the decision time of whether I should go or not, I saw a quote from Jackie Chan saying Your money will return but time wont. So attending the concert is honestly such a YOLO move for me. At the Run Guam clothing presentation, from left: Victor Camacho, Sanctuary Inc. of Guam executive director; with Run Guam Inc. co-founders Sherwin Paet; Desmond Mandell III and Derek Mandell. Speaker Therese Terlaje on Thursday said she had confirmation from local gas companies that if taxes on fuel were reduced, the price at the pump would follow. Officials from South Pacific Petroleum Company, which operates 76 Gas Stations, and IP&E, of Shell Gas Stations, wrote to lawmakers that lower gas prices would result from a reduction of Guams liquid fuel taxes. Terlaje read their letters during a hearing for Bill 260 which would repeal a 4 cent per gallon increase in the fuel tax for gas wholesalers that went into effect in 2018, and Bill 261, which would result in a 23 cent per gallon tax reduction, according to the speaker. But agency leaders and financial heads with the government of Guam were more cautious about the impact that cutting liquid fuel taxes, which feed into road repair and other initiatives through the Guam Highway Fund, could have on government operations. Terlaje clarified that she had no intention of eliminating funding for agencies that drew money from the Highway Fund. Fiscal notes from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research state that reducing the fuel tax could reduce revenue for the Guam Highway Fund by between $3.4 million and $3.6 million, while eliminating it could cost between $9.6 million and $10.5 million a year. Prioritize I know theres been a lot of fear put into these agencies that they will be defunded, but this bill does not do that. Instead, I am proposing that we prioritize the current $61 million in excess general fund revenues for this fiscal year and future General Fund monies to pay for these critical services like road repairs, she said. Terlaje said she was willing to amend the bill to make it clear that the excess general fund revenue would be used. Director Vince Arriola of the Department of Public Works began reading a testimony in opposition to the measures, stating that it would eliminate DPWs funding to fix village roads and respond to flood mitigation. But he stopped himself and said that if the senators wanted to change how DPW was funded, thats a policy call from this Legislature. We will abide by that. Director Richard Ibanez of the Guam Regional Transit Authority also read testimony opposed to the bills and said he believed they would imperil Transits already slim annual budget of $2.6 million. After Terlaje explained her plan to fund the agency, he said hed need to look more closely at the fuel tax legislation to reconsider. Angel Sablan of the Mayors Council of Guam said that he had neither a yes nor a no on the matter, but that mayors had their doubts about cutting fuel taxes. Sablan said he believed the speaker did not want to reduce Mayors Council funds but until the budget bill is passed, we will never know if that is really going to happen. At face value, repealing the liquid fuels tax looks good, he added, but in the long run, will it do us good? Or are we going to come back in the 37th Guam Legislature to impose fuel taxes again due to roads going into disrepair and no funds to repair them? Diesel Bill 261 wouldnt just cut taxes on gas for the average motorist, but also diesel fuel taxes, which bring in about $875,000 a year for GovGuam, and aviation fuel taxes, which bring in closer to $3.5 million annually, according to BBMR Director Lester Carlson. He asked that senators consider the additional effect the bill would have. Meanwhile, Director Ed Birn of the Department of Administration cautioned that the Guam Highway Fund needed to be paid into every year. Its important for us to consider how and where replacement revenues would come and how these will be applied to projects both continuing and new. Mayors have started planning for the 78th Liberation Day celebration, which will include a parade this year, but no carnival. The parade will be the first since 2019, when the island celebrated the 75th anniversary of the islands recapture by American forces. Weve all been through some rough times, and not only have are we liberated from war, but weve been liberated from COVID, said Piti Mayor Jesse Alig, who serves as the president of the Mayors Council of Guam. The Guam Visitors Bureau will be financially supporting this years Liberation Day activities, according to the mayors. Each municipality will have a uniform truck showcasing their village, with the ability to showcase anything else they want dancers or banners for the July 21 parade. Instead of a cash prize, there will be a peoples choice award for village entries. Alig said there will not be a Liberation Day carnival this year, but there will be fireworks on the night of July 21 and a drone show the following night. There will be a joint conference with the governors office, the Guam Visitors Bureau and the Mayors Council of Guam to reveal the theme for this years liberation parade, information on overnight camping and memorial events and times. A man on pretrial release for a 2018 drug case was charged in connection with hitting a woman with her car, a magistrates complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam stated. On Wednesday afternoon, police responded to a disturbance at a Harmon residence where a woman said Chuck Keller, 33, came over and started arguing with people, the complaint stated. After the argument, Keller walked out to the parking lot and got into the womans Jeep. The woman tried to stop Keller from leaving, but Keller hit her with the Jeep and caused her to fall on the ground, the complaint stated. Keller was also seen colliding with a gate, forcing it to open and driving out of the area. Keller was later found with the woman in Barrigada, where she confirmed the details of the incident. A search of the car was done after Kellers arrest and police found a broken glass pipe and a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine. Additionally, a disassembled shotgun was found with two shells of 12-gauge ammunition. Keller was charged with aggravated assault as a second-degree felony, family violence as a third-degree felony and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony with each charge carrying a notice of commission of a felony while on felony release. Keller was also charged with criminal mischief as a misdemeanor. Pretrial release Keller is currently on pretrial release for 2018 charges that stem from allegedly possessing drug paraphernalia with methamphetamine on it. According to PDN files, Keller was pulled over after driving a car without a front license plate and stopped two or three car lengths before a red light. The officer smelled marijuana, the complaint stated. Keller agreed to a search saying the car wasnt his, and the officer found glass pipes and plastic bags that tested positive for methamphetamine, and a bag of marijuana, the complaint stated. Keller was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony and possession of a Schedule I controlled substance as a violation. Mayors Council of Guam President and Piti Mayor Jesse Alig confirmed that senior citizen centers will reopen on May 2. During the council meeting on Thursday, Alig said that once the centers open, meal deliveries to the manamko will stop and that theyll need to go to their designated centers to eat. The meal delivery suspension is due to the federal grant funding rules for the meal program. Alig also announced that the Guam Elder Justice Center will be available at the centers to give presentations on their services to returning senior citizens. The Elder Justice Center will help with four different types of services specifically power of attorney, last will and testament, living will and advice regarding guardianship over an adult, said Alig. Mangilao The Mangilao Senior Citizens Center is also confirmed to reopen along with most of the centers. The center is currently being used by the Department of Public Health and Social Services as a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy treatment clinic. However, according to Mangilao Vice Mayor Kevin Delgado, the clinics operations will be through mid-April. Once operations are completed the clinic will be removed, and the mayors office will need to pass a health inspection to ensure its safe for manamko to return. Our intention, right after Easter, is to have the (Mangilao) center prepared, said Delgado adding that they will be ready to pass the inspection before May 2. Alig said Public Health is willing to administer the third COVID-19 booster shot to manamko at the senior centers once they reopen. Administration of the booster shot would be at the mayors requests. The date of the centers reopening was chosen to coincide with Senior Citizens Month. While this is not a comprehensive review, it provides a preliminary look ahead of the official testing, including comparisons to rival CPUs. XanxoGaming obtained a sample of the 5800X3D CPU over two weeks before its official release (April 20th). As it turns out, this CPU is rather easy to obtain in Peru, despite the fact that AMD has banned XanxoGaming and they are not even supplied a sample through official means. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a new 8-core CPU based on Zen3 architecture and unique 3D V-Cache technology, which adds a 64MB layer of L3 cache directly on top of the computing chiplet. With such a huge cache, gaming performance is supposed to improve by 15% on average (at least officially), although it shouldn't show substantial differences in synthetic testing like the ones presented by XanxoGaming. In most single and multi-core tests, the forthcoming CPU performs as well as a Ryzen 7 5700X. This should be due to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D's decreased clock rates compared to the earlier Ryzen 7 5800X. For Blender, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D outperforms the 5800X by a slight margin. However, neither Cinebench R23 nor CPU-Z or Geekbench 5 results are very noteworthy. This isn't surprising, given AMD has said that the 3D V-Cache doesn't provide much speed to most apps. In regular software, the slower clocks seem weird, but XanxoGaming says they think a better UEFI/AGESA may enhance performance over time. In Geekbench 5.4.4, the CPU got 1639 points for single-core and 10498 points for multi-core. This is lower than the average Geekbench R7 5800X score (1671/10339 points). It also gets 617 and 6506 points on the CPU-Z benchmark, lower than the i9-12900K reference data. Further results, including 1080p gaming testing are too be posted later. Update: The Ryzen 7 5800X3D performs admirably in the initial gaming benchmarks. So yet, the website has only tested Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 720p with customized extreme settings (ultra shadows). As the resolution increases, the disparities between the CPUs become fewer. The 5800X3D with RTX 3080 Ti GPU is actually quicker than the i9-12900KF processor with RTX 3090 Ti, indicating this is a CPU-bound test. XanxoGaming is presently testing 11 games at 1080p. The testing are done, but the data must be compared to an Intel system, which may take time. But we should see more findings soon. The Core i9-12900K averages roughly 190 FPS in the test, which they use as their benchmark. The Core i9-12900KS achieves roughly 200 FPS, which is a little more than a 5% gain. Ryzen 7 5800X3D an average FPS of 230. That's a 20% boost over the Core i9-12900K and a 15% increase over the Core i9-12900KS. According to the leaker, additional benchmarks will get posted, at 1080p at Ultra settings. Haiti - Invitation : Resumption of direct flight Orlando/Port-au-Prince of JetBlue The Consulate of Haiti in Orlando invites members of the Haitian Community of Central Florida to a meeting around the resumption of the direct flight of the airline JetBlue Orlando/Port-au-Prince. This meeting, which will be held on Wednesday April 13, 2022 from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Consulate, located at 1616 East Colonial Dr. Orlando, (FL 32803), will also be an opportunity to inform you of the various activities that are underway. The resumption of this direct flight will be an important lever for initiatives to promote investment and the development of Tourism in Haiti. Phone : (407) 897-1262 Email : cons.orlando@diplomatie.ht HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #748 GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022: Epidemiological situation: Thursday April 7, 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 495,444,428 cases (+1,225,142 in 24 hours ), the day before (+1,341,827) Number of infected countries: 225 *Healings: 431,143,642 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+1,330,335), the day before (+1,536,427) *Deaths: 6,191,620 people have died of Covid-19 worldwide since the start of the pandemic (+7.955 in 24 hours), the day before (+4.202) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 58,109,166 cases (-113,148 in 24 hours), the day before (-198,802) Average cure rate in the world: 87.02% (+) Average death rate in the world: 1.24% (-) World: Number of daily confirmed cases (Day-1) Vaccination: 11.39 billion doses of vaccine injected (+20 million doses injected. Update April 7, 2022 (latest data available). HAITI: According to the Ministry of Public Health, +8 new cases of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of April 2, 2022 (latest partial data available ) for a total of 30,575 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 (+22 cases as of March 30, 2022). Heals: 28,975 (+230) Cure rate: 94.76% (+) Deaths: 833 deaths (+0) () Death rate: 2.72% (=) 5th Wave (Omicron Dominant): Total of the 5th wave (beginning of December 27, 2021) 4,581 confirmed cases and 67 deaths Screening since the start of the pandemic: 190,236 tests (+922 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: 741 (+0); Petion-ville 624 (+0); Port-au-Prince 407 (+0); Tabarre 288 (+0); Cross-Bouquets 241 (+1) Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020): West: 2022: 2,559 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases) North: 2022: 269 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases) Center: 2022: 231 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases) Artibonitis: 2022: 186 cases; (2021: 855); (2020: 593 cases) Northeast: 2022: 148 cases; (2021: 404); (2020: 314 cases) Southeast: 2022: 268 cases; (2021: 768); (2020: 274 cases) South: 2022: 215 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases) North West: 2022: 260 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases) Grand'Anse: 2022: 175 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases) Nippes: 2022: 39 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases) Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021): West: 295 deaths (2020: 104 deaths) North: 54 deaths (2020: 34 deaths) Center: 79 deaths (2020: 13 deaths) Artibonite: 42 deaths (2020: 39 deaths) North East: 7 deaths (2020: 6 deaths) South: 51 deaths (2020: 6 deaths) Southeast: 15 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: 56 deaths 40-49 years: 80 deaths 50-59 years: 134 deaths 60-69 years: 187 deaths 70-79 years: 183 deaths 80 years and over: 137 deaths Vaccination: 163,369 Haitians (1.4% of the population) +2,205 in 6 days have received a 1st dose of vaccine since July 16, 2021, date of the first injection through 149 open vaccination centers and 111,914 Haitians are fully vaccinated (2 doses, 0.96% of the population) +1.585 in 6 days. Update March 22, 2022 latest information available (source MSPP). List of the 149 Vaccination Centers open in Haiti (and hours) by department: (updated October 20, 2021, latest information available) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35051-haiti-covid-19-list-of-149-vaccination-centers-open-in-the-country.html DIASPORA: Epidemiological situation: USA: *Cases since the first case (February 29, 2020): 81,950,247 cases (+50,235 in 24 hours), the day before (+32,049) *Healings: 66,088,151 healings (+119,684 in 24 hours), the day before (+127,189) National Cure Rate: 80.64% (+) *Deaths: 1,010,537 deaths (+1,147 in 24 hours), the day before (+711) National death rate: 1.23% (=) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 14,851,559 (-70,596 in 24 hours), the day before (-95,851) USA: Number of daily confirmed cases: (Day-1) Vaccination: 563.25 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection in the United States (+240,000). Update April 6 (latest data available). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 578,319 cases (+55 in 24 hours) the day before (+44 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020) Healings: 573,814 healings (+91 in 24 hours), the day before (+20) National Cure Rate: 99.22% (+) Deaths: 4,375 deaths (+0), previous (+0) Death rate: 0.75% (=) Positivity rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 0.95% (+) Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 130 cases (-25 in 24 hours) the day before (+24) Dominican Republic: Number of daily confirmed cases: (Day-1) TOP 5 Provinces with the most new cases in the last 24 hours: Distrito Nacional: +33 new cases in 24 hours (+) ALtagracia: +8 new cases in 24 hours (+) San Pedro de Mcoris: + 5 new cases in 24 hours (-) Santo Domingo: +4 new cases in 24 hours () La Vega: +3 new cases in 24 hours () Vaccination: 15.52 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+10,000 doses injected). Update April 6, 2022 (latest data available). QUEBEC: Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 985,300 (+3,761 in 24 hours), previous (+2,615) Healings: 941,961 people (+1,575 in 24 hours) previous (+1,975) Cure rate: 95.60% (-) Deaths: 14,454 (+12 in 24h) previous (+31) Death rate: 1.46% (-) Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 28,885 cases (+2,174 in 24 hours), previous (+609) Quebec: Trend of daily confirmed cases (average weekly trend) Vaccination: 18,750,222 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+19,269 doses in 24 hours), latest data available - MSSS as of April 6, 2022) FRANCE: *Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 26,390,471 cases (+161,950 cases in 24 hours), previous (+203,021) *Healings: 23,717,282 healings (+101,619), previous (not available) National Cure Rate: 89.87% (+) Deaths: 142,912 (+128 in 24h), previous (+129) Death rate: 0.54% (=) Active Cases: 2,530,277 (+60,203 in 24h), previous (+202,892) France: Number of daily confirmed cases (Day-1) Vaccination: 142.0 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+30,000 doses injected). Update April 6, 2022 (latest data available) Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36361-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-747.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 Published on 2011/02/23 | Source Actor Jin Goo emphasized that he is a born Catholic and that he believes in The Sabbath but isn't a cult. Advertisement When he was asked the question about religion in an interview about his new movie "The Showdown" on the 21st, he answered, "I am a Sabbath. It is called the Seventh-day Adventist Church but it is sometimes caught in the cult dispute and it was upsetting. However, many people's views have been improved and I've been honorably revealing my religion since then". The Seventh-day Adventist Church was established in America and is also known as The Second-day Adventist Church, or the Sabbath Church. The Thirty-six Foundation is well known in Korea. They go along the principles different from that of the average Christian foundations like keeping the Saturday as the Lord's Day and more. Jin Goo laughed and explained, "Those who don't know have prejudiced opinions but it's known to many, hitting someone on the back and shouting 'Hallelujah' is ridiculous. The reason they don't believe in Sunday as the Lord's Day is because that was made by people". He also said as much it is sensitive, for people to be able to wisely tell the difference between 'different' and 'wrong'. Not to draw a line because something is different. He said, "As much as religion is an important value, I hope to marry someone with similar beliefs. A member in a idol group said he was one too and I was glad. Our family has the religion coming down from my grandmother and my mom is a devotee. Even now if I come home drunk she scolds me terribly". Following "Mother - 2009" and "Le Grand Chef - Kimchi War", in his new movie "The Showdown", Jin Goo is Do-young. He tries to avenge his father's death by heading to the battle zone where his friend who caused it, is. Korean Movie | 2021 Omnibus Horror Directed by Hong Won-ki () 123min | Release date in South Korea: 2022/04/27 Synopsis The fear of walking through a dark tunnel alone The questionable sound from next door The mystery of used furniture The false jealousy towards others A more terrifying reality than death that started from revenge, curses, and desire is coming! Episodes Episode 01 "Urban Myths: Tunnel" (, teo-neol) In the dead of night as Gi-hoon returns from a fishing trip, he begins to see handprints all over his windshield. He tries to wash them off using the wipers but cannot remove them. He wipes the window from the inside and the handprints rub clean. He thinks he is alone? Discover the truth when he enters the tunnel looming ahead. Episode 02 "Urban Myths: The Woman in Red" (, ppal-gan-ot) At the funeral of Hyeon-joo, Soo-jin who used to bully her, hears that she committed suicide. Now, she is plagued by frequent visions of a woman in red. No matter how hard Su-jin tries to escape her, the woman in red may not allow it. Episode 03 "Urban Myths: Necromancy" (, hon-sum) Best friends, Ji-hyeon and Hye-yeon, were like any other teen girls, sharing dreams and interest and making promises they should not keep. When Hye-yeon dies, Ji-hyeon in her grief honors one such promise. To perform necromancy if the other ever died. Ji-hyeon successful brings back Hye-yeon's soul but soon after finds that there are somethings that should never come back... Episode 04 "Urban Myths: Tooth Worms" (, chi-chung) Jae-seong who is suffering due to a severe toothache visits his dentist, Choong-jae. However, his dentist couldn't find the cause and asks him to come back the next day. Soon after, Choong-jae finds something writhing in the sink. Upon examining the specimen, his instinct tells him that when Jae-seong returns, no one will be smiling. Episode 05 "Urban Myths: Ghost Marriage" (, hon-in) A desperate job seeker, Jae-hoon, gets the chance at an interview. During the interview he is asked unusual questions unrelated to the job. Feeling unsure after the interview, he is told about the CEO, the shaman whispering in his ear and his deceased daughter whom he adores. Jae-hoon wonders, what kind of company is he getting involved with? Episode 06 "Urban Myths: The Closet" (, jung-go-ga-gu) Ji-hye finds a high-quality second-hand closet from an online flea market. When she meets the seller, she is a little creeped out by him but really likes the closet. She decides to take it. But once the closet is delivered, horrible nightmares come with it. Is it because the closet is haunted? Episode 07 "Urban Myths: The Girl in the Mirror" (, eol-gul-do-duk) Influencer Hyeon-joo is nothing but shallow and greedy. Shes obsessed with social media and gets jealous of anyone who looks better than her. One day she looks in the mirror and her reflection starts to speak to her. Now her superficial world begins to shake. Episode 08 "Urban Myths: A Mannequin" (, ma-ne-king) While Jong-chan is working at a mannequin warehouse, he hears strange rumors that some of the mannequins are more than they seem. That night, he bumps into a man that looks like a mannequin and things go horrifyingly wrong. Episode 09 "Urban Myths: The Wall" (, chung-gan-so-eum) Moving into a new apartment, Jeong-gyoon hears a knocking noise from the neighbor at night. Next morning, he runs into a beautiful woman who seems to live next door. He dares to communicate with her through the wall, not knowing the dire consequences he will encounter. Episode 10 "Urban Myths: Escape Games" (, bang-tal-chul) Three friends who enjoy going to famous escape rooms respond to an advert for a newly-opened escape room. Once they get there, they are told that there will be only one clue and no time limit. They start the escape game but realize that its nothing like the usual, normal ones... Published on 2022/04/07 | Source New review poster added for the upcoming Korean movie "Take Care of My Mom" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Park Kyung-mok With Kim Young-ok, Kim Young-min, Park Sung-yeon, Kim Hye-na, Lee Jung-eun, Kim Tae-baek,... Synopsis Stranger like family, family like stranger What is 85-year-old Mrs. Jeong Mal-im's choice? Mrs. Jeong Mal-im, an 85-year-old lady enjoys living alone with her longtime friend's dog in an old Western-style house in Daegu. Her only son, Jong-wook, will visit from Seoul after a long time, and while preparing here and there, her arm broke, and through the accident, a caregiver named Mi-seon was hired. She really hates being indebted to her children, and she doesn't feel comfortable with others so she insists on sending Mi-seon away, and Jong-wook who installed CCTVs due to his worries for her mother is frustrated at what's happening. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jeong seems to disappear from objects and side dishes after Mi-seon came, but there is no physical evidence, and Mi-seon, who takes care of her more gently than her real son, is proud of her, and the two become like real mothers and daughters. Then, one holiday, when Jong-wook's family suddenly visited, the conflict in the relationship that had been buried, bursts when they saw Mi-seon wearing the clothes of Mrs. Jeong, which was a gift from her daughter-in-law Yoo-jin... What's wrong with this family? We'll live together now so "Take Care of My Mom". Release date in Korea : 2022/04/13 Published on 2022/04/06 | Source Actor So Ji-sub (45) will return with "Doctor Lawyer". Advertisement MBC TV's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor Lawyer" is the story of Han I-han (So Ji-sub), a genius surgeon who lost everything to a lawyer specializing in medical litigation, and Geum Seok-yeong (Im Soo-hyang), a medical crime prosecutor who lost her family and lover through the surgery. It will be a work by Jang Hong-chul and director Lee Yong Suk. So Ji-sub will return to the small screen four years after "Terius Behind Me"" (2018). This will be his first work since he married reporter Cho Eun-jung (28) in 2020. I-han is a character with outstanding skills and human charm. His life is shaken by an incident. He will return as a medical litigation lawyer after five years. Seok-yeong is a prosecutor who believes that 'criminal rehabilitation comes from punishment'. He proves with eagerness that the innocent defendant is more innocent than the lawyer. Shin Sung-rok takes on the role of Jayden Lee, head of Honors Hand's Asian branch, a lobbying and investment specialist. As a third-generation Korean-American, he is willing to throw himself into danger to succeed. The first episode will air at 9:50 PM on the 27th of next month. ShareBar Comments must be on-topic and civil in tone (with no name calling or personal attacks). Any promotional language or urls will be removed immediately. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length. COVID-19 Stories Faith Community Nurse Network brings holistic wellness throughout COVID-19 pandemic A partnership built on health and faith An unexpected and beautiful partnership blossomed between the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Minnesotas faith communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic that brought so much heartache and loss. MDHs Cultural, Faith and Disabilities Branch (CFD), worked closely with faith communities throughout the state to share information on COVID-19 safety and vaccines and hold monthly calls for faith-based leaders to collaborate, share their concerns, and get important COVID-19 updates. One of the many organizations that MDH developed a partnership with was the Faith Community Nurse Network (FCNN) of the Greater Twin Cities. FCNN is a network of over 400 registered nurses who work and volunteer in faith communities, senior living facilities, and other community settings to help provide whole-person care in their congregations and communities. FCNN serves faith community nurses in the Twin Cities metro and has a presence throughout the state. It is one of the largest organizations in Minnesota to bring together faith community nurses and provide them with resources, professional practice support, and continuing education, despite not being a membership organization. Abby Jessen, FCNNs executive director shared, Since July 2020, weve been coordinating 12 faith community nurses (FCNs) to provide telephone reassurance calls to older adults who are experiencing isolation and loneliness due to the pandemic. We've also continued to hold small-group evidence-based falls prevention, chronic disease management, and family caregiver health promotion programs. FCNN has provided over 800 workshop sessions this last year. Prioritizing holistic wellness FCNNs focus is to not just share information about COVID-19 and keep communities safe, but also highlight the other areas that feed into holistic wellness, such as mental and emotional well-being. Physical distancing, while a key part of COVID-19 prevention, also meant fewer in-person gatherings. For some, especially Minnesotas older adults and people with disabilities, this has resulted in increased social isolation. Knowing time was of the essence, FCNN acted immediately to address social isolation. With funding from the Metro Area Agency on Aging, FCNN started to make reassurance calls to older adults in the metro area soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began. At first, calls were just focused on bringing a friendly voice to older adults, but later evolved to focus more on COVID-19. FCNs shared COVID-19 safety information, providing ways to help protect oneself from COVID-19, as well as resources on masking, testing, and vaccinations. FCNN also connected with Wendy Berghorst, co-lead of the faith-based communities team in MDHs CFD branch, to receive timely information and resources about COVID-19. Faith community nurses were invited to join MDHs monthly faith-based webinars to learn about information relevant to faith communities and the application of MDH guidance to faith activities. FCNN would then share with their communities the updated guidance and safe practices for resuming faith-based activities. Expanding programming to combat social isolation and falls Spearheading the safe reopening of FCNNs evidence-based health promotion programs was Jessica Drecktrah, FCNNs chief nursing officer. Drecktrah said that to her knowledge, [FCNN] was one of the first organization in the state to safely bring in-person programming back. Bringing back in-person programs was a priority for us as we kept hearing of increased falls and social isolation among those we serve. In our first sessions back, we had residents cheering for us after class in appreciation. It has been incredibly heartfelt to return to our health promotion work in community. Drecktrah also mentioned one silver lining to COVID-19 the ability for FCNN to expand access to their programs through virtual platforms. Through online platforms, FCNN has been able to train over 100 new leaders throughout the state to keep up with the demand of in-person programs desired in senior living communities to help with safety and social isolation. With MDH guidance, FCNN has been able to bring back 75% of its in-person classes safely. Continuing the community care Two years after the start of the pandemic, Jessen applauds MDH for recognizing that, [Faith communities] are an important player in [community] health. She shares that To my knowledge, prior to COVID-19, MDH was not as involved with faith communities, and I am really grateful to have guidance developed for faith communities and have webinars to share directly with faith communities. Specifically, being able to have a conversation and being asked what [faith communities] need from MDH has helped to build a relationship between MDH and certain faith communities. FCNN has exemplified what it means to bridge faith and health by providing whole-person care in Minnesotas congregations and communities. While the hope is that COVID-19 will impact our communities less over time, one thing that is not leaving is FCNNs dedication to the community and promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Bomb threat part of a pattern of 16 similar incidents in two days, sheriff says Sheriff Lowell Griffin speaks to reporters about the bomb threat that forced evacuation of North Henderson High and Apple Valley Middle schools. The suspicious package that caused the evacuation of North Henderson High School and Apple Valley Middle School appears to be consistent with a pattern of similar threats at 16 high schools in 13 North Carolina counties in the past two days, Sheriff Lowell Griffin said Thursday. Investigators are focusing on the similarities in the bomb threat cases, which besides their prevalence in North Carolina have been reported as far away as Florida and Tacoma, Washington. "We've learned that this event seems to be associated with a disturbing pattern of similar calls across the state," Griffin said in a news conference held jointly with Schools Superintendent John Bryant six hours after the bomb threat forced students and staff from the two schools. "It's my understanding that very similar situations have occurred at 16 different North Carolina high schools encompassing 13 different counties beginning on April 5. I've just now received information from a federal authority that says this spans as far as Tacoma, Washington, and even threats made at schools in Florida." Because so many bomb threat incidents have suddenly popped up under similar circumstances, Griffin said he expects that the SBI and federal investigators will help Henderson County detectives hunt for suspects and solve the crime. Basically we're looking at something that might not only be statewide, but maybe national," he said. Griffin described the package as looking "like something you might find in any school." But based on information from the caller who told a 911 dispatcher that there was a bomb in a North Henderson classroom, detectives approached the scene with cautious and called in bomb-sniffing dogs from Buncombe County and explosive ordnance teams. The caller "gave us some specifics that would make this package sound like it was potentially harmful," he said. "And it was to that point that it really caused us to move into the state of alert that we were in. There's a point where although we wonder, sometimes, is this actually a real event, or is this a hoax? ourselves and Henderson County Public Schools, we will choose to err on the side of caution. We want to make sure above all that our students are safe and if it's a hoax, whatever the case may be, we'll deal with that subsequently." It's unclear whether the North Henderson incident is related to two other nearby bomb threats, one in Transylvania County and one in Rutherford County. "What I will say is, with my conversations with the SBI, and with North Carolina emergency management, we have strong reason to believe that this is directly connected to several other events that have happened across the state," he said. "We basically have evidence to say this is directly connected." The sheriff warned that the offense is serious that "will not be treated as a joke." This disrupts a lot of lives. This uses up a lot of resources," he said. "Anytime we have an event like this, whether it's actual or it's a hoax. We have successfully investigated cases like this before, and we successfully prosecuted these cases. And that's what we intend to do this time. Although it may seem like a joke to someone, it's far from it. Let me assure you, from the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, we will pursue this with the appropriate criminal charges." He said his investigators and the SBI are digging into whether information is being shared and in what ways. "The SBI actually has basically an information center, where they compile a lot of information to include threats that may be pertinent to or within North Carolina, and they are currently trying to compile as much information as we move forward with these investigation," he said. "I have my suspicions." Griffin made a point of appealing to parents and the school community not to panic or jump to conclusions in a stressful situation involving their children. "The parents of students in Henderson County, you know, they're great people, they love their children as they should," he said. "There's going to be a great deal of concern. And that concern can drive people to worry even when they they shouldn't be worried, especially when you add false information to that. So we had some folks today that that really weren't aware of what was going on, which caused them, you know, some extreme worries, some extreme despair for a little while. In addition to thanking school administrators for their response, Griffin thanked the Hendersonville Police Department, bomb-sniffing dogs from the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, the Henderson County Fire Marshal's office, Henderson County Emergency Management, Henderson County EMS, Henderson County Rescue Squad and the Dana, Edneyville and Mountain Home fire departments. Schools Superintendent John Bryant speaks to reporters.Superintendent Bryant also thanked the law officers and praised the schools' response. "It is on days like today that we want to start with deep gratitude that our students, our staff and our school communities are all safe and well at this time," he said. "And that is a credit to the responsiveness of the staff of our students, and certainly our law enforcement partners." He also responded to some anxiety parents had expressed about how quickly the schools and sheriff's office made announcements and why the plans for reunification were not announced sooner. After bus riders and students drivers were let go, the school system enacted the reunification plan to bus children to Fruitland Bible College for pickup by their parents. As the sheriff said, anytime you're dealing with a crisis situation, the information can't be communicated fast enough," Bryant said. "That's always true. Our gold standard is making sure that that information is accurate, timely, and that we are certain of what we are communicating. The sheriff said the exact same thing: we push it out as soon as we can when we know what the circumstances are." I don't think that there's a parent in our community that doesn't want to know in real time what's taking place, he added. And because we have to make sure that we balance accurate communication with timely communication, we're going to always push it as fast as we can. The sheriff added that his department provides the security for a location to reunite students with parents and needs time to make sure everything is safe. If we were to prematurely say we're evacuating students to a location, before we have secured that location, and we're able to secure the routes to that location, if we've got threats on on campus, we don't we don't want somebody figuring out ahead of time where the students may be headed (and) the way they may be headed there," he said. Griffin said he could not at this time identify the approximate age nor the gender of the caller, noting that the perpetrator could have used voice-distorting technology. Although it's possible to identify where the call originated, that too could be thwarted. "There's also a lot of technology out there that bad guys use," he said. The school system announced Thursday afternoon that students could collect any items left behind from 3 to 4 p.m. today. Class resumes Friday morning at both schools. HENLEY MP John Howell says the time has come to consider imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging Nato to impose a ban on aircraft entering its air space to protect it from Russian attacks. But so far America and its allies have refused, saying such a move would place them in direct conflict with Russia. A no-fly zone would need to be enforced, meaning one or more parties being willing to shoot down any aircraft violating the space. Mr Howell said: I appreciate the military argument against a no-fly zone but I do think that we need to look at it again given where we are now. The UK Government has been very good and President Zelenskyy has praised the UK and also Boris Johnson for his leadership. We have given the Ukrainians more than 10,000 missiles to help them have the ability to defend themselves and we have been providing them with training as well. We have done a tremendous amount but can we do more? Of course we can but that depends to a large extent on Nato agreeing to what the more is and I am not going to prejudge Nato. Mr Howell had been due to travel to Ukraine on Monday as leader of the UK delegation of the Council of Europe, a non-EU European body which includes the European Court of Human Rights, but he tested positive for coronavirus. The three-day trip would have seen him visit Lviv and, if possible, the capital Kyiv. Mr Howell said: The most annoying thing about having covid was that I should have been in Ukraine to see for myself the devastation and the war crimes that I am completely sure are being committed. I very much feel that Putin and his henchmen need to be brought to justice but the difficulty will be extracting them from Russia. Having any trial is going to be a difficult thing to do in his presence, although it can be done in his absence. Mr Howell is currently self-isolating at home in Benson and has had to cancel about half a dozen visits, including a tree planting event in Henley last Friday. He said: I have several boxes of tests at home and when I felt a heavy cold coming on I tested and got a positive result on Thursday last week. I have just been monitoring it and testing every third day. I have been self-isolating at home. I have continued to do constituency work from home, it is just the visits I have had to cancel. First, before I begin my column, I want to express my condolences to the family of the late Madeleine Albright as well as to all of us. (She was quite a loss.) Madeleine was the first United States woman Secretary of State under President CLINTON. She immigrated with her family, (Jews who converted to Christianity) to the U.S. from Communist Czechslovakia. Unfortunately, she said, her parents never told her about her Jewish ancestry and heritage. (She learned of this in 1997). May she forever RIP. "High Anxiety". What a sweet Surprise!! ... The other night I watched a comedian and successf... Dr. Irene Moss Lober, a resident of Lake Mary, passed away on March 28, 2022. A daughter of Brooklyn, Irene was one of five children raised by loving parents Beckie (Belanka) and David Moss. She was predeceased by her siblings, Albert, Caroline, Louis and Harold. She met the love of her life, Sol, while selling war bonds in the City College of New York cafeteria when Sol returned from WWII to study on the GI bill. He knew from the moment he met her that she was his intended and proposed six weeks later. They were married for 66 years before his passing in 2013. Their life together was defined by courage and accomplishment. With three young children, Irene entered the workforce as a teacher and librarian in 1962 following a life-changing stroke suffered by Sol. An unintentional matriarch, she embarked on a distinguished career in education, receiving her masters in 1967 and her doctorate in 1974. She was a respected classroom teacher and principal and became the first woman public school superintendent in the state of Missouri in 1977. Her next superintendency led her to the Danbury, Conn., public schools where she worked from 1981-1985. She retired as professor emerita and dean of the Graduate School of Education and Business Administration at SUNY, New Paltz. A sought-after lecturer, speaker, author and thought leader, she was a member of the legal and studies group at the National Institute for Education at HEW, a national advisory board member of the University of Wisconsin Research and Development Center, a board adviser to Saint Josephs Institute for the Deaf, president of the advisory cabinet of the Greater St. Louis Girl Scouts, and a board of directors member of the Danbury Council American Heart Association. She served as a trustee of United Way on its Executive Board in Connecticut and New York. She held leadership positions in myriad professional organizations. Active in Jewish life, she served as both president of the Temple Israel Sisterhood and on its board of directors for several years. She was president of the Rishona-Chavaret group, Orlando chapter of Hadassah from 2005-2008. She received the National Leadership Award from Hadassah in 2005. Perhaps her greatest honor was becoming the first woman to receive the prestigious Townsend Harris medal from the City College of New York on the 100th anniversary of its inception for her significant contribution to the field of education. She routinely described her greatest accomplishment as her children Dr. Clifford Lober (Randee), Richard Lober (who predeceased her) and Lori Lober (Robert Schmidt). Her grandchildren, Neal (Brittany) and Bryan (Rebecca) brought her immense pride, and she was delighted by her beautiful great-granddaughters, Caroline and Emma. A devoted wife, loving mother and admired leader, she will be remembered for her strength, commitment to her family and purposeful life. Expressions of sympathy can be made in Dr. Lobers memory to either Hadassah, PO Box 1100, New York NY 10268-1100 Hadassah.org or The Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street Amherst MA 01002 Yiddishbookcenter.org. WASHINGTON (JTA) President Joe Biden wants to increase federal funding for security for nonprofits from $250 million to $360 million, a key request advanced by Jewish organizations in the wake of attacks on Jewish institutions. Biden included the funding in the homeland security section of the $5.8 trillion federal budget he released Monday. Presidential budgets function as wish lists, and not every component will likely pass congressional muster, but including the request gives its chances of adoption a significant boost. In prior years, before President Biden, there were presidenti... (JNS) Israels leadership vowed a swift response to ending the latest terror wave, while also offering condolences to the victims and their families, in a flurry of statements on Tuesday evening. Israel is facing a deadly wave of Arab terrorism, said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a statement. My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones tonight, and I pray for the well-being of the wounded. He went on to say that security forces are responding, and that we will fight terror with perseverance, stubbornness and an iron fist. They will not move... Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2022 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando this summer. For more than 30 years, individuals who have made major, voluntary contributions of their talent, time, energy and effort to the Central Florida community have been honored with the selection and presentation of this award, said Jeff Gaeser, editor and publisher of the Heritage. Last years recipient was Bruce Gould. Former recipients have included Sarah Stern (2017), Howard Lefkowitz (... WASHINGTON (JTA) - The Senate in a voice vote unanimously confirmed Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust scholar who endured delays and a contentious hearing in her nomination to be antisemitism monitor. The vote late Wednesday took mere seconds. "The ayes appear to have it," Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin Democrat who was presiding over the session, said after calling for a vote. "The ayes do have it. The nomination is confirmed." There were no "Nos." It was not clear from the C-Span video, which Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff posted on his Twitter feed, how many senators were present for the v... (JNS) - The sight of four Arab foreign ministers - from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt - accompanied by the U.S. Secretary of State and hosted by an Israeli foreign minister at the first annual Negev Summit at Kibbutz Sde Boker was more than just the fulfillment of founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's vision to make the desert bloom. The summit demonstrates that the 2020 Abraham Accords pave a clear path to the end of the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict. It also represents a shift in the global balance of power and further cements Israel as an emerging superpo... (JTA) On Feb. 24, two shipping containers laden with 20,000 pounds of shmura matzah were slated to head out of port in Odessa, Ukraine, on their way to Orthodox Jews in the United States. Two hours before they were to be loaded onto a ship, Russia invaded. The shipment was the last of 200,000 pounds of unleavened bread that Ukrainian matzah bakeries shipped to the United States this year, in addition to what they ship to Europe and Israel. Now, technically outside of Ukraines customs zone, it could neither be returned to the country nor travel on to the United States. Rabbi Meyer Sta... Temple Israel is proud to host "Inside the Mind of Iran's Leader," an in-person talk from Iran and Middle East expert David Nissan, on Saturday, May 28, immediately following Shabbat services and kiddush in the Roth Social Hall. Imagine that Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, comes to Orlando, and in a one-time meeting with an American audience talks openly and candidly about issues that concern us about his country. What are the real reasons behind Iran's relentless quest to attain nuclear weapons capability? Why is Iran so extremely anti-Zionist and what causes it to target Israel as... (JNS) These are confusing times, and President Joe Biden is not helping to bring clarity. Last week, for example, he told Business Roundtable that theres going to be a new world order. What could he possibly have meant? The old new world order was established by the United States following World War II. With the hopefully named United Nations at its core, the goal was to prevent or at least limit armed conflicts, promote human rights and establish a body of international laws and norms. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, then-President G... (JNS) I understand that Hillary Clinton is mourning the passing of her friend and predecessor, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. But that doesnt give her the right to revise the historical record concerning Albright and Israel. Writing in The New York Times on March 27, Clinton described Albright as a woman of action, especially when facing injustice. According to Clinton, Albright understood that American power is the only thing standing between the rules-based global order and the rule of the sword. And she never stopped pushing the envelope for freedom... (JNS) As the evidence of war crimes committed by the Russians in Ukraine mounts, and President Joe Biden has already labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, the United States should lay the groundwork for a war-crimes trial patterned after the Nuremberg trials following World War II. A tribunal should be formed with the most esteemed jurists from the United States, Britain, France, and perhaps one or more other countries, to ensure a fair and credible trial of Putin and the officers who carried out his orders. The International Criminal Court is already gathering... (JNS) The United States and Iran are reportedly on the cusp of a new nuclear agreement. One of the last remaining issues is said to be whether or not the Biden administration removes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list. The administration is purportedly offering to do so on the condition that Iran makes some amorphous commitment to rein in its regional aggression and refrain from targeting Americans. In other words, as far as the Biden administration is concerned, its OK if the Iranians attack Europeans, Saudis, Israelis or Emiratis. Suc... China calls for restraint surrounding Bucha incident Xinhua) 10:13, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China calls on all parties to practice restraint and avoid making groundless accusations before the investigation into the Bucha incident concludes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. "The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing. The truth and cause of the incident must be ascertained," Zhao told a regular news briefing. Media reports state that at least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, a town outside Kiev. The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of the killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha. Zhao said that China pays close attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the suffering of civilians. "Humanitarian issues should not be politicized and any charge should be based on facts," he said. China supports all proposals and measures to ease the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and will work with the international community to prevent any harm to civilians, he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) NASHVILLE, TN Groups360, a leading platform for booking group travel, today announced the completion of a $35 million funding round led by Zigg Capital and including Blackstone Innovations Investments, and Fir Tree Partners. They join existing investors Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International. Groups360 provides real-time availability and instant booking capabilities for both hotel room blocks and meeting space, streamlining group travel for organizers, attendees, and hotels alike. The GroupSyncTM platform, which is the Companys proprietary bookings marketplace, delivers greater efficiency for travel organizers and hoteliers. Through the platform, travel organizers have access to enhanced global search capabilities, hotel group inventory and rates, and choice of purchasing method via instant booking or simplified proposal process. Groups360 also provides these capabilities to leading hotels via private label group booking engines. Over the last 12 months, Groups360 has launched instant booking for group stays at over 7,000 leading hotel properties and booking capabilities at 200,000 hotel properties worldwide via GroupSyncTM. Groups360 recently announced commercial partnerships with Omni Hotels & Resorts, TFE Hotels, and Premier Inn joining the ranks of Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International. Groups360 will leverage the financing round to continue to grow its operations and expand further in EMEA and APAC. Groups360 is reshaping the hospitality industry in a manner that makes booking groups simple, transparent, and efficient for both hotels and event organizers, said Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360. Now, with support from our new partners, Groups360 is positioned to more quickly seize the opportunities which lie ahead for improving group travel. Event organizers increasingly expect their entire hotel purchase experience to be seamless, instantaneous, and online. Groups360 has built an integrated, intuitive platform that benefits hoteliers and event organizers anywhere in the world, said Dave Eisenberg, Founding Partner at Zigg Capital. Groups360 offers a solution that is truly differentiated in the marketplace, said John Stecher, Chief Technology Officer at Blackstone. The Blackstone Innovations Investments team is focused on identifying, investing in, and partnering with pioneering companies like Groups360 to help take their businesses to the next stage of growth. We believe that Groups360s inventory distribution model and instant booking capability will help drive industry-wide transformation and can create value for Blackstones real estate portfolio. Fir Tree Partners Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner David Sultan said, With Groups360s innovative platform and unique relationships with some of the largest hotel brands in the world, the company is well-positioned to simplify group bookings for both suppliers and travelers. We see a tremendous opportunity for Groups360 to drive online penetration in a global meetings market that has remained largely offline. About Groups360: Groups360 was created with a singular goal to empower event organizers by bringing innovation, transparency, and simplicity to the decades-old problem of booking groups. The companys integrated technology solution, GroupSync, enables suppliers to distribute inventory, engage with planners, and optimize group revenue. GroupSync also equips planners to search and shop hotels worldwide and to book rooms and space directly, online or through a simplified RFP process. GroupSync is the first distribution channel to offer online booking for both group hotel rooms and meeting space at scale. Groups360 has offices in Nashville, London, and Singapore. Learn more at groups360.com. About Zigg Capital: Zigg Capital is a venture capital firm based in New York City that invests globally in technology companies touching the real estate, construction, and retail industries. Over the past decade, Zigg's partners have made early-stage investments in leading companies such as Procore, Matterport, OpenSpace, VTS, Kasa, and Tend. For more information, please visit www.ziggcap.com. About Blackstone: Blackstone is the worlds largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $881 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. About Fir Tree Partners: Based in New York with additional offices in South Miami, Florida, Fir Tree Partners is a privately owned hedge fund sponsor which was founded in 1994. The firm primarily provides its services to pooled investment vehicles and has a broader investment mandate that permits buying in virtually all sectors, including public and private equity, sovereign debt, capital structure arbitrage, special situations, and real estate investments in commercial and residential real estate. Fir Tree manages assets on behalf of leading endowments, foundations, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds. Hal Hassall Vice President of Marketing NEW YORK citizenM the pioneer of affordable luxury hotels today announced it will acquire a LAND site in The Sandbox , a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, to begin building a hotel in the Metaverse. This endeavor signifies a new movement in hospitality, as citizenM will be the first ever hotel group to purchase LAND in The Sandbox. Recently featured as a metaverse pioneer by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, The Sandbox is a metaverse where users can create and monetize their own distinct worlds and game experiences on LANDs, which are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that represent virtual real estate in The Sandbox. Having spent the pandemic period focusing on building customer loyalty with the trial launch of subscription products and a new iteration to be announced in the coming weeks, citizenM is now focusing on building loyalty in the online world. As with all of its hotels, citizenM will bring art to the forefront by showcasing and selling future NFT collections that will be commissioned with growing talent in the digital art space. Once the LAND is purchased, citizenM aims to finance the build of a hotel in the virtual world through the sale of an exclusive collection of NFTs with real-world rewards (utilities) attached. Each of the 2000 NFTs will be priced equally, however purchasers will at random be assigned one of three levels: 1500 "regular" citizens, 450 "special" citizens and 50 "legendary" citizens. The utilities will take the form of discounts, free drinks and more with the specifics of the rewards being determined by the level of NFT assigned to the purchaser. The rewards will be redeemable at any of citizenM's growing portfolio of hotels in the real world. "We are thrilled to be the first hospitality company to build in the Metaverse," Robin Chadha, CMO of citizenM, shares. "As a brand that has always pushed the boundaries and challenged traditional models, this new venture in The Sandbox fits not only with our brand strategy but also the commitment we have to the creative community and to our guests both online and in the real world. We're excited to further explore opportunities in the Metaverse in the years to come." Once the virtual hotel - a location for avatars visiting The Sandbox to Work, Sleep & Play - is built, citizenM will collaborate with an additional roster of digital artists to create and sell NFTs that can be purchased in the digital space. Eventually, the brand plans to use these profits, as well as the incorporation of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), to fully finance a physical, real-life property where token holders will vote on the location. In line with the brand's ethos, citizenM will ultimately build a hotel for the people, by the people. About citizenM citizenM was launched in 2008 with a purpose to disrupt the traditional hotel industry. Rattan Chadha the founder of the global fashion brand Mexx was inspired by his employees to create a hotel for the modern travellers, giving them everything they need and nothing they don't. This means central locations in the world's most exciting cities, but at an affordable price. Not just a place to sleep, but somewhere to work, relax and play just like home. Somewhere with superfast free Wi-Fi, tech that makes life easy, and a great bed to crash in at the end of a long day. Rattan Chadha called this philosophy 'affordable luxury for the people'. The first citizenM opened at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in 2008. Today, citizenM's portfolio includes 24 hotels in 16 exciting cities: London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington DC, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur. Travelodge, the pioneers of the UK budget hotel sector, announce they are evolving their core brand product to a new budget-luxe premium look and feel design - whilst maintaining their great value price proposition. This new design has been created on the success of the groups budget chic hotel format, TravelodgePLUS with feedback from the companys largest consumer study - which surveyed around 5,000 UK business and leisure travellers to find the psychographics of the modern budget traveller. Key findings revealed that modern travellers crave style, choice and little homely touches to make it easier to work, rest and relax both inside and outside of the room. In response to this consumer insight, the Travelodge interiors team have remodelled their core product with a new budget-luxe design that includes all the low cost efficiencies you would expect from Travelodge but with the added benefit of thoughtful, stylish design and, homely touches throughout its interiors. This is underpinned by the introduction of a new signature rich navy blue brand colour which pays homage to the first iconic Travelodge blue brand colour- chosen for its calming and uplifting qualities. In essence all the key essentials that matter to modern business and leisure travellers. The new Travelodge budget-luxe design includes a timeless classic, elegant style reception which is the hub of the hotel. A next generation room which has been smartly devised to create a multi-dimensional space by utilising the new luxurious signature Travelodge navy blue colour for the R&R (resting and relaxing) section of the room and a serene colour palette for the functional and energising side of the room to work and get ready. Plus a contemporary designed restaurant called the Bar Cafe - that features spaces for guests to work, relax and socialise. The Travelodge budget-luxe design also includes a number of sustainable initiatives. This includes the new carpet being made from recycled fishing nets which are part of a project supporting clean ocean initiatives, tackling over 640k tonnes of discarded fishing nets currently impacting marine life. The carpet backing is also made of old plastic bottles. Every ten of these bottles which are recycled rather than being sent to landfill saves enough energy to power a laptop for 25 hours. The other features include low energy lighting, motion sensing controls and aerated showers and taps The group intends to roll out its new budget-luxe design across its UK estate and has kick-started this programme with a multi-million pound investment to upgrade 60 hotels this year in popular business and staycation destinations across the UK. Five of these hotels will be completed this month, including three hotels in London at Southwark, Vauxhall and Wembley as well as Southampton and Thame (Oxfordshire) close to Travelodges headquarters. Craig Bonnar, Travelodge Chief Executive said: Travelodge has been a trailblazer within the UK hotel sector since it opened the UKs first budget hotel in 1985. Today we are once again evolving by launchinga new budget-luxe premium look and feel hotel design whilst maintaining our great value price proposition. This is our most radical transformation to date and has been created in response to ever increasing expectations from customers. Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and thoughtful, stylish design and homely touches really matter in todays world when staying away for business or leisure. The new Travelodge budget-luxe design features A new hub of the hotel a redesigned elegant reception The new reception area has been designed in a warm timeless classic style featuring a decorative panel design, soft low LED lighting, stylish leather bench seating and wooden style flooring. The new colour palette includes the new warm Travelodge signature navy blue shade complemented against a palette of fresh tranquil neutral shades creating a big warm welcome from Travelodge. The next generation multi-dimensional Travelodge room The new chic Travelodge room offers everything a business or leisure guest needs for a comfortable, relaxing stay and most importantly a good nights sleep. The room has been smartly decorated to create a multi-dimensional space by utilising the new luxurious signature Travelodge navy blue colour for the R&R (Resting and Relaxing) section of the room and a serene colour palette for the functional and energising side of the room where you need to work and get ready. The bespoke luxurious king-size Travelodge Dreamer bed remains the king of the room and is dressed with crisp white bed linen which includes a cosy 10.5 tog duvet and comfy pillows. The bed sits within a light box bed frame that emanates a soft, warm glow to aid relaxation and features bedside reading lights and USB charging points. Located above the bed is a bespoke piece of artwork commissioned by Travelodge which has been inspired by classic lullabies, with clever use of playful and discoverable elements to help you drift off to sleep. The en-suite bathroom also features a new brilliant white complementary design and decor with complimentary hand, hair and body wash. Other key features of the new room include: A spacious desk and a stylish desk chair A cosy statement armchair where you can kick back and curl up to read your book or watch TV Blackout curtains to create a dark space for a good nights sleep Complimentary tea & coffee making facilities A TV with Freeview LED lighting in the room and bathroom Complimentary WIFI for 30 mins 3 for 24 hours A stylish on-site restaurant with a statement bar called the Bar Cafe The stylish Bar Cafe features a well-designed space for guests to work, relax and socialise. The restaurant features a contemporary design, with key statement features and a warm relaxing ambience. The restaurant offers distinctive zones designed to suit the needs of business and leisure travellers. These include counter seating with built-in USB and laptop power for those working outside the room, dining zones with intimate booths and dining benches for groups. Situated in the heart of the Bar Cafe is a stylish statement bar which offers a selection of wines, popular spirits and a range of ales. Psychologist Corinne Sweet said: Recent psychological research shows peoples tastes are changing and incorporating homely touches into decor and design is becoming essential to create a calming environment for wellbeing. The new Travelodge budget-luxe design fits the bill as the premium look and feel is a good mixture of high functionality, comfort and calmness which helps guests feel psychologically refreshed. About Travelodge Travelodge is the UK's first budget hotel chain and opened its first hotel in 1985 on the A38 Burton under Needwood. Today the UK's second largest hotel chain operates 593 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain. Room rates start from 32 and can be booked at www.travelodge.co.uk SiteMinder, the worlds leading open hotel commerce platform, has today unveiled the next generation of its platform, with a simpler, more intuitive experience for hotels to sell, market, manage and grow business. The platformunveiled at SiteMinders global conference, Synchas been designed to take hotels into the new era of hotel commerce that puts business success and commercial outcomes first. In an evolution from the traditional model of putting hotel technology at the centre of travel, SiteMinders next generation platform puts hotels at the centre of their own purpose-built ecosystem. The platform will make simple, modern technology readily available to the worlds one million hotels and, in doing so, transition them from being in one of the least digitised and most fragmented industries, that consume product-by-product, into leaders in holistic commerce. This launch addresses a shift that SiteMinder identifies as the macro effort to omnify hotel technology. Today, many hotels are challenged by talent shortages, rising costs and guest demands that are higher than ever before. Additionally, they are held back by decision paralysis, which stems from the overwhelming number of technologies in the market; friction in their adoption of technology, due to the lack of recognition that hoteliers are omnichannel consumers and expect a customer-centric experience; and accessibility, from not having the means to scale commerce solutions. Consequently, business and revenue maximisation are taking a back seat, says SiteMinders CEO and managing director, Sankar Narayan. The launch of SiteMinders next generation platform is the omnifying of hotel technology, which is all about democratising hotelier-centric technology and making it universal. More than bringing disparate products together, its about enabling the global hotel industry to reap the benefits of entire platforms and ecosystems coming together, and SiteMinder is proud to be the first to make that happen. Weve long seen the omnifying of technology in other sectors such as retail and banking. Brands within those sectors have set the expectations of hotel guests of 24/7 responsiveness, convenience and personalisation. And, its for this reason that we need to embrace this same shift in the global hotel industry, making simple, modern technology that puts customers at the heart of platforms rather than features, accessible to every hotel in the world, large or small, resource-rich or otherwise. With SiteMinders platform, hoteliers can be active participants in an era that doesnt shy away from change, but welcomes and embraces it. Bringing together SiteMinders complete suite of commerce products, with an ecosystem of booking channels, property management systems, hotel applications and hotel consultants, SiteMinders next generation platform includes: To sell business: Integrations to direct and indirect channels, with real-time insights into customer and market behaviours and a hotels business performance, to support balanced distribution strategies To market business: Hotel website solutions and demand services with integrations to hotel applications that together build hotel brands, increase conversions and enhance guest experiences To manage business: A new user interface with deeper, centralised reporting that collectively provide a holistic view of a hotels commerce toolkit and allow hotels to make choices about the solutions they need without any significant friction To grow business: Integrations to the 1500 highest-ranked hotel software and experts globally, as well as payments, including automated payments, which allows hotels to validate and pre-schedule payments from guests. The launch of SiteMinders next generation platform continues SiteMinders purpose of opening up every hotels access to the world of online commerce. It follows years of SiteMinder standardising the user experiences of its products, upgrading the security built into its technology, simplifying logins and enhancing the built-in help function for users. Commenting on the evolution of SiteMinders platform, Sergio Koiffman, VP of Revenue Management at The Clay Hotel in the United States, says, Since being the first to offer pooled inventory and self-mapping capabilities, SiteMinder's platform has grown over the 10 or so years that I've worked with it and I can say it's become the best, most user-friendly platform in the market. No matter the property management system that you need to integrate it to, whether it's locally-based or internationally-based, everything always works. Whether you're a small independent hotel or a large branded property, SiteMinder's platform will give you the ability to create your own ecosystem, with more revenue streams. Adds Sharon Radon, Owner of Boat Harbour Jetty B&B in Australia: SiteMinder has provided me with a total solution. I have control of my own website, bookings from multiple channels are all integrated, and payments are processed quickly and easily. The time-saving is immeasurable. Without SiteMinder's platform, I wouldnt be free to focus on the physical running of my business, my time would be spent doing admin. It has enabled me to focus on building my business and given me the confidence to know that my tech needs are covered. About SiteMinder SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) is the worlds leading open hotel commerce platform, ranked among technology pioneers for opening up every hotels access to online commerce. Its this central role that has earned SiteMinder the trust of tens of thousands of hotels, across 150 countries, to sell, market, manage and grow their business. The global company, headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangkok, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London and Manila, generated more than 100 million reservations worth over US$35 billion in revenue for hotels in the last year prior to the start of the pandemic. For more information, visit siteminder.com. Maria Cricchiola Director of Brand Communications & PR +61 2 8031 1287 View source The hospitality industry and Swiss hotels are a clear example of the unbalanced effect of Covid-19 in a specific industry. For instance, while social distancing might have handicapped revenue for a three-star Michelin restaurant downtown, it may have represented an opportunity for the basic take-away. Why and how is it that some fractions of the same industry have come out winning from the crisis, with others losing? The Covid winners and losers In this article, we aim to explore who lost, who came out even and who gained from Covid in the Swiss hospitality industry - a very well-established industry serving both international and national guests in different seasons. We also ask the all important questions: what to do about it? From a probability stand point, we have four possible outcomes facing a catastrophe like the health crisis: winning, losing, coming out even and being unaffected. The Swiss industry experienced all the possible combinations - except the winning one. Among the losing cantons you find canton Aargau, Basel (both semi-cantons, if you want to be precise), Fribourg, Geneva, Glarus, Luzern, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, San Gallen, Thurgau, Vaud, Zug and Zurich. These cantons lost both national and international guests, without distinction. All these cantons have a demand trend that looks like canton Aargaus one, sketched in Figure 1. Figure 1: Example of a losing canton Extremes cases of this type of scenario are the cantons of Geneva, Luzern, Obwalden, Zug, Zurich that literally saw a kamikazing of their hotel night demand. Figure 2: Example of a 'kamikazing' canton Then, there are the cantons that more or less balanced out their losses and gains. This category includes canton Appenzell Innerrhorn and canton Graubunden. Their trend looks like canton Appenzell Innerrhodens one, presented in figure 2. These cantons were able to quite compensate (or even out-trend) the loss of international tourists by attracting national guests. Figure 3: Example of a 'coming up even' canton. There are also cantons that despite being able to partially compensate the loss in international tourism demand by an increase in local demand, came out short. In this category fall the cantons of Neuchatel, Ticino, Uri, Valais and Bern (which yes, faced an increase in local demand but not even close to the huge drop in international demand). Figure 4: Example of a canton that was quite able to compensate. Finally, the category made up of those that were somehow spared by Covid. That is, cantons that indeed were negatively but not significantly affected and in line with 'the order of things'. More specifically, these cantons faced similar small changes as in the past, so that it is hard to say whether it was the pandemic that lead to such a situation or another confounding factor. Here, we count two cantons: Jura and Appenzell Ausserrhoden that have had a steady decline in international and national demand since 2008, and hence, Covid may not be the decisive factor behind the drop. Figure 5: A canton that was not significantly affected. Why and what to do about it? We can classify the explanation of what we observed in two main categories: orientation towards international versus domestic tourism orientation towards business versus leisure travelers 1. Orientation towards international vs. domestic tourism Some cantons, like canton Luzern, are deeply focused on international tourism, while others, like canton Ticino, are mainly focused on domestic tourism. In this particular case, Ticino could contain the losses because it managed to attract more domestic travelers, while Luzern experienced huge losses. Intuitively, when travel restrictions were put in place, Ticino was able to leverage its network and attract national tourists already used to the idea of going south and not used to consider Luzern. Moreover, cantons used to target more local tourists faced a new possibility. In fact, while in the past those cantons used to suffer from the competition of European alternatives, nowadays, those alternatives were annihilated by Covid restrictions. Again, consider for instance canton Ticino. Ticino that targets mainly national tourists, suffers from the competition of the nearby Bel Paese. Yes, Ticino has nice Mediterranean weather but so does Italy and at better prices (to say the least). The traveling restrictions helped to convey those clients to canton Ticino. Now, the main questions are: does it make sense to follow a strategy like Luzerns one, which does not imply any type of diversification? And if not, is it easy to switch from an international tourism oriented strategy to a completely different one? In other words, hotels in canton Luzern that depend so much on international tourism, couldnt or rather didnt want to open up to a change of their image of international resorts during the pandemic. Answering such questions means answering a more in general one: is it optimal to specialize in attracting one type of traveler (international or domestic) or should cantons rather aim at a diversification in this sense? The answer may depend on the marketing strategy - which above all - includes the price strategy. In fact, it might be difficult to revert a (price) strategy during a pandemic. Besides, a reverting strategy might generate confusion that will act as a boomerang once the pandemic is over. In that case, hotels might base their cost-benefits analysis on expectations on the length of travel restrictions. That is: for a season or two it is not convenient to signal to locals (and accommodate the supply accordingly) because what I earn in this timeframe will not compensate what I will lose in the long run. 2. Orientation towards business vs. leisure travelers The second issue is rooted to the travel classification. When we classify travelers, we can classify them also on the basis of the reason why they travel: mainly for business or for leisure. As you can observe, cantons like Geneva and Zurich, which mostly attract business travelers, experienced huge losses. On the contrary, cantons like Jura or Uri, which represent the Swiss countryside and mostly attract leisure travelers, did much better. After Covid and the introduction of new technologies, do we expect business travelers to go back to their old habits? At this point, what is the winning strategy: should cantons invest in the necessary infrastructure to attract leisure tourism, which seems to be more resilient than the business one? In the case of international versus domestic tourism, diversification might be the answer to face future crises, while, when we consider business versus leisure travelers, the good direction seems the one towards specialization. The future of tourism is still uncertain, but these kinds of questions could help us to better shape the future. Sherif Mamdouh External Communications Manager EHL This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DrySee, a Houston-based medical technology company, is donating 10,000 waterproof bandages to Ukrainian-Armed forces. The bandages are the only kind that change color when they need to be changed, preventing possible infections, said Brad Greer, the companys CEO. The company decided to make the donation, valued at about $33,000 after the companys chief marketing officer, Margaretta Stallcup Snell, went to an alumni luncheon for her sorority Pi Beta Phi. One of the women she met at the luncheon, Elizabeth Vail, said she was flying to Paris and then driving to Poland to deliver much needed medical supplies to Ukrainian armed forces. When Snell brought the idea to her boss, Greer, he felt the urge to act. Its a humanitarian crisis. Women, children and men are being massacred, Greer said. They need basic medical supplies, and DrySee would like to help in this small way. Medical supply shortages have been an issue throughout the war. For more than a month, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked Ukrainian medical facilities, striking at hospitals, ambulances, medics, patients and even newborns. At least 34 assaults on medical facilities have been independently documented by The Associated Press. DrySee was launched 2019 and started manufacturing products at scale in August 2020. Its corporate offices are located in the Galleria area. becca.carballo@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Chair King Backyard Store Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Chair King Backyard Store Show More Show Less Chair King Backyard Store marked a milestone with the opening of a new showroom Thursday in Hedwig Village to serve the Memorial and Spring Branch areas. The store, which occupies a former Pier 1 location, represents the 50th location for Chair King and its subsidiary Fortunoff Backyard Store, which operates in five states in the Northeast. The 10,745-square-foot store at 9421 Katy Freeway sells outdoor seating and dining sets made of materials such as resin wicker, polymer, teak and cast aluminum, plus umbrellas, pillows, space heaters and other accessories. With the opening, nine of the 21 locations in Texas are in the Houston region. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Having recently moved to Houston, Tracie U. hadn't yet tried Third Ward's popular staple of southern comfort food, Turkey Leg Hut. So when a friend came to town from her home state of Florida, she thought it would be the perfect opportunity. But Tracie was stumped when she attempted to book a reservation for two and discovered she'd have to pay a non-refundable deposit of $100 via Cash App, a mobile payment service, as well as sign a contract. She shared a screenshot of the email she received on Twitter and said "Houston we definitely have a problem." Tracie said that although she found the deposit questionable, it wasn't the ultimate dealbreaker. "The problem I have is I dont feel comfortable doing any kind of business through Cash App," she said via direct message. Cash App is among a few payment apps that has seen an uptick in fraud scams. Complaints of Cash App fraud have increased 472 percent since 2020, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Her tweet went viral Wednesday with many weighing in on the policy. Plenty of people sided with her citing the use of Cash App as suspicious and unprofessional compared to other reservation services like Open Table or Resy, which are commonly used by other restaurants. Others didn't see the point given the restaurant's success and regular long lines down Almeda Road. "If youre always packed and someone doesnt show up for a reservation just sit someone waiting. This is a money grab for no reason," wrote one Twitter user. Some tweeted that a deposit should be expected given the restaurant's national appeal and Houston's seemingly costly dining scene. "Its almost impossible for two people to sit down, with food (and) drinks for less than $100 in Houston," wrote another Twitter user. "Following those little instructions and sending a cash app is a much better use of my time instead of standing in line for hours." Owners say the policy isn't new. "The Turkey Leg Hut Reservation policy has always been in place since they began taking reservations years ago, this is not new at all," said spokesperson Sherrie Handrinos. "The deposit goes directly toward your bill. There is not a formal contract, you are simply agreeing to the terms listed for your specific reservation." The deposit amount is determined by the party size, according to Handrinos. She did not respond to requests for comment on the restaurant's use of Cash App. The restaurant spells out a list of stipulations to the reservation policy on its website, noting that the reservation allows guests to have a seating preference but does not guarantee preferred seating, all parties must be booked at least 48 hours in advance and all reservations will have an 18 percent service charge on the total bill. For some customers, the deposit debacle was another strike against the restaurant after they implemented a new dress code forbidding excessively revealing clothing, obscene language or baggy clothing, house attire, exposed underwear garments and swimwear. Because of the specific reservation policy, Tracie and her friend decided against it and found a different place to eat. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Leading up to the Wednesday opening of Frank and Bel Jacksons The Table at Madeley, Frank Jackson would receive numerous calls, texts, emails and people dropping in daily to see when his new venture would open. That day finally came Wednesday evening as the Jacksons celebrated the grand opening of The Table at Madeley with family, friends and the Conroe community. The grand opening celebration also featured Country music recording artist Tracy Byrd in a sold-out show. The new food truck park is at 316 Madeley Street just off the downtown square. In 2018, Frank and Bel Jackson bought the property at 316 Madeley and wanted to contribute to downtown in some way but werent quite sure how. When they purchased the property it was home to a small dilapidated house. On YourConroeNews.com: Conroe Crossroads Music Festival makes its debut this weekend They visited 403 Eats food truck park in Tomball which is located on a similar-sized space and they knew they could bring that experience to Conroe was well. The vision was born on the Jacksons back porch one day and Frank Jackson told those gathered that the two of them were dumb enough this new and unique venue for downtown. I didnt know what the heck I was doing and it was a challenge, he said. But he credited Conroe city officials for their guidance in helping a first-time business owner launch his dream. Its also Jacksons vision for his experience to be a platform to help others launch their business as well. This is only the tip of the iceberg, he said. Then the Jacksons clipped the Conroe Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce grand opening ribbon alongside their daughters and in front of an eager, supportive and hungry audience. The food truck park with live music ties Jacksons passion for music together with his desire to support downtown Conroe. Jackson is a representative of Smith Music in business development. The project broke ground in June 2021. Theres indoor space for roughly 50 people including restrooms and an indoor bar area with an indoor/outdoor music area. Theres also a stage adjacent to the building for live music outdoors. It is titled the Woodforest Live Stage. In addition to the four resident trucks, other guest trucks will be on site by invitation. The first three resident trucks were introduced in January. Taste the Asian offers Asian fusion with some serious flare and Nacho Birria brings Mexican food to a whole new level of street gourmet, Kajun Eatz brings their brand of Cajun food to Conroe and the just opened The Italian District brings chef Migels Sicilian favorites including healthy grilled items, salads and fresh pasta to the park. On YourConroeNews.com: New downtown Conroe ventures create a buzz Once fully staffed, there will be 50 employees of The Table at Madeley. They currently have 21 staff members and are looking for more. This is going to be a home for original music with quality acts coming through and its going to provide jobs for this area, he said. The more we build this up, the better our community is going to be. The food truck park will launch in style this weekend as a venue for the debut Conroe Crossroads Music Festival which takes place through Sunday in downtown Conroe. There will be two shows Friday and two shows Saturday at The Table at Madeley. Any new development in downtown especially one that is not right in downtown will help spur growth around it, said Shannon Overby, director of Conroes CVB, Visit Conroe. Its fun to see a local business owner open up something unique and new to our community. The welcoming that he got today if thats any indication then hes going to do great for sure. Regular business hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. See https://www.facebook.com/Conroetable/ or conroetable.com for more. shernandez@hcnonline.com BRUSSELS (AP) European Union countries on Thursday approved new punishing sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports, in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine and is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year, the EU presidency, held by France, announced. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. The package is very substantial and extends sanctions against Russia to new sectors and more oligarchs, the presidency said, mentioning officials linked to propaganda, military security and high technology linked to the Ukraine war. The deal was given the final political go-ahead in a meeting of EU ambassadors and will be enacted once published in the EUs official journal, likely on Friday. So far, banning natural gas has remained out of reach, but not because of lack of support from the European parliament. The legislature approved a resolution by a 513-22 margin with 19 abstentions demanding an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas. Even if the move underscores the EUs determination to act against the Kremlin, it carried little more than moral weight, since it is up to the member states themselves to unanimously impose such bans. And energy is key in Europes trade relations with Russia. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has said that the 27-nation bloc is paying a billion euros a day for energy provisions, accounting for over 35 billion euros since the war started. Late Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that, if not gas, oil would be on the list soon. The next step we are looking intensively at the moment (is) oil, so to prepare to be able to phase out oil, she told reporters. On Wednesday, the United States announced sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters and said it was toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for war crimes in Ukraine. The moves against Sberbank and Alfa Bank prohibit assets from touching the U.S. financial system and bar Americans from doing business with those institutions. The EU sanctions approved late Thursday also included the freezing of assets of several Russian banks, an extension of a arms export ban covering contracts prior to 2014, and other export bans totaling some 10 billion euros. The nations also approved a further 5.5 billion in imports and a ban on port access for Russian vessels. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine States with some of the nations strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. The findings raise questions about the strength of the social safety net as those states are poised to further restrict or even ban abortion access following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in another state where the procedure remains widely available. Mississippi has the nation's largest share of children living in poverty and babies with low birth weights, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control, the latest available. Texas has the highest rate of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester and ranks second worst for the proportion of children in poverty who are uninsured, the data show. Laws from both states are at the center of the nationwide fight over access to abortion. The Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled willingness in a Mississippi case to severely erode or even strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide until a baby can survive outside the womb. Numerous states with Republican majorities are poised to follow the strictest interpretation of the ruling. If Roe is overturned, 26 states are certain or likely to quickly ban abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that supports abortion rights. Many of those states ranked poorly in measurements that nonpartisan advocacy groups consider key to ensuring children get a healthy start. Among them is Louisiana, which has the second-highest rate of babies with low birth weight and where 27% of children live in poverty. Anti-abortion lawmakers there say they will further promote adoption and foster-care programs if abortion is banned. We win the biggest battle if Roe v. Wade is overturned. But then theres still some battles that we must fight. And Im going to love a child in the womb, at 5 years old, at 10, at 15, said Louisiana state Sen. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat who opposes abortion and also wants to address health care and education needs. While some women could travel out of state for abortions, "there will be people who will be forced to carry their pregnancies to term simply because they will not be able to get to that care, said Destiny Lopez with the abortion-access group All* Above All. Data analyzed by the AP illustrates the hurdles pregnant women and their children face in states with the most stringent abortion restrictions and how access to resources can lag behind that of states that have more permissive abortion laws. The AP analyzed figures from several federal government agencies in seven categories metrics identified by several nonprofits and experts as essential to determining whether children get a healthy start. They were: the percentage of children in poverty; participation in the Women, Infants, Children federal assistance program; the rate of child abuse or neglect; women experiencing intimate partner violence during pregnancy; low birth weight; women receiving no prenatal care in their first trimester; and uninsured children in poverty. Generally, states with preemptive abortion bans or laws that greatly restrict abortion access showed the worst rankings. Alabama and Louisiana joined Mississippi as the top three states with the highest percentage of babies born with low birth weights. Texas, Indiana and Mississippi had the highest percentage of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester. Wyoming, Texas and Utah had the highest percentage of poor children 18 and younger who had no health insurance. Texas inserted itself into the nationwide debate over abortion last year with an unusual law that leaves enforcement of an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy to civilians rather than state or local authorities a law the Supreme Court largely left in place. A weaker safety net pattern isn't consistent for all measurements. Some Democratically controlled states with more permissive abortion laws also measured poorly in some categories. New Mexico, where Democrats last year overturned a pre-Roe abortion ban, ranks third highest for the share of its children living in poverty and for the percentage of pregnant women who experience violence from an intimate partner. It's also among states with the highest rates of abuse and neglect for children under 5, also called maltreatment. Delaware ranks fifth highest for the percentage of women who receive no early prenatal care and is among the states with the highest percentage of low birth weight babies. California is among the top five states between Oklahoma and Arkansas for the share of women and children on food stamps. Those states are generally outliers. Overwhelmingly, the data show far more challenges for children and their parents in states that have passed abortion restrictions. In response to APs findings, several conservative state lawmakers said women can give their newborns up for adoption and said they would support funding increases for foster-care programs. In Oklahoma, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, a Republican and longtime abortion opponent, said he would work to increase salaries for child-welfare workers and boost state money for foster parents who adopt, as well as send more public money to groups that offer alternatives to abortion. I have a 10-year history of trying to improve our rankings there, he said. So, yes, theres going to be a commitment there, but it wont be a new commitment. It will be a continuing effort on our part. Others in Oklahoma say the teen birthrate, fourth highest in the nation, would likely increase if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and a state trigger law banning most abortions takes effect. More than 10% of the 4,424 abortions in Oklahoma in 2019 were for women younger than 20, according to the most recent state health statistics. Kathy Harms, who had her first child at age 16, worked jobs in retail and fast food to support her family and said she sometimes had to choose between paying the electric or the gas bills. We have to juggle which one we can risk getting turned off, said Harms, executive director of Teen emPower, a teen-pregnancy-reduction group in Oklahoma. Its an endless cycle of stress and wondering if it is ever going to get better ... every aspect of life is more difficult for single mothers. Some lawmakers and anti-abortion activists have said they believe that outlawing or severely restricting abortion would lead people to change their sexual behavior. We think that a decision from the court could very well affect the way that people regard being a mother or a father ... that certain things might be done differently than they are now, said Tony Lauinger, chair of Oklahomans for Life. Others say that view isn't realistic and doesn't align with the reasons most women seek an abortion. Maleeha Aziz, an organizer for the Texas Equal Access Fund, had an abortion when she was 20 after birth control failed. She was a recent immigrant from Pakistan and a college student sharing a one-bedroom apartment who knew she couldnt afford to raise a child financially. Her broader experience also reflected the health risks inherent in many pregnancies. She had a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes persistent, extreme nausea and vomiting. I was a vegetable. I could not move, said Aziz, who later had a daughter. Pregnancy is not a joke. It is the hardest thing that a persons body will ever go through. She's now seeing panic and anxiety among people seeking abortions in Texas. I cant believe this is our reality, she said. Jazmin Arroyo, a 25-year-old old single mom in Kokomo, Indiana, had to stop working as a receptionist after her first child was born because she couldnt afford day care on top of rent, a car payment and other expenses. Indiana has the second-highest rate of women 18% who don't receive prenatal care during their first trimester and has among the highest percentages of children in poverty without insurance, more than 9%. Arroyo found a job as a restaurant host, but it didn't offer insurance and she was already starting to drown in bills when she had her second child, who has a heart defect that required special care. She now has thousands in unpaid medical bills. "I never could have imagined how hard it would end up being, she said. The reasons why people seek abortions are complex, but financial concerns are often a top factor, according to research from Diana Greene Foster, a professor of reproductive science at the University of California, San Francisco. Children born to women who were denied an abortion and carried the pregnancy to term are more likely to live in a household where there isn't enough money for basic living expenses, her work has found. When women can get abortions, the children they do have fare better. So there is a clear effect on poverty, but there is also an effect on child development, Greene Foster said. In states with strict abortion laws, performance on measurements such as access to health insurance for low-income people is linked in part to political realities: Leaders who have supported abortion restrictions for decades generally also have espoused small-government principles and opposed measures such as Medicaid expansion, said legal historian Mary Ziegler at Florida State Universitys law school. The pro-life movement has made its political bones by relying on the GOP, she said. The GOP has not been in favor of expanding the social safety net for young children and pregnant people, and the pro-life movement, which may have otherwise wanted to do that, is not willing to expend political capital on that because its priority is abortion, basically, and nothing beyond it. In Texas, state Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat who has unsuccessfully pushed to expand Medicaid to more low-income residents in the state, said he is heartened that lawmakers recently extended that coverage for new mothers and added guardrails to prevent eligible kids from losing health care. But he said much more needs to be done. I get tired of very important but relatively small measures like these two that are very specific acting as a substitute for an overall responsible state policy towards health care, Johnson said. Texas in 2005 created a program called Alternatives to Abortion. As with similar groups in other states, the program funds pregnancy counseling, adoption services and classes about life skills, budgeting and parenting. This social service network is really critical in our mind to right now supporting pregnant women and expecting families," said John Seago, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life. "But also as we look forward to potentially a post-Roe Texas, these are the types of social services that are going to be even more in demand. Most such groups, known generally as crisis pregnancy centers, are not licensed to provide medical care. While adoption can be an alternative, its expensive for adoptive families and has a fraught history in the U.S. marred at times by racism, said Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, an obstetrician-gynecologist who founded and serves as president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Children can end up lingering for years in the foster-care system, which is troubled in Texas. Carrying babies to term also presents health risks. In Texas, 20% of women dont get prenatal care in their first trimester, according to pregnancy-risk assessment data collected by the CDC in 2016, the most recent year for which data was available for the state. A lack of prenatal care increases the risk of the mother dying or delivering a baby with low birth weight. Black women bear the heaviest risk: They are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, said Oriaku Njoku, executive director of the group Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, which provides abortion and reproductive counseling in seven Southern states. Some lack insurance, others live in counties without OB-GYNs. Our folks deserve better, she said. ___ Lo is a former Associated Press data journalist. Also contributing were AP writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Casey Smith in Indianapolis; and Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and data journalist Linda Gorman in Boston. Former AP writers Iris Samuels in Helena, Montana, and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge. Louisiana, also contributed. ___ Fassett is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Melissa Lucio has spent the last 15 years on death row after she was convicted of capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. Many family members and supporters say the girl's death was an accident. Lucio is scheduled to be killed by lethal injection on April 27. As her execution looms, her options are slim despite new evidence her lawyers say proves her innocence. Here are nine things to know about the case. Who is Melissa Lucio? Lucio is a 53-year-old Harlingen mother of 14 who has struggled with a history of poverty, addiction and violence. She endured years of sexual abuse at the hands of family members and, later, sexual and domestic abuse from her partners. She experienced homelessness and extensive drug abuse and the household had been visited by Child Protective Services. While family readily admits Lucio was not a perfect mom, her lawyers contend that she never physically abused any of her 14 children. They point to decades of CPS records as proof that she never physically harmed them amid the struggles that brought social workers to her door. Courtesy/The Innocence Project Courtesy/The Innocence Project Courtesy/The Innocence Project Family photos of Melissa Lucio and her children. (Courtesy) Family photos of Melissa Lucio and her children. (Courtesy) The Cameron County jury at Lucio's capital murder trial never heard testimony about her background as a victim of repeated sexual and domestic abuse who faced homelessness and poverty. Would Melissa Lucio be the first Latina put to death in Texas? Technically, yes. If Lucio is not granted a reprieve or a stay of execution, she would be the first Latina to be put to death in Texas in the modern era, and the first Texas woman executed in nearly a decade. The last woman to be put to death in Texas was Lisa Coleman in 2014, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The first was Josefa "Chipita" Rodriguez, who was hanged in San Patricio County in 1863. The Texas Legislature passed a resolution more than a century later that Rodriguez did not receive a fair trial. What happened to Melissa Lucio's daughter? Lucio's family says that Mariah fell down a rickety flight of stairs outside their Harlingen apartment in 2007 while the family was in the process of moving. Two days later, she died in her sleep. The Cameron County medical examiner ruled Mariah's death a homicide, stating that the bruising on Mariah's body was the worst case of child abuse she had ever seen. On the night of Mariah's death, Lucio, who was pregnant with twins, was questioned by investigators for a prolonged period. Her lawyers say police coerced her to give a false confession and her conduct during the interrogation was unjustly used to build a case against her. What does Melissa Lucio say about her case? Lucio has long maintained her innocence. On the night of Mariahs' death, she told investigators both verbally and nonverbally she was innocent more than 100 times, according to her lawyers. In a 2020 Hulu documentary that argues for her innocence, Lucio contends she would never hurt her children and says she made the false confession under duress, in part to shield another one of her older daughters from being blamed for Mariah's death. The older daughter told a private investigator she was the one to blame for Mariah's fall, according to deleted scenes from the documentary that have been shared with the Houston Chronicle. What does Melissa Lucio's family say? Lucio's family members have been traveling across the state and holding rallies to encourage residents to see the documentary and sign an online petition calling for her release. They've also held daily prayer vigils outside the Cameron County courthouse, calling on District Attorney Luis Saenz to review her case and withdraw her death warrant. Saenz's intervention would be the safest and swiftest method for a reprieve, according to Death Penalty Action, an advocacy group that has been traveling with the family and helping spread awareness about her case. But Lucio's relatives have been torn apart in the wake of her incarceration. Most of her adult children are living their own lives with children of their own. After the documentary suggested an older daughter was a possible culprit in Mariah's death, that daughter and a few other siblings took to social media to make claims against Lucio. They argue that the older daughter had nothing to do with Mariah's death as the documentary implies, but these daughters still do not wish to see their mother executed. They have signed a document alongside their other siblings pleading with Gov. Greg Abbott and The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to spare their mother's life. Most of Lucio's family, including her elderly mother, her son, John Lucio, and her sister, Sonya Valencia Alvarez, have been relentless in their mission to shed light on Lucio's case and get her off of death row. Yi-Chin Lee, Photographer / Staff photographer Denise Cathey, MBI / Associated Press Melissa Lucio's son, John Lucio (left) and sister, Sonya Valencia Alvarez (right). (Denise Cathey, MBI / Associated Press) (Yi-Chin Lee, Photographer / Staff photographer) Melissa Lucio's son, John Lucio (left) and sister, Sonya Valencia Alvarez (right). (Denise Cathey, MBI / Associated Press) (Yi-Chin Lee, Photographer / Staff photographer) My sister is innocent, Sonya Valencia Alvarez said at a Houston rally on a chilly February day. This is an innocent woman. This is a loving mother of 14 children who was sent to death. What new evidence is there in the Melissa Lucio case? Lucio's lawyers from the Innocence Project have filed a plethora of legal motions on her behalf, including a new clemency petition with evidence they say proves her innocence. Included in that petition are statements by five jurors at her capital murder trial who said they would have decided differently had they known about Lucio's personal history or seen other evidence that was not presented at trial. [T]he fact that you cant pinpoint what caused Mariahs death means that [Melissa] shouldnt be executed, juror Johnny Galvan said in his statement. Galvan wrote in an Op-Ed in the Houston Chronicle, saying he felt pressured to sentence Lucio to death and that he "wished I had never done so." A forensic expert states in the clemency petition that Mariah's bruising was likely caused by head trauma she sustained when she fell down the stairs. The expert said the medical examiner's ruling that the girl died as a result of child abuse was a rush to judgment. Anti-domestic violence organizations, faith leaders in Texas, death row exonerees and other wrongfully convicted people have shared statements of support as part of her request for relief. LUCIO CASE: Catholic leaders urge Abbott to stop execution of Hispanic mother in childs death Beyond the unexplored evidence, Lucio's lawyers also argue her trial was unfairly influenced by bigotry and corruption from both sides of the courtroom, including the case brought by a DA who was later sentenced to prison. What are Melissa Lucio's options? Lucio's lawyers have requested her death sentence be commuted to life in prison, or that she be granted an evidentiary hearing and a chance to prove her innocence. Her lawyers say it's typical for the Board not to decide about a clemency petition until just days before a person is set to be executed. Abbott has also the authority to stop Lucio's execution. He could grant her clemency and reduce her sentence. Lucio's third and final option is for Cameron County District Attorney Saenz to withdraw her death warrant and reinvestigate the case. Saenz has remained silent for years, but Lucio's oldest son spoke with him briefly after stopping him in the courthouse parking lot during a protest in late March. Saenz was captured on video telling John Lucio he "would be glad to take a look" at his mother's case. Who has spoken out about the Melissa Lucio case? Texas lawmakers and big-name celebrities are asking the state to take action in Lucio's case. In late March more than 80 Texas lawmakers requested clemency for her, pleading with Abbott and the Board to intervene. Another group of Texas lawmakers met privately with Lucio on Wednesday to hear her case and discuss efforts to stop her execution, the Associated Press reported. Kim Kardashian on Wednesday shared Lucio's case with her more than 70 million followers, calling her situation "heartbreaking." Death Penalty Action is hosting weekly live streams with celebrity guests that include Carmela Zumbado from the Netflix show "You"; Sherry Cola from Freeform's "Good Trouble"; and Julissa Calderon from Netflix's "Gentefied," according to a representative from the organization. Where can I watch the Melissa Lucio documentary? The 2020 documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa, is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime. rebecca.hennes@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Federal authorities on Thursday announced new charges of income tax fraud against Houston ISDs former chief operating officer and a contracted vendor already facing a slew of public corruption charges estimated to have cost the states largest school system millions. A grand jury returned a 33-count superseding indictment against former top HISD administrator Brian Busby and HISD contracted vendor Anthony Hutchison which includes previous charges against them and five others who have pleaded guilty. Both men originally were indicted in December for engaging in an alleged bribery scheme over the last decade. On HoustonChronicle.com: Former Houston ISD chief operating officer, vendor indicted in alleged bribery scheme The new indictment alleges the men underreported their incomes on federal tax returns to hide bribes or gambling debts. The income was related to the scheme, in which prosecutors allege Busby allegedly helped award HISD construction and ground maintenance contracts to Hutchisons company in return for cash bribes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in home remodeling. Busby essentially did not report the bribes he accepted on his taxes, explained prosecutor Robert S. Johnson. Hutchison also is accused of overstating the cost of goods he had sold on tax returns and reported an income that did not reflect the money he was getting from cashing bogus corporate checks he wrote for work supposedly being done at district properties. He used some cash obtained through the canceled checks to pay off his gambling debts, according to the allegations. The federal government ended up subsidizing both his bribery and his gambling expenses, Johnson said. Dick DeGuerin, Busbys lawyer, said his client never cheated or took a penny from anyone except what he earned. Hes always honestly reported his income, DeGuerin said. Im confident a fair jury will agree and find him not guilty of whatever charges are brought against him. Lawyers listed for Hutchison in court documents did not respond to an email seeking comment. If convicted, the men could face up to 5 years for conspiracy, up to 10 years for bribing a public official, up to 20 years for wiretapping, up to 20 years on the witness tampering charge and up to 3 years for each tax count. HISD Superintendent Millard House II, who took over as the districts leader last summer, was in the middle of a presentation at a budget workshop when the U.S. Attorneys office in Houston announced the broader grand jury indictment. Todays indictments of a former district official and vendor are a stark reminder of the responsibility this district has to operate with integrity in everything it does, House said in a statement released by the districts press office during the meeting. Our students, families, employees, and community deserve nothing less. I hope that with todays indictments, this district, and the community it serves can finally turn the page on a sad chapter in HISDs history. Federal prosecutors said their investigation remained ongoing. In December, federal authorities said their investigation already had resulted in plea agreements with at least five other former district employees, including former trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones. On HoustonChronicle.com: She pleaded guilty to corruption in government job, then worked for Harris County for 2 more months The other former employees were identified by prosecutors as Derrick Sanders, of Missouri City, officer of construction services; Alfred Hoskins, of Missouri City, general manager of facilities, maintenance and operations; Gerron Hall, of Missouri City, area manager for maintenance; and Luis Tovar, of Huffman, area manager for maintenance. We are here today because we arent going to stand idly by while people in positions of trust are suspected of wrongdoing and go against our public trust and our community, said Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery at a Thursday news conference. alejandro.serrano@chron.com gabrielle.banks@chron.com A man convicted in a deadly drug rip that left several members of a southwest Houston family dead is a step closer to an execution date. A judge in the 351th District Court is expected to sign a death warrant for 51-year-old Arthur Brown Jr. convicted of capital murder in 1993 for killing Jose Tovar, 32; Jessica Quinones, 19, who was seven months pregnant; Frank Farias, 17; and their 21-year-old neighbor, Audrey Brown. The four were tied up with linen at a home in the 4600 block of Brownstone Lane and shot execution-style. Police linked the June 1992 shooting to drugs, but only small amounts of marijuana were found. Rachel Tovar and a sixth person were shot in the attack but survived. Tovar sat in the courtroom as prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorneys Office on Wednesday read the names of her slain husband, son, daughter-in-law and neighbor to the judge. Brown fled Texas with the help of relatives and was caught months later in Alabama. When his sister voiced concern about helping him do that, he joked with her that he had killed six Mexicans and thats why he needed to escape, prosecutor Joseph Sanchez said in court. A jury convicted him in 1993. Tovar said she was stunned that after three decades, Brown was still alive. Its been 30 years, she said. When they took my familys life they took it right then and there. Hes still alive, hes still here. He still gets to survive all these years. My children and my husband didnt. She visits her son and daughter-in-laws grave but is unable to do the same for her husband, who was buried in Mexico. I havent ever gone back, Tovar continued. Quinones niece and sister also appeared in the courtroom. She was an innocent party in all of this, said Monica Morales, who was a toddler when Quinones was killed. I feel its my duty to be her advocate. Brown, among more than 70 defendants with Harris County cases on death row, has exhausted all appeals in the capital murder case. Prosecutors have since asked Judge Natalia Cornelio whether she wants Brown to be brought from the Polunsky Unit in Livingston on May 20 to sign the death warrant in his presence. My preference is that he be here for this, Cornelio said. Brown is expected to appear by Zoom or be brought to the court. If the judge signs the execution order by the end of May, the execution by lethal injection would happen in August. Browns lawyer, Paul Manser, could not be reached for comment. Brown had two co-defendants in the capital murder case one of whom has already been executed. Authorities put Marion Butler Dudley Jr. to death in 2006, according to records of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Antonia Dunson, who is serving a life sentence in Huntsville, is eligible for parole in 2027. The states oldest death row inmate, a Harris County defendant, is slated for execution this month. Carl Wayne Buntion, convicted of killing a Houston police officer during a 1990 traffic stop, will be put to death April 21 at a TDCJ facility in Huntsville. The state last executed death row prisoner Rick Rhoades also a Harris County case last September. There are nearly 200 people on death row in the state, records show. nicole.hensley@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in February mailed letters to 22 U.S. universities: Cut ties with Chinese institutions that have previously ensnared scholars in schemes to steal valuable information, he wrote. Chinas military, he said, is attempting to acquire and develop cutting-edge technology, sometimes through theft under the guise of academic collaboration. Texas A&M University and its governing system responded one day later with a letter to the Florida senator. They had already mitigated or eliminated 200 instances of activity with evidence of foreign influence, according to the letter written by administrators. The system coordinates with the FBI on a near daily basis, the administrators said. And one affiliation that Rubio specifically questioned - Ocean University in Qingdao - is being severed, according to the letter. The correspondence provides the clearest picture to date on the Texas A&M University Systems attempts to extensively monitor other countries involvement in its research. But more broadly, it raises questions about the conflict between universities research goals and policymakers concerns about foreign interference in U.S. research and technology. International research collaboration provides valuable opportunities to advance scientific knowledge, but can also present challenges and risks, all of which we are aware, A&M President M. Katherine Banks and System Chancellor John Sharp said in the note. When the decision is made to enter an international research collaboration, risks are identified and measures are put in place to mitigate those risks. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas A&M moves to sever ties with Russia A&Ms letter to Rubio went unnoticed for months, being publicly shared only on a brief Twitter exchange between the state university and the senator. The university did not immediately disclose names of the specific instances (which A&M officials said were agreements) that the system altered or canceled, but the security review led the university to relook at one highly anticipated climate research program linked to Ocean University, called the International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction. That program, which began in 2018, used one of the worlds fastest supercomputers to run complex climate modeling simulations that researchers said would establish Texas A&M University as the leader in climate modeling and provide a more accurate foundation for future climate studies. The project was abruptly terminated by A&M in February, however, about halfway through its planned five-year timeline. The Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology defaulted on its agreement with A&M after it went about 11 months without making a $2 million payment - the official cause of the programs demise but the systems research security methods would have led to the eventual cancellation of the program, said Texas A&M University spokeswoman Kelly Brown. News of the climate laboratorys termination came as a surprise to some in the science community, who worry that deteriorating relationships between the U.S. and countries such as Russia and China could hinder international collaboration around climate research at a time when they say cooperation is most needed. The idea that we should stop basic scientific research, particularly in problems as pressing as climate change, or curtail it because of geopolitical concerns is deeply counterproductive, said Zeke Hausfather, senior fellow at the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental-research group in California. To the extent that this particular program was a casualty of that, it seems very problematic. The China Initiative Concerns about Chinese academic interference stem in part from the Trump administration, which implemented a Justice Department-led effort to crack down on Beijings theft of American intellectual property through espionage. Lawmakers and government agencies have put concerted pressure on universities across the country to be wary - especially of researchers who dont disclose their foreign affiliations. Some of those universities have fired such professors; other researchers have been federally indicted as alleged risks to national security. (One was from A&M: A longtime professor in 2020 was charged in federal court with wire fraud, false statement and conspiracy for allegedly hiding an association with China that would have prohibited him from participating in a six-figure NASA grant. His case is still pending.) Civil rights groups all the while criticized the Justice Departments so-called China Initiative for causing a domino effect of discrimination against Asian-Americans, and after years of investigations on campuses, the Department of Justice ended the law enforcement program in February. Regardless, intellectual property investigations at universities are a priority, FBI officials said. The FBI Counterintelligence Program has never wavered on investigating the theft of Intellectual Property, said FBI Houston Counterintelligence Task Force Supervisory Special Agent Tam Dao. IP theft threatens our nations economic competitiveness and jeopardizes U.S. leadership in the areas of industrial innovation, emerging science and technology. Rubios request to the A&M System came Feb. 8, weeks before the end of the Justice Department program. He urged the 22 universities to terminate academic and research partnerships with Chinese universities that support Beijings military-civil fusion strategy - a term that refers to the Peoples Liberation Armys efforts to become the most technologically advanced military in the world. National security experts say that Peoples Republic of China approaches the strategy sometimes through theft of other countries secrets and property. Two of the 22 universities in Rubios letter are in Texas: University of Texas-Dallas and Texas A&M University. UT-Dallas President Richard C. Benson also responded to Rubio's specific questions about partnerships with Southeast University in Nanjing, China. The only current program with Southeast University is a two-week, bi-directional summer exchange program, and that agreement is set to expire in 2023. No joint research takes place, and UT-Dallas doesn't host any faculty, graduate students or visiting scientists, Benson said in a March 14 letter. We assure you that the University shares your concerns about threats to our national security," Benson said. "We are particularly grateful for the assistance that we receive from our local FBI field office in this regard. The University is very careful about its international partnerships - not only when selecting partners but also in determining the appropriate scope of collaborative activities with each partner. We do not do anything that would advance subject-specific opportunities to harm the United States." In a statement, Rubio said he remains concerned about intellectual property theft. The Chinese Communist Party is using our academic and research institutions to gain influence and steal American technology, Rubio said. I appreciate the steps Texas A&M and other U.S. educational institutions are taking to address this threat, and look forward to continuing to work with them and U.S. universities to protect American research. The climate lab In 2018, Texas A&M University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and the Qingdao Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, a climate lab based in China, started the partnership in part to address a growing problem in climate research. As climate models have become more accurate, theyve also required more powerful computers to handle the increasingly complex algorithms used in making their predictions. Researchers say climate models require some 10,000 times more computing power to run today than they did when climate modeling work started back in the early 1990s. Thats one area where U.S. climate scientists saw an opportunity with their counterparts in China. Of the mere hundreds of supercomputers around the world that are powerful enough to run complex climate models, only a fraction of them are available in the U.S. for such research, scientists sayand even then, the projects have to compete for time on the machines. By partnering with the Chinese institution, A&M researchers gained access to Chinas Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer, which in 2016 was considered to be the worlds fastest. Its capable of trillions of calculations per second and once simulated the Universe with 10 trillion digital particles. Researchers with the climate lab were using the computer to generate high-resolution simulations of the Earths climate, capable of delving further into just how complex climate and weather patterns will interact with rising carbon dioxide emissions. By doing so, they hoped to provide a new foundation for climate researchers to better predict the dangers humanity faces as the climate crisis worsens. But in February, Texas A&M abruptly shut down the program, posting a notice on its website and deleting many of the projects web pages and data. The laboratory has documented ties to Ocean University - the institution that Rubio asked about in his letter to the A&M System Chancellor. Lixin Wu, the director of Qingdao Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, is also the vice president of Ocean University. And Kehou Pan, a biology professor at Ocean University, sits on the labs steering committee, according to a project overview document obtained by Inside Climate News and the Houston Chronicle. The Qingdao university supports Beijings military-industrial complex and conducts classified defense research for Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, Rubio said in his letter. Texas A&M University had already closed one Ocean University-affiliated program, the Confucius Institute, after public pressure from lawmakers in 2018, he noted. Any partnerships that continued with Ocean University no longer exist or are being terminated through an ongoing collaboration with the FBI, Banks and Sharp said in response to Rubio. When told about the online exchange, Gavin Schmidt, a leading climatologist with NASA, said he was surprised that a university was publicly defending its research to a U.S. senator at all, saying doing so could be inappropriate. You don't respond to congressional tweets, Schmidt said. If NASA had responded to every tweet accusing us of fraud and criminal conspiracy, then we'd never get anywhere. Robust relationship with FBI The Texas A&M University System - which oversees 11 campuses, eight state agencies, a health science center and a research campus in Bryan - has monitored its foreign collaborations for years. The systems Research Security Office regularly reviews international agreements. And at least prior to the end of the China Initiative, Texas A&M University in College Station and the Texas A&M University System had a robust relationship with the FBI, administrators said in their Feb. 9 response to Rubio. The research security office had mitigated or eliminated more than 200 instances of Foreign Talent Recruitment activity across the system institutions as of February, according to the system chancellor and university president. Those instances refer to agreements such as study abroad, gift agreements, book publishing and sponsored research, said A&M System Chief Research Security Officer Kevin Gamache. A portion of the 200 cancelled agreements were at A&M University in College Station. In national security circles, Foreign Talent Recruitment is a contentious issue referring to foreign state-sponsored attempts to recruit researchers from their posts abroad. Those researchers are often American and primarily employed by an American university - but they later retain simultaneous work or partnerships with foreign institutions. The programs arent illegal if properly disclosed, but they raise U.S. concerns when they intend to further the military or economic goals of a foreign government, especially by acquiring proprietary technology or software, unpublished data and methods, or other intellectual assets, according to the University of Michigan. The FBIs China Initiative no longer exists to monitor the issue, but some national security experts and lawmakers believe that interference is still a threat in the U.S. The Chinese government intentionally targets American universities because theyre hotbeds of research and innovation, and because Americans generally respect academic freedom and open research concepts, said Jamil N. Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute at George Mason Universitys Antonin Scalia Law School. The reality is that this is a concerted effort by the Chinese government to engage in widespread industrial, economic and national security espionage, and weve got to confront it, Jaffer said. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Civil rights leaders often find the focus on intellectual property theft problematic, however, providing a scapegoat for xenophobia on college campuses and creating tumultuous research environments. Researchers also worry that wholesale elimination of collaboration with China and other countries comes at a cost to US research. Gamache said that A&Ms efforts have been civically responsible - and they have presented their own research opportunities related to national security. This review addressed the concerns of many national funding entities related to foreign influence and demonstrates our commitment to the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, he said. A&M leaders told Rubio that they didnt anticipate an end to their security efforts. As the research security threats evolve, we will continue to adapt our research security program to address them, Banks and Sharp said in the letter. Texas A&M University and the The Texas A&M University System remain committed to maintaining this high-level excellence in our research security efforts in the future. samantha.ketterer@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that Texas would transport apprehended migrants to Washington, D.C., he left the impression that people would be forcibly shipped off to the U.S. Capitol as soon as they crossed the border illegally and were rounded up by state authorities. But a few hours after Abbott rolled out the plan at a press conference, the governor's office revealed several new details that painted a much different picture. In a news release, Abbott's office clarified that Texas would only transport migrants to Washington and other destinations outside the state if they wanted to go there and had already been processed and released by federal authorities. Asked Thursday by Fox News host Dana Perino about the plan, Abbott said forced bus trips would run afoul of the law. Dana, if I were to go to Washington, D.C. and put you on a bus and take you down to the Rio Grande Valley, that would be kidnapping, Abbott said. Same thing applies to anybody who refuses to get onto a bus. That would be kidnapping, even though it would be by a law enforcement agency. So, there are laws that have to be followed in this process. Still, Abbott said, officials from multiple communities in the Rio Grande Valley had contacted his office overnight to ask for buses and maybe even planes to transport migrants outside the state. The governor, who is running for re-election and thought to be considering a future bid for the White House, said he issued the policy in response to President Joe Bidens move to lift a Trump-era policy used to turn away asylum seekers at the border 1.2 million times since 2020. Federal immigration officials have projected as many as 18,000 daily crossings roughly triple the daily average in February once the Trump-era rule, called Title 42, expires next month. IN-DEPTH: Biden to lift Trump expulsion order at Mexican border, bracing for flood of migrants Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, whose agency is overseeing the busing operation, said the trips to Washington would begin Thursday. He did not say where in Texas the initial trips would begin. Abbott, asked where the apprehended migrants will be dropped off, said, The first location will be the steps of the United States Capitol. Theyre going to see the wonderful Capitol, but also get closer to the people who are making these policies that are allowing people to come across the border illegally, Abbott said. The governors announcement received bipartisan criticism after it came to light the trips would be voluntary, along with the other details. Its a gimmick, state Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Republican from Tyler, tweeted. Democrat Beto ORourke, the former congressman who is challenging Abbott in November, called the busing policy a stunt and said the governor had failed to achieve real progress on border security and immigration while in office. Some rallied to Abbotts defense, voicing support for the governors approach to border security under Operation Lone Star, through which he has deployed thousands of state troopers and National Guard soldiers to the border since last March. Hes done more to secure our southern border than anyone in the [Biden] administration has, Tom Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said on Fox News Wednesday. Every person that [the Texas Department of Public Safety] arrests is one less got-away. Every ounce of fentanyl they seize is a lot less deaths of overdoses in the United States. On top of the busing policy, Abbott announced Wednesday that state troopers would step up vehicle inspections near immigration checkpoints, with an eye on commercial trucks used by cartels to smuggle people and drugs across the border. State authorities will also deploy boat blockades along the Rio Grande, install razor wire at heavily trafficked areas on the river, including low-water crossings, and place lighting at prominent smuggling areas to more easily detect activity, the governor said. He teased plans to roll out additional border security measures next week but did not provide any details. jasper.scherer@chron.com The Spring Valley Village police chief is expected to "end his employment" with the city next week after facing backlash over allegedly receiving substantial amounts of overtime pay that he's accused of signing for himself. Chief Loyd Evans' announcement is slated to happen during a public meeting Tuesday, according to ABC 13. The issue came to light during a special session on April 1, where city representatives said they found an "exempt employee" had received very substantial amounts of overtime pay in both 2020 and 2021. That employee, according to the meeting's agenda, is the city's chief of police. In a statement read by the city attorney, only in the rarest of occasions and under specific conditions does the city policy permit overtime for exempt employees. "This single exempt employee over the course of a nine-month period in 2020 received $189,038 in overtime, plus his base salary. In 2021, these overtime payments continued for an additional $96,040 plus base salary," the city's attorney read. "This information was not well received by your city representatives, the lack of openness, transparency, or even awareness by the individual responsible for the distribution of these overtime funds, who was also the recipient of these funds, has left your city representatives questioning the judgement and their trust in this individual to continue their role within the city." Lawyer Amanda Bolin, who represents the chief, says that he denies any wrongdoing and is "hopeful for an amicable resolution regarding his employment with the city." The city attorney said the mayor and mayor pro tem asked the police commissioner and reserve assistant police chief to meet with the chief to discuss his willingness to retire, but the meeting did not go well or have the intended result. The city attorney also said that the chief made threatening statements to the police commissioner over the phone not long after the meeting, resulting in the chief being immediately placed on administrative leave. The council opened the floor for questions by Spring Valley residents. One resident said they knew the chief to be of the highest integrity and questioned the city representatives on why it took so long for them to find out about the overtime pay if it happened in 2020 and 2021. Residents also asked if the overtime pay had anything to do with COVID-19 and the possible staffing issues due to the pandemic. "Those are all good concerns and they will be addressed," a city official said during the meeting. This story is developing and will be updated with new information as it comes in. Rep. Joaquin Castro tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms. Unfortunately, after avoiding COVID-19 for two years, Ive come down with it, the San Antonio Democrat wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Castro added that he is fully vaccinated and boosted and intends to follow federal Centers for Disease Control quarantine guidelines. Based on the timeline, its possible Castro was infected at the Gridiron Dinner in Washington on Saturday, an event hosted by a journalism organization dating back to 1885. Hundreds each year attend the dinner, which features cocktails, speeches and musical comedy skits. The Washington Post reported that a number of officials who attended the event have since tested positive for COVID-19, including members of Congress, an aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Attorney General Merrick Garland and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Castro said he tested negative for COVID-19 last week and on Monday, but positive on Tuesday. Globally, the wave of Omicron variant cases at the beginning of this year was the most severe since the onset of the pandemic. Washingtons seven-day case average had hovered below 100 since the Omicron variant surge receded in February, but this week an influx of cases has fueled a slight spike, pushing the seven-day average back up to 144. Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News Many countries in Europe have seen spikes in recent weeks as a result of the spread of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2, more contagious than the previous version, but there has not been a corresponding spike in U.S. cases yet. edward.mckinley@chron.com WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, April 6, 2022 _____ FIRE WEATHER WATCH URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 321 PM CDT Wed Apr 6 2022 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY 10 AM TO 7 PM... .Dry air and gusty northwest winds will combine for critical fire weather conditions. Relative humidity is expected to fall below 25 percent around noon and continue to lower through much of the afternoon. Northwest winds will prevail through the day and in the afternoon during the peak of drying 12 to 20 mph with gust of 25 mph at times. ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS... The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 10 AM to 7 PM CDT Thursday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * Dry air will overspread the region this afternoon with northwest winds limiting the recovery overnight. Strong drying will take place on Thursday the relative humidity falling very quickly during the morning as winds strengthen and become gusty. * AFFECTED COUNTIES... Madison...Walker...Burleson...Brazos... Washington...Grimes...Montgomery...Colorado...Austin... Waller...Inland Harris...Wharton...Fort Bend...Inland Jackson... Inland Matagorda...Inland Brazoria...Inland Galveston...Coastal Harris...Coastal Jackson...Coastal Matagorda...Coastal Brazoria...Coastal Galveston...Matagorda Islands...Brazoria Islands...Galveston Island. * WIND...Northwest 15 to 25 mph. * HUMIDITY...Minimum values 15 to 20 percent. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential. DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... Thursday. * AFFECTED COUNTIES... Houston...Trinity...San Jacinto...Polk... Northern Liberty...Chambers...Southern Liberty...Bolivar Peninsula. * WIND...Northwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 25 mph * HUMIDITY...Around 20 percent _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Eric Wohlleber of CMV tells the Adams Selectmen that the company plans to keep the character of the 1920 building intact while still updating it. New York Company Plans $5M Housing Project at Old Adams Community Center The building at 20 East St. was constructed as a retreat for nuns. It's condition has deteriorated over the years and town officials have been seeking buyer. The apparently found one CMV Construction Services, which plans 36 units of housing on the property. ADAMS, Mass. A New York construction company is planning to invest $5 million in the former community center on East to create 36 units of housing. The Board of Selectmen on Wednesday awarded CMV Construction Services the 20 East St. property for $25,000. Several representatives for CMV, the sole bidder, attended Wednesday's meeting to share the company's plans for the circa-1920 building. The estimated $1 million first phase of construction, which CMV expects to be complete by 2023, will create eight units, while the $4 million second phase will include another 28 units and a day-care center. "We've done a lot of work in the Berkshires, so we feel like we're part of this community," said Eric Wohlleber of CMV. "And we also want to be part of this specific community; we want to be part of the Adams community. And it's a unique opportunity and is one that we're looking forward to moving forward." The town released the request for proposals for the property in October 2022 and then extended the deadline. Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin said more housing options are something Adams needs. "The RFP was issued with the express goal of getting 20 East St. back on the tax rolls and especially trying to get more market-rate and affordable housing for a variety of income loads," Coughlin said. The building's been empty since the Youth Center moved out a few years ago but town officials have been discussing its disposal for a decade. James Renfrew, founder of Renfrew Manufacturing, built his extravagant mansion, Bonnie Brae, on the site; it later became the Greylock Rest Sanitorium of the Sisters of Providence, then a private boarding school before falling into the town's hands in the late 1970s after the mansion burned down. Wohlleber said CMV plans to keep the character of the building intact while still updating several aspects of it and named the project Bonnie Brae. "We're going to be replacing all windows, we're going to be taking down the existing siding, we're going to be putting up exterior insulation," he said. "We're going to be residing the exterior; we're putting in a whole new HVAC system, putting out a whole new roof, putting on balconies." Board Chair John Duval said he is happy that the town was able to sell the building rather than tear it down. He said he would prefer to preserve historic town buildings when possible. "Similar to our middle school, there were calls to tear it down. You try as hard as you can try to keep those buildings and have them renovated and upgraded," Duval said. To be able to keep the history of our community, instead of just tearing down buildings that are old." Selectwoman Christine Hoyt said she is familiar with the building and is happy it will have a new use. "I served on a nonprofit that was in that building. I served on the board as a board chair in that building for nine years. So I know the ins and outs pretty well," she said. "And as you mentioned, it is tucked away, it has been a desirable piece of property for that particular reason." In other business, the board also approved a change of polling station from 92 North Summer St. to 30 Columbia St, the former Memorial School Building. The board also approved the May 2 town election warrant. Green thanked Town Clerk Haley Meczywor and Building Commissioner Gerald Garner for the work she put into getting the polling station moved to the Memorial Building. "It was a very easy vote tonight for the board, but Haley actually had to go to the state, send pictures of the building and really express to the state the building was ready to go," he said. The deadline to register to vote is April 12. The board ratified the contracts of several seasonal laborers, including Ryan Boody, Mike Durant, Jacob Lesnick, Shawn Marko and Brandon Schwarzer. The board approved the route for the Memorial Day parade and ceremony. The festivities will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon on May 30. The board approved the assignment of street numbers for two properties. 0 Forest Park Ave., the Forest Park Country Club, will become 41 Forest Park Ave., while 0 East Orchard Terrace, a newly built home, will become 34 East Orchard Terrace. The board ratified the contract of Jesse Gamm, the new library aide. Williamstown Town Manager Finalists Named WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The former mayor of a New York City suburb and the social services director of a California county will interview with the Select Board on Friday afternoon for the vacant town manager position. On Thursday, the Town Manager Search Committee recommended two finalists to interview for the job currently held by interim Town Manager Charlie Blanchard. Starting at 1:15, the Select Board will meet both candidates in person at town hall. The board plans an event at the Log on Spring Street for community members to meet both candidates at 6 p.m. Friday; that event will include presentations by the candidates at 6:20 and 6:30. On Saturday at 1:30, the Select Board will convene to discuss the candidates and potentially vote to offer the position to one of the finalists. The finalists are Robert Menicocci, who has served as director of the Social Services Agency in Santa Clara County (San Jose) since 2015, and Alex Torpey, who runs a government consulting firm he founded in 2015 and whose postings include a four-year term as mayor of South Orange, N.J., a community of 17,000 in the New York metropolitan area. First in the hot seat will be Menicocci, who earned his bachelor's degree at Brandeis University in Waltham and started his career with the commonwealth's Department of Transitional Assistance in 1990. Menicocci left Boston to work in the Department of Social Services in the County of Santa Barbara as its fiscal manager from 2002-04. He then came back east to serve as the director of government services for an environmental and civil engineering firm in Newberry, Mass. Then it was back to California to work in the Lake County Behavioral Health Department from 2010-12, back to Massachusetts to work as the deputy commissioner of management and budget of for the state's Department of Mental Health. In 2014, he crossed the continent again, this time to work for the Santa Clara County, as the chief deputy director of the Social Services Agency; in 2015, he was promoted to his current position. "The [Williamstown town manager] position combines my passion for public service with my extensive finance and operational experience in leading large-scale government organizations through transformative strategic initiatives to optimize organizational capacity, instill active and disciplined cultures, unlock entrenched thinking and foster an inclusive, trust-based culture," Menicocci wrote to the town in his application. "I have resided in several Massachusetts communities with a town meeting form of government and have a deep appreciation for its open nature that gives all citizens a voice. My extensive work experience with the Commowealth of Massachusetts and California counties provides me with a deep understanding of goverment operations and political process." Torpey's interview is set for 2:30 on Friday. Like Menicocci, Torpey earned his undergraduate degree in Massachusetts, taking a bachelor's in political science and American law from Hampshire College in Amherst. He currently is an adjunct professor in governance and technology at Seton Hall University, where he has taught since 2014, in addition to operating a consulting firm dedicated to helping " individuals, organizations, and communities create better outcomes by providing the strategies, tactics, and tools to radically improve goal-setting, decision-making, engagement, and implementation," according to his website. Torpey was the coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management in South Orange before serving as Mayor from 2011 to 2015. After supporting the election of the woman who won the next term of office there, he moved on to Levonia, N.J., (population 9,000) to serve as the borough administrator from 2017 to 2019. He served two years as the business admininistrator in Lambertville, N.J., (4,000), in 2019 and 2020, his last government position. His cover letter says he took the last year and a half to "reflect on my values, goals and what I need to be happy in a workplace, including over the course of a four-month road trip this summer where I primarily camped off-grid on public land throughout the U.S., I made some decisions. "One such decision was that I would be much happier spending more time in and around the nature I am passionate about," the letter continues. "In the longer term, I have decided to chart a new direction, one that I have imagined for several years. This involves moving to a more rural area, work on homesteading and sustainable living, while continuing to help communities plan their futures and implement effective programs and policies that don't just meet key community needs, but which engages people towards building healthy and sustainable civic ecosystems that can tackle any future challenges that may arise." Select Board member Hugh Daley, who co-chaired the search committee, said it was a team effort to find the two finalists. "The Select Board gives great thanks to the Williamstown Town Manager Search Screening Committee, Town Manager Charlie Blanchard, Town Hall staff (with special thanks to Andrew Groff, Anna Osborn, Chris Lemoine, Linda Sciarappa and interim Police Chief Mike Ziemba) for their help in this search," Daley wrote in an email announcing the finalists. "Additionally, the Select Board thanks Willinet, the Log, the Clark Art Institute, Williams College and the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce for their support." iciHaiti - Politic : The situation in Haiti does not allow medium or long term agreement with the DR Roberto Alvarez the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs declared this week that the socio-political and economic situation in Haiti does not allow the Dominican Republic to establish agreements to improve relations between the two Nations. Alvarez clarified that given the transitory nature of the Haitian authorities, the policy of the Dominican Republic is to maintain "good neighborly" relations, adding "Negotiations are underway, but they have not yet materialized..." Chancellor Alvarez pointed out that as long as the situation in Haiti has not returned to normal it is "very difficult" for the Dominican Republic to establish medium or long-term agreements with the Haitian Government while emphasizing "even if the two countries have good relations." SL/ iciHaiti Name: Jason Manar Organisation: Kaseya Job title: Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Date started current role: October 2021 Location: Miami Jason Manar brings extensive experience with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to Kaseya as the chief information security officer (CISO) where he plays a pivotal role in further solidifying the companys security stance. He oversees information security and compliance, leading the cybersecurity division to identify the industrys latest threats and vulnerabilities and intercept them. As CISO, Manar also ensures compliance with security requirements associated with government regulations, which vary by global region. What was your first job? My first job, related to my field, was as a state trooper for the Kentucky State Police. I had a case where high school students were bullying a fellow student and eventually charged with terroristic threatening for making explicit threats of violence. By utilising innovative techniques at the time, I was able to locate the individual who had unlawfully intruded upon someones personal home network to conceal their identity and send the threatening emails. It was the first time in my departments history that we used this technique. That sparked an interest in utilising novel cyber techniques that at the time people didnt really understand to locate the adversary. How did you get involved in cybersecurity? This Kentucky State Police experience sparked an interest in me and then, a Special Agent in Charge saw my potential years later and I pulled the trigger. What was your education? Do you hold any certifications? What are they? I have a Bachelor of Science. I have various certifications from the SANS Institute, including GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF), GIAC Information Security Professional (GISP), GIAC Security Leadership Certification (GSLC) and GIAC Strategic Planning, Policy and Leadership (GSTRT). There is no certificate for the experience of being involved and working up to 1,000 intrusions, from Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Zero-Days and Nation State Actors to those committed by high-level, financially motivated cyber criminals. I also have experience working with all U.S. government agencies. My work in building relationships in the private sector has allowed me to gain unparalleled knowledge from CISOs around the world and learn best practices. Explain your career path. Did you take any detours? If so, discuss. My career path has always been around protecting others, which is at the heart of being a CISO - to protect the company, its clients, its people, and their livelihood. I was a watchdog for the past 22 years, as a public servant, and I look forward to continuing to protect others in my new role. For me, the detour was cybersecurity. I always thought I would have a career as a public servant, and as I became more and more involved in understanding the risk associated with the new digital landscape, I found more enjoyment educating people and providing risk-based analysis that helped people make difficult decisions as it relates to their security posture. There is always something new and exciting as the digital landscape is ever-changing. In the early 2000s, I was looking to find ways to use data analytics to expose risk to the country and now thats exactly what I do for the private sector as a CISO prioritise risk and deploy resources to negate those risks to our company and our customers. Was there anyone who has inspired or mentored you in your career? There have been numerous people who inspired and mentored me along the way, including the top CISOs in the country who I have great relationships with that helped me, over the last decade, to understand the mutual challenges in the government and the private sector. What do you feel is the most important aspect of your job? The most important aspect of my job is effectively leading and inspiring our team and gaining cybersecurity buy-in from employees, in addition to evaluating and mitigating risk. One of the aspects I love the most is educating people on the overall aspects of cybersecurity and best practices. What metrics or KPIs do you use to measure security effectiveness? The mean time to detect, contain and resolve. You also have to ensure that you follow through and retest your policies and procedures. You cannot set it and forget it - you have to test and retest solutions. Validity testing ensures the prescribed methods youve instituted are having the desired impact. Is the security skills shortage affecting your organisation? What roles or skills are you finding the most difficult to fill? Yes, the job market is extremely competitive with security engineers, coders and people who have extensive experience with engineering backgrounds being some of the most difficult to find. Cybersecurity is constantly changing how do you keep learning? Fortunately, I have a very robust network that I continuously utilise to keep up with the latest threats. Not only am I connected to the majority of CISOs here in Miami, but also around the world. Were constantly sharing information about the latest threats and new reports that affect different industries as a whole, knowing its not a matter of if, but when your sector will get hit. Additionally, I still receive regular briefings from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Im also constantly learning from our teams. As our team members train and pursue their advanced education, they bring back that training and share it with the rest of us and add value to the organisation. I particularly pick individuals in deputy roles that have strengths that I dont; it shows a level of vulnerability and willingness to learn. What conferences are on your must-attend list? Connect IT and RSA Conference. Both conferences are a must-attend. DEF CON, the largest notable hacker convention, is another one, but leave your devices at home. What is the best current trend in cybersecurity? The worst? The best is that were talking about cybersecurity more than ever before. Weve taken cybersecurity seriously by creating dedicated positions such as the CISO to centralise efforts. Companies are starting to have board members who have cybersecurity experience, which is helpful in the education process and understanding what is necessary for cybersecurity within their environments. The worst is still the mentality of we havent been hit so we must be doing everything right; it hasnt happened to us yet, so well worry about it when/if it does. What's the best career advice you ever received? A Special Agent in Charge telling me to go into cybersecurity even when I thought I didnt have that aptitude because he saw something in me that I didnt yet see. What advice would you give to aspiring security leaders? Its not all about the ones and the zeros (binary code)! A lot of technical people have trouble communicating to C-Suite executives. A large part of your career will be obtaining buy-in and educating others. You must be able to explain fundamental concepts in a way a layperson can understand. The more youre able to simplify the complex and explain in simplistic terms as you educate, the more successful you will be. What has been your greatest career achievement? When I think about my greatest career achievement, I think about the direct impact I had on people. Its working cases that involve crimes against children. I had a 12-year-old girl that gave me a hug and said, you saved me; you were my guardian angel. It was the drug-infested house that was forfeited to the government and turned into a playground. Its the entities that never thought about cybersecurity and I was able to get the message out and they listened and heeded our advice taking corrective actions that prevented them from becoming the next victim. Looking back with 20:20 hindsight, what would you have done differently? If I would have had to go back, I dont think I would have done anything differently professionally. I wouldnt have figured out cybersecurity was my true love any other way. I took the non-traditional path, but I think its the one I had to take to get where Im at today. I wish I was aware that for every moment in time, I was the person I needed to be in that moment. Insecurities make us think were never enough. We have to be lifelong learners - constantly learning and applying new things. I want to be a better CISO tomorrow than I was today. Six activists, including journalist Siew Yun-long and former union leader Leo Tang, were arrested on suspicion of sedition by Hong Kong police on April 6. The International Federation of Journalists (IF) strongly condemns the charges and calls on the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release the journalist and other activists. According to Radio Free Asia, Hong Kongs national security police arrested the six activists over their conduct during court hearings between December 2021 and January 2022. If convicted, the accused face up to two years in jail. The six had allegedly caused nuisance" and were accused of affecting jurisdictional dignity and court operations", Hong Kong police said in a statement. The suspects were arrested for committing an act or acts with seditious intent, considered a national security offence under Hong Kongs Crimes Ordinance. In total, four men and two women were arrested, aged between 32 and 67. Among those detained was Siew Yun-long, a journalist and court reporter, and Leo Tang, the former vice president of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU). Hong Kong police have recently increased their use of the sedition law, which has been described as a colonial-era, to shut down and target pro-democracy activism. In March 2022, Tam Tak-chi, a radio DJ and pro-democracy activist was the first person in Hong Kong to be trialed under the controversial sedition law since 1997. The IFJ said: The arrest of six activists under a draconian law is another blatant attempt by the Hong Kong government to suppress pro-democracy voices and stifle press freedom. The IFJ calls for their immediate release and urges the government to cease its persecution of journalists and activists. Two Indian journalists have died in a car accident in the Bongaigaon district of Assam on April 5. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses its condolences to the journalists' families and stands in solidarity with India's journalist community. People gathered at Aai rivers bank to see the bodies of journalists being recovered. Credit: Screengrab from Northeast live news channel. [UPDATE] According to the latest reports, the two journalists were on their way home after attending a cultural function earlier that night and did not attend the event as part of their work or for any news coverage. Journalists Abdul Latif and Deepankar Rai, affiliated with local daily Dainadin Baarta and the All Assam Student Union (AASU), were killed around midnight on April 5 when the car they were travelling in crossed the incomplete Barghola-Kahibari link bridge over the Aai river. The vehicle was found lying on its side on the east side of the bridge, hanging over the water. The bodies of the deceased journalists were recovered later that morning from the river. It remains unclear as to why the car attempted to travel across the incomplete bridge. The journalists reportedly had a disagreement with a local syndicate. According to media reports, district authorities are investigating the case. The death of an Assam journalist in a road accident was also documented as suspicious by the IFJ in 2020. Parag Bhuyan, a senior journalist and vice president of Tinsukia District Journalists Association (TDJA), was critically injured after being struck by an oncoming vehicle. His employers had alleged he was deliberately killed for exposing illegal activities and corruption in the area. The IFJ said: The IFJ offers its condolences to families of Abdul Latif and Deepankar Rai and stands in solidarity with India's journalist community. People like to feel appreciated by others. Sadly, the positive effect of being appreciated seems to be like a drug that loses its potency over time. In order for appreciation to keep people feeling great, leaders must keep coming up with new ways to deliver it. As I wrote in March, research supports the idea that appreciation makes organizations more effective. There, I summarized a New York Times study that found that appreciation results in "lower turnover, fewer days missed, even a reduction in on-the-job accidents." Most interestingly, two-thirds of people who don't feel appreciated are more likely to quit. To keep that idea new, here is more evidence. Microsoft -- whose users have sent over 9 million "Praise badges" since May 2021 -- did a study that found employees with "strong colleague relationships" reported higher productivity and are more committed to their employers. Some 61 percent said they weren't likely to switch jobs in the year ahead (far more than the 39 percent of their less-connected peers), according to the Wall Street Journal. If a company has already been showing appreciation to its people and its rivals are doing the same, then the benefits of higher productivity and greater loyalty to their organization will fade unless the company comes up with innovative ways to show appreciation. Here are three such ways that strike me as innovative now -- but could become less so if other companies copy them. 1. Make complimenting co-workers into a game. People appreciate compliments from their co-workers. One way to encourage more such compliments is to count the number of compliments each worker gives out to their colleagues and reward those with the highest compliment counts. One company that uses this approach is Northborough, Massachusetts-based Esler Companies, which installs windows and doors. Jacob Coite, one of Esler's schedulers, has given out a whopping 2,745 compliments -- such as "Your empathy is like Kool-Aid, the way it adds flavor to a boring call" -- in the last year, according to the Journal. Esler shows its appreciation for Coite's compliment count. The company gave him a trophy with that number emblazoned next to his name for being the company's "top cheerleader." He displays the trophy on his desk, which keeps him motivated, according to the Journal. In the meantime, he is ahead of the company's No. 2 by 1,845 compliments. In theory, this approach to gamifying appreciation could be an effective way to motivate people. I am curious whether the recipients of all the compliments at Esler feel appreciated or whether turning them into a game currency somehow cheapens their emotional benefit. 2. Circulate a stuffed monkey to reward the month's top performer. Rather than calling out a top employee each month, one company -- Webfor, a Vancouver, Washington-based marketing agency -- decided to do something a little "less antiquated and a little more fun," CEO Kevin Getch told the Journal Webfor has a unique idea of fun -- it purchased a stuffed monkey and named it the Monkey of Awesomeness. Each month, the employee who is awarded the monkey gets to decide the lucky recipient for the next month based on their judgment of who was the top team performer. Getch likes this approach because it "democratizes recognition." Webfor has changed the way each month's recipient receives the Monkey of Awesomeness. Remote colleagues used to mail the monkey to each recipient. That became too cumbersome -- so now they receive pictures of the money via Slack. While I might pick a different stuffed animal -- for example, a tiger -- this sounds like a fun idea, and it could be effective if the winners feel appreciated. 3. Turn employee appreciation points into gift cards. While the first two ideas could generate good feeling among co-workers, I like the idea of adding cash to the bundle of rewards. One way to do that is to convert points for compliments into more than acknowledgement and praise. A case in point is Atlanta ticketing platform SeatGeek, which displays a leader board which tracks the employees who give and receive the most points each month. The company offers the ability for its people to "trade points for gift cards -- or even cash, such as Visa cards -- [which] makes it easy to generate staff enthusiasm," the Journal noted. One employee, Phil Banze, said that in 2021 he was able to save a "nice little nest egg" of points that he used to buy Christmas presents. Banze topped the leader board in a recent month, which gave him bragging rights and reinforced in him "the strong millennial belief that we thrive off acknowledgment and praise," reported the Journal. When Amira Rasool returned from a trip to South Africa as a senior in college, she came back with more than just souvenirs. The compliments she received on the clothing and accessories she'd purchased while abroad made her recognize both a problem and an opportunity: So many brands and designers in Africa didn't offer e-commerce, much less sell their items to international retailers. A few years after that fateful trip, she launched the Folklore, an e-commerce distribution company that aims to bring African fashion designers and brands to a global market. Today, she announced a pre-seed funding round totaling $1.7 million, and led by the Los Angeles-based early-stage venture capital firm Slauson & Co. The investment marks a key, though still modest, victory for Black women entrepreneurs, as it makes Rasool one of fewer than 200 Black women entrepreneurs to raise at least $1 million in venture funding. While she's humbled by the milestone, she sees it as a jumping off point for ever more growth. To wit, the entrepreneur today also announced the launch of the Folklore Connect, an extension of the business that allows global retailers (some department stores, but primarily smaller boutiques) to purchase inventory from the Folklore's growing database of about 30 African designers. Moving forward, this B2B approach will be the core focus of the business, though Rasool says the Folklore will still allow consumers to find products on its site, and direct them to brands' own e-commerce platforms or retail partners for purchase, similar to platforms like Lyst and ShopStyle. "We've unlocked access to the next frontier of fashion brands, and we've made it easier for them to connect with consumers," Rasool says. "Now, we're doing the same with retailers." The 26-year-old, New York City-based entrepreneur launched her company in 2017, bootstrapping and running the business herself for about two years. She credits the Techstars's accelerator program, which she joined in 2021, with giving her the confidence and perspective to know which investors to pitch and how to do so successfully. "At first, I was kind of begging investors to be a part of my company," she says. "Then I realized, wait -- this is an opportunity for them, too. I came in with data points that showed the potential of this huge market and said, 'This is something I'm letting you in on,' " she says. Although Rasool always intended for the Folklore to operate as a platform to get African designers into a global market, she started with consumer-focused e-commerce to build brand awareness and to learn how to navigate the retail ecosystem. "It was a natural evolution," she says, but building her business meant learning how to solve solutions on the fly. In the early days, there were countless logistical challenges. Because Rasool was working with brands in different countries, she had to figure out different payment systems because there was no singular one that was available in every country -- the Folklore has paid most of its brands via Bill.com, but that service is not available in both Morocco and Nigeria, where several brands are based. With the Folklore Connect, the company is launching its own card payment processing system, which it expects will simplify the payment process to brands. Shipping was also a huge issue. Without a relationship with UPS or DHL, the Folklore worked with its designers to develop a plan to provide more affordable shipping, which sometimes meant sending out orders in smaller batches. "There were times when we tried to ship something that was maybe 10 pounds, and it cost $600," Rasool says. Now, the company has secured an exclusive shipping partner -- and can benefit from discounted rates. The Folklore Connect is currently launching with 15 retail partners, which Rasool declined to name, but plans to expand in August. The company will offer retailers a tiered membership model: a free version will give the Folklore a commission on each purchase, while a membership with a flat annual fee will offer retailers a reduced commission fee and access to data collected by the Folklore, like information on customer buying habits amassed from its own direct-to-consumer arm. Rasool declined to share the company's annual revenue. African brands and designers can sign up to the platform for free, and the Folklore will work with them to build their own businesses. That might mean helping them to find a third-party logistics vendor, vetting their production facilities, or securing photographers to better capture product imagery. Indias market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had previously made the split between Chairperson and MD/CEO positions at listed companies mandatory by April 1, 2020 and extended to April 1, 2022. It is now a voluntary requirement. On February 15, market regulator SEBI announced that the decision to split the chairperson and managing director (MD) or chief executive officer (CEO) positions at the 500 top listed companies will not be mandated and will be a voluntary provision (see press release here). Earlier, the deadline for this separation of posts was set at April 1, 2022, having already been extended from April 2020. Only 54 percent of the companies had complied with this requirement as of December 2021, from 50.4 percent in September 2019. In a statement SEBI said: Owing to rather unsatisfactory level of compliance achieved so far, with respect to this corporate governance reform, (and) various representations received, (as well as) constraints posed by the prevailing pandemic situation, and with a view to enabling the companies to plan for a smoother transition, as a way forward, SEBI board at this juncture decided that this provision may not be retained as a mandatory requirement and instead be made applicable to the listed entities on a voluntary basis. It must be noted that 300 of the top 500 listed Indian companies are family-owned enterprises. Background The market regulator had previously amended the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR)) Regulations, 2015 (hereafter, LODR Regulations) based on the recommendations of the 2017 Uday Kotak Committee on Corporate Governance. The recommendation to separate the powers of the chairperson and MD/ CEO was to enable transparent, effective, and objective supervision of the management. The amendment had also stated that the chairperson and MD/CEO must not be related to each other and that the position of the chairperson be held by a non-executive member. The Companies Act, 2013 defines relatives with 24 categories. These include members of Hindu Undivided Family, husband-wife, father, mother (including stepmother), son (including stepson), sons wife, daughter (including stepdaughter), fathers father, fathers mother, mothers mother, mothers father, sons son, sons sons wife, sons daughter, sons daughters husband, daughters husband, daughters son, daughters sons wife, daughters daughter, daughters daughters husband, brother (including stepbrother), brothers wife, sister (including stepsister) and sisters husband. International practice Globally, many countries like the UK, large parts of Europe, Japan, Australia, and South Africa, etc. support the practice of separating the two roles. However, the US and France are among countries that continue to contest it. In Europe, more than 90 percent of the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 companies have distinct roles defined. The US, too, has also witnessed an increasing trend of organizations favoring this split. Germany and Netherlands have a two-tier board structure that separates the roles of the board and management. Corporate governance provisions in the LODR Regulations and Companies Act, 2013 The SEBI LODR Regulations, 2015 was last amended on March 22, 2022. According to the LODR Regulations, a listed firm can designate distinct individuals to the positions of chairperson and MD/CEO, thereby not making the clause mandatory. Further, clause 49 of the SEBI Listing Agreement states that entities that seek to be listed require corporate governance standards where the chairperson of the board is a non-executive director, at least one-third of the board is comprised of independent directors, and at least half of the board is comprised of independent directors if the chairperson is an executive director. Meanwhile, the Companies Act, 2013 prohibits a person from being simultaneously appointed or reappointed as both the chairperson and MD/CEO of a business at listed companies and public companies with a paid-up share capital of INR 100 million or more. This obligation may be waived if one of the following conditions is met: The outlook for the Indian Road logistics sector remains stable and shall be supported by the growth in macro-economic activities. In the last few months, there has been sustained improvement in freight movements aided by recovery in demand across industries, increased pace of vaccination and rapid abatement of the third wave, which allowed for quick lifting of restrictions etc. However elevated commodity prices and firming freight rates are key near-term headwinds. The margin movement shall continue to depend on consumer demand sentiments, trend in diesel prices and the competitive intensity within the industry. While the larger players have managed to hike rate to a large extent in FY2022, their sustained ability to do the same remains to be seen. Mr. Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector-Head, ICRA Ratings, said, Quarterly revenues for the logistics sector breached multi-year highs during Q2 FY2022 and Q3 FY2022 supported by sustained recovery in industrial activities. The impact of third wave was minimal as the hospitalisation rates were low. While there were regional restrictions for a brief period, manufacturing, construction activities and movement of goods were permitted due to which the impact on commercial traffic was limited. This is also reflected by the stability in monthly e-way bill volumes as well as FASTag volumes since during Jan-Feb 2022. ICRA expects the logistics sector to have grown by 14-17% in FY2022 (over pre-Covid levels) and the growth momentum is likely to continue in FY2023 with estimated growth of 7-9% Y-o-Y. While concerns around threat of potential new Covid variants remains, the demand impact is likely to be limited. Margins, however, shall remain sensitive to risks stemming from a continued rise in commodity and fuel prices owing to the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Multiple rate hikes of diesel are being witnessed in the last two weeks and the same is likely to continue over the next few days. Overall, the aggregate revenues of ICRAs sample of nine leading logistics companies increased on a Q-o-Q basis in Q3 FY2022 by 6.8% over Q2 FY2022. On a Y-o-Y basis, volumes for FASTag grew by 54% and e-way bill volumes grew by 7% in Jan- Feb 2022, given the easing of restrictions and rapid abatement of the third wave. However, industry volumes remain sensitive to economic activity on an aggregate. Margins recovered sharply with steep Q-o-Q industry revenue growth in Q2 FY2022. Improving scale of operations had a positive impact on operating margins, which remained healthy at 14.5% in Q3 FY2022; although the spike in fuel prices in Q3 FY2022 moderated margins relative to Q2 FY2022. ICRA expects the aggregate operating profit margins of the sample in the range of 12-14% in FY2022 against 12.1% in FY2021. Nevertheless, with the expected adverse impact of spike in commodity prices amidst the ongoing geopolitical tensions, the players ability to pass-on are to be seen in the coming quarters. Revenue growth over the medium term would continue to be driven by demand from varied segments like e-commerce, FMCG, retail, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods coupled with the industrys paradigm shift towards organised logistics players post GST and E-way bill implementation. Furthermore, multimodal offerings are likely to gain increased acceptance and traction going forward, given that players offering multimodal services had more flexibility. Given these factors, and the relatively higher financial flexibility available to large organised players vis-a-vis their smaller counterparts, there is potential for increased formalisation in the sector going forward. The locating of unmarked graves at former Indian Residential School sites across Canada is a tragic reminder of the abuse Indigenous children suffered in these institutions. The governments of Canada and Ontario are working with Survivors, affected families, communities and Indigenous leaders as part of efforts to address historical wrongs and the lasting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual harms related to the legacy of residential schools. Part of this work includes efforts being made to locate and commemorate missing children who attended residential schools in Ontario, as well as responding to Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 72 to 76. Lac Seul First Nation is an Ojibwe First Nation located on the southeastern shores of Lac Seul, 56 kilometers northeast of Dryden, Ontario with a membership of approximately 3,000 of whom 830 live on-reserve. Lac Seul First Nation is working with 33 affiliated Northern Ontario First Nation communities to ensure cultural and spiritual protocols are maintained in working with Survivors, intergenerational Survivors, Knowledge Keepers and First Nation leadership to address the location, documentation, mapping, maintenance, commemoration, memorialization and fieldwork investigation of burials associated with the former Pelican Lake (Pelican Falls) Residential School. This is a community-led process which enables Lac Seul First Nation to undertake this work in their own way and at their own pace and in partnership with the 33 other First Nations involved in this initiative. Chief Clifford Bull of the Lac Seul First Nation; the Honorable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations; the Honorable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services; and the Honorable Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs for Ontario, announced funding of $8,743,163 to support the continuing work underway in Lac Seul First Nation. On November 4, 2021, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) provided an initial amount of $1,000,000 to Lac Seul First Nation, approved for fiscal year 20212022. For fiscal years 202124, CIRNAC has confirmed additional funding of $6,091,563 to support the communitys Bringing our Children Home initiative. The work includes research, engagement, commemoration, memorialization and field investigation related to the Pelican Lake (Pelican Falls) Residential school. Indigenous Services Canadas contribution includes a one-time funding amount of $551,600 to support mental wellness human resources associated with Bringing our Children Home. The staff hired with this funding will support various aspects of the initiative to ensure appropriate mental health supports are in place for those undertaking this difficult work in their communities. This contribution is available through health support funding that was announced in August 2021 to improve access to emotional, cultural, and mental health supports for those impacted by the ongoing investigations and confirmations of unmarked burials at the sites of former residential schools. Ontarios contribution of $1,100,000 in 202122 includes $700,000 in operating funding to support research and community engagement related to burial investigations, and $400,000 in mental health funding to provide supports to Survivors, Elders, and community members as the initiative proceeds. Addressing the abuse suffered by Survivors, their families and communities is at the heart of reconciliation and is essential to renewing and building relationships with Indigenous Peoples, governments, and all Canadians. Chief Clifford Bull, Lac Seul First Nation, said I also extend my deep gratitude to all the partners: the 33 First Nation Chiefs resolution authorizing Lac Seul to lead the Initiative; the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council for their unwavering support administratively to ensure that the Initiative was realized and funded. The funding commitment allows us, as First Nations, to search for our missing children and to find the truth through meaningful involvement of the residential school survivors and their families. This means having an ongoing stable mental health, financial and human support system in place that will be critical as we delve into such a dark past. The Honorable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations stated, Our Government will continue to support Indigenous communities as their unique needs and priorities evolve, including Lac Seul First Nation, with their research and commemoration initiatives to heal from the devastating and lasting impacts of the Pelican Lake Residential School. We acknowledge the difficult work that the leadership, the Survivors, their families, and the community of Lac Seul First Nation is taking on. A National Residential School Crisis Line is available to access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-Hour National Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. The Hope for Wellness Help Line is also available at 1-855-242-3310 or via the online chat function through their website. Six Nations In what may be the first ever tip line into the investigation of criminal activities that occurred at the Mohawk Institute residential school in Brantford Ontario. Often referred to as The Mushhole for the watery gruel served to the residential school students there, The Six Nations Police Service (SNPS), Brantford Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) have established a toll-free tip line to assist an investigation into potential criminal activity at the former Mohawk Institute in Brantford. In July 2021, Mohawk Institute survivors requested that police investigate allegations of abuse at the school, as well as the circumstances surround the deaths of missing children. Investigators want to hear from survivors of the Mohawk Institute, who have any information about missing children or witnessed any criminal acts that could have led to the deaths of children at the facility. If you have information, please share your story with by calling the toll-free tip line, 1-888-523-8587. The tip line is monitored 12 hours a day and calls will be returned within 24 hours. The tip line also includes information on 911 and crisis supports that are available, including the toll-free Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310. Counselling and crisis intervention services are available at any time via online chat at http://www.hopeforwellness.ca. The Multi-Jurisdiction Police Task Force is comprised of teams of investigators from the OPP, Six Nations Police Service and Brantford Police Service, with support from the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario (OCCO). The services are working jointly to ensure a full and comprehensive investigation and the partnerships ensure that all the necessary resources are in place to conduct this complex and difficult investigation. Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn has once again come out in support of Ukraine. Calling for unity and support for Ukraine during appearances on MSNBC and Fox News after he returned from the war-torn country. AP Sean Penn has said that Ukraine will win the war with Russia. He made his stand abundantly clear through his recent media appearances. Agencies Appearing on MSNBC, Penn said Ukraine is going to win this thingits a certainty. Lauding the unity of the nation, he said, Reuters Its an exciting moment in historyThey look at each other, and they say were together. A few weeks back, the actor made headlines when he was in Ukraine to make a documentary film about Russias invasion. He praised President Zelensky and said he is an inspiration for the American people. Agencies Penn added, AFP This is freedom of thought and true leadership that is just so moving. Its the kind of moving that we need to be able to get [to the US], which is borderline a kind of populist lap dance of a nation at this point. Weve got to get back on track together and realize that Ukraine, with all its diversity, has a unity weve never seen in modern times." During his appearance on Fox News, he discussed the war with host Sean Hannity. Talking about Zelensky's courage and undeterred passion for his homeland, Penn said Ukraine will win, but the cost of war remains unclear. Ukraine's Bucha killing | AFP In him, I saw something Id never seen before. He added: It is clear to me that the Ukrainians will win this. The question is at what cost. Sean Penn said it's sad that Ukrainians have to fight for their fundamental rights. He said, He also added, The "Ukrainians are fighting to win, and theyre fighting to win for the very thing were able to do right now, to be free, to dream. Reuters In November last year, Penn had also visited Ukraine to prepare for the documentary. He also visited the countrys military. Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation Press Service had also released the photographs with the actor. Twitter Penn's passion for stories lies in his past documentaries, including the 2020 Discovery Plus film Citizen Penn, which recounted his incredible efforts to establish the non-profit organization Community Organised Relief Effort following the 2010 Haiti earthquakes. The CORE organization, founded by Penn, also ensured free COVID tests in the US during the pandemic. Agencies Last month, the actor threatened to smelt his Oscars in public if Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wasnt invited to the 94th Academy Awards. (To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.) Days after a Jain passenger was accidentally served non-veg food onboard an Air India flight, the Gujarat Animal Welfare Board and the Jain community have written to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking a ban on serving such meals on domestic flights. This request is being made on behalf of vegetarian passengers...Strictly vegetarian passengers feel much more distressed and offended when non-veg food is served instead of veg food, board member Rajendra Shah said in the letter. BCCL Interestingly, the group has demanded a ban on non-veg food on domestic flights, for an incident that happened on an international route. Accidently served non-veg meal Taking to Twitter recently, a passenger Raghavendra Jain had claimed that he traveled with family from Tokyo to Delhi on March 25th on an Air India flight. The Twitter user said that he had pre-booked vegetarian meals and had confirmed them at the check-in counter. Despite this, the staff gave him a non-vegetarian meal. Jain also alleged that despite him asking the staff to check, two crew members casually verified the meal type and reassured him that it was in fact vegetarian meal. Agencies He further alleged that the crew harassed them throughout the flight and that they did not even apolgise for the mistake. Following the incident, two cabin crew members of Air India's Tokyo-Delhi flight were grounded and initiated a probe into this incident. Food policing back in focus The letter comes at a time when the meat ban in Delhi has reignited the debate on food policing. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had earlier this week ordered that meat shops under the civic body's limits should remain close during the nine days of Navratri. BCCL All the shops will be kept shut without any exception. I have issued direction to the commissioner that open display of meat is hurting the religious beliefs, and he will take further action, He then went on to make bizarre claims like 99% per cent of Delhi households don't even eat onion or garlic during Navratri, to justify the ban on the sale of meat. On Tuesday, Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, mayor of East Delhi also backed the meat ban during Navratri. "I have appealed to all meat sellers to understand Hindu sentiments and close their shops on those days," Agarwal told news agency ANI while asserting that as of now it is an appeal. BCCL Similarly, in neighbouring Ghaziabad, mayor Asha Sharma had directed owners to shut meat shops during the Navratri festival. Raw meat cannot be sold in the vicinity of the temple, Sharma said. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The Russian Feminists' resistance is clutching its grip harder against the war crimes being committed by Russian soldiers on Ukrainians. 'Mariupol 5000' The anti-war group has now called for people to place 5000 crosses for the murdered citizens of Mariupol. Responding to the protest call, over 500 across dozens of Russian cities have participated in the initiative termed as 'Mariupol 5000'. Markha Valenta/ FB Not only this, the group has even reached out to a Ukrainian artist Diana Berg, a native of Mariupol to appeal against the recent killings in the city. "We showed our proposal for action #Mariupol5000 and the texts in advance to Diana Berg, an artist from Mariupol, and asked her, if she wanted, to write an appeal as part of the action. This is an appeal to those who destroyed her city," read a statement by the group. It also said that the prose reminds them that activism and any anti-war action should not be done to expect forgiveness from Ukraine now. Markha valenta/ FB Diana's appeal Her appeal can be read below: "We will never forgive you for this. Those caught in the airstrike waiting in line for the water you deprived us of, by destroying the pump stations. Those burnt in the apartment fires, started by tank rounds, the fires that won't be extinguished, because you destroyed all the fire trucks. Those wounded by the shrapnel and dying, not taken to hospital - you dropped bombs on all the hospitals. Those frozen and helpless in the cold, dark cellars, without heating and light, which you took from us long ago. Those children who are dying of dehydration under the bodies of their mothers under the rubble of the houses, brought down by your artillery. AP Those torn apart by the impact of air bombs that your planes drop, then fly away for more, come back and drop them again, and again. Those choked to death by a ton of rock above us, after missile attacks on our theaters, museums and universities, which have long since become just refuges. Those pregnant women who died of blood loss and just women in the hospitals you bombed. Those shot just like that with machine guns and sniper rifles by your soldiers, just because you hate us. Those who died from shelling in their yards, where they went out to make a fire and cook soup for the whole house, because you have damaged the gas in our houses, and we have almost no food left for a long time. Those dying of cancer, covid, colds, gangrene, ulcers and all other diseases, because we have no medicine and you have taken all the doctors hostage. Getty Those hacked by the shards of glass from the shattered windows of their homes, who were knocked out by the volleys from your ship in our sea. Those dying without being able to say the last words to their loved ones, the last 'I love you' and 'please live', as you have jammed the communication, and we do not know if our loved ones, to whom we want to say the last words, are alive. Those buried right behind their houses, because this is where we dug the trenches for the mass graves, because it's impossible to bury in cemeteries under your airstrikes, mines, tanks, rockets and bombs. Russian artist recorded these images outside famous sites in Moscow to protest the Russian militarys massacre of civilians in Bucha. We will never forgive you for that. Neither our dead, nor our living, nor our unborn." For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. They say having a goodnight's sleep can turn away all our problems. We all sometimes do wish that all the stress in our lives can just be ignored by sleeping and how we wish we can sleep for hours and hours. But ever wondered what it would feel like to wake up after sleeping for years? Well, we're not talking about some protagonist of a fairy tale who can only wake up from her sleep after being kissed by the prince, there was an actual person who slept for years and didn't remember anything about that after waking up. Disney Wiki In the nineteenth century, a young 11-year-old British girl named Ellen Sadler went to bed and did not wake up until she was a 21-year-old woman. When Ellen went to sleep, the medical field was just modernising, everything was pretty new and things were relatively simple. The world was shocked to hear about Ellen who was the first one to have Trypanosomiasis, often known as sleeping sickness. According to History Of Yesterday, she was born on the 15th of May, 1859 in a big family of 12 children. She was the 10th kid. Her family was located in a small British village located between Oxford and Buckinghamshire known as Turville. Her father was a farmer who died at a young due to an accident. Her mother remarried a factory worker. Medium.com In 1871, when Ellen and her siblings all went to sleep at night, the difference was that she didn't wake up the next morning. She was shouted at, shaken and pushed but nothing worked. After the word got around, people came to offer money for Ellen even though they didn't know the cause of her problem. She also became a popular tourist attraction and got the popular name 'sleeping girl. People would pay a substantial amount of money just to get a strand of her hair. Medical specialists from all over the world began visiting Ellen's home, but they were unable to find anything. People wondered how she was alive for all this time. Ellen's mother used a little teapot to serve her oatmeal, milk, and wine. It is quite difficult to feed someone who is sleeping. It became even more difficult when one of Ellen's jaws got locked. Then her mother would feed her via a little gap in her teeth. Sadly her mother died of a heart attacl before Ellen woke up. Unsplash Ellen woke five months after her mother died. She took a lot of time to understand the world because she was still 11 mentally. Ellen's medical condition was termed Narcolepsy, and it was caused by a shortage of Orexin. Orexin is a hypocretin (brain chemical) that assists humans in waking up from sleep. She died in 1910 without any proper explanation. She had gotten married and had six children with her husband. For the latest from trending, click here. China welcomes int'l assessment of documents about U.S. biological military activities Xinhua) 11:43, April 07, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday welcomed any global initiative within appropriate frameworks to assess the discovered documents related to U.S. biological military activities. "Recently, the Russian Federation has published quite a number of documents related to biological military activities of the United States, which has caused great concern of international community," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting on biological security. "China welcomes the international community to assess the discovered documents within appropriate frameworks including the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the UN, and hear the clarifications from the relevant country in a fair and impartial manner," said Dai. The envoy said that the relevant country should take a responsible approach and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications on its biological activities to remove the doubts of the international community. "Further enhancement of the transparency on its global biological activities is also needed," Dai noted. Dai underscored that China has suffered from biological weapons during the Second World War and thus consistently stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons. "China firmly opposes the development, stockpiling 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," Dai noted. "All states parties should comply with the objectives and principles of the BWC in good faith," the envoy noted. "The current dynamics on biological security highlight the urgent need to re-launch negotiations on a verification protocol under the BWC and establish a professional, impartial and independent multilateral verification mechanism based on that," he said. "Such a mechanism is a necessary but long-absent instrument to eliminate potential biological weapons threats and enhance the authority and effectiveness of the BWC, and its establishment must not be thwarted by any certain member state," he added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) Workers compensation costs for employers in Pennsylvania are going down for the sixth straight year. Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys approved a loss-cost filing, including a 6.25% reduction in loss costs, which should lead to lower premiums for many Pennsylvania businesses. This loss-cost revision was filed by the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau (PCRB), an independent bureau that makes filings on behalf of companies that write workers compensation insurance in Pennsylvania. The filing is effective as of April 1, 2022. Last April, the department approved a 3.02 % reduction in loss costs. Approximately 350 insurance companies offer workers compensation insurance coverage in Pennsylvania. The loss-cost filing premium savings for an individual employer will vary based on the employers risk classification, claims experience and other factors. Humphreys noted that not all employers will see a decrease in premiums from this reduction. Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier credited increased safety efforts and injury reductions. More than 12,900 state-certified workplace safety committees have been established since March 1994. Employers with certified workplace safety committees have saved more than $847.4 million in premiums, she added, noting there is a five percent premium discount for businesses that have these committees. Topics Workers' Compensation Talent Pennsylvania Maryland lawmakers passed a measure last week to create a paid family leave program, sending the legislation to Gov. Larry Hogan. The bill, approved by supermajority votes by Democrats who control the legislature, would enable workers to take up to 12 weeks of partially paid leave for specified personal family circumstances such as caring for a sick relative or having a baby. It would provide up to 24 weeks for a parent, if he or she has a serious health issue in the year of a childs birth. This has been a long time coming, said Sen. Antonio Hayes, a Baltimore Democrat. He thanked supporters who have come together and really advocated on behalf of Maryland families. Republicans criticized the measure for failing to spell out how much employees and employers would have to contribute, leaving that for the states labor department to define later. They said Democrats were rushing to get the bill to the Republican governor just to meet a deadline so lawmakers will still be in session if the bill is vetoed. Were pushing this bill as quick as we can to get it upstairs, said Sen. J.B. Jennings, a Republican, who added: We dont know the numbers this bill is a hot mess. Because lawmakers are in the last session of the four-year term, they would not have a chance to override the veto next year if they adjourn before the governor acts on legislation. The measure would create an insurance pool. Employees and employers would contribute to fund the program. Under the bill, the states labor department would set contribution rates to pay for the program. Employers with fewer than 15 employees would not be required to contribute. The measure also includes job protections to protect employees from retaliation or termination for using the leave. Seven states and the District of Columbia have paid family and medical leave insurance programs, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. Colorado and Oregon have approved programs that have not started yet. Topics Maryland Indias largest private lender HDFC Banks $40 billion acquisition of its biggest shareholder could face regulatory hurdles due to the stake it would give the bank in the insurance sector, analysts said. Sources told Reuters last year that the Reserve Bank of India, which acts as regulator for the financial industry, wants banks to limit ownership stakes in insurance companies. HDFC Banks acquisition of HDFC Ltd., announced on Monday, will create an entity with a combined balance sheet worth $237 billion and will include the targets insurance and other financial subsidiaries. HDFC Life and HDFC ERGO are among the leading life and general insurance companies in the private sector, and analysts say the RBI is unlikely to be comfortable with the size of the insurance operations the deal will give the bank. HDFC Banks management said on Monday that they have asked the regulator for clarity on complying with its rules, but analysts believe it may not be easy to come by. Considering there are lot of subsidiaries that need to be merged, there could be some regulatory overhang, particularly in the insurance business where the central bank is not very comfortable with banks increasing their stake, said an analyst at a domestic brokerage house. HDFC Bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Tuesday. The RBI also did not respond to a request for comment. One way of folding the subsidiaries into HDFC Bank could be to create a holding company structure, but that could have a negative impact on the balance sheet in the short term, analysts said. If a holding company structure is enforced then the equation changes. Cost goes up as stamp duties and taxes will go up, Macquarie said in a note on Tuesday. In the short term, return on equity (RoE), a key financial metric, will also go down as a result of meeting certain regulatory requirements, the Macquarie note said. As a shadow bank a finance company outside the scope of traditional banking regulation HDFC Ltd has a higher cost of funds compared to the bank. Post merger, the entity may therefore in the short term also see a higher cost of funds, which could affect its margin, said a portfolio manager at a retail brokerage firm. Due to this and other ambiguities regarding the deal and the performance, the stock may not see a big valuation re-rating immediately, he added. HDFC Bank shares fell as much as nearly 3% on Tuesday, while HDFC Ltd slipped more than 2%. Both stocks had surged around 10% on Monday. If it clears the hurdles to a deal, HDFC Bank will shrink the gap in size with state-run lender and bigger rival State Bank of India, and pull further away from peers such as ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. (Reporting by Nupur Anand; editing by Jan Harvey) Topics Mergers & Acquisitions India A rebel investor in Generali could mount a legal challenge if his bid to appoint new top executives at Italys largest insurer loses by a narrow margin in a shareholder vote this month, a candidate for the chairmans role said. In an interview with Reuters, former Goldman Sachs banker Claudio Costamagna said Generali investor Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone could challenge in court a victory by the opposite side at the April 29 AGM called to elect a new Generali board if the margin is less than 6%. Generali Investor Del Vecchio Backs Change in Insurers Leadership Update: Challengers to Generalis Management Target Higher Growth, Bigger M&A The tussle for control of Europes third-largest insurer not only threatens the stability of the Italian giant which as a major holder of the countrys government debt is considered a cornerstone of the financial system but calls into question the reappointment of CEO Philippe Donnet, who was put forward by Generalis board for a third mandate. It also shines a spotlight on the legacy of cross shareholdings that for decades has dominated the countrys salotto buono the fine drawing room a system based on influence and connections interlocking Italys biggest companies. Costamagna who has been proposed by Caltagirone as the insurers new chairman said the Italian tycoons camp was hopeful of securing the vote of Italys Benetton family, which owns around 4% of Generali and is yet to take sides in the feud pitting the construction magnate against Generalis board and its main investor Mediobanca MBDI.MI. The Benetton family could not be reached for comment. With a stake of more than 9%, Caltagirone is the second-biggest investor in Generali, behind Mediobanca which owns just under 13%. To counter Caltagirones weight and that of fellow Italian billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio, who is Generalis No. 3 investor with a stake of around 8%, Mediobanca has borrowed shares in Generali to give it a 17.2% voting stake at the AGM. Mediobanca can also count on the vote of Italys De Agostini group, which plans to sell its 1.4% stake in Generali only after the AGM and has expressed appreciation for Donnet. Costamagna said Caltagirone would challenge a victory that reflected merely Mediobancas borrowed shares and the De Agostini stake. They have about 4.5% borrowed and the De Agostini stake is already sold which means the day after the AGM they have 6% less, Costamagna said. If they win by a margin of less than 6%, theyre not going to be legitimate anymore, he added. Caltagirone and Generali declined to comment. The International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) advises against using borrowed shares to vote at shareholder meetings. A source close to the matter told Reuters that ISLA, which in 2018 said that it has never condoned the practice of borrowing securities for the sole purpose of voting, had written to Mediobanca in this respect. Mediobanca said in an emailed comment that ISLA, whose rules are not binding, was reiterating provisions in the UKs money market code. The share lending in question is a market transaction aimed at protecting an investment worth nearly 4 billion euros where the interest of Mediobanca coincides with that of other Generali shareholders, Mediobanca said. Union Investment, also a Generali shareholder, told Reuters on Thursday it supported existing management. Cherry on the Cake Costamagna said acquisitions in key areas including asset management would play a role in boosting Generalis growth, but dealmaking wouldnt be the main priority. We have the cash to do it, but its the cherry on the cake and we have to find the cherry and the cake has to be ready, he said. If there is the right target, which can bring us what were lacking and can really complement our business, I have no problem in going ahead and trying to do it, he added. The challenger plan forecasts earnings per share growth, including from acquisitions, of more than 14% over the 2021-2024 period, compared with a 6-8% target under Donnets current strategy. Detractors say Caltagirones estimated earnings are too ambitious without sizable acquisitions. However, Costamagna said the focus was mainly on technology, cost cutting and overhauling Generalis holding structure while keeping dividend payments as retail investors including wealthy families had expressed concern over possible cuts to payouts. We stressed the M&A side a bit too much and people thought theyre going to acquire the world, he said. Yet, he said asset management deals would be pursued, despite hefty valuations. We are very careful, but you know, Bernard Arnault at LVMH has created one of the best companies in Europe and has always overpaid for all his targets, always. (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn and Pamela Barbaglia in London and Valentina Za in Milan; editing by Stephen Jewkes, Kirsten Donovan and Matthew Lewis) Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Willis Towers Watson (WTW), Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK), and HDI Global. A summary of these new hires follows here. WTW Names Aons Day as Head of Intl Property Insurance broker WTW announced the appointment of Ed Day as head of International Property, reporting to Garret Gaughan, head of Direct & Facultative, WTW, and based in London. Formerly EMEA Strategic Broking director at Aon as well as a former partner at JLT Specialty / Marsh, Day has extensive experience in managing multinational accounts as well as delivering complex placement solutions. Day will be responsible for risk solution development on behalf of clients, as well as leading a globally connected team, working closely with geography property leaders. We are delighted to welcome Ed to the WTW team. He brings extensive industry experience and his appointment coincides with the ongoing expansion of our global Property & Casualty business, commented Gaughan. Ed joins us at an incredibly exciting time for our global property & casualty business, as we continue to solidify our proposition and support our clients with innovative solutions. Eds appointment demonstrates our on-going commitment to recruiting the best talent to support our property & casualty colleagues around the globe. *** Tokio Marine Kiln Hires Spyropoulos From Lloyds as Asia Regional MD Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK) announced the appointment of Pavlos Spyropoulos as regional managing director for Asia. Spyropoulos joins from Lloyds Asia where he was CEO. In 2014, Spyropoulos relocated to Singapore to assume responsibility for Lloyds Asias market development and became Lloyds CEO of Lloyds Asia and country manager of Singapore in July 2020. He is also an executive committee member of the Singapore Reinsurers Association. He has played an integral part in driving the strategic direction, promotion and oversight of Lloyds in Singapore as well as promoting Lloyds in the broader ASEAN region. Spyropoulos will be assuming the role from Alex Dugand who is returning home to London to take up the position of international development officer. Dugand will report to Matthew Shaw, CUO, and will support the executive team in the delivery of TMKs underwriting and operational strategy. Dugand moved to Singapore to take up the post as regional underwriting director in 2016, before becoming regional managing director in 2018. In that time, the profitability of the company has increased significantly, and he has established an expert team which is focused on delivering an ambitious five-year vision for continued success. *** HDI Global Mexico Announces Management Changes HDI Global SE announced management changes at its operations in Mexico. Effective April 4, 2022, Omar Mendoza Lizaola will join HDI Global Mexico as managing director. At the same time, German Cardenas will assume the role of executive operations director. Mendoza Lizaola has 24 years of expertise in the local commercial insurance industry. He joins HDI Global from his long career at Chubb (formerly ACE) where he was in charge of Marine and Specialty business in North LATAM. From 2016 until 2020 he was director of the same lines of business at Chubb in Brazil. His proven strengths are in portfolio development and optimization combined with a collaborative management approach. Omar holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration. Cardenas joined the HDI Group more than 25 years ago and has transformed HDI Global Mexico into a successful hub for HDIs business in the LATAM region and into a profitable local carrier. Mexico is a growth market for us. With Omar Mendoza we are adding a lot of local and global insurance market expertise to our team and positioning us well for our strategic growth plans in the Mexican market, said David Hullin, member of the Management Board of HDI Global SE and responsible for the regions Europe (not including Germany) and North and South America. While we welcome Omar to our group, we also thank German very much for his excellent work over so many years and we count on his continuous contribution as Director of Operations. Both management changes are subject to the approval of the responsible regulatory authorities. Topics Excess Surplus Aon Property Willis Towers Watson Lloyd's Maryland Mexico Nearly five years after an employee died in a trench collapse, a Missouri contractor exposed two workers to the life-threatening risk of being buried by thousands of pounds of soil as they worked in an unprotected trench weakened by water pooling in an excavation site, according to a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection. On Oct. 14, 2021, OSHA inspectors observed two employees of Blue Springs, Missouri Arrow Plumbing installing water piping in a trench at an Eagle One residential construction site and identified 12 alleged violations. The agency cited the company and owner Rick Smith for four willful violations, one repeated violation and seven serious violations of federal standards. OSHA proposed $796,817 in penalties. Following the October investigation, OSHA cited Arrow Plumbing for two instances of willfully allowing workers to enter the trench without providing cave-in protection, as well as willful citations for allowing water to accumulate in the trench, which compromised the integrity of the excavations walls, and failing to keep soil piles at least 2 feet from the edge of the excavation. The company also allowed workers to walk under suspended loads, failed to provide hardhats, used ladders improperly, failed to train workers and exposed them to struck-by hazards. Arrow Plumbing has a significant history of OSHA violations. Following the fatality investigation in 2016, the company resolved federal safety citations by agreeing to comply with the terms of a settlement agreement entered before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in 2018. The agreement required the company to hire a safety consultant to design and implement a trench safety program and ensure employees complete OSHA construction and trenching and excavation training courses. However, Arrow Plumbing did not hire a safety consultant until Feb. 1, 2021 three years after it promised to do so. The agreement also called for the company to pay $225,000 in previous fines via five payments of $45,000 over four years. To date, Arrow has only made one payment. In August 2020, OSHA cited the company again after it discovered an employee working in another unprotected trench in Grain Valley. The company has contested the citations. Source: OSHA Topics Contractors Missouri A judge on Tuesday dismissed criminal charges against three men prosecuted after a tourist boat sank and killed 17 people during a 2018 Missouri storm. The boat was swamped by waves caused by strong winds shortly after it entered Table Rock Lake near Branson on July 19, 2018. Riders from Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas were killed. Fourteen people survived. Prosecutors last year charged Kenneth Scott McKee, 54, the captain of the vessel known as a duck boat; Curtis P. Lanham, 39, the general manager at Ride the Ducks in Branson; and Charles V. Baltzell, 79, the operations supervisor who was a manager on duty the night the boat sank, each with 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. While Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship said the men _ amphibious boat staff _ were aware of the storm, he said theres no evidence that they knew about the storms gust front, KYTV-TV reported. Lawyers for the defendants said theyre grateful and respect the judges decision. This was a tragedy for all involved, McKees attorney James Hobbs said. The Missouri Attorney Generals Office is considering refiling charges. Were disappointed in the Courts decision, but were not giving up in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the 17 victims and their families, spokesman Chris Nuelle said in a statement. Our Office hopes to refile charges and continue this case, and will confer with the local prosecutor to that end in the coming days. When the criminal charges were filed last year, an affidavit from an investigator accused McKee of taking the boat onto the lake despite concerns about an approaching storm. Lanham and Baltzell are accused of failing to communicate weather conditions and to stop operations after a severe thunderstorm warning was issued. During the preliminary hearing, attorneys for the defendants said the men were not aware that a thunderstorm warning had been issued and a meteorologist at a nearby TV station was urging people to leave the lake immediately, The Kansas City Star reported. Testimony showed the employees at Ride the Ducks, which operated the popular tourist attraction, typically checked only a radar from Earth Networks, a private meteorological company, for weather conditions. The radar showed rain, not wind, was expected that day at the lake. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Missouri The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed a rule to finally ban asbestos, a carcinogen that is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products and kills thousands of Americans every year. The proposal marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled rules governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture. The proposed rule would ban chrysotile asbestos, the only ongoing use of asbestos in the United States. The substance is found in products such as brake linings and gaskets, and is used to manufacture chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda. EPA Administrator Michael Regan called the rule an important step to protect public health and finally put an end to the use of dangerous asbestos in the United States. The proposed ban demonstrates significant progress in our work to implement the (2016) law and take bold, long-overdue actions to protect those most vulnerable among us, Regan said. The 2016 law authorized new rules for tens of thousands of toxic chemicals found in everyday products, including substances such as asbestos and trichloroethylene that for decades have been known to cause cancer yet were largely unregulated under federal law. Known as the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, the law was intended to clear up a hodgepodge of state rules governing chemicals and update the Toxic Substances Control Act, a 1976 law that had remained unchanged for 40 years. The EPA moved to ban asbestos in 1989, but the rule was largely overturned by a 1991 court decision that weakened EPAs authority under TSCA to address risks to human health from asbestos or other existing chemicals. The 2016 law required the EPA to evaluate chemicals and put in place protections against unreasonable risks. At the signing ceremony for the new law, then-President Barack Obama said the U.S. chemical system under TSCA was so complex, so burdensome that our country hasnt even been able to uphold a ban on asbestos. I think a lot of Americans would be shocked by all that. Asbestos, which was once common in home insulation and other products, is banned in more than 50 countries and its use in the U.S. has been declining for decades. The only form of asbestos known to be currently imported, processed or distributed for use in the U.S. is chrysotile asbestos, which is imported primarily from Brazil and Russia. It is used by the chlor-alkali industry, which produces bleach, caustic soda and other products. Most consumer products that historically contained chrysotile asbestos have been discontinued. While chlorine is a commonly used disinfectant in water treatment, there are only 10 chlor-alkali plants in the U.S. that still use asbestos diaphragms to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide. The plants are mostly located in Louisiana and Texas. The use of asbestos diaphragms has been declining and now accounts for about one-third of the chlor-alkali production in the U.S., EPA said. The American Chemistry Council, a lobbying group for the chemical industry, slammed the EPA proposal, saying it could cause substantial harm to Americas drinking water supply by reducing the domestic supply of chlorine. About 98% of public drinking water treatment facilities use some form of chlorine-based disinfectant, the group said, adding that supply chain disruptions experienced by water utilities over the last couple of years have highlighted the vital importance of chlorine to water disinfection. Chlorine also is used in production of batteries, windmills and solar panels, the group said. Linda Reinstein, co-founder and president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, called the EPA rule a landmark step forward, but said more work needs to be done to prevent exposure to asbestos and protect Americans. Reinstein, whose husband, Alan, died from mesothelioma, called on Congress to approve a bill named for her husband that bans asbestos outright. We still need Congress to step up to protect all the Alans out there, she said in an interview. The proposed ban would take effect two years after the effective date of the final rule. In addition to addressing the significant human health effects of chrysotile asbestos exposure, the proposed rule is also expected to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with chlor-alkali production, an energy-intensive industrial operation. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Pollution The Boy Scouts of Americas sexual abuse compensation fund should be rejected, a small group of victims say, because the proposal has the same legal flaw that ended a similar plan by bankrupt opioid maker Purdue Pharma LP. The Boy Scouts are trying to manipulate bankruptcy rules to force an end to lawsuits against local scouting councils and related groups that havent filed for protection under Chapter 11, victims and other critics are set to argue today in federal court. Although an overwhelming majority of victims voted in favor of the Boy Scouts $2.7 billion compensation fund, lawyers for several dozen abuse survivors will try over the next two days to convince a federal judge to deny the proposal. They will be joined by the U.S. Trustee, a federal watchdog who monitors corporate bankruptcy cases, and several insurance companies. The critics say the Boy Scouts are the latest organization trying to use an obscure section of the U.S. bankruptcy code to shield non-bankrupt affiliates from lawsuits, a strategy Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and other big businesses have also employed. Last year, a federal judge in New York threw out Purdue Pharmas multi-billion dollar compensation fund because it proposed blocking suits against people and entities that didnt join the drug maker in bankruptcy. Final Arguments All sides gathered on Zoom Wednesday morning to make their final arguments for and against what would be the biggest-ever compensation fund for victims of sexual abuse. One of the first issues to come up was the accusation by insurance companies that the fund was put together in bad faith because it favors the interests of plaintiffs lawyers who stand to collect big fees. I was underwhelmed with the lack of evidence of bad faith, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein said. I didnt see anything to support the insurers position on this. The insurers will have a chance to argue their position later on. Silverstein has listened to weeks of testimony from abuse experts, financial advisers and insurance specialists about the Boy Scouts complex plan to route more than 80,000 abuse claims to the compensation fund instead of allowing them to proceed in court. Insurers, including American International Group Inc., Liberty Mutual Holding Co. and Travelers Cos., oppose the plan because they claim it may force them to make payments they cant negotiate, even when allegations are fraudulent. After the Boy Scouts filed bankruptcy in 2020, victims lawyers began an advertising campaign to recruit clients. That helped boost the total number of abuse claims to 82,000 from about 1,400 at the start of the bankruptcy. Boy Scouts Victims Fund Unfair to Insurers, Companies Argue in Court The Boy Scouts have spent the last three weeks in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware trying to convince Silverstein to approve the trust fund, which is the central feature of the groups reorganization plan. Under the proposal, all current abuse cases would be handled by the trust, which has elaborate rules to decide how much each victim should receive. Purdue Pharma was one in a string of bankruptcies, along with a case filed by a unit of Johnson & Johnson, that caused an uproar among elected officials last year. Purdue tried to end lawsuits against itself and its billionaire owners by creating a compensation fund and requiring all litigation to be routed there. That plan was rejected by a federal judge, sending Purdue back into negotiations with opponents. An appeal is ongoing. J&J is trying to shed tens of thousands of lawsuits over its iconic baby powder, without putting the consumer health giant itself into bankruptcy. Using an obscure Texas law, J&J shunted billions of dollars in potential legal claims into an isolated subsidiary, which was then put into court protection. In response, some members of Congress have proposed legislation to curb such practices. Objecting Insurers The Boy Scouts $2.7 billion trust is funded by the youth organization, some insurers and church groups. Earlier this year, the last major victim groups cut a deal with the Boy Scouts to back the fund. That left a much smaller number of victims and holdout insurers as the main opponents. The objecting insurers claim their contracts with the Boy Scouts are being rewritten to please victims attorneys. Those contracts will be taken over by the trust, which will be dominated by victim advocates, the insurers argue. The plan is also opposed by the U.S. Trustee, a federal bankruptcy watchdog, which argues that too many groups and individuals are being released from liability in the deal. The case is Boy Scouts of America, 20-10343, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington). Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits Trends Violent storms killed one person in Texas on April 5 as hail pelted communities and high winds knocked trees into power poles elsewhere in the South. Authorities issued a flurry of tornado warnings at the start of what could be two days of violent weather in the region. In eastern Texas, W. M. Soloman, 71, died when storm winds toppled a tree onto Solomons home in Whitehouse, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas, Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley said. Officials said trees fell on at least four homes in the area. More than 50,000 homes and businesses were without power Tuesday afternoon from eastern Texas to South Carolina. No injuries were reported, but the National Weather Service issued a nonstop stream of tornado warnings for hours as the storm system tore across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Elsewhere in Texas, one person was injured when the storms swept through Johnson County, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Dallas. Brittaney Deaton said she became trapped in an RV trailer behind her familys home after the trailer flipped over. She said her stepfather got injured trying to free her. I was screaming on the phone. I couldnt get out. I was terrified, Deaton told KDFW-TV. And I felt like I was just trapped, like it was going to roll with me in it. And I just thank God that I got out. Her mother, Amber Zeleny, said her husband suffered injuries to his nose, leg and ribs but that he was expected to recover. The threat of damaging weather will move further north on Wednesday, forecasters said, with severe storms possible across an area stretching from western Alabama to the western tip of the Carolinas. More than 10 million people in metro areas including Atlanta; Birmingham; and Chattanooga, Tennessee, will be at risk, the Storm Prediction Center said. Springtime often brings strong storms to the Southeast. Te region has faced a barrage of weather recently that included a tornado last month in metro New Orleans, where one person died, and storms that killed at least two people in the Florida Panhandle last week. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Windstorm Florida authorities have charged three Miami people with cellphone insurance fraud after they allegedly submitted 40 fraudulent claims to American Bankers Insurance Co. The states chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, said that his Department of Financial Services insurance fraud bureau had found that Learne Perez, her husband, Paul Adelardo Pena Lora, and his twin brother, Leonardo Pena Lora, had obtained cellphone insurance through American Bankers, also known as Assurant. The trio repeatedly reported their phones stolen, lost or damaged in 2018 and 2019, then allegedly sold their iPhones and Samsung phones to retail stores in Miami for about $500 each. Assurant paid out more than $19,000 on the false claims before company officials became suspicious, Patronis office said. The three were arrested Tuesday and booked into jail in Miami-Dade County. As smartphones have increased in price in recent years, cellphone insurance has grown rapidly. Some market researchers have estimated the global cellphone insurance market at $23 billion in 2020. Insurance policies can be obtained for a few dollars a month. Allstate, for example, offers a three-year plan for $10.99. And like auto insurance fraud, cellphone insurance and protection-plan fraud also has grown, and prosecutors have had to delve into the practices. One of the most famous cases was that of Laquitta Brackins of Atlanta. Federal prosecutors said she recruited cellphone users across the city and was linked with more than 3,600 fraudulent claims that produced some 2,900 new phones. Brackins was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2016. Industry experts have said as many as four of 10 cellphone claims are fraudulent, according to one report. Experts recommend that insurers record the International Mobile Equipment Identity number, which is unique to every device and can be tracked and blacklisted. Topics Numbers Violent storms killed three people in the South Tuesday, including one in Georgia, as another swarm of tornadoes and hailstorms tore across the region. A woman died Tuesday evening in Pembroke, Georgia, where a suspected tornado ripped part of the roof from the Bryan County courthouse, destroyed the entrance to a local government building across the street and damaged homes in nearby neighborhoods, said Matthew Kent, a county government spokesman. Kent said several others were injured in the county 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Savannah. He said the death occurred in one of the damaged neighborhoods, but had no further details. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King said he, his staff and fraud investigators had deployed to the county to assist residents and educate people on the potential for unscrupulous repair people and other scams. Region-wide, more than 50,000 homes and businesses were without power Tuesday night from eastern Texas to South Carolina. The outages came on a day when the National Weather Service issued a nonstop stream of tornado warnings for hours as the storm system tore across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. In southeast Georgia, Gage Moore, 23, was driving home from work Tuesday evening on Interstate 16 in the county where Pembroke is located when his fiance called saying she heard tornado sirens. About two minutes later, Moore said, he looked up to see a towering twister looming to the left of the highway. Moore said he pulled over and stopped his car behind an overpass, then took cellphone video of the funnel cloud churning across the interstate. Everybody started slamming on brakes all around me, Moore said. I could actually feel my truck shaking back and forth and hear the roar of it passing by. He added: Thankfully we all stopped and left a huge gap in the interstate where it crossed. In South Carolina, Allendale County Manager William Goodson said a tornado, captured in a video on social media, caused damage in his rural county, but exactly how much and whether there were any injuries were unknown. I know we have buildings damaged and power lines down, Goodson said. Debate also was delayed for nearly an hour in the South Carolina legislature after the state House chamber was evacuated for a tornado warning for Columbia. The legislation being debated would require athletes to compete with the gender listed on their birth certificates. The weather service said it was sending survey teams to examine potential tornado damage in Wetumpka, Alabama. Lightning struck a flea market in the north Alabama community of Laceys Spring, causing a fire that gutted the building, news outlets reported. Fallen trees and limbs closed a stretch of highway for hours in Newton County, Mississippi. As storms pushed into Georgia, a large tree fell and crashed through the roof of Marie Jordans home in metro Atlanta, coming down in the living room, kitchen and garage. It just took everything, Jordan told WSB-TV. For years and years, I have watched that tree. Springtime often brings strong storms to the Southeast. But the region has faced a barrage of weather recently that included a tornado last month in metro New Orleans, where one person died, and storms that killed at least two people in the Florida Panhandle last week. The National Weather Service has reported that tornado frequency in the U.S. has remained relatively constant over the years. But some evidence suggests that storms have shifted somewhat from Tornado Alley in the Midwest to Dixie Alley in the Southeast. Photo: The Bryan County Courthouse was damaged and trees broken in half, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, after a storm passed through the city of Pembroke, Ga., 30 miles from Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Lewis M. Levine) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Windstorm Georgia Most of the defendants in Floridas lawsuit over the opioid epidemic have settled for more than $870 million, according to the state attorney general. One remains: Walgreens Co. is not giving up. A jury has been seated in Pasco County, Florida, just north of Tampa, to hear the states case against Walgreens, a huge drug store chain with more than 9,000 outlets on streetcorners throughout the country. Opening statements are set for early next week. The Deerfield, Illinois-based company says it will not settle. We are prepared for trial, said Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman in an email. Florida, led by Attorney General Ashley Moody, contends that Walgreens has been an integral part of the opioid epidemic. As examples of excess, Moody said in a statement that one Walgreens outlet sold 2.2 million opioid tablets in the town of Hudson, Florida, which has about 12,000 residents. Other Walgreens locations, according to the state, increased their orders for opioids by 600% in a two-year period. Its time for Walgreens to face accountability for their part in fueling the opioid crisis, and my team is prepared to vigorously try our strong case against them, Moody said in a statement. Walgreens denies the states allegations. The opioid epidemic has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades, counting those from prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone as well as illicit drugs such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl. In the same case as Walgreens, Moody said CVS Health Corp. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. will pay the state $484 million. Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. agreed to pay $195 million and Allergan PLC more than $134 million. Florida has previously obtained millions of dollars in opioid settlements involving McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. That leaves Walgreens, at the moment, as the sole defendant in Floridas opioid case. OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has a tentative nationwide deal that includes $6 billion in cash from members of the Sackler family who own the company; drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and the distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson have finalized settlements totaling $26 billion. In all, settlements, civil and criminal penalties since 2007 have totaled over $45 billion, according to an Associated Press tally. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Florida Taking a calculated risk by selling a hazardous product isnt the same as intentionally causing harm. For that reason, insurers must cover a court judgment that requires the company that sold Dutch Boy lead paint to pay $101 million into a California abatement fund, a New York appellate court ruled on March 24. The 1st Department of the New York Appellate Division affirmed a decision that found Lloyds of London and other insurers liable for NL Industries claim. The appellate panel rejected the insurers argument that the award was excluded from coverage because the paint manufacturer promoted the use of lead paint despite knowing that it posed a serious risk. That is not a clear finding that NL either expected or intended to harm any person or property, the opinion says. Santa Clara County filed a lawsuit in 2000 against NL Industries, ConAgra Grocery Products Co. and Sherwin-Williams Co. under the Californias public nuisance law. Nine other California cities and counties joined the action, which sought to hold manufacturers responsible for promoting lead paint for use in homes despite their knowledge that the product was highly toxic. NL was a member of the Lead Industries Association, a trade group that sponsored an advertising campaign in the 1930s that promoted the use of white lead carbonate pigment in paint. At the time, it was already widely known that lead dust is poisonous. In fact, NLs representative was present when LIAs board of directors in 1930 discussed an article in the U.S. Daily that reported babies were contracting lead poisoning from chewing paint from toys, cradles and woodwork more frequently than previously thought. After a six-week trial, the Santa Clara County Superior Court ordered the three companies to pay $1.1 billion into a lead paint abatement fund. The 6th District Court of Appeal amended the ruling to require the companies to pay for abatement of only homes built before 1951, reducing the abatement fund amount to $409 million. The companies appealed, but the California Supreme Court refused to hear the case. The defendants agreed to pay $305 million to settle the lawsuit in 2017. NLs share is $101.6 million. When NL Industries turned to its former insurers for coverage, Ace and Lloyds refused. They said the company had intentionally caused the harm that prompted Santa Clara Countys lawsuit. Lloyds and 15 other insurers filed a lawsuit in the New York County Supreme Court seeking a declaration that NLs insurance policies did not provide coverage. The action involves 320 insurance policies spanning over 70 years, according to court documents. The insurers argued, 1, that NL Industries actions were intentional; 2, the court order was not for damages or expenses as required by the policy; and 3, the liability was not imposed because of property damage or bodily injury. Supreme Court Judge Andrea Masley found that the order to pay into the abatement fund was covered by the policies. She said in her order that some of the insurance policies did not contain an exclusion for intentional acts. And she said even the polices that exclude damages caused by intentional acts still provide coverage for NLs actions. Masley, citing prior case law, said in New York there is a distinction between knowledge of a risk of hazardous consequences of ones actions and the intention to cause harm. She also rejected the argument that the court order wasnt a result of damages. The order says that the fund was created to remediate the danger caused by deteriorated lead paint on an estimated 5 million California homes. That amounts to damages under the relevant policy language, the order says. Finally, Masley disagreed with the insurers argument that there was no covered property damage. While this court agrees that property damage and bodily injury are not elements of the representative public nuisance claim, there is a connection between the lead poison injuries to the children residing in the buildings containing the lead paints promoted by NL and the property damage to those buildings as a result of NLs promotion of lead paint, the order states. That finding directly conflicts with a decision by the Ohio Court of Common Pleas in 2013, which found that insurers had no duty to pay into the abatement fund on behalf of the company that manufactured Glidden paint because there was no property damage covered by the policies. The appellate panel said in its opinion that it agrees with Masley that the Ohio decision was incorrect, assuming that insurance policies issued to Gliddens manufacturer had the exact same language as NL Industries policies. The nuisance liability is based on the widespread bodily injury/property damage that the hazard of lead paint in homes caused and continues to cause, the appellate court said. Topics Carriers Environmental, social and governance may have rightly taken a backseat to Russias war on Ukraine, but its still a big part of the world nowadays. The concept of being environmentally friendly and socially conscious in the corporate cannabis world is of particular importance, considering the ranks of the younger generations that comprise many in the ranks of consumers are also finely attuned to these concepts. Being ESG, or saying one is being ESG, isnt without risks, and there are particular risks that cannabis firms and those who work to insure them should be aware of. For our latest Insuring Cannabis podcast we spoke with Jonathan Meer, an attorney with Wilson Elser, who has some good advice on being all you can be when being ESG. Following are takeaways from that conversation. Meers top concern about ESG isnt so much about a company making efforts to be more green, or more socially conscious, but about any statements executives make about a companys ESG accomplishments that may not match whats really being done. So, what is the ESG statement? What are the statements that theyre making about environmental issues? What are the statements theyre making about social government issues? What are the things that means to the company? Meer said. So, when the director and officer is putting himself out there by representing that the company is going to do one of these things. The concern is if they do not make it, if they do not match that and in particular the cannabis industry, kind of the promises of being green, what are the potential, you know repercussions of that in terms of liability that can be brought through the courts? These concerns are compounded in the cannabis industry, where social justice is a consideration in many regions when granting licenses to business and equitable hiring practices are highlighted. Additionally, the cannabis industry plays to the younger people, many of whom take ESG much more serious than preceding generations. I think that is the impression of the cannabis industry, but the question is, quote-unquote, how green or how environmental they are is another story, he said. There are a lot of issues and they talk about carbon neutrality. But usage of water and being net water positive, these are environmental issues, which people may think isnt part of the green cannabis industry. And it may not be what that company is saying that theyre going to do for their shareholders. So far, there hasnt been many examples of D&O lawsuits filed in the cannabis industry to vividly illustrate Meers warnings about ESG, but suits in other industries, such as environmental suits against Exxon, and suits in other industries related to the #MeToo movement, may be harbingers of what may be to come. Not being diverse despite a pledge to be, is another area where Meer sees trouble signs. Another type in the social (area) that comes up is issues on diversity, he said. There have been a slew of derivative actions that had been filed in the last year or two against directors and officers for failing to match their pledge of having diversity, but yet having little or none minorities on boards while many of those cases have actually been all been dismissed. That is something that as a cannabis company will grow in popularity. That is something that they also might have to deal with those kind of claims. His bottom line question on ESG is: Is that youre saying something, but youre not going to do it, or try to do it, or make substantial efforts to do it? So, if youre a company that says, I am going to invest in ESG-type entities, but you are not, thats when the liability could potential be. He added: Are you going to walk the walkor if youre just saying it to get the companies to feel better about you, thats where the potential concerns can come in from, for those Ds and Os. Related: Topics Cannabis TriMet is facing a $10 million lawsuit from the city of Portland, Oregon, for alleged deeply flawed work on a streetcar track, leaving it with major structural defects that could cost the city millions in repairs. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported the suit says the transit agency failed to properly manage the construction of the city-owned platform near the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The transit agencys California-based contractor, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., a firm hired by TriMet to make fixes to the Southeast Portland platform, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The suit alleges the company failed to perform the work in a professional and workmanlike manner and supervise subcontractors, leading to cracks in part of the platform and other foundational flaws. The Portland City Council unanimously gave the city the greenlight to sue TriMet in March. According to that resolution, a city-hired engineer found multiple problems that cropped up after the construction firm finished the job in 2015, including cracked walls and empty space undermining the structure that needed to be filled. Repairs, court documents say, could cost the city more than $10 million. City attorneys say leaders at the transportation agency failed to oversee the construction firm and ensure the work was up to their standards. For over two decades, the city has maintained a streetcar system that runs through downtown. In 2013, the city and TriMet embarked on the Eastside Close the Loop Project, an effort to create a full streetcar loop around the central city with a connection over the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. did not respond to Oregon Public Broadcastings request for comment. A TriMet spokesperson declined to comment citing pending litigation. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Contractors Oregon Construction Arguably the most complicated piece of machinery humans have ever built has arrived in Ireland ready to resolve the global shortage is computer chips. The Intel plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare has seen the arrival of the Dutch built EUV lithography system, a device used to print the billions of transistors onto silicon wafers that are then transformed into computer chips. The device can print features as small as 13 nanometres in size (7,500 times smaller than a human hair) with an alignment precision of just over 1nm. To put this in context, its the equivalent of directing a laser pointer to your fingertip from the moon. The arrival of this system in Ireland marks the first high volume EUV production in Europe, bringing with it the future of semiconductor manufacturing. The arrival of this system to Ireland marks the first high volume EUV production in Europe. The first system arrived in Ireland having journeyed across the Atlantic from Intel's Technology Development unit in Oregon. It was first transported by four Boeing 747 Cargo planes with pieces weighing up to 15 tonnes each. It completed the final part of its journey via road where it was carried by more than 35 trucks. Lithography scanners are the part of the semiconductor manufacturing process where a lot of the magic happens. These scanners print the microarchitecture of each individual chip onto a silicon wafer. They do this by scanning a design template - called a reticle - and transferring this image to the silicon wafer, which is then developed. The science It does this by generating EUV light which has 13.5nm wavelength by spraying micro droplets of tin across a vacuum chamber and striking it with a 25KW CO2 Laser beam twice. The first low energy shot evaporates the droplet to a cloud shaped like a pancake, the second high energy shot transforms the cloud into a plasma thats focused into a beam that bounces off a series of mirrors before picking up and focusing the circuitry image into the silicon wafer to print billions of transistors and other features on the wafer. The system consists of 100,000 parts, 3,000 cables, 40,000 bolts and more than a mile of hosing. It has taken 18 months of design and construction activity to prepare the Fab 34 building in Kildare to receive the machine. Some 20,000 work hours alone went into just preparing for the arrival of the scanner. Intel said more than 100 ASML staff are now supporting the build and set up of the system together with teams of trade contractors, Intel Engineers and Technicians. The Fab 34 facility in Ireland will be one of a number of facilities producing vital chip technology as the world struggles to secure the required volume to meet demand. The current shortage of chips has impacted virtually every industrial sector, particularly the motor industry delaying the production of countless products. The purpose of education is difficult to define. Its a complex process of becoming. Education recalls the poet Louis MacNeice, gazing beyond his roses, to the glass, the snow, appreciating what it is things being various. For others, defining education seems simpler. Speaking at a press conference about recent reforms to the senior cycle, Norma Foley proudly announced that shed consulted the OECD and businesses at home and abroad to come to her conclusions. She referred to these discussions as very important before adding that employers are now looking for skills where theyre not just knowledge-based but have an application. She went on to make the most chilling comment of all: Thats what is informing our reform of senior cycle. To be fair, she also referenced the NCCA report, the reflections of students, educators, and other experts, but throughout her delivery, there was an undeniable focus on student employability. Nobody is naive enough to think that this shouldnt form a part of our education system, but does it deserve such prominence? Indeed, is this focus reflected in the NCCA report the culmination of a lengthy consultation process that began in 2016? No. Its not. The NCCA report discusses human flourishing. It envisages varied and coherent pathways. It aspires to create true flexibility. It aims to serve every student on an equitable basis, in a senior cycle that helps every student to become more autonomous and independent, and more fully themselves, with views and perspectives on their lives and on society. The report hopes to create a senior cycle thats much more than a perceived sorting mechanism for who goes to higher education, who proceeds to further education and who joins the workforce. Where is any of this ambition in Foleys reform? Where is the revolution against the points race, the system reducing us to the sorting mechanism mentioned? Foleys watered-down reform brings home a disappointing truth education is purely political in Ireland and its mostly about money. Its about the avoidance of funding and the creation of a workforce. What Foley has missed throughout her deliberations is the importance of treating human beings as humans before they are organised into human capital. Foley has decided, and publicly announced that education in Ireland is a means to an economic end. She has lost faith in creating spaces in our schools in which individuals form and flourish. But Norma Foley is not everyone. Dr Robert Grant, co-founder of Hearlisten, a philosophical dialogue project, offers a different view of education and one far closer to the spirit of the NCCA report. The framing of education in terms of economic output often sets up a division between the arts and science. Science might offer quicker returns, but it suffers when denied the space for creative blue sky, open-ended thinking. Thats where the real innovation happens the spawning of ways of thinking we havent even imagined yet. Dr Grant sees an inherent lack of trust in our education system. We have this sense that we need to keep students on track. What we really need to do is preserve the sacred space offered by education, away from the daily pressures of politics and economics. This is when real change happens, when young people are given the freedom to examine and question their world from the outside, looking in. He also sees Foleys remarks as short-sighted. Weve no way of knowing what skills will be required in thirty years. Instead, we must focus on far more ambitious, timeless, human concerns: the fostering of curiosity, creativity, imagination, and care. The one simple fact of which Im certain, is that to achieve this type of education, one that aspires to do the best for our students, we require more funding. We cant simply re-pack our students mental load by offering exams at different times of the year and although I welcome a diversification of assessment types, it is a tiny part of a much broader, more complex endeavour. We need far more funding, and we need to dismantle the points system entirely. We need more pathways in our schools, adequately funded and resourced pathways. We need to understand and respect the intrinsic value of education, and its potential to transform and inspire human beings. Instead, we have Foleys myopic remarks about good business. Make no mistake, we are being spoon-fed a cynical, politically motivated definition of education as being whatever the employer demands. We are being spoon-fed a downgraded, soulless definition of education to avoid deep reform and adequate funding. The question for the Irish public is this are we stupid enough to swallow? Bank of Ireland could face multiple civil cases after an investigation found the data of 47,000 customers was altered in a way that could have damaged their credit history. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) found that the bank breached GDPR, the EUs law on data protection and privacy, in relation to inaccurate information sent to the Central Credit Register (CCR). In some cases, incorrect data was added to a customers file to indicate they were in financial distress. When Bank of Ireland was initially contacted by the DPC about the error, it said one customer was affected. It ultimately transpired that approximately 47,000 data subjects were affected by this breach, the DPC said, adding that it took over 18 months for Bank of Ireland to provide a final number for those affected. In relation to one high-risk instance where 236 people had credit card information inaccurately reported, the DPC said it was inexplicable that the bank waited until November or December 2019 to inform the customers when it could have done so the previous June. Bank of Ireland was ordered to fix the issues with its data processing systems and was rebuked for the length of time it took to inform customers. While the DPC handed down a fine of 463,000 to the bank, the matter could cost it a lot more than that. 'Indicator of wider problem' Data Compliance Europe director Simon McGarr said the DPCs findings could be an early indicator of a wider problem of companies mishandling customer data and he suggested Bank of Ireland could potentially face court action from customers. The case goes to the heart of the relationship between a bank and its customers, Mr McGarr said. In terms of Irish precedence, the 463,000 fine is a substantial figure, he said. Its not the final word for the bank either. If individuals were affected by the data breach, they have a right to civil action against the bank. If it had a serious effect, a claimant could show a financial loss from this breach. But when I say affected, that could just include the improper disclosure of this data, they dont have to demonstrate actual financial loss. The GDPR allows for recovery of non-financial loss. Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said he feared this case could be a sign of deeper problems within the banking sector and how it handles customer data. In a statement, Bank of Ireland said it acknowledges and sincerely apologises for the breaches identified by the DPC and said that it had taken measures to address the failings identified. The bank has notified all impacted customers, it said. It has rectified the inaccurate information reported to the CCR in all but 20 cases which will be corrected shortly. The bank has engaged fully and proactively with the commission during its inquiry and will continue to do so as it implements these additional measures as quickly as possible. Ukrainians who have fled war do not want to be a drain on the Irish taxpayer and want to work, their ambassador to Ireland has said. But they will need more help to find their feet and contribute, Larysa Gerasko said. She was speaking in Cork on Thursday after a briefing from the Lord Mayor Colm Kelleher, city officials, and key agencies on the citys community response forum, on their efforts to help Ukrainians who have fled the war. It is estimated there are at least 1,000 Ukrainians now living in the city and county, with several thousand more expected over the coming weeks. Ms Gerasko said Ukrainians who have arrived here are very grateful to the Irish Government, to local authorities and agencies for the support and solidarity shown to date. I would like to pay a special tribute to the Irish people for their huge response to the war and for their generosity and kindness, she said. But despite the accommodation, access to the education system and to medical care, she said the new arrivals need more support to make their life here a little bit easier. Among the additional supports required are English language classes, help finding a GP, securing school places for children, and additional medical supports for those with physical disabilities. English language classes She said many of the new arrivals want to work, and are looking for work, but English language lessons are needed to help them, especially professionals like doctors, nurses, teachers and others, access the workforce. Most of the Ukrainians are ready to learn English to improve their skills, she said. Ukrainians, our nation, are hard-working. The second day here people try to find work. They dont want to get welfare and to spend Irish taxpayers money. They are ready to work on the second day. She became emotional as she spoke about the emerging evidence of atrocities and war crimes in cities like Bucha and Mariupol, where she said Ukrainian forces have found evidence of summary executions, of civilians being tortured and raped, and several bodies where the tongues have been cut out. She also spoke of her ongoing concern for her brother and her parents, who are still in Ukraine. Even though Russian military forces have recently withdrawn from their towns, she said air raid sirens still sound daily. There is no safe place in Ukraine now, she said. Peace talks She said she hoped peace talks would resume soon and that a draft settlement prepared by the Ukrainians, and which was presented at the last round of negotiations last week, requires the support of several countries. They need to be parties to that settlement. France, Germany, the US and other permanent members of the UN Security Council have to be part of this agreement, and have to act as guarantor states of our security," she said. We need commitments from all these countries in case of threats or further invasion. We dont trust Russia. We are looking for a peaceful settlement. We dont want to pay a bigger price in human life so that is what we are looking for a peaceful settlement. Later, Ms Gerasko attended a Cork International Film Festival-hosted charity screening of the Cannes award-winning film Donbass by acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, with all proceeds going to support Ukrainian filmmakers. With more than two million passengers expected to pass through this year, Cork Airport has launched its summer schedule of over 40 routes. Ryanair is expected to operate its largest-ever summer programme from Cork, serving 25 destinations over the coming months. Of these, seven are new routes including daily services to Manchester and Edinburgh, a three-time weekly flight to Birmingham and a twice-weekly service to Venice, Pisa, Alghero and Valencia. Aer Lingus has already begun operations to sun destinations for those hoping for a summer get-away including five flights a week to Malaga, three to Lanzarote, Faro and Palma, and two to Dubrovnik and Croatia. Both airlines have already restored their important daily leisure and business routes to London, with Ryanair flying to Stansted and Gatwick, while Aer Lingus operates a four-times daily service to Heathrow. Vueling currently operates a three times weekly service to Pairs (Orly) Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines will join KLM and Vueling in providing a wide range of destinations out for Cork Airport during the summer months. Vueling currently operates a three times weekly service to Pairs (Orly), while KLM operates twice-daily service to Amsterdam, a hub airport with a worldwide route network. Air France is offering passengers six flights per week to Pairs (Charles de Gaulle), while Lufthansa will resume their three times weekly service to Frankfurt from May 13. From April 15, Swiss Air will operate a twice-weekly service to Zurich in Switzerland. Speaking at the launch Brian Gallagher, head of aviation and commercial business development, said summer 2022 is "shaping up to be a strong period of recovery" following the Covid-19 pandemic. "We have a great mix of routes across the UK and Europe, catering to great outdoor escapes, city breaks and sunny destinations," Mr Gallagher said. "Were also looking forward to operating with a wide range of airline partners at Cork in 2022 as we rebuild our network offering." From April 15, Swiss Air will operate a twice-weekly service to Zurich in Switzerland. Cork Airport managing director, Niall MacCarthy, added: Cork Airport offers friendly, stress-free travel and short walking distances right through from car park to check-in to boarding gate. "With over 40 routes on offer this summer, we encourage both our regular passengers and passengers new to Cork Airport - from South Leinster and right through all of Munster, to fly Cork this summer." Cork Airport is advising passengers to arrive between 90 and 120 minutes prior to boarding during the busy summer period to ensure they have enough time to transition security. Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine has had a powerful impact on the French presidential campaign. Before the Russian invasion, there were three Putin supporters among the leading candidates: the far lefts Jean-Luc Melenchon and the far-right contenders Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour. While Le Pen has proudly staged photo ops with Putin (in 2017), approved of his annexation of Crimea, and presided over a party that received loans from Russian banks, Zemmour has expressed his admiration for Putin, whom he has described as a patriot. And Melenchon, for his part, has long advocated a French exit from Nato, reflecting his anti-Americanism and affinity for the Latin American left of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. All three candidates confidently insisted that Putin would not invade Ukraine. Though Putin took all three candidates by surprise, Zemmour has been the only one to pay a political price so far. Le Pen immediately denounced the invasion and re-oriented her campaign to focus on pocketbook issues like the sudden surge in energy prices. Melenchons response has been more muddled: while saluting Ukrainians heroism, he baulks at sending them weapons. As with Le Pen, his campaign is primarily focused on domestic social issues, and he has been avoiding discussion of the war whenever possible. By contrast, Zemmours entire campaign has been about shunning immigrants, which has made adapting to the onset of war difficult. He has expressed reservations about welcoming Ukrainian refugees, and with nothing specific to say about rising energy prices, his candidacy has come to seem increasingly irrelevant. He is now polling far behind Le Pen, whom he had previously hoped to challenge for pre-eminence on the far right. In the campaigns final stretch, the three leading contenders are the incumbent, President Emmanuel Macron, with around 27%, followed by Le Pen and Melenchon, with around 23% and 16%, respectively. Macron dominates the French right Among the clearest effects of the war is that the candidate of the traditional Republican right, Valerie Pecresse, has effectively fallen out of the running. In addition to mismanaging her campaign, her candidacy has been hit hard by a shift in support toward Macron, who has not just reaped the political benefits of the Ukrainian war but has also co-opted some of Pecresses policy proposals. Pecresse has responded angrily to her change in fortune, accusing Macron of counterfeiting her program. But the problem for the Republican right is not just that Macron is peeling away some of Pecresses supporters. It is that he has systematically adopted its core positions, including retirement at 65, work requirements for welfare beneficiaries, and a reduction in the inheritance tax. This amounts to a full-scale takeover of the French centre-right. Read More Ukraine appeals for Nato help as fears grow for eastern regions If Macron is re-elected, he will preside over a formidable big-tent party, and the Republicans will be left with crumbs, squeezed between a resurgent far-right and a governing party that is intent on devouring them. Macrons goal is clear. He does not want to suffer the same fate as Valery Giscard dEstaing, whose seven-year presidency left no trace in French political life. Like Charles de Gaulle following his return to power in 1958, Macron wants to rebuild the right from the ground up. The calculation is simple. All told, the French right commands some 75% of the electorate including supporters of Macrons own party, La Republique en Marche. Within this broad cohort, there is room for two big forces: the far right, which accounts for 30-35% of the electorate, and a united front comprising the remainder of conservative voters. Together with Macron, this latter bloc could govern France for quite a long time, echoing the legacy of Gaullism and its multiple reincarnations after de Gaulles death. Assuming that the far-right seizes the opportunity, it could recompose itself and become a powerful bloc capable of taking power one day. Just as de Gaulle forced the socialist and communist left under Francois Mitterrand, Macrons play for traditional conservatives could produce a consolidation of forces to his right. The far-right need only position itself as the only alternative to the new Gaullist power. What about the left? As for the left, it seems hard-pressed to challenge this reality. Whatever its moral authority on ecological or social justice issues, the left is playing a zero-sum game from a weak position, commanding the support of around 25% of the electorate. Nor has the war in Ukraine helped. The left is divided over the response and the role of Europe, France, and Nato in it. The Green candidate, Yannick Jadot, and the socialist candidate, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, have accused Melenchon of supporting autocrats, though with little effect on his relative popularity. Behind the Ukraine dividing line, there are two clashing views about how to reconstitute the French left. The first is to match the radicalism on the far right, whose rise seems to reflect the demands of an electorate that feels betrayed by the mainstream. The second asserts that the left has become repellent to most of society precisely because it has lost its moderate elements. To return to power, it must appeal to voters who are interested in issues such as ecology but suspicious of radicalism. In fact, both views are true; the lefts problem is the absence of anyone capable of producing the necessary synthesis. Thanks to Putin, it is now all but certain that Macron will face Le Pen in the second round, as he did in 2017. The polls predict that Macron will win, but with a margin much tighter than five years ago. Some polls suggest that Le Pen could receive as much as 47% of the second-round vote an unprecedented level of support for a French far-right candidate. The increase in fuel prices has buoyed Le Pens candidacy. With none of Macrons commitment to fiscal prudence, she can promise drastic cuts to fuel taxes. Putins war has reshaped the French presidential race. Even if the outcome seems clear, it seems no less clear that the collateral effects of Russias invasion of Ukraine are likely to complicate politics elsewhere in Europe as well. Ed Sheeran has hit out at a damaging culture of unwarranted legal claims against songwriters after winning a High Court copyright battle over his track Shape Of You. The singer said legal challenges are way too common, as a judge ruled his 2017 hit did not infringe another artists song. Sheeran and his Shape Of You co-writers, Snow Patrols John McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon, had faced accusations they ripped off 2015 song Oh Why by Sami Chokri and Ross ODonoghue. Giving a ruling on Wednesday, Mr Justice Zacaroli concluded Sheeran neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied a phrase from Oh Why when writing Shape Of You. The judge said arguments that Sheeran had previously heard Oh Why were speculative, and he rejected allegations the star is a magpie who habitually deliberately copies and conceals the work of other songwriters. Eds been dealing with a lawsuit recently and he wanted to share a few words about it all pic.twitter.com/hnKm7VFcor Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) April 6, 2022 Sheeran and his co-authors originally launched legal proceedings in May 2018, asking the High Court to declare they had not infringed Chokri and ODonoghues copyright. Two months later, Chokri a grime artist who performs under the name Sami Switch and ODonoghue issued their own claim for copyright infringement, damages and an account of profits in relation to the alleged infringement. The pair alleged an Oh I hook in Shape Of You is strikingly similar to an Oh Why refrain in their own track. All three Shape Of You co-authors denied allegations of copying and said they did not remember hearing Oh Why before the legal fight. Mr Justice Zacaroli dismissed Chokris counterclaim on Wednesday and granted a declaration to Sheeran and his fellow songwriters that they had not infringed the copyright in Oh Why. In a video message after the ruling, Sheeran said: Claims like this are way too common now and have become a culture where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there is no basis for the claim, and its really damaging to the songwriting industry. Ed Sheeran outside the Rolls Building at the High Court in central London (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Lawsuits are not a pleasant experience and I hope with this ruling it means in the future baseless claims like this can be avoided. This really does have to end. In a separate joint statement with his fellow co-writers, Sheeran detailed the cost on creativity their case had, as well as the toll on their mental health. They added: We believe that there should be due process for legitimate and warranted copyright protection. However, that is not the same as having a culture where unwarranted claims are easily brought. This is not constructive or conducive to a culture of creativity. In his ruling, Mr Justice Zacaroli said his analysis of the musical elements of Shape Of You and its writing process provide compelling evidence that the Oh I phrase originated from sources other than Oh Why. He said while there are similarities between the two songs hooks, there are also significant differences. The judge said the songs phrases play very different roles, with the Oh Why hook reflecting the tracks slow, brooding and questioning mood, while Shape Of Yous Oh I phrase was something catchy to fill the bar before the next part of the song. Sami Chokri claimed Ed Sheerans hit Shape Of You copied part of his song Oh Why (Kirst OConnor/PA) He continued: The use of the first four notes of the rising minor pentatonic scale for the melody is so short, simple, commonplace and obvious in the context of the rest of the song that it is not credible that Mr Sheeran sought out inspiration from other songs to come up with it. The judge said Sheeran, McCutcheon and McDaid were unaware the dispute had frozen 2.2m in royalties from their song and had said they were only in court to clear their names. However, he said that is a substantial amount of money and provides a commercial justification for making a declaration. Isaac Murdy, intellectual property specialist at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said: This ruling indicates that the UK intellectual property courts arent going to support American-style speculative litigation. Gill Dennis, copyright and brand protection expert at Pinsent Masons, said copyright infringement proceedings are notoriously challenging to succeed in, highlighting a claimant must prove, with hard evidence, that the defendant had access to the song in order to copy it. During the 11-day trial at the Rolls Building in London last month, Sheeran denied he borrows ideas from unknown songwriters without acknowledgement and insisted he always tried to be completely fair in crediting people who contribute to his albums. Sheeran frequently sang or hummed tunes while on the stand (Elizabeth Cook/PA) He also denied using litigation to intimidate Chokri and ODonoghue into abandoning the copyright dispute. Chokri told the trial he felt robbed by Sheeran and was shocked when he first heard Shape Of You on the radio. Ian Mill QC, for Sheeran, McDaid and McCutcheon, said the allegations against them were impossible to hold, with the evidence pointing to Shape Of You being an independent creation. Sheeran was present throughout the trial and frequently burst into song and hummed musical scales and melodies when he took to the witness stand. The Oh Why co-writers lawyer, Andrew Sutcliffe QC, alleged Sheeran is an artist who alters words and music belonging to others to pass as original. It was also claimed Sheeran must have been aware of Chokri because they appeared on YouTube channel SBTV at about the same time, they shared friends, Chokri had sent messages to him on Twitter, and Sheeran had allegedly shouted his name at a performance. Mr Sutcliffe suggested Sheeran consciously or unconsciously had Oh Why in his head when Shape Of You was written at McCutcheons Rokstone Studios in west London in October 2016. But Mr Mill said the Shape Of You co-writers were clear they had no preconceived ideas when they went into the studio. Musicology experts gave contrasting views at the trial over whether Shape Of You has significant similarities or is distinctively different from Oh Why. Mr Sutcliffe alleged Sheerans lawyers brought the legal proceedings because PRS for Music the industry body that collects and distributes royalties had frozen payments for UK broadcast and performance income from Shape Of You. But the judge ruled the Shape Of You co-writers were justified in thinking the PRS suspension was a tactic designed to extract a settlement. Shape Of You was a worldwide hit, becoming the best-selling song of 2017 in the UK and the most streamed track in Spotifys history. Oh Why was played on the radio only twice and attempts to publicise it on social media did not have any material success, the judge said, adding there was no evidence the track and its video was ever played or shown by anyone to Sheeran. Burma Five Killed as Wa Army and RCSS Clash Over Territory in Myanmar Alleged bodies of RCSS fighters killed in Tuesdays clash. / Nyi Rang The United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) reportedly clashed on Tuesday in Mong Hta in southern Shan State. According to sources, UWSA region 171 forces and RCSS Battalion 201 troops clashed in Mong Hta. Both sides told The Irrawaddy the other group was responsible. Liaison officer San Pi of the southern UWSA said the skirmish happened after 20 RCSS troops intruded into Wa territory. They trespassed into our territory. We politely told them to withdraw. But they fired on one of our reconnaissance scouts. There were more than 20 of them. We had an exchange of fire and five of them were killed. We seized weapons, including M16s, M4s and machine guns, San Pi told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. The fighting only lasted minutes, after which RCSS troops retreated, he said. They intruded into our territory in February. We tolerated it that time. Tuesdays incident was their second intrusion. Clashes will happen if they return, said San Pi. RCSS secretary Major Kham San said the clash happened because UWSA troops attacked an RCSS hilltop outpost. Troops from UWSAs 171 region attacked our outpost. The clash lasted 10 to 15 minutes. They then withdrew. Tensions remain high, he told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. In late January, the UWSA-run Wa State TV announced that no incursions would be tolerated. The UWSA was then deploying troops in Khaing Lone in southern Shan State, which is part of its region 171. The deployment followed widespread rumors on social media that the UWSA was preparing for a possible attack by its rival, the RCSS, whose headquarters in Loi Tai Leng is adjacent to Khaing Lone. The RCSS and the UWSA engaged in fierce fighting to the east of the Salween River in southern Shan State between 2002 and 2005. Since then, the two groups have observed an unofficial ceasefire. The RCSS, which signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government in 2015, is based in southern Shan State, and its rival ethnic Shan armed group, the Shan State Progress Party, is based in the north. The RCSS, however, also operates in northern Shan State and has been fighting the SSPP for years over territory. It has been trying to increase its presence in northern Shan State since the military coup last year. The UWSA reportedly dispatched hundreds of its troops to assist the SSPP and another ally, the Taang National Liberation Army, in fighting with the RCSS. The RCSS has reportedly lost a number of its strongholds in northern Shan State, where Chinese investment is planned. You may also like these stories: About 20 IDPs Test Positive for COVID-19 in Camp in Myanmars Karen State Myanmar Rohingya Genocide Case Is Legitimate, Gambia Tells UNs Top Court Cobra Gold Military Exercise Kicks Off in Thailand Without Myanmar Burma Japan Appeals for Exemption from Myanmar Juntas Foreign Exchange Rules The flags of Myanmar and Japan outside the Myanmar-Japan Thilawa Development Ltd in Yangon. The Japanese Embassy in Myanmar has asked the juntas Ministry of Foreign Affairs to exempt Japanese companies and governmental organizations from the new directive that foreign exchange earnings must be converted into kyats at the official rate within one working day. An embassy letter said: Japanese companies operating in Myanmar will face serious challenges in following this new regulation, which will cause difficulties in continuing their businesses in the country. The Central Bank of Myanmars order will also affect the embassy and other official organizations, like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan External Trade Organization, the letter said. The embassy asked for an exemption for Japanese companies and official organizations, citing the bilateral relationship. The new rules say foreign exchange must be deposited in foreign currency accounts at licensed banks and must be converted into kyats within one working day. It says separate notifications will be issued for exemptions, which inspired the Japanese letter. The new directive is reportedly already harming exports. A businessman told The Irrawaddy: The central bank tells us to convert foreign exchange into kyats within 24 hours. But the maximum amount of cash companies can withdraw [per week] from their bank accounts is 100 million kyats [US$56,000]. It will further worsen the cash flow crisis. While foreign exchange will be converted at the official rate of 1,850 kyats per US dollar, the market rate is around 2,050 kyats, which will hammer exporters, he added. The new rules will create a dollar crisis and boost the black market, he said. Burma March Deadliest Month This Year for Myanmar Military Amid Fierce Fighting in Karen KNLA troops on parade in 2018 / The Irrawaddy March turned out to be the deadliest and most miserable month so far this year for Myanmar junta troops, as more than 400 soldiers have been killed in more than 500 clashes with ethnic Karen fighters in the countrys south. The Karen National Union (KNU) said in a statement on Tuesday that fighting broke out between its armed wings and regime troops every day last month in the areas it controls in Karen State, adding that there were 510 clashes in total with 429 deaths. That means at least 16 clashes and more than a dozen regime soldiers were killed every day in March. The KNU is Myanmars oldest revolutionary group. Its armed wings are the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO). Both reject the regime and the coup it staged in February last year. Since then they have been fighting alongside local civilian resistance groups who also oppose the junta. The head of the KNUs Foreign Affairs Department, Padoh Saw Taw Nee, said the clashes happened in the Law Kay Kaw area, south of Hpa Lu, Kawkareik and other places under the control of the KNUs 6th Brigade in Karen State. Before, there were about 300, 400 clashes a month, but this has now risen to over 500. The number of clashes and casualties are the highest so far [for the regime], he said. Numbers released by the KNU show there were 435 clashes in January with 399 regime deaths, and 421 clashes in February with 399 regime deaths. Given these numbers, the total death toll among junta troops now stands at 1,139 from January to March this year. The Irrawaddy has not been able to independently verify the number. Padoh Saw Taw Nee said the KNU had been forced to defend itself from junta offensive actions, adding that all seven of the KNUs brigades have been involved in clashes. On the KNLA and KNDO sides, 22 soldiers were killed and 35 injured in March, according to the KNU, up from seven deaths in January and 16 in February. Fighting between Myanmar junta troops and the KNU has intensified since the juntas raid on Lay Kay Kaw town in Karen States Myawaddy near the Thai border on Dec. 14. The regime claimed that democracy activists and members of Peoples Defense Force (PDF) civilian resistance groups were hiding there. The tension escalated in March when the regime responded to a KNU warning to withdraw troops from Kawkareik by sending in reinforcements. Since late last month, the KNLA and KNDO have urged people not to use the Asia Highwaya lifeline for border trade with Thailandin Karen State, as they would attack any regime troops using it. The fighting between the regime and the KNU has left many people homeless, as the regime has conducted punitive airstrikes and artillery attacks. By the end of March, more than 100,000 civilians had been displaced by fighting in the areas it controls since the 2021 coup, the KNU said. You may also like these stories: Serbia Sold Arms to Myanmar Junta After Coup Regime Forces Kill Motorbike Rider in Central Myanmar Myanmar Regime Backs Russias Invasion of Ukraine Burma Myanmar Regime Forces Torch Village in Chin State CDF Matupi fighters / CDF Matupi Junta soldiers tasked with providing security for a junta convoy advancing to Chin States Matupi torched a hillside village in the town at noon on Wednesday. The village of Ram Tein near the Mindat-Matupi road was torched by junta troops from the military convoy and their colleagues from Matupi-based Battalion 304 who came down to provide security for the junta convoy, a Chinland Defense Force (CDF) leader told The Irrawaddy. There was no clash today. The junta convoy arrived in Ram Tein today. They have combined with Matupi-based troops who came down to escort them. They were torching Ram Tein Village in the afternoon, and the whole village is now on fire, the CDF leader told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. The village is home to some 300 Chin people. One Matupi resident said: We heard about the fire in Ram Tein. We havent been able to leave the town for a long time. Even if we want to travel for health reasons, we have to seek permission from the regime. The junta convoy containing more than 80 vehicles and two armored vehicles from Sagaing arrived in Mindat on March 25. It proceeded to Matupi the following day, but it took them 12 days to reach Matupi due to ambushes by Mindat CDF along the 102-mile-long (164-km) road. Matupi CDF said they ambushed the junta convoy using mines on Tuesday once it crossed the boundary of the town. Residents of Ram Tein and neighboring villages have fled into the forests for fear of junta raids. The junta convoy reportedly contains troops from Mindat-based Light Infantry Battalion 274 and Division 11. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Rohingya Genocide Case Is Legitimate, Gambia Tells UNs Top Court Cobra Gold Military Exercise Kicks Off in Thailand Without Myanmar EU Adds More Myanmar Companies, Regime Officials to Sanctions List Burma Myanmar Regime Jails Women Over Alleged Donations Women jailed for donating to peoples defense forces and displaced civilians. / CJ Myanmars regime has handed long prison sentences to seven women for allegedly donating cash to displaced people and peoples defense forces (PDF). The women, who allegedly donated money via the mobile wallet platform KBZ Pay to PDFs which are fighting the regime and civilians displaced by the fighting, were charged with funding terrorism under the Counter-Terrorism Law. Daw Hsan Hsan Su, 30, a striking teacher from Kanbalu Township in Sagaing Region was sentenced to 10 years in prison on March 31. On the same day, three women, aged 28, 35 and 40, from Thandwe in Rakhine State were given 10-year sentences. On March 29, Ma Hsaung Hnin Phyu, 19, from Yebyu Township in Tanintharyi Region was also given 10 years with labor for allegedly donating 13,500 kyats (US$7) to a resistance group. Two university students, who are around 20, from Dawei in Tanintharyi Region were given seven years in prison with labor for donating 5,000 kyats ($3) each to displaced people, according to the Dawei Political Prisoners Network. A group spokesman said: The regime has responded by giving long prison sentences no matter how small the donation. Anti-regime protesters were not given such long sentences. The regime is trying to intimidate people who are financially supporting its opponents. In the aftermath of last years coup, the regime mostly used incitement charges under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code, which carries up to two years in prison, on its opponents. But since June 30 last year, the regime has mostly used Article 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, said lawyer U Khin Maung Myint. The regime declared the parallel civilian National Unity Government (NUG), its parliamentary body CRPH and PDF armed wings to be terrorist organizations. The regime has lately used provisions that carry up to 10 years in prison to life sentences. It has been increasingly applying the Counter-Terrorism Law. It has prosecuted people on suspicion that they have contacted or funded the PDFs, CRPH, NUG and the ethnic armed organizations fighting the regime, said U Khin Maung Myint. The arrests were reportedly made with tipoffs from junta informants. People are charged with funding PDFs if they cannot satisfactorily explain their mobile transfers. The alleged donors homes, offices, cars and motorbikes were also confiscated by the regime. Nearly 200 people have been prosecuted for allegedly funding the outlawed organizations, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Regime Backs Russias Invasion of Ukraine Myanmar Junta Threatens to Disband Two Major Parties After They Refuse to Submit Financial Records Cambodian, Malaysian PMs Call on Myanmar Junta to Implement ASEAN Consensus iCall Suite call reporting lets MSPs give their customers insights into every call, better understand customer experience, identify issues, and boost team performance, according to Access4. It allows users to see whether calls are answered on time, handled in the right amount of time, and whether staff respond to customers appropriately. The information is delivered via dashboard, wallboards and reports. iCall Suite also lets managers measure and compare the effectiveness of call groups and queues, and then structure their teams to deliver first-contact resolution. Further analysis can be performed thanks to integrations with Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Zendesk, Workbooks, Nimble, FreshSales, Agile or Microsoft Dynamics 365. Redspot Car Rentals is a Sasboss user. IT and special project manager Brad Aldcroft said "iCall Suite analytics and reporting is incredibly useful across Red Spot Rental. "We're utilising all aspects of iCall analytics. Our area managers use the daily scheduled reports on extension call activity and even benchmark branches and set KPIs for call answers. It also gives me and the call centre crew insights on where we can (and have) changed call flows to improve call answer rates and have even increased our call centre team with remote workers to help with the volume of calls. "The analytics is a crucial part of the whole system, and without it we'd be flying blind as we previously were." Access4 managing director Tim Jackson said "Customer experience analytics are a major opportunity for MSPs as businesses prioritise customer experience at the forefront of their organisations. Businesses are looking for embedded analytics like iCall Suite that are more digestible and don't require them to learn new skills or invest additional time." "The ability to gather, monitor and act on insights from customer interactions is a great addition to our portfolio and will help our partners and their customers drive better decision-making, business productivity and success." iCall Suite was developed by Tollring. "In our new hybrid working world, there is a greater need to gain a more rounded view of customer experience," said Tollring CEO Tony Martino. "The shorter and more efficient a customer's call journey, the better their experience and good experiences lead to greater loyalty and retention. He added "Throughout our partnership with Access4 it's been clear that they really understand customer experience, as we are delighted to assist them in making best practice CX a reality for businesses across Australia and New Zealand." Cybersecurity is a continual problem for enterprises, governments, small businesses, and home users alike. Yet, not all cyber threats are the same. Research from Trellix finds it is Governments who are behind many of the most dramatic breaches in recent times. The Trellix global threat research, In the crosshairs: Organisations and nation-state cyber threats, shockingly reveals the service disruptions, exposed data, and substantial financial costs of the SolarWinds breach, the Microsoft Exchange Hafnium incident, and other high-profile attacks were all driven by nation-state cyberattacks. State attackers are relentless, and while cyberattacks can come from anywhere it is the government-driven nation-state attacks, along with their criminal proxies, which are the most dangerous because they are the most capable and best-resourced, and are persistent in their determination. Trellix explains it's a huge problem for the international community; victim organisations lose reputation, have innovation investments exposed or diluted, and suffer in numerous ways. In fact, Trellix finds cybercrime costs the world an estimated one trillion dollars per year. Trellix expects this will only increase because it is so rewarding to the perpetrators and there are so few penalties. How can companies defend themselves, and how can legislators develop policies to respond to nation-state actors? These are the questions Trellix sought to answer, along with how organisations perceive and prepare for the threat of nation-state actors and how their perception actually aligns with the motivations and effects of such attacks. Trellix surveyed 800 IT security decision-makers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, India, and Australia over November and December 2021. Respondents came from organisations with 500 or more employees from a range of industries predominantly focused on critical infrastructure. In the crosshairs: Organisations and nation-state cyber threats, by Trellix global research, is the result; an easily-digested - but gripping and sobering - 21-page report that CISOs, business leaders, and legislators must read. Trellix found the line between state and non-state actors continues to blur and 86% of respondents believe they have been targeted by a cyberattack from an organisation acting on behalf of a nation-state. Yet, Trellix also found only 27% of respondents are confident they can differentiate between nation-state and other cyberattacks. Trellix found state actors are more likely to focus on data than financial benefit, though it still incurs an estimated cost to the victim of more than one million dollars per incident. Despite this, Trellix also found that 10% of organisations surveyed still do not have a cybersecurity strategy. Many respondents indicated limited skills and outdated network technology and security tools increase their vulnerability. 91% of respondents think the government needs to be doing more to support organisations and defend infrastructure against state-backed cyberattacks. This is the milieux that Trellix finds global businesses sitting in. So what do we do? How can your business effectively protect itself when North Korea wants money to prop up the Kim Jong-un regime or simply takes offence, such as when Sony Pictures was hacked after releasing a movie seen as an insult to the Great Leader? What do you do to protect your business when the Russian state targets espionage in the energy sector or seeks to spread disinformation? Or, even when it targets a political enemy but its effects spread, as in the case of NotPetya which was aimed at the Ukrainian government but went worldwide? How can your business protect itself from Chinese government-sponsored IP theft? Trellix provides details on dozens of cyberattacks carried out by state actors for over a decade. Trellix finds companies and government agencies need to make decisions in an uncertain environment to protect against a range of threats. The consequences are serious for not doing so. However, thankfully, Trellix also finds better cybersecurity is not dependent on full certainty in the attribution of an attacker or their motives. There is still much that can be done even if it cannot be ascertained who is behind an incident. Consequently, Trellix advocates regardless of sector, organisations must ensure a baseline level of cyber hygiene and training to best defend against a wide range of incidents. This includes updating defence capabilities, identifying what needs to be protected, assessing actual capacity, reviewing third-party providers, and increasing communication. It's easy to say, but as the research findings identify, there are still too many companies not putting basic precautions into place. The report is disturbing yet gripping and pulls back the covers on the shady world of cybercrime thats well-funded and well-protected by governments themselves as they commit cyber warfare. For any business caught in the middle, you must acknowledge this is todays reality, and you must take action. Download the Trellix global threat research report, In the crosshairs: Organisations and nation-state cyber threats here. American security company WatchGuard has been accused of withholding full details of a remotely exploitable vulnerability in its firewall devices until news broke that the flaw was being exploited by attackers from Russia's military to assemble a botnet, according to a report in the American website Ars Technica. However, WatchGuard communications director Chris Warfield told iTWire in reply to a query that the report was "grossly inaccurate and misrepresentative of the actual facts. We are currently seeking correction with the publication". Ars Technica had made no changes in its report, written by veteran security journalist Dan Goodin, at the time of writing. Contacted for comment, Goodin said: "I just updated the post to correct the first date WatchGuard made reference to the CVE. It came in February, when the company quietly updated the release notes for the May 2021 software update. Otherwise the post is accurate. Please check out my updated post." The website linked to a FAQ that it says WatchGuard put online after it was revealed by the FBI in a court document that the company's firewalls hacked by the Russian group were vulnerable to an exploit that allows unauthorised remote access to the management panels of those devices". WatchGuard claims this FAQ was released on 23 February. The FBI document was attached to a statement from the US Department of Justice announcing that it had disrupted the botnet in question in March. Its worth noting that #WatchGuard is not a #CNA (MITRE issued this CVE). On top of that they do not have a #PSIRT team to handle these critical vulnerabilities appropriately, that should be a MAJOR concern for any watchguard customers moving forward. #cyclopsblink #infosec https://t.co/JbYjSZoWuS pic.twitter.com/SxPmSDKUEY Immanuel Chavoya (@FullM3talPacket) April 7, 2022 WatchGuard claimed in the FAQ that the flaw in question, CVE-2022-23176, which had a score of 8.8 out of a possible 10, was fully addressed by security fixes that started rolling out in software updates in May 2021". But the vulnerability was hardly referred to in the documentation accompanying the May 2021 updates, according to the report. at that time said: "These releases also include fixes to resolve internally detected security issues. These issues were found by our engineers, and not actively found in the wild. "For the sake of not guiding potential threat actors toward finding and exploiting these internally discovered issues, we are not sharing technical details about these flaws." In the FAQ released on Wednesday, Ars Technica said WatchGuard claimed: "This vulnerability was fully addressed by security fixes that started rolling out in software updates in May 2021. WatchGuards own investigation, as well as an assessment conducted by Mandiant, did not find evidence the threat actor exploited a different vulnerability." WatchGuard claims this FAQ was released on 23 February. The company said it had been notified on 30 November 2021 by the FBI and the UK National Cyber Security Centre about an ongoing investigation into Cyclops Blink, a sophisticated state-sponsored botnet that affected network devices from multiple vendors, including a very limited number (less than 1%) of WatchGuard firewall appliances. "In response to this co-ordinated attack, on February 23, 2022, WatchGuard developed and released a set of simple and easy-to-use Cyclops Blink detection tools, as well as a 4-Step Cyclops Blink Diagnosis and Remediation Plan to help customers and partners to diagnose, remediate if necessary, and prevent future infection," the statement said. thats all they do. The UTM concept provides outstanding value, and WatchGuard excels at being easy-to-use, scalable, and flexible. Paul Graydon, VP Strategic Accounts, BlackPoint IT Services MGySgt_USMC_0326 (@Mstgysgt0) April 6, 2022 "Once taken, these steps eliminate the threat posed by malicious activity from Cyclops Blink." Warfield provided the following timeline "for when and how WatchGuard disclosed, patched, and communicated the security vulnerability exploited by Cyclops Blink. This information is all publicly available on our blog, FAQ, and the support section of our website". "12 May 2021: WatchGuard disclosed the security issue immediately upon internally discovering and patching it. At this point, the company was not aware of Cyclops Blink or the fact that the vulnerability had been exploited. "30 November 2021: The FBI notified WatchGuard of Cyclops Blink, at which point WatchGuard determined that the prior vulnerability, for which a patch had already been distributed, could be the vector for Cyclops Blink. WatchGuard then immediately began working to develop Cyclops Blink detection and remediation tools. We also actively and intensely coordinated with the government to allow for a coordinated and responsible disclosure. At this point, as stated in our FAQ posted on 23 Feb: 'The DoJ and court orders directed WatchGuard to delay disclosure until official authorisation was granted. The relevant government agencies informed WatchGuard that they had no evidence of data exfiltration from our customers network environments. This disclosure process is also consistent with standard industry principles of responsible disclosure'. "12 January 2022: The company created the CVE, though it was still not authorised to post or provide any information publicly or to any third parties. "23 February 2022: Immediately following official authorisation from the DoJ, and in tandem with the joint government advisory first disclosing Cyclops Blink, the company published its Cyclops Blink FAQ, which disclosed details of the vulnerability. This information was proactively communicated to our entire customer and partner base utilising every communications vehicle the company had available, our Corporate News Blog, the dedicated Detection.WatchGuard.com microsite, via a series of direct emails, and via persistent alerts in our Partner and Support Portals, as well as, through in-product notifications within WatchGuard Cloud and WSM. "24 February 2022: WatchGuard published the CVE, updating the release notes for all three firmware versions released on May 12, 2021 (Fireware 12.7 Update 1, Fireware 12.5.7 Update 3, and Fireware 12.1.3 Update 5. "6 April 2022: WatchGuard updated its FAQ to reflect additional details of the government actions announced on 6 April. At this time, we also added the previously published CVE number to the FAQ for ease of reference." COMPANY NEWS: Technology focussed private equity fund Potentia Capital is making its first major move across the Tasman, backing the purchase of New Zealand-based business Opmetrix by Brisbane-based Commerce Vision. The move sees Commerce Vision, which offers world-class B2B eCommerce and automated sales order processing solutions, add Opmetrix CRM - a market leading field sales CRM platform - to its offering. Commerce Vision CEO Gary Katzeff said the move would enable customers of both businesses to trade more effectively, and more efficiently across multiple digital channels, supported by one trusted partner. This announcement takes us a step closer to our vision of becoming the market leader for B2B digital commerce solutions in our region, Mr Katzeff said. Commerce Visions existing capabilities, combined with those offered by Opmetrix, provide customers with exceptional solutions across eCommerce, automated sales order processing and mobile field sales. Our businesses have similar roots having both been founded more than 20 years ago. We share exceptional reputations for customer satisfaction, and each bring significant expertise in the integration of digital commerce platforms with Enterprise Resource Planning systems a critical requirement for B2B online trade. Mr Katzeff said his team was excited about the partnership and the opportunities that would be created for both businesses. We can offer much more as one team, and that is why todays announcement is such an important step, he said. Opmetrix CEO David Barley said the partnership was the next logical step for the business after 20 years experience working across the Australian, New Zealand and southeast Asian markets. Our businesses are both market leaders in their respective fields, so it makes sense to combine and add value and capabilities for our customers in Australasia and southeast Asia, he said. Were seeing growing demand from existing and new clients for our solutions and these customers are also seeking eCommerce solutions, so the synergy is ideal. Our customers know they can come to us for cloud-based sales solutions, anywhere, anytime, and now they have a whole new suite of services they can access to improve their businesses. Potentia Managing Director and Commerce Vision chairman Tim Reed commented: Potentia is excited to be able to back Commerce Vision to make our first major investment into a New Zealand business. We have been very impressed with the Opmetrix business and team, and hope to be able to make many more investments in New Zealand in the years to come. ABOUT OPMETRIX Opmetrix was established by Oliver Huggins in 1997. Over the last 25 years, their platform - Opmetrix CRM - has grown to become a leader in mobile field sales management. The company works with over 2000 brands and has offices in Sydney and Christchurch. The Opmetrix acquisition is Potentias first major foray into the New Zealand market. ABOUT COMMERCE VISION Founded in 2001, Commerce Vision is a market leader in B2B eCommerce and sales order processing automation, with over 200 clients across Australia and New Zealand. Acquired by private equity firm Potentia in 2021, Commerce Visions eCommerce platform processes over $2 billion per annum in sales orders. Its rapidly growing automated order processing platform, Lucy, handles more than 1.5 million lines of order data across hundreds of thousands of purchase orders, every year. ABOUT POTENTIA Potentia, founded in 2014 is Australia and New Zealands only dedicated technology growth capital and private equity fund and invests in technology companies in Australia and New Zealand. Beyond Commerce Vision and Opmetrix, Potentias recent acquisitions include superannuation services business SuperChoice, as well as booking and travel management software company NewBook. In January 2022, Potentia also took a minority stake in construction tendering and procurement platform EstimateOne. Fortinet has grown consistently since 2015 with local market share currently at 25.2 per cent. Fortinet delivered 59.7 per cent of all security appliances in Australia in 2021. Fortinets security appliance business unit shipment has grown by 803.5 per cent from 2015 to 2021. Jon McGettigan, regional director of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, Fortinet, said, Australia is one of the fastest-growing markets for Fortinet, showing exceptional growth with the delivery of security appliances in 2021, which represents year-on-year growth of 96 per cent. New Zealand isnt far behind. Much of this growth is due to Fortinets focus on the convergence of networking and security in key industries, with dedicated teams delivering compelling industry-specific solutions. An increasing focus on and demand for secure software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solutions across the entire region has also contributed to this growth. Secure SD-WAN has broad appeal for higher education, governments, and enterprise customers as well as small and medium-sized businesses. Australia and New Zealand's generally strong cyber awareness has also helped drive this growth. Fortinet's manufacturing capability and the fact that it manufactures security appliances well in advance of market requirements have also contributed significantly to this growth. This has meant Fortinet has escaped many supply issues, resulting in a superior ability to deliver. Jon McGettigan said, While manufacturing has been stymied across many industries in recent times, Fortinets long-lead manufacturing approach has meant that the business has been less affected. This has increased Fortinets ability to deliver, helping to keep customers on the cutting edge of security. As a fast-growing country for Fortinet, Australia has benefited from increased attention from the Fortinet board, including additional investment to continue building for success. For example, in 2021, Fortinet invested in a new technical assistance centre (TAC) in Sydneys central business district to provide local support and clear escalation paths. This investment was designed to help the business attract skilled workers to provide helpdesk, professional services, and technical account management. Also in 2021, Fortinet invested in its network testing and assurance lab which helps prospective and existing Fortinet enterprise customers in Australia and New Zealand test the performance and scalability of Fortinet solutions under conditions that simulate their environment. This free service uses independent, world-leading technology to generate thousands of realistic application scenarios to test and demonstrate the performance and functionality of Fortinet equipment, both physical and virtual. It lets enterprise customers model future traffic requirements to ensure the solution theyre considering today will continue to serve the organisations needs into the future. Fortinet has also seen growth in training and certifications through its Network Security Academy (FortiAcademy) training courses, which are currently offered free of charge. The business is working to address the perennial skills gap by working with partners to understand where people go once theyre trained, and where the gaps remain so that Fortinet can take a strategic and targeted approach to address those gaps. With more educational institutions adopting FortiAcademy, this will help mature the approach to addressing the skills gap. Jon McGettigan said, Fortinet is strongly committed to the Australian and New Zealand markets and the businesss investment reflects that commitment. With the technical assistance centre and the network testing and assurance lab online, customers in this region are extremely well supported. Fortinet has created a strong local culture around helping customers improve their cybersecurity awareness and posture, and we look forward to continuing that approach in 2022. In 2022, Fortinet plans to continue its strategy of expanding its government, telecommunications provider, and managed service provider teams. The business has doubled the size of its commercial team in readiness for continued demand, and there are now members of the commercial team in every state of Australia, including Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Fortinets core objective of focusing on the convergence of networking and security to deliver solutions such as secure SD-WAN and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) is unchanged and expanding. The future opportunity is not just securing the edge but also securing the core in the data centre, then securing the cloud services. Jon McGettigan said, Fortinet will continue investing in its people in the region and building on our partnerships, with a focus on telco partnerships. Fortinet is also looking to build a global incident response team based in Australia and has already brought a leader on board for that team. The goal is to build an Australia-based incident response team that builds proactive solutions. Overall, Fortinet will also continue to grow services and software to offset any future issues that may arise with access to materials for manufacturing. With a strong track record of growth over the past six years, Fortinet is well-placed to continue that trajectory in 2022 and beyond, and we look forward to continuing to support and secure our customers, partners, and other stakeholders through whatever the future may hold." About Fortinet Fortinet makes possible a digital world that we can always trust through its mission to protect people, devices, and data everywhere. This is why the worlds largest enterprises, service providers, and government organisations choose Fortinet to securely accelerate their digital journey. The Fortinet Security Fabric platform delivers broad, integrated, and automated protections across the entire digital attack surface, securing critical devices, data, applications, and connections from the data centre to the cloud to the home office. Ranking #1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide, more than 565,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. And the Fortinet NSE Training Institute, an initiative of Fortinets Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), provides one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry to make cyber training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, or FortiGuard Labs. In early 2021, the US owner of the famed Yellow Pages business, Thryv, purchased Australia's publisher of our Yellow Pages, Sensis, with both companies having gone digital long ago, with Thryv's impressive platform breathing new life into the SMB sector that will soon be enhanced even further with ThryvPay. Everyone wants thriving business success, and with today's modern, cloud-based business software platforms laden with the sophistication and maturity that solves real business issues and genuinely saves time, it's no surprise to see businesses of any size can confidently transform themselves digitally and reap substantial benefits. Thryv in the US has been around in one form or another for more than 125 years, with the goal of helping small businesses compete and win. After all, when people reached for the Yellow Pages, it was because they needed to find a business that could help them with a specific issue - there were no social media feeds, trending memes or cat videos to distract us back then. You had a task to be done, and the Yellow Pages was your gateway to finding the right company to help you do it. Fast forward to 2022, and while we've had 20+ years of Google, with online ads and office-suite workspaces aplenty, the issues of running a business, serving customers, managing those relations, marketing, invoicing and plenty more aren't things search engines are designed to do. This is where Thryv has built an end-to-end client experience software platform for growing small businesses that integrates with all those modern services people are using, securely allowing you to automate tasks, get the job, manage the job, get paid and put customers at the centre of your business. Naturally, Thryv has the metrics and stats to back up its claims, with just a handful being a 25% increase in the average number of customers, a 61% increase in appointment bookings, and an 86% annual revenue increase through bookings and payments. As Thryv explains, it provides the technology, software and local business automation tools small business owners need to better manage their time, communicate with clients, and get paid, so they can take control of their business and be more successful. And with the acquisition of Sensis last year, Thryv - which many of us have seen advertised on TV over the past few months - is now well and truly in Australia, helping Australian small businesses adopt cloud-based software solutions to better compete in a post-pandemic economy. It's all in a single package, and with over 20 industry customisations and a fully mobile interface, technology previously reserved for big businesses is now at the fingertips of small business owners nationwide, so they can reach more customers, stay organized, get paid faster and generate reviews. Thryv's platform enables easy contact management and building of a digital customer database, automated text and email marketing, updating business listings across the internet, scheduling online appointments, sending notifications and reminders, managing ratings and reviews, generating estimates and invoices, and processing payments so business owners can get back to doing what they love running their businesses. 24/7 support is included too, which is what you'd expect in a 24/7 world, where business owners are working on their businesses outside of regular business hours and need help late in the night, or early in the morning, rather than trying to squeeze a support call in at 4.45pm. Thryv also launched its ThryvPay service in the US in October 2020, and now has plans, later in 2022, to be launching ThryvPay in Australia. ThryvPay provides real-time and detailed reporting on every transaction, offering businesses full transparency of charges, fees, and payment status. Together, Thryv and ThryvPay lets you book, invoice, and get paid all from one software, and do it in a cost-effective way that means real savings over other payment gateways, credit cards and digital wallets, the majority of which are all supported too, giving businesses the choice in how they want to get paid. You can read about the services ThryvPay offers for US customers here, with Australian functionality set to be very similar. So, to learn more about Thryv, its acquisition of Sensis, its more than century-long history in the US, its platform, its benefits and features, and its future plans, Ryan Cantor, the Chief Product Officer at Thryv joined me at ITWireTV to discuss it all in, while giving us an opportunity to learn more about Ryan, too. The video interview is embedded directly below, after which is a summary of the topics we spoke about, so please watch and read on! I started by introducing Ryan and welcoming him to the program. Noting that I've seen the Thryv ads on TV, I asked Ryan to explain the products, services, features and benefits Thryv offers to Australians (and its customers in the US). Ryan then explained the Sensis acquisition, and the move into the Australian market. We then discussed ThryvPay, which Ryan was exclusively announcing in this video interview, and which will arrive in Australia later in 2022, and the reason for its creation and how it differs to other payment gateways that Thryv's platform already supports. After this came a discussion of Thryv's growth in Australia, and some local success stories and case studies Ryan could talk about. Ryan then spoke more about Thryv's cloud transformation roadmap, after which we touched on the Australian Federal Budget's recent decision to allow a tax deduction for SMB's investing in digital solutions like cloud-based software, with Ryan naturally noting business owners absolutely needed to get their own financial advice on doing so, but that Thryv welcomed this move. We discussed the story and history behind Thryv, after which we also discussed security. Ryan explained how he sees Thryv evolving over the next few years and what the metaverse might mean for local businesses, after which Ryan shared a bit about his own history in the world of tech, memories of his first computer, great advice he has received in life, and his final message to iTWire viewers and readers, and to Thryv's current and future customers and partners. So to learn more about how Thryv and its customers are thriving, please watch the video interview above! This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. This court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook shows Ali Harbi Ali in the dock at the Old Bailey accused of stabbing to death Conservative MP for Southend West David Amess, in London, Monday March 21, 2022. A prosecutor says a man who stabbed a veteran British lawmaker to death while he was meeting voters last year was a committed Islamist terrorist who had spent years researching and planning potential attacks on lawmakers. Ali Harbi Ali, 26, appeared in the dock Monday at Londons Central Criminal Court as a trial opened into the murder of Conservative lawmaker David Amess. Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Scattered thunderstorms this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 54F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 54F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Greece is to call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe crimes of war in Ukraines port city of Mariupol, where there was a sizeable Greek community before Russias invasion, its foreign minister said on Thursday. Greece is going to ask the international court in The Hague to investigate crimes of war conducted in Mariupol, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said as he arrived for the second day of a NATO meeting on the war in Ukraine. Greece has a specific, special interest for Mariupol because of the existence of a 100,000 and more Greek community in Mariupol, he said. The ICCs chief prosecutor said a month ago the court had opened active investigations into possible war crimes in Ukraine, backed by dozens of countries. Mariupol, located in a strategic southeastern spot between Russia-occupied Crimea and pro-Russian separatist regions in Ukraines east, has been the scene of some of the fiercest assaults by Moscows forces. Residents spoke of utter devastation and dire conditions in the city, where the population has shrunk from 400,000 before the war to around 120,000. Dendias said he was going to ask NATO allies to do our best to help another, bigger strategic port city, Odessa, withstand Russian attacks. To do that, he said, is quite simple: by giving to Ukraine the adequate means to protect the city they have asked for it already. Ukraine, which has been remarkably quick and adept in its lawfare strategy after its invasion by the Russian army on February 24, filed an application against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on February 28, on grounds of massive human rights violations being committed by the Russian troops in the course of the military aggression against the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Ukraine requested the court to take interim measures, which means urgent measures which apply only where there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm, according to the ECHR practice. The very next day the Court called on the Russian government to refrain from military attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including residential premises, emergency vehicles and other specially protected civilian objects such as schools and hospitals, and to ensure immediately the safety of the medical establishments, personnel and emergency vehicles within the territory under attack or siege by Russian troops. As expected, Russia has taken no notice of the ECHRs interim measures, so they remain largely symbolic. They also are only the first step of a long process, warns Marko Milanovic, co-director of the Human Rights Law Centre at Nottingham University in the United Kingdom. Normally the Court would proceed to examine the admissibility of the case, and then its merits, he told Justice Info. Both stages would take years. What the ECHR does The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg, France, by the Council of Europe member states in 1959. It deals with individual or state applications alleging violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights, which Russia and Ukraine both ratified. Although it can take cases filed by individuals, it only rules on compliance by states and government authorities, not individuals. The Courts decisions are binding, but it has no enforcement mechanism. The nature of acts that the Court considered in its March 1 urgent ruling on Russias military action in various parts of Ukraine was that they notably give rise to a real and continuing risk of serious violations of Ukrainian civilians right to life, right to respect for private and family life, and of infringing the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. These are all enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. ECHR does not deal with crimes How do such violations differ from war crimes or crimes against humanity, which, under the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) include murder and torture? The ECHR does not deal with crimes of any kind, explains Michal Kowalski, professor of international public law at the Jagiellonian University in Poland and an ad hoc judge for the ECHR. The ECHR has been established under the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure the observance of that Convention. The jurisdiction of the ICC is different, he told Justice Info, since its about international criminal responsibility of individuals (and not States) for crimes listed and defined in its Statute. In the case of Ukraine, it is mainly about war crimes, he says. In armed conflicts (beside international humanitarian law prohibiting war crimes), norms guaranteeing fundamental human rights apply simultaneously as well, continues Kowalski. Some arbitrary actions in an armed conflict might be regarded as acts violating fundamental human rights (right to life; prohibition of torture). And those violations may become a subject of procedures initiated by an individual or interstate complaint before the ECHR under the European Convention on Human Rights. And so, he concludes, the same acts committed during the armed conflict in Ukraine may be defined as violations of human rights under the ECHR and simultaneously as war crimes under international humanitarian law and the ICC Statute. But they lead to different kinds of responsibility under international law. Russia expelled from Council of Europe On February 25, 2022, a day after the invasion, Russia was suspended from its rights of representation in the Council of Europe, under whose auspices the ECHR works, following the invasion of Ukraine. On March 10, Moscow announced that it would no longer participate in the Council of Europe and on March 15 it launched a withdrawal procedure, effective December 31, 2022. On March 16, the Council of Europe decided to expel Russia with immediate effect. Russia has also signalled its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights. In a resolution on March 23, the Council said Russia will cease to be a High Contracting Party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022. Will this affect the case before the ECHR? We do not know how Russia will react following the cessation of its membership at the Council of Europe, says Ireneusz Kaminski, chair of European and international law at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. The Convention denunciation period ends on September 15, 2022. We are entering a new legal area, as the Russian withdrawal (cessation of its membership) is something new happening in the Council of Europe framework. Nominally the Court can proceed with evaluation of all of the cases filed against Russia, and even future cases that deal with violations that were committed while Russia was an ECHR state party, says Milanovic of Nottingham University. But Russia will not participate in the proceedings, the Russian judge will likely not sit on the bench, and Russia certainly wont comply with any judgments rendered. The Court would not be able to conduct the normal adversarial proceedings but would need to conduct them in the absence of the respondent. He says we dont yet know what the Court will do, but its possible that it will freeze the vast majority of Russian cases while proceeding with some of the most important ones, including the interstate cases. No hope of compliance for now The ECHR is already dealing with a high number of cases brought against Russia. Many are brought by individuals, including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but there are also a number brought by states, including Ukraine for the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and Ukraine and the Netherlands for the downing of the MH17 airliner over eastern Ukraine the same year. There are as many as nine interstate cases of Ukraine v. Russia pending in the ECHR, as well as the recent one, which is the tenth, says Kaminski. In one of those cases (Crimea) the Court has already rendered its decision on admissibility, which is very promising, and now the case is being considered on its merits. Russia has continued its invasion despite orders from both the ECHR and the UNs International Court of Justice. Any legal victories for Ukraine look set to remain largely symbolic at least in the short term. Milanovic thinks the courts decisions will have no effect on Russias behaviour now. But if Russia somehow transitions towards democracy in the mid-to-long term and seeks to re-join the Council of Europe, then compliance with ECHR judgments will be indispensable in that process, he says. Personally my expectations regarding Russia are very pessimistic, agrees Kaminski. It will ignore the legal proceedings, not only in Strasbourg but also at other international courts. Nevertheless, such courts can take their decisions, and I hope they will. Non-execution of the decisions and non-participation in the proceedings would demonstrate that Russia is a pariah in the international community. But does Russia care? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called on Greece to use its clout in the EU to rescue the remaining population of martyred Mariupol. Please use your influence as EU members to better organise whatever rescue can be carried out in Mariupol, Zelensky told a special session of the Greek parliament, according to the official translation. Mariupol, located in a strategic southeastern spot between Russia-occupied Crimea and pro-Russian separatist regions in Ukraines east, has been battered by Russian assaults since February. We must save whoever we can, Zelensky said, adding that some 100,000 people were still left around the devastated port city. Mariupol and Odessa need immediate assistance, he said, referring to the two Ukrainian cities that have had large ethnic Greek populations for centuries. The Ukraine president also called for stronger bans on Russian banks and tankers. Russian banks must not be able to make money on the global credit system, we must shut the door, not just to some of them, he said. For as long as this terrible war continues, no (ship) of Russian registry or interests can be allowed to access European ports no acceptance of Russian tankers, Zelensky said. Greek ministers and MPs gave Zelensky a standing ovation at the close of his speech, which was attended by the Greek head of state President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The Greek communists and a small nationalist party boycotted the event. There was subsequently widespread outrage as the 15-minute speech included a brief intervention by a self-styled member of the Azov Regiment, the nationalist unit defending Mariupol that has been accused of far-right links. The speech by members of the neo-Nazi Azov Regiment is a provocation, tweeted leftist former prime minister Alexis Tsipras. Conservative ex-PM Antonis Samaras also called the move a big mistake. Earlier Thursday, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Athens would call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe crimes of war in the port city. Greece has a specific, special interest for Mariupol because of the existence of a 100,000 and more Greek community in Mariupol, Dendias said as he arrived for the second day of a NATO meeting in Brussels. Greece has also offered to rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol that was shelled in March. Though a traditional Russia ally bound by centuries of tradition and a shared Orthodox Christian faith, Greece has unequivocally condemned Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Athens has sent Kyiv humanitarian and lethal aid, and on Wednesday said it was expelling 12 members of Russias diplomatic and consular missions. The Group of Seven industrialised nations on Thursday called for Russia to be suspended from the UNs human rights body over heinous acts and atrocities in Ukraine. We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the Human Rights Council, G7 foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States said in a statement. The UN General Assembly votes later Thursday on suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council following allegations that Russian troops systematically executed civilians in Bucha, Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also called for Russia to be expelled from the UN Security Council so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war. The G7 foreign ministers, who have been meeting on the sidelines of a NATO gathering in Brussels this week, said those responsible for heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure would be held accountable and prosecuted. We welcome and support the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence of these and other potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, they said. The ministers also called for Russia to suspend its offensive in Ukraine immediately and warned against the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. We underline our unwavering support for Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and express our readiness to assist further, including with military equipment and financial means, they said. More than 11 million people have been displaced since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Scenes of carnage that Ukrainian officials have accused retreating Russian troops of leaving behind in towns including Bucha have sparked outrage and led to a wave of fresh sanctions against Moscow. Journalists over the weekend found corpses in civilian clothes, some with their hands bound, in the town of Bucha outside Ukraines capital after Kyivs forces retook it from Russias army. The Kremlin has denied Russian forces killed civilians, and alleged that the images of dead bodies in Bucha were fakes. Indonesia called Thursday for an independent probe into the alleged massacre of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops in the town of Bucha. The call follows an international outcry after Ukrainian officials said hundreds of civilians were found executed in areas where Russian soldiers have withdrawn around the capital Kyiv. The Southeast Asian country, which will chair the G20 summit on the resort island of Bali in November, declared its support for a United Nations initiative to set up an independent team to investigate the killings. Indonesia presents itself as an unaligned middle power and has so far refrained from condemning Russia publicly since its invasion of Ukraine in February. We hope there will be an independent investigation team to shed the clearest light on what has happened, independent from various reports we have been following, foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told a press briefing. The loss of lives, be it from civilians, soldiers or security enforcers is something we deeply regret, and for that we express our deepest concern, he said. Indonesia holds the presidency for G20 this year and has said it will hold the summit in an impartial manner despite pressure from Western nations for Russia to be excluded. The discovery of hundreds of dead civilians in Bucha prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to condemn the killings as war crimes and genocide. Moscow denies the accusations that its units were responsible, claiming the harrowing images of the dead were either faked or that the killings happened after its forces withdrew. Members of the United Nations General Assembly in New York are due to vote Thursday on temporarily suspending Russia from the global bodys Human Rights Council. Indonesias foreign affairs ministry refused to say how Jakarta would vote on the Russian suspension. Moroccos King Mohammed VI hosted Spains prime minister on Thursday in a landmark visit ending a year-long diplomatic crisis, after Madrid reversed decades of neutrality on the Western Sahara conflict in a U-turn that has angered Algeria. The premier, Pedro Sanchez, and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares were given a red carpet reception at Rabats main airport before heading for discussions with the king followed by iftar the evening meal in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The visit aims to draw a line under a major stand-off between the two countries. But the move to drop Spains long-held neutrality on the Western Sahara has sparked a domestic backlash, with Spains parliament on Thursday condemning the move in a motion presented by a coalition partner of Sanchez. The diplomatic crisis began a year ago when Madrid allowed Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front which seeks independence for the territory of Western Sahara, to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital. Morocco, which accuses Ghali of war crimes, sees the Western Sahara as an integral part of the kingdom and a highly sensitive issue of security and national pride. The desert territory boasts rich Atlantic fishing waters, phosphate resources and a route to lucrative markets in West Africa. Morocco fought a bitter war with the Polisario after Spanish colonial forces withdrew in 1975. Weeks after Ghalis hospitalisation, more than 10,000 migrants surged into Spains tiny North African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border forces looked the other way, in an incident seen as meant to punish Madrid. On March 18, Madrid announced a new stage in relations and said it now backed the North African kingdoms plan for the territory: limited autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. Addressing journalists after his meal with the king, Sanchez hailed the historic moment. He said they had agreed a clear roadmap that allows the management of matters of interest in a concerted manner, in a spirit of normality and good neighborliness, without room for unilateral acts. He also said the countries would work to restore normal border traffic between Morocco and Ceuta as well as the nearby Spanish enclave of Melilla. Ambitious roadmap Spains move, widely seen as a victory for Morocco, infuriated its regional rival Algeria, which has long backed the Polisario and also supplies vast quantities of natural gas to Spain. Algiers last month recalled its ambassador from Madrid in protest at the decision, and state-owned energy giant Sonatrach warned Friday it could increase the price of its gas sales to the country. Sanchez has also faced a domestic backlash over the move. Parliament denounced his reversal of a historic position, in a motion put forward by his coalition ally Podemos. The move amounts de facto to supporting the path proposed by Morocco by abandoning the basis for a mutually acceptable political solution, said the motion, passed by 168 members. Sanchez has defended the move by saying the crisis with Morocco had to be solved. In a statement Thursday evening, the Moroccan royal palace said the two men had reaffirmed their desire to open a new phase in relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect and trust, ongoing consultation and honest cooperation. Key questions include irregular migration and smuggling around Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves which sit on Moroccos Mediterranean coast. Independence squeezed For Spain, the principal aim of mending fences was to guarantee Moroccos cooperation on irregular migration which, observers say, Rabat has often used to put pressure on Madrid. For Morocco, the question of Western Sahara is the top priority. In the long term, the independence movements diplomatic margin of manoeuvre is getting ever more narrow, said Riccardo Fabiani, North Africa project director at the International Crisis Group think-tank. Rabat controls 80 percent of Western Sahara, which the UN considers a non-autonomous territory. The Polisario waged a long armed struggle for independence from Morocco before reaching a ceasefire in 1991 on the promise of a referendum on self-determination. But it has claimed regular, sometimes deadly attacks on Moroccan forces since declaring the ceasefire null and void in November 2020. Former US president Donald Trump recognised Moroccos sovereignty over the region the following month, and Rabat has since stepped up efforts to have other world powers, particularly in the European Union, follow suit. Russian forces have been accused many times of war crimes since they invaded neighbouring Ukraine on February 24, 2022. From indiscriminate bombing to rape, torture and summary executions, accusations have poured in from non-governmental organisations, witness accounts and Ukrainian officials. The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) is probing the allegations, as are several European countries, anxious to gather evidence for future war crimes trials. Moscow claims the alleged atrocities were staged by the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian forces have also been accused of possible war crimes involving the treatment of Russian prisoners. We look at some of the allegations: Bucha The world reacts with horror to the discovery of bodies in civilian clothing, some of whom appear to have been bound by their hands and feet before being shot, in the Ukrainian town of Bucha after the withdrawal of Russian forces. AFP counted 20 bodies scattered along a single street on April 2. US President Joe Biden denounces major war crimes. Buchas mayor Anatoly Fedoruk said 280 bodies were buried in mass graves during the fighting, with the number of corpses growing. On April 4, the prosecutor generals office said the bodies of another five men with their hands bound were found in a basement of a childrens health resort, also in Bucha. The men bore signs of torture, the statement said. Meanwhile in Motyzhyn, another village west of Kyiv, police found the bodies of five civilians with their hands tied behind their backs. They include that of the mayor Olga Sukhenko, her husband and their son, who were abducted by Russian troops on March 24. Police showed AFP journalists four bodies, including that of the mayor, half-buried in a forest, with a fifth body located in a nearby well. Mariupol In the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol, at least three people were killed, including a young girl, in an attack on a childrens hospital on March 9. Another 300 are believed by local authorities to have been killed on March 16 when Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians were taking shelter. UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on March 30 her office had verified 77 incidents in which medical facilities were damaged, including 50 hospitals, with 10 of the facilities completely destroyed. Cluster munitions Bachelet also said her office had received credible allegations that Russian armed forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas at least 24 times. Missiles carrying cluster munitions explode in the air and send dozens or hundreds of small bomblets over a large area. Human Rights Watch said they were used in Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine on February 24, in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on February 28 and on three different occasions in the city of Mykolaiv in the south. Amnesty International blamed cluster bombs for a stomach-turning attack on a pre-school on February 25 in the northeastern town of Okhtyrka, in which three people, including a child, were reportedly killed. UN undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on April 5 that allegations that Ukrainian forces were also using such weapons were being investigated. Over 100 countries have signed a 2008 Convention banning the use of cluster munitions, but not Russia or Ukraine. Rape Witness accounts gathered by AFP and other media have underlined NGOs fears of the use of rape as a weapon in the war. Russian soldiers have committed sexual violence against Ukrainian women and men, against children and against the elderly, Ukraines prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said. The wife of a Ukrainian soldier from the Russian-occupied city of Kherson told AFP she was raped by two Russian soldiers after being branded by a fellow resident a banderovka, a term referring to hardline Ukrainian nationalists. Ukrainian forces suspected too Human Rights Watch has called on Ukrainian authorities to launch an investigation into possible war crimes following the emergence on March 27 of video footage that appears to show its soldiers shooting Russian war prisoners in the legs. AFP was able to geolocalise it to the village of Mala Rogan outside Kharkiv, which Ukrainian forces had just recaptured after an offensive. The vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday strengthens the forum and sends a powerful message that massive-scale violators cannot be members, rights organisations said. The United Nations General Assembly in New York voted overwhelmingly to stop Moscow sitting in judgement of other nations human rights records following allegations of war crimes in its six-week-long assault on Ukraine. Russia withdrew from the council immediately after being suspended. Evidence of civilian killings in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv has shocked the world. Ukraine blames the deaths on Russian troops. Moscow has denied any civilian killings. The Human Rights Council (HRC), established in 2006, comprises 47 member states elected by the General Assembly. The council promotes and protects all human rights worldwide and membership comes with a responsibility to uphold high standards. The only country ever suspended before was Libya in 2011. The General Assembly has sent a crystal-clear message to Russias leadership that a government whose military is routinely committing horrific rights violations has no business on the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch said. No place for rights violators Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that he was grateful for the partners solidarity Lets force Russia to seek peace together! Phil Lynch, executive director of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) said: This sends a powerful message that the HRC is no place for states that are perpetrating massive human rights violations, including acts that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In New York, 93 countries voted to suspend Russia, with 24 against well clear of the two-thirds majority required. Fifty-eight nations abstained. Gennady Gatilov, Russias ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said the suspension was an unlawful and politically motivated step and that Moscow had, in any case, made a conscious decision to withdraw in advance. Thursdays vote, that resulted from the impudent and unprincipled line of the Western countries discredits the HRC, inflicts irreparable damage to its reputation, undermines its credibility, he said. A Human Rights Council spokesman confirmed to AFP that Russia had subsequently withdrawn from the body, in a letter sent to the HRC president shortly after the suspension. Moscow on HRC a farce: US Geneva ambassadors and missions from major Western states countered Russias outlook. The United States Sheba Crocker said Russias slaughter of civilians and attempt to subvert the world order made its participation on the UN HRC a farce and hurt the credibility of the UN. Russia is out of the HRC; it must get out of Ukraine now. Britains Simon Manley said council membership was a privilege, not a right and members had to uphold the highest standards. Germanys mission simply said Russias gross and systematic human rights violations are incompatible with UN HRC membership. A third of the council is elected every year, and countries can only serve for two consecutive three-year terms. The membership is split proportionally by five geographic regions. Russia and Ukraine were elected to the council as the two eastern European states to serve from 2021 to 2023. An election will be held to replace Russia, following their withdrawal. China next? Some non-governmental organisations accuse the regional groups of stitching up the elections by presenting the same number of candidates as vacant seats. UN Watchs executive director Hillel Neuer has said in the past that the elections process was designed to weed out the worlds worst rights abusers, but routinely saw oppressive regimes win international legitimacy. The NGO campaigned for Russia to be expelled from the council and said it would now target other members over their alleged rights violations. Next on our list: China one million Muslims in camps; Cuba tyranny; Eritrea slave labour; Libya tortures migrants; Mauritania slavery; Pakistan hosts terrorist; Venezuela state collapse, said Neuer. The ISHRs Lynch told AFP the suspension vote would significantly strengthen the councils integrity and legitimacy as it showed that no state, regardless of its economic and political power, is beyond scrutiny. It affirms that there are consequences for membership for those engaged in gross and systematic human rights violations, he said. But Uyghur campaigner Rushan Abbas said Moscows ousting would not lead to a vote on suspending China, telling AFP that, unlike Russia, too many countries were economically benefiting from China. The destruction left by Russian troops in the town of Borodianka outside of Kyiv is much more horrific than the situation uncovered in the nearby town of Bucha, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday. They have started sorting through the ruins in Borodianka, Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation. Its much more horrific there, there are even more victims of Russian occupiers. Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv region about a week ago to regroup in the east, leaving scenes of death and horror in commuter towns around the capital. Ukraine has accused the Russians of executing hundreds of peaceful civilians, some of whom were discovered dead with their hands tied behind their backs, as well as of torture and rape. Ukraines Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said earlier Thursday that rescue workers recovered 26 bodies from underneath two destroyed apartment buildings in Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv, again accusing Moscow of targeting civilian areas. Just in the rubble of two apartment blocs, 26 bodies were recovered, Ukraines Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Facebook. Only the civilian population was targeted: there is no military site here, she said, adding it was impossible to predict how many more dead there were at the site. Venediktova said the Russians have used cluster bombs and heavy multiple rocket launchers that bring death and destruction. Evidence of the Russian forces war crimes is at every turn, she wrote. The enemy treacherously shelled residential infrastructure in the evenings, when there was a maximum amount of people home, Venediktova said. Their only aim was the civilian population, there are no military facilities around here. She accused Russian forces of engaging in killings, torture and beatings of civilians, as well as sexual assault. Venediktova said Ukrainian law enforcement officers were collecting evidence from Borodianka for local and international courts. The United Nations suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council on Thursday, as US President Joe Biden called the atrocities continuing to emerge in Ukraine an outrage to humanity. The diplomatic rebuke came as the G7, the European Union and Washington further tightened the economic screws on Moscow, spurred by the horrific images emerging in recent days from now-infamous towns like Bucha and Mariupol. Russias lies are no match for the undeniable evidence of what is happening in Ukraine, Biden said in a statement, as he hailed Moscows expulsion from the rights council. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity. Moscow rejected its suspension, voted by the UN General Assembly, as illegal and politically motivated. With the Kremlin accused of targeting civilian areas, officials said they had recovered 26 more bodies from the rubble of two destroyed apartment buildings in Borodianka, near Kyiv, where authorities were searching the ruins a week after Russian forces withdrew. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the destruction in Borodianka was much more horrific than in nearby Bucha where Western nations accuse Moscows forces of committing war crimes. In Ukraines east, desperate civilians were warned to take their last chance to flee with Russian forces believed to be preparing a massive assault after withdrawing from Kyiv and Ukraines north. A barrage of shells and rockets was already hammering the industrial hub Severodonetsk in the Donbas region, the easternmost city held by Ukrainian forces, leaving buildings engulfed in flames. Every day its worse and worse, said Denis, a man in his forties with a pale, emaciated face. Theyre raining down on us from everywhere. We cannot take it anymore. I want to escape this hell, he says but the question of where to go will have to wait: I will think about it where there are no more shells falling around me. Denis fears Severodonetsk will see the same fate as the southern port of Mariupol, devastated by Russian forces in a weeks-long siege and where even pro-Russian authorities now acknowledge a staggering civilian toll. On Thursday Mariupols new mayor Konstantin Ivashchenko installed by the leader of the breakaway Donetsk regions separatists announced that around 5,000 civilians have been killed in the city. The toll corroborated the low end of earlier estimates by Ukrainian officials, who said the figure could be as high as 10,000. Accomplice to crimes As Washington seeks to ramp up the economic pain on President Vladimir Putin, Congress voted Thursday to end normal trade relations with Moscow, and allow Biden to inflict steep tariff hikes on imports. The European Union said it approved an embargo on Russian coal, while the Group of Seven industrialised nations banned new investments in key sectors of Moscows economy following appalling atrocities by Russian armed forces against Ukraine civilians. Meanwhile the prospect of a negotiated end to the war seemed to fade further as Moscow accused Kyiv of changing its demands since face-to-face talks last month. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a draft agreement presented by Ukraine suggested they were not interested in stopping the fighting. But Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak hit back that if Moscow wanted to show its readiness to talk, it should lower the degree of hostility. Nowhere to go Sergiy Gaiday, governor of the Donbas region of Lugansk, said more than 1,200 people had been evacuated Wednesday, but that efforts were being hampered by artillery fire, with some areas already inaccessible. For those unable to leave, he said, tonnes of food, medicine and hygiene products were being delivered as part of a massive humanitarian effort. Some residents were fearing the worst. We have nowhere to go, its been like this for days, 38-year-old Volodymyr told AFP, standing opposite a burning building in Severodonetsk. More than 11 million people have been displaced since Russia invaded on February 24, with the stated aim to de-Nazify and demilitarise Ukraine and support Moscow-backed separatists. Moscow is believed to be trying to create a land link between occupied Crimea and the separatist-controlled Lugansk and neighbouring Donetsk regions. Western allies have already sent funds and weapons to Ukraine, but its foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, on Thursday appealed for urgent heavy weaponry, including air defence systems, artillery, armoured vehicles and jets. Either you help us now and Im speaking about days, not weeks or your help will come too late, and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed, he said after meeting NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Earlier he said he had only one agenda item: Its weapons, weapons, and weapons. Hours later, the European Council chief Charles Michel backed a proposal to release an additional 500 million euros ($540 million) to provide arms for Ukraine. Civilians targeted Kyiv and its Western allies accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian populations in Ukraine. The Kremlin denies responsibility for any civilian deaths in Bucha site of the most gruesome evidence of indiscriminate killings but satellite images taken while the town was still under Russias control appear to show bodies in the streets. Human rights groups say rape is also being used as a weapon of war in Ukraine. Officials have alleged that Russian troops are now trying to cover up atrocities elsewhere to prevent further international outcry, including in Mariupol. As emergency crews pulled new bodies from the rubble of two buildings in Borodianka, Ukraines Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said only the civilian population was targeted. There is no military site here, she said on Facebook, adding it was impossible to predict how many more dead there may be. burs-ar/mlm/ec Meta tvN's upcoming mystery comedy drama "The Killer's Shopping List" released its newest teaser weeks ahead of its release! The drama keeps the potential viewers amped with Lee Kwang Soo and AOA Seolhyun's chemistry and comical elements. Lee Kwang Soo, AOA Seolhyun Comb the Streets to Find Mystery Killer in New Drama tvN's "The Killer's Shopping List" (also known as "The Murderer's Shopping List") is based on the novel of the same name by Kang Ji Young. It revolves around the mysterious serial killings that happen in an ordinary neighborhood, in which grocery shopping lists are the key piece of evidence that kick-start an entertaining search for the culprit. The drama stars Lee Kwang Soo as Ahn Dae Sung, the son of supermarket owner Jung Myung Sook (Jin Hee Kyung), and AOA Seolhyun plays the role of the passionate police officer Do Ah Hee. When Do Ah Hee finds a dead body inside Ahn Dae Sung's family mart, she steps up and takes over the case on her own. In the newly released drama teaser, Do Ah Hee and Ahn Dae Sung face a sticky situation in their relationship. The two meet Do Ah Hee's father (Park Chul Min) who taunts Ahn Dae Sung. Because he's unemployed, his girlfriend's father doesn't approve of him. Do Ah Hee, who's unable to hide her rage, chops a pineapple in half due to her rage. Unaware of her feelings, Ahn Dae Sung tries to act playfully to make her laugh. In the next scene, he shows another side of himself as he puts his extraordinary observation skills, photographic memory and cognitive skills to good use. However, Ahn Dae Sung somehow becomes a suspect for a heinous murder. Curiosity about the truth behind the murder, and how he will clean his name while finding the true culprit, is heightened. Furthermore, "The Killer's Shopping List" premieres for the first time on April 27 at 10:30 p.m. KST, following the conclusion of "Kill Heel." tvN's 'Kill Heel' Fails To Rise From Month-Long Slump The thriller drama "Kill Heel" starring Kim Ha Neul, Lee Hye Young and Kim Sung Ryung is now in its fifth week. It depicts the story of three women who have strong desires to achieve success in the home shopping industry. However, the drama remains at the bottom, recording a score of not more than 2% with each episode. The drama premiered on Wednesday, March 9 with a promising rating of 4.3%, which marks the highest recorded rating of the series. In the succeeding episodes, the drama continued to fluctuate in terms of viewership rating. With its six remaining episodes, "Kill Heel" is expected to redeem itself and record a new personal best. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Upgraded China-New Zealand FTA to bring brighter shared future: ambassador Xinhua) 11:44, April 07, 2022 WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong has said the upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will bring a brighter shared future to both countries. Wang, in a news letter released on Thursday, said this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The FTA and the protocol on its upgrade, which goes into force on April 7, 2022, means the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries stepping to a higher level. Wang said the implementation of the Upgraded FTA not only further demonstrates the vitality, resilience and potential of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, but also showcases the common commitment to working together in support of multilateralism and free trade. "Joint efforts on both sides culminated in the establishment of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2014, delivering tangible and increasing benefits to both peoples and setting a prime example of win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes, national conditions and social systems," Wang said. Wang said China currently is New Zealand's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 30 percent of New Zealand's total exports of goods and services, and the largest buyer of Kiwi dairy, meat, wood and fruits. Under the FTA, New Zealand liberalized 100 percent of tariff lines and China liberalized 97 percent of tariff lines, which helped to drive the two-way trade in goods to a record level in 2021, growing at an average annual rate of 11 percent since the implementation of bilateral FTA in 2008, the ambassador said. The Upgrade Protocol further improves access to the Chinese market for New Zealand exporters. Upon its entry into force, China opens its market for New Zealand wood and paper products, with 99 percent of New Zealand's wood and paper trade to China receiving tariff-free access at the end of the transition period, he said, adding that the introduction of 21st century trade issues such as e-Commerce and Environment and Trade builds new avenues for holding dialogue and deepening cooperation. "As New Zealand products make their way into millions of Chinese households, China's strong consumer demand has become a key driver of New Zealand's export earnings and a major contributor to trade-related jobs for the local communities," said the ambassador. "The Upgrade Protocol further improves access to the Chinese market for New Zealand exporters and reflects the new trends of trade and business models between the two countries," Wang said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form WILMOT Michael Plourde will be the new superintendent of Wilmot Union High School, effective July 1. The Board of Education approved a two-year contract with Plourde at a special meeting Wednesday. Plourde, who is currently serving as the Willowbrook Middle School principal in the Prairie Hill School District in South Beloit, Ill., was one of two finalists chosen from an initial field of 25 applicants. The other finalist was John Lehnen, superintendent/principal of the North Cape School District in Franksville. Both finalists spent a day in the district meeting with students, faculty, administration, a stakeholder advisory group, and the board. The school board was very impressed with both finalists and were certain that each of them would have done a fine job leading the school district, said Board President Laurie DeMoon. The board selected Dr. Plourde because of his experience at all three levels elementary, middle, and high school and, his ability to be a systems thinker. Plourde said he could tell through the interactions he had while he was in the school and community during the interview process that everyone wants what is best for the students. Im looking forward to coming in and being a good teammate in helping to lead the school to the next level, Plourde said. Im going to give this position my all so that Wilmot can become that destination district that they see in their vision. Plourde, has also served as: a math teacher at Bigfoot Union High School (2007-2008) and Hononegah Community High School District in Rockton, Ill., (2008-2012); Harlem Middle School Assistant Principal, Machesney Park, Ill., (2012-2014); and Rock Cut Elementary Principal, Machesney Park, Ill., (2014-2018). His professional degrees include: a Bachelor of Science in math secondary education from Northern Michigan University; a Master of Arts from Aurora University; and doctorate from Aurora University. Becoming a school superintendent has always been his career goal. My drive is to have as large of a positive impact as I can, Plourde said. Being a principal has allowed me to do that, but being a superintendent will allow me to do that on a larger scale. My personal drive is to always put the students first, do right by the community and Im looking forward to doing that at Wilmot. Plourde will spend time in the district working with interim superintendent Vance Dalzin prior to taking the helm in July to aid in the transition process. The first thing Im going to do is Im going to listen and learn as much as I can about the school and the community so that I have a firm grasp on where theyre at, Plourde said. From there, goals include implementing the strategic plan, improve academic results, and increasing programming and extracurricular opportunities for students, he said. The board used the education recruitment and development firm McPherson & Jacobson, LLC to assist with the search, for which Dalzin serves as a consultant. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TREVOR Kenosha County Sheriffs Department deputies caught up with a 36-year-old Salem man who crashed his vehicle in Illinois and ran back into Wisconsin after initially fleeing authorities Wednesday night. The incident began at 5:04 p.m. when authorities observed the man driving erratically in the 12700 block of 249th Avenue and when they attempted to pull the driver over he fled, according to Lt. Tom Gilley. Authorities had initiated a pursuit that ended quickly as the driver traveled into Illinois. Minutes later, the vehicle had crashed into a ditch near Rock Lake Road at the state line. They began the chase, but then they terminated the chase. The vehicle went into Illinois and apparently lost control ... and struck some trees, Gilley said. The subject ran off on foot, citizens gave us some information and we were able to apprehend him. He ran back into Wisconsin. According to Gilley, the driver was arrested about 10 minutes later. Law enforcement radio traffic reports indicated the driver had requested rescue for an injury to his face. The man was booked in the Kenosha County Jail and is expected to face a charge of suspicion of operating while intoxicated and possible other traffic violations. An investigation into the crash continues. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser delivered his final State of the County address to the County Board Wednesday evening and encouraged Executive-elect Samantha Kerkman to continue the countys momentum. Weve done so many great things together over the last 14 years, Kreuser said. And its my hope that you will all continue to pull together for the good of the county, setting aside partisan politics, working in the best interests of the most people for the long haul. Kreuser announced his retirement last year and will serve his last day in office on April 18. He has held the elected, non-partisan position since June 2008, at the onset of the Great Recession. Among the challenges in county government at that time, Kreuser noted, were long-deferred maintenance in county facilities, an underutilized parks system, a space crisis in the Public Safety Building that affected 911 dispatch among other functions, Brookside Care Center losing money, and antiquated information technology systems. And now, look at where we are today, Kreuser said. We have addressed all of these issues and made so many more improvements that will serve the people of Kenosha County for generations to come. Included in the accomplishments Kreuser listed to the board: Restorations to the historic Courthouse and county Administration Building. An expansion of the Public Safety Building that now houses 911 dispatch, a state-of-theart Emergency Operations Center, the Sheriffs Department Detective Bureau and the countys Division of Information Technology. Revival of the Kenosha County Parks system, including many new amenities, activities and events, as well as the development of the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park. The renovation and expansion of Brookside Care Center and a turnaround of its finances. A restructuring of the Division of Information Technology into a state-of-the-art operation that enabled quick pivots to remote work for many county employees during recent times of crisis. The countys recent attainment of a AAA bond rating, the highest rating possible. Triple-A was another one of those goals that we had for a long time, Kreuser said. And now were there one of just seven counties out of the 72 counties in the state. General fund is up, property tax rate is down Kreuser added the countys general fund balance is currently at its highest level in history, ensuring liquidity to provide for county obligations. And Kenosha Countys equalized value is at an all-time high, up 64% over the last eight years. The countys property tax rate has decreased for eight consecutive years and is now equal to the rate from 10 years ago, he said. County taxes per $100,000 of home value has decreased by $4.25 over the last four years and the countys total long-term obligations are $25 million lower than in 2008. Kreuser said investment in county infrastructure has also been achieved. Youve probably heard me say, Infrastructure leads to economic development, which leads to jobs, and its true, Kreuser said. Kenosha Countys job growth from 2015 to 2020 was 11.1% the highest in Wisconsin. Kreuser encouraged Kerkmans administration to continue to advance ongoing projects that the current County Board has supported. These include: The relocation of the countys Human Services functions from the Job Center on Sheridan Road to a new, more centrally located facility on 52nd Street a public-private partnership project that received a $9.8 million award from Gov. Tony Evers last month. Bringing broadband internet access to areas of the county that remain underserved. Protecting the eroding lakefront on the Kemper Center grounds. Completing the South Branch Pike River restoration, the first phase of which is receiving nearly $10 million in support from the Army Corps of Engineers. Supporting the mission of the countys Racial and Ethnic Equity Commission, which was created in 2021. Further buildout of amenities at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park. K Kreuser told the board the transition process with Kerkman began Wednesday morning and was off to a strong start. He wished Kerkman well in the job. He concluded his address by urging the board not to let political polarization get in the way, but rather to continue to work together for the advancement of the county. As someone who loves this county, who cares deeply about it and always will, Kreuser said, it is my sincere hope that you choose to continue to move Kenosha County forward. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 6 Shares Share I do not hesitate to share what I endured. I recognize that there is a code of silence that must be broken when one is involved in legal action. It is imperative that we speak out to patients, legislators, and other physicians against these types of injustices. The sense of isolation can be overwhelming. I do not want anyone to go through what I have gone through, questioning myself, my skills, and my self-worth. Hopefully sharing our stories will help to give other physicians added strength. I have come to firmly believe that publicity and sharing our experiences are our best tools against legal injustice. Mark Lopatin is a rheumatologist and author of Rheum for Improvement: The Evolution of a Health-Care Advocate. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, Publicity and sharing our experiences are our best tools against legal injustice. Did you enjoy todays episode? Rate and review the show so more audiences can find The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out. Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode. Also available in Category 1 CME bundles. Powered by CMEfy a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode with anyone who wants to hear health care stories filled with information, insight, and inspiration. Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. The Arts Council have this week announced that applications have opened for schools to apply for the Creative Schools 2022/2023 programme. Designed to provide opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills, the Creative Schools Programme supports Primary and Post-Primary schools and Youthreach centres across Ireland to put arts and creativity at the heart of childrens and young peoples lives. Key supports offered by the programme include specialist support and advice from an assigned Creative Associate, training and networking, and funding to implement Creative Schools Plans. The Creative Schools initiative has been very well received since its inception in 2018, with more than 90% of participating schools recommending the programme. Speaking at the launch, Director of the Arts Council Maureen Kennelly said, We are excited to be able to invite the next round of schools to join the Creative Schools initiative. As part of the Arts Councils ongoing commitment to plan and provide for children and young people, Creative Schools is a powerful project which places arts and creativity at the heart of young peoples lives. We thank the Department of Education, the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht and all at Creative Ireland for their ongoing partnership in this important national programme. Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said: Culture and the Arts are a fundamental expression of who we are as a nation and play an important role in communities across Ireland. I am delighted to be here today at Stanhope Street Primary School, which is a current participant in the Creative Schools programme. Creative expression provides opportunities for children and young people to try out new ideas and explore their creative potential. This programme has been devised to give both teachers and students the tools to explore creativity and to implement their own bespoke Creative Schools Plan. I encourage all schools to consider applying to Creative Schools and begin their own creative journey. Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education said, We are delighted to join with our colleagues in the Arts Council and in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and invite all schools to apply for Creative Schools 2022. The initiative provides opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills; to communicate, collaborate, stimulate their imaginations, be inventive, and to harness their curiosity. I commend all the schools who have undertaken this journey so far and look forward to a new cohort of schools beginning their participation soon. Each school taking part receives a grant and works with a Creative Associate who use their practical experience in supporting them to develop and implement their own unique Creative School Plan. This is a two-year guided journey in which children and young peoples involvement in planning, decision-making and reflection is central. The programme offers a real opportunity for school communities to explore what creativity means to them, and how participation in the arts can support their schools learning and development priorities. Participation empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of working which reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young peoples learning, development and well-being. All Department of Education-recognised schools and Youthreach centres interested in joining the programme in September 2022 are invited to apply to the Arts Council. The final deadline for receipt of applications is 17.30pm on Thursday June 2, 2022. A beautiful painting of a little lamb in her protective, winter coat is being raffled to raise funds for the support and protection of people in Ukraine. Thomastown-based artist Krisztina Rozanich created the picture during the first week of the war. It's done in acrylics and charcoal, comes with a certificate of authenticity and is framed and ready to hang. Krisztina described the work: "It depicts a lamb wearing a 'raincoat' that we, farmers, use when lambs are born outside to protect them from the cold and rain." Included in the prize is free postage if won in Ireland and 50 towards shipping costs via An Post (that should cover all costs if won in America and continental Europe.) Click here to buy tickets on iDonate All proceeds from the raffle will go to the Irish Red Cross. The draw will take place on Friday, April 29. Krisztina is a Hungarian artist who has been living in Ireland for 20 years. "My mother and her family fled the Russians during the 1956 Hungarian Uprising and were sponsored by a family in the USA, so the plight of the Ukrainian people resonates on a personal level. I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to help the millions of refugees, on whatever level I could. "I am a part time shepherd and keep my own small flock of sheep. My paintings mainly depict landscape in an expressionist manner. I studied fine art at the University of Texas and have exhibited nationally and internationally. My website is https://www.rozart.ie" Every single person, no matter where they live in Ireland, should have access to a reliable, integrated public transport system and leaving the car behind should be a right, not a luxury, experts say ahead of a major international conference which comes to Kilkenny City in May. Connected rural communities explicitly need to have a solid, integrated physical mobility infrastructure and a co-ordinated mobility plan, similar to the National Broadband Plan, would be a fundamental enabler for communities right across rural Ireland. It would have a transformative impact on the lives of all, the organisers of the imminent iRoute conference believe. Wherever you live in rural Ireland, you should be able to go about your daily business with the back-up of a rural transport programme that operates several times a day every day. Better rural connectivity would also spur those with cars to use public transport more, cutting down harmful emissions, the international Integrated Rural & Urban Transport Evolution (iROUTE) conference in Kilkenny on May 5 will hear. Early bird booking is open now on https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/ iroute-2-conference-kilkenny- tickets-166805392419 The event will be chaired by economist, Jim Power, and brings together national and international contributors from a variety of backgrounds, including transport providers, academic experts, funders, community groups, local development companies and public representatives. All have a singular aim putting rural public transport policy in the spotlight. Speaking ahead of the conference, internationally-renowned Transport Expert, Brendan Finn, said: There is a world of difference between being able to travel one day a week on a rural link service and being able to travel as required. Yet developing a new Rural Transport Policy is item 100 on the governments top 100 priorities list. The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan only fills in the blanks. There is no policy to back it up. Almost every European country lacks a comprehensive policy for rural mobility. There are no clear goals, no specific targets, no clear responsibilities and insufficient funding to meet growing needs. We need clarity in terms of what the role of the public, the private and community sector is in rural connectivity, who should lead it, who is responsible for it and where the money will come from. Rural mobility and accessibility policy is as important as rural broadband and it needs to be made a priority now. Joined up thinking would ensure that thriving, inclusive rural communities across Ireland and across the continent can make a real contribution to the economic growth and social progress of Europe as a whole. Large urban hubs get the lions share of investment, yet rural Ireland is often neglected, according to Declan Rice, conference organiser and CEO with Kilkenny LEADER Partnership. And while the government announced 57 million for the Local Link transport service across 15 separate communities in October of last year, there is no joined up thinking or integrated plan, he said. A fundamental lack of joined up policy means that local authorities and communities are all doing their own thing. This policy gap cannot continue. We need top-down frameworks such as they have in Flanders, which facilitates, and makes room for the inclusion in that framework, of bottom-up community-led local initiatives. Local bespoke solutions that meet at least a basic level of service and have the capacity to grow need to be supported. We have all the building blocks, some of what we require is the use of information and communication technology that has already been proven to work in other parts of the world. Its not going to take a huge amount of money just some joined up effort. If we are serious about creating so-called Smart Villages and communities we just need to get the integration planning discussion going and make it work. Ireland has a unique opportunity to lead the way and to show how the future should look for rural shared mobility planning, Mr Rice concluded. The Minister of Defence said he is not very keen on the idea of deploying troops to deal with the lengthy queues at Dublin Airport. Simon Coveney said that no formal request for members of the Defence Forces to help with the lengthy delays has been made. Dublin Airport said it is still trying to rebound from the impact of the pandemic and blamed shortages in fully-trained staff working at the countrys busiest airport. It is hoped that more staff will be recruited before the Easter holidays. If you are flying from Dublin Airport soon, please be aware that it might be very busy at peak periods, so allow yourself plenty of time. At peak times, this can mean up to 3 and a half hours before your departure time. If parking a car, allow a further 30 minutes. Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) April 4, 2022 Asked if he thinks Defence Forces personnel should be drafted in to help, Mr Coveney said: Thats an option Im not very keen on, I have to say as Minister for Defence. Our Defence Forces are busy, theyre asked to do a lot outside of core defence. But there is no formal request and has been no formal request for the army to be part of the solution in Dublin airport. I know that the DAA are working hard to ensure they can get more efficiency and faster throughput through the security checks in the airport but as of now there is no formal ask of me as Minister of Defence or of my department in terms of the assisting on that. The junior transport minister Hildegarde Naughton said she is having daily meetings with the DAA in relation to the contingency measures. She said the measures have been put in place since last weekend, which has led to huge improvements in the management of queues. They have redeployed staff, they have 600 non-frontline staff now on the frontline helping to manage queues and theres greater throughput of passengers so they are managing this situation very well, Ms Naughton added. But those daily meetings will continue, I have a further one this evening. Theres no formal request, as Mr Coveney has said, in relation to the army, the DAA suggested potentially involving the Defence Forces at earlier meetings, but theres no such request or plans in place for that. They are engaging in an intensive recruitment campaign this week as well to increase staffing numbers. We will be watching this very carefully and we are absolutely working hand in hand with the DAA in relation to ensuring that passengers and our citizens who have had two years of pandemic can get away over holidays safely. A Kilkenny company's Ukraine fundraiser has been so successful it sold out in eight hours! Cushendale Woolen Mills, in Graignamanagh, put its unique skills to the task to produce a woolen blanket in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine. It went on sale yesterday and was fully sold out in just eight hours! All proceeds are going to the Irish Red Cross in support of Ukraine. The south Kilkenny woolen mills say: "We are humbled with the amazing response to this fundraiser blanket. We are considering making a second edition blanket, to register your interest please e-mail us, info@cushendale.ie." The blanket was designed by Dublin based Irish artist Ellie Dunne. Inspired by the vibrant colours of the Ukrainian flag and crafted with 100% merino yarn, hank-dyed to a custom colour match, each bespoke piece is hand-numbered first edition of 60 blankets. The beauty of Ellies design lies in her use of uncomplicated bold panels set out in a symmetry which is both balanced and striking. The Ukraine blanket is woven, and hand finished by us at our historic woollen mill in Kilkenny, one of only two remaining in Ireland where every stage of the process still happens under the same roof. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. MEXICO Employees of Noble Health are speaking out about the hospital system, following the suspension of services and the furlough of employees at two of its rural hospitals. Noble Health announced Wednesday that 175 employees of the Audrain Community Hospital and the Callaway Community Hospital would be furloughed. The hospital system said employees would have health care benefits until the end of April. A former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told KOMU 8 that there were "whispers around the office" in mid-March that the company didn't have enough funds to pay employees and IT. She said she didn't know things were going bad until it was too late. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "They didn't even care, and they left us in the dark. They just kept saying, 'Everything's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay,'" the former employee said. A current employee, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said employees wanted the hospitals to survive. That employee said pay was delayed on March 18, but most employees have gotten those pay stubs since then. But when pay day came around on April 1, no one received a pay stub. Noble Health confirmed to KOMU 8 that it delayed two rounds of paychecks for hourly employees. "We can only do so much. And with that being my only income, I don't know how much longer I can go without, you know, just working without being paid and calling for my savings. I don't know." Nancy Mays, a spokesperson for Noble Health, told KOMU 8 News in an email that its top priorities are payroll, benefits and taxes. The hospitals are holding biweekly meetings for employees. Mays confirmed that Noble Health is having several discussions with "interested parties" wanting to buy the hospitals. She said Noble Health has received one letter of intent, but it is non-binding. I'm currently a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in political science. I'm a fan of all St. Louis sports, Oasis and pretty much any Kurt Russell film. Feel free to reach out to me at mgp89g@umsystem.edu or on Twitter @MattPasz2000. Follow Matt Paszkiewicz 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 Street photographer Chae Kyung-wan, who goes by his penname, K. Chae / Courtesy of K. Chae Photographer captures streets of Seoul during COVID-19 pandemic By Kwak Yeon-soo Chae Kyung-wan, who goes by his penname, K. Chae, is a street photographer who travels around the world to express what he sees with photography. He takes pictures of people, cityscapes, landscapes, wildlife and anything of interest in his path. He has traveled to 85 countries to capture unrehearsed moments in life. His most recent plan to travel to Central Asia was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing him more time to capture the beauty of Seoul instead. "I always thought I would take pictures of Seoul when I grew older and found travel uncomfortable. Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Seoul was the place where I spent time in the off-season. But things have changed over the past two years," he said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday. Chae started roaming the streets of Seoul and capturing small moments that people often miss. However, he explained that his approach to taking pictures in Seoul was not much different from photographing scenes in unfamiliar cities. "To me, photography is not about documenting what I see. It's about expressing myself. So my goal was not to capture what is real, but to see the world in my own perspective," he said. According to him, a photograph can always show something entirely different. There is no one answer to how and what something or someone should look like. Each person sees things differently. That is why he named the title of his latest exhibition, "Not Seoul." Chae's attention to color is what makes his photos unique. "I take colorful pictures because I'm a colorful person. I take pictures and add my signature style, which is to increase the contrast and amplify the color," he said. "Three Umbrellas" / Courtesy of K. Chae The photographer said he has always been fond of colors as long as he can remember. "When I was young, I wanted to be an artist. But I was terrible at drawing. In college, I took an art class, but that didn't go well either. Then I took a photography class, which allowed me to become an artist even though I couldn't draw," he said. The photographer's experience in Honduras and the U.S. also affected the way he sees the world. When he was 16 years old, he moved to Honduras with his family for a year and a half, and then to New York, where he finished high school and college. "Moving to different countries at an early age has opened up my eyes to how diverse the world is. I have wanderlust, so I get restless if I stay in one place for a long time," he said. Chae said he tries to minimize taking pictures because, in this age of digital photography, it is so easy to take pictures. "I think it is important for a photographer to know when not to take a picture. It is important to know the weight of photos. I always ask myself, 'What is the reason to take that picture?' I feel like an image always has to have a purpose," he said. An installation view of K. Chae's exhibition, "Not Seoul" / Courtesy of K. Chae Chae has another philosophy in mind when taking pictures, which has been inspired by early 20th century photographers, including Saul Leiter, Willy Ronis and Elliot Erwitt. "I never set up my pictures. I don't ask people to pose and I don't pay people to take pictures. I try my best not to disturb the scene. I want to be a part of a moment, not an obstacle," he said. The 42-year-old also discussed why he doesn't take black-and-white photos. "Today, photographers often use black and white to save photos that don't work in color. By imposing a certain limit on myself, I strive for perfection when it comes to taking pictures," he said. People and the landscape are equally important in his work, but for the "Not Seoul" exhibition, Chae put more focus on capturing the urban landscape. "As a street photographer, I love to capture spontaneous moments of people. But I shot more cityscape pictures in Seoul. I went out to capture day and night in the city, although I personally like rainy, snowy and overcast weather. The night view images also have a very particular emotional impact that's hard to explain," he said. "Fantasy Express" / Courtesy of K. Chae President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, second from right, talks to officials of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of USFK President-elect reiterates importance of extended US deterrence during visit to Camp Humphreys By Jung Da-min Concerns are rising that North Korea may be returning to nuclear brinkmanship by conducting another nuclear test ahead of major political events, including the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong-un's inauguration on April 11, as well as the April 15 Day of the Sun, an annual holiday marking the birthday of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founding leader. According to U.S. government officials and North Korea watchers, there is a high possibility of the country launching an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) or carrying out a nuclear weapons test in the coming days. Sung Kim, the special representative for North Korea policy at the U.S. state department, in particular, warned of Pyongyang's possible nuclear weapons test on the April 15 anniversary, which would be the country's first nuclear weapons test in nearly five years. North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in November 2017. "We are worried that in connection with the upcoming anniversary, the DPRK may be tempted to take another provocative action," Kim told reporters during a phone briefing on Wednesday (local time). DPRK is an acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. "I don't want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test," he added. Sung Kim, the special representative for North Korea policy at the U.S. state department, speaks to reporters outside the State Department building, in this Oct. 18, 2022, file photo. Newsis President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the U.S.' extended deterrence during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. "The importance of extended deterrence cannot be overemphasized," Yoon said. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, center, holds a meeting with officials of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), including General Paul LaCamera, commander of the United Nations Command (UNC), the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) and USFK, during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of USFK His remarks came after his delegation to the United States, led by veteran lawmaker Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), discussed the matter with U.S. counterparts, during a week-long trip to Washington D.C. which started on April 3. During the delegation's meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the two sides discussed strengthening extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear weapons, including the deployment of strategic assets, which refer to long rage bombers, nuclear-powered submarines, or aircraft carriers. On March 24, Pyongyang test launched what it said was a Hwasong-17 ICBM, which the militaries of the U.S. and South Korea later concluded to have been a Hwasong-15 ICBM after days of analysis. The North's latest ICBM launch was its first long-range missile test in nearly five years. The North Korean leader abandoned a self-imposed moratorium on ICBM tests since late 2017, which followed Pyongyang's launch of a Hwasong-15 in November that year. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also noted growing security threats in the region during a House Foreign Services Committee hearing on restoring American leadership in the Indo-Pacific, Wednesday, saying more missiles tests are expected to come. She said the U.S. and South Korea are committed to strengthening the alliance and enhancing capabilities to counter such growing security threats. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, right, poses with Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), who led President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's delegation to the United States, at the State Department building, Monday (local time). Courtesy of U.S. Department of State By Kim Sang-woo It is clear now that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be unable to achieve the political objectives he intended, namely, to march into Kyiv and replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government with one friendly to the Kremlin. Putin's war may have destroyed much of Ukraine physically, but the unprecedented sanctions and economic isolation are destroying Russia economically. For Ukraine, the resilience of its leadership, society and armed forces is a marvel. National identity is more robust than ever; Ukraine's staunch resistance inspired the world. However, it has come at a great cost. An estimated 10 million Ukrainians are internally displaced or refugees. The economy has been wrecked. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is more united and stronger as a result of Russia's aggression. It also benefits from the poor performance of the Russian armed forces, which appeared to be no match for the Western alliance. U.S. President Joe Biden made a speech in Warsaw on March 26. Biden described the Russian invasion of Ukraine not only as a threat to European security but as "a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force." Nevertheless, no one should underestimate Putin's willingness to keep this brutal war going until he controls enough Ukraine territory to demand concessions that could be dressed up for the Russian public to look like a victory. At this juncture, two very different futures are possible. If Putin is successful in undermining Ukrainian independence and democracy, the world will return to an era of aggressive and intolerant nationalism reminiscent of the early 20th century. On the other hand, if Putin leads Russia into a debacle of military and economic failure, the chance remains to relearn the liberal lesson that power unconstrained by laws leads to national disaster. The one thing that might ease Putin's desperation would be Chinese support. It is not clear yet if Washington's threat of sanctions has deterred China or encouraged it to side with Putin. Yet by associating so closely with Putin, Xi Jinping has exposed himself to criticism for flawed judgment that damages China's reputation and raises the risk of being targeted with secondary sanctions. While China has long sought to divide the West, its alignment with Russia has done the opposite, alienating Western Europe, where it had been making significant economic inroads. It will also lead to a much tougher U.S. policy toward China and highlight the costs the country should face if it were ever to move militarily against Taiwan. If Washington now faces both Chinese and Russian challenges, it must necessarily empower its allies and modernize burden-sharing arrangements in Asia and Europe. Fortunately, the Biden administration's grand strategy has space to do both. Its special emphasis on building what U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan calls a "latticework of flexible partnerships; institutions, alliances, [and] groups of countries" has already gained considerable traction in Asia. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put it recently, the United States has developed a "five-four-three-two" formation in Asia "from strengthening the Five Eyes to peddling the Quad, from piecing together AUKUS to tightening bilateral military alliances." Thanks to Putin's war in Ukraine, Europe's prolonged sabbatical from geopolitics has come to an end. It is finally ready to do more for its own defense, including a historic German decision to rearm. Neither Asia nor Europe can balance China and Russia on their own for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, by doing more for their own security, they help boost U.S. domestic political support for sustained military commitment to the two regions. By promoting a larger role for its allies, Washington can build durable regional balances of power in Asia and Europe backed by U.S. military strength. The immediate impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the Korean Peninsula is that it has left the door wide open for North Korea to pursue an even more robust missile testing regime without fear of consequences from the U.N. Security Council. Chinese and Russian proposals to weaken Security Council imposed sanctions on North Korea since December 2020 had already eroded U.N.-led sanctions for North Korean ballistic missile testing and with the Ukrainian conflict, has now been shattered. The Moon Jae-in administration has aligned South Korea with the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions on Russia and cooperating with its sanctions measures. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed satisfaction with South Korea's efforts to hold the line on Russian sanctions. On March 8, Biden sent a letter of gratitude to President Moon Jae-in for South Korea's leadership and actions supporting Ukraine's sovereignty. The conflict in Ukraine will put more pressure on South Korea's new president, who assumes office on May 10, in his efforts to deter North Korean missile tests, with little diplomatic means. The Biden administration should be pleased that the incoming president places alignment with the United States at the center of South Korea's foreign policy priorities and intends to take more of a leadership role as a "global pivotal state." The more active international role of South Korea's new government will be welcomed, especially at a time when nations are finding it more difficult to contribute to global agendas. The Russian threats in Ukraine regarding the risks of nuclear escalation and their implication for the Korean Peninsula should be closely watched. Moreover, Russian efforts to secure control over Ukrainian nuclear power plants and the challenge of how to ensure their safety and security during a military conflict will be important lessons to be learned for South Korea. After the revelation of the shocking performance of Russia's military forces in Ukraine, I hope that Kim Jong-un will think hard about the real capability of his military forces before doing anything foolish. ), a former lawmaker, is chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. Kim Sang-woo ( swkim54@hotmail.com Dongwha Electrolyte's Hungary plant / Courtesy of Dongwha Electrolyte By Kim Hyun-bin Dongwha Electrolyte, an affiliate of Dongwha Corporation, completed the construction of an electrolyte production plant in Soskut, near Budapest, Hungary, the company announced, Thursday. With the plant's completion, Dongwha has established its first electrolyte production facility in Europe. The company is expected to expand its competitiveness in the global battery materials market gradually following its entry into the European market, the company said. The total amount invested in the Hungarian facility was 50 billion won. It was built on 37,000 square meters of land, while an additional 85,000 square meters was secured for a possible expansion, in response to future increases in electrolyte demand. The Hungarian facility was completed last November, and a trial run was completed in February this year. The annual output is 20,000 tons of electrolyte materials. Electrolytes are the substance fluid or solid that allows electrical current to flow between the anode and cathode in a battery. Currently, Dongwha Electrolyte has a total annual production capacity of 33,000 tons at its facilities in Korea, China and Malaysia. The addition of the Hungary plant raises this total to 53,000 tons of electrolytes. "With the completion of the production facility in Hungary, we will show Dongwha Electrolyte's unique technology and product competitiveness in the European battery market, which is always growing, as well as solidify our position in the global market," Dongwha Electrolyte CEO Lee Si-joon said. "We plan to continue our investments to become a global battery materials company." Dongwha Corporation's chemical business, which started with the production of eco-friendly resins, has been developing its R&D capabilities continuously. Currently, it produces fine chemical products and surface materials including electrolytes that are core materials of batteries. Angola, IN (46703) Today Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The hottest fashion trend right now is low-rise bottoms. Here are six K-pop stars who flawlessly pulled off the look! 1. IVE Jang Wonyoung Jang Wonyoung, who is active as an MC for "Music Bank" and a member of the idol group IVE, showed off her bold side with low-rise pants! With her height of 173cm and unrivaled beauty, Jang Wonyoung was able to shine in low-rise pants. Jang Wonyoung is an ambassador for the Italian luxury brand, Miu Miu. The Miu Miu logo is seen peeking out from her pants in her outfit. Her outfit proves that Jang Wonyoung is the "Human Miu Miu!" As she shows off her more mature charm, Jang Wonyoung continues to draw praise from the public! 2. BLACKPINK Jennie BLACKPINK member Jennie, who is enjoying worldwide fame, is also a fan of low-rise fashion. While in Paris, Jennie shared a photo of herself wearing low-rise pants. The idol perfectly digested the look with her perfect waistline and lean body. Much attention is focused on what kind of bold fashion Jennie, who is considered a global fashion icon, will try out next! 4. YGX Lee Jung YGX's leader Lee Jung, who gained great popularity after appearing on Mnet's "Street Woman Fighter," is also loving low-rise fashion Lee Jung caught people's eyes by wearing a low-rise Miu Miu skirt. Though she flaunted her sexy side, Lee Jung still looked cool and hip! When the public saw Lee Jung, who is the youngest of the eight "SWF" leaders, show off her bold fashion, many applauded her for digesting the look so well! 5. Red Velvet Joy Red Velvet member Joy, who is known as the epitome of "Cutie Sexy," wore low-rise jeans and flaunted her luxurious figure! In her photoshoot with Calvin Klein, Joy drew attention for her seductive eyes and sexy poses. In addition, Joy boldly unzipped the zipper of her jeans, exposing the Calvin Klein underwear. The photoshoot drew praise from fans, with many complimenting the female idol's endless charms. 6. WayB Noze After appearing on Mnet's "Street Woman Fighter," Noze, who received a lot of love for her dance skills and overwhelming beauty, also rocked low-rise fashion. Noze flaunted her hip image by wearing low-rise Clavin Klein jeans, with her Calvin Klein underwear sticking up. Noze is known as someone many South Koreans aspire to look like, both in face and body. After seeing Noze's photo, some joked that they desire to lose weight and flaunt their abs too! Who is your favorite K-pop celeb? Tell us in the comments below! For more K-Pop news, keep your tabs open on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Alexa Lewis Former deputy head of State Administration of Grain indicted for graft Xinhua) 13:09, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Xu Ming, former deputy head of the State Administration of Grain, has been indicted on charges of taking bribery and abuse of power, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Thursday. Prosecutors accused Xu of taking advantage of his various positions, including posts at the Ministry of Commerce, Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the then State Administration of Grain, to seek benefits for others, and in return accepting a huge amount of money and gifts. The indictment also said that Xu was found to have accepted a huge amount of money and gifts using his influence after leaving his posts in Chongqing. The prosecution was brought by the procuratorate of the city of Xiamen, Fujian Province, upon the designation of the SPP following the closure of a probe by the National Commission of Supervision. Prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to the defense counsel's opinions, the SPP said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) Community State Bank (CSB) recently added Bryan Iwicki to the Lake Geneva Banking Team. Iwicki, vice president business banking, joins Community State Bank with over 14 years of banking experience and an array of financial expertise in lending, credit analysis and auditing. As a lifelong resident of the Lake Geneva area, Iwicki has extensive market knowledge and an understanding of the communitys needs. He also dedicates his time and talents to the community by serving as vice president of the Lake Geneva Jaycees. Iwicki is also a Rotarian for the Rotary Club of Elkhorn. Lake Geneva is the place I grew up, went to school, and where Ive chosen to build my career. I care about the success of this community and admire its rich history in commerce, said Iwicki. Im honored to be a part of the Community State Bank team and appreciate that they share similar values in supporting Lake Geneva and the surrounding areas. In Iwickis new role with Community State Bank, he will work closely with Lake Geneva market president Michael Ploch to partner with Walworth County businesses, non-profits, and municipalities to help promote community growth and meet their unique business needs. Lake Geneva has been one of our fastest growing market areas. Mike and the Lake Geneva Banking Team have done a phenomenal job of developing meaningful relationships in Walworth County, and Im confident that Bryan will make a great addition to this strong team. The future of community banking in Lake Geneva is bright, said Community State Bank President and CEO Scott Huedepohl. Iwicki officially began his new role at Community State Bank Tuesday, March 22. His office is located at CSBs Lake Geneva location, 200 Interchange North, Lake Geneva. For more information about Community State Bank or the Lake Geneva Banking Team, go to CSB.bank. Geneva Lakes Family YMCA officials can move forward with planned renovations to ballfields at Veterans Park now that several agreements related to the project have been approved. Members of the Lake Geneva City Council unanimously approved an agreement, March 28, with Kujawa Enterprises, Inc. of Oak Creek to renovate five ballfields in Veterans Park, 1201 Townline Road. As part of the agreement, the renovations, which will cost about $220,275, will be paid for by the Geneva Lakes Family YMCA. The city council also unanimously approved an agreement with the Geneva Lakes Family YMCA, March 28, for the organization to provide funds to the city to pay for the renovations Members of the Lake Geneva Tourism Commission awarded a $225,000 grant to the YMCA, Nov. 8, 2021, to make improvements to the Veterans Park ballfields. The city council, later that day, approved to allow the YMCA to use funds from the grant to pay for the ballpark renovations. YMCA officials want to renovate the ballfields to help attract more tournaments to Veterans Park and more visitors to Lake Geneva. The renovations are scheduled to begin in early April and be completed in May. City Attorney Dan Draper said tourism commission grants can be used to help pay for municipal projects that will help encourage overnight stays in Lake Geneva. Under the room tax statute, the tourism commission has the ability to use (the funds) in a certain way. Part of it is marketing, part of it is hiring a company to do the marketing and the ability to do municipal development including a convention center, Draper said. Utilizing these funds for municipal development to create heads in beds would be proper. As part of the agreement between the YMCA and the City of Lake Geneva, the YMCA will deposit funds with the city to be kept in a segregated account to be used to pay for the renovations. The city will be responsible for oversight and decisions related to the project. The YMCA will receive an accounting of all the funds deposited with the city. If the cost of the project exceeds $220,275, the YMCA will receive a notice from the city and will be asked to deposit the additional funds. If the YMCA is unable to make a payment, the city may complete the project then submit a bill to the YMCA, which must be paid within 10 days. The YMCA will be required to repay any extra funds to the tourism commission after the project is completed. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The race for Williams Bay School Board came down to a small three-vote margin, with Mark Schneider just barely eking ahead of Sam Perkins. A Board of Canvass was held on Friday, April 8, to certify the election results. The totals remained as they came out on Election Night and Perkins, who lost by three, has said he will not file for a recount. Three candidates competed on the April 5 spring general election ballot for two available school board seats. Incumbent 6-year board member Jack Lothian, the current Board of Education president, was the top vote-getter with 662 votes. Next was Schneider with 528 votes and Perkins with 525 votes. The two were vying for the position that had previously been held by Dianna Woss, who decided not to run for re-election, retiring after 15 years of elected public service. Ed Nichols, the Williams Bay School Board clerk, said the canvass lasted about 8 minutes. The canvas is not a recount. Its just a confirmation of the vote total on the paper roll that is recorded by the ballot counting machine. It is a standard procedure that happens with all elections, regardless of the vote totals. If there was to be a recount, the candidate needs to ask for it directly. The deadline to do so is 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, three full business days after the canvass. Perkins said in a message to the Lake Geneva Regional News that he will not be pursuing a recount. Perkins was endorsed by the Republican Party of Walworth County for the non-partisan Williams Bay Board of Education post. Im proud of the campaign we ran, he said. We stuck to issues that were pertinent to the school board and came up with ideas. Im disappointed in the result. It was a hard-fought campaign. We stuck to the issues. Came up a bit short. At a candidate forum, some concerns were brought up that Perkins attended a President Donald Trump support rally in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 that later turned violent with some entering the Capitol. But Perkins said he was there to listen to speeches and not involved in anything violent. While I was in the vicinity of our Capitol, I did not enter any part of the building nor did I take part in any violence or illegal activity at our Nations Capitol, he said. He said in an email before the election that the continued conversation about the Jan. 6 event was a distraction from those who are short on ideas. He said, Lets focus on our kids and the Williams Bay school district needs. Village Board Competing for the Williams Bay Village Board were incumbents Robert Rob Umans and Lowell Wright and registered write-in candidates Colin Doerge, Brenda Hausner, Adam Jaramillo and Steve Russell. Incumbent trustee Don Parker declined to seek re-election. Wright and Umans easily won re-election with 612 and 504 votes respectively, and Jaramillo earned 131 votes to fill Parkers seat. I am thankful to all of my supporters and I look forward to working hard to serve every villager, Jaramillo said. Registered write-in candidates falling short in their bid for the Williams Bay Village Board were Colin Doerge (125), Brenda Hausner (87) and Steve Russell (46). Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The former state Supreme Court justice leading Wisconsins GOP-ordered review into the 2020 election attended a Donald Trump-hosted event on Tuesday that largely focused on unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud which continue to fuel Republican scrutiny of the presidential election that Trump lost more than 17 months ago. Michael Gableman, who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, last year to lead the review at a cost of $676,000 in taxpayer funds, was one of several Trump supporters to attend the meeting at the former presidents Mar-a-Lago resort, where he was met with applause from the crowd and praise from Trump, The Washington Post reported. Michael, youve been unbelievable, Trump told Gableman, according to the Post. The event served as the premiere of a film called Rigged: The Zuckerberg Funded Plot to Defeat Donald Trump by Trump supporter and Citizens United President David Bossie. The 42-minute film alleges Facebook pumped money into largely Democratic communities to drive up the vote for President Joe Biden. The Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life provided $8.8 million to the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay to help cover the cost of conducting an election during a pandemic. While the grants, which have become a focal point of Gablemans review, went to about 214 municipalities, including many that went for Trump, the bulk of the money went to the states five largest cities, which turned out strongly for Biden. Multiple courts have ruled the grants were legal. The grants were also not denied to any municipalities that requested them. A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin. Despite that, Gableman earlier this year suggested the Legislature decertify the 2020 results, which experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have described as a legal and constitutional impossibility. He also called for the elimination and dismantling of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, based largely on guidance the agency provided in 2020 to not send poll workers to nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Wisconsin State Journal review found that Gablemans interim report falsely claimed nursing homes in Dane and Milwaukee counties had 100% voter turnout in 2020 despite a number of them being incompetent to vote. In fact, the newspaper found, the percentage of registered voters who cast ballots in all but one Dane County facility ranged from 42% to 91%. Gableman insinuated that malign actors had filled out ballots on behalf of nursing home residents, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud. District attorneys in three counties have already declined to file charges against members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission related to the agencys decision in a public meeting to waive laws related to absentee voting in nursing homes in the 2020 election. Gablemans team did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. While Vos has also made claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, he has adamantly opposed both decertifying the election and dismantling the elections commission. After extending Gablemans contract through the end of April, Vos later said he was considering rescinding subpoenas issued by the former justice so that a Republican attorney general if elected in November could file criminal charges against the subpoenaed individuals, though he did not provide specifics on what charges could be pursued. Backing off on subpoenas could drastically shorten the ongoing review. The new contract maintains Gablemans existing budget, but does allow for the possibility of added funds to cover the costs of legal battles related to the probe. Meanwhile, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez has scheduled a July 11 hearing in a case to decide if Gableman has the authority to demand that the mayors of the states five largest cities and other officials be jailed for not cooperating with his subpoenas. Several mayors, including Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, have said they are willing to meet with Gableman, but not behind closed doors. Gableman has issued subpoenas to local and state election officials, the mayors of the states five largest cities and two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems. Many of the subpoenaed parties have rejected Gablemans requests for in-person meetings or documents, while the former state Supreme Court justice has also withdrawn some requests, including one filed with immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action. Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej during their meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Mauritius Port Louis [Mauritius]/ Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 6 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany underscore their commitment to building healthcare capacity in Mauritius during their high-level meetings with H.E. Prithvirajsing Roopun, The President of Mauritius, H.E. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, The Prime Minister of Mauritius and Hon'ble Kailash Kumar Jagutpal, Minister of Health of Mauritius. During the two meetings, the long term plans and of Merck foundation programs in Mauritius was shared by Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of both Executive Board of E.Merck KG & Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation. Also Read | KKR vs MI IPL 2022 Dream11 Team: Andre Russell, Ishan Kishan and Other Key Players You Must Pick in Your Fantasy Playing XI. Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, expressed, "Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity, by providing access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions. We are committed to transforming Patientcare landscape in Africa through our scholarship programs. More than 1300 scholarships have been provided for young doctors from 44 countries in 27 critical and underserved specialties." Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation emphasized, "It was a great honor to meet H.E. Prithvirajsing Roopun, The President of Mauritius, H.E. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, The Prime Minister of Mauritius and Hon'ble Kailash Kumar Jagutpal, Minister of Health of Mauritius, to discuss the ongoing Merck Foundation programs and our long-term partnership to strengthen healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma, and support girl education in the country. I am very proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 63 scholarships to young Mauritian doctors for a one-year diploma and two-year master's degree in underserved and critical specialties like Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Diabetes care, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Oncology, Fertility Specialty, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Neuroimaging for Research, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Neonatal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, Critical Care, Psychiatry and more. We will continue with our efforts and scale up our scholarship programs to create a stronger platform of skilled and specialized Mauritian doctors in the public sector." Also Read | ICC Mens Player-of-the-Month Award March 2022: Pat Cummins, Babar Azam, Kraigg Brathwaite Nominated. Merck Foundation also conducted their MF Alumni Summit to meet the doctors who have completed or are undergoing the scholarships provided by Merck Foundation. The Summit was co-chaired by Prof. Dr Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of both Executive Board of E.Merck KG & Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation together with the Hon'ble Kailash Kumar Jagutpal, Minister of Health of Mauritius. "Merck Foundation, through their "More Than a Mother" movement is also working to raise awareness about infertility prevention, male infertility, breaking infertility stigma, supporting girl education, and addressing a wide range of social issues in the country and across Africa through media partnership and fashion and art with purpose" she emphasized. Merck Foundation conducted their 2nd edition of Health Media Training for the Mauritian Media Representatives in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius. The training was conducted to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence our society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels; to underscore the importance of Empowering Girls and Women in Education and to understand the Influence of infertility stigma and other social issues like GBV, Child Marriage, FGM etc. on women and couples - Social and Psychological Impact. Apart from this, it also included a session on the importance of increasing the awareness of early detection and prevention of Diabetes and Hypertension. The training session was co-chaired by Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej CEO of Merck Foundation & President of 'More Than a Mother' Movement and Chayman P. Surajbali Chairman, Media Trust Board, Mauritius, and was addressed by top Medical and Media Experts. Talking about the Health Media Training Program Senator, Dr Rasha Kelej explained, "This program is a part of 'Merck More than a Mother' community awareness Program. I strongly believe in the critical role that media plays in shaping our society. The media has the capacity to address and raise awareness about sensitive social and health issues in our communities. We conducted a Health Media Training for Mauritian journalists last year through an online platform. I am extremely happy to meet the media representatives in person during our first onsite training session in the country." Moreover, Merck Foundation also announced the Call for Applications for their 8 important awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields. The award announced are: 1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards "More Than a Mother" 2022, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius 2. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards "More Than a Mother" 2022, in partnership with Fashion & Design Institute, Mauritius 3. Merck Foundation Film Awards "More Than a Mother" 2022, in partnership with Mauritius Film Development Corporation 4. Merck Foundation Song Awards "More Than a Mother" 2022 5. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2022 "Diabetes & Hypertension", in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius 6. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2022 "Diabetes & Hypertension", in partnership with Fashion & Design Institute, Mauritius 7. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2022 "Diabetes & Hypertension", in partnership with Mauritius Film Development Corporation 8. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2022 "Diabetes & Hypertension" Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at: submit@merck-foundation.com For information on the above awards, please visit the company's website: www.merck-foundation.com About 'Merck Foundation More Than a Mother' "Merck Foundation More Than a Mother" is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education, and change of mindset. This powerful campaign supports governments in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective and equitable fertility care solutions. It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management, and male infertility. In partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information, Education & Gender, academia, policymakers, International fertility societies, media, and art, the initiative also provides training for fertility specialists and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries. With "Merck Foundation More Than a Mother", we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility at all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African First Ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses. It's all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child. The Ambassadors of "Merck Foundation More Than a Mother" are: Merck Foundation launched new innovative initiatives to sensitize local communities about infertility prevention, male infertility with the aim to break the stigma of infertility and empowering infertile women as part of Merck Foundation More than a Mother COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, such as. 'Merck Foundation More than a Mother' Africa Media Recognition Awards and Health Media Training 'Merck Foundation More than a Mother' Fashion Awards 'Merck Foundation More than a Mother' Film Awards 'Merck Foundation More than a Mother' Song Awards Local songs with local artists to address the cultural perception of infertility and how to change it Children storybook, localized for each country Click on the link below to download Merck Foundation App https://www.merck-foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirection Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard Facebook: Merck Foundation Twitter: @Merckfoundation YouTube: MerckFoundation Instagram: Merck Foundation Flickr: Merck Foundation Website: www.merck-foundation.com This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Auburn Hills (Michigan) [US], April 7 (ANI/PRNewswire): Nexteer Automotive, a leader in intuitive motion control, was named a 2021 General Motors Supplier of the Year winner at GM's 30th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony. GM's Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM's requirements, in turn providing GM customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry. This year, GM recognized 134 suppliers from 16 countries with the Supplier of the Year distinction. Also Read | National Walking Day 2022: From Burning Calories to Boosting Immunity, 5 Health Benefits of Walking Daily. This is the third consecutive year that Nexteer has received GM's Supplier of the Year award. Nexteer was also previously recognized with GM's Innovation Award in 2017 for High Availability Electric Power Steering System (EPS). "Nexteer is proud to be recognized for the third year in a row as a GM Supplier of the Year for our commitment to quality, performance and innovation, as well as our support of GM's electric future with our safety-critical motion control solutions," said Robin Milavec, President, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and Executive Board Director, Nexteer Automotive. "Our global Nexteer team is dedicated to collaborating with our OEM customers like GM to make driving safer, greener and more exciting for today's world and in an increasingly electrified and automated future." Also Read | Google To Block Outdated Apps on Play Store From November 1, 2022. "This year's Supplier of the Year event was special not only because it's the 30th anniversary of the program, but because it provided us with the opportunity to recognize our suppliers for persevering through one of the most challenging years the industry has ever faced," said Shilpan Amin, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "These top suppliers showed resilience and reinforced their commitment to pursuing sustainability and innovation. Through our strong relationships and collaboration, GM and our suppliers are poised to build a brighter future for generations to come." A global cross functional team selected the 2021 Supplier of the Year winners based on performance criteria in Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics. Nexteer Automotive (HK 1316), a global leader in intuitive motion control, is a multi-billion dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems, eDrive as well as software solutions. The company has 26 manufacturing plants, four technical and software centers and 13 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The company serves more than 60 customers in every major region of the world including BMW, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China. www.nexteer.com General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 7 (ANI): Ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle, all Ministers of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet have resigned with immediate effect. After finishing the final Cabinet meeting today afternoon, all 24 Cabinet Ministers have submitted their resignation letters to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Andhra Pradesh Secretariat on Thursday. Also Read | Haryana Shocker: Man Shoots Grandfather, Aunt to Death Over Property Dispute in Karnal Village; Absconding. The new Ministers will take oath on April 11, sources said. Bracing up for the 2024 Assembly elections in the state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is all set for the Cabinet rejig with as many as 19 Ministers are likely to be dropped. Also Read | OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro Launched in India at Rs 29,999; First Sale on April 11, 2022. The Chief Minister is likely to induct new Ministers into the state Cabinet in a matter of few days, with anticipations running that the swearing-in could even take place on April 9. Sources said that only four of the incumbent Ministers may retain their positions. The Chief Minister, sources said, will submit the final list of new Ministers to Governor Biswabhushan Harichandran before April 9. Reddy on Wednesday, handed over the final list of the 19 Ministers being dropped from the Cabinet to the Governor, sources added. In the current cabinet, there are five deputy CMs. Reddy is likely to have five new Deputy Chief Ministers as part of his strategy to strike a caste balance in the state. Currently, the five Deputy CMs represent Scheduled caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Caste, minority and Kapu communities. Also, there are 11 Ministers from upper castes, including four from the Reddy community, seven from OBC, five from SC, and one each from ST and Muslim communities. With the State Assembly elections scheduled in 2024 in Andhra Pradesh, this rejig holds importance. Reddy, midway during his term after assuming the CM office, had indicated that he would reorganize the Cabinet. The rejig was scheduled to take place last December, but it was postponed due to COVID-19. Last month, Reddy had stated that the Cabinet reorganisation will take place after Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, which was on April 2. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gurugram (Haryana) [India], April 7 (ANI): Haryana Police on Thursday hosted a meeting of the Northern Regional Police Coordination committee here to discuss plans to strengthen Police coordination and curb crime across the North-Indian states. In the meeting, presided by Delhi Commissioner of Police, Rakesh Asthana and Haryana Director General of Police, P.K. Agrawal, a broad range of emerging trends related to terrorists-gangster-criminal nexus, drug trafficking, the scope of social media patrolling, drone usage, monitoring of criminal activities of terrorists and criminals lodged in jails, were discussed. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 5-Year-Old Dies in Accident in Dwarka, Family Alleges Murder in Road Rage. The officers laid specific emphasis laid on the role of police in disaster management, capacity building, disaster resilience as well as counter drone actions. The top brass of police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) proposed a slew of measures to enhance coordination among their respective units to tackle crime in the region. The other officials of northern states including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and senior functionaries of CAPF participated in the meeting. Also Read | 'Hindi Should Be an Alternative Language to English', Says Home Minister Amit Shah. The officers also discussed plans to enhance coordination and cooperation during inter-state raids and searches to ensure that the offenders do not evade arrest. The cops discussed real-time information sharing regarding inter-state criminal activities and made plans for coordination between police units to work on issues of inter-state security, crime, organized crime, cybercrime, drugs smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism. Addressing the officers, DGP Haryana, P.K. Agrawal said that sharing of real-time information will prove to be a game-changer in crime monitoring and deterrence. "The strategic cooperation between inter-state police forces will act as a 'key weapon' in tackling all these issues," he said. He appreciated the cooperation extended by various state police forces to Haryana Police in controlling crime and other illegal activities. "The sharing of intelligence amongst the members will contribute towards building a safer environment in the northern region," said DGP. Uttarakhand DGP, Ashok Kumar; Special Director of IB, Manmohan Singh; Special Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing, Ravi Sinha; DGP Punjab V.K. Bhawra; DGP Himachal Pradesh Sanjay Kundu; ADG, CISF, Arvind Deep; ADG, NCB, Gyaneshwar Singh; Special DG, CRPF, U.C. Sarangi; Special DGP, Jammu and Kashmir, R.R. Swain; ADG, BSF, P.V. Ramasastry; ADGP, BPRD Neeraj Sinha; ADGP, CID Haryana, Alok Mittal; ADGP (Law & Order), Haryana, Sandeep Khirwar; Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, Kala Ramachandran; IGP, Jaipur Range, Umesh Chand Dutt; and IGP, SSB, P.K. Gupta were also present at the meeting. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) India on Thursday said its 2+2 dialogue with the US next week will provide an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and global developments and how both sides can work together to address common interests and concerns. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold the talks with US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 11 in Washington. Also Read | Ramzan 2022 Time Table: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 6th Roza of Ramadan on April 8 in Mumbai, Lucknow, and Delhi. The unfolding situation in Ukraine is expected to be discussed in the fourth edition of the dialogue. Arindam Bagchi, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), formally announced the date of the dialogue at a media briefing. Also Read | Haryana Shocker: Man Shoots Grandfather, Aunt to Death Over Property Dispute in Karnal Village; Absconding. "The dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and vision for further consolidating the relationship," he said. "The 2+2 Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and how we can work together to address issues of common interest and concern," Bagchi said. The MEA spokesperson said Jaishankar will visit the US from April 11 to 12. "As part of an ongoing and regular dialogue, the Minister of External Affairs will separately meet his US counterpart Secretary Blinken," Bagchi said. He said Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet senior members of the US administration to further advance the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Jaishankar and Blinken held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, focusing on the latest developments in Ukraine and bilateral ties. Last week, US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics Daleep Singh visited to India. Talking to reporters, Singh had cautioned that there will be consequences for countries actively attempting to "circumvent or backfill" American sanctions against Moscow and that Washington would not like to see a "rapid" acceleration in India's import of energy and other commodities from Russia. At the media briefing, Bagchi said India has established economic relations with Russia and the focus has been to stabilise these ties in the current circumstances. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) The Pakistan high commission on Thursday said it has issued over 2,200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to facilitate their visit to Pakistan. Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. Also Read | Haryana Shocker: Man Shoots Grandfather, Aunt to Death Over Property Dispute in Karnal Village; Absconding. "On the eve of Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 2,200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India," the Pakistani mission said in a statement. It said the visas have been issued to the pilgrims to facilitate their participation in various festivals scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 12 to 21. Also Read | OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro Launched in India at Rs 29,999; First Sale on April 11, 2022. "The issuance of pilgrimage visas to religious pilgrims by the high commission is in line with the government of Pakistan's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines between the two countries," the high commission said. It said Charge d'Affaires at the Pakistan High Commission Aftab Hasan Khan extended his felicitations to the pilgrims and wished them a rewarding and fulfilling visit to Pakistan. During the visit, the pilgrims would go to Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib gurdwaras, it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, Apr 7 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency conducted searches at nearly a dozen places linked to The Resistance Front (TRF) terror group in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, days after its announced cash rewards of Rs 10 lakh each on information leading to the arrest of its four cadres. The searches were carried out at multiple locations in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Budgam and Kulgam districts in connection with a case related to radicalising, recruiting and motivating the youth to effect violent activities by TRF commander Sajad Gul and others, a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. Also Read | 'BJP Promised Acche Din but Failed To Keep Vow', Says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. The spokesperson said the locations searched included the house of active terrorist Basit Ahmad Dar, against whom the NIA had recently announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh. Besides Dar of Redwani Payeen in Kulgam, the reward was declared against Gul of Srinagar and two Pakistani nationals -- Saleem Rehmani alias 'Abu Saad' of Nawab Shah in Sindh and Saifullah Sajid Jatt of Shangamanga in Kasur. Also Read | India Ready To Continue Working With Sri Lanka for Post-COVID Economic Recovery, Says MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. The four terrorists are wanted by the NIA in connection with the case registered last year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA said the searches were carried out at six locations in Srinagar, two in Baramulla, one each in Awantipora (Pulwama), Budgam and Kulgam districts. The spokesperson said Gul, along with his associate commanders of LeT based in Pakistan, has been recruiting individuals (Over Ground Workers) to do reconnaissance of pre-determined targets, coordinating and transporting weapons to support LeT and TRF. During the searches, the spokesperson said, various incriminating materials such as digital devices, SIM cards, digital storage devices and documents were seized. The NIA said investigation into the case was underway. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, April 7: On the Occasion of World Health Day celebrated on Thursday, Ministry of AYUSH organized Yoga Utsav- a health awareness programme for the International Day of Yoga, at Red Fort. The Yoga Utsav has been organized prior to the International Yoga Day in view of the Union Government's initiative of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. "Yoga is our ancestral way of life. We have kept this Yoga exercise today before International Yoga Day in relation to the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav," said the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla. "Yoga is effective not only in prevention and control but also in the treatment of diseases. The whole world today is adopting Yoga for a healthier lifestyle," read Om Birla's recent tweet. In order to reach the goal of building a healthier nation, the Lok sabha speaker urged everyone to make Yoga an integral part of their lives. Birla told ANI, "in view of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Yoga Utsav has been organized 75 days prior to the International Yoga Day for encouraging everyone to opt for a healthy lifestyle." World Health Day 2022: Affordable Healthcare has Ensured Significant Savings for Poor, Middle Class, Says PM Modi. The Union Minister Sarbanda Sonowal in one of his recent tweets called everyone to be a part of the AYUSH movement and said, "The gifts of AYUSH have served humanity since ancient times." "Affordable, efficient, and reaching the grassroots, India's traditional systems of medicine are providing wellness and health benefits to millions, all over the world," he mentioned in the tweet. Sonowal also said, "The Utsav marks the onset of the countdown for 21 June (International Yoga Day). Every ministry on the occasion (21 June) would be celebrating the Yog Divas at 75 iconic places of the country, marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav." "Not just India, but other Christian and Islamic nations have also understood the significance of Yoga and practicing it with the help of the United Nations," said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy during the World Health Day celebration. The Union Minister of State for External Affairs of India Meenakshi Lekhi stated the message of the organized Yoga Utsav as "by realizing the importance to prevent ailments, the message is to encourage people to stay healthy and encourage them to stay indulged in preventive healthcare." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Apr 7 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday informed the first bench of the Madras High Court that the State Governor has forwarded the entire file seeking the premature release of all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to the President for his consideration. The previous AIADMK government had in 2018 adopted a cabinet resolution recommending to the Governor the release of the seven convicts-- Murugan, Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Ravichandran, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and Nalini Sriharan, all serving life terms. Also Read | Haryana Shocker: Man Shoots Grandfather, Aunt to Death Over Property Dispute in Karnal Village; Absconding. When the writ petition from Nalini Sriharan, serving sentence at the Special Prison for Women in Vellore, seeking release even without the consent of the Governor came up for further hearing, Tamil Nadu Advocate-General R Shanmugasundaram told the bench of Chief Justice M N Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy that the concerned file has been sent to the President. The submission came in response to a query raised by the bench last week in this connection. Presently, Nalini was on parole. Her counsel told the bench that the Governor has no authority to refer the matter to the President. Also Read | OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro Launched in India at Rs 29,999; First Sale on April 11, 2022. And the bench adjourned the matter by a week after directing the AG to ascertain the date on which the Governor had forwarded the file to the President. Originally, the AIADMK cabinet in September, 2018, had passed a resolution and forwarded its recommendation to the then Governor Banwarilal Purohit to order the premature release of all the seven life convicts, under Article 161 of the Constitution. As there was nothing forthcoming from the Governor's end, Nalini and others had filed several petitions in the High Court for a direction to the Governor to consider their plea. But the bench did not grant the prayer, on the ground that it could not give any such direction to the Governor, a constitutional authority. Nalini subsequently filed the present writ petition praying the court to order her release even without the consent of the Governor. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had granted bail to Perarivalan. Hence, Nalini also prayed the High Court to apply the same yardstick adopted by the apex court and grant bail to her. But the HC did not yield and asked her to approach the Supreme Court for the relief. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Uttar Pradesh government hands over Ayodhya airport land lease agreement to Airport Authority of India in the presence of CM Yogi Adityanath (Photo/ANI) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 7: Civil Aviation department of the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday signed a lease agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) regarding the transfer of 317.855 acres of land to the latter on lease for the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya. The lease agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. PM Narendra Modi Lays Foundation Stone Of Noida International Airport At Jewar While speaking during the lease agreement signing, he said that Uttar Pradesh will be the largest state in the country to be connected with the air service. "By next year, we will be in a position to provide five international airports to the country. After making 10 new airports on which work is going on a war footing, 19 airports have been made functional in Uttar Pradesh so far," he added. Holi 2021 Gift For Uttar Pradesh: Gorakhpur-Lucknow Flight to Begin From March 28 He further stated that if any state has made good progress for the best air service connectivity in the last five years within the country then Uttar Pradesh is one of them. "The feat has been possible with the guidance of Prime Minister Modi," he added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) Days after the WHO suspended the supply of Covaxin through UN procurement agencies, India on Thursday said the move would not impact travel by people who have taken the vaccine. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the efficacy of the vaccine is not in question and that the decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) should not be a cause for worry at all. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 5-Year-Old Dies in Accident in Dwarka, Family Alleges Murder in Road Rage. "I certainly do not think there should be any impact at all on people who have taken Covaxin. It is a safe vaccine. In terms of their travel, it continues to be recognised under the EUL (emergency use authorisation) of WHO," he said. Bagchi was replying to questions on the WHO's decision. Also Read | 'Hindi Should Be an Alternative Language to English', Says Home Minister Amit Shah. "Various countries have already accepted it. We have also had mutual recognition of vaccination certificate arrangements with various countries," Bagchi said. He said the issue was something to do with certain processes and manufacturer of Covaxin and the WHO are looking into the matter. Bagchi said his understanding was that the efficacy of the vaccine was not in question and there is something about process issues that are being worked out by the company and the WHO. A statement issued by WHO on Saturday said the suspension is in response to the outcomes of its post-EUL (emergency use authorisation) inspection and the need to conduct process and facility upgrades to address recently identified GMP (good manufacturing practice) deficiencies. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) A 22-year-old woman on Thursday delivered a baby at Anand Vihar Metro Station with the help of a female CISF personnel and other women passengers, officials said. The incident took place around 3.25 pm when the woman waiting for the metro at platform no 3 developed labour pain. Also Read | 'BJP Promised Acche Din but Failed To Keep Vow', Says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Constable Anamika Kumari posted at the station for security duty was rushed to assist the woman, a senior Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer said. She, with help from some lady passengers, arranged for a sheet and helped in the delivery of the baby boy at the platform, the officer said. Also Read | India Ready To Continue Working With Sri Lanka for Post-COVID Economic Recovery, Says MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. The mother and her newborn were later shifted to a nearby hospital in an ambulance, he said. The CISF is deployed across the Delhi Metro network in the national capital region to provide a counter-terrorist cover. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Apr 7 (PTI) Coffee exporter Allana Group on Thursday announced its foray into the domestic market and said it will set up a coffee unit in Karnataka at an investment of Rs 40 crore. The group, which has been exporting the green bean since 1987, is planning to introduce international grade coffees to Indian consumers, the company said in a statement. Also Read | OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro Launched in India at Rs 29,999; First Sale on April 11, 2022. The company also aims to meet the rising demand in the brewed beverage business, it added. It will set up a state-of-the-art roast and ground coffee unit in Karnataka at an investment of Rs 40 crore and distribute in all major cities of India. Also Read | Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G India Price Tipped Online, Xiaomi 12X & Xiaomi 12X Pro Likely To Come With Dimensity Chipsets. Further, it also plans to invest in roaster and instant coffee machines and cater to industrial customers and cafes. "Allana has been at the forefront of the green bean coffee business in India. Our strong network in sourcing the finest beans as well as our in-house quality control differentiates and brings out the uniqueness in our coffee. Our introduction into the domestic market will aim to cater to true coffee aficionados and deliver a premium experience, Allana Group Business Head Coffee, MP Devaiah said. The company ships an average of 25,000 tonnes of green coffee beans per annum from an advanced facility having the capacity to cure 30,000 tonnes. India's coffee market has witnessed an exponential annual growth of 10 per cent over the last five years. Allana Group's foray into the domestic coffee market will address the rising demand, catering to the capsule market in addition to speciality coffees and also cater to the medium to the high-end commercial sector, the company added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Minsk [Belarus], April 7 (ANI/Sputnik): Belarus is introducing price controls for certain non-food products such as toothpaste, toilet paper, and soap, the country's government said on Thursday. "The government has changed the approach to price regulation ... State controls are being introduced for certain non-food products," the government said on Telegram, citing a Council of Ministers' decree. Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Supreme Court Reinstates National Assembly, Orders Voting on No-Confidence Motion Against PM Imran Khan. Specifically, the items include soap, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, sickness bags, synthetic washing and cleaning powders, toothpaste, children's footwear and hosiery. On February 24, Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, Western countries and their allies have accused Minsk of assisting Moscow in the operation and participating in hostilities on the Russian side. The West has rolled out a sanctions campaign against both Russia and Belarus. (ANI/Sputnik) Also Read | Pentagon Report Says UFO's Had Sexual Encounters With Humans, Left One Woman Pregnant. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing [China], April 7 (ANI): Accusing the AUKUS nations of having a "Cold War mindset", China on Wednesday asked the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to fulfil their international obligations and do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability. This comes as the US, the UK and Australia announced a plan to work on hypersonic weapons under their new trilateral security pact, named AUKUS. They also revealed their decision to also cooperate on developing enhanced techniques to operate in electronic warfare. Also Read | England No-Fault Divorce Law: Heres All You Need To Know About The No Blame Divorce Law. "Exploiting the Ukraine crisis and using the pretext of maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, AUKUS has declared in a high-profile manner that the US and the UK will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and the three countries will cooperate in developing advanced military technologies such as hypersonic weapons," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a daily press briefing "It not only increases nuclear proliferation risks and brings shocks to the international non-proliferation system, but also intensifies arms race and undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," he added. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: United States, G7 Nations, European Union Impose Severe Financial Sanctions on Russia. Terming AUKUS as an Anglo-Saxon clique, where the Cold War mentality persists, Zhao accused the bloc of using the "old trick" of provoking military confrontation and adding fuel to the flame lingers. "Its ultimate goal is to build a NATO replica in the Asia-Pacific to serve the U.S. hegemony and self-interests through and through. Asia-Pacific countries will resolutely say no to it for sure," Zhao said. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) on Tuesday agreed to begin trilateral cooperation on the development of new hypersonic and electronic warfare capabilities. "The AUKUS partners will work together to accelerate the development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities," they said in a joint statement. On Tuesday, the Chinese envoy to the United Nations, Zhang Jun the AUKUS partner countries should avoid creating another Ukraine-like crisis. "Anyone who does not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things that may lead the other parts of the world into a crisis like this," Zhang said regarding the announcement by Australia. "[A]s the Chinese saying goes, if you do not like it, do not impose it against the others." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], April 7 (ANI): Chinese political dissident Yan Xiong, who last fall announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York, was reportedly stalked, harassed, and intimidated by the secret police of China. Yan Xiong, who escaped from China after the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, reached the shores of the United States, seeking political asylum. He later served in the US Army. Subsequently, Yan decided to run for the US House of Representatives from New York. Also Read | England No-Fault Divorce Law: Heres All You Need To Know About The No Blame Divorce Law. Last month, the US Justice Department had charged five people with helping the Chinese Communist Party stalk, harass or spy on political dissidents in the US, including a congressional candidate and a Los Angeles sculpture artist. Although the candidate was not named in the complaint, but it matches the description of Yan Xiong. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: United States, G7 Nations, European Union Impose Severe Financial Sanctions on Russia. "All the defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the (People's Republic of China) government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC," a DOJ statement said. According to court documents, all the defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the PRC government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC. In one of these schemes, the co-conspirators sought to interfere with federal elections by allegedly orchestrating a campaign to undermine the U.S. congressional candidacy of a U.S. military veteran who was a leader of the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, PRC. In another of these schemes, three defendants planned to destroy the artwork of a PRC national residing in Los Angeles that was critical of the PRC government and planted surveillance equipment in the artist's workplace and car to spy on him from the PRC. "The complaints unsealed reveal the outrageous and dangerous lengths to which the PRC government's secret police and these defendants have gone to attack the rule of law and freedom in New York City and elsewhere in the United States," stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. "As alleged, all of the defendants charged today at the direction of the PRC secret police, engaged in a series of actions designed to silence the free speech of Chinese dissidents in the United States," said Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI's New York Field Office. "Transnational repression schemes pose an increasing threat against U.S. residents who choose to speak out against the People's Republic of China and other regimes. The FBI is committed to protecting the free speech of all U.S. residents, and we simply will not tolerate the attempts of foreign governments to violate our laws and restrict our freedom." Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, said the Ministry of State Security is more than an intelligence collection agency. "It executes the Chinese government's efforts to limit free speech, attack dissidents, and preserve the power of the Communist Party," he said. "When it exports those actions overseas, it violates the fundamental sovereignty of the United States and becomes a national security threat. These indictments should serve as a stark warning to the MSS and all foreign intelligence agencies that their efforts at repression will not be tolerated within our borders." According to Global Strat View (GSV), these incidents clearly show the CCP's attempts to silence its critics within China or abroad, 34 years after the Tiananmen Square massacre. "The protests, which began on April 15, 1989, culminated in June when the CCP imposed martial law and ordered 300,000 People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops to occupy parts of central Beijing and crush protests. But in doing so, the troops resorted to the gravest of crimes and brute use of force," the Global Strat View argued. Human rights organizations have ardently put pressure on China by highlighting the fateful events of Tiananmen. Rights groups have called the massacre China's 'indelible stain,' and repeatedly called for China to acknowledge and take responsibility for the killings. It is no surprise that whenever the anniversary of the massacre approaches, the CCP becomes edgy, detains human rights activists, and censors discussions of the crackdown. Moreover, it has also used its tech lead to erase online mentions of events related to the massacre. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thessaloniki, Apr 7 (AP) Greek authorities say a man who was seriously injured in a fire that broke out in the COVID-19 ward of a hospital in northern Greece has died of his injuries, bringing the total death toll from the blaze to two. The 52-year-old man who died Thursday had been a patient in the Papanikolaou Hospital's coronavirus ward when the fire broke out Wednesday morning due to as yet undetermined causes, police said. Firefighters discovered the body of a 79-year-old coronavirus patient at the scene on Wednesday. Also Read | Pentagon Report Says UFO's Had Sexual Encounters With Humans, Left One Woman Pregnant. One more patient is being treated for burns in the hospital, while two more COVID-19 patients are under enhanced observation after smoke from the fire exacerbated their condition. More than 30 patients were evacuated from the ward during the fire, which was extinguished shortly after it broke out. Several fatal fires in COVID-19 hospital wards in several countries have been linked to the large quantities of oxygen being administered to patients, and which causes fire to burn faster and with greater intensity. Also Read | Shanghai Lockdown: Residents Say They Are Running Out of Food Amid COVID-19 Outbreak. The danger was from the oxygen supply to the patients. That could have made the situation much worse, Health Minister Thanos Plevris told reporters outside the hospital Wednesday. The supply was cut off quickly and the response from the fire department was swift, he added. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Amit Kumar Amsterdam [Netherlands], April 7 (ANI): India is deeply committed to strengthening its bond with the diaspora and attending to its needs, said President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday during the reception of the Indian Community in the Netherlands. Also Read | England No-Fault Divorce Law: Heres All You Need To Know About The No Blame Divorce Law. He said that India's engagement and outreach to the Indian diaspora have grown manifold in the past few years. "We have taken several initiatives under the maxim of 4Cs - Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute. The Overseas Citizen of India cards has been issued to give status and privileges in many areas. Travel to India has been facilitated through the issuance of long-term visas and E-visa. To increase the participation of the diaspora youth and familiarize them with Indian youth and their Indian roots, we started the Know India Programme and Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children for the children of Persons of Indian Origin to join Indian universities for higher education. We would like you to avail these initiatives and actively participate in them," he said. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: United States, G7 Nations, European Union Impose Severe Financial Sanctions on Russia. The President underlined that the safety, security, welfare and well-being of Indian citizens in all parts of the world is a priority for India. "In every corner of the world, over the last two years, the Government has made special efforts to enable our citizens to return home during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by undertaking the 'Vande Bharat' mission. Recently, Operation Ganga brought back more than 22,000 Indian citizens, largely students, who were stranded in the conflict zone in Ukraine. As the Prime Minister said, humanity was at the core of Operation Ganga, not the colour of passport," he said. The President told the Indian community members present in the audience that he is delighted to be in the Netherlands amongst them. "It is a great pleasure for me to meet and greet our brothers and sisters in the Netherlands and connect in person with you. I thank you all for welcoming me with such warmth and affection." President Kovind stated that his state visit to the Netherlands marks an important milestone as India celebrates the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands this year. "One may take an Indian out of India but not India out of an Indian. I told those entrepreneurs that you live anywhere in the world but don't forget your roots in India. While in the last hundreds of years, many Indians travelled abroad, India has always kept beating in their hearts. And proudly, they kept alive Indian civilizational values in whichever part of the world they settled in," he said and added that he is not surprised that wherever the people of Indian origin settled, they adapted to that place as their home and fully integrated with it. Kovind told the attendees that they are the representatives of a multi-ethnic, diverse and well-respected Indian community in the Netherlands. "Today, the Indian community in the Netherlands is the largest Indian origin diaspora in mainland Europe with more than 200,000 members of Hindustani-Surinami community and more than 60,000 Indian professionals and students." President Kovind added the Indian community is the most important pillar of growing India-Netherlands bilateral relations and serves as a bridge between not just India and the Netherlands, but between India and Europe. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Secretary to the Cabinet of Mauritius NK Ballah in New Delhi and said the bilateral cooperation between the two countries was progressing from strength to strength. "Nice to see Secretary to the Cabinet of Mauritius NK Ballah. Glad to note that #IndiaMauritius cooperation is progressing from strength to strength," Jaishankar said in a tweet. Also Read | Pakistan Political Crisis: Supreme Court Reinstates National Assembly, Orders Voting on No-Confidence Motion Against PM Imran Khan. Ballabh also met Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla. They reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further strengthen the warm and friendly ties between the two countries. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet that "Mauritius is integral to our vision of SAGAR" Also Read | Pentagon Report Says UFO's Had Sexual Encounters With Humans, Left One Woman Pregnant. Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) has distinct but inter-related elements and underscores India's engagement in the Indian Ocean. Last year, India handed over Dornier aircraft to Mauritius as part of Vision SAGAR for enhanced maritime security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [pakistan], April 7 (ANI): Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing on the case related to the constitutionality of the steps taken by the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri for the dismissal of the no-confidence of motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan and subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly. The top court had taken a suo motu cognizance of the current political situation in the country. Also Read | Yemen President Cedes Powers to Council as Saudi Arabia Pushes to End War Latest Tweet by Reuters. A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, is hearing the arguments on the question of the legality of the decision of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, according to Dawn. Today, the court is expected to hear the arguments of Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan and Naeem Bukhari, the counsel for National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: President Gotabaya Rajpaksa Appoints Advisory Group on Debt Sustainability. During yesterday's hearing, CJP Bandilal observed that Article 69 of the Pakistan Constitution bars interference in parliamentary proceedings, but whatever happened on April 3 was unprecedented. "The no-confidence resolution which had a constitutional backing and liable to be succeeded was scuttled at the last minute," the CJP said, adding that if "we permit such a deviation" then the situation would become the same as Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed had referred to on Tuesday, Dawn newspaper reported. Representing the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Advocate Ahmed recalled the 1933 incident when the speaker of the then German assembly, even though called the members of the communist party, traitors, still allowed the voting on a constitutional amendment that gave Adolf Hitler and his cabinet with unlimited powers to bring any law without formal approval of German parliament. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Babar Awan began his contentions and said "The case in the court is not of basic human rights, it is a must for all citizens to remain loyal to the state." However, the CJP asked the counsel to furnish the minutes of the National Security Council meeting held over "foreign conspiracy" in Pakistan and further asked for the material on basis of which the deputy speaker exercised powers, according to ARY news. "The diplomat sent the message of the national security council of another country to three persons. The message was given to the Head of Mission, Deputy Head of Mission and Defence Attache via the embassy. The letter arrived on March 07 after a meeting of our diplomats abroad," the media outlet quoted Awan, who refused to disclose details of the letter under the official secret act. On Sunday, Pakistani President Arif Alvi dissolved the Pakistani parliament following Imran Khan's advice. Imran Khan made the proposal minutes after parliament's deputy speaker rejected a motion of no confidence in him as "unconstitutional." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sydney [Australia], April 7 (ANI): To further deepen the educational partnership between India and Australia, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday invited the University of New South Wales to expand its footprints in India to enable students on both sides to compete in the global ecosystem. Goyal is on a three-day visit to Australia and today he visited New South Wales University and interacted with students. Also Read | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Orders Formal Halt of Trade With Russia. "I invite the University of New South Wales to expand its footprints in India and enable students on both sides to gain," said Goyal at UNSW, Sydney. He said that education will act as a bridge between the two countries. Also Read | England No-Fault Divorce Law: Heres All You Need To Know About The No Blame Divorce Law. "I believe that such partnerships are important for the world as we increase our strategic engagements between Australia and India. Education will act as a bridge between the two countries, it has always been an important element of our partnership," said the Union Commerce Minister. Goyal further said that the partnership between the two countries can truly transform the lives of Australia and India. "A lot of the good work that researchers come out with does not get that kind of scale and opportunity to operationalise and therefore the partnership between the two countries can truly transform the lives of Australia and India," he added. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan too stressed the importance of growing the education relationships between the two countries. "It is absolutely vital that we educate Indian students in Australia and also use that as a basis to grow education relationships between the two nations. I want to see Australian students flocking to India to get educated," said Tehan. Meanwhile, Goyal also remembered his last visit to Australia six years ago as Minister for Power and Coal and Renewable Energy. "I had the responsibility to take power in every home of the country so that no child is deprived of electricity and has good quality of life. I needed coal to power it, and at the same time wanted to be part of the global world effort to move to clean energy, and renewable energy, and find solutions to the grappling problems of climate change. In that context I visited your University 6 years ago, I was truly amazed at the wonderful work done in photovoltaics. I remember going to your labs, talking to your colleagues and at that time I had made one point that becomes extremely relevant in the context of the IndAus ECTA agreement. Tehan calls its Unity Agreement between India and Australia," said Goyal. The newly signed trade pact with Australia is expected to take bilateral trade from the existing USD 27 billion to nearly USD 45-50 billion in the next five years and the government expects one million jobs to be created in India in the next four to five years. Both countries inked the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on April 2. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade and provides for an institutional mechanism to improve trade between the two countries. Highlighting the need for educational partnership amid climate change, Goyal said, "Australia and India need to work together because your technology, research, hard work used in the large setting of 1.35 billion people and a very aspirational young India wanting to see growth, prosperity, high quality of life that other parts of the world are enjoying. Everybody today has access to the internet, and television. We are seeing what's out there. They want all of that and if we can set things right before the growth goes in a big way and use clean energy, we will be actually in a position to save the world, save the country from the adverse impact of climate change." India and Australia Economic Corporation Trade Agreement are expected to create millions of jobs for both countries. IndAus ECTA will unlock the huge market of almost 1.4 billion consumers in India to Australian industries. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen, on Wednesday met with media representatives of Afghanistan Kabul [Afghanistan], April 7 (ANI): Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen met with media representatives of Afghanistan on Wednesday and extended support to Afghanistan's embattled media sector and journalists. Knudsen urged the Taliban to start a dialogue with the media in the country and end draconian measures launched against them. Also Read | England No-Fault Divorce Law: Heres All You Need To Know About The No Blame Divorce Law. "UN's support to Afghanistan's embattled media sector and journalists stressed today as @metknu met @ArianaNews _@pajhwok @Shamshadnetwork @TOLOnews@1TVNewsAFeditors. Taliban urged to start a dialogue with media, end draconian measures and Protect Journalists from threats and violence," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) last month said that the Taliban have intensified attacks on media in the country. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: United States, G7 Nations, European Union Impose Severe Financial Sanctions on Russia. "It's so hard to report from Afghanistan anymore," a journalist in the eastern province of Nangarhar said. "Anything can happen, you could be arrested, beaten, tortured or even killed, just for a report or a program," said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW. In a report, Abbasi said, on March 28, security officers from the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence raided the offices of four radio stations in the southern city of Kandahar for violating a ban on music and detained six journalists. All were released only after they promised they would never broadcast music again. "I want to leave this job," one said. "Being a journalist has always been my dream job but not anymore," according to the report. On the same day, Taliban authorities banned outlets in Afghanistan from broadcasting international news programs, including Voice of America and the BBC, in Dari, Pashto, and Uzbek languages. This new restriction is the latest Taliban measure to limit access to independent information, HRW reported. According to the journalists, Taliban intelligence officials hold regular meetings with the media to inform them of any new rules. In some cases, journalists have reported that they have been harassed, beaten, and arbitrarily detained without explanation. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], April 7 (ANI): US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was scheduled to visit Taiwan, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Pelosi, according to media reports, will now not travel. Also Read | Pentagon Report Says UFO's Had Sexual Encounters With Humans, Left One Woman Pregnant. "After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic," Pelosi's Spokesperson said in a statement. "The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided. The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly," the statement added. Also Read | Shanghai Lockdown: Residents Say They Are Running Out of Food Amid COVID-19 Outbreak. Pelosi was scheduled to arrive in Taiwan on Sunday, in a show of support for Taipei amid concerns over cross-strait relations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Focus Taiwan reported citing media reports. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Global Warming is an issue of prime concern for India, says Union Minister @RajKSinghIndia while addressing the clean energy ministerial talks in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/p1Aqb6dhge DD News (@DDNewslive) April 7, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Son of a village defence committee (VDC) member shot himself dead with the rifle of his father on Thursday in #JammuandKashmir's Poonch district. pic.twitter.com/nfoAztEcZC IANS (@ians_india) April 7, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) A federal government contractor is issuing smartphones to immigrant families released from two massive Texas detention centers as a way to ensure that they are able to contact case managers and reach their U.S. destinations. Officials described the phones as part of a less-restrictive alternative to detention programs designed to make sure that low-risk immigrant families with pending cases show up for court. The phones, they said, are not used to track or monitor immigrants but rather as a safety net. But immigrant advocates were skeptical of the new phones, and the program. It is concerning whether the women are being tracked through their phones and whether their communications with counsel are confidential, said Jonathan Ryan, executive director of Raices, a San Antonio-based immigrant legal advocacy group. The number of immigrant families crossing the border illegally has skyrocketed this year: 24,616 family members were caught at the southern border from October through January, almost triple the number during the same period a year earlier. Advertisement Yaneth Guevara Leyva, who has a pending asylum case, said she received a Galaxy 4 smartphone complete with voice and Internet service after she was released from one of the Texas detention centers two weeks ago. She said she was told that she was being placed in a family case management program along with her children, ages 7 and 2. They told me I was selected because I have small children and for my case, because I was a victim of domestic violence, Guevara said. I was surprised because I thought I would get ankle monitors. Guevara, 29, worked selling food from her home in northern El Salvador, but fled what she described as abuse at the hands of her husband in October. She left without a cellphone, attempting to reunite with her two older brothers in San Fernando. After she was released from the detention center, she used the new phone to catch a direct bus with her children to Los Angeles on Jan. 31. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Guevara said she wasnt worried her conversations would be monitored, noting that she never signed forms consenting to that. She said she returned the phone, as she expected she would, at her first appointment with a case manager from GEO Care, the contractor running the program. They tell us not to be afraid; they say theyre here to help us. I feel good about it, she said. Advocates have been sharing cellphones for years with immigrant families dropped off by detention center staff at a San Antonio bus station, allowing them to call and send photos to family members they plan to meet. One of the first things they always wanted to get was cellphones before undertaking the long journey, Ryan said, but those who buy phones often cannot afford the bills that follow. The new smartphones are free, yet immigrant advocates worry they may be used to secretly monitor the users. Considering the number of entities monitoring cellphones in general, its hard to believe theyre not being tracked at all, Ryan said. He said advocates were especially suspicious because GEO Care is part of GEO Group, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based prison company that issues ankle monitors to immigrant families and runs eight immigrant detention centers, including the Texas family detention center where Guevara was held. The same day GEO Cares $11-million contract was announced in September, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a scathing report detailing alleged abuses at immigrant detention centers, including denying medical care, staff retaliation and rights violations. Pablo Paez, a spokesman for GEO Group, referred questions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. GEO Care has handed out 25 phones to immigrant families since last month, half of the 50 they plan to dispense, officials said. Participants must be considered low risk, meaning they would not otherwise be held in detention as their cases progress or issued ankle monitors, officials said. Priority for the program is given to families with special needs, including pregnant or nursing mothers, those who speak indigenous languages, have very young children, have medical or mental health issues, or have been exposed to trauma. Advocates argued that the program should be run by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, agencies that ICE had relied on for case management and that had worked for years to earn the trust of immigrant families. Richard Rocha, an ICE spokesman, said that the agency recognizes the expertise and experience of community-based immigration assistance organizations which have a long history of assisting recently arriving populations and that it plans to develop the family case management program by growing already existing ICE partnerships with these local community providers. ICE officials said GEO Cares proposal to run the program was the most comprehensive and cost-effective. Advocates are not the only ones concerned about the program, and the smartphones. If the point of this were to make sure ICE could track people, that would actually make more sense, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies. It really is a continuation of this policy of the federal government taking over from the smugglers once the illegals get across the border and ensuring the illegal immigrants get what they paid the smugglers for and reach their destination. Krikorian fears the program could backfire, counteracting a U.S. public awareness campaign in Central America trying to stop migrants from making the trek north by feeding rumors that, he said, theyre not deported and they get a phone for free. If anything, he said, it seems like this might increase immigration. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com Twitter: @mollyhf NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> ALSO 3 surrender in Oregon standoff, but last holdout declares: I will die a free man Obama interview: Maybe I could have done ... a little better As voters size up John Kasich, battle for GOP establishment support shifts to South Carolina Hu Jia is under house arrest again in Bobo Freedom City, his Beijing apartment complex, as he often is come late spring. Two plainclothes officers are just downstairs, Hu says, and four or five are at the front gate; the veteran activist is allowed to go out only to see a doctor (twice a month) or to visit his parents (once a week, on Saturday afternoons). But Hu, who took part in the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square, still has his phone and is making the most of it, talking a mile a minute to anyone who calls. Mostly, thats foreigners. It certainly isnt anybody from Chinas domestic press. The government has long been determined to impose a collective amnesia about the weeks-long pro-democracy demonstrations that shook cities across China 25 years ago, and official media still can make no mention of the deadly crackdown that culminated at Tiananmen Square on June 4. Even if the events could be discussed, its not clear how much most people would care. Hu, though, was in the thick of the action that spring, and he and millions who watched from outside China still have vivid memories of the sudden, violent denouement: the tanks rolling down the Avenue of Eternal Peace, the students running for their lives, the Communist Party declaring the movement a counterrevolutionary riot. For Hu and a fair number of fellow protesters, 1989 remains unfinished business. Fundamentally, the problems they sought to address official corruption, weak rule of law, the partys claim to a monopoly on truth and the concentration of power in the hands of a few continue to vex China. Advertisement I think we need another June 4, said Hu, who has called for people to mark the anniversary by going to the square and wearing black. I dont mean we need another incident full of blood. I mean we need millions of people to go to the streets to demand change. But his voice is a lonely one. Even as technology and globalization have helped fuel mass protest movements in other one-party states, in todays China there seems to be no will and no way for anything like a sequel to 1989. Dramatic improvement in living standards has satisfied some people; others have moved abroad. The government, meanwhile, has done just about everything in its considerable power to tamp down dissent. The leaders of the country, they have never forgotten about this incident for one day, said Zheng Wang, who was a college student in China in 1989 and now directs the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. No matter what they do, their priority, their focus, is stability. :: In China, engineering stability has entailed much more than keeping perceived rabble-rousers like Hu on a short leash, although the Communist Party has become extremely effective at that. In early May, for example, authorities swooped down on a group of people who had attended a workshop to commemorate 6-4, as the Tiananmen crackdown is known here. Five people, including Pu Zhiqiang, a well known human rights lawyer, were detained on suspicion of creating a disturbance in a public place, even though the workshop was in a private apartment. Under Chinese law, they can be held 37 days before charges are filed. The repressive apparatus in China is much more developed than it was in Egypt or Tunisia, said Perry Link, a China scholar at UC Riverside who had just moved to Beijing when the 1989 movement began to gather steam. Its sophisticated, layered and huge, so its hard for something like a Jasmine Revolution to get going. Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, which have played a role in other protest movements, are banned in China, and the states army of Internet censors works hard to quickly scrub the Chinese Web of postings on sensitive topics such as Tiananmen. Publishing a book in the mainland on the 1989 protests is unthinkable. Protests can and do break out over local issues, such as environmental problems, labor disputes and land confiscations. Some academics say more than 200,000 demonstrations drawing more than 50 people occur annually in China, mostly outside Beijing. This spring, tens of thousands of shoe factory workers went on strike in the southern city of Dongguan, and thousands turned out to oppose an incinerator project in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. Twenty-five years ago, it was mainly students and intellectuals pursuing liberties or democratic rights. Now ordinary citizens have developed a very strong consciousness, said Feng Chaoyi, a researcher on Chinas activist movements at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. But when unrest does break out, local governments usually nip it in the bud, sometimes paying people to go home or bringing in police to disperse the crowd. Gatherings are occasionally tolerated in Beijing, if the focus is on an external target, such as Japan. But no protests are allowed in high-profile public spaces like Tiananmen, which regularly teem with cameras, plainclothes police officers and uniformed guards. Rowena Xiaoqing He, who took part in the 1989 protests and is the author of a new book, Tiananmen Exiles, sees such cat-and-mouse policing as only a small part of why another mass movement has failed to materialize. In 1989, [the Communist Party] tried to lock the doors of major campuses and universities so students would not take to the streets, but they found a way out, she said. Post 89, they found a way to lock their thinking, to lock their minds. That locking, He said, comes from a powerful cocktail of materialism, cynicism and nationalism, fostered by the partys headlong embrace of a market economy and a government-sponsored patriotic education campaign. Many people today have neither axes to grind nor ideological agendas. Higher incomes, greater mobility and the breakdown of Mao-era state control of decisions such as where to work and even whom to date have made many people feel less constrained. Per-capita GDP in China has risen more than 1,800% since 1989, from $307 to over $6,091. The U.S. figure has increased by a relatively modest 130% in that time, to $51,749. The Communist Party is more adaptable or flexible than people give it credit for, said Lijia Zhang, a journalist and author of books including Socialism Is Great! After 1989, on one hand they tightened control; on the other they granted more personal freedom. :: Though recollections of Tiananmen are still strong in the West, the partys information blackout and a pragmatic collective silence have ensured that many of those born in the last 30 years know few details about what happened, save for the party line. Change was in the air globally in 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell and communism began to collapse in Eastern Europe. The Chinese student protest organizers were certainly aware. In particular, Mikhail Gorbachevs glasnost reforms in the Soviet Union were seen by some as a model China could follow. Today, though, the breakup of the Soviet Union and Russias subsequent struggles are more frequently cited by the party, and many ordinary Chinese, as a cautionary tale: There, but for the grace of the party, could have gone China. After the crackdown, Link said, the vast majority of intellectuals accepted the deal: Shut up about ideas and values and religion and politics and you can go make money. As the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown approached in 2009, 300 Chinese, including many intellectuals, decided they could shut up no more. They signed their name to Charter 08, a document calling for a new constitution, an independent legal system, direct elections, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and other reforms. The democratization of Chinese politics can be put off no longer, the charter said. Liu Xiaobo, a writer and one of the main authors, was quickly detained and convicted on charges of inciting subversion of state power. In 2010, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His 11-year prison term will end in December 2020. After fitting in or fighting, fleeing is a third option chosen by increasing numbers of elite Chinese ironically, those who have gained the most under the current political system and should be the most content. Immigration to Canada, Australia, the United States and other countries has skyrocketed in recent years. One Chinese Academy of Governance professor estimated last year that there were 1.2 million naked officials party bureaucrats with assets and spouses or children outside China, and who may themselves be looking to leave. Even President Xi Jinpings daughter enrolled at Harvard University in 2010. Link believes this exodus demonstrates a lack of confidence in the future in China. The major trait you see in Chinese mental life, from the top leadership at Zhongnanhai and Xi Jinping all the way down, is insecurity, he said. People are rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off [making money], but underneath they dont feel secure. :: Hu was 15 when he participated in the Tiananmen protests, going to the square often in April and May and joining a crowd that blocked soldiers from penetrating the city. Now 40, he says he remains an optimist, buoyed in part by people using social media to share information. Even though many comments are still deleted by Chinas massive censorship apparatus, he said, the Internet is breaking down the partys control of the truth. Nevertheless, Hu believes that the goal of a freer society will not be achieved if we just go online and leave our comments. Final change has to go through street movements or square politics. Thats not to say, though, that he wants to see the demise of the Communist Party. I hope by 2017 ... we have our own newspapers, our right to organize our own parties; thats my goal, Hu said. By 2020, I wish there will be no one-party rule and people have the basic right to vote. Even if people decide to vote for the Communist Party to be the ruling party again, at least we will have the right to decide who will rule the country. Nicole Liu in The Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Sytch was involved in a fatal car crash that killed a Florida man, and the police are suspecting that the former wrestler was driving with the influence (DWI). The accident that involved Sytch, who went by the name Sunny during her active years in WWE, reportedly occurred on March 25 at U.S. Highway 1 in Volusia County, per TMZ Sports. According to The Daily Mail, the 49-year-old former WWE wrestler was not charged by the authorities. However, officials from Ormond Beach Police noted that Sytch crashed her 2012 Mercedes into the rear of a 2013 Kia Sorento. Reports noted that a third car was also involved in the collision, but its passenger did not require medical attention for their injuries. TMZ noted that the car was a 2011 GMC Yukon, and the passengers of the said vehicle complained of injuries in their neck, side, back, and head. Ormond Beach Observer reported that the passenger of the 2013 Kia Sorento was identified as Julian Lafrancis Lasseter from Daytona Beach Florida. The said Florida man was reportedly transferred to Halifax Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. "Our hearts go out to the Lasseter family that lost their loved one in such a tragic event," Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said. Officers reported that the WWE Hall of Famer was also transported to the same hospital where the Florida man was transported. However, officials did not specify the injuries the former wrestler sustained. READ NEXT: Rihanna Net Worth 2022: How Did RiRi Achieve Billionaire Status? WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Sytch Florida Accident Florida cops mentioned two witnesses of the crash, claiming that Sytch had been "driving at a high rate of speed" before hitting the 2013 Kia driven by the deceased Florida man. The Kia Sorento had been stopped at a spotlight. But after the Sytch's car crashed in its rear, the said vehicle then crashed into the 2011 GMC Yukon that was also stopped at the stoplight. In the police documents, authorities believed that Sytch was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Authorities then took a blood sample from Sytch, according to The Daily Mail. However, the results of the said test were not yet released. The Ormond Beach Police Department (OBPD) then assured us that they are actively investigating the fatal crash that involved the WWE Hall of Famer. "The investigation may lead to criminal charges, which are pending toxicology results," the authorities said in a statement. Reports also claimed that the OBPD also requested an expedited timeframe for the processing of the samples. The results will be made available as soon as the department received them. WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy Sytch Other Violations It was not the first time that Tammy Sytch was caught in a violation in connection to car crashes. The Daily mail stressed that the WWE Hall of Famer had at least six SWI arrests, including a 2019 charge in New Jersey for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. The former wrestler was also arrested five times in less than a month in 2012 for a variety of charges. Charges Sytch encountered during that time included disorderly conduct and third-degree burglary. This year, the WWE Hall of Famer was also arrested for trying to stab a lover using a pair of scissors. READ NEXT: Pentagon Has Evidence That UFO Sightings Left Witnesses With Serious Ailments Like Brain Damage, Paralysis This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Behind The Titantron | The Rise & Fall Of Sunny - From Wrestlemania The New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) has reached a $1,450,096 agreement with Miller Environmental to settle a failure to pay prevailing wages. In January 2020, the company was contracted by PSEG LI to address oil spills and soil contamination, conduct clean-up, and perform other work supporting utility installation. NYSDOL's Bureau of Public Work received a complaint that employees of the contractor were not receiving the lawfully required prevailing wage. READ NEXT: New York State Department of Labor Launches New Social Media Account to Improve Accessibility for Spanish-Speaking New Yorkers "In New York State, we believe workers deserve a fair wage for a fair day's work," said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. "Protecting workers is a top priority to the New York State Department of Labor. We remain vigilant to ensure that employers are properly compensating employees for the work that they do. We will never stop protecting the paychecks of hard-working New Yorkers." Prevailing wage is the pay rate set by law for work on public work projects. Per New York State Labor Law, contractors and subcontractors must pay the prevailing rate of wage and supplements to all workers under a public work contract based on the locality where the work is performed. Third parties contracted on behalf and for the benefit of a public entity are also subject to the prevailing wage requirements of NYS Labor Law Article 8. NYSDOL notified PSEG in 2015 that because it operates Long Island Power Authority's (LIPA) electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, its contracts--including those for reconstruction, maintenance, and repair of public works--are subject to those requirements. Investigators Confirmed That Miller Environmental in Fact Failed to Bid the Contract at Prevailing Rates Investigators confirmed that Miller Environmental in fact failed to bid the contract at prevailing rates and that PSEG LI failed to inform Miller Environmental that this contract involved public work. After discussions between the bureau and Miller Environmental, the company agreed to pay 88 employees the full underpayment amount. Those payments were distributed in January and February of 2022. NYSDOL continues to ensure businesses across New York State comply with prevailing wage requirements, and the Department is in the process of hiring 15 new public work wage investigators statewide to advance that mission. To report prevailing work violations, email: labor.sm.pwask@labor.ny.gov. READ MORE: New York State Labor Department Releases Preliminary February 2022 Area Unemployment Rates Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he will start delivering illegal immigrants to the steps of Washington D.C., as well as inspect vehicles driven in from Mexico. Abbott described the decision an "unprecedented" response to illegal immigrants influx in the border, according to a Dallas News report. The Republican governor said that the additional inspections aim to root out smugglers bringing drugs, immigrants, and other "illegal cargo" through the border. He also acknowledged that it will "dramatically slow" traffic from Mexico. Abbott said at a press conference in Weslaco to continue to ride "all the way to Washington D.C." Abbott has already sent thousands of state police and Texas National Guard soldiers to the border to arrest migrants on trespassing charges, as well as committing $1 billion to install a barrier along the state's border with Mexico. The decision was done after U.S. President Joe Biden issued an order to halt the construction of the wall that was started by former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022: Schedule of April Payments in Texas; $318 Million Budget Revealed Delivering Illegal Immigrants to Washington D.C. Abbott said that Texas officials are sending illegal immigrants to the U.S. Capitol Hill where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across the border, according to The Blaze News report. The Texas governor added that he was ordering the Texas Division of Emergency Management to manage the project. State officials noted that they were ready to deploy up to 900 charter buses. Abbott's new announcement on the state's response to illegal immigrants has drawn criticism. The official Twitter account for United We Dream said that it is a "sick and reprehensible stunt" that will further trigger militarization and violence against people seeking asylum. The account added that Abbott picked to "meet people with violence" in the governor's "twisted attempt at humiliation." Gov. Gregg Abbott: Program Is 'Compeletely Voluntary' Meanwhile, the governor's office clarified that the program is completely voluntary for migrants and would happen only after they had been processed and released by the Department of Homeland Security, according to a Texas Tribune report. The migrants would be required to show documentation that they had already been processed by the DHS. Immigration rights groups said that the Texas governor's rhetoric was still dangerous. Kate Huddleston, a staff attorney at ACLU of Texas, said in a statement that any forcible busing of migrants across the country would be dangerous and "blatantly unconstitutional." Huddleston added that Abbott backpedaled on his plan, announcing that sending illegal immigrants away will be only voluntary. Meanwhile, Rep. Matt Schaefer said in a tweet that "it's a gimmick." The democratic opponent for governor, Beto O'Rourke, said that the announcement was just another example of Abbott "placing bluster over substance." He added in a statement that Texas would have made some real progress on the migrants' issue if Abbott had focused on solutions instead of stunts. READ MORE: Texas Sues Social Media Influencer Brittany Dawn Davis for Allegedly Scamming People With Her Fitness Plans This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Texas governor to bus migrants from border to Washington - from KVUE El Salvador's Congress approved a request from President Nayib Bukele to criminalize media organizations or entities that will share gang-related messages. Al Jazeera mentioned that Bukele made the request to El Salvador's Congress to curb the rising cases of homicide in the Latin American nation. According to France 24, Congress approved the measure on Tuesday, which included a jail time from 10 to 15 years for offenders. Reports noted that the reform to the penal code applies to those who "reproduce and transmit messages" that are from gangs or criminal groups, arguing that gang messages could generate anxiety and panic among the people of El Salvador. Associated Press reported that President Nayib Bukele has lashed out at the media as well as non-governmental organizations and international bodies that critiqued some of the measures taken by his administration against the gangs. The outlet furthered that Bukele also accused the media of siding with the criminals. AP noted that the reforms passed the Congress with affirmative votes of 63 to 84 lawmakers. The measure went into effect when it was published on Tuesday night in the country's official gazette. READ NEXT: El Salvador Gang Crackdown Raises Alarm at UN Human Rights Office El Salvador's Media Groups on Nayib Bukele's Recent Move Several media groups and entities retaliated against the recent mandate approved by El Salvador's Congress. In a statement on Wednesday, the EL Salvador Journalist Association called the reforms a clear attempt at censorship of media. "Prohibiting journalism from reporting the reality in which thousands of people inhabiting these gang-controlled communities live... will create an illusion that is not faithful to the truth," the group underscored, per AP. The group also added that the measure requested by Bukele is a new tool to criminalize journalistic work, per France 24. Inter American Press Association President Jorge Canahuati called the measure against the media a "legal gag" that will cause a profound consequence for the community of El Salvador. "A country cannot block violence by censoring public opinion, since it is precisely in public debate that societies find the solutions to their problem," Canahuati pointed out. Meanwhile, Journalist Association President Cesar Fagaoaga said on Wednesday that the reform is not only affecting the media, contending that the measure affects the availability of information for people. "This reform is trying to get people to censor themselves and for us to not say anything," Fagoaga stressed. However, the deputy of the ruling party, Marcela Pineda, retaliated against the media organizations and their heads, contending that the reform Congress approved does not seek to restrict the freedom of expression. Pineda emphasized that the reform requested by Bukele aims to force responsibility in the messages promulgated among the people of El Salvador. El Salvador State of Emergency El Salvador declared a state of emergency on March 27, following the killing of over 60 individuals in just 24 hours. Pres. Nayib Bukele's administration enforced several steps to control the gang violence, including an increase in the maximum prison sentence, and children will be allowed to be tried for most serious offenses, per Al Jazeera. To date, reports mentioned that authorities from El Salvador arrested at least 6,312 alleged gang members. READ NEXT: WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Sytch Causes Car Crash That Killed a Florida Man; Police Suspects DWI This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: El Salvador Arrests 6,000 Gang Members In 10 Days - From NBC News The Federal Bureau of Investigation, also known as the FBI, has arrested two men who posed as Department of Homeland Security agents, claiming they were part of the January 6 task force. The two men also offered gifts to Service agents, including some assigned to to the protection detail for members of the First Family, according to a Raw Story news report. The men arrested by the FBI were identified as 40-year-old Arian Taherzadeh and 36-year-old Haider Ali. More than a dozen FBI agents barge into a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington on Wednesday evening. Prosecutors alleged that the two posed as law enforcement officers to integrate with actual federal agents, according to an Associated Press News report. Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments, which included a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year, iPhones, surveillance systems, and a drone among others. The 40-year-old suspect also gave a flat-screen television, a generator, a gun case, and other policing tools, according to court documents. Taherzadeh also offered to let them use a black GMC SUV that he identified as an "official government vehicle," according to prosecutors. He also offered to purchase a $2,000 rifle for a Secret Service agent who was assigned to protect the first lady. READ NEXT: Border Patrol 'Robot Dogs' Soon to Be Deployed Along U.S.-Mexico Border Secret Service Agents Placed on Leave The complaint noted that four members of the Secret Service were placed on administrative leave as of April 4, according to The Washington Post News report. The Secret Service has yet to comment on the matter. In February 2020, the two men posed as DHS officers or employees starting February 2020. The FBI said in a statement that personnel was conducting "court-authorized law enforcement activity." The investigation into the two men started on March 14 when a U.S. Postal Service inspector went to a D.C. apartment complex to respond to a complaint of an assault on a letter carrier at the building. The building houses many people who work for the FBI, Secret Service, Department of Defense, and Navy. Residents told the inspector that Ali and Taherzadeh identified themselves as residents as DHS investigations special agents, who may have witnessed the assault. The affidavit stated that the two claimed they were "special police" officers involved in undercover gang-related investigations related to the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol. Other residents told the inspector that the two men used several apartments in the building, claiming the DHS paid the rent, as well as having used an SUV equipped with emergency lights. The men identified it as their "official DHS vehicle." The inspector learned about the gifts the men gave to Special Service agents. However, the document did not state how the inspector learned about it. The DHS was informed about the incident, which then prompted the agency to inform the FBI. Investigators alleged that at one instance Taherzadeh sent a stock photo from the Internet to one witness and claimed it to be in Homeland Security Investigations training. Prosecutors noted that the investigation is still ongoing. READ MORE: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Gets Grilled by Border Patrol Agents During Heated Meeting This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: FBI Carries in Boxes to the Crossing to Collect Evidence in Washington, D.C. on April 6, 2022 - from Kyle Mazza | UNF NEWS California Police on Wednesday said that the Sacramento shooting over the weekend was fueled by gang violence. Police also said that at least two gangs were involved in the shooting, according to Associated Press. However, the authorities declined more details regarding the matter. "While we cannot at this time elaborate on the precise gang affiliation of individuals involved, gangs and gang violence are inseparable from the events that drove these shootings," the police noted in a statement, per USA Today. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said that the suffering inflicted by the gang violence in Sacramento was not limited to the members of the group but also affects the lives of innocent people. Los Angeles' gang researcher Alex Alonso said that the gang shooting just like what happened in Sacramento rarely happens in a public place with so many victims. California State University Criminal Justice Professor Gregory Brown said gangs usually target their rivals through drive-by shootings with fewer victims, but innocent bystanders are also sometimes held as casualties, per AP. However, Brown underscored that the place does not matter for gangs if they would attack a rival member. READ NEXT: Sacramento Mass Shooting: Third Suspect Arrested in Connection in the Incident That Left 6 People Dead in Sacramento Sacramento Shooting: Police Identifies Five Gunmen Related to the Weekend Violence Reports also mentioned that the police identified that there were at least five gunmen during the Sacramento shooting. Police also noted that there may have been more shooters during the weekend's tragedy, AP noted. Authorities did not name the five gunmen, but USA Today mentioned that three suspects were identified by the authorities in connection to the shooting, including two brothers. The two brothers were identified as Smiley Martin and Dandrae Martin. The two were ages 27 and 26 respectively. Smiley reportedly brandished a handgun and allegedly took a live video on Facebook hours before the Sacramento shooting. The 27-year-old faces charges of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. Dandrae faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and illegal firearms possession. USA Today noted that the brothers were both injured and taken into custody on Monday. Meanwhile, Daviyonne Dawson, 32 years old, was also taken into custody on Monday after he was caught on camera wielding a firearm after the shooting, However, police believed that the weapon he was holding was not used during the Sacramento shooting. Dawson faces a charge of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Sacramento Shooting Victims On Wednesday, six huge photographs of the victims in the Sacramento shooting were lined up on a downtown street in California's capital city, AP said in a separate report. The Sacramento coroner identified the victims as Johntaya Alexander, Melinda Davis, Yamile Martinez-Andrade, Sergio Harris, Joshua Hoye-Luchessi, and De'vasia Turner. The ages of the victims were from 21 to 57 years old. According to AP, somber press conferences, Candlelight vigils, and private moments between family and friends were held this week in Sacramento's downtown community. READ NEXT: El Salvador: Nayib Bukele Criminalizes the Sharing of Gang Messages; Media Groups Push Back This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Sacramento Mass Shooting | Evidence Shows at Least 5 Shooters Involved in Gang Gunfight - From ABC10 Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Members of the Dialogue Commission appointed by the Libyan High State Council to prepare a law on the constitutional basis of elections jointly with Parliament have reaffirmed their readiness to hold the talks if they are invited by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Laois Chamber wants the owners of local businesses to appoint a member of staff to be their firms champion for age friendliness and older customers. The call as part of a new campaign involving Age Friendly Laois and Laois Chamber who are collaborating to encourage businesses throughout Laois to take part in the Age Friendly Business Recognition Programme. Laois Chamber says participating businesses can be identified by the We aim to be Age Friendly window stickers, with a listing as an Age Friendly provider on the national Age Friendly website, having the Age Friendly Charter displayed in your business, and the Age Friendly logo displayed in your premises, online and on your print materials. For the past few years, businesses all over Ireland have obtained their Age Friendly Charters as part of the Age Friendly Ireland Programme and have proudly displayed their Age Friendly status on their shop window or in their reception area. They know that by doing this, they signal strongly that our older community is welcome, resulting in loyalty and increased custom. Speaking about the scheme, newly appointed Age Friendly Programme Manager with Laois County Council, Tom Curran, said: For me, the Age Friendly Programme plans for the older members of society and for the future you. By factoring our older person into our business thinking, we acknowledge both their past and future status as valued customers. Participating businesses in the scheme have made changes such as having clearer signage and providing reading glasses of various strengths to become more age friendly. Laois Chamber says that nationally, Age Friendly Business Recognition is a growing brand, supported by Chambers Ireland and the Age Friendly Programme. This recognition allows customers to identify your business as Age Friendly, and publicises your business to older customers. The Laois Chamber CEO is Caroline Hofman. This is a really important scheme that Laois Chamber is fully supportive of. It is so important to provide age friendly resources and training, and recognise businesses that go the extra mile to make their business more accessible and attractive to the older community," she said. "The Age Friendly Business Recognition Scheme has been successful in many other parts of the country, and we would love to replicate this throughout county Laois. Age Friendly Laois in collaboration with Laois Chamber are looking to hear from any interested businesses who would like to take part and receive Age Friendly recognition. "As the first steps of the scheme, we are asking businesses to identify one or more members of staff to act as a champion for age friendliness and older customers, and these staff members will then take part in the Age Friendly Business Workshop. Following this, the business will make three changes to their business, making them more age friendly and accessible for their older customers, said Ms Hoffman. If your business is interested in taking part in the workshops and being recognised as an Age Friendly Business, visit www.agefriendlylaois.ie or contact Laois Chamber at info@laoischamber.ie . A pedestrian crossing and other safety measures must be installed before a successful Laois hurling club can push ahead with a big new development of new facilities. Its nearly a year since Clough Ballacolla GAA was given the green light to construct a full size GAA pitch, juvenile GAA pitch, new entrance, access road and parking area in Clough village. Cllr John King, Fine Gael, raised the issue at a recent meeting with Laois County Council officials as the local authority has a part to play in allowing it to proceed. He tabled a motion asking the Counci to install a ramp, pedestrian crossing and other safety measures at the new GAA grounds in Clough in order to create safety for all users of this new development. Cllr King told the officials that a condition of planning permission for the new development was the installation of a pedestrian crossing and footpaths. More below picture of the land earmarked for pitches. That has to be done before they can go ahead, he said. Cllr King said was willing to allocate funding from his discretionary budget towards this because of the value of the project for the community. Any project that is going to improve facilities for young people in a small village is very important, he said. Cllr Ollie Clooney, Independent, agreed with his colleague. Clough is a viable little village and it would be great to see this done, he said. Mr Edmond Kenny, District Engineer, replied in writing. Laois County Council engineers will arrange to meet the Elected Member in the village to examine the safety concerns, he said. The issue was raised at a recent meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District. The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar is jetting into Laois this week for a visit to two new companies and to speak with TDs from across Ireland from one of the remote working hubs in Laois. First on the itinerary of the Fine Gael leader will be a visit to the Greenfield Global facility and the Glanbia Cheese EU plant in Portlaoise. Both companies represent the first multinational presence of significance in Laois to be set up in several years. Greenfield is Canadian venture while the cheese plant is a partnership between Glanbia and a US company. Later on in visit, he'll hosting a virtual meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party from the Connected Hub at the Beale Centre, Mountmellick. The centre which is located at the Mountmellick Development Association was one of the first remote working hubs to be set up in Ireland. Mr Varadkar is also be meeting with stakeholders on Fine Gaels Stronger Safer Communities campaign as he is accompanied on the constituency visit by Laois Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Politicians heard clashing views on whether a new piece of legislation might be needed to regulate international surrogacy in Ireland. Some politicians on the newly formed Oireachtas Committee for International Surrogacy expressed concern and surprise at the implication from civil servants that an entirely new piece of legislation might be required to tackle the ethical and legal challenges posed by surrogacy arrangements in foreign countries. International surrogacy is not currently regulated for in the Republic, with the Oireachtas committee charged with developing fresh proposals to fix the gap in Irish law. Special rapporteur on child protection, Professor Conor OMahony, expressed surprise at the idea that the legislation on assisted human reproduction, which is currently moving through the Oireachtas, might not be used to regulate international surrogacy. He told politicians: I must confess to being rather taken aback by the suggestion earlier on that international surrogacy doesnt belong in this piece of legislation. And the question I would ask is, if it doesnt belong here then where does it belong? My big concern is that knowing how legislative programmes work, that if this doesnt make it into this bill, that we could be looking at a very, very long wait before any separate bill dealing with international surrogacy makes it back to a process like this. In an earlier session of the committee, meeting for the first time in public, officials from three Government departments had indicated that the assisted human reproduction bill might not be a suitable place for fresh proposals on surrogacy. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is one of the Cabinet ministers responsible for addressing the issue of international surrogacy Muiris OConnor, an official in the Department of Health, told the committee that the focus of the bill is entirely on regulating practices inside the Republic of Ireland. The issues which arise from Irish people engaging in cross-border surrogacy primarily relate to parentage, citizenship and, potentially, adoption, he said. He said that the department is anxious to ensure that the bill progresses as quickly as possible and without undue delay, warning of problems to come if its passage through the Oireachtas is hindered. Mr OConnor also rejected any suggestion that Ireland is a laggard on the issue. He admitted that the lack of any regulation on surrogacy does make Ireland an outlier, but insisted that no EU member state had law covering citizens using surrogacy in other countries. The comments prompted concern from a number of politicians, including Senator Mary Seery Kearney. Ms Kearney asked whether officials were suggesting that the 12-week committee process would unduly delay the passage of the bill. We are open to conclusions, timely conclusions from the committee, to explore and they would have to be specific recommendations that would be accepted by Government and then adopted at committee stage, Mr OConnor said. We were comfortable at the point of announcement around the three months, but I understand today is regarded as day one. And that pushes us very close to the summer recess and our firm intention was certainly to have committee stage concluded in advance of summer recess, he added. Department of Health official Niall Redmond added: It was never intended that the bill would address international surrogacy in terms of legislative provisions but obviously, if the sequencing of events and proposals going forward were to line up, the bill certainly could be used as a vehicle for whatever proposals may be brought forward in a legislative capacity. Quizzed by Sinn Fein TD Kathleen Funchion, Mr OConnor said: Its not entirely clear to us that a legislative solution will be the outcome of your deliberations. Our minister is open to accommodating that conclusion from this committee but that pushes us quite close to the summer recess so the committee would have to agree a specific recommendation and such a recommendation would have to be accepted by the Government. He said that it was just the timeframe that was the issue. That is frustrating to hear, Ms Funchion said, questioning whether amendments or a new piece if legislation would be required. It was 2017 when it was in pre-legislative scrutiny, and now all of a sudden, when were starting to meet, theres this panic about it. She called it unusual and frustrating. Andrew Munro, an official in the Department of Justice, said that civil servants would need to wait and see what recommendations the committee produces. Speaking later, Prof OMahony expressed some surprise at how the discussion had unfolded. He had recommended that Irish legislation should allow parents to apply to the High Court for parental responsibility, as well as a grant of citizenship and nationality to the child. This proposal was greeted by some scepticism from civil servants. Mr OMahony was adamant that the lack of a legal framework had created a legal twilight zone for families. He warned that if passed by the Oireachtas as it stands, the assisted reproduction legislation would be contrary to the rights of children by failing to address surrogacy. The approach proposed in the Bill amounts to keeping our head in the sand, he said. The bill, he said, discriminates between children based on the circumstances of birth and leaves children born as part of international surrogacy arrangements as legal strangers. He also questioned the lack of retrospective recognition of family relationships as a result of domestic surrogacy. A 'zero cost' shop is set to open in Laois this weekend especially for Ukraine war refugees. Some 300 people, mostly women and children from Ukraine have already arrived in Laois, with little more than the clothes on their back, "totally traumatised" by their war experience, according to Laois Integration Network's Karen McHugh. "They are devastated. They are totally traumatised. Just seeing what has happened in the past few days even more now. They are glad to be somewhere safe, but it's hard for them to relax because their sons and fathers are back in Ukraine fighting. 90% of the men have to stay there. It is not easy being here knowing their siblings or partners could be dead," Karen said. Laois people are offering a multitude of supports she said. "The response has been incredible in Laois, from everybody wanting to help in any way they can, by donating and offering transport," she said. To get donated goods out fast to the Ukraine refugees, a one stop 'zero cost shop' will open in Portlaoise this Saturday, in the former Xtravision store on Bull Lane. The owner Ger Mulhall has kindly given us the premises for three months free of charge, and Portlaoise Parish will cover the insurance costs. The good will is incredible," she said. The shop is being set up by Portlaoise playschool The Rainbow Castle, from Laois Integration Network, SOSAD and Laois Partnership and will be staffed by volunteers with Laois Volunteer Network. The playschool is asking people to give donations. "As there are many Ukrainian families coming over to Ireland, we decide to focus on supporting and helping locally relocated Ukrainian families in Co.Laois. "It will be a place where people who fled the conflict and arrive in Ireland/Co.Laois will be able to get clothing, shoes, toiletries, hygiene products, books and toys for kids donated by generous people from Laois and by local companies. "If you have any childrens clothes & shoes, teens clothes & shoes/ womens clothes&shoes in good condition please let us know," they said. They ask for - Toiletries (shower gels, shampoos, soaps, creams, etc.) - Baby food pouches/mousses/formulas - Books, puzzles, arts&crafts, stationery to keep little hands busy. "We are looking also for kids scooters (two wheels, three wheels), balls, badminton sets, and any type of outdoor equipment for kids. If you have any of the above items at home and no longer require them please let us know. We thank you in anticipation," the creche said. The shop is opening this Saturday morning April 9, and will open every Saturday from 12 to 4, and Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 6pm for the coming months, with more donations welcomed to keep it stocked. Laois Integration Network which works to help non Irish people settle into their new Laois communities, is helping the Ukrainian community to settle into the county. "We are trying to get children into schools as quick as we can, so they can meet friends to take their minds off it. All the Laois services have been great, English language classes, the Civil Defence, the HSE, the department of Social Protection, and the council social worker Fionnuala Daly. We are all working with each other," she said. A Laois playground is set to get a slice 450,000 awarded to Local Authorities across Ireland for the local amenities. Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, has approved Laois 16,541 for Spraoi na hAbhann in the Laois Offaly border town. Laois County Council outlined plans for upgrade to the playground in a phased programme of work for the People's Par in the town. The projects funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) encompass a wide range of initiatives that will deliver diverse benefits to children and young people and have a positive impact on communities. These projects include: Inclusive basket swing seat Wheelchair accessible swing Sensory Equipment Natural Play Areas Accessibility/Biodiversity Playground upgrade(s) Learn to cycle track Inclusive carousel Launching the Play and Recreation funding, the Minister said: Childrens playgrounds and play areas should be places of fun and activity for all children to enjoy, so that every child can experience the joy and excitement that comes with playing outdoors. By ensuring that our playgrounds include play equipment that is accessible and encourages inclusion, we are expanding opportunities for play that will benefit every child. This year, I am delighted that 29 Local Authorities have been successful in their applications to enhance their play facilities so that children of all abilities can express themselves in a safe environment and know that they belong, he said. Kildare Mental Health Association is to launch a new campaign in Newbridge today. The group was formed in December 2021 by volunteers around the county of Kildare with a passion for promoting mental health. Kildare MHA are affiliated with Mental Health Ireland and is part of the overall network of mental health associations throughout the country. Speaking on behalf of Kildare MHA Caroline Brogan, Development Officer for Kildare and North Dublin explains. The Kildare Mental Health Association aims is to encourage all in our community to think about their mental health and wellbeing in the same way they think about their physical health. Providing information to those who endeavour to maintain and enhance their mental and emotional wellness The group is being launched today, April 7 to coincide with Mental Health Ireland's first national Hello How Are You campaign with events in Maynooth University Campus and an outside broadcast with KFM in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge from 11am to 2pm. A recent survey conducted by Healthy Ireland (2021), shows 81% of recipients showed lower levels of social connectedness in recent times, the Hello How Are You? campaign developed by Mental Health Ireland encourages greater social connection*. Mental Health Ireland and Kildare MHA are inviting the country to say Hello, and ask How, Are You?, and to really listen to the answer. Contact Kildare Mental Health Association kmha@mentalhealthireland.ie Visit Hello, How are you? for resources and information on how to get involved www.hellohowareyou.info Scoil Cheile Chriost Rathmore National School recently held a Bake Sale in aid of the Irish Red Cross Ukrainian Crisis Appeal. The event took place in the school PE Hall last Friday, 1st April. The school said it was an example of the whole school community coming together to support a very worthy cause. Principal Lucy Travers said: "From early on Friday morning, donations of cakes and buns were being dropped off by children and parents at the school. "There was an amazing display of home baking on offer which was organised for display by the boys and girls in 6th Class who did a great job throughout the day serving customers. "All classes in the school were timetabled to visit the Bake Sale and browse the selection on offer before making a purchase. The school PE Hall was decorated with beautiful art created by the children with Ukrainian flags, posters and sunflowers displayed on the walls around the hall." The vent raised a total of 3,015 which has now been handed over to the Irish Red Cross towards their appeal. Ms Travers added: "Thank you to everybody in our school community for your generosity and kindness." The owners of the Naas Enterprise Business Park have planned a 100m investment at the site to develop and upgrade facilities and amenities. The park, located midway between Naas and Newbridge, was bought by Palm Logistics last December. We want to make it a nice place to work that is sustainable (and) to make it the leading logistics park in Ireland. It would be as nice to work in as an office park said Tim Jones, a director of Palm Capital. Palm Logistics is an affiliate of Palm Capital. Read more Kildare news As a long-term institutional investor, we intend to transform Naas Enterprise Park into the premier logistics park in Ireland, reflecting best-in-class European logistics parks similar to our successful experiences in other international markets and in Greenogue Logistics Park. We look forward to working with all of the businesses who are already in the park, while also attracting new enterprises to locate here in the years ahead. The overall area is very well served by the national motorway network including the M7 and national primary routes, with convenient access to all major ports nationwide. This will be appealing for international and Irish companies specialising in areas such as logistics or distribution and also for businesses seeking a convenient office location for their people. This is already evident by the excellent roster of existing businesses who are already located here. The future of work is based around principles of sustainability including an enhanced working environment. Were looking forward to playing our part in the regeneration and sustainability of this very important location for business and employment, while contributing to the wider success of Kildare as a key economic hub on a regional, national and international basis. The company acquired the park from three entrepreneurs and it had previously been bought out of receivership. Giacomo Mastantuono, an associate in Palm Capital, said businesses need to expand. It is a fundamentally a good park, but it needs investment, he said. Some 2,000 people work there. The Irish Refugee Council has called on the Government to prioritise existing, unused accommodation supply to house incoming refugees who have fled the war in Ukraine amid fears that there won't be enough accommodation in the coming weeks. The council says while the Governments response to date has been strong, and the Irish publics show of solidarity has been remarkable, the focus now is to develop a long-term plan. More than 18,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland to date and this number is expected to grow as the crisis continues. A separate report in the Irish Independent today claims that there will be nowhere for 10,000 refugees by the end of the month. In its policy paper to Government, published today and the first in a series of papers outlining recommendations for Government in how to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the Irish Refugee Council highlights the need to prioritise existing, unused accommodation which is readily available and most suitable to house incoming refugees fleeing the war. The Irish Refugee Council recognises the publics response in pledging own-door accommodation has been nothing short of extraordinary, but the State now needs to look at more long-term solutions. Types of readily-available accommodation may include, in order of suitability: Holiday homes which are currently unoccupied. Unoccupied purpose-built build to rent accommodation. Vacant student housing. Once these accommodation options have been exhausted, pledged housing in shared homes can then be utilised. In addition to prioritising existing, unused accommodation, the policy paper also outlines several key recommendations: Bolster, empower and guide a local response. Guide and support the pledged accommodation process. Create a clearly defined, phased approach to introducing accommodation. Adopt a whole of society, emergency response approach. Honour the commitment to end Direct Provision. Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council said: Our policy paper acknowledges that the Irish States response has been strong. We admire the Irish publics show of solidarity, but we must now look at the next steps and a long-term plan. "Our key recommendation is prioritising existing, unused accommodation supply. A voluntary holiday homes pledge scheme should be established to enable people across Ireland to offer these houses as accommodation, allowing the State to accommodate refugees from Ukraine in unoccupied holiday homes which are currently available. "Unoccupied purpose-built build-to-rent apartment accommodation and student housing could be available for pledged accommodation. Pledged and hosted accommodation can provide a significant amount of supply, but it will require guidance and support. There are limits to what individuals can do, and information about, and access to, professional support is essential along with exit plans," he said. "Given the scale of the challenge, a whole of society approach should be adopted, with all sectors public, private and civil society urged to support the huge humanitarian response effort and provide accommodation wherever possible. Emergency powers and legislative change should also be considered, if necessary. "Finally, we call on Government to honour its commitment to ending Direct Provision. While this commitment is likely to suffer in the short term, accommodation solutions identified now may offer some opportunities for pursuing alternatives to Direct Provision in the longer term," Mr Henderson said. UFC star Conor McGregor has appeared in a Dublin court charged with six driving offences. The mixed martial arts fighter appeared at Blanchardstown District Court accused of two counts of dangerous driving on March 22, as well driving without insurance and a licence and failing to produce a certificate of insurance or licence. He had been travelling in his Bentley Continental GT on the N4 in west Dublin when he was stopped by gardai earlier this year. McGregors solicitor Michael Staines told the court his licence and insurance were shown to police on Thursday morning. Garda Denis Lordan told the court the four charges were put to McGregor on Thursday morning. He made no reply to each charge and was handed a copy of the charge sheet. District Judge David McHugh remanded McGregor on continuing bail and he will appear at the same court again on June 23. Irish UFC star Conor McGregor arrives at Blanchardstown District Court to face a charge of analleged dangerous driving incident. pic.twitter.com/xAO36qNpOQ Cate McCurry (@CateMcCurry) April 7, 2022 McGregor, wearing a grey blazer and navy trousers, did not speak during the court appearance. Speaking to reporters outside, he said he is going straight back into training. I am going straight back in, and I am looking forward to getting back into it. Asked if he has an opponent in mind, he replied: We will see what happens man. Taking it day by day. The leg is getting better every day and I am happy with that. One of only six remaining life jackets from the Titanic is to go on public display in Belfast to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the ill-fated liner later this month. The White Star Line vessel was one of the most luxurious ever built back in 1912, but despite being described as unsinkable, she foundered after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York with the loss of more then 1,500 lives. It is understood to be the first time the life jacket has been on public display on the island of Ireland. The life jacket was recovered from the field of debris by Robert Edwards, quartermaster of the Cable Ship Mackay-Bennett which was the first of four ships chartered by the White Star Line to search for bodies in the aftermath of the sinking. It is made of linen and cork and described as being in fair condition with all original ribbon ties still in place. Titanic Belfast chief executive Judith Owens said having the life jacket at the attraction is really something special. The RMS Titanic There were 3,500 life jackets onboard but only six remain, so this is a unique, and very emotive, opportunity for the public to see a piece of history in real life, she said. It is especially poignant to have the authentic artefact on display as we commemorate the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and honour all the lives that were sadly lost. Rodney McCullough, former official historian for Harland & Wolff added: I joined Harland & Wolff in 1959 and many of my colleagues knew of people who worked in the drawing offices in 1912. I remember them telling stories of the shock and confusion when the news hit about Titanics tragic fate. Seeing the life jacket in person makes everything suddenly very real and reminds us of what a tragedy this story really was. Titanic Belfast will mark the 110th anniversary with A Night To Remember on Thursday April 14. Visitors will be guided on a living history tour taking you on a journey of reflection, hearing the story of Titanic through the eyes of those whose lives were shaped by her journey. Guests are invited to then join a candle lighting ceremony at 11.40pm on the slipways, marking the exact time that Titanic struck the iceberg thus sealing its fate. The tour leaves every 10 minutes from 8pm until 9.40pm. Booking is essential and tickets cost 15. For further information on the display of the life jacket or to book tickets for A Night To Remember go to www.titanicbelfast.com GARDAI have foiled a brazen heist of a lorry loaded up with fertiliser valued at 30,000 in County Limerick. The incident, involving a number of individuals, was discussed during a recent Joint Policing Committee meeting of the Newcastle West Municipal District. Cathaoirleach, Cllr Liam Galvin, asked gardai if there had been an increase in the theft of fertiliser due to its price more than tripling in the last 12 months. Detective Sergeant Mike Reidy said in the previous week there had been 30,000 worth of fertiliser stolen during the course of a delivery. It was recovered by gardai within a couple of hours, said Det Sgt Reidy, of the crime which occurred on March 22. Speaking to the Leader after the meeting, he declined to give more details as the investigation is ongoing. He would say that the truck left Newcastle West and the fertiliser was recovered by gardai in the Bruff area. We are conducting follow up enquiries, said Det Sgt Reidy. In the days following the meeting, it has emerged that a man was arrested and has appeared in court in connection with the heist. The senior garda warned farmers that given the rise in prices we are going to see an increase in thefts of fertiliser. It is well over 1,000 a tonne. I am from a farming community. It was normal that fertiliser would be dropped inside the gate of outside farms for spreading. We are encouraging farmers receiving fertiliser to bring it close to home, away from prying eyes rather than leaving it unattended out in the open, said Det Sgt Reidy. He said the aforementioned theft of fertiliser was the only thus far in County Limerick in 2022 and it was brought to a successful conclusion. It requires a lot more physical equipment than normal thefts so we are asking members of the farming community and the public to contact us if they see anything suspicious, said Det Sgt Reidy. Cllr Liam Galvin, who had brought up the increased price of fertiliser, quoted Deputy Michael Healy Rae who has said, Criminals are better off robbing farmers than banks due to the cost o fertiliser, machinery and feed. In relation to preventing thefts and securing the return of other items on farms, Sgt Noel Barry highlighted the councils property marking machine. It works by stamping the persons Eircode onto their item using a series of dots. Cllr Francis Foley said it was excellent and can be used on everything from tractors to laptops and encouraged people to avail of it. Cllr John Sheahan meanwhile said the thieves have to have a market for what they steal. Farmers that might buy fertiliser from an unknown source are not doing anyone any favours. If there is no market it wont be stolen, said Cllr Sheahan. CELEBRATED artist and sculptor Tom Fitzgerald has brought together his life's work under one roof for a special exhibition which officially opens this weekend. The Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is playing host to more than 100 of his pieces dating from the 1980s up to the present day. Codenamed Spirit Music, the exhibition is a celebration of his long career and contribution to the visual arts both locally and nationally. Mayor Daniel Butler will cut the ribbon at the showcase on Saturday afternoon, with the exhibition then open to the public until May 8. Entry to the exhibition at the gallery beside the People's Park is free. "The whole idea for this exhibition came from the notion of getting together a group of work I've been making over the years," Tom explained. Known for his sculpting, an injury a few years ago saw Tom switch focus to painting, something which picked up during the Covid-19 lockdown. Asked what he hopes people take from the display, Tom said: "The average person likes to see something that they can recognise. That it isn't so abstract that it makes connections with people. I feel art is about connecting with people. Most of the work here is recognisable if you like." A significant part of the collection is the Celtic Zoo, a series of mainly water colour paintings and paper drawings from 2004 to 2014, which provides an acerbic commentary on the Celtic Tiger exceses of the period. The famous sale of Eircom shares, and developer bankruptcies in the crash that followed are addressed in this element of the collection. Below: An installation of Tom's work in the South Gallery of the LCGA Tom studied at the Limerick School of Art and Design and later served as head of the sculpture department from 1976 to 2000. He was also a founder member of Limerick's EV+A International festival in 1977. His early work is predominantly sculptural using limestone and other materials including slate, wood and glass. Spirit Music is an invitation to look at his work in different ways: quiet/resonant, internal/external, corporeal/ethereal, all of which are embodied in this exhibition. Above: An installation of Tom's work in the North Gallery of the LCGA Although Tom's work has been exhibited internationally, his life, education and practice has been in Limerick city and county. Una McCarthy, the director and curator of the Limerick City Gallery of Art said: Spirit Music is a celebration of this artists body of work over 40 years and provides us with an opportunity to see the development of his work over this period. It also takes us on a journey at times mythical and whimsical and others caustic and satirical, ensuring that the past is not a foreign country." Below: A Tilework installation from Tom The catalogue to accompany this exhibition to be published in mid-April 2022 contains essays by Sean O Laoire, Gerry Dukes and Niamh Nic Ghabhann, who all present a close pen-portrait of this pure artist and his significant and ongoing contribution to the visual arts in the Mid-West and Ireland," she added. Entry to the Limerick City Art Gallery Exhibition is free. For a preview and further information, please click here LIMERICK City TD Brian Leddin has represented the Irish government at two prestigious international climate conferences in Paris. The first was the Conference on the strategic economic autonomy of the European Union, and was hosted by the French Senate at the Palace du Luxembourg. Later the same week, Mr Leddin spoke at the Global Parliamentary Network, organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD invited deputy Leddin in his role as chair of the Joint Oireachtas committee on environment and climate action and were keen to hear how the organisation can help countries meet their Cop26 commitments. Mr Leddin said: "We are seeing how the war in Ukraine has severely impacted energy and food supplies in Ireland and across the European Union. Both the war and the climate crisis have exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in these areas that must be resolved. I was able to report that Ireland can provide clean renewable energy to Europe using interconnection and development of a hydrogen economy, so that we are not dependent on despots and dictators. Limerick and the Mid-West will be the centre of this effort. In order to tackle the climate crisis, Mr Leddin said he believes systemic change, as opposed to marginal change is what's required. "The wider society has to understand why we are doing what we are doing. The debate needs to happen at the lowest and broadest possible level and we have to design consultation systems that give confidence to the people that they are part of the decision making process. If we dont do this then the political consensus and momentum around climate action, as set out in international agreements such as COP, can and will unravel quickly, As stated by the three IPCC reports climate disaster is near, however, there is immense opportunity in climate action - renewable energy jobs, warmer and healthier homes, fairer and better conditions for farmers. The reality is grim and the transition will be difficult, but Ireland can lead in climate-positive action and benefit from the green and sustainable economy, he concluded. TWO UKRANIAN Redemptorist sisters have arrived in Limerick to help support refugees arriving in the county. The sisters have come to Limerick to help refugees who have fled Ukraine and started to arrive in Limerick in the last month. Bishop Brendan Leahy has welcomed the sisters and said that the reality of war but the generosity of humanity are mixed experiences unfolding in Limerick this week. Speaking at the conclusion of the Redemptorists Prayathon at the weekend, Bishop Leahy said that as images coming from the war shock us to the core, on the other side we are heartened by the kindness of people. Bishop Leahy paid tribute to the people of Limerick for their support and, in particular, to the Redemptorists and the two sisters from Ukraine who have come here to help refugees adapt to their new surroundings. The sisters are working across a number of sites in Limerick where refugees are located, supporting them spiritually but also in practical terms, not least as translators. Bishop Leahy said: "Im grateful for the witness of the Redemptorist community. They immediately launched an appeal and it was responded to so generously. "The Redemptorists have now invited two sisters here to help. Sister Antonia and Sister Justyna. They belong to a small Redemptorist sister congregation: the Mission Sisters of the Holy Redeemer." Bishop Leahy continued: "The Congregation was founded in Bavaria in the 1950s and there are communities in Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Japan, Bolivia and Chile. The Ukrainian Sisters are Greek Catholics. As I say, the Redemptorists invited them to come, and we are grateful to the Sisters of Mercy at Mount St Vincent for offering hospitality to Justyna and Antonia. "These two sisters are like millions of their compatriots, refugees. The hope is that they will be able to find ways of supporting other refugees. We are grateful to them and thank the Redemptorists for this great initiative." Dublin Airport has announced a five-point strategy plan to tackle delays ahead of the busy Easter break. The plan comes after lengthy queues sparked concern from government and complaints from some passengers that they had missed their flights. The queues were attributed to delays at security screening during peak times. If you are flying from Dublin Airport soon, please be aware that it might be very busy at peak periods, so allow yourself plenty of time. At peak times, this can mean up to 3 and a half hours before your departure time. If parking a car, allow a further 30 minutes. Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) April 4, 2022 The airport said it had been trying to rebound from the impact of the pandemic and blamed shortages in fully trained staff working at the countrys busiest airport. In a statement, Dublin Airport said the plan included measures used recently to address delays, which they described as successful, adding that over the past 10 days none of the 300,000 passengers who had departed out of Dublin Airport had missed a flight due to security queues. But with the busy Easter period coming, they advised passengers to arrive at the airport a minimum of three-and-a-half hours prior to their departure time. Measures being taken include the recruitment and training of a significant number of additional security screening staff, deployment of a task force, a targeted communication campaign and keeping security in Terminal 1 open 24/7 to reduce the build-up of queues. There have been calls for the Defence Forces to be called in to help. But Minister of Defence Simon Coveney said he was not very keen on the idea of deploying troops at the airport. Simon Coveney said no formal request had been made for the Defence Forces to help with the delays Earlier, he said that no formal request for members of the Defence Forces to help with the lengthy delays had been made. Our Defence Forces are busy, theyre asked to do a lot outside of core defence, he said. But there is no formal request and has been no formal request for the army to be part of the solution in Dublin Airport. I know that the DAA are working hard to ensure they can get more efficiency and faster throughput through the security checks in the airport but as of now there is no formal ask of me as Minister of Defence or of my department in terms of the assisting on that. The junior transport minister Hildegarde Naughton said she was having daily meetings with the DAA in relation to the contingency measures. She said the measures had been put in place since last weekend, which had led to huge improvements in the management of queues. They have redeployed staff, they have 600 non-frontline staff now on the frontline helping to manage queues and theres greater throughput of passengers, so they are managing this situation very well, Ms Naughton added. But those daily meetings will continue, I have a further one this evening. Theres no formal request, as Mr Coveney has said, in relation to the army, the DAA suggested potentially involving the Defence Forces at earlier meetings, but theres no such request or plans in place for that. They are engaging in an intensive recruitment campaign this week as well to increase staffing numbers. We will be watching this very carefully and we are absolutely working hand-in-hand with the DAA in relation to ensuring that passengers and our citizens who have had two years of pandemic can get away over holidays safely. HYDERABAD : Intranasal vaccines will be game-changer in the fight against covid, said Dr Krishna Ella, chairman of Bharat Biotech. In an interview, Ella said phase 3 clinical trials of the non-invasive, needle-free vaccine are on, and the initial results are promising. Once the trials are completed, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech will submit the data to the regulator for approval. Ella also spoke about vaccines in the pipeline to be manufactured by Bharat Biotech, including those against Chikungunya and Zika. The firm is upgrading its manufacturing facilities, specifically for Covaxin, after the World Health Organization (WHO) suspended the vaccine supply through UN procurement agencies. Recently, WHO inspected the Bharat Biotech plant and identified good manufacturing practice (GMP) deficiencies. Edited excerpts. Tell us how you developed Covaxin. Undoubtedly, covid-19 was the biggest humanitarian crisis across the world. It impacted nations, their populace, and economy. It struck me that if India has to fight covid-19, it must develop and manufacture its own vaccine. We needed to be self-reliant. In the past, we developed more than 11 viral vaccines and we had worked on an inactivated virus platform. So, I knew we had the resources to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine. When we approached the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the strain, they willingly gave it to us. During the initial phase of vaccine development, we were dealing with a total lockdown and it was a huge challenge as we were dealing with an unknown virus. However, when I told my scientists about developing Covaxin, they didnt hesitate for a moment and were willing to take the risk for a greater humanitarian cause. Our team went to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, to bring the live, highly infectious virus to our genome valley plant. With the help of ICMR and NIV, Pune, we introduced Covaxin in less than 11 months. We achieved many milestones during the preclinical and clinical phases of Covaxin. The largest-ever vaccine efficacy phase 3 trials involved 25,600 volunteers from over 22 clinical sites and even more extensive data capturing that was published in more than 23 peer-reviewed international journal articles on Covaxin. This led to the tough Emergency Use Authorisation in India and emergency-use listing from WHO. We also faced the dogma of whether an inactivated vaccine platform will work against the new platforms. However, we knew our platform had an established history of efficacy and safety. Furthermore, building capacities for production was equally overwhelming for a company such as ours. Yet we went ahead and created manufacturing facilities and also repurposed facilities to attain the annualised capacity of 1 billion doses. Our vaccine Covaxin also ensured that India had its own vaccine to protect its people, with a vaccine that is not only world-class but also affordable. When are we expecting the much-awaited nasal vaccine? Our intranasal covid-19 vaccine is a game-changer as it will prevent infection and the transmission of the disease. We have collaborated with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on a novel chimp-adenovirus, an intranasal vaccine for covid-19. An intranasal vaccine stimulates a broad immune response, neutralising IgG, mucosal IgA, and T cell responses. Immune responses at the site of infection, in the nasal mucosa, are essential for blocking both infection and transmission of covid-19. The nasal route has excellent potential for vaccination because of the organised immune systems of the nasal mucosa. It is also a non-invasive and needle-free vaccine. Our phase 3 clinical trials in the country are underway. We have already conducted a clinical trial on 5,000 participants. The initial results are promising and once we complete the trials, we will capture the data and submit it to the drug regulator for approval. What about your plans, collaboration, and vaccines in the pipeline? In addition to our intranasal vaccine for covid-19, we are working on the Chikungunya vaccine. We are also working with rabies vector-based vaccines for long-term immunity against covid-19. It is a highly immunogenic protein. We have completed the phase one trial and will start phases two and three soon. In March, we entered a partnership with Biofabri, a Spanish firm, for developing, manufacturing, and marketing a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. This partnership will guarantee the supply of TB vaccines in more than 70 countries, especially in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which have high TB incidence. The other vaccines that are in the research and development pipeline are those for malaria, Zika, cholera, NTS conjugates, and salmonella paratyphi. What are the future threats to India? We see zoonotic threats, which means diseases originating from animals. There are approximately 40,000 unknown viruses and 1,000 zoonotic viruses. To prevent this, we need to have ideal vaccines that have long-term immunity. Whom do you see as competitors? Our competitors are infectious diseases, not a country or a company. I predicted in 2000 that all neglected diseases would turn out to be pandemic. Mostly, Africa and Asia contribute to neglected diseases. Our fundamental philosophy was to consistently build on this niche area and we have succeeded in this for more than 25 years. Our strategy is to be prepared to thwart neglected diseases. Where do you think India should improve in terms of innovation? Innovation is the key to the future. But who creates that? Individuals, not companies or countries, are responsible for invention. It is a scientist who is attempting to invent something new. To innovate, youll need knowledge, a decent degree, and a set of skills. For example, a lot of Chinese people do not speak English but are successful in science and technology because of their skill sets. Imagination is also a component of the invention. Suppose you hire an architect to construct a home. To build a house, he uses his imagination. When you combine all three, a degree, skill sets, and imagination, you get innovation. That is a simple definition of innovation. We also need to build a successful public-private-partnership (PPP) to deal with larger public health problems. India is optimistic about talks next week with the US on military cooperation even as the Biden administration becomes more vocal in rebuking New Delhi over its reluctance to criticize Russias war in Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said. Recent public statements from Washington warning India about consequences for purchases of weapons and discounted oil from Russia are contrary to private discussions between the two sides, the people said, asking for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks. They cited conversations in New Delhi last month with US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who offered help in finding alternative sources of weapons that could be used to counter neighbors Pakistan and China. India informed Nuland that the alternatives to Russian weapons were too expensive, according to people familiar with the matter. In addition, Russian companies are more willing to set up joint ventures with Indian companies that include some technology transfer, something US defense firms are reluctant to do, they said. Foreign and defense ministers of the US and India will meet in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for the first two-plus-two dialog since Joe Biden took office, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said at its weekly briefing Thursday. Apart from defense cooperation, Vladimir Putins attack on Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions will also be discussed at these meetings, the people said. Tensions between the US and India have risen in recent weeks over Prime Minister Narendra Modis reluctance to criticize Putin, which has complicated a budding security partnership between the democracies in countering Chinas influence. On Wednesday, in some of the sharpest language so far, Bidens top economic adviser, Brian Deese, said the U.S. has told India that the consequences of a more explicit strategic alignment" with Moscow would be significant and long-term." There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and Indias decisions, in the context of the invasion," Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters. Indias Foreign Minister S Jaishankar Wednesday again underlined the importance of New Delhis ties with Moscow. Russia is an important partner in a variety of areas," the minister told parliament. Like all other countries, we too are assessing the implications" of Russias war in Ukraine and deciding what is best for our national interest." The MEA did not respond to Deeses comments. However, spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters there was no pressure on India to reduce economic relations with Russia." India will continue to press for an end to the violence in Ukraine and resolution dispute through diplomacy," he added. President Joe Bidens top economic adviser said the administration has warned India against aligning itself with Russia, and that U.S. officials have been disappointed" with some of New Delhis reaction to the Ukraine invasion. There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and Indias decisions, in the context of the invasion," the director of the White House National Economic Council, Brian Deese, told reporters at a breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The U.S. has told India that the consequences of a more explicit strategic alignment" with Moscow would be significant and long-term," he said. While the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan have piled economic sanctions onto Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, India has declined and instead has sought to continue imports of Russian oil. New Delhis reaction to the invasion is complicating its relationship with Washington, where India is regarded as an important partner in countering Chinese influence in Asia. Deeses comments come after Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh traveled to India last week for meetings with officials. What Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we dont believe its in Indias interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week. Indias Ministry of External Affairs didnt respond to a message seeking comment sent after normal business hours. The U.S. and the rest of the Group of Seven nations will continue to collaborate with India and hope that they can align efforts to the greatest extent possible, a U.S. official said in a briefing for reporters Wednesday on new sanctions against Russia. India and the U.S. collaborate extensively on food security and global energy, the official said. The official asked not to be identified as a condition of the briefing. In addition to seeking Russian oil, India is the worlds largest buyer of Russian weapons. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resisted entreaties from the U.S. and Australia to scale back the relationship, insisting that India needs Russian weapons to counter both Pakistan and China and that alternatives are too expensive, according to people familiar with the matter. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Ukrainian officials called for tighter sanctions and more weapons to forestall a looming Russian offensive in the east of the country, as Moscow mobilizes troops there after pulling back in northern Ukraine. Ahead of a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels on Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba underscored his countrys need for a sustainable supply of arms. The more weapons we get, and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved, the more cities and villages will not be [destroyed], and there will be no more Buchas," Mr. Kuleba said, in reference to the town near Kyiv that this week drew global shock after nearly 300 bodies of civilians were found there following the withdrawal of Russian troops. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has warned that the war is entering a critical phase, said the meeting would address Ukraines need for more air-defense systems, antitank weapons, lighterbut also heavierweapons, and many different types of support." NATO members are supplying Ukraine with fuel, ammunition, body armor, helmets and medical equipment. U.K. government defense officials held a meeting this week with Ukrainian officials to discuss what weapons they would need for the next stage of the war, according to a government statement. Officials have so far declined to provide tanks to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said it would be impossible to hold back a Russian advance in the east without a steady supply of heavy weapons. Russias Defense Ministry on Thursday said Russian forces had secured Solodke, a town in the Donetsk region. Russian forces continued strikes across the country overnight, targeting fuel depots in Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Chuhuiv, said Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. Hopes for progress in peace talks have dimmed in recent weeks. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukrainian negotiators had presented a draft agreement a day earlier that declined to say security guarantees for Ukraine wouldnt include Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014, among other disagreements. Mr. Lavrov said Kyivs true intentions were in delaying and even undermining the negotiations." Russia is seeking to expand its control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which make up the eastern Donbas area, following its withdrawal from the north and areas around the capital, Kyiv. Retreating Russian forces have left evidence in northern towns such as Bucha of what Ukrainian officials and independent rights watchdogs say are war crimes, including executions, rape and other human-rights abuses. Russia has denied the reports and said they were staged by Ukrainian troops. In his customary overnight address, Mr. Zelensky said Russian forces were seeking to destroy evidence of killings in other territories under their control by disposing of bodies. The comments came after the mayor of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko, said Russian forces had begun using mobile crematoriums to get rid of the bodies of Ukrainian civilians. Mr. Boychenko, who put the death toll at 5,000 civilians last week, said he now believes tens of thousands of Mariupol residents could have been killed. There was no independent confirmation of his assessment. The mayor of Irpin, a town near Kyiv that was recaptured by Ukrainian forces last week, said Thursday that the bodies of people suspected of being run over by Russian tanks had been removed from streets by rescue workers. When we liberated the area, residents told me the occupiers began to divide families, taking away men to be used for prisoner exchange and leaving women and children," said the mayor, Oleksandr Markushyn. Those that the Russians did not like the look of were shot. Those who refused to surrender were shot." Mr. Zelensky, in his address, urged Western countries to impose harsher sanctions on Russia, saying nothing short of freezing Moscow out of the international financial system and banning the purchase of Russian oil would be appropriate. This package has a spectacular look. But this is not enough," Mr. Zelensky said. If there is no really painful package of sanctions against Russia and if there is no supply of weapons we really need and have applied for many times, it will be considered by Russia as a permission. A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas." European Union members on Wednesday backed Brussels latest proposal for a ban on Russian coal imports, with formal approval expected by Friday. White House officials also confirmed the Biden administration was implementing sanctions on Russias largest financial institution, Sberbank, and its biggest private bank, Alfa Bank, as well as expanding other economic sanctions, including on President Vladimir Putins daughters and family members of other top officials. In New York, the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday was set to vote on whether to suspend Russia from its human-rights council. The U.S. initiated the push to strip Russia of its position on the U.N.s top rights body on Monday. Russia has sharply criticized the attempt to remove it from the panel. Bracing for an intensification of violence amid Russias eastern offensive, Ukrainian officials have urged civilians to leave Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of the Kharkiv regions. Fierce fighting is already under way in the towns of Rubizhne, Popasna and Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, said presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych. These are areas where our troops are defending, counterattacking, stopping the enemy. The situation is very difficult," Mr. Arestovych said. Russian forces are preparing an offensive south from Izyum toward Kramatorsk and Slovyansk in an effort to cut off Ukrainian troops further east, he said. The head of the Luhansk regional state administration, Serhiy Haidai, said Russian forces had shelled the towns of Zolote and Hirske heavily overnight, and targeted a hospital in Severodonetsk and houses in Lysychansk. There is a great deal of destruction, both of residential properties and infrastructure," he said. This area is being wiped out by the enemy." Russian forces also launched 48 strikes using rockets, artillery and mortars on Kharkivs civilian infrastructure overnight, according to Oleh Sinehubov, head of the regional state administration. Mr. Sinehubov renewed a call for residents of Lozova and Barvinkove to leave the area, saying 15,000 had already managed to flee. Evan Gershkovich and Max Colchester contributed to this article. Let's Not Do That Again Grant Ginder Henry Holt. 352 pp. $27.99 - - - "Let's Not Do That Again" is a political comedy of manners that reads like the love child of Page Six and a long episode of "Veep." I mean this in the best possible way. If you like your humor dark and take guilty pleasure in imagining the messy lives of others, you will enjoy Grant Ginder's fifth novel. Our brash, ambitious, Selina Meyer-esque protagonist, Rep. Nancy Harrison, D-N.Y., is a liberal politician of a familiar sort: both likable and not. She may or may not have a heart, but she gets things done. She stood up to Big Oil, fought for universal health care and "to date, has done more to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants than any sitting Democrat." She is also the longtime president of her Central Park West co-op board and has finally succeeded in gaining approval for a trash-compacting system. When we first meet Nancy, she's in the midst of a close Senate race. Her daughter, Greta, has just been captured on video wearing a black Chanel dress and throwing a bottle of champagne through the window of a famous Parisian restaurant. It turns out that Greta has taken up with a particularly hideous French nationalist troll who is intent on derailing her mother's career. Greta, a privileged type turned impoverished Brooklyn hipster, hawks iPads at the Apple Store on the corner of Flatbush and Lafayette and harbors no small dose of maternal grievance. She may or may not be complicit in trying to dash Nancy's political hopes. The novel is peopled with a large cast of characters: an overworked campaign manager, a flirtatious press secretary, Nancy's long-suffering son, everyone's various love interests, roommates and colleagues, plus an obscenely wealthy, backstabbing mother-in-law. That the storyline is familiar, and the characters straight out of central casting, does not detract from the novel's appeal. Note to creative writing students everywhere, particularly the ones shooting for the stylistic moon: What Ginder does so effectively is take a familiar template and claim it as his own. Besides, getting the pieces to fit just right, even in a proven structure, is much harder than it seems. God is in the details, as the saying goes; Ginder is a sharp writer, and even his workaday observations turn up countless small gems. A banana does not sit, it languishes. The weather in the city is not just hot, it's a heat tsunami. A character cuts a line of cocaine - on top of a volume of "Profiles in Courage." An amusing subplot has Nancy's son, Nick, working on a musical about Joan Didion, with whom he has an obsession "that falls somewhere between adorable and unhealthy." The working title for his production about Joan's New York years is "Hello To All That!" (An alternative title idea was "SLOUCHING.") Nick, who has recently stopped working as his mother's speechwriter, is trying to decompress and, accordingly, withdraw from Lexapro. So stressful was the job that he has been on an alphabet soup of antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds including Ativan, Ambien and Klonopin and "very occasionally, and honestly only when Congress was trying to pass the budget - a little Zyprexa." Although Nick is burned out and tired of seeing his mother's name on the bottom of his paycheck, he had been good at his job. Chuck Schumer knew Nick's phone number by heart, and, in a line so serendipitously well-timed you could take it to the craps table in Vegas, "at the behest of his mother Nick had made not one but both Cuomo brothers cry." Unsurprisingly, Nick's attempts at reclaiming normalcy are thwarted by the family crisis. Strong-armed by his mother into reining in his AWOL sister, Nick must put on pause his fledgling romance with his FBI agent boyfriend, Charlie Liu. (That Charlie has a dog named Frank who is "the size of a carry-on suitcase and the color of charcoal - a black so light it borders on gray, with traces of white around the snout," is not especially relevant to the plot, but so nicely rendered that it bears mention.) No plot spoilers here, but let it be noted that pretty much every detail in this novel is there for a Chekhovian reason. Per Anton Pavlovich, every gun that hangs on every wall here eventually goes off. This is true of the black Chanel dress, the trash compactor, even an antique sword that is a keepsake from Nancy's late husband. The resolution of the novel is hilariously implausible, but second-guessing authorial choices is what we do in book groups, and it's part of the fun. Ginder might have ended by sending all of his characters into outer space, and I'd still be recommending this novel. - - - Susan Coll's sixth novel, "Bookish People," is forthcoming this summer. When John Douglas Thompson let it be known he wanted to play Shylock, one of the most provocative starring roles in Shakespeare, that was all Arin Arbus needed to hear. Having directed Thompson in "Othello" and "Macbeth," among other plays, Arbus counted the actor as a cherished fellow traveler. Now, she would be joining him in the most daring project yet in their stage collaborations. That Thompson is Black and Shylock is Jewish adds rarely explored dimensions to "The Merchant of Venice," which began its run at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., on March 22. The casting underlines an intriguing development that - intensified by the Black Lives Matter movement - has propelled American theaters into new investigations of racial and ethnic identity. Some of the most trenchant of these efforts, in fact, are occurring at the intersection of race and Judaism. "I could clearly imagine John embodying the journey that character goes through, and so it was a very exciting idea to me," Arbus said in an interview, adding that the challenge both thrilled and terrified her. "We went on a journey of exploration to try and figure out how to cast the rest of the play. And, you know, to explore what this play means to us now, with John in that role." That process is reflected in an array of innovative ventures tied to the portrayal of Jews in modern life, and in drama. And, more specifically, to an effort to enlighten theatergoers about the range of people across racial lines who call themselves Jewish. At Washington's Theater J, for instance, artistic director Adam Immerwahr recently launched Expanding the Canon, a program awarding $10,000 commissions plus $5,000 production grants to seven playwrights across North America who identify as Jews of color. That category includes multiethnic and multiracial Jews, as well as Mizrahi Jews from North Africa and western and central Asia. In an entirely unscientific indication of how rich this line of inquiry is, Theater J, one of the nation's leading Jewish theaters, has already received 70 submissions for the project. Showcasing a Black Shylock and recruiting Jewish dramatists of color reveal the degree to which theaters see themselves as opening vistas of understanding - particularly vital at a time when hate crimes in this country are on the rise. "In the last few years, with the racial reckoning in this country, we've been thinking about what Theater J's obligations are to telling the accurate story of the multiethnic, multiracial tapestry of Judaism," Immerwahr said. "There are just not enough plays that are by and about the experience of racially and ethnically diverse Jews," he added. "And I use that phrase specifically because when we talk about this group, we're talking about Jews of color, who are also left out of what we call the 'Ashke-normativity' of Jewish culture." (Ashke-normativity refers to the conventional centering of Eastern European-rooted, Ashkenazi Jewry as the mainstream of Jewish identity.) Examining Jewishness has been a vital preoccupation of American theater for generations, from the early-20th-century traditions of Yiddish theater to "The Diary of Anne Frank," to "Fiddler on the Roof," to Joshua Harmon's irreverently hip 2010s comedy "Bad Jews." What feels ever more current are the new ways in which Jewish playwrights and performers are introducing a broader range of cultural experiences into the contemporary conversation. For instance, in Alex Edelman's sublime solo show "Just for Us" - a sold-out smash at off-Broadway's SoHo Playhouse - he hilariously illuminates the complex role Jews continue to occupy in America's polarized society. The New York-based comedian recounts in "Just for Us" his infiltration of a meeting of white nationalists in an apartment in Queens. They are only too happy to welcome him into the fold - until he admits the little wrinkle of his actual ethnicity. In a room rife with anti-Semitic invective, he is now pegged as an undesirable, someone not categorically White, which is news, sort of, to him. The "Just for Us" of the title therefore poses an existential challenge: Who exactly, Edelman seems to be asking, is this "us"? "The show is not a think piece or anything," Edelman said late one winter afternoon, sitting in a small West Village park in the drizzly cold. "The show is not about 'if Jews are White.' Personally, I think it's about a gray area, where Jews are classically 'other,' in a way that this binary doesn't serve." The preoccupations of "Just for Us," directed by Adam Brace, cover Edelman's childhood in an upper-middle-class Boston suburb, in a modern Orthodox home. He attended a formal Jewish day school, complete with Talmudic study. But Boston is not a shtetl, and the gentile world loomed large: Edelman provides an uproarious account of a holiday season when his mother, seeking to console a Christian friend who had lost several family members, staged a traditional Christmas dinner for her - to Edelman's father's utter outrage. (A funny payoff is the way his dad, a Harvard Medical School professor, eventually softened.) "My comedy is very much informed by my Talmudic upbringing," Edelman said. "My comedy is all about the gray space between the traditions and modernity." Efforts such as Theater J's Expanding the Canon attempt to further enlarge the understanding of the diaspora. "We're excited that the narrative of who expresses themselves as a Jew is expanding in the United States. It's not changing, it's expanding," said Ilana Kaufman, executive director of the Jews of Color Initiative, an organization that supports research and issues grants with the aim of building "a truly multiracial, anti-racist Jewish community." "The more we can do across the diversity of Jews," Kaufman said, "the more integrated is our identity as a Jewish community." Immerwahr consulted with the initiative and obtained funding from the Covenant Foundation, a group that advances Jewish education, for its one-of-a-kind Jews of color playwriting program. The commissions will begin later this year with a beit midrash, or study period, for the writers, spearheaded by Sabrina Sojourner - herself a Jew of color who serves as a Rockville, Md.-based community chaplain promoting diversity and inclusion among Jews. "At the beginning, we're going to say we want to introduce you to the true landscape of Jewishness," Immerwahr said, discussing the orientation for the playwrights. "We imagine some of them will come from very educated religious backgrounds, and some of them might have more tenuous connections to their Jewishness. So this is giving them some of the areas they could explore in their plays. And then gradually as they start to discover what they want to write about, we'll give them the resources to follow their own individual paths." The hope, Immerwahr added, "is that many of these plays will end up in subsequent seasons on both our stage and also other stages around the country and the world." In this regard, Theater J, an arm of the Edlavitch D.C. Jewish Community Center, becomes a conduit both for new avenues for thinking about Jewish identity and how audiences digest them. "The power of this project," said Dava Schub, the DCJCC's chief executive, "is not just in the ability to center stories of Jews of color on the stage, but also to shine a light on new storytellers and say, 'It's not just about the story, it's also about the storyteller.' " The myriad paths these storytellers might take are foreshadowed in Arbus and Thompson's choice to investigate Shylock as a Black man. Arbus noted that it is not pure imagination to think of Shylock as a man of color. In fact, she said, the well-known Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro told her that "most of the Jews in England in Shakespeare's time would have come from North Africa." For Thompson, the role of outsider did not seem so elusive. "I look at Shylock as a proxy for the other," he said. "I don't think Shakespeare knew a lot about Jewish people, but he was a humanist. He knew how to write the shape of a human being and give them a life." It is that aspect of a classic Jewish character that beguiled the actor - a quality that ultimately transcends race and ethnicity. "The individual life is made significant just by the struggle," Thompson said. "That's it, that's what I'm after. It's the struggle." - - - "The Merchant of Venice" Through April 24 at Michael R. Klein Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW., Washington, D.C. shakespearetheatre.org. "Just for Us" Through April 30 at SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St., New York. The show will move and continue its run, June 13-July 23, at Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow St., New York. justforusshow.com. Click here to read the full article. UPDATE (4/6/2022): Hours after the Arizona Mirror revealed Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) was listed as a featured guest for a white nationalist organization event in Tempe, Arizona scheduled for April 20 which also happens to be Adolf Hitlers birthday a spokesman for the Arizona congressman told the publication that Gosar will not be in attendance. According to Gosar campaign consultant Rory McShane, the congressman is booked for a farm tour on the day of the event. McShane also told the Arizona Mirror that American Populist Union never contacted Gosar, his staff or his campaign. Gosar, however, still appeared on the EventBrite listing for the gathering after the farm tour announcement. *** Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has been tapped as a special guest for an event thrown by a white nationalist organization, which is taking place on none other than Adolf Hitlers birthday, April 20, in Tempe, Arizona, Arizona Mirror reports. Unlike an ice cream social, the American Populist Union Social presents a different kind of brain freeze: a place where fellow racist humans can indulge in soft pretzels served with house-made cheese, potato tacos and chefs choice pizza for $45-59.99 tickets, according to the events EventBrite listing, while they take in the likely conspiracy theories and Nazi-adjacent vibes provided by Gosar and fellow speaker John Doyle, a YouTube personality and far-right advocate. Attendees can revel in Gosars hot takes, which have included hanging with a Nazi-praising blogger and hobnobbing with other white supremacists he has spoken at conferences supported by white nationalist Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, as CNN notes. Sen. Mitt Romney and Rep. Liz Cheney criticized Gosar for his recent video appearance at the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC), also attended by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Last November, Gosar shared an anime video of himself and other extremist lawmakers violently thwarting President Bidens immigration agenda. It also features a quick clip of Gosar killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) with a sword. The Arizona congressman has also flip-flopped on water fluoridation one of the conspiracy theories he himself peddled. Gosars fellow Social event speaker looks to bring the same kind of depraved party tricks to the table. Last year, Doyle teamed up with Fuentes to organize a Stop the Steal rally in Michigan. The YouTubers show, Heck Off Commie, touts far-right ideology, often claiming liberalism is linked to satanism and, no surprise, hes also a raging misogynist, unironically claiming women should not be allowed to vote. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A lawyer for Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb urged the state Supreme Court on Thursday to decide the constitutionality of increased power state legislators gave themselves to intervene during public health emergencies, arguing that the states residents could face great uncertainty in a time of distress. The states highest court heard arguments in the lawsuit that Holcomb filed last year against the Republican-dominated Legislature over a law giving legislative leaders authority to call the General Assembly into what it calls an emergency session when the governor has declared a statewide emergency. The Republican governor contends that violates a state constitutional provision that says only the governor can call the Legislature back following its annual sessions that begin in early January and adjourn by the end of April.. Richard Blaiklock, one of the private lawyers representing Holcomb, asked the justices to reject arguments from the state attorney generals office that the governor doesnt have the right to challenge the law in court. Blaiklock said the court shouldnt leave hanging a potential legal dispute over whether differing actions by the governor or Legislature would prevail during a future emergency. We are talking about public health and safety, Blaiklock said. A Marion County judge upheld the law in October, ruling that the constitution gives the General Assembly the authority to determine when and for how long it will meet. State Solicitor General Tom Fisher, who represented the Legislature, argued the law does not limit the governors authority to call a special session and that since the new law hasnt been used the Supreme Court has nothing to decide. There is an abstract question about the constitutionality, Fisher said. Thats not the role of courts to decide abstract questions, its to resolve real legal disputes. The Supreme Court has no deadline in releasing a decision on the case. Legislators advanced the law last year following criticism from conservatives over the statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions that Holcomb imposed by executive order. Holcomb ended the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency declaration early last month nearly two years after he first issued it once lawmakers approved administrative steps protecting enhanced federal funding for Medicaid and food assistance. Holcomb had ended any statewide mask mandates or business restrictions in spring 2021. Republican legislative leaders have maintained that the emergency session measure wasnt anti-governor and praised Holcombs handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which health officials say has killed some 23,000 people in the state since March 2020. The Supreme Court justices questioned the attorneys on Thursday about their interpretations of the state constitution language stating The length and frequency of the sessions of the General Assembly shall be fixed by law and whether that authority could be delegated to legislative leaders for the calling of meetings to debate and adopt laws at their discretion. Blaiklock argued that legislators chose not to specifically give the General Assembly the power to call itself into special session when drafting a constitutional amendment approved in a 1970 statewide referendum that allowed the Legislature to have annual sessions rather than every other year. Blaiklock said if lawmakers now want the power to call special sessions, they should pursue a constitutional amendment rather than trying to sidestep the constitution. They knew how to do it in 1967, Blaiklock said. They proposed that language and didnt follow it. The Legislature has the existing authority to terminate emergency orders issued by the governor with a simple majority vote. Numerous Republican lawmakers sponsored such resolutions to end Holcombs COVID-19 orders during the 2021 and 2022 sessions, but legislative leaders didnt advance any of them for votes. Fisher, a top deputy to Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita, said legislators should have the authority to debate what actions the state government should take during extended emergencies. The idea that somehow there is a special offense to the order of the state of Indiana because the Legislature would meet in July, rather than in January, I dont understand that, Fisher said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Google Maps/Street View Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps/Street View Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Shots fired in south Laredo on Wednesday afternoon led to a crash between two vehicles, authorities said. An initial report of shots fired was reported at about 5:30 p.m. by U.S. 83 and Pine Street. The person whose car was shot at was traveling southbound on U.S. 83 and went into the northbound lanes of U.S. 83 before crashing with another vehicle, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RABAT, Morocco (AP) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez traveled to Rabat on Thursday to meet with Moroccan King Mohammed VI seeking to mark the end of diplomatic tensions centered on Moroccos disputed region of Western Sahara. Today is an important day for Spain and Morocco because we initiate a new phase of bilateral relations, Sanchez said after meeting with the King before they shared, along with family members, the Iftar meal to break the days fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Relations between the two countries separated by the Strait of Gibraltar were severely frayed last April. Morocco was angered by Spain allowing the leader of the pro-independence movement for Western Sahara to receive medical treatment for COVID-19 at a Spanish hospital on request by Morocco's neighbor Algeria, an ally of pro-independence Sahrawis. Morocco responded by loosening its border controls around Spains North Africa enclave of Ceuta, provoking the unauthorized crossing of thousands of young Moroccans and migrants from other African countries. The mood did not improve until last month, when Sanchez took the surprising decision that angered many of his political allies back home to alter Spains long-standing position on Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony thats largely barren but rich in phosphates and faces fertile fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean. Morocco annexed it in 1976. In a letter to King Mohammed, Sanchez backed Moroccos plan to give more autonomy to Western Sahara as long as it remains unquestionably under Moroccan grip. Morocco, in turn, sent back its ambassador to Spain 10 months after she was recalled. After their meeting on Thursday, King Mohammeds Royal Office issued a statement saying Sanchez reaffirmed the position of Spain on the Sahara issue, considering the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute. The Royal Office added that the leaders agreed in particular to implement concrete actions in the framework of a roadmap covering all areas of the partnership, integrating all issues of common interest. Facing immense political pressure back in Spain for the policy change regarding Western Sahara, Sanchez needed to show some real gains from the meeting. He emerged with a commitment by Morocco to progressively reopen the frontiers with Ceuta and its sister enclave, Melilla, which had been closed since the start of the pandemic starting at a date to be determined. Maritime traffic of ferries that carry hundreds of thousands of travelers from Europe to visit family in Northern Africa at holidays will also be reinitiated, Sanchez said. The Spanish leader said that both governments agreed to hold another meeting of high-level officials before the end of the year. Morocco has grown in strategic importance to Spain over the past decade. Rabat is considered critical both in the fight against radical jihadi groups as well as in holding back increasing numbers of African migrants who want to reach Europe as they flee violence and poverty. Sanchez and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Albares have insisted that Spain continues to support the resolution of the Western Sahara question via a United Nations-backed referendum. But the drive to appease Morocco has earned Sanchez sharp criticism both in Madrid and in Algiers. His Socialist Party on Thursday lost a parliamentary motion backed by all the other parties, including the junior member in the government coalition, condemning the tilt toward Rabat. Its political opponents accuse Sanchez of having betrayed the Sahrawi people while getting nothing tangible in return from Morocco. Morocco has achieved one of its permanent demands in foreign policy, but I don't think my country has received anything in exchange," said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the conservative leader of the main opposition party, after meeting with the primer minister ahead of the trip to Rabat and calling the government's move inadmissible and a U-turn on 40 years of diplomacy. Potentially even more problematic for Sanchez is the damage to relations with Algeria, which has recalled its ambassador to Spain in a sign of its continued support for the Western Sahara independence movement. Spain, while having a relatively low dependence on fossil fuel imports compared to other European Union countries, receives natural gas from Algeria via a pipeline and tankers carrying liquified natural gas. Laurence Thieux, professor of Islamic Studies at the Autonomous University of Madrid, said that she was surprised by the scant consideration of Algeria in the decision by Spain to tilt toward Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute. I have the feeling that Spains government, like many other European governments, is managing crises that force them to take short-term decisions, Thieux said. From the other shore (of the Mediterranean) there is a different sense of time because they are authoritarian governments that have perspectives that stretch beyond the next election. ___ Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian troops retreating from this northern Ukrainian city left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid images that added fuel to Kyiv's calls Thursday for more Western help to halt Moscow's next offensive. Dozens of people lined up to receive bread, diapers and medicine from vans parked outside a shattered school now serving as an aid-distribution point in Chernihiv, which Russian forces besieged for weeks as part of their attempt to sweep south towards the capital before retreating. The city's streets are lined with shelled homes and apartment buildings with missing roofs or walls. A chalk message on the blackboard in one classroom still reads: Wednesday the 23rd of February class work. Russia invaded the next day, launching a war that has forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee the country, displaced millions more within it and sent shock waves through Europe and beyond. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Thursday that despite a recent Russian pullback, the country remains vulnerable, and he pleaded for weapons from NATO to face down the coming offensive in the east. Nations from the alliance agreed to increase their supply of arms, spurred on by reports that Russian forces committed atrocities in areas surrounding the capital. Western allies also ramped up financial penalties aimed at Moscow, including a ban by the European Union on Russian coal imports and a U.S. move to suspend normal trade relations with Russia. Kuleba encouraged Western countries to continue bearing down on Russia, suggesting that any letup will result in more suffering for Ukrainians. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions?" Kuleba asked reporters, referring to a town near Kyiv where Associated Press journalists counted dozens of bodies, some burned, others apparently shot at close range or with their hands bound. "How many children, women, men, have to die innocent lives have to be lost for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital city. Volunteers have spent days collecting the corpses, and more were picked up Thursday in Bucha. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Most victims died from gunshots, not from shelling, he said, and corpses with their hands tied were dumped like firewood into recently discovered mass graves, including one at a childrens camp. The mayor said the count of dead civilians stood at 320 as of Wednesday, but he expected the number to rise as more bodies are found in his city, which once had a population of 50,000. Only 3,700 now remain, he said. In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the horrors of Bucha could just be the beginning. In the northern city of Borodianka, just 30 kilometers northwest of Bucha, Zelenskyy warned of even more casualties, saying there it is much scarier. The world should brace itself, he said, for what might soon be found in the seaport city of Mariupol, saying that on on every street is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the departure of the Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same terrible crimes. He pledged that an international war crimes investigation already underway will identify each of the executioners and all those who committed rape or looting. Ukrainian and several Western leaders have blamed the massacres on Moscow's troops, and the weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that Germany's foreign intelligence agency had intercepted radio messages between Russian soldiers discussing the killings of civilians. Russia has falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged. Kuleba became emotional while referring to the horrors in the town, telling reporters that they couldnt understand how it feels after seeing pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. His comments came in response to a reporter's question about a video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting a captured and wounded Russian soldier. He said he had not seen the video and that it would be investigated. He acknowledged that there could be isolated incidents of violations. The footage has not been independently verified by the AP. In the 6-week-old war, Russian forces failed to take Ukraine's capital quickly, denying what Western countries said was Russian leader Vladimir Putin's initial aim of ousting the Ukrainian government. In the wake of that setback and heavy losses, Russia shifted its focus to the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region in eastern Ukraine where Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years. The United Nations' humanitarian chief told the AP on Thursday that he's not optimistic about securing a cease-fire after meeting with officials in Kyiv and in Moscow this week, underlining the lack of trust the two sides have for one another. He spoke hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of backtracking on proposals it had made over Crimea and Ukraines military status. It's not clear how long it will take withdrawing Russian forces to redeploy, and Ukrainian officials have urged people in the country's east to leave before the fighting intensifies there. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish civilian evacuation routes Thursday from several areas in the Donbas. Even as Ukraine braced for a new phase of the war, Russias withdrawal brought some relief to Chernihiv, which lies near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus and was cut off for weeks. Vladimir Tarasovets described nights during the siege when he watched the city on fire and listened to the sound of shelling. It was very hard, very hard. Every evening there were fires, it was scary to look at the city. In the evening, when it was dark, there was no light, no water, no gas, no amenities at all, he said. "How did we go through it? I have no words to describe how we managed. In addition to spurring NATO countries to send more arms, the revelations about possible war crimes led Western nations to step up sanctions, and the Group of Seven major world powers warned that they will continue strengthening the measures until Russian troops leave Ukraine. The U.S. Congress voted Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, while the European Union approved punishing new steps, including the embargo on coal imports. The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, voted to suspend Russia from the world organizations leading human rights body. U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.N. vote demonstrated how Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. He called the images coming from Bucha horrifying. The signs of people being raped, tortured, executed in some cases having their bodies desecrated are an outrage to our common humanity, Biden said. The U.S. State Department said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corp., Russia's largest military shipbuilder, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The move blocks their access to American financial systems. The department also said it would levy sanctions against the world's largest diamond mining company, Russia-backed Alrosa. ___ Schreck reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) A proposed pipeline to deliver natural gas from deposits in the east Mediterranean to European markets is too expensive, not economically viable and will take too long to help countries seeking alternatives to Russian gas any time soon, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday. U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said after talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades that countries in the region have understood that dependence on Russian oil and gas is an extremely bad bet following its invasion of Ukraine. But she said the proposed East Med pipeline project wouldnt be able to immediately deliver the gas Europe now needs to swiftly wean itself of Russian energy because it would run in very deep water and construction would take more than a decade. And frankly, we dont have 10 years, but in 10 years from now, we want to be far, far more green and far more diverse in energy sources, Nuland said. So what were looking for within the hydrocarbon context are options that can get us more gas, more oil for this short transition period. The idea for the 1,900-kilometer (1,300-mile), $6 billion pipeline to send natural gas which is used to heat homes, generate electricity and keep industry churning from recently discovered deposits off Israel and Cyprus was spawned several years ago between European Union members Greece and Cyprus, whose leaders signed a deal in 2020 to proceed with its planning. Nulands remarks appear to effectively shelve the project. Nuland said the U.S. and regional partners including Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey are looking for alternative ways to get gas to markets. One project that has U.S. backing is an electric cable linking Israel and Cyprus to the European continent. Cyprus Energy Minister Natasa Pilides told The Associated Press last October that transferring gas by pipeline to Egyptian processing plants where it would be liquefied for export aboard ships is the most likely option to quickly get gas to mainland Europe. The head of ExxonMobils Cyprus arm, Varnavas Theodossiou, told the AP in February that natural gas will remain an important energy source through 2050 and quantities found off Cyprus could reach markets through a pipeline or by liquefying it for transport by ship. ExxonMobil and partner Qatar Petroleum are licensed to carry out exploratory drilling in two of 13 areas known as blocks inside Cyprus' exclusive economic zone off the island nations southern coastline. ExxonMobil has discovered one deposit estimated to contain 5-8 trillion cubic feet of gas. A consortium made up of France's TotalEnergies and Italys Eni have been granted exploration licenses for seven blocks and have made one significant discovery. Chevron and partner Shell are licensed for one block, where a confirmed well is estimated to hold 4.1 trillion cubic feet of gas. To finalize its presidential search, Laredo College is hosting a three-day open forum this week with the trio of finalists for the position, in which they answer general and audience questions by community members. This would be Laredo College's eighth president and the first woman in said position, as three female finalists were announced two weeks ago. In the third day of the forums, Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus addressed the community's questions. As the Executive Vice President of Student Success in Milwaukee Area Technical College, Gonzalez-De Jesus oversees the vice president, enrollment management; the vice president, learning; the vice president, retention, and completion; the executive directors of the regional campuses; the ombudsperson; the director, Workforce Solutions; and the student Title IX coordinator. She is also a former Public Diplomacy Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, where she expanded partnerships between higher education institutions in the U.S. and Argentina. In her introduction Gonzalez-De Jesus shared more of her personal life, confiding in the audience that she grew up in poverty. She stated that the experience helped her understand the situation that many college students go through today. I am the first one in my household to go to college, and also I lived in what many of us know as living in poverty," she said. "There were times in which we didnt know if we were going to have a roof over our heads. I had to work two to three part-time jobs so that I could continue to help my family and while also attending college as a full-time student. "I think its important for you to understand that I do know what some of your students might go through. Gonzalez-De Jesus shared her reasoning behind applying to the presidential position, saying her decision was taken because she believes in the power education has to transform lives. I am a testimony of what education can do to transform someones life, she said. I believe that as the president, I would have an opportunity to share my experiences with students. ... I also believe that education is the greatest equalizer in our society. In order for us to continue to expand, to continue to excel, to continue to be the No. 1 (community college) in the state of Texas, there are specific standards of excellence that we need to achieve. What attracted me to Laredo College was, first and foremost, the diversity of the students that we serve and the city. I dont apply to a college just to apply. Im very particular with where I apply, and thats the reason why Im here. Gonzalez-De Jesus emphasized her belief that in order to apply to any job, it is important to understand the population the employees will serve, the people working at the organization and, in this case, understand the colleges history, climate and culture. She stated that during her first interview at Laredo College, she simply felt great, and although believing it was too good to be true, she was happily impressed to be called back. She also believes that she is prepared, more than ready and a seasoned person with her career, which makes her a great fit for the position. I believe this is a great match with my fit, and what Im looking for in an organization," she said. "You guys rock. Laredo College rocks. You are No. 1 in the state for community colleges. Gonzalez-De Jesus demonstrated her knowledge about Laredo College, assuring she has studied a lot of colleges and schools around the nation including their climates and their cultures, and she said that none compare to Laredo College, with that being the reason she wishes to fill the next presidential position. I like you, and Im looking forward to the dating to continue, she said between laughs. When asked how to improve enrollment, Gonzalez-De Jesus answered the most important thing is to bring people back to campus. We need to be here we need to bring a sense of normalcy, she said, adding that to improve enrollment, everyone must become ambassadors of the college. "Anytime, anywhere, anyone can act as a representative of Laredo College and recruit possible students at the college. We will continue to increase our enrollment. Im positive about that. Gonzalez-De Jesus switched things up and asked students in the audience how to bring them back to campus. One Laredo College student suggested more student events, to which Gonzalez-De Jesus opened up the topic of bringing back student life. She said it is her job to make sure that student life aligns with the students needs and supports the students mental health with the health of counselors. We can have all the students that we want, but we have to understand that when the students are coming back, the readiness is going to have to be different, she said. Gonzalez-De Jesus posed the realities of many who lost loved ones, jobs or may even be facing homelessness, and the college needs to help students readjust and realign to reality. And for her closing remarks, Gonzalez-De Jesus thanked the community as she shared her excitement for the opportunity to be heard by them. I hope you find in me someone that you can work with, someone who will be able to facilitate and practically work with you in innovative ways to continue to expand the college, she said. It is my hope that if I am selected to come work with all of you, we can continue to build a sense of family and community for our students in the community that we have internally as well the communities that were serving externally. Moderated by Laredo College Program Director of Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership Dr. Marissa Guerrero, this was the last forum of the presidential search for Laredo College. Deliberations will take place at a special meeting called for Thursday April 7, where board members will have further discussions in a closed session. Upgrade to New Zealand's FTA with China further boosts economic recovery: minister Xinhua) 13:11, April 07, 2022 WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Upgrade to New Zealand's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China entered into force on Thursday, further accelerating New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19, said a New Zealand senior trade official. "China continues to be an important market for New Zealand, with goods and services exports reaching 21.5 billion NZ dollars (14.83 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021," Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O'Connor said in a statement. This Upgrade is very good news for New Zealand's forestry sector, which exported 4 billion NZ dollars (2.76 billion U.S. dollars) of product to China last year, he said. The elimination of tariffs on an additional 12 wood and paper products means 99 percent of wood and paper trade to China will be tariff-free, removing an additional 1.5 million NZ dollars (1.03 million U.S. dollars) in tariffs, on top of those already delivered through the 2008 FTA, O'Connor said. "Customs red tape will also be cut, with the introduction of a faster six-hour clearance time for perishable goods, which will hugely benefit businesses such as our seafood exporters," he said. New Zealand's service exporters will benefit from improved access to China's services market, including environmental services, airport and ground handling services, as well as commitments to deliver New Zealand any future improvements in key services sectors including education, said the minister. "The upgrade also modernizes other key aspects of the original agreement including in the areas of e-commerce, government procurement, environment and trade, and competition," he said. In addition to the upgrade, as of Jan. 1, 2022, most dairy products exported to China are entitled to duty-free access, immediately saving businesses 200 million NZ dollars (138 million U.S. dollars) in tariffs. Remaining costs will be removed in 2024, O'Connor said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) Bloomberg photo by Logan Cyrus. Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance fell last week by more than forecast, showing that employers are retaining workers in an increasingly tight labor market. Initial unemployment claims decreased by 5,000 to 166,000 in the week ended April 2, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The level matched the lowest in 54 years. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 200,000 initial applications. The government's report included annual revisions dating back to 2017. A north Longford haulier has told of the shocking scenes he witnessed while delivering a truck load of medical supplies to war torn Ukraine last week. Norman Hall is currently en route back to Augnacliffe following a week long trek across Europe as the world continues to rally around the beleagured eastern European state. The 44-year-old businessman said the images he encountered would live long in the memory. Its serious stuff, he said. What people see on the television isnt nearly a quarter of what is going on. You couldnt show half of the stuff as its that shocking. Those insights come amid calls this week for Russia and its president Vladimir Putin to be held accountable for alleged war crimes. Shocking footage, pictures and reports have emerged of civilians, some with their hands tied behind their backs, with signs of torture and having been shot in the head, as well as mass graves being discovered. A regular participant in raising money for local charities, Norman said he didnt flinch at the chance to get behind an ever increasing humanitarian effort that has gripped the hearts and minds of much of the watching world I would always be doing stuff for charity and I remember looking at the television one night and I saw how these people were in need and I just put my hand up to go, he recalled. Accompanied in convoy by Ballygar man Gearoid Kelly, a large chunk of the supplies collected by Norman were donated from Mullingars Midland Regional Hospital with the local hauliers truck also carrying a large consignment of beds. In a further revelation, Norman revealed how he and his Galwegian companion were among a chosen few to step foot in a country which is still feeling the effects of close to six weeks of incessant warfare. I arrived last Friday and we were the only two hauliers to go across the border into Ukraine, he said, adding the pair eventually ended their gruelling 2,000 mile expedition by arriving in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. I am surely wrecked, said Norman, as he reflected on spending the past week in the cab of his 40ft artic lorry. The most I would usually be staying away would be one or two nights and I am in this over a week now. I suppose though its one of the things you will never get the chance to see or do again. It has only been a year since Ballymahon author Adrian Duncan released his last book, Midfield Dynamo. A year previous, he released A Sabbatical in Leipzig and a year before that, his debut novel, Love Notes from a German Building Site, which won the inaugural John McGahern Annual Book Prize was released. This month, the Berlin-based author has released The Geometer Lobachevsky with Liliputt Press, marking his fourth book in the space of just four years. One could be forgiven for thinking the Ballymahon man is a writing machine, churning out publication after publication but a conversation with Adrian proves theres more to it than that. The thing is, the first book took five years to write, he told the Longford Leader this week. And I started writing 12 years ago, so its really four books in 12 years. Its just because Love Notes took five years and, once that was accepted, it was as if LiliputtPress had just lifted a giant concrete helmet off my head. Out came Sabbatical in Leipzig. I love that book. Most people dont really like it because its a little bit difficult to read, but I love that book. Im really proud of it. Then the short stories came out the year after. But Ive been working on those since 2008 so they were there already. Adrian can often find himself working on a number of different books at the same time, taking one as far as he can before needing a break. But, while taking a break from the first book, hell begin another, working on that for a month before moving on to another book or short story. And then before I know it, Im away from the first book for three months so I hop back onto that, he explained. I think I can do that because when I was an engineer, I would have two or three buildings in my head and that was just normal and it wasnt difficult to keep them there, even though they were changing as they went. Thats just how I work. The Geometer Lobachevsky tells the story of Nikolai Lobachevsky, mathematician, surveyor and great-grandson of his illustrious namesake. Back in the 19th century in the 1840s, there was a very, very famous mathematician called Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky and he made a discovery about geometry and curves, Adrian explained. And hes considered a genius of geometry. So hes a real person. And the Lobachevsky in my book is a great grandson of his. I have no idea if such a person existed - hes a fiction as far as Im concerned. The idea for the book came from Adrians interest in the very early stages of Bord na Mona and his research of CS Andrews who travelled to Russia and Germany to find out how to drain the bogs. When I came across this book by CS Andrews called Man of No Property, he talks in detail of his time as the CEO of Bord na Mona and I just thought it was amazing - an Irish man going over in 1935 to Soviet Russia to learn how to drain the bogs, said Adrian. And I just loved these scenes where he was describing the men going out with Russian technicians onto these big Russian bogs and learning do it. And then they brought the technology back to Ireland. So the book starts in 1950 and theres a man doing a survey who met a Russian guy called Lobachevsky when he was over looking at the bogs and they stayed in touch. And now he needs help with his survey and thats why that Lobachevsky guy is over on a state visit, helping to survey a difficult piece of land in Ireland. Lobachevsky is soon summoned by a telegram back to Leningrad for a special appointment and instead goes into hiding on a small island in the Shannon Estuary. What is most fascinating about Adrians writing is his ability to a story from the technical skills he has used as an engineer. When I was an engineer, my daily language wouldve been a branch of mathematics and a branch of geometry. I can see it all very clearly, he said. But what I dont want to do is be too literal. So I try to use the natural landscape of the island and the estuary and the movement of water and this kind of stuff also as ways to talk about geometry and show it in the readers mind without being too literal. Its also utterly addictive and kind of amazing. Youre just making worlds out of words. Youre not doing anyone any harm and nobody even has to read it. But Im addicted to that. The Geometer Lobachevsky is available via www.liliputtpress.ie. The BBC is to hand over broadcasted and unbroadcasted material from a documentary series about Northern Irelands Troubles to the police as part of investigations into terrorist activity, a judge has said. An order was made at Belfast Crown Court following agreement between the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and BBC on material in the Spotlight On The Troubles: A Secret History series, which was first broadcast in 2019. The material includes interviews with Patrick Ryan, a Catholic priest, who told the programme he had maintained a network of Europe-wide contacts used to generate arms and money for the IRA. It also features interviews with convicted killer Laurence Maguire about his involvement with the Mid Ulster UVF. A PSNI lawyer told the court there are reasonable grounds to believe the material is likely to be of use to terrorist investigations. Judge Neil Rafferty praised counsel for both the BBC and the PSNI for reaching accommodation on what material should be handed over in what he said has been a long-running case. He said: I remind myself of my obligations under the Terrorism Act. The following conditions must be satisfied That the order is sought for the purposes of a terrorist investigation. Having read and considered the papers and evidence, I am satisfied that it is for the purpose of a terrorist investigation. That there are reasonable grounds for believing the material is likely to be of substantial value to a terrorist investigation. I am satisfied there is reasonable belief that it would be of substantial value in the investigation. Lastly is the public interest test. It is a balancing act to be carried out in difficult circumstances often. There is a need to protect the public from terrorist activity. The Article 10 rights of free and investigative journalism are significantly to be respected. In a world of fake news, false allegations and the restrictions on certain media outlets worldwide, we welcome living in a free state protected by those who can point out things that sometimes are not convenient to be pointed out. In respect to material that is identified to me, I am satisfied that, given the nature of the material and the spirit in which the order has been drawn up, I am satisfied the public interest is in favour of granting an order in the following terms. The judge continued: Within 21 days the BBC shall produce the following material to the PSNI, insofar as they are held by the BBC arising out of episodes three, six and eight of the BBCs Spotlight On The Troubles: A Secret History, first broadcast in 2019. All broadcast and unbroadcast recordings of interviews of Patrick Ryan, insofar as those interviews relate to his involvement of suspect acts of IRA terrorism. All broadcast and unbroadcast recordings of interviews of Laurence Maguire insofar as those interviews relate to his involvement in suspected acts of terrorism in connection with Mid Ulster UVF. Any right of reply letters sent to Alan Oliver in advance of the sixth programme of the series. These materials are only to be used for the purposes of a terrorist investigation and any subsequent prosecution and are to be retained by the PSNI. The Tanaiste has said full details of a new university role created for Dr Tony Holohan should have been made public earlier. Taking questions in the Dail on Thursday, Leo Varadkar indicated that greater transparency over the appointment would have been preferable. Questions, including why the Department of Health is funding the secondment for Dr Holohan at Trinity College Dublin and who approved it, have dogged the Government in recent days. The chief medical officers new role is an open-ended secondment, Mr Varadkar said. Leo Varadkar called Dr Holohan an excellent public servant It would have been far preferable if the full details around the secondment had been put in the public domain at the outset and I think that should have been done. I know Minister McGrath, the minister for public expenditure, is not satisfied with how this has been done and he is engaging with the Department of Health on that at the moment. The Tanaiste said that he was not casting aspersions on Dr Holohan or on Trinity College Dublin He called Dr Holohan an excellent public servant. Earlier, the top health official said he does not intend to return to the role of chief medical officer. In an opening statement sent to the Oireachtas Health Committee, he said he wanted to address some of the controversy over his appointment as professor of public health strategy and leadership at the university. In the statement, seen by the PA news agency, Dr Holohan said he wished to clarify matters. He wrote: The Department of Health is committed to the development of public health capacity for the future. While Ireland has fared well in many aspects of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is room for development of our capacity in this regard. The third-level sector will play a key role in providing thought leadership, critical analysis, research as well as the development of knowledge and skills to better support public health leadership, policy making and public health practice. It is to further this potential that I am taking up the professorship of public health strategy & leadership in Trinity College Dublin. Specifically, the department intends me to lead the development and activities of inter-institutional collaboration between universities and the health sector and to develop stronger links with the WHO (World Health Organisation) and agencies of the EU. Dr Holohan said he has agreed to relinquish his role as chief medical officer. It is not my intention to return to this role at any point in the future, he said. It is important that my successor feels fully empowered and enabled to undertake the role as they see fit. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had no hand, act or part in the appointment of Dr Holohan to the new teaching role. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has also faced questions about his exact role in the approval of the secondment. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. (Alliance News) - The UK will become a "wholly owned subsidiary" of China if businesses like Newport Wafer Fab are sold to companies linked with the Chinese government, UK government ministers have heard. UK House of Lords member David Alton of Liverpool called on ministers to reveal whether the government had any contracts with Newport Wafer Fab, which manufacturers microchips, and whether the government would become "customers of the People's Republic of China" if the deal goes ahead. Nexperia, which intends to buy the semiconductor factory in Newport, South Wales, is owned by Wingtech Technology Co Ltd, a firm listed in Shanghai and believed to be backed by the Chinese Communist Party. Alton told peers the factory was "the UK's biggest producer of microchips and semiconductors". He said: "It is about national resilience and it is about whether or not we wish to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the People's Republic of China which has been accused of genocide by Elizabeth Truss, our Foreign Secretary. "What can the minister tell us for instance about the value of contracts that his own department (BEIS) has had, that the Ministry of Defence perhaps more particularly has had, with Newport Wafer Fab? "What is the value of those contracts and will they become customers of the People's Republic of China should this deal go ahead?" Business minister David Callanan replied that he could not reveal details of the government's considerations over the sale. But the minister said: "I totally share his frustration about this and totally align with his remarks about the People's Republic of China, the awful human rights abuses that are going on there and particularly the treatment of the Uighur people. There is no difference between us on that. "Unfortunately this is a quasi-judicial decision that will be taken by the Business Secretary under the powers granted to him under the National Security and Investment Act that many of us debated at great length in this House." Liberal Democrat peer David Fox had earlier called on the government to outline its position on the takeover. He told peers: "The minister has said in the past that there are no specialist technologies at Newport Wafer Fab but that ignores the need for capacity, industrial capacity, to build technology." David Fox added: "There is a crippling shortage of microprocessors around the world that is hampering manufacturing. "To combat that the EU and the US have strategies. We seem to be waiting and seeing. So to put this acquisition into context, can the minister tell us when we will have a plan and can the minister undertake not to sell this business, not allow it to be sold, until such a plan is forthcoming?" Minister David Callanan replied that "DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) are working on a semi-conductor strategy which will also be published shortly". By David Lynch, PA Parliamentary Reporter source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Engage XR Holdings PLC shares soared on Thursday after it noted partner VictoryXR Inc will launch 10 "metaversities," funded by Meta Platforms Inc. Shares were trading 56% higher at 15.95 pence each on Thursday in London. "Metaversities" are an immersive learning experience in the digital replicate of a university's campus. Watford, Ireland-based Engage XR has partnered with Davenport, Iowa-based virtual reality educational product developer VictoryXR for the launch of the "metaversities" this autumn in the US. Each campus will be built by VictoryXR on Engage XR's proprietary software platform, it said. The universities will roll out a digital replicate of its campus for students to attend whether they are on campus or learning remotely. The partnership was partially funded by Meta Immersive Learning. It is an arm of Meta that is planning to invest USD150 million to fund immersive experiences that "transform" education. Meta will provide Quest 2 headsets during the project on each campus as well as funding for the digital twin buildout. Engage XR said that the companies are planning to release three additional "metaversities" in May. By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Shares in Countryside Partnerships PLC dropped on Thursday after a profit warning and the results of an operational review which found "execution-related" failures. Shares in the Brentwood, England-based firm were down 12% at 246.00 pence each on Thursday morning in London. The UK housebuilder and urban regeneration firm said that adjusted revenue fell 13% to GBP658.6 million in the six months to March 31, from GBP755.0 million a year before. Adjusted operating profit dropped 42% in the period to GBP45.6 million from GBP78.6 million a year before. Countryside blamed this on an "unusually strong" comparative period with the first half of financial 2021. The results for the comparable period include operating profit of GBP30 million for the sale of 1,000 homes, which had been delayed from the second half of financial 2020 due to Covid-19, it explained. Further, the results from this period were hurt by one-off charges that amounted to GBP10.1 million. As a result, adjusted operating profit for the year ending September 30 is expected to be roughly GBP150 million, down 10% from GBP167 million the year before. Countryside said that it has completed a review of its site operations, in which it identified several areas where it can improve performance. It plans to build a "strong and sustainable" business in the north, as the region has experienced "significant" operational challenges. The company also noted that its expansion into new regions has been "too ambitious." It has already taken action to consolidate regional resources, reduce costs and create a strong platform for growth. "It is now apparent that the group could not manage expansion at this rate, particularly due to the constraints of the supply chain. Management announced a review of the Chilterns region in the autumn and we will now merge this team with the adjacent regional teams to allow us to focus our resources most effectively," Countryside stated. The firm said its issues are "primarily execution-related" and "solvable". The review identified no concerns with Countryside's pipeline of new opportunities. The company emphasised that it has a strong pipeline that should support significant growth in years to come. The housebuilder also said it has signed the UK government's fire-safety pledge. It plans to meet the costs for remediating buildings currently proposed to be remediated through the Building Safety Fund or ACM funds. This currently amounts to GBP24 million. "After conducting a review of all operational sites, management has identified a number of areas where we can raise our game and our team is moving quickly to improve performance. There remains significant market demand for our homes and we did not identify any competitive issues during our review. Large parts of the group continue to perform strongly, building high-quality, affordable homes and developing places people love as a trusted partner of local authorities, registered providers and private rented sector investors," Interim Chief Executive & Chair John Martin said. By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Manchester, VT (05254) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 40F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 40F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. UPDATE: This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. on April 7, 2022 with additional information. CADILLAC Michigan State Police Cadillac Post troopers had been seeking the publics help in finding a runaway teen. According to a Wednesday news release from state police, the 14-year-old Calman Rupert was last seen at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday at his Cadillac home when he voluntarily left his home. Thursday afternoon, a news release stated that Rupert he returned home. The investigation continues concerning his whereabouts during his absence. Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, Roman Abramovich has come to the fore as an unexpected participant in the peace talks between the two parties. Following sanctions imposed by several countries, the Russian tycoon has plenty of places to take refuge both for him and his belongings such as his fleet of jets and helicopters, since there are several countries which function as a tax havens. Just days after war broke out in Ukraine, the United Kingdom imposed exemplary sanctions against Abramovich, whose assets were frozen. Which are Abramovich's assets? His assets include a triple penthouse in a 37-storey Chelsea Waterfront building worth 35 million euros and a six-storey townhouse in Eaton Square that he bought for 33m euros, with the UK government being willing to convert these properties to centres for Ukrainian refugees. However, the relationships that Abramovich has forged all these years have allowed him to avoid United States' sanctions, because they consider his participation in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to be valuable. In March, the Russian businessman managed to move two mega-yachts to Turkey, which has yet to impose sanctions on him. In addition, there are rumours that the Russian tycoon has bought Turkish club Goztepe SK. According to the maritime authorities, one of his yachts, called 'Eclipse', docked in the resort of Marmaris, while 'Solaris' is at the docks of the Turkish city of Bodrum. Abramovich's jets and helicopters Forbes tracked the jets and helicopters owned by the sectioned Russian billionaire and revealed their last recorded locations. Boeing 767-300 - Registered in Aruba. Last recorded location: Saint-Louis, (France) Boeing 787-8: Registered in Aruba. Last location: Dubai Bombardier BD700 - registered in Luxembourg and its last location was in Riga (Latvia) 2 Gulfstream G650 - Registered in Luxembourg and its last location was in Moscow. Airbus EC-145 Helicopter - Registered in the Isle of Mann, last location in Cannes. Airbus EC-145 Helicopter: registered in the Isle of Man, last registered location in Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis) Airbus EC-145 Helicopter - Registered in the Isle of Man, last location in Cannes. Eurocopter EC-155 Helicopter - Registered in the Isle of Man, last location in Cannes. Huge news from Ireland: the technical file for Irish single pot still whiskey is set to be updated to increase the number of grains such as oats, rye, and wheat allowed to move more in line with the traditions and history of the style. A lot of the whiskey you love is protected by a technical file. Its a legal definition and framework that dictates what that whiskey can and cannot be. Back in 2014, The Irish Whiskey technical file was published after six years of discussion among the members of the Irish Spirits Association, and one of the most significant definitions it established was for Irish single pot still whiskey, which stated that it must be made from a mash which contains a minimum of 30% malted barley and a minimum of 30% unmalted barley, with up to 5% of other cereals such as oats, wheat, and/or rye. Proposed updates But weve learned that there is a proposed updated product specification sheet to reflect the historical accuracy of the style, increasing the number of grains other than malted and unmalted barley to 30%. We have been told by the Irish Whiskey Association that there are several proposed amendments to the product specification which have been worked on over many months by the IWAs technical committee, composed of leading experts from across the industry and in consultation with the associations broader membership. Legal advisor Carleen Madigan, speaking on behalf of the association, says that these proposals have been submitted to the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine as well as the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs as the relevant Irish and UK holders of the GI. To learn more I spoke with Madigan as well as Peter Mulryan, co-founder and CEO of Blackwater Distillery, Brendan Carty, founder and master distiller at Killowen Distillery, and Matt Healy, former global export sales manager at Boann Distillery and now senior export sales manager at Clonakilty Distillery. Stirring the pot still Single pot still whiskey is an emotive subject because it is Irelands unique whiskey style, standing out thanks to the use of unmalted barley. This is uncommon in whiskey production outside of Ireland. Theres historical evidence that unmalted barley was in use before tax laws made it appealing, though the introduction of a malt tax in 1785 certainly helped popularise its use as it became a crafty workaround for Irish whiskey makers. Today, its nutty, oily, and spicy profile is singular and now much prized. The category in the modern era has been defined by products such as Redbreast and Green Spot, with pot still also making up the blend for Jameson. As Irish Distillers were the only producers of the style, when the time for a historical definition arose, the document reflected the whiskey made at Midleton. Representatives from Bushmills, Tullamore DEW, Cooley Distillery, and Irish Distillers all approved the final document, but the landscape has changed considerably since then with a score of distilleries emerging in the last decade or so. In the new era, many found this legislation to be restrictive, as well as an inaccurate reflection of the history and tradition of the style. For what its worth, credit must go to Irish Distillers (who declined to comment) for keeping single pot still alive on the world stage with great whiskeys like Redbreast 12 Year Old. But, as Mulryan from Blackwater puts it, the current definition is a child of a monopoly. Hes been outspoken on this issue for some time (his work is essential reading) and states that in the whole history of the universe (up to 2014 when the GI came into operation), only one distillery ever produced compliant pot still whiskey and that was indeed our pals at Midleton. Carty concurs: it was written to suit one organisations method of making whiskey, which is also inconsistent with the heritage of mainstream pot still whiskey. Delving into the history books Various examples throughout history support this conclusion, with records of mashbills from 1800-1966 demonstrating that far more than 5% of other grains were common. In Samuel Moorewoods Surveys of Excise Report (first published in 1824 and updated in 1838), for example, it states that general practice in distilling in Ireland included roughly 25-43% portion of oats or wheat. While in 1831 a Board of Excise Report defined the most prevalent Irish pot still mashbill as 2/3 malt and raw barley and 1/3 oats. Healy from Clonakilty states that a single pot still whiskey has been released in every decade since the start of the 1900s that would now no longer meet the definition of the category that it came from. He concludes that the entire foundational point of a European GI is to protect the traditional production methods of a craft and this modern definition certainly did not meet any of the traditional methods, and adds that the effect of this is not only to deny history, but stifle innovation. The turning point In December 2020, members of the IWA finally agreed that a review was necessary. Updating the legislation has been a heated debate within Irish whiskey for a number of years, but changing a GI is not an easy task and the IWA (unlike the Scotch Whiskey Association) has no statutory powers. Mulryan describes it as a lobby group with 92% of its funding coming from the four major multinationals. He adds that this revisiting of the Tech File was only possible because Pernod a.k.a Irish Whiskey PLC were okay with the change, and that this only occurred thanks to the debate sparked by blogs like his which made the status quo impossible to hold. Healy similarly credits a new wave of Irish whiskey distillers who are looking to explore the lost culinary history of the Irish distilling landscape and who have pushed against this restrictive definition that was supposedly put in place to protect the industry from the outside but instead shackled it from the inside. He adds that he thinks youd have a hard time finding anyone to defend not changing it in reality, and gives credit in particular to distilleries in this article. Organisations like the Irish Whiskey Guild (including the likes of Killowen and Blackwater, as well as the Louise McGuane and Dathai OConnell) were also crucial according to Carty, who says theyve done vital work to create a more integral and inclusive whiskey industry worldwide. 30/30/30 One person who has helped move the dial as much as anyone is Ph.D. candidate, author, and antiquarian Fionnan OConnor. Healy and Carty are effusive in their praise for him and his dedication to this truth, as the latter puts it. His research into historic Irish whiskey mashbills through tax, distillery, and industrial archives has uncovered a complex and compelling history of Irish whiskey production dating from the late 18th century, through to the first half of the 20th. His work details a rich tapestry of mixed mashbills, and the 30/30/30 rule was one he proposed himself on the basis that it that would encompass nearly all recipes made between 1855 and 1968, as well as accounting for the high oat and wheat mashbills of the early 1800s. Excitingly, hes been working with Boann to resurrect some of these recipes. The conclusion of all of this work has been that a category-wide recognition that expansion would more accurately reflect traditional Irish pot still mashbills, with Madigan saying that it is apparent that the current 5% limit does not accurately reflect the historic gastronomical or industrial history of pot still production. New horizons Naturally, an amendment like this will lead to the creation of both entirely new whiskeys and some resurrections of recipes we havent seen in a long time. New flavours wont just be driven by the increase of other cereals, but how each reacts and complements the other grains. Typically we expect oats to add sweet creamy notes, and rye brings spice and menthol elements, for example. But, when these elements are part of a wider mashbill with malted and unmalted barley, combined with modern approaches to methodical and experimental fermentations as well as efficient and quality cask maturation, the potential is endless. While theres no singular traditional flavour of Irish whiskey, Healy explains that Irish whiskey was always full of mixed grains, with single malt production never making up more than 5% of whiskey in a year over the last 200 years. He adds that the island was awash with a myriad of flavours that changed with the agro-economic forces of the day. Sometimes wheat was up, sometimes oats were down. Blends are a modern invention with their first real foray into the scene in the 1960s and malts in a commercial sense in the 1990s. His summary is that flavours evolve, and distillers should be excited to be able to resurrect those of centuries past and put a modern twist on them. Carty, meanwhile, says the history of pot still is more than merely one of excise avoidance, that it is an Irish distilling heritage more complex than single malt. He believes this legislation should be a platform for discovery and that each distillery should boast their own mashbills as a fine restaurant would their own recipes. He also comments that we need to be careful not to be nostalgic for a time gone by and that this is not a make America great again approach to pot still. We know the old pot still brings flavours of cantaloupe melon rind, mild spice, and beautiful lathery texture, but things evolve and Ireland now boasts some of the most contemporary distilleries in the world. Killowens pot still will be released in April time; it carries more vibrant spice notes than its historical counterparts. Acknowledging our history is vital, mimicking it is not, he explains. The future of Irish pot still whiskey Madigan makes it clear that there are more implications to the amendment as, if adopted, it will allow for improvements in efficiency in grain Irish whiskey production which accords with traditional practice and supports greater sustainability. Its a worthy reminder that pioneering producers of single pot still whiskey have more responsibility than just creating new whiskies. This is a fine opportunity to review sustainable whiskey-making practices, and to respect that what cant be lost in the rush for new horizons is the quality and integrity of Irish whiskey. Scotch has demonstrated how crucial legislation can be to upholding a categorys reputation. The concern is newcomers playing fast and loose with the rules. Single pot still is a quintessentially Irish product and devaluing it would have considerable consequences. Midgan, for what its worth, says these proposals will not alter the organoleptic characteristics of Irish whiskey nor alter the prescribed stages of production or the sequence of same and should therefore be given full consideration by the competent authorities. But we should be vigilant nonetheless. Its comforting to know, at least, that organisations like the Irish Whiskey Guild and producers like Mulryan have no issue calling out those who would compromise the good name of Irish whiskey. Ultimately, its hard not to be incredibly excited by the potential of this move and heartened by the industrys efforts to attribute a more historically accurate designation to single pot still. In the mission to spread the good word of Irish whiskey across the globe, this unique style is vital, and being able to communicate to a consumer that theres a story in their glass thats full of both tradition and innovation is huge. Healy concludes that this move enables distillers to show the world what Ireland is capable of. For Carty, this development can be summed up in one word: integrity. And Mulryan? He says its party time. By SA Commercial Prop News Trevor Manuel, Minister in the Presidency for National Planning Commission speaks at 4th Annual IHS Developer Conference 2012 held yesterday at Joburg Country Club Image gallery As the affordable housing market continues to grow, the fledgling sector has become an attractive option for foreign direct investment and is starting to outshine its more mainstream equity fund counterparts. International Housing Solutions (IHS), hosted its 4th annual International Housing Solutions (IHS) Developer Conference held yesterday at Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park. Commenting on the occasion of the full-day event, IHS managing partner Soula Proxenos told SA Commercial Prop News that the sector has become a major player on the South African property scene in the past five years, and has brought much-needed investment to a historically under-served part of the market. As has become the norm, the invitation-only conference, described as the highlight of the local housing calendar, once again enjoyed overwhelming interest from South Africas leading banks, developers, investors, economists, property experts and other stakeholders in the sector, who attended in their hundreds. Over the past half-decade, IHS has been a pioneer in the affordable housing space, funding quality projects that not only provide shelter, but also assets on which future wealth can be built in community-centered projects. Previously, hundreds of thousands of South Africans seeking to own their own homes were left in the lurch because they either earned too much to qualify for government-funded housing or too little to qualify for a bond in the existing property market. However in past years, the sector has grown and has become attractive not only to funders, but also developers, meaning a consistently improving supply as more are drawn to the markets potential. Through its first fund, IHS has been involved in 33 projects in six provinces, and has invested in South African affordable housing projects with a combined total value of more than R7.8 billion, ensuring the provision of much-needed quality homes and apartments. Says Proxenos: When IHS started out, the affordable housing sector was an untested and, in the view of some, risky proposition. However as one successful project after another followed, the foresight of and trust in the model by initial investors were affirmed. As a result, we have witnessed a dramatic increase of interest and commitment by serious investors in the public and private spheres, locally and abroad. Proxenos says that part of the value that lies in having been a pioneer in the sector, is the early bar that could be set in terms of standards. We have always sought to partner with developers who are committed to building real communities with the amenities to support quality living, close to public transport, schools, and economic opportunities. As a result, we are witnessing how the growth of the affordable housing sector not only provides above-average opportunities to investors, but also how it is leaving a social impact and legacy on which the country can continue to build into the future. China has reportedly toughened the Covid guidelines in the country so much that people are actually having a hard time. As you'd know, China is taking strict measures to curb the spread of the virus in the country with Shanghai being the ultimate hotspot of the current Covid-19 outbreak. It is reported that Shanghai, which is the financial hub of the nation, has been under a very extreme kind of lockdown, with residents living a very difficult life at the moment. Reuters While the daily cases have shown a drop in the last few days, it's still considered a lot when compared to other nations, with the result being China asking its citizens to stay at home. Now, it is reported that the country has gone an extra step ahead in trying to control the spread by issuing what look to be some bizarre new rules for its Shanghai citizens. According to videos posted by Shanghai residents on social media, announcements are being made by drones in the country that state that residents should not sing from balconies. It was earlier reported that residents had resorted to singing and protesting about the lack of supplies available to them. Well, the drones have now asked people to comply with new COVID-19 restrictions while suggesting "control your desire for freedom". As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your souls desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing. https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022 Not just that, another video has come out on the internet which shows healthcare workers telling people to not sleep together, kiss, or even hug each other. Istock As per the video, the healthcare workers used big megaphones to say, From tonight, couples should sleep separately, don't kiss, hug is not allowed, and eat separately. Thank you for your corporation, This is more funny. From tonight, couple should sleep separately, dont kiss, hug is not allowed, and eat separately. Thank you for your corporation! pic.twitter.com/ekDwLItm7x Wei Ren (@WR1111F) April 6, 2022 Wow! It's really a tough scenario for the citizens of Shanghai! Hope things get better soon. Source: NDTV Everyone who thought that the feud between Shark Tank Indias infamous judge Ashneer Grover and his management at BharatPe was out of fuel and over for good, has a surprise in store, because as it turns out, the fight is still on and going strong. To quickly catch you up, Ashneer Grover along with his wife Madhuri Jain had an ugly fallout with BharatPe after Madhuri Jain was sacked on charges of misappropriation of funds, while Ashneer Grover subsequently was forced to quit after being vilified by the investors. Since then, the husband and wife had taken to social media quite a few times to raise an eyebrow at the BharatPe board and accuse them of a lot of things including, orgies at the office. And while one may think that everything is in the past now, seems like the war of words is being continued, this time not on Twitter, but on LinkedIn. linkedIn We say this after a post by a BharatPe employee gained some traction after Ashneer Grover commented on it. The employee had complained about not being paid his salary and wrote, Dear Suhail and Shashvat Sir, we havent received our salary for March month yet despite following up so many times on email and visiting the office. All the old admin staff of BharatPe have been terminated by you without giving any reason and their salaries have not been paid. We were with BharatPe ever since the Company started and now we are nowhere because of your internal politics. linkedIn Soon after, Ashneer dropped by in the comments section as he wrote, Folks please look into this. Not done - their salaries have to be paid before anything else. And not just him, his sister Ashima also gave out her two cents in the comment section and that is when sh*t hit the fan. linkedIn Grovers sister wrote, Thats the sad part That its a shameless bunch! Irked by the comment, Suhail Sameer, CEO OF BharatPe replied with sass and salt as he wrote, Aashima behen - tere bhai ne saara paisa chura liya hai. Very little left to pay salaries. Kahan pade ho Twitter pe, next level khel LinkedIn pe chal raha hai #BharatPe [Suhail's comment in 2nd screenshot ] pic.twitter.com/2YBKXO8ske Arti Singh (@artijourno) April 7, 2022 Classic case of self-destruct mode. https://t.co/k2AjD0bA7A Jiten Parmar (@jitenkparmar) April 7, 2022 bhai sahaaaab kya raita faila hai yahan toh! Balram Vishwakarma (@Balram1801) April 7, 2022 Enough to let netizens have a field day on Twitter, several people have been reacting to Suhails comment, which is being called savage by some and brazen by others. The comment by Suhail Sameer now seems to have been deleted. By SA Commercial Prop News Artist rendering of the R273 million KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre funded by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, officially launched on Friday 1 March by the Ethekwini Municipality Image gallery Local consumers of KwaMnyandu growth node in Umlazi KwaZulu-Natal will soon have a new place to dine and shop, as Nedbank Corporate Property Finance approved a R273 million loan to fund the development of a new retail centre. The KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre which officially launched on Friday 1 March by the Ethekwini Municipality and is expected to open just before Easter 2014. The Nedbank loan will enable the developers of the new KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre, to complete construction of the 34 000 bulk square metre development, which is set on land leased from Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and adjoins the KwaMnyandu railway station in Umlazi, the second busiest station in Kwazulu Natal. This unique location will ensure that the new shopping centre enjoys maximum foot traffic as all rail commuters using the station will access it through the centre. Anand Joseph, Regional Executive for Nedbank Corporate Property Finance in KZN said the the bank supported the opportunity to finance the shopping centre due to the proven track record of the developer and to play its role in enabling sustainable community upliftment through local job creation and infrastructure support. Since 2010, Nedbank Corporate Property Finance has provided finance in excess of R1.3 billion to retail developments in KZN, in rural or in previously under-serviced areas. Nedbank has long recognised the immense value that can be unlocked through forward-looking commercial partnerships that have the inherent potential to deliver lasting social sustainability. KwaMnyandu Shopping Centres position in the heart of a vital growth node identified by the eThekwini administration makes this a development with significant long-term community upliftment opportunities. We are also pleased to announce, in KZN alone, facilities in excess of R1.32 billion have been approved for property-related activity by companies with black ownership, further contributing to the regions growth and transformation, says Joseph. This is another quality shopping centre developed by Carlos Correia and his team, who have been involved in a number of highly successful retail centres in and around South Africa in recent years, as initial shareholders of the Vaal Mall in Vanderbijl Park and as the developers of the Senaoane Centre, Stretford Centre, Orange Farms Centre, Zamdela Centre, Sharpeville Centre, Kwamashu Shopping Centre, Richmond Shopping Centre, Phuthaditjhaba Shopping Centre in the Free State and various other developments. According to Joseph, Correias proven development track record, coupled with the intensive local government development focus on the area and the fact that major national tenants are represented translates into the maximum potential for the KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre to achieve significant success from the outset. Kwamnyandu Shopping Centre will consist of over 23 000 m of GLA with the two major food anchors being Shoprite and Pick n Pay. The fashion component will consist of Truworths, Identity, Markhams, Totalsports, Exact, Jet, Edgars Active, Sterns, Foschini, Ackermans, PEP, Mr Price Apparel and many other KZN based fashion companies. Construction of the KwaMnyandu centre, which commenced in October last year, is expected to take 18 months and, once completed, the centre and railway station together will form an integral part of the KwaMnyandu growth node in central Umlazi. Joseph points out that Umlazi, as the second largest South African township after Soweto, has been identified as a top priority area for the southern development planning region. The local government has extensive development plans for the area, which include a proposed mix of commercial and residential developments that should see significant economic growth in the area in the coming decade with over 200 000 bulk square meters approved by the Ethekwini Municipality for the KwaMnyandu Node, concludes Joseph. Due to its proximity to the King Zwelithini Stadium and the Mangosuthu University of Technology, KwaMnyandu is also identified as a key education and sporting development node within the urban regeneration plans. Brokerage house ICICI Securities has given a 'buy' call for hospitality stocks such as Indian Hotels Company and Lemon Tree Hotels. Due to Covid waves in 2020 and 2021 globally and across India, the hospitality industry has seen a lot of volatility in terms of occupancies and room rates over the last two years. Heading into FY23, the beleaguered hospitality sector, which has borne the brunt of multiple Covid waves impacting business, is seeing a confluence of positives with leisure demand remaining strong and business travel set to see a strong leg up with reopening of offices, resumption of international flights and events and conferences, the brokerage said. However, key risks to the sector are fresh Covid waves globally and in India impacting demand and rise in operating costs denting margins. For Indian Hotels Company, the brokerage pegged target price at Rs 285 per share, as against its current market price of Rs 252. The deal will decarbonize the steel production process at Jindal Shadeeds steel manufacturing plant, the German green energy firm Hydrogen Rise said. The partners of the agreement will assess... Chinese Wisdom in Xi's Words: The key to running a country is making its people better off Xinhua) 13:12, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- "The key to running a country is making its people better off." The wisdom of this Chinese proverb, which dates back over 2,000 years, lives on in President Xi Jinping's philosophy of how to govern the nation. Addressing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in 2015, Xi cited the old saying, which originated from the "Guanzi" collection of ancient Chinese writings. He noted that the ultimate purpose of development is to improve the lives of the people and bring more fruits of development to all. During his visit to Shanxi Province earlier this year, Xi emphasized an idea in the same vein. He said enabling people to live more prosperous and happier lives is a dedicated pursuit of the Communist Party of China (CPC). While presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in February, Xi reiterated that living a life of contentment is the ultimate human right. The pursuit of common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism and another embodiment of the proverb. "The wealth of a country is measured by the abundance of its people," Xi said in a special address to the 2022 World Economic Forum virtual session, adding that China will strive for more visible and substantive progress in the well-rounded development of individuals and the common prosperity of the entire population. China will attach greater importance to the pursuit of common prosperity on its new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, Xi said last year at a grand gathering to mark the nation's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor model poverty fighters. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) The India Pavilion has been recognised among the top 3 pavilions at the Expo2020 Dubai for its exclusive design and innovation, under the 'People's Choice' category by the Exhibitor Group. This is the first time in the history of the World Expo that the India Pavilion has bagged such an accolade. The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai celebrates 75 years of India's independence and showcases the new and dynamic India with its never-ending opportunities. A star-studded international jury established by Exhibitors Insight Awards identified the 'People Choice Awards'. Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General for India at Expo 2020 Dubai said: "We would like to thank the Exhibitor Group for this recognition. It is a testament to India's magnificence which has been exhibited by India Pavilion. With the use of architecture, the Pavilion beautifully captures India's rich cultural heritage and its technological prowess. We are also proud to be one of the most visited pavilions at the Expo as we recently touched the 1.5 million visitor mark. It has been a successful journey over the past 6 months, and we wish to continue strengthening India's global presence." Architect Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects, who designed the India Pavilion said: "Every visitor takes back with them a vast array of experiences and memories, whether it is India's culture, architectural legacy, forays into technology, or the country's beautiful natural landscape. This uniqueness is what we wanted to showcase through our design for the India Pavilion, which transcends the boundaries of time and region and encapsulates India's vibrant diversity." Travis Stanton, jury member of the award said, "The Expo 2020 Award winners and honorable mentions represent some of the world's best examples of how design, technology, presentation and storytelling come together to create immersive experiences and effectively communicate compelling messages." The India Pavilion is created on the theme of "Openness, Opportunity, Growth", in line with EXPO2020 Dubai's theme - "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", to showcase a nation open to new learnings, new perspectives, innovations, and investment opportunities. The state-of-the-art India Pavilion structure is dedicated to 11 primary themes, each having an exclusive zone, all under one gigantic roof, including Climate and Biodiversity, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Global Goals, Health and Wellness, Water, and more. The India Pavilion was also awarded as 'One of the most iconic' Pavilions by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at EXPO2020in November last year. The magnificent four-story Pavilion represents India as the fastest-growing nation in the world with the theme of 'India on the move'. Made up of 600 individual blocks, the facade of the India Pavilion uses kinetic architecture to tell 75 stories about the history, geography, and literature of the country with an engrossing stimulus of "constant change". The interiors of the pavilion employ cutting-edge technologies to craft an interactive journey through India's landscape and interconnect the nation's social, cultural, and natural wealth. The Expo 2020 Dubai will come to an end on March 31. MIAMI (AP) Democrats in Congress are sounding the alarm over what they claim is mounting evidence that Mexicos chief prosecutor a vital partner of U.S. law enforcement is assailing the nations independent judiciary and selectively targeting for prosecution opponents of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In a harshly worded letter sent Wednesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Sen. Bob Menendez, the powerful chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and three colleagues call on the Biden administration to raise their concerns directly with their Mexican counterparts. Lopez Obradors tenure has been marked by an increasing pattern of seemingly selective prosecutions disproportionately targeting government critics, according to the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. "President Lopez Obradors efforts to advance legitimate accountability initiatives must strengthen, not dismantle, democratic institutions and the rule of law. The letter, which is bound to stir the ire of Lopez Obrador and his allies, focuses on a number of questionable actions and what they consider personal vendettas pursued by Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero. The top prosecutor, a close ally of the leftist president, first caught the attention of American officials after the Trump administration dropped criminal narcotics changes against former Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos and returned him to Mexico on promises he would be investigated at home. But the probe against Cienfuegos was quickly closed and Gertz Manero later threatened to press charges of his own against U.S. prosecutors accustomed to working hand-in-glove with Mexican law enforcement to dismantle the country's powerful cartels. We urge you to give serious consideration to the risk of a weakened, politicized justice system in Mexico, according to the letter, whose signatories include Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the appropriations committee, and Senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon. Lopez Obrador was elected in 2018 on a promise to sweep clean Mexico's notoriously corrupt politics and likes to tout his commitment to austerity by taking commercial flights. But critics call it a stunt to distract from a worrisome accumulation of power, failure to deliver on campaign promises and repeated attacks on opponents that undermines the rule of law in the U.S.' second largest trade partner. This Sunday, his supporters are expected to give him another boost when they head to the polls for a first-of-its-kind referendum on whether he should be allowed to finish his six-year term something that has never been in doubt and which many see as a sideshow. The Democrats in their letter fault Lopez Obrador for publicly attacking a judge who ruled against his energy policies, pushing a seemingly unconstitutional plan to extend the term of a sympathetic Supreme Court chief justice and calling for the resignation of Mexicos top electoral court. They also raise concerns about criminal charges pressed against Ricardo Anaya, a prominent conservative opponent of Lopez Obrador. Anaya, who finished second in the 2018 presidential election, was accused last year with money laundering in connection to an alleged bribe he took in exchange for his support on an energy reform bill. The charges are based on the testimony of the former head of Mexicos state run oil company, who claims that on the instructions of Lopez Obradors predecessor he paid lawmakers, including $525,000 to Anaya, to vote for the overhaul. Some have questioned the strength of the evidence, given that the alleged bribe was paid months after the reform was approved, when Anaya had already left office. Anaya has since fled Mexico and is living in the U.S. Lopez Obrador has dismissed claims of score settling in the Anaya and other cases as lies and falsehoods" promoted by opponents to weaken his rule. There was no immediate response from either his or the attorney general's office when the AP sent them a copy of the letter. Under Gertz Manero's leadership, the Mexican prosecutor's office has also failed to seriously investigate allies of the president, according to the letter. These include allegations of money laundering and finance law violations against the president's brother, who was caught on video receiving cash from a campaign supporter. Lopez Obrador has defended the contributions as legitimate. The Democrats also accuse Gertz Manero of pressing personal matters while in office. These include trying to lock up 31 scientists in a maximum security prison because he claims they improperly received about $2.5 million in government funding years ago. The laws at the time allowed such funding, and the researchers say it wasnt misspent. Critics say the charges are payback for the researchers' refusal to recognize Gertz Manero's own academic credentials. The attorney general also can be heard in a recently leaked recording of a conversation with a colleague cursing a Supreme Court justice. In the recording, Gertz Manero claims the judge won't heed to demands that the top court keep in jail a niece he blames for the death of his older brother, who died while in her care. Gertz Manero has acknowledged obtaining an advance copy of a proposed Supreme Court opinion recommending the relative be released something that struck many as a potential conflict of interest. But he claims he received the court ruling because he was taking action in the case as a family member of the deceased, not as attorney general. ___ AP Writer Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report. When a fight broke out among middle school students in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in early March, a security guard intervened. The guard, an off-duty police officer, was filmed pushing the head of a 12-year-old girl of color into the ground, placing his knee on her neck for about half a minute before handcuffing her, and walking her out of the cafeteria. In Long Beach, California, a school resource officer shot and killed an 18-year-old student, a young mother named Mona Rodriguez, as she was driving away from the school after a fight. These incidents of police violence remind us that the presence of police officers in schools does not keep students safe. Instead, officers often use excessive force and sometimes even violence, especially against students of color. In fact, as I document in my book Willful Defiance, school police play an important role in what is called the school-to-prison pipeline. The term refers to discipline and punishment practices that push students, most often Black and Latinx students and those with disabilities, into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. On top of this, students are already in a state of crisis, traumatized by isolation and the suffering of their families during the coronavirus pandemic. As the nation enters its third year of pandemic schooling, few school systems have increased support structures for these students and, when fights break out, they often respond by calling police. The evidence is clear: police have no place in schools and should be removed. The presence of police in schools shifts the focus away from learning and support to punishment and arrest. Police often get involved in routine discipline issues, and students can be interrogated or even assaulted for things like going to the bathroom without a pass, as happened to an 11th-grader at Philadelphias Benjamin Franklin High School in 2016. Students are five times more likely to be arrested and charged in schools where police are present. Meanwhile, the criminalization of students is racialized: Black students are twice as likely to be arrested in school than white students. In the 2017-18 school year, there were nearly 230,000 school-based referrals to law enforcement and roughly 25% of them led to an arrest. Many students have their first contact with police in school settings. It should be a national scandal that 1.7 million students attend schools that have police but no counselors; 3 million students attend schools with police but no nurses; and 10 million students attend schools with police but no social workers. Organizers for police-free schools have developed alternatives to criminalization such as restorative justice. These approaches emphasize community-building and respectful relationships over discipline and control. When conflict occurs, restorative practices seek to uncover the roots of the problem, address the harm it causes, and rebuild relationships. Rather than investing in punitive discipline and school police, public school leaders can learn from community-based alternatives and begin to use restorative justice. This should not just be a separate program to address misbehavior, but a holistic process to refashion school climate, culture, and safety through healthy and respectful relationships that support the education and full development of all children. Mark R. Warren is a professor of public policy and public affairs at the University of Massachusetts Boston. This column was produced for Tribune News Service. The following editorial was published in the March 31 edition of the Alpena News: Editorial: Commission made right call reversing raises The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted recently to reverse 7% raises the commissioners had given themselves. The commissioners who voted for that reversal all but Democrat Brittni Kellom made the right call. The vote means commissioners pay reverts to 35% of the governors salary, or about $55,755, as set by the commission in its earliest meetings in fall 2020. The commissioners gave themselves the raise after theyd completed their first-ever job of redrawing state House, state Senate, and U.S. House district maps, meaning their workload had severely dropped off. And they voted to give themselves the raise despite facing a budget shortfall as legal fees mount for the commission to fight lawsuits against its newly drawn maps. Given those circumstances, we argued previously that the raise a very generous raise in any job was undue, and were glad to see the commissioners see the light. In fact, were glad to see a vote taken to set the commissioners pay to the constitutional minimum 25% of the governors salary, even if that vote failed. We the government must compensate its agents to attract talented people, just like any employer. But giving generous raises when youre over budget and your workload has fallen off is not the way to go. Thanks to the commissioners for acting with prudence with taxpayer money. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Feed your soul with poetry during National Poetry Month. The Manistee County Library is offering many ways to celebrate this month. In addition to reading poetry, opportunities will be available throughout the month to create your own poems. Check out our newsletter which is available at all locations, on our website, manisteelibrary.org, or find us on Facebook. The following is a sampling of the poetry books available for check out. Photo submitted/Manistee County Historical Museum Juvenile Hear from all the characters and more in the re-telling of many favorite fairy-tales. Grumbles From the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices With a Twist by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich is written in free-verse poetry form and will delight children with its magic. Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two or More Voices by Georgia Heard is designed to be read aloud. Children will be endlessly entertained making noises as they learn about a variety of animals. Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe written by Poe introduces younger children to the ghoulish and spooky writings of a master storyteller. Including a short biography, several poems, and excerpts from his stories, kids who enjoy R.L. Stines Fear Street series will also enjoy this book. Encourage children to express themselves with How to Write a Poem by Ceclia Minden and Kate Roth. Written for beginners, this book includes an introduction to poetry, various styles, and prompts to get a young writer started. Young adult What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, & Blessings by Joyce Sidman, offers encouragement, humor, and joy in this collection of free verse. Think Again by JanArno Lawson describes the teenage heart. The short poems speak to tenderness, humor, and idealism. Poems by Emily Dickinson is a collection of her most well known works. Her passion for love and life are displayed in written form. Written in poetic verse, A Place Like This by Steven Herrick focuses on two teenagers trying to find their place in the world. Deciding to take time off and travel, Jack and Annabel find themselves on a farm helping the family more than they realize and learning more about themselves. Adult Known for his fiction, this Michigan author is also a poet. Saving Daylight and Outlyer and Ghazals by Jim Harrison speak to the rough edges of life and find beauty and humor in unexpected places. A Walk With Me by Gwen Frostic combines the elegance of the written word with nature walks. The book is illustrated with block prints created by the author and artist. The Emperor of Water Clocks by Yusel Komunyakaa overwhelms the senses with illusion and reality. This Pulitzer-Prize winning poet draws from antiquity and innovation to create thought provoking word pictures. Notes on the Assemblage by Juan Felipe Herrera, the first Latino Poet Laureate of the United States, focuses on current American issues. Book of Haikus by Jack Kerouac is a collection of two or three line poems drawn from his experiences and connection to nature, written in the Japanese poetry form. Photo submitted/Manistee County Historical Museum Rudyard Kipling stories of life in India are well known. Rudyard Kipling: Selected Poems is a compilation of his poetry that covers a broader, more intimate range of subjects. The Illustrated Library of World Poetry combines classic poets, works with favorite poems arranged by topic with beautiful illustrations. Find your voice while learning the basics with How to Write Poetry by Welkin Reinhart. A background of various types of poetry is provided, as well as the skills necessary to create a poem. The Poetry Dictionary by John Drury includes terms and a broad sample of poems as examples. This book can be read cover to cover or popped into as needed for inspiration. These titles and more may be reserved using our online catalog or by request from MeLCat. Manistee County Library is offering a poetry writing contest and an altered poetry workshop for adults. Courtesy image Workshop and contest information is available in the library newsletter, available at all locations, and on our website. Reservations can be made by calling 231-723-2519. Space is limited. Join A Touch of the Classics for poetry reading and discussion. We look forward to seeing you. As part of the recently passed $4.8 billion in additional state infrastructure spending, appropriations have been made to better provide economic opportunities, which includes further funds for internet infrastructure. There will be a new Michigan statewide broadband service grant program, which has $250.6 million of federal funding allocated to provide competitive broadband infrastructure grants for unserved areas. Up to 5% of that funding would be required to operate the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, while the rest would be available with no additional state resources required. Carl Osentoski, the executive director of the Huron County Economic Development Corporation, said he attended a workshop webinar about the program recently and it was not yet decided on how these grants will be distributed. One of the things the program is working on is mapping out where there is internet infrastructure across the state, which theyre working on this summer, Osentoski said. In addition, there is additional federal funding from the (2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act), which is starting to release this summer and extend through the rest of the year. He further added that the program is directed for private companies already rolling out new infrastructure programs and continuing with their buildouts. There have been plenty of efforts to increase broadband internet connectivity in the Upper Thumb since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan, from State Rep. Phil Green introducing a proposal to eliminate sales taxes for broadband projects to lower developer costs that were ultimately vetoed, to the Huron County Broadband Committee being set up to identify which areas of the county that would benefit most from increased connectivity. Michigan representatives in Congress also introduced the Broadening Online Opportunities through Simple Technologies Act in February 2021, which would provide a consumer tax credit of up to $300 to supplement the purchase of a mobile internet hotspot. That proposal has since been in the Houses ways and means committee, with no other movement since. In late 2021, Thumb Electric Co-operative purchased the Frankenmuth-based Air Advantage to expand into providing internet service throughout the Thumb and had received more than $51 million from the United States Department of Agriculture to help improve fiber optic infrastructure. Agri-Valley Services has also been working to install new infrastructure in Huron County communities as well. Osentoski noted that as he was driving along M-19 last fall, he had seen companies blocking off the road so they could install fiber optic lines, so it is being worked on and the new funding can expand it so that everyone has broadband capabilities. Osentoski is optimistic that the Upper Thumb could see some funds come its way, not just for broadband expansion, but for roads and bridges too. They worked hard on building out the infrastructure and have a clear, strong history of living up to obligations, Osentoski noted, with their aggressive strategies helping them get additional funding as required. The fiber optic buildout can also be impacted by supply chain issues, since all the equipment must be ordered with backlog and price increases affecting these projects. Osentoski hopes such issues are nonexistent, but its hard to say right now. Were always monitoring these federal and state funds and encouraging the governor and legislature to focus on rural areas, Osentoski said. So if theres an opportunity to help the Thumb area, well jump on that as soon as we can. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Customers, elected officials and business alliance representatives opened their arms to welcome back Sanfords only bank during Huntington Bank's grand opening Tuesday evening. Ive had a smile on my face all day, said Huntington Bank Great Lakes Bay and Northern Michigan Region President Seth Perigo. Sanford Village President Dolores Porte said the bank has been in Sanford for a really long time and is a cornerstone in the community. The bank came back after the flood and continued investing in the future. They remained here to support a small town. When the bank did a soft opening in early March, some residents said they were happy to see some staff members who were familiar faces. Five of the original eight staff members returned to the Sanford branch. The new bank, at 256 West Saginaw Road, closed as Chemical Bank and reopened as Huntington. The former Chemical Bank building was demolished last summer. The building was flooded in May 2020 due to the dam failures and had to be razed and rebuilt. Within a short span of time, Chemical Bank was bought by TCF, which then soon merged with Huntington Bank, based in Columbus, Ohio. Midland Business Alliance President and CEO Tony Stamas said many people invested in the project and many alliance ambassadors attended the ceremony. It's great to have the staff back and be able to see the familiar faces, said Meridian Church of God Rev. Kevin Tippin, who also praised the beautiful new building. Huntington Sanford Branch Manager Chris Bloom, who cut the ribbon for the grand opening, said its been a joy to be back. OMG, lots of hugs, lots of welcome backs, Bloom said. Its so exciting to see the customers walk through our doors again. Perigo talked about how after the dam breach, the Sanford branch staff would meet in a Midland office and call their customers. Bloom said that was to let them know they were being thought of and that the bank would come back. The people here are what makes this branch special, said customer Jenee Velasquez. Theyve been through the tough times with us, she added. They are people that stick with you when times are tough. Perigo said looking out for people is a cornerstone of Huntington Bank. He said the bank is dedicated to helping better peoples lives, and he is proud of the support the bank and the employees provided in the aftermath of the dam breach. This is our opportunity to do our part to move Sanford forward, Perigo told the Daily News. This is just the beginning, he added. Were out in the community and our staff is eager to help them with their future. NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) A man who fatally shot two people at a gas station in southern Indiana has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, police said Thursday. Floyd County Superior Court issued a warrant charging Cherok Ameer Douglass, 37, of New Albany, with the new charges in addition to earlier charges of kidnapping and robbery, Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls said. Douglass was extradited from Kentucky on Wednesday and is currently in the Floyd County Jail, Huls said. Douglass on Monday alleged killed his wife and a customer in the parking lot of a New Albany gas station, Huls said. Douglass was arrested Monday morning after police opened fire at the SUV he was driving in New Albany, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, Huls said. A kidnapping victim fell from the vehicle before it was driven toward officers. Both Cherok Douglass and the kidnapping victim were taken to a hospital in Louisville with non-life-threatening injuries. Brandee Kay Douglass, 38, and Lorin M. Yelle, 43, of Louisville, were killed. Detectives do not believe there was any connection between Yelle and Cherok or Brandee Douglass, Huls said. They believe Yelle was a customer at the gas station and was shot after leaving the store and walking to his vehicle, Huls said. The name of the woman Cherok Douglass allegedly kidnapped has not been released. The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned sine die on Thursday, one day ahead of its schedule. As the Lower House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla made the valedictory reference, summing up the proceedings of the session. He later adjourned the House sine die. The total productivity of the eighth session of the 17th Lok Sabha was 129 per cent, said the Speaker while informing the members about the work done in the session. He further said that the session began on January 31 and a total of 27 sittings were held which lasted for about 177 hours and 50 minutes. Birla thanked all the members for their conduct for successful budget session. On the first day of the session on January 31, the President addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament in the Central Hall, Birla said. The Motion of Thanks to the President's Address was discussed on February 2, 3, 4 and 7. After a total discussion of 15 hours and 13 minutes, the Motion of Thanks was passed by voice vote on February 7. The Union Budget for the year 2022-2023 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. The discussion went on for a total of 15 hours and 35 minutes on February 7, 8, 9 and 10, 2022, Om Birla told House. Birla said that the Supplementary Demands for Grants and Additional Demands for Grants were also passed after voting in this session. In addition, the Demands for Grants (2022-23) and Supplementary Demands for Grants (2021-22) for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were also passed after voting. A total of 12 government bills were introduced and 13 bills were passed during the session, he informed. Apart from the Finance Bill, 2022, the Speaker said that as many as 13 bills, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 and the Weapons of Mass Massacre and their Delivery System (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 were passed by the Lok Sabha during this session. In this session, the Assembly sat for a total of 40 hours and discussed important topics. Oral answers to 182 starred questions were given during the session. A half-hour discussion was held on February 11, 2022 regarding the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, he said. The proceedings of the second phase of the budget session of Parliament was to conclude on April 8. The GOP no longer argues that free markets, rather than government, should choose "winners and losers." In today's Republican Party, the primary economic role of the state is not to get out of the way. It is, instead, to reward friends and crush political enemies. Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham expressed the new ethos in a recent monologue threatening companies that advocated for LGBTQ rights, ballot access, racial justice and sundry other political stances that are anathema in today's GOP. "When Republicans, they get back into power, Apple and Disney need to understand one thing: Everything will be on the table," Ingraham warned. "Your copyright, trademark protection. Your special status within certain states. And even your corporate structure itself. The antitrust division at Justice needs to begin the process of considering which American companies need to be broken up once and for all for competition's sake, and ultimately for the good of the consumers who pay the bills." This might have been an unusually eloquent articulation of Republicans' punitive new approach to economic policy, but it is hardly unique to Ingraham. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is furious that Disney has publicly criticized his new law prohibiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity (nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" law); beyond using his bully pulpit to rail against Disney's supposed indecency, he has threatened to cancel Disney's half-century-old special status under Florida law that enables the company to effectively govern itself on the grounds of its theme parks. In other states, such as Georgia, GOP politicians have punished private companies for taking supposedly "woke" stands on issues such as gun violence. Republicans in Congress have likewise tried to use antitrust enforcement and other government levers to punish companies whose public stances on voting rights or internal policies on content moderation they dislike. This approach to governance was expertly modeled by Donald Trump, who as president frequently used the power of the state to reward friends and punish enemies. He did this through tax law, tariff policy and other proposed subsidies that chose winners and losers according to their political allegiances. He selectively enforced energy policies, such as allowing offshore drilling, to dole out favors to friends. He allegedly attempted to block a government contract to Amazon because its founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post; he also tried to raise the prices the retail giant pays for U.S. Postal Service shipping. He launched a bogus antitrust investigation into car companies that had opposed his lax emissions standards. He threatened to revoke the "licenses" of broadcast media firms whose coverage he disliked. Beyond their halfhearted complaints, Trump's fellow partisans did little to restrain him. Now his instincts have infected the rest of the right, from the Republicans in the federal government and Fox News on down. This is far scarier than the "cancel culture" phenomenon Republicans so often decry. Cancel culture, however ill-defined, generally refers to the use of voluntary social pressure to punish those whose views are deemed somehow unacceptable - through public rebukes, boycotts, shunnings, firings or other refusals to engage with some persona non grata in the public square. Republicans (like Democrats) have of course engaged in all these behaviors and worse: Trump himself frequently called for boycotts and firings, including over the peaceful expression of political speech. But now his party is attempting codify these responses into law, using the power and weapons of the state against those who disagree with them. Last fall, as this evolution of the Republican Party and its open warfare with the business community became increasingly apparent, I urged Democrats to take advantage - to position themselves as the new party of political and economic freedom and the rule of law, and to embrace the prosperity that such values can engender. Instead they have been letting their own populist instincts guide them toward rhetoric and policies that emphasize their own punitive treatment of disfavored companies. It's not too late for Democrats to correct course. Someone has to. Catherine Rampell is an opinion columnist at The Washington Post. Email her at crampell@washpost.com DETROIT (AP) Toyota customers soon won't be able to get U.S. federal tax credits for buying electric or hybrid vehicles. The automaker expects that sometime before the end of June it will reach a 200,000-vehicle cap on the credits, Bob Carter, Toyota's head of North American sales, said Wednesday. After that, the credits will be phased out over the next year, reaching zero, as Tesla and General Motors already have. The lack of credits is problematic for automakers shifting from petroleum-powered vehicles to batteries in the effort to reduce emissions, meet government fuel-economy standards and fight climate change. Nissan is about 30,000 vehicles away from reaching the cap, and others will follow as more EVs are introduced. Tesla, the top seller of electric vehicles in the world, and GM already are at a price disadvantage to other automakers without the credits, and Toyota soon will be. Additional EV tax credits are in the Build Back Better spending bill backed by President Joe Biden, which is stalled in Congress. Toyota reached the cap largely by selling plug-in gas-electric hybrid vehicles. The company's plug-in RAV4 Prime small SUV with 42 miles of electric range earns the buyer a $7,500 credit, the largest available. The Prius Prime plug-in, with 25 miles of electric range, gets $4,500. Toyota previously had offered a fully electric RAV4, but it didn't sell well and was canceled. It's rolling out a fully electric model called the bZ4X with 250 miles per charge, this summer. The Build Back Better bill would give EV buyers a $7,500 tax credit through 2026 to charge up sales. But the following year, only electric vehicles made in the U.S. would qualify for the credit. And the base credit rises by $4,500 if the vehicle is made at a U.S. plant that runs under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement. Only GM, Ford and Stellantis vehicles would qualify. Carter, on a conference call with reporters, said Toyota lobbied against the additional credit only for union plants, calling it unfair to nonunion workers. It just needs to be a level playing field, Carter said. We are not anti-EV credits." Democrats backing the credits for EVs made by the United Auto Workers say supporting union jobs is good for the economy and communities because unions helped to build the middle class. GM CEO Mary Barra has said automakers that offered electric vehicles early should not be placed at a disadvantage. Restoring the credits is a question that congress really needs to resolve, Carter said. Toyota plans to offer 30 fully electric vehicles from its Lexus and Toyota brands by 2030. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIDDLETOWN The city is set to receive $4.5 million from the newly established Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program to revitalize vacant or underutilized property in the Main Street area. Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday that the Bond Commission would be dispensing $45 million to 12 cities and towns through the initiative, with the goal of improving the livability and vibrancy of communities throughout the state. This new grant program we launched will have wide-ranging impacts as we emerge stronger than ever from the pandemic, creating new jobs, improving the vibrancy and quality of life in our neighborhoods, and making all corners of the state even more attractive for investment and opportunity, Lamont said in a statement Wednesday. Middletown is one of the municipalities that will benefit from this first round of money. A total of $4.5 million was allotted to the city for improvements to several properties on Main Street. On Thursday, Mayor Ben Florsheim explained what the funds would be used for, outlining three different projects. This was a very exciting announcement, he said. Im grateful they saw the potential with these projects. The first is a revitalization of the former roller skating rink at 545 Main St. The plan involves new and improved residential units on the upper floors, and a large community space on the ground floor. The potential at that location is huge, Florsheim said. It has a rich history in Middletown. That development is being spearheaded by JR Hargreaves, who was inspired by memories from growing up in Middletown to redevelop that space. The second project involves three properties, at 418, 422 and 584 Main St. It includes the building that formerly housed Woolworths, and two neighboring properties. The same developer that helped convert another vacant Main Street building into Sicily Coal Fired Pizza is now hoping to do something similar with these properties, and this grant funding will help make it possible. Itll be a total rehab of those three buildings, Florsheim said. The plan includes more residential space on the upper floors, with more for businesses on the ground floor. Florsheim said no plans are finalized yet, but a market-style establishment and a rooftop bar/restaurant will likely be new additions to Main Street through this project. Thats something people have hoped for Main Street for a long time, he said. Its all very much in line with what weve been hearing from the community. The third project involves maintenance and repair work for the YMCA on Union Street, including an entirely new HVAC system. Its a very old building, so costs for that type of thing are expensive, Florsheim said, adding that the work will allow the YMCA to stay open and continue with all of its programs. The mayor said he is excited and grateful the state chose to fund Middletown projects, adding that it will boost economic development already taking place in the city. We have a lot of shovel-ready projects, so its a good time to be in Middletown, Florsheim said. Its especially rewarding, he said, to be able to continue with new development while also maintaining the historic buildings in the city. The Connecticut Communities Challenge program was created last year as part of Lamonts broader Economic Action Plan. Middletowns projects were chosen out of more than 50 other applications from throughout the state. To see what other towns were awarded funding, visit portal.ct.gov. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIDDLETOWN Wesleyan Universitys Embodying Antiracism Initiative includes two community fellows from Middletown. The initiative is an interdisciplinary leadership training and peer support initiative that will use the arts to develop and strengthen antiracism practices, according to the college website. Sacha Armstrong-Crockett, a Realtor from Middletown and co-chairwoman of the mayors Anti-Racism Task Force, is involved in educating Black, Indigenous and People of Color on the importance of home ownership, according to a press release. She puts an emphasis on the history of the governments role in federally mandated segregation, redlining and Black land loss, it continued. DeSegregate Connecticut featured her in their educational videos, where she speaks on how racist zoning policies of yesterday still affect Black homeownership rates today, and her TEDx talk speaks to Black Healing in White Spaces. Im excited about the possibility of sustainable community outreach and youth development in Middletown, Armstrong-Crockett said in a prepared statement. I hope we can create an opportunity rich space and programming that encourages, empowers, and expands Black creative expression. If that can be done in an effective and authentic way, my next hope is that it would lead to a unified effort to build local political power, she added. Kerry Kincy, an artist and community consultant from Middletown and director of the Free Centers art and wellness programming, is also the director of the New Haven Ballets Shared Abilities Dance Ensemble, and has lectured in the Dance Department at Wesleyan University. I am most fascinated by the effects of systematic inequality formed by race in individuals and collectively in communities, Kincy said in the statement. Art is paramount in generating deeper connections to self and an awareness for the experiences of others. Art affords equitable power sharing. Editors note: This article is excerpted from a Wesleyan University press release. Read the full story at wesleyan.edu/cfa. Greater Middletown Military Museum / Contributed photo MIDDLETOWN The Greater Middletown Military Museum will be marking 20 years of operations during a fundraising dinner later this month. The first group of individuals involved in the project got together in 2002, and the museum was incorporated in 2003, according to a press release. The museum was briefly located in the mobile classrooms at the senior center in 2006 and 2007. BANGKOK (AP) A deputy governor of Myanmars Central Bank was shot at her home on Thursday, less than a week after tough new regulations were issued ordering that foreign money held in bank accounts in the military-ruled nation must be exchanged for the local currency. There were conflicting accounts of whether Than Than Swe, appointed to her post after the military seized power, survived the attack. She is believed to be the most senior official associated with the military-run administration to be shot since February last year, when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered widespread peaceful protests that were quashed with lethal force, triggering armed resistance that some U.N. experts now characterize as civil war. Than Than Swe was shot by two men when she opened the door to her apartment in Bahan township in Yangon, the countrys biggest city, said Thet Oo, a local official. He said she was taken to a military hospital where she was confirmed dead, but a report by the U.S. government-backed Radio Free Asia cited a military spokesman as saying she was being treated for her wounds. Two men came to her apartment and fired three shots. I also heard the gunfire, Thet Oo told The Associated Press. Shortly after the gunfire, security forces arrived at the housing. The Home Affairs Ministry confirmed in a text message to journalists that the 55-year-old banker had been attacked. A militant group called the Yangon Region Military Command, which pledges allegiance to the National Unity Government, the main opposition organization, posted a statement on its Facebook page taking responsibility for the attack on Than Than Swe. It claimed to have carried out 1,128 attacks from last September, when the NUG announced it was launching offensive attacks on the military. It said its attacks resulted in 253 deaths and 300 injuries. Its claim of responsibility for shooting Than Than Swe was unusual because the NUG which did not immediately comment on the incident has tended to distance itself from attacks on civilians that could be characterized as terrorism. It also has only loose control over the network of armed resistance groups that are collectively called the Peoples Defense Force. In addition to combat in the countryside, urban guerrillas opposed to military rule have carried out targeted killings, sabotage, arson and small bombings. Officials and members of the military have been targeted, as well as people believed to be informers or military collaborators. Last year, Thein Aung, chief finance officer of Myanmars military-linked Mytel Telecommunications Co., was fatally shot by three men in front of his house in Yangon, but no clear claims of responsibility were made. More than 1,730 civilians have been killed by the security forces since last years military takeover, according to a detailed tally assembled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog organization. The Central Bank on Sunday issued a notice ordering businesses and individuals to convert dollars and other foreign currency into kyats within one day or face legal consequences. It also said that foreign currency can only be sent overseas with government approval. The order suggests the authorities may be running short of hard currency needed to pay debts and purchase key supplies such as oil, gas and weapons. In addition to having economic output clobbered by the coronavirus pandemic, Myanmars military leaders were hit with sanctions by Western powers protesting their takeover. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIRUT (AP) Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund on Thursday reached a tentative agreement for comprehensive economic policies that could eventually pave the way for some relief for the crisis-hit country, after Beirut implements wide-ranging reforms. The four-year agreement, which is subject to approval by IMF management and executive board, was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati after a meeting with IMF delegates in Beirut. He said Lebanon promised the IMF that Beirut would implement the required reforms in the small Mediterranean nation notorious for corruption. The tentative agreement a first step on what is sure to be a long and complicated road provides a glimmer of hope for Lebanon, which has long been in the grips of a devastating economic crisis. The World Bank has described the crisis as one of the worst the world has witnessed in more than 150 years. The IMF said in a statement that Lebanese authorities and the IMF team that has been in Lebanon since March 28 reached a staff-level agreement on comprehensive economic policies that could be supported by a 46-month Extended Fund Arrangement, or EFF, with requested access of about $3 billion. The IMF statement said that Lebanese authorities, with IMF staff support, have formulated a comprehensive economic reform program aiming to rebuild the economy, restore financial sustainability, strengthen governance and transparency, remove impediments to job creating growth, and increase social and reconstruction spending. It is a first step on the way to an IMF bailout to Lebanon, potentially unlocking billions of dollars in loans. In order for that to happen, Lebanon would need to implement reforms, including drafting a capital control law, restructure the country's had-hit banking sector and amend decades-old banking secrecy laws. A statement released by President Michel Aoun's office said he and Mikati are committed to resolving the crisis and puting Lebanon back on the track of growth. The IMF said there are five key pillars that should be implemented, including restructuring the financial sector and implementing fiscal reforms, along with the proposed restructuring of external public debt. They also include reforming state-owned enterprises, particularly in the electricity sector, and strengthening governance, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering efforts. The IMF also called for establishing a credible and transparent monetary and exchange rate system as there are several exchange rates for the Lebanese pound. It said that there should be parliament approval of a reformed bank secrecy law to bring it in line with international standards to fight corruption. The IMF statement said there would be an externally assisted bank-by-bank evaluation for the 14 largest banks in Lebanon. Since the meltdown began, local banks have imposed informal capital controls and there have been concerns that depositors will lose part of their savings. The crisis demands a comprehensive reform program, Mikati said, in order to deal with challenges ahead and achieve financial and economic stability and reach permanent and strong growth. Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Shami, who is leading the talks with the IMF, said Lebanon's economy contracted 60% since the meltdown began more than two years ago. He told the local LBCI TV that he hopes all the IMF preconditions will be implemented quickly and that the deal has the backing of Aoun, Mikati and also the powerful Hezbollah-allied Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who welcomed the agreement. Lebanon defaulted in March 2020 on paying back its massive debt, worth at the time some $90 billion or 170% of GDP, making it one of the highest in the world. Lebanons economic crisis that began in October 2019, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement, has left three-quarters of the population of 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, in poverty. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value. Talks between Lebanon and the IMF began in May 2020, then stopped for months amid a political deadlock in the country. They resumed after Mikati took office last September but no breakthrough had been made until Thursday's agreement was reached. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISLAMABAD (AP) Pakistans Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Prime Minister Imran Khans bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was illegal. That set the stage for a no-confidence vote by opposition lawmakers, who say they have enough support to oust him. The decision followed four days of hearings by the top court on the political crisis. Khan had tried to sidestep the no-confidence vote by accusing his political opponents of colluding with the United States to unseat him. Lawmakers will probably convene Saturday for the vote, and the opposition says it has the 172 votes in the 342-seat house needed to oust Khan after several members of his own party and a key coalition partner defected. It's an unfortunate decision, Khan's ally and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told The Associated Press following the unanimous ruling by the five-member Supreme Court. He warned that instability will increase and I see no end to the crisis. Dozens of heavily armed police backed by paramilitary Rangers surrounded Pakistans stately white marble Supreme Court building. Roads leading to the court were blocked and a heavily armed contingent of police also encircled the nearby Parliamentary Lodges where opposition and government lawmakers stay when Parliament is in session. Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, who heads the Pakistan Muslim League and is the likely candidate for prime minister if the no-confidence vote succeeds, welcomed the ruling as a victory for justice and the supremacy of law. The political crisis began Sunday when an embattled Khan dissolved Parliament and set the stage for early elections. Chaudhry had stood in Parliament and accused the opposition of disloyalty to the state by working with a foreign power to bring about a regime change. The deputy parliamentary speaker Qasim Suri cited Chaudhry's allegation to toss out the no-confidence resolution, but the Supreme Court ruled that Suri had no grounds to do so. Chaudhry did not say what Khan's next step might be. Khan previously had called for nationwide demonstrations to protest what he called Washington's interference in Pakistan's affairs. During the week, the Supreme Court heard arguments from Khan's lawyers, the opposition and the countrys president before handing down the decision Thursday night, after iftar, the meal that breaks the daylong fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This is the unfortunate fact about Pakistani politics the political issues, which should be settled in the parliament are instead brought to the Supreme Court to settle, said analyst Zahid Hussain, who has authored several books on militancy in the region and Islamabads complicated relationship with Washington. It is just a weakness of the system, Hussain added. Khan said the U.S. wants him gone because of what he describes as his independent foreign policy, which often favors China and Russia. He also has been a strident critic of Washington's war on terrorism and was criticized for a visit to Moscow on Feb. 24, hours after Russia invaded Ukraine. The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan's internal politics. "Khan tapped into a potent vein of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan that is unlikely to dissipate any time soon," said Elizabeth Threlkeld, Pakistan expert at the U.S.-based The Stimson Center. Young people make up the majority in the country and grew up during the two-decades-long war on terror, which is deeply controversial in Pakistan. She warned the anti-U.S. rhetoric could further complicate Pakistan's relationship with Washington Pakistan's top court or its powerful military have consistently stepped in whenever turmoil engulfs a democratically elected government. The army has seized power and ruled for more than half of Pakistan's 75-year history. The military has remained quiet in the latest crisis, although army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa told a security summit in Islamabad last weekend that Pakistan wants good relations with China, a major investor, and also with the U.S., the country's largest export market. The ongoing constitutional crisis is a major test for Pakistans institutions, which stems from both tensions between the prime minister and the military and economic pressures that created an opening for the opposition, Threlkeld said. While a serious challenge, this is also an opportunity for Pakistans institutions to demonstrate their resilience should they manage to restore a legitimate constitutional process, she said. The latest political chaos has spilled over into the country's largest province of Punjab, where 60% of Pakistan's 220 million people live and where Khan's ally for chief provincial minister was denied the post on Wednesday, after his political opponents elected their own candidate. Follow Kathy Gannon on Twitter at www:twitter.com/Kathygannon Coming down heavily on Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri for lauding a Karnataka girl who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' at a mob during the recent protests against the hijab ban, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Thursday that a terror outfit does not have any right to comment on India's internal matters. The current controversy erupted after Al-Qaeda's global terrorist Zawahiri in a nine-minute video praised Muskan Khan, a college student from Mandya district, for raising the slogan 'Allahu Akbar' to counter a mob chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' in the college premises at the height of the hijab crisis in Karnataka. In the video titled 'The Noble Woman of India', Zawahiri could be heard reciting a poem he composed to praise Muskan. Speaking to reporters at the Congress headquarters here, AICC General Secretary Maken said, "We want to make one thing clear. We condemn the statement made by the Al-Qaeda leader in connection with the hijab row. "Al-Qaeda is a banned terrorist outfit and it has no right to comment on the internal matters of India. We will resolve our own issues and there is no need for any external intervention." Maken also condemned the recent statement of Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who triggered a row by claiming that a Dalit youth had been stabbed to death in Bengaluru on Tuesday for not speaking in Urdu. The minister later withdrew his statement, as the police probe proved it to be a case of road rage. "The Al-Qaeda and the Karnataka Home Minister are doing the same thing. Both are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the country. The Right-wing elements here are supporting their counter parts abroad," Maken said. "Karnataka has its own culture. This part of the country is attracting foreign investments for the same reason. Do not destroy the dignity of the state by spoiling the atmosphere of peace," he added. Meanwhile, state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar demanded that Jnanendra should be sacked for his statements. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) CBS News reporter Debora Patta has covered conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Europe. She has seen violence and death at close range before. But the atrocities she witnessed in Bucha, Ukraine this week stood out, and overwhelmed her. We need to be disturbed by these pictures, Patta said on CBS Mornings, after describing what she and other journalists witnessed in the outskirts of Kyiv. The war changed this week from a media perspective, which is how most people outside of Ukraine experience it. Before, events had been seen primarily from a slight distance fiery explosions caught on camera or drone-eyed views of burned-out buildings. Now, with the Ukrainian army retaking control of villages near Kyiv that had been brutalized by Russian soldiers, journalists are capturing the aftermath of horrific violence at close range of dead bodies bound, tortured and burned. While theres a sense that images like these might change public opinion or have an impact on how a war plays out, historically that hasnt often been the case, said Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in war and the media. Still, several countries, including the United States and Britain, imposed additional sanctions on Russia this week, and they cited the brutality in Bucha as compelling them to do more. Whatever the impact, Adelman said it is critical to have journalists on hand to document what is going on. Bearing witness is crucially important, particularly in cases of catastrophic loss, she said. Sometimes the photograph is all you have left. Photographs and video from Bucha showed body bags piled in trenches, lifeless limbs protruding from hastily dug graves, and corpses scattered in streets where they fell, including one man blown off a bicycle. Journalists from around the world also interviewed Ukrainians emerging from their hiding places to tell stories about the barbarism they witnessed from Russian soldiers. TV anchors and correspondents warned viewers that they were about to see graphic and disturbing pictures a warning that came four times in one episode of World News Tonight on ABC. I'm sorry I have to show you this, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen apologized, before motioning a camera to show body bags piled in a van. While we may want to look away, it is becoming harder and harder to close our eyes to what's happening, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt said in his warning to viewers. Veteran television news producer Rick Kaplan said that, from what he's seen, news organizations have been careful in what they've shown without flinching from the story. Every day we have these images it brings (the war) home more and more, said Kaplan, a former president of both CNN and MSNBC. It's a good thing that this horrifies us. Can you imagine if we were blase about it? The gruesome images from Bucha, in particular, have dominated news reports around the world. The BBC reported on the continued world revulsion. Italian state TV gave no warning before showing bodies with bound hands, half-buried in sandy terrain. What you see from here, unfortunately, are signs of torture on the face, journalist Stefania Battistini said. All are wearing civilian clothes. Narrating a story on Fakty, Poland's most-watched evening news program, anchor Grzegorz Kajdanowicz said it is our duty to warn you, but also to show you what the Russians did in Bucha and several other places. It was different in Russia, where state television falsely claimed Ukraine was responsible for either killing civilians themselves or perpetrating a hoax. Russian TV has also run images of dead bodies in Bucha, some taken from CNN, with the word fake stamped on the screen, according to Internet Archive, a company that collects and saves Web and television content. The Russian propaganda prompted many Western news organizations to debunk those claims by using satellite imagery to show that many dead bodies that were documented on the ground this week by journalists had been in the same spots when Russia controlled the town. Some of the most graphic images were compiled in a short video made by Ukraine to accompany President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the United Nations on Tuesday. To a soundtrack of somber music and the cries of children, the video showed close-ups of corpses and body parts. Technical difficulties delayed its airing until well after Zelenskyy talked, giving networks like CNN and Fox News Channel that had aired the speech time to present it later in edited form. But MSNBC appeared to show it in full, leaving anchor Andrea Mitchell visibly shaken. That's just horrific, she said. I don't think the world has seen anything like it. Ukraine has a clear motivation to show the world what is happening, and journalists accompanied Zelenskyy on a visit to Bucha on Monday. While television and the Internet give greater immediacy to war coverage, heart-wrenching images and their potential to shape public opinion are hardly new. Harvard historian Drew Faust, author of This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, noted that when Matthew Brady had an exhibit of his Civil War photographs in 1862, The New York Times wrote, if he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it. When a memorable photo was circulated of a 5-year-old boy sitting dazed and bloodied after being rescued from a bombing in Aleppo, Syria in 2016, NPR asked in a headline, Can one photo help end a war? It hasn't yet. A danger, too, is that in a world not easily shocked people will become numb to the pictures. That's Faust's fear, particularly as she expressed surprise that many people became strangely disconnected to the news of so many people dying of COVID-19. As more communities are liberated from Russian rule, the number of ghastly images will almost certainly multiply. A little caution will be needed going forward so every news program doesn't become a parade of horrible images, said news consultant and retired NBC News executive Bill Wheatley. Yet one of the surprises of this war, along with Ukraine's ability to stave off a quick defeat, is the way Zelenskyy has been able to win the information battle and unite opposition in a way that was not anticipated. In that context, the images may help make a difference. ___ Associated Press correspondents Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy; Louise Dixon in London; Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland; and Amanda Seitz in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. An Army veteran involved in a multimillion-dollar heist of combat gear at Fort Hood, Texas, accepted a plea deal Tuesday and is set to be sentenced this summer. Jessica Smith admitted to her role in stealing more than $2 million worth of Army equipment, breaking into 17 storage containers with bolt cutters in June 2021 with another veteran who was a civilian employee at the base, Brandon Brown. His trial is set for later this spring. In March 2021, Brown connected with Smith, asking for her help stealing the equipment -- mostly optics soldiers use to shoot and operate at night, according to court documents. Because Brown was a civilian employee at Fort Hood, he had easy access to the base, investigators say. They allege that he also told Smith they would give the stolen goods to a local man, Nathan Nichols, who would sell the equipment online. Read Next: Milley Says Ukrainians Using Land Mines 'Effectively,' Reopening Debate About Controversial Weapons Investigators say the pair stole three PEQ-15 laser range finders, 57 PAS-13 thermal scopes, four PVS-13 night vision scopes, and 10 PVS-7 night vision goggles on June 16. The following day, they allegedly gave the equipment to Nichols in Corpus Christi, Texas, some 260 miles from Fort Hood. Nichols also pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced in June. Nichols posted the equipment on eBay two weeks after the heist, with the stolen goods all together valued at $2,176,000. Army investigators were able to match images on eBay showing the serial numbers to those that were stolen from Fort Hood, court records say. According to Army investigators, only $1,119,240.00 worth of gear was recovered after federal agents searched his home in July. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: How Brothers in Arms Plotted Theft, Sale of US Army Weaponry Command Master Chief Heath Jones has been named the Coast Guard's 14th Master Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted billet in the service. Officials announced Thursday that Jones will take over for Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Jason Vanderhaden in a ceremony scheduled for May 19 at the Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. Jones currently serves as command master chief for the Coast Guard's Deputy Commandant for Mission Support. In his new position, Jones will again serve as the senior enlisted adviser to Adm. Linda Fagan, nominated earlier this week as the Coast Guard's 27th commandant. If confirmed, Fagan would be the first woman ever to lead a branch of the U.S. armed forces. Read Next: All of Tyndall Air Force Base's Remaining F-22s Would Be Retired Under Latest Budget Proposal Jones served as command master chief of Coast Guard Pacific Area from 2019 to 2021; Fagan led Pacific Area from 2018 to 2021. Jones' promotion will take place 27 years to the month since the Covington, Louisiana, native arrived at Coast Guard boot camp. He brings to the post extensive seamanship and leadership experience, having served as officer in charge of Coast Guard stations Cape Charles, Virginia, and Pensacola, Florida, as well as the Coast Guard patrol boat Sea Horse and icebreaking harbor tug Bollard. Vanderhaden is expected to retire after 34 years of service. In the same announcement, officials named Command Master Chief Timothy Beard as the next Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve. Beard, an Army veteran, has served alongside Fagan as well, working as Command Master Chief of the Pacific Area Reserve since 2018, the same year she became Pacific Area commander. A native of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Beard enlisted in the Army in 1984 and in the Coast Guard Reserve in 1998, serving largely on the West Coast, including Port Security Unit 313 in Tacoma, Washington; Group Astoria in Oregon; and on the Columbia River. A law enforcement officer by education and training, Beard recently retired from his civilian job as a patrol sergeant with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in Oregon, where he held positions as the department's SWAT team sniper leader, field training officer and dive team supervisor. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Russia Reportedly Sinks Former US Coast Guard Patrol Boat Donated to Ukraine When the U.S. government teams up with the private sector, it accomplishes some historic achievements. The Hoover Dam, the Manhattan Project and now the largest 3D-printed building in the Americas. While there may not be a cool name for the project, the goal is pretty cool: three 5,700 square-foot buildings to be used as barracks on Fort Bliss, Texas, completed in just 10 months. It will be the largest 3D-printed building in the Americas. The Department of Defense is partnering with ICON, an Austin, Texas-based construction firm that uses a proprietary, high-strength concrete called Lavacrete on the project. The company says Lavacrete can withstand extreme weather conditions, is much more energy efficient than concrete and can be printed at high speeds. Most importantly, the 3D-printed materials are expected to last longer than traditional construction materials. ICON uses a 46.5-foot-wide printer called Vulcan to print the materials. The 9,500-pound machine heats the Lavacrete and uses pressure to form it into layers. The layers correspond to the programmed blueprint designs. The machine in the video below can be seen forming a continuous stream of Lavacrete, layer by layer, until it forms the outline wall of the structure. "Constructing facilities using this cutting-edge technology saves labor costs, reduces planning time, and increases the speed of construction of future facilities," Army Lt. Gen. Doug Gabram, commander of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, said in a statement. The structure will still need humans to provide electrical wiring, plumbing, roofing and all the other skilled labor-based additions that make a house a home. The Vulcan doesn't do windows. ICON's 3D printing method comes at a time when construction materials and workers are in short supply all over the United States. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) says that in 2021, more than 90% of builders reported delays and materials shortages. Meanwhile, 81% of construction firms have trouble filling both salaried and hourly craft positions, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Read: 5 Construction Companies That Want to Hire Vets Now 3D printing offers a solution to some of those issues. The machine doesn't require sleep, food or breaks, and there's no overtime pay required to work through the night. Despite the advantages in cost and labor, the Fort Bliss project will be the first 3D-printed building that meets the Defense Department's Unified Facilities Criteria for additive concrete construction. There were no criteria for 3D-printed concrete walls before, so companies using 3D-printing techniques couldn't even bid for DoD projects. The Department of Defense did not reveal the cost of the Fort Bliss barracks. A structure is 3D-printed by ICON and the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California. (Courtesy of ICON) In August 2021, ICON constructed a 3,800 square-foot barracks for the Texas Military Department, which comprises Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard and Texas State Guard. Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, the Texas Military Department adjutant general, told Stars and Stripes the cost of those barracks was about a third of the cost of a traditional structure. The Texas Military Departments barracks is the largest 3D-printed building in the Western Hemisphere -- until Fort Bliss barracks are finished printing, that is. The world's largest 3D-printed structure is a government building in Dubai, printed by American construction company Apis Cor. The company built a two-floor, 6,900 square-foot structure with walls 31 feet high, using a 3D printer on a crane. That concrete project required just three construction workers. ICON says its Lavacrete technology will not only last longer than traditional structures, it will build faster while keeping construction projects on schedule and on budget. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. Editor's note: This is the first story in a multipart series. The week before Thanksgiving, one of the Marine Corps' most senior lawyers stood in front of a room full of defense attorneys at Camp Lejeune and discussed changes in sex crime adjudication in the military. When the colonel began taking questions, a captain with three years of experience as a military defense counsel asked what measures would be in place to protect lawyers and judges like him from improper influences, such as from the chain of command, the media, or Congress. The colonel conceded that the protections did not exist. Because a military defense is not truly independent from the military chain of command, the military lawyers' zealous defense of a case could negatively impact their promotions, he said. "You think you are protected, but that is legal fiction," said Col. Christopher B. Shaw, the deputy staff judge advocate for the commandant of the Marine Corps -- the second-highest position in the Judge Advocate Division -- according to sworn affidavits filed by seven Marine officers who witnessed the events. Then-Lt. Col. Christopher B. Shaw poses for a photograph in his office at Lejeune Hall in 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos) The colonel squared his shoulders and locked his gaze on the captain, a Marine named Matthew Thomas, who was serving as the lead defense counsel in a contentious homicide trial involving two senior enlisted Marines and a Navy corpsman. "I know who you are and what cases you are on," Shaw said, according to Thomas. "You are not protected." "Our community is small," the colonel told the group, "and there are promotion boards, and the lawyer on the promotion board will know you." For the defense attorneys standing in the modular trailer, the perceived threat to their careers felt palpable, according to their sworn statements and exclusive interviews with The War Horse. The morning after the meeting, a witness filed a formal complaint to the office of the inspector general of the Marine Corps. On Dec. 6, fewer than three weeks after Col. Shaw's comments at Camp Lejeune, the Marine witnesses signed affidavits detailing Shaw's comments and their detrimental impact on the military defense community. Senior-ranking Marine Corps officials declined to discuss the concerns on the record to The War Horse. "Col. Shaw has received your numerous interview requests," wrote Maj. Jim Stenger, a spokesperson for the Corps, in a series of emails. "He has elected not to be interviewed. ... We are not currently granting interview requests in this case." Shaw's comments to Capt. Thomas represent one of the clearest examples of how military leaders can abuse their authority both during and outside court proceedings, and they will further degrade trust between uniformed attorneys and service members who face judicial punishments, alleges a defense motion filed with the statements. The colonel said the Marines -- all law-school graduates who have passed a bar exam and whose profession requires that they comprehend complex legal authorities and arguments -- simply misunderstood his comments, as well as his ability to influence their careers, the colonel said in two sworn statements to government investigators. Critics have, for decades, argued for change that could not only have prevented such a conversation but could ultimately have saved the integrity of the Marine Corps legal system. The colonel's comments not only undermine the lawyers' ability to defend their cases, but also harm the entire legal system of the Marine Corps -- in addition to the harm the comments could cause them on a personal level, they argued in their affidavits. Without integrity, the Marine Corps could cause a flood of appeals cases as Marines realize their cases may have been prosecuted in a system not solely based on truth or justice, but on threats to careers or influence from forces unknown to the accused. "I think the real challenge is that, at some level, the knowledge that your system is unjust can lead units to fracture," a senior Marine attorney said. "It can directly harm readiness." The Marine Corps' incestuous justice system operates on different levels based on rank and includes a notebook used to track officers' bad conduct. Repeatedly, the Marine generals and attorneys whose wrongdoings have been documented in the Corps' own records have been promoted and retired with full military benefits. "There's this idea that if you put officer misconduct in the street that it's going to undermine good order and discipline," said Eric Montalvo, a retired judge advocate who now serves as a civilian defense attorney. "Officers get away with more because it's more frat-like," Montalvo said. "The officer corps tries to stick together to some extent and take care of each other versus the troops. ... The loyalty card is always going to be scrutinized if you're going to screw over a fellow officer." Because of this secrecy and the manipulation of the justice system, many officers with documented wrongdoing retire with benefits and retain their access to lucrative civilian employment. They become professors at prestigious universities. They hold board positions with defense contractors. And despite their wrongdoing, they are allowed to continue their service to the United States on military justice review panels and speak on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces. Some are still on active duty. "That feeds into the cloak-and-dagger bulls--t," Montalvo said about the lack of accountability among military officers. "There's a benefit, but there's a burden, and the burden sometimes outweighs that benefit. ... It's all f----d up. That's why the system needs to change." Meanwhile, junior service members -- predominantly the enlisted -- sometimes have their mental health ignored or weaponized, careers ruined, and reputations left in shambles, often for trivial offenses or crimes committed while in psychiatric distress that was ignored by their leaders. Marines participate in a mock trial at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot courtroom in San Diego, California, Aug. 14, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Mallory S. VanderSchans) But there's a fix -- one that could lead to a system service members can trust. The War Horse spoke with more than two dozen active and retired attorneys, judge advocates, former public affairs officers, junior and senior enlisted, and legal experts from three separate branches and the private sector who said they support a restructuring and growth of the military legal system so it better serves the force. "The effects of Col. Shaw's comments -- especially to junior judge advocates -- will be lasting ones," said Colby Vokey, a retired Marine defense attorney and Desert Storm veteran. "Marines will avoid defense billets and won't make as much noise as they should," he said. In the military, "billets" refers to job positions. "That ultimately hurts the accused." U.S. Marines stand at right shoulder arms during a Sunset Parade at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James Bourgeois) One Marine Corps lawyer left the Marine Corps after filing a whistleblower complaint after seeing too many good lawyers retaliated against with bad performance reviews for defending their clients, he told The War Horse. The other former Marine judge advocates interviewed for this story echoed similar concerns. "Shaw's actions were a very clear violation of the rules of professional conduct in the JAG instructions," said Rob Bracknell, a retired Marine judge advocate, during a phone interview. "This was definitely unethical behavior. No question about it." Bracknell, who now serves as a civilian legal adviser, said the behavior proves military defense is not independent and the government is always in control. "The courts have been signaling this for years," Bracknell said. "Every few years, a major unlawful command influence case happens and then nothing really changes. That's not how it works in other rule-of-law governed societies: Courts issue rulings and people change their behavior as a result. "But not in the Corps. To me, it reflects a shallow understanding of the solemnity of the officer's oath," he said. "Shaw finally said the quiet part out loud -- he gave voice to that which everyone already knew intuitively, but no one would ever admit," Bracknell told The War Horse. "This idea that they don't control assignments? That's simply not true, and I can't believe any officer involved in the process would have the temerity to deny it. "This is the smoking gun," Bracknell said. "This is exactly why the system needs to change." A History of Unequal Legal Protections in Uniform Three years before the colonel's comments, Capt. Thomas was assigned as the lead military defense counsel for Chief Petty Officer Eric Gilmet, one of three service members -- dubbed "The MARSOC 3" -- who faced felony charges for the death of a retired Green Beret-turned-military contractor on New Year's Day at a nightclub in Erbil, Iraq. Early on Jan. 1, 2019, two Marines and the Green Beret, Rick Anthony Rodriguez, allegedly got in a fight outside the club. The Marines and Gilmet were all members of 3rd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). But Gilmet, a Navy corpsman, wasn't involved in the fight, his lawyer Colby Vokey told The War Horse during a series of interviews. Instead, he provided medical aid to the injured veteran at the scene of the fight, and found -- based on his years of extensive trauma and emergency medicine training -- that the injured man did not need treatment at a hospital. Then Gilmet and the two Marines escorted Rodriguez to the nearby military base where the corpsman continued to monitor the veteran's vital signs. He checked the injured man's blood oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter. He applied Dermabond, an adhesive for lacerations, to the back of the veteran's head. After a few hours of monitoring Rodriguez, the corpsman left a civilian contractor in charge and went to bed. An hour later, the contractor barged into Gilmet's quarters nearby and told him the injured veteran was not breathing. The contractor ran for help while Gilmet started CPR. Moments later, help arrived and Gilmet continued CPR in the back of a pickup truck as they drove to the hospital, Vokey said. Eric Gilmet (standing) instructs sailors during training in 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ian Leones) Three days later, Rodriguez died after being flown to Germany for treatment. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt force injuries to the head, which has been disputed by experts and the treating physicians, Vokey said. Military prosecutors charged Gilmet and the two Marines -- Gunnery Sgts. Joshua Negron and Daniel Draher -- with involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, obstructing justice, and violations of orders. The sentence carries a potential of at least a 20-year term and felony convictions that would strip the men of their honorable discharges and not only their military retirement but lifelong access to education, housing, and medical benefits. But the details about the sailor's involvement led many experts to question why the corpsman was being charged with a crime at all. Since Gilmet's arrest, attorneys and elected officials have alleged in the media and press releases that an overzealous chain of command is more committed to making an example of the accused than ensuring a fair investigation and trial. At the start of a December 2021 hearing, the military judge addressed the conflict of interest, according to reports published by UAP, a group that advocates for service members accused of crimes. In his later findings, the judge conceded that Col. Shaw's comments last fall represent unlawful command influence and, therefore, violated a statute or the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel that is free of conflicts of interest. Col. Christopher Shaw received his law degree at University of San Diego School of Law. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Ramos) The prosecutors then described the colonel's comments as "misguided and ignorant" and "not grounded in reality," according to the report. "Due to Shaw's dangerous comments, Chief Gilmet has lost trust and confidence in the military justice system and now has doubts about Captain Thomas's ability to effectively represent him without fear of reprisal." That December day, after representing Gilmet for three years -- and after Capt. Thomas turned down an opportunity to serve as a special assistant United States attorney so he could remain as Gilmet's senior defense counsel -- the judge who oversaw Gilmet's case granted the sailor's request to fire Thomas and his team. Thomas did not respond to multiple interview requests. "It was a Hobson's choice," Gilmet explained in his affidavit. "I could keep military defense counsel who had a conflict and whose representation was being influenced by Colonel Shaw's comments and the possible impact of that representation on their careers. "Or I could agree to release the two military attorneys who I had trusted completely and had spent considerable time preparing me and the case for trial." The combat veteran was awarded and credited with saving Marines on the battlefield. The trial, he wrote, was worse. "These last several years have been the scariest of my life," Gilmet wrote. "But I took comfort in the fact that I had Captain Thomas and Captain Riley there to defend me and ensure I received a fair trial. "I don't believe that a fair trial is possible any longer." The Corps' "Black Book" While enlisted service members like the MARSOC 3 are paraded through the justice system often just to dissuade misconduct in the ranks, Marine Corps officers are tracked in a deeply protected journal called the Officer Disciplinary Notebook. Inside the notebook, all investigations of and crimes committed by officers are kept meticulously tracked -- and often omitted from the official record and congressional disclosures -- throughout their careers, highlighting a mix of favoritism and "Sugar Daddy deals" overseen by military lawyers and senior officers, according to multiple senior enlisted Marines and officers who have read through its contents. In this Dec. 3, 2019, file photo, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger testifies during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) High-ranking Marines, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in fear of reprisal, said the behaviors are well-known by both current and past commandants. "Where there is a hang-up is on the decision whether to put someone on the Officer Disciplinary Notebook in the first place," a senior military attorney familiar with the notebook and its use told The War Horse. "Commanders will often try to shield those they like from having to go on it, even though the plain reading of the requirement says they should." Dubbed The Black Book, the notebook houses decades of information about investigations of and convictions for misconduct, results of command climate surveys, and documents pertaining to any other derogatory information gathered throughout an officer's career, often without their knowledge. It's overseen directly by the staff judge advocate to the commandant of the Marine Corps, according to senior military attorneys. "The Officer Disciplinary Notebook (ODN) is an internet-based electronic database used to report and track cases of Marine Corps officer misconduct and substandard performance," Stenger, the Marine Corps spokesman, explained. "The ODN exists principally to inform the promotion process." Two Marines who worked directly alongside the commandant, a sergeant major with decades in uniform, and two field-grade officers who once had access to the ODN said that wrongdoing is frequently omitted, manipulated, and weaponized by the Corps' senior officers both for the benefit and at the detriment of Marine officers when they discuss individual Marines' careers and promotions outside the official promotion board process. The abuse represents a clear and systematic imbalance of justice for the accused and blatant unfairness in the assignment and promotion process, a senior Marine defense attorney and five other Marines familiar with the notebook told The War Horse. "Instead of it helping them -- instead of it being a tool that protects the honor and integrity-driven system that we want to believe is there -- instead it becomes a tool of miscreants who use it to favor their friends, protect the ones they like, and for guys who get left on there a little longer, it hurts them going into a [promotion] board," said a senior Marine attorney familiar with the notebook's use. The notebook's contents have long been kept secret from junior officers and the enlisted ranks, said a high-ranking Marine who perused its trove of wrongdoing at length. And the public would be outraged -- and the Corps' reputation for integrity and honor would be tarnished -- if the notebook were published and the true behaviors of its officers revealed, multiple Marines said. Five Marine officers familiar with the ODN agree. "It would also shed a light on the people who decided to just make it a book entry as opposed to telling someone they need to go or they need to be subjected to a court martial," said Kevin McDermott, a retired Marine judge advocate and civilian defense attorney. "This is an ongoing effort to keep appearances up as to the upper echelons of officer leadership. You're only seeing a fraction, I'm sure, of the misconduct in the officer corps." The notebook also gives the Corps' most senior officers the ability to keep dirt and tip the scales to ensure a "company-man culture" where Marines are hesitant to speak out against wrongdoing and abuses of power by their leaders, the five senior Marines said. The notebook allows leaders to abandon the service member to protect the institution from embarrassment or being held accountable for its actions. "The favorite sons will never be hung out to dry," a senior Marine said. This lack of accountability and integrity drives talented attorneys from the military and costs incalculable amounts of taxpayer money while jeopardizing U.S. national security. "I've had to tell a battalion commander no, I wouldn't 'fix it' when he ordered an illegal search and had the sergeant major call it a 'health and comfort inspection,'" said a Marine judge advocate. Marines use a smoke grenade to conceal movements during riot control training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Fatmeh Saad) Many of the behaviors and crimes detailed in the notebook -- which include a plethora of scathing details about active duty and retired general officers -- are the same behaviors the Corps wants hidden from the public, the five senior Marines said. Sex crimes. Racism. Extremism. Alcoholism. Domestic violence. The notebook has it all. "There are senior Marines with lists of inspector general complaints as long as your arm," one Marine said. A System of "Legal Smoke and Mirrors" Previous protests of the system have gone largely unnoticed. In 1984, McDermott was a 28-year-old military defense counsel-turned-whistleblower who revealed that the Marine Corps routinely retaliated against zealous defense attorneys by giving them bad performance reviews. But 18 months earlier, McDermott had just begun his career as a military attorney when he was assigned to court-martial cases just days after arriving at his first duty station. Within his first few months, he maintained an average caseload of 30 to 40 clients that ranged from rape and espionage to drug trafficking and homicide. A U.S. Marine candidate low crawls through a water obstacle at the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexander Cockrell) McDermott often worked nights and weekends to catch up on cases. The legal offices had holes in the walls and the electricity barely operated. There were no functioning heaters in the defense offices and the attorneys shared only one typewriter to prepare their case files. Defense attorneys had to buy their own. No case-management system existed. "I would imagine ... a young kid facing charges for the first time in his life walking into that building was absolutely depressed about his chances, because the building gave you that kind of vibe," McDermott said. "It was literally that interrogation light that hung over right in the middle of the damn room." But McDermott wasn't alone in his frustrations. His fellow attorneys struggled to keep up with the workflow and were denied opportunities for professional development. As a result, he saw qualified, promising attorneys leave active duty because of the hypocrisy in the military judicial system. "We were always told to not slow the choo-choo train down -- to keep it moving," McDermott said. "You were quite often pressured into presenting cases when you could've used more time to prepare." Four decades later, a defense attorney told The War Horse that they are told to "keep the chow line moving." One thing was obvious from day one: There was an imbalance of power and widespread hypocrisy among military leadership, McDermott told The War Horse. Active-duty attorneys say the same problem exists today. And if any of the junior lawyers complained, their careers were ruined. "A lot of these guys and gals suffered in silence," McDermott said. For 18 months, McDermott kept his head down and did as he was told, he said. But throughout his first years in the Corps, the behaviors he witnessed made him question whether he wanted a career in the Marines. He wondered if he should speak out against systemic issues. McDermott moved from attorney to whistleblower when the Marine Corps fired him from the defense shop. His offense? He had won an accidental shooting case, an accomplishment in any other legal office. But the commander had wanted three Marines "crushed" for their willful negligence, McDermott said. Before he got back to his office, all of his belongings had been removed. After McDermott's firing in 1983 and after he had filed his formal complaint, the Marine Corps conducted an internal investigation. They whitewashed the behaviors that led to his dismissal. But the coverup inspired other defense attorneys to step forward. Soon, national media attention led to outrage among lawmakers, service members, and civilians alike. After the Marine officers banded together to speak out, the commandant deemed the initial investigation as "woefully inadequate," and lawmakers ordered a third-party investigation, McDermott said. Had the whitewashed investigation not been challenged, the truth might have remained hidden from the public. "There's always strength in numbers," McDermott said. A sergeant major encourages Marines and sailors to act as ambassadors of the Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Amy Phan) The investigator's final report verified the patterns of wrongdoing. By the end of the year, the Marines established a command for defense counsel that was independent from the prosecutors' office. But while the new command led to some improvements in military defense and helped to ensure a more fair trial, McDermott's career was ruined. To make matters worse, the changes to the military's criminal justice system weren't radical enough to afford service members the same legal protections as the civilian citizens they serve, he said. "It was the watershed moment that forced a bunch of people out of the Marine Corps and forced a bunch of changes," McDermott said. Still, he mourns that they didn't do enough with the momentum they'd gained. The young attorneys didn't understand the power they had to make further progress -- to force justice on the good ol' boys' system. "We were young and naive. We had the bull by the horns and didn't know what to do with it." "You Really Run the Risk of Ruining Someone's Life" Experts like McDermott say Congress should have stepped in long ago to make the necessary changes to protect military defense lawyers from being punished for vigorously representing their clients. That rampant disregard for the rights of the accused -- as well as how it reinforces a twisted definition of justice -- drove McDermott from active duty to a career as a civilian defense counsel in military cases. Since then, his work has led to convictions of service members being overturned, mistrials being declared, and murder charges being dismissed. For years, lawmakers and veterans of the military justice system have advocated for changes to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) that would strip commanders of their involvement in criminal proceedings and allow for more equal protections for service members. The last major modifications to the system came in 1968, 1984, and 2016. More recent amendments have focused on cyber and sex crimes. In 2021, the Defense Department, following orders from lawmakers, launched its efforts to allow attorneys to specialize in sex crimes. Experts say the changes fall short of what's truly needed to effect change. There have been improvements to transparency, bit by bit, but the justice system in the military as a whole has not been modernized since the UCMJ was enacted in 1950. That came after outrage in Congress that millions of service members had been court-martialed during World War II under draconian military tribunals. Today, nearly four decades after McDermott and his fellow Marines first blew the whistle by filing an internal complaint to the military in 1984, the lack of protections for service members remains widespread -- a proclivity often validated by the Supreme Court because of the Fifth Amendment. The Fifth Amendment states that a person's right to a grand jury disappears "in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger." But a system that takes advantage of a law meant to protect U.S. citizens to instead punish its own isn't the only problem. As the country discusses improvements to state and federal criminal justice systems, the military has largely been left out of that conversation. And lawmakers are in a stalemate about how exactly to change the military's legal system. "The community clings to this cultural dogma without questioning whether reasonable alternatives exist or exceptions could be made," said a judge advocate who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "Just as the Marine Corps itself suffers from institutional paranoia, the Marine Corps legal community suffers from insecurity about being disliked because of being overeducated and having to be the moral compass both in garrison and on deployment," he said."I personally see that specific function as the greatest value Marine lawyers can add," he said. Military defense offices are under-resourced, like state public defenders. And they don't have adequate access to investigators who may strengthen the defense of the accused, according to multiple sources interviewed during this investigation. Newly graduated officers are presented with a badge at the Bob Hope Theater aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, April 10, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Christopher Johns) Paired with inexperienced and burned-out military police investigators, many active and retired military attorneys said the deck has remained stacked against the accused for decades. "I just think they're overwhelmingly incompetent," said Bracknell, the retired Marine attorney who is a senior legal adviser to an international organization. "I don't think they're trained to the same standard as other similarly positioned law enforcement. Military police are not real police -- they're traffic cops." The Marine Corps is not the only service that needs an update. When it comes to working with the Army Criminal Investigative Division or Naval Criminal Investigative Service, he's had more bad experiences than good with them, Bracknell said. Multiple other attorneys agree. "Some of their agents are pretty good, but some others are just buffoons," he said. "I've had a supervisory special agent at a major installation tell me that once he identifies a suspect, he stops pursuing other leads. That's wildly wrong. Outside the military gate, investigators are light-years ahead of NCIS." As things stand, there isn't much hope for change: The majority of cases are not eligible for an appeal to the Supreme Court. And Congress relaxed prohibitions that restricted retired military attorneys from being appointed to positions on the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. That changed in 2014 because of the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized a waivable seven-year cooling-off period. The exemptions are similar to those authorized for retired Gens. James Mattis and Lloyd Austin to be appointed as the last two secretaries of defense. "It's supposed to be a civilian court, but there's a hell of a lot of military experience there," said Eugene R. Fidell, who teaches military justice at NYU Law School. "It's gotten away from the Senate, which confirms the judges, and it's gotten away from the Department of Defense." Other military attorneys agree. "We didn't advocate as strongly as we should have for more aggressive changes to the way the military does things," said McDermott, who has spent decades as a defense counsel in military cases since retiring from active duty. "We are long past an indigent person being required to defend themselves, but when you have a junior lieutenant or young captain leading a serious felony case and they don't have the experiences or resources they need, you really run the risk of ruining someone's life." Military Attorneys Disregard Precedent and the Rule of Law Experts say the flaws in the military justice system begin long before a case ever goes to trial: A defendant can be charged with a career-ending crime from baseless allegations that often would not stand up in a civilian court. And if that case goes to trial, unlike a civilian court where a jury pool is random, the service member's commander selects the panel of jurors, who are referred to as members in the military. Legal assistance was put in place to help Marines, retirees, and family members with legal matters. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Christopher Johns) "You don't get a jury of your peers," a retired military defense attorney told The War Horse. "It's all about control." In 2017, a Marine named Lance Cpl. Emmanuel Q. Bartee faced larceny charges and was subjected to three separate court proceedings because the chain of command overseeing the case repeatedly manipulated member selection. In each instance, despite being informed of the problematic panel selection, the general who oversaw the case ignored the recommendations and did not modify the member list, Bartee alleged. A majority of the judges on the military judicial system's highest court disagreed with Bartee. In a dissenting opinion, Chief Judge Charles Erdmann wrote that "to uphold the essential fairness and integrity of the military justice system I would set aside the findings and sentence and remand the matter for a rehearing with a properly selected panel." That same year, a case involving a Marine named Sgt Dexter K. Kunishige, who was convicted of child sexual assault and pornography, was tainted for the same reason. The Navy and Marine Corps Court of Appeals opined that commanders cherry-picked members of the jury panel. And they repeatedly failed to disclose crucial information about the actions of the general overseeing the case. They also found that, had adequate disclosures been made, at least one jury member would have been removed for implied bias. As a result, one of the judges wrote in a 2021 opinion that a "cavalier" attitude "permeated the discovery of materials related to the member selection. It is clear the Government was uninterested in making timely production of the member selection documents sought by the Defense and ordered by the military judge." That judge also cited Erdmann's dissent in the previous case six months earlier. Following another court-martial process, Sgt. Kunishige was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to 30 years of confinement in a military prison. The case is pending appeal. "I would humbly submit that our superior court should revisit [the precedent] before panel stacking becomes the norm against our Marines and Sailors," a judge on the panel wrote in their summary. Following a conviction, only cases that result in a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge, or where a sentence exceeds certain thresholds of confinement, must have an appellate review. And because only appellate cases are publicly available, details of lesser crimes and misconduct are not visible to the public. This covers up failures to address mental health, hides life-altering punishments from taxpayers, and denies service members justice. Most troubling is that the majority of punishments in the military are not visible to the public because they are handed out by a commander, who acts as judge and jury, rather than through a court-martial. This process is known as non-judicial punishment or NJP -- as well as "Article 15" or captain's mast, depending on the branch of service. "It's a way of playing that loyalty card," a senior lawyer said. "There's a wicked psychological game there. It's a way to control things and keep things out of the press." Because each of the charges is classified as a personnel matter -- many leading to career-ending and life-altering punishments and ramifications -- they are not discussed or released by officials. "Headquarters Marine Corps does not track NJPs at the service level," said Maj. James Stenger, a spokesperson for the Marines. "It disappears like smoke," a senior lawyer said. "I don't trust it, to be blunt." A System of "Legal Smoke and Mirrors" Col. Shaw's statements to a room of Marine Corps lawyers speak of more than a single instance of abuse: They point toward a closed culture that goes unchecked by Congress. This, experts say, has allowed the Corps' insular legal system to metastasize into a penal system ripe for abuse, assumptions about motives, and manipulation. Throughout the entire legal process, Marines adjudicate other Marines: The attorneys. The judges. The security guards. The police. The investigators. The courtroom and administrative staff. The commanders. And the general who can modify the judge's decision in some cases, but only to the benefit of the accused. All Marines. Marines march during a sunset parade in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James Bourgeois) "The entire Marine Corps judge advocate community is hopelessly f-----g broken," said a retired judge advocate who spent more than 20 years in uniform. "It's a good ol' boys club." Good Marines don't stick around in bad systems. And the civilian world offers better pay for lawyers. For years, public reports have shown "unhealthy" staffing and retention levels that are leading to burnout among young officers, who then leave the service in droves. Making the problem worse, bad policies in the Defense Department are hurting the Corps' ability to train and retain qualified attorneys. Worse yet, the accused have little recourse. The military denies service members accused of crimes some of the most basic legal protections guaranteed to civilians by the Constitution -- the right to a unanimous verdict and the potential to appeal their case to the Supreme Court -- say experts, veterans, and attorneys across the Defense Department. And in the event of prosecutorial misconduct or a conviction being overturned, service members and veterans, unlike civilians, cannot sue the government for wrongdoing during legal proceedings. "That whole servant-leader thing that Gen. Lejeune talked about is out the window," said a retired sergeant major with 30 years in uniform. "That s--t doesn't apply anymore, you know. It's all about moving up and getting that next star and padding that retirement check. "And meanwhile, up at the very top, they're just doing whatever they want, treating people however they want, administering justice how they feel like it, and finding excuses for bad behavior to try to make it go away." General John A. LeJeune, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, viewing the eclipse in Washington in 1925. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress) Whether a Marine is punished or not falls on the shoulders of the Corps attorneys who themselves are not required to follow myriad civilian best practices. In spite of this incredible autonomy and responsibility, no functioning system of accountability exists to hold Marine attorneys responsible for the failures or negligence, despite being commissioned by Congress to pursue justice for the service members accused of crimes. "The inspector generals do not exist to find misconduct," the sergeant major said. "They look for other reasons to excuse poor behavior." The Corps' legal system operates on trust. The basis of that system, by default, is its courts, experts say. Lawyers influence everything in the Corps: The internal and external reports. The recruiting ads. The enlistment waivers. The gear purchases. The press releases. And interviews with the media. It's all reviewed by Marine attorneys. The two senior spokespeople for Headquarters Marine Corps, Brig. Gen. George Rowell IV and Col. Kelly Frushour, did not respond or declined interview requests to discuss all aspects of The War Horse's investigation and why it seems Marine Corps officers are not held accountable for all wrongdoing. The staff judge advocate to the commandant of the Marine Corps, Maj. Gen. David Bligh, and Col. Valerie Dalyluk, the chief defense counsel in the Marine Corps, did not respond to requests to discuss the issues impacting the Corps' legal community and its willingness to adhere to the rule of law. When asked for his perspective as the Corps' senior representative for enlisted Marines, Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, declined to be interviewed. When given the opportunity to provide confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the system, Gen. David Berger, the commandant of the Marine Corps, did not respond to multiple interview requests. "Don't Marines pride themselves on integrity?" many of the Marines asked during conversations about the details of The War Horse's investigation. The Marines spoke with The War Horse on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. One's reputation within the Marine Corps community can influence civilian opportunities beyond active duty. "These officers have a responsibility to take care of the Marines," one said. "Period." A senior defense attorney on active duty agreed and said Marine Corps leadership has a responsibility to discuss these issues in the media. "Gen. Bligh needs to answer for the community," said a Marine defense attorney, adding that Bligh needs to "answer for how he's going to protect and insulate the defense counsel" going forward. "The commandant is required to and is responsible for ensuring that the military justice that occurs within his branch is done so fairly and effectively and that defense counsel are valued for the work that they do," the Marine officer said. "The fact that they haven't commented -- Gen. Bligh and the commandant -- will leave the force wondering if what Col. Shaw said was correct." Trust in the System Can Be Restored The veil of secrecy in the military's two-tiered legal system allows attorneys to ruin lives -- both officers and the enlisted -- often without consequence In one of the rare instances where a civilian federal judge in one of the country's most influential trial courts reviewed a Marine case, she penned a scathing criticism of how the commanders and attorneys were unfaithful in their pursuit of justice. "It is not a tale that inspires confidence in our criminal justice system," wrote the judge, Colleen McMahon, now retired from the Southern District of New York. "The real JAG [judge advocate] dropped the ball, and did so deliberately, not accidentally or inadvertently -- even though the Department of Defense was prepared to fight a turf war with the Department of Justice to keep the case within the military." Active-duty and veteran Marine attorneys say they worry most that the current commandant, Gen. Berger, tolerates and trusts a legal system that has grown so corrupt -- so brazen and unregulated -- that for nearly eight years, the leadership of his Judge Advocate Division felt emboldened to violate a direct order from his predecessor to launch a study that could have identified a more fair justice system that Marines and the public could fully trust. "I wouldn't hang this only around Gen. Berger's neck," said Bracknell, and added that decades of commandants, who all bear responsibility for ignoring the flaws in the Corps legal system, "have all been asleep at the switch." As a result, the problem has festered. "They're so focused on their day jobs that they forget that disciplining the force is a big deal and leadership through fair treatment is a big deal," Bracknell said. Moving forward, experts say there is only one solution: accountability. The title Marine and the symbolic Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem is earned only by those who are imbued with the Corps core values and have proven themselves worthy of belonging to the few and the proud. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Bolser) By taking proactive steps to increase independence, transparency, and oversight, the Corps and Defense Department can prevent improper influences on criminal proceedings, foster greater trust in the legal system among service members, and improve transparency with the public, experts say. "We're moving backward with less and less rights for the accused," said a Marine judge advocate with more than 20 years in uniform. "The current system is concerning." Taking initiative to improve the system and trust in it among service members will encourage more victims of crime to step forward, cause lawyers to more zealously defend against false allegations, and create more rigorous investigations that will decrease acquittal rates. It will also maintain good order and discipline in uniform, and strengthen both recruiting and retention efforts, they said. The Corps cannot be trusted to do this on their own, they said. Its most senior leadership has ignored the problem for too long, and lawmakers must step in. In this March 14, 2021, file photo, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo File) "They need to step in with expertise and identify the right problems, not just the most politically expedient problems," Bracknell said, adding that while recent reforms have rightly focused on addressing sexual assault in uniform, the same attention should be shown for the rights of the accused. "No one is really interested in really fixing the system," he said. "The courage that [elected officials] showed in 1950 when they completely remade the system, that was different. That was special. You could never recreate it from scratch right now -- not in this environment." Until Congress takes decisive actions, senior military leaders will continue to manipulate the system, critics say. General officers and attorneys who should ensure that integrity -- one of the Corps' 14 leadership traits -- is the backbone and lifeblood of the Corps' legal system instead use it for their own purposes. As a result, bulletproof rape cases are thrown out for intolerable delays. Commanders are allowed to manipulate the selection of members to the jury panel. And testimony from incompetent witnesses has been allowed. Marines have been convicted -- and later released -- for false, unsubstantiated allegations and legal failures. Because the military is struggling to retain its most talented attorneys, inexperienced officers are being assigned to felony cases, and judges are reducing sentences to avoid public scrutiny and mandatory appellate review. In an ongoing investigation at Camp Lejeune, a major is being investigated for what Shaw himself described during the November 2021 meeting as "absolutely unacceptable" behaviors at multiple duty stations. They allegedly include "intentionally or negatively" manipulating the timelines of sexual assault cases to force military generals to accept pretrial agreements with minimal accountability for the accused. Military officers are hiding wrongdoing from citizens, attorneys say. Most troubling, the military's own records reveal that the lack of integrity in the military justice system has allowed for a decades-long pattern of unlawful command influences to occur during criminal proceedings -- from junior officers to a former commandant. Trust in the legal system and its leaders has eroded, experts say. "Active-duty Marines aren't speaking up because our institutional culture in the Marine Corps demands extreme deference to authority, rewards conformity, and punishes candor," wrote retired Maj. Charles M. Olmsted for The Wall Street Journal in March following a scathing editorial by former secretary of the Navy and decorated Marine Officer Jim Webb about the future of the Marine Corps. "The Marine Corps selects those who provide the answers that the boss wants to hear. The most important leadership traits are tact and loyalty -- to one's boss. The result is an organization that can't render an honest and compelling justification for any major initiative." Meanwhile, service members who have demanded accountability for failures ranging from sexual assault investigations to general officer misconduct and the Afghanistan withdrawal -- where 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman, and a soldier died as a result of massive planning and strategic failures -- have been silenced. Service members are often discarded to solitary confinement in the brig where they are left to beg military judges for mental health care during failed pursuits of justice, attorneys say. The system plays against everything for which the U.S. Armed Forces stands. And it ruins people's lives. This War Horse investigation was reported by Thomas J. Brennan, edited by Kelly Kennedy, fact-checked by Ben Kalin, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Abbie Bennett wrote the headlines. A federal judge has struck down the military's policy of denying commissions to HIV-positive service members in a lawsuit filed in 2018. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled Wednesday that the Department of Defense must reconsider Nicholas Harrison's application to become a JAG officer for the D.C. National Guard without taking into account his HIV-positive status. The ruling also applies to "any other asymptomatic HIV-positive service member with an undetectable viral load." The lawsuit, originally filed several years ago, was brought by Harrison, who joined the Army in 2000 at 23. According to his complaint, Harrison left active duty for the reserves after three years as a sergeant to focus on college. He subsequently earned both a bachelor's and law degree while with the Oklahoma Guard. Read Next: Staff Shortages and Burnout Topped Challenges for Military Hospitals in Pandemic, Watchdog Finds While in law school, Harrison says he deployed twice -- to Afghanistan and Kuwait. The latter deployment came before he could sit for his bar exam. After returning from Kuwait in 2012, court documents say that he tested positive for HIV. "Sgt. Harrison was immediately placed on antiretroviral combination therapy, and soon thereafter, he had an undetectable viral load," the complaint said. "He has been virally suppressed or had an undetectable viral load ever since that time," it added. In 2013, after being accepted to the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program, Harrison was offered a position in the Judge Advocate General Corps for the D.C. National Guard as a captain. However, his HIV status prevented his commissioning, despite the fact he received top marks in every category of his commissioning medical exam, the complaint said. Harrison asked for a waiver and appealed the subsequent denial to the deputy chief of staff for the Army and under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness with no success. Court records say that Harrison was told by the service's chief of staff that his request was "not in the best interest of the Army." Harrison sued, arguing the military's long-standing policy on HIV-positive service members was discriminatory, especially in light of medical advances that have allowed people with managed infections to lead largely unaffected lives. "These medical advances should have resulted in an overhaul of military policies related to people living with HIV," Harrison argued in his complaint. "Instead, the Department of Defense and the Army maintained the bar to enlistment and appointment of people living with HIV, as well as the restrictions on deployment, when they revisited these policies in recent years," the document added. When asked about the judge's Wednesday ruling, a spokesman for the Pentagon directed Military.com to the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice did not reply before publication. The allegation that the military's HIV regulations, originally developed in the 1980s, are out of touch is not new. At one point in the 1980s, service members who tested positive were being charged with sodomy under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and HIV-positive troops reported being forced to live in a special barracks at Fort Hood that became known as "the leper colony." One regulation that has drawn particular attention and criticism is the so-called "safe sex order" that HIV-positive service members are required to sign, which restricts them from more banal activities like sharing toothbrushes or razors all the way to the mandated use of contraception to prevent pregnancy and spread of HIV to a potential child. In an editorial published in 2019, former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus argued that it is "long past time" for the military to revisit some of these rules. Though people still are not allowed to enlist while positive, Mabus noted that the Navy expanded the places HIV-positive sailors could serve to include "large-platform ships and certain bases globally." "These individuals can do the job as well as anyone else," he wrote. As Harrison's case wound its way through the legal process, the government's lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have it dismissed several times. Among the government's arguments to toss the suit was the fact that the court "has no power to direct that Plaintiff Harrison be commissioned" since that is a "power expressly reserved for the President alone," court filings said. Plus, they argued that people with HIV aren't a group "that is entitled to special consideration under the Equal Protection Clause." The lawsuit never reached trial, instead handing a victory to Harrison on summary judgment. The judge's full opinion remained under seal as of Thursday evening. It is not clear whether the government will appeal the decision. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Navy Halts Discharges of Sailors with COVID-19 Religious Exemption Requests Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley argued Thursday that land mines have been critical for Ukrainian forces' success against Russian armored vehicles. Milley's comments at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing come as the Biden administration is reviewing the U.S. land mine policy after former President Donald Trump expanded the U.S. military's use of the controversial weapons in 2020. "Land mines are being effectively used by the Ukrainian forces to shape the avenues of approach by Russian armored forces, which puts them into engagement areas and makes them vulnerable to the 60,000 anti-tank weapons systems that we're providing to the Ukrainians," Milley said. "That's one of the reasons why you see column after column of Russian vehicles that are destroyed." Read Next: How 'Sugar Daddy Deals' and a 'Black Book' Deny Service Members Justice U.S. forces have fallen victim to land mines in the past, including those made in the United States. About 90% of the mines and booby traps used against U.S. troops in the Vietnam War were U.S.-made or built by enemy forces using captured American parts, according to Army research reported on by The New York Times. More than 160 countries have signed onto a 1997 treaty banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel land mines. The United States is not one of them, nor is Russia. Land mines have long been decried by human rights organizations because they are often left behind after a conflict, indiscriminately killing and maiming civilians who stumble upon them long after a war has ended. A watchdog organization called Landmine Monitor estimates at least 7,073 people were killed or injured by land mines in 2020 alone. Russia has also been accused of employing land mines in its attacks against civilians during the Ukraine war, including its newly developed POM-3 that uses sensors to detect when someone walks nearby rather than the traditional way to trip a land mine of stepping on it. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama issued an executive order intended to reduce civilian harm that prohibited the U.S. military from using land mines anywhere other than the Korean peninsula. That particular use -- protecting South Korea from an invasion by the north -- has long been the top reason cited by military planners for their objection to signing on to a land mine ban. But in January 2020, Trump rescinded Obama's order, arguing the restriction could place service members at "a severe disadvantage during a conflict against our adversaries." During the presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden vowed to "promptly" reverse Trump's move. But more than a year into his presidency, Biden's administration is still reviewing the policy. In his comments Thursday, Milley called land mines an "important" weapon to help "shape enemy operations." But he also nodded to the concerns about their harm to civilians, saying the United States is working to develop land mines that could deactivate themselves at the end of a war. "The reason we're developing a newer one is so they time out and they don't present harm after the conclusion of hostilities," Milley said. "And they would self-detonate or self-destroy or become inert at the end of hostilities." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Trump Reverses Obama-Era Restrictions on Military Use of Land Mines Staff shortages in the military health system related to a planned reduction of medical personnel and absences for COVID-19, deployment and other reasons plagued military hospitals in 2020, leaving staff stretched thin and burned out, the Defense Department's watchdog has found. In some cases, the shortages caused military treatment facilities to decrease their number of inpatient or intensive care beds and up the number of referrals for active-duty personnel to civilian care -- a circumstance that had the potential to prevent service members from getting treated and back to work quickly, according to the DoD Inspector General. The shortages also resulted in some locations being unable to provide needed specialty care. One facility was forced to medevac four obstetrics patients to another military facility because the community could not accommodate them, while a patient died of COVID-19 in the emergency department at a military hospital that was not equipped for advanced care. That patient could not be transferred because of lack of space elsewhere. Read Next: Coast Guard Names Its 14th Master Chief Petty Officer The DoD Inspector General embarked on the investigation, publicly released Wednesday, to determine what roadblocks or concerns military medical facilities faced in the first nine months of the pandemic. The first year of the pandemic was unprecedented for U.S. health care, and the Defense Department's medical system was called on not only to care for its own but to support the nationwide response, while also continuing to care for troops in overseas military operations. U.S. Army North, the command responsible for supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency's nationwide response to COVID-19, deployed more than 4,700 military medical personnel to 83 hospitals in 62 cities through October 2021, and more than 5,100 personnel supported 48 vaccination sites in 42 cities. At the same time, medical personnel were deployed to support the withdrawal from Afghanistan and provide medical care for refugees through Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome. By the end of 2020, there had been 157,798 cases of COVID-19 among military personnel and family members, with 1,633 hospitalizations and 26 deaths. As of April 1, 2022, 455,650 military personnel and family members had contracted COVID-19, 3,149 had been hospitalized and 130 had died since the start of the pandemic. Military medical leaders have said the department was well positioned to respond to a pandemic, although perhaps not one on the global scale of COVID-19. During a March 22 hearing before the Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee, defense officials praised their personnel's response to the pandemic, which Defense Health Agency Lt. Gen. Ronald Place called "one of our top priorities vital to the medical readiness of our forces and the health and well-being of all Americans." "Our health care professionals have demonstrated their dedication and readiness in response to the global pandemic for the last two years," said Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle, Army surgeon general. "We must monitor the impacts of the prolonged pandemic response on our health care workforce, our soldiers, and our families." The military medical workforce's response to the pandemic, which included setting up field hospitals in major cities throughout the U.S., deploying to two hospital ships, and establishing and manning testing and vaccination sites left hospitals without enough personnel. Some facilities started the pandemic short staffed, according to the IG. As a result of "DoD-directed military medical personnel cuts" that were planned before the pandemic, positions slated for reduction were vacant after members transferred to other duty stations, leaving units without needed providers. The military health system is in the middle of a massive reform effort that has shifted management of the military services' 51 hospitals and 424 health clinics to the Defense Health Agency while focusing the Army, Navy and Air Force's medical commands on providing health care primarily for military personnel. The plan calls for trimming roughly 12,800 military health billets and moving many non-military beneficiaries to private-sector health care, but as the IG found, while the cuts were paused during the pandemic, some billets essentially have been trimmed, having gone unfilled. In addition, competing demands of deployments; difficulty recruiting new staff during the pandemic and on a pay scale that couldn't compete with the private sector during a national emergency; and COVID-19 infections among health care workers, colleagues or family members caused remaining personnel to work long hours, sometimes as many as 16 or 17 hours a day, 7 days a week. "We are stretched thin and exhausted," one service member told the IG team. "If we complain, we are seen as lazy and don't want to do our job. ... When the ones who you depend on most during this pandemic cannot function and do their job due to work stress and being burnt out, (leadership) knew that this has been a problem and still let it continue." The IG, which looked primarily at the military health system's pandemic response in 2020, found that some problems, like burnout, continued into 2021. "Officials from 28 MTFs [military treatment facilities] continued to report that staff burnout due to personnel shortages and operational tempo is a challenge," the IG team wrote. The inspector general made five recommendations to the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs to ensure that the Defense Health Agency and military medical commands solve ongoing issues and are ready for the next pandemic. They include: developing a policy on maximum consecutive work hours and shifts per week, as well as a plan for coverage in the absence of team members; creating an advisory group to develop recommendations from DoD COVID-19 after-action reports: establishing a working group to address staffing challenges; crafting new manpower requirements for COVID-19 within military treatment facilities; and reviewing personnel requirements needed for future pandemic response and biological incidents. In response, Dr. David Smith, who currently handles the duties of assistant secretary of defense for health affairs while the confirmation process is underway for a permanent nominee, agreed to develop policies to address staff fatigue and support a working group to track implementation of lessons learned from the pandemic. He disagreed, however, with establishing manpower requirements within the MTFs for the ongoing mission and future pandemic or biological incident, saying that military treatment facilities are staffed for emergencies to meet national standards and the Defense Health Agency "does not establish manpower requirements to address a specific virus." -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Plans for Hospital Closures as Part of Military Health System Reform Forging Ahead After Pause The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Gary Anderson lectures on Alternative Analysis (Red Teaming) at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. He served as a special adviser to the deputy secretary of defense during the George W. Bush administration. Western military analysts who predicted a quick collapse of Ukraine under the boots of the mighty Russian army are wrong again. They are now urging Kyiv's forces to dig in and conduct a long war of attrition. Instead, the Ukrainian army should go on the offensive to retake the disputed Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east of Ukraine, as well as the southern coastline. If that sounds like an audacious move, it is, but there is some sound military history behind the notion. George Patton believed that the only way to really get to know an enemy is to fight him. The Ukrainians have been fighting the Russians for nearly six weeks now and believe that they have the measure of their opponents. Repeatedly in history, overconfident and underdisciplined armies have been first routed and then disintegrated by a well-executed surprise offensive. The most recent example was the 1967 Six-Day War, when a coalition of Arab states was armed with state-of-the art Soviet (Russian) equipment and attempted to conquer Israel. Once an Israeli preemptive airstrike had turned the vaunted Soviet-supplied fighters and bombers into junk, ill-trained Egyptian and Syrian tankers began dying in droves at the hands of well-drilled Israeli tank crews. A few days into the war, Arab tankers and other mounted troops began to abandon their vehicles at the first sight of an Israeli tank or aircraft. Another example is the fall of France in 1940. The French had an army considered to be the best in Europe, including probably the best tanks in the world; excellent aircraft; and the vaunted Maginot Line, a range of fortifications meant to deter attack. Some of the shock experienced by French forces during the German advance can be attributed to the Germans attacking from an unexpected direction through the Ardennes Forest -- which had been considered impassible by large, armored forces -- but that does not explain the extent of the debacle. The French general staff and Army-level formations found the Germans ahead of them at every turn. High-level decision-making paralysis set in. As with the Russians today, the rot in the fabric of the French army went far deeper than anything that mere surprise could explain away. Once the inflexible, top-down French operational plan was disrupted, they could not recover. At lower echelons, French officers had been discouraged from taking individual initiative absent direction from higher headquarters. Except for a few rebels like Brig. Gen. Charles de Gaulle, paralysis set in among the rank and file. Ill-trained, poorly motivated draftees began drifting away from the ranks, spreading panic among civilians and troops moving up to the front. The Russian army is showing all the signs of disintegration detailed in the examples above. Whether the massacres of civilians in places such as Bucha are part of a policy decision in Moscow to spread terror, or a demonstration of morally bankrupt troops acting on their own, is irrelevant. The poorly led and ill-disciplined Russian troops are apparently not stopping with civilians; officers are being "fragged" by their own troops and vehicles are being disabled to avoid combat. In either case, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not off the hook. As commander in chief of the Russian armed forces, he is responsible for everything they do or fail to do. A recent war game conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps tried to project the war a year out. If things keep going as they are, with Russian forces concentrating to the east and the Ukrainians digging in to prevent further Russian gains, the Marine Corps analysts see a long bloody slog for both sides that would resemble 1915 on the Western Front. Unfortunately, that outcome will give the Russians time to sort out their logistics, replace incompetent leaders, and recover some morale by properly training replacements for the rigors of real combat, which they did not expect when the invasion began. Consequently, the Ukrainians have nothing to lose by going over to the offensive in the hopes of forcing a Russian disintegration. Even if the offensive fails, they will be no worse off than if they had remained on the defensive in the first place. If it succeeds in ejecting all or most Russian forces from Ukrainian soil, the Kyiv government will be in a much better bargaining position than if it remains on the defensive. If his army collapses, the worst that could happen is that a panicked Putin uses tactical nuclear or chemical weapons. If he uses tactical nukes, he will quickly find that the threat of such weapons is much more useful as a deterrent than in practice. The highly distributed nature of the Ukrainian army will make it very hard to do effective targeting, and the Russians will make "no go" zones, poisoned with the remnants of their weapons of mass destruction, in areas that they might want to use in the future. As both sides found during World War I, chemical weapons only make a bad situation more unpleasant. Although Putin's stature and reputation are much diminished, President Joe Biden and the other leaders of NATO still appear to reluctant to supply Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the Polish aircraft, long-range air defense systems, and the quantity of munitions that the Ukrainians would need to launch a truly effective counteroffensive. That is a shame, as it would be a worthwhile attempt to allow Ukraine to win decisively and quickly. As fighter pilots like to say: "No guts, no glory." Page Content In connection with the passing of civil servant Ms. Marcia Offerman a condolence-memorial book has been opened to the public. The condolence-memorial book will be available daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Government Administration Building on Pond Island until Thursday, April 14. Civil servants can sign the condolence book at any time throughout the day. Ms. Offerman worked as an Administratief medewerker A, within the department of Comptabiliteit, and was an employee at the Ministry of Finance. She will be remembered as a warm-hearted, energetic and compassionate civil servant, always willing to provide service to the citizens of St. Maarten. May she rest in eternal peace. April is Military Saves Month a time to encourage the entire military community to put aside funds for the future and gain new financial ground. Coordinated by the Consumer Federation of America, the Military Saves program is dedicated to helping service members and their families reduce debt and build wealth. Here are some quick tips to help you get on the path to more savings and improved financial security. Make Your Savings Automatic Budgeting for the month and staying on track can be stressful and time-consuming. To have the reassurance of knowing you're tucking a little away for the future, set up automatic transfers from your checking to savings account on payday. If you arent currently taking advantage of automatic transfers, now is a great time to start as it makes saving easy and efficient, said Jaspreet Chawla, senior vice president of savings products at Navy Federal Credit Union. And if you already have a portion of your checking account funds transferred automatically to savings, consider upping the amount and upgrading to a money market account for additional dividends. Prioritize Building an Emergency Fund When you have a safety net for unexpected expenses, you dont have to worry about throwing your budget out of whack. You can be confident that youre prepared to handle the unexpected costs of a car breakdown, home repairs or medical expenses, for example, that could pop up. Theres a good chance you have a ton of stuff in your house that you arent using much anymore, said Rosemarie Groner, blogger behind The Busy Budgeter and Army veteran spouse. Its not only taking up your valuable space, but they could be used to finance your emergency fund. So how much goes into a rainy day fund? Three to six months of living expenses is ideal. However, its best to start with a small goal, such as $500, and increase your goal as you get into the habit of saving. Save for the Future You The first thing you should do when planning your retirement savings strategy is to find out if your employer offers a 401(k) match. If they do, allocate as much of your budget as needed to take full advantage of that option. Also, explore any special retirement account offers through your financial institution. Theres no denying that investing early can be a key component in a financially secure retirement, said Kevin Driscoll, vice president of Navy Federal Investment Services. Anyone just beginning their savings journey should keep their investments simple, contribute money consistently and monitor long-term returns. Debt Reduction Is Key to Savings Keep chipping away at it month by month. With some savvy planning, reducing your debt can be less daunting than you think. Another key to reducing debt is managing your budget better. This also gives you a better idea of your debt-to-income ratio. You should be evaluating your budget regularly to make sure its always realistic for your familys situation, said Anne Marie Ferdinando, member outreach manager at Navy Federal. Create a list and write down your assets: how much is in your bank accounts, retirement account, investment account, etc. Then do the same for your debts: credit card, student loans, car loan, mortgage, etc. Taking stock of where your finances currently sit can help you set important projections for the month ahead. Saving Is a Family Affair Getting married and starting a family are great times to look at your future and put together a plan for managing joint finances. I recommend scheduling money dates once a week or once a month [depending on how you and your spouse like to handle finances], said Corinne Schmitt, Marine veteran spouse and creator of Wondermom Wannabe. Set a day and time to go over accounts and bills together on a regular schedule. Being financially resilient is more than having access to money; it includes being conscious of your own financial landscape, being aware of available resources and being willing to seek out opportunities that will support your financial wellness. Improving your savings, day by day, is probably the easiest and best way to do it. Why Wait...Begin Saving Now! If you havent started already, use Military Saves Month as an opportunity to make a pledge to begin what will be a lifelong process of putting aside a little extra. Navy Federal also has a list of a dozen money-saving tips for family life you can start working on this month. Navy Federal Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Products Frontrunner Vaccine Will Affact the Price of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules - Market Trend CEO of Pfizer partner BioNTech says coming winter will be hard but by April, 300 million immunization units should be ready, which will have an impact on the global pandemic. If coronavirus vaccinations are rolled out widely, life could return to normal by next winter, one of the scientists behind the front-running coronavirus vaccine told British television on Sunday. Ugur Sahin, the Turkish co-founder of the German firm BioNTech, told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show that this winter will be hard, without any major impact from vaccinations. Together with US giant Pfizer, BioNTech is developing the leading candidate in the worldwide chase for a vaccine. Israel has ordered millions of units of the vaccine, hoping that the first deliveries will arrive in the country by January. Affected by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, the Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules market is changing rapidly. These changes are indicators of market growth. This year-on-year upward trend in the market indicates that the next November 2020-2026 will show an oval but steady growth. The price of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules continues to be affected by factors such as market growth momentum, various opportunities and challenges. However, during the forecast period from 2020 to 2026, the global Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules sales market is expected to continue to be above average. The growth rate will continue to increase. It is expected that from today to next week, the price of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules will increase to a certain extent. Due to changes in consumer demand, import and export conditions, and various investigations on the development of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules, the cost of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules is constantly changing. Taking into account the current market macroeconomic parameters, value chain analysis, channel partners, demand and supply, the cost of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules will also be affected to a certain extent. It is estimated that the cost of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules will increase slightly from today to next week. The market trend of Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules? The global Vanadium Metal (V)-Granulesmarket is constantly changing. The latest Global Market Report provides clear and accurate statistics and market estimates of the global Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules target market. The report includes an analysis of the different factors driving the market growth. It includes market drivers, constraints, opportunities and trends. 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The report also lists import and export, supply and consumption data as well as costs, prices, revenue and gross margins by region. The market demand for Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules? The world's leading Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules target market report contains research on competitive dynamics. It also has a specific awareness that can help you choose the right business execution and steps. Market reports systematically display information in the form of organizational charts, facts, charts, statistics and graphs, which represent the status of related transactions on global and regional platforms. In addition, the report also includes the entire business chain, through which the growth rate and decline rate of specific industries in the market can be analyzed. The report also describes the total cost of manufacturing the product and analyzing its assembly process. In addition, the report also includes major developments in the market. The report involves value chain analysis and represents the workflow in the market. In addition, the market is classified by category, process, end-use industry and region. The report divides the market based on geographic location. TRUNNANO (aka. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd.) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. As a leading nanotechnology development and Vanadium Metal (V)-Granules manufacturer, Luoyang Tongrun dominates the market. Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries, create value, and easily cope with various challenges. Please send an inquiry as needed. Li3N is short for lithium nitride, which is a metal nitrogen compound that is a purple or red crystalline solid, showing a light green luster under reflected light and a ruby color in transmitted light. At room temperature, metallic lithium can partially generate lithium nitride when exposed to air, and lithium generates lithium nitride in a nitrogen stream 10 to 15 times faster than in air. At this time, all lithium is converted into lithium nitride. Learn more knowledge about Lithium nitride from nanotrun website. Inquery us Ghanaian actor, John Setor Dumelo has once again called for the legalization of the cultivation of marijuana in the country. The actor cum politician who believes the farming of marijuana will be a major source of revenue for the country in a recent post on Twitter where he indicated how Germany is yet to make revenue from the herbal plant. He indicated that countries are beginning to legalize the farming and usage of marijuana because they have identified its potential benefits. Germany is set to make billions of Euros from taxes by legalizing marijuana. Then we will turn around and go and borrow that same money with interest for our development, forgetting that we (Ghana) grow the best marijuana in the world. Aint we smart? he tweeted. John Dumelo happens to be among a few Ghanaians who have called on the government to tap into marijuana in terms of revenue. Ghanaian rapper and grandpapa of the hiplife genre, Reginald Yaw Asante Osei, better known as Reggie Rockstone, has urged people from the Volta Region to support their own Chief One just as the Northerners did for Fancy Gadam from the Northern Region. The Rockz Waakye boss in a recent interview with one of Voltas top radio stations, Swizz FM with DJ Flexal revealed that Chief One must be supported not because he is from Volta but because he is a Ghanaian musician doing great music. He also entreated other Volta artists to step up their game. It could be recalled that despite being an all-Ewe song about how witches and bad things should come and go, Chief Ones Noyavi was published on December 1st and has acquired national notoriety. The song, however, attracted the attention of the hiplife grandpapa after reaching the majority of Ghanaians via Elorm Beenie, prompting him to publish a video of Chief One performing a freestyle of the song on his Facebook page with a gripping comment. The fast-rising new Ghanaian artiste receiving all the mileage has outlived himself among his counterparts. In recent times, dropping an entire body of work as a buzzing act is a major deal an underscoring feat that defines how promising a new talent is in pushing their craft beyond their jurisdiction. Ghanas new sensation, Chief One burst onto the scene in January 2022 with dozens of endorsements from Grammys-winning/nominated musicians to other heavyweights in showbiz like Gramps Morgan, Rocky Dawuni, Samini, Bullgod, Andy Dosty, Reggy Zippy, Benedicta Gafah, GH Kwaku, Elorm Beenie, Giovani Caleb, Kwame Dadzie, just to name a few. 07.04.2022 LISTEN A suspected thief has been arrested in Nigeria after he tried to daze a tech shop attendant with insecticide. According to CCTV footage of the shop which is located at Ogbomosho in Oyo State, Nigeria, the miscreant wearing a red hoodie had gone to the shop under the pretext of making a purchase. For some minutes, the suspected thief is seen making a phone call while surveying the shop. Shortly afterwards, he grabbed the female shop attendant in his attempt to inject her with the insecticide which he kept in a polythene bag in his shorts. The female shop attendant struggled with the suspect and eventually got the chance to run out of the shop. According to reports, she called for help, leading to the arrest of the suspect who was later taken to the police station. The family of late Highlife musician, Nana Nsiah Piesie has opened up on the cause of his untimely demise. According to the family, the deceased, aged 57, passed away following a ghastly accident on the Pokuase road on Monday, April 4 2022. His younger brother, Kaakyire Badu disclosed that the musician had arrived in Ghana from America 10 days before the incident. I am a fashion designer so I was home on Monday when he called me to bring some things I had sewed for him and gave me extra money to buy more fabrics to sew for him. "But after about 30 minutes, I was home when I received a call that he had been involved in an accident at Adjei junction and I had to rush to the scene, he told Accra based radio station Peace FM. Kaakyire Badu added that the musician was sent to three hospitals but wasnt granted medical attention because there were no beds. He said they were later referred to Ridge Hospital but the musician passed on shortly after he had requested water to drink. Page Content The focal point of the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardsons work visit to Aruba during March 28-31, was the exploration of an optimal Border Control Management System for St. Maarten. Immigration matters have long been a very important, yet delicate topic in St. Maarten. Recent developments related to this topic have emphasized the need for updating and improving our current immigration management systems. Aruba has successfully been using the Radex system for immigration management and this visit was organized to get a closer and upfront view of how the system is used by several law enforcement agencies in Aruba. A crucial part of Minister Richardsons visit, was to Gamma IT Solutions, the Aruba-based soft- and hardware provider for the Radex system. The system is a modular built application with an extensive array of modules, developed as a turn-key solution, to assist government agencies involved in law enforcement activities to protect their borders. On March 28, the first day of the visit, Minister Richardson visited the airport Immigration department, where Immigration Director, Mr. Andrew Hoo was very honored to give an introduction to the Immigration Service of Aruba and their use of the Radex system. During the visit, Director Hoo also gave an explanation of the framework of the different sectors of Arubas Immigration Department. On March 29, Minister Richardson visited the Aruba Border Control Department (GNC: Guarda nos Costa); a department comparable to St. Maartens Mobile Unit. During the visit, Department Head, Mr. Richard Kramers gave an extensive explanation of how the management of those who enter the country undocumented or overstay is handled in Aruba with the use of Radex. Minister Richardson was also given a guided tour of the GNC Housing units. The units can house up to 180 persons (male and female separately). The facility is currently being renovated to better accommodate the detainees according to international treaties and standards. All deportations go through GNC. Minister Richardson also met with a representative from DIMAS, the department that handles residency permits in Aruba, where she was explained how Radex is incorporated in their process, especially as it relates to the sharing of information with other government agencies. Other agencies like the GNC and Immigration department can check an individuals residency permit status via the DIMAS information sharing platform and register this information in Radex to determine (at that point or for future use) if a person is allowed entry or if a person will be denied entry or deported. On the last day of the work visit, March 31, Minister Richardson was invited to the Immigration department unit charged with the processing of tourist stay extensions and Guarantor requests. The entire process was explained, and best practices were shared. The importance of the role of the Radex system plays was also emphasized in this department, as crucial checks are required in the system to be able to process the requests. The Radex system is also used to keep track of overstay information, address information, number of requests and other statistical information. The culmination of the trip was a visit to the Reina Beatrix International Airport where the Minister witnessed a live/real-time demonstration of the Radex system, to see how Aruba immigration officers at the different entry and departure points of the airport use the Radex system to process the entry and departure of travelers. Discussions with Radex system administrators are on the way. They will be making a visit to St. Maarten within the coming weeks to further explore how the Radex system can be adapted for implementation in St. Maarten. With the adaptation of the Radex system, border management for Sint Maarten will be made easier and more efficient as the Radex system will offer the opportunity to generate monthy reports of overstayers, thereby giving the Mobile Unit an opportunity to visit them and regulate the next steps. As a result, we hope to welcome more visitors that will formally request extensions of their stay if so needed or desired, thereby preventing situations that lead to deportation, stated Minister Richardson. The First Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Hassan Rufai (Vellim) has been reportedly denied the opportunity to donate sugar to the party's branches to enable them observe the 2022 Ramadan in the Northern Region. In a letter addressed to the NDC regional secretary dated April 4, copied to the National Chairman, General Secretary and the party's regional chairman of the council of elders, titled 'Ramadan Donation', the First Vice Chairman seek permission to donate sugar to the party branches in the 18 constituencies. "I wish to inform you of my intention to donate sugar to all the eighteen constituencies and some selected youth groups as part of my Ramadan Sadaka. Accept my compliments and Ramadan Mubarak", Alhaji Vellim's letter said. However, sources close to the First Vice Chairman said the Regional Secretary, to whom the letter was addressed turned down the request in a reply to the First Vice Chairman via a WhatsApp chat allegedly saying that the National Chairman asked him not to allow any party donation in the region. The sources said the National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo is yet to speak on the matter to deny or confirm the allegations made against him regarding the request. It will be recalled that a similar donation in 2020 Ramadan led to violence within the NDC in the region when the First Vice Chairman and other party executives were suspended for not following the laid down procedure. The sources also revealed the First Vice Chairman's decision to seek permission was to avoid the reoccurrence of the 2022 incident which has been denied. It is an annual exercise by politicians to donate sugar, rice and other foodstuffs to Muslim communities in the country during Ramadan and Sala periods, especially to party supporters. A High-Level Seminar on Maritime Security is being held at the Nigeria Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria. The two-day seminar was organized in the framework of the Support Project for Integrated Maritime Security in West Africa (SWAIMS), funded by the European Union. Among other things, the seminar will examine and refine the modalities for the distribution of essential maritime security equipment in the ECOWAS riparian countries a document made available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema stated. A total of 30 Rigid Hull Boats (RHIBs) will be distributed to help ECOWAS coastal Member States to fight against Maritime Insecurity. Colonel Abdourahmane Dieng, the Head of ECOWAS Regional Security Division mentioned that the ministerial departments and other organizations, represented at this seminar, must work together to eliminate the maritime threats that weigh on our community. He also added that "there can be no development without security, and no security without development". This concerns both the maritime domain and the continent. Turning the tide against maritime insecurity is a collaborative effort that no single country or region can tackle alone. For this reason, ECOWAS, in conjunction with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), formulated the Yaounde Code of Conduct as a foundation for broad-based regional maritime security along the entire Gulf of Guinea. But the security partnership goes beyond Africa, embracing the European Union (EU) and other key international players geographically outside the Gulf of Guinea because the Gulf is of global importance as a crucial international maritime route. Ambassador Nicolas Berlanga Martinez, the EU Senior Coordinator for the Gulf of Guinea, The EU is a committed partner to the Gulf of Guinea region and will continue to provide extensive and targeted assistance to strengthen the critical features of the Yaounde security architecture, further cementing the long-standing relationship between ECOWAS and the EU. Among these efforts is the EU-funded ECOWAS project tagged SWAIMS, a collaborative, complex, multi-component, regional initiative implemented by various partners, and covering all 15 ECOWAS countries. SWAIMS helped in organizing the high-level maritime security seminar bringing together representatives from the 12 coastal ECOWAS countries: Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote dIvoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo. Other participants included officials from the Ministries of Defence (mostly the Navy), Transport (mostly Maritime Agencies) and Foreign Affairs. A Sudanese protester was killed Wednesday as thousands rallied against last year's military coup on the anniversary of previous popular uprisings, most recently against autocrat Omar al-Bashir three years ago. The 19-year-old was hit "by a bullet fired by coup forces" during the crackdown on the demonstrations in eastern Khartoum, the independent Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said. His death brings to 94 the death toll from the crackdown on anti-coup protests since the October 25 military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the committee said. Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in the capital Khartoum, its twin city of Omdurman, and in Wad Madani to the south, witnesses and AFP correspondents said. They also "stormed Al-Jawda hospital and fired tear gas inside, scaring patients and health workers and causing suffocation among some of them", said the doctors committee. Sudan has been reeling from deepening unrest since its latest coup that has derailed a political transition period and hammered the economy of one of the world's poorest countries. Map of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.. By AFP Pro-democracy activists had warned online of a people power "earthquake of April 6" -- a momentous day in Sudan's history that was key in bringing down earlier strongmen. In 1985, the day saw the ouster of president Jaafar Nimeiri following a popular uprising. In 2019 it marked the start of a mass sit-in outside army headquarters, after months of protests, against Bashir's three decades in power. "It is an important day... so we expect many to take to the streets despite the heat and Ramadan," the Muslim holy month when the faithful observe a daytime fast, said one Khartoum protester, Badwi Bashir. "We just want to bring down the coup (leadership) and end the prospect of any future coups." At dusk, volunteers were seen distributing water, juice, dates and other food as protesters sat to break their fast in Khartoum and neighbouring cities, AFP correspondents said. 'No to military rule' Sudan's latest putsch has "set fire to all aspects of life, turning our country into an arena of crises," said the civilian alliance Forces of Freedom and Change, or FFC. Sudanese protesters take part in a rally against military rule on the anniversary of previous popular uprisings, in Omdurman. By - AFP Security forces had earlier sealed off key bridges and deployed around the presidential palace and army headquarters. In Omdurman, protesters broke through barbed wire blockades and marched through streets leading to the parliament building, according to an AFP correspondent. Protesters marched in the eastern state of Gedaref with banners that read "No to military rule" and "Away with the government of hunger", said one witness, Ahmed Salah. Demonstrations were also held in several cities across the Darfur region, the central state of North Kordofan and the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, according to witnesses. Five days after the start of the 2019 sit-in, generals bowed to the pressure on the streets to remove Bashir. But the protesters stayed on to press for civilian rule, only to be dispersed in a crackdown in June that year by men in military fatigues that claimed 128 lives according to medics. Sudan's civilian and military leaders later agreed on a transition of power, which promised greater international engagement for the country as well as foreign aid and investment. But last October's coup upended those plans, leading to the current wave of protests. Partnership 'failed' "We have to defeat the coup," FFC spokesman Jaafar Hassan said last week. "We have tried a partnership with the military, and it failed, ending in this coup, and we shouldn't do this again." At least 93 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the crackdown since the coup, medics say. By - AFP Burhan said last Saturday he would only "hand over power to an honest, elected authority, accepted by the all the Sudanese people". The United States on Wednesday warned against "the use of any violence" and demanded Sudanese authorities "keep their word and hold accountable those responsible for abuses." Since the coup, Sudan's already ailing economy has suffered severe blows, as Western donors cut crucial aid pending the restoration of a transition to civilian rule. Prices of food, fuel and basic commodities have soared and crime has spiked. Violence has intensified in remote areas, particularly the restive Darfur region, the UN says. Burhan last week threatened to expel UN special representative Volker Perthes, accusing him of "interference" in the country's affairs after Perthes warned of the deepening crisis in Sudan during a UN Security Council briefing. Free and fair elections are not common in Africa because of political greed and thirst for power. Therefore, when things are getting difficult and the people want a change, they often put their whole trust in the Electoral Commission. Unfortunately, after the majority of Ghanaians realized that the president, Nana Akufo Addo, is not the person who he wants Ghanaians to know he is, they lost interest in him. The NPP government capitalized on hate against John Mahama to disappoint the common people. Jane Mensah, the Adam's Eve of election who has brought suffering and hardship to the common people in the whole of Ghana Akufo Addo lied to protect the public's purse and cut taxes, failed to fulfill every promise he made, and above all, his incompetence and corruption affected the people significantly. In power for four years, he couldn't create a single job. Meanwhile, he has abandoned projects for Ghanaians left uncompleted by the former government, even though in his first four years, he cuts several sods without any foundations. Thus, in 2020, Akufo Addo lost the presidential race. If the president says he won, he must take the same bible he swore the oath on to swear again. Because Akufo Addo is a cheat, the reason his incompetence and election fraud continue to expose him. In Africa, when the people are not satisfied with election results, the Electoral Commission's boss has some explanations and answers to give but not Jean Mensah Like a child beginning at class one, whatever figures Jean Mensah presented about the election results don't make sense. She keeps changing and changing figures but all were nonsense. It was very clear that the Electoral Commission was involved in election fraud or malpractices. Every effort by the masses to persuade her to enter the witness' box to defend herself was abortive The corrupt Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, appointed by the corrupt Nana Akufo Addo to work for him alone but not the Ghanaians, denied the people justice they needed by preventing Jean Mensah to enter the witness' box. I don't know if from there curse begins to follow the president because Akufo Addo has failed in everything. It is not an exaggeration, nothing has been successful under the government of Akufo Addo. He shouldn't continue to deceive people with those empty promises and boasts. He has incurred so much debt that he can't even explain what he used the money for. On COVID funds, he lied to Ghanaians. His government said the World Bank gave $100 million, it was later revealed the amount was $435 million. Sadly, after imposing the fraudulent E-Levy on the people, the president has lost his respect and popularity but just forcing himself to impress Ghanaians that he is in full control and doing well. If after five years in power, Akufo Addo ruined the economy of Ghana and caused such severe hardships, what credible programs does he has for the recovery of the economy? Ghanaians are very slow to anger but they are never stupid, thats what I know. Even many tribal folks have now realized the damage tribalism has done to our country and, therefore, are angry with Akufo Addo for his incompetence. The current political and economic crisis has been blamed on Akufo Addo and his government but everyone has forgotten that Jean Mensah and Kwasi Anin-Yeboah are responsible for these hardships which could have been prevented. If one analyzes and evaluates things in Ghana, youll see that nothing is going on well. It is not because the country is poor but because of the dishonesty of people, such as Akufo Addo, Ken Ofori-Atta, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, and Jean Mensah. I am a man not interested in violence or bloodshed but its necessary to let these people understand that the pain and unnecessary suffering they have unleashed on Ghanaians will reach a point where if care is not taken things will be very ugly in Ghana. Bishop Duncan Williams has also given out this warning because the common Ghanaians are suffering, yet, nothing is getting better in that country because of greed. Akufo Addo said Mahama is corrupt, incompetent and Yeti Sikasu Na3kom Diy3n. It is today, Ghanaians have seen the true corrupt politician and the worst president in Ghana's political history. If Akufo Addo, Jean Mensah, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, and Ken Ofori-Atta have ears, they should take something from what Duncan Williams has said. A word to the wise is enough. 07.04.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has described the recently-inaugurated project in the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale as a flyover and not an interchange as claimed by government. Mr. Suhuyini said several debates had established that the infrastructure was not an interchange as suggested earlier. He said the government had subsequently also admitted that the infrastructure does not qualify as an interchange. As to whether it is an interchange or a flyover, that debate has been settled. You saw desperate attempts by people in government to christen it an interchange, but in their write-up and even in the Presidents speech where they call it an interchange, they proceed to define it, with the admission that it is a bridge. They say it is an interchange but in their description, it was a flyover. Justifying his claim, Mr. Suhuyini said the project had become a source of traffic given that the roads beneath the flyover are so narrow that you cannot have two vehicles [using them]. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently inaugurated the infrastructure at a ceremony in Tamale. Mr. Suhuyini said some members of the Minority could not honor an invitation to the inauguration ceremony because they received a tip-off about the governments intentions to lay the Electronic Transfer Levy for approval on the same day. An invitation was sent by the Minister of Roads and Highway and the same was sent to my colleague in Tamale Central, the Minority, and A.B.A Fuseini to be part of the commissioning ceremony. Only for us to hear the night before that there was an attempt by the government to introduce the E-levy in Parliament and take a decision on it that day. We got that from our own sources. The project is an integral part of comprehensive measures by the Akufo-Addo government to address the issues of congestion in urban centers and to help improve travel times on major arterial roads. The project falls under the $2 billion SinoHydro Master Project Support Agreement. citinewsroom 07.04.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini, is accusing government of frivolously spending a colossal amount of GHS 10 million to hold national conferences and campaigns on illegal small scale mining, otherwise known as galamsey. He says the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources under whose auspices the conferences, dialogues and tours were organized, has also failed to provide a detailed account of the expenditure expressing worry that despite this huge sum, the fight against galamsey has still come to naught. Speaking on the back of President Akufo-Addos State of the Nation Address, Alhassan Suhuyini, maintained that government has engaged in gross financial malfeasance amidst the current economic challenges. The President reported on galamsey and said that we had a number of stakeholder dialogues. We remember the dialogues that were organized in Accra, Ashanti and the Northern Regions, but what the President didn't tell us was the cost of these dialogues. It is important because you can imagine that the national dialogue held in Accra actually cost us GHS 2.1 million to sit and discuss how to deal with galamsey. Then we had the regional dialogue for the Northern and the Middle Belt cost us GHS 3.7 million. It will blow your mind that, regional tours as far as galamsey is concerned cost us GHS 5.3 million, so we are talking about over GHS 10 million spent on these dialogues and engagements. These are figures are from the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, and when we demanded the break down, they couldn't provide us any, he said on Eyewitness News. Alhassan Suhuyini, also the Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands Committee, disclosed that the Minority in parliament will trigger the necessary procedures to demand accountability from the government. This is why as a Minority, we have been demanding transparency in government expenditure. It is not for the partisanship of it, but for all Ghanaians to be sure that the economic challenges we are facing were brought on by our our reckless expenses. Government held the National Consultative Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining which highlighted key agreements and concessions made by relevant stakeholders. It included former ministers of Lands and Natural Resources, members of the Council of State, members of the National House of Chiefs, Heads of security agencies, actors in the mining industry and members of the Small-Scale Miners Association. The stakeholders agreed that the government must work to apply the sanctions and penalties imposed by the Mining Act 995 to anyone who breaks the mining law, and that this must be done without fear or favour. citinewsroom 07.04.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said the Minority Caucus will not hesitate to stage a demonstration over President Nana Akufo-Addos constant desire of an ultra-luxury US$18,000-an-hour executive jet for his foreign travels. Despite several calls on the President to resort to the use of Ghanas presidential jet and save the taxpayer some money on his foreign travels, Nana Akufo-Addo, according to Mr Ablakwa, has remained adamant. Mr Ablakwa has alleged that the President has rather adopted a new deceptive meet-me-there-camouflage attitude in hiring the extravagant jet. Instead of flying with the jet from Ghana, the jet meets him halfway through his travels. Mr Ablakwa said President Akufo-Addo dispatched his favourite obscenely extravagant LX-DIO executive jet back to Paris, France, as he returned to Accra last night aboard a Boeing 777-236(ER) British Airways commercial flight with call sign BAW81 at 8:10 pm. He said the Presidents latest trip to the US and UK on a private jet cost the taxpayer GHS3.5 million. In a Facebook post, Mr Ablakwa served notice that if between now and 27th May 2022, President Akufo-Addo once again abandons Ghanas Presidential Jet and charters an ultra-luxury US$18,000 an hour executive jet, we will and are absolutely ready to stage what shall be the biggest demonstration ever to hit his government. Notice is hereby served. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visits Morocco on Thursday, after Madrid reversed decades of policy on the Western Sahara to end a year-long diplomatic crisis, a U-turn that has angered Algeria. The landmark visit will see King Mohammed VI welcome Sanchez as his guest of honour for iftar, the meal where Muslims break their daytime fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The visit by Sanchez and his foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, aims to draw a line under a major stand-off between the two kingdoms. Map of Western Sahara. By AFP The crisis began a year ago when Madrid allowed Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front which seeks independence for the territory of Western Sahara, to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital. Morocco sees the desert territory as an integral part of the kingdom and a highly sensitive issue of security and national pride. The area is mostly desert but boasts rich Atlantic fishing waters, phosphate resources and a route to lucrative markets in West Africa. Morocco fought a bitter war with the Polisario after Spanish colonial forces withdrew in 1975. Morocco's King Mohammed VI, seen addressing parliament via video link from the Royal Palace in the northeastern city of Fez, on October 8, 2021. By - Moroccan Royal PalaceAFPFile Weeks after Ghali's hospitalisation, more than 10,000 migrants surged into Spain's tiny North African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border forces looked the other way, in an incident seen as meant to punish Madrid. On March 18, Madrid announced a "new stage" in relations with Rabat and said it now backed the North African kingdom's plan for the territory: limited autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. 'Ambitious road map' Demonstrators in Madrid wave Western Sahara flags during a protest against the Spanish government's support for Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory, on March 26, 2022. By Pierre-Philippe MARCOU AFPFile The move was widely seen as a victory for Morocco. It infuriated its regional rival Algeria, which has long backed the Polisario -- and which is a major supplier of natural gas to Spain. Algiers last month recalled its ambassador from Madrid in protest at the decision, and Algeria's state-owned energy giant Sonatrach warned Friday it could increase the price of its gas sales to the country. Sanchez, who has also faced a domestic backlash over the move, said last month during a visit to Ceuta that for 10 months, Spain and Morocco had been in "a crisis that could no longer be sustained over time, that we had to solve". Sahrawi women soldiers parade on the 45th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front, at a refugee camp near the southwestern Algerian city of Tindouf, on February 27, 2021. By RYAD KRAMDI AFPFile King Mohammed later told Sanchez he wanted to agree an "ambitious road map" on "questions of common interest". Those questions include irregular migration, the reopening of borders and maritime links, and smuggling around the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which sit on Morocco's Mediterranean coast. Moroccan analyst Nabil Driouech said that "economic cooperation is the main driver of relations" between Morocco and Spain, the North African kingdom's main trading partner. Independence squeezed Migrants climb a sea wall in the northern town of Fnideq after attempting to cross the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on May 19, 2021. By FADEL SENNA AFPFile For Spain, the principal aim of mending fences was to guarantee Morocco's cooperation on irregular migration -- which, observers say, Rabat has often used to put pressure on Madrid. After last year's incident in Ceuta, Madrid had accused Rabat of "blackmail" and Morocco withdrew its ambassador, who has only recently returned. For Morocco, the question of Western Sahara is the top priority. "For the moment, the lines will probably not move, but in the long term the independence movement's diplomatic margin of manoeuvre is getting ever more narrow," said Riccardo Fabiani, North Africa project director at the International Crisis Group think tank. Rabat controls 80 percent of Western Sahara, which the UN considers a "non-autonomous territory". The Polisario waged a long armed struggle for independence from Morocco before reaching a ceasefire in 1991 on the promise of a referendum on self-determination. But it has carried out regular, sometimes deadly attacks on Moroccan forces since declaring the ceasefire null and void in November 2020. Sahrawi women at the Aousserd refugee camp on the outskirts of the southwestern Algerian city of Tindouf, on February 27, 2021. By RYAD KRAMDI AFPFile Former US president Donald Trump recognised Morocco's sovereignty over the region the following month, and Rabat has since stepped up efforts to have other world powers, particularly in the European Union, follow suit. Former Spanish ambassador to Morocco Jorge Dezcallar said the latest deal could help establish better ties. "But I wouldn't be too sure," he added. "It will depend on domestic politics in Morocco", over which Spain has no control. The Founder of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh has indicated that Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia must address the many issues challenging Ghanas economy today when he finally breaks his silence. The Vice President in the last few months have been criticised for being silent amid economy crisis although being head of the economic management team. Today at the National TESCON Training and Orientation Conference scheduled to be held at the Pentecost Conference Centre at Millennium City, Kasoa Yesukrom in the Central Region, Dr. Bawumia is billed to speak on the economy. Speaking on GTVs Thursday Breakfast Show, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh has advised that although Ghana is in crisis, the focus should focus more on measures taken by government to turn things around. According to him, he is confident the Vice President will have something good for the people of this country when he addresses issues today. The nation is going through crises but let's look at how we can get things done well. NDC is a vibrant party and I know they're putting themselves together so the Vice President needs to correct things. I'm very optimistic that the Vice President will say something good. There are a lot of issues in Ghana that the Vice President will have to correct, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh shared. Other dignitaries including First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Chief of Staff, Frema Akosua Osei Opare; National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay; Executive Director, Danquah Institute, Antoinette Tseboa-Darko will all be present at the forum. Advocacy group, Community Focus Foundation, Ghana (CFF-Ghana) said it is sad President Akufo-Addos State of the Nation Address (SONA) failed to give hope to the suffering Ghanaian masses. In a press release from the Civil Society Organisation, it noted that the Presidents State of the Nation Address delivered last week in Parliament was just a pale shadow of previous ones. CFF-Ghana having thoroughly analysed the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on 30th March, 2022 by the President of the Republic, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has to regrettably report that the 2022 SONA is a pale shadow of previous ones which offers no hope to vulnerable Ghanaians, a press release signed by the Executive Director Richard Kasu has said. CFF-Ghana urges government to commit itself politically and take the fight against corruption seriously to regain the trust of Ghanaians and the international community. It also wants the government to engage the citizens and tell them the truth about the economy and solicit their support in bringing back the economy on sound footing. Below is a copy of the CFF-Ghana press release with all the proposals made to the government. PRESS STATEMENT: For Immediate Release. 2022 State of the Nations Address (SONA) is a pale shadow of previous ones with no hope in sight for the suffering Ghanaians. CFF-Ghana having thoroughly analysed the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on 30th March, 2022 by the President of the Republic, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has to regrettably report that the 2022 SONA is a pale shadow of previous ones which offers no hope to vulnerable Ghanaians. The President in his address touched on key sectors of development including the economy, security, agriculture, roads, education, and health among others. But, truth be told, the poor living standards of Ghanaians, heightened corruption, high rate of youth unemployment, insecurity, extravagant lifestyle of government officials, bad road network, weak healthcare delivery system, porous Free SHS, and introduction of nuisance taxes especially E-Levy among other troubling challenges does not support the unprecedented achievements claimed to have been chalked by the President under the year under review. It is important to note that, our nation, Ghana is in a distress situation. Nothing seems to be working and the brunt of the economic challenge is hitting everyone so hard like the fury of a volcanic eruption. Yes, the president has the right to present a good picture of the state of Ghana in a usual flowery speech but respectfully, his facts does not support what pertains on the ground. The blatant truth is Ghana is in a state of disarray and the early we rise to the occasion in salvaging the situation, the better for all of us. CFF-Ghana as a development oriented Civil Society Organization (CSO) will continue to complement government efforts in bettering Ghana as we have always done over the years. We shall continue to also offer our constructive contributions in putting government in check to do the right thing towards Ghanas sustained development. As such, we recommend the following; 1. That government commit itself politically and take the fight against corruption seriously to regain the trust of Ghanaians and the international community; 2. That government engages relevant stakeholders including experts in all sectors of economic growth, CSOs, and political actors among others to have a national policy forum in finding workable solutions to the near collapsed Ghanaian economy; 3. That government engages the citizens and tell them the truth about the economy and solicit their support in bringing back the economy on sound footing; 4. That government continues to train and support security services to be able to safeguard Ghana in the midst of rather rampant terrorist attacks in the sub-region. Being on High Alert alone without proper measures helps no one; Sgd: Richard Kasu (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CFF-Ghana) 0248640364 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the power to rule a rotten country. No doubt, he had a dream. He worked tirelessly for that. But he could not understand the politics of his own team. Editorial President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is politically feeble and pathetically isolated by his team. His family members also had no choice but to betray him for their political survival. Although no official finance minister has been appointed and a significant recovery plan for the recession has not been introduced, large-scale printing of local currency notes is continued. People like former Presidential Secretary P B Jayasundera and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who knew the crisis well in advance, knowingly plunged the entire country into the abyss. It, we believe, is not only negligence of responsibility but broad daylight crime. They need to be prosecuted immediately for their criminal activities. President Rajapaksa in New York to address the UN Assembly Meanwhile, an international warrant has to be issued against nefarious brokers like Nissanka Senadhipathi and all his family members who are on the run. In this regard, we agree with the proposition made in Parliament two days ago by Mr Vijitha Herath to arrest a fugitive bugger. If countries like the United States can impose a travel ban on the Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and his family members by making absurd allegations, why not immediately implement an international plan to crack down on fugitives fleeing the country after looting the public funds and state resources? It was not only the Rajapaksas who plunged the country to the brink of destruction but also many members of parliament, including Sirisena, are well-contributed bedfellows of this catastrophe. All these people are, unfortunately, parasites in human shapes. All these people are fully responsible for the destruction of the country's state banking system and economy. The main problem is that no one who comes to rule the country pays a penny of attention to financial discipline and transparency, because they were born to do just the exact opposite. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the power to rule a rotten country. No doubt, he had a dream. He worked tirelessly for that. But he could not understand the politics of his own team. What happened in just over two years was that Gotabaya Rajapaksa fell tragically to the very group that brought him to power. Unfortunately, many of the officers he appointed to support his vision also miserably failed to fulfil their responsibilities. Although it was proposed for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to form a new government, he vehemently rejected the request. He has also threatened to remove a number of Pohottu members from supporting the president if he leaves. Gotabaya is in a hostile situation. In the face of this dilemma, the President is facing a situation as the old Sinhalese saying goes, Gedara Giyoth Ambu Nasi, Maga Sitiyoth Tho Nasi (You wife will die if you go home, you will die if you stay out). The president has very limited options for resolving the prevailing complex political dilemma. Regrettably, he does not have the basic political milieu to pursue those limited options. Because the foremost condition is the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is nothing but a daydream. It is unfortunate that the President, in the face of the narrow political ambitions of some members in the group that brought him to the presidency, has been disgracefully rejected in the eyes of society. NPP Germany Branch Communications Director, Nana Osei Boateng 07.04.2022 LISTEN The New Patriotic Party (NPP) branch in Germany has heaped praises on the ruling government for putting an end to the guarantor system in the student loan application. Last month, the Chief Executive Officer of the Student Loan Trust Fund, Nana Kwaku Agyei Yeboah announced to the delight of the Ghanaian public that students who apply for loans will no longer be required to present a guarantor. Now the government has brought something new and parliament has passed the bill into law. Now anyone coming for the loan doesn't need a guarantor. You only need to be a Ghanaian, have your Ghana card, and be a Ghanaian in an accredited public or private tertiary institution to access the loan, he shared. This, the NPP Germany has issued a press release, indicating that the NPP government must be commended for seeing this through. The Akufo-Addo government has brought this measure as part of his grand course of making education as accessible as possible in all tiers. This is an appropriate way of alienating the mundane of students failing to continue their tertiary education because of lack of funds as well as killing the stress associated with applying for these funds. Your Ghana card which contains all your personal details and traceable documentations shall be enough to fetch you all the money you need to complete your education and pay later at your convenience. This is a good approach towards our educational system and it must be applauded, parts of a press release from NPP Germany signed by Communications Director Nana Osei Boateng have said. Read the full release below: Press Release NPP Germany 02.04.22 THE END OF THE STUDENT LOAN GUARANTORS ERA From now on, the student loan trust fund of Ghana shall not use the guarantors approach before granting loans to Ghanaian students anymore. All you need to have is your Ghana card to establish the validity of your citizenship. For this reason, there is an anticipated increase in the number of persons that will be able to access the loan facility granted by the fund. Ghanaian students will have the ease of accessing money to cover tuition, books and other educational expenses on a semester by semester basis. The Akufo-Addo government has brought this measure as part of his grand course of making education accessible as possible in all tiers. This is an appropriate way of alienating the mundane of students failing to continue their tertiary education because of lack of funds as well as killing the stress associated with applying for these funds. Your Ghana card which contains all your personal details and traceable documentation shall be enough to fetch you all the money you need to complete your education and pay later at your convenience. This is a good approach to our educational system and it must be applauded. God bless His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. God bless the New Patriotic Party. God bless Ghana. ...Signed... Nana Osei Boateng, NPP Germany Branch Communications Director. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has warned that transacting business in Ghana using a foreign currency without written authorisation secured from its offices is prohibited by law. In addition, the BoG has cautioned that any person or persons who engage in foreign exchange business without a licence issued by the BoG must desist from such businesses. According to a press release issued by the BoG, such violations are punishable on summary conviction, by a fine of up to seven hundred (700) penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than eighteen (18) months, or both. Bank of Ghana hereby cautions the general public to desist from dealing in illegal forex activities (black market transactions), pricing, advertising, receipting or making payments for goods and services in foreign currency in Ghana, without the requisite licence or authorization from the Bank of Ghana. The General Public is hereby notified that the sole legal tender in Ghana is the Ghana Cedi. Bank of Ghana, in collaboration with National Security and Law Enforcement Agencies, will continue to clamp down on illegal foreign exchange operations. All offenders shall be dealt with in accordance with the law, parts of the BoG press release read. Below is a copy of the Bank of Ghana press release: PROHIBITION OF PRICING, ADVERTISING, RECEIPTING AND/OR MAKING PAYMENTS FOR GOODS & SERVICES IN FOREIGN CURRENCY IN GHANA Further to the Bank of Ghanas previous notices Nos. BG/GOV/SEC/2019/07 and BG/GOV/SEC/2012/12 which advised the public against unauthorized dealings in foreign currency, the Bank of Ghana hereby reminds the public that in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 723), companies, institutions and individuals are prohibited from: engaging in foreign exchange business without a licence issued by Bank of Ghana; or ii. pricing, advertising, receipting or making payments for goods and services in foreign currency in Ghana, without written authorization from the Bank of Ghana. Such violations are punishable on summary conviction, by a fine of up to seven hundred (700) penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than eighteen (18) months, or both. Bank of Ghana hereby cautions the general public to desist from dealing in illegal forex activities (black market transactions), pricing, advertising, receipting or making payments for goods and services in foreign currency in Ghana, without the requisite licence or authorization from the Bank of Ghana. The General Public is hereby notified that the sole legal tender in Ghana is the Ghana Cedi. Bank of Ghana, in collaboration with National Security and Law Enforcement Agencies, will continue to clamp down on illegal foreign exchange operations. All offenders shall be dealt with in accordance with the law. Bank of Ghana urges the general public to report any violations witnessed to: Telephone: 0302665005 Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: 0596912354 or 0501502270 07.04.2022 LISTEN Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare has sued the editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Jr, as well as his newspaper and one other journalist for claiming she had hand in the demolition of a building at Roman Ridge. The story was headlined: Dubai embassy demolishing spree, minister and husband fingered. The paper first broke the story on 18 October 2021. It was alleged at the time that Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly downed the building because it sat on a property belonging to former President John Mahama. However, the paper published the same story again on 4 April 2022 even though the reporter in question, Frank Amponsah, met with the Deputy Ministers lawyer and was given full access to all the court documents and facts relating to the case, which started in the year 2002 and had judgment given in 2015. The High Court, in 2015, granted judgment in favour of Mr Frank Nuamah, against three defendants, Adjei Darko, Francis Don Lartey and Alhaji Adama, as far as the litigation over the property was concerned. Mr Nuamah, who was the plaintiff in the matter, was put in possession of the property when the court went into execution in May 2016. In November 2020, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe of the High Court dismissed an application by one of the defendants, Alhaji Adams, to have the judgment set aside. Mr Nuamah then proceeded to pull down the building in May 2016. The Deputy Minister, in her writ, said associating her with the demolition has seriously injured her reputation and damaged her image in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society, hence the decision to sue. Source: Classfmonline.com The Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh has hinted that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias address on the economy will center on the future of the country. According to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, the content of the Vice Presidents address will give hope to the Ghanaian people. I will certainly be present to listen to our Future & our Hope this afternoon, the Majority Chief Whip tweeted on Thursday morning. The Vice President in the last few months has been criticised for being silent amid the country's economic crisis as head of the economic management team. Today at the National TESCON Training and Orientation Conference scheduled to be held at the Pentecost Conference Centre at Millennium City, Kasoa Yesukrom in the Central Region, Dr. Bawumia is billed to speak on the economy. Other dignitaries include the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Chief of Staff, Frema Akosua Osei Opare; National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay; Executive Director, Danquah Institute, Antoinette Tseboa-Darko will all be present at the forum. The police in Ejisu have arrested two men for allegedly exhuming 12 corpses at Ejisu-Krapa No. 1 in the Ashanti Region. The suspects, Yaw Samuel, age 27 and Nana Kwame, age 29, are reported to have spent three weeks in the cemetery searching for the human remains. Speaking to this reporter on Thursday, April 7, 2022, the Acting Chief of the area Nana Nyamaa Boadi said the suspects managed to gather a sack full of human remains in three weeks after breaking into graves at the cemetery. He added that the first suspect, Yaw Samuel, a stranger in the area was arrested on Sunday, April 3, 2022 after he attempted to sell some of the human remains to another person in the community who posed as a buyer. "The buyer, a native of Krapa marched the suspect to the chief's palace. Upon searching his bag, some bones suspected to be human remains were found," he said. "We later handed him over to the Ejisu police for further investigations." It was later in the day when he lead police to his hideout in the township to retrieve a sack full of suspected human remains. The other suspect, the chief noted was arrested after he went to the police station to visit his accomplice. The two have however been remanded into police custody by a court in Juaben. Mali says military investigators have opened an investigation into events in the village of Moura, the site of an alleged massacre by local forces and Russian mercenaries. In a statement, Mali's military prosecutor said: "Following the allegations of alleged abuses committed against civilians ... investigations have been opened by the national gendarmes on the instructions of the Defence Ministry and veterans." Mali's army announced on 1 April that it had killed at least 203 militants in Moura, in the centre of the country, during an operation in late March. However, that announcement followed widely shared social media reports of a civilian massacre in the area. Witnesses point finger at Russian mercenaries Human Rights Watch said this week that Malian forces and foreign fighters killed 300 civilians in Moura, in what it called "the worst single atrocity reported in Mali's decade-long armed conflict". Malian forces were operating in tandem with white foreign soldiers, HRW said, adding they were believed to be Russian because witness accounts referred to them as non-French-speaking. Russia has supplied what are officially described as military instructors to Mali, but they are widely believed to be operatives from the Russian mercenary group Wagner. 'Revenge attack' Wassim Nasr, a journalist and jihad specialist with France 24, reported that islamist fighters claimed the five-day-long operation in Moura was carried out in revenge for an Al-Qaeda attack on the village of Dogofry and other nearby towns. Nasr also said a man believed to have been part of the inner-circle of Al-Qaeda's second in command in Mali, Muhammed Kufa, was spotted in Moura, sparking the intervention by the Malian army. Following news of the alleged massacre, questions were raised as to why the UN mission in Mali did not intervene. "The answer is simple, but unfortunate," Nasr told France 24. "The authorities in Bamako have imposed a no-fly zone across the central region of the country, preventing MINUSMA from directly engaging." Calls for MINUSMA to lead investigation On Wednesday, independent UN human rights expert Alioune Tine urged an independent and impartial investigation into the events. In a statement, he called on the Malian authorities to allow MINUSMA to perform the investigation. "The findings must be made public and the alleged perpetrators brought to justice," Tine added. The rights expert joins the United States, European Union, the UN and the Malian Human Rights Commission in calling for an investigation into the alleged massacre. Read also: The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) says the lack of interest in weather updates among the general public is worrying. The GMA said people do not take interest in the daily weather updates hence get affected by changes in weather. Sudden heavy rainstorms in Accra and parts of the country cause havoc to both lives and property, raising questions as to whether the GMA alerted the public of the situation. Speaking on the issue on 3FM's Sunrise on Thursday hosted by Alfred Ocansey, the Forecast and the Central Analysis at the GMA, Joshua Asamoah, said it was disorganized rainfall which hit West Africa. Communication is a big problem. The interest is not so much for the public. The interest is not there as much because over the past few years, we have been able to double our efforts to get the information to the pubic but they don't seem to make use of it Mr. Asamoah explained that we use every social media to share the daily forecast but the interest is not so much for the weather. We have to increase our education on weather and from now till somewhere in May, we should be expecting these types of rainfalls. ---3news.com South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose government has been criticised for refusing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on Thursday blasted the UN Security Council as "outdated" and in dire need of an overhaul. The continental powerhouse has maintained a non-aligned stance, touting negotiation as the best option to end the conflict despite international outrage and condemnation. It has so far abstained from voting in two UN resolutions adopted over the war. "The conflict has exposed the inability of the UN Security Council to fulfil its mandate of maintaining international peace and security," Ramaphosa declared. He was speaking in Pretoria in an address to South African diplomats accredited to other countries. Ramaphosa said the UNSC structure enabled powerful nations to use their clout to make decisions that were at times catastrophic. "The current formation of the UN Security Council is outdated and unrepresentative," he said. "It disadvantages countries with developing economies." He called for decision-making "to be democratised so that the Council can be true to its mandate and move beyond the paralysis brought about by a few member states." He added: "We need to curb the unilateral actions of these countries to shape global politics through aggression and other coercive measures like the imposition of unilateral sanctions." He said, "The entire peace and security architecture of the United Nations needs to be overhauled". The UN General Assembly is due to vote Thursday on suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council following allegations that Russian troops murdered civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv. "We support the principle that members should refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of other states," said Ramaphosa. Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said South Africa's "non-aligned position does not mean that we condone Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, which has been in violation of international law." Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first indigenous Prime Minister of Nigeria, happened to be my fathers course mate and close associate at the London University Institute of Education in 1953. My father was very fond of him. He saw in Balewa a refined gentleman of good breeding. Eventually, I began to admire Balewa too. Every so often, I began to listen to and appreciate his golden-voice speeches. And when the man died during the first military coup, my father was devastated and very sad. He said that the dastardly and unfortunate killing of the Prime Minister by the Nigerian Army should not have happened. And I am quite sure many Nigerians would agree with my father that Balewa didnt deserve to die such a brutal death. In one chapter of my book: The Presidential Years from Dr. Jonathan to Gen. Buhari, I took a graphic look at some of the reasons the Nigerian civil war happened. The realities that follow in the wake of those revelations became even more poignant when it is considered that all the truth about what led to hostilities in Nigeria that ultimately led to civil war had never been told in its entirety. It is doubtful if the narrative can ever be exhausted. But like the history of every other people, writing about the Nigerian civil war would be like watching a masquerade dance in a village square. The way you see the events will depend on your angle of elevation or your location. Even as we speak, most Nigerians either do not have a critical knowledge of the overt and covert events that led up to that war or they decided, for whatever reason, to be economical with the facts. And yet, we know that there is nothing more dangerous or more damaging than for a person who should know to keep groping in the dark about a situation or a condition the one is most passionate about. It is even more fatal when the young ones who are eager to know about their past in order to determine their future are fed with tissues of lies and concocted ideas that scarcely make sense to any reasoning person. I was 20 years old when the Nigerian conflict erupted. I was in the second year of my Advanced Level studies. So, I was quite able to understand and grapple with what was going on at the time. I recollect that when the British ruled Nigeria as its colony, our people had absolutely nothing to worry about. There was constant electricity in the cities. There was water in the taps in the towns and cities. Streams and rivers were there in the rural areas to take care of the domestic needs of people who needed to drink water or use it to cook, wash clothes and kitchen utensils or to bathe. The roads in every nook and cranny of the country were maintained on daily basis. There was the Public Works Department (PWD) which undertook the repair of all the roads from rural agricultural producing to urban consuming areas. Students and non-employed youths within the catchment areas of local councils were deployed to scoop sand and stones to fill in the ditches on our roads on daily basis. And they were paid daily. So, there was daily employment for Nigerian youths who wanted to get some money to spend on a daily basis. In short, the infrastructure Nigerians needed at the time was largely available for their use. Nigerians never complained because there was just no reason for it. They were a happy people. By 1957, the wind of the quest for self rule among West African countries began to blow its way into Nigeria from Ghana. Nigerians watched Ghanaians secure and celebrate their independence that year. The sheer pride and happiness that engulfed Ghanaians motivated Nigerian politicians to double their efforts and put more pressure on the British government to grant the country self rule. Eventually, independence for Nigeria came in 1960. Three regions made up the country and they were the Eastern Region, the Northern Region and the Western Region. A fourth region, the Mid-West, was later added. Nigerian politicians managed the country. Political alliances were forged. But just two years into independence, trouble started. The crisis that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leader of the Action Group Party and Chief Samuel Akintola who was also in the party instigated led to the 1962 state of emergency in Western Region. It is well documented and has become part of the dark spots in the countrys history. Indeed, many Nigerians knew that the disagreement that erupted during the annual congress of the Action Group party in Jos, Northern Nigeria on 2 February 1962 was not a sudden event. The misunderstanding was not goaded by the spur-of-the-moment instincts of the state actors. It had been building up, gradually but steadily, soon after Nigeria was granted self rule by the British. It was the political battle that laid the foundation of all other battles that have continued to bedevil the entire Nigerian political horizon ever since. Samuel Akintola (left) and Obafemi Awolowo (right) When the British left, even the army felt liberated. The political alliances in the country and even the army formation at the time were normal Nigerian people who were naturally eager to manifest their new-found strengths and relevance in the new dispensation. Within the political parties, especially in the western region, there were personal ambitions on the part of the politicians which led to scheming and manipulations. There was a desire to consummate those ambitions expeditiously, which led to impatience. There was the fact that not many of the politicians thought that building up a nation would take time and meticulous planning. There was insensitivity on the part of the politicians flouting their wealth and big new cars in public which was not a part of the British legacy and which attracted public disgust and opprobrium. And so, political idealism came into conflict with social realism. In both the army and the political circles, there was courage and there was cowardice that culminated in betrayals. There was intellectual leadership and there was financial leadership, both attracting their followers. There was hate and there was love, sometimes manifest and at other times covert. There was magnanimity and there was pettiness that fanned self aggrandizement on the part of the political class. And so, there was trust and there was mutual suspicion within the polity. The deteriorating political situation in the west had far reaching effects. One of those effects was that it gave rise to a new dimension in the vision of the khaki boys in the Nigerian army. In that chaos, Igbo boys in the Nigerian army saw both a loophole and a possibility. And they began to nurse the ambition that the Igbo were definitely the ones who should step into the shoes of the British colonial masters, now that they had left. Majors Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna who masterminded the first coup that unseated the First Republic were both Igbo who grew up in the northern region. They knew the terrain and the relationships between the easterners and the northerners very well. For the records, it is important to note that these army boys were very decent about their ambition. They meant to maintain the standards the country inherited from the British the civil service, the banks, the agricultural enterprises, the roads, the schools, the markets and other infrastructure and if possible, improve upon them for Nigerians, irrespective of where they came from, just as the British would have done. Their ambition was buttressed by the fact that throughout the country at that time, the Igbo were the ones occupying all the viable positions, just the same way as Asians are doing in contemporary United Kingdom. They were there in the banks as workers and managers. They were there in schools as students and teachers. They were there in the hospitals as doctors and nurses. They were there in the markets as business men and women. They were there in the civil service as staff and permanent secretaries. They were there in the transportation industry. They were there in the hospitality industry. In Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, wherever you went, the Igbo practically dominated the national economy. And for that reason, the Igbo boys in the army convinced themselves that only the Igbo could conveniently step into the shoes of the British and rule Nigeria with equity and the fear of God. And they became committed to this objective. However, the objective was a sort of internal Igbo arrangement. They couldnt possibly disclose this to those non-Igbo colleagues of theirs with whom they planned to embark on the first coup-de-tat Nigeria was to experience. It was their internal arrangement which must remain secret among the Igbo military officers. But they still had to enlist the support of their non-Igbo military colleagues. And together they sacked the government of President Nnamdi Azikiwe and Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa thereby redirecting the political and military focus of the country. In the North, key political actors like the Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello and the first Nigerian Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa were murdered in the coup. In the West, some key actors like Chief Samuel Akintola and the Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie Eboh, were also killed. But in the East, principal state actors like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr Akanu Ibiam and Dr Michael Okpara who the coup plotters had slated for death were not seen at home when the army boys struck. It was strongly suspected that the plan had been leaked to them. In the circumstance, not one Igbo leader was touched during that first coup. This situation could have corroborated the internal plan of the Igbo military officers to get the Igbo to step into the shoes of the white man who was now gone. They saw that the cap fitted and were eager to wear it. So, the highest ranking army officer, Major General Aguiyi Ironsi was installed Head of State after the coup. Ironsi was an Igbo, from Umuahia. But the plan back-fired after those they executed the coup with now had an afterthought. For them the fact that not even one Igbo leader was killed during the coup was quite an eye opener. It was then construed that it was an Igbo coup and the northerners staged a counter-coup. Subsequent coups that culminated in the unstable position Nigeria finds itself at this time manifested all the threats we already noted: courage and cowardice, betrayals, scheming and manipulations, mutual suspicions, mutual mistrust and so on. All these led to distrust, the killing of easterners in the north, the subsequent declaration of Biafra by the Igbo and the war that followed. But on January 15, 1970, Biafra surrendered. Nigerias first President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa Given this background, it is most absurd that Pastor Tunde Bakare would conceive the very disturbing idea that Alhaji Tafawa Balewa cursed the Igbo that because they killed him, they would not become President of the country unless, somehow, the curse was reversed. If Balewa was not my fathers course mate in London in 1953 or if I didnt know the fine character that was the Prime Minister, I might have thought Bakare possibly had a point. But he didnt have a point. He doesnt have a point. In the first place, Balewa was Nigerias Prime Minister, not the President. At the time he was murdered, the President of Nigeria was Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo. So there were practically no chances that the Prime Minister would look beyond the confines of his office to place a curse on an office that was much higher than his. Its just commonsense. Indeed, what I think is that Pastor Bakare himself is possibly the curse a curse to anyone who associates with him for public good. I think now that he has revealed his true chameleon colour to the world, he could have been the bad luck that happened to General Muhammadu Buhari in 2011. Otherwise why did General Buhari fail to clinch the Presidency when he paired with Pastor Bakare and succeeded when he paired with Pastor Osinbajo? Think about it. Is it not obvious then that Pastor Bakare is critically aware of his true personality and his shortcomings? That accounts for why he desires to hide under the Igbo presidential aspiration or was it a case of he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High abiding in the shadow of the Almighty? Come to think of it: how could Balewa have cursed the Igbo instead of the army boys who murdered him? Were the army boys sent by the Igbo nation to kill the Prime Minister? Alhaji Tafawa Balewa was a fine and polished gentleman in his days. He knew and respected the Igbo for who they were and what they could do for Nigeria. And if he was to have placed a curse on anyone for any reason, it should have been on the politicians from the Western Region who created the opportunity for the army to gatecrash into the democratic evolution of the country. I make haste, therefore, to ask Rev. Bakare to take away the plank from his eye that is blinding him to the reality of who he actually is before convincing himself that the speck in the eye of his neighbour, the Igbo man, has now become topic for his sermon. There is no way the Balewa I knew would have cursed anyone, let alone the Igbo who have remained the economic backbone of the country since independence. Bakare should please stop this hide and seek game of his and his church members should please take note. The Humanist community in Nigeria is utterly shocked by the sentencing of Mubarak Bala for blasphemy. It is utterly disgraceful that a court in this 21st century could convict an individual for making innocuous posts on Facebook. Bala, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested for blasphemy in 2020 and was convicted on April 5 2022. Today is a sad day for humanism, human rights and freedom in Nigeria. The sentencing of Mubarak Bala is a stark violation of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. We urge the authorities in Nigeria to ensure that this judicial charade does not stand, says Leo Igwe, a trustee of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. After almost two years of illegal detention, Bala pleaded guilty to the charges. But according to his lawyer, the plea was not part of the legal strategy, and Bala might have been tricked to believe that a guilty plea would earn him a lighter sentence. Incidentally the plea did not. "The judge did not seem to consider that he had been illegally locked up for two years, or what effect it must have had on him or the apparent conflict between his position and that of lawyer. He appeared overly willing to accept the guilty plea, and to impose two 24 years sentences, only relenting by allowing them to be served consecutively", says George Mbuagbaw, HAN's Interim President. Humanists believe that Bala is being targeted because he renounced Islam, and for his peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of conscience or belief. We urge the Nigerian authorities to ensure that the sentence is overturned and that blasphemy laws are repealed. Tea Auctions are held weekly on consignments of tea delivered to Colombo. The transporters from various planting districts are unable to do so due to acute shortage of diesel. The Colombo Tea Traders Association established in 1894 is the apex private sector body comprising of all Stakeholders namely Growers, Manufacturers, Brokers and Buyers/Exporters. The Industry supports the livelihood of over 2 million people and is pivotal in sustaining the key areas in the rural economy. Sri Lanka exports over 90% of its annual production and the export earnings are over1.3 billion USD. The current situation on the shortage of fuel and electricity is major threat resulting in the disruption of daily activities in the Plantation Sector. The transport of green leaf from the fields of the Tea Small Holders and Plantations to the factories are virtually bordering a collapse. The Manufacturers are unable to process the harvest on time due to lack of diesel for the generators.The likelihood of some factories closing down due to the current situation is real. This would have serious impact on the Tea Small Holders who contribute over 70% of the National Production annually, and rely on the Manufacturers to process their green leaf. Tea Auctions are held weekly on consignments of tea delivered to Colombo. The transporters from various planting districts are unable to do so due to acute shortage of diesel. This will affect the conducting of the weekly tea auctions in Colombo that would have a negative impact on the entire value chain of the Industry. Similarly, Buyers/Exporters are affected by the lack of fuel and electricity, unable to process and meet delivery schedules of the Importers. This would have an irreversible impact on the Industry where the Importers will look to replace Ceylon Tea, with teas from other origins. This crisis if not resolved at the earliest, will have a drastic effect not only on the National Economy but over 2 million people whose livelihood is supported by the Tea Industry. His Majesty Osagyefuo Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin Okyenhene is under intense pressure from the people of Kyekyere, Amanase, and surrounding communities to publicly disown and take steps to disband a group calling itself Okyeman Task Force allegedly engaged in land-guarding activities and currently terrorizing residents and farmers living in communities along the Akyem Apedwa-Nsawem road. Speaking to the press after a community gathering to address their concerns, Assembly Member for Kyekyere Electoral Area, Paul Som Abedi called on the paramount Chief of Akyem Abuakwa to publicly disassociate himself from the group and make frantic efforts to disband. He noted that their continued operation in his name is a dent on his image and brings to question his very principles as one of the respected chiefs in Ghana. I dont want to believe that that Okyehene as we have come to know him will reduce himself to this level and allow thugs to torment innocent people on their land in this manner. This is why we are asking him to speak on the matter and take steps to fight the group because they use his name to seek legitimacy and influence," Paul Som Abedi stated. He noted that the use of vehicles marked with the emblem of Akyem Abuakwa Paramountcy is more worrying because it gives credence to their claims considering how the Okyenhene has kept mute and allowed them to flourish for nearly a decade without much effort to disband it. I believe that if for nothing at all, Okyehene has a duty to act and protect his name and his office given the illegal use of symbols and logos that should be solely used for official purposes to commit these hideous crimes against defenseless people whose only offense has been to make a living on the lands bequeathed to them by their forefathers who used legitimate means to acquire them, he added. Paul Som Abedi intimated that there is no way the people of Kyekyere will give up on what is ours because we have been the legal owners of the land since 1875 when our forebearers bought the place from the people of Apedwa and we have documents and rulings to support this. Anum Apapem Residents clash with Okyeman Task Force sand weaners With many acres of farmlands destroyed by activities of sand winners whose operations are allegedly sanctioned by the Okyeman Task Force, they decided to move to the cemetery area in an attempt to extend their boundaries. This resulted in a clash with community members that led to the arrest of some of the operators by the Teacher Mantey Police station. Nana Sarpong Kumankuma, the Chief of Anum Apapem who led the operation is said to have been threatened with harm by the members' Task Force who were leaving the community minutes before the media encounter and were seen by reporters in their pick up with arms. Speaking to reporters, he also re-echoed the calls for the Okyenhenes intervention because he believed that their alleged affiliation to him fuels their illegal course. "I dont ever want to believe that the Okyehene is behind these disguised land guarding activities, I strongly believe these guys seek legitimacy by the use of his name even though this area is not an Akyem land and so it is important that he takes this up as an attack on his person and a dent on his image as an advocate of proper management of the environment," he stated. According to some of the people affected by their activities, even though the Task Force has been in existence for almost a decade, the past four years have seen them brutalize residents in communities such as Kyekyere, Amanase, Teacher Mantey, Akuffo, Anum, Suhum and several other communities along the Apedwa Nsawem Road. We want to plead with President Nana Akufo Addo and the IGP to come to our aid because people are being denied their means of livelihood. Our land is being destroyed, the Okyeman Task Force and their contractors are destroying our farms, they are giving them out for sand weaners," One protester cried. DCE of Ayensuano District speaks When the District Chief Executive of Ayensuano, Mrs. Josephine Nkoom was contacted to give her take on the illegal sand winning in the area, she stated, In the 21st century when the rule of law is expected to be the order of the day, these sand weaners have completely disregarded due process in his pursuit of this evil agenda taking the very livelihood of the people from them. She promised to clamp down on perpetrators and ensure that they are used as scapegoats. She indicated that the cost of fighting the activities is hurting the Assembly because they have a very narrow budget making it difficult for them to sustain the fight. 7th April 2022, Nairobi: By adopting increasingly circular, regenerative, and inclusive farming practices, Kenya has shown great potential to make its second-largest industry more sustainable overall. For instance, circular agriculture is enabling Kenya to mitigate climate change, elevate its food quality and improve security. Speaking during the launch, The Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya Maarten Brouwer noted that In recent years, Kenya and the Netherlands worked together to optimize Kenyas agriculture sector by offering smart technology and organizational support, which has already proven successful. To illustrate the opportunities for circular agriculture in Kenya, the Netherlands Embassy has released a report Kenya and the Netherlands working together towards circular agriculture in Kenya. The report provides a total of 11 farming trends and opportunities that have been identified as indicative of the transition towards circular agriculture. It includes a selection of best practices across five areas hoped to inspire anyone working in the agricultural sector. The report was launched during a business network reception organized by the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi on the 6th of April 2022. Kenyas agricultural sector is vital for sustaining its people and its economy. With a rapidly growing population, the demand for nutritious foods is rising. In addition, at least a quarter of Kenyas annual GDP is generated from agriculture, and it employs over 40% of its total working population. It is, therefore, safe to say that optimizing the agriculture sector would benefit the country in multiple ways. Moreover, it would help Kenya achieve its ambitious climate goals. This is where the concept of circular agriculture comes in. In simple terms, it involves practices that are in harmony with nature and at the same time support its stakeholders. Circular agriculture enables Kenya to tackle key environmental challenges while also sustaining its population and economy, emphasized Karin Boomsma, Director of Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya. So, how exactly is Kenya making its agriculture more sustainable? For one, adopting circular farming practices helps to mitigate climate risks like droughts and floods, it keeps the soil healthy and therefore, secures nutrition and avoids soil and land degradation. Circular, regenerative practices reduce carbon emissions thanks to efficient (re)use of resources. By turning produce that would otherwise be lost into animal feed, natural fertilizers, or biofuel, food waste is prevented, soil quality is elevated, and unnecessary emissions are reduced. Kenyas agricultural advancements have seen a great number of collaborations with the Netherlands. Though having vastly different climates, both countries rely heavily on agriculture and are thus keen on exchanging experiences and best practices. As driving forces behind circular agriculture, our countries together form a rich source of knowledge that benefits both parties, said Ingrid Korving, the Agricultural Counsellor for Kenya and Tanzania, adding that The Netherlands Embassy has formulated five agriculture sectors that have already bloomed as a result of the partnership. One of these is centered on circular animal feed, with the Impact cluster FeedTech Kenya. In Kenya and the East African region as a whole, there is a growing demand for locally produced, protein-rich animal feed. The production is relatively easy, makes use of waste materials, solves waste issues and the low costs versus high protein value make it an ideal alternative for animal feed for the country and the world. Soy needed to produce animal feed is often imported from countries such as Brazil[1], which causes deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and high carbon emissions[2]. Making animal feed more circular is one way to circumvent these risks. This is how the circular fly came into being. Researchers have discovered that the Black Soldier Fly, which is common in Kenya, can convert large amounts of organic waste into protein, which can then serve as a resource for animal feed. By breeding these insects and using them as organic waste processors, animal feed can be produced more circularly. On top of that, the by-products of this process can be used as fertilizers. Talash Huijbers from Insectipro (a business producing Black Soldier Flies for animal feed) says "My business contributes to the reduction of animal feed prices, gives local farmers the ability to produce local fish, and chickens, which feed on good quality protein (BSF) in turn producing higher quality meat and eggs and thus creating a higher nutritional value. This helps solve food security in Kenya". Innovations like the above are already being adopted to further increase the circularity of Kenyas agriculture. The brochure provides a total of 11 farming trends and opportunities that have been identified as indicative of the transition towards circular agriculture. Also, it includes a selection of best practices across five areas that we hope will inspire anyone working in the agricultural sector. The report was executed by Sustainable Inclusive Business. To get access to the full report, you can go to Kenya and the Netherlands working together toward circular agriculture in Kenya | Nieuwsbericht | Agroberichten Buitenland [1] The Observatory of Economic Complexity Soybeans in Brazil [2] Mongabay - Brazil soy trade linked to widespread deforestation, carbon emissions The Ministry in charge of Energy is assuring the Ghanaians that there is no way constant interrupted power supply (dumsor) which collapsed businesses and made lives unbearable for four years under the erstwhile Mahama administration will ever bedevilled the country again under the watch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. The assurance from the Ministry comes on the back of a news item on various media platforms, in which former Minister of Power under the John Mahama administration, Dr. Kwabena Donkor is predicting the return of 'dumsor'. According to Dr. Donkor, dumsor is coming because the government has not made any significant addition to the countrys generation capacity. With the attention of the Energy Ministry drawn to that claim, it has issued a press release to set the records straight. The Ministry, therefore, rejects the assertion by the former Power Minister that there is a risk of returning to 'dumsor' by virtue of the state of generational capacity. In line with our projected demand and the prudent management of the energy sector, the Ministry of Energy is confident that there is no way that this country will go back to the dark days of dumsor, parts of a press release from the Communications and Public Affairs Unit of the Ministry has said. Meanwhile, the Ministry has urged Dr. Donkor to first seek the correct information on this and similar issues from the Ministry in the future before going public with pronouncements that are not only incorrect but also have the tendency to mislead the public and cause unnecessary fear and panic. Supreme Court has granted the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono East Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, alias Abronya DC, permission to serve a writ on Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and 8 other former John Mahama appointees via substituted service. The NPP Chairman went to the Supreme Court last year, invoking its original jurisdiction for the interpretation of Article 98 of the 1992 Constitution. The provision bars Members of Parliament from holding any other office of profit or emolument, be it private or public, and whether directly or indirectly, unless with the permission of Mr./Madam Speakers permission; and on the grounds that the conflict of interest concerns are not triggered and that the MP's core responsibilities are not prejudiced. Consequently, and on the strength of Article 78(3) of the Constitution, Abronya DC wants the Supreme Court to direct or compel the former Ministers/Deputy Ministers within the Mills-Mahama Administrations, who were also elected Members of Parliament between 2009 and 2016, to pay back to the Republic, all double salaries received within the period. Article 78(3), in the spirit of article 98, also bars Ministers of State from holding any other office of profit or emolument. The 12 defendants in the case are Minority Leader and former Trade and Industry Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, Alhassan Azong, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, Eric Opoku, Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Mark Owen Woyongo, Comfort Doyoe Ghanasah, and Aquinas Tawiah Quansah. The rests are the Controller and Accountant General and the Attorney General. Lawyer for Abronya DC, Seth Gyapong Oware, however, told the single-judge Supreme Court on Thursday that it has become next to impossible to serve 9 out of the 12 defendants in the case with the writ invoking the original jurisdiction of the Court, and the applicant's Statement of Claims. He thus urged the Court to allow them to serve the processes via substituted service. His Lordship Clemence Honyenuga, while granting the application, said good and substantial reasons have been urged for the grant of the application. He ordered that copies of the Writ Invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and Statement of Claims be posted on the notice boards of the Supreme Court, Parliament, and the High Court at the Law Court Complex, and for the same to also be published in the Daily Guide and Daily Graphic Newspapers. These publications are to last for 14 days beginning from the first day of their posting. --- The delay in the construction of a bus terminal at Shiashie Junction in Accra has compelled commercial drivers to take over the shoulders of the road and pavements, posing danger to road users. Close to 100 vehicles jostle daily for more than 3,000 passengers along the street corners with a few reported road crashes and pedestrian knockdowns. The Shiashie Lorry Station was closed to drivers in December last year to allow for the construction of a new bus terminal. The drivers, some, operating at the Station since 2002, were relocated to a temporary site near the Tema Motorway, about two kilometres away from the old station. After three months, the construction site has seen no development, with drivers operating along the streets and endangering lives. Despite interventions by police officers, some drivers continued to use the shoulders of the road, occasionally creating chaotic situations with passengers chasing vehicles and vice versa in the sharp curve. The chaotic situation was compounded by some commuters who used ride-in services including Uber, Yango and Bolt, after waiting for a while at the same place. The situation often resulted in heavy human and vehicular traffic, especially during rush hours. The vehicles commute between Shiashie and American house, Adjiringanor, La-Bawaleshie, Ashaley Botwe, and other communities in East Legon. When the Ghana News Agency visited the area, it observed that for more than an hour, no passenger walked to the temporary station to board a car. Consequently, the drivers moved their vehicles from the station to pick passengers along the streets and pavements at the sharp turn junction close to the footbridge on the Shiashi-Legon road. A passenger, who had just returned from Nigeria with her sister, lamented the inconvenience associated with the long-distance passengers had to cover to the temporary station to pick a car. She said: This is where we usually pick car home, but they've sent the cars to motorway, which you have to walk for several minutes to get there. I am just coming from Nigeria and I'm stranded because they're not allowing the drivers to pick us here. This is frustrating. Madam Lydia Pepprah, also a passenger, said: I know it's risky standing by the road side to pick a car, but I can't walk to the other side because of the distance. So, if I stand here for a while and I don't get a car, I'll order for a ride. Mr Salisu Wakilu, Chairman of the Shiashie Branch of the Progressive Transport Owners' Association (PROTOA) said: It was in December that the Authorities held a meeting and relocated us to the temporary station near the motorway. They told us that they were going to develop the place into a modern bus terminal with a market and some ancillary facilities. He noted, however, that several efforts to get the passengers to the new place had yielded no result, as they continued to express concerns over the long distance they had to cover. Mr Wakilu said they had to use the pedestrian walkway to remain in business. Most of the cars use this route and alight the passengers who then board cars here (Shiashie) to their respective destinations. Excluding floating cars, we transport about 3,000 passengers daily but that has reduced drastically since we were relocated. He said: So we decided to use the pavement and bring two cars at a time to pick passengers, and said, So we're appealing to the authorities to at least give us a space at the Shiashie station for the time being so that when they're ready for the construction then we move. Madam Phyllis Abalansah, the Head of Information Services/Public Relations at Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, declined to comment on the situation when contacted, noting that there was a pending case at the court on the construction site. Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) prohibits the parking of motor vehicles on verges, central reservations footways, pedestrian crossing, and places reserved for physically challenged persons. Anyone who contravenes this law is subject to a summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units (GHS3000 - one penalty unit is GHS12) or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or to both. GNA The Northern Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Chief Superintendent Mahmud Yussif, has warned residents of the Tamale metropolis and its environs that the newly constructed Tamale interchange is not pedestrian-friendly. According to him, residents will be risking their lives should they refuse to desist from using the overpass of the interchange. Looking at the nature of the project it is pedestrian-unfriendly and completely not meant for pedestrians only for vehicles. Even our motorbikes are not allowed to use it, it was constructed to ease traffic in the central business district. Information gathered by DGN Online suggests that children have started using the overpass of the interchange as a playground. Other persons have been seen walking on top of the overpass even though it is meant for vehicles. Reports suggest that one person allegedly fell off the overpass days after it was commissioned. The MTTD Commander disclosed that police personnel will be sent around to educate residents on the usage of the interchange. We will go there physically to help educate people and direct people as to what to do and what not to do when you get to the interchange. He appealed to residents to adhere to the traffic rules along the interchange to avoid any accidents. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 29, 2022, commissioned the Tamale interchange in the Northern region. The Tamale interchange is the first of its kind in the Northern Region and will not only improve trade and regional integration because of the proximity to neighboring Burkina Faso but also improve traffic management in Tamale. The interchange has about a 1.1km bridge including ramps, drainage works, streetlights, and 10km of asphalt overlay around it. President Akufo-Addo instructed the Ministry of Roads and Highways to collaborate with the Regional Coordinating Council(RCC) and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to develop the prime line to befit the status of the interchange. The Ministry of Roads and Highways must ensure the maintenance of the Tamale interchange over the design period. I appeal to the users of the facility especially drivers to adhere to the various road safety measures put in place for the safe usage of the facility. The modernization of Ghana is gradually gathering momentum and I entreat all Ghanaians to join hands to build the Ghana we want. ---DGN online The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is speaking on the state of Ghana's economy today, Thursday, April 7. He is the main speaker at a National Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) Training and Orientation Conference held at Kasoa in the Central Region. The event is under the auspices of the NPP Youth Wing in collaboration with the Danquah Institute, a pro-NPP policy Tink-Tank. In attendance is the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, as the special Guest of Honour; the NPP Chairman, Freddy Blay; NPP General Secretary, John Boadu, among others. Watch live below: Kofi Dogbey, a 49-year-old driver has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for having sex with his own 14-year-old daughter. Dogbey went for his daughter from Kosoa on allegations that she was having sex with other men. But in less than three months that the victim came to live with him in his room, he also subjected his daughter to bouts of sex. He pleaded guilty to incest. The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann convicted Dogbey on his own plea and sentenced him. The court said in handing down the sentence, it considered the gravity of the offence, revulsion felt by law abiding citizens, the prevalence and seriousness of the offence. Additionally, it considered the age of the victim and trauma the victim might be going through as well as the relation that existed between the convict and the victim - father and daughter. The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, said the complainant was a driver, residing at Ave Maria, Dansoman with the victim, his cousin. Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim was a student. Prosecution said it was alleged that the victim who was staying with her mother at Kasoa, was having sex with other men. It said as a result of that, Dogbey requested that the victim should come and stay with him in his room at Ave Maria. "However, from January 2022 to date, the accused has been having sexual intercourse with the victim in the same room," the prosecution recounted. It said on April 3, this year, information reached the complainant about sexual act between the convict and the victim. The prosecution said when the complainant quizzed the victim, she narrated her ordeal to him. On April 4, this year, a report was made to the Police at Dansoman Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit. The Prosecutor said when the victim was interviewed by the Police, she revealed that her father had been having sexual intercourse with her in his room. When the convict was arrested, he admitted the offence in his investigation caution statement. GNA The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reaffirmed the Akufo-Addo Governments commitment to its vision of transforming Ghana despite the global economic challenges which have wrought dire straits on the countrys fortunes. Speaking at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Millennium City, Kasoa, on Thursday, 7th April 2022 Dr Bawumia said the Akufo-Addo government has been focused on undertaking major structural reforms in the Ghanaian economy by shifting from a focus on the production of raw materials to value addition, and by diversifying the economic fundamentals. This, Dr Bawumia said, is to address the urgent need to change the structure of the Ghanaian economy and make it responsive to the realities of the time, especially as the world moves into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Virtually every government in our history has noted the need for Ghana to change the structure of the economy through diversification and by shifting from the focus on the production of raw materials to value addition. This is a key pillar of Nana Akufo-Addos Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, Dr Bawumia emphasized. The Vice President explained that to accomplish this, Government has implemented a number of programmes which continue to yield significant results, and has plans to implement even more. Some of the programmes include Planting for Food and Jobs to increase agricultural output for agro processing and food sufficiency, which has resulted in a significant increase in food production; The Tono dam and the Left and Right banks of the Kpong dam have been rehabilitated to provide 13,190 hectares of additional irrigable land for rice and vegetable cultivation. As well, 80 warehouses have been constructed with a combined storage capacity of 80,000 MT to provide storage and reduce post-harvest losses. Reforms in the cocoa sector (including hand pollination have resulted in the highest ever cocoa production (1,047,385 tonnes) recorded in Ghana during the 2020/2021 cocoa season. This is very remarkable. The One-District-One-Factory policy has taken off with a significant impact on the manufacturing sector, the Vice President continued. 106 factories have been completed and are operational, and 148 factories are under construction. This represents the largest number of factories established under a government program since independence. The facilitation of the growth of an Automotive Industry is on course. Volkswagen, Suzuki, Sino Truck, Peugeot, and Toyota, and recently Nissan have all established assembly plants in Ghana. KIA, Hyundai and Renault are also on course to start production in Ghana this year. Kantanka automobiles is also benefiting from the same incentives that have attracted these giants onto our shores. True to its commitment to diversifying the economy and value addition, Government has started the process of building the integrated bauxite and aluminium industry, the Vice President pointed out. The partner for the project (Rocksure International), a wholly owned Ghanaian company, has been selected and has already started work to develop the Nyinahin-Mpassaso hills. The Minerals Resource Estimate to confirm the quantity and quality of the bauxite will be undertaken this year after which the refinery design will follow for the establishment of the aluminum refinery. Ghana has waited for this since independence and with visionary leadership, sound planning and by the Grace of God it is finally happening, Dr Bawumia indicated. While celebrating these steps, Vice President Bawumia vowed the Akufo-Addo governments commitment to economic reform, no matter how long it takes. Changing the structure of our economy through diversification and value addition will not happen overnight. However, it remains a major pre-occupation of the government because it is our pathway to reduce import dependency, expand the economy, create jobs, increase exports, and support the value of our currency. The data shows that despite all the challenges of the last two years, even with COVID-19, the growth of the economy is fundamentally stronger than it was in the 2013-2016 period, and we will continue to do more, he pledged. The Ashaiman Municipal Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), conducted 229 various activities to educate residents on the ravaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic especially the introduction of vaccines in 2021. The NCCE during the period reached out to a total of 6,490 residents comprising 2,018 males and 4,472 females with the sensitization message which help in whipping up enthusiasm and changing attitudes. Madam Gifty Agyeiwaa Badu, Ashaiman Municipal District Director of NCCE disclosed this to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in an interview on the activities of the Commission in the area, stated since the outbreak of the pandemic in Ghana in March 2020, the Commission intensified its public awareness campaign on the virus and encouraged the public to adhere to the safety protocols as directed by the government. She said the campaign was aimed at reducing the spread of the virus as most of the infected persons were asymptomatic, and therefore civic educators encouraged residents to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus. Touching on other activities, she noted that education was also done on democracy, the 1992 Constitution, sustainability management of the environment, human rights, health and sanitation, social auditing, and civic education club activities. She said the democracy education which was aimed at promoting good governance and encouraging the citizens to participate in decisions making was done under the topics; of peaceful co-existence, duties of a citizen, population and housing census, tolerance and national integration, and focus group discussions among others. The Ashaiman NCCE Director also noted that sensitization was also done on the roles of Parliament and District Assemblies, and the three arms of government. The citizens, she said were taken through the various functions of the state institutions, and a clear distinction was made between the functions of a Member of Parliament and the district assemblies, which is the highest political authority in the districts. Madam Badu indicated that a total of 458 targeted audiences were reached with 32 activities in 2021 on sustainable management of the environment during which they were encouraged to protect the environment by keeping it clean and disposing of waste properly to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases in the area. The Tema West Municipal Assembly has donated assorted food items and cash to the Muslim community within the municipality to show their affinity as the Muslims observe Ramadan. The items include 30 bags of sugar, 20 cartons of Milo, 25 cartons of milk, 20 boxes of Lipton, and undisclosed cash. Speaking in an interview with the media Ms. Anna Naa Adukwei Addo, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive who presented the items emphasized that every year during Ramadan fasting the Assembly supports the Muslim Community as a form of solidarity. She said the Muslim Communities in Ghana form the second-largest religion adding that, they are very important to the Assembly and the country. She indicated that Ramadan is a moment of peace and solemn and encouraged the Muslim Community to observe the peace within the period to help in the unity and development of this country. Sheikh Aziz Sama, the acting Chief Imam of Tema West Constituency who received the items on behalf of the Muslim ummah commended the MCE for the love and support showed to them during this holy month of Ramadan. He explained that Ramadan is not only about starving but a mandate assigned by God to all Muslims to retreat and ask for forgiveness, and pray. He entreated the Islamic ummah to leave in unity, truth, and patience by respecting and tolerating each other pointing out that thats the only way we can live in peace and harmony as Ghanaians. 07.04.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has recommended to the Government of Ghana to ensure full compliance with sections 79 and 80 of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) and Public Procurement Act (PPA). This, according to the GII is to safeguard the public funds and deliver value for money, noting that Section (92) of the PPA Act speaks to contraventions and penalties relating to procurement in instances of violations, especially under emergencies, to serve as a deterrent to public officers who may want to take advantage of the system. The recommendations follow a corruption risk assessment of government COVID-19 interventions carried out by the GII, which included the setting up of a COVID-19 Trust Fund, the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP), and the GhanaCARES Obaatanpa Programme. A copy of the report available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema indicates that due to the urgent nature of the response, the government put aside many of the existing laws to enable it to quickly implement measures to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the people. It further noted that whiles the government put in various policy measures to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on the nation, very little attention were paid to the robustness of the interventions to the transparency and accountability test. The civil empowerment organization also recommended to the government roll out a comprehensive communication effort through community radio and television to reach people in the local communities, using the appropriate languages for its policies and interventions. It also called for the improvement of the sharing of information regarding the sources of funding and expenditures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, while asking for the conduct of special audits on the COVID-19 related funds and expenditures to detect and address leakages and systemic weaknesses that could negatively impact the implementation of the interventions. To relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MDAs), the GII recommended that periodic refresher courses geared toward building the capacity of officials on the PPA and PFM must periodically be done. The PPA and PFM, it noted promoted efficiency, effectiveness, and economy in public service delivery, therefore the need for officers to receive periodic training on them. The GII also asked for the ensuring of strict adherence to the requirement of publishing contracts and reports as stipulated in Section 79 of the Public Financial Management Act and Sections 31, 95 of the Public Procurement Act (PPA). Put in place mechanisms to promote sharing of critical information with all staff of MMDAs to ensure compliance with the accountability requirements of their office. The PPA Board, the GII stressed, must act to fulfill their duty of care and prevent the abuse of single source and restricted tendering to guarantee the protection of the public funds. It stated that the internal control mechanisms of MDAs and MMDAs must be strengthened to ensure compliance with laid down rules, policies, procedures, and legal, framework regarding public procurement to prevent the abuse of the systems. Mrs Genevieve Jimpetey, in-charge of the Tamale Central Health Centre, has appealed to benevolent individuals and corporate organisations to provide the hospital with an ultrasound scan machine. She also appealed for laboratory equipment to enable the facility to enhance maternal care services. She said ultrasound scan was one of the most accurate methods used to assess breech pregnancies, and key equipment in diagnosing ectopic pregnancies and other dangerous pathologies, hence the need to equip the facility to make it functional and effective. She made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Thursday. Mrs Jimpetey said the facility, which was highly patronised by pregnant women and nursing mothers, transferred most of the complicated pregnancy cases to the Tamale Teaching Hospital due to lack of ultrasound scan and laboratory services. She indicated that the establishment of ultrasound scan and the laboratory service at the facility would enhance the quality of diagnostic service to pregnant women and reduce issues of complication during delivery. GNA The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was silent on the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) during his economic lecture on Thursday. The only time the Vice President came close to mentioning the tax policy was when he was talking about taxes and levies abolished and reduced by the Akufo-Addo government within the last five years. Dr. Bawumia said the Akufo-Addo government has either reduced or abolished 18 taxes and levies and explained that they reduced the E-levy charge rate from 1.75% to 1.5%. The introduction of an E-Levy of 1.5% on electronic financial transactions, he said. The Vice-President is on record to have opposed any taxation on Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions suggesting that such a move will impoverish the average Ghanaian. It, therefore, became a surprise to many that his government introduced the tax measure amidst huge public resistance to the policy. Ghanaians were thus looking forward to his take on the E-levy following its controversial passage in Parliament and expected implementation in May 2022, but their expectations were not met as the Vice President failed to make any clear comment in that regard. Despite concerns with the drop in the value and volume of mobile mobile money transactions in Ghana, Dr. Bawumia maintained that Ghana has the fastest growing mobile money market in Africa. Prior to the implementation of the E-levy, data from the Bank of Ghana shows a decline in MoMo transactions and interoperability in the past few months. He insisted that Ghana is the first country to achieve a fast growing MoMo interoperability in the whole of Africa. I should note that Ghana is the first country in Africa and one of the few in the world to achieve this type of interoperability between bank accounts and mobile wallets. Achieving mobile money interoperability (MMI) in Ghana is therefore no small feat, especially at the cost ($4.5 million) we did it. The data shows that because of MMI, Ghana is the fastest growing mobile money market in Africa. E-levy will be a tax on electronic transactions, which includes mobile-money payments. The charge will apply to electronic transactions that are over GH100 on a daily basis. ---citinewsroom The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo has stressed that after listening to H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias speech on the state of the economy, it has become clear to him that the Vice President needs the touch of Jesus Christ [Yesu]. He claims the Vice President churn out cooked economic figures just to tickle himself and laugh. Dr. Bawumia on Thursday, April 7, 2022, addressed several issues of the economy while speaking at the National Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) Training and Orientation Conference at Kasoa in the Central Region. Reacting to the Vice Presidents address, Minority MP Isaac Adongo said Dr. Bawumia failed to make any intellectual analysis. According to him, the Vice President has lost value compared to some five years ago who now needs to be saved by Jesus Christ. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should now rather be apologizing to Ghanaians.One day he will wake up and realize that there will be no economy for him to speak about. I want to tell him, why is it that he was the hero in academic institutions delivering lectures as an elite scholar in Central University and the rest and today he is roaming at Yesukrom in Kasoa? Obviously, he needs Yesu [Jesus] at this point in time, Isaac Adongo said in an interview with Citi News on Thursday evening. Unimpressed with the analysis made by Dr. Bawumia, the Bolgatanga central lawmaker further insisted that many of the arguments made by the Vice President would not even be made by a level 100 University student. Im going to speak on the economy not necessarily to counter anything because if you listen to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia very well, very characteristic of him he doesnt make any serious intellectual conversation, Isaac Adongo indicated. The Bolga Central MP bemoaned, All throughout his analysis you will notice that he has been comparing four years to five years. Not even level 100 students will do that so you know for sure that this is somebody struggling to catch straw. This is the man who says the main reason why food prices are up is because Ghana imports 30% of its wheat requirements from Ukraine. Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) has partnered the 3rd edition of the Africa Public Sector Conference & Awards (APSCA 2022). Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena, the Head of the Civil Service in Ghana will be present at the event scheduled for May 11-13th 2022, at the Plush Kempinski Hotel, Accra Ghana. Pursuant to this prestigious three-day Public Sector Conference and Awards organized by InstinctWave, the call for entries for nominations have been announced, and the Various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have immensely endorsed the event. Now, in its third year, APSCA 2022 themed, Repositioning Africas Public Sector for Sustainable Development, will bring together all levels of government stakeholders, to showcase international and local case studies, their projects, innovations that stood them out to be more citizen-centric, vibrant, transformative and sustainable. The event is an invigorating week-long event with activities such as sporting, games, awards and dinner among others. The Conference will feature Thought Leaders to share ideas, discuss the newest trends, economic issues and experiences from across different countries. Speaking about the event, Mr. Akin Naphtal, the GCEO of InstinctWave, the organizer of the event, said APSCA will reward public sector agencies and leaders who have showcased excellence in policy innovation and exceptional leadership at various levels of governance. Expected to attend are public and private sectors decision-makers as well as other stakeholders from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and some other Middle Eastern Africa Countries. Top 50 outstanding Public Sector Leaders who have delivered extraordinary value, exceptional leadership would be announced and recognized at the award night. Nominations and submission of entries has begun and closes on 22 nd of April, 2022 through our website www.africapublicsector.com ABOUT APSCA African citizens are demanding real-time public services from government agencies, for Africa to grow exponentially as expected, the public sector must play a key role in this development. The 3rd Africa Public Sector Conference & Awards (APSCA) 2022 will bring together, leaders in the public and private sector with opportunities to build partnerships, share insights on strategies, policies and best practices that will drive more efficient and smarter public services in Africa. The award night will celebrate and recognize outstanding state-owned organisations, public sector agencies, ministries and leaders demonstrating excellence in leadership, policy innovations, service delivery, inspiring innovations and individuals raising the benchmark of excellence that leaded to socio-economic growth across Africa. 07.04.2022 LISTEN Oseikrom Aduanipa, a popular eatery at East Legon in Accra, has been caught by the Electricity Company of Ghana for illegal connection, and has since been disconnected from the national grid. According to evidence gathered by ECG, managers of the facility did a meter bypass and were served notice to appear at the office of ECG, but they failed and went ahead to reconnect the power. The Electricity Company of Ghana, as part of measures to recoup part of its debts from customers, has embarked on a rigorous exercise to go after defaulting customers. At the Oseikrom eatery, a heated argument ensued where the client refuted claims of illegal connection but became sober when evidence from the 5th of April 2022 was presented to him. According to the ECG, the exercise will continue in all highly indebted public and private institutions. ---classfmonline 3Y0J Bouvet Island DXpedition Today it is 9 months until the operators travel to South America to board Marama and go to Bouvet. We're getting closer! We can announce the last operator on the team that will be Pete, N0FW. We're extremely happy to have Pete on the team with his experience and knowledge. Pete is a well know DXpeditioner, he has been on more than 16+ DXpeditions, some quite rare ones, and he is a lowband enthusiast for a long time with 322 confirmed current DXCC on 160m - so he has great ears! In 3 weeks' time we will perform a 4-day vessel inspection in Itajai in Brazil. Marama that has completed several trips to Antarctica this winter season will undertake some maintenance during her stay in Brazil. At the same time this allows us to do a detailed inspection of the vessel. Another purpose of the trip to Brazil is for us to complete the vessel loading plan. The team have worked hard to detail out all the equipment we will bring to Bouvet, and amongst other during this trip each equipment will be allocated a space in the vessel. The purpose of creating this plan is to make sure we have a smooth loading of the zodiac once we go ashore Bouvet. We have at this stage planned how to sequence all the equipment in a specific predetermined order from vessel to zodiac, and how to build the camp slowly. The detailed plan to build up the camp indicates that we will be able to setup a camp on Bouvet even with short weather windows down to 80-120 min that will take only 4 zodiac trips. We're quite determined to go ashore when the first opportunity arise! April will be a busy month for us as all team members gather in Oslo April 28th. For 4 days the team will perform a system integration test where we will do a thorough test of the radios, amplifiers and antennas in a real environment like what we can expect at Bouvet. During this event team members will practice on the installation and familiarize with it. A lot of equipment will undergo it's final testing and packing and be stored until the container leaves Oslo in September 2022. Going to Bouvet is a huge undertaking financially and it would simply not be possibly without the support from the vendors, clubs, foundations and individual sponsors. We're currently missing 120,000 USDs out of our 690,000 USDs budget to be able to go to Bouvet. As we now prepare for the next vessel deposit, we need your support to close the gap. If you want to have the opportunity to work the rare #2 DXCC Bouvet Island, please consider supporting us by donating upfront. You can follow our plans from our website and the 3Y0J Facebook pages: http://www.3y0j.no https://www.facebook.com/groups/3093983840726129 Thank you, Oslo April 2022 Ken Opskar, ?LA7GIA, Co-Leader Rune Oye, LA7THA, Co-Leader? Erwann Merrien, ?LB1QI, Co-Leader?? OPDX Thailand holds Intermediate ham radio exam On Saturday, February 5, 2022, Thailand's regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) hosted an Intermediate class amateur radio examination The exam was held at Bangkok University in Rangsit and was overseen by RAST. A total of 78 Novice class license holders took the exam of which 52 candidates passed the Morse code test. Thailand's 3 classes of license are: Novice (Entry Level / Basic) license 100 watts on 28 MHz, 60 watts on 144 MHz Intermediate 200 watts all bands Advanced 1 kW all bands In Thailand Novice is the Entry Level or Beginners license similar to the CEPT Entry-Level (ECC Report 89). It is the Thai Intermediate license that is equivalent to CEPT Novice and Advanced is equivalent to CEPT Class 1 (HAREC). In 2021 RAST reported there was a grand total of 82,771 amateur licenses. Covid prevented exams being held in 2020/2021 so it can be assumed the numbers for Intermediate and Advanced may well have been similar to those of 2018. In the UK we now take it for granted that exams are available online 7 days a week. For many years in Thailand it was impossible to do an Intermediate exam as the Government NBTC didn't hold any, even these days Intermediate and Advanced exams are infrequent and can only be taken at a limited number of locations. Note the term "Novice" may be misleading to those of us in IARU Region 1 due to CEPT's rather confusing use of "Novice" to refer to the Middle or Intermediate class of license rather than the Entry level.In 2018 RAST had reported there were 100,800 Novice license holders and just 703 Intermediate and 260 Advanced licensees.In addition to the theory exam an 8 WPM Morse test is required for IntermediateInformation on RAST is available at http://qsl.net/rast Chinese FM holds phone talks with Israel's alternate prime minister, FM Xinhua) 14:08, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Israel's alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid at the latter's request. During their conversation, Lapid said Israel and China are two ancient nations that have created great civilizations, and now both are committed to accelerating the modernization process and have a strong innovation capacity, adding the two sides understand and appreciate each other. The Israeli side regards China as a friend and has always adhered to the one-China policy since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Lapid said, noting this position has never changed and become an important foundation of its relations with China. Israel expects to maintain close high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in various fields with China, he added. In their phone talks, the Chinese foreign minister said that the Chinese nation and the Jewish nation have helped each other in history, and today they should support each other even more. China appreciates Israel's adherence to the one-China policy and understanding of China's legitimate propositions in safeguarding its core interests, Wang noted, adding that China believes Israel will continue to support China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. Ever since China and Israel established diplomatic ties 30 years ago, and especially since the two countries forged an innovative comprehensive partnership, bilateral cooperation in various fields has made great progress, Wang said. The foreign minister said that China stands ready to work with Israel to give full play to the economic complementarity of the two countries under the guidance of the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, and to push forward bilateral relations to continuously score new achievements with innovative cooperation as a key driving force. The two sides agreed to speed up the negotiation and signing of a free trade agreement, so as to raise positive expectations about and send positive signals to the global economy that is facing a tightrope walk to recovery. The two sides exchanged views on the Palestinian issue. Wang said China is glad to see Israel establish and develop normal friendly relations with countries in the region, which should be part of the overall reconciliation in the Middle East. The prolonged stagnation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is not in the interests of all parties. Palestine also has the legitimate right to establish an independent state. Wang said that China supports Israel and Palestine to restart peace talks as soon as possible on the basis of the two-state solution, and hopes that Arabs and Jews can live in harmony, and that Israel and Palestine can treat each other friendly and realize common security. Common security is the only way to genuine and sustainable security, Wang noted. China supports all efforts conducive to realizing peace in the Middle East and is ready to facilitate direct negotiations between the two sides, Wang added. Lapid said Israel is committed to improving relations with Palestine. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Wang briefed Lapid on China's principled position, saying that all parties now hope to realize a ceasefire and restore peace. But for a ceasefire, there can be no more moves that add fuel to the flame; For peace, there should be no extreme pressure. Dialogue and negotiation should be the right direction supported by all parties, he added. The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) The stench from the hypocrisy of such a statement will seep through LCD screens everywhere. Did the entire American populace sign up for US intervention in Ukraine? Did we sign on to higher gas prices, food prices, or to witness a few bad decisions the lead to WWIII? by John Stanton Sometime soon, there are decent odds that while you are watching your favorite sporting event or streaming movie on the television or Web, you see and hear the following message: We interrupt this programming for a special announcement: The President of the United States, Joe Biden. Biden will be in the Oval Office, sitting at his desk, and drop a statement something like this: Good evening my fellow Americans: Moments ago I ordered Tomahawk missile strikes on Russian military units in Eastern Ukraine. I also authorized our two most advanced military aircraft, the B-2 and F-35 to strike Russian forces along Ukraines Black Sea coast. We cannot allow war crimes such as those in Bucha, Ukraine, and other communities to go unpunished. President Vladimir Putin will ultimately be held accountable for this heinous act. Some 400 civilians were murdered in Bucha. We cant allow that to stand. American has always stood for freedom and democracy around the world and has sacrificed blood and treasure for those causes. My fellow Americans, there may come a time soon when we will all have to sacrifice in the fight to save the world from autocratic [capitalist] leaders. Our way of life is threatened. We may need more personnel to fight this fight and that means a return to selective serviceGod Bless America, God Bless our Troops What could possible go wrong? The stench from the hypocrisy of such a statement will seep through LCD screens everywhere. Did the entire American populace sign up for US intervention in Ukraine? Did we sign on to higher gas prices, food prices, or to witness a few bad decisions the lead to WWIII? Ukrainians average income is about $3000 (USD) a year. It is poor and corrupt. And what about Iraq II, Afghanistan? Americans dont remember yesterday as David Bowie sang in Young Americans. How much more can we tolerate the President of Ukraine, V. Zelenskyy? He has been sent by the USGOV to elected bodies worldwide begging for NATO aircraft and boots on the ground in Eastern Ukraine. The US Government/CIA and the Pentagon are firmly in charge of Zelenskyy and Ukraine, make no mistake about it. Zelenskyy is part of US MISO (see below). He shows up during the Grammy Awards, and is mentioned during the Oscars. Ukraine donation buckets are at 7-11 markets across America. Some homeowners in the suburbs of Washington, DC, have taken to displaying the Ukrainian flag. The local classical music station plays Ukrainian artists and asks us to support them somehow. Employment search engines like Indeed encourage the user to support Ukraine. Zelenskyy is lionized as a Winston Churchill a wartime leader. Nope, he is just a tool of United States strategy and tactics, and its is no conspiracy but well planned by the USA. Have Some MISO Soup We are experiencing perhaps the most well coordinated war propaganda campaign since WWII. Youve got to admit, it is very, very impressive. We are being shaped for a larger conflict. All part of the plan, said Heath Ledgers Joker. The United States military taught, indeed is guiding, the Ukrainians in the art of information warfare, psyops and in particular Military Information Support Operations (MISO). Consider this from Joint Publication 3.13.2. MISO, 2010: Military information support operations (MISO) play animportant role in DOD communications efforts through theplanned use of directed programs specifically designed tosupport USG and DOD activities and policies. MISO areplanned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions,motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behaviorof foreign governments, organizations, groups, andindividuals in amanner favorable to the originatorsobjectives. Military information support (MIS) professionals follow a deliberate process that alignscommanders objectives with an analysis of theenvironment; select relevant TAs; develop focused,culturally, and environmentally attuned messages andactions; employ sophisticated media delivery means; andproduce observable, measurable behavioral responses MISO are used to establish and reinforce foreign perceptions of US military, political, and economic powerand resolve. In conflict, MISO as a force multiplier candegrade the enemys relative combat power, reduce civilianinterference, minimize collateral damage, and maximize thelocal populaces support for operations. There is transparency about this process. The documentation from the Pentagon is out on the Web for anyone to find and to read. So is the history of the US and CIA training the Ukrainian military. TJ Coles at Gray Zone, in his piece Gods of War, has an excellent, well sourced piece discussing the extent to which Ukrainians have been schooled by the USA to fight the Russians. It is worth checking out for the many links to military documents. Kill Russians According to Cole, Beginning 2015, the CIAs Ground Department arranged for Ukrainians to be trained in the US south. The operations continue to the present and have been expanded under the Biden administration. The multiweek, U.S.-based CIA program has included training in firearms, camouflage techniques, land navigation, tactics like cover and move, intelligence and other areas. One senior officer is quoted as saying: The United States is training an insurgency to kill RussiansBy bolstering Ukraines armed forces and goading Russia, US elites have openly used Ukrainian civilians as pawns. For many years, Ukrainian forces were trained in urban combat by US personnel: i.e., to fight Russians in densely-populated civilian areas. Indeed, talk about goading Russia, Pat Buchanan of the American Conservative Magazine noted on March 25, 2022: How did we get here?We got here by exploiting our Cold War victory as an opportunity to move NATO, our Cold War alliance, into a dozen countries in Central and Eastern Europe, up to the borders of Russia. Then, we started to bring Ukraine into NATO, the constituent republic of the old Soviet Union with the longest and deepest history with Mother Russia.Thus, while Putin started this war, the U.S. set the table for it.We pushed our military alliance, NATO, set up in 1949 to contain and, if necessary, fight Russia, 1,000 miles to the east, right into Russias face. War Crimes? Lets Get Comparative According to a report by the Associated Press, in leveling Al RaqqaRaqqa during the battle against ISIS the US and its Coalition killed nearly 1600 civilians. 60 to 80 percent of the city became uninhabitable. Save the Children reported in 2021 the followingIn four years there has been little rehabilitation of the city that at the peak of the bombing campaign faced 150 airstrikes a day, leaving children living in damaged homes and with nowhere to learn or play but among ruins. Three quarters of Al Raqqas population are reliant on support to buy food and other basic goods and services. Eighty percent of the citys schools are still damaged, as the conflict and its aftermath have decimated the entire education sector. The worst drought in nine years in North East Syria has led to a lack of access to clean water for families in Al Raqqa, creating a public health crisis with a reported increase in waterborne diseases and challenges in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Yes, the US military tries hard to limit CIVCAS or civilian casualties. But a blown apart Arab-Syrian civilian is worth the same measure of salt as a relatively intact dead Ukrainian on the street in Bucha. Or is it? Well, it seems Russia, like the USA in Al Raqqa, is trying hard to minimize CIVCAS in its long range air & missile targeting in Ukraine. According to a March 22 Newsweek report by William Arkin, As destructive as the Ukraine war is, Russia is causing less damage and killing fewer civilians than it could, U.S. intelligence experts say.Russia's conduct in the brutal war tells a different story than the widely accepted view that Vladimir Putin is intent on demolishing Ukraine and inflicting maximum civilian damageand it reveals the Russian leader's strategic balancing actIf we merely convince ourselves that Russia is bombing indiscriminately, or [that] it is failing to inflict more harm because its personnel are not up to the task or because it is technically inept, then we are not seeing the real conflicteven in the case of southern cities, where artillery and rockets are within range of populated centers, the strikes seem to be trying to target Ukrainian military units, many of which by necessity operating from inside urban areas. Bucha: MISO? In Bucha, Ukraine, Russian troops are alleged to have committed war crimes by killing 300-400 innocent civilians. Images of that alleged atrocity have circulated many dozens of times on the Web, global news channels (Sky, CNN, BBC), and in the USA, led by the New York Times and Washington Post, and on CBS, ABC, and NBC. In fact they have been pounded into the psyche of the West, salivating for Russian heads from President Putin on down. If, in fact, Russian troops committed such acts, the punishment within Russia would be most severe: Court martial, prison or perhaps even execution for the crime and the damage to the Russian military operation. But consider that the source for these images is Ukrainian and a lot about the reporting on the alleged atrocities leaves one scratching the head in wonder. The latest images of the 11 or so dead bodies strewn across the road comes from Maxar, a satellite company (and US intelligence contractor) working with the National Reconnaissance Office, the US Army and NASA. They appear to specialize in Geographic Intelligence. According to a Maxar press release (with images), the bodies were out on the street for three weeks. But Maxar shows no damaged vehicles on the street as the Ukrainian video do. The temperatures during those three weeks were above freezing and even into the 50s (F). Through rain and shine, the bodies appear to be quite intact, like fairly fresh road kill. No mauled parts from hungry stray dogs, carrion, rats or maggots. Western World: New Colonialism So, the White Western Worldminus Japan and South Koreais united in destroying Russia, seeing President Putin hang or overthrown, and a Western friendly ruling elite installed. The colonization/privatization of Russia will begin shortly after. The Western powers will carve up Russia into provinces. Then it is on to China. The USA and its NATO stooges will attempt to break up another nation with nuclear weapons and then where? Well, after the USA beats the world into submission, then what? At that point in the future the US Empire will mirror the Roman Empire: Insurgencies in the Steppes, in Siberia, on the outskirts of Moscow, in Vladivostok, or just about anywhere in China. Colonies will revolt. The US will become overextend, autocratic, bankrupt and collapse. But perhaps Climate Change or nuclear weapons will get us all first. It doesnt have to be that way. It is the Adults Adults start wars, youngsters die fighting for adults and children in war zones are killed by bombs or missiles as they sleep during their pleasant far away dreams. It is so sad. Lets end this article with a quote from William Bacevich, President of the Quincy Institute and Vietnam combat veteran, on Russias operation in Ukraine and the hubris of Americas political-military leaders: I dont not for an instant would I want to minimize the horrors that are unfolding in Ukraine today and the deaths and the injuries inflicted on noncombatants. But lets face it, the numbers are minuscule compared to the number of people that died, were displaced, were injured as a consequence of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total number according to the Brown University Costs of War Project, the total number is somewhere in the vicinity of 900,000 deaths resulted from our invasion of Afghanistan and our invasion of Iraq. Now, I understand that Americans dont want to talk about that, dont want to remember that. The political establishment wants to move on from that. But there is, I think, a moral dimension to the present war, to the Ukraine war, that should cause us to be a little bit humble, reticent about pointing our fingers at other people. John Stanton is at jstantonarchangel@gmail.com April 07, 2022 U.S. 'Intelligence' Says Its 'Intelligence' Is Bullshit U.S. 'intelligence' folks tell their stenographers at NBC News that their obvious lies are obvious lies. That announced 'break with the past' of faking 'intelligence' happened when? How 'rock solid' was the 'intelligence' about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction or chemical weapons attacks in Douma, Syria? U.S. 'intelligence', then and now, is pure imagination for the purpose of deceiving the U.S. and 'western' public about the reality of this or that conflict: It was an attention-grabbing assertion that made headlines around the world: U.S. officials said they had indications suggesting Russia might be preparing to use chemical agents in Ukraine. President Joe Biden later said it publicly. But three U.S. officials told NBC News this week there is no evidence Russia has brought any chemical weapons near Ukraine. They said the U.S. released the information to deter Russia from using the banned munitions. Unlike the U.S. Russia no longer has any 'banned munitions': The OPCWs inspection teams have verified the destruction at seven chemical weapons destruction facilities in the Russian Federation. On 27 September 2017, the last of these facilities, located in Kizner, officially concluded its operations. With the total elimination of Russias declared chemical weapons programme, 96.3 per cent of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. That is why the U.S. 'intelligence' claim of a potential use of Russian chemical weapons was obvious nonsense from the get go: Its one of a string of examples of the Biden administrations breaking with recent precedent by deploying declassified intelligence as part of an information war against Russia. The administration has done so even when the intelligence wasnt rock solid, officials said, to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin off balance. Coordinated by the White House National Security Council, the unprecedented intelligence releases have been so frequent and voluminous, officials said, that intelligence agencies had to devote more staff members to work on the declassification process, scrubbing the information so it wouldnt betray sources and methods. Sure, devote more people for the 'declassification process' of creating mere fantasies or for the the reproduction of public sources: Just this week, national security adviser Jake Sullivan stood at the White House podium and read out what officials said was more declassified intelligence, asserting that Russias pullout from areas around Kyiv wasnt a retreat but a strategic redeployment that signals a significant assault on eastern and southern Ukraine, one that U.S. officials believe could be a protracted and bloody fight. That 'declassified intelligence' Sullivan read out was the copy of a public announcement the Ministry of Defense of Russia had made on March 30: Planned regrouping of troops in Kiev and Chernigov directions is underway. The first stage of the special military operation conducted by the Russian Armed Forces in Donbas and Ukraine was planned to force the enemy to concentrate its forces, means, resources and military equipment to hold on to high populated areas in these directions, including Kiev. To bring them down on the battlefield and, without storming these cities to avoid civilian casualties, inflict such a defeat on the armed formations of the Kiev regime that it would not be able to use these forces in the main direction of our Armed Forces in Donbass. All these goals have been met. At the same time, the Russian army also solved another task, namely - in the absence of an inflow of fresh enemy forces from the western and central regions of Ukraine, through professional military action, using the absolute air dominance it had gained, also using modern high-precision weapons - to create all the necessary conditions for the final stage of the operation to liberate the People's Republics of Donbass. ... Thus, all the main tasks of the Russian Armed Forces in Kiev and Chernigov directions have been completed. The objective of the regrouping of the Russian Armed Forces is to intensify action in priority areas and, above all, to complete the operation for the total liberation of Donbass. To claim that official public announcement by the Russian military are 'declassified intelligence' is of course bullshit. But NBC News stenographers won't tell you that. Instead we get more of this nonsense: Multiple U.S. officials acknowledged that the U.S. has used information as a weapon even when confidence in the accuracy of the information wasnt high. Sometimes it has used low-confidence intelligence for deterrent effect, as with chemical agents, and other times, as an official put it, the U.S. is just trying to get inside Putins head. Does anyone believe that Putin gives a f*** about U.S. 'intelligence' claims? No: Some officials believe, however, that trying to get into Putins head is a meaningless exercise, because he will do what he wants regardless. ... The biggest success of the U.S. information offensive may have been delaying the invasion itself by weeks or months, which officials believe they did with accurate predictions that Russia intended to attack, based on definitive intelligence. Those 'accurate predictions' included the false claims that Russia would invade the Ukraine on February 11, February 14 and February 16: In fact, Russia had not decided to invade Ukraine at that time. The decision was most likely made after February 19, after the Ukrainian military had intensified its bombardment of Donbas and after the Ukrainian president Zelinsky had threatened to acquire nuclear weapons: Starting in mid February the OSCE observers around Donbas noted in their daily reports a strong increase in ceasefire violation and explosions. bigger Most of the violations came from the Ukrainian site and the explosions of the fired shells and missile happened on Donbas held grounds. On February 19, at the hight of the fire, Zelensky gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference. He prominently mentioned the Budapest Memorandum under which the Ukraine had given up the nuclear weapons it had inherited from the USSR: ".. Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt." One of the package decisions Ukraine took in 1994 was the entering of Ukraine into the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Russia understood Zelensky's remark in Munich as a threat by Ukraine to acquire nuclear weapons. It already has the expertise, materials and means to do that. A fascist controlled government with nukes on Russia's border? This is not about Putin at all. No Russian government of any kind could ever condone that. I believe that this credible threat, together with the artillery preparations for a new war on Donbas, was what convinced Russia's government to intervene by force. The Russian military operation was clearly provoked. It started on February 24, months after U.S. 'intelligence' had falsely warned of an 'imminent' attack, eight days AFTER Ukrainian artillery preparations to attack Donbas had begun, five days AFTER Zelinsky's nuclear speech and two days AFTER the U.S. and its allies had implemented unprecedented sanctions against Russia. NBC News, as well as other western outlets, allow themselves to be abused by presenting U.S. 'intelligence' claims they know are outright lies: Game or not, U.S. intelligence officials say it has been successful. Intelligence is rarely definitive, and Biden officials have calculated in some cases that its better to pre-empt something that might not happen, rather than stay silent and watch it unfold. It doesnt have to be solid intelligence when we talk about it, a U.S. official said. Its more important to get out ahead of them Putin specifically before they do something. Its preventative. We dont always want to wait until the intelligence is 100 percent certainty that they are going to do something. We want to get out ahead to stop them. Edged on by the 'intelligence' community the 'western' media 'get ahead' and produce one lie after the other. Here they are, reporting on some scruffy cat in Bucha, a town that had seen five weeks of intense front-line fighting. The recently sensationalized mass graves in Bucha were of its Volkssturm 'civilian defenders' and of Russian soldiers deceased there. They were dug on March 12 and had nothing to do with the recent pull back of Russian forces. Some carefully filmed bodies in the streets of Bucha have likely been casualties of weeks old Ukrainian artillery strikes. Others bound and killed there, likely by Ukrainian Azov fascists, were wearing white arm bands identifying them as neutral to Russian forces. Only rarely do we get insight from 'western' media of what the people on the ground in Ukraine really feel: 8:58 6 Apr - In eastern Ukraine, some don't blame Putin for the war Jonathan Beale, BBC News, Donbas We visited the town of Lysychansk, about a mile from the front line. It's one of many residential areas to have been hit by Russian artillery over the past few days. ... A Ukrainian soldier led us through the mostly-deserted streets to an underground shelter. Inside in a gloomy room we talked to two old women, who were trying to keep warm in front of an electric fire. We asked them who they thought was responsible for shelling their town - astonishingly, neither blamed Russia or President Vladimir Putin. They thought their grim situation was as much the fault of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Whenever such rare reality reports, like the above or this one, come out, they get buried in an overwhelming stream of 'intelligence' bullshit and pro-war propaganda: A video posted online on Monday and verified by The New York Times appears to show a group of Ukrainian soldiers killing captured Russian troops outside a village west of Kyiv. Hes still alive. Film these marauders. Look, hes still alive. Hes gasping, a man says as a Russian soldier with a jacket pulled over his head, apparently wounded, is seen still breathing. A soldier then shoots the man twice. After the man keeps moving, the soldier shoots him again, and he stops. At least three other apparent Russian soldiers, including one with an obvious head wound who has his hands tied behind his back, can be seen dead near the victim. All are wearing camouflage, and three have white arm bands commonly worn by Russian troops. Equipment is scattered around them and there are blood stains near each mans head. For every atrocity Ukrainian troops and militia commit U.S. 'intelligence' will create five or more fairy tales of 'Russian atrocities' which the media, well knowing that such claims are likely false, will lap up and repeat. The only advice one can give in such a situation is to always assume that it is the exact opposite of what any 'intelligence' claims that is actually happening. Posted by b on April 7, 2022 at 9:28 UTC | Permalink Comments next page Ever since a Buc-ee's popped up just outside of Marathon, social media has been abuzz, and now the company has chimed in on the first unofficial Buc-ee's west of I-35. So, how are those restrooms? As MySA initially reported, one San Antonio-based artist told the publications he'd "heard rumors it was a west Texas Banksy." The Buc-ee's gas stations and paired convenience stores are a fan favorite around the Lone Star State, known for its classic hat-donning Beaver mascot, snackable beaver nuggets and more. The company also does not shy away from highlighting a number of its claims to fame on its website. For example, the website touts the Buc-ee's location in New Braunfels as the "largest convenience store in the world" at 66,335 square feet and says a Katy location claims the title of "world's longest car wash." In 2012, Cintas awarded one location the title of the cleanest restroom in the U.S., and Buc-ee's features this contest win on its website. "If youve been to Buc-ees, you may already know that this friendly neighbor along the highways has the cleanest restrooms in America," reads a portion of the site. "In 2012, Cintas ran a nationwide restroom contest and made it official!" Jeff Nadalo, general counsel at Buc-ee's, also noted this lauded lavatorial accolade when asked to comment on the West Texas Buc-ee's. "Buc-ees just recently became aware of the Buc-ees art installation in west rural Texas. While we have not visited the site, we do wonder whether they are keeping up with Buc-ees meticulous 24x7 bathroom-cleaning standards," Nadalo told the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Some on Instagram have also made comments related to the restrooms at the new location. Can Go Home Gota become Sri Lankas most awaited moment to rewrite its Constitution? Protest movements and popular constitutionalism by Punsara Amarasinghe The overwhelming euphoria that erupted in Sri Lankan society in the aftermath of Gotabaya Rajapaksas massive political victory at the Presidential elections in 2019 was akin to the soliloquy of the Duke of Gloucester in Shakespeares Richard III, where the Duke hails the King by saying "Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun York". Contrary to the sanguine hopes that pervaded the people, Gotabaya Rajapaksas rule proved to be rather obtuse in addressing the basic needs of the people. The current, ongoing protest movements pressuring the president to resign is not a social resistance which arose out of the blue, but it is rooted in the crisis that the whole country has been facing since the outbreak of COVID 19. Protests against the government in Sri Lanka In the light of such a political and economic Armageddon, the protest movements initiated by the people of Sri Lanka seem unique as they have risen as a voluntary force devoid of any political involvement. As a result, it may be worthwhile to investigate whether the current wave of protest movements in Sri Lanka has resulted in changes to its archetypical constitutional structure, which promotes absolute executive presidency. The authoritarian nature of the Constitution was further bolstered by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which was enacted in October 2020, leading to a steep increase in power around the executive president. It must be noted that the 20th Amendment witnessed significant opposition from a range of parties, including the constituent members of the government, as it went on to erode several progressive democratic reforms introduced by the 19th Amendment. In ascertaining the present protest movements in Sri Lanka as a deceive step to rewriting its troubled Constitution, one needs to comprehend the nature of the constitutional moment and its effect on changing the basic structure of the Constitution. According to American constitutional theorist Bruce Akerman, a "constitutional moment" is any transformative event that occurs outside of the formal boundaries established by the Constitutional text. Nevertheless, Ackermans theory of "constitutional moment," despite its academic astuteness, misses the importance of mass protest movements as a novel form of constitutional transformation. "Go Home Gota" is the cardinal slogan of the current protest movement, invoking the resignation of the president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In addition to that, people have aptly shown abhorrence toward the whole Rajapaksa clan and the entire political apparatus in the island nation, demanding that the entire 225 members of the legislature should go home. Even if it appears to be a rhetorical indicator of anarchy, the people's outpouring of rage is understandable. Nonetheless, it raises a legitimate question regarding its effectiveness as a broader social upheaval that would usher in a new epoch for progressive constitutional transformation in the country. The recent events that occurred globally have already provided a precedent to show how such mass protest movements can lead to colossal changes as "Constitutional moments". Candlelight Protests in South Korea in 2016 against its president, Park Geun-Hye, for abuse of power; the Venezuelan protest movement in 2019 challenging President Juan Guaido's autocratic regime; and the "smile revolution" led by Algerian youth to confront President AbdelazizBouteflika's corrupt rule were typical examples of recent mass protest movements that paved the way for structural changes in those countries. Also, the audacity shown by the people of Chile last year gave birth to an autochthonous constitution, which can be regarded as an ideal constitutional moment. One pertinent example illuminating all the above-mentioned countries is that all these countries resemble the executive presidential structure of Sri Lankas Constitution regardless of the diverse socio-cultural differences. Notwithstanding the absolute power vested in the president by the Constitution, the surge of mass protests disrupted the overarching political structure in those countries, which resulted in the ebb of autocratic rule. Moreover, it is worth noting that those peoples protest movements in South Korea, Venezuela, and Algeria sprang in a context where the political parties lacked a fervent ideological force to drive their citizens. Thus, the rigour of the protests became autonomous, embodying the peoples ardour to transform their political system, which signified a form of popular constitutionalism. The current narrative chanted by the masses in Sri Lanka is "Go Home Gota", a univocal demand for the president to step down. Yet, there is no palpable guideline that people tend to follow after ousting the president, which creates a sense of ambiguity about the scope of the movement, unlike the other recent protest movements in South Korea, Venezuela, and Algeria that contained salient expectations for broader constitutional changes. Taking into account Article 3 of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which enshrines the sovereign power of the people, a critical constitutional scholar can argue that the current wave of protest movement is a manifestation of the peoples sovereignty. However, the success of this current protest movement depends on the robustness of the democratic institutions and their reaction to peoples demands. The current mass protest movement in Sri Lanka can simply become a beacon as a constitutional moment if it can be grounded in a structured constitutional change process like abolishing the whole idea of the executive presidency. In general, the whole success of this wave is based on the peoples zealousness to participate in broader constitutional change, as it occurred in Chile last year. History has always shown how mass protest movements can be beguiling efforts when they collide with political movements that have often led to people's losing their ubiquitous constitutional goals or creating an unprecedented level of political instability in the country. Author, Research Fellow, Sciences PO, Paris COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) South Carolina has scheduled its first execution after corrections officials finished updating the death chamber to prepare for executions by firing squad. The clerk of the State Supreme Court has set a April 29 execution date for Richard Bernard Moore, a 57-year-old man who has spent more than two decades on death row after he was convicted of killing convenience store clerk James Mahoney in Spartanburg. Moore could face a choice between the electric chair and the firing squad, two options available to death row prisoners after legislators altered the states capital punishment law last year in an effort to work around a decade-long pause in executions, attributed to the corrections agencys inability to procure lethal injection drugs. The new law made the electric chair the states primary means of execution while giving prisoners the option of choosing death by firing squad or lethal injection, if those methods are available. The state corrections agency said last month it had finished developing protocols for firing squad executions and completed $53,600 in renovations on the death chamber in Columbia, installing a metal chair with restraints that faces a wall with a rectangular opening 15 feet (4.6 meters) away. In the case of a firing squad execution, three volunteer shooters all Corrections Department employees will have rifles loaded with live ammunition, with their weapons trained on the inmates heart. A hood will be placed over the head of the inmate, who will be given the opportunity to make a last statement. South Carolina is one of eight states to still use the electric chair and one of four to allow a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Moore is one of 35 men on South Carolinas death row. He exhausted his federal appeals in 2020, and the state Supreme Court denied another appeal this week. Lindsey Vann, an attorney for Moore, said Thursday she will ask the court to stay the execution. The state last scheduled an execution for Moore in 2020, which was then delayed after prison officials said they couldn't obtain lethal injection drugs. During Moore's 2001 trial, prosecutors said Moore entered the store looking for money to support his cocaine habit and got into a dispute with Mahoney, who drew a pistol that Moore wrestled away from him. Mahoney pulled a second gun, and a gunfight ensued. Mahoney shot Moore in the arm, and Moore shot Mahoney in the chest. Prosecutors said Moore left a trail of blood through the store as he looked for cash, stepping twice over Mahoney. At the time, Moore claimed that he acted in self-defense after Mahoney drew the first gun. Moore's supporters have argued his crime doesn't rise to the level of heinousness in other death penalty cases in the state. His appeals lawyers have said that because Moore didnt bring a gun into store, he couldnt have intended to kill someone when he walked in. South Carolinas last execution was in 2011, when Jeffrey Motts, on death row for strangling a cellmate while serving a life sentence for another murder, abandoned his appeals and opted for the death chamber. Over 40 Mount Carmel School faculty and staff attended a mental health awareness outreach event on March 25, 2022 at the Pacific Islands Club. Robin Steenman, chair of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, leads the group's chapter meeting at Generations Church, in Franklin, Tennessee on Aug. 17, 2021. Editor Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com The U.S.-China Commission worried about the increased connections between China and the region in telecommunications and transportation networks. by Marco Fernandes Less than a week after the start of Russias military intervention, Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, senior director of Western Hemisphere affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, in an interview with Voice of America (a State Department asset), stated that the sanctions against Russia are so robust that they will have an impact on those governments that have economic affiliations with Russia, and that is by design. So, Venezuela will start feeling the pressure; Nicaragua will start feeling the pressure; as will Cuba. A recent article in Foreign Affairs magazine, which by way of the Council on Foreign Relations serves unofficially as a kind of discussion forum of the U.S. State Department, titled The Eurasian Nightmare, defended the thesis that Washington has no choice but to fight Russia and China at the same time. However, Gonzalez hints that the Biden administrations strategy not only contemplates attacking the main front in the east (Moscow and Beijing), but also opens a front in the southsecondary, but importantagainst three Latin American countries that have challenged Washington the most in recent years (Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba). The southern front, however, may be broader than what the Colombia-born Juan Gonzalez makes clear. On March 24, the commander of the U.S. Armed Forces Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. She said that although Russia is the more immediate threat in Latin America and the Caribbean, China would pose a diplomatic, technological, informational, and military challenge to the United States. Richardson had given similar testimony in the House of Representatives about two weeks earlier, where she also stated that without U.S. leadership, Chinese influence in the region could soon resemble the self-serving predatory influence it now holds in Africa. She refers to the advance of the Belt and Road Initiative across the African continent since 2013, responsible for unprecedented tens of billions of dollars in Chinese investment in basic infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, ports, railroads, highways, etc.) in exchange for the natural resources China needs to feed its industry, which is responsible for 28.7 percent of all manufacturing produced in the world and consumed globally. General Richardsons statements are based on two principles. First, that the United States views Latin America and the Caribbean as its backyard, expressed in the Monroe Doctrine since 1823 and put into practice in countless military invasions, coups, and, more recently, hybrid wars against peoples and governments not aligned with Washington. Biden recently said that Latin America is not our backyard, but rather that it is Americas front yard. Latin Americans do not want to be anyones yard, whether front or back. Second, that the United States believes that the foreign policy of the regions governments should be defined by Washington. China in Latin America In 2000, the U.S. Congress set up the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which offers Congress its assessment of China on U.S. national security. In November 2021, the commissions report had an important chapter on the relations between China and the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean. The report worried about Chinas support for what it termed populist governments from Argentina to Venezuela. It remarked on the increase in the regions trade with China: from $18.9 billion (2002) to $295.6 billion (2020), in addition to its growing importance as a source of loans, financing ($137 billion from 2005 to 2020) and direct investments ($58 billion between 2016 and 2020). Due to this investment, China was able to assist the region in lessening the impact of the 2008 financial crisis; this investment created jobs (1.8 million between 1995 and 2016) and decreased poverty (falling from 12 percent in 2002 to 4 percent in 2018). Chinese vaccines rushed in during the pandemic, and Latin American commodity exports to China dampened the burden of the COVID recession. The U.S.-China Commission worried about the increased connections between China and the region in telecommunications and transportation networks. Huaweis leadership in 5G in the region as well as Sino-South American partnerships in the development of satellites (21 launched in joint ventures, most of which were with Argentina) are offered as examples. The commission also expressed alarm that Chinas control or influence over ports in the region, particularly in the Caribbean, since these couldin the futurebe used for military purposes (although there is no indication of any such military use by China or by the Latin American and Caribbean states). Washingtons Cold War Washingtons hard-right elements reacted to this report with speed. In February 2022, Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez, both Cuban-Americans, introduced the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022 in Congress. This bill, drawing from the commissions recommendations, proposes that the United States government directly challenge Chinas role in the region. It characterizes the existence of China and Russia in the region as a harmful and malign influence. The bill is vague and short on details. Dr. Evan Ellis, a professor at the U.S. Army War College whose testimony was part of the commissions report, wrote a report in January 2022 for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The reportPreparing for Deterioration of the Latin America and Caribbean Strategic Environmentpoints to the revival of a particular model of leftist authoritarian populism in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new governments, he writes, have developed links with China to help them over the COVID recession. The United States, Ellis argues, cannot mobilize sufficient resources for investment in the region because the U.S. Congress is divided and because the private sector is unwilling to take on this mission. He remains skeptical of U.S. policy in the region, particularly as Chinese state-owned companies have been effectively investing in sectors such as construction, mining, energy, and finance. Ellis recommends four immediate actions, many of them part of what is known as hybrid war. First, he says that Washington should promote a media narrative that denounces the leftist governments and their relations with China. Second, the United States should support protest movements against these governments. Third, the United States must deepen its alliances with regional elites. Fourth, the United States must apply sanctions to these left-leaning governments. Two elections in the coming months could make things more difficult for the United States. In Colombia (May), the main ally of the United States in the region, leftist candidate Gustavo Petro could push the right wing out of power. In Brazil (October), Lula leads the polls against President Jair Bolsonaro. Ellis suspects that the arrest and imprisonment of Lula had deepened the radicalism of his leftist populist orientation. In May 2021, Lula told the Chinese website Guancha: Its not possible that every time a Latin American country starts to grow, there is a coup. And in this coup, there is always someone from the U.S., there is always the U.S. ambassador. It is not possible. Lula is not a radical, but if he is re-elected president of Brazil, he will bring a realistic attitude toward his countrys development. He has stressed the importance of rebuilding the Latin American and Caribbean regional bloc (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), both of which have been weakened in recent years. Chinese investment and trade are already a key part of Brazils plans for its future, but Lula also knows that this partnership must evolve, and Brazil needs to be more than an exporter of commodities to China. Will the United States be able to roll back the influence of China and Russia on the region? Even Ellis does not feel confident about such an outcome. Along with Senators Rubio and Menendez, Ellis would prefer to destabilize the region than allow it to become a protagonist in a possible new world order. This article was produced by Globetrotter. Marco Fernandes is a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a member of the No Cold War collective. He lives in Shanghai. Evolva Holding SA / Key word(s): AGMEGM Evolva's AGM postponed to May 5, 2022 / agenda remains unchanged 07-Apr-2022 / 18:54 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Ad Hoc Announcement (PDF) PRESS RELEASE | AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR Reinach, April 7, 2022 - Evolva (SIX:EVE) today announced that it has postponed its AGM 2022, which was originally scheduled for April 12, 2022 to May 5, 2022 due to technical reasons. The agenda items and proposals of the Board of Directors remain unchanged. The new invitation will be officially published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC) on April 12, 2022 in the form available under https://evolva.com/shareholder-info/annual-general-meeting-of-shareholders/. Information about the full year 2021 results including the Annual Report 2021 is available on the company website at https://evolva.com/financial-data/full-year-results/. In line with the 'COVID-19 Ordinance 3', physical attendence by the shareholders at this year's AGM is not possible. Shareholders may cast their votes in writing or by electronic power of attorney to the independent proxy. Important dates May 5, 2022 Annual General Meeting August 25, 2022 Half-year 2022 Report About Evolva Evolva is a Swiss biotech company focused on the research, development and commercialization of ingredients based on nature. We have leading businesses in Flavors and Fragrances, Health Ingredients and Health Protection. Evolva's employees, half of which are women, are dedicated to make the best products that can contribute to health, wellbeing and sensory enjoyment. Find out more at evolva.com and connect with us on LinkedIn . For Evolva multimedia content, please visit: evolva.com/multimedia-library . Contact Thomas Schneckenburger, PhD, CFA Head of Investor and Corporate Relations +41 61 485 2003 +41 79 407 9952 thomass@evolva.com Disclaimer This announcement is not an offer of securities into the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act'), and may not be offered, pledged, sold, delivered or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. Further, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Canada, Australia or Japan or under the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation of such laws. This press release contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like believe, assume, expect or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments. End of ad hoc announcement WASHINGTON (AP) A former Virginia police officer who pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer testified on Thursday that he had hoped the mob could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election that day. Former Rocky Mount police officer Jacob Fracker, a key witness for federal prosecutors at the trial of former colleague Thomas Robertson, said he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. However, Fracker ultimately pleaded guilty to a felony charge that he conspired with Robertson to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Fracker agreed to cooperate with federal authorities in their case against Robertson, whose jury trial started Tuesday. Under cross-examination by one of Robertson's lawyers, Fracker said he didn't have a verbal agreement with anybody to obstruct the joint session of Congress. Fracker said he believed everybody in the mob pretty much had the same goal and didn't need for it to be said out loud. Fracker said he and Robertson both believed the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from former President Donald Trump. One of Robertson's attorneys, Mark Rollins, asked Fracker if he believes he did anything worse than trespassing on Jan. 6. Sitting here today, yes. At the time, no, Fracker replied. Robertson confirmed with U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper that he won't be testifying at his trial. Prosecutors rested their case on Thursday afternoon. Jurors are expected to hear attorneys' closing arguments on Friday before they begin deliberating. During the trials opening statements, defense attorney Camille Wagner told jurors that Robertson only went into the Capitol because he wanted to retrieve Fracker, who entered the Capitol a few minutes before Robertson. Wagner said Robertson, whom she called T.J., knew that he had entered restricted areas of the Capitol where he wasnt supposed to be on Jan. 6. But he isnt accused of engaging in any violence or property destruction, she noted. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month. He described Robertson as his mentor and a father figure. I absolutely hate this, Fracker testified on Wednesday. Ive always been on the other side of things, the good guys side so to speak. The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Prosecutors say Robertson paid Fracker more than $30,000 after they were arrested. Robertson first offered to give Fracker money on the day that they surrendered to authorities, according to a court filing accompanying Fracker's guilty plea. Fracker said Robertson also agreed to cover his legal fees, but he doesn't believe Robertson was trying to buy his testimony with the $30,000 payment. He said it would cover a year's salary for me, Fracker said. After the riot, Fracker bragged to friends on social media that he had urinated in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bathroom. That was a lie that he made for cool points, Fracker said. Robertson used a large wooden stick to impede police officers who were trying to hold off the mob, according to prosecutors. Police body camera video captured his interaction with police. When a prosecutor asked Fracker why he didn't do more to help police officers who were trying to hold back the mob, he said he thought they should have been on our side and marching with the rioters. And you didn't see T.J. help them, either? Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower asked. Correct, Fracker said. Robertson is charged with six counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building while using a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. Five of the counts relate to his actions on Jan. 6. The sixth stems from his alleged post-riot destruction of cellphones belonging to him and Fracker. Robertson has been jailed since Cooper ruled in July that he violated the terms of his pretrial release by possessing firearms. More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 240 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. Robertson is the second Capitol riot defendant to have a jury trial. The first ended last month with a jury convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all charges. Two other Capitol riot defendants elected to have their cases tried without a jury and decided by the same federal judge. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden acquitted a New Mexico man, Matthew Martin, of all four misdemeanor counts with which he was charged. Last month, McFadden convicted New Mexico elected official Couy Griffin of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Alabama lawmakers approved sweeping legislation Thursday to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths, as well as a separate measure setting rules about school bathrooms and prohibiting early classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity a bill critics have dubbed Don't Say Gay." The legislation now goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration as Alabama becomes the latest red state to seek legislation and policies aimed at trans young people. Ivey, who is running for reelection, has not indicated whether she will sign the measures. The House of Representatives voted 66-28, largely along party lines, to grant final approval to legislation that would make it a felony for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to aid in the gender transition of anyone under age 19. Violations would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, although doctors told lawmakers those are generally not done on minors. Its about protecting these minors. It's not about adults. Their minds are not fully developed to make these decisions on these medications and surgeries, said Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, sponsor of the House version of the bill. He compared the legislation to laws that don't allow children to drink, smoke or get tattoos until they are adults. Rep. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to struggle to maintain composure as lawmakers headed to the vote. This is wrong, Rafferty said. Yall sit there and campaign on family being the foundation of our nation ... but what this bill is doing is totally undermining that. Its totally undermining family rights, health rights and access to health care. Rep. Chris England, who serves as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said the measure targets already vulnerable children and essentially tells them they are not welcome in Alabama. Youre saying this is about children. Its not. What it is about is scoring political points and using those children as collateral damage, England said. The bill would also require school counselors, nurses and others to tell parents if a child discloses they believe they are transgender. An Ivey spokeswoman said the governor's office is reviewing the bill. Jeff Walker, whose 15-year-old daughter Harleigh is transgender, said he was "infuriated" as he watched a livestream of the House vote. Walker said he wants the governor, to know that she doesnt have to sign this. All this did today is hurt Alabama families, Walker said. Arkansas approved a similar law in 2021, but it was put on hold by the courts. Advocacy groups in Alabama have vowed to quickly challenge the measure if Ivey signs it into law. In a written statement, Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the ACLUs LGBTQ & HIV Project, called the Alabama measure "the most deadly, sweeping, and hostile law targeting transgender people in the country. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned states such laws and policies may violate the Constitution and federal law. Lawmakers approved separate legislation Thursday related to public school bathrooms and discussions of gender and sexual identity in early grades. Senators voted 26-5 to approve legislation mandating that K-12 students can only use multiperson bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender on their original birth certificate, rather than their current gender identity. Republicans in the Senate also added language similar to a law in Florida that critics called the Dont Say Gay measure. The Alabama language would prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity" for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The Alabama proposal goes further than Floridas law, which includes grades K-3. "Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade should not be introduced to sexual orientation and gender identity, and if they are it should could come from their parents, said Republican Rep. Scott Stadthagen of Hartselle. Stadthagen said he introduced the bathroom bill after hearing of schools being threatened with lawsuits when they offered to let students use faculty bathrooms. Rep. Napoleon Bracy, a Democrat from Prichard, called the sudden addition of the Florida-style language totally political as lawmakers head to primaries in May. We can't continue to just be bullying and targeting people because of who they are, Bracy said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate will take up legislation Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the U.S. response to Russias war with Ukraine. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be held accountable for what Schumer said were war crimes against Ukraine. The trade suspension measure paves the way for U.S. President Joe Biden to enact higher tariffs on certain Russian imports. The bill banning Russian oil would codify restrictions Biden has already put in place through executive action. In a virtual speech to Congress last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said new packages of sanctions are needed constantly every week until the Russian military machine stops. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Mariupols dead put at 5,000 as Ukraine braces in the east US targets Putins daughters, Russian banks in new sanctions Burned, piled bodies among latest horrors in Bucha, Ukraine Russia's setback in Kyiv was memorable military failure Russian media campaign falsely claims Bucha deaths are fakes China calls for probe into Bucha killings, assigns no blame Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday calling for a federal government report on evidence of war crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers backed the measure amid gruesome reports of atrocities in towns around Kyiv, particularly Bucha, and new accounts of the civilian death toll in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The legislation calls for the U.S. president to submit to Congress a report on efforts to preserve evidence related to war crimes. Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution seeking an investigation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to hide evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation. __ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of trying to hide the evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation. It seems that the Russian leadership was really afraid that the global anger over what was seen in Bucha would be repeated after what was seen in other cities, Zelenskyy said in his daily nighttime video address to the nation late Wednesday. We have information that the Russian troops have changed tactics and are trying to remove the dead people, the dead Ukrainians, from the streets and cellars of territory they occupied. This is only an attempt to hide the evidence and nothing more, Zelenskyy said. He also said thousands of people are now missing, either dead or deported to Russia. Zelenskyy also urged Russian citizens not to be afraid to protest the war. If you have even a little shame about what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine, then for such Russian citizens this is a key moment: You have to demand just demand an end to the war, he said. __ PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out against Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Wednesday evening, defending himself over criticism he held multiple talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to no avail. On Monday, Morawiecki ridiculed the French leaders several hours of phone calls with Putin, saying that they achieved nothing. Some fear the comments from Poland might destabilize unity of the European Union as it hopes to stand unified in the face of Putins aggression in Ukraine. Macron told TF1 broadcasters evening news that he takes full responsibility for speaking to Putin in the name of France to avoid the war and to build a new architecture for peace in Europe several years ago. Macron is standing for re-election in France in polls that begin Sunday. __ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian authorities say nearly 5,000 people were evacuated from combat areas Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 1,171 people were evacuated from the besieged Sea of Azov port of Mariupol, and 2,515 more left the cities of Berdyansk and Melitopol and other areas in the south. She said an additional 1,206 people were evacuated from the eastern region of Luhansk. Vereshchuk and other officials have been urging residents of eastern regions to evacuate in the face of an impending Russian offensive, saying that people in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions should leave for safer regions. Donetsk region Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said at least five civilians were killed and eight others wounded by Russian shelling Wednesday. Over 10 million people, about a quarter of Ukraines population, have been displaced by the war, and more than 4 million of them have fled the country. __ UNITED NATIONS The United States and United Kingdom have boycotted an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by Russia to press its baseless claims that the U.S. has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine. The move by Russia on Wednesday was the latest of several that have led Western countries to accuse Moscow of using the U.N. as a platform for disinformation to draw attention away from its war against its smaller neighbor. U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu told the council at two official Security Council meetings called by Russia on the issue last month that the United Nations is not aware of any biological weapons program in Ukraine. A smoke screen to draw attention away from the brutal warfare, irresponsible, dangerous and deplorable were just a few of the responses by countries, including Norway, France, Ireland and Albania. ___ ROME Italian Premier Mario Draghi says no embargo of Russian gas is up for consideration at this point as the European Union ponders its next package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine, adding: "I dont know if it ever will be on the table. Draghi told reporters Monday night that in case a gas embargo is proposed, Italy will be very happy to follow it if that would make peace possible. Draghi added: If the price of gas can be exchanged for peace ... what do we choose? Peace? Or to have the air conditioning running in the summer? This is the question we must pose. ___ KYIV, Ukraine The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed during the monthlong Russian blockade, among them 210 children. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Wednesday that Russian forces have among other targets bombed hospitals, including one where 50 people burned to death. Boichenko said that more than 90% of the citys infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian shelling. The Russian military is besieging the strategic Sea of Azov port, and has cut food, water and energy supplies and pummeled it with artillery and air raids. Capturing the city would allow Russia to secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. ___ WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden is saluting the international community and some of the largest corporations in the U.S. for further increasing Russias economic isolation. Addressing thousands at the North Americas Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at a Washington hotel on Wednesday, Biden said of the Russia-Ukraine war, Theres nothing less happening than credible war crimes. The president said responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators responsible, and vowed that were going to stifle Russias ability to grow for years to come. He said corporate Americas stepping up for a chance, noting that 600-plus firms have chosen to leave Russia. ___ MOSCOW Russias Defense Ministry has accused Ukraine of sabotaging a pre-agreed prisoner swap. Speaking at a briefing, Defense Ministry official Mikhail Mizintsev claimed that Kyiv had for a long time blocked prisoner exchanges, including a swap set to take place Wednesday involving 251 military personnel on each side. He alleged that the delays gave Moscow all the reasons to suspect that Russian servicemen held in captivity are not at all well." On April 1, representatives of the Ukrainian presidential office said Ukraine had secured the release of 86 soldiers, including 15 women, through a swap. This was confirmed by Russian officials on Wednesday. ___ BRUSSELS A new U.S. commitment of Javelin missiles means the West soon will have provided Ukrainian fighters with 10 anti-tank weapons for every Russian tank in their country, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. Blinken spoke to U.S. news broadcaster MSNBC after the U.S. announced an additional $100 million for more Javelin missiles for Ukraine. The U.S. says it has provided $1.7 billion for Ukraines defense and aid since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing the West to provide more weapons, faster, and do more to cut off Russia from the global economy, to pressure Putin to make peace. In terms of what they need to act quickly and act effectively, to deal with the planes that are firing at them from the skies, the tanks that are trying to destroy their cities from the ground, they have the tools that they need, Blinken said of Ukraines forces. Theyre going to keep getting them, and were going to keep sustaining that. ___ BUDAPEST, Hungary Hungarys prime minister has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to call an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine but says his country will comply with Russian demands to pay for natural gas imports in rubles. At a news conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he had spoken with Putin by phone and urged the Russian leader to end the military conflict in neighboring Ukraine. Orban said he also offered to host a conference in Hungarys capital between the warring parties. I suggested that (Putin) the Ukrainian president, the French president and the German chancellor hold a meeting here in Budapest, the sooner the better, Orban said. It should not be a peace negotiation and not a peace settlement, because that takes longer, but an immediate ceasefire agreement. Orban spoke days after his Fidesz party won a fourth consecutive term leading the Hungarian government. The right-wing nationalist leader, Putins closest ally in the European Union, has vehemently refused to supply weapons to Ukraine or allow their transport across the Hungary-Ukraine border. He also lobbied heavily against the EU imposing sanctions on Russian energy imports. ___ LARNACA, Cyprus Russian disinformation about its war against Ukraine needs to be exposed, including on Russias war crimes, a U.S. State Department official said on a visit to Cyprus Wednesday. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland said Russian lies have evolved to the point of blaming Ukrainians for actions by Russian forces, including the war crimes we see on the ground. So we all have an interest in exposing Russian disinformation, ensuring our citizens have the truth and ensuring that Russian citizens also (have the truth) ... despite the Iron Curtain that Putin has put down over that, Nuland said. Nuland was in Cyprus as part of a five-nation tour aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and rallying support for Ukraine. ___ LONDON Britain says it will end imports of Russian oil and coal by the end of the year and ban U.K. investment in Russia as part of a new set of sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The British government also announced a freeze on the assets of Credit Bank of Moscow and Sberbank, Russias largest bank, and slapped travel bans and asset freezes on eight more wealthy Russians. They included Andrey Guryev, founder of the fertilizer company PhosAgro, and Sergey Sergeyevich Ivanov, president of diamond producer Alrosa. U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the measures were coordinated with Britains allies. The U.S. also sanctioned SberBank on Wednesday, and the European Union plans to ban imports of Russian coal. Truss said the sanctions were aimed at decimating (President Vladimir) Putins war machine and to show the Russian elite that they cannot wash their hands of the atrocities committed on Putins orders. Britain had already announced a plan to phase out Russian oil, which accounts for 8% of the U.K. supply. Russia is the top supplier of imported coal to the U.K., though British demand for the polluting fuel has plummeted in the past decade. Britain has not ended imports of Russian natural gas, which accounts for 4% of its supply, saying only that it will do so as soon as possible. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. General Assembly plans to vote Thursday on whether to suspend Russia from the U.N.s premiere human rights body. The United States initiated the move in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near Ukraine's capital. Videos and photos of corpses of people who appeared to be civilians have sparked calls for tougher sanctions and war crimes charges against Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility. General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said on Wednesday that an emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, when a resolution to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation will be put to a vote. The brief resolution expresses grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights. To be approved, the resolution requires a two-thirds majority of assembly members that vote yes or no. Abstentions dont count. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. Justice Department is working with European allies and prosecutors in Ukraine to investigate potential war crimes after Russias invasion. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday that U.S. prosecutors across the world are working to collect evidence and to collect the information on atrocities that we have all seen in both photographs and video footage. He pointed specifically to photos and videos from Bucha, where Associated Press journalists have witnessed evidence of killings and torture, including charred bodies. But Garland stopped short of calling for a tribunal like the one set up to hold Nazi leaders to account after World War II. He said a U.S. prosecutors in Paris were meeting with the French war crimes prosecutor, and that other Justice Department lawyers had met with prosecutors in Europe to work out a plan for gathering evidence with respect to Ukraine. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic system in retaliation for its war crimes in Ukraine. The U.S. is also imposing toughened full blocking sanctions on Russias Sberbank and Alfa Bank, two of its largest financial institutions, as well as some Russian state-owned enterprises. President Joe Biden is also signing an executive order to ban new U.S. investment in Russia. In addition to Putins adult daughters, the new sanctions also target the family of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The U.S. actions are set to be imposed in concert with toughened sanctions by its European allies. ___ LONDON A Western official says it will take Russia up to a month to regroup its forces for a major push on eastern Ukraine. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence, said Wednesday that a reasonable estimate would be of three to four weeks before troops that have pulled back from the area around Kyiv and northern Ukraine can be re-equipped and redeployed against the Donbas region in the east. The official said the Russian units would have to go through a pretty lengthy period of reconstitution and refurbishment before they could rejoin the war. The official said almost a quarter of the Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in Ukraine had been rendered non-combat-effective in the fighting and either withdrawn or merged with other units. The losses and pullback of Russian troops mean the threat posed to Kyiv is limited for the foreseeable future from Russian ground troops, the official said. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed. ___ BRUSSELS NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland and Sweden would be welcomed with open arms should they decide to join the worlds biggest security alliance, as Russias war on Ukraine spurs public support in the two Nordic countries for membership. Russia has demanded that the 30-nation military organization stop expanding, so the prospect of Finland and Sweden joining could anger President Vladimir Putin. But Stoltenberg says NATO members might be prepared to provide security guarantees for the period from when the two might announce any membership bid and when their applications are approved. He declined to say what kind of protection they might get. Once members, the two neutral Nordic nations would benefit from NATOs collective security guarantee, which obliges all members to come to the defense of any ally that comes under attack. Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday that he is certain that we will find ways to address concerns they may have regarding the period between the potential application and the final ratification. A poll commissioned by Finnish broadcaster YLE last month showed that, for the first time, more than 50% of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In neighboring Sweden, a similar poll showed that those in favor of NATO membership outnumber those against. ___ BERLIN A German spokesman says the government has information which indicates that bodies found after Ukraine retook Bucha last week had been lying there since at least March 10, when Russian troops were in control of the town. Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the information was based on non-commercial satellite images taken March 10-18 of Yablonska Street in Bucha. Credible information shows that from March 7 to March 30 Russian soldiers and security forces were deployed in this area, he said. They were also tasked with the interrogation of prisoners who were subsequently executed. Hebestreit said that targeted killings by units of the Russian military and security forces are therefore proof that the Russian President and supreme commander has at least approvingly accepted human rights abuses and war crimes to achieve his goals. The assertions made by the Russian side that these are staged scenes or they arent responsible for the murders are therefore not tenable, he added. Asked about the source of this information, Hebestreit said that images reviewed by Germany were not commercial satellite images. He declined to elaborate. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norway is following other European nations and expelling Russian diplomats. Norways Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said Wednesday that three Russian diplomats had carried out activities incompatible with their status. The timing for the expulsions was not accidental and comes at a time when the whole world is shaken by reports of Russian forces abusing civilians, especially in the city of Bucha, Huitfeldt said in a statement. In recent days, numerous European countries have expelled Russian diplomats and staff at Russian diplomatic missions. ___ GENEVA The International Committee of the Red Cross says one of its teams in Ukraine has led some 500 people who fled Mariupol in a humanitarian convoy of buses and private cars to a safer location in the embattled country. The ICRC says its team that has been trying to enter Mariupol since last Friday got within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the besieged city, but security conditions made it impossible to enter. The convoy escorted the civilians from coastal Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia, to the north. This convoys arrival to Zaporizhzhia is a huge relief for hundreds of people who have suffered immensely and are now in a safer location, said Pascal Hundt, ICRCs head of delegation in Ukraine. Its clear, though, that thousands more civilians trapped inside Mariupol need safe passage out and aid to come in. He said the Geneva-based organization remains available as a neutral intermediary to help escort civilians out of Mariupol once concrete agreements and security conditions allow it. ___ LONDON Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of using hunger as a weapon of war by deliberately targeting Ukraines essential food supplies. In an address to Irish lawmakers Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Russian forces are destroying things that are sustaining livelihoods including food storage depots, blocking ports so Ukraine could not export food and putting mines into the fields. For them hunger is also a weapon, a weapon against us ordinary people, he said, accusing Russia of deliberately provoking a food crisis in Ukraine, a major global producer of staples including wheat and sunflower oil. He said it would have international ramifications, because there will be a shortage of food and the prices will go up, and this is reality for the millions of people who are hungry, and it will be more difficult for them to feed their families. Zelenskyy spoke by video to a joint session of Irelands two houses of parliament, the latest in a string of international addresses he has used to rally support for Ukraine. ___ BRUSSELS A senior European Union official says the blocs member countries should think about ways of offering asylum to Russian soldiers willing to desert Ukraine battlefields. European Council president Charles Michel on Wednesday expressed his outrage at crimes against humanity, against innocent civilians in Bucha and in many other cities. He called on Russian soldiers to disobey orders. If you want no part in killing your Ukrainian brothers and sisters, if you dont want to be a criminal, drop your weapons, stop fighting, leave the battlefield, Michel, who represents the blocs governments, said in a speech to the European Parliament Endorsing an idea previously circulated by some EU lawmakers, Michel added that granting asylum to Russian deserters is a valuable idea that should be pursued. ___ Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jatre P. Harris, 29, of 408 Marion St. was arrested at 9:28 p.m. Tuesday at South Diamond Street and West Morton Avenue on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon and cited on charges of having no Firearm Owners Identification card, operating an uninsured vehicle and possession of adult-use cannabis. Sara E. Hayes, 33, of 1006 E. Lafayette Ave. was arrested at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of West Walnut Street on charges of possession of methamphetamine and on a violation of first-offender probation for possession of methamphetamine. THEFTS, BURGLARIES A cellphone was stolen around March 19 from a Jacksonville resident, according to a report filed at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday. OTHER REPORTS A Jacksonville man reported at 7:37 p.m. Tuesday that his lawnmower was stolen about two weeks ago. The mower was found in his backyard. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Ricky Baskins, 55, of Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested at 2:59 p.m. Wednesday on a disorderly conduct charge after being accused of yelling obscenities and threatening employees at Love's Travel Stop, 201 Love's Drive. He also was charged with obstructing a peace officer after police said he refused to provide identification. Waverly Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Barton J. Williams, 57, of 320 S. Grove St. was arrested at 9 a.m. Wednesday on a disorderly conduct charge after being accused of making disturbing and alarming comments to a group of children at Salter Park. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for the shooting death of another man in 2020. Donovan Harrington, 26, was sentenced to 249 months in prison after earlier being found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, television station KAKE reported Wednesday. CAIRO (AP) The U.N. envoy for Yemen expressed concerns on Wednesday about violations of a cease-fire in the war-wrecked country, urging the warring sides to uphold the first nationwide truce in six years. Meanwhile, Yemen's President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi sacked his vice president and announced a presidential council to run the country and lead negotiations with the Iranian-backed rebels, according to a statement aired early Thursday on state-run media. Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy, said that while the truce has led to significant reduction of violence in Yemen, there were reports of some hostile military activities, particularly around the central city of Marib. He did not say which side was to blame for the violations but Yemens internationally recognized government has accused the Iran-backed rebel Houthis of attacking their positions in southern and western Marib. A Houthi spokesman was not available for comment. This truce is a step, an important one, but a fragile step, nonetheless," he said. We need to make the best possible use of the window this truce gives us to work towards ending the conflict. The Houthi rebels have been trying for over a year to capture energy-rich Marib from government forces. But their efforts were dashed in recent months amid increasing support to the pro-government side from the Saudi-led coalition. Grundberg told a virtual news conference that the United Nations was working on a coordination mechanism with the warring sides to maintain the truce, which was announced earlier this month. It is supposed to last for two months. Grundberg cautioned that the cease-fire is not being monitored by the U.N. and that the responsibility to uphold the truce is squarely with the parties themselves. Yemens brutal civil war erupted in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa and forced the government into exile. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try restore the government to power. The conflict has in recent years become a regional proxy war that has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14.500 civilians. It has also created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The U.N.-announced truce also includes allowing shipments of fuel to arrive in Yemens key port city of Hodeida and for passenger flights to resume from the airport in Sanaa. Both Hodeida and Sanaa are held by the Houthis. The U.N. envoy said he has invited with both sides to convene a meeting to agree on a reopening of roads around Taiz and other provinces as part of the truce. We look forward to their responses, he said. Taiz, which remains partially held by the forces fighting on behalf of the government, has been blockaded by the Houthis for years. Meanwhile, Hadi, the Yemeni president who is exiled in Saudi Arabia since the Houthi coup, announced the transfer of his powers to a presidential council, according to a statement aired early Thursday on state-run media. The newly-created body included a president and seven members and will lead negotiations to establish a permanent cease-fire and political settlement to the conflict, the statement said. Hadi also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the government-run SABA news agency reported. The vice president's powers were also transferred to the presidential council. The president also created a 50-member Consultation and Reconciliation Authority with the aim of helping the presidential council in peace efforts. The 90-year-old building housing Washington Elementary School is getting a face lift, additions and updates during the summer. Superintendent Steve Ptacek presented designs Tuesday for the project, which includes additions to the building and a remodeling of the current space. "This is the remaining school of the original four schools in the district," Ptacek said. "Lafayette, Franklin and Jefferson are all closed. Washington is the last one." A majority of the work will be inside the building including new plumbing, electrical and floors though there also will be some additions to the building, including a new gym and administrative offices. The new entryway will be a secure entrance. The plans also call for an elevator to make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The basement, which now houses the gym and cafeteria, will be overhauled. The current gym space will become the cafeteria and music room. There also will be rooms for art and special education classrooms. Principal Mary Camerer said she is excited to see the project completed. "I've been here 20 years in August and I'm looking forward to the update," she said. "It's been a long time coming." One of the things she is looking forward to the most is the elevator, which will provide easier access for anyone who is handicapped and easier transportation of supplies throughout the building. "All these years we've had to carry items up both floors," Camerer said. "An elevator is going to make things so much easier." Camerer also is excited about the designated spaces for art and music, she said. The project is expected to cost about $14 millions, with an addition $1 million to rent the modular buildings that will serve as classrooms during the work. Because of potential delays in the availability of materials, having the trailers will mean students have a space in which to attend school if construction continues into next school year, Ptacek said. He said he realistically foresees construction continuing well into the second semester of the 2022-23 school year and students returning to the building in January or February 2023. After that, students from Eisenhower would be moved into the trailers so work can begin there. The cost of the project is being covered by $12.4 million in bonds that were sold last year and $11 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. The remaining money will be used for other projects, including the Eisenhower project, HVAC systems for a gym and vocational classes at Jacksonville High School, emergency repairs at Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School and new windows at the Early Years building. Camerer said she hopes the kids and teachers like the building once renovations are completed. "When kids are in a nice atmosphere, they will learn better," Camerer said. "We've had people in the past try to make this happen, but we are finally going to get to experience this after all these years." Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents. Winchester Preschool Screening: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Winchester Pre-K Building, 283 S. Elm St. Free | To make an appointment, call 217-742-9551, ext. 339 or ext. 342. Blood Drive: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Jacksonville Police Department, 200 W. Douglas Ave. | To donate, contact Courtney Glass at 217-479-4630, ImpactLife at 800-747-5401 or go to bloodcenter.org and use code 60161 to locate the drive. Masks and appointments are required. Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers can be picked up at side door. What Happened to that House? The Restoration of the Arnold House in the Lincoln Neighborhood: Noon, Illinois State Museum Zoom event. | Featured speaker is Susan Haake, National Park Service curator. Registration required at bit.ly/TFVApril22. Walking for Wellness: 12:30-3 p.m., First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. Free | Indoor walking program offered year-round Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 217-243-6445. Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen: 3:30-4 p.m., Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen, 105 E. Dunlap St. Free | Serving meals to go for anyone in need. Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight: 5:30 p.m., Carlinville Public Library, 510 N. Broad St. Free | 90-minute program by Mark H.X. Glenshaw, naturalist and expert from St. Louis. For more information, call 217-854-3505 or email mail@carlinvillelibrary.org. Chess Club: 6 p.m., Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. | For more information, go to jaxpl.org or call 217-243-5435. Poetry Open Mic: 7 p.m., Soap Co. Coffee House, 207 S. Sandy St. Free | Read or listen to poetry. Masks preferred. For more information, call 217-742-5777 or email robertseufert@frontier.com. First Thursday of each month. A Doll's House Part 2: 7:30 p.m., University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center, 1 University Plaza, Springfield. Ticket price varies. | For tickets and more information, go to uispac.com. Friday Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents. Winchester Preschool Screening: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Winchester Pre-K Building, 283 S. Elm St. Free | To make an appointment, call 217-742-9551, ext. 339 or ext. 342. Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers can be picked up at side door. Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 12:30-1 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. Free. Morgan County Audubon Society: 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 870 W. College Ave. | Featured speaker Kathryn Chapman, education program coordinator for the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, will present "What the Archaeology Tells Us: Past People and the Plant Kingdom." Cinderella: 7 p.m., Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., Springfield. $18. | Featuring the Hoogland Teen Improv Troupe. For tickets or more information, go to hcfta.org. A Doll's House Part 2: 7:30 p.m., UIS Performing Arts Center, 1 University Plaza, Springfield. Ticket price varies. | For tickets and more information, go to uispac.com. Alex Ortiz: 8 p.m., Casey's Pub & Columbian Hall, 2200 Meadowbrook Road, Springfield. | Presented by Donnie B's Comedy Club. For ages 18 and older. What is it about oil price spikes that befuddle politicians? This is especially true of Democrats, but Republicans, too, have had moments of confusion about oil. In fact, Republican president Richard Nixon was, when it came to energy, very confused. Most notably, he didnt realize that his own policies were responsible for many of the bad things that happened during the 1973-74 energy crisis. That he also learned nothing from the crisis is clear, but he was not alone. As I explain in my 2013 book U.S. Energy Policy and the Pursuit of Failure, most politicians and bureaucrats learned nothing or, worse, the wrong lessons. The underlying story they adopted was wrong: We werent running out of oil and gas; OPEC was not about to take over the world; and we didnt need a moonshot for alternative energy (something just about every politician starting with Nixon has called for at one time or another). The 1970s are remembered mostly for lines at service stations as people waited for a few gallons of gas. But it is also remembered for enormous price increases. Since we havent had gas lines since 1980, the claim of an energy crisis typically involves price spikes (or more drawn-out price surges) to oil and especially gasoline. Heres what Democrats did when prices soared at the pump back in the 1970s: Blamed the oil companies Demanded investigations of the oil industry Called for a windfall profits tax against energy producers And appealed for laws against price gouging Sadly, much of what was proposed back then to deal with the crisis has continued to be advocated. The script in 1973-74 and 1979-80 was repeated again in 1990, 1996, and from about 2000 through 2008. Now its happening again. The script has played poorly. The oil industry has been investigated, but to the chagrin of many politicians each investigation turned up nothing illegal. In 1980, Congress passed a windfall profits tax and that experience should suggest why another one would be foolhardy. Such a tax is based on a government determination of what the price of oil should be. Any legislation that is based on a government determination of price for a commodity is a bad idea. Those prices are never correct; actual market prices for any commodity will change by the minute. Even if government gets it right today (which is unlikely) it may take months for the legislation to pass, undoubtedly causing the price determination to be wildly wrong. The result is likely a shortage one day, a glut the next. Meantime, the windfall tax does nothing to help consumers. More likely it hurts them because the tax has to be figured as a cost of production. As such costs rise, sellers will produce less. As for price gouging laws, there are two main problems: First, no one can actually define what constitutes price gouging. Some legislators have tried, but the choices of gouging thresholds are always arbitrary. Second, anti-gouging laws can have serious consequences. Most such laws deal with price hikes in an emergency. But the result of anti-gouging law is not stable prices, but rather it is shortages at the worst times. Those who need the products most will find empty shelves (or gas pumps) because the product is too cheap and the price doesnt take account of an extreme increase in demand. The existence of such laws may also lead retailers to close during an emergency for fear theyll be tagged as gougers. Past failures notwithstanding, President Biden is calling for an investigation of the oil industry; members of Congress are demanding a new windfall profits tax; and several anti-gouging bills have been introduced in Congress. Dont expect anything positive to come from this. But anticipate when oil prices come down (which they will) the same politicians will take credit for it. TuCARE chosen as one of over 100 "Nonprofit of the Year" View Photo Sonora, CA Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources & Environment (TuCARE) is one of over a hundred non-profits honored with the title of Non-profit of the Year, statewide. These honors are bestowed by state senators and assemblymembers from each district in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve. Mother Lode Assemblymember Frank Bigelow chose TuCARE. Executive Director Melinda Fleming shared how the recent TuCARE dinner may have sealed the deal. He [Bigelow] was really thrilled because he got to be there that night and watch the presentation. I know he was really pleased with the direction that we are trying to move things in Tuolumne County. That presentation was regarding the newly created Community Wildfire Protection Fund, which was the focus of last weekends Mother Lode Views, as detailed here. It will help clear built-up vegetation and construct fuel breaks to help reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire in the county. Fleming had this reaction to getting picked: Really thrilled. TuCARE works really hard and we are pretty small, so getting that kind of recognition is pretty valuable to us, to our message and what we are trying to do in the community, so very pleased. That message, since it was founded in 1988 and has grown to more than 700 members, remains the same: TuCARE is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of all of our natural resources through an ecosystem management approach toward the stewardship of our public lands. It seeks stability for our natural resource industries through wise use, thus ensuring the economic soundness of local communities. One key strategy of the organization is to educate the public about how land and resource managers are taking care of those things. Fleming explains, Because we really believe if people are exposed and they understand better how resources are managed, when they do things like vote, they make better decisions about what they vote on. A celebratory luncheon by CalNonprofits will be held for honorees and legislators on California Nonprofits Day, June 8th, at the State Capitol. As the CEO of the association, Jan Masaoka, shared, California Nonprofit of the Year gives elected officials the opportunity to shine a light on the important work nonprofits are doing in their districts and for everyone to appreciate the collective impact of nonprofits in our communities. Convenience and innovation are reaching new heights as drones are set to fly in the skies over Texas to deliver goods directly to people in portions of the Lone Star State. Wing and Flytex are two new drone delivery companies planning to start operations in Texas. Here's what to know about Wing Wing started in 2012 as a Google X initiative using self-flying vehicles to transform transportation. Wing has conducted the world's first commercial drone delivery operations to consumers on three continents, according to the company's website. This includes the U.S., Australia and Finland. In the U.S., Wing drone deliveries are set to start on April 7 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with service to suburban homes in the City of Frisco and Little Elm, according to a recent post on the Wing blog. On the Wing website, the company notes that it is accepting companies to support delivery in the Frisco and Little Elm areas. Currently, Wing has partnered with Walgreens, Blue Bell, online retailer easyvet.com and Texas Health. "In addition to Walgreens, well be delivering items with three new partners in Frisco and Little Elm. Were going to be delivering ice cream from Blue Bell Creameries (yes it will stay frozen on those hot Texas summer days), prescription pet medications from easyvet, and first aid kits from Texas Health," reads a portion of the Wing post. Wing's other U.S. drone center is in Virginia offers delivery options including Mexican food, cupcakes and Girl Scout cookies as well as items such as books from a local public library among other products. It's important to note that some customers within the delivery range may not be able to access drone delivery during the initial rollout. "I do want to set clear expectations: not everyone who lives within range of our drones will be able to order on Day 1. Were going to invite customers in groups to make sure everyone has a good first experience with drone delivery," said Wing CTO Adam Woodworth in the blog post. Wing Flytex in Texas Flytex, a drone delivery company, is currently operating in three separate locations in North Carolina and is now expanding to the Lone Star State. The first drone station will open in the City of Grandbury, a suburb near Fort Worth, according to a Flytex Facebook post. "The company is focused on serving suburban areas, rather than urban areas as cities are already well-served by delivery services," Forbes reported on the company in March. In Grandbury, Flytrex has partnered with Brinker International, home of Chilis Grill & Bar, Maggianos Little Italy, and two virtual brands: Its Just Wings and Maggiano's Italian Classics, according to a recent report from culture map Dallas. CANBERRA, Australia The first of 20 Bushmaster armored vehicles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The 20 Bushmasters cost 50 million in Australian dollars, which is $37 million in U.S. dollars. The vehicles are in addition to $116 million in Australian dollars ($87 million in U.S. dollars) in military and humanitarian aid previously committed to Ukraine. Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. And as soon as he asked, we said yes, Morrison said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on eastern front Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban Ukraine appeals to NATO for more weapons Russia is moving troops and focus toward the east, but that strategy carries risks as well U.N. General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from UN rights council Ukrainian refugees find quickest route into US goes through Mexico Seeing Bucha atrocities is turning point for media, viewers Russia makes debt payment in rubles, a move that could result in historic default Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two-state owned companies come a day after the U.S. announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks and banning new American investment in Russia. __ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that work has begun to dig through the rubble in Borodianka, another city northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians. He also said it is much scarier there, with even more victims of the Russian troops. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy said the Russians were preparing to shock the world in the same way by showing corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they were killed by the Ukrainian defenders. Meanwhile, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said Thursday on Ukrainian television that investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Fedoruk said hundreds have been killed and investigators are finding bodies in yards, parks and city squares. PHOENIX A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraines consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths weapons, weapons and weapons. Kushneruk said its a war for the soul of humanity and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. According to Kushneruk, prompt American help will save civilian lives and he pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government to political and cultural institutions around the world. __ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council a meaningful step by the international community. He also said that it further demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions The United States and Ukraine have called Russias alleged rights violations tantamount to war crimes. In a statement, Biden said the images out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying and an outrage to our common humanity. BRUSSELS European Council president Charles Michel says the blocs top diplomat has proposed adding an additional 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, the fund which has been used for the first time during the war to deliver defensive lethal weapons to a third country. The EU has previously agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on military supplies for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a country under attack. EU countries and NATO have so far excluded the option of a direct military intervention in Ukraine. Once swiftly approved this will bring to 1.5 billion the EU support already provided for military equipment for Ukraine, Michel said in a message posted on Twitter in which he thanked EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. The proposal needs to be approved by the 27 EU countries. The EU said the instrument should help Ukraine armed forces defend the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty and protect the civilian population. __ The World Health Organization has verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the country was first invaded more than a month ago, the organizations top official said Thursday. At least 103 attacks on hospitals and other health-care facilities in the country, and at least 73 were killed and 51 injured in those incidents, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The toll includes medical workers as well as patients, he said. He praised the United States for supporting international health efforts in Ukraine, including the delivery of more 180 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit areas. We are outraged that attacks on health care (in Ukraine) continue, he said. ___ BRUSSELS European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. Reported by Raf Casert. ___ PARIS -- The International Energy Agency says its member countries are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous U.S. pledges to take aim at energy prices that have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Paris-based organization said Thursday that the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the United States and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months. Its the largest release in the groups history. Half of that will come from the U.S. as part of the larger release from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden announced last week. The IEA agreed last Friday to add to the amount of oil hitting the global market. It comes on top of the 62.7 million barrels that the agencys members said they would release last month to ease shortages. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russias invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came Thursday after the Senate approved the two bills and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has already taken executive action to ban Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States. The legislation puts the effort into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. The bills also provide the president with the authority to return normal tariff treatment for Russia as well as resume trade in Russian energy products subject to certain conditions. ___ LONDON - Polands President Andrzej Duda and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the need for ending imports of energy sources from Russia as a form of tough sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda said they also analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy additional taxes on Russian gas, oil and coal until the imports are ended. The U.K. said it will stop importing Russian coal and oil by the end of this year and gas imports will cease soon after. Poland is to end Russian coal imports by May, gas by the years end and oil in 2023, possibly. Russia is not a credible partner and we should not assume that it will ever be, Duda told reporters. ___ NICOSIA, Cyprus - Ukraines president has asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up pressure on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to stop granting Russian businessmen conveniences including Cypriot citizenship. Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid and spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that happened in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union. He said EU membership for Ukraine would help strengthen the 27-member bloc. ___ STOCKHOLM European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to stay together and not decide unilaterally on imposing sanctions against Russia. We have been successful by being together. My plea is that we move forward together, von der Leyen said during a visit to Stockholm where she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The EU chief on Friday will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging event in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland. ___ PODGORICA, Montenegro NATO-member Montenegro is joining a number of countries that expelled Russian diplomats over the past week. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the four diplomats have a week to leave the small Balkan nation. The decision is based on information provided by security authorities about the diplomats activities in Montenegro, the ministry said. No other details were immediately available. Montenegro last month expelled another Russian diplomat. Local media said at the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union but has joined Western sanctions against Moscow. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That is significantly lower than votes on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the Ukrainian town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops were responsible. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. ___ LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following Russian President Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The goal is to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. Other elements include promoting solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. ___ WARSAW, Poland A surgeon in Poland says a seriously wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine will require long, specialized treatment for the injuries he suffered in the early days of Russias invasion. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed on the very serious injuries that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his back, spine and facial nerves. Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the car in which the family were trying to flee Ukraines capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Doctors in Kyiv were able to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, but he is now in a wheelchair due to the spine injuries and one side of his face is paralyzed. Some shrapnel particles in his body still need to be removed, Godzinski said. What moved me most was that he smiled when we told him we will be able to help him, Godzinski said on Polands private TVN24. ___ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is calling for his country to be included in negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations without the participation of Belarus, Lukashenko said at a meeting Thursday of his national security council. There can be no separate agreements behind the back of Belarus. Russia has launched missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There has been no confirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. The minister said Turkey was also talking with both Russia and Ukraine about the possible evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol by sea. ___ BRUSSELS Ukraines foreign minister says hes cautiously optimistic that some NATO member countries will increase their weapons supplies to his country, helping it resist Russias invasion, but he urged swift decisions and action. Speaking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which countries would be providing equipment or what kind they would be, but he said the weapons must get to Ukraine quickly as Russia gears up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Kuleba said: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. ___ HELSINKI Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. ___ BRUSSELS The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. Following allegations this week of war crimes in the city of Bucha, the ministers insist that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. They also repeated warnings about the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, saying that any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. ___ MOSCOW Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscows sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. ___ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. ___ ATHENS, Greece Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to Greek parliament Thursday. Zelenskyy emphasized the destruction wrought on the southern port city of Mariupol, home to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian community, and urged Greece to help prevent the same fate befalling Odesa, another Ukrainian port city with deep ties to Greece. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. ___ MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images We can talk about Isabela Madrigal, Encanto fans. Celebrity Fan Fest announced voice actress Diane Guerrero is heading to its car and comic con event in San Antonio this summer. Guerrero, who voices Isabela Madrigal in the Oscar-winning animated film, will appear at the The Superhero Car Show and Comic-Con from August 6-7. Celebrity Fan Fest announced its festival will take place from August 4-7 at the Freeman Exp Hall. Full-fledged Fiesta is back for 2022 and we're celebrating by highlighting the sometimes unsung party people of San Antonio's biggest event. Get to know the people who make the celebration happen in our party series "Faces of Fiesta." When Kimberly Siller started in the band at Brackenridge High School, she was a freshman looking forward to years of performances around town, especially at traditions like Fiesta. The COVID-19 pandemic stalled two years of that, but now Siller is returning to the parade path as a senior and drumline captain for this year's Fiesta. The 17-year-old plays the snare drum and, like the thousands of high school band members who have participated in San Antonio's Fiesta parades, she's anxious to walk in the 2.5 mile parade route. Each year, San Antonio high school bands, dance teams, and cheerleading squads make the trek on Fridays for Battle of Flowers and again the following day for the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. Some also make appearances at events like Night In Old San Antonio and the King William Fair. While the public is able to dress in light, festive clothing to keep cool and keep their hands free for snacks and drinks, the students often wear full performance attire and carry the heavy instruments through the heat. "I'm not looking forward to the heat, but I'm looking forward to being with my friends and playing music," Siller tells MySA. "The walk is long but it happens so fast. " Fiesta was canceled entirely in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, a smaller Fiesta took place in June, but the parades sat out of the schedule. After a two-year pause, 17-year-old and her fellow Brackenridge band members are busier than usual this Fiesta season. They performed during the NIOSA opening day parade, will compete in the band festival, walk in the night parade, and play at the King William Fair. "I was bummed that I didn't get to do it my sophomore year (because of the pandemic), but now being able to go in as drum captain during my senior year, I'm very excited," she adds. Siller says her older brothers, Edward Carillo and Sebastian Siller, also played in the Brackenridge band. She's also in yearbook and National Honor Society. Next year, Siller plans on attending the University of the Incarnate Word for graphic design. In the meantime she's looking forward to playing songs like her favorite The Whitestripes' "Sever Nation Army" with her friends to round out her high school years. She shared more of her Fiesta favorites and advice below. Courtesy, Maury Vasquez What's your can't-miss Fiesta event? Battle of Flower Band Festival. Even before being in band, I just enjoyed the music. What's the Fiesta food you'll spend all of your tickets on? A mangonada. What did you miss the most about Fiesta over the last two years? The adrenaline rush of being the next to go in the parade. There was this specific underpass we'd go under, especially during the night parade, and we'd see all the lights and the sound was really loud. What's your biggest piece of advice for new Fiesta-goers? Be ready for all the loud noise from the crowd and the bands What do you always make sure to bring to Fiesta? Definitely water. Whats your favorite Fiesta memory? It was my first year in band, just looking around and seeing my mom in the crowd watching me. Courtesy, Fat Tuesday After 17 years, Fat Tuesday is returning to its former spot on West Crockett. The global daiquiri company had a presence in San Antonio in the 1990s before closing in 2005. Fat Tuesday reentered the San Antonio scene in December 2021 with a location at The Shops at Rivercenter, followed by a store on Bandera Road in February. Now it's going back to where it all began. The company confirms one of three upcoming locations will be housed in its former location at 111 West Crockett. Tatiana Araujo, a spokeswoman for the company, tells MySA the two other Fat Tuesdays will be in the San Antonio area. All three planned locations are expected to open later this year. The United States and European allies are again escalating sanctions on Russia after the discovery of evidence that Russian troops executed civilians in a town near Kyiv. New penalties moved even closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, targeting two of his adult daughters. The U.S., United Kingdom and the European Union prepared other steps including an embargo against Russian coal. Pressure in the West for new sanctions rose in recent days after videos and photographs emerged of bodies laying in the streets of Bucha after Ukrainian forces regained control from retreating Russians. Some of the victims had their hands bound and were shot in the head, and satellite images indicated they had been in the streets since mid-March, when the Russian military still occupied the town. I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha, President Joe Biden said in a tweet after the White House said he will sign an executive order banning all new investment in Russia. Sanctions imposed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February have damaged Russias economy but failed to stop the war. Heres a look at some of the sanctions now in place. Combined, they add up to some of the toughest penalties imposed on any nation short of military action. LATEST MOVES The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Putins two adult daughters cutting off all of his close family members from the U.S. financial system and freezing any assets they might hold in the U.S. The same measures were taken against Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former President Dmitry Medvedev and others. Washington also acted against two of Russias largest banks, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, and the U.S. and its allies plan to ban all new investment in Russia. Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury Department moved to block any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at American financial institutions a step designed to make it difficult for Russia to meet financial obligations. NEXT STEPS? In Brussels, the European Commission proposed a ban on coal imports from Russia. If adopted, it would be the first EU sanctions to target Russias critical energy industry. The United States has already banned Russian oil and natural gas, but Europe has hesitated it is far more dependent than the U.S. on Russian energy, and sanctions are likely to drive up costs on European consumers and businesses. Germany has long opposed a ban on Russian natural gas. So has Hungary and its president, a Putin ally who is bending to Russian demands to pay for gas imports with rubles. The EU's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said Europe is paying Russia a billion euros ($1.09 billion) a day for energy, helping finance Russia's war effort and dwarfing the aid that Europe is giving Ukraine. Europe is also considering banning Russian ships from EU ports Russian aircraft are already barred from European airspace and banning the export to Russia of quantum computers, advanced semiconductors and other machinery and high-tech equipment. Some European leaders say the proposals don't go far enough. Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, tweeted that a coal ban, sanctions against a few banks, and barring Russian ships is not really an adequate sanctions package to the massacres that are being uncovered. A feeble response is just an invitation for more atrocities. OLIGARCHS Also Wednesday, the Biden administration charged a Russian oligarch with violating earlier sanctions that the U.S. imposed after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, which included barring U.S. citizens from working for or doing business with Russian media baron Konstantin Malofeyev. Officials said that Malofeyev used co-conspirators to secretly acquire media organizations across Europe in hopes of spreading pro-Russia propaganda. A former CNBC and Fox News employee was arrested last month in London for working as a television producer for Malofeyev. Previous sanctions had targeted other people close to Putin, including Alisher Usmanov, one of the wealthiest people in Russia, and Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov. The Justice Department recently announced the creation of a team of federal agents and prosecutors to pursue wealthy Russians or anyone else who aids Russias invasion of Ukraine or uses cryptocurrency to help Russia evade sanctions. The team, called Task Force Kleptocapture, was set up to seize assets belonging to oligarchs. On Monday, in the Mediterranean port of Palma de Mallorca, U.S. agents and Spains Civil Guard seized a 254-foot (78-meter) yacht owned by an oligarch and Putin ally whom the Justice Department accuses of violating laws on bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions. A boating website called Superyachtfan.com valued the ship, called Tango, at $120 million. The grand opening of Teslas Giga Texas factory is today and features an event called the Cyber Rodeo. Some information about the event has already been publicized by CEO Elon Musk beforehand, but as the Cyber Rodeo officially opens in Austin today, Musk and others have provided more details about the grand opening party. Heres what Teslas Giga Texas grand opening might look like Here are five things to know about the grand opening. Musk will be speaking at the event Just after midnight on April 7, Musk wrote a couple of tweets providing more details about the timing of the event. According to the tweets, doors will open at 4 p.m. CT and festivities will begin at 8 p.m. Musk also wrote that he will be giving a presentation at 9 p.m. Part of the event will be livestreamed According to a tweet from Teslas Twitter account, Musks presentation at 9 p.m. will be livestreamed. The company did not provide details on where or how to watch the livestream. Musk showed what the event will look like Musk tweeted a series of photos and videos on Thursday morning showing what the event would look like. One photo showed a large neon sign with the words Cyber Rodeo and Giga Texas on top of an illuminated outline of the state of Texas. Other photos showed an event stage with Tesla vehicles and the inside of the facility aglow with red and blue neon lights. A video Musk posted also shows a walkway with pentagon-shaped overhangs displaying neon lights. Drone shots show what the outdoor event may look like One Twitter user posted outdoor drone photos of the facility showing what the event may look like outside of the factory. One photo shows large electric coils, what looks to be a mechanical bull, a large cowboy hat and metal scaffolding. Another photo shows a large open dome with event stages in the background, while one photo depicts an assortment of white, black and red Tesla vehicles. Cybertrucks were spotted at the event An article by InsideEVs shows what appears to be two Cybertruck models at the Giga Texas factory. After first unveiling the Cybertruck in November 2019, production of the Tesla vehicle has been delayed to 2023, the article said. The article also shows multiple other vehicles at the factory, including what appears to be a couple of Model Ys and a Roadster. Contaminated raw oysters containing norovirus have been reported in 13 states across the U.S. causing a total of 91 illnesses as of April 4, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 13 states affected by the contaminated oysters include Texas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington. Additional states not currently listed may have received the contaminated oysters through distribution within the U.S., the CDC noted. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that the contaminated oysters were harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound in Canadian British Columbia. "State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate a day to four days before they got sick. In interviews, many of the sick people reported eating raw oysters," reads a portion of the FDA report. What should oyster retailers do? According to FDA, there are a number of steps oyster retailers in impacted areas should take. This includes: Throw away any remaining oysters or return them to the distributor for destruction. Oyster tags related to the warning include: Nos. 1407063, 1411206, 278737 in BC 14-8 and BC 14-15s No. 1400036, in BC 14-15. Product tags will have 14-8and/or DEEP BAY, or 14-15. Wash and sanitize containers and surfaces that may have been in contact with these oysters. Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process. Norovirus is a contagious virus contracted as a result of having direct contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food or water, touching contaminated surfaces and then putting unwashed hands into the mouth, the CDC said. What are the common side effects when contacting norovirus? A CDC webpage also details the symptoms related to a norovirus infection. Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines. Norovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea and foodborne illness. A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus. Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days. Children, the elderly and those people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections. Anyone affected by the oyster norovirus outbreak should contact a healthcare provider and report to the local health department. The CDC reports the outbreak is an active case and under investigation. Austin City Council convened the morning of Thursday, April 7, and the fieriest item on the agenda was No. 43. A resolution to direct the city manager to find an alternative to the proposed location for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's Jet-A fuel expansion site. Jet-A, which will initially add two 1.5-million-gallon tanks of fuel, is set to eventually have capacity for 6 million gallons of fuel. The issue, first raised last fall by District 2 representative Vanessa Fuentes, is that the tanks will be located within 500 feet of some East Austin homes, many of which belong to a small Latino community. A local homeowner named Amanda spoke out, reaching the verge of tears as she described the harm she feels Jet-A will cause to her and her neighbors. "Our community is thriving and diverse. I actually know my neighbors," she said. "We're very proud of our community. To propose jet fuel tanks be built that uncomfortably close to our homes just a few hundred feet from our property line the health consequences could easily be devastating." She pointed to the Holly Street Power Plant, which was decommissioned in 2007 after multiple chemical spills and ongoing noise pollution, as an example. She also said that the airport and the airlines thrust Jet-A upon the East Austin community without providing an environmental impact statement. "Nobody knew. Please say no to these jet fuel farms," she begged. "Please." Roy Whaley, chair of the conservation committee for the Austin regional group of the Sierra Club, called for more environmental studies, noting that it was "easy to do the right thing." He also said that the Sierra Club is familiar with endangered species. "And who is more endangered in Austin, Texas, right now than the black and brown and poor community?" Whaley said. "This is another example of environmental injustice." Representatives from American and United Airlines, two airlines served by ABIA, spoke out against moving Jet-A, which will be paid for by the airlines themselves. Opponents of the item, including the airport itself, have said that another environmental assessment would cause at least a 30-month delay to construction, restrict ABIA from adding more flights after 2023, and lead to a $4.6 billion loss in payroll. "As introduced, we are opposed to item 43 as it would create unwarranted and unnecessary delay to a critical project at the Austin airport," said Billy Glunz, director of government affairs at American. "The fuel capacity project, as it stands today, has received all of the necessary permits and approvals at the federal, state, and local level." "Liars!" screamed someone in gallery. Chants of "people over profit!" could be heard as the airlines' reps spoke. Austin Mayor Steve Adler offered a compromise that, among other things, would allow for the first phase of Jet-A to proceed as planned, with two 1.5-million-gallon tanks, but to call for a new environmental assessment before the other two are constructed in phase two. The memo also contains a call to create an Airport Green Team composed of community volunteers, business partners, and city officials to evaluate all environmental concerns as they related to the ongoing ABIA expansion. The vote comes on the heels of a chaotic few weeks at ABIA. At the end of March, ABIA issued a fuel-shortage alert that lasted from March 28 into March 30. The news was shocking. It revealed this was not the first time ABIA had gotten below the threshold less than one day's worth of fuel supply that necessitated an alert. Residents also learned that Austin's airport has a capacity issue, with the ability to keep between two and three days' worth on hand, which is less than half the amount kept by airports of similar size. An airport spokesperson explained to MySA that when ABIA was constructed in 1999, that was the industry standard. ABIA acting public information officer and marketing manager Sam Haynes also said that the fuel shortage alert didn't cause cancellations or delays, but that they were possible going forward. "However, one of the last fuel shortage alerts that was issued was back in October, and three commercial flights did have to divert to fuel up before arriving in Austin," Haynes said. "It's possible as we experience the strong demand for air travel, with all these increased flights and new flights, that could happen. Passengers could experience diversions." City Council noted that item 43 would be revisited late this afternoon. MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images Ever wanted to own a bar in the "Cowboy Capital of the World?" Now's your chance. The 11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera, known as "The Biggest Little Bar in Texas," and which sees thousands of visitors stop by for a drink and a good time, is on the market. James McGroarty, the 11th Street Cowboy Bar's owner, said he was selling the local bar because he is suffering from health complications, according to a San Antonio Business Journal (SABJ) report on Tuesday, April 5. Bosch eBike Systems San Antonio, get ready to cycle. Bosch eBike Systems and BCycle have partnered together to offer free electric bike rideshare access to the Alamo City from April 22-24 to celebrate Earth Day. The free promotion is to raise awareness about eBikes and how they are a sustainable, fun, and safe mode of transportation. Customers in eight cities will have access to a free ride pass that can be downloaded by using the BCycle app. There is no cost to register for the pass, which grants riders unlimited 60-minute trips. A San Antonio woman who cooked the books to pay off credit card debt was sentenced to over 30 months in prison on Wednesday, April 6. Here's what you need to know. Cindy Ellen McCarthy, also known as Cindy Wojtaszek, was sentenced in the Western District Court of Texas to 33 months in prison for embezzling over $850,000 while working as a book keeper for a Castle Hills business, according to a news release. McCarthy altered the company bank statements to make it look like vendors were being paid, while she used company funds to pay off her credit card debt from November 2012 to July 2018. She pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in October 2021. On top of the 33 months in prison, McCarthy was also ordered to pay $855,538.56 in restitution to her former employer, whose name was not disclosed in the news release. Here's some other news you might have missed. Boerne 'Boogaloo Boi' sentenced to prison for role in riots Ivan Hunter, 24, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 5 to 52 months in prison after he traveled to Minneapolis from San Antonio to participate in a riot during the George Floyd protests in 2020. Read more here. New podcast highlights sex work in San Antonio A new TPR podcast looks into the history of sex work in San Antonio, a process that required considerable digging as records proved difficult to find. Read more here. $18,000 worth of equipment stolen from San Antonio musician San Antonio musician Zeke Escobedo says people stole his trailer filled with more than $18,000 worth of equipment. Now he is asking for the public's help. Read more here. San Antonio-set Amazon Prime series returns after 3-year hiatus San Antonio-set animated series Undone is returning for a second season this month almost three years since the first season concluded. Read more here. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Many Texas Democratic leaders are disapproving of the latest immigration call from Gov. Greg Abbott. He said Wednesday, April 6 that the state would provide charter buses to border communities so migrants can be sent to Washington, D.C. for the Biden administration to deal with. "To help local officials whose communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off by the Biden administration to Washington D.C.," Abbott said."We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border." The Washington Post via Getty Images A Texas man who recently moved to Florida was stabbed to death during an alleged domestic dispute in a Miami condo over the weekend, according to police. Officials identified the man as 27-year-old Christian Obumseli. NBC 6 South Florida reported officers responded to a report of a man stabbed at the building and found the victim, who was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead on Sunday, April 3. Officials said a woman, who was identified as Obumseli's girlfriend, had called 911 to report the incident. The woman, whose name was not released, was detained and taken to a mental institution, police said. Nicholas Alan Cope/Getty Images A Texas teacher has resigned after a student was injured during a science class experiment last week. Granbury Independent School District, near Fort Worth, announced the resignation on its social media platforms on Tuesday, April 5. On Friday, April 1, the Granbury Police Department responded to an injury report at Granbury Middle School. The Granbury Police Department told CBS Dallas a 37-year-old female teacher put hand sanitizer in a 12-year-old male student's hands and lit the flammable solution on fire as part of a class science experiment. Yves here. I hope no readers have encountered this sort of horror, zombie medical bills that you paid that refuse to die. One bit of advice: record your calls when you go to complain. In most states, it is legal to record your conversations without obtaining the consent of the other party. The other part of this story that is appalling is the fact that the parents here feel they even have to take these supposedly written off bills seriously. Their adult son is dead. Unless they signed up as his financial guarantors with the hospital system, they have no liability. The son was broke so its unlikely that the parents are shielding assets in his estate. If I were them, I would write a blistering letter to their general counsel about illegal debt collection practices and potential liability for improper care. By Aneri Pattani, a Kaiser Health News Correspondent, has also broadcast on NPR and Science Friday and previously wrote for Spotlight PA, a collaborative newsroom investigating the Pennsylvania state government. Originally published at Kaiser Health News Every now and then, Suzanne Rybak and her husband, Jim, receive pieces of mail addressed to their deceased son, Jameson. Typically, its junk mail that requires little thought, Suzanne said. But on March 5, an envelope for Jameson came from McLeod Health. Jim saw it first. He turned to his wife and asked, Have you taken your blood pressure medication today? He knew showing her the envelope would resurface the pain and anger their family had experienced since taking Jameson to McLeod Regional Medical Center two years ago. As KHN previously reported, Jameson was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from quitting opioids. Suzanne feared for her sons life and took him to the emergency room near their home in Florence, South Carolina, on March 11, 2020. There, they encountered a paucity of addiction treatment and the potential for high medical costs two problems that plague many families affected by the opioid crisis and often lead to missed opportunities to save lives. Jameson was not offered medications to treat opioid use disorder in the ER, nor was he given referrals to other treatment facilities, Suzanne said. The hospital wanted to admit him, but, being uninsured, Jameson feared a high bill. The hospital didnt inform him of its financial assistance policy, Suzanne said. And he decided to leave. Three months later, Jameson, 30, died of an overdose in his childhood bedroom. In the following months, the Rybaks received bills from the McLeod Health system addressed to Jameson. He owed $4,928, it said. Suzanne called and wrote to hospital administrators until September 2020, when the bill was resolved under the systems financial assistance program. That was the last they had heard from McLeod Health until the new envelope arrived March 5 one week before the two-year anniversary of his ER visit. That visit was what Suzanne calls the beginning of the end for my son. When the Rybaks opened the envelope, they found a strikingly familiar bill for $4,928. I cant even describe my anger and sadness, Suzanne said. Its always present, but when we received that statement, we were just stunned. Theres no national data to indicate how often patients or their families receive medical bills that were previously paid or forgiven, but hospital billing experts say they frequently see it happen. Patients receive bills for claims their insurers already paid. A reminder statement arrives even after a patient submitted payment. Unlike surprise bills, which often result from policy gaps when a provider is out of network, these are bills that were resolved but continue to pop up anyway. They can carry financial consequences patients wind up paying for something they dont truly owe or bills get passed on to debt collection agencies, triggering more phones calls and red tape. But often its the emotional toll that wears on patients most, spending hours on the phone with customer service each time the bill resurfaces or reliving the situations that led to the bill in the first place. For families like the Rybaks, the cost can feel never-ending. Suzanne Rybak refused to engage with the McLeod hospital again but told KHN about the new bill. In response to questions from KHN, McLeod Health determined the bill the Rybaks received was a mistake. Unfortunately our software system regenerated this statement due to a technical issue, wrote spokesperson Jumana Swindler. We are checking to ensure that it has not happened to any other patients and we are sorry this family was impacted by the error. A week after KHNs inquiry, the Rybaks received a letter from the hospital explaining and apologizing for the error. Many medical billing cases like this boil down to human error, said Michael Corbett, director of health care consulting for LBMC, a Tennessee-based firm that consults with health systems nationally on issues like billing and revenue. Facilities dont have a lack of tools [to avoid this]. Its a breakdown in their processes. A billing agent may forget to mark the account as paid, he said. Or the hospital might contract its billing to an outside company and fail to inform them that this bill was covered under the hospitals financial assistance program. As hospitals and medical practices increasingly consolidate under large health systems, the chances for errors increase. Even hospitals and clinics within the same system may have different backend software, and within each hospital there can be separate programs for billing and electronic health records, Corbett explained. Larger health systems may also have more people processing any given bill. If responsibilities are not clearly defined, multiple employees could unknowingly act on the same patient account. The covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated potential errors, Corbett said. New medical billing employees may have received quick, virtual training and are working remotely with little interaction with team members or oversight. Some billing departments are understaffed, leading to delays in patients receiving bills or follow-up notices, he added. To curb mistakes, Corbett said, hospitals need to invest in more comprehensive training and supervision for billing employees; enact consistent processes for anything from how patients financial information is collected at registration to when theyre sent bills; and, perhaps most important, track whether those processes are being followed. For patients who find themselves in a situation like the Rybak familys, Corbett advises calling the hospital billing department and asking to speak with a senior leader in its revenue cycle division. Unlike an account representative, this person could make decisions, Corbett said. At the end of the conversation, ask to get the explanation in writing, he added. Youd anticipate and hope those notes are being recorded, Corbett said, but that may not be the case. Or notes might get recorded in a section of hospital files that are excluded from a patients legal medical record, making it difficult for patients to access later. For Suzanne Rybak, the idea of calling McLeod Health to straighten out yet another bill was too much. Instead, she added the statement to a binder of paperwork, in which shes documented all her billing struggles with McLeod Health over the past two years. Still, out of sight hardly means out of mind. The binder sits in her craft room, where she remembers Jameson encouraging her as she made beach bags and other items. Hed say to use fruity colors, Suzanne recalled his way of describing tropical colors. Now she makes candles in that room, focusing on tropical fragrances she knows Jameson would have loved. I want hospitals to realize that youre not just sending this bill to an address, Suzanne said. There are people who live in that house, who are going to open that mail and have feelings. Its a disaster to bring all that up again. Despite, or maybe because, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System is in a boatload of trouble, including falsifying returns, its executives are fighting tooth and nail against the efforts of recently-appointed trustee Katie Muth to get basic records on what the fund owns, leading her to have to sue to get information that is clearly necessary for any board member to do an adequate job. Weve embedded her filing and the latest, interim ruling at the end of this post. Anyone in corporate America or investment land will recognize how batshit crazy this situation is..yet it is pervasive across public pension funds. A board member has the right to any record in the possession of the organization they oversee. And any board that is met with the sort of defiance that PennPSERS is engaging in should tell the CEO that if staff does not fall in line, they will be axed. But public pension fund boards too often give top priority to avoiding any controversy, out of fear that it will help those who want to gut or end public pension funds. The result instead is deep seated corruption and lousy returns. Lets first review the scandal at PennPSERS and then turn to Muth having to wage a pitched battle just to be able to do her job adequately. From a post last April: Frankly, its surprising that its taken this long for an investigation of a public pension fund over allegations that it lied about its returns. But its not a surprise that it took Federal investigators, as in the FBI, to saddle up, in this case against a Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System, aka PSERS. Readers regularly lament how CalPERS regularly and obviously runs roughshod over the law and board members openly violate their fiduciary duty by not even pretending to oversee staff adequately and undermining anyone who dares to do so. Thats because CalPERS has the deficient governance structure that is pervasive among US public pension funds: boards captured by staff and a dearth of other local or state supervision and enforcement. So things have to get really bad, as with CalPERS former CEO Fred Buenrostro taking bribes, to get the FBI to go after misconduct. And yes, Buenrostro is now in Federal prison. The incentives are obvious: most public pension funds base staff bonuses on investment performance. But a second, powerful motivation is that raising pension contributions to shore up pension funding is deeply unpopular. Even at CalPERS, where any increases fall on employers and not on the paychecks of beneficiaries, the giant pension fund clearly regards more realistic funding assumptions, which would mean higher employer contributions, as anathema, and so is moving slowly and reluctantly in that direction. [Clarification: The mechanism is more complicated. CalPERS sends annual contribution requirements to employers. While the employer can/does pass costs on to employees, they are also required to bump employee pay in classic CalPERS contracts. This is at risk of being rescinded in collective bargaining. The typical short-term adaptation is to cut government staffing, usually of the most junior employees]. By contrast, at PSERS, who bears the pain of shortfall is more complicated and is directly tied to the fraud allegations. We dont yet know how big the adjustment was but it pushed the returns just over the line [From the Inquirer]: The target was a return of 6.36%. In December, the board endorsed a report from the plans experts that the fund had actually grown by 6.38% just enough to spare teachers an increase The mistake, if uncaught, could have improperly spared 100,000 teachers and other employees from a hike in pension paycheck deductions, leaving taxpayers to cover more of the rising gap between the funds assets and future payments to working and retired public school staff.. The Inquirer described how three of PSERS 15 board members voted against a staff effort to say the return numbers were fine after some sort of not fully disclosed brouhaha with an outside consultant. This section comes close to saying the majority of the board chose to lie: In its December meeting, the board acknowledged investment profits had not met the systems own target, but found them just barely good enough under state law to avoid an increase in teachers deductions. WTF? This earlier section gives just a tad more color: The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System also disclosed it is investigating an error by an unnamed outside consultant as well as the response by the consultant and its own staff once the error was discovered. The error was incorporated into a report approved by a majority of PSERS board members in December after executive director Glen Grell, investment chief James Grossman, and chief financial officer Brian Carl assured board members it was accurate. Even with their assurances, three board members who raised questions about how it was calculated declined to approve the report. Back to the current post. Ive embedded both Muths original suit and the ruling after the initial skirmishes to have her suit dismissed because reasons. If you read the second filing, you will see the judge rejected all of the respondents arguments, which is unusual and suggests a certain amount of desperation in their claims. Note that two other board members filed amici briefs to separate themselves from the rest of the board, since they argued they had different interests. The judge agreed with that too. Without seeing the exhibits to Muths filing, which show the scope of Muths initial information requests, its hard to know exactly what she was after. However, the filing discusses how she was drilling into some particular real estate investments, a tiny portion of the funds holdings (my assumption is that fight for them escalated because they relate to the FBI investigation). Her argument is that she has to understand how these (presumably bad) decisions were made so she can keep them in mind when the board is considering similar investments. However, the filing stakes out a broad claim to her right to records: 48. Pennsylvania law already recognizes the rights of corporate stakeholders, in other contexts, to inspect and view full corporate records.15 Pa. C.S. 1508; see also In re Application by Nonprofit Corporate Trs. To Compel Inspection of Corporate Info., 157 A3d 944, 1001 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2017). This does not mean that staff can merely parrot to the Senator what these documents contain. She is entitled to inspect them. 49.Similarly, Senator Muth has a right to inspect the Boards records in order to fulfill her statutory duty and obligation to manage the fund for the best interest of the System employees. 24 Pa.C.S. 8521(a, e). 50.Without full access to the Boards records, Senator Muth is unable to perform her statutory obligations. 51.Board Counsel has failed to provide Senator Muth with valid legal support for its bald assertion that the investigations summarily halt the flow of all information to Board Members whose duty it is to protect the fund. Rather, Board Counsel wishes the Board Members to remain silent, wait for the final results of the investigation, and yet con tinue to vote and act as if the federal investigation does not exists. To act in blind obedience, particularly given the errors that precipitated this investigation, would be nothing short of reckless. Although the respondents deployed some real howlers (latches? unclean hands?), one of the arguments they tried, which is foisted on public pension funds all over the US, is that individual board members have no rights, only the full board (or sometimes board committees) do. This is patently ridiculous because board members are jointly and severally liable. In The Lever, Matthew Cunningham-Cook spoke to Muth, where she describes how she is also seeking broader information about the funds holdings and is being stonewalled. Muth is troubled both about the poor returns of opaque, complex, high fee investments like private equity and hedge funds, and also that PennPSERS may be funding socially destructive investments like outsourced hospital staffing firms engaging in predatory billing practices. Note that the interview indicates that Muth sought a full inventory of alternative investments, meaning investment level, not fund level. That would mean the portfolio companies currently in Apollo VIII, for instance, and not Apollo VIII. From The Lever: But Muth says that when she asked the funds investment staff for more information about its high-risk investments, she was rebuffed so in June 2021, she sued the fund for basic information about its investments. [I asked them to] give me a comprehensive list of all alternatives and traditionals, and find if we have private equity in ambulances and hospitals, Muth told The Lever. Their response was, We have over 495 portfolios it would be impossible to track whats in it. Thats BS Thats why Im suing: I dont know what the money is spent on. I have an obligation as a fiduciary to make informed decisions. This response, if Muth has it even remotely right, is damning. PennPSERS as a fiduciary must know what it is investing in. It is a complete breach of its fiduciary duty to say, Oh we invested in all this complicated stuff, dont ask us to know what we did. The only possible excuse here is that some of the holdings are too dynamic (like hedge funds with active trading strategies) for snapshots in time to mean much. But there is zero excuse for not providing a full list of all of the private equity portfolio company investments.yet former CalPERS board members JJ Jelincic and Margaret Brown confirmed that the staff would never allow such a request from a board member, and among other things would assert the full Investment Committee would have to ask, which they have been trained never to do. (Note in the second embedded document below that the respondents made a similar argument, that only the Audit/Compliance could seek the information, which the judge rejected). And speaking of Jelincic and Brown, they get a nod in The Lever story: Terry Mutchler, a prominent transparency lawyer who Muth has retained to assist with her lawsuit, said, Its a very special case. You have a board member being put into position to have to file suit to obtain records to do her job. We believe this is the first time in the nation where a sitting board member on a public fund has had to take such action. Muth is taking on real risks by waging this fight. Pension fund trustees who ask too many questions can run afoul of powerful interests just ask J.J. Jelincic and Margaret Brown, former board members who tangled with staff leadership at the California Public Employees Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the U.S. Jelincic and Brown said that they witnessed the same type of activity that Muth is challenging in Pennsylvania. In 2020, the chief investment officer for CalPERS resigned in the wake of conflict of interest allegations that centered around private equity firm Blackstone. Trustees are basically spoon-fed by staff, said Jelincic. My experience, quite frankly, is that when a trustee questions what is going on theres a coalition that says, No, you cant question staff. Were here to support them. If you ask questions you can bring ill repute on the board. Brown agreed. When you ask questions about an investment in health care or whatever the subject matter is, the rest of the board members try to shut you down, she said. I kept reminding them: You have a fiduciary duty; a duty of oversight. You are not supposed to just take what the staff tells us. One issue that works against board members engaged in uphill transparency fights isnt just the cost of legal action but the fact that judges are usually deferential to state agencies. The fact that PennSERS is presently mired in scandal and the judge has ruled decisively against the staffs initial shots back give a reason to hope that Muth might be able to turn the anti-transparency tide. (Natural News) The bulk of tens of millions of dollars that corporations and Hollywood leftists gave to Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation throughout 2020 meant to signal their great virtue in the name of justice for blacks following the death of George Floyd has been spent not on advancing that cause, but rather on expensive properties for the organizations three founders. In the spring of 2021, the three leaders of BLM at that time Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Melina Abdullah sat around a table on a luxury property to complain about how right-wing media outlets were critical of Cullors purchases of four homes at a cost of more than $3 million the previous year. For me, the hardest moments have been the right-wing-media machine just leveraging literally all its weight against me, against our movement, against BLM the organization, Cullors said, as the three discussed the one-year anniversary of Floyds death. Im some weeks out now from a lot of the noise, so I have more perspective, right? While I was in it, I was in survival mode. She was making reference to an April 2021 New York Post article revealing her purchases, which led many critics to believe the groups leaders essentially helped themselves to the millions in donations while on-the-ground activists and local BLM chapters were essentially starved for funds. A few days after the late May 2021 chat, which was posted to YouTube, Cullors resigned as head of the organization, which led to even more speculation that she was dirty. I think theyve attempted to cancel us, but they have not been successful in canceling us, Abdullah said during the chat. Theyve attempted to say and Im just gonna say it She bought some damn houses. We gonna cancel her. At that point, Garza cut in with a comment that appeared to be addressed to critics: Yall dont know shit about what it takes to live in a box here. Only, none of them actually live in boxes, as per New York Magazine: None of the women acknowledged the house behind them. Its far from a box, with more than 6,500 square feet, more than half a dozen bedrooms and bathrooms, several fireplaces, a soundstage, a pool and bungalow, and parking for more than 20 cars, according to real-estate listings. The California property was purchased for nearly $6 million in cash in October 2020 with money that had been donated to BLMGNF. The transaction has not been previously reported, and Black Lives Matters leadership had hoped to keep the houses existence a secret. Documents, emails, and other communications Ive seen about the luxury propertys purchase and day-to-day operation suggest that it has been handled in ways that blur, or cross, boundaries between the charity and private companies owned by some of its leaders. It creates the impression that money donated to the cause of racial justice has been spent in ways that benefit the leaders of Black Lives Matter personally, the report, by writer Sean Campbell, added. Internally, the property is known as the Campus, and in late March, Campbell asked the organization several questions about the property. After he posed the questions, BLM leaders put out an internal strategy memo that contained several potential responses, including Can we kill the story? and Our angle needs to be to deflate ownership of the property. The internal memo also included several bullet points: Campus is part of cultural arm of the org potentially as an influencer house, where abolition+ based content is produced by artists & creatives. One bullet is headed Accounting/990 modifications and said in part: [N]eed to first make sure its legally okay to use as we plan to use it. It also describes the property as a safehouse for leaders whose safety has allegedly been threatened. The two separate explanations that the property is both a confidential safety refuge while also being a place where content is created for the widest possible audience are in direct conflict, and the memo noted that as well: Holes in security story: Use in public YT videos. It is an abomination that these three thieves have managed to elevate themselves to a life of luxury under the false premise of justice for black people. If we had a functional Justice Dept. that wasnt politicized, its likely these three women would have already been indicted. Sources include: NYMag.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Boston University (BU) has been sued over its Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) testing policy, with the complaint alleging that the testing mandate violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Pro-health freedom group Childrens Health Defense (CHD) and attorney Robert Melzer filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court in Boston. The March 23 lawsuit, filed on behalf of theology student Caitlin Corrigan, alleged that BU suspended her after failing to accommodate her medically private disability. The university required a specific COVID-19 testing regimen without any alternatives for those unable to comply with its mandated testing method. Although this disabling condition does not affect her ability to pursue her degree at [BU], her doctors have advised her that she will likely experience significant harm if she submits to the single university-approved COVID testing regimen, the suit stated. It argued that BU violated the ADA by refusing to provide alternative COVID-19 testing methods that Corrigan and other students can avail. Furthermore, the university also refused to engage in the requisite interactive process required to reach an accommodation and otherwise failed to provide an effective, comprehensive and meaningful grievance process. The complaint quoted BUs Notice of Non-discrimination that clearly outlined a ban on discrimination against any individual on the basis of physical disability. It added that despite having direct knowledge of Corrigans disability, the university denied her any accommodations. [Corrigan] has agreed to be regularly tested, but is unwilling to sacrifice her health and well-being by submitting to the particular COVID-19 testing method mandated by the university that she believes will cause her serious and permanent physical harm. The complaint filed by CHD and Melzer on behalf of the BU student seeks to render the institutions COVID-19 testing policy void and unenforceable as a matter of law because it violates the ADA. It also seeks unspecified damages. (Related: College campuses have become fascism incubators, labs for testing extreme covid surveillance schemes.) Corrigan also helping others with obtaining religious exemptions to COVID-19 shots A Sept. 18, 2021 report by the Boston Globe elaborated on Corrigans efforts to help others obtain religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination. She had been organizing regular three-hour virtual sessions for this purpose, in response to emails asking for her assistance. There are thousands and thousands of people I have helped with religious exemptions. We are the majority and we have been silent, said the theology student. Corrigan subsequently told the Globe: I am called to do this, to support people and protect their right to bodily autonomy. People need to say no and take a stand. The September 2021 article also mentioned that Corrigan is a vocal opponent of COVID-19 testing, and has not been injected with a COVID-19 vaccine. Thus, she is subject to BUs testing mandate which she now challenges through the March 23 lawsuit. The universitys policy of an exemption-free testing protocol that provides no possibility of accommodation for students with disabilities is illegal, unconscionable and factually unsupportable. The most reasonable and readily achievable accommodation that would allow [Corrigan] to participate as a student is to simply allow another method of testing to achieve the same results as the single COVID-19 testing method mandated under university policy, her lawsuit stated. CHD President and General Counsel Mary Holland commented on the March 23 lawsuit. The trend of the past two years to force experimental health protocols on young people with little regard for their safety cant be tolerated. Children are an investment in our future, not laboratories for experimentation in a time of unprecedented and arbitrary restrictions and requirements, Holland said. Its imperative that BU be held accountable when it fails to act within established legal norms. Its ironic that the same school that Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. attended and of whom the school is rightly proud would violate the ADA with such callous disregard. MedicalTyranny.com has more articles about discrimination regarding COVID-19 testing. Watch Brighteon.TV host Dr. Lee Merritt denouncing COVID-19 testing as fraudulent below. This video is from the harrier808 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: GOOD NEWS! Loyola University students win battle against mandatory covid vaccines. Highly vaccinated Cornell University SHUTS DOWN campus due to COVID-19 surge. Indiana University students file a lawsuit over COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Duke University hit by COVID-19 outbreak despite 98% vaccination rate. Rutgers students protest mandatory vaccination rule. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org 1 ChildrensHealthDefense.org 2 [PDF] BostonGlobe.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A woman in Australias Queensland state suffered tremors and other neurological issues after getting two doses of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. However, doctors dismissed her post-vaccination reactions as the result of alcohol withdrawal. Gold Coast resident Shannon Urquhart, 52, decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine because she wanted to travel to New South Wales (NSW) to visit her family. She had been unable to see her mother since 2019, and she was unable to attend her younger brothers funeral due to not getting the shots. Little did she know that despite her healthy living regimen, the COVID-19 shot required for her to travel would change her life for the worse. She received her first dose of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine on Oct. 12, 2021 and experienced serious reactions four days later. Urquhart experienced sensory overload, numbness in her legs and full-body muscle spasms. She visited her physician for treatment, who subsequently arranged for her to receive the Pfizer vaccine for her second dose. Urquhart was injected with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 16, 2021 and the serious reactions occurred on Dec. 7. She visited the hospital for medical assistance after experiencing chest pain and tremors. Doctors were careful and diligent in treating her for her medical issues until she mentioned receiving both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the last two months. At this point, medical professionals suddenly pulled a 180 on her. She remarked: Their demeanor completely changed. They became very dismissive and rude, saying they would keep me in the hospital because I was having alcohol withdrawals. True enough, doctors wrote alcohol withdrawal on her discharge papers. Urquhart had concussions in December 2021 and last month, and has been careful with her daily activities to avoid another fall. She now suffers from chronic brain fog and slurred speech, alongside a diagnosis of cerebral small vessel disease. While doctors referred her to a neurologist, she cannot afford to pay for treatment. COVID-19 vaccines damaging Aussie women Urquhart, a self-employed health and beauty therapist by trade, joins the many individuals in Australia that have experienced serious reactions after they were injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. The mRNA vaccine from the New York-based Pfizer is one of three COVID-19 shots authorized in the Land Down Under, alongside the mRNA shot from the Massachusetts-based Moderna and the adenoviral vector vaccine from AstraZeneca. Thirty-seven-year-old Chantal Uren of the Western Australia Police Force got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine after the state of Western Australia mandated COVID-19 vaccination for workers. Uren was healthy and fit prior to getting injected, but things went haywire for her after the vaccination. She experienced a stroke and a ruptured artery. (Related: Police officer in Western Australia suffers blood clots, stroke after taking Pfizer shot.) In August [2021], my employer announced that anyone who was not vaccinated would be treated differently by having to wear masks at all times in the workplace, excluded from buildings and moved out of their positions that they have worked for into office-type roles. I felt as though I didnt really have a choice. I was worried that I would be moved out of my position which is seen as a privileged role, she wrote in an October 2021 Facebook post. I have had every test for every illness that they can test for with a negative result, and every nutrient level is perfect. So how does a healthy, fit 37-year-old have a stroke and ruptured artery to their brain only weeks after having the Pfizer vaccine? If the doctors dont think its linked, then why would they book me in with a vaccine specialist? Since experiencing the adverse reactions, Uren has not pushed through with her second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 shot. VaccinInjuryNews.com has more real-life examples of how COVID-19 vaccines do more harm than good. Watch the story of 35-year-old Bram from Western Australia who suffered cardiac inflammation after his Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose. This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Teen girl dies hours after receiving second Pfizer COVID vaccine. Healthy 19-year-old from Australia bedridden after receiving Pfizer vaccine. Australian woman, 82, dies three hours after receiving first dose of Pfizers coronavirus vaccine. Australian police officer rushed to the hospital due to BLOOD CLOTS days after receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Chantal Uren: 37-year-old Western Australia police officer suffers Bells Palsy, ruptured aneurysm, stroke two weeks after Pfizer mRNA injection. Sources include: TheCOVIDBlog.com TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The globalists are still using the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to exert control over the global population. In China, theyre doing this through dehumanizing lockdown restrictions, including separating children from their parents and forcing people to kneel while they wait to get their vaccine passports checked. This is according to InfoWars founder and host Alex Jones, who said that creating a unified world government is only the beginning for the globalists. For globalists, global government is just the beginning, said Jones. They want to carry out forced depopulation. Theyve got to get you stunned and poisoned, theyve got to get us to submit and to degrade ourselves and let our basic human rights be violated. As an example, he pointed to the now-viral video of Chinese citizens being forced to kneel in the street while Chinese authorities check their COVID-19 vaccine passports. The footage was recorded in Jinan in eastern China, a city of over nine million people. Generations of indoctrination come to this: People lining up, on their knees, waiting for Chinese storm troopers [to] scan their movement licenses-QR code vaccine passports, wrote Twitter user Songpinganq, one of the first people to publish the video on Western social media platforms. The video shows a long line of people either crouching or kneeling in the middle of the street or on the side. Several individuals in full personal protective wear are seen going through the line scanning peoples COVID-19 vaccine passports on their phones while they kneel. It makes it easier [to make you submit] if you kneel, said Jones. And so you have to wait in a stress position kneeling, in some cases for hours, until they come to you. Control programs escalating in China parents now being separated from their children Another situation Jones pointed out is how Chinas tyrannical zero-COVID strategy has failed to do as it claims and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in China. Shanghai is currently the epicenter of the current COVID-19 outbreak. This has prompted a fresh wave of lockdowns as Beijing orders the city to implement its ineffective zero-COVID strategy. (Related: Shanghai residents rush to stock up as Chinese officials place half the city under strict COVID-19 lockdown.) Reports coming out of the locked-down city include locals claiming that the authorities are separating children from their parents, even if both are forced into COVID-19 quarantine facilities. Reports coming in from Shanghai include many locals saying that authorities are forcibly separating children and babies from their parents, supposedly under the guise of keeping them safe from COVID-19. Parents who bring their children in for testing and possible treatment at one of the citys designated facilities are browbeaten into complying with authorities who want to take their children away from them and move them to official quarantine centers. If both parent and child test positive, they are refused the chance of riding out the coronavirus together in the facility. This has left many families in the dark about the state of their children. On at least one occasion, a three-month-old child who was still breastfeeding was forcibly separated from his mother. Captured images and videos of crying children being separated from their parents have gone viral on Chinese social media networks. Some were saved and copied onto Western social media platforms before Chinese censors took them down on their networks. Isnt that insane? said Jones. All of it is a giant exercise of power and control. Learn more about globalist brainwashing programs at Globalism.news. Watch this video from InfoWars as Alex Jones talks about how the globalists are still using the COVID-19 pandemic to brainwash and mind control the population. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Shanghais latest COVID lockdown has left the city in shambles: pushed to the brink of collapse. To keep its residents safe from covid, Shanghai officials are starving people to death in their homes with new citywide lockdown. Chinese propaganda showing well-stocked citizens during lockdown BACKFIRES as people complain about LACK of food. China quarantines more than 80 cities as coronavirus continues to spread and kill as school dorms turned into disease-ridden prison camps. BRUTAL: Chinese leaders to sacrifice coronavirus-infected cities to save 11 others; prepared to accept millions of fatalities. Sources include: Brighteon.com Newsweek.com InfoWars.com ZeroHedge.com (Natural News) A former executive on British television confirmed that mainstream media (MSM) outlets are prevented from questioning the official government narrative. He also denounced these outlets for being cheerleaders for the government instead of upholding the tenets of journalism. Mark Sharman, former Sky News executive and ITV producer, made these revelations during an interview on The HighWire. Citing an example from his homeland, Sharman told program host Del Bigtree that the British Office of Communications (Ofcom) is responsible for keeping television stations in line with what the government wants to hear. Bigtree played a short clip of the TV executive during his March 20 interview with talk show host Dan Wootton. [Ofcom issued] a warning actually, its like a little bulletin that basically says Do not question the official government line. To be fair, [it] said you can have opposition voices on, but you must intervene if theres any danger of harmful misinformation, Sharman said at the time. I think that warning affected all broadcasters. Most of the major [ones] followed; only one or two smaller [broadcasters] got caught. One community radio was censored for putting something out. I think its created an environment which will lead to the biggest assault on freedom of speech and democracy Ive known in my lifetime. Sharman concluded his interview with Wootton by saying: Ive never seen a warning from Ofcom like that, [and] Ive never seen broadcasters toe the line. Rather than question the government, they became cheerleaders for the government. As I said on the other clip, Ive never seen an instruction that warns broadcasters not to question government policy. But whats emerging is not really government policy, its worldwide policy, the erstwhile TV executive told Bigtree. Its not a coincidence that every country in the Western world reacted in exactly the same way. Anybody that questions the official line is taken down. (Related: The fall of the mainstream media and the biggest lies they told in 2021.) Bigtree: We lose democracy if we lose free news Bigtree said: We are under attack, [and] we have lost the free press. The news was considered the fourth branch of government and if we lose a free news system, then we will lose democracy. The news must always be free [and] unaffected by the government, so it can always challenge government with whatever challenge it wants [and] never beckons to bias or agenda. Sharman agreed with The HighWire host with regard to the free press being lost. It feels to me like free speech and democracy [is going down] with it. Were in a room [but] the walls are coming in, the ceilings coming down and the floors coming up. Youve got Big Tech on one side and [the] MSM on the other closing us out. Somebody at world level decides what the answer is, and were all prevented from that point on from asking any questions, Sharman said. Its a very, very dangerous precedent. Who are these people that are deciding whats information and whats misinformation? Who are they to dismiss eminent scientists and doctors who question the official narrative and say its misinformation? Since when did science stop? Were losing the ability to debate. Sharman pointed to the BBCs Trusted News Initiative (TNI) as an example of how the free press is no longer free as people know it. According to the TNI website, it seeks to bring together organizations across media and technology to tackle harmful disinformation in real time. Bear in mind [that] we have the BBC, which retains a reputation for truth around the world. Im sorry to say its not deserved at the moment. They employ their own disinformation reporter and they also have the TNI. When you look at that, thats in partnership with Microsoft and Facebook all the same people. They wouldnt have called it the Zuckerberg TNI, would they? Visit NewsCartels.com to read more stories about MSM outlets following the government narrative. Watch the interview between Del Bigtree and Mark Sharman about mainstream media outlets following the official government narrative below. This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Is the mainstream media beginning to turn against failed covid vaccines? Media watchdog calls to investigate mainstream media election meddling. The lying mainstream media are prestitutes on the front lines of Americas police state. Media, social media propaganda collusion to censor truth has backfired as multiple conspiracy theories have been proven true over the last few days. Sources include: Brighteon.com BBC.com (Natural News) Transparency advocate Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder of OpenTheBooks.com, said that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is trying to keep hidden from the public damning information about Tony Fauci, including his bloated salary as one of the highest and most overpaid parasites in Americas government. There is a multi-layered strategy, funded by taxpayers, to keep taxpayers in the dark about how NIH is spending taxpayer money, Andrzejewski is quoted as saying to Epoch TVs American Thought Leaders. OpenTheBooks.com discovered that Fauci received a permanent pay bump in the early 2000s as part of an alleged plan to prevent him from leaving the government. Prior to that, Fauci appears to have been creating AIDS bioweapons since infecting people with deadly diseases is apparently his specialty. On Jan. 28, 2021, OpenTheBooks.com filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to learn more about Faucis dirty history, including what he supposedly does at the government, as well as disclosure documents and other papers. In response, the NIH produced 51 pages of records but did not provide any additional documents. The NIH also failed to produce records in response to two other requests from the group for documents related to Fauci, according to a lawsuit that was filed in federal court. Theyre not complying with open records law, Andrzejewski said, adding that dozens of other groups have also filed lawsuits because of this. Andrzejewski was removed as a Forbes contributor for reporting on Fauci U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, has ordered the parties to try to work out a solution on their own. The NIH has also agreed to produce about 300 pages per month, however Andrzejewski said that virtually nothing of value is contained within any of them, in many cases because they are mostly redacted. If the NIH is allowed to redact the very information being requested, then what good is that information? The answer is that it is no good, and that is precisely what Andrzejewski aims to draw attention to with this process. Andrzejewski used to contribute to Forbes but was removed because of his reporting on Fauci, which exposed the weasel for some of his crimes against humanity. Andrzejewski wrote that he expected to see waivers for conflicts of interest, including a waiver regarding Faucis wife Christine Grady because she is the current chief bioethics official at the NIH. We shouldnt be having to engage in expensive litigation to open the books on Dr. Anthony Fauci or even to call for a nice repository of all the ethical studies from his wife, Christine Grady, Andrzejewski said, noting that all requested documents should be immediately released by the NIH. All of this should be opened up. And this has public policy implications. If the Republicans take control of the House, there is going to be endless oversight investigations of this entire COVID-19 response, with Dr. Fauci at the nexus of that hurricane. And so right now, they should get out in front of all of it and just open the books on everything, so the politicians, the pundits, the media, the people, so we can see how the sausage was made from A to Z. There is no question that Fauci is up to his ears in crime, and that is why the NIH refuses to honor these requests in accordance to the law. At some point, however, he will have to pay the piper, and may that day come soon. So what??? asked a skeptical commenter at the Epoch Times about all of this. Nothing is going to be done about it. The latest news about Fauci can be found at Corruption.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A poll that was recently released by Moscow independent pollster Levada Center found that 83 percent of Russians approve of President Vladimir Putins current actions. This represents a marked increase over the 69 percent approval rating he was given in January, and the poll also found that the ratings of several other government institutions, and the countrys governing party, have also risen. Although it is likely that polls in Russia are not a true reflection of public opinion as many people may feel compelled to provide socially acceptable answers, they are nevertheless considered a useful tool for checking the national pulse. The numbers themselves may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but the upward trend could well align with a growing positive sentiment among the Russian people. Given what most Russians are being told about what is actually going on in Ukraine, it would be understandable if they genuinely believed that things are going well. After all, according to the state-run media there, there is no war with Ukraine and Putin is simply conducting a special military operation to deal with far-right extremists in Ukraine who are working against Russian interests. Independent media in Russia has been completely silenced and the country has blocked access to Facebook and other social media platforms, as well as major foreign news outlets. This means that it is extremely difficult for those living there to find out what is really going on. Moreover, with a law enacted to punish people for spreading what they deem false information about the Ukraine invasion with as much as 15 years in jail and antiwar protesters being arrested, people are understandably hesitant to talk about the situation at all. Levada, which has been named a foreign agent in Russia, questioned more than 1600 Russians for its poll, and the margin of error is less than 3.4 percentage points. According to the companys director, Denis Volkov, many Russians have gone from feeling shocked and confused when the invasion began in late February to believing that their nation is being besieged and that they must rally around their president. He noted that some respondents said that they do not support Putin in general but believe that now they do need to support him as everyone is against their country and he is defending them. Volkov added that the mood in Russia is not unlike the one seen following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, although the overall feeling now is a lot darker. He told the New York Times: There is no euphoria, because this time the situation is much more serious and difficult. There are victims, and it is unclear when it will all end. Veteran Russian TV host Stanislav Kucher, who left Russia due to censorship, told CNN that while part of it could well be fear among respondents to express disagreement with Putin, the fact is that many Russians trust Putins propaganda machine. They have long been fed Russian propaganda, and they trust what they hear on the news and TV and take it at face value. Education and information are the only keys to changing the mindset of Russians, he added. Bidens approval ratings continue to fall In the U.S., meanwhile, where people still enjoy relatively good access to information despite Big Tech censorship, our own presidents approval ratings are moving in the opposite direction of Putins. Biden has yet to see a boost in his dismal approval ratings during Russias war in Ukraine, despite his best efforts to blame Americas economic woes on Putin rather than his own policies. An NBC News poll that was released this weekend saw Bidens approval rating drop to 40 percent, which is the lowest of his presidency, while a Marist College poll released on Thursday found Bidens approval rating dropped from 47 percent right after the State of the Union address to 39 percent. Sources for this article include: NYTimes.com Edition.CNN.com TheHill.com Hong Kong: Govt announces senior appointment The Government today announced that Deputy Government Economist Adolph Leung will take up the post of Government Economist on April 19 when Andrew Au commences his pre-retirement leave. Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said Mr Leung has profound professional knowledge in addition to proven leadership and management skills. I am confident that he will be able to lead the Office of the Government Economist (OGE) in rising to the challenges ahead, he added. On the retirement of Mr Au, the civil service chief lauded him for serving with zeal and commitment and making significant contributions to Hong Kongs development. As Government Economist, Mr Au is devoted to enhancing the professional excellence of the OGE. Under his leadership, the OGE has provided the Government with quality economic analyses and professional advice, and helped the Government tackle the economic challenges in recent years. Mr Nip wished him a fulfilling and happy retirement. Click here for their biographies. This story has been published on: 2022-04-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China urges restraint, probe of Bucha incident in Ukraine By Yang Sheng (Global Times) 14:09, April 07, 2022 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian Photo: fmprc.gov.cn China has been greatly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, especially harm on civilians, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday, noting the reports and images about the deaths of civilians in Bucha are deeply disturbing and that the truth of the incident must be thoroughly investigated. Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said relevant parties should be restrained and avoid baseless accusations before an investigation is concluded. "The humanitarian issue should not be politicized and any accusation should base on facts." China supports all initiatives and measures that could help ease the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, has already provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine and will continue to work with the international community to prevent any harm on civilians, Zhao said. The positive trend toward ceasefire that emerged after the latest Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey, such as Russia to reduce military activities around Kiev and Ukraine to consider neutral position, has been ruined by the incident, even though no independent investigation has been carried out yet, and the situation will become intense again, said Chinese analysts. Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday that "it seems like the US-led Western countries can't wait for the investigation and desperately want to add more sanctions toward Russia and pull the hard-won positive progress back to tensions and conflicts." Ukraine has accused Russian military forces of killing a large number of civilians during the occupation of the city of Bucha, located in the western suburbs of Kiev. Russia categorically denied it and presented the UN Security Council with empirical evidence of the Ukrainian side's video falsification and other fakes. On Tuesday local time, China's permanent representative to the UN Zhang Jun said at the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine that de-escalation and putting an early end to the conflict in Ukraine is the earnest expectation of the international community and the strong desire of China. Dialogue and negotiation is the only way leading to the door for peace. Zhang said that under international humanitarian law, civilians should be spared of any forms of violence in armed conflicts. Attacks against civilians are unacceptable and should not occur. "The relevant circumstances and specific causes of the incident should be verified and established. Any accusations should be based on facts. Before the full picture is clear, all sides should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations," he said. Zhang said the international humanitarian agencies should maintain neutrality and impartiality, actively mobilize and coordinate more resources, and make unremitting efforts to save lives and protect civilians. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) MBABANE Big Game Parks authorities and Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) were on high alert when 11 elephants roamed into the country yesterday. The elephants were first seen by soldiers stationed at Tikhuba in the Lubombo Region. They were spotted in the early hours of yesterday. It is believed that they are from Mozambique. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the elephants, after being monitored, seemed to be making their way back to Mozambique. She further said police were closely monitoring the elephants with the assistance of rangers from Big Game Parks. Yes, there were 11 elephants in the country that came through from Mozambique. We plead with the people where the elephants were spotted to be on high alert and keep away from the animals, said Vilakati during an interview with this publication. According to some residents around Tikhuba, the elephants were seen fumbling through forests as they journeyed. We received information around the community that there are elephants that roamed into the country. We did not actually see the animals and we believe it is because it is highly possible they went back to Mozambique, said one resident. Another resident said they only saw foot prints and managed to alert the soldiers who later called the police and a warning statement was issued. When reached for comment, Big Game Parks Sales and Marketing Manager Xolani Gama said they could not confirm if the elephants were in the country but they heard the rumours to that effect and this was before the elephants supposedly returned to Mozambique. Roamed In November and December last year, the country ran a series of articles of two elephants Gatuno and Swazi who roamed into the country after travelling all the way from Mozambique. Gatuno, one of the elephants that had wandered into the country, officially left the kingdom months later. The elephants were first seen at Mambane on November 27, 2021, they later moved to Big Bend Gamula, along Lubhuku area where they were spotted roaming around; from there, they moved to Sikhuphe. From Sikhuphe they made their way to Lubhuku and made a small turn at Mpaka, which was when they moved to Hlane and roamed around Hlane until they wandered themselves into a secure area. (Natural News) One of the unexpected side effects of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Due to the number of cases of tinnitus reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), scientists are now looking to understand the mechanism and best treatment for the symptom. Researchers believe that cross-reactivity between anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and otologic antigens can be a possibility. Anti-spike antibodies may react with antigens anywhere along the auditory pathway and fuel an inflammatory reaction. Genetic predispositions and associated conditions may also play a significant role in determining whether or not an individual may develop vaccine-induced tinnitus. (Related: AstraZeneca vaccine creator says continual Covid vaccine booster shots are UNSUSTAINABLE.) Stress and anxiety following a COVID injection may also play a role, as does any other anxiety-related adverse events following the vaccination. Vaccine-related anxiety as a potential cause of tinnitus developing after vaccination also needs to be explored. Managing vaccine-associated tinnitus also remains unclear. However, researchers say it is necessary to get a well-established diagnosis, including a well-focused and detailed history and examination, with emphasis placed on pre-existing health conditions like autoimmune diseases and otologic conditions, such as sensorineural hearing loss and psychological well-being. Patients often present with a history of one or more of the indicated disorders, but any association has not been established and requires further investigation to be concluded as potential risk factors for vaccine-induced tinnitus. Doctors looking to explain tinnitus as side effect of COVID vaccines Boston Medical Centers Dr. Sabrina Assoumou pointed out that the medical community has not yet found a link between the vaccine and tinnitus. My understanding is that the CDC has looked into this and they have not seen a cause or link between tinnitus and the vaccines. We need to continue to monitor it very closely and I am very encouraged to see that even though the person had tinnitus, he was still a very big vaccine advocate. The benefits still outweigh the risks so vaccination is definitely the way to go, she claimed. There is no known cause of tinnitus, although it is said to be often associated with acoustic trauma. When it comes to the potential side effects of vaccination, there is not enough research yet. A study analyzed reports of hearing issues from COVID-19 vaccines to raise the issue of unexpected problems. Scientists are then tasked with reviewing such reports and looking for patterns of unusual side effects. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine analyzed 555 VAERS reports of hearing loss that may be associated with any of the three COVID vaccines used in the U.S. between mid-December 2020 and mid-July 2021. However, the analysis found that hearing loss or other auditory issues were no more prevalent after vaccination than would be expected in the general population. Still, the CDC has acknowledged reports of tinnitus post-vaccination, specifically with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. In a statement, Pfizer said it takes reported adverse events very seriously although tinnitus cases have been reviewed and no causal association to the vaccine has been established yet. (Related: CHD says Pfizer and FDA dropped data bombshell on COVID vaccine consumers.) Johnson & Johnson said tinnitus was identified as an adverse event in its phase 3 clinical trials, but maintained that it was impossible to establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure. Moderna failed to respond to several requests for comment. Follow Vaccines.news for more on COVID vaccine-related injuries. Watch the video below to learn more about tinnitus and possible natural treatments. This video is from the Holistic Herbalist channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Vaccine researcher develops tinnitus 90 minutes after COVID shot, calls for more research. Pfizers covid vaccine linked to 1,291 side effects. Thailand shelled out $45 million for COVID vaccine injury claims. Judicial Watch sues government over refusal to disclose COVID vaccine side effects. VAERS data show COVID vaccine deaths SURPASS those caused by other shots. Sources include: DailyExpose.uk NBCBoston.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Brazils House of Representatives recently passed the draft law Pacoto de Veneno or Poison Package Pesticides Act, which would make the use of pesticides more flexible, despite being in violation of the rights to food and a healthy environment as enshrined in Brazils Constitution. The bill would allow the release of carcinogenic pesticides, giving greater power to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) to open an industry of temporary registrations for pesticides away from the prying eyes of health and environmental authorities. So far, Brazils Senate has not yet approved the bill and the Brazilian civil society has mobilized to keep it that way. The Poison Package moves forward in the context of record increases in the use of pesticides, some of which are extremely toxic and banned in the European Union (EU). The legislation passed the Chamber of Deputies in February by a vote of 301 to 150, with two abstentions. Already on its way to Senate, the bill eases the regulations governing the approval, use and monitoring of chemical pesticides in Brazil, which remains to be an agricultural powerhouse and the worlds biggest producer of soy. The legislation passed with the backing of Jair Bolsonaros government, which already has close ties with agribusiness and regularly clashes with environmentalists and health experts. Moreover, the bill will also overhaul the approval process for pesticides, putting it under the sole control of the Agriculture Ministry, while the Environment Ministry and health authorities will be relegated to advisory rules. However, opponents condemn the pesticides act as dangerous to the public and the environment. Opposition leader Alessandro Molon already warned that it would have irreversible consequences, adding that the administration is negligent in the matter. They are clearing the way to put poison on our plates, he said. There had been more than 1,500 new pesticides released in Brazil since the beginning of Bolsonaros administration 641 in 2021 alone. The House of Representatives disregards the dozens of public scientific institutions, technical bodies, entities representing the Public Health System and civil society organizations that have spoken out against the Poison Package in the past two years. Parallel to this development, Bolsonaro declared sanctions against Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine, which could affect Brazils import of potassium, a key ingredient in making pesticides. He reaffirmed his call to pass the bill instead, which could allow the exploitation of mineral and water resources on indigenous lands. (Related: Brazil plans to reduce dependence on Russian fertilizer by 2050, but what are people supposed to eat for the next 30 years?) EU double standards on pesticide use Meanwhile, the EU has shown double standards on the use of pesticides. It prohibits some of them within its borders, but exports them to other countries. For instance, in 2018 and 2019, the EU exported some 7,000 tons of deadly pesticides that they banned in their areas of Mercosur (Southern Common Market) countries. These dangerous substances, however, make it back to the EU in food imports. The EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement in its current form would expand both the cultivation of crops reliant on pesticide use and the trade-in pesticide products, locking in a commercial cycle of dependency. In 2020, a United Nations report stated that the overuse of pesticides is resulting in grave impacts on human rights in Brazil. Victims rightly allege deaths, health problems, as well as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment resulting from pesticide exposure. (Related: Brazilians poisoned to death as 70 percent of crops are treated with pesticides banned in other nations.) The EU member states, as well as the European Parliament, are to ratify the agreement, but it is unlikely that they can do so before Brazils general election in October. Following the Brazilian Representatives approval of the law, however, European Commission officials have declared to Brazilian media that the Poison Package will not facilitate their work to convince European leaders to accept the Mercosur agreement. Follow Pesticides.news for more information regarding the dangers of using pesticides. Watch the video below to know more about how pesticides are harming the world. This video is from the Signposts channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Brazils palm oil industry brings pollution to indigenous communities in the Amazon. America continues to use 100 herbicides and pesticides that are BANNED in other countries. Bee massacre: Pesticide use decimates Brazilian bee population. Top 5 additives and drugs BANNED from the food supply in Europe and Russia, but approved by the FDA for Americans to eat. EPA approves use of toxic pesticide previously banned for use on citrus. Sources include: GlobalResearch.ca Barrons.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Once again, another Democrat leader of a major American city is preparing to abuse taxpayers with a multimillion-dollar handout. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is preparing to spend more than $12 million of taxpayer funds on a scheme to offset spiking gas prices rather than seek a longer-lasting, fairer solution like lowering the citys gas tax. Specifically, the plan is to hand out 50,000 gas cards that are only worth $150, with the recipients being decided by a citywide lottery. Also, another 100,000 transit cards worth just $50 apiece are going to be given to some residents so they dont have to drive. All in all, its the same kind of lame solution Democrats always offer: Too little to do much good, though overall, an expensive alternative. In short, a lot of money will be spent with little net positive effect kind of like Joe Biden ordering the release of 1 million barrels of oil from the countrys strategic reserve each day for several days. Given the amount of oil our country consumes daily, 1 million barrels is nothing; but it will reduce our strategic reserves foolishly, which is not good. Whats more, its an unfair solution: Only certain Chicagoans will qualify, according to American Greatness: Both cards will primarily be given to low-income residents, who can start applying for them on April 27th. Applicants must be residents of the city of Chicago, at least 18 years old, must have a valid sticker on their vehicles, and must have a household income either at or below 140 percent of the citys area median income. People have to be able to get to work, school, places of worship, medical offices, grocery stores, said Lightfoot at a press conference. The goal of this program is to help make those moves easier. I know from talking to many residents that they are feeling the strain, she added. Theres no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And many are unable to fill their tanks as much as they normally would because their dollars just dont stretch that far. So, my administrations been working through a variety of options to see how we can provide the greatest relief to as many residents as we can. Another Democratic leader is proposing the very same solution, at the taxpayers expense but at least his proposal is fair. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed handing out $800 for residents to spend on gas (again, instead of a longer-term solution like lowering the nations highest gas tax) which would go to all drivers in the state, regardless of income or status. Meanwhile, it is due to Democrat energy policies that the price of oil, gas and diesel fuel have all risen so much in the first place. No sooner than Joe Biden sat down behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, he signed into policy several measures that set in motion todays price hikes: He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, a more than decade-long project delayed by courts and the Obama regime but approved by President Donald Trump that would have served our Canadian ally well and provided Americans with additional energy security and independence; Biden canceled all new oil leases on federal lands; He also ended drilling projects off Alaskas coast, where oil and gas deposits are plentiful; He has made it clear that his focus is on risky, expensive, and still lagging green energy alternatives, despite the fact that the vast majority of materials needed to manufacture things like solar panels and lithium batteries currently come from our biggest competitor and future enemy: China. Our country is weaker when were are dependent on other nations any other nation, friendly or unfriendly for our energy needs. Being dependent leads to goofy, ineffective but very expensive handouts of taxpayer money by the same Democrats who agree with Bidens America last energy policies. Sources include: AmGreatness.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A major cold snap has struck Europe at a time when spring crops are just getting into the ground, which is amplifying an already fragile food and supply chain situation. According to reports, a historically intense, record-setting arctic blast sent temperatures plummeting down 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (11 to 18 degrees Celsius) below normal, shocking crops and threatening to create future food shortages. Prior to the arctic blast, Europe saw warmer-than-normal temperatures that caused a rapid greening of flora, particularly in Frances lush agricultural regions. Its still difficult to evaluate the [damage] caused by the frost, but orchards (stone fruits such as plum trees, apricot, cherry) and vineyards have been impacted, said Jean-Marc Touzard, director of research at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE). These false springs, as some are calling them, have many climate scientists concerned. Warmer-than-normal late winters and early springs followed by early-spring arctic blasts are devastating for vegetation. The youngest and most vulnerable plants often get wiped out in such conditions. Meteo-France, the countrys official weather forecasting agency, tweeted that France just had its coldest April morning on record, with the earliest records dating back to 1947. National minimum temperatures on that day reached just 29.3 degrees F (minus-1.5 C). In the mountain regions, temperatures dropped to as cold as minus-6.7 degrees F (minus-21.5 C), which is also an April record for the country. Germany and Spain also saw record cold weather from arctic blast Since at least 1930, added French meteorologist Guillaume Sechet in a tweet, April 1 to 3 of 2022 were the coldest first three days of April in France. This is believed by some to be part of a Grand Solar Minimum cycle for the planet. Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist who tracks international weather extremes, also tweeted that freezing temperatures breaching national records were also recorded in both Germany and Spain. European Cold Spell: More heavy frosts also in Germany with few more long term stations which broke their April records of low temperatures: -8.8C Memmingen -8.1C Augsburg -5.9C Wutoschingen-Ofteringen -5.6C Emmendingen-Mundingen, he wrote. In Spain April record cold at Segovia with -5.6C. Austria likewise experienced heavy frosts after major snowfall from the arctic blast, including in the capital city of Vienna. April monthly records were broken in Reichenau with -10.1C (POR since 1972) and at Freistadt (POR 1936-), Herrera further reported. All the way from Portugal to western Russia pretty much the entirety of Europe unseasonably cold conditions were reported, with the worst of it hitting between Spain and Germany. France is said to have been hit the hardest. (Related: Remember in early 2021 when Texas was hit by a massive arctic blast that left millions of people without power?) The warm weather conditions that were present prior to the recent arctic blast over Europe made plants and food crops especially vulnerable to frost. In Germany, for instance, there were nearly 20 more frost-free days than normal recorded throughout the country. Frost tolerance is rather weak, making crops susceptible to freezing temperatures, reads the monthly crop monitoring bulletin from the European Commission. In France up until the arctic blast hit, winter weather conditions were around 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) higher than normal from February through mid-March. Then the cold hit and shocked everything. This could result in a national agriculture devastation similar to the ones that occurred in both 1991 and 2021, warns Serge Zaka, an expert in climate and agriculture in France. Its the second straight year that a harsh cold spell has arrived after an unusually early spring bloom, reports Strange Sounds about the situation in Europe. More related news coverage about the climate can be found at Climate.news. Sources for this article include: StrangeSounds.org NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Commissioner Carl Bentzel is calling for a policy debate on the long-term effects of Americas complete reliance on Chinese container manufacturing. [The] Chinese container manufacturing industry clearly took steps together to suppress the market prior to the pandemic. Those efforts resulted, partly, in the congestion issues and increases in containerized prices, and magnified the issues created by congestion down the line. So they used their market power to control the market. The question is, can they use their level of control adversely in other areas? Bentzel told FreightWaves. On March 30, Bentzel issued a report showing the results of a yearlong probe into Chinas monopoly over ocean container production. Bentzel announced to attendees during a virtual business meeting hosted by the Intermodal Association of North America in May last year that he was looking into the availability of containers, intermodal chassis and railroad equipment, and whether the U.S. has become dependent on such equipment owned and managed by China. Chinese companies dominate global container manufacturing market The report described the current status of the container manufacturing market, in which three major state-run Chinese companies and a few smaller ones, control the vast majority of the global market. The fact that the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] controls an industry that has a near de facto worldwide monopoly in the production of shipping containers should be deeply concerning, the report said. It found that the three largest Chinese manufacturers control over 86 percent of the worlds supply of intermodal chassis, and those same companies manufacture over 95 percent of containers in the worlds market, including U.S. domestic train and truck intermodal containers. When demand for ocean containers increased, the report said, Chinese-based intermodal equipment manufacturers were notably slow in ramping up production raising the question of whether this was part of a deliberate strategy to manipulate prices. The Department of Commerce has determined that Chinese container and chassis manufacturers are state-owned and controlled and are the recipients of large government subsidies. The report also mentioned that Chinese container manufacturers considerably increased production in 2021, but pointed out that the price of containers is an indication of ongoing scarcity, in part attributable to the slowdown in production in 2019-20, and in part attributable to congestion. (Related: Massive congestion in Chinese ports indicate global supply chain disruptions will continue.) The latest container price is now $3,500 per cost equivalent unit (CEU), which is considerably higher compared to the $1,800/CEU in early 2020 and $2,500/CEU in late 2020. According to the report, the price has remained roughly steady at $3,500 for the past three months. CEU is a measure of the value of a container as a multiple of a 20-foot dry cargo unit. Through the Foreign Shipping Practices Act (FSPA), which was passed into law in 1988, the FMC has expansive authority to take actions against the activities of foreign governments, foreign carriers and foreign maritime service providers for restrictive trade practices that adversely affect U.S. carriers in foreign trade. But Bentzel doesnt want to take rash actions. The report doesnt make recommendations on whether the FMC should conduct an assessment under the FSPA because I dont feel comfortable making it at this point. There would have to be political will beyond a report issued by one FMC commissioner. But we do put out there the threat of potential market manipulation, Bentzel said. Bentzels report also mentioned the growing container and intermodal chassis manufacturing in the U.S, citing efforts by corporations like Global Secure Shipping to market a new smart container produced utilizing composite shipping materials with technology made through research by the University of Maine and Georgia Institute of Technology. Watch the video below about the Chinese Trojan Horse shipping containers. This video is from the AmericasConsequences channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: West Coast ports log jammed with about 60 container ships still waiting to dock; supply lines continue to suffer disruptions. Shipping costs to the US surge as supply chain crisis continues to accelerate. Shanghai covid lockdown to exacerbate supply chain crisis, making shipping containers nearly impossible to source. Sources include: FreightWaves.com 1 FreightWaves.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) Recently released Pfizer documents show that its Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine can cause systemic damage to the body. This is likely the reason why the pharma giant, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), previously asked a judge to keep the data from the public for as long as possible around 55 years, to be more precise. In the April 1 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show, the host talked about the Pfizer document dump. With over 55,000 pages of data to be dumped in April, a team has been assembled to go through parts of the massive document. Pfizer obviously doesnt want the public to know just how dangerous the COVID-19 vaccine is, and that the company has committed fraud by saying it is safe and effective. Unfortunately, also involved in the scheme are the government, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several media companies. (Related: FDA should need only 12 weeks to release Pfizer data, not 75 years, plaintiff calculates.) Pfizer and Moderna know from their studies how dangerous the vaccines are, and if independent researchers will ever prove fraud, they will lose their liability protection and people will be allowed to sue them. When the FDA granted Pfizer the full approval for their vaccine in 2021, there are already known side effects. But there is no way to sue the drug manufacturer for vaccine injury. If it could be proven that Pfizers data shows increased all-cause mortality and that the company hid this to encourage people to take the vaccine, then there is an existence of fraud, said former Blackrock executive and investment adviser Edward Dowd. All the protections Big Pharma is enjoying at the moment will be gone. This is why Pfizer wants to keep its documents away from the publics eye for as long as possible. If you didnt do anything wrong, you wouldnt care if people looked at your stuff, that you know is supposed to be public record in the first place, Armstrong said. Armstrong also showed an interview with Dr. Naomi Wolf, whose team found how dangerous the COVID vaccines are. Wolf indicated that authorities are using these vaccines to experiment on people and use them as lab rats. She said these are not vaccines at all. According to Wolf, the mRNA injections made by Pfizer and Moderna manipulate genes making them a form of gene therapy rather than a vaccine. Pfizers efforts to conceal data indicate fraud in itself Meanwhile, Dowd considers Pfizers attempt to conceal data that shows the actual risks of its COVID-19 vaccine as an obvious evidence of fraud. He pointed out the Herculean efforts of Pfizer in withholding its data despite legal challenges to release it. Many reports have also shown that there had been more deaths in the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated. FDAs backing of Pfizer in its initial refusal to release the data is an attempt to conceal vaccine deaths, Dowd said. Pfizer got blanket immunity with EUA [emergency use authorization]. If there is fraud and it comes out, fraud eviscerates all contracts thats case law, Dowd noted. (Related: Whistleblower: Pfizer FORGED signatures of trial participants, falsified and fabricated trial data.) Another whistleblower, Dr. Jessica Rose, also obtained information from the Pfizer document dump, which shows that toxic fats have been used in the vaccine and are causing problems in people. These toxic fats apparently go to the organs. Follow Vaccines.news for more news about Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine documents. Watch the April 1 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show to know more about Pfizer documents showing that the companys COVID-19 vaccine can cause system damage to the body. This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Court REJECTS FDA request to hide Pfizer data for 75 years. Childrens Health Defense to sue FDA over fraudulent Pfizer covid vaccine approval. Former Pfizer employee flags FDA study, warns that Pfizer vaccine increases COVID by over 300%. COVID vaccine injury reports jump by 27,000 in one week, FDA pulls bait and switch with Pfizer vaccine approval. Whistleblower: Pfizer vaccine trial data was falsified, participants who experienced adverse effects were ignored. Sources include: FiercePharma.com Brighteon.com TheDesertReview.com (Natural News) Law enforcement personnel in Shanghai have assaulted many of the citys residents to enforce compliance with Beijings ineffective zero-COVID strategy. As of April 7, Shanghai reported 17,077 new cases of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the citys total since March to over 90,000 cases. This outbreak has turned Shanghai into the epicenter of Chinas latest wave of COVID-19 infections. In response, the communist authorities in Beijing implemented its ineffective zero-COVID strategy by locking down the entire city and ushering in more than 10,000 health workers from all over the country, including 2,000 military medics, to assist in the anti-COVID-19 efforts. These health workers, along with the citys own healthcare workers, local police, other municipal employees and volunteers have been made responsible for mass testing, contact tracing and enforcement of the citys extreme lockdown regulations. These stringent restrictions have drawn the ire of the citys 26 million residents, who are chafing at the lack of freedoms available to them and the lack of available essential supplies such as food. (Related: To keep its residents safe from covid, Shanghai officials are starving people to death in their homes with new citywide lockdown.) In one video that has since gone viral, at least eight officials wearing full-body personal protective gear at least six of them are said to be police officers were recorded repeatedly punching and kicking a young resident from the western Shanghai district of Songjiang. The victim can be seen covering his head with his arms to protect himself, and later attempting to run from the officers before being chased down and assaulted again. The young individual is said to have violated Shanghais extreme COVID-19 lockdown regulations, but it is not entirely clear which one and how many of those laws he violated. The pandemic prevention is the top priority [in Shanghai], everything else is less important, said an unidentified officer with a local police station who spoke with the Epoch Times. Whats the point of reporting the negative side of such an issue? The officer refused to confirm or deny the incident, and added that any inquiries regarding the assault should be made directly to the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, the citys main law enforcement body. These incidents are happening all over the city. In another video taken in a different part of Songjiang District, one city worker in white protective gear can be seen pushing a city resident to the ground and then stomping on his head and repeatedly kicking him in the back. Another video from an unknown part of Shanghai shows a law enforcement officer in protective gear forcibly dragging a woman by the arms out of her apartment because she refused to submit to a mandatory COVID-19 test. Chinese officials tell Shanghai residents: Control your thirst for freedom As part of the citys enforcement strategy, officials in Shanghai have resorted to employing drones with loudspeakers to broadcast messages reminding residents to abide by the rules and not protest the lockdown. In one video posted on the Chinese microblogging social media platform Weibo, a law enforcement drone can be seen flying over residential buildings after many residents went to their balconies to sing in protest over the lack of supplies available to them during lockdown. The drone, with a female voice, could be heard telling the protesters: Please comply with COVID restrictions. Control your souls thirst for freedom. Do not open your windows and sing. As seen on Weibo: Shanghai residents go to their balconies to sing & protest lack of supplies. A drone appears: Please comply w covid restrictions. Control your souls desire for freedom. Do not open the window or sing. https://t.co/0ZTc8fznaV pic.twitter.com/pAnEGOlBIh Alice Su (@aliceysu) April 6, 2022 Other videos coming out of Shanghai show robot dogs with loudspeakers strapped to their backs patrolling the streets and broadcasting similar messages to get residents to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Shanghais lockdown began on March 28, and it was supposed to end around a week later. Given the rising COVID-19 cases it is clear that the lockdown has not prevented the spread of the virus. Given Beijings reluctance to admit fault or even to change how it deals with coronavirus, it is likely that Shanghais residents will continue to suffer the effects of the tyrannical lockdown for a while longer. Learn more about how China is responding to the new COVID outbreak at Pandemic.news. Watch this clip from Shanghai proving that dozens, possibly hundreds, of Chinese law enforcement agents are roaming the citys streets with their guns to enforce compliance with COVID-19 protocols. This video is from the Chinese Taking Down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com More related stories: Shanghai defends policy of taking COVID-positive children away from their parents. Shanghais latest COVID lockdown has left the city in shambles: pushed to the brink of collapse. Chinese propaganda showing well-stocked citizens during lockdown BACKFIRES as people complain about LACK of food. Shanghai residents rush to stock up as Chinese officials place half the city under strict COVID-19 lockdown. Shanghai covid lockdown to exacerbate supply chain crisis, making shipping containers nearly impossible to source. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Newsweek.com ValiantNews.com Brighteon.com Pelophylax lessonae, the northern pool frog, is one of the most endangered amphibians. The species' value to Britain was first realized in 1995 after going extinct in the UK. Thanks to a reintroduction campaign, the population is currently prospering once more. Bringing the Frogs Back With the only known populations in Estonia and Sweden, bringing frogs from Sweden to re-establish a colony required special approval. These have reproduced so well that stock from the original location is being utilized to start new breeding populations. Last year, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust produced tadpoles in special tanks and released 542 into ponds at Thompson Common in Norfolk, with the highest success. Natural ponds were cleaned of surplus vegetation to build the ideal environment, and as a consequence, additional species prospered. The pool frog, unlike the ordinary frog, Rana temporaria, which has already placed its eggs, waits until the water heats up in May and June to lay its eggs. The spawn is placed in smaller clumps, and the males make a lot of noise with specific pouches on either side of the neck. The frogs, with a characteristic stripe down their backs, resume sunbathing in the summer heat after reproducing. Also Read: Australia Declared At Least 130 Species to be In Need of International Protection Essential in Conservation Bringing back native species, from beavers to butterflies and everything in between is essential for re-establishing natural processes and repairing ecosystems. Following its extinction 400 years ago, there are presently around 1,000 beavers living wild in Britain's rivers and streams. They were legally brought to Knapdale, Argyll, and unofficially to Perthshire and Devon, where they now have legal status and thriving populations. More people are being allowed to return to enormous enclosed enclosures across England, and the number is rising. It's a beautiful narrative of species reintroduction that continues to enthrall the public. Reintroductions In general, reintroductions thrill and inspire. They're a component of the rewilding tale that everyone wants to know more about, especially now that we're talking about reintroducing extinct predators. Restoring natural processes and helping ecosystems operate requires the return of species. Over the decades and centuries, many species have vanished from Britain. Many keystone species, such as the wolf, wild boar, beaver, lynx, bear, and white-tailed eagle, were driven to extinction (see Keystone species and trophic cascades). Many more species of fauna and flora (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) have been eradicated or drastically reduced in abundance on these islands and seas. In England alone, an estimated 413 species of flora and wildlife have gone extinct in the last 200 years, with the majority occurring in the previous century. Proxy Species Introducing animals as proxies for lost herbivores, such as native cattle, ponies, and pigs, is extremely simple - no specific reintroduction licenses are necessary. When their environment is restored, some creatures will return on their own. Removing grazing pressure from forests to let them recover, or restoring a wetland, may reintroduce many insects, birds, butterflies, and animals. The Iberian lynx is steadily re-establishing its habitat and prey base (primarily rabbits) in Portugal. Related Article: Tequila Fish Reintroduction Shows Glimmer of Hope to Conservation For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Uranium, a lethal chemical element present during the infamous Chernobyl disaster of 1986 in Soviet Ukraine, is also detected in the US community water systems (CWS) based on monitoring records of metal concentrations and patterns of inequalities across the country. US Community Water Systems In a new study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers from the Columbia University-Mailman School of Public Health in New York City discovered that the metal concentrations were significantly high in CWS serving semi-urban, Hispanic communities across the US. Uranium was detected in two-thirds of 66% of the CWS in these communities. This is crucial as approximately 90% of US residents are reportedly relying on public drinking water systems, as per Phys.org. Other than uranium, the researchers detected that the communities had the highest concentrations of arsenic, barium, chromium, and selenium on CWS. The discovery reportedly highlights environmental justice and socio-economic concerns. Also Read: Radioactive Material and Pesticides Detected on US Tap Water Linked to Diseases Health Risks The mentioned concentrations found on CWS pose life-threatening risks since these chemical elements are considered dangerous, notably causing a myriad of health risks, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, physical problems, and even death. Inhabitants of the affected communities may acquire these chemicals through potable drinking water, as the liquid travels through metal pipes and may absorb the hazardous compounds. Even consumption of moderate amounts can be lethal. Uranium Uranium is the main contaminant and toxic compound stored in a nuclear reactor that caught fire and exploded at the Chernobyl power plant more than three decades ago. The immediate explosion killed 31 people, and additional 28 others died in the succeeding weeks due to radiation from the uranium. The BBC cited a report by the United Nations (UN) in 2005 that a further 4,000 people may eventually die due to the radiation exposure to the Chernobyl accident. Although the uranium detected in Columbia University's study is confined in a different setting compared to the Chernobyl incident, drinking or inhaling the large concentrations of the said compound can cause lung cancer, bone cancer, and liver cancer, as well as damage to the kidney. Other Chemical Elements According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), when humans eat or drink large substances of barium compounds dissolved in water or in the stomach, it can lead to alterations in heart rhythm or even paralysis. Although barium is naturally found in food and drinking water, it does not mix well with water. As a result, there are only a few amounts of the chemical compound in water, as per ATSDR. Meanwhile, arsenic compounds are poisonous to humans. This can be found not only in CWS but also in different industrial settings since it has been used in commercial manufacturing for agricultural, pharmaceutical, and other industries. Previous studies have shown that a simple inhalation of the chromium compound can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer among humans. On the other hand, chromium can lead to lung tumors among animals, as per the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lastly, selenium can lead to organ failure and death when a person extremely large amounts of high doses. Other effects of the compound on humans include loss of hair, headache, rash, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and stomach discomfort. Related Article: Several US Regions' Found With Arsenic-Poisoned Drinking Water An octopus is seen hiding underwater in Matemwe, Zanzibar, on January 10, 2022. - Zanzibar's clear waters and lively reefs attract scuba diving tourists from all over the world. (Photo : Photo by SUMY SADURNI/AFP via Getty Images) A newly planned fish farming octopus' facility in the Canary Archipelago will produce 3,000 metric tons of octopus average a year, implying 275,000 unique octopuses might be sacrificed. Building Octopus Communities in a Hidden World According to LiveScience, a Research which focuses on wildlife thoughts and integrity, conjures up images of Octopolis and Octlantis, two populations of untamed octopuses in Australia's Jervis Harbour. In Octopolis, innumerable octopuses share - as well as struggle around - just several square meters of ocean floor. In these gloppy neighborhoods, octopuses form supremacy power structures, and they've launched an innovative appropriate habit: male octopuses struggle over territorial waters and, presumably, females by flinging particles at each other and cage fighting. The plan to establish an octopus homestead is a suggestion to forge a new octopus' civilization, since when social creatures were together, they cannot avoid but build community. The suggestion to gather healthy animals into such an octopus sprawling metropolis might expand octopus heritage above and beyond anything seen in disposition or confinement, as posted in The Conversation. It is also a proposition to construct a special type of octopus: the cultural tendencies combined with the quiescent state will generate a unique climate segment which might influence successive progression. Male octopuses engage in a variety of oppositional tendencies in their battles for authority, which include flinging scallop casings to guard their dungeon and the mantle up view, which renders an octopus appear like a threatening mutant. Researchers also acquainted agricultural livestock, such as Angus cows as well as Chocktaw hogs, were bred in captivity and are completely distinctive from the living creatures from which they progressed. While BBC News also claimed that the concept of wildlife civilization motivated much future Japanese primatology, but way of life did not generate considerable prominence in North America and Europe till the 1999, when one paper about cultural context in chimps was printed. What Octopolis implies can transpire in the environment is also being witnessed in confined octopuses: octopuses will create leadership structures when residing in an extremely packed captivity setting. If an octopus homestead is established and then deserted, thousands of cultivated culture octopuses might be put back into the water and anticipated to thrive. From then on, indication of culture - group-typical activities that are collectively learnt - was being discovered throughout the wildlife species, notably fishes, fowl, as well as invertebrates. Also read: Experts Struggle to Identify Bloated Alien-Like Creature Washed Up on Australian Beach The Creation of Octopolis Civilization Researchers learnt through the numerous costly initiatives to rehabilitate Keiko, the deadly whale from the Free Willy series, that effective repatriation of confined exotic creatures into the environment is difficult. It really would produce thousands and thousands of Keikos, which are aquacultural creatures acquired from the animal world and kept in confinement. Experts are only now discovering that octopuses have emotions and culture, and we are beginning to reconsider current intensive animal farming practices. Building an octopus homestead is a pledge to create a novel type of animal that is dependent on mankind for survival. Octopuses are intelligent as they are complex creatures who experience discomfort. The revelation of octopus societies surprised scientific community, according to Nature, who had previously identified octopuses as quiet contemplation living creatures that interacted with others in various aspects: scavenging, ignoring getting chased, and mate selection. What is occurring on in Octopolis and Octlantis is appropriately referred to as octopus' civilization. The writers of the study deduce that neither of these approaches of killings are empathetic, and they advise against octopus' cultivation. Humanlike creatures used for meals are shielded by environmental protection laws and are killed in aspects that are designed to limit their suffering. Kinji Imanishi, a Japanese primatologist, was one of the early advocates of animal civilizations, observing in the 1950s that a colony of Japanese macaques on Koshima Island regularly rinse fresh vegetables in freshwater prior consuming them. Related article: Increasing Number of Octopuses are Using Trash in the Ocean for Shelter TIMBUTINI Sifiso Simelane suffered damages estimated to be around E1.3 million when his house and Audi A3 sedan were petrol- bombed by unknown arsonists on Tuesday evening. Simelane is the Eswatini Beverages Risk Manager, who recently testified in the ongoing trial of incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs), Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea Constituency and Mthandeni Dube, who was elected at Ngwempisi Inkhundla. His homestead is located at Vulamehlo, Timbutini under Mafutseni Constituency. This is a community which is located about 21 kilometres in the south-eastern part of Manzini. It is worth noting that in his testimony, among other things, Simelane reportedly informed the court that he did not see anyone being shot. He reportedly admitted that he had heard gunshots being fired when the crowd was being dispersed. However, he submitted that he did not see anyone get injured or killed. It is said following his testimony in court, the risk manager supposedly received a call from a private number on March 23, 2022. The call, according to impeccable sources, alluded to his submissions in court and was followed by threats. He was said to have reported the threats at the Matsapha Police Station. It was further gathered that on Tuesday, the day when his homestead was set alight by the unknown arsonists, Simelane purportedly received a phone call, through which he was informed that there were clients seeking his assistance at his homestead, particularly people who wanted to consult him. It is worth noting that the risk manager is also a traditional healer. When he received the phone call about the supposed clients, he was at work and he allegedly made a promise to come and attend to them. However, along the way, he is said to have made a stop at a shopping complex to greet some of his friends, whom he supposedly informed that he was rushing to attend some clients who were waiting for him at his home. It was claimed that thereafter, Simelane relaxed with his friends. The sources further purported that when his acquaintances enquired if he still recalled that there were people waiting for him and in response; Simelane told them that the clients would wait if they really needed his assistance. Meanwhile, it has been gathered that the people who purportedly presented themselves as clients at his homestead were two males. Arsonists It was gathered that given the delay in the arrival of the risk manager, the pair was joined by another two, who came from the northern part of the homestead. In essence, this means that the suspected arsonists formed a quartet and are said to have been together at the homestead at about 6pm. On the other hand, the northern part of the homestead is in close proximity to a river wherein a fence was cut so that the last pair could gain entry into Simelanes compound. Upon arrival, it was gathered that they reportedly ordered Simelanes son, a relative who had come to plait her hair, and his wife, out of the house. This was reportedly after the quartet had asked for the whereabouts of Simelane and alluded to him being a witness in the MPs case. Subsequently, the quartet is said to have ushered the family members into a rondavel, where they locked them in before returning to his three-bedroom house. It was gathered that before dousing the house with petrol and throwing a petrol bomb, the arsonists took two guns belonging to the Eswatini Beverages risk manager. The house, which consisted of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen, was reduced to rubble as all items could not be saved. The roofing of the house, which was tiles, caved inwards while the aluminium window frames melted. Also, the window panes were said to have busted due to the licking flames. This resulted in the upper parts of the wall around the house being covered in soot. Furthermore, the unknown arsonists also petrol-bombed his hatchback sedan, an Audi A3. The car was near a water container, which partially melted during the arson attack. Worth noting is that an indumba (consultation room), indlu yakagogo (grandmothers hut) and an under construction rondavel, were spared. The sources said neighbours, who heard the explosions and also saw the smoke and flames of the fire, raised the alarm. This resulted in the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services (ENFES) personnel and the police being called to the scene. Responded It was gathered that considering the distance of the gravel road, which is about 5 kilometres, the emergency personnel responded promptly to the call, but could not save the items which were inside the house and the vehicle. In fact, they said despite their prompt response, the car and all items inside the house had been reduced to rubble when the police and fire fighters arrived. Given that the efforts to extinguish the fire lasted until late into the night on Tuesday, about 20 police officers returned to the scene yesterday. The officers were from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Serious Crimes Unit (Lukhozi), Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU), Scenes of Crime Department and those from the K-9 Department, who brought a sniffer dog. The police officers prepared for their investigations from as early as 7am and were at the scene until just after 12pm. The team partitioned itself into two as some officers followed the sniffer dog which from the house led the officers where the fence was cut. The team was said to have been led by the sniffer dog across the Mzimpofu River, up until they reached the road where it is suspected the arsonists boarded their vehicle and fled the scene. While at the forest, which is adjacent to the river and across the homestead, the sniffer dog reportedly led the officers to exhibits that had been burnt by the arsonists. Meanwhile, the other team was left within the compound and it comprised of the Scenes of Crime Department. The officers from this department with those from OSSU and some CIDs, searched for evidence within the homestead. MBABANE Its yet another blow for consumers as the price of fuel will hike again. Government has announced that the price of fuel will hike by up to E1, with effect from today midnight. The previous hike was a month ago. According to Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, Dorcas Dlamini, the price of petrol will increase by 50 cents per litre, while diesel and paraffin prices will increase by E1 per litre. The main reason for the fuel price increases is due to the crude oil price increase, which reached an average of US$118.82 per barrel in March, 2022, from an average of US$92.82 in the month of February, 2022 as a result of the disruption in the oil supply caused mainly by the recent Russian and Ukraine conflict thus putting pressure on the international fuel product prices. Improvement The Lilangeni/Dollar exchange rate remained high at an average of E15.07, showing slight improvement from an average of E15.25 realised in the month of February 2021,she said. She mentioned that the international oil market situation of very high crude oil prices necessitated higher fuel increases locally, of E2.20 per litre for petrol, E3.50 for diesel and E3.50 for paraffin, however, the government provided funds amounting to E80 million to cushion the fuel price increases. This allowed for these marginal increases hence reducing the impact to the consumer and protecting the economy in the process. The ministry encourages the public to use fuel efficiently as the international oil markets and the Lilangeni / Dollar exchange rate remain volatile, she said. In an interview with the Chairman of the Consumer Association of Eswatini, Bongani Mdluli, he stated that although they appreciated the effort by government to caution the prices, it was a pity that while the prices hiked, salaries did not. He said this would result in an unfortunate situation, which included retrenchments. This will be a black Thursday for consumers. We appreciate the efforts made by government to caution the prices but we are also worried about the consumers, as while fuel and other basic commodities increase in pricing, their salaries are still at a standstill, he said. Worth noting is that on Tuesday, South Africa also announced a fuel price hike. According to reports by SABC news, the South African Government intervened through reducing general fuel levy, which according to them provided much-needed relief for motorists, with another fuel price increase looming. SA Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary emergency intervention to reduce the general fuel levy by R1.50 per litre, to cushion the blow on cash-strapped consumers. Without this intervention, the price of petrol and diesel would go up by close to R2 and R3 respectively. An economist, who spoke on condition of anonymity said consumers should use money sparingly during these uncertain times. Things are not looking good at all. We are likely to see a hike in prices for many commodities which will be caused by the increase in fuel prices, the economist said. Picking just 10 Linux open source security tools isnt easy, especially when network professionals and security experts have dozens if not several hundred tools available to them. There are different sets of tools for just about every tasknetwork tunneling, sniffing, scanning, mapping. And for every environmentWi-Fi networks, Web applications, database servers. We consulted a group of experts (Vincent Danen, vice president of product security, RedHat; Casey Bisson, head of product growth, BluBracket; Andrew Schmitt, a member of the BluBracket Security Advisory Panel; and John Hammond, senior security researcher, Huntress) to develop this list of must-have Linux security tools. Most of them listed here are free and open source. The two that cost money are Burp Suite Pro and Metasploit Pro. Both are considered indispensible in any enterprise program of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. 1. Aircrack-ng for Wi-Fi network security Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools for security testing wireless networks and Wi-Fi protocols. Security pros use this wireless scanner for network administration, hacking, and penetration testing. It focuses on: Monitoring: Packet capture and export of data to text files for further processing by third-party tools. Packet capture and export of data to text files for further processing by third-party tools. Attacking: Replay attacks, deauthentication, fake access points via packet injection. Replay attacks, deauthentication, fake access points via packet injection. Testing: Checking Wi-Fi cards and driver capabilities. Checking Wi-Fi cards and driver capabilities. Cracking: WEP and WPA PSK (WPA 1 and 2). According to the Aircrack-ng website, all tools are command line, which allows for heavy scripting. The tool works primarily on Linux, but also Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, as well as Solaris and even eComStation 2. Cost: Free open-source software. 2. Burp Suite Pro targets web-app security Burp Suite Professional is a web application testing suite used for assessing online website security. Burp Suite operates as a local proxy solution that lets security pros decrypt, observe, manipulate, and repeat web requests (HTTP/websockets) and responses between a web server and a browser. The tool comes with a passive scanner that lets security pros map out the site and check for potential vulnerabilities as they manually crawl the site. The Pro version also offers a very useful active web vulnerability scanner that allows for further vulnerability detection. Burp Suite is extensible via plugins, so security pros can develop their own enhancements. The Pro version has the most robust plugins, making Burp a multi-tool suite of very useful web attack tools. Cost: The professional version costs $399. Theres also an enterprise version that enables multiple concurrent scans that can be used by application development teams. 3. Impacket for pen testing network protocols This collection of tools is essential for pen testing network protocols and services. Developed by SecureAuth, Impacket operates as a collection of Python classes for working with network protocols. Impacket focuses on providing low-level access to packets, and for some protocols such as SMB1-3 and MSRPC, the protocol implementation itself. Security pros can construct packets from scratch, as well as parsed from raw data. The object-oriented API makes it fairly easy to work with deep hierarchies of protocols. Impacket supports the following protocols: ethernet, Linux; IP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, ARP; IPv4 and IPv6; NMB and SMB1, SMB2 and SMB3; MSRPC Version 5, over different transports: TCP, SMB/TCP, SMB/NetBIOS and HTTP; Plain, NTLM and Kerberos authentications, using password/hashes/tickets/keys; Portions of TDS (MSSQL) and LDAP protocol implementation Cost: Free as long as the user gives SecureAuth credit. Impacket is provided under a slightly modified version of the Apache Software License. Security pros can review it here and compare it to the official Apache Software License. 4. Metasploit: A super-tool for detecting exploits An exploitation framework from Rapid7 that is used for general penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, security pros consider it a super tool that contains working versions of nearly every known exploit in existence. Metasploit enables security pros to scan networks and endpoints (or import NMAP scan results) for vulnerabilities and then perform any possible exploitation automatically to takeover systems. According to a recent Rapid7 blog post, capturing credentials has been a critical and early phase in the playbook of many security testers. Metasploit has facilitated this for years with protocol-specific modules, all under the auxiliary/server/capture function. Security pros can start and configure each of these modules individually, but now theres a capture plug-in that streamlines the process. Cost: Metasploit Pro, which comes with commercial support from Rapid7, starts at $12,000 per year, but there is also a free version. 5. NCAT probes network connectivity From the makers of NMAP, NCAT is a successor to the popular NETCAT. It facilitates reading and writing data over a network from the command line, but adds features such as SSL encryption. Security experts say NCAT has become crucial for hosting TCP/UDP clients and servers to send/receive arbitrary data from victim and attacking systems. Its also a popular tool for establishing a reverse shell or exfiltrating data. NCAT was written for the NMAP Project and stands as the culmination of the currently splintered family of NETCAT incarnations. Its designed as a reliable back-end tool to execute network connectivity to other apps and users. NCAT works with IPv4 and IPv6 and offers the ability to chain NCATs together, redirect TCP, UDP, and SCTP ports to other sites, as well as SSL support. Cost: Free open source tool. 6. NMAP scans and maps networks NMAP is a command-line network scanning tool that uncovers accessible ports on remote devices. Many security pros consider NMAP the most important and effective tool on our list the tool is so powerful its become obligatory for pen testers. NMAPs flagship feature is scanning network ranges for active servers, and then all of its ports for operating system, service and version discovery. Via NMAPs scripting engine, it then performs further automated vulnerability detection and exploitation against any service it finds. NMAP supports dozens of advanced techniques for mapping out networks filled with IP filters, firewalls, routers, and other obstacles. This includes many TCP and UDP port scanning mechanism, OS detection, version detection, and ping sweeps. Security pros have used NMAP to scan large networks of hundreds of thousands of machines. Cost: Free open source tool. 7. ProxyChains for network tunneling The de facto standard for network tunneling, ProxyChains lets security pros issue proxy commands from their attacking Linux machine through various compromised machines to traverse network boundaries and firewalls, while evading detection. They use it when they want to use the Linux operating system to hide their identity on a network. ProxyChains routes the TCP traffic of pen testers through the following proxies: TOR, SOCKS, and HTTP. TCP reconnaissance tools such as NMAP are compatible and the TOR network is used by default. Security pros also use ProxyChains to evade firewalls and in IDS/IPS detecting. Cost: Free open source tool. 8. Responder simulates attacks on DNS systems Responder is an NBT-NS (NetBIOS Name Service), LLMNR (Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution) and mDNS (multicast DNS) poisoner that is used by penetration testers to simulate an attack aimed at stealing credentials and other data during the name resolution process when no record is found by the DNS server. The latest version of Responder (v. 3.1.1.0) comes with full IPv6 support by default, which lets security pros perform more attacks on IPv4 and IPv6 networks. This is important because Responder had lacked IPv6 support and therefore missed several attack paths. This was especially true on IPv6-only networks or even mixed IPv4/IPv6 networks, particularly when you take into consideration that IPv6 has become the preferred network stack on Windows. Cost: Free open source software. 9. sqlmap looks for SQL injection flaws in database servers sqlmap is an open source penetration testing tool that automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection flaws that could be used to take over database servers. The tool comes with a powerful detection engine, and boasts many features for penetration testing including database fingerprinting, accessing the underlying file system and executing commands on the operating system via out-of-band connections. Security pros say it helps them automate SQL discovery and injection attacks against all major SQL back-ends. It supports a wide range of database servers, including MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, SQLite, Firebird, Sybase, SAP MaxDB and HSQLDB. It also supports various kinds of SQL injection attacks, including boolean-based blind, time-based blind, error-based, stacked queries, and out-of-band. Cost: Free open source software. 10. Wireshark: Popular network protocol analyzer Wireshark, which has been around since 1998, is a network protocol analyzer, commonly called a network interface sniffer. The latest update is Version 3.6.3. Wireshark lets security pros observe a devices network behavior to see which other devices it is communicating with (IP addresses) and why. In some older network topologies, network requests from other devices pass through the network interface of a security pros device, allowing them to observe the entire networks traffic, not just their own. Security experts say its a great tool to figure out where the DNS servers and other services are for further exploitation of the network. Wireshark runs on most computing platforms, including Windows, MacOs, Linux, and Unix. Cost: Free open source software. MBABANE Fear gripped witnesses yesterday when called to testify during the trial of Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube. They put their foot down that they would not testify. They refused to come to the High Court, following the petrol-bombing of a house belonging to Eswatini Beverages Risk Manager, Sifiso Simelane, who testified in the same matter on March 22, 2022. Simelanes house, which is located at Nhlambeni, was petrol-bombed by unknown people on Tuesday night. When Simelane testified during the trial, he told the court that he saw the people who caused damage at Eswatini Beverages, during the peak of the political unrest last year. He said they were many and he could not estimate how many they were because a lot was going on. He mentioned that police, soldiers and Correctional Services officers were called to the scene and they came in different groups. Gunshots Simelane submitted that he heard gunshots being fired, but he was not aware of any cases of people who died there. He also told the court that he did not see any dead people when Eswatini Beverages was looted, vandalised and burnt on June 27, 2021. Some social media users, who were unhappy with the evidence he gave to the court, started making threats against him on the following day of his testimony in court. Fifteen days later, his house was petrol-bombed. Other witnesses, including police officers, testified after Simelane. MP Mabuza and MP Dube were in court from March 22 to March 25 and the matter was postponed to Tuesday, when Simelanes house was petrol-bombed. The trial was scheduled to also proceed yesterday and today. Refused However, in the wake of the incident of petrol-bombing of Simelanes house, the case took an unfamiliar turn. The Crowns witnesses refused to come to court because they were afraid that they would be targets of arsonists. Their refusal to testify was confirmed by attorneys for the parties. The issue of the reluctance of the witnesses to testify was discussed by the legal representatives in Judge Mumcy Dlaminis chambers. One of the witnesses, who was to testify yesterday, was a police officer and he was the only one who came to court to give evidence. The officer attended the scene of crime at Shoprite in Ezulwini, which was vandalised. He gave evidence based on what he found at the shop. He did not spend more than five minutes in the dock and was excused. Advocate Gareth Leppan, who appears for the Crown in the matter, together with Principal Crown Counsel Thabo Dlamini, Macebo Nxumalo and Absalom Makhanya, told the court that the police officer was the only witnesses they would parade yesterday. The advocate informed Judge Dlamini that the reason for not parading more witnesses was the issue they had discussed in her chambers. Judge Dlamini postponed the matter to May 3, 2022. Other dates for the case are May 4 and 5, 2022. The postponement was unexpected and those in the public gallery seemed confused as to what was happening. MP Dube, after the proceedings had been adjourned, said; petrol sewumoshakela nje kanjalo (petrol has been wasted just like that). It was after the matter had been postponed that it was gathered that the main reason for the unanticipated postponement of the matter was that Crown witnesses had refused to testify. An attorney involved in the matter stated that the witnesses made it clear that, with or without subpoenas, they would not testify. They are said to have feared being attacked in a manner like the Eswatini Beverages risk manager. There had been reluctance from witnesses to testify in this matter, before the beginning of the case in court. A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some cops were concerned when they were informed before the trial began that they would testify in the matter. The officer confided that their superiors had to convince them to go and they reluctantly agreed. They were said to have been, among other reasons, worried that their evidence and pictures would be published in newspapers and they would become easy targets if what they said infuriated those who were involved in the calls for change. Another witness, who is a businessman, went to court but when it was time to take to the witness stand, he refused to enter the courtroom. His complaint was that they would burn me. Members of the investigating team and the Crown had to convince him to testify and in the end he gave in. Confirmed In an interview with this publication, one of the representatives of the incarcerated MPs, South Africa-based Attorney Sicelo Mngomezulu, confirmed that four witnesses had been subpoenaed to testify yesterday but three could not make it to court. He said the defence had already seen some of the statements of the witnesses who were supposed to testify yesterday. Mngomezulu said to the extent that the prosecution had confirmed that their witnesses were afraid to testify, he had no reason not to believe that. If that is what they are saying, I presume that to be true, that their witnesses are scared, following whatever they saw on social media platforms or wherever. Possibly its true that they are scared. The changes were communicated to us, to say only one witness, a police officer, has made it and the rest could not, due to fears they had. Our understanding is that it is the witnesses who were supposed to testify today who are scared. We understand that further witnesses, about five of them, who are yet to be called, four are police officers and the other one is an expert in terrorism matters, said Mngomezulu. The four police officers, according to the attorney, are senior officers from all the four regions of the country. He said those were the witnesses the defence expected the prosecution to parade when the matter resumed on May 3, 4 and 5, 2022. Whether those ones are scared, I dont know. But those who were supposed to come today (yesterday) are scared, which is regrettable because people should not fear the courts. The witnesses, according to Mngomezulu, comprised of businesspeople and members of the public who were affected by the unrest. He said his view was that the closing of the prosecutions case was near but throughout the trial, there had not been a demonstration that his clients were guilty of anything. Mngomezulu said if anything, many, if not all the prosecution witnesses, had not mentioned the MPs by name. We are not expecting that the tide will turn now. The prosecution has led a lot of witnesses more than 50, actually, today we were doing witness number 54 - and my clients are not appearing anywhere. The attorney also mentioned that the situation on the ground had become violent due to alleged non-committal of the authorities to the national dialogue that would bring about change in this country. Dnata, a leading global cargo services provider, has announced expansion of its European footprint through the planned acquisition of Germany-based Wisskirchen Handling Services (Wisskirchen). Wisskirchen is the exclusive operator of the Cologne Bonn Cargo Centre, a 12,000-sq-m facility at Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) providing a full range of cargo services via a team of some 180 highly-trained employees. Wisskirchen handles more than 85,000 tonnes of cargo annually, including general cargo, perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, electronics and fast-moving consumer goods. CGN is the third largest airport in Germany in terms of cargo operations with significant capacity for further growth. It operates 24 hours a day and is ideally located in the heart of Northwest Europe with excellent road connections. In 2021 cargo handled at CGN increased by 14% year over year, marking a new annual record for the airport. dnata has executed agreements with the owner of Wisskirchen, Oliver Hellwig, to acquire 100% of the shares in the company. The parties agreed not to disclose details of the transaction. The acquisition is subject to approval by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Germany. Stewart Angus, dnatas Regional CEO for Europe, said: We are delighted to announce dnatas first cargo investment in Germany. This is part of our continued broader investment in cargo infrastructure. Since 2014 we have invested in nine new cargo facilities in Europe. We look forward to playing our role in the next stage of development of Cologne/Bonn Airport as a major cargo hub and I would like to thank Oliver Hellwig for his professionalism during this process. Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the Executive Board of Cologne Bonn Airport, said: "We are delighted to welcome dnata, a renowned global player in the field of airport services, to Cologne/Bonn. The commitment of dnata will help to further increase the efficiency in cargo handling in our Cargo Center and is proof of the great location quality of Cologne/Bonn Airport as well as its central importance as the most important logistics hub in NRW." In recent years, dnata has made significant investments in advanced infrastructure to enhance its cargo offering. This included the opening of new, state-of-the-art cargo facilities in Manchester (UK), Karachi and Lahore (Pakistan), and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Brussels (Belgium), Sydney (Australia) and Toronto (Canada). Most recently, dnata has announced that it would invest over 200 million in its operations in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and operate one of the worlds largest and most advanced cargo facilities at Schiphol Airport. In addition, this spring dnata will open the second phase of the dnata City East project at London Heathrow (UK). dnata currently provides quality and reliable ground handling, cargo, catering and retail services at over 120 airports in 19 countries. TradeArabia News Service Champaign, IL (61820) Today Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global leading management consulting firm, has announced global sales of $11 billion for year-end 2021, with underlying revenue growth of 25% at constant exchange rates. More than 98% of this growth is organic. BCGs global workforce grew by 10% to 25,000, up from 22,500 the year before. Christoph Schweizer, Global CEO, highlighted strong demand from clients related to their climate & sustainability agenda as well as digital & artificial intelligence (AI) as two of the firms key growth drivers. We are recruiting 8,000 new staff this year, including significant numbers of climate and sustainability and AI experts to join our consulting teams, said Schweizer. We have benefited from our multi-year commitment to invest in developing world-class capabilities. Increasingly, we are bringing those capabilities together to support clients on their path to net-zero, and in the past few months BCG has also launched major partnerships with SAP and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). BCG made significant progress on the firm's own path to net-zero and will be issuing its annual sustainability report at the end of April with more details. Since 2020, BCG has invested $240 million to broaden and deepen its climate partnerships, advance its thought leadership, and expand its capabilities. BCG served as the consulting partner for COP26 and is supporting critical climate efforts for the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The firm is also a founding partner of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a new fund investing in companies developing cutting-edge technologies to achieve net-zero emissions. Im also very proud of the way our team has partnered with clients in every sector to help them navigate through a very challenging period. We are enabling our clients to harness the potential of digital transformation, advanced analytics, and AI at scale to build resilience and prepare for future opportunities, said Schweizer. Business updates and highlights Ukraine Humanitarian Support: Today, BCG launched a virtual hub for Ukrainian talent, which provides job opportunities at BCG. The firm continues to address the humanitarian crisis with many initiatives and by supporting NGOs. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: BCG has a long-standing commitment to DE&I and today, 44% of BCG staff are women. BCGs Executive Committee comprises 35% women, with members from more than ten countries. Women also lead BCG in three of the worlds largest economies (North America, China, and UK). In addition, the number of managing directors and partners who are women continues to grow at almost three times the rate of managing directors and partners who are men. 51% of the firms new hires in the U.S. are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The firm has launched ethnic diversity networks in Europe, Australia, and Africa. Social Impact: BCG invested a record $320 million in social impact work through FY2021. The firms efforts included 1,300 social impact cases in 2021, including advancing education in Africa with Teach For All, building resilience in Egyptian food systems, and supporting COVAX with its Covid-19 vaccine program. TradeArabia News Service Using a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels is no better than just regularly asking patients with COVID-19 if they are short of breath, according to new research at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Pulse oximeters have often been applied because of concerns that patients might not notice their blood oxygen levels sliding dangerously. But people in Penn Medicine's COVID Watch program which uses automated text messages to keep tabs on patients recovering at home had the same outcomes whether they used oxygen-measuring devices or not. Findings from this work were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Compared to remotely monitoring shortness of breath with simple automated check-ins, we showed that the addition of pulse oximetry did not save more lives or keep more people out of the hospital. And having a pulse oximeter didn't even make patients feel less anxious." Anna Morgan, MD, study's co-lead author, medical director of the COVID Watch program and an assistant professor of General Internal Medicine COVID Watch launched at Penn Medicine in March 2020 to remotely monitor patients with COVID-19 who were well enough to stay home to recover. Twice a day for two weeks, text messages were automatically sent to these patients asking how they felt and if they were having difficulty breathing, a condition formally known as dyspnea. If patients indicated more difficulty breathing, they would be called by a nurse who would direct the patient to the ER, arrange an urgent telemedicine appointment, or suggest continued monitoring at home. More than 28,500 patients have been enrolled in the program since it came online. "The program made it easy to identify the sickest patients who needed the hospital, and keep the others at home safely," said David Asch, MD, executive director of the Center for Health Care Innovation and a professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy. "The program was associated with a 68 percent reduction in mortality, saving a life approximately every three days during peak enrollment early in the pandemic." But the question remained whether the program would be even better if it was based on the actual oxygen content of the blood rather than just whether patients felt short of breath. "Early in the pandemic, there was a prevalent theory that oxygen levels in the blood dropped before a COVID-19 patient became symptomatic and short of breath," said study co-lead author Kathleen Lee, MD, an adjunct assistant professor of Emergency Medicine. "Detecting this earlier with a home pulse oximeter might provide an opportunity to get patients who are on the cusp of deteriorating to the hospital faster and initiate time-sensitive therapies to improve outcomes." Using pulse oximeters was so intuitively appealing that the process got adopted even before this trial, the first randomized trial to test whether it actually worked. "Several health systems, and even states like Vermont and countries like the United Kingdom, have integrated pulse oximetry into the routine home management of patients with COVID-19, but there's been scant evidence to show this strategy makes a difference," said the research project's principal investigator M. Kit Delgado, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology. In this study, more than 2,000 patients enrolled in COVID Watch between Nov. 29, 2020, and Feb. 5, 2021, were randomized to receive standard COVID Watch care or the same program with the addition of a pulse oximeter. The pulse oximeter didn't make the patients any better off. The researchers found no statistical difference in the main measure of the study, the average number of days enrolled patients spent alive and out of the hospital in the 30 days after they were enrolled. For patients with pulse oximeters, the measure was 29.4 days; for those without, it was 29.5. This lack of difference held across racial lines, as there was no notable difference between outcomes for Black and white patients. This is important, as Black patients have had disproportionately worse COVID-19 mortality rates during the pandemic, and recent research has raised concerns that fingertip pulse oximeters may be less likely to detect low oxygen levels in patients with dark skin pigment compared with lighter skin pigment. The researchers cautioned that their study examined the use of pulse oximeters amid an established program of remote monitoring, noting that patients don't have access to a system like COVID Watch or on-call clinicians, self-monitoring with pulse oximeters may still be a reasonable approach until there is evidence to the contrary. "Overall, these findings suggest that a low-tech approach for remote monitoring systems based on symptoms is just as good as a more expensive one using additional devices. Automated text messaging is a great way for health systems to enable a small team of on-call nurses to manage large populations of patients with COVID-19," said the research project's co-principal investigator, Krisda Chaiyachati, MD, an assistant professor of Internal Medicine and now the physician lead for Value-based Care and Innovation at Verily. "There are a lot of other medical conditions where the same kind of approach might really help." Speaking from his hospital bed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, James Perkinsons voice was raspy. In February, hed just been taken off ECMO, the last-ditch life support treatment in which a machine outside the body does the work of the heart and lungs. Full recovery is expected to take a year or more for Perkinson. If it wasnt for the ECMO and the doctors that were put in place at the right time with the right knowledge, I would not be here, he said, with his wife, Kacie, by his side. Could there have been a miracle and he could have lived if he hadnt gotten [ECMO]? Maybe. But the chances were absolutely slim to none, Kacie said. A new study from Vanderbilt shows shes probably right about those chances. During the surge of the delta variant of covid-19 late last summer, ECMO therapy was in short supply across the South. Vanderbilts unit was taking 10 to 15 calls a day from hospitals without ECMO looking for an open bed. Even patients' families were calling on behalf of dying loved ones. Theres no beds. Theres no nurses. Theres no machines. Theres just not enough. We just physically cant,' nurse practitioner Whitney Gannon said she would tell people calling from hospitals around the South. Its the worst feeling in the world. But Gannon grew curious about what happened to the patients she had to turn down especially those who were young and healthy, like Perkinson, who was 28. She started checking back, informally. Many of them had died, including a pregnant woman. So, within a matter of weeks, she helped launch an official study. And Gannons team started taking every call, even when no beds were available. We wanted to know: Is this patient truly medically eligible for ECMO? Would we provide ECMO? And if we didnt, we wanted to know what happened to that patient, Gannon said. The results, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, are grim. Nearly 90% who couldnt find a spot at an ECMO center died. And these patients were under 60 and previously healthy, with a median age of 40. Over the course of the pandemic, hospitals have had difficulty deciding who gets priority when ECMO, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is in short supply. Its not an exact science. And there are precious few ECMO beds, especially when some patients linger for months on the machine, only to die. Perkinson was a good candidate since hes young and before falling ill with covid relatively healthy. A machinist from Greenbrier, Tennessee, and a father of two, he caught covid after making an appointment to get his first dose of vaccine, he said. Without vaccine protection, he didnt fare well against the virus. He was put on a ventilator just after Christmas and within days stepped up to an available ECMO bed as his blood oxygen levels dropped. For nearly two months, his blood flowed through a tube in his neck to the ECMO unit, which infused it with oxygen, took out the carbon dioxide, and sent it back into his body. He was sedated the entire time, increasing his risk of long-term organ damage and disability. The use of ECMO spiked during the pandemic. Never has it been used so widely, but the data remains limited. And a study published in The Lancet in September 2021 found that the number of covid patients dying while on ECMO had increased 15% since the beginning of the pandemic. Even early on, only half were surviving. And as the pandemic dragged on, more hospitals with less experience were using ECMO, and some expanded criteria to include older patients or those with risk factors like obesity who do not do as well. Hospital capacity crunches have been central to the debate because ECMO requires a small village of nurses and respiratory therapists. And sometimes the patients stay on the therapy for months, not just weeks. One patient currently at Vanderbilt, which has just seven ECMO beds, has been there since last year's delta surge, said Dr. Jonathan Casey. So you can imagine how it doesnt take much to fill this resource even during a small wave, Casey said. Even during the omicron surge, Casey said, Vanderbilt has turned down some transfer requests for ECMO. While the odds of survival with critical covid patients are still roughly 50-50, the Vanderbilt study shows what happens if the therapy is unavailable. Im trying to convince people that this is a resource worth investing in and then hoping people invest in those resources over time, said Casey, the study's senior author. Until there is broader access to ECMO, Casey said, the country also needs to find a better way to decide who is prioritized for treatment, similar to how organ transplant allocation works. There is a national ECMO organization called the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, but it doesnt get involved with triaging patients yet. Some hospitals will agree to try ECMO on someone over 70, if the family pushes hard enough. Others turn down patients over 50, especially if they have underlying diabetes or heart disease. Small-scale cooperative efforts are underway. In Minnesota, hospitals have agreed to use the same strict patient criteria and a statewide referral process. The decisions are still ethically nuanced, said Dr. Matthew Prekker, who helped set up the consortium before the pandemic emerged. Cooperation could mean giving an ECMO bed to a patient from across the state instead of someone in your own hospital. The goal is simply for more patients to survive. It takes a lot of cooperation among health systems and state leadership, he said. But I think doctors and communities have more appetite for that now than they did before. This story is part of a partnership that includes WPLN, NPR, and KHN. Every now and then, Suzanne Rybak and her husband, Jim, receive pieces of mail addressed to their deceased son, Jameson. Typically, it's junk mail that requires little thought, Suzanne said. But on March 5, an envelope for Jameson came from McLeod Health. Jim saw it first. He turned to his wife and asked, "Have you taken your blood pressure medication today?" He knew showing her the envelope would resurface the pain and anger their family had experienced since taking Jameson to McLeod Regional Medical Center two years ago. As KHN previously reported, Jameson was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from quitting opioids. Suzanne feared for her son's life and took him to the emergency room near their home in Florence, South Carolina, on March 11, 2020. There, they encountered a paucity of addiction treatment and the potential for high medical costs two problems that plague many families affected by the opioid crisis and often lead to missed opportunities to save lives. Jameson was not offered medications to treat opioid use disorder in the ER, nor was he given referrals to other treatment facilities, Suzanne said. The hospital wanted to admit him, but, being uninsured, Jameson feared a high bill. The hospital didn't inform him of its financial assistance policy, Suzanne said. And he decided to leave. Three months later, Jameson, 30, died of an overdose in his childhood bedroom. In the following months, the Rybaks received bills from the McLeod Health system addressed to Jameson. He owed $4,928, it said. Suzanne called and wrote to hospital administrators until September 2020, when the bill was resolved under the system's financial assistance program. That was the last they had heard from McLeod Health until the new envelope arrived March 5 one week before the two-year anniversary of his ER visit. That visit was what Suzanne calls "the beginning of the end for my son." When the Rybaks opened the envelope, they found a strikingly familiar bill for $4,928. "I can't even describe my anger and sadness," Suzanne said. "It's always present, but when we received that statement, we were just stunned." There's no national data to indicate how often patients or their families receive medical bills that were previously paid or forgiven, but hospital billing experts say they frequently see it happen. Patients receive bills for claims their insurers already paid. A reminder statement arrives even after a patient submitted payment. Unlike "surprise bills," which often result from policy gaps when a provider is out of network, these are bills that were resolved but continue to pop up anyway. They can carry financial consequences patients wind up paying for something they don't truly owe or bills get passed on to debt collection agencies, triggering more phones calls and red tape. But often it's the emotional toll that wears on patients most, spending hours on the phone with customer service each time the bill resurfaces or reliving the situations that led to the bill in the first place. For families like the Rybaks, the cost can feel never-ending. Suzanne Rybak refused to engage with the McLeod hospital again but told KHN about the new bill. In response to questions from KHN, McLeod Health determined the bill the Rybaks received was a mistake. "Unfortunately our software system regenerated this statement due to a technical issue," wrote spokesperson Jumana Swindler. "We are checking to ensure that it has not happened to any other patients and we are sorry this family was impacted by the error." A week after KHN's inquiry, the Rybaks received a letter from the hospital explaining and apologizing for the error. Many medical billing cases like this "boil down to human error," said Michael Corbett, director of health care consulting for LBMC, a Tennessee-based firm that consults with health systems nationally on issues like billing and revenue. "Facilities don't have a lack of tools [to avoid this]. It's a breakdown in their processes." A billing agent may forget to mark the account as paid, he said. Or the hospital might contract its billing to an outside company and fail to inform them that this bill was covered under the hospital's financial assistance program. As hospitals and medical practices increasingly consolidate under large health systems, the chances for errors increase. Even hospitals and clinics within the same system may have different backend software, and within each hospital there can be separate programs for billing and electronic health records, Corbett explained. Larger health systems may also have more people processing any given bill. If responsibilities are not clearly defined, multiple employees could unknowingly act on the same patient account. The covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated potential errors, Corbett said. New medical billing employees may have received quick, virtual training and are working remotely with little interaction with team members or oversight. Some billing departments are understaffed, leading to delays in patients receiving bills or follow-up notices, he added. To curb mistakes, Corbett said, hospitals need to invest in more comprehensive training and supervision for billing employees; enact consistent processes for anything from how patients' financial information is collected at registration to when they're sent bills; and, perhaps most important, track whether those processes are being followed. For patients who find themselves in a situation like the Rybak family's, Corbett advises calling the hospital billing department and asking to speak with a senior leader in its revenue cycle division. Unlike an account representative, this person could make decisions, Corbett said. At the end of the conversation, ask to get the explanation in writing, he added. "You'd anticipate and hope those notes are being recorded," Corbett said, but that may not be the case. Or notes might get recorded in a section of hospital files that are excluded from a patient's legal medical record, making it difficult for patients to access later. For Suzanne Rybak, the idea of calling McLeod Health to straighten out yet another bill was too much. Instead, she added the statement to a binder of paperwork, in which she's documented all her billing struggles with McLeod Health over the past two years. Still, out of sight hardly means out of mind. The binder sits in her craft room, where she remembers Jameson encouraging her as she made beach bags and other items. He'd say to use "fruity colors," Suzanne recalled his way of describing tropical colors. Now she makes candles in that room, focusing on tropical fragrances she knows Jameson would have loved. "I want hospitals to realize that you're not just sending this bill to an address," Suzanne said. "There are people who live in that house, who are going to open that mail and have feelings. It's a disaster to bring all that up again." Thought Leaders Dr. Sam Myers Director Planetary Health Alliance In this interview, we speak to Dr. Sam Myers, director of the Planetary Health Alliance, about the importance of raising awareness surrounding planetary health and the actions that need to be taken to ensure a healthier planet for the future. Please, could you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Planetary Health Alliance (PHA)? My name is Sam Myers. I am a principal research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. I am trained as an internal medicine physician and I am also the director of the Planetary Health Alliance. The Planetary Health Alliance is helping to advance Planetary Health research, education, and policy. Please can you tell us more about why PHA was founded and your core missions and values? The PHA was founded at the time when we released the Rockefeller-Lancet Commission report on Planetary Health called Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene. The Rockefeller Foundation had brought together this commission to explore the question of how anthropogenic environmental changes that human beings are driving across our planet's natural systems are affecting our own health and wellbeing. I was part of that commission and felt that we were about to release a report that told the world that our destruction of nature was creating a clear and urgent threat to our own health, but we ought to also be saying what we were going to do about it. And so I proposed that what we needed was a really robust, vibrant, global field that was taking on these challenges and that we should create an alliance of organizations committed to building that field together. The Rockefeller Foundation agreed with this idea and funded the Planetary Health Alliance and we started in January of 2016. Currently, humanity's carbon footprint is huge and it is causing direct consequences for our health. What is meant by the term Planetary Health and why is it important to raise awareness surrounding it? Well, the first thing to say is that it goes well beyond our carbon footprint. One of the things we say a lot is that it is not just climate change; it is everything change. Yes, we are disrupting the climate system, but we are also driving the sixth mass extinction of life on earth with this huge increase in biodiversity loss, we are transforming landscapes and land-use. We are polluting the air, water, and soil. We are driving scarcity of resources like freshwater and arable land. There are lots of ways that our collective activities are transforming environmental conditions across the planet. All of those different kinds of global environmental change are interacting with each other in complex ways that affect the core conditions for human health. That is where you see the health effects because we are changing: the quality and quantity of food that we produce; the quality of air that we breathe; the quality of water we have access to; our exposure to infectious diseases; our exposure to extreme weather events; and even the habitability of some of the places that we live. As a result, we are seeing effects across global nutrition, infectious disease, non-communicable diseases like heart disease, strokes, and diabetes; and big impacts on mental health, displacement, and conflict. Across every dimension of health, we are now seeing impacts. I think it is a key point that it is not just our carbon footprint, it is not just climate change. There are so many more things that are happening. Obviously, climate change does play a big role, but it is not only climate change that is defining the predicament we are in. The distinction matters because if we get the diagnosis wrong, we get the treatment wrong. And the diagnosis of climate change would suggest that the treatment is renewable energy. We just need to decarbonize our energy economy. And we are starting to do that which is fantastic. But, in fact, that will not get us out of the challenges that we face around the health effects of global environmental change. Not only do we need to address the energy sector, but we also need to do more. The diagnosis is not climate change. The diagnosis is the size of our collective ecological footprint and the Earth crisis; we are really degrading all of our natural systems. Therefore, the treatment is a deep, rapid, structural shift in how we live on the planet to reduce that ecological footprint and allow us to protect and regenerate nature's life support systems. And that means change across food systems, energy systems, circular economy, manufacturing, the built environment - all the ways that we are living. All of which are tangible and possible, and we have lots of solutions at hand, but it is not enough to only think about the energy system. The Promise of Planetary Health Play Your members consist of universities, charities, and research institutions globally. How important is this global collaboration to PHA? What advantages do having these varied members have in furthering our understanding of planetary health? It is a far-flung consortium, and some of our members are working very closely with us in some of our key initiatives, whereas others are working more independently. But essentially, all the 300 members of the alliance have signalled a commitment to growing this field of planetary health globally. Whether that is working closely together on particular initiatives or working within their domains, there are whole universities that are restructuring themselves around planetary health as an overarching concept; there are agencies within governments that are working to address specific kinds of planetary health problems. We have many groups that are engaged in regional efforts and regional hubs are popping up around the world, including in the Caribbean, East Africa, Europe, and South Asia. It is a federation of lots of different organizations that have different kinds of engagements and levels of involvement. Some of them are much more research-focused, and some are much more education-focused. Others are about movement building and activism. So it is a really diverse group of organizations that are part of the alliance. Collaboration is very important in the PHA. And the collaboration does not stop with the members of the alliance. We are also collaborating and partnering with all kinds of organizations that are not formal members of the alliance, like the World Health Organization with whom we are collaborating on this upcoming World Health Day next week on April 7th. The theme is Our planet, our health. We are also working with the UNDP, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the World Wildlife Foundation. We are working with many other groups that we can partner with in terms of communications efforts or specific initiatives. So a lot of what we do is in collaboration. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World Health Day on the 7th of April. The theme for this year is Our planet, our health. What does this message mean to you? Why is it important to help raise awareness surrounding the impacts that our changing planet has on our health? I do not think you can overstate the symbolic importance of the World Health Organization choosing this theme. And it is not just this particular theme and WHO, it is the World Federation of Public Health Associations and World Health Week. This is the federation of all the major public health associations in the world. They are increasingly embracing planetary health. The World Health Organization itself just released the Geneva Charter on Health Promotion and Well-being in December last year. That is really a very strong statement of planetary health with emphasis on the idea that we cannot safeguard human health without protecting natural systems. When the leading global organization that has been tasked with safeguarding human health makes the statement that we can no longer effectively do our jobs, we can no longer promote global human health without addressing the crumbling natural life support systems that we depend on, it symbolizes a shift in the global conversation. The importance of this shift cannot be overstated. What used to be a series of discreet and disconnected conversations about particular environmental problems: the climate conversation, the oceans conversation, the biodiversity conversation, the pollution conversation, all of which have been environmental conversations attended by environmental groups, and environmental ministries, are now morphing into a single global conversation about the size of humanity's ecological footprint and about whether or not we can safeguard a liveable future for humanity. That is a huge shift. What has been an environmental conversation is turning into a human survival conversation. And I think that moment is extremely important. It has crystallized in WHO releasing this Geneva Charter and then declaring Our planet, our health as the theme for World Health Day. The WHO has said that for this year they are focusing global attention on the actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and create societies focused on well-being. What actions do you believe are needed to achieve these and what more can governments and policymakers be doing to ensure these are actioned? I do not want to gloss over the importance of the statement itself before we move into the actions. Because, as I said, I think that that statement embodies a recognition that these environmental issues are now human survival issues. Just that recognition broadens the constituency of people that are committed to addressing these environmental challenges enormously which breathes new life and power into efforts to address these challenges. And we are seeing that. We saw it at COP26. We are seeing physicians, public health workers, and nurses showing up at meetings on biodiversity and climate change. We are seeing indigenous people associations and faith groups getting involved. Because all of these groups see this as central to our survival as a species. The private sector is also becoming much more engaged in these conversations arguing that we cannot do business when the natural systems are crumbling underneath us. And so they are coming together in groups like Business for Nature, asking for enlightened policy and regulatory environments that allow businesses to do the right thing. To answer your question, I think as you broaden that constituency, you start to have the critical mass for the kind of deep, rapid, structural shifts in how we live that I was talking about. We call that the great transition; others call it the Great Turning. But whatever you call it, it is a fundamental shift in how we are living and it goes across every system. So then you ask, well, how do you achieve that? Well, how do we create a renewable energy transition as fast as possible? There are a million different policy levers that we could discuss from putting a price on carbon, to addressing fossil fuel subsidies, to encouraging renewable energy penetration, to rebuilding our grid and infrastructure work that needs to be done. Similarly, in food systems, how do we stimulate the protein revolution that is taking place, and the proliferation of plant-based meat companies, cell-based meat, or protein fermentation, all of which decouple protein production from animal livestock, which has an enormous ecological footprint globally and is very destructive. How do you stimulate that protein revolution to take place more quickly than it is? This is also the case for precision agriculture. How do we make sure that the incredible advances in precision agriculture, which reduce the ecological footprint of food production, are transferred to lower-income countries so that they can leapfrog some of the more wasteful technologies? Every place we look - built environment, food systems, circular economy, and manufacturing - there are opportunities for enlightened policy-making, there are opportunities for consumer groups to demand of the private sector that they embrace the correct practices, and there are opportunities for research and education. As we said, in the beginning, it is going to take all of us in every domain to push that great transition through as quickly as possible. What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn more about our planet and what they can do to protect it for future generations? Learning about our planet is what every person within the education system is doing from kindergarten through university, at some level. But in terms of these particular issues of the connectedness of human health and well-being, planetary processes, and our planet's biophysical conditions, we welcome everybody to come to the Planetary Health Alliance website where we have a lot of information. I also just edited a book for the field: Planetary Health, Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves. There are videos from the last four years of Planetary Health annual meetings where we have brought people together. We have sessions, for example, on the protein revolution that I was just talking about that involve CEOs of those companies; there are sessions on research and educational developments, movement building and activism, and raising up the voices of artists and Indigenous peoples. We have had many rich discussions. Those videos are available on our YouTube chanel, and we put out a newsletter every month. You can sign up for it for free. We have our annual meeting coming up in November at Harvard and there will be a virtual component to that so that people can register and attend virtually, as well as in person. There are lots of ways to engage with the Planetary Health community. Image Credit: DOERS/Shutterstock.com You also focus a lot on education on your site. How important is education to making this global change? And why should we make sure to focus on educating these younger generations on the importance of our changing planet as well? I have children in high school and they are at the same high school that I went to 35 years ago. And I am struck that they are getting the same science education that I got, that they have to take physics in ninth grade, and then they have to take chemistry, and then they take biology. There is no conversation at all about how those things are all connected to each other, or about how they relate to any of the major challenges that we are facing as a global society. I think it is actually a disservice that we are giving 19th-century siloed science education to kids in the 21st century. And it is not fair, because they are moving into a world where the complexity of systems thinking is becoming increasingly important. Human activities are driving the Anthropocene and changing environmental conditions, which are then affecting all sorts of human and societal outcomes which are much more complex than a physics class. I think there is a real value in teaching systems thinking and a planetary health framework all the way from elementary school up through university. It prepares kids or young adults for the world that we are going to be moving into. It is also really important to have that literacy in the global public to understand the moment that we are in because otherwise, we cannot begin to address that moment. My favorite classes to teach are the ones focused on undergraduates who have not decided what they are going to do yet. This basic foundational information is important no matter what they choose to do. It is a way for us to understand this historical moment that we are living in, which is really unlike any other moment that we have ever lived through as a species. Are you involved in any exciting upcoming projects? If so, what are they? There are so many different things that we are doing. I mean, as I mentioned, we have the fifth Planetary Health annual meeting coming up at the beginning of November at Harvard. We are putting a lot of energy right now into planning that meeting. Next week, we are doing things around World Health Day and World Health Week. We have the head of Health Promotion from the World Health Organization speaking with Paul Polman, who used to run Unilever and is a leading voice from the private sector on sustainability issues. We also have somebody from the well-being economies community. They are all talking about the issue of, if WHO is coming to this conclusion that we need well-being economies to safeguard health, what does this mean? And then how does the private sector engage with that? We are working on a paper about the importance of planetary health as a framework for the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are really interested in whether we can get the United Nations system to really think about planetary health as a unifying framework that brings all the different SDGs in to focus as part of a cohesive whole. We are building an educational platform right now that will bring together all the materials, our new textbook, our case studies, the syllabi, and multimedia resources that are being used all around the world, and allow educators anywhere in the world to access all of those materials so that they can build planetary health educational courses. We are very engaged in the development of regional hubs in planetary health, which I think is a really exciting new movement. We are doing a lot of work with dozens of different European agencies, organizations, and institutes to help them come together as a planetary health hub in Europe. But we are also doing that work in East Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean. And we are continuing ongoing work including with our Planetary Health Campus Ambassadors and our clinician networks. There is so much going on, it is a little hard to keep up with it all! Since starting your career in planetary health, what has been your proudest achievement? That is not something I think a whole lot about. I am most proud of the company I keep. I am extraordinarily privileged to work with an exceptional group of people from the core staff of the PHA to our Advisory Board and Steering Committee to our campus ambassadors, fellows, and partners. It is an amazing group of extraordinarily bright, dedicated, impatient, humble, energetic, and mission-driven people from all over the world, and I am proud to be part of it. And I am proud of the impatience of our community. We dont have a lot of time to get ourselves on a different trajectory and the activism and movement building that is taking place within the planetary health field will be critical to making that transition. Image Credit: Proxima Studio/Shutterstock.com Are you hopeful that with continued engagement, awareness, and change, we will see more people helping to protect and regenerate the earth's natural systems? What benefits would this have for the planet of tomorrow? I am not certain, but I am hopeful. I think there is evidence right in front of our eyes that more and more people are getting engaged. I think we have reached an inflection point and we are seeing a rapid proliferation of these frameworks and the ideas of planetary health in the community and globally. There is evidence of commitment to addressing really important parts of the Earth crisis that we face and the human health crisis that it is creating. What the future is going to look like depends on what we collectively decide to do. That is one of the really fascinating things. We just wrote the first textbook for the field of planetary health last year. And when I started writing it, I thought that I was trying to sort out whether we could solve this set of problems. We organized the book around the environmental challenges we face and then systematically outlined the health implications of those changing environmental conditions through each dimension of health. That was the diagnosis side. Then the whole second half of the book is focused on solutions, going through every sector. What I discovered in the process of putting this book together was that the question is not whether we can get ourselves out of this mess and build a much brighter, hopeful future. The question is, will we? The solutions, by and large, are there. It is really a question of whether we can develop the collective political will to engage with these solutions to overcome entrenched special interests and chart the course that we need to be on. It is very hard to answer that question about what the future holds because it depends on whether or not we actually develop that collective political will. However, I will say that I think the environmental community has done a poor job of telling the aspirational story. I think we have been guilty of a lot of catastrophism and a lot of apocalyptic predictions. In fact, it is easy to imagine that, a hundred years from now, our grandchildren or their children are living in a world where the human population has stabilized and is actually falling as part of the regular demographic transition; where we have moved to a zero-carbon energy economy; where we are producing the food that we need with dramatically reduced ecological inputs; where we have embraced circular manufacturing, producing much less waste; and where we are living in cities that have been designed to optimize our physical and mental health whilst minimizing our ecological footprints. In that world, there is much more room for the rest of the biosphere with every passing decade. It is a world that I would love for my great-grandchildren to live in. However, I can imagine the apocalyptic version as well. It really comes down to what we decide to do this generation. We just produced a 10-minute video that we call The Promise of Planetary Health (see video above), and it follows that arc. It ends exactly that way. We know what to do. Will we do it? Where can readers find more information? Learn more about the Planetary Health Alliance: https://www.planetaryhealthalliance.org Learn more about the Planetary Health Alliance's Annual Meeting: https://www.planetaryhealthannualmeeting.com About Dr. Sam Myers Samuel Myers, MD, MPH studies the human health impacts of accelerating disruptions to Earths natural systems, a field recently dubbed Planetary Health. He is a Principal Research Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is the founding Director of the Planetary Health Alliance (www.planetaryhealthalliance.org). Sam received his BA from Harvard College, MD from Yale University School of Medicine, and MPH from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. He performed his internal medicine residency at UCSF and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. Sams current work spans several areas of planetary health including 1) the global nutritional impacts of rising concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere; 2) the health impacts of land management decisions in SE Asia associated with biomass burning and particulate air pollution 3) the global consequences of fisheries decline for human nutrition and health; 4) the global impact of animal pollinator declines on human nutrition today and in the future; and 5) the impact of climate shocks on human nutrition as mediated through global food trade. As the Director of the Planetary Health Alliance, Sam oversees a multi-institutional effort (over 300 organizations in over 60 countries) focused on understanding and quantifying the human health impacts of disrupting Earths natural systems and translating that understanding into resource management decisions globally. Smoking cessation adds the same number of heart disease-free years to life as three preventive medications combined, according to research presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The benefits of smoking cessation are even greater than we realized. Our study shows that kicking the habit appears to be as effective as taking three medications for preventing heart attacks and strokes in those with a prior heart attack or procedure to open blocked arteries. Patients could gain nearly five years of healthy life." Dr. Tinka Van Trier, study author, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, the Netherlands "This analysis focused on smokers who had experienced a heart attack and/or undergone stent implantation or bypass surgery," she added. "This group is at particularly high risk of having another heart attack or a stroke and stopping smoking is potentially the most effective preventive action." The study used data from 989 patients aged 45 years and older who were still smoking at least six months after having a heart attack and/or undergoing stent implantation or bypass surgery. The average age was 60 years and 23% were women. Patients were generally well treated with standard preventive medications (antiplatelets, statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs). The median time since the heart attack or procedure was 1.2 years. The researchers used the SMART-REACH model (available at u-prevent.com) to estimate the gain in healthy years, i.e. without a heart attack or stroke, if patients quit smoking. They also calculated the gain in healthy years if patients continued smoking but took three additional drugs to prevent cardiovascular disease. The three medications included bempedoic acid and PCSK9 inhibitors, which lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and colchicine, an anti-inflammatory therapy. The researchers found that the estimated benefit of quitting smoking appeared to be comparable to using all three pharmaceutical treatments. Smoking cessation resulted in a gain of 4.81 event-free years while the three medications together provided a gain of 4.83 event-free years. "This indicates that smoking cessation is a very important step towards adding healthy years to one's lifetime," said Dr. Van Trier. "It is important to remember that the analysis did not even account for the other advantages of giving up the habit for example on respiratory illnesses, cancer and longevity." She continued: "Smoking cessation remains a cornerstone of preventing heart attacks and strokes and improving overall health at any time, including after a heart attack and at any age. We know that cigarette smoking is responsible for 50% of all avoidable deaths in smokers, of which half are due to cardiovascular disease. Giving up cigarettes after a heart attack is linked with improved survival compared with persistent smoking." Dr. Van Trier concluded: "If you are considering becoming smokefree, or would like more information about it, please talk to a health professional. Your motivation is key to successfully quitting, but beating an addiction becomes easier with medical and psychological assistance." Majid Al Futtaim and Merge have teamed up to launch the Malls Adopt Sign Language campaign within Al Futtaims Egypt properties. The initiative provides free sign language interpretation to those with hearing impairments through a smartphone application, with the aim of building an inclusive society. The campaign will run for one month within Mall of Egypt, City Centre Almaza, City Centre Alexandria and City Centre Maadi. Available on the Merge Sign Language Interpreter application, the service provides visitors with access to video calls supported by advanced technology in addition to certified sign language interpreters. Merge application Shoppers can download the Merge application by scanning the QR code available at the customer service desks located within the four malls, which will provide them with 30 minutes of free access and 60% discount when recharging the balance. Ramy Qaddoumi, Founder and CEO of Merge Technology, said: This will bring our community closer together and embed positive values of social responsibility within it. Launching this free sign language simultaneous interpretation initiative across four malls is an integral part of our strategy, which aims to support the needs of those with hearing impairments in the community and will be instrumental in achieving our goal of supporting those with special needs in every area of life. Merge launched Merge- Interpreter Sign Language last November the first ever digital platform in the Middle East and North Africa that provides the community with simultaneous sign language interpretation. The platform enables users to communicate easily through video calls, with 24-hour assistance from certified interpreters. Users can download the application available on both Android and iOS devices and access the interpreter services through Merge's call centre. Innovative ways Hanny El Messiry, Managing Director of West Region Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, stated: At Majid Al Futtaim, we are committed to identifying innovative ways to support the communities in which we operate, to provide equal opportunities and experiences for all. Through our partnership with Merge, we look forward to continuing to provide services that foster a safe and inclusive environment, in line with our mission to create great moments for everyone, every day. The "Merge Interpreter Sign Language" application also provides the first-of-its-kind hotline service via video and voice calls to businesses across all sectors, text conversations, convenient file sharing, contacts, and photos, and a personal account page for each user. It also provides QR codes which can be used to invite a friend. The innovative platform strives to build social, cultural and educational bridges between the hard-of-hearing and hearing-enabled communities. Designed with the latest technology, the service aims to build a more integrated society, and continues to establish connections, helping those with hearing impairment socialise with family, friends and acquaintances through advanced technology. Unique services Mall of Egypt, City Centre Almaza, City Centre Alexandria and City Centre Maadi offer a range of unique services within East and West Cairo, and Alexandria, including VOX Cinemas, Magic Planet, a diverse range of restaurants and cafes, in addition to Ski Egypt. Merge is the leading information technology company specialising in innovative technological solutions for people with disabilities and Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.-- TradeArabia News Service Even after she's clocked out, Sarah Lewin keeps a Ford Explorer outfitted with medical gear parked outside her house. As one of just four paramedics covering five counties across vast, sprawling eastern Montana, she knows a call that someone had a heart attack, was in a serious car crash, or needs life support and is 100-plus miles away from the nearest hospital can come at any time. "Ive had as much as 100 hours of overtime in a two-week period," said Lewin, the battalion chief for the Miles City Fire and Rescue department. "Other people have had more." Paramedics are often the most highly skilled medical providers on emergency response crews, and their presence can make a lifesaving difference in rural areas where health services are scarce. Paramedics are trained to administer specialized care from the field, such as placing a breathing tube in a blocked airway or decompressing a collapsed lung. Such procedures are beyond the training of emergency medical technicians. But paramedics are hard to come by, and a long-standing workforce shortage has been exacerbated by turnover and resignations related to pandemic burnout. Larger departments are trying to attract paramedics by boosting pay and offering hefty signing bonuses. But small teams in underserved counties across the U.S. don't have the budgets to compete. Instead, some rural crews are trying to train existing emergency responders for the roles, with mixed results. Miles City is among the few communities in rural eastern Montana to have paramedic-level services, but the department doesn't have enough paramedics to offer that care 24/7, which is why medics like Lewin take calls on their time off. The team received a federal grant so four staffers could become paramedics, but it could fill only two slots. Some prospects turned down the training because they couldn't balance the intense program with their day jobs. Others didn't want the added workload that comes with being a paramedic. If you're the only paramedic on, you end up taking more calls," Lewin said. What's happening in Miles City is also happening nationwide. People who work in emergency medical care have long had a name for the problem: the paramedic paradox. "The patients who need the paramedics the most are in the more rural areas," said Dia Gainor, executive director of the National Association of State EMS Officials. But paramedics tend to gravitate to dense urban areas where response times are faster, the drives to hospitals are shorter, and the health systems are more advanced. "Nationally, throw a dart at the map, the odds are that any rural area is struggling with staffing, with revenue, with access to training and education," Gainor said. "The list goes on." The Michigan Association of Ambulance Services has dubbed the paramedic and EMT shortage "a full-blown emergency" and called on the state legislature this year to spend $20 million to cover the costs of recruiting and training 1,000 new paramedics and EMTs. At the beginning of this year, Colorado reactivated its crisis standard of care for short-staffed emergency medical service crews experiencing mounting demand for ambulances during a surge in covid cases. The shortage is such a problem that in Denver a medical center and high school teamed up to offer courses through a paramedic school to pique students interest. In Montana, 691 licensed paramedics treat patients in emergency settings, said Jon Ebelt, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. More than half are in the states five most-populous counties Yellowstone, Gallatin, Missoula, Flathead, and Cascade covering a combined 11% of the states 147,000 square miles. Meanwhile, 21 of Montanas 56 counties dont have a single licensed EMS paramedic. Andy Gienapp, deputy executive director of the National Association of State EMS Officials, said a major problem is funding. The federal Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for emergency care often fall short of the cost of operating an ambulance service. Most local teams rely on a patchwork of volunteers and staffers, and the most isolated places often survive on volunteers alone, without the funding to hire a highly skilled paramedic. If those rural groups do find or train paramedics in-house, theyre often poached by larger stations. Paramedics get siphoned off because as soon as they have those skills, they're marketable, Gienapp said. Gienapp wants to see more states deem emergency care an essential service so its existence is guaranteed and tax dollars chip in. So far, only about a dozen states have done so. But action at the state level doesnt always guarantee the budgets EMS workers say they need. Last year, Utah lawmakers passed a law requiring municipalities and counties to ensure at least a minimum level of ambulance services. But legislators didnt appropriate any money to go with the law, leaving the added cost estimated to be up to $41 per resident each year for local governments to figure out. Andy Smith, a paramedic and executive director of the Grand County Emergency Medical Services in Moab, Utah, said at least one town that his crew serves doesnt contribute to the departments costs. The teams territory includes 6,000 miles of roads and trails, and Smith said its a constant struggle to find and retain the staffers to cover that ground. Smith said his team is lucky it has several paramedics, in part because the nearby national park draws interest and the ambulance service has helped staffers pay for paramedic certification. But even those perks havent attracted enough candidates, and he knows some of those who do come will be lured away. He recently saw a paramedic job in nearby Colorado starting at $70,000, a salary he said he cant match. The public has this expectation that if something happens, we always have an ambulance available, we're there in a couple of minutes, and we have the highest-trained people, Smith said. The reality is that's not always the case when the money is rare and it's hard to find and retain people. Despite the staffing and budget crunches, state leaders often believe emergency crews can fill gaps in basic health care in rural areas. Montana is among the states trying to expand EMS work to nonemergency and preventive care, such as having medical technicians meet patients in their homes for wound treatment. A private ambulance provider in Montanas Powder River County agreed to provide those community services in 2019. But the owner has since retired, and the company closed. The county picked up emergency services last year, and County Commissioner Lee Randall said that providing basic health care is on the back burner. The top priority is hiring a paramedic. Advancing the care that EMT crews can do without paramedics is possible. Montanas EMS system manager, Shari Graham, said the state has created certifications for basic EMTs to provide some higher levels of care, such as starting an IV line. The state has also increased training in rural communities so volunteers can avoid traveling for it. But those steps still leave gaps in advanced life support. Realistically, you're just not going to have paramedics in those rural areas where there's no income available, Graham said. Back in Miles City, Lewin said her department may get an extension to train additional paramedics next year. But shes not sure shell be able to fill the spots. She has a few new EMT hires, but they wont be ready for paramedic certification by then. I dont have any people interested, Lewin said. For now, shell keep that emergency care rig in her driveway, ready to go. A grant renewal for a University of Cincinnati researcher will help continue the study of genetic drivers of breast cancer and potential therapeutic targets. Xiaoting Zhang, PhD, was awarded a five-year, $1,923,750 competing renewal R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute (NCI) on April 1 to continue his research. In the grant's previous funding period, Zhang and his team discovered that a gene called MED1 functions as a cancer co-driver of another gene called HER2 in promoting breast tumor growth, spread and treatment resistance. Zhang and his colleagues also developed a multifunctional RNA nanoparticle that shuts down MED1 specifically in the cancer cells, preventing it from being able to work to promote tumor growth and therapy resistance. "It's like MED1 is downstream and HER2 is upstream," said Zhang, professor and Thomas Boat Endowed Chair in UC's Department of Cancer Biology, director of the Breast Cancer Research Program and member of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center. "So if you take this downstream thing out, then the HER2 and other kinases frequently aberrantly activated in breast cancers cannot come down to drive the tumor growth and spread." The new RNA nanoparticle therapy was patented last year and is currently under commercialization development through the support of the 1819 Innovation Hub and Ohio Third Frontier funds. With this new round of funding, Zhang said he will further research another "downstream" gene, called Jab1, that has recently been shown to work closely together with MED1 to accelerate breast cancer cell spread and develop resistance to treatments. Researchers will seek to better define Jab1's role, how it regulates MED1 turnover and activities to achieve breast cancer metastasis and therapy resistance and how that can be interrupted. The research will also include further study of the effectiveness of RNA nanotherapeutics through RNA nanotechnology-based approaches that target Jab1 and MED1 to prevent tumor growth and treatment resistance. With the recent increased FDA approvals and broad use of RNA vaccines and medicines, these multifunctional RNA nanotherapeutics could represent a highly promising next-generation therapy to benefit patient care through better efficacy, fewer unwanted side effects, and improved patient quality of life and treatment compliance. Tek Travels DMCC, a wholly owned subsidiary of TBO Tek Limited (TBO), has acquired 51% stake in BookaBed AG to scale up its businesss services and offerings. TBO is one of the leading global travel distribution platforms connecting over 100,000 travel buyers across more than 110 countries with millions of travel suppliers, as of October 31, 2021. Headquartered in Switzerland, BookaBed is a trade only company with a strong focus on consistently delivering high-quality customer service while offering great deals in Europe, US, Asia and Australia. It is also a B2B accommodation provider to the Irish and UK travel industries. Increasing market share in Ireland, UK BookaBed intends to increase its market share in Ireland and the UK by leveraging TBOs global API business, and TBO Academy that trains and educates travel agents and travel trade partners. Gaurav Bhatnagar, Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director of TBO, said: "BookaBed allows TBOs entry into the Irish market and strengthens our UK presence. Both TBO and BookaBed have a significant opportunity to leverage each other's strengths and further expand our presence in current and future markets." "What really makes this truly promising is our shared core values. There are synergies in our business models and vision, but the core values we share are vital when building for the long term. Under Karls continued leadership, we look forward to strengthening BookaBeds business," he stated. Karl Tyrrell, CEO of BookaBed, said: As the world returns to travel, we look forward to leveraging TBO's technology and content. This combined with BookaBeds deep distribution reach and market position in Ireland and UK creates an even more compelling value for BookaBed customer partners. No management change He added: We will continue to service our customers as we currently do and promote and operate the BookaBed brand that is so well known in these markets. There will be no change to our management, sales or support teams. TBO has won several accolades over the years and has been consistently winning the prestigious World Travel Awards for being Indias leading B2B travel portal since 2019. Its TBO+ proposition is a comprehensive rewards program designed exclusively for buyers where they can earn reward points for each transaction done through the TBO platform and points can be redeemed for a variety of lifestyle and travel products. TBO also has a dedicated corporate travel booking platform - Paxes and their first B2C business - Zamzam.com, focused on the booming religious tourism, making TBO a truly simplified travel ecosystem.-- TradeArabia News Service (Newser) A defendant who testified that Jan. 6 was "a magical day" was found not guilty Wednesday of four misdemeanor charges in connection with the attack on the Capitol. It's the first full acquittal of the riot prosecutions, per Politico. Matthew Martin had argued that he thought police were allowing him into the building through an entrance near the Rotunda. After watching video, US District Judge Trevor McFadden said that explanation seemed plausible. And the prosecution's case didn't meet the reasonable doubt test, said McFadden, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. "People were streaming by and the officers made no attempt to stop the people," the judge said. The prosecution maintained in the two-day trial that the broken windows and sounding alarms should have been clues to Martin, but McFadden disagreed. The judge did say Martin "more likely than not" was guilty of at least one of the four misdemeanors but added that "close calls" go to the defendant. "If the cops weren't letting people in, I would not have gone in," Martin testified, per CNN. He described the gathering outside the Capitol as a "big block party," adding, "It was a magical day in many ways." The verdict could alter the course of the prosecutions. Hundreds of defendants are charged with the same misdemeanors, and others have said they were allowed in by police or didn't realize they broke the law by entering the Capitol. Martin, who held a security clearance, took personal leave to go to Washington. He went to Trump's rally near the White House, then marched to the Capitol. "It was a magical day in many ways," Martin said. After the trial, he said that he hopes to get his job back as an engineer for a government contractor in Los Alamos, NM, per NBC News. (Read more Capitol riot stories.) (Newser) Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committees investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, the AP reports. The two men on Wednesday became the latest members of former President Trump's inner circle to face legal jeopardy as the select committee continues its more than nine-month-long probe into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years. The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The contempt action followed hours of raw debate on the House floor as Republicans stood by Trump and charged that Democrats were trying to politicize the attack on the Capitol by his supporters. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of criminalizing dissent, defended Scavino as a good man, and lobbed harsh criticism at members of the committee, some by name. Lets be honest, this is a political show trial, McCarthy said. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who sit on the select committee, were the only Republicans who voted in favor of the contempt charges. A conviction for contempt of Congress carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison. While pursuing contempt charges may not yield any new information for the Jan. 6 committeeany prosecutions could drag for months or yearsthe vote Wednesday was the latest attempt to show that witnesses will suffer consequences if they dont cooperate or at least appear for questioning. It was the third time the panel has sent contempt charges to the House floor. The first two referrals, sent late last year, were for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump ally Steve Bannon, who was indicted and will go on trial in July. The Justice Department has been slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows. Thompson suggested more witnesses could still be held in contempt in the weeks ahead even as the committee looks to wrap up the investigative portion of its work in the next two months. (Read more Capitol attack stories.) (Newser) Alex Jones was questioned Wednesday by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition, the AP reports. Relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Conn., sued Jones for defamation after he said the shooting never happened. A judge found Jones liable for damages and a trial on how much he should pay the families is set for August. Jones, who lives in Texas, had defied a judge's order to appear for a deposition in the case, saying he was too ill. But Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis said there wasnt enough evidence that Jones was too sick to attend and ordered him to come to Connecticut for questioning and pay escalating daily fines until he did so. Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the deposition began Tuesday and was to continue Wednesday. He said in the video that the families' lawyers began the deposition by demonizing him for his questioning official versions of events. Its just totally insane to sit there and watch this happen and to watch them lick their lips and lick their chops and think were going to finally shut Alex Jones down, Jones said. These people want to put us in prison for our speech. Jones lawyer, Norman Pattis, said tempers flared at times during the deposition on Tuesday, and much of the questioning was not related to the school shooting. I had the impression watching the attack on Mr. Jones that this trial will be about something far greater than what happened at Sandy Hook, Pattis said on the video. The trials going to be about ordinary peoples ability to say Im not buying it, I want to raise questions, I want to draw my own conclusions. The families lawyer, Christopher Mattei, said Jones has declared his entire deposition confidential even while he and his attorney conduct media interviews discussing the details. Accordingly, we are unable to comment further at this time, Mattei said. Jones paid $25,000 in fines for Friday and $50,000 in fines for Monday, according to court records. After the deposition ended Wednesday, Pattis filed a court document asking Bellis to return to Jones the $75,000 in fees he paid, which the judge said he could request only after sitting for questioning. Bellis did not immediately rule. (Read more Alex Jones stories.) (Newser) A court in Turkey has transferred the trial over Jamal Khashoggi's murder to Saudi Arabia, which is unlikely to even hear it, wiping away hopes from some human rights advocates that justice can finally be achieved for the journalist who was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. A panel of judges announced the decision Thursday amid President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's push to improve relations with Saudi Arabia and despite the objections of Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. "Let's not entrust the lamb to the wolf," Ali Ceylan, a lawyer for Cengiz, told the court before the decision was made, per the New York Times. He noted Erdogan himself once said justice did not exist in Saudi Arabia. But Erdogan, hoping to restore Turkey's economy and his influence in the Middle East, is eager to please Saudi Arabia at the moment. And according to the Wall Street Journal, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has demanded that he never speak of the murder again. Turkey's justice minister last week backed the prosecutor's request that the trial be transferred to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom refused to extradite the 26 Saudi defendants and only those who have testified can be convicted under Turkish law. But many hoped the largely symbolic trial would unveil more evidence of who was involved. A 2019 trial in Saudi Arabia painted the murder as occurring during a rogue operation, rather than with bin Salman's blessing. Eight unnamed low-level officials were ultimately handed prison terms. Higher-ups, including two of bin Salman's former aides, were among those to have been tried in absentia in Turkey. "In the same way Saudi Arabia covered up the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Turkey is now covering up its own investigation and its findings," says Agnes Callamard, a former UN special rapporteur who investigated the killing, per the Journal. It's "cowardice and denial of justice." In backing the transfer, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said officials would wait for the outcome of a new Saudi trial before dropping the case, per the Times. However, Saudi officials view the 2019 trial as final. Regardless, Khashoggi's fiancee has vowed to continue fighting for justice. "We all know who is guilty of Jamal's murder," says Cengiz, who previously sued the crown prince in US court. (Read more Jamal Khashoggi stories.) (Newser) Shanghai's phased lockdown to stamp out a COVID outbreak was not a successafter locking down one half of the city, then the other, a lockdown of both halves of the city has been extended indefinitely and case numbers have hit new records six days in a row. Public frustration is growing and some residents say they are running out of food, the BBC reports. The 25 million residents of China's biggest city are confined to their homes, not allowed to leave even to buy food. Delivery services have been overwhelmed and residents say supplies of food from the government are unreliable. Shanghai resident Zhang Yu tells the AP that she starts trying to order food online at 7am to feed her household of eight but it is always a struggle. "As soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, it says todays orders are filled. Residents have also been angered by policy that requires everybody who tests positive to be isolated in quarantine facilities, which has led to children and even babies being separated from their families, CNN reports. The government said Wednesday that the policy will be amended in the case of children with "special needs." With mass testing underway, Shanghai identified a record 19,982 cases Thursday, higher than any day of the Wuhan outbreak in early 2020, the South China Morning Post reports. With public criticism of the government rising to unusually high levels, authorities have pledged to improve supplies. They are also watching closely for signs of unrest. The AP reports that when Shanghai residents starting singing from apartment balconies this week, a drone appeared and broadcast the message: "Control the souls desire for freedom and do not open the window to sing. This behavior has the risk of spreading the epidemic. (Read more COVID-19 stories.) (Newser) Update: Nathaniel Glover, better known Kidd Creole, a founding member of hip-hop legends Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been sentenced to 16 years for killing a homeless man in 2017. The 61-year-old could been sentenced to up to 25 years in state prison for manslaughter, but prosecutors and the sentencing judge cited Glover's contrition after he stabbed homeless man John Jolly, 55, after an altercation on a Manhattan street, the New York Times reports. Glover's lawyer, who argued that Glover stabbed Jolly in self-defense, says there will be an appeal. Our original story from April 7 follows: Hip-hop pioneer Kidd Creole has been found guilty of manslaughter in the 2017 killing of a homeless man on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors say that the 61-year-old, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, stabbed 55-year-old John Jolly twice with a steak knife during a confrontation while Glover was on his way to his security guard job, the New York Times reports. Glover, a founding member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, will be sentenced on May 4. He was detained at Rikers Island awaiting trial for more than four years. Glover was initially charged with murder after the August 2017 incident. Prosecutors said Glover became angry because he thought Jolly, a registered sex offender who had been staying in a nearby shelter, had been hitting on him when he said "What's up?" as Glover walked past him just before midnight. Glover's lawyer, Scottie Celestin, argued that Glover feared he would be robbed and acted in self-defense after Jolly started following him, Rolling Stone reports. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is New York City. It's 12 o'clock at night. Who's saying 'What's up?' to you with good intentions?" Celestin told the jury. "His fear for his life was reasonable." Celestin also argued that Jolly was killed not by the stab wound, but by a large dose of the sedative Versed he was given after he arrived at the hospital "drunk and belligerent." (Read more New York City stories.) (Newser) Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, said Thursday that three things would be on his agenda when he spoke at NATO headquarters: "Weapons, weapons, and weapons." He said the country desperately needs weapons including war planes, air defense systems, missiles, and armored vehicles to fight the Russian invasion, the Guardian reports. G7 and NATO foreign ministers are in Brussels for an emergency meeting on the war. The G7 ministers issued a statement Thursday denouncing Russia's "brutal war of aggression." "The massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities and severe violations of international law," they said in a joint statement. Before Thursday's meeting, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged the alliance's 30 members to send more weapons to Ukraine and not just ones classed as defensive. "Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesnt actually have any real meaning," he said. In the US, the Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday night reviving the World War II-era "Lend-Lease" program to speed up the delivery of weapons and other supplies to Ukraine, New York Times reports. The measure is now headed for the House, which could pass it Thursday morning. Ukraine has urged civilians in eastern regions to evacuate before Russia steps up its offensive in the area, using troops that have retreated from the Kyiv region and elsewhere in the country's northeast. In an update Thursday, Britains defense ministry said "progressing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine is the main focus of Russian military forces," though Russia is also targeting infrastructure elsewhere to "degrade the ability of the Ukrainian military to resupply," the AP reports. Russian forces, however, "are likely to continue facing morale issues and shortages of supplies and personnel," the ministry said (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) Ketanji Brown Jackson is on the cusp of ascending to the Supreme Court, in what will be the first Senate confirmation of a Black woman to the nation's highest bench. An initial vote to avoid dozens of hours of debate on the 51-year-old judge's nomination will take place around 11am Thursday, after a deal struck by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with all 100 senators, reports the New York Times. After senators have the opportunity to speak on Jackson for just a few hours, a final confirmation vote will take place around 1:45pm. All Democratic senators are expected to vote yes on her confirmation, as are three GOP senators: Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins, who was the first Republican to announce support for Jackson. "Never before has the Supreme Court had a Black woman bear the title 'Justice,'" Schumer says, per the Wall Street Journal. "She will be the first, and I have no doubt in my mind that she will pave the way for others in the future." Jackson, who will replace liberal Justice Stephen Breyer after he retires this summer, will not only be the first Black woman on the high court, but also the first justice to have served as a public defender. During Jackson's confirmation hearings, other Republicans cited the judge's sentencing record and judicial approach as roadblocks to their votes of "yea." Her time as a public defender also came under fire, with GOP senators bringing up her defense of Guantanamo Bay detainees, among other criticisms. "As the majority party, Democrats are entitled to the last word if they want it," the Times notes of Thursday's process, noting that Republicans will have one final chance before that to "try to sway their colleagues and show that they fought until the bitter end." Once Jackson takes her seat on the bench, the Supreme Court will continue to lean in the conservative judges' favor, by a 6-3 count (Jackson will join Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor on the liberal side). Still, Thursday "will be a joyous day," Schumer said, per the Hill. "Joyous for the Senate, joyous for the Supreme Court, joyous for America." He added: "America ... will take a giant step to becoming a perfect nation." (Read more Ketanji Brown Jackson stories.) (Newser) Some $46 million worth of art on loan from Russian galleries to museums in Japan and Italy has been seized on the return trip. Customs officials in Finland seized the paintings, sculptures, and antiquities in three shipments at the Vaalimaa crossing of the Finland-Russia border on Friday and Saturday, in accordance with European Union sanctions against Russia, per the Washington Post. While Finnish customs officials did not give details on the artwork, Russia's Culture Ministry said Italy received items from the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the Hermitage Museum and the Tsarskoye Selo state museum in St. Petersburg, while items on loan to Japan came from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, per Reuters. The Hermitage requested the early return of works by Pablo Picasso, Titian, and Antonio Canova from Milan in early March, before the EU introduced sanctions banning the sale, supply, transfer, or export of luxury goods, including artwork, to Russia, per Artnet News, which suggests it was these pieces that were confiscated. "Finnish Customs will keep the art seized while they are needed for investigation as evidence. What happens next will depend on the outcome of the investigation," Sami Rakshit, director of Finnish Customs Enforcement Department, tells the Post. "We are not going to open the packages," Customs Enforcement Director Hannu Sinkkonen tells the AFP, describing the artworks as "priceless." Last month, Finnish Customs seized a 105-foot superyacht linked to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and barred another 21 yachts thought to be owned by Russian oligarchs from leaving the country, per the Helsinki Times. "We don't assume that all the detained yachts fall under sanctions, but that is what we are trying to determine now," Rakshit said at the time, per Insider. In a new release, Rakshit notes "it is important that the enforcement of sanctions works effectively." French officials may feel differently. Per Artnet, the country has agreed to return 200 paintings on loan to Paris' Fondation Louis Vuitton from Russia, including pieces by Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh, though "exactly how the artworks will travel back to Russia remains unclear." (Read more Russia sanctions stories.) (Newser) If Peter Kassig was true to his word, the only thought running through his mind as he was beheaded by Islamic State terrorists was how much his parents loved him. Ed Kassig, the father of the US aid worker who was taken hostage in Syria in 2013 and killed a year later, read Wednesday from a handwritten letter, delivered to him by a freed hostage, during the sixth day of the terrorism trial of 33-year-old jihadi El Shafee Elsheikh in Alexandria, Va. Prosecutors believe Elsheikh to be a member of the ISIS "Beatles" who played a leading role in the scheme to abduct and kill Westerners, including Kassig, fellow US aid worker Kayla Mueller, and journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. "Part of me still has hope. Part of me is sure I'm going to die," Peter Kassig wrote to his father in May 2014, per the Guardian. He noted his captors tried to convince hostages that their families and countries had abandoned them. "But of course we know you are doing everything you can and more," Kassig wrote. "Don't worry, Dad, if I do go down I won't go thinking anything but what I know to be true, that you and Mom love me more than the moon!" He added he would take some comfort in knowing that his death came "as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need." "The testimony left many in the courtroom fighting back tears," per the Guardian. Nicolas Henin, a French journalist and hostage released in 2014, described how he was strung up by his wrists, then left in a cell for 11 days with his wrists chained to his ankles after he escaped a desert prison in Syria and was recaptured. Henin's knowledge of the site led to a rescue attempt in July 2014, by which time the other hostages had been moved. But photos of the site shown in court included weapons and iron restraints. "And you can see the word KaylaK-A-Y-L-Ascratched on the wall," FBI agent Dan Story testified Wednesday, per the Guardian, drawing "an involuntary murmur" from the crowd. Kayla Mueller was raped by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before her death. Her mother testified Tuesday that she'd begged for her daughter's life in emails to captors, per the BBC. Story couldn't say whether forensic evidence linked Elsheikh to the prison. Elsheikh's lawyers say he's not who prosecutors believe him to be. None of the former hostages who testified could conclusively identify him as the man they called "Ringo," per the Guardian. All captors reportedly wore masks in the company of hostages. Alexanda Amon Kotey, a "Beatles" member who was captured alongside Elsheikh in Syria in January 2018, then turned over to US forces in Iraq in October 2020, pleaded guilty in September. Of the other "Beatles" members, Aine Davis is imprisoned for terrorism in Turkey, while Mohammed Emwazi, aka "Jihadi John," died in a drone strike in 2015. (Read more Islamic State stories.) Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) has signed a line maintenance contract with Mena Aerospace Enterprises (MAE Aircraft Management) to offer both scheduled and chartered transportation services worldwide. Under this partnership, BAS will be providing Line Maintenance services to MAE aircrafts based in Bahrain International Airport. The Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) underpins the superior service offered by BAS in partnership with MAE Aircraft Management while demonstrating its capabilities in the field. The contract enables BAS to provide line maintenance services for Menas Boeing B737 Freighter aircraft which includes defect rectification, troubleshooting, component replacement and scheduled maintenance checks to ensure it remains fit to fly. The agreement reiterates the many years of collaboration between BAS and Mena Aerospace Enterprises. "At BAS, we derive satisfaction in carrying out line maintenance services for airlines who have chosen BIA as their preferred destination," stated Mohammed Khalil, CEO of BAS. We are delighted to be collaborating with other companies in the area, such as Mena Aerospace, as we endeavour to use our industry expertise and knowledge to help our clients." Dr Mohamed Juman MD of Mena Aerospace commented: Mena Aerospace takes pride in partnering with BAS to provide on-time scheduled service to and from BAH. It is yet another proof of the collective objective of Companies based in Bahrain of optimizing their operations by co-operating for mutual benefit. TradeArabia News Service (Newser) More than a million customers in Puerto Rico remained without electricity on Thursday after a fire at a main power plant caused the biggest blackout so far this year across the US territory, forcing it to cancel classes and shutter government offices. The blackout also left some 160,000 customers without water and snarled traffic across the island of 3.2 million people, where the roar of generators and smell of diesel filled the air, per the AP. Those who couldn't afford generators and have medical conditions such as diabetes, which depends on refrigerated insulin, worried about how much longer they'd be without power. Luma, the company that took over transmission and distribution from Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority last year, said the exact cause of the interruption is unknown, but that the blackout could have been caused by a circuit-breaker failure Wednesday at the Costa Sur generation plantone of four main plants on the island. "The system is being restored little by little," said Kevin Acevedo, a Luma vice president, adding that the company is trying to complete the work within 24 hours. "The people of Puerto Rico have to understand that it's a system with a lot of years." As for the cause, "it's going to require an exhaustive investigation," Acevedo said, adding that the equipment whose failure sparked the fire had been properly maintained. Officials said at least three generation units were back online by Thursday, with crews working to restore more. Police officers were stationed at main intersections to help direct traffic on Thursday, while health officials checked in at hospitals to ensure generators were still running. The outage occurred two months before the Atlantic hurricane season starts, worrying many about the condition of Puerto Rico's electrical grid. "Yes, the system is fragile, no one is denying that, but we're prepared," Acevedo said. The outage further enraged Puerto Ricans already frustrated with an electricity system razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Emergency repairs were made at the time, but reconstruction efforts haven't yet started, and power company officials blame aging, ill-maintained infrastructure for the ongoing outages. A series of strong earthquakes that struck southern Puerto Rico, where the Costa Sur plant is located, also had damaged it. In June last year, a large fire at a substation in the capital of San Juan left hundreds of thousands without power. Another fire at a power plant in September 2016 sparked an island-wide blackout. (Read more Puerto Rico stories.) (Newser) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene did not take kindly to Jimmy Kimmel's suggestion that Will Smith could deal with the "Klan mom." In a Wednesday tweet, the congresswoman said she had referred the late-night host to Capitol Police for "this threat of violence against me." Kimmel had dedicated part of his Tuesday monologue to Greene, who'd described Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitt Romney of Utah as "pro-pedophile" for their support of Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court, per Deadline. Jackson denies Republican claims that she is lenient toward child pornographers. "Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him?" Kimmel joked after reading Greene's tweet on Jimmy Kimmel Live, seemingly referring to the moment Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at last month's Oscars. Greene tweeted out the clip on Wednesday, adding she had reported the host to Capitol Police. Capitol Police "recently sought to bolster its response to violent threats against lawmakers" following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, per Insider. However, it's unclear if officers will consider Kimmel's statement as a legitimate threat. The agency tells Rolling Stone that it "cannot confirm or discuss any potential investigations." The outlet suggests Greene is guilty of hypocrisy, given that she "has repeatedly brushed off and at times defended the violence at the Capitol last Jan. 6." A rep for Greene's office tells Insider that it "takes all threats of violence towards the Congresswoman very seriously" and Kimmel's call "for violence to be committed against Congresswoman Greene will not be tolerated." Kimmel responded in a Wednesday tweet: "Officer? I would like to report a joke." (Jackson is poised to become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court despite Greene's objections.) (Newser) More evidence has surfaced that despite Russia's denials, its forces have committed atrocities in Ukraine. Germany's foreign intelligence service has briefed members of its parliament, Der Spiegel reports, about satellite images it has showing Russian involvement, as well as radio chatter it intercepted about civilian deaths. Ukrainian officials have reported finding the bodies of civiliansmany apparently executed, some of them with evidence of tortureleft in the streets of towns as Russian troops withdrew; Russia has denied responsibility and called the Ukrainian reports a hoax. One of the intercepted Russian conversations includes a man saying, "First you interrogate soldiers, then you shoot them." Another seems to have one soldier telling another that Russia troops just shot someone on a bicycle, which would support a widely seen photo of a dead body next to a bike. The conversations took place north of Kyiv, an area that includes Bucha, though the transmissions haven't been definitively linked to the town. The satellite images do demonstrate Russian culpability in the civilian killings in Bucha, a German intelligence official told the Washington Post. Western officials said Russian troops use unsecured communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios. The main question raised by the intercepted chatter is whether Russian soldiers were "acting pursuant to some plan or some general direction," said Alex Whiting, who has coordinated investigations at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. "Just the fact that they would be talking to each other about these killings would indicate that and would disprove any suggestion that these were kind of spontaneous, random events," he said. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) For the first time, a Black woman will hear cases on the Supreme Court. The Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the court, where she will replace the retiring Stephen Breyer. The vote was 53-47, reports the Washington Post. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah joined all Democrats in voting for her. The 51-year-old Jackson currently sits on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Her elevation to the high court will not change the court's 6-3 conservative majority. CNN notes that she will not be sworn in until after Breyer retires this summer. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said it was a joyous, momentous, groundbreaking day in his remarks on the Senate floor. This milestone should have happened generations agogenerations agobut we are always trodding on a path towards a more perfect union, he said. America today is taking a giant step towards making our union more perfect. Jackson's Republicans critics, notably Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri, generally accused her of being soft on crime, though the Post notes that her sentencings have not been "out of line for federal judges generally." (Read more Ketanji Brown Jackson stories.) (Newser) New York's attorney general is calling for former President Trump to be fined $10,000 a day until he hands over requested documents. Letitia James asked a state court Thursday to hold Trump in contempt, accusing him of failure to comply with a court order to submit documents related to his business empire, reports CNN. In her filing, James says Trump failed to meet a March 31 deadline to hand over the information, part of James' investigation into alleged fraud. Among other things, James accuses Trump of misstating the value of parts of his business to banks, taxing authorities, and others, per the AP. "Mr. Trump should now be held in civil contempt and fined in an amount sufficient to coerce his compliance with the Court's order and compensate OAG for its fees and costs associated with this motion," per the filing. Neither Trump nor his lawyers have directly responded to the complaint, but his legal team has previously objected to the subpoenas requiring him to turn over the documents. (In other Trump news, the former president says he regrets not joining supporters who marched on the Capitol.) Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 35F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low around 35F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. The Pearl Lounge at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has received a 5-star rating from Skytrax, a UK-based consultancy which runs an airline and airport review every year. It comes on the back of detailed inspections and professional analysis and appraisal of quality standards by the Skytrax audit team. The Skytrax rating is the top accolade awarded to airline lounges that deliver the highest overall quality performance and recognizes exceptional facilities, amenities, and services. Lauding the achievement, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister and Bahrain Airport Company Chairman Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, expressed his pride at BIAs achievement that comes on the back of another 5-star rating by Skytrax in February. The British consultancy issues a list of the best airports, airlines, and airport lounges in the world on an annual basis. The Minister expressed his gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his patronage and continuous support of the aviation sector as well as the support of the government, headed by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to bolster its achievements. "This achievement reflects the tireless efforts of the BAC and Hala Bahrain teams who strive to implement the highest international standards in their provision of services to travellers and airlines," remarked Kamal bin Mohammed while speaking at an event hosted by BAC and Hala Bahrain at The Pearl Lounge. Bahrain Airport Company CEO Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said airport lounges are one of the most appreciated aspects of the travel experience for premium passengers and BIA strives to maintain the highest standards at The Pearl Lounges. "Offering traditional Bahraini hospitality in a modern setting, the lounges provide an ideal and exceptional retreat for individuals, groups, business travelers, and families," noted Binfalah. Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said that "fashioned on the principles and design of a 5-Star hotel, The Pearl Lounge is finished to the most excellent standard, offering a most luxurious and relaxing ambiance where customers can easily forget they are in an international airport." "The lounge decor and furnishings are of a truly exceptional standard," he added. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain yesterday launched a new scheme for the private sector to invest in government lands. The scheme is part of Economic Recovery Plan being implemented by the kingdoms government. It was launched jointly by the Finance and National Economy Ministry, Works, Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning Ministrty and Edamah (the real-estate arm of the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain). The details of the scheme are available on investmentland.gov.bh. Speaking at the press conference held last night at Arcapita Bahrain Bay in connection with the launch of the scheme, Essam Khalaf, Minister of Works, Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning, said government lands are available for private sector investments across all four governorates in the Kingdom. Two processes will be deployed to select the investors - public bidding and competitive negotiation. While public bidding will be used for finding the right investor in recreational investment opportunities, competitive negotiation will be put in place to zero in on right investors in other projects. He added that many important real estate projects including the development of Sitra Central Market will be part of the initiative. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Chief Executive Officer of Real Estate Regulatory Authority, said the objective of the initiative is to meet the ultimate goals of the real estate sector in collaboration with the private investors. This initiative will definitely contribute towards a real estate boom in the country. The plan will also take into consideration the requirements of residents in a particular area, where lands are offered for development. Amna Ahmed Rashid Al Romaihi, Undersecretary for National Economy within the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, said the bidding process will be carried out through an e-website, making it fully transparent and convenient to the prospective investors. An expert committee will be tasked with the process of finding the right investor for a particular project, she pointed out. Khalid Humaidan, Chief Executive of Economic Development Board, said the initiative is very much in line with the Kingdoms Vision 2030. This will offer a great investment opportunity for private players to join hands with the government to take the real estate sector to new heights. Amin Alarrayed, Chief Executive Officer, Edamah, said the organisation will be in charge of handing over 26,335 square meters to the investors for development. We will be focusing on seven projects including the ones in Muharraq and Askar. It is learnt that foreign investors will be allowed to participate in this initiative. More details regarding the initiative will be available in the coming days. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Staff reporter It is going to be a hard time for air travellers in Bahrain as the prices of air tickets are expected to remain high in the coming days. The ticket prices have already increased between 15 and 20 per cent since the beginning of Ramadan four days ago. Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a senior manager with a leading travel and tours company, said there are multiple reasons for the price rise. Global civil aviation industry is one place where you see the Butterfly Effect the most. Any political turmoil or slight economic shifts can drastically increase the price of air tickets. As of now, we have two global components the rising oil price and Russia-Ukrainian war. Oil prices are expected to remain reasonably high in the coming days and no solution has been found until now to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said the third factor is the incompleteness in the updating process of new flight schedules from all major international airlines. We can see that many countries including Bahrain have eased Covid-19 restrictions as new cases have become minimal. And this easing of restrictions is having direct implications on the aviation sector as the pandemic had a direct impact on global travel. The senior manager pointed out that, however, many international flights failed to update their schedules in line with easing of restrictions, which is also one of the factors behind this air ticket price rise. Almost all major international airlines are in the process of updating their schedules and once the process gets completed, I believe there will be a correction in the air fares. But again, that would happen only if the geopolitical situation and oil prices remain stable. Global aviation fuel prices surged to near 14-year highs in line with crude oils surge last Month and banning Russian oil imports following Moscows invasion of Ukraine is considered the major reason. And this factor continues to put a severe strain on the financials of all airline companies, which were financially devastated by intermittent lockdowns and resultant global travel bans. Bahrain resident Rajesh Kuchal, who plans a visit to his home country India, next week said he is in a state of panic over rising air fares. My parents live in India, whom I visit frequently as they suffer from many health issues. Rising airfares are definitely a matter to panic in these tough times when requesting a salary hike is unimaginable. I acknowledge the losses suffered by airline companies during the pandemic. But now, the majority of air travellers are from medium or low-income levels unlike the past when only the affluent flew in the sky. I request the authorities to exercise a regulatory control over air prices in order to ensure that justice is served to air travellers from low or middle-income backgrounds. According to an interdisciplinary scientific theory called the Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect concept has been used as a broad term for any situation where a small change is supposed to be the cause of larger consequences. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain will join the world in celebrating the World Health Day, which is observed annually on April 7 and sheds light every year on a key health issue touching all countries across the globe. This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched Our Planet, Our Health theme that highlights the preservation of the health of our planet and our societies and urges global attention towards cooperation on planet Earth and health. The focus is on the close links between the planet and health, and the need for individuals, communities, governments and organisations around the world to share their stories about the steps they are taking to protect our planet and our health. The World Health Day 2022 urges governments to give priority to human welfare and environmental stability in decision making. It also underlines the importance of implementing policies related to the production and use of clean energy, encouraging reduction of carbon, avoiding foods and drinks rich in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats, implementing policies to curb wasting food, fighting smoking, working out policies to reduce plastic waste and integrating psychological health in procedures and policies related to the environment to ensure the best response to climate change. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The mutual appreciation energy between the King of Bahrain and America is a renewed historical pillar of strategic success. The war to liberate Kuwait pushed America to a deeper alliance with Bahrain in preserving the security and peace of the region. Bahrains powerful union with Kuwait strengthened Americas awareness of the importance of the two brotherly countries as a vital and influential field. The mutual appreciation between America and Bahrain is a supreme value that has proven its ability to enhance the global role of the two countries. Bahraini intellectual Dr Nooh Khalifa said that the energy of mutual appreciation between Bahrain and America is a renewed historical pillar of strategic successes and various developments of regional and global peace and security issues. Speaking to the Daily Tribune, Dr Khalifa added that the intense Bahraini-American political and military efforts aimed at liberating the State of Kuwait constituted a decisive factor that established a deeper Bahraini-American alliance. Dr Khalifa noted the pace of the alliance between both countries in securing the Arabian Gulf since the Gulf War, which witnessed the largest US military participation since the Vietnam War and the most prominent Bahraini military participation since its independence. Dr Khalifa added that US President Bush Sr. and the late Amir of Bahrain Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa had prominent movements in restoring the legitimate authority of Kuwait as that era witnessed consultations and mutual appreciation between the two friendly countries. When the King of Bahrain was Crown Prince, he discussed the movement of world capitals to liberate Kuwait and develop relations between the two countries with the Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee in Congress Senator Samuel. Dr Khalifa noted the continuity of the roles of the King of Bahrain when he was Crown Prince and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force in supporting the land and air participation in the liberation of Kuwait and his follow-up on developments at the Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders. He also added that the late Amir of Bahrain had received a message from US President George Bush Senior in which he confirmed Bahrains prominent role and the motive formed by its efforts to insist that the two countries work together as they worked in the war to liberate Kuwait to maintain security. This was an early American awareness of the strength of the Bahrain and Kuwait union and the influence of the two countries stemming from Bahrains position in the middle of the Gulf and Kuwait on the northern entrance as a field for influential strategic roles, added Dr Khalifa. The King of Bahrain at the time proceeded to appreciate Americas efforts as the US expressed intentions to do everything necessary to ensure the security of the region on the side-lines of discussions between the Late Amir of Bahrain and the US Defence Minister. The energy of the Bahraini-American mutual appreciation in protecting the security of the region and the liberation of Kuwait was a mainstay for the development of relations and the formation of more profound Bahraini-American defence features. Dr Khalifa spoke about America being honoured after the liberation war by the late Amir of Bahrain Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain when he was Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Defence Force. He noted the awarding of the US Central Commands Aviation Commander with the Bahrain Medal of the First Class for his sincere and effective efforts in managing the air forces of the coalition forces in Operation Desert Storm. Dr Khalifa also referred to the awarding of US Defence Secretary Richard Cheney the Bahrain Medal of the First Class for his contribution to developing relations between America and Bahrain towards further progress in maintaining the security of the region. The meeting between the US Secretary of Defence, the Aviation Commander at the US Central Command, the late Amir of Bahrain and the King of Bahrain when he was Crown Prince confirmed Bahrains vital role in the liberation process, added Dr Khalifa. The mutual appreciation between America and Bahrain in particular and the Gulf States in general is a supreme value that has proven its ability to develop historical relations and enhance its global role. Dr Khalifa also referred to the importance of the historical union between Bahrain and Kuwait and their maritime geographical area and its greater depth about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whose relationship with them is distinguished by interconnectedness across all levels. Golden rape flowers in China's Jiangsu province attract numerous tourists (People's Daily App) 15:18, April 07, 2022 Tourists enjoy the view of golden rape flowers by boat in the Qianduo scenic area in Xinghua, East China's Jiangsu province. The panorama of the rivers and waterways winding through the fields of rape flower is unique in China. (Video source: Kuaishou) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY A rent-free lease that the city approved this week for a police substation at the sprawling office park known as the Summit will give officers more time on their patrols by giving them a place on the west side to conduct interviews, complete paperwork and take breaks. It will allow our west side units to stay on the west side as much as possible, said Chief Patrick Ridenhour on Wednesday, one day after the City Council approved a deal with the 1.2 million-square-foot office park to provide a ground floor substation at no cost to Danbury. Can you give us some idea of how it is going to be staffed? asked Paul Rotello, the City Councils Democratic minority leader, during a meeting on Tuesday. Ridenhour responded that the substation wouldnt be staffed with a desk officer during regular hours, but would be available on a flexible basis. It is an operations base for our officers assigned to the west side so they wouldnt always have to come to headquarters to do paperwork, to meet with people who may live on the west sideor to take their breaks, Ridenhour said. Its a space that we could use for meetings. Ridenhour was referring to a 2,200-square foot substation with office space, an interview room, bathrooms and a kitchenette break area. As part of the rent-free lease, the Summit is also providing a 950-square-foot office and storage space for the citys Office of Emergency Management. The west side, anchored by the Danbury Fair mall and fueled by residential development and booming business on Mill Plain Road, has been leading the city in economic development for years. With the resurgence of the Summit office park comes plans to build 400 apartments, along with office and retail space. Summit tenants and residents of the west side may find it easier to meet with police at the substation rather than travel to the departments downtown headquarters on Main Street, Ridenhour said. The substation will have all the capabilities of headquarters, except for holding cells. The (Summit is) being generous to a fault in providing this space for us but also it appears that they are going to be providing some IT equipment that the department will need during the course of their operation? Rotello asked Ridenhour on Tuesday. It will be our equipment so there would be no overlapping, Ridenhour said. They would have no access to any of our system. That was the question, Rotello said. It will be under our control at all times? Yes, Ridenhour said. Council member Farley Santos asked whether anything had changed about the substation lease now that Danbury abandoned its plans to build a school in the Summit in favor of a new plan at the Cartus campus off Kenosia Avenue. No, responded Ridenhour. Santos was referring to Danburys $164 million plan to build a high school and middle school for 1,400 students on a 30-acre campus, which will go to voters for approval in June. In response, the Summit will build additional apartments where the city had planned to build classrooms. On Tuesday Mayor Dean Esposito went out of his way to say that the citys relationship with the owners of the Summit was strong, despite the deal that fell through with the school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Summit for providing this (substation) service for us. Obviously, it is going to be good for their residents and it is going to be good for the local neighborhood as well. It is going to be good for our police department, Esposito said. [W]e have a really good working relationship with those from the Summit. We are going to encourage their development. We always have. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 DANBURY A New York man was charged with various narcotics offenses after police found fentanyl, crack cocaine and ecstasy pills in his Danbury hotel room, according to the Danbury Police Department. Detectives were investigating illegal drug sales from local hotel rooms in the area. Assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Danbury Police Patrol Division, detectives with the police departments Special Investigations Division identified 49-year-old Peter Vetere of Brewster, N.Y., as a target, Detective Sgt. John Krupinsky said in a press release Wednesday. Just last month, Vetere had been charged with operating a drug factory in his Danbury apartment after detectives discovered a loaded 9mm handgun, fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine. He was released on $250,000 bond, Krupinsky said. Detectives later obtained search warrants for Vetere, his car and the hotel room where he was staying. Law enforcement also identified an associate of Vetere, 29-year-old Amanda Fitzgerald, according to Krupinsky. Detectives and agents approached Vetere in his vehicle parked at a hotel in Danbury and found Vetere with fentanyl and more than $1,300 in cash. In the car, police discovered more bags of fentanyl and crack cocaine, Krupinsky said. Vetere and his passenger, 56-year-old Kathleen McKinney, were taken into custody, according to Krupinsky. As law enforcement went to search his hotel room, they found Fitzgerald and more crack cocaine, fentnayl and ecstasy pills in the room, according to Krupinsky. Vetere was charged with five counts of possession of a controlled substance, five counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held on $500,000 bond. Fitzgerald, of Danbury, was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. McKinney, also of Danbury, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. MONTREAL, April 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (TSX: AYA) (OTCQX: AYASF) ("Aya" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that effective today, its common shares commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker symbol "AYASF". Prior to this, Aya's common shares were quoted on the Pink market under the symbol "MYAGF". U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and real-time quotes for the Corporation on www.otcmarkets.com. Benoit La Salle, President & CEO, commented, "We are pleased to announce the upgrade to the OTCQX Best Market, a designation that improves liquidity and aligns with our commitment to meet higher financial standards for compliance, disclosure and corporate governance. Trading our stock on the OTCQX improves transparency and expands our accessibility to current and prospective U.S. and global shareholders." Dentons US LLP acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX Best Market, OTCQB Venture Market and Pink Open Market. Our OTC Link Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets. OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. About Aya Gold & Silver Inc. Aya Gold & Silver Inc. is a rapidly growing, Canada-based silver producer with operations in the Kingdom of Morocco. The only TSX-listed pure silver mining company, Aya operates the high-grade Zgounder Silver Mine and is exploring its properties along the prospective South-Atlas Fault, several of which have hosted past-producing mines and historical resources. Aya's Moroccan mining assets are complemented by its Tijirit Gold Project in Mauritania, which is being advanced to feasibility. Aya's management team has been focused on maximising shareholder value by anchoring sustainability at the heart of its operations, governance, and financial growth plans. For additional information, please visit Aya's website at www.ayagoldsilver.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain or incorporate by reference, certain statements, other than historical facts, including but not limited to any information as to the future financial or operating performance of Aya, that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"), which reflects management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding Aya's future growth and business prospects (including the timing and development of deposits and the success of exploration activities) and other opportunities as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements include future events and opportunities including, without limitation, statements with respect to: exploration and development potential of Zgounder, our estimates, expectations, forecasts and guidance, production costs of sales, all-in sustaining cost and capital expenditures, cost savings, project economics (including net present value and internal rates of return) and other information contained in the feasibility study; as well as references to other possible events, the future price of silver, the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, estimates of necessary capital, cost of capital, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of the project and mining and processing activities, permitting timelines, currency fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, and environmental risks. Wherever possible, words such as "develop", "support", "provide", "comfort", "commit", "deliver", "support", "contribute", "confirm", "intend", and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", or are "likely" to be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release reflect management's current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Aya cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions, and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. Aya cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including 1) there being no significant disruptions affecting the operations of the Corporation whether due to COVID-19 restrictions, artisanal miners, access to water, extreme weather events and other or related natural disasters, labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; (2) permitting, development, operations and production from the Zgounder project being consistent with the Corporations' expectations; (3) political and legal developments in the Kingdom of Morocco being consistent with its current expectations; (4) the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Moroccan Dirham being approximately consistent with current levels; (5) certain price assumptions for silver; (6) prices for diesel, process reagents, fuel oil, electricity and other key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; (7) production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; (8) the accuracy of the current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates of the Corporation; (9) labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with the Corporation's current expectations; and (10) asset impairment (or reversal) potential, being consistent with the Corporation's current expectations. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2021 and the "Risk Analysis" section of our Q3/2021 Management's Discussion & Analysis and in other filings of Aya with securities and regulatory authorities which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Corporation. Aya disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. SOURCE Aya Gold & Silver Inc For further information: Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] Or Contact: Benoit La Salle, FCPA FCA, President and CEO, [email protected] ; Alex Ball, VP, Corporate Development & IR, [email protected] Enforcement Directorate searched six locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in connection with a money-laundering investigation into alleged "forced conversions" in UP On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved against two prominent Opposition leaders, provisionally attaching assets worth Rs 115 crore linked to three people in Mumbai, including the wife of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, and assets worth Rs 4.81 crore of companies allegedly linked to AAP leader and Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain and his relatives in a separate move. ED claimed their case is tied to suspected irregularities in Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Housing Development and Infrastructure LtdPatra ,s chawl reconstruction project in Goregaon (HDIL). The attachment of properties linked to five firms was made in conjunction with a money laundering case against the Delhi Health Minister, according to the central agency in Delhi. Under the PMLA, the agency issued a provisional attachment to freeze the land pieces (plots) and flats. The attachment is tied to a money-laundering investigation into a claimed landscam of Rs 1,034 crore involving the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai. After Pakistan PMs appeal to the Supreme Court of dissolving the national assembly and scheduling new elections, Pakistans Supreme Court convened for the third time on Wednesday to rule on the legitimacy of PM Imran Khans weekend decision. The court says it will only decide whether the deputy speaker violated the constitution by refusing to allow a vote on a no-confidence motion against Khan, despite the fact that this may lead to the assemblys dissolution. Chief Justice Bandial said, Judiciary can interfere in parliamentary affairs over constitutional violation. When a crucial coalition partner stated its seven legislators would vote with the opposition, Mr Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party effectively lost majority in the 342-member house. More than a dozen members of the ruling party have already signaled that they will vote against Khan. In the midst of a serious economic crisis in Sri Lanka, India is offering a financial package to Colombo in order to help it meet some of its more pressing demands and stabilize its own economy. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar promised Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday that India would continue to assist them in dealing with the economic crisis. India has offered a $1 billion line of credit to enable Sri Lanka to obtain critical commodities like food and medicines. It has provided a $500 million credit line for the purchase of crude oil. As well as aided Sri Lanka in dealing with the balance of payment issue by extending a $400 million currency swap along with deferring a $515 million Asian Clearing Union (ACU) settlement. On Saturday, a delivery of 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India arrived in Sri Lanka. India has further pledged to spend more in Sri Lanka, whether on ports, energy, power, tourism, or information technology. Currently, India plays an important role in Sri Lankas economic recovery. FAIRFIELD A Fairfield native living in Germany decided donating was not the most she could do when Russia invaded Ukraine, causing millions of refugees to flee west in Europe. But as the war intensified and dragged on, Emily Kilgannon-Neumann, a Fairfield Warde alumna who graduated in 2012, said she started looking for ways she could help more directly, especially given Germanys proximity to Ukraine. That way manifested in the form of participating in relief convoys driving from Germany into Poland. I wanted to be part of something more, she said. I just couldnt sit at home and be happy with myself. I needed to go out and do something. Kilgannon-Neumann, a research technician at a biology lab, said she was immediately interested in helping the people of Ukraine when the war started, as she has been watching whats happening there on the news. It was definitely scary, she said of watching a war so close to her. Kilgannon-Neumann has lived in Germany since 2015, now residing in the village of Uthlede, and considers it her home. Leading up to the beginning of the war, there was a lot of news going on and tensions were rising, she said. To be honest, I think I personally didnt actually think a war would begin. It just seemed almost unreal that something like that could happen in todays day and age here in Europe. When Russia started its invasion on Feb. 24, Kilgannon-Neumann said there was a lot of concern that it would lead to a third world war. After donating but deciding she needed to do more, Kilgannon-Neumann found online chat groups where people were discussing making supply runs to Poland. She said the people in the convoys were bringing food, medicine and other supplies to Ukrainians in Poland who had fled the war and then bringing people back with them into Germany. I thought, I can definitely do that. I have a car. I have a license, and its not that far away, she said. Its only like a 12-hour drive, which, for Americans, thats nothing. Kilgannon-Neumann said she posted in one of the chats asking for a co-pilot, and a Welsh man answered the call inviting her to a convoy. After some deliberation over how safe it would be to join them, she decided to go ahead with it. This is more important, she said. It turned out to be a really great thing. The first convoy was on March 4. The 25-person group met up in a supermarket parking lot in Berlin and the 14-car convoy drove to Krakow, breaking into small groups once they got there. Her group found out a family was coming in from the border of Poland and Ukraine. She said they picked the family up and informed them of the plan to bring them to Hamburg, Germany, noting they were lucky that one of the family members spoke good English and helped them communicate. Her car had a woman and her teen son, as well as a woman around her age and who shared a lot of similarities with her, Kilgannon-Neumann said. She said that she studied in Germany as well and was interested in the German language and biology, she said. She was really hoping that she was going to go back to university to study, and then the war started. Shes not really sure what the future is going to look like for her. Kilgannon-Neumann said the teenager in her car spoke some English and just told them he was worried for his father, who had to stay behind, as well as his family and friends still in Ukraine. He was a bit traumatized from the situation, she said. He was not doing too well. He did speak to us a little bit and expressed that he was very, very worried about the future. Kilgannon-Neumann said she was mission focused in the moment, and knew she had to be strong. You just want to help these people, she said. You dont want to make the situation worse and more traumatic for them. But Kilgannon-Neumann said she found herself more bothered by the war after dropping off the family in Hamburg, Germany and coming home. They were such good people. You see these photos from the war and I dont like to think about it, but I sometimes think that could have been them, she said. The youngest kid was 7 years old and hes so little. I dont know if he really understood what was going on. I just dont think a small child should experience that. Kilgannon-Neumann said that first convoy she was in brought 43 people to Germany. This past weekend she did another convoy, albeit a smaller one. It was just me and one other car it was a minibus, she said. We brought medical supplies, food and things like that. We also took people back. This time we brought back eight people. A gofundme set up for people who want to support Kilgannon-Neumanns work can be found at https://gofund.me/f6df864e joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com ST. LOUIS (AP) A Chinese national who pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing a trade secret from agribusiness giant Monsanto while he worked in Missouri has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. Haitao Xiang, formerly of Chesterfield, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in St. Louis to 29 months in prison and fined $150,000. Xiang also must undergo three years of supervision upon his release from prison. In January, Xiang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit economic espionage. Federal prosecutors said Xiang transferred a trade secret to a memory card and then attempted to take it to China for the benefit of the Chinese government. Xiang worked as an imaging scientist for Monsanto and one of its subsidiaries, The Climate Corporation, from 2008 to 2017. Court records say Monsanto and The Climate Corporation developed a digital online farming software platform to help farmers collect field data to increase productivity. Part of the platform was an algorithm called the Nutrient Optimizer, which the companies considered a trade secret and their intellectual property. In June 2017, the day after leaving employment with the companies, Xiang tried to fly to China, prosecutors said. During a search, investigators found one of Xiangs electronic devices contained copies of the Nutrient Optimizer. Xiang flew to China, where he worked for the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Soil Science. He was arrested when he returned to the United States. The case was brought as part of a 2018 Justice Department effort called the China Initiative, which was intended to crack down on trade secret theft and economic espionage. The department retired the China Initiative name in February amid criticism that federal agents and prosecutors were being overly aggressive in their pursuit of Chinese academics on American college campuses. But the departments top national security official, Matthew Olsen, said at the time that the department would continue to go after Chinese espionage and that it stood behind its ongoing investigations and prosecutions related to China. DENVER (AP) A Colorado legislative panel advanced a bill Thursday to add protections for elections workers after hearing disturbing testimony about escalating threats that have prompted many to quit or take security training so they feel safe in their public-service work. State and local elections officials told the House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee that their workers, from municipal front-office staff to county clerks to the states highest-ranking elections officials, have experienced an escalation of threats since the 2020 presidential election. The threats delivered by email, phone, or by the posting on social media of home addresses of workers and their family members have left some local authorities confronting staff shortages ahead of Colorado's June primaries and the November midterms. The threats have also prompted some workers to wear bulletproof vests to and from work around elections time and add active-shooter training to routine elections training in several counties, said the bills sponsors and several county clerks. Colorados elections workers have truly faced unprecedented threats, especially over the past two years, simply for doing their jobs, said Democratic Rep. Emily Sirota, a bill sponsor. She lamented that public servants across the political spectrum are being villainized as conspiracy theories rooted in former President Donald Trumps debunked claims of fraud threaten to destabilize the transparent administration of elections. It is our hope that this bill will grant some peace of mind to some of our most vulnerable and hard-working officials, she said. Crafted with the input of prosecutors and the Colorado County Clerks Association, the bill would allow elections workers to have their personal information, such as home addresses, redacted from public records that could be accessed by others. It also creates a misdemeanor crime for anyone using personal information to threaten or influence elections workers, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or a jail term up to 364 days, or both. Threatening or intimidating election officials while they are working or retaliating them because of their work would be punishable by a fine of up to $750 or 120 days in jail, or both. The committee advanced the legislation for consideration by the full House on an 8-2 bipartisan vote. Its part of a legislative package to increase security for Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Colorados top elections official, and other top state officials and lawmakers. The package also includes a wide-ranging bill aimed at cracking down on attempted sabotage of voting equipment -- a direct response to allegations against Tina Peters, a Mesa County elections clerk who has been indicted for allegedly plotting to breach voting system technology. Peters denies wrongdoing. Peg Pearl, elections director for suburban Arapahoe County, said her department has been hit an with unprecedented number of departures and retirements over the past 18 months and the loss of front-line office workers who interact with the public because of the increase in threats. We need about 500 temporary workers for the midterm in our county, Pearl said. I dont know that were going to reach that number at all. Customer-service training for those workers now includes violence? de-escalation technique and its bolstered by training on how to react in situations where person starts shooting, Pearl said. Elections officials are laboring in an unprecedented threat environment that demands action from the General Assembly, said Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Beale, adding that he, too, receives a constant stream of threats. Passing the bill, Beale said, would allow prosecutors to better pursue cases against suspects. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in February issued a threat advisory warning of possible violence, particularly for elections, by individuals or small groups motivated by conspiracy theories and false and misleading narratives. ANSONIA - Residents on the North End are expressing concern and dismay after an April 4 shooting on Hubbell Avenue, saying they are worried about the safety of their neighborhood. The shooting, which police described as a drug deal gone bad, resulted in the death of a 20-year-old male from Stratford. Police have not released the name of the victim and have not yet arrested a suspect. Residents in the neighborhood say the violence has gotten worse, and some have begun taking precautions as a result. Jenna Kober has lived in a condominium near the site of the shooting since 2015. She said she has known for a while the area was not the safest in the city. Im used to feeling unsafe at this point. Like I have learned over the last couple years how to tell the difference between fireworks and gunfire, Kober said. Kober said when she hears something that could be gunshots she gets low to lessen her chances of getting hit by a bullet, calls the police and turns the lights off. She said its similar to shooting drills students have at schools. Its literally routine for me at this point, which is pathetic, she said. Mayor David Cassetti said police would be stepping up patrols, and the city is working on installing cameras in the citys hotspots. I have increased patrols, citywide. And I (am) also waiting for three quotes from Google, ADT, and Frontcare, he said. He said he plans to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to install cameras in the North End and West Side of the city. Were doing a needs assessment, to check and see where theyre definitely needed, he said. And theyre going to give me a report in the next month, so that I can start getting these cameras hooked up, because they would have to be hooked up to the Ansonia police station. Kober said she appreciated the police efforts to stem gun violence in the area, and hoped for a more proactive approach in the future. John Feddern, who chairs the citys Democratic Town Committee, also lives in the area. He agreed with Kober that crime in the neighborhood is getting worse. This has been spreading around other parts of Ansonia too, but specifically here in the North End, it just keeps getting worse and worse and worse, he said. The shootings never used to be commonplace. Lets say they would happen, they would be fewer and far between. In the past, there may have been two or three shootings in a year, he said. Now, it seems to be every week, Feddern said. According to data from the FBIs Crime Data Explorer, crime in Ansonia peaked at 38 incidents in 2014 before dropping to a low of 21 in 2017. It then climbed to 25 in 2018 and 36 each in 2019 and 2020, which is the most recent year for which crime data is available. Kober said she was saddened to hear about the victims death. I wish everyone was OK. The victim, Im sure was someones friend, and that means someone wasnt as lucky as me. Its just incredibly sad, Kober said. She said she was seriously considering moving out of the area. Len Duffus, the head of Valley Save our Youth, a non-profit which provides mentoring and assistance for at-risk youth, said more police is not the answer. An increased police presence will make some feel safer, but what would really help solve the crime issue is getting more resources and more jobs in the community. One of the shootings happened when police were pretty much right out there. Another shooting happened, like right down the street from police headquarters, he said. So I dont think you can get much more closer to police than that. Police being present more, thats great to say, but I dont think thats something thats going to solve the issue. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW HAVEN More than two years after Mubarak Soulemane was shot and killed by a state trooper, his family still is waiting for answers from the state, as they strive to move forward and seek accountability for their loss. Omo Mohammed, Soulemanes mother, and attorney Mark Arons, representing the family in an ongoing lawsuit, discussed the effect of the lingering inquiry into the use of force. Soulemane was shot and killed by Trooper Brian North on Jan. 15, 2020, after he allegedly displayed a knife at an AT&T store in Norwalk, then carjacked a rideshare driver and engaged officers in a high-speed chase that ended when Soulemane got off at Exit 43 in West Haven and crashed. Family members have said they believed he had been suffering a schizophrenic episode. The police shooting has been under investigation since, passing through the hands of two state attorneys before being taken over by Inspector General Robert Devlin in November. Mohammed said the family, while cognizant of the responsibilities that come with the investigation, would like the report to be completed speedily. She said it has been difficult to move forward, both emotionally and practically, with the inquiry incomplete, as the inspector generals report is required to allow the familys lawsuit over Soulemanes death to proceed through state court. (I)ts taken too long. Weve been patiently waiting for two years. We want to move on, said Mohammed. The whole family is devastated, and we are still waiting and waiting. ... Were still thinking about it, because there is nothing thats coming out of the state. Her son comes to mind regularly, Mohammed said. His room is next to hers; she keeps the door shut to avoid seeing his space, left empty. It impacts my life every day, every minute, every time I come out of my room. My sons room is right there; nobody is in there, said Mohammed. (The loss is) terrible and horrible and devastating. Devlin said in a statement Thursday that he also wanted to see the inquiry conclude, and was working to make that happen in the near future. As the person responsible for the resolution of these reports, I am just as eager as anyone to see this matter concluded, particularly for the Soulemane family, Devlin said. The Office of the Inspector General is working every day to complete this investigation and we expect a resolution soon. Arons said the family planned to move forward with the ongoing lawsuit regardless of the outcome of the inspector generals report. The complaint, filed in November, accuses North, along with the city of West Haven and other local and state officers, of failing to appropriately handle the situation and intervene. The family also will pursue a claim through the state Office of the Claims Commissioner, Arons said. Arons said he believes the shooting was not justified. Under state law, a law enforcement officer can use deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary under certain circumstances, according to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. These circumstances include: defending themselves or another person from deadly force; arresting or preventing the escape of a suspect believed to have committed or attempted to commit a felony which involved the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical injury; or, if the officer gives warning of their intention to use force, barring the escape from custody of a person whom he/she reasonably believes has committed a felony which involved the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical injury. To determine whether an officers decision was reasonable, a two-part test is used, according to DESPP. First, the officer must honestly believe that this level of force is necessary in the immediate circumstances and represents their only reasonable choice under the circumstances. Second, the decision has to be objectively reasonable, DESPP officials said, as judged from the perspective of a reasonable police officer with similar training and experience, facing the same circumstances under the same conditions. The test is not whether it was in fact necessary for the police officer to use deadly physical force in order to defend against the imminent use of deadly physical force, DESPP officials said. The test is whether the police officer believed it was necessary to use deadly physical force and whether such belief was objectively reasonable, based on the facts and circumstances known to the police officer at the time the decision to use deadly force was made. Soulemane, 19, had a six-inch steak knife in his possession, Arons noted, but his car was boxed in; North shot him seven times through the vehicles closed window. Mubarak was gunned down, completely unnecessarily and in unjustified manner. He should have been arrested and prosecuted, not killed, Arons said. This is a tragedy. Legally speaking, it doesnt meet the parameters for a justified shooting. This is the definition of unnecessary and excessive force. Mohammed said she wanted to see North prosecuted. He and the officers on scene could have worked to de-escalate the situation, she said, but failed to do so. I want to see this officer prosecuted, be accountable, for killing my son, said Mohammed. They did not de-escalate. ... (North) just started shooting. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com RENO, Nev. (AP) A single, desperate cry for help went through to family members too late to save a womans husband after the Indiana couple had been lost in Nevadas high-desert wilderness for more than a week. 37.757753, -117.809568. Help. It was a delayed text with GPS coordinates from Beverly Barker, 69, who survived the ordeal and was reported in good shape at a Reno hospital Wednesday, the day after rescuers found her and the body of her husband, Ronnie, 72. Their nephew, Travis Peters, said in a Wednesday Facebook post that he can only assume that as his aunt was being airlifted to the hospital or perhaps her belongings were being brought down the mountain her phone came into cell range and the message was sent late Tuesday. Now we know it arrived too late, wrote Peters, who has been highly critical of law enforcement for what he says was too little too late in terms of a search for the Barkers. The couple was found Tuesday in the mountainous, forested high-desert in the remote Silver Peak area of Esmeralda County about 177 miles (284 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas, west of Goldfield and east of the California line. Both were with the Kia passenger car they had been towing behind a 32-foot (9.8-meter) motor home before the RV got stuck in mud. They apparently decided to try to continue on in the car before it too got stuck. Because of rough roads in the area, authorities opted to have Beverly Barker airlifted to a Reno hospital to be checked out, Mineral County Undersheriff Bill Ferguson told The Associated Press. She had melted snow for water and the car provided shelter from temperatures that dipped into the 30s (-1.1 C) at night, he said Wednesday. She would get out and go for little walks. Family members who reported the Barkers missing have said in numerous social media posts they left on a cross-country trip last month and were expected to return this week to their home in Indianapolis. They said the couple departed Albany, Oregon, on March 27 and planned to meet with friends in Tucson, Arizona, on March 29. One of four aircraft that had been searching for the couple with the Civilian Air Patrol spotted the RV from the air about midday on Tuesday. Due to the remote area where the motorhome was located it took several hours for (search and rescue) teams to reach it, the Esmeralda County sheriff's office said in a statement Wednesday. After a search of the motorhome, it was determined foul play was not involved, it said. It said the teams then found tire tracks they were able to follow to the Kia about 2 miles (3 km) away. Esmeralda County sheriff's officials haven't responded to requests for additional information. Ferguson said he has no idea how the couple ended up where they did. What led them down that path, I dont know. I dont know if it was GPS or Google. I dont know why they were there," Ferguson said. It was just one bad decision after another," he said. At some point I would have thought they would have stopped sooner and disconnected the car. They probably lost their direction, took a wrong turn and then the car became stuck. Ferguson said the couple had video that indicated they were in the Silver Peak area since March 27, but he didnt have information on when Ronnie Barker died or the cause of his death. Patrick Donnelly of the Center for Biological Diversity, who has been in the area numerous times as his group protests a planned lithium mine where an extremely rare desert wildflower grows, said a single graded road crosses the mountain range in that area coming west out of Silver Peak. Getting an RV towing a vehicle up that road would be insane, but within the realm of possibility, he said Wednesday. Peters, the couple's nephew who lives in Indiana, directed most of his criticism about the handling of the search at Esmeralda County Sheriff Kenneth Elgan, who did not immediately respond Wednesday to phone calls or emails seeking comment. Peters said in his social media posts that "my sorrow is just overshadowed by the fact that they didnt get to them in time. He said his uncle might still be alive if a search had been initiated in a more timely manner (not 3+ days after we reported them missing). Peters told KVVU-TV in Las Vegas the death creates a hole in the family that will never be filled. Hes just a bigger-than-life personality, he said. Thank God that Beverly is alive, because she will be able to fill in those blanks that we dont know. Why did they go up the mountain? What happened? She's going to be able to tell us." ___ Davenport reported from Phoenix, Arizona This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WILTON Sean Lentner has returned to the U.S. after spending a week in Romania helping Ukranian refugees escape and settle into new lives, but his heart is still with the people of Ukraine. The Wilton man and entrepreneur celebrated his wedding anniversary just days after returning to the country, but the plight of the refugees, many he became friendly with, never left his mind. I spent a lot of time with these families, Lentner said, recalling the pizza parties he helped throw, the toys he helped buy for children who didnt have any and the joy he saw come across their faces. Ive been doing a lot of funding since I got back through the Fundly that we started. As of Tuesday, Lentners Fundly sits at $30,390 raised from 123 different donors. He said that roughly $10,000 of that total has been used by the non-governmental organization on the ground that Lentner works with, for supplies and organizing. The goal, per Lentner, is to gain more public support and to not lose sight of the importance of these peoples lives. He said he was warmed by receiving a new $2,000 cash pledge on a whim after speaking at a recent Ukranian rally in Southport, and is keenly focused on what the funds can actually do for the people on the ground in Ukraine. Im in contact with the president of the NGO I was working with every morning at 6:30 a.m. talking about things she needs, Lentner said of his conversations with Ioana Urzica, the non-governmental organization president. Shell bounce ideas off of me and I always want to check in with the refugee families I was helping and hear about the new refugee families that are coming in. Lentner has been communicating with refugees too. I keep in touch with a gentleman in Kiev. I was trying to help him get his mother to him or possibly to the Romanian border, he said. Once a week, I reach out to him just to see how hes doing, and more importantly, to see how his mother is doing because she is by herself in her house. Lentner said non-governmental organization is busy working with local food banks to provide food for the refugee families it cares for. Hes requested the total costs are so he can donate the difference and fully fund their remaining food orders. And the word of Lentners charity may just be getting around to more than those willing to donate via his Fundly link. Local mixed martial arts trainer Flow Trandu, of Romanian background, contacted Lentner recently asking if he could repost his Fundly link and donate all the funds he raises himself straight to Lentners page. Lentner graciously accepted and the two brainstormed yet another idea. Trandu will host an outdoor fitness boot camp on April 10 in Stamfords Scalzo Park. He and all these other personal trainers in Fairfield County are getting together with their clients and friends and do a huge boot camp in Stamford, Lentner said, adding that he will be at the event to speak to the attendees. He said he appreciates the support he is receiving from the public and reiterated that his steadfast message has not, and will not change. We cant forget about how important freedom is and about how this war is happening and about all of these refugees, he said. We cannot forget about all the support that we need to continue to provide to the Ukraine. On 25 March 2022, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the National Customs Directorate of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay renewed their commitment by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC). The signing ceremony took place in Montevideo on the sidelines of the 6th National Training Course on General Aviation Control, held from 21 to 25 March 2022. This MoC represents a strong commitment to capacity building with a view to improving the control and monitoring of general aviation (GA), identifying avenues for cooperation and defining the terms for information exchange, as well as working in a coordinated manner with other enforcement authorities in order to achieve the objectives set by the Project. The Director General of Customs, Mr. Jaime Borgiani said: Today marks a renewed commitment to the COLIBRI Project. This WCO initiative, funded by the European Union, is of outstanding importance; its inter-agency approach, the capacity building programme and the new technology developed represent resources that are unique in terms of both their nature and scope. Today, once more, we are making a commitment to the Project and to the International Community, pledging to work with all partners to fight organized crime at the national, regional and international levels. WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya stated that the WCO greatly appreciated the renewed cooperation with the Uruguay Customs Administration under the project: After two challenging years, marked by a global health crisis, this Memorandum represents an important milestone for all those who are engaged in protecting and promoting the Rule of Law. As our societies are under siege daily by the activities of organized crime, cooperation and coordinated actions remain our most powerful weapons against illicit trafficking. Together, we can ensure security and peace and protect our societies. The national administrations involved in COLIBRI have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the Project during the first three years of its implementation. The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation marks a major step forward in strengthening the partnership between the authorities responsible for combating illicit trafficking in general aviation in the beneficiary countries and the WCO. The COLIBRI Project is an initiative of the WCO, funded by the European Union (EU), and forms part of the EUs Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP). The project focuses geographically on Latin America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay), and on West and Central Africa (Cape Verde, Cote dIvoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal). In November 2021, the Projects experts were able to return to the field to conduct face-to-face practical training sessions. The training course on control methodology and techniques held in Montevideo was the sixth one to be delivered by the team of experts. It was attended by some 30 officials from Uruguays National Drug Council (JDN), Customs Administration, Air Force, DINACIA, National Police and Naval Prefecture. Pending further training in the use of IT tools for communication and coordination, the Uruguayan authorities responsible for combating illicit trafficking in private aviation now have a solid grasp of the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to carry out more effective controls. Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his counterpart in Delta, have thrown their weight behind the selection of a consensus... Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, and Ifeanyi Okowa, his counterpart in Delta, have thrown their weight behind the selection of a consensus presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Recalll that Bukola Saraki, former senate president, Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, had agreed to settle for a consensus northern candidate to fly the partys flag. The three politicians are believed to be interested in clinching the PDPs presidential ticket. Obaseki and Okowa expressed their agreement when Saraki, on behalf of the other aspirants, visited the governors to seek their support. Speaking during the visit, Saraki said Nigeria is currently unsafe and in need of a capable leader who can solve its problems. What we need now is the best hand to turn this country around. Millions of Nigerians are really going through hard times. As a party, we want to show that we are really committed to their interests. We have decided to make our interests secondary, Saraki said. We have come up with the idea that for the interest of the party, we should come together and look at the consensus arrangement because we believe that what the country needs today is unity and we cannot be saying that to ourselves and fail to act in the same manner. We really want your support in this process. There is a need for the PDP to provide that platform to make things better for Nigeria. As such, we have come out to say that we should work out a consensus arrangement, where we dont all go to the field. We dont want to dissipate our energy on just trying to get into power, but on how to make Nigeria better. All of us are eminently qualified to rule this country. But we believe that this time only one person will win, and that person needs everybody to make Nigeria better. We also hope that you ask some of the aspirants and those who are still thinking about it to think about this consensus arrangement so that at the end of the day, the PDP will be united and we provide leadership to this country. Responding, Obaseki described the proposal as a new lease of life for the PDP. It is a new model for leadership selection where leaders who have some higher aspiration for their people come together and sit to decide the meaning of the office they seek to their people, he said. On his part, Okowa, who received the team in Asaba, Delta state capital, said the aspirants proposal is truly heartwarming. It will reduce acrimony and help to reposition the PDP as a party that can compete favourably and win, Okowa said. This is a step in the right direction. Itll strengthen us, tends to pull us together. This is the kind of thing that we need at the moment. He encouraged the team to work hard in the consensus-building process and unity of the party. A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Ben Ayade as Cross River governor. The PDP had taken Ayade... A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Ben Ayade as Cross River governor. The PDP had taken Ayade to court to seek an order directing him and his deputy, Ivara Esu, to vacate office over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ayade was elected on the platform of the PDP in 2015 and 2019, but defected to the APC on May 20, 2021, along with his deputy. In the suit, the PDP prayed the court for a declaration that in view of the provisions of section 221 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the democratic system of governance operated in Nigeria, votes at the election and elections are won by political parties and not their candidate or the candidates sponsored at the election by the political parties. Delivering his judgment on Thursday, Taiwo Taiwo, the presiding judge, held that defection is not an offence in the Nigerian constitution. The judge cited the recent Enugu court of appeal judgement which refused to sack David Umahi as Ebonyi state governor. Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, expressed willingness to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel the killers of a forme... Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, expressed willingness to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel the killers of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige. Soyinka on Saturday in a statement said the resumption of an investigation into Iges murder was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressive Congress. A former deputy governor of Osun State, Chief Iyiola Omisore, emerged the partys national secretary at the 2022 national convention of the APC held from March 26 to 27, where 77 national officers emerged. In 2002, he was arraigned for Iges murder but later acquitted alongside 10 others tried for the case. Omisore, who replied to Soyinkas position in a statement, also instructed his lawyer to write the elder statesman demanding a retraction of the comments. Ige, also an ex-governor of old Oyo State, was assassinated by suspected gunmen at his Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, home on December 23, 2001. The playwright spoke at a media interaction in Lagos titled, Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity. He decried the rising insecurity in the country leading to killings, kidnappings and violence in several states. That doesnt mean you were responsible for the persons death. But certain actions led to other actions, he added. The essayist stated that such a person should be made an envoy if the party desired to give him a post but not make him secretary of a ruling party. He noted, We are talking of the party of those in charge of the governance and justice of this country. The leadership of APC and I am not talking of Buhari alone, do you have to unleash scorpions on our memory? It is not Soyinka who provided this. Its those who were so insensitive, who rubbed that murder in our faces. I will be delighted to go to court so that we can go into details. I ask the APC leadership to have a rethink because the issue will not go away. In his reaction, a human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, who said the killers of Ige must be found, noted that Soyinka had reminded the President Muhammadu Buhari, of his pledge to open an enquiry into the countrys spate of political murders. Falana noted, If you are sued, we will represent you free of charge because you are taking on a public issue. Retirees in Rivers State have given Governor Nyesom Wike conditions under which they would support his presidential ambition. The pensioners... Retirees in Rivers State have given Governor Nyesom Wike conditions under which they would support his presidential ambition. The pensioners said they were ready to support the governor if he pays their 7 years pension arrears The retired workers who decried their poor economic situation claimed they are going through difficulties following the delay in the payment of their pension arrears and gratuities. Speaking in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the Coordinator of the pensioners, Lucky Ati lamented that many retirees have died from hardship, their children sent out of school and some evicted from their rented apartments for failure to pay rent. Ati appealed to the governor to ensure the promotion of workers to prevent the stagnation of their pension when they retire. The position of the pensioners is coming one week after the state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress vowed to work against the presidential ambition of the governor if he fails to address workers demands. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, has warned terrorists troubling the Southern part of Kaduna State that their days are numbe... The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, has warned terrorists troubling the Southern part of Kaduna State that their days are numbered. Irabor also restated the resolve of Nigerias military to restore peace in Southern Kaduna. He made this known in Kafanchan on Thursday during a peace meeting with stakeholders involved in the Southern Kaduna crisis, NAN reports. Southern Kaduna has become a hotbed of deadly attacks by terrorists in recent months. In some quarters in Southern Kaduna, over 100 persons were killed following repeated attacks on several communities in the area. Also, the terrorists recently attacked a train on the Abuja-Kaduna route at about 7:43pm, the Nigerian Railway Corporation said 398 tickets were bought, saying that only 362 passengers were validated. As a result, many condemned the spate of insecurity across the country and called on the regime of President Muhammadu to take action to mitigate further attacks by the terrorist groups. We are committed to ensuring that peace is restored in this part of the country, Irabor said. However, for those who do not want to heed to our appeal for peace and who think that violence is what they need to unleash on us, I am here to tell them that their days are numbered. If the peace in Southern Kaduna is disrupted, the peace in Kaduna and indeed the peace in Nigeria will be disrupted because Kaduna is central to the existence of Nigeria, he stated. You can have all the personnel and equipment in the world, if there is no willingness amongst the people to live in peace, it will count for nothing. So, we need to start looking at ways beyond military deployment to solve this crisis. This is not something I have authority to make a decision on, but I can assure you I will bring it up as a point during the national Security Council meeting for further consideration, he said. Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has reacted to the messy fight between Nkechi Blessing and her ex-husband, Opeyemi Falegan. Blessing h... Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has reacted to the messy fight between Nkechi Blessing and her ex-husband, Opeyemi Falegan. Blessing had on Instagram live dragged her husband after he confirmed their split and called her a lesbian. She accused Falegan of not having a functioning manhood and low performance in bed. She has since continued to defend herself while slamming her ex-husband. Reacting to Nkechs outburst, Tonto, making a comment on the Instagram post, stated that she thought she was the crazy one but Nkechi has proven to be crazier than she ever was. I think say Im crazy, take your flower, Tonto wrote. Recall Tonto Dikeh currently began dragging and mocking her ex-lover, Prince Kpokpogri. Remember the couple fell out in 2021 after Tonto Dikeh accused Kpokpogri of cheating on her, claiming he has in possession sex tapes of his lovers and exes. Die-casting mould plays an important role in the manufacturing industry. Xinhua's Cui Li visits a production base in China's Ningbo to find out how the industry is recovering amid the pandemic. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The United States says it will impose a fresh round of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden anno... The United States says it will impose a fresh round of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden announced the sanctions in a speech on Wednesday. He said the sanctions would be introduced in close coordination with partners in Europe and the other states of the G7 group. The new sanctions include a ban on all new investments in Russia, increased sanctions on two major financial institutions in Russia Sberbank and Alfa-Bank as well as on major Russian state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on Russian government officials and their family members including Putins adult children. We, along with our European allies, are adding the names to the list of Russian elites and families we are sanctioning, Biden said. Look, these oligarchs and their family members are not allowed to hold on to their wealth in Europe or the United States and keep the yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, luxury vacation homes, while children in Ukraine are being killed, displaced from their homes every single day. According to the White House, the U.S. has sanctioned Putins two adult daughters named Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrovs wife and daughter, members of Russias security council including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putins war on Ukraine. This action cuts them off from the U.S. financial system and freezes any assets they hold in the United States, the White House said. Biden will sign an executive order that includes a ban on new investment in Russia by Americans from any location, intended to further isolate Russia from the global economy. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 38F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 38F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. People visit the Merlion Park in Singapore on April 7, 2022. Singapore government has earmarked nearly 500 million Singapore dollars (about 367.55 million U.S. dollars) to boost the recovery of its tourism industry, said Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, on Wednesday at the Tourism Industry Conference. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua) SINGAPORE, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Singapore government has earmarked nearly 500 million Singapore dollars (about 367.55 million U.S. dollars) to boost the recovery of its tourism industry, said Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, on Wednesday at the Tourism Industry Conference. Singapore recognizes that it will take a few years for international travel to fully resume, but that in the immediate term, the country needs to speed up the recovery of the tourism sector, local media the Straits Times quoted Tan as saying. Singapore will be dedicated to differentiating itself from other destinations, putting the focus on creating attractions and events with sustainability, and business tourism, said Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Keith Tan at the same event on Wednesday. Singapore has recently opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without requiring COVID-19 testing or quarantine. People visit the Merlion Park in Singapore on April 7, 2022. Singapore government has earmarked nearly 500 million Singapore dollars (about 367.55 million U.S. dollars) to boost the recovery of its tourism industry, said Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, on Wednesday at the Tourism Industry Conference. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua) For Velma Carroll Easker and the other surviving members of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, recognition will be better late than never if it happens at all. Easker joined the Corps at its onset in 1943, when she was 17, leading to a 40-year career as an obstetrics nurse. She, along with her colleagues, would be designated honorary veterans if a bill doing so can ever get through Congress. The Corps, which helped produce more than 120,000 civilian nurses during World War II by offering free training to its members, is the only uniformed service from the war which has never been so recognized. Everybody wanted to serve their country, said Easker, now 96 and residing in an assisted living facility in Kenner. It would be nice to be considered a veteran. But they dont have to give us any special honors. Actually, the cost of making the living Corps members honorary veterans would be minimal no benefits other than honorable discharge certificates, service medals and burial markers for those who desire them. The American Nurses Association and several other medical and veterans groups are supporting the bill. But some members of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs have concerns about changing the definition of who is a veteran. Thats why the bill, despite bipartisan cosponsorship from 36 house members and 24 senators, including Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, has stalled. An aging Corps Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois), the chief sponsor of the bill first introduced in the House in 2018, pointed out that the youngest of the surviving Corps members, of which there are probably no more than 3,000, are in their mid-90s. These wonderful cadet nurses worked tirelessly to help strengthen the health system at home during the war, she said. Unfortunately, we dont have many left, so we want to recognize them while we can. Weve tried to thread the needle so that the bill can be passed. But its been hard to get it through. That wasnt the case 79 years ago when a bill introduced by Rep. Frances Bolton (D-Ohio) on March 29, 1943, creating the Corps as a way to help alleviate the severe shortage of nurses which existed before and during the war unanimously passed both houses of Congress. The program was open to all women ages 17-35 and offered free tuition, room, board plus a small stipend at accredited nursing schools in exchange for pledging to serve for the duration of the war, making it a precursor to the G.I. Bill, passed a year later. A need for nurses Despite the prevailing racism of the Jim Crow era, dispersal of funds for the program would be made without regard to race or ethnicity. The training period for cadets would be reduced from 36 months to 30 to getting more nurses qualified and quicker. Such was the need that in his 1945 State of the Union address Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt even suggested drafting nurses into the military. As a bonus for enrolling cadets received stylish uniforms (for both summer and winter) topped by a beret inspired by British field marshal Bernard Montgomery. The uniforms were not used for normal nursing duties, but cadets did wear a patch featuring the Corps Maltese cross emblem. I really liked the uniforms, Easker recalled. They made you feel special about the way you carried yourself. And if you wore them into stores, sometimes you got a discount. The uniforms were advertised as so attractive that, its hard to say which is the smarter, which youll wear with more pride. Profession with a future The recruiting posters featured model-worthy women in uniform. One was done by the artist who did the famous Varga pinups for Esquire. The pitches also emphasized service to the country as well as the free training for a profession with a future." And they worked. That was especially true in New Orleans where Charity Hospital became one of the largest centers for cadet nurses in the country, turning out more than 700 graduates before the program ended in 1948. New Orleans was also the regional headquarters for training oversight for 11 states plus Puerto Rico. In 1945, 1,036 cadets from the citys five nursing schools (Charity, Hotel Dieu, Mercy Hospital, Touro Infirmary and Dillard University, attended a mass induction at the Municipal Auditorium. By that time 85% of the student nurses in the country were in the Corps and a similar number of the nations nursing schools, then mainly run by hospitals, were participating. Leaving the farm Easker, then Velma Carroll, grew up far from New Orleans near Mechanicsville, Iowa. She knew little about the cadet program, but shortly after graduating from high school, her father, who did know about it and wanted something other than farm life for his daughter, drove her to St. Lukes Hospital in nearby Cedar Rapids where she enlisted. For Easker, becoming a nurse was following in a family tradition of caregiving in their community, although Velma was the first in the family to pursue it as a profession. To her younger sister, Vera Fuller, then 14 and now 93, it was a big deal. Velma wasnt the kind of person to make much of it, Fuller said. But everyone in our family was so proud of her. The cadets were civilians, but there were many aspects of their service, including taking the cadet oath, which pledged fealty of the obligation Easker was taking for her country and her profession, adding, I will keep my body strong, my mind alert and my heart steadfast. I will be kind, tolerant and understanding. Above all, I will dedicate myself now and forever to the triumph of life over death. Choosing a specialty Cadets were offered four specialties medical, surgical, pediatrics or obstetrics. Easker chose OB/GYN because the administrator of the St. Lukes nursing school had worked in that area and made a strong impression. The initial cadet class at St. Lukes was small, only 10 members including Easker, and lived and studied alongside those students who were not in the Corps. Since they were not in the military, they did not drill or have any other outside duties. Because their training had been condensed from 36 to 30 months, cadet nurses usually put in 12-hour days, usually with little time off. When she did have free time, Easker volunteered at the USO canteen and attended dances, usually in uniform because it seemed to attract added male attention. Id never been away from home, and it was nice, Easker said. It was hard work, but I was used to that from growing up on a farm. It was exciting to know you were doing your part. New Orleans career After graduating in 1946, Easker spent a few months in Seattle in teacher training. But she decided that actual nursing was her calling, so she returned to St. Lukes. In 1948, Velma married David Easker, a geologist. David Easker worked for Texaco, and in 1950, the couple moved to Shreveport followed by a transfer to New Orleans five years later where they raised four daughters and lived in the same house in Metairie until his death in 2008. Velma Easker worked at Mercy Hospital, Lakeside and finally East Jefferson, where she was part of the first neonatal intensive care unit. And while her Cadet days were far behind her, Easker was known for her care about her appearance and her always addressing doctors by their title was if they were officers. Oddly enough, Easker, who retired in 1985, doesnt recall meeting any other Cadet Corps members over the years. But that may be because the experience of the nurses from that era was so common, it wasnt something talked about that much. Neither does Easker have any mementos from that era due to her home being lost in Katrina. Memories linger But she does have memories of her time as a Cadet and can appreciate what the program accomplished for the war effort as well as advancing the level of nurse training in general. So, as she said, if the honorary veteran designation happens, it happens. But Bustos, who is not seeking reelection after five terms in the house, said she will continue to work for passage of the bill or hand off the cause to one of her other co-sponsors. These women helped bring forward the medical profession, she said. Its past time that we recognize people who gave so much for their country. Perhaps the decision-makers should consider the thoughts of Surgeon General Thomas Parran, who told Congress in 1945, Cadet nurses supplied nursepower to the military and prevented the collapse of nursing service on the home front. We cannot measure what the loss to the country would have been if civilian nursing had collapsed, any more than we could measure the cost of failure at the Normandy beachheads. Fidelity Bank, a New Orleans-based community bank with $1 billion in assets, was reprimanded by banking regulators after it was found to have broken federal rules that aim to prevent kickbacks for mortgage-related services. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found in its latest report on Fidelity that the bank had made "significant and substantive" violations of the 1975 Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Specifically, the regulator said Fidelity paid over-market rent to a local real estate brokerage and had paid "illegal referral fees" through a lead-generation service. The agency conducted the review last summer and made it public Monday. The federal rules are aimed at preventing conflicts between banks and real estate brokers that could result in borrowers not seeing the best mortgage deals that are available. A violation can result in criminal and civil penalties, with a prison term of up to a year and hefty fines. However, referrals from the bank regulators to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the U.S. Department of Justice are rare. Reprimand but no downgrade The agency declined to provide any further details on the Fidelity Bank violations. Spokesperson Carroll Kim cited a long-standing policy of not discussing cases of banks that are still open and operating. The agency said that it did not downgrade Fidelity Bank's "satisfactory" rating because executives took immediate action to remedy the violations. Fidelity Bank CEO Chris Ferris said the violations in question related to office space that the bank's subsidiary, Nola Lending Group, sublet at two Greater New Orleans offices of Keller Williams Realty-New Orleans, a local branch of a national real estate franchise. "They felt the rent was too high for the space we were renting," said Ferris. He said that such arrangements are common in the mortgage industry and that the offices in question were two of a handful of such subletting deals Fidelity has with various real estate brokers. The subletting does not involve any quid pro quo payments for mortgage referrals, he said. Still, Ferris said, the bank agreed to lower the rent it pays to Keller Williams for the office space. Keller Williams did not respond to a request for comment. Ferris said the regulator also rapped Fidelity for another arrangement that was made by an individual lending officer rather than by bank executives. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The employee, on his own initiative, contracted with a well-known national real estate website for one of its online products, whereby Fidelity bank's mortgage services would be advertised to area customers searching for property. That arrangement also was terminated after the regulator questioned it, Ferris said. None of the federal agencies would comment on whether the Fidelity Bank case was referred for civil or criminal penalties, though Ferris said he has had no indication of the case going any further than the FDIC. Fidelity has 20 branches, most of which are in the Greater New Orleans area, with one in Baton Rouge. An outlet in a Keller Williams office in Lake Charles was shuttered after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Delta. The FDIC, whose oversight duties include regular assessments of a bank's performance in meeting the credit needs of its community, couldn't say how frequently Louisiana's 112 regulated banks are cited for such breaches. But it appears to be rare. Fidelity Bank is the only one of the 52 Louisiana banks the agency assessed over the last three years to have been cited for violations of the kickback rules. A murky standard Mark McArdle, an assistant director in charge of mortgage markets at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said the law around kickbacks, which dates from the 1970s, has been notoriously murky. He said his agency has in recent years been trying to clarify where the lines are in terms of what cooperation between mortgage service providers is allowed and where it crosses over into illegal behavior. The bureau recently issued new guidelines for mortgage lenders and others in an effort to help clarify. Also, a U.S. Supreme Court decision a decade ago determined that for the law to be broken, it must be demonstrated that two parties split a fee for a mortgage referral or service. Proving a quid pro quo when there are arrangements liked shared offices or marketing efforts can be very difficult, McArdle said. In spring of last year, the FDIC warned banks and other lenders that it saw the risk of violations of the kickback laws rising. In a report in March, 2021, it specifically warned of kickbacks in the form of overpayment of rent. Of the increase in violations the agency had observed at banks the previous year, it said: "These matters involved the payment of illegal kickbacks, disguised as above-market payments for lead generation, marketing services, and office space or desk rentals." Ferris said that Fidelity Bank executives took the regulator's concerns seriously. He said that while the kickback rules were sometimes hard to discern, the bank moved quickly to comply with the regulator's determination to avoid even the appearance of a violation. China calls on all parties to practice restraint and avoid making groundless accusations before the investigation into the Bucha incident concludes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. "The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing. The truth and cause of the incident must be ascertained," Zhao told a regular news briefing. Media reports state that at least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, a town outside Kiev. The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of the killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha. Zhao said that China pays close attention to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the suffering of civilians. "Humanitarian issues should not be politicized and any charge should be based on facts," he said. China supports all proposals and measures to ease the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and will work with the international community to prevent any harm to civilians, he said. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Jacoby Williams, the Gramercy man who was shot and critically wounded by a St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's deputy after a vehicle in which he was a passenger plunged into a marsh in LaPlace Sunday morning, resisted the commands of the deputy and was shot only after he reached for an AK-47 rifle that was on his lap, authorities said Wednesday. "I believe the officers actions were justified, and I stand by him and with him in his actions," St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said during a news conference where he and State Police officials released new information about the shooting. Williams, 20, remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon, his relatives said. But he will face criminal charges in the matter, said Capt. Nick Manale, a spokesperson for the State Police, which is investigating the shooting. Manale did not say what Williams would be booked with. During the news conference, authorities offered photos and video showing that Williams and Kendell Prembrook, 19, the driver of the vehicle, inexplicably sat for more than hour at the intersection U.S. 51 and the Interstate 10 in LaPlace before Prembrook ran a red light and drove into the marsh on the other side of the roadway. Williams' uncle, Davern Williams, 50, said he doesn't believe the Sheriff's Office's story. "Jacoby did not have that gun," he said. The authorities' news conference came hours after a separate news conference where St. John NAACP President Shondrell Perrilloux called for the Sheriff's Office to begin using body cameras as a way to improve transparency. She also asked for better training for deputies. Parked at intersection The Sheriff's Office showed video in which Prembrook's vehicle takes exit 209 off westbound I-10 and pulls up the traffic light at U.S. 51 (map) at 3:57 a.m. Sunday. The Sheriff's Office did not say where the video was from. The car was at the intersection until 4:55 a.m., according to Tregre, with no one entering or exiting the vehicle. "They sat parked in that vehicle for more than one hour with multiple cars going around them," Tregre said. Authorities declined to say whether toxicology testing had been conducted, or whether they suspect the two men were impaired. But just before 5 a.m. the car crosses the north and southbound lanes of U.S. 51 and two medians before disappearing off-screen. The car wound up partially submerged in a marshy area alongside the I-10 westbound on-ramp, authorities said. Passersby called 911. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The video shows several patrol vehicles respond, blue lights flashing, in what was being treated as a "rescue mission," Tregre said. Meanwhile, Prembrook and Williams sat in the waterlogged vehicle for about 12-18 minutes as authorities searched the pitch-black area for the car, authorities said. AK-47 in lap Deputies spotted the sedan and waded through the water to it. Some had to return to their patrol units to don waterproof boots, Tregre said. When Deputy Shaquille Guerin, a five-year veteran of the department, approached the car and opened the door, he saw Williams sitting in the front passenger seat with the AK-47 rifle on his lap, Tregre said. The deputies told Williams not to move, and he initially complied, Tregre said. But when Guerin grabbed Williams arm to "gain control of him," Williams resisted. Williams snatched his hand away from the deputy and grabbed the AK-47, Tregre said. "Officer Shaquille Guerin felt that his life and the lives of his fellow officers were at risk of receiving great bodily harm or death," Tregre said. Guerin fired his weapon, hitting Williams. The deputies then retreated from the vehicle to take cover, Tregre said. Prembrook and Williams then got out of the car, Williams stumbling. The deputies grabbed Williams, began CPR and tried to stop his bleeding, Tregre said. They loaded him into a patrol unit and drove him to Ochsner Medical Center's River Parishes facility in LaPlace. He was eventually transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans. Prembrook, uninjured, was questioned by State Police troopers and issued a citation for careless operation of a vehicle, Manale said. A second gun, a 9 mm pistol, was also recovered from the vehicle. State Police and the Sheriff's Office declined to provide any additional information about the weapons. Williams' relatives have said the guns were registered to Prembrook. Davern Williams, who attended Perrilloux's earlier news conference, expressed doubt that his nephew would have pointed a weapon at a law enforcement officer. "I don't think Jacoby deserved what happened to him," Davern Williams said. Hundreds of Benjamin Franklin High School students walked out of classes Friday to protest legislative bills that would ban talk about LGBTQ issues in some public classrooms and bar transgender athletes from girls sports. Another controversial bill would bar gender-affirming health care for minor students. Students on the Gentilly campus said the bills are an affront to all marginalized communities, and that they would make life harder for LGBTQ students if passed. "No matter how accepting my friends and family are, or how accepting this city is, there is an outside power that's rearing its head and trying to take away the rights to our own bodies," student Belle Adelman-Cannon told the crowd. Others encouraged their peers to urge state lawmakers to vote against the legislation. At issue are House Bills 837 and 570 and Senate Bill 44, all of which are aimed at queer issues. HB 837, filed last week by state Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, would prevent classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues in public elementary and middle schools. It would also prevent school employees from disclosing their gender identity or sexual orientation to students of any age. A similar bill which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill cleared Florida's legislature earlier this month, setting off a national firestorm. Yet while Florida's law bans instruction about LGBTQ or gender issues that is not "age or developmentally appropriate," Horton's bill goes a step further by banning all such instruction or discussion. Meanwhile, HB 570, filed earlier this month by state Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, would bar doctors from performing gender-transition procedures on patients under the age of 18. No public funds could be used to finance such procedures, and they would not be covered under state health care plans. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up And SB 44, filed in February by state Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, would bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports. Mizell filed a similar bill last year that cleared the legislature but was vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Supporters of the bills say they protect children from discussions that aren't age appropriate, that they defend cisgender women's rights to compete with other cisgender women, and that gender-transition decisions are best left to adults. But critics have blasted the proposals as anti-LGBTQ. The New Orleans City Council and the Orleans Parish School Board each denounced the bills in resolutions this month, and Franklin's students joined that chorus Friday as they walked out of their classes, gay pride flags in hand. In an Wednesday email to parents, Franklin Head of School Patrick Widhalm said that Franklin supports LGBTQ students and all students' right to protest. But since walking out is an act of civil disobedience, students who do so will be marked absent, he added though he stressed that the absent mark didn't signify Franklin's "support for or rejection of this protest." "We encourage our students to take part in protests that matter to them but if they matter, they must be willing to accept the stated consequences for participating," the email said. As students began to file back into the school Friday, some lingered on the front steps. Jackie Kimbrough, a sophomore, said the protest was empowering. "These issues are affecting us, and we're not going to shut up or let people walk over us," Kimbrough said. "We're not going to stop fighting until we get justice." The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether two state agencies discriminated against Black residents when they were involved in permitting decisions for two chemical plants and a grain terminal in St. John and St. James parishes. The probe centers on actions taken by the state Department of Environmental Quality and Health when DEQ considered permits during the past 2 years for the Denka Performance Elastomers plant, the proposed Formosa Plastics Sunshine plant and the proposed Greenfield Exports grain terminal, according to letters EPA sent to environmental groups announcing the start of its investigation. They come five months after EPA Administrator Michael Regan promised a crackdown on permitting decisions along Louisianas chemical corridor. Environmental Groups have long called that area Cancer Alley, due to federal studies that show higher concentrations of airborne pollutants and more instances of cancer in that region than elsewhere in the state. The investigations, which will also review permitting decisions for several other chemical plants, are in response to complaints filed by environmental groups about: The continued release to the air of carcinogenic chloroprene from the Denka plant. Emissions of cancer-causing ethylene oxide from other chemical plants near the Denka facility in St. John. The potential release of the smallest size of particulate matter, called PM2.5, at the proposed $400 million Greenfields grain terminal in Wallace. The potential release of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, volatile carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde and ethylene oxide by Formosa Plastics' proposed $9.4 billion Sunshine facility in St. James, which is owned by its FG LA LLC subsidiary. A DEQ spokesperson defended the agency's handling of the chemical plant and grain facility permits Thursday. "We believe LDEQs permit process, prescribed by state law, is impartial and unbiased," said DEQ Press Secretary Gregory Langley. "LDEQ handles all issues with a fair and equitable approach. LDEQ will work with EPA to resolve this matter." "We take these concerns very seriously," added Steven Russo, general counsel for the Louisiana Department of Health. "We have received the complaint in full from EPA and are reviewing it closely." However, Denka dismissed the investigations in a statement. "There are no widespread elevated cancer rates in St. John the Baptist Parish compared to the state average," said Jim Harris, a company spokesperson. He pointed to Louisiana Tumor Registry results that he said bear that out. "The complaint (filed against Denka) claims local, state and federal officials have turned a blind eye to health impacts in the area, but in fact these agencies have been studying the situation long before these groups got involved - and choose to consider real science rather than sensational pseudo-studies," Harris added. Permits granted unfairly, critics say The complaints to EPA come from Earthjustice and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which are representing the Concerned Citizens of St. John and the Sierra Club in challenging the Denka and the Formosa Plastics facilities. Meanwhile, the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic is representing Stop the Wallace Grain Terminal, Inclusive Louisiana, RISE St. James and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade in their complaint involving the permitting of the grain terminal. The groups allege that the state's environmental quality and health departments often racially discriminate against residents, resulting in predominantly Black residents being subject to disproportionate levels of air pollution. Several also charge the agencies with failing to review, renew or strengthen requirements of air permits issued to the facilities. They say the two departments fail to provide proper notice and comment opportunities for permits, and that they fails to fulfill the terms of federal grants that EPA gave the state to assess the causes of high cancer risk in the parishes. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Denka-related complaint also charged the health department with failing to provide predominantly Black St. John residents with information on health threats posed by air pollutants from Denka, including the risk to students attending the Fifth Ward Elementary School. According to a 2014 National Air Toxics Assessment by EPA, the individual lifetime cancer risk from both chloroprene and ethylene oxide was at the rate of 2,000 cases per 1 million individuals at the census tract level near the Denka plant, the highest in the United States. Denka, in LaPlace, is the only manufacturer of chloroprene in the U.S. Ethylene oxide is being released from the Evonik Corp. facility in Reserve, and the Union Carbide Corp Taft/Star plant in St. Charles Parish, among others elsewhere in the state. Denka's chloroprene emissions have dropped dramatically since the company agreed to install new equipment in 2018, but during the past year, the emission levels at several local monitoring sites have been greater than the EPA cancer risk level of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter. The company is operating under a 2017 voluntary compliance agreement with DEQ, but the agreement did not reduce its official emission limits, a point of contention with the environmental groups. Denka has in the past asked EPA to reconsider its listing of chloroprene as a likely human carcinogen, based on a company-sponsored peer-reviewed study that concluded the chemical caused less cancer cases that EPA found. Probe will center on racial discrimination In letters to attorneys representing the environmental groups, EPA civil rights compliance office director Lillian Dorka said the complaints against the two agencies underwent a preliminary review, required under federal law, before the agency decided to proceed with investigations. The investigation of DEQ will review whether it administers its air pollution control program in ways that either have the intent or effect of subjecting individuals to racial discrimination, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and EPA's own regulations. The probe will also focus on the state's handling of Denka's permits. The investigation of the health department will include a review into whether it subjects Black residents of the parish to discrimination by failing to provide them, other state agencies and other communities with information about health threats from Denka and other nearby sources of pollution. Dorka said the decision to begin the investigations does not mean the agency already has determined fault. In its complaint filed with EPA, however, the environmental groups pointed out that despite grants of $86,081 to the health department, and $224,932 to DEQ "to assess the health risks associated with chloroprene exposure" by Sept. 30, 2021, the St. John community has not been told whether the two agencies had performed an audit of the Tumor Reigstry, required by the grant, "to determine if there are higher instances of cancer in the community due to toxic chemical emissions by the Denka Plant." "Indeed, Dr. Edward Trapido from Louisiana State University, who conducted the audit, stated that the Tumor Registry 'does not collect data on possible contributing factors or environmental conditions to which persons with cancer may have been exposed. That is the purview of other entities and scientists,'" the complaint said. Trapido is a doctor of science and associate dean for research at the LSU School of Public Health. "The Tumor Registry doesnt measure exposure to chloroprene or any other chemical," said Kimberly Terrell, a doctor of conservation biology and staff scientist with the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. "They measure cancer, which is only part of the equation. Our recent study using Tumor Registry data found a clear link between industrial pollution and higher cancer numbers in Louisiana. This shouldnt be a surprise these pollutants are known carcinogens." In a Friday morning statement, Greenfield Chief Executive Officer Cal Williams said air and water quality and other studies conducted as part of the grain silo's permit process indicated it would not harm the community. "Greenfield's new grain terminal doesn't just meet the EPA's most stringent air quality standards, it out-performs them," Williams said. "We care about our community's health and we have worked hard to be good neighbors. We know that any further review will find this project is a win for the community that will help build a cleaner future beyond the petrochemical industry." Formosa Plastics officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the EPA investigations. This story was updated on Friday, April 8, with comments from Greenfield Exports, and to list the doctoral degrees of individuals quoted in the story. A year after a sewage leak in the Cross Gates utilities system raised concerns about drinking water contamination among some Slidell area residents, St. Tammany Parish has announced a 60-day "chlorine burn" to restore public confidence. The initiative - "significantly increasing the amount of chlorine that is pumped into the water system," the parish said - was the top recommendation in a consultant's report in October. What it might mean for people on the water system is a strong chlorine odor and taste, possible discoloration or cloudiness in the water and minor air pockets, the parish administration said. Running taps might reduce those effects. Some customers might also experience skin and eye irritations similar to those caused by being in a swimming pool, the administration said. Customers who use tap water for home kidney dialysis should contact their doctor to determine if any changes are necessary. Illness, rashes reported Residents asked for a chlorine burn after the April 1, 2021, sewage leak, which some customers of the parish-owned utility blamed for gastrointestinal illnesses, rashes and sores. Parish President Mike Cooper said Wednesday evening that the system will switch its method of disinfection to chlorine for 60 days, starting April 25. Currently the system is disinfected with chloramines, which use naturally occurring ammonia and sodium hypochlorite, to keep the water safe. Critics of chloramines say they are more complex to manage. "The switch, which was recommended by Owen & White Consulting Engineering, Inc., is being performed strictly as a precautionary measure and with the intent to increase public trust in the water quality," the Cooper administration said. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up No contaminants The administration said there is no evidence of bacteriological contaminants in the system, which serves about 10,000 customers in eastern St. Tammany Parish, and that it is in full compliance with all Louisiana Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Parish Council member Mike Smith, whose district includes the area, said the council, at his instigation, has been asking for the chlorine burn for almost a year, as have residents. "So it's long overdue," he said. But Smith said he wants the switch to chlorine to be permanent. The Parish Council is also pushing the administration to hire a private operator for the water system. Investigation sought Ashley Schenck, one of the residents whose family experienced health problems during the sewage spill last year, said her son still has unexplained skin rashes. She is cautiously optimistic that the chlorine burn will improve water quality. But unless the change is permanent - or kept in place until all the recommendations made by the consultant are completed - she fears problems will return. The consultant made 35 recommendations for changes in the system. The Cooper administration says 12 have been completed and another five are in progress. Schenck said she and others also want an investigation into what happened last year. "The residents need closure, and Mike Cooper continues to make the statement that it's all unsubstantiated," she said. TEHRAN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed in a car accident in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan on Wednesday, semi-official news agency Young Journalists Club (YJC) reported. The collision of two sedan cars left all passengers of the two cars dead, the road police from Hormozgan were quoted by YJC as saying. Turning left by one of the cars was cited as the cause of the accident, according to the report. Official figures show more than 20,000 people killed and 200,000 others wounded in traffic accidents annually in Iran, reportedly because of inexperienced driving and low efficiency of the cars and the roads. People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) People work at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, April 6, 2022. Shanghai is converting the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) into a makeshift hospital with a planned capacity of 40,000 beds. Upon completion, it is expected to act as the biggest such hospital for those testing positive for COVID-19 in the metropolis. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) SHANGHAI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang will offer 60,000 quarantine rooms to aid the city during its COVID-19 resurgence. As of April 6, Jiangsu has prepared 16,000 rooms and Zhejiang 21,000, according to the Shanghai COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. The rooms are being used to isolate people who are close contacts and secondary close contacts of COVID-19 cases in Shanghai. The quarantine sites will be hotels that meet government standards for epidemic control and be provided with medics, according to official sources. The headquarters said that the elderly, minors and pregnant women who are not fit for trans-provincial journeys are not included on the transfer list, and they will be quarantined in Shanghai. The Zhejiang provincial COVID-19 prevention and control office said that the province has received 12,111 close contacts and secondary close contacts as of noon Thursday. According to the arrangement, Zhejiang will receive about 30,000 people, who will be quarantined in the cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Taizhou, Shaoxing, Huzhou and Jinhua. The office noted that they would strengthen the humanistic care at isolation sites, focusing on life security, medical services, mental health counseling and personalized services. Shanghai reported 322 local confirmed cases and 19,660 asymptomatic carriers on Wednesday. Startup companies will have the chance to compete in upcoming pitch competitions that could land them capital to get their businesses off the ground. Entrepreneurs and founders have until April 18 to apply for an upcoming round of Elevate Nexus Regional Pitch Competitions, which are funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. Venture capital fund Elevate Ventures plans to invest $660,000 in 15 early-stage startups throughout Indiana. We are excited to continue our support of early-stage businesses in Indiana with the Elevate Nexus Regional Pitch Competitions, said Landon Young, executive director of entrepreneurial programming and entrepreneur-in-residence. These competitions provide early-stage startups with a unique opportunity to showcase their businesses in their regions and compete for investments from Elevate Ventures. Nine companies will secure $20,000 pre-seed investments, while six startups will get $80,000 seed investments. Winning companies will get funding and access to Elevate Venture's portfolio after joining its portfolio. A pitch competition for the Northern Region of Indiana will take place May 17 in Fort Wayne. Pitch contests also are planned for May 18 in Fishers and May 19 in Bloomington. With support from the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Elevate Ventures has invested over $130 million in more than 460 companies across Indiana. It's been ranked by Pitchbook as the most active venture capital fund in the Great Lakes Region since 2017. For more information or to apply, visit elevateventures.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New Oberpfalz Brewing is expanding in downtown Griffith. The German-themed craft brewery, named after the Oberpfalz region in Bavaria, is building a new 4,000-square-foot building between its brewery and Main Street taproom at 121 E. Main St. New Oberpfalz is known for its award-winning beers like Helles Lager, Schwarzbier Black Lager and Hopwagen IPA. Don't worry if you're planning to grab a burger or brew in the coming months. "The public space in our taproom is not going to change. No additional seating or event space will be added. While construction will be a hassle, we will be open every day except Mondays and holidays. Our brewing and on-site operations will be minimally impacted," New Oberpfalz Brewing founder and President Dan Lehnerer said. New Oberpfalz is expanding to keep up with demand. "Many of our existing mainstay brands of beer sell out before we can produce more of them and we are only distributing to limited customers in Lake and Porter County. While there is demand for our beer in our existing distribution footprint that we cannot fill, bringing New Oberpfalz to beer drinkers in Newton, Jasper, Pulaski and Starke County would also be great, as there are regular requests that we cannot satisfy," he said. "Additionally, before we changed to smaller format packaging, we used to sell more frequently in the South Bend/Mishawaka and West Lafayette areas. While our expansion will increase our output significantly, we still may not be able to meet the needs of customers that far away, but it is a step in the right direction." New Oberpfalz launched in 2015. Within just a few years, it "reached an uncomfortable threshold of business." "We have been maxed out and ready to expand since 2019, but the world had other plans for everyone the past two years," Lehnerer said. "With the general health of the world improving, it is time to drive our roots deeper into Griffith and bring more great beer to more people." The brewery needs more production capacity because it quickly sells out of its seasonal beers, Lehnerer said. "Our seasonal offerings sell out quickly, and those beers are some of the most fun to make, sell and serve," he said. "Not having New Oberpfalz Oktoberfest at Griffith Oktoberfest because it sold out in September is as good a reason as we can think of to expand and the theme of not being able to meet demand hangs over our head like a cloud of steam from Cleveland Cliffs." New Oberpfalz expects to produce a greater variety of craft beers as a result of the expansion. "We will also make some interesting beers that have been 'draft only/taproom only' for years that we simply do not have production bandwidth to make as frequently as we would like," he said. "Our list of experimental beers that use interesting ingredients and processes is always growing and we hope to show off some of our innovative capacity once we can shore up our production capacity and satisfy our existing customers." Munster-based Peoples Bank is financing the project, which will be built by Hasse Construction. The building will feature a two-story Main Street facade that will be all brick and windows, but the building will be made of metal panels over a steel frame to reduce energy use. Most of the brewing equipment will be made in America. New Oberpfalz is buying it from Quality Tank Solutions of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. "Since our founding, we have been lucky enough to hire and retain great people to work here, and as our lives have grown, our business has been forced to remain the same size," Lehnerer said. "With expanded capacity, we hope to be able to retain the same personnel and offer interesting challenges for their careers, all while growing our business to meet the demands of our loyal beer drinkers." New Oberpfalz has been raising the funds for months and is bringing on equity investors to help finance the construction. For more information, email orders@newoberpfalz.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A U.S. Steel mill was the first in North America to attain a ResponsibleSteel site certification as the steel industry looks to become more sustainable, including by lessening its carbon footprint. ResponsibleSteel is a global nonprofit that determined U.S. Steel's Big River Steel mill in Osceola, Arkansas, met guidelines for health, safety, greenhouse gas emissions, water stewardship, biodiversity, human rights, labor rights and community relations. We are delighted that U.S. Steels Big River site has become the first site in North America to successfully pass an independent audit against the ResponsibleSteel Standard the global sustainability standard for the steel sector," ResponsibleSteel CEO Alison Lucas said. "This is a significant achievement. Our Standard, developed by the only international multi-stakeholder steel initiative, ensures that steelmaking sites comply with a comprehensive selection of criteria that reflect the full breadth of the ESG spectrum. The certification followed a third-party audit that included onsite visits and interviews with workers and stakeholders. The certification of a site demonstrates the commitment of a steelmaker to building a more responsible steel sector. It stresses the importance of not only taking steps towards decarbonization but also of prioritizing the health and safety of workers and operating with the utmost respect for human rights and labor rights and care for our natural environment," Lucas said. As one of the largest steel-producing countries globally, getting a steelmaker in the U.S. certified is crucial. We look forward to working with U. S. Steel during the next phase, certified steel, which will not only ensure that steel is responsibly produced but responsibly sourced as well. Long an integrated steelmaker, Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel has diversified to mini-mills partly to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Steel made at integrated mills like those in Northwest Indiana are carbon-intensive as blast furnaces burn coke, a form of coal that's stripped of impurities. We are thrilled to be the first steel company in North America to achieve ResponsibleSteel certification for our Big River Steel site, U. S. Steel President & CEO David B. Burritt said. This marks an important milestone on our journey to build a more sustainable future for our customers, company, colleagues, communities, and the planet. Congratulations to the Big River Steel team for earning this certification. It is a direct result of executing our Best for All strategy and reimagining sustainable steelmaking. Its a tremendous testament to their hard work and dedication. The audit did make a few recommendations for improvement, including for paid annual leave and paid maternity leave. ResponsibleSteel is a comprehensive approach to sustainability for steel companies that requires a rigorous and thorough audit process. Our assessment team was impressed by the dedication of the Big River Steel team and the overwhelmingly positive stakeholder input," said Christopher Lake, president of SRI Registrar, the company that conducted the third-party audit. Certification to the ResponsibleSteel Standard demonstrates a commitment by Big River Steel to manage environmental impacts, care for employees and the surrounding community, and be transparent about their goals and performance. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Registered voters in South Suburban Cook County can request a mail-in ballot for the June 28 primary election. Applications for the ballots can be made through June 23 on the Cook County Clerks Office website cookcountyclerk.com/votebymail. Ballots will mailed beginning in late May. Voting by Mail has become increasingly popular in recent years, and its clear that voters enjoy the simple and convenient option of casting their ballot from the comfort of their own home, Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough said in a statement. What makes the process even more accessible is the ability to request your ballot online." Voting my mail allows voters to take their time and research candidates and referendum proposals, Yarbrough continued. Voters may also download, print and sign a paper application to mail to Cook County Clerks Office, Mail Voting Unit, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60602. Voting by Mail and Early Voting continue to gain popularity, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2020 presidential election, 76% of suburban votes were cast by mail or in Early Voting. To apply, voters will need: An email address to confirm the application for processing Illinois drivers license or state identification number Last four digits of the voters Social Security Number Address where the ballot should be mailed. Completed ballots must be returned via U.S. mail or at Election Drop Box locations at suburban Early Voting sites, which open June 13. Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than June 28 and received by the Cook County Clerks office within 14 days of Election Day. To check on the status of a mail-in ballot or voter registration, visit cookcountyclerk.com/VoterInfo. For more information, call 312-603-0946 or email.voting@cookcountyil.gov. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 VALPARAISO A lawsuit accusing Valparaiso Community Schools and the principal of Valparaiso High School of unlawfully discriminating against a VHS student due to his transgender status has been dismissed. Court records show the student, Jasper Wisecarver, and the school defendants were close to finalizing a written agreement to resolve the case in early March. A joint agreement to dismiss the case, with each party to pay its own legal fees, was approved March 28 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, records show. The details of the settlement agreement were not disclosed in court documents, and representatives for each party declined to provide them to The Times. According to court records, Wisecarver is an 18-year-old man and a senior at VHS who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and is receiving treatment, including masculinizing hormone replacement therapy, aimed at alleviating distress associated with the incongruence between his male gender identity and his birth-assigned sex. Wisecarver asked in his lawsuit that Valparaiso Community Schools and the VHS principal be compelled to allow Wisecarver to use men's restrooms and locker rooms at the school, as well as requiring that Wisecarver be referred to as male by school personnel using the name and pronouns associated with his gender identity, records show. The lawsuit was one of three recently filed by the Indiana ACLU alleging sex discrimination by Indiana school districts against transgender students. "The law is clear that denying a student their right to use the correct restroom is discrimination," said Stevie Pactor, Indiana ACLU attorney. "Schools should be safe places for kids, and the refusal to allow a student to use the correct restroom can be extremely damaging." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO After nearly two years of denying his role in the 2019 slaying of two Lake County teens in rural Porter County, John Silva II relented Thursday afternoon and pleaded guilty as part of a proposed deal that calls for a 20-year prison sentence. The plea came as prosecutors were preparing to try the 21-year-old a second time starting Monday after his first trial in June resulted in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Silva pleaded guilty before Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish to attempted robbery, voluntary manslaughter and welfare fraud in return for prosecutors agreeing to a 31-year prison sentence with 11 years suspended. The sentence would reportedly require Silva to serve 13 1/2 years behind bars. The proposal, negotiated by defense attorneys John Cantrell and Mark Gruenhagen, was taken under advisement by Fish, who scheduled a hearing for May 20 to decide whether to accept the deal and carry out sentencing. The judge also canceled next week's trial. Silva, of Hamlet, was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted robbery in connection to the Feb. 25, 2019 offense that led to the deaths of Thomas Grill, 18, of Cedar Lake, and Molley Lanham, 19, of St. John. Prosecutors allege that Silva sat armed in the basement of a Boone Township home as backup for Connor Kerner, who was attempting to rob Grill and Lanham when the two were killed. Kerner, of Valparaiso, was convicted of the killings in October 2020 and sentenced to 179 years in prison. The state appellate court later reduced the sentence by 25 years. Silvas defense had countered that Silva was not in the basement as backup, but rather in hiding after seeing Kerner with a gun and realizing things were becoming "real." Silva recorded the six gunshots he heard and the sounds of a victim moaning in an effort to try and distance himself from the incident, the defense said. The recording was played at Kerners and Silvas trials. After the shooting, police said Kerner called Silva to help clean up while Kerner beat Grill with a pipe wrench to ensure his death. As part of Thursday's plea, Silva admitted he and Kerner planned to rob Grill at Kerner's grandparents' home near Hebron. Silva admitted to helping Kerner attempt to rob Grill and then help him kill Lanham by retrieving a pistol for him, according to the proposed plea. The welfare fraud charge accuses Silva of concealing that he was locked up at the Porter County jail in order to continue receiving unemployment benefits amounting to $2,028 from Sept. 18, 2020 to Feb. 21, 2021, the plea says. Kerner's mother, Roxann Kerner, of Chesterton, was sentenced in January to 18 months of formal probation after pleading guilty to giving police a false tip blaming another man for the murders of Grill and Lanham. She had pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstruction of justice, court records show. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT A Hammond man dropped his keys after fatally shooting a Chicago man Friday outside a Hammond smoke shop, hid his florescent green jacket in a garbage can as he fled the scene and dropped his credit cards on the ground when he returned to retrieve the jacket, court records state. Marcus A. Ross, 28, was taken into custody Saturday after Hammond officers went to his apartment with a search warrant and found him outside waiting for his landlord to deliver a key to him, Lake Criminal Court records state. He's accused of shooting Zachery S. Smith, 27, of Chicago, about 1:45 p.m. Friday outside the Oasis Smoke Shop, 5535 State Line Ave., after an earlier confrontation where Smith pointed a gun at him while the two exchanged words. The gunfire damaged a car, which was occupied by a woman. Ross told a magistrate he planned to hire a private attorney during an initial appearance Wednesday. The magistrate entered preliminary pleas of not guilty on his behalf to charges of murder and criminal recklessness. Mychael A. Thomas, 27, of East Chicago, was wanted on charges of murder and criminal recklessness. She's accused of dropping Ross off just before the shooting and helping him flee the crime scene in her gray Acura MDX, which has Arkansas license plates. Hammond police were dispatched to State Line Avenue and Pulaski Road after Smith, who had been shot in his chest, right leg and left knee, got into his black Ford Fusion, drove north several blocks and rear-ended another car near Franciscan Health hospital, causing the Ford to overturn in the middle of State Line Avenue, records state. Smith was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. Police gathered surveillance video from multiple locations that showed Ross and Thomas arrive in Thomas' Acura outside the smoke shop, according to court documents. Smith exited the smoke shop, took two handguns from his pants pockets, walked up to the Acura, pointed one of the guns at Ross, argued with Ross and got into his Ford Fusion, records state. Thomas and Ross left, but they were seen driving by the smoke shop about three minutes later. The Acura traveled out of camera view, and Ross appeared wearing a fluorescent green jacket less than a minute later and fired four shots at Smith, records allege. Ross ran a distance south, turned around and fired about five more shots at Smith, according to documents. Surveillance video showed something fall from the pocket of his green jacket. The item was later determined to be keys, records state. Thomas then allegedly drove by the crime scene looking for Ross. Another camera showed Ross place the green jacket in a garbage can in an alley behind Carroll Street, records state. About 7 minutes later, Ross returned driving the Acura and removed the jacket from the garbage can, documents allege. As he got back into the car, several items fell from the jacket's pocket onto the ground. Police later determined those items included Ross' credit card and a fuel card issued to Ross by his and Thomas' employer, records state. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HAMMOND One man is dead following a ninth-floor apartment fire early Thursday at the Renaissance Towers at 524 Michigan St., according to Fire Chief Jeff Smith. The department responded to several calls about the blaze that came in around 2:45 a.m., he said. Firefighters arrived to find the apartment engulfed in flames, Smith said. The blaze was put out, but not before causing peripheral damage to the building. In addition to finding the deceased man, firefighters treated three people for smoke inhalation, he said. The deceased has not yet been identified. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Smith said. Come back to nwi.com for updates as they become available. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GARY Police continued Wednesday to investigate the last known whereabouts of a Calumet Township woman who was reported missing after the SUV she drives was found crashed in a ravine off Interstate 65. Ariana Taylor, 23, was last heard from late Saturday, Gary police said. She was last seen wearing a red sweater, cut-up blue jeans, and red and white Nike Air Force One shoes, according to a missing persons flier. Gary police found a Chevrolet Trailblazer that Taylor drove crashed in a ravine Sunday off Interstate 65, near the interchange with Interstate 80, after a passerby called it in as a suspicious vehicle. No one was inside. It appeared that the SUV was going 80 mph or more and that whoever was driving didn't hit the brakes while traveling down into the ravine, Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady said. The SUV also had flat tires. Gary police conducted a K-9 search of the area with help from the Lake County Sheriff's Department helicopter, but whoever was in the car at the time of the crash was not found, Hamady said. Indiana State Police took a crash report for the SUV, which was towed from the scene, he said. Evidence found at the scene did not lead police to believe that whoever was in the car suffered serious injuries, he said. Lake County sheriff's police contacted Taylor's mother Sunday morning, and she told officers she had not heard from Taylor since Saturday night. Taylor's mother contacted the Sheriff's Department later Sunday night to report her daughter missing, Hamady said. Sheriff's police continued to search Monday with their helicopter, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation police assisted on the ground, Hamady said. About 11 a.m. Monday, Taylor's mother went to the Gary Police Department to file another missing persons report, police said. Gary police took jurisdiction of the case Tuesday. Officers have conducted two K-9 tracks in the area where Taylor's SUV was found. One track led police to Deep River, and a dive team was called in to search the water, Hamady said. Officers also searched an area along Clay Street north to 15th Avenue. In addition to the sheriff's helicopter, Gary police used a drone to search the area near I-65 and I-80, he said. Officers on horseback combed the area Wednesday. Police processed the SUV for evidence, and investigators have been working to piece together where Taylor was in the hours before her disappearance and who she may have been with, Hamady said. According to fliers, Taylor was described as 5 foot 6 and 200 pounds. Anyone with information about her last known whereabouts or who may have been with her is asked to call Detective Sgt. Mark Salazar at 219-881-1209. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chairs a symposium on the employment situation in Beijing, capital of China, April 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Thursday called for all-out efforts to stabilize and expand employment. Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while chairing a symposium on the employment situation. The stability of employment should be placed in a more prominent position, Hu said, urging relevant departments to solve difficulties faced by enterprises in a timely manner and continue to improve employment services. He also underscored the importance of efforts to strengthen the study of the employment situation, propose new suggestions in response to new changes, and hear opinions from research institutions, enterprises and other areas, so as to contribute more to the stability of employment. MICHIGAN CITY Police Chief Dion Campbell is supporting his officers in a recent arrest that attracted attention on social media, while the local branch of the NAACP is asking for more information. On Thursday, the Michigan City Police Department released an 18-minute video from the body camera of one of the officers involved in the arrest. The video, which contains graphic images and languages, is available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/e2zA-y4Sgik. The department said officers responded to a call Tuesday of a suspicious vehicle chasing two males on foot in the 1000 block of West Ninth Street. It was reported that one of the of individuals involved possibly had a gun, police said. Officers located a 26-year-old Michigan City man, Tahir Michael Kelly, who matched the description given to police. The video shows police asking Kelly for his identification and Kelly initially giving a different name than his own before providing his actual name. The video then shows officers moving to take Kelly into custody, at which point he runs away from them. Police are shown using a Taser to stop Kelly, who falls to the pavement, leaving his face bloodied. "Due to the injuries sustained from the fall, the male was released from police custody to receive medical care," the department said. Campbell said he responded to "non-factual accounts" being made on social media about the incident by hosting a meeting Wednesday with department members, the mayor, members of the city council and immediate family members of Kelly. The president of the Northwest Indiana Ministerial Alliance also took part and a representative of the LaPorte County NAACP was invited to attend. Body cam footage of the incident was viewed during the meeting, after which time Campbell gave his full support to his officers. The chief said the officers, "acted in accordance to the law and with professionalism." No details were provided about the nature of the social media posts. The LaPorte County NAACP released a statement on Thursday saying it was aware of the incident and asking anyone who had additional photos or videos to contact the branch at 219-229-3524. According to the statement, the branch hopes to meet with Kelly and his family. "We must keep in mind that body camera footage may depict the dynamics of an investigative stop but may not demonstrate ALL the dynamics of a stop," the NAACP said in the statement. "This is where all input, data, videos and discussions regarding this incident will be reviewed." The case has been forwarded to county prosecutors with a request for an arrest warrant on three misdemeanor charges of providing a false identity, resisting law enforcement and carrying a firearm without a permit. Police said Kelly has two active warrants for failure to appear for misdemeanor offenses. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bob Kasarda Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident. Follow Bob Kasarda 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 GARY After over 100 years of service, the Gary YWCA is looking to make some renovations. YWCA Executive Director Caren Jones went before the City Council during a Tuesday meeting to request American Rescue Plan Act funds. The city was awarded $80.3 million and has held several meetings to determine uses. Current ARPA allocations include premium pay, investments in broadband infrastructure and youth training programs. Since 1920, the YWCA has provided "a safe and clean environment in Gary's urban core," Jones said. When the pandemic hit, many Y services and programs were shut down and many staff were laid off or furloughed. As the organization continues to recover, Jones said the YWCA is looking to renovate the 22-year-old swimming pool, locker rooms and HVAC system. Councilwoman and Vice President Tai Adkins represents District 4, where the YWCA is located. She proposed giving the YWCA around $1 million. Council President William Godwin, D-1, said the Y "helps keep our population healthy and informed," adding that an exact funding amount can be determined after future meetings with the YWCA. The YWCA is a major part of our public health infrastructure and ARPA is a direct response to COVID-19 which is a public health problem," Godwin said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A second booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine provides additional short-term protection against Omicron infections and severe illness among older adults, according to a large new study from Israel. But the boosters effectiveness against infection in particular wanes after just four weeks and almost disappears after eight weeks. Protection against severe illness did not ebb in the six weeks after the extra dose, but the follow-up period was too short to determine whether a second booster provided better long-term protection against severe disease than a single booster. The study focused on adults ages 60 and older, and did not provide data on the effectiveness of a second booster in younger populations. The findings, published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that additional boosters are likely to provide fleeting protection against Omicron infections in older recipients, and are consistent with evidence that vaccine effectiveness against infection wanes faster than against severe disease. You make a big distinction between sweet melancholy and depression. How do you define the difference? S.C.: I am melancholic by nature, but I think of myself as a happy melancholic. Im actually not depressive in the clinical sense of that term. Its really interesting because theres a long tradition that goes back centuries of talking about melancholy and its mysterious virtues more than 2,000 years ago Aristotle was asking why it is that many of the great poets and philosophers and politicians have a melancholic personality. Melancholy and depression are two distinct states, but often no distinction is made. What fields of psychology are bucking this tendency toward pathologizing melancholy? S.C.: One psychologist, Dacher Keltner, who I wrote about in the book, has done pioneering work on what he calls the compassionate instinct, and he points out that the very word compassion means suffering together. So what youre doing when youre feeling compassionate is actually experiencing this sorrow of others. When we think of human nature, we often either cynically or despairingly go to the idea of survival of the fittest, but Dr. Keltner says we should also really be talking about survival of the kindest, because as humans, the only way that we survive is by being able to respond to the cries of our infants. What has radiated outward from there is that were not only responding to our own infants cries, we react to the cries of other peoples infants and then we react to other human beings in distress in general. Can listening to bittersweet, minor-key music, prime you for the bittersweet mind-set and lifes fragility? S.C.: Yes, absolutely. In fact, that was actually the catalyst that got me to start writing this book. I would listen to a technically sad song, but what it made me feel instead was a sense of communion with other people who had also known the sorrow that the music was expressing. And with this incredible sense of awe and gratitude toward the musician for being able to translate what had clearly originated in pain and to transform it into beauty. Its kind of like my church when I listen to that music. My playlist is on Spotify, actually. Cameron Welchs solo show, Ruins, at Yossi Milo is a knockout in almost the physical sense. It is full of large, ambitious, brilliantly executed mosaics full of so many disparate cultural references, snarling faces and masks and intimations of violence that it can initially be hard to focus. Such artistic confidence and artisanal finesse can feel like Neo-Expressionism all over again and is especially reminiscent of the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat, although Basquiat had a finer appreciation of empty space and breathing room. Welch seems guided by an unwavering horror vacui. His mosaics carom from the Greco-Roman-African worlds to our own uneasy time, with many stops in between. At the center of his mosaic Fugue State, is a Pieta, with some role reversal: A woman in a Burberry plaid shroud lies across the lap of a probably male figure, perhaps Christ enthroned. To the left, a cherub and the Lamb of God. To the right, a prone female nude out of Modigliani, a devil wielding a brush and palette and a protester holding an anti-police sign who resembles Jordan Wolfsons demonic animatronic puppet, ambiguously titled Colored Sculpture. Welch, who is 31, was making painting-collages before taking up mosaic four or five years ago. He has improved rapidly, enriching and updating his medium with pieces of marble, stone and several kinds of reverse glass imagery (abstract painting, photographs of ancient pottery, his handprints). To say that he might have discovered his artistic destiny is putting it mildly. ROBERTA SMITH Eric Boehlert, a veteran journalist who was a fierce critic of right-wing misinformation and hypocrisy in the news media, died on Monday in New Jersey. He was 56. Mr. Boehlert was struck by a New Jersey Transit train while riding his bicycle near the Watchung Avenue station in Montclair. His death was confirmed by his wife, Tracy Breslin. A frequent commentator on television and radio, as well as a prolific writer, Mr. Boehlert never shied away from searing critiques of what he saw as bias in the mainstream press and the circular impact of media on politics. After more than a decade as a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media monitoring group, Mr. Boehlert had in recent years started his own newsletter, Press Run, as a vehicle for his commentary. New marine platform to transform fishing and tourism By ZHENG CAIXIONG in Guangzhou (China Daily) 15:44, April 07, 2022 The new semi-submersible intelligent aquaculture tourism platform in South China's Hainan province. [Photo/CHINA DAILY] A new semi-submersible intelligent aquaculture tourism platform delivered for use in mid-March is expected to play a role in promoting the development of aquaculture and tourism in Hainan province in the months to come. Named Pu Sheng 1, it was designed by the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion of the Chinese Academy of Science and built by Guangzhou Shipyard International for an ocean technology company in Hainan. It is 86 meters long and 30 meters wide, and an 18-meter-high steel structural platform contains three 10,000-cubic-meter soft cages, allowing the platform to farm around 600,000 kilograms of ocean fish annually. The structure, which has a draft of 10 meters, is equipped with intelligent fish breeding systems, including automatic feeding and water quality monitoring. It will be put into operation at the Longqi Bay National Modern Intelligent Marine Ranch in Ledong county in southwestern Hainan and will be the first intelligent aquaculture and tourism platform in the province, which is a major free-trade port in South China. Zhou Xuhui, vice-president and senior engineer at GSI, said that the platform will help build a "marine granary" in Hainan and contribute to the development of the country's ocean economy. Liao Feiting, a project manager at GSI, said the structure has been equipped with photovoltaic power generation equipment and is both green and environmentally friendly as it is powered by clean energy. The structure can lower itself into the water by adjusting its ballast, he said. "It has a generation and storage capacity of 100 kilowatts, making it energy self-sufficient. Also, it can survive typhoons, storms and other extreme ocean weather through four corner anchoring," Liao said. The platform has been equipped with seawater desalination and sewage treatment plants, storage space, restaurants and other facilities, making it a modern marine industrial integration center that integrates green intelligent equipment, aquaculture, fishing, sightseeing and tourism, he added. Insiders have said that with the strong national promotion of green development, China's fisheries will gradually switch from basic, intensive fishing to a focus on raising fish and on combining raising and catching. Sources with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have said that 120 national marine pasture demonstration areas will be created in Chinese coastal waters by 2025. To this end, the GSI has increased investment in research and development in aquaculture in recent years. In a statement, the company said that it has entered into strategic cooperation with the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang) and other research institutions to build marine breeding equipment and engage in projects to help transform and upgrade the national fishing industry, and boost the development of marine resources and the marine economy. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday said that the country will maneuver monetary policy tools when appropriate to effectively support the real economy. Chairing a State Council executive meeting, Li also stressed the need for enterprises in strained industries to postpone the payment of pension insurance, as well as stabilize jobs and strengthen employment training. The meeting noted that, despite the current complexity and uncertainty both at home and abroad, the country's overall economic indicators generally remain within a reasonable range. Citing the increasing downward pressure from the sluggish recovery of the global economy, fluctuations in the prices of grain and energy, and domestic sporadic resurgences of COVID-19, the meeting urged efforts to coordinate epidemic control with economic and social development. The country needs to ensure the overall stability of employment and prices to achieve its aim of maintaining major economic indicators within an appropriate range, the meeting said. It also said that efforts should be made to maintain the smooth operations of logistics and industrial and supply chains, safeguard food and energy security, and ensure job creation by supporting market entities. The meeting urged relevant authorities to actively implement existing policies while introducing timely measures to stabilize market expectations in light of situational changes. Noting that some market entities have been hit hard by the epidemic, the meeting stressed the need for intensified efforts to provide relief to struggling businesses and meet the country's basic employment goal. The policy that allows the deferral of pension insurance payments will be implemented during the second quarter of 2022 to address the acute difficulties facing sectors such as catering services, retail, tourism, aviation and transportation, the meeting said. It also stressed the importance of efforts to appropriately and flexibly use a variety of monetary policy instruments such as re-lending to increase support for the real economy. The country will forcefully implement its prudent monetary policy to maintain reasonably sufficient liquidity, explore and adopt financial measures to bolster consumption and effective investment, and support financing in key fields and for weak links, the meeting noted. A Bronx man best known as a founding member of the pioneering rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a homeless man on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk five years ago. The man, Nathaniel Glover, who performed under the name Kidd Creole, was found guilty after a trial in which prosecutors described to the jury how, while on his way to work in August 2017, Mr. Glover had killed the homeless man, John Jolly, 55, during an argument on East 43rd Street. The episode began as Mr. Glover passed Mr. Jolly on the street and the two exchanged words, according to prosecutors. Mr. Glover turned, approached Mr. Jolly and met him chest to chest before stabbing him twice in the torso with a steak knife, prosecutors said. After a group of tourists found Mr. Jolly crumpled on the ground, he was taken to a hospital, where he died as a result of the stab wounds, prosecutors said. Mr. Glover rushed two blocks to where he was working at the time, changed his clothes and cleaned the knife in a sink, prosecutors said. Voting in New York will become easier for blind and disabled residents following the settlement of a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections this week. Under the new terms, the state board has until June 1 to create an electronic voting method that will allow voters with disabilities that make reading or writing text difficult, such as blindness or paralysis, to print out ballots online and mail them back. Through this agreement, the New York State Board of Elections has made it easier for people with print disabilities to vote with greater privacy and independence, said Timothy A. Clune, executive director of Disability Rights New York, in a statement. The original complaint, filed in May 2020, said voters with disabilities who did not want to vote in person out of fear of contracting Covid-19 were being excluded from absentee voting because they were unable to independently fill out paper ballots. Gun violence hit historic lows in 2018 and 2019. Even with recent increases, rates of shootings, felony assaults and overall major crimes are similar to or below the levels of the late 2000s and early 2010s. There have been nine fewer murders this year compared with the same period last year. This years first three months have also seen rises in crimes like burglaries, robberies and grand larcenies compared to the same periods in 2020 and 2021, though experts warn against short-term comparisons, particularly during the statistic-skewing pandemic. New York isnt the only city struggling to check crime amid the pandemic. In Houston, at least 473 homicides were recorded last year; New York saw only 15 more, with nearly four times the total population. And just 90 minutes south, Philadelphia saw 559 murders in 2021, in a city with just 1.5 million residents. But fresh anxieties have driven warnings about a return to New Yorks bad old days, when there were many years with more than 2,000 murders. To some, the resemblance between the periods lies not in the crime or the data, but in the coverage. It reminds me of the 1990s, in the sense that every incident of violence becomes a major news story, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the research and evaluation center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Some of these things are just shocking, he said. But its also important to remember that these things have always happened, and still been fairly infrequent incidents. But they stay with you for so long and stick in your memory. Some types of crime have risen significantly since the pandemic began. Shootings are twice as high as in the years preceding the pandemic, and the burden falls primarily on Black and Latino neighborhoods. More than 1,800 shootings were reported annually in the past two years after dropping under 900 in 2018. Attacks against Asian New Yorkers have spiked, with over 130 hate-crime complaints filed to the police last year, after just one reported in 2019. FRONT PAGE An article on Wednesday about Elon Musk joining Twitters board after becoming the companys biggest shareholder misstated the year that he mused in a tweet about taking Tesla, the electric car company he founded, private. It was 2018, not 2016. An article on Wednesday about attempts in certain states to restrict abortion pills and criminalize medication abortions referred incorrectly to the circumstance under which the Texas law requires a doctor to offer to administer Rh immunoglobulin to a pregnant woman. It is when she tests Rh negative, not Rh positive. NATIONAL A Fact Check article on Feb. 28 about claims in the coronavirus stimulus bill debate, using information from an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, misstated an estimate of the minimum wage, if the wage had kept pace with worker productivity. It was $21.50 an hour, not $24. This correction was delayed, because the error was only recently brought to the attention of editors. BUSINESS An article on Wednesday about the expansion of the vertical farming industry misstated Jason Greens position at Upward Farms, a vertical farming start-up. He is the chief executive and a co-founder of the company, not the president. Maybe thats because the whole production feels so attuned to the gender politics and protests of today, so aware of possible critiques that it takes on its subject with an overabundance of caution. So a mere 20 minutes into the show, Suffs makes it clear its not framing Paul as the perfect warrior-saint of the movement. When Paul is dismissive of Wells she responds with the song Wait My Turn (Do you not realize youre not free until Im free./Or do you refuse to see?), establishing her role as the racial conscience of the musical, popping up every once in a while as a reminder of the pitfalls of white feminism. And all these women and stories of their activism are uncomfortably stuffed into a show too scared to miss anything that it becomes bloated with information. In many ways Suffs lands like a clunky heir of the Publics other big historical musical, Hamilton, borrowing some of its approaches to structure while trying to avoid the criticisms about its politics around women and slavery. But thats the risk that comes with recasting history with todays sensibilities in mind. Even this feminist tale occasionally serves retorts to those funky founding fathers who met in the room where it happens; our suffragists sing about how no women got to witness the signing of the 19th Amendment themselves because a man signed the paper behind a closed door in a room somewhere. But the musical doesnt need to try so hard to defend itself or prove its relevance, say, by showing the threats and taunts of men interjected into songs like The March. Neither does it need to fall back on preciousness, like when a Tennessee state senators mother, an old farmers widow, sings a banjo-heavy song pleading with her son to vote for suffrage with a promise of his favorite meatloaf in return. Or the pat pairing of some couples in the end, and the heavy-handed finale, Never Over, about the continuous march toward progress. The direction, by Leigh Silverman, feels as methodical as the text; the pacing is speedy, and the songs are dense with exposition like those of Hamilton. But Suffs turns out to be all work and mostly no play, and when it comes to the music itself nothing really pops. There are a few dry touches of vaudeville, and some sugary songs like If We Were Married, a number that feels like a contemporary stab at Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogerss 1937 rendition of Lets Call the Whole Thing Off. Its a parody of such cutesy courtship numbers yet it delivers just that. HOUSTON Gov. Greg Abbott said on Wednesday that Texas would set up checkpoints to stop commercial vehicles coming from Mexico and would charter buses to bring migrants released by federal agents north to Washington, ushering in a new phase in an increasingly pitched political clash over immigration policy. The tug of war over border policy has been politically advantageous for the governor in his re-election campaign, his political aides have said, and reflects real concern among Texas officials and voters that not enough has been done to address the surging number of migrant encounters at the border. The twin imperatives security and politics were on display in a news conference as Mr. Abbott lashed out at the Biden administration and promised that the first migrants who agreed to be bused from Texas to Washington would be dropped at the doorstep of federal lawmakers. The first location for drop-off, he said, will be the steps of the United States Capitol. Since President Biden took office, Mr. Abbott, a Republican who is running for his third term in November, has sought ways to increase the involvement of Texas law enforcement along the border, engaging in a broad expansion of state efforts to stop and, in some cases, arrest migrants. Still, the remarks were the most explicit about Amazon from Mr. Biden, who has called himself the most pro-union president ever and has long hinted that he disapproves of the companys efforts to dissuade its workers from unionizing. Last year, Mr. Biden expressed his support for workers trying to unionize an Amazon warehouse in Alabama. But at that time, the president did not call out the company by name. Let me be really clear: Its not up to me to decide whether anyone should join a union, he said at the time in a direct-to-camera address posted on the White House Twitter page, after a pressure campaign by pro-union groups pushed him to weigh in on the drive. But let me be even more clear: Its not up to an employer to decide that either. Workers there narrowly voted against forming a union. Amazon has also said that workers have a right to decide to unionize, but the National Labor Relations Board has filed a number of cases saying the company has improperly interfered with their right to do so. Amazon denies that. The success of the unionization drive at the Staten Island warehouse the only Amazon fulfillment center in New York City caught many by surprise. Employees cast 2,654 votes to be represented by Amazon Labor Union and 2,131 against, according to the National Labor Relations Board, giving the union a win by more than 10 percentage points. The victory comes at a perilous moment for the labor movement. Despite rising public approval for labor unions, high demand for workers and pockets of successful labor activity, the portion of U.S. workers in unions dropped last year to 10.3 percent, the lowest rate in decades. Critics including some labor officials say that traditional unions have failed to devote enough resources into organizing campaigns and that they have often bet on the wrong fights. WASHINGTON A fox that bit at least nine people on Capitol Hill, possibly including a congressman, tested positive for rabies on Wednesday, according to city health officials, after she had been euthanized in a grim turn in an episode that had briefly captivated those who live and work around Congress. The D.C. Public Health Lab has confirmed the fox that was captured yesterday tested positive for the rabies virus, a statement from the citys health agency said, advising anyone who had come into contact with the animal or its offspring to reach out to the authorities. D.C. Health is contacting all human victims who were bitten by the fox. Washington health officials said earlier in the day that the fox had been euthanized so that she could be tested for rabies, eliciting an outpouring of sorrow for an animal that had become something of a mascot during its brief wanderings near the Capitol. But in an era of pandemic precautions and contact tracing, the diagnosis prompted speculation about who might have been exposed. Representative Ami Bera, a California Democrat who had reported being bitten by a fox near the Capitol on Monday night and was treated soon after, said on Wednesday that he felt healthy and was back to work. This year, Wisconsin held some of the earliest school-board elections in the country. Like everything else in American politics, these normally sleepy contests have become sharply polarized and closely watched. Nationally, Republicans see an opportunity to erode the Democrats traditional advantage on education, capitalizing on widespread frustration over schooling during the coronavirus pandemic. Under the banner of parents rights, theyve stoked controversies over L.G.B.T.Q. issues and critical race theory, an academic legal concept that has become a loose shorthand for a contentious debate on how schools teach about race. Its a strategy that complements Republicans emphasis on local elections as a means of energizing the base of the party. Last year, Senator Ron Johnson urged Wisconsin voters to take back our school boards, our county boards, our city councils. So how did it go? Republicans in Wisconsin invested more than $70,000 in school-board races this year, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Rebecca Kleefisch, a former lieutenant governor who is running to oust Gov. Tony Evers, the Democratic incumbent, endorsed a slate of 48 candidates in school board contests. Thirty-four of them won. But the raw numbers can be misleading. Republicans picked up seats in Waukesha County, a longtime G.O.P. stronghold, but failed to make inroads in most contested areas. Scarlett Johnson, a conservative activist who drew national attention for organizing a recall of her local school board last fall, lost her election bid in a suburb north of Milwaukee. In contested Eau Claire, two incumbents backed by Democrats and teachers unions, Tim Nordin and Marquell Johnson, were narrowly re-elected with some help from the state party. Both had complained of receiving harassment during the campaign, during which conservative candidates criticized school training materials on how to discuss childrens sexual identities. In an email, Nordin said the results were a repudiation of false narratives about race and identity. He added, Our community saw through dog whistles and rejected barely disguised attacks on our children. WASHINGTON The House on Wednesday voted to recommend criminal contempt of Congress charges against Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr., two close allies of former President Donald J. Trump, after the pair defied subpoenas from the special committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The mostly party-line vote of 220 to 203 referred contempt charges to the Justice Department, calling for prosecutions of Mr. Navarro, a former top White House adviser, and Mr. Scavino Jr., a former deputy chief of staff. It came as congressional investigators have grown increasingly frustrated with some of Mr. Trumps staunchest supporters who have refused to meet with the panel or turn over a single page of evidence to the committee as it digs into the worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812. We have two people who are flagrantly, brazenly defying the authority of the House of Representatives of the United States, said Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland and a member of the committee. He said the men had nothing but excuses for their noncompliance excuses you would not accept from a teenage child. Only two Republicans, Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, both members of the investigative committee, voted for the charges. The rest of their party refused to support the move. BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to face up to the aspiration of Asia-Pacific countries for peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and abandon the Cold War mindset and zero-sum game, faithfully fulfill their international obligations and do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have all said that they are working on hypersonic weapons under their new trilateral security pact, which is called AUKUS. Zhao said that, exploiting the Ukraine crisis and using the pretext of maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, AUKUS has declared in a high-profile manner that the United States and the United Kingdom will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and the three countries will cooperate in developing advanced military technologies such as hypersonic weapons. It not only increases nuclear proliferation risks and brings shocks to the international non-proliferation system, but also intensifies arms race and undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Zhao said. "Countries in the region should be on a higher alert." AUKUS is an Anglo-Saxon clique, where the old thinking of Cold War mentality and bloc politics persists and the old trick of provoking military confrontation and adding fuel to the flame lingers, Zhao pointed out. "Its ultimate goal is to build a NATO replica in the Asia-Pacific to serve the U.S. hegemony and self-interests through and through. Asia-Pacific countries will resolutely say no to it for sure," Zhao said. Russian troops have been fighting in groups of a few hundred soldiers, rather than in the bigger and more effective formations of thousands of soldiers used in the past. We havent seen any indication that they have the ability to adapt, said Mick Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official and retired C.I.A. officer. The number of Russian losses in the war so far remains unknown, though Western intelligence agencies estimate 7,000 to 10,000 killed and 20,000 to 30,000 wounded. Thousands more have been captured or are missing in action. The Russian military, the Western and European officials said, has learned at least one major lesson from its failures: the need to concentrate forces, rather than spread them out. But Moscow is trying to find additional forces, according to intelligence officials. Russias best forces, its two airborne divisions and the First Guards Tank army, have suffered significant casualties and an erosion of combat power, and the military has scoured its army looking for reinforcements. The British Defense Ministry and the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank that analyzes the Ukraine war, both reported on Tuesday that the Russian troops withdrawing from Kyiv and Chernihiv would not be fit for redeployment soon. Russia-Ukraine War: Key Developments Card 1 of 4 Victory Day concerns. Officials across Ukraine issued urgent warnings about the threat of stepped-up Russian missile strikes over the weekend, amid fears that President Vladimir V. Putin might use Russias Victory Day holiday on May 9 to intensify attacks and turn what he calls a special military operation in Ukraine into explicit, all-out war. In Mariupol. In the ruined city, where fighting continued to rage, an evacuation convoy was dispatched again to the Azovstal steel plant, where about 200 civilians are believed to be trapped underground, along with the last Ukrainian soldiers defending the city. The Russian bombardment of the factory continued overnight. On the ground. Ukrainian soldiers are trying to drive Russian forces back from outside the two strategically important cities of Kharkiv and Izium. Russia appears to have escalated its attempts to trap and destroy Ukrainian units farther south. Russian oil embargo. The European Union unveiled a plan to halt imports of Russian crude oil in the next six months and refined oil products by the end of the year. If approved as expected, it would be the blocs biggest and costliest step yet toward ending its own dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The Russians have no ability to rebuild their destroyed vehicles and weapon systems because of foreign components, which they can no longer get, said Maj. Gen. Michael S. Repass, a former commander of U.S. Special Operations forces in Europe who has been involved with Ukrainian defense matters since 2016. WASHINGTON The United States said on Wednesday that it had secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world in recent weeks, a step to pre-empt Russian cyberattacks and send a message to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The move, made public by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, comes as U.S. officials warn that Russia could try to strike American critical infrastructure including financial firms, pipelines and the electric grid in response to the crushing sanctions that the United States has imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. The malware enabled the Russians to create botnets networks of private computers that are infected with malicious software and controlled by the G.R.U., the intelligence arm of the Russian military. But it is unclear what the malware was intended to do, since it could be used for everything from surveillance to destructive attacks. An American official said on Wednesday that the United States did not want to wait to find out. Armed with secret court orders in the United States and the help of governments around the world, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. disconnected the networks from the G.R.U.s own controllers. WASHINGTON What are you hearing about the Gridiron? A version of that text message blazed across Washington phones this week as the Gridiron Club dinner, an annual black-tie roast between journalists and presidential administrations held over the weekend, has quickly devolved from a swampy cross-pollination party into an event where a lot of boldface names appear to have caught the coronavirus. On Wednesday, two Biden administration officials who attended the dinner, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, said they had tested positive for the virus. Neither was determined to be in close contact with President Biden, defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as someone less than six feet away for more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. The positive tests are a reminder that, even as officials seek to pivot away from strict restrictions and encourage Americans to learn to live with the coronavirus, the pandemic is not over, driven by the emergence of a new, highly contagious subvariant whose spread is alarming experts. Mr. Biden did not attend the Gridiron, but he has appeared, mask-free, at several events this week, even as cases rise inside his administration, among lawmakers, in the news media and throughout the capital. His maskless appearance also calls into question the safety protocols that stand between a 79-year-old president and a wily virus that is adept at evading even stringent safety measures. World Health Organization officials on Wednesday expressed concerns that some countries in the Americas were prematurely scaling back policies to control the coronavirus, and urged them to double down on efforts to increase vaccination and testing as cases remain high in Europe. Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, a regional arm of the W.H.O., said that while coronavirus cases had fallen in the Americas, they were increasing in some places, including the Caribbean and Canada, which has reported a 26 percent increase in cases over the past two weeks. We know what has happened elsewhere foreshadows what our region will face, Dr. Etienne said during a conference call with reporters. Time and time again weve seen how the infection dynamics in Europe are mirrored here just a few weeks later. In South America, a relatively large share of the population is fully vaccinated 73 percent, according the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. But Dr. Etienne said that 240 million people in the Americas have yet to receive a single vaccine dose, putting them at risk as tourism and travel increase in the region. We know what it takes to protect our people, she said. We have to keep filling vaccination gaps. Spurred by reports of Russian atrocities outside Ukraines capital, and alarmed at signs that Russias invasion force is about to escalate assaults in eastern Ukraine, many civilians in that region are fleeing while they can, officials said Wednesday. The cities of the Luhansk region are in ruins, warned one eastern governor. Thousands of residents have not yet left. Get out of the way! The exodus accelerated as Western nations moved to provide more weapons to Ukraines military and further ostracize Russia economically with new sanctions, including restrictions on its leading banks and on the assets of President Vladimir V. Putins children. The new sanctions are a response to outrage and revulsion over the atrocities, including executions and torture, that appear to have been carried out by Russian forces before they retreated from areas outside Kyiv in the past few weeks. Russia has denied responsibility, saying the atrocities were fabricated or were committed by the Ukrainians themselves. With the Biden administration sending dozens of armed drones to Ukraine, the Pentagon is training Ukrainian soldiers in the United States to use the weapons to attack Russian tanks and other armored vehicles. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III disclosed the training for the first time in House testimony on Tuesday. Pentagon officials offered more details on Wednesday about what the military calls Switchblade drones and how U.S. officials are instructing a cadre of Ukrainian troops to use them on the battlefield. The Pentagon announced last month that it was sending 100 Switchblade drones to Ukraine as part of a $800 million military aid package to Ukraine. More are on the way. Military officials call the weapon, which is carried in a backpack, the kamikaze drone, because it can be flown directly at a tank or a group of troops and is destroyed when it hits the target and explodes. Bigger armed drones, like U.S.-made Predators or Reapers, would be difficult for Ukrainians to fly and would be easily destroyed by Russian fighter planes. But Pentagon officials said the small, portable kamikaze drones could prove to be a more cost-effective and elusive weapon against Russian armored convoys. Japan announced changes on Wednesday to its entry policy for foreigners, causing confusion among travelers who hoped to enter the country. The government is issuing very few visas to foreigners, limiting the impact of the rule change. Beginning Friday, except for those with touristic purposes, citizens of the countries will not be subject to denial of permission to enter, according to a statement on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Still, the government is rarely issuing visas to foreigners, so while the denial of permission to enter has been lifted, entry is still restricted only to some businesspeople and students. Japan has maintained tight control of its borders throughout the pandemic. Most of its Asian neighbors have already eased their travel restrictions, with the significant exception of China. Japans relative caution has proved politically popular, and analysts say this is unlikely to change substantially before a parliamentary election in July. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 1 in 19 residents of Japan have been infected with the coronavirus, a far lower proportion than in many other industrialized countries. There have been more than 28,000 deaths, according to figures from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine struck a defiant tone in his nightly address on Wednesday, accusing Russian forces of trying to hide evidence of war crimes and asking his allies to find the determination to borrow it, if need be to take harsher measures against Moscow. Russian troops have changed their tactics and are trying to remove the killed people from the streets and basements of the occupied territory, Mr. Zelensky said. They would not succeed in hiding evidence, he said, because they killed a lot. Responsibility cannot be avoided. As he has many times in the past few weeks, Mr. Zelensky spoke directly to the Russian people, calling on them to demand an end to the war if they felt even a little bit of shame over Russian troops killing civilians in Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky also welcomed a new raft of sanctions against Russia from the European Union and the United States, but said his government would continue to insist on a full international blockade of the Russian banking system and a total ban on imports of Russian oil. Isnt it distressing when the oldest dance on a program has the most to say about the present? And more disconcerting when that dance feels it could have been the newest? Not to slight the dance itself: Martha Grahams Chronicle, from 1936, is as spellbinding and prescient as ever. Created in a response to rising fascism in Europe after Graham refused an invitation to perform at the Olympic Games in Berlin, it has become more and more relevant in recent years. That is definitely distressing. But the premieres presented by the Martha Graham Dance Company on the opening night of its season at City Center Dance Festival tell a different story. There was Canticle for Innocent Comedians, a sluggish series of vignettes by eight choreographers, led by Sonya Tayeh, and Cave, an uncomplicated, raucous transform-the-stage-into-a-club experience by Hofesh Shechter. When it comes to commissioning new works, the Graham company generally runs in the opposite direction of its founding choreographer mystifyingly so, as if the company, the oldest dance troupe in the United States, is vying to become the next random repertory group. Moving forward is not only desirable, its necessary, but the choice of new choreographers can be confusing beyond their brand names. These choreographers rarely show new sides of the Graham dancers technically assured, individual and, more than most, attuned to their inner emotions as much as they stamp their style onto them. The wondrous exhibition Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents at the Metropolitan Museum of Art begins with two picture-window-size holes in the wall: A visitor peers into one opening and then, through it, the other. Together they add a thrilling air of unpredictability. They also frame a painting hanging on a third wall deeper in the show: a fraught canvas titled The Gulf Stream that many consider Homers greatest work. It depicts a muscular, barechested Black man who lies, propped up on his elbows looking grimly into the distance, on the deck of a fishing boat with a broken mast. The hurricane has passed and his craft tilts toward capsizing, as sharks circle in the bloodied waters. The Gulf Stream was painted in 1899, and exhibited a year later but Homer slightly readjusted its drama over the next six years. By 1906, when the Met purchased the painting, he had added a ship on the horizon to the far left, implying that conditions might improve, and beefed up a waterspout to the right, hinting that they might not. This work was the fruit of Homers winter trips to the Bahamas, where he fished and made sketches and watercolors to be worked into paintings in his Maine studio. It is also the inspiration for this revelatory exhibition, which takes a fresh look at the themes of struggle and conflict in Homers art and simultaneously (in my view at least) clarifies his development as a radical painter on the brink of modernism. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree unveiling a set of revised administrative regulations to further cut the red tape and stimulate market players' vitality. The decree, which will take effect on May 1, 2022, announced the decision to amend 14 and abolish six sets of regulations in a bid to promote the separation of permits from business licenses. The revision canceled certain review and approval procedures for foreign investments in telecommunications businesses, according to the decree. It also streamlined procedures for the establishment of some medical institutions. The document details measures to switch from licensing to archival filing management for certain fields. Administrative approval will no longer be required for training of security guards, international road cargo transport and motor vehicle driving. Some regulations inconsistent with the provisions and principles of the Civil Code were also abolished, according to the document. The pandemic gave the composer Andy Akiho some extra time to complete Seven Pillars, an evening-length work for the virtuosos in Sandbox Percussion. He collaborated with the quartet intimately over that extended period, before releasing a recording of the opus last year. The payoff for all that effort was a percussive essay rich in melody as well as drive. Seven Pillars finally gets its New York premiere at the Baryshnikov Arts Center at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Tickets are $25. While the recording is recommendable on its own, Akihos attention to a variety of resonant, chiming percussive approaches makes for a promising immersive live experience. So too does Michael Joseph McQuilkens lighting design for the concert, which is attuned to the 80-minute works palindromic structure: Its 11 movements are balanced between four contemplative solo sections one for each Sandbox player as well as seven grandly thrumming sections for the entire group. SETH COLTER WALLS KIDS Dont Call Her a Baby In case you thought rocky celebrity unions (and public obsession with them) were a contemporary phenomenon, Stephen Galloways best-selling book about the marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh will tell you otherwise. They were lovers as famous as Burton and Taylor or Bogie and Bacall but their kind of love seemed closer to hate, writes the former executive editor of The Hollywood Reporter in Truly, Madly, which arrived in the world only five days before the Oscars landed another high-profile couple on the connubial hot seat. They appeared to have it all; and yet in their own minds they were blighted, doomed by a mental illness neither understood that transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare. Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, then known as manic depression (it was diagnosed by the same psychoanalyst who, according to Gore Vidal, advised Tennessee Williams to give up both writing and sex so he could be transformed into a good team player). As our critic noted, Galloway is perhaps the first author to interpolate this oft-told story with commentary from contemporary mental-health experts, lending a new sensitivity to exhaustive analyses of the Olivier-Leigh alliance. Carlson has also promoted a false rumor, popular in Russia, accusing the U.S. of funding biological weapons labs in Ukraine. These comments are consistent with Carlsons history of arguing that the U.S. should align itself with Russia over Ukraine. I think we should probably take the side of Russia, if we have to choose between Russia and Ukraine, he said in 2019. Koch Industries, the conglomerate whose controlling family is a major funder of Republican candidates and conservative causes, has said it would continue to operate in Russia even as many Western companies have left. Political advocacy groups affiliated with Charles Koch have also questioned why the U.S. is levying harsh sanctions on Russia and have suggested that a Ukrainian victory is not in Americas interest, as Judd Legum of the Popular Information newsletter has reported. The United States can and should do very little for Ukraine, Will Ruger, the president of a Koch-funded group, has said. Ukraine simply doesnt matter to Americas security or our prosperity. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Georgia congresswoman, has criticized both Russias invasion and Ukraines government. President Volodymyr Zelenskys government is corrupt, she claimed (without offering evidence), and is in power only because the Obama administration helped overthrow the previous regime (which is not true). She has argued that the U.S. should not send weapons to Ukraine. Matt Rosendale, a Montana congressman, called Zelensky a less-than-forthright president of the Ukraine. Former Trump administration officials have echoed their bosss comments. I have enormous respect for him, Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, said of Putin. He is very savvy, very shrewd. Peter Navarro, who was a Trump economic adviser, said that Ukraine was not really a country because it used to be part of the Soviet Union. Douglas Macgregor, another administration official, said that Russian forces had been too gentle with Ukraine. At least two Republican candidates have made similar comments. I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another, J.D. Vance, who is running for Senate in Ohio, said. Joe Kent, who is trying to win a primary over a House Republican who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 riot, called Putins demand to control part of eastern Ukraine very reasonable. If everyone learns everything, there will be protests, said Aleksandr Kononov, whose brother was one of the many Russian soldiers killed in the conflict. And I think that would be for the best. For others, the grim news of casualties has only hardened a determination to defeat Ukraine and support President Vladimir Putin. If America didnt supply weapons to the Ukrainian Nazis, then there would be no deaths of our young guys, said Aleksandr Chernykh, who lost his 22-year-old son, Luka, a corporal in military intelligence. My personal opinion is we should just whack America with a nuclear bomb and thats it, so that they stop getting involved in other countries business. I know the Russian spirit, and I know that Russians do not shoot at civilians, added Chernykh, who lives in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Only Nazis could do that. Putin has falsely described Ukraines government as run by Nazis to justify the war, and that message has permeated Russian news coverage, which is subject to a strict censorship law. Kremlin-backed news organizations have falsely claimed that the brutal deaths of civilians during the Russian occupation of Bucha were an elaborate hoax. The British oil giant Shell said on Thursday that its decision to pull out of its projects in Russia would slash its quarterly profit by $4 billion to $5 billion. The estimate, detailed in an update to Shell shareholders, is among the largest publicly announced financial hits by any of the hundreds of companies that have curtailed their operations in Russia or withdrawn entirely since its invasion of Ukraine. Shell, however, made $20 billion in profit last year, and high energy prices are expected to bolster its bottom line this year analysts expect it to make over $30 billion in 2022, according to FactSet. Shell, Europes largest oil company, said in February that it would leave its joint ventures with Gazprom, the Russian state-controlled gas monopoly, and end its involvement with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which Germany suspended after the invasion. In March, the company announced a more definitive break with Russia, saying it would stop buying oil and gas from Russia and shutter its service stations in the country in a phased withdrawal from its operations there. Her other improvised 2021s, all with the California appellation, include Cannonball, an unusual blend of carignan and gruner veltliner with dollops of chardonnay, grenache blanc and vermentino from Mendocino, Monterey and El Dorado, bright, fruity and savory, all knit together with a thread of tannin, for $36; a light and pleasing petillant naturel made of Monterey gruner veltliner and Anderson Valley chardonnay for $40; and another combination rose, which requires a bit of explanation as it is not entirely the result of climate change. Ms. Rogers Brandts McDowell Valley rose was originally intended for Isabels Cuvee, a core wine for Donkey & Goat. But it had an unexpected problem, an excess of volatile acidity, which she said occurred through a fault in the winemaking process. She decided to subject it to a technological manipulation shunned by natural winemakers, reverse osmosis. While not at all what I wish to do I felt it was my only option as I could not risk another loss in a catastrophic vintage, she told me by email. Feeling the wine was missing something, she added some pinot gris from the 2020 vintage, made in the ramato style, in which the juice and skins are macerated together, adding texture and color. Federal rules permit up to 15 percent of a blend from a vintage other than the stated year. Whatever the problems that beset this cuvee, the result, labeled Gris Gris, is delightful lively, tangy, refreshing and dry, with flavors of fruits and herbs even if it cannot be considered a natural wine. It includes grapes from McDowell Valley, Anderson Valley and El Dorado, hence the California appellation. Lesson Overview Featured Article: In Wisconsin: Stowing Mowers, Pleasing Bees, photographs and text by Anne Readel from The Timess The World Through a Lens series. Do you have a front lawn? If not, have you ever fantasized about having one? Why do you think a lush, perfectly manicured lawn is a dream for so many Americans? Did you know that kind of lawn can hurt the environment and contribute to the decline of bee populations? In this lesson, you will learn how the No Mow May movement aims to transform the traditional American lawn into an ecological benefit. In Going Further activities, we invite you to make the case for or against a similar environmental campaign in your own community. Youll also have an option to act as a photojournalist and document the often overlooked life in a front lawn or field of grass. Warm-Up Part 1: Closely observe a lawn or patch of grass in your neighborhood. Do you have a front lawn? If not, think of a familiar field or patch of grass that you pass by or visit regularly, such as a schoolyard, park or neighbors backyard. What plant and animal species do you imagine live there? In the charming coming-of-age movie Metal Lords, misfit teenage musicians form a band. Not just any band a heavy metal band. These are kids who lag in gym class and get shoved into lockers, but in the privacy of their makeshift practice space, they sure know how to solo, riff and headbang. The movie (on Netflix) opens on a basement band practice. Posters of Motorhead, Black Sabbath and Slipknot line the walls, and a stack of amps is ready for use. In the middle of it all is our hero, Kevin (Jaeden Martell), who takes his cues musical, social and otherwise from his bestie, Hunter (Adrian Greensmith). Kevins on drums while Hunter assumes lead vocals, guitar and fantasies of stardom. The mixed data along with mixed messages, with health officials urging caution as the city so far declines to reimpose several recently lifted vaccine and mask mandates leaves many New Yorkers unsure how best to respond, my colleagues Sharon Otterman and Joseph Goldstein report. Its confusing, Catherine Jordan, 80, said as she waited for a bus in Queens. You dont know what to do. Many of us can relate. Rules and recommendations can seem to change as often as the virus mutates. The new wave prompted Mayor Eric Adams to keep, for now, the preschool mask mandate hed planned to lift. Yet the increase comes, seemingly like clockwork, weeks after the city stopped requiring bars and restaurants to check vaccine records and let public-school students go maskless from kindergarten up. And data are increasingly incomplete since more people nowadays do tests at home, which are generally not reported to city agencies. So how to judge whats safe and responsible? Everyone calibrates risk in their own idiosyncratic, sometimes contradictory way, according to their personal circumstances, risk tolerance and approach to shifting, imperfect information. (Not to mention, it turns out, their attitudes on politics and public health.) In our family, decisions were already complex before the new subvariant. One child, in a crowded school, still masked most days; the other, privileged with a well-ventilated, high-ceilinged classroom, did not. Figuring that social connection, mental wellness and activity were also important to our health, and our communitys, we saw friends and octogenarian relatives and attended work meetings. Probably not coincidentally, we started to get normal colds again; we worried, using precious at-home tests to rule out Covid-19. New York City officials are working to bolster the citys testing infrastructure as coronavirus cases rise largely fueled by a highly contagious subvariant of the virus but an election-year dispute in Washington, D.C., means some New Yorkers may have to pay to get tested. Because federal emergency aid for testing, vaccines and therapeutics is stalled, certain providers are no longer able to provide testing to everyone free of charge, regardless of their insurance status. But New York City officials have said that tests at city-run sites will remain free for all. Coronavirus cases in New York City have risen 77 percent in the past two weeks, according to a New York Times tracker. The increase is driven largely by BA.2, a highly contagious subvariant of the Omicron strain, and a loosening of pandemic restrictions. City officials have said that testing is a crucial tool not only for tracking the spread of the virus, but also for stopping transmission. Heres what you need to know about getting tested in New York City. UNITED NATIONS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the news that trucks with food assistance and fuel have reached Tigray and Afar following the declaration of the humanitarian truce. Through a statement, the top UN official called on all parties "to keep the momentum" and to follow through on their commitments to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to all people in need. He reiterated his call for "the restoration of public services" in Tigray, including banking, electricity and telecommunications, as well as commercial access. "The United Nations reiterates its unwavering commitment to support a peaceful and prosperous future for all Ethiopians," the statement said. The governor clinched other top priorities, including a plan meant to overhaul the states troubled ethics commission, as well as $600 million in public money to help replace the Bills aging Highmark Stadium in the Buffalo suburbs, overcoming opposition from critics who denounced the subsidy as corporate welfare. The budget will expedite already planned tax cuts for the middle class and temporarily suspend some state taxes on gas about 16 cents per gallon of gas from June until the end of the year in response to rising prices at the pump. Both measures could play well with suburban voters in an election year. This budget will put more money back in peoples pockets, Ms. Hochul said on Thursday, adding that it would lift those who have been hardest hit. There were no new tax increases included, but the state is poised to tap into a lucrative stream of revenue: Lawmakers agreed to speed up licenses for three new casinos that are likely to open in the New York City area, overcoming resistance from some downstate legislators wary of erecting gambling establishments in their districts. The exact details and precise dollar figures behind individual budget items wont become clear until the legislation is introduced. Lawmakers are expected to begin voting on Thursday night, Ms. Stewart-Cousins said. While late budgets are nothing new in Albany, this years delay served as a visible reminder of how much hasnt changed in the State Capitol, even under a new governor. The budget process was as opaque as ever: The allocation of billions of dollars was negotiated largely behind closed doors between Ms. Hochul and the Democratic legislative leaders. Like other conservative professors who are advocates of free speech on campus, I once opposed efforts to create a classroom climate in which students are protected from speech they find emotionally upsetting, ranging from microaggressions to political perspectives that diverge from current liberal orthodoxy. Efforts to create these safe spaces seemed, to me, to infantilize students by insulating them from speech they found the least bit upsetting. After all, an unquestioned objective of a liberal education, I supposed, was to make students uncomfortable. Now I think that while we certainly shouldnt be preoccupied with policing microaggressions or silencing contrarian viewpoints, we need to take the comfort of students far more seriously. Teaching courses on controversial topics including cancel culture, gender, and race has taught me that in order to get students to engage in open inquiry, we must attend to their feelings of insecurity. The debate we should be having is not one that pits free expression against safe spaces. The real question is how to design safe spaces that aid the goals of liberal education. There is now little doubt that students frequently bite their tongues because they feel unsafe. A 2021 survey of more than 37,000 college students by far the largest on free expression to date found that more than 80 percent of students censor their own viewpoints at least some of the time, while roughly one in five students regularly does so. Only 40 percent of students say that they are comfortable openly disagreeing with their professors. While robust defenses of free expression and debate, like the Chicago Principles a widely adopted statement developed at the University of Chicago in 2014 are important, they do little to soften the climate of fear that has gripped our campuses. This is because such statements of abstract principle like the liberal tradition from which they spring neglect the concrete social norms necessary to facilitate and regulate the collective search for truth in college classrooms. For much of my life, I was extra careful around young children, especially young boys. I made certain not to congratulate one of them with a pat on the back, lest run-of-the-mill tenderness be misinterpreted as something else. There was no playful tousling of hair, so there would be no wrongful stirring of suspicion. Born in 1964, I grew up when stereotypes about gay people like me were largely negative and deeply ingrained. And perhaps the cruelest of the lies about us, reflected in recurring debates about who should and shouldnt be allowed to teach in schools, was that many gay men were child molesters. It was a facet of our perversion, a function of our deviance. To leave us alone with children was to give us an opportunity to groom them into sexual activity, so we had to be watched. We had to be stopped. I remember that verb: groom. Its meaning was both specific and sinister. As the decades passed, its currency seemed to fade as the prejudice it gave expression to ebbed. I stopped seeing, hearing or at least noticing it. And I pretty much forgot about it, choosing to relish progress rather than rehash the indignities of the past. But everything old is new again, including slurs. Grooming, as Monica Hesse wrote recently in The Washington Post, has lately become a buzzword in anti-gay politics. She went on to note that it preys on every parents worst fear someone harming their children by insinuating that all gay or gender nonconforming people see their children as prey. If you talk to young people about sex, you may sense an unsettling malaise. Nearly half of American adults and a majority of women say that dating has gotten harder for most people over the past 10 years. According to the Pew Research Center, fully half of single adults have given up on looking for a relationship or dating at all. Rates of sexual activity, partnership and marriage have reached a 30-year low, with young adults leading the retreat. I dont think older generations realize how TERRIFYING dating is for the current generation, fumed one young Twitter user, to the tune of 18,000 likes. Absolutely chaotic out here. When I interviewed dozens of people for my book on sex and relationships, I found that women, in particular, discussed their sexual experiences in visceral terms: encounters that end in unexpected and alarming acts a choking, say, or other porn-inspired violence that they go along with out of surprise or resignation. After all, if consent is given (and it often is), there are no grounds left for protest. Navigating our love lives has always been difficult. But today, the general outlook among heterosexual daters has come to take on a less playful, more depressive tone manifesting in what the writer Asa Seresin calls heteropessimism, a mode of feeling usually expressed in the form of regret, embarrassment and hopelessness about the straight experience. (Queer relationships, being less beholden to male-female gender dynamics, may present fewer issues but they arent perfect either.) Its an anesthetic posture, one that young people use to avoid fully feeling a sense of sorrow for their lack of control and repeated disappointment or fully acknowledging the pervasive awfulness of a sexual culture thats not suited to their happiness. This pessimism comes at a moment when we might expect the opposite. After all, one could say that were living in a golden age of sexual freedom. The average age of first marriage is rising; its more acceptable than ever to remain single or pursue a wide variety of relationship styles. A majority of the public finds premarital sex acceptable; birth control for women is widely available and, with health insurance, often free. Sex positivity is celebrated in progressive circles, with sexual adventurousness championed and inhibition often looked down on. We have breached the ramparts of repression, and the wall of silence that prevented us from expressing our sexuality has, for the most part, fallen. What struck me the most in Avivs excellent story was a passage from the Penn Office of Student Conducts report on its investigation: Mackenzie may have centered certain aspects of her background to the exclusion of others for reasons we are certain she feels are valid in a way that creates a misimpression. This language a pidgin of legal vagaries, therapy talk and academic social justice terms like centered is ubiquitous at elite, progressive institutions. It is also generally incomprehensible and meaningless. But for the sake of argument, lets try to take it at face value. What, exactly, did Fierceton center and what did she exclude? Was the problem that a child who was placed into foster care and had no contact with her biological mother wasnt actually a first-generation college student? Or was the real issue that Fierceton did not really fit the profile of a suffering student who needed the benevolence of an Ivy League school? Its clear that such institutions have constructed a loose, informal hierarchy of injustices and traumas. Fiercetons upper middle class upbringing cuts against the horror she says she endured. The fact that she is white probably does, too. One can imagine a prototype of the type of student that people like Fierceton gets compared with: an impoverished BIPOC city kid who attends a bad public school but still manages to pursue academic excellence and community service or whatever. The type of student, in other words, whom places like the University of Pennsylvania, where only 3.3 percent of the student body comes from families in the bottom 20 percent of income earners, has few of. Aviv also writes about Anea Moore, a Black Penn student, who said she was endlessly paraded around by the university to tell her story of triumph over adversity. Penn dragged me to every single news outlet that asked for an interview and sent a Penn communications person with me to make sure I said the right things, Moore told Aviv. It was, like, Oh, yay, Penn has a Black Rhodes scholar with dead parents who grew up working class. Students like Moore make schools like Penn look virtuous and dogged in their commitment to social justice. And the likely reason they kept asking Moore to be that spokesperson was presumably because she was one of the only people on campus who actually fit the bill. Students, of course, know all this, which, in turn, places pressure on applicants to present themselves as testaments to strength in the face of unending challenges. Last year, Elijah Megginson, then a senior in high school, wrote an Opinion piece about the conflict he felt over writing a college essay that he knew would reflect the difficulties of his life but would also define him in a way he resisted. He wrote: In my life, Ive had a lot of unfortunate experiences. So when it came time for me to write my personal statement for college applications, I knew that I could sell a story about all the struggles I had overcome. Each draft I wrote had a different topic. The first was about growing up without my dad being involved, the second was about the many times my life was violently threatened, the third was about coping with anxiety and PTSD, and the rest followed the same theme Every time I wrote, and then discarded and then redrafted, I didnt feel good. It felt as if I were trying to gain pity. I knew what I went through was tough and to overcome those challenges was remarkable, but was that all I had to offer? These trauma contests encourage a doctrinaire, almost algorithmic way of thinking about the hardships a person might have faced, many of which may be none of the admissions committees business. Emphasizing these details doesnt mean that the students are lying, nor do I place any of the blame on them for trying to game a system they didnt create. PARIS Like the rest of Europe, France is gripped by the war in Ukraine. Days from the first round of the presidential election here, the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, hopes to prevail with what was, for much of the last two months, a muted campaign in which he posed as a steady hand in a time of global instability. But for all the talk of a united West, the truth is that a noxious blend of oligarchy, nostalgia and bellicose nationalism is ever more ubiquitous on this side of the new Iron Curtain. In France, it is led by a buoyant and confident new right, represented in this election by Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally; Valerie Pecresse of the ostensibly moderate Republicans; and Eric Zemmour, the pugilistic proto-fascist commentator turned candidate. Yet their electoral showing this month may be but a sideshow in a broader attempt to remake French politics. Behind them all, to one degree or another, is someone not even on the ballot: the media mogul Vincent Bollore. The scion of an old industrial family, Mr. Bollore wields a fearsome agenda-setting power; his outlets, known for adopting the flair, tics and style of Fox News, play an outsize role in directing the national debate. The three candidates from the right and much of the political class, in fact recycle, in varying shades, messages that run on a loop on his networks. Those trying to get a handle on developments in France where the fortunes of revanchist nationalism may not even depend on a far-right candidate coming to power could do worse than to look to Mr. Bollore, whose name is a byword for the political power of French oligarchs. Mr. Bollore is a bellwether of a dangerous mood at the top of French society, one that extends far beyond the conservative wing of the elite. Fearful of decline, anxious about movements and ideas from below, the broader French establishment is eager to capitalize on the countrys divisions to cling to power. BERLIN Outside a small stage at the Schaubuhne theater here on Tuesday evening, a sign cautioned that the Chilean production Oasis de la Impunidad (Oasis of Impunity) featured strobe lights and onstage nudity. In retrospect, that caveat seemed comical, a bit like warning viewers that a Tarantino film might be somewhat bloody. Over the plays 90-minute run time, the audience sat in stunned silence as a band of eight performers enacted a macabre and ritualistically precise examination of violences corrosive effect on the individual and the social body. Scenes of torture and violence, including sexual violence, tumbled forth with balletic elegance. The productions delicacy of feeling and theatrical finesse were disturbingly at odds with the horrors it depicted. Created by the director Marco Layera and his company La Re-Sentida, Oasis de la Impunidad is a harrowing artistic response to Chiles recent wave of social unrest, which has been described as the countrys worst since the end of the Pinochet regime. Like the other standout productions at the Schaubuhnes Festival International for New Drama, or FIND, Oasis takes nightmarish and surreal contemporary events as starting points for provocative theatrical explorations. In late 2019, Chile was convulsed by social unrest after a fare hike on the Santiago subway inspired mass demonstrations and riots against rising inequality. The government declared a state of emergency and deployed the army to restore law and order. In the first weeks of unrest, 18 people were killed and nearly 3,000 detained, including hundreds of women and children, according to a report issued by the National Institute for Human Rights. Since then, there have been numerous reports of security forces torturing and raping protesters. A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit in which the Girl Scouts had claimed that the Boy Scouts had created branding confusion and damaged its recruitment efforts by using words like scouts and scouting in its own marketing materials. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan ruled that the Boy Scouts of America could describe its activities as scouting without reference to gender and that there are no issues to be tried. The Boy Scouts adopted the scout terms to describe accurately the coed nature of programming, not to confuse or exploit Girl Scouts reputation, Judge Hellerstein wrote in his ruling. Such branding is consistent with the scout-formative branding Boy Scouts has used for a century, including in its coed programs that have existed since the 1970s, he wrote. In a statement, the Pakistani embassy said on Friday: Several media outlets have carried a news story mentioning that one individual, named Haider Ali, who was arrested on the charges of impersonating as federal agent in Washington, D.C., had claimed that he was affiliated with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence. The claim of Mr. Haider Ali is totally fallacious. The Embassy categorically rejects this false claim. It was not the first time that the conduct of members of the Secret Service had drawn intense scrutiny to the agency. In 2012, several agents resigned or faced their dismissal after revelations that they had engaged in misconduct while protecting President Barack Obama during an overseas trip to Colombia, including encounters with prostitutes. The investigation of Mr. Taherzadeh and Mr. Ali began after a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service was assaulted in March at an apartment complex where the men had been living. A U.S. postal inspector went to the complex to interview witnesses, including the two men. The men told the inspector that they were investigators with the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit, according to the affidavit. They said they were part of an undercover investigation into gang-related activity as well as an inquiry into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Other residents of the building told the inspector that the men had identified themselves as Homeland Security special agents, that they used other apartment units in the building and that they drove around in a black S.U.V. equipped with emergency lights that they described as an official Homeland Security vehicle. The residents said that Mr. Taherzadeh and Mr. Ali had placed various pieces of surveillance equipment around the building and told residents that they had access to their cellphones and personal information, according to the affidavit. It was not clear why they told this to residents. The inspector also learned that Mr. Taherzadeh and Mr. Ali were in regular contact with several members of the Secret Service who lived in the same building and that the men had given them gifts, Mr. Elias wrote. Im crying happy tears because for the first time, I can look at the highest court in the country a country I would give my life for and see a face that looks like mine, said Ms. Goggans, 36. Zenell Brown, a lawyer and court administrator for the Wayne County Third Circuit Court in Michigan, where she works with 58 judges, said before the vote on Thursday that Ms. Jacksons confirmation would bring both pride and a sigh of relief after a process that had felt like an assault on her character. Since February, when President Biden announced his nomination of Judge Jackson, Ms. Brown has been following the process closely. Each night of the hearings, she watched clips and read up on the days news, talking to friends and family and posting her thoughts on social media. Her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, was particularly excited because she never imagined a Black woman would be on the court in her lifetime, Ms. Brown said. Her youngest daughter, who is 30, has been joking that Judge Jackson must be family because they share a last name. We arent related, but its an example that we are all just wanting to get a piece of this exciting moment, Ms. Brown said. We have a sense of this is a part of me, and Im so proud. TAIPEI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan on Thursday reported 531 new COVID-19 cases, among which 382 were locally transmitted and 149 were imported, the island's disease monitoring agency has said. The number of new local cases exceeded 100 for the seventh consecutive day and was the highest daily number this year. In April alone, Taiwan recorded a total of 1,459 locally transmitted infections. To date, Taiwan has reported 25,756 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 17,327 were locally transmitted. WASHINGTON The three offspring of a fox captured on the grounds of the Capitol have been euthanized because they were exposed to their rabid mother, city health officials announced on Thursday, in yet another tragic turn to the canine saga that has gripped Washington. Three fox kits were recovered from the den site of the female fox who tested positive for rabies, the statement from D.C. Health said. Since the mother tested positive for the rabies virus and the kits could have been exposed during grooming or other means, they were no longer able to be safely rehabilitated and were humanely euthanized. The announcement added another grim revelation to the tale of a wild red fox who had roamed the grounds of the Capitol and briefly captivated those who live and work around Congress. Lawmakers, aides and journalists had initially reacted with bewilderment and admiration to the presence of the animal and then with sorrow and alarm when the Capitol fox was euthanized so she could be tested for rabies. The late vixens offspring known as kits were found and captured on Wednesday, around the same time their mother was caught. A statement from D.C. Health had said that officials were determining what to do with the youngsters. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, always a closely watched Republican during Supreme Court confirmation debates, found herself in the spotlight again as the first member of her party to declare that she would vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Despite deep opposition in the Republican ranks, Ms. Collins decided to support the nominee after two extended interviews to explore her views. One of those sessions was after a contentious round of Judiciary Committee hearings last month, in which Republicans attacked Judge Jackson with questions that portrayed her as a liberal activist who was soft on criminals, particularly child sexual abuse defendants. Ms. Collins said the second face-to-face meeting with the judge proved crucial to resolving some concerns that had emerged as a result of the questioning. When she announced her position, the senator said she was willing to be the sole Republican to break with the party as long as she was comfortable with her decision. But she was no doubt happy that Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah decided to back Judge Jackson as well. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, one of three Republicans who voted to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation to the Supreme Court, found herself in a unique political position as she deliberated over the nomination. A moderate known for her willingness to break with her party, Ms. Murkowski is facing a difficult re-election contest in conservative-leaning Alaska, where her vote last year to convict former President Donald J. Trump in his second impeachment trial has made her vulnerable to a challenge from the right. Kelly Tshibaka, a Trump-endorsed rival, is eager to paint her as a Washington insider interested in catering to her Democratic friends rather than the people of her state. A vote against Judge Jackson could have blunted such attacks, appealing to conservatives who might otherwise have been alienated by Ms. Murkowskis breaks with Mr. Trump and the Republican Party. But Ms. Murkowski, now in her third term as a senator, has a record of being unpredictable when it comes to her votes on Supreme Court confirmations, and had a decent political rationale to support Judge Jacksons. With three Republicans supporting her, Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation parallels that of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in terms of bipartisan support. Justice Gorsuch, quickly nominated in 2017 by President Donald J. Trump, was a conservative judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in Denver, where he had sat for more than a decade and had written scores of opinions. A former lawyer in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration, he had the distinguished background and high-level clerkships typical of Supreme Court nominees who draw wide backing. But Justice Gorsuch was filling the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the conservative icon who died in February 2016 at a Texas hunting lodge during a weekend trip. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, then the majority leader, refused to let President Barack Obama fill the vacancy with Judge Merrick B. Garland. The extreme tactic left the seat open for the better part of a year, allowing Mr. Trump to fill it a few weeks after he took office in January 2017. The sequence of events infuriated Democrats; they were in no mood to support any Trump nominee, no matter how qualified he might be. Justice Gorsuch sought to overcome the resistance, but he could not. WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general and his top aides directed staff members to remove damaging findings from investigative reports on domestic violence and sexual misconduct by officers in the departments law enforcement agencies, according to documents obtained by The New York Times and two government officials familiar with the inquiries. One investigation found that more than 10,000 employees of Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration had experienced sexual harassment or sexual misconduct at work more than one-third of those surveyed, according to an unpublished draft report dated December 2020. The draft report also described a pattern of the agencies using cash payments, with payouts as high as $255,000, to settle sexual harassment complaints without investigating or disciplining the perpetrators. But senior officials in the inspector generals office objected to that finding, suggesting in written comments that it be removed from the report, which has never been published. The inspector general, Joseph V. Cuffari, also directed his staff to remove parts of another draft report showing internal investigations had found that dozens of officers working at the agencies had committed domestic violence, but that they had received little to no discipline. Mr. Cuffari also wanted a section removed that said the agencies had put victims and the public at risk of further violence by allowing the perpetrators to keep their firearms; including such findings, he wrote in an internal memo, would make his office look like it was second-guessing D.H.S. disciplinary decisions without full facts. A legal effort to disqualify from re-election lawmakers who participated in events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol expanded on Thursday, when a cluster of voters and a progressive group filed suit against three elected officials in Arizona to bar them under the 14th Amendment from running again. In three separate candidacy challenges filed in Superior Court in Maricopa County, Ariz., voters and the progressive group, Free Speech for People, targeted Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs and State Representative Mark Finchem, who is running for Arizona secretary of state with former President Donald J. Trumps endorsement. It was unclear whether the challenges would go anywhere; an initial skirmish, also led by Free Speech for People, failed to block Representative Madison Cawthorns candidacy in North Carolina. But they were the latest bids to find a way to punish members of Congress who have encouraged or made common cause with those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. In all three suits, the plaintiffs claim that the politicians are disqualified from seeking office because their support for rioters who attacked the Capitol made them insurrectionists under the Constitution and therefore barred them under the little-known third section of the 14th Amendment, adopted during Reconstruction to punish members of the Confederacy. Finally, a historian who had researched Princes childhood helped connect Mr. Wagner with Terrance Jackson, who had grown up with him. Mr. Wagner played the clip for him and Mr. Jackson immediately recognized the boy as Prince. Thats Skipper! Mr. Jackson said, using Princes childhood nickname. Short as the interview is, it gives context to the causes Prince would later support, such as public education, labor rights and fair compensation for artists, said Elliott H. Powell, a professor of American studies at the University of Minnesota who teaches a course on Prince. The interview with the young Prince was conducted in north Minneapolis, a predominantly Black part of the city where young activists led uprisings in the 1960s protesting police brutality, the harassment of young Black people in white-owned businesses, and commercial development that was decimating the neighborhood, Professor Powell said. Prince is growing up in that environment and seeing the impact of Black youth activists, he said. Its discovery buoyed current teachers, who played Purple Rain during one of their rallies, said Greta Callahan, president of the teacher chapter of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, Local 59. After a strike lasting nearly three weeks, the union reached an agreement with the district late last month. There were a lot of, Of course, Prince supported the strike! Ms. Callahan said in an email. The interview, Professor Powell said, also shows the influence of two important women in Princes life: his mother, Mattie Shaw Nelson Baker, who worked as a social worker in the public schools; and Bernadette Anderson, a family friend, P.T.A. volunteer and Minneapolis activist who helped raise Prince. This 17-second clip does so much work, Mr. Ali said. And it was almost lost, Mr. Liddy said. Many of the stations old news reels, which were contained in metal canisters and stored on shelves in the basement of WCCOs former headquarters, were destroyed when a water main burst and flooded the basement around 1981, said Tom Ziegler, a former editor at the station who retired in 2012. When the station moved to its new location around 1983, he said, he and other employees learned that someone had begun throwing away the remaining tapes. Parents have organized petitions, imploring the government not to separate children infected with the coronavirus from their families. Patients have demanded to speak with higher-ups about shoddy conditions at isolation facilities. Residents have confronted officials over containment policies that they see as unfair or inhumane, then shared recordings of those arguments online. As the coronavirus races through Shanghai, in the citys worst outbreak since the pandemic began, the authorities have deployed their usual hard-nosed playbook to try and stamp out transmission, no matter the cost. What has been different is the response: an outpouring of public dissatisfaction rarely seen in China since the chaotic early days of the pandemic, in Wuhan. The crisis in Shanghai is shaping up to be more than just a public health challenge. It is also a political test of the zero tolerance approach at large, on which the Communist Party has staked its legitimacy. For much of the past two years, the Chinese government has stifled most domestic criticism of its zero tolerance Covid strategy, through a mixture of censorship, arrests and success at keeping caseloads low. But in Shanghai, which has recorded more than 70,000 cases since March 1, that is proving more difficult. JERUSALEM Israeli security forces on Friday morning shot dead a Palestinian gunman who had fled the night before after killing two people and wounding 13 others outside a busy bar in central Tel Aviv. The gunmans attack was the latest in the deadliest wave of terrorism in Israel since 2016. The police said the shootings in Tel Aviv had occurred just after 9 on the last night of the Israeli workweek, outside a bar filled with people enjoying the start of the weekend. The gunman initially escaped, prompting security forces to embark on a nine-hour manhunt. They ordered residents to stay home as they combed the city in search of the gunman, effectively placing central Tel Aviv under a lockdown. At 6 a.m. Friday, Israels internal security service, the Shin Bet, said police forces had killed the gunman in a shootout near a mosque in Jaffa, the southernmost district of the Tel Aviv municipality. The Shin Bet later said the gunman was a 28-year-old from the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since capturing it from Jordan in 1967. The shooting outside the bar was the fourth lethal attack in Israel in less than three weeks, and brought the total death toll since March 22 to 13. The assault heightened fears of an even more intense surge of violence over the next 10 days, when the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter is expected to raise tensions further between Israelis and Palestinians. German intelligence has intercepted radio transmissions in which Russian forces discussed carrying out indiscriminate killings north of Kyiv, the capital, according to two officials briefed on an intelligence report. The conversations were intercepted from Russian military radio and include one Russian telling another that first you interrogate people and then you kill them. The intercepts were reported earlier by the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel. The report adds to evidence uncovered by The New York Times and other organizations of the killings of civilians in northern Ukrainian towns under Russian occupation, despite the Kremlins broad denials of wrongdoing. The images from the town of Bucha, north of Kyiv, showing bodies some with their hands bound or shot through the back of the head have prompted global outrage and new promises by Western countries of military aid to Ukraine. It could not be confirmed whether the radio transmissions collected by German intelligence were from Bucha or another place near the capital, one of the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. UNITED NATIONS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday welcomed any global initiative within appropriate frameworks to assess the discovered documents related to U.S. biological military activities. "Recently, the Russian Federation has published quite a number of documents related to biological military activities of the United States, which has caused great concern of international community," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting on biological security. "China welcomes the international community to assess the discovered documents within appropriate frameworks including the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the UN, and hear the clarifications from the relevant country in a fair and impartial manner," said Dai. The envoy said that the relevant country should take a responsible approach and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications on its biological activities to remove the doubts of the international community. "Further enhancement of the transparency on its global biological activities is also needed," Dai noted. Dai underscored that China has suffered from biological weapons during the Second World War and thus consistently stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons. "China firmly opposes the development, stockpiling 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," Dai noted. "All states parties should comply with the objectives and principles of the BWC in good faith," the envoy noted. "The current dynamics on biological security highlight the urgent need to re-launch negotiations on a verification protocol under the BWC and establish a professional, impartial and independent multilateral verification mechanism based on that," he said. "Such a mechanism is a necessary but long-absent instrument to eliminate potential biological weapons threats and enhance the authority and effectiveness of the BWC, and its establishment must not be thwarted by any certain member state," he added. BRUSSELS European Union ambassadors meeting for a second day in Brussels on Thursday afternoon entered what officials said would be their last round of negotiations to approve a fifth package of sanctions against Russia, having dragged out the talks longer than expected, and inserting important limitations to the new measures. The lengthy deliberations and watering down of some measures highlighted that the blocs appetite for fresh sanctions, which are increasingly hurting European economies, was diminishing, even in the wake of wrenching images of slaughter in Ukraine as Russian troops withdrew from areas around Kyiv to focus their offensive in the countrys east. Demands by Ukraine to expand sanctions to Russian oil and gas, which the United States supports, are meeting profound resistance by E.U. countries heavily reliant on Russian energy. A ban on Russian coal imports, an important, $4.4 billion measure that would especially hurt Germany, would be phased in over four months, instead of the three originally proposed by the European Commission, the blocs executive arm, according to E.U. diplomats familiar with the evolution of the talks. Germany and Bulgaria had been advocating for a longer transition period into the coal ban to wind down existing contracts. The Finnish customs authorities have seized three shipments containing works of art being transported back to Russia from exhibitions in Italy and Japan, because they were suspected of being subject to European Union sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the Finnish customs service said on Wednesday. The shipments, containing paintings and sculptures, were stopped at Vaalimaa, a border crossing between Finland and Russia, on Friday and Saturday, according to a news release on the website of the Finnish customs service, Tulli. A spokesman for the service, Mika Parkkonen, confirmed the seizure. Mr. Parkkonen said in a telephone interview that the shipments had an estimated insurance value of 42 million euros ($46 million) but gave no further details. The works of art were being transported from Italy and Japan to Russia via Finland, the statement on the website said. They had been displayed at exhibitions. Back then, she was seen as a war machine, a bull charging ahead, an ideologue, not very human and acting according to political logic, Mr. Olivier said. And she had always refused to speak about her private life because she felt that she and her siblings had suffered personally from their fathers political career. She was reticent, Mr. Olivier said, adding that before one recent speech in which she talked about herself, she said she had thought about it all day. But recently she has opened up about the lasting trauma of the apparently politically motivated bombing of her childhood home in Paris; of losing friends whose parents feared letting them play with a Le Pen; of failing to keep up a legal career because of her radioactive name. Her relations remain complicated with her father, who last year publicly flirted with the idea of supporting Mr. Zemmour over his own daughter and even remarried in a religious ceremony that Ms. Le Pen learned of only through the news media. Ms. Le Pen has also rhapsodized about her love of cats, which she breeds. In the fall, she sat for an Oprah-like television interview at her home, accompanied by her cats and her roommate, a childhood friend. Her mother, with whom she had been estranged for 15 years, spoke emotionally about her daughter. As artillery shells fall, pregnant women are delivering prematurely, being shuttled in and out of bomb shelters or having babies in basements without even a midwife to help. Tens of thousands more are displaced. April 7, 2022 KYIV, Ukraine Before the war, Alina Shynkars gynecologist advised her to avoid stress during her pregnancy, suggesting she spend time just watching cartoons and being silly. It was simple enough advice, but not so easy to follow after air-raid sirens wailed, artillery booms rattled windows and vicious street fighting broke out a few miles away from her maternity hospital. Then, keeping calm for her baby became Ms. Shynkars quiet, personal battle in the Ukraine war. She checked into Maternity Hospital No. 5 in the capital, Kyiv, before the war began in late February for bed rest because of a risk of preterm labor, only to witness the hospital unravel into a chaotic, panicked state weeks later. The girls were under so much stress they started to deliver prematurely, she said. Doctors in her hospital moved frightened pregnant women, some of them already in labor, in and out of a bomb shelter multiple times a day. Some were crying and some were bleeding. They were scared, Ms. Shynkar recalled. It was hard to see. The Russian assault on Ukraine has been a nightmare for expectant mothers, particularly in cities like Mariupol, Kharkiv and Chernihiv that have been under almost constant bombardment from the beginning of the war in late February. Ukraines contender for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, the wildly popular, over-the-top annual European event that is a swirl of flamboyance and nationalism, is set to give its first international performance Thursday evening in the lead-up to the main event in May. The six members of the band Kalush Orchestra, a group that mixes rap and traditional Ukrainian music, were given special permission to leave the country despite a martial law that bars men of military age from departing, according to the countrys public broadcaster. We want to show the world community Ukrainian music, our spirit and how unbreakable we are. We really need support in this difficult time, the band said, according to the broadcaster Suspline, which runs the contest to pick Ukraines representative. Even though contest rules expressly bar political speech, gestures or lyrics, Russias war in Ukraine is very much becoming a factor in the shindig that last year was viewed by 183 million people worldwide. In February, a day after Russia sent its troops into Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union barred Russia from this years competition, saying it would sully an event designed to promote European unity and cultural exchange. A United Nations General Assembly vote on Thursday approved an American-led effort to suspend Russia from the 47-member Human Rights Council over the Kremlins war in Ukraine. Suspension from the council, which is based in Geneva, is a large diplomatic slap at Russia, one of the United Nations founding members. The resolution to suspend Russia needed a two-thirds majority of votes cast, with abstentions not counting as votes, and is seen as a barometer of the worlds abhorrence over the apparent atrocities in Ukraine. The resolution received 93 votes in favor and 24 against, and 58 countries abstained. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., called the vote an important and historic moment. The U.S. and European allies have accused Russia of abusing the U.N. platform to spread propaganda and distract attention from the devastation its troops have wrought in Ukraine. The U.S. says the some of the Russian armys actions amount to war crimes and several U.N. officials have called for independent investigations to hold Russia accountable. ISTANBUL A court in Turkey ordered the transfer of the trial in the murder of the Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, a move almost certain to end the last case that held out some hope of serving justice for a heinous crime that drew global outrage. The Turkish decision on Thursday was a blow to human rights advocates who had hoped this trial would at least make public more evidence of who was involved and how Mr. Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad in 2018 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to get paperwork he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. Lets not entrust the lamb to the wolf, Ali Ceylan, a lawyer for Ms. Cengiz, told the court on Thursday before the decision was announced. Lets protect the dignity and honor of the Turkish nation, and lets not make such a decision. Mr. Ceylan reminded the court that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish officials had said that justice did not exist in Saudi Arabia. A panel of judges granted a request last week by the prosecutor in the trial to transfer the case because none of the 26 Saudi suspects were in Turkish custody. The transfer had been requested by Saudi Arabia in March, and Turkeys justice minister endorsed the prosecutors request. BEIRUT, Lebanon Yemens exiled president stepped down on Thursday and passed power to a presidential council, a sweeping reshuffle supported by his backers in Saudi Arabia aimed at jump-starting efforts to end the seven-year war that has roiled the Arabian Peninsula. The president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, announced his abdication days after a two-month cease-fire took effect, another sign that Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies may be looking for a path out of the years of bloodshed. Mr. Hadi delegated the new presidential council to run the government and lead peace talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control Sana, Yemens capital, and the countrys northwest. The move was the most significant effort to reorganize the anti-Houthi forces in Yemen since the war began. But analysts raised questions about how effective it would be at pushing the peace process forward given the divergent positions of the councils eight members. Quite clearly this is an attempt, perhaps a last ditch effort, to reconstitute something resembling unity within the anti-Houthi alliance, Gregory Johnsen, a former member of United Nations Panel of Experts for Yemen, wrote on Twitter. The problem is that it is unclear how these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together. What went wrong? Early on, the coalition heavily bombarded Saada Province, the Houthis ancestral homeland, embittering its residents and providing an opening for accusations that it was committing war crimes by not differentiating between civilian and military targets. Elsewhere, Saudi bombs repeatedly fell on civilian gatherings, including weddings. An attack on a high-profile funeral in Sana in 2016 killed more than 100 people, including political figures who might have helped bridge gaps between Yemenis to end the war. That and other strikes made the war hugely unpopular in Washington and other Western capitals whose governments had sold the Saudis many of the weapons being used to kill civilians. The Saudis and their allies said they adopted protocols to ensure better targeting. But then in 2018, they bombed a school bus, killing at least 44 people, most of them young boys on a field trip. That renewed questions about whether the Saudi air force had poor targeting skills or just did not care enough to take the necessary precautions. The harshness of the bombing campaign and the imposition of a blockade that hobbled the economy and left more Yemenis dependent on limited international aid made the Saudis deeply unpopular in parts of the country and increased support for the Houthis idea that they were fighting unjust aggression. First, they gave them the moral high ground by attacking civilians, then they made it possible for the Houthis to recruit by applying economic sanctions that impoverished the population and made enlisting in the Houthi forces the only survival option, said Abdulghani Al-Iryani, a senior researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies. British sociologist Martin Albrow is interviewed after his new book's launch ceremony in London, Britain, April 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A launch ceremony and themed forum for a new book by renowned British sociologist Martin Albrow were held Wednesday simultaneously in Beijing and London, both offline and online. "China and the Shared Human Future: Exploring Common Values and Goals" is the latest literary offering from Albrow, a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. His previous book, "China's Role in a Shared Human Future: Towards Theory for Global Leadership," was published in 2018. Albrow is a pioneer in the study of globalization in the West, and he has been focusing his research on China's development, systems and governance. The newly published book is a compilation of his articles about China in recent years, and it centers on a range of topics, including the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for humanity, global governance and China, poverty reduction and elimination, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belt and Road Initiative, and climate change. Experts attending the forum agreed that the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity has emerged from the fundamental interests of the people of China and the world, and that it points future globalization in the right direction. Through an objective analysis, they said, the book notes that building a community with a shared future for humanity is the solution China has presented for world peace, stability and development, and that it will help international scholars understand China's model of governance and development. British sociologist Martin Albrow is interviewed after his new book's launch ceremony in London, Britain, April 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) British sociologist Martin Albrow poses for photos with his new book in London, Britain, April 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Follow our live updates of the French runoff election between Macron and Le Pen. PARIS President Emmanuel Macron of France will face Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, in the runoff of the French presidential election on Sunday. The two candidates advanced to the second round of voting on April 10 Mr. Macron with 27.85 percent of the vote, and Ms. Le Pen with 23.15 percent after a muted campaign that was largely overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. For weeks, Mr. Macron was accused of trying to use his diplomatic prominence to cruise into a second term without debating his opponents over domestic issues. Now, though, he is in a decisive phase of the campaign that has required him to directly face voters concerned about the cost of living and his plans to raise the legal retirement age. Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen faced off in Frances last presidential election, in 2017. Then, Mr. Macron won nearly two-thirds of the vote, but polls predict the race will be much closer this time. One spring afternoon a few years ago, Alia and Christopher McCants were out for a walk in Harlem with their twin toddlers when the family was ambushed by litter. We had these little BabyBjorn things, and a garbage tornado smacked the baby in the face, Mr. McCants said. The couple had already upsized from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom in the neighborhood, where Mrs. McCants attended Columbia Business School, thinking it would serve for at least a few years as the children grew. But it was clear that they needed more space, and the garbage tornado served as a wake-up call. The couple left Manhattan for White Plains, N.Y., the Westchester city where Mr. McCantss family owned a three-bedroom house inherited from his grandparents. It was an ideal starter home, with many of his relatives living nearby. (Mrs. McCants is from San Jose, Calif.) The Metro-North express train made for an easy commute to the city, where Mrs. McCants, 38, now leads the social impact team at Peloton. Mr. McCants, also 38, works remotely as a business analyst for a telecom company. The house was really old and wasnt really ours, he said. A sticking point was the single bathroom, which had little storage space and no bathtub. [Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] Mrs. McCants dreamed of having a second bathroom. Mr. McCants wanted enough space to entertain relatives. The children wanted a yard where they could run and play. I am from an apartment family, so the idea of owning my own house was a little mysterious to me, said Mr. McCants, who grew up in nearby Port Chester and was daunted by the idea of fancy lawns with topiary. I am used to having a stoop and not a lot of shrubbery, and I wasnt looking forward to having to maintain that. Mrs. McCants belongs to the Westchester chapter of Mocha Moms, a group for mothers of color, and late last summer a fellow member directed her to Patrice Footes, an associate broker at Coldwell Banker, in White Plains. Ms. Footes suggested that the couple visit open houses to get ideas. She was like a guide in the wilderness of home buying, Mrs. McCants said. Their price range was broad: from the mid $600,000s to the low $900,000s. But staying in the same school district for their son and daughter, now both 7, was a priority which made the hunt tough, with so few houses on the market, Ms. Footes said. The McCantses focused on the Battle Hill neighborhood, where the housing stock tends toward colonials or Tudors built around 100 years ago, Ms. Footes said. And there were no powder rooms or main-floor bathrooms, she said, although additional bathrooms were commonly added over time. Many of the houses had attics and partially finished basements, and the yards sometimes came with an unwelcome surprise: a private well or an underground oil tank, an environmental risk. Among their options: National Urban Policy Review of Colombia This OECD National Urban Policy Review of Colombia provides a comprehensive assessment of the countrys national urban policy the System of Cities and of different sectoral policies that affect urban life: transport, housing, land use, and digitalisation. Colombia has entered the 2020s facing five intertwined crises: the COVID-19 pandemic, rising levels of poverty and inequality, a wave of mass international migration, the peace process consolidation, and the climate emergency. As the country seeks an answer to all those challenges, Colombias social and economic prosperity and environmental sustainability will be more tightly linked to the functioning of its cities and its urban governance system. This OECD review makes the case for an integrated, placed-based and inclusive urban development model and urban agenda that seize immediate opportunities that arise in fiscal, economic and sectorial policies, and protect hard-won gains from years of experience of urban policy implementation in the country. Designing a new national urban policy for Colombia Ciudades 4.0 demands a critical rethinking of whether urban areas are meeting the needs of all Colombians, and how different urban-related policies could help transform them for the better. Forthcoming, will be released on May 27, 2022 In series:OECD Urban Studiesview more titles THREE big-hearted Offaly artists have generously donated their art for Incognito 2022 in aid of the Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation. Irelands biggest online art sale is now in its sixth year, and what makes Incognito different to other art sales, is that the buyer has no idea who the artist is until after the sale closes. The Offaly artists taking part this year are Hazel Greene from Birr, and David Fox and Nuala Hiney from Tullamore. Funds raised from Incognito 2022 will help provide specialist home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children with highly complex medical and life-limiting conditions in the county. The postcard-sized works of art are priced at 65 each, and not only will purchasers be supporting a great cause in Jack and Jill, they will secure a piece of art that they truly love, without knowing who the artist is, and thats something really special. The collection can now be viewed online at www.incognito.ie, where prospective purchasers are being urged to register and select their favourites ahead of the sale which takes place on Thursday April 21 from 9.30am. A jury has convicted four men of multiple sexual assaults committed during what was described in court as the gang rape of a teenage girl in a car six years ago. In the early hours of the morning of December 27, 2016, the then 17-year-old girl got into a car with five men after she became separated from her friends at the end of a night out in Tullamore, Co Offaly. She asked for a lift to a place in the county but instead the car drove along backroads towards nearby Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath. During this journey the girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a number of men who groped and molested her. The car was parked up at a remote spot on the Harbour road, Kilbeggan and two of the defendants and another man then raped her one after another. The car was then driven back into Tullamore and parked at the Whitehall car park. The woman was crying and asked to leave the car but two of the men stopped her getting out of the car. One of these men raped her for a second time and another orally raped her. After just under nine hours of deliberations, the jury found the four defendants guilty of a number of charges. The driver on the night, Marcos Vinicius De Silva Umbelino (22) of Riverview, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman by groping and molesting her on the journey. He was also convicted of raping her at Harbour road. Eduardo Dias Ferreira Filho (24) of Riverview, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of sexually assaulting her on the initial journey. He was convicted of orally raping the girl at the Whitehall car-park. Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha (24) of Mount Armstrong, Rahan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl on the car journey out of town. He was also found guilty of raping her in the car at the remote spot and again at Whitehall car-park at the same time as Ferreira Filho forced his penis into her mouth. Da Rocha and Ferreira Filho were convicted of falsely imprisoning the girl in the car at Whitehall. The woman told the jury that she when she asked to leave the car at this point one of the men told her not until we get our threesome and that the two men in the backseat stopped her getting out. Ethan Nikolaou (23) of Brosna Park, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl on the journey between Tullamore and Kilbeggan and of sexually assaulting her at the spot in Kilbeggan. A fifth man, Conor Byrne (24) of Ballybeg, Moate, Co Westmeath, was due to go on trial with the other men but pleaded guilty at the last minute to raping the girl on the night. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on a number of the charges. All verdicts were unanimous. The defendants, who were aged between 17 and 19 at the time, had denied all the charges. Their lawyers had told the jury that it was their position that some of the alleged sexual acts never took place and that any that did were believed by their clients to be consensual. Relatives of some of the defendants began crying after the verdicts were delivered and became hysterical when prison guards later took the men into custody. In his garda interviews in March 2018, Da Rocha accepted that he and the others had taken advantage of the girl and that it wasn't right. He agreed with a submission that the men became horny and that they all went too far. He said that he would like to tell her sorry please forgive us. The woman testified that she became upset when the sexual assaults began in the back of the moving car and tried to push the men's hands off her. She said after the first rape in the parked car she froze up and felt like she was inanimate. The trial had run at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in a conference room at Croke Park, for the last four weeks and the jury began deliberating on Monday. Justice Tara Burns thanked jurors for their attendance and said she was excusing them from jury duty for life due to the harrowing nature of the evidence. She remanded the four defendants in custody to a sentence hearing on May 30 next and ordered the preparation of a victim impact report for that date. She told the victim she was a very, very brave young woman. The judge said she was beyond impressed with how she had conducted herself with absolute dignity during the trial. She said she hoped this portion of her life could be put behind her. Helpify Community Ukraine is calling on individuals in Offaly to join its Europe-wide volunteer network to assist those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The not-for-profit, online platform aims to ease the burden for refugees by connecting those in need of help with a nearby volunteer who can meet their request. This might include travel or legal advice, transport, medical needs, short-term accommodation, translations or pet care. The site is available in English, Ukrainian, Polish, French and Dutch. Olena Leontieva, a Ukrainian national living in Ireland and Helpify Community Ukraine spokesperson explains, The Helpify Community is about holding Ukrainians hands through every step of their journey from their homes to the border and onward to their ultimate destination. Like so many people when the war broke out, we felt helpless. There were thousands of asks for help per hour on social media, most of them going unanswered. We wanted to find a way to connect the people who need help with those who can provide it. People fleeing their homes dont have the time or headspace to scroll for information on government websites or figure out complicated travel itineraries. Helpify takes the burden off the refugees. All the work is done by volunteers and the only ask of Ukrainians is to raise a mission. Helpify Community was established in Belgium during the pandemic to connect those in lockdown with volunteers who could help with dog-walking, pharmacy runs and other needs. When the Ukraine invasion began, Olena Leontieva and her team partnered with Helpify to repurpose the platform for global use and translate it into Ukrainian and Polish. It was active in just five days. Olena Leontieva added, Every day, people in Ireland are asking me how they can help. Registering as a volunteer for Helpify Community Ukraine is a way for everyone to do what they can, whether thats driving a family from the airport to their destination, offering advice, providing clothes or short-term accommodation. Over 300 volunteers in Ireland have already joined Helpify but with up to 100,000 Ukrainian nationals expected here, we need all the help we can get. How it works: The Helpify Community website has two simple options: join as a volunteer from any country in the world, or request for help. Those joining as volunteers complete a simple profile including location and the type of support they can provide. Volunteers are asked to upload proof of identification which is vetted by the Helpify team to ensure the safety of those using the platform. When someone looking for help logs a mission, nearby volunteers receive an alert with details of the mission. Those who can help accept the mission and are connected with the person in need. People Before Profit TDs have been criticised for refusing to clap after Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Dail. Following Mr Zelenskys speech yesterday (Wednesday April 6), those in the Dail got to their feet and applauded the Ukrainian leader, however four People Before Profit TDs refused to clap. A spokesperson for the party said this was due to a disagreement with calls from Mr Zelensky for Nato involvement in the war, as well as citing demands for more sanctions and a decision to ban opposition parties in Ukraine. The move was criticised by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney. Paul explains why PBP Stand with Ukraine, but didn't applaud calls for NATO escalation https://t.co/0TRseLIVdv People Before Profit (@pb4p) April 6, 2022 Mr Coveney said: First of all, I think anybody who listens to President Zelensky this morning and who decided not to applaud his contribution, doesnt reflect the views of the vast, vast majority of Irish people. His country is going through hell right now. Hes witnessing a lot of that in terms of the areas that hes been visiting in the last number of days. The idea that you wouldnt stand and applaud his courage, his bravery, his leadership, but also out of respect for what his country is going through, to my mind is extraordinary. Im glad to say that the vast majority of people, senators and TDs today stood and applauded in respect. The people who didnt can speak for themselves but I find it extraordinary that they would choose to make a political point somehow by not doing that, when the response of everybody else was such a human one. We have almost 20,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Ireland because of conflict in their own country, who are waiting at the end of a phone to find out if their loved ones are still alive. We have people in the Dail standing up trying to make a point by not applauding. I think that says a lot about those people. Speaking hours after the speech, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said he wanted to express his solidarity with the people of Ukraine. He rejected suggestions that People Before Profit are pro-Vladimir Putin because they do not support further escalation of sanctions against Russia. RTE News has received certification marking it as a global source of trusted journalism. Developed by Reporters Without Borders, the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) aims to promote trustworthy journalism and news sources to help in the battle against disinformation. RTE News is one of a dozen JTI-certified media organisations globally, alongside French national public service broadcaster France TV, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. According to the director of RTE News & Current Affairs, Jon Williams, the JTI aims to make it easier for audiences to identify trustworthy journalism. He called it "a benchmark of quality and independence, awarded by independent auditors". He said, "In the same way that when you see the Q Mark Irish flag on a product, you know its been produced in Ireland, the JTI standard means you know you can trust a news organisations journalism." Certification consists of a self-assessment by the media outlet, the disclosure of results to the public as a Trust Report, and an external audit involving an independent evaluation. The JTI is supported by the European Broadcasting Union in collaboration with over 130 organisations and individuals in the media industry, academia and the media development sector, among others. It has been formally adopted by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Volunteers sort and pack bamboo shoots in Taihuyuan Township of Lin'an District of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 7, 2022. The township organized volunteers to help daily send about 15,000 kg fresh bamboo shoots to Shanghai, a megacity which is under temporary closed-off management due to COVID-19 resurgence. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Volunteers load bamboo shoots to a cold-chain truck for Shanghai in Taihuyuan Township of Lin'an District of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 7, 2022. The township organized volunteers to help daily send about 15,000 kg fresh bamboo shoots to Shanghai, a megacity which is under temporary closed-off management due to COVID-19 resurgence. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Volunteers load bamboo shoots to a cold-chain truck for Shanghai in Taihuyuan Township of Lin'an District of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 7, 2022. The township organized volunteers to help daily send about 15,000 kg fresh bamboo shoots to Shanghai, a megacity which is under temporary closed-off management due to COVID-19 resurgence. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) As one of the worlds leading manufacturers and distributors of high quality and innovative infrastructure access solutions, EJ is a 5th generation family-owned company headquartered in Michigan, USA that spans six continents. The company, owned by the Malpass family, has manufacturing facilities, distribution hubs, sales offices, and multiple research and development centres worldwide. An extensive range of access solutions in galvanised steel and composite material are manufactured in two world class production facilities in Birr. In addition, high-quality ductile manhole covers and drainage gratings are manufactured at the European headquarters in Picardie, France which is one of Europe's largest municipal casting foundries. From Birr, EJ products are supplied to the construction, water, power, telecomunications networks in Ireland, the Nordics and Europe. History of EJ in Ireland The Cavanagh family had operated an iron foundry in Birr for over a century at the original Moorepark site and in 1977 the foundry relocated its operations to the current Roscrea Road site. Further modernisation took place in 1988 with the installation of electric furnaces, a Hybe moulding line and a sand plant. During this time the Irish foundry was very successful in serving the drainage, telecommunications, and energy industries, winning numerous high profile contracts with key utility providers and distributors at home and across Europe. Following acquisition by EJ in 2000, the Irish operation continued to prosper under its new ownership until the recession in 2008 and the subsequent crash of the construction sector. A sad day for the company and Birr town came with the news of the closure of the foundry in January 2014 and associated redundancies. Although manufacturing was hit hard with the closure of the companys iron foundry operation, and product patterns transferred to the larger facility in France, EJ in Ireland were quick to reinvent themselves. The official opening of Birr Composites in October 2019 with members of the Malpass family in attendance. Birr Fabrication When the foundry closed, it left behind a very small fabrication team of only two welders and one fabricator. However, through the efforts of the production and sales team, EJ has been able to steadily grow its workforce to a point where they now employ as many people as they did in the peak of the mid-00s. The Birr facility now operates a first-class welding facility boasting highly qualified fabricators and welders who are each certified to EN ISO 6906-1, amongst a larger team responsible for the manufacture of fully compliant EN124-3 steel covers and frames. While they still produce frames to match the ductile iron covers from their sister foundry in France, a huge area of growth for the department has been in the range of bespoke steel covers and frames. These products are created to fit customers needs perfectly, providing features such as assisted lifting, fall protection and water-tightness. This adaptability places EJ at the forefront of access solutions technology in Ireland and allows the facility grow into the future. Liam OSullivan, Production & Design Manager: The pandemic has posed many challenges for us, both to the safety of our staff but also on an operational front. Thankfully, our commitment to safety and manufacturing best practices have allowed us to come through this period in good shape to continue growing. EJ are committed to continuous improvement in our manufacturing processes and to providing our staff with the latest technology to improve safety and productivity. This year, we will be installing state of the art on-torch welding fume extraction equipment to provide our welders with the safest environment to work in. Add to this the vacuum and chain lifters, air-filtration masks and motorized lifting tables, and its easy to see the importance EJ put on the teams safety. We continue to invest in upgrading our facility with the latest technology when it comes to growing fabrication and allowing us remain competitive. EJ have recently developed a new technology for applying a skid-resistant surface to our bespoke covers to conform to EN124-3 standards. This has allowed us to capitalize on our position as the only manufacturer of independently third-party EN124 certified steel and composite solutions in Ireland. Birr Composites The company's second manufacturing facility in Birr is now producing a highly innovative, Irish-developed range of access covers using the very latest fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials. The rebirth was celebrated at an official launch event in October 2019 with Irish Astronaut Dr. Norah Patten present. Birr is now an international manufacturing base for EJ. The Birr facility produces composite access covers that meet the latest European specifications. The past 5 years has seen EJ Birr go from strength to strength with notable industry awards such as the Impact Award 2018 presented by the University of Limerick, and the short listing of the EJ composite project in the top 3 submissions for a national Knowledge Transfer of Ireland (KTI) innovation award 2018. EJ are one of the few Irish companies accredited to ISO 450001 which further demonstrates their commitment to safety in the workplace. The ergonomic handling system on the composite cover production line. Innovation at Birr Composites To create an industry leading product, EJ needed to develop an equally first-class manufacturing facility. With help from Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Composites Centre (Icomp) based at the University of Limerick, EJ carried out an extensive research programme between 2014 and 2017 to devise how best to manufacture composite access covers using best-in-class materials and processes. This research was taken from the laboratory and scaled up into an innovative high-end manufacturing process through collaboration with two leading European equipment manufacturers. The result was the industry's first independently certified range of composite access products. Once a concept was developed which met the requirements of EN124:2015 (European product performance standard), the process had to be designed to meet the volume requirements of the customers. Our composite capabilities give a new dimension to our product catalogue, said Dr Vincent Cooper, Product Manager Composites and Plastics, allowing us to create new solutions for an industry that is becoming increasingly focused on improving ergonomics, developing smart city infrastructure and environmental awareness. One example of a recent market success has been receiving specification with a major European telecom provider. They have selected EJ as the manufacturing partner to help them transition from heavyweight concrete access covers to the lighter weight composite. Another example has been the selection of EJ's composite covers for use in a Hyperscale data centre located in County Meath. Our reputation as the leading manufacturer of high quality infrastructure access solutions in the market is demonstrated by exclusive supplier agreements with key utility providers such as Eir, ESB, National Broadband Ireland (NBI), Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and Virgin Media, says Daithi Regan, Managing Director of EJ in Ireland. We supply our product range to every Local Authority in Ireland, North and South and we are a Tier one supplier to the world's highest profile Data centres, exporting to the Scandinavia region as well as to numerous countries around Europe from our Sales & Distribution centre in Birr. Delivering long term value For over 20 years EJ have Engineers Ireland accreditation as a Registered Training Provider for CPD seminars where they advise and educate engineers, project designers and personnel involved in the specification and approval of access solutions across all networks and materials. Having the Engineers Ireland accreditation has really benefited the way we conduct our business, it helps position EJ as leaders in our industry, in local and European markets. We are trusted by key consultants, project designers and utility providers to offer guidance on compliance to industry standards and it allows us showcase our innovate product range, either online or on site. Our proactive approach has helped us build relationships with the key players in the construction industry and allows us demonstrates how EJ can deliver long term value and help clients future proof critical infrastructure networks with compliant access solutions in ductile iron, steel and composite Quality, Safety and Environmental The Birr facility has an integrated Quality, Environmental and Safety management system. This is demonstrated by the continued certification to ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 standards awarded by BSI and maintaining the EJ core values which are safety and security, honesty and integrity, environmental responsibility, respect for others and quality and excellence. All EJ employees are involved in safety, ensuring it remains a number one priority. This includes but is not limited to the implementation of pre-operational checks on our equipment and machines, weekly safety inspections by our production staff, regular safety meetings involving staff from all departments, regular safety inspections by leadership and supervisors, an annual safety day event and extensive internal and external safety training is provided to all team members. EJ aims for continuous improvement of its safety processes through the installation of vacuum lifters, lifting tables and many more safety devices to improve ergonomics and manual handling. All identified safety actions are managed through a top class QSE software which ensures all actions generated are completed promptly. "Safety is a core value for EJ. We believe a zero accident workplace is possible. All injuries are preventable, all risks can be controlled, all employees watch and care for one another, and we are always improving." The company's quality focus on its products is extensive. A clear Quality Plan is defined through all stages from conception to customer delivery. In-process Quality Inspections are scheduled and defined across all critical control points and managed via a production independent Quality Department. Inspections are conducted and collated via industry leading software tools using mobile devices and archived to the cloud. Pre-operational and in-process production validation checks form a central part of the Quality Plan to ensure final product acceptance criteria meeting exacting requirements. Corrective and preventative actions are systematically managed via a central software database ensuring comprehensive capture / assignment / tracking and validation. This ensures that all opportunities for further improvement are enacted. EN124:2015 defines product design and testing requirements with prescribed frequencies. EJ considers the standard to be a minimum requirement and schedules product testing far in exceedance of requirements via defined batch testing of loading and permanent set requirements in addition to full type testing. Product load testing is undertaken in-house utilizing a custom-built calibrated test rig with external laboratory testing for bespoke testing such as water absorption and resistance to vehicle fuels. Product testing additionally extends beyond the requirements of the standard to in-field testing of products which further tests real world scenarios of pedestrian and vehicular traffic combined with weathering elements etc. Combining the above techniques has enabled EJ Birr to produce the industry's first range of products to meet the latest European product standard EN124:2015, independently certified by the NSAI. The company also has an innovative Design department whose aim it is to design products that create user value by leveraging potential technologies and techniques such as Augmented Reality and Ethnography. According to Paraic Phelan Design Engineer & Product Specialist with EJ, this allows a designer to gather user insights which aid the design and development of user centric products. A legacy is cast The EJ legacy dates back to 1883 when William E. Malpass and his father-in-law Richard W. Round established a foundry on the shores of Lake Charlevoix, in the town of East Jordan, Michigan, USA. This foundry was called Round and Malpass Foundry and originally produced cast parts for the lumber industry, machinery, ships, agricultural equipment, and railroads. In 1886, Williams brother, James, joined the business and the company was renamed East Jordan Iron Works. In the 1920s, when the lumbering era came to a close, the company welcomed the second generation to the business and expanded into new markets allowing continued success in changing times. Production shifted to street castings, water works valves, fire hydrants, and various industrial castings. Through World War II, the foundry produced castings for the war effort. In the 1950s, semi-automation was introduced into the foundry. During the 1960s, the third generation automated the foundry with the addition of a high-pressure molding line. By integrating automatic sand processing and mechanized casting handling systems, the company was operating the largest automated molding line in the United States and maximized production capabilities. Since the late 1980s, the business has been led by the fourth generation descendants of the Malpass family. They have transformed the Midwest business into an international leader of providing access solutions to infrastructure systems. The fifth generation of the Malpass family began joining the company in the late 1990s, continuing the strong family commitment to the companys success. In the early 2000s, East Jordan Iron Works began turning its attention to expansion in other parts of the world, with the acquisition of Cavanagh Foundry in Ireland (2000), Norinco in France (2004), McCoy Construction Castings in Canada (2006), and HaveStock in Australia (2010). In 2012, East Jordan Iron Works and its affiliated companies began doing business using the same name and brand, EJ. One global name and brand, supported by a single mission, vision, and set of values has unified the company. Local Success During the Covid-19 pandemic an excellence-oriented culture that exists at the EJ operation has never been more important. It has allowed EJ to continue to operate safely, implement changes in its workplace and fuel growth. The company is constantly seeking ways to improve how it operates its business and how to provide solutions to the problems which customers have. By evolving product lines and systems, EJ can consistently deliver value to its customers and attain high levels of organisational performance. Being agile and being able to quickly adapt to the unexpected events and changes in 2020 and 2021 was a direct result of the company's internal culture of operational excellence. The process of taking research from the lab, to the factory and on to the streets has been a challenge but the huge effort has paid off.Our Birr operation, said Padraig Freeman Executive VP of Market Business Development and Strategy EJ Group, is a super example of an operation who despite a setback in 2014 has reinvented itself and is now again one of the shining lights within our EJ locations. It has set benchmarks in the area of safety and environmental performance. The sales and product teams have worked tirelessly on developing new products for new and existing markets and this has seen green shoots develop into areas of sustainable growth. None of this would have happened without the hard work and dedication of our employees. This dedication and hard work are the seeds of this local success story. According to Chrissie Power, Accounting & Human Resource Manager, EJ in Ireland has been a local employer for the past 50 years. From 2014 EJ has progressed steadily, and in recent years the EJ story in Birr is one of renewal and rebirth and by the end of 2022 through reinventing ourselves, we will return to the peak employment numbers of the past. Birr and its surrounding area has been a great source of skilled employees and without each and everyones contribution EJ would not be where it is today. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Xu Ming, former deputy head of the State Administration of Grain, has been indicted on charges of taking bribery and abuse of power, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Thursday. Prosecutors accused Xu of taking advantage of his various positions, including posts at the Ministry of Commerce, Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the then State Administration of Grain, to seek benefits for others, and in return accepting a huge amount of money and gifts. The indictment also said that Xu was found to have accepted a huge amount of money and gifts using his influence after leaving his posts in Chongqing. The prosecution was brought by the procuratorate of the city of Xiamen, Fujian Province, upon the designation of the SPP following the closure of a probe by the National Commission of Supervision. Prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to the defense counsel's opinions, the SPP said. Dairo Antonio Usuga David is a Colombian drug trafficker. Usuga is the leader of the drug trafficking group the Gulf Clan, and is known by his nickname Otoniel. He is accused of sending dozens of shipments of cocaine to the United States, killing police officers, recruiting minors, and sexually abusing children among other crimes. After being sought by Colombian authorities for a decade, he was captured and arrested in October 2021. At the time of his capture, 132 warrants for his arrest had been issued. The modelling, created by Telethon Kids Institute and Curtin University, also suggests WAs peak will be more of a plateau with daily cases expected to linger around the 5000 mark until mid-May. Clive Palmer says a Queensland decision to no longer threaten fines for hydroxychloroquine use represents an endorsement of the drug. A Sydney woman had a scratch on her neck after what she says was an intruder attack, while her mother was found dead with a 10-centimetre laceration, a court has heard. A clear majority of Australians want to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid and military equipment as well as sanctions against Russian president Vladimir Putin. Mediaite 07 Apr 2022 The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday, with almost unanimous support, to stop trade with Russia and ban the.. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but it is taking in the most Ukrainian refugees per capita. Berlin hosted a conference to support the country with an influx of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Russian state television on Wednesday broadcast images of what it said were rebels fighting in the eastern region of Luhansk. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The Canadian Armed Forces is examining the possibility of deploying troops to Poland to assist with the refugee crisis set off by the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly six weeks ago. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam (4th R) meets with members of a mainland team of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts on the fight against COVID-19 led by Tong Xiaolin (4th L), an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Hong Kong, south China, April 7, 2022.(Information Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR/Handout via Xinhua) HONG KONG, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Thursday met with members of a mainland team of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts, who are in Hong Kong supporting the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Lam thanked the central government and the experts for their assistance, including the formulation of practical anti-epidemic plans for Hong Kong's TCM sector, and said the HKSAR government will continue to promote the application of TCM in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong's battle against the ongoing fifth wave of infections, TCM has played an active role in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, and the confidence in the use of TCM has been greatly enhanced, Lam said, adding that she looks forward to an increase in Hong Kong residents who benefit from traditional Chinese medicine. She expressed hope that the HKSAR government and the TCM sector will jointly build on the positive momentum and open a new chapter for the promising development of TCM in Hong Kong. On Thursday, Hong Kong registered 1,368 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 1,276 additional cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. Newsy 23 Apr 2022 Watch VideoRussian forces in Ukraine tried to storm a steel plant housing soldiers and civilians in the southern city of Mariupol.. SOHH 07 Apr 2022 The officer who shot Amir Locke in February during a no-knock raid will not be facing criminal charges. 22-year-old Amir was just.. Watch VideoRussian President Vladimir Putin tried to claim victory in the strategic port of Mariupol on Thursday, even as he.. Newsy 21 Apr 2022 German intelligence has reportedly intercepted messages by Russian troops discussing murders in the Ukrainian town. Citing the report, and other atrocities, two German ex-ministers are seeking a war crimes probe. SBS 08 Apr 2022 Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called a cabinet meeting for Friday, and also plans to address the nation after the Supreme.. Newsy 26 Apr 2022 Watch VideoRussia pounded eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as the U.S. defense secretary promised to "keep moving heaven and earth" to.. The government said foreign minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the fourth India-US 2+2 dialogue on April 11. The Ukraine situation is likely to dominate the agenda for the dialogue. Former President Barack Obama attended a White House function, where President Joe Biden seemed to be wandering about, while Vice President Kamala Harris did not heed him. China strongly opposes latest US arms sales to Taiwan; PLA vows to take powerful measures (Global Times) 15:55, April 07, 2022 Two Su-35 fighter jets and an H-6K bomber fly in formation on May 11, 2018. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force conducted patrol training over China's island of Taiwan.(Photo: Xinhua) China strongly opposes US approval of a $95-million package including technical assistance of Patriot missiles to China's Taiwan region, which severely violates the one-China principle &3 joint communiques and rudely interferes in China's internal affairs: Defense Ministry. The PLA will take powerful measures, resolutely defeat all external interference and "Taiwan independence" secessionist attempts and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity: Defense Ministry. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu) BOGOTA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and several others were missing after a landslide hit the northwestern Colombian town of La Antigua on Thursday, authorities said. The landslide was caused by heavy rains and subsequent flooding in La Antigua, in the Abriaqui municipality of the department of Antioquia, news reports said. "I will travel to the municipality of Abriaqui to take part in supporting this painful tragedy that has left at least 10 people dead," Antioquia Governor Anibal Gaviria tweeted. He said the Disaster Risk Management Unit had taken charge of the situation and sent personnel to the scene. Jaime Enrique Gomez, head of the Disaster Risk Management Unit, said a unified command post had been set up in the area, and the search for the missing was continuing. Colombian President Ivan Duque has sent a message of solidarity to inhabitants of the affected municipality, saying that he will monitor the situation, news reports said. Russia's foreign ministry said that it paid $650 million to the United States government using rubles for its debt obligations. However, the situation could cause Moscow to go into default as the U.S. Treasury Department blocked the European country's access to dollars in American banks. A former Russian oligarch has sensationally claimed that Vladimir Putin believes he is already at war with the US and its allies.Oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once Russia's richest person, has suggested in a bombshell... SeattlePI.com 08 Apr 2022 LONDON Russias central bank says its lowering a key interest rate, and said more cuts could be on the way. The.. The diplomatic moves comes as Russia is reportedly moving its troops away from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to resupply. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor addressed the opening session of the 2022 Heads of Mission Conference in Pretoria on Thursday. The Health Justice Initiative has approached the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to force the government to make all Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee advice public. The Mayor of a Ukrainian town who was briefly taken hostage by Russian forces has emerged in France. He talks about what it was like being held by Russian soldiers and why he thinks he was released. WorldNews 26 Nov 2020 ISTANBUL - A Turkish court this week added new defendants to the case against Saudi officials charged in the killing of journalist.. Al Jazeera STUDIO 23 May 2021 Two visions of the future - Voters in Peru face a choice between presidential candidates with radically opposed projects for their.. Jerusalem Post 17 Apr 2022 The summons, to a meeting to take place on Monday, came days after Moscow criticized Jerusalem for its vote to support removing.. Photo taken on April 7, 2022 shows the voting result of the draft resolution, "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council," during the UN General Assembly Special Emergency Session on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. (Xinhua/Xie E) UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. The draft resolution, "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council," obtained 93 "yes" votes and 24 "no" votes from the 193-member General Assembly. A total of 58 countries abstained. Eighteen countries did not participate in the voting. China voted against the move pushed by the United States. A two-thirds majority of voting members - abstentions do not count - can suspend a country from the 47-member council. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The resolution expresses "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia. As a member of the Geneva-based council, Russia was in its second year of a three-year term. The General Assembly has adopted another two resolutions related to Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24. After Ukraine accused Russian troops of "killing hundreds of civilians" across the streets of the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the United States announced it would seek Russia's suspension. Russia has denied attacking civilians in Ukraine. Speaking of the draft, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the assembly before the voting that the draft resolution was not drafted "in an open and transparent manner," nor did it follow the tradition of holding consultations within the whole membership to heed the broadest opinions. "Under such circumstances, such a hasty move at the General Assembly, which forces countries to choose sides, will aggravate the division among member states and intensify the contradictions between the parties concerned. It is like adding fuel to the fire, which is not conducive to the de-escalation of conflicts, and even less so to advancing the peace talks," he said. Zhang pointed out that dealing with the membership of the Human Rights Council in such a way "would set a new and dangerous precedent," further intensify the confrontations in the field of human rights, bring a greater impact on the UN governance system, and produce serious consequences. "Therefore, China will have to vote against this draft resolution," he stressed. "China calls on all parties to work together in the same direction, so as to create opportunities for peace and prospects for negotiation. China will continue to hold an objective and impartial position and play its responsible and constructive role in this regard," he said. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's UN ambassador, urged countries to support the resolution before the vote. After the vote, Russia's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin, called the General Assembly's decision "an illegitimate and politically motivated" step that is clearly intended to punish a sovereign member state of the UN, even going as far as calling it "open blackmail of sovereign states." In addition, he claimed that the council is monopolized by one group of states that use it for short-term interests, and that "such actions violate the mandate entrusted by the international community on the Human Rights Council and overall undermine trust in this body." After the vote was completed, Kuzmin said Russia had already made the decision to end its membership with the Human Rights Council earlier in the day. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, makes his explanatory remarks before the voting on a draft resolution during the UN General Assembly Special Emergency Session on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, April 7, 2022. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. (Xinhua/Xie E) Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: American multinational alternative asset management Carlyle has tapped investors for $4.6bn for its second credit opportunities fund - Carlyle Credit Opportunities Fund (CCOF II). The US buyout giant exceeded its $3.5bn target and attracted almost double the amount raised for its predecessor fund. Including available leverage, investable capital is approximately $6 billion. The Global investment firm said in a press release that CCOF II provides capital solutions to companies seeking an alternative to traditional capital markets or private equity. "Its directly originated solutions are targeted at upper middle-market borrowers, including family and entrepreneur-owned businesses, sponsor-backed companies, and asset-backed borrowers," it said. Mark Jenkins, Head of Global Credit at Carlyle, said, "This fundraise furthers our ongoing strategy to scale the Global Credit platform and, along with the strong performance of our initial fund, is a testament to the market opportunity and the talent of our team. We are grateful for the confidence and support of our investors, many of whom are repeat investors, and remain committed to delivering attractive returns." CCOF II has already committed approximately $3.8 billion-or 67% of investable capital-to 22 businesses in North America and Europe across industries. The team focuses on leveraging Carlyle's areas of expertise and market connectivity to develop thematic views and proac...................... To view our full article Click here MEDIA ADVISORY - For Immediate Release Cape Town, 05 April 2022- The Black Management Forum Western Cape recently celebrated its Black Excellence Awards at a gala dinner at Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel. The annual Black Excellence Awards are intended to inspire both corporate and individual members of the Forum to expand their horizons and strive for excellence in their spheres. At the event, the following trailblazing individuals were recognized for excelling Five-time Michigan Photographer of the Year with national recognition for his wildlife photography, specifically for highlighting the state's birds, is set to attend Mid Michigan College's "A Northern Tradition" event on April 10 at Jay's Sporting Goods in Clare. Steve Jessmore, of Grand Rapids, is a lifelong photojournalist with more than 30 years under his camera strap. He received the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1996 and only began taking photos of wildlife during the pandemic. When COVID hit, freelance photography work was scarce, so Jessmore began thinking about what he could do to keep his skills sharp. Ducks became his passion. He fell in love with bird photography. And his photos of birds were nationally recognized last year when two of his images swept the professional division of the 2021 Audubon Photography contest, winning 1st place and honorable mention. "The Audubon was probably the most surprising and surreal [award]. I'm truly honored that the hard work paid off." Jessmore wrote. "I'm married and owe this whole venture to my wife Brenda Hasso," Jessmore continued. "She's the one that encouraged me to use my talents during covid for the better. I couldn't have done this without her." Jessmore won first place in the contests professional category for his photograph, Northern Cardinal in Flight, which pictures a northern cardinal flying at snow level in rural Muskegon County. See the winning shots here. Contact with Jessmore Steve Jessmore posts fresh Michigan content regularly to his Instagram @sjessmo. Contact him and see more of his award-winning images on stevejessmore.com. See More Collapse Event details: Mid Michigan College announced details about the event in a recent press release. The event is Mid Michigan College's annual fundraiser. Tickets are available for the event here. The Mid Michigan College Foundation raises funds to support student success, academic excellence, high-tech learning spaces and campus improvements, according to the university. "This years event represents a welcome return to Jays Sporting Goods," said Tom Olver, executive director of the Mid Michigan College Foundation in the release. "Were thrilled to offer a tremendous experience for our attendees." Each $75 ticket, provides the attendee with a $25 gift certificate to Jays Sporting Goods and a limited edition print or notecard set featuring the photography of Steve Jessmore. Attendees can also expect refreshments from local restaurants, chef-crafted wild game tastings, creative mocktails, various desserts and live music by Full Cord Bluegrass. Additionally, Mike Avery, a Michigan-based broadcaster with more than 40 years in the business, is set to host the event. His three-hour weekly "Outdoor Magazine" radio show promotes the history and tradition of hunting, fishing, shooting and trapping. Aerial photo taken on April 7, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) SHENZHEN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 in intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. Builders attend the handover ceremony of the facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Hong Kong, south China, April 7, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Workers cross the Shenzhen River by a temporary bridge to start the construction of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Hong Kong, south China, March 6, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 6, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A worker welds at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 27, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Workers have their meals during the break time at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 31, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 30, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows workers lining up to receive nucleic acid test at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A handover ceremony of the facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities is held in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, April 7, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A builder works at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 10, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 10, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A worker talks via video link to check the power transmission at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 29, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A builder works at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 20, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Combo photo taken on April 7, 2022 shows the interior views of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 10, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Builders work at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, April 2, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A worker cools his sunburned face with cold water at the construction site of an emergency hospital project in Hong Kong, south China, March 9, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on April 7, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 9, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Aerial photo taken on March 17, 2022 shows an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities under construction during night time in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Builders work at the construction site of an emergency hospital project aided by China's central authorities in Lok Ma Chau Loop area in Hong Kong, south China, March 9, 2022. The facilities built in the first-stage construction of an emergency hospital project, aided by China's central authorities, was handed over to relevant departments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Thursday. The completed facilities consist of 500 negative-pressure beds, including 32 intensive care units and two operating rooms. The first-stage construction of the hospital began on March 6, and was completed and passed evaluation on April 5. Once the whole project is completed, the hospital will boast negative-pressure wards with a total of 1,000 beds and other medical and supporting facilities. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) WASHINGTON Khalid Turaani knows what it's like to be on a secret government watchlist. He learned about his status on it not from an official letter or communication, but when TSA officers stopped him from flying one day in 2017. They told me that I am on the no-fly list and that I cannot board that flight, Turaani recalled in an interview. Results from a public records request he submitted that same year to the Department of Homeland Security confirmed in writing what he suspected: that his name had been assigned no fly status. With the help of an attorney at the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, Turaani successfully challenged the designation through the formal redress process. In December 2017, DHS sent him a letter, writing that it had "made any corrections" including those "that may assist in avoiding incidents of misidentification but never disclosed why Turaani had been on the list in the first place. He has not been blocked from flying since. The attorney working on his behalf shared those documents with Hearst Television. "So much harassment, Turaani said. And it was it was really frustrating. And to tell you the truth, it was also humiliating." Amtrak to screen passengers against watchlist Soon, more people may find themselves ensnared by the same screening. Amtrak has asked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to start screening some of its passengers against the Terrorist Screening Database watchlist maintained by the Threat Screening Center to see if known or suspected terrorists have been riding the rails, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security privacy impact document obtained by the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit. Hearst Television The program, part of the Amtrak Rail Passenger Threat Assessment and which has not been previously reported, would compare personal passenger information from Amtrak which may also later include a traveler's publicly available social media profiles viewed by DHS personnel to the government's terrorist screening database. If the TSA finds any matches, the agency would then provide Amtrak with statistical and anonymized results that would not include passenger names, at least for this initial stage. Currently, airline passengers can opt out of watchlist screening by choosing not to fly. But Amtrak passengers apparently will not have that option because the screening will initially use several months of past travel on the busy Northeast Corridor, according to the threat assessment privacy document. A spokesperson did not respond to a question about whether passengers will be able to ask Amtrak to exclude past travel from the new screening. Amtrak routes go through 46 of the 50 states. Connecticut had the country's eighth highest ridership with people getting on and off Amtrak trains in the state more than 1.8 million times in 2019, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. New Haven's Union Station station was the tenth busiest nationwide with passengers entering and exiting Amtrak trains there more than 778,000 times that year. Its terrifying to me The details of the plan are laid out in a 12-page Privacy Impact Assessment. As it notes, the 9/11 Commission report stated that while aviation remains a possible target, opportunities to do harm are as great, or greater, in maritime or surface transportation. Congress raised the possibility of a security watchlist program for Amtrak as far back as 2007, and again suggested a vetting system more than decade later, the DHS document also notes. In 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic began, Amtrak said it was assigning more police officers onboard its trains after a spike in crime. The new watchlist screening program, however, is raising alarm among civil liberties advocates, who say it compromises too much liberty in the name of increasing safety. "It's terrifying to me, said Saira Hussain, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), who learned about the new program from the National Investigative Unit. In the Privacy Impact Assessment, DHS acknowledges that mistakes and wrong matches are possible, disclosing there is a risk that limited information provided by Amtrak will result in inaccurate watchlist match results." The assessment goes on to assert that incorrect matches will have no impact on individual passengers privacy because only past travel records will be used and only statistical, or anonymized, results will be given to Amtrak. That means no passengers who are positive for a watchlist match will have their identities turned over to Amtrak. The limitation would be in place for at least in the initial phase of the program. But even then, the impact on travelers could go beyond TSA or Amtrak. In the same document, DHS notes that the information gathered could be used for other purposes, including that potential and confirmed matches may be shared with other law enforcement agencies pursuant to established routine uses. Hussain said in an interview she absolutely worries about the effect of mistakes on individuals. It can increase the chances of them facing some really negative outcomes when it comes to a contact with law enforcement. Should they be stopped for, you know, for like a broken tail light or something like that, she said. Mission creep "It's a classic example of mission creep, said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who reviewed the document at Hearsts request. "Pretty soon we're going to have people walking through, you know, body scanners to go to a Little League game, Stanley said in an interview. We don't want to turn America into an airport." The TSA declined a request for an interview about the program, as did Amtrak. Americas largest passenger railroad also did not respond to a detailed list of questions about the soon-to-be-implemented screening of some of its passengers. The DHS document detailing the existence of the program states the new rail passenger screening will begin once Amtrak discloses it to passengers in its online privacy policy. At the time of this report, that webpage had not been updated since November. The data collected will be retained for two years, the document says. Khalid Turaani, who successfully challenged his inclusion in a watchlist, said he does understand the security needs, without a doubt, for transportation security. However, his past experience with passenger watchlist screening prompted a warning to his fellow travelers: "There must be some transparency measures and I believe that is going to be key. Hearst Television Mark Albert is the chief national investigative correspondent for the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit, based in Washington D.C. April Chunko, Annie Klingenberg & Kevin Rothstein contributed to this report. Know of waste, fraud or abuse in government agencies? Have a confidential tip or inside information? Send information and documents to the National Investigative Unit at investigate@hearst.com. Chippewa Nature Center is bringing the spirit of outdoor adventure and mountain culture to Midland. Each November, the Banff Centre hosts the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, celebrating the spirit of adventure and mountains. The top outdoor storytelling films from that Banff, Alberta festival go on tour with stops in 550 locations and more than 40 countries across the globe. CNC is proud to host one of the stops on the World Tour at Bullock Creek Auditorium, located at 1420 S Badour Road in Midland, at 7 p.m. Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, with different films each night. Admission is $18 for the public; CNC members receive a 20% discount. Tickets are available in advance at www.chipppewanaturecenter.org, by calling 989-631-0830, at CNC at 400 S. Badour Road in Midland or at the door (if available) the night of the event. Free refreshments and prize giveaways will be offered at intermission. The following films will be screened. Friday, April 8 Never in the Way (2020, Canada, 6 minutes) Filmmaker: Colin Jones, Darcy Wittenburg, Anthill Films Advisory: General Chicago-based bike messenger, Nico Deportago-Cabrera, sees city maps like a central nervous system where everything is connected. Always Higher (2021, Canada, 12 minutes) Filmmaker: Alexa Fay, Sophie Claivaz-Loranger, La Boite a Films Advisory: General Lysanne Richard is one of the worlds best international competition high divers. But the 39-year-old Canadian mother of three is ready to focus on personal projects of her own. First on the list is a 22 meter high dive in the dead of winter over a frozen lake, a feat that has never been done. But will it be enough? A Foreign Native (Tour Edit) (2021, Austria, 49 minutes) Filmmaker: Jonas Abenstein, Karin Lechner, NINE&ONE, Red Bull Media House Advisory: General A professional skier leaves his familiar world behind and spends close to a year in Iran. When military activity ramps up in January and COVID-19 hits in February 2020 his journey takes a very different route. Learning Farsi and playing the Tanbur, he goes to explore the south of Iran with his new and old friends. Markus Eders The Ultimate Run (2021, Austria, 10 minutes) Filmmaker: Christoph Thoresen, Daniel Schiessl, Tobi Reindl, Legs Of Steel, Red Bull Media House Advisory: General What if you could link every powder turn, every rail, every cliff drop, every comp run and every kicker nailed into one ultimate run? Well, Markus Eder is doing just that! Izembek (2020, USA, 14 minutes) Filmmaker: Gerrit Vyn, Conservation Media at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Advisory: General There has been pressure for nearly four decades to build a road through Alaskas Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Cornell Lab of Ornithologys Gerrit Vyn explores the area to document its wildlife and wilderness, before its too late. REEL ROCK 15: Deep Roots (2020, USA, 35 minutes) Filmmaker: Josh Lowell, Nick Rosen, Brett Lowell, Peter Mortimer, REEL ROCK Advisory: Coarse Language Lonnie Kauks personal journey to honor his indigenous Yosemite roots, and to connect with his legendary father by repeating his iconic climbs. Saturday, April 9, 2022 A Dogs Tale (Tour Edit) (2021, Canada, 5 minutes) Filmmaker: Darren McCullough, Darcy Wittenburg, Anthill Films Advisory: General Theres something primal about the feeling of the forest floor under your paws and smelling a thousand different smells all at once. The freedom of the trail is what we long for. Cant Beat This Place For Fun (2020, USA, 14 minutes) Filmmaker: Dawn Kish, John Tveten, Dawn Kish Photo and Film LLC Advisory: General Fretwater Boatworks is keeping the tradition of wooden dory building alive! These beautiful boats honour the dreams of Grand Canyon pioneer Martin Litton and encourage advocacy to help preserve these wild places. Precious Leader Woman (2021, Canada, 47 minutes) Filmmaker: Cassie De Colling, Mack Stannard, Hayley Morin, Kiddo Films Inc. Advisory: PG Coarse Language This is snowboarder Spencer OBriens story from childhood to the world stage, coming full circle to embrace her identity and Indigenous heritage as she pushes forward, bringing her heart and soul to her next challenge, the backcountry. Jump To Zero (2020, 8 minutes) Filmmaker: Drew Herder, Jaime Cantarovici, Adin Baird, Poptop Productions, Left of Creek Advisory: General A story of three BASE jumpers finding new ways to follow their passion while reducing the impact on their environment. INSIDE- A Hole New Ski Experience (2021, Austria, 11 minutes) Filmmaker: Stefan Ager, Andreas Gumpenberger, Lensecape Productions Advisory: PG Coarse Language After an amazing ski tour at the Grand Ferrand massive in France, where you can ski through stunning rock caves, a few skiers decide to take it to the next level in a huge cave in Slovenia. REEL ROCK 15: Action Directe (2020, USA, 16 minutes) Filmmaker: Zachary Barr, Josh Lowell, REEL ROCK Advisory: Coarse Language French powerhouse Melissa Le Neve spends seven years battling insane moves, inner doubt, and the burden of history to climb the most revered sport route on earth. Breaking Trail (2021, USA, 30 minutes) Filmmaker: Jesse Roesler, James Mills, Jen Larson Roesler, Credo Nonfiction Advisory: General Amidst COVID-19 surges and civil unrest, Emily Ford and sled dog Diggins set out to thru-hike the 1,900 km Ice Age Trail in winter. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Collin Periatt. Tuesday, April 5 10:39 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to an Ingersoll Township location regarding a truck parked in the roadway. Deputies responded to the scene but the truck was gone prior to the deputy's arrival. 9:19 p.m. A citizen called 911 to report a suspicious black car driving down the road. The caller did not recognize the vehicle. A deputy checked the area, but no vehicles were found. The caller did not want contact. 7:21 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to speak with a 67-year-old man regarding a loose cat in the neighborhood. Deputies spoke with the 58-year-old owner of the cat, who stated he would make sure it stays on his property. 10:53 a.m. Animal Control Deputy assigned to check on the welfare of a number of cats at a home in Warren Township. Cats were found to be healthy and well-fed. Owners were advised of the requirement to provide a clean environment. 9:59 a.m. Officers investigated a crash on private property near West Wackerly Street. 9:43 a.m. A deputy responded to assist EMS and Fire at an Edenville Township residence regarding an overdose. The 41-year-old woman had consumed too much alcohol and EMS was all set. 8:43 a.m. Deputies responded to an Edenville Township residence to check the well being of a 38-year-old woman and her two juvenile sons. Deputies spoke with all three parties and checked their well-being. 2:14 a.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Jasper Township residence regarding a 56-year-old woman reporting that someone was banging on her front door. Deputies checked the residence and surrounding area but didn't locate anything suspicious. 12:37 a.m. Deputies went to a Hope Township residence reference a 30-year-old man with a warrant. Deputies made contact with the man and arrested him for his warrant. The man was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday delivered new orders along the U.S.-Mexico border and promised more to come as former Trump administration officials press him to declare an invasion and give state troopers and National Guard members authority to turn back migrants. The two-term Republican governor did not say whether he supports such a concept, which constitutional scholars say is legally dubious, nearly unprecedented and would almost certainly face swift court challenges. But for now, Abbott said state troopers would begin stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles that come across the border, which he acknowledged would dramatically slow vehicle traffic near U.S. ports of entry. He also said bus charters to Washington, D.C., would be offered to migrants who volunteer for them, in a dig at President Joe Biden and Congress, who Abbott has criticized for not doing enough. Abbott said the inspection stops would occur on Texas roadways and follow the law. But of course, everyone always files a lawsuit," he said. The new directives amount to the unprecedented actions that Abbott promised in response to the Biden administration winding down a public health law now set to expire in May that has limited asylum-seekers in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19. When that happens, it is expected to draw more migrants to the southern border. Texas officials also said they would begin increased military activity on the border and install razor wire at some low-water along the river to deter migrants from crossing. The orders further expand a multibillion-dollar Texas border security mission that Abbott, who is running for reelection in November, has made the cornerstone of his administration. Already, Texas has deployed thousands of troopers and National Guard members, installed new border barrier and jailed migrants on trespassing charges. Still, the efforts do not go far enough for some former Trump administration officials, who want Abbott to essentially bestow on troopers and Guard members enforcement powers that have been a federal responsibility. Border Patrol officials say they are planning for as many as 18,000 arrivals daily once the health policy, known as the Title 42 authority, expires in May. Last week, about 7,100 migrants were coming a day to the southern U.S. border. But the way former Trump immigration officials see it, Texas and Arizona can pick up where the federal government leaves off. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures. Border enforcement has always been a federal responsibility, and in Texas, state leaders have not been pushing for such a move. Tom Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, told an audience in San Antonio last week that he had spoken with Abbott about the idea. Weve had discussions with his attorneys in his office, Is there a way to use this clause within the Constitution where it talks about invasion? Homan said during the Border Security Expo. Homan said those talks took place about three months ago and described the governor's office as noncommittal but willing to listen. In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has also been under pressure within his party to declare that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. But Ducey, who is term-limited and not on the ballot in 2022, has not embraced the theory and has avoided commenting directly on it. Driving the effort on the right is the Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials. It includes Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner and former Homeland Security official under Trump. He argued states are entitled to defend themselves from immediate danger or invasion, as it is defined by the invasion clause, under the states self-defense clause. Cuccinelli said in practice, he envisions the plan would look similar to the enforcement of Title 42, which circumvented U.S. obligations under American law and international treaty to provide asylum. He said he has not spoken with Abbott and said the current Texas border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, has put little dent in migration. The mission has also drawn criticism from Guard members over long deployments and little to do, and some arrests have appeared to have no connection to border security. Until you are actually returning people to Mexico, what you are doing will have no effect, Cuccinelli said. Emily Berman, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Houston, said the invasion clause cited by proponents is tucked into a broader constitutional assurance that the U.S. must defend states from invasion and domestic violence. Additionally, she said, the state self-defense clause says states cannot engage in warlike actions or foreign policy unless invaded. Berman said she hasn't seen the constitutional clauses used since the 1990s, when the courts ruled that they did not have jurisdiction to decide what qualified an invasion, but believed that one could only be done by another governmental entity. For example, Berman said, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia can be qualified as one because it is an outside government breaching another countrys boundaries with the use of military force. "Just because the state says that it is an invasion that doesnt necessarily make it so, it is not clear to me what additional legal authority that conveys on them, Berman said, adding that state officials can enforce state laws, but the line is drawn at what the federal law allows. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose district includes the Texas border, has criticized the Biden administration over border security and ending Title 42. But he does not support states trying to use new powers that would let them do whatever they want." I think it should be more of a partnership instead of saying, Federal government, we dont think youre doing enough, and why dont we go ahead and do our own border security? he said. ___ Coronado is a corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Associated Press reporter Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One month ago, the Four Lakes Task Force was working toward maintaining its construction schedule, but lacked the funding to aggressively pursue the project. That's why the nonprofit was considering $10 million in interim financing. While funds are still tight, $200 million in state funding is now on its way to the four communities impacted by the May 2020 dam failures. President Dave Kepler said the task force's budget is short about $50 million, but the state funds have set up the delegated authority to advance its aggressive construction timeline. "We feel like (the state is) going to be able to position to start moving the funds over so that'll make sure that we don't have to go after that (anticipation) note for that interim structure," he explained during a Wednesday webinar. "The March timing was tight for us." On March 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $4.8 billion infrastructure package. The legislation is the product of months of negotiations between the Republican-controlled Legislature and Whitmer's administration over how to spend unprecedented billions of discretionary pandemic funding that was approved by Congress and President Joe Biden last year. More than 400 four lakes stakeholders attended the informational meeting Wednesday to receive recent updates from task force speakers regarding the project, which includes a now "unlikely" pursuit of a $10 million bond/loan as an interim financing measure. Kepler and other representatives also discussed the four lakes special assessment district, which is a controversial topic amongst some property owners. "Reality is that the numbers are in the same range (as they were before the infrastructure package was approved)," Kepler said of the operations assessment portion of the district. Treasurer/Secretary Kayla Stryker said property owners should check the task force's special assessment resources on its website, regarding their respective parcels and potential costs associated with the district. The map and detailed review of costs regarding the dams will be shared next week. Around the time of the state funding announcement, Kepler said other support was made towards the funding effort. He said funding was issued to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy related to flood mitigation plans in the four communities, and the task force received a grant as the federal sponsor with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. "We've got over $250 million of funds either received or anticipated," Kepler said. "If you go back and think about where we were in May 2020, (we were) just about to issue a million-dollar note to start the new project. Then, this thing just fundamentally changed with an order of magnitude that has actually been pretty impressive for the whole team." Wednesday's informational session included online submitted questions from property owners and local residents. The task force will meet to conduct formal business during a board meeting at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 11 at Secord Township Hall in Gladwin County. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANISTEE Housing continues to be in short-supply in Manistee, but there are some signs of progress, according to a presentation from the Manistee Housing Commission. Clinton McKinven-Copus, executive director of the Manistee Housing Commission, gave an update to the Manistee City Council during Tuesday's regularly scheduled meeting. He talked about renovations at Harborview Apartments and Century Terrace, two of the apartment complexes that are operated by the housing commission. McKinven-Copus noted that on Dec. 8, 2020, the housing commission signed a letter with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for a 9% tax credit in order to renovate Harborview and Century Terrace, but that they were unable to proceed because of some administrative delays. "It took until Dec. 7, 2021 to close on the finances of the project. And that was due to the state of Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy department approving some things that had been approved but did not offer their signature until the late date," McKinven-Copus said. Harborview The project construction on the Harborview Apartments began on Jan. 24, he said. McKinven-Copus noted the process of how residents are being housed during the renovations. "Residents have been relocated to a vacant unit within the Harborview apartments. We've engaged the services of Corrigan Moving Systems to move our residents. They packed up the residents' households, they move them into the temporary unit while the resident's unit is being rehabbed. And then they move them back to their newly rehabbed unit." He noted that Harborview residents were happy with the services that Corrigan Moving Systems provided. McKiven-Copus said "roughly 80% to 85% (of the units have been renovated)." "I know we're down to one or two (groups) that are being moved from (the) not renovated units into the temporary units and then those are being renovated," he said. After being asked a question by Coincil member Cindy Lundberg about whether all units were full, McKinven-Copus noted that there are available units at Harborview, He noted that there were units allowed to be kept vacant so that the residents could be easily moved to another unit within the complex. "There's 48 units at Harborview, 119 units at Centrury Terrace, and no, they're not full right now. And that's because of the universal relocation act of the federal government," McKinven-Copus said. "To be able to do this, (the federal government) wanted us to create a plan to use our units to relocate residents. And so by natural attrition, we empty units in both buildings so that when residents are moved, they're relocated within the building." The renovations for Harborview include putting in new windows that are better insulated. The bathrooms were made fully ADA/504 compliant, according to McKinven-Copus. In the photographs that McKinven-Copus showed, he noted that kitchen appliances had been replaced with brand new ones. McKinven-Copus did not give an exact date for when all the units at Harborview will be completely renovated but he said they're getting close to being done on the interior of the building. Once all the units are renovated, they can start leasing the vacant units that were used to house residents who were having their units rehabbed. Century Terrace McKinven-Copus said the process of relocating residents into empty units within the same apartment complex is the same for Century Terrace as it is for Harborview. He said the work for Century Terrace is just beginning and that the whole process will be done in January. He noted that the housing commission could possibly start leasing vacant units in Century Terrace in January or February, assuming the timeline sticks. The Midland Christian Women's Connection will host a luncheon 12-2 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 at the Midland Country Club. Darlene Anderson and Carol Sweebe will present the love languages and teach guests how to identify and speak the five love languages. A love message that is received loud and clear can lead to harmony and happy relationships. Kathy Sly of Hickory Corners, Michigan will present "A Humpty Dumpty Life" with humor. Sly will share her desperate search for the glue to put the shattered pieces of her life together. Cost is $17, payable at the door either by cash or check; checks can be made out to CWC. Reservations are due by 9 p.m., Sunday, April 10 and can be emailed to cjsweebe@gmail.com. A decision to change zoning of some land next to a mobile home park will have to wait after neighbors spoke in opposition to the project. The Huron County Planning Commission heard a proposal from Lakeshore Pines Mobile Home Park, located in Hume Township, to rezone a 4.5-acre parcel of land the park is located next to from residential to general business. That parcel and the one currently occupied by the mobile home park would be combined into one parcel, which could accommodate potential expansion of the park. Jeff Smith, the countys building and zoning director, said that while a general business classification does not specifically list mobile home parks as a use, the countys zoning ordinance says you can do anything in a multi-residential district in a business district. You can have residential use on a business district parcel, even though people may realize they are adjacent to a business, Smith said. Brandon Moore, one of the Lakeshore Pines owners who spoke via Zoom, said he and his group took over ownership of the mobile home park less than two months ago and are working on mitigating trees, fixing broken windows, and making the property safer. He said the reason for wanting to combine the land parcels into one has to do with DTE and Hume Township wanting him to fix electrical lines. This park was built in 1970, so some of the infrastructure needs to be replaced, Moore said, also stating he is working with the Huron County Health Department for septic tank work. Only two of the mobile homes on the current property are unoccupied, and Moore said most of the occupants are retired car factory engineers who like living there because of the small, unique homes, and they take pride in their ownership. Were trying to create a community thats welcoming, Moore said. We havent had time to put the paint on and make the necessary upgrades. Smith did acknowledge that while the county health department is responsible for overseeing septic tanks, the state department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is responsible for issuing licenses to mobile home parks, so any expansion of the park would have to have state approval. Around 40 guests appeared at the meeting Wednesday night either in person or over Zoom, with all the people speaking during the public comment portion voicing their opposition to the project. Most of them either live near the mobile home park or own summer homes near the area, with some guests travelling for two hours to be in attendance. The most common reasons for the guests' opposition include not needing to expand the park when there is still land available, the park being a blight to the area, the park attracting people who will cross landowners' property to go to private beaches, the possibility expansion will bring more traffic to an area that gets crowded and dangerous over the summer, and that the parks owners are doing work there without going through the proper channels. Some guests brought in poster-size photos of some of the trailers in the park that are covered in tarps and have broken windows. The Economic Development Corporation says its mission is to increase the quality of life for residents, said Laura Kelly, a resident of Shore Drive, across the street from the mobile home. We are your residents. Adding additional traffic does not increase it. Its a recipe for disaster. Jim Roland, who also lives across the street from the park, brought up how back in 2014, the Huron County Road Commission mandated that mobile homes be removed from county parks and wonders they the county seems to be promoting more. He also brought up the chaos that comes from it where landowners have to pick up litter on Monday mornings and that people cut through their properties to get to the beach. Jim OLeary, Rolands neighbor, said he has watched the park and nearby motel dilapidate for 20 years after he would stay at the motel and rent rooms for his construction company employees. Shame on us, we should have acted sooner, but shame on the county and township. OLeary said, also calling the mobile home parks site plans a joke. People shouldnt be living in conditions like this. We shouldnt have to look at it. Representatives from the Huron County Nature Center were also in attendance, as the parcel of land in question is located next to its property. One of them, Kathy Kent, asked if the property owner has done any wetland delineation for this project, since when the center carried out delineation work for constructing boardwalks, the entire process lasted three years. The building and zoning department received 10 emails and phone calls he received from people also voicing their opposition to the project. One email, from Erik Tamlyn of the Huron County Road Commission, said that an access and driveway permit may be needed from the Michigan Department of Transportation and the road commission would be willing to help with that. The planners unanimously voted to postpone making a decision on this until their next meeting, which would give them time to go through all the public comment given and ask Moore more questions about the project. The next meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on May 4. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRUSSELS (AP) Spurred into action by reports of atrocities in Ukraine, NATO countries agreed Thursday to ramp up the supply of weapons to Kyiv, including hi-tech arms, amid concerns that Russia is about to launch a large offensive in Ukrarine's eastern Donbas region. NATO, as an organization, refuses to send troops or weapons to Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone over it to keep the trans-Atlantic military group from being drawn into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. Individual NATO countries, however, have provided anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, as well as equipment and medical supplies. There was a clear message from the meeting today that allies should do more, and are ready to do more, to provide more equipment, and they realize and recognize the urgency, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after chairing a meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels. Stoltenberg declined to say which countries were stepping up supplies or what kinds of equipment they might send, but he said: Rest assured, allies are providing a wide range of different weapons systems, both Soviet-era systems but also modern equipment. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sickening images and accounts coming out of Bucha and other parts of Ukraine have strengthened the Wests resolve to punish Russia and step up support for Ukraine. Blinken said the United States is looking across the board right now not only at what we provided, and what we continue to provide, but whether there are additional systems that could make a difference. One of the drawbacks of sending modern arms is that Ukrainian troops would have to learn how to to use them, but some NATO nations raised the possibility of providing training outside of the war-ravaged country. Britain was also outspoken about its intentions. Weve agreed to step up support for Ukraine and weve also recognized that the conflict has entered a new and different phase with a more concentrated Russian offensive, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. There was support for countries to supply new and heavier equipment to Ukraine so that they can respond to these new threats from Russia. Weve agreed to help Ukrainian forces move from their Soviet-era equipment to NATO-standard equipment on a bilateral basis, Truss said. After talks with his NATO counterparts, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was cautiously optimistic that some countries would boost weapons supplies to his nation. But he warned that those arms must get to Ukraine quickly, with Russia set to attack more widely in the east. Either you help us now and Im speaking about days, not weeks or your help will come too late, Kuleba said his message was to NATO countries. Asked what more his country was seeking, Kuleba listed planes, land-based missiles, armored vehicles and air defense systems. He also criticized some Western countries for failing to impose sanctions quickly enough, or of acting too late, highlighting his point with the reports of war crimes in the northern town of Bucha. How many Buchas have to take place for you to impose sanctions? How many children, women, men, have to die, Kuleba said, for you to understand that you cannot allow sanctions fatigue, as we cannot allow fighting fatigue? Some NATO countries sending weapons have been making a distinction about what kind of support they can provide, saying Ukraine should only receive arms for defensive purposes and not offensive weapons like war planes or tanks. But Stoltenberg rejected the rhetorical arguments. Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesnt actually have any real meaning, he said. Stoltenberg said he has urged allies to provide further support of many different types of systems, both light weapons but also heavier weapons. Despite the allegations of Russian war crimes and warnings that more atrocities might emerge, it appears unlikely, at least for now, that the worlds biggest security alliance will agree as an organization to arm Ukraine and help end Europes biggest land war since World War II. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine MACAO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Advisers to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday pledged support for the Macao SAR in better honoring its obligation of safeguarding national security. Fu Ziying, who was appointed in March by the central government national security affairs adviser to the committee, together with Zheng Xincong and Yin Shuhua national security technical advisers, made the remarks at the first plenary meeting of the committee held this year. Noting that Macao still faces multiple challenges in safeguarding national security threatened by intervention and penetration of external forces as well as uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Fu, who also serves as director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, vowed to provide continuous support for the Macao SAR chief executive and the committee in further improving Macao's legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security. Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR who heads the committee, said at the meeting that the committee would take the appointments of the national security advisers as a new starting point to assess, discover in time and efficiently resolve potential security risks in the future, and continuously improve Macao's system of safeguarding national security to maintain social stability of the Macao SAR and the country at large. New York, US (PANA) - The UN chief has welcomed the transition to a new African Union (AU) mission in Somalia, pledging the Organisations unwavering commitment to the country, the mission, and the Somali security forces in their ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab militants Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - A UN human rights expert on Wednesday called for a full and independent investigation into alleged mass crimes committed in central Malis Mopti region late last month, and pleaded with all parties to ensure the absolute protection of civilians and an end to the current vicious cycle of violence Photo: (Photo : Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) More than 100 children have died in Texas since 2020 while in the state's child welfare system, including two who passed away due to COVID-19 complications, according to a report provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to lawmakers on Friday. According to a DFPS report obtained by The Texas Tribune, 44 children died in 2020, and 38 passed away in 2021 while they were in the state's care. The number of child deaths is at par with those previously reported in the past years. A total of 22 children in the state's care have already died in the first three months of this year, which is an alarming statistic given that it is about half the number of deaths recorded in each of the previous five years. Lawmakers investigating Texas' troubled child welfare system The state of Texas cared for 45,870 kids in 2021. The kids who died last year represent about 0.08 percent of children under the state's care. According to a study by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania that was referenced in the report of the DFPS, children in foster care are 42 percent more likely to die than children in the general population. The DFPS report was produced in response to questions from a hearing conducted by the House Human Services Committee last month. The hearing was held after allegations of abuse surfaced at a state-licensed foster care facility in the city of Bastrop. That renewed state lawmakers' interest in Texas' troubled child welfare system. KERA News reported that most of the deaths that were listed in the report were attributed to abuse suffered before the children entered the system or preexisting medical conditions. The report did not specify, though, what those conditions were. The Texas' child welfare system often serves kids with specialized medical and therapeutic needs. Read Also: Pregnant Women Who Used Cannabis Found to Likely Have Obese Children With Higher Blood Sugar Six children in the state's care have died by suicide since 2020 According to the report, six children have died by drowning since 2020, while another six under the state's care died by committing suicide. One kid died this year after suffering a gunshot wound while being pursued by law enforcement. Three children who ran away from Child Protective Services died from physical violence. The DFPS report also stated that two children with preexisting conditions have died from complications due to COVID-19 while under the state's care. One of them died in 2020, and the other one just this year. Liz Kromrei, director of services at Texas Child Protective Services, said around 35 percent of eligible youth in Texas' long-term foster care system were vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose last week. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack, overseeing an 11-year-old lawsuit against Texas on behalf of the children under the state's care, asked the DFPS for the percentage of fully vaccinated youth, but they did not have that information on hand. KXXV reported that leaders revealed no formal policy within the department regarding vaccinations, but they encouraged children to agree to get jabs. Related Article: Should Single Mothers Put the Father on Their Child's Birth Certificate? Key Facts on Naming the Dad Photo: (Photo : IVAN PISARENKO/AFP via Getty Images) Donna Russell is what you would call a helicopter parent. When the 65-year-old grandmother's own children were growing up back in the day, she did everything to participate in their respective schooling. According to Very Well Family, helicopter parents are people who pay extremely close attention to their children's activities and schoolwork to not only protect them from disappointment and pain but to help them succeed. Now that Russell has custody of her three grandchildren, she wishes she could be the same PTA mother involved in school activities decades ago. The problem for Russell is that her finances are limited now, with the family living on food stamps, Social Security benefits, and payments from the children's father. Helicopter parents given a front-row seat to daily classroom life However, she has found other ways to get involved with her grandchildren's schooling over the past school year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russell spent a chunk of her time every day helping her 4-year-old granddaughter Maleigha learn numbers and letters on the computer through Waterford Upstart, a program developed to help young kids prepare for kindergarten. All around the United States, the COVID pandemic has turned parents' relationships with their children's schools upside-down, hindering their ability to connect substantially with the teachers and the other students' families. That being said, there was an added benefit for helicopter parents when learning transitioned to online during the pandemic as they were given a front-row seat to the daily classroom life of their children. Because of the coronavirus, helicopter parents were provided a unique opportunity to participate in their children's education. Things are going back to normal, though, with schools set to resume face-to-face classes soon. It is paramount for schools to sustain the momentum of newfound relationships with their students' parents and keep them involved with their children's schooling. According to a survey conducted by the National Parents Union, nearly 2 in 3 parents of school-aged kids became more engaged than ever before in their children's learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 8 in 10 respondents said that the COVID pandemic opened their eyes to the inner workings of schools in America. Read Also: Shanghai Defends Policy of Separating Parents From Their COVID-positive Babies and Children Family involvement plays key role in student's academic achievement Studies show that family involvement plays an important role in the academic achievement of a student. Some research even suggested that parent involvement is one of the greatest predictors of success for a student. According to the research, the benefits of such family support are even more pronounced for low-income children. Jenni Torres, who oversees the curriculum at Waterford.org, the nonprofit organization behind the kindergarten-prep program that Russell used at home with her grandchild, told USA Today that when a child knows their parent has prioritized school, the kid learns and gets the sense that it is an important place to be. With unprecedented access to classrooms, helicopter parents found it difficult not to hover over every aspect of their children's learning while at home. The COVID pandemic has shown that helicopter parenting is just one type of family engagement, and there are other ways to influence their kids' learning. Related Article: Terry Wayne Wallis, The Man Who Said 'Mom' After Waking Up From 19-year Coma, Has Died at Age 57 Photo: (Photo : ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images) Texas mom Adrianne Grayson gave a surprise birth to her sixth child in her bathroom when she felt that she was 'just bloated' and had to relieve herself. Grayson, 33, never had any prenatal symptoms and thought her stomach cramp was anything but an actual labor pain. The mom said that she also had no clue that she was heavy with a child because she lost more than nine pounds during what was supposed to be her first two months of pregnancy. The Texas mom said she would have been very aware of her pregnancy after having five babies. Her youngest child was only a year old before the surprise birth. Grayson commonly experienced hip issues in all her pregnancies, had a huge bump and could tell if she was having a girl or a boy. Yet none of these were present when she had Apollo in September 2021. "I knew what pregnancy looked and felt like but I had absolutely no idea I was expecting Apollo," Grayson said, per Daily Mail. Read Also: Apple Fitness+ Launches New Workout Series for Moms Getting Back in Shape A Serious Health Kick While Pregnant Grayson explained that she had a serious health kick in 2021 because she wanted to get fit after her fifth pregnancy. She was working out daily in the morning and proudly claimed that she fitted in the "tightest pair of shorts" she owned in no time. The mom blogger actively shared her fitness journey on Instagram and YouTube and never talked about pregnancy. However, she did reveal that she has irregular periods and knew how to manage this condition, including the frequent bloating issues, following years of guidance from her doctor. So, she thought nothing of it when these issues returned after her fifth child. She also thought that her irregular periods were due to her constant exercise. But then, 24 hours before the surprise birth of her sixth baby, Grayson felt bloated again and sporadically had painful cramps, which she attributed to pre-menstrual issues. She managed her discomfort by doing yoga and briefly considered going to the emergency room when her waves of cramps became almost unbearable. When she thought of relieving herself in the bathroom hours later, Greyson came out with a baby instead. The mom called out to her husband at 2:00 a.m., who was in complete shock. Grayson still had contact with her children's midwife, who arrived at their house in the wee hours of the morning to clean the baby. She was also surprised by the birth, which Greyson said was her "easiest pregnancy for sure." A Cryptic Pregnancy The Texas mom had a cryptic pregnancy, also known as stealth pregnancy or denied pregnancy. The phenomenon happens in 1 per 475 pregnancies, where the moms don't have any indications that they are with a child. They could also mistake their symptoms as unrelated to being pregnant. Women who are likely to have a cryptic pregnancy are those with active lifestyles with irregular periods or mothers who have recently given birth. According to What to Expect, some obese women may also not realize they are having a baby because they will not notice the physical changes. Meanwhile, after the arrival of Apollo, Grayson's husband underwent a vasectomy to ensure that another surprise birth in their big family would not happen. Related Article: Painless Birth Story: TikTok Mom in Labor Did Not Notice She Gave Birth to Second Baby UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. Photo: (Photo : Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) A Russian mom, who is now based in Wisconsin, killed her eight-year-old son and threatened to murder the rest of her family after growing increasingly erratic and paranoid about the war in Ukraine, authorities announced on Tuesday, April 5. The New York Post reported that Natalia Aleksandrovna Hitchcock of Sheboygan Falls strangled her youngest son on March 30, leaving him unconscious. He suffered fatal injuries because of the choking, resulting in his death. Police identified the victim who died on Friday as Oliver Hitchcock. According to the criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County, Hitchcock has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Police said in their statement that Oliver's father and a second child were also present at the family apartment during Natalia's deadly attack. Hitchcock also tried to kill her other son According to the complaint, Hitchcock confessed to investigators that apart from strangling her youngest son, she also held her 11-year-old son's head underwater in a bathtub in an apparent attempt to kill him. Natalia also told the police that she stabbed herself in the chest. The criminal complaint did not provide the names of the children and their father. NBC News reported that they were referred to instead as witness 1, Victim 1, and Victim 2. Witness 1 told an officer that Russia's invasion of Ukraine appeared to be taking a toll on Hitchcock's mental health, with the complaint stating that she has Russian roots. Witness 1 added that she did not have any previously diagnosed mental illnesses. The legal papers said that the older boy had found the lifeless body of his brother on the floor of his bedroom while their mother was on the bed with a big knife. The complaint said that the screams of the surviving boy woke their father from his nap. The dad made several attempts to save young Oliver, who was pronounced dead a couple of days later. While the father was trying his hardest to revive his son, even performing CPR on Oliver, the complaint said his wife was walking around the apartment with a knife. With a dazed look, Natalia said she would kill everyone in the house. Read Also: Parents of Navin Jones Charged With Murder After 8-Year-Old Son Dies Weighing Just 30 Pounds Hitchcock's mental health issues triggered by Russia's war in Ukraine Apart from stabbing herself in the chest, the Russian mom also told the police that she tried to overdose on painkillers, according to a report by KWWL. When the police asked her husband if Hitchcock had any mental health concerns before killing their son, he said, "She does now." He detailed his wife's paranoia over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling cops that he was worried about her mental state of mind as she watched the news on television regarding the war between the two countries. The complaint said that the suspect's parents were still in Russia, and she was furious that she could not go back home to see them as booking flights was impossible. Related Article: Mother of Sacramento Mass Shooting Victims Calls for Justice as Hunt for Gunmen Continues On March 10 Patently Apple posted a report titled "BOE is Developing a Two-Stack OLED display aimed to compete for Apple's 2024 iPad business." This evening The Elec is reporting that the Chinese display panel giant BOE is planning to build a Gen 8.6 OLED panel production line at its B16 factory in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province. Like its South Korean rivals Samsung Display and LG Display, BOE is planning to build the line in preparation to supply OLED panels to Apple for applications in IT products such as iPad tablets and MacBook notebooks. The Chinese display panel giant is planning to have the line produce 15,000 substrates per month and start production near the end of 2024. Using a Gen 8 glass substrate is more advantageous economically for companies in manufacturing these panels compared to Gen. For instance, for a 13.3-inch panel, a Gen 6 substrate can provide 48 units while a Gen 8.5 substrate can provide 96 units. Samsung Display and LG Display will be using Gen 6 production lines to produce their first OLED panels aimed at iPads __ Apple is expected to introduce one in 2024. But the pair are planning to use Gen 8.5 production lines for OLED panels Cupertino will use for IT products after its first OLED iPad debuts. Meanwhile, BOE is also testing two-stack tandem OLED technology at its existing production lines. Two-stack tandem OLED panels have two emission layers, unlike the single-stack tandem structure currently used in smartphone OLED panels. Having two emission layers can increase the brightness of panels and extend their life span, which makes them optimal for use in tablets and PCs that are conventionally used longer than smartphones. For more read the full report by The Elec. An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH100,000.00 bail each to four Nigerians over an alleged use of narcotic plant without lawful authority. The Court ordered that three persons should stand as sureties for each of the accused persons and two of the sureties each, should be justified. Mentor Sey,25, music artist, Emmanuel Nwosu, 45, seaman, Andy Thomas Osemene, 25, music artist and Emmanuel Thomas, 15, a student, have denied unlawful use of narcotic plant. They will make their next appearance on April 25, 2022. Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Benson Benneh narrated to the court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah that on March 30, 2022, at about 12:00 hours, the Teshie District Police Command had a tip-off from the Management of San Hotel off the Teshie Bush Road that, some group of Nigerians had come to lodge in their facility. The Court heard that they moved out very late in the night and came back smoking substances suspected to be Indian hemp in their room where they were lodging. The Prosecution said the Management told the police that their actions in the Hotel put fear in other guests lodging there. Chief Inspector Benneh said, on the same day, Police Personnel from the Teshie District Command proceeded to the said Hotel and arrested the accused persons. He said a search conducted in their room disclosed particles of dried leaves, a piece of wrapped used burnt dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp and burnt aluminium foils suspected to have been used in consuming the narcotic drugs. The Prosecution said after investigations, the accused persons were charged with the offence and put before court. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana has threatened an industrial action due to governments failure to pay claims for National Health Insurance Scheme. According to the General Secretary of the association, Frank Torblu Richard, health care delivery is being compromised due to arrears dating as far back as nine months. Government is said to owe the association about GH150 million. Speaking to the media on April 5, 2022, Mr. Torblu made some requests to government and threatened to withdraw their services if government hesitates to meet their demands. The association stated that we want the National Health Insurance Levy revenue to remain intact, so we dont find ourselves in the state we are today, It stressed that the National Health Insurance Levy money should not be used to support some other programmes. The Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana is also asking government to expedite action to review the medicine and tariff list to reflect the current economic prices, so we can comfortably be in business. He said his outfit wants to meet the Health Ministry to discuss possible support from the government because we are all working towards the achievement of SDG III. Failure on the part of the authorities to comply with the set timelines, we will not hesitate to partially withdraw our services from everybody. His association maintains that the NHIS is in a precarious situation and in distress and needs an immediate lifeline, to survive. Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Yaw Opoku Mensah, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, says the Ministry has been able to resolve more than 80 percent of complaints received since the commencement of the 2022 Senior High School (SHS) self-placement process. The exercise is going smoothly as we expect with the pace, we have set for ourselves. Achieving 80 per cent of the complaints which come across the length and breadth of the country gives a clearer indication that we are on top of our business, he said. Mr Mensah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the SHS self-placement ongoing at the GNAT Hall in Accra. He assured parents and guardians that the over 555,000 students would get their place of choice in terms of the placement for second cycle education. The Deputy Spokesperson entreated them to remain calm, saying, they would ensure that the last person got to school before the process ended. He advised them against paying monies to go-betweens for the placement of their wards. This process is free and fair with a team of officers from the Ghana Education Service, TVET service and the Free SHS secretariat who are here to offer services. So, you do not need to bypass these platforms and go looking for someone to solve the issues for you at a fee, he said. Madam Nana Afrah Sika, Deputy Coordinator of Free SHS, said they were not able to reach some parents via phone because the contact numbers they provided were not effective. She said some students also did not come with their real parents and advised parents to accompany their wards to the Centre themselves and not through intermediaries. Madam Afrah Sika said another challenge was students with poorer grades wanting to be placed in first-class schools. She said as of Saturday, April 02, 2022, majority of 2,425 students at the placement Centre were placed in schools. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Burkina Fasos ousted President, Roch Kabore has been allowed to return to his home in the capital, Ouagadougou, the military government said in a statement. Mr Kabore was under house arrest in a ministerial villa in the capital since January when he was ousted in a coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who is now the head of state. His party confirmed to the BBC that he had been freed, without giving further details. The announcement of his release comes after weeks of consultations. It also follows calls by the international community for his freedom. The government added that measures were being taken to ensure his safety. Source: bbc Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Local cement manufacturers have expressed serious concern about a new entrant, Empire Cement Ghana Limited, located at Weija in Accra, which they allege is producing and distributing cement without authorisation. They have also accused the company of operating under unethical environmental conditions. But Empire Cement has denounced and discredited the accusations, saying it has not started producing cement at the factory for the open market. It said it had permit to produce cement papers and was still working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a permit to commence cement production. The company insisted that its cement packaging unit had all the permits for the production of cement packaging products. Regulators Both the EPA and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) confirmed to the Daily Graphic that they had not issued permits to Empire Cement to produce and distribute cement in the country. The Director-General of the GSA, Prof. Alex Dodoo, said although the authority had not certified any cement brand called Empire, a market surveillance conducted by officers of the authority indicated that its product was being sold on the open market, with the GSAs quality mark illegally embossed on it. In a letter dated March 31, 2022, a copy of which the Daily Graphic had sighted, the GSA wrote to alert the company to its findings. "Preliminary checks on the samples taken indicate that you are using the certification mark provided for in L.I. 662 (as amended by L.I. 664) without a licence and certificate from the GSA, the letter stated. The authority also emphasised to the company that the practice constituted an offence and in blatant contravention of the applicable legislation. "It misleads consumers and the public that your product has been certified as conforming to the applicable national standards and is both fit for purpose and safe to use when it has, in fact, not been certified at all. "Products that are certified are issued a specific licence number which appears under the Certification Mark as approved," it stated. The Executive Director of the EPA, Dr Henry Kokofu, in a separate interview, said the position of the agency was that the operations of the company would not be in the health interest of residents of the area. He cited some of the residential communities in close range of the company to include McCarthy Hill and Tetegu. Dr Kokofu added that the EPA had, therefore, denied the company a permit. He added that after the EPA's investigations, it realised that the operations of the company were going to be detrimental to another company, Panbros Salt Industries Ltd, which produced salt and had been established long before the cement manufacturer came to the site. He explained that the agency was no longer handling the issue because Empire Cement had petitioned the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation on the refusal of the agency to grant the permit to operate. Cement manufacturers When contacted, a source at the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana said its market survey had found some of Empires products on the market. The source said, some of its products are on the market. If you go to Kasoa today, there is a place we have identified where the products are sold. No operations Relatedly, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Empire Cement, Nana Obokomatta IX, explained that the factory was producing the packaging materials in anticipation of obtaining a permit for the production and bagging of cement, after an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been conducted and the report submitted to the EPA for review. Nana Obokomatta IX, who is also the Chief of Gomoa Dasun and known in private life as Archibald Ato Paitoo, said the company had to stop producing the cement packaging because some people alleged that it was producing real cement. However, a police investigative team sent to the factory made no such finding, he stated. Beyond denying that the company was producing for the market, Nana Obokomatta said he had no idea how the product got to the market because it was certainly not produced at the Empire Cement factory. "This is the work of our detractors who may have bagged this product and sold it on the market to give us a bad image, he said. When this reporter visited and toured a section of the factory, which has silos, there was no sign of production. Journey Recounting the journey of the company, Nana Obokomatta said sod-cutting for the construction of the factory was done on June 12, 2020, at Weija, after which Empire Cement applied to the EPA for a permit to commence the production of cement paper bags. He said on June 29, 2020, the EPA issued a notice to the company to cease construction and visited the premises for inspection but did not see any cement production. The Daily Graphic has sighted a copy of the report written by Chief Superintendent Joseph Oppong of the Accra Regional Crime Office of the Ghana Police Service, which states in part: "On 28/6/2021, police visited the factory in the company of Staff Sgt (retd) Osei Dacosta of the Environmental Protection Agency, after a report was made on 25/06/2021 in order to be acquainted with the activities of the company. It was observed on arrival that the place was still under construction but was not operational." On August 18, 2020, Empire Cement applied to the EPA for a permit to commence enabling works, including the construction of a fence wall and drainage structures at the project site. The EPA granted the permission the following day, August 19, 2020, saying it would issue an environmental permit for the proposed factory project based on the EIA that would be submitted. The company, subsequently, submitted the EIA report to the EPA, which reviewed it and sought a meeting with the company to discuss some key issues before the report would be revised. After the discussions, which bordered on the coexistence of Panbros Salt and Empire, the EPA declined to issue the permit to Empire Cement for operations. The company subsequently petitioned the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation. Sod-cutting On June 12, 2020, the Daily Graphic reported the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of the cement factory in the Weija-Gbawe municipality. At the time, the factory was designated under the governments One-district, One-factory (1D1F) initiative and was expected to be completed in a year. The project is being undertaken by Empire Cement Ghana Limited, in partnership with Obokom Civil Engineering Limited, at an estimated cost of $50 million. Its ownership structure was given as 70 per cent by Chinese investors and 30 per cent by Obokom Civil Engineering. According to the investors, the factory was expected to give employment to 13,000 people, directly and indirectly. Industry The cement production industry has companies such as Ghacem, Diamond Cement, Dangote Cement, CIMAF, Savannah Cement, Gyata Cement and CBI Ghana. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Energy Ministry in a press release has rejected claims by former Minister of Energy Dr. Kwabena Donkor that the electricity crisis popularly known as Dumsor will return in Ghana if urgent steps are not taken. Dr Donkor, a former Energy Minister under President Mahama made claims to the return of dumsor on the back of what he described as an insignificant addition to our generation capacity. But the Ministry on behalf of the Minister of Energy Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh in a press release by the Communications and Public Affairs Unit rejected the assertion by the former Power Minister that there is a risk of returning to dumsor by virtue of the state of generational capacity. According to the Ministry, in line with our projected demand and the prudent management of the Energy sector, the Ministry of Energy is confident that there is no way that this country will go back to the dark days of dumsor. Speaking about the issues, Mr Kwasi Obeng-Fosu the Public Relations Officer of the ministry stressed that as a nation we should take prudent steps so as to avoid the unnecessary take-or-pay contracts that are draining our coffers as a nation all in the name of adding on to our generation mix. The claim by Dr Donkor that the NPP government has not added 'significantly' to the energy generation capacity cannot be supported by the available facts. Government is of the view that, there must be a prudent addition to the generation capacity in order not to get the country into over-capacity and its associated issues, and that the addition must be premised on projected demand. As we speak, the total generation capacity added by this government is 421MW. This brings Ghana's total installed capacity to 5358.50MW, against the backdrop of the current peak demand of 3,469MW which was recorded on March 18, 2022. So we are managing the situation better. He added. Mr Obeng-Fosu also acknowledged that due to minor works, faults and natural occurrences certain parts of the nation are facing intermittent outages. He used the opportunity to assure all that ECG and GRIDco are up to the task and fix these issues for all to continue to enjoy stable and reliable power for both domestic and industrial use. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Omanhene of the Aowin Traditional Area, Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum, yesterday at the Ministry of Education. Nana was at the Ministry purposely to express the overwhelming gratitude of the chiefs and people of Aowin and on his own behalf to the minister for the assistance Dr Adutwum has given to the only Senior High School in his Traditional Area. In 2019, Nana personally engaged Dr Adutwumwho was the then Deputy Minister of Educationin a conversation about Brentu Senior Technical High Schools (BSTHS) dire need for a new classroom block. Nana shared photos of the wooden structures built in the late 1960s which served as makeshift classrooms for the then Training College before the completion of the current Enchi College of Education by the Busia Administration. Touched by Nanas request and moved by the deplorable state of the classrooms, Dr Adutwum immediately saw to it that BSTHS was granted a 12-unit classroom block which is near completion. During yesterdays brief meeting, Dr Adutwum also assured the Omanhene of the Aowin Traditional Area of a new 64-seater bus for the school. In fact, there are ongoing discussions for a new school being spearheaded by the minister for the Aowin Municipality to help widen the educational net for schoolchildren. Aowin seems to have been left behind by its peers of Wassa and Sefwi and these developments can only be seen in a positive light as helping Aowin catch up with its peers and benefit from Ghanas educational agenda. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.K. has announced new measures to ban all new outward investment in Russia and froze the assets of the countrys biggest bank in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. The British Govt moved to freeze the assets of Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, and the Credit Bank of Moscow in what Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said were 'some of our toughest sanctions yet'. All new outward investment to Russia has been banned and the UK has also committed to end all imports of Russian coal and oil by the end of the year, with gas to follow as soon as possible. Sanctions will also be imposed on eight more oligarchs, including Moshe Kantor, the largest shareholder of the fertiliser company Acron and Andrey Guryev, the founder of another key fertiliser company, whom the UK described as a close associate of Vladimir Putin. Others oligarchs who have been placed under sanctions include Sergey Sergeyevich Ivanov, president of the worlds largest diamond producer, Alrosa, and Leonid Mikhelson, the founder and CEO of the leading Russian natural gas producer Novatek. The announcement came alongside similar measures from western allies including the EU which has also banned imports of Russian coal. The US announced it was also imposing sanctions against Sberbank, Russians largest bank, along with the UK. The UK will impose asset freezes on Sberbank and Credit Bank of Moscow and put in place an outright ban on all new outward investment in Russia, which was worth 11bn in 2020. By the end of 2022, the UK would end all dependency on Russian coal and oil, the sanctions announcement said, with a pledge to end imports of gas as soon as possible thereafter. Export bans will also be put in place on key oil refining equipment as well as a ban on imports of iron and steel products. The White House, meanwhile, announced sanctions Wednesday targeting Russia's top public and private banks and two daughters of Vladimir Putin, adding more pressure on the country's economy and its elite over the invasion of Ukraine. The new sanctions targeted Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, two adult daughters of Putin's with his former wife Lyudmila Shkrebneva. Also hit with new sanctions were the wife and daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and members of Russia's Security Council, including former President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video ISTANBUL, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish court in Istanbul on Thursday decided to halt the trial of Saudi Arabian suspects over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and to transfer the proceedings to the Saudi authorities, local media reported. The decision, which was taken in accord with the opinion of the Turkish Ministry of Justice, came a week after the prosecutor leading the Khashoggi case called for the case, in which 26 Saudi suspects were tried in absentia, to be transferred to Riyadh, according to Turkish NTV broadcaster. Press reports said the transfer would help restore the Turkish-Saudi ties that have been damaged since the killing. Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, prompting the arrests of a number of senior Saudi officials in connection with the case. Through their investigation, Turkish officials said Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents in the consulate. The Nzema youth have called for the President to set up a Commission of Enquiry to probe the shooting incident that happened at the forecourt of the Nkroful Magistrate Court, which left one person killed and four others critically injured. They are demanding justice for Andrews Donkor, a native of Teleku-Bokazo, who was shot and killed by a soldier and the injured persons. This was at a joint press conference organized by the Nzema Koyele Eku, Sharp Africa and Teleku-Bokazo Youth Association at Teleku-Bokazo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region. Mr Clement Clinton Blay, Executive Director of Sharp, said they found it deeply troubling that the IGP during his fact-finding mission to the area, showed no concern for the life lost and the life-threatening injuries suffered by the four persons. He was only interested in the damage caused to the Esiama Police Station, something they find unfortunate. We trust the IGP for his highly earned reputation and therefore call on him to listen to both sides of the story and review his comments for a peaceful conflict resolution without prejudice. A soldier shot into a group of young people, who had gathered at the forecourt of the Nkroful Magistrate Court to show solidarity with 40 illegal small-scale miners arrested for allegedly entering the mining concession of Adamus Resources Company, to dig for gold on Friday, April 01. The youth were said to have protested when one of the security officers, a soldier, started taking video of them, resulting in a scuffle and subsequent firing into the crowd. Mr Blay said the IGPs visit did not help matters, the IGPs visit instead of bringing calm and restoring peace, added salt to the injury of the people than to calm them and restore peace. He added that ever since Adamus Resources Company started its mining activities at Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia communities, the people have never known peace and they have also been deprived of their source of livelihood. He spoke of a litany of brutalities perpetrated by security personnel engaged by the mining company some of which ended in fatalities. He made a reference to an incident that happened on December 22, 2021, when one Michael Dery alias Budu, a 27-year old physically challenged person was doused in petrol and set on fire by the security personnel of the company. They could not understand why the people of Teleku-Bokazo should continue to be brutalized and treated as slaves in their own land. They said the investigation by the Commission should also kill Michael Dery, the damages at Esiama Police Station and all other brutalities meted out to the people. We wish to state that one institution, the Ghana Police Service, cannot be a player and a referee. We believe that the Commission of Enquiry will take a neutral position and ensure that there is justice. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An 11-year-old girl, Tunteya Salmu has been burnt to death at Meduma in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti region. The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon, when a six-bedroom house caught fire. Firefighters who rushed to the scene following a distress call managed to douse the blaze. Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service DO III Peter Addai said: We had a distress call at about 1:57p.m.,that was a fire at Meduma 80, near the Komfo Anokye Senior High School. We swiftly responded to the call and when we got there, the fire had engulfed the entire house and it was at its fully developed stage. We managed to put it under control and finally extinguished it." The officers however discovered the charred body of the deceased, while assessing the extent of damage. An 11-year-old girl lost her life as a result of the fire. Her body was retrieved and handed over to the Mampongteng District Police Command, the fire spokesperson stared. He further told Accra-based Asaase Radio that investigations have commenced to determine the cause of the fire. The charred remains were deposited at the Faith Healing Hospital morgue at Ankaase, according to a police incident report as it describes the incident as unnatural. Father of the deceased Abdul Samad Abubakar said he is devastated by the terrible loss. Its a sad development. My daughter will forever be missed. The harm has already been caused. I just have to leave everything to God, he said as some family members gathered to sympathize with the bereaved family. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Right Reverend Dr Gordon Kisseih, the First Vice President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), has called on Ghanaians to co-exist to ensure the rapid development of the nation, irrespective of their ethnic, religion and political affiliations. I would like to use this opportunity to encourage peace actors and stakeholders to continue to work towards attaining total human security in Ghana and the Sub-region, he said. Rt. Rev. Dr Kisseih, who is also the General Overseer of the Life International Church, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday to wish all Muslims the best on the commencement of this years Ramadan fast. The Islamic community began the month-long fast after Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharabutu, the National Chief Imam, declared Sunday, April 3, as the start date for the 2022 Ramadan. He said the period gave Ghanaians hope into the future and courage to continue the promotion of peace building, tolerance, understanding, respect for one another and inter-faith harmony for the benefit of all. Rt Rev. Dr Kisseih said total human security ensured that the youth and children were empowered adequately to respond to the challenges of contemporary society. We must collectively assist and collaborate with the Government, community leaders, and other non-state authorities to find jobs or equip the youth with vocational skills to be able to contribute their quota to the development of Ghana, adding that without meaningful employment for the youth in any country, total human security was almost impossible. He, therefore, appealed to all political actors in Ghana and the Sub-region to guard their statements and actions in pursuit of democratic politics and nation-building. He urged them to encourage their teeming supporters, especially the youth, to always embrace peaceful means of protest and expression of grievances to consolidate peace, harmony and democratic achievements. Rt. Rev. Dr Kisseih expressed the hope that the GPCC would do everything possible to ensure the transformation of the Council. He appealed to Muslims to commit to the essence of Ramadan, which is commitment to the principles of love, sacrifice and devotion to duty. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video South Sudan peace monitors on Tuesday welcomed the launch of public consultations to pave way for the start of truth, reconciliation and healing process under the 2018 revitalised peace deal. The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said the launch of the consultations demonstrated positive progress after months of delay by the parties. This public consultation process has been eagerly awaited by the public. Unfortunately, it has experienced delays due to funding and other constraints. It was encouraging to see this process finally take off despite these obstacles, Major General Charles Tai Gituai, Chairperson of RJMEC, said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The official launch of the consultation was attended by President, Salva Kiir, First Vice President, Riek Machar, and three other Vice Presidents and many other South Sudanese dignitaries and members of the regional and international diplomatic corps. Maj Gen Gituai hailed the technical committee for the measures it had put in place in a bid to ensure that these public consultation processes were undertaken, aligned with international human rights standards, and best practices. The official expressed hope that the technical committee would undertake the process in a manner that would give opportunity to the men, women, girls and boys of South Sudan to meaningfully participate and give their honest views about the kind of Commission, Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) they wish to see established. The latest development follows the recent agreement among the parties to share the ratios within the unified army command structure after having disagreed. Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-In Government (SPLM-IG) under President Kiir will have 60 percent of the positions, while SPLM/A-In Opposition led by First Vice, President Machar, and other opposition parties will share 40 percent of the positions within the army, police, intelligence, prisons and wildlife. I wish to encourage the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity including the state governments to work in partnership with each other, so as to safeguard the civic space and foster an inclusive environment so that the people of South Sudan can have even more confidence engaging with this process, said Maj Gen Gituai. Gituai called on the parties in the transitional unity government to expedite the implementation of all chapters of the revitalised peace agreement in letter and spirit. Source: Xinhua Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Pollster, Ben ephson, has hailed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, for challenging the decision by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to refer three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. In the view of Mr. Ephson , the action of Muntaka is an indication that Ghanas democracy has been deepened. Speaker Bagbin during proceedings on Tuesday April 5 referred the NPP MPs after receiving a petition against them for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission for more than fifteen sittings. The MPs are Kennedy Agyapong for Assin Central, Sarah Adwoa Safo for Dome Kwabenya and Henry Quartey for Ayawaso Central, who is also the Greater Accra Regional Minister. But Mr. Muntaka, who is an NDC MP, contested the Speakers ruling and said if the decision is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent which can be used by a dictator speaker in future to hurt lawmakers. If we allow this to stand it will become precedent, tomorrow it may hurt all of us he said. But replying to Muntakas submission, the Speaker defended his decision saying you dont want the speaker to be a dictator but you are prepared to create room for committees to be dictators. When the committee decides then that is it. Reacting to the situation on 3FMs Sunrise on Wednesday hosted by Alfred Ocansey, Mr. Ephson noted that you cannot sacrifice the rules and regulations of a big institution like Parliament for the partisan sake. Muntaka believes he [Speaker] is doing the wrong thing and it is good for Ghanas democracy. I think Muntaka has done very well. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former NDC MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Abdulai Bistav Fuseini says he doubts if parliament will support a referral of three MPs to the Privileges Committee of the House by Speaker Alban Bagbin for absenteeism. According to him, the move by the Speaker, which is intended to check incessant absence in Parliament is questionable and likely to be overturned by the House. Inusah Fuseini explained that both sides of the House are likely to unite and vote for a motion filed by the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, against the Speakers ruling. You will see a united parliament against the Speaker," he told NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'. MPs to the privileges committee Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has referred three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs Dome/Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo; Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong and Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey to the Privileges Committee of the House after he was petitioned by former MP, Ras Mubarak to remove the MPs for absenting themselves for more than 15 consecutive sittings. Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka has filed a motion challenging the Speakers ruling, saying that it is only an MP who can start a procedure to remove a sitting MP per the rules. Muntakas motion excellent Nonetheless, Inusah Fuseini lauded Muntakas reason to challenge the Speaker's decision. Parliament Standing Orders says that if a Speaker makes a ruling the only way to challenge him is to come by a substantive motion, he explained. Speakers referral will be revoked? Mr Fuseini further said, "If the Speaker admits the motion a date will be set for a debate and the motion will be debated and after the debate Members of Parliament will vote and if a majority of the members think that the Speaker is right then the decision stands." However, if they think that the decision is wrong then the decision will be revoked. Adding that, I suspect that the decision will be revoked. Let me explain why, Muntaka Mubarak is the Minority Chief Whip so he will be deemed to be speaking for the minority, he is so important that you cannot do without him, so it will be difficult to go against the whips decision. Again, the majority all the three members are from the majority, if their seat is vacant, they will suffer and so they have a reason to prevent the suffering. MPs Are Moonlighting The former NDC MP also raised concerns over the increasing rate of absenteeism in Parliament and attributed the routine lack of quorum on the floor of the House to the phenomenon. Whiles describing the high levels of absenteeism as worrying and a setback to the work of Parliament, he intimated that some MPs are deserting the work of the House for their private businesses. He disclosed that in the last Parliament for instance, there was an MP who absented himself from a full session without recourse to the Speaker. As a former member of the legislature, I am adequately informed that many MPs are moonlighting, the former MP revealed. This is a worrying situation in the House and nobody seems to be talking about it . . . it is the reason Parliament is all the time greeted with empty chairs when proceedings are shown on television . . . Going forward there will be some form of accountability among MPs who are members of the article 75 officeholders. How can you not be going to work and still be drawing salaries from the Consolidated Fund?" he queried. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has extolled the virtues of Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as he leads the nation in the stead of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. President Nana Addo is on an international assignment and, in his absence from Ghana, the Veep acts as President of Ghana. Speaking on Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo'', Kwamena Duncan seized an opportunity to extend his warm regards to some persons who made their presence felt at his late mother's funeral recently held in the Central Region. In his submissions, he endorsed Dr. Bawumia who attended the funeral stating emphatically that he is the leader Ghanaians need. "This is the man we need," he said. Although it is not apparent what Mr. Kwamena Duncan meant by a "man we need" but what was vividly clear is he was obviously optimistic about the leadership qualities of the Vice President. ''This is a man who is a shepherd to every single person. Bawumia is not discriminatory; he thinks about everyone . . . He cares for every single person . . . Ghanaians know you are a good person. Bawumia, you are a good person," he elaborated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Minister for Central Region, Kwamena Duncan, has backed the Speaker of Parliament for addressing the absenteeism of some Members of the August House. Three Members of Parliament, Lawyer Adwoa Safo; Dome/Kwabenya MP, Kennedy Agyapong; Assin Central MP and Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey have been referred to the Privileges Committee upon the request of the Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin. Making the referral to the Committee, the Speaker said per article 97 (1) of the Constitution, he, the Speaker could refer such matter to the Privileges Committee if a member of Parliament draws his attention on the floor of Parliament to a Member of Parliament who has been absent from Parliament for 15 days without permission or if he receives a petition from a person or persons outside Parliament on the absentee whose absence is without prior permission by the Speaker. Per Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet. Touching on the issue during a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme Wednesday morning, Kwamena Duncan sided with the Speaker for taking action on the issue as, to him, addressing this matter of absenteeism has been long overdue. He believed "this is an opportune time for Parliament to deal with this matter in the best interest of Parliament, itself, and in the best interest of our democracy'', so there will be a final decision to avoid any future occurences. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has supported the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka's challenge of the decision by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to refer three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. Rt. Hon. Bagbin, during proceedings on Tuesday, April 5, referred the NPP MPs, Kennedy Agyapong, Sarah Adwoa Safo and Henry Quartey, after receiving a petition against them for absenting themselves from Parliament without permission for more than fifteen sittings. But Muntaka contests the Speakers ruling. To him, if the decision is allowed, it will set a dangerous precedent which can be used by a dictator Speaker in future to hurt lawmakers. If we allow this to stand it will become precedent, tomorrow it may hurt all of us, he said. Speaking in a Joy News interview, Hon. Muntaka, who doubles as Minority Chief Whip, further argued that every application to Parliament shall be in the form of a petition and every petition must be presented by a member who shall be responsible for the observance of the rules. So you see if youre not a member, he explained, youll not be conversant with these standing orders to apply the rules, and unfortunately Speaker is not a member of parliament. So yes, people can write petitions to him, that is why almost all petitions that have been written to Speakers many of them dont get to be on the floor. He added; So if Speaker has received petitions, talking about Kennedy Agyapong, Henry Quartey and Adwoa Safo, the Speaker himself, suo moto, I disagree cannot bring the matter on the floor. A member of parliament who feels very convinced about these infractions will raise it. Kwamena Duncan, speaking on Peace FM's morning programme 'Kokrokoo', welcomed Hon. Muntaka's position on the issue. He believed the Minority Chief Whip's challenge raises some legitimate questions that must be answered. "I also like the spirited opposition by Muntaka. Is it true that, per order 76, it is only a Member of Parliament that must present such an application in the form of petition? If it is the case, can the Speaker sidestep this order and take an application from outside?'' he questioned. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has lashed out at Members of Parliament who absent themselves from the House. Referral Of MPs To Privileges Committee Following a petition by a Former Kumbungu Member of Parliament, Ras Mubarak to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, on the issue of absenteeism, three members of the august House have been referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. The MPs are Henry Quartey representing Ayawaso Central constituency, Adwoa Safo and Kennedy Agyapong who also represent Dome/Kwabenya and Assin Central respectively. In Ras Mubarak's petition, he said; It has come to my notice through parliaments Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing. In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action. Rt. Hon. Bagbin, during proceedings on Tuesday April 5, referred the NPP MPs, Kennedy Agyapong, Sarah Adwoa Safo and Henry Quartey, to Parliamentary Committee on Privileges for absenting themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen (15) sittings without permission. Per Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat if he is absent, without the permission in writing of the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet. MP Can't Be Absent From Parliament Addressing the issue during Wednesday's edition of ''Kokrokoo'' on Peace FM, Kweku Baako wondered why an MP would absent himself or herself from Parliament without prior permission of the Speaker stressing such conduct is unacceptable. ''It is your duty to represent your constituents and make laws on behalf of the country. It's non-negotiable...So, why become an MP if you are not dedicated to the business of the House?'' He emphasized that such culture in Parliament must be dealt with and, for that matter, applauded the Speaker of Parliament for not brushing Mr. Mubarak's petition aside. ''The decision by the Speaker to bring it to the front burner and to trigger some parliamentary proceedings and processes to cure that mischief is welcome in principle'', he said. Henry Quartey Surprised Package Mr. Baako also revealed it has become the character of some MPs to go to Parliament, sign their names in the attendance book and hop out of Parliament or its precincts for their own reasons, thinking they should be counted as being present. He expounded that for a Parliamentarian to be marked present, he or she is expected to be at the chamber during proceedings, so writing his or her name down without being part of the proceedings is same as being absent. He asserted that absenteeism shouldn't be entertained in Parliament. ''It has become a phenomenon, a certain subculture which must be cured and that is why I think I like the drift of Speaker Bagbin in terms of bringing this to the front burner and giving it to the appropriate Committee of Parliament to deal with it.'' Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. The draft resolution, "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council," obtained 93 "yes" votes and 24 "no" votes from the 193-member General Assembly. A total of 58 countries abstained. Eighteen countries did not participate in the voting. China voted against the move pushed by the United States. A two-thirds majority of voting members - abstentions do not count - can suspend a country from the 47-member council. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The resolution expresses "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia. As a member of the Geneva-based council, Russia was in its second year of a three-year term. The General Assembly has adopted another two resolutions related to Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24. After Ukraine accused Russian troops of "killing hundreds of civilians" across the streets of the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the United States announced it would seek Russia's suspension. Russia has denied attacking civilians in Ukraine. Speaking of the draft, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the assembly before the voting that the draft resolution was not drafted "in an open and transparent manner," nor did it follow the tradition of holding consultations within the whole membership to heed the broadest opinions. "Under such circumstances, such a hasty move at the General Assembly, which forces countries to choose sides, will aggravate the division among member states and intensify the contradictions between the parties concerned. It is like adding fuel to the fire, which is not conducive to the de-escalation of conflicts, and even less so to advancing the peace talks," he said. Zhang pointed out that dealing with the membership of the Human Rights Council in such a way "would set a new and dangerous precedent," further intensify the confrontations in the field of human rights, bring a greater impact on the UN governance system, and produce serious consequences. "Therefore, China will have to vote against this draft resolution," he stressed. "China calls on all parties to work together in the same direction, so as to create opportunities for peace and prospects for negotiation. China will continue to hold an objective and impartial position and play its responsible and constructive role in this regard," he said. Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako says the Minority in Parliament must retract a claim they made against the Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, that she had been impersonated in Parliament. Impersonation Claim Lawyer Adwoa Safo was accused of impersonation after a lady appeared in Parliament to join the NPP Majority to approve the 2022 budget during a vote on the budget. The Minority was amazed that Adwoa Safo, who was at the time overseas, could suddenly appear in Parliament to cast her vote, hence, in their disbelief, said the woman they saw in Parliament was Adwoa's look-alike. Although Lawyer Adwoa Safo defended herself stating categorically the lady they saw in her seat was her, the Minority was vehemently doubtful. Minority Defends Adwoa Safo Months after accusing Adwoa Safo of impersonation, the Minority has mounted a defence for her after she is referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. A fomer Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, about the absence of the Dome/Kwabenya MP and three others. The Speaker, after accepting the petition on Tuesday, referred the MPs to the Privileges Committee. The petition read; It has come to my notice through parliaments Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing. In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action. But according to the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, it is unfair for Adwoa Safo to be dragged before the Privileges Committee. In defending her, Hon. Muntaka, in an interview with JoyNews, revealed the main reason for her absence is that her children are at risk of being separated from their mother by the American Social Welfare Department. Shes talking about her children and if shes not careful Social Welfare in America will seize these children. We cannot pretend to say that thats not a serious thing. We cant, he said. Retract Your Impersonation Claim But Kweku Baako feels Lawyer Adwoa Safo has been exonerated by the Minority's defence. ''It appears there is a certain soft spot from the Minority side for Adwoa Safo. I don't understand it. This same lady was accused by the Minority that she has allowed herself to be impersonated. What is the status of that case?'' He stated emphatically that the impersonation claim was a falsehood stressing ''between me and you, it was a bloody lie. It was a fabrication of the highest order, on the Minority side...Conspicuously, they are silent on that allegation of impersonation. Yes, because it was a fabrication but I find it interesting that slowly but surely, progressively, they have disengaged from that path''. He so sought for an immediate retraction and apology for her stressing ''impersonation in the Legislature is a huge crime for the impersonator and the one who is going along with the impersonation and now suddenly, it appears that it didn't happen because it didn't happen. But those who made a claim that it happened has a responsibility [now there is no proof], so, to retract to the good people of this country''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will speak on the economy on Thursday, April 7, 2022 following invitation extended to him by the National Youth Wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Danquah Institute (DI) to address issues on the economy. The public lecture is taking place in Kasoa in the Central region. There have been public calls for the Vice President who is noted for his economic prowess, to speak on the economy. Some critics have in recent times, especially former President John Mahama and members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have asked about the whereabouts of the Vice President at a time Ghanas economy was going through some challenges as a result of Covid-19 and the ongoing Ukraine/Russia war which has had global effects on oil and economic activities. Dr Bawumia has been at the forefront of Ghanas digitalisation agenda. His political opponents, have accused him of intentionally shying away from commenting on the economy. However, responding to his critics last week when he addressed participants in this years agricultural students career guidance and mentorship dialogue bootcamp (AG-STUD Africa Bootcamp 2022) at the Jubilee House in Accra, the Vice-President said: Sometimes people say well, we thought you were an economist, but youre doing so much in the IT space. Have you left economics behind? No, no, not at all. In fact, it is because of the economy that I am focusing on digitisation because without building those pillars, our economy will just not be able to stand on its own feet. The Vice-President said he has not abandoned matters on the economy, as some people seek to suggest. He explained that what he was doing with regard to digitisation and digitalisation had a direct bearing on the economy. The Vice-President will therefore be using the opportunity of the event to be hosted at the Pentecost Convention Centre at the Millennium City in Kasoa to speak on the economy. The event will also host the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo as the Special Guest of Honour and National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie W.O Blay, Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko among other high profile personalities and researchers. Source: daily guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has stated that the Supreme Courts interpretation of Article 102 and 104 of the constitution has posed serious challenges to long-held conventions and the Standing Orders of the House. That, he said, had also affected parliamentary business during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament. He noted that a review of that ruling should end up giving a broader consideration to the issues guiding the day-to-day running of parliamentary business. "The weakness in that interpretation, I believe, is what the Minority is seeking to test in the Supreme Court concerning the constitutionality of the passing of the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill. It is my fervent prayer that finality will be brought to this matter in the interest of Ghanaians," he said. In an address read on his behalf just before Parliament rose for the Easter festivities last Tuesday, Mr Bagbin said a review of the ruling would bring finality to the matter that had posed challenges to the convention and practices of Parliament. His remarks were delivered on his behalf by the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Fomena in the Ashanti Region, Andrew Amoako Asiamah. The ruling The Supreme Court ruling on Article 102 and 104 of the constitution talks about quorum and also allowing Deputy Speakers of Parliament to exercise their votes even when presiding over proceedings in Parliament. Since that ruling, the matter has become a bone of contention during meetings of the House and affected proceedings. Challenges Mr Bagbin noted that in spite of the challenges the House encountered during the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, the House still stood strong and determined to fulfill the mandate which the good people of Ghana had bestowed on Parliament. The difficulties the House encountered, he said, was with regard to the constitutional interpretation of its long-held conventions and Standing Orders. "This, I believe, only sought to give deeper meaning to our parliamentary democracy. I am happy to say that in the end, though the issue is not completely resolved, the House still stood strong and determined to fulfill the mandate which the good people of Ghana have bestowed on us," he said. Resolution Mr Bagbin noted that the nature of the Eighth Parliament demanded that the legislature and the executive work together more than ever, due to the current composition of the House. "The days when the House was controlled by decisions which always went in favour of one side, and which sought to only front for the executive are no more. It is for this reason that the House, during this meeting, went through some tough periods," he stated. He gave the assurance that the House would continue to play its critical oversight and accountability function in spite of the challenges encountered during their meetings before the House rose for the Easter break. Majority/ Minority Delivering the closing remarks on behalf of the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, called on his colleagues in leadership to purge themselves of mistrust for each other, saying trust and confidence were the bedrock of consensus building. The Minority Chief Whip and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Asawase in the Ashanti Region, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, also in a speech read on behalf of the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, thanked his colleagues for the endurance they exhibited during the period. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dr. Kwabena Duffour on Thursday launched Phase One of a grassroots party empowerment and a self-financing project dubbed the Ahot) Project for the opposition NDC party at the Ashaiman constituency in the Greater Accra Region. The party elders as well as the rank and file of the NDC including constituency and branch executives attended the launch of the project. Speaking at the launch to formally begin the implementation of the project, the former Finance Minister and Bank of Ghana Governor told party supporters the project is an outcome of his stakeholder engagements with the rank and file of the NDC and his quest to bring a new approach to politics. The Ahot) project launched today is a testament of the power of stakeholder engagement and its credit rests on the rank and file of the party. All these years, you have held the fort for the party and borne the responsibility of catering for the needs of your many constituents. Late-night calls about a member rushed to the hospital, days when you struggle to pool funds for party mobilization and the numerous financial burdens which come with your leadership as constituency executives. He paid tribute to the grassroots leadership of the NDC for their sacrifices to the party. Throughout these challenging times, you have risen to the occasion and sacrificed your own resources to support the welfare of members and activities of the party. Today, we celebrate you for these efforts and dedicate this project to you all for your diligence and commitment. In a project implementation plan outlined at the lunch of the Ahot) Project, the project manager makes clear that the main aim of this flagship grassroots party support project is geared towards setting up all the 275 constituencies with micro-businesses in order to create the much needed but currently unavailable local cash flow for the day-to-day running of the NDC party at the grassroots level. But Dr. Duffuor reminded the grassroots leaders of the party of the need to manage the project in line with the NDC partys basic principles. We are launching this initiative here in the Ashaiman constituency one of the strongholds of our party in the Greater Accra Region. In the next few weeks and months, we will extend this initiative to all 275 constituencies for everyone in our party to benefit from it. He continued, As I have already pointed out, a resourced party is a strong party. Revenue belongs at our grassroots, not the top and we must build this party from the ground, upwards. This initiative is also a test of our highest ideals as a party probity and accountability. He disclosed the Ahotor Project is under the management of constituency leadership who will be accountable to their constituents for the proceeds of these businesses. While advising the constituency executives against mismanaging the Ahot) Project, Dr. Duffuor threw a subtle blow at the ruling NPP government. It is essential that executives remain transparent in the management of this initiative in their various constituencies, for all party members to feel a part of this project. I am optimistic that our executives will manage the responsibility of this project with integrity, unlike the inward-looking leadership we see in the Jubilee House today. The constituency business support project, according to Dr. Duffuor, will put a reliable support system in place to generate income for the smooth running of the party at the local level. He advised party members to engage in the new politics of ideas and reminded party members that it is important to think of creative ways to generate money for the NDC because without money, it is not easy to run a political party or its campaigns to win elections. The truth is, politics is an expensive undertaking. No political party can remain competitive and relevant without being well resourced at all times. Another truth is that the core of our politics is our grassroots base. It is why matters of welfare, mobilization and outreach must always be at the heart of our efforts in party management. He called the Ahot) Project the new approach to politics. This seed is being sown in the life of our party. It is a response to a call for aid in the spirit of building the NDC. May this represent our new approach to politics henceforth. In the face of challenges, let us engage to find solutions. At all times, may we be guided by the value of collaboration and its power to generate relevant solutions? That is what the Ahotor Project represents and that is how we will rebuild our party together. The idea of Ahot) which means relief in the Akan language according to the project manager Abass Osabutey, is the outcome of a business feasibility study commissioned by Dr. Duffuor and carried out by a technical team throughout the 275 constituencies in the country to identify the most feasible and sustainable business idea capable of financing NDC party activities at the local level. He explained that each constituency shall receive accessories, logistics and equipment worth 30,000 Ghana cedis to enable the smooth implementation of the business project. This brings the total investment to 8,250,000 Ghana cedis. For example, in our local settings, social events such as funerals, naming ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, durbars, political campaigns and rallies are mostly outdoor activities. This places high demand on plastic chairs, canopies, public address systems, power generators, podiums, mobile toilets etc. Phase One of the project which starts from the Ashaiman constituency will cover forty eight (48) constituencies selected, based on constituencies with the highest voter population and those that are orphan constituencies. Abass Osabutey also said the project brings relief to overburdened party MPs and local executives who have supported local party activities for years at their personal expense. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A deer runs across the road in Pittsburg, N.H., on March 4, 2010. Construction has started on a wildlife overpass and fencing to reduce collisions between animals and vehicles on a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in Alberta where dozens of elk were killed in 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jim Cole DAR ES SALAAM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament on Wednesday the east African nation is food self-sufficient by 125 percent. Presenting the 2022/2023 financial year budget proposals for the Prime Minister's Office, Majaliwa said Tanzania has a surplus of 3.8 million tons of food crops. He told the House in the capital Dodoma that production of food crops in the 2020/2021 farming season was 18.6 million tons while demand for the country stood at 14.8 million tons, making a surplus of 3.8 million tons. "The bumper harvests of food crops are attributed to good rainfall distribution in the 2020/2021 farming season, improved application of quality seeds and fertilizers, and a surge in agricultural extension services," said Majaliwa. He said despite the food security, the government is continuing to strengthen food security in the country by buying food crops for reserve. Majaliwa said by February 2022, the government bought 199,793 tons of food crops that are stored in the National Food Reserve Agency. He said the government has embarked on the construction of food storage warehouses in some parts of the country, a move that is aimed at increasing food storage capacity from the current 341,000 tons to 501,000 tons. The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted to approve Resolution #2022-05 during Monday's meeting, signaling its opposition to two bills in the Alaska State Legislature which would make changes to commercial passenger vessel wastewater monitoring. The Ocean Ranger program was created in 2006 when Alaska voters passed Ballot Measure 2 requiring the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to station U.S. Coast Guard certified marine engineers onboard cruise ships to monitor the discharges of wastewater and other health and safety practices. House Bill 303 and Senate Bill 180 wo... Players Duck for Cover as Gunman Opens Fire into Houston Poker Room April 07, 2022 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. Legends Poker Room in Houston, a club the PokerNews crew visited during Texas Week, was the site of yet another gun-related incident Tuesday night when an unidentified suspect fired a series of bullets into the Texas card room. Players took cover under poker tables for safety during the scary situation. No one was injured but bullet holes were noticeable inside Legends after the culprit drove away. One person who was inside the poker club during the shooting told PokerNews a bullet came within a foot of grazing his head. Scary scene as poker players take cover. How it all Went Down Despite multiple violent incidents taking place at Legends within the past few months, many players don't seem to be too concerned. Shortly after Tuesday's shooting, games were back up and running. On Wednesday afternoon, 15 cash games were in action, most of which had a waiting list. Police arrived at the scene around 11:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the shooting occurred. Authorities uncovered more than 20 shell casings upon arrival. PokerNews spoke with two individuals connected to the incident, both requiring anonymity. The first patron we spoke with said that an unknown guest was hovering around the cashier's cage before employees became suspicious. The individual in question was then asked to leave. According to our source, 15 minutes later, a suspect from directly outside Legends Poker Room began firing into the building at 9275 Richmond Avenue. Players and staff immediately began huddling under poker tables and behind counters to avoid the slew of bullets grazing throughout the room. Some players shared photos on social media of the shooting aftermath. We haven't been able to locate anyone in attendance who could provide a description of the suspect, and It's unclear if the person who was inside the room prior to the shooting is the individual who shot up the place. "It ended up being that shots were fired from outside through the walls and got into the room that way," an anonymous player in attendance told PokerNews. "Luckily no one was hit. It is really a miracle as most of the bullet holes I saw were at sitting chest height. Once it was over, we all got up and checked no one was hurt." A bullet cracked a TV screen inside Legends Poker Room in Houston. The poker players we spoke with said that those attempting to take photos and video were told "in an aggressive manner" not to do so, and to refrain from posting anything about the incident on social media, although a few players successfully snapped pictures. "(The employee) then also very aggressively asked players if they wanted to continue playing and was shouting around to find a dealer to start dealing," the anonymous player said of what transpired moments after the shooting. "Thats when I found someone to buy my chips for cash as I am leaving town and dont really want to go back to cash out. Cops were there doing their thing but after about 15 minutes also left." Best Free to Play Slots Starting to See a Pattern On March 28, another similar situation occurred across the street, although the poker room wasn't involved. In that incident, an argument broke out at a nearby barber shop, which led to a non-fatal shooting. The suspect in that case, according to police, remains at large. One of several bullets that came through the wall. In January, Legends Poker Room security guard Trelynn Robinson (known as "Tek") heroically foiled an armed robbery inside the Houston poker room. Since then, police have been called to the business on a few occasions and our sources said that multiple players have been followed home and robbed upon leaving the card room. Earlier this week, an elderly poker player with health issues was involved in an altercation in the Legends parking lot and died of a cardiac arrest. Old-school poker pro Sammy Farha, a Houston local, was also involved in an altercation at Legends back in December. A local dealer who goes by the name "AJ," clocked the high-stakes gambler to the delight of many local pros who aren't too fond of Farha. Still, Legends remains one of the busiest poker rooms in Texas. Within minutes following the Tuesday shooting, two low-stakes games were back in action. One source, who is connected on the business side of Legends, verified a rumor to be true that the poker room hires "house players" who are paid to provide action and get games going. The purpose of these props is to, as our source explained, make it appear on PokerAtlas that there are plenty of games running at any given time. House players, we are told, do not play with their own money. Since they provide some solid action at the table, regular players, especially pros, enjoy playing against them, perhaps part of why Legends remains busy despite the apparent risk involved. PokerNews will continue to monitor the situation and report any new info we receive as the story progresses. Texas Last update: April 1, 2022 Live Poker Online Poker Online Casino Sports Betting Live Poker is allowed Online Poker is forbidden Online Casino is forbidden Sports Betting is forbidden Sharelines Find out details on the drive-by shooting at Legends Poker Room in Houston, Texas. Shared Player Pool Coming to Michigan as State Joins Online Gaming Compact April 06, 2022 Connor Richards Editor & Live Reporter U.S. Multistate online poker is finally coming to Michigan as regulators announced on Wednesday that the Wolverine State was admitted to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). That means Michigan players will soon be competing in a combined pool with players from New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, a massive victory for shared liquidity in the US. In a statement Wednesday evening, the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association LLC, a Delaware-based corporation that manages the affairs of states that are a part of the MSIGA, announced that Michigan would be joining "pending full execution of the Agreement by the State of Michigan." Michigan joins the MSIGA https://t.co/GFBB9jCRFT Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) "The Multi-State Internet Gaming Association welcomes Michigan to its ranks, along with its nearly 10 million residents, who can now avail themselves of a full array of interactive gaming among the Association's member states," said Rebecca Satterfield, Manager of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association LLC and the Internet Gaming Manager for the Delaware Lottery. "The Association continues to be forward thinking and welcomes the interest of additional gaming jurisdictions in becoming party to the Agreement." Best Free to Play Slots Big Boost for Shared Liquidity The announcement comes just a week after the World Series of Poker (WSOP) launched WSOP MI, bringing the only online poker provider with a shared player pool across US states to Michigan. While the player pool on WSOP MI has been "ring-fenced" in Michigan during its debut, that will change now that Michigan is a part of the MSIGA. The development could also lead PokerStars and BetMGM Poker, the other two online poker providers in Michigan, to follow suit and combine player pools across states. Needless to say, Michigan joining the MSIGA is a huge development for the online poker community. With its massive position of 10 million, Michigan's arrival nearly doubles the combined player pool between the four states. It could also encourage other states with legal online poker but siloed player pools, such as Pennsylvania, to join the multistate compact and further boost shared liquidity in the US. Michigan Last update: April 19, 2022 Online Poker Live Poker Online Casino Sports Betting Online Poker is allowed Online Poker is legal since 2019 Live Poker is allowed Live Poker is legal since 1999 Online Casino is allowed Online Casino is legal since 2019 Sports Betting is allowed Sports Betting is legal since 2019 How Michigan Got Here Michigan lawmakers legalized online poker in 2019, though the first hand of online poker in the state wasn't dealt until January 2021. In 2020, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a law to allow multistate poker, but neither of the providers in the state had entered interstate agreements and therefore no interstate play was offered. Earlier this year, reports emerged that Whitmer and the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) were at odds over who should sign an agreement to enter an interstate gaming compact, siginaling the state's interest in doing so. A few weeks later, the MGCB posted a five-page document that identified potential tasks and considerations for operators and platform providers" looking to offer multistate internet poker, yet another sign of the state inching toward the MSIGA. The document listed a three steps must occur for operators or platforms in Michigan to launch multistate online poker: First, the MGCB must have entered into a multijurisdictional agreement that is currently in effect; second, all parties involved in the conduct of multistate poker must have obtained all the necessary licenses and approvals and met all other requirements prescribed by the board"; and third, the board must have expressly authorized the operator or platform provider to launch multistate poker. The document includes guidelines for how current online poker operators in Michigan may introduce a new platform in Michigan to support multistate poker or may migrate its entire poker operation to a platform located in another state, as well as how operators that do not currently offer poker in Michigan may launch multistate poker via a partnership with a new platform provider, via a new platform provided by an operators existing platform provider, or as a new game or remote gaming system (RGS) added to an existing platform. PokerNews will continue to monitor the rollout of multistate online poker in Michigan and other states. Winfred Yu Tops Triton Poker Cyprus Event #5 And Takes Home $1,010,000 April 07, 2022 Adam Lamers Contributor It was the final event of the 2022 Triton Poker Cyprus stop after a 33-month hiatus due to the global pandemic and Winfred Yu topped the field of 41 entries to claim his second Triton Poker crown. Yu outlasted one of his close friends Ivan Leow to take home the top prize of $1,010,000. Yu began the heads-up match with a chip deficit but favorable runouts in the final two hands of the tournament quickly turned the tide and he found himself on the top spot of the podium. Yu managed to double up with ace-jack vs the pocket jacks of Leow and then in the next hand held ace-queen vs Leow's pocket queens. An ace on the river was devastating for Leow who was forced to settle for second place and a $699,500 payday. Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1st Winfred Yu Hong Kong $1,010,000 2nd Ivan Leow Malaysia $699,500 3rd Danny Tang Hong Kong $447,000 4th Elton Tsang Hong Kong $343,000 5th Daniel Dvoress Canada $268,000 6th Ferdinand Putra Indonesia $208,500 Best Free to Play Slots Final Table Action After 41 entries were recorded on the day, only the top six players would reach the money. It was Wei Hsiang Yeu who was the unfortunate one to be eliminated on the money bubble when he ran ace-jack into Elton Tsang's pocket queens. Despite flopping two pair, Yeu was unable to hang on as the board ran out with four clubs and Tsang made a flush. Ferdinand Putra was left on the short stack and wasted little time before his chips went into the middle but was unfortunately eliminated in sixth place with a min-cash. The final five players battled for over two hours until the next elimination occurred. It took two premium hands to see all of the chips go in the middle with Daniel Dvoress holding ace-king while Yu picked up pocket kings. A nine-high board provided no help to Dvoress who was ousted in fifth place. Just moments later, Tsang also ran his ace-queen into the pocket kings of Danny Tang. Within a matter of three minutes, the field was dwindled down to just three players. Tang rode the momentum of his recent knockout to take over the chip lead but eventually, his aggression caught up with him. Tang took his chance with queen-ten but once again it was the pocket kings of Leow who quickly called. Tang managed to flop a lot of equity with a pair and straight draw but was unable to improve from there. Phil Ivey Does It Again! Wins ANOTHER Short Deck Title That left the final two players, Yu and Leow to battle it out for the title which saw Yu come out on top after a couple of coolers. The first Triton Poker series in nearly three years was a great success and attracted many of the top poker players in the world. Fans were able to tune into the coverage to catch a glimpse of Phil Ivey returning to the poker scene and capturing another Triton Poker title. Teun Mulder and Andras Nemeth also made their way into the winner's circle with victories in the No-Limit Hold'em variant. The next stop for Triton Poker will be a new stop as the circuit heads to Madrid, Spain for the first time ever. That wraps up our coverage of the 2022 Triton Poker Cyprus but stay tuned to PokerNews for many other events coming up in the future. PolkerNews Podcast: $500K Bitcoin Scam & Sean Winter Wins US Poker Open April 07, 2022 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S. In the latest PokerNews Podcast, Sarah Herring, Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen discuss the recent road trip across the Lone Star State as a part of PokerNews' Texas Week, which you can read about in full here, as well as the PolkerNews April Fool's Day prank. They also talk about poker player Filippos Liakounakos allegedly being involved in a $500K Bitcoin scam, highlight early Triton Cyprus winners, Sean Winter winning the US Poker Open, Matt Berkey binking a BetMGM March Poker Mania Main Event, and highlight this weekend's WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Finally, Chad offers an update on Dan Bekavac making players whole in the Midway Poker Tour payout debacle, and the crew remembers poker columnist George Epstein, who recently passed away at 95. Time Stamps Learn more about poker in Texas here! Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Sarah Herring and Chad Holloway on Twitter. Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here! Charleston International's newest airline landed in the Lowcountry April 7. Sun Country Airlines offers nonstop service between the Lowcountry and its home base of Minneapolis twice a week on Thursday and Sunday through Nov. 20. It's the second carrier to offer service to the upper Midwest from Charleston. Delta Air Lines also added daily nonstop flights this month to the Twin Cities. The nearly three-hour Sun Country flight arrives in Charleston at 8:06 p.m. and will leave the Lowcountry at 9 p.m. though times could vary on subsequent trips, according to the airline's website. "As demand for air travel continues to increase, we know our passengers are eager to find new and exciting destinations for their next adventure," said Grant Whitney, Sun Country Airlines chief revenue officer. The airline operates more than 100 routes through 80 airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, Canada and the Caribbean. Sun Country's new service brings to 11 the number of carriers serving Charleston. Houston-based Avelo Airlines will begin offering flights three times a week on May 5 between the Lowcountry and its East Coast base in New Haven, Conn., bringing to a dozen the number of airlines offering service from the airport. Amazingly enough, over the last century or so, only a handful of autocratic dictators have been responsible for much of the worlds mayhem and death. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Hitler and some others on a lesser scale have wreaked unbelievable havoc on humanity, and now Vladimir Putin seems poised to follow in that inglorious tradition, which raises some interesting questions. (Putin is supposed to be duly elected, but we all know otherwise.) First and foremost would be why the Russian people, many of whom would still remember the brutalities of dictatorship under the communist system, are willing to tolerate this? Its that same sense of moral outrage which recently prompted President Joe Biden to exclaim, For Gods sake, this man cannot remain in power. (The White House had to walk back that unscripted observation because the last time the U.S. meddled with regime change i.e. in Iraq in 2003 the American plan turned into a long-running disaster.) And yet its still appropriate to ask why the Russian people themselves are loath to do something from within to alter the course of history, to interrupt Putins 20-year slide from statesman to as The New York Times described him recently wrathful dictator. Theres no satisfactory answer, just as theres no satisfactory way to explain why the German people would allow themselves to fall under the spell of Nazism, allowing the mass deportation of the Jews who died by the millions in gas chambers or why millions of people who have been enslaved over the centuries didnt rise up against remarkably inferior numbers and resist. Whereas Putin, as dictator, is able to act unilaterally and without necessarily going through other channels of authority, its interesting to consider the powers available to a sitting president of the United States either during wartime and/or the weeks and days leading up to it. Whether we want to admit it outright or not, most of us probably have the inmate sense that, in a free country like ours, certain constitutional guarantees will appropriately be suspended during wartime, and its the president who will be in charge of what gets suspended, and when, and what gets authorized, and when. The Constitution limits a presidents power to wage war, but presidents have figured out ways to get around that and Congress has only rarely asserted itself successfully. In fact, Congress per se has not declared war on anyone since World War II and look at all the U.S. military interventions that have taken place around the world since then. According to an NPR article, the Constitution was very clear from the beginning that the power to declare war belonged exclusively to Congress, but when it actually came time to declare war the Constitution followed a pattern of dividing the power between the executive and legislative branches. The president was to be commander in chief of the Armed Forces, but Congress was to raise and support those forces; the president gave the orders, Congress had to pay for it. Presidents exerted their powers and Congress behaved as if there were little to be gained by opposing those powers. Since WWII, these actions have become more consequential, and presidents have managed to outmaneuver Congress again and again: From Korea to Vietnam, from President George H.W. Bush sending hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf area before Congress had taken a vote to authorize it to President Bill Clinton in the Balkans, from President George W. Bush chasing after terrorists to President Barack Obama battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and later to President Donald Trump who conducted numerous operations in the Middle East without congressional approval. Sign up for our new opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! U.S. presidents are not dictators (although I can think of at least one who might have liked to have been), but during wartime, and because of the fractious and disagreeable nature of Congress, they can and sometimes should make decisions that quite frankly will blur the distinction. Fun at the table During a family meal recently, one of the great nephews asked for people at the table to go around and create riddles pertaining to animals, and for those listening to try to figure out the animals identities. Heres a sampling. What animal wears a hood and speaks with an awful hiss. Answer: a king cobra. What animal looks just like others of its ilk but is also distinctly different? Answer: a zebra. And finally, what animal is bald, has no hair at all, and yet is capable of growing a beard? Answer: a wild turkey. Speaking of wild turkeys, its that time of year for some of the most exciting and enjoyable sport out there. Ive always said theres no point in getting a cardiac stress test if you can make it through a turkey hunt without chest pain. Members of South African party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) hold placards ahead of their march in Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town, South Africa, on April 6, 2022. South Africa's third largest political party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on Wednesday marched to the office of Johann Rupert and asked him, the country's richest person, to release his lands to black people. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) STELLENBOSCH, South Africa, April 6 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's third largest political party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on Wednesday marched to the office of Johann Rupert and asked him, the country's richest person, to release his lands to black people. Hundreds of party members led by the party leader Julius Malema marched in Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town, and handed over their memorandum to a representative of investment firm Remgro, which is chaired by Rupert. EFF demands the business mogul to release some of his lands, alleging that they were "stolen" from the black's ancestors, who are "rightful owners." Malema said the poverty of black people is caused by lack of ownership of lands and his party, which describes itself as a radical and militant economic emancipation movement, "exist everywhere confronting white monopoly." The party also demanded Rupert immediately disclose the amount of property he owns, among others. Remgro's representative received the memorandum and said Rupert is not in South Africa. South Africa's land issue goes back more than a century to the 1913 Natives Land Act, which made thousands of black families forcibly removed from their land. This marked the beginning of socio-economic challenges the country is facing today such as landlessness, poverty and inequality, according to the government. A 2017 land audit conducted by the South Africa government revealed that white people own 72 percent of the total farms owned by individuals. Black and colored people own 4 percent and 15 percent respectively, while Indians own 5 percent, it said. Forbes lists Johann Rupert and his family as the richest in South Africa and the second richest in Africa, whose net worth is 9.3 billion U.S. dollars. The march day coincides with the beginning of European colonization in South Africa. On April 6, 1652, Jan Van Riebeeck, who had a contract with the Dutch East India Company (VOC), arrived at what is now Cape Town, thereafter establishing the first European settlement in southern Africa. Julius Malema (C), leader of South African party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), addresses party members during a march in Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town, South Africa, on April 6, 2022. South Africa's third largest political party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on Wednesday marched to the office of Johann Rupert and asked him, the country's richest person, to release his lands to black people. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua) GEORGETOWN After a contentious three-hour meeting, the Georgetown Zoning Board of Appeals delayed a decision April 6 on the fate of the downtown Liberty Steel mill to gather more information. The 4-3 vote capped off a meeting with a standing-room crowd punctuated by heated arguments from lawyers for the city and Liberty Steel, pointed questions from the zoning board members, and emotional comments from nearly a dozen community leaders and steelworkers. Some residents of the nearby West End neighborhood feared gentrification would follow plans to turn the steel site into an extension of Front Street with restaurants, shops, hotels and residences. Because then theyre going to raise the taxes and then the West End is going to become like Hilton Head, Pawleys Island, Beaufort," Wesley Gibson of Citizens for Progress said. "This is not Branson, this is Georgetown. Branson, Missouri, is a great resort. Been there. But we dont want to turn Georgetown into Branson, Missouri." The dispute centers around whether Liberty's prolonged closing during the COVID outbreak triggered a zoning change that would shut down the plant for good. City zoning officials and mill attorneys repeated arguments over when plant closing officially started. Some zoning appeals board members said they wanted to hear from Georgetown Mayor Carol Jayroe and City Administrator Sandra Yudice at a future hearing about why the city was pushing to rezone the 50-acre site on the Sampit River and what are the area's future plans. Debate over the mill is expected to resume at the board's June meeting. Public comment almost universally favored the mill, once among city's largest employers that reopened with 65 workers in mid-January, continuing to operate. "We are here, we are working people," mill safety coordinator Boris Gibson said. "I've lived in Georgetown all my life. And I've never seen such corruption in this judicial system that we have here in Georgetown. This is bad and it looks bad." Jayroe has said that redeveloping the Liberty site could generate more jobs than the mill. Georgetown NAACP branch President Marvin Neal said, "I've heard tonight on several occasions about the 65 jobs. The impact of one job is tremendous." City officials countered that they had evidence that the mill was not operating for well over the year limit allowed under a 2018 ordinance that would change the zoning from industrial to commercial. That change would prevent Liberty from continuing to make steel rod used in tires and bridge cables. Liberty Steels owners contend the plant closed in February 2021, pointing to a January 2021 letter in which Yudice wrote that the city would be "proceeding accordingly with the February 1, 2021 date." If the "closing clock" began on that date, it would mean the companys mid-January restart with 65 workers kept the mill compliant with city zoning ordinances. However, former city interim zoning administrator Chris Inglese wrote in a Feb. 4 letter that it was his determination that Liberty had already run out of time. According to Liberty Steels zoning appeal, company CEO Gregory Jones informed Georgetown in April 2020 that the company needed to idle the mill for 90 days because of economic issues from the COVID-19 pandemic. In his February letter, Inglese wrote that he accepted that date as the commencement for abandonment, or the date on which the 365-day clock began ticking. Liberty appealed Ingleses decision on the grounds that the pandemic was an act outside of its control and that Inglese was no longer a city employee. Inglese became Newberry Countys administrator in late 2021, though he continued to work for Georgetown on a contractual basis. Part of Libertys zoning appeal and much of its argument on April 6 was that Ingleses involvement violated the state constitution forbidding public officials to hold dual offices. The tension in the room reached the boards seven members, especially Donald Gilliard and board chairwoman Ede Graves. At one point during board discussion, Gilliard said to applause from the crowd that some of Graves responses gave the impression that she was already on the side of the city of Georgetown. Mr. Gilliard, everything that you have said has said you are definitely on the other side, Graves said. Gilliard responded, Well, I listened to the evidence. Gilliard ultimately voted for Tamika Obengs motion to continue gathering information, while Graves voted against. Inglese was the only individual subpoenaed to speak at the April 6 zoning appeals hearing. Liberty Steel attorney Stephen Brown told Georgetown Times he doesn't have a list of who he plans to subpoena for the next hearing in June, though he mentioned bringing in former city officials involved in adoption of the mill-site redevelopment ordinance. Ross Appel, a Charleston attorney and city councilman hired to represent the city, declined comment after the vote. United Steelworkers Local 7898 president James Sanderson told Georgetown Times he believes that gathering more information will ultimately help keep Liberty Steel open. "I feel very confident that we'll prevail," Sanderson said. GREENVILLE On West Washington Street in the Southernside community, a building with a sweet history now rumbles with the sounds of construction equipment. The Borden building a former ice cream plant for local and eventually national dairy companies sits on a slight hill above Unity Park and across from the U.S. Post Office. After the Greenville-based developer Furman Co. bought the property in 2019 and worked to get the structure certified as a historic place, the roughly $13 million project is physically underway. The structure, which has a history dating back a century, will transform throughout 2022 from its previous industrial use into a multi-tenant office building. It is expected to be completed in early 2023. Youre going to see this 1920s building come back to life, Furman Co. Vice President Robert Poppleton said. 'Historic' financing While not immediately noticeable, the building at 711 W. Washington St. consists of decades of additions cobbled together around the heart of the original structure erected in 1923 by the Greenville Ice Cream Co. Most of the additions came after national dairy giant Borden bought the local brand in 1947. A warehouse was the last expansion constructed in 1967. A quarter century later in 1991, the Borden Co. Ice Cream Factory closed. A long but really important part of the redevelopment project was getting the structure historically certified, Poppleton said. The process can be broken down, in its simplest form, into four steps. First, Furman Co. worked with preservationists to learn about the buildings past for an application to get onto the National Register of Historic Places. The company wrote the story of the property, highlighting its local, architectural and economic significance to Greenville. About two years ago, Poppleton and his team sent that story to the State Historic Preservation Office to review. The agency then sent the request to the federal government through the National Park Service to also review it. Second, after being deemed eligible by both governments, Furman Co. submitted their proposed designs to be reviewed at the state and federal levels again. My designers are not always going to agree with the historic preservationists, Poppleton said. So, theres a negotiation that takes place. Everyone has the same goal to preserve the building and to retell the story for generations, but that does take a lot of back and forth. The Furman Co. received approval on its design near the end of 2021, which gave them the confidence to then proceed into construction, Poppleton said. Part three is when the reviewers come back to confirm the developers did what they said they would. Part four is when the property gets put on the register. The effort to be certified as a historic building goes beyond honoring a space, however. It also provides incentives to offset the costs of redevelopment. There are state and federal tax credits that are associated with historic buildings, which Poppleton said they are taking advantage of. There are also localized incentives. The developer applied through the City of Greenville for a special tax assessment under the South Carolina Bailey Bill, which allows for historic structures to receive special tax treatment. The Design Review Board gave approval for a 10-year property tax freeze at pre-development levels. Furman Co. is now in the early stages of going to Greenville City Council to request an expansion of that freeze to 20 years. The way we have structured it is going to be a direct benefit to our tenants, Poppleton said. The reduction of property taxes is a reduction of operating costs for our tenants. The creative financing doesnt stop there. The property also sits within a designated opportunity zone, a program established by a congressional act in 2017 to encourage long-term private investments in low-income communities through federal tax incentives. The Borden project got one of Greenvilles first qualified opportunity funds, which was fully funded through local sources, Poppleton said. Borden is also technically located on a brownfield site, which is a property that might have industrial contamination, even if it was not that bad, Poppleton said. Furman Co. entered into the South Carolina Voluntary Cleanup Program. By doing so, it has opened up all eligible taxpayers, such as future tenants, for a bonus of $1,000 per job per credit year for five years on top of any New Jobs Credit. Now that most of the historic approval work is behind them and the team has a much-clearer endpoint on their timeline, Senior Vice President of CBRE in Greenville Blaine Hart said they are kicking it into high gear from a recruitment marketing standpoint. Reimagined future Furman Co. has a number of other notable Greenville projects under its belt like Keys Court home to Yee-Haw Brewing Co. Poe West in West Greenville and the soon-to-be-constructed United Community Bank headquarters near Falls Park. For Borden, Poppleton and Hart designed the building to function well in a "post-COVID" landscape while not losing the collaborative nature of in-person offices. The over 41,600-square-foot building has been sectioned off for about seven office tenants and a light commercial retail tenant such as a coffee shop. Unlike most traditional office spaces, which have common lobbies, the pandemic influenced the design to have open-air walkways and balconies. Each tenant section will have a dedicated access point to their space, control over their own HVAC system and a designated bathroom to minimize shared spaces. There will also be lots of natural light added through big, functional windows. The 1920s section of the building is the only portion that is two stories, connected to the ground level by both a staircase and freight elevator. The second-floor tenant will have access to an outdoor raised balcony, facing Unity Park. By emphasizing mostly covered outdoor spaces, Hart thinks there is still a possibility for collaboration among tenants. Theres a means for people to still integrate and still be together, cross-collateralize and share good ideas, but still have that self-contained aspect, Hart said. We feel like a little bit of the best of both worlds. The redevelopment project is close to the more than $71 million Unity Park, The Commons and The Swamp Rabbit Trail, three built-in amenities to the project that Poppleton views as draws to the office. Were not going to invest nor would our users who are going to come here want to have an onsite gym necessarily when they can walk 500 feet and be at a CrossFit gym or be on The Swamp Rabbit Trail, Poppleton said. Another potential draw is parking availability with the project including about 125 spots. After a spate of thunderstorms downed trees, tangled power lines and spurred at least three tornadoes on April 5, the Lowcountry prepared for continued severe weather on the night of April 6. Hazards during the early evening included high and damaging winds, hail and a possible tornado near Moncks Corner in Berkeley County, according to the National Weather Service's Charleston office. Severe storms roiled the region beginning around 5 p.m., as two separate tornado warnings were issued for Berkeley County amid reports of a possible tornado about 4 miles southeast of Moncks Corner. Berkeley County sheriff's Chief Deputy Jeremy Baker said he was not aware of any reports of damages or injuries in the area as of 7:45 p.m. By 6 p.m., the weather agency began issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for several areas in the Lowcountry, including Colleton, Hampton and Dorchester counties, as forecasters warned high wind gusts could knock down power lines while hail damaged cars. Severe thunderstorm warnings continued to be issued for parts of the Lowcountry and Midlands as night fell. At 4:20 p.m., the office issued a tornado watch for much of the state, including Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. A watch indicates that the ingredients are present in the atmosphere for a tornado to form, but does not mean one has been spotted. Unlike a "watch," a tornado "warning" is more serious a potential tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar, and those in the warning area should seek cover on a low level of a sturdy structure in a room without windows. In a weather briefing earlier in the day, Weather Service Meteorologist Brittany MacNamara said that some isolated showers may start to form at 1 p.m., but that storms are expected to organize into a strong line that will move from inland to the coast as a cold front descends across the area. Storms will impact areas west of Interstate 95 from 4 to 7 p.m., and east of the highway from 6 to 10 p.m. It's "not looking like we're expecting any strong tornadoes" on April 6, she said, though some isolated twisters of EF0 or EF1 strength could spin up. More than 12,400 residents in Charleston County were reported to be without power around 9 p.m. April 5 after the first wave of severe storms tore through the area, according to poweroutage.us, a website that tracks outages across the United States. Paul Fischer, spokesman for Dominion Energy, said crews worked through the night to restore power to the Charleston area. He said about 1,000 customers were still without power in the tri-county area during the morning. "The majority of those customers are in Charleston County, where severe winds, downed trees and limbs were the main causes of damage to our system," he said. "We are shifting resources from Columbia, Summerville and Walterboro to the Charleston area, where impacts were more severe." He said crews were also diverted to Allendale County to repair downed poles and lines damaged April 5 by a tornado. It's still unclear exactly how many tornadoes touched down in the first bout of severe weather, but by 4 p.m. April 6, after a day of damage assessments in the field, it was clear that several had ripped through the state. Frank Alsheimer, a meteorologist with the Weather Service's Columbia office, said three were confirmed so far: an EF 2 in Clarendon County, an EF 1 in eastern Calhoun and northern Lexington counties, and an EF 2 in eastern Aiken and western Lexington counties. He said that the full length of the paths of these twisters was still undetermined, and that there were "many areas where details have to still be ironed out where we will likely find additional tornado paths." Videos and images on social media indicate a powerful twister tore through Allendale, which is roughly 90 miles west of Charleston. MacNamara said NWS staff from the coastal Charleston office were in the field, assessing damage to confirm reports of tornadoes, and did not say how many were suspected to have spawned along the coast from the first round of storms. Allendale County Manager William Goodson told The Associated Press April 5 the tornado caused damage to the rural county but he did not know the immediate impact. Tornado warnings were also issued throughout the tri-county area the night of April 5 after the NWS issued a tornado watch for the region earlier in the day. In all, the Weather Service office in Charleston issued 11 tornado warnings in the Lowcountry and coastal Georgia on April 5. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Tanya Nedashkivs'ka, 57, mourns the death of her husband, killed in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia is facing a fresh wave of condemnation after evidence emerged of what appeared to be deliberate killings of civilians in Ukraine. Rodrigo Abd/AP COLUMBIA An Upstate lawmaker who faces 133 ethics charges, including allegations he spent campaign money on a personal mortgage, will have a chance to defend himself later this month. The House Ethics Committee has scheduled its first public hearing on the charges against state Rep. Jonathon Hill, R-Townville, for April 28. The four-term House member can use that forum, as well as a more formal, trial-like hearing May 13, to dispute allegations that he mishandled his campaign bank account, failed to properly track donations and expenses and used the money to cover personal charges. Hill, who is not seeking reelection this year, also has the option to admit to some or all of the charges and plead for leniency. The Tea Party activist and software engineer faces up to $266,000 in fines $2,000 per count if found guilty. Ethics cases can also end in settlements in which the defendant admits to inadvertently violating the state Ethics Act and avoids the brunt of the charges. Tom Fernandez, Hill's lawyer, said he will try to negotiate a settlement in this case. Otherwise, the State Ethics Commission, which investigated Hill's campaign finances and recommended formal charges, will prosecute the case. Both sides can call witnesses, issue subpoenas and request documents through discovery. Hill, whose frequent "no" votes and scathing criticism of fellow Republicans has made him an outcast in the Statehouse, has declined to comment publicly on the charges. But Fernandez dismissed his client's alleged violations as clerical mistakes made by a legislator who misunderstood ethics rules and has no background in financial accounting. Fernandez said Hill discovered on his own that he had accidentally used his campaign account to cover a nearly $1,200 mortgage payment and two payments of $14.95 to a podcast service. Hill quickly reimbursed his campaign account, Fernandez said. Fernandez said Hill actually brought the investigation onto himself and volunteered for an audit when he discovered discrepancies between the balances listed in his campaign reports and his actual bank account. Rwandan President Paul Kagame (L) and first lady Jeannette Kagame lay a wreath at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, on April 7, 2022. Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday slammed countries covering up acts of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, as Rwandans marked the 28th anniversary of the massacres. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua) KIGALI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday slammed countries covering up acts of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, as Rwandans marked the 28th anniversary of the massacres. Kagame made the remarks at Kigali Genocide Memorial, final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the genocide, in the capital city Kigali. Kagame said that some of the genocide perpetrators and accomplices roam freely in different countries. "The very reasons that we suffered and endured, is the reason, they cannot give us peace, they want to cover up their responsibility, silence when the millions of people in Rwanda needed them to speak out, speak up and come to their help," Kagame said. He reminded the audience that the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) restrained itself from revenging against the genocide perpetrators. Kagame also told off those questioning Rwanda's justice system the basis of which some countries are reluctant to extradite genocide suspects to Kigali. "We are a small country but we are big on justice and some of those are big and powerful countries but they are very small on justice," he said. "They have no lessons to teach anyone because they are part of this history that saw over a million of our people perish. They are the cause and Rwandans just executed, killed their fellow Rwandans," said Kagame. More than 1,000 Rwanda genocide suspects are still at large in regional countries and overseas, according to Rwanda's Genocide Fugitives Tracking Unit. The Rwandan leader also criticized "powering countries" for blocking channels to voices of truth in the face of falsehood about Rwanda and the genocide. Earlier, the president along with the first lady Jeannette Kagame as well as other dignitaries laid wreaths at the memorial, before lighting the flame of remembrance to mark the start of the genocide mourning week. Some Rwandans said they still felt emotional while recalling the massacres, which marked the darkest page of the country's history. "My thoughts are with our beloved ones, 1 million victims of genocide against Tutsi. Our sorrow cannot be cured. I remember the anxiety, fear, humiliation, and suffering. But our heartache is lessened by the choice we made to raise our kids in a Rwanda free of discrimination," said Diane Gashumba, Rwanda's Ambassador to Sweden. "It is really painful experience recalling that dark past. I was just a kid when the genocide happened and it left a dent on my life. The memories of the massacres are still fresh like it happened yesterday in my hometown in Nyamata," a survivor who identified herself only as Jeannette told Xinhua. Naphtal Ahishakiye, the executive secretary of the umbrella body of genocide survivors' organizations (IBUKA), said genocide denial remains a concern requiring international collaboration. "There is need for collaboration to stop genocide denial through relevant legislation. Besides, all genocide fugitives need to be prosecuted," Ahishakiye said. This year's genocide commemoration is observed under the theme "Remember, Unite and Renew." Throughout the mourning week, the Rwandan flag will be flying at half-mast in honor of the victims. Rwandans gathered in their respective villages to commemorate genocide where a wide range of discussions on national unity, reconciliation and prevention of genocide ideology and revisionism were held. After national mourning week, genocide commemoration activities will continue until July 4 to mark the 100-day calamity, during which over one million people, mainly Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed. Perpetrators included extremists from Hutu ethnic group and Interahamwe, the youth wing of the then ruling party. Defense and police forces also participated and this challenged efforts of the Tutsi who, in some areas, had tried to resist traditional weapons of the killers. Rwandan President Paul Kagame delivers his keynote speech at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, on April 7, 2022. Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday slammed countries covering up acts of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, as Rwandans marked the 28th anniversary of the massacres. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua) Rwandan President Paul Kagame (C) and first lady Jeannette Kagame light a flame of remembrance at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, on April 7, 2022. Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday slammed countries covering up acts of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, as Rwandans marked the 28th anniversary of the massacres. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua) Two men of Washington, D.C. (as they are identified in the prosecutors press release) were arrested yesterday for impersonating federal officers in a scheme that appears to have involved efforts to compromise the Secret Service. Michael Balsamo lays out the basic elements of the case in the AP story: Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men they say were posing as federal agents, giving free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents, including one who worked on the first ladys security detail. The two men Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36 were taken into custody as more than a dozen FBI agents charged into a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington on Wednesday evening. Prosecutors allege Taherzadeh and Ali had falsely claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security and work on a special task force investigating gang and violence connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. They allege the two posed as law enforcement officers to integrate with actual federal agents. Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, flat screen television, a generator, gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. He also offered to let them use a black GMC SUV that he identified as an official government vehicle, prosecutors say. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady. Prosecutors said four Secret Service employees were placed on leave earlier this week as part of the investigation. The plot unraveled when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating an assault involving a mail carrier at the apartment building and the men identified themselves as being part of a phony Homeland Security unit they called the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit. Prosecutors say the men had also set up surveillance in the building and had been telling residents there that they could access any of their cellphones at any time. The residents also told investigators they believed the men had access to their personal information. Did you know that South Korea, Vietnam and Nigeria are the top three countries with the highest dog consumption in the world? These are the findings of a recent report by Matthew Nash, a lead researcher of an in-depth Dog-Friendly Country Index, highlighting the best and worst country to own a dog or be a dog in 2022. Numerous countries, including Nigeria, have a long history of dog-eating and consider it part of their culinary tradition. In China, several festivals encourage the consumption of dog meat. In addition to the dog consumption rate, Mr Nash told PREMIUM TIMES that he also used seven key factors to rank the 51 countries with available data to create a Dog-Friendly Country Index. These factors include animal rights, pet-friendly hotels, veterinarian availability, animal protection, risk of rabies, recognition of animal sentience and animal companionship. The countries sampled in the report titled 51 Most & Least Dog-Friendly Countries in 2022, released on March 25, 2022, were selected based on available data. Because many countries lack rudimentary information about treating animals, specifically dogs, the researchers used a mixed-methods approach. Unfortunately, Nigeria was ranked number 45 out of the 51 countries on the list, earning 44.41. On the other hand, countries like Italy, New Zealand, France, the U.K, and Germany were ranked as the top five friendliest countries for dogs, each scoring above three hundred points. Each of these countries demonstrated a commitment to legislation for protecting animals and various factors that can prevent the risk of harm to your faithful companion. These countries scored well on low instances of rabies, available veterinary clinics and services, and pet-friendly accommodations. In addition, they do not have a high prevalence of dog meat consumption. Worst countries for dog ownership Based on the study, the top 10 worst countries for dog ownership are: Vietnam (-49.98), China (-41.23), Azerbaijan (0.40), Iran (0.45 points),Belarus (32.42 points), Indonesia (35.54 points) and Nigeria which ranks seventh on the list (44.41 points). The researchers say all fifteen countries have a high risk for rabies infection (except for South Korea), lack comprehensive legislation for animal welfare, and have very few veterinarians per capita. Additionally, six of these countries have a current, documented practice of eating dog meat. While it may still be possible to have a happy, healthy pet dog within these countries, their findings indicate they are not ideal for the dogs themselves or the owners. Dog meat consumption in Nigeria A major controversial highlight of this report is the high dog consumption rate in Nigeria. While Nigerians are no strangers to the news of dog eating in the country, it comes as a surprise that its prevalent despite the efforts of animal activists. In July 2021, almost 18000 people signed an online petition urging the Nigerian government and President Muhammadu Buhari to ban the sale of dog meat in Nigeria. Dog meat, popularly called 404, is a delicacy relished in the south-eastern part of the country. In Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states, dog meat is often prepared with Kaikai (local gin) and Ntong (scent leaves) and sold at drinking joints. Natasha Choolun, a UK-based international animal rights activist, started the petition in 2020. The campaign hosted on Change.org is titled Stop Nigerias Barbaric Dog Meat Industry. Similar to countries like Niger, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Tanzania, Nigeria is reported to have few veterinarians to administer medical treatments for dogs. This earned her the rating of 0.4 for veterinarians per capita, negatively affecting her perception of being a dog-friendly country. Advertisements Animal rights Despite being described as one of the worst countries to own a dog, Nigeria makes a significant achievement in the report due to her stance on animal rights. Concerning Section 495 of the Criminal Code (1990), the constitution supports the protection of animal rights. This is in contrast to countries like China, Belarus, Vietnam, Iran and Azerbaijan, which have no documented laws protecting animal rights. In addition, Nigeria falls short in other categories, namely high-risk countries with rabies, lack of pet-friendly hotels, and low animal companion grade. Despite frequently blaming traditional rulers in the state for aggravating the security and humanitarian crisis in the state, the governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, on Wednesday distributed 260 luxury cars to these traditional rulers. The cars include several 2019 Cadillac models. Mr Matawalle has frequently blamed traditional rulers in the state for allegedly aiding the terrorists, also known as bandits, who are carrying out a campaign of violence in the state. The gunmen primarily attack rural and farming communities. Many communities in the state now pay protection taxes to these gunmen. Those that refuse or cannot pay up are attacked, their livestock rustled, farms destroyed and residents either killed or abducted. The state is plagued by widespread violence, and poverty that had resulted from an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Mr Matawalle has also blamed some chiefs for setting up their own vigilantes, which he said are provoking a vicious cycle of reprisal attacks. In October 2019, a committee set up by the governor to proffer solutions to the violence in the state stated that some traditional rulers were colluding with bandits, and recommended their dethronement. The committee, headed by a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammad Abubakar, also disclosed the bandits had collected over N3 billion as ransoms from the families of abducted persons in the state. The governor is yet to implement most of the recommendations of his own committee. His spokesperson, Zailani Bappa, told this newspaper the governor dethroned two first-class emirs for allegedly supporting bandits. Mr Bappa said the car gifts were part of the efforts of the state government to solve the lingering security challenges in the state. He pointed out that in the same vein; the government gave 200 Toyota Hilux vehicles to security agencies in the state to aid their operations. The traditional rulers are playing critical roles in the security of the state and the car donations will also strengthen their efforts to address the challenges, Mr Bappa added. The car donations from the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs was part of the responsibilities of the government being delivered to the traditional rulers just as other government ministries are also doing without people saying nothing. The government has completed and will commission 147 primary healthcare centres in all the political wards across the 14 local government areas. That was despite being among the state with least federal allocation and poor Internally Generated Revenue. The government has constructed 1000 classroom blocks across the state and employed 600 teachers. The car distribution has not in any way stop other developmental projects the government has embarked upon, Mr Bappa told PREMIUM TIMES late on Wednesday. Car distribution ceremony In a statement, the government said the vehicles were commissioned by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, at the Government House in Gusau. The statement added that Mr Matawalle said the gift was a gesture to recognise the status of the traditional institutions as the custodians of religion, culture and vehicle of cohesion and peace in the state. It is in view of the high esteem with which my administration regards our traditional leaders and institutions that we decided to procure brand new cars, Cadillac 2019 Model, for 17 Emirs, 13 Senior District Heads and 230 District Heads across the State, he said. Governor Matawalle assured that his administration will continue to work with traditional and religious leaders to ensure lasting peace and harmony in the state. I would like to assure you that my administration will continue to work in line with the mission of uplifting the dignity and sanctity of our traditional institutions through all possible means. We are currently rehabilitating and reconstructing some of the palaces of our emirs across the State. Some of these projects would soon be completed, the spokesperson, Mr Bappa said in the statement. Advertisements For the umpteenth time, activities at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) have once again been paralysed following the ongoing prolonged protest embarked upon by the striking workers of the institute under the aegis of the Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Unions (JORAISU). JORAISU comprises the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes (ASURI), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), among others. Police officers are currently mounting surveillance at the institute, a development the workers tagged intimidation and harassment strategy by the management. For more than three days, the protesting workers have barricaded the institutes entrance gates, saying the planned staff audit exercise by the institutes management was targeted at them, adding that the ongoing nationwide industrial action was not peculiar to FIIRO. They also alleged the planned imposition of an embattled former acting director-general of the agency, Chima Igwe, as the substantive DG. The workers insisted that Mr Igwes recent appointment as a departmental head, a position they claim is meant for director, is a subtle way of preparing him for the big role. Mr Igwe, who was appointed the acting DG on May 13, 2019, was removed in February, 2020, after failing to present his claimed PhD certificate, which was later found to be untrue. An investigative panel that was set up by the office of the head of service of the federation had recommended his demotion to the position he held 18 years earlier before he tendered the fake PhD certificate in 2002. SSAUTHRAI in a statement issued on the promotion of Mr Igwe reads in part; This singular illegitimacy, suspected by observers and stakeholders as a prelude to the ministers (minister of science, technology and innovation, Ogbonaya Onu) inordinate ambition to install the unqualified and discredited staff of the Institute is capable of precipitating another round of industrial action in our prestigious Institute. But the management of the institute has said efforts are on to settle the matter amicably, suggesting that a meeting would be held between the workers and the governing board and the management to address the grey areas. Workers demands The workers are demanding the implementation of 12 months arrears of the 53.37 per cent salary increase based on the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS); withdrawal of circular on non-skipping of salary grade level 10; implementation of 65-year-retirement age for non-research staff, and payment of earned allowances. Other demands include the establishment of a central body to be known as National Research Institutes Commission (NARICOM), and adequate funding of research institutes by the government. Meanwhile, the FIIRO workers have also accused the institutes new governing board of withdrawing their promotion letters, which they claimed were issued by the dissolved board after a duly conducted promotion exercises of 2021. In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the agencys branch chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), a member of the JAC, Togunde Mumeen described the promotion as a worrisome attempt. The demoted staff was approved to return to the position of a director, following the instruction of the minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, an internal memo dated March 21, 2022, and signed by the acting director, human resources management and administration, C.A. Ibe, revealed. In another statement signed by SSAUTHRAIs national acting general secretary, Ezekiel Popoola, the union condemned the planned staff verification exercise amidst an ongoing strike. According to the statement, FIIROs management called for the audit. The statement reads in part; It is amusing that management that has not taken any meaningful step on the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the three trade unions in the institute under the aegis of JORAISU is now bent on conducting the exercise at this time when the tension is very high in the institute. We want to state unequivocally that the management that finds it difficult to resolve the leadership crisis in the institute is bent on going ahead with the exercise just to distract the attention of the generality of Nigerians from the remote controlling myriads of leadership imbroglio in the institute. At the same time, we see this as a premeditated and calculated attempt to distract the attention of members of staff of FIIRO who continue to bear the brunt of the dehumanising huge burden of non-payment of 2019, 2020 and 2021 promotion arrears as if they never satisfied all conditions of promotion and issued promotion letters. The union advised the management to suspend the exercise, claiming the action contravenes the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87. Alleged intimidation Meanwhile, the leadership of the protesting workers have alleged intimidation by the institutes management, saying apart from importing thugs to neutralise them, armed police officers were also invited to harass them. The branch chairman of SSAUTHRAI at the institute, Mumeen Togunde, said; Today (Tuesday) was a tensed day in FIIRO when some armed thugs purportedly sponsored came and wanted to break the locked gate to gain entrance to the institute for them to conduct staff audit while the strike is ongoing. Advertisements We ask the question, why the desperation and hurriedness? Even the report as of this night is that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation said they should bring in policemen tomorrow for them to break the gate. On Thursday morning, sources also confirmed the presence of police officers at the gate of the institute mounting surveillance. Institute denies allegation In a telephone interview with our reporter, the spokesperson for FIIRO, Christopher Olumuyiwa, denied the intimidation allegation. He said neither thugs nor policemen were invited by the institute to scare anyone. He said; Let me be factual with you, this management never invited neither hoodlums nor police officers. We are aware that our neighbour, the Nigeria Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NFRC) notified the police of threat to peace within the neighbourhood. So it has nothing to do with us. Mr Olumuyiwa also explained that the management and the board are currently in the process of engaging the protesting workers in a dialogue, saying the workers had agreed to attend the planned meeting. He said; The staff audit is part of the solution to the issues raised by the workers. The nationwide strike had never paralysed the activities here because research fairs, seminars and production in some units had continued until the matter of staff audit came up. And the management has made it clear that the process would be dynamic to accommodate everyone including the outstation officers. We need to do this to clarify the issue of conflicting numbers of workers. I can assure you that all these issues will be resolved. But the workers have denied receiving any formal invitation to any dialogue from the management, saying until such is done, they would not honour any invitation. There is no official invitation to that effect. It is still a rumour and we dont deal with rumour. Whoever is inviting us for a meeting should put it in black and white and state the agenda so that we can adequately prepare, Mr Togunde told our reporter on the phone. The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has recommended an increase in the amount of centrally-collected revenue shared to states and local government areas, and a reduction to what goes to the federal government. The proposal seeks a 3.33 per cent reduction in the current federal government allocation and on the other hand an increase of 3.07 per cent and 0.44 per cent for the states and local governments. It also seeks an increase of .2 per cent for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a decrease of .38 per cent for Development of Natural Resources. If the proposal is approved, the federal government will receive 45.17 per cent of the money from the consolidated revenue fund of the federation, made of oil and gas sales proceeds as well as tax and revenue from Customs. Nigerias 36 states will receive 29.79 per cent while 774 local governments will receive 21.04 per cent of the funds. The federal government currently receives 48.50 per cent while states get 26.72 per cent. Local governments receive 20.6 per cent. The proposals were submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, and must be passed into law by the National Assembly to be effective. Mr Buhari said he would await the outcome of the ongoing constitutional review process before presenting the report to the National Assembly as a bill for enactment. The last time a review was done was in 1992. Ordinarily, I would have gone ahead to table this report before the National Assembly as a Bill for enactment, the president said. However, since the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula is a function of the roles and responsibilities of the different tiers of government, I will await the final outcome of the constitutional review process, especially as some of the proposed amendments would have a bearing on the recommendations contained herein. President Buhari listed some of the recommendations in the report as follows: Establishing local government as a tier of government and the associated abrogation of the state/local government account; moving airports; fingerprints, identification and criminal records from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list, empowering the RMAFC to enforce compliance with remittance of accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account as well as streamlining the procedure for reviewing the revenue allocation formula. He said the federal government would immediately subject the revenue report to its internal review and approval processes, while awaiting finalization of the efforts by the National Assembly. He said this approach, rather than issuing an executive order, as was done in 1992, is more in line with entrenching democratic tenets. I am aware that the present revenue allocation formula has not been reviewed since the last exercise carried out in 1992, he said. Considering the changing dynamics of our political-economy, such as Privatisation, Deregulation, funding arrangement of Primary Education, Primary Health Care and the growing clamour for decentralisation among others; it is necessary that we take another look at our Revenue Sharing Formula, especially the vertical aspects that relate to the tiers of government. This becomes more compelling as we need to reduce our infrastructural deficit, make more resources available for tackling insecurity, confront climate change and its associated global warming and make life more meaningful for our rapid growing population. President Buhari said he has always remained committed to ensuring that all tiers of Government are treated fairly, equally and justly in the sharing of national resources. I want to let you all know that I have keenly followed most of the discussions held in the geo-political consultative process and one thing that struck me clearly was the agreement that a review of our vertical revenue formula cannot and should not be an emotional or sentimental discussion and it cannot be done arbitrarily, he said. All over the world, revenue and resource allocation have always been a function of the level of responsibilities attached to the different components or tiers of government. I am, therefore, happy to note that the discussions were held along these lines and rested squarely on roles and responsibilities as spelt out in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). However, I also note that in reaching the final decisions at most of these engagements, not much emphasis was placed on the fact that the Second Schedule of the Nigerian constitution contains Sixty Eight (68) items on the Exclusive Legislative List and the remaining Thirty (30) items on the Concurrent List requiring both the Federal and State Government to address. Advertisements The president recounted that the federal government also made its input into the process of reviewing the vertical revenue allocation formula based on existing constitutional provisions for roles and responsibilities for the different tiers of government. We must note the increasing visibility in Sub-national level responsibilities due to weaknesses at that level, for example: Primary Health Care; Basic Primary Education; Levels of insecurity, and; Increased remittances to State and Local Governments through the Value Added Tax sharing formula, where the Federal Government has only 15% and the States and Local Government share 50% and 35% respectively, he said. The head of RMAFC, Elias Mbam, who submitted the report, said the leading philosophy behind the proposed review was guided by the need for distributive justice, equity and fairness as enshrined in relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He added that the principles took into cognizance the indivisibility of the country, public opinion and weighted Constitutional responsibilities and functions of the three levels of Government. Under Special Funds, he said, the report by the commission recommended 1.0 per cent for Ecology, 0.5 per cent for Stabilisation, 1.3 per cent for Development of Natural Resources and 1.2 per cent for the FCT. In arriving at the new vertical revenue allocation formula, Mr Mbam told the President the commission had wide consultation with major stakeholders, public hearing in all the geo-political zones, administered questionnaires and studied some other Federations with similar fiscal arrangements like Nigeria to draw useful lessons from their experiences. According to the RMAFC chairman, the Commission also visited all the 36 States and the FCT, the 774 Local Government Areas to sensitize and obtain inputs from stakeholders. He added that literature reviews were conducted on revenue allocation formula in Nigeria dating back to pre-independence period while the Commission received memoranda from the public sectors, individuals and private institutions across the country. Explaining the major reasons for the exercise, Mr Mbam noted that since the last review was conducted in 1992, 29 years ago, the political structure of the country has changed with the creation of six additional States in 1996, which brought the number of States to 36. Correspondingly, he said, the number of local governments councils also increased from 589 to 774. There have been considerable changes arising from the policy reforms that altered the relative share of responsibilities of the various tiers of Government such as deregulation, privatization and the lingering controversies over funding of primary education, primary healthcare, he said. The RMAFC chairman noted that while Section 32(b), Part 1 of Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution 9 (as amended) empowers the Commission to review from time to time the revenue allocation formulae; the inadequate and decaying infrastructure, as well as heightened widespread internal security challenges across the country also necessitated the exercise, among others. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted to suspend Russia from the organisations leading human rights body amid allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from a region around Ukraines capital. With this, Moscow becomes the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to ever have its membership revoked, albeit temporarily, from any United Nations body. The United States-initiated resolution, on Thursday, achieved the two-thirds majority of UNGA voting members required to pass, with 93 votes cast in favour and 24 against. A total of 58 countries abstained, but their votes did not count towards the final tally. The brief resolution expressed grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter. Before the vote, the countrys UN ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, had urged UNGA members to press the yes button and to save the Human Rights Council and many lives around the world and in Ukraine. On the other hand, pressing no means pulling a trigger and means a red dot on the screen red as the blood of the innocent lives lost, Mr Kyslytsya was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying during a special session on Ukraine. Russia had called on an unspecified number of countries to vote no, saying an abstention or not voting would be considered an unfriendly act and would affect bilateral relations. In its non-paper obtained by The Associated Press news agency, Russia said the attempt to expel it from the Human Rights Council is a political act by countries that want to preserve their dominant position and control over the world. Those nations want to continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations, it said, adding that Russias priority is to promote and defend human rights, including multilaterally in the Human Rights Council. That was echoed by Gennady Kuzmin, Russias deputy ambassador to the UN, who told the UNGA session before Thursdays vote that the resolution has nothing to do with the human rights situation on the ground. What we see is an attempt by the U.S. to maintain its dominant position and total control, to continue its attempt at human rights colonialism, Mr Kuzmin said. U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council earlier this week during a visit to Romania, following videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable, Ms Thomas-Greenfield said on Monday. We cannot let a member state that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to sit on the UN Human Rights Council, she said. The Kremlin has denied allegations that Russian forces were responsible for killing civilians in Bucha. This information must be seriously questioned, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. From what we have seen, our experts have identified signs of video falsification and other fakes. Russia also accused the U.S. of exploiting Ukraines crisis for its own benefits. Washington exploits the Ukrainian crisis for its own benefit in an attempt either to exclude or suspend Russia from international organisations, Russias ambassador in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, said, in comments relayed by a Russian diplomatic mission spokesman. Mr Gatil called the U.S. action unfounded and purely emotional bravado that looks good on camera just how the US likes it. The Federal High Court has barred journalists and members of the public from attending proceedings in terrorism-related cases. The courts Chief Information Officer, Catherine Christopher, announced the new Practice Direction in a statement on Thursday. The statement said the Chief Judge of the court, John Tsoho, issued the directive in the exercise of his constitutional powers as enshrined in Section 254 of the Nigerian Constitution. Under the new directive, which takes immediate effect, the trial of terrorism-related offences is to henceforth be conducted in camera. Proceedings of offences of terrorism, subject to the provisions of section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and section 34 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended), shall be held in camera or as may be ordered by the Court, the document says. The rules also make provision for the exclusion of any person other than the parties and their legal representatives from terrorism proceedings. Except where the trial judge grants permission, media coverage will be prohibited, the new rule says. The coverage of proceedings under these Practice Directions is strictly prohibited, save as may be directed by the Court, the document says. It empowers the trial court to make an order as to any electronic devices that would be allowed during the proceeding. The directive comes amidst the ongoing terrorism prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (BIAFRA). Mr Kanu, who is being tried before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, is accused of various offences, including treasonable felony and terrorism, offences he allegedly committed in the course of his separatist campaigns. The federal government had sought the secret trial of the IPOB leader in the past, but Mrs Nyako declined the request. Consequence of violation The document also provides that anyone who violates the practice directions is deemed to have committed an offence under the terrorism law. A person who contravenes an order or direction made under these Practice Directions shall be deemed to have committed an offence contrary to section 34(5) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended). These Practice Directions shall be cited as the Federal High Court Practice Directions (On Trial of Terrorism Cases) 2022, it says. Venue of trial With the coming into force of the new directives, terrorism-related cases will be conducted at the courtroom of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in the Jabi area of Abuja and other venues that may be designated for such proceedings. In any proceedings where the court deems it necessary to ensure the safety and/or protect the identity of the victim or a witness, it may take any or all of the following protective measures: Hold its proceedings at any place to be designated by the Chief Judge and in the case of the Abuja Judicial Division, the venue, for the time being, shall be the premises of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the document states. Reasons for secret trial The court predicated its decision to adjudicate terrorism cases in camera to guarantee security and safety. These Practice Directions seek to provide measures that will ensure the security and safety of parties; personnel of law enforcement agencies and the Judiciary; as well as members of the general public; while ensuring expeditious and fair trial of persons suspected of having committed acts of terrorism. Measures to be adopted According to the new directive, The perimeters of the court sitting over a terrorism trial shall be secured for the period of the trial for the safety of litigants and court officials. Other safety measures will be determined by security agencies, the directive says. Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), journalists and IPOB members have repeatedly clashed at the Federal High Court premises during Mr Kanus court sessions. Advertisements Distance and size of perimeters to be secured for the trial shall be determined based on the recommendation of security agencies on a case-by-case basis. No person shall be allowed within the secured perimeters save the approved Court officials; parties and several pre-registered legal practitioners on either side, witnesses; and any other person as may be directed by the Judge or the most Senior Judge in the given circumstances, the document says. Exemption The practice direction provides those who would be exempted from being barred from the court premises. Only the judges; other essential court staff and security agencies involved in the particular case and their vehicles shall have access to the court premises, the document states. Other provisions It also provides that the names, addresses, telephone numbers and identities of the victims of such offences or witnesses in the proceedings shall not be disclosed in any record or report of the proceedings and it shall be sufficient to designate the names of the victims or witnesses with a combination of alphabets. It empowers the trial court to: Receive evidence by video link; Permit the witness to be screened or masked; Receive written depositions of expert witnesses; Direct that all or any part of the proceedings of the Court shall not be published in any manner, among others. China amends regulations to further cut red tape Xinhua) 17:10, April 07, 2022 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree unveiling a set of revised administrative regulations to further cut the red tape and stimulate market players' vitality. The decree, which will take effect on May 1, 2022, announced the decision to amend 14 and abolish six sets of regulations in a bid to promote the separation of permits from business licenses. The revision canceled certain review and approval procedures for foreign investments in telecommunications businesses, according to the decree. It also streamlined procedures for the establishment of some medical institutions. The document details measures to switch from licensing to archival filing management for certain fields. Administrative approval will no longer be required for training of security guards, international road cargo transport and motor vehicle driving. Some regulations inconsistent with the provisions and principles of the Civil Code were also abolished, according to the document. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu) OUAGADOUGOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso's ex-president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, authorized to return home on Wednesday, "is not in total freedom", said his political party, the People's Movement for Progress (MPP) in a statement on Thursday. On Wednesday, the transitional government announced that Kabore was authorized to return to his residence in the capital Ouagadougou while measures would be taken to guarantee his safety. The MPP welcomes this decision and expresses its gratitude to all those both nationally and internationally who have mobilized for his release, said the statement. "However, from the observations that we have made, this release is not total insofar as the ex-president is still subject to restrictions on his freedom", specified the same source. The MPP appeals to the transitional government to accede to the various requests demanding the unconditional release of Kabore. On Jan. 24, the military announced that they had put an end to the functions of Kabore, judging that his management of the security crisis that the country has been experiencing since 2015 "was not effective". Since then, he had been in the hands of the new authorities, while the MPP and sub-regional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), demanded his unconditional release. Nigeria abstained from Thursdays vote to suspend Russia from the United Nations human rights council over allegations of gross human rights violations in Ukraine, brushing aside Moscows warning that it would view such a decision as an unfriendly act. Russia had warned countries at the UN that a yes vote or abstention on a U.S. push to suspend the country from the Human Rights Council will be viewed as an unfriendly gesture with consequences for bilateral ties, according to a note seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Russias mission to the UN urged countries to speak out against the anti-Russian resolution, according to Reuters. It is worth mentioning that not only support for such an initiative, but also an equidistant position in the vote (abstention or non-participation) will be considered as an unfriendly gesture, the note read. In addition, the position of each country will be taken into account both in the development of bilateral relations and in the work on the issues important for it within the framework of the U.N. Ukraines UN ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, urged UNGA members to press the yes button and to save the Human Rights Council and many lives around the world and in Ukraine. On the other hand, pressing no means pulling a trigger and means a red dot on the screen red as the blood of the innocent lives lost, Mr Kyslytsya was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying during a special session on Ukraine. The vote went through on Thursday and Russia became the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to ever have its membership revoked, albeit temporarily, from any United Nations body. The resolution achieved the two-thirds majority of UNGA voting members required to pass, with 93 votes cast in favour and 24 against. A total of 58 countries abstained, but their votes did not count towards the final tally. Nigeria abstained from the voting alongside most African countries. Nigeria previously voted in favour of the demand that Russia stop its offensive and immediately withdraw all troops from Ukraine. African countries that abstained on Thursday are: Algeria, Central Africa Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, Zimbabwe voted against while, Senegal, Botswana, Angola, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Egypt, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. Jide Osuntokun, former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigerias decision to abstain is a wise policy decision. Mr Osuntokun said the decision could have to do with the trade ties Nigeria has with Russia. I think abstaining, when you put it side by side with previous condemnation, I think it is a policy in the right direction, do not forget that we have quite reasonable economic ties with Russia, we import wheat from them, he said. Both Russia and Ukraine were helping us with the Ajaokuta steel company and the Ikot Abasi aluminium complex, whereas the serious economic ties we used to have with the United States where they bought a lot of our oil, now they hardly buy anything from us. In terms of economic ties with the U.S., it is almost zero. He added that the UNs suspension of Russia from the human rights council may have gone too far, advocating that the issues between Russia and Ukraine be resolved carefully. You know whatever anybody may say, Russia is a world power, personally, I think the way this war is going on may not end well for the whole world because it is better to resolve the matter carefully by abstaining, we are not backing Russia nor are we supporting it, Mr Osuntokun. Owei Lakemfa former secretary general organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) said, Nigeria has no business supporting one group or the other. We are even in danger when it comes to NATO, we do not have any business going to support one country against the other. If any NATO member has a problem with an African country, NATO comes and bombs that country like they did in Libya, Mr Lakemfa said. He added that the sensible thing for Ukraine to do is to reach a ceasefire agreement and start a negotiation process with Russia. Those who are now motivational speakers to Ukraine (U.S. and co), there is nothing happening in its territory. Ukraine has an economy to run, children to go to school and all these things are being destroyed. All NATO wants is a victory and it does not matter where the victory comes from; both territories are expendable to NATO. What sensible people should do is to find a way of ensuring a ceasefire in that country and there is a negotiated settlement so the country can move back to some form of normalcy, Mr Lakemfa said. According to him, NATO will get tired of Ukraine in a few months, take a back seat and move on to other things that will come up. NATO is a military alliance and has nothing to do with development or peace in the world. Advertisements President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the House of Representatives to adjust the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to accommodate the projected N4 trillion for petroleum subsidy in 2022. The president, in a letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, is seeking an increment of $11 to the oil benchmark to accommodate subsidy consumption and other expenses. According to Mr Buhari, N442.72 billion was earmarked for fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget (January-June), but because of the hike in the price of crude oil, Nigeria is paying more for PMS subsidy, therefore, the country will require an additional N3.557 trillion for subsidy. The current MTEF contains $62 BPD. If this is approved, the benchmark will now be $73 per barrel. However, the government is planning to reduce daily production by 283,000 barrels because of the activities of vandals. This means the daily production will be 1.6 million BPD instead of 1.83 million BPD. Mr Buhari blamed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the activities of the oil vandals for the proposed fiscal adjustments. Spikes in the market price of crude oil, aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war. Significant lower oil volume due principally to production shutdown as a result of massive crude oil theft between production platforms and terminals are the two main factors responsible for the adjustments. Oil subsidy The federal government had in January suspended the removal of subsidy after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) threatened to embark on mass protests. The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had announced that the government will spend N3 trillion on subsidies in 2022. Mr Buhari subsequently sent a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to adjust the 2022 Appropriation Act accordingly. However, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the corresponding sanction by the international community led to an increase in the price of crude oil in the international market. As a result, the prices of refined products also increased. The landing price of petroleum also increased. For weeks, there were long queues at filling stations across the country due to shortage in the supply of the products which are largely imported as a result of the bad state of the local refineries. With this proposed amendment to the MTEF, the government is adjusting the estimate to be spent on subsidies for the second time in 2022. Highlights of the proposed MTEF This adjustment will reduce the allocation to the total money to be remitted into the Federation Account (Main pool) by N2.4 trillion. By implication the amount available to the budget will decline by N772.9 billion. The government is planning to spend N187 billion to cater for police with a total deficit standing at N7.3 trillion. Mr Buhari urged the lawmakers to pass both the supplementary budget and the amendment to MTEF. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says Nigerias foreign policy must define the countrys terms of engagement with other countries. Mr Gbajabiamila said this at the presentation of a book Reflections on Nigerias Foreign Policy, 1960-2020 in Abuja on Wednesday. The book was authored by Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Toby Okechukwu, and two others Tony Onyishi and Emmanuel Ukhami. According to Mr Gbajabiamila, Nigeria is currently going through one of the most difficult periods in modern human history. He said in addition to the effects of the war in Ukraine, the world was living in the wake of a global pandemic that has altered all lives in fundamental ways. What we know, and have learned from both our recent experience and the experiences of others is that in this new world, our foreign policy must unapologetically define the terms on which we engage the rest of the world. This will enable the country to address the different manifestations of our shared challenges so that we can together survive through this new age of promise and peril. To do this, we must establish the values that define us, and be clear about the concerns that motivate us and the interests that inspire us. Our nations foreign policy defines the terms on which we engage with the rest of the world, Mr Gbajabiamila said. The Speaker said that it was through a robust foreign policy that Nigeria could declare what it was and what it stood for. He said Nigeria had demonstrated it at home and abroad in South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and every where else that it was called upon for help. Mr Gbajabiamila said that a global response was the best way to ensure collective survival from issues of public health, terrorism and the myriad difficulties of globalisation. The lawmaker said that international collaboration was necessary to find and implement solutions that would improve the lives and circumstances of people all over the world. He said that Mr Okechukwu and his co-authors have in the best tradition of statesmen, undertaken a comprehensive and scholarly review of the foreign policy of Nigeria from independence to date. One of the authors, Mr Okechukwu, said that the international system was rapidly reducing to a close-knit society from both the functional and neo-functional perspectives. The book is the product of modest efforts to critically examine in chronological order, the leading variables that have asserted their salience in shaping Nigerias official stances and responses to forces on the foreign scene. The authors tried to reflect on the impact of internal and external factors, such as colonialism, the personality of leaders, the level of development, the press, regime type, international organisations, non-alignment, cold war, terrorism and globalisation, he said. Mr Okechukwu said that critics have faulted the country for lack of defined national interest and direction in its foreign policy pursuit. According to him, this is responsible for her inability to show off tangible benefits from all its benevolence in Africa. He said that Nigerias Afrocentric commitment was not adequately reciprocated by its African counterparts. The nagging issue of Nigerias shrinking voice in critical diplomatic circles may also be appreciated vis-a-vis contemporary socio-economic challenges at home. But then, a robust tradition of diplomatic engagement will not only ameliorate this but would also garner a reasonable level of image prestige. The country must make all efforts to industrialise, keep pace with the present global technological innovations, genuinely democratise by permitting her citizens the fundamental human rights they desire and strive to enjoy. Advertisements Nigeria will only achieve these feats if her leadership is focused on achieving national interest and not self-centered interest based on ethno-religious identities and partisanship, Mr Okechukwu said. He said Nigeria needed to reposition its foreign policy strategy to meet the current international realities, if it must be taken seriously among the comity of nations. He said no amount of diplomatic craftsmanship can make a country to successfully project its image significantly above the level of its real time socio-economic and political development circumstance. Focusing on development issues is key to building a strong and influential voice in regional, continental and global affairs, he said. Also speaking, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, said that foreign policy was something that guides a country to maintain the dignity and the importance of its people vis-a-vis what was obtainable in terms of relations with foreign countries. According to him, Nigerias foreign policy must be inward looking because whatever we do, we try to get the best out of any given situation, both internally and externally. I am to say a little bit of what I think should be our aims and objectives in terms of our foreign policy. These have been dealt very succinctly in the book that is being presented today. The success or otherwise of any foreign policy depends on the input both internally and externally because they go along hand in hand, he said. (NAN) Pensioners in Ogun State have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government to pay their 150 months of unremitted contributory pensions. The senior citizens say they are also protesting the non-implementation of a 33.4 per cent increase in pension and other unpaid entitlements. The pensioners, under the auspices of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), on Wednesday, said they would stage a protest at the end of the ultimatum. A letter signed by Waheed Oloyede and Bola Lawal, the pensioners chairman and secretary respectively, said while members cannot cater for themselves, government officials are lavishing state funds. The pensioners expressed concern that the N500 million quarterly allocation for the payment of gratuity has not cleared the backlog of unpaid gratuities to both LG and State retired teachers. In their letter, the pensioners demanded a review and an increase in their pension in line with the recent implementation of consequential adjustment of the federal government, which circular they had forwarded to the state government since May 2021. We demand immediate implementation of the provisions of the issued 2010 as it has been done in many states and federation. Commence the rescheduling and payment of 20 years outstanding gratuities of retired local government/primary school teachers and seven years of state retirees to be paid without delay, as insufficient N500 million quarterly allocation is being released at very slow pace of time. We demand immediate resuscitations of the illegally suspended Local Government Pensions Committee (BLGP) and Bureau of State Pensions Committee by former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. It was a legal committee backed up by the Federal and State laws. The pensioners said a lot of their members are facing unique health challenges and they cannot foot their bills. They added that their children, who could have assisted, are unemployed. Avoidable deaths are recorded on our members on a daily basis. In view of the above, we are imploring Your Excellency to pay our entitlements before the due date, hence take this letter as conventional 21-day notice of industrial action against Ogun state government. When contacted, Commissioner for Information, Waheed Odusile, asked our reporter to get back through a text message. He did not respond to the text message. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has called on the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) to ensure data protection, privacy and confidentiality in the country. Mr Pantami made the call at the official launch of NDPB Logo, Website and Core values, on Tuesday in Abuja. He said data protection should not only be centred within the public sectors, but also across the private sector. He said data protection, privacy and confidentiality, were already mentioned in existing laws in various agencies of the county. According to him, in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2007, under Section 26, there is a form of data protection in which nobody is allowed to get access to NIMCs database without the approval of the commission. In National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2007, Section 6 under article J and K, there is a form of data protection under article A to come up with the legislation in the first place. It is now in the process of being integrated into a full fledged legislation by the National Assembly. Under the Nigerian Communications Commission Act 2003, there was no mention of data protection clearly. The commission came up with two subsidiary legislations, in which operators are not allowed to get access or release certain information without the consent of data subject. National Health Act of 2014, there is a form of data protection and many more, he said. Earlier, the National Commissioner, NDPB, Vincent Olatunji, revealed that the mandate of data protection had a strategic roadmap that would provide the turning point in the countrys data privacy. Mr Olatunji urged stakeholders to give the bureau the needed support to achieve its mandate. The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, Adeleke Adewolu, in his goodwill message, congratulated NDPB and pledged support of the commission. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that data protection is a constitutional right founded in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. NAN also reports that NDPB is a new parastatal under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, established in line with global best practices. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday received Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the newly-elected chairman of the governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), giving assurances to the party and the nation that he will continue the struggle to entrench democratic principles in politics and the affairs of governance. Today, we should all be happy that the party has nursed its wounds and healed itself sufficiently to march forward to face the challenges of the coming state and General elections, the President said. When I reflect on policies of the administration on the economy and specifically in the development of agriculture, infrastructure, ICT and innovation and the welfare measures we have put in place for women, the youth and the less privileged members of the society, I get fresh confidence that our citizens will continue supporting the APC in our electoral battles. Our government, said the president is working for the betterment of the country. Our policies and programmes aim at nothing but the betterment of the country and its people. Essentially, the party should take the programmes of the government to the people to infuse confidence into them. President Buhari once again commended the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning for the conduct of the congresses and convention leading to the emergence of the Adamu-led National Executive Committee (NEC), saying we cannot thank you enough for all that you did. He urged the new party chairman to be fair and firm as he is known to be, in all his dealings. The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has extended the ongoing two-week mid-semester break by additional four weeks. Following the extension, the university has asked the students not to resume on Monday, April 11, as earlier scheduled but in the first week of May. The university had on March 26, 2022, announced-semester two-week mid-semester break that began on March 28. The institutions spokesperson, Abiodun Olarewaju, would later confirm to PREMIUM TIMES that it was related to the ongoing strike by the university-based unions. Both the academic and non-academic workers across Nigerian universities are currently on strike nationwide. While the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is now over 50 days, the two-week warning strike by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) is expected to end this weekend, without a possible resolution of the conflict in sight. Extension A statement by the universitys registrar, Magaret Omosule, on Thursday, noted that the extension was influenced by the current grounding of activities by the campus-based unions. The statement read in part: With full realisation of the import and impact of the industrial actions embarked upon by the various unions within the Nigerian university system, the university management has decided to elongate the mid-semester break by four (4) weeks. Students are therefore directed to continue with the mid-semester break for four (4) weeks beginning from Monday, 11th April, 2022. Unions demands The two major demands of ASUU are the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for the payment of staff salaries in the university system and the renegotiation of the 2009 federal government-ASUU agreement on the working conditions of Nigerian academics. Others include the payment of earned academic allowances, revitalisation fund for universities, and distortions in the payment of salaries, funding of state universities, and the release of white papers on the visitation panels sent to the universities. Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU listed the demands to include the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, payment of earned allowances, usurpation of non-academic career positions by vice-chancellors, inclusion of university staff school into the university community, non-payment of minimum wage arrears, and funding of state universities. The national vice president of SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam, had told PREMIUM TIMES that the government has only paid less than N8 billion of the N30 billion it agreed upon. The memorandum of understanding we had was that the renegotiation will be concluded within six weeks. And that was as far back as February, 2021. And if you count six weeks from that time we will be talking about sometime in May or maybe April. But here we are, a year later, we have not even been invited for one meeting despite our reminders. he had said in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) in collaboration with CLEEN Foundation on Tuesday held a roundtable on media and security with the participants calling for a regular strategic interface between the leadership of security forces and top media actors. They also called for the creation of fora that would provide opportunities for dialogue between the security and media institutions in order to promote trust building, intergenerational learning across boards. The participants also called for total value re-orientation beginning from homes, schools, places of worship that will bring women out and security agencies should be proactive with provisions. The dialogue, which was themed Strengthening Media and Security Collaboration for Social Peace had in attendance, key players from both the media and security sector. It was aimed at exploring solutions to improving conflict reporting in the media space and also brought together actors from the civil society space. At the end of the debate/discussion, stakeholders laid out some recommendations to include regular strategic interface between the leadership of security forces and top media actors, creation of forums that will provide opportunities for dialogue between security and media institutions in order to promote trust building, intergenerational learning across boards and total value re-orientation beginning from homes, schools, places of worship that will bring women out and security agencies should be proactive with provisions. Other recommendations include the need for the media to ramp up training of media practitioners on tools and practices of fact-checking and conflict sensitive reporting, a statement by the CJID said. In his opening remarks, the acting Executive Director, CJID, Tobi Oluwatola, said the dialogue was an avenue to proffer solutions to Nigerias security challenges. Represented by the Director of Operations, Tosin Alagbe, Mr Oluwatola highlighted the need for special training for journalists to allow them better understand how military structures operate while pushing for proactive disclosure and accountability on the part of security agencies. Also speaking separately, the Deputy Head of Mission, Netherlands Embassy, Ewout de Wit, said he believes a better understanding between the media and security agencies will result in better information through media coverage. He encouraged the media and security agencies to strive for more efficient collaboration. Papers were presented by Busola Ajibola of the CJID on Media Narratives of Conflict, Sumner Sambo of Arise TVon Emerging Threats in Media Coverage and Freedom Onuoha, a security consultant on Insecurity and Humanitarian Crisis by Responding to Insecurity in the Sahelian Region: SWOT Analysis of Media-Stat Security Forces Relations. A panel session that critically examined ways of strengthening media and security collaboration for social peace was moderated by Ruth Olofin of CLEEN Foundation. Panelists include Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director, Partner West Africa; Lanre Arogundade Executive Director, International Press Centre and Hamzat Ajibola, Managing Editor International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). In her closing remark, Ms Olofin, on behalf of CLEEN Foundation and CJID appreciated all resource persons and stakeholders for taking out time to share their expertise on the issue as important as security. She explained that the media constitute a major role in shaping and building any society as its role is to inform, educate and enlighten the populace. The event was attended by spokesperson and representatives from the Air Force, Police, Navy and State Security Services (DSS), amongst others. The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill to establish Federal Medical Centre, to cater for the expected population surge in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos. The bill, sponsored by Adebayo Balogun (APC, Lagos), was debated on Thursday, and it scaled second reading. Leading the debate on the bill, Mr Balogun with the Dangote refinery and fertiliser plant, Lekki Free Trade Zone, a petrochemical and power plant, a deep-sea port, the fourth mainland bridge and the New International Airport are in the axis so it needs a federal medical centre. He added that urbanisation and industrialisation of the local Government have led to an unprecedented population surge and unexpected rise in the demand for government-owned hospitals since the privately owned ones are too expensive and in some cases, they lack professionally trained medical personnel. Mr Balogun lamented the lack of access to proper medical centre in the axis. He warned that the completion of the Dangote refinery and Lekki Airport will further increase the population of the area. He noted that Ibeju Lekki is fast becoming the new Economic and industrial hub of the country and is faced with the non-availability of hospitals commensurate with the population explosion in the local government area. it will interest you to know that the challenge of good, qualitative and affordable medical healthcare by the people and residents of Ibeju Lekki has become so worrisome that we had to upgrade one of our Healthcare facilities and handed it over to Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebutte Meta as their annex to help ameliorate the situation, he said. When the bill was put to vote by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, members voted in support. Ibrahim Adeyemi, an investigative journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, has been long-listed for the 2022 edition of One World Medias international journalism award. Mr Adeyemi earned a place on the long list for the Memoirs of Carnage, his two-part series on the killing spree of innocent villagers of Benue State by Nigerian soldiers avenging the murder of their colleagues by bandits. The story was published last September by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), his former workplace. Mr Adeyemis months-long report was shortlisted alongside 150 projects selected across 10 categories, the organisers said in a statement Tuesday. More than 600 entries from across 101 countries and territories were submitted for the International award, the statement said, adding the quality and diversity of the entries was outstanding and it was tough to choose only ten in each category. The final three nominees in each category chosen by our esteemed panel of judges will be announced by 4 May and the winners will be presented at the Awards ceremony on 16 June 2022. Mr Adeyemi is joined on the longlist by Aakash Hassan, a freelance journalist in India, Andrei Popoviciu, another freelance journalist, Asser Khattab of New Lines Magazine, Harriet Barber of The Telegraph, Prakhar Deep Jain of Insider, among others. A graduate of English Language at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Mr Adeyemi has proven records of excellence as a journalist covering terrorism and banditry. He is skilled in secret filming, undercover reporting, and breaking news coverage. The recognition endorses Ibrahims journalism, every time outstanding and consequential, said Taiwo Hassan Adebayo, PREMIUM TIMES investigations editor. And we believe hes even more determined to do more. One World Media, the organiser of the international awards, celebrates the best media coverage of the global south, focusing on stories that break through stereotypes, change the narrative and connect people across cultures. WELLINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong has said the upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will bring a brighter shared future to both countries. Wang, in a news letter released on Thursday, said this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The FTA and the protocol on its upgrade, which goes into force on April 7, 2022, means the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries stepping to a higher level. Wang said the implementation of the Upgraded FTA not only further demonstrates the vitality, resilience and potential of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, but also showcases the common commitment to working together in support of multilateralism and free trade. "Joint efforts on both sides culminated in the establishment of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2014, delivering tangible and increasing benefits to both peoples and setting a prime example of win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes, national conditions and social systems," Wang said. Wang said China currently is New Zealand's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 30 percent of New Zealand's total exports of goods and services, and the largest buyer of Kiwi dairy, meat, wood and fruits. Under the FTA, New Zealand liberalized 100 percent of tariff lines and China liberalized 97 percent of tariff lines, which helped to drive the two-way trade in goods to a record level in 2021, growing at an average annual rate of 11 percent since the implementation of bilateral FTA in 2008, the ambassador said. The Upgrade Protocol further improves access to the Chinese market for New Zealand exporters. Upon its entry into force, China opens its market for New Zealand wood and paper products, with 99 percent of New Zealand's wood and paper trade to China receiving tariff-free access at the end of the transition period, he said, adding that the introduction of 21st century trade issues such as e-Commerce and Environment and Trade builds new avenues for holding dialogue and deepening cooperation. "As New Zealand products make their way into millions of Chinese households, China's strong consumer demand has become a key driver of New Zealand's export earnings and a major contributor to trade-related jobs for the local communities," said the ambassador. "The Upgrade Protocol further improves access to the Chinese market for New Zealand exporters and reflects the new trends of trade and business models between the two countries," Wang said. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has said it is aiming to raise N30 million to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees. Chansa Kapaya, UNHCR representative in Nigeria, said this on the sideline of an event it held in collaboration with Islamic philanthropy groups on Wednesday. The partnership event, which held in Abuja, focused on how to maximise Zakat, a form of almsgiving in Islam, to support the most vulnerable in the country, especially those in the northern part of Nigeria. With the massive forced displacement of people, funds are never enough and certainly not for the IDPs, Ms Kapaya said, adding, we are projecting N30 million as our target for the year. She said there was the need to diversify our resource base. So in this case, we are not the distributors but what we are advocating is the use of Zakat to assist the most vulnerable internally displaced people whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, Ms Kapaya. She recalled that the Islamic philanthropy fund (Zakat fund) launched in 2019 had been officially endorsed by about 10 leading Muslim organisations, leaders and scholars. It also collected about $98,000 which was provided to some vulnerable families in the North-east, she also said. According to Ms Kapaya, there are 3.2 million IDPs and 80,000 refugees including foreigners from Cameroon and many from southern states of Nigeria. I think most people in Nigeria do not even know that we have so many refugees that are hosted by Nigeria, most of them are from Cameroon and are in the southern states of Nigeria and of course we have IDPs in North east, middle belt and North-west, she said. The event was in partnership with the Association of Zakat and Waqf Operators in Nigeria (AZWON) had over 40 member groups in attendance. Different groups shared experiences on what and how the Zaakat collected at their various branches had been used. Legal framework Muhammad Maidoki, the groups chairman advocated a legal framework to support Zakat collection in Nigeria said it could be a source of revenue for government. If that is done, it is for the better of the country because if that is done, it is going to be a source of raising funds. We have a budget deficit, when we have a legal framework that encourages giving out Zakat and Waqf, governments at all levels will have income coming from the people themselves, he said. He said this would make people to be more conscious, more patriotic in making sure that whatever was provided with that fund were not mismanaged by anybody. According to Mr Maidoki, the partnership with UNHCR is anchored on trust, accountability and also the agencys ability to train. Zakat collection globally Additionally, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner on Islamic Philanthropy, Khaled Khalifa, said the percentage of Zakat collected by Zakat groups is a very small percentage of Zakat collected. I mentioned earlier that according to the Islamic Development Bank, Zakat collection globally reaches $500 billion, but what is being collected by all Zakat houses and non-governmental organisations is a very small fraction of the whole, Mr Khalifa said. He added that Zakat houses could benefit from each other. Mr Khalifa also presented the 2021UNHCRs Islamic Philanthropy Report, which showed that 47,400 IDPs were supported through Zakat and Sadaqah. During his presentation, he noted that trust, credibility, distribution mechanisms and outreach; lack of innovation and legal framework were part of the challenges of Zakat in Nigeria. Editors Note: This story has been edited to reflect the correct currency of the amount being targeted by the UNHRC. Advertisements On March 28, bandits attacked a Kaduna-bound train in central Nigeria carrying 970 passengers. At least eight people were killed, and 168 were kidnapped and are still missing. This unprecedented act of violence, attributed to the failure of authorities to act on intelligence reports, has heightened concerns about a breakdown of security in the country. Institute for Security Studies research has shown an increasing nexus between bandits and jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Ansaru. These violent extremists are key players in the violent crimes and terror activities in north-west and north-central Nigeria. The train was attacked at night, about 89 km from Abuja station. The assailants used explosives to blow up the rail track before firing at commuters. Within 24 hours, another assault was carried out on the same stretch of tracks using improvised explosive devices, forcing the train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja to stop. The rail line between the cities was first hit in October 2021, when bandits destroyed a portion of the track with explosives. The recent attacks are much more serious and signal a new trend of targeting state infrastructure. The motive is apparently to cause mass casualties and terror along a major public transport corridor. No one has been arrested in connection with the crimes. Banditry has existed for decades in Nigeria. It is described by state officials as a composite crime involving armed robbery, murder and kidnappings and has gained a foothold in the countrys north-western states. The government declared that bandits were terrorists in November 2021, making the activities of Yan Bindiga, Yan Taadda and other similar groups illegal. The bandits use two approaches against citizens and public infrastructure. On the one hand, they attack villages and towns, raping women and girls. On the other hand, they operate a kidnapping economy, using the ransoms they receive to fund their operations. Media reports on kidnapping by bandits seldom mention how much was paid for the release of victims. However a Lagos-based research consulting firm, SB Morgen Intelligence, estimates that between June 2011 and March 2020, Nigerians paid abductors around US$18.34 million in ransoms (N8.98 billion). According to the report, about 60 per cent of this was paid between January 2016 and March 2020, showing a spike in recent years. In 2021 the International Centre for Investigative Reporting found that at least N1 billion naira was allegedly paid by residents to bandits in north-west and north-central Nigeria. The March 28 incidents are part of a new trend that has seen the bandits become bolder, with attacks on government infrastructure such as a military base and an airport in Kaduna State. Military bases are usually targeted for their ammunition. The airport strike was the first attempt at aviation terrorism in Nigeria. Kaduna State has strategic and economic importance. It is Nigerias centre of military education and security planning, and the gateway to the north that houses critical infrastructure such as airports and railway stations. The Abuja-Kaduna railway, inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari for commercial services in July 2016, is vital to Kaduna a major industrial and administrative city in Nigerias north. The Abuja-Kaduna train generates at least N300,000,000 for the country every month and has improved the countrys investment potential. It promotes business, travel and cargo transport between the two major cities. Economic development along the railway line and in nearby cities has also been boosted. The line promised relief to many commuters as a safer alternative to the Abuja-Kaduna highway, which has been a kidnapping hotspot for years. Last months attacks could reverse all these gains. They threaten the future of public transport in Nigeria, as well as local economies in Kaduna State and adjoining north-western states. The Nigeria Railway Corporation may also see a drop in business turnover and increased operation costs. The recent attack has already crippled the commuter train service and threatens plans to resuscitate the Lagos-Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, and Zaria-Kaura Namoda rail networks. The Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, visited the attack site. Soldiers and other security agencies have intensified their search-and-rescue operations to secure the unconditional release of the kidnapped victims. These actions have so far been unsuccessful. Given the bandits changing modus operandi, multi-pronged solutions are needed. Existing security approaches must be reinvigorated, starting with the federal government prioritising targeted visible policing as part of a broader security strategy. This could be carried out by a multi-agency task force comprising the army, police, National Identity Management Commission and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Nigerias security forces are already overstretched, and securing extensive rail networks across vast geographic areas will be difficult. So sound intelligence-based deployments to strategic sites will be vital. Modern security hardware and surveillance technology such as drones and trackers are needed in trains for early detection and prevention. Kaduna State is replete with critical security institutions, including elite military establishments, police colleges and the Nigerian Defense Industry. These institutions should be mobilised as part of the multi-agency response. At the very least, their location in Kaduna should make these attacks a federal government priority. To solve rising banditry in the long term, the socio-economic problems that allow violent crime to fester must be tackled. Even if ramped-up security responses turn Nigeria into a police state, violent crime and terrorism will continue until poverty, social inequality and corruption are addressed. Oluwole Ojewale, ENACT, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Dakar; Adewumi Badiora, Head, Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria; Freedom Onuoha, Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched a $4 billion Ukraine Crisis Adjustment Trade Financing Programme for Africa (UKAFPA) to manage the impact of the global crisis on African economies. Afreximbanks board of directors approved the credit facility on March 31, the bank said in a statement Wednesday. The bank said that the fund would extend to areas such as oil and metals buy-back financing, commodity export revenue stabilisation and tourism revenue deficit financing. Benedict Oramah, president of Afreximbank, after the board meeting held in Cote DIvoire, expressed delight at the boards approval of the introduction of the UKAFPA. According to him, the board demonstrated its responsiveness to the needs of African member states and their citizens. Given the importance of both Russia and Ukraine as sources of crude oil and gas, raw materials and grains, the outbreak of the conflict has wider repercussions on a global scale, including adversely affecting African economies, especially those that rely heavily on grain, fertiliser and fuel imports, the bank noted in its statement. Addressing Social Anxiety The initiative will contribute immensely to averting social anxiety and upheaval that may arise from looming food shortages and high costs of fertiliser and petroleum products, the bank said. Following African Unions endorsement, Afreximbank shareholders approved a US$6.5 billion General Capital Increase on 2021 to boost the capacity of the Bank to deliver on its mandate, deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, and support AfCFTA implementation. We must now add the consequences of the ongoing Ukraine crisis to the catalogue of emergencies a strong Afreximbank has to contend with, Mr Oramah said. We are very grateful to member states and shareholders who have already paid in their subscriptions giving the Bank the flexibility to respond swiftly to prevailing challenges. I call upon those who have not acted to do so urgently as we will once again learn that in times of major crises we can only count on our institutions to lead the way before others follow. The bank said that the programme includes re-order cost adjustment financing, which would help countries to meet immediate import price increases pending domestic demand adjustments. Oil and Metals Buy-Back Financing to refinance over-collateralized loans in the context of the current high oil and metal prices, and thereby release more free cashflow for use in meeting other urgent needs, eg. food and fertiliser imports and servicing rising cost of debt, the bank said. Commodity Export Revenue Stabilisation to help countries and companies to structure and enter derivative contracts at todays high commodity prices and stabilise future export earnings. Tourism Revenue Deficit Financing to be extended to Central Banks of tourism-dependent economies to cover foreign exchange revenue shortfalls arising from a decline in tourism arrivals from Russia and Ukraine. In his reaction, Macky Sall, president of the Republic of Senegal and current chairperson of the African Union, explained that Africa now faces the socio-economic challenges posed by a global context of conflict. Afreximbank has once again shown the way forward by enabling the continent to tackle the impact of the crisis head-on through financing solutions tailored to the specific pressure points facing our member countries, he said. The Defence Headquarters says the troops of the armed forces have eliminated no fewer than 80 terrorists in two weeks across theatres of operation in the North-west and North-central. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Bernard Onyeuko, a major general, said this while briefing journalists on the operations of the military between March 25 and April 7, on Thursday in Abuja. In Kaduna and Niger States, Mr Onyeuko said the troops of Operation Thunder Strike eliminated a total of 34 terrorists and recovered 14 locally fabricated guns and 17 motorcycles during the period. He said the troops recorded modest successes as the air component had on March 30, conducted air strikes on terrorists on motorbikes moving towards Akilibu-Sarkin Pawa road at Mangoro village, between Kaduna State and Niger. He said the air component intercepted and neutralised scores of the terrorists. He added that a large concentration of terrorists was sighted around Kusasu after air surveillance and interdiction were conducted on March 31, killing no fewer than 33 terrorists. Under Operation Safe Haven, the Defence spokesperson said the troops had continued to achieve relative peace through non-kinetic activities. He said the theatre held Peace and Unity Cultural Day Celebration in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State and first Peace and Unity Gwash Ball tournament in Jos, Plateau. Under Operation Hadarin Daji, Mr Onyeuko said the troops eliminated 10 bandits, rescued five civilians, arrested seven bandits in Zamfara and Sokoto States as well as recovered cache of arms and ammunition within the period. In Operation Whirl Stroke, he said the troops had sustained offensive against bandits and other criminals to checkmate their unlawful activities through operational patrols and clearance operations in various locations. He said troops neutralised three bandits, apprehended nine and recovered several arms and ammunition. The last few days were characterised by some operational setbacks orchestrated by terrorists and criminals in North-central. This, however, has not dimmed the light on the huge gains and success achieved by troops in other theatres of operation, especially in the North-east, North-west and South-south. Be that as it may, own troops would not relent in the arduous task of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, he said. (NAN) The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the removal of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Delivering his judgement on the suit, the judge, Taiwo Taiwo, held that a governor cannot be sacked on account of defecting from the political party on whose platform he was elected, to another. The judge based his decision on the last Fridays judgement of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, which dismissed an appeal filed against the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, on account of his defection from the PDP to the APC. Mr Taiwo had, on Wednesday, entertained arguments from lawyers to thee parties in the Mr Aayades case to determine the significance of the latest decision of the Court of Appeal on the implication of the defection of a governor from one party to another. In the decision formally brought to the attention of the judge on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal in Enugu dismissed the legal action seeking to remove Mr Umahi and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, from office on the account of their dumping the PDP for the APC last year. But Mr Umahi is pursuing a separate appeal which he filed at the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which sacked him and his deputy on the account of their defection. Relying on the decision of the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Enugu in his judgement on Thursday, Mr Taiwo emphasised the necessity of the doctrine of judicial precedence, following the legal reasoning of the appellate court in Enugu. The facts and circumstances of this case are similar to that of the Court of Appeal in Enugu, the judge said. But Mr Taiwo urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to make express provisions for the removal of a governor on account of his defection to another political party. The judge noted that only a state parliament can initiate impeachment proceedings to oust a governor. Mr Taiwos verdict is in contrast to the decision of another federal judge, Inyang Ekwo, who sacked Mr Umahi from office for ditching the PDP. Background In a legal firework on Wednesday, PDPs lead counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued that the facts and circumstances of Mr Umahis case were different from Mr Ayades. Mr Ukala contended that the reliefs in the Court of Appeal judgement were three, and different from the reliefs in this case. The PDP lawyer said the Court of Appeal in its decision made a sweeping statement that the only way a governor could be removed from office was through impeachment by parliament. The core issues we are asking this court to interpret were absent in that case of the Appeal Court. My Lord, a defection constitutes a vacation of office by the governor and his deputy, Mr Ukala said, adding this decision (of the Court of Appeal) cannot stand as a judicial precedence in deciding this (Mr Ayades) matter. APCs arguments Responding, Mike Ozekhome, APCs lawyer, contradicted Mr Ukalas argument, saying the entire reliefs and questions for determination in this case before the court are the same as the subject matter [ff the case at the Court of Appeal. Mr Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that after a governor and his deputy took the oath of office, they can no longer be removed on account of defecting to another political party. Citing Section 40 of the Nigerian constitution, Mr Ozekhome noted that Mr Ayade exercised his right to freedom of association as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution by joining the APC. The PDP had sued Mr Ayade and 20 state legislators, its former members, over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May 2021. The PDP had urged the court to declare their seats vacant on the account of their defection. In March, Mr Taiwo granted the plaintiffs prayers in one of the suits by sacking the Cross River State House of Assembly Speaker and 17 of his colleagues alongside two members of the House of Representatives for defecting to the APC. The judge held that there (were) no justifiable reasons for their defection. Advertisements The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abba Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police, against National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The judge, Inyang Ekwo, dismissed the N500 million fundamental rights suit for lack of diligent prosecution by Mr Kyaris legal team. Mr Kyari had filed the suit to challenge his alleged unlawful detention by NDLEA which arrested him and others over cocaine-trafficking allegations in February. The agency subsequently filed charges against him and his co-defendants before another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The trial court has since ordered him and his co-defendants to remain in detention throughout his trial. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kyaris lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, was absent when the fundamental rights enforcement suit came up on Thursday. With this development, NDLEAs lawyer, Joseph Sunday, who is the agencys Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, urged the court to strike out the suit. Responding, the judge noted that he was informed that Ms Ikena sent a letter, praying the court for an adjournment. The judge directed that the letter be shown to the NDLEAs counsel, Mr Sunday, who expressed surprise with the development. He said he was not copied in the letter by the rule of the court. He said the letter was not filed by the applicant and therefore not in compliance with the courts rule. He prayed the court to strike out the matter. After listening to the NDLEAs lawyer, Mr Ekwo struck out the case. The judge, after going into the substantive matter and seeing that parties had joined issues in the suit, went ahead to dismiss the case. The decision came less than a month after the judge threatened to dismiss the suit following the delay by Mr Kyaris lawyer to serve NDLEA counsel with a filing. Background Mr Kyari, who also has fraud charges pending against him in the U.S. and faces extradition proceedings in Nigeria, filed a suit for the enforcement of his fundamental rights against NDLEA in February. In the document, Mr Kyari, who described the allegation against him by NDLEA as trumped-up, said the agency had failed to establish a prima facie case against him. He averred that the allegation linking him to an international drug cartel by the anti-narcotic agency was untrue. He said since the Nigerian Police Force arrested him and handed him over to the NDLEA, he has been kept in custody since February 12, without having access to his medical treatment. Mr Kyari, a former head of the Inspector-General (I-G) of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), demanded N500 million in damages from the NDLEA over alleged unlawful arrest and detention. He also sought an order directing the NDLEA to tender a written apology to him in two national dailies. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has corroborated the claim by the Chairman of the United Bank of Africa, Tony Elumelu, that Nigeria is losing 95 per cent of oil production to thieves at Bonny Terminal, Rivers State. Mr Elumelu had in a Twitter thread on March 17, said Nigeria was losing 95 per cent of production at the Bonny terminal to vandals making Shell declare force majeure production activities on that field. Look at Bonny Terminal that should be receiving 200k barrels per day, instead it received less than 3,000 barrels, leading the operator @shell to declare force majeure, Mr Elumelu tweeted. Mr Elumelus claim was confirmed on Thursday by Mr Kyari while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream). The GMD told the panel that Nigeria can only get 3,000 barrels out of 239,000 barrels injected into the pipeline from Bonny Terminal. He further disclosed that the country lost $4 billion to theft at the rate of 200,000 barrels per day in 2021. He added that the country already lost $1.5 billion so far in 2022 because the vandalism has escalated. Indeed what is happening is massive acts of vandals and thieves on our pipelines that have first made us lose our volume. Secondly, it forced us to shut down production. The difference between the current production of 1.49 million and our potential that we can easily do close to 1.8 million or soat an independent level is not necessarily stolen and they are not within the reach of ordinary vandals. What has been in massive difficulty is the production from the independents and the JV. Unfortunately, except for the ExxonMobil production, most of our JV is onshore. This is where we have the challenge, he said. He said the rate of vandalism has forced the NNPC and their Joint Venture partners to shut down two production fields. He stressed that the NNPC had to abandon the lines because removing the breach will not deter the oil vandals from stopping. He said the situation has become desperate. Speaking on the solution, Mr Kyari said the stealing is beyond ordinary vandals because the sophistication required is beyond small-time vandals. In his PowerPoint presentation, Mr Kyari showed the committee the environmental impact of the activities of the vandals. He harped on the environmental impact of the activities of vandals, noting that the impact will be felt for generations to come. He commended the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for the actions taken to check illegal refineries. He asked the committee to give the government two months to implement some of the security measures developed to tackle the activities of vandals in the Niger Delta. Reacting to the presentation, Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), said the committee should give the NNPC GMD the two months he requested, while Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) moved a motion for the committee to dissolve into a closed-door session Consequently, the committee went into a closed-door session with the GMD. A prosecution witness has narrated how a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde, allegedly set up a radio station with N15 million diverted from the examination body. Najeem Sanusi, a retired air commodore, was testifying at the Federal High Court Abuja, where Mr Ojerinde faces 18 charges of official corruption filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). ICPC gave an account of the proceedings in a statement on Thursday. Mr Sanusi, who described himself as a co-owner of the radio station, said it was incorporated as Ifelodun Communications and cited in Mr Ojerindes hometown, Oke-Ogun, Oyo State. According to him, the radio station was located in a compound where Mr Ojerindes late mother also lived, adding that an adjoining plot of land was purchased to accommodate the mast and antenna. Taking a walk down memory lane, Mr Sanusi told the court how he proposed the idea of establishing the radio station to Mr Ojerinde in 2015. He testified that the former JAMB boss welcomed the idea and immediately invited his lawyer, Peter Oyewole, to a meeting. He said the defendant subsequently instructed a JAMB account officer to issue bank drafts of N15 million to procure the radio licence. The defendant then called Jimoh Olabisi who happened to be an accounting staff of JAMB and in a meeting in his house in Maitama, Abuja, he said that any matter related to financial issues should be directed to Mr Jimoh. Subsequently, Mr Jimoh gave me bank drafts of N15 million to pay NBC as part of the requirements for obtaining a license. I paid the draft to NBC, gave original documents to Jimoh Olabisi, and kept photocopies of the documents for my records, he said. Share allotment He said he and Mr Ojerinde each got 500,000 shares of the company. We agreed in the meeting held in his house that the name of the company should be Ifelodun Communications and we should go ahead and register the company with his name because that is the prerequisite for obtaining a license from NBC. He asked that we should allot 500,000 shares to him and 500,000 to myself, the witness said. Led in evidence by ICPCs prosecuting counsel, Olubunmi Olugasa, the witness who is a former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, said Mr Ojerinde later used his son, Olumide Ojerinde, a serving member of the House of Representatives, to procure studio equipment and mast for the radio station. ICPC had arraigned him at the Federal High Court in Abuja in July 2021 on 18 counts involving the diversion of N5.2 billion in public funds during his time as the registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) till his time as JAMBs chief executive. Exhibits tendered The prosecution tendered documents including photocopies of the agenda for the meeting held with the defendant on the establishment of the radio station as well as bank drafts for the licence paid to NBC as exhibits. Defence lawyer, Ibrahim Ishiyaku, opposed the admissibility of the documents, arguing that the prosecution failed to lay a proper foundation for tendering the photocopies of the documents instead of the original. ICPC counsel, Mr Olugasa, defended the admissibility of the exhibits arguing that they were personal copies of the witness and bore the signatures of the witness. He cited section 57 (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 to back his position. The trial judge, after listening to arguments from both parties, adjourned the matter until June 7 and 8, 2022 for ruling on the admissibility of the documents and continuation of the trial. Background Mr Ojerindes troubles began after his exit as ex-JAMB chief on August 1, 2016. His successor, Ishaq Oloyede, after assuming office, began to remit unspent revenues to the tune of N5 billion, a feat that was never thought to be possible in the previous years. This sparked suspicion around Mr Ojerindes handling of the organisations funds during his time as the JAMBs head. Investigations by the ICPC subsequently traced many properties acquired in different states allegedly with proceeds of funds diverted from NECO and JAMB to him. Advertisements PREMIUM TIMES reported in April 2020 how multi-billion-naira worth of assets allegedly linked to the proceeds of the alleged fraud were confiscated from him by the ICPC. The assets seized from him included schools, filling stations, and houses located in different parts of Ilorin in Kwara State, Ibadan and Ogbomoso in Oyo State, Ile Ife in Osun State, and Abuja. ICPC had arraigned him at the Federal High Court in Abuja in July 2021 on 18 counts involving the diversion of funds during his time as the registrar of NECO till his time as JAMBs chief executive. PREMIUM TIMES reported how ICPC opened its case in February after the breakdown of plea-bargain talks Mr Ojerinde had with the anti-graft agency. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has provided more details about its rent-to-own mortgage housing that will attract no interest. As against the previous seven per cent interest paid on an annual basis, the bank said it introduced the non-interest housing to encourage financial inclusion in the country. According to a release by the spokesperson of the bank, Lawal Kauri, the disclosure follows the approval of the banks Board of Directors. To access the housing, interested persons are advised to walk into any branch of the bank nationwide to apply at no cost. They must be contributors to the National Housing Fund. According to Mr Kauri, houses will be made available instantly for applicants that have had their finances accessed to be able to fully pay. The bank said the non-interest housing is designed to enable Nigerians to own their homes using a mortgage without engaging in an interest-bearing transaction. Under the arrangement, the bank retains ownership of the property until the financing term ends or at any time during the lease period that the beneficiary wishes to purchase the property. The non-interest rent to own product is available to Nigerians who must be contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme. It covers both FMBN and non-FMBN funded properties with a maximum price of N15 million. Beneficiaries have the option to pay to own the property in monthly/quarterly or annual rental installments over 30 years depending on their age and years in service. The bank says it currently has over 3,190 housing units available for off-take on a rent- to-own basis across several locations nationwide. Some of these houses are said to be located in FMBN funded estates in seventeen states and the Federal capital territory FCT, Ondo, Adamawa, Jigawa, Ogun, Taraba,Nasarawa, Enugu, Sokoto, Abia, Kwara, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Borno, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna. Requirements 1.One passport sized photograph (with white background), name and signature behind 2. NHF contribution number 3. Proof of identity (valid drivers license, National ID Card, international passport, staff ID or Tax Payee Card) 4. Pay slip for the last 3 months preceding the application. 5. Certified personal bank statement for the last six months. 6. Copy of letter of confirmation by employer. 7. Letter of undertaking to deduct the rental payment from the beneficiarys salary and allowances and remit to FMBNs TSA account 8. Bank Verification Number (BVN) To apply: An interested subscriber will visit any of the FMBN state offices nationwide to schedule inspection and visit to available FMBN houses The applicant will then fill the form indicating his property of choice and attach all necessary documents as stipulated. Advertisements The applicant will submit the completed application form to the FMBN state office for further processing. The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, acquitted Abba Moro, a former Interior Minister of charges of procurement fraud in respect of the 2014 botched Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment. The court, however, convicted a former Permanent Secretary of the ministry Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, of complacency in the 2014 botched failed exercise. Mrs Daniel-Nwobia was prosecuted alongside Mr Moro, a serving senator, and others in relation to the recruitment which led to the death of 15 people. Delivering judgment, the judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, found her guilty of Count 4 of the charges and convicted her accordingly. In the said Count 4, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged the award of contract for online recruitment into the NIS without seeking approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). This, according to the charge, is contrary to Section 40 of the Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same act. Mr Dimgba, after convicting Ms Daniel-Nwobia deferred her sentencing until April 27. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the penalty stipulated for such an offence is five years imprisonment without an option of fine. The judge discharged and acquitted Mr Moro and Femi Alaiyebami, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Interior, on the remaining counts 2, 4, 5 and 11. I see nothing in the evidence before me to suggest that the first defendant (Moro) abused the authority of his office in the manner alleged in count 11, the judge said. Acquittal The judge held that the prosecution had failed to establish its case up to the requisite legal standard to warrant the conviction of all the defendants on all of the counts. I see nothing in the evidence before me to suggest that the first defendant (Mr Moro) abused the authority of his office in the manner alleged in count 11, he said. He added, I find the 1st defendant (Mr Moro) and 3rd (Mr Alaiyebami) defendant not guilty of counts 2, 4, 5 and 11 of the charge, and consequently discharge and acquit them of all the counts. I also find the 2nd defendant (Mrs Daniel-Nwobia) not guilty of counts 2, 5 and 11 of the charge, and consequently discharge and acquit her of the said counts. All the defendants had earlier been discharged and acquitted on seven out of the 11 counts they were originally charged with. Others defendants were Mahmood Ahmadu (at large), and the contracting firm, Drexel Tech. Nigeria Ltd. The court had earlier discharged Drexel Tech in its ruling on no-case submission in December 2020. Moro bears political responsibility He, however, held that Mr Moro bears political responsibility for the deaths of 15 jobseekers during the recruitment process. As the Minister of Interior then under whose supervision the recruitment into the NIS occurred, the 1st defendant (Mr Moro) bears political responsibility, the judge said. Pointing out that Mr Moro was the target of public vile when the unfortunate incident occurred in 2014, the judge stressed that criminal responsibility is based on a demonstrable violation of laws punishable by penal sanctions, which the prosecution failed to establish. There must be a clear violation of a known law, and this violation must be demonstrated by concrete evidence, the court held. Mr Dimgba noted the deep sadness of the unfortunate events that occurred on the day in question in 2014 that led to the loss of lives and limbs of several helpless and innocent young men and women, whom he said were seeking to better their lots and their families through seeking employment with the NIS. Criminal charges and resulting criminal responsibility is not utilised to satisfy the publics craving for retribution or to identify and punish a scapegoat for an unfortunate incident that touches the society dearly. It is not a tool to satisfy popular demand or used as an instrument of public appeasement, the judge explained. Advertisements Judge faults NIS boss role The judge faulted the role of the Comptroller-General of the NIS saying he should have taken absolute charge of the exercise. I believe some flak should be reserved for PW1, who as the head of NIS, was away from duty at a most critical day in the life of the agency. It is in evidence that the PW1, who was the head of the affected agency, whose recruitment was being conducted should have taken absolute charge to ensure that things did not fall through the cracks. He appeared to have taken a very passive and distant approach to the exercise. He was attending a social event in Jos on the very day when he, as the head of NIS, was supposed to be on top of the situation to monitor that the exercise went smoothly. EFCC vows to appeal Meanwhile, the EFCC has vowed to appeal the ruling on Mr Morro. The Agency averred that the trial court erred in discharging the former minister and his co-defendant, the commissions spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement on Thursday. Backstory PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr Moro supervised the deadly immigration recruitment exercise that led to the death of at least 15 young Nigerians Mr Moro was the interior minister in 2014 when a poorly planned March 15, 2014, recruitment exercise by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) caused the deaths of applicants across Nigeria. The applicants died in stampedes caused by the poor organisation of the recruitment tests in Abuja and other cities. After the March 15 tragedy, several Nigerians demanded Mr Moros resignation as well as the dismissal of the then Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, for involuntary homicide. The minister, who initially blamed impatience and refusal by applicants to abide by instructions for the tragedy, later accepted responsibility for the incident but refused to step down. EFCC later charged Mr Moro with 11 charges of abuse of office, obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering. They were arraigned on February 29, 2016 and re-arraigned on May 11, 2016. They had all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court in a ruling on June 25, 2020, sustained their no- case submission in relation to counts 1,3,6,7,8,9 and 10 of the charge. The defendants allegedly defrauded 675,675 applicants of N675,675,000, with each of the applicants made to pay N1,000 to access an e-portal to apply for the immigration job. The prosecution closed its case with 12 witnesses and 57 documentary exhibits on Nov. 25, 2019. (NAN) SYDNEY, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Multiple evacuation orders were issued in Australia's Sydney, as an ongoing deluge of rain has saturated the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). The NSW has been hit by repeated flash flooding in recent months. The state's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued more flood warnings on Thursday, as six-hour rainfall is likely to reach up to 120 mm, and 180 mm over coastal areas. Residents in parts of the NSW coast and low-lying areas, such as Woronora and Bonnet Bay, were told to evacuate soon. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said anyone unable to stay with family or friends can head to an evacuation center that has been established in Menai. A flood watch has also been issued for central NSW and south coast rivers. The rainfall is expected to continue over the Metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra, and parts of the south coast and southern tablelands. It may also cause minor flooding in the Central Coast, Shoalhaven, Clyde, and Moruya River from Thursday afternoon into Friday. Sydney has now passed its annual long-term average rainfall total, despite it only being early April. Wednesday's rainfall has taken its total for the year to 1,226.8 mm, above the annual average of 1,213.4 mm, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP). BOM said heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and more flash flooding. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are also possible inland until Friday. A gas pipeline operated by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has been vandalised and set ablaze again, barely one week after it was attacked by vandals, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported. The breach of the pipeline cuts the oil firms gas export feed to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas gathering and processing plant. NAN reported that the vandalised point, within Okaka and Azikoro in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was engulfed in flames on Wednesday. Idris Musa, the director-General, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), confirmed the incident to NAN on Thursday. The spills response agency had on March 30 said that its investigations revealed a rising spate of sabotage-induced oil and gas leaks at oilfields in Bayelsa. Mr Musa said three sabotage incidents had occurred on oil and gas facilities in Bayelsa within one week. He advised operators to reinforce surveillance. Mr Musa said vandals blew up the gas pipeline and it went up in flames shortly after it was fixed a few days ago. The Nigerian Agip Oil Company is working actively to depressurise the pipeline in order to affect repairs on it, he said. Officials of NAOC declined comment on the incident, when contacted by a NAN Correspondent. The fire at the pipeline was yet to be put out by Thursday morning. (NAN) Of course, consensus candidacy is not a new clown in our political circus. Its been with us a long time and Buhari was a beneficiary of this rather crooked system when he first contested as presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Progressives Party (ANPP) in 2003. On March 26 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the All Progressives Congress (APC), reinvented a version of consensus politics that ancient Rome and Greece would have been proud of. After years of in-fighting and decay, and fearing that the opposition might rebound, the ruling party finally called its overdue convention. It rounded up aspirants who were jostling for its executive positions and told them, at gunpoint, that it was time to try something new: Consensus. Different tendencies in APC had run amok. President Muhammadu Buhari had to put his foot down and cut a deal with governors, who conceded the chairmanship position to his candidate, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, without offering them anything in return. That is what the consensus entailed all contestants grudgingly accepting that they had agreed to give up their quest, in favour of Adamu, a one-time secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and a significant contributor to former President Olusegun Obasanjos stillborn third term agenda. It was a consensus that handed over the national leadership of the APC to prominent former members of the opposition PDP. They are believed to have repented and now, could go and, well, sin some more. All other aspirants were pressed, literally at gunpoint, to submit their letters of withdrawal in the wee hours of the convention day. As you read this article, there is still a long line of broken and exhausted aspirants outside the partys secretariat in Abuja, waiting to collect even the refunds for their nomination forms, promised nearly three weeks ago. Whatever its shortcomings, consensus appears to be the APCs homegrown answer to the growing calls to self-democratise. Indications are that the PDP may also be heading in the direction of a consensus presidential candidate. For APC, a party that conducted its presidential primaries in 2014 through a delegate voting system, to resort to consensus in 2022, says a lot about how far down the road we have travelled democratically. Of course, consensus candidacy is not a new clown in our political circus. Its been with us a long time and Buhari was a beneficiary of this rather crooked system when he first contested as presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Progressives Party (ANPP) in 2003. During the partys presidential primaries in Abuja that year, Rochas Okorocha and John Nnia Nwodo, who were also aspirants for the ticket, refused to step down for Buhari. Nwodo, in fact, addressed the delegates. He gave a speech in which he said, among other things, that, my heart bleeds for Nigeria. He warned delegates that their party was about to be hijacked and later staged a walk out along with Okorocha and others. In response to the protest, Buhari, the beneficiary of that consensus arrangement, would later describe the walk-out as an act of indiscipline. But that was not even the first consensus arrangement. In 1989, the Babangida regime rejected the six political parties registered by the National Electoral Commission and in their place, created the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). I dont know how it would be achieved in APC. With a slew of candidates that has openly declared interest, including the partys national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Governors Yahaya Bello and Umahi David; and potential aspirants like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Kayode Fayemi; Ogbonnaya Onu; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and Rotimi Amaechi, how will consensus work? The government not only funded these parties, it built secretariats for them in all local government headquarters across the country. It went on to influence the emergence of presidential candidates for the parties by eliminating winners of initial primaries and barring them from re-contesting. It was a brazenly militarised form of consensus, which produced MKO Abiola and Bashir Tofa as candidates for the presidency. The rest is now history. General Sani Abacha also produced his own consensus. He registered five political parties, the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP); Congress for National Consensus (CNC); Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN); and the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN); the famous leprous fingers of one hand. Four of the parties later adopted and endorsed him as their consensus presidential candidate. Only the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) had Alhaji Dikko Yusuf as its candidate an obvious case of a defanged bulldog in a fight, to give the appearance of a contest. By February 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo came through the PDP presidential primaries in Jos, winning 60 per cent, while his closest rival, Alex Ekwueme, got 20 per cent of the vote, with the remaining split among the other aspirants. In opposition to PDP, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All Peoples Party (APP) merged and conceded their ticket to Olu Falae. Whatever the outcome of the PDP primaries, the military had decided that Obasanjo would become president. Everything, including the primaries, was pressed to achieve that outcome. In 2003 Obasanjo won the PDP presidential primaries by a landslide, polling 75 per cent. Rejecting the outcome as a charade, the first runner-up, Alex Ekwueme, who polled 17 per cent of the vote, said the voting system was not in accordance with the regulations of the PDP; his protest was futile because, again, the party had adopted Obasanjo. On his reluctant way out of office in 2007, Obasanjo had stopped all pretence at internal party democracy. He bullied all aspirants and forced all PDP governors to accept Umaru Musa YarAdua as consensus candidate during the partys presidential primaries. But then came 2014, when APC, advertised as the party of change, came on the scene. In spite of pressures for a consensus candidate during the partys primaries, voting by delegates went ahead. Even though there was more money than ballots to be counted at the convention venue in Lagos, the event retained a veneer of competition. That pretence has vanished. PDP is heading towards finding a consensus candidate at its May 28 presidential primary; and Im told by people who should know that that is what Buhari wants for the APC, too. I dont know how it would be achieved in APC. With a slew of candidates that has openly declared interest, including the partys national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Governors Yahaya Bello and Umahi David; and potential aspirants like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Kayode Fayemi; Ogbonnaya Onu; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and Rotimi Amaechi, how will consensus work? Tinubu will step down for Osinbajo and the others? Or all candidates, including Bello who is already being likened to Abiola, will step down for Tinubu? Advertisements How the parties handle the primaries may be their internal affair, but there is clearly evidence that the shambolic way they have carried on and insist on carrying on is partly responsible for voter alienation and apathy at elections. If they have decided to fix their primaries, they may as well finish the job by voting for themselves at elections. Except it is consensus for him, what does consensus mean for a man like Tinubu, for example, who has literally sacrificed himself for Buhari and the party? Or Osinbajo who believes that having been Number two for eight years, he should get the right of first refusal? For its part, PDP, the curator of consensus in Nigerias modern politics, is in turmoil, threatened by its self-made monster. And who knows? When all is said and done, both the opposition and the ruling party may, against the run of expectations, produce Northern presidential candidates, as the fruit of consensus. One leading aspirant told me on Tuesday that, The country is on a knife-edge. If we settle for consensus without the benefit of articulating a vision of how to get the country out of its current circumstances, and allowing party members to judge, we might as well settle for a national unity government and not waste money on elections. A contest is preferable to any hallelujah chorus consensus manipulated from the Villa. Aso Rock laughed in response. Of course, its entirely up to the political parties to decide how they wish to select their flag bearers. Bystanders who dont like the process can wait to use their vote at the polls. Yet, if this is a democracy as I think it is, and the political parties still pretend to be essential actors in the democratic space, it is absurd for them to improvise excuses to dodge open and transparent contests within their ranks. Poorly run parties weaken and deplete themselves. They open the door to needless litigations, complicate the job of the election monitoring agency, and increase the cost of managing the electoral system. In the end, even bystanders bear the cost. How the parties handle the primaries may be their internal affair, but there is clearly evidence that the shambolic way they have carried on and insist on carrying on is partly responsible for voter alienation and apathy at elections. If they have decided to fix their primaries, they may as well finish the job by voting for themselves at elections. And the APC, in particular, should be concerned, if not ashamed. If Adamu and other PDP returnees thought their former party was the home of poor habits, they would find that their present house has borrowed and perfected the worst examples from the opposition. Everything PDP was notorious for, from corruption to incompetence and from fixing elections to fixing party primaries, have now become a part of the APCs DNA. The party is crumbling without even making an effort. That is why it cannot recognise the basic fact that consensus in a party primary to produce the countrys number one citizen, is an error of taste. Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP. A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has promised to assemble the best team of economists to address the nations economic problems, if elected president. Mr Tambuwal at separate consultative meetings with the PDP Caucuses in the Senate and House of Representatives and PDP Board of Trustees in Abuja, also said he would make Nigeria a productive country. It is a collective work. I am not an economist. I cannot pretend, but I can assure you that I will assemble some of the best, the best of the best economists in this country that will be part of the economic team to address economic situation in Nigeria. Importantly, we must address the issue of production. If we cannot produce then you are out. So we must address issue of production, not only to produce for ourselves but to conserve foreign exchange and provide and create more jobs for people. So, on the issue of economy we have to have them segmented from the micro to macro economy. So I believe that is something that we can actually all do together, he said. On security, Mr Tambuwal said if elected, he would address the root causes of insecurity including hunger, poverty and the lack of education. Mr Tambuwal said he would also adopt community approach, community police, recruit more troops and technology to address the menaces that plague the country over time. It is very important that we go back to community and ensure that we have leaders of communities and local governments or states on board on resolving issues of politics. By the grace of God I will adopt a community approach to solving our security problems and deploy technology. As I said, it is not rocket science. When you have technology, you can detect these things early enough, and you can take your action on time, he said. The Sokoto State governor, who decried the state of disunity in the country, said the PDP needed a dynamic person who had what it takes to unite the country to emerge as its standard flag bearer. I believe that in this country, we have the right people. What we require is that leadership that can identify those people and charge them with the responsibility of doing and discharging those responsibilities that they are competent enough to handle and its not rocket science. Mr Tambuwal said under his watch, no segment of the country would be neglected in terms of appointive positions by the government. He said he had demonstrated that when he was the speaker of the House of Representatives where virtually all parts of this country were adequately looked after in terms of assignments and in terms of paying attention to the issues that concerned our people. I believe in this country, that we have all it takes to do it. All we require is to identify the right leadership, irrespective of whether the leadership is going to come from. When you are looking for a physician to treat you, you dont necessarily go for your tribesman or your townsman. You look for the best if you can really find the best because you need that care and attention. The situation where we are in Nigeria today is like a state of emergency. When you are in a state of emergency you require that everything must be marshalled to rescue the situation and that is the situation of Nigeria in every material particular. I am coming to you as my brothers and sisters, with my records, with my content, with my capacity. I know that I understand this country. I have a clear understanding of issues and not only that, I can identify individuals that I can work with as a team that will unite this country. After uniting the country, we will work towards if it is structure, we can sit down and address the issues, Mr Tambuwal said. He also stressed the need for devolution of power, saying devolution is key. Nigeria must devolve to survive. The centre is overloaded and we really need to go back to the local government and state where the people are and give them more responsibilities, more resources, and that is how we are going to do it. Advertisements I believe that these are things that are achievable if you have a president that understand the issues, not only a president with an experience in governance, but a president with experience in democratic governance, Mr Tambuwal said. The Sokoto State governor said he had the experience and clear understanding about dynamic issues in the country, including constitution amendment. I have a clear understanding of not only these issues, I have the right temperament, Mr Tambuwal said. Where we are going in Nigeria, we need a leader that can be accommodating. We need a leader that can listen, we need a leader that can unite this country. (NAN) Some international organisations have expressed outrage over the jailing of an atheist, Mubarak Bala, for Blasphemy by a Kano State High Court. On Tuesday, the court sentenced to 24 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to an 18-count charge levelled against him by the state government. Mr Bala, who is the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested at his home in Kaduna State on April 28, 2020, over his Facebook post, considered being critical of Prophet Mohammed and Islam. The post reportedly caused outrage among Muslims in many parts of Northern Nigeria, who are predominantly Muslims. Mr Bala was subsequently arrested following a petition by a lawyer, S.S Umar, and other Islamic clerics and transferred to Kano State. A day of Shame Responding to the verdict, Humanists International, an umbrella group for atheists around the world, described the jailing of Mr Bala as utterly disgraceful. Today is a sad day for humanism, human rights and freedom in Nigeria. The sentencing of Mubarak Bala is a stark violation of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. We urge the authorities in Nigeria to ensure that this judicial charade does not stand. In a statement posted on its website, Humanists International said it was shocked, adding that the verdict was utterly disgraceful. President of Humanists International, Andrew Copson, said the government denied Mr Bala a fair trial for two years. In the same vein, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom said Mr Bala should not have been charged in the first place. USCIRF is outraged that Nigerian authorities sentenced humanist leader Mubarak Bala to 24 years in prison on blasphemy charges, USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie said. Mr Davie said that Mr Bala pleaded guilty because they subjected him to harsh detention for two years, which led to him having health problems. USCIRF encourages the United States government to engage urgently with Nigerian counterparts to protect Bala from this severe sentence, which is a clear violation of his right to freedom of belief as defined under international law, said another USCIRF Commissioner Tony Perkins Amnesty International Nigeria also joined in condemning the sentence. In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, expressed concern over the court ruling. Amnesty International is concerned that Mubarak Bala has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment under criminal charges for breaching public peace through his Facebook posts of April 2020. No one should go to jail solely for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression, thought, and belief, the tweet read. Many people were feared killed as gunmen razed the headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. The incident happened Thursday afternoon. The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, hails from the local government area. The latest attack occurred a week after gunmen set ablaze the headquarters of Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state. The gunmen killed a security guard on duty during the attack on Nnewi South council headquarters. A resident of the Aguata, Paul Okeke, told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen fired gunshots indiscriminately around the area before setting the Aguata council headquarters ablaze. Mr Okeke said some residents and shop owners close to the area scampered for safety during the attack. Some buildings are already razed, he said. Clips of the incident are being circulated on Facebook and various WhatsApp groups. Several officials were being evacuated from the destroyed council secretariat, according to a clip. Many officials have been feared killed in the attack. The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, however, said what happened was a fire incident. The situation is being monitored, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Fire service has also been contacted to make sure that the fire does not escalate beyond the level it is now. Mr Ikenga said they have deployed police to the area. He said he was yet to get a report on the number of casualties. There have been deadly attacks in Anambra of late, despite Mr Soludos decision to offer amnesty to gunmen terrorising the state. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to the attacks in the state. IPOB is leading the agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra which they want carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south region. The leader of the outlawed group, Nnamdi Kanu, has been detained in Abuja where he is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka on Thursday admitted he preached against the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He, however, added that he urged the youth to mobilise for their candidate of choice. The professor of Comparative Literature spoke at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday. Mr Soyinka has been at the receiving end of criticisms from Nigerians amidst rising hardship and worsening insecurity. A lot of Nigerians blame the literary icon for the role he played in the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. He sought to push back the criticisms, insisting that he never endorsed President Buharis candidacy in 2015. It is false to say that I supported the election of Buhari, he said, adding that what he said at the time was do not vote for Jonathan. He admitted that although he didnt support Mr Jonathans second term bid, he now believes the former president redeemed himself in such a magnificent way. Buhari never won the election, Jonathan lost it, he continued. There are those who see a problem and say lets tackle the problem now and there are others who see a problem and say who is responsible for that problem? In other words, they are looking for someone to blame, he said. Jonathan had a chance to win that election, but he blew it. He maintained that what he said in 2015 was that if Nigerians elect Mr Buhari, they should support him as a born-again democrat and be allowed to carry out his duties. He, however, said Mr Buhari failed Nigeria at its critical moments. He failed when he went to Benue, after the killings by herdsmen, and told the people to live with their neighbours. Having been on the other side of power, he should have had a rethink, but alas, Buhari failed. Agents of deception On Thursday afternoon, Mr Soyinka was a trending topic on Nigerian Twitter, as some social media users shared newspaper headlines in 2015 showing him endorsing Buhari. The Nobel laureate was a staunch critic of the Jonathan administration, sometimes extending his vitriol to the ex-presidents wife and former first lady, Patience Jonathan. In the run-up to the 2015 general election, he, however, distanced himself from media reports claiming he endorsed a presidential or governorship candidate. All such attributions are fabrications by faceless, often self-appointed agents of deception, and should be publicly pilloried, Mr Soyinka had said in a statement in January 2015. Whenever I choose to declare support for a candidate as is my electoral right I shall ensure that I deploy a medium that places my authorship beyond dispute. Internet habitues, Social networks, etc are urged to be less gullible, and avoid becoming cheap conduits for the deception industry. Robbery attacks Mr Soyinka said robbers have attacked his home four times, with the most dramatic happening at his Ogun and Lagos residences before the covid-19 pandemic. He said he reported it to the security operatives, and the Ogun State police commissioner and a former governor, Ibikunle Amosun, intervened, but nothing happened beyond the visits. He said the thieves stole electronic devices in his residence and wondered what information they believed his laptops and mobile devices contained. Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, is said to have accounted for, at least, 11 per cent of new Tuberculosis (TB) cases detected in Nigeria in 2021. The governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this on Thursday during a virtual event tagged; 2022 World TB Day Webinar; Private Sector Collaboration. Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state is the epicentre of infectious diseases because of its high population. He said the state has the highest population density in Africa, insisting that the situation calls for great concern. 11 per cent of the National TB cases happened in Lagos State. This is because we have a high burden of population, he said. The event was organised by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and Anadach Consulting Limited. It was part of the activities marking World TB Day which is annually marked on March 24. Missing cases Speaking at the event, the Lagos States commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, said the majority of TB cases in the state are missing and left untreated. Mr Abayomi said if Lagos State accounts for 11 per cent of the TB burden in Nigeria, then there would be about 64,900 annual TB cases in the state in 2021. We only managed to detect 13,497 cases in 2021, he said. He said of the 13,497 cases detected in 2021, six per cent demonstrated multi-drug-resistance TB. He said this shows there is a deficit of people living in the state with TB but is yet to be identified. Mr Sanwo-Olu, the state governor, said there has been an increased capacity to detect more TB cases in the state. Every year from 2015, we have an increase in the number of detections, meaning there is something good we are doing, he said. He said TB is a disease that can be cured if more cases are presented at the appropriate time. In his remarks, the national coordinator of, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Chukwuma Anyaike, said the missing cases continue to build a reservoir of transmission of TB cases in the country. Mr Anyaike said this is threatening efforts to set goals for TB eradication in the country. Funding gap The Lagos State health commissioner said there is a huge funding gap for TB in Lagos State, noting that it requires about N700 million to fund the disease in 2022 but only N512 million was budgeted by the government. He said donor partners contributed about N105 million to TB management, leaving the state with a funding gap of N120 million. On his part, Mr Anyaike said there is a huge funding gap for the disease in Nigeria generally, adding that funding for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment has continued to fall below expectation. He said this has also led to huge out-of-pocket expenses which further complicate TB eradication in the country. In 2021, 71 per cent of TB patients and their households were affected by the huge cost of treatment, he said. He said increased TB funding from the federal government and international donors is urgently needed to tackle the menace. Private sector involvement Mr Anyaike said the involvement of private sectors in the fight against TB is key to harnessing adequate domestic funding. Advertisements He said the private sector should also invest in TB management and research in the country, saying the federal government cannot do it alone. We can only achieve our set target with strong support and investment from the private sector, he said. Tuberculosis Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that often affects 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. In 2019 alone, the country accounted for over 300,000 undetected cases. Despite TB being a vaccine-preventable disease, statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that every year, about 245,000 Nigerians die from TB, and about 590,000 new cases occur. And of the 590,000 cases, the global body says 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. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to seek international help in combating the perennial security crisis in the country. The playwright spoke at a press conference he tagged Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity, on Thursday in Lagos. He urged Mr Buhari to take help from the international communities even if it means the UN (United Nations) establishing a unit in the country. Mr Soyinka maintained Nigeria is overqualified for international help and should stop hiding under false pride or national integrity. Bola Ige saga The essayist continued his criticism of the APCs selection of Iyiola Omisore the partys national secretary. Mr Omisore had been a key suspect in the 2001 murder of Bola Ige, a former Attorney General of the Federation. Authorities initially detained Mr Omisore for months before releasing him. Mr Omisore has continually maintained he is innocent of the allegations. What I am saying is that once you have been involved in a certain form of activity which will lead to the extinction of a good man, you should not be in a certain position in society, Mr Soyinka said. If Buhari and the APC leadership want to reward someone like Omisore, they should give him an embassy somewhere, maybe in Ukraine. But dont make him a national secretary of a ruling party. Mr Soyinka wondered how someone who attacked Mr Ige by decapping him could be seen as the national secretary of a ruling party. If Omisore is erudite as some people claim, he should know that certain actions like taking off the cap of Bola Ige and tossing it to thugs to play around, which means more, he said. Mr Soyinka clarified he did not mean Mr Omisore is responsible for Mr Iges death, but only frowned at the humiliation of the Yoruba leader. Whoever initiated such action should not aspire to some positions, such as secretary of a ruling party. In his remark, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, said the killers of Mr Ige must be found, while noting that Mr Soyinka had reminded the president of his pledge to reopen an enquiry into Mr Iges death and others. In his remarks, the lawyer stressed he would defend Soyinka in case his speech at the event turned into litigation. Prof. has already dragged me out. So in case he is sued, I have to be his lawyer. I pledge here that if you are sued for exercising your freedom, we would not have you tried like Mubarak Bala, he said. We will defend you free of charge because you are taking up a public interest matter. People gather outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on April 7, 2022. The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday declared Pakistani President Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the National Assembly contrary to the Constitution and restored the government. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday declared Pakistani President Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the National Assembly contrary to the Constitution and restored the government. The apex court also ordered the assembly to summon a session to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The verdict came after the National Assembly rejected the opposition alliance's no-confidence motion against the prime minister on Sunday, declaring it against the country's Constitution. In a short verdict, the Supreme Court said that Khan's advice to the president to dissolve the National Assembly was contrary to the country's Constitution and has no legal effect. Ordering the restoration of the National Assembly, the court directed the assembly's speaker to summon a session before 10:30 a.m. local time Saturday to fulfill the proceedings on the no-confidence motion. A five-member bench chaired by the country's Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial announced the verdict with a unanimous decision of 5-0. In Sunday's session, Deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament Qasim Khan Suri gave the ruling after listening to the argument of the country's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who said that the motion against Khan has been moved after a powerful foreign country wished for "regime change" in the country. Amid the chants of "The Friend of the United States is a Traitor," Chaudhry said that Khan's pursuit of an independent foreign policy has angered the said country, which conspired against Khan. Policemen stand guard outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on April 7, 2022. The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday declared Pakistani President Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the National Assembly contrary to the Constitution and restored the government. (Str/Xinhua) LVIV, Ukraine, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned humanitarian Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE has been appointed to head Aerial Recovery United Kingdom, the newly established UK arm of the US non-profit Aerial Global Community. Aerial Recovery UK has been created to facilitate and simplify the process by which UK based individuals and organisations can aid the Aerial Recovery orphan rescue and support missions. Allesch-Taylor has been operating in Ukraine as a member of the leadership team of Aerial Recovery, working to coordinate the evacuation of orphanages in Ukraine, for several weeks. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has trapped thousands of vulnerable orphaned children, either behind, or in the path of Russian military advances and shelling, often in blockaded areas, in desperate situations with no access to food, medicine, water, or sanitation. UNICEF estimates that over 100,000 children live in orphanages or institutional homes in Ukraine. Russia's war in Ukraine has forced a million children to flee, but many children in institutional care remain trapped according to Save the Children. "These children are some of the most vulnerable in Ukraine and face a heightened risk of trafficking, abuse, and other forms of exploitation" said Irina Saghoyan, Eastern European Director of Save The Children in a statement last week. Since his appointment, Allesch-Taylor has supplied medical equipment, transport vehicles, drivers, administrative personnel, communications, and strategic counsel to support Aerial Recovery's forward rescue teams. Aerial Recovery has formal approval from the Ukrainian Military Administration and Child Services in Lviv Oblast, headed by Volodymyr Lys, to evacuate children from orphanages in especially dangerous locations. In the last few weeks Aerial Recovery, composed primarily of former US Special Forces veterans, has rescued over 600 children from dangerous and dire conditions in Eastern Ukraine and relocated them to safe areas in Western Ukraine. Another key element of Aerial's mission is to protect the children from human traffickers operating around the borders of Ukraine and the organisation works hand in hand with the Ukrainian Government to ensure the children are protected and, equally importantly, stay visible and accounted for. Aerial Recovery UK is inviting organisations and individuals in the UK who can offer assistance to get in touch via email: jana@aerialrecovery.org.uk Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE FKC FRSA A highly experienced and multi-award-winning philanthropist, Allesch-Taylor has led NGOs in challenging environments in Africa through which he has partnered, most notably, with the United Kingdom FCDO, USAid and UNICEF. He is a recognised expert in humanitarian interventions. Allesch-Taylor is an experienced financier and entrepreneur and is King's College London's Professor of the Practice of Entrepreneurship. In 2017 a charity he Chairs, Pump Aid was awarded 'Charity of the Year' (Aid & Development) at the UK Annual Charity Awards for its pioneering solution to alleviating water and food poverty in Malawi. He has worked extensively in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa, providing safe education, sustenance, and support to over 6,000 children between the ages of 2 and 6 to get them 'School Ready' through his NGO the Afri-Can Children's Charity. Media Contact: Zara Shirwan - zara@zscomms.com SOURCE Aerial Recovery UK Caverion Corporation Investor News 7 April 2022 at 10.00 a.m. EEST HELSINKI, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caverion has the pleasure to invite analysts, institutional investors and media to its Capital Markets Day in Helsinki, Finland. The event will take place on Tuesday, 10 May 2022 at 11.00 a.m.2.45 p.m. local time (EEST) at Hilton Helsinki Strand, John Stenbergin ranta 4, Helsinki. All presentations can be also followed through a live webcast at www.caverion.com/investors. The event focuses on Caverion's business prospects and plans to deliver sustainable growth. Through management presentations, the attendees will hear about Caverion's actions to reach sustainable growth and financial targets through a clear differentiation in the market. More information about topics of the day will be published closer to the event. In addition to President and CEO Jacob Gotzsche, the speakers of the day include Kari Sundback (Executive Vice President, Services, Solutions, Digital and Strategy) and Riitta Palomaki (Interim CFO) and other experts specialised in Caverion's strategy and business focus areas. All presentations will be webcasted. Webcast details, a more detailed schedule, as well as information on practical arrangements, can be found on the company's website at www.caverion.com/investors closer to the event. The presentation materials will also be made available on the day of the event under the same link. The event and all the materials will be delivered in English. Registration for onsite participation The participants are kindly asked to register by 25 April 2022. To sign up, please use the registration form, which can also be found on Caverion's website at www.caverion.com/investors. Due to precautions related to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of participants in the physical meeting may be limited to the maximum number of participants set by the Regional State Administrative Agency, as applicable at the time of the event. The participants are also invited to join a lunch with the Caverion management. The lunch begins in Hilton Helsinki Strand in the same premises at 11 a.m. EEST. Registration and more information >> Preliminary programme 11:00 12:00 a.m. Lunch with Caverion's management 12:00 2:45 p.m. Presentations Sustainable growth through clear differentiation , Jacob Gotzsche, President and CEO , Jacob Gotzsche, President and CEO Our strategic differentiation , Kari Sundback, Executive Vice President, Services, Solutions, Digital and Strategy , Kari Sundback, Executive Vice President, Services, Solutions, Digital and Strategy Our business focus areas (Group session), Headed by Niko Koivuniemi , Head of Strategy and Portfolio Headed by , Head of Strategy and Portfolio Sustainable growth in financial terms , Riitta Palomaki, Interim CFO , Riitta Palomaki, Interim CFO Summary of the day, Jacob Gotzsche, President and CEO For additional information, please contact: Milena Hggstrom, Head of Investor Relations and External Communications, Caverion Corporation, tel. +358 40 5581 328, milena.haeggstrom@caverion.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/caverion/r/invitation-to-caverion-s-capital-markets-day-2022,c3541751 SOURCE Caverion STOCKHOLM, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Storytel's Q1 streaming revenues came in at 699 MSEK, in line with forecasts for both the Nordics and Non-Nordics segments. This represents a +35% year-on-year growth (+33% with constant exchange rates). Adjusting for the acquisition of the US streaming service Audiobooks.com, the organic year-on-year streaming growth was +19%. Streaming revenues in the Nordics for the first quarter of 2022 came in at 459 MSEK, which is within the forecasted range. The average number of paying subscribers in Q1 in the Nordic segment was 1,061,000. Q1 2022 streaming revenues for the Non-Nordics segment totalled 240 MSEK, compared to 115 MSEK in Q1 2021, representing one third of total streaming revenues for Storytel. This corresponds to an annual revenue growth of 108%. The acquisition of Audiobooks.com contributed considerably in the first quarter with revenue of 82 MSEK and an increased ARPU to 81 SEK for the segment, compared to 66 SEK a year ago. The quarter also included a slight negative revenue effect due to Storytel's communicated pause of its Russian operations in March. The average number of paying subscribers in the Non-Nordics segment was 990,000, an increase with 406,900 paying subscribers, compared to the first quarter of 2021. "In January 2022, Storytel closed its acquisition of Audiobooks.com, marking our entry to the US market. Entering and expanding our presence to the English-speaking world underlines our strategy to launch and expand our service in more established audiobook markets. Organic growth is healthy across both the Nordics and Non-Nordics segments and I am happy that we have surpassed 2 million paying subscribers a big milestone on our growth journey," says Ingrid Bojner , acting CEO of Storytel. Table 1: Key Performance Indicators for Streaming TSEK Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 Q4 2021 Q1 2022 Q1 2022 Streaming Total* Actual Forecast Revenue 517,075 545,451 583,084 605,128 698,599 693,000-700,000 Contribution Profit** 97,592 105,933 94,655 71,501 Contribution Margin** 18.9% 19.4% 16.2% 11.8% Avg. Paying Subscribers*** 1,540,600 1,626,900 1,724,000 1,784,600 2,051,000 ARPU (SEK/Month) 112 112 113 113 114 Streaming Nordics* Revenue 401,834 423,323 447,199 459,018 458,555 458,000-460,000 Contribution Profit 119,418 127,010 135,684 128,319 Contribution Margin 29.7% 30.0% 30.3% 28.0% Avg. Paying Subscribers 957,500 983,600 1,024,000 1,047,900 1,061,000 ARPU (SEK/Month) 140 143 146 146 144 Streaming Non-Nordics Revenue 115,240 122,128 135,885 146,110 240,044 235,000-240,000 Contribution Profit -21,826 -21,078 -41,030 -56.817 Contribution Margin -18.9% -17.3% -30.2% -38.9% Avg. Paying Subscribers 583,100 643,300 700,000 736,700 990,000 ARPU (SEK/Month) 66 63 65 66 81 *Storytel Norway is included in the figures @ 100%. In the consolidated accounts, Norway is reported in accordance with the equity method. **Replaced in the Q1-report by gross profit/margin in connection with transition to IFRS. ***The definition of paying subscribers has been adjusted in the first quarter to include all subscribers, whereas heavily discounted subscribers were previously excluded (no revenue impact, adding approximately 14,300 subscribers). FNCA Sweden AB is the company's certified adviser. FNCA can be reached at info@fnca.se or +46 8 528 00 399. This information is such that Storytel AB (publ) is obliged to disclose in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was provided, through the agency of the below contact persons, at the time stated in this press release, by Cision. For further information, please contact: Andreas Lindblom, Head of Investor Relations Tel: +46 72 506 14 22 Email: andreas.lindblom@storytel.com Dan Panas, Head of Communications & PR Tel: +46 70 186 52 90 Email: dan.panas@storytel.com About Storytel Storytel is one of the world's largest audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers over 700,000 titles on a global scale. Our vision is to make the world a more empathetic and creative place, with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime. The streaming business within the Storytel Group is conducted under the brands Storytel, Mofibo and Audiobooks.com. The publishing business is managed by Storytel Books, and by the audiobook publisher StorySide. The Storytel Group operates in over 25 markets. The headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/storytel/r/storytel-s-q1-2022-streaming-revenue-in-line-with-forecast,c3541381 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Storytel HR initiatives are often denied or postponed because of a lack of organizational buy-in. These initiatives can often be complex and expensive and require a significant amount of planning to implement successfully. A financial business case is sometimes used to justify these initiatives, but it often lacks well-defined project objectives. Once the business case is approved, it is often forgotten, eliminating a critical check and balance of benefit realization. According to McLean & Company, a clear business case for a key HR initiative can make the difference between project success or failure. Effective cases go beyond getting approval for an initiative; the business case is a living document that offers governance and traceability throughout the project. Organizations should use it as a tool to review and track the realization of the proposed benefits at project inception, during implementation, and after the project goes live. McLean & Company's framework, found in the newly released blueprint, models the process to develop a sound case that will allow HR leaders to define initiative objectives and requirements, analyze the alternatives, and present the HR business case. This type of approach will help HR leaders to: Understand the drivers for decision making in the organization and the way initiatives are evaluated. Compile a compelling business case that provides stakeholders with sufficient information to make decisions confidently. Evaluate proposed HR initiatives "apples to apples" using a standardized and repeatable methodology. Provide a mechanism for tracking initiative performance during and after implementation. HR leaders can learn more about how best to articulate and track projected successes by downloading and reading the complete Develop a Sound HR Business Case to Accelerate Buy-In research blueprint. To learn more about McLean & Company and to download all the latest research, visit hr.mcleanco.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter. Media professionals are encouraged to register for McLean & Company's Media Insiders program for more research and insights. This program provides unrestricted, on-demand access to HR, IT, and software industry content, as well as subject matter experts from a group of over 200 research analysts. To apply for access, contact [email protected]. About McLean & Company Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. SOURCE McLean & Company HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AK Jensen Group ("AKJ"), the leading provider of crypto trading and investment solutions for fund managers and professional investors, today announced that AKJ Digital Assets FoF ("AKJ FoF"), a crypto hedge fund of funds, has been ranked #1 in performance across its global peer group, based on data from Eurekahedge. AKJ FoF, which generated a return of 1,763% from inception in January 2019 through the end of December 2021, also outperformed all of its key sector benchmarks since inception and for the year 2021. AKJ FoF forms part of the larger AKJ Ecosystem, the leading crypto enterprise of its kind in Europe, providing services and solutions to institutional investors. Anders Kvamme Jensen, Portfolio Manager of AKJ FoF, said: "We are pleased with the performance of the fund and believe that its competitive positioning will only strengthen over time, as the fund's increasing size, scale and collective intelligence continue to drive a virtuous cycle." Neal Mitra, CEO of the Crypto Hub of the AKJ Ecosystem, added: "The fund of funds is the central component of all that we do within crypto at AKJ. In this capacity the fund benefits from differentiated access to top crypto fund managers, managed and diversified exposure to the crypto economy, reduced operating costs, and the ability to provide a waiver of all fees for qualifying investors. The global ranking simply reflects the structural features that we have developed for sustained outperformance." About AK Jensen Group Limited The AKJ Group (being AKJt Holdings Limited and AK Jensen Group Limited and their subsidiaries) manages the AKJ Ecosystem, a fully integrated crypto environment that provides institution-grade solutions for hedge fund managers and managed, diversified access to the crypto economy for institutional investors. The AKJ Ecosystem, which has over US$1 billion in ecosystem assets and provides services to clients with an additional US$11 billion in AuM, is the leading crypto hedge fund ecosystem in Europe. The ecosystem provides seed and accelerator capital to qualifying fund managers through the AKJ Digital Assets FoF, a crypto hedge fund of funds that has been the #1 ranked fund in performance across its global peer group, based on data from Eurekahedge. The interests of all participants investors, fund managers and providers are aligned through AKJ Token, a corporate enterprise token that fuels the ecosystem. The AKJ Group, established in 1995, is owned by shareholders who collectively have over US$24 billion in assets under management. The group serves hedge fund and institutional clients in 35 countries around the world. For more information about AKJ visit: https://www.akj.com. SOURCE AKJt Holdings Limited KIEV, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that talks between Ukraine and Russia will continue despite the evidence of "atrocities carried out by the Russian military", the Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday. "In any case, we must find even small opportunities for the negotiation process. Without this, I think it is difficult to end the war," Zelensky was quoted as saying in an interview with Turkey's Haberturk television channel. Zelensky emphasized the importance of the mediation mission of other countries, including Turkey, in the talks. At least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, some 28 km northwest of Kiev after the Ukrainian army retook control of the town from the Russian military. Zelensky earlier called the killings of civilians in Bucha a "war crime". The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of alleged killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha in Ukraine's Kiev region. "All photographs and video materials published by the Kiev regime, allegedly evidencing some kind of 'crimes' committed by Russian military personnel in the city of Bucha, Kiev region, are another provocation," the ministry said in a statement. It said that during the time the settlement was under control of the Russian forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions, adding that "all Russian units completely withdrew from Bucha on March 30." BANGALORE, India, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Antiseptic and Disinfectant Market is Segmented by Type (Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Chlorine Compounds, Enzyme , Alcohols & Aldehyde Products), by Application (Medical Treatment, Chemical Industry, Food and Beverage). Global Antiseptic and Disinfectant market size is about 46 Billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 6.3%. Major factors driving the growth of the Antiseptic and Disinfectant market: Factors such as the recent Covid-19 outbreak, the growing need to reduce HAI cases, the rising number of surgeries worldwide, the increasing percentage of hospitals and advanced healthcare facilities worldwide, and the rising trend of the health club and fitness centers are expected to propel the antiseptic and disinfectant market forward. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-13L3151/Global_Antiseptic_and_Disinfectant TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF ANTISEPTIC AND DISINFECTANT MARKET: COVID-19 outbreak is expected to drive the global antiseptics and disinfectants market during the forecast period. Sanitizing frequently is thought to be an effective way to stop the disease from spreading. The increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19 is driving up market demand. Sanitizing isolation wards and other areas where disinfectants are used is critical. Germ-borne illness can be reduced by frequently washing hands with antiseptic liquids. Manufacturers are putting in a lot of effort to supply the market with the required number of products. Furthermore, with the spread of COVID-19, the number of hospitals and clinics is growing, which is positively impacting the market growth. The need to combat HAI (Hospital Acquired Infections) is expected to fuel the market for antiseptics and disinfectants. Because medical devices and endoscopes come into close contact with the skin and body, proper reprocessing is essential to prevent infection from spreading from one patient to the next. Approaches are required in hospitals to maintain adequate hygiene and sanitation, reducing the risk of HAIs. Throughout the forecast period, this trend is expected to fuel antiseptics and disinfectants market growth. Furthermore, an increase in the number of surgeries performed globally is expected to drive antiseptics and disinfectants market growth over the forecast period. The government is implementing a variety of policies and regulations to reduce the number of infections caused by HAIs and to raise awareness about personal and household hygiene, which is helping the antiseptic and disinfectant markets grow. Chemicals are commonly used to sanitize and disinfect product contact surfaces in the food industry. These chemicals are a necessary and mandatory step in ensuring that the foods produced and consumed are free of microorganisms that can cause foodborne illnesses as possible. These factors are expected to further drive the growth of the Antiseptic and disinfectant market. Furthermore, industrial food production is governed by relatively strict legal regulations to protect consumers from poor hygiene and food poisoning, as well as manufacturers from damage claims and shutdowns. In the food and catering industry, hygiene regulations are just one of many requirements that manufacturers must meet. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-13L3151/global-antiseptic-and-disinfectant ANTISEPTIC AND DISINFECTANT MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS: Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative segment. Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-13L3151/Global_Antiseptic_and_Disinfectant Key Companies 3M Reckitt Benckiser STERIS plc Kimberly-Clark Corporation Bio-Cide International Inc. Cardinal Health Novartis AG BD Johnson & Johnson Company ABC Compounding Advanced Sterilization Products American Biotech Labs Angelini Pharma InC. Nufarm Limited Carefusion Corp Nanjing Golden Chemical Guangzhou Guyi Chemical, Science &Technology. Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-13L3151/Global_Antiseptic_and_Disinfectant Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-13L3151&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - The global UV disinfection equipment market was valued at USD 1.3 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 5.7 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.1% from 2020 to 2027. - The global Surface Disinfectant market was valued at USD 729.5 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1215.5 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2021-2027. - The Alcohol Based Disinfectant market size is expected to grow from USD 1626.7 Million in 2020 to USD 2606.1 Million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% during 2021-2027. - The global Quaternary Ammonium Compounds market was valued at USD 1070.1 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1548.1 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2021-2027. - The cleanroom consumables market was valued at USD 3688.38 million in 2020, and it is anticipated to reach USD 6658.35 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of about 5.40% during the forecast period (2021 to 2030). - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Hand Sanitizers market size is estimated to be worth USD 2232.3 Million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 2940.6 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.7% during the review period. - In 2020, the global Hydrogen Peroxide market size was USD 4909 Million and it is expected to reach USD 6632.6 Million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 4.3% during 2021-2027. - The global Surfactants market size is projected to reach USD 38320 Million by 2027, from USD 31910 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 3.1% during 2021-2027. - The Global sodium hypochlorite market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.01% during the forecast period 2020-2026. - Global Disinfectant Wipes Market Outlook 2021 - Global Antiseptic Products Market Outlook 2022 Click here to see related reports on Antiseptic and Disinfectant Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. 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Out-of-Scope: Hospitals Research centers Others To gain further insights on the market contribution of various segments Request for a FREE sample Arbovirus Testing Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.6% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 320.5 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.0 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 43% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Germany, UK, and China Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies Inc., Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., DiaSorin SpA, Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH, PerkinElmer Inc., Response Biomedical Corp., Tecan Group Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., AESKU.GROUP GmbH and Co. KG, ARUP Laboratories, BioAgilytix Labs, Copley Scientific Ltd., Distek Inc., Fluke Biomedical, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and Merck KGaA Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization preview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Highlights- Segmentation- The report extensively covers market segmentation by End-user (diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, research centers, and others) and Geography [ North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW)] The report extensively covers market segmentation by End-user (diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, research centers, and others) and Geography [ , , , and Rest of World (ROW)] Key Companies- Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies Inc., Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., DiaSorin SpA, Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH, PerkinElmer Inc., Response Biomedical Corp., Tecan Group Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., AESKU.GROUP GmbH and Co. KG, ARUP Laboratories, BioAgilytix Labs, Copley Scientific Ltd., Distek Inc., Fluke Biomedical, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and Merck KGaA among others Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies Inc., Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., DiaSorin SpA, Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH, PerkinElmer Inc., Response Biomedical Corp., Tecan Group Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., AESKU.GROUP GmbH and Co. KG, ARUP Laboratories, BioAgilytix Labs, Copley Scientific Ltd., Distek Inc., Fluke Biomedical, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and Merck KGaA among others Driver- Growing cases of viral infections to drive the market Growing cases of viral infections to drive the market Challenge- High cost of rapid diagnostic products to hamper the market growth Download FREE Sample: for more additional information about the Arbovirus Testing Market Vendor Insights- The arbovirus testing market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as investment in R&D to compete in the market. Abbott Laboratories- The company offers arbovirus testing solutions that help enable earlier diagnosis, appropriate therapy selection, personalized care, and infectious disease monitoring. The company offers arbovirus testing solutions that help enable earlier diagnosis, appropriate therapy selection, personalized care, and infectious disease monitoring. Bio Rad Laboratories Inc.- The company offers arbovirus testing solutions that helps to obtain results fast and accurately by scaling up research capabilities with automation and flexible technologies. The company offers arbovirus testing solutions that helps to obtain results fast and accurately by scaling up research capabilities with automation and flexible technologies. Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings- The company offers arbovirus testing solutions that are intended for the qualitative detection of human IgM antibodies to Eastern Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, and California Encephalitis group viruses in a single sample. Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. Download Free Sample Report Learn More about Key Driver & Challenge of the Market- Arbovirus Testing Market Driver: Growing cases of viral infections: For instance, in recent years, Bangladesh witnessed an upsurge of vector-borne disease outbreaks in Dhaka city, especially dengue and chikungunya. The first-ever massive chikungunya outbreak in 2017 was followed by the largest outbreak of dengue in 2019. While dengue was causing small outbreaks every few years since its first appearance in 2000, the 2019 outbreak broke all records. It caused the hospitalization of more than 100,000 dengue patients, affecting every age group and socioeconomic stratum. Thus, the growing cases of arbovirus disease will lead to increased arbovirus testing, which, in turn, will positively impact the market in focus during the forecast period. Arbovirus Testing Market Challenge: High cost of rapid diagnostic products: The types of testing equipment used for diagnosis are associated with higher costs incurred by the end-users, such as hospitals, clinics, diagnostics laboratories. The average annual cost to treat hospitalized WNV patients costs can exceed USD 700,000 per patient. In addition, the process of collecting a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) sample is complicated, costly, and the sample preparation is difficult and requires highly trained operators. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) sample degradation is an issue that leads to false negatives. Therefore, the high cost of analyzers, assays, and related frequently used consumables create budget constraints for end-users and patients, which may hinder the market growth during the forecast period. Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Challenges mentioned in our FREE sample report. Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Customize Report- Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time. We offer USD 1,000 worth of FREE customization at the time of purchase. Speak to our Analyst now! Here are Some Similar Topics- 3D Cell Culture Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The 3D cell culture market share is expected to increase by USD 1.28 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 15.69%. To get more exclusive research insights: Download Free Sample Report Legionella Testing Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The legionella testing market share is expected to increase by USD 153.27 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 8.41%. To get more exclusive research insights: Download Free Sample Report Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user 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 between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 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 End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user 5.3 Diagnostic laboratories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Diagnostic laboratories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Diagnostic laboratories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Diagnostic laboratories - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Diagnostic laboratories - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Research centers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Research centers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Research centers - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Research centers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Research centers - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 40: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 42: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 44: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 45: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 46: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 47: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 48: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 49: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 85: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 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 Abbott Laboratories Exhibit 93: Abbott Laboratories - Overview Exhibit 94: Abbott Laboratories - Business segments Exhibit 95: Abbott Laboratories - Key news Exhibit 96: Abbott Laboratories - Key offerings Exhibit 97: Abbott Laboratories - Segment focus 10.4 Agilent Technologies Inc. Exhibit 98: Agilent Technologies Inc. - Overview Exhibit 99: Agilent Technologies Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 100: Agilent Technologies Inc. - Key news Exhibit 101: Agilent Technologies Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 102: Agilent Technologies Inc. - Segment focus 10.5 Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. Exhibit 103: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Overview Exhibit 104: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 105: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Key news Exhibit 106: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 107: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Segment focus 10.6 DiaSorin SpA Exhibit 108: DiaSorin SpA - Overview Exhibit 109: DiaSorin SpA - Business segments Exhibit 110: DiaSorin SpA - Key news Exhibit 111: DiaSorin SpA - Key offerings Exhibit 112: DiaSorin SpA - Segment focus 10.7 Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings Exhibit 113: Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings - Overview Exhibit 114: Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings - Business segments Exhibit 115: Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings - Key news Exhibit 116: Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings - Key offerings Exhibit 117: Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings - Segment focus 10.8 NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH Exhibit 118: NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH - Overview Exhibit 119: NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 120: NovaTec Immundiagnostica GmbH - Key offerings 10.9 PerkinElmer Inc. Exhibit 121: PerkinElmer Inc. - Overview Exhibit 122: PerkinElmer Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 123: PerkinElmer Inc. - Key news Exhibit 124: PerkinElmer Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 125: PerkinElmer Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Response Biomedical Corp. Exhibit 126: Response Biomedical Corp. - Overview Exhibit 127: Response Biomedical Corp. - Product / Service Exhibit 128: Response Biomedical Corp. - Key offerings 10.11 Tecan Group Ltd. Exhibit 129: Tecan Group Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 130: Tecan Group Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 131: Tecan Group Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 132: Tecan Group Ltd. - Segment focus 10.12 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Exhibit 133: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Overview Exhibit 134: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 135: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key news Exhibit 136: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 137: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 138: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 139: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 140: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 141: Research methodology Exhibit 142: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 143: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 144: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio "President Chrite personifies our strong belief in the power of business to create solutions to human problems," said Bentley Trustee Chair J. Paul Condrin '83, P'19 '22. "For much of his career, he has dedicated himself to improving business education, developing market-based economies and expanding economic opportunities for organizations and people around the world. President Chrite is a shining example of the type of leader we hope all of our students aspire to be using knowledge, wisdom, compassion and a strong business mindset to change the world." Chrite has more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education. Before Bentley, he was the president of Bethune-Cookman University, an iconic historically Black college in Florida. He also served as dean of the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business and of the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University and in academic and senior leadership roles at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In a tradition-steeped ceremony at the Bentley Arena, Chrite walked to the stage as part of an academic procession of more than 200 delegates, many from other colleges and universities who were lined up precisely based on the year of their founding, from Harvard University (1636) and Yale (1701) to William James College (1974) and Olin College of Engineering (1997). The delegates wore satin-lined hoods and brightly colored cassock-like gowns reflecting the college that awarded their highest degree and the field in which it was earned beige for Accounting and Business, copper for Economics, purple for Law. As he rose and stepped to the podium, Chrite looked over an audience that included his wife Phyllis, children Elrie, Adriana and Jordan, and friends from across the country. Blue inauguration pennants waved throughout the crowd, and many students wore inauguration T-shirts with "Chrite - 9" on the back to welcome and honor the university's ninth president. Chrite said he and Phyllis were "deeply moved by the outpouring of support, goodwill and generosity expressed here this afternoon." He said Bentley's greatest strength is its ability to empower the next generation of students and business leaders to realize their full potential. "The American Dream includes the possibility that all citizens have the opportunity to move up or down the economic ladder," he said. "In a society that is neither fully meritocratic nor egalitarian, higher education in general and places like Bentley in particular represent a vital gateway to mobility. "Mobility, access and opportunity are ideas that were central to our university at its founding," he said. Bentley was founded by Harry C. Bentley in 1917 to prepare a new generation of students for professional careers in business, and the university has been reinventing business education for more than a century. Chrite, the university's first Black president, has worked to develop the private sector and spur development and economic opportunities for residents around the world, including in Afghanistan, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Trustee Nick Stavropoulous '79, in remarks read in his absence by fellow trustee Lebone Moses '02, praised Chrite as "a leader who may look unlike any we've ever had but whose commitment to using business to do good in the world represents every single one of us." Chrite started as Bentley's president on June 1, 2021, but asked that his inauguration be delayed so the university could focus on students last fall and a full return to operations after the pandemic. Debora Spar, PhD , Jaime and Josefina Chua Tiampo Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean of business and global society at Harvard Business School, said she observed three successful leadership traits in Chrite: common sense, heart and the ability to make tough decisions. Spar, who also serves as a university trustee, said in her keynote address that Chrite was the type of educational leader who remains "perpetually willing to seek and revel in the magic that education can, and should, bring." "Brent is that kind of leader," she said. "He has seen the transformative power of education in his own life and has dedicated his life to bringing that same transformation to others." B. Joseph White, PhD , president emeritus at the University of Illinois, has known Chrite for 30 years since they worked together at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He said a university president has many jobs, including setting the school's direction, raising money and being chief HR person for the faculty but those aren't the most important. "The most important job is creating an environment in which young adults with the guidance of the faculty can learn, develop and thrive. Find their way. Nail down their values. Experience achievement. Overcome adversity. Prepare for the future," White said in his keynote address. "Brent will deliver that leadership: firm and friendly, with clarity and consensus, through diligence and deliberation." Others spoke of the connections Chrite had quickly made with the Bentley community. Since arriving on campus, he has become a popular and often-seen fixture working out at the Dana Center gym, participating in on-campus events or just walking around campus with his backpack from meeting to meeting. "I see President Chrite as the president of the masses," said Hiral Mehta MSBA '22, MBA '22. "Through my interactions with him both formally or informally, at graduate events or at the gym, what stuck with me is his rigor and passion to make a difference and create a strong, diverse and engaging community." After the keynote addresses were finished, Board Chair Condrin stepped to the podium and called Chrite forward for the moment all had been waiting for. Condrin lifted the university's presidential medallion a chain symbolizing the authority of the office that includes the names of every past Bentley president over Chrite's head and placed it onto his shoulders. "We are confident that your enthusiasm for Bentley University's mission, vision and core values; your wise and collaborative leadership style; and your belief in the power of business to create solutions to human problems will enable the institution to fulfill its great promise for years to come," Condrin said. "On behalf of the board of trustees, I welcome you as president of Bentley University. You have our full confidence and unwavering support to lead this institution through the next chapter in its history." Bentley University is more than just one of the nation's top business schools. It is a lifelong-learning community that creates successful leaders who make business a force for positive change. With a combination of business and the arts and sciences and a flexible, personalized approach to education, Bentley provides students with critical thinking and practical skills that prepare them to lead successful, rewarding careers. Founded in 1917, the university enrolls 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate and PhD students and is set on 163 acres in Waltham, Massachusetts, 10 miles west of Boston. For more information, visit bentley.edu. SOURCE Bentley University The London -based event will welcome 150 guests including funds, businesses and delegates from the crypto and traditional markets ST. JULIANS, Malta, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BEQUANT, the digital asset prime brokerage and exchange, is pleased to announce it is hosting a market-first crypto capital introduction forum in London on the 26 April 2022. The forum will bring together a selection of professional fund managers operating across multiple strategies, including Market Neutral Digital Currency Arbitrage, DEFI Market Neutral Yield Farming and Volatility & Skew Arbitrage. The crypto market has grown from a value of $767bn to $2.22tr from the start of 2021 to the end of the year as more businesses look to raise capital to establish themselves in this burgeoning market, many are struggling to find the right sources of capital for them. BEQUANT is launching its inaugural capital introduction forum to help these businesses and investors find their next partners. Delegates can register their interest and join a selected group of fund managers and investors for an afternoon of networking, problem-solving and learning with a packed agenda. The agenda will include presentations from each of the funds, panel discussions, a fireside conversation and a presentation from BEQUANT CEO George Zarya on BEQUANT's prime brokerage platform, BEQUANT PRO. George Zarya, Founder and CEO, BEQUANT, commented "The crypto market has grown exponentially over the last three years and we are thrilled to be able to facilitate the first capital introduction forum to aid further growth of the digital asset space." "These types of events have been common in the traditional finance space and we feel now is the perfect time to help growing businesses connect with our prime brokerage clients to help realize their funding strategies in the crypto space. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the event on 26 April." Event details Location: The Biltmore Hotel Mayfair, London Date: 26 April 2022 Time: 12:00pm Register interest: https://research.bequant.pro/cap-intro-2022 Registration for this forum is limited and free for fund managers and investors. The registration process is manual and seats are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information please contact us at [email protected]. About BEQUANT BEQUANT is where traditional investing meets cryptocurrency - a one stop solution for professional digital asset investors and institutions. Located and regulated in Malta, BEQUANT's breadth of products include prime brokerage, custody and fund administration, all enhanced by an institutional trading platform providing low-latency trading, liquidity and direct market access for investors. The BEQUANT team is composed of experts from institutional, retail and digital financial services with experience in banking, derivatives, electronic trading and prime brokerage. BEQUANT Pro Limited 2022 Contact Kez Duxbury Head of PR [email protected] SOURCE Bequant BlueSnap now offers three products to allow flexibility and speed to market for software platforms looking to drive new revenue while enhancing user experience in global markets. BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueSnap, a global payment orchestration platform committed to helping B2B and B2C businesses accept and optimize payments around the world, has launched its Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service offering for software platforms looking to scale their customer base globally. BlueSnap has been helping software platforms monetize their payments for several years with their Integrated Payments for Platforms. The new Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service suite expands and innovates on this to include three new products: BlueSnap Dash, BlueSnap Relay and BlueSnap Flex. These solutions are designed to help software platforms drive revenue growth, enhance the user experience, and increase product retention. BlueSnap developed these products to give software companies the flexibility to choose which model of embedded payments suits their specific needs. BlueSnap is one of very few providers worldwide to support the global payment facilitation model. Ralph Dangelmaier, CEO of BlueSnap, said: "The traditional development cycle for payments processing infrastructure and global licensing takes up to three years in-house. This extended time to market puts software companies at risk of falling behind competitors and losing traction with customers. BlueSnap is on a mission to help empower platforms to reach customers globally and profit from a key, but often overlooked, part of the customer journey - payments. That's why we've developed three tailored solutions for businesses, so that they can crawl, walk, or run on their journey to become payment facilitators - choosing the best option for their growth cycle and the unique needs of their company." BlueSnap Dash : The fastest speed-to-market offering, this is BlueSnap's hosted turnkey solution. BlueSnap Relay : The quick-to-market, white-label Payfac-as-a-Service offering shields businesses from risk while simultaneously letting them brand it their way. BlueSnap Flex: The branded Payfac-as-a-Service solution that leverages BlueSnap's APIs while giving software platforms complete control. The expansion comes amid growing demand for embedded payments among software firms worldwide, with the industry set to grow by over 40% to reach $124 billion in 2022. According to BlueSnap research, over 2 in 5 tech leaders are now considering becoming payment facilitators. And the vast majority (88%) would opt to embed third-party technology into their platform instead of building a payment facilitation solution from the ground up. BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions enable companies to build and implement their own branded payment experiences globally, which can increase revenue for their business through payment monetization. Software platforms leveraging BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions are able to build more meaningful revenue streams because of the ability to profit from payments revenue as well as increase customer retention. According to research from JPMorgan., software platforms can see a two to five time increase in revenue per customer using embedded payments. This means that any Independent Software Vendor (ISV) can become a payment facilitator without wasting time, money, and resources building a solution from scratch. It also significantly reduces the risk for software platforms by alleviating the responsibility of meeting and tracking complex regulatory guidelines and compliance rules. BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service is part of their All-in-One Payment Orchestration Platform which helps businesses accept payments globally. The platform provides a comprehensive back-end solutions that simplifies the complexity of payments, managing the full process from start to finish. With one integration and contract, businesses can sell in over 200 regions with access to local card acquiring in 47 countries, 100+ currencies and 100+ global payment types, including popular eWallets, automated accounts receivable, world-class fraud protection and chargeback management, built-in solutions for regulation and tax compliance, and unified global reporting. To learn more about BlueSnap's Embedded Payments and Payfac-as-a-Service solutions, please visit https://bit.ly/3ttuLRK About BlueSnap: BlueSnap helps businesses accept global payments in a better way. Our All-In-One Payment Orchestration Platform is designed to increase sales and reduce costs for all businesses accepting payments. BlueSnap supports payments across all geographies through multiple sales channels such as online and mobile sales, marketplaces, subscriptions, invoice payments and manual orders through a virtual terminal. And for businesses looking for embedded payments, we offer white-labeled payments for platforms with automated underwriting and onboarding that supports marketplaces and split payments. With one integration and contract, businesses can sell in over 200 regions with access to local card acquiring in 47 countries, 100+ currencies and 100+ global payment types, including popular eWallets, automated accounts receivable, world-class fraud protection and chargeback management, built-in solutions for regulation and tax compliance, and unified global reporting to help businesses grow. BlueSnap is backed by world-class private equity investors including Great Hill Partners and Parthenon Capital Partners. Learn more at BlueSnap.com SOURCE BlueSnap The first cohort in Dallas will provide approximately 20 emerging real estate developers of color with assistance to help them grow their businesses in an industry where they are severely underrepresented. "Systemic barriers have prevented developers of color from accessing capital and achieving their potential in helping communities across the country," said Ellis Carr , president and CEO of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance. "There are so many talented developers of color who are ready to work with local neighborhoods to create housing solutions that uplift and support communities," Carr said. "As we are doing in Detroit, the Washington metro area, and the San Francisco Bay Area, our EDI program will begin to build a more equitable real estate development ecosystem here in Dallas." The Dallas Equitable Development Initiative is supported by funding from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Charles Schwab Bank. "This is all about creating a more inclusive economy in Dallas," said Michelle Thomas, executive director and head of philanthropy for JPMorgan Chase in Dallas/Fort Worth. "When we think about closing the gap in financing available to developers of color, this is a huge opportunity. There is an incredible need for new and affordable housing across the country, and we're glad to partner with Capital Impact Partners to support our local developers of color who are working to address this issue in their communities." The lack of equitable representation in Dallas has affected both developers of color as well as communities of color. Historically, the real estate industry has been dominated by larger national and global firms. Developers of color face significant barriers to entering the real estate space due to the lack of access to capital, equity and experience the result of generations of structural racism and disinvestment. Communities of color in Dallas are suffering, pushed farther out of the city due to rapidly rising home costs, a lack of housing inventory, and gentrification. Dallas currently has a 20,000-unit shortage of affordable homes. Capital Impact Partners' Equitable Development Initiative prepares emerging developers of color to pursue affordable housing projects and play a larger role in shaping Dallas' development landscape. They will receive broad-based training in areas such as project budgeting, real estate finance, project and contractor management, legal services and community engagement as well as local mentorship, network building, and pathways for them to access funding. The initiative's expansion into the Dallas area is also an expansion of Capital Impact's existing investments across Texas. The Lone Star State was identified as an area where there's an opportunity for spurring community and economic development investment based on identified needs in underestimated communities. To date, Capital Impact has invested more than $88 million in affordable housing, education and more. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is providing $500,000 in grant funding for the Equitable Development Initiative's expansion into Dallas. Capital Impact also received a grant from Charles Schwab Bank in support of the Dallas EDI expansion. The Equitable Development Initiative is modeled after the successful program that Capital Impact launched in Detroit in 2018. It expanded into the Washington metropolitan area in 2019 and into the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021. Many of the participants have since gone on to create their own organizations, build local developments, and foster peer-to-peer networks. EDI Applications: The EDI application window runs from April 7-May 6, 2022. Capital Impact will select participants based on the following guidelines. Developers should: Identify as racial or ethnic minorities Be actively working to further careers in real estate development with some real estate development experience Live in or near the primary metropolitan area of the program, and have a strong connection to the city/region in which they are working Demonstrate a commitment to their city/region's revitalization Be interested in responding to requests for proposals for real estate development opportunities with or without a development partner in the next 1-2 years About Capital Impact Partners: Through capital and commitment, Capital Impact Partners helps people build communities of opportunity that break barriers to success. We work to champion key issues of equity and social and economic justice by deploying mission-driven financing, capacity-building programs, and impact investing opportunities. A nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, Capital Impact has disbursed more than $2.5 billion since 1982. In 2020, Capital Impact launched a new enterprise with CDC Small Business Finance under one leadership team and national strategy to reinvent traditional and mainstream financial systems. Our goal is to ensure these systems equitably serve communities of color to drive community-led solutions that support economic mobility and wealth creation. Our leadership in delivering financial and social impact has resulted in Capital Impact being rated by S&P Global and recognized by Aeris for our performance. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, Capital Impact Partners operates nationally, with local offices in Austin, TX, Detroit, MI, New York, NY, and Oakland, CA. Learn more at capitalimpact.org and investedincommunities.org . SOURCE Capital Impact Partners "As a leader in autonomous construction technology, Built's focus on easy-to-install robotic upgrades for heavy equipment is generating significant demand," said Griffin Schroeder, Partner, Tiger Global. "We are excited to partner with them as their autonomous trenching solution helps transform the construction of solar farms, oil & gas projects, and other large and critical infrastructure projects around the world." Built's upgrade kit, the Exosystem, can be installed and calibrated on an excavator in less than a day. Contractors can rent Exosystems as standalone units to install on their fleet of equipment, or they can lease pre-upgraded excavators from Built directly. Contractors pay an hourly fee to license the Exosystem's autonomous software and depending on utilization they can realize cost savings of 20% or better versus traditional methods. Installation, training, and 24/7 support are included, and discounts are available for long-term rentals. "We've spent the past few years neck-deep in R&D, and it's paid off. Our rental fleet is fully booked into 2023, and orders keep coming in," said Noah Ready-Campbell, CEO of Built Robotics. "The Series C will give us the capital we need to ramp production and get our robots into the hands of more contractors. And autonomous trenching is just the first step customers are already asking for backfill, compaction, material handling, loading trucks, and more." Tiger Global's investment in Built comes at a time when the industry is broadly recognizing Built's leadership in construction autonomy. The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), the 400,000-member union representing equipment operators in the US and Canada, has signed a first-of-its-kind training partnership with Built Robotics. "The IUOE prides itself on having the best, most qualified, and safest operators, and our goal is to ensure that the best operators know how to use the best tools, and robots are certainly one of the tools of the future," commented Russ Burns, consultant to the IUOE and retired General Vice President of the IUOE. In addition, the International Standards Organization (ISO) has recently appointed Built's Vice President, Gaurav Kikani, as a voting member on Technical Committee 127, the committee responsible for developing safety standards for autonomous earthmoving machinery. More information about Built Robotics and the Exosystem can be found at builtrobotics.com About Built Robotics Built Robotics' mission is to build the robots that build the world. As the inventor of the world's first autonomy solution for excavators, the Exosystem, Built transforms excavators into fully autonomous trenching robots. Exosystems are deployed today across the $1 trillion earthmoving industry, building critical infrastructure in energy, telecom, and more. SOURCE Built Robotics BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BV Investment Partners (BV), a middle-market private equity firm focused on the tech-enabled business services, software and IT services sectors, announced today that it has made a majority investment in Source Advisors, a market leading specialty tax solutions and software provider focused on the SMB market. Founded in 1983, Source Advisors is a market leading specialized tax solutions and software firm providing R&D Tax Credits, Cost Segregation, 179D, 45L, and LIFO inventory solutions to clients across a range of industries and geographies. The company provides a comprehensive solution suite to its customers through a combination of highly technical consulting and proprietary software tools. The company is headquartered in Fort Worth and has over 150 employees. Jason Kustka, Managing Director of BV Investment Partners, said, "There is a broad and growing demand for specialty tax consulting services across end markets. Source Advisors has developed a nearly 40 year track record of delivering superior client service and built a network of more than 850 CPA partner firms who refer and offer Source's tax solutions to their clients." Chris Henderson, President of Source Advisors, said, "With BV as our new partner, we're excited to further accelerate efforts to strengthen our data-driven, technology-enabled offerings that will continue to help our clients navigate the ever-evolving and complex business tax code. Source Advisors has a history of utilizing a powerful combination of technical experts and technology to eliminate guesswork and allow companies to claim the tax credits they deserve. Given BV's long track record of investing in technology-driven companies, we plan to further expand our ability to leverage proprietary technology to enhance tax saving strategies across the Source Advisors platform, including the recently launched GOAT.tax automated R&D Tax Credit platform." Jason Kustka added, "We look forward to partnering with Chris Henderson and his team to leverage BV's expertise investing in the CPA channel, through our investment in Right Networks, and our broader firm thesis in the "Office of the CFO," through our investment in Consero Global." About Source Advisors Source Advisors has helped businesses maximize specialized federal and state tax incentives for almost four decades. Headquartered in Fort Worth, TX, Source Advisors collaborates with a network of over 850 accounting firms throughout the country to bring R&D Tax Credit, Cost Segregation, 179D, 45L, and LIFO inventory solutions to their clients. With a nationwide team of more than 150 professionals, Source Advisors serves thousands of clients annually and has worked with many of the nation's most prominent accounting firms, associations, and Fortune 1000 companies. https://www.sourceadvisors.com. About BV Investment Partners BV Investment Partners is one of the oldest and most experienced sector-focused private equity firms in North America. Since its founding in 1983, the firm has invested approximately $4.4 billion, actively targeting investments in the tech-enabled business services, software, and IT services industries. For more information, please visit www.bvlp.com . Contact: Chris Tofalli Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334 SOURCE BV Investment Partners Casterion Premium Lounges are Coming to West Hollywood, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Miami and Barcelona LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Casterion, a high-end, recreational cannabis consumption lounge partnership, investment and management group, was announced to bring long awaited consumption lounges to major cities. Casterion was formed to be the global leader in premium immersive cannabis lounge experiences. The initial launch will be in West Hollywood, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, New York and Barcelona. The leadership team and partners are industry experts in hospitality and delivering the most engaging experiences for guests. Founding co-partners: Cameron Forni, Frank Orenstein, and Jonathan Eisenberg are dedicated to creating an experience that combines outstanding physical, digital and experiences aligned via a deep understanding of what customers want and expect. By offering a social cannabis consumption venue that can be your virtual home, office, social and networking destination, Casterion is creating a new category in cannabis consumption that elevates the experience to a level only seen in the best hospitality brands across the world. "As more states are legalizing recreational cannabis, many focus on retail and processing and cultivation I am excited to work with a team to develop a safe, exciting, vibrant, social space for consumers," said Cameron Forni. "Who better to partner with than a team that understands luxury, cannabis and media - together we are going to set the standard in Consumption Lounge experiences across the globe." "The fundamentals of excellence in hospitality are well known," said Frank Orenstein. "Applying these to a new sector, elevating the consumer proposition and delivering a memorable, compelling and recurring experience, is an exciting opportunity. The assembled team of international specialists will be a powerful catalyst for a new standard in Consumption Lounges, underpinned by an ambitious global growth-focused brand." Casterion has an impressive leadership team that includes: Cameron Forni is known for his many wins and constantly pushing innovation in the cannabis industry, including the launch of Select Oil in 2016 and the design of the cartridges and components that later became the industry standard. In 2020, Forni had one of the most successful exits in cannabis history. Recently founded Hypescale Ventures to invest in cannabis businesses. is known for his many wins and constantly pushing innovation in the cannabis industry, including the launch of Select Oil in 2016 and the design of the cartridges and components that later became the industry standard. In 2020, Forni had one of the most successful exits in cannabis history. Recently founded Hypescale Ventures to invest in cannabis businesses. Frank Orenstein , previously the brand co-founder and EVP of Business Development for the Four Seasons brand and concepts, his experience and understanding of luxury brands will set the standard. Frank has been responsible for the development of over a Billion dollars in hotel real estate and has raised in excess of $400 million for equity for various hospitality projects. , previously the brand co-founder and EVP of Business Development for the Four Seasons brand and concepts, his experience and understanding of luxury brands will set the standard. Frank has been responsible for the development of over a Billion dollars in hotel real estate and has raised in excess of for equity for various hospitality projects. Jonathan Eisenberg is a former Managing Director for Citicorp Capital, representing Citigroup on the Boards of listed companies and is also a former Partner of Tress Capital, a cannabis private equity group. Presently, Jonathan is Chairman of Grownetics, a cannabis cultivation analytics company, Board member of C2U, a cannabis cultivar branding platform and is a Board member of the Resource Innovation Institute, a USDA funded not for profit setting benchmarks for CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture). Together, the team has the expertise in scaling with intention to vertically integrate businesses on the cannabis side with a hospitality lense that meets market demand. For more information about Casterion, please visit www.casterion.com About Casterion: Casterion is a cannabis consumption management group that engages in and caters to premium cannabis lifestyle and experience. Casterion carefully curates locations strategically across the globe and properties that are beautifully designed, to engage customers with the most memorable cannabis consumption experience. The food and beverage experience will be contemporary, aligned with the property 'vibe'. MEDIA CONTACT: Ida Bo Frazier The Rose Group [email protected] SOURCE Casterion The Shuanghe cave system is the biggest in Suiyang city. It stretches for more than 300 kilometers, making it the largest cave network in Asia. Huge rock structures, deep sinkholes, and other natural structures are the most visited parts in the cave. They've been fitted with lights that create spectacular displays of limestone formations. And amazingly, they have been slowly created over the past several million years. But this brightly-lit portion of the cave is only a small fraction of the 300-kilometer-long cave system. Explorers and researchers continue to trek into the unknown reaches of this underground world, slowly adding to the ever-growing map of Guizhou's vast cave network. Excited to witness firsthand the natural beauty of Guizhou's karst landscape, Jack from China Matters heads to Suiyang's Shuanghe cave where he meets up with long-time cave explorer Jean Bottazzi from France. He's been living in these cave parts for more than 20 years, helping to bring these caves onto a map. But venturing through a cave is no easy task. Our host Jack goes right into the deep end by roping down cliffs and scaling the cave walls to talk to Jean about his lifetime work of discovering the hidden world in the caves. Contact: Li Siwei Tel008610-68996566 E-mail[email protected] YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/8yXHSOHcmAg Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yXHSOHcmAg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735490/China_Matters_Logo.jpg SOURCE China Matters MADRID, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Wednesday that she has proposed to the government that face mask legislation for most indoor settings be removed after the Easter holidays. If the government goes ahead with the plan, the new rule is likely to be in force on April 20. "I have proposed that in the Cabinet meeting (held on April 19) we will pass a decree that will mean masks are no longer obligatory indoors," Darias said on the ministry's social media site, adding the change would come into effect the following day. "Thanks to the high level of immunization in the population, we are in a favorable situation," she said. The minister explained masks would still be required in certain situations, such as on public transport, in hospitals and in residential care homes. Spain ended the obligatory use of face masks outdoors in February. Spain has recorded a total of 11,578,653 COVID-19 cases and 102,747 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to official data. SEATTLE, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Colleges of Spokane has awarded a $2.18M contract to Millig Design Build for turnkey facility improvements at its Colville campus. As part of this contract, Millig will design and execute work aimed at reducing energy and maintenance costs, and improving air quality and comfort. "We are committed to both saving money and preparing for a carbon-free future," said Clint Brown, director of capital projects, Community Colleges of Spokane. "This project is a great example of demonstrating you can make environmentally sound decisions in a manner that reduces future costs." Currently classrooms at the Colville campus are inefficiently heated and cooled with hot water unit ventilators and window AC units. Millig Design Build will retrofit campus buildings to be in full compliance with Washington's Clean Buildings Performance Standard with high-efficiency heat pumps and condensing boilers with flex fuel capability. "The buildings of the future are all-electric and carbon-free," said Devin Malone, senior project manager, Millig Design Build. "This project leverages the best available technologies to reduce building energy use and cut carbon emissions, while preparing the campus for full electrification in the future." The project will be completed by fall 2022, at which time the college has plans to integrate heat pump system technology into their STEM curriculum. About Millig Design Build Millig Design Build is an integrated engineering, design, and construction firm specializing in facility improvements that address energy efficiency, building health and safety, and core infrastructure needs. Our mission is to create environments that promote sustainability, wellbeing, and opportunity for communities while efficiently delivering best-value solutions for owners. We have offices in Kansas; Colorado; Oregon; Washington; and Vancouver, Canada. For more information, visit www.milligdb.com. Media Contact Information: Amy McVey Millig Design Build Phone: 785-865-6054 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Millig Design Build The COSI Connects: Learning Lunchbox initiative is a collaboration with meal providers, libraries, museums and cultural institutions to deliver thousands of free, hands-on science kits called Learning Lunchboxes to help bridge the gap. Although primarily STEM kits, The Learning Lunchboxes provide five activities that align with learning standards and promote science, technology, engineering, arts, math, culture, history and more. The Learning Lunchboxes are tailored to specific themes, such as space, human body, energy and nature and some are developed with partners like Virgin Hyperloop. "STEM is a really important subject for Virgin. We are growing all the time and looking for ways to find the next generation of scientists, whether it is Virgin Galactic, who fly into space on a spaceship, Virgin Orbit who fly a satellite into orbit or if it's Virgin Hyperloop, our partners for this event, who are building pods that you can travel in at 1,000 kilometers per hour. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do," said Andrew Swaffield, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Group, "Thanks to The Avenues, the North Paddington Foodbank, COSI, Virgin Hyperloop and Afroposure for working together to create such an inspiring session." "With society's ever-growing reliance on science and technology, the need to stimulate the next generation of scientists and engineers has never been greater. Furthermore, it is critically important that all citizens have access to the promise of a STEM education, especially the underserved," said Dr. Frederic Bertley, President & CEO, COSI, "I could not be more excited about this unprecedented partnership with Virgin Hyperloop as it will stimulate curiosity by unleashing hands-on, engaging STEM experiences for children of all ages across the globe." To date, COSI has distributed more than 100,000 Learning Lunchbox kits to serve students, families and underserved youth. About COSI: COSI is an esteemed science center that has delighted Central Ohio, in the U.S.A. with all things science for 58 years, inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics and delivering our experiential, "hands-on fun" brand of learning. As a trusted educational resource for families, schools and community partners, COSI is an essential element of our community, engaging more than one million people annually through onsite, offsite and online experiences. About Virgin Hyperloop: Using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, Virgin Hyperloop is preparing to launch a new form of cargo transport that is faster, safer, cheaper and more sustainable than existing modes. The company is working with partners and investors around the world to make hyperloop a reality in years, not decades. It is the only company in the world to have successfully tested hyperloop technology with passengers. Learn more about Virgin Hyperloop's technology, vision and ongoing projects here. SOURCE COSI SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electromedical Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: EMED) ("Electromedical" or the "Company"), a pioneer in the development and production of bioelectronic devices designed to relieve chronic, intractable, and acute pain by using frequencies and electro-modulation, is pleased to announce its results for the year ended December 31, 2021. "We are very pleased with our 2021 operating results, which featured strong topline growth, better margins, and key investments that have started to bear fruit as we plan to scale up in 2022 and beyond," noted Matthew Wolfson, Founder and CEO of Electromedical. "Our newly implemented sales and marketing initiatives are starting to pay off, as indicated by improved growth in both unit sales volume and revenue. We will continue to emphasize these initiatives going forward to provide an enhanced foundation for our outreach efforts, driving potential repeat orders from partners and distributors." Wolfson continued, "We also continue to invest toward our upcoming WellnessProPlus POD launch. We have made significant progress on the development side, and we look forward to presenting a more comprehensive update soon as we approach key milestones ahead." Financial Performance Highlights for the Twelve Months Ended Dec 31, 2021 Revenue increased $169,404 to $907,362 , up 23% year over year primarily due to unit sales volume growth. to , up 23% year over year primarily due to unit sales volume growth. Gross margin increased to 78% in 2021 from 74% in 2020 due to efficiency gains in shipping and distribution costs. Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 21% year over year to $4.5M due primarily to stock-based compensation, progress in the Company's product development efforts, and payroll related items. due primarily to stock-based compensation, progress in the Company's product development efforts, and payroll related items. Incurred approximately $1.7M in additional convertible debt while lenders converted principal totaling $1.7M plus accrued interest into 49,334,051 shares of common stock. in additional convertible debt while lenders converted principal totaling plus accrued interest into 49,334,051 shares of common stock. Working capital deficit improved to ($767,402) from ($1,371,966) at the end of 2020. Operational Highlights for the Twelve Months Ended Dec 31, 2021 Achieved critical development milestones for WellnessProPlus POD prototype. Now in functionality testing stage. Completion of related milestones in 2022 has the potential to drive results. Onboarded 110 new independent sales representatives. Completed online medical representative training program to improve and expedite the training process Strengthened financial position by obtaining an equity line capable of providing necessary capital to drive product R&D, with terms that are more favorable than past financings. "This is an extremely exciting time for the Company," added Wolfson. "Last year was critical to laying a foundation for future growth through key investments in personnel and product development. Looking ahead, our progress toward the market for our POD design is our most important objective. However, we are also driving toward gains in governance and logistics as we plan for operations on an expanding scale." About Electromedical Technologies Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Electromedical Technologies, Inc. is a commercial stage, FDA cleared, bioelectronic medical device manufacturing company initially focused on the treatment of various chronic, acute, intractable, and post-operative pain conditions. Through University collaboration agreements, the Company is working to develop a comprehensive research program in defining the effects of electro-modulation on the human body. By studying the impacts of electrical fields in cell signaling and effects on virus assembly and immune responses, the Company's goal is to reduce pain and improve overall human wellbeing. The Company's current FDA cleared product indications are for chronic acute post traumatic and post-operative, intractable pain relief. For more information, please visit www.electromedtech.com. Note: Nonhuman preliminary studies that we are planning to start in the near future and their applications are not related to our current product in any way and are currently not cleared in the US. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Corporate Contact: Electromedical Technologies, Inc. Hanover International Tel: 1.888.880.7888 Email: [email protected] https://electromedtech.com Public Relations: EDM Media, LLC https://edm.media ELECTROMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. BALANCE SHEETS DECEMBER 31, 2021 2020 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 383,170 $ 264,913 Accounts receivable 35,085 17,694 Inventories 218,510 78,712 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 38,002 285,860 Total current assets 674,767 647,179 Other assets 20,601 Property and equipment, net 727,344 749,219 Total assets $ 1,402,111 $ 1,416,999 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 214,785 $ 262,614 Credit cards payable 11,283 23,710 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 317,037 201,814 Customer deposits 28,651 Convertible promissory notes, net of discount of $723,166 and $1,277,255, respectively 811,687 257,398 Related party notes payable 57,875 332,500 PPP loan 39,500 Notes payable 12,846 Long term debt, current portion 29,502 28,260 Derivative liabilities- convertible promissory notes 831,852 Total current liabilities 1,442,169 2,019,145 Long-term liabilities: Bank debt, net of current portion 518,849 546,552 Government debt, net of current portion 154,429 154,302 Other liabilities 9,167 15,603 Total liabilities 2,124,614 2,735,602 Commitments and contingencies (Note 11) Stockholders' deficit Series A Preferred Stock, 1,000,000 shares authorized and 500,000 outstanding 355,000 355,000 Series B Preferred Stock, 1 share authorized and 0 outstanding Common stock, $.00001 par value, 125,000,000 shares authorized; 87,725,842 and 27,175,800 shares outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively 876 269 Additional paid-in-capital 20,804,333 7,957,860 Accumulated deficit (21,882,712) (9,631,732) Total stockholders' deficit (722,503) (1,318,603) Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $ 1,402,111 $ 1,416,999 ELECTROMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 2020 Net sales $ 907,362 $ 737,958 Cost of sales 199,234 194,384 Gross profit 708,128 543,574 Selling, general and administrative expenses 4,508,391 3,710,262 Loss from operations (3,800,263) (3,166,688) Other income (expense) Interest expense (3,313,852) (769,591) Change in excess fair value of KISS liability related party (7,784) Change in fair market value of derivative liabilities (1,415,685) 71,413 Other income (expense) (432) 926 Forgiveness of debt 50,083 Total other expense (4,679,886) (705,036) Net loss $ (8,480,149) $ (3,871,724) Deemed dividend related to warrant resets (3,770,831) (507,307) Net loss attributable to common stockholders (12,250,980) (4,379,031) Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 50,992,414 22,300,579 Weighted average loss per share - basic and diluted $ (0.24) $ (0.20) ELECTROMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 2020 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (8,480,149) $ (3,871,724) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts 3,765 Stock-based compensation expense 2,630,144 2,222,856 Depreciation and amortization 21,875 21,875 Forgiveness of debt (50,083) Change in excess fair value of KISS liability- related party 7,784 Amortization of debt discount and day 1 derivative loss 3,036,792 684,901 Change in fair value of derivative liabilities- convertible promissory notes 1,415,685 (71,413) Other 2,839 Change in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (17,391) (5,792) Inventories (139,798) (54,018) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 285,860 (205,029) Other assets (17,401) 4,979 Accounts payable (40,529) 11,452 Credit cards payable (12,427) (7,300) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 205,982 (71,824) Customer deposits (28,651) (11,469) Other liabilities (6,436) 4,297 Net cash used in operating activities (1,193,688) (1,336,660) Cash flows from financing activities: Short-term financing (40,307) Proceeds from PPP loan 39,500 Proceeds from government debt 155,900 Repayments on bank debt (26,334) (18,787) Related party notes payable-net (158,875) (500) Issuance of convertible promissory notes 1,510,000 1,458,200 Repayments on notes payable (12,846) (6,000) Issuance of common stock for cash- net 13,567 Net cash provided by financing activities 1,311,945 1,601,573 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 118,257 264,913 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 264,913 Cash and cash equivalents, end of year $ 383,170 $ 264,913 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Cash paid during the year for: Interest $ 154,081 $ 48,660 Income taxes $ $ Non-cash investing and financing activities: Inventory deposits converted to related party notes payable $ $ 15,000 Shares issued in conjunction with vendor settlement $ $ 7,352 Warrants, common stock and beneficial conversion feature issued in conjunction with convertible promissory notes $ 1,095,096 $ 922,438 Derivative liabilities issued in conjunction with convertible promissory notes $ 1,197,607 $ 903,265 Conversion of convertible promissory note and accrued interest into shares of common stock $ 5,223,235 $ 118,800 Conversion of KISS liability-related party into common stock $ $ 1,452,545 SOURCE Electromedical Technologies, Inc. Dr. Leana Wen and other industry experts to discuss the future of healthcare benefits MONTVALE, N.J., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EmpiRx Health , the industry's only value-based pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), today announced that Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph will give the keynote address at the second annual Value Xchange on April 27, 2022. This year's theme, "The Future is NOW," will motivate attendees and kickstart the change that is needed to disrupt and transform healthcare benefits. As headliner, Randolph will share his experiences and invaluable insights on fearless transformation. The two-hour, free-to-attend virtual event urges business leaders to join the movement in transforming healthcare benefits and tackle discussions on how employers and fund administrators have the power to stand up and demand change. "Our healthcare costs are unsustainable, and we can't keep doing the same things and expect a different outcome," said CEO of EmpiRx Health and Value Xchange opening speaker, Karthik Ganesh. "We need transformative change in the way healthcare benefits are purchased and serviced, with employers, unions, and plan sponsors leading the charge. As we hopefully exit this pandemic, there is an urgent need for groundbreaking innovation and the time for change is now." EmpiRx Health's Value Xchange 2022 will broaden the definition of health equity, appealing to organizations to evaluate their current standards, demonstrate why a company's healthcare approach should be tailored to its unique population, and drive home the impact that innovation in pharmacy benefits can have on employee health, wellness, and financial bottom line. The event includes a keynote speech, fireside chat, and panel discussion, featuring some of the industry's most influential people. Netflix Co-Founder and Host of That Will Never Work Podcast, Marc Randolph will set the stage for a greater conversation on transformational change with his session titled, "Stop Thinking the Same Old Way." Through examples from his inspiring career, Marc will dive into the fact that disruptive innovation does not have to be disruptive and why calls for action and inflection points should not be ignored. will set the stage for a greater conversation on transformational change with his session titled, "Stop Thinking the Same Old Way." Through examples from his inspiring career, Marc will dive into the fact that disruptive innovation does not have to be disruptive and why calls for action and inflection points should not be ignored. Former Commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department and Health Professor at George Washington University , Dr. Leana Wen will participate in the Fireside Chat titled, "Health Equity & Population Health Management" and discuss how health inequity exist in every population including the workforce and how addressing it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. will participate in the Fireside Chat titled, "Health Equity & Population Health Management" and discuss how health inequity exist in every population including the workforce and how addressing it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. A roundtable of experts will discuss "Innovation in Healthcare Benefits." This panel will showcase what innovation in healthcare benefits can feel and look like through practical, real, and insightful experiences. Moderated by Laura Schwartz , speaker, author and television commentator, the panel will include Pittsburgh Business Group on Health President & CEO Jessica Brooks , Chief Strategy Officer of Memorial Hermann, Feby Abraham . Value Xchange is free to attend and will take place virtually on April 27, 2022, from 1:00-3:00pm ET. To learn more and register for the virtual event, visit www.valuexchange.info. You can also follow the conversation on LinkedIn using the hashtag #valuexchange. About EmpiRx Health EmpiRx Health is the industry's most clinically advanced and only value-based PBM, and has received multi-year recognition on the Inc. 5000 lists of America's fastest-growing private companies. EmpiRx Health's growth is fueled by the highly unique and client-aligned nature of its value proposition a pay-for-performance financial model with guaranteed savings, an industry-first and client-tailored population health management approach, and an unparalleled high-touch service experience that has resulted in industry-best client retention rates. Learn more about the EmpiRx Health model at www.empirxhealth.com. Media Contact: Heather Tidwell 847-224-6462 [email protected] SOURCE EmpiRx Health Cinda Fernald, former general counsel and long-time employee, set to retire PORTLAND, Ore., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Foster Garvey, PC announced that Principal Dan Keppler has been promoted to General Counsel following the retirement of Cinda Fernald, an industry veteran who has spent close to four decades with the firm and held the position for nearly 14 years. Dan Keppler Cinda Fernald Keppler, who is based in the firm's Portland office and has served as Associate General Counsel alongside Fernald since fall 2021, has more than 25 years of experience in securities litigation, legal malpractice defense and complex business litigation. In addition, he has regularly counseled professional and institutional clients on risk management issues, particularly involving securities liability and professional liability. Active in the Portland legal community, he has held a variety of leadership positions for the Oregon State Bar, including chair of the Securities Regulation Section, the Legal Ethics Committee and the Uniform Civil Jury Instructions Committee. In his new role as General Counsel, Keppler will oversee and implement Foster Garvey's professional responsibility, client intake and risk management programs. He will also advise and educate the firm's attorneys and staff on legal ethics and best practices. "Dan's outstanding leadership and his depth of legal and risk management experience is a tremendous asset to the firm, and we anticipate great things from him as our new General Counsel," said the firm's Co-Chair Rafael Stone. "Foster Garvey has undergone a significant evolution these past few years, and Dan will play a key role in developing new policies and programs that will help take us into this next phase of our growth." Cinda Fernald joined the firm's Seattle office as a litigation attorney in what was then known as Garvey Schubert Adams & Barer in 1983. Over the years, she held various roles within the firm that included Associate, Of Counsel, and Executive Director before being named the firm's General Counsel in 2008. Deeply committed to public service, Fernald coordinated the firm's pro bono and community service program from 1989-2002, including updating and implementing its pro bono policy, establishing and strengthening relationships with referral sources, overseeing pro bono matters, and marketing the program. True to her dedication to public service, Fernald has joined the firm's Next Chapter program through which retired Foster Garvey lawyers provide pro bono legal and community service. "Cinda has been an integral part of the firm for nearly 40 years, and we are so grateful for the many contributions she has made to the firm and to the hundreds of clients and colleagues she has worked tirelessly for over her career," said Foster Garvey Co-Chair Diana Shukis. "In keeping with her legacy of leadership and service, we are thrilled she has agreed to continue with us in a pro bono capacity, providing her wealth of legal insights to individuals and organizations in our community." Foster Garvey PC, a Pacific Northwest-based law firm with offices on both coasts, offers an extended national and international reach to serve many influential and innovative companies, government entities, and individuals across a full spectrum of legal services. The firm's attorneys are consistently recognized for their deep industry knowledge and superior client service by prominent legal industry publications including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and U.S. News-Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms." In addition to providing efficient and effective counsel, Foster Garvey upholds a strong commitment to community service, pro bono representation, diversity and inclusion efforts, and a collegial and equitable work environment. Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., New York and Spokane. www.foster.com Contact: Paul Matulac Foster Garvey, PC (503) 553-3136 [email protected] SOURCE Foster Garvey GrubMarket acquires Regatta Tropicals, a leading fresh produce provider based in New Jersey and California that distributes, packs, imports and exports high quality fruits to customers across the United States and Canada. SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket today announced it has completed the acquisition of Vineland, New Jersey-based Regatta Tropicals, a successful and premier fresh fruit company that provides the highest quality fruits to retail, chain stores and food service companies across the U.S. and Canada. Regatta Tropicals also exports fruit to worldwide locations such as Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Europe and imports fruit from Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy, among other countries. Regatta Tropicals currently operates in New Jersey and California, is one of the top suppliers of kiwifruit, persimmons and figs in the U.S., and also provides convenient and sophisticated shipping, repacking and restyling services for its customers. Founded nearly 30 years ago as an offshoot of a company called Coast-to-Coast Produce, Regatta Tropicals is run by its original owner Steve Matych and his wife Teresa Barnes-Matych. Today, Regatta Tropicals is a full-service produce distribution and wholesale business with freezer and cold storage facilities that cover over 60,000 square feet in space and sophisticated repacking operations in both Vineland, New Jersey and Reedley, California. Across both its West Coast and East Coast operations, Regatta employs nearly 200 people. In addition, Regatta is considered one of the largest volume marketers of Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons in California and also owns 60 acres of land in Maricopa, Arizona, where it grows its famous Black Mission figs. After the acquisition, the business will continue to be managed by its current experienced and mission-driven leadership team. "We are excited to join the GrubMarket team and welcome the opportunities brought forth by GrubMarket's robust technology platform and strong eCommerce supply and demand network. We strive to be one of the highest quality and most reliable fresh fruit distributors for our customers nationwide, and we also seek to further tap into premier grower networks on both the East Coast and West Coast. We are thrilled to learn that GrubMarket shares this same goal and has built such a well-integrated and much-needed eCommerce and technology-enabled platform to bring fresh food to so many important customers across the country. We sincerely look forward to joining the GrubMarket team and bringing more high quality fresh fruit to GrubMarket's end customers," said Steve Matych, CEO of Regatta Tropicals. According to Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket: "Regatta Tropicals is a highly respected brand in the fresh produce space for persimmons, figs, pomegranates, peaches, kiwi, cherries, apples and grapes. Steve and the exceptional team at Regatta Tropicals have scaled the company to tens of millions in annual revenues and have built a strong, defensible business through their repacking and marketing capabilities. In addition, they are mission driven with strong clean label packing and sustainability practices, which matches GrubMarket's goals and missions. This acquisition enables GrubMarket to further strengthen our presence in key markets along both the East and West Coasts, while solidifying our position in the food supply chain industry as a technology-enabler for B2B food players. We are excited to welcome the Regatta Tropicals team to the GrubMarket family." As a part of GrubMarket's portfolio, Regatta Tropicals will now utilize GrubMarket's innovative and proprietary WholesaleWare software suite, the company's software-as-a-service platform that provides food industry wholesalers and distributors with seamless financial management, easy-to-use mobile and online ordering features, precise inventory management, lot traceability and tracking, grower accounting, and automated routing and logistics tools. About GrubMarket Founded in 2014, GrubMarket is a San Francisco-based food technology company operating in the space of food supply chain eCommerce for both business customers and end consumers, as well as providing related software-as-a-service solutions to digitally transform the American and global food supply chain. Currently, GrubMarket operates in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and British Columbia (Canada), with plans to expand to the rest of the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the world. For Media Inquiries: GrubMarket Media Team [email protected] (510) 556-4786 GrubMarket Inc. 1925 Jerrold Ave. San Francisco, CA, 94124 SOURCE GrubMarket Plawn Shop Automower Sweepstakes Offers Chance to Win Robotic Mower, Up To $20,000 in Prizes, Launch of Automower 415X, Changing the Way America Mows CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This National Lawn Care Month (April), Husqvarna, a leading manufacturer of innovative, high-performance lawn care equipment, is celebrating the future of lawn care and the role of battery-powered robotic mowers by hosting the first-ever Plawn Shop Event and Online Sweepstakes giving fans an opportunity to trade up for a better lawn this mowing season. May 2022, Husqvarna is set to launch Automower 415X the newest member of the Automower portfolio. The growing number of atrial fibrillation, myocardial infraction, and unhealthy lifestyle, as well as growing investment in the healthcare sector, have fueled the demand for cardiac monitoring devices and helped the market JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market" By Indication Type (Cardiac Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation, Epilepsy & Unexplained falls), By End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Cardiac Center & Clinics), and By Geography. According to Verified Market Research, the Global Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market size was valued at USD 24.1 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 37.8 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 5.76% from 2021 to 2028. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=40179 Browse in-depth TOC on "Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market" 202 - Pages 126 Tables 37 Figures Global Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market Overview Cardiac arrhythmia is a medical condition in which the patient suffers from irregular heartbeats either too slowly or quickly. Depending upon the rate of heartbeat it is further called bradycardia, tachycardia and fibrillation for slow, fast and irregular heartbeat respectively. These diseases are becoming more prevalent due to multiple factors such as high blood pressure, hypertension, smoking, tobacco consumption, diabetes. These are the effect of a sedentary lifestyle which rise with the consumption of high calorie and high cholesterol foods with the increasing urbanization. Moreover, the rise in the ageing population has contributed to the growing prevalence of these diseases with reduced immunity they, are more prone to attain these disorders. Conventional ECG machines wherein the patients are diagnosed for symptoms for a limited period may not be capable of showing the irregularity in the heartbeats that are intermittent and which might occur due to some triggering factors. Due to this, implantable cardiac monitoring devices are used to monitor and collect the ECG data for proper diagnosis of the symptoms and increase the effectiveness of treatment. The advancement in the healthcare sector with the introduction of technological developments have increased the adoption rate of newer types of equipment and procedures to treat and monitor medical conditions that were not treatable earlier. The increasing awareness among people to undertake preventive actions for health and growing investment in the healthcare sector coupled with the increasing need for minimally invasive procedures have fuelled the demand for cardiac monitoring devices and helped the market flourish. Key Developments June 2020 : LUX-Dx an insertable cardiac monitor by Boston Scientific has been approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is the first ICM device with remote programming paired with a dual-stage arrhythmia detection algorithm. These devices are expected to grow the market. : LUX-Dx an insertable cardiac monitor by Boston Scientific has been approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is the first ICM device with remote programming paired with a dual-stage arrhythmia detection algorithm. These devices are expected to grow the market. May 2020 : Biotronik another leader in cardiac rhythm management had announced its new alliance with Acutus Medical to develop products of electrophysiology to treat cardiac arrhythmias across Europe and Asia . The high CAGR of the market is attributed to such alliances due to which market will have new products in the future. Key Players The major players in the market are Edwards Lifescience Corporation, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, General Electric Company, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Biotronik SE & Co. KG, Boston Scientific Corporation, LivaNova PLC, Medtronic plc, Phoenix Heart Center. Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market On the basis of Indication Type, End User, and Geography. Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market, By Indication Type Cardiac Arrhythmias Atrial Fibrillation Epilepsy & Unexplained falls Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market, By End User Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Cardiac Center & Clinics Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market by Geography North America U.S Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific ROW Middle East & Africa & Latin America Browse Related Reports: Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices Market By Type (ECG Devices, Implantable Loop Recorders, Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Devices), By Technology (Lithium Dilution Technique, Arterial Waveform Analysis Technique, Doppler), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Cardiac Centers and Ambulatory Surgery Centers), By Geography, Forecast, 2021-2028 Atherectomy Devices Market By Product (Directional Atherectomy Systems, Orbital Atherectomy Systems, Photo-Ablative (Laser) Atherectomy Systems), By Application (Peripheral Vascular, Cardiovascular, Neurovascular), By End-User (Hospitals & Surgical Centers, Research Laboratories & Academic Institutes, Ambulatory Care Centers), By Geography, Forecast, 2021-2028 Nuclear Medicine Market By Type (Diagnostic and Therapeutic), By Modality (SPECT, PET, Alpha-emitters, Beta-emitters and Brachytherapy), By Application (Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, Thyroid), By Geography, Forecast, 2021-2028 Arrhythmia Monitoring Devices Market By Type (ECG Monitors, Implantable Monitors), By Application (Tachycardia, Bradycardia, Atrial Fibrillation), By End User (Hospitals and Diagnostic Centers, Ambulatory Centers), By Geography, Forecast, 2021-2028 Top Cardiac Catheter Sensor Companies fueling the halted healthcare industry Visualize Implantable Cardiac Monitor Market using Verified Market Intelligence:-: Verified Market Intelligence is our BI Enabled Platform for narrative storytelling of this market. VMI offers in-depth forecasted trends and accurate Insights on over 20,000+ emerging & niche markets, helping you make critical revenue impacting decisions for a brilliant future. VMI provides a holistic overview and global competitive landscape with respect to Region, Country, and Segment, and Key players of your market. Present your Market Report & findings with an inbuilt presentation feature saving over 70% of your time and resources for Investor, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and Product Development pitches. VMI enables data delivery In Excel and Interactive PDF formats with over 15+ Key Market Indicators for your market. About Us Verified Market Research is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ customers. Verified Market Research provides advanced analytical research solutions while offering information enriched research studies. We offer insight into strategic and growth analyses, Data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SME's offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance use industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 15,000 high impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. We study 14+ categories from Semiconductor & Electronics, Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive & Transportation, Information & Communication Technology, Software & Services, Information Security, Mining, Minerals & Metals, Building & construction, Agriculture industry and Medical Devices from over 100 countries. Contact Us Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Verified Market Research US: +1 (650)-781-4080 UK: +44 (753)-715-0008 APAC: +61 (488)-85-9400 US Toll Free: +1 (800)-782-1768 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Verified Market Research BENGALURU, India, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, and Rolls-Royce, one of the world's leading industrial technology companies, today inaugurated their joint 'Aerospace Engineering and Digital Innovation Centre' in Bengaluru, India. This centre has been established to provide high-end research and development (R&D) services integrated with advanced digital capabilities to Rolls-Royce's engineering and group business services from India. Infosys and Rolls-Royce's collaboration has been reinforced through strategic deals, aimed at yielding mutual benefits to both organisations over the next seven years. Speaking about the new centre, Kishore Jayaraman, President India and South Asia, Rolls-Royce, said, "Our strategic partnership with Infosys presents an exciting opportunity for both companies to leverage combined strengths in engineering and digital innovation to accelerate growth in the civil aerospace market. Given the aerospace sector is poised for revival and growth in India and across the world, this joint innovation centre will strengthen Rolls-Royce's global engineering ecosystem and position us well for the future." Astrid Hartmann, Director of Global Business Services, Rolls-Royce added, "Infosys is a valued partner to Rolls-Royce, and the capabilities from this collaboration will certainly enhance our shared services portfolio and bring greater value to the business. We remain committed to India and look forward to tapping the rich talent and potential in this market." Commenting on the engagement, Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, "We are delighted to extend our collaboration with Rolls-Royce and work towards digitally transforming engineering and business process management shared services in India. We will aim to be a catalyst for Rolls-Royce to deliver efficiency, effectiveness and experience while driving continuous change towards creating a value ecosystem that is sustainable. This engagement is testament to the longstanding collaboration between Infosys and Rolls-Royce, which is poised to set new benchmarks in the aerospace, defence, and manufacturing sectors." As part of this collaboration, Infosys and Rolls-Royce will combine their aerospace, engineering and digital services capabilities to explore opportunities for driving digital and engineering innovation and associated cost optimisation strategies. By expanding the local talent pool in the country, the two companies will also deliver manufacturing engineering services for the global civil aerospace ecosystem. Over the last decade, Rolls-Royce established a multidisciplinary engineering centre in Bengaluru as part of its efforts to boost engineering and R&D services in India. In December 2020, Infosys and Rolls-Royce announced a collaboration for sourcing engineering and R&D services for Rolls-Royce's Civil Aerospace business, whereby Rolls-Royce transitioned a significant part of its engineering centre capabilities to Infosys. Infosys will continue to harness its experience, expertise, and investments in the domain to strengthen its existing capabilities and deliver enhanced end-to-end solutions while optimising operational costs for its customers. About Rolls-Royce plc Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030 (excluding product testing) and joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, affirming our ambition to play a fundamental role in enabling the sectors in which we operate achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. Annual underlying revenue was 10.95 billion in 2021, underlying operating profit was 414m and we invested 1.18 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is publicly traded company. Visit www.Rolls-Royce.com About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE,NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. SOURCE Infosys PITTSBURGH, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a safe and secure device to assist when moving a bed-ridden patient," said an inventor, from Bowie, Md., "so I invented the ROLL OVER, SIT UP & SLIDE DEVICE. My design saves time and it could help to reduce stress and strain on the back, legs, arms and shoulders." The patent-granted invention provides an effective way to help a bed-ridden patient sit up, roll over or slide to the edge of the bed as well as slide into a wheelchair/chair. In doing so, it offers an improved alternative to traditional manual methods. As a result, it enhances safety and support and it reduces the risk of falls and injuries. The invention features a secure design that is easy to use so it is ideal for nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes and personal home care applications. Additionally, a prototype is available. The original design was submitted to the Washington D.C. sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-DCD-141, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp BELGRADE, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro on Thursday declared four Russian diplomats as "persona non grata". "A formal note on this decision, which sets a seven-day deadline for leaving the territory of our country, was handed to the Russian ambassador today," the ministry said in a press release. On March 4, Montenegro expelled one Russian diplomat, giving him 72 hours to leave the territory. On March 24, one Montenegrin diplomat in Moscow was declared "persona non grata". NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 7, 2022 Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will participate in the BofA Securities 2022 Healthcare Conference at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday, May 11th. Ashley McEvoy, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, MedTech will represent the Company in a session scheduled at 3:40 p.m. (Eastern Time). This conference call will be available to investors and other interested parties by visiting the Johnson & Johnson website at www.investor.jnj.com. A webcast and podcast replay will be available approximately 48 hours after the live webcast. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson "Being recognized by the Financial Times for a second consecutive year as a climate leader in Europe is a particularly meaningful and illustrious honor for us," said Tomas Brannemo, vice president and president, Building Solutions Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, Johnson Controls. "Sustainability has always been one of our key strategic pillars and as the critical climate change battle continues, it is important for Johnson Controls to keep leading the way in cutting emissions and delivering clean, smart and sustainable solutions for our customers and communities around the world." For the second time, FT and research firm Statista compiled a list of European invited companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in emissions intensity. Additionally, Statista analyzed publicly available data from financial and non-financial reports to determine Europe's climate leaders. Among the earliest industrial companies to report emissions and pledge emission reductions, Johnson Controls has made tremendous progress reducing carbon emissions and energy intensity by more than 70 percent since 2002. It was recently named #1 in its industry group and #12 overall as one of the 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and is one of just 45 corporations awarded the Terra Carta Seal which recognizes private sector companies who are creating genuinely sustainable markets. While Johnson Controls reports their emissions in all three scopes, the ranking accounts for scope 1 and scope 2 emissions only since not all companies named to the list publish their scope 3 emissions. Since 2017, Johnson Controls has achieved a 38% reduction of scope 1 and 2 emissions, eliminating more than 415,000 metric tons of CO 2 e. Research shows that almost 40% of greenhouse gases come from buildings, and as the EU seeks to become carbon neutral by 2050, Johnson Controls remains at the forefront of effectively turning the ambition into a reality through the decarbonization of buildings. Last year, the European Commission committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from their 1990 levels by at least 55% by 2030 under the European Green Deal. The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will be an important pathway on how to drive down carbon emissions from buildings. Through the deployment of its OpenBlue digital platform, Johnson Controls utilizes digitalization as a key enabler for the building renovation wave in Europe and the rest of the world. OpenBlue net zero solutions allow for the sustainable optimization of buildings, and Johnson Controls has seen a significant improvement in environmental impact by helping customers consume less energy, conserve resources, and identify pathways to achieving healthy, net zero carbon communities. "Our Sustainability efforts boost our customers' bottom line and help protect the planet by enhancing efficiency and cutting waste. We put the best technology to work so that buildings become flexible assets that are part of the smart, clean infrastructure needed to meet carbon reduction goals," said Katie McGinty, vice president & chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls. "Being at the forefront helping to drive efforts to tackle global climate change is part of our DNA, and we are dedicated to supporting a healthy planet, healthy people and healthy places." Johnson Controls continues to take significant steps to further improve its environmental impact and has committed to achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2040 ten years ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement goal. By 2030, the company aims to cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55 percent and Scope 3 emissions by 16 percent. These ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. To read more about Johnson Controls commitment to sustainability, please visit: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/corporate-sustainability/environment About Johnson Controls At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering, OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrolson Twitter. SOURCE Johnson Controls International plc HOUSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has won an ammonia technology contract from DL E&C for NeuRizer's (formerly Leigh Creek Energy Ltd) carbon-neutral fertilizer project in Australia. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide technology licensing and engineering for the 1,600 MTPD ammonia plant based on KBR's highly efficient Purifier process. This is the first fully integrated urea production facility in the world leveraging an innovative configuration for in-situ syngas production, gas processing, ammonia and urea manufacturing and carbon geo-sequestration. "We are excited to provide our energy-efficient ammonia technology to DL E&C for NeuRizer's flagship carbon-neutral project for the local and export agriculture markets," said Doug Kelly, KBR President, Technology. "This project reaffirms our commitment to continuing to explore novel ways to help our clients meet their business and sustainability targets." KBR is a world leader in ammonia technology and has been at the forefront of innovation in the ammonia market for decades. About KBR We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission critical roles in 34 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com About DL E&C Daelim Industrial, a global leader in the construction and petrochemical industry in Korea since 1939, evolved its brand to DL to mark a new beginning under the holding company system. DL Group plans to complete the transparent and independent governance system under a holding company structure in which DL Holdings will control Engineering and Construction subsidiaries through DL E&C, Petrochemical subsidiaries through DL Chemical, and Other subsidiaries such as DL Energy, etc. Since its first overseas project in Vietnam in 1966, the construction division successfully completed various construction, civil engineering, and plant projects in more than 40 countries worldwide. It has been recognized for its technical leadership and strong competitiveness in the global market. In the case of plant division, DL E&C has expanded its global presence based on its technical expertise in oil and gas, oil refining, and petrochemical and power plant industries. DL E&C's achievements have earned recognition as a leading Global EPC Contractor. About NRZ NeuRizer (NRZ) is the company responsible for progressing the NeuRizer Urea Project (NRUP). NRUP is a nationally significant project that will deliver low-cost, high-quality nitrogen-based fertiliser ensuring a secure supply for local and export agriculture markets. Located in South Australia, 550 kilometres north of Adelaide, the NRUP will initially produce 1Mtpa of urea fertiliser with potential to increase to 2Mtpa. NRZ is a certified carbon neutral organisation having been awarded Climate Active certification in March 2022 and is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact. The NRUP is carbon neutral by design, and the decarbonisation pathway for the NRUP is embedded in the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) process to ensure that the NRUP achieves zero carbon operations from first operations in 2025. The NRUP will significantly increase Australia's sovereign manufacturing capability for fertiliser supporting Australian agricultural food production. The NRUP will strengthen supply chain resilience that will benefit Australian farmers and, to a lesser extent, the industrial sector where urea is used as a supply input (eg. diesel additive (AdBlue), industrial resins, etc.) by reducing the nation's reliance on imports. The NRUP will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects of its type in Australia, providing long term economic development and employment opportunities (2,250+ construction jobs plus 1,200+ ongoing positions) for the communities of the Upper Spencer Gulf region, northern Flinders Ranges and South Australia. The NRUP will be the only fully integrated urea production facility in Australia, with all inputs (gas, power and CO2) for low carbon urea production on-site, meaning NRZ will control both supply and price of these major cost inputs, regardless of prevailing market conditions and supply chain dynamics. Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the significant adverse impacts on economic and market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the company's ability to respond to the resulting challenges and business disruption; the recent dislocation of the global energy market; the company's ability to manage its liquidity; the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; the possibility of cyber and malware attacks; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. The company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that the company has identified that may affect its business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. SOURCE KBR, Inc. An on-premises DFM analysis can often take hours or even days, causing considerable delays in the mass production of PCBs for the electronics industry. To accelerate this process, KLA is transitioning its proven computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and engineering technologies to the cloud, where compute power is virtually infinite. "As a leader in PCB CAM, engineering and Industry 4.0 solutions, our customers share with us the bottlenecks that slow down their PCB manufacturing process," said Eran Lazar, general manager, Frontline division, and vice president at KLA. "We decided to tackle the challenges of DFM analysis by taking advantage of the unlimited computational power of the cloud, while keeping the proven application intact. For PCB manufacturers eager to make the most of cloud-based efficiencies while maintaining exacting security protocols, we continually ensure that Frontline Cloud Services meets the highest security standards." Anecdotally, customers running comparative tests on complex PCBs saw Frontline Cloud Services enable up to 90% faster DFM analysis speeds. For example, one customer producing high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs saw analysis time significantly shorten from 75 hours to 30 minutes when running the same DFM analysis on premises versus with Frontline Cloud Services, respectively. Another customer producing PCBs for miniLED ran a similar test and analysis time was reduced from nine hours to 20 minutes. For PCB manufacturers, Frontline Cloud Services can: Accelerate DFM analysis to meet growing productivity demands Save on IT costs with scalable compute resources and monitored usage reports Address emerging electronics trends like 5G and miniLED, and their increased design complexity Provide access to consistently reliable, available and up-to-date services and tools Ensure the highest cloud security standards in the industry with both factory- and job-level security Enable fast onboarding to the cloud-based system with no training or implementation required For more information about Frontline Cloud Services, go to: https://www.frontline-pcb.com/servicessupport/frontline-cloud-services.html. For the Frontline Cloud Services video, go to: https://www.kla.com/media-room/frontline-cloud-services. About KLA: KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward. Additional information may be found at kla.com (KLAC-P). Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected performance of Frontline Cloud Services and their expected operational, economic and environmental benefits, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected and anticipated in the forward-looking statements in this press release include delays in the adoption of new technologies (whether due to cost or performance issues or otherwise), the introduction of competing products by other companies or unanticipated technology challenges or limitations that affect the implementation, performance or use of KLA's products, and other risk factors included in KLA's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2021 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including, without limitation, the risk factors described therein). KLA assumes no obligation to, and do not currently intend to, update these forward-looking statements. Contact: Media Relations: Abigail Levy-Gurwitz, EPC PR & Content Manager, KLA, +972-8-942-3209, [email protected] Investor Relations: Kevin Kessel, CFA, Vice President, Investor Relations, KLA, (408) 875-6627, [email protected] SOURCE KLA Corporation Led by Four Rivers, this new funding will support the company's plans for product development, international expansion, additional R&D and team growth SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilt, the leading global experience platform, today announced it has raised $55 million in Series C funding, bringing the company's total raised to $92.5 million. The round was led by Four Rivers, joined by new investors Sorenson Capital, CLEAR Ventures and Wipro Ventures, and with participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital, Intel Capital, Redpoint Ventures and XSeed Capital. The company plans to expand its research and product development, international footprint, and team with the new funding. "This new capital will help us improve service to customers and accelerate growth" said Lilt CEO Spence Green. "With our new investors, and strong support from all of our existing investors, we are taking another significant step towards achieving our mission of making the world's information accessible to everyone regardless of where they were born or which language they speak." The company recently expanded its business focus on Global Experience , a new way of creating and deploying multilingual experiences across every step of the customer journey. As the business world becomes digital-first, customers increasingly expect a seamless, engaging customer experience, with language as a core part of that experience. "It has become clear that many 'global' companies are disconnected not only with their current customer base but with their total addressable market and the simple solution centers around language," said Farouk Ladha, Managing Partner at Four Rivers. "Lilt is at the forefront of this global experience revolution with its unique approach to bringing human-powered, technology-assisted translations to global enterprises." Understanding that language is a key tool in customer engagement, conversion, and loyalty, Lilt will continue with an expanded focus on enabling companies to build and deliver high-quality, consistent experiences across all languages and customer touchpoints. Powered by the Lilt Platform, Lilt's innovative approach leverages AI and automation to make global experience management faster, better, and simpler. Lilt seamlessly integrates across business systems and customer touchpoints via our suite of native integrations, facilitating streamlined, automated content and information exchange for greater efficiency, speed, and customer outcomes. Since securing its Series B funding in May 2020, the company has: secured a wide variety of new enterprise and startup customers from industries ranging from education to crypto including Accelerate Learning, Orca Security, and Juniper Networks; been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract for language translation technology added a number of supporting products and services including its suite of TMS Connectors , Multilingual Asset Management and Instant Translate , as well as updated versions of Lilt Insights and Lilt Translate; , and , as well as updated versions of Lilt Insights and Lilt Translate; developed 100+ neural machine translation models; been recognized on the Forbes AI 50 list (3 years running), Business Intelligence Group's Artificial Intelligence Excellence list (twice) and CB Insights AI 100 list, among other honors; made several significant new hires, including leaders in the public sector, managed platform and people functions Lilt is the only company to leverage predictive, adaptive human-in-the-loop technology and AI applications to provide scalable enterprise translations, enabling enterprises to effectively deliver a comprehensive, seamless experience for every customer globally. For more information about Lilt and its translation solutions, please reach out to [email protected] . About Lilt Headquartered in San Francisco, Lilt is the leading global experience platform, enabling organizations to build and deliver multilingual experiences at scale across every step of the global customer journey through its translation technology and services. The Lilt Platform uses AI and automation to make the localization process faster, better, and simpler, bringing human-powered, technology-assisted translations to global enterprises. Lilt gives industry-leading organizations like Intel, ASICS, Emerson, UIPath, and Canva everything they need to scale their global experience programs and go-to-market faster. Lilt has additional global offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Visit us online at www.lilt.com or contact us at [email protected] . SOURCE LILT PALO ALTO, Calif. and SHENZHEN, China, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LTZ Therapeutics an immunotherapy-focused biotech company, co-founded by seasoned drug developers Robert Li Ph.D, Martin Treder Ph.D and Jianhui Zhou Ph.D today announced it has raised $17 million in pre-Series A financing led by K2 Venture Partners, with participation from Qiming Venture Partners and Tigermed. The proceeds from the financing will be used to develop the company's three-pronged platform, establish its initial pipeline and to further build LTZ's operations team. "We are excited and grateful for the support from our syndicate of investors in this pre-Series A round who recognize the transformative potential of our therapeutic platform," said Robert Li, co-founder and CEO of LTZ. "More fundamental knowledge of the underlying tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment is essential to develop therapies capable of overcoming resistance and relapse as well as boosting anti-tumor immunity. LTZ's strategy is built on closing this opportunity space using a three-pronged platform to reduce immunosuppression, re-program innate immunity and modulate adaptive immunity. In addition to our stellar group of investors, we are thrilled to welcome our new scientific advisory board members, further validating our approach to improve clinical outcomes in patients with cancer and other complex diseases." Members of LTZ's newly formed scientific advisory board all share a common thread, previously holding key leadership roles at Genentech, including former VP of Protein Sciences Sarah Hymowitz Ph.D, prior VP of Development Sciences Greg Cosma Ph.D and former ED of Oncology Biomarkers Lukas Amler Ph.D. "LTZ's novel approach holds great promise in the identification of targets with its three-pronged platform and the creation of a solid, diverse and sustainable portfolio," said Yunhai Wang, Partner at K2 Venture Partners. "Immunotherapy has become a game-changer in cancer treatment since the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors. What this experienced, global team brings forward is strong leadership in the development of next-generation immunotherapy, from early R&D to clinical development. We look forward to partnering with LTZ to accelerate the progress of developing therapies that have the potential to positively impact the lives of patients." "With a seasoned founding team possessing sharp insight into targeted biology and platform versatility, we are enthusiastic about the great potential of LTZ's transformative therapeutics platform for patients, breaking new ground in the biotech industry in both China and worldwide," said Kan Chen, Partner at Qiming Venture Partners. "We are particularly excited about the founding team's depth of industry knowledge and diverse experience as well as the highly targeted and sustainable approach LTZ is taking to develop novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases with unmet clinical need," said Dr. Tianrong Ji, Chief Investment Officer at Tigermed. About LTZ LTZ Therapeutics is an immunotherapy-focused biotech company pursuing the development of novel therapies to improve clinical outcomes in patients with cancer and other diseases with an unmet clinical need. With main operations in Palo Alto, California and Shenzhen China as well as a team out of Heidelberg Germany, LTZ is dedicated to developing immunotherapies capable of overcoming resistance and boosting anti-tumor immunity based on reverse translational science and emerging biology of tumor microenvironment. Media Contact Betsy Levy [email protected] 1-415-377-3112 SOURCE LTZ Therapeutics SEOUL, South Korea, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation ("Magnachip") (NYSE: MX) announced today that it will report its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, after the market closes. The Company will host a corresponding conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss its financial results. The conference call will be webcast live and also is available by dialing toll-free at 1-844-536-5472 in US/Canada. International call-in participants can dial 1-614-999-9318. The conference ID number is 2619959. Participants are encouraged to initiate their calls at least 10 minutes in advance of the start time to ensure a timely connection. A live and archived webcast of the conference call and a copy of earnings release will be accessible from the 'Investors' section of the company's website at www.magnachip.com. A replay of the conference call will be available until 8:00 p.m. ET on May 10, 2022. The replay dial-in numbers are 1-404-537-3406 or toll-free at 1-855-859-2056. The conference ID number is 2619959. About Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation Magnachip is a designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor platform solutions for communications, IoT, consumer, computing, industrial and automotive applications. The Company provides a broad range of standard products to customers worldwide. Magnachip, with more than 40 years of operating history, owns a portfolio of approximately 1,150 registered patents and pending applications, and has extensive engineering, design and manufacturing process expertise. For more information, please visit www.magnachip.com. Information on or accessible through Magnachip's website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this release. CONTACTS: So-Yeon Jeong Jeong Consulting Tel. +1-408-712-6151 [email protected] Yujia Zhai The Blueshirt Group Tel. (860) 214-0809 [email protected] SOURCE Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Marine Engines Market by Engine (Propulsion Engine, Auxiliary Engine), Type (Two Stroke, Four Stroke), Power Range (Up to 1,000 hp, 1,001-5,000 hp, 5,001-10,000 hp, 10,001-20,000 hp, Above 20,000 hp), Fuel, Vessel and Region - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Marine Engines Market size will grow to USD 13.3 billion by 2027 from USD 11.7 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 2.6% during the forecast period. Growth in international marine freight transport, aging fleet, and adoption of smart engines for performance and safety are the driving factors for the Marine Engines Market, globally. Global maritime trade has increased significantly in the past decade. This rise can be attributed to the growing economies of Asia Pacific, and the rise of e-commerce and online trade. Maritime trade, however, slumped in 2020 due to the pandemic induced lockdown and the disruption of marine industrial activity and trade. This in turn also led to a decline in ship deliveries in 2020. With the resumption of trade, 2021 saw a surge in new orders for ships and marine engines. Also, the shipping companies are targeting to replace their aging fleet with new build vessels equipped with cleaner and more efficient engines. Stringent regulations put in force by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) from January 2020, to limit the emission of sulfur from ships to 0.5%, are further compelling shipowners to either procure ships with cleaner and greener engines, or retrofit their older vessels with new engines which are significantly more efficient and emit less SOx. This has also led to a shift in fuel consumption pattern of marine engines with more and more engines utilizing cleaner distillate fuels rather than heavy fuel oils. Many marine engine manufacturers have also developed smart engines, pure gas engines, and hybrid or dual-fuel engines to address the issue and comply with the regulations. Thus, the growth of maritime trade, aging fleet and the development of smart and hybrid engine technologies to adhere to the stringent regulations are expected to lead to the growth of the Marine Engines Market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=261640121 The propulsion engine segment is expected to dominate the Marine Engines Market, by engine, during the forecast period. The propulsion engine segment is expected to hold the largest market share of the Marine Engines Market. Propulsion engines are the main supporting system of a ship and are an integral part of the ship's propulsion mechanism. They are the main engines of ships, providing thrust and power to move and sail the oceans. Marine propulsion engines are a very important asset of ships as they are the prime mover of the ship. Thus, the demand for propulsion engines across various engine types is high and expected to increase further. Propulsion engines are further divided into gas turbines, diesel engines, steam turbines, and dual-fuel engines. All the vessels, from a small passenger ferry to very large container ships, require a propulsion or a main engine to direct the vessel's movement through the water. Full-scale resumption of global maritime trade, growth of the shipbuilding industry, and the replacement of aging fleet with new build vessels are expected to drive the propulsion engine segment of the Marine Engines Market during the forecast period. The above 20,000 HP segment is expected to be the largest in the Marine Engines Market, by power range, during the forecast period. The above 20,000 MW segment held the largest market share of the Marine Engines Market in 2021. The above 20,000 HP marine engines mostly have applications for very large vessels, which include large bulk carriers, cargo vessels, containerships, defense vessels, LPG carriers, LNG carriers, and others. They are primarily used as prime moves to facilitate the movement of these ships through the waters. The growth of global maritime trade and the requirement of more and more vessels to cope with tight vessel supply, as well as the requirement to replace some of the existing fleet to comply with the stringent International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations put in force from January 2020, are expected to drive the growth of the above 20,000 HP segment during the forecast period. Browse in-depth TOC on "Marine Engines Market" 199 Tables 63 Figures 268 Pages View Detailed Table of Content Here: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/marine-engine-market-261640121.html The two stroke segment is expected to be the largest segment in the Marine Engines Market, by type, during the forecast period. The two stroke segment accounted for the largest share of the Marine Engines Market, by type, in 2021. The two-stroke engines can run on low-grade fuels, have better efficiency and high power; and are more reliable. They are preferred as main engines in vessels in case of long journeys via oceans when higher power and efficiency are required. They offer high torque at a low engine speed, which helps boats/vessels cruise at a constant speed without adjusting the engine speed. Two-stroke engines have one revolution of the crankshaft during one power stroke. They also have a larger ratio in terms of power to weight and are slow-speed, crosshead engines. The growth of international maritime trade will lead to an increase in the requirement of prime movers for ocean going vessels, which eventually will drive the demand for two stroke marine engines during the forecast period. The marine diesel oil segment is expected to be the largest in the Marine Engines Market, by fuel, during the forecast period. The largest share of the Marine Engines Market in 2021 was held by the marine diesel oil segment. Marine diesel oil, unlike heavy fuel oil (HFO), does not require heating during storage. The various blending ratios of marine diesel oil can be regulated directly by refinery processes or by mixing ready-made marine fuels. The growing stringency of emission control regulations and continuous revisions in the IMO standards have led to the substitution of bunker oil or heavy fuel oil with low sulfur oils such as marine diesel oil, driving the growth of this segment in the Marine Engines Market during the forecast period. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=261640121 The bulk carriers segment is expected to be the largest in the Marine Engines Market, by vessel, during the forecast period. The largest share of the Marine Engines Market in 2021 was held by the bulk carriers segment. Bulk carriers are the merchant fleets workhorses, transporting raw ingredients including grain, iron ore, and coal, as well as products such as bauxite, cement, fertilizers, rice, sugar, and timber to name a few. Bulk carriers can also transport manufactured goods such as steel coils. They are the most environmentally efficient way to move big volumes of dry freight over long distances. As the demand for raw materials, grains, and metals transportation increases, shipping companies will react with a surge of new orders for dry bulk carriers. The recovery of world trade post 2020 also led to a surge in new orders to address severe fleet capacity constraints and the uptick in freight rates, which may drive the bulk carriers segment of the Marine Engines Market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific likely to emerge as the largest Marine Engines Market. The Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share of the Marine Engines Market in 2021. The region is a global shipbuilding hub, dominated by countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Also, the region is experiencing rapid economic growth, creating a favourable environment for the growth of maritime trade. Over the past few years, this region has witnessed rapid economic development as well as the growth of the manufacturing and energy sectors, thereby resulting in an increase in maritime trade. The rise in seaborne trade has subsequently led to an increase in demand for ships that are used to transport manufactured goods to various regions worldwide. The demand for marine engines in the defense sector is also projected to increase because of the ongoing territorial conflicts among countries in the region. The governments in the region are offering tax rebates to the shipbuilding industry as well. Hence, the region is witnessing a spike in investments in the shipbuilding industry, consequently leading to a rise in demand for marine engines. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=261640121 The Marine Engines Market is dominated by a few major players that have a wide regional presence. The leading players in the Marine Engines Market are Caterpillar (US), Wartsila (Finland), Volkswagen Group (MAN Energy Solutions) (Germany), Rolls-Royce Holdings (UK), Volvo Penta (Sweden), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Cummins (US), Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Daihatsu Diesel Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Japan), Deutz AG (Germany), WinGD (Switzerland), Siemens Energy (Germany), Fairbanks Morse (US), Wabtec (GE Transportation) (US), Yanmar (Japan), Isotta Fraschini Motori (Italy), CNPC Jichai Power Company Limited (China), Bergen Engines (Norway), Doosan Infracore (South Kore), Mahindra Powerol (India), IHI Power Systems (Japan), and others. Browse Adjacent Markets: Energy and Power Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Gas Engines Market by Fuel Type (Natural Gas, Special Gas), Application (Power Generation, Cogeneration, Mechanical Drive), Power Output (0.51 MW, 12 MW, 25 MW, 515 MW, & Above 15 MW), End-User Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/gas-engine-market-54641802.html Marine Lubricants Market by Oil Type (Mineral Oil, Synthetic, Bio-based, and Grease), Product Type (Engine oil, Hydraulic fluid, Compressor oil), Ship Type (Bulk Carrier, Tanker, Container) and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/marine-lubricants-market-246832885.html Marine Battery Market by Battery Type (Lithium, Nickel Cadmium, Fuel Cell, Lead-acid), Propulsion Type (Fully Electric, Hybrid, Conventional), Ship Type, Sales Channel, Nominal Capacity, Battery Design, Battery Function, & Region - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/marine-battery-market-210222319.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/marine-engine-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/marine-engine.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Industry veterans Dave Packer and Mark Johnston join the leading data integration company as it moves into a new phase of growth DENVER and MANCHESTER, England, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Matillion, the leading enterprise cloud data integration platform, today announced the appointment of two new executive leaders. Dave Packer will join the company as President, Worldwide Field Operations, and Mark Johnston has been named Chief Marketing Officer. Packer and Johnston bring deep and diverse experience leading high-growth organizations and will help fuel the next phase of growth at Matillion. "In 2021, Matillion became a leader in the data integration space, raising two triple-digit rounds of funding, introducing critical data integration technology and growing our team across the U.S. and UK markets," said Matillion CEO Matthew Scullion. "Dave and Mark are joining at a pivotal time and bring vital knowledge and experience that will help maintain momentum and push us to new levels of success in the coming year." Packer is known as a builder of world-class teams and will oversee Matillion's field operations. Packer is a respected go-to-market leader across operations, enablement, sales, strategic and go-to-market partners, and customer success. As a tenured strategist, he brings roughly three decades of experience leading field operations for technology organizations. Prior to Matillion, Packer was SVP Worldwide Field Operations at Ping Identity, a leading provider of cloud identity management solutions serving over 1,400 enterprises including industry leaders like Cisco, 3M, Target, and more. During his seven-year tenure, Packer led the team through multiple product and business transitions, ultimately successfully launching the company into the public market. "It is an exciting time in the world of cloud data technology with enterprises transforming and evolving their data processes. I am honored to join the team at Matillion and look forward to supporting our current and future customers on their journey to make their data useful with leading technology," said Dave Packer, president at Matillion. A seasoned marketing professional, Johnston thrives at the intersection of technology, marketing, and business and has a deep passion for tech evangelism, product marketing, and building highly impactful teams. A developer at heart, he leverages his own blend of creativity and logic to steer brand and revenue marketing programs in support of aggressive business goals, which will help build market acceleration for Matillion. Most recently, Johnston was Interim CMO and VP Product Marketing at Domo, a cloud BI platform, having helped grow revenues to $240M+ and moved Domo from Niche into the Leader and Challenger positions with key market analysts like Forrester and Gartner. He also spent 14 years at Microsoft, where he contributed to the successes of the company's most notable enterprise products, including Azure and Office 365. "Matillion is a leader in the data integration space and I am thrilled to join this unicorn business at this stage of its growth," said Mark Johnston, CMO at Matillion. "The culture of customer-obsession and strong values held by each member of the team makes this an incredibly special place to work. I look forward to accelerating growth and differentiation for Matillion in a fast, evolving market." For further data transformation industry updates and perspectives, follow Matillion on Twitter @Matillion and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/matillion-limited/. To learn more about Matillion and its executive team, visit https://www.matillion.com/about/leadership/. About Matillion Matillion makes the world's data useful with an easy-to-use, cloud-native data integration and transformation platform. Optimized for modern enterprise data teams, only Matillion is built on native integrations to cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Delta Lake on Databricks, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, and Microsoft Azure Synapse to enable new levels of efficiency and productivity across any organization. Learn how Matillion delivers rapid returns on cloud investments for global enterprise customers at www.matillion.com. Media contact Inkhouse (for Matillion) [email protected] SOURCE Matillion NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Rock Residential, LLC , a Denver-based multifamily property management company, is pleased to announce its newest management contract for the Kirkwood Place Apartments in Clarksville, Tennessee. The company has been issued the management deal by Hamilton Zanze Real Estate Investments, further expanding their Tennessee presence. Kirkwood Place Apartments offers 264 apartment homes with a choice of one, two, or three bedrooms. Wood-style flooring and kitchen islands give the apartments an elevated feel. Mission Rock Residential is pleased to announce its newest management contract for the Kirkwood Place Apartments in Clarksville, Tennessee. "Our Mission Rock presence continues to grow within Tennessee, and we are excited to now expand into the Clarksville market, with the management of the Kirkwood Place community," said Meredith Wright, CPM, CAPS, and President of Mission Rock Residential. "This beautiful apartment community features a variety of modern amenities that cater to the modern residents' lifestyles. We look forward to providing Kirkwood Place's residents with our best-in-class management practices including events and activities that strengthen the sense of community." Kirkwood Place Apartments offers 264 apartment homes with a choice of one, two, or three bedrooms. Its serene location is just a short drive from everything Clarksville has to offer. The community is pet-friendly, complete with an onsite dog park and Dog Wash Station. Wood-style flooring and kitchen islands give the apartments an elevated feel. The community also includes open floor plans, a resort style swimming pool, and a fitness center all within the gates. Kirkwood Place is located right off I-24 Highway that heads directly into Nashville. It is situated merely five minutes away from a vineyard and winery, and a quick 10 miles from Downtown Clarksville. The University of Chattanooga is only five minutes away, making Kirkwood Place convenient for academics, commuters, and families alike. Clarksville, located less than two hours northeast of Nashville, is one of the fastest growing cities in Tennessee. With new businesses moving in, including a large, regional Amazon Fulfillment Center, the economy is expanding and diversifying to include a mix of manufacturing and service industries. Clarksville is also a neighbor to the Fort Campbell Army Base, the largest employer in the area. To learn more about the Kirkwood Place Apartments, visit https://www.kirkwoodplaceapts.com/. About Mission Rock Residential Mission Rock Residential was established in 2012. The company now manages 165 multifamily properties and approximately 30,000 residential units across the United States. With more than 700 full time team members, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with regional offices in Phoenix and Atlanta. The company was also named one of the Best Places to Work by the National Apartment Association in 2021. For additional information, visit www.missionrockresidential.com . Media Contact Nicole Marshall 5046447335 [email protected] SOURCE Mission Rock Residential HOUSTON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Republican governor of south central U.S. state of Texas, Greg Abbott, said on Wednesday that he has directed state law enforcement to send apprehended migrants by charter buses to Washington, D.C. while announcing more actions to deter migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into the state. "With the Biden administration ending Title 42 expulsions in May, Texas will be taking its own unprecedented actions this month to do what no state in America has ever done in the history of this country to better secure our state, as well as our nation," Abbott said at a news conference. According to Department of Homeland Security projections, Abbott said, there will be as many as 18,000 daily crossings once Title 42 expires, roughly triple the daily average in February. Abbott also announced plans to deploy boat blockades along the southern border, place razor wire along heavily trafficked low-water crossings, and start more aggressively inspecting vehicles as migrants cross the southern border into Texas. Named for a 1940s public health law, Title 42 has allowed U.S. border officials to rapidly expel migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum. The policy was introduced after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 by then Republican President Donald Trump's administration and has reportedly been used roughly 1.7 million times by the current federal authorities. A termination of the policy will be implemented on May 23, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in a statement on Friday. The White House has stated that most of those who cross the border will not be able to remain in the United States, even with the lifting of Title 42. Crossings at the southwest border of the United States have been peaking in recent weeks, and homeland security officials were said to have been bracing for those numbers to rise higher with the rescission of Title 42. DALBAR presents Customer Experience Excellence Award to Nationwide for 3rd Consecutive Year MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DALBAR announced that Nationwide has earned DALBAR's Customer Experience Excellence Award for each of three years the award has been offered. This award recognizes Nationwide's work to ensure an industry-leading customer experience across critical service channels. "An important aspect in retirement planning is having the right support at your disposal. This is an area where Nationwide excels. They have 24/7 access to award-winning websites, a great mobile app for people on the go, and the best telephone support for plan participants we have seen." explains DALBAR Director Brendan Yeager. DALBAR is regarded as the leading industry expert for evaluating customer service and experience. The Customer Experience Excellence Award brings together channel-specific expertise to identify companies providing best-in-class total experiences. The award is based on a year-long audit of channels which collectively comprise the majority of customer interactions. For Nationwide, this included the retirement contact center, private-sector web portal, public-sector portal, and mobile apps. All of these exceeded DALBAR's industry-leading award criteria. "It's validating to be recognized by DALBAR for our teams who deliver extraordinary care and excellent service to our plan sponsors and participants every day," said Eric Stevenson, president of Nationwide Retirement Solutions. "Marking our third consecutive win in this category, we remain committed to continuing to invest in and evolve across its digital and contact centers to deliver award-winning experiences for our customers in the ways they prefer to work with us, long into the future." About DALBAR DALBAR, Inc. has a 45-year history and is recognized by industry and government as an independent third-party expert in the business of providing audits, evaluations, ratings, and due diligence. DALBAR certifications are recognized as a mark of excellence in the financial services community. About Nationwide Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities, mutual funds and ETFs; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com . Follow the firm on Facebook and Twitter . SOURCE DALBAR, Inc. With Recent Rise in Workplace Violence in Healthcare, 88% of Americans Believe Hospitals and Medical Facilities Should Feel as Safe as Airports LOUISVILLE, Colo., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new consumer survey from Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX), nearly three in five Americans (60%) report being concerned about the safety and security of loved ones in a hospital or medical facility (defined as "safety from physical harm, injury or danger caused by a person"). With incidents of workplace violence in healthcare on the rise across the nation, the survey additionally reveals that approximately 70% of Americans believe that if nurses felt safer, they might not be leaving the profession in large numbers and 88% say individuals in a hospital or medical facility should feel as safe there as they do in airports and/or on airplanes. "These results make it clear that Americans are justifiably concerned about workplace violence in healthcare," said Chrystie Leonard, General Manager, GHX Vendormate. "We know violence is a contributing factor to nurses leaving the profession and rising levels of burnout which ultimately has a negative effect on patient care. More than ever, it's vital for hospital leadership to create a safer, more secure environment for staff, patients and visitors and support policies that adopt a zero-tolerance approach to workplace violence." Additional Key Takeaways 58% of Americans are worried about nurses and other clinicians being harmed while on hospital property are worried about nurses and other clinicians being harmed while on hospital property 66% of Americans agree nurses and other frontline healthcare workers are more likely than those in other professions to be victims of workplace violence and 69% agree safety is a cause of nurses leaving the profession in large numbers nurses and other frontline healthcare workers are more likely than those in other professions to be victims of workplace violence and safety is a cause of nurses leaving the profession in large numbers More than half of Americans (57%) say burn out from the past few years plays a role in contributing to healthcare labor shortages say burn out from the past few years plays a role in contributing to healthcare labor shortages Almost 9 in 10 Americans (88%) believe that keeping track of every hospital visitor is essential to safety believe that keeping track of every hospital visitor is essential to safety 82% of Americans believe that more state/federal action should be taken to keep healthcare workers safe believe that more state/federal action should be taken to keep healthcare workers safe 3 in 4 Americans (75%) say that hospitals have an opportunity to improve the safety and security of their facilities say that hospitals have an opportunity to improve the safety and security of their facilities 63% of Americans are concerned about someone unauthorized walking the halls of a hospital and two in five Americans (40%), or more than 100 million people, don't feel safe entering a hospital and/or medical facility today Survey Methodology This online survey was fielded by Regina Corso Consulting on behalf of GHX in March 2022. The survey collected responses from 2,063 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older, and is balanced to be representative of the U.S. collectively based on 2020 Census data. For more information on how visitor facility access management can be a tool in helping to increase facility safety, read our recent Healthcare Hub blog: https://ghx.com/the-healthcare-hub/2022/countering-the-rise-of-workplace-violence-in-healthcare/. Additionally, GHX will host its annual Summit in May where there will be two sessions focused on workplace violence. You can learn more about these sessions and register to attend here: https://www.ghxsummit.com/2022/. About GHX Building on decades of collaboration among providers, manufacturers, distributors and other industry stakeholders, Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC (GHX) is leading the charge in helping organizations run the new business of healthcare. By automating key business processes and translating evidence-based analytics and data into meaningful action, GHX is helping the healthcare ecosystem to move faster, operate more intelligently and achieve greater outcomes. With the support of GHX, healthcare organizations have removed billions of dollars of wasteful healthcare spend. For more information on GHX's suite of cloud-based supply chain solutions, visit www.ghx.com and The Healthcare Hub . Contact: Charlie Vinopal, [email protected] SOURCE GHX The company launched the campaign after a recent study 1 it commissioned revealed that although 92% of Canadians know they have a duty to protect the environment, 52% don't know where to start and nearly half (42%) are confused by environmental terminology, such as 'carbon neutrality' and 'regenerative agriculture'. To help make sense of sustainability, the company introduced the Maple Leaf Foods Green Glossary, which simplifies complex environmental terminology and defines it in a way that the whole family can understand. The glossary also provides some 'Little Changes, Big Impact' tips that offer eco-friendly, easy-to-incorporate actions to preserve the planet for future generations. Climate Change, Carbon Emissions and Confusion For decades, Canadians have been bombarded with messages that paint a picture of a planet in distress, yet the research revealed that less than half (44%) of consumers can accurately define the term 'carbon neutrality'. By building understanding, Maple Leaf Foods hopes to empower Canadians to act. "Little changes can have a big impact on the environment, not just on Earth Day, but every day. While Canadians have the best of intentions, our research reveals there's a gap in knowledge. It's time to put pride aside, walk the talk and inform ourselves about technical terms," says Tim Faveri, Vice-President of Sustainability and Shared Value, Maple Leaf Foods. Maple Leaf Foods' sustainability experts compiled a go-to Green Glossary which zeroes in on 12 environmental terms with high search volumes that it hopes will increase awareness, provide simple ways to look after the planet and encourage families to engage on Earth Day and beyond. The top five most searched for terms per month at the time of compilation2 included: Climate Change Global Warming Renewable Energy Greenhouse Gas Fossil Fuels Why Maple Leaf Foods is Leading the Charge The protein industry plays an enormous role in nourishing billions of people, but also consumes resources and impacts our planet. As the world's first major carbon neutral food company, Maple Leaf Foods continuously works toward more sustainable food production and a more sustainable protein industry. Maple Leaf Foods is dedicated to finding new ways to make its carbon footprint smaller through successful initiatives, which help to decrease its water and energy use, reduce waste and embrace sustainable packaging. The company believes the best way to drive change is by addressing the significant environmental and social challenges that we face as a society. This has led to Maple Leaf Foods being ranked third globally and first in North America on the 2021 Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index, the world's only comprehensive sustainability ranking of the 60 largest publicly traded animal protein producers. To access the Maple Leaf Foods Green Glossary and learn about little changes everyone can make for a big impact on the planet, visit: https://www.mapleleaf.ca/carbonneutral/green-glossary About Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Maple Leaf Foods is a carbon neutral company with a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders, Schneiders Country Naturals, Mina, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., Lightlife and Field Roast. The Company employs approximately 13,500 people and does business primarily in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI). 1 About this Study: These are the findings of a study commissioned by Maple Leaf Foods among a nationally representative sample of 1,532 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum, balanced and weighted on age, gender, region and education. For comparison purposes only, a sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The study was conducted in English and French from March 17-21, 2022. 2 Data drawn from Google on March 15 2022. SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc. VANCOUVER, BC, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, today announced that Payton Nyquvest, Founder and CEO of Numinus, will participate in two upcoming investor conferences: Sequire Cannabis & Psychedelic Conference to be held virtually on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 . Mr. Nyquvest will present at 1:00 p.m. ET . To attend, register here. . Mr. Nyquvest will present at . To attend, register here. KCSA Psychedelics Investor Conference to be held virtually on April 27-28, 2022 . Mr. Nyquvest will present on Wednesday, April 27 th at 1:00 p.m. ET . To attend, register here. For more information about the conferences, or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Numinus' management, please contact your appropriate representative directly, or send an email to KCSA Strategic Communications [email protected]. About Numinus Numinus Wellness helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model including psychedelic production, research and clinic care is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society. Learn more at www.numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Forward-looking statements Statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc. STAMFORD, Conn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern University are building on an extensive partnership with the launch of the Faculty Success Program. This service is grounded in O'Donnell Learn+ISG's Faculty Concierge, which provides institutions with scalable, high-touch, and quality faculty learning experience design and delivery consultation. As a global research university and recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning, Northeastern continuously innovates the way high-quality instruction is delivered. Many of Northeastern University's courses are led by adjunct faculty, who bring valuable experience from their field into the classroom. However, while these faculty are experts in their subject area, many do not have the in-depth knowledge of online course delivery necessary to create exceptional online learning experiences. Jared Auclair, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Professional Programs and Graduate Affairs for Northeastern University College of Science, recognized the challenges these instructors face in translating their experience and expertise to online. Dr. Auclair turned to O'Donnell Learn+ISG to bridge the gaps within the internal team and provide expert, scaled support for their faculty. Leveraging the dynamic instructor services and technology platform offered by the Faculty Concierge, O'Donnell Learn+ISG developed the Faculty Success Program. This short-term, curated service meets faculty where they are with proactive outreach, one-on-one consultation, tips, and resources. This empowers them to create purposeful online learning experiences while using their time effectively. "Through the Faculty Success Program, the University is able to bolster existing resources on the campus level, and provide personalized support to faculty in designing and delivering humanized, inclusive and engaged learning," said John Falchi, Senior Vice President, Growth and Product Strategy. Dr. Auclair recognizes the value, "The Faculty Success Program provides crucial online learning support to our faculty, thus ensuring the success of both students and faculty." O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern are working as true partners in developing the program and promoting faculty learning design support at scale. Since 2018, this partnership with the University has contributed to the development of over 100 courses, including projects with the Lowell Institute, D'Amore McKim School of Business, Khoury School of Computer Science, and the Global Resilience Institute. Beyond the Faculty Success Program, the partners are currently developing courses that address data science skills gaps in the production engineering workforce. O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern will present the findings from the program during the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Annual Innovate Conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Dallas, TX. About O'Donnell Learn+ISG O'Donnell Learn + ISG is the data-driven Learning Experience Company delivering people-centric solutions that meet the demands of modern learners and educators. Their technology-powered managed services are delivered in a purchasing model that's flexible, accessible, and predictable for today's institution. O'Donnell Learn + ISG is uniquely positioned to help improve learning experiences at scale. To learn more, please visit this website. About Northeastern University Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-powered lifelong learning. Northeastern's world-renowned experiential approach empowers their students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus. CONTACT: Stefanie Scott O'Donnell Learn Email: [email protected] Phone: 203-973-0635 SOURCE O'Donnell Learn Pacific Sotheby's International Realty is a leading luxury residential real estate brokerage with over 620 agents and 18 offices serving Orange County and San Diego County. Further reinforcing its position as a leading player in the luxury North American residential real estate market, this is Peerage Realty's seventh affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty. Peerage Realty Partners is now the largest strategic investor in the Sotheby's International Realty network. Pacific Sotheby's International Realty attained a sales volume of US$6.8 billion in 2021. TORONTO, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Peerage Realty Partners ("Peerage Realty") announces a substantial partnership interest in Pacific Sothebys International Realty. It is a leading luxury real estate brokerage in the Southern California markets of Orange County and San Diego County. Its 620 agents represent 150 miles of pristine Southern California Coast from Huntington Beach to Coronado. Pacific Sotheby's International Realty has offices in Carlsbad, Coronado, Dana Point, Encinitas, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Fe (3), San Clemente (2), San Diego (4), and Solana Beach. "Peerage Realty's quest is to be the preeminent luxury real estate services company globally," said Miles Nadal, Founder and Executive Chair of Peerage Realty Partners. "Southern California is an ideal market to add to our growing portfolio. We look forward to further expanding across California, fully leveraging the Sotheby's International Realty brand and the expertise and reputation of Pacific Sotheby's International Realty." Under the leadership of CEO Brian Arrington, President and COO Wendy Purvey, and the senior management team, Pacific Sotheby's International Realty attained a 2021 sales volume of US$6.8 billion (C$8.5 billion). "We are honored and privileged to further enhance Pacific's commitment to the communities where we work and live. We take that legacy of trust and engagement very seriously," said Gavin Swartzman, CEO of Peerage Realty Partners. "The talented team at Pacific Sotheby's International Realty will be a significant addition to the group we are building. We look forward to adding their energy and experience to the Peerage Realty family." The senior management team will continue to lead the organization and will hold a significant financial interest in its future growth. Brian has long been considered a thought leader within the Sotheby's International Realty network. In 2022, he was named one of the Power 200 in the prestigious Swanepoel Real Estate Almanac's rankings. Industry veteran Wendy Purvey previously held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Sotheby's International Realty. She has a reputation for delivering growth-focused marketing strategies and bringing together multiple firms under new and existing brand identities. "For 11 years, Pacific Sotheby's International Realty has been the preeminent luxury real estate firm in Southern California. Our average sales price is 45 per cent higher than our nearest competitor and we continue to dominate the high end of market," said Brian Arrington, Founder and CEO of Pacific Sotheby's International Realty. "With our exciting momentum, the time is perfect to infuse new resources and capital to help grow our agents' business." He added: "Coming off one of the best real estate markets in history has brought consolidation opportunities around the country and none more so than right here in the extremely desirable footprint of Orange County and San Diego." The partnership with Pacific Sotheby's International Realty is the seventh one for Peerage Realty. It further deepens the existing relationship between Peerage Realty and the Sotheby's International Realty brand, reinforcing the intent to forge more such partnerships in the future. Wendy Purvey President and COO said, "Combining a powerful brand, a truly connected network, and the most extraordinary marketing for our agents and the properties they represent, our new partnership with Peerage Realty allows for access to additional capital to further strengthen our value proposition." Presently, Peerage Realty has interests in Sotheby's International Realty Canada, Canada's largest luxury real estate brokerage with 30 offices and 690 agents in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta; Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty with six offices and 381 agents in North Texas, including Dallas and Fort Worth; Cascade Sotheby's International Realty with 17 offices and over 400 agents in the Oregon and Southwest Washington market; Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty with 23 offices and 320 agents in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York (including Select Sotheby's International Realty); and Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, a dominant player in the luxury residential and commercial real estate markets with six offices and 460 agents in the Greater Chicago Area. ABOUT PACIFIC SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Pacific Sotheby's International Realty supports over 620 elite real estate professionals in 18 offices throughout San Diego and Orange County making the firm one of the largest Sotheby's International Realty franchises in the brand's global network. By providing exceptional service, in-depth market knowledge, and unmatched marketing opportunities, we can ensure our clients receive every advantage in the market. Pacific Sotheby's International Realty agents are recognized as industry leaders and experts in the Southern California marketplace and are uniquely positioned to assist our clients to meet their real estate objectives successfully. The direct affiliation with Sotheby's auction house and the Sotheby's International Realty brand offers the company unparalleled global reach allowing our clients the benefit of receiving prime exposure to a network of more than 25,000 associates in 79 countries and territories. ABOUT PEERAGE REALTY PARTNERS Peerage Realty Partners is a leading residential real estate services firm, serving luxury markets across North America. Its brokerage partners include leading Sotheby's International Realty affiliates and renowned independent firms in both resale residential real estate brokerage and new construction marketing. Peerage Realty core service activities include real estate financing, transaction services, asset management, and home improvement for purpose-built rental properties. Peerage Realty has the unique benefit of being a privately-owned enterprise that is positioned to commit to long-term partnerships and investments. Peerage Realty is projected to transact over US$40 billion (C$49 billion) in 2022 through its partner firms. It has approximately 5,500 best-in-class sales representatives and employees with 228 offices in many provinces and states in Canada and the United States. To significantly enhance the growth and expansion of the Partners, Peerage Realty consistently provides strategic input, capital, technology, operational expertise, marketing, communications, and value-added products and services that differentiate and strengthen its partner firms in competitive markets. Its goal is to expand the suite of services that its partner firms can offer to enhance the client experience through all phases of a real estate transaction and beyond. Peerage Realty Partners competitive advantage is "The Power of Partnership". Its investment in iconic talent is a further reinforcement of its reputation as the place "Where Great Entrepreneurial Talent Thrives" www.peeragerealty.com ABOUT PEERAGE CAPITAL Peerage Capital is a leading North American business services and private investment firm. Peerage Capital is focused on partnering with exceptional, entrepreneurial management teams to form long-term investments across several strategic business services platforms including real estate services, real estate development and management, land assembly, self-storage, asset management and wealth advisory services. A growing network of partner companies has over 5,500 sales representatives and employees across Canada and the United States with approximately US$9 billion (C$11 billion) in total assets under management (AUM) and administration. Peerage Capital focuses on service sectors where there are opportunities to achieve scale through both organic growth as well as through acquisition, operating synergies, and brand differentiation. It supports the partner firms in which it invests by providing capital as well as a team of experienced professionals who add value in such areas as strategy, finance, technology, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and communications. Peerage Capital believes that superior talent is the ultimate driver of long-term growth and success. It operates with a strong culture of partnership, collaboration, and alignment of interests, both economic and cultural. Peerage Capital's unique "Professional Partnership" model has been refined over 40 years to accelerate growth through value-added services that enhance the sustainable, profitable growth rate of the organization, maximizing value for all stakeholders. www.peeragecapital.com ABOUT SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Sotheby's International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby's auction house. Today, the company's global footprint spans nearly 1,000 offices located in 79 countries and territories worldwide, including 47 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby's, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby's International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house, established in 1744. The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation, and settlement services. Both Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. www.sothebysrealty.com SOURCE Peerage Realty Partners Inc. OLYMPIA, Wash., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The teams at People, Pets & Vets (PPV) local animal hospitals love serving the pets in their community through compassionate care and top-quality medicine. Unleashed in the Community is an initiative that celebrates the good that our family of hospitals are doing to help even more pets in their local communities. Their animal-loving team members are making an impact in their neighborhoods by partnering with local organizations, hosting pet supply drives, and volunteering at local animal shelters. They know that even the smallest efforts can make the biggest impact, and we are here to support, encourage and celebrate their dedication. PPV is truly inspired by our hospitals' philanthropy and is proud to introduce Bravado's Campaign, a fund that supports organizations on a larger scale in the veterinary industry. PPV founder, Dr. Michael Murphy, had a childhood golden retriever named Bravado. He shaped his life and led to him choosing a career in veterinary medicine. While veterinary school can dive deep into the medicine, Bravado was the constant reminder of his "why" behind this profession - to strengthen and nurture the human-animal bond. Dr. Murphy, shared "We are so honored and feel so fortunate that People, Pets & Vets recently donated $50,000 to the American Veterinary Medical Fund to help their cause of rescuing the stranded pets in Ukraine. Due to the political unrest and citizens fleeing the country, millions of animals have been forced to fend for themselves, no longer receiving the care they need." With over 130 hospitals in the family, PPV is excited that their family has expanded and even more thrilled to celebrate their local altruistic endeavors! To read the awesome stories about PPV and their impact on their communities, please visit peoplepetsandvets.com/unleashed. Check back often because these heartwarming stories keep coming in. People, Pets and Vets, born in 1992, is a veterinarian-led group with animal hospitals located throughout the western and southern United States. Each hospital provides a range of general and surgical services while making a positive impact in their communities. PPV offers a compelling opportunity to veterinarians looking to sell their practice and career opportunities to veterinarians and support staff. By creating a network of passionate professionals who work smarter, PPV has a strong track record of treating people well, always doing what they say, and creating a relationship built on trust. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE People, Pets & Vets ATLANTA, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 13, 2022, Practolytics LLC ("Practolytics") provided a media statement related to a data security incident it learned of in November 2021. This subsequent statement provides additional information related to the incident. Around November 30, 2021, Practolytics discovered that a report generated by a client containing information related to COVID testing conducted by Priority MedExpress, which would normally be deactivated following initial download, remained active. Upon discovery, Practolytics took immediate steps to deactivate and delete the download link to prevent further access or dissemination. Since the discovery of the incident, Practolytics engaged cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation to determine the source and scope of the incident and ensure a similar incident will not occur in the future. As part of the investigation, Practolytics confirmed that minor and adult information was accessible in the report, which may have included name, age, gender, address, date of birth, Social Security number, email address, appointment date and type, provider name, and insurance information. Between January 13 and January 18, 2022, 1,125 individuals were notified by USPS first-class mail of the incident and provided with information on how to protect their personal information. A call center has been set up with IDX to answer any questions that individuals may have about the incident and can be reached at 1-800-939-4170 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. The security of information is our top priority at Practolytics, and we are committed to safeguarding data and privacy. We deeply regret any worry or inconvenience that this matter may cause. SOURCE Practolytics LLC Conference panel examines the connection between organizational empathy and employee satisfaction, retention, and business results DUBLIN, Ohio, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recruiting and retaining high-performing employees is essential as the Great Resignation continues, and some experts believe organizational empathy may be the secret to achieving these goals. Zane Burke, CEO of Quantum Health, the healthcare navigation and care coordination industry leader, will host a Business Group on Health session exploring the relationship between organizational empathy and employee engagement, hiring and retention, and business results. The discussion takes place at the Business Group on Health's Annual Conference on April 21, 2022. April 21 Business Group on Health Session: Organizational Empathy | The Secret Ingredient to Employee Retention, Satisfaction and Benefits ROI -- Zane Burke, Quantum Health; Jamil Zaki, empathy researcher; Amanda Davenport, Surgery Partners Joining Burke will be Stanford University professor and leading empathy researcher Jamil Zaki, and Amanda Davenport, senior director of benefits for Surgery Partners. The panel discussion, "Organizational Empathy: The Secret Ingredient to Employee Retention, Satisfaction and Benefits ROI," will examine the connection between organizational empathy and business outcomes that can be influenced through employee benefits. During this panel discussion, attendees will learn: How empathy can be a workplace "superpower." Common myths about empathy and how to bust those myths. Empathy skill-building techniques. How one leading organization uses empathy to address burnout in its population of healthcare workers. How empathy can turn a benefits program into a benefits experience that improves employee retention and influences DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives while also lowering healthcare costs. About the panelists Jamil Zaki, Ph.D., is leading the charge to create a more empathetic world. A renowned professor of psychology at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, Zaki is author of "The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World," a book based on his laboratory's research and his analysis of global research into the state of empathy. Zaki's work focuses on how empathy works, and how people and organizations can learn to empathize more effectively. Amanda Davenport is senior director of benefits at Surgery Partners, a leading operator of specialty surgery centers and hospitals, with nearly 300 locations and 9,000 employees. Davenport's career spans extensive experience in employee benefits strategy and leadership, both for healthcare delivery organizations and insurance brokerage firms. Davenport has seen firsthand the impact of today's stressful healthcare environment, which is why her team is committed to infusing empathy into their workplace culture and benefits experience to better support the needs of their employee population. Zane Burke is CEO of Quantum Health and a healthcare industry innovator focused on transforming the consumer healthcare experience. An internationally recognized health IT leader, Burke has extensive experience guiding healthcare technology enterprises, including Silicon Valley-based Livongo Health Inc., a leading software as a service (SaaS) consumer digital health company, where Burke served as CEO, and Cerner Corporation, where he was president. "With all the challenges of the past two years, helping employees and their families feel cared for and supported is critical for every organization's success," said Burke. "The power of empathy cannot be underestimated. It's the driving force behind Quantum Health and how we serve our key stakeholders: Clients, members, providers, partners and most importantly our own employees. We are proud to share these valuable insights that will help employers and benefits professionals use organizational empathy to transform their workplace cultures and program offerings into optimized employee experiences that will attract and nurture top talent and achieve business results." The session, "Organizational Empathy: The Secret Ingredient to Employee Retention, Satisfaction and Benefits ROI," takes place on April 21 from 8:55 to 9:25 a.m. CT and will be available to Business Group on Health conference attendees. For more information about the session and the speakers, visit here. About Quantum Health Quantum Health is the industry-leading consumer healthcare navigation and care coordination company that delivers an unparalleled consumer experience to its members, as well as validated claims savings and high satisfaction rates for its self-insured employer clients. Quantum Health's proprietary Real-Time Intercept model identifies opportunities for early intervention in a member's healthcare journey, resulting in better engagement, outcomes, and cost efficiencies. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Dublin, Ohio. Since its inception, Quantum Health has earned numerous awards and honors, including being named among the Fastest-Growing Private Companies by Inc. 5000, and a Great Place to Work by FORTUNE Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. The Women Presidents' Organization has ranked Quantum Health as one of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies, and Columbus Business First has honored Quantum Health as a Best Place to Work. To learn more about the company, visit www.Quantum-Health.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Susan Simkins, Quantum Health, Corporate Communications, 800-257-2038 x13494, [email protected] SOURCE Quantum Health The Company recently (March 2) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Company's Investigational New Drug application, clearing the path to proceed Phase I/IIa clinical investigation of H002, a broad spectrum, highly selective, fourth-generation compound. H002 will initially be evaluated for treating C797S mutation-driven resistance to EGFR TKIs in NSCLC. H002 is the first drug candidate expected to enter clinical trials from RedCloud Bio's pipeline. H002 has demonstrated potential in overcoming resistance in C797S mutations. The compound has also shown significant inhibitory effects on wide spectrum of single, double and triple EGFR mutants. High bioavailability and favourable tissue distribution as well as a wide therapeutic window have also been observed in preclinical studies. Resistance to EGFR TKIs is a major challenge in NSCLC treatment. EGFR-activating mutations, have been reported in 10-50% of patients with NSCLC. Although these patients respond well to early generations of TKIs, acquired resistance by mechanisms such as T790M mutation compromises their efficacy. Recently, the C797S mutation in combination with Del19 or L858R, with or without T790M, has emerged as one of the most common mechanisms underlying on-target resistance to third generation EGFR TKIs, such as osimertinib. RedCloud Bio is developing a fourth-generation EGFR inhibitor, H002, with a wide spectrum and high selectivity to address the growing unmet needs in NSCLC patients harbouring C797S mutation. Presentation details: H002: A wide spectrum, highly selective fourth-generation EGFR inhibitor overcoming resistance harbouring C797S mutation in NSCLC Abstract #5461, E-Poster Presentation, Session: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics - Small Molecule Therapeutic Agents, April 8, 2022, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT (Access to the AbstractH002: A wide spectrum, highly selective fourth-generation EGFR inhibitor overcoming resistance harboring C797S mutation in NSCLC (abstractsonline.com)) About RedCloud Bio RedCloud Bio is an innovative biotech company integrating structural pharmacology and computing technologies to advance small molecule drug discovery and development. The Company has laboratories in Shanghai and Beijing with drug discovery platform integrating structural pharmacology, molecular dynamics, computational chemistry and AI technologies, and with developing global clinical development capabilities. RedCloud Bio has accumulated structural data and algorithm models covering clinically important targets, and has built an innovative pipeline targeting tumour resistance, rare and other critical diseases with high unmet medical needs, using its core technology platform. The Company's lead therapeutic candidate, H002, is a small molecule compound addressing EGFR activating mutations, and is expected to enter global clinical development. The compound is a promising candidate as a next-generation TKI with unique clinical differentiation for NSCLC. For information, contact [email protected], or visit www.redcloudbio.com. SOURCE RedCloud Bio Co., Ltd. File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on Thursday. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. At age 51, Jackson has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit - often referred to as the nation's second most powerful court - since June 2021. U.S. President Joe Biden announced in late February the nomination of Jackson to succeed liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who is about to retire this summer. Jackson will not be sworn in until after Breyer leaves the post. Biden and Jackson watched the Senate vote, which fell largely along party lines, from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Thursday afternoon. "Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation," Biden tweeted with a photo of him taking a selfie with the judge. "We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America," he said. "She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her." The White House has scheduled an event for Friday to celebrate the confirmation. While Senate Democrats have praised Jackson's qualifications, as well as the historic nature of her nomination, most Republicans have cast doubt on her past rulings. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted against the nomination, voiced concern about what he saw as a "long and disturbing record of using judicial activism to go soft on crime." It was one of Biden's major campaign promises to fill a potential Supreme Court vacancy with an African American woman. Since the Supreme Court was established in the United States in 1789, 115 justices have served on the bench. Of them, 108 were white men. The justices have life tenure and can serve until they die, resign, retire, or are impeached and removed from office. Born in Washington, D.C. but raised in Miami, Florida, Jackson received her law degree from Harvard University and graduated cum laude in 1996. Earlier in her legal career, she worked as an assistant federal public defender in D.C. and served as vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission for four years. Jackson served more than eight years as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before being elevated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. This year, the Supreme Court will rule on cases involving a series of major issues, including abortion, affirmative action and gun control. Court watchers have argued Jackson is expected to vote very similarly to Breyer and her ascension won't change the Supreme Court's ideological balance, in which conservatives have a 6-3 majority over liberals. The Supreme Court is the final appellate court of the U.S. judicial system, with the power to review and overturn lower court decisions, and is also generally the final interpreter of federal law, including the country's constitution. File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (C) testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) File photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (L) testifying during the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote on April 7, 2022. Only three Republicans joined Democrats and independents in supporting Jackson to be the first African American woman on the highest court. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World Animal Protection's latest report, and website The Hidden Health Impacts of Industrial Livestock Systems, exposes how governments worldwide are turning a blind eye to the public health toll of factory farming including zoonotic disease spread, environmental contamination and worker wellbeing, as well as the suffering of billions of farmed animals. By 2030, meat consumption is projected to grow 9% in North America[i]. This skyrocketing demand results in billions of stressed animals confined to cramped and barren cages or pens for their whole lives and subjected to painful physical mutilations. Over 70 % of the 80 billion land animals* farmed globally are raised and slaughtered within cruel factory farming systems each year. In the US that number is even higher at an estimated 99%. The five pathways "through which food systems negatively affect our health", outlined by the World Health Organization in their 2021 report Food Systems Delivering Better Health[ii] is the source upon which this new research is based. World Animal Protection details how negative health impacts are directly linked to factory farming. In the US, factory farms are fueling high rates of illness attributed to the pollutants and contaminants emitted by their operations, a harm that is more greatly borne by under-resourced communities and communities of color. The report also illustrates how the factory farm industry is damaging the mental and physical health of the millions of people who work to raise, transport, and process the billions of farmed animals in the US each year. "The US government props up factory farming through federal programs that direct billions of dollars in public money to offset the high costs of industrial meat and dairy production, while exempting companies from paying for the damage they cause." says Cameron Harsh, Programs Director, World Animal Protection US. "The damage being done by mega-farms that treat animals as mere commodities extends well beyond the individual facilities where the animals are raised and slaughtered." Systemic shifts are needed to deliver the biggest health gains for our population. Some of those include re-orientating subsidies away from factory farming towards humane and sustainable practices, improving accessibility of plant-based foods, and providing transition support for farmers no longer wishing to engage in factory farming. In order to realize these shifts, World Animal Protection is calling for the United States government on both a local and national scale to impose a halt on factory farms and, introduce and improve farmed animal welfare standards, and transition towards agroecological systems that produce sustainable plant-based foods. World Animal Protection World Animal Protection is the global voice for animal welfare, with more than 70 years experience campaigning for a world where animals live free from cruelty and suffering. World Animal Protection has offices in 12 countries and works across 47 countries collaborating with local communities, the private sector, civil society and governments to change animals' lives for the better. The organization's goal is to change the way the world works to end animal cruelty and suffering for both wild and farmed animals. Through its global food system strategy, World Animal Protection will end factory farming and create a humane and sustainable food system, that puts animals first. By transforming the broken systems that fuel exploitation and commodification, the organization will give wild animals the right to a wild life. Its work to protect animals will play a vital role in solving the climate emergency, the public health crisis and the devastation of natural habitats. For more information on World Animal Protection, visit: http://www.worldanimalprotection.us/ Notes to Editors The report - The Hidden Health Impacts of Industrial Livestock Systems can be found here. can be found here. he latest FAO/OECD Agricultural Outlook forecasts production of beef, pork, poultry, and sheep meat is projected to grow 5.9%, 13.1%, 17.8% and 15.7% respectively by 2030. *Excludes the number of farmed fish [i] OECD/FAO. 2021. OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook (Edition 2021). OECD Agriculture Statistics (database), https://doi.org/10.1787/4bde2d83-en (accessed 8th September 2021). [ii] WHO. 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240031814 (accessed 15th September 2021) SOURCE World Animal Protection Revenue Grid was recognized as one of the top vendors in the RO&I market Tweet this Revenue Grid believes it emerged as a contender thanks to its ease of implementation, quick ROI, and other perks that customers love. Revenue Grid believes this recognition proves the company's dedication to transforming revenue for sales teams around the world and helping them stop revenue leakage with confidence. "Since its inception, Revenue Grid has remained committed to transforming how sales teams do revenue by helping them take more control of their sales process and prevent revenue leakage by providing actionable insights at every stage of the sales process," said Vlad Voskresensky, CEO of Revenue Grid. Recent reviews from our clients validate our position as the go-to Revenue Intelligence solution for many. Akash S. wrote: "I've tried different solutions, but none enables me to see what my reps are working on and how much progress they're making with each opportunity like Revenue Grid. Also, the ease of spotting the next steps for major deals as well as analyzing the health of every opportunity in the pipeline is a money-saver. My team has been able to save numerous deals thanks to this feature. Plus, the UI is so user-friendly, so that's a huge win for me." Revenue Grid was also recently awarded G2's Best Sales Software Award in its Spring 2022 announcement. This recognition came after G2 customers ranked it as the best among thousands of other contenders in the Revenue Operations and Intelligence market. About Revenue Grid Revenue Grid is the first-to-market Revenue Intelligence platform that covers the full revenue cycle with the most comprehensive set of algorithmic Guided Selling capabilities. Revenue Grid uses complete customer journey data and sales teams' unique processes and playbooks to create a dynamic guide fitting revenue org of any complexity. With over 15 years serving as the best sales activity data-capture solution on the market, Revenue Grid has unparalleled expertise in data integration, advanced analytics, and sales automation. Organizations as diverse as Hilton, Western Union, Moody's, Trip Advisor, Red Cross, and Robert Half have chosen Revenue Grid thanks to its customizability and enterprise-readiness. Revenue Grid is a private company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. To learn more, visit revenuegrid.com. Company Contact Maria Gordienko Head of Communications [email protected] SOURCE Revenue Grid Wolfe brings decades of teaching and administrative leadership experience, most recently from Hamilton College, with a focus on experiential learning. SALEM, Va., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of selecting a new president, Roanoke College has selected a new dean of the college. Roanoke College today announces that Dr. Kathy J. Wolfe, a champion of integrative and experiential learning, has been named vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college. Wolfe has 28 years of teaching experience and 12 years in administrative leadership roles, most recently as dean of engaged education at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. She has a broad understanding of higher education, having worked in private and public liberal arts institutions, community colleges and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Wolfe will assume the dean's position in July, replacing Dr. Richard Smith, who retired in the summer of 2021 after 12 years in the position. Roanoke College President Michael C. Maxey said after a rigorous, competitive national search, "Dr. Wolfe emerged as our candidate of choice for the deanship. She stands out in many ways that will enhance Roanoke College, our academic program, and the experience of our students." Dr. Frank Shushok Jr., Roanoke College president-elect who will succeed retiring President Maxey in July, said Wolfe's vision aligns perfectly with Roanoke College's approach. "I was struck by Dr. Wolfe's authentic connection to Roanoke College's mission, especially our commitment that every student be invited to explore purpose en route to finding meaningful work," Shushok said. "Dr. Wolfe is student-centered, collaborative, excited about curricular innovation, and eager to partner with our talented faculty to dream forward the next iteration of Roanoke College's offering to the world. She brings refined leadership skills and experience to Roanoke College and believes wholeheartedly that the education Roanoke College delivers translates into powerful marketplace skills critical for thriving communities." Hamilton College President David Wippman praised Wolfe as, "a student-centered, liberal-arts focused, mission-driven educator who works tirelessly to ensure that all students have equitable access to the resources and opportunities that will make them successful. She has been instrumental in the development and implementation of ALEX [Advise, Learn, Experience initiative], Hamilton's coordinated advising network for students, and has demonstrated her readiness for this opportunity at Roanoke. We will miss her contributions at Hamilton, but we extend our congratulations to her on this well-deserved appointment." At Hamilton College, Wolfe oversaw the ALEX initiative, which seeks to integrate and improve advising, academic support and experiential learning opportunities for students. Prior to that, she served two terms as dean of undergraduate programs and professor of English at Nebraska Wesleyan University, her alma mater. Between deanships there, she spent a year and a half with the American Association of Colleges and Universities as a senior fellow and interim vice president for integrative liberal learning and the global commons. Wolfe said she was drawn to the College for a variety of reasons. One is that she wanted to make a difference in the academic curriculum, where she can work with faculty to help integrate liberal arts study and career exploration. "What drew me to Roanoke College was the College's willingness to embrace thoughtful change while maintaining a firm commitment to high-quality, affordable and equitable liberal arts education," Wolfe said. "I'm excited about the partnership with President-elect Frank Shushok, and eager to get to know the community and collaborate with the faculty, staff, administrators, students, alumni, the board and others to develop creative new programs. We will connect with the local community and articulate the value of the liberal arts." Wolfe, who was a first-generation college student, holds a B.A. in English from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in English from Texas Christian University. She is a member of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Conference of Academic Deans, the National Academic Advising Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English/College Composition and Communication. SOURCE Roanoke College DALLAS, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As of April 5, Sandler Law Group (SLG), a Dallas-based law firm exclusively focused on serving the needs of residential lenders and servicers, is pleased to announce its multi-state capabilities have recently expanded, extending the firm's ability to satisfy the full spectrum of its clients compliance and closing needs. Jessica Ngugen, Associate Attorney, is now licensed by the state bars of North Carolina and South Carolina. Jessica previously had been admitted to the bars of the states of Ohio and Texas. In addition, a long-standing member of the Texas bar, Diane Jenkins, Of Counsel, is now a member of the Georgia bar. And Regina Uhl, Partner, is admitted to practice in the states of Texas, Kentucky, and Illinois. She also is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Residential Real Estate Law. "Our firm celebrates the efforts of our attorneys who continue to build on their respective levels of expertise and to broaden their ability to meet our clients' needs not only in Texas, but in other states across the country, wherever our clients operate," said Regina Uhl. About Sandler Law Group: Sandler Law Group (SLG) is a national law firm based in Dallas, TX that services the needs of mortgage lenders and servicers. SLG offers mortgage companies a holistic residential mortgage loan process that includes compliance management strategies, attorney review, regulatory expertise, and document preparation processes and technology. For more than thirty-years, SLG has a record of successfully delivering closing functions and document preparation, including unauthorized practice of law compliance and fulfillment services for all its clients. SLG leverages the mortgage professionals at AsurityServices to provide servicing support, with advanced loan document technology for compliant loan modification and partial claims document packages, and expert services to manage and track the receipt and review of a borrower's executed documents, coordinate counterparty signatures, record documents, and deliver fully executed and recorded documents to appropriate counterparties. Contact: Chris Yerinides, [email protected] SOURCE Sandler Law Group WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Romani Alliance today announced that for the first time in history, we are making our voice known in the USA for the world to see our heritage come to life and ask for mercy. Our World Day of Roma is celebrated across the world, EXCEPT for the USA, on April 8th. This milestone is a major move for our Romani People, on its mission to UNITE ALL of HUMANITY and be treated fairly and humanely. The Romani have been caught in the crossfires of the wretched war that is happening in Ukraine. They are stranded without proper medicines, baby foods, clothing, or comfort for their children. We are seeking for the administrations of the USA and Canada to extend grace and help to our Roma people such as the governments are assisting the other races to flee to America and Canada. The American Romani Alliance, Inc has partnered with the Rainbow Warriors Ministry to organize this press conference: A Plea for Romani. The Rainbow Warriors' Mission is to Be the Destroyers of the Destroyers for the Planet and Humanity. -Revelation 11:18 NOW is the Time for our generous call to action. YOU can help us to help the Roma People for Humanity. Be History in the making! Join us, along with Dr. Ian Hancock: author & Representative to the UN for the Romani People, Angelo Nickels of the ARA, & Organic Guru Isabella Lynnette of the Rainbow Warriors, as well as many others. To learn more about Save the Roma, click here: www.savetheroma.com APRIL 8, 2022 JW Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Ave 12:00 3:00 p.m. Isabella Lynnette Marie American Romani Alliance 479-981-4093 [email protected] SOURCE American Romani Alliance First-of-its-Kind Molecular Karyotyping Test SHENZHEN, China, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SeekIn Inc, the leader in blood-based cancer early detection and monitoring technology, today announced the CE (Conformite Europeenne) Mark for LeukoPrint Molecular Karyotyping Kit and is now ready to launch this test in European markets. Leukemias are a group of life threatening malignant disorders of the blood and bone marrow, which can occur at any age. There are a total of ~ 4.4 million new cases of and ~ 3.1 million deaths from leukemia worldwide annually. Genomic alternations, especially copy number aberrations (CNAs), are particularly imperative for diagnostic classification and risk stratification in leukemia patients. The conventional cytogenetic analysis, karyotyping, has been used to detect the genetic alterations of the hematopoietic malignancies for decades. Although karyotyping can provide a panoramic view of chromosomal aberrations, this technique comes with several drawbacks, such as a time-consuming and prone-to-failure cell-culturing step, relatively low resolution which is usually unable to detect submicroscopic changes (< 10 Mb), and a visual interpretation that is highly dependent on cytogeneticist experience and knowledge of the disease. LeukoPrint Molecular Karyotyping Kit is developed to depict CNA patterns in leukemia patients based on shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS). This test can help hematologists make diagnosis and prognostic stratification according to European Leukemia Net (ELN), Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) or Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) guidelines. Except for leukemias, LeukoPrint is also applicable to other types of hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma. The significant advantage of LeukoPrint is high accuracy, high sensitivity, and patients can avoid the pain of frequent sampling from bone marrow. "With the advent of new DNA sequencing technologies, next-generation sequencing (NGS) based genetic testing has been implemented as a routine protocol for cancer diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment response evaluation." Mao Mao, M.D., Ph.D., SeekIn's founder and CEO, said in a statement. "LeukoPrint provides a cost-effective and simplified method for prompt and accurate CNA profiling in leukemia patients. It utilized a standardized protocol which can be readily extended to clinical laboratories worldwide. With the advantage of detecting CNAs of short DNA fragments, by incorporating with the routine diagnostic methods, LeukoPrint can benefit the conventional cytogenetics by improving diagnostic yield. CE Marking represents a significant milestone for SeekIn in bringing LeukoPrint test to the patients and healthcare providers in Europe. We will continue our efforts to meet additional regulatory requirements in Europe, and to obtain regulatory approvals in the other territories such as China." About LeukoPrint By evaluating the copy number aberration (CNA) in bone marrow cells and/or circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) via shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS), in combination with conventional cytogenetics technologies, LeukoPrint makes leukemia diagnosis, molecular subtyping, prognostic stratification and treatment response monitoring more precise and comprehensive. About SeekIn SeekIn Inc is a biotech company founded in early 2018 in Shenzhen, China, focusing on blood-based pan-cancer early detection utilizing next-generation sequencing and artificial intelligence. Since founded, SeekIn has been committed to providing cutting-edge and cost-effective solutions for cancer early detection, postoperative recurrence monitoring, and treatment response evaluation. SeekIn also developed novel molecular tests for leukemia patients. Its cancer early detection technology has been applied to canines as well. With its proprietary technical advances, SeekIn has launched a number of research and clinical studies in collaboration with top-tier hospitals in China. SeekIn envisions that by leading a new norm for cancer early detection the clinical outcome of mid-/late-stage cancer patients can be reversed and the cancer mortality rate can be reduced by 15%. For more information about SeekIn's cutting-edge technologies and products, visit www.seekincancer.com. SOURCE SeekIn Inc HONG KONG, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharing Economy International Inc (Stock Code: SEII) recently announced that it would received a strategic investment of approximately $30 million from Hanking Fund, a leading fund company in the industry, which will be used to focus on the metaverse ecology that SEII is actively promoting, especially for building the underlying architecture of naked eye 3D related technology and the business expansion of the metaverse technology application platform. Sharing Economy International Inc is a company established in 1987. Since the second quarter of 2017, the Group has focused on technology and the global sharing economy market based on the global market, advocating green economy and boosting the development of the global sharing economy by developing online platforms and leasing business cooperation. Focusing on the technology and global sharing economy market, the Group now has several technology and service platforms in key markets in Asia, Europe and America, including the Sharing Film platform, which is mainly engaged in film and television production business; Through the use of 3D technology for real estate, hotel and interior design industry to provide customers with a new perspective, for each image creation to provide higher accuracy, efficiency and authenticity 3D Discovery platform, and in the field of metaverse industrialization, reserves the leading technology and application service team. Hanking Fund is a private equity fund operated and managed by a family office in a professional way for wealthy families. It innovates and focuses on PE, bulk trading and secondary market investment. Hanking funds created the ecological management system, focus on fund investment management in several Hanking department funds in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and so on and pay attention to the global new economy industry. Hanking Fund's team successfully invested in Sina, GAMA, Kunlun Wanwei, Phoenix Media, Dazhong Dianping, Xiaomi Technology, Himalayan and Meituan project, won the high returns; Hanking fund is also the partner of CDH Investment, Walden International, Sequoia Capital, Gobi Partners, Carlyle Capital, CITIC Industrial Fund and other mainstream funds, which has a strong influence and appeal in the industry. Hanking funds intends to make strategic investments to SEII with a total size of no more than US$30 million during 2 year period. It is reported that about 60% of such fund will be used for SEII's research and development of new technologies and products based on intelligent algorithms, application systems and intelligent interactive devices related to metaverse applications, as well as ultra-high-definition naked-eye 3D integrated solutions and software and hardware products for market expansion in Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia and Europe; about 40% will be used for SEII's participation in cooperation with major customers for 3D upgrades of display panels, as well as projects promoting the combination of global leading metaverse technology and green economy. With this round of financing, SEII will focus on completing the positive expansion of its metaverse-related businesses, further iterating and optimising its sharing and green economy businesses, and supporting sustainable growth in the overall value of the company. SOURCE Sharing Economy International Inc. Spill Pallets Market 2022-2026: Scope The spill pallets market report covers the following areas: Spill Pallets Market 2022-2026: Driver and Challenge The growth of the global warehousing and storage market is driving the spill pallets market growth. Spill containment decks that are used in chemical warehouses undergo quality checks by regulatory bodies such as the NFPA in the US to prevent explosions at warehouses. In 2016, countries such as the US, China, South Korea, Japan, India, and Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 45% of the global chemical warehousing and storage market and recorded a total chemical storage capacity of more than 210 million cubic meters. Volatility in raw material prices is challenging the spill pallets market growth. The gap in the global demand for and supply of plastic polymers and steel prices in the last few years has led to a considerable decrease in raw material prices. For instance, crude oil prices increased in 2021, as increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates, relaxing pandemic-related restrictions, and a growing economy resulted in global petroleum demand rising faster than petroleum supply. However, an increase in the global crude oil prices since 2021 has increased the prices of polymers, which is hampering the profitability of vendors. Spill Pallets Market 2022-2026: Segmentation By product, the market has been segmented into plastic spill pallets and steel spill pallets. The plastic spill pallets segment will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. The global plastic spill pallets market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period due to the increasing demand for PSPs from various end-user industries such as chemical, food and beverage, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical. By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East And Africa. North America will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market. Download a Free Sample Spill Pallets Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the Spill Pallets Market, including Acklands Grainger Inc., Brady Corp., Complete Environmental Products Inc., Darcy Products Ltd., ENPAC, Fosse Ltd., Jonesco Preston Ltd, Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC, LSH Industrial Solutions Pte Ltd, Meltblown Technologies Inc., New Pig Corp., Nilkamal Ltd., Protective Industrial Products Inc., Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd., Robinson Industries Inc., Safety Storage Systems Ltd., Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd, TMF Corp., UltraTech International Inc., and DENIOS Ltd. among others. Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights. Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 Spill Pallets Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist spill pallets market growth during the next five years Estimation of the spill pallets market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the spill pallets market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of spill pallets market vendors Related Reports: Dry Bulk Shipping Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Third-Party Chemical Distribution Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Spill Pallets Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.1% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 52.1 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.83 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 40% Key consumer countries US, Canada, China, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Acklands Grainger Inc., Brady Corp., Complete Environmental Products Inc., Darcy Products Ltd., ENPAC, Fosse Ltd., Jonesco Preston Ltd, Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC, LSH Industrial Solutions Pte Ltd, Meltblown Technologies Inc., New Pig Corp., Nilkamal Ltd., Protective Industrial Products Inc., Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd., Robinson Industries Inc., Safety Storage Systems Ltd., Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd, TMF Corp., UltraTech International Inc., and DENIOS Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table Of Contents : 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Product Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Product 5.3 Plastic spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Plastic spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Plastic spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Plastic spill pallets - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Plastic spill pallets - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Steel spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Steel spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Steel spill pallets - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Steel spill pallets - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Steel spill pallets - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Product ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 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 (%) 7.5 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 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: 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 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: 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 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Brady Corp. Exhibit 89: Brady Corp. - Overview Exhibit 90: Brady Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 91: Brady Corp. - Key news Exhibit 92: Brady Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 93: Brady Corp. - Segment focus 10.4 DENIOS Ltd. Exhibit 94: DENIOS Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 95: DENIOS Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 96: DENIOS Ltd. - Key offerings 10.5 ENPAC Exhibit 97: ENPAC - Overview Exhibit 98: ENPAC - Product / Service Exhibit 99: ENPAC - Key offerings 10.6 Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC Exhibit 100: Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC - Overview Exhibit 101: Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC - Business segments Exhibit 102: Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC - Key offerings Exhibit 103: Justrite Mfg. Co. LLC - Segment focus 10.7 New Pig Corp. Exhibit 104: New Pig Corp. - Overview Exhibit 105: New Pig Corp. - Product / Service Exhibit 106: New Pig Corp. - Key offerings 10.8 Nilkamal Ltd. Exhibit 107: Nilkamal Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 108: Nilkamal Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 109: Nilkamal Ltd. - Key offerings 10.9 Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd. Exhibit 110: Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 111: Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 112: Qingdao Huading Industry. Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 10.10 Robinson Industries Inc. Exhibit 113: Robinson Industries Inc. - Overview Exhibit 114: Robinson Industries Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 115: Robinson Industries Inc. - Key offerings 10.11 Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd Exhibit 116: Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd - Overview Exhibit 117: Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd - Product / Service Exhibit 118: Spill Station Asia Pte Ltd - Key offerings 10.12 UltraTech International Inc. Exhibit 119: UltraTech International Inc. - Overview Exhibit 120: UltraTech International Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 121: UltraTech International Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 122: UltraTech International Inc. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 123: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 124: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 125: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 126: Research methodology Exhibit 127: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 128: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 129: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio "There's nothing I love more than a memorable time with great people, which is why I'm so excited to help bring back Tequila Don Julio Primavera," says Chase Stokes. "There are very few things in life that are worth chasing, and of course I should know, so when it comes to moments that combine my favorite tequila with those closest to me, those moments are exceptionally golden and definitely worth the chase. That's what it's all about with Tequila Don Julio Primavera, so let's just call me the Director of Golden Moments this spring." Only 26,000 cases of Tequila Don Julio Primavera are being released this year, and it's on shelves now, so let the chasing begin! Follow along with Chase Stokes as he chases his own golden moments with Tequila Don Julio Primavera, including a luxurious private celebration in Miami, FL that one lucky winner can receive an invitation to! Starting April 15th, consumers can enter for a chance to win a trip with up to three friends (21+) to chase their own golden moment in Miami, where they will enjoy a personal meet & greet with Chase Stokes. Text PRIMAVERA to 24272 to enter through April 22, 2022. Rules and restrictions apply, please click here to see official rules. "We are so excited to bring back Tequila Don Julio Primavera this year after a very successful introduction last summer," says Christina Choi, Senior Vice President of Tequila, Diageo North America. "It's such a special liquid that can turn an ordinary occasion into a golden moment and we're thrilled to be partnering with Chase Stokes to embody this sentiment and inspire people to escape to their own golden moments all season long." Tequila Don Julio Primavera is meticulously crafted to ensure liquid perfection that honors the legacy of Don Julio Gonzalez's innovative spirit. This deliciously smooth expression takes Tequila Don Julio's traditional Reposado and finishes it in highly coveted European casks that previously held wine infused with macerated orange peel. Featuring a flawless balance of notes including honeyed agave, a hint of spice and a light, citrus finish, Tequila Don Julio Primavera is best enjoyed on the rocks or in the signature Primavera Sunset cocktail with club soda and a cara cara orange wedge. Tequila Don Julio Primavera is available for a limited time in the U.S. where spirits-based beverages are sold for an SRP of $149 for a 750ml bottle. Tequila Don Julio encourages consumers of legal drinking age to celebrate responsibly. ABOUT TEQUILA DON JULIO Founded on the pioneering agricultural principles of Don Julio Gonzalez and his personal pursuit of perfection, Tequila Don Julio revolutionized the tequila industry and set the standard for ultra-premium tequila. The original luxury tequila of choice in Mexico, Tequila Don Julio uses only the highest caliber, fully matured and ripened Blue Agave that has been hand-selected from the rich, clay soils of the Los Altos region of the state of Jalisco. The Tequila Don Julio portfolio includes Tequila Don Julio Blanco, Tequila Don Julio Reposado, Tequila Don Julio Anejo, Tequila Don Julio 70, Tequila Don Julio 1942, and Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva. For more information on Tequila Don Julio, please visit www.DonJulio.com. ABOUT DIAGEO NA Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA SOURCE Tequila Don Julio "The foundation of The Body Shop's environmental activism was born out of ideas like these, when our founder, Dame Anita Roddick, refilled her first bottle out of necessity in 1976," said Hilary Lloyd, Vice President of Marketing and Values, North America. "Our customers have been eagerly awaiting for refills to return to The Body Shop. We're thrilled to be embracing a circular economy approach and provide this sustainable alternative." Every year, the beauty sector generates billions of pieces of plastic that end up in landfills or the ocean. With the crucial help of The Body Shop customers, every individual can help drive change, because every bottle counts. Since April 2021, when The Body Shop announced the rollout of refill stations across 400 stores globally, the brand collectively has saved over 3.7 tons of plastic, which is equivalent to 170,000 plastic bottles.* Another 400 refill stations are planned for 2022, with the aim of saving 25 tons of plastic** and helping to prevent up to 5lbs of CO 2 from entering the atmosphere.*** By the end of 2022, The Body Shop will have refill stations present in about half of its store locations across the country including Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, and more. The easy-to-use in-store refill stations allow customers to refill their favorite body, hair and hand care products including shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, and hand washes. The selection of available products will vary from six to twelve depending on store size. To learn more about The Body Shop's Refill Program and participating locations, visit: www.thebodyshop.com . CELEBRATING EARTH MONTH In celebration of the Refill Program and Earth Month this April, The Body Shop is teaming up with ethical chocolatier Tony's Chocolonely, to bring the call for climate action to the streets of New York City. Together, the two B Corp certified brands will raise awareness and collect signatures for the "FOREST" Act in an effort to stop illegal deforestation and slow climate change. Tony's Chocolonely iconic "Choco" cart and truck will be parked outside The Body Shop's NoHo store on Friday, April 8, 2022, and The Body Shop's Rockefeller Center location on Friday, April 15, 2022. The brand's refillable aluminum bottles and a limited-edition Tony's Chocolonely chocolate bar will be distributed to event attendees, while quantities last. To RSVP, or learn more about the event on Friday, April 8, 2022, visit this link . To RSVP, or learn more about the event on Friday, April 15, 2022, visit this link . RETHINKING PLASTIC The Body Shop is committed to being the most sustainable business it can be. As a B Corp, it lives the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet. While the brand moves towards its long-term goals for creating zero waste packaging, it's constantly making sure more and more of its packaging is made from plant-based and recycled materials, sourced in a way that drives positive social change. In 2019, the brand launched its Community Fair Trade partnership with Plastics for Change to help tackle the plastics crisis differently. By sourcing Community Fair Trade recycled plastic from Bengaluru, India, the brand helps empower the marginalized waste pickers who work tirelessly to clean up their city's streets. As well as preventing waste from ending up in landfill, the partnership provides workers with a fair price, access to more sanitary working conditions, and the respect and recognition they deserve. ABOUT THE BODY SHOP INTERNATIONAL Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp. The Body Shop seeks to make positive change in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, body care, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this ethos is still the brand's driving force. The Body Shop operates about 3,000 retail locations in more than 70 countries. Along with Aesop, Avon and Natura, The Body Shop is part of Natura & Co, a global, multi-channel and multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact. The four companies that form the group are committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact. SOURCE Buth-Na-Bodhaige, Inc. d/b/a The Body Shop WORCESTER, Mass., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG) will hold its annual meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The meeting will be held in a virtual only format to provide a consistent and convenient experience to all shareholders, regardless of location. As described in the proxy materials previously distributed to the company's shareholders and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2022, shareholders of record at the close of business on March 14, 2022, are entitled to participate. Attendance Instructions The company invites shareholders of record to register for the meeting prior to the deadline of 5:00 p.m. ET on May 6, 2022. To register, shareholders should visit www.proxydocs.com/THG and enter the control number found on their proxy cards, voting instruction form or previously received notice, as well as other information the company may request to verify ownership or communicate with shareholders about the meeting. Participants are encouraged to visit the website to test their systems for compatibility in advance. Shareholders of record who have registered will receive instructions by email in advance of the meeting about how to access the meeting website, along with a toll-free telephone number for help resolving any technical issues. During the meeting, attending shareholders will be able to vote, participate and submit questions by following the instructions and rules of procedure available on the registration and meeting websites. Whether or not shareholders plan to attend the meeting, the company encourages all shareholders to vote and submit their proxies in advance. Shareholders who attend the annual meeting and desire to withdraw their proxy votes may do so by following the instructions provided in the proxy statement and on the registration website. Meeting Replay A replay of the annual meeting of shareholders will be available on the company's website under the "Investors" section shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. Annual Report and Proxy Statement The company's proxy materials, including the 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the 2022 Proxy Statement on Form DEF14A, are available at www.proxydocs.com/THG. About The Hanover The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is the holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, which together constitute one of the largest insurance businesses in the United States. The company provides exceptional insurance solutions through a select group of independent agents and brokers. Together with its agents, The Hanover offers standard and specialized insurance protection for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for homes, automobiles, and other personal items. For more information, please visit hanover.com . SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Valtech, a global business transformation agency, today announced the acquisition of The Berndt Group, Ltd. (TBG), a leading digital customer experience agency focusing on digital transformations. The health industry is transforming and digital is emerging as the primary enabler of more sustainable business models and more meaningful lives. By welcoming TBG, a recognized leader in digital health and a leading Sitecore partner, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Valtech adds further depth to its cross-disciplinary capabilities, facilitating the new normal, at scale, for the health industry. "I am very happy to be welcoming the TBG team to Valtech. By bringing together TBG's abilities to create enhanced digital experiences in Healthcare and our CX expertise across multiple verticals, we are able to bring change to an industry in need of transformation. Together we are able to help clients Transform by Doing, and deliver market leading experiences that integrate a patient's physical and digital healthcare journey, resulting in care that is personalized and patient-centric." said Olivier Padiou, CEO, Valtech. TBG's more than 80 highly skilled practitioners will bring their expertise in developing digital experiences in consumer healthcare to Valtech, alongside long-time clients including Johns Hopkins, Penn Medicine, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Christus Health, to name a few. TBG also has a strong practice and expertise in Financial services and B2B. "We are thrilled to join Valtech. We have spent the last 30 years developing unmatched digital development and delivery expertise, carefully recruiting the best professionals, and creating an excellent and consistent collaborative corporate culture," explained John Berndt, CEO, The Berndt Group. "Joining Valtech allows us to expand our service offerings for clients, and our team will join a like-minded organization with an exemplary culture inherently focused on delivering quality. We are very excited by this opportunity to raise the bar on digital health transformation consulting and services globally." Recognized by leading analyst firms, Valtech is the preferred strategic business transformation partner for many of the world's best-known brands, including Alcon, Novo Nordisk and Philips as well as Audi, Dolby, L'Oreal, P&G, Toyota, Volkswagen, and many others. Valtech now employs more than 4,800 strategists, experience designers, marketers, data scientists, creatives and software engineers spanning five continents with more than 50 offices in 19 countries. CONTACT: For additional information, contact: Rebecca Pilkjaer PR Manager +45 40 22 93 75 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/valtech/r/valtech-welcomes-the-berndt-group--a-leader-in-digital-health-transformations,c3542269 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/valtech/i/valtech-office-amsterdam,c3035812 Valtech office Amsterdam SOURCE Valtech Rosalind (Roz) Brewer and David Brailer, M.D., Join VillageMD's Board CHICAGO , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VillageMD announced today it has welcomed two healthcare leaders to its board of directors Rosalind (Roz) Brewer, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), and David Brailer, M.D., Ph.D., a renowned healthcare leader and entrepreneur. Brewer currently serves on several boards including Business Roundtable and WBA. Dr. Brailer is chairman of Health Evolution Partners (HEP), a firm devoted to education of health care leaders, and currently serves on six other boards, including WBA. "It's my great pleasure to welcome two distinguished and highly respected leaders to our board. Roz and David each bring a unique perspective to the ways we can deliver a better experience for our physicians and patients, and I'm excited to work with them as we continue the transformation of our nations' healthcare system," said Tim Barry, CEO and chair of VillageMD. "Our country needs the best and brightest solving our healthcare crisis and we have the opportunity to bring high-quality, accessible care to millions of Americans in their communities." Ranked sixth on Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Business list, Brewer joined WBA as CEO in March 2021 and she most recently served as COO of Starbucks. Prior, she was CEO and president of Sam's Club, a membership-only retail warehouse club and division of Walmart, from February 2012 to 2017. She also held several executive leadership positions at Walmart since 2006. She actively works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels within the organizations she leads. "America's healthcare system is at a pivotal time. The global pandemic has further exposed health disparities across many communities in the United States," said Brewer. "VillageMD has pioneered a new, high-quality model of comprehensive primary care, bringing physicians and pharmacists together to address chronic conditions and improve overall health. Healthcare must be both accessible and affordable. Through its Village Medical services at clinics, at home and through virtual care, we can help solve the country's health equity challenges." As a longtime healthcare veteran, Dr. Brailer is known for his leadership and advocacy for health information technology. He served as the nation's first "Health Information Technology Czar" at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Brailer is currently the executive chairman of Health Evolution, which enables healthcare organizations to adapt to the rapidly changing forces in healthcare. Prior, he was the managing partner at HEP, a fund that invested in companies with the potential to change healthcare delivery. He was also the founder and CEO of CareScience, which grew to be one of the nation's earliest big data healthcare cloud solutions. He also taught for a decade at Wharton School, while developing curriculum for health information technology. "I'm impressed with VillageMD's high-tech, high-touch model as well as the experienced primary care clinicians who work at Village Medical." said Dr. Brailer. "I believe VillageMD's integrated and coordinated care model is the path forward and I'm looking forward to partnering with VillageMD's leadership and its board as we continue to change the way primary care is delivered in the United States." To view VillageMD's full board of directors, please visit here. To learn more about Village Medical, please visit www.villagemedical.com . To learn more about VillageMD, please visit www.villagemd.com. About VillageMD VillageMD, through its subsidiary Village Medical, is a leading, national provider of value-based primary care services. VillageMD partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. The Village Medical brand provides primary care for patients at traditional free-standing clinics, Village Medical at Walgreens clinics, at home and via virtual visits. VillageMD and Village Medical have grown to 22 markets and are responsible for more than 1.6 million patients. VillageMD is a leading participant in CMS innovation programs and will apply to participate in the upcoming ACO REACH model, which helps providers deliver better outcomes for patients and create healthier communities through value-based care. To learn more, please visit www.villageMD.com . SOURCE VillageMD "It's unusual for a startup company to make SOC2 an early priorityit's typically a maturity process" notes Virtualitics' Chief Information Security Officer, Alfred Valerio. "This shows the degree of importance we put on security, confidentiality, and business continuity. It should give our clients high confidence in how well we're protecting their data on our Virtualitics AI Platform." SOC2 Type II Report is a security framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs to assess a company's level of risk from cyber threats. Independent auditors first evaluate the quality of cybersecurity policies, procedures and controls. They then verify whether these are actually being followed, producing the SOC2 Report with the results. This is not a one-time initiative and a company must work continually to stay in compliance with SOC2. Virtualitics' human firewall is a particular strength. Assessment data shows Virtualitics staff are nearly 30 percent less phish-prone than those in other tech companies of the same size. The company also exceeds tech industry benchmarks in security awareness proficiency and security culture. Read a summary of Virtualitics' SOC2 findings and cyber security standards . About Virtualitics Virtualitics, Inc. is an advanced analytics company that helps enterprises and governments make smarter business decisions, faster with ready-to-use AI that can be understoodby analysts and business leaders alike. Our AI platform allows organizations to rapidly process complex data into powerful multi-dimensional graph visualizations, and predict future business outcomes with clear, explainable no-code AI modeling. Virtualitics puts AI into use across the enterprise with enhanced analytics that's easily integrated into the flow of work. Our patented technology is based on over 15 years of research at the California Institute of Technology and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more information about Virtualitics, visit virtualitics.com . Media contact: Erin Olsen [email protected] 626.826.1742 SOURCE Virtualitics SAN RAMON, Calif. , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumin Digital, a PSCU company, announced today that Missouri-based West Community Credit Union (WCCU) has signed a multi-year agreement for Lumin Digital's cloud-native platform for online and mobile digital banking solutions. Once WCCU goes live on the platform in October 2022, Lumin Digital will support the credit union's more than 27,000 members. West Community Credit Union, headquartered in O'Fallon, Missouri, is a progressive financial institution that strives to build relationships on trust by truly understanding member needs and offering smart solutions. With solid growth for more than a decade, the credit union understands the importance of providing a digital solution that offers a robust, personalized banking experience. Lumin Digital, a cloud-native digital banking platform, provides credit union members with a tightly integrated and customized experience that matches larger financial institutions' offerings. Focusing on service, user experience, safety, and security through sophisticated automation, Lumin Digital helps credit unions and financial institutions drive better engagement with their users through personalized recommendations and communication in the areas of spending insights, financial advice, fraud alerts, and savings goals. Lumin enables credit unions to provide users with real-time updates and new features that add value and simplify everyday banking. All of Lumin's offerings and capabilities are made possible by the team's wealth of industry knowledge, user experience testing, and technological innovation. "We're constantly seeking new service offerings and technological capabilities to offer our members, and this partnership with Lumin Digital will allow us to provide them with a sophisticated and convenient way to access and manage their finances," said Koren Greubel, Vice President of Marketing and Digital Engagement at West Community Credit Union. "This partnership made perfect sense for us based on Lumin's sterling reputation within the Fintech space, and their platform's superior interface and functionality." "West Community Credit Union and Lumin Digital share a passion for technology, service and people. This approach helps our clients and their members feel confident, secure and engaged in their digital experiences," said Jeff Chambers, founder and CEO of Lumin Digital. "Our partnership speaks to the credibility WCCU has built with their members for more than 85 years by always seeking new ways to enhance their offerings and financial solutions." Lumin Digital continues to drive innovation in the digital banking space, differentiating itself through technology built for human connection. Lumin Digital's offering provides seamless integration to a wide array of PSCU and other platform tools and capabilities, including card services, rewards management, and data analytics to provide a member-centric experience. About Lumin Digital Lumin Digital is a fintech company specializing in digital banking solutions. Through a fundamentally different approach to technology, service, and people, we're creating the next generation of financial solutions each and every day. Lumin helps credit unions and financial institutions build and deploy next-gen digital experiences that help to continually serve, engage, and grow their membership base. While other platforms are partially adapted or retrofitted for the cloud, Lumin is 100% cloud-native. It was built specifically for the cloud environment, allowing us to more fully realize the advantages it offers. It's a difference that financial institutions and their users will see and feel almost immediately. For more information, visit lumindigital.com . About West Community Credit Union West Community Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial cooperative that serves more than 27,000 members and businesses throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Boone County, Missouri. The credit union has been offering smart banking solutions to its members and communities since 1936. For more information, visit www.westcommunitycu.org . About PSCU PSCU, the nation's premier payments CUSO, supports the success of more than 1,900 financial institutions representing nearly 7 billion transactions annually. Committed to service excellence and focused on innovation, PSCU's payment processing, risk management, data and analytics, loyalty programs, digital banking, marketing, strategic consulting and mobile platforms help deliver possibilities and seamless member experiences. Comprehensive, 24/7/365 member support is provided by contact centers located throughout the United States. The origin of PSCU's model is collaboration and scale, and the company has leveraged its influence on behalf of credit unions and their members for more than 40 years. Today, PSCU provides an end-to-end, competitive advantage that enables credit unions to securely grow and meet evolving consumer demands. For more information, visit pscu.com . SOURCE Lumin Digital "I am honored to take the helm of Ventus and bring this level of protection to the market." Said retired special operations soldier and now CEO, Arjun Grewal. "The TR2 is one of those pieces of equipment I wish I had in my kit bag 15 years ago. The more we learn about respiratory health, burn pits, and toxic environments, the more I reflect on my own career and the gap we at Ventus are addressing" Ventus marks the first capital commitment from the recently launched ONE9 Special Mission Fund, which is targeting $50MUSD focussed on national security and critical infrastructure. "Protecting soldiers is a chain of command and leadership responsibility," said Glenn Cowan, who founded ONE9 after serving for 18 years in the Canadian Forces. "Respiratory health is critical to a soldier's performance, long-term health, and survivability. No product like this currently exists on a soldier's scale of issue, and we know the TR2 will save lives and improve effectiveness in training and operations, it's time every soldier is given this protection to protect against everyday hazards they face in their military duty" Ventus has increased its reach by working with established defense protection leaders to deliver complete tactical protection ecosystem from the shoulders up. Together with Ventus' founder, Rich Szasz, and product leader, Norrie Sheng, Ventus will bring the TR2 to market while developing and designing advanced filtration and respirator innovations. Ventus Respiratory Technologies is a Veteran run company. The flagship innovation, TR2, sets a new standard in Tactical Protection. The TR2 provides a low-profile and easy-to-wear design and integrates seamlessly into varying soldier systems. The TR2 protects against airborne threats such as Lead, Asbestos, and Mold by filtering 97% of solid airborne particles down to 03m. Developed in collaboration with Tier 1 Special operations, it protects users' health while training and operating in compromised, toxic environments. Ventus Respiratory Technologies ensures safe air for those who keep us safe. SOURCE Ventus Respiratory Technologies "Understanding the American Plant-based Consumer" shows adoption of plant-based behaviors across a wide range of industries Highlights California , New York and Florida lead the plant-based wave in the US with female millennials and Gen Zs at the forefront of the vegan movement. The reducetarian lifestyle dominates for now, which is helping to move more American youth to transition towards veganism in the coming years. 47% of alternative meat consumers are motivated by health factors , higher than the 33% share that indicated ethical reasons. NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- abillion, a rapidly growing social media and e-commerce platform designed to help people and businesses worldwide become more sustainable, has released a deep-dive report looking at American Plant-based Consumers behavior within this high-growth industry. Analyzing close to 1.4 million consumer reviews over a three year period, abillion's report shows five key shifts in consumer behavior within the US market. Strongest plant-based consumer interest stems from California , New York and Florida , with female millennials and Gen Zs at the forefront. They make up 65% of users within abillion's US database. Key motivators for the shift to plant-based products are centered around greater awareness for the environment and health. Reducetarian lifestyle dominates American youth as they reduce their meat and dairy intake. Increase in consumer preference for plant-based snacking presents a unique growth opportunity for large retailers and food manufacturers as they develop new food labels and products to address this gap. Expected CAGR of 8.7% from the current value of $32b . Sustainable skincare, in particular, sun care shows a growth of around 35% with high brand concentration. Full report here: https://tinyurl.com/american-plant-based-consumer In addition to changes in behavior, we see plant-based products steadily gaining interest among the younger crowd. A recent online survey conducted by researchers from Oklahoma State University indicates that about 10% of Americans over the age of 18 consider themselves vegan or vegetarian as of January 2022. Within the app, abillion has seen an increase in the number of American members showing more interest in plant-based foods from flexitarians and omnivores, fueling the growing reducetarian movement. These people make up 51% of the American members. Amid COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations, US vegan demand skyrocketed by 6X, in particular, plant-based retail shopping, as consumers became more health-conscious. Retailers and grocers saw this as an opportunity to tap into a new and burgeoning market. Kraft Heinz partnered with Chile's NotCo, while forward-thinking companies like Calbee America and Campbell revamped their vegan products for better household penetration; sending signals to the rest of the industry that these trends are on the uptick. Traditional supermarkets and groceries are also capitalizing on this movement by launching their own plant-based private labels. Trader Joe's takes the lead in this race. "The US is one of our key markets, making up 22% of our global community. It's exciting for us to share insights into the preferences of our American community. We're sharing such insights in order to drive consumer adoption, consumer advocacy and help make vegan options loved by people and businesses around the world." Vikas Garg founder and CEO of abillion shares. "Above all, the work that we do here has a direct positive impact on the environment and animals. I see abillion as a catalyst for meaningful and intentional change for the future." The report also points out other lifestyle changes and preferences within the US market. In particular, the personal care and beauty category with sun care emerging as the fastest-growing segment at 35%. Other fast-growing segments in the app are reviews for chips, cookies, crackers, and chocolate, these categories rose by 83%, 74% and 63% respectively as healthier snacking habits become more widespread. Across the country, there is a strong indication that businesses should prioritize product innovation and conscious marketing to target the overlap across health, environmental and ethical factors. To see more insights from abillion, visit https://www.data.abillion.com/ . . To see abillion's consumer awards, visit http://awards.abillion.com . . Download the PDF report here: https://tinyurl.com/american-plant-based-consumer Check out the report here: https://www.data.abillion.com/post/understanding-the-american-plant-based-consumer For images of abillion in use and a portrait of CEO & Founder Vikas Garg , here . About abillion At abillion, we're working to drive a global movement for plant-based food and earth-friendly products. abillion is a digital platform that assists people that want to make sustainable choices. abillion, launched in 2018 by CEO Vikas Garg, is unique in harnessing social media for social good. Whenever a member chooses sustainability and shares a review, the member is rewarded with a donation that can feed a hungry child, educate a child for a day, plant a tree or save an animal life. The abillion app has been downloaded by over one million people around the world and through its giving program, the company has donated over US$1.4 million to life-saving causes around the world. abillion members from over 162 countries have contributed more than a million reviews of vegan dishes and vegan and cruelty-free products. Consumer reviews, along with consumer insights, are shared with business owners, influencing more than 150,000 brands worldwide to offer more sustainable options. Our Mission: Through technology, we are connecting and helping people live, shop and eat more sustainably. Website: www.abillion.com SOURCE abillion NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauded the UN General Assembly decision to suspend Russia's membership on the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution was adopted today with 93 states voting in favor and 24 against, and 58 abstentions. Russia subsequently announced that it would withdraw from membership on the Council entirely, leaving during the second year of a three-year term. The Human Rights Council is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, which can suspend Council members that are committing "gross and systematic violations of human rights" by a vote of two-thirds of those present and voting yes or no. "Today's momentous vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council is a principled action reflecting the grave concern shared by many governments about the gross, systematic violations of human rights that Russian forces have committed during the invasion of Ukraine," said Felice Gaer, Director of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights. U.S. Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield had announced on Monday that the U.S., together with other countries, would propose a resolution suspending Russia's membership on the Human Rights Council following the revelation that Russian forces committed widespread executions, torture, and rape in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities and villages. The resolution will send "a strong message from the international community that we're not going to allow them to sit in the Human Rights Council, declare themselves supporters of human rights while they are committing war crimes in Ukraine," Thomas-Greenfield told CNN in advance of today's vote. Speaking before the vote, Ukraine's Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya noted that today the UN commemorates the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He recalled the indifference shown by the international community to that tragedy as it unfolded in 1994 and stressed that Russia must face consequences for the atrocities its forces have committed against Ukrainian civilians since the invasion began on February 24. Ambassador Kyslytsya also recalled Elie Wiesel's warning that "indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor, never its victim." Ambassador Kyslytsya and representatives of other countries supporting the resolution adopted today stressed that suspending Russia was a "collective effort to preserve the credibility of the Human Rights Council." The General Assembly has taken the extraordinary action of suspending a member of the Human Rights Council only once before, when it suspended Libya's membership following President Muammar Al-Qadhafi's commission of atrocities against civilian protesters in 2011. On March 4, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution creating an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the context of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Only Russia and Eritrea voted against that resolution. Ukraine and the United States were the lead co-sponsors of the resolution creating the new commission of inquiry. "Though very welcome, today's vote should never have been necessary," said Gaer. "It is now time for the U.S. and like-minded countries to dedicate themselves to the long-overdue project of improving the Council's membership, as a matter of urgency." SOURCE American Jewish Committee WATERLOO, ON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - ALORA, a pioneer in developing ocean agriculture to create a more sustainable future, today unveiled its new company brand and announced a first-of-its-kind innovation: salt-tolerant rice plants. Founded in 2019 as Agrisea, the company now known as ALORA will build on this milestone by commercialising salt-tolerant land varieties to enable restoration of land agriculture in the most salt-damaged regions on Earth. To further that endeavour, ALORA also announced $1.4 million in seed funding from investors including Toyota Ventures and Mistletoe. Leveraging its revolutionary salt-tolerant technology, ALORA is starting with rice ocean agriculture, and has plans to expand into other crops, including grains, leafy greens, and herbs, whilst simultaneously adopting technologies to harness the energy of the oceans and the potential of the 3D water column for food production. From an idea to reality Since 2019, ALORA has been developing oceanic level salt-tolerant agriculture to solve world hunger. By understanding the capability of marine organisms to thrive in salt environments, it has solved the first step in this million-year mystery by developing the world's first truly salt-tolerant rice plants. These plants are thriving with high yields at salt levels of 12g/L and show an upper tolerance of 16g/L (ocean is 28-32g/L). ALORA's salt-tolerant rice varieties are outcompeting all other known alternatives. The company's first land agriculture plot will be in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, and ALORA is now seeking partners for saline land agriculture. The ALORA team was able to create expression in a dormant set of genes using their unique patent-pending editing technology. These selected genes create a pattern of effect responsible for ALORA's advanced salt-tolerant mechanism, allowing our plants to thrive in high salt environment. The company's top-performing genes increased in expression by 338,000x, 568,000x, and 2,500,000x compared to the unedited plants, activating a strong, reliable salt tolerance mechanism. With this incredible leap in salt-tolerance technology, ALORA has identified the path to allow their plants to grow in oceanic level salt, unlocking that oceanic tolerance level. Luke Young, CEO and Co-Founder of ALORA, said: "With ALORA, we thrive on the responsibility of being pioneers in our field. We will work with the transformative power of ocean agriculture to help humanity in the fight against climate change as we end world hunger.". Building a Global Network Toyota Ventures brings a wealth of experience and knowledge across industries and will be instrumental in introducing ALORA to a global community of innovators and customers. "ALORAs innovative approach to cultivating salt-tolerant crops is a game-changing trifecta that addresses the key issues related to climate change and the production of food, namely the release of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere (specifically methane), food security and land usage, as well as water conservation," said Lisa Coca, Climate Fund partner at Toyota Ventures. "This three-pronged approach is absolutely critical in evolving towards a sustainable future of food, and we look forward to supporting the Alora team in their journey." The collective impact community at Mistletoe Singapore, a fund co-owned by Taizo Son and the Singaporean arm Managing Director Atsushi Taira, is also an invaluable resource that will help ALORA accelerate its mission. About ALORA: ALORA's mission is to build a future where having enough food each day is no longer a luxury, but a basic right for every person, no matter where they are. Agriculture, itself, is suffering from sea-level rise, increased soil salinity, and farming methods that damage our environment. With the next world crisis likely to be a battle over freshwater, there is a lot that needs to change in how we grow our food. ALORA was built to solve world hunger, and has evolved to create the sustainable future of food. We are the Ocean Agriculture company. We have developed a way to grow crops in high-salt conditions, such as salt soils in the Mekong Delta, or on our floating platforms in ocean saltwater. SOURCE ALORA ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) will release its first quarter 2022 earnings after the market closes on Thursday, April 28, 2022. A printer-friendly format will be available on the company's website shortly thereafter. In conjunction with this release, J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, will host a conference call on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 5:15 pm ET/4:15 pm CT. The conference call will be broadcast live through Gallagher's website at www.ajg.com, and a conference call replay will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the broadcast. The replay can be accessed by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Events & Presentations. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 68 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Contact: Ray Iardella VP - Investor Relations (630) 285-3661 [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Shares bounced back slightly on Wednesday after a brief fall in the previous session, driven by growth of banks, while realty stocks continued to slide following negative news of big property firms. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, the VN-Index edged up 0.19 per cent to close at 1.522.90 points. It decreased 0.3 per cent on Tuesday after a three-day rally. Banks were the main driving force as this sector contributed nearly seven points to the VN-Indexs growth while the property sector took 4.7 points. Sixteen out of 17 listed lenders on the southern bourse gained value, of which Vietnam Prosperity Bank (VPB) was the biggest gainer, up 4.3 per cent. Big banks such as Vietcombank (VCB), BIDV (BID), Vietinbank (CTG), Techcombank (TCB) and Military Bank (MBB) increased between 0.5-2.1 per cent. The market capitalisation of the banking industry accounted for a large part of the VN-Index basket so this index still concluded the session in the green despite the number of declining stocks outnumbering gaining ones by 285-174. Other blue chips performed well as 20 of the top 30 largest shares by market value and liquidity increased. On the dark side, half of losers were realty firms including Vingroup (VIC), Vinhomes (VHM), No Va Land Investment Group (NVL), Vincom Retail (VRE) and Khang ien House Trading and Investment (KDH). Bad news is clinging to this industry group. On Tuesday evening, the Police Investigation Agency arrested another sister of former FLC Group CEO Trinh Van Quyet. Shares of FLC continued to slide on Wednesday, down 7 per cent to VN10,600 a share. FLC's value fell more than 27 per cent since its CEO was arrested in late March. However, bargain hunters also pushed up the market liquidity. More than 944 million shares worth VN30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) were traded, up 34 per cent in volume and 38 per cent in value compared to the previous session. According to analysts at MB Securities Co, the market may still approach or even surpass the historical peak of 1,530 points for the VN-Index. Cash flow will differ when companies release their first quarter business result and investors should focus on basic stocks that have accumulated in recent times. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index slipped for a second day, losing 2.03 per cent to end at 446.83 points. The northern bourses index decreased 0.6 per cent on Tuesday. Liquidity also climbed here with 117 million shares worth VN3.8 trillion being traded, up 25 per cent in volume and 31 per cent in value against Tuesdays levels. Foreign traders were net buyers on HCM Citys exchange for a value of VN109 billion but continued to be net sellers on Ha Nois bourse for a net value of VN29 billion. VNS Rise in demand for safety, convenience, and comfort features and developments in glass technology drive the global automotive sunroof market. PORTLAND, Ore., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Automotive Sunroof Market by Material Type (Glass, Fabric), by Vehicle Type (Gasoline Powered Vehicle, Electric Powered Vehicle): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030". As per the report, the global automotive sunroof industry was pegged at $5.75 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $13.64 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2021 to 2030. Major determinants of the market growth Surge in demand for safety, convenience, and comfort features and advancements in glass technology have boosted the growth of the global automotive sunroof market. However, low penetration of power sunroof in low segment vehicles and high integration & maintenance costs hinder the market growth. On the contrary, surge in penetration of solar sunroofs in electric vehicles and increase in sales of vehicles would open new opportunities in the future. Download Report (195 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5035 Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in closures of businesses, disruption of the supply chain, and factory outputs. The restrictions on cross-border import & export hampered the manufacturing of automotives and their sales. The nation-wide lockdown and isolation of people living in high-risk areas reduced the demand for automotive sunroofs. Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/5035 The fabric segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2030 By material type, the fabric segment is estimated to portray the highest CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period. This is due to improvements in various materials and rise in sale of automotive vehicles coupled with developments in material technology. However, the glass segment held the largest share in 2020, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global automotive sunroof market, due to surge in demand for safety, comfort, and aesthetic features. The chemical vapor deposition segment dominated the market By vehicle type, the gasoline powered vehicle segment held the largest share in 2020, contributing to around three-fourths of the global automotive sunroof market. This is owing to surge in presence of fuel-based vehicles. However, the electric powered vehicle segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period, as rise in demand for electric vehicles and need for advanced featured vehicles. Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5035 Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the largest share By region, the market across Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, is expected to showcase the highest CAGR of 11.1% during the forecast period, due to rapid development toward automotive sunroofs and surge in sales of such vehicles in the region. However, the market across Europe held the largest share in 2020, accounting for more than one-third of the global automotive sunroof market. Major market players Magna International Inc. Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. Inalfa Roof Systems Group Inteva Products Webasto Roof Systems Inc. Cie Automotive Johnan America Inc Yachiyo Industry Co.Ltd BOS GmbH & Co. KG Buy Complete Report Now! https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/0bb060de7d19daf9dea4448102b3dc84 Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry: Automotive Panoramic Sunroof Market by Material Type (Glass and Fiber) and Vehicle Type (Hatchback, Sedan, Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), and Plug in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV)): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2030. Automotive Hardtop Roof System Market by Type (Retractable Hardtop Roof Systems, Non-Retractable Hardtop Roof Systems), Roof Type (Sunroof System, Panorama Roof System, Multi-Optional Roof System, Solar Roof System, Light Weight Roof System, Inbuilt Roof System, and Others), Material Type (Aluminum, PolyVinyl Carbonate (PVC), Carbon Fiber, and Others), Propulsion Type (Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicles and Electric Vehicles (EV)), Body Style Type (Hatchback, Sedan, Sports-Utility Vehicle (SUV), and Roadster), Vehicle Class Type (Luxury Vehicle, Medium-range Vehicle, Economical Vehicle), Sales Channel (Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Automotive Roof System Market by Type (Sunroof System, Panorama Roof System, Multi-Optional Roof System, Solar Roof System, Light Weight Roof System, Inbuilt Roof System, and Others), Sales Channel (Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), and After market), Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles, and Heavy Commercial Vehicles), Roof Type (Hard-Top Roof System, and Soft-Top Roof System), and Material (Aluminum, Steel, Polycarbonate, Glass-Plastic Composite, and Fiber-Plastic Composite): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Automotive Laminated Glass Market by Application (Front windshield, Rear windshield, Sidelites, and Sunroof), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles), and Sales Channel (OEM and Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Automotive Solar Control Glass Market by Type (Absorbing solar control glass and Reflective solar control glass), by Application (Sunroof, Mirrors, Windshield, and Windows), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles), and Sales Channel (OEM and Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030. Automotive Closure Market for EV & ICE by Application (Power-Window, Sunroof, Tailgate, Convertible Roof, Sliding Door, and Side Door), Component (Switch, ECU, Latch, Motor/Actuator, and Relay), Type (Manual and Powered), and Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicle, Heavy Commercial Vehicle, BEV, PHEC, and HEV): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | SOURCE Allied Market Research Industry-first, one-click cryptocurrency checkout will democratize global commerce for millions of merchants and shoppers. MIAMI, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bolt, a leading checkout and shopper network company, today announced its definitive agreement to acquire Wyre, a groundbreaking cryptocurrency infrastructure provider. The acquisition, which is anticipated to close later in 2022, comes amid growing demand for purchasing goods and services with cryptocurrency and the opportunity of Web3. By joining forces, Bolt and Wyre will build commerce solutions for mainstream, secure cryptocurrency usage for millions of shoppers, retailers, and developers. Together, the companies will decentralize commerceuniting their technologies to evolve and simplify digital shopping. Wyre's APIs enable simple and secure crypto to fiat experiences that reduce the barrier to entry that developers and partners face. Bolt and Wyre plan to close the transaction and fully integrate before the end of the year, and once complete, the acquisition will bring the power of Bolt's CheckoutOSone-click checkout, authentication, payments, and fraud protectionto the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Bolt will join forces with Wyre's groundbreaking crypto infrastructure to securely exchange crypto to fiatwhich enables retailers to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method, with the security and ease of traditional currency. "This acquisition is the fulfillment of a long-time ambition. When I wrote the draft business plan for Bolt, I had always imagined cryptocurrency at its center," said Ryan Breslow, founder and executive chairman of Bolt. "That was 2015, and the idea was a slide on a pitch deck. To think that seven years later, we'd be partnering with Wyre to make that vision a reality is incredible. This acquisition will fast-track our efforts to democratize commerceand it will serve as a powerful proof point for the union of cryptocurrency and commerce." "Our merchant and retail partners expect us to always be innovating on their behalfbecause their customers demand it. That's why it's such a thrill to announce this acquisition, which is yet another step that Bolt has taken to improve the buying experience," said Maju Kuruvilla, CEO of Bolt. "This acquisition will pave the way for seamless, secure crypto transactions, and NFT enablement for our retailers. Both consumers and retailers will benefit from a friction-free buying experience that supports crypto and NFT natively. We're also proud to bring Wyre's unparalleled team and its advanced crypto stack into the Bolt ecosystem, and we're excited about our joint mission of bringing crypto mainstream" "In a landscape filled with mediocrity, combining forces with Bolt to extend its robust CheckoutOS into cryptocurrency will set a new standard and provide new opportunities at a global scale," said Ioannis Giannaros, co-founder and CEO of Wyre. "Simply put, we want to allow every retailer to transact easily in cryptocurrency, removing long-standing barriers." Wyre will help to further develop Bolt's extensive API offering by integrating their unique crypto stack. That will allow developers to use the top blockchain protocols to build financial products that can scale to millions of users across the globe quickly and securely. Among other benefits, once closed, the transaction will also allow: Tens of millions of shoppers in Bolt's network to easily access a multitude of cryptocurrencies, fiat exchanges, and compliance solutions. It will be easier than ever before for consumers to purchase and store cryptos in what has historically been a difficult user journey. Bolt's hundreds of retailers to accept cryptocurrency and consumers will be able to use it as payments for physical goods. The purchase of NFTs through Bolt, using Wyre's APIs. With cryptocurrency's use on the rise, consumers are seeking easy, jargon-free ways to convert currencies and transact with them. Through this acquisition, Wyre and Bolt will help millions of people do just that, by providing an accessible and effective payments platform atop a global multi-million person shopper network. About Bolt Bolt is on a mission to democratize commerce. Bolt strengthens retailers' relationships with their customers by unlocking secure, logged-in, lightning-fast checkouts. The company's rapidly growing network of one-click-checkout-ready shoppers visits Bolt merchants as if they are return customers. Hundreds of retailers leverage Bolt to offer their shoppers the seamless checkout experiences they've come to expect. Founded in 2014, Bolt is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in New York City, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Toronto, Stockholm, Wrocaw, and Barcelona. For more information, visit bolt.com and follow @bolt on Twitter. About Wyre Wyre is the leading fiat-to-crypto and payment infrastructure company for the crypto ecosystem. Focusing on developers, the company provides easy-to-integrate APIs which enable thousands of developers to bring crypto to the masses. The company has "on-ramped" over 15 million end users to their partners and has processed over $10B in payments since inception. "Checkout", Wyre's flagship product, is the world's fastest fiat-to-crypto gateway and has helped hundreds of crypto applications better reach their customers. Wyre has been involved in the crypto space since 2013, supporting customers in over 100 countries worldwide, and empowering them with blockchain technology, ensuring the move to Web 3.0 is as smooth as possible. For more information, please visit www.sendwyre.com. SOURCE Bolt We are excited to make big strides towards our goal of $1 billion in lifetime loans with this debt investment from CIM. Tweet this "We are excited to make big strides towards our goal of $1 billion in lifetime loans with this debt investment from CIM," said Sean Salas , Chief Executive Officer of Camino Financial. "Through this strategic partnership, we will aim to innovate and scale many wealth building credit products tailored to overlooked entrepreneurs across America." Micro-businesses continue to struggle to gain access to capital, despite accounting for 44% of economic activity in the United States and creating two-thirds of net new jobs. CIM's credit facility will be invested in providing innovative debt financing for these qualified U.S. micro-businesses and will create a scalable impact within these underserved segments. "Community Investment Management is focused on providing strategic debt capital to responsible fintechs," said Jacob Haar , Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CIM. "Our goal is to scale financial services to this underserved segment of the market and we're very proud to serve as financing partners of Camino Financial. I'm personally very excited to watch them grow" continued Haar. About Camino Financial Camino Financial is an AI-powered community lending platform that offers affordable credit and wealth building solutions to overlooked entrepreneurs. The company builds proprietary credit assessment and data aggregation AI to identify, price and provide affordable loans tailored to credit-invisible, cash-heavy businesses. Camino Financial is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with supporting offices in Mexico City, Mexico and Bogota, Colombia. For more information contact [email protected] . About CIM Community Investment Management ("CIM") is a global institutional impact investment firm that provides strategic debt capital to demonstrate and scale responsible innovation in lending to underserved communities in the United States and emerging markets. The company believes that responsible financial inclusion for the underserved is critical to equitable economic growth, job creation and retention, and the health and sustainability of local communities. For more information visit http://www.cim-llc.com . SOURCE Camino Financial, Inc. DES MOINES, Iowa, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Company has selected Gross-Wen Technologies, a leading algae-based wastewater treatment company based in rural Slater, Iowa to provide wastewater treatment at Company's new beef processing plant in western Iowa, Managing Partner Chad Tentinger said today. The 500,000-square-foot Cattlemen's Heritage beef-harvesting plant, located in northern Mills County just south of Council Bluffs, will harvest 1,500 head per day and employ up to 750 people. Groundbreaking is scheduled for spring 2022. "We were impressed with the GWT technology because it is the most sustainable and energy efficient way to treat wastewater. The algae-based system captures carbon dioxide while removing nutrients and biological loadings. GWT's technology will help us meet our facility's goals to be energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.", Chad Tentinger said. This algae wastewater facility will recover nitrogen and phosphorus that are released at the harvesting facility before they get to the Missouri river. Once the nitrogen and phosphorus is recovered they will be re-used as a valuable fertilizer. In addition, this facility will capture and offset 2,377 tons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere which will equivalent to avoiding the use of 242,000 gallons of gasoline every year. GWT Co-Founder and President Dr. Martin Gross expressed his company's excitement to provide an innovative, sustainable treatment solution to this new facility. "Chad and his team are determined to expanding beef processing in the upper Midwest to ensure that cattle producers receive a fair return on their financial investment and hard work," he said. "We're excited to play a part in that ambitious goal by providing a state of the art, innovative, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient wastewater treatment solution." Dr. Gross noted this facility will be the largest algae-based wastewater treatment facility in the United States when operational in Q4 of 2023. About Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Company: Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Company is a newly formed corporation led by project developer Chad Tentinger, founder, and owner of Ten Corp Inc . and an Iowa cattle producer. Tentinger hopes to provide a market for cattle raised by smaller, independent cattle producers, and plans to open the plant in late 2023. About Gross-Wen Technologies: (www.algae.com) - GWT is a wastewater treatment technology company which uses algae instead of bacteria or chemicals to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. Algae is considered the most sustainable way to treat wastewater. This is because during the treatment process algae is consuming CO 2 from the atmosphere, then the CO 2 containing algae is used as a slow-release fertilizer. What makes GWT unique is their algae-based treatment solution, called the revolving algal biofilm system (RAB), which is considered by many experts as the top algae treatment system in the world (6 issued patents). The company was founded by Dr. Martin Gross and Dr. Zhiyou Wen and is based on a technology they developed at Iowa State University. SOURCE Gross-Wen Technologies OXNARD, Calif. , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- California Lutheran University's Center for Nonprofit Leadership will host "Aspiring for Equity: Uncovering the Path Forward with the Equitable Nonprofit Workplace Report," a hybrid event (in-person and virtual) on May 3, 2022. Envision Consulting will present their findings in the 2021 Equitable Nonprofit Workplace Report, developed in partnership with the Center for Nonprofit Management. The report provides deeper analysis into the Southern California nonprofit employee experience through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion to give nonprofits a guide for how to attract, retain, and develop their employees for greater social impact. "As nonprofit search and strategy consultants, we've been tracking the conversations, changes, and movement within our sector, including through the Great Reshuffle," said Allison Fuller, co-founder of Envision Consulting. "Now with the Equitable Nonprofit Workplace Report, the data underscores some of what we already know concerning DEI and reveals stories that may be new to us. How we use this information to evolve our policies and practices going forward will be key." The event will take place at Cal Lutheran Oxnard Center (2201 Outlet Center Dr # 600, Oxnard, CA 93036) from 9 -11:30am. Reservations are required. A limited number of in-person tickets are being offered on a first come, first served basis. There is no fee to attend virtually or in-person. To reserve, go to https://californialutheran.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/californialutheran/event.jsp?event=1623& Envision Consulting specializes in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration and executive leadership transitions. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, its partners and consultants are former nonprofit executive leaders who now use their collective experience and inspiration to uplift nonprofits and the communities they serve. Envision's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is integrated into its practices, including inclusive surveys and stakeholder interviews, focus groups, structured hiring processes, a focus on anti-biased decision making and much more. In 2021, Envision Consulting was named by the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy as a Top 10 Search Firm that Works for Women of Color. Envision Consulting 594 E. Colorado Blvd., #230 Pasadena, CA 91101 www.envisionnonprofit.com SOURCE Envision Consulting CBD pioneer company calls 'Charlotte Figi Day' on April 7 a time to honor a young Colorado girl's legacy by giving to families most in need of support DENVER, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - This week represents one decade since the seven Stanley brothers helped launch the CBD industry from Colorado. Per proclamation by Governor Jared Polis in 2020, following the unfortunate passing of Charlotte Figi, today is officially 'Charlotte Figi Day' in Colorado. Charlotte's Web Inc., the market leader in CBD products, today unveils its "Charlotte Figi Family Grant Program" as an annual initiative to honor the historic legacy of Charlotte, the little girl who suffered from seizures due to Dravet Syndrome, and her story that helped to change CBD access for millions around the world. Charlotte's Web CBD celebrates Charlotte Figi Day on April 7 (CNW Group/Charlotte's Web PR Marketing) Ten family grants are being awarded in keeping with the ten-year anniversary of the Stanley brothers providing their (high-CBD and low-THC) full spectrum hemp formula to Charlotte Figi after her pediatrician supplied written permission. Each year on Charlotte Figi Day, the Company will now announce its family grantees and increase the number of grants by one annually. This year's granted families were selected by the Colorado-based nonprofit Realm of Caring based on families with the greatest need. Each family will receive a year's supply of Charlotte's Web product to support each family's overall health and wellness. This year's ten family grantees herald from six states from California to Virginia. "We keep Charlotte's heroic story illuminated while also supporting wellness and relief for those families most in need," said Charlotte's Web CEO Jacques Tortoroli. "Our founders were there at the beginning in 2012 with Charlotte and her family. Charlotte's story stands for the true founding of not only our company, but the entire hemp CBD industry. The Charlotte Figi Family Grant Program pays tribute to our namesake by giving to health-seeking families with qualified needs." Charlotte's Web hosts an event for all of its employees today at 3:30 pm MST at its manufacturing plant and R & D facility -- the LOFT -- in Louisville to honor the legacy of Charlotte Figi and will present the inaugural 'Courage Award' to an employee who has demonstrated unbridled courage in their work and their life in this past year. Since 2012 Colorado has been (and still is) the epicenter for the CBD movement that swiftly became an industry. In its first decade, the CBD industry grew from just one brand Charlotte's Web to more than 3,500 CBD brands in 2020, according to The Brightfield Group. Colorado was the first state in which CBD product sales were legal and the state has remained at the forefront of hemp and cannabis innovation and growth. In a relatively short time span, the CBD sector has expanded and grown, according to the Brightfield Group research firm (November 2021) that estimated the U.S. hemp-derived CBD market at $4.7 billion in retail sales in 2021 and forecasted revenues to reach $12 billion by 2026, driven by accelerated growth of ingestible products. This profound growth first began as a result of the courage of Charlotte Figi, her family, and the entrepreneurial passion of the Stanley Brothers. Charlotte's experience became a shared experience by tens of thousands of families, many of whom migrated to Colorado. The activism of Charlotte's Web and the nonprofit Realm of Caring helped to change laws in dozens of states and helped establish two meaningful national farm bills that changed access to hemp for all Americans. The timeline below shows the significant milestones that have led up to Colorado's official "Charlotte Figi Day": Feb. 2012 : Paige Figi , Charlotte's mother, meets Joel Stanley in Colorado and Charlotte, with written permission from her pediatrician, and first uses the formula from the Stanley Brothers (now called Charlotte's Web Original Formula). : , Charlotte's mother, meets in and Charlotte, with written permission from her pediatrician, and first uses the formula from the Stanley Brothers (now called Charlotte's Web Original Formula). July 2012 : Heather Jackson and her family are the third to meet the Stanley Brothers in Colorado to secure Original Formula for her son Zaki who also suffered from pediatric epilepsy. : and her family are the third to meet the Stanley Brothers in to secure Original Formula for her son Zaki who also suffered from pediatric epilepsy. Aug. 2013 : Dr. Sanjay Gupta's CNN's Weed 1 airs, telling the story of Charlotte Figi and the Stanley Brothers. : Dr. airs, telling the story of and the Stanley Brothers. 2013: Paige Figi and Heather Jackson founded nonprofit Realm of Caring to ensure all families had support in understanding hemp wellness. and founded nonprofit Realm of Caring to ensure all families had support in understanding hemp wellness. March 2014 : CNN's Weed 2 follows up, showing that there are so many other people similar to Charlotte. : follows up, showing that there are so many other people similar to Charlotte. Dec. 2014 : The waitlist for the Stanley's formula spikes to 15,000 families seeking access to the Original Formula. : The waitlist for the Stanley's formula spikes to 15,000 families seeking access to the Original Formula. 2012-2015: Charlotte's Web founders and employees and Realm of Caring helped 500+ families move to Colorado to access CBD. ("We stopped counting at 500." - Heather Jackson ) EDITOR'S NOTE: Still photos and B-roll video available upon request of Sylvia R. Tawse. Relevant Video: North Star / History video; The Stanley Brothers explain Charlotte's significance in the cannabis industry- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3IHGSl8pVcht About Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Denver, is the market leader in innovative hemp extract wellness products under a family of brands which includes Charlotte's Web, CBD Medic, CBD Clinic, and Harmony Hemp. Charlotte's Web branded premium quality products start with proprietary hemp genetics that are 100-percent American farm grown and manufactured into hemp extracts containing naturally occurring phytocannabinoids including cannabidiol ("CBD"), CBC, CBG, terpenes, flavonoids, and other beneficial hemp compounds. The Company's CW Labs R&D division, advances hemp science at two centers of excellence in Louisville, Colorado, and the Hauptmann Woodward Research Institute at the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network. Charlotte's Web product categories include full-spectrum hemp CBD oil tinctures (liquid products), CBD gummies (sleep, stress, exercise recovery), CBD capsules, CBD topical creams and lotions, as well as CBD pet products for dogs. Through its vertically integrated business model, Charlotte's Web maintains stringent control over product quality and consistency. Charlotte's Web products are distributed to more than 15,000 retail, over 8,000 health care practitioners, and online through the Company's website at www.CharlottesWeb.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Sylvia R. Tawse, [email protected], 303 913-9650 SOURCE Charlotte's Web PR Marketing CHICAGO , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago is known throughout the world as an inclusive city, where over 150 languages are spoken, and numerous cultures, ethnicities are represented throughout its 77 neighborhoods. The city is also well regarded for its LGBTQ+ history and ongoing commitment to equity and inclusivity to deliver prosperity and growth for all residents. CHICAGO'S INCLUSIVITY IS BUSINESS' COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Tweet this World Business Chicago, the citys economic development agency, debuts anew advertising campaign, In Chicago We Believe. The campaign promotes the citys long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just as a business positive, but as a principled value defining the city at a historic national moment. Local leaders continue to move the needle of progress forward for LGBTQ+ people, families, and communities through inclusive policies and practices. By doing so, they spur economic growth by signaling to residents, visitors and employers that the city is open to everyone. World Business Chicago (WBC), the city's economic development agency, is leaning into these continued advancements with its new advertising campaign, "In Chicago We Believe." The campaign promotes the city's long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, not just as a business positive, but as a principled value defining the city at a historic national moment. "What is happening around the country is not only damaging to the mental health of LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and families, but is part of a movement to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be," said Michael Fassnacht, president & CEO, World Business Chicago, and the city's first-ever chief marketing officer. In Chicago We Believe appears in today's edition of the Dallas Morning News, Orlando Sentinel and the Phoenix Business Journal. This latest initiative follows the economic development agency's highly successful 2021 campaign, Dear Texas, where it contrasted the Windy City against Texas' restrictive voting laws and poor record on reproductive rights. In Chicago We Believe emphasizes the city's core values, including the beliefs that: Government should lift up residents rather than sow censorship and cruelty. All children, and especially transgender youth, need the support of their family, friends, educators, community, and medical professionals. Diversity, equity and inclusion includes LGBTQ+ communities, identities, and experiences. "The LGBTQ+ community faces disproportionate rates of discrimination, which leads to bullying, and worse, murder," said Tracy Baim, Chicago LGBTQ+ journalist, editor, publisher, author and filmmaker. "With all that is going on in the world, the last thing LGBTQ+ students and families should have to contend with is stigma and censorship from the government." The WBC campaign was inspired by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's recent signing of the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, which bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, the subject of intense national consternation as a targeted attack on the LGBTQ+ population. "This anti LGBTQ+ legislation is bad for families, communities, businesses and the U.S. economystill reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor, Economic & Neighborhood Development, City of Chicago. "In Chicago, we condemn dangerous, discriminatory legislation that serves as an attack on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and nonbinary people. Such laws not only threaten hard-won progress for greater awareness, support and equality, but also threaten the livelihoods and safety of our communities, our neighbors and our families." WBC anticipates that Chicago's dedication to LGBTQ+ rights will be given the same weight as other pro-business attributes the city offers, such as a strategically central location, robust transportation infrastructure, and a skilled and diverse workforce. Chicago was recently named the top metro for corporate investment for the ninth consecutive year by Site Selection magazine, with a record 441 companies relocating to or expanding in the area during 2021. The corporate influx brought more than $2.8 billion in investments and 18,368 jobs to Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. ABOUT WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO World Business Chicago is a public-private, non-profit partnership that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business, and promotes Chicago as a leading global city. Learn more at worldbusinesschicago.com SOURCE World Business Chicago Registration open and speaking opportunities available for the must-attend conference that brings together hundreds of industry leaders WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ChurnZero, a leading Customer Success platform, will host BIG RYG 2022, a Customer Success leadership summit in Washington, D.C. on October 12-13, 2022. Registration is now open for this two-day event that will see hundreds of Customer Success leaders gather to network, learn, and share their expertise in improving team effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and their companies' bottom line. "RYG means red, yellow, and green the customer success indicators of account health," said You Mon Tsang, CEO and co-founder, ChurnZero. "At BIG RYG, we'll focus on increasing customer health, happiness and success, and Customer Success teams' outsized role in that goal. The industry now understands the huge ROI of Customer Success investment, which drives revenue through retention and expansion." What makes BIG RYG 2022 different? BIG RYG 2022 is produced by and for those driving Customer Success for their organization. Unlike other events, BIG RYG 2022 focuses fully on practical yet strategic best practices to keep customer churn scores low and company net revenue retention (NRR) high. BIG RYG 2022's content is carefully curated to deliver long-term value for businesses. Attendees will gain a new sense of what's possible with Customer Success, tactical answers to challenges, and leadership insights for running a modern Customer Success organization. BIG RYG 2022 is sales-free. Its mantraspeak simply, be real, and challenge the audienceinforms a unique program of in-depth hyper-workshops, panel discussions, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions. BIG RYG 2022 features speakers that know SaaS and Customer Success. Previous speakers include founders and co-founders of SaaStr, Skilljar, and Pendo, as well as top executives from ESG, ZoomInfo, GrubHub, iContact, Mailchimp, TrustRadius, 6sense, and more. Early bird registration is available through August 1, 2022. A full agenda will be unveiled early this summer. BIG RYG speaker and sponsorship opportunities are available The call for speakers for BIG RYG 2022 is open through May 2. Sessions should address real challenges that Customer Success teams face, or wins that will inspire Customer Success teams, and should include strategies and tactics that attendees can implement immediately. Organizations interested in sponsoring BIG RYG are invited to complete this form for more information. About ChurnZero ChurnZero is a real-time Customer Success platform that helps subscription businesses fight customer churn. Its software solutions allow businesses to understand how their customers use their product, assess their health and likelihood to renew, and personalize the customer experience through timely and relevant touchpoints. ChurnZero is headquartered in Washington, DC, and is backed by leading investment firms such as JMI Equity, Baird Capital, Grotech Ventures, and Middleland Capital. For more information, visit https://churnzero.net. Contact Heather Philbin [email protected] (443) 492-9860 SOURCE ChurnZero Cincinnati Innovation District, Lightship Foundation, Mortar, Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. and Cincinnati Regional Chamber cited as leading the way CINCINNATI, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cincinnati was nationally recognized today in a report published by the Brookings Institution for its efforts to advance inclusive economic growth. The new study, Institutionalizing inclusive growth: Rewiring systems to rebuild local economies, was designed to understand public, private, and civic efforts to build inclusive local economies in Heartland cities. These efforts are called "systems rewiring" because they create new connections (i.e., wires) between organizationsand between organizations and the communities they supportto more systematically generate inclusive growth. In addition to Cincinnati, the authors of Brookings Metro's new report also studied Akron, OH, Birmingham, AL, St. Paul, MN and Syracuse NY, arguing that "older industrial cities are criticalyet overlookedbellwethers for the nation's economic prosperity and social stability." In Cincinnati, Brookings Metro profiled a range of organizations working to catalyze quality job growth and business creation, invest in inclusive talent development, and support connected, vibrant neighborhoods. Examples include: the University of Cincinnati's major investments in inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship via the Cincinnati Innovation District (CID); investment in underrepresented entrepreneurs operating promising tech-driven companies through Lightship Foundation and Mortar; 3CDC, a long-running effort to invest in downtown and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood; and how a new approach at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is improving job quality and talent through both the Workforce Innovation Center and the Minority Business Accelerator. The University of Cincinnati powered an entire innovation ecosystem by developing the CID now the model for the state. By building the place and connecting companies to talent, the CID's interconnected platform for industry, researchers and students has been integral in the rewiring of the system through its own evolution. "Universities are in a unique position to bring together multiple constituents to solve challenges and seize opportunities in new and unexpected ways," said University of Cincinnati President Neville G. Pinto. "Having a dedicated innovation district enables us to do that; it's a space where these collisions can occur." Adds David J. Adams, University of Cincinnati Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director, CID, "Place matters. The district itself is living proof of how close proximity and access to industry and innovation centers can improve the economic outlook and create new jobs." Lightship Foundation, a non-profit foundation focused on providing tech entrepreneurs of color with meaningful guidance and funding, brings minority business leaders and creatives from all over the world to make Ohio the place where ideas are born and can thrive in the long term. "We couldn't have done this anywhere else," said Candice Matthews Brackeen, Founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation. "Our partnership with the CID along with the presence of organizations like Mortar and the Chamber's Minority Business Accelerator are addressing the gap in resources for founders of color. Lightship is proud to be at the forefront of Cincinnati's inclusion focused growth." The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), a private, non-profit real estate developer whose mission and strategic focus is to strengthen the core assets of downtown by revitalizing and connecting Cincinnati's Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, has played a direct role in more than $1.6 billion in development projects in these two neighborhoods. This investment has yielded 198 buildings restored, 49 new buildings constructed, 17 acres of restored civic space, and two civic buildings restored, among other accomplishments. "3CDC's commitment to creating an inclusive local economy can be seen through its work developing affordable and supportive housing, working with minority- and woman-owned contractors on our development projects, and filling our street-level commercial spaces with minority- and woman-owned small businesses," Adam Gelter, Executive Vice President of Real Estate for 3CDC, said. "We're fortunate to be able to collaborate with so many great organizations in Cincinnati to make these important initiatives a reality." The Cincinnati Regional Chamber has implemented effective initiatives to advance inclusion, including Apprenti Cincinnati, which encourages local businesses to adopt new pipelines for untapped talent; the Workforce Innovation Center, which creates tailored plans to help companies adopt inclusive and effective practices; and the Minority Business Accelerator, which works to grow, build, attract, and create minority-owned enterprises in the region. "Great things are happening here in the region, and the Minority Business Accelerator looks forward to continuing to do its part to advance the collective business and economic interest of the community," said Darrin Redus, Chief Executive Officer, Minority Business Accelerator. "While there's much more work to be done to address ongoing economic disparities in the region, I believe this report exemplifies our strong foundation, great progress, and shared desire to create an inclusive economy that works for all of its citizens." Audrey Treasure, Executive Director, Workforce Innovation Center, agrees. "This report demonstrates that the Cincinnati region is leading the way as a community dedicated to improving the economy for all people. The Workforce Innovation Center continues to help employers solve their most pressing talent issues with inclusive practices that work for their business and support their employees. The more employers adopt this approach, the more it puts Cincinnati on the map as a hub for inclusive capitalism." Inclusive growth is a matter of civic and economic necessity and collaboration among a variety of institutions with a shared purpose is required to generate positive outcomes. "Every sector can contribute to systems rewiring," argues Brookings Metro Fellow and Director of Applied Research Joseph Parilla. "Now, armed with a once-in-a-generation infusion of federal dollars, local leaders can use this playbook to build the institutional and systemic capacity to ensure their economies are working for all." SOURCE Cincinnati Innovation District Community Gaming began as an in-person competitive esports and gaming tournament operator, providing organizers and players of all levels. In 2019, Community Gaming transitioned to a hybrid platform of in-person and online events, using blockchain-based smart contracts to provide an all-encompassing competitive gaming experience from signup to instant payment. By early 2022, Community Gaming reached the 100,000 unique registered users milestone on its platform. As a result of the Series A, Community Gaming will expand both its global footprint and platform offerings.The major platform update expected later this year will allow users to earn supplemental income on the blockchain through gamified 'Quests' within the Community Gaming system. This 'Earnings for Everyone' approach enables Community Gaming to reward users for action and time with the platform instead of focusing on only the most skilled in competition. "Community Gaming's position at the intersection of esports and blockchain technology grants us a tremendous opportunity to lead the growing conversation around gaming in web3," said Chris Gonsalves, CEO of Community Gaming. "These resources will allow us to further support 'Earnings for Everyone' systems that reward action and time, a re-imagining of the social contract of work as people look for new ways to create supplemental income through gaming." Community Gaming will use this capital injection to grow operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia. The expansion brings economic benefits to underserved regions within the two markets through job creation, local business engagement, and flagship competitive events. At the outset, events will focus on underserved demographics as a way to introduce gaming to a wider audience. "We're excited to partner with Chris and the Community Gaming team who are building Web3 gaming infrastructure to disrupt traditional games as well as crypto gaming industry", said Benjamin Lizana, investment leader at SoftBank Latin America Fund. "We recognize strong tailwinds for the crypto gaming infrastructure space globally and are excited by the pace at which it has gained traction in Latin America, where Brazil ranks highly on gaming infrastructure usage. We look forward to continue supporting CG in their expansion " Additionally, Community Gaming will donate a portion of the funding to its Play2Earn foundation. The nonprofit supports the grassroots growth of gaming for low income individuals and communities around the world by providing grants to competitive organizers. To date, the P2E foundation has provided over $100,000 in grants. About Community Gaming Community Gaming is the all-in-one esports competition platform, offering cutting edge infrastructure to key industry stakeholders. Through its seamless UX, plus highly scalable and efficient blockchain payment technology, the platform equips players, competition organizers, and game developers with the tools they need to create, facilitate, and participate in esports tournaments. Community Gaming believes in Earnings for Everyone, where the massive gains of the wider esports and gaming industry are decentralized and accessible via web3 technology to reward action and time. People who love games should have a reliable avenue to supplement their current income by gaming, no matter the skill level. Connect with us at CommunityGaming.io , or on Twitter , Discord , Instagram , Facebook and Twitch . About SoftBank Group The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$135 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region; the newly-launched US$3 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund II; and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en. SOURCE Community Gaming Inc CIEA is a private and independent non-profit institute, founded in 1952, with the aim of contributing to medical care and medical science based on the ethical use of animals in modelling of diseases and treatments. CEO, Eric Rhodes had the following statement: '"CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome engineering tool that has revolutionized the arena of biotechnology. At ERS, we are committed to making our technology accessible and available. We are pleased to be able to support CIEA, a company recognized worldwide for their excellence in the development of novel animal models for research." CEO of CIEA, Ryuta Nomura had the following to say about how CRISPR/Cas9 technology benefits CIEA's contributions to healthcare globally: "The progress and evolution of gene-editing technology has been remarkable. CRISPR/Cas9 has actually changed not only the methodology but also the way of thinking in the field of medicine and biology." Financial details of the agreement are not disclosed. About ERS Genomics ERS Genomics is a biotechnology company based in Dublin, Ireland. The company was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property held by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Non-exclusive licenses are available for research and sale of products and services across multiple fields including: research tools, kits, reagents; discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention; cell lines for discovery and screening of novel drug candidates; GMP production of healthcare products; companion animal and livestock health; production of industrial materials such as enzymes, biofuels and chemicals; and synthetic biology. For additional information, please visit www.ersgenomics.com About Central Institute for Experimental Animals: Central Institute for Experimental Animals is a private and independent non-profit institute, founded in Japan in 1952 with the aim of contributing to medical care and medical science based on animal experiments. CIEA is renowned for the research, development and commercialization of the world's most advanced laboratory animals and germ-free animal-related technologies that provide technologies such as monitoring tests, pathology tests, genetic modification, developmental engineering, and image analysis. CIEA collaborates and cooperates with universities and research institutions in Japan and other countries, international public organizations such as WHO, NIH, FDA, and NIBSC, and other business enterprises. For additional information, please visit www.ciea.or.jp/en/ Summit Pharmaceuticals International Corporation, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, serves as the exclusive agent for ERS Genomics in Japan. SOURCE ERS Genomics HOUSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cy-Fair Montessori School in Houston, TX is proud to announce open educational programs for young learners aged two to three months, all the way up to age six. For the past 13 years, their educational establishment and child care facility has popularized the child-centered Montessori Method and jump-started the educational careers of children within the community. Fully licensed by the State of Texas and committed to routine inspections for quality, health, and safety, The Cy-Fair Montessori private school is ready to help your child discover the wonders of the world around them. Cy-Fair Montessori School Cy-Fair Montessori School Cy-Fair Montessori School's Montessori-oriented education program for infants and kindergarteners is dedicated to the motto of "Education for Life." The world-renowned approach to early childhood development has been used for decades and allows each individual child to learn at their own pace. Their educators respect each individual child as their own unique person, and allow them to learn independently and in ways that best benefit the individual. It's the mission of the Cy-Fair Montessori School to develop a child's academic skills, but also their sense of respect, independence, self-sufficiency, and self-confidence. The guiding principles of the Montessori Method believe children should be encouraged to think for themselves, be exposed to collaboration, and learn via direct experiences. Cy-Fair Montessori School's experienced, top-performing child care facility fits in the community perfectly. With Houston's local unemployment rates going down, and parents and working professionals going back to work, Houston's economy is being stimulated in unprecedented ways. Their educational facility is proud to help participate in the local and county-wide economy by helping parents confidently return their children to in-person learning. Cy-Fair Montessori School's family-owned and operated establishment experiences exceptionally low staff turnover, allowing the infants and kindergarteners to build long-lasting relationships and learn in a comfortable environment. Learn more about The Cy-Fair Montessori School's Montessori-oriented programs at cyfairmontessori.com . About The Cy-Fair Montessori School: The Cy-Fair Montessori School has been in the business of educating infants and kindergartens for the past 13 years, creating an interactive learning environment centered around the Montessori method. As a family-owned and operated child care facility in Houston, TX, their dedicated staff is committed to the ongoing success of your young child. Tours can be arranged at cyfairmontessori.com . Media Contact: Syed Meerza [email protected] 281-656-9327 SOURCE Cy-Fair Montessori School "It's been an honor to share important stories over the years and I am excited to help get the message out about this groundbreaking company. Quadrant Biosciences is making a difference on a daily basis and the storytelling possibilities are endless, " said Dean. This is somewhat of a homecoming for Dean as she began her career as a news reporter in upstate New York. She was a multimedia journalist who shot, wrote, and edited her own news stories for News 10 Now (now Spectrum News) in Potsdam and Binghamton. Most recently, Dean worked for nearly 14 years at KSDK, the NBC affiliate in St. Louis where she hosted the lifestyle television show "Show Me St. Louis" and worked as a news anchor and reporter, covering breaking news and stories on the local and national level. "We are thrilled to have Dana join our team," said David MacLean, Chief Marketing Officer at Quadrant. "Her extensive media experience, proven ability to tell compelling stories, and overall understanding of the public relations landscape will be a huge asset in growing our company visibility and brand." Dana holds a degree in journalism from Boston University and will be based in the company's Syracuse office. About Quadrant Biosciences Quadrant Biosciences is a life science company developing molecular diagnostic solutions for large-scale health issues. The company has entered into collaborative research relationships with a number of institutions including SUNY Upstate Medical University and Penn State University to explore and develop novel biomarker technologies with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder, concussion, and Parkinson's disease. Recently, it has leveraged its expertise in RNA analysis to address the Covid-19 pandemic. Quadrant participates in the Start-up NY program, a New York State economic development program. For more information about Quadrant, please visit www.quadrantbiosciences.com. Visit us on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn SOURCE Quadrant Biosciences Inc. SAN DIEGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DCAP ($DCAP-BNB) crypto is catching the eye of investors as they hosted their first "Ask Me Anything" on Tuesday April 5th, 2022 making a major announcement that they are the first Real Estate Syndicate DAO in the US. DCAP Decentralized Capital Allocation Protocol, "DCAP", is a cash flow asset management corporation operating a cryptocurrency on Binance Smart Chain. Designed to thrive and be supported by a growing portfolio of properties with stable cash flow, DCAP is a token to be backed by tokenized real estate assets. To achieve this, they established the first legally recognized real estate syndicate DAO in the US. A DAO is a decentralized autonomous organization, which, broken down, is an organization that operates on a predefined set of rules written into a smart contract, and deployed onto a blockchain. Wyoming is the first and only state to recognize DAO's as a legal business structure and is a subset of an LLC. The company structures each syndicate into its own DAO and operates an ecosystem where accredited investors can seamlessly diversify their portfolio across their syndication properties, their equity token (like a REIT), their ecosystem token (redistribution and revenue share), and their currency (like bitcoin). Investors are able to be as liquid as a REIT but receive the tax benefits of a syndicate with its depreciation pass through on investor properties. This type of environment aims to create greater adoption into cryptocurrency with accredited investors and offers robust 1031 exchange opportunities. Partnering with Owner of Kahuna Investments and best-selling real estate syndicate author, Corey Peterson, DCAP is purchasing a 200 unit / 632 bed student apartment complex at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA. The asset is projected to yield $35,621,000 in rent within the first six years. It's worth pointing out that DCAP has just recently launched, and the aforementioned property would be its first deal. A deal of this size would generate roughly $5 million in net cash for the crypto in year six and about $1 million in net cash flow through years 1-6. At the time of writing this, DCAP is up 298.8% since launching on March 18th, 2022. Media contact: Jared Lutz [email protected] 949-245-9055 SOURCE DCAP John Akwenye, Chairman of Deep-South stated that: "While reinstating the licence over the Haib Copper project in Namibia remains our number one priority, we are very enthusiastic about the option to acquire these strategicaly well situated licences in the heart of one of the most prolific copper belts in the world". The agreement: Deep-South holds the option to acquire up to 80% of the Large Scale Exploration Licences LEL 23246, LEL 23247 and LEL 23248 held by WCMV in Zambia. The terms are as follows: Deep-South has paid to WCMV, US $ 15,000 on signature of the agreement and will pay an additional US $ 15,000 on approval of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). Deep-South will also issue 500,000 of its common shares to WCMV upon approval by the TSX-V. on signature of the agreement and will pay an additional US on approval of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). Deep-South will also issue 500,000 of its common shares to WCMV upon approval by the TSX-V. On the second anniversary of the agreement, Deep-South will pay US$ 30,000 and issue 250,000 of its common shares to WCMV. and issue 250,000 of its common shares to WCMV. Before the end of the second anniversary of the agreement, Deep-South will also complete the collection and analysis of 100 soil samples over the identified anomalies on Licence LEL 23246 and 350 soil samples over the identified targets on each of Licences LEL 23247 and LEL 23248. Deep-South will then decide whether to proceed with more intensive sampling or to evaluate any drilling targets. Upon completion of the above, Deep-South will have acquired an undivided interest in 51% of the licences. In order to acquire the remaining 29% of the licences, Deep-South, at the end of the third, fourth and fifth year of the agreement,will pay to WCMV US$ 30,000 every year for a total of US 90,000 and spend a minimum of US$ 1 million in exploration programmes every year for a total of US $ 3 million in exploration expenditure. Data Acquisition: Upon approval of the transaction with WCMV by TSX-V, Deep-South will acquire all of the exploration data for the licences LEL 23246, LEL 23247 and LEL 23248 held by Mr. Nathan Sabao ("the geological consultant"). Upon approval of the TSX-V, Deep-South will issue 500,000 of its common shares to the geological consultant. Furthermore, on the first anniversary of the transaction, the geological consultant will transfer to Deep-South all of the exploration data for projects in the Luapula region in consideration for the issuance of a further 500,000 common shares of Deep-South. The transaction is conditional to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. In terms of the Policy 5.3, the transaction is considered fundamental and the trading of the shares of Deep-South will remain on a halted until the TSX-V has reviewed the required documentation. The projects: (see map 1 below) Luanshya West project (LEL 23247). The licence is situated in the center of the Zambian Copper belt which forms part of the Central African Copper belt, one of the most prolific copper belts in the world. The Large Exploration Licence covers 5,423.26 hectares (54.24 Sq. Km). A NI 43-101 technical qualifying report is currently under review by the TSX-V. The project prospectivity is based on the location of the subject property over the unconformable contact zone between basement granites and Lower Roan Group sediments where most copper belt mines in both Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (the "DRC") are located. This prospectivity is reinforced by a positive series of coincident soil geochemical anomalies over the contact zone. The project area is close to established copper / cobalt mines with Chibuluma mine some 35Km to the north-east, Chambishi mine 41Km north-northeast, N'changa mine 53Km north-northwest and Luanshya mine some 40Km east-southeast from the centre of the project area. Some 850 soil samples and some geophysical data were collected over the subject property by Teal (a subsidiary of African Rainbow Minerals Ltd) between 2007 and 2009. The airborne geophysical data was evaluated by the geophysical consultant K. P. Knupp on behalf of Teal. Knupp identified a total of 11 targets for strata- bound vein-hosted Cu, Pb, Zn, Co, Ni, Ag and Au mineralisation and 1 target for stratiform Cu-Co mineralisation over the larger exploration property then held by Teal. Chililabombwe project (LEL 23247). The licence is situated in the north of the Zambia Copper belt near the DRC border. The Large Exploration Licence covers 2,200 hectares (22.5 Sq, Km). The project prospectivity is based on the location of the subject property over the unconformable contact zone between basement granites and Lower Roan Group sediments where most copper belt mines in both Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (the "DRC") are located. The project area is close to established copper / cobalt mines with Konkola mine 12 km west and the Lubambe mine 30 km to the north-west from the center of the project area. Mpongwe project (LEL 23248). The licence is situated in the center of the Zambian Copper belt. The Large Exploration Licence covers 67,500 hectares (675 Sq. Km). The project prospectivity is based on the location of the subject property over the unconformable contact zone between basement granites and Lower Roan Group sediments where most copper belt mines in both Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (the "DRC") are located. More information about the projects and the planned programmes will be disclosed after closing of the transaction. Mineral Resources have not been estimated yet on the project nor has it demonstrated economic viability at this stage. The historical geophysical survy and sampling results demonstrate potential to classify the project as one of merit but are considered too speculative geologically to complete a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimation at this time and it is uncertain that those historic results will be converted into minerals resources. Qualified Person Peter Walker B.Sc. (Hons.) MBA Pr.Sci.Nat. of P & E Walker Consultancy is the main author of the 43-101 resource qualification report on LEL 23246, and is the Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Walker is responsible for the technical part of this press release. About Deep-South Resources Inc Deep-South Resources is a mineral exploration and development company. Deep-South's growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets in significant mineralized trends and in proximity to infrastructure in stable countries. In using and assessing environmentally friendly technologies in the development of its copper project, Deep-South embraces the green revolution. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information contained in this news release which are not statements of historical facts may be "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule", "understand" and similar expressions identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the Minister's refusal to renew the Company's Licence, the Company's intention to contest the Minister's decision before the Courts of Namibia and the outcome of such proceedings. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Deep-South, are inherently subject to significant technical, political, business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Factors and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: political risks associated with the Company's operations in Namibia; the failure of the Namibian Government to comply with its continuing obligations under the Act to allow for the renewal of the Licence; the impact of changes in, or to the more aggressive enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices; the inability of the Company and its subsidiaries to enforce their legal rights in certain circumstances. For additional risk factors, please see the Company's most recently filed Management Discussions & Analysis available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as many factors and future events, both known and unknown could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary or differ materially from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated by reference. Accordingly, all such factors should be considered carefully when making decisions with respect to Deep-South, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release is made as at the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable l SOURCE Deep-South Resources Inc. PLEASANTON, Calif. , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DiaCarta Inc., a precision molecular diagnostics company and leading developer of novel oncology tests using liquid biopsy, today announced the appointment of Jack Kaye, retired Partner with Deloitte LLP, as an independent board member who will serve as the Chairman of the Company's Audit Committee. Mr. Kaye will provide oversight over the Company's financial reporting process, the audit process, system of internal controls, risk management and compliance with laws and regulations. His experience in diversifying and growing start-ups will be a valuable resource to DiaCarta's management team. "We welcome Jack to our growing family and look forward to his invaluable advice, curated from years of experience in strengthening young companies and growing them. As the Chairman of the Audit Committee, Jack's inputs to our company's path forward will be essential," said Aiguo (Adam) Zhang, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DiaCarta. "DiaCarta has a demonstrated leadership position in personalized diagnostics, translational genomics and clinical sample testing services in the United States and China. I am excited to be part of this fast-growing company and apply my expertise and experience to help the Company accomplish its goals and objectives," said Mr. Kaye. In addition to DiaCarta, Mr. Kaye currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committees and member of the Compensation Committees of Dyadic International, Inc. and UniQure B. V. His prior board service includes Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., a position he has held from 2006 to May 2016 and he was also a member of their Nominating and Governance Committee. He also served on the boards of Tongli Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. and Balboa Biosciences, Inc., where he served as Chairman of both Audit Committees. Mr. Kaye was selected to participate on several dissident board slates which included the Astellas, Inc./OSI, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Inc./Illumina, and the Horizon, Inc./Depomed M&A transactions. Mr. Kaye was a partner at Deloitte LLP from 1978 until May 2006, when he retired. At Deloitte, Mr. Kaye was responsible for serving a diverse client base of public and private, global, and domestic companies in a variety of industries. He has extensive experience consulting with clients on accounting and reporting matters, private and public debt financings, SEC rules and regulations and corporate governance/ Sarbanes-Oxley issues. In addition, he has served as Deloitte's tristate liaison with the banking and finance community and assisted clients with numerous merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Kaye served as Partner-in-Charge of Deloitte's Tri-State Core Client practice, a position he held for more than twenty years. He earned a B.B.A. from Baruch College of the City University and is a Certified Public Accountant. About DiaCarta Inc. DiaCarta is a molecular diagnostics company that has developed innovative technologies that transform patient care by providing effective precision diagnostics using liquid biopsy. In addition to its FDA EUA approved QuantiVirusTM SARS-CoV-2 Tests, DiaCarta offers a range of testing services, from single-gene QClamp qPCR tests to its OptiSeq XNA-NGS panels. The company is well positioned as a leader in the new 'liquid biopsy' In Vitro Diagnostics field with high-precision detection of ctDNA. Its novel XNA technology provides high level of sensitivity as it clamps the wild-type sequence and amplifies the mutant target sequence. Using this technology, the company has developed its highly sensitive, early detection ColoScape Colorectal Cancer test using blood. Powered by its SuperbDNA technology that provides high level of detection by amplifying the signal and requiring no RNA/DNA extraction or amplification, the company has developed its revolutionary RadTox test that personalizes radiation therapy, mitigates adverse events, and enhances patient care. Based in Pleasanton, California the company is ISO certified, GMP-compliant and offers CLIA certified laboratory services to its customers. www.diacarta.com Contacts: Corporate Anne K. Vallerga, Ph.D., M.B.A. Vice President of External Affairs [email protected] 1-650-333-3152 SOURCE DiaCarta Inc. Financing accelerates company's global growth and development of its platform to enrich HCP messaging solutions on endemic and point-of-care networks for life sciences companies PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Doceree Inc, the first global network of physician-only platforms for programmatic messaging, today announced the completion of $11 million Series A funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures, a global investment firm backed by Fidelity. F-Prime Capital and Alkemi Growth Capital also participated in the round. Doceree will use the funds to scale its global operations, expand partnerships, augment its product portfolio and advance the platform's measurement and behavior lift capabilities to bring greater transparency to results. It will also help it embolden healthcare professional (HCP) communications for pharma and life sciences brands, agencies and health information technology platforms. "It is critical for industry players like life sciences companies and HCP-only platforms to understand and react to the digital touchpoints and behaviors of HCPs for delivering messages they resonate with," says Harshit Jain, M.D., Founder & Global CEO, Doceree. "Our identity resolution technology and tailored products for different markets that adhere to the country-specific regulations and guidelines make it easy for life sciences brands to engage with HCPs on digital mediums, while enabling publishers to improve engagement on their platforms with relevant medical information from pharmaceutical and life sciences brands." Doceree's industry-first solutions, powered by proprietary identity-resolution technology, ESPYIAN, enable messaging and targeting of HCPs on endemic (sites physicians visit for knowledge, professional enhancement or to connect with their peer group) and point-of-care (platforms where physicians tend to their patients) platforms. The platform enhances engagement between life sciences companies and their target audience through its global publisher network in a fast-evolving digital pharma marketing ecosystem. Founded in 2019 by Harshit, a former physician who transitioned into the healthcare marketing space, Doceree empowers life sciences brands and media agencies with solutions that seamlessly reach HCPs on professional HCP networks and within their digital workflow to achieve better patient health outcomes. The company has refined HCP communications through its programmatic messaging capabilities to help marketers with more efficient, effective and transparent messaging campaigns. "Doceree has identified a largely overlooked white space in digital pharma marketing and is delivering innovative solutions to address some of the most critical challenges that pharma companies face today," says Carl Byers, Partner, F-Prime Capital. "We were drawn to the company's vision and are looking forward to our partnership and continued support as they evolve into their next stage of growth." On the back of massive interest of pharma brands and publishers towards Doceree's custom-built product offerings within the programmatic pharma marketing space, the company expanded to key international locations, such as emerging markets in the UK & Europe, within two years of the platform's launch in the U.S. The sophistication of Doceree's platform capabilities has created enormous opportunities for marketers and publishers in these geographies as it transforms the way pharma brands communicate with HCPs globally on physician-only platforms. Currently, Doceree is working with eight of the top 10 global pharma brands and the company currently engages more than 1 million HCPs across the globe. "Doceree is transforming the way digital interactions between pharmaceutical brands and prescribers are facilitated," says Ashish Venkataramani, Partner, Eight Roads Ventures. "Pharma marketers navigate significant complexity across point-of-care systems and health information systems. Doceree's technology platform seeks to disrupt the fragmented value chain for digital messaging to physicians, and will be at the forefront of this promising sector." Doceree's AI-powered solutions facilitate hyper-targeting of HCPs based on multiple triggers and at various touchpoints that enrich marketing initiatives digitally. The platform can precisely identify HCPs on professional platforms based on their behavior traits, diagnoses they carry out, prescriptions they write, and the procedures they perform to deliver relevant messaging from life sciences brands in a regulatory compliant manner. Doceree Perform, the company's latest product, provides exceptional measurement proficiency for life sciences companies to evaluate campaign performances and to improve script lift with data-driven messages in the U.S. In India, the U.K. and the EU, ESPYIAN enables marketers to target HCPs at a specialty level, allowing pharma brands to reach them at scale based on their area of expertise. The company is set to introduce behavioral lift measurement offerings globally. "For pharma, life sciences companies and publishers, having access to data-driven, actionable insights to strategize and implement communication initiatives is critical to reaching HCPs," says Rahul Gupta, Board Member, Doceree. "Doceree has proven the ability to efficiently connect stakeholders and is well-positioned to serve the needs of the pharma industry." "In a world that has embraced online channels for virtual care during the last two years, reaching HCPs within digital point-of-care and endemic networks is having a resounding impact on communications for life sciences market," says Alka Goel, Founder, Alkemi Growth Captial. "Doceree's solutions are set to fuel adoption of programmatic messaging in the pharma marketing space." About Doceree Doceree is the first global network of HCP-only platforms for programmatic messaging. Doceree facilitates messaging between life sciences brands and healthcare professionals (HCPs) through an extensive global network of digital endemic and point-of-care platforms to programmatically deliver at scale accurate and transparent messages to HCPs. To learn more, visit doceree.com About F-Prime Capital F-Prime Capital, formerly Fidelity Biosciences and Devonshire Investors, is a global venture capital firm investing in life sciences, healthcare and technology. Since 1969, F-Prime has worked closely with entrepreneurs and academics to create innovative solutions to some of the world's most significant challenges in healthcare and technology. https://fprimecapital.com/ About Eight Roads Ventures Eight Roads Ventures is a global venture capital firm backed by Fidelity, managing $6 billion of assets across offices in China, India, Japan, and Europe. Our 50-year history of investing includes partnerships with over 300 healthcare and technology companies. Eight Roads Ventures' India healthcare portfolio includes Ashish Life Science, Caplin Steriles, Carestack, Cipla Health, Core Diagnostics, Doceree, eKincare, Eywa Pharma, Immuneel Therapeutics, Laurus Labs, Medwell Ventures, NOCD, Plasmagen Biosciences, Proximie, OZiva, PharmEasy, Richcore Lifesciences, Specsmakers, Toothsi, Trivitron Healthcare and Ujjala Cygnus. www.eightroads.com About Alkemi Growth Capital Alkemi Growth Capital is a growth investment firm that seeks to invest in healthcare and consumer wellness industry. The firm was founded in 2018 and is based in New Delhi, India. https://www.alkemivp.com/ Media Contacts: Kanchan Dass [email protected] Richard Krueger [email protected] SOURCE Doceree Inc. Joining the ranks of thriving businesses in downtown San Jose, highly anticipated newcomer, Island Taste Caribbean Grill, will open its doors on April 9, 2022. SAN JOSE, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Island Taste Caribbean Grill will open its doors for the first time on April 9, 2022. The press and the public are invited to celebrate the occasion and to experience the vibrant cuisine and culture from the islands of Jamaica and Haiti firsthand. The grand opening will start at 12pm at 225 E Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose. The festivities include a live steel drum band, door and raffle prizes, food samples, and much more! Mayor Liccardo and Councilmember Peralez are confirmed to attend and other prominent figures in the San Jose area have been invited as well. Island Taste Caribbean Grill is owned by couple Marc and Dorianne St Fleur. The New York City transplants and children of Caribbean immigrants relocated to San Jose from Brooklyn back in 2019 and wanted to find a way to infuse their Caribbean roots with the diversity of the Bay Area. "There are a few other Caribbean restaurants in the area," said Marc St Fleur, "but what I think sets us apart is that we want people to come for more than just the food. We also want guests to connect with our culture." Acclaimed Jamaican chef Imani Manning is the mastermind behind Island Taste's flavorful menu which features traditional island staples like Jerk Chicken and Curry Goat, as well as fresh takes on old favorites like Oxtail Tacos and Island Fried Rice. "All of our food is made with deep love," she says. Island Taste features food, beverages, artwork and music that represent the essence of the Caribbean. About Island Taste Caribbean Grill Island Taste is a family owned restaurant that features authentic, made-from-scratch dishes from the beautiful islands of Jamaica and Haiti, along with the distinct flavors and vibes from across the Caribbean. Island Taste Caribbean Grill 225 E Santa Clara St San Jose, CA 95113 www.islandtastegrill.com (669) 232-6963 Media Contact: Dorianne St Fleur Business Operations Manager [email protected] (669) 232-6963 SOURCE Island Taste Caribbean Grill Hayley Hovious will lead Tennessee efforts in new role as Echo Health Advisors Principal NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Echo Health Ventures announced today that it is establishing a local presence in Tennessee led by Echo Health Advisors Principal Hayley Hovious, who joined the company in March following seven years as president of the Nashville Health Care Council. Echo CEO Rob Coppedge, a Tennessee native, sees its Nashville presence as a major milestone towards the company's mission to drive innovation to improve health outcomes, leading the way toward better health for the communities served by four Blues health plans that form the Echo Innovation Alliance. The alliance includes Cambia Health Solutions and Mosaic Health Solutions, which partnered to create Echo Health Ventures in 2016; USAble Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which joined the alliance in 2021; and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which became an alliance member earlier this year. Collectively, the four enterprises cover more than 10 million members and diverse geographies in seven states. "Echo invests in companies that are catalyzing health care transformation to improve outcomes, reduce overall cost and improve quality companies committed to identifying bold new ways to meet the needs of tomorrow's health care consumers in an economically sustainable way," said Coppedge. There are more than 25 companies in Echo's growing portfolio of innovative health care technology and services companies, including a recent investment in Nashville-based Embold Health, a physician-led health care analytics company. Echo continues to be a sought-after strategic investor because of its platform and engagement model. "What makes our value proposition unique is the deep engagement we create between alliance members looking for solutions to complex challenges and the innovators developing them," said Coppedge. "We look forward to being actively involved in Nashville and to engaging with its incredible health services community to help build more bridges between the goals of innovators, payers and providers." "Echo invests to build great health care companies driving change that aligns with the priorities of its allied health plans improving affordability, accessibility, the member experience and outcomes," said Hovious. "I look forward to being part of a team accelerating and scaling adoption of cutting-edge health care technologies and services on a national scale." "There's nowhere better than Nashville to build collaboration around emerging ideas and support entrepreneurial solutions," said physician and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist who is consistently recognized among the most influential leaders in American health care. "Rob began his career here and, like Hayley, understands at the deepest level the significance of Nashville's health care industry. Echo will be a leader in rethinking traditional investment models and delivering on its commitment to bring new care models and services to consumers across the country." With the addition of its Tennessee location, Echo now operates in six states including Oregon, North Carolina, Arkansas, Washington and Massachusetts. "There's no doubt Nashville is the magnet for health care," said Amedisys Chairman and CEO Paul Kusserow, who moved the publicly traded company's executive offices to Nashville in 2015. "Nashville health care is a $67 billion industry and a hub of innovative, entrepreneurial spirit. I expect with Hayley leading the effort, Echo will be immediate insiders and significant contributors to our vibrant health care community." About Echo Health Ventures Echo Health Ventures drives systemic health care transformation through hands-on, purpose-driven strategic venture capital and growth equity investing. Echo brings together Cambia Health Solutions, Mosaic Health Solutions, USAble Corporation and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to accelerate health care innovation on a national scale and support meaningful health care impact. Learn more at www.echohealthventures.com. SOURCE Echo Health Ventures STOCKHOLM, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Danish biotech company, Enduro Genetics, announces the closure of its first funding round, led by NOON Ventures. Enduro Genetics is a spinout from the Technical University of Denmark enabling large-scale fermentation. Founded by Peter Rugbjerg and Christian Munck, the company is one of the latest biotech successes evolving from the European life science incubator BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen. Relying on living organisms, green biological production can be difficult to scale to large markets. This broad challenge constrains the global transition to more bioproduction of animal-free foods, materials and more. Enduro `stabilizes' biological production by adding production dependence to cells using synthetic biology. Through this disruptive technology for stabilizing productive cells, Enduro Genetics has shown it can increase the competitiveness of green bioproduction. In connection with the investment Enduro Genetics strengthens the board of directors. Former Novozymes EVP Thomas Videbk and former Novozymes VP Ejner Bech Jensen join the board. Former deputy CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Niels Peder Nielsen becomes chairman. "We are really excited about this key step towards our dream for Enduro Genetics - contributing to the green transition by making large-scale biomanufacturing competitive. The engaged partnership with NOON Ventures, combined with the strong competences on the board of directors, strengthens our ability to develop and commercialize the technology towards significantly reducing biotech production costs" says Peter Rugbjerg, CEO and co-founder of Enduro Genetics. Enduro works with bioproduction companies to allow them to scale up bioproduction better. A growing palette of everyday items from foods to materials can now be made by biology and new animal-free food ingredients are around the corner. However, central to biological mass manufacturing is the challenge of biological production stability, which until now has been limited by necessary extensive case-by-case research. "At this important moment, Enduro Genetics addresses a central problem for the fermentation industry and has the potential to become a key enabler of the global fermentation revolution vital to many industries such as alternative proteins, pharma, and bio-materials" says Thomas Videbk, new board member. "We are very impressed with the team and the potential the technology holds," says Theis Malmborg, Founding partner at NOON Ventures. "Enduro Genetics is a prime example of the world-class technology coming out of Danish research institutions these years, addressing climate challenges". "The investment by NOON Ventures and the new board provides a strong basis for fulfilling the exciting potential of Enduro Genetics. The board and I very much look forward to support Peter and the team in the development and commercialization journey ahead. We have already started recruiting both technical and commercial profiles eager to take part in the exciting journey ahead of us", adds Niels Peder Nielsen, chairman. About Enduro Genetics Enduro Genetics a technology provider committed to enabling large-scale fermentations. The company increases the competitiveness of current and future green bioproduction using its proprietary synthetic-biology technology Enduro Sense that self-selects the best cell variants. Spun out from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Enduro has incubated at the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen and received funding from the Innovation Fund Denmark. About NOON Ventures NOON Ventures is a Copenhagen-based VC fund established in late 2020 investing in proven transformative technologies with the potential to impact environmental or climate challenges. The fund invests fewer companies and work closely with each of them - a fundamentally different approach than traditional early-stage investors. The aspiration is to be true co-developers of businesses alongside the entrepreneurs, and therefore dedicate the time required to build lasting businesses. Contact information For any inquiries, please contact Peter Rugbjerg at [email protected] or +45 9393 5580. For more information, please visit Enduro's website: www.enduro.bio This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/enduro-genetics-aps/r/enduro-genetics-closes-first-funding-round-and-strengthens-team-to-broadly-enable-large-scale-biolog,c3542263 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Enduro Genetics ApS ZURICH, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spitch.ai, the global leader in conversational AI solutions, today announced that the company is working with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, to implement a Virtual Assistant (VA) to boost efficiency in Etihad contact centres. The Spitch.ai solution will be deployed to provide Covid-related travel information to Etihad passengers. Etihad passengers will benefit from the Virtual Assistant's ability to share immediate Covid-related travel information about their flights without having to wait in queue. Flexibility has been built into the system, enabling passengers to connect with an Etihad agent live to hear the relevant information directly or receive it via SMS text message. The Spitch omnichannel approach helps ensure information is accurate through an integration mechanism that enables the Virtual Assistant to communicate with a Knowledge Base where worldwide travel regulation details are stored and constantly updated. "The Spitch solution is an exciting project for the Etihad Innovation Lab", said Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer of Etihad Aviation Group. "We wanted to source technology which will make it easier and quicker for our guests to reach us and resolve their issue. Spitch will save our customers' time and enable them to enjoy a smoother experience when we receive spikes in the volume of calls." Spitch's association with Etihad came via the Microsoft for Startups Middle East and Africa GrowthX accelerator program, which ran in the last quarter of 2021. Spitch was one of only fifteen finalists from an original application list of 3,000. Etihad had previously run their own selection process, choosing Spitch as their partner for the program from a shortlist of candidate companies. The range of technologies they were able to demonstrate, along with their competency and experience in delivery for such a relatively young company was a strong point for Spitch when it came to being judged as a potential supplier. "We are proud to have been able to foster the relationship between Etihad and Spitch as part of the GrowthX accelerator program," said Robert Croci, Managing Director at Microsoft for Startups MEA. "We congratulate both teams for all the energy and enthusiasm they have shown in bringing this innovative project to life. We are looking forward to hearing more great news as things progress." "Spitch's leading-edge Conversational AI solution can easily address a major pain point for many companies, particularly airlines," said Patrick Naef, former long-time airline CIO and now a member of Spitch's Advisory Board. "Their intelligent solution can automatically handle large volumes of customer calls, drastically improving customer experience and driving efficiency for call centres. Customers get an immediate answer instead of the pain of waiting in a call queue and this increases customer satisfaction immensely." Spitch develops and maintains its own core technology with a focus on customer experience in the evolving era of the digital customer while reducing cost, increasing sales, managing risk, fraud, and compliance. The team includes members with extensive experience in the sector; both technology entrepreneurs and management experience at Fortune 500 multinationals such as Oracle, Genesys, Ericsson, Avaya, Yandex, SVOX, Nuance, BEA, and Swisscom. Spitch.ai customers across Europe and the U.S. range across the finance, insurance, health, technology, telecom, education, retail, public transport, the public sector, and government, and Spitch solutions handled over 50 million end-user interactions during the last year. For more information, visit spitch.ai About Etihad Airways Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world's leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with Etihad's codeshare partners, Etihad's network offers access to hundreds of international destinations. In recent years, Etihad has received numerous awards for its superior service and products, cargo offering, loyalty programme and more. Etihad is recognised as one of the world's leading airlines in response to COVID-19 and was the first airline in the world to fully vaccinate its crew on board. Etihad sees tackling the climate crisis as the most important issue of our time, and through strategic partnerships with major global aviation brands and OEMs, Etihad is relentless in its pursuit of industry decarbonisation. To learn more, visit etihad.com. About Spitch.ai Spitch is a global provider of B2B and B2C Conversational AI solutions, headquartered in Switzerland since 2014 with a presence in many countries across Europe and now in North America. Spitch helps enterprises to better understand and serve their customers using Natural Language Processing (NLP), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning. It has more than 40 customers worldwide, among which Baloise Insurance, PostFinance, Gruppo Reale, Versicherungskammer Bayern, Swisscard, Migros Bank and others are soon to be announced. Contact: Lincoln Payne + 41 44 542 82 66 [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1780086/Spitch_ai_Logo.jpg SOURCE Etihad Airways LONDON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eToro, the social investment network, announced today its first step into the world of NFTs with the launch of eToro.art , a new patron program to support NFT creators, agencies, and brands. The $20 million dollar fund will be used to purchase blue chip NFTs, as well as seed emerging creators and NFT projects, whom eToro will support to bring new NFTs to market. eToro intends to bring the power, fun and community of NFTs to its community of over 27 million registered users, and plans to offer new pathways for them to explore and enjoy NFTs. Yoni Assia, Co-Founder and CEO at eToro said, "As a company with one eye constantly on 'what's next', eToro sees huge potential in the metaverse and a range of new digital assets. eToro has a community of over 27 million registered users who want insight on and access to new and emerging technologies. As one of the first companies to offer crypto alongside more traditional assets, it is only natural for eToro to serve as the bridge to bring new users into NFTs and the metaverse. We're incredibly excited to see the developments in this space over the coming months." The first stage of the eToro.art program is the reveal of eToro's NFT collection, which includes blue chip projects such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, World of Women, and projects of emerging artists. Once its full funds have been deployed, this collection will make eToro one of the leading NFT collectors in the world. In addition, eToro plans to support up and coming creators and brands on new NFT projects. eToro plans to commit $10 million in emerging projects, and act as a strategic partner to support bringing new emerging projects to market in 2022. Projects that partner with eToro will receive a range of support and services that help them bring their NFT project from concept to market. This will include a range of financial, technical support, marketing and community support. To participate in the program, creators will need to complete the intake application on eToro.art. Guy Hirsch, Managing Director, eToro Art said "NFTs converge culture, technology, and investing. As the leading social investing platform, eToro is well positioned to lead this space, and eToro.art will bring creators and investors together through technology, uniting communities around art. We are excited to provide our support to a wide range of NFTs projects which reflect the diversity, creativity and positive social impact of the communities of art enthusiasts that they represent." eToro will debut the collection at the Bass Contemporary Art Museum in Miami this week, in a private event focused on the future of culture. Last week, Delta, an asset explorer and tracking app that eToro acquired in 2019, announced the ability to explore NFTs alongside stocks, cryptos and other instruments. Notes to editors: For more information, visit eToro.art. About eToro eToro is the world's leading social investment network, with a community of over 27 million registered users. It was founded with the desire to open up the global markets so everyone can trade and invest in a simple and transparent way. It was one of the first platforms to enable everyday investors to buy bitcoin (2013) and will play a leading role in enabling 'everyday' investors and creators to access the investment and collectible opportunities presented by the metaverse. eToro is widely regarded as a crypto pioneer. It bought 100 bitcoin in November 2012 when it was priced at just $12.29. The same year, its CEO and Co-founder, Yoni Assia co-wrote with Vitalik Buterin the white paper for Colored Coins. These tokens are believed to be the first ever NFTs - a market which surpassed $40bn in 2021 and is growing at an exponential rate. Not satisfied with disrupting the world of investing, in 2018 eToro funding and a desire to shake up the philanthropic world led to the creation of GoodDollar , the first social impact DAO whose building was sponsored by an enterprise company This blockchain project transforms the traditional model of giving and aims to make universal basic income a reality on a global scale. In 2019, eToro acquired Delta , a multi-asset explorer and tracker. Delta is the only app on the market that gives investors a live view of everything in their investment portfolio including NFTs. Media contacts [email protected] Disclaimer for UK Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply. Disclaimer for AU Cryptoassets are unregulated & highly speculative. No consumer protection. Capital at risk. Disclaimer for EU Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk. For Germany: Crypto investing is offered by eToro (Europe) Ltd. and custody is provided by eToro Germany GmbH. Your capital is at risk. For US: Securities trading through eToro USA Securities, Inc., a broker dealer registered with the SEC. Member of FINRA and SIPC . Crypto Trading through eToro USA LLC. Cryptoasset holdings are not FDIC insured. SOURCE eToro The tailored desktop solution delivers the technology, support, management, and expertise needed to fully embrace hybrid work on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolve IP, a leading, global service provider of Work Anywhere solutions, today announced the launch of its new secure Managed Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution. The end-to-end, fully managed service provides all of the security, mobility and reliability previously offered by Evolve IP's Desktop as a Service solution, now with the added benefit of Evolve IP experts maintaining anti-virus, backups, desktop patch management, Windows updates, RTAV optimization, monitoring, and the underlying desktop infrastructure. As one of the largest VMware multi-tenant hosting providers, and a Microsoft Gold Partner and Certified Solution Provider, Evolve IP is uniquely positioned to deliver unmatched service, features, mobility, and security. Evolve IP's Managed DaaS solution enables an organization's employees to access from anywhere they can connect to the Internet, a complete Windows operating system with all their critical business applications from any PC, laptop or tablet, and mobile device. The secure Managed DaaS solution leverages Evolve IP's regional data centers across the US alongside hyperscale cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure that provide enterprises with enhanced technology capabilities through the seemingly limitless resources of the hyperscale cloud. Evolve IP's virtual desktop solution has been noted in every Gartner Market Guide for Desktop as a Service (DaaS) and delivers a seamless, personalized user experience, featuring: 100% managed service from environment to desktop: deploy, patch, monitor, secure, and support Tailored specifically to unique user needs and work habits A flexible multi-cloud, multi-protocol approach with deployment in private or public clouds Premium desktop protocol licensing Platform, image, and patch management Performance and availability monitoring Managed anti-virus Managed anti-malware Audio and video (RTAV) vendor optimizations Critical infrastructure backup White glove onboarding and migration options Access to vendor IT admin interface Tailored management options 24x7x365 Service and Support Fine-tuned for the hybrid workforce in a post-pandemic world, Evolve IP's Managed DaaS solution is transformative for both employees and IT alike. "During the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, many businesses were forced to begin operating remotely," said Christian Teeft, Chief Technology Officer and EVP of Global Engineering and Software Development of Evolve IP. "Initially, employees simply switched from using company-based systems to their home computers. This posed a challenge for IT professionals, who had to juggle hundreds of unfamiliar PCs on countless home networks. This meant little visibility, no management tools, and increased security risk." "By offering complete management of our popular DaaS solution as an additional service to our customers," Teeft added, "We're able to lift a huge responsibility off of an IT staff's shoulders; delivering the services businesses need and freeing up IT teams to focus on higher-level priorities instead of day-to-day maintenance or chasing multiple vendors. We're meeting users and businesses where they are in this 'new normal' and providing them with the tools they need to flourish in today's Work Anywhere world." To learn more about how Evolve IP's secure Managed DaaS solution delivers the technology, support, management, and expertise needed to fully embrace hybrid work, contact us today. About Evolve IP Today, the office is no longer just a physical place it's a collection of people who need to work together from wherever they are. Evolve IP partners with the world's biggest tech companies to bring together their unified communications, collaboration, voice, virtual desktop, and contact center tools into a single, secure solution, fine-tuned for the hybrid workforce. By seamlessly integrating these disparate systems from leaders like Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, and VMware, and filling in the gaps, we are improving the user experience for both employees and customers, while centralizing technology management. So, no matter how locations, tools, and partners shift over time, you have a permanent hybrid workplace solution that makes the future of work better for everyone. Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12912297 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Evolve IP Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir will host the company's quarterly webcast to provide shareholders with an update on the company and its new and ongoing projects. will host the company's quarterly webcast to provide shareholders with an update on the company and its new and ongoing projects. Highlights from the webcast will include results from recent performance testing demonstrating superior Coil Driver performance. Exro will also discuss recent notable hires and Coil Driver recognition as an Edison Awards Finalist. CALGARY, AB, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Exro Technologies Inc. (TSX: EXRO) (OTCQB: EXROF) (the "Company" or "Exro"), a leading clean technology company that has developed a new class of power electronics for electric motors and batteries, announced today updates related to a number of the company's new and ongoing projects that mark important milestones and progress towards the commercialization of its Coil DriverTM technology. During Exro's quarterly webcast hosted by CEO Sue Ozdemir, shareholders will receive these partner, technology and company updates, as well as answers to their questions submitted in advance. A recording of the webcast and the presentation file will be available on the Company website here: Exro Events Shareholders unable to attend the webcast can find an overview below of the updates that will be covered during the webcast, including Exro's new Vehicle Systems division and ongoing work with partners Potencia Industrial, Traktionssysteme Austria (TSA) and Linamar. Exro Vehicle Systems: Exro Vehicle Systems, a division of Exro Technologies Inc., secured a purchase order from a leading Tier-1 automotive supplier, to provide more than $1 million in engineering design and consulting services. Under the terms of the purchase order, Exro will deliver design and installation services for a custom electric powertrain system that features a custom battery pack solution. The custom system designed for a light-duty on-road vehicle will also integrate with many automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) systems, including power and control architectures. Exro's Vehicle Systems division will execute this order from its 15,000 square foot facility in Detroit, Michigan. The division serves as a strategic complement and entry point to Exro's e-mobility business for additional revenue-generating opportunities. Potencia Industrial: Exro announced today an update on the in-vehicle demonstration as part of its ongoing partnership with Potencia Industrial, S.A. DE C.V. ("Potencia"). The two companies tested a light-duty electric cargo truck using a Potencia Y45 electric motor and an Exro 100 Volt Coil Driver on the streets of Mexico City, Mexico, to test powertrain performance in densely populated urban environments and on hilly terrain. Exro's partnership with Potencia began in 2018, and since then they have been developing a high-efficiency and reliable solution for light-duty electric vehicles (EVs). This marks an important milestone towards the delivery of the Coil Driver in North and South American automotive markets. The latest testing with Potencia reinforces Exro's ability to improve performance and efficiency in low voltage EV applications and deliver its technology to partners on time. The Company and Potencia will continue to work together toward commercialization by providing solutions that can impact communities and markets globally. As part of the ongoing collaborative development, Exro and Potencia are exploring 800 Volt systems for medium-and heavy-duty commercial applications A demonstration video of the vehicle traversing the streets of Mexico City will be shared during the webcast. The video can also be viewed here. "The latest testing of Exro Coil Driver integrated with our Y45 electric motor demonstrates the capabilities of our partnership and of Exro to deliver versatile solutions for light-duty industrial electric vehicles," said Tomas Gottfried, Technical Director at Potencia Industrial. "As part of our ongoing partnership, we look forward to exploring additional applications of this cost-effective technology in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, as we at Potencia deliver on our mission to enable Latin America's transition to electrification." Traktionssysteme Austria: Traktionssysteme Austria (TSA) is collaborating with Exro as its motor partner for high voltage applications. The two companies are partnering to test and develop electric drive solutions using a TSA motor and an Exro Coil Driver. The Coil Driver testing is progressing successfully, and thus far, the results are exceeding expectations. The results are showing 4000 Nm of torque and continuous power of 375kW mechanical output at 4500 RPM, while achieving peak system efficiencies of 95%. This represents a significant performance improvement in a single electric motor when compared to current industry leaders. Historically, achieving high torque output may require limiting the speed range to approximately 2500 RPM or accepting a lower torque output to increase the speed to higher limits. With Coil Driver both performance outputs can be accomplished in a single motor. Testing is on track to be completed with full performance mapping this quarter to start delivering the high voltage Coil Driver pilots to partners. SEA Electric: The recent TSA testing supports on-time delivery of the high voltage Coil Driver for the SEA Electric project in the second quarter of this year. Using SEA Electric's proprietary electric power system technology, the companies will uplift a Mack LR garbage truck with an 800 Volt Coil Driver system and TSA motor, and an F59 UPS delivery truck with a 400 Volt Coil Driver system and TSA motor. Following completion of in-vehicle testing, Exro and SEA Electric hope to accept orders for mass-market commercial fleet applications by the end of this year. Linamar: Prototype testing and validation for a compact and cost-effective e-Axle with Coil Driver are on track to be completed this quarter. However, the Linamar project is delayed from delivery in the second quarter of 2022 to the early third quarter of this year. While the Coil Driver development remains on track, Linamar and Exro have experienced supply chain delays as it relates to the electric motor in the e-axle. Exro is supporting Linamar's entry into the electric powertrain space for medium-duty commercial vehicles by designing and supplying gearbox and intelligent inverter solutions for high-speed low torque and low-speed high torque applications. This partnership with a Tier 1 automotive supplier will also establish Exro's position in the highly competitive automotive supply chain. Beyond project and partner updates, the webcast will cover recent company updates such as the hiring of Darrell Bishop, a seasoned capital markets professional, as Exro's President, Finance and Investor Relations, and the addition of former Rivian COO Rod Copes, who brings strategic knowledge on the global mobility industry, to the advisory board. The Company's Coil Driver was also chosen as a finalist in the 2022 Edison Best New Product Awards for manufacturing, logistics, and transportation. Finally, Julie Wurmlinger has resigned from Exro's Board of Directors due personal reasons. The Company wishes her the best and thanks her for her guidance and support. "It was great to have the opportunity to engage directly with our incredible shareholders and followers today. We received lots of questions, and we really strived to address all questions to the best of our abilities," said Sue Ozdemir, CEO of Exro. "We hope our investors, can see just how excited we are about the trajectory of our company, and that we continue to remain focused on achieving milestones in the near-term, which we believe hold the potential to begin unlocking value for our shareholders." About Exro Technologies Inc. Exro is a clean technology company pioneering intelligent control solutions in power electronics to help solve the most challenging problems in electrification. Exro has developed a new class of control technology that expands the capabilities of electric motors, generators, and batteries. Exro enables the application to achieve more with less energy consumed. Exro's advanced motor control technology, the Coil DriverTM, expands the capabilities of electric powertrains by enabling intelligent optimization for efficient energy consumption. Exro is working with many partners from all over the world to bring their technology to the electric mobility industries and beyond. For more information visit our website at www.exro.com . To view our Corporate Presentation visit us at www.exro.com/investors Visit us on social media @exrotech. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE Exro Technologies Inc. CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, presented the John van Hengel award and celebrated its network members at the organization's annual conference this week. The 2022 John van Hengel Fellowship was awarded to Valerie Nicholson-Watson, President and CEO of Harvesters Community Food Network in Kansas City. Six network members were also recognized for their outstanding work during the conference's "Network Celebrations" including: Feeding Florida, Food Bank of Iowa, Food Share of Ventura County, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and St. Louis Area Foodbank. 2022 John van Hengel Fellowship The award honors the ideals of the late John van Hengel, who developed the concept of food banking in the 1960s. It recognizes an executive of a member food bank for excellence in leadership, local impact and national influence, and entrepreneurial spirit in the area of hunger relief. Nicholson-Watson has committed 20 years to solidifying Harvesters' strong reputation by building deep relationships and expanding community outreach efforts. She has provided exceptional service and leadership in collaboration with the Feeding America Network by serving as a board member, treasurer and five years as president of the Missouri Food Bank Association, as well as supporting the regional disaster response cohort of 14 food banks across Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. "Throughout her distinguished career, Valerie has demonstrated passionate, influential leadership," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "She carries a contagious optimism and truly believes in the mission of serving neighbors in need. Those who work with her know that she has the extraordinary ability to motivate people around her to see past every obstacle. Valerie's work at Harvesters has led the organization to grow its food distribution, strengthen its financial stability, and enhance its innovative programming, all to make sure food is available to anyone who needs it." Network Celebrations Feeding Florida is recognized for its remarkable work in overseeing 12 network member food banks across the state. Feeding Florida created an advocacy committee, communications group, grants opportunity group, and a statewide food drive group. These groups actively meet, allowing the State Association to work directly with food bank staff on projects like state-wide policy initiatives, share best practices, and increase the network's speed of response and action. is recognized for its remarkable work in overseeing 12 network member food banks across the state. Feeding created an advocacy committee, communications group, grants opportunity group, and a statewide food drive group. These groups actively meet, allowing the State Association to work directly with food bank staff on projects like state-wide policy initiatives, share best practices, and increase the network's speed of response and action. Food Bank of Iowa is recognized for the organization's exceptional efforts in seeking out new community partnerships, while deepening relationships with existing alliances. Food Bank of Iowa worked to identify marginalized communities experiencing food insecurityespecially in Latino, African, and Asian immigrant communities. This resulted in a new community partnership with 14 pastors of African immigrant evangelical congregations, a group that was not being served by existing services. Today, one of the largest churches serves as a food distribution hub to the other congregations, with the food bank delivering food once a week. is recognized for the organization's exceptional efforts in seeking out new community partnerships, while deepening relationships with existing alliances. Food Bank of worked to identify marginalized communities experiencing food insecurityespecially in Latino, African, and Asian immigrant communities. This resulted in a new community partnership with 14 pastors of African immigrant evangelical congregations, a group that was not being served by existing services. Today, one of the largest churches serves as a food distribution hub to the other congregations, with the food bank delivering food once a week. Food Share of Ventura County is recognized for the excellent care and appreciation the organization has shown to its staff during a difficult year. The food bank created an employee engagement committee that met monthly, with representatives from every department. The committee, open to anyone who wishes to participate, has implemented a number of programs, including employee family picnics, half-day Fridays, a revamped holiday schedule, corn hole tournaments, logo jackets, staff lunches, on-site car washes and an upgrade to the organization's 403(b) program. is recognized for the excellent care and appreciation the organization has shown to its staff during a difficult year. The food bank created an employee engagement committee that met monthly, with representatives from every department. The committee, open to anyone who wishes to participate, has implemented a number of programs, including employee family picnics, half-day Fridays, a revamped holiday schedule, corn hole tournaments, logo jackets, staff lunches, on-site car washes and an upgrade to the organization's 403(b) program. The Greater Boston Food Bank is recognized for its support of Massachusetts' Food Security Task Force through its management of the state's $30 million food purchasing program. This work has resulted in more statewide collaboration between food banks, school meal programs, local community partners and state agencies. is recognized for its support of Food Security Task Force through its management of the state's food purchasing program. This work has resulted in more statewide collaboration between food banks, school meal programs, local community partners and state agencies. Greater Chicago Food Depository is recognized for the organization's efforts in developing its Food Equity Ambassadors program. This program selects ambassadors from the depository's most engaged advocates and has them spend a year cultivating their advocacy skills and building relationships with elected officials and community members to highlight the organization's policy priorities. Greater Chicago Food Depository will encourage ambassador alumni to guide the next cohort of ambassadors through the program to create more robust community partners in policy and advocacy. is recognized for the organization's efforts in developing its Food Equity Ambassadors program. This program selects ambassadors from the depository's most engaged advocates and has them spend a year cultivating their advocacy skills and building relationships with elected officials and community members to highlight the organization's policy priorities. Greater Chicago Food Depository will encourage ambassador alumni to guide the next cohort of ambassadors through the program to create more robust community partners in policy and advocacy. St. Louis Area Foodbank is recognized for its outstanding development of partnerships by adding more than 75 new partner agencies since the start of the pandemic. The organization awarded grants to all their partners and supported them by conducting online training, seminars and listening sessions, and assisting them with capital expenses throughout the pandemic. "Each of these network members has made a tremendous impact for people facing hunger in each of their communities," said Babineaux-Fontenot. "This honor goes to every person connected to each food bank from the employees, volunteers, donors and partners. From their focus on engaging with new partners to supporting member food banks across the network in times of disaster or emergency, these network members demonstrate the impact we can have when we come together." With a mission to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all, Feeding America is a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs that provide food assistance to tens of millions of people each year. Collectively, since the start of the pandemic, the Feeding America network has provided more than 10.8 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need. Contact Zuani Villarreal Feeding America 312.641.6532 About Feeding America Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. SOURCE Feeding America Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices. Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation of the pros and cons of prevalent pricing models. Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers. 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Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge VANCOUVER, BC, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Forte Minerals Corp. ("Forte") or the ("Company") (CSE: CUAU) (OTCQB: FOMNF) (Frankfurt: 2OA), a junior mining exploration company has blended assets with GlobeTrotters Resources Peru SAC to build an attractive portfolio of high-quality copper and gold assets in Peru. The company's portfolio combines early-stage and drill-ready targets with a historically discovered and drilled porphyry system that is strategically positioned for target resolution and mineral inventory development. Forte Minerals Corp. is pleased to announce that its common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB under the symbol "FOMNF" as of the opening of the market on April 7th, 2022. In conjunction with the new OTCQB listing, the Company has also applied and is awaiting approval from the Depository Trust Company to make the Company's common shares eligible to clear electronically and settle through DTC. This approval would further facilitate trading in the United States. Operated by OTC Markets, the OTCQB offers transparent trading in entrepreneurial and development stage companies that have met a minimum bid price test, are current in their financial reporting, and have undergone an annual verification and management certification process. The OTCQB is recognized by the United States ("US") Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market providing public information for analysis and value of securities. These standards provide a strong baseline of transparency, as well as the technology and regulations to improve the trading experience for investors. Investors or other interested parties in the US can obtain real-time quotes for Forte Minerals Corp. as well as access its most current news and other information at www.otcmarkets.com. Forte Minerals Corp.'s common shares will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange the symbol "CUAU" and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "2OA". ABOUT FORTE MINERALS CORP. The Company is committed to maximizing shareholder value through acquiring, exploring, discovering, and developing copper and gold projects in Peru. Moving rapidly along the line of opportunity towards a value maxima is very attractive to investors. Significant value growth is generated when early-stage exploration moves towards resource definition while zoning in on target development and eliminating the early-stage grassroots risk. All three of Forte's properties offer this opportunity, with tremendous upside considering their geological potential. On behalf of FORTE MINERALS CORP. (signed) "Patrick Elliott" Chief Executive Officer Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including those identified by the expressions "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "should" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This press release contains forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, including the effects of COVID-19. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the statements will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Forte Minerals Corp. RALEIGH, N.C., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion and build a culture of belonging among students was celebrated this year across four North Carolina schools March 3 March 24 with the help of WellCare of North Carolina. The schools included New Hope Elementary, Clarke Elementary, Hawley Middle School, and Henderson YMCA. Representatives from WellCare of North Carolina hosted the in-person event in honor of No One Eats Alone Day, created by the nonprofit Beyond Differences. More than 100 students participated in activities designed to teach them about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on health and academic performance. Students were able to participate in fun and engaging activities paired with video demonstrations and promotional items for school staff to use with them. Social isolation affects millions of students and has been identified as a precursor to bullying, self-harm, and community violence. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, promoting mental health has gained increased importance as students deal with the additional stressors from the pandemic and quarantining. Through No One Eats Alone, students have shown that if they are given the tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders. "No One Eats Alone Day is a continuation of WellCare of North Carolina's efforts and strong commitment to serving North Carolinians amid the COVID-19 pandemic," said Troy Hildreth, WellCare's plan president and CEO in North Carolina. "The most recent of these efforts included distributing 50,000 bottles of medical-grade hand sanitizer to schools and other community partners to help promote student's physical safety. We are excited to continue to support these students beyond physical health in our efforts to reduce social isolation." "The last two years have been beyond challenging for students, particularly when it comes to their own mental health and wellbeing. No One Eats Alone is truly an exceptional Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum because our high school Teen Board has helped shape it, ensuring that it will resonate with middle schoolers. It contains all the activities they need to reconnect with classmates and create belonging for everyone," said Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. These schools joined thousands of schools across the country that celebrated No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than 1 million students in all 50 states. No One Eats Alone Day is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation. About WellCare of North Carolina Headquartered in Raleigh, WellCare of North Carolina provides government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors, and individuals with complex needs primarily through Medicaid as one of the state's Medicaid Prepaid Health Plans (WellCare of North Carolina), Marketplace (WellCare of North Carolina by Celtic Insurance Company), Medicare Advantage (Wellcare), and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). WellCare of North Carolina is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information, visit www.wellcare.com/nc. Any reference in this press release to any person, organization, activity, or services related to North Carolina Medicaid does not constitute or imply the endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. SOURCE WellCare of North Carolina DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Explosion Proof Equipment Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global explosion proof equipment market reached a value of US$ 9,464.0 Million in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 13,809.3 Million by 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 6.20% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Explosion proof equipment prevents unwanted ignition of flammable substances by monitoring the use of robust materials and proactive builds in hazardous locations. It consists of conduit entries and flanged joints, which can operate under extreme external temperature and withstand an explosion of a specified gas or vapor. It is made using copper-aluminum alloys, silver, aluminum, and stainless and galvanized steel that are durable, non-sparking, and resistant to corrosion, solvents, humidity, moisture, and abrasive cleaning liquids. Several manufacturers are currently introducing explosion-proof equipment manufactured with non-metallic materials like plastics, wood, leather, and thermoplastic polymers. Explosion Proof Equipment Market Trends: Electrical sparks are one of the common sources of ignition in various machines and tools used inside an industrial facility. This, in confluence with stringent regulations imposed by governing agencies of numerous countries to ensure the safety of workers and the environment, represent one of the significant factors contributing to the market growth. Apart from this, oil and gas service companies rely on explosion proof equipment to prevent hazardous conditions, such as exposure to flammable gases, the release of hydrocarbon, and contact with harmful substances. Moreover, a considerable rise in the demand for energy and rapid surge in installations of offshore oil production sites are fueling the adoption of explosion proof equipment to conduct day-to-day oil and gas extractions safely. Besides this, market players are designing equipment that provides remote solutions while performing tasks, such as iron roughnecks, rig tong controls, crane and hoist operations, cement head pumps, rotary tables, and drill hydraulics and pneumatics. Furthermore, they are launching automated products with spark-resistant devices, signaling systems, media converts, and industrial monitors that can work in harsh conditions. These innovations are anticipated to influence the overall sales positively. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Adalet, Bosch Rexroth AG (Robert Bosch GmbH), Eaton Corporation PLC, Emerson Electric Co., Excalibur Miretti Group LLC, Extronics Ltd, Honeywell International Inc., Johnson Controls, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Pepperl+Fuchs SE, Rockwell Automation Inc. and Siemens AG. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global explosion proof equipment market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global explosion proof equipment market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the protection method? What is the breakup of the market based on the applicable system? What is the breakup of the market based on the industry vertical? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global explosion proof equipment market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Explosion Proof Equipment Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Protection Method 6.1 Explosion Prevention 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Explosion Containment 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Explosion Segregation 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Applicable System 7.1 Cable Glands 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Junction Boxes and Enclosures 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Lifting and Material Handling System 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 Lighting System 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 7.5 Automation System 7.5.1 Market Trends 7.5.2 Market Forecast 7.6 Surveillance and Monitoring System 7.6.1 Market Trends 7.6.2 Market Forecast 7.7 Signaling Devices 7.7.1 Market Trends 7.7.2 Market Forecast 7.8 Others 7.8.1 Market Trends 7.8.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Industry Vertical 8.1 Oil and Gas 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Pharmaceutical 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Manufacturing 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Marine 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 8.5 Mining 8.5.1 Market Trends 8.5.2 Market Forecast 8.6 Food Processing 8.6.1 Market Trends 8.6.2 Market Forecast 8.7 Others 8.7.1 Market Trends 8.7.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Adalet 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2 Bosch Rexroth AG (Robert Bosch GmbH) 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Eaton Corporation PLC 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 Financials 14.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.4 Emerson Electric Co. 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 Financials 14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 Excalibur Miretti Group LLC 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6 Extronics Ltd 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Honeywell International Inc. 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 Financials 14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.8 Johnson Controls 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Parker Hannifin Corporation 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 Financials 14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 Pepperl+Fuchs SE 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11 Rockwell Automation Inc. 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11.3 Financials 14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.12 Siemens AG 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12.3 Financials 14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u7ndgu Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Ground Support Equipment Market (2022-2027) by Type, Power Source, Mode of Operation, Point of Sale, Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Ground Support Equipment Market is estimated to be USD 5.4 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 13.47 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 20.06%. Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Ground Support Equipment Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals. As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks. Company Profiles The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Aero Specialities, Inc, Aeroservices Ltd. , Alvest Group company, AGP Corporation, Aviation Spares and Repairs Ltd, Cavotec SA, Global Ground Support, LLC, GSE Support India Pvt Ltd, Guangtai, Imai Aero-Equipment Mfg.Co.,Ltd., ITW GSE, Jalux Inc, JBT Corporation, Kalmar Motor AB, Mak Controls and Systems Pvt Ltd, Mallaghan, McIvor Aviation, etc. Countries Studied America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of - Americas) , , , , , , , , Rest of - Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of - Europe ) ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of - ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA. and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA. Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Competitive Quadrant The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Why buy this report? The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Ground Support Equipment Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies. The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry. The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report. The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies. The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's competitive positioning tool. Key Topics Covered: 1 Report Description 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 Increase in the Investment in the Airport and Space Station Infrastructure 4.1.2 Demand to Speed Up Cargo and Passenger Handling 4.1.3 Apdoption of Electric Ground Support Equipment (GSE) 4.1.4 Increasing Demand in Cabin Services and Aircraft Maintenance & Security 4.2 Restraints 4.2.1 High Capital Expenditure and High Maintance Cost 4.2.2 Various Government Laws and Regulations in Government Contracts 4.3 Opportunities 4.3.1 Research and Development to Improve GSE Technology 4.3.2 Adoption of Automation and iOps Platforms in GSE 4.3.3 Launch of the Quick Recharge and Durable Batteries 4.4 Challenges 4.4.1 Lack of Skilled Personnel 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Regulatory Scenario 5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis 6 Global Ground Support Equipment Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Mobile Ground Support Equipment 6.3 Fixed Ground Support Equipment 7 Global Ground Support Equipment Market, By Power Source 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Non-Electronic Ground Support Equipment 7.3 Electronic Ground Support Equipment 7.4 Hybrid Ground Support Equipment 8 Global Ground Support Equipment Market, By Mode of Operation 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Conventional /Manned Ground Support Equipment 8.3 Remotely Operated Ground Support Equipment 8.4 Autonomous Ground Support Equipment 9 Global Ground Support Equipment Market, By Point of Sale 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Equipment 9.3 Maintenance 10 Global Ground Support Equipment Market, By Application 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Commercial 10.3 1.Aircraft Handling 10.4 2.Passenger Handling 10.5 3.Cargo Handling 10.6 Military 11 Americas' Global Ground Support Equipment Market 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Argentina 11.3 Brazil 11.4 Canada 11.5 Chile 11.6 Colombia 11.7 Mexico 11.8 Peru 11.9 United States 11.10 Rest of Americas 12 Europe's Global Ground Support Equipment Market 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Austria 12.3 Belgium 12.4 Denmark 12.5 Finland 12.6 France 12.7 Germany 12.8 Italy 12.9 Netherlands 12.10 Norway 12.11 Poland 12.12 Russia 12.13 Spain 12.14 Sweden 12.15 Switzerland 12.16 United Kingdom 12.17 Rest of Europe 13 Middle East and Africa's Global Ground Support Equipment Market 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Egypt 13.3 Israel 13.4 Qatar 13.5 Saudi Arabia 13.6 South Africa 13.7 United Arab Emirates 13.8 Rest of MEA 14 APAC's Global Ground Support Equipment Market 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Australia 14.3 Bangladesh 14.4 China 14.5 India 14.6 Indonesia 14.7 Japan 14.8 Malaysia 14.9 Philippines 14.10 Singapore 14.11 South Korea 14.12 Sri Lanka 14.13 Thailand 14.14 Taiwan 14.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific 15 Competitive Landscape 15.1 Competitive Quadrant 15.2 Market Share Analysis 15.3 Strategic Initiatives 15.3.1 M&A and Investments 15.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations 15.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements 16 Company Profiles 16.1 Aero Specialities, Inc 16.2 Aeroservices Ltd. 16.3 Alvest Group company 16.4 AGP Corporation 16.5 Aviation Spares and Repairs Ltd 16.6 Cavotec SA 16.7 Global Ground Support, LLC 16.8 GSE Support India Pvt Ltd 16.9 Guangtai 16.10 Imai Aero-Equipment Mfg.Co.,Ltd. 16.11 ITW GSE 16.12 Jalux Inc 16.13 JBT Corporation 16.14 Kalmar Motor AB 16.15 Mak Controls and Systems Pvt Ltd 16.16 Mallaghan 16.17 McIvor Aviation 16.18 Sinfonia Technology Co.Ltd. 16.19 Sojitz Aerospace Corporation 16.20 Suzuyo Sky Holdings Co.,Ltd. 16.21 TCR International 16.22 Textron Ground Support Equipment, Inc 16.23 Tronair Inc 16.24 Victory Ground Support Equipment 17 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uh81ei Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Language Service Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2021-2025 Edition)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report provides analysis of the global language service market, with detailed analysis of market size and growth, and segmentation of the industry. The analysis includes the market by value, by growth rate, and by segmentation. There are many segments which fall under language service industry such as translations, editing for authors, language interpretation, language education, computer assisted translations, terminology extractions, language localization, software localization and machine translations. Also, language service providers are of different infrastructure, such as, freelancers (one who translates and edits and proofreads), Single-Language Vendor (offering a wide range of translation services into one language) and Multiple-Language Vendor (a company that offer a wide range of translation services into multiple languages, enabling its clients to concentrate all of their translation requests with one vendor). The global language service market is expected to increase at high growth rates during the coming years. The global language service market is supported by various growth drivers, such as increasing globalization, growing e-commerce, increasing online and offline content volume, etc. Yet, the market faces certain challenges, such as, data security, getting mobile application and social media savvy, etc. Few new market trends are also provided such as, importance of video translation, demand for neural machine translation tools, etc. Moreover, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global language service market has also been forecasted till the year 2025, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. TransPerfect, Lionbridge, Teleperformance (LanguageLine Solutions) and RWS Holding are some of the key players operating in the global language service market, whose company profiling has been done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and business strategies of the companies are provided. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 Language Service Industry: An Overview 2.1.1 Language Service Industry: Meaning 2.1.2 Segments of Language Service 2.1.3 Language Service Provider in Terms of Structure 2.1.4 Benefits of Working with a Small-Scale Language Service Provider 2.1.5 Elements Required for Selection of a Language Services Provider 2.1.6 End-Users of Language Services 3. Market Sizing 3.1 Global Language Service Market: An Analysis 3.1.1 Global Language Service Market by Value 3.1.2 Global Language Service Market by Growth Rate 3.1.3 Global Top 100 Language Service Companies by Region 3.2 Global Language Service Market: Segment Analysis 3.2.1 Global Language Service Market by Segment (Translation and transcreation, Interpreting, Localization services & other services) 3.2.2 Global Translation, Localization and Transcreation Market 3.2.3 Global Interpreting and Other Language Services 3.3 Global Language Service Market: Regional Analysis 3.3.1 Global Language Service Market by Region (EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and America & Asia-Pacific) 3.3.2 European Language Service Companies by Sales Volume 3.3.3 European Language Service Companies by Vertical 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Growth Drivers 4.1.1 Increasing Globalization 4.1.2 Growing E-Commerce 4.1.3 Increasing Online and Offline Content Volume 4.1.4 Emergence of new markets with specific language requirements 4.1.5 Growing Demand for CAT Software 4.1.6 Rising Regulatory Translations 4.2 Challenges 4.2.1 Data Security 4.2.2 High Pricing Pressure 4.2.3 Getting Mobile Application and Social Media Savvy 4.3 Market Trends 4.3.1 Importance of Video Translation 4.3.2 Demand for Neural Machine Translation Tools 4.3.3 Subtitling, Dubbing, Captioning and Voice-Over 4.3.4 More Relevant ISO Certification 5. Competitive Landscape 5.1 Global Language Service Market: Competitive Landscape 5.1.1 Global Language Service Market by Top 100 Player Share 5.1.2 Global Language Service Market by Top 20 Player 6. Company Profiling 6.1 Business Overview 6.2 Business Strategy TransPerfect Lionbridge Teleperformance (LanguageLine Solutions) RWS Holding For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/q2zj1y Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets The Global Mass Vaccination Site Collaborative expands support for sites in low- and middle-income countries. Tweet this The Collaborative hosts biweekly meetings for immunization professionals worldwide to discuss operational aspects of mass vaccination sites, share best practices across countries and communities, and support countries just beginning their mass vaccination work. "Through this collaboration we will support a global community to share insights, learnings, and practices with the aim of increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates in low- and middle-income countries," said Collaborative Principal Investigator Eric Goralnick, MD, MS, Medical Director, Access and Network Development, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Ariadne Labs Associate Faculty. "Our community empowers policy makers and front-line operators to improve the availability, administration, accessibility, and efficiency of vaccines by utilizing an essential tool to curb this pandemic: mass vaccination sites." "Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require equitable access to vaccines in every country around the world," said Jennifer Fluder Siler, Director of Global Community Engagement for Sabin's Boost Community. "Mass vaccination efforts in low- and middle-income countries face particular logistical, economic, and social challenges, and this collaboration will help us leverage our community's collective learnings to support efforts around the globe." The Global Mass Vaccination Site Collaborative was initially launched by Ariadne Labs in April 2021 as a way for stakeholders directing vaccination campaigns around the world to come together and learn from each other's efforts. In November 2021, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ariadne Labs joined forces with the Sabin Vaccine Institute's Boost Community to extend the reach of the collaborative to more low- and middle-income countries. To date, the Collaborative has hosted more than 30 webinars, collectively attended by nearly 1,000 participants. Close to 20 organizations and agencies have presented on vaccination efforts throughout the United States, and in Brazil, Ghana, Haiti, India, and Cote d'Ivoire. "By facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices, the Global Mass Vaccination Site Collaborative is strengthening worldwide efforts to close gaps that interfere with equitable access to vaccination," said Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs. "By expanding its work to focus on countries that have had limited access to COVID-19 vaccines, the Collaborative aims to play an important role in ensuring equitable access to care for every patient, everywhere." About Ariadne Labs Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. With a mission to save lives and reduce suffering, our vision is that health systems equitably deliver the best possible care for every patient, everywhere, every time. We use human centered design, health systems implementation science, public health expertise, and frontline clinical care experience to design, test, and spread scalable systems-level solutions to some of health care's biggest problems. From developing checklists and conversation guides to fostering international collaborations and establishing global standards of measurement, our work has been accessed in more than 165 countries, touching hundreds of millions of lives. About Boost The Boost community, an initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute , is a global network of more than 2,100 immunization professionals from 135 countries, dedicated to support immunization professionals as they navigate complex challenges. Developed in close, ongoing collaboration with immunization program staff, organizations and experts, Boost's online and offline opportunities connect immunization professionals to connect with peers and experts, learn skills that build capacity and advance careers, and equips professionals to lead immunization programs. Boost professional development opportunities include workshops, webinars and expert- and peer-led discussions. These offerings are designed to deliver meaningful leadership training and support networks that go beyond skills-based learning to create resilient, resourceful immunization professionals around the world. Media Contacts: Ariadne Labs: Brigid Tsai [email protected] Sabin Vaccine Institute: Justin Gero [email protected] SOURCE Ariadne Labs "The Docupace Platform is like an adrenaline shot for thriving advisory and investment firms," says David Knoch, chief executive officer at Docupace . "The Platform's built-in capabilities, deep integrations with third-party tools and operational flexibility will empower GLP Financial Group to digitize and automate the company's entire business processing strategy." What started more than 50 years ago as a family-owned business focused on the retirement needs of educators, the GLP Family of Companies now stewards more than $3 billion in client assets. GLP offers specialized support and truly comprehensive financial services retirement planning, asset protection, estate/business planning, investment services and much more through six independent companies. With dynamic workflows that bridge the gaps between investors, agents, and the back office, the Docupace Platform keeps everyone on the same page, reduces admin time, eliminates errors, lowers costs, and turns common complaints into satisfying interactions. "We have been a completely paper based firm and are excited for the benefits the Docupace system will bring to our financial professionals and back office team, said Heather Lyon, Chief Operating Officer at GLP Financial Group. "The efficiencies and scalability that Docupace brings to our organization will enable us to spend more time with our representatives and clients and less on processing paperwork. Our representatives will also have more flexibility in how they work with their clients to process required forms as part of their relationship with GLP." About Docupace Docupace is a solutions provider focused on digitizing and automating operations in the financial advice and investment industry. Financial services firms use the Docupace Platform (a cloud-based, integrated software suite) to reduce back-office expenses, improve efficiency, strengthen recruiting, and enhance the experience of advisors and investors. With headquarters in Los Angeles, California, Docupace is proud to serve some of the largest independent broker-dealers and registered investment advisers (RIAs) in the financial services industry. The company won the 2021 Gold Globee Award for "Hot Technology of the Year" and was named to 2021 Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. For more information, please visit www.docupace.com. Docupace Media Contact: Ryan George Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] SOURCE Docupace Technologies, Inc. VANCOUVER, BC, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - GoldMining Inc. (the "Company" or "GoldMining") (TSX: GOLD) (NYSE American: GLDG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Smith as Vice President Exploration of the Company and as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of U.S. GoldMining Inc. ("U.S. GoldMining"), its recently created subsidiary that will be focused on advancing the Company's Whistler gold-copper project, located in Alaska, USA. Alastair Still, Chief Executive Officer of GoldMining commented: "With a proven and successful track record of exploring for gold systems globally for more than 25 years, including as Vice President Exploration for Kaminak Gold where he led the team at the Coffee Gold Deposit in Yukon, Canada and which was acquired by Goldcorp for C$520 million in 2016, and as Regional Director Generative Exploration, North America for Newmont from June 2019 to April 2022, I am delighted to welcome Tim to the GoldMining team. As we continue to de-risk and advance our projects to unlock value from within our extensive portfolio of gold and gold-copper assets within the Americas, Tim's experience in exploration and project development working for junior and major operating mining companies will be a tremendous benefit to GoldMining as we create value for our shareholders. In particular, the experience Tim brings from leading teams in the north, in Yukon will be a tremendous strength to our newly created subsidiary, U.S. GoldMining as we advance our Whistler gold-copper project in Alaska." Tim Smith commented: "With an impressive portfolio of gold and gold-copper assets located throughout the Americas, including many with untested exploration potential, I am excited to be joining the GoldMining team. Especially when combined with the opportunity to develop and lead a team to advance and explore the Whistler project in Alaska, the potential to create and add value for our shareholders is compelling and I enthusiastically look forward to leading the next exciting phase of growth for the Company." Mr. Smith has more than 25 years mineral industry exploration and mining experience, principally exploring for gold mineral systems including orogenic lode gold, porphyry, intrusion related and volcanogenic massive sulphide systems at locations throughout Australia and Canada. Mr. Smith is experienced in exploration project management from generative greenfields to deposit drill-out to feasibility studies. Mr. Smith has a track record of discovery of major gold systems including as Vice President Exploration for Kaminak Gold Corporation where he led the team at the Coffee Gold Deposit in Yukon, Canada and which was acquired by Goldcorp Inc., for C$520 million in 2016. Mr. Smith was Regional Director Generative Exploration, North America for Newmont Corporation from June 2019 to April 2022 and Exploration Director, Goldcorp Inc., from August 2016 to June 2019. Mr. Smith is a Registered Professional Geoscientist with Professional Geoscientists Ontario and Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Geology from University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Mr. Smith was a co-recipient of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia H.H "Spud" Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in 2013, for the drill discovery of the Coffee Gold Deposit. About GoldMining Inc. The Company is a public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of gold assets in the Americas. Through its disciplined acquisition strategy, the Company now controls a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Colombia and Peru. The Company also owns 20 million shares of Gold Royalty Corp. (NYSE American: GROY). Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of GoldMining with respect to its plans to advance and de-risk its projects. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which GoldMining operates. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, fluctuating metal prices, unanticipated costs and expenses, risks related to government and environmental regulation, social, permitting and licensing matters, and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future. These risks, as well as others, including those set forth in GoldMinings Annual Information Form for the year ended November 30, 2020, and other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. SOURCE GoldMining Inc. The Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund will make the transformational educational experience of HBS more accessible to talented students who, without financial aid, would be unable to attend the MBA program. It will specifically support students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are first generation college students or from other underrepresented student backgrounds. In recognition of the Krafts' support, the School has named the Financial Aid Office and Director of MBA Financial Aid position in their family's honor. "Harvard Business School has a long and proud history of educating leaders who make a difference in the world, among them Robert and Jonathan Kraft," said Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow. "Through this extraordinary act of philanthropy, father and son ensure that more lives are transformed as theirs have been. The University is grateful for their generosity and for the deep care with which they support the members of our community." The Krafts have a long history with and deep connection to the School. A native of Brookline, Massachusetts who grew up in a modest household, Robert's lifelong dream was to attend HBS. While attending Columbia University on a full scholarship, Robert's aspiration to attend HBS and pursue a career in business led him to visit the campus often, offering to do odd jobs around campus. This led to a life-altering relationship with then-Assistant Dean Richard Chapin (MBA 1949) and the decision to apply and ultimately attend HBS with support of a fellowship. Recognizing the critical role of financial support and mentorship in enabling his own journey, Robert and his family have been fellowship supporters since 1985, continually connecting with and guiding students throughout the years. "Being part of HBS changed my life, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to help others benefit from the transformational power of this experience," said Robert Kraft. "Our family is proud of the extraordinary difference that our fellowship recipients make in the world." Jonathan Kraft and his brother Dan were born while their father was enrolled in the MBA program. Later, as a high-school student, Jonathan accompanied his father to the annual breakfasts with HBS fellowship recipients whom Robert and his late wife Myra sponsored. These gatherings solidified Jonathan's hope to someday follow in his father's footsteps as a student and then as a donor, which he did by graduating from the MBA program in 1990 and establishing his own fellowship fund in 2000. The Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund advances the School's commitment to making the MBA program more affordable and accessible. Nearly half of current MBA students receive financial aid, with an average one-year fellowship of $42,800 and more than $40M in need-based aid awarded annually. Admissions decisions are "need-blind" made without regard to applicants' financial circumstances, and admitted students receive financial aid based on demonstrated need, which factors in a student's prior income, assets, and socioeconomic background. After offering flexible deferral and leave policies for the 2020-2021 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HBS welcomed more than 1,000 new students this past fall. Even with the increase in total enrollment, the School was still able to provide the same amount of financial aid on a per student basis, while simultaneously keeping tuition flat for the fifth year in a row and increasing its commitment to need-based scholarships, all thanks to the generous support of donors like the Kraft family. "As HBS strives to ensure business is a force for good in society, it is increasingly important to educate leaders who anticipate the impact of their decisions on employees, customers, and their communities," noted HBS Dean Srikant Datar. "Having the voices of fellow students from a range of cultures, industries, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the classroom broadens everyone's perspectives on the real-world challenges they will face as business leaders. We are only able to foster this environment through the generous support of fellowships by leaders like Robert and Jonathan Kraft." "The diversity of viewpoints and experiences enrich the learning experience for everyone, and I know how grateful all of our students are to the alumni and friends who make their HBS experience possible. The fellowship program also helps reduce student debt, empowering our graduates to follow their dreams and make career choices that resonate with their passions to make a difference in the world," said Susan Gilbert, Robert K. Kraft Family Director of MBA Financial Aid at HBS. About The Kraft Family Foundation, Inc. The Kraft family, through The Kraft Family Foundation, is committed to giving back to the community. The impact of their philanthropy has been felt by communities around the world through initiatives that nurture education efforts, unlock personal potential, and enrich health and wellness programs. With a focus on social justice, racial equity and vulnerable populations, the family's philanthropic efforts include supporting initiatives that provide equal access, facilitate social and economic mobility, and create safety nets where they do not exist. Through the Kraft Family Foundation and other philanthropic initiatives, the Robert K. Kraft family has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations impacting our communities, including Harvard Business School, The Kraft Center for Community Health at Mass General Brigham, REFORM Alliance, Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program at Brandeis, New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, and many mission-driven, high-impact institutions. About Harvard Business School Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 200 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 70 open enrollment Executive Education programs and 55 custom programs, and HBX, the School's digital learning platform. For more than a century, HBS faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching to educate leaders who make a difference in the world, shaping the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe. Media Contact: Mark Cautela [email protected] 617-495-5143 SOURCE Harvard Business School SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global heat pump market size is anticipated to reach USD 136.84 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2022 to 2030. The market is primarily driven by the increasing prices for non-renewable energy sources and various government initiatives to boost the use of energy-efficient renewable energy sources. These products are employed in both heating and cooling applications, which is achieved by transferring thermal energy in the form of heat; they can be used as a heater in winter and air conditioner in the summer. In addition, these products help reduce carbon emission thereby lowering the greenhouse gas emission and aiding in increasing the air quality. Key Insights & Findings from the report: The air source technology segment has contributed to 81.1% of the global revenue share in 2021 due to their high efficiency, low carbon emissions, and increased demand in residential and commercial buildings. The penetration of heat pumps in the industrial sector is expected to witness a CAGR of 7.8% from 2022 to 2030 due to the growing demand for industrial heating and cooling. Geothermal technology in Europe is foreseen to witness an increase in demand at the CAGR 9.9%, owing to the need for switching to low-cost energy substitutes because of the increasing oil prices. is foreseen to witness an increase in demand at the CAGR 9.9%, owing to the need for switching to low-cost energy substitutes because of the increasing oil prices. The heat pump demand in Japan is likely to expand at a CAGR of 9.3% over the forecast period on account of the increased demand for energy-efficient and eco-friendly air conditioning. Read 152-page market research report, " Heat Pump Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Water Source, Air Source, Ground Source), By Application (Commercial, Residential, Industrial), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030 ", published by Grand View Research. Heat Pump Market Growth & Trends The increased demand for air conditioning due to the growth of the housing sector and commercial establishments along with the government subsidies for increasing energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint have boosted the demand for these products. Furthermore, the demand has increased in residential facilities due to their cost-effective air conditioning. As the government bodies of various countries are trying to implement energy conservation policies due to their high energy efficiency and low carbon emissions. The U.K. government has come up with energy efficiency offices to coordinate, monitor, and develop energy conservation policies as their energy efficiency strategy. The COVID-19 outbreak adversely impacted the growth of the global residential and commercial industry because of the lockdowns in various parts of the world, which led to the closure of heat pump manufacturing facilities to curb the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the restricted travel rules made it difficult to obtain raw materials for the production of these products. Advancements in technologies and new product launches amid the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are anticipated to drive the growth of the market. For instance, Daikin Europe has launched Daikin Altherma 3 R, a high capacity R-32 refrigerant split air to the water heat pump which offers cooling along with heating and domestic hot water set-up. Heat Pump Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global heat pump market based on technology, application, and region: Heat Pump Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Air Source Water Source Ground Source Heat Pump Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Commercial Residential Industrial Heat Pump Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France Italy Sweden Norway Asia Pacific China Japan Australia India Central & South America Brazil Argentina Middle East & Africa & UAE Saudi Arabia List of Key Players of the Heat Pump Market Carrier Daikin Industries, Ltd NIBE Group Viessmann Group Glen Dimplex BDR Thermea Group Midea Group Hitachi, Ltd. Ingersoll Rand Plc. STIEBEL ELTRON GmbH & Co. KG Vaillant Group Robert Bosch GmbH The Danfoss Group Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: Geothermal Heat Pumps Market - The global geothermal heat pumps market size is expected to reach USD 16.4 billion by 2027 registering a CAGR of 7.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growth can be attributed to the rising need for renewable energy sources coupled with extensive government support, in terms of incentives, subsidies, and other monetary benefits. The global geothermal heat pumps market size is expected to reach by 2027 registering a CAGR of 7.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growth can be attributed to the rising need for renewable energy sources coupled with extensive government support, in terms of incentives, subsidies, and other monetary benefits. Residential Heat Pump Market - The global residential heat pumps market size is expected to reach USD 17.6 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 11.5% over the forecast period. Rising spending on construction of new environmental friendly buildings in order to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be a key driver for the market. The global residential heat pumps market size is expected to reach by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 11.5% over the forecast period. Rising spending on construction of new environmental friendly buildings in order to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be a key driver for the market. Industrial Pumps Market - The global industrial pumps market size is expected to reach USD 92.98 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2022 to 2030. The market is primarily driven by the increasing investments in the exploration and production activities by the oil & gas companies, coupled with the rising adoption in the oil & gas industry across the globe. Browse through Grand View Research's Advanced Interior Materials Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. Hillcrest's traction inverter represents a new class of inverter technology that solves many common challenges faced by today's EV powertrains. Lighter, more compact and more efficient than current inverters, the Hillcrest high-efficiency inverter enables reduced overall vehicle weight, increased payload and range capability and reduced heat production/loss, thereby optimizing performance and reliability. "We set out to be a market leader in developing and deploying next-generation energy solutions," said Ari Berger, Hillcrest CTO. "As technology-forward experts, we are uniquely positioned to execute to our vision and deliver high-efficiency inverter solutions that have the potential to revolutionize global electrification. We've already achieved inverter efficiencies exceeding 99% at switching frequencies up to 60 kHz enabling further efficiency enhancements in the overall system, such as electric motors. These accomplishments exceed any other inverter solutions we've seen on the market thus far. Moving forward, we will continue to strive for more ground breaking improvements as we develop additional applications." In addition to electric vehicles and the mobility industry, the Hillcrest inverter technology platform can improve efficiency and reliability across a variety of end uses and applications where inverters play a key role, including grid-tied renewables, charging and storage systems, and high voltage/high power applications such as utility-scale grid, rail and container ships. "Based on the addressable markets and our technology development timeline we initially optimized our inverter design for vehicle electrification and other e-mobility uses," stated Hillcrest CEO Don Currie. "Conversations with more than a dozen automakers and automotive suppliers have validated the value proposition for our inverter technology to meet not only current, but future EV needs." "We also recognized the value our inverter offers in numerous other high-potential applications beyond vehicle electrification," Currie continued, "and are hard at work on the development of a grid-connected power generation application with a commercial prototype planned within the next 12 months." The adaptable architecture inherent in Hillcrest's technology greatly reduces the time needed to design a wide range of applications and allows technical integration of the high-efficiency inverter into nearly any platform. Accordingly, Hillcrest engineers are simultaneously developing an enhanced electric powertrain and several additional inverter applications to be detailed as they mature. Hillcrest inverter technology, through a combination of hardware and innovative control software expertise, enables power applications to leverage higher switching frequencies, realize improved power system performance and reliability, and operate at higher power levels without compromising efficiency. Over the coming weeks, the Company expects to release its first technical whitepaper on the Hillcrest inverter technology. The first paper will include test results confirming the material elimination of switching losses and inverter efficiency exceeding 99%. About Hillcrest Energy Technologies Hillcrest Energy Technologies is a clean technology company developing high value, high performance power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified the future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT", on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as "7HIA.F". NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking information reflects our current expectations and assumptions and is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are advised to consider the risk factors under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020, available at www.sedar.com for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. SOURCE Hillcrest Energy Technologies Inc. Merrick Miranda to Lead Strategy and Development IRVINE, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HUDDL3 Group has continued to explore new ways of work for people and businesses in process industries, from staffing to software, and executive search to engineering. In the latest addition of great talent to our team, we have secured Merrick Miranda as the Executive Vice President of Strategy & Development. Merrick Miranda Miranda, a chemical process engineer from the University of Michigan, brings 15 years of technical and sales experience in engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance. In the new role, he will be supporting the HUDDL3 Group of companies to lead Business Development Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Customer and Employee Experience, and Strategic Alliances. This comes at a key time for the business as we prepare to deploy a range of new technologies and processes to improve wellness and productivity for the teams that do great work across oil, gas and chemicals, power and renewables, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing industries. Dane Groeneveld, CEO of HUDDL3 Group, shared: "Merrick has a great deal of alignment with all of us here at HUDDL3 Group, sharing a passion for supporting our employees and customers to move into a human-centered Future of Work. His technical experience will be a great addition to the team, helping us translate our combined vision and ideas into practical solutions that can scale." Speaking of joining the business, Miranda explained: "We continue to experience a leap in technology and fast-evolving social needs of employees after the pandemic. So, the timing for me to take on a strategic role like this is perfect. It has been exciting to watch Dane and the team transform PTS Advance and generate multiple new service lines at HUDDL3 Group, and I am really energized to be joining on the leading edge to deliver pioneering solutions to customers on a national basis." For more information, please visit the HUDDL3 Group website at HUDDL3.group. About HUDDL3 Group HUDDL3 Group is pioneering new ways to advance people through business and business through people. With a focus on human-centered solutions, HUDDL3 Group uses its strategic position to invest in professional service and technology companies in the Human Capital space, embracing innovation to shape the Future of Work with its customers and partners. HUDDL3 Group's portfolio includes PTS Advance, a professional staffing firm; Sidewinders Advance, a joint venture between Sidewinders llc and PTS Advance; Range Search Partners, a consulting and executive search firm; Roberts Engineers, a full-service engineering firm; SmartSearch, a software company with a rich history of providing applicant tracking solutions to staffing and recruiting companies; and the TeamUP Foundation, a Foundation that supports non-profits who help people in underinvested communities find quality work. Contact: Dane Groeneveld 949-268-4000 [email protected] SOURCE HUDDL3 Group Funding to Enable Continued Development of Precision Metagenomics Advancing Platform SALT LAKE CITY, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDbyDNA , the company revolutionizing the use of Precision Metagenomics, has been awarded a second year of funding by MRIGlobal to continue participation in the "Detect It with Gene Editing Technologies" (DIGET) program for the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). IDbyDNA is in collaboration with Mammoth Biosciences , Draper Laboratory , University of California-San Francisco and Toolbox Medical Innovations on the MRIGlobal-led team. As part of this initiative, IDbyDNA is contributing to the development of a massively multiplexed device to provide the military with rapid infectious disease testing for potential use in diagnostics and biosurveillance. "We are excited by the progress we've made to-date and this second round of support will allow further development of capabilities that focus on analyzing more complex data," said Neil Gunn, CEO of IDbyDNA. "Our goal is to leverage our expertise in precision metagenomics to produce a durable, next-generation device that is battlefield tested and ready for more robust and improved diagnostic testing of infectious disease threats, including emerging pathogens." A goal of the program is to develop a lab-based massively multiplexed detection (MMD) platform capable of screening clinical and environmental samples for more than 1,000 targets simultaneously. CRISPR-based assays detect the presence of genome sequences. IDbyDNA's bioinformatic expertise provides analysis with an easy-to-use interface and software that powers the data analytics to determine what pathogens are present. Tapping into the power and breadth of IDbyDNA's analytics pipeline, thousands of pathogen detection results can be processed nearly instantaneously. The intuitive device interface allows the user to quickly initiate testing and easily review results without formal training in microbiology. For more information about IDbyDNA and its pathogen detection solutions, visit www.idbydna.com . Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited About IDbyDNA IDbyDNA is driving a paradigm shift in infectious disease testing by democratizing the power of precision metagenomics, delivering precise insights for better health. Explify* data analytics enable laboratories to detect and profile microorganisms from any specimen in a scalable, intuitive way at genomic-level resolution. Our industry-leading expertise in microbial genomics delivers complete infection profiles for infectious disease testing and pathogen surveillance. For more information, visit http://www.idbydna.com. *For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Gomberg [email protected] (833)-397-5439 SOURCE IDbyDNA Inc. DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Beauty and Personal Care Market (2022-2027) by Products, Outlook, Distribution Channel, Category, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Beauty and Personal Care Market is estimated to be USD 545.19 Bn in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 737.54 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.23%. Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Beauty and Personal Care Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals. As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks. Market Segmentation The Global Beauty and Personal Care Market is segmented based on Products, Outlook, Distribution Channel, Category, and Geography. Products, the market is classified into Hair Care Products, Skin Care Products, Bath and Shower, Oral Care, Cosmetics and Makeup,, and Beauty Tools and Accessories. Outlook, the market is classified into Vegan, Organic and Inorganic. Distribution Channel, the market is classified into Specialist Retail Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores, Pharmacies/Drug Stores and Online Retail Channels. Category, the market is classified into Mass and Premium. Geography, the market is classified into Americas, Europe , Middle-East & Africa and Asia-Pacific . Company Profiles The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Vaseline, Nivea, Estee Lauder, Clinique, L'occitane International S.A., etc. Countries Studied America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of - Americas) , , , , , , , , Rest of - Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of - Europe ) ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of - ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA. and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA. Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Competitive Quadrant The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Why buy this report? The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Beauty and Personal Care Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies. The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry. The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report. The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies. The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's competitive positioning tool. Key Topics Covered: 1 Report Description 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 Increasing Female Working Population and Growing Fashion Trends 4.1.2 Rise of Per Capita Expenditure among Middle- and Upper-Income 4.2 Restraints 4.2.1 High Manufacturing and Marketing Costs 4.2.2 Easy Availability of Counterfeit Products 4.3 Opportunities 4.3.1 Increasing Adoption of Augmented Reality in the Beauty Industry 4.3.2 Growing Popularity of Organic Products 4.4 Challenges 4.4.1 Manifestation of Harmful Chemical Ingredients in Products 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Regulatory Scenario 5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis 6 Global Beauty and Personal Care Market, By Products 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Hair Care Products 6.3 Skin Care Products 6.4 Bath and Shower 6.5 Oral Care 6.6 Cosmetics and Make Up 6.7 Beauty Tools and Accessories 7 Global Beauty and Personal Care Market, By Outlook 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Vegan 7.3 Organic 7.4 Inorganic 8 Global Beauty and Personal Care Market, By Distribution Channel 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Specialist Retail Stores 8.3 Supermarkets/Hypermarkets 8.4 Convenience Stores 8.5 Pharmacies/Drug Stores 8.6 Online Retail Channels 9 Global Beauty and Personal Care Market, By Category 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Mass 9.3 Premium 10 Americas' Beauty and Personal Care Market 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Argentina 10.3 Brazil 10.4 Canada 10.5 Chile 10.6 Colombia 10.7 Mexico 10.8 Peru 10.9 United States 10.10 Rest of Americas 11 Europe's Beauty and Personal Care Market 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Austria 11.3 Belgium 11.4 Denmark 11.5 Finland 11.6 France 11.7 Germany 11.8 Italy 11.9 Netherlands 11.10 Norway 11.11 Poland 11.12 Russia 11.13 Spain 11.14 Sweden 11.15 Switzerland 11.16 United Kingdom 11.17 Rest of Europe 12 Middle East and Africa's Beauty and Personal Care Market 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Egypt 12.3 Israel 12.4 Qatar 12.5 Saudi Arabia 12.6 South Africa 12.7 United Arab Emirates 12.8 Rest of MEA 13 APAC's Beauty and Personal Care Market 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Australia 13.3 Bangladesh 13.4 China 13.5 India 13.6 Indonesia 13.7 Japan 13.8 Malaysia 13.9 Philippines 13.10 Singapore 13.11 South Korea 13.12 Sri Lanka 13.13 Thailand 13.14 Taiwan 13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Competitive Quadrant 14.2 Market Share Analysis 14.3 Strategic Initiatives 14.3.1 M&A and Investments 14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations 14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements 15 Company Profiles 15.1 Johnson & Johnson 15.2 Unilever 15.3 Vaseline 15.4 Nivea 15.5 Estee Lauder 15.6 Clinique 15.7 Guerlain 15.8 Shiseido 15.9 Garnier 15.10 L'Oreal 15.11 Colgate 15.12 Proctor & Gamble 15.13 Beiersdorf 15.14 Kao 15.15 Amorepacific 15.16 Coty 15.17 Henkel 15.18 Chanel 15.19 Avon Products 15.20 Natura &Co 15.21 Kose 15.22 Mary Kay 15.23 Revlon 15.24 VLCC 15.25 Amway 15.26 Kaya 15.27 Lakme 15.28 Lotus Herbal 15.29 Himalaya 15.30 L'occitane International S.A. 16 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yp2rsm Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Integration brings best-in-class supply chain visualization and risk management capabilities together with industry-leading automated workflows ARLINGTON, Va., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Interos, the fast-growing operational resilience company, today announced an integration with ServiceNow, available now on the ServiceNow Store, to help customers establish global supply chain resilience. The announcement builds on Interos' continued strategic collaboration with ServiceNow, which expanded last year as ServiceNow joined Interos' $100M+ Series C funding round that valued the company to unicorn status with a valuation north of $1 billion. The integration will allow Interos and ServiceNow's joint customers to seamlessly access Interos' real-time, sub-tier supply chain insights within the ServiceNow Platform, giving them instantaneous multi-factor risk assessments for every entity in their supply chain. These updates allow organizations to track changes, trigger configurable automated workflows, and create a more efficient and resilient supply chain. "Our integration with ServiceNow is a natural extension of our commitment to help companies ensure operational resilience across all facets of their business," said Vinay Kapoor, SVP Product, Interos. "The supply chain is the heart of any organization and, as we have seen in the last two years, there is an urgent need to provide robust supply chain solutions that ensure business continuity and secure sustained long-term growth. Adding to this is the executive accountability and consumer focus on a company's ESG posture. This first-in-the-market integration with ServiceNow demonstrates the powerful solutions that can provide a comprehensive view of risk in a single platform." Interos' breakthrough SaaS platform harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to map, monitor, and model supply chains in real-time. Automated workflows transform the way Interos and ServiceNow's joint customers manage vendor risk by allowing them to: identify sub-tier suppliers to the Nth tier, gain risk intelligence and insights, understand the overall health of their supply chain, and pre-emptively identify areas of concern that require action. "Today's enterprises need real-time insight into the health of their entire global supply chain and the ability to act on any identified risks instantaneously," said Vasant Balasubramanian, VP and GM of Risk at ServiceNow. "The Interos integration into ServiceNow will help our joint customers gain visibility across their vast vendor and supplier networks and drive risk mitigation workflows for increased enterprise resilience." The Interos integration with ServiceNow enables companies to assess six critical risk factors finance, operations, restrictions, geopolitical, ESG, and cyber. Global supply shocks now cost companies an average of $184 million annually, excluding the cost of reputational impact, which also impacts over 80% of large enterprises. About Interos Interos is the operational resilience company reinventing how companies manage their supply chains and business relationships through our breakthrough SaaS platform that uses artificial intelligence to model and transform the ecosystems of complex businesses into a living global map, down to any single supplier, anywhere. Reducing months of backward-looking manual spreadsheet inputs to instant visualizations and continuous monitoring, the Interos Operational Resilience Cloud helps organizations reduce risk, avoid disruptions, and achieve superior enterprise adaptability. Businesses can also uncover game-changing opportunities to radically change the way they see, learn and profit from their relationships. Based in Washington, DC, Interos serves global clients with business-critical, independent relationships across their primary operational areas: supply chain, financial, cybersecurity, regulatory and ESG compliance, and geographical. The fast-growing private company is led by CEO Jennifer Bisceglie and supported by investors Kleiner Perkins, NightDragon, and Venrock. For more information, visit www.interos.ai. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, Now Platform, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Media Contact for Interos: Zehra Mehdi-Barlas [email protected] SOURCE Interos CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Jellyvision announces the official launch of ALEX Connect, a mobile app that centralizes benefits information in the place where employees are most likely to find and use ittheir phones. In the past two years, the workforce has become more decentralized than ever due to an increase in remote work and non-office jobs. While this shift has come with countless perks, it's also making employees even harder to reach. Amid a barrage of emails1, texts2 and Slack messages3, employees aren't getting the memo when it comes to their benefits: 2 in 5 employees don't understand the benefits communications they receive, and a third have never taken action as a result of their employer's benefits communications.4 ALEX Connect aims to address these challenges by engaging employees around their benefits on the platform they use most: their phones.5 The mobile app gives employees on-the-go access to all the benefits information they need, while guiding them towards smarter actions along the way. Within ALEX Connect, employees can interact with their healthcare plans, ID cards, HSA/FSA and retirement accounts, in-network provider searches, telemedicine and prescription resources, a built-in wellness tracker and more. And the trusted, compelling voice of ALEX will be there throughout the year to re-engage employees and drive them towards benefits decisions that will keep them healthyphysically, mentally and financially. "ALEX Connect helps employers and brokers more effectively promote their benefits packages to employees," says Eric Braswell, SVP of Channel Sales and Strategic Alliances for Jellyvision. "From targeted push notification reminders to engagement surveys to quick videos that promote top-of-mind initiatives, ALEX Connect is an important step towards the future of benefits engagement." The app's flexible design allows employers to highlight their organization's top benefits priorities, no matter what they are. The ALEX Connect experience is tailored to fit the unique needs of each company's workforce, whether that's mental health resources, telemedicine, or healthcare cost-saving tools. For more information, please visit https://www.jellyvision.com/blog-post/introducing-alex-connect/. 1 According to FinancesOnline , employees receive an average of 100 emails per day on average. 2 According to Pew Research , employees receive an average of 42 texts per day on average. 3 According to TechJury , employees spend 9 hours per day on Slack on average. 4 Source: Employee Benefits are Broken: How to Finally Transform Benefits to Benefit Everyone (Jellyvision) 5 The average American checks their phone 344 times a day , and 88% of that time is spent using mobile apps. Media contact: Jellyvision [email protected] SOURCE Jellyvision CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) will release its first quarter 2022 results Monday, May 9, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m. Eastern time, followed by a live webcast and teleconference call at 9 a.m. Eastern time. The link to register for the webcast or audio conference can be accessed at the Investor Relations website, ir.jll.com. Registration is open throughout the call. However, to ensure connection for the full call, registration a day in advance or at least 10 minutes before the start of the call is recommended. The webcast replay will be available for 12 months following the event on the Investor Relations website. For further information, please contact JLL's Investor Relations department at: [email protected]. About JLL JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 98,000 as of December 31, 2021. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit ir.jll.com. Connect with us https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll https://www.facebook.com/jll https://twitter.com/jll https://www.instagram.com/jll Contact: Gayle Kantro Phone: +1 312 228 2795 Email: [email protected] SOURCE JLL-IR Hospitality Tech Company Enters New Agreements to Power Additional 600+ Units Across U.S., Mexico, Panama, and Iceland, Positioning the Company for Strongest Q1 To Date LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jurny, Inc ., the hospitality tech company powering modern guest experiences and automating operations for top independent hotel brands, vacation and short-term rental (STR) properties, today announced a new agreement with The Yanko Group, a boutique luxury real estate development firm, to power its new soft brand collection. The company will be the technology and software provider for the developer's newest hotels set to open starting in April under the brand. "Our new brand is designed for the modern traveler seeking a holistic travel experience combining the best of wellness, design and technology," said Michael Yanko, CEO of The Yanko Group. "Jurny's proven track record for driving results for partners is a testament to their deep understanding of the industry and the needs of the modern traveler, making them the ideal long-term solution for our brand." Jurny's full-service suite of tools provides operators with all the resources needed to manage and fully automate every aspect of business from a single, easy-to-use dashboard. Jurny's offering includes smart hardware and a mobile app to automate every guest's in-room experience, guest-facing global support staff to field queries 24/7 and an accounting team to manage chargebacks, among other services. The company also entered agreements to implement its proprietary technology and software to power over 120 new units in Panama, 81 units in Iceland, and two apartment-style hotels in Mexico's resort destination, Tulum. The combined new agreements have positioned the company for its strongest quarter to date with 300% YoY growth compared to Q1 2021. "Last year was a breakthrough year for our company with the introduction of our proprietary technology and software solutions," said Luca Zambello, Founder and CEO of Jurny. "We kicked off 2022 with our strongest quarter to date and with high profile partnerships like this one in new markets, which confirms our team's dedication to developing high-quality offerings that have been tested during a challenging business climate." In addition to expanding its global footprint, the Los Angeles-based tech company increased its staff by nearly 20% in 2021, adding key hires across sales, engineering and operation roles to drive continued growth and innovation. The company also welcomed Kevin Rohani, a hospitality industry veteran, to its board of advisors. About Jurny Jurny is a hospitality tech company powering operations and modern guest experiences for some of the world's most exceptional independent hotel brands, vacation, and short-term rental operators. Jurny's one-stop solution enables an industry-first truly automated experience from check-in to check-out for both guests and operators, resulting in flawless operations and increased profits. Jurny is pioneering the next generation of tech-first, on-demand hospitality. For more information, please visit www.jurny.com , and join the conversation on Instagram , Facebook and LinkedIn . Media Contact: Allison Newell (919) 607-653 [email protected] SOURCE Jurny RADNOR, Pa., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that the firm has filed a securities class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against AbbVie, Inc. (AbbVie) (NYSE: ABBV) on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired AbbVie securities between April 30, 2021, and August 31, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is captioned Calvin T. Nakata v. AbbVie, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-01773. Important Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired AbbVie securities during the Class Period may, no later than June 6, 2022, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. TO VIEW OUR VIDEO, PLEASE CLICK HERE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ABBVIE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/abbvie-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=abbvie&mktm=r LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JUNE 6, 2022 CLASS PERIOD: APRIL 30, 2021 through AUGUST 31, 2021 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at [email protected] ABBVIE'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT AbbVie is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The company's revenues will come under significant pressure in the coming years when its best-selling drug, Humira, will lose patent protection in 2023. Accordingly, AbbVie's future revenue and earnings depend in large part on its ability to develop new sources of revenue to offset Humira's lost sales. Rinvoqan anti-inflammatory drug manufactured by AbbVie and used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other diseases by inhibiting Janus kinase (JAK) enzymeswas touted as one such drug. Rinvoq was initially approved in the United States to treat only moderate to severe RA. However, AbbVie was actively pursuing additional treatment indications and, in 2020, asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve Rinvoq for the treatment of several other diseases. As is relevant here, Rinvoq is similar to other JAK inhibitor drugs, including Xeljanz, manufactured by Pfizer Inc. When the FDA approved Xeljanz in 2012 for the treatment of RA, it required an additional safety trial to evaluate Xeljanz's risk of triggering certain serious side effects. Beginning in February 2019, the FDA repeatedly warned the public that the safety trial indicated that Xeljanz's use could lead to serious heart-related issue, cancer, and other adverse events. Notwithstanding the similarities between Rinvoq and Xeljanz, during the Class Period, Defendants assured investors that Rinvoq was far safer than Xeljanz and not subject to the same regulatory risks. However, investors began to learn the truth about Rinvoq's significant risks on June 25, 2021, when AbbVie revealed that the FDA was delaying its review of expanded treatment applications for Rinvoq due to the safety concerns associated with Xeljanz. On this news, the price of AbbVie common stock declined $1.76 per share, or approximately 1.5%, from a close of $114.74 per share on June 24, 2021, to close at $112.98 per share on June 25, 2021. Then, on September 1, 2021, the FDA announced that final results from the Xeljanz safety trial established an increased risk of serious adverse events, even with low doses of Xeljanz. As a result, the FDA determined that it would require new and updated warnings for Xeljanz and Rinvoq because Rinvoq "share[s] similar mechanisms of action with Xeljanz" and "may have similar risks as seen in the Xeljanz safety trial." The FDA also indicated that it would further limit approved indications for Rinvoq as a result of these safety concerns. On this news, the price of AbbVie common stock declined $8.51 per share, or more than 7%, from a close of $120.78 per share on August 31, 2021, to close at $112.27 per share on September 1, 2021. After the Class Period, on December 3, 2021, AbbVie announced that the FDA had updated Rinvoq's label to require additional safety warnings and limit marketing of Rinvoq to only its use after treatment with other drugs has failed. On January 11, 2022, Defendants admitted that these changes to Rinvoq's label would negatively impact sales, forcing the Company to reduce its long-term guidance for Rinvoq's sales in 2025. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, about the company's business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) safety concerns about Xeljanz extended to Rinvoq and other JAK inhibitors; (2) as a result, it was likely that the FDA would require additional safety warnings for Rinvoq and would delay the approval of additional treatment indications for Rinvoq; and (3) therefore, Defendants' statements about the company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis, As a result of the Defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the significant decline in the market value of AbbVie's securities, AbbVie investors have suffered significant damages. WHAT CAN I DO? AbbVie investors may, no later than June 6, 2022 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages AbbVie investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (484) 270-1453 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Resident and alumni companies also created 1,449 new jobs in 2021 an increase of 97% over the previous year, bringing the total added through LabCentral companies since 2013 to 4,608 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LabCentral , a network of premier laboratory and co-working facilities for high-potential biotech start-ups, today announced its annual Impact Report detailing the influence of its 245 resident and 117 alumni companies on the local and national life sciences and biotech industry. The impact was measured in terms of clinical trials, investment, job creation as well as LabCentral's expanded facilities and programs from the past year. The 2021 Impact Report is available to download from LabCentral's website, in addition to reports from previous years . Key statistics from the LabCentral 2021 Impact Report include: Clinical Research Highlighting the success of its resident and alumni companies to quickly move from idea to research to clinical trials, LabCentral had more than 31 companies researching 24 unique indications with over 80 different technologies in clinical trials last year. Since its founding in 2013, LabCentral companies have dosed 6,917 participants as part of clinical trials. Highlighting the success of its resident and alumni companies to quickly move from idea to research to clinical trials, LabCentral had more than 31 companies researching 24 unique indications with over 80 different technologies in clinical trials last year. Since its founding in 2013, LabCentral companies have dosed 6,917 participants as part of clinical trials. Economic Development Since its opening in 2013, LabCentral has supported 362 early-stage companies that have added 4,608 new jobs to the Massachusetts economy. In 2021, the companies added 1,449 new jobs, nearly doubling the amount of job growth of the previous year. Since its opening in 2013, LabCentral has supported 362 early-stage companies that have added 4,608 new jobs to the economy. In 2021, the companies added 1,449 new jobs, nearly doubling the amount of job growth of the previous year. Funding LabCentral companies have raised a total of $16.9 billion in funding since 2013. In 2021 alone, LabCentral resident and alumni companies secured $6.03 billion in funding from all sources. Regarding venture capital financing, LabCentral companies secured 25% of all early-stage (seed and Series A) bio-pharma financing for the state of Massachusetts and represent 15% of all early-stage financing nationwide. LabCentral companies have raised a total of in funding since 2013. In 2021 alone, LabCentral resident and alumni companies secured in funding from all sources. Regarding venture capital financing, LabCentral companies secured 25% of all early-stage (seed and Series A) bio-pharma financing for the state of and represent 15% of all early-stage financing nationwide. Sponsors LabCentral now has 42 sponsors to support and guide the development of resident companies and their research. During 2021, LabCentral and 16 sponsors awarded 24 Golden Tickets to biotech start-ups, representing the equivalent of $1.2 million in funding. Additionally, LabCentral also significantly expanded its network of facilities in 2021 and took a proactive and programmatic approach to expanding and diversifying the pool of talent in biotech through the LabCentral Ignite initiative. LabCentral 238 After two years of planning, designing, permitting and building, the newest facility in LabCentral's network opened the first half of 100,000 square feet of lab, office and bio-manufacturing space in November 2021 for six resident companies. With a focus on scale-up bio-manufacturing, LabCentral 238 was funded with a founding sponsorship from Astellas as well as additional support from Mass Life Sciences Center (MLSC), MITIMCo (MIT Investment Management Company), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Baker, Millipore Sigma and Eppendorf. After two years of planning, designing, permitting and building, the newest facility in LabCentral's network opened the first half of 100,000 square feet of lab, office and bio-manufacturing space in for six resident companies. With a focus on scale-up bio-manufacturing, LabCentral 238 was funded with a founding sponsorship from Astellas as well as additional support from Mass Life Sciences Center (MLSC), MITIMCo (MIT Investment Management Company), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Baker, Millipore Sigma and Eppendorf. LabCentral Ignite LabCentral also grew its bold initiative to expand diversity, equity and inclusion in biotech and life sciences with the launch of LabCentral Ignite. In 2021, Ignite hired Gretchen Cook-Anderson as Executive Director, announced the first Ignite Golden Ticket winners and developed additional programs, such as the bio.Diversity Network; a platform designed to connect diverse talent with technical opportunities in the industry. "While it's always impressive to see the fundraising and job growth statistics each year, we're especially proud to highlight the rapidly growing clinical impact of our companies. Thousands of patients and participants have been dosed with new drugs developed here; this underscores the ingenuity of our founders and importance of their work, and also how LabCentral's facilities, operating model and community are enabling really high-potential research," said Johannes Fruehauf, co-founder and president of LabCentral. "As the 2021 Impact Report details, through our expanded network of facilities, LabCentral Ignite initiative, and vibrant ecosystem of sponsors, residents and alumni companies, we are not only redefining biotech's scientific and economic potential in Kendall Square and beyond, but also the very makeup of the new scientists and entrepreneurs that will shape the industry's future." About LabCentral A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral was founded in 2013 as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech start-ups. Operating a total over 225,000 square-feet in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., LabCentral offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for as many as 125 start-ups comprising approximately 1,000 scientists and entrepreneurs. More information is available at www.labcentral.org. SOURCE LabCentral RESTON, Va., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, has scheduled a conference call for Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 8 a.m. (ET) to announce its first quarter 2022 financial results for the period ending April 1, 2022. The company plans to issue its quarterly earnings press release before the conference call on May 3, 2022. The details for the earnings conference call follow: Date: May 3, 2022 Time: 8 a.m. (ET) To Listen via the Internet: The company offers a live and replay audio broadcast of the conference call with corresponding supplemental information at http://ir.leidos.com. To Listen via Telephone: 877-869-3847 (toll-free U.S.) +1-201-689-8261 (for International Callers) Replay: A telephone playback of the first quarter 2022 earnings conference call is scheduled to be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on May 3, 2022, through 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 10, 2022. The replay will be accessible by calling 877-660-6853 (International callers: +1-201-612-7415) and entering conference ID 13728784. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the Leidos Investor Relations website at http://ir.leidos.com. About Leidos: Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Media contact: Melissa Lee Duenas 571.526.6850 [email protected] Investor Relations: Stuart Davis 571.526.6124 [email protected] SOURCE Leidos The keynote speech addressed an array of opportunities for displays in the new normal era, the technological innovation of the company's OLED.EX technology, as well as the current status of new OLED businesses including gaming, transparent, and portable applications. LG Display studied consumer demand for high-definition TVs and IT devices and concluded that the importance of displays is increasing for online, non-face-to-face activities reaching new heights since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With these changes, the number of OLED TV manufacturers rose to 20 last year, expanding brand diversity and confirming OLED's role in driving demand for premium displays, as OLED TV panels now come in various sizes from 42 inches to 97 inches. Accordingly, LG Display introduced the next-generation OLED.EX TV panel that applies deuterium and personalized algorithms to its groundbreaking organic light-emitting diode pixels to increase brightness by 30%. The company's personalized algorithms learn individual viewing patterns based on machine learning technology, predicting the usage level of up to 33 million organic light-emitting diode pixels based on 8K OLED displays to help maintain optimal brightness and performance. "After analyzing color distribution for the TV and OTT content consumers typically watch, we found that 70% of images featured high-brightness areas adjacent to white and rarely displayed only primary colors," the Senior VP explained. "That's why improving near-white image quality is the most effective way of enhancing color accuracy. And by improving the brightness of OLED.EX based on LG Display's OLED technology, we're able to achieve a Natural Reality that expresses the truest, most natural colors on screen." "In the case of High Dynamic Range (HDR), one of the main elements that determine image quality, OLED can accurately express the brightness required by HDR content by producing true images with infinite contrast ratio. In addition, our HDR implementation performance has been further improved by boosting brightness through EX technology," he also highlighted. Along with its enhanced brightness, LG Display's OLED.EX is eye-friendly due to the minimization of blue light emissions and eco-friendly since it doesn't require a backlight unit. Moreover, in his speech, the company's new business areas are also highlighted to reflect changes in consumer lifestyles. After determining that demand for personalized displays is increasing due to increased indoor and online activities since the outbreak of COVID-19, Lee said that Gaming, Transparent, and Portable OLEDs are being promoted as new business areas based on OLED.EX technology. LG Display's Gaming OLEDs provide maximum immersion to users with their uniquely excellent image quality and fast response speed. The company is set to mass-produce 48-inch and 42-inch OLED panels optimized for gaming this year to target the global market in earnest. The Transparent OLED market is also expanding based on its use in various industries such as the signage, mobility, architecture, and home interior sectors. Transparent OLEDs deliver information effectively to consumers while opening up space and improving the aesthetics of interior design. LG Display plans to increase this technology's value by developing additional sizes and improving transparency in the future. The Portable OLED refers to a personal display, which can be used for light and thin screens and be applied to various lifestyles beyond the boundaries of space by providing excellent image quality and perfect portability for eye comfort. "We are preparing various solutions to create new and unique experiences for consumers. We aim to provide richer user experiences that cater to different changing lifestyles," Lee Hyeon-woo said. The 2022 OLED KOREA Conference, organized by market research agency Ubi Research, gathers top experts and leaders from all walks of life to present and discuss the current status and future strategies of the OLED industry. About LG Display LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world's leading innovator of display technologies, including thin-film transistor liquid crystal and OLED displays. The company manufactures display panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in TVs, notebook computers, desktop monitors, and various other applications, including tablets and mobile devices. LG Display currently operates manufacturing facilities in Korea and China, and back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China, and Vietnam. The company has approximately 63,360 employees operating worldwide. For more news and information about LG Display, please visit www.lgdisplay.com . Media Contact: Jean Lee, Team Leader, Global Communications Tel: +822-3777-1689 Email: [email protected] SOURCE LG Display New Smart-Linkr Feature Offers Automatic Asset Relinking for Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator Project Files Accessed via DAMs SANTA CRUZ, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz Software , a global leader in the development of software solutions for cross media content publishing, today announced that the premium version of LinkrUI now automatically finds and fixes broken links in cloud-hosted projects for Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. The automatic asset relinking feature, named Smart-Linkr, enables small, medium and enterprise level teams to collaborate more seamlessly by simplifying the process of accessing projects and maintaining version control. Visit here to learn more and download LinkrUI . LinkrUI is a best-in-class extension to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign that enables direct searching, opening, placing and synchronizing of assets stored in a Digital Asset Manager (DAM) system or other cloud storage, such as Box and Dropbox. When a user accesses a project file that has broken links, Smart-Linkr can automatically detect and relink them. The freemium version of the product will alert users of broken links within a file, while the premium version searches the DAM to find the lost asset and prompts the user to fix any broken links with a single click. If a project's linked assets are already in the cloud, LinkrUI will automatically search and find similar assets, providing a list of asset options. The user can then choose the correct asset and relink it. If the linked assets are only linked locally, the user can upload the asset to the cloud or DAM service with a single click in the LinkrUI panel. Once the project and linked assets are uploaded to the DAM, all team members can access the same cloud-based project and assets using the LinkrUI panel. Broken links and version control are common problems among creatives. A recent survey of creative professionals shows that over four in five (83%) respondents are spending time finding lost assets at least once a week. Nearly three-quarters of designers spend at least three hours a week managing versions, and a staggering 15% are spending over six hours a week managing versions. "The difficulty of managing digital asset versions has long tormented multi-media professionals," said Mark Hilton, CEO of Santa Cruz Software. "This new feature of LinkrUI has the potential to save precious time every week for creative teams. Collaboration among creative teams of any size, small to enterprise level, is now much simpler thanks to Smart-Linkr in LinkrUI." About Santa Cruz Software Santa Cruz Software offers a suite of tools to connect Adobe applications to other Cloud Services, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly on projects without ever leaving their applications. Enjoy simplified version control, easy asset search, and seamless connection between your shared team assets. Santa Cruz Software features are designed to streamline brand compliance, empower collaboration between teams, and increase productivity. Solutions range from integratable Dynamic Templates based upon Adobe InDesign (PrintUI), DAM connectors for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator,Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects (LinkrUI), and turnkey collateral/campaign portals (BrandingUI). For more information, visit the Santa Cruz Software website . All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies. Media Contact David Haefele FortyThree, Inc. [email protected] 831.401.3175 SOURCE Santa Cruz Software The firm's third fund, LionBird III, will invest in early-stage companies resetting the healthcare industry's relationship with technology TEL AVIV, Israel and CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LionBird , a venture capital firm based in Israel and the U.S. investing in pre-scale digital health companies, today announced the closing of LionBird III, an $85 million fund with participation from several institutional investors, including the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), and leading industry executives. With this new fund, LionBird will invest in 15 to 20 early-stage companies within its core theme of digital health. "LionBird has a proven track record of investing in innovative teams addressing the gap between the healthcare industry's stakeholders and currently available technology," said Shrirang Apte, VP, Credit at HOOPP. "Led by an experienced management team, HOOPP believes LionBird is well-positioned to deliver long-term value for the pensions of our members, and we're pleased to take a meaningful role in this fund and the evolving digital health space to support patients and healthcare providers." Founded in 2012, LionBird has developed an investment strategy around resetting healthcare's relationship with technology. Much of current health technology isn't delivering on its promise to generate real value for the health system and has shown little improvement in patient outcomes. LionBird believes that the next era of technology in healthcare will be focused on creating measurable clinical value and benefitting patients and providers alike. "At LionBird, our general partners have all played a variety of roles in healthcare throughout their careers, making us well aware of the complexity involved in healthcare product adoption," LionBird's general partners said in a joint statement. "And yet, we're still idealists. We believe technology will play a key role in shaping the future of healthcare transforming how care is delivered, diagnosed, and treated and we're continually encouraged in this belief as we see the waves of new and promising interdisciplinary talent entering the domain. With the closing of LionBird III, we are more equipped than ever to help these exceptional founders lay the best foundations for their companies to scale and succeed." With the LionBird team's extensive operating and investing experience in digital health, success in its previous funds and deep understanding of healthcare stakeholders, LionBird is uniquely positioned to invest in and support promising early-stage digital health startups as they scale into leading global corporations. To bolster these efforts in LionBird III, the fund has expanded its investment team with the addition of two new partners: Robert Lord, previously co-founder and President at Protenus, a leading AI health IT compliance company from LionBird's second fund, and Gal Noyman-Veksler, PhD, a healthcare AI business executive and a venture experienced behavioral researcher, who was promoted from principal. "The LionBird team is an amazing group of people combining real-life business understanding with a 'co-founder' approach," said Dedi Gilad, CEO and co-founder at Tyto Care, a LionBird I portfolio company bringing the traditional doctor's physical exam to the home. "As one of Tyto's earliest investors, LionBird's support has been indispensable to the company's success, and I'm excited to watch the team use this new, larger fund to further support digital health founders throughout their journeys." To date, LionBird has invested in more than 30 companies including digital health leaders such as Tyto Care, Ovia Health (acquired by LabCorp), C2i Genomics, Assured Allies, Protenus, Kit Check, Theranica, Laguna Health and Rhino Health. To learn more about LionBird or to contact the team, visit www.lionbird.com . About LionBird LionBird is a venture capital firm investing in pre-scale digital health companies with operations in Tel Aviv and the U.S. Founded in 2012 by veteran entrepreneurs and Fortune 100 executives in the software and healthcare industries, LionBird provides capital and assistance to mission-driven teams realigning the human-technology relationship in healthcare. Since its inception, the firm has invested in more than 30 founding teams across the U.S. and Israel. The firm is currently investing out of its third fund, LionBird III, exclusively focused on early-stage digital health. Media Contact Sasha Hayman Investor Relations Director, LionBird Tel: 847-840-8951 Email: [email protected] SOURCE LionBird NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Pure Gold Mining Inc. (OTC: LRTNF) resulting from allegations that PureGold may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased PureGold securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5112 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On March 28, 2022, pre-market, the Company issued a press release announcing that its mining operations and production had been negatively impacted as a result of its inability to maintain access to high-confidence, high-grade slopes. Further, the press release provided updates on several of its operational initiatives purportedly aimed at improving mine operations and reducing costs, revealing that it had experienced severe mine planning and scheduling deficiencies that negatively impacted its operations in 2021. Finally, the press release revealed that to fund its operations and to service the interest on its debt, the Company needed to seek additional financing. On this news, PureGold's stock price fell 41% on March 28, 2022. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Main Line Health provides a safe environment where LGBTQ+ patients, families and visitors can expect inclusive care. Tweet this Main Line Health provides a safe environment where LGBTQ+ patients, families and visitors can expect inclusive care from a welcoming health system at locations throughout the suburbs of Philadelphia. The hospital system provides youth and their families with the support they need to live as their affirmed gender while working to reduce any long-lasting harm to youth in distress. Main Line Health offers free support groups for both teens and for parents and/or caregivers of trans and gender-diverse youth with the understanding that the best health outcomes require families, caregivers, and the patient care team to continue to communicate openly and without fear of legal repercussion. "Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected, heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care. But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including healthcare facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment," said Tari Hanneman, Director of Health & Aging at The Human Rights Campaign. "The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their healthcare providers and feel safe seeking services. Our HEI active participants are truly pioneering the healthcare industry by implementing robust, comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that hopefully, because of their work, will become standard practice." The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care; LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support; Employee Benefits and Policies; and, Patient and Community Engagement. In the 2022 report, an impressive 496 facilities earned HRC's "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader'' designation, receiving the maximum score in each section and earning an overall score of 100. Another 251 facilities earned the "Top Performer" designation with scores between 80 to 95 points and at least partial credit in each section. With 82% of participating facilities scoring 80 points or more, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ+ care. Main Line Health is committed to supporting transgender and gender-diverse communities by offering the highest level of comprehensive care available. To schedule a medical appointment for a transgender or gender diverse youth, please call Bryn Mawr Family Practice Main Line Health at 610.325.1390. About Main Line Health Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health's commitmentto deliver advanced medicine for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management as well as training physicians and other health care providersreflects our intent to be the region's premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of more than 10,000 employees, 3,000 nurses and 2,000 physicians care for patients throughout the Main Line Health System. At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitalsLankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospitalas well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital. Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks. Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care, and service, including U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, System Magnet designation; the nation's highest distinction for nursing excellence and the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) Excellence Award. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity, and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area and has embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education, and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives. About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public's understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work. SOURCE Main Line Health NEW YORK and DETRIOT, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Marchon Eyewear, Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunglasses, and Shinola, an American luxury goods retailer based in Detroit, announced that they have entered into an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement. New sun and optical collections designed under this new partnership will roll out in the US and Canada beginning Fall 2022. Eyewear styles will be designed with a classic yet modern approach, all constructed with Flexon materials. Flexon, one of Marchon's proprietary brands, offers durable, lightweight eyewear styles designed with technologically advanced materials, allowing frames to be flexed, bent, or twisted and returned to their original shape. Flexon eyewear is more durable, lightweight, and resistant than conventional metals, allowing wearers to confidentially embrace every challenge without hesitation. The first eyewear assortment, Shinola Built by Flexon, is designed for adults, with a mix of men's and unisex styles. Comprised of five sunglasses and six optical styles, customers can expect to see a mix of classic, easy-to-wear shapes with timeless detailing and design attributes inspired by Shinola's accessories across watches, leather, supply and beyond. Each frame will have a unique Shinola identifier on the temples and the color palette will tie back to the brand. "Marchon is thrilled to partner with Shinola, a distinct brand that will fit well into our portfolio," said Nicola Zotta, President and CEO of Marchon Eyewear. "We look forward to offering new eyewear styles that will complement our Flexon technology and stand out to customers who are looking for frames designed with expert, quality craftsmanship." "Shinola is known for classic design that proves to be distinctive and timeless, whether we're styling watches, leather bags or home accessories," said Ruthie Underwood, Vice President of Creative Design, Shinola. "We're excited to extend our legacy for delivering high quality manufactured goods to eyewear consumers who treat their glasses as a meaningful symbol of who they are and aspire to be." The new eyewear collection is planned to be sold in the US and Canada, through select optical retailers and online at www.shinola.com and www.eyeconic.com About Marchon Eyewear, Inc. Marchon Eyewear, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of quality eyewear and sunglasses. The company markets its products under prestigious brand names including: Calvin Klein, Columbia, Converse, DKNY, Donna Karan, Dragon, Flexon, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Lanvin, Liu Jo, Longchamp, Marchon NYC, MCM, Nautica, Nike, Nine West, Pilgrim, Pure, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shinola, Skaga, Victoria Beckham and ZEISS. Marchon Eyewear distributes its products through a global network of subsidiaries and distributors, serving over 80,000 accounts in more than 100 countries. Marchon Eyewear is a VSP Vision company, which is focused on its purpose of empowering human potential through sight and connecting its more than 85 million members to affordable, accessible, high quality eye care and eyewear. Marchon Eyewear has a proud history of commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives EYES ON TOMORROW For more information, visit www.marchon.com and follow @marchoneyewear. About Shinola Born in Detroit, Shinola is a design brand with an unwavering commitment to crafting lasting products, from watches to leather goods and even a hotel. We celebrate timeless design and thoughtful craftsmanship with products and stories that inspire people to live well and be confident in a style that is uniquely their own. MEDIA CONTACTS: Marchon Eyewear, Inc. Kelly Schwartz, Public Relations Specialist [email protected] Shinola Trish O'Callaghan, VP of Communications [email protected] SOURCE Marchon Eyewear, Inc. The RTC project will consist of three newly built wind farms and one solar plus battery storage farm (1,300 MW in total plus up to 100 MWh battery storage) across the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, and provide 400 MW electricity to SECI, an Indian central government-owned entity with an AA+ domestic debt rating by ICRA, a subsidiary of Standard & Poor's. The project's commercial operations are expected to start in the third calendar quarter of 2023. ReNew, through its affiliates, will also undertake EPC, O&M, and project management for the RTC project. The 25-year PPA for the project, the first-of-its-kind renewable energy PPA in India, was signed last year with SECI for supplying electricity at 2.90/kWh (~US 3.8), which will increase by 3% annually for 15 years after which it will stabilise for remaining period of the project. India, being the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, made commitments at the Glasgow COP26 summit last year to reach 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity by 2030, and to source 50% of all its energy from renewables by then. The RTC project will feed into this target and support the Government of India's policy of scaling up the renewable energy sector as part of the country's historic clean energy transition. Speaking about this partnership with Mitsui, Mr. Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ReNew Power said, "The RTC project, the first of its kind in India, provides the lowest cost and emission-free 24 X 7 renewable electricity. We are proud to partner with Mitsui, a leading global conglomerate, to support India's green energy transition and look forward to strengthening this partnership in the future." Ryoichiro Uno, General Manager in charge of infrastructure projects in India, Middle East, and Africa of Mitsui, said, "Our mission is to build brighter futures for people around the world through infrastructure development. We view India as an extremely promising market for many reasons, including its high economic growth and strong commitment towards decarbonization. Through this project, Mitsui will accelerate India's clean energy transition together with ReNew, and contribute to the project's successful development by leveraging our extensive global experience in power project development, as well as our wide-ranging business network across industries. We look forward to expanding Mitsui's further collaboration with ReNew beyond this RTC project in India." US$ 1.0 = INR 76.29 (as on 27-03-2022) About ReNew ReNew is one of the largest renewable energy Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in India and globally. ReNew develops, builds, owns, and operates utility-scale wind and solar energy projects, and hydro projects . As of February 1, 2022, ReNew had a total portfolio of 10.2 GW of renewable energy projects across India, including commissioned and committed projects About Mitsui: Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is one of the leading Japanese general trading and investment firms, established in 1947, with global presence in various business fields and across 63 countries/regions with approximately 45,000 employees. Mitsui's core strategic aim is to pursue sustainable growth, and through its business activities contribute to the development of countries and regions around the world while addressing climate change and other global issues. As part of this, Mitsui has set a target to reduce its GHG impact by 2030 to half of what it was in 2020 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Mitsui currently has 65 power assets in 22 countries, with a gross capacity of 39.6 GW and a net capacity (Mitsui's share) of 10.8 GW. Press Enquiries Kamil Zaheer [email protected] +91 9811538880 Anurit Kanti [email protected] +91 9920190905 Investor Enquiries Nathan Judge Anunay Shahi [email protected] Mitsui Contact Corporate Communications Division Telephone: +81-80-5912-0321 Facsimile: +81-3-3285-9819 SOURCE Renew Energy Global Plc. STAMFORD, Conn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MKM Partners is pleased to announce the addition of Scott Stember to its award winning research department as Executive Director, Senior Recreation/Leisure, Auto Parts & Services Analyst. With over 25 years of experience in equity research, Scott joins MKM from CL King & Associates where he worked for seven years covering the Recreation Vehicle, Marine, Powersports and Automotive Parts industries. Scott was a recipient of Thompson Reuters Analyst Awards: 'Top Stock Pickers' - #2 Auto Components, January 2017. Prior to CL King, Scott spent 16 years as a Co-Founder of Sidoti & Co., LLC. He obtained a BA in Accounting from Queens College and received an MBA in Finance from Dowling College. "The collaboration at MKM Partners between trading, derivatives, macrostrategy, sales, and fundamental research is truly unique and exciting" says Scott. "I am looking forward to working with a firm that puts growth, teamwork, and innovation at the forefront of its culture." MKM Partners' President, Sagar Sheth remarked, "I am delighted to welcome Scott to the company. With his fantastic track record and unique perspectives, we believe Scott is an ideal addition to the team to further expand our product suite here in the U.S.". Sagar continued, "2021 was another incredible year for MKM and we have seen that pace accelerate through 1Q22. As a result, we continue to grow and develop human capital by actively hiring investment professionals across every business line." MKM has had record revenues, profitability, retention rates, and growth over the past three years. The firm also maintains a significant media presence throughout the U.S. About MKM Partners MKM Partners is an institutional equity research, sales and trading firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Austin. MKM combines high-impact fundamental analysis with macroeconomics, technical insights, derivatives strategies, event-driven commentary, alternative research, and first-rate execution. With over 1000 institutional clients and one of the largest trading floors in the U.S., the firm has trade execution abilities in both global equity markets and in U.S. options markets. More information about MKM Partners can be accessed at www.mkmpartners.com. SOURCE MKM Partners Digital Planning for Long Beach Factory Will Evolve into an Ongoing Technology Development Partnership Between the Two Entities EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morf3D, Inc., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation and a trusted leader in metal additive manufacturing (AM), today announced its partnership with Siemens Advanta, the IoT consultancy and solutions integration arm of the global technology powerhouse. The two entities have committed to an ongoing technology development partnership as Morf3D continues to build its new Applied Digital Manufacturing Center (ADMC) in Long Beach, California. Morf3D's ADMC is a new 90,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that harnesses applied research, advanced engineering and application development, serial production and most significantly, new industry partnerships with global leaders to drive the industrialization of digital manufacturing in high-growth markets. As part of Siemens Advanta's inaugural project, the consultancy will leverage advanced design and simulation software from Siemens Digital Industries to develop a scale up plan and bottleneck analysis, as well as explore novel manufacturing and logistic concepts for the Long Beach center. Material flow and space demand will be validated based on a digital twin of production. "Siemens Advanta is proud to contribute to the forward-thinking innovation that is transforming the additive manufacturing industry," said Rani Shea, CEO of Siemens Advanta, North America. "In working with Morf3D and its new ADMC, we look forward to helping optimize additive manufacturing capabilities for the aerospace industry." Siemens Advanta's work at the new ADMC will transition into additional ongoing software innovations and on-site personnel support. "We are constantly thinking about how to further our industry and this partnership with Siemens Advanta gives us a great sense of optimism for the future," said Ivan Madera, CEO for Morf3D Inc. "Morf3D is experiencing growth at a rapid rate. We wanted to make sure that our factory was flexible and that we had a team able to understand the challenges that we might face, not just today, but in the future too." Morf3D's investment in the new California facility underscores the company's commitment to developing a strong industrial base that improves the quality of its products, enhances technical capabilities, and enriches customer applications worldwide. The center is projected to be one of the largest aerospace additive manufacturing solution integrators in the US. At peak, the center will be home to 150 multi-discipline engineers, research staff, and technical teams. About Siemens Advanta Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Siemens Advanta was founded in 2019 to help clients unlock their digital futures by offering end-to-end support on their unique digitalization journey. Siemens Advanta is a strategic advisor and a trusted implementation partner in digital transformation and industrial IoT with a global network of more than 9,000 employees in 19 countries and 89 offices. Highly skilled and experienced experts offer services ranging from consulting to design & prototyping to solution & implementation and operation. Further information is available at www.siemens-advanta.com. Siemens Corporation is a subsidiary of Siemens AG, a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power. Siemens has been supporting the industries and creating the infrastructure forming the backbone of America's economy for more than 160 years, with more than 40,000 employees, 17,000 suppliers, and customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In fiscal 2021, Siemens Group USA generated revenue of nearly $20 billion. About Morf3D Morf3D Inc., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, specializes in metal additive manufacturing technology that transforms engineering design into full production systems. Morf3D's mission is to enable client proficiency in fully exploiting the benefits of additive engineering and manufacturing, while delivering innovative solutions that solve complex design and manufacturing challenges. For more information about Morf3D, visit https://morf3d.com Contact: Carrie Lauby, [email protected] Ashley Lagzial, [email protected] Related Links http://morf3d.com SOURCE Morf3D, Inc. New Board Members EMX Digital, GroundTruth, Sharethrough, and T-Mobile Join Top Executives from Amazon, Meta, Oracle, GroupM, NBCUniversal, and Microsoft NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IAB Tech Lab , the global digital advertising technical standard-setting body, announced today that they have elected their 2022 board members. Board members are voted in by the wider membership base and are responsible for determining IAB Tech Lab's strategic direction during their appointed term. This year, leadership from EMX Digital, GroundTruth, Sharethrough, and T-Mobile will join the IAB Tech Lab board to contribute to the strength of the digital advertising ecosystem. IAB Tech Lab currently has over 800 members across the digital advertising ecosystem and is responsible for pioneering respected and widely adopted industry standards such as OpenRTB, ads.txt, the Open Measurement SDK, and more. In addition to the new board members, IAB Tech Lab has announced Neal Richter, Director of Science at Amazon Advertising, as Chair of the organization's Board of Directors for the fourth year in a row. As Chair for the past three years, Richter has been a member of the Board since its inception as the IAB Ad Technology Advisory Council. "Neal has been a member of the Board from the very beginning and has been instrumental in helping to move the industry forward. With a finger on the pulse of the latest innovations in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, Neal has contributed to a number of notable achievements including the development of the OpenRTB protocol, ads.txt, ads.cert, sellers.json, and other associated standards," said Anthony Katsur, Chief Executive Officer, IAB Tech Lab. "Neal is a true visionary and I look forward to another year of working closely alongside him and the Board of Directors to ensure that we create a thriving, unified marketplace to address the concerns of our members and the industry at large." Richter is a software industry veteran with over 25 years of experience. For the vast majority of his career, he's been focused on data science, machine learning, and AI applications. He is currently the Advertising Science Director for Amazon DSP, where he oversees a team of data scientists and engineers focused on RTB bidding algorithms and systems across display, mobile, audio, and video. Prior to joining Amazon, Dr. Richter was Chief Scientist at SpotX, Chief Technical Officer at Rakuten Marketing, and CTO and Chief Scientist at the Rubicon Project. "As the industry is at a crucial moment with the changes in rules for cookies and identifiers, IAB Tech Lab is the leading trade organization tackling the issues of privacy, identity, and addressability for all constituents within the digital ad ecosystem," said Richter. "I look forward to continuing to collaborate with the members of the Board, Anthony Katsur and all members of IAB Tech Lab to ensure we evolve the changing ecosystem and meet the needs of companies and the consumers they serve." New members of the IAB Board of Directors elected for a two-year term include: Michael Zacharski , Chief Executive Officer, EMX Digital , Chief Executive Officer, EMX Digital Eddie Dingels , Chief Operating Officer, GroundTruth , Chief Operating Officer, GroundTruth Curt Larson , Chief Product Officer, Sharethrough , Chief Product Officer, Sharethrough Michael Peralta , Vice President & General Manager, T-Mobile Marketing Solutions Additionally, J. Allen Dove, Chief Technology Officer of Magnite, has been appointed to the board in an interim fashion pending next year's election by our members. The remaining IAB Tech Lab Board of Directors is comprised of the following: Paul Bannister , Chief Strategy Officer, CafeMedia , Chief Strategy Officer, CafeMedia Daniel Brackett , Chief Technology Officer, Extreme Reach , Chief Technology Officer, Extreme Reach Will Bullock , Director, Statistic & Privacy (R&D), Meta , Director, Statistic & Privacy (R&D), Meta Ray (Jiayi) Cao , Managing Director, Head of Global Product Strategy and Operations, TikTok , Managing Director, Head of Global Product Strategy and Operations, TikTok Travis Clinger , Senior Vice President of Addressability and Ecosystem, LiveRamp , Senior Vice President of Addressability and Ecosystem, LiveRamp Karan Dalal , Senior Vice President, Operations, Media.net , Senior Vice President, Operations, Media.net Giovanni Gardelli , Senior Director, Ad Targeting Products, Yahoo , Senior Director, Ad Targeting Products, Yahoo Mark Kopera , Senior Director, Product Management Oracle Advertising and CX, Oracle Advertising , Senior Director, Product Management Oracle Advertising and CX, Oracle Advertising Ai Matsubara , Video Ads Specialist, Yahoo Japan , Video Ads Specialist, Yahoo Japan Ryan McConville , Executive Vice President, Ad Platforms, NBCUniversal , Executive Vice President, Ad Platforms, NBCUniversal Derek Nicol , Vice President, Advertising Technology, ViacomCBS , Vice President, Advertising Technology, ViacomCBS Jeff Olchovy , Chief Technology Officer, Tapad , Chief Technology Officer, Tapad Michael Palmer , Global Vice President, Emerging Technologies, GroupM , Global Vice President, Emerging Technologies, GroupM Todd Parsons , Chief Product Officer, Criteo , Chief Product Officer, Criteo Gruia Pitigoi-Aron , Senior Vice President, Product, The Trade Desk , Senior Vice President, Product, The Trade Desk Aleksandr Rebrikov, Partner Architect, Microsoft Chris Record , Senior Vice President, Product, Technology & Operations SXM Media & AdsWizz, Pandora , Senior Vice President, Product, Technology & Operations SXM Media & AdsWizz, Pandora Paul Ryan , Chief Technology Officer, OpenX , Chief Technology Officer, OpenX John Sabella , Chief Technology Officer, PubMatic , Chief Technology Officer, PubMatic Gyanda Sachdeva, Vice President, Product, LinkedIn Tom Sharma , Chief Product Officer, Integral Ad Science , Chief Product Officer, Integral Ad Science Ashish Shukla , Chief Technology Officer, MediaMath , Chief Technology Officer, MediaMath Steve Silvers , Senior Vice President, Product & GM, Customer Experience, Neustar Inc. , Senior Vice President, Product & GM, Customer Experience, Neustar Inc. Somer Simpson , Vice President, Product, Quantcast , Vice President, Product, Quantcast Michael Smith , Chief Data Officer, Hearst , Chief Data Officer, Hearst Kevin Solinger , Vice President, Product Management, Xandr , Vice President, Product Management, Xandr Ken Weiner , Chief Technology Officer, GumGum IAB Tech Lab Executive Committee includes:: Andrew Casale , President & Chief Executive Officer, Index Exchange , President & Chief Executive Officer, Index Exchange David Cohen , Chief Executive Officer, Interactive Advertising Bureau , Chief Executive Officer, Interactive Advertising Bureau Sheryl Goldstein , Executive Vice President, Member Engagement & Development, Interactive Advertising Bureau , Executive Vice President, Member Engagement & Development, Interactive Advertising Bureau Neal Richter (Chairperson), Director of Science, Amazon Advertising (Chairperson), Director of Science, Amazon Advertising Scott Spencer . Vice President, Product Management, Privacy and User Trust, Google For more information about the IAB Tech Lab Board of Directors, please visit iabtechlab.com/about-the-iab-tech-lab/tech-lab-leadership/ . About IAB Technology Laboratory Established in 2014, the IAB Technology Laboratory (Tech Lab) is a non-profit consortium that engages a member community globally to develop foundational technology and standards that enable growth and trust in the digital media ecosystem. Comprised of digital publishers, ad technology firms, agencies, marketers, and other member companies, IAB Tech Lab focuses on solutions for brand safety and ad fraud; identity, data, and consumer privacy; ad experiences and measurement; and programmatic effectiveness. Its work includes the OpenRTB real-time bidding protocol, ads.txt anti-fraud specification, Open Measurement SDK for viewability and verification, VAST video specification, and Project Rearc initiative for privacy-centric addressability. Board members/companies are listed at https://iabtechlab.com/about-the-iab-tech-lab/tech-lab-leadership/ . For more information, please visit https://iabtechlab.com . SOURCE IAB Tech Lab NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NHS) (the "Fund") has announced an early declaration of the Fund's regular monthly distribution payable in May. The $0.0905 per share of common stock distribution announced today is payable on May 31, 2022, has a record date of May 4, 2022 and has an ex-date of May 3, 2022. Under its level distribution policy, the Fund anticipates that it will make regular monthly distributions, subject to market conditions, of $0.0905 per share of common stock, unless further action is taken to determine another amount. The Fund's ability to maintain its current distribution rate will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and stability of income received from its investments, the cost of leverage and the level of other Fund fees and expenses. There is no assurance that the Fund will always be able to pay a distribution of any particular amount or that a distribution will consist only of net investment income. Due to an effort to maintain a stable distribution amount, the distribution announced today, as well as future distributions, may consist of net investment income, net realized capital gains and return of capital. In compliance with Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, a notice would be provided for any distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income. The notice would be for informational purposes and not for tax reporting purposes, and would disclose, among other things, estimated portions of the distribution, if any, consisting of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions paid in 2022 will be made after the end of the year. About Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 25 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,400 professionals. For eight consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). In 2020, the PRI named Neuberger Berman a Leader, a designation awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The PRI also awarded Neuberger Berman an A+ in every eligible category for our approach to ESG integration across asset classes. The firm manages $460 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2021. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com. Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations. Contact: Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC Investor Information (877) 461-1899 SOURCE Neuberger Berman NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NHS) (the "Fund") announced today approval of the terms of the issuance of transferable rights ("Rights") to the holders of the Fund's common stock (par value $0.0001 per share) ("Common Stock"), as of the record date, April 19, 2022 (the "Record Date"). Holders of these Rights will be entitled to subscribe for additional shares of Common Stock (the "Offer") at a discount to market price. After considering a number of factors, including potential benefits and costs, it was determined that it is in the best interests of both the Fund and its stockholders to conduct the Offer and increase the assets of the Fund available to take advantage of investment opportunities, consistent with the Fund's investment objective to seek high total return (income plus capital appreciation). The Fund's investment adviser, Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC, believes this is an attractive time to raise additional assets for the Fund based on several factors, including the following potential benefits: The Offer provides the Fund with new proceeds to capitalize on attractive investment opportunities within non-investment-grade credit, potentially enhancing the long-term returns of the Fund The Offer provides common stockholders an opportunity to buy Common Stock below market price or realize value from the sale of Rights Anticipated positive impact to total expense ratio by spreading fixed costs over a larger asset base Potential for increased trading volume and liquidity of NHS Common Stock The Fund expects to maintain its current distribution level following the Offer. Additionally, the Fund has declared a regular monthly distribution payable on April 29, 2022, with a record date of April 18, 2022, and a regular monthly distribution payable on May 31, 2022, with a record date of May 4, 2022, neither of which will be payable with respect to Common Stock that is issued pursuant to the Offer as such issuance will occur after these record dates. Common Stock issued pursuant to the Offer will be entitled to receive the monthly distribution expected to be payable in June. Certain key terms of the Offer include: Holders of Common Stock on the Record Date ("Record Date Stockholders") will receive one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock owned on the Record Date. The Rights entitle the holders to purchase one new share of Common Stock for every 3 Rights held (1-for-3); however, any Record Date Stockholder who owns fewer than three shares of Common Stock as of the Record Date will be entitled to subscribe for one share of Common Stock. Fractional shares of Common Stock will not be issued. The subscription price per share of Common Stock (the "Subscription Price") will be determined by the Fund on the expiration date of the Offer, which is currently expected to be May 17, 2022 , unless extended by the Fund (the "Expiration Date"). The Subscription Price will be equal to 92.5% of the average of the last reported sales price of a share of Common Stock of the Fund on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date and each of the four (4) immediately preceding trading days (the "Formula Price"). If, however, the Formula Price is less than 87% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date, the Subscription Price will be 87% of the Fund's NAV per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on that day. , unless extended by the Fund (the "Expiration Date"). The Subscription Price will be equal to 92.5% of the average of the last reported sales price of a share of Common Stock of the Fund on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date and each of the four (4) immediately preceding trading days (the "Formula Price"). If, however, the Formula Price is less than 87% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date, the Subscription Price will be 87% of the Fund's NAV per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on that day. Record Date Stockholders who fully exercise all Rights issued to them can subscribe, subject to certain limitations and allotment, for any additional shares of Common Stock that were not subscribed for by other holders of Rights at the Subscription Price. Investors who are not Record Date Stockholders but who otherwise acquire Rights, including in the secondary market, are not entitled to subscribe for any additional shares of Common Stock. If sufficient shares of Common Stock are available, all Record Date Stockholders' over-subscription requests will be honored in full. If these requests exceed available shares of Common Stock, they will be allocated pro rata among those fully exercising Record Date Stockholders who over-subscribe based on the number of Rights originally issued to them by the Fund. Rights are transferable and are expected to be admitted for trading on the NYSE American under the symbol "NHS RT" during the course of the Offer. The last day Rights will trade will be one business day before the Offer's Expiration Date ( May 16, 2022 , unless extended). During the course of the Offer, Record Date Stockholders may choose to sell their Rights. The Offer will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The Fund expects to mail subscription certificates evidencing the Rights and a copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus for the Offer to Record Date Stockholders shortly following the Record Date. Brokers, custodians or trust companies may send notices to common stockholders shortly thereafter. To exercise or sell their Rights, common stockholders who hold their Common Stock through a broker, custodian or trust company should contact such entity to forward their instructions to either exercise or sell their Rights on their behalf. Common stockholders who do not hold Common Stock through a broker, custodian, or trust company should forward their instructions to either exercise or sell their Rights by completing the subscription certificate and delivering it to the subscription agent for the Offer, together with their payment, at one of the locations indicated on the subscription certificate or in the prospectus supplement. The information in this press release is not complete and is subject to change. This document is not an offer to sell any securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This document is not an offering, which can only be made by a prospectus. Investors should consider the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The Fund's prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will contain this and additional information about the Fund and additional information about the Offer, and should be read carefully before investing. For further information regarding the Offer, or to obtain a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, when available, please contact the Fund's information agent: Georgeson LLC 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor New York, NY 10104 1-866-647-8872 About Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. The Fund's investment objective is to seek high total return (income plus capital appreciation). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in high yield debt (below investment grade) securities of U.S. and foreign issuers, and up to 20% of its total assets in other securities and financial instruments. About Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 25 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,400 professionals. For eight consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). In 2020, the PRI named Neuberger Berman a Leader, a designation awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The PRI also awarded Neuberger Berman an A+ in every eligible category for our approach to ESG integration across asset classes. The firm manages $460 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2021. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com. Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations. Contact: Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC Investor Information (877) 461-1899 SOURCE Neuberger Berman JUNO BEACH, Fla., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it plans to report first-quarter 2022 financial results before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in a news release to be posted on the company's website at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The company will issue an advisory news release over PR Newswire the morning of April 21, with a link to the financial results news release on the company's website. As previously communicated, the company will make available its financial results only on its website. John Ketchum, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy, Kirk Crews, executive vice president, finance and chief financial officer of NextEra Energy, and other members of the company's senior management team will discuss the company's first-quarter 2022 financial results during an investor presentation to be webcast live, beginning at 9 a.m. ET on April 21. Results for NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) also will be discussed during the same investor presentation. The listen-only webcast will be available on NextEra Energy's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The financial results news release and the slides accompanying the presentation may be downloaded at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on the day of the webcast. A replay will be available for 90 days by accessing the same link as listed above. NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is the largest vertically integrated rate-regulated electric utility in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, and serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts, supporting more than 11 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. A Fortune 200 company, NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2022 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," recognized on Fortune's 2021 list of companies that "Change the World" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com. SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc. The organizations kick off a culturally responsive campaign to demystify SNAP eligibility among Latino families WASHINGTON, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- No Kid Hungry , a national campaign by Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty, and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, announced today during a virtual Town Hall a new partnership to promote accurate information among eligible Latino families about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The partnership consists of a comprehensive awareness campaign and the strengthening of UnidosUS' Comprando Rico y Sano program, a community health worker led initiative to promote SNAP enrollment and healthy eating. More than 62 million Latinos live and work in the United States, contributing $2.7 trillion to the economy. And although Latinos have kept businesses running and Americans fed throughout the height of the pandemic, they continue to experience disproportionate impacts of the crisis, including food insecurity. SNAP is available to help put food on the table for families during challenging times; however, misinformation, cultural, linguistic, and structural barriers, including the chilling effect of the now repealed Public Charge rule, continue to keep many hard-working Latino families experiencing hardships from accessing these vital programs. It's estimated that more than 4 million eligible Latinos are not enrolled in SNAP, in spite of the fact that more than 1 in 5 Latino families with children faced hunger in 2020, a 28% rise from 2019. "We're thrilled to launch this important campaign in partnership with No Kid Hungry, far too many Latino families are not aware of this essential benefit. By promoting the SNAP program to eligible Latino families and their children we help ensure healthier, stronger communities for everyone and that no one goes to bed hungry each night," said Rita Carreon, Vice President for Health at UnidosUS. "Our nation's social and economic success depends on the stability, vibrancy, and health of every person. SNAP plays a vital role in helping nearly 40 million Americansincluding 6.5 million Latinosput food on the table every day." The new multi-market campaign launched today by UnidosUS and No Kid Hungry will help address some of these barriers, with messages in Spanish and English that provide accurate information about SNAP eligibility and benefits. The campaign will include a strong digital and radio push, two popular sources of information for the Latino community. The effort will also leverage digital assets for affiliates and community partners via a digital toolkit , and outreach to media in target states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Texas. The need for greater awareness was informed by the findings of a recent survey which revealed that the majority of Latinos in mixed- status families remain unaware the public charge policy has been reversed and are wary of using critical programs for which they or their children qualify. "Food is a basic human need and programs like SNAP ensure families going through tough times have equitable access to this fundamental right," said Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "We are committed to working in solidarity with trusted partners like UnidosUS to break down the barriers that stand in the way of Latino families and children having access to the nutrition we all need to thrive." In addition to the multi-platform awareness campaign, this partnership will expand the structure, capacities and activities for the UnidosUS Comprando Rico y Sano (Buying Healthy and Flavorful Foods) program. The goal is to strengthen the program to reach more Latino families through community health workers led nutritional education sessions, grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations, and other hands-on activities to promote health-conscious shopping and cost-saving strategies, as well as enroll eligible Latinos into SNAP. SOURCE No Kid Hungry and UnidosUS Deal value of up to US$525 million Novo Holdings co-led ReViral Series B financing in 2018 ReViral developing novel antiviral therapies to treat RSV infections Validation of Novo Holdings' strategy to identify and invest in high quality European biotech opportunities COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Holdings A/S, a leading international life sciences investor, today announces that its portfolio company ReViral Ltd (ReViral), has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) for up to US$525 million in total deal value. Founded in 2011, ReViral is a London, UK and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina based privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercialising novel antiviral therapeutics that target respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Novo Ventures, the venture capital team at Novo Holdings, led Novo Holdings' first investment in ReViral in July 2018 co-leading a US$55 million Series B financing. RSV is a respiratory pathogen, which can lead to severe and life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in high-risk populations, including young infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. It is estimated to cause infections in approximately 64 million people, resulting in about 160,000 deaths, globally each year. ReViral has a portfolio of promising therapeutic candidates targeting RSV. Its lead drug, sisunatovir, is an orally administered inhibitor designed to block the fusion of RSV to the host cell, which has been granted Fast-Track designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sisunatovir significantly reduced viral load in a phase 2 RSV human challenge study in healthy adults and is currently in phase 2 clinical development in infants. A second programme, currently in phase 1 clinical development, is focused on the inhibition of RSV replication targeting the viral N-protein. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. Naveed Siddiqi, Board Director of ReViral and Senior Partner, Novo Holdings, said: "The Covid pandemic has placed a spotlight on the huge need for effective antiviral therapeutics as well as vaccines. We invested in ReViral, backing a team of visionary and proven developers in the RSV field, an area of high unmet medical need, especially in the newborn and the elderly. The proposed acquisition of the Company by Pfizer confirms the promise of ReViral's pipeline of novel RSV therapeutics. As a leading transatlantic investor, Novo Holdings has a 20-year record of backing and supporting experienced management teams in developing transformative therapies for the benefit of patients. Pfizer is an ideal partner to take ReViral's important mission forward." Alex C. Sapir, Chief Executive Officer, ReViral, said: "Since the foundation of the Company a decade ago by Dr. Ken Powell and Dr. Stuart Cockerill, ReViral's mission has always been to develop world-class therapies for RSV patients. This acquisition represents a validation of the deep antiviral experience of the ReViral team and our unwavering commitment to delivering therapies for patients in need. Pfizer is an optimal partner given its commitment to RSV through the ongoing RSV vaccine programme coupled with world-class clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial capabilities. We are grateful to Novo Holdings and our other investors for their support and guidance as we worked to bring these therapies to patients as quickly as possible." Since January 2020, Novo Ventures has helped deploy over US$1.1 billion in life science investments, including in infectious diseases. The team consists of highly experienced investment professionals who operate from Copenhagen, Boston, London and San Francisco. The team advises on investments in early-stage startups through later stage crossover financings. On the public side, the team helps catalyze IPOs and follow-on financings as well as participation in the open market. About Novo Holdings A/S Novo Holdings A/S is a private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. It is the holding company of the Novo Group, comprising Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S, and is responsible for managing the Novo Nordisk Foundation's assets. Novo Holdings is recognised as a leading international life science investor, with a focus on creating long-term value. As a life science investor, Novo Holdings provides seed and venture capital to development-stage companies and takes significant ownership positions in growth and well-established companies. Novo Holdings also manages a broad portfolio of diversified financial assets. Further information: www.novoholdings.dk About ReViral ReViral is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercialising antiviral therapeutics, with an initial focus on treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Company's lead product candidate, sisunatovir, is an orally administered fusion inhibitor currently being evaluated in a global phase 2 paediatric clinical study (REVIRAL1). The Company also has an RSV N-protein replication inhibitor programme currently in phase 1 clinical development. SOURCE Novo Holdings Poster Presentations to highlight the latest research on OBI-3424 (AKR1C3 small molecule pro-drug) and emerging Globo H science. TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OBI Pharma, Inc. (TPEx: 4174) today announced scientific data highlighting the antitumor synergy of OBI-3424 in combination with pembrolizumab (PD-1) and the association of high Globo H and PD-L1 expression resulting in poor survival in gastric cancer patients, will be presented at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting from April 813, 2022 in New Orleans, LA. (USA). OBI's Chief Scientific Officer, Ming-Tain Lai, Ph. D stated that "OBI Pharma is proud to present at the AACR Annual Meeting our latest scientific findings on the efficacy of OBI-3424 and the role of the Globo H antigen. OBI-3434 can induce immunogenic cell death and demonstrated impressive synergistic efficacy in combination with Pembrolizumab in various cancer models. Emerging science also demonstrated poor survival in gastric cancer patients who have high Globo H and PD-L1 expression. These findings warrant potential combination therapeutic strategies of OBI-3424 as well as anti-Global H plus PD-1/PD-L1 cancer therapeutics ". Title: OBI-3424, an AKR1C3-activated prodrug, exhibits in vivo synergistic anti-tumor effect in combination with pembrolizumab by induction of immunogenic cell death Poster number: 6111 / Abstract number: 2922 Authors1 : Chun-Chung Wang, Wan-Fen Li, Chih-Chan Lee, Lu-Tzu Chen, Jhih-Jie Yang, Jiann-Shiun Lai, Ming-Tain Lai. 1OBI Pharma, Inc., Taipei, Taiwan. Title: High Globo-H expression associated with poor survival of gastric cancer patients and enriched PD-L1 expression Poster Number: 6138 / Abstract number: 1742 Authors: Tzer-Min Kuo1, Hui-Ting Hsu2,3, Cheng-Yen Wei1, Ming-Tain Lai1 and Chun-Te Chen1 1 OBI Pharma, Inc., Taipei, Taiwan. 2 Department of Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan. 3 Institute and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. The e-posters will be available for browsing at the AACR Annual Meeting from 12:00 PM ET on April 8 and on the OBI Pharma website (www.obipharma.com) on April 9. About OBI Pharma OBI Pharma, Inc., is a Taiwan biopharmaceutical company that was established in 2002. Its mission is to develop and license novel therapeutic agents for unmet medical needs against cancer targets such as Globo Series (including Globo H, SSEA-3, and SSEA-4), AKR1C3, and other promising targets. The company's novel first-in-class immuno-oncology portfolio against Globo H includes: Adagloxad Simolenin (formerly OBI-822) and OBI 833, a Globo H active immunotherapy vaccine; OBI-888 (Globo H mAb) and OBI-999 (Globo H ADC). The company's novel first-in-class AKR1C3 targeted therapy is OBI-3424 (small-molecule prodrug) that selectively releases a potent DNA alkylating agent in the presence of the aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) enzyme. Additional information can be found at www.obipharma.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future clinical trials, results and the timing of such trials and results. Such risk factors are identified and discussed from time to time in OBI Pharma's reports and presentations, including OBI Pharma's filings with the Taiwan Securities and Futures Bureau. COMPANY CONTACT: Kevin Poulos OBI Pharma USA, Inc. 1.619.537.7698 Ext. 102 [email protected] SOURCE OBI Pharma, Inc. Company Profiles Some of the companies covered in this report are AVL List GmbH, Bentley Systems Inc., BMT Group Ltd., Dlubal Software Inc., DNV Group AS, Dogtooth Technologies Ltd., Energid Technologies Corp., FFRobotics, Harvest CROO Robotics LLC, Iron Ox Inc., John Wood Group PLC, Metomotion, Panasonic Corp., Ramboll Group AS, Robert Bosch GmbH, Stewart Technology Associates, Viking Systems Inc., Vision Robotics Corp., and Zebec Marine Consultant and Services etc. The key offerings of some of these vendors are listed below: AVL List GmbH - The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as AVL FIRE . The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as . Bentley Systems Inc. - The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as OpenWindPower, SACS, and MAXSURF. The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as OpenWindPower, SACS, and MAXSURF. BMT Group Ltd. - The company offers offshore structural analysis software to measure, monitor, report and optimise mining operations in real-time. The company offers offshore structural analysis software to measure, monitor, report and optimise mining operations in real-time. Dlubal Software Inc. - The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as RFEM and RSTAB. The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as RFEM and RSTAB. DNV Group AS - The company offers offshore structural analysis software such as digital twin. Market Dynamics The increasing demand from the oil and gas industry is driving the growth of the offshore structural analysis software market. However, factors such as lack of workers with digital skills may challenge the growth of the market. Competitive Analysis The competitive scenario provided in the offshore structural analysis software market report analyzes, evaluates, and positions companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered for this analysis include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc. Market Segmentation By end-user, the market is classified into oil and gas, maritime, power generation, and government and defense. The oil and gas segment will contribute the largest share of the market. The enhanced benefits of offshore structure analysis software, such as design compliance, safety standards and virtual assets creation, and improved offshore workforce collaboration in the oil and gas segment are expected to spur its adoption in this segment during the forecast years. will contribute the largest share of the market. The enhanced benefits of offshore structure analysis software, such as design compliance, safety standards and virtual assets creation, and improved offshore workforce collaboration in the oil and gas segment are expected to spur its adoption in this segment during the forecast years. By geography, the market is classified as North America , Middle East and Africa , Europe , APAC, and South America . North America will have the largest share of the market. The presence of major vendors in this region and the technological advances in the offshore projects will drive the offshore structural analysis software market growth in North America during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key countries for the offshore structural analysis software market in North America . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. Learn about the contribution of each segment of the offshore structural analysis software market. View Our Free Sample Report Now Related Reports Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Conversational Computing Platform Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Offshore Structural Analysis Software Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.13% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 483.71 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.7 Regional analysis North America, Middle East and Africa, Europe, APAC, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 48% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AVL List GmbH, Bentley Systems Inc., BMT Group Ltd., Dlubal Software Inc., DNV Group AS, Dogtooth Technologies Ltd., Energid Technologies Corp., FFRobotics, Harvest CROO Robotics LLC, Iron Ox Inc., John Wood Group PLC, Metomotion, Panasonic Corp., Ramboll Group AS, Robert Bosch GmbH, Stewart Technology Associates, Viking Systems Inc., Vision Robotics Corp., and Zebec Marine Consultant and Services Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user 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 between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 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 End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user 5.3 Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Oil and gas - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Oil and gas - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Oil and gas - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Maritime - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Maritime - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Maritime - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Maritime - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Maritime - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Power generation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Power generation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Power generation - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Chart on Power generation - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Power generation - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Government and defence - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 40: Chart on Government and defence - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Government and defence - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 42: Chart on Government and defence - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Government and defence - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 44: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 45: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 46: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 47: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 48: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 49: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Russia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Russia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 85: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 86: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 87: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 88: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 89: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 90: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 91: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 92: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 93: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 94: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 95: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 96: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 AVL List GmbH Exhibit 97: AVL List GmbH - Overview Exhibit 98: AVL List GmbH - Product / Service Exhibit 99: AVL List GmbH - Key offerings 10.4 Bentley Systems Inc. Exhibit 100: Bentley Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 101: Bentley Systems Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 102: Bentley Systems Inc. - Key offerings 10.5 BMT Group Ltd. Exhibit 103: BMT Group Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 104: BMT Group Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 105: BMT Group Ltd. - Key offerings 10.6 Dlubal Software Inc. Exhibit 106: Dlubal Software Inc. - Overview Exhibit 107: Dlubal Software Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 108: Dlubal Software Inc. - Key offerings 10.7 DNV Group AS Exhibit 109: DNV Group AS - Overview Exhibit 110: DNV Group AS - Product / Service Exhibit 111: DNV Group AS - Key offerings 10.8 John Wood Group PLC Exhibit 112: John Wood Group PLC - Overview Exhibit 113: John Wood Group PLC - Business segments Exhibit 114: John Wood Group PLC - Key offerings Exhibit 115: John Wood Group PLC - Segment focus 10.9 Ramboll Group AS Exhibit 116: Ramboll Group AS - Overview Exhibit 117: Ramboll Group AS - Business segments Exhibit 118: Ramboll Group AS - Key offerings Exhibit 119: Ramboll Group AS - Segment focus 10.10 Stewart Technology Associates Exhibit 120: Stewart Technology Associates - Overview Exhibit 121: Stewart Technology Associates - Product / Service Exhibit 122: Stewart Technology Associates - Key offerings 10.11 Viking Systems Inc. Exhibit 123: Viking Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 124: Viking Systems Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 125: Viking Systems Inc. - Key offerings 10.12 Zebec Marine Consultant and Services Exhibit 126: Zebec Marine Consultant and Services - Overview Exhibit 127: Zebec Marine Consultant and Services - Product / Service Exhibit 128: Zebec Marine Consultant and Services - Key offerings 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 About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio NEW DELHI, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The study undertaken by Astute Analytica foresees a tremendous growth in revenue of the market for global oxygen generator market from US$ 1,619.8 Million in 2021 to US$ 2,545 Million by 2030. The market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period 2022-2030. In terms of volume, the market is registering a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. Oxygen generator are devices which help to concentrate the room air into pure, medical grade oxygen. With today's cutting-edge technology, oxygen generator can be designed to be lightweight, free of noise and energy efficient which increase their proliferation into various sectors. Moreover, the market for oxygen generator is driven primarily by the growing awareness on increase in the prevalence of respiratory disorders, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) need the additional flow of oxygen. The oxygen generator provides the required oxygen by producing it from the environment. Furthermore, oxygen generators are also used in industrial contexts like fish farms, gold mines, manufacturing companies and even wastewater treatment plants. Request a Sample Report of Oxygen Generator Market: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/oxygen-generator-market On the basis of type, the small PSA oxygen generator is expected to hold the major share during forecast period owing to its low operation cost, less power consumption and no excess gas production. Moreover, based on form, portable oxygen generator is expected to hold the largest market share and is also anticipated to witness the highest CAGR during forecast period due to its compact size, lightweight, higher oxygen capacity and better mobility in the marketplace. Furthermore, in terms of technology, continuous flow segment is expected to project the highest CAGR in the market over the forecast period owing to rise in lifestyle habits, such as smoking & consumption of alcohol and increase in geriatric population. In addition, based on applications, the home-use oxygen segment contributed the major share in the global oxygen generator market in 2021. Whereas, the industrial oxygen segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In addition, North America is the dominating region in the oxygen generator market in 2021 owing to the rising respiratory diseases and favorable reimbursement policies. Market Dynamics and Trends Drivers The government initiatives to manage respiratory disorders and COVID-19 and rising use of oxygen generators in various industries will boost the global oxygen generator market during forecast period. The COVID-19 outbreak has directly impacted the medical oxygen generators market, as the oxygen demand was amplified across the globe. Moreover, the rising government and non-government body initiatives to aware people regarding the increasing prevalence of respiratory disorders such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, perinatal hypoxia and neonatal oxygen deprivation are expected to increase the adoption of supplementary oxygen products such as concentrators over the forecast period. Furthermore, oxygen generators are employed in a variety of industries including gold mine, healthcare, wastewater treatment plants, aquaculture, aerospace, steel industry, welding, glass blowing, paper and pulp manufacturing and others which will increase the demand for oxygen generators and fuel the oxygen generators market's growth across the globe. Restraints High cost of medical oxygen generator is a restraining factor which inhibits the growth of the market during the forecast period. The high cost of oxygen generator and other development associated to it impede the market growth. The high purity oxygen, automatic operation, high quality parts for less maintenance and guaranteed performance and lower energy and air consumption will enhance the price which led to restrict the market growth. Regional Analysis US holds a major share in terms of revenue in the North America Oxygen Generator Market in 2021 US dominated the North America market in 2021 owing to rising respiratory diseases, surge in geriatric population and favorable reimbursement policies. Whereas Mexico is projected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Among the type segment, small PSA oxygen generator holds the major share in terms of revenue in the North America oxygen generator market during the forecast period. Whereas the large PSA oxygen generator type is projected to grow at a highest CAGR during the forecast period. Poland is expected to project the highest CAGR in the Europe Oxygen Generator Market during forecast period Poland is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Moreover, based on form, the portable oxygen generator is expected to hold the largest share and is also anticipated to witness the highest CAGR in the Europe market during forecast period due to its compact size, lightweight, higher oxygen capacity and better mobility. China is the highest share holder region in the Asia Pacific Oxygen Generator Market in 2021 China holds the major share in the Asia Pacific market in 2021 as China is the central hub for business across industries, as well as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Whereas, India is expected to project the highest CAGR in the Asia Pacific oxygen generator market during the forecast period due to rapidly increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases as well as surge in need for oxygen cylinders will boost the market growth in this region. Moreover, based on technology, pulse flow contributed the major share in the Asia Pacific oxygen generator market. South Africa is expected to hold the largest share and is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR in the MEA market during forecast period Based on country, South Africa in Middle East & Africa is expected to hold the largest share during forecast period. Also, South Africa is expected to project the highest CAGR during the forecast period in the MEA oxygen generator market over forecast period. On the basis of application, home-use oxygen holds the major share in the Middle East & Africa oxygen generator market as they are designed to be lightweight, free of noise and energy efficient, which increase their proliferation for home-use thereby accelerating the segmental growth. Whereas, the industrial oxygen is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Brazil is projected to grow with the highest CAGR in the South America Oxygen Generator Market over forecast period Brazil held the major share in the South America oxygen generator market in 2021. Also, it is expected to project the highest CAGR in the South America market during the forecast period. Moreover, among the type, the small PSA oxygen generator holds a major share in term of revenue in the South America oxygen generator market during the forecast period. Furthermore, based on technology segment, the continuous flow is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Directly Purchase a copy of report with TOC @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/oxygen-generator-market Report Attribute Details Market Size Value in 2021 US$ 1,619.8 Million Market Outlook for 2030 US$ 2,545 Million Expected CAGR Growth 5.1% from 2022 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Top Market Players Atlas Copco, Beijing Shenlu Medical Device Co., Ltd., CAIRE Inc., Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Foshan Care Medical Technology Co., Ltd., GCE Group, Inogen Inc., Invacare Inc., Nidek medical Inc., NGK spark plug, Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Teijin Ltd. Segments Covered By Type, By Form, By Technology, By Application, By Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Customization Options Get your customized report as per your preference. Ask for customization Competitive Insight Global Oxygen Generator Market is highly competitive in order to increase their presence in the marketplace. Some of the key players operating in the global oxygen generator market include Atlas Copco, Beijing Shenlu Medical Device Co., Ltd., CAIRE Inc., Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Foshan Care Medical Technology Co., Ltd., GCE Group, Inogen Inc., Invacare Inc., Nidek medical Inc., NGK spark plug, Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Teijin Ltd. among others. Segmentation Overview Global Oxygen Generator Market is segmented based on type, form, technology, applications and region. The industry trends in the global oxygen generator market are sub-divided into different categories in order to get a holistic view of the global marketplace. Following are the different segments of the Global Oxygen Generator Market: By Type segment of the Global Oxygen Generator Market is sub-segmented into: Small PSA Oxygen Generator Large PSA Oxygen Generator By Form segment of the Global Oxygen Generator Market is sub-segmented into: Portable Oxygen Generators Stationary Oxygen Generators By Technology segment of the Global Oxygen Generator Market is sub-segmented into: Pulse Flow Continuous Flow By Applications segment of the Global Oxygen Generator Market is sub-segmented into: Home- Use Oxygen Industrial Oxygen Sewage and Wastewater treatment Steel Industry Gold Mining Welding Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Glass Blowing Fish farms & Aquaculture By Region segment of the Global Oxygen Generator Market is sub-segmented into: North America The U.S. Canada Mexico Europe The UK Germany France Italy Spain Poland Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia & New Zealand & South Korea ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa (MEA) UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA South America Argentina Brazil Rest of South America Enquire more about this report before purchase @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/oxygen-generator-market For Additional Information OR Media Enquiry, Please Mail Us At: [email protected] About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company which has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron-come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us. Contact us: Aamir Beg BSI Business Park, H-15,Sector-63, Noida- 201301- India Phone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World) Email: [email protected] Website: www.astuteanalytica.com Follow US: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Astute Analytica - Plans for Phase 3 Program Presented at National Kidney Foundation's Annual Spring Clinical Meeting - RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathalys Pharma, Inc., a private, late-stage biopharma company committed to the development and commercialization of a range of best-in-class therapies for patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD), today announced plans for a phase 3 program to support the application of upacicalcet (designated PLS240 for clinical trials), globally. Pathalys holds exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of upacicalcet, a novel calcimimetic, worldwide outside of Japan and Asia. "This is a very exciting time for Pathalys as we set out to further understand the full clinical potential of upacicalcet in patients with ESKD through two phase 3 studies that will form the basis for our applications for approval," said Dr. Theodore Danoff, Chief Medical Officer and SVP, Clinical Development at Pathalys. "Upacicalcet is a novel calcimimetic that performed exceptionally well in phase 3 studies in Japan where it was recently approved for the treatment of SHPT in patients on dialysis. We look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness for patients in the US and other markets globally." In a poster presented today at the National Kidney Foundation's Annual Spring Clinical Meeting (SCM22), the company disclosed its plans to initiate two phase 3 clinical trials in 2022 to evaluate upacicalcet as a treatment alternative to currently available calcimimetics. The two identically designed phase 3 clinical trials will assess the efficacy of upacicalcet in reducing intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) by 30 percent or more in participants with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and currently on hemodialysis. Each trial will randomize approximately 375 patients (2:1) to upacicalcet or placebo. Eligible patients will be adults receiving in-center hemodialysis three times weekly and whose iPTH values are 450 pg/mL or greater. Upacicalcet will be titrated based on iPTH and serum corrected calcium (cCa) levels with dose steps between 25 and 300 g as a bolus IV injection given at the end of a dialysis session. Upacicalcet starting dose will be 50 g if cCa is 9.0 mg/dL or greater or 25 g if cCa is below 9.0 mg/dL. Doses will be titrated to maintain iPTH in the range of 150-300 pg/mL. Japanese Approval and Clinical Trial: Upacicalcet was approved last year in Japan (under the brand name UPASITA) based in part on a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study in hemodialysis patients with SHPT. The study evaluated upacicalcet when administered three times weekly with a starting dose of 25 or 50 g IV based on cCa levels and was titrated from 25 to 300 g over 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a mean iPTH between 60 and 240 pg/mL over weeks 22 to 24 and was achieved in 69 of 103 patients (67.0 percent) in the upacicalcet group and 4 of 50 patients (8.0 percent) in the placebo group (difference of 59.0 percent, p<0.001). A 30 percent or greater reduction in mean iPTH over weeks 22 to 24 was achieved by 80.6 percent in the upacicalcet group compared to 8.0 percent in the placebo group (difference of 72.6 percent; p<0.001). Upper gastrointestinal disorder adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported in two of 103 patients (1.9 percent) in the upacicalcet group and in three of 50 patients (6.0 percent) in the placebo group. The incidence of calcium less than 7.5 mg/dL was low with 2 events (1.9 percent). About Pathalys Pharma, Inc. Pathalys Pharma, Inc. is a private, late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of multiple advanced therapeutics that address unmet needs in the management of ESKD. Pathalys' initial asset is upacicalcet, a novel calcimimetic with the potential to improve the treatment of SHPT in hemodialysis patients. Beyond upacicalcet, Pathalys continues to identify other high priority needs and potential solutions for patients with ESKD. Pathalys is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For more information about Pathalys, please visit www.pathalys.com. SOURCE Pathalys Pharma Patra has demonstrated their ability to apply expertise to develop innovative insurance services Tweet this USI Insurance Services is rolling out CertVault nationwide and will provide CertVault with real-time access to the status of their policies, which will then enable certificate monitoring for their issued certificates. "Partnering with Patra and combining technologies within complex services will help all parties within the insurance ecosystem," said Stew Gibson, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of USI Insurance Services. "Patra has clearly demonstrated their ability to apply its considerable resources and expertise to develop innovative insurance services to our industry, and CertVault is just the beginning of our combined efforts." The latest patent filing for Patra's Policy Checking service, used by hundreds of insurance organizations across the United States and Canada, is a major advancement in Patra's technology-enabled services innovations built on the PatraOne Platform. PatraOne, a proprietary technology platform, powers all services Patra offers to Broker Agents, MGAs, Carriers, and Wholesalers. With capabilities across machine learning, artificial intelligence, workflow and task automation, Patra provides cost-efficient services. "While the insurance market has continued to drive technology innovation, digitization, and transformation of operation workflows and tasks, our PatraOne Platform is the foundation for how we provide services," said John Simpson, CEO and Founder of Patra. "The new capabilities in the PatraOne platform deliver increased customer satisfaction and help streamline operations. We help our customers deliver exceptional customer experience while minimizing the associated risks of manual workflows. Our tech-enabled services underscore our commitment to continuous innovation by helping insurance leaders navigate today's business environment and contain the rising costs we are all feeling today." About Patra Patra is a leading provider of technology-enabled services to the insurance industry. Patra powers insurance processes by optimizing the application of people and technology, supporting insurance organizations as they sell, deliver, and manage policies and customers through our PatraOne platform. Patra's global team of process executives in geo-politically stable and democratic countries that protect data, allows agencies, MGAs, wholesalers, and carriers to capture the Patra Advantage profitable growth and organizational value. Patra is also a founding member of the InsurConneXtions Alliance, representing leaders across insurance technology, brokerage, wholesale, and specialty insurance, representing over $50 Billion in Insurance premiums. For more information, visit patracorp.com or follow us @Patracorp on Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Patra Corporation PHILADELPHIA, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) today announced a partnership with Havas Health & You (HH&Y), the world's largest global health network specializing in communications, education, and innovation for an innovative research program that connects students with the foremost experts in the field. The Havas Health & You Research Scholars program, designed specifically for PCOM students, will pair doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students with HH&Y mentors who will guide them through the research process. First year DO students interested in applying to the program will submit research proposals of their own design and will interview with a team of HH&Y researchers. If selected for the program, students will work with HH&Y mentors who will facilitate their research efforts. "The HH&Y Research Scholars program is a unique and important opportunity for PCOM students to develop their skills as researchers with a broad focus on global health," said Mindy George-Weinstein, PhD, PCOM's chief research and science officer. "We are extremely appreciative of the commitment of HH&Y to this program that will open doors for our students throughout their careers." "We are very excited to have this opportunity to connect with clinicians in training," said Brad Davidson, PhD, the Director of Medical Anthropology across the global HH&Y network. "Communicating effectively about health and healthcare is challenging, as the global pandemic has shown yet we have never had more of an opportunity to shape the future of the industry. We are delighted to be part of this training, and look forward to seeing the great work these students can do." The program will run for a full term with three students selected for the pilot cohort. Upon completion of their respective research projects, students will have the opportunity to present their research both internally and at conferences. Their research is also expected to result in publication of their findings. Students will provide valuable feedback that will help shape the program for future HH&Y Research Scholars. PCOM is the first and only medical school to partner with HH&Y on a program of this nature. Carrie Collins, JD, PhD, chief advancement and strategic planning officer, was instrumental in the development of the program and is optimistic about the potential for these types of strategic partnerships. "Through this program, PCOM students will have the incredible opportunity to gain critical hands-on skills and knowledge from global health professionals," Collins said. "Unique partnerships like this expand the reach of what's possible for our students, and we're incredibly proud to be the first medical school in the country to be a part of something like this." Havas Health & You is the healthcare and wellness arm of Paris-based Havas, a division of Vivendi. About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Founded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a "whole person" approach to caretreating people, not just symptoms. PCOM operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy and school psychology, and graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, non profit leadership and population health management, organizational development and leadership, physician assistant studies, school psychology, and public health management and administration. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100. About Havas Health & You Havas Health & You unites Havas Life, Health4Brands (H4B), Lynx, Red Havas and Havas Health Plus, all wholly owned health and communications networks, with the consumer health businesses and practices of Havas Creative Group. The network's approach is centered around Human Purpose and has the talent, tenacity, and technology that health companies, brands and people need to thrive in today's world. For more information, go to www.HavasHealthandYou.com. SOURCE Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine "The devastation in Ukraine is heartbreaking," said Shameek Konar, CEO of Pilot Company. "We've seen how our round-up giving campaigns can quickly make a difference thanks to the support of our team members and guests, and we are again in amazement of their generosity and compassion. This $1 million will help Save the Children meet the urgent and growing needs of children and families in Ukraine and the region. Thank you to everyone who joined us in this critical effort and to Save the Children for providing lifesaving assistance to the people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine." Save the Children is providing relief for children and families inside Ukraine as well as in neighboring countries through delivering food, water, hygiene kits, voucher assistance, and other humanitarian programs. The organization aims to reach 10 million children and their families impacted by the Ukraine crisis. Donations to Save the Children help make possible their ability to provide essential assistance, such as: $50 can provide 10 warm, cozy blankets to children displaced from their homes can provide 10 warm, cozy blankets to children displaced from their homes $100 helps supply a month's worth of nutrition food to a family in crisis helps supply a month's worth of nutrition food to a family in crisis $175 can provide five families with emergency shelter materials "Save the Children is extremely grateful for Pilot Company's support in response to the devastating crisis in Ukraine," said Luciana Bonifacio, Chief Development Officer, Save the Children. "The funds raised will enable us to distribute critical emergency supplies and where possible, establish safe spaces for children, ultimately helping protect impacted children and families in Ukraine and neighboring countries." More information on Save the Children is available at https://www.savethechildren.org/. To learn more about Pilot Company and its longstanding commitment to giving back, visit pilotcompany.com/about. *Certain purchases (including, without limitation, fuel and fuel additives and purchases made on fleet cards or direct bill programs) are not eligible for round-up contributions. About Pilot Company Pilot Travel Centers LLC ("Pilot Company") keeps North America's drivers moving as one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Company has grown its network to more than 800 retail and fueling locations and as the third largest tanker fleet in North America, supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market. Its energy division also supplies DEF, bio and renewable fuels and provides hauling and disposal services to the oil field sector. Pilot Company serves 1.5 million guests per day and provides over 70,000 fleet customers with solutions for fuel, credit, factoring, services and rewards. Its Pilot Flying J Travel Center network includes over 750 locations in 44 states and five Canadian provinces with more than 790 restaurants, 75,000 truck parking spaces, 5,300 deluxe showers, 6,200 diesel lanes and offers truck maintenance and tire service with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J. The One9 Fuel Network connects a variety of fueling locations to provide smaller fleets and independent professional drivers with everyday value, convenience, credit and perks. More information on locations and rewards are available in the myRewards PlusTM app. Pilot Company is currently ranked No. 7 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. For additional information about Pilot Company, its 28,000 team members and commitment to giving back, visit www.pilotcompany.com. About Save the Children Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children every day and in times of crisis transforming their lives and the future we share. SOURCE Pilot Company The Hotline offers 24/7 trauma-informed crisis counseling to sexual violence survivors. Survivor Support Services crisis hotline billboards are displayed across New York's Southern Tier & Mohawk Valley. NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness month, today Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) announces the launch of its new centralized Survivor Support Services crisis hotline for survivors of sexual violence. The hotline connects individuals to PPGNY's Survivor Support Services counselors who are trained and certified to provide trauma-informed rape crisis counseling. Survivor Support Services counselors are also available around the clock to accompany survivors of sexual assault to the hospital to advance healing and advocate with law enforcement to pursue justice. All Survivor Support Services are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-866-307-4086. The Survivor Support Service crisis hotline is the result of an alignment between PPGNY's Sexual Assault Resource Center and Victim Advocacy Services. Both legacy programs operated hotlines to assist individuals throughout New York's Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions. Consolidating these programs allows Planned Parenthood of Greater New York to provide more direct services to survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and stalking in Chemung, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Warren, and Washington counties. No matter a person's zip code, PPGNY Survivor Support Services are here to help, and referrals are available for other areas of New York State. "Everyone has the power to shift the culture into one that supports survivors of sexual violence," said Giokazta Molina-Schneider, PPGNY's Vice President of Community Engagement. "Our new, streamlined Survivor Support Services crisis hotline will be a crucial lifeline for people of all genders who are forced to overcome the trauma of sexual violence. They shouldn't have to do it alone, and we are here for them. PPGNY advocates are committed to supporting survivors through the healing process - no matter the circumstances. We want survivors to know that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York sees you, we believe you, and we care about you." Survivor Support Services also works to enhance public safety by providing sexual violence prevention training and outreach to more than 700 professionals and community members per year, in addition to more than 3,000 direct survivor services annually. Rollout of the Survivor Support Services crisis hotline includes billboards displayed across Steuben, Schuyler, Chemung and Fulton counties. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care and education, and a fierce advocate of reproductive rights. PPGNY offers a wide range of services at 23 health centers across 65% of the state. PPGNY is a trusted source of medically accurate, evidence-based information that allows people to make informed decisions about their health and future. Contact: Jacquelyn Marrero, [email protected], 646-642-6682 SOURCE Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Synfioo's visibility and ETA capabilities are a natural addition to project44's multi-modal visibility platform used by leading shippers, LSPs and carriers. With Synfioo, project44 will provide customers with unrivalled end-to-end data to facilitate faster on-time deliveries and more accurate ETAs, as well as low-carbon rail and barge shipping in Europe. Market-leading rail freight visibility "Europe's rail infrastructure was developed nearly 200 years ago and was not built for the cross-border trade that exists today," said Marian Pufahl, former CEO & co-Founder of Synfioo. "Our platform brings together a proprietary infrastructure network and freight forwarder information to offer the most comprehensive rail freight data for Europe. Now as project44, we will continue to drive data harmonisation between the various rail networks and provide unrivalled visibility to our customers." Through the acquisition, project44's European rail network now provides the following capabilities: Comprehensive visibility of all cargo rail movements across European countries IoT-enabled rail tracking combined with proprietary data, and direct integration to all of Europe's rail infrastructure networks for granular visibility Visibility of over 99% of European rail volume, including wagon-level tracking for 90% of rail cars, to ensure visibility for every customer shipment Intermodal end-to-end rail data combined with machine learning algorithms offering the most precise rail journey ETAs and customer delivery times Enhanced barge visibility project44 has also enhanced its barge visibility capabilities as part of this acquisition, to provide granular, accurate visibility of vital inland waterway segments across Europe. Customers can now harness specialised data science techniques, combined with real-time satellite tracking, to ensure the most accurate visibility of inland waterways. Key features include: Intelligent asset-matching technology which extends visibility coverage, using data science-based techniques to track individual barges in real-time, without requiring traditional identifying information Dynamic routing models that offer accurate ETAs, as well as intermodal end-to-end movements that include barge segments Sophisticated water depth modelling and inland waterway data sources which enable carriers to assess load capacity, maximise on-time deliveries and avoid delays for shippers and LSPs "By acquiring Synfioo, we've not only expanded the breadth and depth of our visibility platform, but also added European tech talent and expertise to our rapidly growing international team, which is now well over 400 exceptional team members," said Renaud-Houri, EVP International at project44. "Shippers, LSPs and carriers aren't alone in navigating the complex European market, with project44's platform making it easier than ever to improve ETAs, reduce costs, maximise on-time deliveries and mitigate bottlenecks. Most importantly, this level of visibility will help more companies to harness sustainable, low-carbon rail and barge shipping, which will play a vital role in helping Europe meet its net-zero ambitions." What Our Customers Say "We started our journey with project44 in 2021 to help us deliver global visibility and improve the accuracy of our ETAs. This information is essential to our customer commitment of responsive logistics," said Xavier Bour, Global Ground & Rail Leader at CEVA Logistics. "With rail transportation representing a critical part of our global network and our sustainability strategy, enhanced capabilities and rail coverage would further help CEVA and our customers achieve our goals." To learn more about project44's recent growth and momentum, visit project44's website. About project44 project44 is on a mission to make supply chains work. As the supply chain connective tissue, project44 operates the world's most trusted end-to-end visibility platform that tracks more than 1 billion shipments annually for over 1,000 of the leading brands, including top companies in manufacturing, automotive, retail, life sciences, food & beverage, and oil, chemical & gas. Using project44, shippers and carriers across the globe drive greater predictability, resiliency, and sustainability. The undisputed leader in the market, project44 was named the Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, #1 in FreightWaves FreightTech 2022, the Customer's Choice in Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer report. project44 is headquartered in Chicago with a diverse team spanning 17 global offices. To learn more, visit www.project44.com Contact: [email protected] SOURCE project44 The pump jack market covers the following areas: Pump Jack Market Sizing Pump Jack Market Forecast Pump Jack Market Analysis Key Segment Analysis The pump jack market share growth by the onshore segment will be significant during the forecast period. In onshore oil and gas E&P operations, the operating cost of drilling activities is significantly lower than that of offshore oil and gas drilling activities, as the latter employs comparatively expensive technologies and resources. Therefore, oil and gas E&P companies are investing significantly in onshore E&P projects to gain profit margins. Several countries are investing in oil and gas E&P operations to ensure energy security by increasing production. View FREE Sample: to know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years. Vendor Insights The pump jack market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as investing more in E&P activities to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including: Baker Hughes Co. Borets International Ltd. ChampionX Corp. China Vigor Drilling Oil Tools and Equipment Co Ltd Cook Pump Co. Dansco Manufacturing Inc. Drake Machining E and H Manufacturing ETANG Drilling Production Service Ltd Halliburton Co. JCPump LLC. Liberty Lift Solutions LLC Puyang Zhongshi Group Co. Ltd. Schlumberger Ltd. Seaco Oilfield Equipment Co. Ltd. Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Shengji Group Weatherford International Plc Werner Co. Young's Welding Inc. Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product offerings, Read Free Sample Report . Geographical Market Analysis North America will have the highest market share growth during the forecast period. The increase in oil and gas discoveries, along with the rising investments and initiatives are undertaken by various governments, will drive the pump jack market growth in North America during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key countries for the pump jacks market in North America. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in Europe, MEA, and South America. Know more about this market's geographical distribution along with the detailed analysis of the top regions. View Our Report Snapshot Key Market Drivers & Challenges: The benefits of pump jacks is driving the market growth. Pump jacks are used in oilfields if the reservoir pressure is not high enough to bring crude oil to the surface. They have the potential to extend the life of oil wells by recovering a significant quantity of hydrocarbons from the well. The performance of pump jacks can be supervised remotely by employing remote monitoring systems. Thus, the reduction in labor cost lowers the overall production operation cost and helps oilfield operators earn profits. The growing adoption of alternative artificial lift techniques will challenge the pump jack market during the forecast period. Pump jack units, progressive cavity pumps, subsurface hydraulic pumps, ESPs, and gas lift techniques are used during primary hydrocarbon recovery. Pump jack systems have low operational costs and are simple when compared to operate compared with other artificial lift techniques. They are less feasible in offshore oilfields due to their high weight. They are also susceptible to paraffin issues, have limitations in urban locations due to size, have low volumetric efficiency in gassy wells, and are subject to corrosion. Download free sample for highlights on market drivers & challenges affecting the market. Customize Your Report Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time. We offer USD 1,000 worth of FREE customization at the time of purchase. Speak to our Analyst now! Related Reports: Explosion Proof Motors Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Automatic Floodgate Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Pump Jack Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 4.78% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 987.08 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.26 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 45% Key consumer countries US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Brazil Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Baker Hughes Co., Borets International Ltd., ChampionX Corp., China Vigor Drilling Oil Tools and Equipment Co Ltd, Cook Pump Co., Dansco Manufacturing Inc., Drake Machining, E and H Manufacturing, ETANG Drilling Production Service Ltd, Halliburton Co., JCPump LLC., Liberty Lift Solutions LLC, Puyang Zhongshi Group Co. Ltd., Schlumberger Ltd., Seaco Oilfield Equipment Co. Ltd., Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Shengji Group, Weatherford International Plc, Werner Co., and Young's Welding Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by 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 between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 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 Onshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Onshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Onshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Onshore - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Onshore - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Offshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Offshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Offshore - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Offshore - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Offshore - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Application ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 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 (%) 7.5 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 (%) 7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 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 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Russia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Russia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Russia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Saudi Arabia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Baker Hughes Co. Exhibit 89: Baker Hughes Co. - Overview Exhibit 90: Baker Hughes Co. - Business segments Exhibit 91: Baker Hughes Co. - Key news Exhibit 92: Baker Hughes Co. - Key offerings Exhibit 93: Baker Hughes Co. - Segment focus 10.4 ChampionX Corp. Exhibit 94: ChampionX Corp. - Overview Exhibit 95: ChampionX Corp. - Key offerings 10.5 Cook Pump Co. Exhibit 96: Cook Pump Co. - Overview Exhibit 97: Cook Pump Co. - Product / Service Exhibit 98: Cook Pump Co. - Key offerings 10.6 Dansco Manufacturing Inc. Exhibit 99: Dansco Manufacturing Inc. - Overview Exhibit 100: Dansco Manufacturing Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 101: Dansco Manufacturing Inc. - Key offerings 10.7 Drake Machining Exhibit 102: Drake Machining - Overview Exhibit 103: Drake Machining - Product / Service Exhibit 104: Drake Machining - Key offerings 10.8 E and H Manufacturing Exhibit 105: E and H Manufacturing - Overview Exhibit 106: E and H Manufacturing - Product / Service Exhibit 107: E and H Manufacturing - Key offerings 10.9 Liberty Lift Solutions LLC Exhibit 108: Liberty Lift Solutions LLC - Overview Exhibit 109: Liberty Lift Solutions LLC - Key offerings 10.10 Schlumberger Ltd. Exhibit 110: Schlumberger Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 111: Schlumberger Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 112: Schlumberger Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 113: Schlumberger Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Exhibit 114: Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 115: Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 116: Shandong Shenyu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 10.12 Weatherford International Plc Exhibit 117: Weatherford International Plc - Overview Exhibit 118: Weatherford International Plc - Business segments Exhibit 119: Weatherford International Plc - Key offerings Exhibit 120: Weatherford International Plc - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 121: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 122: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 123: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 124: Research methodology Exhibit 125: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 126: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 127: List of abbreviations About Us: Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Lynn and Shawn understand the value of Realto's ability to provide liquidity and unlock value for real estate investors Tweet this "We are excited to bring Lynn and Shawn aboard and are pleased that they've hit the ground running as Realto builds on its success to date," Mr. Kinney said. "They are well-respected industry veterans who understand the value of Realto's ability to provide liquidity and unlock value for investors in the secondary trading of real estate and other illiquid securities." Ms. Berger, based in Pittsburgh, arrives after spending more than 20 years in the industry. This includes experience at Allianz, The Hartford and Cantor Fitzgerald, where she worked closely with Mr. Kinney and Mr. Barlow. She can be reached at [email protected]. Mr. O'Shaughnessy, based in St. Louis, also brings two decades as a sales professional and financial advisor. This includes experience as a National Sales Manager and National Product Manager for large alternative investment distribution companies, such as SC Distributors. He can be reached at [email protected]. ABOUT REALTO Based in Overland Park, Kan., Realto Securities, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Realto, Inc., is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer that offers an innovative, customer-centric, and transparent market, dedicated to providing investors with the ability to trade traditionally illiquid real estate and alternative securities. For more information, please visit Realto and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn. Realto Media Contact: Randy Williams [email protected] +1.917.213.5980 SOURCE Realto Inc. SODERTALJE, Sweden, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anocca, a biotechnology company using its precision biology platforms to engineer a broad portfolio of innovative T cell therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Dr. Michael Kalos to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Kalos is an internationally recognised expert in T cell immunotherapy with over 25 years' experience at the cutting edge of cell therapy, oncology vaccines, and immuno-oncology. Michael was most recently Executive Vice President and Head of R&D at ArsenalBio, a next-generation cell therapy biotech in California. Previously, Dr. Kalos led Immuno-oncology and Oncology Cell Therapies at Janssen and served as Chief Scientific Officer of Immuno-oncology at Eli Lilly. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and completed his postdoctoral training with Philip Greenberg at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Michael's laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania played a key role in the development of the CTL019 program that was licensed to Novartis and led to the approval of Kymriah. Dr. Kalos has co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including a series of highly cited articles that helped to define the CAR- and TCR-based T cell therapy space, he also has 26 issued patents spanning cell therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccines. As Anocca plans for clinical development and accelerates discovery efforts, Dr. Kalos strengthens Anocca's internationally recognised SAB, joining Professors Adnane Archour, Rolf Kiessling and Klas Karre, from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and Professor Michael Nishimura, from Loyola University Chicago. Anocca's CEO and co-founder Reagan Jarvis, said, "We're delighted to welcome Michael to our SAB. He brings a wealth of valuable insights in immuno-oncology therapeutic development, in addition to decades of domain-specific scientific knowledge in T-cell therapies and vaccines. The team at Anocca is looking forward to working with Michael and our other SAB members to advance a next-generation of precision T-cell therapies and vaccines." Anocca's newly appointed SAB member, Michael Kalos, said, "It is a distinct pleasure to join Anocca's SAB. I have been following with great interest the company's impressive progress to develop next-generation immunotherapies that effectively harness T-cell immunity. Anocca has established a unique suite of platform capabilities to discover and develop potentially best-in-class TCR-based therapeutics, and I look forward to contributing to their development of a range of novel therapeutic and prophylactic products." Media contacts: Anocca CDO Mark Farmery [email protected] Scius Communications Daniel Gooch [email protected] About Anocca Anocca is leveraging its innovative platform approach to develop transformative TCR-T cell immunotherapies to treat solid tumours. The company has validated and deployed a proprietary precision biology platform that enables assumption-free discovery of targets and fully characterised TCRs at an industrial scale with unprecedented speed and precision. Anocca has a fully integrated R&D infrastructure, underpinned by tailor-made advanced software solutions, and complemented by a clinical manufacturing and process development facility. The platform has generated a broad preclinical pipeline of assets with blockbuster potential and expects to progress several TCR-T therapies to the clinic in the near term. Founded in 2014, Anocca is led by an experienced management team that has raised over USD 100 million in funding from leading investors Swedbank Robur Ny Teknik, Ramsbury Invest, Mellby Gard, Nidoco and Michano. Anocca's team of over 75 employees operate from its site in Sodertalje, Sweden. To learn more about Anocca, please visit www.anocca.com and follow us on LinkedIn . SOURCE Anocca PHOENIX, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) today announced that it will release its first quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, May 5, 2022, after the market closes, and will host an investor conference call at 5 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast of the conference call can be accessed by logging onto the Company's Investor Relations page on republicservices.com, or listeners may access the call by dialing 1-844-890-1789 or 412-717-9598 (International), passcode "Republic Services." The Company encourages participants who will be dialing in to pre-register for the conference call using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10164688/f2041dfc10. Callers who pre-register will be given a conference passcode and PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator on the day of the call. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. A replay of the call will be available one hour after the end of the conference through May 12, 2022, by calling 877-344-7529 or 412-317-0088 (International), passcode 8196868. The conference call will also be archived on the Company's website at republicservices.com. About Republic Services Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the U.S. environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides superior service offerings while partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, visit RepublicServices.com, or follow us at Facebook.com/RepublicServices, @RepublicService on Twitter or Republic Services on LinkedIn. The Company participates in investor presentations and conferences throughout the year. Interested parties can find a schedule of these conferences at republicservices.com. SOURCE Republic Services, Inc. SAN DIEGO , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivulis, a global leader in micro irrigation solutions offering the broadest portfolio in the market, announced today that it is expanding its North American footprint with the establishment of a new, state-of-the-art factory. The new facility will allow for the needed capacity expansion to better serve the strategic North American agricultural market and also for streamlining its North American manufacturing capacity. The plant will be located a few minutes south of the San Diego border, in Tijuana, Baja California, and a few miles from Rivulis North American Headquarters in San Diego, CA, where Rivulis will maintain its Management, Quality, Global Engineering and R&D teams. The plant is ideally located to address Rivulis key markets in USA, Canada and Mexico. "This multi-million dollar investment highlights our long term commitment to the North American market. Rivulis is poised to continue to grow and to become the premier drip irrigation solutions provider in North America and beyond. We are committed to our corporate mission of Making Micro Irrigation Accessible to growers and to helping them Grow Beyond." says Fabien Kelbert, President of Rivulis North America. The new Rivulis factory is central to the Rivulis business and global footprint strategy and applies the same high quality standards and innovative manufacturing processes. "We believe by bolstering our capacity and by adding state-of-the art innovative technologies in manufacturing, we will be better positioned to serve our customers, increasing our availability and making our product more accessible to all growers in North America and beyond" added Kelbert. About Rivulis Rivulis is a global micro irrigation leader focused on enabling and promoting a sustainable agri-food supply chain to not only feed our planet but also save it from the perils of climate change. Rivulis offers the most innovative irrigation solutions for seasonal, permanent, and protected crop environments, through its 3 product and service portfolio brands: Rivulis, Eurodrip & Manna. Established in 1966, Rivulis has 16 large-scale manufacturing sites located across 6 continents, 3 R&D Centers (Israel, California, and Greece) and multiple Irrigation Project Design Centers around the globe. Rivulis is backed by Temasek under its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework. Leading the mass adoption of micro irrigation globally, Rivulis is committed to increasing accessibility to all growers everywhere through simple, affordable and smart technology covering the full cycle from design to harvest. To learn how Rivulis can help you GROW BEYOND your highest expectations season after season, visit www.rivulis.com. For Questions regarding this information, please contact Ze'ev Barylka, Chief Commercial Officer at [email protected] or (858) 431-6851 SOURCE Rivulis Thirteenth President at SAU Makes an Immediate Impact; Raises Student Enrollment and Prepares for Campus Expansion Last year, the SAU Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail as the University's 13th President. The announcement came after an extensive national search to fill the vacancy left after the untimely passing of her husband, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, in October 2020. "We are excited and fortunate to have an innovative, proven credential leader of Dr. Christine McPhail's stature to lead SAU to the next level of excellence as we reimagine a new model of the HBCU of the future," said Retired Honorable Justice James E. Perry, Chairman of the Board of Trustees in a statement. Since her arrival in 2021, Dr. McPhail's impact as SAU's new leader includes a 10-year high in Fall Enrollment, record-breaking alumni giving, and an outpour of federal funding to cover student account balances. In addition, SAU has secured grants of $499,000 and $400,000 to repurpose and preserve Hermitage Hall and St. Agnes Hospital, respectively. "We have a responsibility to leave SAU better than we found it," said Dr. McPhail. "I am honored to be a steward for the change and growth happening here." As a result of the upward trend of new student enrollment, plans are underway to launch a capital campaign to expand the campus and improve the student experience. The campaign involves improving current buildings and constructing facilities to house SAU's newly formed Centers of Innovation in entrepreneurship, health and wellness, social justice, global competitiveness, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). "This is SAU's season of impact," said Veronica Creech, vice president of economic development and external engagement. "The ceiling for opportunity is high for us. We have incredible leadership and land to accommodate the growth we envision in the near term," said Creech. Additionally, case statements and updates to the University's website and printed collateral are underway to create opportunities to engage philanthropic and corporate communities. "We are fully aware of the growth opportunity before us. We spend hours making plans to build the best student experience possible," said Dr. Carolyn Carter, vice president of institutional advancement, marketing, and communications. Click here for a full itinerary of events surrounding the President's Installation ceremony. About Saint Augustine's University Founded in 1867 by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, the mission of Saint Augustine's University is to sustain a learning community in which students can prepare academically, socially and spiritually for leadership in a complex, diverse and rapidly changing world. SOURCE Saint Augustine's University International artists unite to support EnsembleUkraine's humanitarian efforts SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scality CEO Jerome Lecat is leading a charity non-fungible token (NFT) sale with #TogetherUkr, an exceptional NFT collection created by renowned artists to help the people of Ukraine. Launching on Friday, April 15 on www.togetherukr.com , the initiative will be selling 25,000 NFTs to raise funds for the humanitarian actions led by nonprofit organization #EnsembleUkraine, in partnership with the Paris Blockchain Summit, and to help Ukrainian artists. Click to Tweet : @Scality CEO Jerome Lecat leads charity NFT sale with @togetherukr_nft a collection created by renowned artists to help Ukraine that launches April 15. www.togetherukr.com #TogetherUkr The sale will close when the entire collection is minted (sold). The #EnsembleUkraine collective, supported by France Digitale, the Galion Project, and the French Tech Mission, is driven by two objectives helping the Ukrainian people and helping Ukrainian artists. Funds from the sale will be divided as follows: 20% will be donated to certified NGOs that support Ukrainian artists and Ukrainian artists taking part in the NFT charity sale. 80% will be donated directly to #EnsembleUkraine for the financing of its humanitarian actions. #EnsembleUkraine was created by a French collective of entrepreneurs from various backgrounds who share a common desire to help the Ukrainian community. The sale will feature NFTs by Ukrainian street art artist Roman Chizz, who relies on the collaboration between human and machine for his work. Four Ukrainian painters Anastasiia Ovod, Daria Pavliuk, Vira Yakymchuk and Yana Protasova also donated paintings denouncing the horrors of war. International artists participating in the sale include Gregoire "Greg" Guillemin, a famed neo-pop-art French artist; Greek artist Frank Bakastias; and French artists Ito Dubois and Maguitte. To participate in the NFT #TogetherUkr charity sale: Go to the www.togetherukr.com platform anytime after 8pm (GMT+1) on Friday, April 15 platform anytime after 8pm (GMT+1) on Join the sale via the "Mint is open" button Set the amount of the desired donation (mint) (minimum of 0.06 Eth per NFT, the maximum is left to the choice of the donor) Set the desired amount of NFT The donation is registered The donor will discover their NFT(s) at the closing of the sale Jerome Lecat, CEO, Scality, said: "I am amazed by the thousands of spontaneous citizen initiatives to support the Ukrainian people and am proud to be part of it with Ensemble Ukraine. Let's use NFTs for good. If you already have an NFT collection or you always wanted to invest in an NFT but did not know where to start this is for you. We pledge to do everything in our power to change the course of history and help peace and democracy triumph." About Scality The Scality storage platform propels companies to achieve unified data management anywhere data lives from edge to core to cloud. Our market-leading file and object storage software is designed to protect data in on-premises, hybrid and multi-cloud environments. With Scality RING and ARTESCA , our modern approach to managing data across the enterprise accelerates business insight for sound decisions and maximum return on investment without compromise. To compete in a data-driven economy, IT leaders and application developers put trust in long-term investments with Scality to build sustainable and adaptable solutions. Scality is recognized as a leader by Gartner and IDC. Follow us @scality and LinkedIn . Visit www.scality.com , or subscribe to our company blog . About #EnsembleUkraine A 1901 law association #EnsembleUkraine brings together a multidisciplinary team of entrepreneurs, engineers, logisticians, and citizens whose mission is to help the Ukrainian people victims of Russian aggression. The association was created by a collective of about fifty tech entrepreneurs in France, including the creators of #ProtegeTonSoignant, with the support of France Digitale, the Galion Project and the FrenchTech Mission. To date, #EnsembleUkraine is: 1350 tons of essential materials were transported to Ukraine to local associations, hospitals, civilians to local associations, hospitals, civilians More than 800 Ukrainians accompanied and welcomed in France 7241 French families volunteer to welcome refugees in collaboration with the EU4UA association 200 Team4UA volunteers on the ground between Poland and Ukraine and 50 volunteers in France More than 400,000 euros collected to finance our actions from companies and individuals For more information, visit www.ensembleukraine.fr and www.togetherukr.com SOURCE Scality BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brattle Group has welcomed Branko Jovanovic to its Washington, DC office as a Principal in the firm's White Collar, Regulatory Investigations & Enforcement, and Securities Class Actions practices. With over two decades of experience as a consulting and testifying expert, Dr. Jovanovic brings strong expertise in securities, finance, regulatory matters, and consumer protection. Dr. Branko Jovanovic | Principal | Washington, DC "Branko is an asset to our firm's securities and finance team," said Brattle President & Principal David L. Sunding. "His deep expertise in issues related to multi-level marketing compensation models, securities fraud investigations, and regulatory actions, will further enhance our ability to provide the clear, independent insights needed to support clients in the ever-changing marketplace." Dr. Jovanovic applies his sophisticated econometric expertise to address liability and damages issues in securities class actions and market manipulation matters. He has helped clients respond to formal investigations and requests from regulatory entities like the US Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, as well as testified on a broad range of matters before federal and state courts, regulators, and arbitral tribunals. In his MLM experience, Dr. Jovanovic has provided analyses on matters related to regulatory investigations, consumer class actions, internal investigations, and compensation model restructuring. "I'm thrilled to be back at Brattle, where I can continue to provide top-notch consulting and testifying services for my clients," Dr. Jovanovic said. "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues, mentoring junior team members, and promoting our firm's diversity, equity & inclusion efforts." To learn more about Dr. Jovanovic, please see his full bio. ABOUT BRATTLE The Brattle Group answers complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has 500 talented professionals across four continents. For more information, please visit brattle.com. SOURCE The Brattle Group Ms. Hamill brings extensive experience translating organizational objectives into global marketing strategies and leading high-performing teams. She has held numerous marketing leadership roles, most recently as the Head of Marketing at Puffer-Sweiven, a channel partner of Emerson. Before her role at Puffer, Ms. Hamill held global leadership positions at IHS Markit (now part of S&P Global) and Wood Mackenzie. As part of ProPricer's continued investment in product development and customer success, growth marketing, and digital transformation will be led by Ms. Hamill and Keith Nordin, ProPricer's Chief Revenue Officer. "Sheana is joining us at a pivotal time to help us grow and scale. We're excited to welcome her to the organization and leverage her wealth of knowledge and experience in delivering transformational marketing strategies," Nordin remarks. Ms. Hamill is a proud member of The CMO Club by Salesforce and Chief, a private network built to drive women into positions of power and keep them there. Chief is the nation's only organization specifically designed for the nation's most powerful women executives to strengthen their leadership, magnify their influence, and pave the way to bring others with them. Chief has recently raised $100 million in funding to become a female-led unicorn startup. She also volunteers for the Keep Houston Free Gala hosted by Redeemed Ministries, a non-profit dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking. Hamill shares, "I'm thrilled to join an organization that's already the gold standard in proposal pricing software. I believe our potential is unlimited, and I look forward to working with the entire ProPricer team to build and accelerate the brand's momentum in the months and years to come." About ProPricer ProPricer is software that maximizes efficiency and accuracy in the development, submission, evaluation, negotiation, and audit of proposal pricing. From storing historical proposal data to easily generating a broad range of reports, ProPricer empowers government contractors to build custom proposals, perform what-if analyses, and integrate all proposal data quickly and easilywithin one platform. Founded in 1984, ProPricer is trusted by organizations worldwide, including the top 10 US defense contractors. The company thrives on transforming its customers' needs into product features and enhancements that benefit all current and future ProPricer users. ProPricer is a trademark of Executive Business Services, Inc. (EBS). Visit us at https://www.propricer.com to learn more. Contact: Holly DeHesa, (951) 777-7548, [email protected] SOURCE ProPricer OSTERSUND, Sweden, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has, as part of a joint venture with JH Lynch, signed a contract with Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to reconstruct Route 146 between 1-295 and Route 146A, and realign the Route 146/146A interchange in Rhode Island, USA. The total contract is worth USD 167M. Skanska's share of the contract is worth USD 84M, about SEK 780M, which will be included in the US order bookings for the first quarter of 2022. The project includes the staged construction of Route 146 along with construction of a new flyover bridge and other structures. In addition, Skanska will perform bridge rehabilitation, roadway reconstruction, new bridge construction, retaining wall construction, drainage construction, utility relocation, handling and disposing of contaminated materials and milling and paving of about 13 kilometers of Route 146 to the Massachusetts border. When completed, the project will improve traffic safety, restore critical infrastructure to a state of good repair, reduce congestion, increase system reliability, and enhance freight movement for economic vitality in the region. Construction will begin in late 2022 and is scheduled for completion in November 2025. CONTACT: For further information please contact: Brittany Felteau, Communications Director, Skanska USA, tel +1 617 574 14 85 Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-reconstructs-section-of-route-146-in-rhode-island--usa--for-usd-84m--about-sek-780m,c3541547 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3541547/1560885.pdf 20220407 US route 146 SOURCE Skanska New partnership will add an immersive, flexible learning option for schools and districts served by CAOLA CHANDLER, Ariz., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- StrongMind announces a new partnership with the Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA) in Pennsylvania. Serving more than 10,000 students in grades K-12 across the state annually, CAOLA provides additional options for students and families, allowing them to enjoy the flexibility of online learning while remaining enrolled in their local school district. StrongMind joins CAOLA by offering high quality, engaging digital curriculum that is equitable, personalized, and empowers K-12 learners to succeed in the 21st century. "We are extremely excited to extend our family of partners into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but especially to work alongside such a well-respected and successful organization such as CAOLA," says Seth McKinzie, Vice President of Business Development at StrongMind, "We look forward to assisting CAOLA in their efforts to deliver high-quality digital instruction to students in their partner districts and intermediate units." StrongMind will provide digital courses for K-12 students enrolled with CAOLA that are standards-aligned, research-based, and Digital Promise-certified . All courses include a variety of rich-media, interactive activities, low- to higher-stakes assessments and performance tasks, project-based learning, opportunities for collaboration with teachers and other students, and opt-in scaffolds to support students who need extra help. Full reporting tracks student progress and learning, with unique views for all stakeholdersadministrators, teachers, parents, and students. StrongMind will also provide instruction from highly qualified teachers, as well as initial and ongoing implementation support for students, teachers, and families. Schools offering StrongMind courses will have the opportunity to use their own teachers, a Strongmind teacher, or a combination of both. CAOLA and Strongmind will work together to support users and school entities in offering high-quality online learning experiences According to Holly Brzycki, CAOLA Supervisor of Online Learning, "Adding Strongmind to the CAOLA consortium allows us to give our customers additional choices in the K-12 curriculum. We look forward to working together with StrongMind to ensure students have a high-quality, standards-aligned online learning experience." Together, StrongMind and CAOLA will provide highly engaging, flexible learning options that let students, families, and communities thrive. To learn more about StrongMind K-12 courses and solutions, visit https://www.strongmind.com/ About StrongMind StrongMind partners with schools and districts to develop forward-thinking solutions that address unique school challenges. With a consultative approach, engaging digital curriculum, a suite of edtech tools, a range of services, and clear insights, we maximize student achievement and help schools thrive. A recent recipient of multiple Digital Promise Research-Design certifications and winner of more than 60 awards, StrongMind innovates into the future of education. To learn more, visit www.StrongMind.com. Contact: Anita Torres, 480-397-0605, [email protected] SOURCE StrongMind According to Hahow co-founder Arnold Chiang, the US$10 million raised in this round will mainly be used to integrate new forms of media into Hahow's course offerings and enhance its one-stop digital learning services. The company is looking to further tap the US$1.4 billion market for smart learning in Taiwan, with a vision to become the Netflix of the education industry. The pandemic has accelerated the rise of the edtech industry, which has become one of the key sectors of focus worldwide. Ranked among Taiwan's top 50 and Asia's top 150 most innovative and promising edtech companies by leading edtech market research firm HolonIQ, Hahow is known for its widely popular B2C online courses. On top of that, over the past two years, as part of its efforts to gain more traction in the online education market, the company has expanded into B2B with Hahow for Business. Six years into its operation, Hahow's revenue has grown at an impressive 300% year over year, reaching a new record of over US$13.4 million in 2021. Three Key Strengths to Lead the Development of the Online Learning Industry The latest fundraising round will support Hahow's efforts to expand into new learning scenarios. Meanwhile, the company also plans to strengthen its three key strengths on the back of tech investment and data on learning behavior: (1) Approachable content and learning tools: beyond pre-recorded course offerings, Hahow plans to add live-streamed lessons and content in posts or short videos to expand the variety of learning tools it offers; (2) In-depth assessment of learning outcome: more than just offering stand-alone courses, Hahow seeks to help learners gain specialized skills with the aid of learning maps, teaching assistants, learning community engagement and a certification system; and (3) One-stop platform that brings content creators together: Hahow will provide aspiring instructors with an even more user-friendly back-end and go-to-market services that meet traffic monetization needs on both B2C and B2B ends. An OMO Upgrade that Caters to Much-Needed Talent Development Strategies Due to the impact of COVID-19, the environment for talent development and organizational structure have undergone significant changes. Made for the B2B world, Hahow for Business not only saw a twofold increase in enrollment and class hours quarter over quarter, but also successfully landed close to one hundred business clients, including established names in the tech and financial sector, such as the Cloud Computing Product Division of Foxconn Technology Group, Cathay Holdings and Qisda. Creator Economy on the Rise, One-Stop Services to Help Content Creators Unlock Monetization Opportunities Besides general consumers, content providers are also Hahow's customers. They can be anyone from a professional speaker or subject expert to a content creator or publisher. After a course is launched on Hahow's platform, as high as 90% of the generated revenue could go to the instructor. So far, over 22% of the content creators and instructors on Hahow has earned more than US$36,000, approximately one million in New Taiwan dollars, from the courses they launched. Among them are Hailey Richards and Ryuuu TV's Ryu and Yuma, expat YouTubers with over a million subscribers, who have generated around US$600,000 in revenue from their Hahow courses. The long tail effect and power of content creation have been tremendous. "Going forward, online learning will be more than just for mastery of difficult subjects. There is also an edutainment element to it. At Hahow, we will continue to bring high-quality IPs to new generations of learners, with the goal to strengthen our leading position and become the Netflix in the education industry," Co-founder Arnold Chiang said. IR Contacts If you have any request for information or suggestion about Hahow IR services, please contact our IR officers. Liying Wu, [email protected], (+886)02-2719-9957 About Hahow With a vision that everyone has valuable skills or knowledge to share, a team of millennials founded edtech startup Hahow in 2015. The company name resembles the pronunciation of "school" (hak-hau) in Taiwanese. It is the first in the world to apply the crowdfunding model to the online learning space. Now a multidisciplinary course platform, Hahow is also expert in content adaptation for the digital learning context. Devoted to fulfill demand for all kinds of knowledge and skills, Hahow offers a stage for anyone to teach and earn from their expertise. Operating beyond traditional classroom settings, in just six years, Hahow has worked with 600 instructors and helped produce close to 700 courses, which have been enjoyed by over 680,000 students across the globe. Hahow's innovative model has catalyzed the trend of online learning and made it the market leader. Its revenue has increased several hundredfold from the less than US$33,000 generated in its founding year. In 2020, Hahow took one step further and launched Hahow for Business, a suite of online learning services designed for enterprises. Built upon the company's solid foundation in producing online courses, Hahow for Business provides high-quality content, products and data-driven consulting services to help businesses meet digital transformation goals by implementing corporate training in a smart and motivating way. Note: currency conversion based on an exchange rate of NTD 28.75 per USD as of Mar 31, 2022 SOURCE Hahow Company Pushes Unreasonable Concessions During Contract Negotiations POCATELLO, Idaho, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 983 members have unanimously voted down the most recent contract proposal from Pocatello Ready Mix and authorized a strike if deemed necessary. The union has been in contract negotiations with the company for over four months. "This company has been union for over fifty years," said Jessica Prather, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 983. "Instead of building upon the amicable relationship we have had in the past, management is trying to gut their workers' health care and pension benefits and replace them with a high-deductible health savings account and inferior retirement plan. We don't see this as an improvement to our members' lives but rather an attack on their livelihood and an attempt to weaken the union presence." Driver Mark Martin has been with Pocatello Ready Mix for almost thirty years. "We work hard for this company and we never ask for much," said Martin. "Just that our families are taken care of with the strong benefits we currently have now and into the future. Over the last few years, I've lost the 'we are family' feeling I used to have when coming to work. This proposal they are attempting to force us into feels like a shovel in the back." Founded in 1942, Teamsters Local 983 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Eastern Idaho. For more information, go to http://www.teamsterslocal983.com/ Contact: Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 983 NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Templum, Inc. ("Templum"), a provider of next-generation cloud-based capital market infrastructure for alternative assets and private securities, announced today that it has won the A-Team Innovation Award for the Most Innovative Alternative Data Solution for Trading and Analytics. The A-Team Innovation Awards celebrate innovative projects and teams across the vendor and practitioner communities that use new and emerging technologies to deliver high-value solutions for financial institutions in capital markets. "As the alternative assets industry grows exponentially, so does the need for alternative data sets in ready-to-use formats to help investors discover opportunities and minimize risk," stated Christopher Pallotta, Founder and CEO of Templum. "We are excited to have one of the most robust alternative data solutions in the industry powered by our marketplaces focused on alternative assets including real estate, collectibles, artwork, media royalties, agriculture, energy and many more. As a leader in the space, we are setting the standard for alternative data solutions for trading and analysis." The Innovation Awards recognize outstanding performance by the vendors of data and technology solutions to the financial industry, focusing on Data Management and Trading Technology. The awards are overseen by the A-Team Innovation Awards Advisory Board, which helps to shape the categories and review the nominations alongside A-Team Group editors to select the winners. Andrew Delaney, President and Chief Content Officer at A-Team Group, said, "Congratulations to the winners of our Innovation Awards 2022. Thank you to all the practitioners and vendors who entered their ground-breaking solutions and services and A-Team Group's independent, expert advisory board collaborating with our editorial team to select this year's winners. These awards are extremely popular and competitive, highlighting technological innovation that will be game-changing for capital markets participants." Templum's growing list of awards and accolades includes two recent shortlist nominations in the 2022 Trading TechInsight Awards in two award categories: Best Cloud-Based Trading Environment and Best Alternative Data Consolidator. The industry confirms the final winners via polling conducted through April 11, 2022. Winners are announced in June 2022. About Templum Templum Markets LLC. is a New York-based broker-dealer and Alternative Trading System (ATS) approved to trade unregistered private securities in 53 U.S. states and territories and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Templum, Inc., a trading technology company. Templum is paving the way for investors to participate in new asset classes through integrated market technologies and APIs for primary issuance and secondary trading. Templum's combined solution provides liquidity and distribution in private markets by enabling continuous trading experience for investors rather than the manual processes currently in place. In doing so, Templum delivers custom trading solutions to power marketplaces. For more information, please visit www.templuminc.com. About the A-Team Innovation Awards The awards, now in their second year, celebrate innovative projects and teams across vendor and practitioner communities that make use of new and emerging technologies to deliver high-value solutions for financial institutions in capital markets. SOURCE Templum Inc. ATLANTA, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aaron's Company, Inc. (NYSE: AAN; "the Company"), a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions, will host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its first quarter 2022 financial results scheduled for release before the market opens on that day. Chief Executive Officer, Douglas A. Lindsay, and Chief Financial Officer, C. Kelly Wall, will host the call. The public is invited to listen to the call by dialing 1-844-200-6205 a few minutes before the scheduled start time and requesting to join the The Aaron's Company, Inc. call and using access code 725745. For international participants the number is 1-929-526-1599, and access code 725745. The call will also be accessible by visiting the Company's investor relations website at investor.aarons.com. The webcast will be archived for playback at that same site. About The Aaron's Company, Inc. Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron's Company, Inc. is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods across its brands, Aaron's and BrandsMart U.S.A. Aaron's offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its 1,300 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform. BrandsMart U.S.A. is one of the leading appliance and consumer electronics retailers in the southeast United States and one of the largest appliance retailers in the country with ten retail stores in Florida and Georgia. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com. SOURCE The Aaron's Company, Inc. As part of The Finnish Long Drink's mission to make America the happiest country on earth (having ranked outside of the top 10 every year since the report began in 2012), the dynamic new campaign captures the spirit of Finland's happiness via the country's own brand of humor; an immersive experience that brings viewers directly into the world of the brand. Follow protagonists as they are magically transported from the humdrum of the regular drinking experiences we have grown to endure, to the happiest place on earth - all via The Finnish Long Drink. "As we roll out this platform agnostic approach, the goal of this campaign is to capture and share the happiness of Long Drinkers across America wherever it's happening throughout the year," said Tiffany Appleton, creative director, Technology Humans and Taste [THAT]. "Launching with an onslaught of video content, The Finnish Long Drinkers will soon realize that each film is filled with easter eggs and clues of so much more to come." "Through The Finnish Long Drink - America's #1 long drink brand - the next generation of Finns are giving Finland's own liquor category a true identity with a stronger, bolder voice." Says Danny Mandelbaum, Vice President of Marketing at The Finnish Long Drink. "This multifaceted campaign captures the spirit of Finland and the joy of experiencing a refreshing, delicious long drink. It is the next part of our mission - for America to join Finland as the happiest country on earth." The Finnish Long Drink's ad campaign is available now, streaming across TV and online platforms including YouTube and social media. The release runs parallel to its rapid expansion into multiple new markets across the country as The Finnish Long Drink becomes a national brand. For more information visit thelongdrink.com and follow on social media @longdrink . About The Finnish Long Drink The Finnish Long Drink is a top selling category of alcohol in Finland a legend that is now available in America. The roots of long drinks go back to the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, when the country of only 4 million people was still recovering from World War II. Concerned about how to serve drinks quickly enough to all the visitors, Finland commissioned the creation of a revolutionary new liquor drink that was both delicious and fast to serve and so the first long drinks were born. Now this legend has finally been brought to America by the next generation of Finns who want the world to experience the refreshing and unique Finnish Long Drink. SOURCE The Finnish Long Drink TORONTO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (the "Company" or "TGOD") (CSE: TGOD) (US-OTC: TGODF), a sustainable global cannabis company, announces that it has granted options (each, an "Option") to purchase an aggregate of up to 29,552,000 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") to certain directors, officers, employees, and consultants of the Company, of which 19,950,000 Options were granted to directors and executive officers, and 9,602,000 Options were granted to employees and consultants. Each Option is exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price per Common Share equal to $0.13. The Options vest as to 1/3 of the total number of Options granted on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date, and expire five years from the grant date. The Options are granted in accordance with the Company's share option plan adopted by the board of directors of the Company on May 12, 2021 (the "Option Plan"). Pursuant to the terms of the Company's amended and restated restricted share unit plan dated October 9, 2020 (the "RSU Plan"), restricted share units ("RSUs") representing the right to receive up to an aggregate of 350,000 Common Shares, subject to the satisfaction of certain vesting conditions, were also awarded to a consultant of the Company. Copies of the Option Plan and the RSU Plan are available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. About The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (CSE: TGOD) (USOTC: TGODF) is a sustainable, global cannabis company with a focus on innovation, quality, consistency, integrity and transparency. By leveraging science and technology, TGOD harnesses the power of nature from seed to sale. The Company is committed to cultivating a better tomorrow by producing its products responsibly, with less waste and impact on the environment. In Canada, TGOD serves the recreational market with a brand portfolio including The Green Organic Dutchman, Highly Dutch Organics, Ripple by TGOD and Cruuzy brands, and the medical markets in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Germany. All cannabis utilized in products for The Green Organic Dutchman and Highly Dutch Organics brands is grown through a certified organic process, which includes living soil, filtered rainwater, sunlight, and natural inputs. Through its European subsidiary, HemPoland, the Company also distributes premium hemp CBD oil and CBD-infused topicals in Europe. TGOD's Common Shares and Warrants issued under the indentures dated December 19, 2019, June 12, 2020, October 23, 2020 and December 10, 2020 trade on the CSE under the symbol "TGOD", "TGOD.WS", "TGOD.WR", "TGOD.WA", and "TGOD.WB" respectively. TGOD's Common Shares trade in the U.S. on the OTCQX under the symbol "TGODF". For more information on The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd., please visit www.tgod.ca. Neither the CSE nor the CSE's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of CSE) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Society today announced the appointment of Lena Beck Rrvig and Michael Silber to the Public Interest Registry (PIR) Board of Directors and the re-appointment of Keith Davidson. These members will take their seats beginning July 1, 2022, and they will all serve three-year terms. The Internet Society Board also reappointed PIR President and CEO Jonathon Nevett for another year on the PIR Board. Lena Beck Rrvig is an independent HR consultant who has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Michael Silber is an attorney who is currently Group Chief Regulatory Officer for Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a leading communications service provider in Africa. He previously served on the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Keith Davidson has held senior management and board positions in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors and currently serves as Treasurer of the PIR Board. Outgoing board members are PIR's board chair, Lise Fuhr, who served two three-year terms, and Greg Kapfer who served one three-year term. The Internet Society thanks them for their service. Effective July 1, 2022, the Public Interest Registry Board Members will be: Lena Beck Rrvig, independent HR consultant Jeffrey Bedser , CEO of iThreat Cyber Group , CEO of iThreat Cyber Group Eric Burger , Research Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University , Research Professor of Computer Science at Saerin Cho, Chief Counsel of Global Eligibility and Associate General Counsel at TechSoup Narelle Clark , CEO of the Internet Association of Australia , CEO of the Internet Association of Keith Davidson , former executive and board member at InternetNZ , former executive and board member at InternetNZ Jonathon Nevett , President and CEO of PIR , President and CEO of PIR Michael Silber , Group Chief Regulatory Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies Andrew Sullivan serves as liaison to the PIR Board in his capacity as President and CEO of the Internet Society. About Public Interest Registry Public Interest Registry (PIR) is a nonprofit that operates the .ORG top-level domainone of the world's largest generic top-level domains with more than 10.6 million domain names registered worldwide. PIR has been a champion for a free and open Internet for two decades with a clear mission to be an exemplary domain name registry, provide a trusted digital identity and help educate those who dedicate themselves to improving our world. PIR was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA. About the Internet Society Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society celebrates its 30th anniversary this year as a global non-profit organization. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 120+ chapters around the world, the organization defends and promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally connected, and secure. For more information, please visit: www.internetsociety.org. SOURCE The Internet Society Tire Cord Fabrics Market 2022-2026: Scope The tire cord fabrics market report covers the following areas: Tire Cord Fabrics Market 2022-2026: Driver and Challenge The rising number of automobile buyers is driving the tire cord fabrics market growth. The automotive industry was significantly affected in 2020 by the outbreak of COVID-19. Automobile sales in various countries, including China and US, witnessed a drastic decline in 2020. However, automobile manufacturers across the world experienced growth in production from Q3 2020 to Q1 2021. Moreover, automobile dealerships worldwide are trying to fulfill the changing personal requirements during the pandemic. Thus, the rise in demand for automobiles will lead to an increase in the demand for tires, which, in turn, will drive the global demand for tire cord fabrics during the forecast period. Declining automotive production and sales are challenging the tire cord fabrics market growth. The outbreak of COVID-19 and its exponential spread across the world also affected this sector in 2020. Automotive sales showed an increase in some countries. However, this did not lead to the recovery of the sector. Challenges triggered by the temporary shutting down of businesses and the laying-off of employees across the world have been affecting automotive sales in all key regions. This, in turn, has been adversely affecting the demand for automotive all-season tires. Tire Cord Fabrics Market 2022-2026: Segmentation Application Replacement OEM Geography APAC Europe North America South America Middle East And Africa Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market. Download a Free Sample Tire Cord Fabrics Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the Tire Cord Fabrics Market, including Asahi Kasei Corp., Benninger AG, Century Enka Ltd., COLMANT COATED FABRICS, Cordenka GmbH and Co. KG, FORMOSA TAFFETA CO. LTD., Hyosung Corp., Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd., Junma Tyre Cord Co. Ltd., Kolon Industries Inc., Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS, Madura Industrial Textiles Ltd., NV Bekaert SA, Sohrab Group, SRF Ltd., Teijin Ltd., Toray Industries Inc., and Milliken and Co. among others. Get lifetime access to our Technavio Insights. Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 Tire Cord Fabrics Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist tire cord fabrics market growth during the next five years Estimation of the tire cord fabrics market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the tire cord fabrics market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of tire cord fabrics market vendors Related Reports: Automotive Vacuumless Braking Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Automotive and Transportation Connector Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Tire Cord Fabrics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 3.59% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 528.89 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 0.93 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 68% Key consumer countries US, China, Thailand, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Asahi Kasei Corp., Benninger AG, Century Enka Ltd., COLMANT COATED FABRICS, Cordenka GmbH and Co. KG, FORMOSA TAFFETA CO. LTD., Hyosung Corp., Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd., Junma Tyre Cord Co. Ltd., Kolon Industries Inc., Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS, Madura Industrial Textiles Ltd., NV Bekaert SA, Sohrab Group, SRF Ltd., Teijin Ltd., Toray Industries Inc., and Milliken and Co. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table Of Contents : 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by 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 between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 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 Replacement - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Replacement - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Replacement - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Replacement - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Replacement - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 OEM - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on OEM - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on OEM - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on OEM - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on OEM - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Application ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: 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 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: 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 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: 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 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: 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 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: 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 62: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Thailand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Thailand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Thailand - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Thailand - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Thailand - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: 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 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Benninger AG Exhibit 89: Benninger AG - Overview Exhibit 90: Benninger AG - Product / Service Exhibit 91: Benninger AG - Key offerings 10.4 Century Enka Ltd. Exhibit 92: Century Enka Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 93: Century Enka Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 94: Century Enka Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 95: Century Enka Ltd. - Segment focus 10.5 COLMANT COATED FABRICS Exhibit 96: COLMANT COATED FABRICS - Overview Exhibit 97: COLMANT COATED FABRICS - Product / Service Exhibit 98: COLMANT COATED FABRICS - Key offerings 10.6 Hyosung Corp. Exhibit 99: Hyosung Corp. - Overview Exhibit 100: Hyosung Corp. - Product / Service Exhibit 101: Hyosung Corp. - Key news Exhibit 102: Hyosung Corp. - Key offerings 10.7 Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. Exhibit 103: Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 104: Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 105: Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 106: Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.8 Kolon Industries Inc. Exhibit 107: Kolon Industries Inc. - Overview Exhibit 108: Kolon Industries Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 109: Kolon Industries Inc. - Key offerings 10.9 Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS Exhibit 110: Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS - Overview Exhibit 111: Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS - Business segments Exhibit 112: Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS - Key offerings Exhibit 113: Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS - Segment focus 10.10 SRF Ltd. Exhibit 114: SRF Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 115: SRF Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 116: SRF Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 117: SRF Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 Teijin Ltd. Exhibit 118: Teijin Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 119: Teijin Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 120: Teijin Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 121: Teijin Ltd. - Segment focus 10.12 Toray Industries Inc. Exhibit 122: Toray Industries Inc. - Overview Exhibit 123: Toray Industries Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 124: Toray Industries Inc. - Key news Exhibit 125: Toray Industries Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 126: Toray Industries Inc. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 127: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 128: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 129: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 130: Research methodology Exhibit 131: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 132: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 133: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Companies Donate $25,000 to Five Charitable Organizations in Mason County, WV and Benton, KY LETART, W.Va., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Felman Production, a Letart, West Virginia-based metallurgy manufacturing company, and CC Metals & Alloys (CCMA), a Calvert City, Kentucky-based mining and metals company, announced today they are providing $25,000 in support to five local nonprofit organizations that provide critical food and meal services as well as family services to hundreds of families in their communities. A donation from Felman Production and CCMA totaling $25,000 will be distributed equally among the following organizations: Bend Area Food Pantry ( Mason, WV ) ) Mason County Baby Pantry ( Point Pleasant, WV ) ) Marcella's Kitchen ( Benton, KY ) ) Marshall County Caring Needline ( Benton, KY ) ) H.O.P.E. Clinic ( Benton, KY ) Giving back to our local communities has always been one of our core values," said Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber of Felman Production and CCMA in a joint statement. "Felman Production and CCMA are committed to stepping up and supporting our neighbors, which is why we are proud to provide support to five tremendous organizations that help fight hunger, provide critical family health services, and make our communities even stronger." Today's announced donations follow a long history of Felman Production and CCMA supporting their local communities. This past December, to help families in need at Christmastime, Felman Production supported two Mason County charities providing food, clothing, and other essential services, and CCMA provided crucial food and housing support to six local charities helping hundreds of Kentucky families. That same month, CCMA provided over $70,000 in needed relief supplies to support the recovery of Kentucky communities after a tornado moved through Western Kentucky. And in January, Felman Production provided financial support to two local volunteer fire departments that are vital to the safety and well-being of Mason County, West Virginia. SOURCE Felman Production SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ULTRAPAR INTERNATIONAL S.A. (Incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) Ultrapar International S.A ("Ultrapar") hereby announces the commencement of tender offers to purchase for cash (1) any and all of its outstanding 5.250% Notes due 2026 (the "2026 Notes," and such offer, the "2026 Notes Tender Offer") and (2) up to the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount (as defined below) of its outstanding 5.250% Notes due 2029 (the "2029 Notes," together with the 2026 Notes, the "Notes," and such offer, the "2029 Notes Tender Offer," together with the 2026 Notes Tender Offer, the "Tender Offers"). The Notes accepted for purchase in the Tender Offers together shall not exceed U.S.$550,003,000 in aggregate outstanding principal amount (the "Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount") considering both the 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes that may be tendered and accepted for purchase. The 2029 Notes Tender Offer will also be subject to maximum acceptance amount corresponding to the Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount minus the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase in the 2026 Notes Tender Offer (the "2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount"). The following table sets forth certain terms of the 2026 Notes Tender Offer: Description of Notes CUSIP and ISIN Numbers Outstanding Principal Amount Purchase Price(1)(2) 5.250% Notes due 2026 CUSIP: 90401C AA7 (144A); L9412A AA5 (Reg. S) ISIN: US90401CAA71 (144A); USL9412AAA53 (Reg. S) U.S.$550,003,000 U.S.$1,027.50 (1) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2026 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase. (2) Excludes accrued interest, which will be paid in addition to the Purchase Price, if and as applicable. The following table sets forth certain terms of the 2029 Notes Tender Offer: Description of Notes CUSIP and ISIN Numbers Outstanding Principal Amount Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount(1) Tender Offer Consideration(2)(3) Early Tender Payment(2) Total Consideration(2)(3) 5.250% Notes due 2029 CUSIP: 90401C AC3 (144A); L9412A AB3 (Reg. S) ISIN: US90401CAC38 (144A); USL9412AAB37 (Reg. S) U.S.$850,000,000 U.S.$550,003,000 U.S.$971.25 U.S.$30.00 U.S.$1,001.25 (1) The Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount means the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that Ultrapar will purchase in the Tender Offers. The 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount will correspond to the Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount, minus the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase in the 2026 Notes Tender Offer. Accordingly, Ultrapar's obligation to accept 2029 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the 2029 Tender Offer is subject to the proration provisions described herein. Ultrapar reserves the right to increase the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount and Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount in its sole discretion (subject to applicable law and as provided in the 2029 Notes Offer to Purchase). (2) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase. (3) Excludes accrued interest, which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or the Total Consideration, if and as applicable. The 2026 Notes Tender Offer is being made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase with respect to the 2026 Notes dated April 7, 2022 (the "2026 Notes Offer to Purchase") and notice of guaranteed delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and, together with the 2026 Notes Offer to Purchase, the "2026 Notes Offer Documents"). The 2029 Notes Tender Offer is being made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in a separate offer to purchase with respect to the 2029 Notes dated April 7, 2022 (the "2029 Notes Offer to Purchase" and, together with the 2026 Notes Offer Documents, the "Offer Documents"). There is no letter of transmittal for the Tender Offers. The Tender Offers are subject to certain conditions as described in each of the Offer Documents under the heading "Conditions of the Tender Offer." Summary of the 2026 Notes Tender Offer The 2026 Notes Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 13, 2022, or such other date and time to which Ultrapar in its sole discretion extends the 2026 Notes Tender Offer (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "2026 Notes Expiration Date"). Other than accepted 2026 Notes delivered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the 2026 Notes Offer Documents, holders of the 2026 Notes must validly tender their 2026 Notes at or prior to the 2026 Notes Expiration Date and not validly withdraw them at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 13, 2022 (the "2026 Notes Withdrawal Deadline") in order to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price. The purchase price for the 2026 Notes is U.S.$1,027.50 per U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of 2026 Notes (the "Purchase Price") accepted in the 2026 Notes Tender Offer. Tendered 2026 Notes may only be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to the 2026 Notes Withdrawal Deadline and not thereafter. Guaranteed delivery procedures provided for by Ultrapar are available for the 2026 Notes and will allow holders who deliver a duly executed notice of guaranteed delivery and other required documents at or prior to the 2026 Notes Expiration Date to deliver their 2026 Notes by the close of business on the second business day following the 2026 Notes Expiration Date. The guaranteed delivery procedures that must be followed are described in the 2026 Notes Offer Documents. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the 2026 Notes Tender Offer, (i) payment for the 2026 Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase (other than accepted 2026 Notes delivered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the 2026 Notes Offer Documents) is expected to be made on April 14, 2022 (as such date may be extended in Ultrapar's sole discretion, subject to applicable law, the "2026 Notes Settlement Date") and (ii) payment for the 2026 Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase that are delivered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the 2026 Notes Offer Documents is expected to be made on April 18, 2022 (as such date may be extended in Ultrapar's sole discretion, subject to applicable law, the "Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date"). Summary of the 2029 Notes Tender Offer The 2029 Notes Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m. New York City time, on May 4, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "2029 Notes Expiration Date"). The early tender deadline for the 2029 Notes Tender Offer will be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 20, 2022 (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "Early Tender Date"). 2029 Notes tendered may be withdrawn prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 20, 2022 (such date and time, the "2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter, except as required by applicable law. Holders of the 2029 Notes must validly tender their 2029 Notes on or before the Early Tender Date and not validly withdraw them at or prior to the 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline in order to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below). Holders of the 2029 Notes who validly tender their 2029 Notes on or before the Early Tender Date, do not validly withdraw them at or prior to the 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline and whose 2029 Notes are accepted will, subject to the terms and conditions in the 2029 Notes Offer to Purchase, receive U.S.$1,001.25 per U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of 2029 Notes accepted in the 2029 Notes Tender Offer (the "Total Consideration"), which is comprised of consideration of U.S.$971.25 per U.S.$1,000 in principal amount (the "Tender Offer Consideration") and an early tender premium of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 in principal amount (the "Early Tender Payment"). Holders of the 2029 Notes who validly tender their 2029 Notes after the Early Tender Date but on or before the 2029 Notes Expiration Date will only be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration. Tendered 2029 Notes may only be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to the 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline and not thereafter. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the 2029 Notes Tender Offer, the Total Consideration for the 2029 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or prior to the Early Tender Date is expected to be paid on April 22, 2022 (as such date may be extended, subject to applicable law, in Ultrapar's sole discretion, the "Early Settlement Date"). The Tender Offer Consideration for the 2029 Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or prior to the 2029 Notes Expiration Date is expected to be paid on May 6, 2022 (as such date may be extended, subject to applicable law, in Ultrapar's sole discretion, the "Final Settlement Date"). The 2029 Notes Tender Offer shall not exceed the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount, corresponding to U.S.$550,003,000, minus the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase in the 2026 Notes Tender Offer. Accordingly, the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount will be impacted by the results of the 2026 Tender Offer and will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes tendered and accepted for purchase. As a result, the 2029 Notes that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase are subject to possible proration on the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date to the extent 2029 Notes are tendered in principal amounts that would otherwise exceed the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount and Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount. If, on the Early Settlement Date or Final Settlement Date, as applicable, only a portion of outstanding 2029 Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline) may be accepted for purchase, the aggregate principal amount of 2029 Notes accepted for purchase will be prorated based upon the aggregate principal amount of 2029 Notes that have been validly tendered and not yet accepted for purchase in the 2029 Notes Tender Offer, such that neither the 2029 Maximum Acceptance Amount nor the Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount will be exceeded. If the aggregate amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or prior to the Early Tender Date exceeds the Maximum Aggregate Tender Amount, holders who validly tender 2029 Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any such 2029 Notes accepted for payment, unless waived or modified in Ultrapar's sole discretion (subject to applicable law and as provided in the 2029 Notes Offer to Purchase). Payment of Accrued Interest Ultrapar will pay accrued and unpaid interest on Notes validly tendered and accepted in the Tender Offers from and including the last interest payment date for such Notes up to, but not including, (i) in the case of the 2026 Notes, the 2026 Notes Settlement Date, (ii) in the case of any 2029 Notes tendered on or before the Early Tender Date, the Early Settlement Date and (iii) in the case of any 2029 Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, the Final Settlement Date. For avoidance of doubt, interest on the 2026 Notes will cease to accrue on the 2026 Notes Settlement Date for all 2026 Notes purchased in the 2026 Notes Tender Offer, including those tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the 2026 Notes Offer Documents. Accordingly, because Ultrapar expects that the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date will be two business days after the 2026 Notes Settlement Date, holders tendering 2026 Notes pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures will not receive interest for such two business day period. Further Information This press release is qualified in its entirety by the applicable Offer Documents. Any Notes that are not purchased in the Tender Offers will remain outstanding. To the extent that Ultrapar consummates the Tender Offers, the trading market for your outstanding Notes may be significantly more limited. For a discussion of this and other considerations, see "Special Considerations" in the applicable Offer Documents. None of the delivery of this press release, the Offer Documents or any purchase pursuant to the Tender Offers shall under any circumstances create any implication that the information contained in this press release or such Offer Documents is correct as of any time subsequent to the date hereof or thereof or that there has been no change in the information set forth herein or therein or in Ultrapar's affairs since the date hereof or thereof. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Tender Offers. The Tender Offers are being made pursuant to the applicable Offer Documents, which set forth the complete terms and conditions of the Tender Offers. Holders of Notes are urged to read the applicable Offer Documents carefully before making any decision with respect to their Notes. The Tender Offers are not being made to, nor will Ultrapar accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make such an offer. NONE OF THE OFFER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFERS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH OR REVIEWED BY THE FEDERAL OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY COUNTRY, NOR HAS ANY SUCH COMMISSION OR AUTHORITY PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE OFFER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFERS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL AND MAY BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. NONE OF ULTRAPAR, ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE DEALER MANAGERS (AS DEFINED BELOW), THE TENDER AGENT, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE TRUSTEE (AS DEFINED IN THE OFFER DOCUMENTS) OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES IS MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER HOLDERS SHOULD TENDER ANY NOTES IN RESPONSE TO THE TENDER OFFERS. HOLDERS MUST MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TENDER OFFERS, AND, IF SO, THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOTES TO TENDER. The Offer Documents do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities (other than the Notes). Any offering of securities will only be made by an offering document and any such offering may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan" and similar expressions are generally intend to identify forward-looking statements. Ultrapar is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer Documents. The information agent and tender agent for each of the Tender Offers is D.F. King & Co., Inc. To contact the information agent and tender agent, banks and brokers may call +1 (212) 269-5550, and others may call U.S. toll-free: +1 (800) 859-8509 or email [email protected]. Additional contact information is set forth below. The Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Tender Offers is: D.F. King & Co., Inc. By Registered or Certified Mail, By Overnight Courier or By Hand: By Facsimile (For Eligible Institutions Only): 48 Wall Street (212) 709-3328 New York, NY 10005 Copies of the Offer Documents are available at the following web address: www.dfking.com/Ultrapar. Any questions or requests for assistance or for additional copies of this notice may be directed to the Dealer Managers at their respective telephone numbers set forth below or, if by any holder, to such holder's broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Tender Offers. The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offers are: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group U.S. Toll Free: +1 (800) 624-1808 Collect: +1 (212) 761-1057 Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group U.S. Toll Free: +1 (800) 828-3182 Collect: +1 (212) 357-1452 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179 United States of America Attn: Latin America Debt Capital Markets U.S. Toll Free: +1 (866) 846-2874 Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279 None of Ultrapar, the tender agent, the information agent, the Dealer Managers, the trustee or any of their respective affiliates is making any recommendation as to whether holders should exchange their Notes in the Tender Offers. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to participate in the Tender Offers, and, if so, the principal amount of the Notes they wish to tender. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places and include statements regarding Ultrapar's intent, belief or current expectations, and those of its officers, with respect to (among other things) its financial condition and the Tender Offers. Ultrapar's forward-looking statements are based mainly on current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect, or may affect, its business and results of operations. Although Ultrapar believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are based on information currently available to Ultrapar. The words "believe," "may," "may have," "would," "estimate," "continues," "anticipates," "intends," "hopes," and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements refer only to the date when they were made, and none of Ultrapar, the tender agent, the information agent, the Dealer Managers or any affiliate of any of them undertakes any obligation to update or review any estimate or forward-looking statement due to new information, future events or any other factors. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and do not guarantee future performance, as actual results or developments may be substantially different from the expectations described in the forward-looking statements. In light of the risks and uncertainties described above, the events referred to in the forward-looking statements included in this press release may or may not occur, or may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, due to factors that include but are not limited to those mentioned described in the applicable Offer Documents under "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements." Holders are warned not to place undue reliance on any estimates or forward-looking statements in making decisions regarding the Notes or the Tender Offers. None of Ultrapar, the tender agent, the information agent, the Dealer Managers, the trustee or any affiliate of any of them undertakes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Ultrapar International S.A. NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, FORTUNE Education published its second annual Best Online MBA Programs ranking. The University of North CarolinaChapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) took top honors for the second year in a row, followed by Indiana UniversityBloomington (Kelley), and the University of Florida. UNC earns #1 spot on FORTUNE's Best Online MBA Programs list for second year in a row in 2022. Tweet this FORTUNE Education announces its 2022 Best Online MBA Programs ranking FORTUNE first published its Best Online MBA Programs ranking in 2021, when it became clear that the ongoing pandemic would be an accelerant for online business education. FORTUNE Education Editorial Director Lance Lambert says, "The pre-pandemic world of higher education is never coming back. Online education is now the preferred way to learn by many of the nation's best and brightest students. To help guide the next generation of business leaders, FORTUNE ranked the nation's best online MBA programs. We found programs that not only see their graduates land good jobs, but also have a track record of placing alumni into the highest echelons of the FORTUNE 500." The combined enrollment of the 108 online MBA programs on FORTUNE's list is up 9% over the past two years. During that same period, overall U.S. college enrollment fell 5% , according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. These online MBA Programs made FORTUNE's Top 10 List in 2022: University of North CarolinaChapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) Indiana UniversityBloomington (Kelley) University of Florida University of MarylandCollege Park ( Smith ) University of Pittsburgh (Katz) University of Washington (Foster) University of Cincinnati (Lindner) University of MassachusettsAmherst (Isenberg) West Texas A&M University University of Arizona (Eller) View the complete ranking here. FORTUNE ranked 108 online MBA programs this year. The core of this ranking was built using information provided by business schools to FORTUNE. In addition, FORTUNE created a FORTUNE 1000 Score, which accounts for the number of alumni who are C-suite-level employees at FORTUNE 1000 companies. Finally, a program Brand Score that was derived from a nationwide FORTUNE-Ipsos survey of business professionals rounds out the methodology. View the complete methodology here. Curated by a team of expert journalists, FORTUNE Education is a destination for articles, insights, and ongoing reporting about what prospective students should know to make the best, most impactful decisions for their careers. FORTUNE Education also produces rankings and ratings of graduate, post-graduate, executive education, and personal and professional improvement programs, informed by FORTUNE's unparalleled understanding of which skills matter to businesses today. About FORTUNE FORTUNE drives the conversation about business. With a global perspective, the guiding wisdom of history, and an unflinching eye to the future, we report and reveal the stories that matter todayand will matter even more tomorrow. With the trusted power to convene and challenge those who are shaping industry, commerce, and society around the world, FORTUNE lights the path for global leadersand gives them the tools to make business better. For more information, visit www.fortune.com. Media Inquiries: Alison Klooster +1 646-437-6613 [email protected] SOURCE FORTUNE Media Statewide Agreement to VIDSIG's Platform to Help Parents and Students with College Exploration SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Live, global video chat platform VIDSIG announced today it had signed a partnership agreement with the Texas State PTA to provide parents and high school students with live, one-to-one video chats with its hundreds of vetted undergrads from colleges and universities across the United States. VIDSIG's Video Chat Platform Provides 1-1 Conversations with Vetted Undergrads at 200+ Schools VIDSIG Has Garnered Widespread Media Exposure for Its Innovative Way to Connect High School Students with College Undergrads VIDSIG's platform facilitates conversations that aim to provide honest answers to questions from students and parents across the state to help make the challenging college process easier through ten-minute, live one-to-one video chats on VIDSIG.com and through VIDSIG's new app. "As the saying goes, 'Everything is big in Texas'", stated Jonathan Yarnold, Chief Executive Officer of VIDSIG. "And for VIDSIG, this partnership is huge, as we're going to jointly be helping so many wonderful Texans with our service. Help and support is what VIDSIG's College Experience Experts provide for parents, students, and educators through honest conversation for answers to all the questions that you really want to ask, but probably wouldn't during a college tour with a school ambassador." VIDSIG's College Experience Experts are current undergrads representing 200+ colleges and universities across the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. "For those students wishing to pursue a college education, we're always looking for ways to help them navigate the challenges in life to achieve ultimate career success, "stated Kyle Ward, Executive Director of the Texas State PTA. "We strongly believe our partnership with VIDSIG aligns with that mission and we're proud to help provide this innovative way to connect high school students with college students across the state." "There is such a high percentage of undergrads in the workplace that have expressed buyer remorse about their school choices and experiences," continued Yarnold. "Both parents and students are having these amazing conversations about school safety, dorm life, and a ton of other topics that you're not necessarily going to get answered by a school website or brochure, and it's happening in an unscripted, powerful way." Live, one-to-one video chat sessions with the College Experience Experts are $25 for 10 minutes and the partnership with Texas PTA provides 1,000 complimentary sessions, as well. Interested parents, students, and educators should visit https://vidsig.com to learn more. To download the new VIDSIG app, visit the App Store. To learn more about VIDSIG, visit https://vidsig.com/ . CONTACT: MELISSA KRESS, MEDIA RELATIONS, [email protected] 415.917.9710 SOURCE VIDSIG Voltage announces Surge and their Next Generation Lightning Network as a Service Platform WICHITA, Kan., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Voltage, the industry leader of Bitcoin's Lightning Network infrastructure, today announced two major product launches. Voltage currently powers the top Lightning companies, including Zion, Impervious, Amboss, Mash, and THNDR Games. Voltage makes it easy for any business to integrate the Lightning Network into their operations with their simple dashboard and API. The Lightning Network is becoming adopted globally for uses like cross-border payments, paywalls and subscriptions, game rewards, and small payments for B2C services like coffee shops and breweries. Voltage is uniquely positioned to make it capable for all businesses to run Lightning Network products and services. At the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami, Voltage released Surge, a Lightning node observability tool, and their next-generation platform which comes with radical improvements. "At Voltage, we're bringing modern products and services to the Lightning Network. Both Surge and our next-gen platform are necessary tools to enable Bitcoin adoption all over the world. We are very excited to share what we've been working on and can't wait to start onboarding users. Lightning needs novel solutions and Voltage is creating them." - Graham Krizek Lightning node operators can now join the waitlist for their Lightning node monitoring and observability tool, Surge , which offers insights and alerts into Lightning nodes. This gives node runners newfound capabilities to increase reliability and optimize node operations. This is critical for increased performance and reliability of the Lightning Network. Surge will make it easy and affordable for individuals and businesses to have insights unlike ever before. Secondly, with Voltage's upcoming next-generation platform they are making it simpler than ever to integrate with the Lightning Network. This updated iteration of Voltage will be an incredibly powerful Lightning platform offering scalable Lightning nodes, APIs, developer tools, and more. In addition to big product innovations, this new platform boasts a 'pay for what you use' structure to better address users' needs. Voltage is the infrastructure platform for Bitcoin's Lightning Network, making implementing the Lightning Network into any product or service simple. The company powers many of the top Lightning-integrated brands like Podcast Index, Sphinx, Amboss, Impervious, Zion, and THNDR Games. Voltage also recently raised $6 million in their seed funding round led by Trammell Venture Partners. To learn more about integrating the Lightning Network into your business or product, please visit https://voltage.cloud . ABOUT VOLTAGE Launched in 2020, Voltage is a Lightning Network infrastructure provider and the leader of enterprise Lightning Network services. Voltage allows anyone to create Lightning nodes quickly, and get access to liquidity and management tools. The company is backed by Craft Ventures, Trammell Venture Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Stillmark, and others. To learn more, follow Voltage on Twitter , and join the conversation on Discord . SOURCE Voltage NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VR Capital Group ("VR Capital") expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia's attack on their country. Since the beginning of the conflict, VR Capital, its employees and Ukrainian affiliates, have committed over US$1 million in humanitarian and logistical assistance to Ukraine and are prepared to provide additional support. Richard Deitz, Founder and President of VR Capital, has added: "We are devastated by the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine and horrified by the images of atrocities committed against civilians emerging in recent days. We stand together with the Ukrainian people. War can never be the answer. As one of the largest western investors in Ukraine, we pray for an immediate end to the conflict and are ready to participate in the reconstruction of the country after the war." About VR Capital VR Capital is an alternative asset manager focused on distressed securities and event-driven/special situations with a strong historical orientation towards emerging markets. VR Capital has offices in New York and London. Media Contacts Steve Bruce ASC Advisors (203) 992-1230 [email protected] SOURCE VR Capital Group The IMF is proud to report that the myeloma community went above and beyond when it came to taking action and making a difference for myeloma. Despite the pandemic and an ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the global community came together to participate in the Myeloma Action Month movement with over 30 million people in 46 countries reached across the globe. IMF President & Chief Executive Officer and 26-year myeloma survivor Yelak Biru is truly elated at the success of this year's Myeloma Action Month: "Throughout this year's Myeloma Action Month, the IMF focused on encouraging engagement through the theme, #MYelomaACTION. Each of us has a role in advancing the art and science of cancer care in general, for better outcomes for myeloma in particular." In 2009, the IMF launched March as Myeloma Awareness Month to shed light on this little-known cancer. By 2016, the organization elevated the campaign to Myeloma Action Month, with the added purpose of encouraging individuals and groups to take actions that positively impact the myeloma community. This year, Myeloma Action Month was all about TAKING ACTION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Participants in this year's campaign were able to join the movement by uploading photos of their chosen action at the Myeloma Action Month website, using the hashtag #MYelomaACTION, and sharing their photos of "action" on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To further increase awareness about the disease, the Myeloma Action Month website also featured 31 IMF Facts and Stats about myeloma. Forty-six countries joined the #MYelomaACTION movement this year, with Myeloma Action Month social badges and infographics translated into more than 12 international languages. Individuals and groups shared their actions, posts, and photos across the globe. Some of the highlights of this year's Myeloma Action Month include: For 31 days, the Myeloma Action Month advent calendar was filled with inspiring posts of actions taken by members of the myeloma community to draw attention to the disease while encouraging others to share their own actions. was filled with inspiring posts of actions taken by members of the myeloma community to draw attention to the disease while encouraging others to share their own actions. Myeloma Action Month was declared in Hamilton County, TN and in Walker County, GA and in The IMF Support Group Team virtually presented and provided tech support to 80 support groups during the month of March, with updates and resources from the IMF. during the month of March, with updates and resources from the IMF. IMF Regional Director of Support Groups, Kelley Sidorowicz , created guided audio meditations and yoga videos for those living with myeloma. These interactive programs are available for free at the Mind and Body Experience website. , created guided audio meditations and yoga videos for those living with myeloma. These interactive programs are available for free at the Mind and Body Experience website. Sponsor participation exceeded expectations with their active engagement in social media. In China , a series of myeloma lectures were produced and were available for viewing in real time and as replay videos. , a series of myeloma lectures were produced and were available for viewing in real time and as replay videos. In Hong Kong , a program introducing myeloma to the public was produced and aired locally. , a program introducing myeloma to the public was produced and aired locally. In South Korea , a series of events were carried out throughout Myeloma Action Month. The Korean Blood Disease & Cancer Association (KBDCA) produced a video where patients asked Dr. Ki-hyun Kim of the Korean Multiple Myeloma Working Party (KMMWP) various questions related to multiple myeloma treatments. The KBDCA also produced a collection of online videos, which featured myeloma patients in various themes. The videos are available on YouTube via the KBDCA channel. , a series of events were carried out throughout Myeloma Action Month. The Korean Blood Disease & Cancer Association (KBDCA) produced a video where patients asked Dr. Ki-hyun Kim of the Korean Multiple Myeloma Working Party (KMMWP) various questions related to multiple myeloma treatments. The KBDCA also produced a collection of online videos, which featured myeloma patients in various themes. The videos are available on YouTube via the KBDCA channel. In Italy , Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie, linfomi e mieloma Onlus (AIL) an organization which works to raise public awareness of the fight against blood diseases held a patient webinar on March 28 . Thanks to the kind and generous contributions of individuals and groups, the IMF is delighted to announce that 2022 Myeloma Action Month made an enormous difference in building a powerful mosaic of activity for every myeloma patient, caregiver, nurse, doctor, and advocate thus, fortifying the myeloma community's collective hope, understanding, and resilience. The IMF is grateful to the following Platinum Sponsors for supporting Myeloma Action Month: 2seventy bio, Amgen, Binding Site, Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, and Takeda Oncology. ABOUT MULTIPLE MYELOMA Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called "multiple" because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org. Follow the IMF on: Twitter: @IMFmyeloma Instagram: @imfmyeloma Facebook: @myeloma LinkedIn: International Myeloma Foundation Media Contact: Jason London 818-487-7455 x261 [email protected] SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation Although his roots are in architecture, Orlinski fully immersed himself in the world of pop culture. The Paris native started sculpting in 2004, creating large and defiant geometric animal structures embracing the concept of "Born Wild." His pieces rapidly rose in popularity and garnered international success. As he redefined contemporary art codes, elements in nature became his signature and forte. Orlinski is now expanding his footprint by joining forces with Art Angels to debut "Born Wild - LA Edition." Alongside Orlinski's Hublot collaboration, Art Angels will premiere this highly anticipated exhibition by hosting an intimate soiree of industry tastemakers. The event will celebrate the art gallery's Los Angeles aesthetic, while showcasing Orlinski's talents. "As curators, we are always searching for artists to collaborate with whom we feel bring a dynamic and unique voice to contemporary art. Orlinski's impeccable pieces of art reflect his emotive and true-to-life qualities. We are honored to bring him into our circle of artists and to share him with our collectors," said co-founders of Art Angels, Kat Emery and Jacquelin Napal. "His collaboration with Hublot is a unique route in sculpture as it marks the advent of wearable art marrying the timelessness of the Swiss luxury watchmaker and Orlinski's signature Pop Art-derived designs." The debut of "Born Wild - LA Edition," will mark Art Angels' return to in-person events since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a year of virtual tours and social media live videos, the gallery continues its efforts to entice new faces to experience the physical space. The exhibition is open to the public after this intimate premiere on April 13th. In partnership with Eleusis Digital Canvas , the exhibit will showcase a 78" new rendition of Orlinski's signature Kong perched on a never-seen-before element as well as introduce a 6 x 6 ft digital platform screen to exhibit all things digital. For additional information on Art Angels, visit artangels.net and follow their curations on Instagram at @artangels . About Art Angels. Art Angels is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2013 by Jacquelin Napal and Kat Emery, located in Los Angeles and Miami. They also hold residences in Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach, and Catch Restaurant Los Angeles. Art Angels is a premium luxury brand that offers an eclectic mix of both established and emerging artists with a VIP experience while maintaining the down-to-earth, approachable vibe on which it was built. Their exhibitions have led them to a cult following from the chic and elite across the globe, which has become the go-to for high profile artists and collectors alike. Art Angels has been featured on multiple television shows including Million Dollar Listing, Selling Sunset, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and My Unorthodox Life. Press Contact Josefine Sanchez [email protected] SOURCE Art Angels DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Biological Safety Testing Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global biological safety testing market reached a value of US$ 3.51 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 7.16 Billion by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 12.55% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Biopharmaceutical products are widely used in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of various diseases. However, their manufacturing process and the complex structural and biological characteristics pose several safety concerns. Therefore, health agencies of numerous countries have mandated a thorough biological safety testing on these products. Biological safety testing ensures products are free from contaminants before a clinical investigation takes place. Nowadays, several companies are providing comprehensive biological safety testing packages that are compliant with global stringent safety standards. Biological Safety Testing Market Trends: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the urgent need for a potential treatment are among the key factors positively influencing the demand for biological safety testing worldwide. It evaluates the safety of candidate vaccines prior to their dispatch to manufacturers. Moreover, the escalating demand for biopharmaceutical products on account of the rising prevalence of targeted diseases and the easy access to healthcare services is fueling the market growth. Additionally, the rising number of novel drugs and biological products at clinical trials is contributing to the market growth. Apart from this, biological products derived from mammalian cell lines pose an inherent risk for microbial and viral contaminants. This is increasing the adoption of stringent safety testing to ensure biologic materials are safe and free of contaminants during the entire development process. Furthermore, due to the rising utilization of single-use medical items, pharmaceutical manufacturers are focusing on producing safe products and achieving sterility assurance, which, in turn, is driving the market. Besides this, market leaders are forming strategic partnerships with major research organizations to provide drug discovery and development services and produce cost-efficient and technologically advanced testing methods. This is anticipated to create a positive outlook for the market. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Avance Biosciences, Charles River Laboratories, Creative Biogene, Eurofins Scientific, Lonza Group AG, Maravai LifeSciences, Pace Analytical Services Inc., Pacific BioLabs, Sartorius AG, SGS SA, ViruSure GmbH (Asahi Kasei Corporation) and WuXi Biologics. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global biological safety testing market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global biological safety testing market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the product and services? What is the breakup of the market based on the test type? What is the breakup of the market based on the application? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global biological safety testing market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Biological Safety Testing Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Product and Services 6.1 Kits and Reagents 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Instruments 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Services 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Test Type 7.1 Endotoxin Tests 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Sterility Tests 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Cell Line Authentication and Characterization Tests 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 Bioburden Tests 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 7.5 Residual Host Contaminant Detection Tests 7.5.1 Market Trends 7.5.2 Market Forecast 7.6 Adventitious Agent Detection Tests 7.6.1 Market Trends 7.6.2 Market Forecast 7.7 Others 7.7.1 Market Trends 7.7.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Application 8.1 Vaccine Development 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Blood Products Testing 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Cellular and Gene Therapy 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Tissue and Tissue-related Products Testing 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 8.5 Stem Cell Research 8.5.1 Market Trends 8.5.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 Avance Biosciences 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.1.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.2 Charles River Laboratories 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Creative Biogene 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.4 Eurofins Scientific 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 Lonza Group AG 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.5.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.6 Maravai LifeSciences 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.7 Pace Analytical Services Inc. 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.8 Pacific BioLabs 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 Sartorius AG 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.9.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.10 SGS SA 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.11 ViruSure GmbH (Asahi Kasei Corporation) 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11.3 SWOT Analysis 14.3.12 WuXi Biologics 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12.3 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cov4mp Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets A train loaded with exports left Huaibei, a city in East Chinas Anhui province, on Sunday morning for Qingdao Port in Qingdao, East Chinas Shandong province, marking the launching of a rail-sea combined transport service connecting Huaibei and Qingdao. The train arrived at Qingdao Port about ten hours later and the goods on it were then transported by ship to Japan, the Republic of Korea and countries in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. The rail-sea combined transport service can help enterprises reduce transport costs by 800 to 1,000 yuan per TEU, according to a rough estimate. Huaibei launched the service as part of its efforts to establish channels of opening up, form a new pattern of open economy, and promote higher-quality transformation and development. DUBLIN, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Microwave Devices Market by Product (Active Devices, Passive Devices), Frequency (Ku-band, C-band, Ka-band, L-band, X-band, S-band), End User (Space & Communication, Military & Defense, Healthcare), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The high usage of active microwave devices in various defense and space electronics has led to the segment's growth. Active devices are widely used for detecting, mixing, amplifying, filtering, and switching microwave signals in standalone equipment. The active devices segment based on type has been bifurcated into solid-state and vacuum electron microwave devices. Solid-state microwave devices accounted for the larger revenue share of the overall active microwave devices market in 2020. The solid-state microwave devices feature long life, wider bandwidths, lower production costs, improved air cooling, operate at low voltages, and enable easy control of transmitted wave form's amplitude. The Ka-band segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The Ka-band requires smaller antennas for transmitting and receiving data, offering high throughput, lower cost of bandwidth, better Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), improved capacity, and allowing reuse of the same frequencies. The ability to adjust the uplink and downlink, as well as relatively less incurred cost, is expected to increase the deployment of Ku-band microwave devices. The space & communication segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of the microwave devices market during the forecast period. The increase in the number of high-throughput satellites (HTS) and rising investments in space and related exploration activities are expected to drive the growth for the space & communications segment. The growing prominence of real-time video and audio streaming services has led to an increase in the use of microwave devices. Additionally, the emergence of 5G for cellular communication is also expected to fuel the demand for microwave equipment during the forecast period. Asia Pacific region is expected to witness fastest growth during the forecast period. The presence of prominent microwave device manufacturers is expected to contribute to the revenue share of this region. Furthermore, the rapid commercialization of 5G in an attempt to cater to the rising demand for high-speed connectivity by the regional population is expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in Microwave Devices Market 4.2 Market, by Product 4.3 Market, by Frequency 4.4 Market, by End-user and Region 4.5 Microwave Devices Market, by Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increasing Military & Defense Expenditure 5.2.1.2 Growing Need for Secure and Fast Satellite Communication 5.2.1.3 Rising Demand for Microwave Devices in Patient Monitoring 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Cost of Microwave Devices 5.2.2.2 Device Complexity 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Technological Breakthroughs in Microwave Infrastructure 5.2.3.2 Miniaturization of Microwave Devices 5.2.3.3 Rising Penetration of 5G and IoT into Telecom Sector 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Electromagnetic Interference 5.2.4.2 Inability to Pass Signals Through Solid Objects, Fog, and Snow 5.3 Value Chain Analysis 5.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.5 Microwave Device Ecosystem Analysis 5.6 Trends and Disruptions Impacting Customers' Business 5.6.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets for Microwave Device Manufacturers 5.7 Case Study Analysis 5.8 Technology Analysis 5.9 Pricing Analysis 5.10 Trade Analysis and Tariff Analysis 5.11 Patent Analysis 5.12 Regulatory Landscape 6 Microwave Devices Market, by Product 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Active Devices 6.2.1 Active Devices Segment to Exhibit Fastest Growth During Forecast Period 6.2.2 Solid-State Microwave Devices 6.2.2.1 Solid-State Power Amplifier 6.2.2.2 Other Solid-State Microwave Devices 6.2.3 Solid-State Microwave Devices, by Material 6.2.3.1 Gallium Arsenide (Gaas) 6.2.3.2 Silicon 6.2.3.3 Gallium Nitride (Gan) 6.2.3.4 Silicon Carbide (Sic) 6.2.3.5 Other Materials 6.2.4 Vacuum Electron Microwave Devices 6.2.4.1 Traveling-Wave Tube Amplifier (Twta) 6.2.4.2 Klystron 6.2.4.3 Magnetron 6.2.4.4 Crossed-Field Amplifier 6.2.4.5 Other Vacuum Electron Microwave Devices 6.3 Passive Devices 6.3.1 Passive Devices Segment Held Major Market Share in 2020 6.3.2 Waveguides 6.3.3 Couplers 6.3.4 Attenuators 6.3.5 Isolators 6.3.6 Circulators 6.3.7 Others 7 Microwave Devices Market, by Frequency 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Ku-Band 7.2.1 Ku-Band Segment Held Largest Market Share in 2020 7.2.2 Use Case - Tracking Data Relay Satellite by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) 7.3 C-Band 7.3.1 C-Band Segment Accounted for Significant Revenue Share of Market in 2020 7.3.2 Use Case - 5G Spectrum 7.4 Ka-Band 7.4.1 Ka-Band Segment to Register Highest CAGR During Forecast Period 7.4.2 Use Case - Close-Range Targeting Radars 7.5 L-Band 7.5.1 L-Band Segment Captured Significant Revenue Share of Overall Market in 2020 7.5.2 Use Case - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (Scada) 7.6 X-Band 7.6.1 X-Band Segment to Witness Healthy Growth During Forecast Period 7.6.2 Use Case - Weather Radars 7.7 S-Band 7.7.1 S-Band Segment to Grow at Substantial CAGR from 2021 to 2027 7.7.2 Use Case - Microwave Ovens 7.8 Other Bands 8 Microwave Devices Market, by End-user 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Space & Communications 8.2.1 Space & Communications Segment Accounted for Largest Revenue Share in 2020 8.2.2 Recent Developments 8.3 Military & Defense 8.3.1 Military & Defense Segment Held Significant Revenue Share of Market in 2020 8.3.2 Recent Developments - Military & Defense 8.4 Healthcare 8.4.1 Healthcare Segment to Exhibit Moderate Growth During Forecast Period 8.5 Others 8.5.1 Recent Developments - Others 9 Geographic Analysis 10 Competitive Landscape 10.1 Overview 10.2 Top 3 Players - 3-Year Company Revenue Analysis 10.3 Key Player Strategies/Right to Win 10.4 Market Share Analysis (2020) 10.5 Company Evaluation Quadrant, 2020 10.5.1 Star 10.5.2 Pervasive 10.5.3 Emerging Leader 10.5.4 Participant 10.6 Small and Medium Enterprise (Sme) Evaluation Quadrant, 2020 10.6.1 Progressive Company 10.6.2 Responsive Company 10.6.3 Dynamic Company 10.6.4 Starting Block 10.7 Competitive Scenario 11 Company Profiles 11.1 Key Players 11.1.1 Thales Group 11.1.2 L3 Harris Technologies, Inc. 11.1.3 Teledyne Technologies Incorporated 11.1.4 Cpi International Inc. 11.1.5 Qorvo, Inc 11.1.6 Toshiba Corporation 11.1.7 Richardson Electronics, Ltd. 11.1.8 Analog Devices, Inc. 11.1.9 General Dynamics Corporation 11.1.10 Honeywell International Inc. 11.2 Other Players 11.2.1 Cobham Limited 11.2.2 Texas Instruments Incorporated 11.2.3 Api Microelectronics 11.2.4 Astra Microwave Products Limited 11.2.5 Cytec Corporation 11.2.6 Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc. 11.2.7 Macom 11.2.8 Microchip Technology Inc 11.2.9 Microwave Technologies 11.2.10 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation 11.2.11 Panasonic Corporation 11.2.12 Sylatech 11.2.13 Tmd Technologies Ltd. 11.2.14 Triton Services, Inc. 11.2.15 Wolfspeed Inc. 12 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x4rhbk Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets A&M Capital Partners-Backed Worldwise Builds Out Chew and Treat Category and Grows its Family of Branded Pet Products Through its Third Strategic Acquisition in Four Months NOVATO, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwise, Inc. ("Worldwise" or the "Company"), a leading pet supplies platform and a portfolio company of A&M Capital Partners ("AMCP"), a middle-market private equity investment fund that is part of the A&M Capital platform, together with A&M Capital Opportunities Fund, an affiliated fund, has acquired Pet Factory, an innovative leader in the pet chews, treats, toys, and accessories segments. Worldwise has now completed three successful M&A transactions in the last four months, expanding its portfolio to include six complementary brands across several attractive product categories, including pet chews and treats, toys, litter accessories, pet bedding and more. "We are a different business today than we were six months ago, thanks to the continued success of our M&A strategy in bolstering the Worldwise platform with innovative brands, products and production capabilities that meet the highest standards of both quality and safety," said Kevin Fick, CEO of Worldwise. "With this acquisition, Worldwise gains a leader in the chew and treat space with strategic domestic manufacturing capabilities and strong customer relationships. The entire Worldwise team is thrilled to welcome Pet Factory to the family and to add their exceptional team to our platform. We also want to thank Tom Miller and Marco Corsi, who have been tremendous leaders of the business. We look forward to continuing and growing their legacy." Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois, Pet Factory is a leading U.S. producer of high-quality pet chews and treats, and offers premium branded products for dogs through four core brands: - CareChewz: a 100% collagen, healthy, long-lasting, and safe daily chew. - Twistedz: a combo chew featuring a 'twist' of real chicken and/or beef meat around a beefhide chew. - Real Chewz: a 100% all-natural, oven-baked chew. - Combo Wrap Chewz: a handmade chew that combines traditional rawhide, porkhide, and real meat jerky. Pet Factory also offers a range of popular dog and cat toys alongside other pet accessories, and has strategically positioned domestic product development and manufacturing capabilities to serve a diverse range of co-manufacturing partner pet chew and treat brands. Following the transaction, Greg Hill will continue to serve as President of Pet Factory while also becoming a senior member of Worldwise's management team. In these capacities he will continue to grow the Pet Factory brands, serve its strong customer base, and contribute to the broader Worldwise platform. "For us, this deal was all about partnership," said Hill. "After building Pet Factory into the household name and category leader it is today, our vision for the future centered around identifying the right partners that could take our brands and business to the next level. We believe Worldwise and A&M Capital offer enhanced resources and meaningful opportunities to leverage our multi-faceted manufacturing capabilities, enabling us to fuel our future growth and better-serve our customers. Perhaps more importantly, they both share our values and vision for the future. We are excited to join the Worldwise team, to be integrated into a world-class platform, and to start the new chapter of Pet Factory." Since partnering in September 2021, Worldwise and AMCP have worked closely to execute the Company's M&A strategy. In addition to Pet Factory, this strategy has also produced the successful acquisitions of FurHaven Pet Products, an e-commerce leader in the pet industry, as well as Kitty Sift, a leader in the highly consumable cat litter and accessories segments. "When we acquired Worldwise, our goal was to grow the Company into a premiere platform in pet products, treats, and chews, with a broad portfolio of brands that resonate with pet owners," said Ryan McCarthy, Partner at AMCP. "In a short six months, Worldwise's winning platform and approach has already attracted some of the top brands and sellers in the industry. We have closed several strategic acquisitions that have more than doubled the Company's revenues, the number of brands in our portfolio, and importantly, the number of innovative product offerings for our customers. We believe our domestic production capabilities, global vendor network, omni-channel distribution platform, and diversified customer base are all compelling differentiators for those looking to become part of a larger platform, and we look forward to continuing to add complementary and accretive businesses to the Worldwise family." Kirkland and Ellis provided legal counsel to AMCP and Worldwise. Peakstone served as financial advisor to Pet Factory, and SFBBG provided legal counsel to Pet Factory. For more information about Worldwise, please visit www.worldwise.com . About Worldwise, Inc. Worldwise, Inc. is committed to creating the most innovative, accessible, affordable, and environmentally-responsible product solutions for pets and pet parents everywhere. Our family of award-winning brandsgoDog, Petlinks, SHERPA, Hear Doggy!, SmartyKat, TrustyPup, Guaranteed On-Board, PoochPlanet, Pawscout, FurHaven and moreall stand for the highest in quality, safety and satisfaction, all while incorporating environmentally-responsible materials and processes whenever possible. Backed by child safety standards and our satisfaction guarantee, our thoughtful, fun, and eco-sustainable products promote the bond between pets and pet parents across diverse categories such as cat toys, catnip, cat bedding, cat scratchers, dog toys, dog bedding, dog and cat travel accessories, app-integrated dog and cat tracking solutions, and more. For more information, please visit www.worldwise.com . About Pet Factory Founded in 1989, Pet Factory is an innovative manufacturer and distributor of American-made pet chews, treats, toys, and accessories. Based just outside of Chicago in Mundelein, Illinois, the company is the market leader in quality collagen and beefhide chews, as well as other premium chew and treat products for dogs, offered through four core brands: CareChewz, Twistedz, Real Chewz, and Combo Wrap Chewz. The company also offers a range of popular dog and cat toys alongside other pet accessories, as well as a full suite of production capabilities for private label customers. About A&M Capital Partners A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital's flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $2.5 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.8 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. CONTACT Gaffney Bennett PR [email protected] SOURCE Worldwise, Inc. Angled diamond drilling at Panuco North targeted the down-dip strike extension of near surface mineralization reported by Zacatecas on the February 16, 2022 . Panuco North results include: 1.25 m @ 1440 g/t Ag Eq (1423.2 g/t Ag and 0.23 g/t Au) from 27.48 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-042) 4.35 m @ 375 g/t Ag Eq (353 g/t Ag and 0.29 g/t Au) from 56.38 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-044) 1.55 m @ 379 g/t Ag Eq (358 g/t Ag and 0.28 g/t Au) from 70 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-043) 1.05 m @ 222 g/t Ag Eq (201 g/t Ag and 0.28 g/t Au) from 97.3 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-046) 5.96 m @ 179 g/t Ag Eq (114.9 g/t Ag and 0.85 g/t Au) from 107.28 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-045) Drilling continues and more assay results are pending. Dr. Chris Wilson, Chief Operating Officer and a Director of Zacatecas comments, "The most recent round of drilling in the south-eastern part of the Panuco North Vein has continued to intercept robust silver grades over down-hole widths of up to 5.96 metres. Although most holes targeted the down-dip extension of the near surface high grade silver mineralization intercepted in the initial scout drilling program, drilling has only tested the uppermost parts of the vein to a maximum downhole depth of 107 m (approximately 90 m vertical). Mineralization is open in all directions and depth potential is excellent." Mineralization at Panuco North is of an intermediate sulphidation epithermal type, characterized by two main veins and several vein splays, with similar orientation to other silver-gold-base metal veins in the Zacatecas region. Vein textures, gangue mineralogy and metal signature of the near surface mineralization intercepted in drill holes at Panuco Central are consistent with the uppermost part or "top" of an intermediate sulphidation system (Figure 1). Similar veins at Zacatecas, and intermediate sulphidation deposits within the broader Mexican silver belt, and worldwide, have demonstrated vertical extents of between to 400 to >600 vertical metres. Mineralization at Panuco North has excellent depth potential and only the uppermost part of the south-eastern extension of the vein has been tested. Dr. Wilson, further comments, "Mineralization at Panuco North has intercepted silver equivalent grades that are generally higher than the silver equivalent grade of the current Panuco resource estimate. Moreover, mineralization is being intercepted generally over wider widths. This is significant and further outlines the exploration potential of Panuco North." Following the recent grant of 27 additional drill pads (see news release on March 23, 2022), Zacatecas will be able to test the depth extension of mineralization at south-eastern Panuco North over a strike length of 600 m, and to complete a maiden drill program along the central part of the Panuco North vein over a strike length of 1.4 km. Assay results for six closely spaced holes (PAN 2022-026, 028, 029, 030, 032, and 033) drilled in the northwest of the Panuco North returned narrow zones of low-grade silver-gold mineralization. These holes tested shallow surface workings over a strike of 200 m strike to a maximum vertical depth of 60 m. Vein textures and metal signatures are consistent with the uppermost part of an intermediate sulphidation system. The vein has not been tested below these depths and remains open at depth. At the Panuco Central Vein, seven angled diamond drill holes (totalling 1385 m) were drilled in the Panuco Central Vein system to test up-dip extension of mineralization included in the Panuco Resource Estimate. Results have been received for five holes and include 2.25 m @ 185 g/t Ag Eq (50 g/t Ag and 1.8 g/t Au) from 120.57 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-038) including: 0.49 m @ 545 g/t Ag Eq (156 g/t Ag and 5.18 g/t Au) from 120.57 m downhole; and 2.30 m @ 161 g/t Ag Eq (156 g/t Ag and 0.07 g/t Au) from 103.44 m downhole (Hole PAN2022-040). The results of these holes are highly significant as the near surface (<150 m vertical) portion of the Panuco Central vein has never been tested above the current resource. Zacatecas is currently applying for additional drill pads to test the near surface extension of the entire Panuco Central Vein. Table 1. Assay Results from Drill Program Hole ID East North Azimuth (deg.) Dip (deg.) From (m) To (m) Downhole Interval (m) Ag g/t Au g/t Aq Eq. PAN2022_038 752153 2533031 059 -67 120.57 122.82 2.25 50 1.8 185 PAN2022_040 752336 2532833 030 -50 103.44 105.74 2.30 156 0.07 161 PAN2022_041 751897 2534233 215 -65 84.90 85.40 0.52 225 0.20 240 PAN2022_042 752051 2534036 042 -38 27.48 28.73 1.25 1423 0.23 1440 PAN2022_042 752051 2534036 042 -38 34.11 34.80 0.69 579 0.69 631 PAN2022_043 752050 2534037 042 -78 70.00 71.55 1.55 358 0.28 379 PAN2022_044 752059 2534019 078 -48 56.38 60.73 4.35 353 0.29 375 PAN2022_045 752059 2534019 078 -75 107.28 113.24 5.96 115 0.85 179 PAN2022_046 751867 2534125 032 -40 97.30 98.35 1.05 201 0.28 222 Additional drilling is required to determine true widths as all hole intercepted veins at an oblique angle. The assays are not capped. Assumptions used in USD for the silver equivalent calculation were metal prices of $24/oz silver, $1,800/oz gold and 100% recovery. At Panuco North drill holes PAN 2022-026, 028, 029, 030, 032 and 033 returned narrow zones of low-grade silver-gold mineralization and hole PAN 2022-027 did not encounter any significant mineralization. At Panuco central holes PAN 2022-036 and 037 returned narrow zones of low-grade silver-gold mineralization and holes PAN 2022-034 and 035 did not encounter any significant mineralization. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Zacatecas follows industry-recognized standards of Best Practice and Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Samples are submitted to ALS in batches of 20 comprising 16 half cut core samples, one field blank, two certified reference material standards and one staged duplicate. Samples are sealed in plastic bags using single use tie-locks and delivered to ALS Zacatecas thereby ensuring chain of custody. Since the ALS facility in Zacatecas is only a preparation facility, sample pulps were sent to ALS Ireland for fire assay. To date all batches have passed QAQC and blanks and CRM's were within acceptable tolerance limits. All diamond holes were drilled HQ diameter. Core recovery across all veins was better than 98%. Qualified Person The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Chris Wilson, B.Sc. (Hons), PhD, FAusIMM (CP), FSEG, Chief Operating Officer of Zacatecas. Dr. Wilson is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and is responsible for all technical information in this news release. About Zacatecas Silver Corp. The Zacatecas silver property is located in Zacatecas state, Mexico, within the highly prospective Fresnillo silver belt, which has produced over 6.2 billion ounces of silver. The company holds 7,826 hectares (19,338 acres) of ground that is highly prospective for low-sulphidation and intermediate-sulphidation silver base metal mineralization and potentially low-sulphidation gold-dominant mineralization. On December 15, 2021, Zacatecas announced a mineral resource estimate at the Panuco deposit consisting of 2.7 million tonnes at 187 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (AgEq) (171 g/t silver (Ag) and 0.17 g/t gold (Au)) for 16.4 million ounces AgEq (15 million ounces silver and 15,000 ounces gold). The property is 25 kilometres (km) southeast of MAG Silver Corp.'s Juanicipio mine and Fresnillo PLC's Fresnillo mine. The property shares common boundaries with Pan American Silver Corp. claims and El Orito, which is owned by Endeavour Silver. There are four main high-grade silver target areas within the Zacatecas concessions: the Panuco deposit, Muleros, El Cristo and San Manuel-San Gill. The property also includes El Oro, El Orito, La Cantera, Monserrat, El Penon, San Judas and San Juan silver base metal vein targets. These targets are unexplored. Additionally, Zacatecas has recently announced a transaction to acquire the Esperanza Gold Project from Alamos Gold Inc. Esperanza is an advanced stage, attractive low-cost, low-capital-intensity and low-technical-risk growth project located in Morelos state, Mexico. Alamos has progressed the project through advanced engineering, including metallurgical work, while also focusing on stakeholder engagement, including building community relations. To date, significant core and reverse circulation drilling has occurred at the Esperanza gold project, resulting in a total of 389 drill holes for 69,716 metres. Four targets adjacent to or close to the historical resource were identified to potentially expand the historical resource. The project also hosts seven regional exploration targets, largely untested, that also merit drill testing. Alamos reported in its most recent annual information form a resource estimate of a measured and indicated resource of 34,352,000 tonnes at 0.98 g/t gold and 8.09 g/t silver for 1,083,366 ounces of gold and 8,936,201 ounces of silver and inferred resource of 718,000 tonnes at 0.80 g/t gold and 15.04 g/t silver for 18,375 ounces of gold and 347,192 ounces of silver. The Company considers this to be an historical resource for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Resource blocks were defined using with dimensions of 10 metres (m) by 10 m by five m. The estimation of grades was performed with the ordinary kriging method on capped composites. An added step in the estimation strategy was the utilization of the dynamic anisotropy technique in Vulcan's unfolding options. This added capability allows for a more realistic outcome of the estimated grade's spatial distribution as it follows the folded shape of the deposit. Assumptions used in the resource include the following metal prices: gold price of $1,400 (U.S.) per ounce (oz) and silver price of $22 (U.S.) per oz. The resource assumed the following economic assumptions: recovery of 60.4 per cent at 0.2 g/t to 71.9 per cent at 1.6 g/t for gold, 25 per cent for silver, $2.60-per-tonne mining costs, 64-cents-per-tonne general and administrative costs, $4.20-per-tonne milling costs and a pit slope of 45 degrees. The Company considers the resource relevant due to its identification and modelling of the Esperanza deposit. The Company has not done sufficient work to classify the resource as a current mineral resource or mineral reserves and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Although the resource estimate is considered reliable, the Company will resample a portion of the drill core for the purpose of carrying out a new resource estimate. Furthermore, additional data verification, including resurveying of select diamond drill holes collars; review of graphic drill core logs, comparison of these logs with remaining half-cut core and a cross check of select geological logs agonist database entries; and a check of original assay certificates against the assays and drill hole database. On behalf of the Company Bryan Slusarchuk Chief Executive Officer and Director Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Zacatecas cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Zacatecas' limited operating history, its proposed exploration and development activities on is Zacatecas Properties and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Zacatecas does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Zacatecas Silver Corp. Washington, April 7 : At least two senior US officials and two Congressmen have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a white-tie dinner over the past weekend. The US Department of Justice announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for Covid-19 through antigen tests, Xinhua news agency reported. Garland, fully vaccinated and boosted, asked to be tested after learning that he may have been exposed to the virus. At the time, he is not experiencing symptoms. The statement also said the Attorney General will isolate at home for at least five days and will return to the office following a negative test for the coronavirus. The positive test result came just hours after Garland spoke in person at a press conference alongside FBI Director Christopher Wray and other federal law enforcement officials. The Attorney General reportedly went to the Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner on Saturday evening -- typically one of the most high-profile annual Washington media events. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who also attended the event, is quarantined at home after experiencing mild symptoms and testing positive for Covid-19. Congressmen Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro -- two other attendees -- made public their infections on Tuesday. The Gridiron dinner is said to have hosted more than 600 government officials, members of Congress, diplomats, and media figures at the four-star Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. The annual event, which has been held in various forms for more than a century, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the US has exceeded 80 million, with 980,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the Covid-19 pandemic "is not over" and warned against the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 -- now the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the US. "We know BA.2 is here," Psaki said. "We know that it is more transmissible." She also reiterated that all White House employees who come in proximity to US President Joe Biden are regularly tested. Biden, who signed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 into law at the State Dining Room on Wednesday afternoon, was last tested for Covid-19 on Monday and he tested negative, according to the White House. Jamal Simmons, Communications Director for US Vice-President Kamala Harris, tested positive on Wednesday, according to a statement. "Jamal was in close contact to the Vice-President as defined by CDC guidance," the statement said. "Jamal is isolating and working from home." The CDC, which stands for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines close contact as someone who is less than 6 feet (1.8 metres) away from an infected individual for more than 15 minutes. "The Vice-President will follow CDC guidance for those that have been in close contact with a positive individual and will continue to consult with her physician," the statement added. "The Vice-President plans to continue with her public schedule." Anthony Fauci, a top US infectious disease expert, said on Wednesday that he expects the BA.2 subvariant to fuel an increase in Covid-19 cases across the US. "I would not be surprised if we see an uptick in cases," Fauci, also the longtime director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the White House Medical Adviser, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. The best way to avoid it, he recommended, "is to get more people vaccinated," adding that "if you're vaccinated, make sure you get boosted when your time comes." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Buenos Aires, April 7 : The epidemiological situation in Argentina against Covid-19 is "very favorable" at the moment, Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti said. "We are in a very favorable epidemiological situation, with a sustained decline in the number of cases and deaths," the official told local media on Wednesday, according to the state news agency Telam. "Currently, we have less than 500 people hospitalised in intensive care units," she added. Vizzotti highlighted the importance and progress of the country's immunisation campaign against Covid-19, Xinhua news agency reported. "We have applied two doses to over 80 per cent of people and more than 17 million booster shots," she said. The Health Minister also emphasised the need to continue to be careful and to get vaccinated so that by the end of the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, the country can "stop talking so much about coronavirus". On Tuesday, Argentina reported 2,228 Covid-19 infections and 20 deaths, bringing the total to 9,045,326 cases and 128,106 deaths from the disease. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tunis, April 7 : Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi summoned the Turkish Ambassador over the Turkish President's comments on his Tunisian counterpart's decision to dissolve parliament, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported. During a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Jerandi on Wednesday denounced the statement from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "unacceptable" interference in the internal affairs of his country, Xinhua news agency reported. On late Monday, Erdogan expressed his "regret" that the Tunisian parliament was dissolved and an inquiry was launched against the deputies who attended an online session to revoke the decrees issued by Tunisian President Kais Saied. On Monday, Saied decided to dissolve the parliament "to preserve the state and its institutions". Ouagadougou, April 7 : Burkina Faso's former President Blaise Compaore was sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in 1987, a military tribunal ruled after a trial that started on October 11, 2021. The tribunal on Wednesday also sentenced General Gilbert Diendere and Hyacinthe Kafando, a Security Chief, to life imprisonment. Compaore, who lives in exile in Cote d'Ivoire after being toppled by public protests in 2014, and Kafando, who has been on the run since 2016, were tried in absentia, Xinhua news agency reported. Eight other accused were sentenced to terms ranging from three to 20 years in prison. Three defendants were acquitted. They were prosecuted for various offences, mainly attack against state security, assassination and concealment of corpses. Thomas Sankara seized power in Burkina Faso following a military coup on August 4, 1983, as part of a military revolution that changed the name of the country Haute Volta (Upper Volta) to Burkina Faso. On October 15, 1987, Sankara was assassinated in a coup that brought to power Blaise Compaore, a key member of the military revolution. Srinagar, April 7 : An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces at Haripora area in South Kashmir's Shopian district, police officials said on Thursday. "Encounter has started at Haripora area of Shopian. Police and security forces are on the job," police said. The firefight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of the police and the security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about the presence of terrorists. As the security forces zeroed in on the site where terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter. Lucknow, April 7 : A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs and his seven-year-old sister has been critically injured in the attack in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. The incident comes two days after a five-year-old girl was killed in a similar attack in Saharanpur district. According to reports, the incident which took place late on Wednesday evening triggered anger among local residents, who staged a protest till late Wednesday evening at the local police station and lodged a complaint against the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. According to reports, Mohd Raza and his sister Jannat were playing outside their house in Thakurganj area when a pack of nearly 8 to 10 dogs attacked them. The locals rushed to rescue the screaming children and shooed the dogs away with great difficulty. Police said the residents took the injured children to KGMU Trauma Centre where the boy was pronounced dead. The in-charge of KGMU trauma centre, Sandeep Tiwari, said, "We tried our best but could not save the boy who succumbed due to excessive blood loss. His sister is in the ICU and her condition is critical." The children's father, Mohammed Shabab said he was working in his shop when he got the information about the incident and rushed to KGMU. His wife is in Mumbai with their elder daughter. Local residents said the stray dogs were a menace and they had attacked several people in the past too. The residents claimed that they had raised the issue with the Municipal Corporation but it was never taken up. Lucknow, April 7 : He looked well brought-up and his gait exuded authority. When he posed as an IPS officer, no one suspected anything was amiss. It was only when Prateek Kumar Mishra was arrested from Lucknow's Gomti Nagar of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday evening that it emerged that he had been running a job racket for long, promising jobs in municipal corporation, police department, among others. The Special Task Force (STF) that arrested him have recovered two mobile phones, a fake IPS ID card, appointment letters for constable post and documents related to Uttar Pradesh Recruitment and Promotion Board. Additional Superintendent of Police, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, said Mishra used voice changing software or voice-over-internet protocol to trap job seekers. "Prateek had earlier duped several persons of Rs 1 crore during Covid," Singh added. The police officer said the matter was being further investigated to find out the extent of his misdeeds. Varanasi : , April 7 (IANS) Ever thought of having a green chilli powder on your dining table? This is all set to become a reality because the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has now developed a technology of making powder of green chilli which will be launched in the market soon. Till now only red chilli powder was easily available in the market whereas green chilli powder, of its own natural colour of green chilli is not. The IIVR has got this technique patented in its name and is all set for the market launch of the product. The institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Himachal Pradesh-based firm. IIVR Director Tusar Kanti Behera, said the institute has inked an agreement with a Una (Himachal Pradesh)-based company for the production of green chilli powder. "The institute is promoting the public-private partnership to take its advanced technologies to the beneficiaries. According to the agreement, the IIVR will transfer the technology to the company to produce the green chilli powder and make it available in the market," he added. According to him, the green chilli powder prepared by this technology also contains more than 30 per cent vitamin C, 94-95 per cent chlorophyll and 65-70 per cent capsin and thus prepared green chilli powder can be stored safely for several months at normal temperature. The IIVR Director said he had discussed its quality standards and marketing with the company's representative Yashoda Nand Gupta. The institute has also connected the farmers of eastern Uttar Pradesh with the company, so that the green chillies produced in this area can be directly purchased by this company. This will increase the demand for the produce of the farmers and fetch a fair price, which will increase their income. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Baghdad, April 7 : Three rockets landed near Iraq's northern Kurdish regional capital Erbil causing no casualties, the region's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) said in a statement. The rockets were fired from al-Hamdaniya, a town 60 km west of Erbil, and hit an inhabited area near an oil installation in the Khabat District of Erbil province, the Kurdish CTS statement added on Wednesday. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack, Xinhua news agency reported. On March 13, the Kurdish regional government said 12 long-range ballistic missiles were fired from the east outside the Iraqi borders toward the new building of the US consulate in Erbil and the surrounding residential areas, leaving one civilian injured. Later on Wednesday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq to protest against the missile attack. Beirut, April 7 : Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on all political parties to cooperate to pull the country out of its crisis, the Council of Ministers said in a statement. "We affirm that Lebanon possesses a lot of potential and capability which should give the country an incentive to revive. This requires that we all cooperate, especially at the level of government and parliament, to push forward reforms and the recovery," Mikati said on Wednesday during a meeting for the cabinet discussing necessary reform measures. The Prime Minister added that his cabinet will continue to work to put the country on the path to recovery despite the tough social and economic challenges, Xinhua news agency reported. "We are working non-stop to explore ways to pay all our internal and external obligations," he said. Mikati assured that Lebanon has made great progress in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and his cabinet expects positive results in this regard. Lebanon has been going through an unprecedented financial crisis amid a steep shortage of foreign reserves, with more than 74 per cent of the population plunging into poverty, according to the World Bank. Amman, April 7 : Jordan has welcomed a resolution adopted by UNESCO on old Jerusalem and its walls, which said all Israeli procedures aiming to change the identity of the holy city and its legal status quo are null and void. Jordan's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Haitham Abu Al-Foul said the resolution was unanimously adopted by UNESCO Executive Board on Wednesday during its 214th session, according to a statement by the Ministry. The official said the resolution is a result of Jordanian diplomatic efforts in coordination with Palestinians and the Arab and Islamic groups at the UN organisation, according to the statement. The resolution calls on Israel to stop its provocations and unilateral illegal procedures against Haram Al-Sharif, also known as the Temple Mount, including the Al-Aqsa mosque, as well as the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls, Al-Foul said. The resolution calls for speeding up procedures to dispatch a monitoring mission from UNESCO to Jerusalem to inspect all violations committed by Israel, the statement indicated. Al-Foul noted that the resolution is in line with the Jordanian stance towards the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls, Xinhua news agency reported. Panaji, April 7 : Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar has compared the state's Law and Judiciary Minister Nilesh Cabral to French queen Marie Antoniette after the latter asked people to buy e-vehicles instead of complaining about rising fuel prices. "It reminds us of a French monarch telling people 'if you cannot afford bread, eat cake'. This is what the BJP minister is telling the Goans. This attitude comes from the arrogance of power," he said. On Wednesday, Cabral had said: "So, we have to make a change in ourselves. I will advise people to buy electrical vehicles and start moving around in them so that you can save money and save the environment also. They say prices have increased and yet they buy petrol. They must be in a position to buy an (e)-bike," Cabral told the media at the BJP state headquarters in Panaji. Accusing the BJP government of failing to fulfil its primary duty of controlling prices, Patkar said: "This is adding salt to the wounds of those whose household budgets have been thrown out of gear by such a rise in fuel prices. "It looks that the BJP government has abdicated its primary duty of controlling prices. Petrol price rise has a spiralling effect on prices of other essential items. Congress party deplores this insensitive and irresponsible statement of the BJP minister." Following the recent fuel price hike, petrol in Goa is priced at Rs 106 per litre. Bengaluru, April 7 : The Karnataka Congress has lodged a police complaint and sought the arrest of state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi for their provocative statements in connection with a youth's murder in Bengaluru. Chandru, 22, was murdered in the J.J. Nagar police station limits of Bengaluru on Tuesday midnight in a road rage case. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Wednesday night lodged the complaint with the Malleshwaram Police station. A delegation headed by Congress leader Manohar lodged the complaint and said the statements were intended to paint whole of the Muslim community in bad colour. Jnanendra on Wednesday said that Chandru was murdered for speaking in Urdu with the accused persons. "The murder has been carried out for refusing to talk in Urdu and for insisting to talk in the Kannada language. He had been stabbed to death. The police have arrested a few persons and a hunt is on for other accused persons," Home Minister stated. "This is a barbaric incident. After the quarrel, they have suddenly stabbed and killed him. I have asked the police to initiate action," he said. Later, the minister backtracked and apologised for his statements. He clarified that the murder was a result of road rage. National General Secretary and BJP MLA C.T. Ravi had also jumped the gun on the issue that Chandru was hacked to death for speaking in Kannada. "The incident should not be seen in isolation and there are provocations behind such a mindset. What is happening in Kashmir could also take place in Karnataka. I condemn the incident. Progressive thinkers have turned a blind eye to the incident. Congress leaders won't shed any tears if a Hindu is killed and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah won't pay condolences if the victim is a Hindu," he said Both the leaders were slammed by the Opposition Congress and JD(S). Lashing out on the statement of the Home Minister, Siddaramaiah dubbed him as an inefficient minister. "He had given statements like this in the murder case of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and Mysuru gang-rape case. He is not able to maintain the portfolio. It is unfortunate that such a person is our home minister. "Initially, he stated that Harsha had criminal cases against him and later denied. In Mysuru gang-rape case, he had said that why women should come out during odd hours to isolated places," Siddaramaiah said. Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that the Home Minister is not serious about his job. "He had used the word 'Dalit' instead of 'Hindu'. This is a trivial statement. He has started to carryout political agenda in murders also in the state," he said. New Delhi, April 7 : India recorded 1,033 cases fresh cases in a span of 24 hours, a marginal decline against previous day's count of 1,086, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday. In the same period, 43 Covid related fatalities have occurred across the country, taking the death toll to 5,21,530. Following a continuous downward trend, the country's active caseload has declined to 11,639. Active cases now constitute 0.03 per cent of the country's total positive cases. A total of 1,222 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients since the beginning of the pandemic is now at 4,24,98,789. Consequently, the country's recovery rate stands at 98.76 per cent. Also in the same period, a total of 4,82,039 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 79.25 crore cumulative tests. There has been a sustained fall in the weekly and daily positivity rates too. The weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.22 per cent, however the daily positivity rate is also reported to be 0.21 per cent. On the vaccination front, COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 185.20 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. This has been achieved through 2,22,20,478 sessions. Over 2.04 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket. More than 15.92 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Beijing, April 7 : The Russia-Ukraine conflict continued on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. On Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia and Ukraine are continuing negotiations but there remains a long way to go, stressing that Moscow would like Kiev to be more active during the negotiations. The withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev region was to facilitate the peace talks, he told France's LCI broadcaster earlier in the day, Xinhua news agency reported. During an interview with Turkey's Haberturk television channel, Zelensky said: "In any case, we must find even small opportunities for the negotiation process. Without this, I think it is difficult to end the war." Zelensky emphasised the importance of mediation by other countries, including Turkey, in the talks. He instructed the government to formalise the cessation of Ukraine's trade with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement Wednesday. In fact, import and export operations between Ukraine and Russia have been completely terminated since the start of the conflict, the statement said. The US on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on Russia for its military operation in Ukraine, targeting the country's major financial institutions and the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a factsheet from the White House detailing the measures, US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order banning new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they live. Additionally, Americans will no longer be allowed to conduct business transactions with major Russian state-owned enterprises, whose assets subject to US. jurisdiction will be frozen. The US Department of the Treasury will announce the names of these entities on Thursday. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday invited Putin to a summit meeting in Budapest to make progress toward an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Orban said that he spoke on the phone with Putin, who called him Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his election victory. "I know (a ceasefire) is not going to happen by itself, so I invited Putin, the presidents of Ukraine and France, and the German chancellor to Budapest, the sooner the better," Orban said. Orban added that Hungary is ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles if necessary, unlike other European Union countries, which have rejected Moscow's request. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Moscow, April 7 : The US is consistently building up its military biological potential in various regions of the world, taking advantage of gaps in international law, the Russian military has said. Washington is creating biological laboratories in different countries and connecting them to a unified system, said Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, Xinhua news agency reported. In territories bordering Russia and China alone, there have been about 60 facilities modernised since 2005 with funding from the US military, he said at a meeting. Kirillov noted that the US has spent more than $5 billion on military biological programmes since 2005. According to him, these biological facilities are carrying out work in three areas: monitoring the biological situation in proposed areas for the deployment of military contingents of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; collecting and delivering strains of dangerous microorganisms to the US; and studying potential agents of biological weapons. Agents specific to a given region, having natural foci and capable of being transmitted to humans are also being studied, he added. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, April 7 : US President Joe Biden's top economic adviser has said that the US warned India against partnering too closely with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, BBC reported. "Our message to the Indian government is that the costs and consequences for them of moving into a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will be significant and long-term," White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told reporters. "There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and India's decisions, in the context of the invasion," he added. India has declined to level sanctions against Russia, as other countries have done. The country, which the US sees as a counter to China's power in Asia, is the largest importer of Russian weapons, according to Bloomberg. It comes after the US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh made an official visit to India last week. "What Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we don't believe it's in India's interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said after Singh returned this week. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, April 7 : The India Pavilion has been recognised among the top 3 pavilions at the Expo2020 Dubai for its exclusive design and innovation, under the 'People's Choice' category by the Exhibitor Group. This is the first time in the history of the World Expo that the India Pavilion has bagged such an accolade. The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai celebrates #India@75 or '75 years of India's independence and showcases the new and dynamic India with its never-ending opportunities. A star-studded international jury established by Exhibitors Insight Awards identified the 'People Choice Awards'. Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General for India at Expo 2020 Dubai said: "We would like to thank the Exhibitor Group for this recognition. It is a testament to India's magnificence which has been exhibited by India Pavilion. With the use of architecture, the Pavilion beautifully captures India's rich cultural heritage and its technological prowess. We are also proud to be one of the most visited pavilions at the Expo as we recently touched the 1.5 million visitor mark. It has been a successful journey over the past 6 months, and we wish to continue strengthening India's global presence." Architect Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects, who designed the India Pavilion said: "Every visitor takes back with them a vast array of experiences and memories, whether it is India's culture, architectural legacy, forays into technology, or the country's beautiful natural landscape. This uniqueness is what we wanted to showcase through our design for the India Pavilion, which transcends the boundaries of time and region and encapsulates India's vibrant diversity." Travis Stanton, jury member of the award said, "The Expo 2020 Award winners and honorable mentions represent some of the world's best examples of how design, technology, presentation and storytelling come together to create immersive experiences and effectively communicate compelling messages." The India Pavilion is created on the theme of "Openness, Opportunity, Growth", in line with EXPO2020 Dubai's theme - "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", to showcase a nation open to new learnings, new perspectives, innovations, and investment opportunities. The state-of-the-art India Pavilion structure is dedicated to 11 primary themes, each having an exclusive zone, all under one gigantic roof, including Climate and Biodiversity, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Global Goals, Health and Wellness, Water, and more. The India Pavilion was also awarded as 'One of the most iconic' Pavilions by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at EXPO2020in November last year. The magnificent four-story Pavilion represents India as the fastest-growing nation in the world with the theme of 'India on the move'. Made up of 600 individual blocks, the facade of the India Pavilion uses kinetic architecture to tell 75 stories about the history, geography, and literature of the country with an engrossing stimulus of "constant change". The interiors of the pavilion employ cutting-edge technologies to craft an interactive journey through India's landscape and interconnect the nation's social, cultural, and natural wealth. The Expo2020 Dubai will come to an end on March 31. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Imran Khan represents a peculiar phase in politics that emerges during periods of economic contradictions between the ruling elite and the wider population and which cannot be resolved through democratic and peaceful means. Pakistan is suffering from a dense political chaos that has stemmed from a debt dependent economy. The rift between the military and the civil government of Nawaz Sharif led to the ultimate demise of the latter. The question was who will be in charge of running the economy of Pakistan. When it came to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif wanted Parliament to be the supreme decision making body. But the military was not willing to give in. Imran Khan was launched by the military establishment to defame the two party system that according to Khan were taking turns to come into power to plunder the country. Khan was also fed the narrative of an imaginary Riyasat-e-Madina which to me is a utopian idea and was applied to Pakistani polity by Khan as a deadly political weapon. The military engineered Imran Khan's accent to power hence he was named the 'selected' prime minister by the opposition. The first task that Khan was given by the Pakistani military establishment was to trod across the globe begging for money. Khan did his best. However, an economy that solely depends on loans and borrowed money cannot erect a sustainable economic foundation. Therefore, with the passage of months and years Pakistan's current deficit, trade deficit as well as foreign debt continued to rise. A civil section of the Pakistan's ruling elite under the leadership of former President Asif Ali Zardari, former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Jameet e Ullema Islam leader Maulana Fazal ur Rahman formed Pakistan Democratic Movement or PDM. Dozens of public rallies were held that pulled crowds in millions. Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif made fiery speeches accusing the military generals of conspiracies against elected civilian governments of the past. Slogans such as 'ye jo dehshat gardi hai, is kay pechay wardi hai', became the anthem of the PDM rallies. The military generals were now clearly on the back foot. The economy that Khan was supposed to turn around slipped further into a downward spiral bringing Pakistan's GDP into the negative. General Bajwa and Khan became suspicious of each other as Bajwa realised that Khan was not only unable to deliver but on the contrary had thrown the country to the dogs. The DG ISI at the time Lt. General Faiz Hamid, who is accused of the political engineering that brought Khan into power, was now trying to out maneuver army Chief. The visit General Hamid made to Kabul in August 2021 to meet the Taliban and help them to come to a consensus to form a new government in Afghanistan was seen as a direct challenge to Bajwa's authority. Then on October 6 last year the rift between Imran Khan and General Bajwa over the transfer of Lt. General Hamid as Corps commander Peshawar and appointment of a new DG ISI turned into a bitter conflict of interests. Meanwhile, General Bajwa managed to elevate Shahbaz Sharif to replace Maryam Nawaz as the leader of the PDM. Sharif banned anti-army slogans to be raised at PDM rallies. Now it became clear that General Bajwa was backing the opposition against Khan. The man in Peshawar, the Khan loyal former DG ISI, was pulling strings from the Peshawar Corps headquarters to weaken the opposition. This led to a split in the military that was never heard of in the past. Such hybrid war in an institution like the Pakistan army seriously has seriously undermined the fighting spirit of the soldiers and lower ranking officers. It is in this backdrop that Khan decided to sabotage the whole democratic process and consolidate his grip on power. He devised a plan. On February 24, just one day before Russia attacked Ukraine, Khan landed at Moscow airport to meet president Putin. Khan knew that at a time when the western democracies were opposing Russia and NATO was being mobilised, Khan's visit would be criticised by the west. (Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK. The views expressed are personal)) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, April 7 : Former Co-founder and managing director of BharatPe, Ashneer Grover, on Thursday once again hit at the board members of the fintech company, saying snatching the keys and running a corner shop are two different skill-sets. Ashneer was stripped last month of all company titles over alleged "extensive misappropriation of company funds" and using "company expense accounts" to "enrich themselves and fund their lavish lifestyles". "So I just heard @bharatpeindia closed its first quarter of 'degrowth' and 'maximum cash burn' under able (sic) leadership of Rajnish Kumar and Suhail Sameer. 'Chaabi chheenna and hatti chalana do alag alag skills hai !' Ab Nani yaad aayegi - markets are the ultimate test & truth," he posted. Ashneer, also a popular judge on the reality show Shark Tank India, has accused BharatPe CEO Sameer of siding with the investors to remove him from the company. After reports surfaced that government regulators may expand their probe into BharatPe's financial books after the Ashneer-Madhuri Grover saga, the fintech platform said last month it will fully comply with the law of the land. The company sacked Ashneer's wife Madhuri Jain after the probe found misappropriation of funds during her time as head of controls, while Ashneer quit as BharatPe accused him, his wife and their relatives of being engaged in extensive misappropriation of company funds and grossly abusing company money to fund their lavish lifestyles. Amid the Ashneer Grover-BharatPe tussle, the fintech platform's co-founder Shashvat Nakrani had said that the whole episode is an aberration and not the norm and the company will turn this crisis into an opportunity. New Delhi, April 7: Patience is running thin in Pakistan after its Supreme Court yet again failed to deliver the much awaited verdict on Wednesday on whether the deputy speaker of the national assembly exceeded his brief in disallowing a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan to take place. Since Sunday, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) has been saying to the people of the country that the larger bench wants to wrap up the case on the ruling by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri to impede the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan, But breaking its own promise, the court has been announcing adjournments each day. The court will now reconvene on Thursday morning. Though the CJP acknowledged that negative statements are being made against the court and it is being said that the court is delaying the matter, he pointed out that the apex court wanted to know more about the alleged conspiracy against Imran Khan by foreign powers before giving its decision. The CJP said: "we want to see what the conspiracy was that was used to dismiss the motion and dissolution of the National Assembly on April 3". Justice delayed, justice denied - this is the sense that is coming out from the united opposition camps and experts. "Chief Justice apologies for the delay. The court will meet tomorrow at 9.30am. Why didn't it do so for the past 3 days? Why can't it sit through the evening? Why no sense of urgency? CJP said why the opposition is nervous about going to elections," said Anees Jilani, constitutional expert, adding that it is a simple case where judges have to see if constitutional procedures were followed or not. "The longer the SC delays in rescuing the constitution, from political chaos, the more Pakistan will sink into a political and economic quagmire. The postponement of the most important case in history is not only pushing the country into an unbearable political-constitutional crisis and it will certainly invite the intervention of the Pakistani military establishment," lawyer Nasir Abbasi told a news channel. While the SC was busy discussing the matter regarding the national assembly, the same scene was repeated in the provincial assembly in Punjab on Wednesday where the members of Imran Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) did not allow the assembly to convene. Khan's party lost the majority and on the order of the Supreme Court, the ruling party was to prove its majority. According to the opposition, Imran Khan wants to dissolve the provincial assembly too. The apex court said it will take up this case after finishing the first case. Meanwhile the Pakistani President has asked the Election commission to fix a date for the election of the national assembly because according to the Pakistani constitution, "the elections have to be held within 90 days since the dissolution". The opposition has been terming it as a violation as the case is still in the court and has been urging the powerful military establishment to "step in" to save the constitution of Pakistan and democracy. "Judiciary has been controversial at many points, so has been the establishment. Today's situation provides a chance to both the institutions to play a non-controversial role and stand by democracy," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the opposition leader. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, April 7 : The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to list a plea seeking detection and deportation of illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators, however it expressed its reservation on matters connected with governance. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, "Every day we have to hear your case only... you come to the court with all problems...election reforms, Parliament...population...". Upadhyay said crores of jobs are being taken away by illegal migrants and it is also having an impact on the right to livelihood. The Chief Justice told Upadhyay, "These are political issues. Take it up with the government... If we have to take up all your PILs, then why did we elect the government? There are Houses like Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha." Upadhyaya submitted that notice was issued more than a year ago, in March last year, but there is no progress on the case so far. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the courtroom, said that he is not aware of the case. The Chief Justice told him, "If you have a counter-affidavit ready, then we can list the case". Upadhyay's plea sought direction to the central and state governments to identify, detain and deport all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas within one year. The plea also sought a direction to central and state governments to amend the respective laws to make illegal immigration & infiltration, a cognizable non-bailable and non-compoundable offence. The plea said: "Petitioner states that the Union Government is neither serious enough to stop illegal infiltrators in India and nor willing to deport all the illegal migrants. That is why, deportation of 40,000 Rohingya infiltrators comes up in discussion instead of deportation of four crore infiltrators. Keeping in view the vote bank politics, many states like Delhi, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra ignored the presence of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in those states from time to time". The plea also sought direction to direct the central and state governments to identify the travel agents, government employees and other such people, who directly/indirectly provide PAN Card, Aadhar Cards, Ration Cards, Passport and Voter Cards to illegal immigrants and infiltrators and take stern action against them. Kochi, April 7 : Setting the records straight on rumours that he is all set to switch sides, veteran Congress leader K.V.Thomas on Thursday said that he will only be attending the seminar as part of the 23rd CPI-M party Congress and has no intention of joining the party. Making his intentions clear, he said: "I am just going for the seminar and not for anything else. I have been invited by Sitaram Yechuri to speak on the Centre-State relations on Saturday. I gave a note on it to Sonia Gandhi and recalled events of Pandit Nehru especially on the role of Governor. What's wrong in attending the event? Rahul Gandhi took part in a meeting with Pinarayi Vijayan where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin was honoured. Also barring Kerala, the CPI-M is with the Congress," said Thomas to the media. Asserting that he will remain a Congressman till his last breath, the veteran leader said: "I am an AICC member and only the AICC can oust me. I began as a grassroots worker in the Congress and rose to this level. In 2019, except me all the 42 MPs were given a seat to contest. I was made a working president but within months was removed when a new set of office-bearers took over. If age was a factor, then it should be the same for all. I have been badly attacked in the social media. I had four CBI cases against me and got a clean chit in all. I am only going for the seminar and am not going out of the party." The sharpest reaction to his decision of attending the seminar came from Congress MP, Rajmohan Unnithan who said none would have got more from the Congress party than Thomas. "It's unfortunate after despite getting everything from the Congress, he has done this. What he fails to understand is no one will forgive him as he is going to a seminar defying the party president Sonia Gandhi," said Unnithan and added his days in the party are numbered. As soon as Thomas announced that he will taking part in the seminar, the CPI-M released the invite on social media. Seventy-five-year-old Thomas has been a Lok Sabha member from Ernakulam first from 1984 to 1996 and then he had two terms as a legislator and was a cabinet minister in the cabinet of A.K.Antony ( 2001-04). Then from 2009 to 2019 again he was in the Lower House. Film: 'All The Old Knives' (Streaming on Prime Video) Duration: 102 minutes Director: Janus Metz Pedersen Cast: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Pryce, Gala Gordon, Corey Johnson, Colin Stinton, Ahd Kamel, David Bedella IANS Rating: ***From its tense opening to its edgy end, 'All The Old Knives' is a film that captivates the viewer. Masterfully plotted, director Janus Metz Pedersen manages to create a patient thriller from Olen Steinhauer's screenplay, which is adapted from the novel of the same name, authored by Steinhauer. The film stars Chris Pine as Henry Pelham and Thandiwe Newton as Celia Harrison, both CIA officers and star-crossed lovers whose relationship was shattered by a terrorist hijacking that occurred eight years earlier. Henry travels from Vienna to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to meet Celia, where she now resides with a husband and two children. The two of them meet over dinner as Henry, who is still stationed at the CIA office in Vienna, learnt from Ilyas Shishani (Orli Shuka), one of his contacts, who confessed before his death that the hijackers of the ill-fated Flight Turkish Airline 127 were successful because of a mole in the CIA. Still reeling under this high-profile incident, Pelham's boss Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne), keen on discovering who the mole was, assigns Pelham to check on retired Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce), who now lives in London, and Celia Harrison, who after the Austrian debacle, decided she's had enough and left the agency to settle down to live an ordinary life in California. Narrated in a non-linear manner, the plot unravels at a slow pace, in an unusual fashion, around the dining table where Henry is eager to clear her name but perhaps more intensely interested in discovering why she had left him behind in Austria. The film expertly manipulates the mood and atmosphere by juxtapositioning scenes from the past with those in the present. Pine and Newton are compelling actors and share great on-screen chemistry, albeit one potentially born out of lust, but it is strong enough for the viewers to wonder alongside Henry why exactly did she run and run so far away. Since the narrative revolves around the duo, the rest of the supporting cast hardly has any scope to display their performances. On the visual front, DOP Charlotte Bruus Christensen's frames are impressive. She combines her skill sets and palettes intriguingly and solidifies two distinct vibes across the film's timelines. The visuals and the soundtrack are meshed effortlessly by Mark Eckersley's astute editing. Overall, the film is a fascinating slow-burn, complex and immersive. Bengaluru, April 7 : Following the release of a video by Al Qaeda global terrorist Ayman Al Zawahiri showering praises on B.V. Muskan Khan, a student from Karnataka, the Hindu activists have demanded a probe into the matter. They have also urged the investigating agencies to take Muskan into custody. Divya Hagaragi, a Hindu activist from Kalaburagi district on Thursday demanded the arrest of B.V. Muskan Khan, a student from Mandya district, who was praised by Al Qaeda global terrorist Zawahiri for raising slogans of 'Allahu Akbar' against a crowd shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' at the height of hijab controversy. "The student needs to be taken into custody and investigated and ascertain whether she has terror links. Until the investigation is done, she should not be let out," she said. "If any links are found with terror outfit Al-Qaeda, Muskan should be sent to Pakistan," she said. Meanwhile, Minister for Health K. Sudhakar on Thursday commenting on the video by Al Qaeda terrorist Zawahiri said Muskan is an innocent. "What can you expect from terrorists," he stated. "I don't know why Muskan reacted that way. Everyone should follow the law of the land. Education must be a priority over religion," he stated. Al Qaeda global terrorist Zawahari in his 9 minute video praised Muskan Khan, a Karnataka College student from Mandya district for raising Islamic slogans in the college premises at the height of the hijab crisis in the state. In the video titled 'The Noble Woman of India', Zawahari has composed and recited a poem in praise of the Karnataka student. He maintained in the video that he came to know about Muskan Khan through social media videos and was 'moved by the act of a sister'. Zawahiri has slammed the countries for banning hijab. Reacting to the video and praising Muskan, the father of the girl, Mohammad Hussain maintained that his daughter was more interested in studies. Hussain stated that he and his family, especially daughter, do not want any unwanted attention. "It has become a big headache for us. We do not know him. I saw Zawahiri for the first time. We are happy here and living like brothers in Mandya district of Karnataka, we do not want anything," he explains. He further said that they are putting them into trouble and they should not do this. It only creates confusion here. "It is wrong to drag Muskan. I request them, do not drag the matter any further," he said. Hussain maintained that since the college authorities have not given a chance for Muskan to wear a veil and write exams, she would be admitted to a different college in Mysuru where she will continue her studies, he added. New Delhi, April 7 : The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on Thursday, within 18 minutes of its commencement amid Opposition commotion on price hike. It was adjourned a day ahead of its schedule without transacting any business. As the House assembled at 11 a.m., Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the House is going to be adjourned sine die today and that all questions, starred or un-starred, will be treated as laid. He then asked the ministers and members to lay the papers listed against their names. Meanwhile, the Opposition Members, led by the Shiv Sena, started protesting against the price hike and demanded a discussion on the FIR registered against a former BJP MP. Addressing the protesting Members, Naidu said that when the chair has rejected the notices given by some of them, discussion cannot happen. "Do not register a negative impressions in my mind, please be seated and let the Zero Hour function, this is not the way especially on the last day of the session,", Naidu said. But the Opposition Members refused to budge and kept on raising slogans and some of them came into the Well. The Chairman urged all agitating Members to resume their seats and asked BJP lawmaker Sushil Modi to raise his issue but he was not audible. Naidu then asked the Opposition whether they were interested in listening to the concluding remarks of the chair on the second part of the Budget session or not? When several requests for maintaining order went unheeded, chairman Naidu adjourned the House sine die without his concluding remarks. Lucknow, April 7 : The Uttar Pradesh government, on Thursday, signed a lease agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) regarding transfer of 317.855 acres to the latter on lease for the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya. The lease agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A total of 317.855 acres of land for the airport project has been procured by the state government. With both the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments hoping to make Ayodhya an international tourism hub after the work on the Ram Temple has already started, the international airport is an ambitious project in that direction to boost tourism and provide air-connectivity to adjoining areas. According to the official spokesman, although an MoU was signed in 2014 with the AAI for upgrade of the existing airport, the project could not take off. In 2019, the state government got a feasibility study conducted on the 178-acre area used for flying club activities and non-scheduled flights by small aircraft. Speaking on the occasion, Adityanath said that it was a moment of pride that the holy city of Ayodhya had taken a step forward in achieving air connectivity. He said that it was all the more significant that the agreement had been signed during Navratri. He said that the remaining 86 acres land would be acquired within the next two to three months. The chief minister said that the during the past five years, Uttar Pradesh had taken giant strides in expanding the air connectivity network in the state. He said that the state had only two fully functional airports in Lucknow and Varanasi, but today, the state has nine functional airports. Besides, the work is on for the Jewar international airport. Last week, on his first visit to Ayodhya after becoming the chief minister for the second term, Adityanath had visited the Ram Temple site and reviewed the construction progress. He had also instructed the municipal corporation to stop the collection of house and water taxes at commercial rates from 'mutths', temples and dharamshalas, and instead explore the option of charging some 'token money'. Chennai, April 7 : Actress Lijomol Jose, whose brilliant performance in the critically acclaimed courtroom drama 'Jai Bhim' came in for widespread praise, has now begun work on a film titled 'Annapoorni'. Sources in the industry said that the film, which is being produced by Hari Baskar of KH Pictures and Nethaji of ODO Pictures, is being directed by filmmaker Lional Joshua and will be a thriller. Work on the film, which will also feature actress Losliya of 'Bigg Boss' fame, began on Wednesday with a simple ritual. Source say that both actress Lijomol Jose and Losliya will be playing the titular roles in the film. The film is being shot in and around the locales of Chennai. Apart from the actresses, Harish Krishnan plays a pivotal character in the film, which will also feature Dharani Reddy, Rajeev Gandhi and Vairabalan. Govind Vasantha is to score music for the film, which will have lyrics by Yugabharathi and cinematography by Hector. Mumbai, April 7 : The Mumbai Police have registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party activist Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil K. Somaiya in connection with the alleged siphoning of around Rs 57 crore collected through 'crowd-funding' to save the decommissioned aircraft carrier Vikrant, here on Thursday. The Trombay Police filed the case following a complaint by a retired Indian Army soldier Baban B. Bhosale, invoking Indian Penal Code Section 406, 420 and 34 against the father-son duo and others. The development comes a day after Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut made the sensational allegations that an amount of Rs 57-crore collected from the masses under the guise of saving Vikrant, which bowed out of service in 1997 and later scrapped, was swindled off by Somaiya. However, Somaiya has stoutly denied the allegations and said he was prepared to face any probe in the matter, even as a large number of Shiv Sainiks staged protests against him in Chembur. Raut said that the revelations came in an RTI application filed by an activist Dhirendra Upadhyaya to the Maharashtra Raj Bhavan, which sent its reply last month. "The RTI replies have revealed that not a single paisa was submitted to the Raj Bhavan as promised by Somaiya. This is a big issue. It's 'The Vikrant Files', and bigger than 'The Kashmir Files'. The Vikrant involves national security and the sentiments of the masses," Raut pointed out. Earlier, late on Wednesday, Bhosale accompanied by Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut and other party workers went to Trombay Police Station to submit the complaint on which the follow-up action was initiated on Thursday. Somaiya, along with BJP ally Republican Party of India (A) activists had launched collection drives at major spots in Mumbai to save Vikrant and promised to hand over the amount to the then Governor K. Sankaranarayanan. Terming them as 'traitors' Raut demanded that Somaiya and BJP must reply whether the amount collected in 2013-2014 in the name of the movement to save Vikrant was given to Raj Bhavan or not, and if not, then where has the amount collected gone. New Delhi, April 7 : Despite oil giant British Petroleum's high-profile announcement that it would exit its shareholding in Russia's state Rosneft and its joint operations there, the UK supermajor does not seem to be quickly winding down operations, sources tell Energy Intelligence, and neither are its Western peers. BP has not initiated any procedures to withdraw either from its interest in the charter capital of Rosneft or from the shareholding in the pair's joint ventures, according to sources close to Rosneft shareholders. "BP remains a shareholder in Rosneft and continues to interact with its Russian partners within the framework of the acting shareholder agreement," a source noted. In a written response, BP reiterated its February 27 press release, saying it will exit its shareholding in Rosneft. "We are pursuing that and we don't have an update." The international major also reiterated that "the two BP-nominated directors on the Rosneft board are resigning, with immediate effect from Feb. 27." Those are BP's current and former CEOs, Bernard Looney and Bob Dudley. However, both are still named as Rosneft's directors on the company's website. Sources in Russia told Energy Intelligence they wouldn't be surprised if BP proposes candidates - possibly with Russian passports - to stand for election to Rosneft's board at the annual shareholder meeting in June. The list of new candidates must be approved by May. Joint Ventures and Oil Purchases BP has also continued to engage with Rosneft on certain joint operations. In addition to the Rosneft stake, BP has interests in three joint ventures with Rosneft: 20 per cent in Taas-Yurakh Neftegasdobycha, 49 per cent in Kharampurneftegas and 49 per cent in Yermak Neftegas. BP's Russian subsidiary, BP Russian Investment Ltd., notified Rosneft on March 11 about the removal of its previously nominated member to the Kharampurneftegas board of directors, Stephen Raymer. But BP replaced him with another BP nominee in Afgan Huseynov. BP declined to comment on the change of its Kharampurneftegas director when approached by Energy Intelligence. However, in its written statement to Energy Intelligence, BP reiterated that it "will also exit our other businesses with Rosneft in Russia - this includes the three joint ventures". According to sources, BP continues to buy Russian oil volumes but is "sticking to its contractual obligations" and is not picking up spot cargoes. In its statement to Energy Intelligence, BP repeated that "we will not enter into any new contracts for Russian oil and gas with Russian companies." And BP will "of course continue to comply with all sanctions and restrictions." Wait and See This stance leaves Rosneft unclear about when BP is going to undertake any actions to divest their Russian assets. Such sales would be complicated right now by sanctions by the West and counter-sanctions put in place by Moscow. The Russian government banned the sale of Russian securities by foreigners to give them time to reconsider their decisions, which Moscow believes have been taken under political pressure. But the sale of stakes in Russian companies is still possible with a permission of a special governmental commission. Sources indicated other international majors, including Exxon Mobil, Shell and Equinor, have also been slow to act. Following their statements, no practical steps have been taken by them to withdraw from existing projects in Russia, sources said. "Interaction has terminated on new projects, while on the old ones, work is being carried out in a regular way," a source close to Rosneft says. The Russian major supports such "a weighed behaviour," the source indicated, as it remains open to continuing relationships with Western firms that have stretched back decades. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Lucknow/Gorakhpur, April 7 : Even as investigations continue into the attack on the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, security has been beefed up at the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and also at the Gorakhnath temple, of which he is the head priest. According to official sources, two platoons of CRPF have been deployed at the chief minister's Lucknow residence and women personnel will also be deployed round the clock. "All visitors will be properly screened and any suspicious movement in the area will be checked immediately. People coming for Janata Darbar and other functions will have to go through strict security checks," said a senior official. The security plan for the Gorakhnath temple is being prepared under the guidance of ADG Gorakhpur zone Akhil Kumar and SSP Vipin Tada. Meanwhile, every visitor at Gorakhnath temple is being checked properly to ensure safety and security. The number of security personnel deployed at the entrance gate has been increased. Preparations are being made to open a training centre where trainers of ATS, STF, and central security forces will train the security personnel. On April 3, Murtaza Abbasi had attacked PAC jawans at Gorakhnath temple with a sharp-edged weapon and it took around 15 minutes to overpower him. ADG Akhil Kumar said: "There is tight security at every public place in the district including Gorakhnath temple. The deployment of security personnel at Gorakhnath temple is being increased and all visitors are being checked thoroughly." Kolkata, April 7 : In an unprecedented incident, a premium educational institution in Kolkata, GD Birla school on Thursday morning announced suspension of operations of the institute for an indefinite period. A notice was seen attached at the school gate early Thursday morning, where the school authorities said that the decision to suspend operations in the school was taken keeping in view the safety of the students. "In view of the present law and order situation caused by the agitation in and outside the school, we are forced to close down the school for the safety and protection of the students and teachers till further notice. Kindly bear with us," read the notice signed by the school's vice principal Atrayee Sengupta. Recently a section of guardians of the students of GD Birla school agitated in front of the school premises. The guardians alleged that even after the school opened after a long closure due to pandemic situation, the authorities were not allowing a section of the students to attend classes on grounds that their fees during the pandemic closure were due. A petition was filed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on this count. Meanwhile, similar allegations have been raised against some other private schools in the city. On Wednesday the court barred the private school authorities from denying entry or promotion on grounds of pending fees. The division bench also barred the private schools from withholding the marksheets of the students. Just after that on Thursday, the GD Birla School authorities attached the notice of the closure of the school for an indefinite period. However, till the report was filed there had been no official communication from the school authorities to the media on this count. To recall, on December 1, 2017 two physical education teachers of the same school, namely Abhishek Roy and Md Mofizul, were arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a four-year-old student of the school. At that time, it was revealed that the school authorities did not adhere to the CBSE recommendation of installing CCTVs within the school premises. In 2019 again the school came into media limelight following the unnatural death of a student at the premises. Jammu, April 7 : Son of a village defence committee (VDC) member shot himself dead with the rifle of his father on Thursday in J&K's Poonch district. Police sources said: "Gulzar Ahmad, 28, son of Muhammad Fazal (VDC member) in Murrah village of Bufliaz area in Poonch district, shot himself dead with his father's rifle around 9.30 a.m." He died on the spot. The reason for the extreme step taken by the victim appears to be some domestic issue according to preliminary investigation. Legal proceedings have been started, the sources said. VDCs were created in remote areas of J&K's Jammu division where civilians were given arms training and provided weapons to prevent militants from carrying out anti-national activities. Srinagar, April 7 : National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at multiple locations in Kashmir Valley on Thursday in connection with the terror funding case being probed by the agency. NIA sources said the sleuths of the investigating agency with the assistance of the local police and the CRPF carried out raids in the Tangmarg area of Baramulla district. The raids were also conducted in parts of Srinagar district, including Mustafabad Zainakote, Nowgam and Chanapora. "These raids were carried out in connection with the terror funding case," sources said. New Delhi, April 7 : Brokerage house ICICI Securities has given a 'buy' call for hospitality stocks such as Indian Hotels Company and Lemon Tree Hotels. Due to Covid waves in 2020 and 2021 globally and across India, the hospitality industry has seen a lot of volatility in terms of occupancies and room rates over the last two years. Heading into FY23, the beleaguered hospitality sector, which has borne the brunt of multiple Covid waves impacting business, is seeing a confluence of positives with leisure demand remaining strong and business travel set to see a strong leg up with reopening of offices, resumption of international flights and events and conferences, the brokerage said. However, key risks to the sector are fresh Covid waves globally and in India impacting demand and rise in operating costs denting margins. For Indian Hotels Company, the brokerage pegged target price at Rs 285 per share, as against its current market price of Rs 252. For Lemon Tree Hotels, the target price is pegged at Rs 80, against its current market price of Rs 66. Mumbai, April 7 : Actor Sikandar Kher, who has been shooting for multiple projects, completed the shoot of three extremely lengthy projects within a span of 60 days. The projects in the said mix are the crime thriller web-show, 'Chidiya Udd', the Siddharth-Garima director duo's feature film based on surrogacy, called 'Dukaan' and an untitled web-show based out of Kolkata with an OTT giant. Commenting on the occasion, the actor says, "Working back to back on multiple projects is quite draining, but if you ask me, it is equally exciting as well. If you're in love with the craft, then you'll most definitely have a blast while shooting for multiple projects, which is what happened with me." "All these three projects are extremely special as all of them involve me playing extremely different and interesting kinds of roles. I look forward to getting even busier in the future and probably achieving new records with respect to project completions in given timelines", he added. Sikandar was last seen in Sushmita Sen starrer 'Aarya 2' which followed the journey of a widow avenging her husband's death by a gang. New Delhi, April 7 : Ahead of the Gujarat polls, political strategist Prashant Kishor's team has landed in Gujarat to assess the situation for the Congress in the state, sources said. However, there is no clarity on Kishor joining the grand old party. The Congress leadership has held at least two rounds of talks with the political strategist to work specifically for Gujarat where the party is out of power since 1989. Sources in Gujarat Congress said that there was no formal tie up with the strategist, but the party is keen to have him on board and the central leadership would decide on the issue very soon. Prashant Kishor did not respond to the messages about his team's involvement in Gujarat, the sources said, adding that he met the Gandhis several times within the last two weeks and talked about working with the party. But both sides are tight-lipped on the issue. The issue of availing services of poll strategist Prashant Kishor in the Gujarat Assembly polls was discussed in a meeting of the state party leaders with Rahul Gandhi on March 24. Since then the back-channel talks have been going on after the initial negotiations failed, but the Congress has denied this. However, the party has taken on board a close aide of Kishor, to work for the party without any condition, as the joining of the political consultant was stalled by Congress leaders because he wanted a major say in ticket distribution. The Congress is also wooing Naresh Patel, an influential Patidar leader and political strategist Prashant Kishor simultaneously for the Gujarat Assembly polls which are slated at the end of the year, sources had told IANS. Congress leaders in Gujarat feel that Naresh Patel can ensure the party's win in the crucial Saurashtra region and Prashant Kishor can build a narrative and strategy for the party. Kolkata, April 7 : The West Bengal government on Thursday announced its decision to challenge a single judge bench order for a CBI probe into the murder of Tapan Kandu, the newly elected Congress councillor from Jhalda Municipality of West Bengal's Purulia district. It has approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court chief justice Prakash Srivastava urging fast-track basis hearing in the matter. State government sources told IANS that the chief justice has assured to look into it. On April 4, the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha ordered a CBI inquiry in the matter. On March 13, Tapan Kandu was murdered while he was on an evening walk with his wife, Purnima Kandu. The special investigation team of the state police started investigating the murder and also arrested four persons, including Tapan Kandu's brother Naren Kandu and the latter's son Deepak Kandu. On April 3, the Purulia district police superintendent S. Selvamurugan told mediapersons that family feud was the main reason behind the killing of Tapan Kandu. On April 6, in a dramatic turn, an eyewitness to the murder and Tapan Kandu's close associate Niranjan Baishnab was found hanging at his residence. A suicide note recovered said that the police pressure forced him to take such a drastic step. Commenting on the West Bengal government's decision to challenge the order of CBI inquiry in the matter, Tapan Kandu's brother, Purnima Kandu told mediapersons that this development proves that there are attempts to shield the associates of the state's ruling party who are behind the assassination of her husband. Congress's Purulia district president, Nepal Mahato and the CPI(M)'s central committee member Dr Sujan Chakraborty said that whenever there is an order for any central agency inquiry in a matter that goes against the state ruling party or state government, the latter tries to prevent that probe. Trinamool Congress's state general secretary and the party spokesman Kunal Ghosh came in defense of the state government's decision to challenge the order on CBI inquiry. "The order on CBI inquiry came at a time when the special investigation team of the state police has almost solved the case by arresting the prime accused. So, the state government had thought that a CBI probe at this point was not warranted and hence it has exercised its legal right to challenge the order," Ghosh said. New Delhi, April 7 : As Parliament was adjourned sine die on Thursday, the Congress alleged that the government ran away from debate on price rise, farmers and unemployment issues during the Budget Session. Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "Rajya Sabha adjourned 2 days early even though Oppn was ready to pass WMD & Antarctica Bills. To suit its political convenience, Modi govt ran away from discussion on price rise, broken promises to farmers,and Labour Minister didn't even reply to debate on labour & (un)employment!" he said The Congress has been raising the issue of price rise in both the Houses, but the government did not agree to have a discussion on the issue. Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Thursday. The Budget session of Parliament thus concluded a day ahead of schedule. As the Lower House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla made the valedictory reference, summing up the proceedings of the session. He later adjourned the House sine die. The eighth session of the 17th Lok Sabha had a total work productivity of 129 per cent, said Speaker Om Birla while informing the members about the work done in the session. He said further that the session began on January 31 and a total of 27 sittings were held which lasted for about 177 hours 50 minutes. Birla thanked all members for their conduct for the successful Budget Session. The Rajya Sabha too clocked a productivity of 99.80 per cent during the Budget Session that concluded on Thursday while it missed the 100 per cent landmark by just 10 minutes only. "This has been the third best productivity of the House during the last 14 Sessions since the Monsoon Session (243rd Session) of 2017," the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said in a statement. New Delhi, April 7 : Indian orthodox tea producers and exporters could potentially benefit from the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka, said rating agency ICRA. Tea production in Sri Lanka, which is the largest exporter of orthodox teas globally accounting for 50 per cent of global trade, has been impacted in recent months due to withdrawal of the use of chemical fertilisers in the island nation. The current difficult economic situation is also likely to impact production and costs in 2022, the rating agency said. In addition, the current economic strife is likely to limit the ability of estates to spend adequately to sustain production at historical levels going forward. Key large common markets for the two countries are CIS nations (mainly Russia), Iran and the UAE. With production in Sri Lanka likely to be impacted, this provides an opportunity to Indian orthodox tea players to increase exports in the current year 2022. India and Sri Lanka are two two major competitors in the tea business. "In the current geo-political situation, establishment of a successful bilateral trade and payment mechanism between India and Russia may put India at a relative advantage, compared to Sri Lanka as a supplier of quality orthodox teas," it said. Ramallah, April 7 : The Palestinian UN mission sent memos to the UN, urging an end to Israeli actions against the people in East Jerusalem, Palestine envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said. Mansour told 'Voice of Palestine' on Wednesday that memos were sent to the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, and the UN General Assembly President "to contain the Israeli violations in the city," namely the recent Israeli measures and actions against Palestinians during Ramzan at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem. He added that the current events in the Palestinian territories "will be presented in detail during the open session of the Security Council to discuss the situation" in Palestine on April 25, Xinhua news agency reported. He said that the Palestinian mission would demand the council assume its responsibilities "and stop the illegal practices of the Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem." On Tuesday night, Palestinian young men and Israeli police officers clashed in East Jerusalem for the fourth day in a row, with six Palestinians arrested near Damascus Gate, according to eyewitnesses. In the June 1967 Middle East war, Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestinians, and has controlled them ever since. The Palestinians have been seeking to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Seoul, April 7 : South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday visited the headquarters of the US Forces Korea (USFK), the presidential transition committee said. Yoon, who is scheduled to take office on May 10, flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 70 km south of the capital Seoul. After arriving at the headquarters of the 28,500-strong USFK, the president-elect was briefed by Gen Paul LaCamera, commander of the USFK and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC), and deputy CFC commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, Xinhua news agency reported. The CFC is in the process of relocating to Camp Humphreys from Yongsan district in Seoul, to which Yoon is pushing to move his presidential office. Yoon said during the briefing that the strong deterrence through the South Korea-US combined defence readiness cannot be overemphasised in a grave situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula following the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The DPRK said it test-fired a new type of ICBM, Hwasongpho-17, on March 24 under the direct guidance of top leader Kim Jong Un. New Delhi, April 7 : Consumer durable major Panasonic India on Thursday launched its flagship mirrorless camera -- LUMIX GH6 - in India for Rs 2,34,990. The company said that LUMIX GH6 offers outstanding mobility and high video performance, making it a perfect partner for the content creator community worldwide. It is available across all Panasonic brand shops in India. "In the growing needs of video streaming, content creators are more keen on the quality and uniqueness of the video contents they provide. To cater to these needs, we have developed LUMIX GH6 with advanced image processing technology to empower content creators with stunning mobility and innovative video performance," Fumiyasu Fujimori, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing India (PMIN), said in a statement. "The GH6 additionally introduces new codecs directly to internal camera recording and we hope this feature will be appreciated by creators. I believe LUMIX GH6 can be widely used for various purposes including films, music videos, documentaries and short clips as photo and video hybrid camera," it added. The body of the LUMIX GH6 is built with magnesium alloy and is a perfect amalgamation of performance, mobility, and rugged design, the company said. The new 25.2MP Live MOS Sensor boasts a high-resolution, high-speed signal readout, and a wide dynamic range running on the Venus Engine that allows faster rendering of high-resolution images with natural noise texture and rich color reproduction, which is a hallmark of LUMIX cameras. The 2D and 3D Noise Reduction features enhance the visual quality of the video with dynamic motion and advanced capabilities that exceed professional standards. The autofocus performance of the LUMIX GH6 has been enhanced by utilizing the new sensor and image-processing engine. Hyderabad, April 7 : Stepping up pressure on the Centre for procurement of paddy from Telangana, the state's ruling party TRS on Thursday staged protests across the state. Ministers, MPs and state legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led the protests in district headquarters demanding that the Centre procure the entire paddy from the state during the ongoing Rabi season. Public representatives and party leaders and workers in large numbers participated in the protests in all 33 districts. Holding party flags and paddy plants in their hands, the protestors raised slogans against the Central government. Alleging that the Narendra Modi government is biased towards Telangana, the TRS leaders vowed to continue the protest till it comes forward to procure every single grain of paddy. TRS working president and minister for industries, information technology, municipal administration and urban development K. T. Rama Rao along with other party leaders and workers participated in the protest in Sircilla. He slammed the Modi government for not procuring paddy from Telangana. Minister for Finance and Health T. Harish Rao led the protest at Siddipet. He said it was the Centre's responsibility to procure paddy grown in the state and it should come forward to lift the entire stocks from Telangana as it is doing from Punjab and other states. Harish Rao said last year the Centre exported rice but lied in the Parliament that no exports were made. "They are uttering lies in the Parliament on every issue," he said. State energy minister Jagdish Reddy and home minister Mehmood Ali led the protest in Nalgonda. For the second consecutive day, the TRS organised protests over the issue. On Wednesday, the TRS cadres had blocked Mumbai, Nagpur, Bengaluru and Vijayawada. The party plans to organise protests in all villages. State ministers and public representatives will stage a protest in Delhi on April 11. San Francisco, April 7 : Meta-owned Instagram has reportedly slashed creators' payout by as much as 70 per cent while increasing target metrics for monetisation for them on the platform. According to The Financial Times, their payments are down as much as 70 per cent per view and videos need millions more views for creators to get paid. Creators said that changes in the Instagram payout system have not been explained by the social network. One creator told the Financial Times that their personalised threshold for "getting paid up to $35,000 had gone from 58 million views to 359 million views". Meta said in a statement late on Wednesday that the company was testing Reels bonuses on Instagram and Facebook, which may cause payouts to "fluctuate" as pricing models are refined. Instagram announced the 'Reels Play Bonus Programme' in July last year, offering financial rewards to creators who post on Reels, Instagram's TikTok-style short-form video clone. To attract more content creators, the photo-sharing platform Instagram reportedly started paying bonuses of up to $10,000 to those who post videos on Reels. The company claimed that bonuses will become more personalised in the future. Other social networks like TikTok and Snapchat have introduced similar programmes to keep creators on their platform. Srinagar, April 7 : Two civilians were injured on Thursday in an altercation with some Army men in J&K's Kupwara district. Police sources said the people were entering the local Jamia mosque in main Chowk of Handwara town in Kupwara district for afternoon prayers when some soldiers were making the video of the devotees. "There was an altercation between the civilians and the army soldiers when the civilians objected to the video shooting. "During the altercation there was firing in which two civilians sustained bullet injuries in their legs," sources said. A senior police officer, however, said, "Soldiers of 21 Rashtriya Rifles had gone to Jamia Masjid Handwara for video making of the Namaz (prayers). "Some people objected and then there was an altercation between the soldiers and civilians. "During the altercation there was an accidental fire and two persons received injuries in legs. Both are stable". The injured have been identified as Abdul Ahad Mir from Rajwar and Mujeeb Ahmad Sofi from Handwara. Both have been admitted to hospital for treatment. Seoul, April 7 : President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol vowed on Thursday to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats during a visit to a US military base, his spokesperson said. Yoon flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul, amid heightened tensions in the wake of North Korea's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile last month and concerns that Pyongyang could carry out a nuclear test, Yonhap news agency reported. "Strong deterrence through the Korea-US military alliance and combined defence posture cannot be emphasised enough in a grave international security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's ICBM launch," Yoon was quoted as saying by spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin. Bae said Yoon "stated his determination to further increase the solidarity of the South Korea-US alliance and strengthen deterrence and the response posture against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats." The base, located some 70 km south of Seoul, serves as the headquarters of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK) and the US-led UN Command. During the visit, Yoon met Gen Paul LaCamera, commander of USFK and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC), as well as Deputy CFC Commander Gen Kim Seung-kyum. "The freedom and prosperity the Republic of Korea enjoys today were made possible by the dedication and sacrifice of the numerous soldiers gone before us," he said as he thanked the troops under LaCamera's command. LaCamera responded that it would be a dereliction of duty to not do everything to bring stability to the Korean Peninsula, Bae said. He emphasised the importance of the "iron-clad alliance" and thanked the South Korean people for making the construction of the base possible. The CFC is currently in the process of relocating to Camp Humphreys from Yongsan in Seoul, the same area that Yoon is pushing to move the presidential office to. Past presidents-elect, including Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak and Roh Moo-hyun, visited the CFC in Yongsan but not the base in Pyeongtaek. Yoon called Camp Humphreys the "heart of the South Korea-US military alliance" and noted that it was his first visit to a military base since his election. After touring the facilities, he shared a meal with South Korean and American troops at the canteen and took photos with them before returning to Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital, Bae said. In a press release later, the USFK said Gen LaCamera provided Yoon with an overview of his commands' "ironclad" commitment to strengthening the bilateral alliance and providing a "robust" combined defence posture for peace on the Korean Peninsula. It also noted Yoon conversed with American and South Korean troops about their responsibility to defend South Korea "against any threat or adversary." On his way to the base, the spokesperson said Yoon got an aerial view of the Samsung semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek and took special interest in its vast facilities, saying he will push to elevate the country's high-tech industries to a world-class level. Mumbai, April 7 : Actress Sayani Gupta and Hussain Dalal-starrer short film 'Shameless', which was India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Live Action Short Film category - releases digitally on Thursday. The short has been released on Amazon miniTV. "We are delighted to bring such a critically acclaimed title to Amazon miniTV's library of award-winning short films. We are sure that this story will offer an avenue for viewers to pause, register and think about how compassion is important", said Girish Prabhu, Head of Amazon Advertising. 'Shameless' is directed by Keith Gomes, and produced by Shabinaa Khan. "Shameless is a special one! Sayani and Hussain have acted brilliantly and have done full justice to the captivating narrative. We are glad that with Amazon miniTV, viewers across the country will be able to enjoy this short film," said Shabinaa, presenter and producer of the film. The story of the film deals with human nature, between two characters - Praveen and Bharti. Praveen - a software engineer, despite living an active life on social media, lives all by himself at his house. This routine of his monotonous regimen comes to a scary halt when he encounters a delivery girl named Bharti. Washington, April 7 : Using two space-based studies, NASA has been observing climate change and groundwater loss across the planet. Its Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission, ecosystem and climate researchers can quickly locate their regions of interest and study forest structure and carbon content with greater precision than in the past. GEDI is a high-resolution lidar instrument designed specifically to measure vegetation from the International Space Station (ISS). It rapidly bounces laser pulses off the trees and shrubs below to create detailed 3D maps of forests and land formations. With its newest data product, GEDI mission provides the first near-global estimate of aboveground forest biomass and the carbon it stores - filling a key gap in climate research. The data enables research into how Earth's forests are changing, what role they play in mitigating climate change, and the regional and global impacts of planting and cutting down trees. Over the past three years, GEDI has taken billions of laser measurements of vegetation around the globe. That data has been combined with airborne and ground-based lidar surveys to create detailed 3D biomass maps that indicate the total amount of vegetation in a one-square-kilometre area. With those maps, researchers will be able to better estimate the amount of carbon that is stored in forests. "Resolving the structure of different forest and woodland ecosystems with much more certainty will benefit not only carbon stock estimation, but also our understanding of their ecological condition and the impact of different land management practices," said John Armston, GEDI's lead for validation and calibration and an associate research professor at the University of Maryland, in a statement. Another is a joint project between NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, which used satellite data to develop a method of monitoring underground water loss - a serious matter for the agriculture industry, TechCrunch reported. Researchers observed California's Tulare Basin with the US-European Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On satellites and a European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-1 satellite. The groundwater in the Tulare Basin is pumped to irrigate the state's Central Valley, a major agricultural centre in the US, and its supply is dwindling. The satellite data provided the team the context to develop a model that monitors the rate and type of water loss underground. "The method sorts out how much underground water loss comes from aquifers confined in clay, which can be drained so dry that they will not recover, and how much comes from soil that's not confined in an aquifer, which can be replenished by a few years of normal rains," NASA wrote in a separate statement. Even as the space agency looks to return to the moon, NASA has reiterated its commitment to Earth science missions with these studies. Lucknow, April 7 : The winners of the Uttar Pradesh state Assembly elections are winners in true sense of the word as they have won by an average of 47 per cent of total votes polled. In the 2017 elections, winners had won by an average of 43 per cent of total votes polled. According to an analysis report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 85 winning candidates won with 50 per cent votes and above of the total votes polled in their constituency while 149 winners won with less than 50 per cent of the total votes. On the other hand, nearly 25 per cent of 205 winners with declared criminal cases have won with a vote share of 50 per cent and above and 28 per cent of the 366 crorepati winners have won with a vote share of 50 per cent and above. This goes on to prove that money and muscle power still dominate elections in UP. The ADR report shows that 15 winners have won with a margin of victory of less than 1,000 votes while 8 winners have won with more than 40 per cent of margin of victory. Seventy-eight candidates out of 205 winners with declared criminal cases have won against a runner up with a clean background. Among these 78 winners, three have won with more than 30 per cent margin of victory. Of the 49 winners, seven have have won with more than 30 per cent margin of victory. Among these, Atul Garg (BJP) from Ghaziabad constituency won with 43 per cent margin of victory. As far as the performance of women candidates goes, there are 47 winners out of the 403 seats. Five women winners have won with more than 20 per cent margin of victory. Among the women winners, Anjula Singh Mahaur (BJP) from Hathras constituency has won with the highest vote share of 59 per cent in her constituency and 38 per cent margin of victory. The NOTA button, instated by the ECI in 2013, gave the voters an option of rejecting all the candidates in their constituency. Of the 9,21,62,896 votes polled in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, 6,37,304 (0.69 per cent) were polled for NOTA. Srinagar, April 7 : The National Conference on Thursday slammed the Centre after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in J&K Bank money laundering case. In a statement the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) said its Vice President Omar Abdullah was called by the ED to Delhi to appear before it on Thursday on the grounds that his attendance was necessary in connection with an investigation. "Inspite of it being the holy month of Ramzan, and Delhi not being his primary place of residence, Mr. Abdullah did not seek a postponement or a change of venue and appeared as per the notice," the statement said. "The central government has made a habit of misusing investigative agencies and this is another step in the same direction. No political party that puts up meaningful opposition to the BJP has been spared, whether it is the ED, CBI, NIA, NCB - all have been used for political purposes." The statement added that there was a time when elections were announced by the Election Commission, but now it seems that elections are announced by the ED. "Over recent years we have seen that whereever state elections are due, agencies like the ED move in and target those parties who pose a challenge to the BJP," the statement said. "This summons to our Vice President is in the same vein. We have no doubt that this fishing expedition will yield no concrete results to the BJP and the people will give a ringing endorsement to the national conference as and when required." The statement further said that "this summon is another step in the vicious vilification campaign that started even before 5th August 2019, when constitutional position holders like the then Governor were used to make slanderous accusations against opponents of the BJP, knowing full well that there was no legal recourse available to those at the receiving end of these lies. "Even though this exercise is political in nature, Mr Omar Abdullah will cooperate with investigative agencies as there is no wrongdoing on his part and he is not an accused in any matter under investigation." New Delhi, April 7 : Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said that it was clear that the April 3 ruling of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, which dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, was erroneous, Dawn reported. "The real question at hand is what happens next," he said, adding that now the PML-N counsel and the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan would guide the court on how to proceed. "We have to look at the national interest," he said, adding that the court would issue a verdict in the day. He made the remarks as a five-member bench, headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mandokhel resumed hearing the suo motu case concerning the legality of the deputy speaker's ruling and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly by the president on the PM's advice. The AGP -- who was the last to give his arguments -- began by informing the court that he would not be able to give details of the recent meeting of the National Security Committee in an open courtroom. He asserted that the court could issue an order without questioning anyone's loyalty, Dawn reported. He argued that the prime minister was the "biggest stakeholder" and, therefore, had the power to dissolve the National Assembly. "The prime minister does not need to give reasons for dissolving the Assembly," the AGP contended, the report said. He also pointed out that the Assembly would stand dissolved if the president did not make a decision on the prime minister's advice within 48 hours. He argued that voting on the no-confidence motion was not the fundamental right of a lawmaker. Kolkata, April 7 : West Bengal government is all set to organise Bengal Global Business Summit, 2022, the event to showcase the state as an ideal investment destination, on April 20 and 21. The event, this year, is taking place against the backdrop of a situation when the state is grabbing media headlines for all wrong reasons like mass killing at Bogtui, public assassination of elected councillors and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) scams, among others. Now the question automatically making rounds is that in such a situation how far the meet will be successful in really attracting new investments. IANS talked to some of the city's economic and industry observers on the issue. Almost all of them opined that in absence of a thorough image re-correction and putting forward the right and required government policies, business summits might attract investment commitment but not actual investments. First IANS tried to get reaction of some of the members of the state cabinet and senior leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress on this matter. But not a single one among them was ready to make any official comment on the matter out of the apprehension of censorship from the party's top leadership. However, one member of the state cabinet, on strict condition of anonymity, said that the reasons why the state is in the media limelight these days was undesirable before the business summit of such a magnitude "No government wants the state to be portrayed in bad light not just before any business summit but anytime round the year. So, our government also does not want that especially when our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's current focus is development of industries. "However, unfortunately certain recent incidents have been highlighted out of the proportion by the opposition political forces and also a section of the media. This is unfortunate. However, I am confident that the business delegates coming to attend the summit are aware of the sincerity of our chief minister regarding the state development and they will not be swayed by the negative propaganda," the state cabinet member said. Speaking to IANS, city- based investment consultant and financial analyst, Nilanjan Dey pointed out that the negative instances cannot spoil the mood of the investors if the state government concerned can send a clear message to the investors that such negative instances will not be a hindrance for the investors for peaceful implementation of the project. "Now it is to be seen how far the current West Bengal government addresses this issue to the delegates. The second aspect is putting forth the right policy for gaining the confidence of the investors. Frankly speaking, I do not foresee any immediate possibility for big and heavy industries in the manufacturing sector in the state because of the land policies of the state government. "And it is unlikely that the current ruling party can divert from that land policy since their agitation against government land acquisition for industries was the key factor behind their coming to power in the state. But West Bengal has tremendous potential for development of the services sector especially the IT and ITES sectors. But for that the state government needs to pronounce an appropriate special economic zone (SEZ) policy and I hope the chief minister announces that in the forthcoming summit only," Dey said. Economic analyst and financial columnist of international acclaim, Kunal Bose, and Sujay Basu, vice- president of multinational FMCG product company also somewhat agreed with Dey, "The mere wish to attract investments to the state is not enough to attract investments. A stable and peaceful law & order situation is always a plus point for the state in attracting new investments. Unfortunately, West Bengal always had a negative image to the country and the world for decades for which the current state government or the state's ruling party cannot be blamed alone. What I feel is that the state needs a thorough image makeover and the first task of the state government and the chief minister is to ensure that makeover on an emergency basis. I wish that the process of image makeover starts from the business summit this year,' Sujay Basu said. On the other hand, Kunal Bose told IANS that despite its huge geographical advantage, the state is lagging behind in attracting new investments because of the negative reasons for which the state is highlighted again and again. "Do not forget that attracting new investments is highly competitive. So, the potential investors always look into factors like political stability and law & order situation before taking an investment decision. There had been a number of business summits in Kolkata in the past. But the question is whether those summits have yielded actual investments or just investment commitments," he said. Economics teacher, P.K. Mukhopadhyay said that it cannot be denied that in her third term the chief minister has shown seriousness in attracting investments to the state. "Some positive moves have also been taken by the state government on this count. But that present sequence of events that depict an alarming law & order situation for the state is not conducive for gaining investors' confidence," he said. Vienna, April 7 : Austria on Thursday announced its decision to expel four Russian diplomats for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. The diplomats to be expelled include three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and one staff member of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg, said the Austrian foreign ministry on Twitter, Xinhua news agency reported. The Russian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and have been requested to leave Austria before April 12, said the ministry. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Bengaluru, April 7 : Amid social unrest and boycott calls of Muslim traders and sculptors, Bengaluru -- the Silicon Valley of India -- is all set to celebrate annual Karaga festival, known as a symbol of harmony and integrity between Hindus and Muslims since over 200 years. Preparations are on for the full-scale celebration on April 16, despite the pressure from Hindu organisations to drop rituals involving Muslim community members and dargah from the festivities. The Karaga Utsava Samithi (Karaga Festival Committee) has stated that no matter what, all the traditions would be continued during Karaga festival. As part of the festivities, as per the traditions, a group of Muslim religious leaders and moulvis have arrived into the Sri Dharmaraya Swamy temple on Thursday and blessed Karaga Utsava Samithi members. They gave an invitation to the committee to take the procession to Mastaan Saab Dargah located in Balepet of Bengaluru. Karaga Utsava Samithi President Satish stated that the festival would be carried out in the same way as earlier and there would be no change. The procession would go to the Mastaan Saab Dargah in Balepet - as per the tradition of hundreds of years. "The moulvi of Mastaan Saab Dargah had come to the temple and spoken about it," he stated. BJP MLA Uday Garudachar has also pledged his support for keeping the traditions which are symbolic of Hindu-Muslim integration intact. "The question has surfaced regarding whether the Karaga procession should go to Mastaan Saab dargah or not. This tradition has been followed for hundreds of years and it should be maintained in the same way," he said. MLA Garudachar has further stated that as a Hindu he would the Karaga procession to go to Mastaan Saab dargah. The management of dargah is also ready for the worship of Karaga deity. India is a secular country and no attempt should be made to spoil the peace and harmony, he added. Hindu activists have maintained that the ritual of Karaga procession visiting dargah was imposed forcefully on Hindu community and it should be stopped. Karaga festival is held at Shri Dharmarayaswamy temple in Bengaluru for nine days. Just after the dusk on Karaga day, a priest dressed in female attire leads a colourful procession. Hundreds of community members of thigalars, a warrior community, including children, will take part in the procession flashing swords. Women and devotees carry earthen pots on their heads. The priest carries a flower-bedecked pyramid and leads the procession. The procession visits the tomb of an 18th century Muslim saint at the Mastaan Saab dargah. Karaga festival is celebrated each year to mark the return of Draupadi in the form of Adishakthi. The priest carrying Karaga, symobol of Adishakthi, will take three rounds of pradakshina (the rite of circumambulating in a clockwise direction) inside the dragah. The Muslim community members will worship the Karaga deity. People of all castes take part in the Karaga festivities. Last two years, the Karaga festivities were kept as a low-key affair due to Corona pandemic. However, this year, amid hijab, halal rows and series of disturbing developments in the state, Bengaluru, known as the global capital of IT-BT companies is looking ahead for the festival of ancestors which symbolises communal harmony and peace. Seoul, April 7 : The incoming administration of South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will maintain the current government structure, including the gender ministry, as it seeks to focus on addressing pending state affairs, transition team Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo said on Thursday. Ahn said the transition team will announce a nominee for gender minister when it unveils a list of candidates for ministers, Yonhao news agency reported. "It was judged that it would be better to focus on current state affairs rather than making an early decision and pushing ahead with (government restructuring) during the transition period," Ahn said. Yoon had pledged to dissolve the gender ministry, saying the role of the gender ministry is already "outdated" in South Korea. Seoul, April 7 : South Korea's top diplomat had one-on-one talks on bilateral ties, the Russia-Ukraine war and Korean Peninsula affairs, with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts in Brussels, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Thursday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is on a visit there to attend a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers. He is the first South Korean foreign minister to join such a high-profile NATO session, as the country has been invited as an Asia-Pacific partner of the multilateral alliance. In Chung's talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Wednesday (local time), the two sides agreed to expand substantive cooperation to such fields as information and communications technology (ICT) and startups, Yonhap news agency reported. Chung then had a meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and agreed to continue broadening partnerships in startups, the defence industry and the environmental sector. Haavisto expressed hope for the early launch of direct flight services between Helsinki and South Korea's port city of Busan, which has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic, the ministry added. Chung also briefed the Swedish and Finnish ministers on the security situation in Korea, and they reaffirmed support for Seoul's efforts to resume a dialogue involving Pyongyang. They exchanged views on the Ukraine issue as well. Srinagar, April 7 : Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) President Sajad Lone on Thursday condemned the incident of injuries to two civilians after an altercation with some Army men at Handwara in J&K's Kupwara district. While expressing anguish over the incident, Sajad Lone hoped that the "erring security forces are held accountable and strict punishment is meted out to those responsible." "What a sorry state of affairs. One of the most peaceful towns Handwara at the receiving end. Hoping against hope the guilty are punished," he said. Meanwhile, Lone also called the hospital authorities to enquire about the condition of the injured and was relieved to know that injuries were not life threatening. Two civilians were injured on Thursday in an altercation with some Army men in J&K's Kupwara district. Police sources said the people were entering the local Jamia mosque in main Chowk of Handwara town in Kupwara district for afternoon prayers when some soldiers were making the video of the devotees. "There was an altercation between the civilians and the army soldiers when the civilians objected to the video shooting. During the altercation there was firing in which two civilians sustained bullet injuries in their legs," sources said. Panaji, April 7 : One Russian national has been arrested from the beach village of Arambol in North Goa, resulting in the seizure of 2.40 kg marijuana, the police said on Thursday. The accused, identified as Konstantin Isael (30), is a resident of St. Petersburg in Russia. "The drugs were seized during a raid at his rented home in Arambol village in North Goa," a Goa Police spokesperson said. The accused has been arrested under Sections 20(b) (ii) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Mumbai, April 7 : Actor Pracheen Chauhan finds shooting with 'Pyar Ka Punch' co-star and actor Karan V Grover energetic and fun. He says: "The best part of shooting with Karan is that he is full of energy and keeps cracking jokes all the time. He has an amazing sense of humour and that reflects in his performance too. His comic timing is superb. It's an absolute pleasure to work with him. "There is never a dull moment on the sets. He is a very intelligent and knowledgeable man. You can talk to him about almost anything under the sun. I really enjoy shooting with him. We have a great understanding and rapport. I really admire him as he is one of a kind." Chauhan, last seen in television show 'Shaadi Mubarak' feels lucky to be part of the YouTube series as it has helped him to have life long friends. "The series apart from helping me to connect with the youth and social media audience has also brought in life long friends. Pooja Gor, Mohit Hussain, Chhavi Mittal among others have become part of my life and I enjoy shooting around them on set with a friendly environment." Pracheen Chauhan is known for featuring in popular shows 'Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr', 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay', 'Kutumb' among others. Kochi, April 7 : Chemistry professor-turned-Congress leader K.V. Thomas, who is in the line of fire for planning to attend a seminar organised by Kerala's ruling CPI-M against the express wishes of top party leaders, now says he has been sidelined by the present state Congress leadership for several years now. Thomas on Thursday has made it very clear that he is attending the seminar at the 23rd CPI-M Party Congress. This is despite party President Sonia Gandhi asking him not to attend. Party MP Shashi Tharoor, who was also invited, had bowed to the party's dictates in not accepting the invitation. Thomas said: "I was born into a fisher family and have been very abused. I have done no wrong, it's the Congress which has done that. I am only attending the seminar and am not going out of the party, as it's my family and have been there all along. I will be a Congressman till my last breath." The 75-year-old Thomas also said that this is the "most important decision in his life". "After 2018, I have not been able to meet Rahul Gandhi," said Thomas and added that he is attending a seminar against the BJP. However, whenever the name of Thomas crops up in political circles, 'Thirutha' (grey mullet fish) also comes up as it no secret that Thomas has a deep connection with the fish, and some say even attribute his political longevity to it. As per the political gossip, it's because of his regular supply of this fish to the Congress high command that all along he has been able to retain his position in the party. A Lok Sabha member from Ernakulam from 1984 to 1996, and then again from 2009 to 2019, and in midst of this, a two-term legislator, including being a cabinet minister in the A.K. Antony government (2001-04), Thomas always had a smooth sailing in the Congress. For long, he was the closest aide of party veteran K. Karunakaran and it was this which helped him to become a minister in the Antony cabinet under the Christian quota - ostensibly to keep out Karuanakran's arch-rival Oommen Chandy. However, Thomas swung over to the Antony camp, when Karunakaran led a revolt in the Congress and floated a new party. In 2009, Thomas was asked to contest the Lok Sabha polls and in 2014, he was made minister, being given independent charge of the Food and Civil Supplies. However, in 2019, he was denied a ticket from his usual Lok Sabha seat and since then, has been in the political wilderness. Meanwhile, state Congress President K. Sudhakaran said since Thomas is an AICC member, this "indiscipline" will be taken up with the party high command. "I still pray that he does not attend the seminar," he said. Meanwhile, the CPI-M camp at Kannur is am upbeat mood over Thomas's decision with chief organiser of the 23rd Party Congress, M.V.Jayarajan saying if a need arise, all support will be extended to Thomas. Politburo member M.A. Baby went a step ahead and described Thomas as having a "Nehruvian approach". There is also speculation that if thrown out of the Congress, Thomas will be made the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, a post which veteran V.S. Achuthanandan held till he quit public life last year. Bhubaneswar, April 7 : The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha crime branch has arrested two fraudster brothers for misappropriating government subsidy of Rs 6.81 crores meant for supply of agricultural equipment to farmers, an official said on Thursday. The accused are Manas Ranjan Dash, director of Sheetal Agro Inputs Pvt. Ltd. and his brother Tapas Kumar Dash, proprietor of Mishita Enterprises, located in Jagatsinghpur district, said Sanjeeb Panda, additional director general (ADG), crime branch. Both were arrested on Wednesday and are being sent to the court of SDJM, Jagatsinghpur. The accused showed the delivery of 504 agricultural equipment items to beneficiaries by submitting fake invoices and grabbed the lion's share of the subsidy amount, Panda said. They misappropriated approximately Rs 6.81 cr subsidy meant for the farmers and other beneficiaries, he informed. During the financial years 2018-2019 & 2019-2020, Manas, in connivance with its eight dealers including his brother's firm uploaded a series of fake invoices for the supply and sale of 504 transplanters to an equal number of farmers belonging to 19 districts of Odisha including Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Balasore, Khurda, Kalahandi and Sambalpur. They managed to avail a subsidy amount of Rs 6.81 crore under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme. Soon after the subsidy amount (for equipment) was credited to the account of the beneficiary farmer, accused Manas and his brother Tapas along with other dealers used to lure the beneficiary to withdraw the total subsidy amount. They took away a major subsidy amount in cash from the beneficiaries by paying some portion to the beneficiary, the EOW officials said. In the entire process, the actual machine/transplanter was not manufactured or sold but the subsidy was availed by the beneficiaries, they said. New Delhi, April 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the BJP's Members of Parliament (MPs) from Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Odisha at his official residence here over breakfast. Sources said that all the MPs -- from both Houses of the Parliament, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi were present in the meeting. It has been learnt that the Prime Minister asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs to strengthen the organisation at ground level and connect with the people. "Prime Minister Modi asked the MPs to reach out to the people with the government's development and welfare measures. He told all the MPs present in the meeting to tell people about the development and welfare schemes of the Central government. PM Modi also asked the MPs from four states to ensure that development and welfare measures reach the people," sources said. Party insiders said that the Prime Minister has also discussed their working and advised how to improve it further for the benefit of comman man. The Prime Minister and MPs also discussed the important issues regarding their states. A party functionary said that it was a courtesy meeting and the Prime Minister regularly calls such meetings during Parliament sessions with MPs from different states. Recently, the Prime Minister had met party MPs from Gujarat. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, April 7 : A Delhi court on Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately withdraw the lookout circular issued against former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel. Earlier in the day, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar of the Rouse Avenue court had reserved the order on the plea of Patel, who has approached the court challenging the lookout circular. It had taken note of the submissions of Patel's counsel Tanvir Ahmad Mir, who argued that the circular was issued without any procedure, and highlighted the fundamental rights of the writer. There was no question of not cooperating with the probe agency by his client, he said. Journalist and writer Patel was on his way to the US when he was stopped from leaving the country at the Bengaluru airport on Wednesday citing a lookout circular issued against him by the CBI in connection with an FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. case. Patel had previously worked on topics related to 2002 Gujarat riots and presented a report "Rights and Wrongs" and has been writing columns for publications in India and Pakistan. Hyderabad, April 7 : The discord between Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and the state's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government appears to have a reached a point of no-return. The Governor publicly complaining about the "insult" meted out to her by the state government may deepen the friction between them. After meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday and Thursday, Soundararajan came out openly to accuse the TRS government of "insulting" her. The TRS government too hit back at her. Energy Minister Jagdish Reddy called her comments uncalled for and termed her a "BJP leader". The development indicates that Telangana may be heading West Bengal and Kerala way where the Governors have locked horns with the state governments. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's views on how the party ruling at the Centre misused the office of the Governor over the years are well known. He has been targetting the BJP government at the Centre for acting against the spirit of federalism. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, recently came out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her clash with Governor Jagdeep Dhankar. The TRS chief referred to Sarkaria Commission report to highlight how the office of Governor has been misused by the Centre. When Soundararajan, a former BJP leader in Tamil Nadu, was appointed as Telangana Governor in 2019, the TRS was reportedly miffed over the Centre not consulting it before the appointment. While initially the relations were cordial between the Governor and the state government, the friction began when Soundararajan visited few hospitals during Covid-19 pandemic. The TRS government was irked by her remarks over the government's handling of the pandemic. Eyebrows were raised in political circles when Soundararajan, who is also a physician, called meetings of officials over Covid situation. Sections of the ruling party felt that the Governor was overstepping her powers. Both the sides, however, played down the differences. Last year, the rift became public late last year after the Governor did not approve a file sent by the State Cabinet recommending appointment of P. Kaushik Reddy as a member of Legislative Council. She had told the media that since the nominated post falls in the category of social service, she was trying to get information about Kaushik Reddy's social service work. The TRS government later had to send Kaushik Reddy to the upper House of the state Legislature under MLA quota. The CM and ministers had also not attended Republic Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan. The differences deepened further after the state government commenced budget session of the state legislature last month without customary address of the Governor. Soundararajan had taken exception to this. However, the government argued that there was no need for the Governor's address as it was not a new session but continuation of the previous session. The Governor was also not invited for the reopening of Yadadri temple on March 28. The Chief Minister had attended the rituals to mark the reopening of the temple after renovation. She was also not invited to Medaram Jatra, the tribal fair held in February. She, however, visited Medaram but no official was present. The rift widened further with KCR staying away from Ugadi celebrations hosted by Governor at Raj Bhavan. Though Raj Bhavan had sent invitations to the CM and his cabinet colleagues, none of them turned up. Raj Bhavan had also sent invitations to MPs, MLAs and MLCs to the event but no one came. Even the senior civil and police officials did not attend the celebrations. After meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday and Home Minister on Thursday, she alleged that the state government insulted the office of Governor, citing the instances where Governor's protocol was not followed. She said she did not know why the state government was insulting and ignoring her. "Leave aside everything. Should a lady like me be insulted and ignored," she asked after meeting with Amit Shah. She said she would be visiting Bhadrachalam temple in April 11. "I will be going by road as that is the mode of transport of a Governor in the state," she said. The TRS government has also hit back at Soundararajan for her allegations. Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy alleged thatA he Governor recently visited the Yadadri temple as a BJP leader and hence the government did not follow the protocol. According to the minister, the reason for the present differences is that she has a political background. "Those who worked as State presidents of political parties, worked as Chief Ministers or Ministers are being madeA Governors. "Running politics from Raj Bhavan in order to develop a political party in the state would not work. Such experiments failed in other states too," the minister remarked but denied that the government insulted the Governor. --IANS ms/vd A San Francisco, April 7 : Meta is reportedly planning to launch a digital currency called 'Zuck Bucks' -- named after its Founder Mark Zuckerberg -- and virtual tokens, coins and other financial services, after its pet cryptocurrency project failed to take off. According to a report in The Financial Times citing sources, Facebook's financial arm called 'Meta Financial Technologies' is exploring a virtual currency for metaverse, dubbed "Zuck Bucks". "The company is seeking alternative revenue streams and new features that can attract and retain users, as popularity falls for its main social networking products such as Facebook and Instagram -- a trend that threatens its $118 bn-a-year ad-based business model," the report mentioned on Wednesday. "Zuck Bucks" will not be a cryptocurrency but more like in-app tokens that would be centrally controlled by the company, similar to those used in gaming apps like 'Robux' currency by popular kids' gaming platform Roblox. Roblox has built a massive business selling 'Robux', and Meta could try to emulate some of that success on its own social networks. Meta is also planning to create "social tokens" or "reputation tokens", which could be issued as rewards for meaningful contributions in Facebook groups. The company is also aiming to produce "creator coins" for influencers on its photo-sharing platform Instagram. "Insanely great. Please let this be real," posted Twitter founder Jack Dorsey on Thursday on the Meta plans to create "Zuck Bucks". Meanwhile, Meta is planning to launch a pilot for posting and sharing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Facebook next month. NFTs may be monetised via "fees and/or ads" in the future, according to the report. Facing regulatory hurdles, the cryptocurrency dream of Zuckerberg was officially over as the company in February announced it has sold its digital coin known as Diem for around $200 million to Silvergate, a crypto-focused bank. Originally launched as Libra and later renamed as the Diem Association, the cryptocurrency initiative faced regulatory backlash, and the US Federal Reserve was a key opponent to Diem launching. Facebook and 20 partner organisations formally joined the digital currency project during a meeting in Geneva in October 2019. Chennai, April 7 : The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) will set up an offshore wind energy research centre with a test bed with two turbines of over 8 MW capacity at an outlay of Rs 350 crore in Tamil Nadu, said a top official. "We will be setting up an offshore wind energy test bed and research centre at Dhanushkodi (near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram District). We have got 75 acres of land allotted for the project," K. Balaraman Kannan, NIWE Director General told IANS. According to him, the plan is to install two wind turbines with 8MW or higher to study the wind profile for setting up offshore wind energy projects. The total project cost will be about Rs 350 crore. The tenders for buying the two windmills will be issued, Kannan added. According to him, each turbine would weigh about 700-750 tonne. Kannan said discussions are on with Tamil Nadu's power utility for buying the power generated by the two turbines. "The difference between the power purchase price and the cost of power generation will be subsidised by the Central government," he added. According to the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, Tamil Nadu has an offshore potential of 35GW. The wind power installations can come up both on nearshore and offshore. Moscow, April 7 : Tech giant Apple has reportedly resumed allowing Russians to download an app run by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after criticism that it was acceding to unreasonable government demands for censorship. As reported by The Washington Post last month, law enforcement agents had repeatedly threatened the top Apple and Google officials in Russia with arrest in September unless they removed Navalny's "Smart Voting" app, which included more than a thousand endorsements of candidates for seats in Russia's legislature. Those demands came as voting was about to begin, and both companies complied. Google later reinstated the app for Android phones soon after the election, while Apple did not. And, that changed this week, according to independent researchers and Navalny's chief of staff, Leonid Volkov. Apple spokesmen declined to comment on the decision.The reversal comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and outside companies, many of which have withdrawn from the market or curtailed activities there since Russia invaded Ukraine, the report said. But civil liberties groups and American officials are pushing the other way, arguing that Apple and other tech companies provide ordinary Russians with the means to find independent news sources and to connect to activists and non-profit organisations opposed to the war in Ukraine. Apps are an especially critical form of communication in Russia now because the country's censorship apparatus has not been able to block or modify content flowing from installed apps to users' phones. San Francisco, April 7 : After laying off nearly 4,000 employees in the US and India, digital mortgage lender Better.com -- under its Indian-origin CEO Vishal Garg -- is now offering employees paid severance or voluntary separation and health insurance coverage. According to TechCrunch, Better.com is offering its corporate, product, design and engineering employees 60 days paid severance or voluntary separation plans, and health insurance coverage "to anyone who wants it". The last day for employees who are under 40 years old to accept the offer is April 15 while employees who are 40 years old and above will have up to 21 days to accept the offer. "Employees who are under 40 years old will have up to seven days from receipt of the agreement to accept the offer. The last day at Better for those who accept the offer will be Friday, April 15th. They will also receive their final payment on this date," said Richard Benson-Armer, Better's chief people, performance and culture officer, in an email to the employees seen by TechCrunch. "Access to the Better system will be turned off shortly after signing the agreement, in accordance with financial, legal and security best practices and regulations for our industry," he wrote. In December 2021, Garg laid off nearly 900 employees over a Zoom call 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. At the time of the early December layoffs, Better.com had about 9,100 employees, and several left afterwards. Last month, the company laid off an estimated 3,000 of its remaining 8,000 employees in the US and India and "accidentally rolled out the severance pay slips too early". According to the company, the uncertain mortgage market conditions of the last couple of weeks have created an exceedingly challenging operating environment for many companies in our industry. "This is requiring many of them to make difficult decisions in order to sustain their businesses. Despite ongoing efforts to streamline our operations and ensure a strong path forward for the company, Better is no exception," said the company. Ironically, Garg remains at the helm of the company after taking a long "break". Chandigarh, April 7 : Amid the tug-of-war between Punjab and Haryana to stake claim over Chandigarh, a longstanding dispute, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday passed a resolution saying the city remains a Union Territory and that a legislative assembly be constituted. Only BJP councillors were present in its ruled civic body when the resolution was passed in the specially convened House. Congress, AAP, and Akali Dal councillors staged a walkout during the meeting. The resolution asked the Central government to tell both Punjab and Haryana to have its own capital cities. Currently, Chandigarh is the joint capital of both the states. Days after the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution to shift Chandigarh to the state, Haryana on Tuesday passed a similar resolution unanimously by urging the Centre not to take any step that would disturb the existing balance till all issues emanating from the reorganisation of Punjab are settled, besides reiterating its claim over Chandigarh. The Haryana Assembly has also urged the Central government to take measures for the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions. Imphal, April 7 : The Manipur Police on Thursday seized around 3 kg gold valued at around Rs 1.50 crore -- suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar, and apprehended one person in this connection, officials said. Acting on an information, the police intercepted a car in Kakching district. During checking, 18 bars of gold were found. Appreciating the police, Manipur Chief Minster N. Biren Singh tweeted: "Gold smuggler busted with large amount of gold! As we intensify the crackdown against the smugglers, the Kakching Police has apprehended one Prakash Kshetri (23) a resident of Moreh, Ward No 8 along with 18 bars of gold weighing 2.9 kgs during frisking at Pallel check-post today." After the necessary formalities, the seized gold and the arrested individual were handed over to the Customs Department for further necessary action. Police officers said that the gold might have been smuggled from Mynamar through the Moreh -- a rapidly developing trade point in India along the border with Myanmar, with the city of Tamu on the other side of the border. Li Song, Chinas ambassador for disarmament affairs GENEVA, April 6 -- On April 4, local time, Li Song, Chinas ambassador for disarmament affairs, led the Chinese delegation to attend the second meeting of the preparatory committee for the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). He pointed out that the US, as a depository state of the BWC, should set an example rather than an exception in the field of strict implementation of all the obligations under the BWC. Li Song said that the Biological Weapons Convention is the cornerstone of global biosecurity governance. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening for the signature of the BWC, the State Parties should commit themselves to negotiating and establishing the verification mechanism of the BWC at an early date, strengthening the mechanism for confidence-building measures (CBM), promoting international cooperation and assistance, advocating responsible biological scientific research, and coordinating and strengthening the biosecurity mechanism. He also suggested the States Parties should issue a common political declaration at the Review Conference, demonstrating the political commitment to strictly implement the obligations of the BWC and comprehensively strengthen its regime and universality. Li also pointed out that Russia recently released relevant documents about the US bio-military activities in Ukraine, which has caused widespread concerns in the international community and further highlighted the importance and urgency of clarifying the concerns about the implementation of the BWC through consultation and cooperation among States Parties within the framework of the BWC. Since the US is the country conducting the most bio-military activities in the world and the only country opposing the establishment of a verification mechanism, the concerns of the international community are reasonable and rational. He emphasized that this is neither about US bio-laboratories in Ukraine alone, nor a new problem arising from the current situation. Li also stressed that China has suffered greatly from biological weapons in history, and always stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all weapons of mass destruction including biological weapons and resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological weapons by any country under any circumstance. "We welcome the international communitys assessment of the documents revealed by Russia under the framework of the BWC and the UN. At the same time, the US clarifications could also be heard in a fair and impartial manner. Through these assessments and clarifications, the international community will draw a fair conclusion on whether these documents are false information or not", Li said. He added that the US side also needs to clarify its bio-military activities in the rest of the world, so as to make an unequivocal and credible explanation to the international community. As a depository state of the Convention, the US should set an example rather than an exception in the field of strict implementation of all the obligations under the BWC. Srinagar, April 7 : A driver from Punjab was shot and injured by militants in J&K's Pulwama district on Thursday, police said. "A non-local driver, identified as Sonu Sharma of Pathankot, was shot and injured by militants in Yader village of Pulwama. "He was shifted to hospital for treatment and the area has been cordoned off for searches," a source said. On April 3, two persons from Pathankot, driver, Surinder Singh and conductor, Dheeraj Dutta were shot and injured by militants in Litter village of the same district. San Francisco, April 7 : Meta said on Thursday that it has removed a network in Russia for abusing its reporting tools to repeatedly report people in Ukraine and in Russia for fictitious policy violations of Facebook policies, in an attempt to silence them. According to the company, a Belarus-based group attempted to compromise Facebook accounts of Ukrainian military personnel. It also posted videos from hacked accounts, calling on the Ukrainian army to surrender, Meta said in its inauthentic behaviour policy report. The hacking campaign, known as "Ghostwriter," has been linked to the Belarusian government. "We removed a network of about 200 accounts operated from Russia. The individuals behind it coordinated to falsely report people for various violations, including hate speech, bullying and inauthenticity, in an attempt to have them and their posts removed from Facebook," said the company. The majority of these fictitious reports focused on people in Ukraine and Russia, but the network also reported users in Israel, the US, and Poland. The people behind this activity relied on fake, authentic, and duplicate accounts to submit hundreds - in some cases, thousands - of complaints against their targets through Meta's abuse reporting tools. "Many of this network's accounts were detected and disabled by our automated systems," said Meta. The company said that there were attempts by previously disrupted state and non-state actors to come back on the platform, "in addition to spam networks using deceptive tactics to monetise public attention to the ongoing war". The company's first quarterly adversarial threat report also detailed threats across multiple policy violations in Iran, Azerbaijan, South America, and the Philippines. Russia last month blocked access to Facebook in the country. In response, its parent company Meta paused all ads in Russia. Russia's communications agency Roskomnadzor had blocked access to Facebook, citing 26 cases of "discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook" since October 2020. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, April 7 : In the latest development in the Birbhum violence case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested four persons from Mumbai. Sources close to the development confirmed to IANS the arrest of the four persons. Earlier, the CBI had prepared a list of 21 accused, one of them being the Trinamool Congress's block president Anarul Hossain. The federal probe agency had set up a temporary camp in a government guest house in West Bengal's Rampurhat. Earlier, the local police had also prepared a list of accused and the CBI's list is almost exactly the same. Hossain was questioned by the CBI. His statement was recorded and he was called to the camp to join the probe. Following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, a team of forensic experts led by the CBI officials went to Rampurhat and collected samples on March 25. Before the court order, the local police had lodged a case and had claimed to have arrested 10 people. The BJP and the others had accused the Trinamool Congress of sheltering the accused. The BJP had charged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with trying to cover up the incident. The Trinamool had denied all the charges. After the Calcutta High Court order of handing over the probe to the CBI, the West Bengal government said that it would support the agency in conducting a fair probe. Bhadu Sheikh, a Trinamool Congress leader and deputy president of Rampurhat village, was killed on March 21 by bike-borne assailants, after which a mob allegedly set fire to several houses. Next day, the police recovered the charred bodies of at least eight people, including children and women from a gutted house. Mumbai, April 7 : Popular television actor Shilpa Shinde is looking forward to the release of her next web-series 'Margaon: The Closed File'. Shilpa recently finished dubbing for the series which has been produced and directed by Kapil Kaustubh Sharma. According to her, shooting for this series has been one of the fun experiences of her career. Elaborating on the same, she says: "While dubbing for 'Margaon: The Closed File', I had exactly the kind of fun I had while shooting for it. Once the dubbing session got over, I also felt a tinge of sadness as it marked the end of my journey on the show." "One of the things that made the experience of working on the show so memorable was the fact that there was so much positivity on the sets. Kapil made sure that everybody was comfortable and happy even while shooting some of the most challenging scenes," adds the 'Bhabi ji Ghar Par Hai' actress. For producer-director Kapil Kaustubh Sharma, 'Margaon: The Closed File' is a special project for multiple reasons. It features some of the most respected actresses in the industry across different generations like Zeenat Aman, Pallavi Joshi, Kitu Gidwani, Shilpa Shinde, Tanaaz Currim Irani and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi. Talking about getting so many talented actresses on board, Kapil says: "It was an honour and privilege to work with so many legendary actresses on this series. I am grateful to each one of them for saying a yes to this project. During her dubbing session, Shilpa ji said that it was one of the most special projects for her. For me, the goodwill and blessings of these actresses was the biggest reward of making this series." 'Margaon: The Closed File' will stream on a leading OTT platform later this year. Amaravati, April 7 : Setting the stage for the reconstitution of the Andhra Pradesh cabinet on April 11, all 24 ministers in the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government tendered their resignations on Thursday. Immediately after the cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister ended, the ministers handed over their resignation letters to him. Speaking to the media, outgoing Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah said: "All 24 ministers of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government have resigned today. This is in accordance with the Chief Minister's wish to strengthen party machinery by assigning key responsibilities to experienced leaders to prepare the party for victory in 2024 assembly elections. This decision of the Chief Minister has been welcomed and happily accepted by all the ministers." Meanwhile, arrangements are in full swing for the swearing in function of the new cabinet on April 11. The Chief Minister is expected to meet the Governor and hand over the resignation letters of his cabinet colleagues. New Delhi, April 7 : The process is on for environmental clearance to set up the 'Away From Reactor' (AFR) facility to store the spent fuel of 1,000 MW atomic power plants - Unit 1 and 2 - at Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam, the Parliament was told on Thursday. The process to obtain environmental clearance for AFR to store the spent nuclear fuel is in progress, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha in response to a question raised by DMK member P. Wilson. According to him, the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities anywhere in the country are set up only after obtaining all statutory approvals, including environmental clearance. He also said safety clearances from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will be obtained to ensure that the spent fuel facility does not pose any radiological hazard to the people and nearby environment. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is building four more 1,000 MW reactors at Kudankulam, taking the total number of power plants there to six. Singh said the AERB has accorded siting clearance for AFR spent fuel wet storage facilities for Units 1-4 at Kudankulam after verifying compliance with the regulatory and safety requirements. The AERB is currently carrying out design safety review of the AFR. As regards the Units 3-6, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies of spent fuel storage facilities were carried out as a part of the EIA of the whole project, Singh said. The environmental clearance for Units 3-6 including storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel was accorded after careful consideration of the same, following the due processes. The AERB has accorded consent to establish the facility in Units 3 and 4, Singh said. He also said such spent nuclear fuel storage facilities are already in operation at Tarapur (Maharashtra) and Rawatbhata (Rajasthan) sites which are operating safely without any impact on the personnel, public and environment. Hubballi, April 7 : The alleged Love Jihad case in Hubballi in Karnataka has taken a new twist as the Hindu girl who married a Muslim boy refused to go with her parents on Thursday. The girl Sneha who appeared before the police said that she had married Ibrahim without any coercion and after falling in love with him. She stated that she does not want to go back to her parents. After the girl went missing, Hindu organizations had protested before the police station in Hubballi and Sri Ram Sena founder Pramod Muthalik had given the police a deadline to bring back the girl. The parents of the girl and Hindu organizations alleged that she has become a victim of Love Jihad. The police coming under pressure, found the girl in Goa and brought her for inquiry to the Keshwapur police station in Hubballi. The parents of the girl were allowed to speak to her. Though, the parents tried to convince her to come back with them, the girl flatly refused to go with her parents. They told the girl that her grandmother had become bed-ridden after she had gone missing and asked her to visit their house for at least one hour, but the girl refused, according to the police. Sneha told the police that she had got married to Ibrahim on February 11 in the sub-registrar's office in Gadag district. She added that she was in love with Ibrahim for the last 6 months and she is staying with him. She stated that Ibrahim's family did not know about it. New Delhi, April 7 : The Delhi High Court has dismissed Red Bull's injunction application against Pepsico from using the tagline "Stimulates Mind, Energizes Body" for its energy drink "Sting". Red Bull had knocked the doors of the court alleging that the defendant Pepsi's tagline is deceptively similar to its registered tagline "Vitalizes body and mind" which is using since 1987 and in 73 different countries around the world. The present suit was filed in August 2018 and in September 24, 2018, the parties were referred for mediation. However, the mediation did not bear fruits, as per the order dated April 6. On the other hand, Pepsi said they sell the drink under the brand name "Sting" in respect of which they have obtained registration. However, the tagline is being used by the defendants only in a descriptive manner and therefore, no registration has been sought in respect thereof, as a trademark, it argued. In the 26-page order, passed by Justice Amit Bansal, it was observed that the disputed tagline is in a descriptive manner and not as a trademark. The tagline used by the defendants, "STIMULATES MIND. ENERGIZES BODY" is a phrase or an expression comprising of four words of the English language that aims to describe the features and quality of its drink. In comparison to the brand name of the defendants' product, "Sting", which is displayed prominently on the cans, the impugned tagline only appears in a small font. Furthermore, the defendants have not sought any registration in respect of the aforesaid tagline. Further, the order said Pepsi launched their products in India in 2017 using the impugned mark on their product. Although the present suit was filed in 2018, the fact of the matter is that no injunction has been granted in favour of the plaintiff till date, even though the delay may not entirely be attributable to the plaintiff, the order said. It further noted that even though some of this delay may be attributable to the judicial process or the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the undisputed position is that the defendants have been selling their product with the impugned mark for almost five years. The court also said it has arrived at a prima facie view that the taglines used by both the plaintiff and the defendants are descriptive in nature as they describe the qualities/characteristic of their respective products. New Delhi, April 7 : Reorienting the farmers to natural farming methods has halved the use of synthetic and harmful chemicals in farming, thereby generating health, environmental and economic benefits, a study about farmers in Andhra Pradesh published on Thursday has said. The study - a scientific evaluation published in the Lancet Planetary Health - is the first to evaluate the impact of a large-scale government organic agriculture programme on pesticide use and availability. The key findings of the study show that the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF), after a median of two years, was substantially less likely to report using synthetic chemicals and pesticides compared to conventional farmers. A support programme which enabled farmers who used natural methods who had frequent interactions with agricultural extension workers, either government community resource persons (CRPs/iCRPs) or NGOs more frequently were less likely to use pesticides and adopt natural farming methods. Frequent and sustained state-led training of farmers in organic farming practices can substantially reduce the use of harmful chemicals, which is detrimental to the environment and human health, it found out. Collaborators from the Public Health Foundation of India, the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, India, the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, US, and the University of Edinburgh, UK supported by the Scottish Funding Council and UK Research and Innovation conducted the study in Andhra Pradesh with the APCNF. "Our findings suggest that APCNF farmers still used pesticides on some part of their lands. Hence, a multifaceted approach combining farmer and retailer education, increased support to natural farming and limiting the availability of harmful chemicals will help the state of Andhra Pradesh to achieve its goal of 100 per cent natural farming by 2030," senior research scientist at Public Health Foundation of India, Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy, said. Incidentally, interviews with more than 850 farmers and almost 40 retailers showed that despite the major government drive towards organic agriculture, about half of organic farmers still used pesticides and there had been no impact on pesticide sales at local retailers. Lindsay Jaacks, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, said: "We did not expect pesticides to drop to zero within just a couple years of the programme - a transition from input-heavy convention farming to organic does not happen overnight. APCNF farmers are less likely to use pesticides after about two years. The primary reason reported by APCNF farmers for decreasing their pesticide use over the past four years was personal health." The researchers sought to assess the impact of the APCNF programme, which aims to transition eight million hectares of farmland, belonging to six million farmers, to organic by the end of the decade. New Delhi, April 7 : Gearing up for the year-end assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not see Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a force to reckon with in the hill state. The saffron party feels that the AAP has no ground presence, and it will not generate any impact on the assembly elections. "It is true that the AAP has formed a government in Punjab but state of Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a people and development oriented governance of the BJP. We have no challenge from anyone, forget about the AAP. Kejriwal's party has no presence in Himachal," a BJP functionary said. Echoing this, another BJP leader claimed "AAP is not even in the race". "There is no challenge from the AAP. Someone with a strong presence can challenge which the AAP is completely lacking. After its success in Punjab, they (AAP leaders) are planning to contest assembly polls in Himachal and few other states but in reality, AAP is a non-entity here," another BJP leader said. The AAP has planned to contest the year-end Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls. The party is also planning to contest the Karnataka assembly election scheduled to be held in the middle of the next year. Taking a dig at the AAP's plan to contest the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, a BJP leader said: "Arvind Kejriwal and his party on election tourism... first, they went to Goa and now planning to visit another tourist destination Himachal Pradesh." Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann -- both from the AAP, on Wednesday had launched the party's campaign in Himachal Pradesh by organising a 'Tiranga Yatra' in Mandi. On April 9, BJP chief JP Nadda is expected to be in Himachal Pradesh. He is likely to hold a roadshow in Shimla. BJP's Sanjay Tandon, co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh, told IANS the BJP is seeking votes on the development agenda of a double engine government at the Centre and the state. "Himachal Pradesh has witnessed tremendous development under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government. The pace of development in the state has been accelerated due to the double engine government of BJP in the last five years. People will bless the BJP to continue the pace of development in assembly polls," Tandon said. Agra, April 7 : One of the holiest rivers in India, Yamuna's present dry and heavily polluted state evoked disgust and anger when Krishna devotees and river activists assembled on the ghats to participate in ritualistic puja and arti on Yamuna Chhath, believed to be the "birthday" of the river. Activists associated with the River Connect Campaign in Agra celebrated the eighth anniversary of the movement for cleaner Yamuna, and the Nritya Jyoti Kathak Kendra presented specially choreographed dances in praise of the river. Targeting government agencies for failure to clean up the river and provide uninterrupted flow of water in it to maintain ecological equilibrium, activists listed demands to rejuvenate the dying river, including construction of a barrage on Yamuna downstream of the Taj Mahal. Due to early summer and rising temperature, the Yamuna has been reduced to a sickly sewage canal in the Taj city. In Mathura and Vrindavan, for pilgrims and devouts visiting Yamuna, the river water is a put off, with its foul smell, an activist said. Each day, thousands of devout from all over the world return disappointed and frustrated from ghats in Braj mandal (the 'leela bhoomi' of Sri Krishna-Radha) when they see the pathetic condition of river, stinking and rotting with pollutants, dead fish and toxins, flowing down from industrial clusters upstream, in Delhi and Haryana. The ghats along the banks of the river are buried in polluted silt. In Vrindavan, the Yamuna now flows at least 30 metres away from the famous Keshi Ghat. In Mathura, the polluted effluents from hundreds of industrial units discharged in the river, has only compounded the problem. Reduced to a pale, sickly nullah, the glory and grandeur of Yamuna that attracted the Mughals to build some of the finest monuments like the Taj and Etmauddaula along its banks, will never return, lament the residents of the Yamuna Kinara road in Agra. New Delhi, April 7 : The Ministry of Home Affairs has said a total of 2,105 Kashmiri migrants have returned to Kashmiri Valley for taking up jobs provided under Prime Minister's Development Package after the abrogation of Article 370. The Ministry said a total of 841 Kashmiri migrants had returned to Kashmir Valley in 2020-21 while 1,264 people went back in 2021-22. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that four Kashmiri Pandits among 14 Hindus were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. Moreover, 34 people belonging to minority communities were killed by the terrorists in the last five years including 11 in 2021. According to the data furnished by the Ministry, in 2019, one each non-Kashmiri Pandit minority member was killed in Anantnag, Srinagar and Pulwama, while in 2020, one Kashmiri Pandit and one minority community member were killed. Similarly, in 2021, two Kashmiri Pandits and three minority members were killed in Srinagar, one Kashmiri Pandit in Pulwama, and three minority members were killed in Kulgam by the terrorists. No death has been reported so far in 2022. The MHA also said the government has been making all efforts to restore assets to the Kashmiri migrants, and properties of 610 applicants have been returned. Nityanand Rai said the District Magistrate has been designated as the custodian of the migrants' properties. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also started a portal to resolve the complaints of migrants. Guwahati, April 7 : The Assam Police on Thursday arrested a person from the state's Kamrup district for allegedly having links with the Maoists, officials said. The arrest comes just a few days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a woman from Dibrugarh district. A police officer said that a Crime Branch team arrested Hriday Kalita from his native village of Chaygaon. He is being questioned by the senior police officers. The police, however, have refused to share further details regarding Kalita's arrest. The NIA had on Sunday conducted searches in 17 different locations in Assam's Cachar, Karimganj, Dibrugarh and Dhubri districts, and also arrested a woman Maoist cadre Reema Orang a.k.a. Saraswati, who has been on the run for a long time. The NIA and the Assam police stepped up its search after the arrest of a Maoist leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee a.k.a. Kanchan Da, a member of the central committee of CPI (Maoist) last month. The CPI (Maoist) is a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that Maoists' threat resurfaced in the state leading to the stepped up operations against them by the security agencies. New Delhi, April 7 : The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 2,200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual Baisakhi celebrations, Express Tribune reported. The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, through which a large number of Sikh pilgrims travel from India to Pakistan to observe various religious festivals. The statement from Pakistan's High Commission on Thursday said that the issuance of pilgrimage visas was in line with the Pakistani government's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol between the two countries. Expressing his views on the auspicious occasion, Charge d'Affaires, Aftab Hasan Khan, extended his heartfelt felicitations to the pilgrims and wished them a rewarding and fulfilling pilgrimage. "Pakistan takes immense pride in preserving sacred religious places and providing necessary facilitation to the visiting pilgrims," he added. During the visit, the pilgrims would enter Pakistan on April 12, visit sites such as Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib, before returning to India on April 21. With the Baisakhi festival - the most popular spring harvest festival for Sikhs - a week away, the city administration has geared up to provide security and all the facilities to the pilgrims at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassababdal. Hyderabad, April 7 : Telangana's senior Cabinet minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that if Tamilisai Soundararajan behaves like a Governor, the state government will definitely respect her. He was reacting to an allegation by Soundararajan that the state government insulted her. He, however, denied the allegation. Rama Rao said the state government respects Constitutional positions and it had nothing against the Governor. "Why will we have any problem with the Governor. If the Governor behaves like a Governor, we will definitely respect her," he said. During an interaction with the media persons in Sircilla, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President denied that the Governor was insulted. "Where, when and how was she insulted. Let her be specific. If she feels that way, it's her imagination," he said. KTR, as the minister is popularly known, claimed that the TRS government is acting as per the Constitution. "It is clear in the Constitution that the Governor should address the first session of the legislature in a new year. Since the earlier session was not prorogued, there was no address by the governor," he said referring to Soundararajan's objection to the state government doing away with the Governor's address to the Budget session. The minister also had a dig at the Governor for not accepting the state government's recommendation to nominate P. Kaushik Reddy to the Legislative Council. "I read somewhere quoting her that Kaushik Reddy's political background came in the way of his becoming MLC. Mrs Tamilisai Soundararajan was BJP state President in Tamil Nadu. Why didn't her political background come in the way of her becoming the Governor," he asked. KTR pointed out that the government had no issue when E.S.L. Narasimhan was the Governor of the state. Soundararajan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi during the last two days. She alleged that the state government insulted her and did not follow the Governor's protocol. Mumbai, April 7 : Two days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached properties belonging to his wife and associates, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has declare a war, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra is fully united. Returning to Mumbai, Raut was given a hero's welcome by thousands of Shiv Sainiks with flags, banners, posters, and 'dhol-tasha' outside the airport. "They (BJP) has declared war. The manner in which they are targeting us with the help of central agencies, taking steps against us, we shall also retaliate... If they put us in jail, we are ready... they may kill us, we are prepared. But, we will continue our fight," he thundered. The Sena's chief spokesperson said that the so-called 'sankat' (danger) of the government has now actually proved to be a 'sandhi' (opportunity) for the MVA regime which has emerged stronger. "We are completely together in fighting the attacks of the BJP through the central probe agencies. This is not a show of support or strength. It's the angst and resentment of the people against the INS Vikrant scam," he said. Reiterating the MVA allies Sena-Nationlaist Congress Party-Congress will overcome the threats of the ED, CBI, IT, etc,, Raut warned that "the BJP has dug its own grave" and "a time will come when they will bow down on their knees". He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP President Sharad Pawar for their support to him after the ED action against his family. "The very fact that Pawar Saheb raised the issue with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi proves that the MVA allies are united," Raut pointed out. He termed as immaturity the vindictive attacks by the BJP in the past two-and-half years since the MVA came to power, but vowed to fight it out. On the instructions of Thackeray, the party has launched a series of agitations against the BJP at the village level and said the same will spread to the national level and spell doom for the BJP, he said. Raut created a mega-sensation on Wednesday when he accused a BJP activist and ex-MP Kirit Somaiya of allegedly siphoning off an amount of Rs 57 crore collected as 'crowd-funds' by launching the save Vikrant campaign in 2013-2014. As per a RTI reply from Maharashtra Raj Bhavan last month, the amount which was claimed to be deposited with the Governor's office, had never reached there. Raut said that not only did Somaiya misappropriate the public monies for a nationalistic cause but also indulged in money-laundering and he would "definitely go to jail". However, Somaiya has consistently denied all the allegations hurled against him and said he was prepared to face any probe even as police complaints were lodged against him in Mumbai and other cities for the alleged Vikrant scam. Patna, April 7 : There was a time when Bihar strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin ran a parallel government in Siwan district, but now his family seems to be living in fear ever since his death at a Delhi hospital in May last year. Hena Shahab, the wife of Shahabuddin, came before the media on Thursday and cried foul over the FIR registered against their son, Osama Shahab. Osama, along with seven others, have been booked for their alleged involvement in the incident of opening fire on Bahubali leader Rais Khan on Monday night using AK 47 rifles. Khan managed to survive as he was there not inside the vehicle targeted by the assailants. Following the attack, Khan registered an FIR against Osama and seven close associates of Shahabuddin's family. Former JD-U MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh openly threatened to take revenge for the attack on Khan. He said that no one involved in the firing would be let-off. "I waited for 18 years for my husband, who was lodged in jail under a deep conspiracy. He never returned home and died in custody. Now, the conspirators are framing charges against my son to achieve their political goals. If he were to become a victim of the conspiracy, I would have no option but to leave Siwan," Hena said in a video statement. "My son was in Delhi for a long time. On the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, he went to perform 'Fatiha' at the grave of his father in Delhi. The rivals are unnecessarily dragging him in an alleged attack without any proof. If I don't get justice, I would leave Siwan," Hena said. Mumbai, April 7 : The four persons arrested by the Central Bureau of India (CBI) from Mumbai in connection with the March 21 massacre at Bogtui village in West Bengal's Birbhum district where nine persons were charred to death, were remanded to CBI custody till April 10 by a court on Thursday. The accused have been identified as Bappa S.K. alias Sal Mohamad, Sabu S.K. alias Sadril, Taj Mohammad alias Chand, and Serajul S.K. alias Poltu. The four accused were produced before the court on Thursday. After hearing the argument of the prosecution, the court sent all of them to CBI custody till April 10. Earlier, the CBI had prepared a list of 21 accused, one of them being the Trinamool Congress's block president Anarul Hossain. The federal probe agency had set up a temporary camp in a government guest house in West Bengal's Rampurhat. Earlier, the local police had also prepared a list of accused and the CBI's list is almost exactly the same. Hossain was questioned by the CBI. His statement was recorded and he was called to the camp to join the probe. Following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, a team of forensic experts led by the CBI officials went to Rampurhat and collected samples on March 25. Before the court order, the local police had lodged a case and had claimed to have arrested 10 people. The BJP and the others had accused the Trinamool Congress of sheltering the accused. The BJP had charged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with trying to cover up the incident. The Trinamool had denied all the charges. After the Calcutta High Court order of handing over the probe to the CBI, the West Bengal government said that it would support the agency in conducting a fair probe. Bhadu Sheikh, a Trinamool Congress leader and deputy president of Rampurhat village, was killed on March 21 by bike-borne assailants, after which a mob allegedly set fire to several houses. Next day, the police recovered the charred bodies of at least eight people, including children and women from a gutted house. New Delhi, April 7 : A fire broke out at the New Delhi Railway Station on Thursday evening, but has been brought under control, a Fire Department official said. The official told IANS that the fire had engulfed a shop on Platform no 5 and they Areceived a call about the incident around 7.20 p.m. Three fire tenders were immediately pressed into the service to douse the blaze. Thick fumes of smoke could be seen billowing above the platform above the flames. "The situation is now under control," the official said, adding the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained . No injuries were reported from the incident, which comes just a day after a fire broke out at the Congress office located at Akbar Road. No injuries were reported in that incident as well. New Delhi, April 7 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at six locations in Delhi, UP, and Punjab in connection with a case related to seizure of fake Indian currency note and gold at the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The searches were conducted at two locations in UP's Bulandshahr, one in Punjab's Ludhiana, and at three locations of Delhi. The official said that the case pertains to the seizure of fake Indian notes with a face value of Rs 10 lakh and 175 gms gold worth around Rs 8.5 lakh from Mohammed Shahjan by Customs officials on January 12. In February, the NIA took over the probe. "The searches were conducted at the premises of the arrested accused Shahjan in Bulandshahr and at his associates' premises who are members of a syndicate, indulging in the smuggling and circulation of FICN from Dubai to India," said the NIA official. During the searches, mobile phones, laptops, other digital devices and many incriminating documents were seized. Further investigation in the matter is on. New Delhi, April 7 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Hindi should be accepted as an alternative language to English but not to local languages. Presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, he said "unless we make Hindi flexible by accepting words from other local languages, it will not be propagated". The Home Minister told members that now, 70 per cent of the agenda of the Cabinet is prepared in Hindi and over 22,000 Hindi teachers have been recruited in the eight states of northeast. "The nine tribal communities of the northeast have converted their dialects' scripts to Devanagari while all the eight states of the northeast have agreed to make Hindi compulsory in schools up to Class 10," he said. Shah also said there is a need to give elementary knowledge of Hindi to students up to Class 9, and pay more attention to Hindi teaching examinations. The Home Minister also said that after a meeting with all concerned Secretaries, an Implementation Committee should be constituted to review the progress of implementing recommendations of the 1st to 11th volume of the Official Language Committee report. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the Official Language and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi. On this occasion, the Home Minister unanimously approved the sending of the 11th Volume of the Committee's report to the President, and said that the pace, at which the current Official Language Committee is working, has rarely been seen before. He said that sending three reports to the President in the same tenure of the committee is a joint achievement of all. During the meeting, the Union Ministers of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and Nishith Pramanik, Vice-Chairman of the Official Language Parliamentary Committee Bhartruhari Mahtab and other members of the Committee were also present. Islamabad, April 7 : In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled on Thursday that the National Assembly Deputy Speakers ruling to dismiss the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the subsequent dissolution of the Lower House by the President on the PMs advice were contrary to the Constitution and the law of the land, Express Tribune reported. The court also ordered to reinstate the National Assembly and summon its session on Saturday to hold voting on a no-trust motion moved against Imran Khan. A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, which also included Justices Munib Akhtar, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Ijazul Ahsan and Mazhar Alam Khan, announced the verdict, which was reserved earlier in the day. The top court also summoned the officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), including its secretary. Earlier, during a hearing of the case, Bandial, after consultation with his fellow judges, observed that it was clear that the ruling of the Deputy Speaker to dismiss the no-confidence motion submitted against the Prime Minister was "wrong". The Chief Justice remarked that there would be no stability in the country even after the restoration of the National Assembly that had been dissolved as a result of the ruling, Express Tribune reported. Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan argued that everyone needed to be loyal to the state. He said that he is not defending the ruling. "However, I think new elections are the only solution," he said. Mumbai, April 7 : The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) here has signed a Partnership Agreement of Cancer Patient Navigation Programme to improve cancer care in Indonesia, marking the World Health Day, here on Thursday. The MoU was inked with Dharmais National Cancer Hospital and PT Roche Indonesia, in a virtual ceremony. 'Patient Navigation' refers to individualised assistance offered to patients, families and caregivers to help overcome healthcare system barriers. According to TMC Director Rajendra Badwe, despite easy access and quality of cancer care available, there exists a problem in compliance of treatment. Citing surveys conducted by the TMC and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Badwe revealed that meeting the economic, emotional, psychological, social and cultural needs of a patient are important for positive results in the treatment, and this role is played by the 'Navigators'. Such a Cancer Patient Navigator (CPN) does not exist in Indonesia at present, and the MoU signed on Thursday is of significance in this context. Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Kumar Bharti, termed the MoU as yet another milestone in India-Indonesia relationship and "very timely when Indonesia holds the G20 Presidency and 'Health' is one of the three main pillars of its focus area". Lauding the efforts of TMC and other cancer care centres, Indian Ambassador to ASEAN, Jayant Khobragade, said most of the cancer patients remain actual contributors to the nation's growth and thus it is a service to the nation, "so extending their life span is a huge service to the humanity". TMC offers KEVAT - a one-year advanced post-graduate diploma programme in navigation in oncology, in collaboration with TISS, which provides education in psycho-social aspects of care while TMC renders training in clinical aspects. The same programme has now been customised to meet the Indonesian requirements through a hybrid learning model combining online tutorial, practical training at TMC, followed by practical training in participating hospitals under the supervision of experts. After the successful completion of the programme, the students will be conferred with a joint diploma from TMC and TISS. Shimla, April 7 : The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet during a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday gave its approval to start one Mukhya Mantri Mobile Clinic in every Assembly constituency. These mobile clinics would have facilities for testing, consultation, prescription, including dispensing of medicine, basic laboratory services, vaccination facilities and procedures by a doctor to those in remote areas having little access to medical facilities. This would go a long way in improving access and coverage of health services in rural areas, an official statement said. Meanwhile, the Cabinet also decided to grant higher pay structure to the categories of police constables appointed in 2015 and 2016 by allowing grant of higher pre-revised pay band and grade on a notional basis since the new Himachal Pradesh (Revised Pay) Rules 2022 have come into force on January 1, 2022, effective from January 2016. The constables now have the option for fixation of pay under the relevant factor of pay fixation and the payment of arrears of pay would depend upon their options under the revised rules. Mysuru, April 7 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday ordered a probe into a video released by terror outfit Al-Qaeda lauding a girl who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' at a mob during the recent protests against the hijab ban in the state. The current controversy erupted after Al-Qaeda's global terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri in a nine-minute video praised Muskan Khan, a college student from Mandya district, for raising the slogan 'Allahu Akbar' to counter a mob chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' in the college premises at the height of the hijab crisis in Karnataka. In the video titled 'The Noble Woman of India', Zawahiri could be heard reciting a poem he composed to praise Muskan. "I have directed the police chief to probe the matter and verify the truth regarding the video, which is said to be released by an Al-Qaeda terrorist. Once the report is available, further action will be decided," Bommai said. He added that a conspiracy is being hatched against the nation and the law of the land over the hijab incident. Bommai also termed Congress leader Siddaramaiah's statement that Zawahiri's video was doctored and was a 'handiwork' of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as baseless. "One thing I don't understand is why Siddaramaiah is getting upset if questions are raised against the Al-Qaeda," the Chief Minister said. New Delhi, April 7 : Pakistans former ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, returned to Islamabad on March 24 after completing his tenure and did not leave the country abruptly, the embassy record shows, Dawn reported. Ambassador Khan arrived in Washington soon after his predecessor, Ambassador Jehangir Siddiqui, relinquished his job on December 25, 2018, and he presented his credentials to former US President Donald Trump on January 11, 2019. Asad Khan completed his three-year term on January 11, 2022, but stayed in Washington till March 24 on the arrival of ambassador-designate Sardar Masood Khan. Asad Khan is now Pakistan's ambassador-designate in Brussels. Earlier, at a news briefing in Lahore on Tuesday, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had described Asad Khan as the main character behind the so-called 'threat letter' controversy, which blames the Joe Biden administration in the US for backing the move to topple the PTI government in Pakistan. "The letter was a drama and that is why the ambassador [Khan] was transferred to Brussels overnight," she had said. But records maintained at the Pakistan Embassy and media reports showed that "there's nothing abrupt about Ambassador Khan's arrival or departure", a diplomatic source said, Dawn reported. New Delhi, April 7 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved projects for strengthening DNA analysis, cyber-forensics and related facilities in 23 states/UTs under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme, the Parliament was informed on Thursday. "The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology has formulated 'The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill' to provide, regulation of the use and application of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology with the aim to establish the identity of certain categories of person including the victims, offenders, suspects, under trials, missing persons and unknown deceased person," Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The draft Bill, which is under consideration, has the provision to set up DNA data banks across the country to store DNA profiles, he said. In order to ensure quality and standardisation in forensic examination, which includes cases related to DNA-based forensic tests, the Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS), under the MHA, has issued quality manual and working procedure manuals for biology and DNA division, and guidelines for collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard components in a sexual assault evidence collection kit, the Minister said. For capacity building, 23,233 Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers, and Medical Officers have been trained on collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard components in a sexual assault evidence collection kit, he added. A state-of-the-art DNA analysis laboratory has also been set up by MHA in the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Chandigarh. New Delhi, April 7 : One of India's top virologists, Gagandeep Kang, said on Thursday that going by what we know about the 'XE' variant of Covid-19 till now, it doesn't seem there is too much cause to worry. The variant spreads a little faster, but it doesn't seem to cause a more severe disease, she told IANS. "We are more worried about severe diseases, and if that's not happening, I think we should track it, but not worry too much about it," Kang said on the reported detection of the 'XE' variant in Mumbai. However, the INSACOG has denied the detection of XE variant, saying that this variant does not correlate with the genomic picture of the 'XE' variant. INSACOG is the forum set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to study and monitor genome sequencing and virus variation of circulating strains of Covid-19 in India. Speaking to IANS, Kang said that it is for the INSACOG to say whether it is really XE, but we shouldn't be worried about it as sooner or later we are likely to see the XE variant in the country. She emphasised that whenever we see a new variant, the important thing is to note what implications it has for the country -- is it going to start a new wave, are people going to fall seriously sick etc. Talking about reports claiming that the XE variant has 10 per cent more transmissibility as compared to Omicron, Kang said that these are findings from the UK, because they do a lot of sequencing. "For them, it is possible to look at the secondary attack rate, i.e., if one person is infected, how many persons will get infected from that primary source and also how fast will that happen. Only in the UK, finding such data is possible, but in India we don't even notice," she said. Commenting on a Covid booster dose for all in India, Kang said that there is no need for booster for all. "Recently, sero-survey has indicated that about 80 per cent of children who have not been vaccinated are sero positive. It means that 80 per cent of the population has exposure to the virus. If 80 per cent has already been infected or exposed to the virus, along with two doses of vaccine, why should booster be given to those people who are generally healthy? "Administering a precautionary doses to those who are at the risk of severe diseases makes sense, but not for a healthy population." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Patna April 7 : The Patna High Court has asked the Bihar government about the status of Sonepur airport, proposed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in August 2021. The court's direction came as it heard a Public Interest Litigation filed by Abhijit Kumar Pandey. Arguing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Supreme Court lawyer Varun Singh, appearing for the petitioner, said that Bihar has three operational airports in Patna, Gaya and Darbhanga but none of them match international standards. "The Jay Prakash Narayan airport in Patna is the smallest in the country still having international status but the facilities are absolutely below standard. The stripe of the runway of Patna airport is just 1,950 metres which is much below the normal size of an airport in the country. In the past 20 years, there were two plane crashes here - in 2000 and 2010, still the Bihar government did not expand it or come up with new airports having international standards," he said. Generally, a larger aircraft, including wide-bodied aircraft, required at least 2,400 metres. Aircraft like Airbus 320 require at least 3,200 metres runway. Bihar is the only state with population over 12 crore and yet it does not have an International Airport. Bihta airport, which has been given a go ahead, is an Indian Air Force airport converted to civil aviation, but surrounded by local population. Bihta airport needed 100 acre land currently held by local residents and the expected time of land acquisition is at least 10 years. Keeping this in view, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote a letter to the Bihar Chief Minister on August 25, 2021 seeking permission to construct an airport in Sonepur town in Saran district. In the PIL, the petitioner highlighted 2,300 acre of free land in Sonepur town without any human occupancy, and with the total cost of acquisition being Rs 440 crore, "which is nothing compared to land acquiring cost adjoining Patna, Bihta, Gaya and Darbhanga airports. It will also have the capacity to cater to traffic of the state for the next 50 years". "State government is not giving approval for the construction of a new airport in Sonepur which is close to Patna compared to Bihta. The proposed site is just 5 km away from JP Setu. Moreover, the Bihar government need not to take financial burden. The construction of an airport is a Central government subject and its cost will be taken care of by the Centre. The role of the Bihar government is to acquire the land and hand it over to the Civil Aviation Ministry," Singh said. "The high court has directed the Bihar government to respond to the PIL during the next hearing scheduled on April 18," he said. Kabul, April 7 : The return of the Taliban to power in Kabul has contributed to the flourishing of the drug business in Afghanistan, much against the belief that strict religious norms pursued by the Taliban would lead to a ban in production and sale of narcotic substances. Colonel Nezamuddin Bahavi, the former head of intelligence of the anti-drug police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan, stated this in an exclusive interview with the Russian daily, Nezavisimaya Gazeta. According to Bahavi, the Taliban has always been associated with drugs trade and soon after coming to power in August 2021, the situation turned entirely in the Taliban's favour. He further said that until August 2021, criminals associated with the drugs business were scared of the anti-drug unit of the Interior Ministry. But now the situation has changed drastically with government control virtually non-existent and drugs trade flourishing boundlessly. According to Bahavi, the Afghan and regional drug mafia is increasingly gaining strength under the Taliban. The area under poppy cultivation has increased with drugs production growing and smuggling on the rise. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in the north and the east of the country, they mainly grow opium and produce heroin whereas in the west and south-west, especially in provinces such as Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand etc., there has been a rise in the production of methamphetamine, a popular synthetic drug. Significantly, this has been facilitated due to the availability of a locally-grown wild herb which acts as a substitute for Ephedrine which is needed to produce methamphetamine. According to experts, because of this free-growing grass and its easy access, there is now no need for smuggling Ephedrine from abroad as Afghanistan evinces on a new path of plastic drugs manufacturing. As far as the Taliban's genuine desire to stop drugs production is concerned, Bahavi conveyed to the Russian daily that efforts by the Taliban to stop drugs production and to seize illicit drugs has been mostly symbolic and aimed at hiking the price of the product in the market. Moreover, transportation of drugs has now become easier with smugglers paying a certain amount on per kilogram basis to the relevant Taliban nodal officer located at the point of start of journey. The Taliban in turn provides them a permit which enables easy transportation of the consignment from any one point of the country to another. According to Bahavi, the amount of money that the Taliban earns through transportation and sale of drugs cannot be substituted by any other means. He mentioned that the role of drugs in the Afghan market has been crucial for political machinations and countries in the neighbourhood have used drugs to fight their wars in Afghanistan. He thus said that drugs smuggling was a universal business in Afghanistan and in the past senior government officials, including army generals and security officials, had been detained for smuggling of drugs. Bahavi claimed that one cannot perceive an end to the drugs menace in Afghanistan any time soon. According to him, the drug mafia is deep-rooted and extremely well-networked, making it difficult to crack the racket. Moreover, today the most influential factions and groups in the Taliban are involved in the drugs business, especially the Haqqanis who are closely associated with the Pakistani establishment. According to Bahavi, efforts to curb drugs smuggling through agreements with other countries have not produced any result. For instance, he mentioned that after great difficulty, Afghanistan succeeded in signing an agreement with Pakistan on the fight against drug trafficking. However, the agreement remained one-sided as Pakistan would seek all information on drugs related activities and those involved, but never share any relevant information on its part. Thus, the agreement fell through as soon as it was signed. Bahavi mentioned that it is a known fact that most of the drugs smuggled to different parts of the world move out of Afghanistan through Pakistan. However, there have rarely been instances of large-scale seizure of consignments in Pakistan. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, April 7 : Former captain of Afghanistan and Gujarat Titans spinner Rashid Khan has announced his personal venture RK 19, a merchandising brand. Rashid Khan said that in conjunction with every sale, 5 per cent of the profit RK 19 makes would go to the Rashid Khan Foundation. The 23-year-old spinner became the fastest and youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs and he was among the two first-ever Afghan players selected for the Indian Premier League. "We've seen a need for effortless, individualised men's fashion in the wardrobes all across the globe in the last year, with this trend turning into a dominant aesthetic in everyday fashion. RK 19 has come up with an aspirational range of men's wear that is stylish and accessible to every fashion-savvy people," he said in a release. Latest updates on IPL 2022 Srinagar, April 7 : A terrorist associate, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT, has been arrested from J&K's Baramulla, police said on Thursday. "Acting on specific input, a special joint motor vehicle checking point was established by Baramulla police, 29 RR and 2nd Bn SSB at Dolipora Morh. "During checking, a suspicious person upon seeing the security party tried to flee from the spot, but was apprehended after a brief chase," a police official said. He has been identified as Iqbal Mir, son of G. Nabi Mir, resident of Mungam Wagoora.A Police said during search, incriminating material, ammunition including an AK magazine, 20 AK rounds, two UBGL grenades and two detonators concealed in a bag were recovered from his possession. "During preliminary investigation, it was learnt that he was a close associate of active terrorist Hilal Sheikh alias Hanzulla, resident of Shrakwara Kreeri affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT and he was also in contact with Pakistani terrorist Usman," the police said "Worth to mention that a major terrorist plot has been avoided by his arrest." New Delhi, April 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against two accused Fayaz Ahmed Khan and Tawseef Ahmed Wani in connection with a case related to recovery of IED from Jammu. The supplimentary chargesheet was filed under section 120B of Indian Penal Code and sections 13, 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, before Special NIA court in Jammu. An NIA official said that the case pertains to recovery of an IED from accused Nadeem ul-Haq from Bhatindi, Jammu, after he, on behest of his Pakistan-based handlers of TRF, a frontal organisation of the LeT, had attempted to execute an IED explosion in a public place in Jammu area. "Investigation has unearthed a larger conspiracy hatched by the Pakistani handlers of TRF, involved in recruitment and planning to activate a significant number of radicalised youth through social media platforms to target security personnel and public places with an intention to wage war against government of India," the NIA has said in the supplementary charge sheet. The first chargesheet in the case was filed against three accused in December 2021. The official said that investigation has established that accused persons were members of the TRF, and were, in connivance with their Pakistani handlers, involved in spreading the subversive activities in the UT. Kolkata, April 8 : The tussle between the Union government and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has now reached the education section. State Education Minister, Bratya Basu, late on Thursday evening announced that the state government has decided to formulate its own State Education Policy (SEP) and not implement the Union government formulated National Education Policy. "The Union government, like many other aspects, are trying to force the NEP on the different state governments. However, we are not agreeable to that and hence we have decided to formulate the state's own education policy," he told media persons. A 10-member committee has been constituted to give a report on this count within the next two months. This includes Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, the noted faculty from Colombia University, historian and former Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, Sugata Basu, former Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University, Suranjan Das and Sanskrit language specialist, Nrishinha Prasad Bhaduri, among others. Sources from the state Education Department told IANS the committee, before submitting the said report within the next two months, will also study the independent education policies pursued by the non-BJP state government like those in Maharashtra and Kerala. Bhaduri said that the state government has every right to have its own education policy. "Anyway, it is a welcome move. A country like India with such diversity of culture and huge population can never have a uniform pan- India national education policy," he said. According to arguments of the Union government, the national education policy aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3 per cent (2018) to 50 per cent by 2035. Bhopal, April 8 : Photographs of a group of half-naked men standing at a police station in Madhya Pradesh have surfaced on social media wherein a local YouTube journalist, Kanishk Tiwari, could be seen as well. According to Tiwari, he along with others were arrested while they had gone to the police station to enquire about Neeraj Kunder -- a theatre artiste arrested for allegedly using abusive language against a BJP legislator and his son. The men, including Tiwari, were arrested for protesting against Kunder's arrest. A police officer said that during the protest, they sat on a road, "disrupting the movement of the public". The photographs that appeared on social media are from a police station in Sidhi district that were reportedly clicked on April 2. Tiwari told IANS that he along with others were protesting against the arrest of Neeraj Kunder, whom the police had arrested based on an FIR lodged by BJP MLA from Sidhi, Kedarnath Shukla. Tiwari claimed that he along with his cameraperson had gone to the police station to ask about Kunder's arrest on the request of the theatre artiste's father. However, the police arrested him and kept him in the lockup for over 18 hours, and "beat him up badly". "I am working as a freelance journalist and recently I had filed a report that was deemed to be against Kedarnath Shukla and because of that news, I was targeted," Tiwari said. Meanwhile, a video that surfaced on social media suggests Tiwari along with others were protesting outside the police station. In the video, sloganeering was heard against MLA Shuka and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The police personnel present at the site were seen taking them to the police station. The video also shows that the protesters were thrashed by the police. To inquire about the authenticity of the photos and videos, IANS spoke to Sidhi Superintendent of Police, Mukesh Srivastava. He said Kedarnath Shukla had lodged an FIR against Neeraj Kunder, alleging that he had been sharing fake news, and using abusive language against him and his family. Srivastava said the FIR was lodged on March 16 and on the basis of his complaint, the matter was investigated. "During investigation, it was found that Kunder had created an account on Facebook with a fake identity. We have also sought an inquiry report from Facebook and we were told that the account was created using a fake ID. Subsequently, he was arrested on April 2 and presented at the court," Srivastava added. He further said that on April 3, Tiwari, along with others, sat on protest on a road, disrupting the movement of people. "The protesters were booked under IPC Section 151 and were kept under preventive detention. They were released on bail on April 3," he added. Responding on the half-naked photographs that went viral on social media, Srivastava said: "We are inquiring the matter as to who forced them to remove their clothes. We are also inquiring about the involvement of police personnel who allegedly beat them up in the lockup as claimed by Tiwari and others." IANS also tried to speak to MLA Kedarnath Shukla on this issue. However, all calls to him went unanswered. Bhubaneswar, April 8 : In a shocking incident, a journalist from Odisha's Balasore district, who was arrested for allegedly thrashing a cop, was chained to his hospital bed while undergoing treatment. A photo of the journalist, Lokanath Dalei, had gone viral on different social media platforms. In that picture, Dalei was lying down on a floor of the hospital with his legs attached with a handcuff and tied using a iron chain to a hospital bed. According to sources, Dalei was reportedly called by Nilagiri Police on Wednesday morning for allegedly abusing and assaulting a Home Guard. He was later hospitalised after being allegedly assaulted by cops at the police station. On April 4, Home Guard Niranjan Rana had lodged a complaint at Nilagiri police station alleging that Dalei abused him in filthy language, beat him up and threatened with dire consequences when he was on duty. Dalei, serving as a Nilagiri reporter of a local media house, has alleged his arrest is a revenge bid over some news reports against the police. He demanded action against IIC and second officer of the Nilagiri police station. Senior journalists of Odisha condemned the police excess against the journalist and demanded strong action against the police personnel responsible for this. Expressing deep concern over the incident, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said media is the fourth pillar of democracy. "In a democracy, one should respect differences in opinions. But putting a handcuff on a journalist like a professional criminal is not acceptable in a healthy society," he said. Pradhan has urged the senior police officers to conduct a proper inquiry and take strong action against the officials involved in this act. Bengaluru, April 8 : In a major crackdown, the Karnataka police have busted a human trafficking racket with arrest of seven persons. The City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have rescued 17 women who have been all set to be transported to Dubai. The police have gathered information on 95 women being sent to Dubai and seized 17 passports. The accused persons used to trap junior artists by luring them of earning handsome money in lakhs per month. They also lured the girls who worked in event management companies. The accused provided Rs 50,000 as advance money and helped them get Visa to Dubai and sent them there. The gang targeted women from the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab. The accused had connections with the owners of dance bars in Dubai. Once the girls landed in Dubai they were forced to perform in dance bars. Later, the dance bar owners forced them to attract customers and entertain them. If the girls refuse to do so, they were tortured mentally and physically. The victims were asked to return the advance money immediately. As girls would exhaust money taken as an advance, they were forced to continue with the job. One of the victims who got trapped with the gang had approached Hennur police station in Bengaluru and lodged a complaint. Later, considering the seriousness of the case, it was handed over to the CCB for further investigation. The police have arrested three accused from Karnataka and four from Tamil Nadu. The arrested are identified as Basavaraju Shankarappa Kalasad (43) a junior artiste from Koppal, Adarsha a.k.a Adi (28), a dancer from Mysuru, Rajendra Nachimuttu (32) from Salem in Tamil Nadu, Mariyappan (44) an artist agent from Chennai, Chandu (20) from Bengaluru, T. Ashok (29) from Pondicherry and S. Rajiv Gandhi (35) from Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. Further investigation is on. Moscow, April 8 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that the draft agreement submitted by Ukraine demonstrated a shift in Kiev's negotiating positions. "Yesterday, the Ukrainian side presented its draft agreement to the negotiating team. It showed a departure from key provisions which were presented at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement citing Lavrov. The previous document clearly stated that Ukraine's security guarantees would not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, but this principle was absent in the revised draft, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the minister. Lavrov added that Moscow would nonetheless continue the negotiation process promoting its agreement, which includes the country's key demands. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Paris, April 8 : The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that its members will release 120 million barrels of crude oil reserves over the next six months, in the face of the global energy shortage caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The Governing Board of IEA confirmed that it's the largest stock release in IEA's history, Xinhua news agency reported. IEA said the "unanimous" agreement to release the stock was reached by its 31 member countries on April 1. It is the IEA's second release of reserves since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In a first step, 62.7 million barrels of crude oil were freed up on March 1. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, IEA member countries held emergency stockpiles of 1.5 billion barrels. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Thanks to Benefix, over 12,000 individual insurance brokers have digitized their workflows. "With the goal of formulating the future of small business benefits, Benefix has lofty ambitions." Something as fundamental as healthcare should not be complicated. When it comes to small business benefits, things get even trickier. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), 50% of businesses with 3 to 9 employees offer health insurance benefits. The number increases to 71%, with businesses having 10 to 24 employees. It is clear that more and more small businesses want to cover health insurance. Benefix, based out of the small town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is changing how small business health benefits work by serving as a medium between the different stakeholders: small businesses, their employees, insurance carriers, and brokerage firms. With the goal of formulating the future of small business benefits, Benefix has lofty ambitions. Here are five key performance indicators (KPIs) Benefix uses to measure market impact and future growth: Powering 16% of Small Business Health Insurance Premiums Benefix will power at least 16% of the premium paid by small businesses for health insurance in the US in 2022. This percentage amounts to roughly $21 billion. For the year 2023, the goal is to power 40% of such premium, or roughly $53 billion. Empowering 3.7 Million People to Better Understand Healthcare As an employee benefits platform, Benefix is not just for insurance brokers. Benefix has powered, or rather empowered, 3.7 million employees and their families to be better able to understand health insurance benefits. Digitization of Health Insurance Brokers Thanks to Benefix, over 12,000 individual insurance brokers have digitized their workflows. That has resulted in a direct impact on sales, an increase in service quality, and a reduction in carrier administration expenses. Over 500K Health Insurance Plans Managed Benefix has already reached one of its many goals by managing over 500,000 plans, and over 350 carriers, on the platform today. It has successfully served and continues to serve its mission of making health insurance and benefits simple for small businesses and their employees. 99% Customer Satisfaction with the Benefix Platform Benefix has maintained 99% customer satisfaction through a simple philosophy; if it touches the customer experience Benefix owns it. Benefix is, and will continue to, help change how small businesses offer benefits to their employees, how carriers distribute their small group insurance plans, and how brokers sell and service these employers. To learn more more about Benefix, visit http://www.benefix.us. Chirag Gandhi The role of Chief Technology Officer is a new one for McorpCX, driven by the ever-increasing importance of technology and technology-enabled services at driving the customer-centric and experience-driven differentiation our clients aspire to. McorpCX, the leading customer and employee experience solutions consultancy, announced that Chirag Gandhi will join the Company as CTO. In this key role, Mr. Gandhi will lead the Companys digital solutions business, providing the strategic vision and operational expertise to drive innovation in customer and employee listening, analysis, and insights. He will also help expand the Companys technical capabilities, with a focus on the organizational transformation that digitally enabled insights like these can drive in our clients businesses. The role of Chief Technology Officer is a new one for McorpCX, driven by the ever-increasing importance of technology and technology-enabled services at driving the customer-centric and experience-driven differentiation our clients aspire to, said Michael Hinshaw, Founder and President of McorpCX. As a result, Im excited to welcome Chirag to our team, where his leadership and expertise is particularly relevant for seizing the opportunities and addressing the challenges that lay ahead. Im thrilled to be joining the team of experience management experts at McorpCX, Mr. Gandhi said. Its an exciting time to be in the customer experience space, and I look forward to helping the firm excel in its next phase of growth. Chirag comes to McorpCX after having recently been Chief Architect and Head of Planning & Innovation at Grupo Salinas, where he led digital transformation in customer experience, cloud, agile and architecture for the $5B conglomerate. Previously Chief Technology Officer for $1.4B Mphasis, he has more than two decades of experience driving increases in productivity, profitability and customer loyalty in industries including Banking, Insurance, Pharma, Life Sciences, Retail, and Technology. Mr. Gandhi has a wealth of experience as a technology and digital transformation leader, stated McorpCX Executive Director Rajesh Makhija. His expertise in digitally-powered customer experience, transformation strategy, design thinking, and agile services will bring critical value to our firm, our partners, and our clients. About McorpCX McorpCX is an independent consultancy that helps clients better compete and drive value by improving customer and employee experience. Recognized by industry analysts as a customer, employee, and digital experience strategy, services and solutions leader, we unlock growth by reimagining the ways that organizations sell to, serve, and engage with their audiences. Based in San Francisco with operations across North America, the company and its team of strategists, data and experience analysts, and research experts have helped drive experience-led business success for mid-market and Fortune 500 organizations since our founding in 2002. Online at http://www.mcorp.cx, we have worked with leading companies including Microsoft, Best Buy, Intel, Roche, and The Hanover, partnering from strategy to implementation. For more information: Find us online at http://mcorp.cx Call toll-free in the U.S. 1-866-526-2655 or call +1-415-526-2655 For media inquiries: Valerie Silverman Kerr VSK Public Relations, LLC valerie@vsk-publicrelations.com 914-806-6647 Students applying to college in 2022-2023 will soon have access to over 50 additional colleges and universities through the Common App online application system. Used by more than three million applicants, teachers, and counselors every year, the Common App platform streamlines the college application process, providing resources and guidance to make college more accessible for students around the world. More than 20 of the new 50+ members to Common App are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). In 2021, Common App launched an initiative to increase member representation of Minority-Serving Institutions. Under this program, MSI membership has grown significantly, with the highest number of MSIs joining between 2021-2022. As universities aim to increase on-campus diversity, Common Apps MSI Program aims to help connect MSIs with well-qualified candidates who are historically underserved. Common App members who are MSIs have seen a nearly 7% increase in applications from underrepresented groups in the last eight years. The growth in underrepresented students using Common App has provided many MSIs the opportunity to expand the visible reach of their institutions on a national and international level. As stated by Charles E. Singley III, Director of Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator at Paine College, an HBCU located in Augusta, GA, Common App is an excellent national platform to reach prospective students and we look forward to working with them. We are so excited to welcome these new 50 members to Common App for the 2022-2023 application season, especially our over 20 Minority Serving Institutions. Key to our mission at Common App is lowering the logistical and systemic barriers to college access, said Jenny Rickard, President & CEO of Common App. Students and colleges will both benefit from a larger, more diverse, and more inclusive Common App. Dr. Damon Wade, the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), an HBCU located in Durham, NC agrees that joining Common App will help simplify the college application process for students, parents, and counselors and to offer them additional tools such as a mobile app, financial aid and scholarship information. Dr. Wade adds that joining Common App ... will provide an opportunity for students to access North Carolina Central University more efficiently and with a user-friendly platform. Along with simplifying the college application, Common App has implemented new measures to help reduce obstacles students may face while applying to college. Ball State University is excited to partner with the Common App to provide prospective students an additional pathway to apply beginning Fall 2023. The Common App removes potential barriers and provides another avenue for students interested in applying for admission to Ball State. The journey to finding the perfect college fit is different for everyone. Utilizing the Common App will make that journey easier to navigate, said Chris Munchel, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Planning and Management at Ball State University located in Muncie, Indiana. In addition to providing a single, online application and 24/7/365 support for all students applying to member colleges and universities, Common App connects applicants to a mobile app, financial aid and scholarship information, online portfolios, and a vast library of counselor resources available in English and Spanish. In January 2019, the Common App united with Reach Higher, the college access and success campaign started by former First Lady Michelle Obama during her time at the White House. Its core programming, including Better Make Room, UpNext, College Signing Day, Beating the Odds, school counselor support, and current grants continues as part of the Common Apps work with its member institutions, school counselors, and students. New Members of Common App for 2022-2023 Application Season* Mid-Atlantic Fitchburg State University (MA) Goldey-Beacom College (DE) Metropolitan College of New York (NY) Nyack College (NY) Thomas Edison State University (NJ) Mid-West Aurora University (IL) Ball State University (IN) Cleveland Institute of Art (OH) Indiana University-Northwest (IN) Marian University (IN) Michigan Technological University (MI) Park University (MO) Saint Augustine College (IL) University of Wisconsin - River Falls (WI) South Abilene Christian University (TX) Brevard College (NC) Citadel Military College of South Carolina (SC) Clinton College (SC) Elizabeth City State University (NC) Ferrum College (VA) Florida International University (FL) Greensboro College (NC) Hardin-Simmons University (TX) Jackson State University (MS) Kennesaw State University (GA) Kentucky Wesleyan College (KY) Limestone University (SC) McMurry University (TX) Methodist University (NC) Miami-Dade College (FL) Montreat College (NC) North American University (TX) North Carolina Central University (NC) Paine College (GA) Regent University (VA) Shaw University (NC) Shenandoah University (VA) Simmons College of Kentucky (KY) Stephen F Austin State University (TX) Tarleton State University (TX) Texas A&M University (TX) The University of Texas at Austin (TX) University of North Carolina at Pembroke (NC) West Central Washington University (WA) Eastern Oregon University (OR) Mount Marty University (SD) Northwest University (WA) University of Washington - Bothell Campus (WA) University of Washington - Tacoma Campus (WA) Western Washington University (WA) International Edinburgh Napier University -Full class will be announced at the launch of the 2022-2023 application season on August 1. **Italicized members indicate MSI status. About Common App Common App is a not-for-profit member organization committed to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year, more than one million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, apply to college through the Common Apps online application. In January 2019, the Common App united with Reach Higher, the college access and success campaign started by former First Lady Michelle Obama during her time at the White House. By joining forces, Common App and Reach Higher accelerated progress toward our joint goal of supporting all students, especially low-income and first-generation students, in achieving their higher education dreams. Founded in 1975, Common App serves nearly 1,000 member colleges and universities worldwide. To learn more, visit commonapp.org and follow @CommonApp and #CommonApp on social media. Homecoming's psychedelic therapy companion platform Through its industry-leading commitments to equity, reciprocity, and community, Homecoming is modeling how businesses can consciously support giving back while scaling transformative technologies. Homecoming, the creator of industry-leading patient engagement tools for psychedelic therapy, announced today that it has closed an over-subscribed $4 million seed funding round. The company will use the funding to scale its products and services, enabling clinics and retreats to effectively streamline their operations, improve patient care, and deliver better outcomes. Investors in the seed round included Evolve Ventures and Integrated, who led the round, along with SV Angel, Bridge Builders Collaborative, Amanda Feilding, Lionheart Ventures, Ocama LP, JLS Fund, Michael Cotton, Seth Feuerstein, Talia Eisenberg, Jesse Hudson, and David Fraga. On our mission to combine best in class product design and community reciprocity commitments, we cannot be happier with the combination of mission-alignment and expertise among the investors in this round, says Homecoming founder Yuriy Blokhin. With their financial and strategic support, we are positioned to become the backbone infrastructure for the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and ensure that our growth is fully aligned with the success of all stakeholders in the ecosystem. The Homecoming platform went live in October 2021, giving practitioners a powerful new way to support psychedelic therapy. With thoughtfully designed experiences and tools to help guide patients through each stage of treatmentbefore, between, and after sessionsHomecoming supports clients even before they arrive at a clinic or retreat, and after they graduate from a program. The platform is built on research showing that psychedelic therapy patients can achieve better outcomes when they prepare ahead of sessions, and continuously work to integrate their experiences afterward. Homecoming is setting the gold standard for psychedelic therapy technology platforms by providing better patient care and adherence, streamlining operations for clinic staff, and improving financial outcomes for clinic owners, says Julius Mokrauer, Managing Director of Evolve Ventures. It is providing an essential service for scaling up not just individual clinics, but the entire field of psychedelic treatments for mental health. Homecomings contribution to psychedelic therapy and the field at large goes well beyond its intentional, patient-centric design, says Andrew Chomer, General Partner at Integrated. Through its industry-leading commitments to equity, reciprocity, and community, Homecoming is modeling how businesses can consciously support giving back while scaling transformative technologies. After notching a successful seed round, Homecoming is expanding its service to new clinics and retreats in addition to diversifying its product offering within its existing set of clients. We at Nushama aim to humanize medicine, and our collaboration with Homecoming is allowing us to do just that," said Richard Meloff, co-founder of Nushama, a network of psychedelic wellness clinics that uses Homecoming. "Homecoming offers a platform where members have access to key preparation materials which provide not just information, but guidance and support from the beginning. Homecoming allows us to implement our protocols beyond the treatment setting, helping our members feel supported throughout their journey with us and beyond. They receive platform updates for community events, promoting connection, as well as reminders to breathe and check in with themselves, promoting self-care. With this mission-aligned partnership, we can create a level of support for our community that surpasses anything we could do alone. We are better together." Homecoming is also investing in developing new, more engaging resources and exercises for tech-augmented preparation and integration. Homecoming is in the process of creating a customizable program for ketamine therapy content, developed by leading ketamine therapists and clinical psychologists. The company also plans to use the seed funding to bring on talented new members of its fast-growing team. With psychedelic therapy poised to revolutionize healthcare, Homecoming founder and CEO Yuriy Blokhin launched the company in 2021 on a mission to give back to the community while amplifying the work of psychedelic clinics. Ten percent of Homecomings entire equity pool has been directed to its non-profit partners: The Beckley Foundation, Therapsil, ICEERS, MAPS Canada, Canadian Psychedelic Association, Sage Institute, Reconsider, and the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit that Blokhin co-founded to provide educational, financial, and counseling options to military veterans with PTSD seeking access to ayahuasca. The app is now available for iPhone and Android as well as theres available a modern web application for healthcare providers. Membership is required to access its features. Clinicians can sign up by scheduling a demo or contacting Homecoming at hello@homecoming.health. About Homecoming Homecoming is a patient care platform for psychedelic therapy that partners with psychedelic clinics, therapists, and retreats to support clients before, between, and after sessions. Homecoming supports healing journeys with personalized guides, tasks, and daily check-ins, as well as preparation and integration support through a single, user-friendly platform for clinics. Homecoming helps clinics reach more patients and fulfill operational goals using modern therapy tools, precision data, and enhanced management of the entire patient experience. About Evolve Ventures Evolve Ventures is a $100 million early-stage venture fund focused on impact. With a presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Shanghai, Evolve supports conscious, mission-driven visionaries who use technology to create platforms, applications, and initiatives focused on alleviating inner suffering and facilitating personal transformation. While they prioritize impact over profit, they believe that in the coming decade, many important and profitable companies will be created to address the worlds growing mental health challenges and to facilitate the evolution of human consciousness. Other recent investments include Insight Timer, Parent Lab, Fabriq, and 10% Happier. About Integrated Integrated is a venture fund partnering with value-aligned companies transforming the health and wellbeing of our communities around the globe. Our intention is to support early stage organizations focused on redefining healthcare through the advancement of medicines and the integration of transformational therapies. Our partners work includes research and development, diverse therapeutic delivery methods, and innovative wellness technologies. Xstrahl, the leader in preclinical radiation research systems, announced today the availability of CIX1, a powerful and intuitive benchtop irradiator designed to make radiation accessible to every research lab. CIX1 is the most advanced benchtop instrument available because of the innovation of the X-ray tube, which provides reliable higher power, a minimal footprint, internal cooling, and no special power requirements. CIX1 fits into even the tightest lab spaces and solves the reliability issues associated with current benchtop irradiators, so researchers can irradiate cells 24/7, explained said Adrian Treverton, CEO of Xstrahl. We listened to our customers and knew that we needed to develop a compact solution to address these accessibility needs and concerns over reliability, he added. Investigators can place CIX1 directly next to the incubator or hood, minimizing the time cells spend outside of a controlled environment. If theres a high load on existing equipment, CIX1 is the perfect addition because it can be used outside the radiation core or outside the animal barrier. Theres no need to fight over schedules or access, or to transport cells to and from the animal housing, saving tremendous effort and time. CIX1 offers value to every lab because it delivers energy up to 160kVp and is self-contained. CIX1 plugs into a standard outlet with no additional shielding or cooling required. It delivers accurate and repeatable irradiation with both dose and time-based exposure control. Programmable and manual settings provide superior ease-of-use and flexibility, and it comes fully commissioned and ready to go. Xstrahl delivers a full line of radiation research devices including systems for image-guided radiotherapy and several types of cabinet irradiators. As the only company that delivers both clinical radiation therapy devices and preclinical radiation research systems worldwide, Xstrahl offers unique expertise in R&D specialized in radiation. Dr. Anthony Chalmers, chair of clinical oncology at the Institute for Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow explained: I have been working with Xstrahl for years, using both the image-guided systems and the cabinet irradiators. Because Xstrahl is involved in both the clinical environment and the research setting, the quality of innovation and practical support are outstanding, especially for researchers with no radiation training. Working with Xstrahl, I feel part of a supportive community of researchers and collaborators worldwide, and am confident that this community is working together to use these devices to make meaningful progress in radiation biology and oncology. In addition to being powerful, reliable, and efficient, CIX1 also delivers a homogenous dose distribution, providing a much larger useful irradiation area, and the high power is ideal for organoid or tissue slice irradiations. About Xstrahl Xstrahl is a medical technology company that designs radiation delivery devices to support clinical teams and cancer researchers. For more than 25 years, Xstrahl has been shaping the development of superficial and orthovoltage radiation therapy and advancing preclinical radiation research. Xstrahl systems are in operation at more than 700 treatment and research facilities worldwide. I am very pleased to share news of Debra Tucker's promotion to Vice President of Creative Services. She has been my right hand for many, many years and has been instrumental in the evolution of ColinKurtis into a trusted marketing partner for leading food brands. ColinKurtis Advertising, a leading food industry agency specializing in strategic branding and communication solutions, recently announced Debra Tucker has been promoted to Vice President of Creative Services. Tucker leads creative strategy, bringing brand stories to life through creation of effective design executions by overseeing the agencys multi-disciplined team. I am very pleased to share news of Debras promotion to Vice President of Creative Services, said Colin Kampmier, President, ColinKurtis Advertising. She has been my right hand for many, many years and has been instrumental in the evolution of ColinKurtis into a trusted marketing partner for leading food brands. Debra is a dynamic leader who thoughtfully and patiently shares both creative vision and a strategy driven approach to bring out the best in our team to ensure our creative is second to none. She has made tremendous contributions during her tenure here, helping our client partners achieve phenomenal results and we are excited to recognize this success with her newly created role. As the Vice President of Creative Services, Debra will continue to grow and evolve the creative services ColinKurtis offers, working closely with other members of the leadership team to achieve agency growth objectives and shape agency culture. She will serve as the point person for creative vision for all agency and client and initiatives, delivering best-in-class ideas and executions ensuring all creative is on brand and impactful. Kampmier added, Debras extensive background in the food industry and extraordinary client success in her previous role as Creative Director, will ensure we continue to achieve great results for our clients and returns on their marketing investments. We cant be more excited to see what Debra will accomplish in her new position! Debra Tucker has been a part of ColinKurtis since 2006. She began as a strategist and creative director, bringing a wealth of food industry experience and a strategy-driven marketing approach to help ColinKurtis create powerful and hugely successful creative campaigns. Her creative solutions attracted leading brands to seek out marketing partnerships, driving growth as the agency built a multi-disciplined team to create effective communications delivered through a wide range of marketing services. Tucker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design from Illinois State University. For more information on ColinKurtis or to be inspired by some of the agencys work, please visit http://www.colinkurtis.com. ### About ColinKurtis Advertising ColinKurtis Advertising, a Rockford, Illinois-based company, is a full-service advertising and design firm. The agency strives to provide both business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients with strategic marketing solutions delivered through solid creative direction and concise communication messaging. Interactive dashboard allows a user to see where their units are pinned on the map. "These features have been highly requested, and were excited to deliver on these promises to provide enhanced value to our customers, said Motility CEO Brad Rogers. Motility Software Solutions today announced a new version of Lot Metrix, a location-based inventory management platform that revolutionizes RV dealerships with multiple locations and profit centers. When we acquired Lot Metrix, we promised to bring additional resources and tools to existing customers while enhancing Motilitys dealer management solutions, said Motility CEO Brad Rogers. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from our current customer base, and we have some very exciting things coming in the next six months. Lot Metrix 2.0 boasts numerous benefits: Intuitive User Experience: Provides a more intuitive workflow, increases system stability, and provides enhanced filtering/sorting to users allowing them to locate units quicker. Enriched Data and Interactive Lot Views: Real-time, dashboard of the entire dealership that gives you a birds-eye-view of active units, open assignments, and the number of issues created on the lot. Robust Mobile Capabilities: Full application functionality is now accessible through any mobile device including a new, native Apple application. Introduces Lot Transfers: Easily transfer units between profit centers for deeper tracking capabilities. Streamlines Productivity: Assign units to an individual or multiple drivers. Motility is working on more enhancements to Lot Metrix and expects those to be released later this quarter. Users can expect deepened integrations with our Motility DMS, lot customizations, porter specific features, auto-deactivation of units, and enhanced inventory reporting, said Rogers. These features have been highly requested, and were excited to deliver on these promises to provide enhanced value to our customers." To learn more about Lot Metrix, Motility offers a 2-week free trial. Dealers who complete a trial and decide to move forward with Lot Metrix are eligible for their first month free. Offer valid until May 6, 2022. Lot Metrix and MotilityAnywhere will be featured at the PRVN Annual Meeting April 12-14, 2022 in Henderson, NV and will be speaking on April 13 at 4:38 pm in the Milan Ballroom. Stop by and see a demo at the booth! About Motility Software Solutions For over 36 years, Motility remains committed to providing best-in-class dealer management software (DMS) to over 7,000 users and 800 rooftops. Motilitys comprehensive software delivers an end-to-end solution to increase the efficiency of every critical function in a dealership, including inventory management, CRM, quoting, accounting, payroll and service scheduling, and more. Visit motilitysoftware.com to learn more. By placing these devices in hotels for free, we enable the connection between millions of people, all through a simple taxi booking device. Were delighted that New Orleans is now part of the building blocks to simplify taxi booking for hotels across the East Coast following our launch in Chicago. Venue Butler today launched their one-click taxi booking device for hotels across New Orleans. The device empowers hotels across New Orleans to seamlessly and safely book taxis for their guests through a simple click of the device. Hotels can use this purpose-built device 100% free with unlimited usage, zero catches or hidden fees. Instead of spending time on the phone or hailing a taxi on the street, it makes it simpler for front desk staff to book taxis for their guests and ultimately supports providing an excellent guest experience. Talking about the launch, Managing Director of Venue Butler, Thomas Kruyne explains Imagine this: a receptionist or concierge is running around checking in a newly arriving guest, picking up the phone to make a new reservation, and making a room key for an existing guest. The last thing they want to be doing is picking up the phone to the taxi company or going outside to hail a cab for their guests. Thats where our free taxi booking device comes in. With a successful launch and overwhelming response from hotels in Chicago, were looking forward to creating the same energy in New Orleans. The device shows up-to-date information on the booking status, the cab driver medallion number, the estimated time of arrival and the drivers name. The simplest way to book taxis for hotel guests Featuring a compact design and a 2.8 display, concierges can book, track, and cancel taxis for their guests in just one click. The device frees up time for hotels to fully focus on their guests, therefore enabling excellent customer service, enhancing the overall guest experience. With Venue Butler, front desk staff can stay on top of their ongoing requests for taxis by having an on-screen overview of all requested, confirmed, on-route and cancelled taxis. The device shows up-to-date information on the booking status, the cab driver medallion number, the estimated time of arrival and the drivers name. The front desk staff can write this information down on the provided taxi information cards and give it to their guests to ensure that they are getting into a safe, reliable and trustworthy cab. The devices built-in sim card provides reliable connectivity so that hotels can seamlessly book taxis around the clock. It comes with the hotel address pre-configured in the device, allowing front desk staff to book a taxi with one click, without any other input required. On top of that, it's connected directly with one of New Orleans most extensive cab providers, giving access to hundreds of taxi drivers ready to pick up hotel guests. A dedicated team across the East Coast Talking about the business model and team, Thomas further explains that Venue Butler is a team that places taxi booking devices in hotels around the world. Our vision is to be connected to ourselves and others and to be as ONE. Its the foundation of everything we do. By placing these devices in hotels for free, we are enabling the connection between millions of people, all through a simple taxi booking device. One of the biggest challenges, when people are travelling, is having a comfortable ride all along. It has been shown that guests prefer to stay in hotels that provide end-to-end services, including arranging transportation for them. Were delighted that following our launch in Chicago, New Orleans is now part of the building blocks to simplifying taxi booking for hotels across the East Coast. With the tourist season between February and May already here, hotels across New Orleans will surely see an increase in occupancy too. As part of their launch across New Orleans, Venue Butler is rolling out their team to connect with venues, equip them with the free taxi booking device and provide ongoing support. The taxi booking device is available by contacting their team. The device is 100% free unlimited usage, zero catches or hidden fees. About Venue Butler Headquartered in Amsterdam, with a remote team spread across the globe, Venue Butler equips venues like hotels, bars and restaurants with simple taxi booking tools to create a seamless and safe taxi experience. The simple one-click device is already supporting thousands of venues to book close to 40 million taxi rides across the globe. Ultimately, Venue Butlers vision is to connect with themselves and others and to be as ONE. Its the foundation of everything they do. My goal was to have both the musical layer, the storyline, and the all-important graphic layer, illustrate my universe to the audience. Immersive. Thrilling. Unforgettable. The multi-media artist, producer, DJ, sound engineer and award-winning mix/mastering engineer, MARO, releases his latest original album, REJECTS (Addicted To Music). With contributions from members of the WU-TANG CLAN and other musical luminaries, MAROs REJECTS promises to be an electronic music album unlike any other. The album will be released worldwide on June 10th, 2022. Sonically rich, soaked with emotion and technically exquisite, REJECTS will surely become a collectors item. With contributions from global artists including GHOSTFACE KILLAH, RAEKWON, DEADLY HUNTA, AWICH, CAPPADONNA, LEX LU and P-MONEY, amongst others. In addition to the featured artists, there are also other Easter eggs to discover, such as the voice of EVA - the Electronic Video Agent - or KIA HUNTZINGER from the cult game, Command and Conquer. With this lineup and untold experiences to be had, REJECTS packs a walloping one-two punch. With REJECTS, MARO crafted a futuristic, musical journey that, he hopes, will move the world. Said MARO of his album, REJECTS is a story that takes the listener into a different world, one similar to our dimension but in an alternate reality. I spent several years improving the story, musically, as well as the plot. The music seems eclectic but somewhere deeper, it comes together. He continues, My goal was to have both the musical layer, the storyline, and the all-important graphic layer, illustrate my universe to the audience. This album is a collection of my fascination with the films, books and music I grew-up on. About Maro Music Maro Music (also, "MARO") is a DJ/producer, composer, Polish sound engineer and subject of important international music publications. He hosts a weekly radio show, "Addicted To Music," named after his professional recording studio, on Dash Radio (U.S.) and other radio stations. Maro Music has produced multiple original music recordings for the worldwide smash interactive video game, "Cyberpunk 2077" from Projekt Red. Maro Music often collaborates with the most respected legends in rap and hip-hop, including members of the Wu Tang Clan and many others. Official: http://maromusic.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maromusic1/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/maromusic1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaroMusic Album Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rejects.tech/ PRESS CONTACT (U.S.) EMILY TAN MEDIA RELATIONS | EmilyTan@EmilyTanMediaRelations.com | +1(917) 318-3758. On April 1, Gingerville Yachting Center, just off South River on picturesque Gingerville Creek in Edgewater, MD, will partner with Oasis Marinas to take the already impressive full-service marina to the next level. Partnering with quality marinas is Oasis trademark, and they are delighted to be assuming operational management of Gingerville Yachting Center. Gingerville Yachting Center is a significant property in the Oasis portfolio of first-rate marinas, shares Ben Burns, Oasis Chief Marketing Officer. We are especially pleased to be increasing our presence on the South River. Now our boaters have even more outstanding marina options in the immediate Chesapeake area. Ideally situated, the Gingerville Yachting Center is less than a 30-mile drive from Baltimore and Washington, DC. Their location on the South River is ideally suited for boaters of all types, affording easy access to some of the hottest fishing spots on the Chesapeake Bay as well as popular day trip destinations such as St. Michaels, Cambridge and Baltimores Inner Harbor. Edgewater is truly the place to enjoy all that the land and sea have to offer. For that matter, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), an ecological research campus, chose Edgewater to call home. Edgewater has a very active boating community, says Dan Cowens, Oasis Marinas CEO. Its a town surrounded by water, with a rich maritime history, and endless opportunities for boating, fishing, and every kind of water sport. Edgewater takes its boating seriously and we work to live up to its standards, from our service department right down to our restrooms and showers. Gingerville Yachting Center caters to every breed off boater. Whether youre a serious fisherman, world-class water skier, tow boat captain for the kids tube, or just looking for a quiet waterway to relax on for the day, you can do it all from this easily accessible location. Add that to their customer first philosophy and outstanding facilities, and youll understand why so many boaters keep coming back. About Oasis Marinas Oasis Marinas was founded by a group of boaters with executive expertise in hospitality and technology, dedicated to creating a high-quality experience. The Oasis Marinas portfolio has reached nearly 50 amazing properties, over 8,000 wet & dry slips under management, and hundreds of RV pads, spanning from the Northeast, Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay, and Potomac, Carolinas, and down the coast of Florida. With its customers needs in mind, it has significantly expanded its reach over the past five years; from the Chesapeake Bay, to Lake Erie, Florida and now Tennessee. A privately held marina management company, Oasis Marinas is based out of Annapolis, MD. The company provides marina management services to marina owners that support all aspects of the marina, including boat slips, provisions, fuel docks, and the associated contracts with the vendors running the maintenance services, restaurants, and other business services such as marina redevelopment and construction. Oasis mission is to incorporate a consistent, fun, welcoming, and well-maintained environment in every Oasis-managed marina. Learn more about us at http://www.oasismarinas.com. Our volunteers frequently tell us that participating in this act of kindness is often more rewarding to the volunteer than the recipient. Maot Chitim is preparing to help approximately 16,000 Jewish families celebrate Passover in a traditional and dignified manner. On April 10, 2022, the nonprofit organization will join forces with more than 1,000 volunteers to deliver over 5,000 food packages, totaling over 200,000 pounds of food, to Jewish recipients struggling with food insecurity. For Passover, the boxes typically contain traditional foods to help a family celebrate the holiday, including kosher chicken, eggs, gefilte fish, cooking oil, wine, tea, jelly, celery, carrots, Shabbat and yahrzeit candles, and matzo. Donations help Maot Chitim cover the costs of the food boxes, ranging from $54 for a single person to over $100 for a family of four. For more than 100 years, Maot Chitim has provided food to recipients who might not otherwise be able to celebrate the Passover Seder. Longtime supporter Governor J.B. Pritzker recently celebrated our organization's work: Maot Chitims service reflects the universal lesson of modern Passover: we are all at our best when we look out for one another when we invite all who are hungry to come and eat. I offer my gratitude to the many volunteers working to ensure their neighbors can feel proud of their Passover table, as everyone deserves. Lonnie Nasatir, President of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, supports the mission and volunteers his time, noting,Maot Chitim is an amazing organization that takes care of the most vulnerable in our community and does so with grace and respect. On a personal level, my family has so enjoyed the tradition of delivering meals to such welcoming and appreciative people. With the pandemic entering its third year, an increasing number of people are battling to make ends meet. Since March 2020, over 3.5 million individuals and families throughout Illinois have signed up for food assistance. According to Executive Director Joellyn Stoliar, This year, more than ever, our recipients need to connect with people from the outside world. The past two years have devastated those who struggle to get their daily needs met. Our volunteers frequently tell us that participating in this act of kindness is often more rewarding to the volunteer than the recipient. If you have the time to help us pack and/or deliver food boxes, or you would like to make a donation, we would appreciate your help. It will be an experience you will never forget. To the volunteers helping pack and distribute the food, the experience is often a family affair. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) recounts what Maot Chitim means to his family: From initially delivering boxes with our then young sons, to more recently greeting volunteers as they arrive, Maot Chitim has been a part of our family for nearly three decades. Ive always been inspired by Maot Chitim and how it brings the whole community, young and old, together to make sure every Jew in Chicago can have a special Passover. Maot Chitim invites you to be a part of this tradition. Join us on Sunday, April 10, 2022, at the warehouse located at 1610 Deerfield Rd. in Highland Park, IL (formerly a Toys R Us store). We welcome volunteers for various tasks: Packing perishable food into boxes: timeslots available from 6:00 AM to 8:45 AM. Loading boxes into waiting delivery vehicles: timeslots available from 8:45 AM to 10:30 AM If youd like to sign up for a time slot or make a financial contribution, please visit https://maotchitim.org/. Martin Exteriors Team Even during COVID-19, our team was resilient, always working hard and safely to provide the best quality roofing and siding for our customers while never cutting corners. We make it a goal to constantly educate ourselves and ensure we create a great culture where our employees thrive." Martin Exteriors, a leading roofing and siding company based in Roscoe, Illinois, has been recognized as one of The Americas Fastest Growing Companies in 2022 by The Financial Times (FT). This is Martin Exteriors first time placing on the list, ranking 115 out of 500 with an Absolute Growth Rate of 673.8%, Compound Annual Growth Rate at 97.8% and Revenue of $3.3M. Martin Exteriors was only one out of two Illinois companies that made the list. Additionally, the company ranks among big names such as Amazon, Pinterest, Wayfair, DocuSign, Tesla and Netflix. Family-owned and operated, Martin Exteriors formed in 2006 to ensure local residents received high-quality work at a reasonable price. Founder and Roscoe resident Justin Martin and his family have been in the roofing business for years installing siding and roofs on homes and businesses in Rockford, Roscoe, South Beloit, Loves Park and beyond. The company has seen incredible growth throughout the years and today it employs 10 full time support staff, 15 sales consultants and over 60 installers. While this is Martin Exteriors' first being ranked on the FT list, it is the second time being named a Fastest Growing Company. In September 2021, the company was named on the Inc. 5000 list of Americas Fastest Growing Companies in America. We could not be prouder and more honored to receive this prestigious recognition, said Martin Exteriors President Justin Martin. Even during COVID-19, our team was resilient, always working hard and safely to provide the best quality roofing and siding for our customers while never cutting corners. We make it a goal to constantly educate ourselves and ensure we create a great culture where our employees thrive. This recognition truly shows how hard our team works and we are extremely proud and humbled to receive this recognition. This is the third annual FT ranking of The Americas Fastest Growing Companies. The list captures the resilience of businesses as they adapted to the initial onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020. The FT list was compiled with Statista, a research company, and ranks entrants from across the Americas by their compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue between 2017 and 2020. Complete results of the FT The Americas Fastest Growing Companies 2022 can be found HERE. To learn more about Martin Exteriors, visit http://www.martinexteriors.com. Dropbox joins Out Leadership Out Leadership, the oldest and largest coalition of global companies working to improve LGBTQ+ equality in the world, is delighted to welcome Dropbox as its newest member firm. Dropbox, one of the worlds largest cloud file sharing companies, with more than 700 million registered users, joins an illustrious and influential group of 95 member companies that span industries such as global banking, investment management, private equity, alternative investments, legal, consumer goods, business advisory, media, manufacturing and more. Todd Sears, CEO & Founder, Out Leadership, said: Were delighted to welcome Dropbox to our global community of firms that collectively represent over 7 million employees. Dropboxs mission to design a more enlightened way of working coupled with its belief that our differences in background, identity, and experience make us stronger together make the company a great fit for our coalition of firms that are leading the push for equality and diversity around the world. "We're excited to join Out Leadership," said Danny Guillory, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Dropbox. "As Dropbox becomes an increasingly distributed workforce, we have a responsibility to continue to work towards advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the different markets in which we operate. We're proud to stand alongside our peers as part of the Out Leadership coalition to achieve these goals." Dropbox is one of the most recognizable names in consumer technology and is regularly recognized each year with awards for innovation and best places to work. In 2020, Great Place to Work featured Dropbox on six of their Best Workplaces lists. #15 in Fortune Best Workplaces in Technology 2020 (Large) #15 in Fortune Best Workplaces in New York 2020 (Large) #28 in Fortune Best Workplaces in the Bay Area 2020 (Large) #48 in Great Place to Work's Best Workplaces in Texas 2020 (Large) #63 in Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2020 #80 in Great Place to Work's Best Workplaces for Parents 2020 Dropbox has also been a long-term supporter of LGBTQ+ equality and has partnered with LGBTQ+ non-profits including Outright Action International and BeLonG To. Sears continues, We look forward to working with Dropbox and our global coalition to continue to push for LGBTQ+ equality at every level of business as we work to develop the best and brightest LGBTQ+ talent in leadership positions and boardrooms around the world. About Dropbox: Dropbox is one place to keep life organized and keep work moving. With more than 700 million registered users across 180 countries, were on a mission to design a more enlightened way of working. Dropbox is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information on our mission and products, visit dropbox.com. About Out Leadership: Out Leadership is the oldest and largest global LGBTQ+ business advisory that partners with the worlds most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBTQ+ equality forward. We believe that LGBTQ+ inclusion positively impacts business results, and that including LGBTQ+ people at the most senior level of executive leadership builds business. We call this idea Return on Equality. A certified B Corporation, Out Leadership is comprised of more than 85 global member firms with a combined market capitalization of over $6.3 trillion, annual revenues exceeding $1.8 trillion, and representing over 5.6 million global employees. Out Leadership convenes CEOs, business leaders, and allies at exclusive invitation-only events across 4 continents. Out Leadership also operates three talent initiatives: Quorum, which aims to increase LGBTQ+ representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBTQ+ leaders; and OutWOMEN, connecting senior-level LGBTQ+ women in business. To learn more, please visit https://outleadership.com/ For further information, please contact: Stephen Smith Head of Marketing, Out Leadership marketing@outleadership.com 917-336-0604 2022 Toyota C-HR Is Now Available at Dan Cava Toyota World in Fairmont, West Virginia For 2022, the Toyota C-HR is returning and offered at Dan Cava Toyota World in Fairmont, West Virginia. Customers who are in pursuit of a trustworthy crossover SUV with excellent value and a bevy of safety and capabilities features can check out the new 2022 Toyota C-HR. To stay relevant in its segment, the SUV has undergone various improvements. The C-HR series has benefited from the recent facelift, and it is expected to be among the best-selling vehicles in its market in 2022. Starting at $23,880, Toyota C-HR comes with a 2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder DOHC (Dual Overhead Cam) 16-Valve powertrain. The engine can generate a maximum of 144 horsepower @ 6100 RPM and 139 pound-feet @ 3900 RPM. A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) system with intelligence and Shift Mode routes engine power to the front wheels of the 2022 Toyota C-HR. EPA estimates read 27 MPG within city limits, 31 MPG on the interstate, and 29 MPG combined. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) rewarded a four-star overall safety rating to the 2022 Toyota C-HR. Though the safety rating of the 2022 Toyota C-HR could have been better, make no mistake, the safety features offered in the vehicle are in no way outdated. The vehicle comes with adaptive cruise control, lane keep-assist, automatic high beams, front automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, and ten airbags. Customers in and around Fairmont, West Virginia, may contact the Dan Cava Toyota World dealership at (304) 366-2720 or book a test drive online. Those customers who want to discover the features of the 2022 Toyota C-HR in more depth can visit Dan Cava Toyota World's website at https://www.cavatoyota.com or stop by the dealership at 2510 White Hall Blvd, Fairmont, West Virginia 26554. An unprecedented event is taking place this year at Vinitaly, Italys famous wine trade fair. Two giants of the wine journalism trade are sharing a stage and hosting a wine tasting. Monica Larner of Wine Advocate, and Alison Napjus of Wine Spectator are at the top of their profession, leading lights in the world of wine writing and tasting, holding senior positions at two of the most well-respected wine publications in the world. These two experts will be presenting a special wine event and tasting, celebrating seven iconic women in Italian wine. Two giants of the wine journalism trade are sharing a stage and hosting a wine tasting, this is a big deal. The question is why? Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International and principal organizer of the event, said This has been a long-standing dream for me, and Ive been advocating for this event to happen for many years. Why has something like this never happened before?. What seems a no-brainer is actually very complex. Competing wine writers have never hosted such events before. Wine writing has a lot to do with competition. Between magazines, between the writers themselves, and certainly among readership; wine writing is based upon opinions and personal analyses, with the most technical, elegant, exacting and alluring tasting notes carrying a lot of weight and shaping careers in the sector. Nonetheless, Larner and Napjus, natural rivals for readership and prestige, have crossed all the historic boundaries between their publications in order to show the wine world the power of women to unite. These two female wine critic titans are collaborating to create a once-in-a-lifetime event, featuring seven equally iconic female producers from Italy. Marilisa Allegrini, of Amarone fame; Albiera Antinori, the Queen of Super Tuscan; Chiara Boschis, the only female Barolo Boy; Elisabetta Foradori, one-woman pioneer from Trentino; Elena Fucci, genius of volcanic soils; Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, heiress to legendary Sassicaia; Arianna Occhipinti, firebrand from Sicily. These women will each present their signature wine, telling their personal stories with the support and engagement of Larner and Napjus. As with the journalists, these producers have been competitors for many years and, in some cases, for many generations. They represent five different regions of Italy, and their ages span 40 years. Their wines constantly vie for market share and prominence across global markets. And yet, at Vinitaly 2022, they come together to share their wines and their stories in the name of hope and camaraderie. Never before has one wine event held so much significance or been such a role-model, leading the way for beating swords into plowshares, and hopefully not only the wine sector will sit up and take notice. __________________ About Alison Napjus: Alison Napjus divides her time between New York, where Wine Spectator is based, and a second home in Tampa, Fla. She regularly travels abroad, both personally and professionally. After graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, Napjus moved to New York to take a position as a manager at Tribeca Grill restaurant. She joined Wine Spectator in 2000 and was promoted to Senior Editor in 2012 and Tasting Director in 2016. She is lead taster for the wines of Spain, Frances Champagne and Alsace regions, South Africa and wines from regions throughout Italy. As Tasting Director, she oversees the scope and content of Wine Spectators annual reviews of more than 15,000 wines, working closely with the tasters and tasting coordinators in the New York and Napa offices. About Monica Larner: Monica Larner is a Los Angeles native, her family moved to Rome when she was 11. After high school in both Italy and California, Monica earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalismfrom Boston University and New York University respectively. She worked for the Italian daily La Repubblica, followed by the Rome bureau of BusinessWeek and two years as a staff writer with Italy Daily of the International Herald Tribune where she penned her first wine column. Monica is an active member of the Ordine dei Giornalisti and a certified sommelier with the Italian Sommelier Association. In 2003, Monica was approached by Wine Enthusiast to be the magazine's first Italy-based correspondent, where her proudest achievement is the 185-page special collector's Wine Enthusiast "Wines of Italy" edition that showcases her decade-long body of work. She was awarded the "Best International Journalist" Silver Grape Leaf three by the Comitato Grandi Cru d'Italia. Gambero Rosso recognized her as a "Leader of Italian Excellence," and the Italian Trade Commission acknowledged her distinguished service to Italian wine. In 2013, she joined The Wine Advocate as the Reviewer for Italy. About Vinitaly: the grand Vinitaly 2022 will be held from April 10th to the 13th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, which will be held on the 9th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly, will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly travels to several countries thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the 21st edition of its Certification Course. To date, there are 271 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts. AHN Grove City Hospital Emergency Department and helipad. We could have searched far and wide and we never would have found a new trauma coordinator more ideally suited for this position in our hospital, said David Tupponce, MD, AHN Grove City President. Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Grove City Hospital announced today the appointment of Heather Erickson as trauma coordinator of the hospitals Level IV Trauma Center. Erickson brings to her new role impressive depth and breadth of experience in care management for trauma patients, from pre-hospital stabilization and transport to delivery of care in the emergency department, as well as expediting the strategic transfer of patients to a higher level of care, when necessary. The Grove City native began her career caring for critically injured patients as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and soon trained to become a paramedic, working prehospital in Erie County. Years later, she moved to Pittsburgh and worked as a medic in the emergency department at Allegheny General Hospital, AHNs flagship hospital and Level I Trauma Center. Learning about emergency nursing from those I worked alongside at AGH helped me realize that was what I ultimately wanted to do, said Erickson. For the next three years, while she worked the night shift, she spent her days taking classes at the Community College of Allegheny County to earn her registered nurse. She went on to earn her bachelors and masters degrees in nursing from Robert Morris University. Erickson further advanced her training and gained credentialing as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN). The first leg of her nursing career, Erickson continued to work at AGH in the emergency department, trauma ICU, cardiothoracic ICU, and eventually LifeFlight. I always wanted to fly, she said. The skills I learned as a flight nurse were invaluable and continue to serve me well even today. During her time with AGH, Erickson worked in various high-level patient care units and held several leadership positions. But, when the opportunity to oversee operations at AHN Grove Citys Level IV Trauma Center presented, she quickly expressed her interest. She assumed the role previously held by Cheryl Pebbles, who took the hospital through the three-year long accreditation process to become a Level IV Trauma Center in 2014. In 2014, Grove City Hospital was only the second accredited Level IV trauma center in Pennsylvania; today, there are 13. According to the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), which maintains oversight of trauma centers, Level IV centers primarily provide initial care and stabilization of traumatic injury while arranging transfer to a higher level of trauma care. Level IV centers are largely located in rural areas across the Commonwealth, with sparsely populated service areas. Nearly 70 percent of the trauma patients treated at Grove City Hospital are persons 65 and older who have sustained injuries from a fall. The remaining patients include those who are injured while bull riding, skydiving, farming or from car crashes due to the proximity of the hospital to routes 79 and 80. While Erickson is devoting much of her time to preparing for the PTSF reaccreditation survey of Grove Citys Level IV Trauma Center, scheduled for June, she continues to forge ahead with her goals for her new area of responsibility. My first priority is bringing consistency to every aspect of what we do, from managing the trauma registry to how we deliver patient care, she said. There should be absolutely no difference between how we approach trauma care and how every other trauma center does. During a trauma, we approach and treat each patient that has had a traumatic event the same no matter how acute or minute the injury to ensure all injuries are identified and patients who require higher level of care are transferred expeditiously. Erickson is committed to supporting the professional development of her staff, encouraging them to advance their education and earn specialty certifications. That will help provide the foundation for our performance improvement on every level, she said. We could have searched far and wide and we never would have found a new trauma coordinator more ideally suited for this position in our hospital, said David Tupponce, MD, AHN Grove City President. Not only does she bring remarkable professional experience, but also the knowledge shes gained about Allegheny Health Network through her years of service at AGH, which is significant. The fact that she was born and raised here in Grove City is another great asset, especially considering the community outreach efforts she is planning. How can we achieve real improvements to our food safety culture? Xtalks, a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community, has partnered with Intertek Alchemy, the global leader in training solutions for the food industry, to host a complimentary webinar on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 1pm EDT titled, Build a Mature Food Safety Culture that Delivers Results Beyond GFSI Compliance. This webinar is in response to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification program owners (Safe Quality Food [SQF], the British Retail Consortium [BRC], etc.) now including food safety culture as a part of their audits. Laura Dunn Nelson, VP Food Safety & Global Alliances, Intertek Alchemy, explains that because of GFSI compliance, most food manufacturing companies are asking: Will audit compliance achieve a strong food safety culture? How mature is our food safety culture? How can we achieve real improvements to our food safety culture? Food industry professionals can join the live webinar with Laura to thoroughly understand GFSIs five dimensions of food safety culture and review the expectations from the GFSI certification programs. Laura will also give practical steps on how to advance a companys maturity levels in each of the five dimensions of food safety culture. For more information, or to register for this event, visit Build a Mature Food Safety Culture that Delivers Results Beyond GFSI Compliance. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ Century Public Adjusters Help Homeowners with Storm Damage Claims Tampa residents are working to rebuild after a series of violent storms caused destruction throughout their communities. On the morning of March 12th, the National Weather Service reported that stray tornadoes were producing violent tornado level wind gusts. This system was followed by heavy rainfall and flooding throughout the area. Heavy rainfall added to the tornadic destruction, resulting in standing water on roadways, and further damages to properties. Most recently, thunderstorms producing large-sized hail caused further damage to Florida properties. Many homes and commercial properties throughout the city have suffered extensive damage from these storms. Century Public Adjusters know that homeowners need expert estimators to handle their property's extensive damages. ABC Action News Team shared several reports documenting the devastation. A series of photos revealed uprooted trees, dismantled roofs, overturned automobiles, and an abundance of debris throughout Tampa and surrounding counties. Tampa residents were forced to flee their homes and are still in shock of the destruction upon their return. Century Public Adjusters understands the unimaginable stress in Tampa communities at this time. This is hope as residents work together to rebuild. Tornado damage is covered by standard home and business insurance policies. However, these claims do require photo evidence, a professional estimate, and time to receive a fair settlement. Century Public Adjusters urges individuals who were affected by these storm systems to collect as much photo evidence as possible. Obtain visual documentation of interior and exterior damages, including appliances, walls, floors, roofing, and surrounding areas. Century Public Adjusters reminds Tampa residents to be safe when surveying the damages left behind by these storms. Be aware of the potential for shattered glass, nails, metal, and other dangerous debris. Always wear proper personal protective equipment, including gloves and closed-toed shoes. Do not settle for less compensation than your claim is worth. Century Public Adjusters provides residents throughout Florida with professional estimates to ensure that the insurance company provides fair compensation. Residents can contact Century Public Adjusters directly to schedule an appointment for a damage assessment. More About Century Public Adjusters Century Public Adjusters is proud to provide home and business owners throughout Florida with services to recover after property damage occurs. Their team of experienced adjusters is happy to provide free inspections to examine any damages. Common Residential and Commercial Damages Include: Fire Mold Storm Water Sinkhole Hail Tornadoes Four locations can be found throughout Central Florida to better serve clients, including offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa, FL. Century Public Adjusters will fight the insurance company to ensure that their clients get the fair compensation that they deserve for their losses. Contact Century Public Adjusters today to schedule your free inspection and learn more about how to make your home safe after a disaster. People whose past is keeping them in their own prison. Author Kenneth Kehl shares his extraordinary personal memoir to provide hope to all readers in A Life Worth Living: A Boy Tempered by Fire Becomes a Man Filled With Love ($15.99, paperback, 9781662843815; $7.99, e-book, 9781662843822). As a child, Kehl experienced a tumultuous upbringing as a result of his father being sent away to fight during World War II. With no father present during his childhood, his mother had no other option than to bring Kehl and his siblings to work with her at a bar. His exposure to the bar scene for many years, resulted in Kehls unfortunate bout with alcoholism at the young age of thirteen. Readers will follow his challenging story and witness how God never left Kehls side. In fact, with Gods help, Kehl persevered and found his way to an incredible future full of love and family. The authors riveting biography boldly and transparently shares his dark past, his wonderful present and his limitless future. Its an inspiring story that no reader will soon forget. When asked who his books target audience would be, Kehl said, People whose past is keeping them in their own prison. Writer and author, Kenneth Kehl is retired after a successful career as an insurance broker. He has been happily married for sixty-two years and has three children, twelve grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Kehl continues to encourage prisoners in the South California area with his message of hope. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. A Life Worth Living: A Boy Tempered by Fire Becomes a Man Filled With Love is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Cybereason, the XDR company, today published findings from an investigation into a new, elaborate cyber espionage campaign titled Operation Bearded Barbie, targeting prominent individuals working for sensitive Israeli defense, law enforcement, and emergency services organizations. During the investigation, Cybereason discovered the campaign was operated by Molerats, a politically motivated group operating on behalf of the terrorist organization Hamas. The group used sophisticated social engineering techniques in their attempts to extract sensitive information from the victims' devices for espionage purposes. The attackers used fake Facebook profiles to trick individuals into downloading trojanized Android and PC direct message applications, granting them access to the victims devices. Interestingly, the fake Facebook profiles were maintained regularly and constantly interacting with Israeli citizens. The social engineering tactic used in this campaign relies primarily on classic catfishing, using fake identities of attractive young women to engage with mostly male individuals to gain their trust. Cybereason has been tracking Molerats for several years and what stood out immediately during this investigation is how authentic the fake Facebook profiles looked. The threat actors spent considerable time maintaining the profiles, luring unsuspecting victims who believed they were joining popular Israeli groups. We were surprised with Molerats' ability to step up its game by deploying more sophisticated malware and maintaining their social engineering perfectly, said Assaf Dahan, Senior Director, Head of Threat Research, Cybereason. Additional Key Findings: Upgraded Malware Arsenal: The new campaign consists of two previously undocumented malware dubbed Barb(ie) Downloader, and BarbWire Backdoor, which is a sophisticated backdoor both of which use an enhanced stealth mechanism to remain undetected. In addition, Cybereason observed an upgraded version of an Android implant dubbed VolatileVenom. Molerats Steps Up their Game: Until recently, Molerats was still using known tools which served them for years, and were known for their relatively unsophisticated tools and techniques. The analysis of this recent campaign demonstrates that the group has revamped their toolset and playbook. The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.cybereason.com/blog/operation-bearded-barbie-apt-c-23-campaign-targeting-israeli-officials About Cybereason Cybereason is the XDR company, partnering with Defenders to end attacks at the endpoint, in the cloud and across the entire enterprise ecosystem. Only the AI-driven Cybereason XDR Platform provides planetary-scale data ingestion, operation-centric MalOp detection, and predictive response that is undefeated against modern ransomware and advanced attack techniques. Cybereason is a privately held international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 40 countries. Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/ Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook Media contact: Bill Keeler Senior Director, Global Public Relations Cybereason bill.keeler@cybereason.com +1 (929) 259-3261 Environmental Shareholder David G. Mandelbaum of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP will be recognized at the 2022 Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) Environmental Law Forum, where he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Selected by members of the Pennsylvania Bar Associations Environmental and Energy Law Section, this award goes to lawyers whose contributions, through practice and scholarship, benefit the field and the community. The awards presentation will take place April 13 at the annual section dinner held during the Pennsylvania Environmental Law Forum at the Harrisburg Hilton & Towers. This award is a particularly meaningful thing because it comes from people who have known me well for a long time, Mandelbaum said. It is a special moment, to be recognized by peers and fellow practitioners who are intimately familiar with this market and this type of work. I am grateful they chose to express this acknowledgement and appreciation. For nearly four decades, Mandelbaum has been a noticeable feature of the environmental legal landscape. Today, he is most often mentioned in connection with Superfund allocation or contribution litigation problems; claims supplemental to cleanup claims such as suits for tort or natural resource damages; and the evolution of state environmental constitutional law. He also assists clients evaluating environmental, sustainability, and governance (ESG) policies and compliance, and he has helped clients during the oil and gas booms of the past 20 years. Mandelbaum, an American College of Environmental Lawyers fellow and a longtime CLE organizer and planner of the PBI Environmental Law Forum, routinely supports the next generation of environmental lawyers. As an adjunct law professor, he teaches oil and gas law and Superfund litigation at the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia and environmental litigation at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. He has taught environmental law, climate change, and land use law in the past. He is a frequent speaker and writer, with several publications in student-edited journals as well as scores of other contributions on wide-ranging legal environmental issues for national and local audiences, publications, blogs, and podcasts. He will, for example, speak at the ABA Superfund Master Class on May 16 in Chicago. For his energy and environmental law insights, Mandelbaum has been rated Band 1 for environmental law by Chambers & Partners USA since the surveys inception. He has been named the Philadelphia markets Lawyer of the Year for both environmental law and litigation in The Best Lawyers in America, an Energy and Environmental Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, and listed in The Legal 500 United States for environmental litigation since 2014, among a host of other industry and peer recognitions. A summa cum laude Harvard College graduate and a magna cum laude Harvard Law graduate, Mandelbaum served as a law clerk for the Hon. Louis H. Pollak of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. About Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia Office: Founded in 1997, Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia office is home to some 50-plus attorneys and more than a dozen practices including Real Estate, Litigation, Restructuring & Bankruptcy, Corporate, White Collar Defense & Special Investigations, Environmental, Immigration & Compliance, Investment Regulation, Labor & Employment, Public Finance, Government Law & Policy, Private Wealth Services, and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents clients in the manufacturing, health care, real estate, energy, financial, and insurance industries, state and local governments, professional service, and energy firms, and individuals. About Greenberg Traurigs Environmental Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Environmental Practice represents clients with issues under the environmental and natural resource laws that affect their businesses. The firms environmental attorneys assist with securing permits and approvals; negotiating and closing transactions; defending clients in enforcement actions; handling a broad range of environmental and toxic tort litigation; ensuring the understanding and satisfaction of regulatory requirements; preparing for and responding to emergencies; crafting approaches for legacy cleanup issues; and developing solutions for product regulation, market access, and environmental policy challenges. Greenberg Traurig received a first-tier ranking in the "Environmental Law" and "Litigation Environmental" categories in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2021 "Best Law Firms" report. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2,400 attorneys in 42 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. The security of our internal systems and data, and the protection of our clients proprietary information is our utmost priority. These distinctions are a testament to our IT and Security teams dedication to upholding the highest quality of standards . . . Emtec, Inc., a global IT consultancy, is pleased to announce the successful renewal of its ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO/IEC 27002:2013 designations following an extensive independent audit by IRCLASS Systems and Solutions. The audits validate that Emtec has complied to all applicable requirements within these frameworks for the effective management of information systems, data assets, and information security operations and controls. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO/IEC 27002:2013 provides organizations with internationally recognized requirements and guidelines for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS); as well as standards and best practices for information security management including the selection, implementation, and management of controls. The standards set forth enable organizations to effectively manage security of systems and data assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee details, or information entrusted by third parties. These accreditations, in addition to Emtecs compliance and/or certification with GDPR, PII, HIPPA, SOC Type 1 & 2, DISA, CPPA (Canada), CCPA (California), and other government regulatory requirements, demonstrate the companys on-going commitment to best practices in information security management. The security of our internal systems and data, and the protection of our clients proprietary information is our utmost priority, said Emtec CEO and President, Sunil Misra. These distinctions are a testament to our IT and Security teams dedication to upholding the highest quality of standards to meet the stringent compliance protocols set forth by the ISO and IEC. About Emtec Emtec is a global IT consultancy dedicated to helping world class organizations in the enterprise, education, and government markets drive transformation and growth by employing the latest enterprise technologies and innovative business processes. We empower our clients to accelerate innovation and deliver amazing client experiences to better compete and ultimately lead in their industry. Our Client for Life approach is built upon over 25 years of delivering rapid, meaningful, and lasting business value. Our offerings span the IT spectrum from Advisory, Applications (Enterprise, Custom, Mobile and Cloud) as well as Intelligent Automation, Analytic, Cyber Security and Infrastructure Services. Learn more by visiting Emtec, Emtec Digital, and subsidiary Wave6. Follow Emtec: LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Copyright 2022. Emtec, Inc., Emtec Digital, Wave6 and ClearCARE are registered trademarks of Emtec, Inc. All rights reserved. Dr. Libfraind Flies to California to Pick Up The New EVO ICL Lenses! These patients have waited years for the EVO to be approved, and theyre excited to finally be able to wake up and see with the clear vision theyve always wanted. It kind of reminds me of people camping outside of the Apple store before a new iPhone release, said Dr. Gregory Parkhurst With the recent FDA approval of EVO Visian ICL (referred to as EVO), patients are lining up to get the new vision procedure now available in the United States as of April 5, 2022. EVO Visian ICL is an implantable lens placed just below the surface of the eye that corrects nearsightedness (with or without astigmatism) to accomplish clear vision for people seeking freedom from the inconvenience, hassle, and ongoing expense of glasses and daily contact lens wear. Parkhurst NuVision is pulling out all the stops for their eager patients, and have enlisted Reality TV Star and past Amazing Race participant Kent Cothran to host two teams that will are literally racing each other on separate flights to get the EVO ICL lenses from the manufacturer in California back to San Antonio, Texas. There are two teams that started the Amazing Race to EVO on April 5th to secure the EVO lenses in Los Angeles and make the 1,300-mile trek back to Texas: On the Gray Team - We have Heather Parkhurst, wife of Dr. Parkhurst, who is paired up with Lindsey. Lindsey is a soon-to-be bride and wants to get EVO just in time for her upcoming wedding. Lindsey said she is most looking forward to ridding herself of glasses and contacts so she can swim and go diving with her new husband on their upcoming honeymoon. On the Blue team, we have Dr. Lauren Libfraind, one of the surgeons at Parkhurst NuVision LASIK San Antonio. She is teamed up with Kyle. Kyle is getting ready to join the Police Academy, and one of the departments for which he is applying requires 20/20 vision. He is hoping that EVO will give him the vision he needs in such a physically demanding line of work. Who will get there first? Who will get their EVO first in the United States? Join us on instagram live as the adventure continues throughout the day! These patients have waited years for the EVO to be approved, and theyre excited to finally be able to wake up and see with the clear vision theyve always wanted. It kind of reminds me of people camping outside of the Apple store before a new iPhone release, said Dr. Gregory Parkhurst of Parkhurst NuVision, leading clinical investigator in the FDA EVO study and one of the first vision correction practices to perform EVO in the United States. More than 1 million EVO procedures have been performed worldwide, and were excited to see EVO get the FDA stamp of approval here in the US. We will be performing the first group of surgeries in the US within the next 24 hours. As of right now there are 14 procedures on the schedule, so we envision working well into the night to help all those eager to get the first group of EVO lenses in the nation. About EVO: Long-term vision correction with the EVO ICL is a quick and effective procedure that offers many benefits. EVO can correct vision for a wide range of eye prescriptions and delivers excellent night vision with built-in UV protection. The EVO lens may be an ideal option for patients who dont prefer to wear glasses and contact lenses to see and are not candidates for lasik eye surgery. EVO is designed to provide permanent vision correction, and for added peace of mind, it is both removable and replaceable if needed. ABOUT PARKHURST NUVISION: Parkhurst NuVision is widely known as a premier vision correction surgery center and clinical research facility. The group practice was founded by award-winning ophthalmologist, Dr. Gregory Parkhurst, who has been one of the most experienced ICL surgeons in North America for multiple years, and implanted the first Toric ICL for astigmatism in the US post FDA approval in 2018. Parkhurst NuVision proudly serves the community of San Antonio, Texas, as well as the many patients who travel from across the nation for our expertise in eye surgery. As a leader in personalized vision procedures, we are committed to offering the full range of vision correction solutions, including EVO ICL, LASIK, SMILE LASIK, PRK, Laser Lens Treatment (RLE), and Laser Cataract Surgery. Whatever your eye prescription or stage in life, the team at Parkhurst NuVision is here to help you see. Press Contact Name: Angie Kruse Mobile: (336) 508-4447 Email: akruse@nuvisiontx.com This April, Manish Malhotra and Family Restaurant Group is bringing the madness to Newburgh, IN with the opening of the newest Teriyaki Madness shop at 8833 High Point Dr. on April 7th. Family Restaurant Groups Seattle-style teriyaki shop will offer huge, satisfying teriyaki bowls filled with addicting flavors and high-quality ingredients like all-natural marinated chicken, steak, salmon or tofu with fresh, stir fry veggies and a base of steamed white, brown or fried rice or Yakisoba noodles. The best part? Theyre healthy. Or not. The menu is fully customizable, so do your thing were not judging. Family Restaurant Group is a local group of family and friends operating in the Newburgh community and surrounding areas. As owners of multiple franchise brands, including Arbys and Wings Etc., the group is looking forward to bringing their experience to the Teriyaki Madness brand. To celebrate, Malhotra is inviting locals out to the shops grand opening, with events from 4/7 through 4/13. The schedule of events and primary giveaways are included below: 4/7 to 4/8: Customers can enjoy Junior and Regular Chicken Teriyaki Bowls for just $6 in-shop or by placing an order through the Teriyaki Madness app. 4/7: The Grand Opening celebration event kicks off with a chance for customers to win free Teriyaki Madness. Any customer who places an order through the app between 4/7 and 4/13 will be entered to be one of five winners to receive free Teriyaki Madness for one year, or one of twenty winners to receive free Teriyaki Madness for one month. 4/9: $1 from every bowl purchased will be donated to Deaconess Riley Childrens Services. To help families stay close to home, specialty physicians from Riley Hospital for Children travel to Deaconess to see and treat kids with specific conditions. We are pleased to bring Teriyaki Madness to our community and are very proud to have our next generation of family operate this shop and continue to carry on our values and community support, said Malhotra. One of the deciding factors to bring Teriyaki Madness to Newburgh is the healthier option of delicious asian food that is much needed in our area. As a company, were also looking forward to incorporating TMAD into our partnerships with local schools and businesses to give back in the communities in which we operate. We couldnt be more excited about the new shop in Newburgh, said Teriyaki Madness CEO Michael Haith. This is a vibrant community with an awesome food scene, and were eager to contribute. Most importantly, we found the perfect franchisee partner in Malhotra and Family Restaurant Group, who have already proven [a] fantastic member of our franchise family and are well prepared to make the most of this opportunity. Teriyaki Madness is expanding rapidly in markets across the U.S. In 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, state-wide shutdowns and challenging economic conditions, the franchise opened 30 new locations, expanded its corporate team and saw a 45% year-over-year increase in grand opening sales for new locations. Now, the brand is leveraging that momentum for an even bigger 2021. Weve faced plenty of challenges, and Teriyaki Madness continues to prove resilient, Haith said. Few businesses experienced the kind of growth we achieved in 2020, and we have no plans to slow down anytime soon. Malhotras new location in Newburgh is a key step forward in our growth plan. For more information about Teriyaki Madness of Newburgh, visit the restaurants official website, http://www.TeriyakiMadness.com. ABOUT TERIYAKI MADNESS: Fast-casual teriyaki shop franchise Teriyaki Madness is committed to unconditionally satisfying guests by offering delicious, made-to-order, healthy (or not) bowls, apps and sides, prepared with fresh, all-natural ingredients served quickly and at a reasonable price. Guests can enjoy their bowls in the shop, or order through the mobile app for delivery or curbside pickup. Teriyaki Madness has been ranked on Entrepreneurs Top Food Franchises, FastCasuals Movers and Shakers in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, the Inc. 5000 list for four straight years, and was named the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the United States by Restaurant Business in 2021. Founded in 2003, the brand currently has more than 100 shops open, with franchising opportunities nationwide for qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit http://www.franchise.teriyakimadness.com. Gilbane Building Company provided construction management services for the installation and occupancy of 20 prefabricated cottages manufactured by Pallet Shelters and procured through DCAMM and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Gilbanes scope of work included all site preparation and utilities work, concrete foundations, permanent electrical, plumbing, and fire alarm systems, as well as hardscape and paving, landscaping, painting, and miscellaneous site furnishings. The erection of this low-threshold transitional housing on the campus of the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain provides shelter and support services for individuals struggling with homelessness. The cottages create a temporary community for those relocated from the Mass. Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard area. We are so pleased to continue our successful partnership with DCAMM on this vital project and be a part of this innovative housing solution to meet this critical need. We are truly proud to provide this community with safe and secure housing and thank DCAMM for giving us the opportunity to participate in this effort with the State, said Mike OBrien, senior vice president and Massachusetts business unit leader for Gilbane. Those sentiments were echoed by Jack Keleher, director of small projects at DCAMM. This project is obviously important due to the enormity of its impact on our most vulnerable citizens. It is also important that it be completed the right way. That required DCAMM to look to one of its trusted partners, Gilbane Building Company, to assist us in completing the job. We were very proud to work alongside Gilbane and its subcontractors to do our part in bringing an end to the crisis at Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. The Shattuck Hospital Cottages were completed in March of this year. About Gilbane Building Company Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out, and facility management services for clients across various markets. A family business founded in 1870, Gilbane has active participation from the 4th, 5th, and 6th generations of the Gilbane family. Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. has added Michael K. Dixon and Roy P. Zachariah as shareholders in its West Palm Beach office, expanding the firms Intellectual Property and Technology capabilities amid client demand fueled by an increase in corporate migration to Florida. Both attorneys join Greenberg Traurig from Akerman LLP, where they worked as a team in the West Palm office. Dixon and Zachariah both have engineering experience that enables them to better understand their clients needs when helping businesses and individuals obtain and defend patents and avoid potential patent infringement. They represent local, national, and global clients in a wide range of fields, including computer science, higher education, electrical engineering, mechanical systems, medical devices, and telecommunications. In the past two years, South Florida has seen a significant number of sophisticated, world-class companies relocate or expand to the region, and advancing the development and protection of their intellectual property rights is critical to their continued success. Mike and Roy are great additions who will enhance Greenberg Traurigs already impressive ability to offer sophisticated legal counsel to our clients in South Florida, said Mark F. Bideau and Tracy L. Gerber, co-managing shareholders of the firms West Palm Beach office. We continue to look for strategic opportunities to grow our West Palm Beach office in the areas of Intellectual Property, Corporate, and Real Estate law to serve the regions expanding business needs. Greenberg Traurig has more than 225 intellectual property attorneys and professionals worldwide. The practice has been named a National Tier 1 law firm for IP Litigation, Patent Law and Litigation, Copyright Law, Trademark Law, and Information Technology Law by the U.S. News - Best Lawyers Best Law Firms report every year since 2014, including 2022. Dixon and Zachariah join a vibrant Florida IP team that also includes Miami office Shareholders Alan N. Sutin and Manuel R. Valcarcel IV; Orlando office Shareholders Joshua R. Brown and Gregory W. Herbert, and Of Counsel Stephen G. Anderson; and Tallahassee office Shareholder Lorence Jon Bielby. Bringing Mike and Roy on board is a key step in the continued development of the firms global IP practice and dovetails with our commitment to being a leader in the technology industry throughout Florida and beyond, said Global Patent Prosecution Group Co-Chairs Barry J. Schindler, a New Jersey shareholder, and Melissa Hunter-Ensor, a Boston shareholder. Mike and Roy have very successful track records of obtaining patents and trademarks for clients to ensure that their intangible assets are well-protected around the world. Dixon, who personally holds a patent for an electromechanical device, leverages his experience as an inventor to effectively counsel clients regarding patent and trademark matters and assess patent infringement risks encountered when introducing new products to the market. For more than two decades, he has procured patent protection for clients including a global power generation company and a global technology/communications company. His representative matters also include procuring U.S. and foreign patents and providing ongoing counsel to a global medical device company on the patent infringement risks related to introducing new products to the U.S. and European markets. Dixon received his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his engineering degree from the University of Georgia. He is admitted to practice law before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is a member of the Florida and Georgia bars. Outside of work, he serves as an executive board member for the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts of America. I enjoy learning about my clients innovations and helping them build strong patent portfolios so that they can compete and grow in todays rapidly advancing marketplace, Dixon said. Im excited to be a part of Greenberg Traurigs award-winning intellectual property practice, especially during this time of economic expansion and opportunity for innovative companies in Florida. Zachariah represents Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized and small businesses, and individuals in patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, including prosecution, licensing, and due diligence. Many of his clients are inventors of new technologies in the areas of computer and electrical engineering, computer science, and telecommunications, as well as medical systems and devices and business methods. Prior to beginning his legal career, he worked as a software developer and business analyst for CBSSports.com. Zachariah earned his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and holds a certificate in intellectual property from UF Law. He received an M.S. in electrical and computer engineering and a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. He is admitted to practice law before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is a member of The Florida Bar. He enjoys mentoring startups and supporting South Floridas entrepreneurial community through his involvement in local tech groups. The increased willingness of technology companies to relocate to South Florida creates an exciting opportunity for me to work with more cutting-edge technologies and in turn help grow the local tech ecosystem, Zachariah said. Greenberg Traurigs strong global platform and collaborative culture will enable me to take my practice to the next level and truly deliver world-class service to clients. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 42 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. What attracted me to Halo is its unique trifecta of being independent, mission-driven, and providing a comprehensive technology ecosystem for wealth managers. Halo is blazing a trail in bringing investments to the broader investor community. Halo Investing, Inc. (Halo), the award-winning technology platform, is proud to announce that Larry Roth, Managing Partner of RLR Strategic Partners, has joined as a member of its Advisory Board. Halo provides financial advisors and investors with easy access to structured notes, market-linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities, as well as a suite of tools to educate, analyze, and customize protective investment products to suit their unique portfolio needs. With over three decades of experience in the financial industry, Mr. Roth has built his unparalleled expertise and extensive professional network while serving as CEO for some of the largest independent broker-dealer and hybrid wealth management firms in the world, such as Advisor Group and, most recently, Cetera Financial Group. What attracted me to Halo is its unique trifecta of being independent, mission-driven, and providing a comprehensive technology ecosystem for wealth managers, observed Roth. Other platforms and traditional methods dont offer the same freedom and transparency when it comes to finding structured products. Halo is blazing a trail in bringing investments to the broader investor community. "Larry is one of the foremost leaders in the financial industry today, and his entrepreneurial experience provides a unique combination that makes him a natural fit on our Advisory Board, said Halo President and Co-Founder Jason Barsema. Were honored and excited to have Larry join us on this impactful and important journey we're on. His talents, networks, and long experience on the cutting-edge of finance will be invaluable as we propel Halo forward. Larry Roth joins a distinguished set of advisors on Halo's Advisory Board including: Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida; Dr. Neal M. Soss, former Vice Chairman of Investment Strategy and Research and Global Chief Economist for Credit Suisse Group AG; and Jack Selby, a founding member of PayPal and Managing Partner at Thiel Capital Management. About Halo Investing Halo Investing is an award-winning technology platform for protective investment solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Zurich, Dubai, and Singapore, Halo was co-founded by Biju Kulathakal and Jason Barsema in 2015 with a mission that focuses on putting "impact before profits," providing access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to most investors. Through the Halo platform, financial advisors and investors can easily access structured notes, market-linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities, as well as a suite of tools to educate, analyze, customize, execute, and manage the most suitable protective investment product for their portfolios. Halo has received a growing number of honors and was recently named one of Fast Company's Ten Most Innovative Companies of 2021. For more information, please visit: http://www.haloinvesting.com Halo Investing is not a broker/dealer. Securities offered through Halo Securities LLC, a SEC-registered broker/dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Halo Securities LLC is affiliated with Halo Investing Insurance Services and Halo Investing. Halo Securities LLC acts solely as distributor/selling agent and is not the issuer or guarantor of any structured note products. "The HITE presents a cross-section of our resources and expertise, from the development of our own SoC to the use of emerging and innovative technologies such as AI and analytics, said C.H. Ha, president of Hanwha Techwin America Hanwha Techwin America, a global supplier of intelligent video surveillance solutions, officially opened its new Hanwha Innovation and Technology Experience ( HITE) on March 29, 2022. The Center highlights the companys newest products and solutions for security and surveillance applications, all showcased through interactive demonstrations, videos, training sessions, certification classes and presentations. The HITE presents a cross-section of our resources and expertise, from the development of our own SoC to the use of emerging and innovative technologies such as AI and analytics, said C.H. Ha, president of Hanwha Techwin America. As visitors tour the space, they can easily get a clear picture of how we are helping customers and partners solve todays challenges and also prepare for the future of security and surveillance. Located in the companys New Jersey headquarters, the 5,000 sq-ft. space is the result of more than three years of planning and creative collaboration among Hanwha teams in the U.S and Korea. The products and solutions featured throughout the HITE were chosen to showcase the breadth of Hanwha Techwins capabilities and diverse product lines. The space features more than 80 network cameras, six WAVE servers, 18 workstations, 35 monitors and can accommodate more than 60 people. The HITE will be a continual work in progress, with ongoing updates and new additions reflecting the constantly changing nature of security and surveillance, said Miguel Lazatin, Senior Director of Marketing at Hanwha Techwin America. This flexibility allows us to present customized demonstrations across various vertical markets as industry trends and customer needs evolve. The HITEs multimedia classroom-style space seats about 32 for hands-on product training, certification courses, partner education and more, with full online capabilities to support remote participants. A dedicated area focuses on Hanwhas third-party video management software integrations with partners including Genetec and Milestone. The space also includes kitchen facilities for luncheons and catered events. Hanwha Techwin held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the HITE, with more than 70 customers, partners, company executives and team members in attendance. To see photos of the HITE grand opening Click here , and to learn more or schedule a tour, click here. About Hanwha Techwin America Hanwha Techwin America is a subsidiary of Hanwha corporation, a South Korea based company. Hanwha Techwin is a leading global supplier of intelligent video surveillance solutions. Building on the companys history of innovation, Hanwha Techwin America is dedicated to providing solutions with the highest levels of performance, reliability and cost-efficiency for professional security applications. Visit http://www.HanwhaSecurity.com. For more information please contact: Monique Merhige, Infusion Direct Marketing monique@infusiondirect.com (772) 380-4845 The Two Little Princes is a story about brotherly love, adventure, and bravery Author Holly Fornash brings something unique to childrens literature in her new book, The Two Little Princes ($14.99, paperback, 9781662845598; $5.99, e-book, 9781662845604). Youll find no damsels in distress in this story. In her tale, Fornash introduces us to Prince Colton and Prince Braxton, two brothers who are tested to their limits when Prince Colton finds himself in danger in Troll Valley and Prince Braxton has to find the courage to go after him. The Two Little Princes is a story about brotherly love, adventure, and bravery, said Fornash. Holly is a wife and full-time mother to two boys named Colton and Braxton, who were the inspiration behind her book. She enjoys writing, cooking, and spending time with her family. She currently resides in Vienna, WV with her family and is focusing on writing future childrens books. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. The Two Little Princes is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Joelle Collection Chooses Centric PLM to Enact Digital Transformation We expect to see optimization of our resources and time, cutting down steps in our processes and reducing the use of Excel spreadsheets Joelle Collection, a womenswear company, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home decor, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. Based in Quebec, Canada, Joelle Collection was formed in 2016 with the goal of breaking the rules of fashion, encouraging women to step out of their comfort zone, develop their self-confidence and become the best version of themselves. They sell mainly DTC but opened their first brick and mortar store offering personalized in-store styling services and plan to increase retail distribution in the future. Using Excel for product development was making it hard to get the right information to the right person. The company releases new collections 12 times a year with monthly themes. Not having a central, accessible location for up-to-date product data and communication was slowing them down. Joelle was already using digital applications in design and manufacturing but lacked a cohesive product development platform to tie it all together, so they began a search for PLM. They looked at five different vendors including a customized system, but in the end, selected Centric PLM. Billy Lacasse, Owner and Founder at Joelle Collection, says, We wanted to digitalize and automate our processes. Centric was the solution that met our needs. As a young and growing company, Joelles people are at ease with technology. Lacasse states, [Centric PLM] offers a system adapted to the new generation of users. The company is looking forward to getting the platform up and running. We expect to see optimization of our resources and time, cutting down steps in our processes and reducing the use of Excel spreadsheets, says Lacasse. We are very satisfied with the guidance and support that the Centric team has given us. Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software says, I am proud that Joelle Collection, a dynamic and growing apparel company, has chosen to place their trust in Centric Software. We look forward to partnering with them on their digital transformation journey. Learn more about Centric PLM Request a Demo Joelle Collection (http://www.joellecollection.com) Working for several years in the field of styling and fashion, Joelle Desaulniers created her own universe that is known under the name of JOELLE. Our mission is to break the rules of fashion already pre-established by our society by putting women at the heart of our priorities in the making of our clothes. We want to encourage women to dare to step out of their comfort zone. The objective is to allow women to develop self-confidence and to blossom in order to give themselves the power to evolve towards the best version of themselves. The quality and luxury offered by JOELLE are characterized by the pieces created and sold through our website as well as the physical store in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. In other words, the place stands out as the artery of smart fashion. Dare to be that difference in our universe. Give yourself this power. The beauty between this uniqueness and this philosophy; it's all of us! -- Joelle Lerner & Rowe Law Group Celebrates 10 Years What many people dont know is that Lerner & Rowe Law Group is a separate law firm from Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys that is dedicated to solely providing criminal defense and bankruptcy services across Arizona. Lerner and Rowe Law Group celebrates 10 years of providing affordable, high-quality legal representation to thousands across Arizona that face criminal charges or that may need to seek financial relief through a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy. As part of the celebration, this boutique law firm will share in-depth details about what makes it different and reasons why it was voted best Phoenix criminal defense and bankruptcy law firm for seven years in a row in AZ Foothill Magazines annual independent readers polls. For almost two decades, weve built a memorable brand name and jingle that multiple generations recognize for our personal injury law practice. What many people dont know is that we also opened a separate law firm dedicated to solely providing criminal defense and bankruptcy services across Arizona 10 years ago. Kevin Rowe continues, We are excited to now celebrate our tenth anniversary and recognize the dedicated service that our Lerner and Rowe Law Group team has provided to thousands of individuals charged with criminal and DUI offenses, in addition to those needing bankruptcy and financial relief. Sean Forrester is the managing criminal defense attorney for Lerner and Rowe Law Group, while Andrew Nemeth serves as the firms managing bankruptcy attorney. In addition to the managing attorneys, the firm has a dedicated staff of specialized attorneys and support staff members that exclusively represent just criminal defense or bankruptcy cases with over 70 years of combined experience. Notably, Lerner and Rowe Law Groups criminal defense team includes former prosecutors, a board-certified criminal defense attorney that provides of counsel services, and experienced criminal defense attorneys to ensure that clients who face criminal charges in Arizona receive the strongest and best defense possible. This distinct separation between the different types of legal representation the law firm offers makes it possible for its attorneys and support staff to focus 100% of its legal resources on handling the individual needs of each client. More About Lerner & Rowe Law Group Lerner and Rowe Law Group is an award-winning boutique law firm that solely focuses on meeting the legal needs of those seeking help with criminal defense and bankruptcy cases. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe opened this separate law firm in April of 2012 as a means to expand the types of legal services their group of attorneys can provide to those in need across Arizonaaside from the personal injury representation offered at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Law Group, please call 602-667-7777. To connect with the law firm socially, become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support. Martellos Vantage DX provides the solution to a key visibility gap in the delivery of Microsoft Teams Phone services Martello Technologies Group Inc., (Martello or the Company) (TSXV:MTLO), a leading developer of enterprise digital experience monitoring (DEM) solutions, today announced a partnership with Orange Business Services (Orange), the business services arm of Orange SA, a global network-native digital services company. Martellos Vantage DX SaaS platform will be integrated in the Orange Business Together with Microsoft portfolio. As a global provider of end-to-end and fully managed collaboration services for multinational enterprises, Orange Business Services provides its customers with enriched collaboration solutions based on Microsoft Teams and leading Orange voice capabilities. Orange Business Services is the first Microsoft 365 Direct Routing and Operator Connect partner in the world to add Vantage DX to its client offering. Microsoft 365 Operator Connect partners provide deeper integration into the Microsoft Teams platform to enhance and streamline the Teams Phone experience around networking, provisioning, management, and reporting APIs. This provides customers with a simplified and higher-quality calling experience that complements Microsoft offerings. Microsoft Teams Phone System has 80 million monthly active users, according to Microsoft. Martellos Vantage DX provides the solution to a key visibility gap in the delivery of Microsoft Teams Phone services, said Richard Heaps, Global Product Management lead for Unified Communication as a Service for Orange Business Services. Until the introduction of Vantage DX, there was no superior solution on the market which could tell us exactly where there were performance problems impacting Teams calling or meetings. Vantage DX can identify whether these issues are related to the ISP, the SIP trunk provider or the session border controller (SBC), which makes our service delivery more proactive, efficient and competitive. Vantage DX is the only monitoring solution on the market today that provides end-to-end visibility into every component of a Teams Phone call or meeting. This allows IT personnel to identify where performance problems are occurring and who is impacted, enabling quick resolution. The result is Operator Connect partners like Orange can deliver consistently high-quality calling experiences. Martello and Orange Business Services have already built a robust pipeline of potential global enterprise customers of Microsoft 365 and Teams. With several customer trials of VDX underway, Martello has provided Orange a consistent and scalable go-to-market plan that will enable quick adoption of the VDX solution. Vantage DX optimizes the Microsoft 365 and Teams user experience, providing industry-leading end-to-end monitoring and analytics capabilities which are recommended by Microsoft. Vantage DX helps IT teams to rapidly prioritize and resolve performance issues such as network bandwidth or ISP limitations that impact the Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 user experience. Additionally, IT can proactively optimize future performance for users. Whether the user is working from home or the office, using Teams Phone or Sharepoint, Vantage DX provides actionable insight into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 performance, reducing IT support tickets and mean time to repair. Were exceptionally pleased that Vantage DX has become a part of Orange Business Services Operator Connect and Direct Routing as a Service offering, said John Proctor, President and CEO of Martello. As demand for Microsoft Teams Phone continues to grow, we are pleased to provide Operator Connect partners like Orange with the industrys only Microsoft Teams monitoring solution which offers deep insight into every component of the Teams Phone call, ensuring these partners can deliver the exceptional call experiences that Microsoft Teams is known for. Learn more about Vantage DX for Microsoft Teams Telephony and PSTN Connectivity. This press release does not constitute an offer of the securities of the Company for sale in the United States. The securities of the Company have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, (the 1933 Act) as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Martello Technologies Group Martello Technologies Group Inc. (TSXV: MTLO) is a technology company that provides digital experience monitoring (DEM) solutions. The companys products provide monitoring and analytics on the performance and user experience of critical cloud business applications, while giving IT teams and service providers control and visibility of their entire IT infrastructure. Martellos software products include Vantage DX, which provides Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams end user experience monitoring and analytics. Martello is a public company headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with employees in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region. Learn more at http://www.martellotech.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods and " includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the outcome of customer Vantage DX trials. Forward-looking information is neither a statement of historical fact nor assurance of future performance. Instead, forward-looking information is based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking information relates to the future, such statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking information. Therefore, you should not rely on any of the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking information include, among others, the following: MOLLI Surgical Logo We are gratified and honoured to work with the UHN a world leader in improving patient access to quality care, said Fazila Seker, PhD, President and CEO of MOLLI Surgical Inc. Toronto-based MOLLI Surgical is gaining momentum, providing its patient-first solution to University Health Networks (UHN) Sprott Department of Surgery. MOLLI Surgicals Canadian-designed, wire-free and radiation-free marker technology for localizing lesions for breast cancer surgery will improve patient and physician comfort and confidence. We are gratified and honoured to work with the UHN a world leader in improving patient access to quality care, said Fazila Seker, PhD, President and CEO of MOLLI Surgical Inc. The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at UHN is the latest hospital to adopt MOLLI to provide a better experience for patients, increase ease and capacity for surgical and radiology departments, and simplify the breast cancer treatment experience. UHN is world-renowned for their industry leading scientific research and focus on excellence in patient care and safety. They are committed to innovations like wire-free localization that improve the perioperative journey for all breast surgery patients. Going forward, MOLLI Surgical will be the provider of wire-free, radiation-free technology used in lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures. Localizing breast lesions with wires happened on the same day as a patients surgery. This can be challenging, since it involves going through a procedure right before their operation, when patients are already fasting and may be anxious, said Dr. Tulin Cil, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Gattuso Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology, UHN. With MOLLI, we have different options for scheduling the timing of that procedure. Now, patients can go home comfortably between localization and their surgery. I find it is easy to use, efficient and precise. It allows us to localize the tissue accurately and safely with an improved overall patient experience. MOLLI Surgicals Health Canada approved and FDA-cleared MOLLI features a 3.2 mm marker designed to put the breast cancer patient first by providing a better experience over traditional wire and other localization options. The MOLLI Wand detects the MOLLI Marker and visualizes its location on a tablet much like a GPS helping surgeons locate lesions more efficiently and with improved accuracy, which translates into better cosmetic outcomes for patients. The marker is implanted by a radiologist within 30 days of surgery. By decoupling localization of the lesion from removal, MOLLI allows for more efficient clinical workflows in radiology and surgery departments, while allowing for greater comfort and convenience for patients. This increased efficiency leads to increased productivity for hospitals. MOLLI is an elegant solution on a number of different fronts: with its scheduling flexibility, it helps to improve clinical workflow. It comes with a reasonable cost, and a team thats simply a pleasure to work with. Most importantly, with its less-invasive nature, patients see a reduction in pain and anxiety, said Terri Stuart-McEwan, Executive Director - University Health Network Sprott Department of Surgery. This is an important step towards reaching our strategic goals. The partnership between MOLLI Surgical and the Princess Margaret will provide us with support and expertise as we move forward with improving patient care. MOLLI is also a solution for hospitals using radioactive technology, which requires extensive safety regulations surrounding radiation and disposal protocols. MOLLIs ease-of-use allows for quick adoption by doctors and its robust, intuitive design facilitates smooth adoption by care providers and hospital systems. ABOUT MOLLI SURGICAL MOLLI Surgical started in the operating room, where surgeons were using dated tools to treat cancer patients and we knew we could do better. Our surgical wand is precise, easy-to-use and built with the realities of the operating room in mind. More importantly, it is built with patients in mind. Our technology replaces procedures to mark tumours with one that is not only kinder but more accurate, efficient and cost-effective. MOLLI Surgical is proud to build the advanced equipment that patients prefer to have and that physicians prefer to use. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. ABOUT THE SPROTT DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Sprott Surgery is the largest academic surgical program in Canada, spanning 13 surgical divisions, anesthesia, critical care and three UHN hospitals. Internationally recognized as leaders in transplant, cardiac, neurosurgery, and surgical oncology, Sprott Surgery drives innovation, excellence, and quality patient care and safety. ABOUT THE PRINCESS MARGARET CANCER CENTRE The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has achieved an international reputation as a global leader in the fight against cancer and delivering personalized cancer medicine. The Princess Margaret, one of the top five international cancer research centres, is a member of the University Health Network (UHN), which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Michener Institute for Education at UHN. All are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto. ABOUT UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK University Health Network consists of Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in arthritis, cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New Hampshire exports hit record-breaking figures of $6.4 billion last year, a 16.7% increase from 2020. Photo courtesy of NH BEA. Were proud that New Hampshire companies helped alleviate shortages in the global supply chain in 2021, specifically in essential products like automotive and computer components, said Taylor Caswell, BEA Commissioner. This report showcases impressive growth from industries throughout the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New Hampshire exports hit record-breaking figures of $6.4 billion last year, a 16.7% increase from 2020, announced the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). New Hampshires top two export sectors driving the growth were industrial machinery and electrical machinery, which includes components used in automobiles, computers, and airplanes. In the food and beverage category, the Granite States maple syrup industry ranked first among U.S. states for the first time since 2004. Were proud that New Hampshire companies helped alleviate shortages in the global supply chain in 2021, specifically in essential products like automotive and computer components, said Taylor Caswell, BEA Commissioner. And it was great to see New Hampshires maple syrup industry take the title of top national maple product exporter. This report showcases impressive growth from companies and industries throughout the state. Industrial machinery brought in $1.5 billion in revenue, with electrical machinery at $1.460 billion, up from $1.087 billion in 2020 a growth of more than 34%. This category includes electronic integrated circuits (IC), a crucial automobile component subject to global shortages. Exports of ICs from New Hampshire increased by 165% from 2020 to 2021 and were valued at $170 million. Granite State exports of aircraft and aircraft parts also grew following a decline in 2020 due to COVID-19. The sector was valued at $1.123 billion in 2021, a 20.5% increase from the year before. Germany received 56% of aircraft imports, worth $630 million, from New Hampshire. With a network of booming industries particularly in manufacturing components the state has a strong foundation for success, regardless of the circumstance brought on by the pandemic, said Adam Boltik, Office of International Commerce program manager. These figures are a clear representation of how the New Hampshire economy has the ability to bounce back, while also having a national and international influence. Overall, New Hampshires top export markets last year were Germany ($915.4 million), Canada ($906.3 million), and the United Arab Emirates ($503.7 million). In addition to increases in maple sugar and syrup exports, valued at $5.8 million and representing 22.5% of all U.S. maple exports, other New Hampshire food and beverage-related sectors, like beer, saw significant growth. About the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) The Department of Business and Economic Affairs is dedicated to enhancing the economic vitality of the State of New Hampshire while promoting it as a destination for domestic and international visitors. For more information visit nheconomy.com or choosenh.com. Northeast Delta HSA to host JiggAerobics Health and Fitness Event on April 14 at Forsythe Park "By hosting events like JiggAerobics, we are providing an opportunity for citizens of northeast Louisiana to further learn about the interconnectedness of their mental health, physical health, and spiritual well-being." - Dr. Monteic A. Sizer Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (NEDHSA) will host its third JiggAerobics event on April 14 at 6 p.m. at Forsythe Park in Monroe. This event is part of its #getfitHSA initiative that supports the NEDHSA's integrated care model to increase access to healthy activities and inform communities about staying fit and active. NEDHSA Executive Director Dr. Monteic A. Sizer said this event provides a fun and upbeat activity for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Additionally, he said it exposes regional citizens to "valuable information concerning the importance of personal wellness and holistic mental, physical, and spiritual health." "We know physical fitness plays a critical role in positive health outcomes. So, when we combine our physical fitness initiatives with our prosocial mental health and primary healthcare mitigation strategies, we can expect to see overall regional population health improvements," Dr. Sizer said. "By hosting events like JiggAerobics, we are providing an opportunity for citizens of northeast Louisiana to further learn about the interconnectedness of their mental health, physical health, and spiritual well-being." Dr. Sizer said data shows that heart disease, obesity, and other physical illnesses are correlated with various forms of trauma, stress, and mental illness. JiggAerobics will be led by LaDonte Lotts, better known as "Mr. Get Right." Lotts founded JiggAerobics as a dance-based fitness program that fuses "jigging," an energetic Louisiana dance style, with Lotts' own personal dance moves and numerous plyometric exercises. Lotts said he's had some great opportunities throughout the state and country hosting JiggAerobics events and is excited to be back in northeast Louisiana. "JiggAerobics has provided me with an amazing opportunity to bring physical and mental wellness to every person I encounter," Lotts said. "Your health is your wealth, and I want you to invest wisely." Dr. Sizer said finding innovative ways to help solve significant societal problems "is at the heart of what we do." "We consistently work to understand the unique health care needs of the citizens of northeast Louisiana. And once we understand the needs and wishes of the people, we actively put programs and services in place to help meet people where they are," Dr. Sizer said. Register for Jiggaerobics at https://nedhsa_jiggaerobics_2022.eventbrite.com -END- For more information, contact DeRon Talley at (318) 237-9973 or email deron.talley@la.gov. Operation Smiles current comprehensive care efforts involve year-round cleft surgery and treatments in developing countries such as Columbia and Nicaragua. The organization also offers dentistry, psychosocial care, orthodontics, speech therapy and nutrition education as part of their programs. Operation Smile is premiering a virtual event on World Health Day at 3 p.m. EDT on Facebook Live to advance the discussion on why research matters in the field of global medicine as well as the importance of incorporating comprehensive care when treating patients with cleft conditions in developing countries. Celebrated annually on April 7, World Health Day aims to draw attention to topics of concern affecting people around the globe. The World Health Organizations designated theme for 2022 is our planet, our health. This theme encourages the development of efforts to focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy as well as to foster a movement to create societies focused on general well-being. Operation Smile is using World Health Day as an opportunity to discuss their Global Fellowship Program and its current initiative: creating a future where access to safe, affordable, and timely surgical care is available to everyone. This virtual event will broach the topics of why research is important to the development of better health systems and technologies and how Operation Smile is broadening its comprehensive care services in Latin America. Drs. John Dutton and Maria Fernanda Tapia, Operation Smile global surgery fellows, are the featured panelists, and they are at the forefront of research projects being developed to enhance cleft surgery education and training programs. These programs aim to help remove barriers that are preventing patients from receiving essential cleft surgery and care in Latin America. Dr. Dutton is a general surgery resident at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He has a background in health system strengthening research and product development through the creation of multiple medical start-up companies. Dr. Fernanda is a Bolivian medical doctor who completed her studied in Colombia, where she recently obtained her plastic and reconstructive surgery degree. Drs. Dutton and Fernanda will be diving deep into the functions of Operation Smiles existing comprehensive care programs as well as discussing their current research projects. The fellows will also be highlighting the barriers that prevent hospitals in low- and middle-income countries from being able to field the staff they need to meet the surgical needs of patients. Operation Smiles current comprehensive care efforts involve year-round cleft surgery and treatments in developing countries such as Columbia and Nicaragua. The organization also offers dentistry, psychosocial care, orthodontics, speech therapy and nutrition education as part of their programs. Comprehensive care centers were developed in these countries to ensure that every child who receives surgery from Operation Smile is both adequately prepared for surgery and set up for a healthy future post-operation. The Operation Smile Global Surgery Research Fellowship is the organization's response to the belief that a critical part of creating a future where everyone can access safe, effective and timely surgical care is to cultivate the next generation of global health leaders. The fellows are fully integrated into Operation Smiles work and gain exposure to research, advocacy, and on-ground programmatic initiatives in the low-and middle-income countries where the organization works. This fellowship program gives young medical professionals long-term opportunities to expand and enhance their global health knowledge and expertise. Operation Smile also utilizes the knowledge of young, brilliant medical professionals to improve their programmatic, education, research and innovation initiatives. The current cohort has 10 fellows on three continents representing a diverse set of geographic and professional experiences. We're excited to share this interesting conversation with you! To join the event, register at bit.ly/GSF4722. About Operation Smile Operation Smile is a global nonprofit specializing in expert cleft surgery and care. Over the last 40 years, we have provided medical expertise, research, and care through our dedicated staff and medical and student volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits, and health systems, and supported by our generous donors. Learn more at http://www.operationsmile.org or by following @operationsmile on social media. Our study is the first to characterize the tumor-suppressive functions of ARID2 in melanoma, said the studys lead author Emily Bernstein, PhD, Professor of Oncological Sciences at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. Mutation of a gene called ARID2 plays a role in increasing the chance that melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, will turn dangerously metastatic, Mount Sinai researchers report. The findings suggest that patients whose melanoma tumors have an ARID2 mutation may have a more aggressive cancer and may need to be treated differently, according to a study published in Cell Reports in April. Our study is the first to characterize the tumor-suppressive functions of ARID2 in melanoma, said the studys lead author Emily Bernstein, PhD, Professor of Oncological Sciences at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. We modeled ARID2 mutations by removing the ARID2 protein completely from melanoma cells and studied the consequences in the petri dish and in animal models. Recreating actual mutations that patients harbor is challenging, but now possible by genome editing, and would further provide a more accurate model; such studies are ongoing in the lab. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and develops in the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives peoples skin its color. While melanoma can be treated successfully when caught early, it can also be quite aggressive and spread from tumors as small as a couple millimeters to vital organs like the brain. Understanding metastatic melanoma is essential to save lives from this disease, which affects 200,000 people a year worldwide. ARID2 is part of a chromatin remodeling complex and frequently mutated in melanoma. In this study, scientists used melanoma tumor models to measure the role of the ARID2 gene in cancer progression. They assessed the effects of ARID2 loss on the epigenetic landscape, a dynamic DNA and protein platform that provides molecular instructions on gene expression, which in turn shapes cellular functions and behaviors. They found that without ARID2, melanoma cells exhibit increased metastatic behaviors. Researchers from New York University and Purdue University contributed greatly to this research. This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, American Skin Association, and National Cancer Center. About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai advances medicine and health through unrivaled education and translational research and discovery to deliver care that is the safest, highest-quality, most accessible and equitable, and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 415 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the top 20 U.S. hospitals and is top in the nation by specialty: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital is ranked in U.S. News & World Reports Best Childrens Hospitals among the countrys best in four out of 10 pediatric specialties. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools," aligned with a U.S. News & World Report "Honor Roll" Hospital, and No. 14 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding. Newsweeks The Worlds Best Smart Hospitals ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital as No. 1 in New York and in the top five globally, and Mount Sinai Morningside in the top 20 globally. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Jadavs commitment to Space Center Houston enables us to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. A generous $1 million gift from Dhaval Jadav, chief executive officer of alliantgroup, to the nonprofit Space Center Houston will support empowering the next generation of explorers with authentic science learning experiences. The gift will help fund programs that inspire youth and educators through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, exhibits and programs. To honor this generous investment in STEM learning, a building on the Space Center Houston campus was named The Dhaval R. Jadav Learning Innovation Center. Jadavs commitment to Space Center Houston enables us to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. His generous investment in science learning helps us provide students and educators access to whats happening now in space exploration through hands-on engineering-based activities. Jadav also serves on the Space Center Houston board of directors. He co-founded alliantgroup in 2002 out of his passion for entrepreneurship and to help small and medium sized businesses, which generate the majority of innovation and job growth in the United States. alliantgroup educates businesses, the industry groups that serve them and the accounting firms that advise them on federal and state credits and incentives that are legislated by our government to keep the U.S. competitive in the global landscape. To date, alliantgroup has helped over 20,000 businesses claim nearly $16 billion in credits and incentives while providing close to a quarter of a million dollars in STEM scholarships each year. I have seen firsthand how critical STEM is to our nations future and I am passionate about getting Americas future talent excited about these skills. I feel very fortunate to be able partner with amazing organizations like Space Center Houston to make positive change on this front. I am so honored to make this donation and I am in awe of their generous acknowledgment in return. Everyday I will aim to ensure the learning and innovation center that bears my name is engaging the bright minds of the future, said Dhaval Jadav, alliantgroup CEO. During the dedication event, a new sign was unveiled and girls in Space Center Houstons Girls STEM Pathway initiative, presented by Boeing, participated in hands-on science learning activities to learn about space exploration. Through authentic learning experiences, students are enabled to help make the connection from the classroom to solving real world challenges in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Dhaval R. Jadav Learning Innovation Center (LINC) is the nexus of Space Center Houstons education programming. The facility serves 200,000 students and educators annually, with resources to provide hands-on learning opportunities and educational experiences that help solidify the understanding of authentic STEM concepts. Classrooms in the LINC are equipped with modular furniture so students can build and launch rockets; design and create lunar and martian habitats; design, assemble and test robots to support explorations missions; construct and test heat shields; formulate research-based questions; and conduct experiments activities that promote small-group interactions and encourage cooperative design processes. Space Center Houston provides engaging, hands-on space and science activities for people of all ages to inspire them to pursue a career on the STEM pathway. For more information about Space Center Houston, its education programs and other experiences, visit http://www.spacecenter.org. # # # The Manned Space Flight Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science and space exploration learning center with extensive educational programs. Space Center Houston is the cornerstone of its mission to inspire all generations through the wonders of space exploration. The center draws more than 1.25 million visitors annually, was named Best Museum in Texas by USA Today and generates a $118.7 million annual economic impact in the greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Certified Autism Center. More than 250,000 teachers and students from around the world visit the center annually to experience the educational space museum with more than 400 things to see and do. For more information, go to http://www.spacecenter.org. "I share it with my village and the memory of A.R. Sullivan and everything he stood for." ~Chef Domonic Tardy Chef Domonic Tardy, a Sullivan University Regional Chef Representative, has received the prestigious American Culinary Federation (ACF) Greater Indianapolis Chapter President's Award an honor bestowed by the chapter president to the member who goes the extra mile. Tardy, who introduces high school students to Sullivan's distinguished College of Hospitality Studies programs, received the award last month during the chapter's annual Presidential Gala. "I was just first surprised and honored to receive this award from the ACF," Chef Tardy said. "I share it with my village and the memory of A.R. Sullivan and everything he stood for." Al "A.R" Sullivan was serving as Sullivan's chancellor emeritus when he passed away in February at the age of 83. Sullivan and his father founded Sullivan University originally Sullivan Business College in 1962. Chef Susanne Grier, the outgoing ACF Indianapolis chapter president, said she focused this year's award on members in the Greater Indianapolis community that mentor and give back to the hospitality community. "Chef Dom was one of those who embody that spirit of mentorship and stewardship in our community," said Chef Grier, who now serves as chairperson of the chapter board. "I am a graduate of Sullivan's hospitality program and recognize that Chef Dom is a great ambassador for Sullivan University. They are very lucky to have him on the school's chef representative team." Last year, Chef Dom was named Pastry Chef of the Year by the ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter. He has also been instrumental in forging Sullivan's relationship with NASA. The university has teamed up with NASA's HUNCH program to help coordinate and judge a high school culinary competition. The winners prepare food that is served to the crew of the International Space Station. Sullivan has also partnered with the NASA HUNCH program to offer a summer camp that will prepare students for the competition. The NASA HUNCH Challenge Culinary camp is scheduled for June 12 to 17 and is open to incoming sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduating seniors. "Sullivan University has given me the tools and resources to succeed as a Chef Representative," he said. "I receive great support and guidance from senior leadership, which helps me to succeed. Being a Chef Representative has allowed me to showcase my talent in different areas by doing Facebook Live events and online cooking demonstrations." Chef Tardy has specialized in pastry for many years, particularly chocolate and sugar work with skills in plating and making frozen desserts. To connect with the high school students he is recruiting, he has created a Pastry Squad that meets virtually every month. About Sullivan University Sullivan University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctorate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Sullivan University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOCs website (http://www.sacscoc.org). The University offers numerous certificates, diplomas, and degrees in career-oriented programs, ranging from business, pharmacy, human resources, I.T. and cybersecurity, supply-chain management, culinary and baking and pastry arts, hospitality studies, conflict management, nursing, allied health sciences, HVAC-R, and interior design. Sullivan University has campuses in Louisville and Lexington, an extension in Fort Knox on the U.S. Army Post and a Learning Center in Louisa. Sullivan University also has many programs available partially or wholly online. For more information, visit http://www.sullivan.edu. Education for loyalty marketers by loyalty marketers Education is key to the Loyalty industrys continued growth and prosperity. Diversity in terms of gender, geographical representation, and university-level teaching experience is extremely important because it reflects the global landscape, said Graeme Thomson, Chairman Board of Regents. The Loyalty Academy, the educational platform operated by the Wise Marketer Group (WMG), has announced the composition of its Board of Regents for the 2022-23 Academic year. The Boards main function is to monitor the quality and integrity of the educational curriculum developed by the Academy. The Regents sanction all course work, approve all faculty, including guest lecturers, and are responsible for determining course requirements associated with the Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP) process. The Board also advises the Academy on course fees, new courses to be developed, participant feedback, and all efforts required to maintain the highest possible standards of professional loyalty marketing education. The returning members of the Board of Regents for the 2022-23 academic year are as follows: Graeme Thomson, CLMP, Chairman Board of Regents and Principal, WMG Richard Dutton, CLMP, Managing Director, The Elias Partnership Yuping Lui-Thompkins, PhD, CLMP, Professor of Marketing and Director of the Loyalty Science Lab in the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University Phil Rubin, CLMP, Founder of Grey Space Matters Margaret Meraw, CLMP, Senior Faculty Leader, The Loyalty Academy Mike Capizzi, CLMP, Dean, The Loyalty Academy Additionally, the Board is pleased to announce the addition of Chayya Bassi, CLMP, Co-Founder of Quick Brown Fox Consulting in Dubai, as its newest member. Chayya fills the seat vacated by the retirement of CM Sashi, PhD, CLMP, Professor of Marketing at Florida Atlantic University (retired). Dr Sashi has been with us since we founded the Academy in 2015 and his insights and contributions will be missed, said Graeme Thomson, Chairman of the Board. But we feel extremely fortunate to have Chayya join the team. She has been instrumental in expanding the Academys educational reach in the Middle East North African (MENA) marketplace and we look forward to her participation in the years ahead. The Loyalty Academy offers the worlds foremost professional development platform for the global loyalty marketing industry. The CLMP program has certified over 300 professionals in 29 countries across five continents with in-person educational workshops and online/on-demand training platforms. Individual course work is also available online for those who seek a refresher on the principles and best practices of Loyalty Marketing. This is a global industry, continued Thomson, worth more than US$60 billion and growing at a double-digit rate year over year. Education and professional development are key to the industrys continued growth and prosperity. Diversity in terms of gender, geographical representation (3 in the US and 1 each in Canada, UK, New Zealand, UAE), university-level teaching experience, and ethnic background is extremely important to the Board because it reflects the global landscape. About Wise Marketer Group Wise Marketer Group operates The Loyalty Academy and publishes The Wise Marketer. TheWiseMarketer.com is the most widely read source of news, insights, and research on all topics related to data-driven, customer-centric marketing. The Wise Marketer delivers timely and unbiased perspectives to a global audience of marketing professionals. The Loyalty Academy provides online education and corporate training to meet the demands of todays digital marketers. The Loyalty Academy offers the industrys first professional certification program via designation of Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP) to those completing the curriculum. For details, visit http://www.TheWiseMarketer.com and http://www.LoyaltyAcademy.org. Hemp is often referred to as natures purifier. For every ton of hemp produced, 1.63 tons of carbon is removed from the air, making hemp more effective at removing carbon dioxide from the air than trees. Hemp is often referred to as natures purifier. For every ton of hemp produced, 1.63 tons of carbon is removed from the air, making hemp more effective at removing carbon dioxide from the air than trees. There are thousands of uses for its seed, oil and fiber. The North American Industrial Hemp Council estimates hemp can be used to make more than 25 thousand products including food, textiles, paper and even building materials. Top 5 Environmental Benefits of Hemp 1. Uses less water 2. Prevents soil erosion 3. Pest resistant 4. Reduces CO2 5. Drought tolerant It only takes four months to yield a hemp crop. Hemp roots can grow up to nine feet deep, helping hold the soil together, reducing erosion. Hemp also produces high quantities of biomass (renewable organic material) that returns to the earth and decomposes, enriching the ground where its grown. So, because the soil is cleaner, the crops are healthier. Since 2019, Planet Based Foods, has been focused on transforming hemp protein into plant-based foods. The company offers the first plant-based meat featuring hemp as the primary ingredient. Braelyn Davis, co-founder and chief executive officer, said he started Planet Based Foods to create something new in the food system. Enter hemp seed, which Braelyn describes as an ingredient that is nutrient dense, perceived as clean and sourced sustainably. Trepp, a leading provider of information, analytics, and technology solutions to the structured finance, commercial real estate (CRE), and banking markets, announced today that it has been named one of the Best Places to Work by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum. For this award, GlobeSt. recognized CRE companies that excel in the industry, stay on top of workforce trends, strive to accommodate staff, offer transparent communication methods and thoughtful employee engagement programming, while continually earning respect from professionals. See the full list here: https://www.globest.com/2022/04/01/leadership-best-places-to-work-3/ Trepp prioritizes a workplace that encourages collaboration, provides education, and celebrates diversity. As the company grows strategically, there is an increased emphasis on the importance of charitable initiatives and programs to garner further education, mentorships, and leadership skills. Trepp also places great importance on giving back to the community through philanthropic events and volunteering programs. Trepp is honored to be acknowledged for this award and receive recognition for the values we see within our employees daily, said Trepps Chief Executive Officer, Annemarie DiCola. We will continue to emphasize the importance of a company culture that celebrates its employees and fosters an environment of openness, empathy, and civility. At Trepp, you are more than just an employee, you are a member of a diverse and broad-minded community of people. Within the workplace, Trepp promotes an environment of collaboration and emphasizes the importance of creating meaningful relationships and giving back to the community. Trepp has a long-standing history in the structured finance and commercial real estate spaces. With a strong commitment to the CRE industry, Trepp has developed a deep knowledge of the markets, through research, recruitment, and product development over the last 40+ years. These achievements are a result of the continued efforts and support of all Trepp employees. Learn more about Trepps recognition: https://www.globest.com/2022/04/01/leadership-best-places-to-work-3/ About GlobeSt.com/Real Estate Forum GlobeSt.coms trusted and independent team of experts provides commercial real estate owners, investors, developers, brokers, and finance professionals with comprehensive coverage, analysis, and best practices necessary to innovate and build their businesses. Real Estate Forum magazine is a must-read for the nations leading decision-makers in all segments of the commercial property industry. About Trepp Trepp, founded in 1979, is a leading provider of data, insights, and technology solutions to the structured finance, commercial real estate, and banking markets. Trepp provides primary and secondary market participants with the solutions and analytics they need to increase operational efficiencies, information transparency, and investment performance. From its offices in New York, San Francisco, and London, Trepp serves its clients with products and services to support trading, research, risk management, surveillance, and portfolio management. Trepp's subsidiary, Commercial Real Estate Direct, is a daily news source covering the commercial real estate capital markets. Trepp is wholly owned by Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). Joby's all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in flight. Joby Aviation was the first eVTOL company to join VFS in 2016, and the first to move up to the Gold Membership Level. (Joby photo) As of April 1, a total of 173 companies and other organizations are now members of VFS, a net growth of 23 organizations (15%) from a year ago and a doubling over the past five years. The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the worlds leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that it has continued to experience record growth this quarter, propelled largely by the continued expansion of electric aircraft developments around the world. As of April 1, 2022, a total of 173 companies and other organizations are now members of VFS, a net growth of 23 organizations (15%) from a year ago and a doubling over the past five years. Much of this growth is due to the extensive support efforts and resources that VFS provides to the vertical flight and electric flight community, including technical resources, talent acquisition, educational opportunities and networking. In addition, VFS is pleased to announce that Joby Aviation, which was the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company to join VFS in April 2016, has increased its membership level from Small Business Member to a Gold Member, the same level as GE Aviation. The Gold Membership Class is second only to that of the five major helicopter manufacturers Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Leonardo and Sikorsky which are Platinum Members. Partly due to Jobys early leadership and support, VFS was able to expand its mission over the past several years from conventional helicopters and advanced rotorcraft to electric flight aircraft. This has continued, with VFS recently expanding its support to all electric airplanes that use Part 23/CS-23 certification standards, i.e., fixed-wing electric-powered conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) and short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. All segments of the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry are now introducing technologies pioneered by eVTOL aircraft developers and ecosystem partners and there is a tremendous benefit to having all sectors of the sustainable aviation industry continuing to work closely together, said Mike Hirschberg, VFS Executive Director. For example, the cross pollination is especially important when it comes to certifying these advanced aircraft and developing new infrastructure that can be shared by more than one type of aircraft. On March 29-31, 2022, VFS held the 1st H2-Aero Symposium & Workshop, the first conference in North America on hydrogen (H2) for aviation. This watershed event which covered applications from hydrogen for automotive and space vehicles, to eVTOL, eSTOL and eCTOL aircraft, as well as hydrogen-powered airliners featured three dozen speakers, with 100 in-person attendees and another 36 online. VFS now has two working groups working to advance the state of the art and the application of hydrogen fuel cell technology for electric airplanes, helicopters and eVTOL aircraft, and the necessary infrastructure requirements. This event followed closely on Societys 9th Annual Electric VTOL Symposium as part the VFS Transformative Vertical Flight (TVF) Technical Meeting in January 2022 with more than 600 attendees participating in the hybrid event. The event has remained the worlds largest and longest-running conference focusing on the incredible promise, progress and challenges of eVTOL aircraft. Now catering to the entire new sustainable aviation sector, VFS will host the 16th annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 23-24, the weekend prior to the EAA AirVenture airshow. EAS is the worlds longest-running conference covering all aspects of electric flight. The cohort of 1st Quarter 2022 new VFS Corporate Members is listed below. Descriptions of each company, including links to websites and contact information, are found in the VFS Corporate Member Directory. Information on the benefits and rates for corporate membership are posted on our Corporate Membership page. ANDAR Electromechanical Systems: Small Business Aria Group, Inc.: Associate ASKA: Associate Avports LLC: Small Business Baldwin Safety and Compliance: Associate Bayard Vertiports: Small Business Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM): Affiliate Kittyhawk Corporation: Small Business LuftCar LLC: Small Business MAGicALL, Inc.: Small Business Odys Aviation: Small Business Prime Air: Associate Roland Berger GmbH: Associate Shanghai TCab Technology Co., Ltd: Small Business SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd: Bronze Technology for Energy Corporation: Associate UAS Center at SBD: Associate VPorts and ATM: Small Business Whisper Aero, Inc.: Associate Women & Drones: Associate ZEVA: Small Business These new VFS corporate members include companies, non-profits and government agencies from around the world that are supporting all aspects of vertical flight and related technologies. In addition to significant civil and military rotorcraft developments, such as the US Armys Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, electric aircraft developments increased markedly over the past year. VFS is now preparing for the worlds largest and longest-running vertical flight conference, the 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display, May 10-12 in Ft. Worth, Texas. The Forum features more than 200 technical papers on the latest theory and practice of vertical flight for helicopters, advanced rotorcraft, drones and eVTOL aircraft, as well as some 35 presentations by invited speakers and more than 60 exhibitors. The event also includes short courses on eVTOL Technology and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), the 78th Annual Grand Awards Program, and a tour of the Bell Training Academy. Learn more at http://www.vtol.org/forum. VFS was founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943 by the visionaries of the early helicopter industry, who believed that technological cooperation and collaboration were essential to support this new type of aircraft. Today, history is repeating itself, with VFS playing a similar role helping to advance todays revolutionary electric aircraft. VFS is @VTOLsociety on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube The Vertical Flight Society 2700 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 275, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA 1-703-684-6777 fax: 1-703-739-9279 staff@vtol.org http://www.vtol.org Says Wolf Hill Group President Tara Kochis, Bob Lyle has tremendous intellect, energy, and passion, and will be a terrific addition to the Cybeats leadership team! Wolf Hill Group, a Slone Partners company and a national executive search firm focused on cybersecurity, has announced the placement of Bob Lyle as Chief Revenue Officer at Cybeats Technologies Inc., a Toronto-based cybersecurity firm rapidly scaling up commercial operations in the software supply chain and IoT security sectors. Lyle is a respected industry leader with more than 20 years of experience in domestic and international sales and management. He recently served as Senior Vice President, Vertical Markets at SpyCloud, where he led the companys efforts to engage with key market verticals, including telecommunications, e-commerce, healthcare, and others. He moved into that position after serving as the companys Vice President, Mobile. Prior to his work at SpyCloud, Lyle served as Chair, Device Security Group at GSMA in London; CEO and Co-Founder of Valona Labs, Inc.; Vice President, Mobile at Absolute Software; and Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing at Freebit AS. His previous experience includes five years as Vice President, Mobile Services at Xperi Corporation, and more than five years as Vice President, Worldwide Sales at TapRoot Systems. Bob Lyle is an extremely experienced and high-performing executive with a stellar track record of success leading corporate sales teams in the mobile device cybersecurity and multimedia IP licensing spaces, both in the United States and abroad, said Wolf Hill Group President Tara Kochis. He has tremendous intellect, energy, and passion, and will be a terrific addition to the Cybeats leadership team! Bob has established himself as a visionary and innovative leader of highly-successful sales teams for enterprise cybersecurity and consumer device companies with two decades of experience, both on the hardware and software sides, said Yoav Raiter, CEO of Cybeats, We are extraordinarily excited to tap into his talents and insights as we move forward to scale up commercial operations. Lyle holds a bachelors degree and a masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Arizona State University. He also received an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the MIT Sloan School of Management. ABOUT WOLF HILL GROUP Wolf Hill Group, a Slone Partners company, is a national executive search firm exclusively focused on cybersecurity. With more than 75 years of leadership recruitment experience among its founders, Wolf Hill Group excels at building cybersecurity leadership teams for startups, venture capital, private equity, and family office investors. We work in all domains of cybersecurity, including security & risk management, asset security, security engineering, communications & network security, identity & access management, security assessment & testing, security operations, and software development security. Furthermore, we build cybersecurity leadership for enterprises in almost all sectors, including critical infrastructure, banking, financial services, healthcare, insurance, and public utilities. To learn more, visit the website: https://www.wolfhillgroup.com/. ABOUT CYBEATS Cybeats Technologies Inc. delivers intelligent security applications for software supply chains and IoT connected devices, autonomously detecting and eliminating cyber risks from design to operation. Cybeats - Software Made Certain. Cybeats is currently owned by Scryb AI (CSE:SCYB). For additional information, please visit the website: https://www.cybeats.com/. Reporter: According to media reports, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the United States Department of Defense on Tuesday announced that the US State Department has approved an arms sales plan worth 95 million US dollars to China's Taiwan region, which includes military technologies and relevant equipment, to provide professional and technical assistance to Taiwans Patriot Air Defense System. What's your comment? Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense: The US arms sales to the Taiwan region of China seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, grossly interfere China's internal affairs, gravely undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm the relations between the two countries and their militaries, also gravely sabotage peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China is firmly opposed to this and makes solemn representations to the US side. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and brooks no foreign interference. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, revoke the arms sales plan and stop military ties with Taiwan, to avoid causing further damage to the relations between the two countries and their militaries. The Chinese People's Liberation Army will take firm and strong measures to thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence", and resolutely defend Chinas national sovereignty and security interests. Porterville, CA (93257) Today A clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Athens, GA (30605) Today Mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Some of the storms may become severe. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy. Low 58F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Athens, GA (30605) Today Rain showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 57F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 57F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. People gathered in Harmony Parking lot in Brattleboro on Friday, April 22nd for a street festival and parade in celebration of Earth Day. According to Nancy Braus of 350 Brattleboro, the goal was to celebrate the ways in which the community is working towards climate justice and to empower Daniel King, 40, of Westminster, was shot by a homeowner after allegedly kicking in a door at Shady Pines Park in Westminster on March 14. 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. Roger Maynard of Wilmington, a World War II veteran, receives a Quilt of Valor from the Deerfield Valley chapter of the Quilt of Valor organization during the Memorial Day ceremonies in Wilmington in 2019. BRIDGEPORT Alex Jones wont be able to argue the merits of the defamation cases he lost to Sandy Hook families here and in Texas when juries decide damages in trials later this year. But the embattled host of Infowars argued his defaulted cases to the media outside Josephs Steakhouse in downtown Bridgeport on Wednesday, after giving a second and final day of pretrial testimony ordered by a Connecticut judge. Most of the families didnt sue me, and those that did I understand they had a lot of pain, but attacking me wont bring their children back, Jones said during interviews on Wednesday that he posted on his Infowars site. And claiming that my free speech is hurting them and then misrepresenting what I said is not going to bring their children back. In separate three-minute interviews in which Jones did all the talking, he stressed three points that the Sandy Hook defamation cases are a pretext for war on the First Amendment and the alternative media; that the mainstream media and the government conspire to stage events and lie about him; and that he apologizes for the mistakes that he makes most notably about calling the 2012 killing of 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. I believe Sandy Hook happened. Im sorry for the families, Jones said. But theyre being used in my view as pawns by powerful Democrat law firms that want to try to shut down Infowars and Alex Jones. And once that domino falls, theyll be able to shut down everybody. An FBI agent and eight families represented by Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder who won their defamation case against Jones in November released a statement Wednesday night after Jones completed his second and final day of questioning in preparation for a trial in August to award damages. Mr. Jones has now been deposed by attorneys representing the Sandy Hook families that he has so deeply and repeatedly harmed over the years, said the families lead attorney, Chris Mattei. We appreciate that the court took firm measures to compel this deposition, which likely would not have happened otherwise. Mattei was referring to escalating $25,000 daily fines imposed by state Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis last week after Jones skipped two court-ordered depositions dates in March, when he complained of a lot of stress. The fines stopped when Jones flew to Connecticut this week and joined his New Haven attorney Norm Pattis at the depositions in Bridgeport. The only reference Jones made Wednesday about his health that caused him to skip the March depositions was that he had suffered from a sinus infection and vertigo. Jones First Amendment arguments will be off the table when jury trials begin here and in Texas, where judges defaulted him for procedural abuses. Only evidence related to damages will be argued. Jones made headlines last week when he offered $120,000 each to the 15 people who won the defamation case against him in Connecticut and the four people who won the two defamation cases against him in Texas. The Connecticut families rejected the settlement offer. The Texas families are focusing on their trials, the first of which begins on April 25 in a Travis County courtroom. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 Recovery for All CT, a progressive coalition of labor, community and faith groups, is targeting the conservative think tank Yankee Institute over what it sees as its opposition to legislation supporting working people in Connecticut. The coalition convened an online press conference Wednesday to call attention to two new reports critical of Yankee Institutes policy agendas over the years and some of its funders, who have also donated to organizations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The critique comes as the debate around tax relief ramps up in the General Assembly with majority Democrats pushing for a new tax break for the working poor and a new state child tax credit, among other proposals meant to help lower and middle income residents. Recovery for All has advocated for higher taxes on the states wealthiest residents as a path to economic equity and increased funding for social services. Yankee Institutes advocacy for regressive tax policies has been detrimental to that fight, coalition members said Wednesday. They have been the mouthpiece of the ultrawealthy in Connecticut, advocating for policies that provide kickbacks to the rich, that defund our schools, that cut vital services, said Rob Baril, president of SEIU District 1199, which represents unionized nursing home workers. Yankee Institutes website describes its mission as developing and advancing free-market, limited-government solutions in Connecticut. Carol Platt Liebau, the groups president, said the reports are an attack on our proposals to empower people rather than government. Instead of stooping to smears (many of them inaccurate), we hope Recovery for All will engage with us on the issues, and offer its ideas for improving the lives of people throughout our state, Liebau said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon. One of the reports outlines Yankee Institutes policy track record including support for eliminating personal and corporate income taxes and privatizing some state services, and opposition to paid family leave and increases to the states minimum wages. The other report delves into Yankee Institutes funding sources including receiving more than $3 million from DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, which have also given millions of dollars to hate groups including the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the Center for Security Policy, both of which promote anti-Muslim bigotry. DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund, entities funded in part by the Koch family, have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the conservative movements fights against collective bargaining, climate policies and public schools. Koch Industries has recently come under fire for continuing to do business in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Given this, state Reps. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, and Anne Hughes, D-Easton, said lawmakers should be wary of Yankee Institutes advocacy on bills before the General Assembly. I urge my colleagues not to be fooled by the concept of 'Yankee, individualistic, scrappy, sound values' that its title suggests, but understand that this organization is a mouthpiece for national, right-wing, big money interests, not Connecticuts interests Hughes said. julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com Steven Hirsch/AP NEW YORK (AP) A Manhattan jury found rapper Kidd Creole guilty of manslaughter Wednesday in connection with the 2017 fatal stabbing of a homeless man on the street. The rapper, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, had gone on trial last month for the death of John Jolly, who was stabbed twice in the chest with a steak knife in midtown Manhattan in August 2017. WASHINGTON (AP) Medicare said Thursday it's considering a cut in enrollee premiums, after officials stuck with an earlier decision to sharply limit coverage for a pricey new Alzheimer's drug projected to drive up program costs. The agency is looking at that, and is still going through the process, spokeswoman Beth Lynk said of a potential reduction in premiums, as Medicare announced its final coverage decision for Aduhelm, a drug whose benefits have been widely questioned in the medical community. Officials said Medicare will keep coverage restrictions imposed earlier on the $28,000-a-year medication, paying for Aduhelm only when it's used in clinical trials approved by the Food and Drug Administration or the National Institutes of Health. The projected cost of Aduhelm was a major driver behind a $22 increase in Medicares Part B premium this year, boosting it to $170.10 a month. That price hike is already being paid by more than 56 million Medicare recipients signed up for the programs outpatient coverage benefit. Lawmakers have called for a rollback and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra already directed Medicare to reassess. Thursdays coverage decision illustrates the impact that a single medication can have on the budgets of individuals and taxpayers. It comes as legislation to authorize Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices remains stuck in the Senate, part of President Joe Bidens stalled social and climate agenda. That's left Democrats with nothing to show on their midterm election-year promises to cut prescription drug costs, unless they can overcome internal disagreements. Most Medicare recipients have their premiums deducted from their monthly Social Security checks. And despite a big cost-of-living increase, they're feeling the bite of inflation. Medicare's determination on Aduhelm included an important caveat. Officials said that if it or any other similar drug in its class were to receive what's called traditional FDA approval, then Medicare would open up broader coverage for patients. Such approval is granted when a medication shows a clear clinical benefit. That was not the case with Aduhelm. It received what's known as accelerated approval last year because of its potential promise. But manufacturer Biogen is required to conduct a follow-up study to definitively answer whether Aduhelm truly slows the progression of Alzheimers. If that study is successful, FDA would grant full approval. That would also open up Medicare coverage. Dr. Lee Fleisher, chief medical officer of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said there will be quick access for Medicare beneficiaries for Alzheimer's drugs that receive the traditional FDA approval, after demonstrating a clear benefit. Aduhelm hit the market as the first new Alzheimers medication in nearly two decades. Initially priced at $56,000 a year, it was expected to quickly become a blockbuster drug, generating billions for Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen. But although the company slashed the price in half to $28,000 a year Aduhelm's rollout has been disastrous. Pushback from politicians, physicians and insurers left the company with just $3 million in sales from Aduhelm last year. Doctors have been hesitant to prescribe it, given weak evidence that the drug slows the progression of Alzheimer's. Insurers have blocked or restricted coverage over the drugs high price tag and uncertain benefit. The CMS decision means that for Medicare to pay, patients taking Aduhelm will have to be part of clinical trials to assess the drugs safety and effectiveness in slowing the progression of early-stage dementia. Tamara Syrek Jensen, head of CMSs coverage and analysis unit, said it's status quo as far as limitations the agency initially imposed on Aduhelm in January. The limits stayed on despite a massive lobbying push by the Alzheimers Association to change Medicares position, including outreach to members of Congress, online advertising and social media campaigns directed at the agency. The association, the largest group of its kind, has received contributions from drugmakers, including Biogen. The groups CEO said he was very disappointed after reviewing Medicare's decision. Denying access to FDA-approved Alzheimers treatments is wrong, Harry Johns said in a statement. At no time in history has CMS imposed such drastic barriers to access FDA-approved treatments for people facing a fatal disease. Aduhelm has sparked controversy since the FDA approved it against the recommendation of outside advisers. The medicine, administered intravenously in a doctors office, hasnt been shown to reverse or significantly slow Alzheimers. But the FDA said its ability to reduce clumps of plaque in the brain is likely to slow dementia. Many experts say there is little evidence to support that claim. And a federal watchdog and congressional investigators are conducting separate probes into how the FDA reviewed the medication. Alzheimers is a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. The vast majority of U.S. patients are old enough to qualify for Medicare, which covers more than 60 million people, including those 65 and older, and disabled people under 65. The reason Aduhelm falls under Medicare's outpatient benefit, and not its pharmacy drug program, is that it's given in a doctor's office. Beneficiary premiums are set to cover about 25% of the cost of outpatient care. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate States with some of the nations strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. The findings raise questions about the strength of the social safety net as those states are poised to further restrict or even ban abortion access following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in another state where the procedure remains widely available. Mississippi has the nations largest share of children living in poverty and babies with low birth weights, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control, the latest available. Texas has the highest rate of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester and ranks second worst for the proportion of children in poverty who are uninsured, the data show. Laws from both states are at the center of the nationwide fight over abortion access. The Supreme Courts conservative majority signaled willingness in a Mississippi case to gut or strike down Roe v. Wade. Anti-abortion lawmakers there say they will further promote adoption and foster-care programs if abortion is banned, as well as funding alternatives to abortion programs. If Roe is overturned, 26 states are certain or likely to quickly ban abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that supports abortion rights. Many of those states ranked poorly in measurements that nonpartisan advocacy groups consider key to ensuring children get a healthy start. Data analyzed by the AP illustrates the hurdles pregnant women and their children face in states with the most stringent abortion restrictions and how access to resources can lag behind that of states that also have more permissive abortion laws. Jazmin Arroyo, a 25-year-old old single mom in Kokomo, Indiana, had to stop working as a receptionist after her first child was born because she couldnt afford day care. Arroyo found a job as a restaurant host, but it didnt offer insurance and her second child has a heart defect. She now has thousands in unpaid medical bills. I never could have imagined how hard it would end up being, she said. Indiana has the second-highest rate of women 18% who dont receive prenatal care during their first trimester and has a high percentage of children in poverty without insurance, more than 9%. The AP analyzed figures from several federal government agencies in seven categories metrics identified by several nonprofits and experts as essential to determining whether children get a healthy start. Generally, states that had passed preemptive abortion bans or laws that greatly restrict access to abortion had the worst rankings. Alabama and Louisiana joined Mississippi as the top three states with the highest percentage of babies born with low birth weights. Texas, Indiana and Mississippi had the highest percentage of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester. In response to APs findings, many conservative state lawmakers said women can give their newborns up for adoption and said they would support funding increases for foster-care programs. In Oklahoma, GOP Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said he would work to increase salaries for child-welfare workers and state money for adopting foster parents. Theres going to be a commitment there, but it wont be a new commitment. It will be a continuing effort on our part, he said. Some Democratically controlled states with more permissive abortion laws also measured poorly in some categories. New Mexico ranks third highest for the share of its children living in poverty, Delaware ranks fifth highest for the percentage of women who receive no early prenatal care and California is among the top five states between Oklahoma and Arkansas for the share of women and children on food stamps. Those states are generally outliers. Overwhelmingly, the data show far more challenges for newborns, children and their parents in states that restrict abortion. Abortion restrictions and troubling economic data arent directly linked, but finances are a major reason why women seek abortions, according to research by Diana Greene Foster, a professor of reproductive science at the University of California, San Francisco. Children born to women who were denied an abortion are more likely to live in a household where there isnt enough money for basic living expenses, her work has found. Texas last year passed an unusual law that leaves enforcement of an abortion ban after six weeks to civilians a law the Supreme Court largely left in place. Maleeha Aziz, an organizer for the Texas Equal Access Fund, had an abortion when she was a 20-year-old college student, after birth control failed. Shes also experienced a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes persistent, extreme nausea and vomiting. I was a vegetable. I could not move, said Aziz, who later had a daughter. Pregnancy is not a joke. It is the hardest thing that a persons body will ever go through. In Texas, 20% of women dont get prenatal care in their first trimester, according to pregnancy-risk assessment data collected by the CDC in 2016, the most recent data available from that state. The lack of prenatal care increases the risk of the mother dying or delivering a baby with low birth weight. Texas abortion foes also point to a program called Alternatives to Abortion. As with similar groups in other states, it funds pregnancy counseling, adoption services and classes about life skills, budgeting and parenting. This social service network is really critical in our mind to right now supporting pregnant women and expecting families, said John Seago, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life. Most such groups, known generally as crisis pregnancy centers, are not licensed to provide medical care. ___ Lo is a former Associated Press data journalist. Also contributing were AP writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Casey Smith in Indianapolis; and Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and data journalist Linda Gorman in Boston. Former AP writers Iris Samuels in Helena, Montana, and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge. Louisiana, also contributed. ___ Fassett is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is violating election laws by asking for votes during official appearances prior to the start of the country's campaign season for local elections in June, an electoral watchdog said Wednesday. Though the general election is more than a year away, and the two-week campaigning period for this years June 5 communal elections begins on May 21, Hun Sen is regularly using official appearances to tell crowds why they should back him on the ballot in 2023. Stumping outside of the official campaign period and while performing state duties is against the countrys electoral law, Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia monitor Kang Savang told RFAs Khmer Service. What happens to the smaller parties that dont have government positions? Are they able to compete? he said. If you are using your government positions to serve a party, thats called political exploitation. Cambodian law prevents government officials from using their positions to serve party interests. They are also prohibited from using the states budget, materials, transportation, or other assets to conduct campaigns. An official with Cambodias National Election Commission (NEC) told RFA the electoral body cannot stop Hun Sen from asking for votes outside of the official 14-day campaign period, which is the only time it can address campaign violations. The official did not address concerns related to the prime minister campaigning during official duties. Ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) spokesperson Sok Ey San confirmed to RFA that Hun Sens visits to public places were meant to cultivate votes for the ruling party, but he dismissed claims that doing so is a violation of election rules. The CPP is the ruling party. We wont exploit public appearances while on official government duty, but we are taking advantage of the opportunity because we have achieved results, he said. The CPP president is the prime minister, so presiding over certain ceremonies is a chance to show our achievements to the people. Trial continues The issue of electoral violations also came up Wednesday during the treason trial of former opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) chief Kem Sokha, when prosecutors asked him to account for his partys adherence to the law ahead of the 2018 ballot. Kem Sokha refused to answer the questions, saying that the NEC is responsible for deciding whether a party abides by electoral law, his lawyer told RFA. Kem Sokhas case centers around an alleged plot backed by the United States to overthrow Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years. The opposition leader was arrested in September 2017 and spent a year in jail before being released under court supervision. After his arrest, Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in a move that allowed Hun Sens CPP to win all 125 seats in Parliament in the 2018 election. The action drew U.S. sanctions and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union. Kem Sokha was the party president. He cannot provide election process information in detail, Pheng Heng, a member of the defense team, told RFA after Wednesdays session. During a previous session, government lawyers presented a list of names of foreign citizens who they said were involved in Kem Sokhas alleged plot to topple Hun Sen. Pheng Heng said the defense may request that the court invite the foreigners to the court to testify. We know that during these circumstances, the key is in the CPPs hands. Kem Sokha cant initiate anything, but I think if the government, which is led by the CPP, has a will to resolve this political crisis, Kem Sokha would welcome a discussion, he said. Soeng Sen Karuna of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) told RFA that if the court is accusing Kem Sokha of colluding with foreign states, it should identify which ones, or move on to providing evidence of other charges against him. These off-topic questions will delay the trial. I think we need a way to speed up the case, he said of the proceedings, which are now in their 36th week. The case was held up for nearly two years at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Observers have suggested that Hun Sen is trying to force a delay in the trial to weaken the opposition party or cause it to fracture. Proceedings in the case are scheduled to resume April 20. Defamation case Meanwhile, a provincial court in the western province of Pailin summoned Kem MonyKosal, leader of the opposition Candlelight Party, to appear before the court between April 8 and April 20 on charges of incitement and defamation. Kem MonyKosal told RFA that the case stems from an election dispute he had with a CPP official, so the court should step aside and let the NEC handle the case. He considers the summons to be a threat. This is ridiculous. They are using the court as a pretext to make political intimidation, he said. I am afraid for my personal security. The Candlelight Party, formerly known as the Sam Rainsy Party and the Khmer Nation Party, was founded in 1995 and merged with other opposition forces to form the CNRP in 2012. After the CNRP was banned, many former CNRP members joined the Candlelight party, which over the past year has gained steam as supporters believe it can pose a threat to the CPP in the upcoming elections. Kem MonyKosal only expressed his constitutionally protected vies and committed no crime, Yin Mengly, Adhocs coordinator for Pailin province, told RFA. This is purely a politically motivated case, said Yin Mengly. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Government officials blamed the coronavirus, but critics see a lack of will to tackle the problem. Human trafficking cases in Cambodia almost doubled in 2021 compared to 2020 because the government was preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic, a report issued Wednesday by the countrys National Committee for Counter Trafficking said. The report, which was released during a ceremony at the Ministry of Interior, the committees parent ministry, documented trafficking of laborers, organs, babies and surrogates, and sex workers. Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said human trafficking was on the rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged authorities not to let their guard down. Criminals are choosing human trafficking as a career. They wont let it go. They are taking advantage of us when we are facing a crisis, he said. The committees vice chairperson, Chou Bun Eng, said during an interview with a local radio station that traffickers used to move through Cambodia, but now the country has become a popular trafficking destination. She highlighted a particular case earlier this year to illustrate the point. The trafficking suspects brought in victims to Cambodia. The suspects lured the victims to work in Cambodia due to the countrys development and political stability, she said. There was huge increase compared to 2020, we found 359 cases in 2021 whereas in 2020, there were only 155 cases, said Chou Bun Eng. Trafficking of surrogates is a rising problem. In the past it was common for Cambodian surrogate mothers to give birth inside Cambodia but now they are moved to other countries, she said. The surrogates are in danger of being trafficked even after they have given birth because traffickers can confiscate their passports and IDs. Chou Bun Eng said one surrogate mother was arrested by authorities in Vietnam. She said the traffickers are able to lure victims through sophisticated means, using online communication to evade police detection. Since 2020, about 200,000 Cambodians have illegally crossed the border to work overseas but were not paid what they were promised, she said. They dont make any money. What are the benefits of the risk after spending years working and finally ending up receiving social welfare back home? Chou Bun Eng said. Many of the Cambodians trafficked into the sex industry are underage, Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights told RFAs Khmer Service. He said the authorities didnt pay attention to the problem even before the pandemic. Violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking against minors continues to occur. We urge the government to increase measures to prevent human trafficking, especially of minors, he said. In its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. State Department placed Cambodia on its Tier 2 Watchlist for the third consecutive year, meaning it does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. Endemic corruption and lack of political will continued to severely limit progress in holding traffickers accountable; corruption continued to impede law enforcement operations, criminal proceedings and victim service provision, the State Department said. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Concerns are growing over plans by a state-backed Chinese company to acquire the U.K.'s largest semiconductor plant for U.S. $82 million, amid reports that the British government has "quietly" approved the sale despite ordering a review a year ago. "This is about the United Kingdom's biggest producer of microchips and semiconductors. It is about national resilience," crossbench peer Lord Alton told the U.K.'s upper house on Thursday. "It's about whether or not we wish to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the People's Republic of China, which has been accused of genocide by Elizabeth Truss, our foreign secretary." "Why aren't we giving consideration [to] the remarks of Ciaran Martin, the former head of the National Cybersecurity Centre, that there are 'very real concerns about the buyout', and that it poses a greater threat than allowing Huawei to build the United Kingdom's 5G network." The question followed an April 1 report by the news website Politico, which cited sources as saying that ministers have decided not to intervene in the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab following a review by the governments national security adviser, Stephen Lovegrove. "Lovegrove concluded there were not enough security concerns to block it," the report cited two government officials as saying. Both the British government and Nexperia, the potential buyer, denied that the acquisition had been approved, however. The U.K.'s National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, which took effect on Jan. 4, 2022, empowers cabinet ministers to review and block foreign acquisitions that may damage national security. According to official guidelines on the government's website, an acquisition is likely to fall within the scope of the act if the investor "is involved in the ownership, creation, supply or exploitation of intellectual property of ... computer processing units, architectural, logical or physical designs for such units, the instruction set architecture for such units, code, written in a low-level language, that can control how such units operate, or integrated circuits with the purpose of providing memory. The House of Commons foreign affairs committee said on April 5 that it had sent letters to different government departments on many occasions regarding the deal, and had concluded that the review hadn't been implemented according to the request of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. CCP backing Nexperia is ultimately owned by Wingtech, a Shanghai-listed company reportedly backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) specializes in the fabrication of high-end silicon semiconductor chips and in manufacturing silicon chips for power conversion, and the industry in south Wales has received "significant financial support" from the government, the Committee said in its report. According to Chinese investment screening specialists Datenna, Wingtech is heavily backed by the CCP. Wingtech Chair Zang Xuezheng assumed the role of Nexperia CEO in March 2020, the report said. "Given the importance of semiconductors to the U.K.s national security, we identified the acquisition of the U.K.s largest semiconductor manufacturer by a company backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a cause for concern; even more so in the context of global semiconductor shortages," the report said. "We argued that it is crucial that the Government gets the new investment screening regime right from the beginning." Ruling Conservative Party MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said the government should act under national security powers to review sensitive and strategic foreign investments in the U.K. He said the deal had left many wondering why national security-related infrastructure was being handed over to overseas companies with clear links to the Chinese government. He warned against acting only for short-term economic interests, rather than for future economic stability. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is "determined" to get control over access to key technologies amid a global semiconductor shortage. He warned against "appeasing" China, which was trying to block Western countries' access to microchips and other sought-after electronic components. No.10 Downing Street declined to comment. The CCP-backed Global Times newspaper has hit out at Tugendhat for being "anti-China," while he and eight other individuals are barred from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau. "Their properties in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be prohibited from doing business with them," the paper reported on March 26. Similar sanctions have also been imposed on Duncan Smith, it said. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. A doctor kills himself after police interrogation in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. Authorities in protective clothing set up a roadblock during an extended lockdown in Shanghai, China, after a fresh surge in COVID-19 virus cases, March 31, 2022. Public criticism is growing in China of the authorities' Cultural Revolution-style anti-COVID-19 campaigns after a doctor took his own life over a hospital outbreak and officials killed pets whose owners tested positive for the virus. While most criticism or negative news about the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s zero-COVID policy is swiftly removed by internet censors, reports have surfaced in recent days that Shi Jun, head of neurosurgery at the Jidong County People's Hospital in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, died by suicide after being arrested and interrogated by police in connection with a COVID-19 outbreak at his hospital. The outbreak was started by a woman who used her mother's PCR test result to gain admission to the hospital for brain surgery, but who passed the virus on to other patients, causing an outbreak that led to a county-wide lockdown and billions of yuan in economic losses, according to local media reports. Shi was arrested and interrogated by police over seven days for hours at a time, forcing him to wear handcuffs and leg irons when he went for a medical checkup, and threatening him with a heavy sentence if he didn't "confess." He managed to take his own life while in detention by breaking his toothbrush and using it to stab an artery in his thigh, according to social media posts, many of which were quickly deleted. A fellow Jidong county doctor surnamed Chen told RFA the Shi had died in the course of the investigation into the outbreak. "Yes, it's true, he really is dead," Chen said. "It's been more than a week now, I think." "I don't know the details, because I don't work at the same place, but I heard it was because of a mistake or negligence at work, giving rise to an outbreak of COVID-19," he said. An employee who answered the phone at the Jidong County People's Hospital refused to comment on the case when contacted by RFA on Thursday. "I don't know about this; we're not in the same department ... we didn't know each other that well, there are hundreds of people who work here, and we had very little contact," the employee said. "What media organization are you from?" "You can call management [and ask them]," the employee said. Shi was among thousands of doctors who volunteered to work on the front line of the early pandemic in the central city of Wuhan in February 2020, working at the Yingcheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for 39 days. He was lauded by state media as a hero of the pandemic, with his wife and children appearing on TV, and his family named as "the most beautiful family" of Heilongjiang by the CCP-backed Jixi Women's Federation, as part of CCP leader Xi Jinping's insistence on positive news stories about the pandemic. An employee who answered the phone at the Jixi Women's Federation declined to comment when contacted by RFA on Thursday. "We don't know much about this," the employee said. "If you want to ask about the most beautiful family, the person in charge of that department isn't here ... You can always call again later." An employee who answered the phone at the Yingcheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital also declined to comment. "I haven't been contact with him ... I didn't work with him, OK?" the employee said, before hanging up the phone. Calls to the Jidong county police department, the county health bureau and the Jidong county government rang unanswered during office hours on Thursday. Public anger over China's "campaign-style" approach to managing COVID-19 appears to be breaking through onto social media despite official attempts to erase it. Genuine hardship Shanghai resident Ji Xiaolong, who has been under COVID-19 lockdown alongside 26 million others for several days now, has been warned off speaking out in public after he published a petition to the authorities in Beijing, hitting out at the zero-COVID policy. "I hope my petition will be placed on Xi Jinping's desk," Ji told RFA on Thursday, adding that he has been taking two or three phone calls a minute from people across China since he posted it. "[They call from] all over the country; there are also overseas Chinese, ordinary people who have escaped from Shanghai," he said. "[I've had] thousands of phone calls, text messages, WeChat, voice notes and Weibo comments." Ji also hit out an online censorship, saying that much of the information posted to social media is genuine, and not "rumors," as claimed by the government. "The Shanghai government debunks a [so-called] rumor every two minutes," he said. "Are there really so many rumors? These rumors are often later confirmed, so they're not necessarily rumors." Ji said the restrictions have caused genuine hardship in his residential community. "There are people in our community who need to go to the hospital on a regular basis," Ji said. "I saw [one of them] begging [officials] in our WeChat group. There is a neighborhood committee for our community, but they need to report [trips for medical attention] to higher ups, one level after another, and several days have gone by." "There are others who are unwilling to beg, because of their dignity, so they endure the pain instead; they definitely exist too." 'They're like the Red Guards' U.S.-based commentator Chen Pokong said there's a joke circulating in Shanghai that the government doesn't care if you die, as long as you don't die of COVID-19. "This is the government's position," Chen said. "Hospitals and emergency rooms are closed, and critically ill patients can't get treatment or assistance." "Many critically ill patients are dying or starving to death, of jumping off buildings," he said. Ji said epidemic prevention officials were jokingly referred to by residents as "condoms," because of their protective suits. "They're like the Red Guards [community enforcers during the Cultural Revolution]," he said. "We all have to stay inside, but they can walk around openly wherever they like." "Judging from their age and mental outlook, they are also excellent Communist Party members, civil servants transferred to our community to 'serve the people' and who forced us to accept their 'service'," Ji said. Ji said he believes that around 80 percent of Shanghai residents now oppose the lockdown, compared with 80 percent who supported it when it started. "Some communities are simply refusing to be managed by the neighborhood committee, and have spontaneously form autonomous communities," he said. "They're doing very well, because the help and support each other, and have set up various mutual aid groups. Our community is trying this too." "People donate [ingredients like] salt or ginger in a public area ... where people can just take what they need, and nobody fights anyone or tries to take all of it," he said. "Even if there's a basket of good beef, they won't take all of it, but ... cut a piece off instead." Ji said the neighborhood committee was going with the flow. "To start with, they were acting all strict and giving out orders, but after a week of lockdown, they were more tired than anyone else," he said. Pets at risk Ji's petition came after video footage of enforcement personnel in full protective gear beating a corgi by the side of a road on Pudong New District after the dog's owner tested positive for COVID-19. In the video, a member of the local neighborhood committee admits to poisoning the corgi because its owner tested positive and handed it over to the committee in the hope that they would take care of it. "I didn't think about it very thoroughly at the time," the official says. "We will offer him an explanation or some compensation." Meanwhile, a resident of Xuhui district said local officials had notified her they would kill her cat after she was ordered into an isolation facility. A Shanghai resident surnamed Ma said the authorities are showing scant regard for human rights. "There is no legal process for people, who are being illegally detained, so do you think they'll have them in place for dogs?" Ma said. "Why would they treat dogs humanely when they're illegally detaining people?" Qin Xiaona, president of the Capital Animal Protection Association, said animals are often the first casualties in times of national emergency in China. "Animals are vulnerable, because they can be slaughtered at will, or treated in any way," Qin said. "There are people posting online constantly that the authorities are coming to people's homes to kill their cats or dogs." "This kind of thing isn't uncommon in China ... because mainstream ideology doesn't view it as a crime ... people using the slogan of disease prevention can commit all manner of evil deeds." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. She was sold to a Chinese 'husband' and then trafficked again, with kidnappers demanding payment of a ransom. An anti-trafficking poster is shown at a Lao checkpoint on the Laos-China border in a file photo. A Lao woman kidnapped from her home in China and held for ransom is still alive, family members and other sources say, citing social media postings offering the woman for sale. Ketkeo Xayavong, who had already been sold by traffickers to a Chinese husband" in Jiangxi province, was taken from her home on Feb. 23 by an unidentified group who confiscated her mobile phone, a friend and neighbor recently told RFAs Lao Service. They said they would return her phone after she was sold to a new husband, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. She was then sold right away to another human trafficking gang in Hunan, but this gang doesnt like her because shes so old, she said. Ketkeos story is now going viral on TikTok, with some people saying that she left her husband and now wants to get married again, another friend said, also declining to be named. Another post described her as an available single woman, giving contact information for anyone interested in buying her. Another post expressed concern for Ketkeos well-being, urging anyone encountering her to contact her family in Laos. Ketkeos sister told RFA that the traffickers holding her have now asked her Chinese husband to pay a ransom for her return. After seeing our stories about Ketkeo on social media, two of her friends who are also married to men in China say that the traffickers dont want to sell her anymore, she said. Instead, they want to return her to her husband for a ransom which theyve reduced from 200,000 yuan (U.S. $31,000) to 20,000 yuan (U.S. $3,100). Ketkeos husband had already paid 130,000 yuan (U.S. $20,000) for her as dowry when he first bought her, though, and now just wants his money back, Ketkeos sister said. He and the kidnappers are now negotiating for her return. Her husband knows where Ketkeo is, but doesnt want to say, she added. Ketkeos sister said her family is happy just knowing that Ketkeo is still alive, she said. Weve been worried about her for the last two months. I thought that my sister might already be dead or, even worse, been murdered. The news that she is still alive is encouraging, she said. Ketkeo Xayavong (L) and her Chinese 'husband' (R) in undated photos. Credit: Ketkeo's cousin Laos asks for information An official of the Foreign Affairs Department of Xayaburi province told Ketkeos family at the end of last week that they should now wait four or five days for news of progress in the case, her sister said. Meanwhile, a member of the provinces anti-human trafficking unit told RFA they have asked family members for details to help in their own investigation. We want to know more about how she ended up in China, how she disappeared, and how she was lied to and so on, he said. Then well forward those details to the provincial police and the provincial foreign affairs department, and these two departments will write a letter to the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will then contact the Lao embassy in China, he said. Young women continue to be trafficked from Laos to China in spite of NGO and government efforts to alert them to the dangers involved in trusting recruiters promises of well-paid work across the border, police officials say. The Lao National Committee on Anti-Trafficking in Persons dealt last year with 25 cases of human trafficking involving 40 human traffickers, Lt. Col. Kikeo Chanthalangsy, deputy chief of the committee, said at an annual meeting of the group on March 3. The U.S. State Departments 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report said Laos had increased its overall efforts to combat trafficking during the year, but fell short in victim identification and screening procedures and failed to adequately investigate suspected perpetrators of sex trafficking. Translated by Max Avary for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney. Sources say his mother is being coerced into providing info on armed insurgents. UPDATED at 11:55 A.M. EDT on 2022-04-08 Junta security forces have detained a three-year-old boy from a preschool in Myanmars commercial capital Yangon, according to eyewitnesses, who say they believe the child is being used to obtain information on an armed opposition group. Thant Phone Waiyan was taken into custody on Tuesday, his fourth birthday, from the Best Choice Kindergarten on Settwin Road in Yangon's Alone township, a teacher at the school told RFAs Myanmar Service. After arriving at the school at around 12:40 p.m., a group of 20 soldiers initially sent in a plainclothes officer who told teachers that he was the boys uncle. The teacher said that staff blocked the doorway with both hands and didnt let him get in, and that she told the officer she had plans to adopt the boy and would not let anyone take him. At that moment, another group of men came in with their guns. There were about four or five of them. While I was arguing with them, two guys pushed me aside to get in, the teacher told RFA. One teacher brought out the boy and they looked at him from head to toe before taking him away. They were about to handcuff me at first, but they changed their mind. The incident reportedly lasted around 10 minutes. A source close to the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that two days after the arrest, the child's mother Ma Wai was hit by a car, and then shot and detained in Yangon. Other family members have reportedly since fled in fear of being targeted. The source indicated that the reason for the arrest may be to pressure Ma Wai to provide information about members of the anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitary group, which has risen up in opposition to the militarys Feb. 1, 2021 coup. "It is believed that the child was arrested so that she could be coerced to yield secret information because she knew they had her child, the source said. It was not immediately clear what ties Mai Wai has to the PDF, if any. A resident of Yangons Sin Min Ward, where the child is from, condemned the abduction. If they want to make an arrest, arrest the parents. What can the child know? I feel sorry for the child. I also have kids, said the resident, who declined to be named. [The military is] just kidnapping the kid because they want to get to the parents. Other sources told RFA that the military had detained several people since Tuesday, which they suggested had been made based on the earlier arrests. RFA was unable to independently confirm the detentions. Child arrests When asked about the reports of Thant Phone Waiyans arrest, junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun dismissed them as false. It doesnt make sense. They are talking nonsense. Which child did we arrest? There is no record of such arrests, he said. While Zaw Min Tun denied that security forces had arrested Thant Phone Waiyan, he acknowledged to RFA in January that some children have been detained in raids. According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, authorities have arrested 255 children between the ages of nine months and 18 years since last years coup. Of those arrested, 62 have been released, but 191 remain imprisoned and two have been sentenced to death, the group says. Khin Maung Myint, a veteran lawyer, told RFA on Thursday that Thant Phone Waiyans arrest was made in violation of both Myanmars Penal Code and the Protection of the Rights of the Child Act. They arrested the child for his parents actions, he said. Even if a child committed a crime or even a murder, they would have no right to arrest or prosecute the child. Children are already protected by law. Ei Thinzar Maung, Deputy Minister for Youth and Children for the Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG), told RFA that NUG is working to secure the boys release and said U.N. agencies have been informed about his abduction. As soon as we heard the news, we [began] working for the immediate release of the child, he said. To abduct a four-year-old boy because they cannot arrest the parents is shocking. Its a violation of international law and is also a terrorist act. We have reported this to the U.N. The NUG was formed in the aftermath of the military coup by members of the ousted government of Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, as well as other civil society and pro-democracy activists, and says it represents the effort to return to democratic rule in the country. According to the AAPP, junta troops have killed at least 1,733 civilians and arrested more than 10,000 others since February 2021 mostly during peaceful anti-coup protests. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to say that the child is three years old, not four. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Nawar Nemeh. Fourteen sketches smuggled out of Myanmar's Insein Prison and interviews with eight former prisoners offer a rare glimpse inside the country's most notorious jail, where thousands of political prisoners have been sent since last year's military coup and communication with the outside world is sharply limited. The ink sketches show daily life for groups of male prisoners in their dormitories, queuing for water from a trough to wash, talking or lying on the floor in the tropical heat. Beyond those depictions, the eight recently released inmates told Reuters the colonial-era facility in Yangon is infested with rats and widespread illness goes untreated. Also, bribery is common and prisoners pay for sleeping space on the floor. "We're no longer humans behind bars," said Nyi Nyi Htwe, 24, who smuggled the sketches out of the prison when he was released in October, after spending several months for a defamation conviction, on charges he denies, in connection with joining protests against the coup. Reuters could not independently verify the accounts provided by the former inmates. The artist drew the prison sketches between April and July of last year. Later released, he declined to be interviewed or identified, telling Nyi Nyi Htwe he feared rearrest. Nyi Nyi Htwe, who met the artist in prison, said the man sketched prisoners if asked and drew prison scenes wherever he went, saying he felt more relaxed while drawing. He gave Nyi Nyi Htwe, who has joined an armed rebel group since being released, the sketches as a birthday present. Nguyen Thuy Hanh is awaiting trial for allegedly disseminating materials against the state. Vietnamese activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh holds a banner calling for the release of a prisoner of conscience during a protest in Hanoi, Vietnam, in an undated photo. A well-known Vietnamese human rights activist who raised money for families of prisoners jailed for their political or religious views marked the first anniversary of her arrest for allegedly disseminating materials against the state, still in detention and awaiting trial. Nguyen Thuy Hanh, founder of the 50K Fund, which provides financial support to family members of so-called prisoners of conscience, was arrested on April 7, 2021, by police in Vietnams capital Hanoi. Authorities blocked her bank account in 2020 after she raised about 500 million Vietnamese dong (U.S. $21,600) to support the family of Le Dinh Kinh, the elderly leader of the Dong Tam commune, who was shot dead by security forces during a police raid in January 2020 amid a long-running land dispute. Hanh closed her fund in early December to take time to treat an illness, but she affirmed her continuing support for prisoners of conscience. Hanh herself had run afoul of Communist Party authorities for trying to run for a seat in Vietnams rubber-stamp National Congress in 2016. Human rights lawyer and democracy activist Nguyen Van Dai, who has been arrested twice for political reasons, told RFA that during pre-trial periods, prisoners are not allowed to see their families or defense attorneys as an additional method of punishment. We need to understand the nature of the communist authoritarian regime in Vietnam, he said. When arresting political dissidents, their main purpose is not only to deprive their freedom but also to punish them both physically and mentally. The reason they dont allow us to see our family or lawyers and do all kinds of things to suppress and torture us mentally is to exhaust our strength and determination and discourage us from fighting for our ideals after being released from jail, he said. Authorities also torment prisoners in pre-trial detention by sometimes providing half-cooked rice or stale food to eat or putting detergent into their soup, Dai added. Temporary detention is the most stressful time [for detainees], which can cause depression in those who cannot tolerate it, he said. Hanhs husband, Huynh Ngoc Chenh, said his wife was very depressed before her arrest and that the family is concerned that her psychological state now may be worse. My wife Hanh was suffering from serious depression and was being treated by a doctor in Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City] when she was arrested, he said. After a while, the detention center allowed us to send her some medicine. Hanh was forced to undergo a month-long psychiatric evaluation while being held in pre-trial detention, Chenh told RFA in January. But authorities did not tell Hanhs family about her mental state. The family learned about her month-long stay in a hospital from other patients there. We dont know anything about her health condition now, Chenh said. 'An act of torture' Vietnams investigative security agencies often extend pre-trial detention periods for political prisoners, especially with high-profile detainees being held on alleged violations of national security. Human rights organizations, including London-based Amnesty International Amnesty, have repeatedly expressed concerns over this practice, calling it an act of torture. Vietnam is currently detaining 253 prisoners of conscience, including two dozen women, according to the rights group Defend the Defenders, though the organization said it believes that the actual number is higher. Three dozen of those being held are in pre-trial detention, while the remainder has been sentenced, Vu Quoc Ngu, the organizations director told RFA on Wednesday. Prisoners charged with sabotaging the national solidarity policy and religious prisoners comprise the largest number of detainees, while about 100 belong to ethnic minority groups in northern Vietnam or the Central Highlands, he said. The rest were charged with other crimes such as overthrowing the peoples government, conducting anti-state propaganda, and abusing the rights to freedom and democracy, Ngu said. The real number of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam is likely much higher because Defend the Defenders has had difficulty obtaining information from detainees families or else their trials were held in secret and not covered by the media. The number of prisoners of conscience shows that Vietnams authoritarian regime disrespects the basic freedom rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of establishing associations and press freedom, Ngu said. This number reflects the communist governments increasing suppression. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translate by Anna Vu. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. At least 50 Ukrainian civilians were evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant amid the ruins of Mariupol, even as Russia continued to batter the strategic port city, Ukrainian officials said. "Today we were able to evacuate from Azovstal 50 women, children, and elderly people," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on May 6 on her Telegram channel. Vereshchuk added that, in the face of Russian attacks, the evacuation was extremely slowtomorrow morning we will continue the evacuation operation." Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. The United Nations has scrambled to broker a deal to help evacuate some of the 200 civilians who are holed up along with an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters in the massive Azovstal steel plant, one of the largest in Europe. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of disrupting an agreed evacuation process by firing on vehicles attempting to transport people out of the plant. Russia confirmed that some 50 people had been evacuated but did not comment on Ukrainian allegations of attacks on those leaving. Throughout the day, Russian forces continued their assault on the sprawling steel factory against the Ukrainian fighters holding out there. Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily assessment on May 6 that Russians were using aircraft as part of the renewed assault on the plant. "There are many wounded, but they are not surrendering," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on May 5 in his nightly video address. "They are holding their positions." Mariupol itself has been largely razed to the ground by weeks of street-to-street fighting and heavy bombardment. Azovstal has turned into a last stand for the Ukrainians troops struggling to prevent a complete Russian defeat of the city. Zelenskiy said that, if Russian forces killed civilians or troops who could otherwise be released, his government would no longer hold peace talks with Moscow. He said there was basically nothing left of the once-flourishing port city, only "this little turf, this little structure, the Azovstal steel mill, or what remains of it." The fight for Azovstal also comes amid speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a battlefield triumph that he can showcase on May 9 when Russia marks Victory Day -- the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. "The renewed effort by Russia to secure Azovstal and complete the capture of Mariupol is likely linked to the upcoming 9 May Victory Day commemorations and Putin's desire to have a symbolic success in Ukraine," the British Defense Ministry said in its May 6 daily assessment. "This effort has come at personnel, equipment, and munitions cost to Russia. Whilst Ukrainian resistance continues in Azovstal, Russian losses will continue to build and frustrate their operational plans in southern Donbas," the ministry said. Losing Mariupol would deprive Ukraine of a vital port on the Sea of Azov. It would also give Russia the ability to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula and free up troops to fight elsewhere in the Donbas. The Ukrainians holed up in Azovstal's labyrinthine tunnels and industrial infrastructure have been posting videos and photographs to social media, appealing to the international community. Soldiers are "dying in agony" due to the lack of proper treatment, Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Battalion, said in a video address on May 5. He pleaded for international help to evacuate the civilians and wounded fighters there. Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Zelenskiy, said on May 6 that nearly 500 civilians had been evacuated from the city and the Azovstal plant as part of a United Nations-led effort. "The next stage of rescuing our people from Azovstal is under way at the moment. Information about the results will be provided later," Yermak said in a post on Telegram on May 6. Kyiv will "do everything to save all its civilians and military." The fighting comes as Russia continues its offensive in the eastern Donbas, an offensive that has proceeded slowly and without major advances, as Ukrainian forces have blocked Russian movements and even regained territory. Ukrainian forces have been increasingly equipped with heavy artillery and powerful anti-tank and antiaircraft weaponry supplied from NATO members. Germany, which has come under pressure at home and abroad to step up its equipment supplies, said on May 6 that it would supply seven self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine after reversing its policy not to send heavy armaments to war zones. Earlier, Berlin announced it would also be sending "Gepard" antiaircraft systems. The Donbas offensive came after a thwarted campaign by Russian forces north of Kyiv in the early weeks of the war. The withdrawal of Russian troops from places like Bucha, near Kyiv, has led to a cascade of reports from witnesses who say Russian units committed atrocities that could amount to war crimes. Rights watchdog Amnesty International said on May 6 there was compelling evidence that Russian troops had committed war crimes, including extrajudicial executions of civilians, when they occupied an area outside Ukraine's capital in February and March. Civilians also suffered abuses such as "reckless shootings and torture, the group said. Russian troops had committed a "host of apparent war crimes" in Bucha, including "numerous unlawful killings," most of them near the intersection of Yablunska and Vodoprovidna streets, the report found. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and AP A former top NATO commander has said Western fears "about nuclear weapons and World War III" have left it "fully deterred" and Vladimir Putin "completely undeterred" as the Russian leader pursues his increasingly brutal invasion of Ukraine. "We have ceded the initiative to the enemy," Philip Breedlove told RFE/RL's Georgian Service in a recent interview. Breedlove is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general who led U.S. forces in Europe and served as NATO's supreme allied commander from 2013 to 2016. RFE/RL: Has NATO done enough to help Ukraine? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked for more weapons. Philip Breedlove: In my opinion, we have not. In warfare, you want to deter your enemy, you want to have the initiative and not give the enemy the initiative. And we have ceded the initiative to the enemy. There's a lot more we need to do in the role of being a provider. We have not gotten a medium- and high-altitude air defense there yet, we have not gotten coastal-defense cruise missiles there yet. I do not yet understand why we haven't gotten MiGs [fighter jets] there that other nations want to give them. So, there's a multitude of things even inside our restricted sort of format that we still need to do. RFE/RL: Zelenskiy has told NATO leaders to never again tell him that Ukraine's military does not match NATO standards. Just how good is the Ukrainian Army? Breedlove: Well, they're showing us just how good they are. They're magnificent. They have prepared a defensive depth. And they have thought very hard about how to fight with a smaller and less well-provided-for force against a larger and much heavier mechanical force. And it has worked so far like a charm and, of course, it means they use up a lot of ammunition and military weaponry and that's where the West now has to step up its game and give the Ukrainian military what it needs to fight. RFE/RL: Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Libya are all places where NATO, a defensive alliance, intervened in the past to stave off a humanitarian catastrophe. Is the reason it has not done the same in Ukraine boil down to Moscow having nuclear weapons? Breedlove: As I mentioned before, the bottom line is we in the West, certainly my nation, and NATO, are completely deterred in this matter. We have been so worried about nuclear weapons and World War III that we have allowed ourselves to be fully deterred. And [Putin], frankly, is completely undeterred. He has switched into the most horrific war against the citizens of Ukraine, it is beyond criminal at this point. You do not want to do what we have done, which is become deterred, and cede the initiative to the enemy. If you remember what all Western leaders were saying for weeks, if he does this, then we'll do that. That is the definition of ceding the initiative to the enemy and being reactive to what the enemy does. You do not want to do what we have done, which is become deterred, and cede the initiative to the enemy. RFE/RL: What message is NATO signaling, if any, as a result? Breedlove: Well, the message I worry about is the message to the Iranians, to the North Koreans, and to the Chinese. We're going to have to deal with Mr. Putin now, and we're going to have to reestablish deterrence and we're going to have to regain the initiative. And we're going to have to send Mr. Putin a strong message that the West doesn't stand for what he's doing. If [Russia] was the second-best [army] in the world, it didn't send its first team to this fight. If then we do that, we may be able to re-deter the Iranians, the North Koreans, and the Chinese but right now, the message we're sending to the entire world is if you get a nuclear weapon, you're going to have a certain reaction from the West and certainly from the United States...[that's all]. And I don't think that's the message we want to send them. RFE/RL: How do you rate the Russian armed forces in Ukraine? Breedlove: On the battlefield, it's speaking for itself. If it was the second-best [army] in the world, it didn't send its first team to this fight, because this fight has not been executed well. A few things that we completely expected from the Russians are clearly not there. We expected the Russians to fight what we in NATO call the combined-arms fight -- integration of land, air, and sea, an overarching game plan that plays out on the battlefield -- and this hasn't been apparent. The other thing that is interesting is how little role the Russian Air Force has played. It's been stymied by Ukraine's limited surface-to-air capabilities. We thought Russia could do combined arms. We thought Russia could do suppression of enemy air defense. And we've seen neither and we had assumed that Russia knew how to do this. If they do, it has not shown up in Ukraine. RFE/RL: What about other factors, including the morale of Russian troops? Breedlove: There are clear indications that the morale of the Russian troops is poor. Early in the war, a long-range platoon, which in our military are some of our toughest guys, they surrendered in northeast Kharkiv, and one of the first things out of their mouth was, "Do you have any food?" Another problem for the Russians is medical care for the wounded. Our troops know we're going to bring them off the battlefield, no matter what, and we're going to have medical care for them, and they're going to have something to eat every day and occasionally something hot to eat. That kind of army has good morale, and we see indications that those are all problems for Russia. RFE/RL: You said on March 2, "Capturing Kyiv is Russia's biggest and most important target." A month later, they aren't even close to anything like that. What could Russia's realistic military objectives be at this point? Breedlove: They had a plan that they thought was going to take two, maybe three days. They planned around that, which means I think they made a lot of mistakes about what they brought to the fight. They obviously didn't bring enough supplies, and they did not have plans for getting supplies. And if they thought they would be welcomed here, now it is clear that Russia has made an enemy out of everybody in Ukraine. There's nobody there going to be waving Russian flags for them anywhere after what they have done to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We should not accept anything that President Zelenskiy doesn't want. So, I think that possibly we will see Russia change its goals. I believe we may be entering into a phase where Russia is trying to better its negotiating position. And I believe that also -- that's a little bit of the goal of President Zelenskiy -- [the goal] is to get on the counteroffensive and start taking back some ground to better his negotiating position. We all hope and pray that we can come to a negotiated settlement. But, selfishly, I'll tell you that we should not accept anything that President Zelenskiy doesn't want. This is not about what the West wants for Ukraine right now. This is about what Ukraine and President Zelenskiy want for his people. And I think he should demand all of Ukraine's lands back. We should not try to force him into something less than that. RFE/RL: Do you think there is anything that would make Putin halt his invasion of Ukraine? Breedlove: If he comes across force, he will stop. And frankly, that's what Ukraine is working at doing now. There is still a lot of ugliness ahead. But if there were others to enter, and Mr. Putin ran into steel, I believe he would stop. If Mr. Putin continues on his criminal path, and does something crazy, like biological, chemical, or nukes, as the nations have said, he may get a different response. One of the things they [Russia] do is weaponizing refugee flows; they've got [millions of] people headed into Europe. Secondarily, in my opinion, sanctions have never changed Mr. Putin. Sanctions have hurt Russia. They've hurt the Russian people. They've hurt the Russian economy. But they have never, ever changed Mr. Putin's actions. But the sanctions now are so tough and getting tougher every day. I still do not believe they will change Mr. Putin, but they may change those around Mr. Putin. I used to say that [a plot] would never happen. But frankly, Mr. Putin is causing so much suffering for his people. And they are beginning to learn what is really going on in Ukraine. And now I wouldn't bet my paycheck on that. RFE/RL: Is there any realistic off-ramp that the West could offer Putin at this point? Breedlove: I do not believe there's a realistic off-ramp that we could offer Mr. Putin that is acceptable to Mr. Zelenskiy. That's why I said before: I am strong-minded and I want to use my voice to say we have no business telling President Zelenskiy what he should and should not do in these negotiations. He needs to make his decisions for his country. Zelenskiy is a wartime leader, we see a real wartime leader there. If he chooses to say, "No, I'm not relinquishing these currently occupied lands," then I'm behind President Zelenskiy in that. RFE/RL: Is there a potential risk that Putin could turn Ukraine into a European version of Syria? Breedlove: Russia's way of fighting when they can't win outright is exactly what you saw in eastern Syria. It's exactly what you see in Mariupol. If I can't defeat your military, I'm going to murder and terrorize your civilians. And one of the things they do is weaponizing refugee flows; they've got [millions of] people headed into Europe. And remember what happened with the refugee flows before in Europe, it created all manner of political problems, dropped a couple of very important and strong governments. And so by making them the problem of all the nations of NATO along the border, this is the new Russian way of war. And we cannot allow it to stand. RFE/RL: Is there a danger that as the conflict drags on that the rest of the world could become desensitized, paying less attention to what is going on in Ukraine? Breedlove: I do believe that people are getting -- the one word is tired. The other is incensed. The other would be angry at what they're seeing play out. If you've been watching the polls in America, it's up to now 62 percent of Americans believe we should be doing more in Ukraine. And that number has been rising because of the atrocities that we're seeing every single day, the absolute heinous criminal activity of Mr. Putin and his forces. We're watching it play out on TV every day, and the American people are getting tired of it. And I would guess that that's happening in other places around the world as well. So, I do believe that, that we are not going to get desensitized, we're just going to get more angry. These days, the nightly newscasts on Russian state TV are more triumphant proclamations about the special military operation in Ukraine than actual newscasts. Theres virtually no public mention of the rising death toll among Russian soldiers. Russia media are banned from using the words war or invasion in describing the war and the invasion. President Vladimir Putins March 18 call-to-arms to roaring, flag-waving crowds in a stadium was carried live on national TV. Six weeks into the war, amid the drumbeat of disinformation, state-run polling agency results have pointed to a surge of support for Putin. Do Russians tell the full truth when asked about their support for the war? Based on our experiment, we can safely conclude that they do not. Evidence of such a surge, however, also showed up last week in a survey by one of Russias most reputable independent pollsters, the Levada Center. For people looking for a sign of Russian weariness with Putin, Levadas poll was not it. But among academics, social scientists, and close watchers of Russian social trends, the Levada poll showed signs of something else: a Russian reluctance -- or even fear -- of speaking frankly and honestly to pollsters. In a report published on April 6, researchers affiliated with the London School of Economics examined preference falsification in Russian public opinion surveys: whether respondents were hiding their true feelings on political questions; in this case, those related to approval for Putin, for the government, or for the conduct of the war. While it is well known that fear of repression can lead to preference falsification -- i.e., people publicly supporting positions they privately dont share -- showing that this mechanism is at work is not easy, the researchers, Philipp Chapkovski and Max Schaub, wrote. After all, people are unlikely to say whether they are hiding their true preferences or not if they are hesitant to reveal these preferences in the first place. WATCH: Current Time asked people in several cities across Russia: "Did you hear about the Ukrainian city of Bucha?" Many echoed the Kremlin's line that images of atrocities were "fake." Some Russians, however, expressed shock and called the killings "horrible," while others were too afraid to share their true feelings. In their experiment, the researchers used an online Russian-designed sociological tool called Toloka to recruit 3,000 adults and devised a list of questions asking respondents whether they supported one or more of four social policies: same-sex marriage, abortion restrictions, the war in Ukraine, and cash welfare payments for poor Russians. Respondents arent asked to say which policies they support, merely how many of the four items they support. In this survey, which was conducted on April 4 and which sociologists broadly call a list experiment, half of the respondents were given a three-item list, with the question of the Ukraine war omitted; the other half was given a four-item list that included the Ukraine war question. The researchers also asked respondents a straightforward, yes-or-no question: Do you support the war? The results showed that when Russians were directly asked the question Do you support the war? 68 percent said they did. When using the list experiment, however, support for the war dropped to 53 percent. Do Russians tell the full truth when asked about their support for the war? the researchers wrote. Based on our experiment, we can safely conclude that they do not. Russians, at least those in our sample, clearly hide their true attitudes towards the war, they said. Skewed Perceptions Most Russians appear to be getting an incomplete picture of the war in Ukraine, which is by all accounts not going well for Russian forces. Russian units have withdrawn from around Kyiv, which was believed to be a primary goal of the Kremlin in the early days of the war, and no major cities have been taken, including Mariupol, which has suffered under a relentless siege that has devastated the port city. Also skewing perceptions: the death toll among Russian soldiers is not publicly available or widely discussed. Ukraines military claims that 18,500 Russians have been killed in Ukraine, while U.S. and Western intelligence say the figure is above 10,000. Russias most recent official tally came on March 25, when the Defense Ministry reported 1,351 deaths. In a post to Twitter two days after the Levada poll was released, Sam Greene, director of the Russia program at Kings College London, criticized it, saying Russians were hiding their true feelings, and that Levada should have published the rate of response -- that is, what percentage of respondents refused to participate. Levada Center, and its director, Denis Volkov, did not immediately respond to e-mails and messages from RFE/RL seeking comment. In an online discussion hosted on April 5 by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, Volkov said there were clear indicators well before the war how Russian public opinion was shifting in support of the Kremlin. I think that these figures shouldnt be a surprise because already before the conflict started, in the end of February, we already had the main counters of the attitudes towards it, he said. WATCH: Speaking to Current Time, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russian people have no access to the facts about the invasion of Ukraine. He said in January, as the scope of the Russian military buildup on Ukraines borders grew, Russians were not clamoring for war, but they were morally prepared for it. Volkov also drew a parallel to 2014, when Putins support soared in the wake of the Kremlins decision to seize Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, but he also noted that support for Putin was not universal. I think it is important to bear in mind that there is not monolithic support, like with this military operation, like with Putin, Volkov said. About half support, half of Russians support him more or less unconditionally, and about one-third, they have some doubts, like sometimes respondents say: I dont like what is happening, but you should be patriotic in such situations. The London researchers also argued that the chances of regime change are more dependent on domestic public opinion than on external pressure. And they noted that not all Russians who oppose the war oppose Putin. [B]eing against the war is not the same as being against Putin, whose high levels of support might well be real, they said. What is more, the fact that a large number of Russians support the invasion even when given the option to reveal their true private preferences is extremely concerning. Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine? David Simon, a professor of political science and director of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale University, spoke to RFE/RL's Todd Prince about this question, why it matters, and why Russias power on the UN Security Council is a problem. RFE/RL: There's been debate as to whether what is going on in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine is genocide. What are your views on that? David Simon: You know, I think there's a lot of interest in this question, not least because President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy raised the specter of genocide in his own comments earlier this week. And the images that came out of Bucha are appalling. They "shock the conscience," to use a phrase that dates back to the Nuremberg [trials] era. The question of whether or not there's a genocide under way in Ukraine -- perhaps at the behest of Russian troops, or the Russian operation as a whole -- is actually more complicated than just a matter of atrocities in any one given spot. The determination of genocide depends upon the ability to detect or infer intent. The phrase within the Genocide Convention that defines what genocide is under international law says that genocide is any certain number of acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a racial, ethnic, religious or national group as such. That's the key -- the key part of what makes genocide genocide. It's trying to destroy a group because they are a group, killing people because they are members of that group, and because the perpetrator is seeking the destruction or at least partial elimination of that group. RFE/RL: So, would that mean that so far, at least at the moment, you can't say what has gone on is genocide because there's no indication yet that it's targeting a group and we don't have the confirmation of intent? Simon: It's tricky. I'm not sure that we don't have the information...but the case is more complicated than sort of pointing at atrocities and saying, "Oh, it must be genocide." It's really a matter of connecting what has happened in terms of acts of violence and murder of civilians, massacres of civilians in the streetsto the stated war aims of Russia, of the Kremlin, of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, or even of local military commanders. In Yugoslavia and Rwanda -- where there have been international trials, international courts that considered the charge of genocide -- the initial convictions for genocide -- the very first convictions for genocide in an international court ever, in the late 1990s -- were of sort of small-town mayors who ordered soldiers that were locally under [their] control to commit acts that fell within the definition of genocide. So, we don't need to have a Putin statement per se. But ultimately, I think, in this case we might end up finding something like that. It's in the declarations regarding the Ukrainians' right to exist. WATCH: A children's summer camp in Ukraine is the site of another grisly atrocity. In a basement, there were bodies with their hands tied behind their backs and bullet holes in their heads. The Ukrainian authorities said it was a war crime committed by Russian forces. And it's tricky here, what Putin says -- and I'm paraphrasing, and I mustqualify that I'm not pointing to any specific speech -- but the general sentiment that he's been saying is that Ukraine doesn't have a right to exist. That Ukraine is a sort of international accident. And therefore, he says, Ukraine doesn't have a right to exist. At some level, that's different from saying Ukrainians don't have a right to exist. And Putin, I think, would be the first to say, "Yes, those people have a right to exist. They just have to call themselves Russians." Which really does raise some very interesting questions, I think, without really having a precedent in international law as to whether or not that constitutes genocide. Now, there's two further branches I'd like to go out from there. One is to say that there's a realm that's not in the Genocide Convention that was considered back in the 1940s at the UN, when they were discussing the composition of the Genocide Convention -- a realm of cultural genocide, which is essentially the denial of a culture and the denial of a people's right to claim a culture or national identity of some sort. That could be argued, but it has no basis in international law, for better or for worse. But the other direction where this might go is that at least some people affiliated with the Kremlin have written in [Russian] state media outlets things along the lines that the Ukrainian leadership must be liquidated. And, of course, they refer to the leadership as neo-Nazis in some form or another. However, they also don't distinguish between actual neo-Nazis [or] membership in a neo-Nazi organization and Ukrainians as a whole. So, if you're conflating that political membership with a national identity, and then you're saying that the leadership of that identity group needs to be liquidated or exterminated, you are calling for -- quite arguably, anyway -- the elimination of part of a group as such, and thus it might fall under the Genocide Convention as genocide. If some prosecutor and ultimately some judge bought the theory that calling all Ukrainians "neo-Nazis" is effectively making the dodge of calling a national group a political group...the reason that would matter is that political groups are not "protected" under the Genocide Convention the way that national groups are. They're not a protected class, to use this American constitutional term. That's from a legal standpoint. WATCH: Images of dozens of bodies lying in the streets of the village of Bucha, near Kyiv, have been seen around the world, prompting accusations of war crimes against Russian forces. RFE/RL correspondent Levko Stek traveled there on April 3 shortly after its liberation by Ukrainian forces, witnessed the carnage in the streets, and spoke to residents about what happened there. From an empirical standpoint -- and informed by work that folks have done in the field of genocide studies -- we find that very often the first move of an architect of genocide is to delegitimize the political standing of the targeted group. For example, calling Tutsis in Rwanda "cockroaches" but also "accomplices" -- all Tutsis were seen as accomplices to a rebel army. That disqualified them froma political standing within Rwandan society, according to the people who are making those claims. Similarly, calling Ukrainians "neo-Nazis" is a way of trying to remove their political standing as rightful participants in the norms of a political sphere. If you use [neo-Nazi] indiscriminately -- essentially as a slur, rather than as a specific designation -- then I would argue it's not a designation of a political group. That it is a way to target a national group as a whole. RFE/RL: What are the consequences if you label an atrocity as genocide as opposed to a war crime? Simon: It's really more in the popular imagination, the global imagination, that genocide sits atop some sort of hierarchy of crimes. In fact, it does not. There's no established hierarchy written in law anywhere. As a matter of prosecutions, someone could be prosecuted for war crimes and someone could be prosecuted for genocide. But beyond accountability, there's this question of intervention or suppression of these acts, preventing further acts of genocide or of war crimes. Now, the Genocide Convention features language that says [that] if anyone thinks genocide is going on, they should take it to the UN, and the UN will figure out how to deal with it, to paraphrase it. With Russia holding a veto on the Security Council, that's going to be slow going. There is a workaround going through the General Assembly, but it can't very easily do things like create peacekeeping forces or peacekeeping missions or authorize some sort of international coalition of military intervention. And that only applies for genocide. Now, there's a doctrine out there -- that at least theoretically all members of the United Nations have signed off on -- called "the responsibility to protect." The doctrine says that when certain crimes are recognized as taking place, and the government [that] has authority over where those crimes are happening is unable to protect the targets of those crimes, then the international community also has a responsibility to protect those individuals. Now, typically, that's been invoked in, say, Libya, where in 2011 [Muammar] Qaddafi was targeting opponents in Benghazi and elsewhere and the UN Security Council met and said Qaddafi is not interested in protecting his own civilians. In fact, he's targeting [them]. So, we'll pass a resolution that says, controversially, we via NATO can take any means necessary to protect that civilian population. But it is a dictator against his own population in that instance. Here, we're looking at a neighbor [Russia] targeting a population in a neighboring country, and the government of that neighboring country -- the targeted country [Ukraine] -- needing assistance to protect its own citizens from the predations of its neighbor. So that's something that doesn't really have precedent in the short history of "responsibility to protect" -- or at least no precedent that's been invoked. I think there have been some similar situations. But that is a realm in which the situations that require protection are not just situations of confirmed or even alleged genocide, but crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes. Those other three categories of gross human rights violations are much easier to point at and say, "Yeah, that's a war crime. That's a crime against humanity," because you don't need to infer intent. You don't need to find evidence of the mindset of the perpetrator. You just need to show, essentially, that -- in the case of crimes against humanity -- there's a widespread and systematic attack against civilians. Or in the case of war crimes, that there are violations of a fairly well-codified set of regulations regarding the conduct of armed groups during wartime. RFE/RL: If it is classified as genocide, would states be obligated to take some sort of action against, in this case, Russia? Simon: The only obligation in the convention itself is to go to the UN. That then becomes an uncertain process. There's nothing compelling, there's no institutional penalty, for not doing anything. Perhaps there should be. But in this realm of international law and international politics, we lack that mechanism to compel actual action. So the United States, for example, has made a determination that genocide is occurring -- or was occurring or has occurred -- in I think it's now eight contemporary cases. I'm not sure that they have authorized a military response, arguably, in any of them. But there's no mechanism that compels or that takes that compellence to the level of an actual response. I think mainly we have to see it almost as a rhetorical arrow in the quiver. It's something that can be used in arguments about, "Well, how far should we go? How much should the rest of the world absorb in terms of helping out Ukraine, the victims of an attempted genocide?" To say that a country has been attacked, and that needs a response, is one thing. But to say that aggression has led to genocide, that's another. That creates a stronger case to react in some way. So even, say, in Europe, where, up until this point, there's been a willingness to impose sanctions, [including] sanctions that have certainly had a cost in Europe as well. But there's been a stopping point: "Well, we cant sanction oil and gas as much as Zelenskiy would like us to." But if it shifts from aggression to aggression plus genocide, then there's more popular will and political will within sanctioning countries to say, "Yeah, we're going to raise the level of sanctions higher. We now understand that they're being targeted for genocide. We are more willing to absorb a greater cost ourselves to try to stop that." Whether that means sanctions or aid to Ukrainians, whether it's military aid, humanitarian assistance, economic aid, or perhaps even creating some momentum for a peacekeeping force that would essentially help protect [civilians]. [The use of peacekeeping forces] hasn't been entirely successful in history. There's a lot of bad precedents. If you look at, say, Bosnia. the UN was brought in during the Bosnian conflict to provide safe havens for civilians that were under attack broadly from Bosnian Serb militias. I think the lesson was properly learned that you need to support the troops that are creating the safe havens. You can't just send them there and hope for the best. That's the type of thing that the UN might muster. But even that is a big lift with Russia involved in UN decision-making. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The UN General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over reports of "gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights" by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The resolution received 93 votes in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstentions. The U.S.-initiated resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly expressed "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed his gratitude to the UN members who voted in favor of suspending Russia from the Geneva-based 47-member council, which is the UNs leading human rights organization. The rebuke marked only the second time a country has been dismissed from the council, which was founded in 2006. Libya's suspension in 2011 was the first. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the suspension, calling the move "illegal and politically motivated, aimed at ostentatiously punishing a sovereign UN member state that pursues an independent domestic and foreign policy." But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the vote. "A country that is perpetrating gross and systematic violations of human rights should not sit on a body whose job it is to protect those rights," he said. Russia was in its second year of a three-year term on the council, whose decisions are not legally binding but send important political messages. It also can authorize investigations. The suspension bars Moscow's delegation from speaking and voting at council meetings, but its diplomats can still attend debates. The world has been outraged by images from the Ukrainian town of Bucha after the withdrawal of Russian troops showing bodies of civilians who appear to have been executed and left in the streets or buried in mass graves. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this week called for the expulsion of Russia from the UN Security Council "so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression." Ukraines UN ambassador, Serhiy Kyslytsya, said Russia had committed horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity. 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. He called Russias actions in Ukraine beyond the pale and said Moscow is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. Deputy Russian Ambassador to the UN Gennady Kuzmin had urged members to vote no. What were seeing today is an attempt by the United States to maintain its dominant position and total control, he said prior to the vote. We reject the untruthful allegations against us, based on staged events and widely circulated fakes. Kyslytsya responded to Russias complaints about the proceeding, saying: We have heard, many times the same perverted logic of the aggressor trying to present itself as the victim. He also cautioned members of the General Assembly against abstaining, quoting Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel: Indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. Among the 24 countries that voted against the resolution was China, a Moscow ally that has steadfastly abstained from criticizing the invasion of Ukraine. Others were Iran, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Belarus, and Syria. Several African countries, including South Africa and Senegal, joined Brazil, Mexico, and India in abstaining. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Several Rhode Island lawmakers took part on Friday and Saturday in a virtual firearms training at the West Warwick Police-Youth Services center. Pictured from left: Richard Ramsay, chief of the West Greenwich Police Department; Maj. Jim Tiernan of the West Greenwich Police Department; Dist. 25 Rep. Tom Noret, who organized the event; Dist. 31 Rep. Julie Casimiro; Dist. 60 Rep. Karen Alzate; Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi; and officer Flavio Tavares of the Providence Police Department. The Lemon Grove City Council has denied an appeal by Jilette Yousif of KIM Investments, LLC, to operate a medical marijuana dispensary. By a 4-1 vote, the City Council on April 3 upheld a decision by the citys Development Services Department rejecting an application from KIM for a permit to open a dispensary in the 3500 block of Harris Street. City Councilman David Arambula cast the lone no vote. In November 2016, Lemon Grove voters passed Proposition V, which allowed medical marijuana dispensaries in the city with certain restrictions, including not being allowed to open within 1,000 feet of certain protected uses, including a licensed daycare. As City Councilman Jerry Jones explained, for a medical marijuana dispensary to open in the city, there are four steps: Advertisement Applying for and receiving a zoning clearance showing no sensitive uses such as daycares, playgrounds or schools; Applying for a conditional-use permit; Filling out and completing the permit; Getting City Council approval. In March 2018, Development Services Director David DeVries told Yousif and the KIM group that its permit request would be denied because the groups proposed dispensary at 3515-3521 Harris St. was within 1,000 feet of a state-licensed daycare. The daycare, at 3335 Citrus St., had previously shut its doors in November 2017, leaving an opportunity for a qualified dispensary to move in. A short time after the daycare closed, KIM was cleared by the citys zoning laws. But the daycare was re-licensed in February. Pam Epstein, a cannabis land-use and zoning expert hired by KIM, told the City Council that the dispensary had requested an application for a business permit in-between the time the daycare closed and then reopened. She said that fact was enough to prove that Yousif and KIMs dispensary should take precedence over the daycare. However, DeVries told the City Council that the KIM groups conditional-use permit for the business had not been filled out in full and was missing necessary information, and that was why it hadnt gotten the OK to proceed. The same group had previously requested a zoning clearance at the same spot in March 2017, and was denied because of the Citrus Street daycare. No appeal was filed at that time. There was also another, different licensed daycare in the area that had also surrendered its license. Arambula said he was concerned about the public hearing process that dispensaries go through and that certain protected uses might come out of the woodwork and testify, thus negating a medical marijuana businesss completed application for a conditional use permit. Jones requested that the city look into refining the approval process. Because of the way (Proposition V) was written, we have to do something different with it in order to be fair, Jones said. To me, if in the third step, if an application is already completed and a daycare moves in, I think the medical marijuana business should take precedence. Thats fair. Lemon Grove has had some pushback from prospective medical marijuana dispensaries since Prop. V was first passed in relation to daycare facilities because the city does not divulge where the daycare businesses are. The city maintains that it is bound by the state of Californias confidentiality request that it cannot make public where those daycare facilities are. DeVries said the state does agree to share its list of licensed family daycares on the condition that Lemon Grove keep the list confidential. In a report to the City Council, DeVries said that applicants have options in locating those daycare homes by canvassing their proposed location for other businesses which may prohibit their planned site; by conducting internet research regarding daycare facilities that advertise on the internet; or by phoning the DSS about daycare facilities in the community. The City Council also voted to waive the citys prohibition regarding that particular prospective business in case it plans to apply again in the future. Lemon Grove permit regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries ban an applicant from reapplying for one year once denied. karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com Oceansides City Council voted 3-2 this week to allow two medical cannabis delivery services that, if approved, could be the first legal dispensaries in North County. Oceanside approved an ordinance in April to allow the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and distribution of medical marijuana, but not dispensaries, and has been fine-tuning the measure ever since. The delivery-only services added to the ordinance Wednesday are technically dispensaries, city officials said. Its a brick-and-mortar storefront, Community Development Director Jonathan Borrego told the council. However, there would be no customer traffic within that facility. It would simply be used as a distribution point for medical cannabis deliveries. If the ordinance is approved after a second reading, probably in a few weeks, the city would begin accepting applications for the two available licenses on Oct. 1. Advertisement The decision attracted no public speakers and went quickly compared to the long, crowded cannabis discussions at meetings earlier this year. Its time to move forward, Councilman Chuck Lowery said Wednesday. He and Jerry Kern served as the councils representatives on an ad hoc committee that worked with residents and staffers to write the citys medical cannabis ordinance. Council members Jack Feller and Esther Sanchez, who voted against the dispensaries, have consistently opposed legalization, saying it would be a bad influence on young people and could lead users to other drugs. Emergency services will be burdened by legalization, Sanchez said Wednesday, and the police and fire departments should be better prepared for it. Cannabis sales should be taxed to pay for the additional police officers and other services that will be needed, she said. However, any new tax would have to be approved by the citys voters, and so far that hasnt happened. Other council members said those kinds of details can be worked out in the future. Oceanside has allowed deliveries of medical marijuana from legal sources outside the city since 2016. Many of those come from a dispensary in Santa Ana. Some of the biggest names in Oceansides farming community, and the San Diego County Farm Bureau, have backed cannabis cultivation. They see marijuana as a potential replacement for traditional crops such as strawberries, tomatoes and avocados that are being pushed out of the region by the high costs of water and labor. Vista voters will have two initiatives on their November ballot that would allow medical marijuana retailers and testing laboratories. One of those initiatives, proposed by the city, would permit up to three retailers to sell medical marijuana by delivery only, not in storefronts, and only in manufacturing and industrial zones. The other Vista initiative, proposed by a citizens group and backed by the marijuana industry, would allow 10 storefront dispensaries or more, based on population, across a wider area of the city, including commercial districts. Most other North County cities have passed ordinances that supersede state law and prohibit any commercial cultivation or sales of cannabis and cannabis products. The city of San Diego has about 18 permitted cannabis dispensaries. Illegal dispensaries, delivery services and related marijuana businesses frequently pop up across the county. Proponents of legalization say it will help control those activities. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl By Wu Minwen The national defense budget for the 2023 fiscal year released by the US government on March 28 reached a new high of USD 813.3 billion, which is more than the annual GDP of most middle powers (Turkeys 2021 GDP was USD 518 billion), both astonishing and worrying the international community greatly. For the US, pursuing absolute security for itself by passing such an obscene amount of defense budget is a bull-milking attempt; for the world, there are signs that a new round of arms race is pending. Americas defense spending has been on a constant rise ever since the Trump administration, with a particularly high growth rate for 2023. The year-on-year increase of the countrys military expenditure from 2018 to 2022 was 11.8%, 3.47%, 3.1%, 0.3%and 3.7% respectively, but it jumps to 5.9% for 2023. On January 11 this year, its Congressional Budget Office released the Long-Term Costs of the Administrations 2022 Defense Budget, which projected the Department of Defense (DOD) budget to reach USD 787 billion by 2031. Considering that this figure probably doesnt include the money allocated to the US Department of Energy to maintain and develop nuclear arsenal, Biden administrations 2023 defense budget request has already surpassed the 2031 projection, almost ten years ahead of time. What with implementing its global strategy and pursuing worldwide hegemony, the US, in a span of fewer than 10 years, has seen its defense spending rise from the range of USD 600 billion during Obamas term to USD 700 billion in Trumps time and now to USD 800 billion in Bidens term. The continual increase in defense spending reflects some basic features of its defense policy obtaining advantages in equipment and combat through technological superiority, and reinforcing readiness toward key regions and targets. First, the US is stepping up technological R&D to form overwhelming superiority over its rivals. The 2023 defense budget includes a record R&D fund of USD130.1 billion, an increase of USD 18.1 billion, or 16%, nearly three times the overall budget growth, from 2022s USD 112 billion. The DOD has put aside USD 4.7 billion to develop hypersonic weapons, and USD 3.3 billion for AI, military-purpose 5G communication technology, quantum computing, and encryption technology, which are underpinning the key combat concepts it is working on now, such as Joint all-domain command and control. Besides, nuclear weapon budget reaches a record high with USD 4.8 billion allocated to command, control and communication, USD 6.3 billion for Columbia class nuclear submarine, and USD 5 billion for B-21 bombers. Second, the US is investing more in war-ready capacity. This includes purchasing systems and equipment that can be directly employed in real combat and battlefield infrastructure and devices, conducting readiness-related training and exercises as well as equipment repair and maintenance, and raising the pay and benefits for service members to boost their morale. The 2023 budget allocates USD 134.7 billion for Joint Force Readiness, an increase of USD 6.3 billion or 4.9% from 2022s USD 128.4 billion. The readiness input is highly targeted. The Pacific Deterrence Initiative under the integrated deterrence of Americas Indo-Pacific Strategy is designed to enhance the missile defense capability of American troops stationed in the Pacific region, deploy land-based long-range precision attack weapons, and reinforce forward deployments in the Indo-Pacific. The Initiative received a special USD 7 billion funds from the US Senate when passed in June 2020, followed by USD 7.1 billion in 2022 and now USD 6.1 billion for 2023, with the possibility of receiving more than proposed after the congress review of the request given its special importance. Third, the US is sparking a new round of arms race. Americas ever-rising defense expenditure and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict have already spiked the military spending of major western countries, with Germany being a prime example as its annual defense spending accounts for more than 2% of GDP now. The US has been pushing its NATO allies to increase their defense spending to over 2% of GDP, and ten countries have already hit that goal, with the UK, Romania, Poland and Latvia promising to continue raising the ratio. Other than that, Sweden and Finland, who are not NATO members yet, not only hope to join the bloc, but also pledge to significantly increase their defense expenditure. Outside NATO and Europe, Americas allies elsewhere, such as Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region, also expressed their willingness to reinforce the military capacity and gears. This general sentiment is dangerous for regional security and will worry other regional countries into following suit in order to hedge against regional tension and ensure their own security. The US has the worlds strongest military, and its military spending steadily accounts for about 40% of the world's total. The world wont be a safer place for more weapons, just like a furnace wont cool down for more coal. History and reality both prove that Americas pursuit of hegemony and absolute security by increasing military spending without limit will only lead to the opposite results than what it expects. (The author is from College of Information and Communication, National University of Defense Technology) Editors note : This article is originally published on the zqb.cyol.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Rejecting airline industry arguments, a federal judge has upheld a San Francisco law requiring employers at San Francisco International Airport to provide no-cost health care benefits to many of their employees. The ordinance, which took effect in March 2021, applied to airline employees and other workers at the airport who dealt with passengers, baggage and safety and security services 35% to 40% of the private employees at SFO, according to the court ruling. Their employers must provide and finance health insurance for the employees, their spouses and dependents, or pay into a city fund that provides equal coverage. The industry group Airlines for America said the ordinance would force airlines to raise prices and cut services and staff to pay their added expenses. In its lawsuit, the group said San Francisco was trying to regulate air travel that is governed by federal agencies and market forces, under federal law, and was interfering with exclusive federal regulation of airline operations and labor relations. But U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said Tuesday that San Francisco, as manager of the airport, was acting as a market participant, not a regulator, and was entitled to determine health benefits for private employees. City supervisors were seeking to reduce employee turnover and restore public confidence in the safety of air travel, which they considered necessary for city administration of a self-sustaining commercial enterprise, Chen said. In order to have a secure, well-functioning airport, we have to make sure our workers are healthy, City Attorney David Chiu, whose office defended the ordinance, said in a statement. A lawyer for Airlines for America could not be reached for comment. The organization could appeal the ruling. San Francisco imposed some insurance mandates for airport employees in 2009 and expanded them in the 2021 ordinance to cover more workers, including previously exempt unionized workers, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Chen noted that the airlines had signed leases with SFO, currently running through 2023, that agreed to follow the airports rules, including those for health care. Airlines for America argued that the city was threatening airlines with criminal penalties for non-compliance, since under California law, any violation of a local ordinance can potentially be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or an infraction. In other words, the airline group said, San Francisco was acting as a regulator, in conflict with exclusive federal regulation of airlines. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Chen disagreed, saying that under the airline groups interpretation, every municipal ordinance would be criminalized. He cited a 1977 opinion by Californias then Republican attorney general, Evelle Younger, that said a violation of a local ordinance becomes a crime only when the city or county declares it to be one. Airlines that fail to provide insurance coverage must pay penalties to the city of $100 per week for each uninsured employee and can lose their airport contracts. But Chen said the airlines agreed to those conditions in the leases they signed over a decade ago. The airlines have the choice to do business elsewhere, the judge wrote. Mandating minimum health benefits for employees, he added, is a requirement that a private airport operator could impose on its business partners through a contract term, and does not amount to a government regulation. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko A fiercely contested attorney generals race. A controversial criminal justice law. Growing concerns about localized crime. And one mass shooting two months before Election Day. It all adds up to a highly combustible and often misleading battle over the politics of criminal justice reform in California at a time when concerns about crime are rising, even if the number of actual crimes arent in some places. The cheap, easy political thing to do is to say Lock them up and throw away the key, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, said Wednesday during a news conference promoting policies on how to help people before they commit crimes. You get a headline. It makes you feel good for a little bit. But that hasnt worked. Decades of tough-on-crime policies created the situation that were in today with the mass incarceration of people (mostly) people of color and working-class communities, Santiago said. But that hasnt stopped conservatives mostly from reaching for the cheap, easy headline two months before the June 7 California primary. Here are some other ways that politics is shaping and shadowing the shooting: Speaking too soon: Even though investigators are still gathering evidence, the California Republican Party described Sundays mass shooting that killed six and wounded 12 in downtown Sacramento just blocks from the state Capitol as looking more and more like mass murder by an individual with an extensive criminal history across California. Thats not what Sacramento police are saying. Investigators said Wednesday that the shooting was gang-related, and that they believed at least five people fired guns during the shooting. But that hasnt stopped others from trying to pin the blame on what Republicans say are holes in the criminal justice system. Assemblyman James Gallagher, the top Republican in the Assembly, pointed to how one of the three men arrested in connection with the shooting, Smiley Martin, 27 the brother of the first man arrested on Monday, 26-year-old Dandrae Martin had been serving a 10-year sentence in state prison that was handed down in January 2018. Smiley Martin, who pleaded guilty to two felony assault charges, was released after pre- and post-sentencing credits were applied, according to the state parole board, a practice that corrections officials do not consider early release as Gallagher and others have suggested. This was a violent felon with a long rap sheet who should have been in prison. If he was, this tragedy might have been avoided, Gallagher said Tuesday. Given the evidence released publicly by investigators as of Wednesday afternoon a day after Gallagher made that statement its impossible to definitely pin the tragedy on any one person. Then again, as Santiago said, its easier to grab a cheap headline rather than wait for definitive proof. Especially two months from election day. When parole isnt parole: The shooting is already turning the spotlight onto and will likely increase the name recognition of Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, a Republican-turned-independent who is running for attorney general against two Republicans and Democrat Attorney General Rob Bonta. Schuberts office wrote a letter to the Board of Parole Hearings last year urging it not to release Smiley Martin. It pointed to his rap sheet that stretched back nine years and said, he has no respect for others, for law enforcement or for the law. If he is released early, he will continue to break the law. The California Republican Party, in a press release Tuesday, characterized this as Smiley Martins being let out of state prison early by (Democrat Gov. Gavin) Newsoms parole board, over the strenuous documented objections of the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office. The state GOP wondered if Newsom will condemn his appointees who have blood on their hands, as do those who voted for and promoted policies that resulted in this nationally reported act of senseless violence. Maybe Newsom would condemn the state parole board if it had let Smiley Martin out on parole. But it didnt. The parole board denied his release last May. He was cut loose in February on probation, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officials said he was released after amassing pre-sentencing credits of 508 days and the application of post-sentencing credits for good conduct. Besides, it is not as though Californias parole board is a soft touch. The Prison Policy Initiative, which advocates for criminal justice reform, said only 18% of parole hearings resulted in the parole being granted between 2009 and 2016, one of the lowest marks in the nation. The organization gave Californias parole release system an F its lowest grade in 2019, its most recent rating. Blaming Proposition 57: In 2016, 64% of California voters supported Proposition 57, a ballot measure that enabled prisoners to be eligible to be considered for parole once they have served their sentence for a nonviolent felony. Two years ago, 62% of voters rejected Proposition 20, which would have gutted key provisions of Prop. 57 and Prop. 47, another reform measure loathed by Republicans. Nevertheless, Schubert has made Proposition 57 a centerpiece of her campaign. While she has been quick to offer support for the victims of Sundays shooting and has not commented on the details of the active and fast-moving case, she has used her moment in the spotlight to talk about how the measure allows people to get out sooner, as she told radio station KMJ this week. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. If you start letting dangerous people out of prison early, without adequate rehabilitation, that is a recipe for disaster, Schubert told the station. Keep in mind: Proposition 57 is focused on nonviolent offenders. The state Supreme Court even ruled earlier this year that it cannot be applied to violent criminals. Solutions beyond jail: Not everyone is looking to throw away the key. On Wednesday, Santiago, the Los Angeles legislator, was among a group that included state legislators, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and criminal justice advocates such as Californians for Safety and Justice, announcing their support for a proposed $3 billion package of statewide programs aimed at aiding victims and addressing the root causes of crime. The ideas include $210 million for victim services and $200 million to help people exiting the prison system so they dont become repeat offenders. Carlos Marquez, executive director of ACLU California Action, said the package of proposed services reminded him of something that the Rev. Desmond Tutu, the South African human rights activist, once said. There comes a point when we need to stop pulling people out of the river and we need to go upstream and find out why theyre being thrown in the river in the first place, Marquez said. Statistics versus feelings: Crime will continue to be a dominant theme in Californias campaigns this year for a simple reason: Voters are concerned about it in their neighborhoods. While statistics show that robbery and rape decreased in the state in 2020, homicides spiked by 30% and aggravated assaults increased 7.5%, according to the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. In four of the states biggest cities San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego violent crime and property crime increased in 2020, according to preliminary figures. But while other statistics show crime has decreased, perhaps the most important stat politically is what another PPIC poll showed: 65% of voters say crime and violence is a problem in their neighborhood. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Jacom Stephens/Getty Image A man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and making criminal threats after police said he barricaded himself in a San Francisco apartment building, prompting police to ask residents to avoid the area for hours on Tuesday afternoon. Police responded at 2:04 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a man who was possibly armed and making criminal threats in the 100 block of Gonzalez Drive in the Parkmerced neighborhood, police said Wednesday. A naturopathic doctor from Napa was convicted Wednesday on charges that she sold fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and phony immunization pellets to her patients, officials said. Juli Mazi accepted a plea agreement in February and pleaded guilty this week to one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements related to health care matters, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. This doctor violated the publics trust and reliance on health care professionals during a time when integrity was needed most, Kenneth A. Polite Jr., assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments criminal division, said in a statement. Instead of providing sage information and guidance, Mazi profited from peddling unapproved remedies, stirring up false fears, and generating fake proof of vaccinations. Prosecutors said Mazi sold fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to more than 200 patients and provided them with instructions on how to make it seem like she had given them the Moderna vaccine, even though she had not administered the shot. Mazi also sold patients homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets that she claimed would provide lifetime immunity to COVID-19, officials said. She provided the pellets in place of childhood vaccinations that are required for students to attend schools and gave more than 100 patients immunization cards that fraudulently indicated that authorized vaccines had been administered, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement. Mazis fake health care records scheme endangered the health and well-being of students and the general public at a time when confidence in our public health system is of critical importance, U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds said in a statement. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Mazi could not immediately be reached for comment. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 29. She faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and up to 5 years in prison for the false statements charge, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release for each charge, officials said. Andy Picon (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon Cal Fire plans to hire hundreds of seasonal firefighters next week in response to a dangerous confluence of weather conditions that are expected to increase fire dangers across Northern California in the coming days. The heat wave that meteorologists have called a weather roller coaster was expected to heat up the Bay Area dramatically, a particularly concerning development atop of one of the driest starts to a calendar year. The Bay Area saw temperatures reach 10-20 degrees above seasonal norms Wednesday, and by Thursday the region could expect to see temperatures reaching up to 25 degrees above normal, said Cindy Palmer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. We are hot and dry, said Palmer, adding that January and February were some of the driest months on record. We want people to be cognizant that even though weve had a little bit of rain it didnt do any relief for the conditions overall. As more wildfires barrage the state, officials have had to contend with a dangerous shortage of available firefighters. From 2019 to 2021, the U.S. Forest Service saw its firefighter ranks plunge by more than 20%. This year, firefighting officials said theyre working hard to ramp up staffing ahead of time in response to the especially dry and hot conditions this year. Officials with Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said they were hiring 120 firefighters roughly a month and a half earlier than it has normally budgeted for, said Fire Capt. Tom Knecht. The fuel is dryer than we expected for this time of year and we are expecting fire activity earlier than normal this spring, said Knecht, adding that people should stop thinking about fire season as something thats a summer event, but rather a year-round state. To that end, Knechts unit will also use a special, one-time only funding to staff a firefighter hand crew and has tripled its available staff for defensible space inspectors who can educate homeowners on how they can prepare for fire season. Cal Fires Butte County unit is also upping its staffing for seasonal firefighters to better prepare for the coming days. The unit is bringing its first 30 seasonal firefighters back on Monday weeks ahead of its usual schedule. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California By May 30, the unit will have rehired all of its seasonal firefighters, said Rick Carhart, public information officer for Cal Fire and the Butte County Fire Department. The grasses right now are drying out, said Carhart. They will soon be at the point where theyll be very receptive to fires. For now, Carhart urged the public to help reduce wildfire risks. According to the National Park Service, nearly 85% of wildfires in the U.S. are caused by humans. Dont drag a chain when youre towing your boat or a trailer, said Carhart. Dont be mowing your weeds at 2 p.m. on a windy day. Annie Vainshtein (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain The Sacramento mass shooting that killed six people last weekend adds another challenge to a downtown area still struggling to recover from months of COVID lockdowns. Merchants there expect business to be hurt for weeks, but are hopeful that foot traffic will keep growing during the spring amid low virus cases. Capital Books, which is on the block where the shooting occurred, just had its third-best month of pandemic sales in March, co-owner Ross Rojek said. Only the past two holiday shopping seasons were busier. But after being closed on April 3 in the wake of the shooting, foot traffic was around half of typical pandemic levels last week. Were a community down here. It will come back, Rojek said. I dont see this as a long-term issue. The bookstore had closed much earlier in the hours before the attack, but during the shooting, people took shelter from bullets in its entryway, which is recessed from the sidewalk. The storefront wasnt hit in the crossfire, but its neighbor, Sharif Jewelers, had broken glass from bullets. The Crest Theatre next door was also damaged, Rojek said. The scores of people clubbing and bar hopping when the shooting occurred were testament to how nightlife has recovered in Sacramentos downtown district. But its also a contrast to the slower daytime hours and how partying is not for everyone. When the bars break up, its crowded and pretty chaotic. No one who works here is voluntarily here past 11 p.m., Rojek said of his employees. It is crazy down here. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press Ken Twitty, general manager of Dive Bar and District 30, two separate businesses on the same K Street block, was outside with his staff trying to disperse a crowd when the shooting happened. Employees took shelter in the basement and werent injured, but many were traumatized, he said. More than a dozen employees across the two bars, which have a total of 54 workers, want to take a couple weeks off. Twitty credits the police for a swift response during the shooting, but theyre just really short-staffed, he said. Business had been up in March, but now Twitty expects a temporary setback. We were just bouncing back, Twitty said. More people were coming out, enjoying the weather. Downtown is still lively, with performances of the Broadway show Wicked moving forward. The Sacramento Convention Center underwent a $245 million expansion and renovation and reopened last year. Weve experienced a tremendous amount of momentum in the past few months, said Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, a nonprofit that promotes that area and provides services including cleaning crews and community ambassadors. Were confident were going to get our momentum back. Ault supports tightening sentencing laws and hiring more police. The partnership is also trying to activate downtown with more events, concerts and farmers markets Mayor Darrell Steinberg said last week that $8.1 million in federal funding will go toward safety measures including better lighting and more youth outreach workers. We need to make sure these investments are protected, Ault said. A lingering question for the neighborhood is how many of the state governments office workers, downtowns economic engine, continue working at home forever. Sacramento County has about 70,000 state workers, and about three-quarters have been remote during the pandemic. Some departments want workers to return at least a couple of days a week starting this month, but union leaders want remote work to continue, making the timing and extent of a return to offices uncertain, the Sacramento Bee reported. We really need office and state workers to come back, Twitty said. Right now, our business is getting by on the after 9 p.m. crowd. There arent many people downtown earlier in the evening, he said. Nearby restaurants close in-person dining at 2 p.m. after lunchtime and switch to catering. I think its important to bring people back downtown and make the city vibrant again, he said. Andri Tambunan/Special to The Chronicle Many cities are grappling with public safety issues as they try to lure back office workers and tourists. In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a recall in June, as critics blame his progressive policies for exacerbating crime. Amazon temporarily closed an office in Seattle after violent crime reached a 13-year high. New York City has seen a spate of homicides this year, a challenge for new Mayor Eric Adams after he ran on a law-and-order platform. Unlike San Francisco and New York, Sacramento has gained population during the pandemic, growing 0.5% in the past year. U.S. Postal Service data showed an increase in migration from the Bay Area, where housing costs are much higher. People are looking at Sacramento for an alternative, Ault said. An additional 4,000 housing units are planned in downtown Sacramento. That could provide a boost for downtown businesses in the absence of some office workers, he said. Rojek, of Capital Books, feels fortunate that his business isnt as dependent on daily office workers. At the start of the pandemic, Rojek had only two employees, including his son, and had to lay both of them off. The store began focusing on deliveries and pickup orders during shelter-in-place and found customers were enthusiastic and willing to make a trip to buy a book. The store now employs about a dozen people, and it recently opened a cafe around the corner on 11th Street. But not everyone has been as fortunate. Across K Street on Rojeks block, there are four vacancies. Were still seeing more closures than there are openings, Rojek said. Yet he remains hopeful about the area. Im not pessimistic about the neighborhood. Im just pessimistic about my next two weeks of income, he said. Its not like the Capitol is going away. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf When Sacramento Police began blaming gang violence for a mass shooting that killed six people and wounded 12, the shift in language raised questions about an incident that has already spurred polarizing debate. As information continues rolling out, officials and news outlets are grappling with how to characterize the burst of violence downtown when bars closed early Sunday morning. Here is what we know and dont know so far: Who are the suspects? Detectives say they have evidence that at least five people fired guns in the exchange between at least two groups on K Street. So far, three people have been arrested, but police have not accused anyone of murder. One man, Dandrae Martin, was booked on suspicion of assault with a firearm and on suspicion of possessing a gun despite a prohibition. His brother, Smiley Martin, was booked on suspicion of possessing a machine gun and on suspicion of possessing a firearm despite being prohibited from doing so, according to police. A third suspect, Daviyonne Dawson, was also booked on suspicion of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. In many senses, suspect is a fraught term, said Danielle Harris, a managing attorney at the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. She pointed out the danger of throwing around the word when police lack sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime a lower threshold than the proof required to convict someone. Was one man released from prison early? Smiley Martin, who was among those injured in the shooting and under police supervision in a hospital, drew attention because he had been released from prison in February, four years after receiving a 10-year sentence for two felony assault charges. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials applied 508 days of pre-sentencing credits to his term, as well as post-sentencing credits for good conduct, before releasing him on probation. Martins release came less than a year after Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert wrote a letter to the Board of Parole Hearings, detailing Martins history of assault, theft and gun possession, and urging the board to deny him parole. The board rejected Martins release in May 2021. Pundits and politicians, including candidates for governor and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, fixated on Martins subsequent release, presenting it as an example of negligence by public officials that had led to six deaths. But Wendy Still, the former chief probation officer for Alameda County and San Francisco, pointed out that the Department of Corrections has a legal obligation to release every incarcerated person on schedule and apply all credits to which they are entitled by law barring any additional charges or disciplinary actions that caused the person to lose credits. Corrections officials do not unilaterally get to decide at their whim a new release date, Still said. What guns were used in the shooting? More than 100 shell casings littered the crime scene on K Street, where police said they seized hundreds of pieces of evidence, including a stolen handgun and a gun modified to make it capable of firing as an automatic weapon. Police arrested three people for gun possession and one for allegedly carrying a machine gun. Police said they suspected Dandrae Martin fired his weapon during the shooting. We are still working on this portion of the investigation, a spokesperson from the Sacramento Police Department told The Chronicle on Wednesday. The following day, police said they had submitted shell casings collected from the scene to a national database for evidentiary review. How did the mass shooting happen? Gunfire exploded around 2 a.m. Sunday near K and 10th streets in the heart of downtown Sacramento, about two blocks from the state Capitol and four blocks from the Golden 1 Center, where Tyler, the Creator performed Saturday night. The violence broke out on a block lined with restaurants, bars and nightclubs, which quickly became a scene of mass devastation as injured people lay in the street, and others fled in terror. Police on Wednesday attributed the shooting to gang violence and said they were analyzing nearly 200 videos, photographs and other pieces of evidence submitted through an online community evidence portal. Law enforcement officials did not explain how they had tied the shooting to gangs, and the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement that it could not elaborate on the precise gang affiliations of individuals involved. The emphasis on gangs seemed calculated to Harris, given that it can shape public opinion, while providing prosecutors a tool to seek harsher sentences and tarnish people for recent and long-past histories, rather than focus on the allegations at hand. She said that anti-gang statutes blur the line that generally prohibits courts from convicting people on their character instead of their conduct in a particular instance. Why are some news outlets rejecting the term mass shooting? The Los Angeles Times ran a headline this weekasserting that the deadly gun battle in Sacramento did not qualify as a mass shooting, while the Associated Press began describing the shooting as a gunfight among gang rivals. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Times updated the headline, removing the contention that it was not a mass shooting, according to a spokesperson. As we have learned, the tragic shooting in Sacramento involved several individuals targeting each other, which resulted in mass casualties with six people killed and 12 injured, spokesperson Hillary Manning said. The headline was changed to better describe the latest information about the individuals involved in the shooting. Definitions of mass shootings vary widely. The Chronicle generally defines the term as an attack in which at least four people were shot, not including the shooter, whether they were killed or injured. To observers like Michael McBride, a faith leader in Berkeley steering a national campaign to curb gun violence and mass incarceration, the new word choice was telling and seemed to illustrate a stark racial disparity. The language mass shooting elicits national empathy, grief, mourning, thoughts, prayers, and a responsibility to at least pause and respond, McBride said. When that phrase is stripped away, he added, an incident becomes delegitimized no longer an urgent or galvanizing event. In this case, media outlets are using phrases that pathologize the shooting, McBride said, highlighting the criminal histories of suspected perpetrators, while minimizing the pain and trauma of the victims, many of whom are Black. He worried this framework will influence the response from policymakers and politicians who are already resurrecting the tough-on-crime rhetoric of the 1990s. Whereas mass shootings in white communities tend to place a spotlight on mental health or gun control laws, McBride said, the media treats similar events in Black and brown communities differently. Focusing on gang feuds signals to the public this is not an issue of national responsibility, McBride said. Who were the victims? One was a father of four from Vacaville, who had stopped by his mothers house for leftovers shortly before going out Saturday night. Another had just rented her first apartment. Still another had lived on and off the streets of downtown Sacramento for 15 years. Three women and three men were slain in the shooting early Sunday morning, ranging in age from 21 to 57. Twelve more people were injured, including Smiley Martin. This week, the Sacramento County Coroner released the names of the six people killed. They include Sergio Harris, 38, of Sacramento; Johntaya Alexander, 21, of Elk Grove; Melinda Davis, 57, of Sacramento; Devazia Turner, 29, of Vacaville; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, of Salinas; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21, of Selma. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan A push to bring 12-story buildings to two Berkeley BART stations which could eventually allow for up to 3,600 new housing units moved ahead with a key vote on Wednesday. In a narrow vote late Wednesday, the Berkeley Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt zoning changes that would allow 12-story buildings to rise next to the North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations. The commissions decision, which came down to a 5 to 4 vote, is the first of many steps before construction can begin. The City Council will hold a working session on the commissions recommendation on April 19 and is expected to vote on May 31. BART will then find developers and create plans. At stake is thousands of new housing units that Berkeley desperately needs to meet the states housing goals. The city must plan for the construction of nearly 9,000 more units over the next decade. City officials have said the city has a shortage of vacant or underused land that can be used to build major developments, making BART property, and its sprawling parking lots that can be built on, a unique opportunity to develop housing. That in part, is one reason why the commission decided to recommend zoning changes to allow for 12 stories rather than seven stories, which is what staff recommended, said Savlan Houser, the vice chair of the planning commission. We need to walk the talk of Berkeleys progressive values and actually build more housing to allow people to ... live in a way that doesnt destroy the environment, Hauser said. The commissions discussion centered around how much affordable housing would be built at the sites and whether the height could limit the number of affordable units, some commissioners said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Commissioner Christina Oatfield, who voted against the recommendation, said she wanted to see more affordable housing requirements baked into the ordinance that would allow for 12-story zoning at BART. Plans to build at Berkeleys BART stations is at least two years in the making when the City Council agreed to work with BART in 2019 on the North Berkeley and Ashby BART station sites. The 2019 decision came as a surprise. Only a year earlier, on 2018, the council voted to oppose a state law, AB2923, to make it easier to build housing at BART stations. City Council members have expressed support for building at the BART stations. Councilwoman Rashi Kesarwani tweeted that the commissions decision will be the first step in moving toward a future focused on new homes, green and open space, and transit-, bike- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani When an order for 40 baguettes came into San Franciscos Jane the Bakery last Saturday, owner Amanda Michael didnt think much of it. But later that day, she discovered her baguettes for sale on Popcorn, a new food-delivery app Michael had declined to work with a few weeks before. Michael hadnt given Popcorn permission to sell anything from Jane the Bakery. Neither had the owners of Tartine, Arsicault Bakery, B. Patisserie, Midnite Bagel or Third Culture Bakery, some of the most prominent names among Bay Area bakeries, but whose products were all at some point listed on Popcorns app. Most of these listings were taken down after The Chronicle began reporting this story. In some cases, bakery owners were unaware their pastries were being sold through Popcorn until The Chronicle contacted them. Its more damaging to us than anything else. Someone either gets a stale loaf of bread or it looks like we werent able to fulfill the order, Michael said. The middleman never looks bad. Several local businesses do work with Popcorn directly and said they have had positive experiences so far, including Reems and Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco and Acme Bread Co. in Berkeley. But for those who found their products being sold without their permission, the tactic was both shocking and upsetting, and had some criticizing the potentially predatory nature of the fast-growing world of food-delivery startups. The practice is illegal in California. A 2020 state law requires delivery companies to have an agreement in place with a food business before they can deliver their products to customers. The Fair Food Delivery Act is only enforceable through private legal action. In an emailed statement, a Popcorn spokesperson acknowledged the company has been purchasing through retail from businesses it doesnt have formal partnerships with to test customer appetite. The company said it is offering these products as limited time specials to spark excitement in Popcorn and these great homegrown products! But that may also be a violation of federal trademark law, which prohibits companies from using another business name or logo if it causes customer confusion, said Steven Tindall of Gibbs Law Group in Oakland, an attorney representing restaurants in a class-action lawsuit against Grubhub. If they are using the bakery or restaurants names without their permission and theyre implying a relationship between them, that would seem to be confusing to consumers, Tindall said. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Delivery companies misleading owners and customers is far from a new issue. Two restaurants filed the Grubhub class-action lawsuit in 2020 for allegedly listing their and other businesses on its platform without their permission. San Francisco chef Pim Techamuanvivit drew attention to the practice before the pandemic after Grubhub offered delivery from her acclaimed Thai restaurant, Kin Khao, without her consent. In-N-Out Burger sued DoorDash in 2015 for delivering its food without the burger chains approval. Several bakery owners who recently found their products on Popcorn said they have had similar issues with Postmates, DoorDash and other third-party delivery companies in the past. Competition in the food-delivery world is fierce. While Grubhub started by partnering with restaurants, the company acknowledged in 2019 that it added thousands of non-partner restaurants without prior agreements to regain market share. But for many small-business owners, theres a tension between the demands of same-day delivery and quality control. While Bay Area outfits such as Jane the Bakery and Arsicault work with some of Popcorns competitors, theyre picky about what they offer for delivery. They choose products with longer shelf lives, such as granola or shortbread cookies, rather than the pastries that they want customers to eat fresh on-site. Others worry that too much of an emphasis on delivery will ultimately detract from the in-person customer experience. Ive been a little cautious about signing on to new platforms, said Third Culture Bakery co-owner Wenter Shyu. To put it plainly, I dont want to be a guinea pig for someones new, developing platform. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Popcorn is part of a new wave of Bay Area delivery companies that boomed during the pandemic, often combining options of food from restaurants and bakeries alongside groceries. These companies position themselves as local alternatives to national delivery giants like DoorDash, and competitors like Pastel and Locale have built their business models on working with the Bay Areas top artisan food producers. Popcorns angle is on-demand groceries delivered in minutes, promised 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no fees or minimums. Fast, on-demand delivery has already proven challenging to pull off: Zero Grocery, a popular Bay Area zero-waste grocery-delivery service, suddenly shut down in March, just one month after announcing expansion plans and millions of dollars in funding. Popcorn declined to make its co-founders, Ece Cokar and Onur Kardesler, available for interviews. They launched Popcorn in November and, according to numerous job postings on LinkedIn, are hiring to grow the San Francisco company amid heated competition. With our ten-minute grocery deliveries, we are disrupting the grocery space, one of the biggest markets still in the hands of traditional players, reads a Popcorn job description. Arsicault owner Armando Lacayo said he was shocked to find a misleading listing for his bakery on Popcorns app this week. Instead of an image of Arsicaults coveted almond croissant, there was what appeared to be a stock photo of such a pastry. The same photo was used on Popcorn for B. Patisserie, with the description: A flaky, almond croissant from a local favorite: B Patisserie! Both listings have since been removed. It sounds to me like fake it until you make it, Lacayo said after seeing the photo. Elena Kadvany Popcorns products range from pastrami from New Yorks famed Katzs Delicatessen and Krispy Kreme glazed donuts to rapid COVID tests and diapers stored at warehouses in San Francisco and Mountain View. Items are delivered throughout the Bay Area via colorful vans plastered with the slogan Faster than 911. The services questionable sourcing practice extends beyond Bay Area bakeries: Representatives for Katzs and Momofuku, chef David Changs company, both said they dont work with Popcorn, though their products have been listed on the app. In many cases, Popcorn appears to be ordering from bakeries as a customer would, then offering those products at retail or marked-up prices without the businesses knowledge. Tartine discovered its baked goods, including its famed country loaf and morning bun, on the app in the last few days. Kendal Barrett, Tartines marketing manager, said they later realized Popcorn must have purchased items through the bakerys online ordering system. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Last month, Nick Beitcher of San Franciscos Midnite Bagel said he received a large order from a company he had never heard of: Popcorn. The company said the 50 sourdough bagels were for its office staff, he said. Soon after, Beitcher received a message from a customer who had loved his sourdough bagels, having tried them through Popcorn. He downloaded the app and found his bagels for sale. Beitcher emailed Popcorn to ask how they had procured the bagels. The company had contacted him previously in late February about a partnership, he realized. When he didnt respond, the company decided to do a quick test to see what the response would be if we offered your bagels, an employee wrote in an email to Beitcher. We purchased them at retail and because we had already been in contact with you regarding wholesale, we didnt think it would be a problem for us to do a quick test. It was a one time offer (for a few hours) and was really popular! Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle 2016 When Amanda Michael asked Popcorn to remove Jane the Bakerys baguette listing, she said she was told the loaves had been ordered for a company picnic, and that the post on the app was a technical glitch. It was immediately taken down, she said. In an email to The Chronicle on Wednesday, Popcorn listed Midnite Bagel as one of the Bay Area businesses it has a formal wholesale relationship with. Beitcher said this is inaccurate. Beitcher said hes always grateful for more business, but not when his products are being distributed without his approval. It doesnt feel great to be deceived, he said. Ironically, Beitcher had been interested in working with Popcorn. As a newer business, hes constantly looking to increase Midnites visibility. Azikiwee Anderson of Rize Up Sourdough, who started selling bread on Popcorn three weeks ago, was similarly drawn in by the sales pitch of a fleet of delivery vans that can spread throughout the Bay Area like a spiderweb, he said. Companies like Popcorn are serving customers who have come to expect fast, ultra-convenient food delivery, said Veena Dubal, a UC Hastings College of the Law professor who studies the intersection of law and technology. The consumer experience and demands that these types of companies have cultivated, which didnt exist before, has impacted not only the way that we get things but the way we expect to get things, Dubal said. Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany For months, Sonoma vineyard workers advocated for safer and improved work conditions due to climate change and recurring wildfires. Their efforts, promoted by the North Bay Jobs With Justice coalition, now face opposition from a newly formed Sonoma wine industry group, which spoke out last week against allegations over the unfair treatment of workers. More than 1,000 people have signed a pledge of support on the website for this group, called Sonoma Wine Industry for Safe Employees (SonomaWise), according to spokesperson John Segale. The industry groups formation adds a new level of intensity to the debate over farmworkers rights and the obligations of winery and vineyard owners. Though this debate is not new, it has been galvanized by the serial wildfires that have swept through Wine Country in recent years, which have raised questions over whether employers should require or ask their employees to work in evacuation zones or in areas where wildfire smoke may be prevalent. The new coalition denied the mistreatment of workers during fire season, or otherwise. What they are asking for is either already in place or already being addressed, and frankly, they are late to the program, said Segale. He added that some of North Bay Jobs requests, like disaster insurance, are the responsibility of the government, not an employer. SonomaWise declined to disclose the names of its organizers but said that it is represented by grape growers, vineyard employees, wineries and members of the local hospitality, business and nonprofit industries. SonomaWise also takes issue with some of North Bay Jobs five demands, namely vineyard access to community volunteers that would observe and report safety violations. Segale alleged that North Bay Jobs activists lied about unsafe working conditions during past fire seasons and allegedly trespassed on private property last year when they distributed demands at wineries and picketed a Simi Winery event in Healdsburg. Many vineyard workers began organizing last year, demanding changes to Sonoma Countys ag pass program. It provides businesses, including agricultural operations like vineyards and wineries, access to evacuation zones during wildfires in order to carry out critical tasks like harvesting wine grapes before smoke ruins them. Its not formally regulated by any government body, and many other California counties, including Napa, have similar programs in place. In Sonoma County, public safety officials determine if the area is safe for entry, but North Bay Jobs said many workers felt unsafe working within a few miles of the fires and smoke. Despite concerns, workers often enter evacuation zones, fearing they might lose their jobs if they refuse, according to North Bay Jobs. The workers coalition is pushing for some form of disaster insurance, which would provide security for workers and allow them to opt out of working in evacuation zones. Similar to crop insurance, where grape growers can recoup a percentage of losses if their grapes are destroyed in a fire, disaster insurance would cover wages for lost work during fires. Segale countered that Sonoma vineyard employees are given extensive safety training and are never forced to enter an evacuation zone nor would their employment be at risk if they declined. These relationships are built on trust, he said. Its not a situation where they feel threatened, or that theyre going to lose their job. Its just simply not true. The Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation offers assistance to workers in a variety of situations, including wages lost during wildfire evacuations, Segale said. The foundation, whose board is largely composed of winery and vineyard owners, estimates that more than 6,000, or 90%, of Sonoma vineyard workers are employed full-time, which means workers typically receive benefits like free or subsidized housing, according to Segale. Davida Sotelo Escobedo, communications and research coordinator at North Bay Jobs, challenged that number. She said the number of full-time employees is closer to 55%, pointing to a 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics report which estimates the total number of workers in Sonomas wine industry at 11,000. They refuse to recognize the 5,000 seasonal workers who work for farm labor contractors, said Escobedo, as well as the rapidly growing number of temporary visa workers, which now tops over 1,000. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Segale stood by the foundations data, which he said showed there were fewer than 700 seasonal employees or day laborers, down from 2,600 in 2017. One of the most controversial issues for SonomaWise is North Bay Jobs demand to let community volunteers access vineyards and report any safety violations to Cal/OSHA, which the coalition feels is too understaffed to do itself and hold growers to regulatory standards. Many growers and vineyard managers criticized this proposal, calling it a safety issue, and SonomaWise contends that its illegal. The group pointed to a series of federal laws and regulations enacted after 9/11, like the United States Patriot Act, which prohibit public access to private property at any time, said Segale, but especially during times of chaos, like fire. North Bay Jobs efforts to add its demands to the ag pass program before this coming fire season have been thwarted so far. In February, Sonoma County Fourth District Supervisor James Gore said the issue required more research. He opted to create a subcommittee to look further into the concerns rather than bring it to an immediate vote. Nevertheless, North Bay Jobs is continuing to advocate for its causes. The coalition has organized an event onMonday, April 18, where vineyard workers will share their experiences of working during wildfires. This is really about adopting a clear and formal, county-wide evacuation policy that addresses farmworker concerns, said Escobedo. If some businesses feel that they already deliver the criteria in question, thats great, and there should be no resistance in adopting those policies to make sure the whole community follows suit. Jess Lander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jess.lander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesslander San Francisco has turned down thousands of doses of life-saving COVID-19 pills allotted by the state because the people who could have used them didnt know the treatment was available, public health officials said. City officials sounded an urgent alert Wednesday to make people aware of the antiviral drugs, which must be taken within five days after the onset of COVID symptoms. Although physicians typically write prescriptions, many patients dont tell their doctors theyve tested positive for COVID or tell them when its already too late to benefit from the pills. Health officials said that anyone who tests positive for COVID and is at high risk for a serious case should immediately contact a health care provider and ask for one of the drugs, called Paxlovid and molnupiravir, which stop the virus from spreading in the body. (Molnupiravir cannot be taken during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.) Those eligible include people who are unvaccinated or havent had a booster shot, as well as pregnant women, people at least 65 years old, and anyone with a medical condition that puts them at high risk for serious illness. Time is of the essence, the health department said, adding that people who need the drugs must take them as soon as possible. The antivirals Paxlovid from Pfizer and molnupiravir from Merck were described as pandemic game changers after being approved for emergency use in December. Suddenly, people at risk for serious illness or death could take an effective pill at home that was easier and cheaper than getting a monoclonal antibody infusion in the hospital. But, at first, the new drugs were also in short supply. Not anymore, Dr. Susan Philip, San Franciscos health officer, told The Chronicle. My goal is to prevent severe illness and avert deaths from COVID-19, Philip said, noting that the antiviral drugs are yet another fantastic tool we have. They wont prevent infection, but for someone who does test positive (for the coronavirus), being aware of these medicines can be potentially life saving. Philip urged people who are eligible for the drugs to contact their health care provider right away or call the citys COVID resource center at 628-652-2700. People can also visit the federal Test to Treat website to find locations where the drugs are offered on the spot to people who test positive. The pills are allocated by the federal government to states, and from there to local health departments. The state offered the city 5,988 doses this year, but the city turned down nearly 60% of them, Philip said. Thats roughly 3,500 doses. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The expectation was that the drugs would be provided to other counties or states where they could be used, Philip said. The health department in Contra Costa County has seen a similar pattern. After lower than expected use of Paxlovid, the county has started a public-awareness campaign to get the drugs to the people who may need them, a spokesperson said. On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health said unclaimed doses are offered to other counties. If these remain unclaimed, they are returned to the federal stockpile. As cases have fallen over the last several weeks, we have noted that many jurisdictions are not taking their full allocation of Paxlovid and molnupiravir, health officials told The Chronicle. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Correction: Based on statements from the S.F. Department of Public Health, an earlier version of this story said that the city had returned unused doses of antiviral pills to the state. In fact, the city declined to accept the pills in the first place. The March 5 letter Putting criminals in prison is justice served touched a nerve with readers: Mike Drew is misguided, stating, I am so sick of hearing politicians spitting out platitudes about gun violence, as though guns were jumping out of boxes and shooting people by themselves. And, If someone ran these victims down with his car, would they say thats another act of car violence? Humans are indeed pulling the trigger, and these people need to be penalized. However, humans invented guns intending to kill mammals, including humans. Ive been shot at, and Ive shot and killed others in war. It is a horrible experience to live with. Automobiles were not invented to kill mammals. Their intention is to move humans around. Please dont equate guns with cars; the intention for their invention was different. Michael Doud, Corte Madera Comparison is spot-on A big thank you to Mike Drew for his timely and excellent letter. The analogy of cars killing people with guns killing people is so obviously correct it is a shame no politician (or newspaper) ever mentions that fact. Additionally, he points out that it seems no one is held for the consequences of their actions. Joe Bondanza, Novato Justice system is unfair Putting criminals in prison is justice served. But is it really? Tell that to the Black community that is often served with unfair and unequal prison terms. Until we turn away from so-called progressive criminal justice reform, our community will continue to devolve into a politically correct hellscape of unchecked violence and death, says Mike Drew, without acknowledging that many Black people are already living it. Even worse, he paraphrased the old Republican expression, Guns dont kill people, people do. Meanwhile, they shoot up the streets of Sacramento with its unprogressive Republican district attorney, and its Chesa Boudin who is the problem. Mitchell Goldman, Richmond Incorrect assumption Mike Drews letter implies that the problem is that the politically correct will lead us to a hellscape of unchecked violence and death. I never thought that the politically correct are people who are against gun regulation or the enforcement of laws against violence. Yes, people, not guns, kill people. But people with guns are more likely to kill. More police on the street are not going to reduce killings while guns are so readily available. William Atkins, San Francisco Trigger has to be pulled I agree with most of the sentiments of Mike Drews letter. Except for one very important point: his description of a gun as an inanimate object. My grand piano is an inanimate object, but it doesnt kill people. Mike Greensill, St. Helena Shootings do damage Bad timing for Mike Drew, who distorted (while infantalizing) the gun control position of guns jumping out of boxes and shooting people by themselves just as the big Stanford study concluded, per The Chronicle, Handguns at home doubles risk of homicide. Consistent with crime statistics the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that of 24,576 homicides in the U.S. in 2018 19,384, 79%, were caused by guns the Stanford study suggests why facilitate devolving, to quote Drew, into a ... hellscape of violence and death by not restricting the most effective instrument of violence and death guns. San Franciscos Redistricting Task Force is hard at work drawing new supervisorial district boundaries by next Fridays legal deadline. As a result of this process, some neighborhoods could change districts, meaning their residents would be represented by a different supervisor. Some districts could also grow, shrink or shift so that each supervisor represents the same amount of people, as counted in the 2020 Census. When the initial maps came out of this process in March, some people cried foul at the proposed changes to district boundaries. Opponents of these changes have accused task force members of overruling local concerns and capriciously splitting up neighborhoods that shared the same district representation. The Elections Commission is considering the unprecedented removal of their appointees to the task force in response to heavy pressure from some dissatisfied organizations. But the task force is doing what is required by law: drawing 11 supervisor districts that have population within 5% of the statistical average as required by the City Charter, protect the voting strength of racial and language minorities under the federal Voting Rights Act, avoid race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines under the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment equal protection clause and consider communities of interest, like LGBTQ populations as stipulated by City Charter. Shifting districts around may cause angst, but it is necessary due to the large disparities in population in the current districts. When they were drawn in 2012, the districts had roughly equal population. But in the past 15 years, about 85% of new housing was concentrated in eastern neighborhoods such as South of Market, Mission Bay, Dogpatch and Bayview-Hunters Point. And people moved into that housing. One eastern district, District Six, now has a whopping 30% higher population than the statistical average. As these eastern neighborhoods grew, western neighborhoods barely added population. This has precipitated the chain reaction requiring neighborhoods to change districts. Why did so much population growth occur on the east side, unbalancing district populations? Because five decades of housing policy have channeled population growth away from western neighborhoods and toward the eastern ones. In the 1960s-70s, city leaders changed zoning rules to restrict the construction of more homes in western neighborhoods like the Marina, West Portal and Parkside. To meet projected population growth, while still preserving these restrictions, San Francisco enacted a series of so-called area plans like the 2009 Eastern Neighborhoods Plans and the 2018 Central SoMa Plan. The area plans that account for most housing growth are concentrated in the eastern neighborhoods, from the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in the south, through the Market-Octavia area in the center and Treasure Island in the north. To date, there has been no area plan with a significant housing portion for western neighborhoods like St. Francis Wood, the Richmond or Sunset, all of which have had stagnate populations. The resulting skew necessitates a shifting of district boundaries from east to west. On the west side, Districts One (Richmond), Four (Sunset) and Seven (Lake Merced-Twin Peaks) must increase population, expanding eastward. On the east side, Districts Six (Tenderloin-Mission Bay-Treasure Island) and 10 (Dogpatch-Sunnydale) must lose population and shrink. Other districts boundaries are caught up in a push from the west and a pull from the east. For example: suppose District Four has lost population since 2012, and needed to expand east into District 7s Inner Sunset to add more constituents. To then balance its own population, District Seven might expand across Twin Peaks into District Eight. Then, District Eight might be forced to expand east across Valencia Street and the Mission corridor to District Nine. And so on and so on. The redistricting process shows the competing pressures between neighborhood desires and following a citywide principle of one person, one vote. Even districts that currently meet population targets are affected by border changes. For instance, District Five Supervisor Dean Preston complained that, while his districts population was close to the target, draft maps would remove neighborhoods from (and add new ones to) his district. Hes not wrong. But changes outside the district are responsible for pushing District Five east. Districts One, Four and Seven on the west side are required to grow their populations east, possibly expanding to the Inner Sunset, Cole Valley or even the Panhandle. District Two, meanwhile, may have to expand south into District Five to replace population lost to expanding Districts One and Three. To the south in District Eight, advocates want to keep Corona Heights and Duboce Park with the Castro to unite LGBTQ communities of interest. Preserving the current boundaries of District Five would cause more drastic changes to other districts. These are tough calls where the answers are not easy. The Redistricting Task Force will deliberate and take public feedback until final maps are submitted by Friday. San Francisco residents should know that supervisorial district boundaries will change to give everyone equal representation. If residents want the redistricting process to go more smoothly next time in 2032, we need to make different choices specifically surrounding housing that will reduce the need for neighborhoods to change their representation. If districts on the west side add housing in equal amounts as their eastern counterparts, then districts will not need to change their boundaries in order to meet population targets. San Franciscos work-in-progress plan on where and how to add homes otherwise known as a housing element could be the vehicle to do so and has some promising proposals that would expand the population capacity of western neighborhoods. Furthermore, state mandates require the city to build more affordable housing in high-resource neighborhoods on the west side. In order to stabilize neighborhood representation in local government, all neighborhoods must be open to some growth. Mike Chen serves on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Citizens' Advisory Council. He is a board member of Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, and the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA), which has advocated in the redistricting process. He is also a volunteer organizer with SF YIMBY. Picture this: San Franciscos mayor and Board of Supervisors have lost much of their authority over new housing development. The state has banned the city from receiving affordable housing money. The city is facing steep monthly fines. And the city is powerless to stop a developer planning to build a wall of skyscrapers along Ocean Beach. This scenario isnt a distant threat; if city officials stay the course, this could be our reality as soon as next year. Under new state laws, San Francisco is obligated to enact a plan called a housing element that meets robust state requirements for housing production. California cities have long been required to prepare these plans, but for decades state law allowed cities to create entirely unrealistic plans and then ignore them. No longer. The state Legislature has added teeth that require cities to enact realistic plans that will actually build the housing the law requires. Cities that refuse will lose both access to crucial affordable housing funds and local zoning authority. Thanks to strong leadership by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and the states Department of Housing and Community Development, state officials are diligently monitoring compliance with this process. In Southern California, theyve already forced the hand of exclusionary enclaves like Beverly Hills to accommodate new housing. San Francisco officials are on track to bungle this process inviting drastic repercussions. Mayor London Breeds Planning Department recently released its draft housing element and, despite a few bright spots, its dishonest exaggerations set the city on a collision course with the state. It seems obvious that this is an outcome we should avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, it appears we wont. California law requires San Franciscos housing element to plan to build over 10,000 homes per year for the next eight years. Thats almost four times more than the city has achieved in recent years. To comply with this state requirement, we need planning rules that allow us to build the equivalent of a new 100-unit building almost every three days. Meanwhile, under state desegregation guidelines, the city is also required to ensure that much of this housing is built in its wealthy neighborhoods, which have long shunted new housing to low-income communities. City planners argue they can meet these requirements without making any major changes to our local planning rules. Thats farcical. The state shouldnt buy it and it wont. Indeed, the citys draft housing element admits that San Francisco has recently made homes even harder and more expensive to build by increasing fees and requirements, citing a 2020 city report on the subject. The draft housing element supports its laughable contention that San Francisco is on track with a blizzard of unrealistic math. For example, the city promises that it will approve almost all the tens of thousands of homes developers have proposed within eight years. But, based on city data from 2013-2021, we found that the city usually approves less than a quarter of proposed homes within an eight-year time frame. To be clear, San Franciscos draft housing element isnt all bad. It includes a move to advance racial equity that we applaud: rezoning wealthy, often-segregated neighborhoods to legalize small-apartment buildings there. However, the citys own analysis shows that even with this change, our maze-like permitting processes will still make new housing in these areas infeasible to build. City Hall thus all but admits it has no intention of removing segregation in compliance with state law. The citys draft mentions proposals to address this problem, but they are too vague, too modest and will come into force a decade too late. Local officials seem to think they can convince the state that San Francisco can quadruple its housing production and reduce segregation without making major changes to local planning rules. But California authorities have already been clear they will call the citys bluff, issuing two direct warnings to this effect when the Board of Supervisors last year rejected 800 proposed homes at 450 OFarrell St. and 469 Stevenson St. Attorney General Bonta has made his intentions clear, too, recently posting an image to Twitter warning, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: FOLLOW STATE HOUSING LAWS. This is no time for delusion; to comply with state law, San Francisco must change its laws and build almost four times as many homes as it does now and ensure many of them are built in wealthy neighborhoods. Fortunately, theres an easy solution to achieve this goal: Remove the barriers to new home construction that the city acknowledges exist in its draft report. This includes eliminating discretionary reviews, reducing fees and removing political interference in project-level reviews. These changes will not only spare San Francisco harsh penalties, they will allow us to live up to our values increasing diversity, stabilizing at-risk populations and allowing opportunity for all. Unless the city changes course, the state will take away much of its power. Thanks to other state laws, this will soon include its authority to block almost any project under the California Environmental Quality Act. Mayor Breed, the Planning Commission and supervisors have to start taking the housing element process seriously. If they dont, the next chapter in San Franciscos history will be written by the state. David Broockman is a volunteer lead for San Francisco YIMBY and an associate professor at UC Berkeley, writing on his own behalf. Robert Fruchtman is a volunteer lead for San Francisco YIMBY. WASHINGTON House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, joining a cluster of cases among the nations top officials and after closely mingling with President Biden in recent days. The San Francisco Democrat, who is 82, has no symptoms and is fully vaccinated as well as boosted, her spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a tweet. After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, Hammill said. The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided. The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly. Her positive test result comes amid a growing number of cases among the top officials in Washington, including the attorney general and commerce secretary, after many gathered for an elite dinner gala on Saturday. Though cases and the positive test rate are overall relatively low in the Washington area, there has been a slight uptick in case rates in recent weeks. Pelosi had been present at two events with President Biden, 79, at the White House the days before testing positive. At both, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday, she was not wearing a mask and went onstage in close proximity to Biden, Vice President Harris and other leaders in Washington, including former President Barack Obama. The White House typically has a rapid antigen testing procedure for anyone who will be in close contact with the president, though its not clear when this week Pelosi was previously tested. Biden has been eschewing a mask and gathering with unmasked crowds at several events this week. His office has said he is tested regularly and socially distances in internal meetings. In a statement, the White House said it does not consider Biden a close contact with Pelosi under CDC guidance due to the limited duration of their encounters. He tested negative Wednesday night. The President saw Speaker Pelosi at White House events and had brief interactions over the course of the last two days, the White House said in a statement. He will continue to be tested regularly. The President wishes Speaker Pelosi a speedy recovery. Harris communications director also tested positive on Wednesday and had been in close contact with the vice president, her office said. She was continuing with her public schedule and following CDC guidance, which recommends that vaccinated people who are exposed to COVID mask around others. The news of Pelosis positive test came as her weekly news conference was scheduled to begin, with reporters already gathered in the room finding out about the news online. That news conference and a planned congressional trip Pelosi was scheduled to lead to Taiwan next week were canceled. Pelosis diagnosis comes after she escaped a close call last month. At a dinner event celebrating St. Patricks Day, the Irish Taoiseach, as the prime minister is known, was seated next to Pelosi and suddenly exited the event upon learning he was positive for COVID. Pelosi later said that he had been wearing a mask until the appetizer course began, during which he was pulled away. Harris also did not test positive after her husband, Doug Emhoff, caught COVID that same week. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In a highly unusual development, one-third of the task force in charge of drawing new boundaries for San Francisco supervisorial districts is facing possible removal as the group races to finish its work while mired in political controversy. The San Francisco Elections Commission has scheduled a special meeting for 1:30 p.m. Friday to discuss potentially ousting the three people it named to the nine-member Redistricting Task Force, which has been working to draw a new map of supervisorial districts that accounts for population changes reflected in the 2020 census. Commissioners are weighing the removal amid backlash over how the redrawn districts could shake up which elected officials represent certain neighborhoods possibly affecting the political balance of power on the Board of Supervisors. But the prospect of an 11th-hour removal of three task force members has also sparked an outcry, making the local redistricting effort unusually contentious and dramatic. I dont know what in the world theyre thinking, the Rev. Arnold Townsend, the chair of the task force, who was appointed by Mayor London Breed, said of the Elections Commission. It says something so unpleasant about San Francisco politics. The potential removal is the latest and most intense controversy in what has been a highly disputed process, with supervisors and activists objecting to various maps they felt didnt keep communities or neighborhoods together, rallies to protest potential district boundaries, and torrents of sharply worded public commentary. On Thursday, people on both sides of the dispute those who support removing task force members and those who oppose it accused each other of emulating a Republican-style playbook to get their way. The commissions meeting, which was originally expected to occur Sunday, will take place one day before the task force is supposed to sign off on a final draft map of supervisorial districts. New boundaries need to be in place by April 15, but the task force has to adopt a final draft map Saturday and then provide three days public notice ahead of its last meeting scheduled for Wednesday, according to the City Attorneys Office. Commission members did not respond to a request for comment. Leaders from the League of Women Voters of San Francisco and Asian Americans Advancing Justice sent the commission a letter Wednesday urging it to speak to its appointees on the redistricting task force to reinforce to them their duty and obligations to give due weight to the public input of historically and systemically marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities. The letter did not ask the commission to remove its appointees but recommended a special meeting as soon as possible regarding these urgent concerns. The ACLUs San Francisco chapter sent a similar message to the commission Wednesday. Justin Katigbak/Special to The Chronicle Various local groups, including some representatives of Asian American and LGBTQ communities, and multiple supervisors have been outraged at some of the maps the task force has considered. Among them are proposals that would have the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods represented by different supervisors. Community activists in both neighborhoods have said such changes threaten to dilute their political power and make it hard to advocate for their own interests. Numerous residents have spoken out against some of the proposals. Progressive activists and supervisors have accused the commission of gerrymandering, which is manipulating the boundaries of districts to favor a particular political outcome or party. David Woo of the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District said in a statement, What this Task Force has done is political gerrymandering that completely ignores hundreds of hours of public comment. I applaud the Elections Commission for taking steps to ensure their appointees are acting without undue influence. Of the task forces nine members, three are appointed by the mayor, three are appointed by the Board of Supervisors and three are appointed by the Elections Commission. The commissions appointees are Raynell Cooper, Chasel Lee and Ditka Reiner. The three of them authored a letter to the elections commission relaying their shock and dismay that they might be removed from the task force. Cooper, Lee and Reiner said that due to demographic changes in certain areas of the city, they had no choice but to shift districts so that they are roughly proportional. This proposal to remove us as Task Force members is not only an attack on the independence of our committee, but it also fundamentally undermines the public trust in our democratic process, they said in the letter. Breed spoke out against the potential removal in a statement Thursday, saying they were all selected as part of a thorough and transparent process. The Elections Commission should recognize that a decision to remove members of the public who have served this city for months would destroy the integrity of the redistricting process, Breed said. Lets finish the process as its designed. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called the Elections Commissions move a shocking and unprecedented step in his own Thursday statement. Lets be clear: The Elections Commissions move, under political pressure, to replace its appointees would send a clear signal that San Franciscos redistricting process is about raw, hardball political power and nothing else, Wiener said. Progressives say some of the proposed new district boundaries would splinter several of the citys most left-leaning neighborhoods and harm their ability to represent their shared political interests. At the same time, others have pointed out that much of San Franciscos population growth between the last two censuses was concentrated on the east and southeast side of the city, which will necessitate big changes to district boundaries in those areas. The task force has to make each district nearly equal in population size, though some greater variation is allowed in order to keep neighborhoods together. Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Dean Preston have both praised the Elections Commissions consideration of replacing its appointees on the task force. Extraordinary times lead to extraordinary measures, Peskin told The Chronicle. This is my third redistricting in my elected political lifetime. The other two have gone relatively smoothly and have not been marked by political agendas and gerrymandering. This one is very different. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Peskin said the current redistricting process smacks of Mitch McConnell-Steve Bannon politics, referring to what he described as gerrymandering districts for political outcomes. Preston said the task force was completely out of control. It is absolutely appropriate for the Elections Commission to intervene here, he said. Preston represents District Five, the boundaries of which the task force has considered overhauling by adding the Tenderloin and part of SoMa while removing the Haight-Ashbury and other areas in the districts west side. Preston has been strongly opposed to those changes. Roland Li/The Chronicle 2021 Supervisor Catherine Stefani, however, was deeply alarmed by the prospect that three task force members may be removed. She represents District Two, which includes the Marina and other neighborhoods on the northwest side of the city. Im gravely concerned by the decision of the Elections Commission, Stefani said in a statement. The task force members were selected in an open and transparent process, and we must respect their independence. The attempt to remove them is a direct attack on representative democracy. Stefani and Supervisor Ahsha Safai sent the commission a letter Thursday conveying grave concern about the potential removal of task force members, saying such an action would be alarming, inappropriate, and an anathema to the principles of democracy. Alison Goh, president of the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, said her organization has been concerned about the citys redistricting process for months, warning that it had not started soon enough. We had been alerting the commission and the task force that we were going to face an abridged timeline to begin with, Goh said. Sure enough, here we are. Bobak Esfandiari, a Richmond District resident who has been involved with Democratic Party politics for more than a decade, said the efforts to remove redistricting task force members reminded him of the right-wing movement to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. This feels like the far lefts version of a stop the steal moment, Esfandiari said. Theyre trying to gaslight the public into making it seem like the task force is ignoring their comments, when theyve been listening to a lot of comments prior to the last two weeks. The task force has more meetings scheduled Friday and Saturday. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris At a ceremonial opening of an affordable apartment complex in Mission Bay in late March, Mayor London Breed went out of her way to compliment one state official who was in attendance: California Department of Housing & Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez. After thanking the housing honcho for helping to fund the 153-unit low-income family building, Breed said: Gustavo Velasquez is now my favorite person in the whole wide state, because he supports and believes in San Francisco. While Breed may have been slightly hyperbolic in her praise, it was not a bad idea to butter up a California housing czar whose department will become increasingly important to San Francisco planners over the coming months. After all, it is Velasquezs department that will determine whether to accept or reject San Franciscos 774-page housing element plan, a state-mandated document that is supposed to lay out exactly how the city expects to meet its housing goals known as a Regional Housing Needs Assessment, or RHNA of accommodating 82,000 units between 2023 and 2031, a three-fold increase over the current eight-year cycle. And so far, housing officials have been a tough crowd when it comes to housing elements. In Southern California, which has earlier deadlines than the northern part of the state, just six out of 196 housing plans have been deemed in compliance with state laws. The rest, including the one from Los Angeles, were sent back to the drawing board and those cities could lose local control not to mention billions in affordable housing money if they cant whip their housing elements into shape. Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle San Franciscos housing element, which will be before the planning commission for a hearing Thursday, must meet a tall order. Not only must it plan for 82,000 units but it also must create a blueprint for fair housing. That means that a significant amount of the new residential development must occur in well-resourced neighborhoods where discrimination and zoning rules have historically combined to keep out newcomers and new buildings. So rather than downtown, SoMa, Mission Bay, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Bayview Hunters Point, the Mission, and the Tenderloin where 85% of all new housing has gone since 2005 the housing element looks to rezone busy transit corridors on the west side like Geary, Sloat, Junipero Serra and Park Presidio boulevards; Judah, Noriega and Taraval streets; Ocean, 19th and West Portal avenues; and others. Easing density restrictions and increasing heights on those streets, and others, will help the city accommodate about 20,000 units, according to Miriam Chion, the planning departments director of community equity. This is the first plan that is treating housing as a right, as a foundation for health and the economy, said Chion. We have produced substantial housing around downtown. Now there is a different demand, a different ask, a different requirement, which is to create a different housing footprint of mid-sized and small multi-family housing throughout high-resource neighborhoods. Compared to previous housing elements, the citys current iteration has a strong point of view, according to Planning Director Rich Hillis. The state is not only giving us a number and saying, Youve got to meet it, said Hillis. They are requiring us to affirmatively further fair housing, to combat patterns of discrimination, to build more inclusive communities. And our city is asking us to do even more on that front. The seriousness with which the state and local planners are regarding this housing element is new, according to UC Davis Law Professor Chris Elmendorf, an expert on state housing law. Historically, cities were able to jam through housing elements that had little basis in reality. The sites they identified for development were often fakery graveyards or rock quarries were sometimes called housing sites. And cities got away with assuming that every developable site would in fact be built on, which was far from the case. Recently, however, a series of state laws have cracked down on bogus housing elements and raised the stakes for jurisdictions that dont meet their goals. Now cities that submit flawed housing plans or fail to rezone land in order to make the housing production possible risk losing billions in affordable housing money. San Franciscos 12,700-unit affordable housing pipeline could stall out without the backing of the state, which allocates tax credits and other money for low-income housing. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2020 The fact that the Los Angeles plan was rejected doesnt bode well for San Francisco, Elmendorf said. L.A.s plan was excellent in many respects, but the state penalized it for lacking a specific enough plan for addressing fair housing concerns. San Franciscos element includes some things that are great and some things that dont pass the smell test, Elmendorf said. He said the city did a good job of analyzing development outcomes over the last 20 years, but that it makes unrealistic assumptions about how many units the citys big multi-phased projects will produce. The housing element assumes that 45,000 units currently in the pipeline will be built between 2023 and 2031. This includes developments like ParkMerced, a redevelopment of an existing apartment community that would add 5,679 units. That project has not produced one new home, despite having been approved more than a decade ago. Other projects like Schlage Lock, the Shipyard and Candlestick Point have also been stalled with no indication that they are suddenly going to become a hive of construction activity. Id love to see why they think the pipeline is going to suddenly become so productive when it hasnt in the past, Elmendorf said. Those assumptions could receive a hard look from state housing compliance watchdogs. I dont think the city can assume it will get away with something that is smoke and mirrors, Elmendorf said. I do think there are some really good things in the housing element. What is puzzling is the combination of the really good and really bad. If you are being realistic about your capacity, why are you making pipeline claims that are so divorced from the historical record? Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Hillis said that the pipeline assumptions were based in part on the fact that some of the mega-projects like Treasure Island, Mission Rock, Potrero Power Station, and Pier 70 are now active construction sites. In particular, Treasure Island could see 1,000 housing units either complete or under construction by the end of this year. Also, state laws like density bonus laws and allowing fourplexes in previously single-family areas have made it faster and easier to get projects approved. We are looking for a big payoff from development agreements, especially those like Treasure Island that have already invested significantly in infrastructure, he said. The drafts Environmental Impact Report is scheduled to be published on April 20, and the planning commission will vote on it in the fall. The environmental impact report has to be certified by January of next year. The state mandate for a fully adopted housing element in San Francisco is May 2023. An analysis of the housing element by YIMBY Action also critiques the plan for underestimating the RHNA deficit and asserting that its rate of construction will triple without making any policy changes. In order to produce anywhere near the 82,000 units, the city will need to make significant policy changes and a more extreme rezoning than currently contemplated. The group proposes eliminating discretionary review, eliminating conditional-use permits for demolitions and removing the Board of Supervisors from project-level review. Sarah Karlinsky, a senior adviser at the urban think tank SPUR, said she was glad to see the housing elements concentration on the west side. The focus on geographic equity is a pretty extraordinary shift for the department and the city, Karlinsky said. The west side can add more density and the focus on the transit corridors and adding gentle density is a smart way to go. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen The three fox kits born from the fox that likely bit a Northern California lawmaker and several others were also euthanized, local health officials said Thursday. The kits and their mother were captured Wednesday morning from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., local health officials said. The mother fox was euthanized that same day and tested positive for the rabies virus, DC Health said in an email. Since the mother tested positive for the rabies virus and the kits could have been exposed during grooming or other means, they were no longer able to be safely rehabilitated and were humanely euthanized, DC Health said. The mother fox was responsible for nine confirmed bites Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Local health officials said they were notifying all victims who were bitten by the fox. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove (Sacramento County), was likely one of the victims. Bera said he was bitten by a fox as he was walking toward the Capitol on Monday evening and is undergoing a series of rabies shots this week. Its obviously a very weird event to happen, Bera told The Chronicle Wednesday. I didnt know that there were foxes living on Capitol Hill. More for you Fox that bit a Northern California lawmaker tested positive for rabies The fox that bit the Congressman fled before law enforcement officers arrived to help Bera. Its unclear whether the mother fox was the same animal that bit Bera, but local health officials said no other foxes were found in the area Wednesday. Bera said Wednesday he was sad to hear that the mother fox was euthanized but emphasized the severity of animal bites. If you have a wild animal bite or even a wild animals scratch, reach out to your physician, said Bera, who is also a doctor. In this case, rabies isnt something you want to mess around with. Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores At a recent school musical, where parents and kids gathered indoors for more than an hour, I noticed to my astonishment that most attendees in the audience werent wearing masks. I shouldnt have been surprised. Indoor mask mandates in California schools lifted in mid-March, a month after indoor mask mandates (outside of schools) had also been dropped, due to falling cases and hospitalizations. At my gym where I dart quickly through the lobby to the pool most people immediately stopped wearing masks. But this was the first time Id visited my sons school since the policy change, first time since Id seen many of the elementary school families in more than two years. I felt like Rip Van Winkle, falling asleep in one world and waking up in another. The people who dropped their masks indoors seem to have returned to what they considered normal, to what the rules now allow. Its a spectrum, I know those who still wear their masks outside might also be just as concerned when they see me approaching, bare-faced. I dont feel compelled to join the crowd just yet, even though more and more people are slipping free of their masks. Nationwide, only a quarter of Americans are now extremely or very worried about themselves or a family member being infected with COVID-19, while 43% are not at all or not too worried, according to a new poll by the Associated Press and NORC. The survey also suggests Americans are now taking fewer personal precautions: Fewer than half are always or often avoiding nonessential travel, staying away from large groups and wearing a face mask outside of their homes. With my closest friends, were still socializing outside even if that means bundling up in blankets and ski jackets, or rescheduling plans because of rain in the forecast. Didi and Gege never used to complain about wearing masks, but since the mandate ended, Didi has said Its not fair when he has to wear a mask and many classmates do not; he and his brother are still under our orders to continue masking. Im not yet ready for our family to let down our guard, especially with the unpredictability of the BA.2 variant and because we live with my elderly mother. Were in a tricky time in the pandemic. Though weve been gradually emerging into the world with work, with travel, with socializing the coronavirus is still circulating. An elementary school in San Rafael is reinstating its mask mandate through April 15 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Last week, federal regulators authorized a second booster dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those 50 and older who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago. Dr. Peter Marks head of the FDA office responsible for vaccine safety has said that by this fall, the U.S. might recommend a second booster for people under 50. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle At the start of the pandemic, a choir practice in Washington state turned fatal. With the advent of vaccines, students can now sing and dance their hearts out once again. Though I was grateful we could gather at the musical, it also felt bittersweet to be back in the audience, reminding me of all that was lost during the pandemic. Time that none of us will get back. A few days after that performance, we attended the spring concert; students and audiences were staggered by grade. My family, wearing masks, were again among the minority, and I wondered what might happen over spring break at schools around the Bay Area and beyond as families take trips and possibly get exposed to the coronavirus. The future remains uncertain. At the concert, though, as the piano tinkled and the fifth-graders launched into their first song, Just Sing, their lyrics and their high-sweet voices gave me hope. Just sing, sing it together/ Louder than ever, ever, forget everything/ Just sing like its what weve been missing/ And theyre gonna listen, listen, forget everything. Vanessa Hua is the author of the forthcoming novel Forbidden City. Her column appears Fridays in Datebook. Most of us drive a little too fast through the Caldecott Tunnel. Maybe its a subconscious desire to escape the uneasy claustrophobia of a windowless space. Or merely the inevitable hurry to get from one side of the hills to another. But, for many longtime Bay Area residents, its the unshakeable memories of April 7, 1982 when seven people died in the tunnel that haunt every trip from Oakland to Orinda. Prior to the 1930s, travelers between Alameda and Contra Costa counties had to make a journey through the foothills, often over todays Fish Ranch Road. It was difficult and inconvenient, and in the 1920s, the two counties decided it was time to bore through the hills. In 1937, the grand new Broadway Low Level Tunnel, then the longest highway tunnel in California, opened to drivers. (In 1960, it was rededicated in honor of Thomas E. Caldecott, a local politician who championed the project.) In 1982, CalTrans estimated 110,000 vehicles went through the three bores of the Caldecott Tunnel each day. But a little past midnight on April 7, vehicle traffic had thinned out, with just a few cars and trucks zipping through in the darkness. According to a 314-page accident report from the California Highway Patrol, a decision by Janice Ferris [set] the stage for disaster. The 34-year-old from San Leandro got behind the wheel of her Honda legally intoxicated, entering the tunnel from Orinda, headed toward Oakland. Somehow, she lost control of the car, smashing into curbs on both sides of the two-lane bore and puncturing a tire. The car came to a stop near the middle of the tunnel. MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune /MediaNews Group via Getty Images Behind Ferris was a tanker truck carrying nearly 9,000 gallons of gasoline. As it began to approach the incapacitated Honda, an AC Transit bus driven by 55-year-old John Dykes Jr. tried to squeeze past the tanker. Dykes, who the CHP report says was going 60 mph, didnt see the stalled Honda until it was too late. The bus veered into the tanker, causing the tanker to overturn. Within seconds, the tunnel was an inferno. Right behind the crash were son and mother Steve and June Rutledge, driving to Junes home in Piedmont. Steve stopped his Ford pickup and ran out into the road. A survivor of the fire, Paul Petroelje, told the San Francisco Examiner that he saw Steve waving down traffic entering the tunnel and turning them around. Steve staggered out through the smoke while June, a reporter at the Piedmonter newspaper, said she was going to try to call 911 on an emergency phone in the tunnel. She never got the chance. San Francisco Examiner / Archival The wind that always blew through the tunnel created what an Alameda County coroners deputy would later call a blowtorch effect. The raging gasoline fire exploded upward and back toward Orinda. The heat was so intense up to 2,000 degrees in some spots that everything in its path was consumed instantaneously. It was, in the words of California Department of Transportation employee Tim Miller, a giant oven. June died in the fire. Police credited Steve with successfully turning half a dozen cars around, saving their lives. "I could see the thick smoke," Petroelje told reporters. "It was really boiling out and was thick, like a refinery fire. I have friends in the fire department and they always said it's the smoke that kills you. I could tell this was the kind of smoke they were talking about." Petroelje also told the paper he saw a Pontiac driver turn their car sideways to prevent other drivers entering the tunnel. "That man was a real hero too," Petroelje said. "I saw the lights of that car parked sideways go out. I don't know what happened to that driver." The Examiner reported that two "skeletons" were found inside a sideways-facing Pontiac at the scene. They were later identified as Katherine and George Lenz, an elderly couple from San Francisco. Also killed were Ferris, Dykes and two men in a beer delivery truck, Everett Kidney and Melvin Young. "No one in here had a chance," a firefighter told the Berkeley Gazette. MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune /MediaNews Group via Getty Images Reporters were allowed into the tunnel at 4 a.m., just a few hours after the accident. The blaze had taken out the lighting system, so their way was lit only by dim flashlights. As they passed an incinerated beer truck, a few cans of Miller exploded, and a slight sour smell cut through the nauseating air, the Gazette reported. Reporters averted their eyes as they came upon each vehicle, nearly all still containing the skeletal remains of their occupants. Miraculously, Mervyn Metzker, the driver of the tanker, managed to escape his cab and flee the tunnel in the nick of time. CHP later cleared him of any wrongdoing; their report identified the primary cause of the accident as "a combination of inattention and excessive speed by the bus driver, John Dykes Jr." Despite the damage, the Caldecott Tunnel reopened five days later on the afternoon of April 12. CHP worried drivers would cause accidents slowing down in the tunnel, but officers were surprised to see motorists werent stopping to rubberneck at the damage. The pace of traffic was constant and quick, perhaps as fearful drivers itched to get out of what now felt like a death trap. (For what its worth, one major law came out of the Caldecott Tunnel fire: Trucks carrying hazardous materials, such as gasoline, can only use the tunnel between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. each day.) MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune /MediaNews Group via Getty Images The day after the fire, the Oakland Tribune spoke with CHP investigator Gabriel Contreras as he was supervising a forklift brought in to remove the tanker. Contreras told the paper that the chassis of the truck was fused to the highway floor by the intense heat of the fire, which had "melted the truck's hubcaps into puddles." "I'm something of a philosopher," he said. "Whenever I see one of these, which is not too often, I say, 'There but for the grace of God, go I.'" A San Francisco Bay Area naturopathic doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to selling fake COVID-19 immunization pills and forged vaccination cards that falsely claimed customers got the Moderna vaccine, the Department of Justice said in a news release. Juli Mazi, a 41-year-old naturopathic doctor with a California license, pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements related to health care matters, which carry a combined maximum prison sentence of 25 years. Federal investigators arrested Mazi last July after receiving a tip that she had sold the fake treatments to the tipster's family members. Mazi falsely claimed that the pills contained a small amount of the COVID virus and would generate lifelong immunity by creating antibodies, court documents said Mazi also sent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards to the source's family members that included specific vaccine lot numbers and instructions for how to falsify that they had received the two-dose Moderna vaccine when they had not received any of the three federally authorized COVID vaccines, officials said. Further investigation found that Mazi provided fake vaccination cards to more than 200 people. The investigation also revealed that she offered fake immunization pills as a replacement for vaccinations required for children to attend school. She gave these customers fraudulent vaccine cards to submit to schools as proof that their child had received the requisite vaccinations, officials said. Mazi sold the fake vaccination cards for childhood immunizations to more than 100 people, said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, whose office prosecuted the case. "Mazi's fake health care records scheme endangered the health and well-being of students and the general public at a time when confidence in our public health system is of critical importance," Hinds said in a statement. Each charge also includes a maximum $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mazi's scheme was initially reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General. The HHS-OIG's San Francisco Regional Office and the FBI's San Francisco Field Office assisted in the investigation of Mazi's scheme. "During a time when the public has been heavily reliant on our medical professionals for advice and guidance, Mazi has brazenly violated the trust of the public by instilling fear and spreading misinformation surrounding COVID-19 immunizations and treatments," said Luis Quesada, the assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. Mazi is scheduled to be sentenced July 29. Bay City News contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOKYO (AP) The HBO Max drama series Tokyo Vice takes the perennial story of a novice reporter on the police beat but places it in the bustling exotic landscape of the Japanese capital of the 1990s. Ansel Elgort of West Side Story immersed himself in the leading role not only by learning Japanese so he could speak like a native, but also learning the ropes of an investigative reporter, interviewing people, getting quotes and writing up a story. It was really cool, he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. The characters had to feel real, not just be archetypes, Elgort said. The series, which premieres Thursday, weaves in allusions to the Japanese film genre depicting organized crime, called yakuza, as well as exploring the glitzy night life of hostess bars, where powerful corporate Japanese men rub shoulders with their underworld counterparts. You see the yakuza characters. You see them as a family, too. Its kind of like The Godfather, where you see them being bad guys, but you see them at home and how its really a family, Elgort said. The whole point was to go back and forth smoothly between languages and cultures, all carefully put together to appear authentic to global audiences, the creators and actors said. Ken Watanabe, who plays a somber and seasoned police detective, said he also served as Japanese language adviser, and gave Elgort the tip to learn all his lines in his native tongue first before trying them out in the foreign language. That has been a trick Watanabe uses acting in Hollywood, starting with the Tom Cruise period piece The Last Samurai. For Tokyo Vice, Watanabe also studied cops, he said, to probe deeper into his character, a loving family man and tough crime fighter at once. Tokyo Vice is loosely based on a non-fiction firsthand account by Jake Adelstein, who spent years in Japan and worked for a top newspaper. Youre always looking at the storyteller for a dynamic genre story by characters with incredible stakes, but how to come in with a different angle? said Tony-winning J.T. Rogers, writer of the series and a friend of Adelstein since they were teens in Missouri. It creates a dynamism that we hope the audience will find interesting, he said. Footage shot in Tokyo is filled with iconic touchstones, from the famous Shibuya intersection where crowds crisscross in perfect choreography, to the rigidly bureaucratic offices of the Japanese salaryman, whose hierarchical emphasis on respect for higher-ups is oddly paralleled by the yakuza world. All those worlds are very interconnected in ways that are different from what you might assume, coming in from a Western point of view. And so discovering the ways they are interconnected, as Jake figures it out on his own, is part of the pleasure of following the story, said executive producer Alan Poul. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Poul began his career in Japan, and has a college degree in Japanese literature. The multicultural cast of Tokyo Vice also includes Rinko Kikuchi and Rachel Keller. Will there be any obligatory karaoke scenes to showcase the singing talent of Elgort and Watanabe? Viewers can only hope, although both lead actors praised each other's singing talent Elgort in West Side Story and Watanabe in The King and I on Broadway. I was so blown away by Ken-sans singing, Elgort said in perfect Japanese. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) As Shawn Mendes prepares to embark on a massive global tour, the 23-year-old has released an emotional single reflecting his breakup with Camila Cabello. Mendes says When Youre Gone was about processing the loss in his life. (Cabello has her own album coming out Friday). Mendes believes hes matured as an artist, especially with the time he had to himself during the pandemic. As you get older you start to just feel like you want to keep pushing boundaries, Mendes said. Recently, the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist sat down with The Associated Press to discuss his upcoming tour, his Met Gala invitation and the new single. ___ AP: Tell me about getting your emotions out for When Youre Gone? Mendes: I think its really just like me processing a breakup, me processing losing somebody that was so much of my world and it's just me trying to be candid and real with people because, ultimately, the only way Im ever going to connect with people is if Im being real with myself. AP: So there was a lot of self-reflection you experienced? Mendes: I think I went through a period of freedom and then I went through a period of fear and then I came back around to find freedom again. And that was a huge lesson in itself that fear is not the way this is going to work. And so, coming back around to freedom and trust has been a huge one for me. AP: When performing such a personal song, how do you keep your emotions intact? Mendes: I wish I could say I had the control over that, but sometimes you get caught up and sometimes you step outside of yourself, kind of. Nobody really has control over that stuff. AP: So its about pushing boundaries? Mendes: You really want to start breaking down walls and doing things that maybe have not been done before. So, I think thats a sign of maturity as well. AP: This tour seems massive, why so big? Mendes: This time around things are confusing because of COVID and we had to move the first half of the tour to the back of the tour. So it was really just trying to make things work to the way the world was kind of dealing in the moment. Its a long tour, I think its over 100 shows worldwide, and Im dying to start. AP: What can audiences expect when they come to see you? Mendes: The show is going to be incredible. I really think it will be unbelievable. I think it will be the best show weve ever put on. Its just because the music was so curated for a live show that I think people are going to be so excited to be at that show. Its the most excited Ive ever been about a live show Ive put on in my life. AP: How does the energy differ with crowds around the world? Mendez: South America has some of the best crowds in the world. America can be a little harder to win, but if you win them over, they can be some of the best crowds in the world, too. But then Europe is undeniably one of my favorite places to tour, always. AP: With such intense performances, how do your wind down after a show? Mendes: Ice baths have been pretty game-changing for me, like a sauna and an ice bath and some meditation and if I can keep that going, Ill probably be OK. Because youre right. I really do go out there and give everything. AP: Last year, you made an interesting wardrobe choice at the Met Gala, are your going attending next month? Mendes: Yeah. Well have to see. Im not sure Im allowed to say, but there's a good, good, good chance. photo by Lena J. on Yelp The scuffle over allowing Taqueria El Farolito to unveil another storefront in San Francisco has come to a favorable end for the small restaurant chain that was permitted to open a North Beach outpost. On Monday, San Franciscos Planning Department gave the popular taqueria the go-ahead to open in North Beach at 1230 Grant Avenue, under the condition that it modifies the signage at some of its existing storefronts around the Bay Area, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.) Gary Qian/Getty Images A 30-year-old man died Wednesday after falling some 250 feet while hiking a challenging trail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, officials said. The Honolulu Fire Department said the individual was on the Olomana Trail that follows a mostly vertical path to the top of the three-peaked Olomana, on the island's southeast corner a short drive from Honolulu. He was near the third peak when he fell off the side of the trail facing the ocean, the department said. SEATTLE (AP) King County Executive Dow Constantine has announced three candidates to be the countys next top law enforcement officer, including the countys interim sheriff. The finalists are King County interim Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall; Charles Kimble, chief of police in Killeen, Texas; and Reginald Moorman, a major in the Atlanta Police Department, The Seattle Times reported. The countys nationwide search, launched last fall, yielded 12 applicants, Constantines office said. Of those 12, seven completed a round of interviews. Constantine said in a prepared statement that the finalists are highly-qualified. I am eager to hear from the public and our KCSO employees as they meet the candidates and hear their vision for delivering high quality, professional, and equitable public safety, he said. Cole-Tindall had said she would not be a candidate for the permanent position and the reversal wasn't addressed Thursday. The finalists will go through further interviews and public forums will be held later this month. Constantine hopes to make a choice in May, which must be approved by the Metropolitan King County Council. The county started the search last fall after Constantine, who had clashed with then-Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, made clear that he would not extend her term. County voters in 2020 voted to make sheriff an appointed, rather than elected, position for the first time in more than a quarter century. MOBILE, Ala. (AP) A south Alabama airport will be known as Mobile International Airport. The Mobile Airport Authority board voted Wednesday to change the name of the Downtown Mobile Airport to the new name, Al.com reported. The airport authority is in the process of moving commercial passenger service from Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to the Brookley Aeroplex. They say the new sites advantages include its proximity to downtown and access to Interstate 10. The facility will have the capability to handle international cargo and international passengers, Mobile Airport Authority President Chris Curry. He said that will distinguish it from other facilities in the region. Plans call for a new passenger terminal to be built at the Brookley Aeroplex. The new facility is expected to open in fall 2024. TIRANA, Albania (AP) Albania's prime minister said Thursday that his nation may go it alone in its efforts to launch European Union membership talks, turning its back on a stalled joint bid with North Macedonia. Albania and North Macedonia have both fulfilled the required criteria for launching talks to join the 27-nation bloc. But in 2020, Bulgaria vetoed the start of formal EU accession talks for North Macedonia, arguing that Skopje had failed to honor parts of a 2017 friendship deal, particularly regarding shared history and language. NEW ORLEANS (AP) President Joe Bidens requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 was upheld Thursday by a federal appeals court. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the mandate. The ruling, a rare win for the administration at the New Orleans-based appellate court, said that the federal judge didnt have jurisdiction in the case and those challenging the requirement could have pursued administrative remedies under Civil Service law. Biden issued an executive order Sept. 9 ordering vaccinations for all executive branch agency employees, with exceptions for medical and religious reasons. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by then-President Donald Trump, issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. When the case was argued at the 5th Circuit last month, administration lawyers had noted that district judges in a dozen jurisdictions had rejected a challenge to the vaccine requirement for federal workers before Brown ruled. The administration argued that the Constitution gives the president, as the head of the federal workforce, the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated. Lawyers for those challenging the mandate had pointed to a recent Supreme Court opinion that the government cannot force private employers to require employee vaccinations. Twelve of 17 active judges at the 5th Circuit were nominated to the court by Republicans, including six Trump appointees. Judges Carl Stewart and James Dennis, both nominated to the court by President Bill Clinton, were in the majority. Judge Rhesa Barksdale, a senior judge nominated by President George H.W. Bush, dissented, saying the relief the challengers sought does not fall under the Civil Service Reform Act cited by the administration. The case marked ideological divides at the appeals court even before Thursday's ruling. A different panel had refused in February to block Brown's ruling pending the appeal. That panels vote was 2-1. There were no reasons given by the majority Judge Jerry Smith, a President Ronald Reagan nominee, and Don Willett, a Trump nominee. But there was a lengthy dissent by Judge Stephen Higginson, a nominee of President Barack Obama, who said a single district judge lacking public health expertise and made unaccountable through life tenure, should not be able to block the president from ordering the same type of COVID-19 safety measures many private sector CEOs have ordered. PHOENIX (AP) Arizonas Republican attorney general issued an interim report Wednesday on his review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County that outlined his concerns with some election procedures but did not provide proof of any major issues despite six months of investigation. Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is in a tough GOP primary for U.S. Senate, largely reiterated concerns raised by a widely panned election review conducted last year by supporters of former President Donald Trump on behalf of state Senate Republicans. Brnovich is courting Trump's endorsement for his Senate run, which would give him a significant boost in a field with no clear Republican frontrunner to take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Arizona has been ground zero by efforts by Trump and his allies to find proof for their claim that Trump's narrow loss here was marred by fraud. The former president has vented repeatedly about the pace of Brnovich's review of the 2020 election and said people are questioning whether the attorney general is up to doing the right thing. In Wednesday's 12-page letter addressed to Republican state Senate President Karen Fann, Brnovich said some of the forms documenting the transportation of ballots were missing signatures or other information. The issue has been widely discussed among Trump supporters who falsely claim the election was stolen from him, but there has been no evidence produced of tampering, and Brnovich didn't offer any. Brnovich also claimed that election officials worked too quickly in verifying voter signatures on mail ballots. He suggested several changes, including requiring voters to provide additional information such as a driver's license number, adopting uniform statewide standards for accepting or rejecting signatures and allowing partisan observers to watch and challenge the signature verification process. He also contends a drop in the number of ballots with rejected signatures between 2016 and 2018 and again in 2020 warrants scrutiny. Be he rightly noted that the law was changed for 2020 to give voters five days after the election to fix any problems. Brnovich also complained that county officials have been slow in responding to his requests for information. County officials have previously said they're cooperating but also have to focus on conducting local elections while gathering the extensive array of documents Brnovich has requested. He asked the Legislature to give him subpoena power to force county officials to promptly give him documents he requests, and added a list of recommendations for tightening election procedures. The Attorney Generals interim report about the 2020 election in Maricopa County includes no new evidence, nothing that would have changed the results, and nothing that should lead people to question the overall health of our electoral system, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, both Republicans, said in a statement. The recorder and board jointly oversee elections in the county. They noted that Brnovich didnt address several debunked claims made by Trump allies, including that the election computers were connected to the internet and data was illegally deleted. Fann called the report a historic day for voter integrity in Arizona." Weve wanted an entity with prosecutorial authority to validate the missteps our audit revealed, and this interim report does just that, she said. The AGs findings of failures, fraud, and potential misconduct during the 2020 election in Maricopa County are not surprising, given the lack of compliance and cooperation Maricopa County elections officials displayed from the start." Brnovichs letter to Fann said his election integrity unity has uncovered instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes." But none of the prosecutions in Arizona have anything to do with how the election was managed, and none reveal any instance of malfeasance by public officials or election workers. The attorney general has acknowledged filing criminal charges against nine people across the state for voting crimes stemming from the 2020 general election, where more than 3.4 million ballots were cast. Of those cases, just two were in Maricopa County and both involve people who illegally completed the ballot of their parent, who died shortly before the election. One woman awaits sentencing on a reduced felony charge, and the other already has completed probation she received after pleading guilty in December. Brnovichs office revealed that case on Wednesday, but did not say how the crime was discovered. The first case came to light after a citizens group scoured lists of recently deceased people who may have voted and handed it over to the attorney general. Also Wednesday, the attorney general announced that a woman in southern Arizonas Cochise County had pleaded guilty to voting her dead mothers ballot. Under a plea agreement, the woman will be sentenced to probation and could receive up to 60 days in jail on a low level felony that could be reduced to a misdemeanor. Following an extensive internal review of its election, the Maricopa County Elections Department turned over to Brnovich in January 38 cases of potential voter fraud it uncovered while reviewing its 2.1 million ballots from the 2020 general election. They included five people who may have voted in more than one county and six who may have voted twice in Maricopa County. The county also located 27 voters who may have died before their ballots were returned in the mail. Death records are automatically sent to state and county election officials so their voter registrations can be canceled, but if they happen within two months of an election it is possible a relative can return their mail ballot envelope. Thats what happened in most of the cases The Associated Press has tracked from the 2020 election. The other charges are from felons allegedly voting. The AP spent months last year tracking potential voting fraud cases across Arizona and other battleground states and found few cases, despite Trump's claim of widespread voter fraud. In Arizona, the AP's initial tally from July was fewer than 200. That dropped after Pima County completed its review o f 151 potential voter fraud cases and concluded none merited criminal charges. Since then, just a handful of new criminal cases have been filed. BEIRUT (AP) Artillery hit a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria early Thursday, lightly injuring two members of the U.S.-led coalition there, the organization said. The attack two rounds of indirect fire was the first to hit the base in Syria's Deir el-Zour province since January, when eight rounds landed inside its perimeter. The International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve said troops at Green Village in the province that borders Iraq reported receiving two rounds of indirect fire. Two Coalition members were lightly injured in the attack, it added, saying that both were treated and returned to duty Thursday morning. Green Village, just east of the Euphrates River, is an installation used by some of the several hundred U.S. forces in Syria. The coalition said the incoming rounds ignited two fires which were quickly extinguished. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said five rockets were fired early Thursday from positions where Iran-backed fighters are based. Hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, working with the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to fight against the Islamic State group. Thousands of Iran-backed militiamen from around the Middle East are deployed in different parts of Syria, many of them in areas along the border with Iraq. Iran sent thousands of fighters it backs from around the Middle East to fight alongside President Bashar Assads forces during Syrias 11-year conflict. They helped tip the balance of power in his favor. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Unable to walk or move half his face after being injured by the same Russian shell that killed his father as they tried to flee Kyiv, a 13-year-old Ukrainian boy has found new hope in a Polish hospital. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw, southwestern Poland, said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed to help doctors choose the best treatment for Volodymyr. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) Burkina Fasos former president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who has been under strict house arrest since being ousted in a coup in January, has been allowed to return to his personal home, according to the ruling military junta. Following three weeks of consultations across the country, it was decided that Kabore could go back to his residence in the capital, Ouagadougou, which will be guarded by government security, junta spokesman Wendkouni Joel Lionel Bilgo said in a statement. Its unclear which of his several houses Kabore is in and it appears he remains under arrest. Kabore is allowed to see family and close friends and to use his phone but he isnt permitted to freely move outside his home, two members of the ruling junta told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Last month the military junta announced that it intends to stay in power for three years before holding elections and returning Burkina Faso to civilian, democratic rule. The junta said it is necessary for the military to hold power for that period in order to secure the country from jihadi violence in which thousands have been killed and nearly 2 million people displaced. The 15-nation West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS has expressed its concern over the junta's three-year transition period and demanded that by April 25 the military rulers propose a shorter time to elections or the regional group will impose economic and financial sanctions, according to a statement by ECOWAS in March. Conflict analysts say the decision to move Kabore and give him a bit more freedom might signify that the junta is trying to reduce worries about its control of the country. It might be showcasing a more lenient approach to stem the potential for a civilian outcry over it seizing power, said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis. It might also signify that back door negotiations are taking place to contain the Kabore support base and bring it to its side, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Rich Pedroncelli/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Rich Pedroncelli/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A legislative hearing in California was disrupted on Wednesday when an animal rights organizer glued her hand to a table and refused to leave. The Assembly Agriculture Committee met to vote on various pieces of legislation. The meeting included a limited public comment session where people are only allowed to say their name, affiliation and whether they support or oppose a bill. OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government announced Thursday it will ban foreign investors from buying homes in Canada for two years in a bid to cool off a hot housing market. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a number of measures to tamp down speculation and demand amid record home prices in announcing the federal budget for the year. The government announced a two-year ban on foreign home buying as well as higher taxes for people who sell their home within a year, though both measures include multiple exceptions including for permanent residents and foreign students. The budget also includes billions for new housing and measures to help Canadians trying to get into the market, including a new savings account and changes to the first-time home buyers tax credit. The government is under pressure to cool an overheated market after prices climbed by more than 20% last year, while rental rates have also been rising. The federal Liberal government is also promising $500 million Canadian (US$397 million) in additional military aid to Ukraine as well as more humanitarian and financial support to Kyiv in response to Russias invasion. Canada responded to months of pressure from the NATO military alliance and others by promising more than $8 billion Canadian (US7.2 billion) in new military spending over the next five years. Canada will remain far short of NATOs spending 2% of GDP target, even as other allies dramatically ramp up their own military investments following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Last month, the Canadian government announced it selected Lockheed Martin Corp. and the F-35 as the preferred bidder in its competition to buy a new fighter jet. SAN DIEGO (AP) The captain of an overloaded smuggling boat that crashed into rocks and broke up off the San Diego coast last year, killing three immigrants, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges. Antonio Hurtado, 40, of San Diego entered pleas to felony counts of attempted human smuggling resulting in death and attempted human smuggling for financial gain. He could face up to life in prison when he is sentenced in July. Prosecutors say Hurtado, a United States citizen, was carrying 32 immigrants from Mexico into the United States last May. The boat was traveling in the dark, in rainy weather with large ocean swells. In a plea agreement, Hurtado said that he used drugs during the journey and at one point lost consciousness and the vessel drove in circles for more than an hour until the other people on board were able to wake him, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office. At around 6 a.m. on May 2, the boat's engine died and Hurtado couldn't restart it. The 40-foot (12-meter) trawler-style boat drifted and was about 50 feet (15 meters) from shore when it ran aground and broke apart in the pounding surf off Cabrillo National Monument. Hurtado jumped out and swam to shore, while the other passengers were flung into the water when the boat was smashed, prosecutors said. People in the area, including a Navy rescue swimmer and National Park Service employees, tried to rescue them. However, Maria Eugenia Chavez Segovia, 41, Maricela Hernandez Sanchez, 35, and Victor Perez Degollado, 29, drowned after suffering blunt-force injuries to their heads, according the San Diego County medical examiners office. The surviving migrants told investigators they paid between $15,000 and $18,000 each to be smuggled into the U.S. on the boat. All but one were Mexican citizens, including a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl who were traveling alone. This was a horrific tragedy that never should have happened, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement. It was a shocking and callous series of events. ... I have said it many times, and I will say it again: Never trust a smuggler. They care only about money." Hurtado also pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer. He kneed a U.S. Border Patrol agent in the face who was trying to put a leg shackle on him on the beach, authorities said. The agent wasn't seriously hurt. The cross-border smuggling attempt was one of several last year that ended in disaster. A few weeks after the accident, one person was killed and eight injured in a smuggling attempt off San Diego's tony La Jolla coast. Days earlier, 23 people had to be rescued in another incident when their boat got stuck in the surf. In March 2021, an SUV packed with migrants collided with a tractor-trailer in the farming community of Holtville, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of San Diego. The crash killed 13 of the 25 people inside a 1997 Ford Expedition, including the driver, in one of the deadliest border-related crashes in U.S. history. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and is not experiencing any symptoms, according to his communications director. Lamont, 68, received his second booster shot on March 31. He tested positive in the morning after taking a regularly-scheduled rapid self-test. The infection was confirmed with a second rapid self-test and the governor is currently awaiting results from a PCR test, spokesperson Max Reiss said. Lamont, a Democrat, plans to isolate at the governor's residence in Hartford for the next five days and will not attend any in-person events or meetings, his office said. Lamont canceled two planned appearances on Thursday after receiving his results. However, on Wednesday, he visited a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Hartford and attended public events in Middletown and Clinton. Reiss said the three appearances were either outdoors or held inside a large building. He is feeling good and not experiencing any symptoms, and he is grateful that he is receiving protection from the second booster shot he received last week, Reiss said. Lamont is at least the 16th U.S. governor to test positive for COVID-19, according to an Associated Press tally. His positive test comes a week after another Northeast governor, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, tested positive. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases in Connecticut has increased by 174.4, an increase of 55.5%, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins. Meanwhile, the state reported Wednesday the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 increased by 19 to a total of 117. Johns Hopkins reports there have been 10,795 COVID-19 related deaths to date. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Construction to replace a century-old rail bridge that has been a regular source of delays on the corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. has received the go-ahead to start. New Jersey Transit announced Thursday it had issued a notice to proceed for the Portal North Bridge project, which will build a new bridge over the Hackensack River in northern New Jersey to replace a 112-year-old swing bridge that occasionally becomes stuck after opening to allow boats to pass underneath. The bridge carries hundreds of Amtrak and commuter trains daily, and delays can affect trains up and down the northeastern U.S. The new bridge is being built by a joint venture comprising Sweden-based Skanska and Traylor Brothers, a civil construction company based in Evansville, Indiana. Construction is expected to take between five and six years. The Federal Transit Administration awarded a $766 million grant for the project last year; New Jersey Transit is contributing roughly $800 million and Amtrak about $260 million. After years of crucial behind the scenes work, this notice to proceed means train customers will soon see tangible evidence of our commitment to modernizing the rail system, Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. The bridge is part of the Gateway project, a broader effort to modernize and increase rail service in the New York metro region and which also includes a plan to build a new, $10 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River and expand New Yorks Penn Station. The tunnel, considered the centerpiece of Gateway, is expected to secure federal grants by the end of this year that, combined with billions committed by New Jersey, New York state and Amtrak, could lead to construction beginning in 2023. While the new tunnel is being constructed, the century-old existing tunnel, prone to delays due to aging infrastructure exacerbated by saltwater flooding from 2012's Superstorm Sandy, would be refurbished and upgraded, eventually creating two tunnels that would increase capacity in and out of New York. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) The death toll from a stabbing attack at the most revered Shiite shrine in Iran rose to two on Thursday after another cleric succumbed to his wounds, Iran's state TV reported. The victim, identified only by his last name, Daraei, died at a hospital in the holy northeastern city of Mashhad, after being stabbed at the city's Imam Reza shrine on Tuesday. SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) Brussels has given the green light to Bulgarias European Union-funded recovery and sustainability plan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to Sofia on Thursday. The Balkan country is among the last EU members to get formal approval for its plan under the blocs 800 billion post-pandemic rescue fund, due to months of political turmoil and several inconclusive elections. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With Russian hopes for storming Kyiv and other major cities in northern Ukraine dashed by stiff resistance, Moscow has refocused its efforts on the country's east, seeking to make gains there and use them to dictate its terms in talks on ending the conflict. The Russian troops are preparing for a massive offensive in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland known as the Donbas, and the coming weeks could determine the outcome of the war. A look at the shift in the Russian strategy and its possible consequences. A STALLED BLITZ When Russian forces invaded Ukraine from the north, east and south on Feb. 24. President Vladimir Putin counted on a quick victory, similar to its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The Russian troops that pushed into Ukraine from Moscow's ally Belarus quickly reached the outskirts of Kyiv, only 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of the border, but they got bogged down facing Ukrainian defenses. After the failed attempts to storm the capital and other big cities in the north, Russian forces tried to encircle and pummel them with artillery and airstrikes. The relentless barrages led to massive civilian casualties and damaged infrastructure, but didn't weaken Ukraine's resolve. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, successfully used artillery and drones against Russian convoys that stretched for dozens of kilometers (miles) along highways outside Kyiv. That created massive logistical problems for the Russians. A SHIFT IN STRATEGY On March 29, Russia announced a drastic change in strategy, saying it would scale down military activities around Kyiv and Chernihiv, focusing instead on the liberation of Donbas. A quick withdrawal from areas in the north and northeast followed, with forces pulling back to Belarus and Russia for rest and resupply. Moscow sought to put a positive spin on what Ukrainian and Western officials described as the failure of the offensive. Russia said the action in the north was intended to tie down and weaken Ukrainian forces there and prevent them from joining troops engaged in the fighting in the east. REDEPLOYMENT AND REGROUPING Observers said it could take Russian troops several weeks for the troops to rest, resupply and regroup before they could launch a new attack in the east. Many Russian units withdrawing from northern Ukraine are likely to require significant re-equipping and refurbishment before being available to redeploy for operations in eastern Ukraine, a tweet from the British Ministry of Defence said. Some Western estimates said nearly a quarter of Russian units involved in the fighting had been rendered unfit for further action and would need long reequipment and resupply before being sent back into combat. They will be remanned because they have lost a lot of troops in the different units, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. They will be rearmed because they have used a lot of ammunition and they will be resupplied ... to launch a new big offensive. FORTRESS EAST The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, home to a mostly Russian-speaking population, began in 2014 shortly after the annexation of Crimea and has killed over 14,000 people. The fighting has tempered Ukrainian forces, which have gained ample combat experience and built multilayered defenses along the line of contact. Those efforts paid off at the start of the Russian invasion, preventing the separatist forces and Russian troops from making any significant gains there despite far superior firepower. From the start of the invasion, Moscow's key goal was to capture the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol to secure a coastal corridor to Crimea. Russian troops have besieged Mariupol for a month, reducing much of the city to rubble with artillery and air raids that killed thousands. So far, however, they have failed to win full control. RUSSIAN PINCER MOVEMENT Ukrainian and Western officials say the Russian plan is to encircle tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops in Donbas by moving from Izyum, near Kharkiv in the north, and from Mariupol in the south. The timing for the offensive depends on how quickly the Russians wrap up the battle for Mariupol and free those forces for the offensive. It also will depend on how much time is needed to resupply and regroup the troops that were pulled back from Kyiv and other areas in the north. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in an analysis that the Russian troops will likely try to advance from Izyum to capture the strategic city of Slovyansk and link up with other Russian forces in Donbas in what it said will likely prove to be the next pivotal battle of the war in Ukraine. Stoltenberg warned that such an eastward shift by Russia marks a crucial phase of the war, saying a further push in eastern and southern Ukraine is expected to try to take the entire Donbas and to create a land bridge to occupied Crimea." MOSCOW'S VULNERABILITIES During an eastern offensive, Russian forces will face the same problems that hampered their attack in the north. Maintaining supply lines over long distances under constant Ukrainian attacks was a key challenge that eventually doomed the blitz on Kyiv and forced Moscow's retreat. Such an operation in the east could prove just as hard. The lack of proper cohesion among different forces, the failure to fully suppress Ukrainian air defenses, and the growing popular resistance to the invasion would likely make it difficult for quick Russian gains in the east. As they seek to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas, Russian forces could also face attacks on their flanks. CONDITIONS FOR PEACE A military success in the east could offer Putin a face-saving exit from the conflict, allowing him to claim that Moscow's main goals were fulfilled. He could argue that Russia has destroyed the bulk of the Ukrainian military, liquidated the neo-Nazi nationalist forces and liberated Donbas. Putins conditions for peace, however, include a demand for Ukraine to acknowledge Russias sovereignty over Crimea and to recognize the independence of the eastern separatists regions, something that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected. Zelenskyy said the issues of Crimea and Donbas could be put on hold, but Moscow wants to make them part of a deal now. TIME AS A FACTOR Putin badly needs a quick success in the east to find a way out of the conflict that increasingly looks like a quagmire for Moscow. Time is working against Russia, with each day of war worsening the massive economic damage from Western sanctions and draining its limited resources. A protracted conflict could force the Kremlin to broadly engage the use of poorly trained conscripts, something it has tried to avoid, claiming that it relies squarely on volunteer soldiers. Sending fresh draftees into battle would be highly unpopular and likely fuel public discontent. Putin's goal of freeing Ukraine from purported neo-Nazis has led some observers to predict that he hopes for quick gains in the east so he can announce a successful end to the campaign by May 9. That's when Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, its most important public holiday. - Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIJING (AP) China has described reports and images of civilian killings in Ukraine as disturbing, and urged that they be further investigated, even while declining to blame Russia. That's drawn questions about the resiliency of Beijings support for Moscow, but speculation that it is weakening appears to be misplaced. Heres a deeper look at where China stands at this stage of the conflict: IS CHINA SERIOUS ABOUT PROBING ATROCITIES? In his statement Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian referred to reports of atrocities in the town of Bucha, saying, The truth and the cause of the incident must be verified." He said that all parties should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations before a conclusion of the investigation. Crucially, Zhao did not mention Russian forces and gave no indication of how evidence should be gathered or by whom. China has a lengthy history of providing political cover for its friends after incidents such as the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in 2010. China called that unfortunate," but refused to accept evidence North Korea was responsible. Beijing also routinely turns accusations of war crimes back on the accusers, mainly the U.S., citing the Iraq invasion and incidents such as NATOs 1999 bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. China has never accepted NATOs claim that the attack was unintended. WHERE DOES CHINA STAND ON RUSSIA'S INVASION? Beijing early on committed itself to the position that Russia was provoked into attacking its neighbor by the eastward expansion of NATO under U.S. direction, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin has not listed that as his primary motive for invading. China has abstained in votes at the United Nations condemning Russia's actions, and, in keeping with standard policy, has strongly opposed economic sanctions against Russia. At the same time, China shows no signs of undermining those sanctions or rushing in to fill the void left by the departure of Western companies from Russia. Beijing has of late focused its messages on calls for talks leading to a cease-fire and avoiding a major humanitarian catastrophe. It has also provided Ukraine with humanitarian assistance and kept a line open to Ukrainian officials. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Monday that China does not have the mentality of watching the fire from a safe distance, still less to do anything that adds fuel to the fire." WHAT'S BEHIND CHINA'S SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA? China and Russia have grown increasingly close under Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, aligning their foreign policies in opposition to the Western liberal world order. China generally follows Russia's lead in voting at the U.N. and has helped stymy efforts to censure it over its military intervention in Syria. Together, the countries account for two of the five permanent veto-wielding seats on the U.N. Security Council, forming a bloc that can effectively frustrate Washington's initiatives. The two are also closely linked economically, with China becoming Russia's largest trading partner and an important export market for its natural gas and oil. Just weeks before the war began, Xi and Putin met in Beijing and issued a joint statement describing their relations as having no limits." To criticize Putin would therefore implicitly criticize Xi, something China does not tolerate. WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS? By claiming to be an impartial observer, China has won Moscow's gratitude while largely shielding itself from obligations to take action against Russia. Beijing also points to the refusal of other countries including India and Brazil to condemn Moscow as evidence it doesn't stand alone. Beijing has no desire to see the end of Putin's regime, but could benefit from a weakened Russia becoming even more of a junior partner in the relationship. That could give Beijing a stronger hand in obtaining Russian energy resources and cutting edge military technology. At present, the risks are minimal. Beijing is long accustomed to being accused of enabling or perpetrating human rights abuses and has grown adept at ignoring or parrying them using its economic and political clout. While its biggest city Shanghai is facing one of the country's largest outbreak since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with a key Communist Party congress coming up later in the year, China is on high alert for anything that might threaten domestic stability. HOW IS CHINA KEEPING THE PUBLIC ON ITS SIDE? Beijing's entirely Communist Party-controlled media have reported on the civilian killings in Bucha, but their coverage has a strong pro-Russian slant. The media have also amplified Russian disinformation, especially debunked claims that the U.S. and Ukraine have been collaborating on the production of biological weapons. Beijing has sent instructions to teachers on how to correctly explain the conflict to students, with the U.S. cast as the main culprit." It's also shored up the official narrative with the circulation of a documentary film predating the Feb. 24 invasion that decries the fall of Russia's former communist system. Historical Nihilism and the Soviet Collapse" heaps praise on Putin and Joseph Stalin, while accusing reformers such as Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail Gorbachev of aiding the U.S. and its allies in weakening the system from within. BERLIN - Germany's foreign intelligence service claims to have intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers discuss carrying out indiscriminate killings in Ukraine. In two separate communications, Russian soldiers described questioning Ukrainian soldiers as well as civilians and then shooting them, according to an intelligence official familiar with the findings who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. The findings, first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel and confirmed by three people briefed on the information, further undermine Russia's denials of involvement in the carnage. Russia has claimed variously that atrocities are being carried out only after its soldiers leave occupied areas or that scenes of massacres of civilians are "staged." Images from Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital, have become symbols of the war's atrocities and galvanized calls for probes into possible war crimes. One person said the radio messages are likely to provide greater insight into suspected atrocities in other towns north of Kyiv that had been held by Russian soldiers. Germany has satellite images that point to Russia's involvement in the killing of civilians in Bucha, the intelligence official said, but the radio transmissions have not been linked to that location. The foreign intelligence agency, known as the BND, may be able to match signals intelligence with videos and satellite images to make connections to specific killings, two people said. These people also said the radio traffic suggests that members of the Wagner Group, the private military unit with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, have played a role in attacks on civilians. Another person briefed on the intelligence said the Wagner Group or another private contractor could be involved. German intelligence officials on Wednesday briefed members of at least two parliamentary committees on the findings, according to people familiar with the process. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Rodrigo Abd/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Photo by Heidi Levine for The Washington Post. Show More Show Less 3 of 3 "The reported cruelties have affected the members of the respective committees where it was reported very strongly," said one of the people briefed on the intelligence. Another person said the agency has high confidence in the findings, although it was not specific about how it obtained the radio communications. The third person said the information contributes to understanding of attitudes inside the Russian military but hardly represents "final evidence of who shot whom at what time." This person said the examples discussed by the BND point to an atmosphere of panic leading soldiers to "cut corners." Alex Whiting, a visiting professor at Harvard Law School who previously coordinated investigations at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, said the key question to discern from intercepted communications is whether soldiers were "acting pursuant to some plan or some general direction." "Just the fact that they would be talking to each other about these killings would indicate that and would disprove any suggestion that these were kind of spontaneous, random events," he added. Reliance by Russian troops on nonsecure communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios, has left their units vulnerable to targeting, Western defense and intelligence officials say. A spokesperson for the BND declined to comment. A government spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, made an elliptical reference Wednesday to "credible indications" that Russian forces in Bucha were interrogating prisoners "who were subsequently executed." He cited only "insights that we have." President Joe Biden and others have called for Putin to stand trial for war crimes, and prosecutors in Ukraine and throughout Europe are gathering evidence of battlefield abuses. The International Criminal Court is investigating, as are national authorities. Last month, the federal prosecutor's office in Germany opened an investigation into suspected Russian war crimes, saying it was examining attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. In its probe, Germany is relying on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which gives national courts the authority to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated by foreign nationals on foreign territory. The principle, which allowed Israel to put Adolf Eichmann on trial in 1961, has recently been used by Germany to prosecute crimes committed in Iraq and Syria, including by a former intelligence official in Syrian President Bashir Assad's regime. The official, Anwar Raslan, was convicted of crimes against humanity in the world's first trial related to state-sponsored torture under Assad's rule. He was sentenced to life in prison. - - - The Washington Post's Claire Parker in Washington contributed to this report. The job posting for an assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, set high expectations for candidates: A Ph.D. in chemistry or biochemistry, a strong teaching record at the college level, and three to five letters of recommendation. But there was a catch: The job would be on a without salary basis, as the posting phrased it. Just to be clear, it hammered home the point: Applicants must understand there will be no compensation for this position. The posting last month caused an immediate uproar among academics across the country, who accused the university of exploiting already undervalued adjunct professors, and suggested this would never happen in other occupations. Under pressure, UCLA apologized and withdrew the posting. But the unspoken secret had been fleetingly exposed: Free labor is a fact of academic life. These arrangements are common in academia, Bill Kisliuk, a spokesperson for UCLA, told Inside Higher Ed when at first defending the job posting. Contingent faculty, the umbrella term for all kinds of generally part-time and untenured college teachers without much if any job security, make up a huge portion of the teaching staff of universities by some estimates, around 70% overall and more in community colleges. They have long complained about the long hours and low pay. But these unpaid arrangements are perhaps the most concrete example of the unequal power in a weak labor market in which hundreds of candidates might apply for one position. Institutions are able to persuade or cajole people who have invested at least five or six years in earning a Ph.D. to work for free, even though, academics said, these jobs rarely lead to a tenure-track position. If your theory is that association with UCLA is itself compensation, then it makes sense, said Trent McDonald, a Ph.D. candidate in English and American literature and union organizer at Washington University in St. Louis. I think there is the belief that you can eat prestige. Very often, adjuncts and other contingent faculty are asked to do unpaid work that is presented not as free labor but as a way to hone their own credentials, according to union activists and some instructors who have received such requests. It may be characterized as professional development or service. Professionals are sometimes willing to teach a class in their field for free so they can put the university affiliation on their business cards, said Joe T. Berry, a former adjunct and historian of contingent faculty. And the instructors who are pressed into teaching without job security are often women or minorities, who began entering academia in force as the system was shifting to contingent faculty, said Berry, who recently co-wrote a book on the subject called Power Despite Precarity. In a previous book, Berry said, he has a page listing all the terms that have been used for contingent faculty: One of them is uncompensated. The union representing contingent faculty at the University of California has been fighting the uncompensated positions for years, said Mia McIver, the president of the union, which represents about 7,000 members. The fact that it is common does not excuse it, she said. The union suspects that the number of uncompensated teachers at the university is increasing, said McIver, who is also a lecturer in the UCLA writing program. As of March 2019, we had identified 26 faculty members at UCLA alone, she said. In the California system, the trend seemed to have begun with the financial crisis of 2008, McIver said. By 2010, she said, We became aware of people who had been laid off and who were teaching for free in the hopes, without any commitment from the university, that if the work came back they would be hired back to teach for pay. The union won a settlement with the administration in 2016 requiring compensation for lecturers, who are mostly part-time and make up the majority of contingent faculty, McIver said. But while lecturers are now unionized, adjuncts are not, allowing the university to have adjunct positions known as 0% appointments, meaning that they are unpaid. A spokesperson for UCLA, Steve Ritea, said that before the settlement, the people who taught for free were often full-time professionals with other income. He said he could not comment on the number of 0% appointments without seeing the documents the union was relying on. But he said that a typical example of a 0% adjunct is a tenured professor at another institution who has a formal affiliation with UCLA that might include mentoring students or serving on committees. Or someone who has moved to another university but wants to finish out a grant or a project. The job posting regrettably contained errors and a lack of context, he said, adding, We always offer compensation for classroom teaching. Even if someone takes a 0% position willingly, the union sees it as a disincentive for the university to create more secure positions. From my perspective, it doesnt matter whether someone had another job or another position, or is a retired professor who wanted to come back and teach, or a refugee scholar who needed a position, or a postdoc doing research who wanted or needed to teach, McIver said, rattling off possible justifications. Ultimately, all of that doesnt matter because anyone who teaches at a university or any school, let alone the University of California, should be paid for their labor. Liza Loza, a graduate student in molecular microbiology and microbial pathogenesis at Washington University, was excited to be asked to teach a discussion section about four years ago. She had to do a lot of preparation, spending hours reading very dense scientific papers and anticipating students questions. But she saw the job as her chance to make those discussions more hospitable to women and other students who had been shut out of the hard sciences. She remembered her own experience having professors who were so intimidating that she was afraid to speak, and she wanted to set a counterexample. She was told that the job was unpaid because it was a professional development opportunity. She says the experience was valuable. I did get a lot out of it on my CV, but also personally, as something that I wanted to help make better about the program, she said. Then last semester, in her third year of teaching the section, she found out by accident that graduate students in other departments were being paid $1,000 for the same work. That was for me a bright line, she said. It just seemed sort of straightforwardly unfair once I figured that out. She wonders if she was lulled into working for free by the culture of academia, which drills into everyone that they are lucky to be there. It is a privilege, she said. A spokesperson for Washington University, Joni Westerhouse, said graduate students in Lozas department were required to have one mentored teaching experience, for which they were paid through their stipend. She said they were not considered contingent faculty. Loza said she continued to teach beyond the requirement, and was not compensated for it, while others were. In an indication of how widespread the practice of free teaching may be, the Twitter posts reacting to the UCLA job posting included one from Caitlin DeAngelis, a historian. In 2018, while being paid to work as a research associate on a project about the historical connections between Harvard and slavery, she said that she voluntarily taught a course, called Harvard and Slavery, normally taught by a tenured professor. She did so because she cared so deeply about the subject. The course was an extra responsibility added on (as a lectureship in the history department) that did not come with additional pay, she said in a text message. On Twitter, she expressed some regrets about agreeing to teach without salary. In retrospect, she wrote, I shouldnt have done it for $0.00, but I wanted to get the info out to students. Harvard confirmed that DeAngelis had an unpaid lectureship in the fall of 2018. Linn Cary Mehta is a longtime lecturer at Barnard and says she has seen a devaluation, even though adjuncts often have similar credentials to tenured professors. When I first started we were called instructor and then lecturer, she said. The title changed to adjunct instructor, adjunct lecturer, almost aggressively, as if trying to put us in our place. Mehta, who has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Columbia, has spent a career as a part-time worker because she needed the flexibility to care for her husband. She said that unionization at Barnard had provided increased job security through multiyear contracts, and higher salaries per course. Of the UCLA job posting, she said, Its insulting. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW DELHI (AP) India on Thursday said it would ramp up its production of military equipment, including helicopters, tank engines, missiles and airborne early warning systems, to offset any potential shortfall from its main supplier Russia. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, and the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies. Defense Ministry officials say India, with the worlds second-largest army, fourth-largest air force and seventh-largest navy, cant sustain itself through imports. "Our objective is to develop India as a defense manufacturing hub, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday while releasing a list of military equipment that will be produced domestically and no longer imported. The ministrys website said military orders worth 2,100 billion rupees ($28 billion) are likely to be placed with domestic state-run and private defense manufacturers in the next five years. Former Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda said that during a visit to India last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin the two sides decided to shift some manufacturing to India to meet its requirements. Imports of helicopters, corvettes, tank engines, missiles and airborne early warning systems will eventually be halted. "The requirements of the Russian military itself, with the kind of losses that it is suffering, may mean some of those spares that we need will probably get diverted, said Hooda, a retired Indian army general. To meet its short-term requirements India may consider purchases from former Soviet republics and Warsaw pact countries, the ministry officials said. Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine could help India with spare supplies for Russian fighter aircraft Sukhois and MiG-29s and with upgrading tanks and armored vehicles as they have similar Soviet-origin platforms and spares, said a ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to talk to reporters. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told his British counterpart Liz Truss during her visit to India last week that there is now an emphasis on made in India and that "the more collaborative we are, the possibilities of working together are more. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen Indo-British defense ties, apparently to reduce Indias strategic dependence on Russia. Indias Defense Ministry has so far identified a positive indigenization list of more than 300 items with a timeline for banning imports to help local manufacturers meet the requirements of the armed forces in the coming years. Indias air force has more than 410 Soviet and Russian fighters with a mix of imported and license-built platforms, including Su30s, MiG-21s and MiG 29s. All require Russian spares and components. India also has Russian submarines, tanks, helicopters, submarines, frigates and missiles. Sanctions on Moscow could jeopardize Indias recent $375 million BrahMos cruise missile export order from the Philippines. Russias NPO Mashinostroyenia, which formed a joint venture with Indias government-run Defense Research and Development Organization to design, upgrade and manufacture BrahMos, is responsible for providing the missile system's engines and seekers. Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst, said India is awaiting deliveries of Russian missile systems, frigates, an Akula-class nuclear-powered submarine and assault rifles. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is pushing for greater self-reliance, but India lacks a strong industrial base for military equipment. The process of shifting manufacturing of spare parts to India has begun, but Hooda said it was unclear if it could quickly make up for any shortfalls of supplies. "I would say if you really want to see significant progress it will take at least five years, he said. Indias Defense Ministry has also signed nearly 60 offset contracts worth over $13 billion by 2027 for purchases of fighter aircraft and weapons from the United States, France, Russia and Israel. The deals require 30-50% of the contract value to be returned to India as offsets or re-investments. An offset involves an obligation by a foreign supplier to buy a certain amount of goods from the importing country as part of the contract. India's government wants part of that money to benefit its defense industry or to allow the country to gain in terms of technology. It involves setting up joint ventures with Indian companies to manufacture defense equipment. The government announced in the 2022-23 budget that 68% of all capital defense procurement would be for indigenous manufacturers. Meanwhile, bilateral defense trade with the U.S. increased from near zero in 2008 to $15 billion in 2019. Major Indian purchases from the United States included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones. In 2020, India announced that foreign companies can invest up to 74% in its defense manufacturing units, up from 49%, without any government approval. The aim is to attract foreign companies with advanced technologies to set up factories in India in collaboration with local companies. India fully opened its defense sector, previously confined to state-run companies, to the private sector in 2001. However, only 110 of the 330 private companies with industrial licenses for such manufacturing have begun production, according to the Defense Ministry. Starting from scratch, India's state-run Defense Research and Development Organization began trying to develop advanced defense technologies in 1958. It has worked on short-range and long-range Agni and Prithvi missiles, Tejas light combat aircraft, tanks, multi-barrel rocket launchers, air defense systems and a wide range of radars and electronic warfare systems. The Defense Ministry earmarked 10 billion rupees ($135 million) for procurement from startups in 2020-2021. The government has established two defense Industrial Corridors, in northern Uttar Pradesh and southern Tamil Nadu state, with investments of 200 billion rupees crores ($2.7 billion) by 2024 by state-run and private sector companies. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A federal appeals court has ruled the women who claimed Indianas former attorney general drunkenly groped them cannot pursue a lawsuit against the state government under federal sexual harassment laws. The Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said in a decision issued Wednesday that the women worked for Indianas legislative branch as House or Senate staffers and upheld a lower court judges ruling that state government as a whole and then-Attorney General Curtis Hill had no employment authority over them despite his elected position as the state's top lawyer. The three female staffers filed the lawsuit alleging that the Republican attorney general inappropriately touched their backs or buttocks and made unwelcome sexual comments during a 2018 party at an Indianapolis bar. Hill has denied wrongdoing but the state Supreme Court ordered a 30-day suspension of his law license after finding by clear and convincing evidence that (Hill) committed the criminal act of battery against the women and then-state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, a Munster Democrat. Lawyers for the women argued before the appeals court in December that dismissing the state from the lawsuit would create a loophole allowing it to avoid responsibility. The lawsuit remains pending against the Indiana House and Senate and the appeals court ruling said those entities were the womens employers. Plaintiffs protest that the House and Senate are not the Attorney Generals employer and cant control him but the statute requires people to sue their own employers, not someone elses, the ruling said. Many decisions say that an employer can be liable for failing to protect employees from discrimination by third parties, such as customers, even when the employer cannot directly control those third parties. The Indianapolis law firm representing the women declined to comment Thursday on the appeals court decision. Hill faces a separate lawsuit filed by the women in Marion County court, seeking unspecified monetary damages against Hill on claims that he committed battery against them and defamed them with repeated statements that their allegations were false. Trial is scheduled for September. The groping allegations were key campaign issue against Hill when he lost the 2020 Republican attorney general nomination for his reelection to Todd Rokita, who took office in January 2021. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A judge on Thursday declined to order any additional searches for deleted text messages or emails on Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's cellphone, or phones used by two of his staff members, after an expert testified about how difficult it would be to retrieve anything. The messages are being sought by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight. It filed open records requests for messages related to the taxpayer-funded investigation Vos ordered into the 2020 presidential election being led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Vos's attorney, Ronald Stadler, told the judge that all three phones had already been searched for any responsive records and it would be impossible to retrieve any messages that were deleted. An expert hired by Stadler, Sean Harrington, testified that he had not looked at the phones in question, but described how difficult it would be to retrieve deleted messages. There's no point to spend any more time or money on trying to recover the deleted messages, Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said. She also expressed concern about separating relevant messages and those that aren't on a private cellphone, even ones owned by an elected official and staff members paid by taxpayers. Vos's attorney did turn over to the judge what he said were between 10,000 and 20,000 deleted emails from Vos's legislative email addresses that were responsive to search requests from American Oversight. The group's attorney, Christa Westerberg, said she had not had a chance to review all of the messages that were turned over Wednesday to see if they were responsive. She said many of the messages appeared to be duplicates and from years before the time period requested. The judge was also reviewing some emails that Vos turned over that he said were protected under attorney-client privilege. Bailey-Rihn set another hearing date on July 21 for final arguments. The case is one of three lawsuits seeking records from Vos and Gableman. In another lawsuit, Bailey-Rihn last week found Vos and the Assembly in contempt for failing to produce records created by Gableman as requested by American Oversight. She gave Vos and the Assembly 14 days to release the records or face a $1,000 daily fine. Vos extended Gableman's contract through the end of April, but the ongoing lawsuits will likely mean that it will extend beyond that. The Waukesha County judge hearing a lawsuit over the subpoenas has set a July 11 hearing to decide if Gableman has the authority to demand that the mayors of the states five largest cities and other officials be jailed for not cooperating. Vos last month also floated the possibility of abandoning the subpoenas Gableman issued to mayors, elections officials and others, but he has yet to take that step. Withdrawing the subpoenas would all-but end the Gableman investigation. President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin, an outcome that has withstood recounts, a nonpartisan audit, other reviews and multiple lawsuits. Gableman began his investigation nearly a year ago in June. He is being paid $11,000 a month under a contract Vos signed for $676,000 in taxpayer money. His latest contract extension did not include any additional salary for Gableman, but it did cover attorneys' fees for the ongoing litigation. ___ FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear rejected another Republican education priority Thursday, vetoing a bill aimed at launching charter schools in Kentucky and supplying them with funding. The governor warned that the bill would divert money from traditional public schools into charter schools, which he said would lack the appropriate levels of oversight and accountability. His veto sets up another policy showdown with the GOP-dominated legislature. On Wednesday, Beshear vetoed a sweeping education bill that would shift more power to school superintendents and designate a set of historical documents and speeches to incorporate into classroom work. Lawmakers will have a chance to override those vetoes and others when they reconvene next week for the final two days of this year's legislative session. The charter schools bill has splintered GOP ranks, with 22 House Republicans aligning with Democrats to oppose the proposal last month. Beshear used his weekly news conference Thursday to fulfill his pledge to veto the charter schools measure, which had cleared both chambers with razor-thin veto-proof majorities. Im against charter schools," the governor said. "They are wrong for our commonwealth. They take taxpayer dollars away from the already-underfunded public schools in the commonwealth. And our taxpayer dollars should not be redirected to for-profit entities that run charter schools. After years of inaction, charter schools would gain a foothold in the Bluegrass State if the bill becomes law. The legislature authorized charters in 2017, but none have been created in Kentucky because lawmakers didn't provide a permanent funding mechanism. The measure Beshear vetoed would set up a long-term funding method for charter schools. Public charters, like traditional public schools, would receive a mix of local and state tax support. The bill also would require that at least two charter schools be created under pilot projects one in Louisville and one in northern Kentucky. The bills backers said charters would give parents more choices for their childrens schooling. This is another option for our public schools to give parents a choice, to send their kids somewhere that the parent thinks is a better option for their child, GOP Rep. Chad McCoy said during a debate. The goal is that the pilot projects "show the rest of the state theres nothing to be afraid of, he said. The measure has drawn strong pushback from many in public education. The governor predicted that the bill would likely draw a court challenge if lawmakers override his veto. The bill's funding provisions would likely be one target of a lawsuit, said Beshear, a former state attorney general. Instead of introducing charters, lawmakers should put more money into traditional public schools, he said. The answer to concerns about the performance in our public schools lies with actually funding and working with our public schools, the governor said. Lawmakers passed a budget recently that increases per-pupil funding under SEEK, the states main funding formula for K-12 schools. The amount would rise to $4,100 in the first fiscal year and $4,200 in the second year. Beshear proposed higher amounts each year. The current amount is $4,000. The governor also recommended funding universal pre-K for every 4-year-old in Kentucky a proposal that never gained traction in the legislature. Those issues could spill over into next year's elections, when Beshear seeks a second term in GOP-trending Kentucky. On Wednesday, Beshear vetoed a bill that would shift key school governance decisions to superintendents and away from school-based decision-making councils. Superintendents would get more authority to choose curriculum, and the selection of school principals would ultimately be put in their hands. Another bill drawing Beshear's veto would ban transgender girls and women from participating in school sports matching their gender identity from sixth grade through college. Other vetoed bills would weaken the governor's authority to make appointments to the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and would designate the attorney general as the only statewide constitutional officer allowed to use taxpayer funds on litigation challenging the constitutionality of a bill. That measure is a response to lawsuits filed by Beshear that challenged GOP-backed bills. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) People receiving unemployment benefits in Alabama could soon face a new requirement to contact three potential employers each week in order to keep receiving benefits. Alabama lawmakers gave final approval to the bill that now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration. The House of Representatives voted 76-24 for the Senate-passed bill, and the Senate accepted a House change to the bill. State law already requires people on unemployment to make an effort to secure work. The legislation would specify that the person must contact three potential employers about finding a job. The contacts could be made in person or by telephone or email, said Republican Rep. Danny Garrett, who handled the bill in the House. Garrett said state rules now requirement one contact a week. Your odds are finding work are going to be better, I believe, if you are looking three times versus one time, Garrett said. Supporters said the measure would make sure that unemployment recipients were looking for work and increase their chance of finding a job. But opponents argued it is punitive toward poor people. Rep. Ralph Howard, a Democrat from Greensboro, said the requirement would be tough on low-income people in rural areas who may struggle finding transportation to get to job interviews and to a job. What are we gaining as a state, other than putting a hindrance on somebody who is already hindered? We dont know why that person lost that job. We dont know whether the plant closed, Howard said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW ORLEANS (AP) No longer waiting for a federal investigation that has so far taken two and a half years, a state prosecutor said Thursday that he intends to pursue his own possible charges against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Union Parish District Attorney John Belton told a bipartisan legislative committee looking into the case that U.S. Justice Department prosecutors last week dropped their request for him to hold off on a state prosecution until the federal probe is complete. And he added that Greenes mother, Mona Hardin, also asked him to independently pursue charges against the troopers who were seen on long-withheld body-camera video swarming her son after a high-speed chase, jolting him with stun guns, punching him the face and dragging him by his ankle shackles as he wailed, Im scared! Im scared! No one is above the law -- no one, Belton told committee members at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. He added that, based on the evidence, the officers "committed criminal acts, including the violation of Mr. Greenes civil rights. Belton said he is moving swiftly to empanel a special grand jury as soon as he collects the most up-to-date evidence from the federal investigation. That includes a reexamined autopsy ordered by the FBI last year that rejected troopers initial account that Greene died from injuries suffered in a car crash. It instead attributes Greenes death to physical struggle, troopers repeatedly stunning him, striking him in the head, restraining him at length and Greenes use of cocaine. It is of the utmost importance that the Ronald Greene family and the public as a whole be provided with the complete and truthful answers about what happened to him, Belton said. To date, nearly three years after Greenes May 10, 2019, death along a rural roadside in northeast Louisiana, no one has been criminally charged. Long shrouded in secrecy and accusations of cover-up, it took 474 days for state police to open an internal inquiry into the case and officials from Gov. John Bel Edwards on down refused to release troopers body-camera video for more than two years until The Associated Press obtained and published it last year. That jump-started the ongoing federal investigation into Greenes death, which expanded to look into whether state police brass obstructed justice to protect the troopers. One supervisor recently told the legislative committee that his bosses instructed him not to give prosecutors the body-camera footage of Greenes arrest. Federal investigators are separately looking into a string of other cases in which troopers are accused of beatings and cover-ups, even when they are caught on video. Lawmakers in Thursdays hearing repeatedly expressed frustration at the length of time the federal investigation is taking and the pace at which the state police are seeking answers internally. State Rep. Tony Bacala, a Republican, appeared particularly upset when the head of the Louisiana State Police, Col. Lamar Davis, said it would likely take several more weeks to complete an internal probe of his second-in-command, Lt. Col. Doug Cain, for having his state cellphone sanitized erased of all data amid the federal investigation. Were exceeding the speed limit, Bacala said, and you all are putting down the road. Another tense exchange came when state Rep. Edmond Jordan, a Democrat, questioned Davis about a 120-hour internal suspension given to a lawyer for the state Department of Public Safety, which includes state police, for telling colleagues about her part in an i nternal investigation of state police beatings of Black motorists. That was more than double the 50-hour internal punishment Trooper Kory York received after he was seen on the body-camera video dragging Greene by his ankle shackles. It seems the only people disciplined are the people who are trying to do the right thing, Jordan said. This is difficult to deal with. The legislative probe into all-levels of the states response to Greenes death began in February after an AP report that Edwards was informed within hours that troopers arresting Greene had engaged in a violent, lengthy struggle. Yet the Democrat stayed mostly silent on the case for two years as state troopers pushed the car crash narrative. Edwards has said he did not speak out about the troopers actions even after privately watching body-camera footage of the arrest because he did not want to interfere with the federal investigation. He has since come to describe the actions of the troopers in Greenes arrest as criminal and racist. AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The Maine Senate voted unanimously Thursday to ban out-of-state garbage from being dumped in a state-owned landfill. The bill aims to close a loophole that allowed trash from Massachusetts and New Hampshire to be processed in Maine, reclassified in Maine waste and then dumped in Maines only publicly owned landfill, Juniper Ridge, near Old Town. The bills sponsor, Democratic Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cumberland, said only Maine-generated waste should go into taxpayer-owned landfills. The Senate vote was 32-0. The House will likely vote next week. The Juniper Ridge landfill was bought by the state in 2004 and has a sign that says, "Juniper Ridge Landfill only accepts waste generated in Maine. But about a third of the waste dumped there comes from out of state because of the loophole, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Juniper Ridge is operated under contract by Casella Waste Systems. The out-of-state waste is mostly comprised of construction debris like drywall, concrete, asphalt and shingles that include toxic chemicals like mercury, arsenic and asbestos. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) More than a million customers in Puerto Rico remained without electricity on Thursday after a fire at a main power plant caused the biggest blackout so far this year across the U.S. territory, forcing it to cancel classes and shutter government offices. The blackout also left nearly 170,000 customers without water, forced authorities to close some main roads and snarled traffic elsewhere across the island of 3.2 million people, where the roar of generators and smell of diesel filled the air. We urge you to stay home if possible, said Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli, who is serving as interim governor since Gov. Pedro Pierluisi is on an official trip in Spain. Those who could not afford generators and have medical conditions such as diabetes, which depends on refrigerated insulin, worried about how much longer theyd be without power. Owners of shuttered businesses also wondered when they could reopen. Long lines formed at some gas stations as people sought fuel for generators. Others tried to charge their cellphones at businesses in scenes reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which struck as a Category 4 storm in 2017. Frustration and anger grew throughout the day as officials warned the outage could stretch into Friday. No one can say exactly when power would be fully restored, said Kevin Acevedo, a vice president of Luma, the company that took over transmission and distribution from Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority last year. We have to be realistic. The system is complex, delicate. As of late Thursday afternoon, crews had restored power to some 500,000 customers out of nearly 1.5 million. Officials in at least one city distributed food to hundreds of elderly people as well as ice to those whose medication must be kept cool. This is horrible, said Luisa Rosado, a mother of two who lives in the San Juan neighborhood of Rio Piedras. She said she and her husband had sacrificed their savings to install a solar electricity system at their home after Hurricane Maria, which left them with at least partial power following the blackout. She said her neighbors had been outraged by recent increases in power bills, which were already higher than in most U.S. states. To increase bills when you dont provide a perfect service ... the level of impunity is absurd, Rosado said. Luma said the blackout could have been caused by a circuit-breaker failure at the Costa Sur generation plant one of four main plants on the island. But company officials said the exact cause of the interruption is unknown. Its going to require an exhaustive investigation, Acevedo said, adding that that the equipment whose failure sparked the fire had been properly maintained. Officials said at least three generation units were back online by Thursday, with crews working to restore more. Luma CEO Wayne Stensby called it a very unusual outage that clearly indicates the fragility of the system. The outage occurred two months before the Atlantic hurricane season starts, worrying many about the condition of Puerto Ricos electrical grid. Yes, the system is fragile, no one is denying that, but were prepared, Acevedo said. Police officers were stationed at main intersections to help direct traffic on Thursday while health officials checked in at hospitals to ensure generators were still running. The outage further enraged Puerto Ricans already frustrated with an electricity system razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Emergency repairs were made at the time, but reconstruction efforts have not yet started, and power company officials blame aging, ill-maintained infrastructure for the ongoing outages. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said late Thursday that it approved nearly $9.5B to Puerto Rico's power company in September 2020 to rebuild the island's electrical grid, but that it has yet to receive any transmission and distribution projects for evaluation and approval of construction funds. A series of strong earthquakes that struck southern Puerto Rico where the Costa Sur plant is located also had damaged it. The Electric Power Authority also is trying to restructure $9 billion worth of public debt to emerge from a lengthy bankruptcy. The company has struggled for decades with corruption, mismanagement and a lack of maintenance. In June last year, a large fire at a substation in the capital of San Juan left hundreds of thousands without power. Another fire at a power plant in September 2016 sparked an island-wide blackout. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A man accused of shooting at a candidate for mayor of Louisville was hit with new federal charges Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. Quintez Brown, 22, was taken into federal custody and made an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Kentucky after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of interfering with a federally protected right, and using and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence by shooting at and attempting to kill a candidate for elective office." If convicted of all federal charges, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum sentence of life in prison in addition to any sentence he receives on state charges of murder and wanton endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty in state court. Jail records show that Brown has been held at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield since Wednesday. Brown was arrested by Louisville police shortly after the Feb. 14 shooting. The mayoral candidate, Craig Greenberg, said he was not hit by the gunfire, although a bullet grazed his sweater. Greenberg, a Democrat, said he was at his campaign headquarters with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway and began firing multiple rounds. One staffer managed to shut the door, which they barricaded using tables and desks, and the shooter fled. A police report said Brown was carrying a loaded 9 mm magazine in his pants pocket and had a drawstring bag with a handgun and additional magazines when he was arrested. Brown was placed on home incarceration and fitted with a GPS ankle monitor after a group called the Louisville Community Bail Fund paid the $100,000 cash bond on Feb 16. A judge also ordered Brown to have no contact with Greenberg or his campaign staff and barred him from possessing firearms. Brown's house arrest prompted outrage from Greenberg, who said it was impossible to believe Brown could be released. The federal indictment comes after a Kentucky grand jury in Louisville last week indicted Brown on one count of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, all state charges. Brown, a social justice activist who was running as an independent for Louisvilles metro council, disappeared for about two weeks last summer. After he was found safe, his parents issued a statement asking for patience and privacy while they attended to his physical, mental and spiritual needs. In March, a judge cleared Brown to receive a mental health evaluation to determine if he should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Louisville police said in February that Brown appears to have acted alone. The federal investigation is being conducted by the FBIs Louisville Field Office and the Louisville Metro Police Department as part of FBI Louisvilles Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. The motive remains under investigation and has not been discussed publicly by authorities. ___ Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Federal marshals have arrested an Iowa man in Washington state who has been on the run for six years after allegedly faking his own death to avoid a trial on child pornography charges. Jacob Greer, 28, was arrested Monday in Spanaway, Washington, U.S. Marshals for the Southern District of Iowa said in a news release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A suspect arrested in connection with last weekend's mass shooting outside bars near the California state Capitol served less than half his 10-year sentence because of voter-approved changes to state law that lessened the punishment for his felony convictions and provided a chance for earlier release. Smiley Allen Martin was freed in February after serving time for punching a girlfriend, dragging her from her home by her hair and whipping her with a belt, according to court and prison records. Those count as nonviolent offenses under California law, which considers only about two dozen crimes to be violent felonies things like murder, rape, arson and kidnapping. Martin, 27, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. He is among the 12 people wounded during Sunday's shooting, which killed six others. Police say the violence was a shootout between rival gangs in which at least five people fired weapons, including Martin's brother, Dandrae Martin, who also was arrested. Smiley Martin typically would have remained behind bars until at least May after serving a minimum of half his time for his previous arrest in 2017, but prison officials evidently used a very expansive approach to applying time credits to his sentence, said Gregory Totten, chief executive officer of the California District Attorneys Association and a former Ventura County district attorney. Theyve been given very broad authority to early release folks and to give them additional credit and all kinds of considerations for purposes of reducing the length of sentence that somebody serves, Totten said. Corrections officials did not dispute that Martin was among thousands of inmates receiving additional credits that sped up his release under state law. But they said their policy prohibits disclosing what credits Martin received. They cited credits through Proposition 57, the 2016 ballot measure that aimed to give most felons a chance at earlier release. Credits were also broadly authorized to lower the prison population during the pandemic. Proposition 57 credits include good behavior, though corrections officials would not release Martin's disciplinary report. Good conduct credit is supposed to be reserved for inmates who follow all the rules and complete their assigned duties. The state has implemented various credit-earning opportunities to incentivize good behavior and program participation for incarcerated individuals, including those created in furtherance of Proposition 57 which was overwhelmingly approved by voters, corrections spokesperson Vicky Waters said in a statement. Proponents, including former Gov. Jerry Brown, who pushed for Proposition 57, say it's important to give inmates a second chance. The opportunity for earlier release encourages inmates to participate in education and other rehabilitative programs, while helping to reduce mass incarceration. The most recent reforms in California are seeking to change a culture that has been churning out recidivism problems for generations, said Will Matthews, spokesperson for Californians for Safety and Justice, which backed the changes. The question we need to be asking ourselves is, how are we engaging in behavior change? Under Proposition 57, there are credits for completing rehabilitative or educational programs, self-help and volunteer public service activities, earning a high school diploma or higher education degree and performing a heroic act. Officials added credits during the coronavirus pandemic, including 12 weeks of credit that applied to most inmates. Martin was denied parole in May 2021 under California's process for nonviolent offenders to get earlier parole, after a letter from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors objected based on his lengthy criminal record and asserted Martin clearly has little regard for human life and the law. Six months after he turned 18, Martin was caught in January 2013 with an assault rifle and two fully loaded 25-bullet magazines, prosecutors said. Months later, he pushed aside a Walmart clerk to steal computers worth $2,800, they said. In 2016, he was arrested as a parolee at large. And less than six months after that was the assault that sent him back to prison. It's not clear if Martin has an attorney who can comment on his behalf. Martin pleaded no contest and was sent to prison on charges of corporal injury and assault likely to cause great bodily injury in January 2018 under a plea deal in which charges of kidnapping considered a violent felony and intimidating a witness or victim were dismissed. The sentencing judge awarded Martin 508 days of credits for time he spent in Sacramento County jail before his conviction, based on a California law that allows judges to double the actual time in jail, which in Martin's case was 254 days. Martin also had a variety of additional post-sentencing credits, which corrections department spokesperson Dana Simas said were awarded for time served while awaiting transfer to state prison from county jail. Before Proposition 57, he would have qualified for 20% good time credits meaning he could reduce his time served by one-fifth but corrections officials used their authority under the ballot measure to bump those to 50%. Pending regulations opposed by most of the state's district attorneys would further increase good time credits to two-thirds of a sentence for such repeat offenders. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, a progressive Democrat who formerly led the state Senate, was among those upset when he learned of Martin's record. If people have a history of committing violent acts, and they have not shown a propensity or willingness to change, I dont think they should be out on the streets, he said at an event where officials requested more than $3 billion from the state to expand crime prevention programs. Republican state Sen. Jim Nielsen, who once headed the state parole board, said good time credits are generally awarded automatically, without inmates having to do anything to earn them. It gives them enormous opportunity to free up beds, said Nielsen, an opponent of earlier releases. The state has relied on such efforts, particularly its powers under Proposition 57, to keep the prison population below the level required by a panel of federal judges who ruled that inmate crowding had led to unconstitutionally poor conditions. Martin was released to the supervision of the Sacramento County Probation Department in February. County probation officials wouldn't provide the terms, saying their records are not public documents. Without discussing Martin's case, Karen Pank, executive director of the Chief Probation Officers of California, said generally someone coming out of prison on Post Release Community Supervision with an extensive and violent criminal history would likely have been treated on a high-risk caseload. That would subject him to more intensive supervision, including a requirement that he check in with his probation officer more frequently and in person, although individualized determinations on risks and needs would be made and treatment and services would continue to be offered. Hours before Sundays shootout, Martin posted a live Facebook video of himself brandishing a handgun, a law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to public discuss details of the shooting investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Pank said if there is evidence of a felon in possession of a firearm, that can be grounds for a violation, which may result in time in jail. However, it's unlikely anyone from law enforcement could have acted in time even if they had seen the video. The big if is would they have known about it, said Totten. But in this case, "it didn't matter it was so close to the time of the shooting. ___ Associated Press writers Adam Beam, Stefanie Dazio and Michael Balsamo contributed to this story. Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Balsamo from Washington, D.C. RTHK: Ukraine tells Nato to send arms before it's too late Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday he expected Nato members to send Kyiv the weapons it needs but insisted they had to act quickly as Russia readies another major offensive. "Either you help us now and I'm speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late, and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed. Exactly because this help came too late," Kuleba said after meeting Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. "I have no doubts that Ukraine will have weapons necessary to fight. The question is the timeline. This discussion is not about the list of weapons. The discussion is about the timeline," he told journalists. Ukraine is pushing the West to increase its arms supplies with heavier weaponry including air defence systems, artillery, armoured vehicles and jets, as Moscow refocuses its offensive on the east of the country. "The battle for Donbas (in eastern Ukraine) will remind you of the Second World War with large operations manoeuvres, the involvement of thousands of tanks, armoured vehicles, planes, artillery," Kuleba said. "Russia has its plan, we have ours and the outcome of this battle will be decided on the battlefield." Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said "it was a clear message from the meeting today that allies should do more and are ready to do more to provide more equipment". "They realise and recognise the urgency," Stoltenberg told the media. British foreign minister Liz Truss said there "was support for countries to supply new and heavier equipment to Ukraine, so that they can respond to these new threats from Russia". She said Britain had agreed to help Ukrainian forces "move from their Soviet era equipment to Nato standard equipment", but gave no details on how this would be carried out. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-04-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. BEIJING, April 7 -- Recently, a brigade of the PLA Marine Corps organized a round-the-clock live-fire evaluation at a multi-terrain training base in eastern Guangdong Province. This event comprehensively tested the troops capabilities on traversing and searching firing, applied shooting , malfunction handling, etc, which are important for carrying out operational tasks in complex environments. BOSTON (AP) The Massachusetts Senate unveiled a sweeping climate bill Thursday aimed at helping the state meet its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050. The bill sets out a range of strategies, from lending support to emerging energy technologies like nuclear fusion, networked geothermal, and deep geothermal energy, to allowing agricultural and horticultural land to be used to locate solar panels, as long as the panels dont impede the continued use of the land for agricultural or horticultural use. The bill would also increase by $1,000 to $3,500 the rebate for qualifying purchases and leases of zero-emission passenger cars and light-duty trucks costing $50,000 or less, while offering another $1,000 for buyers who are trading in an internal combustion vehicle. Under the proposal the state would set electrification and emission-reduction requirements for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft and require the entire MBTA bus fleet to consist of zero emissions vehicles by 2040. Another proposal included in the bill would create two demonstration projects in 10 communities. One project would allow all-electric building construction by local option while a second would restrict the use of fossil fuels in new construction projects. Participating municipalities would have to receive local approval to participate. The unveiling of the bill comes a year after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed a climate change bill that set the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Thursday's bill helps outline specific ways the state can reach that goal, according to supporters. "We are taking an all-hands-on deck approach to saving the planet, with a particular focus on three area that will need significant attention if we are to meet our ambitious goal of having net zero emissions by 2050: the transportation, clean energy, and building sectors, Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka said in a press release. The state Senate intends to debate the bill next week. LANSING, Mich. (AP) A Michigan lawmaker charged with drunken driving in February couldn't balance on one leg after being pulled over in suburban Detroit, according to video and a report from police. An officer noticed state Rep. Mary Cavanagh's car driving past them with two flat tires and veering between lanes at around 2 a.m. Feb 25, the report from the Livonia Police Department said. The front driver's side tire then disconnected from the rim and the officer pulled over the Redford Democrat. Cavanagh first told police she was coming back from a Livonia Democratic Party meeting and then, after rifling through some papers trying to find her license, she said she was returning from Lansing. In the video released by Livonia police, Cavanagh changed the number of glasses of wine she said she had that night between two and one a few times. She failed to follow directions during field sobriety tests walking heel-to-toe and was unable to stand on one foot after several attempts. Cavanagh tested at 0.176% blood alcohol content in the back of the police car and then 0.2% at the Livonia jail, more than two times the legal limit of 0.08%. It was her second time charged with operating while intoxicated by Livonia police. The first was in 2015, though she pleaded guilty to an impaired driving charge. Cavanaghs attorney, Todd Perkins, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Cavanagh recognizes her responsibility to her constituents and will eventually explain the details of what happened. Cavanagh is scheduled for a pretrial conference April 21. Her February arrest wasn't publicly known until this week, when Gongwer News Service in Lansing reported about it, sparking concern from House leadership. Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth said in a statement earlier this week that he was not aware of Cavanagh's arrest and hoped that Democratic leaders "didnt know and try to keep it under wraps. Minority Leader Donna Lasinski's office sent a statement to The AP on Thursday saying Rep. Cavanagh is facing a serious charge and handling the issue privately and on her own timeline. As we learned of the incident over the weekend, we offered our support and will continue to do so as the legal process proceeds. ___ Anna Liz Nichols is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Nichols reported from Lansing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Senate's Republican majority passed an $8.4 billion tax cut bill Thursday even as leaders acknowledged that the final tax plan that emerges from the legislative session could look very different. The centerpieces of the GOP tax plan include permanent income tax cuts for everyone who pays state income taxes and excluding all Social Security income from the state income tax instead of the current partial exemption. Democratic leaders say the plan would disproportionately benefit the well-off, but six Democrats joined with Republicans on the 42-24 vote to approve the package. Senate Taxes Committee Chair Carla Nelson, of Rochester, and Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, of Winona, said at a news conference that the best use for the state's projected $9.25 billion budget surplus is to give it back to the taxpayers with permanent tax relief. We feel that it's very very important to put more money in the pockets of working Minnesotans every single paycheck, week after week, month after month, year after year, Miller said. But Democratic Minority Leader Melissa Lopez Franzen, of Edina, called the bill irresponsible and costly." She said it leaves out over 540,000 taxpayers at the lower end of the income scale who would would get nothing. She said it squanders the chance to use the unprecedented surplus to help those who really need it instead of those at the top of the income scale. It fails our schools, it fails our working families, and it fails all of our communities, Lopez Franzen said during the floor debate. The Senate GOP bill would cut taxes by $3.4 billion in the current budget for a total of $8.4 billion over the next three years. It would reduce the rate for the bottom tax bracket from 5.35% to 2.8%, which Republicans say would benefit 2.4 million filers with an average annual savings of $759. The plan has little common ground with the competing $1.6 billion tax bill unveiled by the House Democratic majority on Monday, foregoes an across-the-board income tax cut in favor of targeted relief through expanded child care and property tax credits and refunds. It would also eliminate taxes on Social Security for seniors with annual incomes under $75,000. The Senate voted 25-41 to reject an attempt by Democratic Sen. Ann Rest, of New Hope, to replace the GOP package with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz's proposal to tap the surplus for one-time income tax rebates of $500 for individual filers and $1,000 for couples filing jointly. House Democrats did not include the governor's proposal in their tax bill. The wide gulf between the House and Senate tax bills will be the subject of negotiations between legislative leaders and the governor in the weeks before the mandatory adjournment date of May 23, and they're bound to be contentious. There will be a second tax bill coming sometime after lawmakers return from their Easter-Passover break, Rest conceded to reporters. Miller said it was too early to answer whether Republicans could accept a deal that doesn't cut income taxes. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Missouri's Republican-led House on Thursday passed a roughly $46 billion state spending plan bulked up with federal pandemic aid. While some GOP lawmakers warned that the current budget proposal spends too much too quickly, primarily Democratic critics decried Republicans for not spending enough and leaving $1.8 billion unspent. It is fiscal immaturity, it is fiscal irresponsibility, it is fiscal danger to operate with the idea that because we have money, we ought to spend that money, said Republican Rep. Doug Richey, chair of the House Subcommittee on Federal Stimulus Spending. House Democrats said leaving so much money unallocated would give senators more leverage to appropriate it for pet projects without any feedback from the House, which Senate leaders said likely will happen to some extent. Senate Republican Majority Leader Caleb Rowden said he expects the Senate to find ways to spend some but not all -- of that $1.8 billion that the House has not appropriated. He said the Senate is likely to strike a middle ground in spending between what the governor proposed and the House approved. Leaving money in a rainy day fund, doing things to find value for those dollars is really, really important," Rowden said. The House's proposed budget plan includes close to $2 billion in federal funding to help K-12 schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including $75 million set aside for a newly proposed grant program to repay families for tutoring and other expenses aimed at helping students catch up. Another roughly $464 million is budgeted to prop up childcare services in the state, including $10 million for on-site childcare at state agencies and another $10 million for childcare co-ops at private businesses. The additional childcare funding was lauded by the influential Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industries as a way to boost the strained workforce. There are parents all across Missouri who are locked out of the workforce because of childcare issues," Missouri Chamber President and CEO Daniel Mehan said in a statement. This problem is creating a serious impediment to our economic recovery and we need urgent action. Public colleges and universities would get a 5.4% budget increase, not including extra money for building improvements and other projects. Despite the increase, a bipartisan group of lawmakers failed to secure enough money to pay for Lincoln University's land-grant match. The current budget plan also would bar schools, colleges and other organizations that accept public funding from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent coronavirus test for access to ticketed events. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The weekslong trial of an Ohio doctor charged in multiple hospital deaths hit a bump in the road this week after a motion was filed seeking to disqualify the judge overseeing the case. Dr. William Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for 14 patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. The prosecution and defense both rested last week but closing arguments have been repeatedly rescheduled and are now set for Monday, a week after their original date. On Thursday, Ohio Supreme Court spokesperson Lyn Tolan confirmed that an affidavit for disqualification a motion for removing judges was filed in the Husel case. Tolan said the affidavit has been sealed and no further details were available. Janet Grubb, Franklin County first assistant prosecutor, declined comment. Messages were left for attorneys for Husel and with Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook. Prosecutors have said ordering such dosages for a nonsurgical situation indicated an intent to end lives. His attorneys say he was providing comfort care for dying patients, not trying to kill them. Husel has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of murder. Jurors seated for the trial heard from 53 prosecution witnesses since the trial began Feb. 22, including medical experts, Mount Carmel employees, investigators, and family members of all 14 patients. Prosecutors took five weeks to present their case. Defense lawyers called a single witness on March 30 a Georgia anesthesiologist who testified that Husel's patients died from their medical conditions and not Husel's actions. The defense rested the following day. Mount Carmel has reached settlements totaling more than $16.7 million over the deaths of at least 17 patients, with more lawsuits pending. BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) A worker at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard has been reinstated to her job and awarded $85,000 in damages following a judges ruling that a supervisor retaliated against her for raising sexual harassment allegations. Maria Martin is again a supervisor at the shipyard after being demoted in 2020, The Kitsap Sun reported. When she complained that a supervisor had made sexual remarks toward her, another superior wrote a letter accusing her of weaponiz(ing) the currently enhanced atmosphere of zero tolerance toward sexual harassment. But an administrative judge found her claims of sexual harassment valid and ruled shed been demoted as retaliation for reporting it. What really stood out about Ms. Martins case was the very open and obvious nature of the retaliation, said Martins attorney, Chalmers Johnson, who was also awarded attorneys fees paid by the Navy of an undisclosed amount. Martin said theres no satisfaction for her in the ruling. Its still not really even justice, said Martin, who began as a tank cleaner at the shipyard in 2003 and was a supervisor in Shop 99, temporary shop services. This experience, I would not wish on anybody. The shipyards leadership said it respects the judges decision but could not comment on the case particulars. Cesar Yabor, a spokesman for the shipyard, said that as a result of the investigation and allegations raised about the culture problem in the shop where Martin worked, shipyard leadership is redoubling its efforts to halt abrasive or abusive language and unkind, disrespectful treatment by co-workers at every level of position in the Shipyard." LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Nebraska lawmakers on Thursday overrode nearly all of Gov. Pete Ricketts' line-item budget vetoes, restoring more than $172 million in expenditures. Lawmakers voted in favor of all three motions to override the Republican governor, who had raised concerns about some of the spending items that they previously approved. SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) An inmate at a state youth rehabilitation facility faces additional charges after escaping on Wednesday night and being caught soon after as the center increases security following other recent escapes. King County Sheriffs Office spokesman Tim Meyer said the inmate jumped over the fence at Echo Glen Children's Center at around 8:39 p.m. He was taken into custody after 10 p.m., KIRO-TV reported. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A second defendant is invoking the right to a speedy trial in the 2018 raid on a squalid family compound in northern New Mexico that uncovered the remains of a 3-year-old boy and led to charges of kidnapping, firearms and terrorism charges, defense attorneys confirmed Thursday. Subhanah Wahhaj, one of five defendants who have been incarcerated since the raid, gave birth to a child during her initial months in federal custody. She denies the charges against her and this week notified federal prosecutors and a judge in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque of her right to a trial within a reasonable amount of time after arrest. We filed the speedy-trial notice because its been (nearly) four years, and based on the evidence in the case we dont think our client belongs in jail any more, said Ryan Villa, a court-appointed attorney for Wahhaj. Wahhaj was arrested in August 2018 along with her husband and three other adults from an extended family in a law enforcement raid at a ramshackle encampment in the remote desert surrounded by berms of used tires with an adjacent firing range. Authorities were searching for a sickly 3-year-old who had been reported missing by his mother in Georgia. Sheriffs deputies and state agents initially found 11 hungry children and a small arsenal of ammunition and guns. After days of searching, they recovered the decomposed remains of the 3-year-old in an underground tunnel. Trial preparations have been largely suspended without a start date as the court addresses mental health concerns about four defendants. A new court filing indicates three defendants have been found mentally competent to stand trial Subhanah Wahhaj, sister Hujrah Wahhaj and Haitian national Jany Leveille. Evaluation and possible treatment is pending for Lucas Morton, the husband of Subhanah. Subhanah also is the mother of four children taken into state custody during the 2018 raid. Authorities have said the deceased child, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, suffered from untreated disabilities as father Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and his partner Leveille performed daily prayer rituals over him even as he cried and foamed at the mouth. Authorities also said Leveille believed medication suppressed the groups Muslim beliefs. Forensic specialists determined the child died several months prior to the recovery of his body. A grand jury indictment alleges Leveille and her partner instructed people at the compound to be prepared to engage in jihad and die as martyrs, and that one more relative was invited to bring money and firearms. All five defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and providing material support to each other as potential terrorists by crossing state lines with firearms and training at the New Mexico compound. The defendants have denied all charges. Defense attorneys have said their clients would not be facing terrorism-related charges if they were not Muslim. Siraj Ibn Wahhaj also has protested trial delays. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The top lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board will ask the board to rule that mandatory meetings held by some companies to persuade their workers to reject unions is a violation of federal labor law. NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a memo to the agencys field offices Thursday that she believes these meetings, sometimes referred to as captive audience meetings, are at odds with the National Labor Relations Act. She argues the law allows workers to refrain from listening to employer speech about collective bargaining. The meetings are routinely held by companies such as Amazon and Starbucks during union drives. The labor board has allowed corporations to hold such meetings in the past but Abruzzo, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, is seeking to overturn that precedent. This license to coerce is an anomaly in labor law, inconsistent with the Acts protection of employees free choice," Abruzzo said in the memo. "It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of employers speech rights. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which is leading a drive to unionize an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, said in a prepared statement that the mandatory meetings must be declared illegal. The union filed a complaint with the labor board in February opposing Amazons use of such meetings. Organizers with the nascent Amazon Labor Union on Staten Island, New York have also voiced similar complaints. They are the major weapon employers use to spread disinformation, intimidate workers and interfere with their choice as to whether they want union representation, Appelbaum said. The question of whether workers want a union should be the workers choice not the employers free of intimidation and interference. Captive audience meetings make that impossible. An Amazon spokesperson has said the meetings give employees the opportunity to ask questions and learn what a union could mean for them and their day-to-day life working at Amazon. Initial results in the Alabama union election show the RWDSU down by 118 votes, with the majority of Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer rejecting a bid to form a union. The final outcome is still up in the air with 416 outstanding challenged ballots hanging in the balance. A hearing to review the ballots is expected to begin in the coming weeks. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York will devote billions of dollars to help families pay for child care, boost health care worker wages and temporarily cut state gasoline taxes, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday as she announced a conceptual agreement with legislators on a $220 billion state budget. The Democrat said legislative leaders also agreed to modify the states bail laws, making it easier for judges to jail criminal defendants who were repeat offenders or used firearms. Lawmakers planned to begin voting Thursday evening on the budget, which was due April 1 but had been held up by last-minute policy and spending disagreements. Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said the hope is to wrap up work Friday. The budget was delayed in part over disagreements on whether to roll back parts of a landmark 2019 law that largely did away with cash bail for nonviolent offenses. Centrist Democrats demanded changes, concerned about an uptick in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some specifics of the bail changes are still being worked out, but elements of the deal would let judges require more people to post bail to gain their freedom while awaiting trial if they had repeatedly been arrested for similar crimes, Stewart-Cousins said. New York is also poised to replace the embattled, politically appointed Joint Commission on Public Ethics with a new ethics body whose leaders would be selected by legislators and the governor, but approved by law school deans. Lawmakers have also agreed to Hochul's plan to earmark more than $600 million in state funds to help the NFL's Buffalo Bills construct a new stadium. Hochul had disrupted the budget negotiations by introducing the stadium proposal only in recent weeks, and some fellow Democrats were upset by the size of the government subsidy. With all state and county money for construction and operating costs included, the government contributions to the stadium would exceed $1.1 billion. Many parts of the budget deal were aimed at easing the financial burden on segments of the public as the state continues to recover from the pandemic, while dealing with inflation and rising prices. New York will cut state gas taxes by 16 cents a gallon from June 1 until the end of the year in response to soaring gasoline prices, Hochul said, with the state asking counties to consider doing the same. The cumulative effect is very impactful for people as they go to the pump and have that sense of stress in their in their chest when they think about the cost of the gas, the governor said at a news conference. The budget deal would direct $800 million to the states exhausted COVID-19 rental relief fund and $250 million to help New Yorkers who fell behind on utility bills amid the pandemic. Hochuls budget director, Robert Mujica, said the final budget deal is $4 billion over the governor's original $216 billion proposal thanks to a budgetary surplus and higher-than-expected revenues. He said the budget is still on track to send 15% of revenues to rainy day funds. Hochul said lawmakers will pass a major expansion of the state's child care subsidies, with a $7 billion investment over four years. Specific details, including eligibility, were unclear Thursday. The state would spend $7.4 billion over several years to give a $3-per-hour raise to home care aides, who bathe, feed and provide other non-medical services in clients homes. Aides generally are private employees, but the state Medicaid program funds about 90% of their services. Right now the aides make $13.20 an hour in most counties for work that helps keep people out of nursing homes, according to advocacy groups. The activists said the low pay is driving aides to quit. But conservative-leaning Empire Center for Public Policy, a think tank, warned the pay increase would be costlier than anticipated. The budget also includes $1.2 billion in bonuses for other health care workers, aimed at keeping people in the industry after a grueling two years. Provisions in the budget would also make liquor and wine available for take-out and delivery for three years, reviving a practice instituted during the pandemic to help struggling restaurants. The new provision would allow businesses that serve alcohol on-premises to offer it to go, as long as the purchases include a substantial food item. Beverages must have a secure lid or a seal, according to the bill. Part of the budget talks revolved around whether to make changes to Kendras Law, under which authorities can require people with serious mental illness to attend outpatient psychiatric treatment as a condition for living in the community. It wasn't immediately clear Thursday how that law might change. New York passed that law on a trial basis in 1999, when 32-year-old Kendra Webdale was pushed in front of a subway train by a man living with untreated schizophrenia. The law is set to expire June 30 unless legislators grant yet another extension. The effort to tweak the law comes after another woman was pushed in front of a subway train in January 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go of New York. Police said the man accused of fatally shoving her was homeless and had a history of emotionally disturbed encounters. Ruth Lowenkron, director of the Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, said she's concerned lawmakers will weaken due process protections. This over-reliance on criminalizing mental health and on involuntarily commitment creates more trauma for individuals with mental health, Lowenkron said. Hochul and legislative leaders have been negotiating for months on the budget, which has often served as a vehicle for passing major policy legislation over the decades. Budget negotiations in New York once stretched into the summer months and were shortened under former Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration although last years budget passed April 7. SALEM, Ore. (AP) The state of Oregon accused owners of an Illinois-based COVID-19 testing company of stealing millions of dollars in federal funds and insurance money in a lawsuit filed Thursday and said they boasted about buying a mansion and expensive sports cars. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued the Center for Covid Control, or CCC, and its testing partner, Doctors Clinical Laboratory, for deceptively marketing testing services and for violating Oregons Unlawful Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit says Aleya Siyaj and Akbar Ali Syed, the married couple who own CCC, had no prior experience in the medical field or medical testing and had run an axe throwing lounge and a photography studio. This raises questions about how they managed to become the recipients of federal funds for testing. The lawsuit noted they're also being investigated by the FBI and Illinois public health authorities. FBI agents searched the companys headquarters near Chicago in January, according to local news reports. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the CCC in January, accusing it of improperly handling tests and providing fake results. The CCC did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A phone number listed on its website was disconnected. The website said CCC has paused its operations and will not resume collection of patient samples until staffing resources permit CCC to operate at full capacity. Oregon's lawsuit alleges CCC and Doctors Clinical Laboratory falsely told consumers they could provide accurate PCR COVID-19 results within 72 hours, but instead produced questionable test results and lacked proper capacity to store and process the thousands of test specimens they received each day. These companies were ill-equipped to scale up as fast as they did, Rosenblum said in a statement. The lawsuit says CCC grew from one testing site in Illinois in the former axe throwing lounge to become one of the largest testing center operators in America, with 300 test sites across the United States, including five in Oregon. Oregonians made crucial decisions about returning to work or school, travel, and visiting family and friends in reliance on shoddy tests, she said. The 29-page lawsuit alleges the couple funneled millions of dollars received from the federal government and insurance companies for testing to themselves. Syed posted pictures of the couples purchases on social media, including a $1,360,000 mansion and multiple luxury cars worth millions, including a sky blue Lamborghini, a red Lamborghini Countach, a Tesla Model Y, and a Ferrari Enzo," the lawsuit said. Syed bought that Ferrari, a rare model, for $3.7 million, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County, asks that CCC and DCL be banned permanently from offering COVID-19 testing in Oregon, for restitution for Oregonians who were victimized and for civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation of Oregon law, plus attorney fees and costs of Oregon's investigation. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) A plea offer and a counter offer were recently discussed for the stepmother of a missing New Hampshire girl, who is accused of lying to authorities that the child was living with her in order to collect food stamp benefits, attorneys said in court Thursday. Kayla Montgomery was not in Hillsborough Superior Court in Manchester as a prosecutor discussed information being shared in the ongoing search for the child, Harmony Montgomery, who disappeared in 2019 at age 5. The state has made a plea offer. It was communicated relatively recently, Senior Assistant Attorney General Jesse O'Neill told a judge. No details were given. Obviously, part of the defendant's charge has to do with untruthfulness regarding whether or not the child was in the household, so while the investigation into the whereabouts of the child is ongoing, the state considers that relevant discovery to give to the defendant in terms of anything learned about the whereabouts of the missing child, O'Neill said. He said discovery in the case the process of exchanging information between the parties about the witnesses and evidence they will present at trial has been very lengthy, and is nearly complete. Montgomery's attorney, Paul Garrity, said he's discussed the plea offer with Kayla Montgomery. He said a counter to some extent was made to the state. Garrity asked to schedule another hearing to give us additional time to further our discussions and review the prosecution's information. A hearing was scheduled for June 9. Authorities say Harmony Montgomery vanished sometime in late November or early December of 2019 but authorities didnt know she was missing until last fall. Kayla Montgomery, 31, has been in jail since January and was indicted last month on a felony charge of theft by deception. She allegedly told state Health Department workers that Harmony was a member of her household from November 2019 to June 2, 2021, and that she received food stamp benefits for Harmony. She's pleaded not guilty. Harmony's father, Adam Montgomery, who had custody of his daughter, also has been in jail since January on a charge of second-degree assault, alleging that he struck Harmony in the face in July 2019. He's pleaded not guilty to that and to two misdemeanor charges of interference with custody and endangering the welfare of a child. He recently was arrested on unrelated firearms theft charges stemming from 2019. Kayla and Adam Montgomery are estranged. Both told police that Harmony was brought to her mother in Massachusetts around Thanksgiving 2019. Her mother said she last saw her daughter during a phone video conversation about Easter that year. The search for Harmony remains active. The Manchester Police Departments 24-hour tip line on the case is (603) 203-6060 and there is a reward fund of at least $150,000. PHILADELPHIA (AP) A man shot two civilians Wednesday in Philadelphia before running from police and bunkering inside a building, from which he fired at surrounding officers, striking one of them in the abdomen, authorities said. The SEPTA Transit Police officer was undergoing surgery Wednesday night and was in "critical but stable condition, Sgt. Eric Gripp said at a news conference. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Powerful lawmakers in Puerto Rico are joining conservatives in states across the U.S. mainland in attempting to set tighter restrictions on abortions, alarming feminist groups and others on the island. A recently introduced bill would prohibit abortions starting at 22 weeks, or when a doctor determines that a fetus is viable, with the sole exception being if a womans life is in danger. That is roughly in line with most U.S. state laws, though more limiting than Puerto Rico's current status, which sets no term limit. The move comes at a time when a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has many speculating that it may reverse or weaken the constitutional right to abortion recognized under the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. A Puerto Rico Senate committee approved the bill last week in a 9-3 vote despite objections from the islands health and justice departments. The health secretary said the measure interferes with the patient-doctor relationship and doesn't take into account circumstances that affect women's health and access to abortion services. The justice secretary objected to the bill's call for a government registry of those who terminate pregnancies and the reasons behind it, which he said could endanger patients' right to privacy. Feminist groups and others also complained of a lack of public hearings before the bill was approved. Some were further angered when Jose Luis Dalmau, president of Puerto Ricos Senate and the opposition Popular Democratic Party, said last week that those who abort a viable fetus are murderers. His speech brought criticism from former governors of his own party, which has long been considered more liberal than the New Progressive Party of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. While many polls show majority support for abortion rights in many or most cases on the U.S. mainland, there are signs the opposite is true in Puerto Rico: Recent polls are scarce, but a 2017 survey by Pew Research found that about three quarters of people in Puerto Rico opposed abortion in all or most cases a far higher percentage than among Puerto Ricans living on the U.S. mainland. Smaller, more recent surveys by local media organizations suggest public opinion hasnt swayed much. And key politicians from Puerto Ricos two main parties seem to see advantages in appealing to anti-abortion beliefs. Raul Cotto-Sierra, a political philosophy professor at the University of Puerto Rico, said both the Popular Democratic Party and the New Progressive Party are trying to regain conservative supporters they lost in the recent election to newer parties such as Project Dignity, which ran on a Christian platform and vowed to implement abortion restrictions. Sen. Joanne Rodriguez Veve, a member of that party, is one of the authors of the current abortion bill. Joining her are Dalmau and Sen. Thomas Rivera Schatz, a former Senate president who is a member of the New Progressive Party. If Puerto Rico lawmakers approve the bill, they would join a growing trend of U.S. states restricting abortions. Forty-four U.S. states have imposed a threshold on abortions many at fetal viability or in a range of 20 to 24 weeks. And last year, 19 states enacted more than 100 abortion restrictions, the highest total in any year since the Roe v. Wade ruling, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based research organization that supports abortion rights. The most recent occurred Tuesday, when the Republican-controlled House of Oklahoma approved a bill that makes performing an abortion in most circumstances a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Puerto Ricos Senate had been expected to vote Monday on the bill, but instead kicked it back to the Committee on Life and Family Affairs following criticism about the lack of public hearings. Rodriguez, one of the senators who authored the bill, oversees that committee. This is a real threat that were facing, said attorney Amarilis Pagan, executive director of Mother Project, a nonprofit group focused on helping women. We have to align forces so we can fight this. The committee is expected to hold public hearings this month and send it to the Senate for a vote. If it passes, it would go to the House of Representatives. Sens. Dalmau, Rivera and Rodriguez released a joint statement implying they don't expect hearings to sway positions: Some believe or imply that holding public hearings would change the minds of those who favor or those who oppose the measure. Time will tell. Their supporters include the activist group Women for Puerto Rico, which said the bill could help boost the islands dwindling birth rate and argued that fetuses at 23 weeks have survived. The territory of 3.2 million people recorded a total of more than 3,700 abortions in 2020, a drop from the 4,200 reported in 2018, according to the latest government statistics. Health officials say about 99% of abortions in Puerto Rico are done before 22 weeks. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi has not joined the debate, saying only he favors public hearings "so that we can obtain input from all parties, including medical criteria. We must be careful in this matter, and it must depend on the greatest amount of analysis possible. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) Rwandans have begun a solemn commemoration of the 1994 genocide in which more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu who tried to protect them were killed. President Paul Kagame on Thursday laid a wreath at a memorial site where more than 250,000 people are buried in the capital, Kigali. The ceremony marked the beginning of a week of somber events. Kagame said he opposes any attempts to rewrite the history of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The killings were perpetrated by extremist Hutu over a period of 100 days. Some rights groups have accused Kagames soldiers of carrying out some killings during and after the genocide in apparent revenge, but Rwandan authorities strongly deny this allegation. Kagame said that his group had shown restraint in the face of genocide. Imagine people being hunted down day and night for who they are. Also imagine if those of us who were carrying arms, if we had allowed ourselves to pursue those who were killing our people indiscriminately, he said. First of all, we would be right to do so. But we didnt. We spared them. Some of them are still living today, in their homes, villages. Others are in government and business. Kagame, who is widely credited with stopping the genocide, has become a polarizing figure over the years as his critics accuse him of leading an authoritarian government that crushes all dissent. But he is also praised by many for presiding over the relative political stability allowing Rwanda's economy to grow. The mass killing of the Tutsi was ignited on April 6 when a plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down and crashed in Kigali, killing the leader who, like most Rwandans, was an ethnic Hutu. The Tutsi were blamed for downing the plane, and although they denied it, bands of Hutu extremists began killing them, including children, with support from the army, police and militias. LONDON (AP) A British security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin who is accused of passing information to a Russian military attache denied espionage charges Thursday in a London court. David Ballantyne Smith, 57, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court to face nine charges under the Official Secrets Act related to the collection and communication of information useful to the Russian state. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indianapolis and several other Indiana cities are joining an estimated $507 million statewide opioid settlement after previously opting out of the states lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The state's capital city, the suburbs of Noblesville and Fishers and other cities, including Muncie and Franklin, decided to join the statewide settlement after it was made more attractive by a new state law that gives local governments more direct funding and flexibility, The Indianapolis Star reported. Indianas estimated $507 million share is part of a roughly $26 billion payout opioid distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen and drugmaker Johnson and Johnson are expected to make nationwide to settle lawsuits filed in response to the nations opioid epidemic. Indiana law requires that the majority of the money be used for opioid remediation. Under Indiana's previous distribution plan for opioid settlements, local governments would have received 15% of the settlement funds, and 15% would have gone to the state. The remaining 70% would have gone to the states Family and Social Services Administration to distribute statewide. Participating cities were also barred from pursuing their own litigation for separate opioid settlements. Many local governments decided to opt out of Indianas settlement deal to continue pursuing their own lawsuits, reasoning that their litigation would likely net them more cash. State Attorney General Todd Rokita urged cities and towns to opt back in to the agreement or risk losing settlement funds. At one point, Indianas share of the settlement dwindled from a potential $507 million to $269 million due to local governments opting out. But a new law Gov. Eric Holcomb signed in March allows cities to receive the latest settlement funding while continuing to pursue litigation against other opioid companies. The new law also funnels more funding directly to municipalities, which will now get 35% of the settlement, which must be spent on drug treatment and prevention programs. On top of that, local governments will also receive another 15% of settlement funds. For Indianapolis, the proposed settlement could provide the city with an estimated $40.2 million, according to city officials and outside legal counsel the city has retained. That money would be paid out over a number of years, with the payments possibly beginning as early as May. But the final amount depends on how many cities, counties and towns opt back in to the statewide settlement agreement. Indiana also has two pending lawsuits against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family, which owned Purdue Pharma. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A man charged in the 2019 killing of his father, who was a Kansas sheriffs captain, has been convicted. Zachary Arnold was found guilty last week of involuntary manslaughter in the October 5, 2019, shooting death of 57-year-old Chris Arnold, television station WDAF reported. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee attorney general's office on Thursday appealed a ruling that blocked a new redistricting map for the state Senate from taking effect. According to court documents, the Attorney General's Office asked the an appeals court to reverse the three-judge's decision to temporarily block the Senate map and expedite its consideration of this motion. The appeal comes just a day after the judges' panel ruled that the GOP-controlled General Assembly violated the state's constitution by improperly numbering the new districts. The panel gave lawmakers 15 days to fix the problem or an interim apportionment map" would be imposed. Meanwhile, the filing deadline for Senate hopefuls was pushed back to May 5. In Wednesday's split decision, the panel did not block the state House districts despite claims from plaintiffs that it divided more counties than needed to create districts with roughly equal populations, diluting the power of minority voters. The map splits 30 counties, the maximum permitted for the state House. A footnote in the ruling said the House map could still be blocked later on and the judges ordered a trial on the matter. Tennessee's constitution dictates that districts must be numbered consecutively in counties that have more than one. The newly drawn redistricting plan does not do that in Nashville's Davidson County. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ROME (AP) A judge in Genoa on Thursday ordered all 59 defendants to stand trial for the deadly 2018 collapse of a heavily used highway bridge in that Italian port city which sent cars and trucks plunging into the dry riverbed below. Forty-three people were killed when a large section of the Morandi Bridge broke off during a violent rainstorm on Aug. 14, 2018, on the eve of Italys big summer holiday. Charges against the defendants include multiple manslaughter and making false statements. Italy's Rai state TV, reporting from the Genoa courthouse, said trial will begin July 7. It took Judge Paola Faggioni two hours to read aloud all the reasons why she was denying various objections raised by defendants lawyers before she ordered the trial. Among those facing charges is Giovanni Castellucci, former CEO of the company that manages many of Italys highways and bridges, Rai said. Lawyers for Castellucci expressed confidence that a fair trial would find him innocent, the Italian news agency LaPresse reported. Also standing trial are several people who worked for Italys transport and infrastructure ministry, the Genoa daily Il Secolo XIX reported. The Genoa newspaper also reported that Faggioni approved plea bargain requests by both the highway company, Autostrade per Italia, and the Spea Engineering company, to pay 29 million euros ($33 million) to the Italian government in exchange for avoiding a trial. Prosecutors argued in their indictment that some defendants were aware that the bridge, which was built in the 1960s, was at risk for collapse. They alleged that corners were cut on maintenance to save money. The bridge's designer had recommended regular upkeep to remove rust, especially due to the corrosive effect of moist air from the nearby Ligurian Sea, and maintenance to counter pollution's effect on concrete. A replacement bridge, designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native, features 43 lamps in memory of those who perished. PHOENIX (AP) A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday, continuing the outreach by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government to political and cultural institutions around the world. Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths: weapons, weapons and weapons, Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine's consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers. He presented the war not as a struggle between East and West but as a war for the soul of humanity, and said time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. Prompt American help will save civilian lives, he said, and pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. The United States cannot afford Ukraine to lose this war, Kushneruk said. Because if Russia was to win, then we would all live in a world where the predator states ... would use force to redraw borders, and the countries and nations would again need to prove their right to exist. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. You cannot win the war against Russia with just rifles and bulletproof vests," Kushneruk said. He said he was speaking to state lawmakers to emphasize the importance of states maintaining strong sanctions that would deprive the Russian government of income it could use to replenish its military. The 39-year-old diplomat was formerly posted to the United Nations and in the protocol office for Zelenskyy and his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, according to his online biography. NATO countries agreed Thursday to ramp up the supply of weapons to Kyiv, including hi-tech arms. The U.S. says it has provided $1.7 billion for Ukraines defense and aid since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is looking across the board right now not only at what we provided, and what we continue to provide, but whether there are additional systems that could make a difference. Kushneruk's speech continues his government's prolific work to win hearts and minds around the world. Zelenskyy has in recent weeks appealed directly to national legislatures, including the U.S. Congress, and to the United Nations Security Council. And he spoke directly to a global audience in a taped speech aired during the Grammys last weekend. SEATTLE (AP) A Ukrainian man who served as a high-level hacker in a ring that stole more than 20 million credit and debit card records, causing an estimated $1 billion in losses, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Denys Iarmak, 32, is the third member of the hacking group FIN7 to be sentenced in the U.S. He was arrested in Bangkok in November 2019 at the request of federal investigators. He was extradited in 2020 and pleaded guilty last fall to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit computer hacking. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men they say were posing as federal agents, giving free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents, including one who worked on the first ladys security detail. The two men Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36 were taken into custody as more than a dozen FBI agents charged into a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington on Wednesday evening. Prosecutors allege Taherzadeh and Ali had falsely claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security and work on a special task force investigating gang and violence connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. They allege the two posed as law enforcement officers to integrate with actual federal agents. Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, flat screen television, a generator, gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. He also offered to let them use a black GMC SUV that he identified as an official government vehicle, prosecutors say. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady. Prosecutors said four Secret Service employees were placed on leave earlier this week as part of the investigation. The plot unraveled when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating an assault involving a mail carrier at the apartment building and the men identified themselves as being part of a phony Homeland Security unit they called the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit. Prosecutors say the men had also set up surveillance in the building and had been telling residents there that they could access any of their cellphones at any time. The residents also told investigators they believed the men had access to their personal information. Taherzadeh and Ali are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers who could comment on the allegations. Authorities did not detail what, if anything, the men were aiming to accomplish by posing as law enforcement officers or by providing the gifts. Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the airlines Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. Those restrictions are significant because its obviously difficult to keep flying if you cant service your planes, Matthew Axelrod, an assistant Commerce secretary for export enforcement, told reporters. The effect, he said, is that the sanctioned airlines and their fleet of aircraft will, over time, largely be unable to continue flying, either internationally or domestically, as they are now cut off from the international support and the U.S. parts and related services they need to maintain and support their fleets. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The three airlines that were singled out had already violated U.S. government restrictions, and the actions were taken to prevent expected violations in the future, officials said. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. In addition to companies in the aviation and heavy industries sectors halting business with Russia, major semiconductor and software companies have also announced that they've stopped shipments, said Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. The totality of these actions and their ultimate impacts demonstrate the resolve of democratic nations in the face of tyranny, the support for the rule of law and our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, Graves said. ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The Navy that once wanted smaller, speedy warships to chase down pirates has made a speedy pivot to Russia and China and many of those recently built ships could be retired. The U.S. Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships warships that cost about $4.5 billion altogether to build. The Navy contends in its budget proposal that the move would free up $50 million per ship annually for other priorities. But it would also reduce the size of the fleet thats already surpassed by China in sheer numbers, something that could cause members of Congress to balk. Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, defended the proposal that emphasizes long-range weapons and modern warships, while shedding other ships ill equipped to face current threats. We need a ready, capable, lethal force more than we need a bigger force thats less ready, less lethal, and less capable, he said Monday at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space symposium in Maryland. All told, the Navy wants to scrap 24 ships, including five cruisers and a pair of Los Angeles-class submarines, as part of its cost-cutting needed to maintain the existing fleet and build modern warships. Those cuts surpass the proposed nine ships to be built. Most of them are older vessels. However, the littoral combat ships that are targeted are young. The oldest of them is 10 years old. The Navy envisioned fast, highly maneuverable warships capable of operating in near-shore, littoral waters when it announced the program a few months after Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ships topped 50 mph (80 kph) fast enough to chase down pirates and utilized steerable waterjets instead of conventional propellers. The ships were supposed to be made versatile through plug-and-play mission modules for surface combat, mine-sweeping operations or anti-submarine warfare. But those mission modules were beset by problems, and the anti-submarine capability was canceled in the new budget. And what about that speed? The fastest ship cant outrun missiles, and firing up those marine turbines for an extra burst of speed turned the ships into gas guzzlers, analysts said. Early versions also were criticized as too lightly armed and armored to survive combat. The speedy Freedom-class ships proposed for decommissioning feature a traditional steel hull. That entire class of ships suffers from a propulsion defect that will be costly repair. The Navy proposes keeping a second variant, the aluminum Independence class. Jim Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, said the program was plagued by troubles from the start, and that moving forward the Navy must avoid similar acquisition disasters. U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, was more blunt, tweeting that it sucks to be decommissioning so many ships, especially newer ones. The Navy owes a public apology to American taxpayers for wasting tens of billions of dollars on ships they now say serve no purpose, she said. Some detractors proclaimed littoral combat ships to be the Navys Little Crappy Ship, but thats not fair, said defense analyst Loren Thompson. Its not a little crappy ship. It does what it was supposed to do. What it was supposed to do isnt enough for the kind of threats that we face today, said Thompson, from the Lexington Institute. In the Navys defense, threats shifted swiftly from the Cold War to the war on terror to the current Great Power Competition in which Russia and China are asserting themselves, he said. In the end, the Navy may be content with smaller numbers of Freedom-class ships for maritime security and small surface combatant operations, said Bryan Clark, defense analyst at the Hudson Institute. Congress must sign off on the Navy's proposal to decommission ships ahead of their projected service life. The House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday grilled Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the proposal. U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, suggested the ship cuts were grossly irresponsible when the U.S. Navy has dipped from 318 ships to 297, while the Chinese fleet has grown from 210 to 360 ships over the past two decades. Milley said it's important to focus on the Navy's capabilities rather than the size of its fleet. I would bias towards capability rather than just sheer numbers, he said. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Jim Inhofe is the ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, not the chairman. The man who owns the property that contains an unpermitted firing range that has generated complaints about the intimidation of neighbors and noise has paid nearly $53,000 in fines, the town of Pawlet said Thursday. In a news release, the town said that Daniel Banyai, the owner of Slate Ridge in West Pawlet, had paid the town $52,965.35, to satisfy the fines and accrued interest imposed by the court for zoning violations between Sept. 6, 2019, and Dec. 16, 2020, when a trial was held on the issue. Town Attorney Merrill Bent said Thursday the the fines continue to accrue in an amount that will be decided by a judge at a contempt hearing scheduled for April 18. The town has endured a lengthy process to satisfy its obligation to enforce its zoning regulations, and while this initial payment is a victory for the town, the process will continue, the town's release said. Compliance with other requirements of the courts order is still incomplete and daily fines continue to accrue in an amount to be determined by the court. Banyai's attorney did not immediately return a call Thursday seeking comment. Last month the town moved to foreclose on the property and it also asked that Banyai be jailed if he refuses to comply with the court's orders. Slate Ridge neighbors have complained for some time about gunfire at the facility and what they claimed were threats and intimidation by Banyai and his supporters. Many of the neighbors of Slate Ridge are afraid to talk publicly because of fears for their safety. Banyai bought the 30-acre property known as Slate Ridge in 2013 and sometime in 2017 he began operating what he calls a firearms training facility. The property is only permitted to have a garage with an apartment. Around the time Banyai began operating the shooting range, he erected a 500-square-foot structure to serve as the training center and a number of outdoor shooting ranges, all without necessary zoning permits. Banyai has been ordered to remove the unpermitted structures. In January the Vermont Supreme Court upheld the lower court order that Banyai demolish any unpermitted buildings on the Pawlet property and pay the outstanding fines. COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (AP) A Virginia police chief has retired less than a month after he was placed on leave following allegations of inappropriate behavior" while off-duty. In an email to the city manager of Colonial Heights last week, Police Chief Jeffrey Faries wrote he would retire and his last day in office would be March 31, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. It was as if a savior had descended from the heavens to deliver Twitter from the sin of content moderation. "Elon Musk has made it clear he opposes big tech censorship, and that's something all freedom-loving Americans can get behind," tweeted Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Tennessee Republican. "BRING BACK TRUMP!" exhorted Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan added simply: "Musk. Free speech." Followers of QAnon, the sweeping far-right conspiracy theory, theorized that Musk was destined to merge Twitter with Trump's troubled Truth Social network, making social media great again. The giddiness from the right - and consternation from the left - stems from the news that Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, had joined Twitter's board after purchasing a 9 percent stake in the company, making him its largest shareholder. Musk's sudden transubstantiation from a Twitter critic to a Twitter leader has naturally sparked speculation both within and outside the company as to just how the outspoken tycoon might wield power over its policies - and whether he might cajole it into reversing its ban on former president Donald Trump. Twitter wasn't the only platform to punish the president for his role in instigating the violence, but it was Trump's digital megaphone of choice. The company's decision on Jan. 8, 2021 to permanently ban him, following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, was a watershed in the history of social media and American politics. Twitter's ban went farther than its rivals Facebook and YouTube, whose indefinite suspensions left open the possibility that he could return for a 2024 presidential run. Musk has already said that he plans to enact "significant improvements" at Twitter, and has polled his gazillion Twitter followers on whether they think Twitter does enough to uphold principles of free speech. He also polled them on Monday as to whether they want an edit button. In what Twitter insists is a coincidence, the company on Tuesday announced that it is indeed working on an edit button. Even at this early juncture, it seems clear to both employees and outside critics that Musk will have some degree of influence over the company's communications, if only by pressuring it to address whatever harebrained tweet he may fire off on a given day. Musk has given at least some indication that he may be rankled by Twitter's silencing elected officials. He tweeted on Jan. 11, 2021: "A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech." Reporting by my Washington Post colleague Elizabeth Dwoskin shows that Twitter's executives sought to reassure their own anxious employees that Musk will not set policy for the company. One sent an open letter to staff promising that the work of combating "hate speech and trolls" was "bigger than any board member." And a company spokesman told the Post, "Our day-to-day operations and decisions are made by Twitter management and employees." It would certainly be unusual for a single board member, who owns 9 percent of a company, to unilaterally change its policy on something as momentous as the Trump ban. That's a decision for CEO Parag Agrawal and his staff, including policy chief Vijaya Gadde, who has overseen the company's increasingly interventionist approach to issues such as hate speech, misinformation, and user safety. Even if the board of directors were to try to involve itself - perhaps by pressuring Agrawal - Musk would still be just one among that group, albeit the richest and loudest. Musk is not one to let norms - or even, at times, legalities - stand in his way, as his unorthodox filings to buy a stake in Twitter once again showed. If he were so moved, he could try to force Trump back onto the company's agenda via a blitz of tweets, which would animate his own supporters while providing ready fodder for an eager conservative media to take up the cause. With Musk on the board, Twitter could no longer simply ignore such a campaign or dismiss him as a crank. Even then, however, overturning the policy would require him to win over Agrawal, who has indicated his support for the ban, or persuade his fellow board members to oust Agrawal. Neither seems particularly likely at this juncture. While bringing back Trump could perhaps help ensure Twitter's place in the political spotlight in the event of a successful Trump 2024 campaign, it would alienate large swaths of users and employees, and perhaps also advertisers, who are the company's main revenue source. But all of this assumes a level of passion for reinstating Trump that Musk has given no evidence he possesses. Though he has on several occasions shown support for the general idea that Twitter should promote free speech, he has said nothing of note on the Trump ban since that January 2021 tweet. In fact, Musk has said what he thinks is the "single most annoying problem on Twitter" today, and it has nothing to do with Trump. Rather, the target of his ire was "crypto spam bots." He'd probably find far more support, both inside Twitter and on its board, for prioritizing better anti-spam systems to clean up the platform than for bringing Trump back. This is not to say that employees are wrong to worry about Musk meddling in their work. The addition of an influential and vocal board member with a bias toward laissez-faire content policies could certainly affect some of the company's priorities, particularly those on which his concerns are shared by other board members and leaders. For a platform that once took a hands-off approach, Twitter has invested heavily in recent years in research and product changes to promote what it calls "healthy conversations" - a goal that Musk may or may not share. Regardless of Musk, the company may feel compelled give some additional thought to its Trump ban if Trump emerges once again as a favorite to win the GOP nomination in 2024. But if Trump and his supporters were banking on Musk to miraculously revive his Twitter account before then, they might have better luck fixing Truth Social. WASHINGTON (AP) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says more government regulation is needed to police the proliferation of cryptocurrency and ward off fraudulent or illicit transactions. One potential upside is that users would get documentation of their crypto dealings for use in filing their taxes. Taxpayers should receive the same type of tax reporting on digital asset transactions that they receive for transactions in stocks and bonds, so that they have the information they need to report their income to the IRS, Yellen said in remarks Thursday at American University. It was Yellens first speech about cryptocurrency since President Joe Biden signed an executive order on digital assets in March. The administration's action follows several high-profile examples of alleged cryptocurrency laundering and fraud this year. In February, the Justice Department announced its largest-ever financial seizure more than $3.6 billion and the arrests of a couple accused of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. In March, federal regulators accused two siblings of defrauding thousands of investors out of $124 million in unregistered securities offerings involving a digital token. We will make policy recommendations, including assessment of potential regulatory actions and legislative changes, Yellen said. Her speech centered on the importance of reducing digital currencies' risks to the financial system, along with maintaining the international prominence of the U.S. dollar. We have a strong interest in ensuring that innovation does not lead to a fragmentation in international payment architectures," she said, adding that over the next six months, Treasury will work with the White House and other agencies to develop reports and recommendations on digital currencies. Bidens cryptocurrency executive order urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should create its own digital currency and directs federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. As banks and other traditional financial firms become more involved in digital asset markets, Yellen said, regulations will need "to appropriately reflect the risks of these new activities. The use of cryptocurrency and other digital assets have exploded in recent years. Surveys show that roughly 16% of adult Americans or 40 million people have invested in cryptocurrencies. And 43% of men age 18 to 29 have put their money into cryptocurrency. The White House said in March that digital assets have reached a market cap of $3 trillion last November from $14 billion just five years prior. Our regulatory frameworks should be designed to support responsible innovation while managing risks especially those that could disrupt the financial system and economy, Yellen said. Lawmakers and administration officials have also voiced concerns that Russia may be using cryptocurrency to avoid the impact of the avalanche of sanctions imposed on banks, oligarchs and the energy industry in the past weeks due to the invasion of Ukraine. But Treasury officials and cryptocurrency experts have said crypto is not a workaround for sanctions. by The Artful Observer Bay City News Foundation The Bay Area is a hub of artistic expression, attracting artists, writers and musicians from around the globe to live, work and create. We highlight some of the offerings here. A 'Gem' from Wilson: After directing and starring in an acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson's "Fences," Denzel Washington reportedly said he was eager to continue plumbing the legendary playwright's works. "The greatest part of what's left of my career is making sure that August is taken care of," he said. Tim Bond, the artistic director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, has a similar affinity with Wilson, the playwright who has done much to bring everyday Black voices, characters, humor, pathos and life to the mainstream stage. Bond was not only a friend of Wilson but is also considered one of the world's best interpreters of the playwright's works, having helmed many of his plays during his enviable theater career in Seattle; Ashland, Oregon; Syracuse, New York; and now Palo Alto. For his first stage-directing stint at TheatreWorks, Bond is helming "Gem of the Ocean," the first installment of Wilson's famed "Pittsburgh Cycle" chronicling 20th century Black American life, decade by decade. "Gem" centers on Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old spiritual healer, and the cast of characters she encounters and advises. Though it is set in 1904, the issues it touches on -- police brutality against Black Americans, riots, the fleeting nature of freedom and justice -- seem utterly contemporary. Says Bond, "August was a dear friend of mine and his inspiring and beautiful play speaks to this current moment." The production runs Thursday through May 1 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Proof of vaccination is required, and masks must be worn in the theater. Tickets are $25-$95; go to https://www.theatreworks.org/. Copyright 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. WFO LOS ANGELES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 8, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 725 PM PDT Wed Apr 6 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT FRIDAY... ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 3 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 101. For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Los Angeles County San Fernando Valley. * WHEN...For the Heat Advisory, until 6 PM PDT Friday. For the Wind Advisory, from 3 AM to 3 PM PDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 97. For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Santa Monica Mountains. ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 94. For the up to 40 mph expected. * WHERE...Malibu Coast. Wind Advisory, from 6 AM to 3 PM PDT Thursday. * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 95. For the Wind Advisory, northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected. * WHERE...Ventura County Beaches. Wind Advisory, northeast winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 405 * WHERE...Ventura County Inland Coast. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 97 expected. * WHERE...Santa Clarita Valley. * WHEN...Through 6 PM PDT Friday. Hottest temperatures expected Thursday or Friday. * WHAT...For the Wind Advisory, northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 98 expected. * WHERE...Central Ventura County Valleys and Southeastern Ventura County Valleys. * WHEN...For the Wind Advisory, until 3 PM PDT Thursday. For the Heat Advisory, through 6 PM PDT Friday. Hottest temperatures expected Thursday or Friday. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 91 expected. * WHERE...Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast and Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 92 expected. * WHERE...Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range. * WHAT...Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. * WHERE...Ventura County Mountains and Los Angeles County Mountains. * WHEN...Until 3 PM PDT Thursday. result. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LOS ANGELES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 8, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 1013 PM PDT Wed Apr 6 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT FRIDAY... ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 97 expected. * WHERE...Santa Clarita Valley. * WHEN...For the Heat Advisory, until 6 PM PDT Friday. For the Wind Advisory, until 3 PM PDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. * WHAT...For the Wind Advisory, northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 98 expected. * WHERE...Central Ventura County Valleys and Southeastern Ventura County Valleys. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 3 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 101. For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Los Angeles County San Fernando Valley. Wind Advisory, from 3 AM to 3 PM PDT Thursday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 97. For the Wind Advisory, north to northeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Santa Monica Mountains. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM PDT * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 94. For the gusts up to 40 mph expected. * WHERE...Malibu Coast. Wind Advisory, from 6 AM to 3 PM PDT Thursday. * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, temperatures up to 95. For the Wind Advisory, northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected. * WHERE...Ventura County Beaches. Wind Advisory, northeast winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Ventura County Inland Coast. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 91 expected. * WHERE...Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast, Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches, San Luis Obispo County Beaches, Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast and Los Angeles County Beaches. * WHEN...Until 6 PM PDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 92 expected. * WHERE...Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range, Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range, Lake Casitas, Ojai Valley, Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast, Santa Lucia Mountains, Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast and Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles. * WHAT...Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. * WHERE...Ventura County Mountains and Los Angeles County Mountains. * WHEN...Until 3 PM PDT Thursday. result. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LOS ANGELES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 8, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 246 PM PDT Thu Apr 7 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT FRIDAY... ...WIND ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... * WHAT...Temperatures up to 99 expected. * WHERE...Central Ventura County Valleys, Southeastern Ventura County Valleys, Ventura County Inland Coast, Los Angeles County San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica Mountains and Santa Clarita Valley. * WHEN...Until 6 PM PDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 92 expected. * WHERE...Malibu Coast. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 91 expected. * WHERE...Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches, Los Angeles County Beaches and San Luis Obispo County Beaches. * WHAT...Temperatures up to 97 expected. * WHERE...Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range, Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range, Lake Casitas, Ojai Valley, Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast, Santa Lucia Mountains, San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast, Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles. Winds have diminished below advisory level. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, April 7, 2022 _____ RED FLAG WARNING URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 259 PM CDT Thu Apr 7 2022 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY UNTIL 7 PM... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FRIDAY... .Dry air and gusty northwest winds will continue this afternoon and again Friday with critical fire weather conditions. Relative humidity is expected to fall back below 25 percent in the mid to late morning hours and into 9-18 percent range Friday afternoon. Northwest winds will increase into the 15 to 20 mph range Friday afternoon with gusts to 25 mph at times throughout the daytime hours. Speeds should diminish just before sunset. ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR LOWER HUMIDITY AND WARM WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS... The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 10 AM to 7 PM CDT Friday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * Dry air will remain over the region this afternoon and again Friday with northwest winds. This dry air will limit the typical recovery overnight. Strong drying will take place again on Friday as the relative humidity falls very quickly during the morning while winds strengthen and become gusty. * AFFECTED COUNTIES... Madison...Walker...Burleson...Brazos... Washington...Grimes...Montgomery...Colorado...Austin... Waller...Inland Harris...Wharton...Fort Bend...Inland Jackson... Inland Matagorda...Inland Brazoria...Inland Galveston... Coastal Harris...Coastal Jackson...Coastal Matagorda...Coastal Brazoria...Coastal Galveston...Matagorda Islands...Brazoria Islands...Galveston Island. * WIND...Expect northwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts 25 mph the remainder of this afternoon and again on Friday. * HUMIDITY...Minimum values 9 to 18 percent. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WEST HARTFORD The Community Planning and Economic Development Committee approved an ordinance on Tuesday regulating where recreational cannabis retailers will be permitted in town. The ordinance, which is now being moved to the town council to be set for public hearing, would not allow a recreational cannabis retailer within 500 feet of any school, municipal park, municipal recreational facility or library. The revised ordinance removed child care centers from the restricted list. Municipal facilities were also not included. The committee also tabled the portion of the ordinance that would ban smoking cannabis in the towns parks. Acting Town Manager Rick Ledwith said that may come back as part of a separate ordinance. We have approximately 50 child care facilities located throughout town, Ledwith said. That creates further restrictions with the ordinance. Particularly on Park Road and Prospect Avenue where we have 70 commercial sites that would be impacted. With the sheer number of municipal buildings, particularly with our fire stations that are located in commercial zonesit would place more restrictions on the ordinance. Council member Mark Zydanowicz, who voted against the ordinance, said he was hoping to see town hall included in the 500-foot buffer. Council member Ben Wenograd said he didnt see an issue with town hall being excluded from that list. I dont think we want to make things too hard on potential business owners, Wenograd said. There is a demand and to some extent, lets see how the market plays out and let people try to open a business and make their best investments as to where the most profitable place to open it will be. The ordinance also changed what zoning districts the retailers would be allowed to be location. If passed, the ordinance would allow recreational cannabis retailers in business districts only. With the 500-foot buffer, that leaves 259 potentially eligible commercially zoned areas across town. The ordinance also restricts cannabis production facilities, including producers, cultivators, micro-cultivators, food and beverage manufacturers, product manufacturers and product packagers to industrial districts. Officials also clarified confusion over the number of recreational cannabis retailers and micro-cultivators that are allowed in town. Under the state law, Connecticut municipalities are allowed one of each per 25,000 residents. In West Hartford, that would mean two of each. There was additional clarification surrounding the language of dispensary versus retailer. Ledwith said retailers will be able to sell recreational marijuana while dispensaries are able to sell medical marijuana. There is no limit to medical dispensaries and West Hartford has none. Town Council member Leon Davidoff, who chairs the committee, said that lessened their concern from last week. The committee had been worried about creating a large enough buffer between each recreational cannabis retailer. The situation has changed significantly since the last discussion. Theres 33 percent less opportunity to own an establishment now that we only have two cannabis retailers, Davidoff said. The market will dictate where somebody decides to make a sizable investment in their business opportunity. What we learned from the distance factor was that if we made it too restricted, we would have very few sites available. If we get to be too restrictive I think then we really havent accomplished what is really necessary for us to accomplish. A Simon Fraser University initiative created to support people in self-managing their depression is being reimagined as a virtual tool, to help reduce the community mental health gap in Vietnam. Funding from Grand Challenges Canadas Global Mental Health Program and the Vietnamese government totaling $2.8 million will result in the creation of an mHealth intervention app for mobile phones, called VMood, and support the development of community mental health services across the country. The apps development is being led by SFU health sciences professor John ONeil, in partnership with Vietnams Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and a host of research partners from Canada, Australia and Vietnam. The self-management tool will link users with mental health resources and be available to people across the country. The team will also assist MOLISA to create a data system for community mental health, and improve training opportunities for social workers and health care workers in community-based interventions for depression and anxiety. According to researchers, depressive and anxiety disorders among adults and children are common in Vietnam, a country of nearly 100 million people. While primary healthcare is accessible to the general population, healthcare staff often lack sufficient training to recognize and treat common mental health care problems. Page Content The Canadian government has taken the next step toward establishing Canada as a world leader in accessibility. The Accessible Canada Regulations address services that will become more accessible to Canadians with disabilities, including redesigned physical spaces, travel on a barrier-free transportation network, and more options to consume digital content and technologies. People with disabilities looking for work will have increased access to employment opportunities and accessible workplaces. "Canadians with disabilities have the right to fully participate in a society that is free of barrierswhether it be in their workplace or in accessing services within their communities," Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough said in a statement. "The government is working closely with persons with disabilities to achieve a fully inclusive and accessible Canada." The Accessible Canada Regulations expand upon how federal departments and agencies must fulfill the legal requirements of the Accessible Canada Act (2019). This legislation applies to the government of Canada, the Canadian Parliament, the federal public service, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as the federally regulated private sector, including airlines, airports, banks and postal services. "The Accessible Canada Act is a federal law that aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040," said Maureen Haan, president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work in Toronto. According to Statistics Canada, 59 percent of Canadians with disabilities between the ages of 25 and 64 are employed, compared to 80 percent of Canadians without disabilities from that age range. "Removing barriers for people with disabilities is essential," said Penny Leclair, president of Barrier Free Canada in Toronto. "Canada has a long way to go." Drafting Accessibility Plans Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) published a module on the Accessible Canada Regulations in December 2021. Federally regulated organizations have to make plans for how they will improve accessibility, give progress reports and address feedback, Leclair explained. Accessibility plans must show how an organization is taking steps to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility. Federal employers need to publish and update their accessibility plans every three years, Haan added. In the two years that organizations do not have to publish accessibility plans, they must present progress reports. "This document is a critical starting point," said Kerri Joffe, an attorney with ARCH Disability Law Center in Toronto. "Businesses and organizations can take this opportunity to create more inclusive workplaces." The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) have authored their own regulations for the Accessible Canada Act, Haan noted. CRTC regulations apply to all television, radio, Internet and telephone companies, while CTA regulations apply to all federal transportation providers. Canada's public service workforce is approximately 267,000 employees, reported the government of Canada. The ESDC drafted guidelines for federal agencies to include in an accessibility plan: Reflect the organization's short-term and long-term accessibility goals. Include useful accessibility-related information for clients and employees, such as the location of accessible entrances and restrooms, available programs and activities, and where to find human resource materials, forms and communication platforms. Explain what the organization hopes to achieve in improving accessibility. Describe the organization's approach to accessibility training. The Accessible Canada Regulations also require federal organizations to establish an anonymous feedback process for individuals to submit opinions by mail, telephone, e-mail or social media, Haan added. Canadian organizations need to prepare their accessibility plans and progress reports in English and French. Accessibility plans should be available in print, large print, Braille, audio and an electronic format compatible with adaptive technology to assist people with disabilities, Haan noted. Federal employers should publish accessibility plans and progress reports on a company website or another digital platform the organization uses to communicate with the public, Haan stated. If an organization does not have an Internet presence, then the documents must be displayed in a location visible and accessible to the public at the entrance or reception area of each business location. Timelines for Compliance The deadlines to publish the initial accessibility plans are as follows, Joffe said: Federal government departments, the Canadian Armed Forces, agencies and Crown corporations of Canada must submit by Dec. 31. Private-sector entities with 100 or more employees must submit by June 1, 2023. Private-sector entities with between 10 and 99 employees must submit by June 1, 2024. Federal-sector employers with less than 10 employees do not have to prepare an accessibility plan, Joffe added. Organizations that do not follow the Accessible Canada Actincluding failing to publish an accessibility plancould face fines, Haan stated. Penalties can range from CAD $250 to $250,000 (approximately USD $200 to $200,000), depending on the seriousness of the violation. "Moving forward, ongoing collaboration, consultation and communication will be critical to proactively and systemically identifying, removing and preventing further barriers to accessibility in Canada," Leclair concluded. Catherine Skrzypinski is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Page Content A ruling in Hong Kong's District Court has clarified what constitutes race discrimination in the workplace and what doesn't. A British employee sued a Hong Kong construction company after he was fired, claiming race discrimination because co-workers excluded him from meetings and used a disparaging Cantonese word that meant foreigner (or non-Chinese person), usually referring to white foreigners. The company argued that it fired him for having a negative attitude and trouble getting along with his co-workers. On Feb. 11, a judge ruled that the company had reasonable grounds to fire him. The court found that the use of the disparaging word didn't necessarily constitute race discrimination in the workplace, but it might, depending on the context. Hong Kong's population is 7.5 million people, and 94 percent are Chinese, according to World Population Review. Cantonese is the official language in Hong Kong. "Focusing on the legal outcome [of this case] can be a distraction," said Hong Tran, an attorney with Mayer Brown, based in Hong Kong. "The employer was successful in defending the unlawful discrimination claim, but I think the objective for employers should be to be in a place where a complaint can't be made in the first place. That involves having the appropriate diversity, equity and inclusion policies in place; training and proactive update of these policies; and refresher training. Leaders should set the tone from top down." Legal Background Employers in Hong Kong must comply with the Race Discrimination Ordinance of 2008, which prohibits employers from treating an employee less favorably because of their race. It's also illegal to treat someone less favorably because they made a formal complaint of race discrimination. Employers can be liable for the discriminatory conduct of their employees, regardless of whether the employer had knowledge of the conduct, according to Jenny Zhuang, a lawyer for Dentons in Hong Kong. But employers can avoid this liability if they "take reasonably practical steps" to prevent discrimination. Establish a written anti-discrimination policy and make sure all new employees receive it and sign it after they have read it. Conduct trainings to remind all workers about the anti-discrimination policy once or twice a year. "All employers should have a written set of policies specifically dealing with discrimination and workplace harassment," Zhuang said. "[Hong Kong's] Equal Opportunities Commission publishes useful Codes of Practice on Employment in relation to each of the Discrimination Ordinances. We recommend all employers to study and incorporate the Code of Practice into their own policies." She added, "Most employers do not have a written policy on discrimination, and even when they do, they do not actually inform their employees of the terms of the policy, nor do they conduct regular training for their employees to educate and remind them of the terms of the policy. It is not enough to just have a written policy. Employers must make a conscious effort to ensure all of their employees are provided a copy of the policy, acknowledge that they have read and understood it, and be regularly educated [and] reminded of its terms." Another prudent practice is to always document in writing the legitimate reasons for firing an employee, especially if they belong to a protected class. Consequences for Noncompliance If an employee successfully sues an employer for race discrimination, the employer may have to pay monetary damages determined by the court. The amount "will vary from case to case, although there are some general legal principles and guidelines on the range of damages for injury to feelings, which has been established by case law authorities," Zhuang said. Tran noted that discrimination claims often are settled out of court because "they tend to be a magnet to the press, and the claim may give rise to potential adverse reputational issues. There will be disruption to the business, including with time and money diverted to defending the claim and away from the employer's business. There may also be adverse impact on the employee relations side. The costs of defending a claim are usually not recoverable even if the respondent successfully defends a claim." Racially loaded language can make some employees feel that the workplace environment is hostile. A common mistake that employers make is "lack of awareness of race issues," Tran said. "Unlawful race discrimination is rarely undertaken overtly. A court will usually have to infer it from the facts and circumstances. As such, employers should proactively turn their minds to identifying and addressing potential race discrimination issues. Taking the present case as an example, just because something has always been done in a particular way in the past, or an expression is commonly or colloquially used, doesn't mean it is appropriate to use in the workplace." Leah Shepherd is a freelance writer in Columbia, Md. With ASEAN's digital economy projected to hit $1 trillion by 2030, Big Data Analytics has emerged as the fastest growing market in the region. Amidst increasingdigitization in Southeast Asia and its flourishing IT industry, the region is generating colossal volumes of data, thereby breeding a multi-billion-dollar Big Data Analytics industry. Taking heed from these unprecedented developments and post-receiving phenomenal success in Africa, Tradepass is thrilled to host its flagship Big Data Analytics Summit, BYTES, in ASEAN virtually on 12 13 April 2022. The summit will attract 1000+ Big Data Analytics professionals from the leading public and private organizations across ASEAN, along with 20+ best-in-class global solution providers and 30+ top speakers from the industry who will share the latest developments, case studies, use cases, best practicesand many more. In a statement issued, following their participation announcement, the Global Field CTO at Databricks, Chris D'Agostino expressed,"Only 13% of organizations are succeeding at their data and AI strategy yet the successful application of data and AI has never been a greater necessity for survival than now. Enterprises need a modern data and AI strategy that is open, simple, collaborative and empowers everyone across the organization to make faster, more informed decisions with a unified view of all their data." Judy Nam (Principal Solutions Engineer Director, Dataiku) while confirming her participation as a speaker gave an insight on the growth of AI, Developing an AI strategy for your business is becoming standard to keep up with the competition, but there are many challenges along the way. Im excited to be sharing how organizations can enable everyday AI across business functions while growing the complexity and scale of AI models and projects. Organizations like Databricks, Dataiku, Cloudera, Tech Data, BMC, Aerospike, Denodo,Snowflake and Fivetran have already confirmed their participation to lead the summit and showcase their latest solutions. The virtual summit will powertwoknowledge-packed days filled with insightful presentations on the most pressing industry topics, deep dive panel discussions with the leading thought leaders, live showcase of the best solutions and many more. Some of the confirmed speakers for the summit include Chris D'Agostino, Global Field CTO, Databricks; Judy Nam, Principal Solutions Engineer Director, Dataiku;Sam Majid, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission; Juan Kanggrawan, Head - Data Analytics & Digital Products, Jakarta Smart City; Abhishek Pratap Singh, Senior Vice President Engineering, DBS; Ram Kumar, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Cigna; Varun Verma, APAC Head of Data & Analytics, The Heineken Company; Kirill Odintsov, Head of Data Science, Home Credit Indonesia; Akanksha Rastogi, Head of Data and Insights, Foodpanda Thailand; John Daniel Funtanilla, Advanced Analytics Lead, Nestle Philippines; Nikola Sucevic, Senior Vice President - Advance Analytics, Smartfren and many others. Another key speaker for the summitSam Majid (Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission)expressed his view on the industry, To thrive in the digital economy, avant-garde organizations leverage on its leadership and widely accessible data to continuously deliver and delight citizens and customers. Organizer and CEO of Tradepass, Sudhir Jena expressed, With Southeast Asia rapidly adopting emerging technologies, Bytes 2022 ASEAN will acknowledge the many intricacies concerning Big Data Analytics to empower the organizations with improved business function. For more information about the event, log on to: https://asean.bytessummit.com/ President Joe Biden announced his intent this past week to nominate two Indian Americans to key administrative positions. FREMONT, CA: According to the Tribune India, Vinay Singh is a nominee for Chief Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development. At the same time, Kalpana Kotagal is a nominee for Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to Business Standard, Singh, a qualified public accountant, is currently a senior advisor to the US Small Business Administration administrator. He assists the agency's teams in improving and benefiting small companies in the communities. Singh has also worked as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Obama-Biden administration. According to the Tribune India, he also has 25 years of private-sector leadership experience and extensive knowledge in finance, analytics, and strategy. According to the White House, as a senior member of the executive team, Singh managed multiple organizational transformation projects employing technology to improve decision-making and profitability. According to the New Indian Express, he also funded worldwide sustainability programs to address urban and rural difficulties in housing, water, energy, and economic growth. Kotagal is a partner at Cohen Milstein and a member of the firm's Civil Rights and Employment practice department. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants. According to the Business Standard, she is also a co-chair of the firm's Hiring and Diversity Committee. According to the White House, she is also a diversity, equality, and inclusion expert. According to the New Indian Express, Kotagal represents disenfranchised people in employment and civil rights disputes concerning Title VII, Equal Pay Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family, and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. One of the nation's top civic Indian American and South Asian organizations, Indian American Impact, applauded Kotagal's appointment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Executive Director of Indian American Impact remarked that Kotagal was an incredibly brilliant attorney who has been a relentless advocate for workplace justice and civil rights. She had been a significant voice in the national discourse on diversity, equity, and inclusion as one of the first South Asian women to become a law partner in the plaintiffs' bar. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! As Russia increasingly becomes a pariah in the global financial system, billionaires who have long sheltered their fortunes abroad suddenly have far fewer options for where to put their money. Repatriating assets to a country careening toward economic ruin, putting them within Putins grasp, is a dire proposition. But so is keeping them in the US, UK or in EU jurisdictions, like Cyprus or the Caribbean, where they face freezes, blockades or possibly seizures. Their best bet is somewhere relatively neutral, said Ronen Palan, a professor and expert on tax havens at City University London. The war in Ukraine has already boosted the amount of Russian money flowing into Dubai, whose government has urged a peaceful solution to the conflict. Hong Kong is another possibility, though the long shadow of Chinas Xi Jinping is a potential threat to the primary objective of offshoring Russians. Other spots include Mauritius and the Maldives. The Maldives is still a refuge for the assets of Russias oligarchs. Credit:Getty The main reason why the wealthy in Russia take money out is to safeguard their assets, said Palan. Its not so much about tax avoidance, as we think about it in the West. Some 20 Russians rank among the worlds 500 richest people. Worth a combined $US261 billion, more than half of them have used Cyprus holding companies for their main assets, according to filings. Russia has entwined itself in the islands culture and economy for decades, since its backing of the countrys Greek Cypriot majority during its division. It has flourished as a haven thanks to low taxes, EU membership and a legal system based on English common law. A handful of the billionaires have holdings in the British Virgin Islands or elsewhere in the Caribbean, a region popular for its strict secrecy. At least three more use vehicles in Europe. Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan who are all under EU and UK sanctions use Luxembourg entities to control investment firm LetterOne, which has holdings spanning energy, retail and telecommunications. Roman Abramovich used shell companies in the Caribbean, including BVI and the Cayman Islands, and an Austrian bank to invest billions of dollars in US hedge funds and private equity firms, according to the New York Times, which said Concord Management in Tarrytown, New York, facilitated many of the transactions. The main reason why the wealthy in Russia take money out is to safeguard their assets...Its not so much about tax avoidance, as we think about it in the West. Ronen Palan, a professor and expert on tax havens at City University London Abramovich took direct control last month of his $US445 million stake in London-based steelmaker Evraz PLC, moving shares out of a BVI holding company and into his own hands. The UK sanctioned him on March 10. The moves may face challenges as sanctions mount: German authorities said on Friday they had blocked Mordashovs transfer to the British Virgin Islands while they investigate the deal. For his part, Mordashov has called the Ukraine war a tragedy and said he doesnt understand why hes been sanctioned. Spokespersons for Mordashov and Abramovich declined to comment. A representative for Rashnikov didnt respond to requests for comment. At the time he moved his stake in Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, the company said Cyprus was becoming less attractive for Russian investments and that Rashnikov wanted to make use of legal and regulatory advantages in his homeland. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works said in a March 18 statement the sanctions against Rashnikov are groundless and unfair. Russias fourth-richest person Alexey Mordashov shifted arrangements for part of a $US1.5 billion stake in German holiday-tour business TUI AG from a Cyprus entity to one in the British Virgin Islands soon after being sanctioned. Credit:Bloomberg Indeed, in some ways the sanctions are aiding Putins demand for the richest to bring home their far-flung wealth. His ultimatum dates back to the Crimea invasion in 2014 when an initial round of sanctions on oligarchs and billionaires helped to prompt laws around so-called de-offshorisation. Gennady Timchenko, who was sanctioned by the US in 2014 over Russias annexation of Crimea, used a Luxembourg firm to build a stake more than a decade ago in Novatek. That company was placed into liquidation in 2017 shortly before the US sanctioned other Russian billionaires including Oleg Deripaska and Timchenko now largely manages his wealth through Russian companies, according to registry filings. He was sanctioned by the UK and EU last month. Even as the options for stashing money dry up, the amount channelled to offshore centres by Russians on the whole could be poised to spike, said Paivi Karhunen, a professor at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland, who studies Russias use of offshore entities. Not only is the nations economy in freefall, but an offshore company enables an investor to effectively scrub its Russian tracks. If they can somehow hide their Russian origin they can make investments into other companies, she said. The former Soviet countries of Central Asia, like Kazakhstan though not officially offshore centres could become informal conduits for cash leaving Russia, said City Universitys Palan. Middle-class Russians have already rushed to open Serbian bank accounts in order to preserve their ability to transact abroad. Loading Russian money could also wind up in America. Holding company structures can obscure the identity or nationality of the beneficiary and also allow owners to skirt sanctions rules on beneficial ownership, said Lakshmi Kumar, policy director at nonprofit Global Financial Integrity. Minimal disclosure requirements around ownership of private companies and property in the US, for instance, raises the likelihood that tainted money will rebrand itself, essentially, and exploit loopholes, she said. What do you like most about the job? I love having the opportunity to encourage curiosity and critical thinking in young people. I want young people to feel equipped and empowered to advocate for themselves and others. What first sparked your interest in this area? I have been teaching for nine years and have been in my current role for three. When I was in high school one of my teachers really encouraged my advocacy. We stayed in touch after I graduated and pursued a career in law. She always told me that Id be a great educator. She tragically passed away from breast cancer and never had the opportunity to see me teach, but as luck would have it I now work in the same school she last worked in. Id like to think that Im contributing to her legacy and that shed be really proud of me. What was the most unexpected thing you have had to do in your job? Good teaching is, by its very nature, responsive and adaptive. However, teaching online last year brought unique challenges. At one point a Zoom lesson turned into a running commentary of a students cats labour. What challenges have you faced during the COVID-19 pandemic? Returning students to face-to-face learning has been a joy and a challenge. School is a source of stability and safety for so many students, and my colleagues worked so hard last year to stay connected to them. Many students and teachers are battling pandemic fatigue. I think this year its so important for teachers, students and carers to be kind to themselves. My school has a strong focus on student wellbeing and I think we all need to focus on mental health. Did you have a different career before you became a teacher? Before becoming a teacher I worked as a lawyer in a corporate and commercial firm. I spent my days taking large amounts of complex information and distilling that information into clear, concise and actionable advice for clients. I still do that every day. Now I make information relevant to young people. Rather than giving them advice, I try to provide students with new perspectives and opportunities to think creatively about complex social issues. What advice do you have for people wanting to get into this career? Be kind to yourself. Teaching is an intellectually and emotionally demanding career, but I have the privilege of working every day with people who put students needs first. One of my colleagues has a Nelson Mandela quote painted in his classroom wall. It says Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. I think were making real differences in young peoples lives every day. The 2016 article describes an authoritative, constant, remote woman. Barnes, as no one but himself distinguished cerebral writer was painstakingly conjuring her as he wrote. The writing was fond but, more interestingly, it was puzzled. The puzzle has now been recast as fiction. Elizabeth Finch is about the most un-self-pitying person I have ever met. She knew the world to be unfair, and thought it naive of anyone else not to see that. She was, in her deepest self, a stoic. This is not a line from Julian Barnes novel Elizabeth Finch, but from an obituary he wrote about his friend, the art historian and novelist Anita Brookner. She died in 2016. But it is a precise description of the fictional Finch from the eponymous novel. Finch is the lecturer on culture and civilisation on an adult-education course that Neil, the narrator, is taking. She expects dialogue with her students, telling them that collaboration is the best way to teach. She also says this: Be approximately satisfied with approximate happiness. The only thing in life which is clear and beyond doubt is unhappiness. It is the 1980s, and afterwards the class goes to the pub. Without their teacher. Elizabeth in a pub is unimaginable. Unimaginable or not, she is with them because she is the essential topic of conversation. We responded to her like kids back at school, notes Neil. Julian Barnes, appearing at the Sydney Writers Festival in 2016. What this diverse group see in their teacher is that same starry quality that touches us, if we are lucky, once in our lives. It is the glamour of knowledge delivered with certainty. So much for collaboration. Elizabeth Finch, romantic pessimist, does not suit everyone in the class, but for Neil she is the real, remarkable thing. Finally, he has arrived at the right place. Ghastly pun, but Neil does metaphorically kneel before his teacher. His humility is appealing. Neils life is not straightforward. Hes a trained actor, but after spending too much time being a waiter, he and his family move to the country and grow mushrooms for restaurants. Neils profession provides the best line in the book, from Elizabeth: Acting? The perfect example of artificiality producing authenticity. Elizabeth herself is always impeccably staged. While Zabuzhkos novel is set in sophisticated Cambridge, Massachusetts, everyday life in 1990s Kyiv is at the heart of Death and the Penguin (also 1996), one of the most popular books by Andrei Kurkov (b. 1961). Kurkov, born in Soviet Russia, grew up in Kyiv and has become the most influential Russian-language author of todays Ukraine. A living demonstration of the fact that an unequivocally Ukrainian identity is also possible through the Russian language, Kurkov is currently president of the Ukrainian PEN. Loading But none of these names has the evocative power of Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), the national poet par excellence and a symbol of the Ukrainian nation cherished by Ukrainians all over the world. Shevchenko shaped modern Ukrainian as a literary language able to function in different styles to deal with a variety of themes. His biography can be said to be symbolic of Ukraines own fate. Born a serf in a village in central Ukraine, Shevchenko was later taken to St Petersburg, where his artistic talent allowed him to become a free man and to study at the Academy of Arts. After several trips to Ukraine in the early 1840s, he joined a pro-democratic, anti-imperialist clandestine society also attended by other prominent Ukrainian intellectuals. Once the police found about the Brotherhood in 1847, Shevchenko was arrested and sent into exile for 10 years to remote parts of the Russian Empire. He returned to Petersburg in the late 1850s, where he died in 1861. His poetic work, available in English in several translations, including a recent volume by London-based publisher Glagoslav, is remarkable for both its emotional and rhetorical intensity, and its stylistic diversity. Yet, although abundant and multifaceted, Shevchenkos poetry has its cornerstone in its representation of and preoccupation with Ukraine. Torn between a mythically glorious past, a tragic present of colonial subordination and an uncertain future, Ukraine is one of the two fundaments of Shevchenkos poetic world, the other being the titanic poetic subjects self and his emotions. One of the most powerful examples of Shevchenkos writing is his 1844 revolutionary long poem The Dream with its Dante-inspired subtitle, A Comedy, in which the lyrical subject dreams of flying over the earth. His ability to fly gives him the chance to better see the reality of the Russian state, including Ukrainian soldiers who have forgotten their mother tongue and are now part of the repressive system of the empire. But the best part of the poem is the vivid representation of the Tsar and the Tsarina in all their grotesqueness and squalor. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Ed Sheeran won a significant legal battle in the British High Court this week when it accepted he had not plagiarised part of his song Shape Of You, and so would not be liable for potential copyright claims. The four-time Grammy winners 2017 hit song is Spotifys most streamed song ever and has received more than 5.6 billion views on YouTube. One of 12 tracks from Sheerans third album, Shape of You helped catapult the album to the top of charts around the world, and won the 2018 Grammy Award for best pop solo performance. Sheeran launched legal action to challenge a claim from Sami Chokri, aka Sami Switch, who argued the global pop stars song copied part of his 2015 song Oh Why. Putting the legal stoush behind him, Sheeran said he fought the allegations because claims like this are way too common now and there were only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music. Coincidence is bound to happen ... theres only 12 notes that are available, the 31-year-old said. So, what makes a pop song, and are coincidences bound to happen from time to time? And why are there 12 notes? Advertisement Album cover art featuring Madonna, 1983. Image altered. Credit: Where did pop music come from? Pop, pop, pop muzik. Pop, pop, pop muzik. So goes the 1979 earworm Pop Muzik by M, the Euro-pop project of English musician Robin Scott. There are any number of variations on the style and names for pop music, from Brit-pop to art-pop and swamp-pop, but it all originates from the same place. Rock n roll and folk music intersected with jazz and blues, giving rise to pop (popular) music and the dazzling array of pop stars over the years, from the Ronettes and Madonna to Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and South Koreas BTS. However, if it was the King of Pop Michael Jackson doing Beat It, the Supremes singing Baby Love or more recently Outkast getting down to Hey Ya!, theyve all been singing from the same pop songbook. Are there really only so many notes and very few chords available to musicians? Advertisement Well, yes. The 12 musical notes used in Western music are C, D, E, F, G, A and B, plus the five flats and equivalent sharps in between. Ed Sheeran is far from the first musician, and wont be the last, to find themselves defending claims of plagiarism. Australias Men At Work fought a long-running public battle against claims their hit song Down Under copied part of the childrens song Kookaburra Sits In the Old Gum Tree. More recently, Led Zeppelins Jimmy Page and Robert Plant successfully defended claims that Stairway To Heaven owed at least some of its success to Pages guitar riff sounding like the song Taurus, by US band Spirit. Take a listen to Led Zeppelins earlier song Travelling Riverside Blues then give Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song a spin. Did they rip off Led Zeppelin, borrow a riff or, as seems more likely, simply pay homage to a band that was influential on their development? Musician and host of Double Js Tower of Song program Henry Wagons agrees with Sheerans contention about the 12 notes in popular music creating reminders of songs that came before them, often unconsciously. When youre jamming in your first band, everyone plays 12-bar blues, and every song is kind of a version of that, Wagons says. Where the nuance lies is in the delivery, in the feeling and the emotional impact of the voice. Theres the 12 notes and every pop song is more or less a combination of that ... were not talking about a microtonal, acid jazz artist thats using some sort of wild chords. Advertisement Ed Sheerans songs are so universal ... its music thats designed to hit as many people as possible. Its calling on nostalgia and memory for melodies and patterns that have resonated before and will resonate again. K-Pop band BTS debuted at No.1 on the US music charts in April 2019, the first Korean band to do so. Credit:AP Has music, and pop music in particular, always been like this? Russian composer, pianist and conductor Igor Stravinsky once commented that the 12 notes in each octave and the variety of rhythm offer me opportunities that all human genius will never exhaust. Its this variety, or nuance as Henry Wagons refers to it, that in 1971 the same year Stravinsky died the pop world was celebrating the genius of Carole Kings I Feel the Earth Move, Marvin Gayes Whats Going On, The Whos Wont Get Fooled Again and Cat Stevens Peace Train. All unique in their own way, each of these songs relies on the same limited number of notes, crafted with their own distinct melody. Pop stars of today, such as Lorde, use their own filtering process and individuality and in doing so are quite distinct from an artist such as, say, Madonna, whos 1983 hit Holiday made her a worldwide pop sensation. Lordes hugely successful song Royals ushered in a new twist on pop, albeit with the same notes available to Madonna and Stravinsky. In any case, paying homage to a music master is a part of the tradition of songwriting. Advertisement Sometime before 8am on another soaking morning, Sydney recorded its average annual rainfall just a little more than three months into the year. This current deluge has added to a growing pool of evidence gathered by scientists showing that weather patterns are shifting as the climate warms, leaving Australias east coast generally hotter and dryer, at least until the rain sets in. CSIRO Climate Science Centre director Jaci Brown said while La Nina has been a major driver for the wet weather and added more energy to the system, climate change was also contributing. She said that for every degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold 7 per cent more moisture. Rain events are becoming more intense, heatwaves are becoming more common and there is less snow cover as climate change takes hold of Australia. Credit:Peter Rae Its not surprising that when the rain comes, there is more to it it is more intense, she said. Greater Sydneys average annual rainfall has actually decreased by 9 per cent in the past 30 years, according to 2019 data from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, driven particularly by drier periods in late winter and spring. Its a trend that climate scientists have observed across south-east Australia, where there has been a decline of around 12 per cent in rainfall during April to October since the late 1990s. Its rare for TikTok beauty trends to hold merit with dermatologists and aestheticians. Whether theyre ridiculous (#lubeprimer, #snailfacial) or dangerous (#diymoleremoval, filing teeth), most TikTok beauty hacks are quickly debunked by skincare professionals with the overwhelming exception of slugging. Most TikTok beauty hacks are quickly debunked by skincare professionals - but not slugging. Credit:iStock Slugging is a catchy term that means slathering your face with petroleum jelly as the last step of your evening skincare routine. The practice leaves your face as slimy as slug mucus (hence the name). Supposedly initially a K-Beauty trend, the term slugging appears to have first surfaced in the United States in a 2014 post in a Reddit subgroup. But it didnt go viral until Charlotte Palermino, a New York City-based licensed aesthetician and co-founder of skincare company Dieux, introduced the concept to her TikTok and Instagram followers in September 2020, telling them it had made her dry skin juicy. As of press time, the hashtag #slugging has 235.5 million views on TikTok. Petroleum jelly, which is also known as petrolatum and was first sold by Vaseline, is a white or yellowish semisolid substance made up of a mixture of complex hydrocarbons by dewaxing crude oil. According to Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, it is an occlusive ingredient: It forms a seal over the stratum corneum (outer layer of skin or skin barrier) to protect the skin from the environment while preventing water loss. The first cases of Deltacron and mixed Omicron coronavirus infections have been detected in NSW, although experts say there is no evidence these new strains will evade vaccines or cause more severe illness. Data from NSW Healths weekly COVID-19 report shows the state has recorded two so-called recombinant cases, including one Deltacron infection - a mix of the Delta and Omicron variants - and one person infected with a combination of Omicrons two sub-variants. Health authorities are monitoring for recombinant cases that occur when two separate strains of the virus merge into a new strain. The first cases of Deltacron and a mixed Omicron recombinant infection have been detected in NSW. Credit:AP Small numbers of combined variants have been detected overseas. In the UK, more than 600 cases of one recombinant, the XE strain - a mixture of Omicron sub-variants BA.1 and BA.2 - have been detected. First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on April 9, 1982 The XPT was a minute late into Dubbo yesterday on its first scheduled service - but it cut an hour and 54 minutes off the time conventional trains take for the 400 km run from Sydney. Mrs. Ada Quinnell of Lithgow pulls a ribbon to crack a bottle of champagne over the XPT before its first passenger run yesterday. Credit:Staff photographer The saving was four minutes better than the State Rail Authority had estimated during the publicity build-up to the trains introduction. As it sped like a ribbon of silver with amber-coloured mirrored windows, country people came out and waved. Schoolchildren lined the roads and council dignitaries met railway officials at the eight towns stopped on the way. Acts of protests require powerful to take notice In NSW Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Wards piece, I can feel the outrage about children unable to go to school due to the actions of the protesters. However, she remains quiet on the same children, and future generations, having to miss schools due to floods, fires and other consequences to climate change. If I scream at the television and protest at home, it will not reach the people in power. By their nature, protests will disrupt life, and the main question the Minister needs to ask is why are protests required to compel action on an obvious catastrophe facing humanity? Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy A law allowing the jailing of protesters for blocking a street would not be a surprise in Cambodia, but a similar law inspired by the delaying of a NSW Liberal minister on Spit Bridge is a very different matter. Norm Neill, Darlinghurst Dear Minister, do you know what else blocks roads? Floods and fires. Do you know why we are having more of them? Maybe you can get a law to stop them, too. Pam Newton, Dee Why There has been much angst about protesters blockading roads and rail lines from government, which has toughened up legislation, and human rights advocates who seem to think that protesters have rights and we, the people, have no rights (Why I got a law to stop protesters, April 7). There is no doubt that blockading a road, rail line or access to premises is a physical act of violence aimed at preventing people going about their lawful business and should be treated as such. The government must extend its legislation to cover all roads, rail lines and access to premises to curb these events. The police must act swiftly and must be absolved from any complaints when blockaders are removed. Unless these steps are taken, it is likely that members of the public will take their own steps to remove them which would probably be less than gentle. Much better if the government acts quickly and forcefully. Michael Lane, St Ives So the Minister was not impressed by climate protests? I wonder, had residents of the Northern Rivers brought a truck of the muddy, stinking remains of their homes and dumped it on the Harbour Bridge with a similar message would the Minister have cast the protests so easily as the selfish actions of a few? The NSW government has used these protests to drive a wedge within our communities, pitting the activists against the every person. Climate change impacts draw no such distinction and increasingly people have lived experience of the disruptions coming as the world warms. Laws cannot stop people protesting against the actions of governments that threaten entire lives and communities. Thinking they can misunderstands the social compact between government and the citizenry. Dont shoot the messenger. Justin Field, Member of NSW Legislative Council I find the bragging tone of the Minister quite disturbing. She makes no mention of why people were protesting our governments dire position when it comes to action on climate but only how she was inconvenienced on her way to work. When the UN secretary general says the truly dangerous radicals are the countries increasing productions in fossil fuels, I am wondering how inconvenienced the Minister and her constituents will be when climate change causes further unprecedented extreme weather events. Deanna Hayes, Hurlstone Park Disaster chiefs cant wash hands Nobody dropped the ball (Flood relief questioned, April 7)? Preparation and response were both inadequate. We would have greater confidence in our emergency services and disaster management agencies if their chiefs had already identified precisely where the deficiencies lay during the recent floods. It is their job to be properly briefed, as a matter of urgency, if rain gauges need fixing and more brought online, levees rebuilt and power restored. They cant settle for being defensive about forecasts failing to predict a rain bomb. If existing systems arent up to the job, authorities need to know. What is needed? What is the cost/benefit analysis, given the huge damages and relief bill now incurred? Whole communities cant afford to be caught unawares. Cash handouts look good but practical, material assistance might be of more immediate use. Whole communities might need a fundamental rethink, rather than just build back better. Margaret Johnston, Paddington Transparency lacking PM Morrison has placed a couple of conditions on his capitulation of the federal governments contributing to the Queensland governments plan to buy back or rebuild flood-affected homes (PM responds to Queenslands flood fund furore, smh.com.au, April 7). The irony of his conditions is that there must be transparency and reporting back to the public. This from the leader whose government has thrived on lack of transparency and failing to report back to the public. Sandra Burke, North Sydney Will the PM approve flood relief to the voters of Cook (Low-lying parts of Woronora, Bonnet Bay in Sydneys south told to evacuate now, smh.com.au, April 7)? Glenn Wood, Bardon (Qld) Selective caring It is nice, if rather surprising, that our government is concerned about our children vaping, almost as if they have a duty of care (Federal bid to stop children vaping, April 7). Of course, when it comes to the far greater threat to childrens health from the certain ravages of climate change, there is apparently no duty of care. John van Leeuwen, Northmead White supremacy remains The last quarter of the last century seem now like halcyon days. But as a people, we also came spoiled, rich and in many ways, ugly. It wasnt hard for Pauline Hanson and John Howard to scratch our tribal Anglo instinct to demonise other cultures who are also Australian (Letters, April 7). And Scott Morrison and Alex Hawkes project that far-right Christianity should dominate Parliament seems only an extension of that white hegemony. So as entertaining as it is to watch them destroy their own party with hubris and incompetence, the sad fact remains this notion of the inability of Muslim migrants to integrate is still a common trope in our Anglo-dominant culture. Muslims remain the other we need to demonise to assure ourselves of our supremacy. We dont just need a change of government; we need a huge cultural change. Shayne Chester, Potts Point Telstra titillates Its a pity Telstra couldnt also stop all the emails I get from Natasha or Svetlana promising unbridled passion and eternal love if only Id confirm my bank details, and use a small part of my African lottery winnings to help them deliver me a supply of blue pills and endowment-enhancing devices before I get arrested and sent to prison for tax evasion or welfare fraud (New Telstra filter blocks scam texts, April 7). Adrian Connelly, Springwood Aged care disaster The question that needs to be answered is what care do you receive when paying $214 per day, on top of the enormous amount paid to secure a place in the aged care facility (Letters, April 7)? When Anthony Albanese is promising that aged care residents will receive a higher standard of food if he is elected, one wonders where does the money go? Not in providing nutritious meals, Id say. It beggars belief that an election promise is better quality food for aged care residents. The same goes for the promise of registered nurses in aged care. Who is dispensing the medications? We had a royal commission, with many recommendations, none of which have been implemented, from what I can see. The government handed over aged care to the private sector and now we see the outcome of that. Rosemary Wolf, Mount Warrigal As another self-funded retiree, if I end up in an aged care facility, Id much rather have registered nurses on duty 24/7 and pay extra tax for the privilege than having enough left over for a funeral. My funeral will not be for my benefit, but having an RN on duty day and night will enable better care for me while Im still breathing. Jan Syme, Newington Taxes will not necessarily need to rise to pay for more nurses, as your correspondent suggests. We just have to rethink our priorities. Imagine how many nurses could be hired if we cancelled plans to spend $3.5 billion on army tanks that are unlikely to be used. Richard Tainsh, Potts Point Sharp-eyed Sleepy Indeed, Ron, your memory regarding teacher Sleepy MacKenzie is in total accordance with mine, but you have left out his other feat of ambidexterity: the ability to repurpose the chalk stub instantly into an effective long-range weapon against boys mucking up at the back of the class. His aim was pretty good, too (Letters, April 7). I bumped into him years later on a train, where he greeted me warmly by my first name, and I reckon he would have remembered us all. A wonderful teacher. Patrick Guest, Iluka Hes no faux Mo Below is my surname but invariably Morrison is used (Letters, April 7). I tell the miscreants it has but one r and two letter o. Then it comes back as Moorison or Morisoon, both versions with three o. I smirk in delight. Ian Morison, Forrest (ACT) Vale, Max Fischer It was with great sadness I read that Max Fischer had died (Letters, April 7). I love his letters, all of them. My son-in-law and I often discussed setting up a dinner party comprising Herald letter writers and who would be at the table. Max was always top of the list. Vale Max Fischer, and many condolences to John Corcoran. Gay OConnor, Manly Im really sorry to hear of the death of Max Fischer, who reliably wrote with intelligence and humour. Not too many left of us old-timers of the letters pages, and though Maxs views and mine seldom concurred, I didnt give a damn, I just enjoyed spotting his name and reading his opinions, and that I will miss. Rosemary OBrien, Ashfield Sorry to hear we have lost Max Fischer. Whenever I saw his name, I read him first. Clever, wise, compassionate and funny. A jewel of a human being. My heart goes out to John Corcoran. Jennifer Briggs, Kilaben Bay Vale, Max Fischer. I always looked forward to your sage contributions, especially on social justice matters. Peter Mahoney, Oatley One of the people who died in a helicopter crash near the NSW Snowy Mountains has been identified as former Barbeques Galore director Peter Woodland. Emergency services were called on Monday night following a request from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority rescue centre after the aircraft was last tracked in the area. Peter Woodland in a photo from 2002. Credit:Adam Hollingworth Mystery surrounds the final flight of the helicopter and its last hours are still being traced. The wreckage was found about 11.55pm on Monday, about 200 metres east of the Snowy Mountains Highway at Kiandra Flats. Black Sea fleet dispute Russia and Ukraine moved closer to the brink today in their dispute over the military assets left behind by the demise of the Soviet Union. President Boris Yeltsin, under pressure from an alliance of nationalists and former communists in the Russian parliament, signed a decree asserting that the Black Sea fleet belonged to Russia. Yesterday, President Leonid Kravchuk did the same for Ukraine. Tortoise ferries beat JetCat hares Just two weeks after a sad farewell, Manlys faithful old ferries are back on the night service. Last night they had to go to the rescue of their younger and faster rivals, the JetCats. The three high-speed JetCats were taken out of service late yesterday after a fire in one of the vessels engines, and are likely to be out of service for three weeks. The JetCats have been involved in six similar accidents in the past 16 months. Snack attack card A scheme where consumers can make purchases from snack-vending machines using prepaid Phonecards is being tested in Sydney and Melbourne. Telecom and Coca-Cola Amatil have launched the collaborative experiment, testing alternative uses for the existing Telecom Phonecard, such as the purchase of low-cost products from vending machines. A Telecom spokesman said five of the machines had been placed in each State. The crime was so unlikely in genteel Vaucluse that locals claimed it must have been an outsider who set fire to a controversial mobile phone tower at the corner of Cambridge and Derby streets last year. But police charged 50-year-old Derby Street resident Katherine Peterson in connection with three suspicious fires or attempted fires that engulfed her local telegraph pole since October. The pole that was subject to attacks in Vaucluse. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Its actually a Chinese box, Ms Peterson corrected Waverley Court magistrate Ross Hudson, when he described it as an Optus telegraph pole at her bail application on Thursday. The tower became the subject of several complaints in March last year, after Optus notified residents it planned to upgrade the infrastructure to 5G. A suspended NSW doctor accused of illegally hiding children he believed had been sexually abused is suing a senior Queensland magistrate who ordered him to stand trial. William Russell Pridgeon, 68, was a Grafton GP until his licence was suspended upon his arrest. He is also the founder of the Australian Anti-Paedophile Party, which ran Senate candidates in the 2016 federal election. William Russell Pridgeon leaving the NSW Supreme Court in May 2016. Credit:Peter Rae In October 2018, Mr Pridgeon was charged in an Australian Federal Police operation targeting a group that was allegedly assisting the abduction of children they suspected were being abused by a parent. Eight others were also charged. STEPHEN HANCOCK December 21, 1938-January 25, 2022 Stephen Hancock, who died of cancer at the age of 83, was a pioneer in the groundwater consulting industry in Australia. Steve was a formidable advocate for appropriate management of Australias precious groundwater and environmental resources and throughout his life he made an outstanding and sustainable contribution to the environment in Victoria. After beginning his professional life with the Victorian Mines Department, he established Australian Groundwater Consultants in 1969, prompted by the recognition of the importance of groundwater development during the prolonged drought in Victoria in that year and the proclamation by the state government of the Groundwater Act which he helped to draft. From the early 1980s he was involved in the development of state protection policies relating to landfill, groundwater protection and contaminated land, industrial waste and acid sulphate soils and helped develop several guidelines for auditors. Steve studied geology at Melbourne University and gained vacation employment as a field assistant at the Victorian Mines Department in the Geological Survey before graduating in 1960 and joining BHP where he worked for two years before joining the hydrogeology division of the Victorian Geological Survey in 1962. You wont hear anyone on either side of Victorian politics say it publicly, but a Labor win at the federal election would probably be good news for Matthew Guy and bad news for Daniel Andrews. Ever since the 2014 state election, the Andrews government has milked a huge amount of mileage out of having a foe to bounce off in Canberra. Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit:Wayne Taylor In State Parliament this week, a foreign observer might be forgiven for thinking the real opposition in Victoria was located 671 kilometres away in Canberra, not a few metres across the chamber. State minister after state minister went on the offensive against the Morrison government, with complaints about federal funding for health, roads, freight, multiculturalism, childcare, women, the regions, and the federal GST carve-up and federal infrastructure carve-up. Labor has put the seat of Higgins in Melbournes Liberal heartland on its list of winnable electorates for the second campaign in a row even though former leader Bill Shorten was accused of hubris for his decision to target the seat at the 2019 election. Liberal incumbent moderate Katie Allen concedes the unpopularity of Prime Minister Scott Morrison is likely to weigh against her in the wealthy electorate stretching from South Yarra in the west to Ashburton and Hughesdale in the east. The Liberal incumbent in Higgins, Katie Allen, concedes Scott Morrison is unpopular among her constituents. Credit:Simon Schluter Theyre not so happy with Scott, theres no doubt about that, Dr Allen said. Higgins was home to former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello, and was previously held by Liberal prime ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton. It has never been held by Labor, but Dr Allens margin slipped to just 3.9 per cent after a significant swing to Labor at the last election. Ms Andrews said the government was saving taxpayer funds by spending a billion dollars less per year on onshore detention compared to when it first came to office. Loading Refugees previously detained at the hotel celebrated the news of their friends release. Kurdish refugee Mostafa Moz Azimitabar, who was released from the Park Hotel in January 2021 after eight years detained by Australia, wrote on Twitter: These hotels should never again be used to detain us. Refugee Thanush Selvarasa, who was also released in January 2021 after spending time in detention in Papua New Guinea and Melbourne, said it was a victory not just for us but for all of those who fought for our freedom. My friends being released is great news, but this is the beginning, we need permanent protection visas, we cannot rebuild our life on a temporary visa, he said. The Park Hotel became the focus of international attention earlier this year when Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic was detained there before being deported. The men most of whom were previously detained at the Mantra hotel in Preston after being transferred from Nauru or Papua New Guinea have described maggot-infested food at the hotel and tinted bedroom windows that cannot open. The makeshift detention centre has been the site of COVID-19 outbreaks and fires broke out there in the last week of 2021, with detainees alleging they were evacuated while handcuffed. The Australian Human Rights Commission has repeatedly warned that prolonged detention in hotels was putting people at risk because the accommodation tended to be more restrictive than purpose-built facilities. Most of the detainees were brought to Australia under the former medevac laws, which allowed refugees and asylum seekers detained by Border Force offshore to be medically evacuated to Australia on the advice of a medical panel. Loading Medevac was repealed in December 2019 by the federal government with the support of Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who said she brokered a deal to secure a resettlement deal with New Zealand. Last month, Australia agreed to allow 450 refugees who attempted to arrive by boat to resettle in New Zealand. Maurice Blackburn lawyer Jennifer Kanis, who represents one of the people being released from Park Hotel, described the system as shambolic. She said authorities did not notify her that her client was being released, and on Thursday afternoon she was yet to be told what kind of visa he had been granted. In the past, whats happened is theyve been informed by one of the guards or someone at the hotel. They are not given any notice and it all happens very quickly, she said. Ms Kanis said those being released needed some certainty about their future after spending their young adulthood in detention. I am relieved and overjoyed for our clients and the people that have been released, but this isnt the end of it. Theres great uncertainty for these people, she said. The system is harsh, unfair, and arbitrary, it damages people beyond belief. What Ive learnt from my clients about the conditions in detention keeps me up at night. Therell be a reckoning in how Australia treated people who came to us for safety. Amnesty International Australia refugee adviser Graham Thom said the delay in releasing the men and ongoing detention of medevac refugees in centres around Australia was inexcusable. Loading Three months since the worlds media watched Novak Djokovic come and go from the Park Hotel, the refugees who were detained alongside him are finally free, he said. Sadly these men were unnecessarily detained for more than two years in hotels in Australia, following the years of trauma they suffered offshore. Property developer Ross Pelligra, the landlord of the Park Hotel, told The Age the hotels lease agreement with Australian Border Force was coming to an end and the owners planned to rebrand and refurbish the site as high-end accommodation. Pandemic-era private rental assistance measures had only modest outcomes, new research has found, after some landlords decided government help was not worthwhile. Eviction moratoriums were easily evaded by landlords, meaning tenants moved out if they could not pay rent. There was also significant underspending in most rent-relief schemes, a report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, released on Friday, uncovered. Crisis-era rent support had only modest outcomes, new research found. In the paper titled Australias COVID-19 pandemic housing policy responses, researchers praised the remarkable form of the emergency response for renters, including eviction bans, frameworks to negotiate discounts, and cash assistance, but said implementation was patchy. Academics also lauded other parts of Australias housing response, including banks very effective mortgage holidays that supported over 480,000 home loans and the swift introduction of income support through JobKeeper and increased JobSeeker payments. Washington: The United States may not be in the business of regime change right now. It can still help turn the political tide against Vladimir Putin in Russia. The key is piercing the Russian presidents iron curtain with the truth about the war in Ukraine. Its a hard target. But there are ways to do it, as the CIA began to discover 40 years ago, in a small, skillful and wildly successful covert operation in Poland. Back then, the Kremlin and its minions in Warsaw had imposed martial law to crush the burgeoning Solidarity movement. Solidarity started as a labor coalition, but it became an underground resistance organisation, its leaders in jail or in hiding. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden are facing off on Ukraine. This photos was taken during a meeting at the Villa la Grange in Geneva in June 2021. Credit:AP The CIA created a program code-named HELPFUL. It smuggled the tools of a free press into Solidaritys hands. At first it was paper, ink, printing presses, Xerox copiers and fax machines. Then it was equipment for clandestine radio stations, funded in part by the AFL-CIO, which worked in harmony with the CIA. Then came sophisticated technology that let the resistance break into state-run news programs with a banner proclaiming Solidarity Lives. This was about making it clear that being a voting member of the Human Rights Council is not consistent with Russias actions. Russias gross and systematic violations of human rights made a mockery of its membership. Loading Western officials said the high number of abstaining nations showed the extent of Moscows bullying. The Kremlin labelled the vote illegal and politically motivated. The Russian news agency RIA quoted the deputy Russian ambassador to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin, as saying the country had decided to give up its membership immediately. Russian troops have left behind dead civilians, crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid as it retreats promising to refocus its efforts in Ukraines east. Russia has now given the most sombre assessment so far of its invasion of Ukraine, describing the tragedy of mounting troop losses and the economic hit from sanctions, Reuters reported. Moscow has previously acknowledged its attack had not progressed as quickly as wished but on Thursday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov lamented the rising death toll. We have significant losses of troops, he told Sky News. Its a huge tragedy for us. Ukraines military general staff said on Friday that Russian forces were focused on capturing the besieged southern port of Mariupol, fighting near the eastern city of Izyum and breakthroughs by Ukrainian forces near Donetsk The civilian death toll in the port city of Mariupol has passed more than 5000, including 210 children, its mayor said as new claims emerged of other war crimes by Putins forces. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said a death toll of more than 5000 civilians included fatalities from the bombing of hospitals, including one where 50 people burnt to death. He said more than 90 per cent of his citys infrastructure was destroyed by Russian bombardments. On Friday AEST, Ukrainian officials reported another 118 air strikes on the city in the previous 24 hours. A completed resolution vote tally to affirm the suspension of the Russian Federation from the UN Human Rights Council. Credit:AP In the past week, images have emerged from the city of Bucha, a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, where hundreds of civilian bodies were found in the streets and in mass graves following Russias withdrawal from the area. The US-led resolution expressed grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. A two-thirds majority of voting members in the 193-member UN General Assembly in New York abstentions do not count was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member Geneva-based Human Rights Council. It was the third resolution adopted by the UN since Moscow invaded neighbouring Ukraine on February 24. The previous assembly resolutions denouncing Russia were adopted with 141 and 140 votes in favour. The breakdown of the vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. Prior to the vote, Ukrainian UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged countries to support the resolution. Bucha and dozens of other Ukrainian cities and villages, where thousands of peaceful residents have been killed, tortured, raped, abducted and robbed by the Russian Army, serve as an example of how dramatically far the Russian Federation has gone from its initial declarations in the human rights domain. That is why this case is unique and todays response is obvious and self-explanatory, he said. Members of the Ukrainian military stand by a destroyed vehicle in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 6. Credit:Getty Gennady Kuzmin, deputy Russian UN ambassador, called for countries to vote against the attempt by western countries and their allies to destroy the existing human rights architecture. Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council alongside the United Kingdom, China, France, and the US. The councils main responsibility is the maintenance of international peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Russia to also be removed from it. Loading No permanent member of the Security Council had ever had its membership revoked from any UN body before Thursdays vote. In an interview with Britains Sky News, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president was not worried about ending up in the International Criminal Court and that the Kremlin saw no possibility for that. He said that Russia did not support or recognise the court and we are not the only country in the world who are doing that. And we are interested in a really independent and objective investigation of all the crimes, he said. Separately, Zelensky warned the situation in the Ukrainian town of Borodyanka was significantly more dreadful than in nearby Bucha. The killing of civilians in Bucha have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes, increasing pressure for stricter sanctions against Russia. The US will send new weapon systems to Ukraine, Washingtons top diplomat said after NATO foreign ministers agreed to accelerate arms deliveries. Urged by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to end bureaucracy-driven delays, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States and 30 other countries were sending weapons to Ukraine; a process he said would intensify. Defence Minister Peter Dutton inspects one of the Bushmaster vehicles with Ukraines ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia Were not going to let anything stand in the way of getting Ukrainians what they need, and what we believe, to be effective, Blinken said. He spoke of new systems that have so far not been provided by NATO allies, but declined to go into details. Australia is sending special combat vehicles to Ukraine. Twenty army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, including two ambulance variants, following a request from Zelensky during his address to the Australian parliament on March 31. Mexico City: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his government would channel a quarter of its publicity budget into paying for health insurance and pensions for poorer journalists. The announcement, on Wednesday, Mexico time, came a day after a report by freedom of expression rights group Article 19 said violence against the media rose by 85 per cent in the first three years of Obradors administration in comparison to the same period under his predecessor. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexicos president. Credit:Bloomberg Obrador has had a fractious relationship with critical news outlets, accusing many of the biggest names in domestic and foreign media of siding with his conservative adversaries. In 2019, he announced a 50 per cent cut in government advertising spending. Shortly before Obrador promised to provide about 750 million pesos ($49 million) for journalists, he launched another broadside against a prominent reporter who has published a series of critical stories about him, questioning his wealth. The Lyrid meteor shower peaks in April and has been observed for more than 2,700 years. Here the Lyrid meteor shower is photographed on top of Hatu Peak, Shimla, India. The Lyrid meteor shower peaks in late April. While the shower is not as flashy as others during the year, the Lyrids have been known to have unusual peaks of activity. A typical shower displays between five and 20 meteors an hour at the peak, but some of the more spectacular shows have 100 or more meteors an hour. In 2022, the shower will pass by Earth around April 14-30, and the peak is expected to be on the night of April 22. Chinese astronomers recorded the shower as far back as 687 B.C., according to NASA. The source for the meteors is Comet Thatcher, which was discovered by amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher on its last closest approach to the solar system in 1861. The comet is expected to return in 2276. Related: Lyrid meteor shower 2022: When and how to see it Historical Lyrid meteor shower sightings The Lyrids have been chronicled in many cultures over the past 2,700 years. Chinese astronomers noted prominent displays in 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. Also, in 1136, a report from Korea chronicled the shower with the words "many stars flew from the northeast," according to Space.com's skywatching columnist Joe Rao. In 1803, residents of Richmond, Virginia, went outside late at night after a fire alarm. A report from that time noted that the meteors resembled rockets in the sky. "Shooting stars. This electrical [sic] phenomenon was observed on Wednesday morning last at Richmond and its vicinity, in a manner that alarmed many, and astonished every person that beheld it. From 1 until 3 in the morning, those starry meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets," wrote a journalist at the time, in an account republished on Space Weather. NASA stated that similarly, impressive shower sightings took place in 1922 in Greece, 1945 in Japan, and 1982 in the United States. The radiant of the Lyrid meteor shower is located near the Hercules-Lyra border. (Image credit: Future) Where are the Lyrids found? The Lyrids look like they're coming from Vega, a bright start in the constellation Lyra, which the meteor shower is named after. The "radiant" point is easy to spot in the summer sky because Vega is one of the brightest stars, making it visible even in spots with light pollution. The meteors, however, are best viewed under dark skies. Lyra's location: Right ascension: 19 hours Declination: 40 degrees Latitudes: Between 90 and -40 degrees NASA recommends that skywatchers go outside after Lyra rises (after 9 p.m. local time), and after moonset, to watch the show, which runs until dawn. Allow 30 minutes for eyes to adjust, and look away from the radiant, where longer and more spectacular meteors will be visible. Gazing at Lyra directly will show short meteors due to a phenomenon known as foreshortening. While the Lyrids are not the brightest ones out there, NASA said the meteors "are known for their luminous dust trains, which can be observable for several seconds." A typical meteor from that shower moves about 30 miles (49 kilometers) per second. Although the shower appears to come out of Lyra, the meteors are chunks that have sloughed off of Comet Thatcher. Related: How to photograph meteors and meteor showers Comets disintegrate as the sun's heat causes ice and other debris to break off from the core. This leaves a trail of rubble in space. In the case of Thatcher's path of debris, the Earth runs into it once a year and produces the sky show known as the Lyrid meteor shower. It's hard for astronomers to predict which years will produce more spectacular showers, the North American Meteor Network noted in a report from 1999. "The orbit determination relies heavily on photographic and radar results, which are seldom obtainable every year hence gaps in the data and our knowledge of the shower," the network wrote. "Studies of the years with higher Lyrid activity have found, however, that outbursts of fainter meteors occurred prior to the normal meteor maximum." Additional resources Explore the Lyrids in more detail with NASA Science. Read more about the Lyra constellation with this article from In-The-Sky.org. Learn about Comet Thatcher the source of the Lyrids with this NASA Science article. Bibliography Fisher, Willard J. "Records of the Lyrid meteor shower of 1803." Popular Astronomy 39 (1931): 256. Branham, Richard L. "Do comets C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) and C/1861 J1 (Great Comet) have a common origin?." Revista mexicana de astronomia y astrofisica 51.2 (2015): 245-251. Hajdukova, M., and L. Neslusan. "Modeling the meteoroid streams of comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), Lyrids." Planetary and Space Science 203 (2021): 105246. Zhilyaev, B. E., et al. "High-frequency photometric changes in meteor's wake of Lyrid shower." 22 International scientific conference Astronomical School of Young Scientists. 2020. LONDON and CULVER CITY, CaliforniaApril 7, 2022Amazon Studios today announced that Academy Award- and Emmy-winner Whoopi Goldberg has been cast as Bird Woman in the series adaptation of Anansi Boys, based on Neil Gaimans internationally beloved novel. The six-episode series stars Malachi Kirby in the leading roles of brothers Fat Charlie and Spider. Anansi Boys is set throughout contemporary London and follows an exciting cast of characters in an epic story that stretches from the UK to Florida, the Caribbean, and the mythical World Before Time. The series is currently filming in Scotland and will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.Anansi Boys follows Charlie Nancy (Malachi Kirby)sometimes known as Fat Charlie (it was his father's nickname for him; he's not fat)a young man who is used to being embarrassed by his estranged father. But when his father dies, Charlie discovers that he was Anansi: Trickster God of stories (played by Delroy Lindo). And he learns that he has a brother. Now that brother, Spider (also played by Kirby), is entering Charlies life, determined to make it more interestingbut making it a lot more dangerous instead.Whoopi Goldberg will take up the mantle of Bird Woman, God of Birds and one the shows key antagonists. She is the latest casting to be announced, along with a full pantheon of gods who make up the mythical World Before Timea place that isnt a place, where the animals who are gods still walk. A place of incredible beauty, magic, and danger.Whoopi Goldberg said: I have been a fan of this book for a very long time and when Neil Gaiman told me it was being brought to the screen, I did everything I could to be part of it to help make people aware of Anansi and all his magic.The cast of animal gods from the World Before Time includes:Whoopi Goldberg has been cast as Bird Woman. She's the embodiment of birds. Not just beautiful stately birds in flight. Anyone who's had a close encounter with a seagull knows that some birds are more dangerous than others, and Bird Woman is the most dangerous of them all. Long ago Anansi did her wrong. Now may be her chance to turn the tables.Hakeem Kae-Kazim has been cast as Tiger. He's still angry with Anansi for stealing the stories, for making fun of him, and for coming out on top. Tiger (its the name of any Big Cat in the Carribean) is a dangerous enemy to Anansi and all his bloodline.Emmanuel Ighodaro will play Lion. He's proud and noble and has no time for Anansi.Cecilia Noble has been cast as Elephant. She's old and wise, and hates Anansi.Ayanna Witter-Johnson will play Snake. She's beautiful and deadly and hates Anansi.Don Gilet will play Monkey. He's terrified of Anansi, keen on foodparticularly fruitand has the attention span of, well, a monkey...Co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer Neil Gaiman said: When I first conceived Anansi Boys, decades ago, I imagined Whoopi Goldberg as Bird Woman. I wasn't able to meet her until 2018, when she interviewed me with some of the Good Omens team at New York Comic Con. At which point she mentioned that she had just finished listening to Sir Lenny Henry's reading of Anansi Boys, and that it was one of her favourite books. Sometimes things feel planned and inevitable, and we are incredibly lucky. She's going to be scary.The World Before Time is just one of the locations being brought to life at FirstStage Studios in Leith, Scotland, with the help of a newly built LED volume stage. As well as the World Before Time, the studios are being transformed to create other key locations in the book including Brixton and Florida.In addition to Kirby and Lindo, previously announced cast includes Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn as Rosie Noah, Grace Saif as Detective Constable Daisy Day, Jason Watkins as Grahame Coats, Fiona Shaw as Maeve Livingstone, CCH Pounder as Mrs. Higgler, L. Scott Caldwell as Mrs. Dunwiddy, Joy Richardson as Mrs. Bustamonte, and Lachele Carl as Miss Noles.Gaiman, Henry, Douglas Mackinnon, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Hilary Bevan Jones (Endor Productions), and Richard Fee (RED Production Company) are executive producers. Gaiman and Henry write for the series along with Arvind Ethan David, Kara Smith, and Racheal Ofori. Gaiman and Mackinnon serve as co-showrunners. Culpepper (Star Trek: Picard, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey) also directs the pilot. Paul Frift serves as producer.The show is produced by Amazon Studios, The Blank Corporation, Endor Productions, and RED Production company. With this announcement, Amazon Studios continues its relationship with Gaiman, who has an overall deal with the studio. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BioXcel Therapeutics, a New Haven-based biotechnology company, has received federal Food and Drug Administration approval to bring its first drug to market, company officials said. The drug, which has the brand name Igalmi, will be launched in the United States by the end of June. It is for the treatment of acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I or II disorder. Igalmi comes in the form of a thin, film-like strip that dissolves quickly when placed anywhere in the lining of the mouth. Vimal Mehta, BioXcels chief executive officer, said Igalmi is the first new acute treatment for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder-associated agitation in nearly a decade. We believe it has significant market-changing potential, and we are excited to execute on our commercial launch plans, he said. In the pharmaceutical industry, drugs that yield annual sales of more that $1 billion are considered blockbusters. One example of a blockbuster drug is Eliquis, which was developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, to lower the risk of strokes and blood clots in people with an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation. During the first nine months of 2021, Eliquis produced $8.09 billion in sales. Mehta said Igalmi has the potential to achieve blockbuster status over time. It certainly has the potential to be huge, he said. In the year leading up to Wednesdays announcement, BioXcel has doubled the size of its workforce. The company now employs 100 people. An estimated 7.3 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, according to company officials. Dr. John Krystal, chairman of psychiatry department at Yale Universitys School of Medicine, said the FDA approval represents a milestone moment. In these episodes of extreme agitation, these individuals can hurt themselves or the people who are trying to help them, said Krystal, who was a strategic clinical adviser to BioXcel. This is designed to help them to regain self-control. Acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I or II disorder can quickly escalate to the point that a patient needs to be placed in physical restraints or in isolation, he said. That can discourage patients from seeking medical help or taking drugs that are prescribed to them, according to Krystal. Medications prescribed for this type of acute agitation can result in side effects that are quite unpleasant if high doses of the drugs have to be given, he said. These are some of the worst experiences people can have, Krystal said. One side effect is dystonia, a movement disorder in which muscles contract involuntarily, causing repetitive or twisting movements, he said. The side effect of another treatment mimics the shaking associated with Parkinsons disease. Its all very scary to patients, Krystal said. Ive had patients who are so frightened by dystonia that they no longer want to be treated. Paul Pescatello, senior counsel and executive director of the Connecticut Business & Industry Associations Growth Council, said the use of artificial intelligence is very cutting edge, but said its usage is still in a relatively early stage. Using AI allows companies to bring drugs to market more quickly and more cost effectively, according to Pescatello. The fact that a Connecticut company is at the forefront of this is very impressive, he said. Mehta said AI enabled BioExcel to move Igalmi through the drug research and development process to FDA approval in just five years. That is nearly half the amount of time it takes most drugs to make it through the approval process. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com Chris McGinnis OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A Los Angeles man pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight attendant, causing a California-based flight to be diverted to Oklahoma City, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday. Ariel James Pennington, 35, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when hes formally sentenced later this year, U.S. Attorney Robert Troester said in a statement. BEIJING, April 7 -- Recently, a training base under the PLA Naval Aviation University conducted a multi-subject, high-intensity and day-and-night flight training exercise for its J-15 carrier-borne fighter jets, in a bid to hone the combat skills of carrier-borne pilot cadets. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate States with some of the nations strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. The findings raise questions about the strength of the social safety net as those states are poised to further restrict or even ban abortion access following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in another state where the procedure remains widely available. Mississippi has the nation's largest share of children living in poverty and babies with low birth weights, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control, the latest available. Texas has the highest rate of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester and ranks second worst for the proportion of children in poverty who are uninsured, the data show. Laws from both states are at the center of the nationwide fight over access to abortion. The Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled willingness in a Mississippi case to severely erode or even strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide until a baby can survive outside the womb. Numerous states with Republican majorities are poised to follow the strictest interpretation of the ruling. If Roe is overturned, 26 states are certain or likely to quickly ban abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that supports abortion rights. Many of those states ranked poorly in measurements that nonpartisan advocacy groups consider key to ensuring children get a healthy start. Among them is Louisiana, which has the second-highest rate of babies with low birth weight and where 27% of children live in poverty. Anti-abortion lawmakers there say they will further promote adoption and foster-care programs if abortion is banned. We win the biggest battle if Roe v. Wade is overturned. But then theres still some battles that we must fight. And Im going to love a child in the womb, at 5 years old, at 10, at 15, said Louisiana state Sen. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat who opposes abortion and also wants to address health care and education needs. While some women could travel out of state for abortions, "there will be people who will be forced to carry their pregnancies to term simply because they will not be able to get to that care, said Destiny Lopez with the abortion-access group All* Above All. Data analyzed by the AP illustrates the hurdles pregnant women and their children face in states with the most stringent abortion restrictions and how access to resources can lag behind that of states that have more permissive abortion laws. The AP analyzed figures from several federal government agencies in seven categories metrics identified by several nonprofits and experts as essential to determining whether children get a healthy start. They were: the percentage of children in poverty; participation in the Women, Infants, Children federal assistance program; the rate of child abuse or neglect; women experiencing intimate partner violence during pregnancy; low birth weight; women receiving no prenatal care in their first trimester; and uninsured children in poverty. Generally, states with preemptive abortion bans or laws that greatly restrict abortion access showed the worst rankings. Alabama and Louisiana joined Mississippi as the top three states with the highest percentage of babies born with low birth weights. Texas, Indiana and Mississippi had the highest percentage of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester. Wyoming, Texas and Utah had the highest percentage of poor children 18 and younger who had no health insurance. Texas inserted itself into the nationwide debate over abortion last year with an unusual law that leaves enforcement of an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy to civilians rather than state or local authorities a law the Supreme Court largely left in place. A weaker safety net pattern isn't consistent for all measurements. Some Democratically controlled states with more permissive abortion laws also measured poorly in some categories. New Mexico, where Democrats last year overturned a pre-Roe abortion ban, ranks third highest for the share of its children living in poverty and for the percentage of pregnant women who experience violence from an intimate partner. It's also among states with the highest rates of abuse and neglect for children under 5, also called maltreatment. Delaware ranks fifth highest for the percentage of women who receive no early prenatal care and is among the states with the highest percentage of low birth weight babies. California is among the top five states between Oklahoma and Arkansas for the share of women and children on food stamps. Those states are generally outliers. Overwhelmingly, the data show far more challenges for children and their parents in states that have passed abortion restrictions. In response to APs findings, several conservative state lawmakers said women can give their newborns up for adoption and said they would support funding increases for foster-care programs. In Oklahoma, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, a Republican and longtime abortion opponent, said he would work to increase salaries for child-welfare workers and boost state money for foster parents who adopt, as well as send more public money to groups that offer alternatives to abortion. I have a 10-year history of trying to improve our rankings there, he said. So, yes, theres going to be a commitment there, but it wont be a new commitment. It will be a continuing effort on our part. Others in Oklahoma say the teen birthrate, fourth highest in the nation, would likely increase if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and a state trigger law banning most abortions takes effect. More than 10% of the 4,424 abortions in Oklahoma in 2019 were for women younger than 20, according to the most recent state health statistics. Kathy Harms, who had her first child at age 16, worked jobs in retail and fast food to support her family and said she sometimes had to choose between paying the electric or the gas bills. We have to juggle which one we can risk getting turned off, said Harms, executive director of Teen emPower, a teen-pregnancy-reduction group in Oklahoma. Its an endless cycle of stress and wondering if it is ever going to get better ... every aspect of life is more difficult for single mothers. Some lawmakers and anti-abortion activists have said they believe that outlawing or severely restricting abortion would lead people to change their sexual behavior. We think that a decision from the court could very well affect the way that people regard being a mother or a father ... that certain things might be done differently than they are now, said Tony Lauinger, chair of Oklahomans for Life. Others say that view isn't realistic and doesn't align with the reasons most women seek an abortion. Maleeha Aziz, an organizer for the Texas Equal Access Fund, had an abortion when she was 20 after birth control failed. She was a recent immigrant from Pakistan and a college student sharing a one-bedroom apartment who knew she couldnt afford to raise a child financially. Her broader experience also reflected the health risks inherent in many pregnancies. She had a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes persistent, extreme nausea and vomiting. I was a vegetable. I could not move, said Aziz, who later had a daughter. Pregnancy is not a joke. It is the hardest thing that a persons body will ever go through. She's now seeing panic and anxiety among people seeking abortions in Texas. I cant believe this is our reality, she said. Jazmin Arroyo, a 25-year-old old single mom in Kokomo, Indiana, had to stop working as a receptionist after her first child was born because she couldnt afford day care on top of rent, a car payment and other expenses. Indiana has the second-highest rate of women 18% who don't receive prenatal care during their first trimester and has among the highest percentages of children in poverty without insurance, more than 9%. Arroyo found a job as a restaurant host, but it didn't offer insurance and she was already starting to drown in bills when she had her second child, who has a heart defect that required special care. She now has thousands in unpaid medical bills. "I never could have imagined how hard it would end up being, she said. The reasons why people seek abortions are complex, but financial concerns are often a top factor, according to research from Diana Greene Foster, a professor of reproductive science at the University of California, San Francisco. Children born to women who were denied an abortion and carried the pregnancy to term are more likely to live in a household where there isn't enough money for basic living expenses, her work has found. When women can get abortions, the children they do have fare better. So there is a clear effect on poverty, but there is also an effect on child development, Greene Foster said. In states with strict abortion laws, performance on measurements such as access to health insurance for low-income people is linked in part to political realities: Leaders who have supported abortion restrictions for decades generally also have espoused small-government principles and opposed measures such as Medicaid expansion, said legal historian Mary Ziegler at Florida State Universitys law school. The pro-life movement has made its political bones by relying on the GOP, she said. The GOP has not been in favor of expanding the social safety net for young children and pregnant people, and the pro-life movement, which may have otherwise wanted to do that, is not willing to expend political capital on that because its priority is abortion, basically, and nothing beyond it. In Texas, state Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat who has unsuccessfully pushed to expand Medicaid to more low-income residents in the state, said he is heartened that lawmakers recently extended that coverage for new mothers and added guardrails to prevent eligible kids from losing health care. But he said much more needs to be done. I get tired of very important but relatively small measures like these two that are very specific acting as a substitute for an overall responsible state policy towards health care, Johnson said. Texas in 2005 created a program called Alternatives to Abortion. As with similar groups in other states, the program funds pregnancy counseling, adoption services and classes about life skills, budgeting and parenting. This social service network is really critical in our mind to right now supporting pregnant women and expecting families," said John Seago, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life. "But also as we look forward to potentially a post-Roe Texas, these are the types of social services that are going to be even more in demand. Most such groups, known generally as crisis pregnancy centers, are not licensed to provide medical care. While adoption can be an alternative, its expensive for adoptive families and has a fraught history in the U.S. marred at times by racism, said Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, an obstetrician-gynecologist who founded and serves as president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Children can end up lingering for years in the foster-care system, which is troubled in Texas. Carrying babies to term also presents health risks. In Texas, 20% of women dont get prenatal care in their first trimester, according to pregnancy-risk assessment data collected by the CDC in 2016, the most recent year for which data was available for the state. A lack of prenatal care increases the risk of the mother dying or delivering a baby with low birth weight. Black women bear the heaviest risk: They are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, said Oriaku Njoku, executive director of the group Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, which provides abortion and reproductive counseling in seven Southern states. Some lack insurance, others live in counties without OB-GYNs. Our folks deserve better, she said. ___ Lo is a former Associated Press data journalist. Also contributing were AP writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Casey Smith in Indianapolis; and Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and data journalist Linda Gorman in Boston. Former AP writers Iris Samuels in Helena, Montana, and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge. Louisiana, also contributed. ___ Fassett is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) of the Interior Ministry, State Secretary Raed Arafat, said on Thursday in central Brasov that he sees no reason for a possible integration of SMURD (Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication) into the Ministry of Health, a move that would only "weaken the system and spoil what has been built". "The integration of SMURD into the Health Ministry or the breaking of the way of working of the emergency system that exists at the moment, which is a mode integrated with the DSU and which has proved its efficiency - at least during the pandemic, the efficiency of a unitary coordination has been seen very clearly - and the return in time to a model in which everyone was in a different place only serves to glorify the system and spoil what has been built. We move on to an integrated model. With MS it collaborates, but the coordination is in one place. At an intervention, not only the Ambulance, the doctor go, the firefighters go too, and the SMURD, and the helicopter," said Dr. Raed Arafat, who was in Brasov on Thursday, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new building of UPU-SMURD (Emergency Reception Unit, UPU), Agerpres reports.He stressed that he sees no reason for this "rift.""This system, since we developed it in 2007, we have developed it to go together. (...) I don't see any reason now to break it, some at the Interior, others at the Health Ministry, and to spoil what has proven to be very effective," the DSU chief said.Social-Democratic Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said in a public debate on Thursday that SMURD should move from the Interior Ministry to the Health Ministry. The number of Ukrainian nationals who entered Romania on April 6 was 18 percent higher compared to the previous day, Agerpres reports. As many as 63,635 travelers of whom 8,894 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Wednesday (by 18 pct more compared to the previous day), with 5,317 Ukrainian nationals crossing into Romania at the border with Ukraine (by 23 pct more), and 1,955 entering the country at the border with Moldova (by 22 pct more), the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reports.As many as 641,276 Ukrainian nationals had entered Romania as of April 6 at 24:00 hrs since the start of the military conflict in the neighboring country, IGPF said. The Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, declared on Wednesday evening that PSD will give the prime minister in 2023, if Nicolae Ciuca will take over the National Liberal Party (PNL) leadership, Agerpres reports. "At this moment, with certainty, if Mr. Nicolae Ciuca becomes the leader of the National Liberal Party, with a hundred percent certainty, the position of prime minister, in May 2023, will fall with the Social Democratic Party. (...) And this is only natural (...) and at this point there is the decision for me to be the rotating prime minister," Marcel Ciolacu told private broadcaster Romania TV. The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) asked the courts, in 2021, to place Elena Udrea under judicial control, with a ban on leaving the country, but the judges of two courts denied the request. On Thursday, Elena Udrea was placed on a watch list by the Romanian Police, after she was not found at her home in Corbeanca. The police was supposed to pick her up from home to take her to the penitentiary, where she has to serve six years in prison in the "Gala Bute" case. Last year, the DNA prosecutors tried not to repeat the 2018 episode, when Udrea fled Romania so as not to be taken to prison, but judges of two courts refused to ban her from leaving the country. Thus, on March 5, 2021, the prosecutors asked the Bucharest Court of Appeal to place Elena Udrea under judicial control, with a ban on leaving the country, given that she had been sentenced two days before to 8 years in prison with execution for committing the crimes of incitement to bribery and money laundering in the case regarding the financing of Traian Basescu's electoral campaign in the 2009 presidential elections. "The defendant showed an intention to evade the trial. She said in her statements that justice is not independent and that the decision to condemn her was absurd and that someone else was pulling the strings, from behind the curtain. Also, the defendant already has a history. In 2018 he evaded another conviction and fled to Costa Rica, where she was arrested and subjected to extradition proceedings. (...) Considering this history, of course that we decided to keep the defendant at the disposal of the judicial entities. For she did not return to the country on her own will. She mentioned the Italian judicial system, because several people who were condemned in Romania fled there: Alina Bica, Dragos Savulescu, Daniel Dragomir, Marian Zlotea," the prosecutors argued in front of the judges. But the prosecutors' request got rejected by both the Bucharest Court of Appeal and the High Court of Cassation and Justice. At that time, Udrea gave assurances that she would not run away from Romania, claiming that she had a child in her care, but she cursed the judge who convicted her in the case of the funding of the campaign of Traian Basescu. "I curse her children to feel what my child feels (...) How can you give 8 years for this? Did I kill someone? If we sentence murderers and rapists to 5-7 years, how can we still sentence people to 8 years in prison for corruption? (...) Where else can I go? Italy has changed the law, it no longer considers the execution of punishments received in another country," Udrea stated in March 2021, Agerpres informs. The most important event dedicated to the Romanian creative industries, the Romanian Creative Week (RCW) running in Iasi May 20 through 30 has two major surprises in store - the Maelstrom and the SinCronia exhibitions, Agerpres reports. Accommodated in the inner courtyard of the Culture Palace, Maelstrom by artist Ioana Olahut is a one-off installation that invites the viewer to meditation, a work that speculates on the geometric design of the central element - a tree represented as a suite of combined parallelepipeds. Although doomed to decay, it continues to grow due to the initial vital momentum, the RCW organizers said in a press release.SinCronia brings together the works of 25 artists, building around the concept of synchronicity in Romanian society."Synchronicity, at least as far as the Romanian space is concerned, has become a desideratum of belonging to a certain cultural space. Especially in the current geopolitical context, where Iasi becomes the flagship city between the East - West tectonic plates, SinCronia aims to be a manifesto for freedom, for the total freedom and diversity of expression forms," says exhibition curator Marian Palie.Now in its second year, the Romanian Creative Week is organized by the Creative Industries Employers' Federation (FEPIC), the only nationally representative employers' federation operating in the Romanian creative industries sector. Founded in Iasi in 2011, FEPIC has so far organized over 50 actions to promote the Romanian creative industries nationally and internationally. The partners in the organization of this high-magnitude event in Iasi are the Palas Mall Complex, the Iasi City Hall and the Moldova Iasi National Museum Complex. Former Minister of Tourism Elena Udrea was apprehended in Bulgaria on Thursday and will be handed over to the Romanian authorities. "Following co-operation between the specialist departments of the Romanian Interior Ministry and the Bulgarian authorities, the woman, the subject of a warrant for serving a prison sentence, has been found in Bulgaria and she will be handed over to the Romanian authorities," according to the Romanian Police On Thursday, President Klaus Iohannis signed a decree decorating Monsauret Michel, a former educational co-operation attache with the French Embassy in Bucharest and coordinator of the French Alliances in Romania, Agerpres reports. According to the Presidential Administration, as a token of "high appreciation and gratitude for the important merits of supporting and developing French-language education, for sustaining educational ties between Romania and the French Republic, and for promoting the values of the Francophonie in the country" a Commander medal of Romania's National Order of Merit is awarded to Monsauret Michel, a former educational co-operation attache with the French Embassy in Bucharest and coordinator of the French Alliances in Romania (2017-2021). A formal meeting of NATO foreign ministers will take place in Bucharest on November 29 and 30, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced on Thursday on Twitter. ''Excellent news following the Allied Foreign Ministers' meeting today: Romania will host the NATO formal Foreign Ministers Meeting on 29-30 November, in Bucharest. I am looking forward to welcome our Allies in Romania, on the Eastern Flank, at the 1st NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Romania,'' the head of the Romanian diplomacy wrote on Twitter, Agerpres.ro informs. A new NATO strategic concept must explicitly state that Russia poses the main threat to the Alliance's security, Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Thursday, before the meeting of the foreign ministers from NATO member states, which is held in Brussels, Agerpres reports. "We need to reflect on strengthening the Eastern flank's posture of deterrence and defence, and not only, in the Alliance. We need to reflect clearly on the fact that collective defence is the key task of the Alliance. We also need to focus on more issues, such as strengthening the resilience of the allies and a new, innovative strategic agenda of relations with the Alliance's partners," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.He also spoke of the need for NATO to draft a new strategic concept "to correspond to the current reality.""I underscored, in this context, that the strategic concept must explicitly state that Russia is posing the main threat to the security of the Alliance right now," the Romanian minister said.Aurescu also underscored the need to create "as soon as possible" the NATO Battle Group in Romania, approved in the second half of March.He also emphasized on the need for humanitarian aid for Ukraine, adding that, in this context, Romania has provided support to about 700,000 Ukrainians who have taken refuge in Romania since the war started. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila declared on Thursday that the Ministry's drug pricing policy should be revised, pointing out that Romania's 20 drug manufacturers bring in 1.5 percent of GDP, Agerpres reports. "It is very clear that the current economic mechanism is not functional enough as to render the production of generic drugs attractive. Let us not forget that 1.5 percent of Romania's GDP comes from the 20 generic drug manufacturers that exist in our country. The Romanian state owns just one of them, all the others are privately-held, with Romanian and foreign shareholders - this doesn't matter after all. They operate in Romania and that's good, but obviously we must ensure the functioning of this industry that contributes a significant share of GDP. I believe the Health Ministry's pricing policy should be revised to a certain extent, because we are in a paradoxical situation. Seeking savings, we end up paying more money by this very simple mechanism: we keep cutting prices for certain drugs that disappear from the market and which are the cheapest, they are no longer distributed so that the next drug on the list comes into use, which is much more expensive. At the end of the day we pay more, instead of less money. It is clear that we need to find an adequate mechanism here," Rafila told the national conference 'Health Alert! How to Remove Barriers to Patients' Access to Medicines'.He pointed out that a quick solution must be found to allow the population's access to generic medicines. The Employers' Union of Industrial Medicines Producers in Romania (PRIMER) pointed out on Thursday that no health minister "crossed the doors" of privately owned medicine factories in the country, stating that they can produce any patent treatment in any form of presentation or concentration. PRIMER Executive Director Dragos Damian was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the organization, saying that the methodology for calculating the price of medicines must be changed "urgently" because dozens of cheap treatments are in danger of being removed from production. "Professor Alexandru Rafila is the first health minister who speaks publicly about the strategic role of the approximately 30 medicine factories in Romania. Probably, if it had not been for the pandemic and the war, the medical authorities wouldn't have considered this economic field even now. (...) No health minister has entered privately owned medicine factories in the country," Damian said, according to the PRIMER release. He argued that factories in the country could produce any medicine under the patent, in any form of presentation or concentration, if required, Agerpres.ro informs. "The factories in the country are inspected by the most prestigious authorities in the world and it is written 'Made in Romania' on medicines that reach patients from 90 countries. The country's factories employ 5,000 top specialists and the work equipment is state-of-the-art technology and digitization. The pharmaceutical industry in Romania is helping to create more than 60,000 horizontal and vertical jobs," said Damian. According to him, the Ministry of Health must "urgently" change the methodology for calculating drug prices. He said that these are the real measures that must be taken immediately so that patients have better access to medicines manufactured in Romania, and the health system to achieve savings. "PRIMER has been calling for the introduction of the above measures for many years, so that Romania has a pharmaceutical industry of the same size as those in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic or Slovenia, to give examples only from the east of the European Union," Dragos Damian recalled. Minister Alexandru Rafila stated on Thursday that the country's 20 medicine factories bring in 1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product and that the operation of this industry must be ensured, and the pricing policy should be "slightly revised" because the situation is "paradoxical" given that trying to save money ends up in spending more. The health of Romanians cannot and must not wait, it is a priority objective for the Government, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca conveyed in a message addressed on the occasion of the World Health Day, Agerpres reports. The Prime Minister added that it is very important for the next period to constantly adapt the health system to the needs of patients and to the latest standards of therapy and safety."Health is a major factor in the well-being of each of us, but it is also an important indicator of the development capacity of the society in which we live. This has been seen in the more than 2 years of pandemic, in which people around the world were affected by a virus that has killed millions of people, is totally unpredictable and has caused not only a global health crisis, but also an economic crisis, the effects of which will be felt for a long time to come. The pandemic seems to be coming to an end at the moment, and according to the World Health Organization's most likely scenario, the severity of COVID-19 will diminish over time. It has been a very difficult time, in which doctors and all health professionals, along with other professional categories, were often engaged, to the point exhaustion, for the health of each patient and for public health. Their efforts have contributed to a great extent to overcoming the 5 pandemic waves so far and I thank everyone for this," says Nicolae Ciuca.The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of adapting the health system to the latest standards of therapy and safety and said that caring for the environment was an important element for the health of the population.At the end of his message, the head of the Executive voiced his confidence in the doctors and staff of the Romanian health system, who save lives every day or restore people's health, that they will successfully continue their mission in the service of life and thank them for this. President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday, April 7, World Health Day, decorated doctors and nurses, telling them that that the experience gained in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the prevention measures, will help counteract new epidemiological risk scenarios. According to Iohannis, progress towards a healthy future of a "strong" and "solidary" Romania requires a strong healthcare system and well-trained healthcare workers ready to provide people with healthcare services regardless of context, Agerpres.ro informs. "We have overcome an unprecedented bleak period of pandemic, and I am confident that the experience we have gained in managing this dramatic health crisis, as well as the preventive measures we now have at our disposal, will help us counter any new epidemiological risk scenarios. For more than a month now, we have been facing a humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's military aggression on a sovereign state, a situation that will undoubtedly leave its imprint again on the healthcare systems of Ukraine's neighbouring countries and implicitly on our healthcare system. Crises are urgent and need to be addressed quickly, but we must not forget that we also have to deal with silent pandemics, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. They are realities that cannot be ignored, and your efforts as healthcare workers remain essential in reducing the impact of such conditions on the quality of life and social well-being," Iohannis told the decoration ceremony hosted by the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. He added that doctors and nurses contributed to the resilience of the Romanian healthcare system in the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. "You have sacrificed a lot, including your physical and emotional health, cared for your fellow human beings even more than for your own life, and you have shown us devotion, empathy, and passion far beyond the call of duty. You are always at the forefront of the fight for our health, for the Romanians, and for all those who ask for our help, irrespective of the kind of health threats. Your selflessness and solidarity are a source of inspiration to all of us. It is therefore appropriate to mark these efforts with gratitude and to honour those who, through their personal example, support the transformation of the healthcare system. That is why, on World Health Worker Week and World Health Day, I am keeping the tradition of honouring your professionalism and courage, as well as your dedication to protecting the lives and health of the Romanian people." Attending the ceremony were Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, head of the Emergency Management Department Raed Arafat, presidential advisers. Iohannis on Tuesday signed a decree for the decoration of 34 healthcare workers, as a sign of "appreciation and gratitude for the professionalism and dedication they showed in increasing the quality of healthcare, for the courage and solidarity shown on the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania." The President awarded knight medals of the Sanitary Merit Order to 32 doctors and class III medals of the Sanitary Merit Order to two nurses. The decorated doctors are: Aldea Ion, Aioanei Monica Dana, Ambrono Simona, Arbune Manuela, Banca Liliana, Birlutiu Victoria, Burghelea Daniela, Cambrea Simona Claudia, Carteleanu Doina-Lucia, Chilinciuc Ion, Chircov Elena, Cocu Simona, Dumitrescu Florentina, Florescu Simin-Aysel, Girbovan Elena Cristina, Grecu Ileana, Grecu Tatiana Paulina, Horhota Lucian, Leca Daniela Anicuta, Lupu Adina Lenus, Manea Luminita Diana, Manole Palivan, Corina Cecilia, Mihalache Lucia Dorina, Moldovan Anca Maria, Morosanu Vitalie, Musat Galiana Marina, Nane Ana, Piticas Ana-Maria, Rus Alina Rodica, Szederjesi Janos, Tomescu Dana Rodica, Tilea Brindusa. The two decorated nurses are Baginean Rodica Argentina and Somlea Daniela Cristina. The Raymonda performance by Alexander Glazunov, directed and choreographed by Maki Asami, will be presented for the first time on Saturday at the Bucharest National Opera House (ONB), Agerpres reports. "Raymonda ballet is one of the most important titles, a very difficult title, a title that few ballet companies can afford to address," Daniel Jinga, the acting general manager of ONB, told a press conference on Thursday.He specified that the mission of the Bucharest National Opera House was a difficult one this year, and the realization of the performance was a difficult one, under some very fast-track working conditions."I proposed this title primarily because it is a special title and (...) it is fully staged for the first time in the institution's history. A very difficult title, which requires a lot of virtuosity, technical interpretation, it is very rich for the ballet company. I have worked in an extraordinary manner with Mrs. Takako Nishikawa, who is a perfect professional, she came back from Japan to work with us, to put on the performance on stage. The title fascinated me due to the music, the choreography and the choreographic drawing, which is very special," said Alin Gheorghiu, artistic advisor.Ballet director Laura Blica Toader said that Raymonda is a performance that has been worked on intensively and with great dedication, adding that refugee artists from Ukraine have also been integrated into the show.First soloist Rin Okuno, who performed the role of Raymonda in the premiere on Saturday, confessed that she wanted this role since childhood."For me, Raymonda is a very special ballet. Since my childhood, my greatest desire has been to dance solos in Raymonda. (...) It is an honor for me to be able to dance Raymonda, an extremely famous show in Japan. This year marks the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Romania. I am very happy to be able to dance Raymonda at the National Opera in a Japanese choreography. (...) Raymonda is a beautiful ballet. The choreography, the costumes and the music are wonderful," said Rin Okuno.First soloist Robert Enache, who performed Jean de Brienne in Saturday's premiere, said he was impressed with the way he worked with Japanese rehearsal master Takako Nishikawa.Saturday's cast of Raymonda includes Rin Okuno, Robert Enache, Valentin Stoica, Erina Yoshie, Kana Arai, Sergiu Dan, Razvan Cacoveanu, Antonel Oprescu, Monica Petrica, Margaux Chesnais, Karen Saito, Aleandra Gavrilecu, Ionut Sergiu Dan, Amyra Badro, Stefano Nappo, Alexandra Plesis, Tomas Sanza, Julia Baro. As many as 1,984 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, by 336 less than on the previous day, on almost 27,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Thursday, Agerpres reports. Of the new cases, 211 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 - 595, and in the counties of Cluj - 179, Timis - 139, Ilfov - 115, and Iasi - 105.As of Thursday, 2,868,777 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.- Hospitalisations -As many as 2,153 people with COVID-19 are hospitalised at specialist care facilities across the country, by 137 less than the day before; 117 of this total are children.Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 280 are in ICUs - two children included, by 58 less compared to the previous day. Of the 280 ICU patients, 238 are unvaccinated for COVID-19.- Deaths -According to the Ministry, another 23 Romanians infected with SARS-CoV-2 - 15 men and 8 women - were reported dead in the last 24 hours, including one case previously unaccounted for.Out of the total 23 fatalities, 16 were unvaccinated. Of the deceased vaccinated patients, one was in the 60 - 69 age group, three in the 70 - 79 age group, and another three were above 80; they all suffered from underlying conditions.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65,170 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. Social Democratic Party (PSD) President Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that he supports sanctions against the Russian Federation, but will not agree with measures that affect Romanian employees, adding that the TMK Artrom plant in western Resita is facing severe problems generated by the "erroneous way" in which certain state authorities interpret the application of sanctions against Russian oligarchs, Agerpres reports. "PSD supports sanctions against the Russian Federation, but we will never agree with measures that affect Romanian employees, jobs and, in general, the national economy. After the situation at the factory in Slatina, it is the turn of the Resita factory of TMK Artrom to face severe problems generated by the erroneous way in which certain state authorities interpret the application of sanctions against the Russian oligarchs. I call again on the Interinstitutional Council responsible for the application of these measures to understand that the activity of the companies on which the lives of thousands of Romanian families depend must continue, the people must receive their salaries, and the families of these employees do not suffer," Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.He added that the purpose of the sanctions is that the money produced in Romania should not reach the Russian Federation, not leave thousands of Romanians without a job."It is unacceptable to allow companies to pay for old contracts, but not to be able to sell the goods produced in the last month! I hope that the Government will once again find the patience and determination to draw inspiration from the European solutions so that the application of the sanctions has as few negative consequences as possible on the employees and the national economy. This is the only logical way in which Romania must react," he said. Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMF) in Cluj-Napoca is the only higher education institution in medicine and pharmacy in Romania that is included in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 ranking, Agerpres reports. "Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca has been named one of the best universities in the world, according to the new edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. UMF Iuliu Hatieganu ranks 351-400 in Medicine, from the general field of Life Sciences and Medicine, being again this year the only academic institution with a medical profile in Romania included in this ranking," UMF Cluj-Napoca informs on Thursday in a press release.According to the cited source, QS Quacquarelli Symonds - an international think tank for higher education - published on Wednesday the twelfth edition of QS World University Rankings by Subject, a comparative analysis of the performance of 15,200 individual university programs from 1,543 universities in 88 countries around the world, in 51 academic disciplines. As many as 1,200 universities were evaluated for the drawing up of the ranking for the medicine discipline, and 671 of them were included in the ranking.UMF Iuliu Hatieganu is the only university in Romania ranked 351-400th, being followed by Babes-Bolyai University, 601-650th. (...) Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy is present in several important international rankings, dedicated to higher education institutions. Due to these results, the University of Cluj ranks 4th in the University Metaranking for 2021, carried out by the Ministry of Education, which classifies the best performing higher education institutions at a scientific level and with international visibility in the global rankings of universities," the release further reads. ST. LOUIS COUNTY Boeing held compensation for CEO David Calhoun flat last year as it worked to recover from huge losses in 2020. The vast majority of Calhouns $21 million in compensation was stock-related: $8 million in stock awards would vest in early 2024; another $8 million in options that will be worthless unless the planemakers stock price rises. Calhoun also received a $3.4 million performance bonus. Chicago-based Boeing credited Calhoun with overseeing significant progress on its efforts to return its 737 Max airliners to service after two of them crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing hundreds and prompting regulators to ground the planes for more than a year. The rest of Calhouns compensation included $1.4 million in base salary and $83,000 worth of personal flights on company planes. Calhouns compensation was approximately 169 times that of a median employees $124,844 salary, the company said. Leanne Caret, who oversees Boeings defense division, made $6.3 million in 2021, a 39% jump over the previous year driven mostly by an increase in stock options. Stanley Deal, who oversees Boeings commercial airplanes division, made $7.3 million. That represented a 33% increase over his 2020 compensation due mostly to an increased performance bonus and additional stock options. Boeing employs more than 15,000 people in the St. Louis region and assembles F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets in facilities north of St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS A former Monsanto employee was sentenced in federal court Thursday to 29 months in prison and fined $150,000 for stealing trade secrets and trying to take them to China. Haitao Xiang, 44, has been in jail since his arrest in 2019, meaning hes likely to be released soon. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey said the recommended sentencing guidelines of 10 to 16 months understated the seriousness of economic espionage. Xiang worked for Monsanto and a subsidiary, The Climate Corp., as a senior research engineer and an advanced imaging scientist from 2008 to June 2017. He knew that an online platform known as The Nutrient Optimizer used a proprietary algorithm to determine how to maximize crop growth for farmers but downloaded it onto his work laptop and then copied it to a micro SD card. He also knew the algorithm was a trade secret, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Drake said at Xiangs plea hearing. In 2016, Xiang, a Chinese citizen, was selected as a technical talent recruit in Chinas controversial Hundred Talent Program, a government-run program designed to advance Chinese industries. Xiang was stopped on the jetway before a one-way flight to China on June 10, 2017, by Customs and Border Patrol agents, who found the proprietary program on the SD card. Hed left Monsanto, certifying that he had not kept any company information, his plea says. Xiang was allowed to leave the country, and worked for both the Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing Institute of Soil Science and the Hundred Talent Program. Defense lawyer Vadim Alex Glozman said there was no evidence that Monsanto lost money or business. Glozman said Xiang returned to China to comply with the demands of his authoritarian father and never intended to harm Monsanto. Drake countered by saying Xiang was operating under a calculated plan to steal a trade secret for the benefit of China, during which he Googled evidence that can be used to accuse me. Xiang apologized, saying hed been living with guilt and shame since his arrest and had repeatedly repented. Xiang pleaded guilty in January to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit economic espionage. He also may be deported after his release from any prison sentence, but Glozman said China no longer wants him back. Monsanto was acquired by Bayer in 2018 and the Climate Corp. is now known as Climate LLC. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS Missouri medical marijuana dispensaries topped $30 million in monthly sales for the first time in March as the industry continued to pick up steam. That put overall sales for the 17-month-old program at nearly $300 million, more than a third of which has come since December. Officials at the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, an industry group, said the growth was driven by new dispensaries opening and lower prices prompted by the increased competition. Andrew Mullins, executive director of the association, called the sales data great news for shops and patients alike. The industry group said annual sales should easily top $300 million in 2022 and could go even higher. More than a dozen of the 203 dispensaries allowed under a plan voters approved in 2018 have yet to open. The group is also backing a plan to ask voters this fall to legalize recreation marijuana, which could double sales. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Serving their community goes beyond books and magazine loans for most libraries. Now, the St. Louis County Library is an award finalist for its service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The county library is among 30 finalists for the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, and it is the only institution in Missouri this year up for the award, the library said in a news release Thursday. Kristen Sorth, library director & CEO said: We are honored to be included among the nominees for this prestigious award. St. Louis County Library is incredibly proud of our work supporting the region during the pandemic. Together with our community partners, we have provided essential services such as meals, diapers, technology, tutoring, vaccines and rental assistance at our branches. We make it a priority to remove barriers and increase access to library services throughout our region. Libraries move people forward wherever they are in life. The institute says that "since 1996, the award has honored 176 institutions that demonstrated extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service." It describes the medal as the "nations highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities." Last year, six institutions received the medal. So many museums, so many libraries have done such good work over the last two very difficult years. We are proud to present the 30 finalists for the IMLS National Medal, IMLS director Crosby Kemper said in a news release. Their work is emblematic of the response of the library and museum worlds to simultaneously fulfilling their mission and serving their communities. To celebrate this honor, IMLS is encouraging St. Louis County Librarys community members to share stories, memories, pictures and videos on social media using the #ShareYourStory and #IMLSmedals hashtags, and engage with IMLS on Facebook and Twitter. National medal winners will be announced in early June. The library's news release said: "Throughout the pandemic, St. Louis County Library worked with a variety of community partners to provide critical resources to the region. Efforts included using branch parking lots to distribute over 2 million drive-thru meals with Operation Food Search, providing emergency diapers and period supply kits from the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, and issuing thousands of Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots to area students to assist with virtual learning, as well as providing GrandPad tablets to help older adults access technology and stay connected through the Digital Equity Initiative. SLCL teamed up with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to offer free masks, COVID-19 testing, and weekly vaccine clinics at multiple branches. Additionally, St. Louis County Library partnered with several justice-involved organizations to provide a Tap In Center at the Florissant Valley Branch for individuals to receive legal assistance and connect with local support services during the COVID-19 pandemic." Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Everything Everywhere All at Once is your standard multiverse martial arts movie about filing your taxes and midlife regret in which googly eyes, everything bagels and fanny packs play vital supporting roles and portals to parallel existences are opened not with a spell but with sex toys and paper cuts. The movie is by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaking duo known as the Daniels, whose first film, the buddy movie Swiss Army Man, co-starred Daniel Radcliffe as a very flatulent corpse. Everything Everywhere All at Once, though, is more ambitious. Its possible that the distance has never before been so great between a movies mundane storyline in this case, a Chinese immigrant laundromat owner trying to file her taxes and what extreme shape it takes. Rarely has a trip to the IRS yielded such cosmic, metaphysical digressions as it does in Everything Everywhere at Once, an antic, anarchic and yet affecting movie with the spin cycle set to supercollider. The universe is so much bigger than you realize, says Joy (Stephanie Hsu), daughter of Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), at one point in the film. And though Everything Everywhere All at Once (a movie that very much lives up to its title) can verge on overload, its this liberating sense of limitless possibility that the movie leaves you filled with, both in its freewheeling, anything-goes playfulness and in its surprisingly tender portrait of existential despair. Quite an accomplishment for a film that hinges on properly formatted tax receipts. In the movies chaotic first moments, Evelyn is balancing piles of paperwork in the apartment she shares with her kind but naive husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, the actor famous for playing as a kid Short Round in Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies), ahead of an impending visit from her disapproving father (James Hong, now 93 but no less animated), while attending to the needs of customers in the laundromat downstairs. At the same time, Joy is introducing her girlfriend, a label that Evelyn doesnt want her father to hear. Their fraught relationship is even clearer when Evelyn chases down Joy in the parking lot for what seems intended to be a warmer exchange. Instead, she blurts out that Joy needs to eat less. The dissatisfaction, we immediately grasp, is really Evelyns own. Divorce papers are circulating. Yeoh, extraordinary here, plays Evelyn as frustrated and disoriented, bitter that her life has turned out to be a circle of laundry and taxes. Something has gone terribly wrong. When she, Waymond and her dad go to visit the IRS auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), their humdrum reality starts to cleave in ways that will scrutinize the choices Evelyn has made leading to this scattered moment. There at the IRS, while Evelyn is half-listening to how she might lose her business, a metaverse intrudes. A more capable version of Waymond hailing from another dimension (the alpha verse) takes her aside to warn of a new evil that is tearing through the many levels of existence that, he explains, were all created by each decision Evelyn has ever made. Spider-Man fused planes of roughly similar superhero realms, but Evelyns multiverse is an infinite matrix of what might have been. Its possible that Im making Everything Everywhere All at Once sound clearer than it actually comes across. These things get explained, but the pace is never not hectic. And while most science-fiction films belabor the rules that govern such splintered worlds, the Daniels film simply takes whats at hand to make its verse-jumping. Its an absurdist Charlie Kaufman-esque series of worlds that connect Evelyn with other versions of how her life might have turned out, for example, if she didnt marry Waymond. In one, Evelyn is a famous movie star essentially Yeoh, herself with footage from her actual Crazy Rich Asians premieres. In another, silkily styled after Wong Kar-Wais In the Mood for Love, she and Waymond encounter each other later in life. But plenty of the alternate realities are gleefully ridiculous. In one, people evolve with hot dogs for fingers, leaving them to play Chopin with their feet. Another is a wild riff on Ratatouille, only, thanks to Evelyns mispronunciation, its with a racoon for a tiny chef. As boundless as Everything Everywhere All at Once is, its a fairly claustrophobic movie the multiverses mostly collide in Evelyns present reality. No matter what timeline its flittering through, its really set within the psychology of Evelyn and Joy. Its a proxy version of the daughter thats causing all the trouble in the various universes. And as absurd as things get, the movie is impressively focused on working out the deep-seated pains and pangs of insignificance that are fueling all the havoc. The performances, somehow, are grounded throughout. Theres not a weak link in the cast, but its a special joy to see and hear Quan again. His abiding sweetness may be the movies deepest reservoir of feeling. The frantically edited filmmaking isnt always polished, but its not always meant to be, either. There are echoes of movies like Kung Fu Hustle, and the chaotic irreverence shares some DNA with the same plate-spinning movies of Phil Lord and Chris Miller. But Everything Everywhere All at Once, about one woman struggling to make sense of her small and disordered life, is emphatically its own thing. Next to grander and glossier metaverses, and more tidily sensible movies, Everything Everywhere stands as an antidote to algorithm. Its a preposterous and tasteless ode to the messy, nonsensical struggle and bliss of being human. In theaters April 8. What Everything Everywhere All at Once 3 stars out of four Run time 2:19 Rating R for some violence, sexual material and language Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Once upon a time, if Hollywood told the story of your life, it was because you did something inspiring: ending British rule in India; writing one of the greatest nonfiction works of the 20th century; being, like, really good at math. Now, all it takes is being a big-time scammer. Or, failing that, running your company into the ground in spectacular fashion while screwing over your investors and employees. TV is awash in stories of people faking it until they (almost) make it. In the past two months alone, weve gotten The Dropout, a Hulu limited series about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes; Super Pumped, a Showtime drama about the rise of Uber and the fall of its former CEO, Travis Kalanick; WeCrashed, for Apple TV+, which tells the story of WeWork and its co-founder Adam Neumann; Inventing Anna, a Shonda Rhimes-produced Netflix series about Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, the con artist who posed as a German heiress and allegedly defrauded some of New Yorks most powerful financial institutions; and The Tinder Swindler, a Netflix docuseries following an Israeli con man who fleeced women he met online by pretending to be a diamond mogul. The trend has been building for years. (Remember the competing documentaries about the Fyre Festival back in 2019?) But it reached what will hopefully be its apex with the arrival last month of Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives., a four-episode Netflix docuseries about Sarma Melngailis, a Wharton graduate who started an upscale raw vegan restaurant and celebrity hot spot in Manhattan but ultimately went to jail for stealing from her employees and defrauding investors. Dubbed the vegan Bernie Madoff by the tabloid press, Melngailis claimed she was in a coercive relationship with her husband, a serial con artist named Anthony Strangis, who said he was a black ops agent and pressured her to give him millions of dollars that he blew on gambling while promising to make her beloved dog live forever. Theres an obvious, undeniable draw to stories about such bold deception and chicanery; its a bonus when they involve gullible celebrities, a bit of wellness woo-woo and a stunning blond woman, like Bad Vegan does. Stories about individual scammers are a lot easier to digest, and to tell, than examinations of broader, systemic injustice. The downfall of people like Sorokin, Holmes or Neumann also allows us to believe that there is some accountability in late-stage capitalism (never mind that Neumann still has an estimated worth of a billion or so dollars, thanks to a generous exit package, and is back in the real estate game). The problem is that Hollywood has turned scam stories into another form of empty IP fodder to help feed its seemingly insatiable demand for content. Ironically, the lust for scammer stories has fueled a kind of pyramid scheme of its own, one in which streaming services gobble up long-form articles and podcasts and turn them into documentaries and glossy limited series in hopes of attracting new subscribers, winning some awards and starting the process all over again. Its probably no surprise that Netflix already has a scripted version of The Tinder Swindler in the works. Occasionally, the formula is successful. The Dropout is hardly the first crack at the Theranos saga weve already gotten John Carreyrous bestselling book, a popular ABC News podcast and an Alex Gibney documentary, and we will supposedly get a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence someday but it is nevertheless quite gripping, managing to humanize Holmes (played with wild-eyed commitment by Amanda Seyfried) without letting her off the hook for recklessly endangering peoples lives and trading on the understandable desire to see a young woman succeed in tech. But increasingly, these scammer shows are useless but expensive clutter, like so many unsold LuLaRoe leggings stuffed into boxes in a suburban garage. Too many fail to answer the essential question: Why spend four, six, even 10 hours watching the story on TV when you could just read the article on which its based in 30 minutes? Despite its unwieldy length, for instance, Inventing Anna evinces little interest in Delvey or what makes her tick, spending much of its running time focused on Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky), the journalist investigating the story. (She is based on Jessica Pressler, who wrote a very enjoyable cover story about Delvey for New York magazine.) It plays like an extended, high-camp, ripped-from-the-headlines episode of Law & Order, with Chlumsky playing the role of detective. If you watch many of these shows in quick succession, as I did, you will begin to connect the players in an extended scam multiverse, noting that Delvey crashes on a couch belonging to Billy McFarland, the guy behind the disastrous Fyre Festival, and hangs with Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli. You will notice the same character actors popping up in supporting roles. (Hello, Anthony Edwards and Kate Burton!) And if youre up to date on your celebrity gossip, you may even start to connect the actors in these shows to real-world scandals like The Dropout star William H. Macy, whose wife, Felicity Huffman, spent 11 days in jail for her involvement in the college admissions scandal that was made into what else? a Netflix docuseries. Or Anne Hathaway, who plays Neumanns wife, Rebekah, in WeCrashed and whose ex-boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri, went to jail for bilking investors by posing as the chief financial officer of the Vatican. Bad Vegan is initially promising, if only because the details of the saga will leave you asking, WTF? At the height its popularity, Alec Baldwin was a regular at Melngailis restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, and sometimes tweeted about going there just to stare at her. (He had a bit of a crush on Sarma, says journalist Allen Salkin, who has written about the case for Vanity Fair.) Through the actors Twitter feed, Melngailis met Strangis and started a virtual flirtation, which eventually led to an in-person meeting and marriage. (Baldwin ultimately met his wife, Hilaria, who perpetrated something of a hoax by allowing people to believe she was Spanish, at Pure Food and Wine.) At four hours, though, the series is far too long for a story that goes to great if ultimately unimpressive lengths to justify its existence in visual form. To flesh out the series, director Chris Smith uses stylized reenactments of people with obscured faces, endless drone footage of the Manhattan skyline, shots of Melngailis walking her (still-living) dog through the city streets and grainy screenshots of text messages. All this for a case that can be summarized in a single sentence: Seemingly smart young woman gets in over her head financially, falls for the wrong guy online, gives him all her money, goes on the run and gets arrested at a hotel near Dollywood. The series offers little psychological insight into Melngailis, who remains a cipher by its conclusion. Indeed, Smith may specialize in scams, hoaxes and fiascoes (he made Fyre, Tiger King and Operation Varsity Blues, about the college admissions scandal), but he seems more interested in the how of these situations than the why. Smith clearly wants us to have sympathy for Melngailis, for instance, who implies in the series, but does not explicitly state, that she was sexually coerced by Strangis. But he doesnt bother corroborating these allegations or considering what led Melngailis into a relationship with someone who was a walking red flag. Bad Vegan offers some hasty comparisons to Patty Hearst and criticizes the media for weaponizing Melngailis plant-based lifestyle against her by, for instance, running with the deliciously ironic but inaccurate claim that she was arrested because she charged a Dominos pizza to her credit card. But it doesnt offer much substance: to invoke a food metaphor, its mostly filler, a veritable buffet of pink slime. Still, Im guessing an announcement about a scripted version of Bad Vegan is right around the corner. Pure Food and Wine may be shuttered, but something needs to feed the streaming beast. A video released Thursday shows a trooper pleading for a Madison County man to drop his weapon before that man is shot by police near the town of Pana. NEW DELHI (AP) India on Thursday said it would ramp up its production of military equipment, including helicopters, tank engines, missiles and airborne early warning systems, to offset any potential shortfall from its main supplier Russia. India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, and the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies. Defense Ministry officials say India, with the worlds second-largest army, fourth-largest air force and seventh-largest navy, cant sustain itself through imports. "Our objective is to develop India as a defense manufacturing hub, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday while releasing a list of military equipment that will be produced domestically and no longer imported. The ministrys website said military orders worth 2,100 billion rupees ($28 billion) are likely to be placed with domestic state-run and private defense manufacturers in the next five years. Former Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda said that during a visit to India last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin the two sides decided to shift some manufacturing to India to meet its requirements. Imports of helicopters, corvettes, tank engines, missiles and airborne early warning systems will eventually be halted. "The requirements of the Russian military itself, with the kind of losses that it is suffering, may mean some of those spares that we need will probably get diverted, said Hooda, a retired Indian army general. To meet its short-term requirements India may consider purchases from former Soviet republics and Warsaw pact countries, the ministry officials said. Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine could help India with spare supplies for Russian fighter aircraft Sukhois and MiG-29s and with upgrading tanks and armored vehicles as they have similar Soviet-origin platforms and spares, said a ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to talk to reporters. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told his British counterpart Liz Truss during her visit to India last week that there is now an emphasis on made in India and that "the more collaborative we are, the possibilities of working together are more. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen Indo-British defense ties, apparently to reduce Indias strategic dependence on Russia. Indias Defense Ministry has so far identified a positive indigenization list of more than 300 items with a timeline for banning imports to help local manufacturers meet the requirements of the armed forces in the coming years. Indias air force has more than 410 Soviet and Russian fighters with a mix of imported and license-built platforms, including Su30s, MiG-21s and MiG 29s. All require Russian spares and components. India also has Russian submarines, tanks, helicopters, submarines, frigates and missiles. Sanctions on Moscow could jeopardize Indias recent $375 million BrahMos cruise missile export order from the Philippines. Russias NPO Mashinostroyenia, which formed a joint venture with Indias government-run Defense Research and Development Organization to design, upgrade and manufacture BrahMos, is responsible for providing the missile system's engines and seekers. Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst, said India is awaiting deliveries of Russian missile systems, frigates, an Akula-class nuclear-powered submarine and assault rifles. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is pushing for greater self-reliance, but India lacks a strong industrial base for military equipment. The process of shifting manufacturing of spare parts to India has begun, but Hooda said it was unclear if it could quickly make up for any shortfalls of supplies. "I would say if you really want to see significant progress it will take at least five years, he said. Indias Defense Ministry has also signed nearly 60 offset contracts worth over $13 billion by 2027 for purchases of fighter aircraft and weapons from the United States, France, Russia and Israel. The deals require 30-50% of the contract value to be returned to India as offsets or re-investments. An offset involves an obligation by a foreign supplier to buy a certain amount of goods from the importing country as part of the contract. India's government wants part of that money to benefit its defense industry or to allow the country to gain in terms of technology. It involves setting up joint ventures with Indian companies to manufacture defense equipment. The government announced in the 2022-23 budget that 68% of all capital defense procurement would be for indigenous manufacturers. Meanwhile, bilateral defense trade with the U.S. increased from near zero in 2008 to $15 billion in 2019. Major Indian purchases from the United States included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones. In 2020, India announced that foreign companies can invest up to 74% in its defense manufacturing units, up from 49%, without any government approval. The aim is to attract foreign companies with advanced technologies to set up factories in India in collaboration with local companies. India fully opened its defense sector, previously confined to state-run companies, to the private sector in 2001. However, only 110 of the 330 private companies with industrial licenses for such manufacturing have begun production, according to the Defense Ministry. Starting from scratch, India's state-run Defense Research and Development Organization began trying to develop advanced defense technologies in 1958. It has worked on short-range and long-range Agni and Prithvi missiles, Tejas light combat aircraft, tanks, multi-barrel rocket launchers, air defense systems and a wide range of radars and electronic warfare systems. The Defense Ministry earmarked 10 billion rupees ($135 million) for procurement from startups in 2020-2021. The government has established two defense Industrial Corridors, in northern Uttar Pradesh and southern Tamil Nadu state, with investments of 200 billion rupees crores ($2.7 billion) by 2024 by state-run and private sector companies. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and would work at home while following isolation protocols. In a series of messages posted to Twitter, Bowser said she took an at-home test Wednesday after developing cold-like symptoms. She later confirmed those positive results with a PCR test, which is more precise. Bowser, 49, was elected Mayor in 2014 and will be running for a third term later this year. Her older sister Mercia died of COVID-19 complications in February 2021 at the age of 64. Bowser's positive test comes amid a mini-outbreak in high-level Washington political circles following Saturday night's Gridiron Club dinner. More than a dozen guests who attended the A-list event including two Cabinet members, journalists and multiple members of Congress have tested positive this week. Bowser's office said she did not attend the Gridiron event. Virus metrics in Washington have crept up in the past month according to the city health department. The weekly case rate per 100,000 residents climbed from 51 at the beginning of March to 110 at the end of March. But that's still far below the weekly case rate of 865 per 100,000 residents reported in the second week of January during the omicron variant surge, Bowser has lifted most of the District's COVID restrictions, including mask and vaccine mandates in most indoor spaces. Her last public event was a Tuesday evening conference sponsored by Axios. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A lawyer for Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb urged the state Supreme Court on Thursday to decide the constitutionality of increased power state legislators gave themselves to intervene during public health emergencies, arguing that the states residents could face great uncertainty in a time of distress. The states highest court heard arguments in the lawsuit that Holcomb filed last year against the Republican-dominated Legislature over a law giving legislative leaders authority to call the General Assembly into what it calls an emergency session when the governor has declared a statewide emergency. The Republican governor contends that violates a state constitutional provision that says only the governor can call the Legislature back following its annual sessions that begin in early January and adjourn by the end of April.. Richard Blaiklock, one of the private lawyers representing Holcomb, asked the justices to reject arguments from the state attorney generals office that the governor doesnt have the right to challenge the law in court. Blaiklock said the court shouldnt leave hanging a potential legal dispute over whether differing actions by the governor or Legislature would prevail during a future emergency. We are talking about public health and safety, Blaiklock said. A Marion County judge upheld the law in October, ruling that the constitution gives the General Assembly the authority to determine when and for how long it will meet. State Solicitor General Tom Fisher, who represented the Legislature, argued the law does not limit the governors authority to call a special session and that since the new law hasnt been used the Supreme Court has nothing to decide. There is an abstract question about the constitutionality, Fisher said. Thats not the role of courts to decide abstract questions, its to resolve real legal disputes. The Supreme Court has no deadline in releasing a decision on the case. Legislators advanced the law last year following criticism from conservatives over the statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions that Holcomb imposed by executive order. Holcomb ended the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency declaration early last month nearly two years after he first issued it once lawmakers approved administrative steps protecting enhanced federal funding for Medicaid and food assistance. Holcomb had ended any statewide mask mandates or business restrictions in spring 2021. Republican legislative leaders have maintained that the emergency session measure wasnt anti-governor and praised Holcombs handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which health officials say has killed some 23,000 people in the state since March 2020. The Supreme Court justices questioned the attorneys on Thursday about their interpretations of the state constitution language stating The length and frequency of the sessions of the General Assembly shall be fixed by law and whether that authority could be delegated to legislative leaders for the calling of meetings to debate and adopt laws at their discretion. Blaiklock argued that legislators chose not to specifically give the General Assembly the power to call itself into special session when drafting a constitutional amendment approved in a 1970 statewide referendum that allowed the Legislature to have annual sessions rather than every other year. Blaiklock said if lawmakers now want the power to call special sessions, they should pursue a constitutional amendment rather than trying to sidestep the constitution. They knew how to do it in 1967, Blaiklock said. They proposed that language and didnt follow it. The Legislature has the existing authority to terminate emergency orders issued by the governor with a simple majority vote. Numerous Republican lawmakers sponsored such resolutions to end Holcombs COVID-19 orders during the 2021 and 2022 sessions, but legislative leaders didnt advance any of them for votes. Fisher, a top deputy to Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita, said legislators should have the authority to debate what actions the state government should take during extended emergencies. The idea that somehow there is a special offense to the order of the state of Indiana because the Legislature would meet in July, rather than in January, I dont understand that, Fisher said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The St. Louis police officer kept repeating his story about an alleged carjacking attempt for about four hours, as though he was trying to convince himself it was true. On the street to other police officers: He came from that bus stop and came literally charging at the car with the gun out. In the bathroom at the police station: He ran up to the car and put the gun to the window. In the hallway: He ran towards our car at like full speed. In the office: The dude, he wouldnt back down. The dude is the man who became the subject of a media blitz a couple of weeks ago when police reported the astonishing story that two police officers in a marked police vehicle had been victims of an attempted carjacking in the LaSalle Park neighborhood south of downtown. The incident drew headlines across the country, reinforcing the citys reputation as having an out-of-control crime problem. The next day drew more headlines, spurred again by police sources, who complained that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner had refused charges in the case. Woke St. Louis DA refuses to charge armed robbery suspect who tried to CARJACK marked police car and pointed gun at officers inside, screamed the headline in the London Daily Mail. Outrageous and true, wrote St. Louis Police Officers Association lobbyist Jane Dueker, now a candidate for St. Louis County executive, on Twitter, responding to that bit of alleged news. What is actually outrageous, however, is that the police narrative was not entirely true. That became clear this week when Gardners office released video recordings of the incident, a timeline of her offices attempts to seek proper charges and some of the officers body camera footage. That footage included his multiple descriptions of the incident, some of them contradictory, because he accidentally left his camera on all day, including while he was in the police station. The entire affair was, as civil rights attorney Thomas Harvey calls it: copaganda gone wild. That pejorative term copaganda is what Harvey, who is the co-founder of ArchCity Defenders and now the California state director for the Childrens Defense Fund, refers to as attempts by police to build false narratives about crime, all too often with the unwitting help of the media. It happens every day, Harvey says. His friend and fellow attorney Alec Karakatsanis, founder of nonprofit Civil Rights Corps, regularly tweets long social media threads about mainstream media stories in which he is critical of the role journalists often play in contributing to copaganda. As a journalist, the critiques are hard to read, because over time in my career, Ive committed every one of the sins alleged by Karakatsanis in his threads. It starts with two words that are standard journalistic practice when reporting an alleged crime. The two most dangerous words in the English language might just be police say because anything that comes after that is presumed to be true, Harvey says. Thats the way journalists, readers, judges, and many jury members interpret what comes from a cops mouth. For decades, journalists have been writing stories about crime that start with police say or officials report as the sole basis. You can point to the killings of Eric Garner, Walter Scott and George Floyd, and Laquan McDonald as examples. The initial statements from the cops either overtly lied about or didnt reveal the role cops played in the killings. The so-called carjacking case because of the body camera video and the detailed timeline released by Gardners office offers a primer into the process of charging a potential defendant. When police arrest a subject who is detained, they apply for charges with the circuit attorneys office, which often asks for more information or suggests charges different than the ones suggested by police. Thats what happened here, with Gardner originally filing a charge of exhibiting a weapon, a charge that has since been dropped. While investigating further, the circuit attorneys office asked for video from nearby businesses, specifically the corporate headquarters of Purina. Police never called to ask for the video, the circuit attorneys office says. So prosecutors did. What they found was a video of the incident that contradicts at least some of the police officers narrative. On the video, the man wandered into traffic ahead of the moving police vehicle with his hands at his side, then he walked away as the police vehicle, a truck, drove forward. He didnt run. He most definitely didnt charge directly in front of the truck with a weapon drawn. If there was an attempted carjacking, this video doesnt show it. (Both the Police Officers Association and the Ethical Society of Police claim the man confessed in a video after he was arrested.) This is nowhere near what he (an officer) represented, says Chris Hinckley, the warrant officer in the circuit attorneys office. You wonder why nobody got this footage. Harvey doesnt wonder. He expects police wanted a narrative. Crime is bad, and the progressive prosecutor is to blame. They got their headlines, even encouraged by a lieutenant in the station before charges were sought, according to the body camera video. St. Louis has a rich history of cops lying and copaganda, Harvey says. This time, its the circuit attorney making the allegation, calling the incident a serious breach of trust, much to the chagrin of the police union that appears more interested in headlines than justice. From City Hall to the Capitol, metro columnist Tony Messenger shines light on what public officials are doing, tells stories of the disaffected, and brings voice to the issues that matter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis judge Thursday declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't return unanimous verdicts at the trial of an East St. Louis man charged with murdering a man outside a downtown St. Louis nightclub. The jury deliberated for eight hours over two days before reporting an inability to decide whether Leron Harris was guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Harris is charged with fatally shooting Mark Schlemmer about 2:15 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2019. His lawyer, Terry Niehoff, said 10 jurors voted not guilty and two favored guilt. Schlemmer, 38, of Collinsville, was fatally shot across the street from Europe, a nightclub off Washington Avenue, about 2:15 a.m. Police said he was wearing a Halloween costume and leaving a party with friends when he was shot. Harris was charged weeks after the killing when police arrested him in Georgia after a high-speed chase. Circuit Judge Katherine Fowler did not immediately set a new trial date. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY After a breakthrough in negotiations, the Missouri Senate on Thursday stood poised to send a major education package to the House that attempts to solve a funding dispute between charter and traditional public schools in the city of St. Louis. Senators on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to the package. It awaits a final vote, likely next week, before going back to the House, which approved its own funding measure last month. In St. Louis city, the Houses previously approved education legislation would have diverted approximately $18 million from the school district to charters, according to the measures fiscal analysis. Proponents said the move was intended to fairly fund charter schools, but opponents said the change would defund St. Louis Public Schools in the process. Charters receive most of their funding from the state, while St. Louis Public Schools receives most of its funding from local sources, said Matt Davis, member of the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education. But while local revenues to SLPS have increased over the years, state funding to charter schools has remained flat, he said. The Senate-approved legislation increases state funding to charter schools through the foundation formula, rather than diverting local money that would go to St. Louis Public Schools. The states going to pay them proportionally for the difference that they say that theyre not getting, Davis said of the charters. But the states paying that; it would not take away funding from the district. Theyre not going to have to give up those local dollars that they have been collecting, said Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur. And the charter schools will get the additional monies they need through a line item in the budget. At the end of the day, we want every child educated, she said. Charter schools only operate in St. Louis and Kansas City. They wanted to take a slice of funding from Kansas City and St. Louis, said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence. Now instead of making their slice smaller, we make the whole pie bigger. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, also noted changes to virtual schooling envisioned under the Senate proposal. He said that because local school districts have been able to make the final decision on whether a student should access virtual lessons, most interested students have been rejected. Rowden said under the Senate version everybody gets to have input in the process but that the parent gets to make the final decision as to whether or not they think that the virtual option is the right option. The legislation is House Bill 1552. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri House formally approved a $46 billion spending plan Thursday amid predictions that major parts of the blueprint will be rewritten in the Senate. A survey of GOP members in the Legislatures upper chamber showed most siding with a budget request by Republican Gov. Mike Parson to boost starting teacher salaries, which rank among the worst in the nation. The House left most of that money out of their proposal, instead leaving nearly $2 billion unspent in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he believes his colleagues will set money aside to make teacher pay more competitive. I would anticipate it would be closer to what the governor wanted, Hegeman said. It seems to make sense to me. I think there is general support for that. Sen. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, said, as a former school teacher, she sees the need to give starting teachers higher wages. The current base pay for beginning teachers is $25,000. Parson wants it to rise to $38,000. Our teachers deserve a raise. I get it. A lot of our teachers are out there hustling with second jobs on the weekends, Gannon said. However, she said the state also must address the effect of boosting the salaries of beginning teachers on the pay for more experienced teachers. You cant have a new teacher making the same as one who has been in the classroom for 10 years. Well need to figure that out, Gannon said. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said the current starting wage has turned some potential teachers away from a classroom career. You really have to feel called to do it, Rowden said Thursday, adding that increasing state funding to assist local districts is the right thing to do. Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, also said he wants to see the Senate restore or increase the amount Parson had sought. Weve got 66,000 teachers in this state, and I hear stories every day about how they are using their own personal money to buy school supplies and classroom supplies, Hough said. Hough also is proposing a plan to give Missourians $500 checks using the surplus money that is in the budget. The House left almost $2 billion in spending authority on the table. I dont believe people pay taxes so the government can sit on it and let it languish, Hough said. On Thursday, the GOP-led House approved its version of the spending plan that includes nearly $2 billion in federal funding to help K-12 schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including $75 million set aside to repay families for tutoring and other expenses aimed at helping students recover from learning losses due to closures. The House plan also includes $444 million for child care services in the state. Public colleges and universities would get a 5.4% budget increase, not including billions of dollars for construction projects on every campus. The House also reduced the amount of federal stimulus money sought by Parson from $3.2 billion to $2.2 billion. The states transportation budget will add $100 million to upgrade low-volume rural roads and $75 million for a cost-sharing program with cities and counties. The budget also includes an additional $2.4 million to restore Amtrak to twice-daily service between St. Louis and Kansas City. The spending plan also includes $3.2 million to help pay for the demolition of abandoned, city-owned houses in St. Louis. Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, again reminded his House colleagues that they had left $1.8 billion in general revenue unspent. He warned the House that the Senate would likely spend that money without input from the lower chamber. Weve got a lot of money folks. We cant just sit on it. Its not doing us any good sitting in the treasury, Merideth said. Some Republicans countered that the budget was bloated with federal dollars. Rep. Tony Lovasco, R-OFallon, suggested that some of the largesse could be returned to citizens. The amount of spending were talking about here is just incomprehensible to the average person, Lovasco said. This is just way too big. The Legislature faces a May 7 deadline to finish the budget. Posted at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, April 7. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A Republican-sponsored measure to protect patient visitation rights during a pandemic is headed to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers desk after receiving unanimous approval in the state Senate Wednesday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless families were unable to be by their loved ones sides during their final moments, said state Rep. Chris Bos, a Lake Zurich Republican, who sponsored the legislation in the House. If signed into law, the bill would require health care facilities to allow patients to receive least one visitor, regardless of whether the governor has declared a public health-related disaster. This bill came out of those stories, Bos said on the House floor earlier this week. This is an opportunity for us as a body to take a look back. We all acted and reacted at the beginning of COVID-19 because we had to. If we dont look back to make those changes, shame on us. Hospitals and long-term care facilities including nursing homes would be able to set guidelines for visitors, such as requiring health screenings, mask-wearing and vaccination. If a health care facility determined a visitor posed a risk to patients or workers, they could be denied visitation, though the denial would have to be given in writing. Prior to Wednesdays unanimous vote in the Senate, the bill passed the House 105-3 Monday, with three lawmakers voting present. Rep. Carol Ammons, an Urbana Democrat who opposed the measure, said the bill usurps the governors authority. I get the point about making sure family members are not alone, Ammons said. But the governor has to have the ability and authority to make decisions in the best interest of all persons in the state. Rep. Cyril Nichols, a Chicago Democrat who supported the bill, took issue with Ammons, saying that line of debate pointed to lawmakers tendency to complicate a lot of simplistic things. Nichols said he had recently spent 30 days with his mother in the hospital and could not imagine not being with her. Legislators on both sides of the aisle told of not being allowed to visit family members because of Pritzkers COVID-19 regulations. Republican Rep. Dan Ugaste, of Geneva, said his wife wasnt allowed to visit her mother for more than three months before her death. These were ladies whod speak three times a day, only for the purpose of saying hello to each other, Ugaste said. It wasnt until she was completely comatose that Ugastes wife was able to see her, the representative said. That is inhumane in and of itself. This is not about governor powers, not about executive authority, he said. Missouri House backs plan to bar hospitals from limiting visitors The legislation is among dozens of proposed changes in law that came out of the response to the pandemic. ST. LOUIS Crowds formed outside the city's two breweries and jammed "watch parties" in hotels, restaurants and neighborhood diners. The festive bustle befitted a New Year's Eve. Which it was, in a way. The countdown led to 12:01 a.m. Friday, April 7, 1933, when beer would be legal again after 13 long years. No more need for nasty home brew. More than 25,000 enthusiasts kept vigil outside Anheuser-Busch Inc., South Broadway and Arsenal Street, where a revived workforce had prepared 45,000 cases of beer and was busily brewing more. An additional 10,000 people crowded Forest Park Avenue at Spring Avenue, where Joseph Griesedieck's new operation produced Falstaff, a brand name he had bought from former brewer William Lemp Jr. shortly after Prohibition began in 1920. Griesedieck had 40,000 cases ready for midnight's stroke. In November 1932, a nation that had grown tired of Prohibition's deprivations and frauds elected Franklin D. Roosevelt for president and a soakingly "wet" Democratic Congress, which quickly set about the mechanics of repeal. But removing the U.S. Constitution's 18th Amendment would take months. Congress quickly allowed beer with 3.2 percent alcohol content by finessing the definition of "intoxicant" in the Volstead Act, the reviled federal enforcement law. Missouri, Illinois and 16 other states jumped aboard. At midnight, the brewery whistles were overwhelmed by the roar of happy humans. Out rushed the first beer trucks, plus a Clydesdale-drawn hitch for show. August A. "Gussie" Busch Jr. spoke to a national radio audience, then went inside to greet his private guests. "Come and get it," he told them. People outside had to be content with history's moment. Brewers shipped straight to the lucky holders of 3,763 new government permits allowing the sale of beer. Delivery was prompt. At 12:08 a.m., a truck pulled up at the Elks Club, 3619 Lindell Boulevard, where Mayor-elect Bernard Dickmann led the first round. Customers at the big hotels snapped up 10-cent drafts. At 12:58 a.m., the taps flowed again at Krumm's Restaurant, 824 Pine Street, a popular beer joint before Prohibition. At Delmar Boulevard and Kingshighway, police nabbed four gangsters for trying to hijack a beer truck. Imbibers shouted "Prosit" German for good cheer and declared the first batch "as good as the old stuff." By noon, it was gone. Frantic calls for resupply swamped brewery switchboards. The Anti-Saloon League filed suit in Jefferson City in a failed bid to stop the "menace." Grocery stores soon offered Budweiser at $2.75 per case, Falstaff for a dime less. On Dec. 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to adopt the 21st Amendment, ending national Prohibition. Illinois immediately went full drinks, but Missouri dithered another month before allowing hard liquor. Read more stories from Tim O'Neil's Look Back series. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A man accused of shooting at a candidate for mayor of Louisville was hit with new federal charges Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. Quintez Brown, 22, was taken into federal custody and made an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Kentucky after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of interfering with a federally protected right, and using and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence by shooting at and attempting to kill a candidate for elective office." If convicted of all federal charges, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum sentence of life in prison in addition to any sentence he receives on state charges of murder and wanton endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty in state court. Jail records show that Brown has been held at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield since Wednesday. Brown was arrested by Louisville police shortly after the Feb. 14 shooting. The mayoral candidate, Craig Greenberg, said he was not hit by the gunfire, although a bullet grazed his sweater. Greenberg, a Democrat, said he was at his campaign headquarters with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway and began firing multiple rounds. One staffer managed to shut the door, which they barricaded using tables and desks, and the shooter fled. A police report said Brown was carrying a loaded 9 mm magazine in his pants pocket and had a drawstring bag with a handgun and additional magazines when he was arrested. Brown was placed on home incarceration and fitted with a GPS ankle monitor after a group called the Louisville Community Bail Fund paid the $100,000 cash bond on Feb 16. A judge also ordered Brown to have no contact with Greenberg or his campaign staff and barred him from possessing firearms. Brown's house arrest prompted outrage from Greenberg, who said it was impossible to believe Brown could be released. The federal indictment comes after a Kentucky grand jury in Louisville last week indicted Brown on one count of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, all state charges. Brown, a social justice activist who was running as an independent for Louisvilles metro council, disappeared for about two weeks last summer. After he was found safe, his parents issued a statement asking for patience and privacy while they attended to his physical, mental and spiritual needs. In March, a judge cleared Brown to receive a mental health evaluation to determine if he should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Louisville police said in February that Brown appears to have acted alone. The federal investigation is being conducted by the FBIs Louisville Field Office and the Louisville Metro Police Department as part of FBI Louisvilles Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. The motive remains under investigation and has not been discussed publicly by authorities. Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you ever find yourself in Stockholm and have the urge to play video games look no further. 'HEY STHLM' is one of the best arcade bars in th St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has some tough career choices to make following his drubbing in a countywide referendum Tuesday. Voters overwhelmingly told him he must either be a full-time county executive or a working physician, but he cannot do both. The wide margin of approval for county Proposition B, aimed specifically at halting Pages part-time work as an anesthesiologist, sends a clear message that voters expect his undivided attention. If the result is any indication of Pages general support among the county electorate, it appears his reelection hopes are in serious trouble. Even before Tuesdays vote, the county charter stated clearly that the executive is required to devote his entire time to that job. Page, who says hell abide by the vote, insisted previously that he can do as he pleases in his spare time and that his part-time work is necessary to maintain his physicians license, certification and credentials. Page has characterized his outside work as one weekend per month and an occasional four-hour shift from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. But when County Council members asked for specifics on his outside job how many hours hes working and how much hes being paid Page politely replied it was none of their business. He wrote to Republican council member Mark Harder last year that his personal finances and activities are not your proper concern. That prompted the council to ask voters whether tighter rules were necessary, and Tuesdays response was an overwhelming yes, by a 61% to 39% margin. Page now could face ouster for violating that charter provision. Even given Tuesdays light turnout, the result offered a glimpse of Pages political standing with county voters. He has maintained that his dual role as doctor and executive was welcomed by a public hungry for medically authoritative leadership during the pandemic. But Page took that dual role to an unacceptable extreme, marketing his medical background in campaign literature thinly disguised to look like official pronouncements from the county executives office. A nearly $2 million county contract with a New York public relations firm further muddled the distinction between Pages medical and political roles. If, in fact, Pages medical license and credentials hang in the balance if he fails to keep up his anesthesiology hours, hell have to take a serious look at Tuesdays results and ask whether the risk to his professional career is worth the gamble on an increasingly dubious reelection outlook. A potentially brutal campaign season is approaching in which he faces a formidable Democratic primary challenger and, if he survives that, a strong Republican opponent in the general election. Page can help restore his credibility by acknowledging that all these questions are, in fact, the publics business. And he must immediately cease the campaign practice of mixing his medical role with his official duties. A new French firm, Dronisos, has developed software that allows centralized control of hundreds of quad-copters to carry different colored lights and perform intricate and popular light shows for clients like Disneyland Paris and other large events. This attracted the attention of the French military seeking to use the Dronisos software for military applications. Dronisos established a partnership with existing French defense firms to develop software that could control software for quad-copter swarms that perform military tasks. Larger quad-copters carry heavier payloads which can consist of one or more sensors performing a variety of functions. These include day or night vidcams, radioactivity sensors, loudspeakers, signal jammers, pyrotechnics and radio signal relays. Military swarms of ten to a hundred quad-copters equipped with different combinations of devices can perform reconnaissance, surveillance or combat support missions. These quadcopters have short endurance, typically from 30-60 minutes depending on payload. The Dronisos would include landing and recharging quadcopters for recharging after others go aloft to maintain the size and performance of the swarm. The French Navy wants to operate smaller swarms from wrships at sea while the army could operate larger swarms on land. This use of quadcopter swarms has been proposed before, and a Chinese firm has developed similar software for military swarms. Dronisos is the first Western firm to develop such software for, French and other NATO members seeking to make practical use of these swarms. The U.S. Army 1s halfway through distributing 6,000 M110A1 semi-automatic 7.62mm SDMRs (Squad Designated Sniper Rifle) to all the infantry squads and similar size combat support forces like engineers and reconnaissance units. The M110A1 is an upgraded version of the 2008 M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper System) that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan began receiving in 2008. This weapon was not a big technological breakthrough. It is based on the older AR-10 rifle. The 1.03-meter (40.5 inch) long rifle can have a 15 cm (six inch) tube attached to the barrel, which reduces the noise and flash made when the rifle fires and largely eliminates nearby dust rising into the air, which often gives away the sniper's position. The M110A1 has incorporated several user suggestions. The rifle is based on the German G28 sniper rifle. The barrel is 18 percent shorter but still includes a suppressor. There is an adjustable stock, which makes a much more compact weapon for soldiers traveling in vehicles or airborne troops. There is less recoil and the SDMR can use two new rounds that provide greater accuracy at up to 600 meters. One of the new rounds is armor piercing, which can damage equipment that ordinary bullets would bounce off. There is a new scope that holds its zero (does not have to be recalibrated after movement or even parachuting to the ground. The new scope has more flexible and easier to use optics that makes it more efficient during day or night shooting at various ranges and is designed to work with a rifle mounted laser designator. Without any accessories, the SDMR weighs 4 kg (8.8 pounds) while with accessories (mainly the scope) total weight is about 4.5 kg (just under ten pounds). The army is about to introduce a new series of combat rifles and light machine-guns using the lighter Creedmoor 6.8mm round and the SDMR can make the switch by swapping out the 7.62mm barrel/receiver and replacing it with a 6.8mm one. Both use the same type round magazine because the main difference is the size of the projectile. SDMR can use a ten or 20 round magazine. Each SDMR costs about $6,000. Over the last two decades the army and marines have found that the more expensive sniper rifles are worth the cost. Since 2003 American soldiers and marines have greatly increased their use of snipers, and the success of this move spread to other countries. The more aggressive use of snipers since the 1990s is one of many changes in ground combat. In that time, because of Iraq and Afghanistan, infantry tactics have changed considerably. This has largely gone unnoticed back home, unless you happen to know an old soldier or marine that remembers the old style of shooting. Put simply, the emphasis is on fewer bullets fired and more accurate shooting. Elite forces, like the Special Forces and SEALs, have always operated this way. But that's because they had the skill, and opportunity, to train frequently to make it work. The army and marines have found that their troops can fight the same way with the help of some new weapons, equipment, and tactics, plus a lot of combat experience and specialized training. This includes the use of new shooting simulators, which allows troops to fire a lot of virtual bullets in a realistic setting, without all the hassle and expense of going to a firing range. Currently, about ten percent of American infantry are trained and equipped as snipers (or sharpshooters). Commanders have found that filling the battlefield with two-man (spotter and shooter) sniper teams not only provides more intelligence but also a lot of precision firepower. Snipers are better at finding the enemy and killing them with a minimum of noise and fuss. New rifle sights (both day and night types) have made all infantry capable of accurate, single shot fire. With the emphasis on keeping civilian casualties down and the tendency of the enemy to use civilians as human shields, a lot of snipers or infantrymen who can take an accurate shot at typical battle ranges (under 100 meters) are the best way to win without killing a lot of civilians. New sniper equipment has made a big difference. During the last decade the U.S. Army has issued several new sniper rifles. The original M110 was one of them. Snipers have adopted some more powerful rounds, like the Lapua Magnum and the .300 Magnum, and ever more useful accessories. Several sniper rifle models were modified to handle the longer-range rounds (by replacing the barrel and receiver). Previously, many snipers have had success using tuned up M14s (from the 1960s) as sniper rifles. While semi-automatic and rugged, the M14 wasn't designed to be a sniper rifle. The AR-10, as the M110, was a better model for a semi-automatic sniper rifle, since it is inherently more reliable and accurate. As far back as World War II it was known that there were many situations where a semi-automatic sniper rifle would come in handy. But it's taken over half a century to solve the reliability and accuracy problems. The M110 largely replaced the bolt-action M24 and provided commanders with much more effective snipers. That increase in numbers (of snipers) and their effectiveness, has changed the look (less random fire from U.S. troops) and feel (the U.S. troops appear more in control) of the battlefield. It's also easier to spot the enemy. He's usually the guy firing on automatic. The fellows firing one shot at a time are the Americans and they are usually the last ones standing. U.S. Marines with Echo Battery, 2d Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, operate an M777 howitzer during Exercise Rolling Thunder 22-2 on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, March 29, 2022. This exercise is a 10th Marines-led live fire artillery event that tested the units abilities to operate in a simulated littoral environment against a peer threat in a dynamic and multi-domain scenario. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: by Austin Bay April 6, 2022 Though they "tick" at different rates, several notional clocks symbolizing intertwined military, diplomatic and information warfare "lines of operation" run simultaneously in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. Real world actions and effects (destruction, death, perhaps rational mediation) speed or slow the clocks. At least one of these clocks may offer a route to a ceasefire and perhaps a grim peace. Russian Devastation is a hideous clock. Documented on cellphone video, hour by hour Russian air and artillery attacks hammer Ukrainian cities. Having failed to win quickly, Vladimir Putin's Kremlin now seeks a victory of the graveyard by reducing Ukrainian homes to rubble. Putin sends this message: Submit or I'll decimate Ukraine brick by brick. As long as this clock ticks, Ukraine bleeds. Putin's devastation gambit is his brutal response to a clock he didn't expect: Ukraine's Operational Victory clock, a short-lived clock. Ukrainian tactical military successes produced an operational-level victory in Kyiv and northern Ukraine, forcing an embarrassing, conflict-shaping Russian withdrawal. Putin expected his war to last at most three weeks. Ukraine, however, defeated initial special operations forces assaults on Kyiv -- tactical wins ruining Russia's timetable. Very likely the raiders had orders to kill or capture President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Bottom line: on the first day of invasion elite Russian troops failed to surprise or defeat Ukrainians. Meanwhile, Russian tank and armored infantry columns invaded Ukraine on multiple axes (multiple directions), with Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Mariupol key targets for the Kremlin's battle groups. Using sophisticated anti-tank weapons, portable air defense missiles, and tactics honed fighting Russian proxies in the Donbas, Ukrainian forces isolated road-bound Russian vehicles. Then they coolly cut to pieces entire Russian battalions -- a remarkable "defeat in detail." The tactics also inflicted heavy casualties on Russian forces elsewhere in Ukraine, particularly in the north. The Kyiv victory has diplomatic significance -- for the moment. The Narrative Warfare Clock: Vlad thought he owned the propaganda war. For 20 years he groomed and goaded the Russian people to prepare to fight a major war to rebuild the Russian Empire. His pitch included these gems: NATO threatened Russia. Nazis run Ukraine. However, imagery of fleeing Ukrainian mothers and children and photos of destroyed homes globally challenge Putin's threat propaganda. Captured Russian soldiers say they were told they were going on maneuvers in Belarus, not attacking Ukraine. Hard evidence documents war crimes committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians, the Bucha executions being a hideous example. The Sanctions Clock: it doesn't tick, it tolls. Russia can physically devastate Ukraine, but NATO, the EU and pro-Ukraine nations worldwide can economically savage Russia. Russia already feels the bite of initial sanctions. The Sanctions Clock attacks Putin's war chest, counters his devastation gambit. Will his economy die before he turns Ukraine to dust? Sanctions twist the spring of the Russian Domestic Political Clock. Cellphone imagery reaches Russian audiences. Russian families know the casualty count is mounting. Putin promised Russia prosperity. Russian prosperity dies in Ukraine. In a prolonged war, this clock tolls for Putin. Is there a peace clock? Potentially. Credit Zelenskyy for suggesting a reality-based diplomatic process aimed at securing a military ceasefire between Ukraine and Putin's invading forces. Zelenskyy's public statements have included sketches of provisional territorial accommodations. He told one group peace talks could begin when Russia withdrew "to their borders that existed prior to the 24th of February at least..." Many European and American observers interpreted that statement as a signal to the Kremlin. If Russia accepts a ceasefire Ukraine will discuss compromises in the eastern Donbas region and Crimea. Following his defeat in Kyiv, Putin declared that "liberating" the Donbas had been the invasion's primary goal. It wasn't -- Putin wanted all of Ukraine. But it's a face-saving lie for the dictator. Zelenskyy knows he enjoys a moment of strength created by Ukrainian battlefield success, his nation's unbending will to resist Russian aggression, Russian incompetence and documented Russian war crimes. If he can get an embarrassed Moscow to agree to a ceasefire the devastation will stop. Meanwhile, the Ukraine Armament Modernization clock will whirr. A half-dozen NATO nations are sending Ukraine several hundred tanks, most Cold War Russian relics but serviceable. New air defense systems will arrive, perhaps MiG-29s? End result: Ukraine will have an offensive capacity. KRSKO, Slovenia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Westinghouse Electric Company today signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with three companies in Slovenia. The MOUs will cover cooperation on the potential AP1000 plant projects across Central and Eastern Europe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405006000/en/ Pictured from left to right: Franci Skrabec (Numip, Nuclear Power Program Manager), Tine Ogorevc (Numip, General Manager), Josefa Arcarons Coma (Westinghouse, EMEA GSCS Manager), Elias Gedeon (Westinghouse, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations), Joel Eacker (Westinghouse, Vice President, New Power Plant Projects), Mojca Lorber (Sipro Engineering, Commercial Manager), Metod Pirc (Elmont, General Manager), Franc Katic (Sipro Engineering, General Manager) (Photo: Business Wire) The memorandums will establish cooperation with the following companies: Numip delivers engineering, construction and maintenance services for conventional power and processes across various industries. delivers engineering, construction and maintenance services for conventional power and processes across various industries. Elmont provides ongoing support for the maintenance of electrical equipment. provides ongoing support for the maintenance of electrical equipment. SIPRO inzeniring brings project planning and management solutions, technology, and product development support, along with several other services. "These partnerships will enable us to work hand-in-hand with leading local suppliers to deliver the highest international standards of quality, safety, and reliability in Slovenia and within Europe, said Elias Gedeon, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Westinghouse Energy Systems. Westinghouse Electric Company is a world leader in nuclear power and a provider of products and technologies for nuclear power plants. As the nuclear energy industry continues to evolve, Westinghouse remains focused on helping customers achieve carbon-emission goals while providing innovative technology solutions to meet changing energy needs. Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the worlds first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the companys technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. For over 130 years, innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405006000/en/ Cathy Mann [email protected] Source: Westinghouse Electric Company SAN FRANCISCO, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earthbanc the leading carbon credit and finance platform headquartered in Stockholm with operations across 20 countries, raised a US $1.5M investment in a Pre-Seed Round with participation from Regen Network Development Inc (USA), Rampersand VC (Australia), Visive Capital (EU), Katalista Ventures (Lithuania), Sting Accelerator (Sweden), clients of Jindabyne Capital and Kaai Capital (Australia), European Space Agency Incubator (Sweden) and Regenerative Ventures Holdings (USA). Earthbanc develops carbon projects, sells verified and audited carbon credits, and enables investors to finance carbon removal. The company has audited the carbon stocks of over 13M hectares of forest globally using satellites and proprietary remote sensing technology. Launch of the Earthbanc Protocol on Regen Ledger The number of corporations committed to Net Zero has increased exponentially since COP26, but it has been difficult for carbon buyers to source third-party annually audited carbon credits. With venture backing from the European Space Agency for their patent-pending technology, Earthbanc leverages AI, web3, and data science to annually audit the underlying carbon asset in carbon credits bringing increased transparency and credibility to carbon markets. This investment enables the launch of the Earthbanc Protocol on Regen Ledger, a publicly governed ecological ledger for verification of claims, data, and agreements on ecological state and carbon credits. Earthbanc Protocol will utilize Regen Ledger to store carbon reporting and auditing information on the transparent blockchain, and Earthbanc will mint carbon credits on Regen Registry, the carbon credit registry operated by Regen Network. Earthbanc Protocol is introducing web3 wallets for the nascent regenerative finance (ReFi) market, enabling Regen Network-based eco credits to be financed, held, and staked via the new Earthbanc Protocol web3 platform. Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan said: "We welcome the investment from Regen Network Development Inc and Rampersand VC to accelerate the growth of the Earthbanc Protocol platform, which will enable investors to access 8% fixed - 15% variable APY yields and finance nature-based carbon removal projects globally. We are excited to scale up carbon markets with our technology and onboard millions of farmers around the world to help them monetize their carbon, and give investors access to this fast-growing asset class." Earthbanc has been tapped by the African Development Bank to demonstrate the issuance of the world's first Sustainable Land Bond with fully audited carbon removal on the Earthbanc platform, at the UNCCD COP15 in Africa, May 2022. Solving carbon removal auditing issues with its AI technology is helping attract corporate carbon buyers and investors, unlocking the USD 14 billion pledged at COP26 for the Great Green Wall - an African-led and UNCCD sponsored program. Earthbanc is well-positioned to deliver climate finance and carbon credit services to this 156M hectare mega-project that will sequester 250M tonnes of carbon, estimated to generate USD ~7.25B in credit revenue for local farmers and carbon service providers. Regen Network Development Inc CEO, Gregory Landua, said: "Regen Network invests in the best regenerative finance (ReFi) ventures to scale faster. The Earthbanc platform is built for the next 1 billion people coming out of poverty through regenerative agriculture, carbon payments, and regenerative payments - enabling capital to flow where it's needed to achieve planetary regeneration and stabilize the climate. The Earthbanc app will provide a carbon bank with accessible on and off fiat ramps for users globally, particularly for the unbanked, bringing the next billion users into the regenerative finance revolution." Nicole Small, Investment Director at Rampersand VC: "The Earthbanc team has extensive experience in regenerative finance markets, with a demonstrated capability and commitment to the community and environment. Earthbanc's tier-one relationships with leading NGOs, together with proprietary automation and remote sensing technology, deliver huge value in the fast-growing climate finance and nature-based solution (NbS) carbon markets. Equally important is that Earthbanc provides a win-win outcome to farmers through global carbon market access and meaningful carbon sequestration projects." About Earthbanc Earthbanc is pioneering a super cost-effective and precise carbon credit and finance platform. On the Earthbanc platform, you can purchase fully audited carbon credits, or choose to invest in carbon removal. The company's investment thematics include land restoration, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, large-scale reforestation and prevention of deforestation, blue carbon including mangroves, seagrass meadows and kelp, marine conservation, agrivoltaics, and social capital projects. Earthbanc's climate fintech innovation was recognized last year when it won the Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV program in Spring 2021, and the company is now set to scale to the next level in the booming web3 climate and fintech sector. For additional information, please visit:https://earthbanc.io, https://registry.regen.network/, https://twitter.com/earthbanc Media Contact: Natacha Rousseau[email protected](323) 352-6417 Related Images Image 1 Earthbanc is a carbon and finance Web3 and Refi platform with offices in Europe and the USA. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Featured Image for Earthbanc Featured Image for Earthbanc Source: Earthbanc TORONTO, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shawcor Ltd. (Shawcor or the Company) (TSX: SCL) today announced that its pipe coating division has received a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Saipem for the Yellowtail development project, located in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana at a water depth of approximately 1,800 metres. The Company anticipates that it will receive a formal contract in the middle of 2022, subject to the necessary government authorizations. Project initiation is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2023 from Shawcors Veracruz, Mexico facility. In addition to the LOI with Saipem, Shawcor has received formal contract awards from other customers for two smaller projects located in the Gulf of Mexico. Shawcor will provide coating services for these projects which will commence in the second quarter of 2022 from the Companys Veracruz facility. The performance of our coating solution on the Liza Phases 1&2 development projects and the more recent Payara development project in Guyana provides evidence that our coating technology is well suited to be deployed on the Yellowtail development project, said Kevin Reizer, Pipeline Performance Group President. These awards follow our successful execution of multiple deepwater projects globally, demonstrating the strength of our coating performance and confirming our Customers confidence in Shawcor to deliver quality coating services. In aggregate, the above LOI and contract awards are valued at over C$50 million, with Yellowtail being the largest component. About Shawcor Shawcor Ltd. is a growth-oriented, global material sciences company serving the Infrastructure, Energy, and Transportation markets. The Company operates through a network of fixed and mobile manufacturing and service facilities. Its three business segments, Composite Systems, Automotive & Industrial and Pipeline & Pipe Services enable responsible renewal and enhancement of critical infrastructure while lowering risk and environmental impact. For further information, please contact: Meghan MacEachernExternal Communications & ESG, DirectorTelephone: 437.341.1848Email: [email protected] shawcor.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Words such as "may", "will", "should", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "believe", "predict", "estimate" or similar terminology are used to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on assumptions, estimates and analysis made in the light of the Company's experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that are believed by the Company to be reasonable and relevant in the circumstances. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those predicted, expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Source: Shawcor Ltd. Source: Shawcor Ltd. (Reuters) - Russia is likely to renew its attack on Kyiv if its forces succeed in taking full control of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the deputy chief of staff of Ukraine's ground forces said on Thursday. Speaking at an online briefing about efforts to defend the capital, Oleksandr Gruzevich said: "It is likely the enemy has not given up the goal of a second attack on Kyiv - there is such a threat." (Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Timothy Heritage) CHICAGO, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John Wentz, a member of Alpha USA's executive leadership team for nearly seven years serving in a variety of roles, including developing training for Alpha International, is poised to take over the ministry's top U.S. position at the end of this month. The transition comes as outgoing Executive Director Craig Springer announces his calling and return to local church leadership. "I am so grateful for Craig's leadership in these last few years as we have worked together to help grow Alpha USA into a healthy team and a force for good in the communities we serve," Wentz said. "I am excited about the future and look forward to seeing how God can use Alpha during this moment of global cultural change, equipping the Church to meet the unique challenges of our day with the power and goodness of the Kingdom of God." Upon Springer's notification to the Alpha USA Board that he felt God was calling him back into the local church, the Board unanimously agreed that Wentz would be the perfect candidate to fill the position and provide for a seamless transition. Wentz joined the Alpha USA staff in 2015, leading large segments of the national ministry strategy. He has overseen the development of regional networks, worked to grow context ministries (youth, prisons, Catholic) and improved training nationally and internationally. He has also led the hub church program and designed the core of Alpha USA's church engagement framework, which is now being implemented across the nation and the globe. Global Alpha Pioneer Nicky Gumbel expressed his excitement for Wentz's new role. "We are thrilled that John Wentz has been appointed the new Executive Director of Alpha USA," Gumbel said. "He has a huge heart for evangelism and wonderful leadership qualities that we know will take Alpha USA forward in this new season. Pippa and I couldn't be more thrilled and excited for all that's to come." About Alpha Alpha equips and serves the Church in its mission to help people discover and develop a relationship with Jesus. For more than 30 years, Alpha has worked effectively across every major denomination, culture and context worldwide. Millions of people have tried Alpha in 169 countries, and in 112 different languages. See more at www.alphausa.org. Media Contact: Melany Ethridge [email protected] 214-912-8934 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alpha-usa-announces-john-wentz-as-next-executive-director-301520182.html SOURCE Alpha USA Deal is the 12th Freedom securitization and brings total issuance to nearly $3.5 billion SAN MATEO, Calif., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Financial Network (FFN), a leading digital personal finance company, announces the closing of a securitization consisting of $204.93 million in rated notes backed by ConsolidationPlus personal loans. The securitization, FREED ABS Trust 2022-2CP, is the second Freedom deal to receive an AAA rating from DBRS Morningstar and the fourth to receive a AAA rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA). It is also the first securitization of ConsolidationPlus loans to receive AAA ratings from two ratings agencies. The deal is the 12th securitization by Freedom Consumer Credit Fund (FCCF), an investment fund managed by Freedom Financial Asset Management (FFAM). Underwriting for the ConsolidationPlus loan program is based on proprietary algorithms that evaluate behavioral, transactional, employment and income data, as well as a manual review of borrowers' creditworthiness. The underlying ConsolidationPlus loans were originated by bank partners Cross River Bank and MetaBank, N.A. on the FFAM platform. ConsolidationPlus loans help borrowers accelerate the process of resolving unsecured debt. The loans are offered exclusively to clients of Freedom Debt Relief (FDR) and certain other debt resolution companies who have been enrolled in a debt program for at least six months and made timely payments into their dedicated accounts. "The successful issuance of this securitization at such a challenging time in the broader financial market is a testament to the robust underwriting and credit risk models used to originate ConsolidationPlus loans," said Barry Rafferty, Senior Vice President of Capital Markets at FFAM. "We are pleased to have once again earned AAA ratings from two credit ratings agencies and look forward to continuing on this positive trajectory in future deals." The Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D fixed-rate notes were rated AAA (sf), AA (sf), A (sf) and BBB- (sf) by KBRA. The Class A, Class B and Class C fixed-rate notes were rated AAA (sf), AA (sf) and A (high) (sf) by DBRS Morningstar. The D class notes were not rated by DBRS. "ConsolidationPlus loans are an important method to help consumers address debt as they seek to get on the path to a brighter financial future," said Andrew Housser, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Freedom Financial Network. "The completion of this transaction during a time in which several other issuers pulled deals due to the volatile economic and geopolitical climate highlights our expertise and experience in this market segment where we help everyday people achieve their financial goals." Underwriting the transaction was Truist, serving as structuring agent and joint book runner; Jefferies, joint book runner; and Credit Suisse, joint book runner. The transaction structure features overcollateralization, subordination, a reserve fund and excess spread. Issuance across all FCCF securitizations now totals nearly $3.5 billion and total loan originations through the FFAM platform now exceed $7.5 billion. About Freedom Financial Network Freedom Financial Network is a leading digital personal finance company. We do what traditional banks don't: Put people first. Our solutions help everyday people get on, and stay on, the path to a brighter financial future, with innovative technology and personalized support. By leveraging proprietary data and analytics, our solutions are tailored for each step of a consumer's financial journey and include personal loans (FreedomPlus), home equity loans (Lendage), help with debt (Freedom Debt Relief), and even financial tools and education (Bills.com). Freedom Financial Network has more than 2,300 dedicated employees across California, Arizona and Texas and is recognized as a Best Place to Work. For information on career opportunities at Freedom Financial Network, visit: https://jobs.freedomfinancialnetwork.com/ About Cross River Bank Cross River is a fast-growing financial services organization that merges the forward-thinking offerings of a technology company with the established expertise and traditional services of a bank. Since its founding in 2008, Cross River has developed strategic partnerships with leading technology companies, marketplace lenders and payment providers, while maintaining a strong focus on regulatory compliance and consumer protection. Cross River provides a highly secure, API-based banking platform and comprehensive suite of products encompassing lending, payments, risk management and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings to deliver responsible financial solutions that empower businesses and consumers anytime, anywhere. Cross River Bank is a New Jersey state-chartered FDIC insured bank. For more information, please visit Cross River's website at www.crossriver.com or Twitter @crossriverbank. About Meta Financial Group, Inc. Meta Financial Group, Inc. ("Meta") is a South Dakota-based financial holding company. At Meta, our mission is financial inclusion for all. Through our subsidiary, MetaBank, N.A., we strive to remove barriers to financial access and promote economic mobility by working with third parties to provide responsible, secure, high quality financial products that contribute to the social and economic benefit of communities at the core of the real economy. Meta works to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity for all. Additional information can be found by visiting www.metafinancialgroup.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-financial-network-announces-close-of-205m-securitization-with-aaa-ratings-from-dbrs-kroll-301519881.html SOURCE Freedom Financial Network The Iowa-based think tank is asking proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") to explain the decision in an open letter DES MOINES, Iowa, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corporate Citizenship Project (www.CorporateCitizenshipProject.com), a think-tank focused on a data-driven approach to corporate governance issues, today penned an open letter to Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") CEO Gary Retelny regarding the apparent decision on the part of ISS to not downgrade Russia's Environmental, Social, Governance ("ESG") rating below a "C Minus", leaving Russia's ESG score unchanged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The letter reads as follows:Dear Mr. Retelny,On behalf of The Corporate Citizenship Project, I am asking you to clarify the decision on the part of ISS to not lower the ESG rating for Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not consistent with ESG goals. Environmentally, the destruction caused by the invasion has caused destruction to the natural environment. Meanwhile, the reckless Russian decision to shell a nuclear power plant risked causing another Chernobyl-like environmental catastrophe. Socially, the invasion has cost the lives of thousands of innocent civilians and created a refugee crisis. The Russian alleged war crimes that are coming to light in the city of Bucha indicate the wanton brutality of the invasion and the social ills it cost. Governance has also suffered from the invasion. Putin's decree shielding leased Russian commercial airplanes from seizure by their lawful owners as well as his public consideration of seizing the assets of departing western companies indicate a troubling situation on corporate governance. We are therefore troubled by ISS's apparent decision to leave Russia's ESG rating unchanged. We would like you to provide us with answers to the following questions: Question 1Has ISS has taken any money from Kremlin-affiliated public companies like Gazprom, Lukoil, and Rosneft? If so, how much and for what services? Question 2Have you or other ISS executives met with any Russian oligarchs or government officials? If so, what was discussed? Question 3 Can you explain why state owned or affiliated Russian companies are given better ESG ratings than western companies with seemingly far better ESG records? Gazprom, for example, has a "C Minus" rating while Rosneft has a "C" rating in spite of seemingly terrible environmental records and leadership who are currently under western sanctions. Question 4 Have ISS parent companies Genstar Capital or Deutsche Boerse influenced, or attempted to influence, ISS ESG ratings of Russia or Russian companies? In light of the gravity of this crisis, we urge you to respond to these questions no later than Thursday April 14th. Sincerely,Ghada Salahuddin President & CEOThe Corporate Citizenship Projectwww.CorporateCitizenshipProject.com Ghada Salahuddin, President &CEO of The Corporate Citizenship Project, issued the following statement regarding the letter: "Putin's evil and cruel invasion of Ukraine has cost the lives of thousands of innocent people, a refugee crisis, and come close to causing a global environmental catastrophe. For ISS to apparently refuse to downgrade Russia's ESG rating and the rating of government-affiliated companies again calls into question the integrity of ISS's ESG ratings. Investors and corporate clients of ISS deserve answers from Gary Retelny on this seeming lapse in judgement." ContactGhada Salahuddin515-259-6929[email protected]www.CorporateCitizenshipProject.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-corporate-citizenship-project-asks--iss-to-clarify-apparent-decision-not-to-downgrade-russias-esg-rating-301520435.html SOURCE Corporate Citizenship Project (Tribune News Service) Two years ago, the Air Force said the F-35 Joint Program Office's Hybrid Product Support Integrator would move to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the spring of 2022. The move has happened, and the office should approach 400 employees by mid-year, a spokeswoman for the program told the Dayton Daily News Wednesday. The office has moved to Wright-Patterson from Arlington, Va. The decision to move the work to Wright-Patterson goes back to late 2018, when the Greene County installation was identified as the Air Force's preferred location, with minimal environmental impact. F-35 representation at Wright-Patterson is expected to approach 400 people by mid-2022, said Laura Seal, public affairs lead for the office. Asked if telework from Virginia was being used, Seal said employees are working out of existing facilities on Wright-Patterson. The office has personnel focusing on site and ship activation, maintenance and modifications of planes and parts, offering support across the supply chain, with a 24/7 "global operations center," which hit initial operating capability this past June, Seal said. The office's primary role is to make sure the plane is ready for warfighters and affordable for the Air Force. While budget hawks have decried the plane's cost its price tag is in the ballpark of $100 million each advocates tout its smooth flying capability, aided by computer automation, and stealthy survivability. And European countries, including Germany and Finland, have found new reasons to love the F-35 in the wake of Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. However, in its most recent budget proposal, the Air Force said it wants to buy 33 F-35As in the coming fiscal year, fewer than the 48 the branch sought in last year's budget. Operational in Virginia since 2016, the office is staffed by the U.S. government with seven partner nations the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway with five companies, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman. "Co-locating all elements of the HPSI organization allows for U.S. government, partner nations and Industry personnel to work collaboratively with a performance-based focus on the F-35 fleet," Seal said. (c)2022 Springfield News-Sun, Ohio Visit Springfield News-Sun, Ohio at www.springfieldnewssun.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BOCA CHICA, Texas (Tribune News Service) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed SpaceX in a letter dated March 7 that its permit application for an expansion of the company's Starbase complex at Boca Chica has been withdrawn due to lack of information. USACE said SpaceX had not provided requested follow-up information regarding proposed expansion that would affect more than 17 acres of land at Boca Chica designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Aquatic Resource of National Importance and by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat for federally listed species. USACE said it it sent SpaceX a letter on May 21, 2021, that included "substantive comments" about the company's proposed expansion, including comments from EPA, USFWS, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service. The letter also contained "substantive issues raised by the Corps." USACE said that in order for it to complete its review of the proposed project, it needed SpaceX to provide an "alternatives analysis" under rules governing "disposal sites for dredged or fill material," a thorough public-interest review, and a Compensatory Mitigation Plan for Losses of Aquatic Resources. In applying to USACE for the permit last year, SpaceX said the proposed expansion was to accommodate additional launch/landing pads, integration towers and "associated infrastructure, stormwater management features and vehicle parking," according to the public notice USACE issued last year soliciting comments. SpaceX did submit some information to USACE, though the company's "siting criteria" requiring the use of existing infrastructure "eliminates, without additional considerations, all alternatives not located in Boca Chica," even though SpaceX has said it is considering additional launch/reentry locations beyond Boca Chica, USACE said. USACE called SpaceX's definition of environmental siting criteria "too broad and undefined," and recommended that the company readdress the No Action Alternative in its analysis. SpaceX is waiting for the results of a Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment by the Federal Aviation Administration about the company's plans for Boca Chica, including the first orbital launch of a combined Starship-Super Heavy booster. The FAA has pushed back the deadline to complete the PEA multiple times. The current deadline is April 29. Depending on the results of the Final PEA, the FAA may or may not issue the necessary orbital launch license. One option is for the FAA to demand a much more comprehensive, time-consuming Environmental Impact Statement in addition to the PEA. "Specifically, SpaceX needs to describe impacts to ongoing operations if the permit is denied," USACE said. "For instance, in a Feb. 10, 2022, announcement, SpaceX stated they will shift operations to Kennedy Space Center (in Florida) if the FAA requires an Environmental Impact Statement. This alternative was eliminated from analysis in your Oct. 2021 submission but seems to represent either the No Action alternative or a practicable off-site alternative requiring detailed analysis." USACE wrote on March 7 that SpaceX can re-initiate the permit application process by "addressing all comments/concerns specified in our May 21, 2021 (letter)." (c)2022 The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas) Visit The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas) at www.brownsvilleherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. WASHINGTON The Army nearly doubled the number of soldiers discharged for refusing the coronavirus vaccine in the past week, according to service data released Thursday. The Army has now separated 176 soldiers as of Thursday for refusing the lawful order to receive the [coronavirus] vaccine. Thats up from 90 last week. Comparatively, the Marine Corps has separated 1,409 Marines as of March 30, the Navy has separated 763 sailors as of Thursday and the Air Force has separated 250 airmen as of Tuesday, according to the latest data from the services. The Army was the last of the service branches to begin kicking out troops who do not get the shots. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth ordered commanders in January to begin the process of booting soldiers who outright refused the vaccine. The first three soldiers were separated for that reason on March 18. The Army has also relieved six service leaders from command including two battalion commanders and issued 3,330 general officer written reprimands to soldiers for refusing the vaccination order, according to the data. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August ordered all service members to receive the vaccine but allowed each service to determine their own timelines. Some 97% of the Armys about 486,000 active-duty soldiers have been fully vaccinated, the service said Thursday. Those percentages remain unchanged from the previous week. So far, the Army has approved two permanent religious waivers for the vaccine order, according to the data. About 836 active-duty soldiers have been denied a religious exemption, and another 4,165 are awaiting decisions on their religious waiver requests. That number is up slightly from previous weeks as soldiers continue applying for such exemptions. The Army has approved 20 permanent medical exemptions to the vaccine, as of Thursday. The service has denied 657 permanent waiver requests and another 699 are awaiting decisions. Those denied exemptions to the Armys vaccine mandate have seven days to start the vaccination process or file an appeal of their denial before commanders are to begin the process of kicking them out, according to Wormuths January order. An Army veteran and former contractor at Fort Hood pleaded guilty for her part in the theft of about $2.1 million worth of Army gear from the central Texas base, according to federal court records. Jessica Elaintrell Smith, 29, accepted a plea agreement Tuesday for one of two federal charges pending against her in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas for working with others to steal Army equipment out of storage containers at Fort Hood between March and June 2021, according to court records. The theft included three laser range finders, 57 thermal scopes, four night-vision scopes and 10 night-vision goggles. She will be sentenced June 28. Another former Army veteran and contractor, Brandon Dominic Brown, faces the same charges and has a jury trial set for June in Corpus Christi. A third person involved in the case, Nathan Nicols, pleaded guilty to helping steal the equipment and then listing the items for sale on eBay. Authorities found the stolen Army equipment in Nicols home when they searched it in July. He will be sentenced June 21. On June 17, 2021, soldiers at Fort Hood reported to the Army Criminal Investigation Division that 17 large cargo containers had been found with their locks cut from them and a formal inventory showed about $2.1 million worth of gear missing. Investigators found the stolen gear for sale online about a week later and traced it to Nicols in Corpus Christi, according to court records. Text messages on Nicols phone linked the crime back to Smith. Smith, who in 2014 pleaded guilty to theft in Bell County while serving in the Army at Fort Hood, worked as a contractor on the base at the time the Army gear was stolen in 2021. Surveillance footage showed Smith entered Fort Hood on June 16, the night most of the items were stolen, at 8:23 p.m. and 9:04 p.m., according to court records. Brown, who was discharged from the Army in 2019, was seen on the footage the same night at 9:19 p.m. and 12:18 a.m. His contractor position at Fort Hood would have given him access to the area where the items were stolen, according to court records. Smith, who worked as a unit supply specialist for the Army, was first convicted of theft in June 2014, according to Bell County court records. She was sentenced to 10 years of probation. The Army deployed Smith to Afghanistan the same month and she returned in November 2014, according to her service record. She served six years, leaving the Army in 2016 as a specialist. During that time, she earned multiple awards, including the Army Good Conduct Medal and two Army Commendation Medals. In 2020, Bell County reopened Smiths theft case because she was charged with felony family assault, which violated the terms of her probation. American service members aboard the USS Hershel Woody Williams recently helped seize an estimated $350 million in suspected cocaine from a fishing vessel sailing near the island country of Cape Verde, U.S. Africa Command announced Thursday. Seven people were arrested and about 13,228 pounds of suspected cocaine was seized in the April 1 bust, during which the Brazilian-flagged vessel was boarded and inspected, Africa Command said in a statement. U.S. sailors, Coast Guardsmen and Marines boarded the vessel under the jurisdiction of Cape Verde and in support of law enforcement agents from the country, according to the statement. Cape Verde is a chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles west of Dakar, Senegal. U.S. maritime services regularly work with African nations to assist them in addressing sea-based security challenges, including terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing and narcotics trafficking, the statement said. Illicit activity in the maritime undermines the economic development of the entire African continent, Rear Adm. Anthony Carullo, director of operations for U.S. Naval Forces Africa, said in the statement. This successful interdiction sends a clear message that the countries of West Africa are poised to enhance their national and regional prosperity by intercepting and prosecuting illegal activity. The Hershel Woody Williams, an expeditionary sea base homeported at Souda Bay, Greece, operates within U.S. 6th Fleets area of responsibility, and is the first ship assigned to AFRICOM. A post on the Ramstein/KMC Spouses group on Facebook grabbed my colleagues attention when it promised the best flammkuchen and an ever-pleasant waitress. Did we know the restaurant, my colleague asked a few of us in the newsroom back in January. Had we tried it? I had not, but quickly decided I must check it out. Journalism is a discipline of verification, after all. And I was not disappointed on the two occasions Ive visited the quiet spot in Kaiserslauterns old town. With vaulted ceilings and arched windows, its like a little secular chapel dedicated to the simple flame cake, an Alsatian meal of a thin pizza-like crust typically topped with cheese and bacon. I also sampled a delightfully fragrant one topped with pumpkin, walnuts, rosemary and feta. But before that, I hadnt heard of the place, whose Facebook page at the time was humbly named Flammkuche & Pfannkuche its now been renamed Nora Restaurant. A sign hanging over its door is inscribed simply with the word Flammkuche on a piece of iron resembling an arched window, and thats how its known to some. Surprise, surprise, Flamkuche makes flammkuchen, revealed a 2008 review in Stars and Stripes, which described the restaurants apparent obscurity as its true mystery, a hidden local gem. It also serves soups, schnitzel and German pancakes known as pfannkuchen. A quick look on Google revealed that it was located little more than a block from my apartment, in an area Id walked past dozens of times, just off the main pedestrian zone. But Id never noticed it. Well, thats not exactly true. Id noticed the red stone building with its facade at a 45-degree angle from the sidewalk and its ornate relief over the heavy wooden door, partly hidden by a spray of vines climbing the wall. Id peeked into the darkened windows and wondered what went on in there at all those wooden tables. But Id never seen it open (business hours are after 6 p.m. most days) and perplexingly never noticed the glaring clue given in the one word on its well-lit sign, hanging from what resembles a cast iron pizza peel. For the uninitiated, flammkuchen are like large, rectangular pizzas, but topped with sour cream in place of tomato sauce. Originating in the Alsace region of France that borders Germany, theyre also known as tarte flambe or flammekeuche. Theyre typically baked in wood-burning ovens and served on wooden platters. Thats the case at Nora Restaurant, where the menu features the traditional Alsatian-style dish topped with cheese, onions and bacon. Its among a dozen meaty takes, along with a Tex Mex one made with corn and jalapenos and another topped with chorizo. There are nine vegetarian styles and three dessert versions, too. Ive tried the sweet one with apple and cinnamon, a warm and sweet late-night snack I ordered just before closing. My belly was actually still stuffed with the hearty, vegetarian pumpkin-walnut-feta dish from dinner and the hefeweizen that washed it down. Yes, I had two courses of flammkuchen and Id do it again. I havent tried them all yet. As advertised in the January post on the spouses group and in a few others before that the service was friendly and the atmosphere relaxing, with 80s music playing not too loud. On my first visit with a friend from out of town, there was only one other party in the restaurant, also Americans. On a second visit, I was the lone customer. A hidden gem, indeed. Its small, so it could fill up quickly on a busy night, but its easy enough to make reservations with a quick phone call. The staff speaks at least some English and communicating has not been a problem. Theyve recently opened up some tables under umbrellas out back of the building for when the weathers nice. And for gray days when youd rather stay in, they offer takeout ordering through the site lieferando.de, though still under the name Flammkuche & Pfannkuche there. Nora Restaurant Address: Ludwigstrasse 40 in downtown Kaiserslautern. Hours: Wednesday Friday: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. (closed Mondays and Tuesdays); Saturday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Prices: Flammkuche range from about 6 euros to 13 euros; pfannkuche are in the upper end of that range and schnitzel runs from 12 euros to 16 euros. Drinks range from about 2.50 euros for coffee and tea to about 3 to 4 euros for most soft drinks, juices, beer (on tap and in bottles), wine and spirits. Some wines are offered by the bottle for under 20 euros. Menu: Online: app.yamnam.com/menu/uibo-catering-gbr or lieferando.de/en/menu/flammkuche-pfannkuche (takeout) Information: Phone: 0179-4608675; email: tiia.catering@gmail.com; Facebook: facebook.com/NoraRestaurant President Joe Biden is determined to expand on the 2015 wrongs committed when President Barack Obama approved the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the nuclear weapons deal with Iran. Iran never had any intentions of honoring the JCPOA restrictions and played a shell game while continuing research and development. This is exactly why the Trump administration withdrew from JCPOA and imposed severe sanctions on Iran. Obamas lead negotiator was Wendy Sherman, whose big claim to fame at that time was having worked on nuclear weapons negotiations with North Korea. That stunning success resulted in the Kim dynasty becoming a nuclear weapons power. Now Sherman is deputy secretary of state with a personal interest in resurrecting JCPOAs massive failure. Biden is already set on repeating Obamas ignoring of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which states the president shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. Obama claimed that because JCPOA was an agreement and not a treaty, Senate approval was not required. A treaty by any other name is still a treaty. Expanding upon previous wrongs, American negotiators in Vienna are not meeting directly with their Iranian counterparts. While publicly stating Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and cannot remain in power, Biden accepts Russia serving as intermediary negotiator with Iran. Has Biden forgotten that Russia came to Irans rescue in keeping the brutal Assad government in power in Syria, and Iran provided Russia a ground route to deliver weapons to Armenia during that countrys unsuccessful war with Azerbaijan? Moscow and Tehran are going to work together to make the most of Bidens determination to tell the world that Irans nuclear program is once again focused on peaceful research. In that very intent, Biden ignores the warning of David Berman, former chairman of Israels Atomic Energy Commission: By developing atomic energy peaceful uses, you reach the nuclear weapon option. There are not two atomic energies. Recognizing Irans nuclear research program is ultimately under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, there can be no doubt the goal is to develop atomic weapons. In a bizarre twist, Biden is seriously considering acceptance of Irans negotiation demand to remove the IRGC from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization list. In accordance with standards established by Congress, to be designated as an FTO, three criteria must exist: (1) a foreign organization, (2) engaged in or retaining the capability and intent to engage in terrorism, and (3) which threatens the security of U.S. nationals or the national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests of the United States. The IRGC has been continually involved in deadly terrorist attacks against the U.S. and its citizens for decades. These include, but are far from limited to, the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241, and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 American service members. In 2011, the FBI prevented the IRGC from bombing a Washington, D.C., restaurant while it was hosting the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S. The Trump administration was correct in placing the IRGC on the FTO list, which should have been done by Ronald Reagan and every president since. While serving as the senior antiterrorism officer for all coalition forces in Iraq, I knew of the explosive devices, weapons systems, and armored vehicle vulnerability assessment reports that the IRGC was providing to the Badr Corps, Mahdi Army, and other anti-American militias. An informant inside al-Qaida described to me the high-tech road bombs his organization was receiving from the IRGC. Manufactured in Iran and distributed to our adversaries in Iraq, there was nothing improvised about these explosive devices. Not until April 2019 did the Department of Defense release formerly classified information that directly attributed 603 American service member deaths in Iraq to the IRGC. Now, over the graves of our warriors, Biden is considering wiping clean the slate of their murderers. Since the 2019 FTO designation, the IRGC has stepped up terrorist operations. Embedded in the IRGC is the Quds Force (translated Jerusalem Force). Its former commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, met his fatal end upon returning to Baghdad to plot more attacks on American forces. His successor, Esmail Qaani, has openly threatened to assassinate U.S. officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton. Soleimani would likely be president of Iran today had he not been eliminated by an American drone strike. Irans presidency is instead held by Ebrahim Raisi, the hanging judge who sent thousands of Iranian dissidents to their executions. From Obamas JCPOA, $140 billion in Irans assets were unfrozen. Bidens deal will end current sanctions that are crippling the Iranian government. Whenever the Iranian regime is struggling to survive, an American president comes to its rescue. How can Biden be determined to make so many mistakes in resurrecting a bad deal that defies all logic? This defiance of logic is going to result in the number one nation-state exporter of terrorism to be armed with nuclear weapons. Wes Martin, a retired U.S. Army colonel, served as the senior antiterrorism officer for all coalition forces in Iraq. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Foundation for Liberty and Human Rights. The United States may not be in the business of regime change right now. It can still help turn the political tide against Vladimir Putin in Russia. The key is piercing the Russian presidents iron curtain with the truth about the war in Ukraine. Its a hard target. But there are ways to do it, as the CIA began to discover 40 years ago, in a small, skillful and wildly successful covert operation in Poland. Back then, the Kremlin and its minions in Warsaw had imposed martial law to crush the burgeoning Solidarity movement. Solidarity started as a labor coalition, but it became an underground resistance organization, its leaders in jail or in hiding. The CIA created a program code-named HELPFUL. It smuggled the tools of a free press into Solidaritys hands. At first it was paper, ink, printing presses, Xerox copiers and fax machines. Then it was equipment for clandestine radio stations, funded in part by the AFL-CIO, which worked in harmony with the CIA. Then came sophisticated technology that let the resistance break into state-run news programs with a banner proclaiming Solidarity Lives. The information war helped keep Solidarity alive - and then thrive. The movement grew into a political force that won national elections in 1989. And that was the beginning of the end of the Soviet empire. Information operations and espionage, along with economic sanctions and diplomacy, are instruments of political warfare - the way a nation projects its power without going to war. The United States all but abandoned the practice of political warfare after 9/11; the war on terror swamped the tradition. While America slept, Putin escalated. Disinformation is his political-warfare weapon of choice; it helped him monkey-wrench the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the White House. But now American political warfare is back in the battle. Espionage provided the United States with the power to expose and defuse Putins plans to create pretexts for attacking Ukraine, like staging fake videos of atrocities against Russians; Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the case against Russia at the United Nations on Feb. 17. American intelligence continues to penetrate the confines of Russias military and spy services, identifying hundreds of intelligence officers posing as diplomats in embassies across Europe. Economic warfare is hitting Putins oligarchs and power brokers, as well as the Russian people, where it hurts. American diplomacy is working to unify the NATO nations after Trump undermined the alliance. The time is ripe for another Operation HELPFUL - on a grand scale. Instead of paper and ink, pixels and smartphones can create freedom of information and a foundation for political dissent in Russia. The goal is to win hearts and minds. The Kremlin-controlled state media barrage their viewers with lies. Putin has banned independent reporting, shuttered international news organizations and made it a crime to call the war a war. So how can the truth - the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians, the soaring casualties of Russian forces - be amplified and transmitted into Russian eyes and ears? In the Cold War, and up until last month, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty broadcast news into Russia. And just as the radios worked to evade signal-jamming by the Soviets, they are breaking through Putins information blockade, despite his ban. Russian viewership of the radios YouTube channels tripled in March. And there are more channels of communication. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have been downloading virtual private networks, or VPNs, which bypass firewalls while preserving a users internet privacy. The Swiss-based company ProtonVPN reports a 10-fold increase in Russian subscribers since the war began - and its not charging its customers. That creates new ways to counter Kremlin propaganda. So does Telegram, the thus-far uncensored group-chat service widely available in Russia: The Washington Post and the New York Times use it to transmit news about the war. Twitter and Facebook have privacy-protected access for Russians through an anonymous browser called Tor. The United States can help break Putins authoritarian grip in Russia by flooding the country with news, information technology and internet workarounds. It could also learn from the human-rights activists who have been smuggling thumb-drives into North Korea for the past eight years. What about older Russians, for whom the internet is largely terra incognita? Another page from the Cold War playbook may come in handy to reach them. In 1948, the CIA launched its very first covert operation - an attempt to sway national elections in Italy toward pro-American candidates. In addition to providing $10 million for politicians, priests and propaganda, the United States, through the press, asked Italian Americans to send 10 million letters to friends and family back home. The operation was a success. Today, more than 3 million Russian-born Americans live in the United States. More than 60% of them have college degrees. They know whats going on in Ukraine. So why not mount a campaign though community leaders to enlist the diaspora - and ask them to call their friends and family in Russia, write them letters, send them emails, connect with them on Skype, try to make them see reality? Though Putin and his talking heads have irradiated the Russian people with propaganda, a call to mom might help, even if the Kremlin has made it a crime to call the war a war. Outside the Russian Embassy in Stockholm, an immigration law firm recently put up a billboard addressed to its occupants: Find it hard to go to work? Feeling shame at the end of each working day? Soon it will be too late to escape! Get in touch with us to learn how to get political asylum. In CIA stations across the world, the same message is being broadcast, though a touch more subtly. The CIA and the State Department have helped American allies identify and expel hundreds of Russian intelligence officers posing as diplomats in embassies all over Europe. Those people are temporarily out of a job. And, just as the fall of the Berlin Wall created a field day for the recruitment of Russians, the consequences of the war in Ukraine will give the CIA the chance to offer the Kremlins spies a new and mutually beneficial line of work - disrupting Putins autocracy. Its hard to envision a popular revolution in Moscow. But Putin has sent his countrys economy and politics back to the bad old days of the Soviet Union. Information is power. Perhaps someday the Russian people, armed with the truth, will rise up against their czar. Tim Weiner, author of The Folly and the Glory: America, Russia, and Political Warfare, 1945-2020, is working on a history of the 21st-century CIA. His podcast series on the war in Ukraine, Whirlwind, premieres April 13. North Korea has ignored U.S. offers for talks and may be preparing a nuclear test to celebrate the birth of the nations founder, according to the U.S. State Department. Pyongyang could test a nuclear weapon April 15, when the North will mark the 110th birthday of late leader Kim Il Sung, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Sung Kim, told reporters Wednesday. "I don't want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch. It could be a nuclear test," he said, according to a Thursday report by The Korea Times. North Korea has conducted six known nuclear weapons tests since 2006, the most recent on Sept. 3, 2017. There was a pause in tests during the administration of former President Donald Trump, who held three summits with the Norths current leader, Kim Jong Un. The pair issued a joint statement after meeting in Singapore in June 2018, under which Pyongyang agreed to denuclearize in exchange for normalizing relations with the United States. North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests so far this year and fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on March 24 that landed in Japans exclusive economic zone, outside its territorial waters. And it appears to have launched a construction project at Punggye-ri, a nuclear-testing facility dismantled during inter-Korean negotiations in 2018, according to satellite images seen by U.S.-based analysts. The construction and repair work indicate that North Korea has made some decision about the status of the test site, Jeffrey Lewis, director of the center's East Asia Nonproliferation Program, and Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate, wrote in a report last month. One possibility is that North Korea plans to bring the test site back to a state of readiness to resume nuclear explosive testing. The North hasnt responded to Washingtons offers to restart denuclearization talks, Sung Kim said, according to an Agence France-Presse report Thursday. "We have not received any response from Pyongyang, which is very disappointing, because we have sent several messages, both public and private, inviting them to a dialogue without any conditions," he said. "Instead, they have initiated a series of missile tests that recently culminated in at least three ICBM launches. These actions pose a serious threat to regional stability." North Korea is likely to consult China about any potential nuclear test, according to Kim Hyun-wook, an American studies professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. If a test happens and China fails to support additional sanctions, the international community would likely be critical of Beijing. So, China could offer the North economic support if it agrees not to carry out a test, he said by phone Thursday. Pyongyang may be taking advantage of recent world events, including Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii. The Norths provocations are being overshadowed by the war, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday. The North Koreans are going to do something another missile launch or another nuclear test, he said. They figure this is as good a time as any to create a little mischief. North Korea can already build a nuclear weapon, but it can learn from more testing, Cossa said. Ultimately, Pyongyangs goal is the removal of sanctions stemming from its nuclear tests, something that is not going to happen, he said. However, it seems unlikely that Russia, itself sanctioned due to the war in Ukraine and with U.N. Security Council veto power, would back more sanctions as a result of any new nuclear test by the North, Cossa said. A nuclear test would help North Korea create division in South Korea as President-elect Yoon Seok-youl prepares to take office next month, he said. Yoon visited Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military on the peninsula, south of Seoul, Thursday, the Yonhap news agency reported that day. South Korea talked about the possibility of a stronger American military presence on the peninsula, possibly including U.S. nuclear bombers, at a meeting between a delegation sent by Yoon and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House, Yonhap also reported Thursday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan, according to media reports, a landmark display of American support that triggered a diplomatic protest from Beijing. Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Sunday following a visit to Japan, according to reports Thursday in both Taiwan and Japan, including by Fuji News Network, which cited people it did not identify. It would be the first visit by a serving U.S. house speaker since Newt Gingrich traveled to Taiwan in 1997. Pelosis office declined to say whether she was traveling to Taipei when contacted by Bloomberg News, citing longstanding security protocols. Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou declined to comment when asked about a potential visit at a press briefing, saying the government will release statement at the right time. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen would welcome the show of diplomatic support at a time when Russias invasion of Ukraine has raised concern that China may follow through on its oft-repeated threat to take control of the democratic island by military force. It would represent the latest in a series of visits by senior U.S. officials to Taiwan in recent years and the most high-profile under the presidency of Joe Biden. Tsai met a bipartisan group led by former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen in Taipei in February. That was followed a day later by the arrival of former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on a private trip. In 2020, two senior officials from the administration of former President Donald Trump -- Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Undersecretary of State Keith Krach -- led delegations to Taiwan. Azar was the highest ranking sitting U.S. administration official to visit Taipei since Washington switched official ties to Beijing in 1979. Beijing lodged a protest with Washington over reports of Pelosis planned visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing Thursday in Beijing. If she does visit, China will take strong measures and the consequences will be borne by the U.S., Zhao said, without giving details on what those steps would entail. Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Communist Partys Global Times newspaper, in a defiant Thursday editorial said such a trip would represent the most serious provocation by Washington on Taiwan since the islands then president, Lee Teng-hui, visited the U.S. in 1996. Hu deemed Gingrichs visit less serious as he belonged to a different political party than then-President Bill Clinton, even though that affiliation has no standing on the speakers seniority in U.S. politics. Pelosi and Biden are both Democrats. While the crisis in Ukraine is still ongoing, the U.S. is deliberately taking the offensive toward China, Hu wrote. China cannot back down this time. He called on the Peoples Liberation Army to close down Taiwanese airspace on Sunday, by buzzing the island with aircraft including from the direction of Pelosis plane. China has steadily increased its military pressure on Taiwan, more than doubling its military forays into Taiwans air-defense identification zone to around 950 last year, according to Defense Ministry data compiled by Bloomberg. Chinese military aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait two days in a row following Krachs visit. Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed Chinas commitment to a peaceful resolution over Taiwan, saying that the dispute over the democratically ruled island was not comparable at all to Ukraine. Still, he reiterated Beijings stance that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China and warned that any U.S. efforts to condone separatists would lead to unbearable consequences. Bloombergs Jenni Marsh contributed to this report. TOKYO The Japanese government has given up scheduling an April visit by President Joe Biden due to his tightened schedule around the war in Ukraine, Kyodo News reported Wednesday. Instead, the government hopes for a face-to-face meeting between Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a May summit meeting of Quad leaders, the loose alliance of Japan, Australia, the U.S. and India, according to the report. Officially, no date is set for either event, according to Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A date for the Quad summit meeting and visit by President Biden is currently being coordinated but no specific date has been decided, the ministrys international press division told Stars and Stripes in an email Thursday. Kishida proposed for Biden to visit Japan at the end of April when the two met in Brussels during the Group of Seven summit last month, Japanese television station Nippon TV reported. The Japanese government also planned to host the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Quad summit, by the end of April, and schedule the Biden-Kishida meeting at the same time, Fuji Television reported on Wednesday. However, Bidens schedule forestalled the trip as he deals with the crisis in Ukraine, Kyodo News reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source. The calendar is further complicated by anticipated general elections in Australia, according to Kyodo News. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to call a general election in mid or late May, the Sydney Herald reported Wednesday. Nonetheless, Bidens visit and the Quad summit will be coordinated for some time in late May, according to Kyodo News. Although Biden has not visited Japan as president, he and Kishida have had bilateral and multilateral discussions and video conferences on common issues such as regional affairs, the economy, global security and the Ukraine situation, according to the ministrys statement. The Quad is an Indo-Pacific alliance aiming to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, but it is essentially a means of countering Chinas growing economic, political and military influence in the region. The first in-person Quad summit meeting was held in Washington, D.C., in September. The leaders have agreed to meet annually. Businesses have found it increasingly hard to justify continued operations in Russia as troubling images of death and despair filter out of Ukraine and Western governments take steps to further isolate Russia economically. Chip-making giant Intel is the latest global corporation to halt business in Russia, saying in a statement Wednesday that it was calling for a swift return to peace. The same day, the White House announced a new sanctions package that includes a prohibition on new investment in Russia by any U.S. person a measure that legal experts said could hasten the departure of many more firms lingering in the country. The investment ban comes after more than 600 multinational corporations announced plans to voluntarily exit Russia, while making the country less attractive to those businesses that plan to stay. At least 155 companies have resisted demands to exit or reduce activities there while another 96 are holding off on new investments or trying to buy time, according to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who is tracking corporate investments in Russia. You dont have to eat at McDonalds to feel the impact of its closure, said Aaron Klein, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. For average Russian people, seeing name-brand Western companies exit Russia is a message that they are at risk of returning to the Soviet era of society. Intels exit comes after more than two decades of business collaboration at a research and development facility near Moscow, where teams of engineers would work on advanced chip technology for use around the world. The company said it is halting business operations there effective immediately in response to Moscows unprovoked attack on neighboring Ukraine, according to a Wednesday statement on its website. It stopped all shipments to Russia and Belarus on March 3, and has previously issued statements condemning the violence. We are working to support all of our employees through this difficult situation, including our 1,200 employees in Russia, the company wrote in an unsigned statement. We have also implemented business continuity measures to minimize disruption to our global operations. In announcing the new sanction measures, the Treasury Department also said it would prevent U.S. banks from processing Russian debt payments in dollars, pushing the country closer to default. If early sanctions were meant to sever Russias ties to global business community, the ones announced Wednesday were meant to make that split-up permanent. Todays [executive order] will ensure the enduring weakening of the Russian Federations global competitiveness, reads a White House fact sheet on the new measures. The ban on investments is not clear-cut for many American businesses that continue to operate factories and other facilities in Russia. Over time, maintaining those facilities will require some form of investment, which could force the United States to scrutinize individual company decisions, said Ariel Cohen, a nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council, a think tank. Is the investment to refurbish existing production lines? If you need to replace machine parts, even whole machines, is it caught in those sanctions? Cohen asked. The answer is between Treasury and the legal interpretations on a case-by-case basis. Koch Industries, which operates a large glass-producing business in Russia, has already suspended new capital investments but has balked at closing. In an emailed statement Wednesday, company spokesman David Dziok said Koch would comply with all applicable sanctions, laws and regulations concerning its operations, and that it would closely monitor the situation and modify our decisions as circumstances warrant. In a March 24 email to employees, president and chief operating officer Dave Robertson said abandoning its glass plants in Russia would do more harm than good because it would leave employees open to prosecution or harassment by Russian authorities. Plus, he added, Moscow would seize the plants and keep them open anyway. If [Koch] were to walk away from these glass facilities, it would give full control of the assets to the Russian government, who we believe would keep them running and capture 100 percent of the financial benefit, Robertson wrote. In the letter, Robertson also said the company condemns the heinous actions of the Russian government in Ukraine. Some legal experts believed the Biden administration purposely left the definition of investments ambiguous to force companies to make their own determinations of how much legal risk they want to take on by continuing Russian operations. Many businesses probably will err on the side of caution, said David Szakonyi, an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University. Companies doing business in Russia are going to have to spend a lot of time and resources to fully understand this new investments rule, which could in turn create enough motivation to completely pull out of the Russian market to avoid running afoul or crossing the line, Szakonyi said. The executive order bans new investment so it wouldnt impact existing plants, the Treasury Department said in a statement. As is standard with the implementation other executive orders, Treasurys Office of Foreign Asset Control will issue additional public guidance for the private sector. Every business is dealing with different circumstances and we are in close contact with the private sector to address individual questions. Sonnenfeld said the investment ban is likely to have minimal impact on companies long-term plans, as few multinationals want to pursue new Russian investments at this point. Some may try to redefine what counts as a new investment, as opposed to a capital upgrade meant to maintain existing operations. The White House continued to grant exemptions for businesses that are supporting sectors important to humanitarian activities, which it specified to include food and agricultural commodities, medicine and telecommunications services that connect the Russian people to the outside world. Several U.S. corporations cited that exemption to justify continued sales there, including Cargill, one of the worlds largest agricultural companies. Last month it suspended all investments in Russia but said it would maintain a staff of about 2,500 there to continue providing essential food such as bread, infant formula and cereal. For other companies, the decision to pull out of Russia is complicated by contracts with business partners. Major U.S. hotel chains, including Hyatt and Hilton, continue to operate hotels in the country that are owned by third-party companies. Todd Davis, a spokesman for Hyatt, said his company is currently assessing the new measures and [continues] to evaluate our existing agreements with the third-party entities that own Hyatt hotels in Russia. Meg Ryan, a spokeswoman for Hilton, said the company would continue to comply with all applicable trade sanctions. The U.S. Air Force in Europe is due for some senior leadership changes. Maj. Gen. Randall Reed, the commander of the Germany-based 3rd Air Force, was nominated for a third star and the post of deputy commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., the Pentagon announced Wednesday. Reed has led 3rd Air Force from its headquarters at Ramstein Air Base since July 2020. Maj. Gen. Derek France will succeed Reed at 3rd Air Force, but a changeover date hasnt yet been scheduled, a command spokesman said Thursday. France is serving at Ramstein as the director of operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for USAFE-AFAFRICA, a job hes held since June 2020. President Joe Biden also nominated Maj. Gen. John D. Lamontagne to receive a third star and move to Ramstein to be the deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in EuropeAir Forces Africa. Lt. Gen. Steven Basham is currently second in command at USAFE-AFAFRICA, a post hes held since May 2019. Lamontagne is now the chief of staff for U.S. European Command in Stuttgart. If Bidens nominations are confirmed by the Senate, the Air Force also will see changes at the helm of two major commands outside Europe. Biden nominated Lt. Gen. Duke Z. Richardson for a fourth star and leadership of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Richardson is the services uniformed acquisition chief at the Pentagon and would replace Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., who has led Air Force Materiel Command since May 2019. Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, AMC deputy commander, was selected as commander of Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. If confirmed, he would replace Lt. Gen. Marshall B. Brad Webb, whos led the command since July 2019. news@stripes.com Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived Thursday at NATO headquarters with three items on his agenda to consolidate his countrys defenses against Russias full-scale invasion. It is weapons, weapons, weapons, Kuleba said in Brussels, where allies gathered for emergency meetings. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts took up the issue of how to get more weaponry into Ukraine as the war, which began Feb. 24, enters a new phase. I think the deal Ukraine is offering is fair, Kuleba said. You give us weapons. We sacrifice our lives. And the war is contained in Ukraine. Blinken, speaking to reporters after the talks, said allies are providing the weapons and systems that Ukrainian troops can use most effectively to push back against Russian aggression. We are not going to let anything stand in the way of getting Ukrainians what they, and what we believe, can be effective. We are looking across the board right now, Blinken said. But Kuleba said that the question isnt whether more weapons will arrive its whether allies will provide them in time as Ukraine prepares for a new Russian offensive in the east. Either you help us now, and I am speaking of days, not weeks, or your help will come too late, said Kuleba, who said the battle for the eastern Donbas region would be of a scale unseen since World War II. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Moscows recent withdrawal of forces from around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv marks a shift in strategy rather than de-escalation. Now, Russian forces are resupplying and regrouping in Belarus. After failing to capture Kyiv, Russia is expected to refocus on Ukraines east, with the aim of establishing a land bridge between Donbas and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Kuleba said Ukrainian forces can resist, but only if they are better armed. Stoltenberg expressed confidence Thursday that allies are prepared to do more. I am certain that we will address the need for more air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, lighter but also heavier weapons, and many different types of support to Ukraine, said Stoltenberg, flanked by Kuleba at NATO headquarters, prior to the start of talks Thursday. Allies also discussed additional sanctions on Moscow in response to allegations that Russian forces have targeted civilians and committed war crimes in previously occupied areas. Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, the U.S. has committed $1.7 billion worth of weaponry and other items to support Ukrainian forces. Javelin anti-tank systems and Stinger missiles are among the arms the U.S. has supplied. Others pegged for delivery include Switchblade tactical drones and Puma drones for surveillance. Numerous other allies have sent weapons as well. Still, Ukraine says some NATO members, Germany in particular, have been too cautious and too slow in delivering arms. While Berlin has time, Kyiv doesnt, Kuleba said. He credited Germany for reversing its previous position of not providing lethal weaponry to his country in the wake of Russias invasion, but he said Berlin is still too restrictive on what it is willing to send. It is clear that Germany can do more given its reserves and capacity, Kuleba said. He called on allies to put aside their hesitations and added: Because as weird as it may sound, today weapons serve the purpose of peace. President Vladimir Putin is betting his troops can deliver a victory in Ukraines east to rescue Russias faltering invasion after failing to seize the capital Kyiv with a lightning war. He still faces a tough task. Six weeks of war have exposed serious failings in Russias ability to sustain military operations, forcing the Kremlin to scale back its war aims. The focus now is on taking Ukraines Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and potentially as much as possible of its southern coast, allowing Putin to establish a land corridor to the Crimea peninsula he annexed in 2014. Its more realistic than the big goals they had originally but speed is of the essence, said Samuel Cranny-Evans, an analyst from the Royal United Services Institute in London. The Russian troops are fatigued, the difficulty for them will be maintaining momentum, keeping up pressure -- a lot will depend on the state of the Ukrainian forces. Ukraine is braced for a severe fight over Donbas, Ihor Zhovkva, the Ukrainian deputy presidential chief of staff, told Bloomberg TV. Authorities have told civilians to flee the area as soon as possible. With up to a third of Russias battle-ready units deployed in Ukraine out of action according to some U.S. estimates, encircling Ukrainian forces there will require significant reinforcements, says Rochan Consulting, a defense research group based in Gdansk, Poland. The best troops have already been used and we cannot be sure of the quality of Russias reserves, said Pavel Luzin, a Russia-based independent military analyst. How much of this manpower is combat ready, is it motivated enough to pursue such an offensive? In a sign of troop shortages, Russias redeploying some forces from Georgias breakaway regions to reinforce its invasion of Ukraine, Western officials say. Russian troops that retreated from Kyiv back to Russia wont be combat effective for some time, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Russian troops are already making modest advances east of Ukraines second city of Kharkiv in an effort to cut off the Ukrainians forces defending Donbas, among the countrys best and most battle-hardened. Standing in Russias way is Ukraines control of the strategic towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk though it could seek to bypass them. Emboldened by its successful defense of Kyiv and backed by weaponry supplied by the U.S. and European allies, Ukraine is reinforcing those troops. Negotiations between the two sides to halt the fighting are stalled and may not regain momentum until the outcome of this new phase of the war is clearer. Putin is seeking some kind of victory before Russias annual May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, said Mikk Marran, Director General of Estonias Foreign Intelligence Service. Russia may see its first major battlefield triumph if it succeeds in taking control of the southern port city of Mariupol, after a brutal seige thats killed hundreds and reduced many of its buildings to rubble. Encircled Ukrainian defenders have been fighting house to house. So far, Russia has managed so far to take control only of the Black Sea city of Kherson, though Ukrainians have launched a counter-offensive. Odessa, the countrys biggest port, remains firmly in Kyivs control. Still, Ukraine has been pleading for more help, including tanks and jets. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, on Thursday in Brussels for talks with NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, said he had come to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons and weapons. Ukraine also pulled back air defense systems from the east to defend Kyiv in the early part of the conflict, leaving it exposed to Russian air power now in the Donbas, according to the Royal United Services Institutes Cranny-Evans. The Russians are likely to have a relatively free hand now, he said. The Ukrainians are going to need significant and sustained assistance from NATO. Russia-backed separatists have controlled the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic covering about 30% of the two Ukrainian regions since 2014. Putin recognized them as independent and backed their claims to the rest of Donetsk and Luhansk two days before he announced the Feb. 24 invasion with the goal of demilitarizing and de-Nazifying Ukraine by ousting its democratic leaders and installing a pro-Moscow administration. Ukraine dismisses Russias objectives as absurd. After its initial push to decapitate the Ukrainian leadership failed, Ukraines determined resistance has compelled Russia to adopt more modest aims. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated hes willing to discuss Russias demand that his country abandon ambitions to join NATO and become neutral, though he wants enforceable security guarantees in return. But Ukraine rejects Russian demands to recognize its sovereignty over Crimea and the independence of the self-declared republics and talks on a compromise formula that would put Crimeas status on hold and de facto concede Russian control in the parts of Donbas it occupies have gone into reverse, Russia says. That means the two sides are likely to keep on contesting territory as U.S. and its allies continue to impose waves of sanctions on Russias economy and top officials in an effort to pressure Putin into ending the invasion and withdrawing his forces. The war is going to be a long slog, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. Its an open question now on how this ends, he said. ISTANBUL - A Turkish court decided Thursday to move the trial of 26 suspects linked to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, in what was widely seen as a concession by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Saudi government as the two countries try to mend their strained relations. Thursdays decision by a panel of judges in Istanbul criminal court was a stunning reversal by Turkey, which in the years after the killing of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul went to extraordinary lengths to publicize the Saudi governments role in the plot. More recently, though, Erdogans government has tried to improve ties with the kingdom as Turkey weathers one of its worst economic crises in decades. The court ruling was roundly criticized Thursday by human rights groups as well as Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggis fiancee, who first alerted the world to the journalists disappearance after he entered the Saudi Consulate on an October afternoon. In the years since, she has traveled around the globe, speaking to parliaments, politicians and the news media in her quest to hold the perpetrators accountable. We are not going to give up just because of a legal judgment, she told reporters outside the massive Istanbul court complex Thursday. We cannot continue as if nothing happened. Much is known about what happened to Khashoggi, thanks to Turkey. Before his death, Khashoggi was contributing columns to The Washington Post, some of which were sharply critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabias de facto ruler. Turkey released recordings, surveillance footage and other material revealing that a team of Saudi operatives had traveled to Istanbul and waited for Khashoggi, then killed him and dismembered his body. His remains have not been found. Erdogan, who called Khashoggi a friend, appeared outraged, saying that the killing was ordered at the highest levels of the Saudi government. The kingdom, which faced worldwide condemnation over the killing, held its own trial behind closed doors but never named the suspects it was prosecuting. It announced in September 2020 that eight people had been convicted, but it has yet to provide any evidence that anyone has been imprisoned or that any high officials have faced punishment. Turkey began changing its stance over the last two years amid signs that its activism in the Khashoggi case was taking a toll on the countrys economy and hurting Turkish exporters, who faced an unofficial boycott from businesses in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states allied with the kingdom. Turkeys foreign minister visited Saudi Arabia last year, his first trip there since Khashoggi was killed. Last month, in a surprise move, the prosecutor in the Turkish trial requested that the proceedings be halted and that the case be transferred to the authorities in Saudi Arabia, pursuant to a Saudi transfer request. The court referred the matter to Turkeys Ministry of Justice. On Friday, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said he would agree to the transfer request because none of the suspects in the case were in Turkish custody. The transfer of this file to a country where there is no justice is an example of irresponsibility against the Turkish people, Gokmen Baspinar, a lawyer representing Cengiz, said in court Thursday, referring to Saudi Arabia. His colleague, Ali Ceylan, asked the judge to protect the honor and dignity of the Turkish nation by refusing to send the trial to the Saudis. Lets not entrust the lamb to the wolf, he said, before a judge ordered a brief recess. During the break, Cengiz said the decision to halt the Turkish trial was a big, big mistake and that she would appeal the decision. She held out hope for a federal lawsuit brought by Cengiz and Democracy for the Arab World Now two years ago alleging that Khashoggi was tortured, murdered and dismembered on orders of the Saudi crown prince. We will look for justice in the United States, she said, shortly before the judge halted the Turkish trial. The court did nothing more than act as glorified public notary in rubber-stamping the governments decision, said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director for Human Rights Watch. This is all about willingness to sacrifice this case in the interests of realpolitik. Cengiz, who is Turkish, shuttled from interview to interview outside the courthouse, the Caglayan Justice Palace, grappling with the decisions made by her government and the court. What they did before was huge, she said, referring to the Erdogan governments decision to speak out about the killing of her fiance when others in the West were silent, she said. I understand the politics, she said. But you have a responsibility. You were representing a very important and historic case. And now, you give up, she said. I can say, Im sad. Paul Wade, a retired master sergeant with the California National Guard, traveled to Ukraine three times between 2005 and 2009 to train with his counterparts in the Ukrainian National Guard and army. Hes not surprised, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday, that the Ukrainians are more than holding their own against the perceived might of the Russian army. You can tell they have this grittiness, and they were like sponges when it came to anything we had to offer in the way of military training, Wade said. They didn't need those small luxuries. I complained about the breakfast, but something like that didn't bother them, he said. They needed very little to do their jobs and they really pumped up their chest whenever we gave them approval." Despite battlefield losses elsewhere in the country, Ukrainian forces have so far held their capital, Kyiv, from invading Russian forces since March 24. Last week, the Russians were falling back from areas north and northeast of Kyiv to regroup and possibly move to Donbas, a contested region in eastern Ukraine, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said at a press briefing Monday. As they withdrew, the Russians left behind civilian bodies in the streets of Bucha, a Kyiv suburb, apparent evidence of a massacre. National Guard troops from the U.S. have a long history with their Ukrainian counterparts. About 160 members of the Florida National Guard, part of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, trained alongside Ukrainian troops for about three months before the Russian invasion. They pulled out in mid-February, according to the Pentagon. The California National Guard has partnered with the Ukrainian National Guard since 1993, guard spokesman Lt. Col. Brandon Hill told Stars and Stripes in a March 31 email. That partnership involved noncommissioned officer training, training on one anothers methods and equipment and language immersion, Hill said. Close friendships developed over the years. We have friends in Ukraine, Brig. Gen. Peter Cross of the California State Guard, a division of the National Guard, said at a rally in Sacramento on March 6. This is personal for us. Michelle Halpin, a retired staff sergeant with the California National Guard, went to Ukraine in 2003 and 2005. The former public affairs officer said the partnership between the two countries sometimes even led Ukrainian Guard members to immigrate to the U.S. She remembers the Ukrainians as tough, hardworking people. "You would see these little old ladies. I remember one who was using a jackhammer doing roadwork, said Halpin. They're digging a ditch on the side of the road, older women doing hardcore labor. It was so strange and surreal, but it made me realize that life there has been pretty tough." Halpin said training often focused on anti-terrorism scenarios, such as responding to a car bomb. Wade, who also served as a public affairs officer, remembered scenarios involving a potential invasion. Although never explicitly stated, the idea of a Russian invasion was always in the background, he said. I think youre going to focus your attention and build your scenario around what could be the quickest threat to your country, he said. Wade recalled the visits as largely a friendship mission, typically involving training during the day and socializing at night. When we went there, we were told to talk to these people and share your knowledge and answer questions and show them what you can do and maybe watch what they can do, he said. And then of course, wed laugh and eat up and later maybe have some vodka. BRUSSELS - Ukraines top diplomat made a pointed appeal to NATO on Thursday to expedite arms supplies to Ukrainian forces - weaponry he said is urgently needed before Russia launches an expected offensive in the countrys east. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for swift action at a meeting of senior officials from across the Western alliance, where he put forward what he said was a threefold agenda: weapons, weapons, weapons. The more weapons we get, and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved, Kuleba said ahead of the meeting. The more cities and villages will not be destructed. And there will be no more Buchas, he said, referring to the Kyiv suburb where the withdrawal of Russian troops revealed scenes of horrific human suffering, including the bodies of civilians who appeared to have been tortured and summarily executed. I call on all allies to put aside their hesitations, their reluctance to provide Ukraine with everything it needs, Kuleba continued. Because, as weird as it may sound, but today weapons serve the purpose of peace. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the U.S. and allies are considering sending more weapons - but did not make a specific announcement. Were looking day in and day out at what we believe they most need to include new systems that have not heretofore here to for been provided, he said at a news conference in Brussels. Were not going to let anything stand in the way of getting Ukrainians what they need and what we believe can be effective, he said. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said NATO allies had agreed to step up support by providing new and heavier equipment to Ukraine. We have agreed to help Ukraine move from their Soviet-era equipment to NATO-standard equipment on a bilateral basis, she said, without providing specifics on what might be shipped or when. Kuleba said forces loyal to Kyiv - struggling to gain an upper hand against a larger, better-armed Russian force - require aircraft, armored vehicles, anti-ship missiles and additional air defense systems. NATO nations have provided an increasing array of arms since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, including antiaircraft missiles, tanks and kamikaze drones. But alliance members, nervous that Russia might launch a retaliatory attack against NATO territory, have stopped short of sending fighter jets or establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Kuleba told reporters after the meetings that he was confident additional kinds of weaponry would eventually be provided but said he was concerned they would not be sent fast enough. He said he had given NATO ministers a specific request with a specific timeline. Meeting stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russia has pulled troops back from positions around Kyiv and turned them toward southern and eastern Ukraine. Kuleba said the expected Russian offensive focused on Ukraines eastern Donbas region could resemble World War II: large-scale military maneuvers involving thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and aircraft. This is why it is so urgent for allies not to - how to put it mildly - not to tell us that theyre still thinking that they have to do all the procedures that there are remaining issues that have to be sorted out before they make decisions, he said. Either you help us now - and Im speaking about days, not weeks - or your help will come too late. And many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed exactly because this help came too late. Kulebas blunt appeal in Brussels echoed the approach other Ukrainian leaders, particularly President Volodymyr Zelensky, have taken as they seek to rally the world against Russian President Vladimir Putins assault: direct and vocal criticism of anything less than full support for Ukraine and identifying nations that fail to meet that mark. Earlier in the day, Kuleba named Germany as an example of nations that have held back from giving as much military support as they might provide. While Berlin has time, Kyiv doesnt, he said. I think the deal that Ukraine is offering is fair. You give us weapons; we sacrifice our lives, and the war is contained in Ukraine, he said. This is it. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army Europe, said the support of allies is critical as the war enters a decisive new phase. Ukrainian forces are running low on ammunition, he said. While allies are becoming more willing to send weapons, what has been sent so far is not enough, he said. The administration and NATO need to talk about winning, about helping Ukraine win, not just about avoiding losing, or preventing Russia from winning, he said. Winning, according to Hodges, would mean a return to pre-Feb. 24 lines and rendering Russia unable to resume its offensive. We need to see a sense of urgency, he said. Something like the Berlin airlift. Divisions among Western nations about how far to go with military aid to Ukraine are also visible in the economic arena, as some countries call for more drastic action to deprive Russia of energy income, while others balk at steps that could increase the burden felt by European consumers. The European Union this week proposed a ban on Russian coal imports, but the bloc has yet to halt the purchases of Russian oil and natural gas that continue to provide Moscow a valuable flow of cash. Ukraine has condemned that position and has called for, on top of a slew of global sanctions already in place, all Russian banks to be cut off from the global financial system. The Biden administration on Wednesday announced new measures targeting Putins adult children and additional Russian banks. Blinken said Thursday that he sees a growing commitment from Europe to end its dependence on Russian energy. Weve seen again and again Russia use energy as a weapon, as political leverage, and of course the proceeds it gets from the sale of its energy is now, yes, helping to fuel its aggression against Ukraine, he said. But its not like flipping a light switch - you have to do it methodically, he said. You have to put in place the necessary alternatives. Images of mass graves and civilian corpses lying in the streets of Bucha, Ukraine, have prompted international outrage. Even before those atrocities were revealed, the Biden administration announced last month a formal assessment that Russian forces were committing war crimes in Ukraine. I hope we will never face a situation again when to step up the sanctions pressure, we need atrocities like Bucha to be revealed and to impress and to shock other partners to the extent that they sit down and say, OK, fine we will introduce new sanctions, Kuleba said. In a further sign of global anger at Russias actions, the NATO meeting was attended by ministers from non-NATO nations Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Georgia, Finland and Sweden. After talks on the sidelines of the NATO meeting, ministers from the Group of Seven bloc called for Russias suspension from the U.N. Human Rights Council. The U.N. General Assembly subsequently voted in favor of that suspension. In remarks posted Wednesday on the State Departments Telegram channel as part of an attempt to reach a Russian audience, Blinken said arms provided by Western nations have been instrumental in blocking Russias attempt to seize Kyiv. The Biden administration has announced weapons transfers to Ukraine, including, most recently, $100 million of Javelin antitank missiles. What were focused on is making sure that we get to Ukraine the systems that they can use now and use effectively, Blinken said. At the same time, were looking at other systems - some of them larger, more sophisticated - that may be useful and important going forward, but where, for example, Ukrainians need to be trained, because some of these systems, you cant just turn them over and have them be used immediately. Speaking to reporters, Kuleba said nations that cited the need for lengthy training had slowed the supply of weapons unnecessarily, because if they had signed off on such systems at the beginning of the war, they would already be in Ukrainian hands. Asked about a video circulating that appeared to show Ukrainian troops executing a Russian service member, Kuleba said Ukrainian forces respect the laws of war and that the incident would be investigated. He seemed to grow emotional as he described how Ukrainians are responding to abuses occurring during the war. You dont understand how it feels to see pictures from Bucha, talking to people who escaped, knowing that the person you know was raped four days in a row. . . . You dont understand how it feels that Russian soldiers rape children, he said. This is not an excuse to those who violate the rules of war on either side of the front line. But there are some things which you simply cant understand; Im sorry. Four U.S. service members were being evaluated for injuries after their base in northeastern Syria was struck by indirect fire Thursday in the early morning hours, military officials said. The injuries were described as minor and included possible traumatic brain injuries, according to a brief statement released Thursday by the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition known as Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The attack on the small base known as Green Village occurred at about 1 a.m. local time and was under investigation, according to the statement. The officials said the rounds struck two buildings in Green Village, where several hundred U.S. and coalition forces are stationed alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces they train and advise to fight remnants of ISIS. The post sits just east of the Euphrates River and adjacent to major oil fields. Operation Inherent Resolve officials did not indicate who was likely responsible for the attack in their statement, but similar rocket and mortar attacks in recent years including on Green Village have been attributed to Iran-backed militia groups that have long sought to drive American forces and their partners out of the region. OIRs top commander, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John W. Brennan Jr., in January blamed Irans proxy forces in Syria for a similar rocket attack in which U.S. troops launched artillery strikes in response. About 1,000 American troops remain in Syria to train, advise and assist the SDF forces primarily to ensure the defeat of ISIS, officials have said. Another 2,500 American troops are stationed in neighboring Iraq to train Iraqi forces for the same purpose, though the United States officially ended its combat mission in Iraq last year. By Jun Sheng The Ukrainian crisis continues to escalate, and dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental ways to resolve the crisis. However, the US, as the initiator of the crisis, has stepped up efforts to suppress and contain Russia instead of promoting peace talks based on its own self-interest, and imposed all-around and indiscriminate sanctions on Russia, even in sports, art and academic fields. This fully exposes the hegemonic behavior of the US that has consistently flouted international rules and undermined the international order. In recent years, with the deepening of domestic contradictions, the strategic anxiety of the US has continued to intensify. Under the slogan of "America First", the US has only adopted international rules that are in line with its own interests while discarded those that are not. It has repeatedly placed domestic laws above international laws, and flagrantly violated the principles of market competition as well as international economic and trade rules. In addition, the US has generalized the concept of national security, abused its national power to exercise "long-arm jurisdiction" over other sovereign countries, and used fabricated charges to set restrictions to suppress competitors by any means. Not long ago, the US arbitrarily embezzled Afghanistan's overseas assets based on its domestic law, which once again made the world see its robber tactics. Recklessly withdrawing from international organizations, breaking contracts, and even blatantly coercing international organizations have also been routine operations of the US in recent years. In 2019, the US issued a memo on the status of developing countries in the WTO, strongly demanding that the WTO change its rules within 90 days, otherwise it may take unilateral action. In 2020, the US imposed economic sanctions and entry restrictions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and their families just because of their insistence on investigating possible war crimes by US military and intelligence officials in Afghanistan and elsewhere. What is worse, the US is even better at waging wars by circumventing international rules against sovereign countries. To keep the war machine from being restricted to international rules, the US often bypasses the UN Security Council and ignores objections from other countries and even its allies. In 1999, the US-led NATO brazenly launched military operations against Yugoslavia without the authorization of the UN Security Council. Its operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria were the same. The aggressions launched by the US pushed the "law of the jungle" and hegemony to the extreme. Obviously, some American politicians believe that political prejudice has priority over legal principle, and political conspiracy over justice. They even have lost the minimum sense of awe and responsibility for international rules. It should be pointed out that there is only one system in the world, that is the international system with the United Nations at its core. There is only one order, that is the international order based on international law. And there is only one set of rules, that is the basic guidelines for international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The vicious actions of the US wantonly trampling on international rules and undermining the international order will surely be ditched by the international community and firmly nailed to the pillar of shame in history. John A. Bushnell, a career Foreign Service officer who played a prominent diplomatic role during the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama that ousted strongman Manuel Antonio Noriega, died March 19 at a hospital in Leesburg, Va. He was 88. The cause was a massive heart attack, said his son John M. Bushnell. Bushnell served for more than three decades in the Foreign Service, developing a reputation, a Washington Post reporter once wrote, for his economic and trade policy expertise, his bureaucratic lasting power and his extensive diplomatic experience. He spent years of his career in Latin America, beginning with his first overseas assignment as an economic officer in Bogota, Colombia, in the early 1960s. He was sent later that decade in similar roles to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Bushnell served as deputy assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs under President Jimmy Carter, who sought to elevate human rights as a concern in U.S. foreign policy. Latin America figured prominently in discussions of human rights at the time, with the repressive regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet in power in Chile, a military dictatorship carrying out the Dirty War in Argentina, and conflict and unrest in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Policy debates often pitted human rights activists against advocates for muscular U.S. support of foreign governments that resisted communist movements. During the Reagan administration, Bushnell served as acting assistant secretary of state before being posted to Buenos Aires as deputy chief of mission in the aftermath of the Falklands War, in which the British military crushed an effort by Argentina to claim control of the Falkland Islands. Perhaps the most dramatic episode of Bushnells career occurred in December 1989, when President George H.W. Bush ordered the invasion of Panama to topple Noriega, who, among other concerns, had been indicted in the United States on extensive drug trafficking charges. Bushnell was serving at the time as deputy chief of mission in Panama City and said that Secretary of State James Baker called him on a secure line to inform him of the impending attack. There are only two people in the entire State Department who are going to know about this, and we are on this phone, Baker said, Bushnell recounted in an oral history with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Operational secrecy is essential to success. Your job is to have a government stand up as the troops land. Can you do that? Bushnell readied Guillermo Endara, an opposition leader who had won an earlier election nullified by Noriega, to take power, and who was ultimately sworn in as president. Bushnell remained in Panama until his retirement in 1992, retaining a role that a Los Angeles Times reporter described as the closest thing the United States has to a proconsul. In 1990, Bush nominated Bushnell to be ambassador to Costa Rica, but the nomination was ultimately withdrawn, reportedly in part because of opposition by U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. John Alden Bushnell was born in Glen Cove, N.Y., on July 26, 1933. He grew up in Winsted, Conn., where his father owned a store, and where one of Bushnells closest childhood friends was future consumer advocate and presidential candidate Ralph Nader. Bushnells mother was a teacher. Bushnell received a bachelors degree in economics from Yale University in 1955. He served in the Air Force and continued his studies of economics at the University of Melbourne in Australia, where he received a masters degree in 1959. He entered the Foreign Service shortly thereafter. In addition to his postings in Latin America, Bushnell served as an economic officer in Geneva and with the staff of the National Security Council. Besides his son, of Mina, S.D., survivors include his wife of 59 years, the former Ann Morel of Leesburg; two other sons, Mark Bushnell of McLean, Va., and Timothy Bushnell of Oxford, Pa.; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. (Tribune News Service) Last year, Maqsood Maqsoud celebrated Ramadan, a time of reflection, piety and charity, in the city of Kabul, where he grew up. He heard the adhan, the call to prayer, broadcast from a nearby mosque. He broke his daily Ramadan fast with dates in the two-story compound where he lived with his parents, younger brothers, wife and newborn daughter. That was before the United States began withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan. Before the Taliban began systematically taking over provinces and cities. Before Maqsoud's fear grew that his work with the Marines, which had nearly killed him once, would now kill him for sure. On Saturday night, Maqsoud broke fast in a San Diego hotel at the start of Islam's holiest month. He heard the adhan sound from a cellphone. He knelt on white bedsheets to pray. It was the 31-year-old's first Ramadan meal in the U.S. after he, his wife and their daughter fled Kabul in August. He spent the evening with half a dozen other refugees and the Marine who helped him escape. "As long as we're all together, we don't feel like we're separated from family," Maqsoud said as he held his 15-month-old daughter. "It feels good." Thousands of refugees who have left Afghanistan since summer are celebrating Ramadan in the U.S. Some are marking the holiday from their new apartments, others from hotel rooms, as resettlement organizations struggle to find them permanent housing in an expensive market. In an attempt to bring the newcomers some semblance of home, the San Diego Afghan Refugees Aid Group hosted iftar, the sunset meal to break the fast, in the hotel. The grass-roots organization plans to hold the meal at other hotels in the area where refugees are staying and to find volunteers to take them to nearby mosques to pray. "We want them to feel a sense of community, even though it's their first Ramadan by themselves," said Zulaikha Rahim, secretary of the group and a first-generation Afghan American. "We want to make them feel at home, even though their new normal looks very different." Maqsoud was 19 when he began working as a linguist. It was his job to help Marines communicate with contractors and other Afghans. He described the troops as "a family, as a team." In 2011, Maqsoud was in a "mine-resistant ambush-protected" vehicle when it ran over a 100-pound roadside bomb. The gunner, positioned at the top, was thrown from the vehicle. Although severely injured, he survived. Maqsoud was left dizzy and scared, but unharmed. "We were blessed," Maqsoud recalled. Collin Hannigan, then a Marine captain, was one car behind and witnessed the blast. If not for the design of the vehicle, he said, the passengers "would have been killed." Maqsoud worked as a linguist for almost four years before quitting and going back to school to study for his bachelor's degree in business administration. He got a job at a telecommunications company. Over the last decade, he has kept in touch with Hannigan. Hannigan, a San Diego resident, left the Marines in 2014 after seven years. The 39-year-old now works for a company that helps businesses hire military veterans. Last year, as the situation in Afghanistan rapidly deteriorated, Maqsoud and Hannigan communicated more frequently. One morning, Hannigan awoke to a message from Maqsoud about the Taliban that read: "The bad guys are all now here." "He was in a country which was now completely controlled by the people that wanted to have him killed and that he fought against for three or four years," Hannigan said. "In the blink of an eye that happened." Hannigan had helped three other interpreters get their visa packages through, although he faced more difficulties with Maqsoud's for an unknown reason. But he kept trying to get the former linguist out. He finally managed to link up with the office of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) through Joe Kristol, a Marine he'd served with. Hannigan was able to tell Maqsoud's story. He described the mission in which the interpreter had almost died. He talked about Maqsoud's service to U.S. troops and the danger he now faced. Cotton's staff, Hannigan said, set up Maqsoud's contact at the Kabul airport so he could leave the country. Within days of his family's departure, twin bombs struck near the airport entrance. About 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed. It was Hannigan who picked up Maqsoud's family at the airport in San Diego when they arrived in January. Maqsoud had chosen to resettle in the city because of his Marine friend. Maqsoud is one of 2,145 Afghan refugees who have arrived in San Diego County through February. The majority who resettled in the area have a relative or friend there. In a letter to President Biden last month, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson requested assistance from the administration to help the county resettle Afghan refugees and prepare to potentially receive more refugees, this time from Ukraine. "The citizens of San Diego are once again willing to welcome the displaced with open arms," Anderson wrote. "However, to do so successfully will require additional funding from the Administration to support this population." Etleva Bejko, director of refugee and immigration services for Jewish Family Service of San Diego, said the biggest challenge for resettlement agencies has been finding housing for refugees. "There has been a shortage of rental units available," Bejko said. "It's not an Afghan evacuee issue; it's not a refugee issue; it's a California issue." The lack of housing presents additional challenges, Bejko said, including school enrollment and access to other services, such as English-as-a-second-language classes. Farid Obaid, whose family is temporarily living in a Del Mar hotel, said his children were getting rides to school thanks to nearby church parishioners. There were no buses set up to take them. They don't have the money to buy a car. "Unless a family is settled into their permanent housing, they are still in that limbo period," Bejko said. "In that period where they are still waiting for the next step to truly rebuild their lives here." Nearly a dozen people gathered in the hotel's breakfast room on Saturday evening to celebrate Ramadan. There were placards left over from the morning that read "French Toast," "Cheese Omelette" and "Seasoned Potatoes." But the trays arrayed before the group now held qabili palau, a brown rice with chicken; challow, white rice; Afghan-style chicken korma; and bonjan, an eggplant side dish. On smaller tables, Rahim and her sister-in-law, Wajma Rahim, had laid out water bottles; dates; bolani, a stuffed flatbread; and aush, an Afghan noodle soup, for everyone to grab as soon as the sun set, signaling the end of the day's fast. They have gotten to know the families through the Afghan Refugees Aid Group and have helped deliver groceries and other necessities. Zulaikha's and Wajma's parents fled Afghanistan 40 years ago. "There was really no difference between them and myself, and any of us, but luck and timing," Wajma said. Among those gathered Saturday evening was Omid Sediqi, 26, whose father was killed by a suicide bomber last year. He and his family have bounced around hotels for a few months, waiting for permanent housing. Sediqi arrived in San Diego with his mother and two brothers but left behind other siblings in Afghanistan. This year, he said, Ramadan felt different. "It's so difficult because of your family you left in Afghanistan to come here," he said. Soon after 7 p.m., as the sky darkened, everyone reached for sustenance after hours without food or drink. Maqsoud snacked on dates and then filled a cup with dogh, a traditional Afghan yogurt, to give to his guest, Hannigan. The Marine recalled trying the drink during his deployment when he and Maqsoud were visiting a village elder. Maqsoud joined a few other men as they kicked off their shoes and knelt on bedsheets they had snagged from housekeeping, a far cry from traditional prayer rugs. They pressed their foreheads to the ground as Sam Smith's "Like I Can" filtered down from the speakers overhead and then segued into electronic dance music. Afterward, Maqsoud guided Hannigan to a seat at his table, often referring to his friend as "bro." With Maqsoud's brothers back in Afghanistan, he said of Hannigan, "he's my brother." Since Maqsoud's arrival, Hannigan has taken the family to the beach and around San Diego. As the group filled plates with traditional Afghan food that refugees had cooked in their hotel rooms, they conversed in Dari and English. They played with Maqsoud's 15-month-old, who had recently been released from a hospital with a feeding tube to help bring up her weight. The girl had started walking just two weeks before. Although nearly 8,000 miles away from Afghanistan, that night they didn't feel so far from home. 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON The militarys top brass said Thursday that an ideal outcome of Russias invasion of Ukraine would be maintaining Ukraines sovereignty and weakening Russia, frustrating some senators who want Russias resounding defeat to be at the forefront of U.S. strategy. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that they are focused on supplying weaponry and intelligence to Ukraine, supporting NATO and avoiding an armed conflict with Russia. But their refusal to use the words win and victory riled some lawmakers who see the withdrawal of Russian troops from the suburbs of Ukraines capital Kyiv as an opportunity for Ukraine to not just hold off Russias mightier forces but decisively win the war. The shift that we need to do now is to strategically think about victory, said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, a former Marine. Doesnt it make sense to have as our No. 1 objective imposing a strategic defeat on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? I think thats the source of frustration for a lot of senators were not hearing that language. Milley countered that he has heard that language many times and he said President Joe Biden has instructed his national security team to impose severe costs on Russia and not let Putin win. In a separate exchange, Milley said a Ukrainian victory means freedom and independence for the nation but achieving it is going to be a very difficult and long slog. I think its an open question right now how this ends, he said. Ideally, Putin decides to cease fire, to stop his aggression and there is some sort of diplomatic intervention but right now that doesnt appear to be on the immediate horizon. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he was troubled by that answer because it did not state the ultimate U.S. objective: enabling the Ukrainians to win. It seems to me that often our strategy seems to be somewhat schizophrenic we want the Ukrainians to defeat Russia but were afraid that pushing Putin into defeat may provoke escalation, he said. Austin said his desired result for the wars outcome includes Ukraine retaining its sovereignty and its ability to defend itself and for Russia to become a global pariah with a weakened military. We can see those kinds of things beginning to happen, Austin said. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Austin whether the words win and victory had been purged from his vocabulary. Certainly not, the defense secretary replied. It would be beneficial for Americans to hear stronger and more optimistic language from their military leaders, argued Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. She said many Americans see themselves reflected in Ukrainians and their fight for democracy. Whatever the hesitancy to say win for Ukraine, victory for Ukraine, I will say it and I know a number of my colleagues will say it, said Ernst, an Army veteran. I feel very firmly about victory for Ukraine. The Pentagons chief spokesman, John Kirby, said Wednesday that Ukraine can defeat Russia, pointing to Putins failures to capture Kyiv and install a pro-Kremlin government. I think the proof [that Ukraine can win] is literally in the outcomes that you're seeing every day the Ukrainians are bravely fighting for their country, he said. Austin and Milley predicted a fierce battle over Ukraines southern and eastern regions in the coming weeks as Russia seeks to seize control of the contested Donbas territory and build a land bridge to the annexed Crimea peninsula. They cautioned the rest of Ukraine remains a battlefield. Theres no telling what Putin will decide to do going forward, Austin said. Certainly we expect that hell continue to conduct strikes throughout that landscape. Top U.S. defense and military officials have frequently tried to speak with their Russian counterparts since Russia launched its onslaught on Feb. 24, but those efforts have been rebuffed, he said. Im disappointed for sure but based upon what theyve done, nothing surprises me, Austin said. But it doesnt mean well stop reaching out to engage them. I think we have to have the ability to talk to the leadership. WASHINGTON Congress on Thursday cleared a months-long partisan impasse over how to respond to Russias invasion of Ukraine, sending two bills aimed at punishing Russia and aiding Ukraine to President Joe Biden for his signature. The direct impact of the bills on the course of the conflict is likely to be negligible. They largely reinforce moves that Biden has already made to ban energy imports and remove trade preferences from Russia. But the bills represent a significant gesture signaling ongoing bipartisan interest in supporting Ukraines quest to maintain its independence amid deadly aggression from its larger neighbor. Although Congress delivered nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aide to Ukraine as part of a recent government-wide spending bill, it has not passed any stand-alone legislation pertaining to the conflict. Efforts to draft a sanctions bill before the invasion as a deterrent fell apart, and post-invasion legislation has not been much easier. Thursdays votes also come as new evidence of potential war crimes emerged this week from areas around Kyiv following a Russian retreat from the area bringing new pressure to bear on the United States and other Western powers to mount an even stronger response to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Civilians slaughtered with their hands tied behind their backs. Corpses bearing clear signs of torture. Bodies burned to hide evidence of rape, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who oversees trade matters as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement. This package is about bringing every tool of economic pressure to bear on Vladimir Putin and his oligarch cronies. Putins Russia does not deserve to be a part of the economic order that has existed since the end of World War II. The trade bill, which passed the Senate 100-0 and the House 420-3, removes Russia and its ally Belarus from the long list of countries that enjoy permanent normal trade relations and adds it to a much smaller list of pariah states who do not, currently consisting of Cuba and North Korea. The designation, which Biden has already been made by executive order, means that Russian imports - which amounted to about $30 billion in 2022 will be subject to higher tariffs. The bill also orders U.S. officials to seek Russias expulsion from the World Trade Organization and reauthorizes human-rights sanction authority that has been used against members of Putins inner circle. The latter provision contributed to the delay in the Senate after some conservatives, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., objected to a change in the sanctions applicability from gross human-rights violations to merely serious violations. Some conservative groups claimed the change could open the door for a future president to sanction officials abroad who support right-wing policy positions, such as a ban on legal abortion. The measures bipartisan sponsors rejected the suggestion but agree to keep the existing standard this week to speed passage of the bill. A second bill, which passed the Senate 100-0 and the House 413-9, codifies the already-announced ban on Russian energy imports, including shipments of petroleum products that made up a third of all trade between the United States and Russia last year. A third bill, which passed by the Senate unanimous consent Wednesday night, would authorize the Pentagon to streamline its arms transfer arrangements with Ukraine in a manner that senators are comparing to the lend-lease effort that the United States undertook during World War II. It is unclear when the House might take action on that bill. This is one important way we can send a message to our friends and allies around the world that you are not alone, that America can be trusted, that our commitments are credible and they will be met not just with words, but with action, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a sponsor of the lend-lease bill. The Russia-Ukraine bills passed on the Senates last day of business before a two-week recess. They moved along while another top legislative priority for Democrats a new tranche of coronavirus relief funding remained mired in partisan politics. While bipartisan negotiators reached a $10 billion accord earlier this week, Republicans demanded to attach an amendment barring the Biden administration from lifting a pandemic-era policy known as Title 42 that has effectively suspended the normal asylum process at the southern border. The holdup has frustrated Democrats, who have warned of dwindling U.S. stockpiles of vaccines and therapeutic drugs as the BA. 2 coronavirus subvariant threatens to again increase the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But with the funding in limbo, party leaders were glad to make progress on another nettlesome matter before the long recess. No nation whose military is committing war crimes deserves free trade status with the United States, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. No vile thug like Putin deserves to stand as an equal with the leaders of the free world. He is a menace and a pariah, who has ensured that his place in history will be one of everlasting shame. (Tribune News Service) A Yakuza boss was busted in an elaborate sting trying to buy surface-to-air missiles supposedly stolen from a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, Manhattan prosecutors announced Thursday. Takeshi Ebisawa, 57, a leader within the Japanese crime syndicate, has been under investigation by the DEA since 2019, according to a press release. Undercover agents brokered a complex deal in which Ebisawa allegedly traveled to Copenhagen on Feb. 3, 2021, with plans to buy heavy duty U.S. Army weaponry stolen from a military base in Afghanistan. Ebisawa was acting as a middle man and planned to send the weapons including portable M72 light anti-tank rocket launchers, 10 M60 machine guns, and 10 fully automatic rifles to armed ethnic groups in Myanmar, according to a complaint filed in Manhattan Federal Court. The ruse worked so well Ebisawa even posed with a rocket launcher and took a photo, which was included in the complaint. Ebisawa and a Thai national, Somphop Singhasiri, 58, also are accused conspiring to sell 500 kilograms of methamphetamine and 500 kilograms of heroin to an undercover who intended to sell the drugs in New York. Singhasiri told the undercover they would sneak the drugs into the country in rice and noodle boxes, prosecutors said. The duo even provided the agent with samples of both drugs in advance of deals in June and September 2021, according to the feds. The drugs were destined for New York streets, and the weapons shipments were meant for factions in unstable nations. Members of this international crime syndicate can no longer put lives in danger and will face justice for their illicit actions, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. Ebisawa was arrested in Manhattan on Monday. He referred to the weapons by the codeword bamboo, the feds said. Singhasiri, meanwhile, referred to meth and heroin in his dealings with the undercover as ice cream and cake. Two other Thai nationals, Suksan Bobby Jullanan and Sompak Rukrasaranee were also charged in the bust. The Yakuza is made up of transnational crime families that operate in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Prosecutors said it is involved in a wide range of crimes, including weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud and money laundering. 2022 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (Tribune News Service) April 1 may mean April Fools' Day to most but the date has a lot more meaning to one city veteran who is making sure it is remembered as The Battle for Okinawa Day. The Battle of Okinawa began on April 1, 1945, and Bromfield Street resident George Roaf served as an apprentice firefighter aboard the USS Fieberling during the nearly three-month campaign. Roaf said he is disappointed when he sees April 1 listed as April Fools' Day on the American Legion and Disabled Veterans of America calendars each year and he would like to see it marked as The Battle for Okinawa Day. The 96-year-old approached The Daily News to make his case last week and an email from Disabled American Veterans national communications director John "Rob" Lewis stated that next year's printed calendar will feature The Battle of Okinawa Day on April 1. American Legion media contact Dave Lapan also said he had spoken to the headquarters in Minneapolis and was told that the Battle of Okinawa will be included in the national headquarters calendars. Lapan added, however, that the change at national headquarters may not be reflected at the state level. Either way, Roaf was happy to hear the good news. "I think its beautiful, that's something," he said. The battle Roaf was born in Newburyport and has lived in the Joppa Flats neighborhood for most of his life. He graduated from Newburyport High School in 1943 and quickly enlisted in the Navy, along with a group of his friends. He would eventually find himself stationed on a destroyer/escort, the USS Fieberling, headed for the Japanese island of Okinawa with roughly 215 crew and command on board in March 1945. The Battle of Okinawa began on the first day of April and would rage on until June 22. Approximately 12,000 Americans were killed in the battle, with roughly 110,000 Japanese losing their lives. Most of those days were witnessed by Roaf, who said he remembers first seeing action on April 6 when 48 Japanese fighter planes came over the horizon. "They looked like mosquitoes, there were so many of them. They would come into us, aiming for our bombs and torpedo tubes. If they hit those, the whole ship could go up," he said. Roaf manned a 50-caliber machine gun on the Fieberling and said he took one Japanese fighter down that day. "I remember thinking, 'Here's a guy who I'm shooting at that doesn't want to shoot me any more than I want to shoot him,'" he said. "But I'm pretty sure I was the one who got him." The Japanese plane broke off a wing, spun around and landed right beside the Fieberling, Roaf said. Crewmen were quickly dispatched to retrieve the dead Japanese pilot, as well as one of his plane's wings, a piece of which Roaf still has as a memento. He kept a journal of his time aboard the Fieberling, with entries marking attacks, escort duties and typhoons. "Those storms scared the hell out of me. I was more scared of those than being shot at," he said. The journal also recorded Roaf's shore leaves (Honolulu was a particular favorite); Japanese submarine attacks; casualties; discharges; friendly fire incidents; the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt; and the end of the war itself. Nothing could ever encompass what Roaf said he experienced in the Pacific theater. "I can't explain it, it's unbelievable," he said. Although he and fellow sailors were surrounded by death during the campaign, Roaf said his youthful ignorance kept him from thinking that he would ever die in battle. "Later on, after it was all over, I remember thinking, 'Just what the hell was I in? How did I get involved in all of that?' I really wasn't myself. I was too scared to get scared, I guess," he said. Roaf was discharged from the Navy on June 6, 1946. He eventually went to work for 32 years building ships and submarines at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and has been married to his wife, Cecile, for 72 years. They have four children. "I've been very lucky," he said. jsullivan@newburyportnews.com (c)2022 The Daily News of Newburyport (Newburyport, Mass.) Visit The Daily News of Newburyport (Newburyport, Mass.) at www.newburyportnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. COLUMBIA, S.C. (Tribune News Service) Sam and Naomi Hayes of Richland County couldn't resist the temptation. Their neighbor, 82-year-old veteran Bobby Gene Davidson, had no close family and was dying in a skilled nursing care facility with 24-hour medical staff on duty. So the married couple worked up a scheme to steal all of his money $1.4 million, an indictment against the Columbia couple said. On Wednesday, the couple pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbia to charges stemming from the theft, which involved transferring more than $1 million from various banks into an account controlled by Sam Hayes. "How do you wish to plead?" U.S. Judge Mary Lewis asked the couple Wednesday. "Guilty," said Sam Hayes, 69, a retired maintenance worker at Allen University, one of two private historically Black colleges in Columbia. His lawyer, Taylor Bell, stood beside him. "I plead guilty," said Naomi Hayes, 65, standing next to her lawyer, Ramie Shalabi. A January indictment charged the couple with bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy. But because of their cooperation and guilty pleas, they will be eligible for lesser sentences. Sam Hayes was allowed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud. Naomi Hayes pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, or knowing about a serious crime and not going to law enforcement to stop it. Davidson, a U.S. Army veteran, died on Oct. 27 while the theft was still being carried out. He is buried at Fort Jackson. Lewis will sentence the couple at a later, undetermined date. Sam Hayes faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, and Naomi Hayes faces a maximum of three years. The couple are out on a $25,000 bond. Couple used veteran's cash for mortgage, car, vacation Last April, Sam Hayes called 911 after he hadn't seen Davidson for several days, Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday explained to the judge Wednesday. Davidson was incapacitated, and, shortly after, was transferred to a nursing home, NHC Healthcare, Parklane, in Dentsville in Richland County. Sam Hayes visited Davidson in the nursing home last July and had him sign a power of attorney, giving Hayes control of all his money. At the time, Davidson was mentally and physically incapacitated and incapable of realizing he was signing such a document. With the power of attorney, Sam Hayes gained control of Davidson's bank accounts at Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank and AllSouth Federal Credit Union and soon began transferring money to a single account. One of the first transfers was for $76,290 to pay off the mortgage held by NationStar Mortgage on the Hayes' house in Columbia. Sam Hayes also wrote a $250,000 check to Naomi Hayes, part of which $58,626 she used to buy a 2022 Infiniti from Dick Smith Infiniti. "This was money that rightfully belonged to Mr. Davidson and his estate, and should have been used for his benefit," Holliday said. According to the indictment and evidence in the case, Davidson's money also was used to buy homes and rental property for Hayes family members. Some family members also took a Hawaiian vacation. Federal authorities are now working to recover as much of the money as possible, and the Hayes have agreed to help as part of their bid for keeping their sentences as low as possible. The scheme came to light last fall after the Bank of America, where Hayes had an account, became suspicious of large sums of money being transferred in and out of the account. The bank notified the Richland County Sheriff's Department, whose investigators realizing the matter was a complicated bank fraud contacted the Secret Service, whose agents specialize in that kind of crime. "Ultimately, we are awaiting sentencing," said Bell, Sam Hayes' attorney. "Circumstances are going to come out at that hearing." Outside of the courthouse on Wednesday, Sam Hayes tugged at a cigarette after his hearing. Asked by The State if he had any comment, he said, "I hope you don't do a story." (c)2022 The State (Columbia, S.C.) Visit The State (Columbia, S.C.) at www.thestate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Both the Labour and ACT parties have announced their candidates that will be running in the upcoming Tauranga by-election. Cameron Luxton has been appointed as the ACT party candidate, while Jan Tinetti has been selected as the Labour party candidate. Statements released to SunLive confirm that both parties are enthusiastic about announcing their candidate. A vote for Cameron Luxton in Tauranga will send a message to Government that its time for real change, says ACT Leader David Seymour. Tauranga needs a strong voice to stand up for it. Cameron Luxton is a builder and father who understands the problems Tauranga city faces, as well as the solutions to those problems. Act Leader David Seymour with newly appointed candidate Cameron Luxton. Supplied Photo. ACT has recently done polling in Tauranga and it showed overwhelmingly that the people here believe ACT is the strongest voice in Opposition. A vote for Cameron will only make our voice stronger. Cameron is an outstanding candidate and Im excited to campaign alongside him to win this seat. ACT is the party of practical solutions to improve the lives of New Zealanders and create thriving communities. ACT is in it to win it. The ACT bus will be relocated to Tauranga, weve opened an office on Grey St and we plan to show why were considered the strongest opposition voice in New Zealand politics. With Cameron in Parliament, well only be stronger. Cameron is a self-employed builder and married father of two kids who lives in Papamoa where he was raised. Cameron's seven year OE was in a great little place next to Te Urewera National park named Galatea, share-milking a 200ha operation. He won Apprentice of the Year at the Dairy Industry Awards, but the most important experience he had during this time was joining a community and developing relationships with people in the one of the poorest, most deprived areas in the region. As a builder and a business owner, I understand better than anyone the challenges that Tauranga faces with infrastructure. Ive also watched as gang numbers have exploded here, its time someone took on the real issues facing this region, says Cameron Luxton. Ill be campaigning to introduce a GST sharing scheme with councils. Infrastructure is the biggest issue our region faces. Our Policy is estimated to deliver $1 billion every year to support local development enabling infrastructure. Councils that consent more, get more. Instead of forcing councils to come begging for special funds from the Government, ACT would provide an enduring and predictable solution for infrastructure funding. It encourages councils to consent more because they get more when buildings are completed. Local councils face poor incentives to build. Every new development involves costs to existing ratepayers to provide new roads, water, and sewerage connections. These costs act as a disincentive for councils to approve new houses and subdivisions. Im ready to take on the big issues facing the best city in New Zealand. Jan is no stranger to Tauranga, having been a principal at Merivale School before becoming a Labour List MP and Government Minsiter. "I'm proud to announce that Labour's candidate for the Tauranga by-election is Jan Tinetti," says Labour President Claire Szabo. "Jan is one of Labour's high-fliers, and is already a fantastic representative in government and Cabinet for the people of Tauranga. Labour candidate Jan Tinetti. Supplied Photo. "She has deep roots in the local community, having served as Principal of Tauranga's Merivale School for eleven years before entering Parliament in 2017. "Jan has earned rapid promotion within Labour since entering Parliament, and is currently Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Women and Associate Minister of Education. "Whilst Tauranga is a safe National seat that Labour hasnt won since 1935, Jan will be making the case that the Tauranga community has benefited enormously from Labours strong COVID management, and will benefit again from Labour's strong management as the economy rebuilds, especially through exports and the reopening of tourism." In accepting the nomination, Jan says while Labour hasn't won Tauranga in a long time, she's excited to showcase Labour's values and achievements in this by-election. "I offer the community in Tauranga a direct voice in Government and a seat at the Cabinet table. The future of Tauranga is central to the future of New Zealand." A bill aimed at changing electoral rules for the Rotorua district has passed its first reading in Parliament. Rotorua MP Todd McClay voted against the bill, but Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi voted for it. The bill has been referred to the Maori Affairs select committee and will be open for public submissions until April 20. The bill also had the backing of the entire Labour caucus, and in Parliament last night the bills sponsor, Rotorua-based Labour list MP Tamati Coffey said the bill would ensure Maori were at the decision-making table in Rotorua and was a tweak to democracy to enable tino rangatiratanga. Democracy ... is Greek. The parliamentary process that we partake in right here ... is actually English. This is from a Westminster system. There is nothing to preclude us being able to tweak democracy to make it work for us here in Aotearoa. The bill, the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill was drafted by Rotorua Lakes Council following a vote in November to pursue it to enable a governance model that is unlawful under the Local Electoral Act. The council wants to implement a Maori ward and general ward with three seats apiece, and four at large seats, but as the Act limits the number of Maori ward seats due to a population ratio-based formula, it is not possible. The bill, if passed, would enable the council to bypass the rule for the Rotorua district only. Waititi said the bill aligned with the Rotorua Township (Fenton) Agreement and moves towards a more Tiriti-centric approach. He said the agreement promised one seat for mana whenua out of three on the council table but it had not been honoured. "There will be people in this House that will be against the wants of the Te Arawa iwi and the people in Rotorua because of their racist rhetoric and scaremongering propaganda of co-governance. He said co-governance was already in place in Rotorua via the Te Arawa Lakes settlement and had been an outstanding success". "When we ensure that Maori and Pakeha are both at the table, we create good outcomes for our whole community. The bill also had the support of the Green Party, and MP Eugenie Sage said the governance model the bill would enable was much more equitable and would allow stronger representation. The National Party and the ACT Party did not support the bill. In Parliament, McClay said the issue should be subject to a local referendum at the very least. He said the bill did not deliver elections that are fair, democratic, or proportional. Rotorua is a unique place but, in as far as the way that we elect our councillors and how that is structured, every part of New Zealand should be the same so that we have a level and equal playing field. He said co-governance was a debate that must be had and couldnt be done quietly. This should be campaigned on. The case should be made widely to the people of Rotorua. "There are many people in Rotorua that feel that they haven't been listened to, people that feel that they have been left out of this debate. Fellow National MP and local government spokesman Simon Watts said the bill had not been through enough consultation and he believed there was a variation of views around the table at council of actually supporting and opposing this bill. Coffey later claimed in Parliament the council vote supporting the pursuit of the local bill was unanimous. He claimed it again on social media, as did Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. Rotorua Lakes Council does not record votes for and against unless a councillor requests it, which did not happen on the vote on whether to direct officials to pursue the bill. The motion 4b in a list of five motions - was recorded as simply carried, but in the meeting nine councillors voted for it and two voted against Reynold Macpherson and Raj Kumar. Neither asked for their votes against to be recorded. Watts said in Parliament the bill was unnecessary and had been an expensive undertaking for Rotoruas ratepayers, with legal costs to date of more than $46,500. He said three Maori seats could already be achieved through existing legislation. I would ask those members of local government in Rotorua to focus back on the key priorities for your city, focus on the elements of social and economic wellbeing that will benefit your communities. Don't get distracted by trying to undertake legislative change such as this, which can be achieved through other mechanisms, and focus on core business. I think that would be echoed by the many ratepayers and community members across that area. And if you do want to proceed with such structural change, then do it in a process in which involves everyone. ACTs Simon Court said the bill would do nothing to address Rotoruas socio-economic problems. We believe, in fact, in reforming infrastructure funding and financing so that local councils have the right incentives to do their job. In a social media post on Wednesday night, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said she was proud to hear support on the bill but sad to hear the oppositions misinformed approach. We are proud to address the inequities of the Local Electoral Act that cannot deliver what we want to deliver, fair and equitable representation for all voters in Rotorua. Thanks to all who supported the first reading. The bill must pass into law before June 1 to be in place in time for the October 2022 local election. HOW THEY VOTED Ayes 77 Labour 65 Green Party 10 Te Paati Maori 2 Noes 43 National 33 ACT 10 -Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. aim120 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: bangalore Posts: 458 Thanked: 1,329 Times Re: Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by When I look up Bucha on the map it seems to be in the Kyiv oblast. Infact it's looks like it's west of Kiev. I thought most Russian ethnic citizens in Ukraine sympathetic to the Russian cause we're along the eastern and northern eastern borders of Ukraine. Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by So I am not sure how you concluded that the bodies we see on images are those of Russian ethnicity. Besides, I thought there were reports of Russian blocking humanitarian corridors and even shelling them once they were approved (yes yes I know our Russian brothers would never do such unspeakable acts..and all the buildings in Grozny, Syria or Ukraine fell down of their own accord or because of the CIA). Even in syria, russians allowed the ISIS fighters to leave to idlib along with their families, so that the syrian army can restore back towns and cities to government control, which was encircled by government forces.Russia could have easily wiped out the convoy. But that was the agreement done by syria assad, russia to give the ISIS and there familes a safe passage and they stuck to it. Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by Oh and before you answer... here are some satellite images of Bucha which show bodies lying in the same positions shown during the news coverage but take when Russians were in control of the place. Remember the dead Ukrainen soldier who was tied up in chains to a street pole with a anti-tank weapon, in the path of russia convoy. He was found dead, frozen to dead. Does it means the russians killed him. Or like on the second day of war, a BMP was destroyed a russian soldier laid dead there for days and since its a active zone no one picked the body. Like I said before if a ukraine military is using a house to fire at a position of a russian convoy, don't expect anything but return fire. No one here is denying civilians where killed by russia or Ukraine in this war. But the difference is this, there is collateral death and then there is killings done knowingly at point blank range. Without investigating labeling a person guilty, is like only the prosecutor presenting the case without any defense. Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by Besides, if they were of Russian ethnicity shouldn't they have left with the Russians now that they seem to have focused most of their campaign towards the east - south east of the country and away from Kiev? Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by Also, can you please decide which line from Russian propaganda we are going to follow and just stick with it. On one hand you are talking about how these might be Ukrainians murdering their own citizens but on the other hand Russian defense ministry is accusing the Ukraine of staging these attacks. So which is it comrade? Fake or done by Ukrainians? So until its properly investigated, one cannot know for a fact. Even on the POW videos of russians being tortured, when the videos was all over the social media, Russia said its investigating that and not immediately labelling ukraine of war crimes. A week went buy and even still only a few western media covered it with words like unverified or fake videos, only a few out of those verified the videos as to be true with regards to blood spatter, gun shot wound/noise etc. Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by Not sure how our Putin Uncle will spin this now..but for his supporters who still refuse to believe their hero backed rebels who murdered civilians abord MH 17 despite all the evidence shown by Dutch prosecutors this is not going to a big deal. In syria, Israeli F16 fired at targets in Syria while a russian reconnaissance plane was flying. When the Syrians used their really old S200 to fire at F16. The clever but cunning pilot of the F16, flew in a path such that the missile of the S200 would follow and lock on to the russian plane. A dozen russians where killed. Israel denied this but this resulted in russia given the syrians s300 systems. So while I am in no way justifying the killing of the innocent people in MH17. There are lot of possible ways one can fool a operator in a mobile AA who has no network or situational awareness or in a fog of war. The Iranians shot their own plane down in 2019. We shot down our own chopper. Quote: JithinR Originally Posted by Oh and I saw our hated western puppet/poster boy Zelensky on the news in Bucha. Strange since I thought all the military pundits here had already done their investigation and proclaimed this charlatan to be hiding in Poland. Well by that logic all tamil people living in sri Lanka will only be in coast closer to India and not any where else.Ukraine didn't allow or agree to evacuate its citizens or foreign nationals towards russia. On contrary its from Indians and and other foreigners we know that ukraine military dont allow civilians to leave.Even in syria, russians allowed the ISIS fighters to leave to idlib along with their families, so that the syrian army can restore back towns and cities to government control, which was encircled by government forces.Russia could have easily wiped out the convoy. But that was the agreement done by syria assad, russia to give the ISIS and there familes a safe passage and they stuck to it.So lets assume those satellite pictures are correct and that russians where present in the area.Remember the dead Ukrainen soldier who was tied up in chains to a street pole with a anti-tank weapon, in the path of russia convoy. He was found dead, frozen to dead. Does it means the russians killed him. Or like on the second day of war, a BMP was destroyed a russian soldier laid dead there for days and since its a active zone no one picked the body.Like I said before if a ukraine military is using a house to fire at a position of a russian convoy, don't expect anything but return fire.No one here is denying civilians where killed by russia or Ukraine in this war. But the difference is this, there is collateral death and then there is killings done knowingly at point blank range.Without investigating labeling a person guilty, is like only the prosecutor presenting the case without any defense.So you saw ethnic russian people in maripul still staying there right. They could have gone to russia. But they stayed.If you follow the news from other side, Russians also said about the staging a attack on theater in maripul by Azov. We have several videos of Maripul residents saying who was shooting who there or not allowing to leave.So until its properly investigated, one cannot know for a fact.Even on the POW videos of russians being tortured, when the videos was all over the social media, Russia said its investigating that and not immediately labelling ukraine of war crimes. A week went buy and even still only a few western media covered it with words like unverified or fake videos, only a few out of those verified the videos as to be true with regards to blood spatter, gun shot wound/noise etc.While they did try to spin it, it wasn't deliberate to take out a airline. The Buk was operated by the rebels, days earlier a Ukraine military transport plane was shot down.In syria, Israeli F16 fired at targets in Syria while a russian reconnaissance plane was flying. When the Syrians used their really old S200 to fire at F16. The clever but cunning pilot of the F16, flew in a path such that the missile of the S200 would follow and lock on to the russian plane. A dozen russians where killed. Israel denied this but this resulted in russia given the syrians s300 systems.So while I am in no way justifying the killing of the innocent people in MH17. There are lot of possible ways one can fool a operator in a mobile AA who has no network or situational awareness or in a fog of war. The Iranians shot their own plane down in 2019. We shot down our own chopper.No one said he cannot leave poland. Lot of his videos are made with green screen, his own party members where saying he was in Lyiv and not in Lyiv, With many analysts saying he is in Poland. Last edited by aim120 : 6th April 2022 at 01:04 . Dr.AD Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bangalore/Pune Posts: 1,287 Thanked: 10,457 Times Re: Blazing Hot Solo Drive to Sadashivgad and Devbagh Stay on Sadashivgad Fort By the time I reached (or tried to reach) the Fort, I realized that it was a new place not just to me, but also to Google Maps. It kept on giving laughably wrong location. The fort is located on a hilltop, on the edge of a big cliff, right next to National Highway (NH66). Funnily, Google Maps kept on navigating me to this location next to the highway (see the map below), and repeatedly told me "Your Destination is on the Left". But the destination on the left is on a hill. What is the point of stopping on the highway right below the hill? Google Maps sure has a weird sense of humor sometimes. Google Maps' sense of humor when it navigated me to a location on NH66 and expected me to climb the cliff to reach my destination: Funnily, even if you stop there and zoom on the map, you will see absolutely no other road. Google Maps database just does not have any driveable road going up to the fort (although the actual location of the fort is quite accurate). In reality, there is proper driveable road from the other side of the hill, which is completely missing from the maps database. Luckily for me, while taking a U-turn a bit ahead on NH66 to arrive at this Google Maps wrong destination in the first place, I had noticed a big board by JLR showing some directions. Therefore, once I realized the Google Maps mistake, I laughed at the maps and drove back to that JLR signboard, and in an old fashioned way, just followed the trail of JLR signboards (thanks to JLR for putting these big signboards at the appropriate places). And after following a roundabout road, but a nice small road on that hill, I arrived here, at the entrance of that 17th Century Fort. Entering the 17th Century: Here was another interesting fact that I learned upon my arrival there: I was the only guest there in that entire property that night. This JLR property has 12 rooms, but somehow, that weekend, I was the only person who had a booking there. This meant I was going to stay all alone in that ancient fort converted into a JLR property now. This was surely going to be an interesting experience. Of course, the property manager (and his family) and a few members of staff were there too. But they stay at a house near the entrance. The guest rooms are in a separate building about 200m away, across a small hill that one has to climb and descend again to reach the rooms. All I can say now is that it was a surreal experience. Spending the evening there standing at those view points, all alone, on that 17th century fort, watching the river and the sea, and the sunset in the sea, and then walking around in that ancient place, and spending the night there in total silence, thinking about the history of the place and overlooking the lights of the Karwar city below from my window, it was all a magical experience! My car parked there, all alone, with the entire fort to myself that weekend: With only an ancient wall for company: This board gave a short summary of the long history of the fort; this fort existed in some form since as long as 1510 AD: These are the steps one has to take (there are a few up and down steps) to climb across a small hill to reach the view points, and then the rooms at the end of the hill: And then at the end of that hill, right on the edge of a cliff, this is the building that houses 12 rooms, all overlooking the river and the sea: This was my room. Typical JLR style basic room, but clean and comfortable (no luxuries though; JLR rooms are always basic): View from my room (bridge over Kali river); I also had a nice balcony with even better views: Right outside my room, was this lovely campfire area overlooking the bridge and the river (even though I was the lone guest there, the JLR staff were nice enough to offer me to have a full campfire experience there, but I refused because it was too hot for a campfire that night): Walking further down to the campfire area, I got a nice close views of the iconic bridge over Kali river: Such river views all around from the campfire area: Walking back up on the fort, some lovely views from around the fort walls: A cannon in one corner of the fort, aimed at the open sea below: Another view of the wall around the fort: A very interesting statue stands prominently there on the top of the fort: The main highlight of that evening at that view point - a gorgeous sunset into the sea: A view of Kali river meeting the Arabian Sea, with the sun setting in the background: A closer look at some of the beaches on the coastline there, bathing under the evening sunlight: While I was standing there, watching the views and mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape in front of me, there were literally hundreds of kites flying all around. It was an interesting experience to watch them from where I stood, at a already high vantage point. Thus, some kites were flying below me, and some were flying from above me. It was nice to watch them fly from below to up, and take circular paths. I spent some time just quietly watching the birds fly around. And even managed to click a couple of pictures: After spending a good amount of time watching the sunset, the views and the birds flying around, I returned to my room. Now, with nothing else to do there while I sat in my room enjoying the solitude and the peace, I decided to try some long exposure photography from my balcony. A long exposure view of the bridge in the night, from my balcony: I sat there in my balcony enjoying the views and the solitude. It was a surreal experience to be there all alone in the night, in the ancient fort, staring at the darkness around and then looking down at these lights on the highway and the city around. It was a great experience! Net morning, I saw such views of the rising sun from the other side of the fort: As I spent the morning hour walking around the fort again, I enjoyed such nice views: The same coastline and the beaches, now seen in the morning light: While I was spending the night alone there, my friends (on WhatsApp) were jokingly teasing me about ghosts and supernatural things on the ancient fort that I might encounter in the night. While none of that happened in the night (in fact I had a great sleep), the next morning, there was a different and unexpected scary experience. While I was taking a stroll on the fort, a pack of stray dogs unexpectedly jumped in from somewhere and charged at me, scaring the hell out of me. I somehow managed to run to the safety of my room. And then while I was back in my room, these dogs were all around my balcony area. The pack of stray dogs that unexpectedly jumped in and scared me: While I was enjoying my experiences on the fort, my car standing still there, soaking in the historic ambiance and the solitude: And finally, as I drove out of that lovely fort the next morning, a parting shot of that entrance arch which stood etched in my mind: I must mention the hospitality and the amazing levels of service offered by the JLR staff there. Although I was the only guest, they did not cut any corners. They offered me the full services, including campfire, evening snacks, and full dinner buffet. It was I who told them not to worry about full dinner buffet, but instead asked for just a couple of items for dinner. One of the staff members even showed me around and walked with me to all corners of the fort before leaving me alone to enjoy the experience. They cooked excellent food, they were polite, friendly, and always available whenever I called them. Overall, a lovely service experience from JLR staff at this lovely little lodge tucked away in an ancient fort. By the time I reached (or tried to reach) the Fort, I realized that it was a new place not just to me, but also to Google Maps. It kept on giving laughably wrong location. The fort is located on a hilltop, on the edge of a big cliff, right next to National Highway (NH66). Funnily, Google Maps kept on navigating me to this location next to the highway (see the map below), and repeatedly told me "Your Destination is on the Left". But the destination on the left is on a hill. What is the point of stopping on the highway right below the hill? Google Maps sure has a weird sense of humor sometimes.Google Maps' sense of humor when it navigated me to a location on NH66 and expected me to climb the cliff to reach my destination:Funnily, even if you stop there and zoom on the map, you will see absolutely no other road. Google Maps database just does not have any driveable road going up to the fort (although the actual location of the fort is quite accurate). In reality, there is proper driveable road from the other side of the hill, which is completely missing from the maps database.Luckily for me, while taking a U-turn a bit ahead on NH66 to arrive at this Google Maps wrong destination in the first place, I had noticed a big board by JLR showing some directions. Therefore, once I realized the Google Maps mistake, I laughed at the maps and drove back to that JLR signboard, and in an old fashioned way, just followed the trail of JLR signboards (thanks to JLR for putting these big signboards at the appropriate places). And after following a roundabout road, but a nice small road on that hill, I arrived here, at the entrance of that 17th Century Fort.Entering the 17th Century:Here was another interesting fact that I learned upon my arrival there: I was the only guest there in that entire property that night. This JLR property has 12 rooms, but somehow, that weekend, I was the only person who had a booking there. This meant I was going to stay all alone in that ancient fort converted into a JLR property now. This was surely going to be an interesting experience. Of course, the property manager (and his family) and a few members of staff were there too. But they stay at a house near the entrance. The guest rooms are in a separate building about 200m away, across a small hill that one has to climb and descend again to reach the rooms.All I can say now is that it was a surreal experience. Spending the evening there standing at those view points, all alone, on that 17th century fort, watching the river and the sea, and the sunset in the sea, and then walking around in that ancient place, and spending the night there in total silence, thinking about the history of the place and overlooking the lights of the Karwar city below from my window, it was all a magical experience!My car parked there, all alone, with the entire fort to myself that weekend:With only an ancient wall for company:This board gave a short summary of the long history of the fort; this fort existed in some form since as long as 1510 AD:These are the steps one has to take (there are a few up and down steps) to climb across a small hill to reach the view points, and then the rooms at the end of the hill:And then at the end of that hill, right on the edge of a cliff, this is the building that houses 12 rooms, all overlooking the river and the sea:This was my room. Typical JLR style basic room, but clean and comfortable (no luxuries though; JLR rooms are always basic):View from my room (bridge over Kali river); I also had a nice balcony with even better views:Right outside my room, was this lovely campfire area overlooking the bridge and the river (even though I was the lone guest there, the JLR staff were nice enough to offer me to have a full campfire experience there, but I refused because it was too hot for a campfire that night):Walking further down to the campfire area, I got a nice close views of the iconic bridge over Kali river:Such river views all around from the campfire area:Walking back up on the fort, some lovely views from around the fort walls:A cannon in one corner of the fort, aimed at the open sea below:Another view of the wall around the fort:A very interesting statue stands prominently there on the top of the fort:The main highlight of that evening at that view point - a gorgeous sunset into the sea:A view of Kali river meeting the Arabian Sea, with the sun setting in the background:A closer look at some of the beaches on the coastline there, bathing under the evening sunlight:While I was standing there, watching the views and mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape in front of me, there were literally hundreds of kites flying all around. It was an interesting experience to watch them from where I stood, at a already high vantage point. Thus, some kites were flying below me, and some were flying from above me. It was nice to watch them fly from below to up, and take circular paths. I spent some time just quietly watching the birds fly around. And even managed to click a couple of pictures:After spending a good amount of time watching the sunset, the views and the birds flying around, I returned to my room. Now, with nothing else to do there while I sat in my room enjoying the solitude and the peace, I decided to try some long exposure photography from my balcony.A long exposure view of the bridge in the night, from my balcony:I sat there in my balcony enjoying the views and the solitude. It was a surreal experience to be there all alone in the night, in the ancient fort, staring at the darkness around and then looking down at these lights on the highway and the city around. It was a great experience!Net morning, I saw such views of the rising sun from the other side of the fort:As I spent the morning hour walking around the fort again, I enjoyed such nice views:The same coastline and the beaches, now seen in the morning light:While I was spending the night alone there, my friends (on WhatsApp) were jokingly teasing me about ghosts and supernatural things on the ancient fort that I might encounter in the night. While none of that happened in the night (in fact I had a great sleep), the next morning, there was a different and unexpected scary experience.While I was taking a stroll on the fort, a pack of stray dogs unexpectedly jumped in from somewhere and charged at me, scaring the hell out of me. I somehow managed to run to the safety of my room. And then while I was back in my room, these dogs were all around my balcony area.The pack of stray dogs that unexpectedly jumped in and scared me:While I was enjoying my experiences on the fort, my car standing still there, soaking in the historic ambiance and the solitude:And finally, as I drove out of that lovely fort the next morning, a parting shot of that entrance arch which stood etched in my mind:I must mention the hospitality and the amazing levels of service offered by the JLR staff there. Although I was the only guest, they did not cut any corners. They offered me the full services, including campfire, evening snacks, and full dinner buffet. It was I who told them not to worry about full dinner buffet, but instead asked for just a couple of items for dinner. One of the staff members even showed me around and walked with me to all corners of the fort before leaving me alone to enjoy the experience. They cooked excellent food, they were polite, friendly, and always available whenever I called them. Overall, a lovely service experience from JLR staff at this lovely little lodge tucked away in an ancient fort. Last edited by Dr.AD : 6th April 2022 at 18:26 . What just happened? Rather than pulling another product out of Russia, Apple is bringing one back to the country, though Vladimir Putin isn't going to be thanking Tim Cook. Cupertino has reinstated a voting app run by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to the Russian App Store after it was removed last year. The Washington Post reports that Apple and Google officials in Russia had been threatened with arrest in September 2021 unless they removed Navalny's "Smart Voting" app from their respective stores ahead of Russia's legislative election. The app contains over a thousand endorsements of political candidates and is designed to help citizens register votes against Putin and his ruling United Russia party. A spokesperson for the Russian President previously called the app "illegal." Both tech giants complied with the demands, but while Google returned the app to the Play Store soon after the election, it never reappeared on the Apple App Store. But this week saw its return, according to independent researchers and Navalny's chief of staff, Leonid Volkov. Ukraine urged Tim Cook to block the App Store in Russia soon after the war began, and while Apple did pause all its product sales and limited services such as Apple Pay in the country around one week later, it never blocked access to the App Store. The list of tech giants that have taken action against Russia and ally Belarus in response to the Ukraine invasion keeps growing. Intel suspended its business in Russia yesterday having already stopped shipments of industrial processors to the country. We've also seen World of Tanks developer Wargaming, whose Russian CEO founded the company in Belarus, leave both countries last week. Navalny Image credit: Micha Siergiejevicz With the problem of climate change being recognized more and more, we have had a few exciting technologies that promised to help in alleviating the problem of climate change. Technologies like wind turbines and solar cells have been touted as alternative energy solutions that could alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels. However, so far, these technologies have proven to be inefficient, or in the case of solar power, the problem has been that the technology generates power only during the day when there is sunlight. That has changed. Researchers from Stanford University invented solar cells that work even during the night. How It Works According to a report from Earth.com, solar cells radiate and lose heat to the sky during the night. According to the researchers, the technology they developed uses a thermoelectric module to create voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air. The system's thermal design comprises both a hot and cold side. Sid Assawaworrarit, co-author of the study, explained, "You want the thermoelectric to have very good contact with both the cold side, which is the solar cell, and the hot side, which is the ambient environment, if you don't have that, you're not going to get much power out of it." The authors further added that In the day when there is plenty of sunlight, the system works in reverse and contributes the additional power generated to conventional solar cells. The device generates 50 milliwatts per square meter, lighting at night requires a few watts of power. This means that for lighting you would need 20 square meters of photovoltaic area. Read Also: The Department of Energy Funds a Project Aiming to Recycle Discarded Solar Panels-But How Much Will it Cost? Usefulness A report from Scitechdaily states that millions of people around the world lack electricity access at night. Usually, conventional solar cells generate electricity during the day when there is sunlight and would need battery to store the electricity generated. This system would allow millions of people around the world to have access to a simple technology that lets them generate electricity even during the night without the need for batteries. The system is simple and inexpensive to setup, which means incorporating it with existing solar cells is possible. Also, due to it being inexpensive, it could be built in remote areas with limited resources. Made from simple components According to ScienceDaily, the components for making the device were not engineered specifically for this purpose. So there's still room for improvement, and if one would engineer the components specific for this purpose, the performance could be better stated Shanhui Fan The team's goal is to improve on the insulation and thermoelectric components of the device. They are studying ways to engineer improvements to the solar cells to improve the performance of the system. Related Article: Want To Cut Your Electric Bill? This Solar Paint Could Do The Trick This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Seth Denolo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Asus routers were the target of this new Russian botnet hack called "Cyclops Blink," and it is from the notorious hacker gang called "Sandworm," known for its attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation caught a whiff of the threat actors' plans for the botnet, and they stopped the attack before it launched for the routers that may have made a massive breach. Asus Routers is the Target of the new Russian Botnet, "Cyclops Blink" According to a report by Wired, Russian hackers have enforced a botnet that aims to target ASUS routers and their operations in the country. The FBI first saw this attack months ago, and the Bureau have watched this closely to avoid any breaches of the network. Then came March, and the FBI launched its countermeasures against the botnet. The Russian botnet is a new virus that the agency saw, and it is called the "Cyclops Blink," which focused on the many bots that aim to disrupt a system and its operations. The notorious gang behind it made this new botnet, and it is a nefarious virus that the agency saw, having capabilities of bringing down ASUS's networks. Read Also: WhatsApp Users Beware: New Phishing Campaign Imitates App's Voice Message Feature FBI: Crisis Averted for Russia's Botnet Attack, Sandworm Gizmodo said that the ASUS devices were in danger from this attack, coming from the highly prolific Russian gang called "Sandworm." The FBI battled against these botnets from releasing their herd that will affect its systems and takes down their services for those that use the routers. Moreover, it may also affect those that use the device for their internet needs. The FBI disabled the malicious systems before it even launched its herd to affect the systems. Breaches and Attacks from Russia Russia has been a notorious breeding ground for cyberattacks and hacks that have been attacking international communities and infrastructures that they target for this focus. The National Cyber Security Centre of the United Kingdom warned against Russia and using its products for the needs of the public as it could have access to one's data and information. One of the most massive attacks from Russia is on the United States' Nuclear power plants that the country said suffered from cyberattacks from the transcontinental nation. There have been many attacks that the European country did on many nations and corporations, breaching their defenses or embedding their malware from the inside. The world is on edge right now, and one of the reasons for this is due to Russia's actions against the international community and its conflict with Ukraine. However, that does not mean that its threat actors are also backing away from the fight, launching their hacks on different corporations and focus, as long as it connects to the internet. Related Article: Hackers Are Copying Legitimate Smartphone Apps to Inject Spyware | How to Avoid Them This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SpinLaunch secured a contract with NASA to test its systems that focus on a novel technology that aims to bring a payload delivery service to orbit, something that may be used for future launches. The concept of SpinLaunch will focus on delivering tubes at high speeds to reach the low-Earth orbit, something that will propel despite not using any delivery vehicles. SpinLaunch: NASA Contract to Test Payload Delivery Service SpinLaunch announced that it already signed a contract with NASA to test its technology for a more extensive launch that will determine its systems' capabilities and improvement. The main tech of SpinLaunch is a device that will build up energy and power to launch a tube towards the skies and bring the cargo to orbit. It calls the machine a "Suborbital Accelerator" and it builds up power and momentum that it will use to propel the tube and shoot it from the surface to the skies. Some say that it works like a slingshot or catapult that gets the power to launch its payload by holding back power and pushing it against the object to launch it from the ground. Read Also: NASA Perseverance: Mars' Speed of Sound Calculated Using Rover, Is It Different from the Earth? SpinLaunch's Technology Features a Futuristic Method The features and concept brought by SpinLaunch already reached 1,000 miles per hour and reached 30,000 feet. The company is working on its technology to reach higher speeds and greater heights, enough to bring it out of the Earth's atmosphere. The technology is a futuristic method that will no longer require rockets to bring cargo to space. NASA and its Ventures with Companies There was a startup company back in 2018 that wants to propose a new launch scheme for delivering payloads to the LEO without the need for rockets or vehicles. That is SpinLaunch and since then, the company has been working on its tech to feature a different way of bringing its cargo to space, an innovative take on launches. NASA is famous for allowing companies to make technology for them, or partnering with startups that aim to bring their technology and research the many effects that space brings to the human race. One startup known as Brain.Space is another company that partnered with NASA through its Axiom-1 mission that will look into the effects of space travel on a person's grey matter. The space agency also sought the help of SpaceX and another space company to feature their launch vehicles for the Moon mission. SpinLaunch's innovation is a new take on delivering payloads to the low-Earth orbit and it will significantly reduce the need for fuel and other resources to launch cargo to space. Its test launch will determine the future of the company, especially now that it caught NASA's attention, and it may soon get its blessings for a more significant launch. Related Article: NASA Taps EV Maker Canoo To Transport Astronauts To The Launchpad This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla's camera-reliant autonomy removed Model Y and Model 3 units from Europe and the Middle East. The removal of radar sensors in Tesla EVs has been a long-time effort of the giant automaker. The famous tech CEO Elon Musk recently explained that radar sensors are effective but somehow prevent the potential of Tesla's autonomy and FSD (Full Self-Driving) feature. He added that if Tesla wants to achieve the perfect autonomous capability, it needs to make self-driving EVs act like their human drivers. This means that Teslas needs camera sensors (acting as eyes) and an advanced software system (acting as the brain). Tesla Removes Radar-Reliant Model Y, Model 3 From Europe, Middle East According to Tech Crunch's latest report, Tesla consumers in Europe and the Middle East will no longer be able to purchase Tesla Model Y and Model 3 units that rely on radar sensors. Also Read: Tesla 'Ghost' Detection Glitch Can Harm Drivers! Here's Why It is Happening... And It's NOT Supernatural This move is a part of the new Tesla Vision effort, which aims to remove radar sensors from all the automaker's electric vehicles. "Model 3 and Model Y are our higher volume vehicles. Transitioning them to Tesla Vision first allows us to analyze a large volume of real-world data in a short amount of time," said the EV maker via Inside EVs. The ongoing Tesla Vision effort is quite different from the common market approach conducted by other automakers. As of the moment, other autonomous carmakers still use radar sensors to enhance their autopilot technologies. Will Tesla Radar Removal Pose Issues? Tesla Vision's official website announced that there would be some issues once radar sensors are removed from the company's electric cars. The automaker said that some features would be inactive. These include the Tesla Autosteer. Those EV units that no longer have radar sensors will have the Autosteer feature limited to a maximum speed of 80 mph. Although this is the case, the automaker clarified that the affected features would be restored after a week or two. If you want to see further details about the ongoing Tesla Vision effort, you can visit this link. Meanwhile, Tesla Model 3 police cars finally arrived in Taiwan. On the other hand, new Tesla OTA updates were recently released to solve the delayed rearview display issue in old Model S and Model X EVs. For more news updates about Tesla Vision and other activities of the giant automaker, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: [UPDATE] Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai Suspension Worsens; Friday Reopening Uncertain This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The South African MeerKAT telescope has detected rather interesting phenomena in outer space, specifically five billion light-years from our own home of Earth. The record-breaking discovery comes in the form of a space laser, more specifically a "megamaser," which is essentially a powerful radio wave that is often made following the collision of two galaxies, according to its discoverer Dr. Marcin Glowacki. Newly appointed head of the Curtin University node under Western Australia's International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), Dr. Glowacki relays that the megamaser finding is one of both intrigue and major importance. Leading his international team of astronomers, the scientist explains that the space laser, coined "Nklakatha" (meaning Big Boss in isiZulu), is the first ever telescopically detected megamaser recorded at such a vast distance from Earth. The space laser is essentially born from the cosmic vapors created in the mega destruction that soon follows after a violent collision between two galactic bodies. From this happenstance, two powerful lines of energy are formed that extend across the universe, releasing light energy in waves throughout its travel. Dr. Glowacki explains: Related Article: Solar Cells That Work Even at Night "When galaxies collide, the gas they contain becomes extremely dense and can trigger concentrated beams of light to shoot out. This is the first hydroxyl megamaser to be observed by MeerKAT and the most distant seen by any telescope to date. It's impressive that, with just a single night of observations, we've already found a record-breaking megamaser. It shows just how good the telescope is." The find was made following over 3,000 hours of observations via the powerful MeerKAT telescope, which was discovered remarkably in the initial night of its survey. The telescope, which is based under the Square Kilometre Array, is utilized mostly to peer into very narrow parts of the cosmos, studying varied effects like atomic hydrogen in far-off galaxies and clusters. The information wrought from these surveys will aid astronomers for years to come in defining specific concepts surrounding hydrogen and hydroxyl masers, which will in turn, give humans a far better understanding of the natural evolution of the full universe. The University of Colorado's Prof. Jeremy Darling highlights that the technology is imperative for understanding still-unknown concepts surrounding space and will aid very many future discoveries still to come: "MeerKAT will probably double the known number of these rare phenomena. Experts thought galaxies merged more often in the past, and the newly discovered OH megamasers will allow us to test this hypothesis." Continued observations and surveys are planned for the Looking at the Distant Universe with the Meerkat Array (LADUMA) team. With the aid of complex research data facilities, like the Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), which utilizes cloud computing to assist in difficult scientific algorithms, will only expand upon our knowledge of the vastness behind the cosmos. Read Also: SpinLaunch Signs Contract with NASA to Test Payload Delivery Service to Orbit, Future of Launches? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new cardiac arrest-detecting AI has been revealed. If this health technology is proven effective, it can reduce death cases caused by sudden heart dysfunction. Natalia Trayanova, the senior author of the latest study, explained that more than 20% of the deaths across the world are caused by cardiac arrest (cardiac arrhythmias). Because of this, they decided to create a new artificial intelligence that can detect if an individual is about to have heart failure. Now, will this new cardia arrest-detecting AI help reduce cardiac arrest deaths? Cardiac Arrest-Detecting AI Now Under Development According to MedicalXPress's latest report, the new cardiac arrest-detecting AI was revealed in the new study titled "Arrhythmic sudden death survival prediction using deep learning analysis of scarring in the heart," published in the Nature Cardiac Research journal. Also Read: Drug-Developing AI Identifies 40,000 Bioweapon Chemicals For Just 6 Hours, But Here's a Warning The health research was led by some talented researchers from Johns Hopkins University. They explained that the new artificial intelligence is built on raw images of patients' diseased hearts. Involved health experts added that the new AI could increase the survival rate of patients suffering from cardiac arrest. "The images carry critical information that doctors haven't been able to access," explained Dan Popescu, the first author of the new AI study. He added that the information distribution method of the new AI could identify the patient's chance for survival. How the New AI Reduces Cardiac Arrest Deaths As of the moment, cardiac arrests are hard to detect. Because of this, Trayanova explained that some arrhythmia patients with a low risk of cardiac death are getting defibrillators. Meanwhile, those at high risk of getting sudden cardiac attacks are deprived of having the health equipment they need, such as a defibrillator. Now, with the health of the new artificial intelligence model, health experts can identify the patients that they need to prioritize, thus reducing the number of death cases. If you want to see further details about the new cardiac arrest-detecting AI, you can visit this link. Meanwhile, Artificial Vision's new brain implant recently helped a blind woman see 2D objects. On the other hand, a new U.S. artificial intelligence was developed to help Australia from bushfires. For more news updates about artificial intelligence and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: University of Liverpool's New AI Could Identify New Materials at a Fast Rate-Quicker and More Efficient Than Humans? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When learning is in progress, strengthen your confidence and win the battle of epidemic prevention and control! Xi Jinping presided over an important meeting and issued the strongest voice against the epidemic How a maternity hospital in Shanghai ensures medical services for pregnant women: providing online consultation and outpatient services By:Zhao Chunyuan | From:english.eastday.com | 2022-04-07 09:38 (Photo: Yicai) "What should I do if I am close to labor, but I have no nucleic acid test result within 48 hours?" "If a pregnant woman lives in a residential complex under closed-loop management with an obstetric emergency, will the hospital receive her or not?" The International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital of China welfare institute (IPMCH) affiliated to the Medicine College Shanghai Jiaotong University, where Cheng Weiwei works, deals with these situations every day. Cheng is the director of IPMCH, which is one of the three largest maternity hospitals in Shanghai."After the emergence of the epidemic, the biggest challenges we have faced are how to prevent the epidemic and guarantee medical services for pregnant women," Cheng said. In order to ensure better medical services for pregnant women, IPMCH has offered various forms of medical services including online consultation and outpatient services. Shanghai conducted a new round of city-wide nucleic acid screening in batches starting from the morning of March 28. From that day, IPMCH also set up different WeChat groups for pregnant women."Currently, we have opened a total of 36 WeChat groups for pregnant women, in which doctors can answer their questions to alleviate their anxiety in a timely manner. In case of emergency, the hospital will also open an emergency help channel for pregnant women," Cheng said. Cheng Weiwei feels a little grateful that the hospital's "fifth-generation network + remote maternal and fetal caring system", built in July last year, is now playing a significant role during this current situation of COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai. Recently, IPMCH has been able to provide the public medical service of remote fetal heart rate monitoring, allowing doctors to remotely monitor the status of the fetus for pregnant women who are in lockdown to reduce the risk of critical illness for pregnant women and their fetuses. As the director, Cheng Weiwei has stayed in the hospital and stuck to her post for many weeks. "This is my duty. There will be some unexpected situations in the hospital at any time due to the pandemic, and the director should be the first one to coordinate and command on the scene, so that they can give greater support to staff members," Cheng said. Will Edwards opened his first location of the Kolache Kitchen in Baton Rouge and expanded to New Orleans. Now he's franchising the breakfast business and has received interest to open locations in the Lafayette area and on the North Shore. After some tense exchanges, a state Senate committee Thursday approved a bill that would redraw the boundaries of the Central school district after a legislative leader said a planned development would lead to overcrowding in one of Louisiana's top-rated school systems. Critics, including a member of Louisiana's top school board, said the move would harm Black families who reside on the bulk of the land under scrutiny on the west bank of the Comite River. The measure, Senate Bill 189, is sponsored by Sen. Bodi White, R-Central and chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. It won approval in the Senate Education Committee, with the lone "no" vote cast by Senate Education Committee Chairman Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge. The legislation may face a review in White's committee before a vote in the full Senate. The subdivision in question that would be removed from the district boundaries covers 53 acres in a two-square-mile area. Developer Nick FaKouri, who testified, said he was "blindsided" by White's legislation, but is willing to take a number of steps to guard against overcrowding in Central schools and flooding. But White, who sponsored the 2006 legislation that carved the district out of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, said in a pointed exchange with FaKouri that his assurances carried little weight. "All I can say is I'm sorry, it is nothing personal," White told the developer. "There is a top school system and we are going to put more kids with less money and you say you will do this and that," he added. "But it is not going to educate the kids, it is not going to keep the classrooms from being overcrowded." White said the Central school district has grown from about 3,000 students initially to around 5,000 today. "Every year we have to think about adding on and having space," White said of classrooms. How a fight over a new development could cause the Central School District to shrink Opposition to a proposed new subdivision on the west bank of the Comite River might result in hundreds of children, most of them African-Ameri Plans call for the Belle Arbor subdivision to have 183 homes just south of Hooper Road near its intersection with Foster Road. The roughly 250 children who live in the area now could stay in Central schools. Up to 400 more children expected to live in the new subdivision would be assigned to the East Baton Rouge school district, which is lower rated than schools in Central. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up FaKouri said homes would start at $250,000. He said he would be willing to consider an "impact fee" on homeowners to help fund schools. FaKouri also said he has taken steps to guard against flooding. "We will handle the moderate to heavy rains," he told the committee. "We can't handle the 2016," he said, a reference to the three days of historic rainfall that doused Central and other areas. White downplayed the flood assurances. "I have seen water on that property at least 10 times over my head, at least 10 times," he said. "I have lived there all my life." White also said up to seven homes could be placed on each acre while FaKouri said he plans half that. Belinda Davis, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education who has long been involved in East Baton Rouge school issues, said neighborhoods where Black residents make up a majority of the homes are valued at 23% less than those dominated by White residents. "Sen. White's decision to cut these minority neighborhoods out of the Central school system unfairly cuts their home values," said Davis, a professor of public policy at LSU. Davis also said the area in question was only added to the original boundaries of the Central school district to offset criticism that the school system would be 90% White and to guard against civil rights lawsuits. Melissa Flournoy, chair of Louisiana Progress, said there was a "discriminatory undercurrent in this conversation." "I am concerned that this sends the wrong message, to developers, to families that want to move into school systems that are perceived as having high quality," Flournoy said. White said his bill is aimed at keeping Central school size manageable. "The reason you do that is if you have fewer students in a classroom, especially elementary, you are more apt to be successful," he said. Voting "yes" on the bills were Sens. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe; Mark Abraham, R-Lake Charles; Robert Mills, R-Minden; Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton; Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge and Bodi White, R-Central. Voting "no" was Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge. One of the countrys top regulators is urging banks, insurers and super funds to tread carefully with cryptocurrencies, as it seeks to give the industry more clarity about how to deal with digital assets. As authorities grapple with the growing popularity of crypto assets, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres on Thursday said it would soon write to financial institutions setting out its high-level expectations for how they deal with digital assets, such as bitcoin or stablecoins. APRA chair Wayne Byres said he wanted to give banks more clarity on the regulatory expectations relating to cryptocurrencies. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer While the Commonwealth Bank is trialling cryptocurrency trading on its app, no other major Australian bank has sought to offer the digital assets to customers amid lingering concerns about regulatory or reputational risk. Mr Byres said APRA was keen to give banks more clarity about its regulatory expectations, noting regulators overseas were also engaging with traditional banks about cryptocurrencies. Elon Musk was 11 days late in publicly declaring he had amassed a large stake in Twitter. That omission may have earned him $US156 million ($208 million), a half dozen legal and securities experts say. Thats because of a 50-year-old law that requires investors to notify the Securities and Exchange Commission when they surpass a 5 per cent stake in a company. Musk reached that benchmark on March 14, according to the filings. But he only made his public disclosure on Monday. Elon Musks windfall may come with a slap on the wrist in the form of a fine from the SEC, but will likely be limited to hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to legal experts. Credit:AP In between, he continued to buy stock at the price of about $US39 a share, bringing his total stake to 9.2 per cent. After his disclosure, Twitters share price rose roughly 30 per cent and is now above $US50 a share. The late filing netted Musk $US156 million, said David Kass, a finance professor at University of Marylands business school. I really dont know whats going through his mind. Was he ignorant or knowledgeable that he was violating securities law? he said. Whoever was handling the trades for Musk should have known, Kass said. Rio Tinto has taken full control of an alumina refinery it owns with United Co. Rusal International PJSC in Queensland, formally removing access to a key source of raw material for the Russian aluminum giant. Rusals supply of alumina, the main ingredient to make aluminum, has been thrown into turmoil since Russias invasion of Ukraine, raising questions about whether it can sustain production levels at a time when global supplies are already under pressure. Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire and ally of President Vladimir Putin, is on the Australian governments list of sanctioned businessmen. Deripaska owns a large stake in En+ Group, Rusals majority shareholder. Credit:AP Last month, Australia announced the immediate ban on the export of alumina to Russia. After the announcement, Rusal had been unable to access its share of production from Queensland Alumina, in which it owns 20 per cent, Bloomberg reported. The move by Rio, which owns the other 80 per cent, formalises Rusals exclusion from the plants management and production while the Australian sanctions are in place. Previously, it hadnt been clear whether Rusal would be able to swap its alumina with supplies from another country. Linda Brown is boss of Australias fastest growing university, but shes never been focused on traditional metrics like higher education institution rankings. Ms Browns work as chief executive of Torrens University Australia has seen her crowned EY Entrepreneur of the Year. She won over a panel of judges including Lucy Turnbull, OzHarvest founder Ronni Khan, fast food mogul Jack Cowin and Greencross founder Glen Richards. Linda Brown is chief executive of private university operator Torrens University Australia The panel chose her for the annual entrepreneur prize for her work in growing Torrens educational reach throughout the pandemic. We really focused on employability when employability wasnt sexy for universities. We werent interested in university league tables - we were interested in what the client wanted, she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The legacy of colonisation and environmental loss were the focus of the winning photographs in this years World Press Photo Contest. The contest, which recognises the best in photojournalism and documentary photography from around the world, chose four winners from over 64,000 entries over a six-week judging period. Winners were selected by a global jury. Credit: The managing photo editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Mags King, was among the regional judges for this years contest. What was evident is the continuing dedication of photojournalists from diverse backgrounds some working independently with no support from media organisations, with limited time and resources, King said. But the gene pool of committed donors remains stubbornly small while the need is exponential, says investment banker and philanthropist Simon Mordant, one of those who dug deep during the pandemic. Australia is ranked in the bottom third of OECD nations for spending on arts and culture, government spending not keeping pace with population growth. Last weeks federal budget saw off the last of the COVID-19 support money and offered little new, and even backward steps, as the devastated sector attempts to rebuild after a horror two years. A lot of people have made a lot of money in business and the share market, says gallerist, fundraiser and philanthropist Philip Bacon. That money is looking for a home and something to do with it. The immediate crisis over, Sydneys leading philanthropists have not stopped giving, their capacities bolstered by an equities and real estate boom that has defied expectations of recession, their tax-deductible gifts delivered mainly through philanthropic foundations. Museum of Contemporary Art chair Lorraine Tarabay (front left), former chair Simon Mordant (front right), and two members of young philanthropist committee MCA Next Michael Sirmai (left) and Lindsay Clement-Meehan (right). Together they represent three generations of philanthropists who have worked to bring contemporary art to the MCA Credit:Louise Kennerley The Museum of Contemporary Art raised close to $1 million, a record for the gallery, when its annual fundraising appeal took on real urgency. The Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Belvoir St Theatre also received unprecedented philanthropic support during that first year of COVID-19. Kerr and Paris Neilson, Geoff Ainsworth and Michael and David Gonski mounted a rescue of Carriageworks , the art space in the Eveleigh railyards, then on the verge of collapse . Donors Gretel Packer, Anita Belgiorno-Nettis of the Transfield family, Rosie Williams and former resource and energy chief executive John Grill, Qantas chief Alan Joyce and his partner Shane Lloyd, were among angels who rallied to help the Sydney Theatre Company . At Opera Australia , property investor Michael Gannon and wife Helen, Japanese businessman Haruhisa Handa and Packer family matriarch Ros Packer doubled their gifts. Live music stopped, festivals were cancelled, shows and exhibitions closed. When the full force of the global pandemic hit Australia, in March 2020, everything changed. The following weeks, months and years were a dark time for creators and creative institutions across the nation. As the countrys cultural infrastructure shook and those in arts industries found themselves bereft of work or income, an SOS went out to Sydneys committed arts philanthropists. Part of that involves organisations talking openly about what didnt work as much as what did, says Meers. Philanthropy should always be additional to public investment in the arts, rather than one or the other, says donor EsteDarin-Cooper, who says art that inspires and raises us all needs funding for its own intrinsic worth, not only for some measurable economic or societal outcome. Most donors are mindful of the issue and want to support, rather than direct, the vision of the organisation they are funding, says Sam Meers, co-founder of the Nelson Meers Foundation which doubled down on its giving during COVID-19. So yes, my view is that a mix of funding is optimal, as it provides a kind of check and balance. The artist boycott of the 2022 Sydney Festival , tripped by its acceptance of sponsorship from the Israeli embassy, illustrates the tensions between business, soft diplomacy and the arts world, the latter of which is about taking risk and being socially aware and critical and pro-active, says Caust. Everybody is needing money but if you take it from whoever offers it, there is always an obligation as well it is not a free transaction, she says. But the arguments around undue influence could equally apply to the government where support can come with a direction, price or to influence voting patterns, Caust says. Of course, greater reliance on private money comes with ethical questions. Arts companies need to exercise care not to legitimise damaged brands, what University of Melbournes Dr Jo Caust calls art washing. This will be the decade of the biggest wealth transfer in Australian history, Mordant says. Where are the examples of Australias tech billionaires and the children of mining families conspicuously supporting the arts? You cant take a billion with you to the grave or $10 billion, for that matter. In soliciting donations from high-wealth individuals, the leaders of major cultural institutions often work as a double act or triple bill: the chief executive or director makes the case for support, and the chair, themselves a person of influence, does the asking. A passionate artistic director, wise to philanthropy, can add that touch of magic fairy dust. If you are not excited by a company and their mission, its difficult to find a reason to support it, says Darin-Cooper. Motives vary. Legacy-seeking donors approaching the end of long careers find meaning in named galleries, brass plaques or mentions on concert programs. Others write their cheques anonymously, wishing no fanfare. Relationships are key. Arts organisations that cold-called potential donors during the pandemic were invariably disappointed. Help generally came after a push from an already opened door, according to Kate Fielding from the arts think tank A New Approach, itself a joint philanthropic venture spearheaded by Rupert Myer amid the turmoil of COVID-19. Kerr and Judith Neilson, Ros and Gretel Packer, the Balnaves, Nelson Meers and Belgiorno-Nettis families, Simon and Catriona Mordant, Geoff Ainsworths Oranges & Sardines Foundation, and generations of the Fairfax and Myer families are generous givers to Sydney arts. Sydneys leading philanthropists are a roll call of financial and equity investors, property developers, a few hoteliers and media types with a parsimonious sprinkling of old money. I think we all agree that cultural organisations need to embrace creative risk, and failure is, of course, inherent in risk-taking but its hard to have a positive conversation about how something can be done better when youre worried you might lose your funding. The late Neil Balnaves typified the hands-on philanthropist. Once wooed by the power of an idea, he wanted to be in the drivers seat with you, recalls National Gallery of Australia director Nick Mitzevich. He wanted to go through all the twists and turns. He was the one who wrote cheques but was happy to contribute to strategy and game plans, so he brought his business acumen to the table as well. One can easily hide behind the argument that governments waste money, and taxes, including surchages and GST are high and absorb well over half ones income. However, I reason that this is tantamount to disengagement from ones society and fails to ask why do not have walled communities and why do we still have such relatively high levels of personal freedom. A long way of saying, open civil societies are worth protecting, and a little extra from those with it could be regarded as expediency rather than being defined as kindness. Better still, it gives one purpose. Neilson believes his generation was born in a gilded age of opportunity. In my view, if one attributes such good fortune entirely to ones hard work, one is probably a fool, Neilson says. Actor Rebel Wilson donated $1 million to her alma mater, the Australian Theatre for Young People, a gesture that has given the youth theatre the confidence to stage its first professional season. At the Australian Chamber Orchestra, executive director Richard Evans and chair Guido Belgiorno-Nettis raised $16 million of $22 million needed for their new premises at Walsh Bay, anchored by a $5 million donation from arts patron Kerr Neilson, who has also given another $3 million to Bell Shakespeare, the largest donation in that companys history. Having raised $109 million for Sydney Modern almost one-third of the projects cost Gonski and his trustees have gone back to donors to quietly raise millions more for the art inside. The depth of fundraising remains the envy of much of Sydneys arts scene, their donors list and strategies much copied. Meers was inundated with requests for assistance during COVID-19. The hardest thing is saying no, because there never is enough money for worthy causes. Thats why you end up spending half your time giving money and the other half fundraising because you constantly see projects you want to see succeed. In seeking donations for Opera Australia, art dealer Philip Bacon wears two hats. When I am asked, I ask back. Bacon increased his gifts to Opera Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Queensland Art Gallery, by 50 per cent when COVID-19 first hit, and has maintained his level of support. A number of organisations suggest a donation of X, and you think thats a large number, Williams says. Does he always sign on? Life is not a dress rehearsal and there is the joy of seeing creative work take place. A creative life is the crucible of life itself. It really matters, and COVID-19 only proved that. Williams regards private giving as still in a place of early gestation in Australia compared to the US, where huge endowments underwrite an institutions operating costs as well as acquisitions and building renovations. Post pandemic, he says, performing arts companies are less bashful in the way they approach donors and more strategic in who they target, trying to find points of relatability. I think donors need to be very cautious to avoid trying to influence from the wings I simply dont ever do it, says Williams, who spreads his philanthropy across the performing arts and documentary filmmaking. Others, such as former Foxtel chief Kim Williams, invest in the artists and companies but prefer the back seat. Major cultural institutions court high-wealth individuals with exclusive entry to donor circles and bespoke and intimate stage experiences. The call on philanthropists is especially competitive in visual arts. Annual appeals and patron gala nights have returned to Sydneys social calendar after a COVID-19 hiatus. Such fundraisers are resource-intensive but sit at the cornerstone of many companies, including the Sydney Dance Companys philanthropic drive. But nothing beats the direct personal approach. You cant just say please support the Opera House anymore, Herron says. If you want to make a difference you have to define what you want, and youve got to sell it. What I dont want philanthropy to be is a kind of gym membership. What do I get for that? Do I get to go to exclusive previews? Of course, well involve you. But to me, anything else is not philanthropy, its marketing. New museum wings and theatres and new art catch the eye of philanthropists. With no ribbon to cut, raising private money for core programs, operations or maintenance is a tougher ask, even more so for small-to-medium organisations without the professional fundraising teams and the PR megaphones of major cultural institutions. Yet building the capacity of an arts organisation to withstand recessions and pandemics is the single most important investment a philanthropist can make. Judith Neilson, aka the rock star philanthropist. Credit:James Brickwood Judith Neilson, founder of the extraordinary White Rabbit Gallery and Phoenix Central Park, who is dubbed Sydneys rock star philanthropist, has taken a leadership approach. Her foundation funds arts criticism, professorial university chairs in contemporary art and architecture, scholarships for contemporary arts study, and nurtures emerging talent and studios both local and overseas. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, chair Lorraine Tarabay has made social impact the public good that arts brings to health, education and Indigenous lives the focus of the museums newest philanthropic pitch. Gone are the days when you give to an organisation and it goes into a general bucket, Tarabay says. I felt if you could better direct your giving within a not-for-profit it would be more impactful for people, encouraging existing philanthropists to give greater amounts and attract new donors. Others argue that no more should be expected of art other than to simply transport a person into a more profound understanding of the world they live in. Carriageworks chair Cass OConnor is a fan of that approach but notes that impact investing often seems easier to fund. Carriageworks Solid Ground project funds artists in residence in schools in Redfern and Blacktown, which then encourage artistic endeavours by students, some of whom have returned to Carriageworks to exhibit. Musuem of Contemporary Art chair Lorraine Taraby. Credit:Louie Douvis As with many philanthropists, Tarabay came to private giving as an avid collector of contemporary art an escape from a high-pressured career in investment banking. She and her husband, Nick Langley, made the inaugural pledge to the MCAs Social Impact through Art Fund, a donation of $1 million over five years, and support the museums program for 12 to 21-year-olds. Tarabay wants to see the net for philanthropists widen to include migrant families from Sydneys cultural diasporas. For the arts, I believe its about welcoming them and including them as part of our cultural institutions. Community and connection, not reward, drive Sydneys youngest philanthropists. Corporate communications manager Lindsay Clement-Meehan is a member of MCA Next, the donor circle revamped by Tarabay last year to cultivate a generation of new philanthropists. What Ive learnt is the best way to support an artist is to buy their work, and I have a big collection, but at the same time membership has broadened my horizons to think more widely about contemporary art, Clement-Meehan says. One of the wonderful things to come out of it has been my loose friendships with emerging artists. But young or emerging philanthropists can be thin on the ground in a city where the cost of a modest home exceeds $1 million. Spending money on art and buying a home? Sometimes it has to be a choice, not both, Clement-Meehan concedes. Key players, from left: Kerr Neilson, Alan Joyce, Ros Packer and David Gonski. Michael Sirmai, the chair of Milk Crate Theatre and MCA Next, came to philanthropy through pro bono legal work and his familys high regard for social good. For me, it comes down to the idea of community as a driver of change, he says. Its getting together with others to volunteer, to try and solve a problem or perhaps to give. The starting point is trying to get people inspired around a purpose, which takes exposure to an organisation over a period of time. And the outcome is usually about community too: bringing people together for delivery of services or care, shared experience or togetherness for its own sake. After more than two years of disruption, its a pretty good antidote to isolation. Sydney Writers Festival has also set up its own dedicated circle for young donors called Dialogue. No one cares about winning an item at auction or having their name on the side of the building, says founding member, lawyer Tom Gooch. Young people are more interested in being part of an ecosystem. It might look like an online book club, talks with emerging artists, but its certainly not drinking champagne in a sandstone building once a year. I think the bargain is not money for attention, its funding for connection. The thing people missed during COVID-19 was talking about ideas they read in books and having a conversation more interesting than their Instagram feed. Gooch is shaping Dialogue into what he hopes will become the template for engagement with young philanthropists reaching geographically isolated and culturally diverse communities, while acknowledging there is only so much people can give at the start of their careers. It cant be philanthropy by the people of the inner city for the inner city, Gooch says. We have to do better than that. Philanthropist Este Darin-Cooper says arts companies must take the long view. For someone in their 30s or 40s, they might be paying off a mortgage, they might have kids, its hard to find that money, but thats not to say that when they are 60 they cant be in a position to give the big bucks. Beau Neilson, the daughter of two prominent Sydney arts philanthropists, now runs the Phoenix Central arts project. Paris and Beau Neilson, daughters of Judith and Kerr Neilson, have followed their parents lead into arts philanthropy. We grew up in a household aware that we were fortunate ... and that made us realise that once you settle, its time to give back, Beau Neilson says. Neilson is drawn to the arts, refugee services, juvenile justice and disadvantaged youth, and charities that assist newborns and young mothers. There is a huge amount of alignment with her parents missions in her everyday work running Phoenix Central Park. Neilson says philanthropy allows her to engage in peoples stories in a more meaningful way. You contribute to something, and you can see a tangible impact upon a life and situation, that makes a situation far more real, she says. Gene and Brian Sherman, who last year gave $1.5 million to Sydney Modern and $1 million to the Australian Museum, rotate the chairmanship of the family foundation among their children, Ondine and Emile, and partners. Ondine says her parents had enabled her to add her passions to the priorities of the family foundation. For me, and my husband Dror, this includes environmental conservation and disability advocacy and support. Clare Ainsworth Herschell, daughter of Geoff Ainsworth, remains a trustee for the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation but has expanded her philanthropy into climate change activism as co-founder of Groundswell Giving. Gene and Brian Sherman last year gave $1.5 million to Sydney Modern and $1 million to the Australian Museum. Credit:Louise Kennerley Prioritising climate action comes down to the fact that everything we care about even the arts will be affected by climate change. We need only look at the recent floods and the impact it had, including on the Lismore Regional Gallery, Ainsworth Herschell says. The same can be said of Australias tech billionaires. The founders of Atlassian remain committed philanthropists in the climate change area. The founders of Canva have yet to make their philanthropic priorities public. Not every child wants to do what their parents did, says ACOs Richard Evans. Part of the answer lies in creating events where the parents are not in the same room, and also we have to look elsewhere, acknowledging some will want to carry on a family tradition and others might not. As they seek to recover, institutions are increasingly eyeing the purses of more than just the familiar philanthropic names. When the Opera House went looking for donors for digital work, Herron asked the builders, architects, plumbers and security firms working on-site for the buildings renewal project. Donations of ticket refunds by thousands of people during COVID-19 were also as much an act of philanthropy as they were an act of generosity, Bacon says. In 2020, more than 1800 people donated back their refunds, raising $1.3 million for Opera Australia among them children and more than 1000 first-time donors. More than 4000 patrons raised $3 million for the Australian Ballet. The Artist Benefit Fund, administered by the National Association of Visual Artists to dispense emergency relief to artists, received micro-donations. Three dollars. Ten or 20 dollars. Fifty dollars, a 100. It really added up, NAVAs executive director Penelope Benton says. Want more Spectrum stories? Cast your vote on whether Kourtney Kardashian is the best Kardashian. Learn from David Astles beginners guide to redundant acronyms (e.g RAT not Rat test). Tickle your tastebuds with a former chefs review of Netflixs lastest hit cooking show. Consider why artists dislike commissions - but galleries cant get enough of them lately. However, these types of donations have begun to dry up. Meers believes its unhelpful to talk exclusively about philanthropy in terms of large donations. It sends the wrong message because it harks back to that old charitable notion of men in leatherback chairs smoking cigars, dispensing charity to the poor. Philanthropy is for everyone, not just the very wealthy. Its about giving to your capacity, be that $5 or $5 million. Mordants $15 million donation to the MCAs new wing began with a $1000 donation. Loading Meers expects COVID-19 will continue to have a long-tail impact on the arts and that Sydney is likely to lose some vital organisations to an emergency not yet over. When a new Australian contemporary opera takes millions of dollars to bring to the stage, philanthropists are needed not only to offset the losses of COVID-19, but to develop new work, Opera Australias Fiona Allan says. Only with them can we be brave and not default to a safety net. The pandemic shutdown of concerts, musical theatre, galleries and museums brought into sharp relief the importance of culture in the lives of philanthropists and ordinary citizens. Studies have shown three in four people turn to the arts for comfort. Loading There was a deep sense of grief and loss when that which gave us so much pleasure was no longer available, Evans says. COVID-19 has turned people on to the idea that if you want to have an orchestra or a theatre company in your community, its a bit like a tennis club. Then its not only about government, its all of our responsibility. Many people give money to things they might not even go to but just because they want it to exist. Musica Vivas director of development Zoe Cobden-Jewitt has found success asking supporters of the organisation to sponsor concert appearances up to the value of $5000: Isnt that how Obama got into the White House, with lots of little littles? Philanthropy is often considered the big end of town, but if you google the word philanthropy it means giving for the love of mankind. It means any one of us can do it. A cultural guide to going out and loving your city. Sign up to our Culture Fix newsletter here. To read more from Spectrum, visit our page here. After four Los Angeles schoolgirls went viral with a blistering musical takedown of fourth grade racism, the big question was what next? Was this just another blip in the social media maelstrom, or the start of big things for the Linda Lindas? Few bands start on a debut album so young, with such high expectations. I didnt like feeling like oh no, what if we dont deserve it?, says band member Lucia de la Garza, 15. All those what ifs that are terrible for your mental health. The Linda Lindas became an online sensation in 2021 after performing an incendiary punk-pop rebuke to a classmate at Los Angeles Public Library. The library shared the filmed performance of Racist, Sexist Boy on social media, and it struck a chord for its confident, empowering message and the precocious musical talent of the band members: Lucia, her sister Mila de la Garza, Eloise Wong and Bela Salazar aged 11 to 17. For decades, jazz and classical music have sought common ground on which to meet - with varying results. Miles Davis and Gill Evans seminal 1960 album Sketches of Spain is perhaps the most successful ever project bringing together the written-through classical tradition with the improvisation that lies at the heart of the jazz idiom - the so-called Third Stream. Matt McMahon and Richard Tognetti are bringing together their musical worlds in Sketches of Spain. Credit:Louise Kennerley Its fitting then that Richard Tognetti, classical violinist and artistic director of the Australian Chamber orchestra, and jazz pianist Matt McMahon have chosen the arid deserts, snowy peaks and glittering coastline of Spain as the location to bring together their two ways of making music. Sketches of Spain, the concert series that begins in Sydney tonight, threads together disparate works all linked by the composers fascination with and love for the Iberian Peninsula. The ambassador and staff at the Russian Embassy in Canberra are being treated to a ceaseless chorus of car horns as motorists on the busy avenue outside answer the invitation of pro-Ukraine protesters to hit their hooters as they drive by. Its an inconvenience barely worthy of the name, given the Russian diplomats inside are occupied uploading propaganda to their Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts, dismissing Russian war crimes in Ukraine as fake news. Ukraine supporters protest outside the Russian embassy in Canberra last month. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The embassys official Twitter account, Russia in Australia (@RusEmbAu) went all out this week running the appalling claim that the murder of civilians in the suburb of Bucha, on the outskirts of Ukraines capital, Kyiv, was a false flag attack by the Kiev [sic] regime and its Western sponsors. Given that satellite images showed bodies strewn about Bucha for weeks while Russian soldiers occupied the city, the embassys lies were both wicked and pathetic. United Australia Party leader Craig Kelly says he intends to press charges against a woman who allegedly threw two eggs at him during an event in Melbourne this afternoon. Mr Kelly told Melbourne radio station 3AW the attack constituted common assault and he would be taking legal action to set a precedent. Ive got no problem debating anyone about any issue in any public forum anywhere in the country, Mr Kelly said. Craig Kelly shows a Victoria Police officer stains on his jacket after being egged in a Melbourne park on Friday. Credit:Chris Hopkins But when it comes to someone actually engaging in physical assault, youre hitting a new level of attacks, which actually is an attack upon our democratic system, and this is something that I think all Australians should be appalled about. Asked why he was being accused of being anti-Semitic, Mr Kelly referred back to a rally he attended in Canberra on March 29, where a speaker spread Zionist conspiracy theories from the bed of a truck. Mr Kelly said the rally hadnt been organised by his party and he had since condemned the comments. We have several Jewish candidates running for us around the nation so the idea that were somehow anti-Semitic is just one of those shocking lies get put out there that we totally reject, he said. The head of Sydney Airport has apologised after passengers reported long delays catching flights on Thursday night. Photos and video footage online showed people lined up at Terminal 3, which services Qantas, and Terminal 2, which services Virgin, Jetstar and Rex flights. Long queues at Sydney Airport on Thursday night. Credit:Twitter/Tim Moran Long, snaking queues stretched outside the terminal buildings as people queued to check in and get through security. Sydney Airport blamed a combination of large numbers of passengers due to the upcoming school holiday and Easter period, a shortage of security personnel, and passengers forgetting travel basics such as removing their laptops from their bags before the security screening. Australia will send special combat vehicles to Ukraine as the war against the invasion of Russian forces continues. Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 20 army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, including two ambulance variants, will be sent. Defence Minister Peter Dutton inspects one of the Bushmaster vehicles with Ukraines ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia Australias response follows a request from President Zelensky during his address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. Speaking from the RAAF Base, about 40 kilometres from Brisbane, on Friday, Mr Dutton said Australia was pleased to answer Ukraines call for help. Suffs is not the female Hamilton. There are certainly positive implications embedded in such buzzy chatter, and rumblings in that vein have successfully built anticipation for the arrival at the Public Theater of Shaina Taub's new historical musical about the passing of the 19th Amendment. It feels in keeping with the suffragist spirit, however, to start this reflection by heading off those irritating impulses the ones that labeled Booksmart "the female Superbad" or Bridesmaids "the female Hangover." Suffs, with all its flaws and there are many in this world-premiere production does not need the support of a male property to stand on its own two feet. If anything, it's too grounded for its own good. Suffs opens with a delicious whiff of no-boy's-allowed impertinence as its all femme-identifying cast (and band) performs the vaudevillian opening number "Watch Out for the Suffragette!" Costumed by Toni-Leslie James in jaunty men's formalwear (and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly), this throng of drag performers trade snappy barbs about those shrewish women fighting for the vote ("She's planning to scold you for three hours straight / Get out now before it's too late!"). Leigh Silverman directs this sequence with a playful antagonism just the Brechtian ticket for a modern musical about the trials of first-wave feminism. But style and substance end up separating like oil and water throughout the rest of the show. Taub's unique theatrical point of view resurfaces sporadically like gusts of bolstering winds (the wonderful Grace McLean gets to enjoy much of it as an equivocating, Chaplinesque Woodrow Wilson) but then Taub pulls down the sails to return to the nuts and bolts of an interesting but plodding story. Nikki M. James portrays Ida B. Wells in Taub's historic musical. ( Joan Marcus) The musical takes us through the events that unfolded between 1913 and the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment, with trailblazing suffragist Alice Paul (played by Taub) at the dramatic center. Paul is the face of the impatient and brazen new guard of activists, clashing with the more hospitable old guard represented by Carrie Chapman Catt (a stately Jenn Colella bringing her signature bright voice to the role). Catt, president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, or NAWSA, advocates for women's suffrage on a state-by-state basis through appeasement and relationship building, while Paul, a 27-year-old PhD, would rather force the issue with a Constitutional amendment won through political pressure and protest. Paul sets up a headquarters in Washington, DC, rallies a group of young allies, and gets to work on a national campaign, beginning with the first-ever protest march in the nation's capital and climaxing with a hunger strike for jailed suffragists (the diminutive term "suffragette" is officially retired). She stoically breaks through barrier after barrier, chanting refrains of "We've got to find a way" and "I'll be the one to finish the fight" mantras that have the sound of emboldening battle cries, but that often land with a disappointing plink. Perhaps because Paul, despite her corporeal presence onstage, still feels like a two-dimensional name in a history book. Taub, through both her writing and performance, gives Paul a tireless drive, steadfast fortitude, and unflinching sense of duty. Rarely, however, do we see her extrapolate what nuances might underlie this anomalous persona. We get just a passing reference to the early death of her father, which she says pushed her to be "the strong one" for her mother. She confesses this intimate detail to one of her sisters in arms, Inez Milholland (Phillipa Soo) a reviving moment that puts into stark relief just how few human relationships have been built onstage thus far. Phillipa Soo (foreground) in a scene with Shaina Taub (background) as suffragists Inez Millholland and Alice Paul. ( Joan Marcus) Soo brings life to most scenes she's in as Milholland, Taub's best-developed character. A brash labor lawyer with sexual confidence and a talent for public speaking, Milholland will surely be Suffs' breakout historical icon, due in no small part to Soo's magnetic performance (Mimi Lien's set design feels largely static but does offer a suitable runway for Milholland's historic horseback march on Washington). Excellent performers fill out the rest of the supporting cast, but they often feel more like points in a think piece than history come to life. Nikki M. James, as journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, exposes the complications of intersectional feminism after being told that a Black presence at the 1913 suffrage parade would be offensive to the movement's southern belles. Her indictments of white feminism in the ambling song "Wait My Turn" are pointed and astute, but they build no lasting tension within the plot just as the playful duet, "If We Were Married," between Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi) and Dudley Malone (Tsilala Brock), offers a convenient opportunity to list the rights women lose in matrimony but does not forge a convincing bond between the pair of future spouses. The score's most successful numbers are the climactic protest songs that come at the end of each act: The shouts of "we won't wait another day" and "the young are at the gates," linking the suffragists of yore to the activists of today. These moments finally get your heart racing, just as Taub (an activist in her own right) has long proved capable of doing through her insightful and cathartic music. If only Suffs weren't as splintered as the movement. News Updates Would you like to receive our newsletter? Get local, Wyoming, and national news, the weather forecast, and more, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. It was dawn, April 19, 1775, and the British troops who had left Boston earlier that night arrived at Lexington, Massachusetts, in search of caches of arms gathered by American colonialists and hoping to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock. Assembled on Lexingtons town green was a collection of civilians: militia roused to confront the British by riders like Paul Revere. The British commander ordered the militia to throw down their arms and disperse. Suddenly a shot rang out, fired by an unidentified rifleman. The British troops responded by cutting loose with their muskets, killing eight of the colonials. Afterward, the British marched toward nearby Concord, still in search of arsenals of weapons, where they were met by a larger force of colonials. After a brief battle, the British forces retreated, and the militia followed them back to Boston, shooting at them from behind trees, hillsides, houses, and stone fences. That day 250 British soldiers died or were wounded, while the militia forces suffered about 90 casualties. And so was born the American Revolution. Still to come was the Battle of Bunker Hill, as well as the abandonment of Boston by the kings troops and naval forces, and more than a year after Lexington and Concord, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The battles fought on that April day, which eventually led to the creation of an American republic, were not forgotten by later generations. Poets of the 19th century, in particular, remembered and celebrated the heroism of these early patriots. Midnight Ride In 1860, just before the outbreak of the Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote Paul Reveres Ride about the Boston silversmith who helped spread the news of the approaching British forces to every Middlesex village and farm. (Incidentally, Revere never cried The British are coming! as the colonialists at that time considered themselves British.) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868. (Public Domain) Some consider Paul Reveres Ride a work aimed at the younger set, perhaps because childhood is when most of us first read or heard these verses. Indeed, Longfellows poem begins Listen, my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Yet this interpretation seems wrongheaded for two reasons. For one, the poem may have been written, as some critics claim, to inspire New England on the eve of the Civil War. Here are the last lines: For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere. In addition, Paul Reveres Ride, especially given its mid-19th century origins when such folk ballads were popular, seems aimed at an audience of all ages. Read the poemthe meter suggests the galloping of a horseand the vocabulary and historical references alone make clear that Longfellow intended this piece for adults as well as children. Concord Bridge Now theres an ironic name, Concord. As on that long-ago day in 1775, concord, which is defined as harmony or agreement, was far from the minds of those involved in the shooting match that ensued. In Concord Hymn, which was sung to commemorate the completion of the battle monument on that site in 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson begins with these well-known lines: By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot hear round the world. In this opening, Emerson gives us two important takeaways on the Battle of Concord. First, the Minute Men and colonial militia truly were embattled farmers. Yes, shopkeepers also stood in their ranks, but heres the point: The first combatants in the American struggle for liberty were not professional soldiers. They were ordinary working-class men. Moreover, that famous phrase the shot heard round the world was accurate. It truly would ring around the world. From these two battles, small as they were, America was born. American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1857. (Public Domain) The other stanzas of Emersons short piece enjoin Americans to remember these heroes who dared to die and leave their children free. Additional Tributes Other 19th-century poets paid homage as well to April 19 and those first conflicts of the Revolution. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was a physician, father to a Supreme Court Justice, poet, and essayist (his book The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table was a huge success in his lifetime), wrote Lexington in his early 20s, with its remindermuch like the one issued by Emersonto tell to our sons how their fathers have died. As part of a longer poem called Psalm of the West, Southerner Sidney Laniers The Battle of Lexington also dramatically celebrated the dead of this conflict. Here, Lanier describes the death of Caleb Harrington, who did indeed fall as the poet tells us: He hath crawled to the step of his own house-door, But his head hath dropped; he will crawl no more. Clasp, Wife, and kiss, and lift the head; Harrington lies at his door-step dead. Maine poet Dora B. Hunters The Minute-Man also paid homage to those early citizen soldiers: Who dared to dream that these scattered groups Could rout the orderly British troops? That these farmer youth half-armed, untrained, Could keep the fame of their State unstained? But when His Majestys soldiers came To the spot now wearing so proud at name, The minute-men marched down from the ridge And won the day at the old North Bridge. Remembering Our Debts So who were these men who stood, muskets in hand, against military professionals that April morning? Philadelphias Museum of the American Revolution website gives us the following description of those who opposed the British forces at Lexington, in an excerpt taken from Arthur Tourtellots book Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution: Among the oldest was Ensign Robert Munroe, the old veteran officer who had fought other wars on the British side. At sixty-three, he could have been excused from duty as a minuteman, but old men of his type are not easy to put aside, and he joined his two sons and two sons in-law in the field The oldest of all was Grandfather Moses Harrington, sixty-five, whose youngest son Caleb was with him. There were other father-and-son combinations. There were also very young men, twelve in their teens and a score in their twenties. Most of them were farmers, but there were also tradesmen among them. American physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., circa 1879, Armstrong & Co. Boston, Mass. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. (Public Domain) This April 19, we might pause a moment and reflect on these men and the poets who revered and honored their sacrifice on the altar of liberty. As we endure our own national trials and turbulent times, lets summon up thoughts of these early patriots. Lets look back at them and take inspiration from their courage, their convictions, and their fervent love of freedom. Will Smith cries as he accepts the Oscar for Best Actor in "King Richard" at the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., on March 27, 2022. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) Academy Reveals Possible Sanctions Against Will Smith LOS ANGELESThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, organizers of the Oscars, will discuss possible sanctions against actor Will Smith at a special meeting April 8. Possible actions could include making Smith ineligible for future awards or banning him from future Oscars ceremonies, according to Reuters. The meeting was called by the president of the Academys board of governors after Smith slapped comedian presenter Chris Rock at the Oscars held last month. The board was scheduled to meet April 18 to consider suspending or expelling Smith, but it was moved up after Smith resigned from the Academy April 1, saying he was heartbroken and would accept all consequences. The Academys investigation into the incident followed Smiths resignation. Academy Board President Dave Rubin rescheduled the meeting in a letter this week. It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion, Rubin told the board. Following Smiths resignation of his Academy membership, suspension or expulsion are no longer a possibility and the legally prescribed timetable no longer applies, Rubin said in the letter. Rock publicly responded to the incident during a live show in Boston, telling the audience he was still processing what happened. During the 94th Oscars show, Smith appeared to respond to Rocks joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smiths, hair. Smith walked on stage and slapped Rock, shocking the audience and viewers at home. After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and yelled at Rock. Later in the show, Smith gave a tearful acceptance speech after winning an Oscar for Best Actor, apologizing to the Academy. He later apologized on social media to Rock saying he was out of line. The public and industry insiders called for action, including the suspension of Smiths academy membership. Many also speculated whether the slap was staged to boost ratings. The Academy quickly condemned the incident, convening an emergency meeting the day after the awards ceremony. The April 8 meeting will be held on Zoom. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media as he meets with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa at Melbourne Commonwealth Parliament Office in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 11, 2022. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Antony Blinken and Marise Payne Discuss Ukraine, Beijing, and Indo-Pacific in Brussels Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed Russias invasion of Ukraine and concerns about Beijings new security pact with the Solomon Islands during a meeting in Brussels. Payne and Blinken are in Brussels for a meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers to discuss their international response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said Blinken and Payne, who met one-on-one, had affirmed their resolve to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed joint efforts to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its unprovoked and unjust war against Ukraine as well as mutual efforts to provide security assistance to Ukraine, Price said. A protester holds up a photograph showing murdered civilians of the Ukrainian town of Bucha near Kyiv during a demonstration against the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany, on April 6, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) This includes holding those responsible for horrific crimes in Ukraine to account, Payne said on Twitter on April 7. In addition to discussing the conflict in Europe, Payne and Blinken discussed issues closer to Australia, where Beijing has sought to expand its influence and military deployments in the Asia-Pacific via a new security pact with the Solomon Islands. The controversial deal would see Beijing allowed to deploy Chinese troops and police in the Solomon Islands to quell unrest, as well as station naval vessels and weaponry within 1,700 kilometres (1,000 miles) of Australias east coast. These moves are seen as a direct threat to American and Australian attempts to foster small and independent democracies in the region, said Anders Corr, a geopolitical risk analyst, in an op-ed for The Epoch Times titled China Tries to Turn the Solomon Islands Into a Vassal State. Were the CCP to insert military forces into the Solomons, it would be hard to dislodge them, even if public sentiment were against the PLA, as Beijing has a public history of bribes to politicians that barely scratches the surface, according to my source with knowledge of the matter, Corr wrote. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang shows the way to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, in Beijing, China, on Oct. 9, 2019. (Thomas Peter/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) At their meeting, Payne and Blinken discussed the developments and reiterated their commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Price said. It is understood that the AUKUS security pact between Australia, America, and Britain, which will see Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology, will act as a deterrent in the region, with Price confirming that Payne and Blinken discussed its progress over the past six months. They also shared concerns about recent regional developments and ways to support countries in making open and transparent decisions about their own security and economic interests, Price said. First responders arrive at the scene of a shooting attack at a cafe in Dizengoff Street in the centre of Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on April 7, 2022. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images) At Least 2 Dead in Attack at Tel Aviv Bar, Police Say TEL AVIVA suspected Arab gunman killed at least two people in an attack at a bar on a main Tel Aviv boulevard on Thursday, police and hospital officials said, the latest in a string of deadly street assaults that have shaken Israel. Mayor Ron Huldai said the shooting, at the start of the weekend in Israel, was suspected to have been carried out by an Arab attacker with nationalistic motives who entered a pub and opened fire. Three other people were seriously wounded. Hundreds of emergency responders arrived on the scene and police, searching for the shooter, told residents to stay indoors. Television footage showed armed officers running down Dizengoff Street, a crowded street of shops, bars, and restaurants, and side alleys trying to track down the attacker. A police helicopter shined a spotlight from above. A terrorist opened fire at short range and then fled on foot. Several people are wounded, police spokesman Eli Levy said on Channel 13 television. Dont leave your homes. Dont stick your heads out of the window. Stay off your balconies. At nearby Ichilov hospital, Mark Malfiev, 27, was being treated for a gunshot wound. He said he was passing by the bar when the shooting started. I saw the window shatter, people suddenly started running, and I felt getting hit in the back, he told reporters from a hospital bed. I felt a lot of blood. I saw blood. Prior to Thursdays shooting, 11 people had been killed by Arab attackers in Israel over the past month, the sharpest spike in years. Horrified to see another cowardly terror attack on innocent civilians, this time in Tel Aviv. Praying for peace, and sending condolences to the victims and their families. This has to stop! U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides said on Twitter. Properties in the suburb of Goodna in the far south-western outskirts of Brisbane are seen inundated by flood waters in Brisbane, Australiaon March 01, 2022 . (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) Aussie PM Wants Transparency From Queensland After Backtracking on Flood Request Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backtracked on his decision not to fund half of the Queensland state governments $741 million (US$551 million) scheme to buy back and make properties more resilient to flooding after the recent natural disaster. The request the Queensland government has made goes well beyond any other requests for floods of this nature in the past. They are things that are the state governments responsibility, Morrison told 4BC on April 7. The Coalition prime minister accused the state Labor government of politicising the natural disasters that impacted southeast Queensland, with the start of the federal election campaign imminent. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Aug. 23, 2021. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images) I just want to make sure people are getting the support that they need, Morrison said after confirming that the federal government would split the cost of Queenslands request with conditions. One of the conditions is that the Queensland government be transparent about how it uses the money, with Morrison accusing the state of sitting on $52 million the federal government provided for disaster support over the last three years. Its just sitting in their bank account. They havent even spent it, he said, adding that this contributed to his cautiousness in agreeing to the state Labor governments request on the eve of an election. There has to be greater transparency about this, he said. We dont want to have politicking over the support that is provided in time of natural disaster. Morrison emphasised that his government had already paid out more money to support Queenslanders impacted by the floods than the state government had committed. I want them to be transparent with the payments that are being made; I want them to report to the public, he said, noting that while he could name an exact figure the federal government had paid out, he couldnt say how much Queensland had paid out because they dont disclose it. Queenslands Acting Premier Cameron Dick welcomed Morrisons backtrack. Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has announced the approval for the proposed merger between QSuper and Sunsuper on March 15 2020. (Jono Searle/Getty Images) Im finally pleased that the Prime Minister will do the right thing by Queensland. He will look after these families, he said. And we can help people stop reliving this nightmare when their homes get flooded over and over again. So this is a good move forward. Speaking from Goodna, one of the hardest-hit areas in Brisbane, Dick told reporters the federal governments money would be put to use by Queensland Reconstruction Authority to help the local community. Some of the ways the funds will be used will be to make properties more resilient to flooding by either raising them above flood levels or renovating them with more resistant materials, Dick said. Others may wish to relocate, he added. There will be hundreds of people that will be assisted by this. And thats the right thing to do to support them. Theres never been a package like this put together in Australian history, Dick said. The Australian ensign flag is flown in front of Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on April 1, 2022. (Rebecca Zhu/The Epoch Times) Australians Should Vote for Freedom at the Next Election: Economist Preserving individual freedoms should be a major consideration for Australians set to go to the polls in May at the next federal election, according to an economist. Gigi Foster, professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), said the four main political parties in AustraliaLiberal, National, Labor, and Greenshad not acknowledged the problems of deploying harsh restrictions over the past two years to contain COVID-19, resulting in the curtailing of many rights. We will be feeling the immense damage created by the policy mistakes of this period for a generation, she told The Epoch Times. For the major parties to have gone along with the madness initially is bad enough. For them still today not to acknowledge their mistakes, and instead to try to distract attention away to other policy areas, suggests that they are hoping to evade justice for their betrayals. The move by Australian governments to rely on strict lockdowns and restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19as well as cushion the financial cost to families and businesseshas seen national debt balloon to around AU$829 billion (US$621 billion) for the 2020-21 financial year. A general view of Australian Parliament House on August 14, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Gary Ramage/Getty Images) By June 2022, that is expected to reach AU$963 billion (45.1 percent of Australias GDP)without factoring in state government debts. Federal programs such as JobKeeper and JobSeekergovernment payments to workers, businesses, and welfare recipientshave been some of the largest contributors to the national debt. Associate Prof. Mark Humphrey-Jenner of UNSW said that during exceptional times higher debt could be justified but said paying it back would be a big challenge. There is only so high [taxes] can go before companies and individuals simply leave, he said in a statement. The preference for suppression strategies to control the virus, has also been attributed to the close relationship developed nations have with China. At its formation, the (Australian) National Cabinet ignored what was then the worlds best practice in handling the pandemic as demonstrated by Taiwan, where schools and businesses remained open as usual, Emeritus Professor of Law David Flint wrote in The Epoch Times. Instead, the National Cabinet shockingly adopted the Beijing communist modelthe lockdownwhile rejecting the more democratic model of dealing with health crises. In fact, police in the state of Victoria have now launched an initiative to strengthen relationships with local communities after playing a major role in enforcing tough restrictions during the pandemic, which saw instances of excessive force used on civilians. The capital city Melbourne has endured the most days under lockdown than any other city in the world. Foster said a reset was needed where individual freedom was a priority. Freedom of the man on the street to choose where to spend his resources, including via investment and in consumption, is a critical ingredient of a healthy economy, she said. Our primary mechanism of helping people in the long run is not to write them cheques for higher and higher amounts, but rather to help each member of society find ways to make valuable contributions to markets and other productive community initiatives, she added. Foster admitted that the pandemic exposed a culture of compliance in Australian society. For many people: they go to bed at night thinking theyve had a good day if they have worn their masks all day, gotten their COVID shots as dictated, and chastised a few teenagers for not adequately socially distancing, she said. Suppression strategies have received bipartisan backing from major political parties in the country, with only minor parties scrutinising the validity of the approach. One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has submitted a petition signed by 41,000 Australians for a Royal Commission, or public investigation, into the nations handling of COVID-19. According to the petition, vast amounts of taxpayer funds were spent over the course of the governments pandemic management, but still resulted in lost jobs, and business closures, and saw unelected bureaucrats wield extensive influence. At the same time, individual MPs and senators from One Nation, the Liberal Party, Nationals, and United Australia Party, have launched their own cross-party inquiry to gather data on the governments response to the pandemic. (L-R) Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Oct. 9, 2019. (Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images) Beijing Exploits Chip on the Shoulder Politics to Win Over Solomons Commentary Chinas dream of becoming a naval power has been boosted by the initialling of a Beijing-Solomons security deal. Beijings Belt and Road Initiative scheme has long been entangled with a parallel plan to create a Chinese blue-water navy capable of projecting its power across the globe. Although Chinas navy is still not in the same league as Americas, it is no longer confined to merely protecting its coastal waters and does pose a serious challenge to Washington. Part of the planning around the blue water navy includes establishing Chinese naval bases around the globe. For example, this new security agreement with the Solomon Islands opens the door for a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific by granting Beijing the right to ship visits and logistical replenishment. Coupled with Chinas construction of an airfield in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, it signals that Beijing has serious intentions to establish a new forward position in the region. For Australia, Beijings Solomons move will necessitate a rethink of its defence strategies, given the Solomon Islands has given the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) a strong base if Beijing and Canberra were ever to go to war. This means more Australian forces will need to be kept at home for defence; in turn, it also makes Chinese surveillance of Australia much easier. Police stand guard outside Parliament in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands, on Dec. 6, 2021 (Mavis Podokolo/AFP via Getty Images) The Solomons agreement also shows us that Beijing has found the recipe for projecting itself militarily into the South Pacific. It is the same recipe CCP is using in regions like Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and those parts of Asia that are characterised by weak, underdeveloped countries with poor governance. Manipulating the governments of such countries is easy because they are generally unable to exercise full sovereignty over their territory and are characterised by the politics of cronyism and patronage. In these societies, Beijing only has to allocate minimal sums of money to buy politicians and thereby gain control of government policy. The poorer the country, the more Beijing is also able to use trade as leverage. China has discovered that where it can create trade dependence, it gains the ability to bully governments. Hence, we can see this process in action with Beijing recently cutting tariffs for New Zealand to try to entice and ensnare it into Chinas Belt and Road web of trade. Beijing even believed they could use trade dependence to bully Australia. Turns out they were wrong, but when it comes to smaller countries (like the Solomons), trade dependence clearly gives Beijing leverage in negotiations (China imports 80 percent of the Solomons exports). China has also learned that underdeveloped countries are characterised by chip on the shoulder politics associated with decolonisation that saw these countries gain independence but now are unable to run effective governments or economies. Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2018. (Andy Wong/AFP/Getty Images) These countries find it convenient (or comforting) to excuse their failures by blaming colonialism or by accusing the developed world of being exploitative, patronising, or neo-colonial. A recent variation of this chip on the shoulder politics has been to exploit the radical left, Green narrative that underdeveloped Pacific island countries are victims of climate change caused by the developed world. Beijing has learned to exploit this chip on the shoulder politics by claiming it is also a victim of Western paternalism, colonialism, and imperialism. Beijing claims shared victimhood and fraternal brotherhood with underdeveloped countries. We saw Beijing play this victim card in the Solomons by prodding its Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavares anti-colonial resentments. This led to Sogavare angrily saying we find it very insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs. The irony is that the Solomons have demonstrated over and over again that they are not a functioning sovereign state able to manage their own affairs. The Solomon Islands is an aid-dependent country with 15 percent of its GDP comprised of foreign grants and loans. Australia is the biggest donor to the Solomons at $170 million a year. An Asia Development Bank report said the Solomons government is so weak that donors were warned not to pour too much aid into it because of the limited ability of the country to absorb ittoo much aid would simply overwhelm what limited administrative capacity it had and simply fuel corruption and waste. The Bank noted the government provided only limited services in the capital Honiara, and no services outside of the area. The country was also defined as a post-conflict society with a subsistence economy and at high risk of becoming a failed state. Only five months ago, Sogavares own government had to be saved by Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea, who sent police and army units to restore order. The coalition ended violent civil unrest caused by a clash between the Solomons two most powerful leaders, Prime Minister Sogavare, and provincial leader Daniel Suidani. Anti-government messages adorn a burnt-out building in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Nov. 27, 2021, (Charley Piringi/AFP via Getty Images) The genesis of the clash was born when Sogavare switched the Solomons diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019, a move that threatened the economic patronage Suidani received from Taipei. The diplomatic switch secured economic patronage from Beijing for Sogavare, giving him the resources needed to win the next election. Such is the nature of politics in small failing states. And this is not the first time Australia has had to go and restore law and order in the Solomons. In 2003, Australia led an international peace-keeping mission to the region called the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Over a period of 14 years, law and order were restored and infrastructure rebuilt. This RAMSI peace-keeping and development mission cost Australia AU$2.6 billion. Australia has spent a lot of money being a good neighbour to the Solomon Islands. But apparently, Prime Minister Sogavare thinks that means nothing and that he can now do better by snuggling up to Beijing. Sogavare believes he can cash in on the emergence of global competition between the United States and China. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inspect honour guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Back during the Cold War days, corrupt politicians in weak, underdeveloped countries from the Pacific to Africa and Latin America to Asia got rich, playing the two sides off against each other. Bad governments were kept in power by either the Soviets or Americans (simply to keep the other team out). Perhaps Sogavare thinks the good times are back and that the new Cold War means he can simultaneously get his snout into the troughs of Beijing, Canberra, and Washington. The prime minister says he wants to be friends to all, enemies to none. And he says the security deal brings a development dimension for the Solomons, which presumably means more Beijing-patronage money for Sogavare and his team. Good luck to Sogavare in trying to get his snout into all those troughs. I suspect he may learn the hard way that playing international politics is more difficult than he thinks and that deals can produce all kinds of unintended consequences. One of the largest battles in World War II was at Guadalcanal, a mere 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Honiara. This is no accident. It is because this is a very strategic piece of territory for anyone thinking about conflict with Australia. That is why the Imperial Japanese Army went there. Now China has come knocking. And Sogavare has let Beijing put its foot in the door, a move that may not play out so well for him and Solomon Islanders. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. City workers carry body bags with six partially burnt bodies found in the town of Bucha, Ukraine, on April 5, 2022. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Refuses to Condemn Russia Over Bucha Killings China has refused to condemn Russia over the Bucha killings amid an international outcry, urging all parties to avoid unfounded accusations, while calling violence against civilians unacceptable. On April 5, Chinas ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, at a security council meeting urged restraint from all parties and end to what he called groundless accusations. Although he described the reports and images of events in Bucha very disturbing, Zhang failed to hold Russia accountable for the atrocities in the city, citing a lack of evidence. In his address, Zhang referred to the killings as an incident and Russian aggression in Ukraine as a conflict or crisis. Furthermore, the envoy criticized international sanctions, which he believes to be an ineffective solution to the issue. On the contrary, they [sanctions] accelerate spillover of the crisis and cause new complicated issues, he said. The killings in Bucha came to light on April 2 when the mayor of the city said that 280 people had been buried in a mass grave. Gruesome images and video footage sparked global outrage calling for a full investigation into the tragedy. Russian troops occupied the city on Feb. 27 and kept it inaccessible until their withdrawal on March 30. A destroyed building in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 2, 2022. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of committing terrible war crimes in the city. However, their Russian counterparts denied all allegations against their country as lies, claiming that the killings had been a staged performance by Ukrainian authorities. Prior to the U.N. speech by Chinas envoy, domestic state outlets had run a series of articles that were in line with Moscows comments. On April 5, Chinas Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) mouthpiece Peoples Daily, criticized the United States for its role in the RussianUkraine war in an editorial. The United States, the initiator of the Ukraine crisis, has not shown any signs of urging peace and promoting talks, the paper wrote. But it is ready to exacerbate the RussiaUkraine tensions and create obstacles to the peace talks between the two sides. Meanwhile, it accused Washington of continuing to inflame the situation by offering additional weapon systems to Ukraine. It called the move unprecedented and irresponsible. Additionally, Xinhua, another Chinese state outlet, attributed the most direct cause of the RussiaUkraine conflict to the expanding to the east of the U.S.-led NATO, which it said disregarded Russias legitimate security concerns. However, AFP journalists on the ground confirmed that they witnessed on April 2 dead bodies that had been left for several days, and that they found none of the bodies moving, as was rumored in some social media posts. People react as they gather close to a mass grave in the town of Bucha, just northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 3, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on April 4 also rebut Russian assertions that dead bodies in civilian clothing found in Bucha had appeared in the devastated town after Russian forces retreated. High-resolution Maxar satellite imagery collected over Bucha, Ukraine verifies and corroborates recent social media videos and photos that reveal bodies lying in the streets and left out in the open for weeks, Maxar Technologies wrote in a statement on Twitter. The Biden administration announced a fresh round of sanctions against Moscow on April 6 following the Bucha killings, including banning all new investments in Russia and sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters. Debris along the shoreline off Cabrillo Monument in San Diego, on May 2, 2021. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) Boat Captain Pleads Guilty in 3 Smuggling Deaths Off San Diego Coast By Kristina Davis From The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGOThe man at the helm of a smuggling boat that capsized off Point Loma, ending in the deaths of three migrants, pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Wednesday to his role in the tragedy. Antonio Hurtado, a 40-year-old U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to felony charges of attempted human smuggling resulting in death and attempted human smuggling for financial gain relating to each of the migrants who died. The plea comes one month before the case was set to go to trial. Hurtado was trying to smuggle 32 migrants into the U.S. aboard his black 40-foot trawler-style boat, the Salty Lady, when the wreck occurred May 2 about 50 feet off Point Loma. It was mid-morning on a Sunday, and sightseers at Cabrillo National Monument and the tidepools below watched the boat capsize in horror. The journey had been problematic from the beginning. Hurtado admitted in his plea agreement to repeatedly using drugs during the trip north, passing out at least once. The boat drove in circles for more than an hour until passengers were able to wake him, the plea states. The seas were growing rough, and one passenger told Reuters that Hurtado had dropped anchor in an apparent attempt to steady the overloaded boat. After several hours, Hurtado tried to lift the anchor but struggled, and the passenger told Reuters that he leaned over and cut the anchor rope or chain with a saw. Hurtado then tried to get back under way, but the motor died, according to the passenger. Large swells carried the boat toward shore, and it ran aground and began to list to the side. Hurtado jumped into the water and made it to land, abandoning his passengers, many of whom were huddled in the cabin. Surf pounded at the boat, breaking it apart and sending the remaining migrants into the sea. Bystanders, lifeguards, and National Parks employees sprang into action, rescuing migrants from the waves. However, three Mexican migrants suffered blunt-force trauma and drowned: Victor Perez Degollado, 29; Maria Eugenia Chavez Segovia, 41; and Maricela Hernandez Sanchez, 35. The survivors told authorities they had paid $15,000 to $18,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. and identified Hurtado as the pilot of the boat, according to the criminal complaint. U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman called Hurtados recklessness incomprehensible and stunning. The defendants boat was packed with way too many people, and he then repeatedly used illicit drugs to the point of losing consciousness. When the boat capsized and passengers were desperately trying to survive, the defendant swam to safety, leaving them all behind, he said in a statement. It was a shocking and callous series of events. Hurtado, who struggled with drug addiction, was in debt and promising people that he would be paying them off just days before the wreck, acquaintances told the Union-Tribune. He lived on the boat at the Zuniga Jetty Shoal, an unofficial long-term anchorage for liveaboard boaters outside the mouth of San Diego Bay. Hurtado also pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer, admitting to kneeing a Border Patrol agent in the head while shackles were being placed on an ankle when he was taken into custody. Sentencing has been tentatively set for July 1. 2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Passengers wait to have their bags checked-in at MontrealTrudeau International Airport in Montreal, Dec. 19, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes) Canadian Airlines Among Carriers Asking Appeal Court to Quash Passenger Rights Rules Canadian airlines asked a Federal Court of Appeal panel Wednesday to quash rules that bolster compensation for passengers subjected to delayed flights and damaged luggage. Air Canada and Porter Airlines Inc., along with 16 other appellants that include the International Air Transport AssociationIATA has about 290 member airlinesargue that the countrys three-year-old passenger rights charter violates global standards and should be rendered invalid for international flights. Launched in 2019, the legal action states the new provisions exceed the Canadian Transportation Agencys authority. They also contravene the Montreal Convention, a multilateral treaty, by imposing heftier compensation requirements for flight cancellations or lost baggage. For example, the rules demand higher damages based on the length of a delay and regardless of the actual damage sustained by each individual passenger, according to the appellants. An earlier filing said nullifying the regulations would avoid the confusion to passengers who could be subject to travel regimes from multiple jurisdictions on flights abroad. Justices, the solution cannot be for state parties to individually chip away at the Montreal Convention by adopting piecemeal domestic solutions that depart from the principles accepted by all state parties, appellant lawyer Pierre Bienvenu told the panel. Under the federal rules, passengers have to be compensated up to $2,400 if they were denied boardingso-called flight bumpingbecause a trip was overbooked, and receive up to $2,100 for lost or damaged luggage. Delays and other payments for cancelled flights warrant compensation of up to $1,000. The issue came to the forefront after a 2017 incident in which two Montreal-bound Air Transat jets were diverted to Ottawa because of bad weather and held on the tarmac for up to six hours, leading some passengers to call 911 for rescue. It took on renewed relevance to thousands of Canadians starting in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions grounded fleets and prompted mass flight cancellations. The hearings, which pit airlines against the federal government and the Canadian Transportation Agency, are slated to run Wednesday and Thursday. Ottawa argues that there is no conflict between the passenger protections and the Montreal Convention. More than 70 signatories to the treaty have adopted schemes around compensation for cancellations, delays and denied boarding. In the European Union, a regime similar to the regulations has been in force since 2004 and the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU) has declared it compatible with the Montreal Convention, despite challenges from the airline industry, the attorney general writes in the factum. No regime analogous to the regulations has been invalidated on the ground of incompatibility with the Montreal Convention. In 2020, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an attempt by airlines to freeze the countrys new passenger bill of rights until an appeal of the regulations was heard. Air Passenger Rights president Gabor Lukacs, an intervener on the case, argues that compensation rules on flights into and out of the country are entirely Canadas right. As part of its sovereignty, Canada has the freedom to decide what conditions it attaches in exchange for the privilege to operate airlines or commercial flights to and from Canada, he said in a phone interview. This appeal, I view it as an attack in disguise on the validity of the entire Canadian regulatory scheme for transportation of passengers to and from Canada. He and other consumer advocates also say the rules should go further, arguing that airlines exemption from compensating customers in situations outside of the airlines control uses too broad a definition and amounts to a loophole. The regulations impose no obligation on airlines to pay customers for delays or cancellations if they were caused by mechanical problems discovered in day-to-day maintenance or a pre-flight check, rather than during scheduled maintenancemore thorough inspections required after 100 hours cumulatively in the air. AirHelp, a Berlin-based passenger rights company, has said the exemptions for weather or mechanical malfunctions fail to encourage airlines to avoid so-called undiscovered issues and allows them to sidestep compensation by pointing to malfunctions on the tarmac. By Christopher Reynolds David Kilgour, former Canadian cabinet minister and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), speaks at a rally commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West lawn of Capitol Hill in Washington on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Canadian Lawmaker and Human Rights Champion David Kilgour Dies David Kilgour, a former Canadian Cabinet minister, longtime member of Parliament, and renowned defender of human rights, passed away on April 5 at age 81. He was diagnosed with a rare lung disease that progressed quickly, his family said, adding that he passed away peacefully. A lawyer by profession, Kilgour was first elected to the House of Commons representing Edmonton Strathcona in 1979. Prior to that, he served as a Crown attorney in Manitoba, as well as a constitutional adviser to the Alberta government. Kilgour initially joined the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative, but was removed from caucus in 1990 after disagreeing with then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on bringing in the Goods and Services Tax. He later joined the Liberal caucus, going on to serve as the secretary of state for Latin America and Africa, and later for Asia-Pacific during the government of Jean Chretien. He left the Liberal Party in 2005 over disagreements on principle and sat as an independent MP. He didnt seek reelection in 2006, retiring from politics. Kilgour championed a bevy of human rights causes, including investigating and speaking out against the Chinese Communist Partys persecution campaign against Falun Dafa adherents. David Matas (L) and David Kilgour, who were both featured in the film Human Harvest: Chinas Illegal Organ Trade, hold the Peabody Award it won at the 74th Annual Peabody Awards in New York on May 31, 2015. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times) In 2006, he co-authored with human rights lawyer David Matas the ground-breaking report Bloody Harvest, which investigated the Chinese regimes forced organ harvesting from living Falun Dafa prisoners of conscience. The two said that based on their findings, they were able to confirm that Beijing engaged in the heinous practice. He and Matas won numerous awards for their work exposing organ harvesting in China, including the 2009 human rights prize from the Germany-based International Society for Human Rights, and were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. We are really just among the ones to push the first dominos or deck of cards, and we wish the deck of cards had fallen years ago, but I am convinced that theyre going to stop doing [forced organ harvesting], Kilgour said during a ceremony accepting the Friends of Falun Gong Human Rights Award in Washington in 2018. Following the publication of Bloody Harvest, Kilgour travelled to numerous countries around the world holding panels and talking to lawmakers, informing them about the Chinese regimes persecution campaign and organ harvesting of Falun Gong adherents. Most recently, he testified in the Canadian Senate last year as the upper chamber was deliberating a bill to combat organ trafficking. Kilgour was active on many other human rights causes as well, including the Rwanda genocide and rights atrocities in Sudan and other parts of the world. David was a courageous and kindhearted human rights advocate who will be remembered by millions in China and around the world as one of the first that dared to investigate and condemn the CCPs organ harvesting crimes. The Falun Gong community honors his legacy and spirit, the Falun Dafa Information Center said in a Twitter post. David Kilgour gives a talk at an event at McGill University in a file photo. (Evan Ning/The Epoch Times) What a loss for Canada, Michael Mostyn, CEO of Bnai Brith, an independent Jewish human rights organization in Canada, said on Twitter. David was a human rights champion, passionately advocating for the most oppressed. So friendly and optimistic, he was always so encouraging and inspiring to me. He will be greatly missed. My sincere condolences to his family. Alex Neve, former secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, wrote on Twitter: So much gratitude for the many times I found human rights common cause with David, across so many issues & corners of our world. So much learning from the times we differed. Energy, conviction, clarity, compassion. We will take it forward my friend. Benedict Rogers, co-founder of Hong Kong Watch, wrote in a Twitter post: One of my personal, political, spiritual heroes was the remarkable David Kilgour, who died today. David was, among many things, a Patron of [Hong Kong Watch] & our whole team will miss him very, very deeply. Former Conservative MP and industry minister James Moore said on Twitter: A real gentleman and distinguished parliamentarian of the first order. Fondly remember him crossing the floor to sit next to me late one night in the House of Commons, offering me advice and a tutorial as a rookie MP. He will be missed. A truly fine man. Kilgour authored a number of books and has been featured in several documentaries. He is survived by his wife and four children. Chinese Communist Partys head Xi Jinping arrives at The Great Hall of the People for the opening of the National People's Congress on May 22, 2020 in Beijing, China. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images) CCP Set to Continue Expansionist Agenda Upon Xis Expected Third Term in Power: Experts The near-certainty that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be appointed to a third term at the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress coming up this fall will provide him with opportunities to continue to advance an expansionist foreign policy and an authoritarian agenda at home, while doing little to address the complex economic, social and demographic challenges facing the country in the 2020s and beyond. Thats according to Joseph Fewsmith, a professor at Boston University, and Willy Wo-Lap Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation and a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who shared their insights at an April 7 virtual event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Xi Jinping will get what he wants, an unprecedented third term as the number one at the so-called core of the Party. Theres a very high likelihood that he could get a fourth term, said Lam, noting that Xi at 68 is still considerably younger than President Joe Biden, who turned 79 in November. In Lams view, the extension of Xis rule and the consolidation of his power are wholly of a piece with general tendencies of his autocratic reign and particularly his reversal of reforms put in place by earlier heads of state, such as Deng Xiaoping, who in the 1980s began to introduce fixed terms and retirement ages for Chinese leaders. Lam described Xi as a leader who has maneuvered himself into a position where consolidation of his rule will face little opposition. Even as he has undone the reforms of the recent past, Xi has kindled passions around the restoration of China to a perceived lost glory. He has been very successful at stoking the flames of nationalism, Lam said, identifying the so-called liberation and Taiwan and the challenging of Americas prominent position in Indo-Pacific and world affairs as twin drivers of Xis foreign policy. Lam described the Chinese leader as motivated by a grandiose dream that involves reclaiming middle-kingdom status, at least in the Indo-Pacific, by the mid-to-late 2030s. In Lams analysis, Xi also seeks to pull ahead of the United States and other western powers in such increasingly important spheres as artificial intelligence, robotics, and bioengineering. Concurring with Lam about Xis territorial ambitions, Fewsmith said he did not believe that people who drew optimistic lessons from the massive, far-reaching sanctions imposed on Russia and its banking system in the wake of the Ukraine invasion were being realistic. Many hoped that a chastened Xi would finally understand that invasion of another sovereign territory is a losing game with ruinous economic consequences. But Xi is unlikely to reach that conclusion, Fewsmith said. Instead, Xi may simply decide that it is best to avoid Russian President Vladimir Putins strategic and tactical mistakes when launching an invasion. I think the lesson for China, unfortunately, is that if you want to invade Taiwan, do it quickly, do it efficiently, and wrap it up quickly, Fewsmith said. The United States does not want to directly fight another nuclear power. This will increase Chinas leverage in a Taiwan scenario, he added. Fake Concessions Getting a third term as CCP general secretary will also further embolden Xi Jinping to ramp up a domestic policy of vigorous political repression and control of the economy, the experts said. Xi does not want to liberalize Chinas economy, but may be willing to make concessions to gain political capital, Lam said. Allowing Chinese firms that want to list on the New York Stock Exchange to meet certain disclosure requirements imposed in the wake of growing concern in the United States over CCP influence on firms with a stateside presence may merely be a ploy, he contended. Xi Jinping has allowed companies to disclose auditing and other details to the stock exchange authorities in the United States. But you may ask whether these compromises are just to gain support at the Party Congress, Lam said. In Lams view, the real measure of Xis stance on economic matters comes across in Xis crackdown on powerful Chinese firms such as Evergrande and Alibaba, which had been drivers of the economy but enjoyed the support of people the Chinese ruler considers to be political foes. Fewsmith agreed with this analysis, noting that hopes inspired by the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee in 1978, where then-leader Deng Xiaoping advanced liberalizing measures, have proven vain. The Third Plenum had a statement that market forces should be decisive in the economy. Everybody seemed to get their hopes up that China was on the cusp of market-oriented reforms. The reforms that we thought were going to be implemented, simply were not, Fewsmith said. Fewsmith cited the crackdown on Alibaba as evidence of a renewed drive toward a centralized economy with top CCP officials, not entrepreneurs, calling the shots. Xis economic stance does not serve the interests of a society in which productivity has been falling markedly for years and the existing social infrastructure is ill-equipped to care for a rapidly aging population, Fewsmith argued. A successful economic policy would involve ceding the floor to younger, more market-oriented people even more open to reform than Deng Xiaoping, he said. These things all cut against what Xi Jinping has been doing for the last ten years, and Xi is going to be there for at least another 10 years, Fewsmith said. The logo of video-focused social networking service TikTok, at the UK office, in London on Feb. 9, 2022.(Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwanese Teacher Sounds Alarm on Children Being Addicted to TikTok Students are addicted to TikTok, a Chinese mobile video app, and a variety of anxiety-inducing phenomena are emerging, according to a teacher in Taiwan who recently called out parents to raise serious concerns about whats happening. Lin Yichen, a teacher at Taiwans Changhua County elementary school, posted an article on March 16 on Facebook titled Once TikTok rings, parents efforts are in vain, saying that almost all of her sixth-grade class was brainwashed by the popular social network software TikTok. The article lists six phenomena observed by Lin that parents need to know about. First, when TikTok played a piece of short music, almost the whole class knew the tune. Second, students start writing in simplified Chinese characters, which are used in mainland China, and their language level now is worse than the previous years students. Taiwan uses traditional characters that maintain the origin, story, and meaning inherited from 5,000 years of Chinese culture. The simplification of the Chinese script came in the mid-1950s in mainland China and was one of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) most poisonous moves to destroy traditional Chinese culture, Jiang Feng, a China affairs commentator told Sound Of Hope, a U.S.-based Chinese media on Feb. 20, 2020. Third, parents are reminded to pay attention to their children making friends through the internet. Fourth, it is not advisable for children to watch too many videos, especially those made for adults. Many children said they have seen some and even sang the songs in them. Fifth, pay attention to the physical separation between males and females, children should not make fun of the physical body. Sixth, its difficult to quit addiction to excessive use of cell phones, and children can become angry and even turn against their parents. Lin goes on to say that children probably start cell phone use and lengthy access to the internet in kindergarten but are incapable of identifying the implicit wrong values behind the images and videos they see, and then they end up becoming what they are now. You are what you see, Lin said. The article concludes by urging parents to not use their children to test the authenticity of Once TikTok rings, parents efforts are in vain. The phrase is quickly becoming a buzzword for Taiwanese people mocking TikTok. Lins posting was widely spread, with many comments added to it. TikTok Targets Teens A young woman using a cellphone walks past an advertisement for social media company TikTok on Sept. 21, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) TikTok, also known as Douyin in Chinese, is a Chinese social app that allows internet browsing and sharing of short videos on smartphones that was launched worldwide in 2017. By the end of 2021, TikTok surpassed Google as the worlds most visited domain on the internet, Forbes reported on Dec. 29, 2021. TikTok claimed to be appealing to young people as a music short video community focused on the new generation, making personalized recommendations to each user through a special algorithm according to Changjiang Times on Sept. 11, 2017. Qu Zheng, former NASA engineer and now professor in the Department of Data Science at Feitian College told The Epoch Times that the so-called personalized recommendations identify the users personal preferences through data analysis and recommends the products that are most likely to attract the user. This is an interactive process. If the user accepts the recommended content, it means that the suggested videos are deemed correct, and then TikTok will double down its efforts. But this algorithm itself does not contain value judgment, so there are positive and negative social effects, Qu said. Qu believes that for children who have not yet formed their own worldview and outlook on life, the purported most likely to attract this user videos are often those that cause sensory stimulation, and can have pornographic and addictive content. Content that TikTok promotes is likely what parents and teachers are worried about and warn minors not to access. TikTok only cares about making money, and the algorithm itself is designed to make people as addicted as possible, which is so harmful to teenagers in the rebellious stage, Qu added. Beijing-based ByteDance, the video-sharing social platform developer of TikTok and Douyin, did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. ByteDance is a private company that has set up the CCP organization inside. In 2018, ByteDance had over 100 CCP members and 170 cyber police units stationed at TikTok. In addition, various Party and government agencies, official media, public security police, courts, and other institutions opened administrative accounts in TikTok, according to The Paper, a Chinese official media, on Sept. 14, 2018. Epoch Times reporter Joyce Liang attributed to this article President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the "Stop The Steal" Rally in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Chilling Effort to Destroy Trump Lawyers Epitomizes Americas War on Wrongthink Commentary Jan. 6, 2021, served as the catalyzing event for Americas ruling class to wage a War on Wrongthink against dissenters from its orthodoxy under the banner of defending democracy. At its narrowest, the Capitol breach spawned the Department of Justices legal pursuit and prosecution of participants as something approximating terrorists, and the House January 6th Committees political pursuit and persecution of the conservative movement itself as terroristic. One can draw a line from this dual-track effort to the never-ending push on the left to lock up President Donald Trump, force Justice Clarence Thomas off the bench, disqualify members of Congress from even running in 2022, and now, in an overlooked but uniquely sinister element of this ever-expanding jihad, for a group called The 65 Project to ruin the lives of conservative lawyers. Unpopular though litigators might be, this vengeful, dangerous, and un-American manifestation of the War on Wrongthink should concern all Americans. As The 65 Project, led in part by progressive operative and founder of the anti-conservative media watchdog Media Matters, David Brock, announced at its launch a series of tweets: Weve come together to hold accountable the Big Lie Lawyers behind fraudulent lawsuits intended to overturn election results, and those that otherwise helped fuel insurrection. Following Bidens 2020 victory, an army of Big Lie Lawyers filed 65 lawsuits based on lies, in a malicious attempt to subvert democracy. They failed. Despite resounding losses in court, Trump and his Big Lie Lawyers have not stopped. They are actively working to seize control of state and local elections, and ramp up additional litigation in 22 and 24. Their deliberate abuse of the legal system emboldens future fraudulent legal actions, gives oxygen to the Big Lie, and threatens the foundation of American democracy. Among the ironies here are that it was a raft of Democratic lawfare, state executive branchs exploitation of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic to usurp legislative authority over elections, and an infusion of hundreds of millions of Zuckerbucks that enabled The 65 Projects Democratic allies to seize control of state and local elections in 2020. Democrats of course have challenged numerous presidential electionsthe last three won by Republicans, in factand, of course, fight all manner of legal issues around elections vigorously. The 65 Projects projection, therefore, is mind-bending. That Trumps lawyers sought to challenge some of this activity in court is no crime, however much the left wishes to paint it as part of the insurrection. On the contrary, candidates arent only entitled to lodge legal challenges over issues such as these, but when speaking of questions as weighty as the legitimacy of a presidential election, and the integrity of the electoral system itself, they are also arguably duty-bound to do so. That the lawsuits were largely quashed on technical grounds, such as standing, rather than on the merits, is beside the point, but nevertheless worth noting since the likes of The 65 Project are loath to address it. Its self-evidently not operating in good faith, but rather explicitly to punish its legal opponents. How? As Axios reports, the outfit will be targeting 111 attorneys in 26 states who litigated on behalf of Trump. It will run advertisements against them. It will push to make rules for the American Bar Association and every state bar association barring certain election challenges and adopt[ing] model language stating that fraudulent and malicious lawsuits to overturn legitimate election resultsas it defines themviolate the ethical duties lawyers must abide by. Then the group will go further. It will, in its own words, pursue every legal recourseincluding sanctions and disbarment against Trump lawyers. The 65 Project has already started filing complaints. It would be chilling enough if this group aimed solely to ruin Trumps lawyers professionally, but The 65 Project also seeks to ruin them personally. As Brock told Axios, the idea is to not only bring the grievances in the bar complaints, but shame them and make them toxic in their communities and in their firms. I think the littler fish are probably more vulnerable to what were doing, Brock said. Youre threatening their livelihood. And, you know, theyve got reputations in their local communities. Few statements could be more disgusting and un-Americanand particularly from leftists who have nary a word of criticism about those such as, say, Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, who apparently went out of her way to defend actual jihadists. Suspected terrorists, it seems, deserve a defense in the American system, but not Republicans. The 65 Project is open about its totalitarian bent, as well the obviously cynical nature of this gambit. One anonymous person involved with the project quoted by Axios said that it is mostly important for the deterrent effect that it can bring so that you can kill the pool of available legal talent going forward. Why is it so imperative to destroy Trump lawyers professionally and personally? Because as Marc Elias, the most powerful and influential Democratic election lawyer of all, and his allies have forecast, upcoming elections are likely to be staked on lawfare from the left. As noted, this held in 2020, when, as Hans von Spakovsky highlighted, Democrats and aligned organizations filed 100-plus lawsuits in the run-up to the election aimed at unmooring the electoral system from its traditional, and logically more secure, process of in-person voting, with an ID, on a single election day. In a system of shifting rules, in which elections are increasingly to be determined in court rather than at the ballot box, preventing your opponent from being able to compete in the courtroom by depriving him of his lawyers makes sense. It becomes an imperative to destroy your legal competitionat least if you subscribe to an ends-justify-the-means ethos. The costs of The 65 Projects efforts to the U.S. system are staggering. As former Trump Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark, who has been targeted by the January 6th Committee, recently wrote in a seminal piece on the group: The evenhanded application of the law is a principle that must be defended. Everywhere, balance and perspective are under attack. Whatever the costs of Americas process-heavy adversarial contests, that feature of our polity is a key bulwark of liberty. Due process is not something to be trifled with, deconstructed, or thrown away based on the passions of the political moment. Yet that is happening, right now. The Left has set the lines of battle: Any lawyers who worked for President Trump with verve and ingenuity, along with any lawyers he retained to mount his various 2020 election contests, must be crushed, must have their noses rubbed into the dirt, must if possible lose their jobs and even their right to practice law. Its not right, just as it would not have been right to demonize the lawyers who mounted Al Gores challenges to the 2000 presidential election in Florida. The Prussian military theorist Von Clausewitz is famous for his dictum that war is the continuation of policy by other means. Project 65 seeks to invert that: To turn politics into just another mode of all-out warfare. Attacking the dignity of the bar will be the death knell of our Anglo-American legal system and for fair, competitive politics more generally. Project 65s lawsuits are an assault on the principle of equal protection under the law and on the Constitutions Petition Clause. This is a fight that patriotic Americans must win, or the United States will just be the latest example of a republic decayed into a phony, failed oligarchy. This project perfectly represents the ruling classs broader effort to shame, censor, and, if needed, cancel perceived threats to its power and privilege through use of the politics of personal destruction, and at the cost of liberty and justice. Dissent has become increasingly indefensible. Anything standing in the ruling classs way must be obliteratedtargeted, bankrupted, and broken. Those unable or unwilling to recognize that our ruling class wants not just conservatives, but all opponents wiped off the playing field, and that the only response is to fight fire with firethat is, to raise the costs of this malicious behavior to such massive levels as to wholly deter itwill be condemned to failure. Those at the commanding heights of American society act as if they believe they will never face punishment for this kind of deplorable conduct. This calculus has to change. Clark provides some ways to shift the paradigm worthy of consideration. We as Americans must be thinking more broadly about a counter-response, consistent with our values, principles, and traditions, to the broader assault on tens of millions of fellow God-fearing, freedom-loving patriots. Its incumbent upon us to demand that our leaders represent us in the face of this onslaught. Absent such a defense, we will require a whole new set of leaders. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-Hua Wang answers questions on April 6, 2022, regarding the closure of Phoenix TV which was identified in 2021 as a China-owned media due to its shareholding structural changes. (Lin Shih-Chieh/The Epoch Times) China-Owned Phoenix TV Withdraws From Taiwan Market Chinese language media Phoenix Television will close its office in Taiwan in May, after Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs found the media violated the investment prerequisite for those outside the country. On April 6, the Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-Hua Wang explained that in 2021, the ministry identified Phoenix TV as a China-owned media due to its shareholding structural changes, and demanded correction within six months. According to the investment regulations on shareholders who are outside the country, when more than 30 percent of shares are held by Chinese individuals or institutes it shall be deemed to be a Chinese-owned investment. Wang explained that the current market is not open to the China-owned media. Therefore, the ministry notified Phoenix on Sept. 15, 2021, of its failure to keep a cap of 30 percent investment from China, and demanded the media address the issue within six months. According to the ministry, a fine of more than $3469.36 was imposed for the violation. The ministrys Investment Commission explained to the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that Phoenix TV decided to close its Taiwan branch, and made a request in December to extend the time for placement of its employees and relevant matters to May 14. The Investment Commission of the ministry told The Epoch Times that Phoenix TVs ownership in 2001 was in line with the regulation when the media applied its operation in Taiwan, until 2021 when the media sold part of its ownership to Bauhinia Culture (Hong Kong) Holdings, a Chinese state-owned enterprise. The Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV began broadcasting on 31 March, 1996. According to its website, Phoenix has settled in different regions, and owns properties in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, London, Los Angeles, and Beijing. Mary Hong contributed to this report. Chinas Human Rights Victims to Speak at UC Berkeley Event Student organizers of an event to expose Chinas human rights abuses are hoping campus security will be tight at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley campus in Northern California. Organizers of the Atrocities of the CCP event on April 15 have asked campus police to beef up security after recent unsealed complaints from the Justice Department revealed a pattern of threats and intimidation from U.S.-based agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The goal is to use this event to spark major campus discussions and conversations regarding communism and the CCP, said David Chan, the event organizer and the incoming president for Berkeley College Republicans, the event hosts. We are giving voice to the victims of the CCPs oppression and aggression against these innocent people. The majority of the students, especially at Berkeley, are completely clueless to the regimes evil, their murders, their concentration camps, and countless other brutalities against their people to keep full authoritarian control. Bob Fu, a Chinese American pastor and founder of China Aid, is scheduled to speak at the event. He said the added security concerns are obvious after the Justice Departments indictment of five Chinese spies for harassing and threatening human rights defenders from China. But I am confident U.S. law enforcement will handle this properly, Fu said. Fus close friend, Li Jinjin, who was a student leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, was fatally stabbed in his office in the Flushing neighborhood of New York on March 14, 2022. Campus police havent yet responded to the security request, Chan said. The UC Berkeley Police Department didnt respond to a request from The Epoch Times asking if its aware of the event and if it intends to provide security. Instead, an auto-reply standard email was received: Due to our very low staffing, replies may be significantly delayed. We will make every effort to respond before your event, but there may be times when we cannot. Our failure to respond will not imply the event is approved by UCPD. Sorry for any inconvenience. Minghui Wang, a student at UC Berkeley and a featured speaker at the event, said she personally experienced Chinas religious persecution. In 2011, she escaped from the regime and wants to share her familys story as victims of communism. There are a lot of Chinese students on this campus. I really hope this event reaches them and that they can grasp this opportunity to learn the truth about the CCP, and hear the voices that are silenced in China, said Wang, who was persecuted for practicing Falun Dafa. Other speakers include Fang Zheng, a Tiananmen Square massacre survivor who lost both of his legs after being run over by a tank; Ms. Geng, who will be speaking about her husband, Gao Zhisheng, a human rights lawyer who went missing in China for many years after speaking out against the regime; and Li Aijie, who will speak on behalf of her husband, Zhang Haitao, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison as a citizen journalist. China expert James Gorrie said the importance of holding this event on the UC Berkeley campus cant be overstated. I can think of no other university in America that is as synonymous with echo-chambered far-left groupthink and communist apologists as Berkeley, Gorrie said. Speaking the truth at Berkeley is both a privilege and a necessity, like exposing darkness to light, and thereby destroying that darkness. The irony is that in the 1960s, the students at Berkeley fought for free speech. Today, they fight for thought control, speech police, and other Stalinist machinations. Chan said the event is the first of many his group hopes to host about China. Especially since a large population of our campus is Chinese (many from mainland China), I intend to make the stories of these proponents heard and resonate within our student body and communities, he said. So far, aside from event posters being torn down soon after being placed and rhetoric on Reddit, the organizers havent received security threats, Chan said. Event Details Atrocities of the CCP Sunday, April 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dwinelle Hall, Room 155 3229 Dwinelle Hall Berkeley, California The Epoch Times will livestream the event on its website. https://www.theepochtimes.com/livestream-alert-atrocities-of-the-ccp_4333544.html https://www.ntd.com/program-alert-atrocities-of-the-ccp_751544.html A poster for the Atrocities of the CCP event to be held on the UC Berkeley campus on April, 15, 2022. (Courtesy of David Chan) The entrance to a noodle store is locked and sealed in the Jingan district of western Shanghai on April 4, 2022. (Chen Si/AP Photo) Chinas Services Sector Activity Hit Hard by Zero-COVID Policy: Caixin PMI BEIJINGActivity in Chinas services sector contracted at the sharpest pace in two years in March as a surge in coronavirus cases restricted mobility and weighed on demand, a private sector survey showed on Wednesday. The Caixin services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) dived to 42.0 in March from 50.2 in February, dropping below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. The reading indicates the sharpest activity decline since the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. The survey, which focuses more on small firms in coastal regions, tallied with an official survey, which also showed deterioration in the services sector. Analysts say contact-intensive services sectors such as transportation, hotel, and catering were hurt the most, clouding the outlook for a much anticipated rebound in consumption this year. A sub-index for new business fell for a second consecutive month, and at the fastest pace since March 2020. Firms input prices rose in March after easing to a six-month low in February. The virus outbreaks and softer demand reduced firms appetite for additional staff, with the employment sub-index showing continued contraction in activity albeit at a slower pace. While firms remained generally upbeat about output over the next year, optimism slipped to a 19-month low amid concerns over the pandemic and the economic fallout from the Ukraine war. Caixins March composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services activity, slumped to 43.9 from 50.1 in the previous month, signaling the quickest reduction since the height of the countrys COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Overall, both manufacturing and services activities weakened in March due to the epidemic. Similar to previous COVID outbreaks in China, the services sector was more significantly affected than manufacturing, said Wang Zhe, Senior Economist at Caixin Insight Group, in a statement accompanying the data release. As Chinas economy faces serious challenges, the big question is how long the countrys zero tolerance COVID policy can be sustained, Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management said in a note. The Caixin PMI is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to purchasing managers in China. A health worker checks the temperature of residents as they line up to be tested for COVID-19 in Qingdao, eastern Chinas Shandong Province on Oct. 12, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Graduate Student Expelled for Criticizing the Universitys Pandemic Controls A graduate student of Ludong University in Shandong Province, China, was recently expelled after being administratively punished by the local police for holding a sign on campus opposing the campus lockdown and frequent mandatary COVID-19 nucleic acid testing of students. He also posted his opinion on social media. A document, titled Decision on Expulsion of Student Sun Jian, has been circulating on Chinese social media that was signed by Ludong University on March 31. Sun was a graduate student majoring in Chinese history in the university. He has been posting on his WeChat account since December last year untrue and inappropriate remarks on national, Shandong, Yantai city, and the universitys pandemic prevention and control measures, which the document says was the reason for his expulsion. Sun posted an Open Letter to the Leaders of Ludong University on his WeChat public account on December 24, 2021. In it, he said that he did not agree with all the anti-pandemic measures that take control of peoples lives, because the strict measures caused great inconvenience to the students lives. He also questioned why cant students be allowed to enter and leave the school freely when there is no outbreak in Yantai city, and other large local agencies or enterprises have not restricted their employees in this way. He felt that he was not going to a university, but to the Ludong Detention Center. Sun told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, when I posted the open letter, the school immediately asked me to shut up and delete the letter. On March 27, Sun made a banner that said lift the lockdown of the university and that hes against the frequent COVID-19 testing and other strict pandemic control measures, and he held up on campus in protest. Sun said, I dont agree with some of the schools epidemic measures, such as the frequent nucleic acid testing of all students. It has caused great distress to students. He also pointed out the inequality in the process of epidemic prevention, the school has made strict restrictions on the students movements, but it seems that there are no strict restrictions on teachers access to the campus. Sun said, I think we need a public and reasonable explanation from the university. Some students complained that the measures are unreasonable, but the university would not let us speak out. I dont think its right, and students should have their own rights. I think its my freedom of speech to hold the sign and its not against the law, so I dont think I did anything wrong, Sun said. After being expelled by the university, Sun consulted with lawyers about the possibility of revoking the universitys decision and was told its unlikely to happen. He said, I just want the school to apologize to me publicly [for expelling him]. Sun is staying in Laishan, and said that Yantai police notified the Laishan police about him. The police and the state security here in Laishan have paid attention to me, he said. Li Peng contributed to the report. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the 2022 New York State Democratic Convention in New York City on Feb. 17, 2022. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Clinton-Appointed Judge Rejects Trumps Demand He Step Back From Lawsuit Against Clinton A federal judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton has rejected a demand that he recuse from a new lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the former presidents wife. U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks agreed to equate the Clintons interests but said previous rulings show that mere appointment to the bench by a litigant will not create a perception of bias. Given this precedent, I am not disqualified from presiding, nor should I recuse on the basis of any appearance of partiality, the judge said in a 5-page order. To warrant recusal, something more must be involved than solely my appointment to the bench twenty-five years ago by the spouse of a litigant now before me. Federal law states that Any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. In the motion for disqualification, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, who sued Hillary Clinton and others for their involvement in creating the Trump-Russia dossier, cited a previous ruling in making their case. The federal appeals court that oversees Washington has found that for determining whether a judges impartiality might reasonably be questioned is an objective one and requires asking whether a disinterested observer fully informed of the facts would entertain a significant doubt as to the judges impartiality, they noted, writing that There is no question that Judges Middlebrooks impartiality would be questioned by a disinterested observer, fully informed of the facts, due to judges relationship with the defendant, either, individually, or by the very nature of his appointment to the federal bench, by the defendants husband. But that ruling and another cited do not supply any conceivable, additional grounds for recusal, Middlebrooks said. The judge said hes never met or spoken with either Bill or Hillary Clinton and apart from being appointed by the former, he has not had a relationship with either. Recusal cannot be based on unsupported, irrational or highly tenuous speculation, he said, quoting from an appeals court ruling. Moreover, I have considered whether the nature of this lawsuitacutely politically charged as it ismight provide some additional cause to question my qualification to preside, but I see no impediment there either, he added. Every federal judge is appointed by a president who is affiliated with a major political party, and therefore every federal judge could theoretically be viewed as beholden, to some extent or another. As judges, we must all transcend politics. Even as Middlebrooks resisted the push to recuse, a different judge assigned to the case declined to be involved. Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe recused in an order entered the same day as Middlebrooks decision. McCabe did not explain his decision beyond citing the relevant law, nor did the previous judge who recused, Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard. Magistrate judges, appointed by fellow judges, sometimes help district judges with cases. Heparin strongly binds to the coronavirus's spike proteins because its structure is very similar to Heparan Sulphate, a molecule at the surface of the human cell that the virus binds its spike proteins to when entering a cell. (By creativeneko/Shutterstock COVID-19 Beware: Cheap and Widely Accessible Drug Could Fight Virus Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered that the cheap and widely used drug, heparin, when inhaled can be a uniquely effective prevention and treatment method for COVID-19. Heparin is currently used to prevent blood from clotting and it is typically administered through an injection. However, early results of an ANU clinical study show that inhaling heparin helps prevent those with COVID-19 from developing lung damage and shows promise in protecting people from getting the virus. The results were collected from trials conducted in American hospitals where researchers monitored the effect inhaled heparin had on patients hospitalized with COVID-19, to determine the drugs ability to combat the virus and its safety. The study found that after inhaling a course of heparin the breathing and oxygen levels of 70 percent of the subjects improved, along with their symptoms according to the World Health Organization COVID symptoms scale. There were 98 patients studied in the early trials, with the average age of the subjects being 66. There were also slightly more men than women in the study. The ANU is still conducting multiple other clinical trials in 11 more countries but researchers have said the initial results are promising. Lead researcher of the study, Prof. Frank van Haren, said in an ANU news release that heparin if proven effective and safe, could majorly impact the worlds fight against COVID-19. This drug is already available in hospitals all over the world and it is a very inexpensive drug, van Haren said. This could really assist in poorer countries where vaccination is challenging and we think it could help front line workers who could use it as a preventative measure. A nurse fills up a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in a file image. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images) Prof. van Haren said that an effective treatment of COVID-19 is still needed and that the majority of experts on COVID-19 agree that the pandemic will not be stopped by vaccinations alone. Inhaled heparin is a promising new possibility to provide a low-cost, safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 that is available and affordable to low and middle-income countries around the globe. He said that once heparin is proved to be safe and effective, inhaled heparin could be used everywhere as a treatment for the virus, within months. Co-lead of the global studies of heparin, Kings College University Professor Clive Page, said in the news release that heparin is individually effective against COVID because unlike other drugs its anti-viral, anti-coagulant, and anti-inflammatory. Page said that inhaled heparin effectively stops the virus from infecting lung cells by binding to the viruss spike proteins, which the coronavirus uses to enter cells. This prevents people from contracting the virus. Heparin strongly binds to the coronaviruss spike proteins because its structure is very similar to Heparan Sulphate, a molecule at the surface of the human cell that the virus binds its spike proteins to when entering a cell. Heparin acts as a decoy for Heparan sulphate, binding to the virus before it can bind to the cell molecule. Its also a blood thinner, Page said. When COVID-19 patients get very sick they develop blood clots in the lungs and these can be lethal. Heparin stops these clots from forming. He said that when the body launches an exaggerated response to kill the virus, heparin can calm everything down. We already know heparin can reduce lung damage caused by this inflammation and the immune response overdrive that we see in other lung diseases which could provide benefit to patients hospitalised with COVID-19. The projects researchers said that the anti-viral and anti-inflammatory nature of heparin is what makes the drug useful as both a method of prevention and treatment of the virus. Red blood cells moving through the blood vessels. (Pixabay) There have been some concerns raised about the lack of younger people involved in the study, particularly menstruating women, who can develop heavy periods from blood thinners. However, in an email to The Epoch Times, Prof. van Haren, said that patients of all age groups from 18 years and older have been included in the ongoing trials that are being conducted around the world. So far we have seen a similar effect in all patients regardless of age, van Haren said. He said that the doses of heparin that they gave their patients to inhale had no relevant effect on the bodys ability to clot blood. Because the inhaled heparin does not have a blood-thinning effect in the body (only locally in the lungs), there is no effect on menstruation and no risk of other bleeding for patients, van Haren said. Additionally, he said that the treatment was safe for people with anemia. The news of heparins efficacy comes after researchers at Melbourne university developed a heparin nasal spray to prevent people from contracting the virus. A battle is on in the courts over whether certain nasal sprays can be used as a treatment, or preventative, for COVID 19. (Thorsten Frenzel/Pixabay) The Director of Melbourne Universitys Lung Health Research Centre, Professor Gary Anderson said in a Melbourne university news release that heparin should work against all variants of the virus. Importantly, this nasal spray should prove effective for all COVID-19 variants because the Heparan Sulphate binding site is essential for infection, and is likely to be preserved in new variants. According to ABC News, the spray is currently undergoing a six month clinical trial that includes 340 households in Victoria. MOGADISHU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations relief agency said it is scaling up humanitarian interventions to help 4.9 million of the most vulnerable people in Somalia. Adam Abdelmoula, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, said the levels of need are rapidly rising, surpassing available capacities and resources. "Around 4.9 million people are affected by this wave of severe drought, and it is expected to get worse between now and the end of June," warned Abdelmoula in a statement issued on Wednesday evening after leading a UN inter-agency team for a visit to Galkayo in northern Somalia to assess the impact of the drought. According to the latest drought situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Somalia's drought emergency has deteriorated to a point where the country is facing the risk of famine. OCHA noted that humanitarian agencies, authorities and local communities are ramping up responses and reprogramming activities to address the impact of the drought, adding that the levels of need are rapidly rising, surpassing available capacities and resources. It said the escalating emergency calls for sustained scaling up of response and flexibility in reprogramming, especially given that weather forecasts are predicting an average to below-average rainy season this month. The UN delegation heard first-hand of the dire conditions that local communities of internally displaced people (IDPs) are enduring amid the severe drought affecting the country, with the visit also providing extra motivation to do more to help those in need as the risk of famine in Somalia grows. "It gave me the firsthand testimony that I need to provide to our donors and to let them know that it is not a fictional thing to talk about the 1.4 million malnourished children, 330,000 of whom are at risk of dying by the end of this summer if we don't step up our engagement and provide them with the support they need," said Abdelmoula after visiting two IDP camps. The visiting delegation spoke with UN staff on the ground working with local authorities to support assistance efforts and interacted with camp residents. "It is really heart-wrenching, especially seeing that there are so many children in these IDP camps. I asked them, how many of you go to school? It turned out that none of the girls are going to school in these two camps that I visited. And among the boys, less than 50 per cent are attending school," said Abdelmoula. "This is just devastating and we should redouble our effort to bring this to the attention of the international community and those who could afford to assist. We should also leave no stone unturned in order to help these communities that are hurting so enormously," he added. Charles Rettig, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2021. (Tom Williams/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Crapo Says Biden Funding Huge Boost to IRS Enforcement, Ignores Tax Agency Backlogs President Joe Bidens proposed 2023 budget for the Internal Revenue Service funds more taxpayer audits at a time when millions of tax returns sit unprocessed, and customers calling the agency for help face long delays, according to Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). For the third filing season in a row, taxpayers confront vexing customer service challenges as they attempt to fulfill their tax filing obligations. With tens of millions of 2021 tax returns still to be filed, the most recent data we have on this years season is concerning, highlighting longstanding issues the IRS has not adequately addressed, he told a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Crapo is the ranking Republican on the panel. For example, more than 60 percent of the millions of items of taxpayer correspondence and amended returns have sat in storage for more than three months, an increase of nearly 30 percent over last year, he said. Average hold times for the lucky few taxpayers who reach the IRS by phone are 28 minutes, an increase of nearly 50 percent over last year. Scores of taxpayers have seen refunds delayed while their return is suspended for various reasons. Millions of prior-year tax returns await processing. The IRSs management of paper-filed returns is a persistent problem that the National Taxpayer Advocate recently noted goes back decades. Instead of addressing the customer service problems, Bidens budget proposal puts more tax dollars behind auditing more tax returns and stricter enforcement of the tax code, Crapo said. This years presidential budget request seeks a large enforcement funding boost, and its reserve fund placeholder for the reckless Build Back Better legislation would provide a truly massive $80 billion infusion of mandatory funding, primarily focused on enforcement. The reserve fund could also accommodate the administrations chilling proposal to monitor Americans bank account flows of as little as $600, he said. The finance panels chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), agreed that the IRS processes tax returns too slowly and leaves too many customer requests for help unanswered, although he pointed to what he called years and years of Republican cuts to the IRS budget as the cause of such problems. Wyden said the IRS currently has a backlog of 12 million tax returns waiting to be processed, and he said IRS agents answer only 11 percent of the millions of telephone calls that come in from customers seeking help with their returns. The number of revenue agents at the IRS, the people who audit tax returns, is currently a third of what it was a decade ago. The officers who collect unpaid taxes are down by nearly half. The agency has the same number of employees it did in 1970, when the countrys population and economy were a fraction of the size they are today, Wyden said. Look at the big picture. As a result of years of Republican budget cuts, IRS customer service is struggling at best, wealthy tax cheats are getting away with breaking the law, and the burden of tax enforcement has been shifted onto working people who spend every day walking a tightrope. The IRS annual budget for the current year is $12 billion. Charles Rettig, the IRS commissioner appointed in 2018 by President Donald Trump, told the hearing the tax agency is making significant progress in its ability to process electronically filed tax returns, but still lags in adopting current technologies that could significantly speed processing for paper returns. Taxpayer service remains the most significant IRS priority, and funds provided by Congress have allowed us to implement many innovative strategies to reduce our current and projected unprecedented inventories and to get it healthy by the end of calendar year 2022, which is our commitment, Rettig said. With respect to the 2022 filing season, we are off to a healthy start with respect to our tax processing and the operation of our IT systems. Through April 1, we have processed more than 89 million returns and issued more than 63 million refunds totaling more than $204 billion. Rettig said taxpayers who filed electronically are getting refunds back an average of 21 days later. Pressed by several committee members on why the agency has been slow to adopt bar code processing for paper returns, Rettig said the agency had requested such funding every year from 2013 to 2017 but didnt receive it. Theres initial funding in the Biden proposal to begin bar code adoption, he said. The IRS chief thanked Congress for giving the agency direct hiring authority in the recently approved funding resolution to hire up to 10,000 new customer service representatives, but he said such positions are only paid initially on average $37,000 annually. Cypress Residents, City Council Face New Rules Governing Inappropriate Conduct CYPRESS, Calif.Residents and officials may now be reprimanded if they engage in inappropriate or derogatory behavior during city council meetings thanks to an amended civility policy and a near rewrite of a city ordinance that hasnt been changed in nearly 60 years. The amended ordinance includes censure, fines, and further penalties if a person violates the order and decorum of a meeting. According to the new version of the ordinancewhich was written in 1965city councilors, city staff, and the public can be placed under arrest, for a misdemeanor, for example, and prosecuted. The amended ordinance, which was approved on March 28 with a 41 vote, is effective April 13, 2022. Councilmember Frances Marquez voted against it. Its unclear why the city felt it needed two separate sets of rules related to city council meetings. Multiple requests seeking further information from Cypress city manager were not returned by press time. The issue of the new civility policya 14-page document that seeks to promote positive and productive working relationshipshas been a hot topic on the council for the last few months. Marquez, who was elected in 2020, in February refused to sign it saying it was unconstitutional and an infringement on free speech. She finally agreed to sign her name to the new policy, but only after facing censure. I wanted to put this dispute to bed so we can move forward and focus on serving constituents, Marquez said as she submitted her signature during the council meeting. The civility policy was proposed after months of disagreement between Marquez and the council, with Marquez complaining of bullying behavior she claims occurred after she questioned the councils decisions on a number of policies and issues. What Im concerned about is it depends on how its interpreted. [We need] language not open to interpretation and possible abuse by future council members, Marquez said. Some residents attending the meeting also voiced concern and expressed disappointment that Marquez changed her mind. Im very disappointed Councilwoman Marquez signed the policy, one resident said, by phone, during public comment. Another wondered why such a civility code was needed at all. This policy seems redundant, Cypress resident Rita told The Epoch Times on grounds that her last name is withheld. I think we all know how to be civil to each other in a meeting. Marquez said she consulted with several attorneys prior to signing the new policy and was assured that anything this council passes or enacts that infringes on state or federal [law] or the constitution is invalid. Matthew Martin, 43, of Santa Fe, N.M., outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin was acquitted of four misdemeanor charges on April 6, 2022. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Defense Advocates Celebrate Acquittal of New Mexico Man Who Said Police Let Him Inside US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 Pundits and advocates for Jan. 6 defendants took to social media Wednesday to celebrate a New Mexico engineers acquittal on four misdemeanor charges from his time inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Judge Trevor N. McFadden found Matthew Martin, 43, of Santa Fe not guilty after a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. that lasted about a day and a half. It was the first full acquittal of a Jan. 6 defendant through three completed trials. I am very thankful for the judges verdict, Martin told reporters outside the United States Courthouse, and Im hoping to get my life back together, get my job back. Martins attorney, Dan Cron of Santa Fe, said video evidence showed his client is innocent. I think the definitive factor was Matt Martin did not break the law, and we had the benefit of a lot of video evidence and the judge had a chance to see it, Cron told reporters outside the courthouse. Video evidence is the best evidence, and he did nothing wrong. Martin was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with the intent to impede or disrupt orderly conduct of government business; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Video shot by Matthew Martin inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, shows a man who appears to be suffering the effects of pepper spray. Prosecutors said Martin should have realized he was not allowed in the U.S. Capitol. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Commentators took the verdict as a hopeful sign and a perhaps a hedge against what some defense attorneys privately call a massive over-prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. More than 775 people have been arrested and charged with Jan. 6 offenses. Cant trespass if you have a police escort, wrote Sebastian Gorka, a former adviser to President Donald Trump and now host of a syndicated radio program. A Federal Judge found Matthew Martin NOT GUILTY of all January 6 charges because the police officers let him into the Capitol. Cant trespass if you have a police escort. #Justice Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) April 6, 2022 Couy Griffin, the New Mexico founder of Cowboys for Trump who received a split verdict on his Jan. 6 misdemeanor charges before Judge McFadden in March, congratulated Martin. The judge found Griffin guilty of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. Griffin will be sentenced on June 17. Great Job Matthew Martin!!! Way to hold the line!! Proud of you!! https://t.co/DdLkjYS7aX Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) April 7, 2022 Julie Kelly, a senior contributor at American Greatness, said the verdicts were significant because U.S. Capitol Police admitted officers allowed people to walk into the Capitol. Brandon Straka, founder of the Walk Away Campaign that invites liberals to leave the Democrat Party, said damage was already done to Martins reputation. Straka was sentenced in January to three years of probation and a $5,000 fine for engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol building on Jan. 6. Please remember that this is how the media reported on Matthew Martin, the man who was ACQUITTED on all J6 charges today. The damage is already done. This is how the media has reported on every person charged, even those charged w non-violent misdemeanors.https://t.co/VIb6mEcHqd pic.twitter.com/d50kxyzqlp Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) April 6, 2022 Judge McFadden, appointed to the bench by Trump, said he found Martins stated belief that he was allowed into the Capitol by police to be plausible. Martin was more of a silent observer who acted in a similar fashion to a journalist, he said. Prosecutors argued that Martin must have known he was entering restricted space because he passed signs that said the area was closed by police order, and filmed a broken window and a protester who appeared to have been maced and grimacing in pain. They noted that Martin texted a work supervisor that his Jan. 6 experience was beautiful and a magical day in many ways. Martin, who testified in his own defense, said he didnt think the area closed signs referred to the entire Capitol grounds. The comments to his supervisor referred to the Trump rally at the Ellipse and the whole day and not to the bad things that happened on Jan. 6. After his April 2021 arrest, Martin was fired from his job with a federal contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. President Joe Biden speaks alongside Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (R) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) about the collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, during a briefing in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 1, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) DeSantis Vows to Send Illegal Immigrants in Florida to Bidens Home State Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to send illegal immigrants from his state to Delaware, which is President Joe Bidens home state. What were doing in Florida is saying, Were not gonna let the recklessness of those policies impact our state,' DeSantis said at a signing event in Florida on Wednesday, referring to federal immigration policies. If businesses or contractors are dumping people who are illegal into Florida from southern Texas, you know, were gonna go after their ability to do business in Florida. Alleging that federal officials fly in illegal immigrants from the U.S.Mexico border to Florida at two in the morning, DeSantis said that Florida now has money where we can reroute them to sanctuary states like Delawareand were gonna do thatto make sure were keeping people safe here. Biden currently has a home in Delaware, and he was a Senator from the state for decades. DeSantis made similar comments last year, but he appeared to renew his call after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would send buses with illegal aliens to Washington D.C. To help local officialsbecause communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden AdministrationTexas is providing charter buses for these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off to Washington, D.C., Abbott said in public remarks on Wednesday. Abbott signed an order that authorized the Texas Division of Emergency Management to head the operation. Its not clear when those charter buses will leave and how many are on board. Those comments, meanwhile, came after the Biden administration announced it would end the Title 42 immigration order that prevented a significant number of illegal immigrants from entering the United States since it was implemented in early 2020 under the Trump administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDD) said last week that the COVID-19-related policy will expire on May 23. Some current and former federal law enforcement officials said that rescinding the policy will encourage more people to try and enter the United States from Mexico in the coming months. We are sending them to the United States capital where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border, Abbott also said, which drew criticism from activist groups. This week, Gen. Glen Vanherck, head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told a Senate Armed Service Committee that his agency will provide additional capability or capacity based on the potential for additional immigration, or folks coming to the southwest border. Pentagon Secretary Lloyd Austin approved support to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration efforts, in anticipation of a surge of irregular migration along the southwest border, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby also said in a statement to news outlets. White House press secretary Jen Psaki in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on April 6, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) DHS Giving Cell Phones to Illegal Border Crossers: White House The White House confirmed Wednesday that the administration is giving cell phones to illegal border crossers before releasing them into the United States. As part of an Alternative to Detention (ATD) program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is handing out cellphones and ankle monitors meant to track individuals who crossed the border to ensure they show up for scheduled court dates, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed at a press briefing April 6. Psaki said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes a biometric voice print of an illegal border crosser before issuing them a phone and releasing them into the United States. She said the federal government is then able to confirm an individuals voice during a check-in call or track the individual using GPS or facial matching technology with a smartphone or tablet. She said some are also tracked via an ankle bracelet. The majority of illegal border crossers are being released into the United States with a court date that can be years down the road. Single males are the main population still being expelled. Most single women and those with families are being released with a cell phone that is used as an alternative to ankle monitors to track their whereabouts, according to an ICE agent who requested to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions. Each week, the cell phone sends an alert to the illegal immigrant, who then must take an immigration selfie that tags their location, the ICE agent told The Epoch Times. Colorado-based company BI Incorporated tracks the locations to ensure its within 75 miles of the individuals address on record. The ATD program is meant to ensure the illegal immigrant turns up for their immigration court hearings without having to be detained in the meantime. However, previous data on ATD programs for illegal immigrants show that a high number abscond at some point during their court proceedings, or afterwards if the outcome for their case is deportation. Psaki said on Wednesday that nearly 80 percent of illegal aliens released at the border from DHS custody under prosecutorial discretion have either received an initial notice to appear or are still within their 60-day window to report. So actually, the vast, vast majority of people are appearing in part [because] we have these monitoring systems in order to do that effectively, Psaki said. In the case that an illegal immigrant fails to submit their photo, or is out of the 75-mile range, the agent said the individual could get terminated from the program, although such a decision has been rare. The supervisor could decide to send them a letter telling them to come into the [ICE] officewhich [we] basically call a run letter because nobody comes, the agent said. Is somebody going to look for them? No. Maybe, if in a few years they get arrested and we get a notification, and with whatever priorities we have at the time, if theyre a low priority, nothing happens. The Biden administration has narrowed its enforcement priorities for illegal immigrants residing in the United States, shielding most from deportation, including those who have been ordered removed by an immigration judge. If its a serious enough crime, then once they get convicted, well go and pick him up, the ICE agent said. But if youre a female, and you have no criminal history, and you have kids, especially if you have a U.S.-born kid, the chances of us trying to go and find youone in 100,000. Given two months, ICE failed to provide The Epoch Times with statistics on how many illegal immigrants are attached to the ATD programs and how many have absconded. BI Incorporated declined to provide the number of cell phones the company has issued for Customs and Border Protection or ICE. During 2021, many Border Patrol facilities became so overwhelmed that thousands of illegal immigrants were released with a Notice to Report; an honor system that requires the person to check in at their closest ICE facility within 60 days. Under usual circumstances, an illegal alien released into the United States would be issued a Notice to Appear document that specifies a date and time to appear in court. For individuals that are just released with a notification to report to ICE or to show up in court, then our ability to track those folks quite closely is much more limited, then-acting ICE Director Tae Johnson told Congress during a hearing on May 13, 2021. In November 2021, ICE sent out 78,000 notices to appear to illegal immigrants who had been previously released, including documents informing them that their case will be processed via deportation proceedings and directing them to report to their closest ICE office. For those that were placed on an ATD program from October 2020 through March 2021, about 2,700 had absconded, Johnson said. In fiscal year 2020, about 11,000 individuals absconded from the program, he said. By December 2019, the number of illegal aliens on ICEs nondetained docket exceeded 3.2 million, according to then-acting ICE director Matthew Albence. The detained docket is more expensive in the short term, but its ultimately more cost effective and more efficient as illegal aliens who are ordered to be removed by an immigration judge are quickly expelled, Albence said at the time. Albence said family units absconded from the ATD program at a rate of almost 27 percent, more than double the 12.3 percent absconder rate for non-family unit participants. He said for $200 million, ICE removes about 3,000 people a year on the ATD program, about 1 percent of the total removals. He said if that money was instead used to detain aliens during their court cases, I could probably remove about 10 times that. Border Patrol agents and local officials along the border are bracing for an even greater influx of illegal immigrants as the Biden administration prepares to drop the Title 42 public health provision on May 23. Title 42 is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order that was invoked in March 2020 under President Donald Trump to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that only essential travel occurred at U.S. borders. Nick Ciolino Follow Nick Ciolino covers the White House. A Ukrainian family chat as they wait for a humanitarian visa at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, on March 15, 2022. (Jorge Duenes/Reuters) East Texas Pastor Offers 189-Acre Campus for Ukrainian Refugees A pastor is ready to open the doors of his Bible institute in Texas to Ukrainian refugees currently sitting at the border between Mexico and the United States. The Rev. Dr. Joe Fauss of Lindale directs a ministry and theological seminary on 189-acres, Calvary Commission International (CCI). The property includes houses, classrooms, lakes, a dining hall, and a 200-seat auditorium, all set in the peaceful Piney Woods of East Texas. When Fauss considered the potential crush of Ukrainian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and their mental and spiritual condition, he became circumspect. Ive been to Romania many times, Fauss told The Epoch Times on April 5, and speak quite a bit of the language. From what Ive heard and seen from our contacts there, Ukrainian refugees will certainly be a challenge to us here, but well take as many as the Lord brings us. Already Here Thousands of Ukrainians and Russians had already gathered along the border between Mexico and the United States well before President Joe Biden made his declaration in March that America would welcome 100,000 refugees from the devastation caused by Russias invasion. Biden made his remarks during his trip to Europe to meet with NATO leaders concerning the Ukraine crisis. The goodwill gesture by the president was not accompanied by a plan to clear out the backlog of Ukrainians and Russians who had been stopped at the border since 2020. The standard process for U.S. immigration includes vetting applicants, appointments, recommendations, and connections, if any, with people already established in the United States. Russians wait for a humanitarian visa at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 15, 2022. (Jorge Duenes/Reuters) Well before the war between Russia and Ukraine, citizens from both countries were at the southern U.S. border in the tens of thousands. In 2020, more than 30,000 hopeful migrants arrived there and that number increased to more than 75,000 Russians according to estimates from Mexico. Mexico does not require a visa for citizens of Ukraine or Russia who may legally remain there for up to six months. The United States Customs and Border Protection said more than 13,000 immigration meetings in 2021 came from Russians alone. From October 2021 to February 2022, that number was up to 13,808. At the same time in 2021, immigration meetings with Ukrainians numbered 9,378 and from October 2021 to February 2022, there have been another 5,534. In Texas, from October 2021 to February 2022, U.S. Immigration officials said 956 Ukrainians and 2,365 Russians arrived at the border. There has also been no word from the administration of more resources devoted to the Ukrainian immigration process despite the pledge from White House officials that the full range of legal pathways would be opened to them. Images from various news outlets show Russians and Ukrainians camping in the streets along the border. More Coming Fauss thinks more Ukrainian refugees will be coming through Texas soon and he will see many of them as they arrive. CCI founded a church in the Texas city of Hidalgo located right at the Rio Grande border with Mexico. He also operates a four-story orphanage in Reynosa on the Mexican side of the border. His staff in Mexico report growing encounters with Ukrainians already, when most of the millions of refugees are still in Europe. The two facilities he runs are not far apart, Fauss said. If you stand outside our church in Hidalgo, you can see the roof of the orphanage in Mexico, he said. We have been in Hidalgo and Reynosa for years and weve seen a lot of change the past two yearsbut now we are seeing something new. When they come [Ukrainians] well be ready for them, and to tell the truth, Im looking forward to helping them as much as we can here [at the CCI headquarters]. The Theological Seminary at Calvary Commission International on April 5, 2022. The seminary is located on 189 acres in the Piney Woods of East Texas and is welcoming Ukrainian refugees. (Patrick Butler/The Epoch Times) But Fauss also said rapid changes are occurring at the border, even while he spoke to The Epoch Times. The imminent repeal of some laws prohibiting entrance to the United States due to COVID-19 will strain an already overloaded system, even without the extra influx of Ukrainians. Im going down to Hidalgo in two weeks, he said, to visit two prisons we always go to, the Segovia and Lopez units in Edinburg. Segovia is now totally full of migrants. They took the inmates out and sent them to other places. We were also told that by the time we get to the Lopez unit, they may have only 300 prisoners, the rest will be migrants. The Segovia unit is a pre-release facility located in Edinburg, Texas, about 37 miles north of Hidalgo. The facility has a capacity of 1,224 according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Programs run there already included chaplaincy services, a faith-based dormitory, a Life Decisions Program, and Reentry Planning, which is why Fauss can hold services there. The Lopez unit is a state-operated jail with a capacity of 1,100 inmates and is adjacent to the Segovia unit. The Romanian Connection Volunteers working with refugees in Romania agree about the challenges. American Jim Leach and his wife, Becky, are leaders of a team of 20 unpaid full-time volunteers working with orphans in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a city of about 700,000. When war broke out they opened their doors to refugees. Leach said that the Ukrainians coming to them were very sad and withdrawn. They are broken down, mentally, physically, and spiritually, Leach told The Epoch Times on March 10. I told our staff, Were not here just to feed them and give them a bed. We need to sit down and listen to them; befriend them; laugh and cry and pray with them. Fauss said that because of CCIs international reach, which includes orphanage and church work in Romania, Belize, Peru, and an unnamed communist country, he is familiar with the work in Cluj-Napoca, Our contacts in Romaniathe pastors and orphanage workers thereare doing what they can, but there are thousands upon thousands of them [refugees] coming across the border. Thats why Id like to make ministry to Ukrainians a priority for us right now, Fauss said. There are a lot of strong Christians in Ukraine and we want to help them here any way we can. Thats the first step. Then well see where God takes us. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell delivers a speech on the situation in Afghanistan during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 14, 2021. (Julien Warnand/Pool via Reuters) EU Official Calls Summit With China a Dialogue of the Deaf Chinese leaders did not want to talk about Ukraine during Fridays high-profile summit between the European Union and Beijing, the EUs foreign policy chief said, describing the session as a deaf dialogue. China wanted to set aside our difference on Ukraine, Josep Borrell told a plenary session of the European Parliament on Tuesday evening. They didnt want to talk about Ukraine. They didnt want to talk about human rights and other issues, and instead focused on the positive things. This was not exactly a dialogue, maybe a dialogue of the deaf we could not talk about Ukraine a lot, and we did not agree on anything else, Borrell, who accompanied European leaders in talks with China last week, said. The European side made clear that this compartmentalization is not feasible, not acceptable, said Borrell. He added, For us the war in Ukraine is a defining moment for whether we live in a world governed by rules or by force. The two sides werent able to see eye to eye on on Ukraine, Borrell explained. Given Chinas increasing assertiveness both at home and abroad, its clear that we dont share the same political values, he said. Borrell said the Chinese side stuck to their general statements of wishing to see peace, but avoided specific commitments or avoiding any sort of line on Russia. The remarks from the EUs foreign policy chief conflict with Beijings line on how the summit played out. A Chinese readout out of the summit read, China and the EU share extensive common interests and a solid foundation for cooperation. [Chinese leader Xi Jinping] called on the EU to form its own perception of China, adopt an independent China policy, and work with China to promote the steady and sustained growth of ChinaEU relations, it said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a press briefing on Wednesday that the talks between the two sides were very successful and that Borrells remarks were not based on facts. What the EU should do is to follow through on the consensus and spirit of the meeting between Chinese and EU leaders to advance bilateral ties rather than making irresponsible remarks, Zhao said. China has refused to condemn Russias action in Ukraine or call it an invasion, and has repeatedly criticized what it calls illegal and unilateral Western sanctions. The Chinese premier told EU leaders during the talks on April 1 that Beijing would push for peace in its own way, deflecting pressure for a tougher stance toward Russia. Reuters contributed to this report. Ex-Mckinsey Partner Sentenced To 2 Years For Insider Trading Scheme A former McKinsey & Co partner who assisted Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. on its recent purchase of a financial technology company has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for insider trading on the takeover. Puneet Dikshit, 41, was sentenced in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. He had pleaded guilty on Dec. 15 to one count of securities fraud in connection with his scheme to commit insider trading based on material, nonpublic information regarding the upcoming public announcement that the Goldman Sachs Group, Incwhich he and his management consulting firm were advisingwould be acquiring fintech lender GreenSky Inc. Dikshit, who was one of the McKinsey partners leading the engagements, was also ordered by McMahon to forfeit $455,017, representing his illegal profit. The defendant admitted that he bought GreenSky call options, a bet that the companys stock price would rise, shortly before the $2.24 billion merger was announced on Sept. 15, 2021, and said he was profoundly sorry. Prosecutors said the Manhattan resident purchased his 2,500 call options without receiving pre-clearance from McKinsey and sold them soon after the merger was announced. Dikshit had led McKinseys unsecured lending practice in North America and been a lead partner advising Goldman, prosecutors said. The married father of two young children will be deported after serving his sentence. A native of India, Dikshit had lived in the United States for more than a decade. McMahon said Dikshit would not be eligible for any early release programs because he is not a U.S. citizen, Bloomberg reported. With todays sentence, Puneet Dikshit must face the consequences of his egregious crime. We will continue to vigorously protect the integrity of our capital markets and hold accountable those who cheat by trading on inside information, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. This conviction shows Wall Street and Main Street that corporate advisors who steal information entrusted to them and use it for their personal gain will be caught and prosecuted, Williams added. The Department of Justice noted that Dikshit had access to material nonpublic information, which he misappropriated and, in violation of the duties that he owed to Goldman Sachs and his firm, used to trade GreenSky call options between July 26 and Sept. 15, 2021. GreenSkys share price rose 53 percent on the day the merger was announced. Goldman announced on March 29 that it had completed the merger. The bank was not charged or accused of wrongdoing. Reuters contributed to this report. Exclusive: Obamas Anti-Child Porn Czar Slams Judge Jacksons Lax Sentencing News analysis Editors Note: The following article contains descriptions of graphic material that readers may find disturbing. In 2010, former Attorney General Eric Holder established the Justice Departments National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction to help crack down on child porn offenders, which he called a top priority. He put tough federal sex-crimes prosecutor Francey Hakes in charge of the initiative, and she oversaw all child exploitation efforts at the department, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals. That same year, President Barack Obama installed Ketanji Brown Jackson as vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where she quietly worked to weaken sentencing guidelines for child porn offenders before giving such criminals light sentences while sentencing them as a federal judge years later. Hakes had no idea that Jackson, whose leniency she denounced in an exclusive interview, would one day be up for a seat on the Supreme Court when she crossed paths with her at a 2012 commission hearing (pdf) on child pornography. During the Washington hearing, Hakes testified that the hardest thing she had to do while prosecuting such cases was view images of infants and toddlers being abused in the vilest wayssomething she now says she doubts Jackson ever actually forced herself to do as a judge before handing down light sentences for criminals who trafficked in such unspeakable images. It is absolutely beyond the imagination of most of us what these children are experiencing, she told Jackson and other commissioners at the time, according to a hearing transcript (pdf). The Department of Justice believes that these cases merit serious sentences. She asserted that she didnt think there was any reason to believe the current sentencing guidelines were too harsh, including prison enhancements based on the number of child porn images defendants possessed or distributed. We talk about images, Hakes testified. Well, were talking about numbers of victims. We also believe the number of victims and character of images is a critical [aggravating] factor because of the harm that it causes, because of the market that it drives, she said, as Jackson sat listening. Hakes also urged the commission to toughen sentencing for defendants caught with images of sadomasochistic acts performed on infants and toddlers. In my own experience, the images of the infants and toddlers appear to me to be even more violent than those of the older children, she said. These children simply are defenseless. They cannot tell. They cannot cry out. They cannot say, No. They cannot resist or fight. Hakes then suggested Jackson and her commission stiffen, not relax, punishment [for] these very serious crimes. But Jackson harbored decidedly different views about the seriousness of child pornography, even though she had possibly never reviewed the horrific evidence in such cases. She would state in commission hearings that she did not necessarily view child porn offenders as pedophiles, contradicting experts, and suggested that federal sentencing guidelines mandating they be locked up for a minimum of five years may be excessively severea view that clearly was at odds even with the Obama Justice Department. Jacksons personal views manifested in a major 2012 commission report to Congress, Federal Child Pornography Offenses, (pdf) which found that current federal sentencing guidelinesincluding aggravating factors based on the volume of illegal porn in a defendants possessionwere outdated thanks to easier access to such porn on the Internet and were therefore too severe for todays defendants busted for collecting child porn online, even when it includes videos of child rape and the torture of infants and toddlers. The report specifically recommended lighter sentences for such criminals. Jacksons apparent empathy for such offenders carried over into her years on the federal bench. From 2013 to 2021, she under-sentenced defendants in every child porn case she could, even going below the prison terms recommended by her own staff in some cases. Hakes suggested she acted more as a defense attorney for the defendants than a judge. I think she probably feels the same way many on the left [and] defense side of things seem to, Hakes said in an interview. She said she was also swayed by the letters of support that friends and relatives sent to her court, which in some cases numbered in the dozens. Most of these offenders are affluent and often white, with no prior criminal history, Hakes said. They mostly come into court with lots of family and community support, which most drug and violent offenders lack. But most of all, she suspects, Jackson was oblivious to the graphic nature of the child porn that was presented as evidence by investigators and prosecutors in the cases she heard. And because she doubts the judge viewed the actual evidence herself, it was easier for her to downplay the severity of the offenses, unlike those of us who fought these offenders for years. I think also that she has bought into the theory that its just pictures, and she probably has seen very little actual child porn, Hakes said. Like most of these elites, they dont really understand what it is. And even hearing it described simply lacks the emotional gut punch of the images themselves. I had many magistrate and district judges outright refuse to view the images at all, she added. Once, I had a magistrate grant a bond I opposed on a child porn defendant, and I appealed to the district court. That judge had never seen the images, either, and we forced her to view them, having made that our issue on bond. She was shocked and never sentenced these offenders the same way again. Also, she granted my motion to detain. I think generally that defending these cases has become fairly easy for the left, because, like I said, most people have never seen these images and might think, as my district judge did, that it was teenagers having sex or baby-in-the-bathtub images, Hakes continued. Of course, it isnt those things almost ever. So, weakening sentencing for offenders who are white collar and have family and community support is an easy win, and they can call it criminal justice reform. In fact, experts know and studies show that these offenders are, in fact, more likely to be actual pedophiles and to have hands-on victims who have simply failed to report the offense. Most judges have never seen the actual images and videos of child porn, unlike me, who was the Department of Justices first National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, as well as a state and federal prosecutor specializing in child exploitation for 16 years, Hakes said. But she said just hearing the sounds of small children being subjected to the incredibly painful sexual assaults is gut-wrenching. She said such porn is sado-masochistic violence, not sex. Yet in case after case, Jackson let defendants who trafficked in such unspeakably wicked filth off easy. In her April 2021 sentencing of child porn distributor Ryan Manning Cooper, for example, Jackson contradicted the findings of prosecutors, dismissing the crimes they described as on the more egregious or extreme spectrum of child porn as not especially egregious. Among the more than 600 images of child porn prosecutors told the judge he traded were depictions of sadomasochism, including sexually explicit images depicting bondage of infants and toddlers. Im really reluctant to get into the nature of the porn, Jackson told the court before sentencing Cooper to prison time short of what the prosecution recommended. I dont find persuasive the governments arguments concerning why they think that this is a particularly egregious child pornography offense, which means I struggled to find a good reason to impose a sentence that is more severe in this case, she argued, according to the hearing transcript. In 2018, Christopher Michael Downs was busted trading child porn in a private online chat room, Pedos Only, including images of adult males raping a prepubescent female child, according to court records. He posted 33 graphic photos including an image of a naked female child as young as 2 years old. Downs, then 30, told the group, I once fooled around with my 13-year-old cousin. Jackson herself admitted that the felon was at risk of reoffending, the hearing transcript further reveals. But she declined to enhance his prison time based on the amount of porn he distributed, arguing such enhancements were outdated and substantially flawed. She acknowledged the average sentence nationally for similarly situated defendants was 81 months, but she gave him the statutory mandatory-minimum sentence of 60 months, which was short of the nearly six years prosecutors asked her for. In addition, Jackson gave him credit for time served starting from when he was first incarcerated in October 2018, so technically she gave him only 38 months, or a little over three years, in the federal penitentiary. Downs is scheduled for release in December. In another 2018 case, schoolteacher Lucas William Cane was busted posting files to the internet from a cache of over 6,500 files depicting children who were elementary school age, middle school, and high school ages, all engaged in sexual acts or posing sexually, according to the probation officer involved in the case, who recommended that Jackson sentence the defendant to 84 months in federal prison. According to a transcript of the May 2021 sentencing hearing that the White House denied the Senate, the officer pointed out that many of the files featured sadistic and masochistic conduct involving the underage victims. But Jackson disregarded her own court staffs tougher recommendation and gave Cane the statutory mandatory minimum of 60 months. In sentencing hearings, Jackson has given defendants stern lectures about the depravity of their acts, but then has failed to punish them according to federal guidelines, which shes openly told defendants she disagrees with. She also had made excuses for their behavior, suggesting they were more addicted to the computer technology of storing, uploading, and sharing child porn files than the illegal images and videos themselves. In at least one case, she actually apologized to the defendant before incarcerating him for three months versus the two years the prosecution asked for. As to why she, in particular, has this idea that leniency toward those who drive the marketplace to abuse children is a winning issue, I just really think it is elitism, Hakes said. I think it is easier, mentally, to believe someone just has a computer addiction than it is to believe people truly desire to abuse children. Jacksons soft approach has led to some of her defendants reoffending. Hakes said putting such potential predators back on the street prematurely, without sufficient deterrent, poses a danger to children. The scope of the [child porn] problem is staggering, and if you know about it, you have to do something, she said. Jackson has also sympathized with child porn offenders having to register as sex offenders and distance themselves from schools, parks, and daycares. Before giving child porn offender Wesley Keith Hawkins just three months in prison, she told him, I feel terrible about the collateral consequences of this conviction. Jackson explained that sex offenders are truly shunned in our society, but I have no control over the collateral consequences. When she was earning her law degree at Harvard, Jackson wrote a brief in the Harvard Law Review arguing that the judicial system was unfair to people who sexually prey on children, because it sentences them to monitoring and treatment after prison, which she viewed as additional punishment masquerading as prevention. Although the Supreme Court has upheld such requirements, she complained that community notification subjects ex-convicts to stigmatization and ostracism, and puts them at the mercy of a public that is outraged by sex crimes. She further worried that ordering offenders to enter mental health facilities deprives them of their fundamental right to freedom, and she suggested that its real purpose is satisfying the societal interest in locking sex offenders up and throwing away the key. Last month, despite his earlier quest to crack down on such offenders, former attorney general Holder made a full-throated endorsement of Jackson. Ketanji Brown Jackson will bring needed perspectives and unique experiences to the Supreme Court, Holder wrote in a Tweet. It is incumbent upon the Senate to confirm this eminently qualified jurist. Obama also supported her, writing a Tweet in February that Biden has made an excellent choice, and I look forward to seeing Judge Jackson confirmed. He added, Judge Jackson earned a reputation for pragmatism and consensus building. Its part of why I nominated her twice. Jackson is expected to be confirmed when the full Senate takes up her vote possibly as early as Thursday evening. But her confirmation process has been rockier than expected. It marked the first time the Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked (1111) on a Supreme Court nod in the modern history of nominations. Thanks in large part to Republican objections to her soft-on-crime record, Democrats were forced to take an additional procedural step to discharge Jacksons nomination from committee on April 4 in order to advance her to the Senate floor for a final vote. At 51, Jackson is relatively young and could have an increasing influence on Supreme Court decisions over time, including ones involving child sex crimes and punishment. Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly FDA, CDC Warns of Norovirus Outbreak in 13 States Federal health regulators this week have warned of a norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters across about a dozen U.S. states. Potentially tainted raw oysters harvested in British Columbia, Canada, were sent to California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday. At least 91 norovirus cases have been reported in the 13 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of those who were sickened said they ate raw oysters when interviewed by health officials, said the agency. On Tuesday, Washington state health officials said that 26 residents reported norovirus-like symptoms after eating oysters sourced from British Columbia in recent weeks. At least 29 Minnesota residents fell ill after allegedly eating raw oysters at Travail Kitchen on March 20, according to reports. The restaurant has confirmed it stopped selling Stellar Bay Gold oysters. The FDA said it is now investigating the outbreak. The FDA and the states conducted a trace forward investigation to determine where the raw oysters were distributed and to ensure theyre removed from the food supply, said a statement from the FDA on Wednesday. Retailers should not serve raw oysters harvested from the following harvest locations within British Columbia, BC 14-8 and BC 14-15, with harvest starting as early as January 31, 2022, which will be printed on product tags, the agency continued. Oysters can cause illness if eaten raw, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal. The oysters could potentially contain norovirus, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and fever. Officials say symptoms can start between 12 and 48 hours after eating the contaminated food. Norovirus was previously known as Norwalk virus because the first known outbreak occurred in Norwalk, Ohio. The Mayo Clinic says that individuals with norovirus should special care to replace fluids lost by vomiting or diarrhea to prevent dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include a decrease in urination, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up. Children who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy. If you think you or someone you are caring for is severely dehydrated, call your healthcare provider, said the FDA alert. Canadian public health also said that there have been 279 reports of norovirus cases linked to British Columbia oysters, adding that the cases were reported between January and late March. No deaths have been reported in either the United States or Canada. Fentanyl Killing Americans at Unprecedented Rate, DEA Says The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned of a surge in mass overdose events involving fentanyl, a highly addictive and deadly drug, across the United States, stating that the drug is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. Mass overdose events are described by the DEA as those involving three or more overdoses occurring within the same location and within a close period of time. In a letter to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on April 6, DEA administrator Anne Milgram said there had been at least seven mass incidents since January in which a total of 58 people overdosed, and 29 had died due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat acute pain but now widely used as a recreational drug. The overdoses occurred in states including Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, and Florida and Milgram noted that many of the victims had been unaware that they had been ingesting fentanyl. Milgram cited one incident that took place on Jan. 28 in which 10 people overdosed and nine people died after ingesting crack cocaine laced with fentanyl. They were all within the same city block in Washington, D.C. Another mass event took place on Feb. 20 when six people overdosed in the same apartment in Commerce City, Colorado, after ingesting what they believed to be pure cocaine but what was in actual fact fentanyl. Of those six, five died. In another, 21 people overdosed at a homeless shelter in Austin, Texas on March 4 after taking crack cocaine and methamphetamine that included fentanyl. Of those individuals, three died. Fentanyl is highly addictive, found in all 50 states, and drug traffickers are increasingly mixing it with other types of drugsin powder and pill formin an effort to drive up addiction and attract repeat buyers, Milgram said. Such mass events are occurring because drug dealers sell their product to customers marketing it as cocaine when it is actually fentanyl, leading unaware buyers to accidentally overdose. Mock sizing of a potentially lethal dose of Fentanyl, on April 1, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Milgram said that traffickers are also putting fentanyl in fake prescription pills like OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin which are used to treat moderate to severe pain and are widely used among drug abusers. Mexican cartels reportedly import fentanyl from China before pressing it into pills or mixing it into other narcotics to increase its potency. This is creating a frightening trend where many overdose victims are dying after unknowingly ingesting fentanyl, Milgram said, adding that the DEA is working to trace mass overdose events involving fentanyl back to the drug organizations responsible for an increase in domestic supply of the opioid. Fentanyl is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate, said Milgram. Already this year, numerous mass-overdose events have resulted in dozens of overdoses and deaths. Drug traffickers are driving addiction, and increasing their profits, by mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs. Tragically, many overdose victims have no idea they are ingesting deadly fentanyl, until its too late. An estimated 105,752 people died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending October 2021, according to provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Health Statistics. About two-thirds of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Meanwhile, an analysis of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by nonprofit group Families Against Fentanyl showed that overdoses from the drug were the top killer in adults aged 18 to 45 in 2020 in the United States, overtaking suicide, vehicle accidents, and gun violence. The DEAs latest warning expands on its September 2021 Public Safety Alert on the increase in the availability of fake prescription pills that contain fentanyl. German Authorities Arrest 4 in Nationwide Raids on Neo-Nazi Groups Authorities in Germany have conducted nationwide raids on alleged neo-Nazi groups and arrested four suspects, the countrys federal prosecutors office announced. The raids, which began early in the morning on March 6, saw more than 800 police officers from 11 of Germanys 16 federal states take part in detaining the suspects and conducting searches. Officials said they searched the residences of 50 individuals who are suspected of being right-wing extremists, while another 11 locations were also checked. The main focus of the raids was the neo-Nazi groups Atomwaffen Division (AWD), also known as the National Socialist Order, a right-wing extremist terrorist organization originating in the United States, Combat 18 (C18), which originated in the UK and aims to create white-only countries through violence, and Knockout 51 (K51), a far-right combat sports group. Combat 18 was eventually declared illegal in 2020. Germanys federal prosecutors office, Generalbundesanwaltschaft (GBA), said it had arrested four men suspected of being members of right-wing extremist criminal organizations as part of the raids. The individuals were identified as Leon R, Maximilian A, and Eric K, who were detained in Eisenach, a town in central Germany, and Bastian A, who was detained in Rotenburg an der Fulda, a town in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse which lies on the river Fulda. All are German nationals, Generalbundesanwaltschaft said in a statement on April 6. Leon R, officials said, is the alleged founder and ringleader of the Knockout 51 criminal organization operating from Eisenach, which officials said lures young, nationalist-minded men, deliberately indoctrinates them with right-wing extremist propaganda, and trains them for secret street fights. Knockout 51 is believed to have ties with other far-right groups across Germany, and since March 2020 at the latest, the association has been geared towards committing serious criminal offenses, including bodily harm primarily intended to be committed against members of the political left spectrum as well as law enforcement, officials said. It said training sessions allegedly led by Leon R took place in premises used by the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) in Eisenach. Some of the suspects face charges of being members of terrorist groups, others of being part of a criminal organization, as well as breaches of peace and dangerous bodily harm. Officials said that between the end of August 2020 and the end of March 2021, members of Knockout 51 were involved in protests against measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in cities such as Leipzig and Kassel, in order to achieve the criminal purposes of the group. Those protests resulted in violent clashes with police and counter-protesters. The federal prosecutors office noted that similar searches were underway in various other parts of Germany including Thuringia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Berlin, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, and Baden-Wurttemberg aimed at detaining 46 more suspects. The latest crackdown on extremist groups comes after the German government last month unveiled a new 10-point action plan to combat racism and right-wing extremism within the country. The biggest threat to our democracy is right-wing extremism, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told a news conference in Berlin. We will dismantle the far-right networks. We will investigate and stop their financial activities, Faeser said, adding, We will resolutely combat hate speech on the Internet in order to dry up the breeding ground for hatred and violence. Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) calls on the Senate pass the budget that cleared the House last April during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 4, 2011. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) GOP Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio to Retire It's the second GOP retirement announced in as many days. Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) will not seek reelection in 2022, the second Republican in the past two days to announce such an intention. In his April 6 announcement, Gibbs cited redistricting in his home state as propelling his decision not to run again. While Gibbs said he was confident in the future of our nation, he said that redistricting in his state had turned into a circus. In Ohiowhich has in recent years become more and more reliably Republican, but still remains an important battleground stateDemocrats and Republicans have squabbled relentlessly in and out of court over how to redraw Ohios congressional districts in alignment with the 2020 census. These long, drawn-out processes, in which the Ohio Supreme Court can take weeks and months to deliberate while demanding responses and filings from litigants within days, is detrimental to the state and does not serve the people of Ohio, Gibbs explained. It is irresponsible to effectively confirm the congressional map for this election cycle seven days before voting begins, especially in the Seventh Congressional District where almost 90 percent of the electorate is new and nearly two thirds is an area primarily from another district, foreign to any expectations or connection to the current Seventh District. This circus, Gibbs added, has provided me the opportunity to assess my future. On Tuesday, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), one of only ten House Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment, announced that he would not seek reelection, becoming the fourth Republican retiree who voted to impeach Trump. Like Gibbs, Upton tied his retirement decision to concerns over redistricting, as he was facing a tough head-to-head battle with another Republican. In an April 6 statement, President Donald Trump, who the day before had celebrated Uptons decision to retire, applauded Gibbs time in Congress, saying he had enjoyed a wonderful and accomplished career. His retirement, after serving in Congress for more than a decade, should be celebrated by all, Trump wrote. He was a strong ally to me and MAGA, voting to support my America First agenda and fighting strongly against the Radical Left. Thank you for your service, Boba job well done! Since the 117th Congress began, 17 Republicans have announced their intention to retire, many of whom were and remain adversaries to Trumps platform. But Democrats have far outpaced Republicans in retirements. At the time of publication, 31 Democratsincluding prominent figures like House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), the only Kentucky Democrat in Congresshave announced their decisions to retire. Republican strategists see the mass exodus of Democrats as a sign of good things to come in a race that is already expected to be heavily in Republicans favor. Democrats have rejected this interpretation, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saying in several interviews that she expects Democrats to hold onto the House despite their paper-thin majority. ATHENS, GreeceGreece has repaid its outstanding debts dating back to its financial crisis to the International Monetary Fund, two years ahead of schedule, the countrys finance minister said Monday. Christos Staikouras hailed the payment as a very positive development that would mean significant savings in debt servicing costs. This closes a chapter that opened in May 2010, when Greece appealed to the fund for financial support, Staikouras said. Greeces European Union bailout lenders gave the formal go-ahead last week for the early repayment of the outstanding loans worth 1.86 billion euros ($2 billion). Their approval was needed as the initial requirement was for early IMF repayments to be made in parallel with those made to European lenders. Three successive bailouts totaling some 260 billion euros ($285 billion) between 2010 and 2018 prevented Greece from going bankrupt and exiting the shared euro currency. But successive Greek governments were forced to implement painful budget cuts and tax hikes that led to a surge in unemployment and poverty. Despite exiting the bailout program in 2018, Greece remains under an enhanced surveillance program created by European lenders to monitor spending, an arrangement due to end later this year. The EU bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, last week also approved the early Greek repayment of 2.65 billion euros ($2.91 billion) in loans made before the ESM was formally established. People pass by outside the British Embassy in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 11, 2021. (Carsten Koall/Getty Images) Guard at UK Embassy in Berlin Accused of Passing Secrets to Russian Diplomat A security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin has appeared in court after being accused of spying for the Russian state. David Smith, 57, was arrested by German police on Aug. 10, 2021, and was extradited to the UK on April 6. The British national was charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act and appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on April 7. Wearing a blue jumper and jeans, he confirmed his name and age, but told the court that he no longer had an address. He appeared unemotional as he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been accused of gathering information from the British Embassy and passing it to someone he believed was a representative of the Russian state between October 2020 and August 2021. Smith allegedly attempted to communicate by letter with General Major Sergey Chukhurov, the Russian military attache based out of the Russian Embassy, Berlin. The material contained details about the activities, identities, addresses and telephone numbers of various members of Her Majestys Civil Service, according to the charges. Smith is also accused of committing acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state by gathering information classified as secret about the activities of Her Majestys Government. He allegedly collected material relating to the operation and layout of the British Embassy in Berlin, with that information thought or intended to be useful to an enemy, namely the Russian state. Smith also allegedly made unauthorised photocopies of documents, video recordings of the embassys CCTV system, and kept sim card packaging he had been asked to dispose of. Smith gave information about building repairs at the embassy after being approached by someone he believed to be a member of Russian Military Intelligence (the GRU), the charges claim. Nick Price, head of the special crime and counter terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said on April 6: David Smith has been charged with nine offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act. He is accused of seven offences of collecting information with the intent of sending it to the Russian authorities, one of attempting communication, and one of providing information to a person he believed was a member of the Russian authorities. After reviewing the case and authorising charges, we obtained an extradition warrant and worked closely with our German counterparts in order to bring Mr. Smith back to the UK. Smith was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, on April 13. PA Media contributed to this report. Authorities investigate the scene of a fatal April 5 shooting in Roseville, Minn., on April 6, 2022. (Nick Ferraro/Pioneer Press via AP) Gunman Dead After Firing More Than 100 Rounds, Officer Hurt ROSEVILLE, Minn.A gunman fired more than 100 rounds in his suburban Minneapolis neighborhood, seriously wounding a police officer before the suspect was shot and later died, police said Wednesday. Officers in Roseville responded to a report of shots fired around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and encountered a chaotic scene as they immediately came under fire, Police Chief Erika Scheider said during a briefing. An officer was shot in the face and his colleagues dragged him to a squad car and rushed him to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, Scheider said. The 53-year-old suspect moved around the wooded, residential neighborhood about 8 miles northeast of Minneapolis and continued to shoot at officers and houses, in some cases breaking windows, officials said. Neighbors received an alert to shelter in place as police, Ramsey County sheriffs deputies and State Patrol troopers searched for the gunman. The shooting continued for about an hour before a Roseville officer spotted the suspect outside a home, returned fire and the suspect sustained a significant injury to his groin area, Scheider said. The suspect later died at a hospital, the chief said, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) will determine whether gunfire from the officer led to his death. A rifle was recovered at the scene and turned over to the BCA, which was investigating the shooting. The BCA has also received police body camera video from the scene, the chief said. The suspect was known to police, Scheider said, because there were previous mental health-related calls involving the man and his family. Passengers queue for security screening in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport in Manchester, Britain, on April 4, 2022. (Phil Noble/Reuters) Hit by Staff Shortages, Airlines and Airports Struggle With Travel Recovery LONDONThousands of holidaymakers have seen their Easter getaways disrupted or cancelled because airlines and airports do not have enough staff to meet the recovery in demand as pandemic restrictions are eased in Europe. Low-cost carrier easyJet was one of the worst affected, saying it cancelled around 60 UK flights on Tuesday and expected to pull a similar number in the coming days. It cancelled more than 200 at the weekend and another 62 on Monday. Paul Charles, head of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said it could take at least two or three months to get through a nasty cocktail of staff shortages, COVID-19 illness, and a backlog in approving security passes for airport and airline workers. Its ironic that the very desire to get people booking again, post-pandemic, is causing more difficult transport issues than those created by COVID itself, he said. EasyJet said it was rostering additional standby crew, but it had cancelled some flights on routes where it runs frequent services so passengers had options to rebook. British Airways (BA) cancelled 662 flights in the week to Sunday, aviation analytics firm Cirium said, though that includes long-haul flights suspended due to sanctions and restrictions, such as on Russia and COVID-19-affected parts of Asia respectively. BA declined to provide a figure for cancellations. The carrier was also hit by another IT failure on Wednesday. The number of flights cancelled due to staff sickness in recent days was in the single digits, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. But delays in government-required checks for new staff were hampering the ramp up of flights into summer, he said, and it had already trimmed its planned increase in services by about 20 flights a day until the end of May. On the Ground Staff shortages are a problem on the ground as well as in the air. Queues at Manchester Airport, Britains third busiest after Londons Heathrow and Gatwick, snaked out of one terminal on Tuesday, and passengers complained of hours waiting at the baggage carousel. The airport has apologized for the disruption. As we continue to recover from the pandemic and passenger numbers grow, security queues may be longer than usual at times, it said on Twitter. Britains Airport Operators Association said its members were increasing staff as quickly as possible. But a combination of a tight labor market, delays in the security checks for new and returning staff as well as COVID-19-related absences could put some airports under strain. This may mean longer queues at peak travel times, it said. Dublin Airport warned passengers that lengthy queues were likely for weeks as it rebuilds its operation and recruits and trains new security staff. Ryanair, Europes largest low-cost carrier whose passenger numbers topped pre-pandemic levels last month, has called on the Irish government to use the army to deal with the delays, fearing the impact on the key Easter holiday period. Germanys biggest airport operator Fraport also warned passengers of Easter delays. The group, which runs facilities in nine countries and the main airport in Frankfurt, aims to hire 1,000 workers this year and recruited about 300 in January-March, a spokesperson said. Hong Kong Police Arrest 6 Activists on Accusation of Sedition HONG KONGHong Kong police arrested six activists on Wednesday for suspected sedition and contravention of a national security law in connection with what the police called causing nuisance at court hearings in December and January. Police, who typically do not identify arrested people, said the six were aged 32 to 67, had been arrested for having purposely caused nuisance during various court hearings they attended. They had been being detained for further investigation, police said. Media said those arrested included Leo Tang, a former vice-chairman of the now disbanded Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), and citizen journalist Siew Yun-long. The six were accused of affecting jurisdictional dignity and court operations at the High Court, the West Kowloon Magistrates Courts and the Eastern Magistrates Courts, between December 2021 and January 2022. Police did not say what the suspects had allegedly done. Police raided their homes and seized records of conspiracy to cause nuisance in the courts as evidence. The Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was not immediately able to contact Tang or Siew for comment. The HKCTU was once the largest independent trade union in the former British colony, but was among dozens of groups forced to disband after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020. The law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, and has been criticized by Western governments as a tool to suppress dissent and curb freedoms. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a one country, two systems formula, intended to guarantee its freedoms, including the right to protest and an independent judiciary. Peter Navarro, then director of the National Trade Council speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on March 22, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) House Votes to Hold Navarro and Scavino in Contempt of Congress Former Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building. In a near party-line vote of 220-203, the House voted to refer the charges against Navarro, former White House trade advisor under the Trump administration, and Scavino, Trumps deputy chief of staff for communications to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The vote came after both Navarro and Scavino refused to testify before the committee, citing their claims of executive privilege as former White House advisers. During the floor debate, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of criminalizing dissent, defended Scavino as a good man and criticized members of the committee, some by name. Lets be honest, this is a political show trial, McCarthy said. The nine-member Jan. 6 committee was formed in June in a mostly party-line vote, and all but two RepublicansReps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)voted against forming the commission. The committee is led almost exclusively by Democrats, with Kinzinger and Cheney the only Republicans sitting on the panel. White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino walks onstage to speak inside the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 26, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the committee probing the Jan. 6 breach said that the pair must be held accountable for their defiance of the law. Even if you do it on your own time, trying to overturn an election is still trying to overturn an election, Thompson added. This kind of cynical behavior as we investigate a violent insurrection is just despicable. It cant stand. Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro must be held accountable for their abuses of the public trust. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said Wednesdays vote reflected the character of this House. Todays vote is not about wrongdoing, and it isnt about anybodys character, no matter what they say, said Banks. Its about abusing the seat of our democracy to attack American democracy. The House previously voted to hold Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and adviser Steve Bannon in contempt. Navarro was subpoenaed by the committee in February and is accused of being involved in a plot to delay Congress certification of the 2020 presidential election. He was ordered to hand over documents by Feb. 23 and appear for a deposition on March 2. Navarro last year detailed in his book In Trump Time: My Journal of Americas Plague Year detailed in his book his so-called Green Bay Sweep strategy for Jan. 6, which he said he coordinated with former chief White House strategist Bannon. According to an excerpt from the book, Navarro wrote of Jan. 6, The goal is not to get the election overturned today. The goal is to subject the ballotsthe legal votes of American citizens along with what we believe to be a flood of illegal ballotsto careful scrutiny and investigation. Scavino was issued a subpoena in September, with the panel saying he attended multiple meetings with Trump. The pair could face up to a year in federal prison, fines of up to $100,000, or both, should the Justice Department secure a conviction against them. Joseph Lord contributed to this report. Hunter Biden, left, travels with President Joe Biden to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on March 26, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Hunter Biden Asked Father to Write College Recommendation Letter for Chinese Business Associates Son: Leaked Emails Joe Biden, at his son Hunters request in 2017, wrote a college recommendation letter for the son of a Chinese executive who did business with Hunter, leaked emails suggest. The emails purportedly from Hunter Bidens laptop and obtained by Fox News show exchanges in early 2017 between Hunter Biden, his business partners at the private equity firm Rosemont Seneca, and Jonathan Li, CEO of Chinese investment firm BHR. At the time of the initial email, Joe Biden was vice president. In an email dated Jan. 3, 2017, Li wrote to Hunter Biden and his associates at Rosemont Seneca, Devon Archer and Jim Bulger, stating: Gentlemen, Please find the attached resume of my son, Chris Li. He is applying the following [sic] colleges for this year. Li then listed Brown University, Cornell University, and New York University, before requesting, Please can you provide some advice for his applications. In a reply, Bulger acknowledged receipt of the resume, stating, Lets [sic] see how we can be helpful here to Chris. A few weeks later on Feb. 18, 2017, Rosemont Senecas president, Eric Schwerin, sent an email to Li, copying Hunter Biden, Archer, and Bulger. Schwerin wrote, Jonathan, Hunter asked me to send you a copy of the recommendation letter that he asked his father to write on behalf of Christopher for Brown University. Schwerin then assured Li that the original letter had gone by FedEx directly to Brown University President Christina Paxson and should reach her the following Tuesday at the latest. In his reply to Schwerin, Li acknowledged the help of not only Schwerin, but Hunter Biden as well. And Hunter, thank you very much too. All the best to you all, Li wrote. Hunter Biden was an unpaid board member of BHR until about October 2019 and held a 10 percent stake in the firm until at least May of last year. By November, he had divested his stake, according to The New York Times. Because of privacy, we do not inquire of our Registrars office, Admissions office, or any other office when we receive media requests such as these for information about applicants to Brown, a spokesperson from Brown University said in response to an inquiry by The Epoch Times about the alleged recommendation letter. Given both the requirements of federal law and Browns own commitment to the confidentiality of student records, we do not entertain these requests because we would not be at liberty in any circumstance to share information on any specific applicant to Brown or recommendation letters in support of any prospective students application, the spokesperson said in an email. The White House and Hunter Bidens lawyer didnt respond by press time to a request for comment. The news about the emails surfaced amid a federal investigation into Hunter Bidens tax affairs. In January, David Weiss, U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, issued a subpoena to JPMorgan Chase Bank seeking the bank records of Hunter Biden, James Biden (the presidents brother), and two other people. The records reportedly are related to transfers that President Bidens son and brother received from an account associated with the Bank of China. Gen. Michael Flynn in an interview with NTD's "Capitol Report" broadcast on Apr. 6, 2022. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Invasion of Ukraine Totally Avoidable: Gen. Michael Flynn The current Russian invasion of Ukraine could have been avoided, and it demonstrates a failure that the U.S. leadership couldnt effectively communicate with its Russian counterpart, according to Gen. Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general who briefly served as the National Security Advisor to former President Donald Trump. Russia, Ukraine, Europe whats happening? At the 60,000-foot level, this is a totally avoidable war. Totally avoidable, Flynn recently told NTDs Capitol Report program. It really goes back to 1994, what was called the Budapest Accords, in Budapest, Hungary, at the end of the Cold War, said Flynn. On Dec. 5, 1994, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States signed an agreement with Ukraine called The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances in Budapest, Hungary. The three nuclear powers gave their assurances on independence and sovereignty of Ukraine in exchange for removing all nuclear weapons from its territory and becoming a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Two other nuclear powers, China and France, gave their assurances in separate documents. These nuclear powers also signed identical security assurances with Belarus and Kazakhstan at the time. One of the big-ticket items that came out of the Budapest accords was no further encroachment of NATO against this new Russian Federation, Flynn said, explaining that no country leaders wanted to have nuclear missiles across the boundary between Russia and European countries. The Budapest Memo (pdf) didnt mention the NATO expansion. However, Western leaders had promised no NATO eastward expansion throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991. The most famous one is then-Secretary of State James Bakers not one inch eastward assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990. According to recently declassified documents by the National Security Archive at George Washington University published on Nov. 24, 2021, before and after the Budapest meeting in 1994, then-President Bill Clinton kept assuring then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin that any NATO enlargement would be slow, with no surprises, building a Europe that was inclusive not exclusive, and in partnership with Russia. In a Sep. 28, 1994 conversation, Clinton told Yeltsin that he had never said that Russia could not be considered for NATO membership, and that when we talk about NATO expanding, we are emphasizing inclusion, not exclusion, and there is no imminent timetable. In a Nov. 30, 1994, letter to Clinton, Yeltsin said, We have agreed with you that there will be no surprises, that first we should pass through this phase of partnership, whereas issues of further evolution of NATO should not be decided without due account to the opinion and interests of Russia. The war also shows the Biden administrations failure to communicate with Russia in an effective way to prevent the escalation of the Ukraine situation, said Flynn. War is a failure of policy and diplomacy, said Flynn. Anytime you see states, nations, nation-states, at war with each other, its because theres a failure to communicate some way somehow. And thats what happened. Flynn said Russian President Vladimir Putin kept saying Ukraine shouldnt join NATO and it should declare neutrality, but we wont come into play here, and they never did. Current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had pushed for joining NATO after taking office. Joining NATO and the European Union has been put into the constitution of Ukraine during his tenure. Last month, Zelenskyy said his country has to accept that it will not become a member of NATO. Now that it has occurred, we still see a failure to communicate because it does not appear as though the United States leadership is able to have a good conversationa good, decent, authentic, honest conversation with the leadership of Russia, because thats really what it comes down to, Flynn said, referring to the recent gaffe Biden made in Poland. In a Mar. 26 speech in Poland, Biden said of Putin, For Gods sake, this man cannot remain in power. Immediately after he said it, they had to start walking it back. They had to start walking it back, said Flynn. Because its so wrong to say that. The White House and the State Department clarified that Biden didnt talk about regime change. Biden defended himself two days later. I want to make it clear: I wasnt then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it, Biden said. Harry Lee Follow Harry Lee is a New York-based reporter for The Epoch Times. Contact Harry at harry.lee@epochtimes.com Matthew Martin in a selfie photograph taken on Jan. 6, 2021. (DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Judge Acquits Jan. 6 Defendant on All Charges Matthew Martin said police officers let him into the U.S. Capitol A federal contractor was acquitted by a judge on April 6 of four charges in relation to entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors failed to prove that Matthew Martin, who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, committed crimes when entering the Capitol for about 10 minutes, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled. McFadden, a Trump nominee, said it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter the Capitol through the Rotunda doors on Jan. 6. The judge also said Martins actions were about as minimal and non-serious as anyone who was at the Capitol that day. According to court filings, Martin attended a rally held by former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 before returning to his hotel, where he heard that the Capitol had been breached. Martin left the building and ventured onto the Capitol grounds before eventually entering the Capitol. While I was at the top, they started letting people into the building. And Iso I joined thethey were holding the doors open, the guards were. And I walked in and saw the rotunda, Martin told an FBI agent during an interview. Martin, whose bench trial started April 5, testified that a police officer waved him into the building after the riot erupted. A prosecutor dismissed that testimony as nonsense, although the government acknowledged in a filing that police officers stood on either side of the doorway as the defendant entered the building. Video shows two police officers standing near the Rotunda doors and allowing people to enter as Martin approached, McFadden said. One of the officers appeared to lean back before Martin placed a hand on the officers shoulder as a possible sign of gratitude. McFadden described Martins testimony as largely credible. The judge said it wasnt unreasonable for him to believe that officers allowed him to enter the Capitol, even though alarms were blaring and broken glass was strewn about the floor. McFadden also said there was no evidence that Martin intended to disrupt Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens electoral victory and described the defendant as a silent observer of the actions of others. In an image from video, Matthew Martin stands inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Martin was acquitted of four misdemeanor charges: 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. Prosecutors had asserted in a pretrial brief that the evidence will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that [Martin] committed each offense charged. I think the definitive factor was that Matt Martin did not break the law, lawyer Dan Cron, representing Martin, told reporters after the verdict. We had the benefit of a lot of video evidence, and the judge had a chance to see it. I am very thankful for the judges verdict, and Im hoping to get my life back together and my job back, Martin said. More than 775 defendants have been arrested in connection with the breach. Approximately one-third have entered guilty pleas, and about half of the approximately 110 sentenced have received jail time. Martin, who chose a bench trial versus a jury trial, is the first Jan. 6 defendant to be acquitted on all charges. In another bench trial, McFadden acquitted Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin on a charge of disorderly conduct but convicted Griffin of illegally entering restricted grounds. The only jury trial to wrap up so far resulted in jurors convicting Guy Wesley Reffitt on five counts, including civil disorder. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kremlin Rejects New Ukraine Draft Peace Deal as Unacceptable Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on April 7 said Moscow rejected Ukraines latest draft peace proposal and claimed Western powers are trying to undermine negotiations between the two sides. After the Ukrainian side presented its draft agreements to our negotiators, Russian officials claimed it was a clear departure from key provisions that were committed to at the meeting in Istanbul last week, Lavrov said, according to state-run media Sputnik News. While Lavrov didnt elaborate on the details of Ukraines draft proposal, he said it offers vague formulations about some kind of effective control, and as of 23 February,' without elaborating. Feb. 23 refers to the day before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Its likely that at the next stage, the Ukrainian side will ask for the withdrawal of troops, and pile up more and more preconditions. This plan is understandable, but it is unacceptable, he said. A day earlier, the minister claimed that RussiaUkraine peace talks arent going as quickly as planned and blamed the West for focusing on allegations from Ukrainian officials that Russian forces massacred civilians in Bucha, located near Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in Kyiv claimed that genocidal actions were carried out in the suburb last weekend, while Russia has categorically denied the allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on April 7 also accused the West of trying to undermine negotiations by continuing to supply Ukraines military with weapons and equipment, according to Sputnik. Such actions, he said, will more likely have a negative effect. Ukraine stepped up its calls on April 7 for financial sanctions crippling enough to force Moscow to end the war as its officials rushed to evacuate civilians from cities and towns in the east before an anticipated major Russian offensive there. Once and for all, we can teach Russia and any other potential aggressors that those who choose war always lose, Zelenskyy said in an address to the Greek Parliament. Those who blackmail Europe with economic and energy crisis always lose. Earlier this week, the United States and European countries said they would place more sanctions on Russias economy and leadership, including penalties against Russian President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters and a ban on U.S. investment in Russia. The Biden administration also called for Russia to be booted from the Group of 20 major economies. Meanwhile, following an election this week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters on April 6 that his country will likely pay for Russian natural gas in rubles, which was demanded by Moscow about a week ago. Reuters contributed to this report. Leading Chinese Real Estate Companies Postpone Annual Reports Delay signals continued decline in a saturated housing market with enough properties to house 3.4 billion people As of the end of March, a number of real estate companies in China have announced that they will postpone the release of their 2021 annual results and therefore cease trading in their shares as of April 1. Experts believe that the downward trend of Chinas real estate market will exacerbate financial pressure on the regime as well as bank loan repayment risks. Leading real estate companies such as Sunac China (01918.HK) and Fantasia Holdings (01777.HK), which said it would not lie flat, announced that they would postpone the release of their 2021 results. On March 28, Sunac China Holdings Ltd. announced that it would not publish its 2021 unaudited annual results and would publish its audited 2021 results as soon as practicable. Sunac Chinas reasons for the delay include the uncertainty arising from the extension of domestic public debt. A debt rollover is an agreement between a debtor and a creditor to postpone the payment date of a debt claim as it becomes due. On March 29, Fantasia Holdings Group Ltd. also announced a delay in the release of its 2021 annual earnings announcement. The reasons cited by Fantasia include the recent turnover of staff in the finance department and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. On March 31, Shimao Group Holdings Ltd. (00813.HK) also announced a delay in the release of its unaudited annual results for 2021. China Evergrande Group (0333.HK) and Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. (01638.HK) announced on March 22 that they would postpone the release of their 2021 results. On March 31, Albert Song, a researcher at Tianjun, a political and economic think tank, told The Epoch Times that the Chinese Communist Partys policy adjustments in the past few years have caused problems in Chinas property market as a whole; the industry is currently on the downside and financing channels are narrow, so some real estate companies are unable to deliver. Mr. Song has 27 years of experience working in Chinas financial industry and specializes in researching Chinas political and economic affairs. The delay in the release of the annual reports has many negative effects, including that investors may begin to doubt the operations, financial management, and financial planning, as well as the disclosure and liquidity of the company. In addition, rating agencies may downgrade a companys credit rating, making it difficult to issue subsequent bonds. The downturn in Chinas real estate market is bound to impact the Chinese economy. It directly affects more than 40 enterprises associated with it, so its movement will lead to changes in the industry. Ni Hong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) of the Chinese Communist Party, said at a press conference on Feb. 24 that the risk of late delivery of property projects by real estate enterprises due to debt defaults should be dealt with, i.e. guaranteeing the delivery of buildings. The real estate industry involves a number of interested parties. The decline of the industry leads to a significant decrease in local government land transfer tax revenue, developers defaulting, and homebuyers losing faith in the industry, which affects the banks. Property project failures also trigger social unrest. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Developments proposal of guaranteeing the delivery of buildings is to avoid triggering social unrest, said Mr. Zhang. Mr. Song agreed, saying the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Developments proposal of guaranteeing the delivery of buildings is to avoid social unrest. Real estate is a high turnover industry that requires rapid capital flow, including land acquisition, development, pre-sales, and then mortgages and loans, and if anything goes wrong, the capital chain will be very tight. Although the Chinese regime has recently announced some policies to stabilize the housing market, it mainly relaxed the purchase restrictions for home buyers. For real estate companies, the Chinese regime has also relaxed some policies, but it is not very stimulating in nature and will not produce immediate benefits. Public information shows that Chinas housing inventory is saturated. According to an article published by the Chinese online media Kaiwei Finance in March 2019, there are enough properties built to house 3.4 billion people in China, while the population of China is less than 1.4 billion at most. Because of the oversupply of housing, some places have become so-called ghost citiesdark at night, with no one living there. Protestors outside the Parliament House building during the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's press conference in Honiara, Solomons Islands, on April 24, 2019. (Robert Taupongi/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Intends to Militarize Solomon Islands, Leaked Documents Reveal An official document has been leaked revealing that Beijing intends to establish a military presence in the Solomon Islands, despite denials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which on April 1 called such concerns groundless and ill-intentioned. The leaked letter of intent from Avic International Project Engineering Co., a Beijing-based state-owned aviation company, was addressed to Premier Leslie Kikolo of Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands on Sept. 29, 2020. The letter, which was seen by news.com.au, was signed by company President Rong Qian and opens with the following paragraph: We, AVIC-INTL Project Engineering Company present this letter to demonstrate our intent to study the opportunity to develop naval and infrastructure projects on leased land for the Peoples Liberation Army Navy in Isabel Province with exclusive rights for 75 years. Rong also promised extensive vocational training opportunities to be established in the province that could help the Solomon Islands improve its education level and military cooperation with China. People clear debris from the streets in Honiaras Chinatown in the Solomon Islands, on Nov. 28, 2021. (Charley Piringi/AFP via Getty Images) The latest revelations come amid ongoing denials from Chinese and Solomon Islands leaders that a recently initialed security agreement would see Beijing establish a permanent military presence in the region akin to the three fully militarized islands in the South China Sea. The location of the Solomon Islands, where bitter fighting occurred between Japanese and U.S. troops in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, is critical because of its influence over sea lanes in the region. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has vowed that there would be no naval or military presence in the region. It will not be in the interest of Solomon Islands to host any naval or military base of any country, because that will immediately make Solomon Islands a military target for other countries, he said on April 6, in comments obtained by the Solomon Times. The contentious agreement, which allows Beijing to dispatch forces to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands, has sparked concern from neighboring nations. David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, appealed to Sogavare to respectfully reject and give deepest consideration to the long-term consequences of the deal. As much as your bilateral security arrangement may be strictly a matter between your country and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), its existence would absolutely affect all countries who call the Blue Pacific their home, Panuelo said in a statement. The Federated States of Micronesia cannot endorse or agree if your decision is to proceed with a security relationship with the PRC because of its far-reaching and grave security implications for our harmonious and peaceful Blue Pacific Continent. Professor Anne-Marie Brady, a China expert based at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, accused Beijing of repeatedly trying to gain access to militarily significant airfields and ports in the regionits currently looking to rebuild an airfield in the Pacific nation of Kiribati. China provides weapons, military vehicles and vessels, uniforms, training, and military buildings to the armed forces of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, and now the Solomon Islands, Brady wrote on Twitter. China uses Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)Navy vessels to conduct regular military visits to the Pacific. PLA Yuanwang space-tracking vessels deploy to the Pacific during missile and satellite launches, using (French Polynesias capital) Papeete and (Fijis capital) Suva as their base ports, she said. China is using its Pacific embassies as sites for Beidou ground stations. Like GPS, it is a military technology, crucial for missile targeting. The leaked documents were revealed as Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Brussels, where they discussed security concerns in the Indo-Pacific. Ukrainian volunteers who live in Los Angeles serve food from the homeland to Ukrainian asylum-seekers in a city government shelter for Ukrainians in Tijuana, Mexico on April 7, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Russia-Ukraine War (April 7): US Speeds Entry for Ukrainians as More Reach Mexico Border The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, April 7. Click here for updates from April 6. US Speeds Entry for Ukrainians as More Reach Mexico Border The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as even more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of Tijuana grew to about 1,000 refugees Thursday, according to city officials. A canopy under which children played soccer only two days earlier was packed with people in rows of chairs and lined with bunk beds. Tijuana has suddenly become a final stop for Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States, where they are drawn by friends and families ready to host them and are convinced the United States will be a more suitable haven than Europe. Word has spread rapidly on social media that a loose volunteer coalition, largely from Slavic churches in the western United States, is guiding hundreds of refugees daily from the Tijuana airport to temporary shelters, where they wait two to four days for U.S. officials to admit them on humanitarian parole. In less than two weeks, volunteers worked with U.S. and Mexican officials to build a remarkably efficient and expanding network to provide food, security, transportation, and shelter. U.S. officials began funneling Ukrainians Wednesday to a pedestrian crossing in San Diego that is temporarily closed to the public, hoping to process 578 people a day there with 24 officers, said Enrique Lucero, the city of Tijuanas director of migrant affairs. ___ Sanctions on Russias Shipbuilding, Mining The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90 percent of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two state-owned companies come a day after the United States announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks, and banning new American investment in Russia. ___ Zelenskyy Says Situation in 2nd Ukraine Town More Dreadful Than Bucha Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that the situation in the town of Borodyanka was significantly more dreadful than in nearby Bucha. Local officials have said more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, around 22 miles northwest of the capital Kyiv, and around 50 of them were executed. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and says images of bodies in Bucha were staged by the Ukrainian government to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace negotiations. The work to clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun Its significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers, Zelenskyy said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging service. The town is about 15 miles from Bucha. He did not provide any further detail or evidence that Russia was responsible for civilian deaths in the town. ____ Zelenskyy Asks Cyprus to Shut Ports to Russian Ships Zelenskyy asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up the pressure on Russia by shutting the countrys ports to all Russian ships and stop granting Russian businessmen privileges, including Cypriot citizenship. In his address to the Cypriot Parliament on Thursday, Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid. He also spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought on his country, including the 167 children that have been confirmed killed. He warned that the killings of civilians in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from war-divided Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union, which he said Russia was trying to fragment and sow discord among its members. ____ US Moves to Choke Off Exports to 3 Russian Airlines The Biden administration moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the airlinesRussian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair, and Azur Airfrom receiving items from the United States, including parts to service their aircraft. Those restrictions are significant because its obviously difficult to keep flying if you cant service your planes, Matthew Axelrod, an assistant Commerce secretary for export enforcement, told reporters. The effect, he said, is that the sanctioned airlines and their fleet of aircraft will, over time, largely be unable to continue flying, either internationally or domestically, as they are now cut off from the international support and the U.S. parts and related services they need to maintain and support their fleets. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The three airlines that were singled out had already violated U.S. government restrictions, and the actions were taken to prevent expected violations in the future, officials said. ____ EU Nations Approve New Sanctions Against Russia European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. ___ UN Suspends Russia From Human Rights Council, Moscow Then Quits The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. The U.S.-led push garnered 93 votes in favor, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members in the 193-member General Assembly in New Yorkabstentions do not countwas needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member Geneva-based Human Rights Council. The rare decision this assembly has taken today sends a strong signal of accountability and hopefully will help preventing and discouraging more violations of human rights, said the European Unions U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog. Speaking after the vote, Russias deputy U.N. Ambassador Gennady Kuzmin described the move as an illegitimate and politically motivated step and then announced that Russia had decided to quit the Human Rights Council altogether. The Russian Federation made a decision about ending or suspending its right, its membership in the Human Rights Council before the end of its term on the 7th of April of this year, Kuzmin said. In todays conditions, the council is in fact monopolized by one group of states who use it for their short term aims. You do not submit your resignation after you are fired, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters. Russia was in its second year of a three-year term. Under Thursdays resolution, the General Assembly could have later agreed to end the suspension. But that cannot happen now Russia has quit the council, just as the United States did in 2018 over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform. The United States was last year reelected to the council. ____ Turkey Says Bucha Incident Cast a Shadow on RussiaUkraine Peace Talks Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. ____ US Withdraws From Cybersecurity Dialogue: Moscow The United States has unilaterally closed communication channels with Russia regarding cybersecurity, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Oleg Khramov has said. The two nations previously exchanged lists of critical internet infrastructure under the auspices of the Russian Security Council and the US National Security Council, after Moscow sent Washington proposals aimed at taking joint measures to protect both countries critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. _____ EU Parliament Approves Total Russian Energy Ban The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday demanding an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas. The blocs legislature also demanded Russia be completely cut off from the SWIFT banking network and booted from international organizations. The resolution passed by 513 votes to 22 and 19 abstentions. The total embargo on Russian energy that it demands goes well beyond the EUs existing plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year, and to phase out Russian fossil fuels before 2030. ____ Senate Votes to End Normal Trade Relations, Oil Imports With Russia The Senate on Thursday morning voted to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus and to bar Russian oil imports into the United States in response to the nations invasion of Ukraine. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus passed in a 1000 vote, a rare event in increasingly divided Washington. The bill to ban Russian imports of oil also was approved in a 1000 vote. Its a big, big deal that we are finally getting them done, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Wednesday after he announced the legislation. Now, I wish this could have happened sooner, but after weeks of talks with the other side, its important that we have found a path forward. The measures have already won the support of President Joe Biden, who has long called for Congress to take up such legislation. In March, Biden announced an oil ban, which is now codified by the support of the Senate. Read the full article here _____ Pentagon Confirms Complete Withdrawal of Russian Troops Russian soldiers have completely vacated areas around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and another city nearby, the Pentagon has said, following a pledge from the Kremlin to drastically reduce military activity in the region as negotiators attempt to bring an end to the fighting. The Pentagon has observed a full withdrawal from the formerly besieged areas, a senior military official told reporters on Wednesday during a background briefing. _____ US Senate Approves World War 2-Era Policy to Help Ukraine Fight Russia The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to re-implement a lend-lease program that hasnt been used since World War II to allow the United States to send weapons to Ukraine. The bill, known as the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, was approved unanimously by the upper congressional chamber late on April 6 to give enhanced authority to the federal government to enter into agreements with Ukraines government to lend or lease equipment and weapons amid the conflict with Russia. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sponsored the measure. It was last used during World War II when the United States provided assistance to allied countries against Nazi Germany, namely to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Read the full article here _____ Moscow Reacts to Latest US Move on Ukraine Russia has said that Washingtons plan to send more weapons to Ukraine will not help with the peace process. Western countries have been increasingly arming Kyiv after Moscow attacked the country in late February. Flooding Ukraine with weapons doesnt contribute to the success of the RussianUkrainian talks. Instead, obviously, it will have a negative effect, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday. Peskovs statement came a day after the U.S. Senate passed legislation that revives a World War II-era land-lease program allowing Washington to expedite the shipment of arms to Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked senators for their support and said he was expecting a swift passage of the bill in the House of Representatives. ____ Moscow Accuses Kyiv of Backpedaling in Peace Talks Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. ____ Kremlin Responds to Polands Nuclear Proposal Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that Moscow would view the transfer of nuclear weapons to Poland as highly provocative, after a top official said Warsaw is willing to host foreign missiles as a deterrent. Speaking with French broadcaster LCI, on Wednesday, Peskov said any such deployment would likely trigger a response in kind from Russia, suggesting it would alter its own nuclear posture. For us, this would be a big threat, he said, adding In this case, the deployment of Russian nuclear missiles on the western border would be inevitable, also stressing that Moscow is a responsible nuclear power. Peskovs comments come after Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a German newspaper last weekend that his country would be open to hosting U.S. nuclear weapons, arguing that a missile deployment on NATOs eastern flank makes sense and would significantly increase deterrence towards Moscow. _____ Moscow Vows Response to Latest US Sanctions Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. This is something that is difficult to understand and explain. But, unfortunately, we have to deal with such opponents, Peskov said. ____ Finland, Estonia Eye Floating LNG Terminal to Ensure Supply Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. ____ Russia Responds to Seizure of Valuable Artworks Finland will not be able to escape responsibility when it comes to the return of paintings and sculptures worth $46 million that belong to the Tretyakov Gallery, the Hermitage, and other museums in Russia, Moscow warned on Thursday. The statement came one day after Finnish Customs confirmed the seizure of the works, which were returning home from Italy and Japan. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Finnish Ambassador Antti Helantera and expressed strong protest over the actions. ____ Ukraine President Seeks More Military Assets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions, and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to the Greek parliament Thursday. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. Russia is absolutely confident in its invincibility and that they could do whatever they want without going unpunished. We have to stop it. We must bring Russia to justice, Zelenskyy said. ____ G7 Nations Vow to Keep Pressure on Russia The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family, and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. _____ Russian Energy Paid for in Yuan Is Heading to China: Reports Russian coal and oil paid for in yuan is about to start flowing into China, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. According to the media outlet, citing Chinese consultancy Fenwei Energy Information Service, several Chinese firms used local currency to buy Russian coal in March, and the first cargoes will arrive this month. These will be the first commodity shipments paid for in yuan since the United States and Europe hit Moscow with unprecedented sanctions, cutting several Russian banks off from the international financial system. _____ Russia Takes Steps to Punish Google Over Youtube Fakes Russias communications watchdog said on Thursday it was taking punitive measures against Google, including a ban on advertising the platform and its information resources, for violating Russian law. Roskomnadzor accused Googles YouTube video-sharing platform, which has shut out Russian state-funded media globally, of becoming one of the key platforms spreading fakes (fake images) about the course of (Russias) special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Roskomnadzor said the measures against Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., which include a warning in search engines saying it is violating Russian law, would remain in place until it complied with legislation. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, Russia demanded that Google stop spreading what it called threats against Russian citizens on YouTube. The regulator also blocked Googles news aggregator service in March, accusing it of allowing access to fake material about the military operation in Ukraine. Russias parliament last month passed a law providing for jail terms of up to 15 years for intentionally spreading fake news at variance with government accounts about the military. Outraged that Meta Platforms was allowing social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as Death to the Russian invaders, Moscow blocked Instagram in March, having already cut off access to Facebook because of what it said were the platforms restrictions on Russian media. ____ UK: Russian Shelling Is Prelude to New Attack Britains defense ministry claims Russia is bombarding infrastructure targets to wear down Ukraines government and military as it prepares for a renewed assault on the countrys east. The ministry said in an intelligence update Thursday that progressing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine is the main focus of Russian military forces. It says Russia is targeting the line of control between Ukrainian-held areas in the Donbass and those held by Russia-supporting separatists with artillery and airstrikes. The Russian military is also targeting infrastructure in the Ukrainian interior to degrade the ability of the Ukrainian military to resupply and increase pressure on the Ukrainian government, the ministry claimed. ____ Shell Exit From Russia Could Cost up to $5 Billion in Losses, Oil Giant Says Shell is set to take a $4 to $5 billion hit from exiting Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, the company announced on April 7. The oil giant announced early in March that it planned to pull the plug on operations in Russia and would exit its joint ventures with Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy corporation, and its related entities, and withdraw from the 50 percent stake it holds in Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture, two projects in Siberia. The company would also depart with its 27.5 percent stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility off Russias east coast, it said. Read the full article here ____ Russia Responds to Possible Expulsion From UN Body The possible suspension of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council threatens to destroy the basement of current multilateral system, First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said ahead of Thursdays vote by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on the matter. Polyanskiy wrote on Telegram that this is a premeditated tactical move which, in his opinion, has nothing to do either Russias attack on Ukraine nor with alleged human rights violations by Moscow, as these claims are far from being verified and proven. However, he warned, the motion, if accepted, risks devastating consequences for the UN System. ______ Zelenskyy Reveals Plans for Security Summit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a summit of countries ready to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv. The event would be part of the negotiations to end Russias military campaign in Ukraine. Such a meeting will certainly happen because it was confirmed by the representatives of future guarantors, Zelenskyy told Turkish Haberturk TV on Tuesday. Zelenskyy named the US, Britain, Turkey, Poland, Germany, France, and Israel as countries that are ready to meet and discuss a list of security guarantees for Ukraine. _____ EU Reveals When Oil Import Ban Will Be Discussed Ban on Russian oil imports will be discussed at the summit of E.U. foreign ministers on April 11 as part of the next round of sanctions against Moscow, the EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Thursday. Since the beginning of Russias military attack on Ukraine, the E.U. has come up with several rounds of hard-hitting restrictions on Moscow. At the moment European policy makers are discussing in Brussels a fifth package of sanctions which includes a ban on Russian coal imports. _____ Russian Stocks Gain, Rouble Steadies Despite Further Sanctions Planned From West Russian stocks largely shrugged off threats of further sanctions from the West on March 6, making gains after previously sliding earlier in the day amid threats of further sanctions from the West, while the Ruble stabilized. The dollar-denominated RTS index fell to 979.34 points before reducing losses and adding 0.4 percent on the day to 1,008.9 points by 07.49 am (GMT). Its ruble-denominated MOEX Russian index also gained 0.4 percent to 2,674.1, although that figure is still significantly far off from an all-time high of 4,292.68 it reached in October. Shares in Russias second-largest oil company, Lukoil, also jumped 3.5 percent higher, outperforming the broader market. The oil giant is the first major Russian firm to speak out against Putins decision to invade its neighbor. Read the full article here _____ Putin Says Russia Will Monitor Food Exports to Hostile Countries, Be Prudent With Supplies Abroad Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to monitor exports of food to countries that Moscow deems as hostile as the West weighs up levying more sanctions against Moscow. Putin announced the move during a meeting on agriculture on Tuesday, just days after the European Union proposed sweeping new sanctions against the country in response to allegations of Russian forces committing war crimes in Ukraine. Against the backdrop of global food shortages, this year we will have to be prudent with supplies abroad and carefully monitor such exports to countries that are clearly hostile towards us, Putin said at a meeting on agriculture. Read the full article here _____ Ukraine Seeks Ruinous Sanctions on Russia as Europe Frets About Energy Ukraine wants sanctions crippling enough to force Russia to end its war after accusing some countries of putting economic wellbeing above punishment for alleged civilian killings that the West condemns as war crimes. The democratic world must stop buying Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the international finance system, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address early on Thursday. Some politicians are still unable to decide how to limit the flow of petrodollars and oil euros to Russia so as not to put their own economies at risk, Zelenskyy said. Washington announced new measures including sanctions on President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters and a major bank. However, the European Union failed to approve a new round of sanctions including on Russian coal on Wednesday. Top E.U. diplomat Josep Borrell said the package could be passed on Thursday or Friday. Speaking at a NATO meeting, Borrell also said the E.U. will discuss an embargo on Russian oil, which he said he hoped would come soon. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and says images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace talks. Washingtons new steps on Wednesday included sanctions top state-run lender Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Russias fourth-largest financial institution. It also banned Americans from investing in Russia and called for Russia to be expelled from the Group of 20 major economies forum, saying it will boycott G20 meetings where Russian officials will show up. Britain also froze Sberbanks assets, and said it would ban imports of Russian coal, but not until the end of the year. But Ukraine says its allies must go further to stop Moscow by ending all energy imports from Russia and blocking supplies of technology and materials used for weapons production. Sanctions against Russia must be ruinous enough for us to end this terrible war, the head of Ukraines presidential office Andriy Yermak said late on Wednesday. Ukraines foreign minister called NATO allies to send more planes, air defense systems, missiles, and military vehicles. ____ Macron Calls Polish Prime Ministers Recent Statements Scandalous French President Emmanuel Macron has lashed out at Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, calling his recent statements scandalous. Morawiecki had slammed the French leaders efforts aimed at maintaining dialogue with Moscow amid the ongoing military attack on Ukraine. These statements are both baseless and scandalous, Macron told French TF1 TV on Wednesday, in reference to the Polish prime ministers comments from earlier this week. Morawiecki slammed several European leaders, including Macron, for supposedly achieving little through dialogue with the Kremlin. I take full responsibility for having spoken to the president of Russia, in the name of France, to avoid the war and to build a new architecture for peace in Europe several years ago, Macron said, adding that he was neither naive nor complicit like others, without elaborating on who he had in mind. _____ Ukraines Zelenskyy to Meet EUs Von Der Leyen on Friday: Spokesman Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will have talks in Kyiv on Friday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said on national television. He said other details of the talks would not be announced for security reasons. A European Union spokesman said on Tuesday that the EUs top diplomat, Josep Borrell, would also travel to Kyiv this week. ____ Ten Humanitarian Corridors Agreed for Thursday: Ukraine Ukraines deputy prime minister says Russian forces have agreed on 10 humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians in three eastern regions of Ukraine on Thursday. Russia is expected to intensify its military campaign for control of Ukraines industrial east in coming days and weeks, and Ukraine has appealed to NATO for more weapons to help stop it. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said civilians from the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions will be able to evacuate to the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut. Vereshchuk said on the messaging app Telegram that it would be possible to travel from Mariupol and Enerhodar to Zaporizhzhia by car and from Berdyansk, Tokmak and Melitopol by car and on buses. Evacuations to Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region, will take place in Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, Girske and Rubizhne of the Luhansk region. ___ Ukraine Accuses Hungary of Undermining Unity of EU Ukraine is accusing Hungary of undermining the unity of the European Union by supporting Moscow as Russia presses its invasion. Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko claimed Thursday that Hungarys reluctance to acknowledge Russias responsibility for atrocities in Bucha strengthens Russias sense of impunity and encourages it to commit new crimes. Nikolenko also blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans statement about Hungarys readiness to pay for the Russian gas in rubles, describing it as unfriendly and flying in the face of the EUs rejection of Moscows currency demand. In a statement, Nikolenko dismissed Orbans offer to host talks between Russia and Ukraine as cynical, saying that if Hungary wants to help end the war, it must stop damaging E.U. unity, support new sanctions, offer military assistance to Ukraine, and stop creating additional resources to finance the Russian war machine. However, Hungary has condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine and has sent humanitarian aid to the country. ____ NATO Countries Asked to Provide More Weapons NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is calling on members of the organization to provide more weapons for Ukraine and not just defensive anti-tank and anti-craft arms. As NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels on Thursday, Stoltenberg said I have urged allies to provide further support of many different types of systems, both light weapons but also heavier weapons. Stoltenberg says that NATO countries, but not NATO as an organization, are supplying many kinds of arms and other support to Ukraine but that the 30 allies can do more. He says that Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesnt actually have any real meaning. Stoltenberg is insisting that it is also important for NATO not to be dragged into a wider war with Russia. NATO is not sending troops to be on the ground. We also have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine, and become even more deadly, even more dangerous and destructive, he said. _____ Ukraine to Press West for Full Energy Embargo on Russia Ukraine will keep up demands for an oil and gas embargo on Russia after its invasion of the country, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Thursday, as the E.U. promised a fifth round of sanctions by Friday. Dmytro Kuleba will address NATOs 30 allies, as well as the European Union, Finland, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, in a special session of foreign ministers to maintain international support for sanctions and weapons supplies. We will continue to insist on full oil and gas embargo, he told reporters at NATO, speaking alongside Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Kuleba called on Germany in particular to speed up weapons deliveries to Ukraine, asking for planes, land-based anti-ship missiles, armoured vehicles and air defence systems. He claimed procedures were taking too long in Berlin. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who offered to hold another meeting of NATO foreign ministers in May in Berlin, said she would discuss more arms sales to Ukraine with allies on Thursday in Brussels. After more than 40 days of war, Ukraine claims Russia continues to shell its cities, particularly in the eastern regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk after Russian forces withdrew from around Kyiv. Stoltenberg on Wednesday warned of a war that could last months or even years and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged support to Ukraine for the longer term. But while a possible E.U. ban on Russian oil and gas would cut off a significant source of revenue for Moscows war, it would also hit Europes economy and push up soaring gas prices. _____ Hungary Receives Nuclear Fuel From Russia by Air: Foreign Minister Hungary received the first shipment of nuclear fuel for its Paks nuclear plant from Russia by air on Wednesday, after the war in Ukraine made shipping by rail impossible, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday. Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary rejected any sanctions on Russian oil and gas, adding that imposing any sanctions on activities related to nuclear energy was also a red line for Hungary. Fuel (for the Paks plant) has always come from Russia by rail via Ukraine, unfortunately this is no longer possible so we had to find an alternative way for shipping, Szijjarto said in a Facebook video from Brussels. He said the fuel shipment had arrived via the airspace of Belarus, Poland, and Slovakia to Hungary with all three countries approval, as nuclear energy is not subject to any European Union sanctions. Hungary wants to expand its Russian-built 2-gigawatt Paks nuclear power plant with two Russian-made VVER reactors, each with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. The project, awarded in 2014 without a tender to nuclear giant Rosatom has been often cited as a sign of warm ties between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The project has suffered delays. Orban, who was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in elections on Sunday, told a news conference on Wednesday that Budapest wanted to strengthen its Western alliances, as Hungarys future was in the E.U. and firmly within NATO. _____ Maldives Shelters Sanctioned Russian Billionaires Yachts A day after coal and fertilizer billionaire Andrey Melnichenko was placed on the European Unions sanctions list on March 9, his superyacht Motor Yacht A stopped broadcasting its location while in Maldives waters, maritime data shows. In Italy, four days later, authorities seized another of Melnichenkos vesselsthe worlds largest sailing yacht, estimated by Italian financial police to be worth $578 million. Switching off devices that allow authorities to track a ships whereabouts can help keep yachts out of their sight. Melnichenkos vessel is one of six Russian-linked yachts that have glided between Maldives atolls, southwest of India, since Western nations hit some oligarchs with sanctions in response to the Feb 24 invasion. Three of the yachts obscured their live locations, changed reported destinations, or moved into international waters, according to data supplied by MarineTraffic, a marine analytics provider. The idea of seizing yachts is far-fetched, because Maldives legal system is not robust enough, the countrys chief prosecutor, Hussain Shameem, said in an interview, adding that authorities could not easily confiscate visiting vessels unless a crime was committed under local law. Last month, Melnichenkos spokesperson told Reuters the businessman would dispute the sanctions, adding that he had no political affiliations. ____ Moscow Doesnt Rule out Breaking Off Relations With Western Countries Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that if Western countries continue to expel Russian diplomats, Russia may cut ties with those countries, RT reported. There is such a potential risk, since every day we are faced with such hostile actions. The expulsion of diplomats is a decision that closes the window of diplomatic relations, Peskov said. Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and France expelled a total of 145 Russian diplomats in two days. These diplomats were expelled shortly after reports that Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, were allegedly killed by the Russian military. ___ US Senate to Vote on Revoking Russias Trade Status, Oil Ban The U.S. Senate will take up legislation Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the U.S. response as the Ukraine war enters a gruesome new phase. Its been three weeks since the House passed the trade suspension measure that paves the way for President Joe Biden to enact higher tariffs on certain Russian imports. At the time, the legislation was billed as sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies about the economic isolation Russia will face for invading Ukraine. The House also passed the oil ban about a month ago. The bill would codify restrictions on Russian oil that Biden has already put in place through executive action. ___ US House Passes Legislation on Documenting War Crimes in Ukraine The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday calling for a federal government report on evidence of war crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers backed the measure amid gruesome reports of atrocities in towns around Kyiv, particularly Bucha, and new accounts of the civilian death toll in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The legislation calls for the U.S. president to submit to Congress a report on efforts to preserve evidence related to war crimes. Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution seeking an investigation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to hide evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation. ___ UN to Vote Thursday on Suspending Russia From Rights Council The U.N. General Assembly will vote Thursday on whether to suspend Russia from the U.N.s premier human rights body. The move was initiated by the United States in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, sparking calls for its forces to be tried for war crimes. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The videos and reporting from the town have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility. General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said Wednesday the assemblys emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday when the resolution to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation will be put to a vote. Alan Chueng, Jack Phillips, Katabella Roberts, Joseph Lord, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report Employees make chips at a factory of Jiejie Semiconductor Company in Nantong, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on Mar. 17, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) UK Lords Challenge Government Over Chinese Takeover of Semiconductor Firm Members of the upper house of the British parliament have questioned the government over the planned Chinese takeover of one of the UKs biggest microchip factories, warning that the deal could threaten the UKs national resilience. Newport Wafer Fab (NWF), based in Wales, specialises in manufacturing the more advanced compound semiconductors, which is the key technology used in 5G networks and facial recognition software. In July 2021, Nexperia, a Dutch firm wholly owned by Chinas Wingtech Technology, said it had obtained 100 percent ownership of NWF. Wingtech, whose shareholders include Chinese state-funded investors, supplies chips to Chinese smartphone makers, including Huawei. In a House of Lords session on April 7, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Fox called on the government to outline its position on the takeover. He told peers: The minister has said in the past that there are no specialist technologies at Newport Wafer Fab but that ignores the need for capacity, industrial capacity, to build technology. Lord Fox added: There is a crippling shortage of microprocessors around the world that is hampering manufacturing. To combat that the EU and the U.S. have strategies. We seem to be waiting and seeing. Business minister Lord Callanan replied that Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working on a semiconductor strategy which will be published shortly. Lord West of Spithead, a Labour member, said: There is absolutely no doubtit is known across all our intelligence communities, Five Eyes, and everywherethat this factory has strategic significance and is strategically important to our nation. He urged ministers to understand how important this is in strategic terms, and warned them not to let this go through by some sort of error. Lord Alton speaks on the genocide amendment in the House of Lords, Westminster, London, on Feb. 23, 2021. (Parliamentlive.tv/Screenshot) Lord Alton of Liverpool, a cross-bench peer, told the House that the factory was the United Kingdoms biggest producer of microchips and semiconductors. He said: It is about national resilience and it is about whether or not we wish to become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Peoples Republic of China which has been accused of genocide by Elizabeth Truss, our Foreign Secretary. Lord Callanan replied: I totally share his frustration about this and totally align with his remarks about the Peoples Republic of China, the awful human rights abuses that are going on there, and particularly the treatment of the Uyghur people. There is no difference between us on that. But he said this is a quasi-judicial decision that will be taken by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng under the powers under the National Security and Investment Act. Shortly after the planned takeover was announced in July 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove to investigate the purchase. But the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons said on April 5 that the promised investigation does not appear to have begun. Questioned on the status of the review, Lord Callanan said: I can confirm that the review is taking place. PA Media contributed to this report. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Louisiana Appeals Court Reinstates AGs Suit Re Zuckerberg Bucks The Louisiana Court of Appeal has reinstated the states lawsuit against a Mark Zuckerberg-funded nonprofit that flooded Democrat-controlled jurisdictions with election administration grants and, in the process, may have skewed election results. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, said the ruling was a major victory for election integrity. Our law is clear: No individual, including Mark Zuckerberg, should supersede the peoples elected representatives, Landry said in a statement. Our elections should never be for sale; private money should not fund our elections. The thinking behind the lawsuit is that the millions of dollars doled out by the left-leaning Chicago-based Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) unfairly boosted turnout in Democrat-heavy parts of the state, functioning as a kind of subsidy to get Democrats, not Republicans, to the polls. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, disagreed with Republican criticism of CTCLs practices and vetoed state legislation banning the private financing of elections. The ruling came weeks after the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed suit against Louisiana in federal court for refusing to allow inspection of voter list maintenance records, including information the state receives from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a controversial data-matching service associated with Democrats that has been criticized as being inaccurate, as The Epoch Times reported. Days before, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican, announced he was putting Louisianas membership in ERIC on hold while he investigates allegations made against the organization. The lawsuit revived by the state appellate court is State of Louisiana v. Center for Tech and Civic Life, which was launched Oct. 2, 2020, a month before the most recent presidential election. During the 2020 election cycle, billionaire Facebook founder Zuckerberg, along with his wife, Priscilla Chan, supporters of President Joe Biden and Democratic Party candidates, gave around $400 million to the CTCL. The CTCL in turn then distributed the money in the form of grants to jurisdictions across the United States purportedly to help those governments hire more staff, buy mail-in ballot processing machinery, and pursue other measures they considered necessary to administer the elections during the ongoing pandemic. Critics nationwide complained that CTCLs grants favored Democrats. Landry filed suit, hoping to obtain a court order declaring that private contributions to local election officials and the election system in general are unlawful and contrary to Louisiana law. He argued that the grants from CTCL were part of the corrosive influence of outside money on Louisiana election officials. By the time Landry sued, more than 20 officials throughout the state had applied for grants of nearly $8 million, but after the attorney general warned them the funds were illegal, most abandoned their efforts. Orleans and Calcasieu parishes, however, went on to accept more than $810,000 in funds for the 2020 election, The Federalist reported. But Lewis H. Pitman Jr., a district judge in St. Martin Parish, threw out Landrys lawsuit, citing Louisianas state constitution in finding there was no legal justification to block registrars of voters, clerks of court, or other local election officials from seeking and obtaining grant dollars to assist with the funding, the necessary staff, and equipment for the upcoming November 3, 2020 election. The constitution allows political subdivisions to acquire property for any public purpose, by way of donation. The trial court held that because registrar[s] of voters and clerks of court are political subdivisions, they are allowed to accept private donations, including to administer elections. The ruling allowed the private money to flow into the bank accounts of local governments, according to The Federalist report. On March 30, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Third Division, stated that it agreed with Landrys argument that the trial was legally incorrect and that it has stated a cause of action to protect an interest of the state by preventing the funding of elections with private money. The Epoch Times reached out to the CTCL for comment but didnt receive a reply by press time. A 85-year-old man receives a booster vaccination in the so called "vaccination express" tram in central Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 4, 2021. (Michael Probst/AP Photo) Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Legislation Rejected by German Lawmakers Lawmakers in Germany rejected a proposal to implement a plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for nearly all adults aged 60 and older, which was backed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. For the legislation to be passed, a simple majority was required. However, 378 out of 674 Bundestag members voted against the measure, while only 296 supported it, local German media outlets reported. In a statement after the vote, Lauterbach claimed that rejecting the mandate would spark a COVID-19 outbreak in the fall and winter months. [A] draft law that would have brought about compulsory vaccination has just failed, he wrote on Twitter, according to a translation. It is a very important decision because now the fight against corona [COVID-19] will become much more difficult in the autumn. Political finger-pointing doesnt help. We move on. Scholz, who recently became chancellor after Angela Merkel retired, hasnt issued a public statement on the matter. Those who voted against the mandate argued that the policy isnt necessary and noted that Germanys health care system isnt overwhelmed with COVID-19 hospital patients. Daily infections are at a high level in Germany, but have dipped in the past week or so, with 201,729 new cases reported on April 7. Participants protest in Nuremberg, Germany, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonhard Simon/Getty Images) A member of the Free Democratic Party, Wolfgang Kubicki, said vaccines wont help us reach herd immunity and noted that it was unlawful to force adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. It is not the job of this house to protect adults against their own will, Kubicki said, Deutsche Welle reported. Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel told other lawmakers that the compulsory vaccination policy is not just radically hostile to the constitution, but a totalitarian measure. She said a compromise on an earlier vaccine mandate for all adultsnot just those aged 60 and olderis a trojan horse to consider more draconian policies. Scholz was forced last week to drop plans for mandatory vaccinations for those aged 18 years and older as he couldnt muster a parliamentary majority. In nearby Austria, the government announced in March that it had suspended a vaccine mandate for all adults, just days before it was slated to go into effect. Under that provision, Austrian police would have been able to check peoples COVID-19 vaccination status during traffic stops or stops on the street, potentially issuing fines of up to 600 euros ($653) and more for subsequent infractions. The policy proved to be controversial, drawing tens of thousands of protesters in Vienna and in other parts of Austria. Critics said the mandate would have greatly infringed on Austrians civil liberties and would have expanded government surveillance. Reuters contributed to this report. Massage Therapists Caught in Prostitution Dragnet File Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Over Warrantless Searches Licensed massage therapists in Billings, Montana, are suing the city in federal court over its law forcing therapists to submit to unannounced, warrantless searches in order to stay in business. Billings recently enacted an intrusive local ordinance targeting massage therapists as part of a crackdown on prostitution. There are at least a dozen illicit sex and human-trafficking businesses disguised as massage therapy businesses in Billings and about 9,000 of these nationwide, KTVQ reported a year ago while the ordinance was under consideration. Sacramento, California-based Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a national nonprofit public interest law firm thats representing the massage therapists, says the therapists resent being lumped in with prostitution-related businesses and being deprived of their Fourth Amendment right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. Owners of legitimate businesses should not have to surrender their constitutional rights in order to continue serving customers. No one should be forced to choose between their livelihood and their rights to property and privacy, PLF said in a statement issued on April 6, the same day the lawsuit was initiated. The Billings license ordinance targets and stigmatizes the entire occupation of massage therapy. This is the wrong way to pursue goals like fighting crime. The legal complaint (pdf) in the case, Vondra v. City of Billings, court file cv-22-30, was filed April 6 in the U.S. District Court in Montana. The plaintiffs are state-licensed massage therapists Theresa Vondra, Donna Podolak, and Lynda Larvie, along with Vondras therapy patient, Adam Poulos, who has been receiving treatment from her since suffering a workplace neck injury in 2017. The defendants, in addition to the city, are Billings Code Enforcement Supervisor Nicole Cromwell, Billings Chief of Police Richard St. John, Business Tax Clerk Joanne Rindahl, Finance Department Director Andrew Zoeller, and Mayor William Coleall of whom are being sued in their official capacities. The true passion of the lead plaintiff, Vondra, is helping people achieve total body wellness through massage therapy, according to PLF. She graduated from massage therapy school in 2006 and spent several years working for others before starting her own practice in her hometown of Billings. Over time, she has grown her business to two locations and seven staff members. Massage therapy is a very sensitive line of work, serving a broad range of peopleincluding those suffering from physical and psychological injuries and trauma, [and] the ordinance threatens the privacy of Vondra, her patients, and her employees. The massage therapy ordinance, Ordinance 21-5757, makes it a crime for professional, state-licensed massage therapists to practice in the city without first obtaining a local facility license, according to the complaint. The ordinance conditions the local license on the therapists acceptance of unannounced, warrantless, and unconstrained searches of their place of work, which often includes their homes, and of private patient records. The legislation allows law and code enforcement officers to search all rooms, cabinets, and storage areas, requiring massage therapists to open any locked rooms, cabinets, or storage areas promptly. Even active massage therapy sessions exceeding two hours in length may be interrupted by a government search, the complaint reads. A therapist insisting that the police first acquire a warrant before searching their premises is to risk arrest on the spot, criminal prosecution, and incarceration under this framework. PLF attorney Daniel Woislaw told The Epoch Times that this is a case about both property rights and privacy rights, and its borne out of an alarming trend wherein local, state, and federal governments increasingly take away our right to do something, and then license it back to us. There are more and more activitiesrecreational, occupational, professionalthat you now have to get the governments permission to do, Woislaw said. Officials in Billings may want to go after prostitution, but they just dont want to have to follow the Constitution to do it, and so theyve created this workaround for themselves where they require massage therapists to get this license, according to Woislaw. And then, as a condition of the license, they say we can go in and search whenever we want, he said. But there is a framework for legal searches that the police are supposed to follow, the code enforcement [officers] are supposed to follow. With criminals on probation, the police at least need to have reasonable suspicion to search their homes and to search them, but for massage therapists, the police dont even need reasonable suspicion. They dont need any cause at all; they can just knock on a door, Woislaw said. You open it, and they say were here to do a search, and if you object to thatif you tell them they cant or if you refuse to open cabinets and other places for themthey can arrest you, and you can be charged with a crime and you can even be put in jail. The City of Billings provided a comment by email. The city attorneys office hasnt had a chance to review the complaint, said Victoria Hill, the citys public information officer. The foundation representing the therapists sent a press release to the media before the city was served. General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee April 7, 2022 in Washington.(Win McNamee/Getty Images) Military Leadership Denies Involvement in Reported US Intel Sharing With China Senior Pentagon officials have denied involvement in the Biden administrations reported decision to share intelligence with the Chinese Communist Party during the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley both said that they did not advise such action or know about it. The revelation came amid questioning from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in an April 7 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the current defense budget request. The Senators questions referred to a report from the New York Times that senior Biden administration officials met and shared intelligence with their Chinese officials on at least six separate occasions in the months leading up to Russias invasion of Ukraine. During these meetings, U.S. officials delivered reports on Russian troop movements, which Chinese leaders then reportedly passed on to Moscow. When asked if he agreed that giving intelligence to the nations adversaries was a poor decision, Austin responded affirmatively. I think thats something that we absolutely work to avoid, Austin said. When asked why senior Biden officials held meetings with top Chinese officials specifically for that purpose, Austin said he was not aware of the situation. I dont have insights on any occurrences like that, Austin said to Blackburn. I am unfamiliar with the issue that you raised, but you are right [not to support giving intel to adversaries]. When Blackburn asked Milley how often he had advised sharing intelligence with Chinas communist regime, he said that he had never advised the president to take such action. Zero, Milley said. Never. Milley drew widespread criticism last year after a book by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa stated that Milley held two secret phone calls with his counterpart in the Chinese Communist Party during the Trump administration. The book alleged that Milley believed then-President Donald Trump was unstable and that he made the calls to China to assure the regime that the United States would not attack them. The Biden administration later defended Milleys actions. The acting secretary of defense at the time of the calls, Chris Miller, said that he did not authorize the calls. Miller said at the time that, if true, the calls presented a disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination by the Nations top military officer. After Thursdays hearing, Blackburn appeared to question whether Austin and Milley actually did not know about the reports of U.S. intelligence sharing in a statement in which she also alleged that the passing of such information would have aided in Russias alleged war crimes in Ukraine. It is astonishing that neither General Milley nor Secretary Austin were aware of a widely reported story that the Biden administration shared intelligence with Chinese officials, Blackburn said. DNI Director Avril Haines, NSA Advisor Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director William Burns need to come before this Committee and explain why they thought it was appropriate to give our intelligence to the Chinese, who then gave it to the Russians. We should not be giving American secrets to Beijing or helping Putin commit war crimes. When asked what course of action U.S. leadership should take when presented with similar circumstances in the future, Milleys response was simple: I dont think you should give intelligence to your adversary, Milley said. Period. A person wearing a mask with tears of blood takes part in a protest against the genocide of Uyghurs by the Chinese Communist Party in Brussels, Belgium on Apr. 27, 2018. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images) Most Australian Solar Farms Exposed to Chinas Slave Labour Supply Chains At least six in every 10 of Australias largest solar farms have sourced solar panels from supply chains vulnerable to Chinas Uyghur forced labour programmes. The United States, Australia, and other western countries have condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over its human rights abuses against more than a million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, including its use of mass detention, slave labour, and forced sterilisation. But one industry exposed to the communist regimes forced labour programme is one that Australia has become increasingly more dependent onsolar power. A groundbreaking report from May 2021 titled In Broad Daylight revealed several solar manufacturers operating out of China had either been directly involved in Uyghur slave labour or sourced polysilicona primary material used in nearly all solar panelsfrom suppliers who were. An investigation by The Epoch Times has uncovered that at least 60 percent of Australias biggest operating solar farms feature arrays of panels made by one of these companies. Panel-makers include JinkoSolar, Chinese-Canadian company Canadian Solar, Trina Solar, JA Solar, Astronergy/Chint, and LONGi, which had all been found to be customers of one or more polysilicon suppliers engaged in Uyghur slave labour programmes. Furthermore, as pointed to by the report, JinkoSolarone of Australias most common solar panel brandsand Trina Solar both directly participated in these same forced labour programmes. These solar panel manufacturers can also be found across Australia, ranging from smaller-scale solar farms to the rooftops of many Australian households and businesses. Seeking comment on these reports, The Epoch Times reached out to the Australian Liberal Party, Labor Party, Greens, and renewable peak bodies the Clean Energy Council and Smart Energy Council. However, The Epoch Times received no reply on this human rights issue. Australian Government Nowhere To Be Seen, Uyghurs Say The Uyghur community has expressed deep concern that the Australian government has made no progress in addressing the CCP-led slave labour programmes in solar and other industries. A member of the Australian Uyghur community and human rights campaigner Arslan Hidayat said that many companies were not looking into the supply chains of their products. One would assume that companies would be looking into their supply chains deeper, Hidayat told The Epoch Times. But generally speaking, these companies are [handing] off to secondary or other intermediary companies to pick the labour force, and so theyre simply just not aware of the situation. Arslan Hidayat at a rally against the Uyghur genocide committed by the Chinese Communist Party in this undated photo. (Arslan Hidayat) Hidayat explained that better legislation would force companies to look more deeply into the supply chains of their products. If the government had set out laws, just like what you have in the United States with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, then companies would have to take certain precautions; otherwise, theyd be financially punished, he said. And so thats what were hoping for. Australias solution to tackling forced labour has taken shape in the form of the Modern Slavery Act enforced in 2019, requiring companies with annual revenue of more than AU$100 million (US$76 million) to report and address risks of slave labour in their supply chains. With one in four Australian homes decorated with solar panels, the Australian Human Rights Commission has urged companies to adhere to the reporting requirements after ongoing reports of slave labour across the renewables sector. However, a startling report by the Human Rights Law Centre released in February found that the majority of Australian companies had, in fact, failed to meet basic requirements set forth by the law, raising doubts regarding the adequacy of current rules. Fears Forced Labour Has Driven Down the Cost of Solar Reports of forced labour in Chinas solar manufacturing industry have prompted concern that the low price of solar energy has come at the cost of human rights. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australias government-funded scientific research institution, has lauded solar as the cheapest form of energy in Australia. But Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said he was troubled that many groups had been pushing for solar power without considering the ethical implications of Chinas forced labour campaign. There are multiple and credible reports that China has used slave labour to artificially suppress the cost of solar panel production, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan told The Epoch Times. An aerial view of the Darling Downs solar farm comprised of panels made by JA Solar near Dalby, Queensland, Australia, in this undated photo. (AAP Image/APA) It is outrageous that many claim that solar power is cheap without disclosing the potential that this could be due to the oppression of the proud Uyghur peoples. Despite Australias rapidly growing demand for solar, the country has no ability to manufacture its own solar components. Canavan added to the growing chorus calling for Australia to shift away from China for its solar imports, a move that could potentially see the birth of Australias own solar-making industry. We should ban the importation of products that are made from slave labour, he said. And that may create the opportunity for a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry to emerge. Chinese Regimes Decades of Forced Labour and Human Rights Abuses The Chinese Communist Partys use of mass detention and forced labour dates back long before the exploitation of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, occurring on a mass scale with its persecution campaign against members of the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice that features moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, along with a set of slow-moving exercises. The discipline swelled in popularity in China during the 1990s, with estimates placing the total number of practitioners between 70 million and 100 million by the end of the decade. In 1999, the CCP deemed the practice a threat to its regime and initiated a nationwide persecution campaign to eradicate the practice. Millions of adherents have since been thrown into jails, labour camps, detention centres, and other facilities, where they are subjected to torture, brainwashing, and forced organ harvesting. In January 2002, Tian Feng Ying, a Falun Dafa practitioner and former high school teacher, was arrested and sent to a labour and re-education camp for three years. She recounted how she was held in abhorrent conditions and abused by guards while being forced to make numerous products, including embroidered blankets and Christmas flower decorationsall of which were exported overseas. Tian Feng Ying (L) at a panel on forced labour in China following a screening of Letter from Masanjia in Perth, Australia, on Dec. 9, 2019. Tian is holding flower decorations similar to those she was forced to make while at the Shandong No. 1 Female Labor Camp between 2002 and 2005 in Jinan City, China. (The Epoch Times) If the police officers saw that you were moving slightly slower than usual, you would be severely reprimanded and cursed at. As a result of the high-pressure environment enforced by the guards, I vomited and felt dizzy three timesthe doctors diagnosis was high blood pressure, Tian told The Epoch Times. Tian said that although she was forced to work 12 to 13 hours a daywith many days involving working throughout the nightthe prison guards main focus was to force her to renounce her belief in Falun Dafa using any means possible. I was confined to a cell, unable to step out of the room, nor see the sun, for one year, Tian recalled. They didnt allow me to phone or meet with my family. In the confinement cell, I could not sit down when asked to stand up and also could not stand if asked to sit. I completely lost all personal freedom. I was forced to sit on a 10cm high and 10cm wide stool but was not allowed to move, even a little bit. Any movement would result in being punched and kicked or my hair pulled and torn. Long hours of sitting caused the skin on my buttocks to form ulcers that bled and were filled with pus. Sometimes I was forced to stand continuously for days without any movement until my feet and legs were swollen. Sometimes I was not allowed to drink water nor use the toilet. The officers often cursed at me for no apparent reason. There, I had no dignity, nor any basic human rights. Tian moved to Perth, Australia, in 2015, but stories similar to hers have continued to emerge amid the CCPs ongoing human rights abuses against Uyghurs, Falun Dafa followers, and other prisoners of conscience. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gestures as he addresses media representatives at a press conference following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 7, 2022. (Francois Walschaerts/AFP via Getty Images) NATO Chief Says Sweden, Finland Could Easily Join Its Ranks If They Apply If Finland and Sweden decide to apply for NATO membership, all allies of the defensive alliance would quickly welcome both Nordic countries, said NATOs top civilian official. Its for them to decide of course, but if they apply, I expect that all allies will welcome them, Jens Stoltenberg told a Wednesday news conference in Brussels. We know that they can easily join this alliance if they decide to apply. Pekka Haavisto, Finlands foreign minister, announced on Thursday after meeting NATO foreign ministers in the Belgian capital that it will clarify the next steps in a possible NATO membership in the coming weeks. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto addresses a joint press conference with his French counterpart at the House of Estates in Helsinki, Finland, on March 31, 2022. (Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images) While Finland hasnt expressed a strong interest in joining NATO for decades, a sudden U-turn in public opinion to apply for NATO membership shifted after an opinion poll last month by Finnish broadcaster YLE showed that, for the first time, more than 50 percent of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In neighboring Sweden, a similar poll showed that those in favor of NATO membership outnumber those against it. Haavisto said his countrys lawmakers are due this month to debate a government white paper on security, including an option for NATO accession. He said Russias attack on Ukraine has changed public opinion. Both Nordic countries are part of the European Union, but not NATO. However, they cooperate closely with the bloc and allow, among other things, for the alliances troops to exercise on their soil. Stoltenberg said the military alliance might be prepared to provide security guarantees to the two neutral nations if they face threats by Russia upon joining NATO. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russias foreign minister, warned in February that Sweden and Finland would face serious military and political repercussions if they were to join NATO. Russias Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova listens during the annual news conference of the Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 16, 2019. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) However, both countries have dismissed the threats, with Haavisto stating weve heard this before. Once members, both Nordic countries would benefit from NATOs collective defense clause, which obliges all members to come to the aid of any ally that comes under attack. I am certain that we will find ways to address concerns they may have regarding the period between the potential application and the final ratification, Stoltenberg said. He declined to speculate about what those security guarantees might involve. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News Nearly 92 Percent of Congressional Seats Set for Elections After Post-Census Redistricting When Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, signed into law new congressional maps drawn by the Democrat-controlled state General Assembly on April 4, Maryland became the 47th state to formally adopt new legislative and congressional districts following the 2020 U.S. Census. With Louisianas Republican-led legislature on March 30 overriding Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwardss rejection of its adopted district maps, the only states without new legislative and congressional districts in place for 2022 elections as of April 5 were Florida, New Hampshire, and Missouri. In fact, 397 of the nations 435 congressional districtsor 91.26 percenthave been redrafted, approved, and put into effect across 47 states in time for the 2022 primaries, which are already underway in several states. In addition to congressional district reapportionment, the decennial post-Census redistricting effort also encompasses the 7,383 seats in all 50 state legislatures. Redistricting there remains incomplete or legally challenged in at least four states: Alaska, Ohio, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Pending legal action could still marginally amend adopted legislative district maps in several states, most notably in New York, Maryland, and Ohio. But beyond the 38 congressional seats that are representing Florida, New Hampshire, and Missouri, more than 91 percent of the nations congressional districts are mapped and in place for the next decade. Unresolved Map Disputes Hogan signed Marylands new legislative maps into law after lawmakers dropped their appeal of Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Lynne Battaglias March 25 rejection of maps drawn by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. Legal challenges to the maps had already prompted the state to push its primary back from June 28 to July 19. Battaglia ordered the General Assembly to redraw the map by March 30. In response, the assembly submitted what are essentially 2010 maps for the 2022 election cyclewhich Hogan signedwhile also saying that they would appeal the March 25 ruling. The maps status was cemented into 2020 stasis a few hours after Hogan signed them when a special magistrate adviser to the states Court of Appeals system recommended that the Maryland Supreme Court reject four petitions contending that the General Assemblys maps violated a state constitutional requirement that legislative districts be compact and respect natural and political boundaries. Special Magistrate Alan Wilner determined in his advisory that the legislative map should stand, but the Maryland Supreme Court will hear his report on April 13. Congressional maps adopted in North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania by Republicans and in Minnesota by Democrats have been struck down by court rulings and supplanted with less biased maps that have been subsequently adopted for 2022 campaigns, but are likely to be re-legislated or re-litigated before the 2024 elections. Lawsuits alleging that new districts drawn in Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas unlawfully dilute minority voter influence are also unlikely to be resolved until after the 2022 election cycle. Florida, with 28 congressional districts, is the most politically significant state without adopted legislative district maps. New Hampshire has two congressional districts and Missouri eight. Missouri lawmakers are the nations only state legislators who have failed to approve redistricted legislative maps in the wake of the 2020 Census. Florida: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed on March 29 congressional maps drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature and has called lawmakers to Tallahassee for an April 19 to April 22 special session to deliberate on the competing maps. The states population growth means that it has added a 28th congressional seat. In divvying up the 27 existing districts into 28, DeSantiss proposed map seeks to give Republicans a greater advantage than the legislatures maps do. Much of the contention between Florida Republican leaders relates to House District 5 in the Tallahassee areathe only Democrat-controlled statehouse district north of Tallahasseethat DeSantis wants diminished to a greater degree than the legislatures plan does. Common Cause Florida, FairDistricts Now, and five individuals filed a lawsuit on March 11 against the legislature in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, claiming that the intra-party impasse between DeSantis and lawmakers was impeding fair access to the polls for state voters and that the maps were gerrymandered. The lawsuit petitions the court to step in and draw the boundaries. On April 1, Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee asked to stay the federal lawsuit until after lawmakers conclude their April 19 special session. The court is expected to issue a ruling regarding a stay by April 11. New Hampshire: Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said hell veto a congressional map adopted by New Hampshires Republican-led legislature and on March 22 submitted his own plan to lawmakers that would make the states two congressional districts more competitive. On March 31, five New Hampshire voters filed a lawsuit challenging the legislatures and Sununus congressional district maps and asked a county superior court to draw the voting districts before the states Sept. 3 primaries. Missouri: The only state where new congressional maps havent been passed by the legislature. Missouri House and Senate Republicans cant agree on how to divvy up the eight congressional districts. The Missouri House has rejected congressional maps adopted on March 24 by the Missouri Senate. The upper chamber had previously tossed the proposed maps approved by the House in January. Because the candidate filing deadline for the states Aug. 2 primary was March 29, hopefuls for 2022 elections were allowed to proceed using 2010 boundaries. However, a lawsuit has been filed, as congressional districts are required to have equal populations based on the most recent Census. A March 11 lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court by five voters from over-populated districts contends that its unconstitutional to use the 2010 maps for the 2022 election because of population shifts. Pending Rulings Courts in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina, and Georgia have already intervened in resolving redistricting disputes. In Ohios case, there could be more rulings, while in New York, a potential legal challenge to 2022 maps appears to have been thwarted. Ohio: The states May 3 primaries for state House and Senate seats have been pushed back until August after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected state legislative districts maps approved by a Republican-led commission. But the congressional districts approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission on March 28the commissions fourth attempt after the first three failed to pass legal musternow stand, so congressional and statewide election primaries are proceeding as scheduled. In fact, early voting in May 3 primaries for those elections began on April 5 in Ohio. Those congressional maps, which would give Republicans control of at least 10 of the states 15 congressional seats, are also being challenged in federal court by the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, and a group of Ohio voters represented by the National Redistricting Action Fund and in a lawsuit before the Ohio Supreme Court. In the state action, the groups are asking the Ohio Supreme Court to reject the Republican-controlled commissions fourth set of maps because they arent compliant with what voters asked for when they approved an overhaul to redistricting regulations in the state, or with the Supreme Courts order to draft an entirely new map, as opposed to working from the one rejected by the court. The suit calls on the court to either adopt new maps itself for the 2022 election or nominate a special master to do so by April 20, which would give the Ohio secretary of states office time to implement the maps for the Aug. 2 legislative primaries. In the federal lawsuit, which is also supported by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a three-judge U.S. District Court panel has ruled that it wont intervene, but gave all parties an April 20 deadline to have proposed maps ready for legal scrutiny. Republican legislative leaders say their map is constitutional and that the Ohio Supreme Court cant legally move the primary and shouldnt do so with ballots already being distributed for congressional and statewide elections. New York: On March 30, New York Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister ordered state lawmakers to redraw their adopted legislative maps by April 11 or the court would appoint an independent body to do so. New York Democrats maps could gain their party as many as three to four seats within the states 27-member delegation, which McAllister cited as a politically biased gerrymander. But on April 4, an appeals judge put a temporary hold on McAllisters ruling in lieu of an April 7 hearing on whether to extend the stay or lift it for the 2022 election cycle. Other Legal Actions North Carolina: Legislative maps drawn by experts appointed by the North Carolina Supreme Court will be implemented for the 2022 elections. The states primary was pushed back from March to mid-May when the state Supreme Court threw out the Republican-drawn map. Louisiana: Louisiana lawmakers completed their congressional redistricting on March 30, when both Republican-controlled chambers overrode Edwardss rejection of the maps. The new map largely maintained the 2010 maps. Democrats and Edwards want a new map that includes a second majority-minority district among the states six congressional districts. Blacks make up one-third of Louisianas total population. Its uncertain if Edwards will sign the maps or pursue further legal action. A coalition of civil rights groups has sued in federal court, alleging that the Louisiana map dilutes the political power of black voters, but a resolution is unlikely before the 2022 elections. Wisconsin: Wisconsins redrawn congressional districts have been approved, but its state legislative districts remain undetermined. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down on March 23 Wisconsins new legislative maps enacted by Wisconsin Supreme Court after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-controlled legislature failed to agree on them. The Wisconsin Supreme Court must now select new legislative maps or provide further evidence to support its originally selected maps. Alabama: Alabamas Republican-led legislature likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act by not creating a second district in which black voters make up close to a majority, a state court ruled. But on March 23, the U.S. Supreme Court put a hold on an order to draw new district maps until after the 2022 election cycle. The states May 24 primary will proceed under the Republican-passed maps. Georgia: A federal lawsuit challenging congressional districts drawn by the states Republican-controlled legislature has also been stayed by a federal judge, keeping those disputed districts in place for the 2022 election cycle. The State Supreme Courthouse as seen in New York City on April 23, 2014. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) New York Judge Dies By Suicide After Authorities Raid His Home A New York State judge whose home was raided by law enforcement authorities in March, died by suicide on Tuesday in his home near Buffalo, his attorney said. John L. Michalski, 61, an acting justice of the State Supreme Court, was found dead in his Amherst home, defense attorney Terrence M. Connors told The Buffalo News. Connors said he received a call about his former clients death late Tuesday morning. Its heartbreaking, Connors said. He was such a good guy. This just didnt have to happen. Its difficult to explain what a tragedy this is, said Connors, adding that it would be difficult to find a judge who was more respected in the Western New York legal community, The New York Times reported. Michalski, began his judicial career in 2006 when he was appointed a judge of the New York Court of Claims and an acting justice of the Supreme Court. He had been entangled in a law enforcement investigation for years, but no charges were filed against him or his wife. He was left with a serious leg injury in February last year after he was struck by a freight train. Another judge called it a suicide attempt at the time, according to The Buffalo News. The news outlet reported that he was struck by the slow-moving train days after he was contacted by federal agents over his relationship with his former client, Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of a strip club near Buffalo. Gerace was indicted on charges related to drug and sex trafficking and bribery of a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Joseph Bongiovanni, on the same day as Michalskis apparent suicide attempt last year. NBC affiliate WGRZ reported that federal prosecutors filed indictments last month against Gerace and Bongiovanni for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Both deny the allegations. According to The Buffalo News, Michalski was also being investigated by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct on how much he received for officiating Geraces wedding. Connors told the news outlet last week that Michalskis legal troubles seemed manageable. We had a good support system in place, Connors said. He was strong. His home was raided by state and federal law enforcement agencies on March 24. Two government sources told The Buffalo News last week that police were looking for evidence of tax crimes. Michalski is survived by his wife and four children. If you are someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741. A resident inspects a burnt house in the village of Kizara, in northern Nigerian Zamfara state, on June 18, 2013 after a group of bandits attacked the village, killing 48 people in a pre-dawn raid in apparent reprisals targeting a local vigilante group. The attack saw gunmen move house to house as well as take positions atop a hill and open fire, the official said. Houses were also burnt, but it was not clear how many. AFP PHOTO/STRINGER (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images) Nigerian Bandits Rampage Across Nation, Encamp Near Capital Targets include trains, planes, and sleeping villages In a brazen show of power, a large band of motorbike-riding bandit terrorists has encamped in five communities outside Nigerias capital, Abuja, and may aim to exploit national elections, a defense expert told The Epoch Times. A whirl of nine bloody bandit attacks in three of Nigerias northern states has claimed more than 160 lives since March 20. Tens of thousands of panicked residents have packed their belongings on their backs and trekked into refugee camps, according to eyewitnesses and media accounts. The banditsnumbering up to 1,000may be aiming to extort campaigners seeking the presidency in February 2023, according to David Otto, a London-based military consultant. The Nigerian government has designated the bandit groups, which are composed of radical Muslim jihadists, as terrorists. We are seeing a dangerous new paradigm where armed bandits hold politicians virtual hostage during campaign periods, Otto told The Epoch Times. In this scenario, politicians are forced to pay access and protection ransom to bandits in return for unhindered access to carry out campaigns in certain communities that are otherwise inaccessible. This is the new mafia in the northwest. Nigeria is no stranger to jihadist terrorism, especially by the infamous Boko Haram and other ISIS-related militia. Yet in the past two years, these groups have been overshadowed by swarms of radicalized bandits in five of Nigerias northwestern states. Unlike ISIS and Boko Haram, the bandit terrorists dont have clear political aims. The bandit gangs prey upon Muslims and Christian communities alike, although they target ethnic and religious groups perceived as opponents, especially Christians, according to Kyle Abts, executive director of International Committee on Nigeria, a United States-based advocacy group. The bandits first attacked on March 20, killing 37 Christian residents of four villages bordering the town of Kagoro. Some victims were burned to death. A company of soldiers in a forward operating base one mile away were notified but didnt arrive to stop the slaughter. On March 24, no fewer than 50 people were murdered in Giwa. A hundred bandits invaded the Kaduna International Airport on March 26 and attempted to stop a departing aircraft. One civilian was killed, according to Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, general manager of corporate affairs at the Federal Airports Authorities. On March 28, the bandits bombed a train carrying close to 1,000 passengers, killing eight people and kidnapping several others along the AbujaKaduna highway. A man walks past a train on the newly completed AbujaKaduna railway line in Abuja, on July 21, 2016. On March 28, a train carrying close to 1,000 passengers was bombed by bandits who killed eight people and kidnapped several others. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images) On March 29, the bandits killed 23 Christian farmers and herders in Giwa County, which borders Zamfara in Kadunas north. On March 30, a woman was killed in an attack in Zaria, a city in north Kaduna. On April 3, the bandits killed at least 17 people and took 22 hostage in a midnight attack in the village of Kagarko, near Abuja, according to Steven Kefas, reporting for TMS News. The bandits occupy land in five communities on the border between Kaduna and Niger states, both of which border Abuja. On April 4, the bandits killed 11 soldiers and 3 local civilian guards during an assault on a forward operating base in Birnin Gwari County, bordering Kaduna and Zamfara states. The bandit warlord in charge of the encampments outside Abuja is Ali Kawaje, likely the most powerful bandit leader in the Northwest, according to Dr. Murtala Rufai, a scholar at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto. The message Ali Kawaje is sending is that if he can bring Kaduna to its knees, he can attack Abuja, Rufai told The Epoch Times. These attacks are related, according to Otto, who said the bandits are leveraging the need of political candidates to show they can meet the challenge of rampant terrorism, referred to in Nigeria by the euphemism insecurity. Presidential and state elections have been transformed into a source of chaos for ordinary Nigerians, and 2023 is no different, Otto wrote in a text. As election campaign momentum heats up, desperate politicians are in the active hunt for hard and untraceable currency to fund the often-expensive campaigns. Just as politicians need votes from a vulnerable population in search of positive change, promising a desperate people with the return of security and stability is a voting insurance in an environment where insecurity is simply unbearable. A common denominator in the attacks is the ethnicity of the gang leaders. All are reportedly members of the Fulani ethnicity, which claims up to 10 million members in Nigeria and which is one of the largest tribes in Africa. Some of the Fulani are semi-nomadic herders who have traditionally migrated with their cattle herds according to seasonal rainfall from Nigerias north to the middle belt states. Bandit gangs emerged in 2011 and grew in number and range since then, according to Rufai, author of I Am a Bandit. Disputes between ethnic Hausa farmers and migrating Fulani herders gave rise to armed militia known as Yan Sakai, also called vigilantes, in 2011. The lawlessness in the countrys north has evolved in recent years into complex, coordinated terrorism, according to Tanwa Ashiru, chief operating officer of Bulwark Security in Lagos and a former U.S. Army captain. Ashiru discounts the claim by officials of the Nigerian government that climate change and fierce competition for land and water resources are the drivers of clashes between Muslim herders and sedentary Christian farmers. Desertification and climate change could indeed be playing a part in increasing the attractiveness of the middle belt for herders compared to the more arid climate up north, she told The Epoch Times by text. But there are multiple actors at play here, with multiple motives for attacking, and this is what makes this case a bit more complex than a climate change issue. In a village north of Jos, capital of Plateau state in Nigeria, a woman wails in grief on Aug. 19, 2021. (Lawrence Zongo/The Epoch Times) The herding peoples linked to armed clashes fall into three categories, she said. There are herder groups that are interested in having access to greener pastures for their herds. They have the motive to attack communities for settlement purposes, she said. There are former herders who have now evolved into armed criminal groups because theyve realized kidnapping is more lucrative, less taxing, and has a quicker turnaround time. Then you have those who are simply armed criminals who travel around to wreak havoc and conduct attacks anywhere they want, because they are getting away with it with little to no consequences. They have control of local communities, provide local governance [collect taxes, provide security for a fee], and challenge the legitimate government structures. The wide-ranging violence in Kaduna state includes reprisals by farming communities against herding people, which incites endless tribal counterattacks. A case in point was an attack on Christian farmers in Azabagut, located in the northwest of Zangon Kataf county, that killed six people on March 28. It was retaliatory, according to Haruna Usman Tugga, the leader of the Fulani tribe in Kaduna. We have lost many people and cattle in that area, but the media is not reporting it, Tugga said by phone. The massacres are an example of horrific suffering inflicted on innocent civilians, Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the House of Lords in the UK, told The Epoch Times in a text message. As long as the perpetrators can continue with impunity, theres no indication that there will be an end to the killings, she said. Theres an urgent need for the Nigerian government and the international community to call the perpetrators to account. Until and unless they do so, they can be seen to be complicit. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gives an opening statement during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing to discuss the ongoing federal response to COVID-19, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 11, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters) EXCLUSIVE: NIH Provides Brief Fauci Job Description but Withholds All Contracts The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is withholding records related to Dr. Anthony Faucis employment, including all copies of his job contracts. In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Faucis job descriptions and job contracts, the NIH provided a brief job description and a longer, outdated version. But the agency ignored the request for the contracts. Karen Lampe, with the NIHs Freedom of Information Office, has refused to acknowledge a failure to process the request properly. The NIHs Office of the Director declined to provide a comment by deadline. Fauci and his agency didnt return requests for comment. Dr. Fauci is untouchable, hes protected, and essentially unreviewable even by his own employer, the National Institutes of Health, Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder of OpenTheBooks.com, told The Epoch Times in an email. The Fauci employment contract is so sensitive that the agency is violating FOIA statutes and using expensive taxpayer-funded litigation to withhold it from the American people. Andrzejewskis group discovered that Fauci is the highest-paid government employee and uncovered some documentation as to why that is the case. Fauci was appointed under Title 42 in 2000, enabling him to make more money, the NIH has confirmed. Fauci was appointed as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, in 1984. A document from 2004 showed Dr. Raynard Kington, at the time the agencys deputy director, calling for the pay adjustment to be made permanent because Fauci continues to be routinely sought by academia and private industry, with offered compensation levels well above his current salary of [redacted]. OpenTheBooks.com and Judicial Watch are locked in litigation with the NIH over the agencys slow-walking of Freedom of Information Act requests pertaining to Fauci, including for his job contracts. The NIH has agreed to produce 300 pages a month to the plaintiffs, but decided to produce the documents related to Fauci last. That production wont start until November. While the attempt to get Faucis contracts has not been successful, The Epoch Times did obtain a brief description of Faucis duties, which has been withheld from other parties. The 177-word description is the most recent NIAID director function statement, according to Gorka Garcia-Malene, another NIH freedom of information officer. Also included in the response was an outdated job description, apparently from before 2000. You requested Dr. Anthony Faucis job contract(s) and job description(s). NIH has processed 5 pages related to Dr. Faucis current job description, consisting of the most recent director of NIAID duties statement and NIAID director functional statement. Please note that since 2000, Dr. Fauci is appointed under Title 42, where there is a statement of duties versus a position description,' Garcia-Malene wrote. Unfortunately, NIH was unable to locate the statement of duties in place at the time Dr. Fauci was appointed. We were able to locate an older version of a position description and the most recent function statement for Director, NIAID and are releasing these records to you in full. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the NIH, all appointments under Title 42 must include a statement of duties. Its rather extraordinary that basic information about Faucis job duties are missing, Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, told The Epoch Times. Hes the highest paid official in the government and we dont know what his job duties are? North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks away from what state media report is a "new type" of intercontinental ballistic missile in this undated photo released on March 24, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). (KCNA via Reuters) North Korea Might Hold Nuclear Test Next Week, China and Russia Not Condemning Launches: US Envoy North Korea might hold a nuclear test next week to mark the birth anniversary of the countrys late founder, Kim Il Sung, according to a U.S. official, who said that there have been no productive discussions with China or Russia regarding U.S. efforts to condemn Pyongyangs recent string of missile launches. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim told reporters at a press briefing on April 6 that U.S. officials believe Pyongyang could use the April 15 anniversary to showcase its increasing nuclear capabilities but noted that he didnt want to speculate too much about the East Asian country. So we are worried that, in connection with the upcoming April 15th anniversary, that the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] may be tempted to take another provocative action. We obviously hope not, but we will be prepared, Kim said. In terms of the upcoming anniversary and the provocative actions the DPRK may take, I dont want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test. The important thing is that we, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake. I want to emphasize that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation. Kim noted that North Koreas regime has conducted 13 missile tests since the start of the year, adding, Hopefully the anniversary can pass without any further escalation. North Koreas most recent missile test occurred on March 24 and involved the test-launch of its largest-yet intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, which it fired from Pyongyang International Airport. According to the regimes mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency, the missile flew 681 miles to a maximum altitude of 3,905 miles before hitting a target in the sea. That was yet another breach of the countrys self-imposed moratorium in 2018a suspension on nuclear and long-range missile testing. Kim said North Koreas escalatory and provocative actions require a decisive response from the U.N. Security Council, of which both China and Russia are members, and that this is why we have, in cooperation with our partners, proposed a new U.N. Security Council resolution. We have had discussions with the PRC and Russia, he said. Unfortunately, I cannot report that we have had productive discussions with them thus far, but I would defer to my very capable colleagues in New York to continue that effort, he said. I know that there is overwhelming consensus that the Security Council needs to respond to these blatant violations of multiple Security Council resolutions, and we hope that Russia and China will agree that its in their interest to work with us on this new Security Council resolution. Kims comments come as tensions in the region continue to escalate. On April 5, North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned that while Pyongyang opposes war, it will use its growing arsenal of nuclear weapons to retaliate if South Korea takes any dangerous military action such as a preemptive strike. But if South Korea, for any reasonwhether or not it is blinded by misjudgmentopts for such military action as preemptive strike touted by [Defense Minister Suh Wook], the situation will change, Kim said. In that case, South Korea itself will become a target. Wook had said South Koreas military is capable of accurately and swiftly taking action to strike North Korean missile launch sites that present an impending threat to the South. Reuters contributed to this report. The Oregon state government requires schools to incorporate ethnic studies into the social studies curriculum for all students in K-12. (Wikimedia) Oregon to Require Ethnic Studies for Students in K-12 Oregons youngest students will experience a new emphasis on race, identity, and equity as the state incorporates ethnic studies requirements into the social studies curriculum for all students in K-12. It will be the first state to do so. The new focus stems from an Oregon law passed in 2017 that directed the Oregon Department of Education (DoE) to develop standards to improve cultural competency and promote critical thinking with regard to histories, contributions, and perspectives of ethnic and social minority groups. The standards will permeate the study of civics and government, economics, geography, financial literacy, history, and social science analysis, according to the department. Published in March 2021, the new standards are now being adopted in many schools across the state and will be required for the 2025-2026 school year. Already, Oregon teachers, staff, and administrators are being trained on the elements of ethnic studies, which the department cites as an indispensable tool for dismantling what activists describe as Americas racial caste system. Oregons [new] social science standards are intended to create a more inclusive understanding of our past and present, including additional perspectives and histories that allow students to feel welcome and recognized in the classroom and a part of our collective narrative, our shared history, according to an Oregon DoE statement. Critics of the states new teaching standards are concerned that the ethnic studies curriculum mirrors critical race theory, an academic concept that argues racism is ingrained in American laws and government institutions. Under the new standards, for instance, kindergarten teachers in Oregon will be required to teach students to understand humans inherent differences, like race, gender, and religion, according to the guidelines published in March. They will learn to understand ones own identity groups and identify examples of unfairness or injustice towards individuals or groups and the change-makers, who worked to make the world better, as well as possible solutions to injustices. First grade students will be required to define equity, equality, and systems of power. By second grade, pupils should be able to explain how inherited wealth and scarcity affect individual and group power as well as take informed action to interrupt injustice or promote justice in their community. Third graders will need to identify the impact of systems of power, including white supremacy, institutional racism, racial hierarchy. In fourth grade, the guidelines require students to examine the consequences of power and privilege on issues associated with poverty, income and the accumulation of wealth as well as understand how physical geography [dams, wind turbines, climate change, and transportation] affect Oregons environmental sustainability. They will also study movements of resistance and justice in the state. Fifth-grade classes will examine how the excisions of those in power affected those with less political/economic power in the past and current movements of equality, freedom, and justice. Beginning in seventh grade, students will study historic and contemporary means of changing societies and identify individuals and/or groups promoting the common good [civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, workers rights] for the expansion of justice, equality and equity. High-school students will identify and critique how implicit bias, institutional racism, racial supremacy, privilege, intersectionality, and identity influence perspectives and take informed action. These new requirements will encourage our students to think critically, Fern Ridge School District Superintendent Gary Carpenter told The Epoch Times. It will also encourage students to become active and engaged citizens. And thats what were supposed to do. But not all teachers are on board. Ive studied critical race theory, one teacher who asked to remain anonymous told The Epoch Times. This is CRT. Its not a curriculum. Its a theory that forces us to view everything through the lens of race. Ive spent the past 35 years teaching kids not to do that, added another teacher. Now Im supposed to turn that on its head. Now Ill be asked to teach something that I believe is harmful to our country. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault takes part in a moderated discussion with the audience following his speech on an emissions reduction plan, at the Canadian Club in Toronto on March 9, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young) Ottawa Approves Bay du Nord Oil Project Off Coast of Newfoundland and Labrador Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has approved a new oil project off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, which Ottawa says will be subjected to some of the strongest-ever environmental requirements. Guilbeaults decision released on April 6 by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, says that the Equinors Bay du Nord project can proceed as long as it achieves net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Until 2050, the Norwegian energy company is also legally required to consider and incorporate the best available options to reduce emissions. I have determined that the designated project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, said Guilbeault in his 22page decision statement. The decision comes after the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, a federal body accountable to Guilbeaults ministry, concluded that the project would not have a significant impact on the environment, after four years of study, the minister added. The Bay du Nord project consists of several oil discoveries in the Flemish pass basin, some 500 kilometres northeast of St. Johns in Newfoundland and Labrador. Equinor has proposed developing the Bay du Nord field by installing and operating a floating offshore oil and gas production facility. The project is estimated to operate for about 30 years, producing around 300 million barrels of oil over its lifetime. Equinor estimates greenhouse gas emissions from production are expected to be as low as eight kilograms per barrel, compared to the average emissions by oilsands at 80 kilograms per barrel, and the overall Canadian average at 40 kilograms per barrel. Equinor spokesman Alex Collins said the Bay du Nord project has the potential to produce the lowestcarbon oil in the country. Equinor is pleased with the strong support that the Bay du Nord project has received from stakeholders across the province and Canada, she told The Canadian Press. According to Equinors estimates, the project will generate about $3.5 billion in revenue for the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Premier Andrew Furey said the importance of the Bay du Nord project to the province cannot be overstated. It will be among the lowest carbon per barrel oil in the world, meeting the current global demand at this important time of transition, he said on Twitter on April 6. The Canadian Press contributed to this report The Amazon logo on the door of an Amazon Books retail store in New York, on Feb. 14, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Over 50 Amazon Warehouses in US Contact Union After New York Vote Amazon.com Inc. labor organizer Christian Smalls said on Tuesday more than 50 warehouses of the e-commerce giant in the U.S. reached out after its warehouse in New York City voted to form the first union at the company. Since we WON @amazonlabor has been contacted by workers in over 50 buildings Nationwide not including the several buildings overseas and counting, Smalls, a former Amazon employee, said in a tweet. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Employees at Amazons fulfillment center in the borough of Staten Island secured a majority by voting 2,654 to 2,131 in support of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), according to a count released on Friday by the National Labor Relations Board. By Tiyashi Datta A tractor spreading fertilizers to a field of winter wheat near the village of Husachivka in Kyiv region, Ukraine on April 17, 2020. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters) Over Thousand Railcars Carrying Grain Stuck at Ukraine Borders Ukrainian train wagons containing grain are stuck close to the countrys border with Poland, according to data from Kyivs state-run railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. In total, 24,190 wagons carrying various goods like chemicals, iron ore, coal, etc. are waiting to cross the western border, Reuters reported, citing the railway company data. Of this, roughly 1,100 wagons are carrying grain. Prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine used to export 98 percent of cereals via the Black Sea and only a fraction by rail. But with the war having disrupted shipping activities, Ukraine is now forced to export grain through the more expensive rail option. However, transporting goods through land is facing red tape issues and logistical challenges. The massive volume of goods that are now seeking alternate routes is creating shortages of rail cars and staff, compounding the problem. Clearing the backlog of railcars could take some time. Valerii Tkachov, deputy director of the commercial department at Ukrzaliznytsia, said to Reuters. Ukrainian railways use a wider railway gauge than what is typically used in Europe. As such, railway employees have to raise wagons using a jack and manually change the chassis to fit the Polish tracks. Alternatively, the grain from the Ukrainian wagons will have to be poured into Polish ones, something that could take up to 30 minutes per wagon. The railway company is working toward enabling 1,100 wagons of grain to cross daily into Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania in around three months, according to Tckachov. If successful, this would represent a ten-fold increase in volume when compared to the March numbers. The railways are also buying more equipment, hiring people, and easing out customs procedures. We are working to speed up the process reducing the number and duration of wagon inspections, and the amount of paperwork, Tkachov said. Export of grain totaled around $12.2 billion in 2021, making up roughly 20 percent of Ukraines total exports. In March 2022, grain exports fell to just 10 percent of what was exported in March last year as the country grappled with Russian forces. From the beginning of July 2021 until late February, Ukraine exported 43 million tons of grain. Prior to the war, Kyiv had expected grain exports to hit 65 million tons this season. Analysts now estimate Ukraines grain exports to be around just a million tons in the three months following February. Ukraines deputy agriculture minister Taras Vysotskiy had recently expressed hope that the country might be able to export 1.5 million tons of grain by train. Though it would only be around a third of what was exported via ports, Vysotskiy notes that the rail exports would generate some income for those dependent on the agricultural industry. Russias invasion has threatened global food security since Ukraine is a critical link in the agricultural supply chain that connects several nations. In 2021, the U.N. World Food Program sourced half its supplies from Ukraine. Multiple countries in the Middle East and North Africa, many of whom are already struggling with drought, are also at food supply risk due to the war. Ukraine and Russia accounted for over two-thirds of wheat imported by countries like Lebanon, Libya, and Egypt. The EU imports 50 percent of Ukraines sunflower oil production. But with exports disrupted, the region is now being threatened by a shortage of oil. We are in a situation where the entire European and global food industry are fighting for the sunflower oil supplies that remain, Ruben Moreno, head of Spanish confectionary industry group Produlce, said in an interview with Politico. Though the search for alternative oils was on, it would not suffice to make up for the loss of Ukrainian oil. In this file photo, a school classroom is seen in Tustin, Calif., on March 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Parent Disputes Officials Claim of Rare Violence at Aussie High School After Students Banned The Canberra mother of a Calwell High School student has disputed an government officials claim that recent reports of student violence on campus were rare, saying her Year 8 child has endured multiple attacks and security lockdowns after students formed violent mobs during staff shortages. This comes after the school was forced to ban two cohorts of Year 7 and 8 students after school inspectors found they were allegedly subjecting teachers and administration staff to abuse and sexualised violence and behaviour daily. Calwell High School in Canberra was issued with a WorkSafe Act prohibition notice on April 4, after workplace health and safety inspectors found that due to a chronic shortage of staff there were a growing number of Year 7 and 8 student mobs who would physically target and assault other students and teachers, The Canberra Times reported. Canberra is experiencing extreme staff shortages across many of its public schools due to an outbreak of COVID-19. This is despite Canberra having the highest vaccination rate in Australia with 98.7 percent of the citys eligible population (five years and up) having received the jab. Teachers at the school have described the environment as like a war zone, only worse. In the previous week, one teacher reportedly was left with a dislocated shoulder, several broken teeth, welts to the lower arm, and bruising to the back after allegedly being assaulted the previous week while trying to break up a fight between two students, The Canberra Times reported. This comes after it was alleged that the teachers at the school said they were regularly taking classes of more than 40 students due to a chronic shortage of staff and COVID-19 absences, with one instance of a class of 75 students supervised by one teacher and one learning support officer. However, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Education Minister Yvette Berry, who avoided a vote of no confidence in the ACT Legislative Assembly on April 6 following the revelations, told the ABC that the violent incidents reported were rare in ACT public schools. She also said the Education Directorate had made more resources available for the school to support both staff and students. However, one Canberra mother has disputed Berrys comments. The mother, who The Epoch Times has agreed not to name in order to protect herself and her daughter, said her daughter has been aggressively targeted on campus. The mother said that violent incidents were commonplace at Calwell High School and that the ACT Education Directorate had failed the students. In an email to The Epoch Times, the mother said that in the past 13 months since her daughter began attending Calwell High School they had experienced multiple security lockdownsthe first within weeks of being at the schoolduring which the students were forced to hide under desks for anywhere between one to three hours while emergency sirens blared. That first one was particularly scary as it lasted more than three hours and Id received a message from my daughter at the start of it, and then nothing for hours, the mother said. Living close by, I saw the police had cordoned off the area. Eventually, the school sent out an email in the evening briefly mentioning there had been a security incident. My daughter said she felt scared, powerless, and unsafe during it. This hadnt ever happened to her older siblings attending a different school, she said. Security incidents allegedly became a recurring issue throughout the year, with the child contacting her mother during each incident for comfort. The child said that each time the students were required to lock themselves in a classroom and hide under desks until the security threat could be confirmed or not. Last year a teacher was forced to barricade my then Year 7 child and some class members inside a classroom after they were mobbed by hostile Year 10 students rioting and banging on windows and doors ignoring the teachers request to calm down and not enter the classroom, she said. We have also had to make a report to the police upon the advice of the school because of the violence by other students to my child. The child, who is now in Year 8, is receiving counselling over the traumatic incidents. The mother said the school has given her child, along with other students who have allegedly been repeatedly targeted by the violent students, exit cards that they can hand to the teacher when they feel unsafe in a classroom and need to flee. They can exit a classroom and usually the teacher at the time lets them escapealthough some teachers dont apparently know what the exit card is forwithout reprehension. But where they can go to? she said. And also, why do they have to leave a supervised school classroom and hide in order to feel safe? The Year 8 student has also noted to her mother that most students feel the need to bring some kind of weapon to the campus for their own protection. Violence is endemic, the Canberran mother said. This situation is now past the point of isolating and reprimanding the few violent studentsits everyone out to protect themselves. And that can be quite an extreme notion at age 12 to 14. The repercussions from teachers may seem less daunting than the thought of facing another well-armed student, she added. A spokesperson for ACT Directorate confirmed in a statement to The Epoch Times that it had received notices from WorkSafe ACT regarding Calwell High School The school community can be assured that the Education Directorate will meet its obligations under these notices, the spokesperson said. Calwell, like all our ACT public schools, has supports in place to help manage complex, challenging, and violent behaviours and to tailor an appropriate response when incidents occur. The spokesperson said that the Directorate is committed to providing a safe learning and work environment for all staff and students. However, the Directorate spokesperson did not respond to questions about the alleged ongoing violence at Calwell High School. Instead, they reiterated Berrys remarks to another outlet that violent incidents were rare in ACT public schools. They also noted that the Directorate has directed additional resources into the school to support staff and students, taking immediate action to respond to the serious issues raised. We care greatly about all our teachers and school staff. We continue to work very closely with our workforce through their unions to ensure that all our school staff, including principals, feel supported with their work health and safety as well as general wellbeing, he said. WorkSafe ACT told The Epoch Times in an email that it was investigating the school after receiving a complaint from the Australian Education Union. WorkSafe ACT will respond to this complaint in the same manner as it responds to all complaints. Appropriate enquiries will be undertaken by the inspectorate and we will make no further comment on this matter, said Liz Sweeney, WorkSafes assistant director of media and communications. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters in Washington in a file image. (Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images) Pelosi Tests Positive for COVID-19 Hours After Being in Contact With Biden House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tested positive for COVID-19, a spokesman announced on April 7. After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, Drew Hammill, the spokesman, said in a statement. Pelosi is quarantining in adherence with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pelosi has received a primary vaccination series and a booster, but the three vaccines in the United States are increasingly unable to prevent infection following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Pelosi, 82, had a press conference scheduled Thursday before the diagnosis. One of the oldest members of Congress, the Democrat is considered at high risk of contracting a severe case of the illness because of her advanced age. So is President Joe Biden, 79, who was close to Pelosi during an event on Wednesday. Pelosi was within inches of Biden as he signed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 at the White House in Washington. According to the CDC, a person is considered a close contact if they were less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. Close contacts are recommended to quarantine if they are not up-to-date on their vaccinations. If they are, they are told they do not need to isolate unless they develop symptoms. Even if an exposed person does not develop symptoms, they are advised to get tested at least five days following the contact. The White House said in a statement that Biden is not a close contact because he had only brief interactions with the House speaker in the past two days. The White House also said Biden tested negative on Wednesday night. Other top officials in Washington have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive on Wednesday shortly after holding an event with FBI Director Christopher Wray and Lisa Monaco, Garlands deputy. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and House Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) also tested positive, as did Jamal Simmons, communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris. Simmons was in close contact with Harris, according to the White House. While Simmons was isolating and working from home, Harris did not plan on doing so, the White House indicated. The vast majority of COVID-19 cases involve no or mild symptoms, but a small number lead to severe disease. A small percentage of patients go to hospitals and die. Candles and flowers at a memorial for those killed and injured in a mass shooting on April 3, 2022, in Sacramento, Calif., on April 5,2022. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo) Police: Sacramento Shooting Was Gunfight Among Gang Rivals, at Least 5 Shooters Involved SACRAMENTO, Calif.The shooting that left six people dead and 12 wounded outside bars just blocks from Californias Capitol last weekend was a gunfight involving at least five shooters from rival gangs, Sacramento police said Wednesday. Police said they identified at least five gunmen but there may have been more. Only two suspectsboth brothers wounded by gunfirehave been arrested in connection with the shooting and, so far, only face firearms charges. Were still working through who the actual shooters are in the case, Sgt. Zach Eaton said. Until Wednesdays announcement, police had been silent on what led to the shooting that erupted early Sunday as bars were letting out. Rapid-fire bursts of over 100 gunshots echoed through the streets as terrified patrons ran for their lives and others were hit by bullets. Authorities credited witnesses who contributed nearly 200 videos, photos, and other tips with helping the investigation. Police declined to name the two gangs involved or the affiliation of any suspects. One of the brothers in custody was freed from prison about two months ago and last year was rejected for earlier release after prosecutors argued he clearly has little regard for human life, documents show. Smiley Martin, 27, who was released on probation in February, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. Hours before Sundays attack, Martin posted a live Facebook video of himself brandishing a handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. (Left) Dandrae Martin in a file photo. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry via AP); (Right) Smiley Allen Martin on Feb. 6, 2022. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP) Police were trying to determine if a stolen handgun found at the crime scene was used in the massacre. It had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire. Detectives also were trying to determine whether the gun Martin brandished in the video was used, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to publicly discuss details and spoke on condition of anonymity. Martin and his brother were among those wounded when gunfire erupted about a block from the state Capitol at about 2 a.m. Sunday as bars closed and patrons filled the streets. Investigators have said previously that they were trying to determine if a street fight outside a nightclub may have sparked the shooting. The Sacramento County coroner identified the three women killed as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. The three men killed were Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and Devazia Turner, 29. Ten people were wounded in addition to the Martin brothers and at least two remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Smiley Martin was arrested in the hospital and will be booked when his condition improves enough for him to be jailed, police said. His brother, Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested Monday as a related suspect and appeared briefly Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court on a charge of being a convict carrying a loaded gun. Dandrae Martin makes his first court appearance in Sacramento County Superior Court, in Sacramento, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo) Investigators believe both brothers had stolen guns and are trying to determine how they got them, the law enforcement official told the AP. A 31-year-old man seen carrying a handgun immediately after the shooting was arrested Tuesday on a weapons charge. Police said they dont believe his gun was used in the shooting. Smiley Martin has a criminal history dating to 2013. He was released on probation from state prison in February after serving about half of a 10-year sentence for punching a girlfriend, dragging her from her home by her hair and whipping her with a belt, prosecutors said. Martin might have been released sooner, but a Parole Board rejected his bid for early release in May after prosecutors said the 2017 felony assault along with convictions for possessing an assault weapon and thefts posed a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community. Martin clearly has little regard for human life and the law, and has displayed a pattern of criminal behavior from the time he was 18, a Sacramento County deputy district attorney wrote in a letter last year to the Board of Parole Hearings. It wasnt clear if Smiley Martin had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Dandrae Martin, who was held without bail, was freed from an Arizona prison in 2020 after serving just over 18 months for violating probation in separate cases involving marijuana possession and aggravated assault. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg told reporters Wednesday he had serious questions about why the brothers were out on the streets. And those questions need to be answered and they will be answered over the days ahead, Steinberg said. Defense lawyer Linda Parisi said any effort to seek Dandrae Martins release on bail will depend on whether prosecutors bring stiffer charges. If it turns out that the evidence demonstrates that this was mere presence at a scene that certainly argues more for a release, Parisi said. If it shows some more aggressive conduct then it would argue against it. But we dont know that yet. By Adam Beam and Brian Melley White House press secretary Jen Psaki talks to reporters during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on March 14, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Psaki: Joe Biden and Son Hunter Were Not Office Mates White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Hunter Biden and President Joe Biden were never office mates in response to a line of questioning about a 2017 email that was sent by Hunter to his father. When asked by a reporter on Wednesday about the email suggesting that the president, at one point, was office mates with Hunter and his brother Jim here in D.C., Psaki responded by saying those reports were not accurate and added that they were not office mates. An email that surfaced from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden entailed his request that keys be made for new office mates, listing President Biden, Jill Biden, and others for a space he planned to share with the chairman of a Chinese energy company. The email was sent to the manager of a Washington D.C. office building, and it read: Please have keys made available for new office mates: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Jim Biden, said the email, which had the subject of 507. Jim Biden is President Bidens brother and Hunter Bidens uncle. The younger Biden also requested keys for Gongwen Dong, which he called the emissary of Chinese conglomerate CEFC Chinese Energy Co. Chairman Ye Jianming, according to the email. Ive seen the report. I have no confirmation or comments on a report about whether or not the president, when he was a private citizen, wrote a college recommendation letter for an individual, Psaki said on Wednesday. He was not the president at the time. In late 2020, the New York Post uncovered the laptop and emails with just days to go before the presidential election. At the time, a number of legacy news outlets and former intelligence officials claimed the laptop narrative was disinformation, but those same news outlets last month said they confirmed the contents of the device are authentic. A former Hunter Biden business partner, Tony Bobulinksi, said in October 2020 that then-candidate Joe Biden was plainly familiar with his familys business dealings in China, which Biden denied during debates with former President Donald Trump. Bobulinksi was among those who received a now-highly publicized 2017 email that referred to Joe Biden as the big guy and who would receive 10 percent of a joint-venture deal with CEFC and Hunter Biden. Biden and White House officials have repeatedly denied that he was involved with his sons business dealings. Claims that he knew about his business or whether they were corrupt have been totally discredited, Biden said during a 2020 debate with Trump. Look, my son did nothing wrong at Burisma, referring to a Ukrainian natural gas company of which his son held a board position. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Delaware opened an investigation into the younger Bidens finances and other matters in December 2020. I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors, said Hunter Biden at the time. And over the past weekend, White House chief of staff Ron Klain said the president is confident that his son did not break any laws. Of course the president is confident that his son didnt break the law, Klain told ABC News This Week in response to renewed discussion about his overseas business ties and the content of a laptop hard drive that belongs to him. The president is confident that his family did the right thing, Klain added, who said Biden has not attempted to communicate with the Justice Department about the U.S. Attorney probe. But again, I want to just be really clear. These are actions by Hunter and his brother. Theyre private matters. They dont involve the president. And they certainly are something that no one at the White House is involved in. The Epoch Times has contacted Hunter Bidens lawyer for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with top officials on support to aviation industry in Russia amid western sanctions vis videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, on March 31, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Putin Says Russia Will Monitor Food Exports to Hostile Countries, Be Prudent With Supplies Abroad Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government to monitor exports of food to countries that Moscow deems as hostile as the West weighs up levying more sanctions against Moscow. Putin announced the move during a meeting on agriculture on Tuesday, just days after the European Union proposed sweeping new sanctions against the country in response to allegations of Russian forces committing war crimes in Ukraine. Against the backdrop of global food shortages, this year we will have to be prudent with supplies abroad and carefully monitor such exports to countries that are clearly hostile towards us, Putin said at a meeting on agriculture. The president noted that Russias food production fully covered domestic needs and called on officials to increase the replacement of foreign imports with local production. We need to set clear targets for import substitution and persistently pursue them in the very near future, he said in reference to the nations potential in agriculture, industry, and science. The Russian leader also stressed the importance of minimizing the negative external effects on Russian citizens, explaining that they should have access to high-quality affordable food products, including fish products. This is a key task for the current year, he said. Putins comments come shortly after former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, threatened to limit exports of agriculture products to friendly countries only amid mounting sanctions from Western nations. Medvedev wrote on Telegram on April 1 that numerous countries depend on supplies of food from Russia, which is a major global exporter of several commodities, including sunflower oil, barley, and wheat; the latter of which it mainly supplies to Africa and the Middle East. It turns out that our food is our quiet weapon. Quiet but ominous, he said. The priority in food supplies is our domestic market. And price control, he continued. We will supply food and crops only to our friends (fortunately, we have a lot of them, and they are not at all in Europe and not in North America). We will sell both for rubles and for their national currency in agreed proportions. Earlier this week, the European Union unveiled new planned sanctions against Moscow in response to allegations of war crimes committed by the Russian military in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, after images emerged over the weekend showing multiple dead bodies and mass graves, with some of the individuals appearing to have their hands bound behind their backs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the events that have taken place there as a genocide. European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the proposed sanctions on Moscow would include banning Russian imports worth nearly $10 billion and exports to Russia worth nearly $11 billion, an E.U.-wide ban on Russian coal imports, and a full transaction ban on four key Russian banks, among other things. However, the sanctions are yet to be approved by lawmakers in E.U. member states. The United States on April 6 also announced a fresh round of sanctions against the country, including a ban on all new investments in Russia, and a block on Russias biggest financial institution, Sberbank. The White House described the new sanctions as devastating economic measures that are designed to reinforce each other to generate intensifying impact over time. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) speaks with his press secretary Dmitry Peskov (2nd R) in a file photo. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images) Putin Spokesperson: Russia Has Significant Losses of Troops in Ukraine The Russian army has suffered significant losses in its conflict in Ukraine, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday. We have significant losses of troops, Peskov, the chief spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in an interview with Sky News. Its a huge tragedy for us. Since the start of the war, which started Feb. 24, Moscow has provided few updates regarding its own troops casualties or vehicles that have been lost. In recent days, Russia has left Kyiv and Chernihiv after not being able to seize the capital. The move, Peskov said, was a goodwill act to lift tension from those regions and show Russia is really ready to create comfortable conditions to continue negotiations. Our military is doing its best to bring an end to that operation, Peskov added in the interview with Sky News. And we do hope that in the coming days, in the foreseeable future, this operation will reach its goals or will be finished by the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegation. Peskov was again asked about alleged atrocities that were committed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha last week as Russian forces pulled out of the area. Ukrainian officials over the weekend accused Russia of carrying out extrajudicial executions of civilians, which Russia has categorically rejected. The spokesman said the videos that purport to show Ukrainians in Bucha with hands tied behind their backs are a well-staged insinuation, nothing else. We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of Bucha, Peskov said. During a Thursday United Nations session, a majority of states voted to remove Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over the Bucha allegations. A deputy Russian official later announced that Moscow would instead quit. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United Nations sent a clear message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored. We ensured a persistent and egregious human rights violator will not be allowed to occupy a position of leadership on human rights at the U.N., she said in remarks to be delivered to the General Assembly later on Thursday. Ninety-three countries voted in favor of booting Russia from the Council, while 24 voted against it and 58 abstained from voting. China, Iran, Syria, and Belarus were among those who voted against the measure. Speaking after the vote, Russias deputy U.N. Ambassador Gennady Kuzmin described the move as an illegitimate and politically motivated step and then announced that Russia had decided to quit the Human Rights Council altogether. Reuters contributed to this report. The logo of Russia's state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, is reflected in a laptop screen showing Google start page, in this picture illustration taken on May 27, 2021. (Maxim Shemetov/Illustration/Reuters) Russia Takes Steps to Punish Google Over YouTube Fakes Russias communications watchdog said on Thursday it was taking punitive measures against Google, including a ban on advertising the platform and its information resources, for violating Russian law. Roskomnadzor accused Googles YouTube video-sharing platform, which has shut out Russian state-funded media globally, of becoming one of the key platforms spreading fakes (fake images) about the course of (Russias) special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Roskomnadzor said the measures against Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., which include a warning in search engines saying it is violating Russian law, would remain in place until it complied with legislation. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, Russia demanded that Google stop spreading what it called threats against Russian citizens on YouTube. The regulator also blocked Googles news aggregator service in March, accusing it of allowing access to fake material about the military operation in Ukraine. Russias parliament last month passed a law providing for jail terms of up to 15 years for intentionally spreading fake news at variance with government accounts about the military. Outraged that Meta Platforms was allowing social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as Death to the Russian invaders, Moscow blocked Instagram in March, having already cut off access to Facebook because of what it said were the platforms restrictions on Russian media. Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbors military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists. Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a concert marking the eighth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, on March 18, 2022. (Alexander Vilf/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Russian Disinformation a Threat but Censorship Not the Cure, House Committee Hears The impact of Russian disinformation on Canada was discussed during a House committee on April 5, with academics weighing in on the nature and scope of the phenomena. They didnt all agree on its importance, but cautioned that government censorship could actually backfire by eroding trust in institutions. In terms of disinformation, Im not one who believes that Russian disinformation, or Chinese, or anyones disinformation campaigns really have much of an effect at all. I think thats highly overblown and exaggerated, said James Fergusson, deputy director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba. Fergusson and other professors were testifying before the Standing Committee on Public Safety in the context of its assessment of Canadas security posture in relation to Russia. Fergusson opened his remarks by telling the committee the government should not overreact or panic regarding Canadas vulnerabilities vis-a-vis Russia. Certainly the war has heightened the attention, but as I would argue to you, these vulnerabilities have been here for a long time now and we need to recognize, given the relationship, the adversarial relationship that exists between Russia and Canada, Russia and the West, that this is not a new Cold War, he said. Robert Huebert, political science professor at the University of Calgary, took a different stance, calling Russia an existential threat to Canada, and saying he was preoccupied by its information activities. I am more concerned about the weaponization of social media [as opposed to Fergusson]. I do think that the Russians in terms of some of the evidence that our American and British allies have shown are of course problematic, Huebert said in reference to Russian interference in political processes. So ultimately, we are facing a threat from Russia. It is growing, and it is reaching the level of an existential crisis. Veronica Kitchen, political science professor at the University of Waterloo, brought up the Freedom Convoy protest and while saying Russian disinformation was not behind it, she considers it an example of how it can have an impact. The political action of supporters of populist extremism can also have harmful effects that dont escalate to the level of security threat crime, she said. I want to be very clear that Im not suggesting that the trucker convoy was a product of Russian misinformation but these are examples of the kinds of effects that are threats to human security exacerbated by Russian disinformation. The Freedom Convoy sought to obtain the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions, with organizers saying their movement is grassroots-based and is only seeking to uphold fundamental freedoms, and insisting that they are committed to peaceful demonstration. Participants remained non-violent during the police clearing operation that employed force on the weekend of Feb. 18. These movements are just organic. They pop up where people want to get up and do something because theyre fed up after two years of being treated like this, Tom Marazzo, a spokesperson for Freedom Convoy, said in Ottawa on Feb. 20. In late January, the CBC had suggested Russia could be behind the protest movement and later had to retract. Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, which hosted a fundraiser for the Freedom Convoy for a time, told a House committee on March 17 that Russia played no role in the financing. Censorship The Liberal government has taken a stance similar to Kitchens on the Freedom Convoy, and the fight against misinformation and disinformation has featured prominently in many of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus recent public addresses. The government is introducing three pieces of legislation to regulate and curate the information space: Bill C-11 (amending the Broadcasting Act), Bill C-18 (the Online News Act), and a yet to be presented bill aimed at more specifically reducing online harms. Conservative MP Dane Lloyd asked the panel about the issue of misinformation and associated calls for censorship, and whether it would be more effective to fight misinformation with true information. Do you think that would backfire if the government were to engage in censorship? he asked. Definitely, its going to backfire. As Ive said, I dont agree that disinformation campaignsand theyre not all coming from Russia, and issues about our information campaigns as wellhave that much of a significant impact in terms of exploiting social differences, replied Fergusson. I think certainly providing true information is always a good strategy, but for true information to be effective, it has to come from institutions that people trust. And so maintaining that trust in institutions, through transparency is vitally important, said Kitchen. And would censorship undermine trust in those institutions? followed up Lloyd. Quite possibly, answered Kitchen. Disinformation The issue of what constitutes disinformation is controversial, with Fergusson saying that one persons disinformation is another persons truth. While Russia is known to use all kinds of means in the information space to advance its interests, the label of Russian disinformation has also been slapped on authentic information that is damaging to power centres. When the New York Post reported on Hunter Bidens laptop before the U.S. presidential election, former intelligence officials published a letter saying it was Russian disinformation, and this claim was carried across media outlets opposed to former President Donald Trump. U.S. President Joe Biden also said it was Russian disinformation during a presidential debate with Trump. The New York Post was suspended from Twitter and other Big Tech platforms actively suppressed the story. Major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post, which initially went along with the refrain, recently admitted the laptop of the presidents son was in fact real and not disinformation. A Media Research Center poll conducted after the November 2020 election suggested that 16 percent of Biden voters would not have voted for him had they known about the FBIs investigation into the laptop, which shows potential involvement in tax fraud, money laundering, and foreign lobbying crimes, according to the New York Post. A person enters an apartment on Lisgar Street, where police said two men attempted to start a fire in the buildings lobby, in Ottawa on Feb. 7, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Second Man Charged With Arson in Ottawa Apartment in February Police say he is not connected to the Freedom Convoy protests A second man has been charged with arson after allegedly trying to set fire to an apartment building in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 6, while police say there is no indication that he was connected with the truckers Freedom Convoy protest taking place in the city at the time. Bartosz Wernik, 41, has been charged with one count each of arson with disregard for human life, arson causing property damage, mischief to property endangering life, mischief to property, and possessing incendiary material, the Ottawa police said in a news release on April 6. There is no information indicating Wernik was involved in any way with the Convoy protest which was going on when this arson took place, the police said. The charges have not been tested in court and police said Wernik will appear in court at a later date. Last month, the police gave similar charges to Connor Russell McDonald, who joined Wernik in the attempt to set fire to the Ottawa apartment building in early February. McDonald, 21, faces one count each of arson causing property damage, arson with disregard for human life, mischief to property endangering life, mischief to property, and possession of incendiary material. He was also not connected to the Freedom Convoy protests, the police said. In a Twitter post on Feb. 7, the police shared photos of the two persons of interest in their investigation of the arson incident that occurred at the Lisgar Street building. Matias Munoz, a resident of the apartment building, said in an earlier interview with The Canadian Press that he found the carpet in the buildings lobby charred, with blackened fire-starter bricks strewn across the room a day after the incident occurred. He said the building manager showed him a surveillance video that showed two men lighting a package of the bricks in the lobby and securing the front door handles together before leaving through the side door at around 5 a.m. on Feb. 6. While the police didnt connect the two suspects to the Ottawa protest, the citys mayor and several Liberal and NDP MPs had previously linked the criminal incident to the protests. On Feb. 7, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson brought up the arson investigation during a special council meeting that day, saying the incident was a horrific story that clearly demonstrates the malicious intent of the protesters occupying our city. The Epoch Times reached out to the mayors office for comment after the police charged McDonald, but didnt hear back. Yasir Naqvi, Liberal MP for Ottawa Centre, where the incident took place, also linked it to the convoy during a Feb. 7 House of Commons emergency debate about the COVID-19 protests. Several other Liberal and NDP MPs also repeated the allegations in the House of Commons. The convoy protest started in late January in opposition to the federal COVID-19 mandate that requires cross-border truck drivers to be fully vaccinated in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine. It soon evolved into a national movement as truckers demonstrated in Ottawa for weeks, with many supporters joining the call for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. The Canadian Press contributed to this article Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies on her nomination to become an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court during the Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 22, 2022. (Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images) Senate Advances Judge Jackson to Final Confirmation Vote The Senate voted to end debate on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, setting her up for a final confirmation vote in the Senate on Thursday afternoon. The Senate began open floor debate on Jackson on Tuesday. All 50 Senate Democrats, in addition to GOP Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Susan Collins (R-Maine), voted in favor of ending debate, while all other Republicans voted against advancing the nomination, bringing the final tally to a 53-47 vote. After a week of tough questioning by GOP lawmakers in the Senate Judiciary Committeeduring which Jacksons track record of giving fairly light sentences to child porn offenders was a key issuesome Republicans hoped that they could win over swing-voting Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) in opposing Jackson. However, not long after Jacksons hearings ended, Manchin dashed these hopes when he announced that he would support Jacksons confirmation. Sinema, who has long refrained from giving her intentions to the press, stayed quiet on how she would vote. But on Thursday she joined Manchin in supporting Jacksons advancement to a final floor vote. On March 30, Sen. Collins became the first GOP lawmaker to announce that she would support Jacksons nomination. I have decided to support the confirmation of Judge Jackson to be a member of the Supreme Court, she told The New York Times. In recent years, senators on both sides of the aisle have gotten away from what I perceive to be the appropriate process for evaluating judicial nominees. In my view, the role under the Constitution assigned to the Senate is to look at the credentials, experience, and qualifications of the nominee. It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the individual ideology of a senator or would vote exactly as an individual senator would want. There can be no question that she is qualified to be a Supreme Court justice. Collins was joined in quick succession by Murkowski and Romney, who have long been willing to vote against their party. After reviewing Judge Jacksons record and testimony, I have concluded that she is a well-qualified jurist and a person of honor, Romney said in a tweet. While I do not expect to agree with every decision she may make on the Court, I believe that she more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity. I congratulate Judge Jackson on her expected confirmation and look forward to her continued service to our nation. Murkowski explained her own defection in a statement: My support rests on Judge Jacksons qualifications, which no one questions; her demonstrated judicial independence; her demeanor and temperament; and the important perspective she would bring to the court as a replacement for Justice Breyer. The support of the trio all but guaranteed that Jacksons confirmation would overcome the filibuster threshold. Republicans have cited concerns that Jackson is soft on crime, and have argued that her judicial philosophy, and how she would vote if sent to the Supreme Court, is too unclear for them to support her. On March 28, Republicans in the Judiciary Committee made a last-ditch effort to slow Jacksons confirmation by demanding a one-week hold on the committee vote, citing gaps in Jacksons record. However, they were not able to hold off the vote indefinitely under Senate rules. On April 4, the Judiciary Committee held a final vote to move Jackson out of committee. All 11 Judiciary Republicans opposed the move, while all 11 Judiciary Democrats supported it. Under rules worked out at the beginning of the 117th Congress, the deadlock was broken by a majority vote in the Senate. Still, despite widespread GOP opposition to Jacksons nomination, the minority party had few options at their disposal to stop her advancement through the larger Senate. Under President Donald Trump Republicans used the so-called nuclear option to change Senate rules and allow the nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch to advance. Before the rules were changed Supreme Court nominees, like most legislation and appointments in the Senate, had to overcome a 60-vote threshold for debate to end and send a bill or nominee to the floor for a final simple majority vote. Because of the rule change, Jackson only needed 51 votes to break the filibuster. In a statement on the Senate floor Wednesday night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the final vote on Jacksons confirmation is set to begin around 1:45 p.m. E.T. on Thursday, setting Jackson up for an easy glide to the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 5, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Congress Votes to End Normal Trade Relations, Oil Imports With Russia Congress on Thursday voted to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus and to bar Russian oil imports into the United States in response to the nations invasion of Ukraine. The Senate on Thursday morning passed the bill to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus in a 1000 vote, a rare event in increasingly divided Washington. The bill to ban Russian imports of oil also was approved in a 1000 vote. The House later in the day passed the bill by an overwhelming majority, with 420 voting in favor of suspending normal trade relations and only 3 opposing the bill. The Russian oil ban passed the House by slimmer margins, with 413 supporting the bill and 9 opposing it. Its a big, big deal that we are finally getting them done, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Wednesday after he announced the legislation. Now, I wish this could have happened sooner, but after weeks of talks with the other side, its important that we have found a path forward. The measures have already won the support of President Joe Biden, who has long called for Congress to take up such legislation. In March, Biden announced an oil ban, which is now codified by the support of the Senate. In an address at the beginning of March, Biden said he will sign bipartisan legislation that will revoke Russias permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status with the United States, making it more difficult for Russia to do business with the West. Biden said the move to end normal trade relations with Russia was done in coordination with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin must pay the price, Biden said. He cannot pursue a war that threatens the very foundations of international peace and stability, and then ask for financial help from the international community. Biden also said the United States is banning Russian imports of goods such as seafood, vodka, and diamonds. Its also banning the export of luxury goods into Russia and increasing the list of Russian individuals to be sanctioned. Efforts to ban the importation of Russian oil began on March 3, when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) led a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in pushing for a bill that would do just that. However, as a corollary proposal to his bill Manchin demanded an end to Biden administration policies that have limited the extraction of oil in the United States, particularly oil on federal lands. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said on several occasions that she supports a Russian oil ban, but she has rejected efforts by Manchin and GOP lawmakers to loosen restrictions on U.S. drilling, saying that Democrats would not abandon their policies to save the planet. The Russian oil ban comes as U.S. consumers face already rapidly-rising prices, and some have expressed concerns that the ban may further raise prices by further restricting the readily-available supply of oil. Since U.S. and western sanctions on the Eastern European superpower began, the value of the Russian ruble has dropped significantly. The Senates unanimous decision on Thursday will further increase strain on the Russian economy as its advance into Ukraine has proceeded slower than Russian leaders hoped. Russia has not reacted yet to the move. Nick Ciolino contributed to this report. This story has been updated to include the House voting results. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), speaks on inflation at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Senator Blasts Pentagon for Acting Contrary to the Spirit of Government Transparency Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) called out Pentagon leaders during a defense budget request hearing on April 7 for ongoing failures to produce declassified versions of the reports used to compile and assess the budget. I think having this hearing without any detailed information about the budget and when we are unable to openly discuss any of the administrations strategy documents directly undermines the committees ability to conduct its oversight work, and it is contrary to the spirit of transparent government that these public hearings are intended to support, she said. The Nebraska Republican said shes concerned that Congress didnt have the necessary information about how the Defense Department (DOD) was constructing its budget. She also expressed concern that the Pentagons lack of transparency could result in Americans not being fully aware of threats to national security. Were here today to review the departments budget, but we have no detailed budget justification data, Fischer said. We cant talk about any strategy, either. The administrations national defense strategy, the nuclear posture review, and the missile defense review were submitted to Congress last week. But all of those documents are classified. The Biden administration has been working off a 21-page interim national security strategy released more than a year ago and hasnt yet released public versions of either the national security or national defense strategies. The administration didnt provide a classified national defense strategy to Congress until the end of March, and it has been late in the release of nearly every driving strategic document. For example, the Indo-Pacific strategy, a 15-page document slated to be published in the fall, wasnt released until February. Fischer noted that the previous administration released the necessary documents publicly months ahead of budget proposals and hearings, going so far as to delay DOD testimony until Congress had taken adequate time to vet the documents. Such efforts are vital for conducting meaningful congressional hearings, she said. She also criticized the Pentagons decision to increasingly hide its workings by classifying relevant information and said declassifying strategic guidance seen by Congress would be necessary so that the people of this country [can] understand the threats that we face. I feel that we have gone backward here in making these classified documents and not being transparent, Fischer said. The critique of military opaqueness echoed sentiments expressed by then-Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten, who said in October that the military was worsening national security by concealing too much information in classified reports. He said overclassifying military projects was preventing credible deterrence. How do you expect to deter everybody if you keep everything in the black? Hyten said at the time. The last element of deterrence, that we dont do, is [to] communicate it credibly to our adversaries. You cant actually deter your adversary if everything is in the black, you know? The move to overclassify was driven by commanders desire to move projects forward at a reasonable pace and to prevent them from being inundated by a brutal bureaucracy, he said. The thinking is simple, according to Hyten: The fewer people who are able to see a project in the military, the less red tape would bog down its development. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin responded to Fischers comments and said the military was declassifying the strategy and budget request as quickly as it was able to. In terms of being transparent and when the detailed budget is released its our goal, its our desire, its our mandate, to be as transparent with you as possible, and we will do that, Austin said. He noted that the unclassified national defense strategy would be released a bit later. The April 7 Senate hearing marked the second day of at-times contentious interactions between Congress and Pentagon leadership. During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on April 5, Austin was drawn into a heated verbal exchange with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), in which Gaetz accused Austin of pandering to wokeism and Austin accused Gaetz of being ashamed of the military. During the hearings, members of Congress have continuously called for additional funding to be injected into the defense budget, regardless of what amount of money the Pentagon has actually requested. Relatedly, members of both the House and Senate have expressed deep concern with the U.S. ability to contend militarily with both China and Russia simultaneously. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said global instability was increasing, not decreasing. The United States is at a very critical and historic geo-strategic inflection point, he said at the Senate hearing on April 7. It remains imperative that we redouble our efforts to improve readiness and to modernize so that we remain the most capable and lethal force on the planet. A worker walks next to barriers that separate the street from buildings in a neighborhood in lockdown in Jing'an district, in Shanghai on March 30, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Shanghai Wrestles With Food Shortages Under COVID-19 Shutdown BEIJINGResidents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice, and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the authorities try to contain a spreading outbreak. Zhang Yu, 33, said her household of eight eats three meals a day but has cut back to noodles for lunch. They received no supplies from the authorities. Its not easy to keep this up, said Zhang, who starts shopping online at 7 a.m. We read on the news there is (food), but we just cant buy it, she said. As soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, it says todays orders are filled. Related Coverage Chinas Draconian Lockdowns Are Fueling Rising Discontent The complaints are an embarrassment for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during a politically sensitive year when its leader Xi Jinping is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as leader. Shanghai highlights the soaring human and economic cost of Chinas zero-COVID strategy that aims to isolate every infected person. Complaints about food shortages began after Shanghai closed segments of the city on March 28. Plans called for four-day closures of districts while residents were tested. That changed to an indefinite citywide shutdown after case numbers soared. Shoppers who got little warning stripped supermarket shelves. Customers look through empty shelves at a supermarket in Shanghai, on March 30, 2022. (Chen Si/AP Photo) Officials say Shanghai, home of the worlds busiest port and Chinas main stock exchange, has enough food. But a deputy mayor, Chen Tong, acknowledged Thursday getting it the last 100 meters to households is a challenge. At the same event, a vice president of Meituan, Chinas biggest food delivery platform, blamed a shortage of staff and vehicles, according to a transcript released by the company. The executive, Mao Fang, said Meituan has moved automated delivery vehicles and nearly 1,000 extra employees to Shanghai. Another online grocer, Dingdong Maicai, said it shifted 500 employees in Shanghai from other posts to making deliveries. Li Xiaoliang, an employee of a courier company, complained the authorities overlook people living in hotels. He said he is sharing a room with two coworkers after positive cases were found near his rented house. Li, 30, said they brought instant noodles but those ran out. Now, they eat one meal a day of 40 yuan ($6) lunch boxes ordered at the front desk, but the vendor sometimes doesnt deliver. On Thursday, Li said he had only water all day. The citys authorities clearly said that they didnt care about those staying in the hotel and left us to find our own way, Li said. What we need most now is supplies, food. A man stands behind barriers during lockdown in Jingan district in Shanghai on March 31, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) After residents of a Shanghai apartment complex stood on their balconies to sing this week in a possible protest, a drone flew overhead and broadcast the message: Control the souls desire for freedom and do not open the window to sing. This behavior has the risk of spreading the epidemic. The authorities say it is trying to reduce the impact of its tactics, but they still are enforcing curbs that also block access to the industrial cities of Changchun and Jilin with millions of residents in the northeast. While the Shanghai ports managers say operations are normal, the chair of the citys chapter of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, said its member companies estimate the volume of cargo handled has fallen 40 percent. Some large factories and financial firms are having employees sleep at work to keep operating. But Schoen-Behanzin said with no timetable to end lockdowns, some workers arent volunteering any more. Residents of smaller cities also have been confined temporarily to their homes this year as Chinese officials try to contain outbreaks. An aerial view shows near empty streets in Puxi area in Shanghai on March 30, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) A resident of the Minhang district on Shanghais west side who asked to be identified only by her surname, Chen, said her household of five was given food packages on March 30 and April 4. They included chicken, eggplant, carrots, broccoli and potatoes. Now, vegetables are available online but meat, fish and eggs are hard to find, Chen said. She joined a neighborhood buying club. Minimum orders are 3,000 yuan ($500), so you need other people, she said. Everyone is organizing to order food, because we cant count on the government to send it to us, Chen said. Theyre not reliable. Gregory Gao, an operations specialist for an automaker who lives alone in the downtown Yangpu district, said only Meituan remains after food sellers said supply sites in the area were closing. I cant get anything for two or three days in a row, said Gao, 29. Zhang said some of her neighbors have run out of rice. The government told us at the beginning this would last four days, she said. Many people were not prepared. A message from a viewer of an online news conference by the citys health bureau challenged officials: Put down the script! Please tell leaders to buy vegetables by mobile phone on the spot. Deforested coniferous woodland is seen adjacent to the Neuadd Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Brecon, Wales, on Feb. 6, 2010. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images) Significant Amount of Welsh Farming Land Being Lost to Greenwashing Carbon Offset Projects Westminsters Welsh Affairs Committee has warned that carbon offset projects, which involve mass tree planting so that major companies can claim eco-credentials, is resulting in the loss of family farms and communities. Carbon offset schemes allow individuals and businesses to invest in environmental projects to balance out their own carbon footprints. Such companies offer to plant trees in sustainable projects around the world or in British woodland management and creation. But concerns were raised that companies could be attempting to game the system by investing in farming land to offset emissions which are then lost to Welsh agriculture. Chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee Stephen Crabb MP said that farmers could find themselves priced out of good quality farming land as many cannot compete with the prices paid by wealthy companies for the land. Around a fifth of Welsh farms had an income of less than zero, with an average income of 26,000 per farm, and feel that economics are stacked against them, he said. Crabb said he had heard that a significant amount of farming land is being lost to carbon offset projects which is being sold at such a high price to wealthy companies that farmers, many of whom are already struggling financially, cannot compete with. British Airways was accused of greenwashing when a dozen farms were reportedly sold to make way for afforestation projects in Carmarthenshire, reported Wales Online in December. Companies such as British Airways are part of a woodland creation scheme that is in place to support its net zero ambitions as well as Waless biodiversity recovery. In response to such schemes, the Farmers Union of Wales has demanded that Welsh farmland must not become a dumping ground for other industries and countries seeking to offset their emissions and that communities not corporations should be in control of Welsh land. Crabb added, While offsets could be a useful tool in meeting net zero, there must be adequate safeguards in place to avoid greenwashing by companies relying on offsets to avoid difficult decisions to tackle emissions at source. Further, with older generations dominating the farming community, we must make sure they have a suitable route into retirement, so farming, and the rich legacy of traditions that come with it, continue in younger generations, he said. The committee concluded by asking the Welsh Government to look at potential safeguards such as the creation of a register of carbon offset schemes so that the extent of the issue can be closely monitored. Special California Election to Replace US Rep. Nunes Heads to June Runoff The race to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat left vacant by Devin Nunes is heading to a runoff in June after no candidates reached the required threshold. Connie Conway, a Republican who used to be a member of the California State Assembly, earned approximately 35 percent of the vote in the April 5 election, according to unofficial results. Lourin Hubbard, a Democrat and a manager at the state Department of Water Resources, was in second with nearly 20 percent of the votes, but two other candidatesDemocrat Eric Garcia and Republican Matt Stollhad 15 percent. The results are set to be certified on April 14. To win the race without a runoff, a candidate has to receive 50 percent or more of the votes. Only two candidates will advance to the runoff, which is slated to take place on June 7. Nunes, a farmer who began representing Californias 22nd Congressional District in 2013, resigned from Congress on Jan. 3 to head former President Donald Trumps new media platform. Nunes has not given an endorsement to any of the candidates vying to replace him. Its best that I just stay out, Nunes said in a radio interview. There is no reason for me to engage in politics. May the best person win. California Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway speaks in Sacramento, Calif., in a 2014 file photograph. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo) Conway, who landed an endorsement from Fresno County Republican Party, was appointed by Trump to a position running programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in California. She is described on her campaign website as a lifelong Valley resident, wife, mother, and public servant, with her accomplishments including helping set up a Rainy Day fund while an assemblywoman. Hubbard describes himself as a progressive and has championed Black Lives Matter, showing a picture on his site of himself and his wife holding signs with slogans derived from the movement following the killing of George Floyd. Garcia is a military veteran who ran in part on opposition to Nunes work in Congress. I want to thank everyone that supported me for the special election but I did not make the top two. This doesnt stop me from wanting to represent my community in the new district during the regular election, Garcia said in a statement. Stoll, a business owner and veteran, has not yet reacted to the vote. The district was redrawn as part of redistricting. The updated district is dramatically altered and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) is planning to run for the adjusted seat in the upcoming midterm elections. Costa currently represents Californias 21st Congressional District. The winner of the runoff will serve until January, unless they also win in November. President Donald Trump greets Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch after the State of the Union Address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on Feb. 5, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Supreme Court Restores Trump-Era Water Rule Kagan, Roberts, Sotomayor, and Breyer dissent, faulting use of emergency docket In a 54 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a district courts decision to strike down the Trump-era Section 401 Certification Rule for the Clean Water Act, thereby reinstating it. The decision granted an emergency stay, responding to an application filed on March 21 by a group of states and energy industry associations against an October decision from the Northern District of California. In their application, the group stated that they would suffer irreparable harm as a result of the rule remaining in place, saying that certain states had a history of abusing it. Section 401 has been utilized to block natural gas pipelines and other projects. This courts immediate review is necessary because EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] is likely to finish its new rulemaking before a full appeal can be briefed and decided, the application reads. The response to the application came from environmental groups, Native American tribes, and other states opposed to the Trump-era rule. They stated that the rule harmed the environment, as well as that it upended half a centurys worth of regulatory practice under Section 401 and sought to drastically limit the role states and tribes could play in Section 401 reviews. Notably, the October decision came as the Biden administrations Environmental Protection Agency had already started to assess the Trump-era rule in June. While the Environmental Protection Agency and two other district courts had merely sought to remand the rule, the Northern Districts decision vacated it entirely. The Biden administrations EPA can continue to rewrite the rule as planned. The agency has indicated that it intends to issue a proposed rule this spring and a final rule by the spring of 2023. The foundation for the restored 2020 rule lies in a 2019 executive order (EO) from then-President Trump, EO 13868. In it, Trump ordered Section 401 to be revisited, saying that it and associated regulations are hindering the development of energy infrastructure. Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas made up the majority that granted the application. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the courts liberal justices in a dissent authored by Associate Justice Elena Kagan. Kagan said the applicants hadnt provided sufficient evidence of irreparable harm. An applicant must show more than a likelihood of prevailing on the merits in the appellate court. It must also show an exceptional need for immediate relief. That means the applicant must (at the least) present evidence of irreversible injuryharm occurring during the appeals process that cannot be later redressed, she wrote in her dissent. Related Coverage Former Trump EPA Official Questions Court Order Striking Down Key Water Rule Kagan later said the energy industry associations and states that applied for the say have not identified a single project that a State has obstructed in the five months since the District Courts decision or cited a single project that the courts ruling threatens, or is likely to threaten, in the time before the appellate process concludes. She concluded by saying that her colleagues decision to grant relief renders the Courts emergency docket not for emergencies at all. CORRECTION: This article has been updated to amend the list of justices who supported the decision. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Tanks Shipped to Ukraine as Kyiv Pleads for Weapons, Weapons, and Weapons Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the West to provide more weapons, weapons, and weapons as Ukraine battles Russias invading forces, with NATO vowing to provide heavier arms and the Czech Republic becoming the first allied country to ship tanks to Kyiv. Kuleba issued the plea for more arms for his war-torn country in doorstep remarks to reporters in Brussels on April 7, ahead of a meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs. My agenda is very simple. It only has three items on it. Its weapons, weapons, and weapons, Kuleba said. The more weapons we get, and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved. Met with Secretary General @jensstoltenberg at NATO HQ in Brussels. I came here today to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons, and weapons. Ukraines urgent needs, the sustainability of supplies, and long-term solutions which will help Ukraine to prevail. pic.twitter.com/247GdqdPwj Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 7, 2022 Shopping List Includes Aircraft, Artillery Many Western military analysts have commented on the surprisingly staunch and effective Ukrainian resistance to Russias invading forces, thanks in part to the training and support provided by NATO allies in the eight years since Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and backed separatists in the Donbas region. Their successes up to this point have largely been with judicious use of portable, light equipment, including drones, anti-tank weapons, and air defense systems, British military historian Lawrence Freedman wrote in an April 6 blog post, in which he said Ukrainian needs for the next phase of the war include heavier arms to continue their relative successes on the battlefield. They have a shopping list that has been discussed with Western donors to fill some of their gaps. This means keeping up supplies of the equipment they already use, but also providing the extra armor, aircraft, and artillery to raise their game for the coming operations. Members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces examine new armament, including NLAW anti-tank systems and other portable anti-tank grenade launchers, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 9, 2022. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images) NATO Pledges Heavier Weapons NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who spoke to reporters in Brussels alongside Kuleba, said NATO has provided support to Ukraine for years and that the alliances foreign ministers would, later in the day, discuss providing Kyiv with what it says it most needs to keep resisting Russian forces. Now Allies are providing equipment, support to you to uphold your right for self-defense, Stoltenberg said. And at our meeting later on with the NATO foreign ministers, I am certain that we will address the need for more air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, lighter, but also heavier weapons. The request comes as the Czech Republic, a NATO ally, in recent days became the first country to supply tanks to Ukraine, signaling a shift in the types of weapons that the alliance is prepared to supply to Kyiv as its military battles better-equipped Russian forces. The Czech Embassy in the UK said in a statement on Twitter that the move marks the first time a foreign country has supplied tanks to Ukraine. The embassy shared an article by The Wall Street Journal that cited Czech Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Kopecny as saying that his country has sent more than a dozen modernized, Soviet-designed T-72M tanks to Ukraine. Much more, several times more, can be done if we join forces with other allies, Kopecny told the media outlet. Czech television showed footage of the tanks being loaded onto rail cars and being transported. A Belarusian T-72 tank shoots at a target during a tank biathlon competition outside Minsk, Belarus, on April 21, 2018. (Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images) While Russia has repeatedly stated that it considers arms shipments to Ukraine to be legitimate targets, it has been unable to stem their flow. Poland, through which runs a major arms supply route to Ukraine, also has a significant number of the T-72 tanks, with much media speculation in recent days being focused on whether Warsaw would supply them to Ukraine. Wary of public discussions about the details of arms supplies to Kyiv after proposals for Warsaw to provide its MiG-29 fighter jets hit headlines and later fell through, Poland has been more guarded about disclosing any specifics. Jakub Kumoch, head of the International Policy Bureau in Polish President Andrzej Dudas office, told The Wall Street Journal that the details of discussions about weapons supplies wouldnt be made public. Every conversation regarding whatever support for Ukraine is a conversation taking place between Poland and its closest allies, taking into account the needs of Ukraine and taking into account the aspiration to end as quickly as possible the war, Duda said. Not Just a Crime, but a Massive Miscalculation In an April 7 interview with Polish media, Kumoch was asked about the grisly images emerging from Bucha, a town near Kyiv, showing killed Ukrainian civilians, some with their hands bound and bearing signs of torture. Ukraine has accused Russian forces of killing civilians in Bucha and perpetrating war crimes, with the Kremlin denying the claims and accusing Kyiv of staging a monstrous forgery. City workers carry body bags with six partially burnt bodies found in the town of Bucha, Ukraine, on April 5, 2022. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images) Kumoch called what happened in Bucha not just a crime, but a massive miscalculation on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin. These are scare tactics, he said, arguing that Russia had deliberately resorted to killing Ukrainian community leaders in Bucha in a bid to terrorize the local population into submission. But Ukrainians are a free people. Such tactics not only dont scare them, but they elicit their fury and their will to fight. Germany to Deliver Everything That Makes Sense Other European Union nations, including economic powerhouse Germany, have vowed to provide arms and other forms of support to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke in the German Bundestag on April 6, saying that it has to remain our goal that Russia does not win this war. Regarding weapons shipments to Ukraine, Scholz told lawmakers that everything that makes sense and can quickly take effect will be delivered. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on as he addresses the media with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (not seen) during a statement prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, March 17, 2022. (Michael Sohn/Pool via Reuters) Scholz also reiterated Germanys plans to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels, which the EU as a whole is seeking to do in response to the Russian invasion. British intelligence stated in an April 7 update that Russia is bombarding infrastructure targets to wear down Ukraines government and military as it prepares for a renewed assault on the countrys east. Even as Russian forces progress with offensive operations in eastern Ukraine and as theyve regrouped and refocused their military and logistics capabilities there, Russian forces are likely to continue facing morale issues and shortages of supplies and personnel, according to the update. 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 Directs State to Bus or Fly Illegal Immigrants to DC as Title 42 Ends Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said that his government will provide charter buses or flights to transport illegal immigrants released from federal custody into its territory to Washington D.C. The Republican made the remarks during a press briefing, saying that his state on the southern border has been overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration. We are sending [the illegal immigrants] to the United States capital where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border, Abbott told reporters. The measure comes in response to the lifting of Title 42 by the Biden administration last week. The public health provision is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order that was invoked in March 2020 under President Donald Trump to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that only essential travel occurred at U.S. borders. It directed that illegal immigrants could be quickly expelled back into Mexico as a pandemic precaution, rather than be processed under Title 8 immigration law, which is a much more protracted process inside the United States. As the Biden administration prepares to drop the measure on May 23, Border Patrol agents and local officials along the border are bracing for an even greater influx of illegal immigrants. In a release that followed shortly after the governors press conference, Abbotts office said only those who volunteer will be transported, and must show documentation that they have been processed by the Department of Homeland Security. The Biden Administrations open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous cartels and deadly drugs to pour into the United States, and this crisis will only be made worse by ending Title 42 expulsions, Abbott said. With the end of Title 42 expulsions looming next month, Texas will immediately begin taking unprecedented action to do what no state has done in American history to secure our border, the governor added. The new strategies announced today and next week will further strengthen our already robust response to the Biden border disaster, and we will use any and all lawful powers to curtail the flow of drugs, human traffickers, illegal immigrants, weapons, and other contraband into Texas. Abbott also announced additional strategies being deployed immediately to secure the border. A Border Patrol agent picks up four illegal aliens after Kinney County Sheriffs deputies arrested a U.S. citizen smuggler who was transporting them to San Antonio, in Kinney County, Texas, on Oct. 20, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) DPS and the Texas Military Department (TMD) are preparing additional boat blockades, deploying razor-wire at low-water crossings and high-traffic areas, and installing container blockades to stem the flow of illegal crossings, Abbotts office said. The state may announce additional policies in the coming weeks to respond to the expected surge in illegal immigration, the governors office added. Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on April 4, 2022. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) The Irresponsibility of Responsible Investing Russian and Chinese investments highlight ESG industrys failure Commentary The ESG-focused investing sector has once again called its standards into question. The $2.7 trillion global market for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds invests in the debt and equity of companies purported to be socially responsible. Theres an entire cottage industry formed around ESG, including ratings agencies, auditors, and investment consultants. The industry has become increasingly mainstream, and many publicly traded companies are altering their corporate strategies to qualify. Today, Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine has prompted debates about the industrys practices. International investment funds, including those managed by UBSs own so-called green bondsdebt whose proceeds are supposed to fund initiatives considered sustainable and environmentally friendlyare issued by Russian Railways JSC and Russian bank Sovcombank PJSC. Both Kremlin-affiliated firms are now sanctioned by the United States and its Western European allies, forcing ESG-aligned investors to divest their holdings of green bonds from these issuers. Suffice it to say, securities issued by many more Russian companieslocked out of global capital markets, with some being cut off from the SWIFT dollar networkno longer qualify for ESG investments. This brings us to China, Russias closest ally. China presents a similar set of issues for ESG investors. Chinas ruling regime, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is closely aligned with Moscow and thus far has refrained from condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine. Some political experts even believe Beijing views Russias aggression as a dress rehearsal ahead of its own ambitions to reclaim Taiwan. Yet many ESG investment funds own Chinese stocks and bonds. More than 1,000 Chinese A-share firms listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen publish ESG reports. MSCI, the global investment indexation firm, assigns ESG ratings to more than 700 Chinese companies. A plurality of Chinese firms is AAA-rated in ESG by MSCI. In a country where political and business lines are often blurred and all companiespublic and privatemust swear allegiance to the CCP, assigning high ESG ratings to Chinese companies appears nonsensical. Paul Clements-Hunt, a founding father of ESG investing who helped coin the term, is one expert who has been warning investors about the watering down of ESG qualifications. If you dont factor in autocracy and a malevolent government, then you have failed in your ESG assessment, Clements-Hunt said in a recent interview with Bloomberg. Yet the ESG investing industry seems to overlook such issues while assessing Chinas vast capital markets. China owns the worlds second-largest economy, and investors have been eager to invest there. Chinese companies happily churn out ESG reports while ignoring the elephant in the roomthe fact that most Chinese firms would fail the S (social) and G (governance) aspects of ESG. Many such reports are copied from one another and have similar language and qualifications. Yet ESG rating firms happily assign positive ratings to them, carrying on a foregone conclusion that Chinese companies should qualify for ESG inclusion. This process makes a mockery of investors who truly care about ethical conduct, transparent governance, and sustainable business practices. The fact that China is the worlds No. 2 economy and a key component of the global supply chain means its even more critical to apply ESG properly to Chinese constituents. If done correctly, real impact is achievable. Ive heard from institutional investors who acknowledge the double standards, yet caution that blacklisting Chinese firms could upend the ESG investing industry. Thats no excuse for losing sight of ESGs original purpose. If industry participants are resigned to this, then the ESG industry has failed its mission. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Beyond the natural and raw honey that you normally find in the grocery store or market, New Zealand boasts some unique and healthful honey varieties. These gourmet honeyslike Manuka, Acacia, and Pohutukawahave been getting more of the spotlight in recent years due to increasing health trends at all ages. Manuka Honey: Myth and Facts Manuka honey is made by bees that pollinate the Manuka tree, which grows mainly in New Zealand. Manuka honey has high antibacterial properties, called methylglyoxal (MGO). This honey also has higher antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties than regular honey. It is rich in nutritional value: containing vitamin B, vitamin C, and minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium. Manuka honey also contains a large number of phenolic compounds: flavonoids and phenolic acids, also known as polyphenols. 5 Facts About Manuka Honey You Ought to Know Flavonoids in Manuka honey have important immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, anyone taking immunity suppressants should consult their doctor before consuming Manuka honey. Do not use a metal spoon with your honey. Honey is acidic and will react with metal surfaces. Medically, Manuka honey can be used for healing wounds and burns. However, the honey to treat wounds is a medical grade honey. It is sterilized and different from the jar of Manuka honey you buy in a grocery store. The UMFHA (Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association) in New Zealand doesnt recommend that so-called Medical Grade, or Clinical Grade Manuka honey be sold at regular grocery stores. Likewise, a jar of Manuka honey should not be part of your first-aid kit. Manuka honey is one of the most expensive honeys in the world. That is because the Manuka flowers are extremely delicate and, therefore, are susceptible to variations in climate, rainfall, and wind. Furthermore, these flowers are only in bloom for two to six weeks each year, and some individual flowers may only bloom for five days. This makes it extremely difficult for bees to collect large quantities of nectar from the Manuka flower. It is important to understand the MGO and UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) grades for Manuka honey. But more importantly, you must check to make sure it is monofloral honey and has the UMF certificate labeled on the jar to identify that it is genuine Manuka honey. What is the UMF Factor? New Zealands trade and industry groups have established indicators, such as monofloral (pure nectar of manuka), and multifloral (including nectar other than manuka), in order to identify genuine Manuka honey. As Manuka honey has become more recognized in the world, more counterfeit products have started to flow into the market. The UMF is the quality identifying mark for making sure that you have natural Manuka honey produced in New Zealand. The UMF tests for four factors: MGO (antibacterial element) , dihydroxyacetone (or DHA, for shelf life), HMF (for freshness), and leptosperin (a quality only found in genuine Manuka honey). The honey will be certified as monofloral Manuka honey if more than 100 mg. of leptosperin is contained in 1 kg. of honey. UMF standards range from ten to 25, with the higher numbers having the higher rating. The higher the number, the more potent the honey,and also, the more expensive. What is MGO? MGO stands for methylglyoxal, which is the organic compound responsible for Manuka honeys strong antibacterial properties. The numbers following the MGO initials indicate the methylglyoxal level in mg/kg. Is higher always better? Well, that depends on your intended use of Manuka honey. How to Choose Manuka Honey For most of the Manuka honey brands, MGO ratings between 100+ ~200+ will taste like regular honey. The higher the MGO rating, the stronger the antibacterial properties and the more medicinal the taste will be. It is recommended that honey with MGO ratings higher than 300 should be consumed only occasionally, while the MGO 100+ honeys can be consumed on a daily basis for their antibacterial and other health benefits. Acacia Honey: The Queen of Honeys One of the best monofloral honeys in the world is the European Acacia honey. This honey has many proven health benefits and is, therefore, often compared to Manuka honey. Acacia honey has a sweet and delightful floral flavor, with hints of vanilla. It is also rich in antioxidants and antibacterial properties, as well as iron, zinc, potassium, vitamin C, and calcium. Acacia honey is often referred to as The Queen of Honeysa well-deserved title in many ways. To begin with, it possesses an extremely bright color and has minimal crystallization, ranking it at first place in the honey world. Also, it can be consumed on a daily basis as food, providing many health benefits to the body. Among other things, it cleanses the liver, conditions the intestines, improves the respiratory system through its antibacterial properties, improves digestive problems, helps with weight loss, and improves wound healing time. Rapsflower Blossom Honey Rapsflower honey has a creamy and delicate taste. It is one of the rarest gourmet honeys in the world and is loved by food connoisseurs everywhere. The reason for its rarity is because bees can only collect its nectar when the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. And, since rapeseed flowers bloom in the cold early spring, it is fairly difficult for bees to collect the nectar when the temperature is too low. Therefore, production is very limited. Because the pollen content in rapeseed honey is higher than in other honeys, it contains more vitamins and polyphenols. This creamy and soft honey is perfect for beverages and pancakes. Pohutukawa Honey: The Gem of New Zealand Most people have never heard of Pohutukawa honey. It is a honey that is harvested from native trees in North Island, New Zealand. The Pohutukawa tree, also known as the Kiwi Christmas tree, can live to be a thousand years old, but its flowers bloom for only a short time each year. The native Maori people use Pohutukawa bark and honey in traditional remedies for coughs and colds, and to stop bleeding. It has a buttery flavor, with a sweet but salty aftertaste. It is one of the most popular honeys among New Zealanders. When Prince Charles visited New Zealand in 2019, the National Party leader and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges gave him a 125-gram jar of Pohutukawa honey as a gift. Bridges seems to have been following a royal tradition, since the same honey had also been given to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited New Zealand 20 years earlier. The name of Pohutukawa honey may not be as well-known as Manuka honey; but, just like the British royals, it may be one of the best gift ideas for someone who already has everything. This article was originally published in Radiant Life Magazine. The Twitter logo is displayed on a banner outside the New York Stock Exchange, on Nov. 7, 2013. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Twitter Restricts Russian State Media Accounts, Prisoner of War Content Twitter Inc. will stop amplifying Russian government accounts, asking other government-affiliated media to remove posts featuring prisoners of war, citing international humanitarian law. Twitter would add warnings to state-backed accounts posts about prisoners when they have a compelling public interest, quoting Article 13 of the Geneva Convention III. Twitter would also mandate the removal of posts from any user, state-linked or not, who posts about prisoners of war with abusive intent. The micro-blogging website would immediately stop boosting or urging government accounts belonging to states that limit access to free information and are engaged in armed interstate conflict. By Anusuya Lahiri 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The government has promised to take back control of energy prices with its long-awaited energy strategy which aims to make 95 percent of electricity low carbon by 2030. (Ben Birchall/PA) UK Government Announces Plan to Boost British Energy Production The UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised clean, affordable, secure power for future generations in the governments new energy strategy. The British Energy Security Strategy, published on Thursday, sets out plans to boost Britains domestic energy production including nuclear, low carbon hydrogen, wind, and solar. Another licensing round will be launched for domestic gas production, the government said, adding that its remaining open-minded about fracking for shale gas in the North Sea. The long-awaited plan was published as western countries wrestle with high prices and how to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas. Responding to criticisms that the strategy doesnt do much to help families with rising costs, ministers defended the medium-term plan, saying the government was already doing a huge amount to help people with the immediate cost of living and of course we are going to do more. PA Graphics Under the new plans, the government said it hopes to make 95 percent of British electricity low-carbon by 2030, and completely decarbonise the British electricity system, subject to security of supply. Once again calling Britain the Saudi Arabia of wind power, the government said it will cut the red tapes including reducing the approval times for new offshore wind farms from four years to one year. It envisaged the delivery of up to 50 gigawatts (GW) of electricitywhich it said will be more than enough to power every home in the UKby 2050. Up to 5 GW of offshore wind power will be from floating offshore wind in deeper seas, according to the governments plan. The government also said it will launch consultations with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills. The current 14 GW of solar capacity in the UK is expected to increase five-fold by 2035, the government said. To ensure grid security even when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing, a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UKs nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power, 25 percent of the projected electricity demand. It is hoped the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade. The strategy also confirmed the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey, off the north-west coast of Wales. The government said it also aims to double its goal of low carbon hydrogen production to 10 GW by 2030, with at least half of that coming from green hydrogen. During the transition, the government said it will support the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term. Undated handout photo of the Cuadrilla hydraulic fracturing site at Preston New Road shale gas exploration site in Lancashire, England. (Cuadrilla via PA Media To quickly put more domestic gas on the grid, the North Sea Transition Authority plans to launch another licensing round in the autumn, the government said, adding that producing gas in the UK has a lower carbon footprint than importing it from abroad. On Tuesday, the government ordered a review of the latest scientific evidence on fracking, suggesting it may lift a moratorium on shale gas extraction, if the practice is deemed safe, sustainable, and of minimal disturbance to those living and working nearby. The moratorium was imposed in England in 2019 after two minor earthquakes were attributed to fracking operations. A 30 million ($39 million) competition to manufacture heat pumps is also to be launched, with a VAT cut for insulation and heat pumps. Johnson said the plan is about building a power supply thats made in Britain, for Britain, and keeping energy prices down for the long term. Waves break out at sea in front of Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm near New Brighton, at the mouth of the river Mersey in north-west England on March 13, 2019. (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) The plan was welcomed by offshore wind firm Orsted, trade association Hydrogen UK, Shell, and EDF, among others. Nuclear Industry Association chief executive Tom Greatrex said the new nuclear target of 24 GW by 2050 is a vital step forward for UK energy security and our net zero future. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the energy strategy is not enough and is too little, too late to help families with rising costs. All weve got today is a cobbled-together list of things that could and should have been done over the last 10 to 12 years, and it doesnt even tackle really important things like insulating homes, which could save 400 [$522] on everybodys bill, he said. Speaking to Sky News, Kwarteng acknowledged that the strategy is more of a medium term, three, four or five-year answer, but added it doesnt mean that we cant address the soaring energy prices. Its really important that we get an energy strategy, an energy policy, that means we can have more security and independence in the years ahead, he said. Johnson also said the strategy is a long-term plan focusing on energy supply, undoing the mistakes of the past and taking the big decisions now. He said the government was already doing a huge amount to help people with the immediate cost of living and of course we are going to do more. PA media contributed to this report. UK Judge Blocks BBC From Revealing Misogynist MI5 Informant A British High Court judge has blocked the BBC from naming an alleged MI5 informant the news outlet claims to be a dangerous extremist and misogynist. The BBC planned to broadcast a report revealing the identity of a man they say used his status as an agent to abuse and coerce a former partner. Attorney General Suella Braverman then sought an injunction from the court to block the BBC from identifying him. Braverman argued it would damage national security and potentially endanger his life. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr. Justice Chamberlain said the evidence he has seenboth in open court and in a closed material procedure used to protect national securityhad persuaded him the injunction was necessary. The judge said: The information about Xs identity, in the context of the allegation that he is a CHIS [covert human intelligence source] who works or worked for MI5, isas the BBC acceptsconfidential. Although X is said to have disclosed it to Beth [his former partner], and she disclosed it to the BBC, it is not known other than to a small group of individuals. The attorney has satisfied me that, if it were to become publicly or widely known, there would be a real and immediate risk that X would be killed or seriously injured. Whilst including Xs name and image would make the BBCs story more engaging and potentially more attractive to a wider audience, this would come at the expense of material damage to the effectiveness of the work of the security and intelligence agencies and, therefore, the national security of the UK, the judge added. The BBC will still be able to convey what it regards as the core elements of its story, including the allegation that X abused his CHIS status and the allegation that MI5 is at fault for using or continuing to use him as a CHIS, said Chamberlain. The attorney general had initially tried to block the whole report, and sought an order requiring her approval of the broadcasta demand which she later dropped. Lawyers representing Braverman said at a previous hearing that she neither confirms or denies the claim that X is an agent, but conducted the case on the hypothetical assumption that he is or was. A spokesperson for the BBC said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times: It is important to understand why the BBC believes this to be such important journalism. We fought the case to try to tell as fully as possible two womens stories and their experiences with Xhis abuse of them and his use of his status as an MI5 intelligence source to coerce and terrify one of thembehaviour we say MI5 should have known about and that should have caused them to stop working with X. The BBC said that they believed the report involved matters of the highest public interest, which it described as coercive control of women, male abuse of power, and the failure of state institutions to address these problems. The BBC said that neither they nor the public know the full reasons behind the courts decision. This is due to the highly unusual fact that a significant proportion of the evidence in this case was heard in a closed hearing, which even the BBC as a party was not permitted to attend. While we had Special Advocates representing our interests in those closed proceedings, we are not able to know anything about the secret hearing. The secret procedures used in cases like this also constrain what the Judge is able to say about his decision in the public judgment. They are a significant departure from the principles of open and natural justice, as the Judge himself states. The BBC has yet to publicly rule out appealing against the judgement. PA Media contributed to this report. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak alongside his wife Akshata Murty attend a reception to celebrate the British Asian Trust at the British Museum in London on Feb. 9, 2022. (Ian West/PA Media) UK Opposition Questions Non-Dom Tax Status of Finance Ministers Wife Britains main opposition Labour Party has urged finance minister Rishi Sunak to explain why his wife has claimed non-dom status, which allows her not to pay tax in the UK for her foreign income. Sunaks wife Akshata Murty, whose father is an Indian billionaire, is an Indian citizen and holds non-dom status, which means her permanent home is considered outside of the UK. Though she is still liable for UK tax on income made in this country, her non-dom status allows her not to pay UK tax on foreign income unless it is brought into the UK. Labour said on Wednesday that Sunak must urgently explain how much he and his family have saved on their own tax bill at the same time he was putting taxes up for millions of working families. A spokeswoman for Murty confirmed she holds non-dom status and said: Akshata Murty is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parents home. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously. So, according to British law, Ms. Murty is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday: The chancellor has imposed tax rise after tax rise on working people. And hes said time and again theres no alternative, weve got no option. If it now transpires that his wife has used schemes to reduce her own tax then thats breathtaking hypocrisy, and only goes to show its more evidence of just how out of touch this chancellor is. And I think hes got very, very serious questions to answer in relation to these schemes. Speaking to Sky News on Thursday morning, Labours shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband acknowledged that it is legal for Sunaks wife to claim non-dom status, but asked if it is right for her to do so. He is the UK chancellor asking people to pay more in taxes. Is it right that his immediate family is sheltering from UK taxes? I think Rishi Sunak and his family should reflect on that. In response to Labours questions, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News it was completely unfair to scrutinise the tax affairs of Sunaks wife, who is not a politician. Also speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to comment on Murtys tax status. I think it is very important in politics if you possibly can to try and keep peoples families out of it, he said when asked about the issue during a visit to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. PA Media contributed to this report. People walk past destroyed buildings in the town of Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. (Photo by Sergein Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian Envoy to Australia Rejects Peace Deal With Russia, Welcomes Australias Military Assistance Kyivs newly appointed ambassador to Australia has rejected any prospect of peace negotiations with Russia, urging Western countries, including Australia, to provide more weapons and heavy artillery to Ukraine to fend off attacks. Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko accused Russian forces of committing war crimes after hundreds of Ukrainian civilians were found dead with at least one mass grave found in Bucha. The number of civilian casualties is staggering once the Russians have retreated, he added, describing Russias invasion of Ukraine as heinous crimes against humanity. Mass graves of people, dead bodies lying around, people with their hands ties and they were executed, many witnesses, women were raped, and then killed, some have survived, Myroshnychenko told Sky News on April 6. I dont see any prospect of a peace deal in the foreseeable futureI think we need to keep on fighting. Ukranian ambassador spoke to the audience at the Western Heritage Australias forum on in Sydney, Australia on March 29. (Nina Nguyen/Epoch Times) The ambassador also lambasted Russian soldiers for stealing from Ukrainian homes and sending the items back to Russia. Some of the looted goods include televisions, clothing, iPhones, e-scooters and washing machines. The ambassador echoed wartime President Volodymyr Zelenskyys call to remove Russia from the United Nations Security Council, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking the country to those last days of the Soviet Union when it was collapsing. There is no opposition in Russia, there is nobody there to oppose him, Myroshnychenko said. Hes done so much damage for the country and I dont know when Russia will be able to repair that reputation. In response to a direct request from Zelenskyy, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on April 1 the commonwealth would send over a minimum of four Bushmaster armored troop carriers to Ukraine via its C-17 planes to boost the countrys resistance against the Russian forces. Ukrainian ambassador welcomed Australias assistance, but added that more was needed to get rid of Russian presence in Ukraine. Im calling the West to provide heavy weapons to Ukraine, air defense system anti-ship missiles, armored personnel vehicles, tanks, planes, any kind of weapons that we can get, he said. Even offensive weapons because any of the weapons that we can use on the territory of Ukraine are for defensive purposes and this is what we are asking Australia as well. The White House announced it will impose new sanctions against Russian banks, officials and investment on Wednesday alongside the G7 and European Union, in part due to the war crime uncovered in Bucha. Myroshnychenko said the resilience in his country was very high after eight years of Russia waging war against Ukraine, starting when it annexed Crimea in 2014. We are protecting our democracy, our freedom, and our choice to pursue European integration, he said. Thats what Ukrainian people want. All the Russian speakers, Ukrainian speakers, Orthodox, Catholics, Jews and Muslims are united in fighting the Russian enemy. AAP contributed to this report. About 100 people attended a Ukraine Charity event at Caffeine Lakewood, a coffee shop in the west Cleveland suburb of Lakewood on April 2. The event, which benefits the emergency first responders in Ukraine, was done in partnership with the Cleveland Maidan Association that has supported Ukraine since 2014. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) Ukrainian-owned Coffee Shop in Ohio Brewing Support for First Responders in Homeland A Ukrainian-owned coffee shop in the west Cleveland suburb of Lakewood is brewing support in partnership with the Cleveland Maidan Association to provide medical supplies for first responders and its military back in the homeland. Caffeine Lakewood opened in 2019 and is owned by Anatolii Shtyrka and Roman Knysh. The cafe held its first Ukrainian Charity Event, a fundraiser on April 2 with 100 percent of its proceeds benefitting Ukraines first responders supporting its military fighting the invasion by Russia. In recent weeks, the central-town coffee shop at 14701 Detroit Ave, has become a focal point for the younger generation of northeast Ohios large Ukrainian community to meet, socialize, and discuss the situation in their homeland. Many of those in attendance on April 2 have family members, including grandparents, living in cities under siege. Some of the guests know their relatives are doing OK, but others are worried because they have lost communication with them. All are hoping such occurrences are only because of power outages caused by the Russian bombing. Caffeine Lakewood, a coffee shop in Lakewood, Ohio, is becoming a focal point for younger people with connections to Ukraine. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) The unprovoked attacks that are pointing to war crimes by Russian President Vladimir Putins military began on the morning of Feb. 24. Fighting reached its 40th day on April 4a day of major significance for Eastern Orthodox and Ukrainian Greek Catholics as it concludes a 40-day mourning period following a loved ones death. The 40th day afterward is believed to be the day the soul of a deceased loved one departs the earth. People are encouraged to light a candle in memory of their loved ones. The sold-out $50-a-ticket event at Caffeine Lakewood, which included an art auction, Ukrainian music, a bake sale, wine and food, and monetary donations, was attended by about 100 people and raised around $10,000 according to the organizers. So far, Maidan, a nonprofit organization that has supported Ukraine since 2014, recently has sent 30 pallets of medical supplies and other materials to Ukraine consisting of bandages, gauze, sterilized surgical equipment (items also have been donated by Cleveland Clinic), and other essential materials. Maidan is preparing to send out an additional 10 pallets of materials, one of its volunteers told The Epoch Times. Antolii Shtyrka (L) and Roman Knysh (R), co-owners of Caffeine Lakewood, hosted their first Ukraine Charity event on April 2. The coffee and sandwich shop raised $10,000 during the event, which was attended by about 100 people. Shtyrka and Knysh both have families living in Ukraine, including their parents. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) Anything to help Ukraine, Caffeine Lakewoods Shtyrka, 30, told The Epoch Times. We didnt know what the turnout for the fundraiser was going to be like, and the large crowd surprised us. We couldve sold more tickets. We plan to have another fundraiser in about two weeks. Well likely have the second in early May, after Easter. Shtyrkas parents and brother live in Cherkasy where he is from. Every morning, we wake up and scroll the news, Shtyrka added. You never know. Bombs are just flying over there. Theres no good areas to be in right now. Knysh is from Ivono-Frankivsk, Ukraine. His parents, a brother, and sister-in-law with their two children live there. The town is located in the western part of the country and is getting bombed by Russian missiles about twice a week. Knysh told The Epoch Times that he is in touch with his family every day. It doesnt matter what city youre in, Theres no safe area over there, Knysh, 31, said. The Russians have left Kyiv and Chernobyl, and are starting to come toward the western part of the country. They want to get a piece of the Black Sea. The Russians are going to destroy the country and the economy and eventually leave, but they will pay. We appreciate everyone who came out to show support, Knysh said. We plan to do another charity event with a goal to raise more money than we did the first time. As of April 2, there had been 1,417 Ukrainian civilian deaths reported, including 121 children. Another 2,038 have been wounded, according to statistics. At the front door of the coffee shop, Alisa Gerasimov was greeting attendees and checking them off the list as they arrived. Gerasimov and her husband, Bogdan, were married at Caffeine Lakewood in July 2019. Alisa Gerasimov (R) and her husband, Bogdan (L), helping Caffeine Lakewood and the Cleveland Maidan Association fundraise on April 2 for medical supplies for emergency first responders in Ukraine. Alisa and her mother Milana were in Odesa when the bombings started with Russias invasion on Feb. 24. They were visiting her grandparents and family there. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) She immigrated to the United States from Odesaa port city of about 1 million people on the Black Seain 2014. Gerasimov, 25, and her mother Milana recently returned home to Akron in early March from Odesa immediately after the bombings began. They were there for about two weeks before the bombings began, but were able to leave Ukraine across the Poland border. A Canadian-based shuttle bus and charter service owned by a Ukrainian was able to rush them and a group of others out of the country. Because of all the traffic and back-ups, it took them 49 hours to travel about 725 miles because of the back roads they had to take to avoid Russian soldiers and tanks. Despite the talk about Russia preparing to invade Ukraine, they had planned the trip about a year in advance so Alisa could meet her in-laws, Mikhail and Oksana, for the first time and see her grandparents, Alla and Valiry, who are in their 80s. She had not seen them in eight years. Alisa Gerasimov (2L) and her mother, Milana (3L), visiting with family in Odesa in late February 2022. They were there when Russia started bombing the city. It was the first time Gerasimov had been back to her homeland in eight years to see her grandparents, Valiry and Alla (L and C) and she met her in-laws, Mikhail and Oksana. (Courtesy Alisa Gerasimov) Alisa and her mother awoke at 5 a.m. on Feb. 24 to the sounds of explosions from the bombing in Odessa less than a mile away from the apartment where they were staying with one of her mothers friends. We heard four explosions. I looked out of the window of the apartment and saw smoke from one of the explosions. We saw the news that Russia was in Ukraine; no one wanted to believe it was going to happen. They thought it was a scare. The Russians were bombing mostly the military buildings and fuel ports at first. We went back to my grandparents, Gerasimov added. It was scary. It was hard to tell them and my uncle goodbye. They are doing OK, but they are worried. The next day, she and her mother were standing outside the apartment when gunfire sounded that they initially thought was fireworks going off. They ran back inside. Alisa Gerasimov and her mother Milana, of Akron, Ohio, woke up to the sounds of explosions in Odesa at 5 a.m. on Feb. 24. They were visiting family in Ukraine at the time Russia began invading the country. (Courtesy Alisa Gerasimov) While in Ukraine, Gerasimov also visited her childhood friend, Viktoria, who just started her career as a doctor when the war started. Gerasimov expressed disappointment that President Joe Biden and his administration and NATO countries arent doing more for Ukraine. A lot of my friends tell me I should be happy that Im back in the United States, but I wonder, why should I be? I still would go back in a heartbeat to be with my family right now if I could even with the war happening, she said. My friends said my grandparents and family should just move here, but they cant just yet. Everyone assumes they can. Were hoping they will be able to soon. Alisa Gerasimov standing by Carousel Odesa in the Ukrainian port city that underwent bombing by Russian forces. (Courtesy Alisa Gerasimov) At least were doing something here to help the people in Ukraine, Gerasimov added. Rehina Savchuk, a volunteer for the Cleveland Maidan Association, was born in Lviv and immigrated to the United States in 1999. Her father lives in the Carpathian region of Ukraine and she has lost contact with him because of communication lines being bombed or disrupted. Savchuk told The Epoch Times that one of her friends in Ukraine lost an eye because of the bombing and another friend is missing. The situation there is pretty dire, Savchuk said. Ukraine needs fighter planes to push Russia back where they belongin Russia. Ukraine is not going to be able to win a war with land vehicles. Ukraine needs all the help it can get. If anyone is interested in making donations to help purchase medical supplies for Ukraines first responders, the nonprofit organization can be reached at (216) 600-1045 or by email: info@clevelandmaidan.org. Maidans website is www.clevelandmaidan.info. An art auction of paintings, including this one called Eye of Ukraine, created by local Ukrainian artists was part of Caffeine Lakewoods and the Cleveland Maidan Associations fundraiser on April 2. The event was attended by about 100 people and raised about $10,000 for emergency first responders in Ukraine. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) Underground Media Movement in China Aims to Dismantle CCP Propaganda: Documentary A grassroots civil disobedience movement led by a persecuted faith group aims to dismantle Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda, according to a new short documentary released by Falun Dafa Information Center. The peaceful movement, led by adherents of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong, emulates the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and ranks among the largest in recorded history, the documentary says. Its purpose is to debunk disinformation spread by the Chinese regime about the practice in Beijings over two-decade-long persecution of Falun Gong. Because of pervasive censorship on Chinas tightly controlled internet, adherents have turned to traditional print media to counter Beijings propagandaby distributing pamphlets and other materials door-to-door. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline involving meditative exercises and moral teachings based on three core principles: truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The practice gained popularity in China during the 1990s, with estimates putting the number of adherents at 70 million to 100 million. The communist regime, fearing the number of practitioners posed a threat to its authoritarian control, initiated a sweeping campaign starting in July 1999 and continues today to suppress the practice and its adherents. Since then, millions have been detained in prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. Detained adherents also have been victims of forced organ harvesting, a grisly practice that has resulted in an untold number of practitioners being killed for their organs to fuel the lucrative transplant industry in China. A critical component of the CCPs persecution is its information campaign against the practice, aimed at turning Chinese citizens against Falun Gong and its adherents. To this end, the regime has relied heavily on propaganda, spreading hatred against the practice by misrepresenting the spiritual practice and vilifying its adherents. This propaganda campaign had achieved success in molding public opinion against Falun Gong in China, according to Levi Browde, executive director at the Falun Dafa Information Center. There is a widespread misconception that overt propaganda, especially when produced by a totalitarian regime, mostly works on the naive or uneducated, but thats simply not the case, Browde said in a statement. It can have a devastating impact on anyone, especially when theres little or no access to objective reporting, he added. Related Coverage INFOGRAPHIC: How Falun Gong Is Persecuted in China Against the backdrop of the smear campaign, the regime then demanded neighbors, family members, and coworkers to report on and deliver Falun Gong practitioners to the authorities, and discriminate against them, according to the documentary. Families, friendships, and communities were destroyed in the process. The CCPs propaganda breeds hate. That hate breeds violence, and the effects are not only devastating on the victims of this violence but destroy the hearts and minds of those deceived into being complicit, or at the very least, fearfully silent, said Browde. In response, Falun Gong practitioners adopted a method of civil disobedience, by speaking directly to the people through the distribution of pamphlets and other materials that debunk state propaganda, the documentary said. Adherents started setting up print shops at home to produce materials and began going out at night to leave them at front doors in residential neighborhoods, risking their lives in the process. They also hung banners in public places with messages that clear disinformation. They later started distributing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a book first published by The Epoch Times in 2004, which explores the history of deception and murder perpetrated under the CCPs totalitarian rule. The movement expanded quickly, according to the documentary, and by 2009, there were 200,000 underground print sites throughout China, as reported by Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that tracks the persecution of Falun Gong in China and provides most of the information materials used for printing. Minghui also estimated that 20 million to 40 million people have taken part in producing and distributing such materials. CCP propaganda destroys the human spirit, and so this underground media is trying to stop that by giving people access to the truth, even as the regime surrounds them with lies, said Browde. In order to counter this movement, local policemen routinely ransack practitioners homes in search of print sites, and patrol neighborhoods to look for those distributing materials, according to the documentary. If caught, Falun Gong adherents can face detention, torture, forced labor, organ harvesting, and even death at the hands of the CCP. Its a terribly dangerous undertaking, but for tens of millions across China, its worth the risk, said Browde. The results of the votes to expel Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council by members of the United Nations General Assembly are seen on a screen during a continuation of the Eleventh Emergency Special Session on the invasion of Ukraine, in New York on April 7, 2022. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) United Nations Votes to Suspend Russia From Human Rights Council, Russia Quits The United Nations on Thursday voted to suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council following reports alleging Russian forces carried out war crimes in recent days. Later, a Russian official announced that the country would quit the Council. Ninety-three countries voted in favor of booting Russia from the Council, while 24 voted against it and 58 abstained from voting. China, Iran, Syria, and Belarus were among those who voted against the measure. Russia is now the second country to be removed from the Human Rights Council. In 2011, Libya was suspended in response to former strongman Moammar Gadhafis actions during the Arab Spring protests, which turned into a movement to overthrow his government. A draft of the resolution that was voted on said the U.N. General Assembly may suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. The resolution also said that member states have expressed grave concern about alleged systematic violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law since the Ukraine-Russia conflict started on Feb. 24. The move was spurred by Ukrainian allegations over the past weekend that Russian forces executed civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, as they pulled out of the region last week. Ukrainian authorities posted videos and photos of individuals who appeared to have been executed, some with their hands tied behind their backs. Top Kremlin officials have categorically denied the claims and have accused Kyiv of staging photos and videos of bodies as a provocation, while Russias leadership has accused the West of fomenting a narrative to disrupt peace talks between the two sides. The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the photos and videos that emerged from Bucha in recent days. People walk past destroyed buildings in the town of Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) Before Thursdays vote, Deputy Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Gennady Kuzmin called on U.N. states to reject the resolution and called it a dangerous precedent. Today is not the time nor the place for theatrics, he said. The draft resolution we are considering today has no relationship to the actual human rights situation on the ground. Later, Kuzmin said that Russia will quit the U.N. human rights body after the vote, according to Reuters. In todays conditions, the council is in fact monopolized by one group of states who use it for their short term-aims, he said. The United States, meanwhile, made the argument that because of alleged war crimes, Russia shouldnt have a position in the Human Rights body. Russia should not have a position of authority in a body whose purposewhose very purposeis to promote respect for human rights. Not only is it the height of hypocrisyit is dangerous, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Thursday. Every day, we see more and more how little Russia respects human rights. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba hailed Thursdays vote. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history, he wrote on Twitter. Russia was in its second year of a three-year term on the Geneva-based council, which cannot make legally binding decisions. Its decisions send important political messages, however, and it can authorize investigations. Reuters contributed to this report. The USS Detroit, a Freedom-class of littoral combat ship, arrives in Detroit, on Oct. 14, 2016. (Carlos Osorio/AP Photo) US Navy Intends to Decommission Some of Its Newest Warships PORTLAND, MaineThe Navy that once wanted smaller, speedy warships to chase down pirates has made a speedy pivot to Russia and Chinaand many of those recently built ships could be retired. The U.S. Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat shipswarships that cost about $4.5 billion altogether to build. The Navy contends in its budget proposal that the move would free up $50 million per ship annually for other priorities. But it would also reduce the size of the fleet thats already surpassed by China in sheer numbers, something that could cause members of Congress to balk. Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, defended the proposal that emphasizes long-range weapons and modern warships while shedding other ships ill-equipped to face current threats. We need a ready, capable, lethal force more than we need a bigger force thats less ready, less lethal, and less capable, he said Monday at the Navy Leagues Sea-Air-Space symposium in Maryland. All told, the Navy wants to scrap 24 ships, including five cruisers and a pair of Los Angeles-class submarines, as part of its cost-cutting needed to maintain the existing fleet and build modern warships. Those cuts surpass the proposed nine ships to be built. Most of them are older vessels. However, the littoral combat ships that are targeted are young. The oldest of them is 10 years old. The USS Milwaukee, a Freedom-class of littoral combat ship, cruises underway as an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle hovers during flight operations in the Atlantic Ocean, on June 27, 2019. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy via AP) The Navy envisioned fast, highly maneuverable warships capable of operating in near-shore, littoral waters when it announced the program a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ships topped 50 mphfast enough to chase down piratesand utilized steerable waterjets instead of conventional propellers. The ships were supposed to be made versatile through plug-and-play mission modules for surface combat, mine-sweeping operations, or anti-submarine warfare. But those mission modules were beset by problems, and the anti-submarine capability was canceled in the new budget. And what about that speed? The fastest ship cant outrun missiles, and firing up those marine turbines for an extra burst of speed turned the ships into gas guzzlers, analysts said. Early versions also were criticized as too lightly armed and armored to survive combat. The speedy Freedom-class ships proposed for decommissioning feature a traditional steel hull. That entire class of ships suffers from a propulsion defect that will be a costly repair. The Navy proposes keeping a second variant, the aluminum Independence class. Crew members of the USS Sioux City, a Freedom-class of littoral combat ship, gather before the ships commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Nov. 17, 2018. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) U.S. Senate Armed Services Chair Jim Inhofe said the program was plagued by troubles from the start, and that moving forward the Navy must avoid similar acquisition disasters. U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), was more blunt, tweeting that it sucks to be decommissioning so many ships, especially newer ones. The Navy owes a public apology to American taxpayers for wasting tens of billions of dollars on ships they now say serve no purpose, she said. Some detractors proclaimed littoral combat ships to be the Navys Little Crappy Ship, but thats not fair, said defense analyst Loren Thompson. Its not a little crappy ship. It does what it was supposed to do. What it was supposed to do isnt enough for the kind of threats that we face today, said Thompson, from the Lexington Institute. In the Navys defense, threats shifted swiftly from the Cold War to the war on terror to the current Great Power Competition in which Russia and China are asserting themselves, he said. In the end, the Navy may be content with smaller numbers of Freedom-class ships for maritime security and small surface combatant operations, said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute. Congress must sign off on the Navys proposal to decommission ships ahead of their projected service life. The House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday grilled Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the proposal. U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), suggested the ship cuts were grossly irresponsible when the U.S. Navy has dipped from 318 ships to 297, while the Chinese fleet has grown from 210 to 360 ships over the past two decades. Milley said its important to focus on the Navys capabilities rather than the size of its fleet. I would bias towards capability rather than just sheer numbers, he said. By David Sharp Ukraine is calling for more weapons and financial pressure on Russia, as NATO members meet to discuss the war. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the United States will use sanctions against Beijing, in the case of its invasion of Taiwan, or material support for Russias war in Ukraine. Former President Donald Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Senate Votes to Revive World War II-Era Policy to Help Ukraine Fight Russia The U.S. Senate voted on April 6 to revive a World War II-era assistance program that will be used to provide defensive weapons and other aid to Ukraine as it tries to defend itself from an invasion by Russia. The measure, known as the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, was approved unanimously. It gives enhanced authority to the federal government to set agreements with Ukraines government to lend or lease equipment. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sponsored the measure. The lend-lease policy was last used during World War II when the United States provided assistance to its allies, the UK and the Soviet Union. The bill still must be approved in the House and signed by President Joe Biden. It isnt clear when the House will take up the bill, however, as both chambers of Congress leave Washington on April 7 for a scheduled recess. The U.S. Congress has already approved some $14 billion in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, and NATO has provided the country with weapons, equipment, and intelligence since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24. If the lend-lease measure is enacted, even more U.S. military aid might flow into the country. So far, NATO and the United States have provided Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, while the Pentagon last week confirmed it was sending Switchblade kamikaze drones to Kyiv. President Joe Biden on several occasions has said the United States wont send any troops to Ukraine, saying that doing so would escalate the conflict with Russia. A local resident rides a bicycle past a charred armored vehicle during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) As the war in Ukraine unfolds, delivering military aid as quickly as possible is pivotal for Ukraines ability to defend itself, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), another sponsor of the measure. The Kremlin is committing horrific assaults throughout the nation on civilian infrastructure and targeting innocent men, women, and children. The move was also publicly backed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who told other lawmakers that Russias government is guilty of killing civilians over their religion, their race, or their nationality. The Kremlin has categorically denied that its forces killed civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, last week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on April 7 wrote on Twitter that he welcomes the Senate approval of the bill and urged the House to pass the measure. Grateful to the U.S. Senate for passing the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, Kuleba said. Important first step towards a lend-lease program to expedite the delivery of military equipment to Ukraine. Looking forward to its swift passage in the House and signing by the U.S. President. 3D printed Natural Gas Pipes are placed on displayed U.S. and Russian flags in this illustration taken, on Jan. 31, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) US Shale Gas, LNG Firms Meet With European Countries Over Supply Crisis At least a dozen U.S. shale gas executives met on Wednesday with European energy officials to discuss expanding U.S. fuel supplies to Europe amid a scramble to replace Russian imports. The group met in Houston with foreign affairs and economic ministers and commercial buyers looking to reduce their imports of Russian oil, coal, and liquefied natural gas over its invasion of Ukraine, executives said. The European Union plans to cut its reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds this year. Delegations from Latvia and Estonia, diplomats from Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, and the UK toured the Golden Pass LNG export project in Sabine Pass, Texas, and later met in Houston with shale gas producers, said Fred Hutchison, chief executive of trade group LNG Allies. Group discussions included top executives from Chesapeake Energy, Coterra Energy, EOG Resources, and EQT Corp, he said. Individual meetings are planned between U.S. executives and Latvian, Estonian, and Slovak commercial representatives. The situation in Europe is so precarious. All these countries that are dependent on Russian gas are committed to giving it up, in some cases completely, said Hutchison. Building new LNG capacity takes years and ample new supplies will not be available until mid-decade. The capacity challenges in 2022 are great but the opportunities in a few years are really terrific, he said. The need for new LNG plants was highlighted at a congressional hearing earlier in the day by Pioneer Natural Resources Chief Executive Scott Sheffield. He urged Congress to embrace construction of new U.S. plants. We need to build LNG facilities in the northeast, Sheffield said. By Liz Hampton Russian and U.S. flags are pictured before talks between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the United States Mission in Geneva, on Jan. 10, 2022. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) US Suspends Tax Information Exchange With Russian Authorities WASHINGTONThe U.S. Internal Revenue Service has suspended information exchanges with Russias tax authorities in a bid to hamper Moscows ability to collect taxes and fund its war against Ukraine, the Treasury Department told Reuters on Tuesday. Under a 30-year-old tax treaty, the IRS and Russias Federal Tax Service have shared information to aid domestic tax collections and enforcement of tax laws in both countries. The IRS can request information about U.S. taxpayers from Russian authorities and vice-versa. The Treasury said it has not shared any tax information with Russian authorities since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, but the action disclosed on Tuesday formalizes the suspension. This ensures that the United States is not providing any information that could contribute to the enrichment of the Russian government through increased tax collections or facilitating in any way the persecution of Russian dissidents or the targeting of Ukrainian citizens or businesses, the Treasury said in a statement to Reuters. It was not immediately clear how much revenue might be denied to Russia because of the suspension, which stops short of suspending the entire tax treaty that allows American companies and expatriates in Russia to claim U.S. tax credits against taxes paid to Russia. U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Ben Cardin had urged that step in a letter to President Joe Biden. Portman, an Ohio Republican on the tax- and trade-focused Senate Finance Committee, welcomed the suspension of tax information exchange. The atrocities that [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and Russia are committing in Ukraine make it abundantly clear we must do all we can to hold them accountable. Suspending tax-related benefits is one small, but meaningful step towards that goal, Portman said in a statement. The panels Democratic chairman, Ron Wyden of Oregon, said he would soon introduce bipartisan tax legislation to increase pressure on Russia. Countries sharing tax information is part of welcome participation in our global economyand Vladimir Putins war machine is no longer welcome, Wyden said. Britain, which in recent years had become a haven for wealthy Russian elites, said last month that it had halted tax information exchanges with Russia and Belarus, which is an ally of Moscow. Late on Monday, the Treasury also blocked Russia from making $600 million in sovereign bond payments from funds held in frozen U.S. accounts, a move meant to force Moscow to drain dollars away from its war effort or default. By David Lawder Three world powers are arming themselves to combat a weapons system the Chinese Communist Party is developing. A $95 million arms sale was made from the United States to Taiwan to help defend the island from missiles. Its the third purchase under the current president. Back in the spotlight is organ harvesting in China. A new study by a top U.S. medical journal adds new evidence to the accusation against Beijing: that it executes prisoners for their organs. Shanghai extends its lockdown but loosens a controversial policy that separates children who test positive from their parents. Food shortages persist under strict stay-at-home orders. But residents are starting to break the rules, while authorities weld doors shut to keep people inside. Topics in this episode: U.S. Approves $95m Boost To Taiwans Air Defense South Korea Seeking U.S. Nuclear Deterrence Pentagon Officials Testify Before Congress Study: Organ Removal Killed Chinese Prisoners Shanghai Extends Lockdown, Eases Separation Policy Shanghai Citizens Break Quarantine Over Lacking Food Q&A: What Does Being State-owned Mean In China? Residents Scold Authorities For Welding Doors Shut Farmers Get Permits To Work In Henan Crop Fields Docs: CCP Uses Propaganda to Cope w/ Food Shortages Experts Warn Against Chinese Communist Party Threat China To Boost Domestic Oil Output Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit us on Gettr and Twitter. Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 18, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) Victoria Announces Another 3-Month Extension of Pandemic Declaration The Victorian government has prolonged the states pandemic declaration for three months, from April 12 to July 12. In a statement released on April 6, Premier Daniel Andrews said he was satisfied that the coronavirus disease still remained a severe risk to the states public health when making the decision. This extension enables us to keep modest and sensible settings in place to reduce transmission and hospitalisation, he said. We dont want rules on any longer than they need to be. Well continue to follow the advice to protect what weve built while protecting our community. The state government will present a statement of reasons for the decision and the health advice of the chief health officer and the minister of health to the Victorian parliament. Prior to the extension, Health Minister Martin Foley signalled that the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for restaurants, cafes, pubs and nightclubs could be lifted when the latest wave of infections started to fall. He said that Victorias hospitals were preparing to accept 500 or more patients per day as the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant was expected to peak within weeks. Nevertheless, it is harder to forecast overall daily case numbers due to many factors, such as the number of people getting tested and those showing no symptoms. People are see outside the Royal Exhibition Building Vaccination Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 25, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) As the number of cases still increases in April, Victoria will not adopt Queenslands approach of lifting the vaccine mandate for hospitality venues from April 14. However, the premier flagged that the state government could revisit the pandemic measures when infections dropped again. Lets get through these next few weeks. Lets get past this peak in sub-variant Omicron cases, and then well have options, he told reporters on April 6. One of those, hopefully, will be dealing with things like the vaccinated economy and all sorts of other rules. Last year, Andrews indicated that Victoria would keep its vaccinated economy in place at least until the Formula One Grand Prix, which occurred from April 7 to April 10, and possibly throughout 2022. He said that the double-dose vaccine mandate for hospitality customers had helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus and thus should remain for now. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, who returned to the Victorian parliament on April 5 after going through self-quarantine because his son contracted COVID-19, said it was time to leave vaccine mandates behind. Its about time we moved on with our lives sensibly, he said. The Victorian government is currently pushing for the states residents to take the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and considers that a public health priority. The state reasons that the booster shot significantly reduces the chances of getting the virus, passing it on to others or going to the hospital. However, experts have expressed concerns that the effectiveness of the booster shot plummets over time and repeatedly taking boosters would be harmful to the human body. As of April 6, Victoria reported that 66.2 percent of its residents aged 18 and above had received three vaccine doses. Rev. Felton Patrick Christian chats with people picking up groceries in front of food pantry ministry building at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Volunteers Distribute Food Donations to the Hungry Each Tuesday in OC YORBA LINDA, Calif.Its so good to see you guys today, said an elderly woman to a group of volunteers who loaded groceries into her trunk. Im so happy, thank you so, so much! The woman drove away with a smile on her face in front of a line of several cars, as the volunteers with the Friendship Baptist Church food pantry ministry continued loading cars with several days worth of groceries. The distribution is just one part of the ministrys activities, as they welcome anyone in need of food and essential itemsfrom diapers to pet food. Once a pick-up team transports grocery donations from local stores, items are then brought back to the church to be organized within the churchs food pantry ministry office and storage area. Today we expect anywhere from 85 to 100 families to be fed, supervising food pantry volunteer Gloria Banks of Placentia, Calif., told The Epoch Times on April 5. Ministry lead Gloria Banks organizes the food pantry ministry building area at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) If you can get here, we will serve you. Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, Banks and her team noticed more families struggling to afford food in their northeastern Orange County community as many dealt with job loss, isolation, and financial hardship. During the pandemic, we were serving anywhere from 150-200 a day, Banks said while preparing donated groceries to be distributed. There was such an increased need during the pandemic, and it was noticeable that many folks were living out of their cars. Banks, who has been supervising the ministry for more than 15 years, volunteers six days a week and is active at Friendship Baptist church on Sundaysall while maintaining partnerships with local grocery stores that provide the food to be donated, which include Target, Walmart, Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and most recently, Big Lots. Volunteers at Friendship Baptist Church food pantry assist cars in front of the food ministry building area in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) During her childhood years in Arkansas, her family always remained active in feeding those in need, including many people hitching rides on trains near her home who went long periods of time without a meal. We did not know why they were homeless, and we did not have to. They needed to eat, Banks said. God says, Feed my sheep, so thats what we did. After moving to California in the late 1950s, Banks continued to do what came so natural to her: feeding her community. Even while working at Fullerton College in administration, she assisted in the founding of the schools food bank after noticing an increase in homeless students on campus. There were students literally sleeping in their cars while trying to get an education, Banks said. Some students were even sleeping in the hallways at the timethey had to eat! Since retiring from the college 17 years ago, Banks remains as busy as ever with keeping the food ministry going. Volunteers of the food pantry ministry stand for a photo in front of Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The gratitude displayed by not only the people receiving groceries but also our volunteers is such a sign of success to me, Friendship Baptist Church Public Outreach Team Rev. Felton Patrick Christian told The Epoch Times. Another sign is that people do not get frazzled at the challenges that come. We work though them together in the ministry. Recent challenges include theft of the ministrys pallets and crates that must be returned to the grocery stores after volunteers offload the food items. Another is a need for additional volunteers as the need for groceries increases in Southern California. We really do need volunteers. They do not have to be from the church, but they do have to be willing to serve the people, Rev. Christian said. After 25 minutes of food distribution, volunteers had already accomplished providing food to 45 families in need. Thank you so much. God bless you guys! a man exclaimed to the volunteers as they loaded the back of his car with groceries. Oh, how God has blessed us, Rev. Christian said to him. And thank you so much for blessing us today! Volunteers Tami Greene (L) and Gloria Banks (R) work in the food pantry ministry building at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) In the food pantry office, volunteer Tami Greene worked at a fast pace, organizing grocery items into paper grocery bags to be brought to a table outside for the distribution teams to load them into cars. Our fellowship is like a family here, Greene told The Epoch Times. In 2020 I was looking for a volunteer opportunity and saw the opening online here at Friendship Baptist with the food pantry ministry, and Ive been here ever since and love it. Tuesdays are the food pantrys busiest day of the week, and the team remained in constant movement over the two-hour time span with discarding boxes, organizing items, and loading up carsall while adhering to local health regulations that require keeping contact with cars to 30 seconds or less. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to serve our community, Rev. Christian said. Inside the food pantry office several hours later, the floors, shelves, and refrigerators that were once full of food sat bare awaiting the next days grocery donations. The ten onsite volunteers were able to feed 100 local families in less than two hours. An empty fridge marks the end of a days work for the food ministry at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, Calif., on April 5, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The no-contact drive through food service is available at Friendship Baptist Church Yorba Linda from Tuesday to Thursday between 2:30 and 4:30 pm. There are no income limits, and volunteers encouraged anyone in need of food to come and be blessed. Marijuana legalization advocates and members of community groups attend a rally against marijuana arrests in front of One Police Plaza in New York City in 2012. There are 18 states where adult marijuana use is legal. Voters could make adult use legal in as many as eight more states this fall, (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Voters in 8 States Could See Marijuana Legalization Proposals on November Ballots The Maryland General Assembly on April 1 passed a bill that will allow Marylanders to vote Nov. 8 on a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing adult-use cannabis. It is the first of what could be as many as 15 ballot measures across eight states in 2022 seeking to ask voters to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana. The proposed Maryland constitutional amendment, however, is likely the only one of the 15 prospective measures to get placed on the ballot by legislative action. The remaining 14 will need to get there via citizen-initiated petition drive. New Hampshire lawmakers are pondering a bill that would legalize the use and possession of cannabis by adults age 21 by straight legislative action. If they adopt the bill before their 2022 session adjourns, New Hampshire would be the 19th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana. With 15 measures potentially going before voters in eight states, the number of states in the country that allow recreational adult marijuana use could top more than half after November. The legalization measures are polling well, including in deep red states like South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. In addition, voters in Nebraska and Idahothe only two states where medical marijuana is not even mentioned in state codewill be asked in 2022 to join voters in 37 other states who have adopted a legal medical marijuana program. Marijuana Legalization Marylands legalization measure is the only one now guaranteed to be on Novembers ballots. The remaining 14 across seven states include five prospective constitutional amendments collecting signatures in Arkansas, three in Oklahoma, two in Missouri, and one each in Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota, and Idaho. A legalization ballot measure is also planned for Mississippi in 2023 and two are collecting signatures for Wyomings 2024 ballot. Below is a roundup of prospective 2022 state constitutional amendments seeking to legalize adult use of marijuana: Maryland: Under SB 833, adults 21-and-over can legally purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and past criminal penalties for possession of up to 2.5 ounces would be expunged. Adults 21 and older would be allowed to grow up to two plants for personal use. The measure would not be enacted until July 2023. Maryland lawmakers are also considering separate legislation this year to decriminalize drug possession and fund access to psychedelics for therapeutic uses. Arkansas: There are as many as five separate campaigns seeking to place marijuana legalization proposals before Arkansas voters this fall. Its probable that at least one, if not several, prospective constitutional amendments will secure the needed 89,151 validated voter signatures by July 8 to get on the Nov. 8, 2022, ballot. And if so, one or more could pass. According to a Feb. 78 Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College survey of 961 likely voters, nearly nine out of 10 Arkansans support some form of marijuana reform, with 54 percent favoring full adult-use legalization. Here are four of the proposed recreational marijuana legalization measures vying to qualify for the 2022 ballot in Arkansas: The Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Amendment of 2022 was filed May 22, 2020, by Arkansas True Grass. It would create a system of regulated sales for adults 21 and older, allowing them to purchase up to 4 ounces of cannabis and growing up to 12 plants for personal use. The Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment sponsored by Responsible Growth Arkansas and spearheaded by former State Rep. Eddie Armstrong (D-North Little Rock), would allow adults aged 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana. Existing medical cannabis dispensaries would be permitted to sell in the recreational market starting March 8, 2023. Responsible Growth Arkansas has 35,000 signatures so far. They have to get more than 89,000 signatures before July to qualify. The Arkansas Cannabis Industry Amendment, filed Jan, 27, 2020, by Clair Danner, spells out how the industry would operate and who would regulate it. The Arkansas Marijuana Amendment 2022, filed Dec. 29, 2021, by Arkansans for Marijuana Reform, which is led by state NORML Chapter Secretary Melissa Fults, would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis flower, 2 ounces of concentrates, and cultivate up to six mature marijuana plants and six seedlings for personal use. Under the groups proposal, the state Department of Finance and Administration would be responsible for regulating the program and issuing cannabis business licenses. They would have to issue at least one retail license per 15,000 residents. True Grasss and Arkansans for Marijuana Reforms proposed amendments were originally filed for the 2020 ballot but their petition-signing efforts were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with sponsors refocusing on 2022. Nebraska: Vying with two prospective ballot measures seeking to legalize a medical marijuana program in the state is the Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Initiative filed by Bill Hawkins of The Nebraska Hemp Company on March 10, 2021. It needs 122,274 validated signatures by July 7 to get on the November ballot. Idaho: In addition to a prospective Idaho Medical Marijuana Act sponsored by Kind Idaho, The Idaho Way is sponsoring a proposed Personal Adult Marijuana Decriminalization Act constitutional amendment. It needs 65,000 signatures to get on Novembers ballot. Missouri: There are two prospective ballot measures seeking to secure the needed 160,199 validated voter signatures by May 8 to get on Novembers ballot: The Missouri Marijuana Legalization and Automatic Expungement Initiative filed in March 2020 by Cannabis Patient Network writer Mark Pedersen would legalize recreational marijuana, prohibit taxation on medical marijuana, allow driving while under the influence of marijuana, and automatically expunge and release individuals convicted of nonviolent marijuana-related crimes. The Missouri Marijuana Legalization Initiative sponsored in August 2021 by Legal Missouri 2022 would legalize the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacturing, and sale of marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of 21; allow individuals convicted of non-violent marijuana-related offenses to petition to be released from incarceration and/or have their records expunged; and impose a 6 percent tax on the sale of marijuana. Missouri voters could also see a proposed constitutional amendment that if adopted would dramatically expanded the states medical marijuana program. Ohio: An Act to Control and Regulate Adult Cannabis Use, sponsored by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would legalize the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home growth, and use of recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 years or older and allow them to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. Individuals would be able to grow six marijuana plants at home or up to 12 plants per household. The initiative would also impose a 10 percent cannabis tax rate on adult-use sales and dedicate revenues to a cannabis social equity and jobs program to provide financial assistance and license application support to individuals most directly and adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws. A state Division of Cannabis Control would be established by the initiative to oversee the states cannabis industry). By January, the Coalition had submitted 136,729 valid signatures. With 57 percent of the required 266,774 validated voter signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot, Ohio law allows lawmakers to essentially adopt the proposal as a bill. But noting Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has indicated hed veto any bill legalizing recreational marijuana, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said the measure was dead on arrival and he would not introduce it for Senate committee review, meaning the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol must secure the remaining 132,887 valid signatures by July 6 to put their measure on Novembers ballot. Oklahoma: There are at least three recreational marijuana proposals seeking to secure the needed 177,958 validated voter signatures within 90 days after they are approved to circulate attempting to get on Novembers ballot: The Oklahoma Marijuana Legalization Initiative: Sponsored by Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA), the prospective constitutional amendment would legalize and regulate marijuana for persons aged 21 years and older and impose a 15 percent excise tax on marijuana sales for purchases by an individual without a medical marijuana license. Cannabis Commission and Medical Marijuana Regulation Initiative: Also sponsored by ORCA, it would create a State Cannabis Commission to regulate medical marijuana. This measure has been challenged in the Oklahoma Supreme Court and is on hold. The Oklahoma Marijuana Legalization and Taxation Initiative sponsored by the Washington-based New Approach PAC, would allow adults aged 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis, grow up to six mature plants and six seedings for personal use. Under this measure, the current Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority would be responsible for regulating the program and issuing cannabis business licenses; a 15 percent excise tax would be imposed on adult-use marijuana products, with revenue going to an Oklahoma Marijuana Revenue Trust Fund. South Dakota: The South Dakota Marijuana Legalization Initiative, sponsored by New Approach South Dakota and South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, would legalize marijuana use, possession, and distribution for individuals aged 21 years and older. The measure is essentially 2020s South Dakota Constitutional Amendment A legalizing adult use of marijuana that was approved by voters but overturned by a circuit court ruling in February 2021 that determined the proposal violated the states single-subject rule and constituted a revision of the constitution rather than an amendment. Proponents need 16,961 validated voter signatures by May 3. New Approach South Dakota, which is affiliated with Washington, D.C.-based New Approach PAC, said in December it had 15,000 signatures and in mid-March, well over 20,000 signatures. Medical Marijuana As of January, 36 states had passed laws legalizing medical marijuana and only two statesNebraska and Idahohad no medical marijuana laws whatsoever on their books. Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana in early February when Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act into law shortly after it was adopted by lawmakers. And South Carolina could become the 38th state to do so with lawmakers deliberating on the proposed South Carolina Compassionate Care Act, which would allow qualifying patients to use, purchase, and possess medical cannabis with a physicians recommendation. Nebraska and Idaho voters could get their chance in 2022 to adopt state medical marijuana programs while Missouri voters could see a proposal dramatically expanding their states medical marijuana program. Nebraska: Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is sponsoring two prospective constitutional amendments seeking to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. They are based on the NMM-backed initiative that was removed from the 2020 ballot by the Nebraska Supreme Court for unclear language. Both must each secure 122,274 validated signatures by July 7 to qualify for the election after state lawmakers opted not to pass a resolution to do so. They are: The Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act, which would protect patients with serious health conditions and their caregivers from arrest for the use of medical cannabis as recommended by a healthcare provider. The Medical Cannabis Commission Act, which would regulate private businesses that provide medical cannabis to qualified patients. In addition to the two medical marijuana initiatives, a Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Initiative is also vying for the needed 122,274 signatures to get on Novembers ballot. Idaho: The prospective Idaho Medical Marijuana Act sponsored by Kind Idaho would establish a program to allow qualified patients diagnosed by a practitioner as having a debilitating medical condition, to possess 4 ounces of marijuana or six marijuana plants. The measure must garner 64,945 validated voter signatures by May 1 to get on the November ballot. It is essentially the same proposed constitutional amendment supported by Kind Idaho originally wanted on the 2020 ballot but suspended signature-gathering during the pandemic. There is also a Personal Adult Marijuana Decriminalization Act prospective constitutional amendment filed by J. Russ Belville and an Idaho Marijuana Legalization Initiative sponsored by The Idaho Way that are attempting to secure the needed 65,000 signatures for Novembers ballot. Idahos Republican-controlled legislature considered, but did not adopt during their 2022 session, resolutions seeking to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot that would bar the legalization of marijuana in the state. Missouri: The Missouri Changes to Medical Marijuana Program Initiative sponsored by Fair Access Missouri would change the medical marijuana program approved by voters in 2018 by allowing medical marijuana patients to grow marijuana for personal use, lowering the cost of a patient identification card from $100 to $25, and allowing up to three primary caregivers for a medical marijuana patient. Mississippis House and Senate, both GOP-controlled, passed The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act 15 months after voters approved a ballot measure legalizing medicinal weed. The voter-approved constitutional amendment was invalidated in May 2021 by the states Supreme Court, which ruled Mississippis initiative process was outdated and that the proposed amendments ballot language was unclear. While the legislatively adopted medical marijuana program replicates much of what voters approved in November 2020, there are differences, including provisions for local opt-outs. The voter-approved amendment allowed patients to purchase up to 5 ounces a month. Under SB 2095, patients will be allowed to buy up to 3.5 grams of cannabis per day, up to six days a week, or about 3 ounces per month. The law taxes production and sale of cannabis, requires plants be grown indoors under controlled conditions, and prohibits the state from providing economic development incentives for the cannabis industry. In addition, the law gives cities and counties 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana facilities for growing or selling. There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis, Reeves said in a Twitter statement that concluded with a reference to Initiative 77, a recreational adult-use measure which sponsors are aiming to qualify for the November 2023 ballot. There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, Reeves said, with all the societal and family ills that that brings. Mississippi Marijuana and Hemp Decriminalization Initiative sponsor Dr. David Allen must gather 106,190 signatures by the time the Mississippi State Legislature convenes its 2023 session next January to get the prospective measure on the November 2023 ballot. The proposed amendment calls for the legalization of possession, use, home-growing of no more than 99 plants; impose a 7 percent sales tax; and allow marijuana smoking wherever tobacco smoking is permitted. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the LUCY spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Oct. 16, 2021. (John Raoux/AP Photo) We Must Act Now to Defend Space Capabilities: US Space Force Commander Leaders from the military community briefed Congress on April 6 that China and Russia were seeking to Usurp the United States strategic advantage by disrupting its space-based infrastructure. New, more resilient satellite systems, they said, were in the works. Our adversaries are committed to disrupting our strategic advantage in space during crisis and in conflict, said Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander of the Space Force Systems Command. We cannot afford to wait. We must be prepared and we must act now. Guetlein said that the Space Force and civilian partners were working to rapidly develop more resilient space architectures, including through the deployment of more numerous satellite clusters so that vital systems were not dependent on only a small number of hyper-critical satellites. The comments came amid a hearing of the House Armed Services Committees Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which sought to evaluate national security-related space programs. The subject is one of increasing importance as international competitors and potential adversaries maneuver to target U.S. space-based systems, which are responsible for maintaining a vast array of the nations most critical military and civilian infrastructure. Everything from GPS to early missile warning systems relies on the continued functioning of increasingly aged satellites, which, according to top brass provide for tempting targets. That situation has led military and political leaders alike to unite in pushing for new tech, as international rivals like China seek to extend their political and technological advantage into outer space. Space is no longer a benign domain, said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) during the briefing. We must be prepared to defend our assets on orbit and maintain the ability to use space in support of global combatant commanders. Both China and Russia have made strides recently in anti-satellite weapons. Chinas communist regime has also deployed dual use technologies that could be used for both civilian and military purposes. So-called space cleaner satellites, for instance, are equipped with a robotic arm, which experts fear could be used to dismantle other satellites in orbit. Both nations have also sought to develop cyber and electronic warfare capabilities to the same end. In November, Space Force Gen. David Thompson said that Chinese and Russian systems were attacking U.S. satellites with reversible cyber and electronic capabilities every single day. Lets speak plainly, said Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) during Wednesdays hearing, China and Russia have already weaponized space. The Question left to us is what are we going to do about it? Whitmer Launches Supreme Court Action to Keep Abortion Legal in Michigan Michigans Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has asked the state Supreme Court to immediately declare that abortion is a right protected by the Michigan Constitution. The first-term governor, who is seeking reelection this November, used her executive authority to bypass the lower courts in order to expedite the state Supreme Courts consideration of her lawsuit. In a statement released on April 7 Whitmer said, In the coming weeks, we will learn if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn Roe v. Wade. If Roe is overturned, abortion could become illegal in Michigan and deprive Michigan women of the ability to make critical health care decisions for themselves. If the U.S. Supreme court refuses to protect the constitutional right to an abortion, the Michigan Supreme Court should step in, she said. Abortion rights activists protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2022. The passage of abortion restrictions in Republican-led states and a corresponding push to buttress abortion rights where Democrats are in power stem from the same placechanges in the composition of the High Court. (Jose Luis Magana/AP) Conservative political strategist Jamie Roe of Macomb County told The Epoch Times, Its ironic that Whitmer is asking the same court that took away her dictatorial powers during the COVID lockdown to rule by fiat in this case. The lawsuit asks the court to recognize a constitutional right to abortion under the Due Process Clause of the state constitution and to stop the enforcement of a state law banning abortion that has been on the books since 1846. It was updated in 1931 to make performing an abortion a felony, except to save the life of the mother. That statute was rendered moot by Roe v Wade but would again become the law of the state if Roe is overturned. Whitmers suit alleges that the 1931 statute violates a right to privacy and bodily autonomy guaranteed by the state constitution. Whitmer said that people should be trusted to make decisions that are best for them about their bodies and lives. According to the governors press release, the 1931 law also violates Michigans Equal Protection Clause due to the way the ban denies women equal rights because the law was adopted to reinforce antiquated notions of the proper role for women in society. In her statement, Whitmer said, A near-total abortion ban would rob women of their economic freedom and their right to decide whether to become a parent: the biggest economic decision a woman will make in her lifetime. Anti-abortion activists protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 18, 2019, (Jose Luis Magana/AP) The director of communications for Michigan Right to Life, Anna Visser, told The Epoch Times, We are surprised at the governors action given that the pro-abortion petition drive called Reproductive Freedom for All has until July 11 to collect the 425,059 signatures required to put a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion on the ballot. Governor Whitmer must have little faith in their getting the needed signatures for her to undertake this manipulative and deceitful lawsuit. She is willing to take her chances with a state Supreme Court, which we hope will honor the precedent set in its own 1973 decision that refused to declare the 1931 statute unconstitutional. That decision was handed down just months after Roe v. Wade was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. When abortion advocates tried again in 1997, the court declined to take up their case, said Visser. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) An Indiana couple that had been missing for more than a week were at peace with the world as the husband died a day before rescuers reached the wife, their nephew said Thursday. Beverly Barker, 69, was released from a Reno, Nevada, hospital Wednesday, a day after rescuers found her and the body of her husband, Ronnie, 72. "She was at peace with what was happening. Ronnie was at peace. They were lying together in the back seat of the Kia Soul," Travis Peters of Indianapolis said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. The couple was found Tuesday in the mountainous, forested high-desert in the remote Silver Peak area of Esmeralda County about 177 miles (284 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas, west of Goldfield and east of the California line. Both were with the Kia passenger car they had been towing behind a 32-foot (9.8-meter) motor home before the RV got stuck in mud. They apparently decided to try to continue on in the car before it too got stuck. Peter said he spoke for more than an hour Thursday morning with his aunt. The hurt and sorrow that she's feeling were conveyed through her words, he said. Shes doing well. ... You can tell shes still weak. ... But she is strong and so strong-willed that its very therapeutic for me to talk to her," he said. Beverly Barker was released from the hospital Wednesday, he said. "You wouldnt think that someone would be released that soon. She was in the hospital for less than 24 hours, Peters said. His uncle had had part of his lung removed and could not get enough oxygen to survive in the high altitude where they were stranded, he said. My uncle Ronnie was a cancer survivor from exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Peters said. It seems apparent to me that Ronnie was struggling even that first day getting air to his lungs. The couple passed the time together staring at the sky, watching passing aircraft and the stars, he said. Peters criticized Nevada authorities for not doing more to find the couple. They relied on the family to do most of the work looking for the two and did not post a silver alert for eight days, he said. "My uncle Ronnie died 26 hours before rescuers found my aunt. Maybe hed still be alive" with a more timely silver alert, Peters said of Nevada officials. They drug their feet until Monday night. Peters has directed most of his criticism about the handling of the search at Esmeralda County Sheriff Kenneth Elgan, who didnt immediately respond to new requests for comment on Thursday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Critics quickly panned Johnsons energy security strategy for focusing almost entirely on boosting supplies while doing little to increase energy efficiency and cut demand. As a result, they said, the plan offers no relief to consumers pummeled by soaring utility bills and risks undermining Britains commitment to cut carbon emissions in response to global warming. This takes the U.K. backwards not forwards, said Professor Matthew Paterson, an expert in the politics of climate change at the University of Manchester. It is a knee-jerk response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that goes back to old, tired solutions focused on expanding energy supply, and does so in ways that contradict the U.K.s climate strategy. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following President Vladimir Putins annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea eight years ago. That emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine in February and left Europe vulnerable to blackmail amid Russian threats to cut off energy supplies, he said at the time. Oil and natural gas prices have soared in recent months, first as demand for energy increased following the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently amid concern that the war could curtail supplies from Russia. High energy prices are fueling a cost-of-living crisis in Britain, where household gas and electricity prices jumped 54% this month. The government on Thursday responded to these issues with what it called a strategy to boost long-term energy independence, security and prosperity. This is about tackling the mistakes of the past and making sure that we are set well for the future, Johnson said at Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power plant under construction in southwest England. And we are never again subject to the vagaries of the global oil and gas prices, and we cant be subject to blackmail, as it were, from people such as Vladimir Putin. That includes plans to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. A key challenge in meeting this goal is the development of as yet unproven technology for small modular reactors that are less than a third the size of existing reactors, the government said. Paul Dorfman, an associate fellow at the University of Sussex Science Policy Research Unit, was particularly critical of the focus on nuclear power, which is expensive and slow to develop. He described it as a boys and their toys response that the government is portraying as a magic solution to the problem. The reality is these things will turn out to be white elephants and very, very costly white elephants, Dorfman told The Associated Press. There really is no logic to it, especially given the low-hanging fruit to start off with is energy efficiency, demand-side management and energy conservation. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. Community opposition has curtailed onshore wind projects, which currently account for less than 8% of U.K. electricity generation capacity. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. The government also argued that domestically produced oil and gas would have a lower carbon footprint than overseas energy that has to be transported to the U.K. Other elements of the strategy include promoting the use of solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. Responding to criticism that the plan does little to address the current high price of gas and electricity, Johnson highlighted a 9 billion pound ($11.8 billion) package of measures previously announced to help consumers offset the rising cost of living. Were already doing a huge amount to help people with the immediate cost of living and, of course, were going to do more, he said. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ Read the AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate HELSINKI (AP) Finland and Estonia said Thursday that they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart, Taavi Aas, said in a statement that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members, which are separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas imports through pipeline from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. Under the plan, the terminal could be located on either shore of the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia, depending on the gas needs of the countries. Estonias Aas said his country estimates the annual renting cost of the terminal to be around 10 million euros ($11 million) for Estonia in a best case scenario. Its not a boat, its a big ship, Lintila said of the LNG terminal as quoted by the Finnish public broadcaster YLE. Usage of gas in Finland is about five times higher than in Estonia. (An LNG) terminal ship of this size is able to guarantee and secure Finlands gas demand together with the Baltic Connector gas pipeline. Commissioned in 2019, Baltic Connector is a bi-directional undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia that connects the two countries gas grids. The power grids of Finland and Estonia are also connected via two undersea electricity cables. Lintila noted that the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already ceased using Russian gas and Finland is ready to do so after the commissioning of the floating LNG terminal, planned late this year. Russian gas is consumed in Finland mainly by industrial companies, not by households. On Saturday, Lithuania said it has cut itself off entirely from gas imports from Russia, apparently becoming the first of the EUs 27 nations using Russian gas to break dependence upon Moscow. Latvian officials said none of the three Baltic states were importing Russian gas as of April 2. ___ Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs national security police used a colonial-era sedition law to arrest six people on suspicion of causing a nuisance at court hearings in December and January. The suspects were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of committing an act or acts with seditious intent," an offense under the Crimes Ordinance. LANSING, Mich. (AP) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a Michigan court to recognize the right to get an abortion under the state constitution and to overturn a 176-year-old ban in the state that might take effect again if the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. The Democratic governor's preemptive lawsuit, which was filed in Oakland County against prosecutors in 13 counties with an abortion clinic, came as the Supreme Court's conservative majority considers allowing states to ban abortion much earlier in a pregnancy and potentially overturning the right. Planned Parenthood of Michigan and its chief medical officer filed a similar lawsuit in the state Court of Claims to block enforcement of the 1931 law, which dates to an 1846 ban. Whitmer, who is up for reelection this year, asked the Michigan Supreme Court to quickly take up her case rather than let it wind through lower trial and appellate courts. A favorable decision could enable abortions to continue in Michigan after the federal high court rules. It was important for us to take action now, to ensure that women and providers across the state of Michigan know whether abortions will still be available in the state because it impacts their lives and our health care providers' practices. It's crucial that we take this action now to secure and ensure that the Michigan Constitution protects this right that we have had available for 49 years, Whitmer told The Associated Press, saying nearly 2.2 million women may lose access to a safe, legal medical procedure. Michigan is among eight states with an unenforced abortion ban that was enacted before the 1973 Roe decision legalized abortion nationwide. The law makes it a felony to use an instrument or administer any substance with the intent to procure the miscarriage of a woman unless necessary to preserve her life. Whitmer wants the Michigan Supreme Court to declare a state constitutional right to abortion and to strike down the law, which could go back into effect if Roe is overturned or weakened. The lawsuit argues the law is invalid under the due process and equal protection clauses of the state constitution. Michigan may soon be left with a near-total ban without even exceptions for rape and incest one of the most extreme laws in the country, the governor told the AP. Her call to repeal the law has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Legislature. The state's high court has four Democratic and three Republican justices. Whitmer asked that the court intervene in part to avoid legal uncertainty when the federal high court issues its ruling on Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Should Roe be overruled or curtailed, she wrote, health care providers may feel constrained to restrict access to abortion services to avoid potential criminal liability." The complaint says that although the Michigan Supreme Court in 1973 ruled that Roe limited the effect of the state ban, the right to abortion has been undermined over 50 years of litigation in federal courts. The state's high court has not said whether the state constitution protects the right. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in 1997 that there is no state constitutional right to abortion one reason the Supreme Court should step in immediately because that 25-year-old ruling is binding on lower courts, according to Whitmer. The lawsuit points to substantial ambiguity about what the state ban prohibits. Whitmer was criticized by groups that oppose abortion rights. Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing called the suit frivolous." While the legality of abortion is contingent upon democratic structures, it is unfortunate that the judicial branch is being used to try to invalidate a long-standing policy approved by elected representatives and left untouched by the Legislature for nearly a century since, said Rebecca Mastee, a policy advocate at the Michigan Catholic Conference. States on both sides of the abortion issue have been taking various steps to prepare for Roe being eroded or rescinded, including making it a crime to perform an abortion and banning legal action against people who aid or receive an abortion. In Michigan, advocates have launched a ballot drive to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, but they will need about 425,000 voter signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot. Abortion rights proponents in Nebraska scored a surprising victory this week by derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if Roe is overturned. Also Thursday, seven Democratic county prosecutors who were named in Whitmer's lawsuit pledged to not enforce the anti-abortion law in Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Washtenaw, Ingham, Kalamazoo and Marquette counties. The other six elected prosecutors who were sued are Republicans. The defendant in the Planned Parenthood case is Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who has long said she would not enforce the ban. She said her office will not defend the law unless it is ordered to by a court. Other parties that support the law can seek to intervene, she said. I didn't become attorney general so that I could head an office that put women in a position in which some of them will likely die, Nessel said. ___ Associated Press writer Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and video journalist Sharon Johnson in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 That release could not be found. ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan launched a 911 helpline here on Thursday to provide emergency relief services through a unified platform, the Prime Minister's Office said. Every citizen will be able to get the state's response in case of an emergency in any part of Pakistan, the prime minister said while addressing the launching ceremony of the helpline. It's a major step towards the development of the country on the pattern of a welfare state, he added. The integrated Pakistan Emergency Helpline-911 will provide emergency services like fire brigade, police, health assistance, disaster recovery and motorway police, among others, the Prime Minister's Office said. Khan said that the helpline will also enable the country to maintain crime data while helping in assessing the requirement of resources in different sectors of the country. Nigeria's former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has expressed his deep sadness over the unfortunate tragic death of two of his police officers in a road crash which occurred earlier hours of yesterday at the vicinity of the Abuja airport. The former President who was on his way to the airport before the incident, described the incident as painful and heart-rending, stating that the sudden death of the two security details has thrown him into deep mourning. According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, to the former president, Ikechukwu Eze, he noted that the two deceased, Inspectors Ibrahim Abazi and Yakubu Toma, were fine officers who were dedicated to their duties and service to the nation. Two other officers sustained injuries in the accident which involved a car conveying the security men. They were rushed to a hospital in Abuja where they are responding to treatment. The office of the former President has offered condolences to the families of the bereaved and the Police High Command. Dr. Jonathan prayed God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and bless their families and the nation with the fortitude to bear the loss, he added. Russian troops have left behind crushed buildings, streets littered with destroyed cars and residents in dire need of food and other aid in a northern Ukrainian city MANILA, Philippines (AP) A Chinese coast guard ship last month maneuvered for days near a research vessel deployed by Philippine and Taiwanese scientists to undertake a crucial survey of undersea fault lines west of the northern Philippines, sparking concerns among the scientists on board, officials said Thursday. The scientists on the R/V Legend, including five Filipinos, proceeded with their research despite the presence of the Chinese coast guard ship in the vicinity of the waters straddling the undersea Manila Trench from March 25 to March 30 off the northwestern Philippine city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur province. The Chinese coast guards proximity sparked concerns because the research vessel was towing a survey cable in the sea, a Filipino scientist told The Associated Press. The ongoing offshore survey a joint project of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines and the National Central University in Taiwan aims to help map offshore faults and other geologic features that could set off future earthquakes, tsunamis and other potentially catastrophic hazards in the region. The monthlong research is partly funded by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology and will end on April 13. The Chinese coast guard ship maneuvered about 2 to 3 nautical miles (3 to 5 kilometers) from the R/V Legend for several days, according to Carla Dimalanta of the National Institute of Geological Sciences. Its proximity to the research vessel was cause for concern especially when the research vessel was towing a streamer cable for the scientific measurements that were being done, Dimalanta told The AP in an emailed reply to questions about the incident. She did not say if the Chinese coast guard ship warned the research vessel that it had illegally entered Chinese territorial waters and should immediately move away, a warning China's coast guard has often issued by radio to foreign ships and vessels cruising near its outposts in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. The Philippine coast guard said it deployed a patrol ship, the BRP Capones, on Monday to keep watch on the research vessel. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have been locked in an increasingly tense territorial standoff in the busy waterway for decades. The Manila Trench, which runs off the western coast of the main northern Philippine island of Luzon in the fringes of the South China Sea has long been an area of concern because of the potential disaster it could unleash if a major earthquake and tsunami were generated in the busy waterway that borders several countries, including China, Taiwan and the Philippines. It was not immediately known if the Philippine government has raised its concern over the Chinese coast guards movement near the scientific research vessel. Two Filipino officers told The AP without elaborating that the Philippine military was aware of the incident. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the issue publicly. There was no immediate comment from Chinese Embassy officials in Manila. Late last month, the Philippine coast guard said that Chinese coast guard ships maneuvered dangerously close to its patrol ships at least four times in the vicinity of the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines over the past year. The movement of the Chinese coast guard ships increased the risk of collision and violated international safety regulations, the Philippine coast guard said then. In one of those dangerous movements, a Chinese coast guard ship moved just 21 yards (63 feet) from a Philippine coast guard patrol vessel and restricted its maneuvering space in the vicinity of the Scarborough Shoal in a clear violation of a 1972 international safety regulation that aims to prevent sea collisions, said the Philippine coast guard, which reported the incidents to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Chinas seizure of Scarborough Shoal prompted the Philippines to bring the disputes to international arbitration. In 2016, a U.N.-backed tribunal invalidated most of Chinas claims and said it has violated the rights of Filipinos to fish at the shoal. China dismissed the ruling as a sham and continues to defy it but has allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the shoal under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who nurtured closer ties with Beijing after taking office in 2016. Despite cozier relations, however, sporadic territorial spats have persisted. Two weeks ago, U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. John C. Aquilino told The AP on board a U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft that China has fully militarized three of the seven islands it built in the disputed Spratlys archipelago in the South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and military aircraft in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating in the disputed waters. China responded by saying that its deployment of necessary national defense facilities on its own territory is a right entitled to every sovereign country and is in line with international law, which is beyond reproach. JERSEYVILLE Edward Jones Financial Advisor Steve Medford of Jerseyville recently qualified for the firm's Managing Partner's Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, April 26-27. During the two-day conference, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from firm leaders, confer on timely topics and share best practices for serving clients. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GRAFTON The Grafton Fudge and Ice Cream Shop is now under new ownership. The previous owners Bob and Judy Doerr initially had planned for the business to go to their granddaughter. However, the 2019 flood and the COVID-19 pandemic which closed the shop from March until September 2020 made those plans financially impossible. "I'm over the hill, soon to be 81 years young," Bob Doerr said in January when he announced a new owner was sought for the business at 321 E. Main St., Grafton. "It is time to pass the baton to a younger Grafton enthusiast." Those enthusiasts have come in the form of Steve and Mickey Niemeier of Collinsville. According to Steve Niemeier, the opportunity came when the couple visited the shop after a hike through Pere Marquette State Park. "He (Bob Doerr) told me that they were interested in selling it," Niemeier said. "I talked to my wife and we decided to give it a shot. We would always stop in and always joked about how it would be great to own a shop like this." This will be the couple's first business venture. Both also have careers of their own; Steve Niemeier is a career firefighter for St. Louis County and Mickey Niemeier is a full-time paramedic in O'Fallon, Illinois. The couple officially took ownership of the shop on Monday, April 4. Steve Niemeier said that, while the new venture has been a "change of pace," it has also been a lot of fun. "People walk in, and they see the fudge, the ice cream, the candy, and they're excited to see us," he said. "It's completely the opposite when we meet most of the public because of our jobs." He also commented own how Bob and Judy Doerr have assisted them through the process. "They've been helping us this whole way and we can call them anytime we have questions," he said. The shop, which currently has five employees, is open 1:30-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. GRANITE CITY The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney Generals Office against Circle K for a release of gasoline and diesel fuel from a tanker truck in Granite City on April 6. According to the IEPA the Illinois Emergency Management Agency was notified that a Circle K tanker truck overturned at Illinois 3 and St. Thomas Road, spilling 8,000 gallons of its 9,000-gallon load of fuel. The truck was carrying 6,400 gallons of gasoline and 2,600 gallons of diesel fuel. About 1,000 gallons of fuel was vacuumed out of the tanker. Emergency responders and representatives from Illinois EPA responded to the site. According to IEPA officials, the incident occurred during significant rains, resulting in fuel pooling in the median and at least 200 feet in both directions on both sides of the road. Emergency responders tried to block nearby culverts to slow or stop the migration to groundwater. An environmental remediation contractor has been hired by the responsible party to begin cleanup, according to state officials, and an investigation of the incident and remediation at the site continues. The referral asks the Attorney Generals Office to obtain an order requiring Circle K to immediately address any impact of the release to the roadway, medians, farmland and groundwater, and any other impact on the environment resulting from the spill. The IEPA also is seeking an injunctive order so that site conditions do not worsen and the impact is managed in a proper manner to avoid any additional harm to human health and the environment. The IEPA is also seeking to have Circle K enter the Site Remediation program to ensure agency oversight and approval of cleanup of the site and off-site properties impacted by the release. AP TOKYO (AP) The defense ministers of Japan and the Philippines agreed Thursday to bolster security cooperation and expand joint drills between their forces as they shared concerns about Chinas increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Philippine counterpart, Delfin Lorenzana, also shared concern about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact in the Indo-Pacific, and noted that any attempts to change the status quo by force is unacceptable, Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that avoided identifying China by name. As an educator, I hope my students have an opportunity to learn from me. After teaching for 18 years I am very well aware that I learn from them, and they most definitely learn from each other. This year I am reminded that the community learns from our students as well. Jersey Community High School has welcomed foreign exchange students for as long as I can remember. Mr. Cliff Kaminskys discipline exchanges with a slightly rambunctious German foreign exchange student who was also in our band are fun memories of my own high school experience. I have had the privilege to teach and learn from quite a few foreign exchange students in my role as a teacher, but this year I know my foreign exchange students have opened my eyes forever and I am so thankful to have met these young people. Dominick Schrenk has been in my Algebra 3 class since the start of the school year. Dominick is from Germany and has taught us some fun German words, showed us the German Happy Birthday Song, and explained to us that words like gesundheit that are occasionally said to people after they sneeze originated in his country. Our class enjoyed the small break from math and appreciated the difficult spellings of his language and enjoyed teaching Dominick some American slang as well. Kateryna Savienkova joined my class second semester. Kateryna is from Ukraine and at first, was a little more reserved than Dominick which I equated to cultural differences. She was a great addition to our classroom and as we got to know her better her humor would make an appearance. Having two foreign exchange students in one class has been so very fun! On Feb. 24 Katerynas country was invaded by Russia. As terrified as she must have been being a world away from her family, Kateryna stepped up in a way that will forever inspire me. Katerynas role in our school seamlessly changed to Student Ambassador, and I know her countrymen would be very proud of her. Kateryna went to work educating anyone who would listen. Dominick, who was also deeply affected by the invasion joined her cause. They want to remind everyone that inaction is not always right, and oftentimes it is wrong. They want others to educate themselves about those in need and those who may be struggling. They have reminded us that we are all global citizens and we should all care about each other. Our student ambassadors are truly making a difference in Jersey County. JCHS and the entire Jersey Community have rallied around Kateryna and are moved by her family's forced displacement. Bracelets were purchased and quickly sold out. Students, staff, and community members have been donating to help Katerynas family and others in Ukraine. Kateryna is so touched by the love she has been shown. She feels a personal need to help others in Ukraine as well, and with Dominick and her JCHS familys support, she can do just that. On Friday, April 8, 2022, JCHS will celebrate a United with Ukraine Day. More bracelets have been purchased for those who would like to support Ukrainians on that day. We will be wearing blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and our band will perform the Ukrainian National Anthem. Dominick has worked hard on a video that teachers can show to their classes, and students are making signs and will be collecting donations in the form of change. Informational facts regarding the conflict and the country of Ukraine will be used in the form of trivia questions where students can win prizes such as Ukrainian candy. I challenge the community to join us in Uniting with Ukraine on April 8. What's more, we should unite with them as long as the Ukrainians are in conflict and even beyond when they rebuild. Let our student ambassadors inspire us to open our eyes to the issues that others face beyond our normal worldview. While we may not physically see those in need or those who are suffering, they are unfortunately still there. While Kateryna was able to be a physical representation of someone affected by the conflict in Ukraine, there are conflicts all over the world and within our own country that affects the lives of so many. ALTON Dave Emmons has published his first book about his otherworldly UFO and ET experiences, They: What Do They Want?, and his next book, Senseless Wars, is ready to be presented to his publisher to prepare the book for marketing. The manuscript is complete with pictures of Vietnam he took while in the Army there in 1969-70. Hangar 1 Publishing which covers new science, cryptid wildlife research, strange disappearances, life after death, celebrities, Big Foot, UFOs, and other unexplained events has released They: What Do They Want? available at all major booksellers. Doug and Alex Hajicek are the editors and owners of the publishing company in Minnesota. Quite a few have people have bought the book locally and want to attend a signing, Emmons, of Alton, said. The book signing will occur in Alton and Springfield, Illinois, in the next couple of weeks. He already is set to work on a sequel to They: What Do They Want?, which his publisher requested. Emmons, 73, is a host on Massachusetts-based Disclosure News Network (DNN), where he regularly discusses his and others UFO and ET sightings, which he has researched and examined for years. His book contains his own experiences he has had all his life over 59 years. He went to school at Broadcast Center in St. Louis, Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, and Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, for journalism. Emmons also was a frequent guest on WBGZs Mike Montgomerys Matinee Madness show and with the Las Vegas-based KCOR Digital Radio Network before DNN. Most of the older generation might remember Dave when he was with his six Emmons brothers in a popular band called The Crystal Image. People might remember the Godfrey Civic Center, KC Halls, and many clubs within the 40 years of playing in the Alton area. Emmons was an Army platoon leader from 1969-to 1970 in Vietnam for one year. He served out the remaining year at Fort Benning, Georgia. His war manuscript is based on his experiences and knowledge that he witnessed while in combat in Vietnam. The other half of the book will be his opinion and perspective about other wars since World War II that the U.S. was involved in. I was a sergeant in Vietnam, utilized as a lieutenant, in charge of 42 guys, he recalled. If I wanted to stay in, they would commission me as an officer. But I didnt want to stay in the Army. He qualified for nuclear weapons training through high scores in testing and a top-secret clearance qualification. I didnt like working in nuclear weapons as a 19- to the 20-year-old guy and couldnt go for the constant surveillance and isolation, he said. I had to get the chaplain to get me out of the training. My grades were too high to drop out otherwise. The new book will be about the Vietnam war and his experiences relating to the wars the U.S. has been involved in since Vietnam. This war book will be finished and released by this summer or sooner. Emmons life experiences are vast. He lived in Alaska for two years. His first retirement was from Premcor Refinery, now Wood River Phillips 66 Refinery, in Roxana, which closed in 2001. He then had his restaurant, Daves Rendezvous, on Homer Adams for a year. He went on to work with the Red Cross in disaster management and then AmeriCorps, helping the elderly. He officially retired from a full-time job in 2010 and began gathering information for They: What Do They Want? He said he started traveling and doing photography, including meeting an extraterrestrial in 2010 in Sedona, Arizona, which he features in his book. This is the first book Ive wanted to do since 2012, he said, putting his ET experiences into writing. Emmons DNN work is on its YouTube and Facebook sites. Follow Emmons on his Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A major power outage hit Puerto Rico late Wednesday, plunging hundreds of thousands of customers into darkness after a fire erupted at one of the largest power plants in the U.S. territory. The outage was one of the biggest in recent months for the island's crumbling electrical grid, which has seen its periodic blackouts grow worse the last few years. The outage elicited a collective groan across the island of 3.2 million people, with many who depend on insulin or respiratory therapies once again worried about how long it would last. Apagon! wrote many frustrated customers across social media, using the Spanish word for outage. Luma, a private company that took over transmission and distribution of Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority last year, called it an island-wide power outage. However, the state power company's website said nearly 350,000 clients out of nearly 1.5 million were without lights. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said priority would be given to hospitals and other institutions as he tweeted: I urge everyone to remain calm. Puerto Ricos health secretary said generators at all hospitals and health centers were functioning and had enough fuel, adding that coronavirus vaccines remained properly stored at the correct temperature. Transportation officials said crews evacuated passengers from the island's rapid transit system and took them to their destinations via buses. Meanwhile, long lines formed at some gas stations as those with generators sought to refill them. Education officials said they would soon announce whether classes at public schools would be cancelled Thursday, frustrating many parents who worried they might not find out if their cellphones died and they were unable to charge them. Luma said in a statement that power might not be restored until Thursday, given the size and scope of the outage. The power grid has suffered a massive island-wide blackout, potentially caused by a circuit breaker failure at the Costa Sur generation plant. We are not clear on the exact cause at this time, the company said. Costa Sur is one of the island's four main power plants. Puerto Rico's fire department worked late into the night to put out the blaze as frustration and anger over yet another blackout continued to grow. Carian Montull, 36, said she was at a clothing store in southern Puerto Rico when the lights went out. She said the store's generators failed to turn on, so she and about a dozen other customers were forced to leave their purchases behind and go home. She said someone nearby cried out: The lights seriously went out?! It can't be. Montull said she doesn't have a generator at home and hoped the power would come back soon so the food in her refrigerator wouldn't spoil. Luma said it would release additional information once it had more details. When it took over transmission and distribution in June, the governor at the time said the company had pledged to reduce power interruptions by 30% and the length of outages by 40%. That same month, a large fire at a substation in the capital of San Juan left hundreds of thousands without power. Another fire at a power plant in September 2016 sparked an island-wide blackout. A year later, Hurricane Maria hit, razing the island's frail electrical grid and leaving some customers without power for nearly a year. Emergency repairs have since been made, but reconstruction efforts have yet to start. In addition, Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority is trying to emerge from bankruptcy and holds some $9 billion in public debt that it is trying to restructure. The utility has long struggled with mismanagement, corruption and aging infrastructure that has not been maintained. 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. Vote View Results The tumbling share price of Newport Wafer Fabs Chinese owner is adding more fuel to the fire as opposition mounts to its takeover, critics said. Shanghai-listed Wingtech snapped up Newport Wafer Fab, Britains largest microchip maker, last year in a 63million deal. But there has been fierce opposition from MPs, experts and industry figures, who want an official intervention. Fuel to the fire? The tumbling share price of Newport Wafer Fabs Chinese owner is adding more fuel to the fire as opposition mounts to its takeover, critics said Wingtech is part-owned by the Chinese communist party. The company is under even more scrutiny after its shares hit a two-and-a-half-year low yesterday, raising more questions about whether it is a suitable owner for Newport Wafer Fab. Microchips are an essential part of all electronic devices and critics of the deal say the UK has lost a strategically important manufacturer. Bob Seely, Conservative MP and a member of Parliaments foreign affairs committee, said: The falling share price adds more to the fire here and raises more questions. But the fundamental issue hasnt changed: we have to be more careful about selling strategic assets to authoritarian and one-party states. This week the committee said it did not believe the Prime Ministers claims that Government national security adviser, Sir Stephen Lovegrove, had reviewed into the takeover. MPs have been perplexed that Lovegrove was asked to scrutinise the deal behind closed doors when most sensitive takeovers are investigated through an official Government intervention. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is understood to be planning a probe though this could still take weeks or even months. Defence analyst Howard Wheeldon said: Im not someone who doesnt believe in foreign takeovers but software in any shape or form is a national interest microchips are a national interest. Newport Wafer Fab does not make new or emerging products. It produces tech that has been around for years, and had more than 400 staff in 2020. The notion of an ITV swoop on Channel 4 makes for a good narrative. Creating a national champion, with a public service mandate and offering competition to US broadcasters, has keen support on Downing Street. But the pathway from the exploratory tweet by the Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, to a stock market listing or a trade sale for the channel is littered with complications. As a public company, ITV has UK long investors not known for adventurism to consider. When ITV recently announced an extra 200m investment on building and promoting a home-grown streaming platform ITVX, it received a thumbs-down from the City. Channel 4 is set to be privatised under Government plans announced this week The lack of imagination among share-holders is stunning when one considers that 200m is the kind of production budget spent by Netflix on commissioning a high-end series such as The Crown. A combination of ITV and C4 would offer opportunities for cost-cutting, including elimination of a head office, and combining IT and studio facilities. It would increase bargaining power in buying in programmes from independent operators. Just-arrived ITV chairman Andrew Cosslett would be foolish not to keep a close eye on the opportunity. There is no case for C4 remaining in Government ownership in a free market economy. Licence payers already support one big beast in the BBC, and C4 should be cut loose. As significant as ownership, will be regulation. C4, ITV and the BBC need a better deal from the upcoming media bill. Smart TV sets and streaming have placed them at extreme disadvantage in attracting viewers. It requires five or six clicks on the handset to find the UK channels with a public service remit in the prevailing tile system of displays. The more common Sky index doesnt make it easy either. Newcomers to our screens, be they Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime, must be required to play by the same rules. Broadcasters will be listening carefully to the Queens Speech for detail on the bill which, after scrutiny, could struggle to make it onto the statute books in 2023. Even if it does that wont be the end of matters should there be a bidding war or trade sale of ITV. Any buyer from the UK or overseas would need to be given the green light by Ofcom. If it were to be ITV, the Competition and Markets Authority, which sets the rules for advertising on commercial TV, would look at aspects of a deal combining C4 with ITV. Sky or others would face similar hurdles. Netflix, Comcast (owners of Sky) et al have demonstrated faith in the UKs creative industries by powerful investment in new studios, stages and post-production. Nevertheless, any buyer would need to satisfy the authorities that there would be no loss of C4s original content, presently farmed out to independent producers. Off Grid Sometimes you wonder about the real free market instincts of the Government. With one hand it seeks to set C4 free, and with the other wants to buy out the National Grid role in managing UK energy supply. Ahead of todays expected energy strategy, the Government has revealed that it will create a future system operator to oversee Britains transition from fossil fuels. National Grid is currently responsible for keeping the lights on and industry working by balancing supply and demand. Rival energy companies complain that the Grid has a conflict of interest as the distribution hub for gas and electricity. But creating a new quango, when Ofgem already is the regulator, does not measure up to Tory promises of a bonfire of red tape, post-Brexit. Buying out the Grids administrative role should not be that expensive. Analysts estimate its value at 300m. Compared to the estimated 2bn rescue of insolvent supplier Bulb, this looks like a bargain. Doubling up on regulators and renationalising would be an unforced error. Tech tock Shed a tear for the tech behemoths. The European Union is no friend of Silicon Valley. There is resentment that there has been a failure on this side of the Atlantic to re-create the ubiquitous success. In its latest assault, the EU will require online firms to pay the costs of policing their content, with a fee that doesnt exceed 0.1pc of global income. The initial levy is estimated to raise just 25m. From small beginnings... The British arm of Russia's VTB Bank is set to tumble into administration after being sanctioned. In a hearing at the High Court in London yesterday, Judge Timothy Fancourt approved its application to appoint administrators. He said Russia's second largest bank was unable to function and pay its debts such as rent owed following Western sanctions prompted by the invasion of Ukraine. A branch of VTB Bank in Moscow. VTB's UK operation is set to go into administration Daniel Bayfield, a lawyer for VTB, said: 'The company's operations have been paralysed even beyond the paralysis caused by the sanctions.' But Fancourt added that the US, which has also heaped restrictions on VTB, must first grant a licence for the lender to enter administration. It came as the UK took aim at Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, in further sanctions. Ministers imposed a full asset freeze on the group, which put its UK arm into special administration last week. This is a process used by regulators to protect other firms connected to Sberbank, but was not deemed necessary for VTB as it had recently cut down its size. More than 60 staff work for VTB, the court heard. Countryside Properties has published a scathing review highlighting significant operational problems across the company. The housing developer has also revealed issues with profitability in the North of England and South Midlands, as well as overexpansion into new regions and excessive manufacturing costs. But the review was particularly damning about homebuilder Westleigh Group, which Countryside bought four years ago as part of plans to expand its partnerships business across a broader geographical base. Troubles: Countryside's report highlighted profit issues in the North of England and South Midlands, overexpansion problems and excessive manufacturing costs (Stock image) The Essex-based developer revealed that projects involving Westleigh had been affected by low margins, with some hit with declines towards the end of their tenure and others not being completed to a high enough standard. At the same time, the firm said some developments in the North of England had their progress impacted by delays and substandard quality from some groundworkers, and roofing and timber-frame contractors. This region has also seen the profitability of specific projects affected by surging costs arising from getting them finished on time, while the group declared it was running at a loss in the South Midlands area. Chairman and interim chief executive John Martin said: 'After conducting a review of all operational sites, management has identified a number of areas where we can raise our game, and our team is moving quickly to improve performance. 'There remains significant market demand for our homes, and we did not identify any competitive issues during our review. 'Large parts of the group continue to perform strongly, building high-quality, affordable homes and developing places people love as a trusted partner of local authorities, registered providers and PRS investors.' Pledge: Countryside has promised to pay 24million to remove unsafe cladding and other fire hazards from medium-rise buildings it has built in the last 30 years (Stock image) Countryside Properties shares plunged 14.6 per cent to 2.38 on Thursday following the announcement, making it the second-highest faller on the FTSE 250 Index, behind gold mining business Petropavlovsk. The company additionally revealed adjusted revenues in the six months to 31 March sank by nearly 100million from the same time last year, alongside a 42 per cent decline in adjusted operating profits. Because of weaker land sales, 10million in operating losses from manufacturing and poor profitability at multiple sites, it forecasts making a lower operating profit of 150million this financial year. Analysts from Peel Hunt remarked: 'While the new profit guidance for FY22 is better than we had forecast, the lack of visibility on the outer years is unhelpful, and the lack of clarity on the likely cost of cladding remediation is likely to muddy the waters further.' Countryside believes it will spend another 24million, on top of the 41million provided last year, to resolve fire hazard issues at medium-rise buildings that it has constructed over the last 30 years. It has joined some of Britain's largest housebuilders in signing the Building Safety Pledge following negotiations between the Home Builders' Federation and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Financial Conduct Authority has vowed to crack down on and quickly shut down 'problem firms' that do not meet basic standards. Bosses at the regulator said they are concerned the cost-of-living crisis could see households turn to lenders or online finance promotions in greater numbers to manage their finances and try to make their money stretch further. It said the biggest threat posed at present to consumers stemmed from firms offering financial products and services online, not all of whom are above board. Getting tough: The Financial Conduct Authority has vowed to crack down on and quickly shut down 'problem firms' The FCA's fresh 'three-year plan' will see 80 new staff work to crack down faster on potential fraud and poor treatment of consumers. The regulator will also, for the first time, publish outcomes and performance targets to allow for greater accountability. The FCA said: 'A key focus of the strategy is shutting down problem firms, which do not meet basic regulatory standards. 'The FCA is recruiting 80 employees to work on the initiative, which will protect consumers from potential fraud, poor treatment and create a better market.' It added: 'In the development of the strategy, the FCA has calculated that for every pound spent on its operations, consumers and small businesses benefit by at least 11. 'The regulator has also considered the rising cost of living, which could drive greater demand for credit products and lead consumers to look for new ways to manage and make more of their money. 'The FCA will continue to work closely with the UK Government and Bank of England in response to the war in Ukraine.' The FSCS levy has increased over the last decade, from 277million in 2011/12 to an expected 717million for 2021/22. Impact: The FCA is worried more people will turn to credit amid the cost of living crisis The FCA said today: 'This increase reflects too large a bill of unpaid redress liabilities from failed firms pushed onto those that remain in the market. This isnt right.' The strategy builds on activities launched last July, when FCA boss Nikhil Rathi committed the regulator to become more innovative, assertive and adaptive. He also vowed to transform the FCA into a data-led platform that can face the threats and opportunities of the future. Rathi added: 'Our new strategy enables the FCA to respond more quickly to the rapidly changing financial services sector. 'It will give us a foundation to continuously improve for the benefit of our stakeholders, and respond swiftly to economic and geopolitical developments.' The watchdog has faced criticism in the past over its slow progress at cracking down on problem firms, including the London Capital & Finance mini-bond scheme. It was heavily criticised following a report by MPs into the scandal that found the FCA did not act appropriately to protect investors. The FCA has an increased budget of 640.1million this year, marking an increase of 4.3 per cent on the previous year. Internal changes have led to disquiet among some staff, with the outcome of a union vote on industrial action due next week. In charge: Nikhil Rathi is the boss of the Financial Conduct Authority Currently the watchdog has patchy powers to intervene when problems arise in sectors including cryptoassets and in cases of online financial fraud - until the government legislates to bring them under the regulatory net. 'Our expectation is that over time we will be able to intervene before harms become systemic,' Sarah Pritchard, the FCA's executive director of markets, said. Firms also face a tougher 'consumer duty' later in the year. Simon Morris, a financial services partner with CMS law firm, said the strategy plan was ambitious and augurs real change in tone and substance. He said: 'But in positioning itself as a more powerful and controlling regulator the FCAs greatest challenge is accountability, especially to the firms it regulates.' The FCA will consult shortly on 'side pockets' to ring-fence Russian assets in investment funds, Pritchard said. There will also be a consultation on regulating stablecoins following the government's announcement this week. Myron Jobson, a senior personal finance analyst at Interactive Investor, said: 'The FCA has a tricky task of driving home the importance of understanding investment risk without playing nanny. 'The role of the regulator here shouldnt be in the business of holding hands, but to ensure the marketing of financial products isnt salacious and has clear and concise risk warnings to help consumers make an informed decision for themselves.' Criticism: Former Unilever boss Paul Polman Unilever's former boss has been blasted for claiming consumers want to pay more for food despite being in the grip of a cost of living crisis. Paul Polman, who led the Dove soap and Magnum ice cream maker from 2009 to 2018, said consumers want to buy goods from 'brands that stand for something'. And he added that bosses needed to show 'courage' and be more ambitious in tackling climate change and human rights issues rather than doing the minimum they could 'get away with'. But critics hit back at his claims that consumers are able to put ethics above food security at a time when millions are struggling to afford their heating bills and general living costs. And it comes as Unilever has yet to shut down all its operations in Russia, where it has manufacturing plants that make products such as Cornetto, Hellmann's and Dove. Alexander Stafford, a Tory MP on the Commons business committee, said: 'Whilst we of course need to have the best possible standards for our food, companies have a moral duty to make food as cheap and plentiful as possible. No one should be forced to go without, due to the ideological agenda of a small group of people.' Daniel Pryor, head of research at think-tank the Adam Smith Institute, said: 'Paul Polman can pontificate on what he thinks people want from firms, but the jury's still out how 'woke capitalism' affects businesses' bottom line. 'The cost of living crisis will bring value-for-money to the forefront of consumers' minds and many Brits remain sceptical of brands that make a lot of noise about social change without necessarily taking concrete action.' It is the latest in a string of Unilever controversies that centre on the 'woke' agenda. One of Unilever's key brands, Ben & Jerry's, prompted outrage last year when it vowed to stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied territories. And veteran fund manager Terry Smith, who runs Fundsmith Equity, said in January the company had 'lost the plot' and was tying itself in knots to 'define the purpose of Hellmann's mayonnaise' when it should have been putting its energy into improving the firm's performance. Polman told the World Retail Congress in Rome: 'Consumers are demanding change, especially millennials and Gen Z. They want to buy from brands that stand for something and they are willing to pay more for it. 'They will also choose to work for more responsible employers, so companies would be well served to focus on their people and take action at the level that is needed. The ones that don't, I think, are already heading to the graveyard of dinosaurs.' The Adam Smith Institute's Pryor said: 'Many businesses are simply jumping on the woke bandwagon before they're pushed by regulators and politicians eager to exert greater control over the engine of wealth generation.' Morrisons' private equity buyers have agreed to sell a number of petrol stations to force through the 7billion takeover. New York-based Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, which also owns forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group (MFG), won the battle for control of Morrisons in October. But the Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation because MFG owns 921 petrol stations while Morrisons has 339. Concern: Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, which also owns forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group, won the battle for control of Morrisons in October The regulator last month found that the tie-up could push up prices in 121 locations across the UK where they both operate. It said the findings were particularly important with petrol prices near record highs and gave CD&R a week to propose a way to address its concerns. And yesterday the watchdog said CD&R has offered to sell some of its petrol stations paving the way for the deal to be approved. CD&R won an auction for Morrisons in October after a lengthy battle in which it tipped American private equity rival Fortress by 1p per share. Days later the CMA launched a probe into the deal over fears it would create a group controlling more than 1,200 of the UK's 8,000 petrol stations. It ordered Morrisons to stay independent during the investigation. MFG is the UK's biggest independent forecourt operator with petrol stations across brands such as Texaco, BP and Shell. CD&R did not say how many forecourts it has offered to sell, but the CMA said the deal 'might be accepted' under the proposals. A key part of CD&R's interest in Morrisons was the opportunity to expand its convenience store chain across MFG forecourts. But CD&R is also said to be looking for a buyer for MFG, which could be worth up to 5billion. Shell will take a bigger hit than previously thought after withdrawing from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. In a trading update yesterday, the FTSE 100 oil giant said ending its joint ventures with Kremlin-backed gas producer Gazprom would cost it between 3.1billion and 3.8billion. That was larger than the 2.6billion hit estimated when it announced it was pulling out of Russia in February. But Shell said its oil and gas trading arm has benefited from a surge in prices following the outbreak of war though it added that the market remains 'volatile'. It said 'the unprecedented volatility in commodity prices' was hitting cash flow. Crude soared from below $100 a barrel on the eve of the invasion of Ukraine to a peak of $139 before falling back. It was trading at around $100 a barrel last night having fallen more than 6 per cent in the past three days. Shell shares fell 2.1 per cent, or 45.5p, to 2086p, valuing the company at 157billion. Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said investors have been 'unnerved' by the 'eyewatering costs' of pulling out of Russia. But she added: 'The share price should continue to stay reasonably resilient given the divestment far outweighs the reputational damage which could be caused had it not pulled out.' Shell and rival oil giant BP both announced plans to pull out of Russia in February amid huge pressure from the Government following the invasion of Ukraine. Shell held a 27.5 per cent stake in the Sakhalin-II a flagship facility in the Russian Far East that is majority-owned by Gazprom and produces around 4 per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas. Gazprom is 49.3 per cent owned by Russia's government. Shell also plans to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Shell helped to finance Nord Stream 2 which was meant to double Russian gas imports to Germany and is thought to have lent more than 600m towards the project. Rival BP pledged to sell its 20 per cent stake in the Kremlin-backed oil company Rosneft, costing the British company 19billion. It has received 3.75billion in dividends alone from Rosneft since it took the stake in 2013, and last year Rosneft contributed around 21 per cent of its 9.4billion profit. BP shares fell 0.9 per cent, or 3.45p, to 377.4p yesterday, valuing the firm at 73.4billion. In a further move last month, Shell said it would stop buying oil from Russia but still honour contracts signed prior to the war in Ukraine. But that only came after it was forced to issue a grovelling apology after buying 725,000 barrels of Russian crude oil for a bargain price while the war in Ukraine raged on. Commenting on the situation yesterday, a company spokesman said: 'Shell has not renewed longer-term contracts for Russian oil, and will only do so under explicit government direction, but we are legally obliged to take delivery of crude bought under contracts that were signed before the invasion.' Shell and BP saw their finances hammered in 2020 as the Covid pandemic hit demand for fuel and sent oil prices tumbling. But they bounced back in 2021 as the oil price recovered prompting calls for a windfall tax to help households deal with soaring energy bills. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 56F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 56F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Scattered thunderstorms, some locally strong to perhaps severe. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High near 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Thunder possible. Low 56F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. PARIS (AP) Luxury fashion brand Chanel says it has stopped selling its clothes, perfumes and other luxury goods to Russian customers abroad if they plan to take the products back home a bold response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine that some say goes too far. The move, which some Russians have decried, comes after the Parisian company shuttered its boutiques in Russia. Many companies across all industries have halted business in the country in response to the war. This further step, Chanel said Wednesday, is simply a case of complying with trade sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union, Switzerland and others that prohibit transactions with designated individuals. The most recent EU and Swiss sanction laws include a prohibition on the sale, supply, transfer or export, directly or indirectly, of luxury goods to any natural or legal person, entity or body in Russia or for use in Russia,' Chanel said in a statement. It concerns products valued at over 300 euros ($328) which is the majority of Chanel's design output. We have rolled out a process to ask clients for whom we do not know the main residency to confirm that the items they are purchasing will not be used in Russia, Chanel said, without elaborating on what that process looks like. Its a difficult measure to enforce, yet some Russian social media influencers have already said they are being asked for identification and denied the ability to buy goods at Chanel boutiques from Paris to the United Arab Emirates. Russian socialite Anna Kalashnikova said last week that she had seen Russophobia in action after not being allowed to purchase earrings and a Chanel bag in an outlet in Dubai. Fashion insiders say the brand's decision would not have been easy because they are set to take a financial hit. Its bold for Chanel this is almost unprecedented. The house is putting its principles above the buck, said Long Nguyen, a prominent fashion critic. Russia is one of their biggest luxury markets, and Chanel is certain to suffer financially from this choice," he said. But its also political for the brand as it wants to appeal to Gen Z clients who are largely opposed to the war. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Nguyen said Chanel's move represents more than a mere application of the sanction laws. Qing Wang, professor of marketing and innovation at Warwick Business School and a luxury brands expert, said, Taking a bold political stand like this is not without risks. She cited research by PR firm Clutch that found consumers mainly think brands should stay silent on political issues. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (63%) said they were likely to continue shopping at businesses that stayed silent on issues they care about," Wang said in a statement. Peoples true opinion on whether Chanels actions are appropriate, or a step too far that borders on Russophobia (which could be damaging to the brand), remain to be seen." Luxury giants Kering and LVMH did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether they also plan to curb sales to Russians. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Alex Jones was questioned Wednesday by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition. Relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre sued Jones for defamation after he said the shooting never happened. A judge found Jones liable for damages and a trial on how much he should pay the families is set for August. Jones, who lives in Texas, had defied a judge's order to appear for a deposition in the case, saying he was too ill. But Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis said there wasnt enough evidence that Jones was too sick to attend and ordered him to come to Connecticut for questioning and pay escalating daily fines until he did so. Jones paid $25,000 in fines for Friday and $50,000 in fines for Monday, according to court records. Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the deposition began Tuesday and was to continue Wednesday. He said in the video that the families' lawyers began the deposition by demonizing him for his questioning official versions of events. Its just totally insane to sit there and watch this happen and to watch them lick their lips and lick their chops and think were going to finally shut Alex Jones down, Jones said. These people want to put us in prison for our speech. Jones lawyer, Norman Pattis, said tempers flared at times during the deposition on Tuesday, and much of the questioning was not related to the school shooting. I had the impression watching the attack on Mr. Jones that this trial will be about something far greater than what happened at Sandy Hook, Pattis said on the video. The trials going to be about ordinary peoples ability to say Im not buying it, I want to raise questions, I want to draw my own conclusions. The families lawyer, Christopher Mattei, said Jones has declared his entire deposition confidential even while he and his attorney conduct media interviews discussing the details. Accordingly, we are unable to comment further at this time, Mattei said. 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 deposition was held at the Bridgeport office of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. After it ended Wednesday, Pattis filed a court document asking Bellis to return to Jones the $75,000 in fees he paid, which the judge said he could request only after sitting for questioning. Bellis did not immediately rule. Jones missed the originally scheduled deposition in the case on March 23 and 24 in Austin, Texas. He cited a health issue including vertigo that his doctors initially thought was a serious heart problem but turned out to be a sinus infection. The plaintiffs have said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his website show. Jones has since conceded the shooting did happen. GUILDERLAND In a tight vote, the town board voted Tuesday to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries in Guilderland. The board voted 3-2 to opt back into allowing retail cannabis storefronts, six months after they initially opted out of the newly legalized recreational marijuana industry. Supervisor Peter Barber and newly elected town board members Amanda Beedle and Christine Napierski voted in favor of the resolution. Town board members Laurel Bohl and Rosemary Centi voted against. I dont disagree with some of the sentiments and concerns, Barber said after a public hearing the board held Tuesday night. But its in our community. People are going out of state, and soon theyre going to be going to neighboring towns to buy it Id rather have the revenue because people are going to be buying this. Most towns and villages in the Capital Region did not choose to opt out of retail dispensaries last year. However, Guilderland appears to be the first town locally to reverse its decision so far in 2022. The public comment period Tuesday, similar to the board vote, was split in favor of and against allowing dispensaries in the town. Those against opting back in stated concerns about moving too quickly before seeing how the law will play out in neighboring communities, as well as concerns about increased crime. However, those in favor of opting back in cited the high security thats in place at recreational dispensaries, the benefits of revenue since people will be buying the product elsewhere if not in Guilderland, and the medical benefits of marijuana. Its next to impossible to find doctors who will go through the requirements of taking the four-hour course they have to to be able to write and prescribe marijuana, said resident Wes Hale, who utilizes marijuana for medical purposes. When I go to Massachusetts or Rhode Island, most of the people in there are me theyre old geezers with a multitude of problems, but who dont have doctors who would certify them medically and would certify them every year. Hale also said that medical marijuana prices in New York are significantly more expensive than in other states, that the states medical marijuana program does not allow for various cannabis products such as edibles, and that many private health insurance companies and Medicare do not cover medical marijuana appointments. In his comments, Barber emphasized the revenue that Guilderland expects to receive by opting into retail dispensaries, with the town comptroller estimating it at $185,000 a year, he said. If there are consequences we may need the resources to address that, Barber said, citing traffic safety as an example. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Bohl said she was in support of retail dispensaries, but worried about allowing them before more regulations are in place. However, Barber said that the state Cannabis Review Board has had their regulations online for about a month now. One thing the law was absolutely clear about is saying they reserve to local communities the ability to allocate time, place and manner. Thats local zoning 101, he said. He added that he would not want to invest time and effort into establishing town regulations, which would involve the town and county planning boards, before the town opts in. Similarly, Centi said she would rather wait until more data is available, particularly because towns dont have the option to opt back out after opting in. In addition to revenue benefits, Beedle highlighted the safety benefits of creating more access to regulated marijuana. If we choose to ban dispensaries on a multiple municipal level, it could yield the opposite intended effect we could enable the potential for a thriving local black market of production, distribution and sale of cannabis without any of the upside in terms of tax revenue...or safety, she said. Pot is here, and Id like to see it regulated so that the town can control whats happening to its residents to a certain degree. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committees investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two men became the latest members of former President Donald Trump's inner circle to face legal jeopardy as the select committee continues its more than nine-month-long probe into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years. The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The contempt action followed hours of raw debate on the House floor as Republicans stood by Trump and charged that Democrats were trying to politicize the attack on the Capitol by his supporters. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of criminalizing dissent, defended Scavino as a good man and lobbed harsh criticism at members of the committee, some by name. Lets be honest, this is a political show trial, McCarthy said. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, among the nine members of the Jan. 6 panel, noted that the committee has two Republicans, including Liz Cheney of Wyoming. He added that the purpose of the floor vote was to make clear that open contempt and mockery for this process, and for the rule of law will not be allowed by the chamber. I mean, it is just amazing that they think they can get away with this, the three-term lawmaker told reporters about Scavino and Navarro as the debate raged on Wednesday. Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is also on the select committee, were the only Republicans who voted in favor of the contempt charges. While pursuing contempt charges may not yield any new information for the Jan. 6 committee any prosecutions could drag for months or years the vote Wednesday was the latest attempt to show that witnesses will suffer consequences if they dont cooperate or at least appear for questioning. Its all part of an effort to claw back legislative authority that eroded during the Trump era when congressional subpoenas were often flouted and ignored. This vote will reveal to us who is willing to show tolerance for the intolerable, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said on the floor, directing his comments to Republicans across the aisle. Raskin and other Democrats made their case that Scavino and Navarro are among just a handful of individuals who have rebuffed the committee's requests and subpoenas for information. The panel has interviewed more than 800 witnesses so far. In the last week alone, the committee scored two of those interviews from Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Their virtual testimonies are the closest lawmakers have gotten to the former president. Members of the panel said Kushner's testimony last Thursday was helpful. Ivanka Trump, who was with her father in the White House on Jan. 6, was questioned for eight hours Tuesday as congressional investigators tried to piece together her fathers failed effort to delay the certification of the 2020 election results. The main focus of the committee's outreach to the former first daughter surrounds a telephone call they say she witnessed from her father to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Bidens 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Pence rejected those efforts. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, highlighted Ivanka Trump's voluntary cooperation with the committee as opposed to Scavino and Navarro's defiance. Raskin said Scavino has "refused to testify before Congress about what he knows about the most dangerous and sweeping assault on the United States Congress since the War of 1812. The committee says Scavino helped promote Trump's false claims of a stolen election and was with him the day of the attack on the Capitol. As a result, he may have materials relevant to his videotaping and tweeting messages that day. A lawyer for Scavino did not return multiple messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Navarro, 72, a former White House trade adviser, was subpoenaed in early February over his promotion of false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election that the committee believes contributed to the attack. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Navarro cited executive privilege when declining to testify, saying the committee should negotiate this matter with President Trump. He added, If he waived the privilege, I will be happy to comply. But the Biden administration has already waived executive privilege for Navarro, Scavino and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying it was not justified or in the national interest for them to withhold their testimony. Executive privilege was developed to protect a presidents ability to obtain candid counsel from his advisers without fear of immediate public disclosure, but it has limits. Courts have traditionally left questions of whether to invoke executive privilege up to the current White House occupant. The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected a bid by Trump to withhold documents from the committee. The vote Wednesday will be the third time the panel has sent contempt charges to the House floor. The first two referrals, sent late last year, were for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump ally Steve Bannon. The contempt referral against Bannon resulted in an indictment, with a trial set to start in July. The Justice Department has been slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows, much to the frustration of the committee. Its the committees hope that they will present it to a grand jury, Thompson told reporters Tuesday. Obviously, the Meadows case is still outstanding. We dont really know where that is, other than weve done our work. He added, "The firewall goes up from our standpoint, and DOJ uses its systems to take it from there. Thompson suggested more witnesses could still be held in contempt in the weeks ahead even as the committee looks to wrap up the investigative portion of their work in the next two months. A conviction for contempt of Congress carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison. ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CANBERRA, Australia The first of 20 Bushmaster armored vehicles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that can carry four Bushmasters left the east coast city of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The 20 Bushmasters cost 50 million in Australian dollars, which is $37 million in U.S. dollars. The vehicles are in addition to $116 million in Australian dollars ($87 million in U.S. dollars) in military and humanitarian aid previously committed to Ukraine. Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video address to the Australian Parliament on March 31. And as soon as he asked, we said yes, Morrison said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on eastern front Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban Ukraine appeals to NATO for more weapons Russia is moving troops and focus toward the east, but that strategy carries risks as well U.N. General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from UN rights council Ukrainian refugees find quickest route into US goes through Mexico Seeing Bucha atrocities is turning point for media, viewers Russia makes debt payment in rubles, a move that could result in historic default Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday announced it is levying sanctions against Russias largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining companies. The move blocks their access to the U.S. financial system as the United States looks to exact more economic pain on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. Alrosa is the worlds largest diamond mining company and accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond mining capacity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Diamonds are one of Russias top 10 non-energy exports by value. The State Department also said it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries and board members. The moves against the two-state owned companies come a day after the U.S. announced it was targeting the two adult daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russias largest banks and banning new American investment in Russia. __ LVIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that work has begun to dig through the rubble in Borodianka, another city northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians. He also said it is much scarier there, with even more victims of the Russian troops. In his daily nighttime video address to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy said the Russians were preparing to shock the world in the same way by showing corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they were killed by the Ukrainian defenders. Meanwhile, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said Thursday on Ukrainian television that investigators have found at least three sites of mass shootings of civilians during the Russian occupation. Fedoruk said hundreds have been killed and investigators are finding bodies in yards, parks and city squares. PHOENIX A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday. Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraines consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths weapons, weapons and weapons. Kushneruk said its a war for the soul of humanity and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. According to Kushneruk, prompt American help will save civilian lives and he pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government to political and cultural institutions around the world. __ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council a meaningful step by the international community. He also said that it further demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putins war has made Russia an international pariah. The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions The United States and Ukraine have called Russias alleged rights violations tantamount to war crimes. In a statement, Biden said the images out of Bucha and other areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are horrifying and an outrage to our common humanity. BRUSSELS European Council president Charles Michel says the blocs top diplomat has proposed adding an additional 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, the fund which has been used for the first time during the war to deliver defensive lethal weapons to a third country. The EU has previously agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on military supplies for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a country under attack. EU countries and NATO have so far excluded the option of a direct military intervention in Ukraine. Once swiftly approved this will bring to 1.5 billion the EU support already provided for military equipment for Ukraine, Michel said in a message posted on Twitter in which he thanked EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. The proposal needs to be approved by the 27 EU countries. The EU said the instrument should help Ukraine armed forces defend the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty and protect the civilian population. __ The World Health Organization has verified more than 100 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the country was first invaded more than a month ago, the organizations top official said Thursday. At least 103 attacks on hospitals and other health-care facilities in the country, and at least 73 were killed and 51 injured in those incidents, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The toll includes medical workers as well as patients, he said. He praised the United States for supporting international health efforts in Ukraine, including the delivery of more 180 metric tons of medical supplies to hard-hit areas. We are outraged that attacks on health care (in Ukraine) continue, he said. ___ BRUSSELS European Union nations have approved new sanctions against Russia, including an EU embargo on coal imports in the wake of evidence of torture and killings emerging from war zones outside Kyiv. The ban on coal imports will be the first EU sanctions targeting Russias lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine, said an official on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. The EU ban on coal is estimated to be worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year. In the meantime, the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports. Reported by Raf Casert. ___ PARIS -- The International Energy Agency says its member countries are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on top of previous U.S. pledges to take aim at energy prices that have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Paris-based organization said Thursday that the new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which include the United States and much of Europe, amount to a total of 120 million barrels over six months. Its the largest release in the groups history. Half of that will come from the U.S. as part of the larger release from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden announced last week. The IEA agreed last Friday to add to the amount of oil hitting the global market. It comes on top of the 62.7 million barrels that the agencys members said they would release last month to ease shortages. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russias invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came Thursday after the Senate approved the two bills and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden has already taken executive action to ban Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States. The legislation puts the effort into law. The bill to end normal trade relations with Russia paves the way for Biden to enact higher tariffs on various imports, such as certain steel and aluminum products, further weakening the Russian economy under President Vladimir Putin. It also ensures Belarus receives less favorable tariff treatment. The bills also provide the president with the authority to return normal tariff treatment for Russia as well as resume trade in Russian energy products subject to certain conditions. ___ LONDON - Polands President Andrzej Duda and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the need for ending imports of energy sources from Russia as a form of tough sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda said they also analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy additional taxes on Russian gas, oil and coal until the imports are ended. The U.K. said it will stop importing Russian coal and oil by the end of this year and gas imports will cease soon after. Poland is to end Russian coal imports by May, gas by the years end and oil in 2023, possibly. Russia is not a credible partner and we should not assume that it will ever be, Duda told reporters. ___ NICOSIA, Cyprus - Ukraines president has asked Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up pressure on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to stop granting Russian businessmen conveniences including Cypriot citizenship. Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and financial aid and spoke of the destruction and death the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that happened in the town of Bucha may be happening elsewhere. Zelenskyy also pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraines bid to join the European Union. He said EU membership for Ukraine would help strengthen the 27-member bloc. ___ STOCKHOLM European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to stay together and not decide unilaterally on imposing sanctions against Russia. We have been successful by being together. My plea is that we move forward together, von der Leyen said during a visit to Stockholm where she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The EU chief on Friday will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging event in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland. ___ PODGORICA, Montenegro NATO-member Montenegro is joining a number of countries that expelled Russian diplomats over the past week. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the four diplomats have a week to leave the small Balkan nation. The decision is based on information provided by security authorities about the diplomats activities in Montenegro, the ministry said. No other details were immediately available. Montenegro last month expelled another Russian diplomat. Local media said at the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union but has joined Western sanctions against Moscow. ___ UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That is significantly lower than votes on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the Ukrainian town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops were responsible. ___ WASHINGTON The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to three Russian airlines as part of what officials described as an unprecedented enforcement action. The Commerce Department said the move would prevent the Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving items from the U.S., including parts to service their aircraft. The actions, known as temporary denial orders, do allow the Commerce Department to grant exceptions when the safety of a flight would be at risk. The orders extend for 180 days, though they can be renewed. The private sector has also taken its own action against Russian airlines in response to the war against Ukraine, with Delta Air Lines in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot. ___ The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday announced plans to build more nuclear power plants, boost renewable energy production and further tap domestic oil and gas reserves to help the U.K. reduce its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine. Johnson announced the strategy three weeks after he said Western countries had made a terrible mistake in failing to wean themselves off Russian energy following Russian President Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The goal is to build eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.K. production of nuclear energy to 24 gigawatts, or a quarter of projected electricity demand. In addition, the strategy targets a 10-fold increase in production of electricity from offshore wind farms and an unspecified boost from onshore wind farms in a limited number of supportive communities. The government also announced a new round of licensing for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, saying these fuels would be key to U.K. energy security and as a transition to low-carbon renewable energy. Other elements include promoting solar power and increasing hydrogen production for use in fuel cells. ___ WARSAW, Poland A surgeon in Poland says a seriously wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine will require long, specialized treatment for the injuries he suffered in the early days of Russias invasion. Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw said Thursday that a detailed diagnostic scan has been performed on the very serious injuries that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his back, spine and facial nerves. Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the car in which the family were trying to flee Ukraines capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Doctors in Kyiv were able to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, but he is now in a wheelchair due to the spine injuries and one side of his face is paralyzed. Some shrapnel particles in his body still need to be removed, Godzinski said. What moved me most was that he smiled when we told him we will be able to help him, Godzinski said on Polands private TVN24. ___ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is calling for his country to be included in negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations without the participation of Belarus, Lukashenko said at a meeting Thursday of his national security council. There can be no separate agreements behind the back of Belarus. Russia has launched missile attacks on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There has been no confirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes that have emerged from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have cast a shadow over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine but says the sides must continue to talk under all circumstances. Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, Cavusoglu said he told his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was prepared to host possible peace talks. The only way is diplomacy, he told Turkish journalists in Brussels. Turkey, which has maintained its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a meeting between the two countries foreign ministers as well as talks between the two negotiating teams. The minister said Turkey was also talking with both Russia and Ukraine about the possible evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol by sea. ___ BRUSSELS Ukraines foreign minister says hes cautiously optimistic that some NATO member countries will increase their weapons supplies to his country, helping it resist Russias invasion, but he urged swift decisions and action. Speaking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO foreign ministers, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which countries would be providing equipment or what kind they would be, but he said the weapons must get to Ukraine quickly as Russia gears up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region. Kuleba said: Either you help us now, and Im speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. ___ HELSINKI Finland and Estonia say they are jointly planning to rent a floating liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal to ensure gas supply in the two countries in efforts to break energy dependence on neighboring Russia. Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas said in a statement Thursday that a movable off-shore LNG terminal would offer a quick solution in guaranteeing gas supply in the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea. Due to the war in Ukraine, we must prepare for possible interruptions of gas import through pipelines from Russia, Lintila said, adding that a floating LNG terminal is an efficient way to secure gas supply, including in industry. ___ BRUSSELS The Group of Seven major world powers are warning Russia they will keep ramping up sanctions until its troops leave Ukraine and that those responsible for alleged war crimes will be prosecuted. G7 foreign ministers vowed Thursday to sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. Western nations have already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on President Vladimir Putin, his family and associates, but have been reluctant to hit the countrys energy sector. The G7 ministers, meeting on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end. Following allegations this week of war crimes in the city of Bucha, the ministers insist that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. They also repeated warnings about the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, saying that any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. ___ MOSCOW Russias top diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by changing its negotiating stance. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Ukraine had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security dont apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscows sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian provocations. There was no immediate response to his claims from the Ukrainian government. ___ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to respond to U.S. sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putins daughters as it sees fit. Russia will definitely respond, and will do it as it sees fit, Peskov said Thursday. The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it is sanctioning Putins two adult daughters as part of a new batch of penalties on the countrys political and economic systems in retaliation for its alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the sanctions add to a completely frantic line of various restrictions and the fact that the restrictions target family members speaks for itself. ___ ATHENS, Greece Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs anti-aircraft defense systems, artillery systems, munitions and armored vehicles to hold Russias invasion at bay. The sooner Ukraine receives this help, the more lives we can save in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address to Greek parliament Thursday. Zelenskyy emphasized the destruction wrought on the southern port city of Mariupol, home to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian community, and urged Greece to help prevent the same fate befalling Odesa, another Ukrainian port city with deep ties to Greece. The Ukrainian president called for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from entering ports as a way of hindering Russias ability to finance the war. ___ ALBANY Members of the state Opioid Settlement Board are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to activate and convene the newly established group so it can provide recommendations on how the state spends money received as part of opioid litigation settlements. In a letter to Hochul and state lawmakers sent last week, 13 members of the 21-member advisory board requested that the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports convene the group before settlement money is spent. The request is made ever more urgent, they said, by the governors plan to spend $265 million in settlement funds in the 2022-23 state budget. That budget was due Friday but remains under negotiation after last-minute bail reform proposals from the governor sparked outcry. Convening the board will allow us to fulfill our legal duty to provide recommendations on how funding received by the state shall be allocated by the Legislature, the letter states. We also want to state our support for the appropriation contained in the executive budget for $265 million, it continues. We just want to have the opportunity to provide our recommendations for how those funds should be allocated. Concerned by prior misspending of funds tied to the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement, state lawmakers passed a bill last year establishing a lockbox that would protect the opioid settlement funds from being spent without advisory board input. But the board has been in limbo for months now. The group was supposed to meet and provide recommendations by Nov. 1, 2021, for state spending of settlement funds. But that deadline came and went and now over five months later several seats on the board remain unfilled and the group has yet to even meet. Hochul's office and the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the agency tasked with convening the group, did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Ashley Livingston, a member of the advisory board who co-chairs Friends of Recovery Warren and Washington, said only 13 of the 21 board members signed the letter because the others have yet to be named or officially appointed. What were asking is that were able to do our jobs, she said. I really dont know what the hangup is. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Livingston said its highly unlikely the board will be activated prior to the budgets passage considering the budget is already late and so many seats remain unfilled. As a result, she and other members have pushed for last-minute language to be included in the budget that will ensure they have a say in how the state spends the $265 million allocation contained in the budget. The proposed language would only allow funds to be transferred or allocated consistent with the terms of an opioid settlement agreement and a plan submitted by the board, Livingston said. It sounds silly, but were literally just asking them to follow the law, she said. Up to $1.5 billion is expected as a result of agreements reached between New York and the companies accused of fueling the opioid addiction and overdose crisis. Those funds will be distributed to all 62 counties in the state for programs that support prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders. The Capital Region is in line to receive anywhere from $17.8 million to $32.5 million in funding from the settlements, state Attorney General Letitia James announced last fall. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate States with some of the nations strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. The findings raise questions about the strength of the social safety net as those states are poised to further restrict or even ban abortion access following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in another state where the procedure remains widely available. Mississippi has the nation's largest share of children living in poverty and babies with low birth weights, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control, the latest available. Texas has the highest rate of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester and ranks second worst for the proportion of children in poverty who are uninsured, the data show. Laws from both states are at the center of the nationwide fight over access to abortion. The Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled willingness in a Mississippi case to severely erode or even strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal nationwide until a baby can survive outside the womb. Numerous states with Republican majorities are poised to follow the strictest interpretation of the ruling. If Roe is overturned, 26 states are certain or likely to quickly ban abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that supports abortion rights. Many of those states ranked poorly in measurements that nonpartisan advocacy groups consider key to ensuring children get a healthy start. Among them is Louisiana, which has the second-highest rate of babies with low birth weight and where 27% of children live in poverty. Anti-abortion lawmakers there say they will further promote adoption and foster-care programs if abortion is banned. We win the biggest battle if Roe v. Wade is overturned. But then theres still some battles that we must fight. And Im going to love a child in the womb, at 5 years old, at 10, at 15, said Louisiana state Sen. Katrina Jackson, a Democrat who opposes abortion and also wants to address health care and education needs. While some women could travel out of state for abortions, "there will be people who will be forced to carry their pregnancies to term simply because they will not be able to get to that care, said Destiny Lopez with the abortion-access group All* Above All. Data analyzed by the AP illustrates the hurdles pregnant women and their children face in states with the most stringent abortion restrictions and how access to resources can lag behind that of states that have more permissive abortion laws. The AP analyzed figures from several federal government agencies in seven categories metrics identified by several nonprofits and experts as essential to determining whether children get a healthy start. They were: the percentage of children in poverty; participation in the Women, Infants, Children federal assistance program; the rate of child abuse or neglect; women experiencing intimate partner violence during pregnancy; low birth weight; women receiving no prenatal care in their first trimester; and uninsured children in poverty. Generally, states with preemptive abortion bans or laws that greatly restrict abortion access showed the worst rankings. Alabama and Louisiana joined Mississippi as the top three states with the highest percentage of babies born with low birth weights. Texas, Indiana and Mississippi had the highest percentage of women receiving no prenatal care during their first trimester. Wyoming, Texas and Utah had the highest percentage of poor children 18 and younger who had no health insurance. Texas inserted itself into the nationwide debate over abortion last year with an unusual law that leaves enforcement of an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy to civilians rather than state or local authorities a law the Supreme Court largely left in place. A weaker safety net pattern isn't consistent for all measurements. Some Democratically controlled states with more permissive abortion laws also measured poorly in some categories. New Mexico, where Democrats last year overturned a pre-Roe abortion ban, ranks third highest for the share of its children living in poverty and for the percentage of pregnant women who experience violence from an intimate partner. It's also among states with the highest rates of abuse and neglect for children under 5, also called maltreatment. Delaware ranks fifth highest for the percentage of women who receive no early prenatal care and is among the states with the highest percentage of low birth weight babies. California is among the top five states between Oklahoma and Arkansas for the share of women and children on food stamps. Those states are generally outliers. Overwhelmingly, the data show far more challenges for children and their parents in states that have passed abortion restrictions. In response to APs findings, several conservative state lawmakers said women can give their newborns up for adoption and said they would support funding increases for foster-care programs. In Oklahoma, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, a Republican and longtime abortion opponent, said he would work to increase salaries for child-welfare workers and boost state money for foster parents who adopt, as well as send more public money to groups that offer alternatives to abortion. I have a 10-year history of trying to improve our rankings there, he said. So, yes, theres going to be a commitment there, but it wont be a new commitment. It will be a continuing effort on our part. Others in Oklahoma say the teen birthrate, fourth highest in the nation, would likely increase if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and a state trigger law banning most abortions takes effect. More than 10% of the 4,424 abortions in Oklahoma in 2019 were for women younger than 20, according to the most recent state health statistics. Kathy Harms, who had her first child at age 16, worked jobs in retail and fast food to support her family and said she sometimes had to choose between paying the electric or the gas bills. We have to juggle which one we can risk getting turned off, said Harms, executive director of Teen emPower, a teen-pregnancy-reduction group in Oklahoma. Its an endless cycle of stress and wondering if it is ever going to get better ... every aspect of life is more difficult for single mothers. Some lawmakers and anti-abortion activists have said they believe that outlawing or severely restricting abortion would lead people to change their sexual behavior. We think that a decision from the court could very well affect the way that people regard being a mother or a father ... that certain things might be done differently than they are now, said Tony Lauinger, chair of Oklahomans for Life. Others say that view isn't realistic and doesn't align with the reasons most women seek an abortion. Maleeha Aziz, an organizer for the Texas Equal Access Fund, had an abortion when she was 20 after birth control failed. She was a recent immigrant from Pakistan and a college student sharing a one-bedroom apartment who knew she couldnt afford to raise a child financially. Her broader experience also reflected the health risks inherent in many pregnancies. She had a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes persistent, extreme nausea and vomiting. I was a vegetable. I could not move, said Aziz, who later had a daughter. Pregnancy is not a joke. It is the hardest thing that a persons body will ever go through. She's now seeing panic and anxiety among people seeking abortions in Texas. I cant believe this is our reality, she said. Jazmin Arroyo, a 25-year-old old single mom in Kokomo, Indiana, had to stop working as a receptionist after her first child was born because she couldnt afford day care on top of rent, a car payment and other expenses. Indiana has the second-highest rate of women 18% who don't receive prenatal care during their first trimester and has among the highest percentages of children in poverty without insurance, more than 9%. Arroyo found a job as a restaurant host, but it didn't offer insurance and she was already starting to drown in bills when she had her second child, who has a heart defect that required special care. She now has thousands in unpaid medical bills. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. "I never could have imagined how hard it would end up being, she said. The reasons why people seek abortions are complex, but financial concerns are often a top factor, according to research from Diana Greene Foster, a professor of reproductive science at the University of California, San Francisco. Children born to women who were denied an abortion and carried the pregnancy to term are more likely to live in a household where there isn't enough money for basic living expenses, her work has found. When women can get abortions, the children they do have fare better. So there is a clear effect on poverty, but there is also an effect on child development, Greene Foster said. In states with strict abortion laws, performance on measurements such as access to health insurance for low-income people is linked in part to political realities: Leaders who have supported abortion restrictions for decades generally also have espoused small-government principles and opposed measures such as Medicaid expansion, said legal historian Mary Ziegler at Florida State Universitys law school. The pro-life movement has made its political bones by relying on the GOP, she said. The GOP has not been in favor of expanding the social safety net for young children and pregnant people, and the pro-life movement, which may have otherwise wanted to do that, is not willing to expend political capital on that because its priority is abortion, basically, and nothing beyond it. In Texas, state Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat who has unsuccessfully pushed to expand Medicaid to more low-income residents in the state, said he is heartened that lawmakers recently extended that coverage for new mothers and added guardrails to prevent eligible kids from losing health care. But he said much more needs to be done. I get tired of very important but relatively small measures like these two that are very specific acting as a substitute for an overall responsible state policy towards health care, Johnson said. Texas in 2005 created a program called Alternatives to Abortion. As with similar groups in other states, the program funds pregnancy counseling, adoption services and classes about life skills, budgeting and parenting. This social service network is really critical in our mind to right now supporting pregnant women and expecting families," said John Seago, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life. "But also as we look forward to potentially a post-Roe Texas, these are the types of social services that are going to be even more in demand. Most such groups, known generally as crisis pregnancy centers, are not licensed to provide medical care. While adoption can be an alternative, its expensive for adoptive families and has a fraught history in the U.S. marred at times by racism, said Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, an obstetrician-gynecologist who founded and serves as president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Children can end up lingering for years in the foster-care system, which is troubled in Texas. Carrying babies to term also presents health risks. In Texas, 20% of women dont get prenatal care in their first trimester, according to pregnancy-risk assessment data collected by the CDC in 2016, the most recent year for which data was available for the state. A lack of prenatal care increases the risk of the mother dying or delivering a baby with low birth weight. Black women bear the heaviest risk: They are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, said Oriaku Njoku, executive director of the group Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, which provides abortion and reproductive counseling in seven Southern states. Some lack insurance, others live in counties without OB-GYNs. Our folks deserve better, she said. ___ Lo is a former Associated Press data journalist. Also contributing were AP writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Casey Smith in Indianapolis; and Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and data journalist Linda Gorman in Boston. Former AP writers Iris Samuels in Helena, Montana, and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge. Louisiana, also contributed. ___ Fassett is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GUILDERLAND State Police sifted through clues Thursday to try to explain why an Amazon tractor-trailer crashed into five other vehicles on the Thruway. The drivers of two vehicles were killed and four people were injured in the fiery wreck, which closed the highway for hours and renewed questions about the retail giant's safety record on the road. Troopers have not filed charges against the truck's driver, Larousse Desrosiers. The 53-year-old Boston man was driving a 2012 Freightliner tractor-trailer and was unable to avoid eastbound traffic that backed up during Wednesday's morning commute, according to State Police. It remains unclear why the truck Desrosiers was driving didn't stop before impact, and if it was owned by Amazon or by one of the third-party delivery companies the retailer relies on. He didn't respond to social media messages seeking comment; phone numbers listed for him did not work. Brian M. Harper, a 33-year-old Rotterdam resident, was killed Wednesday in the 8 a.m. crash that happened on a stretch of the Thruway between Exit 24 and Exit 25. State Police have not released the identity of the second victim; Troopers are trying to notify family members. State Police are working on completing an accident report, relying on findings from the agency's collision reconstruction unit. Harper's family has retained the Buffalo-based law firm Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP and said through their attorneys they will refrain from comment. The crash has cast a spotlight on Amazons transportation safety record, which includes a string of fatal crashes strikingly similar to Wednesday's wreck, according to an investigation by The Information, a technology news website. Times Union research shows that since 2019, there have been more than 70 motor vehicle lawsuits filed in state Supreme Court in New York against Amazon Logistics, the network of third-party delivery services the company uses for deliveries. Almost all of the cases were filed in New York City or Long Island. This year alone, there have been 24 motor vehicle lawsuits filed against Amazon Logistics in New York City. Most involved Amazon van drivers hitting other vehicles, although there are examples of Amazon trucks hitting pedestrians and motorcyclists. The lawsuits typically allege reckless driving. Traffic crashes have spurred a number of lawsuits against Amazon nationwide, as well. Amazon Prime trucks operate through Amazon Logistics, which was named a defendant in at least 119 motor vehicle injury lawsuits filed in 35 states last year, Bloomberg reported in November. That was more than four times as many as in all of 2020, the report noted, adding the number did not include information about crashes that occurred during holiday shopping season when business and truck traffic surges. Critics contend Amazon should be held liable for the crashes which have also involved smaller delivery vans due to the sophisticated algorithms, apps and devices the company uses to manage its sprawling logistics operation, according to Bloomberg. In lawsuits, the company contends theyre not legally liable because drivers involved in the crashes technically work for LLCs, or limited liability corporations, launched to deliver the packages. Until the State Police releases its accident report on Wednesday's Thruway crash, its difficult to track the safety record of the truck being driven by Desrosiers. A background search did not find any major traffic violations for Desrosiers within the past 20 years. Amazon did not answer a list of questions from the Times Union seeking to determine his employment history or status. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Were deeply saddened by this incident and our sympathies are with the victims, their families and loved ones during this difficult time," said Loni Monroe, an Amazon spokeswoman. "Were working with the carrier provider and local law enforcement as they investigate the crash. Among those suing Amazon nationwide is an Atlanta man critically injured when a delivery van crashed into the back of his car last spring. Ans Rana's attorney claims the company should be held legally liable due to the micromanagement of its delivery operations through an elaborate surveillance network which closely tracks drivers every move including backup monitoring, speed, braking, acceleration, cornering, seatbelt usage, phone calls, texting, in-van cameras that use artificial intelligence to detect for yawning, and more, Bloomberg reported. In terms of mechanical safety, Amazon Prime trucks have a relatively good record: Only 3.5 percent of its vehicles have been ordered off the road for serious safety violations over the past two years, compared to a national average of 21.2 percent for all companies during that period. Its drivers have also been ordered off the road only 0.7 percent of the time after roadside inspections, compared to 5.8 percent for all drivers over the past two years. However, Amazon Prime has had 144 crashes during that period, and some have been high-profile incidents comparable to Wednesday's Thruway deaths. One of those crashes occurred in January 2021 outside Milford, Mass., where Amazon has significant operations. An Amazon Prime driver at the wheel of a panel van allegedly fell asleep and crashed head-on into Milford resident Joseph Graziano, who suffered a brain injury. Graziano is suing Amazon and other distribution companies involved in the case for $51 million. Amazon's delivery van system is run differently than its tractor-trailer system, which has higher standards for driver licensing. SANAA, Yemen (AP) Yemens exiled president stepped aside and transferred his powers to a presidential council Thursday, as international and regional efforts to end the countrys long-running civil war gained momentum with a two-month truce. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, major players in the war, appear to have had a role in President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's decision, quickly welcoming it with a pledge of $3 billion in aid. The head of the new council has close ties to Riyadh. It remains to be seen how the development will impact Yemen's grinding conflict. A Saudi-led coalition of which the UAE is a member has for years been fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to restore Hadi's government to power. So far, U.N. mediation efforts have yielded little fruit, and fighting, airstrikes and missile attacks had been escalating in the war until the cease-fire took effect. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed any significance of the new council. The rebels have in the past benefited from squabbles among their rivals. Our Yemeni people are not concerned with any illegitimate decisions made by illegitimate parties beyond their borders, Abdul-Salam tweeted. Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, described the power transfer as the most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Houthi bloc since war began. Hadi, 76, said the newly established council will run the government and lead negotiations with the Houthis, according to a statement aired on state-run media. The development, which could unify the anti-Houthi camp after years of infighting and disputes, was almost certainly orchestrated in Riyadh where Yemen's pro-government and pro-Saudi factions have been meeting over the past week to discuss efforts to end the war. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers, Hadi declared on Yemens state-run TV. He also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a powerful military figure, and delegated al-Ahmars powers to the presidential council. The council is chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, an advisor to Hadi and former interior minister with the government of late strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Al-Alimi enjoys close ties with Saudi Arabia and the powerful Islah party Yemen's branch of the transnational Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood. Yemen's civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. Months later, the Saudi-led coalition entered the war to try to restore Hadis government to power but the war over the years turned into a stalemated proxy conflict with neither side winning. Hadis exile distanced him from events on the ground, with his Saudi backers preventing him from returning to Yemen and the southern port city of Aden the new seat of the exiled government allegedly over safety issues. His administration was accused of gross mismanagement and government employees largely went without salaries. Separately, Aden became the scene of infighting among the coalition when UAE-backed separatists briefly overtook the city in 2019. A Riyadh-brokered deal later that year attempted to reconcile the separatists and Hadis forces but power struggles have persisted. Hadi's rule was also undermined by the UAEs influence in the territories nominally under his control. The UAE trained, financed and armed militias in Yemen and set up prisons. Yemen's war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14.500 civilians, and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. This month, the warring sides announced a two-month cease-fire the first nationwide truce in Yemen in six years starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Saudi Arabia welcomed Hadi's move and urged the presidential council to embark upon U.N.-led negotiations with the Houthis to find a political, final and comprehensive settlement to the conflict, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also met with the council head and its members, Saudi state-run TV reported. The council has seven other members, including Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council an umbrella group of heavily armed militias propped up by the UAE since 2015. Also in the council are Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province, and Tariq Saleh, a militia leader and nephew of the late president with close ties to the UAE. Another member is Abdel-Rahman Abu Zarah, commander of UAE-backed Giants Brigades, which played a crucial role recently in repelling the Houthi offensive on the central city of Marib. Hadi was named president of Yemen in 2012 with a mission to oversee a democratic transition following its Arab Spring uprising that ended Salehs longtime rule. Separately, talks hosted by the Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council over the Yemeni war entered their final day on Thursday. The Houthis have boycotted the GCC efforts because they were taking place in Saudi Arabia, their adversarys territory. A number of countries welcomed the change in Yemen's leadership, with Egypt, Jordan and France expressing support for the presidential council. The Arab League and the European Union both said they hoped it could help the country further towards peace. At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric thanked Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their $3 billion in aid to Yemen and expressed U.N.'s readiness to work with the presidential council, as well all the Yemeni parties, to reach a lasting truce and a sustainable, inclusive and negotiated settlement to the Yemen conflict." ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Noha ElHennawy in Cairo and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian may end with a negotiated settlement between the parties. This will mean that Russian leaders began a war and will not be punished personally for starting it. Unfortunately, this circumstance is similar to what occurred as World War I ended in 1918. An error was made by the Western powers at the end of World War I that allowed those who started the war to get off without any personal punishment. There were many international agreements that tried to provide some justice after the war, including the Treaty of Versailles and an Armistice that was signed on November 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles and related agreements placed many sanctions on countries such as Germany and Austria that essentially started World War I. The German and Austrian monarchs were deposed and new governments were formed, so some justice was done. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY A judge this week ordered the firm that built the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge to pay $1.69 million in attorneys fees and expenses to the legal team that represented a whistleblower who accused the construction company of covering up defects in the high-strength bolts used to build the twin span. The ruling by state Supreme Court Justice Joan B. Lefkowitz came a little more than a year after Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium made up of American Bridge Co., Fluor Corp., Traylor Bros. Inc., and Granite Construction, agreed to pay $2 million to settle the whistleblower's case with the state. The company has denied the allegations leveled by the whistleblower, James S. McNall, who discovered that bolts were breaking at a bridge assembly site at the Port of Coeymans. Attorneys for Tappan Zee Constructors had filed motions arguing that McNall's "out-of-state" attorneys were not entitled to legal fees incurred in the case, and that any fees that must be paid should be sharply lower. The judge did reduce the amount of legal fees that had been sought by McNall's attorneys more than $1.8 million but rejected the company's other arguments. A Times Union investigation published last year revealed that the key officials in the construction firm had taken steps to conceal the issues with the bolts from safety inspectors. A year ago, an appellate court unanimously rejected a request by Tappan Zee Constructors to keep the case permanently sealed. The company had appealed a Feb. 16, 2021, ruling by Lefkowitz ordering the unsealing of some but not all of the records in the case. The records included the 50-page complaint filed in 2017 by McNall that accused Tappan Zee Constructors of falsifying reports and secretly replacing broken bolts to conceal the problem from quality assurance inspectors. The company had argued in its sealed motion papers that the details of the whistleblower's case should never be made public because of the potential damage to the company's business reputation, including its ability to win future public projects. The Times Union's series was published before those records were unsealed. The newspaper's story also raised questions about the thoroughness of the state's investigations into the allegations, and cited the findings of experts who challenged the conclusions of a report commissioned by the Thruway Authority that determined the bolt failures are not a continuing concern. In 2017, the state attorney general's office launched an investigation into the concerns raised by McNall. That investigation, which took place amid parallel investigations by the Thruway Authority and the state inspector general's office, resulted in the $2 million settlement. "TZC unequivocally stands by the quality of our work and the safety of the bridge," the company said in a statement last year. "The construction companies that make up TZC and its bridge designer have built many of the major crossings in the New York area, including the former Tappan Zee Bridge, and have a long history of excellence." Jamey Barbas, the Thruway Authority's project director for the bridge work, also disputed the bridge has any structural issues. "We spent more than ($1 million) and engaged world-renowned subject matter experts, developed a testing program, conducted extensive studies, and tested well over five hundred bolts," Barbas said in a statement last year. "The tests confirmed that the bolts met or exceeded the requirements set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials." Experts retained by the McNall's attorneys dispute those assertions and said that structural defects in the bolts could lead to future failures. They also challenged the thoroughness of the testing samples conducted by the state. "Our experts that we hired are independent. They have no financial interest ... no interest other than to tell the truth," McNall said. "The investigation by the attorney general, and the inspector general as well, was lackluster and they just took the word of the Thruway Authority and the contractor and thats it. They did nothing to try to protect the people that they serve." McNall noted that the construction firm's attorneys had also sought a court order that would prohibit him or his attorneys from publicly discussing the case. "There has to be a reason why the defendant in a case like this would try to silence me," he said. ALBANY Two police officers who were pursuing a stolen vehicle when it slammed into a building on Monday evening, killing a 13-year-old passenger, have been placed on administrative leave as the offices of the state attorney general and Albany County district attorney investigate the events that preceded the deadly crash. The officers have not been accused of wrongdoing. A person who was briefed on the investigation said that video captured by a security camera from a business near the crash scene showed two police SUVs turning onto Broadway from Lawn Avenue moments after the stolen vehicle made the same turn; it struck the building moments later. A police supervisor had terminated the pursuit, which began on Northern Boulevard near the former Livingston middle school, and at least two officers in separate vehicles continued following the stolen car after it smashed into another car near Pennsylvania Avenue. The state attorney general's office on Wednesday informed law enforcement officials in Albany that they are continuing their preliminary investigation of the officers' actions. That notification included informing the district attorney's office that the county office can move forward with its investigation, which could result in criminal charges being filed against the 16-year-old girl who was driving the stolen car, as well as several other teens who were in the vehicle. (Earlier reports from police gave her age as 15.) An executive order issued by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2015 empowers the attorney general's office to investigate fatal encounters between police and unarmed civilians. The attorney general's office has invoked that authority at times to investigate vehicle pursuits involving police that result in a fatality. The 13-year-old boy who was killed in the crash ended up crumpled under the glove box in the front passenger compartment. Arriving officers pulled him from the wreckage and began administering CPR, but he died as a result of his injuries. Police on Tuesday were trying to determine whether the vehicle's airbags had deployed during the initial impact with the other car on Pennsylvania Avenue, or when it careened into the building on Broadway. Less than two minutes elapsed from the time police tried to pull over the teens' car until it crashed on Broadway, about 1.2 miles from where the traffic stop was initiated by police. Law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation said some of the teenage passengers in the car told them that they had screamed at the 16-year-old driver to stop the car during the pursuit. Police tried to pull over the stolen car after the owner had approached officers who were taking a report for another incident and told them that the group of teens were driving away in his vehicle. The teenage driver, whose name is being withheld by the Times Union because of her age, is listed as a sophomore honor roll student at the Albany School District's Tony Clement Center for Education's high school program, which includes curriculum for children with behavioral issues. In March 2020, the girl was charged with taking part in an armed robbery in Albany. Her co-defendant, who was also a juvenile offender, was sentenced to up to four years in prison but he apparently served that sentence in juvenile detention because he is not listed as a state prison inmate. The girl's robbery charges were transferred to Family Court, where the records are sealed and the outcome of her case is not a matter of public record. Under revisions to state laws governing the prosecution of adolescent and juvenile offenders, if the girl is charged in connection with the fatal crash or the stolen car, she will initially appear in Youth Part of Albany County Court. If she is charged, prosecutors may need to demonstrate there are "extraordinary circumstances" in order to keep her case in county court, rather than having it shifted to Family Court. Law enforcement sources said that investigators with the attorney general's office were at the scene of the crash late Monday in Albany and have requested copies of records from the investigation, including any video camera footage from street-pole cameras, body cameras or dashboard video cameras in police cars. ALBANY After a protracted battle that included fierce opposition from owners of liquor stores, consumers once again will be able to buy alcohol with takeout and delivery food orders from the state's bars and restaurants. The measure, included in the state budget, will take effect as soon as the budget is passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. According to the bill (Part P in the online version): Restaurants currently licensed to sell wine, beer, spirits and cocktails may do so with food orders for takeout or delivery. Food must be included with takeout alcohol orders. The stipulation is for a "substantial food item," which presumably means more than just "Cuomo chips" but less than a full entree. The price for takeout alcohol must be the same as for on-premises consumption. Bottled beer, individual cocktails and glasses of wine will be allowed, served in a container with secure lid or sealed cap. Full bottles of wine and spirits in their original packaging may not be sold for takeout. However, no limits on serving sizes are mentioned. Some earlier bills specified, for example, that orders were limited to two drinks, either as wine or cocktails, with a maximum number of ounces per drink, for each entree. In theory, the lack of portion limits means a restaurant could empty an entire bottle of wine into a takeout vessel of the same size and drop it into a bag with food, or even do the same with a liter of Maker's Mark Bourbon. Notably excluded from alcohol-to-go are tasting rooms associated with wineries, cideries, meaderies, breweries and distilleries. Like restaurants, they were permitted during the pandemic to sell alcohol for takeout or delivery, but the budget provisions do not extend to them. Representatives said Thursday the industry will push to have a separate bill addressing the matter passed by the end of the legislative session in June. There is a three-year limit on alcohol-to-go, after which it will need to be ended, extended or made permanent. "It's good to go back and re-evaluate," said Pat Fahy, a member of the Assembly representing parts of the city of Albany and western Albany County. An advocate for alcohol-to-go for years, Fahy has described it as "one of the most frustrating issues I have ever worked on" since taking office in 2013. A standalone alcohol-to-go bill Fahy introduced last year would have ended after two years. Speaking of the three years in the new measure, she said Thursday, "It will give us time to get some really good data, and you can then go in and tighten things up or expand them where needed." Scott Wexler, executive director since the mid-1980s of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, said, "Drinks-to-go would be good public policy. It would be good for our members and for their staff, who would see a big impact on tips. It would also be good for customers. I know I look forward to getting a cocktail to go with my dinner as soon as it's lawful." Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, said, "If everything comes together, we would be very excited to have gotten this included in the budget." Fleischut has been working on the issue for years, never more determinedly than in the 10 months since last June, after the lapsing of pandemic-related measure that had allowed it. The budget also calls for the creation of a 21-member, temporary state commission to "examine reforms to the alcoholic beverage control law in order to modernize the alcohol industry in New York state." The commission's report with recommendation is due by May 1, 2023. Areas to be examined include the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages at all levels across the state; an analysis of the overall health of the industry; and suggestions for improving operations of the State Liquor Authority, high among them being the shortening of processing time for liquor licenses and permits. Also, beverage manufacturers with the "farm" designation in their licenses may now allow another business to operate within their facility, which previously was prohibited. For instance, a coffee shop could share space with a microbrewery. Among those affected is Albany Distilling Co.'s bar and tasting room on Livingston Avenue in Albany, which has a satellite location of DeFazio's Pizza within the same building. Because of existing regulations, the pizzeria has a separate entrance, and bar customers must use it to order food that is then delivered to their table. Finally, the budget includes a provision allowing liquor stores to be open on Christmas Day, previously the only full day of the year they were required to be closed. But liquor store owners will not be able to have more than the one license to which they're currently limited. Early discussions floated the idea of up to three stores per licensee, but that didn't make it into the final agreement. It is one of the things to be considered by the temporary commission, according to the budget. Many details in this story were first reported in the Table Hopping newsletter. Sign up to have it delivered for free every Thursday. Pictured is the free meal sign in front of the Tyc-Toc building in Titusville. Also pictured is a ribbon with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, as proceeds for the event will go towards those impacted by the war in that country. Simple answer . . . Money. Read this passage closely and there's a hint at the future . . . Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the current system established in 1939 is outdated. "We've got to work together to address violent crime long term. You have seen a board where the walls have gotten higher and higher, away from having true public input in terms of how we address issues in the future," Lucas said. While the police union president said there is value in the current system, he said officers would benefit financially from local control. And there it is . . . This year's "compromise" came from giving the po-po more cash. More money for the cops will seem them drop their opposition to 'local control' in the future. And so . . . We merely suggest bookmarking this post or filing it under "how did KC turn into STL???" Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Not quite. Here's one more reminder that the plauge is not yet complete . . . "I think that depends on what your risk factors are for hospitalization, and severe disease and death, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician at the University of Kansas Health System said. Are you an older population? Do you have an immune compromised state or condition?" Hawkinson said being vaccinated and being up to date with your vaccine plays a role too. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . With COVID numbers down in KC area, is it safe to put your guard down now? KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The fight against COVID-19 continues, but not as hard as it's been. Kansas City area hospitals said its numbers are down and are not increasing. St. Luke's Hospital said it has eight COVID-19 positive patients across all hospitals. Children's Mercy has no patients. A glimpse at the future . . . This New COVID Variant Is the Most Unpredictable One Yet After spreading across Asia and Europe, the BA.2 subvariant of the novel coronavirus is now dominant in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Right now, U.S. COVID cases are at a six-month low. But what happens next in the U.S. COVID-19 cases in Kansas City plummet again in March to lowest levels in nearly a year KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two months after the omicron COVID-19 variant burned through Kansas and Missouri, the number of new cases across both states in March 2022 plunged to the lowest recorded levels since last spring. Developing . . . ACTUALLY, this post is motivational . . . We don't want this post title presented to the tens of thousands of people who read this blog every morning. And so . . . We're parking our not so hot take for our beloved late night and VERY early morning denizens . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . Cowtown Po-Po Politicking Forum held to discuss future of the Kansas City Police Department A meeting was held Wednesday to talk about the future of the Kansas City Police Department.Issues such as funding, control, and accountability were the focus of the discussion.The five panel members, with wide-ranging backgrounds and experiences, disagree on just about everything except one area, local police control has advantages."Members of the police board other than the mayor are not elected and so you can't complain to them at the ballot box as you would for any other office," said Dave Helling, a reporter for the Kansas City Star."They are accountable only to the governor. South JoCo Burning Mad Residents fired up over fire damage at Olathe apartment building OLATHE, Kan. - Charred stairs, soot-covered walls and the lingering smell of smoke is what Magali Cardoza and her neighbors are coming home to each day since Sunday's fire at the Millbrooke Apartments. Firefighters from the Olathe Fire Department broke into Cardoza's apartment to get her out. KCBJ Satisfies Itself Addressing the wealth and income gap: The time for hope and fundamental action has arrived These times have tested our resilience and stamina. The pandemic made stark, everyday inequities drawn along racial, gender and geographic lines even more vivid. But we have also seen the magic of our resourcefulness, creativity and regard for one another. Remembering Life Before Plauge A Kansas City Memorial Day Classic Returns This Year - In Kansas City After a two-year hiatus, Kansas City's plans for Memorial Day weekend are returning to normal with the comeback of the Bank of America Celebration at the Station. Holding to tradition, Kansas City's classic Memorial Day celebration will include a free performance from The Kansas City Symphony on the grounds of Union Station and the National... Kangaroos Share Toy Train Schemes UMKC ready to capitalize on KC Streetcar extension KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The University of Missouri - Kansas City will be a major beneficiary of the new KC Streetcar extension. It has the Roos hopping... with excitement. "For UMKC, this extension is not just a game changer, it is a life changer," Chancellor Dr. C. Mauli Agrawal said. Internets Mostly Thirst Trap Lies Hayley Madigan: Body-positive influencer reveals how models fake 'perfect' booty shots Hayley Madigan, a social media star and body-positive influencer, has revealed how models take their 'perfect' booty shots. Hayley has over 488k Instagram followers and is best known for her candid postings. The fitness model uploaded two bikini photos, one of which was fully edited and the other revealed her real back. PREZ OBAMA IGNORES PREZ BIDEN IN HISTORY'S MOST CRINGE-Y REBUKE!!! Barack Obama's humiliation of feeble ol' Joe Biden Someone in the White House must really hate Joe Biden. Who had the stupid idea to invite his charismatic predecessor back to upstage the president and humiliate him before the world? If the idea was to borrow the Barack Obama magic, it backfired. The president just looked feeble and unpopular against his limelight-hogging former boss. MAGA Motion Denied Judge rejects Trump's demand he step back from suit against Hillary Clinton "Every federal judge is appointed by a president who is affiliated with a major political party, and, therefore, every federal judge could theoretically be viewed as beholden, to some extent or another," Middlebrooks wrote. "As judges, we must all transcend politics." Beltway Critter Put Down Capitol Hill fox euthanized, will be tested for rabies as DC Health officials weigh kits' fate The tail of the wild Capitol fox who bit a congressman, a reporter and at least seven other people in Washington Tuesday has come to an end after city health officials put her down amid concerns she may have had rabies. Because We're All Plagued By Doubt Why the WHO took two years to say COVID is airborne Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization stated that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through the air. That mistake and the prolonged process of correcting it sowed confusion and raises questions about what will happen in the next pandemic. Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization stated that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through the air. Wartime Atrocity Tagged 'The new Auschwitz': Russians accused of burning bodies to hide Mariupol atrocities Russia has turned the city of Mariupol into a Nazi-style death camp, burning bodies and blocking humanitarian convoys to hide evidence of mass killings and other atrocities there, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. Tomorrow's Kansas City Tradition Here's what you need to know about the Royals home opener Thursday The Kansas City Royals kick off the regular season against the Cleveland Guardians Thursday afternoon. Here's what you need to know.GAME TIME:The first pitch Thursday is set for 3:10 p.m. CT. STARTING PITCHERS:Zack Greinke will take the mound for the Royals. Last month, Kansas City signed him to a one-year deal. Beloved Baller Discounted Royals restructure contract for Whit Merrifield The Royals announced they have restructured the contract of Whit Merrifield, picking up his club option for 2023 and adding a mutual option for 2024. According to Anne Rogers, Merrifield's 2022 salary increases from $2.75 million to $7 million. Game Day Forecast Cloudy, blustery, light rain possible for Royals Home Opener Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA. YOU WILL NOTICE AS WE HEAD FOR THE WILL NOTICE AS WE HEAD FOR EVENING, IT WILL BE WINDY. BUT NOT QUITE AS WINDY AS IT WAS EARLIER TODAY. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT BREEZE. Bob Dylan - One of Us Must Know is the song for the late night and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Over the past few years there has been an uptick in violent attacks against synagogues. This April will mark the 8th anniversary of the deadly Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting. Accordingly, here's a look at how this faith community is coping with the crisis . . . "Synagogues throughout the region and other sites affiliated with Kansas City's Jewish community are also now guarded by armed security staff, supported and informed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, and their director of community security, a former Secret Service agent. Beyond what individual congregations budget, the Federation has spent millions of dollars on safety, according to Vice President Derek Gale." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Brampton Mayor and Conservative Party leadership candidate Patrick Brown feels pretty good about his decision not to take part in Thursdays leadership candidate debate. The Ontario government is supporting an investment of more than $3.7 million by Toronto Research Chemicals (TRC) to develop a line for chemicals used in the development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits, including those used for COVID-19 detection. - Dan Pearce/Metroland Ontario is now seeing an estimated 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day With highest number of daily infections reported since the beginning of the pandemic, experts warn of increased hospitalizations in the coming weeks and call for mandatory masking in essential businesses and schools. Two of the four green-band-maxi-taxi routes yet to implement a fare increase will be doing so, come Monday. Meantime discussions are underway with respect to raising fares on a third route, but the Route 3 Maxi-Taxi Association is giving its clients the opportunity to suggest a reasonable increase. Rynessa Cutting has more. Enoch Alberti. Laura Diez Bueso. Eduard Roig. Francesc Esteve. 07/04/2022 The Catalan Parliament has named members of the Council of Statuory Guarantees the lecturers of Constitutional Law of the UB Enoch Alberti, Laura Diez Bueso and Eduard Roig, and the lecturer of Administrative Law Francesc Esteve. Professor Enoch Alberti is the director of the Group of Constitutional and European Studies. He has held several positions at the UB, such as dean of the Faculty of Law from 2008 to 2016. Among his research lines are territorial organization of the State, European integration, multi-level law systems and the system of law and fundamental freedooms. Professor Laura Diez is now the director-general of Constitutional Affairs and Legal Coordination in the Ministry of Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory. Among her research lines are the structure of decentralized states, freedom of expression, right to information and university and research systems. Lecturer Eduard Roig held several positions in the Spanish Government and the House of Representatives, and his research lines include the main territorial organization of Spain and the European integration, specially the participation of the autonomous communities in the European Union. The lecturer Francesc Esteve has held positions such as director of the Legal Office of the Catalan Government. At the moment he is doing research on the jurisdictional conflict between public administrations and the mediation and other conflict resolution ways in this field. At the moment, Joan Vintro, UB professor of Constitutional Law is a member of the Council of Statutory Guarantees. The Council of Statutory Guarantees of Catalonia is the institution of the Catalan Government that looks after the adaptation to the Statute and the Constitution of rules with the law rank of the Catalan Government and Parliament. Also, it has to identify, before the presentation of the corresponding resources, the potential grounds of unconstitutionality and conflict of powers that may affect Catalan self-government or local autonomy as a result of the regulations of state origin. President Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that all the political leadership of the Russian Federation, the Russian army, all those who give orders in the war against Ukraine and execute them are war criminals and must be brought to justice. He said this in an interview with Turkeys Haberturk TV channel, Ukrinform reports. "I believe that the Russian army, the Russian political leadership, all those who developed this 'operation', all those who issued orders, all those who carried out these orders, are all war criminals," the President said when asked if he believed Vladimir Putin was a war criminal. Zelensky stressed that responsibility for all these crimes cannot be placed only one person. According to the president, atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine is a "mass crime", which is backed by orders from many people and many structures. "And there is no excuse for this, so everyone must be held accountable," the president stressed. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir 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. iy Hungary will be able to help to end the war in Ukraine if it stops destroying unity in the EU, supports new anti-Russian sanctions, provides military assistance to Ukraine, and not pay for Russian gas in roubles. This was stated in a comment provided to Ukrinform by Foreign Ministry official Oleg Nikolenko. The spokesperson noted that Russia is trying to convert payments for gas supplies to Europe into the national currency to save the Russian economy amid mounting international sanctions. "Russia's military machine needs sources to continue the war against Ukraine. In this context, we consider the statement of readiness to pay for Russian gas in roubles as an unfriendly position toward our country. Such statements also contradict the consolidated position of the European Union, which has refused to satisfy Russia's whim on principle," Nikolenko said. He also stressed that the reluctance of the Hungarian leadership to recognize Russia's undeniable responsibility for the atrocities of the Russian army in Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, and other settlements means to consciously strengthen Russia's sense of impunity and encourage the aggressor to commit new atrocities against Ukrainians. According to the Foreign Ministry representative, against this background, proposals to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Budapest look cynical. "If Hungary really wants to help end the war, here's how this could be done: stop destroying unity in the EU, support new anti-Russian sanctions, provide military assistance to Ukraine, and dont create additional sources to finance the Russian military machine. It is never too late to get on the right side of history," Nikolenko summed up. As reported, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban stated, that on April 6, during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he invited the latter to Budapest for peace talks on Ukraine. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, called Orban's idea a source of "media hype." According to him, the Russian-Ukrainian talks are underway online, but a possible meeting of the leaders in Budapest is not being discussed. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also said the country was ready to pay for Russian gas in roubles "if Russia asks." President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Greece to help send a humanitarian mission to Mariupol. I urge you now, openly, to create such a new union of friends, which will be able to save the Ukrainians and Greeks of the south of our state. Which will be able to help Mariupol. The city needs humanitarian aid! The city needs its people - survivors and wounded - to be saved. Russia has been blocking Mariupol since the beginning of March, blocking on land and at sea. It does not allow even basic humanitarian cargo into the city. I am convinced that the strength of Greece can help carry out this mission. Days are numbered, Zelensky said in his address to the Parliament of Greece. During the speech of the President of Ukraine, an address of ethnic Greeks, members of the Azov Regiment who now defend Mariupol, to the Parliament was shown. Should I talk about the difficulties of this fight against the enemy? As a soldier and a son of my land, I don't think I should. It is my duty as a man and a citizen. But I can't help but tell about the catastrophic, inhumane conditions in which the residents of my city have found themselves. You know that Mariupol is a part of Greece in Ukraine. That's why you have always helped this city. It is your efforts that also helped the city to flourish. Now this city is 90% destroyed by the Russian occupiers. From March 1, the city is completely cut off from the outside world, the city has no water, food, medicines. The city experiences a humanitarian catastrophe. The enemy bombs peaceful neighborhoods, constantly fires artillery, launches missile strikes from the sea. Thousands of people with ethnic Greeks among them are dying, there is no one to bury them, said Mykhailo, a resident and defender of Mariupol, addressing the Greek parliamentarians. Another defender of Mariupol, Anastas, stressed that hundreds of people were dying under the rubble in the city right now and there was no one to help them. "The enemy does not let people out of the city, and we have no one to save them. What can you do? Speak. Including about your people. Little Ukrainian Greek children who lost their parents are now dying in basements. Azov [Regiment] has the courage to withstand much superior enemy forces. Will you have the courage to come to the dying population of Mariupol with humanitarian aid? These are your people also, help save them, Anastas said. As reported, Mariupol, Donetsk region, has been experiencing one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes due to Russian aggression. The invaders bomb unarmed residents and block the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko, as of March 27, the number of civilian casualties in Mariupol was about 5,000 people, including about 210 children. There are now about 130,000 civilians in Mariupol, blocked by Russian invaders, begging for help. Russian troops have turned Mariupol into a huge ruin. Local residents faint from hunger in the streets, and enemy bombs bury them alive in bomb shelters. Fighters of the Azov Regiment stay in Mariupol and continue to defend the city. ol Russian invaders are focusing efforts to capture the city of Mariupol. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. As of 06:00 p.m., April 7, 2022, the enemy continued to prepare for the offensive in eastern Ukraine. Russian occupiers are regrouping troops in order to complete the formation of the offensive group. The enemy is taking measures to increase the aviation component and C2 system, continues to conduct reconnaissance. The enemys main efforts are focused on capturing the city of Mariupol, conducting an offensive near the city of Izium and trying to break through the defense lines in the Donetsk direction, the report states. In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders are attempting to prevent the Armed Forces of Ukraine from advancing and to improve the tactical position of enemy units in some areas. In the Volyn direction, there is a possibility of Russian enemy missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure from the territory Belarus. In the Polissia direction, the enemy did not take active actions. Russian occupation forces deployed to the territory of Belarus are carrying out demonstration actions in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian units from this area to other directions. The separate units of Russian invaders from the Eastern Military District and the airborne troops of the Russian Armed Forces, which are recovering and regrouping on the territory of Belarus after leaving Ukraine, are likely to be sent to strengthen enemy troops in the Slobozhanskyi direction. In the Siverskyi direction, the enemy is finishing the regrouping and restoration of combat capability of the Central Military District units within certain areas of the Bryansk and Kursk regions. The possibility of further sending these units to other operational areas, including for combat operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, is not ruled out. In the Slobozhanskyi direction, Russian invaders are taking active steps to increase control and communication in the interests of the offensive group. Near Kharkiv, up to five Russian battalion tactical groups continue to blockade the city and shell it with multiple rocket launchers, artillery and mortars. Russian occupiers are also holding the city of Izium and trying to continue the offensive in the direction of Slviansk and Barvinkove. In the Donetsk and Tavriiskyi directions, the enemy continues to carry out fire and assault operations, launch missile and bomb strikes, open artillery fire on the civilian infrastructure of settlements. Berdiansk Port is used by Russian invaders to transfer weapons, military equipment and personnel. The enemy also intensified efforts in the Sieverodonetsk direction. Russian invaders are attempting to continue the offensive near Donetsk, Novotoshkivske and Popasna. The enemy also tried to launch an offensive near Marinka, Borivske and Solodke but failed. Most likely, Russian invaders will soon try to break through the defense lines of the Ukrainian Army in the Sieverodonetsk, Avdiivka and Kurakhov districts. In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders launched artillery strikes and used army aircrafts in some areas. The enemy is attempting to continue the offensive towards Oleksandrivka. Russian naval groups in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov continue to carry out missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, isolate the area of hostilities and conduct reconnaissance. Russian occupation forces continues to restrict the rights of Ukrainian citizens within the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, in Zaporizhzhia Region, Russian occupiers banned men from leaving for the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. There is also a growing shortage of basic necessities, especially food, which could further complicate the humanitarian situation in the region occupied by Russian invaders, the General Staff noted. The Ukrainian Defense Forces, inflicting losses, continue to push back the enemy and liberate the territories temporarily occupied by Russian invaders in some areas. mk Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on foreign diplomats to return to work in Kyiv. He said this during a video address, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "The presence of foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv is the normal work of embassies. This is a clear signal to the aggressor that Kyiv is our capital. Not a Russian provincial city, but the Ukrainian capital," Zelensky stressed, urging diplomats to return to work in Kyiv. He said that the embassies of Slovenia and Lithuania, as well as the Lithuanian ambassador, had already returned to the Ukrainian capital. He thanked international partners for supporting Ukraine in wartime. Before Russia started its all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, several embassies relocated their operations from Kyiv to Lviv for security reasons. Ukraine needs weapons that will allow it to win on the battlefield, and this will be the strongest sanction against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this in a video address. Ukrainians! The 43rd day of full-scale war is over. Russia's war against Ukraine. A war that has revealed the whole truth about our country, about all other countries, about Russia and about the world in general. This war shows how much everyone did not want to notice in our country. In our people. How much the world believed in foreign propaganda and Russian myths about Ukraine, not in reality. We have always been like that... We have always been brave. The bravest in the world. I am sure of that. Because who else would do what Ukrainians do? Who else had so much courage to constantly fight against any manifestations of tyranny and defend freedom? In every election, in revolutions and in war. Who else had the courage to fight against all Russian forces on land, in the air and at sea? Who else had the courage to go unarmed against Russian armored vehicles where the Russians temporarily managed to seize something? Who else had the courage to tell the world that hypocrisy is a bad weapon? And not just to tell, but to convince and restore honesty in the world. Who else had the courage to persuade the largest global companies to forget about accounting and recall morality? And to teach all political leaders - whatever they are - to be at least a little Ukrainian... At least a little brave. In fact, this is our brand. This is what it means to be us. To be Ukrainians. To be brave. If everyone in the world had at least ten percent of the courage that we Ukrainians have, there would be no danger to international law at all. There would be no danger to the freedom of the nations. We will spread our courage. We will start a special global campaign. We will teach the world to be not just a little bit, but full of courage. Like us, like Ukrainians. There are certain results already. First of all, they are manifested in the current sanctions against the Russian Federation. But that's the thing - the results are still "certain". Not yet the ones needed to stop Russia. To stop the war. Please note: this is not the first day that the media has been talking not about how sanctions against Russia actually work, but about why these sanctions are important. As if they are convincing themselves that they have introduced the right things, that there are enough restrictions. But if the sanctions really worked one hundred percent, they would not have to explain in such detail why they are important. Therefore, I emphasize once again: more sanctions are needed. Even bolder sanctions are needed. Courage must be a criterion for evaluating decisions. Courage and practicality. First of all, Ukraine needs weapons that will allow us to win on the battlefield. And this will be the strongest sanction against Russia of all possible ones. We have good diplomatic news today. Russia is gradually losing even on those platforms that it considered quite comfortable for itself. In particular, the UN General Assembly decided to suspend Russia's membership in the Human Rights Council. It is quite logical. Quite rightly. But also not without fighting for this decision. I am grateful to those states that have supported this decision. Russia has had nothing to do with the concept of human rights for a long time already. Maybe someday that will change. But so far, the Russian state and the Russian military are the greatest threat on the planet to freedom, to human security, to the concept of human rights as such. After Bucha, this is already obvious. And the work on dismantling the debris in Borodyanka began... It's much worse there. Even more victims of the Russian occupiers. And what will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol? There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops. The same cruelty. The same heinous crimes. More and more information is coming in that Russian propagandists are preparing, so to speak, a "mirror response" to the shock of all normal people from what they saw in Bucha. They are going to show the victims in Mariupol as if they were killed not by the Russian military, but by the Ukrainian defenders of the city. To do this, the occupiers collect corpses on the streets, take them out and can use them elsewhere in accordance with the elaborated propaganda scenarios. We are dealing with invaders who have nothing human left. To justify their own killings, they take the murdered people simply as scenery, as propaganda props. And this is a separate war crime, for which each of the propagandists will be held accountable. More and more countries around the world support the need for a full and transparent investigation of all war crimes of the Russian occupiers in Ukraine. Every murder case will be solved. Each of the torturers will be found. All those who committed rape or looting will be identified. Responsibility is inevitable. Today I continued to address the parliaments and nations of neighboring countries, our partners, our friends. Today was Greece. Today was the Republic of Cyprus. I thanked them for supporting Ukraine and joint European efforts to force Russia to seek peace. I urged to do more to stop the war. I urged Greece to use its influence as part of the European Union to save Mariupol. I urged Cyprus to take special measures against Russia. Such as the abolition of "golden passports" for Russians. As well as the blocking of yachts, the blocking of other Russian vessels in the waters of Cyprus. I am planning an address to the Parliament and the people of Finland tomorrow. I would like to note that diplomatic representatives of other states are returning to the capital together with Kyiv residents. The Turkish Embassy returned yesterday. The Ambassador of Lithuania returned today. Earlier, the Slovenian Embassy resumed its work in Kyiv. I am sincerely grateful to the friends of Ukraine who support us exactly as we need it now, also at the level of symbols, at the level of diplomatic gestures. This is also about courage. And I look forward to the opportunity to have a meeting with everyone who is with us. With all who are brave. Come back. With all the diplomats who have returned to our capital and continue to work. The presence of foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv is a normal work of embassies, it is a clear signal to the aggressor that Kyiv is our capital. Not the provincial city of Russia, but the Ukrainian capital. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to do everything to repel the offensive of Russian troops in Donbas. The occupiers troops in this area are becoming more active and are being reinforced from Russia. We see it all. We analyze every step of the enemy. And we will provide an answer. A tough one. And already a stable tradition: before delivering this address, I signed decrees to honor our bravest soldiers with state awards and the title of Hero of Ukraine. 344 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded. Five more servicemen became Heroes of Ukraine today. I am sincerely grateful for the service to each of our male defenders. I am sincerely grateful to each of our female defenders! I am sincerely grateful for the courage of the Ukrainian people. Glory to Ukraine! Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has expressed gratitude to U.S. Senate for passing a Lend-Lease Act for Ukraine, which is a first step to launching a corresponding program. Grateful to the U.S. Senate for passing the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act. Important first step towards a lend-lease program to expedite the delivery of military equipment to Ukraine. Looking forward to its swift passage in the House and signing by the U.S. President, Kuleba tweeted. As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. Senate had unanimously passed major legislation to revive a World War 2-era program, allowing President Joe Biden to more efficiently send weapons and other supplies to Ukraine amid Russias bloody invasion. The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, as its known, would expedite the transfer of critical military equipment and other critical supplies to Ukraine by cutting bureaucratic red tape. It allows for the de facto gifting of equipment, with provisions stipulating that recipient countries would repay the U.S. at a later date. The G7 foreign ministers and European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell condemned the atrocities, committed by Russians in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns, and called on Russia to end the war against Ukraine. We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in Bucha and a number of other Ukrainian towns. Haunting images of civilian deaths, victims of torture, and apparent executions, as well as reports of sexual violence and destruction of civilian infrastructure show the true face of Russias brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and its people, reads the joint statement by G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union issued following todays NATO meeting. It is underscored that the massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities and severe violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights, committed by the aggressor on Ukrainian soil. As noted, the G7 ministers and the EU High Representative expressed their heart-felt solidarity with the Ukrainian people and their deepest condolences to the victims of this war and their families in the presence of Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba. We underline our unwavering support for Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and express our readiness to assist further, including with military equipment and financial means, to allow Ukraine to defend itself against Russias aggression and to rebuild Ukraine, reads the statement. It is also noted that those responsible for the heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. We will provide investigative support, technical experts and funding. We will continue to promote accountability for all those complicit in Moscows war of choice, including the Lukashenka regime in Belarus. We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the [UN] Human Rights Council, the statement says. Moreover, the G7 ministers and the EU High Representative underline that Russia must immediately comply with the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine. Further, we urge Russia to withdraw completely its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, the officials state. The G7 ministers and the EU High Representative warn against any threat or use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. They recall Russias obligations under international treaties of which it is a party, and which protect us all. Any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences. We condemn Russias unsubstantiated claims and false allegations against Ukraine, a respected member of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention that is in compliance with its legal obligations under those instruments. We express concern about other countries and actors that have amplified Russias disinformation campaign, the statement reads. The statement expresses the gravest concern with Russia forcefully seizing control of nuclear facilities, and other violent actions in connection with a number of nuclear facilities, nuclear and other radioactive material, which have caused and continue to pose serious and direct threats to the safety and security of these facilities and their civilian personnel, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident or incident, which endangers the population of Ukraine, neighbouring States and the international community. The G7 ministers and the EU High Representative also reiterate their demand that Russia upholds its obligations under international humanitarian law and provides for safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to besieged cities. In addition, the statement underscored the need to further increase economic pressure on Russia and the Lukashenko regime in Belarus. "Together with international partners, the G7 will sustain and increase pressure on Russia by imposing coordinated additional restrictive measures to effectively thwart Russian abilities to continue the aggression against Ukraine. We will work together to stop any attempts to circumvent sanctions or to aid Russia by other means. We are taking further steps to expedite plans to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, and will work together to this end," the statement says. The G7 ministers and the EU High Representative pledge to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid and funding. ol Rymma Mytrak, 35, runs a hostel she set up for displaced Ukrainians from a small office where her family also sleeps. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska In late February, when Rymma Mytrak saw reports of families fleeing heavy fighting in other parts of Ukraine and moving west in search of safety, she decided to act. The 35-year-old former hairdresser knew from personal experience how important a place of safety is for those with nowhere else to go. I am from an orphanage myself, so I felt I must do everything possible to help people who like myself many years ago needed support, she explained. Mytrak decided to open a shelter for internally displaced people (IDPs) in her village Velykyi Bereznyi, close to Ukraines western border with Slovakia. With no property of her own, she shared her idea on social media and within days the village had rallied to convert an unused storage facility into a hostel for 80 people. I made an announcement on Facebook about my plans to start a hostel. Four days later, we were already able to start hosting people, she says. See also: UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls for immediate end to Ukraine war With limited equipment, Mytrak had to be creative to get the facility ready to receive its first guests. In this room for example we made beds out of office desks. We used all the resources we had at hand. Another small room off the buildings long corridor has three sets of bunkbeds squeezed inside, and there is also a communal kitchen equipped with donated appliances and a dining hall with dozens of mismatched chairs arranged at long trestle tables. Mytrak was helped in her efforts by her husband Ruslan a former military chaplain and a group of willing volunteers that grew in number after the first families began to arrive. There were 15 volunteers, all eager to help, Mytrak says. And those first IDPs who came here, they started to volunteer too. To manage the work involved in hosting, feeding, and taking care of so many people, Mytrak and her husband and two children moved into a room at the hostel which doubles as her office. Some of those who arrive move on after only a night, but many have remained for longer. Viktor Nastych is among those staying at the hostel in Velykyi Bereznyi, western Ukraine. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska UNHCR Ukraine field officer Nadiia Vakhovska (centre) meets with Rymma and Viktor during a visit to the hostel. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska Rymma sits at one of the dining tables in the converted former storage facility. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska Rymma and a volunteer help organize a meal in the hostel's communal dining room. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska One of the bedrooms in the hostel, which can accommodate up to 80 people per night. UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska Among them is Victor Nastych, who arrived with his wife and daughter after fleeing their home in Brovary, an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv, and was grateful for the offer of accommodation and warm food. I think there should be a monument glorifying Rymma, Nastych says. She has no property, no house. She does everything for people. She goes to the village council and asks for help. Many people know her and try to help. With an estimated 7.1 million people currently displaced inside Ukraine, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is supporting the expansion and establishment of reception centres and providing relief items and other forms of support to those in need. So far, UNHCR has supported the expansion of more than 70 reception centres around the country, each of which can host around 250 displaced people. As part of these wider efforts, the agency recently provided the shelter in Velykyi Bereznyi with thermal blankets to help keep residents warm as nighttime temperatures drop close to freezing. "Every minute is stressful" The team that delivered the blankets and met with residents to assess their needs included Nadiia Vakhovska, who recently joined UNHCR Ukraine and knows from personal experience what it means to flee your home. In 2014, there was heavy fighting in Luhansk where I am from. Me and my husband packed a small bag and left, hoping we will come back in just a few weeks. But we never returned, Vakhovska explains. She and her husband moved several times before settling in Bucha, a small town 30 kilometres from Kyiv, which in recent days has been the focus of global attention due to the horrific images of people's bodies lying in the streets. The town was previously a haven for others displaced from eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015, who took advantage of the cheaper accommodation and proximity to the employment opportunities of the capital. When Bucha first came under heavy bombardment at the start of the current conflict, Vakhovska was forced to flee again when their house was irreparably damaged. Now, she hopes to use her experience to help others suffering displacement for the first time. Knowing what it is to be a displaced person, I now can offer support and advise to other people, Vakhovska says. We overcame the consequences of the first displacement. It gives us hope that we will be able to manage the second displacement too. But despite having this experience and knowledge, it is very difficult and painful. Every minute is stressful. donate 29-03-2022 | Interview Its also about developing new narratives Interview with the Directors of the Kate Hamburger Kolleg The Kate Hamburger Kolleg Legal Unity and Pluralism officially began its work in June 2021. Its academic concept is based on the insight that legal unity and legal pluralism should not be studied separately from one another, but rather in their mutual relationship of tension. Through their many years of engagement with the theme, historian Prof Ulrike Ludwig and legal historian Prof Peter Oestmann gradually developed the idea of creating a space to study the phenomenon in its entire breadth across epochs and disciplines, a space where scholars from different disciplines can enter into dialogue with one another and develop new models of interpretation. In this interview, the Kollegs two directors describe what is special about the research approach chosen, the opportunities and difficulties that interdisciplinary research entails, and the goals that they have set themselves for the first funding phase. The Kolleg's Board of Directors: Prof Peter Oestmann und Prof Ulrike Ludwig khk / MunsterView (Heiner Witte) How did the idea of applying for a research Kolleg on legal unity and pluralism actually come about? What were your initial thoughts regarding content and research strategy? Oestmann: I have been preoccupied with the issue of legal unity and pluralism for almost 25 years now, and we have also been discussing it intensively among historians and legal historians in Munster for over five years. Ulrike Ludwig and I then began the more detailed phase of preparing for the application two to three years ago. Our starting point is the idea that law always has opposing tendencies between unification and fragmentation, and this in different times and spaces. However, since the terminology used in the different disciplines is inconsistent, individual findings remain isolated and exciting cross-disciplinary discussion is rare. In terms of research strategy, our aim is therefore to stimulate dialogue within the humanities, to link historical disciplines with those concerned with the contemporary situation, and not least to overcome Eurocentric perspectives. Ludwig: Its also about developing new narratives. Legal pluralism has been discovered everywhere in recent decades, meaning that legal unity, which actually long played the more important role in historical research in connection, for example, with processes of state building, has been pushed somewhat into the background. What we need, and especially for comparative debates, is a descriptive model for different, historically mutable constellations of legal pluralism and legal unity. This can only be achieved by first listening to a great deal of discussion, and the Kolleg is an ideal space for this. Oestmann: Disciplines that work historically are often a little afraid of theory-building and generalisations, because the special case is always more complicated. We would already have gained much if we manage to build models or a typology here. Ludwig: Its true that reality is highly complex. At the same time, though, its very unsatisfactory if you can only ever refer to individual cases. A great deal changed between 500 and 1900, and that has to be explained. If we cant offer anything here, then we always end up with a simple scheme that has at its outset a great legal pluralism that was then gradually unified, with everything then being fine, since this supposed development is also normatively charged. But as scholars in the humanities we cannot help using our findings to counter this story and to tell a more plausible one, also with regard to social debates. So legal pluralism is a central theme in historical research? Oestmann: Legal unity is a classic theme in research. All signs point to harmonisation in the 19th century: there are suddenly legal codifications, uniform weights and measures, and the unity of the nation state is also supposed to be reflected in legal unity. This idea has been challenged for some time now, and it is now believed that the unitary state of the 19th century was either a historical exception or never actually existed in this form. This, in turn, brings into sharper focus phenomena of legal pluralism. For example, the institutional weakness of the pre-modern era is now being turned into a positive and presented as a model for the European Union. But scholars in ancient history have for quite some time now also discussed different layers of law, and anthropologists and sociologists point to the omnipresence of legal pluralism in the modern period. Ludwig: What is new about our approach is that we explore not only legal pluralism or legal unity, but the dynamic relationship between the two. This means on the one hand that we examine how phenomena are interlinked in historical development for example, when phases of unification alternate with those of pluralisation. And on the other that we also need to reflect more on how much what we see depends on our own point of view and yardstick of observation. For example, the spread of Roman law in Europe, when seen from close up, led to a new pluralism with specific local manifestations of law. When taking a more distant perspective, though, we can discern the formation of a larger legal area where similar principles prevailed. "It is worth making comparisons with non-Europe, if only to put our own certainties into perspective." Prof Peter Oestmann khk Why did the Kate Hamburger Kolleg format funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) seem particularly suitable for your project? Ludwig: Such a Kolleg can help us network the discussions, and that is crucial for us in our aim of bringing together the diverse research on legal unity and pluralism that exists, and of developing something new together. So its about creating a space where scholars can talk to each other. Oestmann: and these being scholars thats what the third-party funder wants who already have a lot of experience in the field, i.e. at least a doctorate. And they should still learn something new in the joint discussions and be released from other duties so that they can focus on their own research. Ludwig: I think the format is in a way also a reaction to current developments in the academic system. The chance to learn as much as possible in a field that really interests you no longer happens very often. And thats exactly why we need such spaces, where you know that if youre doing research on a certain theme, then you have to go there. It should be clear after twelve years that Munster is the place that stands for the theme of legal unity and pluralism. Why is Munster the ideal location? Ludwig: The conditions here are very good with three professorships for legal history alone, but also with a historical science that is very open to legal questions. The Kolleg will expand this discussion group in Munster to include an international group. Oestmann: There is also the Universitys internal advisory board with other discussion partners from three faculties who are interested in the theme. And this tradition has grown in Munster: there have been historically-minded Collaborative Research Centres here for over 50 years, and the Cluster of Excellence Religion and Politics for almost 15 years. Research in the humanities is also extremely important in how the University perceives itself, and we feel a great deal of goodwill on the part of university management. There is lively interdisciplinary discussion at the Kolleg. What do you hope to gain from working with researchers from other disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, and applicable law? Oestmann: We hope to gain insights into areas that we ourselves know nothing about. Sociologists, for example, primarily observe the effects that law has, which we can then use to look beyond normative pluralism to social diversity and the connection between the two. On the other hand, anthropological studies of contemporary societies may also tell us about pre-state conditions in other epochs, if we assume that law has very specific characteristics in regions where statehood does not function. This at least is our initial question: Does law have certain basic structures that are supra-temporal and that can then be transferred to the early Middle Ages, for example? Ludwig: In addition, area studies and anthropology present us with comparative cases from outside Europe, and these can help us to move away from the master narrative of European development that sees this development as the norm. Europe is indeed our focus of interest at the Kolleg, but for the purposes of Provincializing Europe we see it as one of many world regions. Oestmann: Europe is seen as a typical example of the path of unification towards a nation state with clear borders, a constitution, and a penal code. While not necessarily wrong, this grand narrative overlooks many things. There is still a great need for research, especially in areas where people thought they already knew everything. It is worth making comparisons with non-Europe, if only to put our own certainties into perspective. Ludwig: Incidentally, it is also important to think of Europe more broadly than just Germany, France, and England. We have projects at the Kolleg on countries that have featured far too rarely in comparative discussions: for example, Bulgaria, Sweden and Finland, Poland, and Lithuania. Interdisciplinarity already begins with the two of you. As a historian and a legal historian, how do you perceive the relationship between your disciplines? Oestmann: I think there is traditionally a distorted perception of the other discipline, which has led to misunderstandings. Historians always thought that legal historians only deal with laws that no longer apply, and are not interested in the reality of law. Conversely, legal historians thought that historians deal with social phenomena such as deviance or crime, without knowing what the laws of the time permitted or prohibited. There has now been a clear rapprochement, however, insofar as legal historians also deal with legal practice, and historians also deal with norms. There are certainly still a few who carry on in the same way, but I have only had positive experiences. In Munster, there has been close cooperation for a long time anyway. Ludwig: After all, we are both representatives of our disciplines who value the other very much and explore what we can learn from each other. And of course its true that a legal training makes you look at laws in a completely different way than a historian. It is essential to be aware of ones own limitations in understanding. The great advantage of historical approaches, on the other hand, is that we can often look at many more sources, carry out serial surveys, and thus examine social phenomena more broadly. In short, we need each other in order to develop a holistic understanding. "We must explain that legal pluralism is also normatively contained." Prof Ulrike Ludwig khk Whether it is the EU and Poland arguing about the primacy of European law over national law, the different ways that the vaccinated and unvaccinated are treated in the pandemic, or the introduction of a global minimum tax to drain tax havens many of the issues currently being discussed are related to legal pluralism or efforts to unify the law. How far can the Kollegs research also help us to understand the present-day better? Oestmann: The historical sciences can promote a relaxed approach to contemporary phenomena, as they show that such phenomena are not as unique as we think, and can be found in many epochs. But we also have to say self-confidently that our central task is to increase historical knowledge, and not to exploit this knowledge or to answer questions about the present. Ludwig: I think that the current debates about legal pluralism are often linked to a morally charged process of scandalisation. We need a calmer, more objective, and more informed way of dealing with such phenomena. If we can show that there have always been forms of legal pluralism and legal unity, with all their advantages and disadvantages, and that how one evaluates this depends very much on ones own perspective, then we will have already achieved much. We must explain that legal pluralism is also normatively contained, that there are strategies to make it legally secure, and that it also comprises regulated procedures with a certain degree of expectability. Does the 19th-century idea of unity still linger in these moral condemnations of legal pluralism? Ludwig: It is indeed primarily all about an idea, but one that can also be something good if we think of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for example. A whole series of highly charged moral ideas of legal unity came down to us in the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century, but they should be distinguished from legal reality. Oestmann: This is a discourse that gives different answers in different contexts, these answers also being normatively anchored in different ways. Take human rights, for example. Of course we consider slavery wrong and the equal treatment of men and women right, and we also confidently represent these normative demands to the outside world. In other matters, however, things are not so clear. I have the impression that in this country there is a widespread need for harmony and an aversion to conflict. This is evident in the widespread hostility to federalism, for example, when once again there are calls for educational laws to be unified. But there is also another, liberal approach that sees pluralism as an opportunity to try out different models. The first fellows started at the Kolleg on 1 July 2021, initially as part of a digital fellowship due to the pandemic. How would you assess the joint work done so far? Ludwig: The fact that we were able to award digital fellowships was a great way to help us get going in the first place. But I would also say that being able to come together in the flesh as it were has allowed us to put the idea of the Kolleg into practice in a very different way. Zoom and co. will always be limited in terms of fostering lively discussions. Nevertheless, there were hardly any difficulties in switching from digital to on-site contact, because we already knew each other well enough to be able to continue our discussions straight away. Oestmann: For me, the transition from digital to on-site contact was associated with a feeling of liberation and a strong motivational boost. We also need informal formats, e.g. small working groups and conversations over lunch, which can be more creative than plenary meetings. But of course there will also be large conferences in the near future. Finally, a question about your immediate goals: What would you like to achieve in the Kolleg during the first funding phase? Oestmann: We would like to clarify the diverse phenomena in such a way that we can develop a typology. For this, we first need a kind of glossary that defines the important terms on which there has been no consensus so far. This would give us a standard that we would no longer fall short of. Second, we are planning a central collection of sources including historical examples that we consider particularly relevant in terms of legal unity or pluralism. This could also be used in teaching in the future. Ludwig: In order to gain knowledge, we first need to understand where we actually misunderstand each other. It may be that the anthropologist understands by one and the same term something completely different from the medievalist. I therefore hope that in the first four years we will succeed in developing a common descriptive language that takes into account the different disciplines, epochs, and not least the different working and source languages. This is a challenge that should not be underestimated; if we succeed, we can already be very happy. (@ChaudhryMAli88) China's time-honored trade fair, China Import and Export Fair, will hold its 131st event online from April 15 to April 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday BEIJING, April 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2022 ) :China's time-honored trade fair, China Import and Export Fair, will hold its 131st event online from April 15 to April 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. Held since 1957, the fair is held twice a year in south China's Guangzhou City to facilitate global trade. It was held both online and offline for the first time in autumn last year. The 10-day spring session includes online exhibitions, market match-making and cross-border e-commerce. It will offer the 25,000-plus domestic and overseas exhibitors a variety of online services such as online showcases, business exchanges and product launches. A specific zone showcasing products from once poverty-stricken areas will also be in place at the fair, also known as the Canton Fair, to introduce rural revitalization progresses. No fees will be charged from participating exhibitors and cross-border e-commerce platforms, the ministry said. The European Union will not impose a full ban on imports of coal from Russia until mid-August, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing an EU source MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2022) The European Union will not impose a full ban on imports of coal from Russia until mid-August, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing an EU source. According to the source, the decision was made due to a pressure from Germany. Ottawa, April 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2022 ) :Canada's environment minister approved Wednesday a controversial offshore oil project expected to see 300 million barrels of oil extracted over 30 years -- and to set back efforts to curb climate change. In a statement, Steven Guilbeault said Norwegian firm Equinor's proposed development of oil discoveries in the Flemish Pass Basin, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of St. Johns, Newfoundland, passed an environmental assessment. That assessment, the minister said, determined that the Bay du Nord project "is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects when mitigation measures are taken into account." "The project is therefore allowed to proceed with strict measures to protect the environment," he said. The project, which split Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals and was widely seen as a test of the government's resolve in tackling climate change, is expected to generate an estimated Can$3.5 billion in government revenue. For Newfoundland province, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country, it also represents a much needed economic boost. Ottawa set 137 binding conditions on the project, including incorporating reduced greenhouse gas emissions in its design, protecting fish habitat and air quality -- which Guilbeault said represent "some of the strongest environmental conditions ever" applied in Canada. But environmental groups panned the decision, citing UN warnings to stop tapping new oil sources or risk irreversible and catastrophic climate impacts. "Approving Bay du Nord is another leap towards an unlivable future," Environmental Defence's Julia Levin said in a statement. "The decision is tantamount to denying that climate change is real and threatens our very existence." The Trudeau government last year enhanced its Paris Agreement target to reduce carbon emissions by 40-45 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Guilbeault, a former eco-warrior picked by Trudeau to guide Canada's climate policy, said the project's emissions are expected to produce five times less emissions than the average Canadian oil project. He said it fits within Ottawa's climate strategy and "is an example of how Canada can chart a path forward on producing energy at the lowest possible emissions intensity while looking to a net-zero future." (@ChaudhryMAli88) Ariana, Tunisia, April 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2022 ) :Packs of stray dogs, a common sight in North African cities, are in the crosshairs after the deaths of two schoolchildren, but animal rights groups urge more humane solutions than mass culling. Tunisian authorities opened an inquest Friday into the death of a 16-year-old girl after she was mauled as she walked to school in the coastal city of Gabes. Residents have complained of a rise in the stray dog population and attacks on livestock in the southwestern province, where many depend on farming for a living. A similar tragedy struck in neighbouring Algeria last month, when a 12-year-old was killed and half-eaten by dogs in the Blida area. Many stray dogs in the Maghreb region pose an additional threat: rabies, a virus that attacks the central nervous system and leads to a painful death. The saliva-transmitted disease killed five dog-bite victims in Tunisia last year alone, according to the agriculture ministry, which estimates some 55 percent of strays carry the disease. But despite vaccination campaigns, culling drives have also continued, sparking public anger and demands for more humane ways to tackle the problem. "After being shot, dogs can end up in agony for hours," said Nowel Lakech of animal rights group PAT. "(Municipalities) shoot them then leave them without bothering to find out whether they're dead or just injured." Veterinarian Abdelmoumen Boumaza said Algerian municipalities only use one method to deal with the problem: "capture and slaughter", sometimes by electrocution. Tunisia's population of strays surged after the turmoil of the popular revolution of 2011 that kicked off the region's Arab Spring uprisings, Lakech said. The uncertainty of the period, with mass protests and violent crackdowns, prompted some people, fearing for their safety, to get guard dogs for their homes. But when the hounds produced puppies, many were dumped in the street, to join roaming packs of dogs sometimes numbering a dozen or more. Today, local authorities "are continuing to slaughter dogs, even though they have vaccination and sterilisation centres," Lakech said. One culling campaign, on the popular tourist island of Djerba, sparked a wave of public anger, as videos of wounded, suffering dogs went viral on social media. Lakech remembers finding a dog that had bullet wounds in each of her paws but survived. The ministry has said it wants to vaccinate up to 80 percent of strays in the capital, and has distributed anti-rabies jabs to municipalities for free. PAT says each of Tunisia's 350 municipalities should have a centre for dealing with strays -- but for the moment, the entire country has just six. Meanwhile, the PAT group is "doing the work of the state", Lakech said. At the Bouhanach rescue centre in Tunis, PAT volunteers look after dozens of dogs found in the streets. The 2,600-square-metre (0.65 acre) centre was built five years ago with private donations, on a donated piece of land in the suburb of Ariana. It has since received 500 strays and built a network of host families -- but the group says it struggles to find people willing to adopt dogs permanently. Sometimes it even sends them overseas. Two days a week, a team from the centre goes out looking for strays. Chief vet Mahmoud Latiri says he has vaccinated over 2,500 animals, mostly dogs, over the past two years. But despite the centre's spaying and neutering efforts, he warns that "without mass sterilisations, the streets will be overrun by strays". In Morocco, local authorities organise culls of street dogs, but sometimes keep them in Pounds in "horrible conditions", said Zainab Taqane of the animal rights group Irham ("have pity"). A 2019 deal between authorities and associations "to sterilise, vaccinate and identify stray dogs" has prompted hopes for better ways to tackle the issue. Meanwhile to the east of Tunisia, in Libya, strays are dealt with in short order. A decade of revolution and war have swamped the country with weapons and militiamen usually don't hesitate to take pot shots at feral dogs. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Tashkent, April 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2022 ) :Hit by regular power cuts and with popular sites like Twitter and TikTok blocked, the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan hardly seems a likely candidate for a tech boom. But with Russia's invasion of Ukraine driving an exodus of IT specialists to former parts of the Soviet Union, authorities in Uzbekistan are hoping to speed up plans to modernise an economy best known for its vast production of cotton. It took only one day after Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine for Uzbekistan to launch a one-stop government relocation programme for IT specialists and companies. Offering visas, housing and child care support to individuals, and registration assistance and tax exemptions to companies, the programme has already attracted some 2,000 foreign IT specialists, the government said. People like Anastasia Markova, a Russian citizen who recently became a public relations manager at Uzbekistan's state-run IT Park in the capital Tashkent. Markova, 22, had been due to be married in Russia in April, but left Moscow with her fiance -- an employee of a company registered at the park -- for Tashkent and the two are now seeking permanent residence. Markova said she feels comfortable in the city, where Russian is still widely spoken three decades after Uzbekistan gained independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union. "The country accepted us as one of their own. The people are so friendly and hospitable," she said. - Thousands in IT leave Russia - Markova was more keen to speak about her new home than the country she left behind, saying only that her decision to leave Russia had been "rushed, as it was for many people" and due to "a number of social and economic factors". Several other Russian citizens contacted by AFP after moving to Uzbekistan and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan refused to talk, saying they feared the consequences of potentially being seen as critical of Russia. The IT Park in Tashkent is home to some 550 companies and at the heart of plans to increase Uzbek IT exports to more $1 billion by 2028, a 25-fold rise from last year's figure. The park's motto, "START local and GO Global" is emblazoned on a wood panel facade at the entrance. Inside, young support staff in casual attire and headsets work at desks. The IT Park is already seeing benefits from the relocation programme dubbed TashRush -- "a name that seemed most suited to the phenomenon we are witnessing," the park's deputy director Bakhodir Ayupov said. The Russian Association of Electronic Communications, a lobby group, said on March 22 that 50,000 to 70,000 specialists had left Russia and up to 100,000 more may follow them out of the door this month. For the moment, Uzbekistan is a less popular destination for departing Russian IT workers than Georgia, Turkey or Armenia. Uzbekistan has lagged behind other ex-Soviet nations in developing the sector. The country has of late battled winter energy shortages, while power cuts are not uncommon, even in Tashkent. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday wrote letters to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif regarding formation of the parliamentary committee for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Apr, 2022 ) :National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday wrote letters to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif regarding formation of the parliamentary committee for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister. The speaker, in the letters written under the powers assigned to him as per Article 224A-1 of the Constitution, sought Names of four members each from both the leaders. Earlier this week, President Arif Alvi had sent letters to PM Imran Khan and Shehbaz Sharif to seek suggestions for the appointment of caretaker prime minister. However, both the leaders failed to reach a consensus. According to Constitution, in case the two leaders cannot reach the consensus over one name within three days, each one of them will send two names to the eight-member parliamentary committee, comprising National Assembly and Senate members, with equal representation from the government and opposition, formed by the NA speaker. Asad Qaisar cited Article 224A (1) of the Constitution in the letter which says "In case the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the caretaker prime minister, within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, they shall forward two nominees each to a Committee to be immediately constituted by the Speaker of the National Assembly, comprising eight members of the outgoing National Assembly, or the Senate, or both, having equal representation from the Treasury and the Opposition, to be nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, respectively. "PM Imran Khan and Shehbaz Sharif will now nominate four members each from from the treasury and the the opposition benches respectively. According to Constitution, the committee thus constituted, shall finalize the name of the caretaker prime minister within three days of the referral of the matter to it. In in case of inability of the committee to decide the matter in the aforesaid period, the names of the nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days. (@FahadShabbir) The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) said on Wednesday it has introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags starting June MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2022) The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) said on Wednesday it has introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags starting June. "As part of our plan to completely curb the use of single-use plastics, we are encouraging Abu Dhabi citizens to use more multipurpose and re-usable materials to reduce their environmental footprint. Today, we are introducing a ban on single-use plastic bags in the capital in light of their harmful impacts on the environment and biodiversity," Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the EAD, said as quoted by the WAM news agency. The ban, which will go into effect in June, is part of the EAD's policy of eliminating the use of about 16 non-reusable plastic products, including cups, food containers, plates, lids and cutlery. The EAD, in partnership with more than 30 private and public organizations, is also conducting research to implement an incentive-based return scheme for single-use plastic water bottles in Abu Dhabi, the agency added. The UAE, one of the richest oil-producing countries, will host a major UN COP28 climate summit next year to help reach meaningful commitments to fulfill the goals set out by the 2015 Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, carbon neutrality, global warming and climate finance. Plastic pollution on land and in the sea is one of the gravest environmental problems the world is facing. According to estimates made by the Norwegian government during the UN Environment Assembly, the amount of plastic waste will double within next 20 years, with the total volume in the ocean to increase four times. A former Guinean prime minister and three ex-ministers were detained on embezzlement charges Wednesday, one of their lawyers said, in the latest probe targeting prominent figures since last year's military coup Conakry, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Apr, 2022 ) :A former Guinean prime minister and three ex-ministers were detained on embezzlement charges Wednesday, one of their lawyers said, in the latest probe targeting prominent figures since last year's military coup. Guinea's military junta, led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, deposed elected president Alpha Conde at age 83, amid fierce protests over his successful bid for a third term. After seizing power, the junta promised to combat endemic corruption in the West African state. It also stressed that it would not launch a witch hunt. On Wednesday, a lawyer acting for Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, who served as prime minister under Conde from May 2018 until the coup, said the politician had been detained. Former defence minister Mohamed Diane, ex-environment minister Oye Guilavogui and former hydrocarbons minister Zakaria Coulibaly were also held, according to attorney Salifou Beavogui. The four "have been charged with embezzling public funds," said Beavogui, adding that they are expected to go on trial on Monday. "We believe that they do not deserve to be in custody as, pending evidence to the contrary, they have the right to the presumption of innocence. We are dealing with a hasty and punitive procedure," he said. The four were ordered to be held after being cross-examined for three days. The details of their alleged offences have not been made public. The detentions come amid a crackdown on alleged graft by coup leader Doumbouya. - Crackdown - The authorities last month razed the house of former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, a three-time presidential candidate, saying it was state property that was obtained illicitly. Diallo is also being investigated for alleged self-enrichment over the sale of assets in 2002 of the country's bankrupt airline, Air Guinea. As part of the crackdown against alleged graft, the junta has set up a special court for dealing with corruption cases. It has also expelled numerous executives from the state services as part of its anti-graft drive, with former members of Conde's RPG party coming under pressure too. The former prime minister and three ex-ministers -- who are all RPG members -- appeared before the corruption court on Wednesday, according to an AFP journalist. Gendarmes subsequently escorted them to a prison in the capital Conakry. Doumbouya has promised to restore civilian rule in Guinea, however, he also sworn himself in as interim president and refused to commit to a date for elections. Many Guineans initially welcomed the coup. However, there is growing discontent with the junta in the impoverished nation of 13 million people. On March 22, Doumbouya launched a six-week conference designed to heal historic wounds in the country, which has a history of authoritarian rule. Prominent political groups, including a coalition that led protests against Conde, are boycotting the talks. (@FahadShabbir) Montenegro will expel four Russian diplomats, the Foreign Ministry of the Balkan country said on Thursday BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2022) Montenegro will expel four Russian diplomats, the Foreign Ministry of the Balkan country said on Thursday. "A formal note on this decision, which specifies a period of seven days for leaving the territory of our state, was handed over to the Russian ambassador today," the ministry said, as quoted by the national broadcaster of Montenegro. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visits Morocco on Thursday, after Madrid reversed decades of policy on the Western Sahara to end a year-long diplomatic crisis, a U-turn that has angered Algeria Rabat, April 7 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2022 ) :Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visits Morocco on Thursday, after Madrid reversed decades of policy on the Western Sahara to end a year-long diplomatic crisis, a U-turn that has angered Algeria. The landmark visit will see King Mohammed VI welcome Sanchez as his guest of honour for iftar, the meal where Muslims break their daytime fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The visit by Sanchez and his foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, aims to draw a line under a major stand-off between the two kingdoms. The crisis began a year ago when Madrid allowed Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front which seeks independence for the territory of Western Sahara, to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital. Morocco sees the desert territory as an integral part of the kingdom and a highly sensitive issue of security and national pride. The area is mostly desert but boasts rich Atlantic fishing waters, phosphate resources and a route to lucrative markets in West Africa. Morocco fought a bitter war with the Polisario after Spanish colonial forces withdrew in 1975. Weeks after Ghali's hospitalisation, more than 10,000 migrants surged into Spain's tiny North African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border forces looked the other way, in an incident seen as meant to punish Madrid. On March 18, Madrid announced a "new stage" in relations with Rabat and said it now backed the North African kingdom's plan for the territory: limited autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The United States unilaterally closed the channel of communication with Russia on cybersecurity issues, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Oleg Khramov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2022) The United States unilaterally closed the channel of communication with Russia on cybersecurity issues, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Oleg Khramov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. After the suppression of the activities of the REvil hacker group in February, proposals were sent to the White House to start developing joint measures to protect the critical infrastructure of both countries from destructive impacts, Khramov said. He noted that before that, as part of the work of the Kremlin-White House joint group under the auspices of the Russian Security Council and the US National Security Council, "the parties exchanged lists of objects of critical information infrastructure of both countries." "However, the White House has now notified us that it was unilaterally withdrawing from the negotiation process and closing the communication channel," Khramov, who is the team leader on the Russian side, said. (@FahadShabbir) The United States welcomes efforts to establish humanitarian ceasefire in the city of Mariupol, Assistant US Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Ramin Toloui told reporters on Thursday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2022) The United States welcomes efforts to establish humanitarian ceasefire in the city of Mariupol, Assistant US Secretary of State for Economic and business Affairs Ramin Toloui told reporters on Thursday. "We welcome the continued efforts towards temporary humanitarian ceasefire that would allow civilians to depart Mariupol and deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians who may remain," Toloui said during a press briefing. The official highlighted the critical importance of humanitarian corridors for evacuating people and providing assistance to civilians. In addition, Toloui accused Russia of destroying Ukraine's agricultural facilities and infrastructure, as well as of attacking agribusiness vessels in the Black and Azov seas. On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian defense ministry said the operation is solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure. The bishop of the diocese of Rumbek expresses joy for the forthcoming July visit of Pope Francis to the East African country, saying that "it will be of great encouragement also for the local Church engaged in the long process of reconciliation." By Federico Piana A few days after the Pope's Apostolic Journey to Malta, people are already looking ahead to his next visit to South Sudan, scheduled for July 5-7. The forthcoming visit will be "the fulfillment of an action begun by the Pontiff long ago to ask for peace in this country. Bishop Christian Carlassare of the South Sudanese diocese of Rumbek, whose episcopal ordination and subsequent installation ceremony took place last March 25, is convinced of this. Forgiveness and hope Bishop Carlassare acknowledges the challenge of bringing peace to the East African nation, devastated by years of tribal and political strife, but also severely tried by poverty. He has also experienced hatred and violence firsthand, when, on the night of 25 April last year, he was wounded in the legs by gunfire in an attack carried out shortly after the announcement of his appointment as bishop of Rumbek. However, he has never lost hope: "For me, restarting means forgiving because without forgiveness there would be no restarting. Mercy, on the other hand, becomes the ability to establish relationships and rebuild relationships from where they were interrupted," he says. Pope Francis forthcoming visit fits into that hope. He explains that the Popes visit will give an important impetus to the process of pacification that will affect all communities, especially those that are most discouraged and most marginalized. In addition, the Pope's presence will also be a stimulus for the local Church committed to healing the wounds of the population: "It will be a great encouragement for the Church to be a real instrument of reconciliation and peace through the many works already present in the country, from those of evangelization to those of promoting the integrity of the human person". Meeting with the Pope A few days before his episcopal ordination and installation ceremony, Bishop Carlassare was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican. "For me," he says, "it was truly a great joy to be able to meet the Holy Father in person. It was a very simple moment but of great harmony in which he told me a few but essential words: Don't be afraid, the Lord always accompanies and sustains. The blessing he gave me is that of a man who has trusted the Lord and is giving his life for the Church, that's why I consider it very important. Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megan, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, says Pope Francis' visit to South Sudan on 5-7 July is part of a continuous effort to promote peace among the countrys rival parties. By Vatican News staff reporter As the faithful in South Sudan prepare to receive Pope Francis in their country in early July, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megan, describes the upcoming visit as a part of a continuous effort by the Pope to bring the parties in conflict within the country together for a peaceful reconciliation. Pope Francis is very serious about reconciliation for justice to prevail, said the Nuncio in a recent interview with AMECEA online. I think he intends to be that bridge between the opposing parties in South Sudan to bring people together. The Holy Fathers scheduled Apostolic Journey to South Sudan will see him visit the capital, Juba, from 5 7 July. Before that, the Pope will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2 5 July. South Sudan The Republic of South Sudan, located in east/central Africa, is the worlds newest country, having gained its independence from Sudan in July 2011. However, since independence, the country has struggled to set up a viable governing system and has been faced with a variety of challenges, including political conflicts, corruption, and communal violence. In 2013, conflict erupted between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and forces loyal to Vice-president Riek Machar. The fighting quickly spread throughout the country and unfolded along ethnic lines, killing tens of thousands of people and creating a humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and in need of assistance. A peace agreement signed in 2015 provided for the creation of a Transitional Government of National Unity in a power-sharing arrangement that would include members of the current administration as well as members from among the rebels. However, in 2016, renewed fighting plunged the country back into conflict. In 2018, a revitalized peace agreement, (R-ARCSS -Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan) was signed and the warring parties formed a coalition government in 2020. Peace efforts As the country continues with efforts to overcome the hurdles that come with implementing the peace agreement, the Nuncio noted that there is still a lot more to be done. If you look at the peace agreement, which should bring the parties together, the agreement has only been implemented partly and there is not much progress, he said. Even Pope Francis has joined in efforts to contribute to peace in South Sudan. In April 2019, the Pope hosted South Sudanese leaders in a two-day spiritual retreat in the Vatican, and in an unprecedented gesture, kissed the feet of the rival leaders as he urged them to strengthen the African countrys faltering peace process. The Nuncio explained, The Papal visit is a follow-up on that same event of 2019 to show the people on the ground the need for reconciliation. Going to the peripheries Archbishop van Megan went on to reiterate the Popes message of encouraging the faithful to go to the peripheries, to where Christ is most needed, especially in places where people suffer social exclusion or marginalization. South Sudan can be termed a country in the periphery and Pope Francis wants to be one with them and understand the reality of the people, he said. To get the real sense of things and to have a better understanding, one needs to be physically present to see the people in the eye, and to hear their stories. There could be an inner voice, an urge, probably telling him to go to South Sudan so that as a Pope he shall have done everything he could to bring peace to the people of South Sudan, he added. Other religious leaders present During the period of Pope Francis forthcoming 3-day July visit, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Rev. Dr. Iain M Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, will also be present in the country, showing what the Nuncio describes as a real example of ecumenism in the Church. With the Pope and the other church leaders visiting, I think Christianity wants to come to South Sudan as a united front, saying to the leaders of the country to be committed to serving the people, he said. South Sudan is not just for the Catholic Church, the Nuncio added. It is also for a number of other churches who play an important role not only among the people but also at the level of government. After a tweet by Lebanese President Michel Aoun, the director of the Holy See Press Office says the possibility of an Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the Land of the Cedars is being studied. By Vatican News It is a possibility that is being studied, said the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, in response to a tweet from Lebanese President Michel Aoun regarding the possibility of a trip by the Pope to Lebanon. President Aoun on Tuesday broke the news of a forthcoming visit by Pope Francis to the country of the Cedars on his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon. The Lebanese people have been waiting for this visit for some time to express gratitude to His Holiness for his support, and to thank him for the initiatives he has undertaken for the country and for the prayers he has offered for its peace and stability Aoun was quoted as saying in the statement from the presidents office. Pope Francis received the Lebanese president at the Vatican on 22 March. After his meeting audience with the Holy Father, Aoun met the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States. Read also 21/03/2022 Pope Francis meets with Lebanese President Aoun Pope Francis holds a private audience with Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, discussing the Middle Eastern nations serious socio-economic problems and political reforms. During the cordial discussions in the Secretariat of State, the importance of the good diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Lebanon, which reach their seventy-fifth anniversary this year, was highlighted, said a statement of the Holy See Press Office following the encounters. Attention then turned to the grave socio-economic problems the country is experiencing, and the situation of refugees, in the hope that the aid of the international community, the upcoming legislative elections and the necessary reforms may contribute to strengthening peaceful co-existence between the various religious confessions that live in the Land of the Cedars. Finally, the statement said, the disastrous consequences of the explosion at the Port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 were mentioned, with reference to the demand for justice and truth expressed by the families of the victims. The Popes desire to visit Lebanon Francis has said several times that he wants to visit Lebanon. One year after the explosion in the port of Beirut, during the General Audience on 4 August, the Pope addressed his thoughts to the entire country, and in particular to the victims, their families, and those who have lost their homes and jobs. He added: Dear Lebanese friends, I greatly desire to visit you and I continue to pray for you, so that Lebanon will once more be a message of peace and fraternity for the entire Middle East. Also in 2021, on 1 July, Pope Francis hosted patriarchs and heads of the Lebanese Eastern Churches for a Day of Reflection and Prayer for Lebanon. And on his return from Iraq, during the in-flight press conference with journalists earlier in the year, on 8 March, Pope Francis revealed that he had promised, in a letter to Cardinal Bechara Rai, to make a trip to Lebanon. Popes in Lebanon Several Popes have travelled to Lebanon in the past. Pope St John Paul II visited the Land of Cedars in 1997; and was followed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. For the latter, it was the last apostolic journey of his pontificate. But it is worth remembering Pope St Paul VI's stopover in 1964, when he became the first Pope to set foot on Lebanese soil. Pope Paul paused for an hour in Beirut on his way to the Eucharistic Congress in Bombay, India. Welcomed by the President of the Republic, Charles Helou, and the country's main political and religious authorities, Paul VI gave a short address in French. Lebanon - it is a pleasure for Us to say this in this place - holds with honour its place in the concert of nations, the Pope said in his speech at the airport. Its history, its culture, the peaceful character of its inhabitants have earned it, it can be said, the esteem and friendship of all. Its ancient and venerable religious traditions, above all, seem to Us to be worthy of mention by Us with praise. And, he added, We cannot forget, in particular, all that the faith of the Christian populations of Lebanon represents for the Church, expressed in the harmonious diversity of the Rites, in the abundance and variety of religious and monastic communities, in multiple activities of an apostolic, educational, cultural or charitable nature. In his speeches to the United Nations, as well as in "Fratelli tutti," Pope Francis has always encouraged a reform of the UN to give real concreteness to the concept of "a family of nations," at the same time urging greater efforts towards multilateralism. By Alessandro Gisotti "In the current war in Ukraine, we are witnessing the impotence of the Organizations of the United Nations. Pope Francis' words yesterday at the General Audience have echoed widely. No less relevant, however, are the words that immediately preceded this statement. Indeed, they are the premise of the bitter observation: After World War II, the attempt was made to lay the foundations of a new era of peace. But, unfortunately we never learn, right? the old story of competition between the greater powers went on. Pope Francis strongly believes in the role of the United Nations and the value of multilateralism. A conviction that today is even stronger in the "change of epoch" that we are living amid our arduous search for a new horizon of coexistence for humanity. In the footsteps of his predecessors - and in particular, St Paul VI, St John Paul II, and Benedict XVI - Pope Francis has repeatedly made gestures and words in support of the United Nations, encouraging a process of reform that is requested in particular by those countries, by those peoples, who suffer most from the consequences of that powerlessness to which the Pope referred. Speaking on September 25, 2015, at the UN General Assembly, the Pope affirmed that "reform and adaptation to the times is always necessary in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of granting all countries, without exception, a share in, and a genuine and equitable influence on, decision-making processes. Thus, from the very first years of his pontificate, he stressed the theme of "the need for greater equity," especially in the case of those bodies with effective executive capability, such as the Security Council, the Financial Agencies, and the groups or mechanisms specifically created to deal with economic crises. And he concluded his speech at the UN Headquarters in New York by reiterating the need for a strengthened UN. "The praiseworthy international juridical framework of the United Nations Organization he observed, "can be the pledge of a secure and happy future for future generations. And so it will, if the representatives of the States can set aside partisan and ideological interests, and sincerely strive to serve the common good. He reiterated these concepts in November of the same year during his visit to the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi. On the commitment to the care of our common home, the peaceful resolution of international disputes and economic development centered on people and peoples, the Pope and the Holy See consider the United Nations the most suitable international forum to find a point of convergence between different issues and interests. In December 2019, in a joint video message, the Pope and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that "trust in dialogue between individuals and between nations, in multilateralism, in the role of the international organizations, and in diplomacy as an instrument for appreciation and understanding, is indispensable for the building of a peaceful world. A few months later, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, making it even more indispensable to invest in multilateralism, in the awareness that all of humanity is in the same boat. "The pandemic," he observed in a video message on September 25, 2020, to the 75th Meeting of the UN General Assembly, "has shown us that we cannot live without one another, or worse still, pitted against one another. The United Nations was established to bring nations together, to be a bridge between peoples. And in words that tie in well with what he said yesterday, he added that "our strife-ridden world needs the United Nations to become an ever more effective international workshop for peace. This means that the members of the Security Council, especially the Permanent Members, must act with greater unity and determination. More so, the reform of the United Nations also finds a place in the encyclical Fratelli tutti. Pope Francis devotes an entire paragraph, no. 173, to the subject. (Earlier, John XXIII had dedicated paragraph 75 of Pacem in terris to the UN). For the Pope, such a reform is necessary "so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth." He insists that it is necessary to ensure "the uncontested rule of law and tireless recourse to negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. With the same sentiment that led him to pronounce yesterday's words, he also warns that "there is need to prevent this Organization from being delegitimized, since its problems and shortcomings are capable of being jointly addressed and resolved. Thus, the United Nations does not exist, the Pope seems to suggest, if the nations are not united, united in courageously seeking the path of mutual understanding. Whether it be the end of a war, patents on vaccines, or the fight against global warming, each must be willing to "lose" a little so that all may gain together. The most important challenge is at stake: the future of humanity. Authorities say thousands of people are fleeing Ukraine's Donbas region as Russia shifts the focus of its attacks to the east of the country. It comes amid mounting global outrage about reported Russian atrocities, though Moscow has denied involvement in mass killings. By Stefan J. Bos Ukrainian authorities urge people in the southeastern Donbas region to leave amid imminent Russian attacks. Residents in the traditional mining region say they live in constant fear. At the moment, everyone is agitated, said Artur Nazarov, a resident of the town of Bogorodychne. Everyone is waiting for something to happen, but they dont know what to expect, he added. Footage shows the monastery's roof in the village of Sviatohirsk was already damaged by suspected Russian shelling. Russian troops are approaching the region from the north navigating roadblocks and even bridges bombed by Ukrainian government forces to slow their offensive. The Russian military left areas such as around the capital Kyiv to focus on the east. Ukrainian authorities claim they left after killing hundreds of civilians, including in towns such as Bucha near Kyiv. Read also 06/04/2022 Pope laments Bucha massacre, calls for end to war in Ukraine Pope Francis laments the massacre of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha during Russias occupation of the area, and renews his calls for an end to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, listed alleged Russian atrocities in a speech to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday. There was "not a single crime they would not commit," Zelensky claimed. The Russian military searched for and purposefully killed anyone who served our country," he said. They shot and killed women outside their houses. They killed entire families, adults and children, and they tried to burn the bodies, the president added. Russia expelled Zelensky also urged the world to expel Russia from the United Nations Security Council after outlining Moscows alleged atrocities in his nation. Russia vehemently denied the charges, with the Kremlin calling footage about the killings Ukrainian propaganda or fake. However, foreign ministers of the NATO military alliance are meeting for two days of talks on how best to support Ukraine amid concerns about war crimes. The United States and the European Union say they will increase sanctions against Russia. The U.S. is due to announce more restrictions against Russian banks, as well as measures targeting Russian President Vladimir Putins two adult daughters. And the EUs executive European Commission wants a ban on coal exports as part of a wide-ranging fifth package of sanctions to halt the Russian invasion, which displaced millions of people. India's power sector has been targeted by hackers in a long-term operation thought to have been carried out by a state-sponsored Chinese group, a U.S.-based private cybersecurity company detailed in a new report. Over the last several months, the Insikt Group, the threat research division of Massachusetts-based Recorded Future, said it has collected evidence that hackers targeted seven Indian state centers responsible for carrying out electrical dispatch and grid control near a border area disputed by the two nuclear neighbors. The group primarily used the trojan ShadowPad, which is believed to have been developed by contractors for China's Ministry of State Security, leading to the conclusion that this was a state-sponsored hacking effort, the group reported. "ShadowPad continues to be employed by an everincreasing number of People's Liberation Army and Ministry of State Security-linked groups, with its origins linked to known MSS contractors first using the tool in their own operations and later likely acting as a digital quartermaster," Recorded Future said in the report late Wednesday. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday the report had been "noted" by Beijing, but that China "firmly opposes and combats any form of cyber attacks, and will not encourage, support or condone any cyber attacks." "I would like to advise the company concerned that if they really care about global cyber security, they should pay more attention to the cyber attacks by the U.S. government hackers on China and other countries, and do more to help promote dialogue and cooperation among countries, instead of using the cyber attack issue to stir up trouble and throw mud at China," he told reporters. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday and Minister of Power R.K. Singh said the report was not a cause for concern. "We are always prepared," he said. "We have a very robust security system. We are always alert." Insikt Group already detected and reported a suspected Chinese-sponsored hack of 10 Indian power sector organizations in February 2021 by a group known as RedEcho. The more recent hack "displays targeting and capability consistencies" with RedEcho, but there are also "notable distinctions" between the two so the group has been given the working name of Threat Activity Group 38, or TAG-38, as more information is gathered. Following a short lull after its first report, Recorded Future said the Insikt Group again started tracking hacking attempts on India's power grid organizations. Over the last several months, through late March, it identified likely network intrusions targeting at least seven of India's so-called "State Load Dispatch Centers" all in proximity to the disputed border in Ladakh, where Chinese and Indian troops clashed in June 2020, leaving 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese dead. "Recorded Future continues to track Chinese state-sponsored activity groups targeting a wide variety of sectors globally a large majority of this conforms to longstanding cyber espionage efforts, such as targeting of foreign governments, surveillance of dissident and minority groups, and economic espionage," the report said. "However, the coordinated effort to target Indian power grid assets in recent years is notably distinct from our perspective and, given the continued heightened tension and border disputes between the two countries, we believe is a cause for concern," it added. Hackers are thought to have gained access through third-party devices connected to the internet, like IP cameras, which had been compromised, the company said. Investigators have not yet determined how they had been compromised, but Recorded Future suggested they may have originally been installed using default credentials, leaving them vulnerable. Because the prolonged targeting of India's power grid "offers limited economic espionage or traditional intelligence-gathering opportunities," Recorded Future said it seems more likely the goal is to enable information gathering around surrounding critical infrastructure systems, or to be pre-positioned for future activity. "The objective for intrusions may include gaining an increased understanding into these complex systems in order to facilitate capability development for future use or gaining sufficient access across the system in preparation for future contingency operations," Recorded Future said. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. International aid groups sound the alarm on West Africas escalating food crisis; Thousands of Sudanese take to the streets in a new round of anti-coup protests; And, Militias supplement security in Northern Ivory Coast as further instability looms. A Turkish court has ended a case against Saudi defendants accused of murdering prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Rights groups have condemned the action, which Ankara took as it seeks to repair diplomatic ties with Riyadh. The decision had been expected after prosecutors last week requested the trial be moved to Riyadh. The Turkish Justice Ministry backed the decision. Yes, very disappointing. So unacceptable,", Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, said outside the courthouse. "So I don't want to say that I will give up. Because of what happened in the court today, Turkey gives up from the struggle." Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, was killed four years ago inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. With Turkey and Saudi Arabia regional rivals, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a leading role in the international outcry over the killing, strongly backing the Khashoggi case. In retaliation, an unofficial Saudi boycott of Turkish goods saw Ankara's exports to Riyadh plummet by 90%. The end of the Khashoggi case comes as Ankara seeks to mend ties with Riyadh as part of a broader regional reset. "Turkey has been striving to improve its ties with many countries it's at odds with," said Turkish presidential adviser Ilnur Cevik. "It has done this with the United Arab Emirates; it has been trying to do this with Egypt. It's been trying to do it with Saudi Arabia. It has been doing this with Israel. We do not want to be at odds with our neighbors, especially the regional countries." International rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the decision to move the case to Riyadh, saying there was no justice in Saudi Arabia. So far, Riyadh has not commented on the decision. Soli Ozel, professor of international relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, said stopping the Khashoggi trial is controversial for Ankara but will facilitate Saudi rapprochement efforts. "They just killed and cut to pieces and then destroyed in acid a journalist in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul," Ozel said. "And the fact that it happened in Istanbul cannot have been coincidence. And that we are in a position to let bygones be bygones, I can understand this is part of real politics, but I find it quite disturbing." Last month, Erdogan said that positive dialogue with Riyadh was continuing, declaring he wanted concrete steps to improve ties. The Turkish president said he is planning to travel to Riyadh to cement current rapprochement efforts. Analysts see the ending of the Khashoggi trial as removing an important obstacle to that visit. Political analysts say a quest for ever-greater power by Tunisian President Kais Saied risks sending the nation back to pre-revolutionary times of "strongman" rule. On Wednesday, Saied announced changes regarding the coming legislative elections. Tunisians will now vote for individuals instead of lists in a two-round ballot. He also indicated there would be changes to the Independent Electoral Commission, which he said would supervise the election but not with its ''current composition," Reuters reported. In late March, Saied, 64, dissolved parliament after legislators defied his warning and blocked emergency powers that he granted himself in a bid to take hold of the executive and judiciary, a move criticized as a coup. Saied's government described the parliamentary session as ''illegal'' and said it would launch investigations into those who participated. Analysts question whether there is any group capable of pushing back against Saied's power grab. "It is hard to pinpoint any single group with the necessary wherewithal and support" to challenge Saied, said Emiliano Alessandri of the Washington-based Middle East Institute. He said that included opposition parties, which he said suffer from a lack of legitimacy stemming from what he called questionable conduct in recent years. Pressure from citizenry But, he said, the overall political environment may trigger a public response to Saied. ''In my view, pressure will build up not because of some political initiative, but when ordinary citizens will see that some of their basic needs including a better economy and accessible prices remain unattended to even in the context of the new course. When this happens and it will not take too long now-discredited actors will be able to gather fresh new support," he told VOA. Last July, public fury over poverty, corruption and handling of the pandemic sparked mass protests in this North African nation. Subsequently, Saied suspended parliament and ousted his prime minister and other officials while granting himself extraordinary powers. In a Facebook post on March 30, Saied said his decision to dissolve parliament was to ''protect the government, the institution and the Tunisian people." He said this at a meeting with the National Security Council shortly after dissolving the legislature. Aymen Zaghdoudi at the Institute of Press and Information Sciences in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, told VOA the unilateral posture of the Tunisian president was like that of an ''autocratic leader." ''Media freedoms are dwindling, freedom of peaceful assembly is being restricted, and the civil space continues to be narrow. We have seen bloggers, lawyers in jail, and they were prosecuted by military courts, and prosecuting civilians in front of military justice is one of the symbols of dictatorship," he said. December elections Saied has set December 17 for legislative elections. Zaghdoudi said per the country's constitution, snap elections must be held within 45 to 90 days, noting that Saied's resolve to adhere to an election date more than seven months from now is unlawful. ''This means he [Saied] will not respect the constitution, but he will follow his own path," Zaghdoudi said. Ahead of that parliamentary election, Tunisia will hold a constitutional referendum on July 25. Zaghdoudi said about 70% of Tunisians stand with the president. "This is where he gets his legitimacy," the analyst said. According to Zaghdoudi, events in other nations have made Tunisians wary of foreign interference. He said Saied thrives on these sentiments to ''adopt any unilateral decision despite opposition from the major political and economic elites." He added that ''to build a solid democracy for the future, we must hold an honest national dialogue that includes all political forces in Tunisia to agree on badly needed economic, political and social reforms.'' This story originated in VOA's English to Africa Service. Under an updated timetable, Australian fighter jets would be armed with advanced U.S.-manufactured air-to-surface missiles by 2024, three years earlier than planned. Its navy frigates and destroyers would be equipped with Norwegian-made missiles by 2024, five years ahead of schedule. Australia also has plans to build its own next-generation missiles, including hypersonics, under new defense projects. Both China and Russia have tested advanced versions of hypersonic missiles that can hit distant targets at such high speeds that they cannot easily be intercepted by current military systems. The missiles can carry nuclear weapons. Some believe the United States needs to catch up in developing the technology. Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio told the Armed Services Committee that the U.S. is behind our adversaries, referring to Russia and China, Bloomberg reported. The report added that adversaries dont have to meet the rigorous standards set under the U.S. defense acquisition system or face public scrutiny over delays and failure. The Pentagon conducted its own successful tests last month, according to reports. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday the missiles were a key part of the AUKUS security alliance. Hypersonics and the various technologies that surround hypersonics are a very much a part of what the AUKUS partnership is striving to deliver not just in Australia, but in the United States and the United Kingdom as well, he said. Hypersonic missiles are a game-changer, said Marcus Hellyer, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a research organization. The band for hypersonic weapons is, sort of, between five and 25 times the speed of sound, and that is pretty fast, and so what that means is that existing defensive systems that seek to defeat incoming missiles and protect ships or cities are pretty ineffective, he said. So, whoever has a good hypersonic missile has a capability jump over everybody else. Australia, Britain and the United States are already collaborating on advanced military technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology and undersea robotics. Burkina Fasos ex-president, Blaise Compaore, has been sentenced to life in prison for the 1987 assassination of predecessor Thomas Sankara. The ruling is seen by many as a symbolic victory for a region that has been mired by instability in recent years. The trial of Compaore and his co-defendants began last October more than 34 years after Sankaras death. Of the 14 men prosecuted, three were acquitted while the others received sentences ranging from three years to life in prison. The defendants were prosecuted on charges of attacking state security, the concealment of a corpse and complicity in murder. Throughout the six-month trial, hundreds testified about the plot to take down Sankara and his team. The late President Sankara spoke out frequently against Africas colonial powers and was considered a revolutionary pan-African icon. He and a dozen others were gunned down in October 1987 at a meeting of the National Revolutionary Council in the capital, Ouagadougou. Compaore, who was a close friend of Sankara, has long been suspected of orchestrating the killings, although he has continuously denied the allegations. After Sankaras assassination, he assumed the presidency and remained in power for 27 years. During that time, he took on an authoritarian role and suppressed inquiries into the circumstances of Sankaras death. Compaore was overthrown in 2014 and fled to Ivory Coast, where he has lived in exile ever since. He was tried in absentia. Compaores lawyers announced last week he would boycott the trial. The proceedings were rife with irregularities, they said, and Compaore should benefit from immunity as a former head of state. Beyond the feeling of relief is the hope that is being reborn in Burkina Faso. Its the hope that is being reborn in Africa, said Benewende Stanislas Sankara, the Sankara family lawyer. To know that no one is untouchable. Everyone can be held to account; the law is the same for everyone. The trial took place amid a backdrop of military takeovers throughout the region, including a January coup in Burkina Faso that briefly interrupted the proceedings. That the current military rulers have allowed the trial to proceed is a victory on its own, said Anta Guisse an international criminal lawyer who worked on the Sankara familys legal team. The fact that the trial went through the end and that a judgment has been issued it is a win, she said. After the coup in Ouagadougou, we were not sure that the trial could go through to the end. Its also a win in terms of saying that justice is independent. Guisse said she does not expect the Ivorian government to extradite Compaore to Burkina Faso to serve his sentence. China's patience with Russia over the war in Ukraine has set back its prized ties with the European Union despite tentative gains late last year, analysts say. At the first European Union-China summit in nearly two years, on April 1, the EU warned China against supporting Russia's war in Ukraine or interfering with international sanctions against Moscow. During the two-hour video event, EU officials asked China, as a U.N. Security Council member, to push Russia to end the war. China has cast itself as a neutral nation toward the war while sustaining close economic and strategic ties with Russia. "This contributes to the European Union's collective irritation at China for supporting what looks like flagrant violation of international law," said Alan Chong, associate professor at the Singapore-based S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and continues to pound the neighboring country despite talks and economic sanctions against Moscow by Western governments. In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with two high-level officials in Europe to try to improve relations. Although the two sides reached no substantive agreements, they spoke cordially after the EU froze an investment deal with Beijing in early 2021 and sent a parliamentary delegation to Taiwan. China considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory. China was hoping then to build trade and investment ties with individual European countries as the Asian power grappled with a half-decade of acrimony with its old Cold War rival the United States, analysts told VOA last year. Sino-European ties "marginally" improved after the October event, and China regarded the EU as the "more acceptable" face of the West compared with the United States, Chong said. He said certain leaders in the 27-nation EU bloc had become more "pragmatic" toward China. Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has set back China's search for friends in Europe, said Sean King, senior vice president with the New York-based political consultancy Park Strategies. "It's a new day in Europe and not a welcome one for authoritarians Putin and Xi," he said. China's trade curbs last year against Lithuania resurfaced as a thorny Sino-EU issue on April 1, as did market access for European companies. EU member Lithuania offended Beijing by letting Taiwan use its name on a de facto embassy in the European country. European leaders see Chinese action against Lithuania as undermining their unity as a bloc and "coming at the cost of values" such as democracy, said Stephen Nagy, senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo. China had retaliated against the Czech Republic in 2020 over its own close ties with Taiwan. "The economic coercion against Lithuania and Czech are both examples of China really bullying European member states," Nagy said. At the summit, EU leaders again raised issues over China's treatment of its own ethnic minorities, including the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. On the economic side, EU leaders talked to China April 1 about making their relationship "fairer," creating a "level playing field," and rebalancing "bilateral trade and investment relations," European Council President Charles Michel said after the summit. European leaders resent the Chinese government's ownership stake in major companies and the subsidies offered them, said Jayant Menon, visiting senior fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's Regional Economic Studies Program in Singapore. They also see China as not "open" enough with data transfers and the digital economy, he added. "Those are the things [where] I think generally China is often tagged as being problematic in the world trade arena, and I think it would certainly be picked up by the Europeans as well," Menon said. China is still the EU's No. 1 trading partner and the source of billions of dollars per year in direct investment. But their issues have "stalemated" after eight years of talks toward an EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, said Chen Yi-fan, assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Tamkang University in Taiwan. Talks were iced last year. The agreement would tackle market openness and any forced transfers of technology targeting European investors. China sounded conciliatory after last week's summit. The EU and China must "take the lead in defending the international system with the U.N. at its core" and defer to international law, Beijing's official Xinhua News Agency said Monday. China will "stay committed to deepening reform and further opening up" its markets, Xinhua added, quoting Xi. When Brent Renaud was killed covering the impact of the Ukraine war, state media in Cuba described the American photojournalist as a CIA agent. The state-run news website Cubadebate cited an Iranian news outlet as the source of the story, which it ran on March 13. But it didn't specify the name of the Iranian outlet. Renaud, an award-winning photojournalist, was in Ukraine on assignment for TIME Studios, working on a documentary about refugees when he was killed. Fact checkers have debunked the claim about his being a CIA agent. Independent analysts say efforts to link the journalist to the U.S. intelligence services illustrates the way Havana has adopted the Russian version of events on Ukraine. The state-aligned media also seek to discredit Western reporting on the invasion. Across Latin America, the Russian version of events has been promoted through social media and via RT en Espanol, the Spanish-language version of Russian state television. VOA spoke to independent journalists and analysts in Cuba to assess why the communist government has replicated the Russian reports, thousands of kilometers from the front line. The International Press Center, the Cuban government media center in Havana, and the Cuban Embassy in Madrid did not reply to emailed requests for comment. Conflict downplayed Juan Manuel Moreno Borrego, who works for the independent outlet Comunitario Amanecer Habanero, said that Cuban official media have downplayed the Ukraine conflict, which has dominated headlines around the rest of the world. "The reports in the official media in Cuba of what is going on in Ukraine are minimal and superficial," he told VOA in a telephone interview from his home on the Caribbean island. "There is no mention that there has been an invasion. Instead it is called a 'special military operation.' Of course, there is no mention of the genocide that is going on in Ukraine." The terms reflect official directives Moscow issued to Russian media personnel, who can face up to 15 years in prison for not covering the war on Kremlin terms. The United Nations on Thursday voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over atrocities and human rights violations related to the war. Despite limited coverage in state-run media, Moreno believes almost all Cubans are aware of the war. "I am sure that 90 percent of the Cuban population know the reality of what is happening through access to social media," he said. Moreno said RT has an important presence in Cuba because it broadcasts in Spanish and is viewed widely. "But independent journalists here are doing their best to inform the people of Cuba about the reality of what is occurring in Ukraine," he said. UN abstention Alberto Corzo, director of the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP), a nongovernmental group that created a network of independent journalists, noted that Cuba had abstained in a recent United Nations vote on the Ukraine war. "In my personal opinion, the abstention by Cuba shows the conduct of traitors because it shows [the Cuban government's] fear to define its posture and which side it is on," he told VOA. "From the beginning, the Cuban government has said the only reliable source for information [about Ukraine] is Russia Today in Spanish, alleging that CNN and other media are at the service of the West. Official media reports justify the aggression of Russia towards Ukraine," he said. RT en Espanol, which reaches throughout Latin America, portrays the United States as a greater threat to world peace than Moscow. "Never forget who is the real threat to the world," read a RT headline in February, The Associated Press reported this week. Although many claims reported on RT en Espanol have been discredited, researchers say its Spanish-language content on Ukraine is the third most shared site on Twitter. Ana Leon, a journalist who writes for the independent news website CubaNet under a pseudonym for her safety, believes Cuba repeats the Russian version of the Ukraine war because it cannot afford to fall out with a close ally on which it depends financially. "Since the start, the official media in Cuba have been aligned to the Russian version of events. They have talked about the special military operation to protect the people," she said. Contrary to revolutionary principles "The actions of Russia are contrary to all the principles which the Cuban revolution stands for, like the right of the people to determine their own future; however, Cuba has denied the brutality of Russia. Reports [in the state media] talk about the 2014 democratic election [in Ukraine] as a coup d'etat." The pro-European Petro Poroshenko won Ukraine's 2014 presidential election on a platform that included a promise to stop the war in the eastern regions. He was defeated in 2019 by current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Leon said that when Russia softened a debt deal, this ensured Cuban loyalty in its coverage of the Ukraine conflict. "Two days before the invasion of Ukraine, on 22 February, Russia changed the $2.3 billion debt deal for Cuba to relieve the economic pressure on the communist government," said Leon. Russia agreed to postpone the debt payments until 2027. The loans, provided to Cuba between 2006 and 2019, helped underwrite investments in power generation, metals and transportation infrastructure, the Reuters news agency reported. Russia's decision to soften the loan terms came as Havana struggled to cope with a deepening social and economic crisis, which led to food shortages and lack of medicine and sparked widespread protests. Since the 1959 Cuban revolution, Havana and Moscow have enjoyed strong military and economic ties. This alliance faded after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 but Russia has continued to deliver humanitarian aid and offer loans. Normando Hernandez, the director general of the ICLEP in Miami, said the Cuban government fed its citizens an alternative reality over events in Ukraine. "The Cuban state media is following the Russian line on Ukraine exactly. It refers to the invasion of Ukraine as a special military operation and there is no mention of massacres of civilians," he told VOA in a telephone interview. "They are trying to stop the people of Cuba from knowing what is really going on in this war, which was started by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin." Ethiopia's government has said it will carefully examine a scathing report by international rights groups that accuses its military and allied forces of gross rights abuses in Tigray region. But it also poured doubt on the report, which alleges ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, as having "ethnic undertones" and being one-sided. Through its ministry of foreign affairs, Ethiopia issued a statement on the report and said it will carefully examine the rights violations allegedly committed in the western part of Tigray. The ministry said Ethiopia is committed to holding accountable all those responsible for violations of human rights and humanitarian law. It said an inter-ministerial task force is expected to examine the report and will give it due consideration. But Ethiopia also criticized the joint report from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for only blaming the Ethiopian government for violations allegedly recorded in Western Tigray. The two rights groups released a detailed report on the situation in Western Tigray on Wednesday. According to the report, newly appointed officials of the area and authorities from neighboring Amhara region, acting with the acquiescence and possible participation of Ethiopian federal forces, systematically expelled several hundred thousand Tigrayan civilians from their homes using threats, unlawful killings, sexual violence, mass detention, pillage, forcible transfer, and the denial of humanitarian assistance. The rights groups say the report is based on interviews with over 400 residents of Western Tigray. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, says Amhara officials and security forces have engaged in a relentless campaign of ethnic cleansing to force Tigrayans in Western Tigray from their homes. He also blamed the Ethiopian authorities for denying the crime and failing to address it. The report also indicates the Amhara forces have expelled ethnic Tigrayans from accessing their farmlands, homes and even humanitarian support. Unable to survive, says the report, many ethnic Tigrayans left the area. The report also covers the alleged Tekeze River bridge killing. Witnesses say Amhara forces, known as the Fano, executed more than 60 Tigrayans in the town of Adi Goshu in January 2021. The detailed report also found evidence of deaths in detention facilities across western Tigray and gang rape by security forces. In Wednesdays report both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch asked the Ethiopian government to bring all those implicated in the report to justice. They have also called on the government to release detainees in Western Tigray, demobilize abusive forces operating there and make the region more accessible to humanitarian aid. The European Union's rights envoy, Eamon Gilmore, in a visit to Uganda, has condemned rights abuses by security forces against critics, including torture and forced disappearances. A Uganda government spokesman has denied the accusation of systemic abuse and says some individual officers found guilty of abuse were punished. Speaking to the media after meeting Ugandas president, Yoweri Museveni, Wednesday evening, Gilmore said the rights of detained people must be respected. Gilmore noted a rise in allegations of torture, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances by security forces during Ugandas 2021 elections. He said those responsible for the abuses, as well as extrajudicial killings in November 2020, need to be brought to justice. Torture has no place in our world," said Gilmore. "When Im sitting down with the government leader, whether its President Museveni or anybody else, what I have in my mind is the unfortunate detainee whos being tortured. And Ive seen the pictures, and Ive seen the videos. And Ive been horrified by what I have seen in terms of the way people have been treated in detention and I want that to end. Gilmore also called the use of military courts to try civilians inappropriate. He said Museveni told him he would handle and address the accusations of abuse. But the EU envoy said actions speak louder than words. Ugandas minister for information, Chris Baryomunsi, denied Gilmores claims that security forces were responsible for disappearances. In a phone interview with VOA, he blamed a few bad actors for cases of abuse. Yes, I know there are some cases which have been reported of people who are tortured," he said. "But we have insisted, thats the handiwork of few undisciplined officers in our system and when those incidents occur, usually we investigate, and we bring to book whoever is found to be on the wrong side of the law. Baryomunsi added that civilians were only tried in military courts when they were found in possession of military-grade weapons. Thirty-one supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, arrested in November 2020, are in prison awaiting trial by a military court. Authorities accuse them of being in possession of explosive devices, which they deny. Musician turned NUP politician Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, said many of the party's supporters detained during the election are still missing, while some reappeared with broken limbs and other signs of torture. The Kampala-based Foundation for Human Rights Initiatives Livingston Ssewanya welcomed the EUs condemnation of abuse. Most of the human rights challenges we face right now are largely attributed to the growing culture of impunity," he said. "If only there was a deliberate effort by the state to address the question of impunity. Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany in February after he allegedly was tortured by the military special forces command. Security forces took Rukirabashaija into custody in December and held him at a military facility for two weeks before he faced charges of offending Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The general is President Musevenis son and is seen as his possible successor. EU rights envoy Gilmore said Rukirabashaija was among the many cases of torture they have noted. A March report by Human Rights Watch accused Ugandas police, army, and military intelligence of hundreds of cases of forced disappearances and torture. It called on the Ugandan government and security agencies to shut down illegal detention facilities and ensure justice for victims. Ugandas military spokesman dismissed the report as political and without evidence. For more than a year, the Biden administration kept in place at the U.S. southern border a Trump-era policy known as Title 42, which allowed the United States to quickly expel migrants to their country of origin or Mexican border towns. On April 1, the administration announced the policy would end on May 23, giving U.S. officials time to prepare for what they expect to be an increase in migrant arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some Democrats celebrated the end of Title 42, but Republicans want to keep the policy in place. Here's what you need to know. What is Title 42? Title 42 comes from a 1944 public health law to prevent the spread of communicable disease. It was implemented in March 2020 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC order empowered border enforcement agencies to remove migrants crossing into the United States, including those hoping to apply for asylum, which is their right under U.S. law and international treaty. How did expulsions work? Once Title 42 was implemented at the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrants encountered by border patrol officers were sent back to Mexico within hours or back to their country of origin within days without any immigration process. Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said under the policy, this meant "no legal consequence" to migrants who tried to cross between ports of entry. Brown said without Title 42, "There would be a consequence that would make it harder for them to come back legally under immigration law. So, by using Title 42, there was no consequence, and therefore what we saw was many immigrants, particularly Mexicans, who had been expelled back to Mexico, simply trying again," ultimately fueling a significant increase in repeat border crossings. What is the latest encounter data from the southern border? According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data, Title 42 has been used in most of the estimated 2 million expulsions of migrants from Brazil, Central America, Haiti, Mexico and Colombia since March 2020. Other asylum-seekers from South America also have been rapidly blocked at ports of entry under the policy. In February, U.S. border officials registered 164,973 migrant encounters. Of those, 91,513 were expelled. The rest could have been detained, allowed to seek asylum, paroled or other possibilities. In February 2021, CBP recorded 101,099 migrant encounters, and in February 2020, just before Title 42, encounters were 36,687. In 2019, the last year before the pandemic, the February encounters were 76,545. Brown said the rate of repeated crossing attempts is estimated to be 30% higher in the Title 42 era. "Before that, recidivism rates were relatively low, below 10%," she said. What about those who were not expelled? The migrants who made it into the U.S. under asylum claims mostly unaccompanied children and migrant families with children received a notice to appear in immigration court. With the current immigration court backlog of 1.7 million cases, the asylum process can take years. What could happen at the border after May 23? Luis Miranda, a CBP spokesperson, told VOA that officials will "simply go back to processing any encounters across the border the way we always have under Title 8, which is the immigration authority that has always been in place throughout the history of U.S. Customs and Border Protection." Miranda said the U.S. government is expecting arrivals to increase at the southern border but added that those unable to establish a legal basis to remain in the United States will be removed. "We've been planning for that. And to process any encounters effectively, humanely. But ultimately, if someone is trying to come in without legal authorization and doesn't have the legal basis to stay, they will be placed in removal proceedings," he said. How does the law treat migrants? Those arriving at the border without documents or trying to enter between ports of entry can be removed without their case being decided by an immigration court. However, if a migrant wants to claim asylum, they are interviewed by an asylum officer before a removal or deportation. Federal law allows people from other countries to seek asylum in the United States if they fear persecution at home. They must be present in the U.S. and prove a fear of persecution on one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social class (the most vague of the five categories; it can include grounds such as sexuality or caste). If a migrant passes what's called a credible fear screening by the asylum officer, then their case is referred to immigration court, where the migrant can apply for asylum as a defense against being deported. If they don't pass the fear screening or are denied in immigration court, the applicant will be removed. If they try to come back without documents, the penalties can be higher, such as being prosecuted under criminal law and denied the ability to apply for any legal immigration visa in the future. Will Title 42 come back? On April 3, the Republican-led states of Missouri, Louisiana and Arizona filed a lawsuit arguing the administration did not correctly justify its decision to end Title 42. And, Brown said, it is "very possible" that a judge could "order the administration to continue Title 42 for some period of time while that litigation plays out." In the meantime, Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to initiate a Senate debate on a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise. They are demanding a vote targeting the Biden administration's decision to end Title 42. VOA's Jorge Agobian contributed to this report. Its the classic postcard image of Ghana: brightly colored, narrow wooden fishing boats pulling into the dock of seaside village, bringing in the daily catch. But increasingly this way of life is under threat, with a new investigation showing how Chinese vessels engaged in illegal fishing are depleting stocks, sometimes even selling the fish back to the local communities whose livelihoods and food security have been undermined. China is the worlds biggest fish producer and has the largest distant-water fleet (CDWF) officially 2,701 vessels but likely thousands more many of which engage in high instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to an NGO, the Environmental Justice Foundation. The groups report this week found that some 90% of Ghanas industrial trawl fleet is actually owned by Chinese corporations using local front companies to register as Ghanaian and get around the law. EJF has identified continuous instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and human rights abuses associated with the CDWF in West Africa, especially Ghana, where Chinese companies use elaborate schemes to hide the ultimate beneficial ownership of their so-called Ghanaian domestic vessels. These schemes include joint ventures, shell companies and subsidiaries, it said. While the CDWF also operates in waters off Asia and elsewhere, its activities in Africa account for 78.5% of its approved offshore fishery projects, EJF found when analyzing data from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. CDWF bottom-trawlers catch an estimated 2.35 million tons of fish a year in West Africa, accounting for 50% of Chinas total distant water catch and worth some $5 billion. Chinas gain is often to the detriment of countries like Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, EJF says, with the highest number of illegal fishing incidents reported in the West African region between 2015 and 2019. Illegal fishing and overcapacity in the Ghanaian trawl sector is having catastrophic impacts on coastal communities across the country, EJFs Chief Operating Officer Max Schmid told VOA by phone, with some 80-90 percent of local fishers in Ghana reporting a decline in income over the last five years. Women who are usually responsible for processing and selling the local catch are often hit hardest by the loss of income, turning to transactional sex, according to EJF, a phenomenon locally dubbed fish for sex. Meanwhile, locals working on the Chinese trawlers often experience human rights abuses, with ten Ghanaians interviewed by EJF saying that they had all experienced or witnessed physical abuse by Chinese captains. Its also becoming more and more common for the Chinese vessels to catch small pelagic fish, which are the main population caught by small-scale fishers, and then sell them back to communities for profit, the organization found. In Ghana, neither the Navy nor the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development responded to emailed request for comment. The Chinese Embassy in Accra did not answer phone calls from VOA or respond to emailed requests for comment. However, China has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, with one article in the state-affiliated Global Times newspaper last year refuting Western media rumors of "China's illegal fishing" and saying Beijing had introduced moratoriums on squid fishing and had in fact, tightened its oversight of deep-sea fishing vessels in recent years. Another piece in the paper said the country has done more than any other to protect the sea's environment and resources. Separately, Chinas state news agency Xinhua has pointed to Chinese-funded developments, such as a new fishing port complex in Ghanaian capital Accra, saying it will greatly improve the working and living conditions for local fishermen. German intelligence officials say they have intercepted radio communications in which Russian troops discussed indiscriminately killing civilians in Ukraine, undercutting claims by Moscow that atrocities were only committed after its military left occupied suburbs near the capital of Kyiv. The officials, who briefed members of parliament Wednesday, described two separate communications in which Russian soldiers described how they questioned Ukrainian soldiers and civilians before shooting them. Der Spiegel reported a Russian soldier could be heard describing how he shot someone on a bicycle. Earlier this week, aerial footage verified independently by The New York Times shows a Russian armored vehicle shooting at a civilian on a bicycle in Bucha. It is not clear whether the person in the video was the same as the one referred to in the radio messages. Even as Moscow denies targeting civilians, world opinion has galvanized against Russia in the last week as pictures and video footage have emerged from the scenes of carnage in Bucha. The bodies of civilians have been found lying in the streets after Russian for forces were pushed back from a string of villages north of Kyiv. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk told VOAs Russian Service he was shocked to see the bodies left behind and the destruction in his town. As a historian, I thought that even during the war some rules are followed, he said, adding that it will take much time to rebuild the infrastructure of the city and that it is too soon to think about coming back for those who ran from the occupation at the beginning of the war. The United States and its Western allies have launched war crimes investigations of the killings in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns, with U.S. President Joe Biden saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin should face a war crimes trial. One German intelligence official said that Berlin has satellite images that show Russias involvement in the Bucha killings, although the radio transmissions have yet to be linked to that location. Germanys foreign intelligence service, known as the BND, may be able to tie the satellite images to the radio intercepts. Officials said the radio traffic appears to suggest that the Wagner Group, a private military unit with close ties to Putin and his allies, or another private contractor, may have played a role in attacking the civilians. As Russias attack on Ukraine has played out over the last six weeks, Western defense and intelligence analysts say that Russian troop reliance on unsecured communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios, has left them vulnerable to targeting. VOA Russian Service contributed to this report. Greece says it will ask the International Criminal Court in The Hague to launch an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraines southern port of Mariupol. The move comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Greece's parliament on Thursday, urging Athens to use all its diplomatic might to prosecute Russian military and political officials for atrocities he said were being waged not just in Mariupol, but across Ukraine. Anthee Carassava reports, the legal move may not be that easy. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias announced the governments bid as he moved to meet with his NATO counterparts in Brussels to discuss developments in Ukraine. He said the governments war crimes prosecution was linked to attacks waged against ethnic Greeks at the start of the offensive in Mariupol. "Greece has a special interest in Mariupol because of the existence of a 100,000-strong community there," Dendias said. "But apart from that, I am going to ask my colleagues in the Alliance to help Ukraine protect Odesa, so that Odesa can avoid the fate of Mariupol. The announcement marks the latest sign of Greeces shifting alliance, sidelining traditional and long-standing relations with Russia after a convoy of ethnic Greeks were attacked at the start of the offensive in Mariupol, killing at least 10 people. Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine. Since the deadly attack, Greece has poured in more than 40 tons of military assistance, aiding Ukrainian fighters with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket propelled grenades to fend off further attacks, mainly in areas where ethnic Greeks have resided since the 6th century, influencing local culture and customs. On Thursday, President Zelenskyy alluded to the long-standing links during a live, video conference with the Greek Parliament to drum up additional support. Speaking through a Greek translator, Zelenskyy underscored Ukraines Christian links with Greece, saying the country turned to Christianity because of the strong Greek influence there. He said much of Ukraines culture and traditions hinged on those links and that the loss of the Greek community there would spell what he called a loss of Ukraines identity as well. But in rallying further Greek support, Zelenksy invoked Greeces motto in seeking independence from its Ottoman rulers in the 19th century. As your revolutionaries fought under the saying Freedom or death, so are we today, he said. We need, however, more help immediately, he said. Russia must be made accountable of its crimes, he said. And time is of crucial essence. Zelenskyy received a standing ovation for his seven-minute speech, but hardline communists refused to attend the assembly and several other leftist lawmakers who did attend, walked out when the Ukraine president introduced two freedom fighters of Greek descent to speak. Both were part of the far-right nationalist Azov Batallion, a controversial militia group in Ukraine attracting extremists, including white supremacist neo-Nazis. It is unclear whether Zelenskyys move to include them in his address will reduce Greek lawmakers' support for seeking war crimes prosecution of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. Experts, however, warn that even if it doesnt, the legal move may prove more show than substance. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, making it impossible to call either side to any potential hearing, even if atrocities being waged merit war crimes charges. U.N. health officials warn that more people in Ukraine will start dying from chronic diseases and preventable illnesses than from war injuries the longer the conflict goes on. The World Health Organization said Thursday that health workers in Ukraine were continuing to deliver care in the face of unimaginable human suffering and in areas of total devastation. WHO is calling on Russia to enact an immediate cease-fire and to grant unhindered access of humanitarian assistance for those in need. Despite the many constraints, officials said they had been able to deliver 185 tons of medical supplies to the hardest-hit areas in the country and had reached half a million people with trauma and surgical support and primary health care. Hans Henri Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, is in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. He said the escalating war was obstructing efforts to provide medication and treatment to the sick and wounded. "As of today, WHO has verified 91 attacks on health," he said. "Routine immunization coverage for polio and measles is below the threshold for population immunity. Fifty percent of Ukraines pharmacies are presumed closed, and 1,000 health facilities are in proximity to conflict areas or in changed areas of control. No care for new babies Kluge added that roughly 80,000 babies would be born in the next three months. He said they would be missing out on pre-natal and post-natal care because of the war. He said attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel were a breach of international humanitarian law and must stop. Heather Papowitz, WHOs incident manager in Ukraine, said war is a risk to public health. With the destruction of health facilities, the lack of access to health facilities, people on the move, people living in shelters and basements and crowded together puts everybody at risk for infectious diseases. So, all of these put the most vulnerable at risk, which are the elderly, the children and the pregnant women, she said. Papowitz said these risks for those migrating continue through their journey and into other countries of asylum. The latest figures from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights put the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine at nearly 3,840, including 1,611 killed. The U.N. migration and refugee agencies said 7.1 million people had been displaced inside Ukraine and another 4.2 million people had fled to neighboring countries in search of refuge. The fiancee of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi vowed Thursday to keep fighting for justice. Her comments came as a Turkish court ruled to halt the trial of 26 Saudis charged in the killing and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi was killed during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 to collect documents required to marry Hatice Cengiz. Speaking to reporters after the hearing Thursday, Cengiz said she would appeal the case. "We will not give up just because the judicial process has taken such a decision now," Cengiz said. "I will continue with the legal process as much as I can." The trial began in absentia in 2020 after Saudi Arabia rejected requests from Turkey to extradite the defendants. But last week, Turkey's justice minister agreed to a prosecutor's request to suspend the trial, based on the argument that the absence of defendants obstructed it. The minister added that the trial could return if Turkey was not satisfied by the outcome in Saudi Arabia. Arrest warrants for the defendants, including two aides to the Saudi Crown Prince, were lifted. The Turkish court has granted lawyers seven days to appeal. In a separate trial, a Saudi court in 2019 convicted eight people in connection with the killing but did not identify them. The trial was seen widely by the international community as a sham. Gokmen Baspinar, Cengiz's lawyer, told the Turkish court that many defendants in the Saudi case had been acquitted. "We filed a lawsuit in Ankara against the opinion of the Justice Ministry. There is a request for a stay of execution, and we should wait for its outcome," Baspinar added. Turkey and Saudi Arabia do not have a mutual legal assistance treaty, so the Khashoggi case will be the first transfer of a legal case, Baspinar said. 'Heinous crime' Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, was a vocal critic of the Saudi royal family. A State Department spokesperson, responding to VOA on background, said Thursday that the U.S. has "been clear that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was a heinous crime," adding, "We believe we have taken important steps to address a tragic situation." The Turkish court's decision comes as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two regional powers, are trying to improve relations. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a U.S.-based organization founded by Khashoggi, said the ruling "represents a brazen and cynical attempt by the Turkish government to curry favor with Saudi Crown Prince MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] and the Saudi government." "The Turkish government has jettisoned the rule of law for purely political considerations, ceding to those Saudi officials who planned and carried out Khashoggi's murder the responsibility of sitting in judgment of themselves," Michael Eisner, DAWN's general counsel, told VOA. In October 2020, DAWN filed a lawsuit with Cengiz in federal district court in Washington, seeking damages against the crown prince and more than 20 other Saudi officials allegedly involved in the killing of Khashoggi. Eisner said that lawsuit "represents the last and best hope to exact some measure of justice for the brutal murder of Khashoggi." A U.S. intelligence report concluded that the Saudi crown prince "approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey, to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." In a TV interview, the prince said that as a leader he accepted responsibility for the killing but that he denied ordering it. Path to justice Stephane Dujarric, U.N. spokesperson, told VOA Thursday, "The secretary-general [Antonio Guterres] has consistently called for accountability in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi." But rights advocates say transferring the case to Saudi Arabia means justice will not be served. "It's a dark day for Turkey and the search for justice," said Milena Buyum, a senior campaigner on Turkey for Amnesty International. "The Khashoggi murder is a murder that has been revealed with all its details. It was necessary to ensure that everyone responsible was brought to justice." Justin Shilad of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that Turkey's trial "was politicized from the start, but the decision to transfer his [Khashoggi's] case to Saudi Arabia extinguishes any hope of reaching an impartial conclusion based on the evidence." Turkish authorities repeatedly said they would pursue the case until the perpetrators were brought to justice. Buyum told VOA that "today's decision was the opposite of that." "It has become clear that it will not be possible to reach justice from here," she said. "It is not possible to say what kind of result the appeals will bring, but I am not too hopeful." VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine in Washington and VOA Turkish Service's Hilmi Hacaloglu in Istanbul contributed to this report. Malawi's attorney general has apologized for police detaining a journalist and trying to force him to reveal his sources on a government corruption story. The rare public apology came after the government faced criticism from advocates for press freedom and the U.S. and British embassies in Malawi. The Media Institute for Southern Africa in Malawi, MISA-Malawi, says Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda offered an apology Wednesday during a meeting at his office in the capital Lilongwe. Teresa Ndanga is chairperson for MISA-Malawi, a media freedom watchdog group. "During that meeting, the attorney general expressed his apologies," Ndanga said. "He sent his apologies to the journalist; he sent his apologies to MISA and he sent his apologies to the media industry in Malawi. And he agrees that the arrest was not right. Police picked up journalist Gregory Gondwe, who works for the Platform for Investigative Journalism, on Tuesday, after Attorney General Chakaka Nyirenda said he would take action against those who leaked a document which Gondwe used in his story, published on March 30. The document appeared to show Nyirenda allowing the government to make payments to the corruption suspect, Zuneth Sattar. That move runs counter to Nyirendas actions in January, when he publicly terminated all of Sattars contracts with the government and restricted any payment on the same. During the interrogation, Gondwe said police unsuccessfully pressured him into revealing how and where he got the document. The journalist was released after four hours, following local and international pressure on Malawi to let him go. The attorney general told VOA Thursday that he apologized to fulfill his duty. Even though I was not aware of what happened to Mr. Gondwe, I did indicate that I am a legal adviser to the government and any issues that are legal in nature come to me," Nyirenda said. "So, in that vein whatever happened I had to own it. In that event therefore, because I am owning it, I had a duty to apologize. Police said Wednesday that they did not actually arrest Gondwe but only invited him for an interview as part of an investigation into an issue they declined to disclose. Gondwe said although police returned his equipment, some of the applications, contacts and information in his phone and computer had been tampered with. "When the gadgets were with them, sources and some people that I talked to were sending messages and contacts, which could as well be a problem if they start suspecting that people who were contacting me could be my sources," Gondwe said. In a joint statement Tuesday, the U.S. and British embassies in Malawi asked police to immediately return the confiscated equipment to Gondwe and respect any private information found there. MISA-Malawi says in a statement that it is planning to meet the inspector general of police to ask authorities to never use any information extracted from Gondwe's equipment if the governments apology is to be taken seriously. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. The United States announced new sanctions against Moscow on Wednesday following allegations that Russian forces in Ukraine massacred civilians. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. Camera: Henry Ridgwell. This video contains graphic images and may not be suitable for all viewers. The road to Borodyanka is littered with signs of a battle that ended abruptly. An empty tent. Discarded, unused ammunition. A dead pig. A security expert tells us everything that moved was probably shot. Inside the town, the devastation is colossal. Broken glass and mounds of debris surround a row of apartment buildings, most of which are charred and collapsing. As many as 200 people may have died in these artillery strikes, authorities say. As it starts to rain, a few young men trudge in and out of one of the few buildings still standing on the block, albeit with its windows shattered. They salvage some items from their apartments: a box of wine glasses, a TV, a kitchen sink. Victor Hrohul, a soldier and mine expert who has been fighting with the Ukrainian army for eight years, is stationed outside the building, guarding it from looters. Russians stole everything from cars to shampoo, he says, but local people have also been caught looting in this area, where some estimates say up to 80% of the population has fled. The punishment for looting, Hrohul says, is being tied to a tree or pole without pants "so people can spank them as they pass." But looting is one of the lesser crimes Russian troops are accused of. In the few days since the Ukrainian military retook Borodyanka, Bucha and the other towns in the Kyiv region, hundreds of bodies have been found, some with their hands tied behind their backs. Many bodies were burned after they were shot, and officials say it appears to have been done to cover up war crimes. Rape has also been reported across the newly recaptured region. Ukrainian officials say they are currently investigating whether the rapes were a systematic weapon of war or a horrific series of individual crimes. In eight years of fighting with Russians and their proxies, Hrohul says, he has never seen war like this. "In the war in the Donbas region, it was soldier against soldier," he explains, referring to the eastern part of the country, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting with Ukraine since 2014. "There wasn't looting, killing civilians and rapes." Troops leave, fear remains A few blocks away, we meet Marina, a 44-year-old mother of two, on her way to examine her law office. She doesn't know if the building is still standing. I ask if she will speak on camera, and she looks nervous. "What if they come back?" she asks. "Won't I get in trouble?" I put away the camera, and she is visibly relieved. She says she wants people to know what happened here, but she fears Russian troops will return and punish people who spoke out against them. Around the corner, the words "people live here" are scrawled in white on the garage door of an orange-and-white brick house. Marina, who prefers not to use her surname for the same reason she doesn't want to be filmed, says she believes her children saved her. Their presence made it clear to soldiers that they were civilians, not Nazis or fighters, as so many others were accused of being. Her nephew was stripped naked in search of Nazi tattoos, and another young man in her neighborhood was arrested and beaten, she says. The valuables were stolen from every abandoned house in her village, she says, and the only families that managed to hang on to their possessions were those that stayed home despite daily shelling, shootings and explosions. There was a brief time when Russian soldiers asked if she needed humanitarian aid for her family, but she declined, even though they had only potatoes to eat. "If I took things from them, they would bring reporters to film it," she says. "And it would go on Russian TV as propaganda to show how good they are." And Russian troops none older than 26 years old made it clear to her that they could take what they wanted, when they wanted. "They knocked everything out of my closet and picked up a shirt," she says, telling us of a day when Russian troops searched her house. "Is this your white shirt?'" one soldier asked. It was hers. He dropped it on the ground and stepped on it, grinding dirt from his boots into the shirt. "Now it is not your white shirt," he said. Is there an end? A few blocks away, past mounds of rubble and destroyed belongings, Hrohul, the soldier and mine expert, leaves, warning us to be careful. The entire town is littered with deadly mines left by Russian troops, and it may take weeks or months for the military to clear them all, he explains. "Even a pen can be a dangerous bomb," Hrohul says, pulling out his black ballpoint pen. "It can look normal, but then when you click it, it explodes." Hryhoriy Nezdoliy, a house builder nearby, says he recently learned the lawn across the street from his house was heavily mined. "The soldiers said I was lucky" not to have been injured, he says. "I used to walk there every day." Nezdoliy is over 60 years old and lives with his mother. He wanted to escape the recent violence in Borodyanka but couldn't get out. "I got as far as the edge of the park," he says, pointing about 200 meters away. "I had heard there was a Ukrainian humanitarian corridor. But the Russian soldiers told me I couldn't go." Like everyone else we meet in Borodyanka and Bucha, he says that he believes the war in their region is not over, and that Russian troops will attack again despite reports that Russia is focusing on fighting in eastern towns and cities. "I'm not an expert," he says, considering the matter. "But, yes, they will come back, and I think it will be worse." The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the bodys Human Rights Council over atrocities it has been accused of committing in Ukraine. In a vote of 93 to 24 with 58 abstentions, the assembly suspended Russia for its gross and systematic violations of human rights and violations of international law committed against Ukraine. The resolution requires a two-thirds majority to be adopted; the abstentions are not counted. We view voting to suspend a states Human Rights Council rights as a rare and extraordinary action, Ukrainian envoy Sergiy Kyslytsya said ahead of the vote. However, Russias actions are beyond the pale Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. Forty-seven countries are on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. They are elected in secret ballot votes by the General Assembly. Russia is currently serving a three-year term that was due to expire on December 31, 2023. Kyslytsya noted that April 7 is when the Rwandan genocide is commemorated, and said those massacres were due in large part to a lack of international action and failure by the United Nations to respond to warnings from the ground. On this day of grievances and bearing its own tragedy of thousands of Ukrainians killed by the Russian invaders, Ukraine stands together with Rwanda and calls to reaffirm our pledge to never forget and to never allow the recurrence of genocide, which was a result of the international communitys indifference, the Ukrainian envoy said. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admonished the U.N. Security Council in a video address for its inaction in stopping Russias war against his country. He called for Moscow to face accountability for crimes it has carried out there. The United States led the move to suspend Russia and was joined by more than 60 countries in co-sponsoring the resolution. "The country that's perpetrating gross and systematic violations of human rights should not sit on a body whose job it is to protect those rights, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Brussels. Today, a wrong was righted." Unprecedented, historic vote, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told VOA after the vote. We suspended a permanent member of the Security Council off of the U.N. Human Rights Council. We sent a strong message of support to the Ukrainians. We sent a strong message about human rights. She said the suspension is effective immediately. Watch Margaret Besheer's full interview: Russian dismissals Russia has repeatedly dismissed accusations of abuses and atrocities, saying they are either fake news or the Ukrainian side committed them to make them look bad. Following the vote, Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Gennady Kuzmin, said Moscow had taken its own decision to end its membership in the Human Rights Council and did not want to remain with Western states whom he accused of carrying out or abetting human rights abuses of their own. The sincere commitment of Russia to promoting and protecting of human rights does not make it possible for us to remain a member of an international mechanism that has become an enabler of the will of the above-mentioned group of countries, Kuzmin said. "You do not submit your resignation after you are fired, Ukraines envoy told reporters in discussing Russias withdrawal. This is only the second time the General Assembly has suspended a Human Rights Council member. It last happened in March 2011, when Libya was undergoing a brutal crackdown by then-dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a bid to suppress Arab Spring protests. He was ousted from power and later killed. Libyas membership was restored eight months after its suspension, after a new government was installed. Authority to investigate The Human Rights Council has the authority to set up commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions and investigations into rights abuses and has done so in many countries, including Syria, Myanmar and North Korea. Last month, the council decided to establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations and abuses in the context of Russias war against Ukraine. Three human rights experts have been appointed to collect and preserve evidence and testimony for any future legal proceedings. Some countries that either voted against suspending Russia or abstained said they believed the move was premature and prejudges the outcomes of the commission of inquiry. China, which had abstained in earlier assembly votes condemning Russias invasion and on the humanitarian consequences of the war, chose Thursday to side with Moscow and voted against the resolution. Such a hasty move at the General Assembly, which forces countries to choose sides, will aggravate the division among member states and intensify the contradictions between the parties concerned, Ambassador Zhang Jun said. It is like adding fuel to the fire, which is not conducive to the de-escalation of conflicts, and even less so to advancing the peace talks. Reluctance on suspension Even some countries that have been vocal in condemning the war were not comfortable suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council, such as Mexico, which abstained. Yes, there is a commission of inquiry. We want to see the result of that commission of inquiry, but do we have to sit and continue to watch the carnage, watch the horror of Bucha happen over and over again, while Russia is sitting on the Human Rights Council? Thomas-Greenfield told VOA. Since its creation in 2006, the Human Rights Council has come in for frequent criticism because of the abhorrent rights records of some of its members. Currently, China, Eritrea, Pakistan and Venezuela are among its members. The council has also been criticized for its focus on Israel. In 2018, the Trump administration left the body, calling it a cesspool of political bias. The Biden administration returned last year. Blinken said at the time that when the council works well, it shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records. Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of one of Russia's leading independent newspapers, Novaya Gazeta, said he was attacked by an assailant who threw a mixture of red paint and acetone on him. Muratov, co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, was on a train bound from Moscow to Samara on Thursday when the attack occurred. A photo of Muratov posted by the newspaper on Telegram showed his head, shirt, hands and arms covered in red paint. Muratov said the attacker shouted, "Muratov, here's to you for our boys." He told the new European edition of Novaya Gazeta about the attack, saying that his eyes were burning badly. Novaya Gazeta, a leading independent Russian newspaper, suspended operations last month after it said it received warnings from Russian authorities. The newspaper said it had been warned twice by Roskomnadzor, meaning the state communications regulator was open to pursuing closure of the independent outlet through legal action. Earlier on Thursday, journalists from Novaya Gazeta who fled Russia amid the ongoing crackdown on independent reporting said they have launched a new media outlet that aims to cover news and developments in Russia and around the world in Russian and several other languages. Kirill Martynov, the former editor of Novaya Gazeta's unit on political issues, will be the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, the publication said in a statement on its website. "We know that we have readers around the world who are waiting for verified information," the statement said. "That is why we, Novaya Gazeta journalists who were forced to leave their country because of a de facto occupational ban being put into effect, are pleased to announce that we have launched Novaya Gazeta Europe an outlet that shares our values and standards." The statement did not say where the newspaper would be based. Russia has placed strict limits on how media can describe the war Moscow launched in Ukraine. According to the regulator, media must follow official government communications only for what Moscow calls a "special military operation." Usage of the words "war" or "invasion" with regard to the fighting in Ukraine is banned. In early March, President Vladimir Putin signed into law legislation that punishes those who distribute what is deemed "false information about the Russian Army" in their reports about Ukraine with a prison sentence of as much as 15 years. Several other Russian media outlets have already opted for suspending operations rather than face heavy restrictions on what they can report, and the Kremlin has also blocked multiple foreign news outlets, including RFE/RL. International efforts to punish Russia for its war on Ukraine are being felt far from Europe, in the U.S. Gulf state of Louisiana, a hub of America's energy sector. Late last month, the European Union announced it was exploring ways to gain independence from Russian energy "well before 2030." American firms took note. "You can see most European countries don't want to be seen as complicit with the barbarism of Russia," said Brian Lloyd, vice president for communications at Sempra Energy, a U.S.-based energy infrastructure company with investments in natural gas production. "Many see every dollar sent to Russia's state-owned energy companies as helping to fuel its aggression in Ukraine, so Europe is seeking energy alternatives." In late March, the U.S. announced a deal with the EU to begin replacing some of the natural gas Russia had been supplying. By the end of this year, President Joe Biden said, the United States would be able to ship enough gas to Europe to offset at least 10% of what Russia currently provides, or 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas. LNG is natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state. Its volume is approximately 600 times smaller than its gaseous state. "This makes shipping to Europe economical when building pipelines across an ocean wouldn't be," explained Eric Smith, associate director of Tulane University's Energy Institute in New Orleans. The U.S. plans to meet its new commitments to Europe by increasing domestic production of natural gas. To do so, industry leaders propose building new LNG facilities and expanding and increasing the efficiency of existing ones. "It will be like the Marshall Plan we supported Europe with after World War II, but this one will have an energy focus," Lloyd said. "The United States is uniquely positioned to lead the way on this because we have some of the least expensive natural gas in the world." Much of the existing and increased LNG production capacity is centered in the states of Louisiana and Texas, along the energy-rich Gulf of Mexico. Many state and industry leaders welcome the production of LNG in the region, while environmentalists and commercial fishers are far less enthusiastic. "We make our living in the sea," said Dean Blanchard, a shrimper and the president of Dean Blanchard Seafood. "I don't know much about natural gas yet, but anything that alters the dynamics of the water really screws us." Energy crisis abroad Approximately 40% of the natural gas used in Europe as well as 25% of crude oil and refined petroleum products is produced in Russia. "Europe is a continent that has been dependent on Russian energy for quite some time," Smith told VOA. "So Biden's commitment to help supply the EU with LNG became a key component in convincing some European countries to announce sanctions against Moscow. That's why this increased production of LNG is so important." But Europe's energy crisis began long before Russian's invasion of Ukraine. Consecutive colder-than-usual winters and a world awakening from coronavirus lockdowns boosted demand for many types of energy. Europe has moved aggressively to embrace renewable energy sources but found production to be inconsistent because it often depends on the weather. "Europe is caught in a tough spot they don't want to be importing fossil fuels like natural gas as they try to reduce carbon emissions," Smith said. "But natural gas actually makes for a perfect transition. Nuclear and coal plants take weeks to turn on and off, whereas natural gas can be switched off in minutes. When you're low on renewables, natural gas can be an easy bridge to get you through another cold winter." Smith added, "It's also, by the way, needed for fertilizer and to produce grain, which might be very important for Europe and the Middle East should this war in Ukraine continue." Environmental crisis at home Much of the LNG exported by the United States will be funneled through the U.S. Gulf Coast. "We have six or seven LNG export terminals in the United States," explained Naomi Yoder, staff scientist at Healthy Gulf, an environmental organization focused on protecting the Gulf of Mexico. "Four of those soon to be five are located on the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. We have six more that are in the works in the region as well. That's a massive number for one relatively limited region." And it's a region that is no stranger to energy-related environmental disasters. "It would take me hours to tell you about the effects of that one BP oil spill from 2010," seafood entrepreneur Blanchard said. "Our ecosystem is still recovering from that spill the amount of fish and shrimp and oysters are still down. And the number of humans that got sick down here in Grand Isle (small Louisiana barrier island), those people will never recover." Blanchard said the BP oil spill got attention only because of its magnitude. But smaller spills, he said, happen every day. "These energy companies say they care about us and our livelihood, but they're destroying us," he said. Blanchard's hometown of Grand Isle could soon gain an LNG facility nearby. While Blanchard admits he's unsure precisely how expanding the production and transportation of natural gas will affect the ecosystem, Yoder predicts only bad results. "We've seen it many times," Yoder said. "The production of natural gas produces air pollution through methane leaks and water pollution, too. It harms the ecosystem locally as well as the environment more generally. People like to say natural gas emits less carbon than coal, but the process of building these facilities, and liquifying that gas, and shipping it across the ocean just to turn it back into gas that all emits a lot of carbon into the air, too. We don't need to produce more energy from fossil fuels. We need to transition to renewables like solar, wind and water energies." Balancing act Advocates of natural gas don't oppose renewable energy, said Sempra Energy's Lloyd. Rather, he sees them as complementing each other. "I think we all have the same goal," he said. "We want to see an increase in the use of renewable energy over time. But you can't pretend like if we don't produce this natural gas now, that Europe won't just get it from somewhere else. They'll probably get it from Russia, where the methane leaks are far more numerous and where they aren't working nearly as hard as we are to further curb carbon emissions." Tulane University's Smith agrees. "Every serious analyst says we aren't able to shift our world economy away from fossil fuels between now and 2050," he said. "So Europe is going to get their natural gas one way or another because they're not going to just let their people freeze or starve." For now, many energy industry leaders and lawmakers say, an opportunity exists to curtail a source of revenue to Russia's war machine and to boost jobs and revenues along the U.S. Gulf Coast. But fishermen like Blanchard fret about a potentially costly trade-off. "Of course I want to help Ukraine, and I'm proud of the way they're fighting for themselves," he said. "But how can I be expected to support something that could destroy my livelihood? I can't do that for Ukraine or anyone else." Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble declared Ambassador Francisco Madeira, the African Union chairs special representative for Somalia, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours. In a late-night statement, Roble accused Madeira of engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status. Roble requested that the AU Commission recall Madeira and comply with this request. But Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, immediately rejected the expulsion in what appears to be another dispute between the countrys top leaders. In a statement, the president said that he had not authorized any action against Madeira. He also had not received any reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madeira committing acts against the sovereignty of the country, he said. The president said the decision to expel Madeira was issued by an office that didnt have sole responsibility for making such a crucial decision. Madeira could not be immediately reached for comment. Madeira, who is from Mozambique, was appointed to the office in October 2015. He is not the first foreign diplomat to be expelled from Somalia. Simon Mulongo, Madeiras deputy, was expelled in November. In January 2019, the Somalia government declared former United Nations envoy to Somalia Nicholas Haysom persona non grata for violating protocols and interfering in Somalias affairs. Haysoms expulsion from Somalia came after he had asked the government whether U.N.-supported forces were involved in the shooting of demonstrators in Baidoa in December 2018. The shooting, which led to the death of about a dozen people, occurred as violence broke out following the arrest of former deputy al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Robow, also known as Abu Mansour, to block him from seeking election for regional leadership. Before his expulsion, Haysom demanded answers from the Somali government on the legal basis for the arrest of Robow, who remains in detention. In an exclusive interview with VOA in October last year, Robow said he was being held for political reasons and to prevent him from seeking office. New AU mission The move to expel Madeira came just days after the U.N. Security Council authorized a new AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to operate in the country until the end of 2024. ATMIS replaces the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The U.N. mandate gives ATMIS forces to reduce the threat posed by al-Shabab, support the capacity-building of the integrated Somali security and police forces, and conduct a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia, according to the resolution. ATMIS will have 19,626 troops, including at least 1,040 police personnel. It will operate in the country until December 2022, when it be reduced by 2,000 troops. The reduction of troops will continue in September 2023 and again in June 2024 by 2,000 troops each time until the mission ends in December 2024. Under the new arrangement, the Somali government also commits to assuming security responsibilities from AU forces. The Somali government is required to generate more than 22,825 forces by June 2024 to take over from ATMIS. In the first official statement by the Somali government, Roble announced Wednesday night that he welcomed the new ATMIS mission and looked forward to working with the new mission head. But security experts say there is little difference between AMISOM and ATMIS. To me, (its) just a name change exercise, said Samira Gaid, who oversaw Somali security reform under former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. Nothing substantive has changed, meaning the troop numbers, the composition of countries, and the sectors they are located at, their mandate remains largely the same, fighting AS (al-Shabab) and supporting FGS (Federal Government of Somalia). Gaid, now the executive director of Hiraal Institute, a security think tank, said that she believed the Somali government could generate forces before the ATMIS withdrawal but that there was uncertainty over equipping the forces. The Somali government does not have an issue with force generation. It has an issue with force sustainment, and that remains the main issue, she said. The forces can be generated, but without the required lethal and nonlethal support, transition will still be unlikely. Somalia's top leaders are at odds again after Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble ordered the expulsion of an African Union envoy heard criticizing the head of government on leaked audio files. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has called the expulsion an illegal action. Analysts say the latest stand-off between the leaders could further destabilize Somalia as long-delayed elections are wrapping up. The announcement by Roble that the African Unions top official in Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, was no longer welcome in the country amount to yet another dispute between the prime minister and the president. Roble accused Madeira of engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status. But in a sharp rejoinder, the presidency dismissed Robles order as an illegitimate and reckless decision, noting it had not received any complaints against the AU official. Robles decision was linked to leaked audio files in which the AU envoy is purportedly heard accusing the prime minister of ganging up with the opposition to prevent the re-election of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo. In the leaked audio, the ambassador also says the prime minister and opposition leaders used the death of a former member of parliament Amina Mohamed, who was killed in a car bomb explosion, for political ends against Farmaajo. Samira Gaid, executive director of the Hiraal Institute, a Mogadishu-based security research group, said that regardless of how the power struggle turns out, Madeiras days in Somalia are numbered. It is a very ugly state of affairs at the moment. This nastiness is not normal for the diplomatic circles," she said. "I don't think we hear this kind of language when we think about diplomats and how they engage. I think the two, the letters from the office of the president and the previous one from the office of the prime minister aside, I don't expect the AU to maintain Ambassador Madeira in Somalia following these revelations, seeing as he's lost the confidence of the prime minister and a huge section of Somalia society." Critics of the prime ministers move say the decision to declare Madeira persona non grata was uncalled for and against regular procedure. What Roble is now doing and the opposition is uncalled for and totally unacceptable," said professor Abdiwahab Abdisamad, chairman of the Institute for Horn of Africa Strategic Studies."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in fact, they refused even, you know, to comment on the issue, because the right process is, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if you have any complaints, any malpractice, they must forward the whole issue to the head of state and the head of state has to endorse it. Coming in the wake of increased attacks by militant group al-Shabab targeting Somalias ongoing elections, the removal of Madeira and a fresh fallout between the president and prime minister could worsen the security situation in the country. Only two weeks ago, more than 50 people were killed in al-Shabab attacks in Mogadishu and the central Somali town of Beletweyne. If expelled, Madeira would be the third senior foreign diplomat to be thrown out of Somalia in recent years. Last November, Madeiras deputy, Simon Mulongo, was shown the door, while then-U.N. envoy Nicholas Haysom was expelled barely three months into his job in January 2019. A study by the World Health Organization finds the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa to be a fraction of the true number of people infected with the coronavirus that causes the disease. A new analysis of the spread and the presence of asymptomatic cases of SARS-CoV 2, the virus that causes COVID-19, finds infections in Africa skyrocketed from 3% of the population in June 2020 to 65% by September 2021. The WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said the analysis of 151 studies reveals the true number of COVID-19 infections in Africa could be 97% higher than the number of confirmed reported cases. This suggests that more than two-thirds of all Africans have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus," she said. "And this compares to the global average, where the true number of infections is about 16 times higher than the number of confirmed reported cases In real terms, this means that in September 2021, rather than the reported 8.2 million cases, there were in fact 800 million infections. The World Health Organization confirmed 11.6 million cases of COVID-19 on the African continent as of April 3, including more than 250,000 deaths. Given the new findings, the WHO acknowledged the number of actual infections is likely to be much larger. Moeti said it is complicated to get accurate data in Africa because 67% of people with COVID-19 have no symptoms. She said that highlights the need to sustain high levels of routine testing and surveillance to stay ahead of the pandemic. With many social protection measures now being relaxed, it will become even more important to allow for tracking of the virus in real time, and monitoring of its evolution," she said. "Our analysis is clear evidence of the continued significant circulation of the COVID-19 virus among the people on the continent. With this comes the heightened risk of more lethal variants that can overwhelm existing immunity. The WHO study finds exposure to the coronavirus rose sharply following the emergence of the beta and the delta variants. People who become ill with COVID-19 enjoy some degree of immunity. However, Moeti said vaccination remains the best defense against infection as well as adding a level of protection against newly mutating strains of the virus. Show more Show less Allegations of war crimes are aimed at Russia after the grisly discovery of bodies of Ukrainian civilians, bound at the hands and feet, shot execution-style. Go on the ground in Bucha and experience the exodus of generations of Ukrainian women from the county on The Inside Story-Carnage in Ukraine. Airdate: April 7, 2022. The United States announced Wednesday that it is charging Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with sanctions violations. In a Justice Department press release, Malofeyev is accused of trying to evade sanctions by buying media companies in Europe. "After being sanctioned by the United States, Malofeyev attempted to evade the sanctions by using co-conspirators to surreptitiously acquire and run media outlets across Europe," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in remarks Wednesday morning. The Justice Department also said theyd seized millions of dollars linked to sanctions evasion. The move comes under the Justice Departments new KleptoCapture task force, which is expected to go after more assets held by Russian oligarchs. Konstantin Malofeyev is closely tied to Russian aggression in Ukraine, having been determined by OFAC to have been one of the main sources of financing for the promotion of Russia-aligned separatist groups operating in the sovereign nation of Ukraine, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York in a press release. Earlier this week, U.S. and Spanish authorities seized a yacht belonging to another oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg. Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press. The United States is trying to be strategic about how it realigns its trade relationship with China, but is not interested in a large-scale decoupling or a trade divorce, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in an interview this week. Tai made the remarks in Singapore, where she had traveled to discuss the Biden administrations Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The purpose of the framework, she said, is to allow for the United States and our most like-minded partners in this region to be able to collaborate on key economic issues and emerging global challenges. And those include working together to promote resilience and sustainability for our own economies, and also through partnership with each other's economies. Tai made her comments in an interview with Bloomberg Television. New approach Tais trip to Singapore came just days after she told Congress, in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, that it is time for the United States to reassess how it deals with China as a trading partner. Measures undertaken in the past, including the regime of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, have failed to get China to open its markets to U.S. goods and to avoid anti-competitive behavior, she told lawmakers. In the interview Tuesday, Tai said the United States may need to use other tools in order to adjust its relationship with China. Pressed on what those other tools might look like, she said, I think that it's less about what more we can do to China. I think it is more about how we can shape the U.S.-China trade relationship and again, to realign it to create incentives for our economic actors to ensure that this relationship is one that feels balanced, that is fair, and also, importantly, that is contributing to a sense of security and resilience for not just our economies, but for the global economy. Recognizing reality Tais explicit ruling out of a trade divorce between the U.S. and China may reflect the simple reality on the ground in the Indo-Pacific region, said Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. All these countries have more trade with China than they have with the U.S., he told VOA. And further, the trade with China is growing faster than with the U.S. So, they don't have any real commercial interest in any kind of decoupling or divorce. Leaders in the region have repeatedly expressed concern about being put in a position in which they are forced to choose between partnering with the U.S. and partnering with China. Their concern has been sharpened by rhetoric coming from U.S. lawmakers, some of whom have pressed for trade arrangements that isolate China. That notion faded in her rhetoric, Hufbauer said, placing Tai and the Biden administration closer to what he called the realist camp. Trade flows, the magnitude of them, and also now, investment flows they do not favor a division into two camps, he said. Because too many countries have very strong interests in maintaining good commercial relations and good diplomatic relations with both China and the U.S. End to tariffs Its encouraging that a senior member of the administration is stating that economic decoupling is not a goal of the administration, Doug Barry, a senior director at the U.S.-China Business Council, told VOA in an email exchange. Whatever Ambassador Tai has in mind in terms of a new trade policy toward China must include preserving and increasing the benefits of the current relationship, Barry said. This would include ditching the Trump-era tariffs, which have not changed Chinas behavior and have instead hurt American workers, farmers and families. Barry said his organization would like to see more high-level trade discussion between U.S. and Chinese leaders, but said, due to internal politics in both countries, such talks seem unrealistic until late this year at the earliest. Reestablishing a U.S. presence Tais trip to Singapore is, in part, an effort to reestablish a U.S. presence in the region on trade issues. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive regional trade agreement that had taken years to negotiate. The agreement was resurrected without U.S. participation as the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPATPP), one of the largest free trade organizations in the world. Some of the CPATPP participants have expressed hope that the U.S. would rejoin the trade bloc, but the Biden administration has said it will not, preferring to work within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. China has said it would be interested in joining CPATPP. However, existing members, including Japan and Australia, have said they believe Beijings extensive interference in free markets disqualifies China from membership. Singapore as key partner Experts say Tais trip to Singapore highlighted the role the city-state might play in the Biden administrations proposed future. Singapore is a natural Southeast Asian partner for developing an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Brian Harding, a senior expert on Southeast Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace, told VOA. Singapore welcomes Chinese economic activity in Southeast Asia but is clear-eyed about Chinas strategic intentions, Harding said. While Singapore can be a staunch defender of the United States importance to regional stability, it is also concerned that U.S.-China competition can be destabilizing in and of itself. VOA Mandarin Service reporter Jessie Jiang contributed to this story. Seven American women from various organizations visited Kabul last week despite a State Department advisory warning U.S. citizens against traveling to Afghanistan because of "civil unrest, armed conflict, crime, terrorism, kidnapping and COVID-19. The group, including one from a female-led grassroots organization called Code Pink, spent a week in meetings with Taliban officials, local people and womens rights activists. They said they returned home disappointed. The purpose [of the trip] originally was to celebrate the opening of the girls schools, Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink who was with the group, said in a phone interview from her home in San Francisco. But two days before traveling to Afghanistan, the group was informed that the Taliban, contrary to earlier assurances, had unexpectedly extended their ban on secondary schools for girls. We debated whether we should still go and decided it was important to show our support for the girls and try to do whatever we could to persuade the Taliban that that was a very bad decision, Benjamin said. Benjamin said Taliban officials told the group during the visit that the school ban was temporary. There was so much heartbreak among the young women that we met with, Benjamin said. They told us about how their hopes and dreams had been dashed, and how disappointed they were that they weren't able to join with their brothers, and how important education is to them. The school ban has received universal condemnation, including among Islamic scholars inside and outside Afghanistan, who have called on Taliban leaders to reopen schools for girls. Extreme poverty Afghanistan has been grappling with massive hunger impacting about 94% of its estimated 36 million people, aid agencies say. During their weeklong trip, the women witnessed the poverty on Kabul's streets. We saw signs of severe economic distress from malnourished children and very needy people at food distribution sites. We saw women waiting for bread in bread lines and just signs of economic distress everywhere, said Kelly Campbell, co-founder of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. To avert the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the United Nations has called for $4.4 billion in aid for 2022. But donors have pledged only $2.4 billion. While the United States has been the largest humanitarian donor to Afghanistan with a commitment of $512 million to the U.N. appeal, the women said the U.S. can and should do more to alleviate Afghan suffering. The U.S. spent $300 million a day for 20 years on war and occupation, and yet hasn't even spent the equivalent of two days on the humanitarian appeal, Benjamin said. The U.S. war in Afghanistan, which lasted almost two decades, cost more than $2.3 trillion, according to research by the Watson Institute at Brown University. Frozen Afghan funds In the aftermath of the Talibans takeover of power in August 2021, the U.S. government imposed a freeze on more than $7 billion of Afghanistans financial reserves in New York. The funds are also sought by a group of 9/11 victim families through a lawsuit filed in New York that blames the Taliban for the terrorist attacks in the U.S. in 2001. In February, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that split the Afghan funds $3.5 billion to be released to an Afghan humanitarian trust fund and the other half to be held until the lawsuit is settled. These funds do not belong to 9/11 families. They don't belong to the U.S. They don't belong to the Taliban. They belong to the people of Afghanistan, said Campbell, who lost a family member in the 9/11 attacks in New York. She added that the freezing of funds has contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Campbell said her organization has 275 active members, all family members of those killed in the 9/11 attacks, who strongly oppose the lawsuit filed by another group of 9/11 victim families. I haven't spoken to a single 9/11 family member who's excited about taking funds from starving Afghan people, Campbell said. Campbell and Benjamin said they would like to travel to Afghanistan in the future but until then will advocate for better U.S. policies toward the war-torn country. I don't think a failed state in Afghanistan is in the interests of the United States or the world community. We've already seen the results in the past, Benjamin said. We have a lot of interesting information to share with our own government, said Campbell. A Ukrainian official has provided VOA with exclusive photos of the aftermath of Russias five-week occupation of Ukraines decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, showing what he says are Russian trenches dug into radioactive soil near a 1986 nuclear accident at the site. Evgen Kramarenko, director of the Ukrainian state agency managing the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl plant, sent the photos to VOA on Wednesday, saying he had taken them himself on a visit to the site with several of his colleagues the day before. It was the first visit to the site by Kramarenkos team since Russian troops withdrew from the plant and the surrounding area on March 31, ending an occupation that began on February 24, when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor. In a phone interview with VOA, Kramarenko said the photos show trenches that Russian troops dug using heavy machinery in a grassy field covering radioactive soil near the Chernobyl plants destroyed No. 4 reactor. That reactors explosion on April 26, 1986, was the worlds worst nuclear accident, killing 31 people in its immediate aftermath and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate surrounding communities, including in nearby Belarus. The exclusion zone set up after the accident extends to 30 kilometers from the Chernobyl plant. The track marks from heavy vehicles can be seen in some of Kramarenkos photos of the trenches. His photos are the first ground-level images from a Ukrainian governmental source to corroborate multiple reports, published in the past week, that the occupying Russian troops dug the trenches, kicking up clouds of radioactive dust in the process. In a March 31 statement, Energoatom, the Ukrainian state-run company operating the plant, said the Russian troops had been exposed to significant doses of radiation and withdrew from the site in a panic at the first sign of illness. VOA cannot independently verify the health status of the Russian troops who occupied the Chernobyl plant and later retreated to Belarus, a key Russian ally that has allowed Moscow to use its territory to attack Ukraine. Russia has been silent on the troops condition. Belarus-based science journalist Siarhei Besarab told VOA that the area around Chernobyls No. 4 reactor is contaminated with the three most common types of radiation: alpha particles, beta particles and gamma ray-irradiated soil. Given what we know about the area where the Russian soldiers were digging, its the most concentrated spot with all three types of radiation, Besarab said. The severity of the soldiers radiation poisoning would depend on the time they spent in the area and the type of contact they had, he added. Kramarenko said Russian soldiers who inhaled radioactive dust may experience a worsening of chronic diseases or new health problems in the coming months and years. If the Russians who withdrew to Belarus got radioactive particles onto their clothes and military equipment, this also creates a health problem for anyone who comes near those objects, Kramarenko said. Earlier Wednesday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry tweeted video from a drone that it said showed an aerial view of trenches that were dug by Russians near the Chernobyl plant. The tweet references the Red Forest, a wooded area around the plant whose trees turned red after absorbing radiation from the 1986 explosion. Complete neglect of human life, even of one's own subordinates, is what a killer-state looks like, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry wrote, in reference to Russia. The drone video first appeared on Telegram. Its source was not clear. In an article published March 28, Reuters said it spoke to two Ukrainian men who were working at the Chernobyl plant while it was under Russian occupation. Without naming them, the report quoted the two men as saying that none of the Russian troops whom they saw were wearing any gear that would protect them from radiation. Some information for this report came from Reuters. By May 2014, American hostage Peter Kassig was losing hope that he would survive his captivity at the hands of the Islamic State group. "Dad, I'm paralyzed here. I'm afraid to fight back. Part of me still has hope. Part of me is sure I'm going to die," he wrote to his father, Ed Kassig, who read the letter from the witness stand Wednesday at the terrorism trial of British national El Shafee Elsheikh. The testimony left many in the courtroom fighting back tears in what's so far been a two-week trial that has detailed in gruesome ways the brutality inflicted on more than 20 Western hostages held captive by the Islamic State roughly a decade ago. Even the judge, T.S. Ellis III, appeared to be fighting back tears as he called an early recess in the proceedings immediately following Kassig's testimony. Elsheikh better known as one of "the Beatles," a moniker given by the hostages to several of their captors who spoke with distinctive British accents is accused of taking a leading role in the hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four Americans: Kassig, James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Kayla Mueller. Kassig, Foley and Sotloff were beheaded in videos distributed around the world. Mueller was raped by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she was killed. Kassig's long, handwritten letter was delivered to his family by a released hostage. Peter Kassig wrote that his captors tried to tell him and the other hostages that they had been abandoned by their families and their countries for refusing to meet the Islamic State's demands. "But of course we know you are doing everything you can and more. Don't worry Dad, if I do go down I won't go thinking anything but what I know to be true, that you and Mom love me more than the moon!" Peter Kassig wrote. He wrote that "if I do die, I figure that at least you and I can take some refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need." Kassig, an aid worker, was taken hostage in Syria in 2013. He had started his own nonprofit organization to provide medical training and supplies to areas beyond the reach of some of the larger aid groups. Also Wednesday, the jury heard testimony from an FBI agent who helped plan an effort to rescue hostages in July 2014 that ultimately failed because the hostages had been moved from a desert prison south of Raqqa before the rescue attempt. And they heard testimony from French hostage Nicolas Henin, who survived 300 days of captivity before his release in 2014. Under questioning from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, Henin described escaping several days after he was taken hostage, and the torture inflicted on him when he was recaptured. Henin said he asked his guards for a broom to clean up his cell, and he used the broom to help knock loose the bars covering a window. He crawled through the window in the middle of the night and ran for miles across the Syrian desert until he came to a village near the city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold, where he sought help. "I met two people in pajamas," he said. "Unfortunately, you can't recognize an ISIS fighter in their pajamas. They took me to the local police station." The authorities returned him to his captors, who beat him, strung him up in the air dangling from handcuffs that dug into his flesh in the Syrian sun, and finally left him in a cell for 11 days with his wrists chained to his ankles. In his later months of captivity, he came across the Beatles, who were recognized by his fellow hostages as particularly sadistic. He said the three Beatles would regularly inflict beatings, and that the Beatle they dubbed "Ringo" would frequently lecture the hostages on the justification for their captivity. "They were trying to explain to us that even though we were not carrying weapons, we were still somehow a kind of fighter in the war between the infidel West and Islam," Henin said. Prosecutors have said that Elsheikh is "Ringo," though none of the hostages who has yet testified has been able to explicitly identify him. Witnesses have said all the Beatles took great pains to keep their faces fully masked when they were in contact with the hostages. "They liked to consider that as long as they were masked, they were protected from prosecution. This was maybe a stupid idea," Henin said, grinning broadly in the direction of Elsheikh, who sat just feet from him at the defense table. The United States and its Western allies said Wednesday they have imposed new severe and immediate economic sanctions against Russia, banning American investment there and targeting assets held by President Vladimir Putins adult children. Together with our allies and our partners, we're going to keep raising economic costs, to ratchet up the pain for Putin and further increase Russia's economic isolation, said President Joe Biden Wednesday during remarks at a North Americas Building Trades Unions event. The White House said it was imposing the new measures as retribution for alleged atrocities against Ukrainian civilians committed by Russian troops, including those discovered in recent days in Bucha, a suburb of the capital city Kyiv, after the Russian military withdrew from the region while heightening its attacks on cities in southern and eastern Ukraine. Russia has denied killing civilians in Bucha. The U.S. said it will impose full blocking sanctions on Sberbank, Russias largest financial institution, and the countrys largest private bank, Alfa Bank. The White House said it is also sanctioning critical major Russian state-owned enterprises, Putins adult children, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs wife and daughter, and members of Russias Security Council. The U.S. said it will block Russia from making debt payments with money subject to U.S. jurisdiction and follows action earlier this week to cut off Russias frozen funds in the United States to make debt payments. In his remarks, Biden said that the steps already taken to punish Russia are predicted to shrink the countrys gross domestic product by double digits this year alone and wipe out the last 15 years of Russias economic gains. Because weve cut Russia off from importing technologies, like semiconductors and encryption, security and critical components of quantum technology that they need to complete in the 21st century, were going to stifle Russias ability in its economy to grow for years to come, he added. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is assisting Ukrainian and European partners as well as the State Department to collect evidence of the alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Federal criminal prosecutors met with prosecutors from Eurojust and Europol on Monday "to work out a plan for gathering evidence" and on Tuesday the top Justice Department prosecutor in Paris met with French prosecutors, Garland said at a news conference. He also announced the indictment of a Russian oligarch. The actions by the U.S., G-7 countries and the European Union came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for more resolute action against Russia. NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss additional responses to the February 24 Russian invasion. "When we are hearing new rhetoric about sanctions... I can't tolerate any indecisiveness after everything that Russian troops have done," Zelenskyy told Irelands parliament in a video address. He reiterated his criticism of European leaders that he says are more concerned with how potential bans on Russian energy imports will affect their economies than the welfare of the Ukrainian people. In advance of the sanctions announcement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. was coordinating with the G-7 and European Union on measures that would send Russia further down the road of economic, financial and technological isolation. European Council President Charles Michel said Wednesday that a new EU package would include a ban on coal imports. And I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed sooner or later, he said. In an address to the European Parliament, Michel also called on Russian soldiers to drop your weapons, stop fighting, leave the battlefield. He said the idea of granting asylum to Russian soldiers who desert is a valuable idea that should be pursued. Ahead of the start of the two-day NATO talks in Brussels, the United States announced $100 million in military aid for Ukraine. The world has been shocked and appalled by the atrocities committed by Russias forces in Bucha and across Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement late Tuesday announcing his authorization of the aid. Ukraines forces bravely continue to defend their country and their freedom, and the United States, along with our Allies and partners, stand steadfast in support of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the assistance would meet an urgent Ukrainian need for additional Javelin anti-armor systems, which the United States has been providing to Ukraine and they have been using so effectively to defend their country. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that alliance members are determined to provide further support to Ukraine, including humanitarian and financial aid in addition to military equipment and cybersecurity assistance. I expect we will also decide to do more for NATOs other partners, which are vulnerable to Russian threats and interference, including Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stoltenberg said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is scheduled to address the ministerial on Thursday. Britains defense ministry said Wednesday there was heavy fighting in the city of Mariupol in addition to Russian airstrikes on the encircled city where the humanitarian situation is worsening. Most of the 160,000 remaining residents have no light, communication, medicine, heat, or water. Russian forces have prevented humanitarian access, likely to pressure defenders to surrender, the ministry said. Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine would try to help trapped civilians escape through 11 different humanitarian corridors Wednesday, but that those in Mariupol would have to do so in their own vehicles. Bucha Zelenskyy admonished the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday for its inaction in stopping Russia and called for Moscow to face accountability for crimes it has carried out there. He spoke just days after Russian troops withdrew from Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, where residents and local officials reported more than 300 civilians had been killed by Russian troops during the towns occupation. Moscow has denied any involvement and blamed Ukrainian radicals. VOAs Ken Bredemeier and Masood Farivar contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The U.N. General Assembly is set to vote Thursday on whether to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council because of its action in Ukraine. Two-thirds of the 193 member states would have to vote in favor of removing Russia. The council, which is based in Geneva, is largely symbolic, but it can authorize investigations into human rights violations. Russia is in its second year of a three-year term on the council. Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russias presence on the council a farce and called for its removal. Since Russias February 24 invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly has passed two resolutions condemning Russias actions. Some information in this report comes from Reuters. South Africans have allegedly killed a Zimbabwean, Elvis Nyathi, in the countrys politically-volatile Diepsloot township in Johannesburg. According to Nomusa Tshuma, her late husband was manhandled Wednesday evening by locals when he attempted to run away from a mob that was looking for illegal immigrants, who were suspected to have committed several crimes in the neighborhood. Ms. Tshuma says Nyathi was force-marched to his home by the mob, which was pressing him to confess that he was part of a gang that killed about seven South Africans in the township a week ago. When my husband and his friend jumped out of the yard, they were cornered by the mob. Im not sure if they used stones and rubber whips to beat him up, because when they brought him back home, he was seriously injured. He was not even able to talk to me. They found me next door. They asked if I was Nomusa and I told them Im Nomusa because my husband had told them that Im his wife. They took me to our makeshift home (shack). By that time, they had searched the whole shack with everything thrown on the floor. She says Nyathi, who worked as a gardener in upmarket homes in Johannesburg, was severely beaten up by the mob at his rented dwelling and then dragged to an open place where he was burnt alive with gasoline and vehicle tires. They (killers) said to me where is your husbands gun. I told them that my husband has no gun, he is just a gardener. They said how was he able to buy all this property in the house. They thought that he was a robber since he had a gun that he used to buy all this property. I told them that we get most of the items in the house as gifts from the people who employ us occasionally for domestic work. They beat me up with a sjambok insisting that we are hiding a gun. They took him out. Two of them came back demanding R300 from me. I gave them R50. They went away with him and that was the last time I saw him. When my uncle went to check for him at the police station, he was told that my husband had been burnt to death. Members of Operation Dudula, a vigilante group calling for the removal of illegal immigrants from South Africa, has been blamed for Nyathis death. Indications are that a local neighborhood group, which allegedly killed Ncube, was not linked to Operation Dudula. Police Minister Bheki Cele has condemned the killing, saying local people should not take the law into their own hands. Reacting to the same incident, Economic Freedom Fighters activist, Spetlele Raseluta, blamed Operation Dudula activists for Nyathi's death, saying the vigilante group is reducing South Africa to banana republic. A team of investigative journalists called Off Investigation has just posted a documentary describing how French President Emmanuel Macron stashed the fortune he accrued during his stint as managing partner at the Rothschild bank, from 2010 to 2012 [1]. According to their findings, Rothschild managing partners enjoy the privilege of receiving only one-fifth of their pay in France, while the other four-fifths are deposited in trusts harbored in the Channel Islands. This part of the funds can be legally concealed from the French tax authorities. However, when he was elected President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron was under the obligation to declare the totality of his assets in order to check for any conflicts of interest. However, he omitted to declare the fortune he had sitting abroad. The journalists could not learn the size of this fortune, but it should be considerable seeing the role he played in the sale transaction of Pfizers baby milk activities to Nestle. In 2014, after leaving the Elysee where he was Deputy Secretary-General under President Hollande, Emmanuel Macron tried to settle in London, where he could have feasted on his secret fortune without needing to repatriate it to France. Struck by the inconsistencies in the Emmanuel Macrons statements, the Anticor association which is dedicated to fighting corruption brought the matter before the High Authority for the Transparency of Public life. With almost no means of investigation at its disposal, the High Authority was unable to unveil anything concrete. Anticor then took legal action. But the Public Prosecutor of Paris considered that there was no need to investigate... since the High Authority had not uncovered anything abnormal. Placeholder while article actions load If colleges still thought there was little risk in taking up their students causes, they should reconsider in light of what has happened to Oberlin College. An Ohio appeals court has upheld $30 million-plus in damages in a lawsuit against the school brought by a local bakery that was accused of a history of racial profiling. The case has gotten lots of attention as a touchstone in the culture wars and because of the free expression issues surrounding it. Although the case could still be appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court and even conceivably to the U.S. Supreme Court it is now possible to derive some hardheaded lessons from the process thus far. For one thing, universities need to be extremely careful about how they interact with student protests if they want to avoid being held liable for their students words and actions. For another, the First Amendment isnt as protective of protest as you might think. It doesnt protect libel so protesters (at least those with assets worth pursuing) need to be cautious about putting into writing factual claims that are demonstrably false. Advertisement The facts of the case are, of course, contested, so I will summarize them only briefly, essentially as the trial court found them and as the state appellate court described them. I cant vouch for what actually happened on the ground. In brief, on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president, three Black Oberlin students, one male and two female, were shopping at Gibsons Bakery, a 130-year-old establishment near campus. Allyn D. Gibson, the grandson of the bakerys owner, was working the cash register. Believing that the male student was both using a fake ID to try to purchase wine and simultaneously shoplifting several more bottles in his jacket, Gibson confronted the student. When the student ran out of the store, Gibson chased him. They ended up in a physical altercation in which the two female students joined. When the police arrived, they arrested the three students, all of whom later pleaded guilty to misdemeanors. Advertisement After the incident, some 200-300 Oberlin students gathered to protest outside the bakery. A flyer was handed out the court did not purport to know who wrote it. It called for a boycott of the bakery calling it a RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION. Oberlins dean of students at the time, Meredith Raimondo, was at the protest. The jury heard evidence that she had at least one of the flyers and that the associate director of Oberlins multicultural resource center had handed out a copy; that the flyer was xeroxed by the university employee in a campus copy room; and that the college aided the protests by providing a room in a nearby building for students to take breaks and get coffee and pizza and by reimbursing a student the money she spent on gloves for the protesters. From the standpoint of the law, these activities were, the appellate court held, sufficient to treat Oberlin as having published that is, repeated the false and defamatory claim in the flyer. To make matters worse for the college, the student senate passed a resolution that repeated some version of the accusations. A copy of the resolution was posted in a display case in a university building. Advertisement The court held that the jury could have attributed these actions to the college, another basis for holding it liable for defamation. What was more, the jury heard evidence that Raimondo interfered with the business relationship between the colleges caterer and the bakery when she told the caterer not to buy its goods. The jury then determined economic and punitive damages, and the trial court awarded attorneys fees to the bakery. All this matters tremendously to other colleges and universities, especially liberal arts colleges where students and faculty tend to be left-leaning and protests are not uncommon. The idea that a few copies of a flyer being handed out by an administrator plus a student senate resolution could translate into millions of dollars of damages seems astonishing on its face. Its a stark reminder that college employees acting in the course of their jobs can put the school into substantial legal jeopardy. The court noted that the Oberlin deans job formally included an obligation to attend student protests. By participating, Raimondo legally affiliated the college with the flyer without vetting its content, as far as is possible to determine. Advertisement From a First Amendment standpoint, you might think the loose language of the flyer would deserve protection. But as a matter of First Amendment law, libel isnt free speech. And if youre libeling a private citizen, not a public figure, its no defense that you acted without malice. If your statement was false and defamatory, you are liable full stop. The court stressed that the student protesters free speech rights were not in question. Technically, thats true. The bakery didnt sue the students. But in principle, the students, too, could have been sued, provided they could have been linked to the flyer. As for the student senate statement, it also seems shocking as a matter of the First Amendment that it could be attributed to the college. Yet as the court pointed out, Oberlin created and funded the student senate, and also allowed the resolution to be posted. Advertisement After the lawsuit was filed, the dean told the students to take down the resolution and they did so. The court said that because the students complied, it showed that it was in the colleges control all along. Again, as a matter of straightforward libel law, nothing is inherently surprising about finding the resolution to be attributable to the college. Its just that, on campus, no one really thinks of student senate resolutions as the colleges speech. The real-world takeaway is that colleges and universities need to understand that what administrators, faculty and students do and say can have costly legal consequences: $30 million is not a trivial sum for a college. Oberlins $1.2 billion endowment, large-ish for a liberal arts college, probably generates 4%-5% of that for spending every year. The damages and attorneys fees will be felt by everyone on campus, at least for a time. Advertisement Oberlin could appeal again to the state supreme court, but there is no particular reason to expect a different result. The U.S. Supreme Court would be unlikely to take the case, which depends on particular facts and does not pose a novel First Amendment law question. The result may be a settlement in which the bakery gets some of its money faster in exchange for Oberlin not dragging out the process with more appeals. Regardless, the presidents and general counsels of colleges and universities all over the country should be watching and learning. Free speech is not always what it seems at least when the law of libel is in play. More from Bloomberg Opinion: The Rise of the Comfort College: Stephen B. Gerrard Wokeism Has Peaked: Tyler Cowen Sarah Palin May Find That Libel Doesnt Mean What It Used To: Stephen L. Carter Advertisement 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. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load AI has become one of the buzziest of biotech buzzwords. Venture capital and public funding have flooded into companies using machine learning to speed the search for and manufacture of new drugs. Now a team of researchers has raised alarms about the potential for this artificial-intelligence technology to be used for wrongdoing most distressingly, to discover new, scarier chemical weapons. Drug developers use AI to come up with thousands, even millions of molecules that might interact with specific biological targets. But the same software can also be used to try to identify poisonous gases or powders, the researchers found. Suddenly, the biotech field is worried about both AIs hidden dangers and the possibility of overhyping them. The actual immediate risk is likely minimal. But the new debate over the possibility that biotech AI could be used for nefarious purposes highlights the need to monitor the fast evolution of machine-learning technologies. Its not too soon for drug developers and government regulators to weigh the unintended consequences of future advances. Advertisement The issue arose last year, when the Swiss Federal Institute for NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) Protection asked a small biotech company in North Carolina called Collaborations Pharmaceuticals to report on the potential misuse of AI technologies at a biannual conference. The companys researchers investigated the question by repurposing a machine-learning model that they had designed to generate scads of molecules with the potential to act on drug targets. The model scores molecules based on various properties downgrading those with features known to cause toxic side effects and giving preference to those that might have a therapeutic effect. When the researchers trained their model to instead identify molecules that look similar to the nerve agent VX, it quickly identified tens of thousands of them, including many that appeared much more harmful. Focusing the model on doing evil rather than good was as easy as changing a 1 to a 0, and thus steering it to design and give preference to molecules with toxic effects, explains Sean Ekins, Collaborations Pharmaceuticals chief executive officer. Advertisement No powerful server was required for the computing. The entire project was done in six hours on an old desktop Mac, using software designed to use publicly available databases of molecules. Whats alarming is the ease with which the AI model could be tweaked to cause harm. More reassuring is the low likelihood that AI designed for drug discovery will be repurposed in this way soon. Consider that, so far, the technology has not been that effective in generating novel drugs. Computers are very good at identifying new ways to use existing classes of drugs, but they have not yet proved good at inventing new ones. Human ingenuity still guides that level of exploration. This means that, at least for now, computers also arent likely to come up with entirely new kinds of chemical weapons. The computer merely churns out ideas. It takes more work to understand the damaging potential of individual molecules; they need to be made and tested (an unethical exercise). Advertisement And for any interested bad actors, those next steps are probably not worth the trouble, according to Derek Lowe, a medicinal chemist who writes for Science magazines pharma blog. Im not sure that anyone needs to deploy a new compound in order to wreak havoc they can save themselves a lot of trouble by just making Sarin or VX, God help us, he wrote. And while computers enable scientists to discover seemingly infinite new molecules, they cant yet predict how these will behave inside a human body. That still takes good old-fashioned trial and error. Nevertheless, the project points to other aspects of AIs use in drug development that merit closer attention. A more pressing risk, for example, could be the use of AI in the manufacture of bioweapons. A decade ago, Northwestern University researchers showed that it is possible to use an algorithm to come up with alternative ways to make sarin and mustard gas using unregulated starting materials. Advertisement And while the Collaborations Pharmaceuticals team focused on chemical weapons, models such as theirs could also be repurposed to create new illicit drugs that are potent, dangerous and hard to detect. Machine learning might also make it possible to quickly synthesize such drugs. Earlier this year, the Rand Corp flagged the potential for AI to be used to generate new synthetic opioids and fentanyl analogues. Academic researchers who create AI tools for drug development want them to be freely available. But as these tools become more refined and effective and as the bar to using them gets lower, there is a greater need to think about other ways in which they might be used. Consider that some AI models are available as not only open access but also open source meaning that anyone can make small changes to the code that might increase the potential for harm. It might be wise to limit some models to open access only, as MIT professor Connor Coley has suggested. Advertisement Already, a vast amount of information on machine learning in drug development is publicly available, and it wont be possible to entirely close Pandoras box. Theres no need to panic. But the public should be aware of the risks. And biotech companies, academic researchers and government agencies involved in monitoring chemical and biological weapons need to have more open discussions about those risks now. More from other writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Google AI Units High Ideals Tainted With Secrecy: Parmy Olson Robots Are Making Us All Buy Overvalued Bonds: John Authers Humanitys Future Will Be Weirder Than We Think: Tyler Cowen This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lisa Jarvis, the former executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News, writes about biotech, drug discovery and the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Opinion. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Energy Dominance, championed by President Donald Trump, never did much for the U.S. coal industry. Energy dissonance, though, as unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is proving effective. Benchmark thermal coal prices just hit triple digits for the first time since 2008. Shares of Peabody Energy Corp., the biggest U.S. coal miner by market cap, have jumped by two-thirds since late February. The dying fossil fuel has been shocked back to life by the war in Ukraine. As with other commodities produced by Russia, from oil to nickel to grain, the prospect of a chunk of global coal supply being suddenly off-limits has caused the price to spike. Russia is the worlds third largest exporter of thermal coal the kind used for power generation accounting for 15% of seaborne trade and weighted toward premium coal with higher energy content. Similar to whats happened with natural gas, Europes dependence on Russian coal has increased as its own production has declined. Nonetheless, revelations of alleged Russian war crimes in the suburbs of Kyiv have pushed the European Union to the brink of banning Russian coal imports, sending disruptive waves through the global market. Beyond direct sanctions, the wars impact on natural gas also boosts coal. The two fuels compete in power generation, so when gas prices spike, coal looks more attractive. In Europe today, that holds even when you factor in the price of carbon emissions, which are much higher for coal-fired power. In 2021, as Europe recovered from the pandemic, and Russia-linked inventories of gas in central Europe dwindled mysteriously, the price of gas began surging, pulling up demand for and the price of coal. Then Russia invaded. Advertisement U.S. coal miners are benefiting from similar dynamics. Recovery from Covid-19 was pushing up the price of energy in general and, with coal production having collapsed during the pandemic, inventories had dropped to their lowest level in four decades. Meanwhile, the slow response of U.S. drillers to higher oil prices also keeps a lid on production of gas, raising its price relative to coal and thus leading power generators to burn more of the latter. Now, on top of this, Russias war raises demand for safer U.S. exports of the fuel. Plus the boost in European gas prices filters back somewhat to the U.S. gas market by stoking demand for cargoes of liquefied natural gas. The importance of exports to U.S. coal miners has increased for more than a decade as domestic consumption has slumped. The flood of cheap shale gas wrecked coal demand, which is why Trumps professed support for both mining and fracking was somewhat self-defeating. Electricity generators took only 450 million tons of coal last year, more than in 2020 but less than half as much as in 2008. Exports of thermal coal, meanwhile, jumped by almost half in 2021 to 40 million tons. Europe shouldnt expect an American coal armada to cross the Atlantic, however. Contractual obligations to other buyers and tight rail and East Coast port-loading capacity will limit further increases in exports; commodities analysts at Bank of America forecast maybe an extra 2 million tons this year. Advertisement Moreover, like those reluctant gas drillers, U.S. miners have grown cautious, chastened by a slew of bankruptcies and the evident secular decline in thermal coal consumption, occasional increases notwithstanding. Despite astounding rallies, the combined market value of four of the biggest thermal coal miners Peabody, Arch Resources Inc., Alliance Resource Partners LP, and Consol Energy Inc. is less than $9 billion. As a group, they have shifted their business toward metallurgical coal, used to produce steel. Arch touts this as more aligned with a decarbonizing world wind turbines are made of steel and it even ditched the word coal from its name (in a rather amusing press release). Rather than double down on growth, these companies have become cash machines. Combined, they are forecast to generate free cash flow this year and next equivalent to more than 40% of their enterprise value. While U.S. mining companies arent likely to boost exports much in response to Putins war, the price they get on cargoes will reflect the security premium now coursing through global commodity markets. Reduced rival coal supply plus expensive natural gas is a winning formula for miners profits. Putin, however, also represents the biggest risk to that equation. The same Russian brutality thats led the EU toward sanctioning coal trade may yet spur further disruptions if the war escalates further. For example, if more important gas supply gets restricted (by either side), that would boost gas prices to astronomical levels. This would benefit coal, in theory, but it would also portend outright demand destruction as large parts of Europe succumbed to energy austerity or recession. As it is, demand destruction may soon occur in other markets. India, for example, has few cheap options for any fossil-fuel imports other than discounted Russian cargoes and it happens to be U.S. coals largest export market. Meanwhile, if oil prices remain high, U.S. drillers will become more likely to ramp up production, boosting domestic natural gas supply and bringing it back to a discount versus coal for power generators. Advertisement As much as this crisis provides unlooked-for profits to U.S. coal miners, the experience of the past decade teaches the companies to bank them rather than bank on their lasting. More from other writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Europe Needs to Cut Energy Demand. Now: Javier Blas Miners Scour the Earth Again as Reserves Dwindle: David Fickling Market Finally Puts a Realistic Price on Carbon: David Fickling This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journals Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times Lex column. He was also an investment banker. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load They came to hug parents, hold loved ones and cradle babies they made but hadnt met. They loaded up on cakes, grabbed cheap massages and pumped gas. After two years of tight restrictions, the border between Singapore and Malaysia, one of the worlds busiest crossings, has finally reopened. In the process, a key export resumed to the city-states larger neighbor about half a mile across the water: people. This is about more than tearful reunions, as heartening as they are. Its a big milestone in Southeast Asias journey from trying to quash Covid-19 to living with the disease. The economic recovery in either country cant be complete without a relatively free flow of human capital alongside investment. Before Covid, more than 300,000 people crossed the boundary each day. As much as Singaporeans and Malaysians complain about each other, and for all the differences in politics and relative wealth, the resumption of cross-border travel has underscored just whats been missing during the peak of the pandemic. In the hours after the border fully reopened after midnight on April 1, thousands of Singapore residents streamed across the bridge over the Strait of Johor. That brought valuable cash into Johor Bahru and the promise of more money to come. That prospect is lifting confidence among consumers and business in the Malaysian city. Six decades after Singapore divorced Malaysia and became a republic, the two countries remain intimately linked. Singapore gets power, water and labor from Malaysia. High-rise apartments lining the Johor coast are occupied by people who work in Singapore, or did before Covid. Think of New York and New Jersey, just add passports. Advertisement The state of Johor accounts for about 10% of Malaysian gross domestic product and has been one of the hardest hit parts of the country. Singapore was Malaysias top source of visitors in 2019 with about 10 million arrivals. Just a fraction made it the following year, and most of those were crammed into the early months before lockdowns. Johor suffered disproportionately, Serina Rahman, visiting fellow at Singapores ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, wrote in a report last year. As Singapore prospered in the decades since separation, costs of manufacturing soared. Factories began to move across the water. Malaysia has land and relatively cheap labor, vital ingredients Singapore lacks, explained Teh Kee Sin, founding president of the SME Association of Johor Selatan. The past two years have reminded us how important we are to each other, Teh said in an interview at the factory he runs that makes parts for printers, bicycles and fishing reels. Malaysian politicians sometimes say Oh we dont want to be Singapores backyard. I say, What are you talking about? For all the optimism, Johor is yet to see the big bucks from across the water. Many of those who came the first week were visiting family and quickly returned after the weekend, or even before. Spending isnt their first priority, small business owners sat. Revenue is up roughly 20% since the weekend, said Lim Meng Chin, owner of Hiap Joo bakery, a haunt for devotees of banana bread, which was established in 1919. That still only takes it to around 80% of pre-Covid levels. Before Covid, they were lined up to the end of the road, he said in an interview. Two things Singaporeans love are banana bread and fish-head curry. In KSL mall, near the border checkpoint, Ching Ching is posting job openings at her foot reflexology business. Ching says she saw lots of traffic from Singaporeans the past weekend. Price is her advantage, with an hour-long foot treatment costing 48 ringgit ($11.40), about a third of whats charged in Singapores suburbs. Locals rarely come here, Ching said. Advertisement Theres also a backlash building. Malaysian newspapers carried front page stories Wednesday complaining about Singaporeans allegedly filling up on gas that the Malaysian government subsidizes. The Johor division of Malaysias Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs said it will step up enforcement against operators caught selling the fuel to foreign-registered cars, with companies liable for fines of up to 2 million ringgit. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak, scouting for themes to advance his comeback after a corruption conviction, has highlighted the issue. A national election is due in about a year. (Malaysia previously banned the sale of 95-RON gasoline to foreigners because that grade of petrol is subsidized for locals. Singapore sells that type at multiples of what it costs in Malaysia. Singapore wants tanks to be three-quarters full before departing the island.) Most shops in an arcade surrounding a bus depot across the border were shuttered on a recent afternoon. Padmini Perihsamy, however, is convinced things are looking up. Her stall selling South Asian pastries reopened last weekend and did brisk business. During the peak of the pandemic, she switched to online sales and wholesale. Perihsamy is confident those kiosks will be open soon. Advertisement Until they are, this is a recovery in waiting. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: Singapore, Oh So Carefully, Lets Down Its Masks: Daniel Moss Singapore Still Wants Smart, Rich Expats: Rachel Rosenthal What Else Could Covid Have in Store? Ask the Rabbits: Faye Flam 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. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The disruptions of the Covid pandemic have prompted workers to reconsider how they can be most productive and forced companies to revisit some long-held beliefs. A few organizations are floating a new possibility: a four-day workweek. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight In recent months, a diverse collection of employers including Japanese electronics maker Panasonic, fintech startup Bolt and the government of Belgium have recommended giving employees the option to work four days but get paid for five. Spain and Scotland are conducting their own trials of shorter weeks. They join a clutch of firms mainly in the tech sector that gravitated to a four-day format when the pandemic hit, including crowdfunding site Kickstarter, fashion reseller thredUp and venture capital firm Uncharted. While most companies have always had a handful of workers on alternative schedules, it is unusual for businesses to reconsider the traditional workweek for all employees. A five-day, 40-hour workweek has been the norm for salaried workers since the early 20th century, when labor leaders pushed back against factory bosses who demanded six- or even seven-day schedules and 12- to 14-hour days. Advertisement But does a five-day system still make sense? Companies with a four-day week option tend to trumpet their worker-friendly policies. Yet dig into the details, and four-day week means different things in different places. At some companies, employees might work four 10-hour days (a practice called four tens). At others, employees get Fridays off without working longer on the previous four days. And still others might decide to reduce the overall workload by making the days shorter so a four-day week is really still a five-day week, but workers call it quits at 4 p.m. instead of at 5 or 6 p.m. However the days are configured, researchers say, one finding stands out: Working fewer hours is better for workers and their employers. The most recent significant study of four-day weeks was conducted in Iceland from 2015 to 2019 and involved more than 1% of the population. Organizations enrolled in the study didnt squeeze 40 hours into four days; they shortened the workweek to 35 or 36 hours. And different workplaces chose different approaches some took every other Friday off, while others shortened the workday by an hour. Advertisement Regardless of how the hours were distributed, changing the schedule forced the organizations to rethink how work got done. They discovered ways to spend less time working while maintaining (or even increasing) output, such as holding shorter meetings or setting clearer priorities. Workers said the experiment left them with less confusion about their roles, more autonomy and more support from colleagues and bosses. Managers noticed their employees showing more discipline and focus. The experiment was hugely popular. For me it is like a gift from the heavens, one manager told the researchers. Employee well-being rose, and workers reported having more time for hobbies, friends and exercise. Another key benefit was improved weekends: Shorter weekly hours meant more errands and chores got done during the week, leaving Saturday and Sunday free for leisure and family activities. And men reported more involvement at home, which reduced womens stress levels. A gift from the heavens, indeed. Iceland conducted the trial in part because workers were reporting working more than 40 hours a week 44.4, to be precise. That makes Icelanders similar to the average full-time worker in the U.S., who puts in 8.5 hours a day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to Gallup, 45% of Americans work nine hours a day or more for a minimum of 45 hours a week. Advertisement We shouldnt be surprised that cutting the length of the workday increased the quality of the work produced in addition to improving employee well-being. We lose energy (and effectiveness) as the day wears on. More than a centurys worth of studies back that up. And thats something companies should remember before they seek a four-day week by cramming a 40-hour schedule into four days. Long work days are taxing, even if they are followed by long weekends. Many people in health care work four tens, and many nurses work three twelves. While nurses will tell you that the four-day weekends are great, research shows that the long hours are hard. One study found that shifts of 10 hours or more although often assumed to be necessary for continuity of patient care are associated with burnout and intent to leave the profession. Mistakes are more likely at the end of a long shift, calling into question whether the practice truly delivers benefits for patients. Another study in 2021 focused on Japanese consultants found that when people worked overtime they made more errors; shorter days were associated with better results. And a classic study of construction workers in the 1980s conducted by the Business Roundtable found that 60-hour weeks could be maintained for about two months before causing serious delays. Projects would have been completed more quickly, researchers found, had the same crew worked just 40 hours a week. Advertisement Yes, there can be benefits to pushing hard in an emergency, like a war. But even there, we run into the limits of the human mind and body. A Stanford study published in 2015 of British munitions workers in World War I found that worker output at 70 hours wasnt much different from worker output at 56 hours. There is also a long-term health cost to long hours. Studies of people who work more than 50 hours a week have found that overworkers have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, depression and alcohol use. While I havent yet seen a study that disentangles long days from long weeks, you generally dont get the latter without the former. The four-day week is a worthy management experiment. But to truly make it successful, companies have to shrink the workweek, not shift it. More From Writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement Americas Retirement Crisis Is a Financial Crisis Too: Editorial Board Am I Underpaid? Too Often, Younger Workers Dont Know: Sarah Green Carmichael Dont Call Me on Friday. Thats My Me Time: Conor Sen This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Sarah Green Carmichael is an editor with Bloomberg Opinion. She was previously managing editor of ideas and commentary at Barrons, and an executive editor at Harvard Business Review, where she hosted the HBR Ideacast. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load The first stage of the war in Ukraine didnt go according to Vladimir Putins plan, but it is the next four weeks that could determine how the map of Europe is changed as a result of his invasion. The incremental sanctions tightening weve seen in recent days will make little difference to that battle. It will also require a major increase in the supply of weapons and changes to the kinds of weapons supplied by Ukraines allies in Britain, the U.S. and other countries. Military analysts and officials in the U.S. and other NATO countries are warning that the next week to 10 days will see a major intensification of Russian military operations, with resupplied Russian forces deployed in the Donbas region in an attempt to defeat Ukrainian holdouts in Mariupol, freeing Russian forces there for a pincer movement from both north and south. However poorly Russias forces have performed on the battlefield so far, it now has a more realistic set of objectives. Instead of an invasion from three fronts, Russia will now have a single axis to focus on, and one where its supply lines are less vulnerable to Ukrainian attack. Russia has also taken the measure of the Ukrainian military, which it badly underestimated. Advertisement Before the war, Ukraines Joint Forces Operations (JFO) in the east, numbering over 40,000, featured the best equipped and trained of Ukraines forces. Those troops remain determined, but the past five weeks of hard fighting have taken a toll. They are also harder to supply and dont have the same benefit of air defenses as those around Kyiv. Putin may have in mind May 9 already known as Victory Day in Russia, when the country celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany as a deadline of sorts for reclaiming the east of Ukraine, which Putin considers a step toward restoring Russias lost empire and sphere of control. If Russian forces succeed in taking ground, they will then seek to seal off that part of Ukraine. But Russia lacks the forces to go beyond Ukraines JFO area, notes Jack Watling, an expert in land warfare and senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Putin has committed most of Russias available combat forces to the original operation and has limited reserves. The units not already in Ukraine are either support troops, fresh conscripts or units that have responsibilities elsewhere, which the Kremlin will be loath to shift. Advertisement If Russian forces lose momentum and are blunted by anti-tank weapons and artillery, Watling reckons they would be exhausted in about four weeks. Then Putin will have a bigger decision to make: whether to move to a war footing, no longer referring to the conflict as a special military operation but expanding it and mobilizing the country. The withdrawal of forces around Kyiv and dropping of Russian objections to Ukraine joining the EU eventually suggest some recalibrating from Russia is already happening. Zelenskiy is now in a very much stronger position than anyone in the West thought he would be, notes Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former U.K. defense and foreign secretary, who sees some cause for optimism. NATO has never been as strong as it is now. Germany has totally transformed its defense policy from the one it pursued for the last 40 years. Russia is about to lose one of its two main energy destinations and its most important source of revenue, even if it will take some time. The Nordstream project has collapsed. The Russians have lost control over their foreign currency reserves. And yet, winning the opening round isnt the same as prevailing to the end. A dismembered Ukraine would change Europes security landscape significantly. And while some may urge Ukraine to reach a settlement as soon as possible, any ceasefire or deal that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to renewed attack will make a real rebuilding effort which requires attracting investment impossible. Advertisement The new phase of fighting that is coming demands a new kind of western support, argues Chatham Houses Keir Giles, author of two books on Russian foreign policy in recent years. The weapons Ukraine needs in order to keep fighting are not totally defensive weapons, in order to help Ukraine not lose, but also tools to help Ukraine carry the fight to the enemy and must include long-range firepower to strike deep into Russian-controlled areas, he says. The U.S., he says, has been in crisis management mode rather than focused on Ukraines needs at a critical stage of the fight. There is plenty that Britain and other NATO countries can do. Ukraines shopping list includes anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs), portable air-defense systems, ammunition, drones, radar, surface-to-air missile systems and so-called loitering munitions, which wait passively around the target for the right moment. Soviet-era T-72 tanks being sent by the Czech republic are helpful because the Czech Republic can also produce spare parts and Ukrainians know how to use and maintain them. Its less obvious that a mix of other armed vehicles, on different platforms, would be useful and getting supply to the east will be harder. Ukraine will need supplies for reservists and recruits who are being sent to the front as beleaguered forces there are rotated out. NATO countries need to facilitate the transition of some of Ukraines defenses, including air defenses, to platforms that can be better supported (at a time when those countries are worried about their own supply). There is also a pressing need for humanitarian support and economic aid to keep the economy from colapse. Advertisement Sanctioning oligarchs and seizing yachts was performative compared to whats needed now to impact the future security landscape of Europe. Putins invasion was no random black swan moment, as devastating but entirely unpredictable events are called, note geo-strategists Florence Gaub and Andrew Monaghan. Rather, they say, its a grey rhino impactful but highly probable and entirely predicted. Formulating a response requires a thorough consideration of strategic objectives and potential pitfalls, not simply crisis management. This next phase of war will pose a test not just for Ukraines forces, but of the democratic worlds unity, sense of purpose and ability to think clearly about the future. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Germany Must Wean Itself Off Russian Gas Sooner, Not Later: Chris Bryant Advertisement Remembering Russias Toxic Court Jester: Leonid Bershidsky Insurers Must Brace for Catastrophic Cyber Risk: Parmy Olson and Tim Culpan This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load From Guccis 10,000-square-foot store on the site of a former pencil factory in SoHo to Hermes two-story flagship in a New Jersey mega-mall, America hearts luxury. And thats a good thing for the industry, because with Shanghai in lockdown and European demand potentially hurt by the war in Ukraine, the U.S. once again is picking up the bling baton. In 2021, luxury growth was led by the U.S., not China. Soaring stock markets and cryptocurrencies boosted wealth, while stimulus checks encouraged many more shoppers to dip their toes into top end waters. And the wealthy didnt just splurge on Dior bags and Cartier jewelry. They also led art buying, according to the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. That helped the overall market exceed its pre-pandemic levels. Structural factors, too, are helping the proliferation in sales of upmarket goods. While the high end has long been concentrated in the retail bastions of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, this is now changing. Many Americans moved during the pandemic: New Yorkers relocated to Florida and Californians to Arizona and Texas. They didnt leave behind their appetite to consume, though, but rather fueled demand for luxury goods from Scottsdale to Charlotte, Cincinnati and Nashville. Advertisement This has started a race to acquire prime retail space, driving up rents in the most favorable locations. In the past, brands confined their openings to giant flagship stores on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. Now they are taking sizeable sites in suburban malls and exploring satellite shops in local neighborhoods and wealthy resort towns. Another incentive to move to the burbs has been the spate of shoplifting in some city centers, including Los Angeles and Chicago. Consequently, French luxury group Kering SA is reassessing where it puts its stores. It has been opening and revamping Gucci outlets across the U.S, debuting most recently in Austin. Gucci generates about 27% of its revenue from North America. More new stores will follow, including in Atlanta and Sacramento. New Jerseys American Dream mall recently announced that Kering will lease a 10,000-square-foot site for Gucci. Kerings activity has not been confined to its biggest brand, but encompasses other houses including Saint Laurent, which is also expanding its presence at American Dream. Advertisement LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, which generates about 26% of sales from the U.S., has been active, too. Among its new locations is a Louis Vuitton boutique at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, replacing its previous outlet in the now shuttered Nieman Marcus department store. LVMH is also refurbishing Tiffany stores after acquiring the jeweler last year. But as the worlds biggest luxury goods group, it probably has scope to go further. Kering and LVMH are not alone. Lanvin Group, whose owners include Chinese investor Fosun, plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange via a blank-check company. It will use part of the proceeds to open 200 stores in the next three years in both Asia and the U.S. All the luxury companies expanding in the U.S. face the risk that the American bling bubble will burst. Advertisement Upmarket home furnishings group RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, warned last week that demand had weakened following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. So far, this hasnt shown up in U.S. luxury sales, although store visits did dip in March, according to Placer.ai, a company that evaluates store foot traffic. Nevertheless, as the economic outlook has darkened in other regions of the world, the U.S. is back to being the luxury industrys best hope. Luxury goods makers have pulled out of Russia, forfeiting revenue there since the Ukraine invasion, though this probably amounts to less than 5% of global sales. However, there could be a knock-on effect in Europe. Expensive handbags and Swiss watches can be regarded as stores of value in troubled times, but as uncertainties mount, their appeal could wane. Meanwhile, tourists from the U.S. and parts of Asia may be more reluctant to visit Europe. Advertisement But the biggest worry is China. After concerns last year that President Xi Jinpings Common Prosperity agenda would curb overt shows of wealth, now Shanghai, the biggest source of Chinas luxury sales, has been plunged into a fresh lockdown. Its little wonder that valuations of luxury goods groups have slumped. In the long run, China is expected to power the industrys growth, as the worlds largest population of consumers buys luxury goods. But for now, shoppers in New York Citys Meatpacking District meandering from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery to the nearby Hermes and Rolex boutiques are a useful stand-in. More from Bloomberg Opinion: Italian Luxury Doesnt Need the Russians: Rachel Sanderson Las Vegas Hits the Jackpot with Formula 1s Return: Trung Phan Kanyes Outburst Is a Painful Lesson for Gap: Andrea Felsted This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Norman Anderson, infrastructure consultant Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Norman Anderson, 65, founder, chairman and chief executive of the Washington-based consulting firm CG/LA Infrastructure and who made TV news appearances as a leading authority on infrastructure development, technology and investment, died Dec. 5 at a hospital in Falls Church, Va. The cause was gallstone pancreatitis, said his daughter, Janina Anderson. Mr. Anderson, who lived in Fairfax County, was born in Washington. He started his firm in 1987. He organized the Blueprint 2025, a forum connecting policymakers, project owners and other leaders in the industry to identify and prioritize infrastructure investment. He was co-author of the 2021 book Vision: Our Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap Forward. Tedson Meyers, law firm partner Tedson Meyers, 93, a Washington communications lawyer who served on the D.C. Council from 1972 to 1975 and was president of the Cosmos Club in 1988 when the elite social enclave voted to admit women as members, died March 22 at a care center in Denver. The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Arden Schell. Advertisement Mr. Meyers, a native of Bayonne, N.J., was briefly a lawyer for ABC before moving to Washington in 1961 as an assistant to Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton Minow. He later was an assistant to Peace Corps director Jack Hood Vaughn and wrote speeches for 1968 Democratic presidential nominee Hubert H. Humphrey. Mr. Meyerss involvement in D.C. anti-crime initiatives led President Richard M. Nixon to appoint him to the City Council to fill a vacant seat. Mr. Meyers was affiliated with several law firms, including the now-defunct Coudert Brothers, before retiring in 2003. He left Washington for Alabama in 2007 and moved to Denver last year. Karen Henry, real estate saleswoman Karen Henry, 65, a Washington-area resident from the late 1970s to late 2000s who sold residential real estate with her husband Marc Fleischers real estate group, died Feb. 1 at her home in Santa Monica, Calif. The cause was breast cancer, said a daughter, Kerry Fleischer. Ms. Henry was born in Oakland, Calif. She was the marketing director for the Fleisher Group for more than 20 years. From staff reports GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Edward Tarchalski, electrical specialist Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Edward Tarchalski, 93, who retired in 1994 as electrical standards manager for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, died Jan. 22 at a care center in Silver Spring, Md. The cause was congestive heart failure, said a son, Stanislaw Tarchalski. Mr. Tarchalski was born in Dawidgrodek, Poland (now Davyd-Haradok, Belarus). According to his family, Soviet soldiers sent him and his family to concentration camps in Siberia for two years during World War II. As an adult, he worked as an electrical specialist in South Africa and New Jersey before joining the trade association in 1977. Ronald Wertheim, D.C. judge Ronald Wertheim, 88, a judge who sat on the bench of the D.C. Superior Court for almost 40 years before retiring in 2018, died March 6 at his home in Blue Hill, Maine. The cause was a heart ailment, said a daughter, Tiana Wertheim. Advertisement Judge Wertheim was born in Philadelphia and came to the Washington as deputy general counsel in the Peace Corps in the early 1960s. He was then in private practice for years before President Ronald Reagan appointed him a superior court judge in 1981. From 1990 until 2018, he lived in Philadelphia and commuted to Washington. He moved to Maine in 2018. William Cox, aviation consultant William Cox, 96, a decorated Navy pilot who served as a flight standards and research and development officer with the Federal Aviation Administration from 1967 to 1979, and then owned and operated an aviation consultancy for the next two decades, died Feb. 4 at a hospital in Arlington, Va. The cause was pneumonia, said a daughter Suzanne Cox. Mr. Cox, a resident of McLean, Va., was born in Brownwood, Tex. He served in the Navy from 1943 to 1951, participated in rescues of downed U.S. airmen during the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, his family said. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1985 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. After leaving active-duty military service, he was a test pilot for private firms, a helicopter instructor for Japans air force, and a technical operations adviser for the army in what then was Burma (now also known as Myanmar). From staff reports GiftOutline Gift Article Gulls and terns on the southern end of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. (Anna Mazurek for The Post) This North Carolina barrier island has a colorful past that belies its tranquil present. One of the hot button topics in education at the moment is the issue of classroom discipline and student behaviour. Because everyone has been to school, everyone also has an opinion on the issue, often ill-informed and, at times, extremely unhelpful. A hot button topic is the issue of student behaviour. Credit:iStock As is commonly the case when we seek global responses to problems we face, the reality of the solutions required are more complex than they first seem. For example, there is a tendency to assume the solution always lies with the individual teacher and their capacity to maintain order in class. While there is certainly some truth in that view, consider a scenario that commonly occurs in schools. Teacher A, in one classroom is valiantly seeking to implement the schools expectation that students do not use their mobile phones in class. On telling the students she requires them to put their phones away, she is told by one of her more voluble charges that Teacher B, a little further down the corridor, doesnt care if they do. Teacher A is immediately undermined and, despite her willingness and capacity to follow the rule, is somewhat less able to make it work. Russias shocking war crimes in the towns of Bucha and Borodyanka must be punished. Unarmed prisoners were executed in cold blood, whether civilians or suspected Ukrainian defenders. Some were gruesomely tortured or raped. Defenceless civilians were murdered by snipers or ripped apart by tank shells, including when fleeing or searching for food or water. All of this follows a month of deliberate or indiscriminate Russian attacks on civilians elsewhere. The Australian government is right to call these war crimes. They could also be crimes against humanity, which involve a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population. They are unlikely to be genocide, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims, since this requires the deliberate physical extermination of Ukraines people because of their nationality. Russias attacks instead seem intended to terrorise civilians, punish Ukraines resistance, eliminate non-existent Nazis, or inflict gratuitous or vengeful violence. Ukrainian servicemen check for booby traps in bodies, homes and abandoned equipment after Russian forces attacked the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. Credit:AP It matters little if these crimes are not genocide. War crimes and crimes against humanity are also grave international crimes, condemned by the whole world, and like genocide they can be punished with up to life imprisonment. Every country has the right of universal jurisdiction under international law to prosecute them, even when they occur in other countries. Already, there are many legal processes under way to bring perpetrators to justice. Investigations are being conducted by prosecutors from Ukraine, many European countries, and the International Criminal Court. Evidence is also being documented by a United Nations Human Rights Council inquiry, as part of a European Court of Human Rights case, and many expert NGOs. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Alabama lawmakers approved sweeping legislation Thursday to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender kids and advanced a separate measure prohibiting early classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity. The Alabama House of Representatives voted 66-28 for legislation to make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of people under age 19. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature as Alabama becomes the latest red state to promote legislation and policies aimed at trans youth. Ivey has not indicated whether she will sign it. Rep. Neil Rafferty, a Democrat and the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to struggle to hold back his anger and maintain composure as lawmakers headed to the vote. "This is wrong," Rafferty said. "Y'all sit there and campaign on family being the foundation of our nation... but what this bill is doing is totally undermining that. It's totally undermining family rights, health rights and access to health care." Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, sponsor of the House version of the bill, argued during debate Thursday morning that transgender youth are not old enough to make decisions about gender-affirming medication. "Their brains are not developed to make the decisions long term about what these medications and surgeries do to their body," Allen said. Rep. Chris England, who serves as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said the measure targets already vulnerable children and essentially tells them they are not welcome in Alabama. "You're saying this is about children. It's not. What it is about is scoring political points and using those children as collateral damage," England said. The bill would also require school counselors, nurses and others to tell parents if a child discloses they believe they are transgender. A spokeswoman for Ivey did not immediately reply to a text message asking if the governor will sign the measure. "I want the governor to know that she doesn't have to sign this. She can veto it," Jeff Walker, whose 15-year-old daughter, Harleigh, is transgender, said Thursday afternoon. "All you are doing is hurting Alabama families with these bills." Arkansas approved a similar law in 2021, but it was put on hold by the courts. Advocacy groups in Alabama have vowed to quickly challenge the measure if Ivey signs it into law. In a written statement, Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Project, called the Alabama measure "the most deadly, sweeping, and hostile law targeting transgender people in the country." White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned states such laws and policies may violate the Constitution and federal law. "Today's vote in Alabama will only serve to harm kids," she said. The Alabama Senate advanced separate legislation Thursday related to public school bathrooms and discussions of gender and sexual identity in early grades. Senators voted 26-5 to approve legislation mandating that K-12 students can only use multiperson bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender on their original birth certificate, rather than their current gender identity. Florida governor signs Parental Rights in Education bill The law bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" to students in kindergarten through third grade. Republicans in the Senate also added language similar to Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, which was signed into law last week by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Alabama language would "prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity" for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The Alabama proposal goes further than Florida's law, which includes grades K-3. Casting has been revealed for the new production of Craig Adams and Ian Watson's hit musical LIFT. The piece, which follows a group of strangers in a lift as their lives converge for 54 seconds, was first seen at the Soho Theatre in 2013, with a cast including Cynthia Erivo and George Maguire. Appearing will be Luke Friend (he/him, American Idiot) as Busker, alongside Hiba Elchikhe (she/her, Everybody's Talking About Jamie) as Secretary, Kayleigh McKnight (she/her, Heathers) as the French teacher, Jordan Broatch (they/them, Anyone Can Whistle) as Avatar and Marco Titus (he/him, Mandela A New Musical) as BYT. The cast is completed by three company members making their professional debuts Cameron Collins (he/him) as the Ballet Dancer, Tamara Morgan (she/her) as the Lap Dancer and Chrissie Bhima (she/her) as Avatar. Friend said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be a part of the wonderful cast of LIFT! This show is going to be so intimate and unique. Being a songwriter and Busker myself for many years, I feel as though I completely and utterly relate to my character's story andthe message he is trying to bring across. I can't wait to give everything to this role and perform at Southwark playhouse for the first time. This is a real treat for me." Elchikhe added: "I am really looking forward to being a part of LIFT the musical with this incredible group of people. I can't wait for you all to see it." See cast portraits here: The show, which runs from 13 May to 18 June, is directed by Dean Johnson (he/him, BKLYN), with musical direction and new arrangements by Sam Young (he/him, White Christmas) and choreography by Annie Southall (she/her, The Jungle Book). Johnson said today: "Since we first began the journey of our revival of LIFT, we knew casting would be integral to how we could present the show as a snapshot of London in 2022. We had the most sensational audition process and the UK is certainly not short of incredible and diverse talent, and this allowed us to find an incredible group of people that can bring this story to life in a fresh way. I really believe our cast demonstrates how exciting the talent pool is in our industry with a mixture of established and incredible artists alongside fresh new faces. I really think they are going to blow the roof off Southwark Playhouse as a collective group of artists!" The creative team will include Andrew Exeter (he/him, High Fidelity) as production designer, Natalia Alvarez (she/her) as associate designer, Xinyi Du (she/her) as assistant designer and Eden Howes (she/her) as assistant director. Casting is by Pearson Casting. There's such excitement surrounding the American playwright Jeremy O Harris. His Slave Play, in which the attitudes of the American Civil War became role play in a sex workshop, ignited Broadway,earning the most Tony nominations (12) of any straight play. His work on the film Zola and the super cool TV series Euphoria have increased the sense of dazzle. It's a shame then that his first play to arrive in the UK is Daddy, written before Slave Play but produced after. For all its operatic staging and ambitious intent, this feels like a young man's work full of wild energy and sharp writing, but not necessarily as rich as it initially appears. It boasts an amazing setting. Matt Saunders, imported like the director Danya Taymor from the US production, has created a glistening, real swimming pool with glassy mansion behind and palm trees on the horizon. It's like stepping into a David Hockney painting of LA deliberately so, because this is the height of the dreams of talented young artist Franklin (Terique Jarrett). We first meet him, smiling with conspiratorial glee, emerging from that pool at the home of Andre (Claes Bang), an art collector who buys contemporary masterpieces by the yard (Twombly, Lichtenstein, Calder, Basquiat). "You have money, but the taste is like, booty," Franklin, observes, boldly. Andre takes him under his wing, becoming not only Franklin's lover, but his "sugar despot", calling him his "little Naomi" after the super model Naomi Campbell, who once took a lap in the same pool. The dynamics of their relationship shift and muddy; there's a lot of nude coupling, a bit of slapping and spanking, a sense of underlying, uneasy threat. Franklin calls Andre Daddy, and his two airhead friends lively performances from John McCrea and Ioanna Kimbook are overwhelmed by the sudden largesse on offer, and worried that Andre's presence is distorting Franklin's success as an artist. Then Franklin's bible-thumping mother Zora turns up, and the play becomes a battle for his soul, with Zora's scriptural sense and belief that the pain a Black mother experiences bringing up a boy gives her special rights, pitted against Andre's devilish magnetism and Franklin's desperate desire to find the father missing from his childhood. Oh, and there's a gospel choir who punctuate the action like a Greek chorus, and a pretty ferocious satire of the art world, where Franklin succeeds by making misshapen soft-cloth figures that represent his inner feelings. Andre's, predictably, is white and does not have a face. It's all presented with considerable panache, with Taymor's direction revelling in its bold effects a karaoke rendition of George Michael's "Father Figure", the wedding breakfast from hell (evocatively lit by Isabella Byrd), the pool as a site for baptism and cleansing. The performances too are engaging. Jarrett makes Franklin a wonderfully conflicted figure, both used and using, brave and terrified; his emotions flit across his face like words. Bang, on the other hand, conceals Andre's feelings; his motivation is never clear. There's a fine moment when they dance together, the disparity in their height making Franklin look exactly like one of his puppets. As Zora, Sharlene Whyte cuts a magnificent swathe through the action, all expressive gestures and impassioned belief. And Jenny Rainsford contributes a brilliant cameo as Franklin's gallerist Alessia, prone to phrases such as "Patronage is nothing to be ashamed of." Yet underneath all the glitzy, glamorous trappings, Daddy is a fairly simple story of a confused young man trying to work out the psycho dramas of his upbringing. It's brightly clever rather than illuminating. It subtitles itself a melodrama. Yet the point about melodramas as the programme essay points out is that they have a direct line to emotional truth. Daddy feels as if it has inverted commas around its pain. The Winnipeg punk group North Graffiti keeps defying the odds. Rock groups can split apart at a moments notice for a host of reasons, even if their music catches the attention and ears of fans and critics. Not North Graffiti though. The group, which includes frontman Johannes Lodewyks, guitarist Kyle Monkman, bassist Marty LaFreniere and Joel Leonhardt on drums, have stuck together for eight years playing their up-tempo 90s sound at the citys clubs, with only a couple of singles released prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to its credit. "Weve kind of formed out of the ashes of a few different bands," says Lodewyks, 36, who has been a fixture on the citys rock scene going back to his late teens. "Were all about longevity. We want to be in the band for a long time, and COVID really put us to the test. "Its an extremely polarizing time. I cant even imagine how many bands didnt make it out unscathed. Were lucky were all like-minded guys." North Graffitis pandemic-enhanced dry spell ends Friday with the release of debut album Modern Relics and a launch party Saturday night at the Park Theatre, alongside Mobina Galore and the 12/21. Heavy bill The Godfather of shock rock and a metal group that has followed his theatrical footsteps usher in the latest wave of arena concerts in Winnipeg. Alice Cooper plays Canada Life Centre Saturday night, along with California rockers Buckcherry, almost 50 years to the day that he released the record that began a legend. Schools Out came out April 26, 1972 and shortly thereafter rose to No. 3 in Canadas Hot 100 chart as the title track of a No. 1 album. The song is as much a part of Cooper as his penchant for fake blood, reptiles and execution devices at his macabre concerts. click to read more The Godfather of shock rock and a metal group that has followed his theatrical footsteps usher in the latest wave of arena concerts in Winnipeg. Alice Cooper plays Canada Life Centre Saturday night, along with California rockers Buckcherry, almost 50 years to the day that he released the record that began a legend. Schools Out came out April 26, 1972 and shortly thereafter rose to No. 3 in Canadas Hot 100 chart as the title track of a No. 1 album. The song is as much a part of Cooper as his penchant for fake blood, reptiles and execution devices at his macabre concerts. Hes even spoofed the song, and his image, in a commercial for Staples, promoting a back-to-school sale. Expect Schools Out to be Saturdays show-stopper, although Cooper and his band will play tracks from his latest album, Detroit Stories, which rose to No. 1 on Billboards album chart upon its release in February 2021. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.ca, ranging from $50.25 to $136.75. More chaos, gore and loud music will be on the bill Monday night, when Slipknot brings its Knotfest Roadshow to Canada Life Place. While Slipknots heavy metal sound has earned the group 30 million records sold and a Grammy award, like Alice Cooper, the group formed in Des Moines, Iowa, is known for stage theatrics, strange costumes and masks, and not the ones audience members might wear. Also on the bill are Los Angeles group In This Moment and Floridas Wage War. Tickets are selling for between $95 to $406.97 on Ticketmaster. Close Itll be the groups first live gig since late 2019. Theyve been able to shake off some rust in rehearsals and a 17-minute YouTube livestream (http://wfp.to/northgraffiti) that came out March 31 but Lodewyks admits its no replacement for setting the groove for people right in front of you. "Its going to be a return to form for all three bands and showgoers who have left that part of themselves for two years now," he says. "Im sure that room is going to be full of positivity, as everybody is just dying to get back to it." They recorded Modern Relics in 2018 and 2019 a collection of 25 or so songs whittled down to 11 and had plans to release it in the spring of 2020. North Graffiti had to either adjust their timeline or their expectations, like so many people whove stashed hopes and dreams on back burners for two years or abandoned them altogether. "We debated a few times, Should we put it out through COVID?, but in the end, we decided we didnt want to be somebodys soundtrack to somebodys lockdown," Lodewyks says. "Its going to be a cathartic release for us to finally get it out there and show what weve been working on for years." Like so many punk rockers, the Winnipeg foursomes gateway was via the Clash, and they often, pre-pandemic, took part in Clash and Joe Strummer tributes at the West End Cultural Centre. It was punks 1990s next wave, which included bands like Green Day and the Hold Steady, that steered North Graffiti into what they call "boutique punk." "Its somewhere between Rancid and Bruce Springsteen," Lodewyks says with a chuckle. "Theyre not as far apart as some people think they are but certainly, thats the kind of fence were on." Not only are Monkman and LaFreniere playing guitar and bass, they provide skills that benefit the band away from the stage. Monkman is an audio engineer besides being lead guitarist, while LaFrenieres video-editing skills can be seen in the video for the North Graffiti song I Was a Lone Wolf, which includes some stop-motion animation. JOEY SENFT Saturdays show at the Park will be North Graffitis first live gig since 2019. Im sure that room is going to be full of positivity, as everybody is just dying to get back to it, says Johannes Lodewyks (second left), with (from left) Marty LaFreniere, Kyle Monkman and Joel Leonhardt. "The whole video is thousands of pictures all cut together. It was made to look like one single take," Lodewyks says. "That cemented our DIY ethic. Were always punks at heart, but that really drove it home that we can do this without a label, without a whole team behind us." The groups love of writing and performing their songs has been a big reason for North Graffitis staying power. They know how fickle the music scene can be. "The music industry is not very giving in return," Lodewyks says. "It takes up a lot of time and energy and youve got to be in it for the love of it because its not going to give back as much as you put in." Alan.Small@winnipegfreepress.com Twitter: @AlanDSmall If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. NEW YORK (AP) CBS News reporter Debora Patta has covered conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Europe. She has seen violence and death at close range before. But the atrocities she witnessed in Bucha, Ukraine this week stood out, and overwhelmed her. FILE - The hand of a corpse buried along with other bodies is seen in a mass grave in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 3, 2022. Ukrainian leaders have encouraged journalists to document what is happening in the country. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) NEW YORK (AP) CBS News reporter Debora Patta has covered conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Europe. She has seen violence and death at close range before. But the atrocities she witnessed in Bucha, Ukraine this week stood out, and overwhelmed her. "We need to be disturbed by these pictures," Patta said on "CBS Mornings," after describing what she and other journalists witnessed in the outskirts of Kyiv. The war changed this week from a media perspective, which is how most people outside of Ukraine experience it. Before, events had been seen primarily from a slight distance fiery explosions caught on camera or drone-eyed views of burned-out buildings. Now, with the Ukrainian army retaking control of villages near Kyiv that had been brutalized by Russian soldiers, journalists are capturing the aftermath of horrific violence at close range of dead bodies bound, tortured and burned. While theres a sense that images like these might change public opinion or have an impact on how a war plays out, historically that hasnt often been the case, said Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland who specializes in war and the media. Still, several countries, including the United States and Britain, imposed additional sanctions on Russia this week, and they cited the brutality in Bucha as compelling them to do more. Whatever the impact, Adelman said it is critical to have journalists on hand to document what is going on. "Bearing witness is crucially important, particularly in cases of catastrophic loss," she said. "Sometimes the photograph is all you have left." Photographs and video from Bucha showed body bags piled in trenches, lifeless limbs protruding from hastily dug graves, and corpses scattered in streets where they fell, including one man blown off a bicycle. Journalists from around the world also interviewed Ukrainians emerging from their hiding places to tell stories about the barbarism they witnessed from Russian soldiers. TV anchors and correspondents warned viewers that they were about to see graphic and disturbing pictures a warning that came four times in one episode of "World News Tonight" on ABC. "I'm sorry I have to show you this," CNN's Frederik Pleitgen apologized, before motioning a camera to show body bags piled in a van. "While we may want to look away, it is becoming harder and harder to close our eyes to what's happening," NBC "Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt said in his warning to viewers. Veteran television news producer Rick Kaplan said that, from what he's seen, news organizations have been careful in what they've shown without flinching from the story. "Every day we have these images it brings (the war) home more and more," said Kaplan, a former president of both CNN and MSNBC. "It's a good thing that this horrifies us. Can you imagine if we were blase about it?" The gruesome images from Bucha, in particular, have dominated news reports around the world. The BBC reported on the continued "world revulsion." Italian state TV gave no warning before showing bodies with bound hands, half-buried in sandy terrain. "What you see from here, unfortunately, are signs of torture on the face," journalist Stefania Battistini said. "All are wearing civilian clothes." Narrating a story on Fakty, Poland's most-watched evening news program, anchor Grzegorz Kajdanowicz said "it is our duty to warn you, but also to show you what the Russians did in Bucha and several other places." It was different in Russia, where state television falsely claimed Ukraine was responsible for either killing civilians themselves or perpetrating a hoax. Russian TV has also run images of dead bodies in Bucha, some taken from CNN, with the word "fake" stamped on the screen, according to Internet Archive, a company that collects and saves Web and television content. The Russian propaganda prompted many Western news organizations to debunk those claims by using satellite imagery to show that many dead bodies that were documented on the ground this week by journalists had been in the same spots when Russia controlled the town. Some of the most graphic images were compiled in a short video made by Ukraine to accompany President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the United Nations on Tuesday. To a soundtrack of somber music and the cries of children, the video showed close-ups of corpses and body parts. Technical difficulties delayed its airing until well after Zelenskyy talked, giving networks like CNN and Fox News Channel that had aired the speech time to present it later in edited form. But MSNBC appeared to show it in full, leaving anchor Andrea Mitchell visibly shaken. "That's just horrific," she said. "I don't think the world has seen anything like it." Ukraine has a clear motivation to show the world what is happening, and journalists accompanied Zelenskyy on a visit to Bucha on Monday. While television and the Internet give greater immediacy to war coverage, heart-wrenching images and their potential to shape public opinion are hardly new. Harvard historian Drew Faust, author of "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War," noted that when Matthew Brady had an exhibit of his Civil War photographs in 1862, The New York Times wrote, "if he has not brought bodies and laid them in our dooryards and along the streets, he has done something very like it." When a memorable photo was circulated of a 5-year-old boy sitting dazed and bloodied after being rescued from a bombing in Aleppo, Syria in 2016, NPR asked in a headline, "Can one photo help end a war?" It hasn't yet. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A danger, too, is that in a world not easily shocked people will become numb to the pictures. That's Faust's fear, particularly as she expressed surprise that many people became strangely disconnected to the news of so many people dying of COVID-19. As more communities are liberated from Russian rule, the number of ghastly images will almost certainly multiply. "A little caution will be needed going forward so every news program doesn't become a parade of horrible images," said news consultant and retired NBC News executive Bill Wheatley. Yet one of the surprises of this war, along with Ukraine's ability to stave off a quick defeat, is the way Zelenskyy has been able to win the information battle and unite opposition in a way that was not anticipated. In that context, the images may help make a difference. ___ Associated Press correspondents Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy; Louise Dixon in London; Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland; and Amanda Seitz in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. WATERLOO, ONTARIO - BlackBerry Ltd. says it has reached a deal to settle a drawn-out class action lawsuit alleging the company defrauded shareholders by making misleading claims about its BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Old Blackberries are pictured in North Vancouver, B.C. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. BlackBerry Ltd. says it has reached a deal to settle a drawn-out class action lawsuit that alleged the company defrauded shareholders by making misleading claims about its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jonathan Hayward WATERLOO, ONTARIO - BlackBerry Ltd. says it has reached a deal to settle a drawn-out class action lawsuit alleging the company defrauded shareholders by making misleading claims about its BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Under the agreement in principle, the Waterloo, Ont., software company says it would pay $165 million to settle the claims outlined in the eight-year-old lawsuit. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. BlackBerry says it believes the allegations in the case are without merit but says the settlement would eliminate the distraction, expense and risk of continued litigation. The class action lawsuit, Pearlstein v. Blackberry Ltd. et al., was filed in a U.S. court in 2013. It alleged that the company made a series of materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning its now discontinued BlackBerry 10 smartphones that inflated the price of BlackBerry's stock. The company, which now focuses on security software and services to enterprises and governments, says the settlement was reached following a voluntary mediation process. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:BB) TORONTO - The Liberal government will try to ease Canada's housing crisis with more than $10 billion in funding meant to speed up home construction and repairs along with measures to cool the market and help those trying to buy their first home. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tables the federal budget in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Thursday, April 7, 2022. The federal Liberal government hopes to ease the housing crisis with more than $10 billion in funding meant to speed up home construction and repairs. The commitments are part of a raft of promises in the federal budget unveiled Thursday that also include a two-year ban on foreign investors buying homes and tax measures meant to reduce speculation.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TORONTO - The Liberal government will try to ease Canada's housing crisis with more than $10 billion in funding meant to speed up home construction and repairs along with measures to cool the market and help those trying to buy their first home. "The central challenge in Canada when it comes to housing is a lack of supply. And this budget is about tackling that head on," said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a press conference Thursday afternoon, before the government unveiled its latest federal spending plans. Freeland has committed to doubling the number of homes built each year over the next decade to about 400,000 to help meet the 3.5 million homes the government estimates are needed by 2031, but the plans rely heavily on co-operation with other levels of government and the private sector. We recognize the federal government does not have all the tools to increase housing supply, so we've tried to be really creative and put forward ways that the federal government can work with municipalities, provinces and territories to drive housing supply," said Freeland. The spending includes $4 billion in a broad accelerator fund for municipalities to help with planning and delivery of housing, with a target of 100,000 new units over five years. Theres also $1.5 billion over two years for upwards of 6,000 new affordable housing units through the Rapid Housing Initiative, $475 million for those facing affordability challenges, and the acceleration of $2.9 billion in already promised spending through a co-investment fund to provide housing to vulnerable Canadians. Other measures include $150 million for affordable housing in Northern Canada over the next two years, more than $600 million for new and existing programs to address homelessness, money reallocated to co-operative housing, and just over $1 billion for a variety of home energy efficiency initiatives, including loans and grants for greener affordable housing. Commitments also include $4.3 billion in spending for Indigenous communities over seven years, including $2.4 billion for on-reserve housing, though those figures are far short of what advocates say is needed. The Liberals say they will also leverage more than $40 billion in infrastructure funding to push cities and provinces to act faster on housing. The efforts to boost supply come amid an overheated market that saw prices climb more than 20 per cent since last year to hit a record $816,720 in February, while rental rates have also been rising. The budget will strive to deliver some pricing relief by banning foreign buyers from home purchases for the next two years, though there are exemptions for permanent residents, international students and refugees, and to tax home sales within a year of purchase as business income, though there are numerous exemptions for major life events. The Liberals have also announced a review of how much large companies buying homes is affecting the market, and what options such as tax measures they have to address the growing trend, but made no policy commitments on the issue. The government however needs to move faster to counter housing becoming an asset class, said Ricardo Tranjan, Ontario senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, in a release. This is yet another budget without measures to curb the financialization of housing. By this time next year, even more homes will be owned by speculators rather than by working families." He said there were encouraging signs on housing but that the government should be making programs like the Rapid Housing Initiative permanent. The federal government is definitely back into the housing game and thats good news but theres room to go bolder and do more for tenant families." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The budget also includes measures to help people trying to get into the market, including a new savings account and changes to the first-time homebuyers tax credit. Homebuyers in general will gain more protections through a bill of rights that is proposed to include a right to a home inspection, an end to blind bidding a widely-used practice where sellers don't disclose competing bids as well as potential mortgage deferrals and increased disclosures from real estate agents. Tim Hudak, chief executive of the Ontario Real Estate Association, welcomed the spending commitments, but said proposals to change how homes are sold, which include the end to blind bidding, would undermine consumer choice. "The commitment to ban the traditional offer process is a massive step back. It would unfairly target the financial nest egg of hundreds of thousands of families," he said in a release. There are, however, signs that the real estate industry is coming around to more transparent bidding after the Canadian Real Estate Association committed on Wednesday to pilot real-time tracking of bids on homes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. WASHINGTON (AP) A Real Housewives of Beverly Hills TV star, a Paralympic swimmer and a self-described brand king were among the Instagram and TikTok influencers who were paid by Chinese officials for a discreet campaign that promoted the Beijing Winter Olympics, new Justice Department documents reveal. Guards stand outside of the Chinese consulate in New York, on March 28, 2022. Some of China's state media reporters are identifying as travel bloggers and lifestyle influencers on U.S.-owned social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, racking up millions of followers from around the globe. The Associated Press has identified dozens of these accounts, which are part of a network of profiles that allow China to easily peddle propaganda to unsuspecting social media users. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) WASHINGTON (AP) A Real Housewives of Beverly Hills TV star, a Paralympic swimmer and a self-described brand king were among the Instagram and TikTok influencers who were paid by Chinese officials for a discreet campaign that promoted the Beijing Winter Olympics, new Justice Department documents reveal. The social media posts fanned across a variety of popular Instagram and TikTok accounts that have a combined following of 5 million people who follow their videos, photos and content about travel destinations, sports, fashion and womens issues. The Chinese Consulate in New York paid $300,000 to New Jersey-based firm Vippi Media to recruit the influencers. The posts were not properly labeled as ads in the way that TikTok and Instagram requires. It allows them to boost the reach and the resonance of their messaging to make it appear to be authentic, independent content, Jessica Brandt, a Brookings Institution expert on foreign interference and disinformation, said of China's social media campaign. More details about the social media campaign were disclosed in filings Monday with the Justice Department, just days after an Associated Press examination revealed that China is using a sweeping network of influencers and social media accounts to subtly proffer propaganda to users around the globe. The AP's reporting found that Vippi Media had not yet filed updates with the Justice Department on its influencer campaign, even though federal law requires the company to do so within 24 hours of materials being disseminated. The company had registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a 1938 law that is meant to allow Americans to know when foreign entities are trying to influence public opinion or policymakers. Vippi Media's campaign, targeted at U.S. social media users, reached roughly 4 million users with ads that were scattered in stories, videos and posts across TikTok and Instagram in January, February and March by nearly a dozen influencers. The accounts named in the filing shared posts promoting the Olympics with the hashtags #Beijing2022, #partner and #ad. A majority of the Instagram and TikTok content shared by the influencers simply advertised the Winter Olympics, shared pictures from some of the ceremonial events or gave insight on Chinese cultural customs. Crystal Kung Minkoff, a cast member of Bravos Real Housewives of Beverly Hills who was listed as one of the influencers hired by Vippi Media, posted a video on her Instagram where she conducted an at-home, faux news-style broadcast of a mock Olympics game of musical chairs with her children. Later the post congratulates Team USA and says Beijing is the first city to host the summer and winter games. A message left with Minkoff was not immediately answered. Meanwhile, Jessica Long, a decorated Paralympic swimmer and popular Instagram personality, celebrated the upcoming Olympics in a Jan. 27 post to her nearly 100,000 followers. Have fun making lasting memories at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Long didn't immediately return request for comment. One of the most striking videos came from TikTok influencer Ryan Dubs, a brand-king" with more than a half-million followers on his account, where he frequently hawks skin care products. Dubs posted a 3-minute-long interview with Chinas Consul General in New York, Huang Ping, who spoke with the Chinese and U.S. flags behind him. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The spots caption includes hashtags for the Beijing 2022 games. Huang and Dubs decry U.S. tariffs against Chinese imports. Dubs says he has amazing suppliers in China and encourages entrepreneurs in the U.S. to do business with China. Haung followed up by inviting U.S. businesses to come to China in the video. The Beijing games feature briefly, with Dubs saying they helped define China in 2022. Dubs did not immediately respond to the APs request for comment. It's unclear how much each influencer was paid to post the content. Minkoff, Long and Dubs used #partner in their posts, but did not directly identify who sponsored the content. Instagram requires that influencers tag the sponsor, and both TikTok and Instagram require their users to register the posts as a paid partnership with the company. Most influencers, however, flout those rules leaving social media users in the dark about who is paying for the posts they see in their feeds. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde tweeted Thursday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms but will continue working from home. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde looks the Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades during a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Lagarde is visiting European Union member Cyprus amid the country's continuing efforts to buttress its banking system following a 2013 financial crisis that nearly brought the island nation to bankruptcy. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde tweeted Thursday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms but will continue working from home. I am vaccinated and boosted, and my symptoms are thankfully reasonably mild, Lagarde, 66, wrote on Twitter. I will work from home in Frankfurt until I am fully recovered. There is no impact on the ECBs operations. The news conference she typically holds following the meeting of the Frankfurt-based banks rate-setting council is slated to go ahead next Thursday, with the format to be decided in the coming days. Lagarde's tweet comes as numerous European countries have dropped nearly all their COVID-19 restrictions and are battling a surge of the virus fueled by the highly infectious omicron subvariant BA.2. Another tweet from Lagarde shows her speaking unmasked with European finance ministers at a meeting Monday. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also has tested positive for COVID-19, her spokesman said Thursday, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden. Like everyone else, Manitobas pork industry which contributes $1.7 billion to the provincial economy had all sorts of challenges throughout the pandemic, but it still continued to grow. Like everyone else, Manitobas pork industry which contributes $1.7 billion to the provincial economy had all sorts of challenges throughout the pandemic, but it still continued to grow. And as if the public health regime used to push back COVID-19 was a dress rehearsal, the industry is becoming mobilized to keep diseases like African swine fever (ASF) and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in check. And if that is not enough, the province is also bracing itself to deal with the a potential growing population of the most invasive large mammal species on the planet wild boars. At Manitoba Porks annual meeting on Wednesday, Rick Prejet, the organizations chairman, said, "Disease management is a key issue going into 2022." It is part of the organizations new five-year strategic plan that focuses on industry profitability, engagement and public trust. Notwithstanding the industrys concern about disease control there have been 92 cases of PED confirmed in the province since Oct. 25, 2021, and no incidents of ASF and being on guard against the spread of wild boars, Cam Dahl, Manitoba Porks CEO said it is "a growing industry that attracts investment, sustains independent production, and provides economic opportunity for a wide range of producers, including young producers." Last year, Maple Leaf Foods, the dominant player in the provincial pork industry, invested $182 million in its new bacon facility in Winnipeg, creating 350 jobs and the Dutch company, Topigs Norsvin, spent more than $30 million on a new hog genetics facility north of Gladstone. Dahl also noted there were nine new barns approved in 2021 with room for 3,100 more sows and about 80,000 nursery and finishing piglets. Prejet and others made the point that overcoming just about everything the industry has to deal with depends on the entire industry working together. "Communication and collaboration is at the core of all we do," Prejet said. That is likely to be a crucial element in the provinces efforts to deal with potential packs of enormous, menacing wild beasts. Dr. Wayne Lees, the provinces former chief veterinary officer, is on the provinces invasive swine eradication project that was just created in January. "It is brand new," he said. "Some of the other provinces have been at this for a few years. We are trying to get up to speed. But one of the benefits is we can learn from what others have done." Ryan Brook, a University of Saskatchewan animal and poultry science professor, is the countrys expert in wild boars/wild pig problem. Brook, who also spoke at the Manitoba Pork AGM, did not mince words. "There are no predators, they are insanely aggressive, they eat just about anything and they keep going all year," he said, with two litters per year of about six piglets per litter. He has been studying wild pigs for 12 years and part of his pitch is to convince people they actually exist. But his team has recorded more than 60,000 sightings across the country, the overwhelming majority of them in the Prairies. His work indicated that the vast majority are in Saskatchewan but about 30 per cent are in Manitoba with the area around Spruce Woods the hot spot in this province. "It is a very serious issue that we need to take seriously," he said. They come in all sorts of hybrid breeds but can be massive. Brook said the biggest one hes handled was 638 pounds and hes seen one that was more than 800 pounds. They have become established in the U.S with about seven million mostly in Texas, Florida, and California. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Theyre a huge problem there," Brook said. "The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) tells us they account for about $2.5 billion per year in crop damage alone. It is a massive impact." As well as all the ecological damage they cause their voracious appetites alter the entire ecosystem in the area they are a cause for concern for the commercial hog industry in the province because of their potential to spread disease. Lees said that despite the tight bio-safety measures in place in most hog barns in the province, there is always the chance that disease can get transmitted. Just like the importance the hog industry places on collaboration and co-operation, Brook said managing wild boars needs the same degree of co-operation across the Prairies. "Once you have firmly established wild pigs, get ready to live with them. The window is shut. They are there forever," he said. "You can manage risk and control the population but you will have them." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca MONTREAL - Richelieu Hardware Ltd. posted a higher profit in its latest quarter amid a sharp rise in sales as the company added three new acquisitions to its network. Richard Lord, President and CEO of Richelieu Hardware, greets shareholders prior to the company's annual meeting, Thursday, April 6, 2017 in Montreal. Richelieu Hardware Ltd. posted a higher profit in its latest quarter amid a sharp rise in sales as the company added three new acquisitions to its network. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL - Richelieu Hardware Ltd. posted a higher profit in its latest quarter amid a sharp rise in sales as the company added three new acquisitions to its network. The maker of specialty hardware and other products says net earnings attributable to shareholders was $30.1 million or 53 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Feb. 28. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The result compared with a profit of $21 million or 37 cents per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier. Sales in the Montreal-based company's first quarter reached $384.5 million, up from $298 million a year ago. Richelieu president and CEO Richard Lord says the company completed the acquisitions of Compi Distributors of Missouri and Illinois, HGH Hardware Supply of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, and National Builders Hardware of Oregon at the end of 2021. He says the three acquisitions added approximately $100 million in annual sales and help strengthen the company's position in the U.S. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:RCH) BEIJING (AP) Residents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the government tries to contain a spreading outbreak. A worker, left, holds a paper displaying a health QR code to ask people to scan the code before boarding a shutter bus at a bus stand, Thursday, April 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) BEIJING (AP) Residents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the government tries to contain a spreading outbreak. People in China's business capital complain online grocers often are sold out. Some received government food packages of meat and vegetables for a few days. But with no word on when they will be allowed out, anxiety is rising. Zhang Yu, 33, said her household of eight eats three meals a day but has cut back to noodles for lunch. They received no government supplies. Its not easy to keep this up, said Zhang, who starts shopping online at 7 a.m. We read on the news there is (food), but we just cant buy it, she said. As soon as you go to the grocery shopping app, it says todays orders are filled. The complaints are an embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party during a politically sensitive year when President Xi Jinping is expected to try to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as leader. Shanghai highlights the soaring human and economic cost of China's zero-COVID strategy that aims to isolate every infected person. FILE - A delivery man arranges his orders in a lockdown area in the Jingan district of western Shanghai, on April 4, 2022. Residents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the government tries to contain a spreading outbreak.(AP Photo/Chen Si, File) On Thursday, the government reported 23,107 new cases nationwide, all but 1,323 of which had no symptoms. That included 19,989 in Shanghai, where only 329 had symptoms. Complaints about food shortages began after Shanghai closed segments of the city on March 28. Plans called for four-day closures of districts while residents were tested. That changed to an indefinite citywide shutdown after case numbers soared. Shoppers who got little warning stripped supermarket shelves. City officials apologized publicly last week and promised to improve food supplies. Officials say Shanghai, home of the worlds busiest port and Chinas main stock exchange, has enough food. But a deputy mayor, Chen Tong, acknowledged Thursday getting it the last 100 meters to households is a challenge. Shanghais battle against the epidemic has reached the most critical moment, Chen said at a news conference, according to state media. He said officials must go all out to get living supplies to the citys 25 million people. At the same event, a vice president of Meituan, China's biggest food delivery platform, blamed a shortage of staff and vehicles, according to a transcript released by the company. The executive, Mao Fang, said Meituan has moved automated delivery vehicles and nearly 1,000 extra employees to Shanghai. Another online grocer, Dingdong, said it shifted 500 employees in Shanghai from other posts to making deliveries. FILE - A delivery man passes by barriers set up to lock down a community in Shanghai, China, on March 30, 2022. Residents of Shanghai are struggling to get meat, rice and other food supplies under anti-coronavirus controls that confine most of its 25 million people in their homes, fueling frustration as the government tries to contain a spreading outbreak.(AP Photo/Chen Si, File) Li Xiaoliang, an employee of a courier company, complained the government overlooks people living in hotels. He said he is sharing a room with two coworkers after positive cases were found near his rented house. Li, 30, said they brought instant noodles but those ran out. Now, they eat one meal a day of 40 yuan ($6) lunch boxes ordered at the front desk, but the vendor sometimes doesn't deliver. On Thursday, Li said he had only water all day. The local government office "clearly said that they didnt care about those staying in the hotel and left us to find our own way," Li said. "What we need most now is supplies, food." After residents of a Shanghai apartment complex stood on their balconies to sing this week in a possible protest, a drone flew overhead and broadcast the message: Control the souls desire for freedom and do not open the window to sing. This behavior has the risk of spreading the epidemic. The government says it is trying to reduce the impact of its tactics, but authorities still are enforcing curbs that also block access to the industrial cities of Changchun and Jilin with millions of residents in the northeast. While the Shanghai port's managers say operations are normal, the chair of the city's chapter of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, Bettina Schoen-Behanzin, said its member companies estimate the volume of cargo handled has fallen 40%. Some large factories and financial firms are having employees sleep at work to keep operating. But Schoen-Behanzin said with no timetable to end lockdowns, some workers aren't volunteering any more. Residents of smaller cities also have been confined temporarily to their homes this year as Chinese officials try to contain outbreaks. In 2020, access to cities with a total of 60 million people was suspended in an unprecedented attempt to contain the outbreak. The ruling party organized vast supply networks to bring in food. A resident of the Minhang district on Shanghai's west side who asked to be identified only by her surname, Chen, said her household of five was given government food packages on March 30 and April 4. They included chicken, eggplant, carrots, broccoli and potatoes. Now, vegetables are available online but meat, fish and eggs are hard to find, Chen said. She joined a neighborhood buying club. Minimum orders are 3,000 yuan ($500), so you need other people," she said. Everyone is organizing to order food, because we cant count on the government to send it to us, Chen said. Theyre not reliable. A message from a viewer of an online news conference by the city's health bureau challenged officials: Put down the script! Please tell leaders to buy vegetables by mobile phone on the spot. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Gregory Gao, an operations specialist for an automaker who lives alone in the downtown Yangpu district, said only Meituan remains after food sellers said supply sites in the area were closing. I cant get anything for two or three days in a row, said Gao, 29. Zhang said some of her neighbors have run out of rice. The government told us at the beginning this would last four days, she said. Many people were not prepared. ___ AP researchers Chen Si in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. Journalists work in the media lockup, ahead of the tabling of the federal budget, in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Budget 2022: Highlights of the Liberal plan OTTAWA - Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled the 2022 federal budget on Thursday. Here are some of the highlights: $452.3 billion in new spending on projected revenue of $408.4 billion for a deficit of $52.8 billion. The debt to GDP ratio is pegged at 45.1 per cent. $4 billion over the next five years to launch a new fund in the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation to help cities and municipalities create more affordable housing, and $1.5 billion over two years to the CMHCs Rapid Housing Initiative to create 6,000 new affordable housing units with at least one-quarter of the funding dedicated to women-focused projects. $625 million over four years, starting in 2023-24, for child care, to help the provinces and territories build new facilities and make new investments. The new funding is a followup to the various federal child-care agreements with the provinces and territories after they raised concerns that non-profit and public providers were facing soaring real estate and building material costs. $1 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, to create an independent federal innovation and investment agency. The measure is designed to spur economic growth and address the fact that Canada is ranked last in the G7 in spending on research and development by business. The defence budget got new money with more than $8 billion pledged over five years to better equip the Canadian Armed Forces, reinforce cybersecurity and support a culture of change. The budget contained no road map on whether this would be enough to boost Canadas defence spending to the NATO target of two per cent of GDP, as the alliance works to bolster Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Up to $1 billion in new loan resources for the Ukrainian government through the International Monetary Fund to help keep its embattled government operating. $4 billion over six years, starting in 2021-22, to remove systemic barriers to First Nations children receiving services in health, education and social services. The funds are part of the governments commitment to Jordans Principle, which started in 2016. $5.3 billion over five years starting in 2022-23 and $1.7 billion ongoing to Health Canada to provide dental care to Canadians as a result of the Liberal-NDP agreement. The plan will start with children under 12 in 2022 at an initial cost of $300 million. $1.7 billion over five years starting in 2022-23 to help make zero-emission vehicles more affordable for people. The Canadian Infrastructure Bank will spend $500 million over five years to build infrastructure to support the 1,500 charging stations that the government has promised to build throughout Canada. $547 million over four years starting in 2022-23 to help businesses upgrade their fleets to zero-emission vehicles. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022. OTTAWA Some Ukrainians who are fleeing the Russian invasion will be stuck in Europe until June, instead of making their way to Manitoba, because of federal government rules. OTTAWA Some Ukrainians who are fleeing the Russian invasion will be stuck in Europe until June, instead of making their way to Manitoba, because of federal government rules. Where it lacks a little bit of clarity is with the federal government right now, said Myroslava Pidhirnyj, whose Ukrainian cultural centre Prosvita postponed a town hall it had organized for Thursday, citing a lack of information on government programming. She said a provincial task force seems to have made progress on things such as arranging for daycare, and enrolment in bilingual Ukrainian-English schools when people start to arrive. There is some movement, in terms of welcoming them and whos going to do that. Things are beginning to fall into place, and I think in the next couple of weeks a lot of that will become clearer. Ostap Skrypnyk, of the Manitoba branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said about 300 Ukrainians have reached out about moving to Manitoba. Thats nearly double from three weeks ago. The group has a list of Manitobans who have offered to host newcomers, which it capped at 700 people when offers kept flooding in. Up until now, most people have been coming to family and friends, so it hasnt been a real issue yet, Skrypnyk said. No ones coming off the plane at the airport at midnight from Toronto and saying, I have no place to stay. We havent heard of that. He said all levels of government and his congress are trying to plan programs on the fly. Wed like things to go quicker, but we fully understand that some of these things, to do right, take preparation, said Skrypnyk.We will be keeping in touch with them through email, Skrypnyk said. Pidhirnyj said the obvious hurdle is the biometric scan most adults require in order to get an emergency authorization to reach Canada. Ukrainians who have fled to countries such as Poland have to wait days outside of Canadian embassies, or book an appointment for weeks down the road. Theyve filled out the application; they already have their permit to come in, but they require the biometrics and the appointments are now being made for the end of May and the beginning of June, said Pidhirnyj. Ottawa has exempted children and seniors from the biometric requirement, but Pidhirnyj said many kids cant get on a plane until their mother is approved. She wondered why Ottawa doesnt allow these fingerprint scans to be done after Ukrainians arrive in Canada, which has been allowed for medical examinations. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser defended the requirement Wednesday. These decisions regarding biometric exemptions have been taken with great care, because we want to make sure that we maintain the confidence of Canadians, he told reporters. We have process in place that both expedites the arrival of Ukrainians and doesnt compromise on the important security outcomes. In the Manitoba legislature, the NDP argued the province had done nothing to help resettle Ukrainians, while the PC government pointed the finger at Ottawa. This (PC) government cant clarify what programs and what money theyre going to give for settlement services, said the NDP MLA Mark Wasyliw, who represents Fort Garry. This is a government that is avoiding leadership and avoiding responsibility and hiding behind the federal government for their inaction. Manitoba Immigration Minister Jon Reyes blamed Ottawa. The federal government needs to determine, and tell us, how many Ukrainians will be coming to Canada, he said. Our government has been responsive, taken action on the Ukrainian situation and will be ready when the first round of them come to Manitoba. Winnipeg Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux says his government and Manitobas PCs seem aligned on the desire to bring Ukrainians to Manitoba. As much as possible, Id like to tone down the politics of it, said the MP for Winnipeg North. Lamoureux hosted a virtual town hall last Sunday to try to determine why Manitoba has had so few newcomers despite it having the highest proportion of people with Ukrainian ancestry. He noted that both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador have plans to send delegations to Eastern Europe to promote immigration. He argued provinces should instead have a physical presence together, where Ukrainians can get information on which region might better match their needs and work experience. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. If there is no Canadian pavilion, I think Manitoba will not fare well, in terms of being able to capitalize on the goodwill that the people of Manitoba have, he said. Meanwhile, Frasers office said Ukrainians will choose where they resettle in Canada, and that many go where they have family contacts. Our government will continue to work in partnership with our provincial counterparts, who have all indicated that they want to help, wrote spokeswoman Aidan Strickland. This is an opportunity for Canada to work together. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Malak Abas Reporter Malak Abas is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Read full biography A Winnipeg couple are acting as translators and immigration advocates to bring family members who are escaping Russias war on Ukraine to safety in Canada. A Winnipeg couple are acting as translators and immigration advocates to bring family members who are escaping Russias war on Ukraine to safety in Canada. St. Vital residents Dmytro Yamchuk, 34, and his wife Susan Yamchuk, 35, are navigating language barriers, time zones and immigration services to bring Dmytros aunt Olena Bontsarivska, 45, and cousin Katya Yamchuk, 19, to Winnipeg, where they will stay with family until their future back home is decided. The mother and daughter are currently staying in a small city in southern Poland; Susan connected the pair with her friends aunt, who has taken them in. Dmytro has stayed in touch with Olena and Katya through email sometimes corresponding at 3 a.m. while its daytime in Ukraine. Somehow, were managing to communicate information, Dmytro said. He added that online translators have helped them get by because he, the host family, and his aunt and cousin speak different combinations of English, Polish, and Ukrainian. Initially, Olena and Katya deemed it too dangerous to leave their home in Mykolaiv a city of about 480,000 people in southern Ukraine. There was no clear way out because of interruptions to train service, Dmytro said. When Russian strikes killed dozens in the port city, the mother and daughter decided to flee by bus, leaving behind Dmytros uncle and grandmother. Martial law prevented the father from leaving the country; health issues and advanced age kept the grandmother in Ukraine. The grandmother is sheltering with the uncle in Mykolaiv after departing her home in the nearby village of Snihurivka. Dmytro said they have no heat; other times, no electricity. But the internet connection is strong. With overnight temperatures hovering just above freezing in Mykolaiv, Dmytros uncle has joined Skype meetings bundled up. Two days after leaving home, Olena and Katya crossed into Poland. The challenge now is for Dmytro and Susan to get their family to Canada through the federal governments emergency travel measures for Ukrainians. The couple hit a roadblock when the application called for photographs and fingerprints from Olena and Katya. The aunt, a seamstress, and the cousin, whos studying graphic design at university, arrived with only a handful of personal items neither has an international passport. We just feel so not in control in the situation just not being able to be there to assist, Susan said. Dmytro, whos a medical laboratory technician, and Susan, a sourcing specialist at BGIS, both have Ukrainian roots. Dymtro was born in Kyiv, and immigrated to Canada in 2002; Susans parents immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in the 1980s. The couple met in Winnipeg. Susan said she and her husband have felt supported by the community in their bid to bring their family to Canada. The Immigrant Centre Manitoba has helped translate and notarize documents, and the Polish hosts have helped co-ordinate travel. It makes the world feel a little bit smaller, closer when you feel like you have that connection, Susan said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The next step is for Olena and Katya to travel to an appointment at the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw. Once they land in Canada after their emergency visa is approved, they will stay with Viktoriya Yamchuk, Dmytros mother. We will protect them. We will help them, Yamchuk said. We try to help our people as much as possible. The 59-year-old accompanist for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has four generations of family living in her St. Vital home. The house is busy, but the door will always be open to those who need help. Were a busy house, but we can always help people who need help, Yamchuk said. Dmytro has launched a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of bringing his aunt and cousin to Canada. The fundraiser can be found under the username Dima Yamchuk. katlyn. streilein@freepress.mb.ca German citizen Carsten Aust visited Canada to raise awareness and funds for a Philippine childrens charity, but his noble mission took a tragic turn after an ill-fated decision to join his new friends hunting for a bear ended in the death of a 59-year-old Rosengart man. German citizen Carsten Aust visited Canada to raise awareness and funds for a Philippine childrens charity, but his noble mission took a tragic turn after an ill-fated decision to join his new friends hunting for a bear ended in the death of a 59-year-old Rosengart man. "In his wildest dreams, he never imagined he would be in a courtroom facing any charge of any kind," his lawyer Jeff Gindin told court Wednesday. "Its a terrible tragedy." A Facebook page for Vision Help International Care Foundation (Philippines) identifies Carsten and Mercy Aust as the charitys founders. Oleg Unruh died Oct. 5 after he was shot returning to his vehicle following a day hunting for deer in a wooded area near Elma, about 90 kilometres east of Winnipeg. Aust, 46, pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm and using a firearm in the commission of an indictable offence and was sentenced to two years in prison. I cannot imagine how painful this is, losing a father, losing a husband. Carsten Aust He was granted bail last fall but willingly returned to Winnipeg from Germany, which does not have an extradition treaty with Canada. "He felt it was the right thing to do," Gindin said. "I think it says a lot about him that he was willing to come back." Aust wept as he turned to the court galley and apologized to Unruhs wife and young children. "I cannot imagine how painful this is, losing a father, losing a husband," he said. "There are no words to describe it. I am so sorry for your loss. I pray that God will give you the grace to get through this." Court heard Aust was speaking to a church group in Vernon, B.C., in late September when he met a man and learned they had a common acquaintance in Manitoba. The two men shared a ride to Manitoba, where they joined their mutual friend in Brandon before moving on to Winkler, where Aust made a church presentation. FACEBOOK PHOTO Carsten Aust pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm and using a firearm in the commission of an indictable offence and was sentenced to two years in prison. While there, he accepted an invitation from his friends to join them for a bear hunt on private land near Elma. He had neither a firearm licence or a licence to hunt in Canada. Aust "was, in effect, urged and encouraged to join them. He took their word it was OK," Gindin said. "Clearly more inquiries should have been made." After one unsuccessful day, Aust and his Manitoba friend returned for a second day of hunting when around dusk, Aust saw something moving in the bush, Crown attorney Adam Bergen told court. "Mr. Aust assumed that movement was the bear he was after and fired a single shot from a high-powered rifle," Bergen said. "His target, however, was not a bear, but a human being. Oleg Unruh had been hunting deer and was walking back toward his vehicle when he was shot." Unruh was shot through the arm and torso and died as the result of massive blood loss and internal trauma, Bergen said. There were a number of red flags that should have gone up in Mr. Austs mind to make him question whether to take this shot." Crown attorney Adam Bergen A distraught Aust applied a tourniquet to Unruhs arm and performed CPR until paramedics and police arrived. Austs companion told police they had the landowners permission to hunt there and were told somebody else might be hunting at the same time. The man said they met up with Unruh and agreed to hunt on different parts of the property. Bergen described the mans claims as suspicious and, if true, would mean Aust and the man agreed to hunt in the direction facing Unruh. It would also be strange, Bergen said, for two parties to agree to hunt on the same property at the same time when one shot would scare away the other partys prey. "There were a number of red flags that should have gone up in Mr. Austs mind to make him question whether to take this shot, even if he was looking through his scope to confirm what he saw was a bear," Bergen said. "He should have considered, knowing it was the end of the day and there was another hunter in the field, that this might be the same person. He should not have assumed that anything that moves in the Canadian bush is wildlife." Provincial court Judge Victoria Cornick called Unruhs death extraordinarily tragic, but rejected describing it as an accident. Unruh, a school bus driver, was described as a self-sufficient man with a "gentle soul" who built his own home and hunted to provide food for his wife and children. Provincial court Judge Victoria Cornick called Unruhs death "extraordinarily tragic," but rejected describing it as an accident. "What happened here was a criminal offence," Cornick said. "People arent sentenced for accidents. (Aust) was careless in his actions." Aust is expected to be deported to Germany after completing the custodial portion of his sentence. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca For a majority of Muslims in the province, Manitoba isnt such a friendly place, according to a new report from the Manitoba Islamic Association. For a majority of Muslims in the province, Manitoba isnt such a friendly place, according to a new report from the Manitoba Islamic Association. The report (Friendly Manitoba: Community Experiences with Islamophobia) found 62 per cent of local Muslims who responded to a recent survey said they have experienced Islamophobia in public spaces, schools, at work or online. Forty-six per cent said there is a significant problem with Islamophobia in the province. The issues ranged from verbal attacks to racial profiling and physical assaults. The group most affected was Muslim women, with 73 per cent saying they experienced Islamophobia, most likely linked to wearing a traditional covering (such as a hijab). Other groups more likely to experience Islamophobia were Black people and those from the Middle East. Most troubling, researchers said, were the number of incidents in schools, with 43 per cent of respondents saying they were affected by Islamophobia in education settings. The report also found only 18 per cent of Manitoba Muslims reported feeling "very safe" wearing garments that identified them as Muslims in public; 29 per cent said they did not feel safe; 52 per cent felt somewhat safe. The impact of Islamophobia is being felt by Muslims, with 62 per cent indicating it affects their mental health, said the report (http://wfp.to/Q27). Clinical psychologist Natasha Ali said when people experience Islamophobia, it affects their sense of belonging, safety, personal value and self-esteem. "In school or the workplace, people can ask if they belong there, if there is a place for them, if they are safe." These feelings can become internalized, Ali said, causing them to question their value and whether they matter. On the positive side, Islamophobia can also strengthen Muslim identity, she said, causing people to "create spaces where they feel valued, loved, understood and safe. The sense of community can grow even stronger." The report put some issues in the spotlight for Abdikheir Ahmed of Winnipeg, who spoke about the challenges of being Black and Muslim. Black people, regardless of culture or religion, "receive a disproportionate amount of targeting when it comes to racism because we are visible and identifiable," he said. This was particularly true for Black Muslims, Ahmed said. "We receive more hate because of looking like Muslims," he said, adding this is of particular concern for women. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Ahmed cited personal experience of being in a park with his family and having people move away when they sat down nearby or "being called names out of nowhere." These things "make you feel unwelcome in your community." Looking ahead, the researchers identified ways the local Muslim community can work with others to combat Islamophobia. This includes: developing toolkits and curriculum resources for teachers on Islam; providing reasonable religious accommodations for Muslim students so they can perform daily prayers in a safe space at school; and equipping school libraries with a wide selection of resources on Islam and Muslims appropriate for K-12 age range. They also called on all levels of government to provide funding to ensure mosques are safe and secure; to fund culturally sensitive mental health programs within the Muslim community; and to support employment programs aimed at educating employers about offering safe and supportive opportunities, especially for Muslim women. faith@freepress.mb.ca THE last time Tetiana Maksymtsivs flight touched down in Winnipeg, her mind was filled with the ambition of one day making this prairie city her new home. Though she didnt know that dream would come true as soon as it did, nor could she imagine the circumstances that would set the events in motion. THE last time Tetiana Maksymtsivs flight touched down in Winnipeg, her mind was filled with the ambition of one day making this prairie city her new home. Though she didnt know that dream would come true as soon as it did, nor could she imagine the circumstances that would set the events in motion. The 39-year-old fled her home city of Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine in late February. Shelling from Russian forces drove Maksymtsiv and her sister and nephew to board a bus to Krakow, Poland; the starting point for Maksymtsivs journey to Canada. After three flights that spanned 30 hours, Maksymtsiv along with a few bags, everything she brought from home arrived safely in Winnipeg Wednesday night. This should have been the happiest moment in my life, but the war in Ukraine spoiled some of this feeling, Maksymtsiv said. Her thoughts turned to family and friends still in Ukraine during her first few moments in Winnipeg. Maksymtsivs husband, Yaroslav, is still in Ukraine. Men aged 18 to 60 must remain in the country under martial law. He also stayed behind to care for his elderly parents. Relatively, they are OK, she said. Then her thoughts turned to work. Maksymtsiv, an accountant, carved out time between connecting flights to check clients emails; she answered their questions about taxes and financial reports. A lot to do and a lot to be afraid of, Maksymtsiv said. We have a lot of bombardments, a lot of missiles, a lot of siren warnings. Maksymtsiv has an open work permit and is eager to continue with her accounting career. Shes been accepted into the Manitoba provincial nominee program and hopes to apply for permanent residency as soon as possible. Shell stay at an AirBnB for the time being, before seeking out her own residence where her husband will one day join her. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Maksymtsivs friend, 41-year-old Dmytro Malyk was waiting for her at the Winnipeg airport Wednesday evening. He stood holding a care package of comfort items assembled by a retired Winnipeg teacher who had heard Maksymtsivs story. The pair met through work when Malyk was living in Ukraine. Malyk, who moved to Canada in 2014, is a volunteer with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Manitoba branch. There, he helps with immigration initiatives, such as the provincial nominee program. He also facilitates trips in which Ukrainians come to Manitoba, allowing them to make an informed decision about whether they would like to move here. Maksymtsiv first came to Manitoba in November of last year as part of this offering. Wednesdays arrival in Winnipeg didnt come with a return ticket, as Maksymtsiv is now home. Im happy to be here and start my new life, she said. fpcity@freepress.mb.ca A rowdy protest against COVID-19 restrictions at a Steinbach high school prompted more than 20 employees who felt intimidated to report workplace safety concerns. A rowdy protest against COVID-19 restrictions at a Steinbach high school prompted more than 20 employees who felt intimidated to report workplace safety concerns. On the morning of Feb. 10, hundreds of students at Steinbach Regional Secondary School left the building to join community members protesting mask and vaccine mandates on foot and in vehicles near the school. The school first went into lockdown, then administration later announced a hold-and-secure for the remainder of the day. Under a hold-and-secure, the high schools doors are locked to ensure no one can enter the building because a serious situation is taking place in the community. "It was definitely a trying time for staff who just wanted to do their jobs," said Kevin Martens, president of the Hanover Teachers Association. "Having that protest going on outside of the school, and then actually possibly forcing its way inside was quite stressful." According to the Manitoba Teachers Society, approximately two dozen workplace incident reports have been filed by school staff following the events. That makes up about 11 per cent of the schools staff. Such reports must be followed up with an internal investigation and may result in recommendations to prevent future incidents. "We must record any instances of physical or verbal abuse. I know that a number of you had physical or verbal altercations with students or adults," wrote principal Sherry Bestvater, in an email to all school employees on Feb. 14. RCMP confirmed demonstrators attempted to gain unauthorized entry into the grades 9-12 school, including one student who was asked to leave the premises on five separate occasions after repeatedly attempting to enter the building. Police said an officer in plainclothes physically intervened to stop the teenage boy and warned him he could be arrested. Internal division correspondence recently obtained by the Free Press through freedom of information requests indicates some protesters did, in fact, manage to enter the school. The Hanover School Division has declined to provide details about actions taken to address student behaviours, citing privacy reasons. However, a senior administrator confirmed fewer than 10 students were disciplined. Upwards of 1,700 students attend the rural high school. There is also a daycare on site. The Feb. 10 protest took place amid a so-called freedom convoy in downtown Winnipeg that saw organizers set up big rigs outside the Manitoba legislature for nearly three weeks to promote the anti-restriction movement. In a letter sent to families on Feb. 14, principals of the Steinbach high school thanked the individuals who remained respectful and peaceful during the local protest. "Whether you chose to remain in class or join the protest outside, we value your choice and decision. Unfortunately, not all participants were respectful nor peaceful. The actions of some threatened our staff and students and prevented us from being able to hold classes. We are deeply saddened to witness some and learn of other significant and harmful interactions," wrote Bestvater and Cam Kelbert. The principals noted the divisional care team would be in place for anyone requiring additional support. Hanovers board of trustees issued a statement later that week to applaud staff for their professionalism and urged protesters to remain off school property in the future. "Were thankful that we havent seen a repeat of this incident but its a reminder that we always have to be mindful of working hard to keep our schools safe," said MTS president James Bedford, who represents upwards of 16,000 public school teachers. The union leader said learning can only happen when classrooms are safe environments and schools should not be sites for aggressive, violent or racist protests. He condemned the racist remarks that were made towards school community members on Feb. 10. One principal indicated custodians had expressed concern about racial slurs that were vocalized during the protests in an email penned to Hanovers superintendent. Superintendent Shelley Amos declined interview requests, saying the division communicated immediately with families and has no further comment regarding the public protest. Since March 15, virtually all public health restrictions in schools and across society have loosened. "With the mask mandate being lifted, its chaos," said Garrett Hurst, a Grade 11 student who indicated he is a member of the minority continuing to wear face coverings at the high school. The 16-year-old estimates 25 per cent of the student population and 50 per cent of employees are still masking. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Garrett said a couple of his teachers briefly addressed the protest once in-person instruction resumed after a snow day and single remote learning day in mid-February. "Essentially, everyone just tried to forget that it happened," he said, adding he found it interesting that the province announced ambitious plans to roll back restrictions on the day after the events occurred outside his high school. In emails following the demonstration, school employees were reminded to be "careful" about their messaging and to "keep opinions and debates off the class agenda." COVID-19 precautions have been a subject of much debate in and around southern Manitoba throughout the pandemic due to widespread anti-government sentiment in the region. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie WARSAW On the long bus ride out of Ukraine, Nataliia Cherevkos son, 11-year-old Bohdan, stopped eating. His stomach hurt. Behind them on the bus was another mother, with two sons, and one of them couldnt eat, either. It was the stress, their mothers thought. It was being a child, and leaving everything they knew behind them. WARSAW On the long bus ride out of Ukraine, Nataliia Cherevkos son, 11-year-old Bohdan, stopped eating. His stomach hurt. Behind them on the bus was another mother, with two sons, and one of them couldnt eat, either. It was the stress, their mothers thought. It was being a child, and leaving everything they knew behind them. As the bus rolled west from the heart of the country, Cherevko worried about her son. She worried as the bus came to a stop for a night somewhere near Cherkasy, after hearing that there might be danger ahead. She didnt know where exactly it was; road signs had been taken down by Ukrainian forces, in an attempt to disorient Russian soldiers. And she worried as they approached Lviv, where she planned to stay for a few nights so her son could rest and maybe even feel better. But when she asked the bus driver what she should do, he urged her to keep going, straight to the Polish border. There were volunteers there who could help them, he said. He hadnt been there, but thats what hed heard. Ukrainian refugee on her way to new life in Winnipeg Ukrainian refugee on her way to new life in Winnipeg MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ukrainian refugee Tetiana Maksymtsiv first learned about Winnipeg through a friend who had moved to the city about six years ago. In a few days, she will be flying to Winnipeg to settle in Canada. Posted: 7:00 PM Apr. 4, 2022 WARSAW Its a bitterly cold morning in Polands capital, at the heart of the citys diplomatic row. Outside the concrete-and-glass edifice of the Canadian embassy, about four dozen people are waiting, mostly women with children in tow. They huddle together under two black tents, hastily erected by security guards for protection from the swirling, wet snow. Read Full Story Cherevko asked her son if he thought he could manage the journey just a little while longer. "Ya budu sylnym," he replied, in Ukrainian: I will be strong. Hours later, they walked over the border to Poland, alongside the other mother she had met on the bus. On the other side, they found volunteers, just like the bus driver had told them. The helpers came with pasta, and at last, Bohdan was able to eat. The next morning, they brought a breakfast of buckwheat porridge and meat, and again Bohdan was hungry. Deep in her bones, Cherevko felt a wave of relief. Now, all she had to do was make it to Warsaw, and start thinking about how to reunite with her husband, in Manitoba. It had been two years since her husband had moved to Portage la Prairie, where hed found work that offered a better living than he could make in Ukraine; theyd planned to reunite someday, though immigration is an arduous process. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nataliia Cherevko in her hotel room in Warsaw. For me, for mother, my soul hurts, Cherevko says. For children, we always want the best. We want they could be successful in their life. "My son didnt know about our plans that we could move to Canada," she says. "He was just going to school, and playing with his friends, and he knew that our father is in Canada, and hes earning the money, and maybe we could explain that maybe someday we could go to another country. But we didnt think that it would be so immediate." Its a cold weekday morning in Warsaw, at an airy hotel near the outskirts of the city. The lobby is buzzing; like most hotels in Poland now, it is full of women and children displaced from Ukraine. Cherevko has met so many other families like hers, people who have come from as far as Mariupol, the southern city nearly totally obliterated in the fighting. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS 11-year-old Bohdan Cherevko looks out the window of his hotel room in Warsaw. Both Bohdan and his mother are glad to have a view in the room they are spending so much time in. She still worries, in Warsaw. She worries about her 21-year-old daughter, who vowed to stay in Kyiv where she lives with her boyfriend, even after a bomb struck close to their apartment. "Vce dobre," she tells her mother, when Cherevko urges her to leave: everything is good. Or: "bud spokiyna." Stay calm. My son didnt know about our plans that we could move to Canada... He was just going to school, and playing with his friends, and he knew that our father is in Canada... But we didnt think that it would be so immediate. Nataliia Cherevko But its hard for a parent to be calm when a child of any age is far away, and where the parent cannot protect them. "For me, for mother, my soul hurts," Cherevko says. "For children we always want the best. We want they could be successful in their life. Its the most important. They could be happy. Many people who were living in Ukraine, they were living to make their childrens life happier. But evil which is living in the world doesnt give us the opportunity to live calm." And she worries about Bohdan. When they first got to Warsaw, she noticed how he would jump at loud noises, like the bang of a door closing in a hotel hallway, or some sort of loud noise from cars passing on the street. Anything that reminded them of the bombs that had shook the walls in Cherevkos childhood hometown, where theyd first fled when the war started. "I tried to explain to him that you are safe here," she says. "Here you are in safe, and dont be afraid." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nataliia Cherevko and her 11-year-old son, Bohdan Cherevko, talking to Nataliia's mom via video chat in their hotel room in Warsaw. And she has tried to find something to fill the days, and to make life feel something like normal. Bohdans school in central Ukraine has moved to online learning, but without his textbooks its hard to keep up; one day, she took him to the Copernicus Science Centre, full of interactive exhibits for kids. Admission is free now for people displaced from Ukraine. She started turning off the news of the war in front of her son; she could see how it made him afraid. Now, while they wait for news from the Canadian embassy about the status of their application to come to Manitoba, her son spends much of his time sitting quietly in their hotel room, watching videos on his laptop. He doesnt complain. "He is trying to stay strong," she says, and as she gazes out the window, her eyes glaze with tears. "I dont know what all is happening in his mind, because he doesnt tell me everything Im trying to do my best to help him, to distract him. So we are just waiting." I tried to explain to him (Bohdan) that you are safe here... Here you are in safe, and dont be afraid. Nataliia Cherevko This is the story of Ukrainian refugee families across Europe, caught in a purgatory between the war, and what comes after. From Warsaw to Berlin, from Prague to London, mothers search for ways to protect their children from the fear and stress, and even to nurture something like a normal childhood: time to play, to grow, to rest and to learn. "We have to be strong for our kids so they will feel better," Ilona Protynyak says. "Its our front with kids, the mothers front." Its early evening, at an elegant hotel at the heart of Warsaws old quarter. Protynyak has just finished putting her two kids, five-year-old Demian and four-year-old Milena, to bed. They were tired, Protynyak says: theyd spent the whole day at the Copernicus Science Centre, along with Protynyaks mother, who came from Lviv to help tend the children. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ilona Protynyak and her children, Demian (five) and Milena (four), and mother, Iryna Kuchynska in their hotel room in Warsaw. We have to be strong for our kids so they will feel better, Ilona Protynyak says. Its our front with kids, the mothers front. The days have been like that, for her family full of activity. One day last week, they went to the zoo. On others, they simply stroll the cobblestone streets of old Warsaw. A souvenir shop nearby has a display of music boxes for sale: Demian delights in cranking their handles to coax out twinkling melodies by Warsaw-raised composer Frederic Chopin. She takes dozens of videos, so that one day, she can show them that they made happy memories, in the midst of war. "Most of the time we just walk around finding new places, new streets," Protynyak says. "We say Oh look, thats beautiful, and they say, Oh fine. Sometimes theyre tired but we want to show them as much as we can, because of the situation, we just cant sit and wait. We have to make some fun for them, because they have to be kids and have their childhood." When she first took the kids out of Ukraine, she wasnt sure what to tell them. They are too young to fully comprehend war, and she didnt want to scare them: they were going on a trip, she told them. But then they started asking when they could go home, and when they could see their father who, like all men of fighting age, is forbidden from leaving Ukraine. Milena is a "daddys girl," Protynyak says, and took to kissing a photo of her father that they brought with them. "When I call my husband, a lot of times they just want to talk to him. They will begin to cry," she says. "Yesterday, the visa centre called me, and Milena was near me, and she said Its father! and she was just crying so sadly. Its a little bit better now. Because first days it was they didnt understand whats going on. "When I call my husband, a lot of times they just want to talk to him. They will begin to cry." Ilona Protynyak "They say, Why? I want to go home. Are we going home today? Or maybe today? Or maybe today? Every day, maybe today? But now they know that we will go somewhere else, we need to travel a little bit more to Canada. Theyre OK, theyre afraid a little bit about planes. It will be their first time. But they know it is the war. I told them." Protynyaks family, too, is anxious for news of when they will be able to go to Manitoba. After shed decided to flee her home in Lviv, theyd made plans to go to stay with friends of the family, Winnipeggers who had met Protynyaks family on a trip to Ukraine; their story was featured in the Free Press last month. Its not exactly that Protynyak wants to leave Ukraine. Its more that when the war began, it felt like it shattered her dreams for her familys life with it. She wonders what will happen decades in the future, when the children of Ukraine and of Russia are grown: will the violence now fuel a cycle that keeps churning, long after they are grown? "I just want to take my kids out of all of this," she says. "Because there is even this nuclear threat, if this happens it takes the whole Europe. So I just want to take them as far as I can. If there is an opportunity, I think that every mom will just take it, because everyone I think will be happy to take their kids as far as possible." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ilona Protynyak, and her children, Demian (five) and Milena (four), walking through the old town in Warsaw. They have been going for long walks to keep the kids occupied while waiting for the Canadian visa paperwork to come through. The kids should do well in Winnipeg, Protynyak thinks. Shes taught them a little bit of English, and shows them English cartoons: Demian confidently greets a Free Press reporter in English. Hes outgoing and chatty, and makes friends easily; Milena is quieter, but she goes everywhere Demian goes, and he loves to introduce people to his little sister. She thinks about that one time, near the beginning of their journey from Ukraine, when Demian met a little boy around his age whose family had fled from Kharkiv. That boy only spoke Russian; as the kids puzzled out why they couldnt understand each other, Demian comfortingly told his new friend that he could learn Ukrainian in school someday. Hes like that: caring, friendly, curious about the people he meets. So yes, Protynyak thinks, hell thrive in a new country. Until then, she will carry the weight of worrying for them. She wonders what kind of work shell be able to find in Winnipeg; before she had kids, she was a concert pianist, and now she works as a makeup artist, but she doesnt know what that will be like in the city. She doesnt know when the war will end, or when shell be able to see her husband again. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ilona Protynyak, and her children, Demian (five) and Milena (four) are stuck in Warsaw while waiting for the Canadian visa paperwork to come through. All she knows is that she is doing the best she can, to keep her kids safe. When a reporter tells her she is doing an amazing job as a mom, how incredible it is that, even with all thats going on, her kids will remember these days in music boxes and zoo animals and science centre adventures, tears begin to stream down her cheeks. Shes done all this for them. But what about her? Whats helping her to get through? In the quiet of the empty hotel restaurant, she leans over the table, wipes her eyes with her sleeve, and laughs. "Im not sure," she says. "Just some positivity that is inside, and looking at the kids. They are smiling? Good, Im good. If they are good, Im good too." melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Mikaela MacKenzie Photojournalist Mikaela MacKenzie loves meeting people, experiencing new things, and learning something every day. That's what drove her to pursue a career as a visual journalist photographers get a hands-on, boots-on-the-ground look at the world. Read full biography Winnipeg councils delay in adding new fines to penalize misconduct among vehicle for hire drivers triggered hours of complaints at city hall Wednesday. Winnipeg councils delay in adding new fines to penalize misconduct among vehicle for hire drivers triggered hours of complaints at city hall Wednesday. More than a dozen women accused councillors of failing to take prompt action to protect female riders. Rachel Sansregret told members of the public works committee she has been harassed in taxis multiple times. After repeatedly recounting details at public civic meetings over the past several weeks, shes grown frustrated the new rules have yet to be put in place. It takes a lot to come here and face fear and trauma for days before and after I speak in this room, only to have this experience not only disregarded but blatantly disrespected at the municipal level, Sansregret, chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Indigenous Friendship Centre, said during the meeting in council chambers. Sansregret told the Free Press shes been subjected to sexual harassment and lewd comments from cab drivers numerous times and was once driven nearly outside of the city against her will. If the long-debated changes are approved, new fines for inappropriate behaviour would apply to drivers of limousines, taxis and ride-hailing vehicles, all of which are regulated by the City of Winnipeg. Drivers would face $250 fines (after an investigation) if they: sexually harass a passenger or make lewd remarks toward them; insult, abuse, intimidate or threaten a passenger; ask a passenger for a tip or gratuity or indicate one is expected or required; fail to release a passenger from a vehicle at the passengers request; or accept or ask for collateral toward a fare payment. Cora Morgan, a First Nations family advocate with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said the new rules would offer a bare minimum step toward keeping women and girls safe, who may rely on taxi rides when travelling for medical appointments and other reasons. There are lots of really vulnerable Indigenous people that rely on taxi service, so its very important theres a standard of care, Morgan told the Free Press. Sansregret said shes especially concerned by a political motion aimed to remove the fines proposal from the vehicles for hire bylaw update. Its a glaring example of incongruencies between what our municipal government says they are willing to do to protect Indigenous women and girls, versus what they are actually doing. While the public works committee initially approved the misconduct fines in March, council later referred the matter back to the committees Wednesday meeting, along with a separate call to delete the new bylaw offences and fines. Coun. Sherri Rollins deemed it a scandal the city would even consider removing that content, amid serious allegations linked to some cab rides and calls from Indigenous governments to address the issue. Early in the meeting, Coun. Markus Chambers defended his motion to remove the misconduct fines from the bylaw and debate them next year instead. He said the motion was meant to strengthen the process to handle complaints. It wasnt an attempt to delete it from the vehicles for hire (bylaw) (The rules) didnt go far enough to ensure the safety of individuals who are utilizing the service, primarily women, said Chambers. During last months council meeting, he also said postponing the new fines would help ensure taxi drivers are presumed innocent until proven guilty of an offence. However, Chambers joined fellow public works committee members Couns. Jeff Browaty and Matt Allard to approve the fines proposal Wednesday. (Coun. Devi Sharma, who also sits on the committee, was absent.) The decision comes despite concerns from a lawyer representing the Winnipeg Community Taxi Association, who called upon the city to delay the matter. Andrew Buck, of Pitblado Law, stressed the association doesnt oppose the fines but is concerned bylaws dont guarantee an investigation will be completed before a driver is penalized. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Clear rules on conduct and a fair investigation and enforcement process is one part of the solution, Buck told the committee. City officials have stressed each potential penalty would only be issued after an investigation is completed. In a written submission, Buck said the city must also complete additional consultations to address driver safety concerns, noting drivers have been assaulted by passengers and frequently lose revenue due to fare jumping. The changes still require full city council approval. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga New availability of a second COVID-19 booster dose has left some Manitobans excited and others scratching their heads. New availability of a second COVID-19 booster dose has left some Manitobans excited and others scratching their heads. On Wednesday, the province announced a second booster would be offered to anyone age 70 or older, residents of personal care homes and other congregate living sites for elderly people, and Indigenous people 50 or older no matter where they live. Lindsay Wright ultimately drove across the U.S. border when her 13-year-old daughter was turned away from local pharmacies due to the provinces eligibility rules that qualify only some youth for a third dose. On April 1, she took her daughter to Grand Forks, N.D., and got her a booster shot there. Wright, who is immunocompromised, said Manitobas decision to offer fourth doses to some while still holding back boosters from others is disappointing. My husband is a front-line health-care worker, and he hasnt had a dose in quite a while. I know he would love a fourth dose, knowing what he could potentially be exposed to at work, and how important it is that he shows up for his shift, she told the Free Press Wednesday. Even teachers in classrooms with kids for eight hours a day Im sure teachers would love to be on that list, too. It seems a little arbitrary and Manitoba seems very hesitant to go as far or as fast as other provinces are, and its frustrating. When asked for comment, a spokesperson said the province had nothing further to add on the subject. Most provinces in Canada have opened up booster appointments to anyone 12 and older. Wright said she was relieved to get her daughter a third dose by whatever means necessary, but wasnt hopeful the province would soon put all youth on the list. I think if I felt hope in that direction, we would not have gone to the lengths we went to last week we would have waited a little bit longer, she said. Id love to be wrong about that, but it really seems like (Manitoba is) not being very proactive. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lindsay Wright, who is immunocompromised, said Manitobas decision to offer fourth doses to some while still holding back boosters from others is disappointing. The province has been offering fourth doses to moderately to severely immunocompromised youth and adults since December. Residents of First Nations communities age 18 or older were also previously eligible. However, other vulnerable groups arent being considered for booster vaccinations, which remains a concern, Manitoba Child Care Association executive director Jodie Kehl said. Facilities are definitely seeing increased cases, so there would be concern that we, again, are working with the most vulnerable population right now that have had no vaccinations, said Kehl, a parent of a teen yet not eligible for a booster. Out of Manitobas 38,000 licensed child care spaces, around 13,000 are for school-aged children. While some staff are working with kids that have at least two doses, the majority are working with a largely unvaccinated clientele. There are just too many unknowns, so there are concerns around the fact that the youngest population (up to age five) is not eligible for vaccines, now with obviously much more loose (public health) restrictions that transmission rate has certainly dramatically increased in facilities, Kehl said. However, Wednesdays news was exciting for the large number of seniors in personal care homes and assisted living programs across the province, said Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba executive director Jan Legeros. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Manitoba has more than 10,000 residents in personal care homes, more than 1,000 in supportive housing, and almost 5,000 seniors in assisted living and many face a multitude of co-existing conditions, putting them at a heightened risk of severe COVID-19, Legeros said. Many will receive their fourth doses in-house with the support of nurses either already working at or visiting the facilities, along with mobile clinics run by pharmacists, she said. Legeros hopes the province will consider shifting its rollout plan to make it more accessible to care home staff. Im hoping that at the same time as they offer the fourth dose to these residents, that they will also offer the third dose to the staff, because we havent had great uptake with the staff for the third dose, she said. Offering it in-house, in the past, weve seen significant uptake from staff. It also sends a message to our staff that we value them and we are interested in keeping them safe and keeping their families safe. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Calls for Manitobans to get triple- or quadruple-vaccinated against COVID-19 have taken on greater urgency now that the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 appears to be the dominant strain in Manitoba. Calls for Manitobans to get triple- or quadruple-vaccinated against COVID-19 have taken on greater urgency now that the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 appears to be the dominant strain in Manitoba. Premier defends weekly COVID reports Premier Heather Stefanson stands by her governments decision to limit COVID-19 data reporting to a weekly basis, saying the change came at the recommendation of public health. As were learning to live with COVID, I know other provinces have gone to weekly reporting, some are at monthly reporting, and we believe that that is an adequate and sufficient way of reporting this, Stefanson said. click to read more Premier Heather Stefanson stands by her governments decision to limit COVID-19 data reporting to a weekly basis, saying the change came at the recommendation of public health. As were learning to live with COVID, I know other provinces have gone to weekly reporting, some are at monthly reporting, and we believe that that is an adequate and sufficient way of reporting this, Stefanson said. The province publishes weekly epidemiology and surveillance reports on Thursday mornings. What the public needs to know, obviously, is what the trends are with COVID in the province of Manitoba, and thats what the weekly updating and reporting will give them, so they can make decisions based on that information," she said. Stefanson deferred additional questions to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, who is set to hold a media availability before the end of the week. Roussin has not made a public address since March 16 and has not been made available to answer questions from reporters. Pressed to explain why the province stopped providing COVID-19 case counts for personal care homes after a government announcement was switched to a new location due to an outbreak, Stefanson said families, staff and residents who need to know about cases are appropriately informed. The information is getting out to those who need it, when they need it, she said. Staff Close Dr. Julie Lajoie, a research associate who works in virology and immunology at the University of Manitoba, said a third dose is essential to be well protected against severe COVID disease and death. "The (vaccine) efficacy against severe disease remains good after a few months, which is good news and why people must go get that third dose if not done yet and eligible," she said. Manitobans should continue to take precautions such as staying home if theyre ill and wearing face masks in indoor public places, after the province lifted public health restrictions last month, Lajoie said. A government spokesperson said BA.2 appears to have replaced BA.1 as Manitobas dominant variant based on recent genome sequencing of positive tests. The province sequences about 200 positive tests a week, or about 10 to 15 per cent of the overall total, a spokesperson said. In the latest run, 60 per cent came back as BA.2 infections. Boosters are shown to reduce the risk of COVID hospitalization and death. (Michael Probst / The Associated Press files) "Two doses remains effective at preventing severe outcomes for the vast majority of individuals," the spokesperson said. "Getting a booster dose will increase that protection as well as protection against severe disease. Vaccination continues to be the best option to protect yourself and others." University of Saskatchewan epidemiologist Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine said research suggests BA.2 is 30 to 50 per cent more contagious than the original Omicron, BA.1, which fuelled recent waves in Canada and around the world. Studies do not suggest BA.2 is more lethal or causes more severe illness than BA.1, he said. Research has found two vaccine doses are less effective against BA.2 than previous variants, but a booster can restore protection that has waned naturally. Boosters are shown to reduce the risk of COVID hospitalization and death, said Muhajarine. "This tells us that we really need to get people to get their booster dose," he said. There are concerns about the pace of Manitobas booster uptake. As of Tuesday, 44.8 per cent of Manitobans had had a third dose, the province said. The total was 41 per cent as of Feb. 28, according to last weeks COVID surveillance report. "The problem for Manitoba is there are a lot of people who havent had a third dose," said Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont. "Theres a certain sense of fatigue. Its very dangerous. We need to be ramping up vaccinations." Research has found two vaccine doses are less effective against BA.2 than previous variants, but a booster can restore protection that has waned naturally. (Toru Hanai / Bloomberg) Canadas booster uptake has slowed down, as governments lift restrictions and tell the public its time to "live with the virus," said Muhajarine. "Its unfortunate, but kind of predictable because provinces have been pivoting to a normalization of COVID-19, making it like how we would respond to any respiratory infection," he said. "People take their cues from governments and public health leaders." Winnipeg emergency room physician Dr. Doug Eyolfson, a former Liberal member of Parliament, said the return of a vaccine mandate would encourage uptake. Eyolfson, who is still seeing seriously ill COVID patients in hospital, implored unvaccinated people to get their shots. NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said the province needs to be more "transparent" with COVID data, after getting rid of its online dashboard and replacing weekday updates with weekly reports, so Manitobans can assess personal risk. As Manitoba expanded fourth-dose eligibility Wednesday to care home residents, people over 70 and Indigenous people over 50, Premier Heather Stefanson encouraged everyone to get "fully vaccinated" and seek a third dose, if eligible. "We know that vaccination is our best defence against this virus," she said. All adults are eligible for a third dose. Children aged 12 and older can get a booster shot if they are deemed to be at a high risk of severe illness from COVID. Initially dubbed the "stealth" variant because it was tougher to track in positive PCR tests, BA.2 was expected to overtake BA.1 in Manitoba, given trends elsewhere. Manitoba has expanded fourth-dose eligibility Wednesday to care home residents, people over 70 and Indigenous people over 50. (Nam Y. Huh / The Associated Press files) In an epidemiology report published Tuesday, the World Health Organization said BA.2 is dominant in all six of its regions. The agency said higher rates of reinfection have been reported for Omicron than other variants. In February, a study by Denmarks Statens Serum Institut found BA.2 can reinfect people who already had BA.1, but it is rare. "It is possible for individuals to be reinfected with COVID-19," the Manitoba government spokesperson said. "Evidence suggests that individuals who have recovered from Omicron have lower protection from infection than other variants." Scientists say Omicron variants arent as severe as the Delta variant, the previous dominant version that spawned waves around the world. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. However, BA.1 and BA.2 are believed to be far more transmissible, and rapid spread has put health-care systems under strain. Manitoba reported a record number of COVID patients in hospital 744 on Feb. 2 during the Omicron-fuelled winter wave. "Its a huge mistake to think (Omicron) is milder because the reality is when everyone gets it at the same time, things start to crash," said Lamont. "If there are more cases, even if less severe than Delta, the load of cases can get to be too many real fast," said Lajoie. "We must do our best to prevent cases." chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the high court. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson arrives to meet Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the high court. Cheers rang out in the Senate chamber as Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine years experience on the federal bench, was confirmed 53-47, mostly along party lines but with three Republican votes. Presiding and emotionally announcing the vote was Vice President Kamala Harris, also the first Black woman to reach her high office. This is a wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and for the United States of America," exulted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Senate's upper galleries were almost full for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago, and about a dozen House members, part of the the Congressional Black caucus, stood at the back of the chamber. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, walks to meet Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Capitol Hill, Monday, April 4, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) "Were making history, declared Rep. Marilyn Strickland of Washington state. Harris, who paused with emotion as she read the vote, said as she left the Capitol that she was overjoyed, deeply moved. Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. She joined Biden at the White House to watch the vote, embracing as it came in. During the four days of Senate hearings last month, Jackson spoke of her parents struggles through racial segregation and said her path was clearer than theirs as a Black American after the enactment of civil rights laws. She attended Harvard University, served as a public defender, worked at a private law firm and was appointed as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The evenly-divided Senate Judiciary Committee tied on advancing the Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the full Senate. (AP Graphic) She told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor, and pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced. Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman. She will join three other women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Amy Coney Barrett meaning that four of the nine justices will be women for the first time in history. Her eventual elevation to the court will be a respite for Democrats who fought three bruising battles over former President Donald Trumps nominees and watched Republicans cement a conservative majority in the final days of Trump's term with Barrett's confirmation. While Jackson won't change the balance, she will secure a legacy on the court for Biden and fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to nominate the first Black female justice. This is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki after the vote. And this is a fulfillment of a promise the president made to the country. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, from left, Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., walk from the House to the Senate chamber to attend the vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, securing her place as the first Black woman on the high court, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Despite the efforts to tarnish her record, Jackson eventually won three GOP votes. The final tally was far from the overwhelming bipartisan confirmations for Breyer and other justices in decades past, but it was still a significant bipartisan accomplishment for Biden in the 50-50 split Senate after GOP senators aggressively worked to paint Jackson as too liberal and soft on crime. Statements from Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah all said the same thing they might not always agree with Jackson, but they found her to be enormously well qualified for the job. Collins and Murkowski both decried increasingly partisan confirmation fights, which only worsened during the battles over Trumps three picks. Collins said the process was broken and Murkowski called it corrosive and more detached from reality by the year. Biden, a veteran of a more bipartisan Senate, said from the day of Breyer's retirement announcement in January that he wanted support from both parties for his history-making nominee, and he invited Republicans to the White House as he made his decision. It was an attempted reset from Trumps presidency, when Democrats vociferously opposed the three nominees, and from the end of President Barack Obamas, when Republicans blocked nominee Merrick Garland from getting a vote. Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court after Barrett, 50. She will join a court on which no one is yet 75, the first time that has happened in nearly 30 years. The Supreme Court's newest member, Ketanji Brown Jackson, has much in common with her future colleagues. (AP Graphic) Jacksons first term will be marked by cases involving race, both in college admissions and voting rights. She has pledged to sit out the courts consideration of Harvards admissions program since she is a member of its board of overseers. But the court could split off a second case involving a challenge to the University of North Carolinas admissions process, which might allow her to weigh in on the issue. Judith Browne Dianis, executive director the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, said Jacksons confirmation will make the court more reflective of communities that are most impacted by the judiciary. The highest court in the land now will have a firsthand perspective of how the law impacts communities of color via voting rights, police misconduct, abortion access, housing discrimination or the criminal legal system, among other issues, she said. This will ultimately benefit all Americans. Republicans spent the confirmation hearings strongly questioning her sentencing record, including the sentences she handed down in child pornography cases, which they argued were too light. Jackson declared that nothing could be further from the truth and explained her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. The GOP questioning in the Judiciary Committee showed the views of many Republicans, though, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a floor speech Wednesday that Jackson never got tough once in this area. Democrats criticized the Republicans questioning. You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker at the committees vote earlier this week. The panel deadlocked on the nomination 11-11, but the Senate voted to discharge it from committee and moved ahead with her confirmation. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In an impassioned moment during the hearings last month, Booker, who is Black, told Jackson that he felt emotional watching her testify. He said he saw my ancestors and yours in her image. But dont worry, my sister, Booker said. Dont worry. God has got you. And how do I know that? Because youre here, and I know what its taken for you to sit in that seat. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri in Washington and Aaron Morrison in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations humanitarian chief said Thursday he's not optimistic about securing a ceasefire to halt the fighting in Ukraine, following high-level talks in Moscow and Kyiv that underscored how far apart the two sides are. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations humanitarian chief said Thursday he's not optimistic about securing a ceasefire to halt the fighting in Ukraine, following high-level talks in Moscow and Kyiv that underscored how far apart the two sides are. Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths gave the bleak assessment in an interview with The Associated Press in the Ukrainian capital after wrapping up talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other top officials. That followed discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and officials in Moscow earlier in the week. "I think its not going to be easy because the two sides, as I know now ... have very little trust in each other," he said. "I'm not optimistic," he added later. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dispatched Griffiths to the Russian and Ukrainian capitals to explore the possibility of establishing a cease-fire that would allow desperately needed aid into Ukraine and potentially lay the groundwork for talks aimed at ending the war. Griffiths suggested that goal remained far in the distance. "Obviously, we all want that to happen. But as you know youre here thats not going to happen immediately," he said. Short of a full ceasefire, Griffiths said he is seeking ways to build confidence on both sides and focus on smaller goals, such as establishing local ceasefires in parts of the country and creating humanitarian corridors that allow civilians to escape the fighting. Relief supplies have begun flowing to some harder to reach parts of the country, he noted. "This war is not stopping tomorrow," he said. "Where we are a little bit closer is to get the understanding of both sides ... of what a local ceasefire would affect. There are many parts of Ukraine where we can achieve tomorrow local ceasefires, which are defined in geography and time." Russian troops have withdrawn from parts of Ukraine, particularly around Kyiv, ahead of what many believe is an intensified push in the countrys east. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Local ceasefires could still mean progress even in areas without ongoing fighting, Griffiths said, because they require that forces dont move and so therefore could not regroup elsewhere. Aid groups have struggled to get supplies to those in need. Over the past week, members of a Red Cross convoy were prevented from reaching the besieged city of Mariupol to help evacuate a convoy of civilians. They were detained at one point during their mission, and eventually ended up accompanying around 1,000 people who had found ways of their own out of Mariupol to a city further west. An overwhelming majority of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly has twice called for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, on March 2 and March 24. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Hate has manifested into vandalism at a local community high school. According to a statement sent out by Cadott Superintendent Jenny Starck, over the last several weeks, books in the Cadott Junior/Senior High School library have been pushed to the back of shelves, and others have been purposely damaged. These books have been targeted directly, as they have been determined to feature messages consistent with the LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter communities. Then, on March 31, some shelf bookends were removed, resulting in books falling off shelves, and signs marking specific sections were moved and hidden. Starck said it is the belief of the Cadott school district that a student or students did this during an open period. While this damage was not severe, and some students volunteered to help the library aide get items back in order, the Cadott School District takes this situation very seriously, Starck said in a statement sent to media and parents this week. District staff are reviewing security video footage with local law enforcement to determine who is responsible. The situation goes deeper than a few kids acting out, however, as for the past few months, the books in question have been a hot topic of discussion. Many families have been campaigning for the district to ban them from the library. In addition to the books being strewn throughout the library so they cant be found by prospective readers, food was smashed in others, making them virtually unreadable. Local advocacy group Cultivative Coalition said the targeting of marginalized groups materials is another attack on the community, an unwelcome occurrence in Chippewa County. We are saddened by the blatant attempt to destroy and hide books highlighting the struggles and accomplishments of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks. However, we believe that this type of hate can only be caused by a lack of education on the history of these marginalized groups and the ongoing discrimination that these groups face, the group said. We also want to make clear that this harmful rhetoric and behavior does not stop at Cadott, it is happening in schools and communities throughout the state. We believe that it is essential for youth to have access to educational materials and fictional materials with diverse narratives. Without access to these diverse narratives, marginalized youth will see no representation of themselves in the library or in the school curriculum only further isolating them from their peers. The situation remains under investigation, and when reached for comment, no individuals involved were able to comment further. As a school district community, we must hold ourselves to a high standard, Starck said. Vandalism, however minor, cannot be tolerated. I regret that a student or small group of students has negatively impacted our school today. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An arrest warrant has been issued for an Illinois man who has been charged with armed robbery in the parking lot of the Outlets at the Dells in Lake Delton. Adam A. Lujano, 39, of Rankin, faces a maximum prison sentence of 42 years with 19 years of extended supervision and fines up to $120,000 for charges of armed robbery with threat of force, theft of property up to $5,000 and fleeing an officer. Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett issued the arrest warrant March 25. According to the criminal complaint, Lake Delton police officers were called to the outlet strip just before 2 p.m. March 23 by a caller who reported that a man later identified as Lujano had threatened him with a gun while actively stealing tools from a work truck he uses to operate the company Beaver Glass of Reedsburg. The man said he had been hired by one of the stores for repairs. He had been returning to his truck for tools when he noticed Lujano had pulled a truck beside his and was stealing tools from a compartment of his work truck. The man said he kicked Lujano in the back and Lujano fell into one of the truck doors. When he got back up, Lujano allegedly pulled what looked like a black, semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and said, Lets see how tough you are now as he aimed it at the man. The caller said he then backed away and called 911 as Lujano continued to steal tools and put them in his truck. Items reported stolen included two hammer drills, two sawzalls, a parts container, a belt sander, jig saw, multi tool, skill saw, brad nailer, batteries, two impact drivers, a ratchet set, two drill drivers and miscellaneous drill bits, nails, saw blades and other hardware. In total, more than $4,000 in tools was taken. An officer arrived and drew his gun as he attempted to make a traffic stop on Lujano. A woman, later identified as Javanni M. Esteves, ran out of the TJ Maxx store and got into the passenger side. Another responding officer saw her get in and noticed items fall from the truck, which has a sticker that reads, fully insured on the back. Lujano drove away. Officers chased the truck at speeds up to 120 mph along Highway 12 before ending their pursuit. They found the items that fell from the truck; a debit card and some paperwork. Both had Lujanos name on them. According to the complaint, the Mauston Police Department also had been investigating several thefts in the city earlier that day. Video footage from Manthys Salvage Yard around 11 a.m. that day showed Lujano in the same shoes the caller had reported as bright and a black jacket with a green stripe with the green truck with the sticker on the back. An hour later, Esteves had reportedly cashed a check from the business at the Bank of Mauston, where she provided an Illinois photo ID with her name on it. Esteves has not been charged in Sauk County Circuit Court in relation to the alleged thefts, according to online court records. During their investigation, authorities also found social media profiles for Lujano and Esteves. Lujano posted a photo of the Blues Brothers statue outside of Dennys restaurant in Lake Delton, which was dated the same day the robbery took place. According to court records, Lujano was convicted of felony vehicle hijacking in June 2019 in Will County, Illinois, which adds a modifier and potentially longer imprisonment to his sentence if convicted in Sauk County. Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Marquette County Sheriff Deputy has been fired for allegedly soliciting sexual activities from a minor. Columbia County Sheriffs Office, along with the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, are conducting an external criminal investigation of former deputy Travis Bittelman. The Marquette County Sheriffs Office will be conducting an internal investigation and review their policies. In a statement, Columbia Sheriff Roger Brandner said Bittelman worked in the Marquette County Jail. He was arrested Tuesday evening on a tentative charge of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, Brandner said. Our detectives worked all night and will continue to investigate this case, Brandner said. Their focus is finding the facts and as with any alleged criminal matter involving the solicitation of minors using the internet and social media, their goal is to ensure there are no other victims. A statement released by Marquette Sheriff Joseph Konrath said the sheriffs office was aware of a video on YouTube claiming to show an off-duty officer soliciting sexual activities with a minor. These are very serious allegations that our agency is deeply concerned about. The investigation of this matter is multi-faceted, Konrath said. The Marquette County Sheriffs Office is committed to maintaining public trust and the safety of our community. If anyone has any credible information related to this case, they are encouraged to come forward by calling the Marquette County Sheriffs Office at 608-297-2115. You can remain anonymous if you wish by calling Marquette County Crime Stoppers at 800-297-8477(TIPS), Konrath said. Konrath said the department plans to share the investigation when its completed. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Coming out of the depression years of the late 1920s and 1930s, it seemed to be the right time to conduct a survey of how historical records were being organized and stored. Wisconsin was one of 12 states belonging to the Midwestern Archivist Group. A former bank clerk in Friendship, Adams County, joined the Wisconsin Historical Records Survey that commenced late summer 1939. He anticipated doing administrative work in an office. However, Winn McGowan was assigned to visit Juneau Countys 19 town and 14 village clerks. Skeptical at first, he was assured hed be met with a smile and a handshake. Keep in mind, no advance notice was given of the visit as most people did not own a phone. His 1930s car had its limits too. It seemed proper for him to start out with the county clerk in Mauston where they were in the middle of building a new courthouse. Much of that work being done by the government with Works Progress Administration project workers. The clerk was not receptive to the HRS project considering it a nuisance as was all the WPA paperwork. The friendly janitor did set up tables in the basement by the furnace so working on volumes took place off the floor. Current records in the village hall in Necedah were surveyed, prior to clerk Leroy Easton escort of McGowan to old records stored at the Necedah bank. Clerk, Mrs. Pech of Finley, was in the middle of doing wash, showed current files, and instructed him of the location of the town hall where all older records were stored saying, Go right In, the door is never locked! Roy Scanlan, clerk of Armenia, was on duty in the fire tower at Cranberry Rock. Resting between climbs, reaching the tower, Scanlan informed McGowan the records were in the hall at New Minor. Town of Necedah, Clearfield, Cutler and Orange were all found to be organized and stored in dry spaces. Kingston files were at Mr. Deweys store in file drawers at the bottom of stairs, between the wall and a barrel of vinegar, so drawers could be only partially opened. Clerk L. J. Nuttal of the town of Lisbon guided McGowan to the granary where a bushel of records were home for families of mice for years. Hustler records were in the bedroom of Clerk John Bolton, which proved to be a warm, comfortable place to work, with more files in the combined jail and village hall. Clerk Chet Carter of Lindina, and Henry Moore of Lemonweir allowed their extensive files to be taken to his Friendship home to be sorted, as did Mr. Heath of Fountain. Even though McGowan brought his lunch every day, Lyndon clerk James Mitchel and his wife insisted he join them for dinner the days he surveyed records there. Dinner was offered three days at Mrs. Greenos in Orange and at Mrs. Tom Tracys, the Kildare clerk. Clerk James Finnegan set records on a table in his Lyndon Station restaurant, and informed McGowan the other board members were not favorably inclined toward the survey. Mr. Wargowsky, Germantowns clerk stored his records in the garage. New Lisbons clerk kept the current records at his filling station, older files in the attic room of the power house. Being offered a ladder, McGowan ascended through an un-floored cubbyhole in the attic and located records. When asked how to get to the Plymouths clerk farm he was told to go three miles south, then turn left past the third corn field. He was not warned of the McCann Hill. He encountered a flock of turkeys in the middle of the hill, slacking up, he slid backward into a stony ravine, stuck fast between boulders. Luck was that a young farmer with a team of horses saw the predicament and pulled him out. He decided to leave the car and walk. A wise option, as three more steep hills were ahead. Winter was fast approaching, so he tackled Seven Mile Creek and Summit next. Clerk Art Jannuschs farm, was located on a crooked and hilly stretch, so McGowan, recalling Plymouth, parked the car and walked even though he expected Jannusch to laugh. Clerk E. Anthony of Camp Douglas brought out the records after McGowan was required to get permission from all the board members. Mr. Pokorney, of Marion produced his files, even though he was in the middle of mending a pair of shoes. Clerk B. A. Waterman of Elroy had a room in the public library, which proved ideal to work in. Lawrence Hyland, clerk at Union Center, was provided an appropriate work and storage space. The village hall in Wonewoc proved to be an excellent place to work and for record storage. Some of the survey work took place in unheated town halls, so McGowan carried a box of coal in his car to start a fire. This Historical Records Survey of Juneau County is 1939 is also on file at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. Due to good record storage practices, some history lives on in Juneau County. U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman voted in favor of suspending normal trade relations with Russia on Thursday after the U.S. Senate removed language that had led the Glenbeulah Republican to vote against the original measure. Originally, the trade bill included an amendment to a law that would have allowed the president to sanction anyone who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. Grothman said he feared that the proposed amendment in the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act would be used to punish foreign officials who support laws in their home countries opposing abortion rights and same-sex marriage, a justification human rights experts said didnt make sense. He became one of eight U.S. House members to vote against the original bill. But after weeks of a back-and-forth in the U.S. Senate over the language, the Magnitsky Act as originally worded will authorize the sanctioning of people responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, not people engaged in serious human rights abuses. I appreciate my friends in the Senate for standing up to President Biden and removing this dangerous provision from a bill that should have been bipartisan from day one, Grothman said in a statement Thursday. Now that the inclusion of the vague definition of human rights abuses in the Magnitsky Act has been removed, I am proud to support this version of the bill. Among the senators seeking to eliminate the proposed amendment was U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Oshkosh. Records show that Johnson was one of the Republican senators seeking to remove the disputed wording from the bill. Johnsons office didnt explain why he sought to remove the wording or say whether he consulted with Grothman. The since-erased amendment was identical to wording then-President Donald Trump, whom Grothman supported, used to broaden the law in an executive order. Experts in human rights law said the wording is aimed at combating crimes carried out by particular officials, such as arbitrary detention and murder, not broad social policies. In March, Marquette University assistant political science professor Mark Berlin told the Wisconsin State Journal that it wouldnt be plausible for a president to sanction another country because of its prohibitions on same-sex marriage or abortions. Moreover, the Magnitsky Act only allows the president to sanction individuals, not countries. The U.S. Senate passed the bill 100-0, and the U.S. House passed it 420-3. The bill will now go to the Presidents desk, and I strongly urge him to use this powerful legislation as leverage to end this bloody war, Grothman said. The three House members who voted against the final bill Matt Gaetz, R-Florida; Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia; and Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky were among the eight members voting against the original measure. An attorney for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Thursday more than 10,000 previously deleted documents related to the GOP-ordered review of the 2020 election have been retrieved, but other deleted text messages or emails from private accounts cannot be recovered. The documents were sought by liberal watchdog group American Oversight, which has filed multiple requests for records related to the ongoing election probe being conducted by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. In a hearing before Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn, Vos attorney Ronald Stadler said many of the documents, which come from government accounts and have not been made available to the public, are duplicates and may not be related to the review at all. Much of Thursdays hearing focused on testimony from Stadlers expert witness Sean Harrington, who specializes in computer forensics, to discuss if deleted records can be obtained from a private cellphone or email account. Essentially, Harrington said deleted data isnt immediately removed from the device, but the longer the phone is in use, the higher likelihood that such deleted data has been purged. Deleted records being sought by American Oversight could be six to nine months old at this point, making it highly unlikely such data is recoverable, Harrington added. In my experience, based on the phones Ive worked on over the years, I would consider it to be highly unlikely to find text messages from that long ago or even two weeks ago, let alone six to nine months ago, he said. Attorneys with American Oversight could raise further issue on the matter with the court after reviewing the new batch of recovered emails, but Bailey-Rihn said with regard to Vos private accounts, theres nothing further at this point that makes sense to investigate. I just dont see that at this point any more time, expense or money is really relevant to the issues at hand to see if theres possibly some way to recover deleted messages on a private phone, Bailey-Rihn said. Granted, Speaker Vos is the speaker of the (Assembly), but he also is a private citizen and I dont see how you can separate his private messages from his public messages if in fact you could recover the deleted messages, which I think is doubtful. Bailey-Rihn scheduled oral arguments in the case for July 21, but added she plans to wrap up the matter before her retirement at the end of that month. The case is one of three records-related lawsuits filed by American Oversight against Vos, the Assembly and Gableman, who was hired by Vos last year to review the election at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers. In a separate case, Bailey-Rihn last week held Vos in contempt of court for failing to provide other requested documents, which include records created by contractors, including Gableman. Vos and the chamber were given 14 days to comply with the judges order or each would have to begin paying a $1,000 daily forfeiture costs that could fall to taxpayers. If Vos and the Assembly provide proof they have complied with the states public records law, the contempt ruling would be lifted. Vos and the Assembly have also been ordered to pay American Oversights legal fees related to the contempt motion. Vos pushed back on Bailey-Rihns contempt order last week, saying, its a liberal judge in Dane County trying to make us look bad. We have followed the law, Vos said. There is no problem with what were doing. Its really them trying to stop our investigation. This all focuses on them not wanting to get to the truth of what happened in 2020. You cant produce emails that you dont have. In addition to funds allocated to Gableman, invoices show the Assembly has spent more than $160,000 in additional taxpayer funds to defend against the multiple lawsuits related to the GOP-ordered review. More than $141,000 of those funds have been spent in a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the agencys nonpartisan administrator, Meagan Wolfe, against Gablemans demand for a private, in-person meeting with Wolfe. Another $18,000 has been spent on attorneys representing Vos and the Assembly in the three American Oversight cases. A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Wisconsin regulators have approved a massive solar farm in southeast Dane County despite protests from neighbors who say it will mar the landscape and stymie urban development. The Public Service Commission voted 2-0 Thursday to allow Invenergy to build the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center on about 2,400 acres west of Cambridge. The 465-megawatt solar-plus-storage facility will produce enough energy to power about a third of the countys homes. Koshkonong is the twelfth and largest solar project approved by the commission and the first of its kind in Dane County. It includes the largest battery storage component yet approved in Wisconsin. Three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, are seeking to purchase the project for $649 million as part of their plans to replace coal-fired power plants with carbon-free generation. This case just presents a reality of where were at in the transition, said Commissioner Ellen Nowak. The state itself and residents are going to be faced with more of this. PSC Chair Rebecca Valcq said the commission has an obligation to ensure the state has adequate generation resources, which have to be built in someones backyard. It rises to the level of BANANA -- build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything, Valcq said. We dont have that luxury. Commissioner Tyler Huebner recused himself from the Koshkonong proceedings after opponents said his advocacy for the project prior to joining the commission created an appearance of bias. The project has faced fierce opposition from neighbors, the surrounding town of Christiana, the Cambridge School District and the village of Cambridge as well as activists who have fought other utility projects across southern Wisconsin. They say the industrial-scale project will forever change the rural landscape around Cambridge and landlock the bedroom community, which has little other land available for new housing. They worry about the hazards of living near the 165-megawatt lithium-ion battery array and argue there are more cost-effective ways to lower carbon emissions. The contempt with which these Commissioners treated the affected communities and citizens is breathtaking, said Frank Jablonski, an attorney representing opponents. The Commissions commentary also seemed calculated to send a message across the state: Energy sprawl is your future, and whenever it is asked, neither citizens nor communities nor common sense nor local environments will stand in the way. Opponents argue the project will benefit a handful of landowners at the expense of their neighbors views and property values while using up prime farmland. But Dennis Lund, who has agreed to lease about 500 acres of his land for solar panels, said farmers need the income to remain profitable without selling off their land. We feel like were in a zoo for the glorification of those who like to look at what we do, he said. Theyre not concerned if we can survive or not. Opponents also challenged the legality of the developers lease agreements, which they argue violate a provision in the state constitution that limits long-term leases on farmland. The commission dismissed the challenge, which they said was based on a misreading of the 174-year-old document and failed to consider existing laws and court rulings. The commission did not consider the projects potential value to ratepayers, a question that will be addressed when it decides whether to allow the utilities to buy the plant. Opponents say utilities are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid regulatory scrutiny, though the commission previously rejected that argument. Under state law, unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost-effective solution. Utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs, with interest, to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard. Supporters, including the Sierra Club, Clean Wisconsin and Dane County sustainability groups, argue the project is needed for the swift transition to clean energy that the worlds climate scientists say is necessary to slow climate change. To do that, the International Energy Agency says the world will need to quadruple the current pace of wind and solar development, which will mean building the equivalent of four Koshkonong-size projects per day over the next decade. Chelsea Chandler, energy and air program director for Clean Wisconsin, said the approval was a needed step toward clean energy in a state where solar now accounts for less than 1% of generation. Chandler said large-scale utility projects like Koshkonong are needed in addition to consumer-owned rooftop solar and energy conservation measures for which opponents of the project argued. The urgency of the climate crisis means that we need all hands on deck implementing all kinds of climate solutions, she said. Theres no silver bullet; we need silver buckshot. SA teaching hospital shows 23 percent decrease in superbug transmission after novel intervention A study shows for the first time that Ultraviolet room decontamination paired with manual cleaning decreases transmission of CRE by 23% in a hospital setting. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a set of microorganisms that demonstrate resistance to at least one of the Carbapenem antibiotics. The CRE crude mortality rate [death rate] is close to 40%, according to limited surveillance studies in SA. Researchers at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC), the first private teaching hospital in SA, demonstrated the reduction in CRE transmission in a 26-month study across the 210-bed hospital. The reduction in transmission came after a novel implementation of the intervention that combined the sustained use of a UV room decontamination device with regular cleaning using bleach and ammonium disinfectants. US-based manufacturer UVDI and eHealthGroup Infection Control provided the UV room decontamination device known as the UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer. The study was published in the March 2022 issue of The Journal of Hospital Infection. About the study The intervention included broad UV room decontamination across five high-risk patient units (including two critical care units, oncology, transplant, and gastrointestinal surgery rooms) during a 12-month period following a 12-month baseline and two-month wash-in period. A wash-in period refers to the gap between two periods that allow for implementation. Otherwise, the effect may be obscured during the phase of implementation where use is sub-optimal. Our teams study indicated that enhanced environmental hygiene using UV room decontamination technology in the hospital can help prevent the transmission of CRE an especially challenging set of multidrug-resistant organisms, says lead investigator Dr Warren Lowman, Clinical Microbiologist & Infection Prevention and Control Specialist at WDGMC and a lecturer in the Division of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in the School of Pathology at Wits University. The UV room decontamination device was implemented in three usage scenarios: Terminal cleaning following patient discharge Terminal cleaning following patient transfer; and in a novel treatment, occupied rooms where the patient had an existing multidrug resistant organism (MDRO) infection and was moved during device use. For each scenario, the UV device was operated with five-minute treatment cycles, the number of which varied per room setting and size. This research underlines WDGMCs steadfast commitment to patient and staff safety through the use of novel infection prevention protocols, said Dr Sue Tager, CEO of WDGMC. In the ongoing fight to prevent the transmission of superbugs, both in and beyond Africa, these results provide hope and concrete proof that effective solutions exist. About the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) is the first and only private teaching hospital in South Africa. It was established in 2002 when the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) bought the Kenridge Hospital with a founding donation from the Donald Gordon Foundation. The hospital was then renamed the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. The 210-bed facilitys main specialties are transplant surgery, oncology (paediatric and adult), gastroenterology (medical and surgical), geriatric medicine, interventional radiology ophthalmology, ear-nose and throat, urology, nephrology, cardiology, womens health and orthopaedics. W&M student selected for James C. Gaither Fellowship The daughter of first-generation immigrants, Nitya Labh 22 has shared a dream with her grandfather of doing something meaningful in the world. After making a significant impact as a student at William & Mary, Labh will take another step as part of the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), a foreign policy think tank located in Washington, D.C. Labh, a 2022 Rhodes Scholarship finalist who is studying international relations, was among the 12 students nationwide to receive the prestigious fellowship, and she is the third William & Mary student selected in the last three years, joining Grace Kier 20 and Caroline Duckworth 21. Labh was accepted for a fellowship with CEIPs South Asia Program and International Security Program. She will provide research assistance to scholars in both programs and will also have the opportunity to conduct research, contribute to op-eds, papers, reports and books and also edit documents, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists and government officials. Being selected for the Gaither Fellowship feels extremely validating, Labh said. In 2018, I gave up a scholarship to the Arts Institute of Chicago to instead study international relations at William & Mary. That decision was a huge risk for me. I didn't know if I could be successful in this field or if I had anything meaningful to contribute. After years of training, researching, and mentorship, I feel like I've found a voice. With Gaither, I feel like I've found people who want to invest in me and help me find my place in the world. I took a chance on myself when I decided to come to William & Mary, and I feel like it's finally paid off. Starting in childhood, Labh shared her big dreams with her grandfather, Kunj Sahay, who lives in Ranchi, India. She told him one day shed make it big and buy him a castle or a big house. My grandfather is one of the first people who ever believed in me and my dreams whether they were dreams of castles or dreams of peace and justice, Labh said. Whenever I accomplish something, he is the first person I want to call and tell. And every time I call he reminds me how proud he is of me. More importantly, he reminds me about the mansion I promised to buy for us. Internationalist by heart A gifted artist and visual thinker, Labh turned down a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago to pursue a degree in international relations at William & Mary. While she is passionate about art, she wants to do something with a greater impact, and she felt a W&M degree in IR would get her there. Labh has career aspirations to work at the National Security Council or at the United Nations Security Council as a representative for the United States working in the Office of Political and Military Affairs. That has a lot to do with decision making in national security and how I feel that there needs to be someone in the room who bridges that gap between security, decision making and humanitarian concerns, Labh said. Labh calls herself an artist by trade and an internationalist by heart. I am moved by my passion for internationalism, and I'm going to use the tools at my disposal to help promote a better world if I can, Labh said. Her tools as an artist have helped her simplify theories and concepts for herself and also for those she has instructed as a teaching assistant for three courses. Her thought maps include arrow diagrams, clouds and bubbles. They have helped explain some of the most complex concepts relating to complicated topics such as blockchain technology. She has explored these topics as a research fellow for W&Ms Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS) and as a researcher for the Global Research Institute and the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). She was hired in October to intern with Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, an international strategic consulting firm run by W&M Chancellor Robert M. Gates 65, L.H.D. 98, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and critically-acclaimed author Anja Manuel. Empathy and care Labhs topics of expertise include blockchain technology, a subject on which she wrote a textbook for the course she taught for the Global Research Institute as a sophomore. It was only eight to 10 pages, she said. Before I taught it to people, I had to explain it to myself, and so I sat down and wrote it all out as I simplified it down to the core concepts. I thought it would be helpful as a reference. Labh has also studied international relations in the Indo-Pacific and wrote an op-ed this past summer for Australian Defence Magazine about Chinese land reclamation. Another piece she wrote on the topic recently won runner-up honors in an essay contest run by Girl Security and the quarterly journal International Security, which is published by the MIT Press and sponsored and edited by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. While some Pacific islands are sinking, China is also building new islands, to which Labh says, I feel like that changes the entire game of geostrategic competition if people can build land wherever they want, and thats where the project really took off. Labh grew up in Princeton, N.J., as the daughter of Wall Street financial tech leaders who immigrated to the U.S. from India in 1995. Her proximity to New York City opened up an opportunity to display her artwork at the United Nations, and thats what drew her interest to international relations. She created murals for the United Nations, and it asked her to be a non-governmental delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women. Nityas intellect is rooted with empathy and care for those around her, GRI Associate Director of Programs David Trichler wrote in a recommendation letter for the Rhodes Scholarship. She is one of the most talented mentors and teachers that I have met. Another recommendation letter said: The fact that her potential is built on a foundation of compassion and unshakable moral fiber only adds to the good that she will do. Labhs achievements are numerous, and her time at William & Mary led her to her next great chapter of life at the CEIP. But of all she accomplished at W&M, one thing stands out above the rest. I feel like I found my voice, Labh said. I think through the research process and gaining publications, I've become more sure of myself in that I have something worth contributing to the world, to academia, to the conversation on international peace and security. BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) "When brothers are of the same mind, they can cut through metal." Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has cited this Chinese aphorism while urging compatriots across the Taiwan Strait to work in unity for the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. A reference was made in 2014 when Xi met with Lien Chan, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang. Xi called on compatriots on both sides, regardless of party affiliation, class, religion or native region, to support each other and work toward the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. Derived from words in ancient classic "Zhouyi," dating back over 2,000 years, the aphorism means that as long as brothers unite in spirit and purpose, they could forge great strength and surmount whatever hardship they may encounter. Chinese people value the power of unity among siblings, particularly in times of difficulties. Xi has repeatedly stressed the familial ties between Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. "As long as we stick to the idea that we are one family, put ourselves in each other's shoes and treat each other with sincerity, there are no hard feelings that cannot be removed and no difficulties that cannot be overcome between us," he has said. For many years, the mainland has shared development opportunities with Taiwan compatriots, and offered individuals and businesses from Taiwan equal opportunities. "The Chinese dream is a dream shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait; only China's rejuvenation and prosperity can deliver a life of plenty and happiness to us Chinese on both sides. As the Chinese nation moves toward rejuvenation, our compatriots in Taiwan will certainly not miss out," Xi said. (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Armenian counterpart, Vahagn Khachaturyan, exchanged on Wednesday congratulations on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In his congratulatory message, Xi said that China and Armenia are traditional friendly partners, and since the establishment of their diplomatic ties 30 years ago, bilateral ties have maintained sound and stable momentum for development with political mutual trust deepened, substantial progress made in various areas of cooperations, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges increasingly closer. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two peoples have helped each other and joined hands in their anti-pandemic fight, epitomizing their profound friendship, he said. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Armenia relations, and stands ready to work with President Khachaturyan to take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to push for more achievements in bilateral relations and all-round cooperation so as to benefit the two countries and their people. In his message, Khachaturyan said that since the establishment of their diplomatic ties 30 years ago, Armenia and China have seen their cooperation in various areas yield great results and the Armenian side attaches great importance to China's development and progress, as well as its role on the world stage. He said he would like to work with Xi to achieve sustained and stable development in friendly cooperative relations between Armenia and China for the benefit of their people. (Source: Xinhua) Huang Baomei [Xinhua/Liu Ying] A community-level branch (in Yangpu District, Shanghai) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in January received 10,000 yuan (US $1,538) in special Party membership dues from Huang Baomei, a recipient of the National Model Worker award. Huang, 91, received the July 1 Medal, the highest honor of the CPC, during a ceremony held on June 29, 2021. As a witness to and participant and devotee of national development over the past seven decades, Huang has proven herself to be an exemplary model in the modern era. "There is always a time for people to retire from work, but this is never applicable to Party membership and ideological beliefs," says Huang. From Child Laborer to Role Model Huang was born into an impoverished family in Pudong, Shanghai, in December 1931. As the oldest child, she had to help her mother sell salt, even though she was just 12 years old. In 1944, Huang became a child laborer, working in a Japanese cotton mill, in Shanghai. She had to get up at 4 am, and she had to work in the plant for 12 hours every day. Huang recalls how her waist would be sore and her fingers were often bleeding, from the yarn, at the end of a day's work, because she had to stand rigidly in front of the loom to take care of the yarn. She told herself that she must acquire some technical knowledge and skills to help her live a better life. The cotton mill eventually became the Shanghai No. 17 National Cotton Factory, after the city was liberated from Kuomingtang rule in 1949. The liberation of Shanghai marked a rebirth for Huang. "People like me finally became our own masters, which meant the harder we worked, more efforts we would make to serve the people," recalls Huang. At that time, Shanghai occupied an important place in China's textile industry. Huang was an unrivalled worker, in terms of having a relatively lower rate of waste of raw cotton materials within the factory. She often reminded herself that 50 grams of wasted cotton fibre would be equivalent to three bowls of rice. To improve her skills, and to bolster efficiency, Huang used a new work method that ultimately led to one-third reduction in labor costs during the spinning process. In addition, Huang worked with her colleagues to design and produce a special device to reduce the waste of fibre during the weaving process. At last, Huang emerged from among the 300,000 textile workers in Shanghai to become one of the industry's exemplary workers. Going to College Huang was illiterate when she started working in the factory. Later, she made her way to the night school affiliated with the factory. Huang used all of her free time to study. Thanks to her outstanding performance, she was recommended to attend a special training class at the East China Textile Institute of Science and Technology (now Donghua University) from 1960 to 1963. Huang recalls how she had a difficult time taking notes in class, and also a hard time understanding what her teachers were talking about. She often stayed up late, and even remained on campus on weekends, to read books. She worked hard to catch up with her classmates. Her perseverance eventually paid off. She became the only worker-turned-college student left in the special-training class, and she finally received her diploma. Founding 'Model Worker Company' In 1952, Huang became a Party (Communist Party of China) member, at the age of 21. A year later, she was selected by the former Ministry of Textile Industry as one of the country's model workers in the textile industry. The spinning workshop she managed was rated a collective model unit in Shanghai in the 1950s. She was again selected a National Model Worker, in both 1956 and 1959. In February of 1956, Huang met then-Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976) during his inspection tour of Shanghai. Inspired by the encouragement she received from Mao, Huang always strived to have a humble attitude, and to learn from her peers, and she also strived to achieve greater accomplishments in the workplace. Huang was invited to play herself in a movie directed by filmmaker Xie Jin (1923-2008) in 1958. The film was based on the lives of Huang and her colleagues. Huang was nervous on the first day of shooting; as a result, one of her scenes had to be shot eight times. With Xie's encouragement, Huang gradually became accustomed to the camera, and finished the shooting. The movie became a big hit across the nation, and many people, including moviegoers, suggested Huang could be a professional actress. However, she said humbly that her career was in the textile workshop, without which she would be nothing. Huang retired in 1986, and she has since been committed to assisting others in the construction of their textile factories. For instance, both Qidong, in East China's Jiangsu Province, and Northwest China's Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps invited Huang to help them build textile factories, and to develop other relevant industries, in the 1980s. She was responsible for the design and construction of workshops, the purchase of production equipment and the cultivation of talents in both places. Thanks to her sacrifices, the textile factories in Qidong and Shihezi (in Xinjiang) became prosperous. People have asked Huang why she has continued to work so hard since her retirement. She has always responded that, as a Party member, there will never be any time for her to enjoy authentic retirement, and that the country will become more prosperous, and stronger, when all Party members are committed to the cause of the Party and the nation. With the support of the Shanghai Association of Model Workers, Huang took the lead in establishing Shanghai Yinghao Science and Technology Co., Ltd in 1994. Early on, Huang and the other stakeholders, all of whom were retired model workers, agreed the enterprise would not pay any dividends, but would instead use its profits to help senior model workers who were experiencing financial difficulties. People called the company a "model worker company." Promoting the Party's History Since her retirement, Huang has worked closely with her neighbors to form a residential community administrative committee, and to improve their neighborhood. Apart from working with the committee on the installation of surveillance cameras, the replacement of worn letter boxes and the expansion of emergency passages, Huang has led her neighbors in making donations to help people who are facing financial difficulties. Huang's family was named a National Most Beautiful Family by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) in 2017, in recognition of the family's participation in public affairs. As a witness to China's historic development over the decades, Huang has leveraged her life story to make the history of the Party better known among young people. She has participated in all of the education-themed activities organized by Shanghai Hundred Senior Moral Education Lecturers Group since the organization was founded in April 2000. People who have attended Huang's lectures have said her life story is vivid. They have added Huang's patriotism is not abstract and empty, but can be touched and felt. Huang is a hostess on Bilibili, a popular online video platform, through which she has maintained close contact with young people, and through which she has frequently spoken with them about the Party's history. Huang always tells her online followers that people should never forget their origin, be grateful for the contributions made by the older generations in the building and development of the country, and give priority to sacrifice over demand. When asked about the July 1 Medal, Huang says, as an ordinary worker, she never anticipated she would ever receive such an honor. She adds she will keep working in public affairs, and she will especially strive to make the history of the Party better known, for as long as she can. Huang Baomei shares her life story with a visitor to Shanghai Textile Museum. [VCG] (Women of China English Monthly February 2022 issue) Situated on the shores of the St. Andrews Bay, Panama Citys ideal climate, stunning beaches, and rich history makes this city one of Floridas most popular tourist destinations. The city embraces all the beauty and benefits of a progressive city while holding on to the charm of its humble fishing village beginnings. Geography Of Panama City Boats in St. Andrew's Bay in Panama City. Located in Floridas northwest and within the Florida Panhandle, Panama City is considered the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. Serving as the seat of Bay County and St. Andrew Bays port of entry, the city is located 95 miles east of Pensacola, 170 miles east of Mobile, and approximately 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee. Moreover, the citys Deepwater harbor is landlocked, linked to the gulf through a channel, and situated along the Intracoastal Waterway. Panama Citys geographic coordinates are 30.1588N and 85.6602W (30.1588, -85.6602), and it has an elevation of 26 feet. In addition, the city has a total area of 35.4 square miles, 17.39% of which is water, with the remaining accounting for land area. Climate Of Panama City The Koppen Climate Classification classifies Panama City as a humid subtropical climate with an average annual temperature of 68.8F. The citys summers are considered hot and oppressive, lasting 4.3 months from May 21 to September 30. The citys summer season experiences an average daily high of above 84F as well as prevailing southerly winds. July is considered the years hottest month, attaining an average high of 89F. As for the citys winter period, which stretches from December 4 to March 1, it is short and cool. These winter months encounter an average daily temperature of 53F, with January accounting for the years coldest month with an average low of 46F. The average rainfall in Panama City is 68 inches per year, with July receiving the rainiest days throughout the year, given its average of 18 rainy days. Based on multiple tourism scores, the best time of year to visit the city and experience all its warm weather activities is from early April to mid-May and from early October to early November. Population And Economy Of Panama City As of 2022, Panama City has a population of over 27,300 individuals with a population density of 781 residents per square mile. With this current figure, Panama City ranks as Floridas 96th largest city and the US 1413th largest city. The city population is currently experiencing a decline rate of -8.19%. Since the 2010 US Census, which recorded a total population of 36,500 individuals, the citys population has decreased by -25.04%. In terms of ethnic groups, the citys population is predominantly White and makes up 71.86% of the total. Black or African American individuals make up 20.83%, Asian individuals make up 1.99%, other races make up 1.82%, and individuals of 2 or more races make up 3.50%. Regarding gender, 54.4% of Panama Citys population is female, whereas 45.6% is male. The city has a median age of 39 years, further divided into 41.2 years for females and 37.1 years for males. Panama City currently has a median household income of USD 60,208 and a poverty rate of 21.64%. The citys chief economic factors include tourism and the military, although manufacturing chemicals and paper products, shipbuilding, and fishing are also of significance. In terms of the most commonly held jobs, most of the population are employed in sales and related occupations, office, and administrative support occupations, food preparation and serving-related occupations, and management occupations. The city has a median house value of USD 155,800 and a median monthly rental cost of USD 945. Brief History Of Panama City Initially known as Old Town, the area was settled by the English in 1765. This first settlement was primarily a fishing village and was subsequently called St. Andrew after several other names, such as Park Resort, Harrison, and Floriopolis. Throughout the American Revolution, the city was founded by loyalists who used the land to grow indigo and develop prosperous industries. These thriving industries included lumbering and naval stores. When it came to the American Civil War, the fishing village of St. Andrew established several fisheries and saltworks to support the Confederacy. However, these were later destroyed by the Union in 1863. In 1909, the city became known as Panama City when St. Andrew and Millville were merged by George Mortimer West, the developer of Panama City, Panama. By giving it this name, he hoped real estate value would rise in the county, given the fame of the Panama Canal. The citys population rapidly grew during World War II due to the boom in industrialism, as the city became an industrial war center given its shipbuilding capacity. Furthermore, Panama City served as the closest port between the US mainland and the Panama Canals Caribbean entrance. Tourist Attractions In Panama City St. Andrews State Park Blue Heron standing on fence post at gator lake in St. Andrews State Park. Commonly referred to as the home of one of the US best beaches, St. Andrews State Parks turquoise lagoon offers visitors many water activities, including surfing, canoeing, and kayaking. Snorkeling and scuba diving are also top tier, as the calm lagoon provides the opportunity to explore its remarkably colorful underwater life. For those wishing to stray further away from the beach, the park offers opportunities for bird watching, picnicking, hiking, and even camping. Historical Attractions Historic St. Andrews is a community of Panama City along the scenic St. Andrews Bay. Besides the plenty of tropical beach attractions on offer in nearby Panama City Beach, the city has a variety of historical attractions to offer visitors. Visiting Historic St. Andrews through a self-guided audio tour or the many free guided walking tours allows an in-depth look at many of the towns historical locations. Other must-visits are the Panama City Publishing Museum (home to the citys first newspaper), Bay County Historical Museum, and the Robert Lee McKenzie House (Panama Citys first mayor). Read MorePanama City Beach, Florida As the geographic center of Floridas Northwest, Panama City offers some of Floridas best beaches and water attractions. Yet, its rich history and historical attractions give visitors a substantially different perspective, thereby making Panama City a much more unique destination than typical tourist vacation destinations. Then Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is under fire from his ex-wife. Senate is expected to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday School placement programme for newly qualified teachers in Wales extended A programme of school placements for newly qualified teachers will continue until the end of the school year, it has been announced. The scheme, which offers paid employment in schools to Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs), has been funded by the Welsh Government since September 2021. The Welsh Government provides extra funding to local authorities so schools can provide placements for NQTs with an extra 4.2m of funding being available to enable the continuation of the scheme until July. Most NQTs have needed to undertake at least part of their teaching placements online, due to the pandemic. The programme supports NQTs to develop their experience and confidence by providing them with further classroom experience and enabling them to complete their induction period before they go into teaching. So far more than 400 NQTs have undertaken placements in schools across Wales through the scheme, with 60 of those already successfully securing permanent posts. The funding for NQTs is part of the Welsh Governments Renew and Reform programme, to support learners wellbeing and progression in response to Covid-19. As well as supporting NQTs with their careers, the NQTs have provided additional teaching capacity in schools during the pandemic. Commenting on todays announcement, Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said: The pandemic has been a real challenge for our education system, including for Newly Qualified Teachers, who have not had the opportunity to experience as much time in the classroom as they normally would. This scheme has enabled NQTs to gain classroom experience while providing extra capacity to help schools ensure learning has continued. Weve received positive feedback from schools that the NQTs are helping them with continuing staffing pressures, by having extra skilled staff who can take classes and who know the pupils and understand their schools ethos. Extending the scheme until the end of the year will benefit NQTs in developing their careers, support schools and ultimately support learners. Wrexham club operator comes out on top as prestigious industry awards A Wrexham club operator has come out on top at a prestigious industry awards. REKOM UK, operators of ATIK on Brook Street, was recognised by The Publican Awards, the biggest event in the hospitality industry calendar, for its outstanding work in the face of covid challenges which hit the sector hard. With 47 venues in Wales, England and Scotland, REKOM is the UKs largest specialist operator of late night bars and clubs. The organisation says its investment in its people and premium estate along with the We Care initiative which includes a team of customer care ambassadors to support vulnerable clubbers, free mobile phone charging points, a taxi escort service and refuge areas, has contributed to its win. Chairman Peter Marks said: Were proud to win Best Late Night Operator of the Year after what has been a very challenging time which has tested our resilience. The award is a significant achievement and recognises the fantastic efforts of our club teams who have bounced back from lockdown to deliver great, memorable nights out. The late night sector is an important part of Wrexhams economy and we intend to continue to invest and grow our business to help local centres recover from the impact of the pandemic. The following letter by David North, the chairman of the WSWS Editorial Board, replies to a message sent by P. Harris, a supporter of the Balkan war. Mr. Harris's letter can be read in full by clicking here (http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/jun1999/harr-j25.shtml) This correspondence follows an earlier exchange, in April of this year, between North and Harris (see Behind the war in the Balkans: A reply to a supporter of the US-NATO bombing of Serbia, http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/apr1999/dn-a08.shtml). Dear Mr. Harris: Thank you for your letter of June 19. Given the fact that the World Socialist Web Site published in its edition of April 8 a detailed response to your criticism of our opposition to the US/NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, one could reasonably expect that you would answer the points that I made in that reply. Unfortunately, it seems that you have not used the last 10 weeks to prepare a principled answer. Ignoring my reply to your first letter, you simply launch another round of denunciations of the WSWS. The cause of your anger is that the World Socialist Web Site still refuses to join in the imperialist press campaign over Serb atrocities that is being used to justify NATO's war against Yugoslavia. You are outraged that we do not accept uncritically, without factual substantiation, all the reports of massacres and rapes presented by government spokesmen and the media. You object to our use of the word allegedwhich, by the way, is the standard qualifier used in legal proceedings until a case has been provenin referring to crimes attributed to the Yugoslav government. As anyone who has followed our analysis of the war knows very well, the World Socialist Web Site has never denied that Serb forces were guilty of atrocities against Kosovan Albanians. However, in opposing the US/NATO propaganda campaign, we have repeatedly made the following critical points: (1) Prior to the initiation of the bombing campaign on March 24, 1999, the total number of people killed in Kosovo, Albanian and Serb, was in the area of 2,000. These deaths occurred in the context of a civil war between the Yugoslav government and separatist guerrillas. However deplorable the tactics employed by the Yugoslav authorities, they were no more brutal than those developed and used by the United States, Britain, and France in their own counterinsurgency operations. (2) The large-scale atrocities began after the US/NATO forces started bombing Yugoslavia. The causal link between the bombing and the subsequent atrocities is indisputable. The mayhem and killing that followed the launching of the bombing campaign was entirely foreseeable. Having chosen war as its preferred policy option, the United States bears immense responsibility for the tragedy that ensued. (3) The reports of the American and West European media during the war grossly and irresponsibly exaggerated the actual scale of the killings inside Kosovo by Serb forces. The comparisons between Serbia and Nazi Germany, between the Kosovan civil war and the Holocaust, were based on a distortion of history and cover-up of the political context of the violence in Kosovo. The WSWS does not, as you claim, blindly reject reports of Serb atrocities. We certainly do question the veracity of the reports that are generated by a media that has been caught in lies again and again. Only yesterday, the deaths of British soldiers in Kosovo were immediately attributed to Serbian mines. Later, it emerged that the cause of their deaths was an unexploded British-made cluster bomb. The initial false report was in keeping with a policy followed throughout the war by US/NATO propagandists: Whenever remotely possible, place the blame for loss of human life on the Serbs. Given the modus operandi of Mr. Jamie Shea, we needn't apologize for our skepticism toward US/NATO allegations. However, even if one accepts without reservation the pro-war media's reports of mass graves, it is clear that the number of Albanians murdered by Serb military or para-military forces is only a fraction of what was previously claimed by the media. While the media and high-ranking government officialsincluding President Clinton and Defense Secretary Coheninflamed public opinion by suggesting that the number of Albanians murdered was in the area of 100,000, if not higher, it would appear (based on the current media reports) that the number killed was closer to 10,000. It is not difficult to anticipate your rejoinder: You are simply quibbling over numbers. Ten thousand dead is a terrible human toll. Indeed it is, but it was not sufficientin the opinion of Clinton, Blair and other NATO leadersto sustain broad public support for the massive aerial bombardment of Yugoslavia. For the public to accept the destruction wrought by US/NATO bombs, it had to be convinced that the war was undertaken to prevent another Holocaust. The fabrication of the death toll was an essential component of a propaganda campaign which sought to disorient public opinion, distort the background of the war, and conceal the real political aims and material interests underlying the decision to go to war against Yugoslavia. Toward the conclusion of your letter, you attribute our opposition to the US/NATO war to a totally schematic and inflexible analysis of current events, rooted in a version of class-based political-economic analysis, never leavened by any of Marx's humanism and common sense. To the extent that one can make sense of this criticism, it is that we, unlike you, base our attitude to the war on an analysis of the class interests represented by the states that launched it. We would not challenge your right to reject this conscious class approach, but please do not make Marx an accomplice in your theoretical charlatanry. The author of the Communist Manifesto insisted, if we remember correctly (though you evidently do not), that The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. To remove from Marx's humanism this essential insight into the basic driving force of history is to portray the greatest revolutionary thinker in world history as a vulgar liberalthat is, as someone very much like yourself. Your own position on the war exposes the practical consequences of the sort of non-class humanism that you espouse. While accusing the WSWS of doing a great disservice to socialists by opposing the war, you entrust the realization of socialismwhich you define as fundamental justice, equality, and freedom for all people, including Albanianto NATO. Predictably, this reactionary blending of humanism and imperialism finds its apotheosis in the bombing of Yugoslavia. To be blunt, these positions are politically bankrupt. They express the outlook of a deeply cynical political and social milieu, of which you are a part, that has abandoned whatever socialist principles it once believed in. What separates us politically, Mr. Harris, goes far beyond our different assessments of the scale of atrocities in Kosovo or even of the origins of the war. We proceed on the basis of entirely different historical perspectives. Unlike yourself, we assign to imperialism absolutely no progressive social and historical mission. We do not look to the Pentagon to provide answers to the problems of the Balkans or any other part of the world. Rather, the World Socialist Web Site adheres to the essential socialist precept that the fate of mankind depends upon the development of the political self-consciousness of the international working class and its capacity for independent political action. Or as Marx put it so succinctly, "The emancipation of the working classes must be conquered by the working classes themselves." He saw no need to add, "And where that task cannot be immediately achieved, socialists are advised to turn for support to the military machine of the bourgeois state." Yours sincerely, David North On the eve of calling a federal election, Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week took another critical step to placing Australia on the frontline of US preparations for war against China. Morrison heralded a major expansion of last Septembers AUKUS military pact, an agreement that has bipartisan support from the opposition Labor Party, which is equally committed to the intensifying US military alliance. In a joint statement, Morrison, US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that the AUKUS treaty between the three governments would be extended to include the development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities and electronic warfare technologies. The UK Carrier Strike Group 2021, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, departing the UK (credit: Royal Navy/Flickr) Land-based hypersonic missiles, which would have a range of more than 2,000 kilometres, would be stationed in Australia, while air and sea versions could be deployed on the countrys jet fighters and warships. This would make Australia an even more crucial base for the US, from which to launch a potential nuclear war against China, which is regarded by Washington as the chief threat to US global dominance. Hypersonic missiles are capable of travelling at least five times the speed of sound, dramatically reducing the warning time. Coupled with their manoeuvrability, this makes them virtually impossible to intercept. They can carry nuclear warheads. No price tag was mentioned. But these programs would require the spending of billions more dollars, on top of the near $600 billion already allocated for Australian military weaponry over the current decade. Bloomberg reported last November, based on internal Pentagon estimates, that the missiles would cost more than $100 million each, adding about $30 billion to spending to develop some 300 missiles, starting this year. CNN revealed on Wednesday morning that the American military had secretly tested hypersonic missiles last month. The full extent of the AUKUS partnership, directed against China, is becoming increasingly apparent. The treaty was initially headlined by the provision of long-range nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia. That was itself a major step toward confrontation with China, against which the submarines would be deployed. The latest announcement said the allies would also work together to overhaul their military innovation systems, and deepen information-sharing on the development of advanced military capabilities. AUKUS covers a wide range of weaponry and intelligence collaboration, including cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and undersea drone systems. The announcement referred vaguely to work progressing on other critical defense and security capabilities as well. These would include agreements struck over the past two years to expand the US use of air, naval and land bases in Australia. In addition, the announcement revealed a series of top-level government and military meetings between the three allies to advance their war plans. Senior national security advisers from each country met on March 10 to review the partnerships pleasing progress, and multiple steering group meetings have occurred. According to the Australian Financial Review, 17 trilateral working groups are working under the AUKUS banner, with nine focused on the submarines, and eight relating to other advanced military capabilities. In February, officials from the three countries inspected locations across Australia, reportedly to review sites to build and operate the submarines. Shortly after that, Morrison said $10 billion would be spent building a submarine base and another $5 billion expanding a repair and maintenance shipyard. While not naming China as the target, the announcement showed how the US and its allies are exploiting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which the US and NATO deliberately provoked, to prepare for a similar conflict with China. The three leaders said action was needed to combat coercion in the light of Russias invasion. That allegation that has been levelled increasingly against Beijing, with unsubstantiated claims that it could invade Taiwan. US Democratic Party congressman Joe Courtney, who co-chairs the Friends of Australia Congressional Caucus, which has its own AUKUS Caucus taskforce, underscored the importance attached by the Biden administration to Australia as a base for war. Courtney told the Australian Financial Review: Its blindingly obvious that when you look at the aggression and the size of the Chinese navy, the US clearly has to pivot into the region, and the region is so vast that we need allies like Australia ready. Morrison is planning a khaki election, based on beating the drums of war in order to divert from the intense political and social crisis produced by the deadly live with the virus policies that have intensified the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring levels of social inequality and the devastating impact of climate-related floods and bushfires. The Liberal-National Coalition prime minister trumpeted AUKUS as the most significant defence agreement this country has entered into since the ANZUS Treaty 70 years ago and said he had achieved what no other prime minister has been able to securea US commitment to share its nuclear technology. A day earlier, Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton declared that Australian fighter jets and warships would be armed with long-range strike missiles by 2024, three years earlier than promised, as part of another $3.5 billion military upgrade. US military industry giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin would work to rapidly increase Australias ability to maintain and manufacture guided weapons. This would further integrate Australia into US military operations. Dutton, who is vying to replace the increasingly discredited Morrison, stepped up his aggressive accusations against China. He told the Nine Network that China was on course to take over Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping was an autocrat and China is arming herself with more nuclear weapons. The AUKUS expansion is part of a series of escalating military commitments. Last month Morrisons government said it would spend $1 billion to build missiles and guided weapons in Australia. However, led by Anthony Albanese, Labor is just as ready to conduct a khaki election. Labor has insisted it has no difference with the anti-China offensive. In fact, Albanese has sought to outdo the Coalition, boasting that Labor initiated the US alliance during World War II. Moreover, Albanese has criticised the government for leaving gaps in military capabilities until the submarines are delivered over the next two decades. This week, Albanese told an April 5 Canberra doorstop media conference he was concerned about government cuts to our important Defence Budget. That dovetails with the criticisms being made in key ruling circles, such as by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a pro-US thinktank that has pushed for an even more aggressive anti-China stance. Likewise, Australian foreign editor Greg Sheridan yesterday accused the government of making self-congratulatory artificial timing announcements. He said there was a fundamental mismatch between its rhetoric of national security and its astonishing lack of action. Labors response is a warning. Like the current Coalition government, a Labor-led government would only increase the vast military build-up, and seek to impose its burden on working people through deeper cuts to public health, education, housing and other essential social programs. Bus driver David OSullivan, a leader of the London Bus Rank-and-File Committee, has released a powerful video message supporting the courageous five-month strike by more than 70,000 bus drivers, ticket collectors, mechanics and support staff in Maharashtra, India. More than 70,000 state bus transport workers have been on indefinite strike since November 4, 2021. Their struggle has global significance. They have defied savage management reprisals and the courts, which have repeatedly declared their job action illegal. They have also had to wage their strike in defiance of the more two dozen unions that claim to represent them. Bowing to the courts, the unions withdrew their sanction for the strike even before it began. OSullivan, whose message is published today in English and Hindi, is calling on bus and transport workers throughout the world to come to the aid of the strikers. Maharashtra bus workers are an inspiration to workers everywhere, he says in his five-minute video. OSullivan was sacked by Metroline bus company in February 2021, for standing up for his colleagues rights to a safe workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is fighting for his reinstatement. Maharashtra bus workers are facing the threat of privatisation. They are demanding the state-owned bus corporation (MSRTC) be fully merged with the state government. State government workers have better job security, wages and benefits than those employed at public sector enterprises. But the state government has ruled out a merger and threatened the striking workers with mass dismissal. Yesterday, April 6, the Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra State Road Transport Company strikers to report back to work by April 15. They not only face the prospect of losing their jobs but could be subject to mass arrests. The workers in Maharashtra have shown tremendous militancy in sustaining their strike for 5 months, braving suspensions, firings and other company reprisals. They have not received a single rupee in strike funds. But their struggle is in grave danger above all because the national trade union federations and ostensible left parties, led by the Stalinist CPI and CPM, have deliberately isolated their struggle. The Stalinist-led trade union federations have done nothing to popularise the battle in Maharashtra, let alone mobilise workers in their defence. During the recent 2-day general strike against the pro-big business austerity and privatization policies of BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the trade union federations representing tens of millions of workers made no mention of the Maharashtra bus workers protracted strike, maintaining their enforced isolation. This makes it more urgent that workers throughout the world come to the aid of the Maharashtra bus workers. They must not be left to fight alone! As OSullivan explains in his video message, their fight is part of a new stage of global class struggle. The World Socialist Web Site and the International Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees calls on workers everywhere to support the struggle in Maharashtra. Share todays video message from London among your colleagues, family and friends. Send messages and workplace resolutions supporting the determined fight in India. As OSullivan concludes in his message of support to the Maharashtra workers, Your fight is our fight. Send your messages of support to the WSWS here. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs a bill that bans mask mandates in public schools in Virginia on the steps of the Capitol Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) On March 23, a federal judge in Charlottesville, Virginia ruled that a small number of schools could reinstate mask mandates to protect the lives of a dozen immunocompromised children from the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia on behalf of the twelve families over Republican Governor Glenn Youngkins state law that made wearing masks in schools optional. The ruling pertains only to the school districts attended by the dozen families belonging to the class action lawsuit, which had been filed in February in response to an executive order Youngkin signed when he took office in January. In late February, Youngkin and the Republican-dominated state senate were able to turn the order into law with the critical support of several Democratic Party state senators. The families alleged that the law, State Bill 739, presented parents of Virginia children with disabilities with an unconscionable choice: to choose between putting them at risk of severe illness and keeping them home with little or no education. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 6.2 percent of adults ages 18-64 in the United States live with weakened immune function, along with 2.6 percent of children. This amounts to 15 million people who are still vulnerable to COVID-19 even after being vaccinated. It is likely that every community in the country has immunocompromised members for whom the removal of mask mandates is a potential death sentence. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the most narrow fashion possible. Judge Norman Moon sought to strike a middle ground between Youngkins law, which made it illegal for any school district to require masks inside buildings, and the obvious danger which it creates for the immunocompromised. The Court enjoins Defendants [the various school districts], states the judge, from enforcing [Youngkins mask mandate ban] only as against these Plaintiffs in their ability to ask for (not definitely to receive) a mask requirement in their particular school. In other words, the ruling gives only these 12 families the ability to ask administrators of their particular school to have a mask mandate reinstated. Whether such a request is ultimately granted is left up to the political sympathies of each particular school board and its constituents. The ruling stresses, this is not a class action, and the twelve plaintiffs in this case have no legal right to ask the Court to deviate from that state law in any schools in Virginia (much less school districts) their children do not attend. The ruling was sufficiently toothless to allow both the ACLU and the Youngkin administration to claim victory. The ACLU somehow characterized Moons ruling as a win for schools and students, while the Republican state attorney general Jason Miyares proclaimed that it affirms that parents have the right to make choices for their children. Ultimately, the judges ruling will do nothing to protect the immunocompromised, let alone the rest of the population which has been left vulnerable to the deadly virus with the removal of all mitigation measures. The judges ruling leaves parents in the hundreds of other schools throughout Virginia no choice but to send their children into unsafe schools. When the SB739 went into effect March 1, Virginia was averaging 1,539 cases a day and 83 deaths, according to the Washington Posts coronavirus tracker. During the preceding months, however, the Omicron variant soared to almost a seven-day-average of 20,000 cases, the largest wave of the pandemic in the state. Virginias current caseloads are far lower, although the new Omicron BA.2 variant is rapidly moving throughout the region. According to the Post, [p]ublic health experts say BA.2 will likely become the dominant strain in the Washington region over the next several weeks, driving another uptick in new infections after a steady decline since the peak of the omicron surge in early January. The article notes that the signs of a new wave are emerging as even more prevention measures fade away, including pandemic workplace safety requirements in Virginia that the states Worker Safety Board voted earlier this week to remove. Every state in the country has now dropped indoor mask mandates, along with all other basic mitigation efforts. The last state to end mask mandates was Hawaii, allowing it to expire on March 26. Mask mandates were lifted after the CDC, taking its orders from the Biden administration, changed its criteria for determining COVID-19 risk in late February from daily case counts to bed occupancy and hospitalizations, which led to counties and states being labeled high-risk to low-risk overnight. Despite the dramatic surge in cases and deaths resulting from BA.2 in Europe, public health officials in the Biden administration have continued to dismiss the threat the variant poses to the population. Public health officials, whom the World Socialist Web Site has frequently interviewed stress the fact that masks alone are not sufficient to curtail nor eradicate the virus. Mask mandates along with additional public health measures including, but not limited to, lockdowns with full pay for those impacted, contact tracing, and quarantining are necessary steps to save lives and end the pandemic. China introduced public health measures known as Zero COVID since the start of the outbreak which have saved innumerable lives in the most populous country in the world. It has responded to the current surge in cases in Shanghai by implementing mass testing and locking down the city to stop the spread of infections. On the other hand, the United States has reached the tragic milestone of one million dead and has abandoned any pretense of public health measures. BA.2 is already the dominant COVID-19 variant, accounting for nearly 55 percent of new coronavirus infections last week, according to recent data published by the CDC. With the end of free testing and vaccines for the uninsured, closure of testing sites and the removal of mask mandates and other public health measures, the American ruling class has demonstrated its indifference and outright criminality regarding the lives of the population, prioritizing profits over human life. Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on Earth, has purchased 9.1 percent of the social media and microblogging platform Twitter and secured a seat on the companys board of directors. According to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, Musk disclosed the purchase of more than 73 million shares of Twitter stock between January 31 and April 1. He spent a total of $2.64 billion or an average of $36.16 per share. On Monday, following initial reports of the investment, the value of Twitter shares jumped by 27 percent. The Wall Street response to news that the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX had become an active Twitter investor increased Musks net worth by $1 billion, a 40 percent return. Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Wikipedia photo) The appointment to the board of directors was acknowledged by Twitter executives on Tuesday. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted in the morning that he was excited to share that were appointing @elonmusk to our board! Agrawal added, Hes both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need on @Twitter, and in the boardroom, to make us stronger in the long-term. Welcome Elon! Musk replied, Looking forward to working with Parag & Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months! Later, Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, Im really happy Elon is joining the Twitter board! He cares deeply about our world and Twitters role in it. Parag and Elon both lead with their hearts, and they will be an incredible team, to which Musk replied, Thanks Jack! According to Forbes The Real Time Billionaires List, Elon Musk is the wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of $279.5 billion at the time of this writing. His wealth is approximately $100 billion greater than the second person on the list, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has a net worth of $184.5 billion. Musk first overtook Bezos as the richest man in the world in January 2021 following a dramatic rise in the value of Tesla stock. Shares of the electric car maker increased ten-fold, going from $88.60 to $880.02 in twelve months. During this time frame, Musks net worth went from $30 billion to nearly $200 billion. The speculative basis of Musks wealth is shown by the fact that current Wall Street value of Tesla is $1.08 trillion, six times the value of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler (Stellantis) combined. These three companies produce far more cars at dozens of factories, exploiting the labor of many tens of thousands of workers. Tesla only recently began turning a profit. Musk is a major user of Twitter, having joined the platform in 2009 and posted more than 17,300 tweets. He has more than 80 million followers and has used the platform to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, campaigned against economic lockdowns and refused to comply with shelter-in-place orders, ordering a restart of auto production at Tesla facilities in California in defiance of government policy. Many corporate media reports have focused on Musks comment about making significant improvements to Twitter in the coming months, and interpreted this to mean he will be involved in making product changes. As evidence of this, the reports have pointed to a tweet survey by Musk that posed the question, Do you want an edit button? Of the 4.4 million people who responded, 74 percent answered, yes. Another conversation with Musk on Twitter included a conversation about the need to remove Crypto spam bots from the platform, to which he said that this was the single most annoying problem on twitter imo. While Musk himself has not articulated an agenda for the company, other reports have concentrated on his role in relationship to the companys censorship policies. On March 26, about a week before his investments in the company had become public, Musk tweeted another survey that asked, Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?, to which more than 2 million people responded, with 70 percent of them answering, No. He followed up the survey with questions: Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done? and Is a new platform needed? On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal published an editorial that called on Musk to intensify his disdain for Twitters heavy-handed censorship, which the company uses to silence prominent voices (e.g., Donald Trump) and stifle views that disagree with the prevailing progressive consensus. Predictably, the Journal ignored the growing and blatant online political censorship of left-wing and anti-capitalist views and instead accused Big Tech of serving as handmaiden to the woke speech police. The Journal editors said it would be refreshing if Musk were to stake some of his own wealth in the cause of promoting political free speech. Far-right and fascist supporters of Donald Trump are urging Musk to restore Trumps Twitter account, which was permanently suspended in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, mob attack on the US Capitol aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. QAnon conspiracy supporter Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican of Georgia) tweeted, Will the new majority shareholder return freedom of speech to Twitter? On Tuesday, the Washington Post published analysis by Timothy L. OBrien with the headline, Elon Musks Twitter Investment Could Be Bad News for Free Speech, which said, Maybe he wants to bring Twitter to heel. Calling him a free speech absolutist, OBrien wrote that Musks Twitter rants and raves have been wide-ranging and unfettered. He once tweeted, then deleted, a meme comparing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Hitler. Hes tweeted transphobic memes. Hes slagged a British cave explorer as a pedo guy. The entry of Musk into Twitter underscores the control of social media and the internet as a whole by a tiny layer of capitalist billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg at Meta (which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, and a dozen smaller companies), Sergei Brin and Larry Page at Google (which owns YouTube), Jeff Bezos at Amazon and a handful of others. While the internet offers unprecedented scope to the development of human cooperation and interaction, within the framework of capitalism it becomes a further source of profit and wealth accumulation for the ruling class, resources which, as Musk demonstrates, are deployed at the whim of reactionary and even buffoonish figures. A major study published in March in the journal Population and Development Review estimates that global life expectancy declined by roughly 0.92 years in 2020 and another 0.72 years in 2021. These are the first declines in global life expectancy since the United Nations began tracking this figure in 1950 and the worst since World War II killed an estimated more than 70 million people. The study, written by sociologist Dr. Patrick Heuveline of the University of California, Los Angeles, is highly significant in that it is the first to estimate global life expectancy declines from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report notes, Annual declines in life expectancy appear to have exceeded two years at some point before the end of 2021 in at least 50 countries. Since 1950, annual declines of that magnitude had only been observed on rare occasions, such as Cambodia in the 1970s, Rwanda in the 1990s, and possibly some sub-Saharan African nations at the peak of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic. Prior to 2020, there had been an uninterrupted 69-year rise in life expectancy since the United Nations began calculating this figure, from 1950 when life expectancy was 45.7 years until 2019 when it had reached 72.6 years, with an average of 0.39 years of life added annually. Global life expectancy, 20102021 (both sexes, in years). SOURCE: 20102019, United Nations (2019); 20102021, author's calculations (see the Appendix for details) [Photo: WSWS] The report notes, The largest annual gains, more than 0.7 year from 1964 to 1968, reflect the success of global public health campaigns, in particular childhood vaccination programs. Additional public health initiatives adopted in many countries at the time included the filtering and chlorinating of water supplies, the development of sanitation infrastructure, swamp drainage, milk pasteurization and mass vaccination campaigns, among many other scientific achievements. Over the last two decades, this progressive expansion of life expectancy came under increasing attack, as the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 and the eruption of American imperialism initiated three decades of unrelenting social counterrevolution on a world scale. The report notes that in the years preceding the pandemic, annual gains in global life expectancy declined below their 19502019 average of 0.39 years, dipping below 0.3 years from 2015 to 2018 and below 0.2 years in 2019. The pandemic has rapidly accelerated this retrogression and SARS-CoV2 has proven to be one of the deadliest pathogens to have ever ravaged human civilization. The comparison of the pandemic to world wars is no hyperbole. According to a study published in The Lancet, global excess deaths in the last two years stood at 18.2 million by the end of 2021, nearly equivalent to all the deaths during World War I. Unlike previous pandemics, every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic was both foreseeable and preventable, as documented by dozens of scholarly papers, books and even films released just since the start of the 21st century. At every step of the way, the financial oligarchy and its political representatives ensured that profits were prioritized over human lives and well-being. To put it succinctly, the decline in life expectancy is a concrete health measurement of the policies of social murder, whose monetary values can be appraised by the coinciding rise in stock market indices. In the United States and many other countries, sections of the ruling elites have long advocated lowering life expectancy. They welcomed the pandemic as a positive good to cull the elderly and infirm, reduce pension obligations and cut social services. Lexie, 6, left, Charlie, 8, right, and their mom wait in an exam room before Charlie has an MRI during a long day of testing at Children's National Hospital, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) At a national level, eight countries experienced substantial declines in life expectancy of more than four years over the last two years. These include five countries in Latin AmericaPeru (5.6 years), Guatemala (4.8), Paraguay (4.7), Bolivia (4.1) and Mexico (4.0)and three in Europe, including Russia (4.3), Bulgaria (4.1) and North Macedonia (4.1). The study estimates that in 53 countries, including the United States, life expectancy declined by over two years during the worst 12-month period of the pandemic. Numerous other countries experienced even worse 12-month periods of declining life expectancy, including Tunisia (3.4 years), South Africa (3.1), Egypt (2.3), Bosnia and Herzegovina (4.0), North Macedonia (4.0), the Philippines (3.0), India (2.6), Kazakhstan (3.2), Lebanon (3.4) and more. However, multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region where elimination strategies were employed, including China with a population of 1.4 billion people, saw life expectancy climb. To appreciate the full impact of the studys findings, it is worth noting that in 2019 the United Nations anticipated that global life expectancy would rise by 0.18 years in 2020. The implication is that had the ruling elites taken the necessary measures to eliminate COVID-19 in January-March 2020, the worlds population would have expected a life span two years higher than now exists. Instead, global life expectancy has dropped to below 2013 levels, with one decade of gains in life expectancy vanishing for all of mankind. Alongside the massive loss of life, there has also been a tremendous loss of livelihood. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan estimated that roughly 43 percent of reported infections worldwide have led to Long COVID, with more than 100 million people likely experiencing various symptoms which can impact nearly every organ in the body. In a significant subset of Long COVID patients, the condition can be quite debilitating and lead to the inability to work or care for themselves. Recent studies have associated even mild COVID-19 infections with an increase in all-cause mortality. The report by Dr. Heuveline serves as a devastating indictment of the response of world capitalism to this global catastrophe. Expressing the silent brutality of the bourgeoisie, not a single corporate media outlet has reported on the groundbreaking study. The silence of the media and all world governments on the report underscores their culpability in the greatest social crime since World War II. Outside of China and a handful of countries in the Asia-Pacific region which eliminated COVID-19 in early 2020, world capitalist governments refused to implement the measures necessary to stop the transmission of the virus. Instead, they pursued either the most brutal herd immunity strategy of mass infection or maintained a pretense of implementing limited mitigation measures, all of which were scrapped during the surge of the Omicron BA.1 subvariant. These policies caused the evolution of ever more infectious and vaccine-resistant variants, with the Omicron BA.2 subvariant the most dangerous so far. China is now the only major country still fighting for a Zero-COVID strategy and is presently battling its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic due to the BA.2 variant, with a record of over 20,000 infections reported on Tuesday. The Western media now brays for China to abandon Zero-COVID, knowing full well that this could cause millions of deaths throughout the densely populated country. At the same time, they are cheerleading the US-NATO escalation of the drive to war with Russia which threatens to unleash a nuclear World War III. Both the response to the pandemic and the escalating drive to war express the criminality and bankruptcy of the capitalist system, which is hurtling mankind toward disaster. The same criminal financial oligarchy that has gorged itself and amassed trillions of dollars since the start of the pandemic now strives for an imperialist carve-up of Russia, China and the entire Eurasian landmass to directly exploit the regions vast resources and working class population. Just before the start of the Omicron surge, the World Socialist Web Site initiated the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is gathering testimony from workers, scientists and anti-COVID activists throughout the world to uncover and document the disastrous response to the pandemic. These efforts must be expanded in every country and the findings popularized within the working class. Above all, it is vitally necessary to build a mass movement rooted in the international working class, fighting intransigently against war and for a strategy to eliminate COVID-19 throughout the world. Only the universal deployment of every public health measure on a world scale, including paid lockdowns, mass testing, contact tracing, the isolation of infected patients and quarantining of exposed people, the globally coordinated provision of vaccines and treatments, the provision and mandating of high quality N95 or better masks, and more, can stop the pandemic and renew the growth of global life expectancy. The combined fight against war and the pandemic is inherently a global struggle with revolutionary implications. Only the socialist overturn of the decrepit and outmoded capitalist nation-state system can stop the further descent into war, plagues and barbarism. On May 1, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) will host this years International May Day Online Rally to rally the working class to stop the war and the pandemic and rebuild society on socialist foundations. Shift change at Ford Saarlouis (WSWS) Dear colleagues, We call on you to build the struggle against the bidding war between the Ford plants in Saarlouis and Valencia and the systematic blackmail by management and the works council: Register with the action committee! (See below.) Spread this call via Facebook, WhatsApp etc., and as a flyer! Support united action with the colleagues in Valencia and at all other locations! Every day brings new bad news. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war and the insane economic sanctions being imposed by the German government, energy and food prices are skyrocketing. Constant short-time working has already led to heavy financial losses. How are we supposed to pay for fuel, rent, loans and living expenses in the future? Works council leader Markus Thals answer isthrough cuts in wages and social benefits and unpaid overtime. According to his own statements, he travels to Ford HQ in Cologne twice a week with his closest confidants to negotiate exactly this with the European management. In these talks, he repeatedly signals to management that he is prepared to undercut any downgrading offers from his union colleagues in Valencia as part of the bidding war between the two plants. For Thal, the downward spiral has no limit. It is not his skin he might lose. He is highly remunerated as head of the works council and collects fat supervisory board bonuses on top of that. At the last factory meeting, Thal repeatedly claimed there was no alternative to these negotiations on wage and social cuts. But this is only because these works council bureaucrats have never done anything else, and cannot imagine anything else, than repeating what the bosses and their managers want and working out the savings and cuts on the supervisory board, economic committee and works council. Invariably, they push them through with the slogan there is no alternative against any resistance from the workers. Because Thal and his confidants know very well how hated this cowardly submission to the dictates of management is, they try desperately to keep all details of the negotiations secret. Works council election: The result stinks! Since the works council election, Thal has been droning on that the result of the vote was a clear vote of confidence for him personally and the IG Metall union list. This is sheer mockery! Anyone who followed the election knows that the result stinks. Before and during the vote, IG Metall built up enormous pressure in the factory to get the result it wanted. At the factory meeting at the beginning of election week, Thal had said he wanted to see a 100 percent turnout. Thereupon his helpers pulled out all the stops to make this election result possible for their leader, which is reminiscent of election results under authoritarian and dictatorial regimes. IG Metall representatives then took postal ballot papers to colleagues homes during election week and then waited until they were filled in to take them back to the factory. And as we all know, during election week, works council reps walked the production lines, personally approaching workers to ask them to vote for the IG Metall list. In any case, the election and its result were not a vote of confidence in Thal & Co. but part of the works council conspiracy against us. Above all, the election made it clear once again that it is not possible to represent our rights and interests through the works council. This is not possible with the works council but only against it. That is why it is so important to actively expand and build up the action committee. Instead of wage and social cuts, international cooperation to defend all jobs The Action Committee takes the exact opposite stand to the works council and IG Metall. In a few weeks it will be May Day, the traditional day of struggle of the international working class. We recall that all the rights and achievements of the workers movementfrom the eight-hour day, regulated wages, holidays, and social standards to sick paywere fought for in joint international struggles by workers against the capitalists and their works council lackeys. We counterpose the programme of international workers solidarity to the profits-above-all-else programme of the bosses and the unrestrained enrichment of those at the top of the corporation. We refuse to allow a handful of super-rich managers and shareholders at the top of the corporation in the US to decide the future and welfare of our families. As an independent Action Committee, we have no confidence in the works council and demand that the wording of the cutback plan submitted to Fords European headquarters in Cologne at the end of January be made public. Only then can every worker see what conspiracy is taking place and act against it. Against the works council conspiracy and secret negotiations, we counterpose workers democracy and the disclosure of all information. This includes information from a translated article on the Spanish website Economia Digital , which is circulating in the factory. It describes a scenario in which half the workforce at the Spanish plant in Almussafes (Valencia) will lose their jobs, and our plant in Saarlouis apparently has no future. The website reports that the plant in Almussafes will build the E-Mustang from 2026. However, about 40 percent of the current production (Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy and Transit Connect) will be eliminated by the end of 2023, beginning 2024. According to the article, 3,000 jobs, almost half the workforce, will be in jeopardy. The production of the E-Mustang, in addition to the production of the Kuga, which will still be built until 2029, will not make up for these job losses. The production of electric vehicles requires fewer workers. Here, too, we are being taken for fools. The IG Metall shop stewards in Saarlouis are trying to reassure us and claim that the article is most likely fake news. We do not share this view. Thal and Co. know more than they are saying! We will find out the facts with the help of our contacts in the Ford plant in Valencia and make them known. A colleague from Valencia has told us that this news was neither confirmed by management there nor by the trade unions. It is high time to take action! We must stop the bidding war! To do this, join the Ford Action Committee and participate in its construction to prepare the struggle to defend all jobs. The company acts internationally and plays off the individual plants against each other. We Ford workers must also act internationally. The plants in Saarlouis and Almussafes can only be saved if we unite with our colleagues in Valencia, Cologne and all our other European as well as the American colleagues. Get active and contact us! Send a Whatsapp message to the following number: +491633378340 This Jan. 8, 2020, photo shows the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) On Monday, March 21, the Republican-controlled Tennessee state legislature passed right-wing legislation for higher education which prohibits the use of what they identified as divisive concepts related to racism, sexism and social class, among other topics, in student and faculty training programs. The bill also prohibits any monetary incentives for teaching these concepts. Furthermore, the law allows anyone who perceives there has been a violation to have recourse to all equitable or legal remedies in a court of law. This leaves staff and faculty in the states public colleges and universities vulnerable to specious accusations, lawsuits and potential job termination, which is sure to cause some faculty to self-censor or suppress open and free discussion of social issues in their courses. The bill moves to conference, then to the desk of Republican Governor Bill Lee. The wording and import of the law are nearly identical to the anti-critical race theory (anti-CRT) laws which outlawed the teaching of social struggles arising from race, sex and class in K-12 public schools in Tennessee and at least 11 other states last year, while it adds the vigilante enforcement mechanism used by the Texas legislature in its anti-abortion law. Republican Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally stated the purpose of the law is to make sure students are taught the subjects they sign up for. However, the Tennessee law, as well as similar laws being passed throughout the US, aim to suppress the history of social inequality in the United States by exploiting the racialist politics of the Democrats and the pseudo-left in order to divide workers and students against their common interests. The far-right is seeking to enshrine nationalistic propaganda as a lingua franca on college campuses. The origin of the anti-CRT campaign was a reaction of the right-wing Trump-led faction of the US ruling elite to the magnitude of the protests against police killings in the summer of 2020, following the police murder of George Floyd. At the same time, the New York Times 1619 Project was being toasted by the liberal wing of the establishment as Nikole Hannah-Jones had just been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her introduction to the project which characterized the American Revolution as motivated by the determination to defend slavery, and in which she proclaims, among other ahistorical observations, that Anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country. Tennessee joins Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Florida and Iowa among the states to pass legislation that targets directly or indirectly any open examination of all social antagonisms, class conflict and revolutionary upheavals by curtailing the promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government and promoting division between, or resentment of, a race, sex, religion, creed, nonviolent political affiliation, social class, or class of people. Republican state legislatures have smeared virtually any teaching about social inequality and social struggles in America as a violation of the civil rights of whites. In an effort to ensure that ideas about race, gender and class are neutralized on campuses, the Tennessee law requires college employees whose job it is to promote diversity on campuses must now increase intellectual diversity of the faculty and students. Additionally, they must conduct surveys to gauge student and faculty comfort level in speaking freely on campus. The term intellectual diversity is a euphemism for mainstreaming regressive social tendencies such as libertarianism and religious right-wing ideology. According to SourceWatch, the intellectual diversity movement by conservatives is a reaction to the perceived liberal bias on college campuses. In order to provide intellectual diversity, the phrases balance, alternative view and equal weight appear in many states legislation. Consequently, legislating alternative views will open the door for legitimizing falsifications such as holocaust denialism and other far-right interpretations of history. Arguably, Tennessees history as a slave state which joined the Confederacy and fought in the Civil War against the Union must be treated with such balance and equal weight. The stipulation of diversity comfort level surveys in Tennessees law is similar to the controversial bill passed in Florida last June which requires surveys about intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity on Florida college campuses. The Florida bill was widely greeted as an infringement on academic freedom by faculty and students. Especially concerning for academics in the Florida law is the provision that allows students to record lectures as evidence of violation of university policies. Such recordings can be done without the knowledge of the instructor, leaving both tenured and non-tenured faculty vulnerable to any number of specious accusations. Faculty and students opposing the law in Florida have filed a lawsuit claiming, It (HB233) was passed with the intent to suppress liberal and progressive views and associations by creating a hostile environment for those views on virtually every level Neither law in Tennessee or Florida provides specific guidelines for the surveys, such as guarantees of anonymity. There are no stipulations in the laws about which agency will create the surveys or what information will be gleaned by them. It is all but certain that the data gathered by the required surveys will be used as a weapon against ideas far-right politicians find objectionable. Defunding of courses and programs has already taken place in Idaho, which was the first state to pass a higher education version of an anti-CRT bill last year. The legislature has cut funding to programs in universities that do not create job ready people as one Republican senator put it. Cut from Boise State Universitys (BSU) budget was $409,000the exact amount spent on social justice programs. The day after the budget cut, BSU removed a block of courses with social justice content from its course catalog only to be reinstated at a later date as asynchronous online classes which do not include a discussion component. Theyre going to get the message, Idaho Republican Sen. Carl Crabtree said about the legislatures efforts to dictate what can or cannot be taught in colleges and universities. PEN America has been tracking the reactionary legislation in its Index of Educational Gag Orders. Since the beginning of this year, 49 bills or amendments to existing bills that ban the teaching of divisive concepts and/or assess penalties to previous bans have been introduced. According to the tracker, the laws passed in Republican-run states this year are more explicit in the attempt to attack democracy by threatening the funding of public higher education. Disguised as transparency, proposed laws in Florida and Texas are taking aim at tenure. On the surface, Floridas bill requires course syllabi and course materials to be publicly available on university websites six weeks before the start of a class in order that students and families may scrutinize them for objectionable content. Further down in the bill, however, is the requirement that newly tenured professors be subjected to five-year reviews. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is calling for an all-out ban on teaching CRT in higher education and proposed an end to tenure altogether. As reported by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Patrick stated, Were not going to allow a handful of professors who do not represent the entire group to teach and indoctrinate students with critical race theory. He went on to say, Im not going to pay for that nonsense. In other states, current laws are being amended to add penalties for violation of divisive concept laws. In Wisconsin, Republicans have passed a bill which could deprive the university of 10 percent of its state aid as well as make the university shoulder the cost of legal fees for students of faculty who choose to sue the university for violation of their divisive concepts law. While Democratic Governor Tony Evers is expected to veto the bill this session, it is a crucial issue in the lead-up to the midterm elections for Republicans this year. In the wake of unsubstantiated allegations by the United States that Russia has executed civilians in the outskirts of Kiev, the United States has increased its weapons shipments to Ukraine. On Wednesday, it also admitted to training Ukrainian forces on American soil. Both actions increase the likelihood of a direct military clash between the US and Russia, the worlds two largest nuclear powers. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced yesterday that Washington is sending an additional $100 million in arms, consisting primarily of anti-tank weapons, to Kiev. Blinken said this was the sixth major tranche of war materiel dispatched to Ukraine since August 2021. He said that the new disbursement brings the total assistance commitment to Ukraine to more than $2.4 billion since the beginning of this administration, and more than $1.7 billion since the start of the war. Blinken noted that more than 30 countries, including the majority of NATOs members and the European Union, have been funneling arms to Ukraine. Ukrainian military forces train to use a US-supplied NLAW anti-tank weapon on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) He justified the escalation of US involvement in the proxy war by pointing to alleged Russian war crimes, saying, The world has been shocked and appalled by the atrocities committed by Russias forces in Bucha and across Ukraine. On Monday, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, Biden demanded a wartime trial of the Russian president, according to the official White House transcript of his remarks. In a statement Wednesday, the United States admitted to training Ukrainian troops in the United States, teaching them how to use the Switchblade kamikaze drone, hundreds of which are being put into use now in Ukraine. We took the opportunity, having them still in the country, to give them a couple of days worth of training on the Switchblade, John Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said on Wednesday. Other NATO powers are similarly escalating their involvement. The UK is planning to send armored vehicles to Ukraine, the Times of London reported Wednesday. The UK is adding to its offer of lethal weapons in the belief that the next three weeks will be critical in determining the outcome of the war. These [armored vehicles] could enable Ukrainian forces to push further forward towards Russian lines, observed the newspaper. A senior government source told the Times of London, The next three weeks will be critical. [The Ukrainians] have already partly won. They have exhausted the Russian army, won the battle of occupation and condemned Putin to eternal isolation. Can they push back the Russian army? Can they break the Russian army? Possibly. Depends on what help we can all give. The United States, meanwhile, is continuing its threats against China and India, two former colonial countries, unless they join the economic warfare against Russia. Our message to the Indian government is that the costs and consequences for them of moving into a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will be significant and long term, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said. On Thursday, the United States will lead an effort in the United Nations to remove Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. The last time a country was removed from the body was when Libya was taken off in 2011. Shortly afterwards, Islamist terrorists funded by the United States sodomized Libyas president to death with a bayonet. The United States remains a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council. Explaining the European Unions motives in stoking up the war by arming Ukraine, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell declared, We want [the war] to end as soon as possible, but not in any way. That is why we have to continue arming Ukraine. ... More weapons, that is what the Ukrainians expect of us, and that is what we are doing. Speaking Wednesday, Biden pledged to intensify the United States economic war against Russia, declaring, Were going to further increase Russias economic isolation, Biden said. The United States will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. The White House announced a new round of sanctions, targeting Russias largest banks, and prohibiting investment in Russia by Americans. The US proxy war is being used to rapidly intensify the global arms race being led by the United States and targeting not only Russia but China. On Tuesday, the White House announced an agreement by the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) partnership to produce a new generation of nuclear weapons targeting China. Citing Russias unprovoked, unjustified, and unlawful invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom declared they were pleased with the progress in our trilateral program for Australia to establish a conventionally armed, nuclearpowered submarine capability. They further pledged to commence new trilateral cooperation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities. That same day, the Pentagon approved a $95 million weapons sale, centering around the Patriot missile system, to Taiwan. It is increasingly clear that the Ukraine war, incited by the United States and NATO, is now being used as the occasion for putting into effect long-running plans for great-power conflict in the United States. The record $813 billion Pentagon budget proposed by the Biden administration for a massive expansion of the US military-industrial complex makes this clear. All 28 Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee have published a letter calling for expanding military funding even further. The committees Ranking Member, Alabama Representative Mike Rogers, told Fox News Monday, Our nation faces unprecedented threats from China and Russia, and its unconscionable that President Biden has chosen to once again shortchange our warfighters. He added, Xi Jinping is watching as President Biden continues to falter. In fact, while China has the largest navy in the world and is rapidly expanding their nuclear arsenal Luckily, Congress calls the shots when it comes to funding our military. Nearly 16 months after Donald Trump launched a fascist coup aimed at overturning the 2020 election and establishing an authoritarian dictatorship in the United States, he has hosted Republican politicians, donors and co-conspirators for a private screening of a new far-right propaganda film justifying his claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The 42-minute film, Rigged: The Zuckerberg-Funded Plot to Defeat Donald Trump, was produced by David Bossie, president of Citizens United and a longtime Republican operative. It was screened for the Republican elite at Trumps club in his Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida Tuesday night. The film amplifies Trumps frequent diatribes against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for having financed election operations in many parts of the United States in 2020, when the billionaire and his wife gave $400 million to the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life to help election authorities cope with the problems posed by conducting nationwide voting under conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump talks to members of the press [Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian] The film does not allege that Zuckerberg committed any illegal activity, instead claiming that the donations from the billionaire, who is Jewish, caused Trump to lose the rigged election, because they helped increase turnout and the ability of election officials to accommodate the surge of both mail-in and in-person voters. Trump has declared that the sharp increase of votes in Democratic counties led to his loss in the election. In its report on the event, the Washington Post noted, [a] hyperbolic poster advertising the movie, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg devilishly grabbing cash, was perched by the pool for a cinematic sunset as guests strutted about clinking glasses. Posters of the film, and the content contained within its short run-time, are dripping with anti-Semitic implications. The film claims that the Zuckerberg used his Zuckerbucks to corrupt the 2020 election in favor of Biden. This filth has been a central element of Trumps recent campaign speeches and is baked into the Christian fascist movement he is trying to cultivate. Prior to screening the film, David Bossie reaffirmed Trumps lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, the Biden government was illegitimate, and therefore the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021 was justified. He told the assorted guests: Some of the people here say we shouldnt be talking about 2020, I think its vital that we do. If we dont prove what happened in 2020, how can we stop it from happening again? the Post reported. Among those in attendance, according to the Post, included a whos who of prominent advisers and election deniers ... donors and candidates. This included several of Trumps January 6 co-conspirators, such as coup lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Mitchell, who features prominently in the film and trailer, urged Trump White House Chief to Staff Mark Meadows to pressure the Department of Justice to investigate non-existent voter fraud in Georgia following Trumps defeat. She was also on the January 2, 2021 phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when Trump urged Raffensperger to find the over 11,000 votes needed to overtake Bidens lead in Georgia. Another notable guest at the event was Peter Navarro. The former Trump adviser has touted the role he and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon played in advancing Trumps coup through a plan they dubbed the Green Bay Sweep. The plan called on Republican lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification of the electoral votes of key states, forcing the election into the House of Representatives, where each state delegation would have one vote, insuring a Trump victory because the Republicans control 26 delegations even though the Democrats have a majority in the House as a whole. On the eve of a vote to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a select committee subpoena, Navarro nonetheless walked into the ballroom for the screening before all other guests, seeming a man without a care in the world. He knew that the Democratic Party and Attorney General Merrick Garland had no intention of holding Trump and his high-level accomplices accountable for attempting to overthrow the election. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is also featured prominently in the film and trailer, saying at one point: This was the biggest billionaire assault on election integrity we have ever seen. Cruz, who was one of seven Republican senators who voted to overturn the election of Biden, characterized the funding provided by Zuckerberg as a corrupt Democratic voter turnout operation. Other Republicans featured in the film include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who earlier this year called for Trumps political opponents to be jailed, as well as Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, former Department of Homeland Security official Kenneth Cuccinelli and Georgia Representative Jody Hice. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman also appeared. For over a year the conservative ex-judge has been paid thousands of dollars by the state of Wisconsin to head a partisan effort aimed at uncovering fraud in order to illegally decertify the 2020 election. The accusations against Zuckerberg and the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) are entirely groundless, one more lie in Trumps litany of lies. According to a December 2020 investigation by APM Reports, CTCL sent out grants to more than 2,500 jurisdictions throughout the United States, run by Democratic, Republican and non-party officials, after the Trump administration and its congressional Republican allies rejected appeals from local officials for assistance in running the election during a pandemic. In the months prior to the election leading Republicans, from Trump to his Attorney General William Barr, alleged that mail-in ballots were inherently fraudulent and should not be allowed, despite no supporting evidence and the fact that Trump himself usually votes via absentee or mail-in ballot. Before resigning from the Trump administration in December 2020, Barr admitted that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election, and over 60 lawsuits by Trump alleging fraud had been rejected by Democratic and Republican appointed judges alike. In their article on the funding provided by CTCL, APM Reports states that documents obtained of more than 30 grant agreements and applications show requests mainly focused on the logistics of the election: increased pay for poll workers, expanded early voting sites and extra equipment to more quickly process millions of mailed ballots. While the film posits that these donations artificially boosted Democratic turnout, APMs analysis of voter registration and voter turnout in three of the five key swing states shows the grant funding had no clear impact on who turned out to vote, and that counties in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona that received grants didnt have consistently higher turnout rates than those that didnt receive money. Prior to screening the film the New York Times reported that two pro-Trump billionaires, Peter Theil and Rebekah Mercer, met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago to lay out their dictatorial strategy. The Times wrote that the new coalition, dubbed the Rockbridge Network, has laid out an ambitious goalto reshape the American right by spending more than $30 million on conservative media, legal, policy and voter registration projects, among other initiatives. In a brochure obtained by the Times the group lays out its initiatives, including a $3 million transition project aimed at building a government-in-waiting to staff the next Republican administration. Mercer is the daughter of billionaire hedge fund boss Robert Mercer. The Mercers have backed Steve Bannons projects and the far-right Breitbart News for at least a decade. The Mercers and Thiel have been some of the largest contributors to Trumps 2016 and 2020 campaigns. Thiel, who served on Trumps 2016 transition team, is supporting 16 Republican House and Senate candidates in the 2022 election, including through substantial donations, $10 million each, to super PACs supporting Senate candidates Blake Masters (Arizona) and J.D. Vance (Ohio). While he is planning on leaving, Thiel still currently sits on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook. We can feel the electricity starting to buzz through the air can't we Louisville. I'm Kirby Adams, the Courier Journal's Lifestyle reporter and for me, the first sign that Kentucky Derby season is finally upon us is entering the Grand Ballroom at Caesars Southern Indiana for the annual Macy's Spring Fashion Show produced by the Kentucky Festival. Wow, what a show it was, featuring the latest trends like microminis and bare midriffs and, of course, dozens and dozens of gorgeous hats and fascinators. My job between now and Kentucky Derby Day, May 7, is to keep you up to date on everything Derby-related. But of course, there is always much more going on in our city besides Derby fun, and that's where the entire Features Team is hard at work. This week's newsletter has something for everyone whether you love outdoor music festivals, craft beer, spending time with your family at free local events, or getting dressed for the racetrack. This week our Kentucky Derby fashion feature is for the guys. The wildly popular Bourbon & Beyond Music Festival announced its musical lineup this week and it is loaded with top performers. The festival isn't until September but tickets are already on sale. Ready to grab a craft beer and check out a new bar in NuLu? Food and beverage writer Dahlia Ghabour sniffs out a new late-night 'worldly, bohemian' bar called The Corridor Bar that is ready to open in this trendy part of town. We don't know how Gege Reed does it but once again she's rounded up more than 60 things to do in and around Louisville during the month of April. Scan through her column and you'll find Earth Day events, Easter happenings, Kentucky Derby Festival traditions, and even something called The Safari EGGventure. The Courier Journal's Features Team, which also includes Maggie Menderski, Jason Gonzalez, Lennie Omalza, Dana McMahan and our editor Kathryn Gregory, has you covered when it comes to things to do, people to know and what's trending in Louisville. Story continues As you can probably tell, we have a lot of fun at our jobs and if you enjoyed this newsletter, feel free to forward it to a friend, so they can sign up here and stay in the know, too. Kirby Adams Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bourbon & Beyond lineup | New brewery | Men's Derby fashion Lets be honest, sometimes chilling at home is more enticing than a night out on the town. Multi-platinum recording artist French Montana is taking that philosophy to a whole new level with his new track BIG COMFY, the result of a collaboration between the rapper and the beverage company Canada Dry. BIG COMFY sounds like it could have been lifted from any of Frenchs smash albums, combining the Moroccan-born rappers signature flow with an uptempo boom bap beat that harkens back to his time coming up in the New York City hip hop scene, just like his latest album They Got Amnesia. French and Canada Dry gave Billboard exclusive behind-the-scenes access of the shoot for the BIG COMFY video which features French in a silk pajama set and the coziest of slippers, doing everything from playing ping pong in his backyard to enjoying his massage chair while gaming and drinking Ginger Ale. Check out the full behind-the-scenes video here and watch the brand new music video BIG COMFY below. More from Billboard Click here to read the full article. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump said he did not destroy records of phone calls from the official White House log or use so-called burner phones during his supporters' deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. Trump, a Republican, told the newspaper he has not been contacted by congressional investigators about the assault, which occurred as then-Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers gathered to certify the Nov. 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Just before the crowd marched to the Capitol, Trump repeated his false claims about election fraud at a raucous rally outside the White House. The Washington Post reported last week that there was a gap of nearly eight hours in the White House record of Trump's calls as the rioting unfolded a few miles away. Trump told the newspaper he had a "very good" memory but could not remember whom he talked to that day. "From the standpoint of telephone calls, I don't remember getting very many," he said, according to the Post. "Why would I care about who called me? If congressmen were calling me, what difference did it make? There was nothing secretive about it. There was no secret." Several U.S. lawmakers, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, have said they talked to Trump during the riot. Trump did not speak out until hours into the violence. Four people died on the day of the attack, and one Capitol Police officer who fought with rioters died the next day. On Wednesday, he defended his public silence and told the Post he did not regret urging supporters to come to Washington. The House of Representatives' Democratic-led Jan. 6 Select Committee has interviewed about 800 people before expected public hearings in May. Trump, who has invoked executive privilege to try to block the Jan. 6 committee from White House records, said he did not know what he would do if contacted. Story continues "It depends what the request is," he told the Post. The committee recently interviewed his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his top White House advisers. Trump confirmed reporting that he spoke with Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, during his presidency. He declined to comment on whether former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows should have given the panel text messages in which she urged Trump to work to overturn the election. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Frank Jack Daniel) When George Lucas cast Warwick Davis as the lead of his 1988 fantasy adventure film Willow, the Star Wars creator was consciously breaking ground. A lot of my movies are about a little guy against the system, and this was just a more literal interpretation of that idea, said Lucas of Davis, who was born with dwarfism and previously appeared as Wicket the Ewok in 1983s Return of the Jedi. Talisa Garcia is the first trans actress to star in a Lucasfilm project. (Photo: Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Now, with the upcoming Disney+ series Willow, Lucasfilm has enlisted their first openly trans actor. According to Deadline, the Chilean-born British actress Talisa Garcia has been cast in the upcoming streaming spinoff to the late-80s favorite. Garcia, best known for the BBC crime thriller Baptiste, will reportedly play a queen and mother to lead character Kit (Ruby Cruz). That would also mark the first time a trans performer has played a cis character in a Disney+ film or series. The actress may, however, only appear in one episode. (Image: Disney+) Though plot details are thus far scant, Willow will follow the princess Kit (Ruby Cruz) as she assembles a team to rescue her twin brother (Spider-Mans Tony Revolori). Davis will reprise his title role as the Nelwyn dwarf sorcerer Willow Ufgood, while Disney+s Falcon and the Winter Soldier breakout Erin Kellyman and Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals) also costar. While Disney has come under fire in recent weeks for its perceived lax response to Floridas so-called Dont Say Gay bill, Deadline notes that Garcias casting while significant for the LGBTQ community was in motion well before the controversy arose. In 2021, actress Patti Harrison became the first known trans actor to voice a character in a Disney Animation film with her role as Tail Chief in Raya and the Last Dragon. Later in the year, non-binary trans actor Iris Menas played a prominent role as Anybodys in Steven Spielberg's reimagining of West Side Story, released by the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios. According to Deadline, the studio is also currently seeking to recruit a trans actress for a major role in the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series Ironheart. Willow is scheduled premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2022. Mar. 9PERU Jonesboro resident Brittany Morris did not know anything about a plot to rob or kill 21-year-old Summitville resident Drake Smith when the pair went to Okie Pinokie woods, located near Peru, in the early morning hours of May 19, 2018. That was the testimony co-defendant Ethan Cain, 26, of Marion, gave during the defense's arguments in Morris' jury trial happening this week in Miami Circuit Court. Smith's body was eventually located a few feet away from his truck later that morning by mushroom hunters, and he was stripped down to his underwear, socks and shoes. He had also been severely beaten, according to court records. Through the course of the investigation into Smith's death, authorities quickly honed in on Morris as one of the organizers of a plot to rob Smith of drugs, money, beer and a Bluetooth speaker at Okie Pinokie the morning of May 19, 2018, saying she lured Smith into the woods for a night of partying with Cain and La Fountaine resident Joshua Kean, another co-defendant in the case. Morris was later arrested shortly after Smith's death on preliminary charges of aiding, inducing or causing murder, aiding or inducing robbery and theft in alleged connection with the incident. But on Wednesday clad in an orange jumpsuit, a byproduct of pleading guilty and now serving 55 years in the Indiana Department of Correction Cain testified instead that no one intended to harm Smith at all that morning at the woods and that Morris had nothing to do with the events that transpired. Cain also stated in his testimony that he made the recommendation to Morris, Kean and his then-girlfriend Julie Harmon that they all should go to Okie Pinokie, stating that the woods were typically a place to just "hang out." Cain's words went against Harmon's testimony from earlier this week, which indicated that Morris was the one who suggested everyone go to Okie Pinokie in an attempt to rob Smith. Story continues And once the five Smith and Morris in one vehicle and Cain, Kean and Harmon in another were at Okie Pinokie, according to Cain's testimony, there was still no organized plan at that point to rob or harm Smith. Then Cain noticed that Smith had drugs on him, he told the court. Cain said he then hatched a plan in his own mind to get everyone into the woods so that he could wander away from the group, go back to Smith's truck, take "whatever" he could find and then rejoin the group. But Smith didn't want to go, which Cain testified made him have to consider another way to get Smith's drugs. At that point in Cain's testimony, Defense Attorney Kristina Lynn asked Cain again whether Morris had any knowledge of his plan to take drugs from Smith or harm him in any way, and Cain adamantly again said "no." Cain added that after a while of being at Okie Pinokie, he walked over to Smith's truck, where Morris and Smith were still sitting. Morris then left to join Kean and Harmon in Kean's orange HHR parked nearby, while Cain began talking to Smith about the truck's fender, Cain told the court. Once Smith was out of the vehicle, that's when Cain testified that he "attacked" Smith. According to Cain, Kean, who had a metal breaker bar in his hand, then went over to where the two men were fighting. After Kean dropped the bar, a result of the struggle that was taking place, Cain then picked it up and beat Smith with it around half a dozen times, Cain stated in his testimony. "I'm definitely responsible," Cain testified, reiterating that Morris had nothing to do with any of it. Cain also noted that he deleted information from Morris' phone, as well as Harmon's, because he didn't want them to have "any connections" to him. During cross-examination by Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Sinkovics, Cain continued to claim Morris' innocence as well, saying that she did "nothing wrong." And when asked why Morris or Kean didn't contact the police after that morning at Okie Pinokie or subsequently after learning of Smith's death a few days later, Cain testified that he thinks "they were afraid." "I was afraid of myself," he added. Wednesday ended the evidence portion of Morris' trial. Each side will now have a chance to deliver closing arguments before jury deliberations begin. TikTok is obsessed with the time nearly all of Icelands women went on strike and changed the course of their countrys history. The top 9 reasons for personal loans On Oct. 24, 1975, 90% of Icelands women went on strike to show how essential they were to society. It was known as the Womens Day Off. They ditched their jobs, housework and even child care, leaving men to fend for themselves (and their children). And it turns out when women take a day off, things get crazy. Or, as TikToker @fluence.co pointed out in her video on the subject, It was total chaos. Draya Michele takes home a $6K Chanel yellow mini handbag to add to her fashion collection: The economy shut down basic life broke, @fluence.co said. Hospitals, schools, nursing homes, grocery stores they all either shut down or operated at half capacity. It was kind of like COVID-19. And the men had kind of a terrible time. With women on strike, men were forced to take their children to work, where they would bribe their kids with coloring books and candy. Grocery stores sold out of sausages because they were the only foods men knew how to cook. Men had to do womens jobs but didnt know how. Everything fell apart. Suddenly, womens work became appreciated. Shortly after, the first female president was elected, she added. In 1980, Vigdis Finnbogadottir went on to become Icelands first woman president and Europes first female president and the first woman democratically elected as head of state. She remained so for 16 years. Shop Jordyn Woods stunning cover looks from her In The Know cover shoot: The post TikTok remembers the day 90% of Icelands women went on strike: It was total chaos appeared first on In The Know. More from In The Know: Video game writer details what it's like to apply for a job at a major game studio Want to de-funk your refrigerator? Here's what you should use instead of baking soda The Dyson Airwrap is finally back in stock here's where to buy it Are these viral 'rainbow grapes' even better than candy? A student at Erie High School in Pennsylvania was injured in a rare on-campus shooting Tuesday, authorities said, and a suspect was still at large. The victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds and had been stabilized, police said at an afternoon news conference. Detectives believe they have identified the shooter, a juvenile younger than 15 whose name was withheld, and officers were trying to track the person down. "We've identified a suspect and we've consulted with the district attorney's office and the Erie school district," Erie Police Deputy Chief Michael Nolan said at the news conference. Nolan said investigators were in touch with the family of the suspect, who remained at large. The shooter and the victim know each other, and the attack was not random, Nolan said. Police did not release the juvenile's name. Nolan said only, "We can't release any additional information at this time." Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz indicated at the news conference that the suspect is younger than 15 and therefore would be treated as a juvenile if prosecuted. Police were dispatched for reports of shots fired in a hallway at Erie High School at about 9:22 a.m., Nolan said. Detectives believe the shooter used a 9 mm firearm and that multiple rounds were fired, he said. Police and school officials said gunfire erupted as school was in session. "There were other students in the vicinity," Nolan said. Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito said the campus has never had metal detectors but that students who are late to class are subject to checks with a metal detector wand. Students can also be selected at random to be checked for weapons with a wand, Polito said. The school is closed through the end of the week, and students will be off for spring break next week. Counselors will be available for students at a nearby arts center, the district said. "We are devastated and angered by this senseless tragedy," Polito said in a statement. "We are hoping for the full and speedy recovery for the student involved." Story continues The district said in a statement more than two hours after it announced the shooting that the building was secure and that there was no active threat. In an earlier statement on Facebook, Erie's Public Schools urged people to "STAY AWAY FROM THE AREA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE." News: Erie, PA School Shooting (Greg Wohlford / USA Today Network) The district added that it was working to coordinate parent pickups. Buses were also available to take kids home. "Evacuation by orderly dismissal will begin as soon as the district is cleared to do so by the Erie Bureau of Police," the school system said later. Mayor Joe Schember said the shooting was "very saddening." "Schools should be safe places where children learn and grow," he wrote in a statement. "I know this is difficult for parents to hear. But remember: all students are now safe!" The president of the Erie Education Association, Mary Theuerkauf, admonished the school district for not having put security measures in place. For years, we have demanded that the City of Erie School District Administration and School Directors confront the multitude of safety and security threats our staff have brought before them. Each time, were told, it will take time, were working on it,'" she wrote in a statement, according to Erie News Now. "No bureaucracy is worth a human life. We will not stand by one day more until the safety of our students and staff is properly addressed," she said. CORRECTION (April 6, 2022, 12 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated what day the shooting took place. It was Tuesday, not Monday. The US believes that North Korea may be tempted to take another provocative action such as a nuclear weapons test next week as Pyongyang gears up for the birth anniversary celebrations of its founder. We, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake, and I want to emphasise that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation, US special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said. We obviously hope not, but we will be prepared. On 15 April, North Korea celebrates the birth anniversary of its founder Kim Il-sung. Kim is the grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong-un. Ned Price, the US Department of State spokesperson, said on 5 April that special envoy Mr Kim met Liu Xiaoming, Chinas special representative for Korean peninsula affairs, in Washington DC to discuss recent developments in North Korea. North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch in March was also criticised by the US envoy. We have repeatedly offered to meet the DPRK [North Korea] to discuss any and all issues, and yet the DPRK has declined our invitation to dialogue, the special envoy said during the briefing. Instead, they have initiated a series of missile tests that recently culminated in at least three ICBM launches. He claimed that these actions pose a serious threat to regional stability. Provocative actions by the North Koreans require us to have a decisive response in the Security Council, and this is why we have, in cooperation with our partners, proposed a new UN Security Council resolution. We have had discussions with the PRC and Russia, Mr Kim said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claps during a test-fire of what it says was a Hwasong-17 ICBM at an undisclosed location in North Korea on 24 March (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) I cannot report that we have had productive discussions with them thus far, but I would defer to my very capable colleagues in New York to continue that effort, he added. I know that there is an overwhelming consensus that the Security Council needs to respond to these blatant violations of multiple Security Council resolutions, and we hope that Russia and China will agree that its in their interest to work with us on this new Security Council resolution. Story continues He also added that these launches demonstrate the DPRK continues to prioritise its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs at the expense of regional and international security. This prioritisation is also at the expense of the North Korean people, Mr Kim said. The government has chosen to deploy its limited resources to fund illegal weapons programs even as the humanitarian situation in the country has grown increasingly dire. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns sister Kim Yo-jong warned on Monday that if Pyongyang was threatened by South Korea, it would use nuclear weapons. Tensions between Pyongyang and other countries have heightened after North Korea accelerated its weapons tests this year, including its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) since 2017. The move sparked concern among analysts and experts that the North Korean leader may be laying the groundwork for its first nuclear weapons test in nearly five years. US president Joe Biden and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida also condemned the launch during a meeting of G7 and European leaders in Brussels. However, South Korea had dismissed the event as a bid to deceive its neighbours and said last week that it believes the North actually fired the previously-launched Hwasong-15 missile that day and only passed it off as a huge, new ICBM. By Mohamed Ghobari and Ahmed Tolba ADEN (Reuters) -Yemen's president delegated power to a presidential council and dismissed his deputy on Thursday in moves aimed at supporting U.N.-led efforts to revive negotiations to end a bitter seven-year war. Riyadh announced $3 billion in financial aid to the Saudi-backed government after the announcement by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It called for talks with the Houthi group that controls the north and has been battling a Saudi-led coalition. Yemen's warring sides, in a major breakthrough, agreed on a two-month truce that began on Saturday, the first since 2016. The deal eased a coalition blockade on areas held by the Houthis, who ousted Hadi's government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014. "I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers in accordance with the constitution and the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism," Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, said on state television. Hadi took the helm of a crumbling state a decade ago in a Gulf-backed transition plan after protests that brought down President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was later killed. Analysts say the new council aims to unify anti-Houthi ranks by giving more parties a seat at the table. With Hadi effectively out of the equation and his controversial deputy dismissed, the hope is the Houthis may also be more amenable. Riyadh, which has struggled to exit the war in Yemen, urged the new council to negotiate with the Iran-aligned Houthis under U.N. auspices "for a final and comprehensive solution". Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a statement that Yemen's future should be decided inside the country. He did not respond, when asked by Reuters, on whether the group would accept an invitation for talks with the council. "Any activity outside Yemen's borders is merely a farce and recreation by aggressor nations," he said. Story continues CLOSING RANKS Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was shown in a video on state media meeting with the new eight-member council, led by Rashad Al-Alimi, who has close ties with both Riyadh and major Yemeni bloc the Islamist Islah party. The new body includes several leaders of United Arab Emirates-backed factions, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which distrusts Islah and vied with Hadi's government for control of Aden. "This is an attempt, perhaps a last ditch effort, to reconstitute something resembling unity within the anti-Houthi alliance. The problem is that it is unclear how these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together," Gregory Johnsen, a former member of the U.N. Panel of Experts on Yemen, said on Twitter. Dismissed Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, an Islamist-leaning general, is resented by the Houthis for military campaigns in their northern stronghold and by some southerners for his role in the 1994 north-south civil war. ECONOMIC AID The war has killed tens of thousands, devastated the economy and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The central bank split into rival authorities and the riyal's depreciation in the government-held south pushed basic goods out of reach for many. Saudi Arabia and the UAE will each inject $1 billion into Yemen's central bank and the kingdom will grant an additional $1 billion for oil derivatives and development. Riyadh, which last deposited funds into the Aden-based central bank in 2018, also said it would give $300 million to the U.N. aid response, which in March raised less than a third of the $4.27 billion sought. The United Nations is pushing for measures to stabilise the economy and launch inclusive political negotiations to end the conflict. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression. (Reporting By Mohamed Ghobari in Aden and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Writing Lisa Barrington and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Nick Macfie) Apr. 7Alaska biologists are forecasting another massive run of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay this summer, raising questions in commercial fishing circles about whether the industry in the Southwest Alaska region will be able to keep up. The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, representing the area's commercial driftnet fleet, is urging processors to boost their capacity to maximize the fishery's value and prevent harm to future runs if too many salmon return. "We're in unprecedented territory as far as what is forecast, so we never had a test like this to see how it would go," said Andy Wink, executive director of the association. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game predicts that a record 75 million fish will return to Bristol Bay rivers this summer, with 60 million available for harvest, according to the agency's commercial fisheries division. But the agency reported early this year that 15 main commercial processors said they expect to buy 52 million Bristol Bay salmon, according to a survey. That amount of purchased fish would also be a record. The large gap in expected returns and planned processing means fishermen might have to forgo large numbers of fish and could easily lose out on $100 million, Wink said. The group in February highlighted the problem in an article on its website and encouraged processors to bring in more floating processing capacity to supplement shore-based processing facilities. "Processors, fishermen, and fishery managers are gearing up to make the most of 2022, and those efforts are highly commendable but with such a large forecast it begs the question of what happens if processors and tenders cannot keep up," the group said in the update. Processing companies are not divulging their plans. A representative with OBI Seafoods, with three processing plants in the Bristol Bay region, declined to provide comment. Norm Van Vactor, a general manager with Silver Bay Seafoods, which operates a processing plant in Naknek on Bristol Bay, said the prospect of another epic salmon harvest is a "pleasant dilemma" for a processor. Story continues [Into the ice: A crab boat's quest for snow crab in a Bering Sea upended by climate change] Salmon returns to Bristol Bay have been exceptionally strong in recent years even as other areas of Alaska have experienced declining runs, he said. A record 66 million salmon returned to Bristol Bay last year, and about 40 million were harvested, the state said. Silver Bay and other processors are keeping their plans close to their vests, Van Vactor said. But he thinks they are all looking at options to increase processing this summer. "I have to believe without question that everyone is doing everything they can to maximize the efficiency and capability of plants in the region and looking at how to get extra fish out of region, like putting it on planes for fresh markets or using faster vessels to process it somewhere else," Van Vactor said. Among the concerns this summer is whether there will be enough of the tenders, or delivery vessels, to get a surge of fish quickly from fishing boats to processing plants, Wink said. Another issue is the industry's ongoing challenge of finding enough workers for a brief processing period in a remote area. That's been complicated by increased competition for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. "With the labor situation and how tight the labor market is, it will be challenge to keep processing capacity where it's been," Wink said. Van Vactor said there are many uncertainties that will determine whether fishermen and processors can harvest all the available salmon. That includes the weather, and whether the salmon return in an overwhelming surge or in steadier numbers that allow different different fishing districts in the region to keep up. "At the the end of the day, Mother Nature will dictate how this unfolds," he said. The H-2B visa program, often used by fishing processors and tourism businesses in Alaska to bring in foreign workers, will help processors overcome difficulties finding workers, he said. The U.S. departments of Labor and Homeland Security announced late last month that they will make an additional 35,000 nonagricultural worker visas available in the U.S. for the summer. "With the tourism and fishing season right around the corner, and the economic fallout we have seen from COVID, it is vital to ensure Alaskans have the needed workers to supplement our local workforce," Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a March 31 statement. Chris Barrows, president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, said in the same statement that the federal agencies need to take steps to ensure that the foreign workers can arrive in time for the summer season. They'll be a "lifeline" to some seafood processing companies that might otherwise be short-staffed this summer, he said. BondiBoost is the latest hair care business to be acquired, WWD has confirmed. The Australia-based hair care brand has been acquired by Gauge Capital, the Dallas-based private equity firm, the brands global president Brian Orr told WWD. More from WWD Orr did not disclose the size of the deal, nor did he comment on estimates from industry sources that the brand reached $80 million in sales last year. The brand will be headquartered in Australia, and product development will continue to come out of Australia. My role is to support the Australia team and put a support system in place around the world to enable the global international expansion into all markets, and all geographies, Orr said, adding he joined the brand earlier this year. BondiBoost is sold on its website and at Ulta Beauty and also participates in the latters partnership with Target. Given the brands success in the U.S. and U.K., Orr is not excluding any international markets as it looks to outward for opportunities. We began in Australia, where we have a great business, but I still think theres room to grow in North America, he said. The team has already defined the roadmap. Theyve built customer engagement and advocacy in such a short amount of time. If you go online, there are more than 20,000 customers giving BondiBoost a five-star rating on our products. He also noted the brands Instagram account, which boasts 687,000 followers, and the brands Facebook group, BondiBoost Babes, which has more than 80,000 members. Our digital community has a lot of fun together with customers sharing success and asking each other which products to use and how to use them, he said. Thats organically happening. With that in mind, the brand is looking to stick to its core hair business before looking to other categories for expansion. We are all about creating solutions to solve issues that people are having with their hair and scalp and thats the core of the brand, he said. There are plenty of categories we can test as well, but I really want the brand to stick to its core, because thats what we do best. Story continues The deal comes as prestige hair care shows no signs of abatement. The category is predicted to reach the same volume as makeup by 2024. FOR MORE FROM WWD.COM, SEE: Updated: All the Beauty M&A Deals of 2022 Luminess Brings Air to Hair Care, Adjacent Categories In Haircare, a Brand for Textured Hair, Raises Seed Funding Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. There are growing calls on Texas Governor Greg Abbot to grant her clemency to Melissa Lucio who faces execution later this month. Lawmakers, a juror, and Kim Kardashian are among those pleading for Lucios life. The 53-year-old domestic violence victim and mother of 14 has been on death row since her trial over the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter. Her lawyers argue she falsely admitted to killing Mariah after hours of intense police questioning and that she died from falling down a steep staircase outside their apartment in Harlingen, South Texas, and not from being beaten. Lucio was worn down by her grief and being abused throughout her life during the aggressive interrogation and finally admitted to a crime she didnt commit, her lawyers say. On 18 October, the US Supreme Court denied a petition to hear Lucios case, paving the way for the state of Texas to set the date for her execution to be carried out by lethal injection on 27 April. Writing for The Independent, an expert in false confessions says Texas is executing an innocent woman in one of the most tragic cases they have seen in their career. Key Points Background to Melissa Lucios death sentence Juror calls for retrial of woman he sentenced to death for murder of her daughter How the femme fatale stereotype is dooming women to death row in the US Kim Kardashian urges clemency in Melissa Lucio case Voices: Im an expert in false confessions. Texas is executing an innocent woman Kim Kardashian posts heartbreaking letter from Lucios children 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell Kim Kardashian, who recently joined the campaign to grant clemency to Melissa Lucio, has posted a letter from Lucios children to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state pardons and parole board asking to spare the life of their mother. She tweets: So heartbreaking to read this letter from Melissa Lucios children begging for the state not to kill their mother. There are so many unresolved questions surrounding this case and the evidence that was used to convict her. Story continues So heartbreaking to read this letter from Melissa Lucios children begging for the state not to kill their mother. There are so many unresolved questions surrounding this case and the evidence that was used to convict her. pic.twitter.com/SjEtsfmZeq Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) April 7, 2022 Bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers visit Lucio in prison 15:46 , Oliver O'Connell A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers visited Melissa Lucio on death row on Wednesday as they continue their efforts to halt her execution. State representatives Jeff Leach, a Republican from Plano, and Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso, led a group of lawmakers to the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where the state houses women awaiting execution. Today, I was led in prayer by #MelissaLucio. It was an incredibly powerful. Weve asked @GovAbbott to spare her. Weve asked the Board to spare her. But we know that DEMOCRAT @DALuisVSaenz has the immediate power to spare her. I pray he makes the right decision. #txlege pic.twitter.com/R3U0FuauHD Joe Moody (@moodyforelpaso) April 7, 2022 The visit comes as pressure builds to grant clemency over her execution as doubts remain regarding whether she did fatally beat her two-year-old daughter to death in 2007. Lucio has always maintained her innocence and her lawyers argue her daughter, Mariah, died from injuries sustained falling down a steep staircase in the days prior to her death. Melissa Lucio faces execution on 27 April unless action is taken by the states parole board and Governor Greg Abbott. Seven lawmakers toured the prison for about two hours before meeting privately with Lucio for about 40 minutes. Justice matters. Mercy matters. She matters. We have three weeks to save the life of #MelissaLucio & we plan on doing everything we can between now and then to prevent this irreversible stain on the Lone Star State. I have great hope & invite you to join the fight. #txlege pic.twitter.com/rt53nBDLMl Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) April 7, 2022 Mr Moody tweeted: Today, I was led in prayer by #MelissaLucio. It was an incredibly powerful. Weve asked @GovAbbott to spare her. Weve asked the Board to spare her. But we know that DEMOCRAT @DALuisVSaenz has the immediate power to spare her. I pray he makes the right decision. Mr Leach said: Justice matters. Mercy matters. She matters. We have three weeks to save the life of #MelissaLucio & we plan on doing everything we can between now and then to prevent this irreversible stain on the Lone Star State. I have great hope & invite you to join the fight. Where is the death penalty still used in America? 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell Twenty-seven states across America still have the death penalty. They are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky. Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Nathan Place and Helen Elfer look at where and how often the death penalty is still used in the United States. American death map: Which US states have capital punishment and who uses it the most? Why end the death penalty in the US? 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Editorial: Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty Voices: Im an expert in false confessions. Texas is executing an innocent woman 11:00 , Oliver O'Connell Gisli H Gudjonsson writes that the Melissa Lucio case is one of the most tragic she has come across in her 40-year career. Im an expert on false confessions. Texas is about to execute an innocent woman Breaking societys expectations: Why some women end up on death row 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell Women are vastly outnumbered by men on death row across America. But experts say the small number who are sentenced to death usually break societys expectations of a good woman. Melissa Lucio is one of them as Rachel Sharp explains. How the femme fatale stereotype is dooming women to death row in the US Why is Melissa Lucio on death row? 08:00 , Oliver O'Connell Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in 2008 after she was convicted of killing her two-year-old child Mariah one year earlier. In February 2007, Mariah died from injuries which prosecutors claimed were caused by Lucio abusing her daughter. Lucio, now 53, has always maintained her innocence and said that her daughters injuries were caused by a fall down the stairs two days earlier while the family was moving home. The mother of 14, who is the first and only Hispanic woman on death row in Texas, has spent the last 14 years awaiting execution for a crime she says she didnt commit. Rachel Sharp reports on the details of the case. Mother on death row for daughters death asks for clemency as execution date looms Why people are rallying to stop the execution of Melissa Lucio in Texas 06:30 , Oliver O'Connell Supporters ranging from Kim Kardashian to Texas Republicans calling for halt to execution, Josh Marcus explains why the case is attracting so much attention. Kim Kardashian and others are rallying to stop tragic execution of Melissa Lucio Revisiting the Julius Jones case where execution was called off 05:01 , Oliver O'Connell In November 2021, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt called off the execution of Julius Jones, a Black death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence in the 1999 murder that put him behind bars. The announcement came just hours before Jones was set to die by lethal injection. After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, Governor Stitt said in a statement. The Jones family, as well as supporters of the large Justice for Julius movement, were at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in the town of McAlester when they learned the news, the culmination of a two-decade campaign to free Julius. Josh Marcus reported on the case for The Independent. Oklahoma governor stops Julius Jones execution with last-minute decision What do Melissa Lucios lawyers say led to her false confession? 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first woman since 2014. Only 17 women have been executed in the US since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. In their clemency petition, Lucios lawyers say that while she had used drugs, leading her to temporarily lose custody of her children, she was a loving mother who worked to remain drug-free and provide for her family. Lucio has 14 children and was pregnant with the youngest two when Mariah died. (Provided by the family of Melissa Lucio) Lucio and her children struggled through poverty. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. Child Protective Services was present in the familys life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, according to Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucios attorneys who is with the Innocence Project. Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age six, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. In the 2020 documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, Lucio said investigators kept pushing her to say she had hurt Mariah. I was not gonna admit to causing her death because I wasnt responsible, Lucio said. AP What have Texas lawmakers said about Melissa Lucios case? 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell On 25 March, 83 Texas House members signed a letter asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to either cancel or commute Lucios impending execution. Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who describes himself as a conservative Republican and a death penalty supporter, led off a news conference calling the trial of Lucio a miscarriage of justice, Spectrum News 1 reports. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio, said Mr Leach, the chair of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. The six of us, in conjunction with our House colleagues, are asking for the Board of Pardons and Paroles to spare her life and delay her execution, which is currently scheduled in about a month on April 27. Mr Leach was joined by Representatives Joe Moody, D-El Paso; Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Lacey Hull, R-Houston; Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas; and James White, R-Hillister. Typically, Republicans have been hesitant or reluctant to talk about the question of the integrity of the death penalty, and I think thats the wrong approach. I know its the wrong approach, Mr Leach said. I encourage legislators to ask the tough questions and to review the documents, the transcripts, the case file, to call us or call her attorneys, and to figure out where you are on this case, one way or another. His colleague Mr Moody, added: It is easy to dismiss people like Melissa Lucio. In fact, the system is set up for us to forget her and treat her as less than human. Thats the way its been set up for years and years. For years, in this body, it was easy to ignore issues that touch the justice system because we think of those people as less than human and we throw them away. No more. What can Governor Greg Abbott do to stop Melissa Lucios death sentence? Thursday 7 April 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell Governor Greg Abbott can grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (The Monitor) The board plans to vote on Lucios clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the boards director of support operations, said in an email to the Associated Press. A spokesperson for Governor Abbotts office did not return an email seeking comment. Mr Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate, Thomas Whitaker, since taking office in 2015. Whitaker was convicted of masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother. His father, who survived, led the effort to save Whitaker, saying he would be victimised again if his son was executed. Lucios supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatised if shes executed. Please allow us to reconcile with Mariahs death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish, and grief. Please spare the life of our mother, Lucios children wrote in a letter to Governor Abbott and the board. AP Which US states still have the death penalty, and who uses it the most? Wednesday 6 April 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell Twenty-seven states across America still have the death penalty. They are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky. Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Uta,h and Wyoming. Find out more: American death map: Which US states have capital punishment and who uses it the most? Why end the death penalty? Wednesday 6 April 2022 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Editorial: Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty Voices: Im an expert in false confessions. Texas is executing an innocent woman Wednesday 6 April 2022 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell Gisli H Gudjonsson writes that the Melissa Lucio case is one of the most tragic she has come across in her 40-year career. Im an expert on false confessions. Texas is about to execute an innocent woman How being a bad mother, bad wife and bad woman became a death warrant Wednesday 6 April 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell Women are vastly outnumbered by men on death row across America. But experts say the small number who are sentenced to death usually break societys expectations of a good woman. Melissa Lucio is one of them as Rachel Sharp reports. How the femme fatale stereotype is dooming women to death row in the US Juror says he was wrong to succumb to peer pressure over death penalty Wednesday 6 April 2022 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell One of the jurors who sentenced Melissa Lucio to death has written a newspaper editorial claiming he was misled and pressured during the mothers trial for murdering her two-year-old daughter. Johnny Galvan Jr wrote in The Houston Chronicle that he was wrong to succumb to peer pressure and change his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty, or theyd be there all day if he didnt. Justin Vallejo reports. Juror calls for retrial of woman he sentenced to death for murder of her daughter Background to Melissa Lucios death sentence Wednesday 6 April 2022 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in 2008 after being convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter Mariah the year before. Her lawyers argue a confession was given under duress and she says herself that she did not do it, and has aksed Governor Greg Abbott for clemency with her execution date less than a month away. Rachel Sharp reports on the case for The Independent. Mother on death row for daughters death asks for clemency as execution date looms Why people are rallying to stop the execution of Melissa Lucio in Texas Wednesday 6 April 2022 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell Supporters ranging from Kim Kardashian to Texas Republicans calling for halt to execution, Josh Marcus explains why the case is attracting so much attention. Kim Kardashian and others are rallying to stop tragic execution of Melissa Lucio Revisiting the Julius Jones case Wednesday 6 April 2022 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell In November 2021, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt called off the execution of Julius Jones, a Black death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence in the 1999 murder that put him behind bars. The announcement came just hours before Jones was set to die by lethal injection. After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, Governor Stitt said in a statement. The Jones family, as well as supporters of the large Justice for Julius movement, were at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in the town of McAlester when they learned the news, the culmination of a two-decade campaign to free Julius. Josh Marcus reported on the case for The Independent. Oklahoma governor stops Julius Jones execution with last-minute decision Lifelong trauma led to false confession Wednesday 6 April 2022 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first woman since 2014. Only 17 women have been executed in the US since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. In their clemency petition, Lucios lawyers say that while she had used drugs, leading her to temporarily lose custody of her children, she was a loving mother who worked to remain drug-free and provide for her family. Lucio has 14 children and was pregnant with the youngest two when Mariah died. (Provided by the family of Melissa Lucio) Lucio and her children struggled through poverty. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. Child Protective Services was present in the familys life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, according to Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucios attorneys who is with the Innocence Project. Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age six, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. In the 2020 documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, Lucio said investigators kept pushing her to say she had hurt Mariah. I was not gonna admit to causing her death because I wasnt responsible, Lucio said. AP Wake up to speak out for justice and stand up for life!' Wednesday 6 April 2022 11:00 , Oliver O'Connell Texas representative Jeff Leach calls on faith leaders to speak out for Melissa Lucio as the bipartisan group of lawmakers calls for action on the case urging the state to grant a reprieve from execution because of all of the evidence that points to her innocence. My closing message yesterday directed to our faith leaders & Pastors, some of whom are still piously & wrongfully burying their hands in the sand & sitting on the sidelines on #MelissaLucios case. I urge them to wake up to speak out for justice & stand up for life! #txlege pic.twitter.com/8jSay5VKSJ Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) March 25, 2022 Juror speaks out about succumbing to peer pressure over death penalty in Melissa Lucio case Thursday 7 April 2022 00:34 , Oliver O'Connell One of the jurors who sentenced Melissa Lucio to death has written a newspaper editorial claiming he was misled and pressured during the mothers trial for murdering her two-year-old daughter. Johnny Galvan Jr wrote in The Houston Chronicle that he was wrong to succumb to peer pressure and change his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty, or theyd be there all day if he didnt. Justin Vallejo reports. Juror calls for retrial of woman he sentenced to death for murder of her daughter What have Texas lawmakers said? Wednesday 6 April 2022 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell On 25 March, 83 Texas House members signed a letter asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to either cancel or commute Lucios impending execution. Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who describes himself as a conservative Republican and a death penalty supporter, led off a news conference calling the trial of Lucio a miscarriage of justice, Spectrum News 1 reports. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio, said Mr Leach, the chair of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. The six of us, in conjunction with our House colleagues, are asking for the Board of Pardons and Paroles to spare her life and delay her execution, which is currently scheduled in about a month on April 27. Mr Leach was joined by Representatives Joe Moody, D-El Paso; Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Lacey Hull, R-Houston; Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas; and James White, R-Hillister. Typically, Republicans have been hesitant or reluctant to talk about the question of the integrity of the death penalty, and I think thats the wrong approach. I know its the wrong approach, Mr Leach said. I encourage legislators to ask the tough questions and to review the documents, the transcripts, the case file, to call us or call her attorneys, and to figure out where you are on this case, one way or another. His colleague Mr Moody, added: It is easy to dismiss people like Melissa Lucio. In fact, the system is set up for us to forget her and treat her as less than human. Thats the way its been set up for years and years. For years, in this body, it was easy to ignore issues that touch the justice system because we think of those people as less than human and we throw them away. No more. What options are available for Texas authorities? Wednesday 6 April 2022 08:00 , Oliver O'Connell Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Governor Greg Abbott can grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. The board plans to vote on Lucios clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the boards director of support operations, said in an email to the Associated Press. A spokesperson for Governor Abbotts office did not return an email seeking comment. Mr Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate, Thomas Whitaker, since taking office in 2015. Whitaker was convicted of masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother. His father, who survived, led the effort to save Whitaker, saying he would be victimised again if his son was executed. Lucios supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatised if shes executed. Please allow us to reconcile with Mariahs death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish, and grief. Please spare the life of our mother, Lucios children wrote in a letter to Governor Abbott and the board. AP Which US states still have capital punishment, and who uses it the most? Wednesday 6 April 2022 06:00 , Oliver O'Connell Twenty-seven states across America still have the death penalty. They are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky. Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Uta,h and Wyoming. Find out more: American death map: Which US states have capital punishment and who uses it the most? Kim Kardashian urges followers to sign petition Wednesday 6 April 2022 04:00 , Oliver O'Connell Kim Kardashian tweeted: Please sign the petition to urge Governor @GregAbbott_TX to stop her execution. https://bit.ly/3tDg8g4 Its stories like Melissas that make me speak so loud about the death penalty in general and why it should be banned when innocent people are suffering. Her 2-year old daughter Mariah fell down a flight of stairs and two days later passed away while taking a nap. After she called for help, she was taken into custody by the police. Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) April 5, 2022 Please sign the petition to urge Governor @GregAbbott_TX to stop her execution. https://t.co/IqDBxzCh3b Its stories like Melissas that make me speak so loud about the death penalty in general and why it should be banned when innocent people are suffering. Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) April 5, 2022 Why end the death penalty? Wednesday 6 April 2022 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Editorial: Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty Kim Kardashian urges clemency in Melissa Lucio case Wednesday 6 April 2022 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell Kim Kardashian has spoken out many times about criminal justice reform in the last few years. She has called on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to grant Lucio clemency after she falsely pleaded guilty following hours of questioning. I recently just read about the case of Melissa Lucio and wanted to share her story with you. She has been on death row for over 14 years for her daughters death that was a tragic accident, Ms Kardashian tweeted on Tuesday. Her 2-year old daughter Mariah fell down a flight of stairs and two days later passed away while taking a nap. After she called for help, she was taken into custody by the police. Melissa is a survivor of abuse and domestic violence herself and after being interrogated for hours and falsely pleaded guilty. She wanted the interrogation to end, but police made her words out to be a confession. She is scheduled to be executed on April 27 in Texas, she added. She urged her followers to sign a petition to urge Governor Greg Abbott to stop her execution. Its stories like Melissas that make me speak so loud about the death penalty in general and why it should be banned when innocent people are suffering, Ms Kardashian added. Kim Kardashian urges clemency for domestic violence victim facing execution How being a bad mother, bad wife and bad woman became a death warrant Tuesday 5 April 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell Women are vastly outnumbered by men on death row across America. But experts say the small number who are sentenced to death usually break societys expectations of a good woman. Melissa Lucio is one of them as Rachel Sharp reports. How the femme fatale stereotype is dooming women to death row in the US Juror says he was wrong to succumb to peer pressure over death penalty Tuesday 5 April 2022 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell One of the jurors who sentenced Melissa Lucio to death has written a newspaper editorial claiming he was misled and pressured during the mothers trial for murdering her two-year-old daughter. Johnny Galvan Jr wrote in The Houston Chronicle that he was wrong to succumb to peer pressure and change his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty, or theyd be there all day if he didnt. Justin Vallejo reports. Juror calls for retrial of woman he sentenced to death for murder of her daughter Background to Melissa Lucios death sentence Tuesday 5 April 2022 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in 2008 after being convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter Mariah the year before. Her lawyers argue a confession was given under duress and she says herself that she did not do it, and has aksed Governor Greg Abbott for clemency with her execution date less than a month away. Rachel Sharp reports on the case for The Independent. Mother on death row for daughters death asks for clemency as execution date looms Kim Kardashians previous campaigns for death row inmates Tuesday 5 April 2022 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell Kim Kardashian has spoken out on behalf of death row inmates in the past. Most recently she campaigned for Julius Jones, who was granted a reprieve from his execution in Oklahoma. The Independent published this report by Jade Bremner ahead of the governors eventual decision. Kim Kardashian speaks out against death penalty ahead of Julius Jones execution Ms Kardashian was also devastated in late 2020 when Brandon Bernard was not granted a reprieve in Texas, as Joanna Whitehead reported at the time. Kim Kardashian West speaks out after death row inmate she supported is executed Revisiting the Julius Jones case Tuesday 5 April 2022 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell In November 2021, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt called off the execution of Julius Jones, a Black death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence in the 1999 murder that put him behind bars. The announcement came just hours before Jones was set to die by lethal injection. After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, Governor Stitt said in a statement. The Jones family, as well as supporters of the large Justice for Julius movement, were at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in the town of McAlester when they learned the news, the culmination of a two-decade campaign to free Julius. Josh Marcus reported on the case for The Independent. Oklahoma governor stops Julius Jones execution with last-minute decision Lifelong trauma led to false confession Tuesday 5 April 2022 19:30 , Oliver O'Connell Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first woman since 2014. Only 17 women have been executed in the US since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. In their clemency petition, Lucios lawyers say that while she had used drugs, leading her to temporarily lose custody of her children, she was a loving mother who worked to remain drug-free and provide for her family. Lucio has 14 children and was pregnant with the youngest two when Mariah died. Melissa Lucio (The family of Melissa LucioT) Lucio and her children struggled through poverty. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. Child Protective Services was present in the familys life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, according to Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucios attorneys who is with the Innocence Project. Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age six, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. In the 2020 documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, Lucio said investigators kept pushing her to say she had hurt Mariah. I was not gonna admit to causing her death because I wasnt responsible, Lucio said. AP Wake up to speak out for justice and stand up for life!' Tuesday 5 April 2022 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell Texas representative Jeff Leach calls on faith leaders to speak out for Melissa Lucio as the bipartisan group of lawmakers calls for action on the case urging the state to grant a reprieve from execution because of all of the evidence that points to her innocence. My closing message yesterday directed to our faith leaders & Pastors, some of whom are still piously & wrongfully burying their hands in the sand & sitting on the sidelines on #MelissaLucios case. I urge them to wake up to speak out for justice & stand up for life! #txlege pic.twitter.com/8jSay5VKSJ Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) March 25, 2022 What have Texas lawmakers said? Tuesday 5 April 2022 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell On 25 March, 83 Texas House members signed a letter asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to either cancel or commute Lucios impending execution. Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who describes himself as a conservative Republican and a death penalty supporter, led off a news conference calling the trial of Lucio a miscarriage of justice, Spectrum News 1 reports. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio, said Mr Leach, the chair of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. The six of us, in conjunction with our House colleagues, are asking for the Board of Pardons and Paroles to spare her life and delay her execution, which is currently scheduled in about a month on April 27. Mr Leach was joined by Representatives Joe Moody, D-El Paso; Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Lacey Hull, R-Houston; Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas; and James White, R-Hillister. Typically, Republicans have been hesitant or reluctant to talk about the question of the integrity of the death penalty, and I think thats the wrong approach. I know its the wrong approach, Mr Leach said. I encourage legislators to ask the tough questions and to review the documents, the transcripts, the case file, to call us or call her attorneys, and to figure out where you are on this case, one way or another. His colleague Mr Moody, added: It is easy to dismiss people like Melissa Lucio. In fact, the system is set up for us to forget her and treat her as less than human. Thats the way its been set up for years and years. For years, in this body, it was easy to ignore issues that touch the justice system because we think of those people as less than human and we throw them away. No more. What options are available for authorities? Tuesday 5 April 2022 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Governor Greg Abbott can grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. The board plans to vote on Lucios clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the boards director of support operations, said in an email to the Associated Press. A spokesperson for Governor Abbotts office did not return an email seeking comment. Mr Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate, Thomas Whitaker, since taking office in 2015. Whitaker was convicted of masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother. His father, who survived, led the effort to save Whitaker, saying he would be victimised again if his son was executed. Lucios supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatised if shes executed. Please allow us to reconcile with Mariahs death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish, and grief. Please spare the life of our mother, Lucios children wrote in a letter to Governor Abbott and the board. AP Which US states still have capital punishment, and who uses it the most? Tuesday 5 April 2022 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell Twenty-seven states across America still have the death penalty. They are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky. Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Uta,h and Wyoming. Find out more: American death map: Which US states have capital punishment and who uses it the most? ST. CLOUD A Minnesota-based fast-casual restaurant announced Thursday its intentions to open a location in the St. Cloud area. Crisp & Green, a restaurant serving up salads, grain bowls and smoothies that opened its first location in Wayzata in 2016, is looking at locations in St. Cloud in anticipation of a fall opening, CEO Steele Smiley said. "It's a town we want to be in quickly," Smiley said. The St. Cloud location will be run by a franchisee, who has yet to be announced but is a member of the community, Smiley said. Crisp & Green is billed as a healthy fast-casual option and serves salads, grain bowls and smoothies. Crisp & Green is expanding in Minnesota with the goal of making healthy food brands more accessible for small towns. For most small cities, healthy fast-casual choices are slim, Smiley said. "People want the next version, and they don't want to wait 10 years for it," he said. Smiley said the menu will also be expanding over time, adding acai bowls and healthy treats. Furthermore, Crisp & Green offers free fitness classes at its locations. Smiley has two decades of experience in the fitness world, including starting Steele Fitness and eventually merging with Snap Fitness, where Smiley was chief officer for several years. Partnering with local fitness experts to offer these free classes is a way Crisp & Green tries to give back to the community. Crisp & Green founder Steele Smiley "We're not just simply serving foods," Smiley said. "We're helping introduce people to a healthy lifestyle." During the first 60 days the restaurant is open, the company will have a "crisp connoisseur" to help people decide what to order and to eliminate any sort of intimidation factor in healthy eating, Smiley said. "We're certainly building a concept for everybody," he said. In addition to St. Cloud, between now and 2024, Crisp & Green locations are slated to open in Mankato, Prior Lake/Savage, Lino Lakes, Duluth, Brainerd, White Bear Lake, Rogers, Roseville and St. Louis Park. With these additions, Crisp & Green will have 31 locations in Minnesota. Story continues The Crisp & Green flagship store opened in 2016 in Wayzata. Smiley is the founder and CEO of Steele Brands, a brand development company that also includes fast-casual restaurant brands Stalk & Spade and Paco & Lime. He said it's "very likely" that his other brands will follow Crisp & Green to St. Cloud. "Plant-based eating we are in the infancy of that brand," he said. Smiley has launched each of his three companies with Wayzata as his proving ground. "I don't have an ounce of food in my house," Smiley said. "I eat exclusively at my restaurants every day." Crisp & Green also has locations in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Sarah Kocher is the business reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8799 or skocher@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahAKocher. Support local journalism. Subscribe to sctimes.com today. This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Fast-casual health-focused Crisp & Green restaurant coming to St. Cloud Ohio State's Justice Sueing averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while starting all 31 games for the Buckeyes in 2020-21. Justice Sueing has told CBS Sports he is planning to return to college, and a source close to the situation informed The Dispatch he is likely to come back to Ohio State. Pegged as a primary contributor for the 2021-22 Buckeyes, Sueing instead was limited to the first two games with an injury to his abdominal/groin area that would keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. After playing at California for his first two seasons, transferring to Ohio State and sitting out in 2019-20, Sueing averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while starting all 31 games for the Buckeyes in 2020-21. He is entering his final year of eligibility. Ohio State basketball insider: Stay in the know with texts from beat reporter Adam Jardy Sueing was voted one of four captains by his teammates for this past season. Assuming he is able to return to full health, Sueing immediately slots into Ohio States starting lineup and figures to be among the Big Tens most impactful players in what would be his sixth college season. A final announcement on Sueings future plans is expected within the next week. He has not entered the transfer portal. It's currently unclear what Ohio State's roster will look like for 2022-23. From last year's team, Joey Brunk, Cedric Russell, Jimmy Sotos, Jamari Wheeler and Kyle Young exhausted their eligibility; Justin Ahrens will play elsewhere for his fifth season after entering the transfer portal; E.J. Liddell has declared for the NBA and hired an agent; Malaki Branham has declared for the NBA while keeping his option to return to college open; and both Sueing and Seth Towns have decisions to make. The Buckeyes have added a transfer guard in Wright State's Tanner Holden. ajardy@dispatch.com @AdamJardy Get more Ohio State news by listening to our podcasts This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Justice Sueing returning to college after injury An academic unit reshaping American civics education at Tennessee's largest public university is turning from a long-discussed idea into a codified entity. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee during his annual State of the State address, saying it will create more "informed patriots" and be "a beacon celebrating intellectual diversity at our universities." When it was announced, little was known about the center, although it's been in discussion with the governor and legislators since at least last year, according to Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission confirmed that it initially would be housed at the UT Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, and Lee said in his speech that it would cost taxpayers an estimated $6 million for the first year and $4 million in the following years. Divisive concepts: What Tennessee's bill banning diversity training really means for colleges Pedestrian Bridge: UT's proposed bridge could spur housing, retail developments on South Knoxville waterfront But a bill, which has bipartisan support, establishing the institute has been making its way through the state legislature and paints a clearer picture of who would be involved with the center and what it would look like. A law is needed to make Lee's request a reality. "I know a lot of folks, when they heard this announcement, thought, 'Oh great, this is a state way of pushing a certain ideology or the great debate over 1776 verses 1619," Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, said during a committee meeting. "I just want to make it clear that this is not what this institute is designed to do." Akbari is referring to the debate over the founding of America's history: the year the United States declared its independence in 1776 verses the year the first enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia in 1619. Story continues Who's involved? The first action item, if the bill passes, is for UT System President Randy Boyd, with input from Lee, Lt. Governor and Senate Speaker Randy McNally, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton to create a 13-member Board of Fellows by Sept. 1. Board members will have staggered terms. According to sponsor Rep. Ron Gant, R-Piperton, nine of these board members must be higher education faculty or administrators, two must be former elected or appointed government officials from different political parties, and two must be board members from the Baker Center itself. After board members are appointed, they'll kick off a national search for a director. UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman will appoint a director from a list of finalists. The director will create an annual strategic plan for the learning institute. The plan will need to be approved by Sept. 1, 2023, and every year after. The director will be in charge of all staff and faculty hiring decisions. UT anticipates hiring 56 people to support the institute. This includes not only the director, its associate directors and faculty members, but also IT support, graduate assistants and interns. "It's really the first and foremost duty of education to ensure that we are creating a new generation of active citizens who can believe in and support the American democracy," said bill sponsor Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown. The Institute of American Civics will initially be held at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center and will include a 13-member Board of Fellows, a director, and more than 50 other employees. How much is it going to cost? Lee's estimate of $6 million for the first year of the institute was pretty spot on, with the exact estimated amount coming in at $5,968,500 for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The bulk of that cost comes from salaries and benefits for the 56 new employees, making up about $3.2 million of the total. The director of the institute will be paid $200,000 a year, plus benefits. The two associate directors for the institute will be paid $125,000 each, plus benefits. Compensation and benefits for the eight tenure or tenure-track faculty hired totals almost $1 million per year. Instructors, adjunct faculty, post-doctoral researchers and research associates also will be hired. Nearly $2 million one-time costs will be used for faculty startup packages, curriculum development, equipment, furniture, space renovations and more. Almost $700,000 recurring costs will be used for travel, utilities, seminars and equipment. The Board of Fellows aren't compensated for time or reimbursed for travel, according to the amended bill. New partnership: What industry leader Tombras means for UT's advertising and PR school Future of food delivery: These adorable robots are delivering food all over the University of Tennessee What will it teach? While many of the details of what courses and degree programs will be offered at the institute are still being worked out, the idea behind this kind of academic unit in universities isn't new. Arizona State University created its School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership in 2017. The school offers two undergraduate degrees, one minor and one master's program for students. It's curriculum includes courses that tackles ideas of politics, debates about liberty and equality in American thought, and capitalism. The institute will offer programming for the whole UT system, even though it will be housed at the Knoxville campus. In a joint statement from Plowman and Boyd in March, the two welcomed the institute and financial support from Lee. "We are positioned to facilitate crucial conversations through a full and fair discussion that involves civil dialogue among varying points of view and encourages intellectual diversity," the statement said. Becca Wright: Higher education reporter at Knox News Instagram | Twitter | Email | 865-466-3731 Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism. To get started, visit knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee Institute for American Civics comes together With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overrule or weaken Roe v. Wade before its current term ends, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking the Michigan Supreme Court to rule that a 1931 law criminalizing abortion violates the state constitution. If the state Supreme Court rules in Whitmer's favor, abortion would remain legal regardless of how the U.S. Supreme Court rules. There are 2.2 million women of childbearing age in Michigan, Whitmer told the Free Press on Wednesday, and those women deserve to know that their rights will be protected. "A woman must be able to make her own health care decisions, with the advice of a health care professional that she trusts. A politician shouldn't be making these decisions for her," Whitmer said in an exclusive interview. "And, frankly, if we fail to act, and abortion becomes illegal in our state for virtually any reason including cases of rape and incest we will have one of the most extreme laws in the country. It's critical that we push forward." More: Whitmer moves to protect Michigan abortion rights: 10 questions More: Whitmer garners fierce criticism, ardent praise for abortion lawsuit Michigan's 1931 abortion law has never been repealed. But Michigan Supreme Court justices ruled that the law was unenforceable in 1973 after the U.S. Supreme Court found that state bans on abortion violated the U.S. Constitution. The federal Supreme Court's conservative majority is widely expected to abandon or eviscerate that landmark ruling in a case brought after the state of Mississippi enacted a law barring abortion after 15 weeks. If the high court rules that Mississippi's ban on most abortions is constitutional, performing or undergoing an abortion in Michigan may once again become a felony. Seeking guidance for prosecutors State Attorney General Dana Nessel has said she will not prosecute physicians for providing abortions or women for seeking them. But all three of the Republican candidates vying to replace her this fall are opposed to abortion, and abortion providers across Michigan say they'll close shop if the high court overturns Roe. County prosecutors can also bring charges, and the stakes are too high. Story continues Whitmer's suit, filed Thursday in Oakland County Circuit Court, asks the Michigan Supreme Court to declare the 1931 law contrary to the state constitution and enjoin prosecutors in the 13 Michigan counties that have abortion clinics from enforcing the law. Prosecutors in seven of those counties issued a statement supporting Whitmer's lawsuit and affirming a woman's right to choose: Karen McDonald of Oakland County, Kym Worthy of Wayne, Carol Sieman of Ingham, Matthew Wiese of Marquette, Eli Savit of Washtenaw, Jeffrey Getting of Kalamazoo and David Leyton of Genesee. A right to bodily integrity The argument that Michigan's ban violates the state constitution is similar to the one abortion rights advocates made to the U.S. Supreme Court namely that all state bans violate the federal Constitution's guarantees of due process and privacy. But Whitmer's lawyers argue that Michigan's state constitution also protects a right to bodily integrity, strengthening their assertion that the 1931 ban violates state law. "There are two fundamental arguments here around due process, privacy and bodily autonomy, and under the equal protection clause," Whitmer told the Free Press. The 1931 law, she said, is "based on paternalistic justifications that have made Michigan women second-class citizens." The governor says the looming threat to Roe, in conjunction with other court rulings that have limited access to abortion, means there is sufficient uncertainty about exactly how abortion law is implemented in Michigan for the state Supreme Court to rule. Whitmer said a state Supreme Court ruling that Michigan's constitution precludes an abortion ban, would give prosecutors, providers and patients the clarity they need. Whitmer, who is running for reelection this year, has campaigned mostly on what she calls dinner-table issues like repairing the roads or improving schools. But she said abortion enjoys the same broad support. "It is polarizing in some camps. But this is overwhelmingly supported by the majority of people in Michigan" seven in 10, Whitmer said, referencing a recent poll "and regardless of how we personally feel about abortion, a woman's health, not politics should drive important medical decisions. ... With the dynamics on the Supreme Court, this is not a remote possibility. It's become very clear that this is highly likely to happen. We have been investigating and strategizing about how we protect this right for women in Michigan," Whitmer said. In a related initiative coordinated with the governor's office, Planned Parenthood of Michigan also filed suit on Thursday, asking the Michigan Court of Claims to block Attorney General Dana Nessel who has said she will not prosecute women or qualified doctors involved in abortion and county prosecutors from enforcing the 1931 law, and to affirm a right to abortion in Michigan's constitution. Thursday, Nessel said that she would not defend the state in the Planned Parenthood lawsuit. "I will take no part in driving women into the dark ages and into back allies," Nessel said. The attorney general says she expects the Legislature to intervene to provide legal defense for the state. The governor has asked the Legislature to pass a law protecting Michigan women's right to choose, but in a briefing with reporters Wednesday, she conceded the GOP-controlled body is unlikely to act. "We're using every tool available and this is a unique set of tools to protect women, and protect our constitutional right to bodily autonomy, to make our own determination and protect our economic freedoms, as well," she said. Whitmer's lawsuit invokes a little-known gubernatorial power, called "executive message," to ask the Michigan Supreme Court to take up her case directly, circumventing the trial court and the state Court of Appeals, and to expedite a ruling. Seeking certainty to advise patients Dr. Sarah Wallett, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said that planning for the Supreme Court's decision challenges her ability to provide care for her patients. "People come to see me for all sorts of different reasons, and I can tell you that every single one of them has thought about their options," Wallett said. "... On any given day, I could see a patient who's a parent of several children who's decided that financially, having another one isn't the right thing to do. I might see a patient who has a medical problem that continuing a pregnancy would put her health at risk. I may see a patient that has been diagnosed that something is wrong with her pregnancy, and they've decided to not continue. I see teens who come in with their moms. I see patients come in with their partners. I see people who want to say words of faith before their procedure. Everybody is impacted by abortion." The governor has noted that childbearing entails economic challenges. She said many women who terminate a pregnancy already have children, and fear they can't provide for a growing family. "I think it's important that we're very honest in this conversation. Proponents who claim that they're focused on something else, it's very clear that the conversation is all about controlling women's bodies," she said. "When you look at this antiquated law that is on our books, it was written 91 years ago, it was paternalistic in nature, intended to keep women at home, to take women's ability to make their own choices away. "This is a really heavy moment, one that women (of a previous generation) never imagined that we would be here, fighting so hard to just protect our rights as full American citizens." Contact Nancy Kaffer: nkaffer@freepress.com. Become a subscriber at Freep.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer sues over Michigan abortion ban, asks court to overturn In this May 6, 2020, file photo, a sign that reads Hiring Today! is posted in the window of a Dominos Pizza store in downtown Seattle. RTHK: Pakistan PM faces boot after court ruling Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces being booted from office at the weekend after the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that parliament had been illegally dissolved and a no-confidence vote on his government must go ahead. Khan's coalition lost its majority in the national assembly last week, but he avoided being dismissed when the deputy speaker blocked a no-confidence motion against him and the president dissolved parliament and ordered fresh elections. "All actions taken are of no legal effect and quashed," the Supreme Court said after hearing four days of argument on the matter. "The national assembly continues to remain in session," it added, with officials saying it would sit again on Saturday. The court's judgment was broader than expected after the chief justice said earlier this week they would only rule on the legality of the no-confidence motion being blocked. The decision which the court said was unanimous was met with jubilation by opposition supporters in the capital, with packed cars racing through the streets, sounding their horns. There was no immediate reaction from Khan, but Shehbaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N and likely to be the next prime minister, said the decision "has saved Pakistan and the constitution of Pakistan". Pakistan People's Party leader Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, who had joined forces with Sharif to oust Khan, tweeted: "Democracy is the best revenge". Khan claimed the opposition had colluded with the United States for "regime change" when the deputy speaker a loyalist refused to allow the no-confidence motion. Simultaneously, Khan asked the presidency a largely ceremonial office also held by a loyalist to dissolve the assembly. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-04-07. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. The left-wing nationwide daily carries three opinion columns in one single issue on why the opposition suffered a crushing defeat in Sundays elections and what it should do next. In Nepszava, Rudolf Ungvary who defines himself as a conservative but is a vocal critic of the right-wing government believes that the politicians of the opposition only tackle the surface of what is going on in society, while PM Orbans Fidesz party build their strategy on deeply rooted feelings within the population. Namely, people first and foremost want to feel safe, and this is precisely what is being offered by what he calls an authoritarian government. In the same daily, Andras Rostovanyi thinks that the improvised alliance of disparate parties was bound to fail. Democracy, he writes, is not confined to campaigns and elections. The opponents of the government should constantly work with the electorate, understand their needs and desires, and propose adequate solutions to their problems. Instead of shedding tears, Rostovanyi concludes, they should start doing that right away. In a third Nepszava column, Miklos Hajdu suggests that the defeated opposition should boycott Parliament. They could not achieve anything there for the next four years, he explains, while their presence would just legitimise what he calls a one-party system. 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 Breaking ranks with the EU, Hungary may pay for gas in roubles if Russia asks it to, PM Orban told a press conference this Wednesday. Also, Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto told journalists after meeting with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic in Szeged that Hungary is looking for a way to pay for Russian gas in roubles. He said Hungary will first face a payment obligation to Gazprom at the end of May, adding that a technical solution is available, the details of which are currently being developed. In answer to a question, he said a bilateral agreement is in force on gas supplies, in which the EU had no part, so it is nobodys business as how the affected parties modify it. We do not consider it necessary for the EU to provide a common response to Russian gas imports, he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 23 that payments for gas would be accepted only in roubles from countries classified as "unfriendly", including all EU member states. Some G7 countries have said they will not comply with this. The radical Mi Hazank party will support proposals in parliament that serve the interests of the Hungarian people, and does not want to be a visceral opposition, Dora Duro, the partys deputy leader, said. Speaking to public news channel M1, Duro said Mi Hazank saw its crossing of the 5% threshold for seats in parliament in the election as a triumph of the heart, faith, work and being principled. Duro said Mi Hazanks campaign had been at a disadvantage and the party had been hindered in getting its message out. She said the partys base was partly made up of former Jobbik voters, adding, at the same time, that the party had provided new answers to a number of 21st-century issues. She said that when it came to the pandemic, ruling Fidesz and the opposition left-liberal parties pursued the same policy of lockdowns and forcing vaccines onto people. She said Mi Hazank had been the only party to speak out against the stationing of NATO troops in Hungary and was the only one to oppose granting European Union membership to Ukraine unconditionally. Asked about Mi Hazanks role as an opposition party, Duro said they would only consider the interests of the country. We dont want to be a hysterical and visceral opposition, she said. Mi Hazank will examine every proposal based on its contents and will support them if they benefit the Hungarian people, she added. MTI Photo: Szilard Koszticsak Foreign ministry state secretary Levente Magyar on Wednesday talked to Ukrainian Ambassador Lyubov Nepop, and rejected what he called unfair accusations levelled by Ukrainian leaders against Hungary. Magyar told MTI after the meeting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna had accused Hungarys government of not reacting proportionately to the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskys comments that Hungary wasnt even doing as much as everyone else does, and that Hungary supports Russia, are offensive to all compassionate Hungarians who have condemned the war and actively helped Ukraine, Magyar said. Hungary set aside its ongoing debates with Ukraine on the first day of the war, and, contrary to the words of the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, has not stood in the way of the cooperation between Ukraine, the European Union and NATO, Magyar said. We have opened the borders to more than half a million refugees since the start of the war, contributed to easing the suffering of those in need with countless deliveries of private and state-funded donations, provided hospital treatment for 130 Ukrainian children and taken part in every international effort aiming to stop the bloodshed, he added. None of those efforts would have been possible without the sacrifice and support of Hungarian citizens, who only deserve praise and gratitude for their efforts, he said. We call on Ukraine to refrain from insulting Hungary and commenting on its internal affairs even in these hard times; they can, in the meantime, continue to count on our help, he said. MTI Photo In February 2022, the volume of retail trade in both raw and calendar-adjusted data was 9.8% higher than in the same month of the previous year, according to data by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). Compared to February 2021, the volume of sales increased by 3.4% in specialized and non-specialized food retailing. The volume of sales increased by 3.2% in non-specialized food and beverages shops accounting for 76% of food retailing and by 3.9% in specialized food, beverage, and tobacco stores. The turnover of non-food retailing increased by a total of 14.6% in volume. Sales volumes rose by 50% in second-hand goods shops, by 40% in textiles, clothing, and footwear shops, by 16% in pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics shops, by 15% in books, computer equipment and other specialized stores, by 12% in non-specialized shops dealing in manufactured goods and by 9.1% in furniture and electrical goods stores. The volume of mail order and internet retailing accounting for 9.1% of all retail sales and involving a wide range of goods rose by 9.2%, continuing a multi-year expansion, KSH notes. The volume of sales in automotive fuel stations increased by 19%. Sales in motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores not belonging to retail data increased by 7.6%. In February 2022, domestic retail sales amounted to HUF 1.149 trillion at current prices. Specialized and non-specialized food shops accounted for 45% of all retail sales, while the relevant figures for non-food retail trade and retail trade of petrol stations were 37% and 18% respectively. January-February retail sales up 7% y.o.y. The volume of retail trade in the first two months of 2022 increased by 7% compared to January-February 2021. The volume of sales rose by 1.7% in specialized and non-specialized food shops, by 10.4% in non-food retail trade, and by 14.8% in automotive fuel retail trade. Click here to read the full report During its more than twenty years of existence, Hungarian-owned B+N Referencia Zrt. has grown into Hungarys leading facility management company, providing comprehensive facility management services to its customers. For years, the company has been a stable player in the ranking of the 500 Hungarian companies with the highest turnover. Over the past years, its turnover has steadily increased, and in 2019 it achieved a turnover of HUF 36 bn and a profit after tax of HUF 4bn. Its customers include prominent representatives of the Hungarian corporate sector as well as public institutions. With the acquisition of ISS companies in Central and Eastern Europe in 2021 the company has become a regional FM service provider, with a presence in Hungary the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Slovenia. With the acquisition of the Polish INWEMER FM company in 2022 B+N became the market leader in the CEE region. COVID-19 has significantly changed what clients are looking for across different real estate sectors, including facility management. Libor Holik, CEO of B+N Czech Republic and Slovakia talked to Property Forum about current challenges and opportunities in the facility management business. Its been 9 months since B+N acquired ISS Groups interests in CEE, including the Czech and Slovak businesses which you oversee. Has the integration been completed? How has the change of ownership affected the business? A change of ownership and the subsequent integration is never an easy process. However, I am happy to say that in our case the integration was quite smooth and fast. Key controls, processes and systems were implemented across our countries by the end of 2021. Some parts of the integration naturally continue and will continue still for some time as the organizations evolve and reflect the everchanging needs of the business environment. The change of ownership affected our business in a positive way. We were, as a part of ISS, a strong global supplier of FM services with all positives as well as negatives, however, the two-and-a-half-year period of uncertainty since ISS announced its intention to divestment our region at the end of 2018, hurt us quite significantly on the market. Therefore, we are very relieved that the process of divestment is completed and we now have a strong owner with the aspiration to grow and further develop. As a part of B+N Group, we are still a strong regional player in our markets, with greater flexibility to implement new strategies and serve our customers. Whats B+Ns strategy for growth in the Czech and Slovak markets? B+N wants to aggressively attack the local markets and re-enter some of the market segments which we have abandoned in the past. Our strategy is to offer an exceptional level of service quality at a competitive price. As a private company, we have a very lean organizational structure which allows us to be effective and quick in terms of decision making and execution. At the same time, we want to behave as a socially responsible fair trade company with a continued focus on compliance, transparency, health and safety and the environment. How has COVID-19 impacted the facility management business? What are the key trends driving its growth? COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on the facility management business. Primarily in cleaning services, there are higher requirements for special cleaning activities as disinfection and more effective cleaning methods needed to be applied. As a result, despite marginal revenue decreases in the office and retail segments, COVID-19 has caused revenue and margin increases. The pandemic shifted focus on health and safety across all aspects of real estate. Has this caused any changes in what types of services your clients are looking for? You need to break this down by market segment and service type. Hospitals, where quality cleaning is a key to a healthy environment, demanded additional cleaning services, same as the automotive or industrial segments, where health and safety were the keys to maintaining production. Other segments such as retail and office, on the contrarily, asked for a reduction of cleaning frequencies or cleaning in general. Technical maintenance or security services were usually not impacted a lot. B+N is heavily focused on automation and robotisation in the facility management sector. What can you share about the innovations the company is currently implementing and working on? Our company has an R&D department in Hungary where it develops innovative automation solutions, like autonomous industrial cleaning robots, UV disinfectant devices and others. We recently signed a new cleaning contract with Prague Vaclav Havel airport from January 2022 and the intention now is to implement a cleaning robot there, as an example. Similar activity is planned for the Jaguar Landover production facility in Nitra. Click here to virtually visit B+N As per the sources, Air India has cancelled its flights to Moscow due to concern on insurance validity over the Russian airspace. The Tata Group-owned Air India has been operating twice-a-week flights to Moscow, the capital of Russia from New Delhi. Sources have further confirmed that the Flight Insurance may not be valid because of the threat perception over Russian skies. Flight insurance to Air India is being provided by international agencies and they might have cancelled the insurance due to non-validity over the Russian skies. Air India has conveyed to the Russian embassy that the passengers are entitled to the full refund for the cancelled flights. Further, the Russian embassy has noted that it is possible to fly now using the transit routes from India to Russia through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other destinations. Also read: Russia to resume international flights with 52 friendly countries "Dear fellow citizens. We draw your attention that the Indian airline Air India has stopped selling tickets on the Delhi-Moscow-Delhi route, the prospects for resuming flights of this airline to Russia are uncertain at the moment. According to Air India office, passengers are entitled to the full refund for the canceled flights," the Russian embassy said in a statement in its Telegram channel as per TASS, Russian News Agency. Russia earlier announced to resume international flight services to and from 52 countries post-April 9, in order to ease the Covid-19 restrictions, said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in a statement. It will commence flight services to and from Argentina, South Africa, and other "friendly countries", including India, Mishustin said, meaning those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilitarize its neighbour. Live TV #mute Codenamed Juice, a Ukrainian fighter pilot gave an interview to local media about how Ukraine has managed to stop Russia from dominating the airspace with humble MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters despite Russia having planes like Su-57.. The Sukhoi Su-57 is widely considered the worlds most advanced fighter jet, sharing the 5th-gen fighter jet technology with aircrafts like the United States F-22 and F-35 and Chinas J20 Chengdu. Not just the Su-57, Russia has other advanced fighter jets in its fleet, all-indigenous, including the Su-30 and Su-35 flanker aircrafts. The question then arises, why hasnt the Russias air superiority helped the former USSR megapower win the war against Ukraine, who is using old aircrafts like MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets? Also read: Russia to resume international flights with 52 friendly countries after April 9 Its been more than a month since Russia first invaded Ukraine in a sign of aggression against Ukraines partnership with NATO. While everyone was anticipating resistance on the ground from Ukraines side, Russias superior airpower could have helped Russia enter deep into Ukraine pretty quick. Now, a Ukrainian Air Force pilot going by his call sign Juice reveals why, despite having stronger air force, Russia hasnt managed to go past Ukraine air defence. I think ground air defenses are much more capable against them. They have a lot of kills of cruise missiles every day. Drones are also a great problem for us, but I think its a much bigger problem for them, our Bayraktars are much more capable than their UAVs, says Juice. Juice says that large-scale high-intensity conflict scenarios learnt from the US Air Force during the Clear Sky drill in 2018 hosted by Ukraine helped the UAF a lot. MiG-29s and Su-27s of Ukraine sparred with the F-15s United States, who replicated the tactics and performance of Russian Su-30 and Su-35S Flanker fighters. Although the F-15s are more modern than MiGs, Ukrainian pilots were sometimes pretty successful, just using our flexibility and creation of non-standard decisions, Juice recalled. Also, the Ukrainian pilots, trained with NATO countries have got a much better understanding of a fighter pilot mindset that helps them defeat Russian tactics, keeping the Russian forces at bay as one of the strongest countries is not able to dominate Ukraines airspace. Having said that, the sheer number of Russian Air Forces fighter jets is a big problem for the Ukraine and can turn the tide against them in no time. Sometimes theyre just trying to exhaust us, Juice said, flying near the border to get us to scramble, just to exhaust our manpower with these fuc***g stupid night flights. Source Live TV #mute South Korea plans to add about 100 international flights per week starting May 2022 as demand for overseas travel is expected to increase, said officials. This announcement comes as South Korean Covid-19 cases have been declining for about three weeks, and the government has eased Covid-19 restrictions. Currently, only 420 international fights a week serve South Korea, down from 4,714 before the pandemic. From next month onwards, the government will authorize a further 100 weekly flights for such destinations as the United States, Europe, Thailand, and Singapore, where quarantine exemptions and visa-free entry are possible, Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-Cheol said. Then 100 more weekly international flights will be added in June and a further 300 in July, the transport ministry said. "Demand for overseas visits is expected to increase, as countries that have passed the peak of the Omicron wave have eased quarantine policies," Jeon said in a statement. The country is considering scrapping most pandemic-related curbs later this month, including an obligation to wear masks outdoors, after already dropping national vaccine mandates and mandatory quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas. Also read: San Francisco Airport reopens Yoga rooms after 2-year Covid-19 hiatus The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 286,294 new cases for April 5, down from a record 621,328 in mid-March. Shares in Korean Air rose as much as 1.7 percent after the announcement, versus a 0.9 percent drop in the wider market. (With inputs from Reuters) Live TV #mute New Delhi: As Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria starrer Heropanti 2 is gearing up for its theatrical release on April 29, films villain actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui opened up about his unconventional character Laila from the movie. The versatile actor reveals that he received the narration of the film from director Ahmed Khan and writer Rajat Arora while he was in London. He further added that it was their zeal while narrating the character that made him want to do it. Nawazuddin shares, I was in London shooting for some other film when this role was offered to me by Ahmed and Rajat. They narrated the character to me while we were travelling to a certain location in the countryside and then later we took the narration to the hotel. Both Ahmed and Rajat had a lot of zeal and enthusiasm while narrating Laila to me, which was impressive! The fact that they were living the character made me want to play Laila even more. Nawazuddin added that though Heropanti 2 is a commercial entertainer, the character of Laila is nuanced and very well-written. However, Heropanti 2 is a commercial film but today, the authenticity, the background, the reasons, and the logic of the character matter more than anything. I did realize that even the content-driven movies don't have as much information as Ahmed and Rajat had for this character, he shares. Heropanti 2 is directed by Ahmed Khan and is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Apart from Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film also stars Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria in pivotal roles. Meanwhile, on the work front, Nawaz has an interesting lineup of films which includes Tiku Weds Sheru, Noorani Chehra, and Adbhut among others. New Delhi: The 9-day long Chaitra Navratri festival is being celebrated in the country with full gusto. This year it began on April 2 and will culminate on April 10, Ram Navami respectively. On each day during this period, different forms of Nav Durga Maa are worshipped. MAA KATYAYANI PUJA ON NAVRATRI DAY 6: Maa Katyayani is worshipped on the 6th day of the Chaitra Navratri. The goddess is also hailed as the second name of Goddess Parvati, Adi Parashakti or Amarakosha, as per the Sanskrit lexicon. She is revered as the fierce avatar of Maa Durga according to some beliefs. The red colour is associated with Maa Katyayani, which is also linked to Devi Durga. MAA KATYAYANI PUJA RITUAL: The goddess is mounted on a lion which Goddess Parvati offered to her and killed Mahishasur in her fierce avatar. According to Skanda Purana, Devi Katyayani came into being from the spontaneous anger of the gods to kill the demonMahishasur. That is why Durga is also known by the name Mahishasurmardini. This is celebrated widely across the globe as Durga Puja. It coincides with the Sharad Navratri which falls in September-October. The legend of Mahishasur and how the goddess killed him is the most popular one associated with the origin of Maa Katyayani, who put an end to evil and helped the gods from the clutches of this demon. Goddess Katyayani mounts on a lion and has three eyes and is four-armed. MAA KATYAYANI MANTRA FOR BLISSFUL MARRIAGE: Katyayani Mahamaye Mahayoginyadheeshwari Nandgopsutam Devipatim Me Kuru Te Namah KATYAYANI MANTRA: Om Devi Katyayanyai Namah DEVI KATYAYANI STUTI: Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Ma Katyayani Rupena Samsthita Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah BENEFITS OF CHANTING MAA KATYAYANI MANTRAS: It is believed, that if someone's marriage is getting delayed, Maa Katyayani's mantra chant removes all the hurdles, Manglik Dosha from the horoscope. If married, then this mantra can ensure a happy married life. It is said those who are unmarried or in love can also chant the mantra for marrying the partner of their choice. THE LEGEND OF DEVI KATYAYANI: As per popular beliefs, Devi Katyayani was born to Rishi Katyayan, who hailed from the Katya lineage linked to Vishwamitra originally. The sage Katyayan was an ardent Durga follower and performed austere penance to please the goddess as he wanted her to be born as his daughter. Later, Maa Durga, pleased by his tap and dedication reincarnated as Katyayanithe daughter of Katyayan. In other texts, such as the Kalika Purana, it is stated that because Rishi Katyayan first worshipped the goddess, she came to be known as Katyayani. There are several temples of Devi Katyayani in the country and Katyayani Vrat (fast) is also observed by the women, who wish to have a husband of their own choice. Earlier beliefs also link it to the legend which says Gopis would observe the fast, singing Lord Krishna's praises and pray to Maa Katyayani with devotion in order to seek Krishna as their partner. Khadga is her weapon and she holds a lotus in one of her hands while the other hand stays always stays in Abhayamudra or Varadamudra for blessings. Happy Navratri to all! New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said existing banks can open digital banking units to offer products and services in both self-served and assisted mode round-the-clock. In the Union Budget, the government announced the setting up of at least 75 such units in 75 districts to commemorate 75 years of the country's independence as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. According to the guidelines on the establishment of Digital Banking Units (DBUs), the products and services to be provided at a DBU include, opening of accounts, cash withdrawal and deposit, KYC updation, loans and complaint registrations. "Digital banking products and services would generally mean those financial products/services whose designs and fulfilments have nearly end-to-end digital life cycle with the initial customer acquisition/product delivery necessarily taking place digitally through self-service or assisted self-service," it said. A DBU is a specialised fixed point business unit/hub housing certain minimum infrastructure for delivering digital banking products and services to ensure convenient and cost-effective banking for customers. Scheduled commercial banks having experience in digital banking are allowed to open DBUs in Tier 1 to Tier 6 centres without having the need to take permission from the RBI, the guidelines said. Also Read: Tere bhai ne sara paisa chura liya: BharatPe CEO tells Ashneer Grovers sister amid delay in salaries Each DBU shall be housed distinctly with separate entry and exit provisions. These units will be separate from existing banking outlets with formats and designs most appropriate for digital banking users, the guidelines said. Also Read: Tata Group launches Tata Neu: 10 big things you should know about the super app Live TV #mute Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has praised the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) after an International Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper credited the free foodgrain programme for only a 10 basis points rise in extreme poverty in 2020 to 0.86 percent despite COVID. Sharing the IMF paper on Twitter, the minister said, The working paper notes that the social safety net given to the poor by way of expansion of the country's food subsidy program absorbed a major chunk of the pandemic shock. As per reports, extreme poverty rose to 0.86 percent in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic because of the free foodgrain scheme, the paper Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India said. Extreme poverty was 0.76 percent in India in 2019. The World Bank defines extreme poverty as those living on under $1.9 a day in 2011 Purchasing Power Parity terms. The cabinet had in March extended the programme by another six months. Launched in March 2020 as the country went into a lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, the government would have spent Rs 3.40 lakh crore on the free foodgrain scheme by September to ensure no poor household is left hungry as the economy recovers from the pandemic. "The expansion of India's food subsidy program rather than increasing cash transfers enabled the government to provide for free food as per the average monthly requirement to all those who were entitled to purchase the same from the PDS (Public Distribution System) system," economists Surjit Bhalla, Karan Bhasin and Arvind Virmani said in the paper. "Subsequently, the doubling of entitlements in 2020 helped maintain extreme poverty at the low 0.8 percent level," the paper added. The pandemic shock was largely a temporary income shock, the economists said, adding that the fiscal policy interventions were the fiscally-appropriate way to absorb a large part of the shock. New Delhi: Reserve Bank of India on Thursday proposed to modify the existing norms to simplify and rationalise the process for settlement of payment for exports and imports through e-commerce. RBI has issued draft guidelines on 'Processing and Settlement of small value Export and Import related payments' facilitated by Online Export-Import Facilitators (OEIF) (erstwhile OPGSP). "With development in the ecosystem for e-commerce and the feedback received from banks and other stakeholders, on a comprehensive review, the extant guidelines are being modified to further simplify and rationalise the process for settlement of payment for export and import through e-commerce," it said. On import transactions, the central bank has proposed that the facility shall be available for online import of goods and digital products of value not exceeding USD 3,000. In case of exports, the limit has been proposed at USD 15,000. Also Read: After Ashneer Grovers Ab Nani Yaad Aayegi remark, BharatPe says it registered 4X sales growth Currently, banks are permitted to offer the facility of processing and settlement of import and export-related remittances by entering into standing contract with Online Payment Gateway Service Providers (OPGSPs) in respect of export of goods and services as well as import of goods and software. Also Read: Free IPL matches, rewards on UPI, bill payments: Tata Neu app goes live with big offers Live TV #mute Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said Delhi government will provide a subsidy of Rs 5,500 each for the first 10,000 buyers of e-cycles in the city. The first 1,000 buyers of passenger e-cycles will also be given an additional subsidy of Rs 2,000, he added. The government will also give subsidies on purchase of heavy duty cargo e-cycles and e-carts for commercial uses, Gahlot said. The subsidy on cargo e-cycles will be Rs 15,000 each for the first 5,000 buyers. The subsidy was earlier provided to individual buyers of e-carts but now a company or corporate house buying these vehicles will also be provided a subsidy of Rs 30,000, he said. The residents of Delhi only will be eligible for the subsidy scheme, Gahlot said. Also read: Biden govt discusses future prospects of EVs with Elon Musk, industry giants The minister said that presently 45,900 e-vehicles are plying on the city roads, out of which 36 percent are two wheelers. The percentage of e-vehicles in total registered vehicles in Delhi has crossed the 12 percent mark, he added. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV #mute New Delhi: The Defence Ministry may introduce a new recruitment model in the Indian Army that will allow the government to recruit soldiers for shorter periods of three and five years. If implemented, this would mean around 50% of army soldiers would retire within five years. The tenure revision is a part of the newly proposed Tour of Duty recruitment model, which was first floated in 2020. The proposal, which as per media reports is likely to get a nod from the government, will give will to aspirants to serve the nation as officers and/or other ranks. Initially, the number of vacancies would be around 100 which could be increased later. To sum it up, aspirants will get an opportunity to serve in the army as officers and/or other ranks for shorter periods as well. However, this arrangement will not be military conscription like in some countries like Israel. What is the Tour of Duty recruitment model? According to a News18 report, the present draft of the recruitment model suggests that all the soldiers will eventually be recruited into the army under this programme. Around 25% of them would serve in the Army for three years while 25% of troops would serve for five years. Similarly, the remaining 50% would continue to serve in the Army for the full term till they reach their retirement age, the report quoting sources adds. It is said that the Tour of Duty recruitment model has been conceptualised to address the shortages of personnel, including officers. This model will also help youngsters experience a disciplined military life without having to join the forces for the rest of their lives. Will these officers get retirement benefits? According to media reports, the proposed draft says that 50% of soldiers who would be released at the end of three and five years will be included in the National Pension Scheme and be given certain medical benefits, applicable to Armed Forces veterans, for a fixed period. Salary The salary of an army officer recruited under Tour of Duty will be around 80,000 to 90,000 per month. Live TV New Delhi: The registration for Amarnath Yatra 2022 will commence on April 11, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board said on Thursday (April 7). Nitishwar Kumar, CEO, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board told ANI that devotees that want to visit the Himalayan cave shrine located at a height of 3,880 metres in south Kashmir will be able to register online through the website and mobile app of the Shrine Board. He said they are expecting over 3 lakh pilgrims to the Yatra that will begin on June 30 this year and culminate on August 11. Registration for Yatra will start on 11 April in 446 Branches of J&K Bank, PNB Bank, Yes Bank and 100 branches of SBI Bank across the country. We're expecting more than 3 lakh pilgrims. In Ramban, a Yatri Niwas has been made which can accommodate 3000 pilgrims, Nitishwar Kumar said. RFID will be given to pilgrims by which the Shrine board can track the pilgrims. The insurance coverage period for pony handlers increased to one year. The insurance cover for pilgrims increased from Rs 3 Lakh to 5 Lakh this year:Nitishwar Kumar, CEO, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022 Kumar further informed that insurance cover for the pilgrims to the annual yatra has been increased to Rs 5 lakh this year. RFID will be given to pilgrims by which the Shrine board can track the pilgrims. The insurance coverage period for pony handlers increased to one year. The insurance cover for pilgrims increased from Rs 3 Lakh to 5 Lakh this year, he said. Notably, the Amarnath Yatra was cancelled midway in 2019 before the abrogation of Article 370 in August that year. For the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, a symbolic yatra was observed. Live TV New Delhi: All 24 ministers in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet submitted their resignations to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday (April 7), PTI cited official sources as saying. The step comes ahead of the proposed rejig of the Council of Ministers in Andhra Pradesh. After completing the final Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat, the ministers handed their resignation letters to CM Reddy. The ministers served in the Andhra government for exactly 34 months. #UPDATE | Andhra Pradesh Cabinet dissolved. After completing the final Cabinet meeting, all Ministers have submitted their resignation letters to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the State Secretariat. ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022 The Council of Ministers will be reconstituted at Amaravati on April 11, the news agency reported. As per ANI sources, in the Cabinet reshuffle, only four of the incumbent Ministers are expected to retain their positions. The sources also said that Reddy will submit the final list of new Ministers to Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan before April 9. The new Andhra Pradesh Cabinet may also continue with five deputy CMs. CM Reddy reportedly had held a meeting with Governor Harichandan on Wednesday night and discussed the cabinet reorganisation. The Andhra CM also handed over the final list of the 19 Ministers being dropped from the Cabinet to the Governor, ANI sources said. The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet reshuffle was earlier slated to take place last December, however, it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Reddy had said last month that the Cabinet reorganisation will take place after Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, which fell on April 2. (With agency inputs) Live TV Patna: The counting of votes for Bihar legislative council elections began on Thursday, with the ruling JD (U)`s Dinesh Singh winning from Muzaffarpur. Arrangements for security have been made for the peaceful counting of votes. In Patna, counting is underway at Aryabhatta University. Voting for elections in 24 MLC (members of legislative council) constituencies in Bihar was held on Monday. To ensure free and fair voting, adequate armed forces were deployed at the 534 polling stations across the state. The legislative council of Bihar consists of a total of 75 seats. The current strength of members in the legislative council is 51 against the total strength of 75, as 24 seats had been vacant since July 2021. Among the NDA allies, the BJP is contesting on 12 seats followed by the JD(U) on 11 seats, and Pashupati Paras` Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party on one seat. On the other hand, from the Opposition, the RJD is contesting 23 seats while its ally CPI is in the fray for the remaining one seat. The Congress is going solo and is contesting 16 seats out of 24. Live TV Lucknow: Calling to take forward the promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the form of resolutions, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the party workers to prepare for a new examination every day to fulfil the aspirations of every citizen. Addressing the party workers on the occasion of 42nd Foundation Day organised in the state office of BJP, the CM, on Wednesday, said, "It is a matter of pride for all of us that the foundation day programme of BJP is being held all across the country. It inspires us to move forward with a new resolve." He stated, "We all know that in 2017, BJP returned to power after 14 years of exile. In 2017, the top leadership came together to uplift BJP in Uttar Pradesh on the call of PM Modi. During the last five years, the government and the party have worked extremely well in coordination for the welfare of every section of the society, villages, poor, farmers, youth, and women, without any discrimination within the state. This resulted in the people of Uttar Pradesh voting us to power for our second consecutive term with a two-thirds majority in the assembly elections. The Chief Minister also congratulated the BJP State President, State General Secretaries, associate ministers, former ministers, mayors, and other BJP officials. "Uttar Pradesh has given many models to the country in the past five years. Be it providing houses to 43.5 lakh poor people, building 2.61 crore toilets for the poor, providing double dose ration twice a month to 15 crore poor people, or providing government jobs to 5 lakh youth, BJP has taken these steps forward with full sincerity without any discrimination. That is why today we are celebrating the 42nd Foundation Day with this mandate to live up to the expectations," he added. Speaking about the Lok Kalyan Patra, CM Yogi said, "We have to treat every promise made in the Sankalp Patra as a Mantra. We have to accept every word of it and fulfil our promises. With this confidence, I congratulate all the party workers across the state. While bowing down to all the great leaders, including the founder of the party Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM said that the government will work tirelessly to fulfil the expectations of 25 crore people of Uttar Pradesh. Congratulations to all the party workers across the state: CM Yogi "Our association with the world's largest political party, BJP, inspires all of us to facilitate the people sitting at the last rung of the society. The party is helping us in achieving our dream of serving people," said the CM. On the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the foundation day of the BJP, I congratulate the workers across the state. The journey of the BJP is a matter of curiosity and wonder for the political analysts of the country and the world. The loyalty of all of us towards the nation, our sense of dedication towards our values, ideals, and the goal of taking the schemes to the last person sitting in the society has been fascinating the world for a long time now. "When we all work together to achieve a common goal, it gives a sense of trust to the people and they start connecting with us automatically. Today, BJP has emerged as the world's largest political party under the leadership of its visionary leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and National President JP Nadda. In front of the world, democracy is also creating a sense of faith in the minds of the common people," CM Yogi further stated. Recalling the struggles of the party and its leaders, the UP CM said that BJP has travelled through many ups and downs. Back in 1952, when the country was about to see its first general elections, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh was established. The purpose behind Bharatiya Jana Sangh was not to do the politics of power but to promote the people as a political outfit that created a sense of devotion towards India. "When the then ruling party was playing with the integrity of India and was conspiring to separate Kashmir from India, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had no choice left but to sacrifice himself for Kashmir. No one can question BJP's dedication towards the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, which was the biggest cultural movement in India after independence," said Yogi Adityanath. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's dream seems to be coming true today "It was April 6, 1980, when some of our leaders separated from the Janata Party and formed the Bharatiya Janata Party. At that time, the revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani and all those great men took the pledge to establish this new party as a representation of the feelings of the country. Today, you must be seeing that BJP remains the focal point of the faith of the citizens of India," CM Yogi further said in his speech. When PM Modi formed the majority government at the Centre in 2014, no one could think that it would be successful in mobilising wide public support within the country and the dream of the people's sentiments which was seen by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay seems to be coming true today. Worked tirelessly to build a new India in the pandemic of the century Expressing gratitude towards PM Modi, Yogi said that the Central Govt did the work of providing free ration facilities to over 80 crore people during the biggest pandemic of the century that India faced. Whole world is a witness to how the lives of 135 crore people were saved. During the COVID-19 pandemic, free tests, treatments and vaccines were available for every citizen of the country. No government other than the Indian Government is providing free vaccines to its people across the globe," he said, adding, "The disease caused the least number of deaths for the first time. Every effort was made to save every life. Steps were taken to realise the vision of a self-reliant India. These parameters present a new picture of new India today." We have done every possible thing for our people The Chief Minister said that for the first time in 2014, over 12 crore people got toilets in their houses, and three crore people got roofs over their heads. Under Prime Minister Mudra Yojana, crores of youth got employment. Not only this, 12 crore farmers have benefited so far from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and 6 crore poor families were provided free health insurance under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Our party is sparing no efforts to make sure the benefit of each and every scheme reaches to the last person of the society irrespective of their caste and religion. This happened only because of the leadership of PM Modi," he said, adding, Whether it is the central government or the state governments, representing the feelings of every citizen and interest of the nation are paramount for the party. Earlier in a series of tweets, CM Yogi said that under the direction of PM Modi and National President JP Nadda, the Samajik Nyay Pakhwada being celebrated by BJP will prove to be helpful in bringing positive change in the life of the person standing on the last rung of the society. He further wrote that the decision of celebrating Samajik Nyay Pakhwada across the country from April 7 to April 20, 2022, by the BJP, which is on the path of national growth from Antyodaya to Rashtrodaya, is commendable. Undoubtedly, this will give new energy to the commitment of the BJP to the empowerment of the poor, deprived, exploited, downtrodden and backward classes. In one of his tweets, he also conveyed hearty congratulations to all the committed and dedicated workers on the foundation day of the BJP. (Brand Desk Content) Live TV New Delhi: A day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi ahead of Assembly polls later this year, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and party leader Manish Sisodia claimed on Thursday (April 7) that the ruling BJP in the hill state was considering replacing Jai Ram Thakur with Union Minister Anurag Thakur as the Himachal Pradesh CM. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Sisodia claimed that witnessing the response AAP received during its roadshow has terrified the BJP and it wants to make the big change as it feared defeat in the elections. We have learnt from very reliable sources that the BJP wants to replace Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with Anurag Thakur as it is scared of the popularity of Arvind Kejriwal and his model of governance in Delhi, Sisodia said as per PTI. Kejriwal Ji went to Himachal Pradesh y'day & received a great response. BJP got so terrified that it's going to change its CM there. Our trusted sources told us that after CM Jairam Thakur's failure of 4.5yrs, BJP will make Anurag Thakur as HP CM: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia pic.twitter.com/x1H9oQcsUU ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022 He said that the people of the state are disappointed with the Jai Ram Thakur government, which has 'completely failed', and hence, they want to elect AAP in the upcoming assembly elections. "Changing faces ahead of elections will not help the BJP hide the failures of its government in the state," Sisodia added saying AAP will form the next government in Himchal no matter what BJP does now. Earlier on Tuesday, AAP leader Satyendar Jain had projected his party as an alternative to the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in Himachal Pradesh. Jain had claimed that the contest for forming the next government in Himachal Pradesh in the coming Assembly elections will be between the BJP and AAP. Live TV NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday made its first arrest in connection with the recent killing of eight people in West Bengal's Birbhum district. According to the news agency PTI, a team of six CBI officers probing the case flew down to Mumbai and arrested four suspects on Thursday morning. Through transit remand, they will be produced before the Rampurhat court, where the CBI will seek their custody. CBI makes first arrests in Birbhum killings, nabs four suspects from Mumbai: Official Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 7, 2022 The CBI had on Friday filed cases in connection with the killing of eight people in West Bengal's Birbhum district, shortly after the Calcutta High Court directed the central probe agency to take over the investigation into the case. It may be mentioned that in Bogtui village, some miscreants had on March 21 set 10 houses on fire, killing at least eight people, including women and children. The Calcutta High Court later on Friday directed the CBI to take over the investigation into the case from the state police and submit a progress report before it at the next date of hearing. Earlier, a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL) unit of the CBI visited the site of the crime to collect evidence. TMC leader and former Rampurhat block-1 president Anarul Hossain who has been arrested in connection with the case claimed that he had surrendered before the police. Police had Friday said Hossain was arrested from outside a hotel near Tarapith, hours after CM Mamata Banerjee had directed the force to nab the TMC leader in connection with the killings. Following the murder of local Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh in Bogtui village on 21 March, a mob torched several houses in the village, resulting in the deaths of at least 8 people in what is suspected to have been a retaliatory attack. Live TV New Delhi: The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022, was passed in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. This can be considered a path-breaking piece of the legislature as it is the first amendment made to the Identification of Prisoners Act, in over a century. The last revision in the Act was made in 1920, hence the newly passed legislature holds great significance in the present-day criminal proceedings practice. The new bill replaces the Identification of Prisoners Act, of 1920. The bill allows law enforcement agencies to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples of convicted individuals and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters. What is the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022? Introduced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Ajay Misra Teni in Lok Sabha, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 empowers and allows law enforcement agencies, especially the police, to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples of convicts for the purpose of identification and probe in criminal matters. As per the content of the bill, it provides for legal authority to investigative agencies to take appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements in order to make the probe of crime more efficient and expeditious. What do the physical and biological samples include as per the bill? Body measurements of convicts/persons as sanctioned to be collected under the bill include finger impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, and photographs. Bio-metic samples such as iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis. It also includes behavioural attributes including signatures, handwriting or any other examination referred to in section 53 or section 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. How the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 empower police? The bill in its current form allows law enforcement agencies to collect samples and data of already convicted felons and other people outside the purview of the Criminal Procedure code and offers more modern ways of identification. It especially empowers the police to take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements. The introduction of biometric data and analysis will help agencies to identify the accused despite changes in outer appearance and methods to disguise, which often hampers the investigation and prolongs it. The legislation also empowers the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India to collect, store and preserve the record of measurements and for sharing, dissemination, destruction, and disposal of records. Why is the opposition against the bill- Right to the Privacy debate At the time of the debate on the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022, the opposition leaders expressed concerns as to how the legislature violates the right to privacy of a person as it allows police to take measurements of a person against their will. The opposition also argues that theres great scope of misuse of the proposed law to harass individuals and also sought answers of how the data of an individual will be protected under the agencies. Several opposition parties also termed the bill "unconstitutional" and "draconian. Expressing concern over various sections of the Bill, Congress leader P Chidambaram asked will the bill ensure that taking physical and biological samples from convicts and persons accused of crimes would not violate their liberty and privacy. Citing Supreme Court judgements, he said, "Since 2010, the law in this country is that narco analysis, polygraph tests and BEAP (brain electrical activation profile) are unlawful, unconstitutional. They violate liberty and privacy." Asserting that there is ambiguity in the bill on how "measurements" for physical and biological samples are defined, he demanded that the government should make it clear if narco analysis, polygraph tests and BEAP are included in it. Government's defence on the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 Addressing the oppositions concern about the misuse of data and violation of ones right to privacy, Home Minister Amit Shah in the parliament said the bill is only aimed to strengthen the capacity of the police and forensic department. "Under section 3, the government of India has the right to make rules. We will define it and ensure that no person involved in a political agitation has to give (physical and biometric) measurements only for political agitation. But, if a political leader is arrested in a criminal case, then he will have to be at par with a citizen," Shah said. The method precludes custodial torture Shah further added that the provisions of the bill are intended to preclude the use of third-degree methods (custodial torture) and making available the benefits of science and technology to prosecuting agencies. Shah deplored none of the members rose to say conviction rates in the country are low and should be increased Live TV New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Wednesday (April 6, 2022) commenced the application process for Common University Entrance Test (CUET) 2022 on the official website- cuet.samarth.ac.in. NTA started the process of CUET 2022 registration in the late hours of Wednesday. Candidates who wish to apply for the examination must note that the last date to register for CUET 2022 is May 6, 2022. In pursuance of the UGC Notification No. 2-1712022 (CPP-ID), dated: 27 March 2022, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is inviting online applications for the Common University Entrance Test CUET (UG) 2022 for admission to the undergraduate courses in Central Universities, for the academic year 2022-23, the official NTA notice read. The students can apply for CUET 2022 by visiting the official website - cuet.samarth.ac.in. CUET 2022 Registrations: Official notification CUET 2022 Registrations: Direct link to apply here CUET 2022: How to apply Candidates need to note that they can submit their applications only once. Additionally, they can only apply for CUET (UG) 2022 in the online mode only through the website- cuet.samarth.ac.in NTA is expected to conduct CUET 2022 exam in first or second week of July, 2022. However, the students must note that the exact exam date for the examination will be announced later by NTA. Till then, students are advised to keep a check on the official website for the latest information on CUET UG admissions. CUET 2022: Other details It may be noted that the entrance exam will be held in 547 cities within India and in 13 cities outside India Sri Lanka, Qatar, Doha, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sharjah and Singapore. CUET 2022: Application fees Students belonging to the general category will have to pay Rs 650 each for the morning and evening slots. The General-EWS/OBCNCL category students will Rs 600 for each slot in Indian centres. Candidates of the SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender categories will have to pay Rs 550 for the slots. The application fees for students in centres outside India will remain Rs 3000 for all, for each slot. Live TV New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday (April 7) questioned former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah in Delhi in connection with the J&K Bank case. As per PTI, the officials said Omar Abdullah arrived at the EDs headquarters this morning where his statement is being recorded in connection with the purchase of a building by the J&K Bank about 12 years ago. They said the case was registered by the federal probe agency earlier this year. Calling the questioning political in nature, the NC wrote on its Twitter handle that Abdullah will "cooperate as there is no wrongdoing on his part". JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah was called by the ED to Delhi to appear before it today on the grounds that his attendance was necessary in connection with an investigation. Even though this exercise is political in nature he will cooperate as there is no wrongdoing on his part pic.twitter.com/ixYFgnWlHS JKNC (@JKNC_) April 7, 2022 Slamming BJP-ruled Central government, NC said whichever party stands against the saffron party, central agencies are misused against them. The central government has made a habit of misusing investigative agencies and this is another step in the same direction. No political party that puts up meaningful opposition to the BJP has been spared, whether it is the ED, CBI, NIA, NCB - all have been used for political purposes, the NC said in its statement. The J&K party further alleged that elections are now announced by the ED instead of the Election Commission (EC). There was a time when elections were announced by the EC but now it seems that elections are announced by the ED. Over recent years we have seen that where ever state elections are due, agencies like the ED move in and target those parties who pose a challenge to the BJP, the NC claimed. Terming the ED summon vicious vilification, JKNC said, This summons is another step in the vicious vilification campaign that started even before 5th August 2019, when constitutional position holders like the then Governor were used to make slanderous accusations against opponents of the BJP, knowing full well that there was no legal recourse available to those at the receiving end of these lies. Even though this exercise is political in nature, Mr Omar Abdullah will cooperate with investigative agencies as there is no wrongdoing on his part and he is not an accused in any matter under investigation, it added. Meanwhile, earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met NC chief Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav and other leaders, after the conclusion of Parliament's Budget session. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were also present. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The scare of the fourth wave of Covid-19 has peaked in India once again amid reports that the new XE variant has reached the country, which the WHO suggests is more transmissible than its sister lineage. While theres still final confirmation awaited on the Centres part whether or not the XE variant has been detected in Mumbai in the 50-year-old woman as confirmed by GISAID. The patient is asymptomatic and was found to be RT-PCR negative on repeat testing. Meanwhile, amid the reports, heres what we know about the XE variant of coronavirus so far and 5 important facts about this lineage: Is XE a variant of concern? WHO has highlighted the new XE variant of the coronavirus in its new report. A total of 637 cases have been found so far in the UK, where it was first found in January 2022 Regarding the severity of the variant, Hopkins Univerity says that more information will be needed to confirm how deadly it is and how much damage it can cause. All health organisations have become alert about this new variant. Although it has not yet been considered if it is a variant of concern, WHO is investigating its seriousness. Its a combination of two Covid variants WHO has time and again said that the variants of the coronavirus can come together to form a new and more problematic variant as it happened in the past with Deltacron- a combination of Delta and Omicron variants. Similarly, XE is also believed to be a combination of two lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron variant BA.1 and BA.2 (stealth Omicron). How is XE different from Omicron? As per the initial reports and information on the XE variant of the coronavirus, the new variant has three other mutations which were not there in Omicron or BA.1 or BA.2. "That is why it is called XE. It will now be a variant," Rakesh Mishra, Director of the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society, Bengaluru, told PTI. XE has rapid spread capability Unlike other variants of the coronavirus, XE can be the most contagious of them so far. This variant is said to be highly transmissible and surpasses the rapidity of the Omicron variant, which was said to be the most contagious as of now. Symptoms of XE variant According to the UK Health Security Agency, XE comes with symptoms such as running noses, sneezing and sore throats, as opposed to the original strain of the virus which generally led to fever, coughs and a loss of taste or smell. And the NHS added shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body, a headache, a sore throat, a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick are also some reported symptoms. Live TV Mumbai: Yesterday (April 6), it was reported that Maharashtra has detected the first case of the XE variant of SARS-CoV2 in India. The patient is reportedly a 50-year-old female South African national who had come to India on February 10. She was found to be Covid-19 positive after she was tested on February 27. Her lab sample was referred to Mumbai's Kasturba Hospital Central laboratory for genome sequencing. "It has been found to be a new XE variant in initial sequencing. Though GISAID also confirmed it, INSACOG has decided to go for another round of genomic sequencing at the national laboratory for confirmation of the XE variant," the health department said. The patient is asymptomatic and was found to be RT-PCR negative on repeat testing. Here's what we know about the XE variant and its symptoms so far: XE variant: A recombinant of BA.1 and BA.2 The XE variant is a recombinant of BA.1 and BA.2, the sub-lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. In addition to those, it has three other mutations which were not there in Omicron or BA.1 or BA.2. "That is why it is called XE. It will now be a variant," Rakesh Mishra, Director of the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society, Bengaluru, told PTI. 'XE can be the most contagious Covid variant so far' Some experts say that it could be the most contagious Covid variant yet. Commenting on its severity and transmissibility, Rakesh Mishra said based on infectivity data collected in the UK, XE is 10 per cent more infectious. Symptoms of XE: How worried should we be? "There is no information whether the clinical symptoms are worse, or whether its immune escape is more. Data is not available for the same," Mishra noted. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reportedly mentioned that the XE mutation is currently being tracked as part of the Omicron variant. Symptoms of Omicron include fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and discoloration, and gastrointestinal distress. Senior epidemiologist Dr Raman Gangakhedekar, former head scientist of the Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said when a recombinant occurs, it tends to last for a lesser time. "Recombinant events are chance events because two different types of viruses are in the body and they tend to develop a recombinant new virus," Gangakhedekar said. He said the virus fitness does not increase by a recombinant event. It is unlikely to be stable as recombinants are rare events. Is XE a variant of concern? Anurag Agrawal, Dean, Biosciences and Health Research at Ashoka University, said there is "no critical global signal of concern as of now" with regards to XE. The World Health Organisation on April 2 said XE appears to be more transmissible than previous strains of the coronavirus and stressed that Covid-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern, and warned that it is too early to reduce the quality of surveillance. First detected in the UK The WHO said in its latest update that the XE recombinant (BA.1-BA.2) was first detected in the UK on January 19 and more than 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since then. The XE variant has also been detected in Thailand and New Zealand. Meanwhile, hours after the report of detection of XE variant of Coronavirus in Mumbai, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said present evidence does not suggest the presence of the new variant. FastQ files in respect of the sample, which is being said to be XE variant were analysed in detail by genomic experts of INSACOG who have inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant does not correlate with the genomic picture of 'XE' variant, Ministry of Health informed, reported PIB India. Live TV New Delhi: As the probe continues into the attack on Goarkhpur's Gorakhnath Temple, of which present UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest, intense security has been deployed at CMs Lucknow residence and the temple itself. On April 3, a man named Murtaza Abbasi had attacked PAC jawans at Gorakhnath temple with a sharp-edged weapon and it took around 15 minutes to overpower him. Later, the accuseds father said that he was of unsound mind and is mentally unstable. What are the arrangements in place? According to official sources, two platoons of CRPF have been deployed at the chief minister`s Lucknow residence and women personnel will also be deployed round the clock. "All visitors will be properly screened and any suspicious movement in the area will be checked immediately. People coming for Janata Darbar and other functions will have to go through strict security checks," said a senior official. Security at Gorakhnath Temple The security plan for the Gorakhnath temple is being prepared under the guidance of ADG Gorakhpur zone Akhil Kumar and SSP Vipin Tada. Meanwhile, every visitor at Gorakhnath temple is being checked properly to ensure safety and security. The number of security personnel deployed at the entrance gate has been increased. Preparations are being made to open a training centre where trainers of ATS, STF, and central security forces will train the security personnel. ADG Akhil Kumar said: "There is tight security at every public place in the district including Gorakhnath temple. The deployment of security personnel at Gorakhnath temple is being increased and all visitors are being checked thoroughly." Political uproar Meanwhile, as expected, political upheaval has begun following the Gorakhnath Temple attack. Controversy erupted after SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the accused of the attack should be treated with mercy due to his mental condition. On the other hand, the BJP has targeted Yadav for his remarks and said that his party has always been a sympathiser of terrorists. Live TV Haldiram's landed in controversy when a video went viral on social media, where a reporter questioned the popular food chain's Arabic packaging on Navratri namkeen. In the viral video on Twitter, a news reporter can be seen questioning the store manager of a Haldiram's outlet for Arabic description on the packaging of a namkeen mixture. For the unversed, the snack in question is called 'Falhari Mixture' with new packaging and has been one of the most popular fasting mixtures of the brand. As per the video, the description at the back of the namkeen is written in Arabic while the main text on the front is in English. Also, the packaging clearly displays the green vegetarian symbol. It is a sweet and salty mix of peanuts and potatoes with mild spices. The viral video surfaced on Twitter only after a Hindi news channel shared the clip of the reporter confronting a Halidram's store manager for the Arabic packaging on the said product. The female reporter forcefully asks the manager, who is also a woman, what Haldiram's trying to hide facts by concealing the description of the namkeen packet in Arabic. In the video, a crowd of people and a police officer could be seen witnessing the confrontation. Amazing restraint by the Haldiram staff. BTW, Sudarshan's sherni should know that it's Arabic and not Urdu. Haldiram exports to muliple Muslim majority countries who buy Indian products without discrimination.pic.twitter.com/jic6ASOo15 Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) April 5, 2022 Replying to the question, the manager says that the food inside the packet is not a health hazard, and then she asks the reporter to leave the store. She says, If you want to have this you can have it, if you don't want to have it, you can just keep this here and go from my outlet. The viral video has garnered 878.9k views, 3439 retweets, and 12k likes till now and left the netizens with divided opinions. While some of them find it ok and normal, others are inquisitive to know why the company printed the description of the packet in the Urdu language. A Twitter user wrote, Haldiram using URDU print on its packet of Falhari Mixture are they serving Halal Food to H?. While another tweet reads, This is Bikaji bhujia In place of Hindi. Urdu language is written. How much % of Indian know Urdu.. Hindi is our national language. They why Urdu is written. New Delhi: Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (West), Sanjay Verma on Wednesday (April 6, 2022) informed that India and Netherlands have signed four agreements on the sidelines of President Ram Nath Kovind`s state visit to the Netherlands. Verma, while addressing a special briefing in Netherlands, informed that India-Netherland partnership is significant, not just in content but also in terms of the pace and momentum generated by periodic meetings between the leadership of the two countries. "Indian President has visited the Netherlands after 34 years. There were four agreements signed on the sidelines of the visit. First is the Extension of MoU on bilateral cooperation in the field of Ports, Maritime Transport and Logistics," he said. "2nd is Extension of MoU with State Archives Department, Kerala and National Archives of Netherlands on the execution of Shared Cultural Heritage; third is MoU for Cosmos Malabaricus Project between Leiden University and Kerala Council of Historical Research and National Archives of Netherlands," Verma added. The fourth agreement is the Extension of the Programme of Cooperation between the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Government of Netherlands. India committed to strengthening its bond with diaspora: Kovind Additionally, President Ram Nath Kovind, during the reception of the Indian Community in the Netherlands, said that India is deeply committed to strengthening its bond with the diaspora and attending to its needs. "We have taken several initiatives under the maxim of 4Cs - Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute. The Overseas Citizen of India cards has been issued to give status and privileges in many areas. Travel to India has been facilitated through the issuance of long-term visas and E-visa. To increase the participation of the diaspora youth and familiarize them with Indian youth and their Indian roots, we started the Know India Programme and Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children for the children of Persons of Indian Origin to join Indian universities for higher education. We would like you to avail these initiatives and actively participate in them," he said. The President underlined that the safety, security, welfare and well-being of Indian citizens in all parts of the world is a priority for India. "In every corner of the world, over the last two years, the Government has made special efforts to enable our citizens to return home during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by undertaking the `Vande Bharat` mission. Recently, Operation Ganga brought back more than 22,000 Indian citizens, largely students, who were stranded in the conflict zone in Ukraine. As the Prime Minister said, humanity was at the core of Operation Ganga, not the colour of passport," he said. President Kovinds visit to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties President Ram Nath Kovind, along with First Lady Savita Kovind, is on a visit to the Netherlands from April 4-7. President Kovind was accompanied by Loganathan Murugan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Dilip Ghosh, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha). The maiden visit of the President of India to the Netherlands marked an important milestone as India and the Netherlands celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. It is also the first Head of State visit from India to Netherlands in more than three decades. "The State visit of the President, which took place as both India and the Netherlands celebrate 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties, reflected and reiterated the commitment to further deepen the relationship for mutual benefit of both peoples," the MEA added. (With ANI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: India on Thursday rejected criticism over its ties with Russia, saying it has established very good economic relations with Moscow and political colouring should not be attributed to the engagement. The comments by External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came in response to questions on growing criticism of New Delhi by several Western powers on its trade ties with Moscow notwithstanding the crisis in Ukraine. At a media briefing, Bagchi said India has been very open about its engagement with Russia and even cited continuing procurement of crude oil from Russia by Europe. ''We have established economic relations with Russia and our focus is on stabilising this established economic relation in current circumstances,'' he said. Bagchi said discussions are underway to see what kind of payment mechanism can work between India and Russia in the current circumstances. We've established economic relations with Russia. Our focus is on stabilising these relations in the current circumstances. We've been very open about it. I think that's very clear regarding our position: MEA on US Dy NSA Daleep Singh's remark for India on trade with Russia (1/2) pic.twitter.com/m9yIBmysuJ ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022 The MEA spokesperson also said that India's 2+2 dialogue with the US next week will provide an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and global developments and how both sides can work together to address common interests and concerns. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold the talks with US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 11 in Washington. The unfolding situation in Ukraine is expected to be discussed in the fourth edition of the dialogue. Arindam Bagchi, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), formally announced the date of the dialogue at a media briefing. "The dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and vision for further consolidating the relationship," he said. "The 2+2 Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and how we can work together to address issues of common interest and concern," Bagchi said. The MEA spokesperson said Jaishankar will visit the US from April 11 to 12. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV An incident of police brutality has come to light from Madhya Pradeshs Sidhi district, where the police not only beat up a local journalist, but also took off his clothes and put him in the lockup. The police also took photos and made a video, which went viral on social media. He was also beaten up and a fake case was registered against him. On this whole matter, Sidhi Superintendent of Police Manoj Shrivastava said that some people were creating a ruckus outside the police station in support of an accused arrested under the IT Act. The police tried to pacify them many times, but in spite of that, they started shouting slogans against the administration. Regarding the photo inside the lockup going viral, the Superintendent of Police said that they were getting it investigated and soon strict action would be taken against the culprits. As per reports, the whole incident took place on the night of April 2. Live TV New Delhi: With an aim to provide modern and advanced education to Muslim children, the Uttar Pradesh government is planning to develop a mobile application for students studying in madrasas. The curriculum will also include life stories of the freedom fighters who have fought for India and its history. Announcing the initiative, Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Danish Azad Ansari, who is also the sole Muslim leader in Yogi Adityanath cabinet 2.0, said the government wants the madrasa students to be full of patriotism. It is believed that the move is to imbibe a feeling of nationalism in the students and also help them receive a modern education for a better future. For this purpose, a mobile app based on the madrasa curriculum will be developed for modern education and life stories of great men and freedom fighters will be taught there. Madrasa students should be full of patriotism, he added. The Yogi Adityanath government will also provide grants for weddings of poor women from the Muslim community, Ansari said. Focus on education For Yogi government 2.0, education has been the prime focus since the start of the second tenure. On Monday, Adityanath launched a School Chalo Abhiyaan. The programme focuses on ensuring 100% enrollment of students in primary schools and eradicating all the challenges that students face in government schools. We have to give special emphasis on basic education. The campaign is being launched after two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It may happen that the children, who did not go to school, might be feeling lazy to return. But we have to ensure that no child is left out and all should be admitted to schools," PTI quoted UP CM Yogi Adityanath as saying while addressing the gathering. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: India on Thursday said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while asserting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said this in Rajya Sabha when asked about media reports stating that the adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan backed the resumption of bilateral trade ties with India. "The government's consistent position has been that India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence," Muraleedharan said. "The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere," he added. The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. The relations further deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories. "In August 2019, Pakistan announced the suspension of bilateral trade with India. Pakistan partially relaxed its ban on trade with India in September 2019 by permitting trade in certain pharmaceutical products," Muraleedharan said. To a separate question, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is promoting Indian culture worldwide through its cultural centres and missions abroad. She said the government has received a proposal to organise events with the theme 'Spirit of Gujarat' in select countries abroad. "The concept is to connect the diaspora of Gujarat to represent the cultural and historical perspective of Gujarat. A week-long programme would start with a short film on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the role of Gujaratis living abroad in the development and preservation of culture," she said. Live TV New Delhi: Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s vision for `Atmanirbhar Bharat` forward, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (April 7, 2022) will release the third positive indigenisation list of defence equipment. "Taking PM Narendra Modi`s vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat forward, the Ministry of Defence today is coming out with the third positive indigenisation list. This third list builds on the first list of 101 items and the second list of 108 items, promulgated earlier in 2020 and 2021," the Defence Minister said in a tweet. Taking PM Sh. @narendramodis vision for #AtmanirbharBharat forward the Ministry of Defence today is coming out with the third positive indigenisation list. This third list builds on the first list of 101 items and second list of 108 items, promulgated earlier in 2020 and 2021. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 7, 2022 According to the Ministry of Defence, the third list builds on the first list of 101 items and the second list of 108 items that were promulgated on August 21, 2020 and May 31, 2021 respectively. The major items in the first list include 155mm/39 Cal Ultra-Light Howitzer, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-IA - Enhanced Indigenised Content, conventional submarines and communication satellites GSAT-7C. The major items in the second list include the next-generation Corvette, Land-Based MRSAM Weapon System, Smart Anti-Field Weapon System (SAAW) Mk-I and Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) based integrated life support system for fighter aircraft and 1000HP Engine for Tank (T-72). The third list will consist of over 100 items, including complex equipment and systems which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders over the next five years. Orders worth more than Rs 2,10,000 crore are likely to be placed on the Industry in the next five years as part of the items covered in the third list, the Defence Ministry said. With the notification, over 300 sophisticated items will be covered, ranging from complex weapon systems to critical platforms such as Armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, submarines etc.Since the notification of the first and second lists, contracts for 31 projects worth Rs 53,839 crore have been signed by the Armed Forces. Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for 83 projects worth Rs 1,77,258 crore have been accorded. In addition, cases worth Rs 2,93,741 crore will be progressed in the next five-seven years. The notification of the third list will supply equipment of international standards to meet the demand of the Armed Forces. Live TV New Delhi: The United States reiterated its desire that New Delhi does not purchase oil from Russia amid American sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine. The US, once again, expressed its objection to New Delhi continuing business as usual with Russia amid the ongoing tension and said that they are ready to support India in diversifying its energy imports. In a daily news conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, We do not think India should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities even as, obviously, those decisions are made by individual countries. And (the US is) also making clear that we stand ready to support India as in any efforts to diversify its imports and serve as a reliable supplier even as they're only importing about one to two per cent of their oil from Russia, she said in response to a question. Earlier, last week, US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh was in New Delhi to discuss the Russian sanctions with Indian officials. We have a range of ways to communicate and engage. And obviously, sending our Deputy National Security Advisor is an example of that. But clearly, our preference would be to have a confirmed ambassador, she said. The nomination of the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, is pending in the US Senate as he does not have enough votes for his confirmation. Our preference is always to have a confirmed ambassador on the ground. It's an incredibly important diplomatic position. We also engage with countries through a range of channels. And obviously, our deputy National Security Advisor was just in India recently in the last few weeks, conveying clearly what the consequences of violating sanctions would be and what the mechanisms are, Psaki said. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have defended India's purchase of discounted oil from Russia. In the Parliament, EAM Jaishankar had also made it clear that India is strongly against the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He also stated that if New Delhi has chosen a side, it is the side of peace and an immediate end to violence. (With agency inputs) Live TV The Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar has ordered installation of CCTVs outside shops and other business establishments across the district to keep a check on terror activities, criminals, anti-social and anti-national elements. According to an order issued by DC Srinagar, a copy of which lies with Zee News, in view of the prevailing persistent threat, relating to recent increased incidents of selective attacks on the citizens in Jammu and Kashmir by the anti-nationals and subversive elements, it requires several measures, including the use of appropriate technologies to safeguard the life and property. The order reads that the benefits of advancements in technology are being reaped by every sector be it education, investment, management, health, or public service and many states/UTs of the Union of India now employ video surveillance as a tool to monitor public movements and to prevent crime and terrorism. The role of CCTV cameras in improving safety and security cannot be undermined because they not only help in deterrence, surveillance and detection of crime but are very important tools for the law enforcement agencies in the prosecution and bringing the culprit/offender to the book, it said. It reads that the crucial importance of urgent installation of CCTVs has been stressed in several security review meetings at higher level. There exist several banking and financial business establishments like banks/ATMs, jewellery shops, petrol pumps, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, cinema halls, wine, and beer shops, eating joints, ready-made garment shops, showrooms, small markets, educational institutions, places of worship, bus stands, railway stations, airports hospitals and offices, where transactions are held in cash or a place frequented by large number of people with a likelihood of gathering of 50 people or more at a time, where CCTV cameras are not installed to cover the outer areas of such establishments. It further reads that criminals, anti-social and anti-national elements, in the past, have targeted these business establishments causing loss of life and property. Installation of such CCTVs would not only help in controlling crime but will also help in flourishing of business, tourism, and overall growth of the society by preventing danger to human life and safety, thwart and prevent terrorist activities, which may improve the security of UT and public order and tranquillity. Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by virtue of section 144 Cr. P C, 1973, 1, Mohammad Aijaz, IAS, District Magistrate, Srinagar do hereby make this written order for strict compliance by the owners of such establishments and market associations of such markets whether registered or not, who shall within a period of two weeks (14 days) from the date of publication of this order shall take the following steps. As per the order, the cameras should be installed/located in such a way that they should cover the approach areas at the entry and exit points of establishments/market association of shops and entry and exit points of parking lots up to 40 metres. It reads that they need to provide the CCTV footage to the police and other law enforcing agencies whenever demanded. It further reads that this order promulgated, shall come into force with effect from 5th April 2022 and shall remain in force for the period of 60 days, unless withdrawn earlier, and subject to further extension or modification. NIA carries out searches at various locations in Kashmir The National Investigation Agency carried out searches at various locations in the Kashmir Valley since early morning on Friday. NIA raids were going on in Srinagar, Budgam and many other areas. An official said that the raids were being conducted in a case related to terror activities of few persons, in whose residence's raids were going on. He further added that raids were being conducted by the NIA with the assistance of local police and CRPF in these areas. He said that NIA also raided many houses in Baramulla as well as in Srinagar. Since last three years NIA has taken many cases related to hawala funding and terror crimes and dozens have been arrested till now. Huge cache of arms, ammunition recovered in Akhnoor Border Security Force claimed to have recovered a huge cache of arms along the International Border in Akhnoor sector. According to a statement issued by BSF they said in a special search operation of BSF Jammu which was launched ahead of fence of sub-sector Paranal on Akhnoor International Border and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. The statement reads that the alert BSF troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, 20 AK 47 rounds, 02 rifle magazines, 02 - 02 made in Italy pistols, 40 pistol rounds and 04 pistol magazines. It reads that there were intelligence inputs about Pak based ANEs attempts to smuggle weapons into Indian Territory. "BSF troops were kept on high alert and the area between fencing and IB was regularly patrolled. Today in the morning our zero-line checking, the BSF party recovered a bag near IB containing Arms and Ammunition which was to be smuggled into Indian side and thus averted a major tragedy," it reads. Speaking on the occasion, DIG PSO Jammu, SK Singh said that the BSF troops seized huge cache of arms and ammunition on the International Border and once again exposed the evil designs of Pak based ANEs. He further said that BSF is always on high alert all the time and committed to secure the International Border. "It is the hard work and dedication of troops which resulted in this significant seizure." Live TV Kupwara: Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a terrorist associate in Kupwara on Thursday (April 7). SSP Kupwara said, "A joint team Police Station Sogam, along with 28 RR and 162 Bn CRPF has apprehended one terrorist associate from Gudmacher area of Lolab Kupwara." The police identified the terrorist associate as Owais Ahmad Khan, son of Gh Mohd Khan, a resident of Khancheck Tekipora Lolab. During preliminary investigation, he was found to be in contact with a Pakistani-based terrorist handler, who had motivated him to join terror ranks. Incriminating material has also been seized from the arrested person. Further investigation into the case has been taken up and more arrests in this network cannot be ruled out, SSP said. "Timely action by joint forces has prevented his recruitment into terror ranks. Kupwara police requests parents to keep a close watch over their children to not fall into the trap of the adversary who has spoiled the youth of Kashmir for their nefarious designs," the SSP said. So far, 162 terrorist associates have been arrested this year in Kashmir. ALSO READ: Two terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmirs Awantipora Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 7, 2022) extended greetings on the occasion of World Health Day. In a series of tweets, the prime minister expresses gratitude to the health sector and workers. "Greetings on World Health Day. May everyone be blessed with good health and wellness. Today is also a day to express gratitude to all those associated with the health sector. It is their hardwork that has kept our planet protected," he tweeted. Greetings on World Health Day. May everyone be blessed with good health and wellness. Today is also a day to express gratitude to all those associated with the health sector. It is their hardwork that has kept our planet protected. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 7, 2022 PM Modi also stated that the Indian government is putting a lot of effort to augment the countrys health infrastructure. "The Government of India is working tirelessly to augment Indias health infrastructure. The focus is on ensuring good quality and affordable healthcare to our citizens. It makes every Indian proud that our nation is home to the worlds largest healthcare scheme, Ayushman Bharat," PM Modi said in another tweet. "I feel very happy when I interact with beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Jan Aushadhi. Our focus on affordable healthcare has ensured significant savings for the poor and middle class. At the same time we are strengthening our Ayush network to further boost overall wellness," PM Modi added. I feel very happy when I interact with beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Jan Aushadhi. Our focus on affordable healthcare has ensured significant savings for the poor and middle class. At the same time we are strengthening our Ayush network to further boost overall wellness. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 7, 2022 PM Modi also stated that in the past eight years, the medical education sector in the nation has undergone rapid transformations. "In the last 8 years, the medical education sector has undergone rapid transformations. Several new medical colleges have come up. Our Governments efforts to enable study of medicine in local languages will give wings to the aspirations of countless youngsters," the prime minister said. Declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. On this year's World Health Day, the WHO is focussing global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on wellbeing. Live TV Thiruvananthapuram: After states like Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh, the government of Kerala on Thursday lifted all Covid-19 restrictions in view of a significant drop in new cases of coronavirus infections. In an advisory, the Kerala government said that it has decided to lift all Covid-19 restrictions with immediate effect. However, its advisory on the use of face masks will continue to be in force amid the threat of a fourth coronavirus wave and emerging recombinant variants. Kerala lifts all COVID19 restrictions; Advisory on the use of face mask to continue to be in force. pic.twitter.com/EsuqZqH07O ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2022 The decision to lift all curbs comes even as Kerala logged 291 new cases of coronavirus and 36 related deaths on Thursday, taking the total positives to 65,35,048 and the toll to 68,264. Of the 36 deaths, one was reported today while one occurred in the last few days but was not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 34 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the Health Department said. Currently, there are 2,398 active COVID-19 cases in Kerala, it said and added that the state has tested 15,531 samples in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 323 people recuperated from the disease on Thursday. Among the districts, Ernakulam reported the highest number of cases with 73 followed by Thiruvananthapuram 52 and Kottayam 36. Live TV New Delhi: Hariom Pipe Industries' initial public offering (IPO) was subscribed 7.93 times on the final day of bidding on Tuesday, April 7. Investors who had bid for the offer can check Hariom Pipe Industries IPO allotment status by following a few simple steps online. Hariom Pipe Industries IPO received bids for 6.74 crore shares as against the 85 lakh on offer, according to NSE data. A subscription of 7.93 times means that roughly one in eight investors will receive IPO shares against their bids. The IPO had received a fantastic response from retail investors, as the portion set aside for them received the most subscription at 12.15 times. The retail investors' category was followed by non-institutional investors (8.87 times) and qualified institutional buyers (1.91 times), PTI reported. Hariom Pipe Industries manufactures steel products and reportedly has a wide distribution network in south India. The company serves customer requirements in various sectors including housing, infrastructure, agriculture, automotive, solar power, power, cement, mining and engineering. How to check Hariom Pipe Industries IPO allotment status? Subscribers who had bid for offer shares can check the status of their application online by visiting either the official BSE website or IPOs official registrar, which is Bigshare Services Pvt Ltd in this case. Here are the steps to follow to check Hariom Pipe Industries IPO allotment status: Step 1: Go to the official BSE website at bseindia.com. Step 2: Select the issue name Hariom Pipes Industries IPO from the dropdown menu. Step 3: Enter your Hariom Pipes IPO application number. Step 4: Enter PAN details in the designated box. Step 5: Verify the captcha challenge. Step 6: Click on the Submit button. Also Read: Chinese hackers target Ladakh's power grid; bid foiled, says govt You will be shown if you will receive Hariom Pipes IPO shares or not on your computer screen. Also Read: McDonald's India to display Allergen & Nutritional info for entire menu Live TV #mute New Delhi: Actress Asha Negi, who is awaiting the release of Kunal Kemmu starrer Abhay 3, in which she plays a vital role, opened up about facing hate and judgement from people after her break up with long time boyfriend and actor Rithvik Dhanjani. The actress said that people accused her of leaving Rithvik as she started working in the movies. She further claimed that there is a lot of love and respect between her and Rithvik and people should stop speculating the reason behind them going their separate ways. Talking to Indian Express, Asha shared, There were many who said that she has done a film and broken up. They said, Ab toh film actor ban gayi hai, why will she date him (Now that she is a film actor, why will she date him). Thats how people judge without a thought. They create their own perspective, which is so sad. Whatever happened, it was between me and him. There is a lot of love and respect among us, and I dont think anyone else should bother. Keeping away all the negativity aside, the Baarish actress is very excited about Abhay 3. Speaking about her character who from a good girl in season one, surprisingly turned a villain in season two, says season three has an even more juicy role for her character. You will be mind blown. For me too, it was so difficult to process the script. The character is so different and dark. Its not easy to relate to something like that. As one needs to be convinced to play it, some things would get difficult. But yes, it was really a lot of fun, she shared. Negi added that she got a lot of messages from fans who were surprised to see her play a character with grey shades. They never expected me to do something like this, says Asha. Abhay 3 will stream on ZEE5 from April 8. New Delhi: Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar, who is all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite superstar Akshay Kumar in Yash Raj Films big ticket historical Prithviraj, has been roped in by the nited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a partner on World Health Day 2022 (April 7). Manushi, who was earlier enrolled in a medical college and was studying to become a doctor is very excited to team up with UNDP. The actress dropped out after becoming Miss World in 2017 but is passionate about social and health issues. Expressing her gratitude to be be able to work with UDP, Manushi said, It is a huge honour for me to be associating with United Nations Development Programme on several important issues that needs our immediate attention. UNDP is doing ground-breaking work across the world on healthcare and immunization. I will do my best to rally audiences and bring attention to these important issues. She further added, Vaccination is the need of the hour to protect lives and Im looking forward to doing my bit to spread this message across the length and the breadth of the country. I want to work relentlessly to drive home UNDPs agenda for India in the months to come, starting with World Health Day today. Working and caring for others gives me a lot of joy so Im thrilled to partner with UNDP and lend a helping hand to those in need. UNDP has closely followed her impactful work on diverse issues. From advocating for menstrual hygiene and HIV/AIDS through Project Shakti, to being actively engaged with several social causes including gender-based violence and COVID-19 awareness campaigns, they have witnessed the creative ways through which Manushi has drawn fans and audiences attention to topical causes. She will work with UNDP starting from World Health Day and also on the World Immunization Week on 7th April 2022 and from 24th to 30th April 2022 respectively. New Delhi: Meta-owned Instagram has reportedly slashed creators` payout by as much as 70 per cent while increasing target metrics for monetisation for them on the platform. According to The Financial Times, their payments are down as much as 70 per cent per view and videos need millions more views for creators to get paid. Creators said that changes in the Instagram payout system have not been explained by the social network. One creator told the Financial Times that their personalised threshold for "getting paid up to $35,000 had gone from 58 million views to 359 million views". Meta said in a statement late on Wednesday that the company was testing Reels bonuses on Instagram and Facebook, which may cause payouts to "fluctuate" as pricing models are refined. Instagram announced the `Reels Play Bonus Programme` in July last year, offering financial rewards to creators who post on Reels, Instagram`s TikTok-style short-form video clone. To attract more content creators, the photo-sharing platform Instagram reportedly started paying bonuses of up to $10,000 to those who post videos on Reels. The company claimed that bonuses will become more personalised in the future. Also Read: Top 10 companies to work in India 2022: Check list Other social networks like TikTok and Snapchat have introduced similar programmes to keep creators on their platform. Also Read: Ab Nani Yaad Aayegi, says ex-BharatPe CEO Ashneer Grover on companys performance Live TV #mute Ambedkar Nagar: Fearing bulldozer action by the Uttar Pradesh police, five men accused of gang-raping a minor girl surrendered to the police in the Ambedkar Nagar district on Thursday. According to police, the gang rape took place in the village Jiuli under district Ambedkar Nagar police station, Jaitpur area on March 29, 2022. The accused along with their families surrendered at the police station in the morning and apologized for their actions by joining hands in front of SHO Jaiprakash Singh. "The five accused of gang-raping a minor girl surrendered after coming to the police station of Jaitpur, fearing bulldozer warning, fear of bullets and Ambedkar Nagar police`s swift action, " tweeted the Ambedkar Nagar police. Earlier following the incident and after verification and identification of the culprits, police threatened their families with using bulldozers over their houses if they fail to surrender, which yielded the result. Live TV New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and uproar on the appalling Bucha killings, the United States on Wednesday announced fresh sanctions on Moscow, including various economic penalties on President Vladimir Putins adult daughters. The US believes that Putins daughters, Katerina and Maria, are hiding Putin`s wealth. Who are Putins daughters and what do they do? According to details in the U.S. sanctions package, Putin`s daughter Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova is a tech executive whose work supports the Russian government and its defence industry. His other daughter Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova leads government-funded programs that have received billions of dollars from the Kremlin for genetics research, and are personally overseen by Putin, the United States said. "We believe that many of Putin`s assets are hidden with family members, and that`s why we`re targeting them," a US senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Why are Putins daughters being targeted by the US? As per US officials and the sanction package, the US has reasons to believe that both the daughters of Vladimir Putin are agents in hiding his wealth. The extent of Putin`s wealth is a sensitive subject in Russia. The Kremlin last year denied that he was the owner of an opulent palace on the Black Sea, as alleged by opposition politician Alexei Navalny in a video that drew a huge audience on YouTube. However, Putins daughters, who the US believes help him hide his wealth, have never confirmed publicly the Russian leader is their father, and he has refused to answer questions about them. "Katerina, 29, described herself as the spouse of Kirill Shamalov, son of Nikolai Shamalov, a longtime friend of President Putin," the report said. "Shamalov senior is a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, which U.S. officials have described as the personal bank of the Russian elite." As husband and wife, Kirill and Katerina had corporate holdings worth about $2 billion, according to estimates provided to Reuters by financial analysts. This was in addition to other property and assets. Putin`s elder daughter Maria studied biology at St. Petersburg University and medicine at Moscow State University, according to the Reuters investigation. She is also heavily involved in genetic research work, which Putin has in the past described as a field that will "determine the future of the whole world." According to Russian and Western media reports, Maria married Dutch businessman Jorrit Joost Faassen. Others who were sanctioned Sanctions announced Wednesday also include the daughter and wife of Russian foreign affairs minister Sergei Lavrov. The US has also banned Americans from investing in Russia, and targeted Russian financial institutions and Kremlin officials, in response to what President Joe Biden condemned as Russian "atrocities" in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has vehemently denied intentionally attacking civilians and said that the shocking images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow. (With inputs from Reuters) Live TV MOSCOW: Russia has categorically denied carrying out a "massacre" in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv in Ukraine, adding that there is evidence that it was in fact a "cynical false flag operation perpetrated by Kyiv itself". The Russian Embassy in India added that the country firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this "outrageous war crime act". In its statement, the Embassy wrote, "Russia firmly stands for bringing to justice those involved in this outrageous war crime act. The main challenge is to ensure a genuinely independent and unbiased investigation." "Regrettably there have been so far widespread hollow allegations against Moscow while there`s evidence that it was in fact a cynical false flag operation, perpetrated by Kiev itself. It is vitally important to take this evidence into account as we seek justice," it added. Moreover, the Embassy also compared the "heinous attack" in Bucha with the crimes during World War II. "The heinous crimes in Bucha bring back the nightmares of the Nazi crimes during the Second World War. It raised revulsion and condemnation in Russia and India and globally," the Embassy noted in its statement. Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is being checked. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets in Bucha, beside their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda. The United States, along with the G7 nations and European Union (EU), has imposed severe and immediate economic costs on Russia for its "atrocities in Ukraine, including in Bucha". Live TV New York: The Chinese government should respect the right to health and other basic rights in its response to the COVID-19 surge in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday (April 6, 2022). Authorities in Shanghai have imposed draconian lockdown measures since March that have impeded people`s access to health care, food, and other life necessities, the New York-based watchdog noted. An unknown number of people have died after being denied medical treatment for their non-Covid related illnesses. The authorities have separated small children from their parents after positive Covid-19 tests under the "Zero Covid" policy, which requires those testing positive to isolate in a hospital or designated facility. According to HRW, the authorities have hindered discussion of public concerns surrounding the Covid response by further tightening restrictions on social media. "The Chinese government`s `Zero-Covid` approach to pandemic control by imposing stringent citywide lockdowns has resulted in the systematic denial of medical needs of people with serious but non-Covid related illnesses," said Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Authorities should treat the health of citizens as the end goal, not a zero-Covid infection rate." On April 3, the Chinese government announced the deployment of thousands of military personnel to Shanghai to assist in the mandatory testing of all 25 million residents for the virus that causes Covid-19. On April 4, Shanghai authorities said the city would indefinitely remain under lockdown - meaning that residents are not allowed to leave their homes - as it reviews results of the mass Covid testing. Numerous netizens took to Chinese social media to share stories of their or their loved ones being denied access to medical care for non-Covid related illnesses either due to hospitals being closed because of Covid-restrictions, or the lack of health care workers because they were quarantined or got diverted to administer Covid tests. The rights watchdog said that Chinese officials denied some patients care because they had a Covid infection or they did not have proof of a negative Covid test. Netizens have reported threats of self-harm or violence when family members were denied access to health care. The authorities have forcibly separated some children who tested positive from their parents to be quarantined in medical facilities. So far, Shanghai authorities defended the policy, stating that anyone found positive - regardless of age - must be isolated from non-infected people, and that a parent can only be quarantined with their child if both are infected. China`s much-publicised `zero-covid` strategy that the government credited for bringing the country out of the pandemic till recently is falling apart as the rapidly mounting cases are again forcing mass lockdowns like those seen in 2020. Live TV The mortgage market has long been renowned for being competitive and demanding, however, it can be extremely lucrative when mortgage professionals play their cards right. When it comes to sales and marketing, education is critical not only at the start but right throughout a mortgage professional's entire career. As the mortgage industry is constantly changing, mortgage professionals must stay current and relevant throughout their careers. Mortgage professionals can hugely benefit from staying on top of the latest when it comes to mortgage marketing. Gilberto Rosas is the founder of Maverick Media Lab, providing mortgage professionals with the training and education they need to maximize their results from outreach. He is renowned for disrupting the mortgage space through his powerful and unique systems and strategies. As a result of his dedicated efforts in changing the industry, he has helped hundreds of mortgage professionals find realtor partners through effective outbound marketing systems. Gilberto states that many mortgage marketing services sell leads, SEO or websites but their clients have minimal results to show for the time and money invested. Maverick Media Lab chooses a different approach, in which Gilberto states There is no other marketing company similar to Maverick Media Lab in the marketplace currently and we say that confidently because most of the marketing companies found in the mortgage industry are either selling leads, websites, SEO for the most part which is all direct to consumer but theres not a single marketing company that provides a turnkey hands off system to acquire referral partnerships. If your company is unique, it will allow more people to connect with you and your services over your competitors. Furthermore, your audience wants to feel connected to you as a person, as opposed to the company as to make the customer experience more personable, and so they can build trust. As a mortgage professional, Gilberto states that you must have a unique offering and have a good track record with client testimonials. Maverick Media Lab guarantees clients results. Gilberto says, The reason weve been able to guarantee results is because of our dialled in processes and software that give us a competitive advantage as well as makes the barrier to entry that much higher for anyone in the mortgage marketing space. As with any profession, its important to stay up to date with the evolution of technology and leverage it to your advantage to ensure processes run smoothly and efficiently. Gilberto shares Too many mortgage professionals continue to use software and strategies that are outdated, ineffective and it slows down their business growth. He instead recommends utilizing marketing automation tools to compound business growth and accelerate scale. It is through this hidden success method that Maverick Media are able to generate 2-5x more deals for their clients and have over 30+ testimonials on their website from clients raving about their services. (Sponsored Feature) New Delhi: Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing on the case related to the constitutionality of the dismissal of the crucial no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly, reported ANI. The top court had taken a suo moto cognizance of the current political situation in the country. A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, will hear the matter and decide on the legality of speaker Qasim Suris decisions thereafter. The court is expected to hear the arguments of Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan and Naeem Bukhari, the counsel for National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. On April 3, the Pakistan National Assembly Deputy Speaker has rejected the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, brought by the joint opposition and declared it unconstitutional. The Deputy Speaker said that it's against the Constitution and the rules of Pakistan. Soon after, Imran Khan advised President to dissolve the National Assembly and has called for fresh elections. Subsequently, the assembly was dissolved with immediate effect. Khan is to continue as prime minister until a caretaker PM is appointed. However, no clarity over how a caretaker Prime Minister will be appointed as the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition, who make the appointment, is no longer in office, after the dissolution of the National Assembly. Live TV Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks between Ukraine and Russia will continue despite the evidence of "atrocities carried out by the Russian military", the Ukrinform news agency reported. "In any case, we must find even small opportunities for the negotiation process. Without this, I think it is difficult to end the war," Zelensky was quoted as saying in an interview with Turkey`s Haberturk television channel on Wednesday. He emphasised the importance of the mediation mission of other countries, including Turkey, in the talks, Xinhua news agency reported. At least 280 people, including children, were found dead in Bucha, some 28 km northwest of Kyiv after the Ukrainian army retook control of the town from the Russian military. Zelensky earlier called the killings of civilians in Bucha a "war crime". The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kyiv`s accusation of the alleged killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha in Ukraine`s Kyiv region. "All photographs and video materials published by the Kyiv regime, allegedly evidencing some kind of `crimes` committed by Russian military personnel in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region, are another provocation," the Ministry said in a statement. It said that during the time the settlement was under the control of the Russian forces, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions, adding that "all Russian units completely withdrew from Bucha on March 30." Live TV Kyiv: Ukraine was trying to evacuate as many trapped civilians as possible on Thursday as Russian forces pounded cities and towns in the east and south of the country. Deputy Prime Minister Irena Vereshchuk announced agreement with Russia on opening 10 safe corridors, mostly in southern and eastern Ukraine, but said residents trying to leave the besieged city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles. Multiple attempts to agree safe passage for buses to take supplies to Mariupol and bring out civilians have failed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, with each side blaming the other. Ukrainian officials say Russia has been regrouping for a new offensive in the east and south, and want civilians to leave those areas while they still can. "Evacuate! The chances of saving yourself and your family from Russian death are dwindling every day," said Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, adding that Russian troops had not made any significant breakthroughs. Local officials reported heavy Russian shelling and rocket fire in the southern region of Kherson in the last few days. Ukrainian Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovycvh said Russian air attacks were now focused mainly on areas of eastern Ukraine, and that Mariupol was holding out. He said he believed Russian efforts to surround Ukrainian troops in the east would be in vain, adding: "The situation is under control." `PRESSURE ON CIVILIAN POPULATION` Ukraine`s military says Russia wants to entrench a land passage between two separatist, self-proclaimed people`s republics in Donbas in eastern Ukraine and the southern region of Crimea that Russia seized and annexed in 2014. Oleh Synyehubov, the governor of Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, said civilian areas had been shelled 48 times in the past 24 hours to "put pressure on the civilian population of Kharkiv and destroy civilian infrastructure." He said three civilians had been killed and many homes destroyed in shelling of Balakliya, a town close to the occupied city of Izyum, from where Ukraine says it can no longer evacuate civilians. Russia denies targeting civilians in a "special military operation" which it says is aimed at demilitarizing and "denazifying" Ukraine. The Kremlin`s position is rejected by Ukraine and the West as a pretext for an unprovoked invasion. Mariupol has been under siege for most of the war. At least 160,000 civilians are trapped without power and with little food or running water, according to Mayor Vadym Boychenko, who puts the civilian death toll in the city at about 5,000. Boychenko, who has left Mariupol, estimated that at least 40,000 residents had been forcibly deported to Russia from areas of the city occupied by Russian forces. Russia has spoken of "refugees" arriving from the strategic port city. Live TV New Delhi: The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday (April 7) approved a resolution suspending Russias membership in Human Rights Council. The 193-member General Assembly voted to adopt the US-led resolution suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the world body's top human rights organisation. 93 nations voted in favour of the resolution, 58 including India abstained, while 24 countries voted against the draft resolution. A two-thirds majority of voting members was required to suspend Russia from the 47-member UNHRC. The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly draft expressed "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," Reuters reported. Reacting to Russias suspension, Ukraine said there is no place for war criminals in UN bodies adding that it is grateful. Taking to Twitter, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote, Russias rights of membership in the UN Human Rights Council has just been suspended. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history. Russias rights of membership in the UN Human Rights Council has just been suspended. War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 7, 2022 Speaking on Indias decision to abstain in the Explanation of Vote after the voting, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said, India has abstained on the resolution with regard to suspension of the Russian Federation from the Human Rights Council adopted in the General Assembly today. We do so for reasons of both substance and process." "Since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence, he added. India also called for an independent inquiry in the Bucha killings, wherein it is alleged that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. "Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation," India's Permanent Representative to UN said, as per ANI. India has abstained from procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council since January this year that condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (With agency inputs) Live TV United Nations: The UN General Assembly will vote Thursday (April 7, 2022) on whether to suspend Russia from the UN's premier human rights body. The move was initiated by the United States in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, sparking calls for its forces to be tried for war crimes. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The videos and reporting from the town have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility. We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable, Thomas-Greenfield said Monday. Russia's participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said Wednesday the assembly's emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 am EDT on Thursday when the resolution to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation will be put to a vote. While the Human Rights Council is based in Geneva, its members are elected by the 193-nation General Assembly for three-year terms. The March 2006 resolution that established the Human Rights Council states that the assembly may suspend membership rights of a country that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. The brief resolution to be voted on expresses grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights. To be approved, the resolution requires a two-thirds majority of assembly members that vote yes or no. Abstentions don't count. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for the March 2 resolution the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Thomas-Greenfield said Monday that her message to the 140 members who voted in favor of those two resolutions to support Russia's suspension from the Human Rights Council is simple: The images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us now to match our words with action. We cannot let a member state that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council, she said. Supporters of the resolution are optimistic about its approval, though not necessarily with the support of 140 countries. Russia asked an unspecified number of countries to vote no, saying an abstention or not voting would be considered unfriendly and would affect bilateral relations. In its so-called non-paper obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the attempt to expel it from the Human Rights Council is political and being supported by various countries to preserve their dominant position and control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Russia said its priority Is to promote and defend human rights, including multilaterally in the Human Rights Council. Russia's ambassador in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, called the U.S. Action unfounded and purely emotional bravado that looks good on camera -- just how the U.S. Likes it. Washington exploits the Ukrainian crisis for its own benefit in an attempt either to exclude or suspend Russia from international organizations, Gatilov said, in comments relayed by a Russian diplomatic mission spokesman. Russia and the other four veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, China, France, and the United States - all currently have seats on the Human Rights Council, which the U.S. Rejoined this year. The only country to have its membership rights stripped at the council was Libya in 2011, when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi, said council spokesman Rolando Gomez. No permanent member of the Security Council has ever had its membership revoked from any UN body. Live TV Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Expreso mis sinceras disculpas a la region Junin y al Peru si en algun momento hubo una expresion malentendida. Tambien expreso mis condolencias a las familias que perdieron la vida en estas reyertas". pic.twitter.com/lecWaBAUnV In a post on Twitter, the Head of State said that this measure was taken to economically relieve Peruvian families in the context of the international crisis. "We have submitted to Congress Bill No. 1630, whose approval will allow a 19% reduction in the price of food items such as chicken, noodles, sugar, eggs, flour, and meat products so as to provide financial relief to Peruvian familiesin the context of the international crisis," he stated. Precisely, the Executive Branch has submitted Bill 01630/2021-PE that modifies the General Sales Tax (IGV) and Selective Consumption Tax (ISC) Law. The former has been approved by the affirmative vote of the Council of Ministers. This initiative aims to determine the guidelines to include food items, which are part of the basic food basket, within the scope of Schedule 1 to the General Sales Tax and Selective Consumption Tax Law. (END) JCR/RMB The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Wednesday announced that the Executive Branch has submitted to Parliament Bill No. 1630 to reduce the price of foods such as chicken, noodles, sugar, and meat products by 19%.Published: 4/6/2022 Leftovers in prehistoric pots let scientists peek into the kitchen of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization How to reconstruct the cookery of people who lived thousands of years ago? Bones and plant remains can tell us what kind of ingredients were available. But to reconstruct how ingredients were combined and cooked, scientists need to study ancient cooking vessels. Example of ceramics that have been studied through the analysis of lipid residues and botanical micro-remains (phytoliths and starches) [Credit: Universitat Pompeu Fabra] Fatty molecules and microscopic remains from plants such as starch grains and phytoliths silica structures deposited in many plant tissues get embedded into vessels and can survive over long periods, said Dr Akshyeta Suryanarayan, a reseacher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, and co-author on a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. In the new study, Suryanarayan and co-authors analyzed such leftovers in Copper and Bronze Age vessels including pots, vases, goblets, jars, and platters from todays Gujarat, India. Our study is the first to combine starch grain and lipid residue analysis of ancient vessels in South Asia, said Suryanarayan. Our results show how the prehistoric people who made these vessels processed different foodstuffs and mixed them together, transforming them into meals. The authors sampled eleven 4200- to 4000-year-old vessels excavated at Shikarpur, an archaeological site from the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization that flourished between 2600 and 2000 BCE in todays Pakistan and northwestern India, the third oldest urban civilization in the world. To study the effects of cultural change, they also sampled seventeen 5300- to 4300-year-old vessels from two nearby sites, Datrana and Loteshwar. The latter were made by semi-nomadic farmers and herders, during the Copper Age. Overview of the excavation at Loteshwar [Credit: Universitat Pompeu Fabra] Our results show that during both the Copper and Bronze Age in northern Gujarat, people acquired their ingredients in a variety of ways: some were foraged locally from the wild, others cultivated or herded, and some were traded in from elsewhere, said first author Dr Juan Jose Garcia-Granero, a researcher from the Spanish National Research Council in Barcelona, Spain. For example, in the vessels from Datrana, 99% of the starch grains were from grasses in the tribe Hordeeae, which includes wheat, barley, and rye and their wild relatives. But these arent native to Gujarat, which suggests that they were imported from other areas. The vessels from Loteshwar and Shikarpur contained mainly (67% to 73% of starch grains) starch from beans. The researchers also found traces of ginger, which may first have been ground on grinding stones and then used in cooking. The lipids in the vessels from all three sites were mainly fatty acids typical of degraded animal fats. For the majority (78%) of these vessels, the relative abundances of the carbon isotopes 13C to 12C of the fatty acids suggested that this fat was from omnivores, for example pigs, birds, or rabbits. This was unexpected, as animal bones reported from Copper and Bronze Age sites in Gujarat in previous studies have so far mostly been from ruminants: domestic cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, and wild deer and nilgai antelope. Yet only in 22% of the vessels analyzed here were isotope signatures consistent with ruminant fat. There were no traces of fish or dairy. Excavation of the Loteshwar archaeological site with the deposits of the different prehistoric occupations [Credit: Universitat Pompeu Fabra] No phytoliths were found. Because these occur mainly in inedible plant parts, their absence suggests that seeds and grains were thoroughly cleaned before they were put into the vessels, with the less palatable parts removed. To their surprise, the authors found no evidence that the profound cultural change from the Copper Age to the Indus Valley Civilization had any impact on how animals and plants were processed before and during cooking. Our results suggest that different ingredients were also used in different methods of cooking. The virtual absence of small millets (the staple in prehistoric Gujarat) in the pottery vessels suggests millets were used exclusively for flour-based meals, such bread-like products, whereas other ingredients (such as beans) would also have been used in a wider range of dishes, such as stews, said Garcia-Granero. Final author Prof Marco Madella from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra concluded: The combined use of plant microremains and biomolecules of the current study shows the great potential to unravel our understanding of ancient foodways. The next step for the study of footways in South Asia will be to expand the reference material, especially for biomolecule analyses, for a better understanding of the ingredients and the recipes. We are currently expanding our work to cover the transition from the pre-urban to the urban phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The findings are published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Source: Universitat Pompeu Fabra [March 21, 2022] Support The Archaeology News Network with a small donation! TANN YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan released a congratulatory message on the occasion of Motherhood and Beauty Day celebrated on April 7 in Armenia. Dear women, mothers, sisters, daughters, I warmly congratulate you on the occasion of Motherhood and Beauty Day, which is the culmination of the women's month. Armenia is, perhaps, an exceptional country in terms of the existence of a women's month. This has happened due to some circumstances, but there is a big agenda in this, because the majority of the population of our country are women. Yes, during this month we emphasize beauty, we emphasize love, we emphasize respect. But especially this year I want to emphasize the power, I want to emphasize the potential, I want to emphasize the decisive role, I want to emphasize that for solving the problems facing our country, women need to be fully involved in all spheres of public life, from economy to public administration, in the law enforcement and security spheres, because if we do not involve the potential of women in these spheres, it means that we are using half of the already limited opportunities for the development of the country. And if we add to this the exceptional role of women in solving demographic problems, it will become clearer why I say that the role of women in overcoming our situation is crucial. Our government's policy is giving an opportunity to bring this crucial role to life, and we hope to receive your practical support. Taking todays opportunity, I extend my warmest words to the mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of our brothers martyred for the defense of the Motherland, emphasizing that they are the full addressees of what I said today and the realization of our martyrs' unaccomplished goals should be a stimulus for living and creating for them and all of us. Dear women, mothers, sisters, daughters, may this day of motherhood and beauty open a new page of optimism and spring for our country, the PM said in the message. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. There are 348 beneficiary single mothers registered in Armenia who have children with disabilities under the age of 18. On April 7th, on the occasion of Motherhood and Beauty Day, by benefactor Mikayel Vardanyan, each single mother was provided 300 thousand AMD financial assistance. The total budget of the program amounted 104 million AMD. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. European Union envoys are set to approve on Thursday a ban on Russian coal that would take full effect from mid-August, a month later than initially planned, following pressure from Germany to delay the measure, Reuters reported citing two EU sources. Once approved, it will be the EU's first ban on any import of energy from Russia since the start of what the Kremlin calls a "special operation" in Ukraine on February 24. Oil and gas, which represent far bigger imports from Moscow, are still untouched. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. Russia is positively assessing the decision of the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities on re-launching peace talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. We understand that this is a continuous process, but moving towards the signing of such a document is a positive fact in itself and is commendable, TASS quoted Peskov as saying. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. During the Brussels meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and European Council President Charles Michel the worsening of the security environment in Nagorno Karabakh was also addressed, particularly the incidents in Parukh, however these discussions didnt lead to a common assessment of the situation. Naturally there was a discussion around the worsening of the security environment in Nagorno Karabakh, particularly the incidents in Parukh, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting. But these discussions didnt lead to a common assessment of the situation. I myself didnt find the further discussion of this topic to be appropriate in the Brussels platform because nevertheless this is about the Azerbaijani military invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, and this issue ought to be discussed with participation of our Russian colleagues, which we are doing and will continue to do. Reiterating the Armenian sides stance over this issue, the PM added: Therefore we expect that the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh will take steps to ensure the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani military units from their zone of responsibility. We also attach importance to holding an investigation into the adequateness or potential inaction of the Russian peacekeeping troops actions during the course of development of the events and in the theater of operations. The PM said he spoke about this during his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The security guarantees of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, the protection of their rights and freedoms, as well as the clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh are of principled importance for the Armenian side, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today. He said these issues are included in the responses of the Armenian side relating to the peace agenda and must become a subject of negotiations. Based on the meeting results a decision about two issues was achieved, he said, presenting the results of his April 6 meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, mediated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel. Firstly, the foreign ministers of the two countries were tasked to start the preparations for the future peace treaty and initiate talks and contacts on this direction. This means that the principles and matters presented by Armenia and Azerbaijan over the peace treaty must be finalized and must be addressed with the results of negotiations, the PM said. He reminded that in response to Azerbaijans proposals the Armenian side has stated that there is nothing unacceptable for it in that. However, they do not complete the matters of the peace agenda. And for us, the security guarantees of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, the protection of their rights and freedoms, as well as the clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh are of principled importance. These issues are involved in our responses relating to the peace agenda and must become a subject of negotiations, the PM added. He emphasized that like in the past, now as well the Armenian side considers vital the engagement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in this process and stressed that it is necessary to continue working on this direction. The next decision made in Brussels was about creating a bilateral commission on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation issues by the end of April. That commission will have a double mandate, the first one relates to the main delimitation works, and the second one is to ensure security and stability along the border. The discussions on this topic, including with Russias mediation, are taking place for around a year. And eventually, we came to such a compromise decision. You know that there are Armenian territories that are under the control of Azerbaijan, and there are Azerbaijani territories that are under the control of Armenia. These issues must be solved with the results of negotiations, of course, based on de jure-substantiated records and facts of legal significance, he said. He added that the Russian Federation has expressed readiness to assist the delimitation and demarcation works, the European Union is also expressing readiness to assist, and noted that it is necessary to move forward on this direction. Our position is that there is a de jure border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and that is the borderline existing in the Soviet times. These border delimitation works must start with this record and it is necessary to try to achieve solutions, and also take measures to ensure security and stability, the Armenian PM said. Assessing the Brussels meeting, the Armenian PM said an agreement was reached to move on these two directions, and the further assessment depends on the results to be registered in the practical implementation stage of these agreements. He added that they will continue consistently pushing forward the agenda of opening a peaceful development era for the country and the region. And we must do the maximum to make this agenda a reality. I repeat that, unfortunately, this doesnt depend on us only. But we must carry out our part of the work consistently, he said. YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos (residence in Moscow, Russia), presented today the copy of his credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan, the foreign ministry said. Congratulating the first Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Armenia on appointment, the deputy FM said Armenia is interested in developing multifaceted relations with the Dominican Republic. The Ambassador thanked for the welcome and wishes and stated that he is committed to maximally developing the cooperation with Armenia in different areas during his mission. The Armenian deputy FM presented to the foreign diplomat the current developments around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the position of the Armenian side. Issues relating to the development of political dialogue, formation of a legal-contractual field and multilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting. The sides also discussed a number of regional and international matters. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates one of its greatest feasts the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary on April 7, Qahana.am reports. April 7, 2022, 09:37 Armenian Church celebrates Annunciation to the Virgin Mary STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: In the Gospel of Luke we learn that the Angel Gabriel brings the good news to the Virgin about the birth of the Savior (Lk 1:26-38). According to Holy Tradition and the Evangelist, the Angel Gabriel appears to St. Mary while reading a passage from the prophecy of Isaiah, in which it is written about the birth of the Emmanuel from a Virgin. The Angel greets Mary, telling her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call His Name JESUS. The Angel Gabriel further explains to Mary, The Holy Sprit shall come upon you, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow you, therefore also that which is Holy which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. St. Mary could foresee the torments and sufferings that she would endure. However, by giving mankind an excellent example of obedience to the Divine Will, she said, I am the Lords servant. May it happen to me as you have said. Beginning from the moment when the Holy Virgin expressed these words, she was with child. This Gospel story is one expression of why the Armenian Church accords high honor to motherhood, and appreciates the role of women in family life, and the life of mankind. Upon the pontifical order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary is proclaimed as a day of Blessing of Motherhood and Beauty. On that day, a special blessing service is offered in Armenian churches. Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan addressed a congratulatory message in connection with the Motherhood and Beauty Day, the Presidential Office said. April 7, 2022, 10:12 President Harutyunyan addresses message on Motherhood and Beauty Day STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: The address reads: Dear women, Today, the April 7th, stands out in our calendar as Motherhood and Beauty Day, on the occasion of which I want to convey my best wishes and the most cordial words of gratitude to you, our hero Armenian women living in Artsakh, Mother Armenia and the Diaspora. You deserve all the best, dear mothers, who gave birth and raised heroes, wives, sisters, daughters and beloved girls of the devotees who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland, women who became the support of Armenian men both on the battlefield and in civilian life, their faithful friends and reliable companions-in-arms. Let me bow to each of you as an appreciation to your nobility, selfless devotion to the Motherland and family. I wish you to be healthy, surrounded by love and warmth, to the extent of your great soul and merit. May peace and happiness reign in your homes, and in our cherished Homeland! European Council President Charles Michel released a statement following the Second Trilateral Meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels. April 7, 2022, 10:33 Statement of European Council President Charles Michel after the Second Trilateral Meeting with PM Pashinyan and Aliyev STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, hosted the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, for a continuation of their discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries. President Michel reiterated the EUs commitment to deepen its cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan to work closely in overcoming tensions and promote a South Caucasus that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous for the benefit of all people living in the region. The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with President Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. They discussed the recent reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement. They welcomed the meeting of senior representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan on 30 March 2022 under EU auspices in Brussels and agreed on the necessity to continue this engagement to ensure adequate follow-up to agreements reached at leaders level. President Michel emphasised the importance of humanitarian gestures by both sides to promote confidence and peaceful coexistence. He stressed the need for the full and speedy resolution of all outstanding humanitarian issues, including the release of remaining detainees and comprehensively addressing the issue of missing persons, and stated that the EU is ready to support this endeavour. The EU will likewise continue to support confidence building measures between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as humanitarian de-mining efforts, including by continuing to provide expert advice and stepping up financial assistance, and assistance to conflict-affected populations, rehabilitation and reconstruction. President Michel noted both President Aliyev's and Prime Minister Pashinyan's stated desire to move rapidly towards a peace agreement between their countries. To this end, it was agreed to instruct Ministers of Foreign Affairs to work on the preparation of a future peace treaty, which would address all necessary issues. The delimitation and demarcation of their bilateral border will be essential; to this end, in line with the Sochi Statement of 26 November 2021, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The mandate of the Joint Border Commission will be to: delimit the bilateral border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and ensure a stable security situation along, and in the vicinity of, the borderline. President Michel also stressed that ensuring the appropriate distancing of forces is an essential element of incident prevention and tensions reduction. President Michel reaffirmed the EUs readiness to provide advice and support. The leaders also discussed the restoration of communications/connectivity infrastructure between Armenia and Azerbaijan in particular and in the South Caucasus more broadly. President Michel welcomed the steps towards the restoration of railway lines, while encouraging Armenia and Azerbaijan to also find effective solutions for the restoration of road links. The EU is ready to support the development of connectivity links, including in line with its Economic and Investment Plan and by utilising the proposed economic advisory forum to identify common projects. The leaders agreed to follow-up on outcomes of their meeting and to stay engaged, reads the statement. The statement issued by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Azerbaijan that on Wednesday evening the units of the Armenian Armed Forces fired on the Azerbaijani military positions located in the northeastern border of Armenia does not correspond to reality. April 7, 2022, 11:17 The Armenian side did not open fire on the Azerbaijani army. MOD STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Armenian side did not open fire at the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces, it added. Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has ceded his powers to the presidential council, which was supported by Saudi Arabia. This removed some of the obstacles to the UN efforts to restart negotiations to end the seven-year war, reports Reuters. April 7, 2022, 16:52 Yemen president cedes his powers to Presidential Council STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: Riyadh announced a $3 billion bailout to the Saudi-backed government following President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's statement. The kingdom also called for talks by the Houthis, who are fighting the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia urged the council to begin negotiations with the Houthis under the auspices of the United Nations to reach a final and comprehensive solution. The new governing council, consisting of a chairman and seven vice-chairs, will be led by Rashad Al-Alimi, who enjoys the backing of Saudi Arabia and has close ties to the major political group, the Islamist Islah party. Saudi Arabia and coalition partner UAE will each invest $1 billion in Yemen's central bank, with the kingdom providing an additional $1 billion for oil products and development. A small number of Ukrainian soldiers already in the United States have been trained on how to use the Switchblade tactical drones as the U.S. military sends more of the vehicle-destroying weapons to the ex-Soviet country, the Pentagons top spokesperson said Wednesday, The Hill reported. April 7, 2022, 13:55 US sends 100 kamikaze UAVs to Ukraine STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: The very small number of Ukrainian soldiers, who have been in the U.S. since last fall for military training, were taught to use the drone with the expectation that they would soon return to their country to train others on the equipment, press secretary John Kirby told reporters. We took the opportunityhaving them still in the countryto give them a couple of days worth of training on the Switchblade so that they can go backand they will be going back soon, back hometo train others in the Ukrainian military, Kirby said. Kirby on Wednesday would not say whether the Switchblade-600 would be sent to Ukraine. The White House has already sent 100 of the drones as part of an $800 million weapons package announced last month, but those Switchblades were the series 300 versions. That variant weighs less than five pounds, can fly about six miles, hover over a target for about 15 minutes and is designed to attack personnel and light vehicles. Kirby said those 100 aerial systems arrived in Europe earlier this week and will be getting into Ukraine quickly, if they arent already there. As Ukrainian forces dont typically use the Switchblade, some training will be needed, he added. It is not a very complex system. It doesnt require a lot of training. An individual could be suitably trained on how to use the Switchblade drone in about two days or so. Kirby also said Ukrainians were not being trained by the U.S. military on other weapons, but would not rule out such assistance moving forward. A whole historical era came to an end with the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. A new "watershed" is emerging between the East and the West, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting of the Security Council on Thursday, Tass informs. April 7, 2022, 14:09 Events in Ukraine ushered in new historical era, says Lukashenko STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: "There are no doubts that with the launch of Russias special operation in Ukraine a whole historical era came to an end. Amid the growing confrontation between the leading actors a new watershed between the East and the West is emerging," Lukashenko said. Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21 declared the recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics. Russia recognized the DPR and LPR in accordance with their constitutions within the borders of Ukraines Donetsk and Lugansk regions that existed at the beginning of 2014. On February 24, Putin launched a special military operation in response to a request for help from the leaders of the Donbass republics with the aim of Ukraines demilitarization and denazification. Russia has given the most sombre assessment so far of its invasion of Ukraine, describing the "tragedy" of mounting troop losses and the economic hit from sanctions, as Ukrainians were evacuated from eastern cities before an anticipated major offensive. Moscow's six-week long incursion has seen more than four million people flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, turned cities into rubble and led to sweeping sanctions on Russian leaders and companies. In a symbolic move, the United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, expressing "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis." Russia then quit the council. Moscow has previously acknowledged its attack has not progressed as quickly as it wanted, but on Thursday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov lamented the rising death toll. "We have significant losses of troops," he told Sky News. "It's a huge tragedy for us." Russia is facing its most difficult economic situation for three decades due to unprecedented Western sanctions, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said. The US Congress removed its "most favoured nation" trade status in a further blow. Russia launched what it calls a "special military operation" on February 24 to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies reject that as a false pretext. Following new restrictions after the killing of civilians in the town of Bucha that were widely condemned by the West as war crimes, Ukraine called on allies to stop buying Russian oil and gas, amid divisions in Europe, and to boost it militarily. "Ukraine needs weapons which will give it the means to win on the battlefield and that will be the strongest possible sanction against Russia," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video late on Thursday. He also said the situation in Borodyanka - another town northwest of Kyiv retaken from Russian forces - is "significantly more dreadful" than in Bucha, without citing any evidence. Story continues Video from Borodyanka showed search and rescue teams using heavy equipment to dig through the rubble of a building that collapsed. Hundreds of people were feared buried. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and says images of bodies in Bucha were staged to justify more sanctions against Moscow and derail peace negotiations. The EU's ambassadors agreed a fifth sanctions package on Russia with a coal embargo containing a 120 day wind-down period to give member states time to find alternative suppliers, following pressure from Germany to delay the measure. On the battlefield, Ukraine says after withdrawing from Kyiv's outskirts, Russia is regrouping to try to gain full control over the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which have been partly held by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. The besieged southern port of Mariupol, where the mayor said over 100,000 people were still trapped, was also a target. Both sides continued to trade accusations, with Moscow opening a criminal investigation into a Russian soldier's allegations that he was beaten and threatened with death while being held in Ukraine as a prisoner of war. Separately, a social media video verified by Reuters and geolocated to an area west of Kyiv appears to show Ukrainian forces shooting and killing a captured and badly wounded Russian soldier. NATO members agreed to strengthen support to Ukraine on Thursday. Ukraine has received about 25,000 anti-aircraft weapons systems from the United States and its allies, the top US general said, and Washington is looking into what new support it could send. In a video address posted on YouTube, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov made a plea for heavier, more modern weapons as Russia concentrated its forces for a powerful attack. Russia has "drawn conclusions and changed tactics" and is now focusing on long-range strikes from the air. As a result, Ukraine needs air defence systems, long-range artillery, tanks and anti-ship missiles, Reznikov said. Zelenskiy's government says starving Moscow's war machine is the only way to bring it to a settlement at on-and-off peace talks. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a draft peace deal from Kyiv contained "unacceptable" elements and deviated from previously agreed proposals. Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester will come to Auburn for a Holy Week Mass, and invites local parishioners to another in Rochester. Matano will celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at St. Hyacinth Church, 63 Pulaski St., Auburn. He will pray for and remember the people of Poland who are affected by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The Mass is open to the public and all are invited. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, Matano will be bless the holy oils during a Chrism Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 296 Flower City Park, Rochester. He invites all Catholics from the 12-county diocese to attend. A bus will leave St. Mary's Church, 15 Clark St., Auburn, at 4 p.m. for the cathedral. The bus is free, and anyone wishing for a ride can call (315) 252-9545 and leave their name and phone number. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tata Motors' commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries in Africa, the Middle East, South and South East Asia, Australia, South America, Russia and other CIS countries. Tata Motors on Thursday announced that it has bagged an order for 1,300 commercial vehicles from VRL Logistics, comprising medium and heavy models as well as intermediate and light commercial vehicle range, suited for logistics operations of the latter. The logistics firm selected these vehicles on the basis of their drivability, high fuel efficiency and low total cost of ownership, which will enable VRL Logistics to increase its fleet efficiency. We endeavour to engineer our vehicles to offer the lowest total cost of ownership and our widest service network will ensure best-in-the-industry service support in all corners of the country," said Rajesh Kaul, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle Business Unit Vice President - Sales & Marketing. (Also read | Tata Motors says 20% rise in battery cell cost leading to short-term pressure) The automaker noted that its commercial vehicles have been designed and engineered on the Power of 6 philosophy with an aim to deliver driveability, total cost of operations, comfort and convenience, as well as connectivity. Additionally, Tata Motors also offers its flagship initiative, Sampoorna Seva, which is a bouquet of service offerings including repair time assurance, breakdown assistance, insurance and accidental repair time, extended warranty, and other add-on services for vehicle maintenance and upkeep. Tata Motors' commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries in Africa, the Middle East, South and South East Asia, Australia, South America, Russia and other CIS countries. The company has operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia, supported by a global network of 103 subsidiaries, nine associate companies, four joint ventures and two joint operations as on March 31, 2021. (with inputs from PTI) First Published Date: Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas auto parts supplier Joyson Electronics auto safety arm, Joyson Safety Systems, has started the construction of its new industrial base in Hefei, Anhui province, the company announced on April 6th. Photo credit: Joyson Safety Systems The base is Joyson Safety Systems' third R&D center and seventh smart factory in China. Phase one of the project has an estimated production value of RMB2.5 billion ($392.9 million) yearly. The base will be put to work by the end of 2023. Joyson Safety Systems' main products in China include advanced sensors, head-side airbags, driver monitoring systems, occupant classification sensors, intelligent steering wheels, and event prevention and protection systems. With onboard safety becoming more and more valued by automakers and consumers, Joyson Safety Systems' products have been deployed to the supply chains of various well-known automakers in China, including NIO, Li Auto, XPeng, BYD, and SAIC Motor. The company has entered into the large-scale production phase. Since the beginning of 2022, Joyson Safety System has landed RMB4.2 billion ($660.1 million) worth of new orders in China, and RMB4.5 billion ($707.22 million) in Europe. For the first two months of this year, the company has brought in RMB5.2 billion ($817.24 million) of revenue. Up to now, the company has accumulated RMB220 billion ($3.46 billion) of on-hand orders amount. Beijing (Gasgoo)- The high-end EV brand of BAIC Group, ARCFOX, issued a price increase on its entire product lineup on April 6th. Photo credit: ARCFOX In line with other new energy vehicle makers in China, ARCFOX also claimed that the price rise was a consequence yielded by the raw material price hike and the government subsidy withdrawal. Additionally, the price increase will take effect on May 1st, leaving roughly a month of grace period for potential customers to snatch the product with the current unadjusted price. Currently, ARCFOX has three models on the market, namely the S, T, and the HUAWEI-powered S-HI, priced at RMB251,900-RMB344,900, RMB241,900-RMB319,900, and RMB388,900-RMB429,900, respectively. As the first collaborative model between ICT giant HUAWEI and ARCFOX, the S-HI features multiple HUAWEI core technologies and a full-stack intelligent driving system. The car is equipped with HUAWEIs HarmonyOS, ADS intelligent driving, a 750V high-voltage platform, and a wireless charging function. Owners can expect to receive the vehicles in the first half of 2022. According to the automaker, ARCFOX and HUAWEI will extend their cooperation to every future ARCFOX model. By 2025, ARCFOX expects to have a product matrix consisting of five major series, and each series will feature a HUAWEI HI trim. A Damascus government agency quoted a Damascus police source as saying that 2 people were injured when an explosive device exploded in their car on southern highway in Damascus, and they were transferred to Al-Mujtahid Hospital. Meanwhile, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an explosion took place this morning, on southern highway in Damascus, near Mazzeh neighborhood. According to SOHR' sources, the explosion was caused by an explosive device that exploded in a car, seriously wounding him, And the security services affiliated with Damascus government rushed to impose a security cordon at the explosion location and to remove the effects of the explosion. Sh-S ANHA With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Li Auto delays launching of L9 Chinas new energy vehicle company Li Auto announced that it will delay the launching of its new L9 model, which was scheduled on April 16 previously. Photo credit: Li Auto Daily sales of PVs down by 15% YoY in March The daily retail sales of Chinas locally-made passenger vehicles fell 5% year over year to 110,000 units in the fifth week of March, according to the China Passenger Car Association. The daily retail sales of March declined 15% from a year earlier to 48,000 units. Chery New Energy lift vehicle prices Chery New Energy announced that due to the price hike in the materials of automotive battery and chip, some of its models had higher cost, thus increasing the prices by a range of RMB2,900 to RMB5,000. Hello Chuxing registers new firm in Dali Chinas Hello Chuxing incorporates a new company in Dali, Yunnan province, with a registered capital of RMB1 million. The new firms business scope covers sales of charging piles and operation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Tesla recalls 127,785 Model 3s in China On April 7th, Tesla issued a recall for 127,785 of Model 3s in China due to faulty parts in the rear electric motors. Sokon Group sees 165% YoY soar in Mar. NEV sales Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock Co., Ltd. (Sokon Group) sustained its growing momentum to March, with substantial growth in both production and sales volume, the automaker reported on April 6th. HOZON Auto sees first model armed with Horizon Robotics chips go on sale On April 6, HOZON Auto, the Chinese startup behind the EV brand NETA, put the 2022 version of two main models, namely, the NETA UZhi and the NETA VChao, onto the market, expecting to maintain its blooming sales growth with an updated product matrix. ARCFOX lifts EV prices In line with other new energy vehicle makers in China, ARCFOX also claimed that the price rise was a consequence yielded by the raw material price hike and the government subsidy withdrawal. Additionally, the price increase will take effect on May 1st, leaving roughly a month of grace period for potential customers to snatch the product with the current unadjusted price. XPeng to unveil more details of G9 SUV in June XPeng plans to unveil more details about its fourth production model, the G9, in June this year, the startup said on April 6 via its WeChat account. In the WeChat posters, the company hinted at the equipment of a smart air suspension and 5D immersive system for the G9. Other details about EEA (electrical/electronic architecture), intelligent driver assistance functions, voice interaction features, infotainment system, sensing system, as well as charging capability will be disclosed then. SemiDrive partners with Neusoft Reach for domain controllers On April 7th, Chinas automotive chip supplier SemiDrive has joined hands with software developer Neusoft Reach for automotive software/hardware solutions development in China. Joyson Electronics breaks ground on new industrial base in Hefei Joyson Electronics auto safety arm, Joyson Safety Systems, has started the construction of its new industrial base in Hefei, Anhui province, the company announced on April 6th. NIOs autonomous driving veteran said to leave Zhang Jianyong, the Associate Vice-President of Autonomous Driving at NIO, is about to leave the EV startup in the near future, according to a local media outlet, citing people familiar with the matter. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- BYD Company Limted (BYD) entered into a strategic cooperation agreement a few days ago with the governments of Xianju county and Taizhou city to build a new Blade battery manufacturing base, according to a post on Xianju's official WeChat account. Online signing ceremony; photo credit: Xianju county's governmental WeChat account Covering an area of around 1,500 mu (1 million square meters), the battery project will be located in Xianju county's Economic Development Zone with a designed annual production capacity of 22GWh. The Blade batteries to be produced there will be mainly applied in BYD's DM-i models. According to Xianju's authority, the new factory is set to start the production of its first manufacturing line in the first half of 2023. Construction of the whole project is anticipated to be completed by the end of June 2024. When it becomes fully operational, the Xianju battery facility is expected to output a yearly production value of around 20 billion yuan ($3.145 billion) and offer nearly 6,000 jobs. BYD is pressing ahead with the expansion of its battery production capacity to meet its surging NEV sales. On April 1, the company struck a deal to consolidate its battery production deployment in Guiyang, the capital of China's Guizhou province. In addition, BYD joined hands with FAW Group in late February to break ground on a joint power battery plant in Changchun city, Jilin province. BYD saw its monthly new energy vehicle (NEV) sales hit a new high of 104,878 units in March 2022. In the same month, the company had already stopped producing oil-fueled vehicles. LOS ANGELESVeteran performer Prince Yahshua filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court March 30 accusing Florida-based talent agency Hussie Models of defamation and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage after rumors circulated among the adult industry community that Yahshua had falsified one of his recent performer STI screening tests. The lawsuit, published by industry gossip blog MikeSouth.com, alleges that Hussie Models and owner Riley Reynolds "engaged in a laundry list of lies and misrepresentations" about Yahshua, "essentially telling entire adult industry that Plaintiff is a forger (falsified documents), engaged in bribery (paid cash for an outcome) and has a loathsome disease (tested positive for an illness)." Also listing 10 "Does" as Defendants, the suit specifically details the accusations and damages Hussie et al. allegedly originated against Yahshua as: That Plaintiff "sent her [one of Defendants; models] an altered test ..." Plaintiff "pa[id] her [Defendants'] $300 for antibiotics." That Plaintiff was banned from one of the largest testing centers (Talent Testing Services)and indeed, due to the false and defamatory statements, Plaintiff was banned by them. As a result of these actions, Yahshua contends, he "has suffered substantial damages, including economic harm (past and future income), severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, worriedness and lack of sleep, all in an amount to be determined at trial, but believed to be in excess of $250,000." In addition to said compensatory damages, Yahshua is seeking punative damages of "no less than $1,000,000.00." Hussie Models LLC issued a statement Thursday morning in response to the suit, as follows: Recently there has been a lawsuit filed related to an issue of performer testing. Unfortunately, this lawsuit is a result of a concern brought forth by a performer represented by Hussie Models LLC. Hussie Models has always stood for protection of its performers and any time an issue comes up that could affect a models health and welfare Hussie Models will do everything in its power to protect the model and as such protect this industry. Hussie Models states the allegations in this lawsuit are false and defamatory and with the evidence we have in hand we know we will win and be exonerated in a court of law. Further we will be filing a countersuit and asking for our attorneys fees to be paid as we believe this lawsuit is frivolous to its core. We stand with the victim of this offense, and we are confident that both they and our agency will be exonerated. As an agency, Hussies Models duty is to protect performers. In this instance we practiced our responsibility, and we implore all agents, producers and performers to act responsibly and to protect each others health and welfare when producing content. We express sympathy for those that are affected by this situation. At the end of the day, we have a responsibility and standard to uphold and know that we will win this frivolous, false lawsuit. Photo of Prince Yahshua by EMMReport.com Backpack -- check. Hiking boots -- check. Sunscreen -- check. Resume and interview skills? More than a dozen prospective employees interested in working in the forestry industry in northern Arizona met with employers for a different kind of job recruitment fair last week. For the third year running, Ironwood Forestrys Forestry Recruitment Field Day included interview skill development, a 9-mile hike and enjoying lunch while mixing with employers in the forestry industry looking for hard-working, durable employees. Eli Jensen is the owner of Ironwood Forestry, and his business focuses on services that include taking inventory of trees in a forest, marking timber, conducting research and more. His bread and butter is bidding on government forest management contracts, and the work, requiring long hours, is physically demanding and has a high turnover rate among employees. He wondered if he might stem that turnover rate. When my company grew to the point where I needed to start hiring crew members, start hiring my own people, I needed a way to determine that they were going to be prepared for the challenges of production forestry work, Jensen said. So, we started this field day, which has a physical component. Its been a really good metric in the past three years. Recruiters immediately wanted to be a part of the field day, and it has grown a little each year, he added. John Saltonstall, business retention and expansion manager for the Economic Vitality Division of the City of Flagstaff, said the field day is an excellent example of innovation in an industry positioned for future growth. From a workforce development perspective, the event demonstrates empowered creativity in a unique way that serves as a fitness test, a compatibility test and a personality test all at once, Saltonstall said. He added that even though there was no actual test given, the prospective employees learned a lot about themselves and the others with whom they spent the day. Saltonstall also said from a business perspective, Jensen is getting people interested in the forestry industry in the area -- which is growing. From an ecological perspective, there is an enormous amount of work to be done in the forests, Saltonstall said. The thinning of the forests is critical to preventing catastrophic wildfires and protecting our watershed. Nearly every prospective employee at the field day was a student from Northern Arizona Universitys forestry program. They all successfully made the 9-mile trek from Markit! Forestry Management on Butler Avenue to the airport and back. Nousseir Bahlous, a community college student studying sustainability, is hopeful to join NAUs forestry program soon. On the hike, he carried a U.S. flag the entire way. Youre kind of getting the idea of the physicality and the mental energy you need to put into something so physical like a forestry job, Bahlous said. Also, in the field, you get to understand the landscape youre dealing with better. Forestry student Sophia Maricich is in her first year at NAU. I decided to be a part of this effort today because I heard about it in one of my classes and I thought it was a good way to get involved in forestry, Maricich said. I really want to get some hands-on experience. Right now, Im taking the required classes that sophomores and freshmen have to take. So, I just thought this was a great way to get experience early on. Ethan Jacobs also studies forestry at NAU and has been working with Ironwood Forestry since last fall marking timber. Im here to get some connections in the forestry business, Jacobs said. Its great to get out there and get some hands-on work with trees. Among the employers at the event was NewLife Forest Products, which now has a mill in Bellemont. The business is expected to become a large employer in the future, said Lily Chamberlin, operations administration supervisor. Its super exciting because were helping to build this industry thats so important to our forests and our future, Chamberlin said. Kevin Ordean, forest operations manager for NewLife, said, Its an outside job. Out in the woods, thats our office, and were looking for people excited to do that. NewLife, dedicated to sustainable forestry and wood products manufacturing, creates trim and molding for home building at the mill in Bellemont. The small-diameter ponderosa pine being provided to the mill is not of the quality needed to build homes. Were rebuilding an industry thats been gone from the area for 30 years, Ordean said. Seeing people wanting to work in this industry, its exciting. Another field day is planned for next year, Jensen said. I see this becoming more important in the future, Jensen said. You know that youre onto something when private industry and the Forest Service are saying the same thing -- and theyre all saying they need more people in the field with the skills that are needed to get the job done. For more information about the citys Economic Development program, visit https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1760/Economic-Development. For more information about forest restoration initiatives in Arizona, visit https://4fri.org/ or https://www.fs.usda.gov/4fri. And for more information about NewLife, visit https://www.nlfpaz.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 U.S. President Joe Biden, on April 4, called for a war crimes trial to be mounted against Russian President Vladimir Putin over his special military operation in Ukraine in the wake of reports of mass civilian casualties in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv. "This guy is brutal, and what's happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone has seen it," Biden told reporters as he described Putin as "a war criminal" just a day after images of dead bodies in the streets of the town emerged. For its part, that same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated that it would ask the UN Security Council to meet over what it described as "criminal provocations by Ukrainian soldiers and radicals" in Bucha. According to Moscow, the images from Ukraine were "another staged performance by the Kyiv regime" and that Ukraine was spreading "deliberately false information" about Russian forces. In my view, the images from Bucha were indeed disturbing and should be investigated fully and impartially. However, with regard to the American president's moral grandstanding, I am reminded of a quote by the famous American dissident, Noam Chomsky. "If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged," he said in a 1990 speech. "By violation of the Nuremberg laws, I mean the same kind of crimes for which people were hanged in Nuremberg. And Nuremberg means Nuremberg and Tokyo." In this thought experiment, Chomsky hastily gives the example of Japanese war criminal General Yamashita, who "was hanged on the grounds that troops in the Philippines, which were technically under his command had carried out atrocities, so he was hanged." He adds, "Well, try that one out and you've already wiped out everybody." This is an astute observation given America's long history of being at war, literally for the vast majority of its time as a sovereign nation. Indeed, many American presidents after World War II would be hanged for the same crimes that the fascists and their collaborators were hanged for because they did exactly the same. This spans both major parties, Republicans and Democrats, and goes from figures such as Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. But we don't even have to postulate about this in terms of some kind of posthumous criminal trial. By this standard, there are, to this day, war criminals alive who have committed crimes while in the White House including, almost certainly, Biden himself. Let's look just at the last four presidents, namely George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Bush was responsible for the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, which led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. American soldiers committed documented war crimes during both of these offensive wars while under Bush's command. Bush also established torture camps around the world, including at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Labeled a weak liberal by his political opponents and having won a Nobel Peace Prize, Obama actually expanded Bush's wars to bomb seven countries in 2016 alone (that we know of). Perhaps the most egregious example of the Obama administration's bellicosity was the U.S.-led NATO intervention in Libya in 2011 that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. NATO's bombings killed an untold number of civilians and, to this day, Libya remains a failed state that has seen a resurgence in human trafficking and international terrorism. Trump's presidency was marred with controversy over war crimes. In fact, the Trump administration went so far as to sanction even members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who began investigating American troops for alleged war crimes. Since Biden took office, the American military has on multiple occasions, though notably in a Kabul airstrike that killed 10 civilians, including up to seven children, killed civilians and committed war crimes under Biden's command. All of these examples speak to how little moral high ground the U.S. has when alleging war crimes committed by other countries. Likewise, it also demonstrates how any application of international humanitarian law that does not include American presidents who are, notably, also commanders in chief of the military is rendered meaningless. We should at least look at what Biden said as a step up from his predecessors. After all, Gaddafi was beaten to death without a trial and Saddam Hussein was hanged after a verdict issued by a kangaroo court, both of which were broadcast on the evening news to millions of viewers. At the minimum, Biden apparently wants to follow procedures even if he did, in another signature gaffe, brazenly call for regime change just weeks ago. But if the sitting U.S. president really wants to put his money where his mouth is on war crimes, he should hand over the likes of George Bush to the Hague. A weekend film festival will bring dozens to Beatrice to celebrate the life and legacy of John P. Fulton, a Beatrice-born special effects artist who won three Oscars. Hosted by the Gage County Classic Film Institute, the festival will run from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, April 10, in a variety of locations. Sheila Day, a member of the Gage County Historical Society board, said the Institute has been busy planning the event for the past 6 months. The weekend is packed with events, Day said. Its a chance to learn more about how Hollywood history connects with Beatrice. And it will be a lot of fun. Day said, extraordinarily, Beatrice has its fingerprints all over the era of Classical Hollywood cinema. Its amazing how many people involved in those movies came from the area, she said. Day said the films at the festival will center on Fultons work with Alfred Hitchcock. The festival will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday with an open screening of the 1955 film Trouble with Harry at the Centenary United Methodist Church on 608 Elk St. It will continue on Saturday morning in the Beatrice Community Players Theatre with a talk by Joanne Fulton Schaefer, daughter of Fulton, at 8:30 a.m., followed by a screening of Saboteur from 1942. Joanne has some wonderful stories of her father, Day said. Were so thrilled to have her here. Omaha film historian Bruce Crawford will moderate a Q&A session at Valentinos with the festivals guests and speakers at noon. At 1:30, the festival will return to the Community Players with a screening of the 1943 Shadow of a Doubt, which features a performance by the Beatrice-born actress Janet Shaw. Organizers will put on a screening of Rear Window, from 1954, at 7 p.m. in the same place. The festival will end on Sunday with a driving tour of Fulton-related locations led by Laureen Riedesel. Riedesel will begin the tour at the museum at 2 p.m. A Gage County Museum exhibit, illuminated by soft yellow light, will display information about Fulton throughout the weekend and for months to come. Tickets are required for the Saturday morning and afternoon events. Generally, they cost $20, but Gage County Historical Society members can get in for $15. You can purchase tickets online at gagecountyhistory.org, at the Gage County Museum or at the door. Admission is free for children 12 and under. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ballistic vests once owned by the Beatrice Police Department will be used by Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Beatrice Police Lt. Jay Murphy said the department contributed 20 vests to a program headed up by the Nebraska State Patrol. They were asking different agencies if they could collect expired vests or ballistics we no longer use, Murphy said. They were going to ship those to Ukraine. We had several of them still downstairs in our clothing room and we gathered up close to 20 ballistics and covers and brought those up to the state patrol. The equipment was shipped out last week. Murphy said vests expire after five years, and many that were donated would have likely been otherwise thrown away. All the ballistics have an expiration date after five years, but just because they expire, Im assuming for liability purposes, they still work but are recommended to be replaced after five years, Murphy said. Also, the deterioration depends on if you leave it out in your car in the heat or cold. That will deteriorate them, but even then they may still work after the expiration date. We just always make it a habit to replace them within the five year period. He added the vests consist of panels on the front and back, as well as a trauma plate to protect the midsection and chest. Purchased new, the vests cost around $800 each. Were all pretty happy to know that theyre at least going to get some use, Murphy said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen said Thursday that he "will work with pro-life voters" to attempt to defeat state Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha and Wendy DeBoer of Bennington in their reelection bids since they both voted this week in opposition to a proposal that would ban abortion in Nebraska if and when the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. The court is expected to reconsider the 1973 landmark decision that protected a woman's right to choose when it ruled that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. The Legislature on Wednesday night scuttled a bill (LB933) that would have triggered a ban on abortions in Nebraska if the court acted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Supporters of the proposal fell two votes short of the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by opponents. Both Cavanaugh and DeBoer voted against the motion to end debate. Responding to Pillen's statement, DeBoer invited him to "a public debate on the issues anytime after April 20," the date when the Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year. "I'm curious to know Jim Pillen's thoughts on the middle-class tax cut that the Legislature denied to over 50% of Nebraska families this week," she said. DeBoer attempted to include such a tax cut in comprehensive tax reduction legislation enacted by the Legislature, but her motion was defeated on a 26-18 vote. "I will continue to fight for Legislative District 10 by focusing on job creation, access to affordable health care and tax relief for the middle class," DeBoer said. How they voted Senators voted 31-15 on a motion to stop a filibuster on LB933 on Wednesday, but needed 33 votes. The failed motion meant the abortion-related bill died for the year. Voting yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams. Voting no (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart. Excused, not voting (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne. Pillen said voters in the legislative districts represented by Cavanaugh and DeBoer should "vote them out of office this November." "The Legislature failed the people of Nebraska in voting to keep abortion legal," Pillen said. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Avian influenza, or bird flu, is knocking on Montanas door, putting commercial and hobby chickens at risk of a fatal bird illness that has pushed up egg prices 52% ahead of the Easter holiday. Montanas chicken population is at risk of picking up the disease, now present in 24 states, the State Veterinarian Marty Zaluski said Wednesday. Three states neighboring Montana have cases of avian flu. Montana is waiting for confirmation of two suspected cases now. The last significant outbreak of avian flu was in 2015. Animal health officials cautioned then, as they do now, that hobby bird farmers needed to understand exposure risks, recognize symptoms, and report illness. Avian influenza is highly contagious but doesn't present an immediate public health concern, according to the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service. Nationally, 17 million birds have been killed so far, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its in North, South Dakota, and its in Wyoming, Zaluski said. I think its reasonable to expect that Montana will not escape it. Were waiting on a couple cases right now that are kind of presumptive. We dont have confirmation yet at a commercial or poultry facility in the state, but I would suspect thats likely to change in the next 24 to 48 hours. The states $38 million egg industry, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports has grown six-fold since 2010, is at risk. However, backyard chickens that tend to live outdoors are more vulnerable to wild bird exposure, particularly around bodies of water. Birds that are sick are usually killed to prevent spread of the disease and to keep the sick birds out of the United States food supply. Anyone with sick birds or bird deaths should report them to the state veterinarian with the Montana Department of Livestock. Contact with waterfowl is the single biggest risk to domestic poultry in Montana, Zaluski said. Having said that, there are other biosecurity practices that people should be doing, making sure their facility is reasonably sanitary, not allowing their birds to keep company with another owners birds. If possible, bringing birds indoors for the time being to limit exposure is a good idea, he said. In chickens, symptoms include purple discoloration and swelling of the legs, wattles and eyelids. Ruffled feathers and open mouth breathing are also symptoms. Egg prices have increased to $2.88 per dozen, an increase of 52% since February when the first bird flu cases were detected, according to the USDA. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Deputy of the co-presidency of the General Council in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Yasser Al-Sulaiman, told our agency, "Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, international and regional parties have sought to find a way out for the Syrians from this crisis, and some parties were sincere in their intentions and others were hesitant and vacillating according to the interests. Al-Suleiman explained, "Since the establishment of the Autonomous Administration, it has been seeking consensus with other Syrian parties to reach a peaceful solution that guarantees the unity of Syria and a free and decent life for all its people and components. More than 5 million people participate in conferences held to solve the Syrian crisis. Pointing out that "the Syrian regime tried to find a solution according to its own narrow vision in cooperation with Russia and Iran, but it did not succeed, because it excludes the other and does not accept it, especially since it excluded the Autonomous Administration areas and their components, and also tried to create strife between the components and stifle efforts to reach any solution that satisfies all Syrian parties. Al-Sulaiman pointed to "the settlements or reconciliations that the Damascus government has begun working on in the region," and said: "They do not help in resolving the Syrian crisis and its goals are clear to the public." He added, "Syria needs a comprehensive and national settlement that guarantees the rights of all and a free and decent life for all the people of Syria." He explained, "All Syrian parties must sit at the negotiating table, and the guarantor countries must play their role, not implement their agendas on Syrian soil, as the regional countries have done in managing their interests on the ground by recruiting people to occupy and divide the Syrian land." 'The Autonomous Administration is open to all parties if it is honest' He stressed, "The Autonomous Administration is open to all parties to resolve the Syrian crisis, if these parties are sincere in trying to find a way out for the Syrian people from the bottleneck, because the Autonomous Administration's principle is based on recognizing the rights of all components." "The Syrian crisis can only be resolved by changing the mindset of the exclusionary, authoritarian government of Damascus, which is trying to humiliate others through imaginary settlements that have no value on the ground," Al-Sulaiman explained. He stressed that "the AANES is open to peaceful dialogue that will result in a change of the regime's mentality." Al-Sulaiman concluded his speech by saying, "The Autonomous Administration agrees with the opposition sects in order to change the mentality of the Syrian regime, and it differs with those who opposed the regime and came with foreign agendas to occupy the Syrian territory. All Syrian lands must be liberated from occupation in full agreement among all factions and components in Syria." A ANHA The Montana Highway Patrol has already intercepted more fentanyl this year than last year, according to a Thursday press release from the state Department of Justice. Through mid-March, troopers had seized 12,079 fentanyl pills, which is three times the 2021 total of 3,800 tablets, according to the release. Arrests for fentanyl were already up from 2020, from just one that year to 17 in 2021. MHP also said that the amount of methamphetamine already seized this year 33.3 pounds puts the state on the path to surpass last year's amount of 49.1 pounds. In January, nine people in Lewis and Clark County overdosed on heroin laced with fentanyl over a two-day period. None of the overdoses were fatal. Deaths tied to fentanyl in Montana doubled from 2019 to 2020, reaching 41 fatalities. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 0 Montanas U.S. senators split on confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester voted to confirm Jackson. Republican Sen. Steve Daines voted not to confirm. Daines had earlier in the week voted against allowing the full Senate to take up Jacksons confirmation, a vote he remined the press about Thursday. With Thursdays confirmation, Jackson is poised to become the first black female U.S. Supreme Court justice. Jackson is a federal appellate judge on the D.C. Circuit. Three Republicans joined Democrats in confirming Jackson 53-47. Tester met personally with Jackson on March 25. After that meeting, he said he found Jackson deeply qualified and concluded that she would be an impartial justice. He had questioned Jackson about her commitment to the Second Amendment, antitrust issues in the agricultural industry, tribal sovereignty, and anonymous spending in federal elections. He issued this statement following the vote: During this confirmation process, I made clear that Judge Jackson had to show a strong commitment to upholding the rule of law and defending Montanans constitutional rights before she earned my support. She has demonstrated that she is extremely qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and has a deep understanding of the Second Amendment, antitrust enforcement for consolidation in the agriculture industry, issues around whether corporations should be considered people under the law, and other questions important to Montanans. She will be an impartial jurist who decides cases based on the facts presented, not on any personal ideology, which is why I was proud to join Republicans and Democrats in voting for her confirmation. Daines had indicated earlier that he wouldnt be voting for Jackson. Last week he accused the White House of cancelling a scheduled meeting between Jackson and the Senator and then rescheduling it for Tuesday, April 5. Though Daines had committed March 29 to rescheduling, the senator blasted the White House a day later, accusing it of cancelling and then rescheduling for a date after the confirmation vote was to begin. The Tuesday visit would have taken place two days before confirmation. As Montanas United States Senator, I am committed to protecting the constitutional rights and values of Montanans. Montanans want a justice who will uphold the Constitution and make decisions based on the rule of law, not personal beliefs or the Lefts political agenda, Daines said in a press release Thursday. Judge Jacksons soft-on-crime record and her views of the separation of powers are not in line with what Montanans want in a Supreme Court justice. Thats why I voted against Judge Jacksons lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Neither Senator has voted to confirm a Supreme Court nominee put forth by a president of the opposing party. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Biden administration reiterated its determination to change course on the decades-long, $17 billion effort to recover wild salmon in the Snake and Columbia rivers and to uphold the treaty rights of the Nez Perce and other tribes of the basin. But it did not say how it hopes to improve those efforts, which have yet to prove successful. Four runs of Snake River salmon and steelhead and nine others in the Columbia River basin are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Several tribes in the basin signed treaties in the mid 1800s that ceded millions of acres of land to the federal government but reserved, among other things, their rights to hunt and fish in usual and accustomed places. Senior members of the administration including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Brenda Mallory held nation-to-nation remote meetings with Columbia Basin tribes last month. Representatives from six of the tribes gathered at the Clearwater River Casino on the Nez Perce Reservation for the talks. A four-page statement released as a Council on Environmental Quality blog summarized the discussion. It recognized federal dams as a significant source of salmon mortality and tribal injustice, while also noting the positive attributes dams provide to citizens across the Pacific Northwest. The statement said the administration was asked by tribal governments such as the Nez Perce to breach the four lower Snake River dams. Many scientists say the dams must be removed if wild fish are to be recovered. The statement acknowledged Idaho Congressman Mike Simpsons dam removal and economic mitigation plan, and that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray are studying the issue. Administration officials said they were asked by the tribes to better fund salmon recovery; to give tribes and states a larger role in the effort; and to expand anadromous fish recovery to the upper Columbia and Snake rivers, where large hydroelectric dams drove fish to extinction in the mid-1900s. As we reflect on what we heard, we know that any long-term solution must account for the varied and crucial services provided by the dams, as well as the people, communities, and industries who rely upon them, the administration officials wrote. We cannot continue business as usual. Doing the right thing for salmon, Tribal Nations, and communities can bring us together. It is time for effective, creative solutions. Nez Perce Tribal Chairman Samuel N. Penney described the meeting as positive, and said he sought to convey the urgency required to recover salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey. Last year, analysis by the tribes Department of Fisheries Resources Management found 42% of wild Snake River spring chinook populations and 19% of wild steelhead are tipping toward extinction. We are at a crisis state with salmon recovery, Penney said, and we expect the federal government to uphold their (treaty) trust responsibilities, and that there is still tribal injustice to this day that needs to be addressed. The tribe has sued the federal government over several iterations of its plan that aims to balance the needs of protected fish with operation of the Columbia River Hydropower System. Last fall, the Biden administration announced the long-running litigation which includes the state of Oregon and a coalition of environmental and fishing groups as plaintiffs would be paused while the two sides seek long-term solutions. That process is expected to wrap up at the end of July. Inslee and Murray are expected to release a draft of their Snake River salmon recovery plan this month and make a final decision on breaching by July 31. The statement that was signed by Haaland, Granholm, Mallory, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Richard W. Spinrad said the government has also been talking with other stakeholders in the region and formed an interagency group to identify a durable path forward that ensures a clean energy future, supports local and regional economies, and restores ecosystem function, while honoring longstanding commitments to Tribal Nations. Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest River Partners, said he has twice met with federal officials about the governments intention on changing course. He said his group is supportive of salmon recovery efforts but added the recent statement put too much emphasis on dams as a source of salmon mortality and ignored other factors such as ocean conditions, predators and climate change. He said his and other groups stressed that salmon survival has declined up and down the West Coast. We think there are ways to help salmon that dont involve getting rid of those four lower Snake River dams, Miller said. We wish they had expanded the discussion to those things. Justin Hayes, of the Idaho Conservation League at Boise, said he is happy the administration recognizes a new strategy is needed. They are saying we cannot continue business as usual, Hayes said. That is something many people in the region have been saying tribes, conservation groups, fishing groups and even industry groups that the status quo is not working and its time to do something very different. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bird flu is spreading in North Dakota, moving into areas that also were impacted by avian influenza seven years ago. The state's first case this year was identified March 29 in a backyard mixed species flock in Kidder County. Since then, there have been confirmed cases in a backyard chicken flock in Dickey County, a backyard mixed flock in Cass County, a commercial turkey operation in Dickey County, and two commercial turkey flocks in LaMoure County, according to state and federal listings. Data from the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service shows a total of nearly 140,000 birds affected in the state, including 27,400 in one of the LaMoure County commercial flocks, 50,850 in the other flock in that county, 60,750 in the Dickey County commercial flock, and several dozen in the backyard flocks. The bird flu has been spreading throughout the country, impacting flocks from the East Coast to the Central Plains. Iowa has been heavily impacted, with about 13.3 million birds lost. More than three dozen flocks with a total of 1.7 million birds have been affected in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Montana so far has not had a case. There are nine turkey farms in North Dakota that produce about 1 million birds annually, according to the Agriculture Department. North Dakota Turkey Federation Vice President David Rude told the Tribune that "It is a concern for us all." "We all take this very seriously and try our best to keep our birds and farms safe," the Tolna producer said. "We have implemented increased biosecurity measures on farms and also limit the people who have access to our barns. We are also working with the wildlife services to have resources to try to keep migratory birds away from farms." There have been 31 confirmed cases of bird flu in wild birds in North Dakota, namely snow geese and Ross's geese, according to APHIS. They've been documented mostly in the counties of Foster and Stutsman, but also in Burleigh, Renville and LaMoure. North Dakota's Board of Animal Health last month canceled all shows, public sales, swaps and exhibitions of poultry and other birds within North Dakota as a prevention measure, at the request of the Turkey Federation. The order applies to events or sales where birds from different locations would be co-mingled. Private sales, catalog sales and retail sales are still allowed, though the use of online marketplaces is encouraged. The board issued a similar edict in 2015, when the state had two cases of bird flu, in Dickey and LaMoure counties, affecting more than 100,00 birds. It's unclear if those operations are the same ones impacted this year. The Agriculture Department is not identifying impacted flocks, citing North Dakota law that allows the Board of Animal Health to keep such information private. Federal and state officials say there is no public health concern from the avian influenza. No human cases of bird flu have been detected in the U.S., according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More information about bird flu and biosecurity is available at www.nd.gov/ndda/disease/avian-influenza, www.aphis.usda.gov and usgs.gov/centers/nwhc. Confirmations of bird flu in North Dakota are being posted at www.nd.gov/ndda/hpai. Poultry owners also can get updates on bird flu in their area from NDSU Extension by completing a survey at https://bit.ly/3IvXLhj. Reach News Editor Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Dakota's two U.S. senators voted against the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing qualms over how she will rule on cases. "I am concerned by her record and believe she will try to legislate from the bench rather than strictly uphold the Constitution and law as written, Sen. John Hoeven said in a written statement Thursday after the Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Jackson, who will be the first Black female justice. Hoeven and Sen. Kevin Cramer, both Republicans, met personally with Jackson, an appeals court judge, as part of the confirmation process. "In my meeting with Judge Jackson, we discussed her judicial record and covered numerous cases which are important to North Dakota," Cramer said in a statement Thursday after the vote. "While our conversation was cordial, it was apparent we fundamentally disagree on how judges should interpret our laws and the Constitution." Jackson during her hearings last month told senators she would apply the law without fear or favor." She also pushed back on Republican attempts to portray her as too lenient on criminals she had sentenced, according to The Associated Press. Both Hoeven and Cramer expressed concern with what they said was Jackson's record of issuing sentences below sentencing guidelines. In addition to being the first Black female justice, Jackson will be the third Black justice and the sixth woman. While I did not vote to confirm Judge Jackson, this is a historic moment and one we should all celebrate, Cramer said. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 15 A great deal of ink has been spilled over the declining character of American higher education. From critical theory to extremism among college student bodies, many issues have reached temperatures that leave those inside the collegiate world deeply concerned for its future. Thinkers and commentators lament a rise in illiberalisma phenomenon in the academic world of decreasing interest in civil discourse and moral virtue in favor of cancellation, enforced ideology, and the punishing of intellectual opponents. In an attempt to address this crisis, some groups have sought to create new institutions, like the University of Austin (UAXT). Others, however, seem unwilling to let current institutions continue on a path they believe to be destructive, preferring to seek reformation within existing colleges. One such group is the Scala Foundation, an education initiative seeking to steer liberal arts education back toward beauty and wisdom. While this sentiment sounds noble, what does it look like practically to strive for such goals? Is there a concrete way to advocate for these concepts that actually works? I asked Scalas executive director, Dr. Margarita Mooney Suarez, to explain the foundations mission and share some examples of how advocating for beauty and wisdom has worked on a practical level. Dr. Mooney Suarez holds a bachelors degree in psychology from Yale University as well as a masters degree and doctorate in sociology from Princeton University. She currently teaches in the Department of Practical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and has written several books, including The Love of Learning: Seven Dialogues on the Liberal Arts. She founded the Scala Foundation in 2016. IW: Give me some insight into your background. As the daughter of a Cuban refugee, did your personal/educational background give you a unique sense of responsibility to protect American higher education? MMS: As a child of a Cuban refugee who spent time in Castros jails for not supporting communism, I knew that the opportunities I had for education were not something to take for granted. My mother learned alongside me, and she educated me in virtues. She and my father gave me the confidence that I could attain the highest level of education available. Traveling to Cuba for the first time in 1994, I saw the horrors of atheist communismnot just economic impoverishment but deep damage to the dignity of the human person expressed in rampant prostitution and an inability to trust others. In a previous interview, you talked about how Scala seeks to combat the disturbing rise of ideology on college campuses. How do you define ideology, and why is it dangerous? I saw students at Yale protesting for justice but claiming that all knowledge is nothing but power. Such confusion ultimately undermines justice because it makes all moral judgments subjective. Language loses its objective meaning, resulting in ideology. One way to understand ideology, then, is that reason is replaced by power. What I had seen in Cuba was that in a system that denies truth, even our intimate relationships become understood through the lens of power. With the rise of ideology comes a similar rise in negative polarization, where political groups act more out of a desire to punish the other side than a desire to advance their own. How does negative polarization manifest on college campuses? If justice becomes about taking something from someone else, not creating a system where all cooperate to build the common good, then why are we surprised when one group claims to be the victim of another? Ive spent much of my career studying people from impoverished nations, including Haiti and Nicaragua. In those places I met people who know how to forgive horrible offenses. In too many college classrooms, students feel that others are waiting to pounce on them and call them out for their privilege. The absurdity is that those who seek to punish others are themselves awfully privileged. They might be acting out of a sense of their own guilt. But they would be better off bettering themselves than tearing down another. There are a lot of organizations, and likely a lot of people, who are very interested in bringing truth and beauty back into higher education. Do you think theres a tendency for these groups to focus only on lofty philosophical goals and to neglect practical strategies? That depends on what you mean by practical strategies and philosophical goals. Philosophy is supposed to mean wisdom to live wellits not supposed to be abstract. Academic philosophy may have become abstract, but I believe there is plenty of practical wisdom in books! I have been influenced by Benedictines past and present who have shown me that humans also intuit beauty and truth by being immersed in an environment that directs all our sensesnot just our capacities for making argumentstoward the true and the beautiful. Especially in todays polarized classrooms, arguments about facts and evidence can only get us so far. We need to truly live together, to have shared experiences, and to have the right philosophical categories to talk about those experiences. Practical strategies should not become a pragmatism of action over contemplation. Its not an either/or; action and contemplation are two complementary modes of being, and we need to be educated in both. How does Scala maintain practical strategies? Are there any specific examples that come to mind? Scala began in 2017 through my attempts to create communities of friendship among students at Princeton and through our summer program. After three summers of taking students to Benedictine monasteries to read and live a different form of education, the COVID crisis began and campuses were vacated. I launched online programs for students and educators and captured my main insights into a book published in 2021 called The Love of Learning: Seven Dialogues on the Liberal Arts. A second book of dialogues, The Wounds of Beauty: Seven Dialogues on Art and Education, is coming out in 2022. As we return to in-person activities, engaging with ones adversaries in advocacy need not be polarizing or demeaning. Find a group whose work you admire, go visit that group, participate in an activity, and then ponder what it means for your life. In recent months, there have been forays into creating new educational institutions, such as the launch of the University of Austin. Could you explain why you decided to reform existing institutions instead of creating a new one? I believe in calling the universities where I have studied and worked back to their original missions. I want to serve the students like me, who come from faith backgrounds, who believe in the American dream, but who get lost in the lack of order in the curricula and find the expectation of high achievement alongside a rush to soothe hurt feelings to be enfeebling. Any reform movement, I think, needs new initiatives as well as reforming people inside historical institutions. Does reaching a postmodern audience with an essentially religious message require reintroducing them to ideas of truth, goodness, and beauty instead of through hellfire and brimstonestyle cultural outreach? Ive seen students walk very slowly through rethinking their convictions. Ive seen others encounter an author or a work of art that changes them almost instantaneously. As an educator, I cant know whats going on inside of someones soul, but I believe it is my mission to share with others the ideas, authors, and experiences that have most moved me. How and when they respond to it I dont control. Im aware of many people who are far from where I am theologically, and I want to be respectful of their journey. Citing tradition and authority doesnt seem to work as well as patience, really listening to peoples journeys, and praying for their well-being. If a student or colleague is truly open and listening to what I have to share, I dont care if they are far from my beliefs. So often, students come into a class simply repeating soundbites they have heard but never really thought hard about. Im learning how to not act shockedto take their concerns seriously but show them that there is another way, a way I think is better. In your goals for the foundation, youve talked about bringing students back to good storytelling. How does good storytelling relate to the mission of higher education? Perhaps the hardest thing for me has to be sharing my own story with my students. Students want to encounter someone who is authenticnot someone who is so perfect they cant even relate. I often share little personal stories of joy and pain, faith and doubt, with my students just so they know Im not superhuman. But I also believe that literature and philosophy, and the Bible and theology, as well as works of art, can help us understand our own stories better. We are self-interpreting animals, but we draw on traditions, images, and other stories. Having a coherent personal story is crucial to being secure in ones identity. I increasingly ask students to reflect on what they have learned from a Scala event or one of my classes for their own life stories. By hearing others experiences, their insights go deeper. What keeps you going and continuing the fight? Everywhere I have spoken in the last few years, I see students, educators, and administrators longing for a different perspective, who want to hear what I have to say and help me build new classes and programs. The mental illness crisis was bad before COVID and now its worse. Ive had to stop thinking of this as a fightthough often it feels that wayand remind myself that its my vocation to share the truth as I see it. I keep going because I know Im just planting seeds, and God is in control of the harvest. As US airlines push to have in-flight mask mandates lifted on the federal level, mask-optional European airlines are seeing hundreds of flight cancelations due to (yep, you guessed it) out-of-commission employees sick with Covid-19. For instance, Swiss-based EasyJet lifted mask requirements on March 27 and, lo and behold, cancelled 202 of its 3,517 flights between March 28April 3 due to Covid illness, according to CBS. During the same time in 2019, the number of cancellations was zero. As in 0. "So damn predictable UK govt drops restrictions, airlines like @easyJet drops masks and less than 2 weeks later huge spike in pilots and flight attendants out sick with #COVID19 unable to work, and 120 flights cancelled! Airline CEOs asked for this," Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist at Harvard Chan School of Public Health, said on Twitter. SO DAMN PREDICTABLEUK govt drops restrictions, airlines like @easyJet drops masks and less than 2 weeks later huge spike in pilots and flight attendants out sick with #COVID19 unable to work, and 120 flights cancelled! Airline CEOs asked for this. https://t.co/zVOc2g2KzS pic.twitter.com/YWD7XIOodl Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 4, 2022 And it's not just EasyJet. For instance, during the same week, British Airways cancelled 393 of 2,405 flights for Covid reasons, although they're trying to pin the blame on other Covid-related reasons rather than their new mask-optional policy. From CBS: This incredible dinosaur leg fossil was found at North Dakota's Tanis site. The creatureand others at the sitewere likely killed by the impact of the 12 kilometer-wide Chicxulub asteroid that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico 66 million years ago and eradicated 80% of Earth's animals. The scientific story of the fossil's discovery and what it represents will be told in a new documentary series from the BBC narrated by Sir David Attenborough. From the BBC News: Very few dinosaur remains have been found in the rocks that record even the final few thousand years before the impact. To have a specimen from the cataclysm itself would be extraordinary[..] Along with that leg, there are fish that breathed in impact debris as it rained down from the sky. We see a fossil turtle that was skewered by a wooden stake; the remains of small mammals and the burrows they made; skin from a horned triceratops; the embryo of a flying pterosaur inside its egg; and what appears to be a fragment from the asteroid impactor itself. "We've got so many details with this site that tell us what happened moment by moment, it's almost like watching it play out in the movies. You look at the rock column, you look at the fossils there, and it brings you back to that day," says Robert DePalma, the University of Manchester, UK, graduate student who leads the Tanis dig. For more than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, our economy, and our health care system. It has been the greatest public health challenge in more than a century, but historic federal investments in health careand the dedicated work of health care workers across the countryhelped Canada weather the darkest days of the pandemic. A national effort to get Canadians vaccinated has resulted in Canada becoming one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the worldmore than 85 per cent of eligible Canadians have received at least two doses. With the second lowest mortality rate in the G7, Canadas collective response to the pandemic has saved thousands of lives. If we remain vigilantif we protect the most vulnerable and make sure we are prepared for any new outbreaks or variants that might arisewe can ensure Canada can live safely with COVID-19. Now, more than ever, we need to strengthen our health care system and ensure that it delivers the care Canadians deserve. We need to increase the number of doctors and nurses. We need to keep expanding access to mental health care. We need to build on the successes of increased virtual care, so that Canadians can easily consult with a health care professional no matter where they live. And we need to make sure we have reliable, comparable health data. As the federal government continues to work with provinces and territories on investing in health care, Budget 2022 takes immediate steps to reduce backlogs in surgeries and procedures, to make it easier for Canadians to access the mental health care they need, and to continue bolstering our health care system. Federal Health Care Support During the Pandemic Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has invested more than $69 billion, with more funding to be rolled out in future years, to lead a coordinated federal, provincial, and territorial response to fight COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of Canadians. Some of this funding includes: Over $17.6 billion to support vaccine procurement, deployment, and administration; Over $10 billion for testing, contact tracing, data management, and to support provinces and territories in securing rapid tests for Canadians; Over $12.8 billion for the procurement of personal protective equipment and medical equipment for our health and essential service sectors; $6.5 billion in top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) for provinces and territories to support their pandemic responses, including $2 billion proposed in March 2022 to continue to address immediate pressures including backlogs in surgeries and procedures; Up to $4 billion through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021 for provinces and territories to help keep seniors safe in long-term care; $2 billion in Budget 2021, and an additional $100 million proposed in the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update, for the Safe Return to Class Fund to improve school ventilation, purchase personal protective equipment, and keep kids, teachers, and staff safe; $2 billion through the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update to support the procurement of COVID-19 therapeutics, and the associated logistics and operational costs; $1.2 billion to provinces and territories through the Safe Restart Agreement to bolster health care capacity, support people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, and provide more than $600 million for innovative mental health care for Canadians; and $35 million over four years for Prince Edward Island to advance the implementation of universal national pharmacare. Chart 6.1 Federal Investments in Health Support 6.1 A Stronger Health Care System Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, and justifiably so; it has saved thousands of lives over the last two years. However, the pandemic has also placed our health care system under enormous strain and worsened long-standing issues, like shortages of health care workers and the lack of access to primary care in communities across Canada. The federal government is proposing significant measures to strengthen Canadas health care systems, to reduce pandemic-related backlogs, and to increase the number of doctors and nurses in communities that need them most. To ensure that no Canadian has to choose between the prescription drugs they need and putting food on the table, the federal government will also continue its ongoing work towards a universal national pharmacare program. This will include tabling a Canada Pharmacare bill and working to have it passed by the end of 2023, and then tasking the Canadian Drug Agency to develop a national formulary of essential medicines and bulk purchasing plan. Dental Care for Canadians Seeing a dentist is important for our health, but can be expensive. A third of Canadians do not have dental insurance, and in 2018, more than one in five Canadians reported avoiding dental care because of the cost. Budget 2022 proposes to provide funding of $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing, to Health Canada to provide dental care for Canadians. This will start with under 12-year-olds in 2022, and then expand to under 18-year-olds, seniors, and persons living with a disability in 2023, with full implementation by 2025. The program would be restricted to families with an income of less than $90,000 annually, with no co-pays for those under $70,000 annually in income. Reducing the Backlogs of Surgeries and Procedures As hospitals did everything they could to respond to surges in COVID-19 cases, Health Canada estimates that nearly 700,000 medical procedures were cancelled or delayed. On March 25, 2022, the federal government announced its intention to provide provinces and territories with an additional $2 billion through a top-up to the Canada Health Transfer to address these backlogs. This will build on the $4 billion in support provided in 2020-21 as provinces and territories work towards eliminating the backlogs in surgeries and procedures, and on providing the health care that Canadians deserve. Increasing Loan Forgiveness for Doctors and Nurses in Rural and Remote Communities In part due to a shortage of doctors and nurses, far too many rural communitieslike those in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labradorstill lack the primary health care they need. As one means of addressing this shortage, the federal government provides student loan forgiveness to doctors and nurses who work in underserved rural or remote communities, including in the North. In 2019-20, nearly 5,500 doctors and nurses benefited from the loan forgiveness program. To help bring more health care workers to the communities that need them most, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $26.2 million over four years, starting in 2023-24, and $7 million ongoing, to increase the maximum amount of forgivable Canada Student Loans by 50 per cent. This will mean up to $30,000 in loan forgiveness for nurses and up to $60,000 in loan forgiveness for doctors working in underserved rural or remote communities. In addition, the federal government will expand the current list of eligible professionals under the program, with details to be announced in the coming year. The government is also undertaking a review to ensure that the definition of rural communities under the program does not leave out certain communities in need. Researching the Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 COVID-19 is still a new disease. Scientists and researchers have come a long way in their understanding of how to treat and prevent it, but we still need to better understand its long-term impacts on many Canadians and our health care system. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $20 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support additional research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections on Canadians, as well as the wider impacts of COVID-19 on health and health care systems. Improving Canadas Dementia and Brain Health Research An estimated one in four Canadian seniors over the age of 85 are diagnosed with dementia. The effects on both those living with dementia and those who care for them can be devastating. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $20 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to ramp up efforts to learn more about dementia and brain health, to improve treatment and outcomes for persons living with dementia, and to evaluate and address mental health consequences for caregivers and different models of care. Supporting the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation The Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, established in 2015 by Baycrest Health Sciences, helps to accelerate innovative solutions in brain health and aging, including to address dementia. The Centre is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners whose aim is to help improve quality of life for the worlds aging population, allowing older adults of all backgrounds and abilities to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $30 million over three years, starting in 2022-23, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, for the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation to help accelerate innovations in brain health and aging. The Canada Health Transfer The last two years have emphasized the need to fortify our health care system and ensure that the significant federal health transfers to provinces and territories are resulting in the better health care outcomes that Canadians deserve. The federal government has supported, on average, 33 per cent of provincial and territorial health expenditures through cash and tax point transfers. The Canada Health Transfer, which provides cash transfers to provinces and territories to support health care, increases in line with economic growth and is guaranteed to increase by at least 3 per cent each year. In 2022-23, the Canada Health Transfer will provide provinces and territories with $45.2 billion in supportan increase of 4.8 per cent over the 2021-22 baseline. Thanks to Canadas strong economic recovery, the Canada Health Transfer is projected to provide provinces and territories with $12 billion more in funding over the next five years than what was expected prior to the pandemic. Chart 6.2 Pre- vs. Post-Pandemic Canada Health Transfer Forecast Over the course of the pandemic, roughly eight out of every ten dollars invested in Canadas COVID-19 response have come from the federal government. Tens of billions of dollars in federal spending have helped keep Canadians safe, but they have also had a significant, positive impact on the public finances of provinces and territories. The federal government wants to ensure that any additional federal funding will improve Canadas health care system. While Canada spends more of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average10.8 per cent vs. 8.8 per centthe Commonwealth Fund ranks Canada behind peer countries, such as Switzerland, France, Germany, U.K., and Australia, in both access to care and in health care outcomes. Any conversation between the federal government and the provinces and territories will focus on delivering better health care outcomes for Canadians. To strengthen our public health care, the federal government will remain focused on advancing the priorities of Canadians, including increased access to primary and mental health care; long-term, home, and community care; dental care; and the effective use of high quality data and digital systems. On the latter, the federal government will work with provinces and territories to ensure that our health care system is underpinned by health data that will support health care system improvements and Canadians access to their own personal health records. 6.2 Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being Mental health challengesjust like physical health challengescan affect anyone at any time. In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience some type of mental health issue or illness. Those challenges are greater, in particular, among youth, Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized Canadians, and members of the LGBTQ2 community. The last two years have had a significant impact on Canadians mental healthhalf of all Canadians have reported that their mental health has worsened during the pandemic. To help ensure that everyone can receive the care they need, the federal government will invest in identifying and expanding effective mental health interventions. The government also intends to engage with provinces and territories to inform the development of a new Canada Mental Health Transfer that will support the expansion and delivery of high quality and accessible mental health services across Canada. These investments will continue to build on the foundation laid in Budget 2021 to expand the delivery of high quality and accessible mental health services for Canadians across the country. Budget 2021 Investments in Mental Health Budget 2021 provided significant funding for mental health care, including: $100 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support the mental health of Canadians most affected by COVID-19; $140 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to cover the mental health care costs of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, or anxiety disorders while their disability benefit application is being processed; $62 million in 2021-22 for the Wellness Together Canada portal; $45 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to develop national standards for mental health care; $598 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support distinctions- based mental health and wellness strategies co-developed with Indigenous partners; and $50 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to help those experiencing PTSD due to the pandemic. Supporting Mental Well-Being With the Wellness Together Canada Portal The federal government launched the Wellness Together Canada portal in April 2020 in response to the unprecedented rise in levels of stress, anxiety, and depression associated with the pandemic. Since then, more than two million people across Canada have accessed free information and support through the portal. Children and young people make up almost 50 per cent of users, and 42 per cent of texting users have identified themselves as LGBTQ2. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $140 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to Health Canada for the Wellness Together Canada portal so it can continue to provide Canadians with tools and services to support their mental health and well-being. The Wellness Together Canada portal complements PocketWell, a free app launched in January 2022 that helps Canadians access free and confidential sessions with social workers, psychologists and other professionals, as well as other mental health and substance use prevention services from their phone. Addressing the Opioid Crisis An increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths since the beginning of the pandemic has devastated communities across Canada. Tragically, many jurisdictions reported a record number of opioid-related deaths in 2021. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $100 million over three years, starting in 2022-23 to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to support harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level. This builds on the $116 million provided in Budget 2021 and $66 million in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement for the Substance Use and Addictions Program. The government continues to work closely with partners to provide a compassionate and evidence-based response to the crisis. Since 2017, the government has dedicated over $700 million to address the opioid overdose crisis. Better Mental Health Support for Black Federal Public Servants Black Canadians face distinct mental health challenges that can arise from structural racism and inequities in access to mental health care. The 2020 Public Service Employee Survey showed that Black federal public servants feel less included in the workplacea key component of a healthy and safe work environment. The government is committed to supporting a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace for Black public servants across the federal government. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $3.7 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for Black-led engagement, design, and implementation of a Mental Health Fund for Black federal public servants. 6.3 Investing in Public Health In Canada and around the world, the pandemic has highlighted the essential role of a strong public health system. In the years to come, it will be important to ensure that Canadas public health system is prepared for any crisis it may face. Investing in public health will mean a Canada that is safer, healthier, and better prepared. Budget 2022 includes investments to take stock of the important lessons learned over the last two years and to ensure that both our health and the well-being of our communities are protected. Strengthening Canadas Ability to Detect and Respond to Public Health Events and Emergencies The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is to be able to effectively anticipate and respond to public health risks that threaten the health and safety of Canadians. While the Public Health Agency of Canada has responded well throughout the pandemic, it is crucial to take immediate steps to improve our surveillance capabilities so we are better able to detect and respond to public health events and emergencies in the future. To ensure Canada is better prepared to detect and act on public health threats, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $436.2 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, with $15.5 million in remaining amortization, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, to strengthen key surveillance and risk assessment capacities within the Agency. This will include supporting the real-time tracking of the evolution of viruses, monitoring the longer-term health impacts of COVID-19, and expanding risk assessment capacity and research networks for new strains of flu, emerging respiratory infections, and vaccine safety and effectiveness. Maintaining the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile The National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, managed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, contains critical supplies that provinces and territories can request in the event of an infectious disease outbreak, a natural disaster, or any other major public health event. For the last two years, the stockpile has played an important role in Canadas response to COVID-19. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $50 million in 2022-23 to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the operations of the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile. Funding will be used to maintain and diversify key medical supply holdings, including personal protective equipment, to ensure that Canada can continue to quickly respond to public health events and other emergencies. Piloting a Menstrual Equity Fund for Those in Need Access to menstrual products is a basic necessity, but current barriers make it difficult for some women, girls, trans, and non-binary Canadians to fully participate in school, work, and society. The federal government is committed to addressing the barriers related to affordability and stigma that some Canadians face when accessing menstrual products. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $25 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, for Women and Gender Equality Canada to establish a national pilot project for a Menstrual Equity Fund that will help make menstrual products available to Canadians in need. Help for Canadians Who Want to Become Parents Across Canada, there are those who are facing challenges on their journey to become parents. Whether facing fertility issues, being part of a same-sex couple, or just wanting to be able to be a mom or a dad on their own terms, some Canadians rely on surrogacy and expensive procedures in order to build the family they dream of. But currently the Medical Expense Tax Credit is not available to those who need to pay medical expenses of others in order to become a parent. Budget 2022 proposes to allow medical expenses related to a surrogate mother or a sperm, ova, or embryo donor that are incurred in Canada for 2022 and subsequent taxation years to be claimed. This would include costs that have been reimbursed to a surrogate for in vitro fertilization expenses. Budget 2022 also proposes to allow fees paid to fertility clinics and donor banks in Canada in order to obtain donor sperm and ova to be eligible under the Medical Expense Tax Credit for 2022 and subsequent taxation years. Taxation of Vaping Products Vaping rates among young people in Canada remain high, and the federal government recognizes the potential risks that vaping products pose to them. Budget 2022 proposes to implement the previously announced excise duty on vaping products, effective as of October 1, 2022. The proposed federal excise duty rate would be $1.00 per 2 mL, or fraction thereof, for containers with less than 10 mL of vaping liquid. For containers with more than 10 mL, the applicable federal rate would be $5.00 for the first 10 mL, and $1.00 for every additional 10 mL, or fraction thereof. The federal government also invites its provincial and territorial counterparts to join a coordinated vaping taxation framework, under which an additional duty equal to the proposed federal rate would be applied. Total resulting revenues would be split between federal and provincial and territorial governments on a 50/50 basis. The overall tax burden on vaping products will be regularly reviewed to ensure that important public health objectives are being met. A teacher at Cayuga Heights Elementary School in the Depew Union Free School District has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after he allegedly grabbed a 6-year-old student and caused him to fall. Prosecutors said 56-year-old James Czerwinski of Williamsville was arraigned in Depew Village Court on March 30 on the misdemeanor and a charge of second-degree harassment, a violation. Czerwinski is accused of grabbing the boy by the shoulder and pulling him into the hallway, causing the boy to fall to the floor and hit his head on Feb. 17 while Czerwinski was working as a teacher. A notice of claim was filed March 16 by Roger McGill -- identified as a parent or guardian of the child -- against Czerwinski and the school district, claiming "negligence, failure to supervise, negligent hiring and training, for consequential damages generally." The claim alleges that Czerwinski "pushed, shoved and otherwise assaulted and battered" the boy, causing "serious personal injuries" that included "a lump about the head, bruising of the back and mental shock and anguish." Depew Village Court Justice Kathleen McDonald released Czerwinski on his own recognizance as the charges against him are non-qualifying offenses for bail. Attorney Terrence M. Connors Thursday confirmed that he is representing Czerwinski, on whose behalf he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Czerwinski is scheduled to return to court on May 4 for further proceedings. If convicted on the charges, Czerwinski faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An attorney for a preservation organization urged the five-member Appellate Division in Rochester on Wednesday to overturn a State Supreme Court ruling that the Great Northern grain elevator, the last remaining brick box-style grain elevator in North America, be torn down. But one justice pushed back on the idea that the matter was not handled correctly, noting that it could have been viewed as an urgent threat to public safety. A decision by the court is expected in coming weeks. Richard Lippes, an attorney for Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture, said James Comerford, then-commissioner of permits and inspections, should have sought the evaluation of a preservation expert before declaring an emergency demolition on Dec. 17, 2021. That occurred six days after a windstorm resulted in a large hole in the northern wall, which Comerford concluded was a danger that needed immediate action. Great Northern supporters call for independent evaluation of historic grain elevator Supporters of the Great Northern grain elevator who rallied Thursday at City Hall cast doubt on an engineering report by Archer Daniels Midland justifying the demolition of the locally designated historic structure. Lippes also argued during the 20-minute hearing that expert testimony should have been allowed in a fact-finding hearing held by Justice Emilio Colaiacovo to show Comerford acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" prior to the judge's Jan. 5 ruling in favor of demolishing the 1897 structure. "The commissioner didn't make any attempts to contact a preservation architect or engineer to see whether or not, in fact, the building was a danger, and whether or not if the danger could be abated," Lippes said. "That, in and of itself, we believe, is an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial judge, and requires this court to reverse and to give us an opportunity to present our evidence." Lippes held up the court case Albany v. Fisher as an example of a building commissioner who wanted to knock down an endangered building ordering an independent evaluation by a structural engineer. "The building commissioner did exactly what we said building commissioners should do," Lippes told the court. "When he had two different experts saying two different things, he ordered an independent evaluation of the building by a structural engineer." Lippes also contended the Buffalo Preservation Ordinance required the commissioner to determine whether actions other than demolition could be taken to preserve the Great Northern. Great Northern grain elevator case renews calls for local landmark reforms A measure to be introduced in the Common Council calls for scheduled building inspections of all 144 local landmarks. But Justice Erin M. Peradotto cast doubt on that. "The argument was that this grain elevator committed an immediate threat to the safety of citizens, the people who might be in the area," Peradotto said. "I'm not so sure all of that is required when you've got an immediate threat situation." Attorneys for the City of Buffalo and Archer Daniels Midland said Comerford demonstrated rational judgment in rendering his decision. That was all that was required to show he executed his job correctly with the emergency powers he is granted. "The law is well settled," said Edward Markarian, ADM's attorney. "It does not matter if third parties, such as the petitioner, disagree." Markarian said Comerford inspected the site, consulted with his team, did a drone examination, reviewed engineering reports submitted by ADM and consulted with the fire commissioner. He was under no requirement to take preservation concerns into consideration before rendering his decision, Markarian said. Mayor allows Great Northern grain elevator demolition to proceed In his first public comments on the Great Northern since a Jan. 5 State Supreme Court ruling clearing the way for its demolition, Brown told The News the city's reason for not yet releasing an emergency demolition permit to ADM has been merely procedural. "The standard of review is not what the questions may be suggesting," he told to the court. "The standard is what did the commissioner have in front of him." But several justices pushed back at this line of reasoning. "What he had in front of him, or what he could have had in front of him?" Justice Patrick H. NeMoyer asked. "Well, the question, Your Honor, is did he go through a thorough enough process to have a rational basis?" Markarian said. "But if you exclude all evidence on the other side and just take one side, how are we to determine whether it's a rational basis or not?" NeMoyer asked. Douglas Jemal offers ADM $100,000 to stabilize Great Northern grain elevator "I want to save the Great Northern, and I won't let ADM bully this city around," Jemal said. When city attorney David Lee said the fact-finding hearing Colaiacovo held wasn't required, Justice Tracey A. Bannister interrupted him. "But the court did convene a fact-finding hearing, so I think we would assume they are looking for the facts," Bannister said. Lee said the only facts relevant were those that supported whether Comerford's decision-making was rational. He also asserted Colaiacovo had all the evidence needed before him to render his decision. Lee said that even if preservation experts doubted Comerford's decision, it wouldn't make any difference. "We have case law cited in our briefs that that is not going to be enough to annul the determination of the commissioner," Lee said. "So you're sort of wasting ... " Common Council calls for alternatives to Great Northern demolition "It is important that all options must be considered before making a decision that can never be undone," the resolution said. "I don't know that I agree with that," interrupted Peradotto. "It depends on the nature of the proof that's offered. If the opinions establish that there is no rational basis for the commissioner's conclusion, it seems to me that evidence could come forth establishing that or not." When Lee said it was already known what "proof" would be introduced, Justice Nancy E. Smith retorted, "We may really need to have that actual testimony." Markarian said ADM, which has attempted to demolish the Great Northern on three occasions dating back to 1996, was "neutral" on the grain elevator. When he described what happened to the Great Northern as "an extraordinary collapse," Bannister interrupted him in mid-sentence. "Is it so extraordinary?" she asked. "Or isn't it exactly the same as the collapse of the same wall once before," referring to a collapse that occurred in 1907. "No, this is a 10-story collapse," Markarian said. "As a Buffalonian, I can't remember ever hearing anything like this." Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Optimism always seems to reign supreme in Albany at budget time, but so far, it hasn't translated into a solid spending plan. New York State appeared headed for its seventh day of budget deliberations late Wednesday as Gov. Kathy Hochul and leaders of the Senate and Assembly remain stymied on issues of criminal justice, tax breaks for developers and a new Buffalo Bills stadium. NYS budget talks continue, with bail reform, tax breaks and Bills stadium still in discussion New York on Wednesday heads into its sixth day without a pact between the governor and the Legislature on a 2022-23 spending plan, though top legislative leaders such as Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, remain optimistic. "We don't have a budget," is how Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, succinctly summed up the situation late Wednesday. The majority leader, the second ranking member of the Assembly, emphasized she is not at the table with Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. But she said her own impressions lean toward the need for extensive negotiations possibly into the weekend. "My personal opinion is that I am hopeful we get this done this weekend," she said. Optimism creeps into state budget negotiations Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to have a budget soon and compared the timeliness of this years budget to those negotiated under her predecessor, and defended the openness of her budget process. Peoples-Stokes said the same issues such as Hochul's plan to modify earlier measures such as cashless bail enacted by the Senate three years ago continue as sticking points. So does the governor's plan for at least a $600 million state contribution for a new Bills stadium in Orchard Park, especially among left-leaning Democrats in New York City. "The NY State budget is late because at the 11th hour of negotiations, @GovKathyHochul decided she wanted to lock more people up and also gift a stadium to a billionaire using public funds," tweeted state Sen. Jabari Brisport on Wednesday. Most Capitol observers do not believe there is enough opposition to Hochul's stadium proposal to derail the plan, but it nevertheless continues as a major point of so far fruitless discussions. And Peoples-Stokes has made it clear she remains committed to the stadium, and on preserving the criminal justice measures adopted by Democrats after taking over the Legislature in 2019. Reports have indicated that other major hurdles lie in proposals for gasoline tax relief, child care and allowing restaurants to sell alcohol "to go." Included in the mix of complications facing lawmakers and Hochul is the schedule, which calls for legislators to begin a 2 1/2 week vacation at the close of Thursday's session. Now some predictions have them remaining in session at least through the weekend. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The tentative 2022-23 state budget would establish a tax credit for the purchase and installation of residential geothermal energy systems, which use the solar thermal energy stored in the ground or in bodies of water to produce heat. Taxpayers could get a tax credit equal to 25% on geothermal energy system expenditures, up to $5,000, according to a budget bill introduced by the Assembly. The credit is only allowed for geothermal equipment installed in connection with residential property used by the taxpayer, not for rental property. The credit will be available for the next five years. In a recent Another Voice essay in The Buffalo News, Diana Strablow, vice chair of the Sierra Club Niagara Group, said New Yorks homes and buildings account for 32% of New Yorks greenhouse gas emissions and 60% of fossil fuels burned. She advocated for a geothermal tax credit that would provide up to $5,000 on residential geothermal heat pump installations. State Sen. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, carried the bill in the Senate. "This is really exciting news for the environment for helping families use clean energy to heat their homes," he said. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Stephen T. Watson News Staff Reporter I report on development, government, crime and schools in the northern Erie County suburbs. I grew up in the Town of Tonawanda and worked at the Post-Standard in Syracuse before joining The News in 2001. Email: swatson@buffnews.com Follow Stephen T. Watson 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 Mary Roberts, who began at Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House as a volunteer in 1996 and has served as executive director since 2006, is retiring at the end of the year. During Roberts' tenure, the prairie-style Martin House in North Buffalo completed a 25-year, $52 million restoration in 2019 one of the biggest restorations of a Frank Lloyd Wright property in the world. Richard Moe, former president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called the Martin House "the finest restored Wright site in the U.S." Roberts called her work at the Martin House a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." "I've been honored to lead the charge on one of the most amazing restorations of one of the most iconic pieces of American architecture," Roberts said. Roberts, who grew up in the Town of Tonawanda, has led the restoration, fundraising and operation of the six-structure Martin House estate, a National Historic Landmark considered one of Wright's finest residential works. She was director of finance from 1998 to 2006. "At its heart, it is a wonderful piece of American architecture that is a symbol of our city's renaissance," Roberts said. "Beyond that, it is a symbol of what a community can do when it sets its mind on doing something great." She said she has "enjoyed the work immensely," and singled out the "wonderful collection of individuals, organizations, supporters, volunteers, board members and staff" who "cared enough to make it happen." The current and former Martin House Restoration Corp. board presidents praised Roberts for her leadership through the years. On behalf of the entire board of directors, we want to recognize and thank Mary for her extraordinary personal commitment and passion for the Martin House, said Donna L. DeCarolis, the current president. Mary has made a permanent imprint on our museum and raised it to international prominence through creativity, inclusion, community and telling an inspiring story that resonates with generations of visitors from all walks of life, and from locations far and wide, DeCarolis said. Former board president John N. Walsh III called Roberts "a leader of matchless integrity, tireless energy and consummate ability." "Our board will forever be grateful for Mary's leadership," Walsh said. Roberts said she is leaving with the organization on solid financial ground. The biggest challenge for the Martin House, she said, is getting past Covid-19. Attendance reached 42,000 visitors in 2019, with every indication of continued growth, she said. "I'm looking forward over the next few years to seeing the return of leisure and travel tourism," Roberts said. "We're ready, we've got the site, we've got the team and we've got the program and the tours. All we need are the people to be willing to travel again." The board of directors is using a national executive search firm with knowledge and experience in Western New York to seek Roberts' successor. To apply or recommend a candidate, go to martinhouse@koyapartners.com. Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Middle-class taxpayers in New York would get earlier access to a planned tax cut through a deal worked out in the new state budget. The State Legislature has agreed to a proposal made by Gov. Kathy Hochul in her State of the State address earlier this year that would speed up tax cuts worth $1.2 billion for more than six million New York residents. It's included in budget bills on which the State Legislature soon will begin voting. The state had begun phasing in a middle-class tax cut in 2018, Hochul said at the time, but the reduction wasn't set to be put into place fully until 2025. Given the financial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hochul said she wanted to get more of this tax relief into the hands of New York's taxpayers two years earlier. The tax cuts will be fully phased in for the 2023 tax year instead of the 2025 tax year, benefitting 6.1 million people, according to her office. The tax cuts vary depending on income and apply to households earning between $27,000 and $349,000, according to State Sen. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, who called them "a major victory for taxpayers." The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) A security alliance between China and the Solomon Islands has sent shudders throughout the South Pacific, with many worried it could set off a large-scale military buildup or that Western animosity to the deal could play into Chinas hands. What remains most unclear is the extent of Chinas ambitions. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, with its massive U.S. military bases. China so far operates just one acknowledged foreign military base, in the impoverished but strategically important Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Many believe that Chinas Peoples Liberation Army is busy establishing an overseas military network, even if they dont use the term base. The Solomon Islands government says a draft of its agreement with China was initialed last week and will be cleaned up and signed soon. The draft, which was leaked online, says that Chinese warships could stop in the Solomons for logistical replenishment and that China could send police, military personnel and other armed forces to the Solomons to assist in maintaining social order." The draft agreement specifies China must approve what information is disclosed about joint security arrangements, including at media briefings. The Solomon Islands, home to about 700,000 people, switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 a move rejected by the most populous province and a contributing factor to riots last November. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded in February by saying that Washington would reopen its embassy in the capital, Honiara, which has been closed since 1993, to increase its influence in the Solomons before China becomes strongly embedded." Both China and the Solomons have strongly denied the new pact will lead to the establishment of a Chinese military base. The Solomon Islands government said the pact is necessary because of its limited ability to deal with violent uprisings like the one in November. The country has been ruined by recurring internal violence for years," the government said this week. But Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. have all expressed alarm about the deal, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing it as gravely concerning. David Panuelo, the president of nearby Micronesia, which has close ties to the U.S., wrote an impassioned letter to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare asking him to rethink the agreement. He noted that both Micronesia and the Solomon Islands were battlegrounds during World War II, caught up in the clash of great powers. I am confident that neither of us wishes to see a conflict of that scope or scale ever again, and most particularly in our own backyards," Panuelo wrote. But the Solomon Islands police minister mocked Panuelo's concerns on social media, saying he should be more worried about his own atoll being swallowed by the ocean due to climate change. Sogavare has likewise dismissed foreign criticism of the security agreement as insulting, while labeling those who leaked the draft as lunatics. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the agreement aims to maintain the safety of peoples lives and property, and does not have any military overtones, saying media speculation on the potential development of a base was groundless. Euan Graham, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore, said China has been pursuing such a port facility for some five years as it aims to expand its naval presence in the South Pacific as part of Beijing's long-game of seeking to become the dominant regional power. If they want to break out into the Pacific, at some point they will need the logistics capability to support that presence, Graham said. We're not talking about war plans here; this is really about extending their presence and influence. Unlike the base built in Djibouti, where China has commercial interests in the region to protect, Graham said any operation in the Solomon Islands would likely be less substantial. Its quite a subtle and interesting geopolitical game thats emerged in the South Pacific, he added. And I think the Chinese have been very successful, if you like, in outflanking the United States and Australia in an influence competition, not a military competition." China's base in Djibouti was opened in 2017. China doesn't call it a base, but rather a support facility for its naval operations fending off piracy in the Gulf of Aden and for its African peacekeeping operations. It boasts a 400-meter (1,300-foot) runway and a pier big enough to dock either of Chinas two operating aircraft carriers. The base, with 2,000 personnel, allows China to position supplies, troops and equipment in a strategically crucial region, while also keeping an eye on U.S. forces that are stationed nearby. Chief among other potential base candidates is Cambodia, whose authoritarian leader Hun Sen has long been a trusted Chinese ally and which reportedly signed a secret 2019 agreement permitting the establishment of a Chinese base. China is dredging the harbor at Ream Naval Base to allow ships larger than any Cambodia possesses to dock, and is building new infrastructure to replace a U.S.-built naval tactical headquarters. A Chinese base in Cambodia would establish a chokepoint in the Gulf of Thailand close to the crucial Malacca Strait. China has also funded projects at Gwadar in Pakistan, another close ally, and in Sri Lanka, where Chinese infrastructure lending has forced the government to hand over control of the southern port of Hambantota. Especially intriguing has been an alleged Chinese push to establish a base in the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea. That would give China a presence on the Atlantic opposite the east coast of the continental United States as well as in an important African oil-producing region. China has seized opportunities to expand its influence at a time when the U.S. and other countries have not been as engaged economically in the Pacific islands, said Elizabeth Wishnick, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Montclair State University in New Jersey. About 80 years ago in the Solomon Islands, the U.S. military began its famous island hopping campaign of World War II to take back Pacific islands from Imperial Japanese forces one-by-one. It successfully won back the main island of Guadalcanal in February 1943 after some six months of fierce fighting. Today, the Solomon Islands would give China the potential ability to interfere with U.S. naval operations in the region that could be crucial in the event of a conflict over Taiwan or in the South and East China seas. Lt. Gen. Greg Bilton, Australias chief of joint operations, said that if Chinese naval ships were able to operate from the Solomon Islands it would change the calculus. Theyre in much closer proximity to the Australian mainland, obviously, and that would change the way that we would undertake day-to-day operations, particularly in the air and at sea, he told reporters. But Jonathan Pryke, the director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, said he thinks that leaders have overreacted to the agreement, perhaps in Australia's case because there is an election looming. It's clearly getting everyone very animated in the West and very alarmed, Pryke said. But I don't think it markedly changes things on the ground. He said the pact could be seen as the first step toward China establishing a base, but there would need to be many more steps taken before that could happen. I think the alarmism has strengthened China's hand by pushing the Solomon Islands into a corner, Pryke said. And they've reacted the way I imagine many countries would react from getting this outside pressure by pushing back, and digging their heels in. Rising reported from Bangkok. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ISTANBUL (AP) A Turkish court ruled Thursday to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Saudi Arabia. Kaghoggi, a United States resident who wrote critically about Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed on Oct. 2, 2018, at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He had gone into the consulate for an appointment to collect documents required for him to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. He never emerged from the building. Turkish officials alleged that Khashoggi was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw inside the consulate by a team of Saudi agents sent to Istanbul. The group included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers and individuals who worked for the crown princes office. His remains have not been found. The Istanbul court's decision comes despite warnings from human rights groups that turning the case over to the kingdom would lead to a cover up of the killing, which has cast suspicion on the crown prince. It also comes as Turkey, which is in the throes of a deep economic downturn, has been trying to repair its troubled relationship with Saudi Arabia and an array of other countries in its region. Some media reports have claimed that Riyadh has made improved relations conditional on Turkey dropping the case, which had inflamed tensions between two countries. The move would pave the way to a resolution of disputes between the two regional heavyweights since the 2011 Arab Spring, including Turkeys support for Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Riyadh considers a terrorist group. Turkey also sided with Qatar in a diplomatic dispute that saw Doha boycotted by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Last week, the prosecutor in the case recommended that it be transferred to the kingdom, arguing that the trial in Turkey would remain inconclusive. Turkeys justice minister supported the recommendation, adding that the trial in Turkey would resume if the Turkish court is not satisfied with the outcome of proceedings in the kingdom. It was not clear, however, if Saudi Arabia, which has already put some of the defendants on trial behind closed doors, would open a new trial. During Thursday's hearing, lawyers representing Cengiz asked the court not to move proceedings to Saudi Arabia, the private DHA news agency reported. Lets not entrust the lamb to the wolf, the agency quoted lawyer Ali Ceylan as telling the court, using a Turkish saying. Lets protect the honor and dignity of the Turkish nation. The court however, ruled to halt the trial in line with the Justice Ministry's positive opinion, DHA reported. It also decided to lift arrest warrants issued against the defendants and gave the sides seven days in which to lodge any opposition to the courts decisions. Human rights advocates had also urged Turkey not to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, arguing that justice for Khashoggi would not be delivered by Saudi courts. It's a scandalous decision, said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, asserting that the court had "rubber stamped" a political decision that would allow the government to repair its ties with Saudi Arabia. In the interest of realpolitik, Turkey is ready to sacrifice justice for an egregious crime on its own soil, she told The Associated Press. (The decision) opens the way for other countries to commit assassinations on Turkish territory and get away with it. Cengiz said she would continue to seek justice. We will continue this (judicial) process with all the power given to me, as a Turkish citizen, she told reporters outside the courthouse. The two countries may be making an agreement, the two countries may be opening a new chapter ... but the crime is still the same crime, she said. The people who committed the crime haven't changed. Governments and states must have a principled stance. At the time of the crime, Turkey apparently had the Saudi Consulate bugged and shared audio of the killing with the CIA, among others. The slaying sparked international outrage and condemnation. Western intelligence agencies, as well as the U.S. Congress, have said that an operation of such magnitude could not have happened without knowledge of the prince. Turkey, which had vowed to shed light on the brutal killing, began prosecuting the defendants in absentia in 2020 after Saudi Arabia rejected requests for their extradition. The defendants included two former aides of the prince. Some of the men were put on trial in Riyadh behind closed doors. A Saudi court issued a final verdict in 2020 that sentenced five mid-level officials and operatives to 20-year jail terms. The court had originally ordered the death penalty, but reduced the punishment after Khashoggis son Salah, who lives in Saudi Arabia, announced that he forgave the defendants. Three others were sentenced to lesser jail terms. Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly will vote Thursday on whether to suspend Russia from the U.N.s premier human rights body. The move was initiated by the United States in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, sparking calls for its forces to be tried for war crimes. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians. The videos and reporting from the town have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility. We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable, Thomas-Greenfield said Monday. Russias participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce. General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said Wednesday the assemblys emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday when the resolution to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation will be put to a vote. While the Human Rights Council is based in Geneva, its members are elected by the 193-nation General Assembly for three-year terms. The March 2006 resolution that established the Human Rights Council states that the assembly may suspend membership rights of a country that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. The brief resolution to be voted on expresses grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at the reports of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights. To be approved, the resolution requires a two-thirds majority of assembly members that vote yes or no. Abstentions dont count. The General Assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on March 24 on a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival. The vote was almost exactly the same as for the March 2 resolution the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its forces and protection for all civilians. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions. Thomas-Greenfield said Monday that her message to the 140 members who voted in favor of those two resolutions to support Russias suspension from the Human Rights Council is simple: The images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us now to match our words with action. We cannot let a member state that is subverting every principle we hold dear to continue to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council, she said. Supporters of the resolution are optimistic about its approval, though not necessarily with the support of 140 countries. Russia asked an unspecified number of countries to vote no, saying an abstention or not voting would be considered unfriendly and would affect bilateral relations. In its so-called non-paper obtained by The Associated Press, Russia said the attempt to expel it from the Human Rights Council is political and being supported by various countries to preserve their dominant position and control over the world and continue the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights in international relations. Russia said its priority Is to promote and defend human rights, including multilaterally in the Human Rights Council. Russias ambassador in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, called the U.S. action unfounded and purely emotional bravado that looks good on camera -- just how the U.S. likes it. Washington exploits the Ukrainian crisis for its own benefit in an attempt either to exclude or suspend Russia from international organizations, Gatilov said, in comments relayed by a Russian diplomatic mission spokesman. Russia and the other four veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Britain, China, France, and the United States all currently have seats on the Human Rights Council, which the U.S. rejoined this year. The only country to have its membership rights stripped at the council was Libya in 2011, when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi, said council spokesman Rolando Gomez. No permanent member of the Security Council has ever had its membership revoked from any U.N. body. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Headscarves or head coverings are ubiquitous in one form or the other in every society, either culturally or as a manifestation of religious observance. The practice of head coverings and veils has been an integral part of all the monotheistic religions, i.e., Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Skull caps are worn in the Jewish faith yarmulkes by the men, sheitlen by the women. Christian head coverings, veiling, is known and practiced across all denominations. Hijab which in Arabic means modesty is a scarf worn by Muslim women as a part of their religious attire or practice. It is entirely a personal decision made by the millions of Muslim women around the world. Unfortunately, Muslim women are subjected to daily instances of bigotry, hate and Islamophobia. Hijab is not something new or alien to any society. The recent hijab controversy in India, and an ongoing hostility and banning of hijab in France and other European countries , is nothing but religious and cultural intolerance. In the last few decades Islamophobia has been on the rise and Muslim women have become an easy target. In India some form of head covering or scarf is worn by the women of Hindu and Jain faith. Dastar Sikhs wear turbans as a part of the Sikh religious identity. Muslims and Hindus in India coexisted for more than a millennium. Religious pluralism was a hallmark of Indian culture. Anti-hijab rhetoric in India is a new phenomenon and aligned with the wave of Islamophobia. France has colonized and ruled Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and West Africa predominantly Muslim countries for well over a century and is well familiar with the tradition of hijab. The British ruled India for almost 200 years and hijab was never on their radar. Muslim population in Europe is about 5%. Millions of these Muslims are now an integral part of European society, contributing to the socioeconomic development and human resources. Muslim population in India is around 213 million. Muslims in India constitute about 15.4% of the countrys 1.4 billion population according to the Pew Research Center. After Christianity, Islam is the second largest religion in the world, about 25% of the world population. We must reaffirm religious tolerance, recognize strength in diversity and stand against hate and bigotry. We need to strive for a more harmonious society, where people have freedom to live and practice whatever religion or culture they choose Dr. Syed Sajid Husain is an emeritus associate professor of clinical nuclear medicine from the University at Buffalo. I am confident that Donald Trump never heard President Kennedys famous inaugural exhortation Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country. If Trump ever did hear it, he likely mocked it and said only suckers would fall for that, because for Trump patriotism is for suckers. The country be damned, what can you do for me is Trumps motto. For Trump, it doesnt matter who he seeks out to act for his benefit, or who it is that is hurt in the process. Whether the party injured is an individual or a nation is of no consequence for this narcissistic monster. This was best illustrated by Trumps recent call out to Vladimir Putin, who is currently engaging in mass murder in Ukraine, to take some time out from his busy killing spree to dig up some dirt on President Joe Bidens family. Sydney, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies: Solis Minerals Ltd (TSX-V:SLMN, ASX:SLM) has completed the fourth and final hole of the first phase of drilling at Mostazal Copper Project in Chile with all four holes intersecting copper sulphides, supporting the potential for a very large copper system. Click here International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6) hit the boards today after a $10 million initial public offering (IPO) at 20 cents per share and acquisition of the Springdale Graphite Project in southern Western Australia. Click here Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX, OTCQX:BLSTF) has completed its first Digbee ESGTM assessment to progress Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals for the development of the Ta Khoa Project in Vietnam. Click here Emyria Ltd (ASX:EMD) has started dosing participants in a clinical trial comparing EMD-RX5, its proprietary capsule of ultra-pure CBD, with the currently available Epidyolex. Click here Hartshead Resources NL (ASX:HHR) has delivered a 49% increase in Phase I technically recoverable gas volumes for Licence P2607 in the UK Southern Gas Basin to a net 324 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas. Click here American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR) has delivered positive results from a metallurgical testing campaign at its flagship La Paz Rare Earth Project in Arizona with ore responding well to conventional processing technology. Click here AuKing Mining Ltd (ASX:AKN) has bolstered the JORC-compliant resource at its Koongie Park Copper-Zinc Project in northern WA by 30%. Click here Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX:OKR) is on the verge of becoming a significant player in the US uranium market after inking a deal to acquire 51% of the high-grade Hansen uranium deposit in Colorado. Click here Horizon Minerals Ltd (ASX:HRZ) is encouraged by results from first-pass reconnaissance drilling at the Lakewood Project near Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, as it tests for multi-commodity potential with the palladium and platinum mineralisation particularly pleasing. Click here Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH, OTCQB:COPHF)s acquisition target Sierra Sage Herbs LLC (SSH) has expanded its US distribution footprint and is now selling a selection of its leading Green Goo products into an additional 20,000 points of sale across the US. Click here Stellar Resources Ltd (ASX:SRZ) has set the drills turning in Tasmania for a Phase 2A drilling program at its flagship Heemskirk Tin Project. Click here NickelSearch Ltd (ASX:NIS)s strategic partner Alpha Fine Chemicals (AFC) is advancing plans to build and operate a nickel sulphate plant in Rayong Province, Thailand, and has passed a funding milestone. Click here Golden Rim Resources Ltd (ASX:GMR) has begun an Induced Polarisation (IP)/ground magnetics geophysical survey at its Kada Gold Project in Guinea. Click here Red 5 Ltd (ASX:RED) remains on track for first gold production this quarter at the 2.4-million-ounce King of the Hills (KOTH) Gold Project in Western Australia after scoring further key construction and operational readiness goals last month. Click here Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT, OTC:ELTLF) has moved to advance the Oropesa Tin Project in Spain to the next stage with the submission of mining and environmental regulatory documents to the Junta de Andalucia. Click here Openn Negotiation Ltd (ASX:OPN) has had a busy morning with two developments in North America, including an agreement with The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) to conduct a pilot program for the Openn platform with CREA and its members, and preparing for the launch of the platform in Canada. Click here FAR Ltd (ASX:FAR) has added further financial expertise to the team with a new chief financial officer (CFO). Click here AdAlta Ltd (ASX:1AD) has expanded its global patent portfolio with the grant of the first Indian patent relating to its lead program, AD-214, from the Indian Patent Office. Click here Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX:OBM)s managing director and CEO Peter Nicholson has stepped down from his leadership post. Click here Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN) has gained confidence that the Great White Kaolin Project (GWKP) will be a global contributor of high-grade kaolin with the completion of a robust definitive feasibility study (DFS) and an updated ore reserve. Click here Ex-rebel Antonio Pardo (right) and Andres Stapper (left) of the Agency for Reincorporation promoted the coffee in London "Tropics - Fruits of Hope" is the inspirational name former rebels in Colombia have chosen for their new venture. A premium coffee, "Fruits of Hope" is grown, harvested and roasted by more than 1,000 guerrilla fighters who laid down their arms following the signing of a peace agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and the government in 2016. Last week, a former rebel came to London to promote "Fruits of Hope" - a special edition marking the fifth anniversary of the peace agreement - at the annual London Coffee Festival. The combatants-turned-coffee growers hope their latest product will be as successful as their "Spirit of Peace Ex Combatants", which was named "Best of the Best" at the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award in 2019. Tropicos is a special edition released to mark the fifth anniversary of the peace deal They are among almost 13,000 former Farc guerrillas who have joined the Colombian government's process of reincorporation into civilian society. Rather than hiding their past, many make a virtue of their unusual entry into the labour market by alluding to it in the names they give their products. One of the beers they brew is named "La Trocha", Spanish for the small paths used by the rebels to criss-cross the Colombian jungle. Clothes designed and made by one of their co-operatives were shown at the fashion show "Pazarela", a play on the Spanish words for peace (paz) and catwalk (pasarela). La Trocha is one of the beers produced by former members of the Farc The man who has travelled from the coffee-growing Cauca region to London to promote "Fruits of Hope" also does not hide his past. "My name is Antonio Pardo," he says, automatically giving his nom de guerre. Asked why he still uses the alias instead of his family name, he explains that he no longer associates it with the conflict in which he fought for 10 years. "It's not a nom de guerre to me, it's a peace name now," he says, adding that most of his friends and former comrades would not recognise the name Jhon Jairo Moreno. "That's just the name on my ID and, of course, the one my family calls me." Story continues Mr Pardo, who joined the Farc as an 18-year-old sociology student in the city of Cali, says that he and his fellow ex-combatants are 100% committed to peace now. He says that in his rebel cell, made up of 50 fighters, everyone embraced the peace process that put an end to the decades-long conflict in which 260,000 people were killed. "There came a point at which we recognised that the majority of people in our country wanted an end to the violence." 'Traumatic' He adds that there were elements both on the political far right and far left who wanted the conflict to carry on, but insists that the vast majority of those in the Farc signed up to the peace deal. Mr Pardo describes the years which followed as "traumatic". It took much longer than expected to house those who had demobilised. And out of their jungle hideouts, the newly disarmed rebels became sitting ducks for other armed groups looking to settle old scores. Farc rebels gathered in demobilisation camps such as this one in La Elvira "There were failures on the part of the government, failures they described as delays. But those delays could be deadly for us," he says referring to the more than 300 demobilised Farc rebels who have been killed since the 2016 signing of the peace agreement. Mr Pardo himself became the target of an assassination attempt last October when a gunman tried to open fire at a restaurant. The former rebel was lucky, the gun jammed and the assailant fled after being confronted by one of Mr Pardo's bodyguards. Dangerous dissidents There are also Farc offshoots - groups that did not agree with the peace deal and refused to lay down arms - which continue to mount attacks in Colombia. Dissident Farc leaders announced the formation of a group called Segunda Marquetalia in 2019 Colombian security sources put the number of these dissidents at 2,400 and describe them as one of the biggest dangers to the country's security. Mr Pardo insists that while these dissident groups may be led by some former Farc members, their rank and file is mainly made up of newly recruited fighters. And it is this facility to recruit people willing to take up arms which he sees as a continuing threat to peace in Colombia. But he says that the work demobilised Farc members are doing in coffee co-operatives and other reincorporation projects is building trust between former rebels and the community at large. The head of Colombia's Agency for Reincorporation and Normalisation (ARN), Andres Felipe Stapper, says that involving local communities in the reintegration of the rebels has been key to the programme's acceptance. He says that the idea is for locals to benefit from the projects, such as the building of housing and the paving of roads, and that in many cases they work alongside former rebels. Often the ideas for the projects come from the ex-rebels themselves, he says. Mr Stapper's favourite is Caguan Expeditions, which offers white-water rafting tours guided by a mixed team of locals and former guerrilla fighters on a river running through a former rebel stronghold. Caguan Expeditions is one of thousands of projects launched by ex-rebels In 2019, the eight guides were invited to the World Rafting Championships in Australia. The team may not have been part of the official competition but the international recognition they received did its part towards bolstering reincorporation efforts back in Colombia. Antonio Pardo, who made the move from rebel to coffee grower, is adamant that despite the risks he and others still face it is time to put thoughts of retribution aside. "What the country wants is for the war to stop, so there are no more victims so that we can all move forward together." A patriotic symbol was shot down in Dunn County last week. Last Friday morning, a wounded eagle was found in the ditch on 135th Avenue west of 20th Street in the township of Cooks Valley in Dunn County. The concerned citizen who found the bird contacted Chippewa County Sheriff candidate Travis Hakes at about 11 a.m. Friday, Hakes wrote in a Facebook post. After working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo, it was determined the eagle suffered injuries related to being shot with bird shot. The DNR is actively investigating the matter, as the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act enacted in 1940 made it illegal to possess, sell, hunt, or even offer to sell, hunt or possess bald eagles. The eagle is in stable condition. In response to Hakes Facebook post about the eagle finding, over a dozen individuals have offered money as a reward to anyone who helps find the individual(s) responsible and leads to a conviction. Hakes himself is willing to donate $250 to the cause, with donations totaling over $5,000 so far. I will reach out to all contributors if we get a tip, only then will I collect or set up a secure payment method, Hakes said. If you have any information related to this case, you can contact the Chippewa County tipster line at 715-726-4563, or the Chippewa County non-emergency line at 715-726-7701. The DNR and Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalcyzk are continuing to investigate any leads that come in. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has fined an election denier who was previously convicted of making fraudulent claims to investors more than $2,400 for filing frivolous complaints of alleged voter fraud. Peter Bernegger, of New London, who was convicted in Mississippi federal court in 2009 for making fraudulent claims to investors in his business, filed multiple claims of voter fraud with the bipartisan elections commission earlier this year. He also presented his claims before the Assembly elections committee in February, just four days after his fourth and final complaint was filed. The commission ultimately voted in a late February closed session that Berneggers claims were frivolous. A majority of commissioners ordered him to pay $2,403 in fines, $1 for each claim that was considered meritless, according to public records first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bernegger has aided Republicans in the GOP-ordered review of the 2020 election being conducted by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who has also made claims of widespread fraud in the states presidential election. Some details of Berneggers individual complaints were not made available, but documents show that one complaint alone included 2,352 allegations. Ultimately, the commissions majority determined that Berneggers complaints failed to provide reasonable suspicion of a violation of election laws. The commission also dismissed two complaints Bernegger filed against the agencys administrator Meagan Wolfe, noting that ruling on such a matter would reflect a conflict of interest. Bernegger told the Journal Sentinel that he planned to appeal the commissions dismissal of his complaints to circuit court. Bernegger was one of several individuals invited by the Assembly elections committee to provide testimony over the last several months. Others include Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private grant funding provided to cities to help administer the 2020 election; Gableman, a Republican who has been hired by the Legislature to conduct the ongoing GOP-ordered review of the election; and Doug Frank, an Ohio scientist who made baseless claims that Wisconsins election likely was stolen. State election officials later debunked many of what they described as unverified, fantastical claims of widespread election fraud, including several made by Bernegger. Among Berneggers claims was that more than 300 people registered to vote at an address that no longer exists, though the election commissions technology director Robert Kehoe later determined that the address in question belongs to a UW-Parkside apartment complex on a street that has since been renamed. In another instance, Bernegger cited hundreds of registered voters at 437 N. Frances St., one of the largest apartment complexes in Madison. Kehoe said such claims that tens of thousands of fake voters were created to cast ballots in the 2020 election were shocking and frightening. Recounts and court decisions affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Unfounded claims of widespread election fraud have persisted now for 17 months after the election, fueled in part by Trumps claim that the election was stolen allegations that have been repeated by Gableman, who was hired last summer to lead the GOP-ordered review of the election at a cost of $676,000 in taxpayer funds. After extending Gablemans contract through the end of April, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, later said he was considering rescinding subpoenas issued by the former justice so that a Republican attorney general if elected in November could file criminal charges against the subpoenaed individuals, though he did not provide specifics on what charges could be pursued. The new contract maintains Gablemans existing budget, but does allow for the possibility of added funds to cover the costs of legal battles related to the probe. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Wisconsin regulators have approved a massive solar farm in southeast Dane County despite protests from neighbors who say it will mar the landscape and stymie urban development. The Public Service Commission voted 2-0 Thursday to allow Invenergy to build the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center on about 2,400 acres west of Cambridge. The 465-megawatt solar-plus-storage facility will produce enough energy to power about a third of the countys homes. Koshkonong is the twelfth and largest solar project approved by the commission and the first of its kind in Dane County. It includes the largest battery storage component yet approved in Wisconsin. Three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, are seeking to purchase the project for $649 million as part of their plans to replace coal-fired power plants with carbon-free generation. This case just presents a reality of where were at in the transition, said Commissioner Ellen Nowak. The state itself and residents are going to be faced with more of this. PSC Chair Rebecca Valcq said the commission has an obligation to ensure the state has adequate generation resources, which have to be built in someones backyard. It rises to the level of BANANA -- build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything, Valcq said. We dont have that luxury. Commissioner Tyler Huebner recused himself from the Koshkonong proceedings after opponents said his advocacy for the project prior to joining the commission created an appearance of bias. The project has faced fierce opposition from neighbors, the surrounding town of Christiana, the Cambridge School District and the village of Cambridge as well as activists who have fought other utility projects across southern Wisconsin. They say the industrial-scale project will forever change the rural landscape around Cambridge and landlock the bedroom community, which has little other land available for new housing. They worry about the hazards of living near the 165-megawatt lithium-ion battery array and argue there are more cost-effective ways to lower carbon emissions. The contempt with which these Commissioners treated the affected communities and citizens is breathtaking, said Frank Jablonski, an attorney representing opponents. The Commissions commentary also seemed calculated to send a message across the state: Energy sprawl is your future, and whenever it is asked, neither citizens nor communities nor common sense nor local environments will stand in the way. Opponents argue the project will benefit a handful of landowners at the expense of their neighbors views and property values while using up prime farmland. But Dennis Lund, who has agreed to lease about 500 acres of his land for solar panels, said farmers need the income to remain profitable without selling off their land. We feel like were in a zoo for the glorification of those who like to look at what we do, he said. Theyre not concerned if we can survive or not. Opponents also challenged the legality of the developers lease agreements, which they argue violate a provision in the state constitution that limits long-term leases on farmland. The commission dismissed the challenge, which they said was based on a misreading of the 174-year-old document and failed to consider existing laws and court rulings. The commission did not consider the projects potential value to ratepayers, a question that will be addressed when it decides whether to allow the utilities to buy the plant. Opponents say utilities are exploiting a legal loophole to avoid regulatory scrutiny, though the commission previously rejected that argument. Under state law, unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost-effective solution. Utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs, with interest, to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard. Supporters, including the Sierra Club, Clean Wisconsin and Dane County sustainability groups, argue the project is needed for the swift transition to clean energy that the worlds climate scientists say is necessary to slow climate change. To do that, the International Energy Agency says the world will need to quadruple the current pace of wind and solar development, which will mean building the equivalent of four Koshkonong-size projects per day over the next decade. Chelsea Chandler, energy and air program director for Clean Wisconsin, said the approval was a needed step toward clean energy in a state where solar now accounts for less than 1% of generation. Chandler said large-scale utility projects like Koshkonong are needed in addition to consumer-owned rooftop solar and energy conservation measures for which opponents of the project argued. The urgency of the climate crisis means that we need all hands on deck implementing all kinds of climate solutions, she said. Theres no silver bullet; we need silver buckshot. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As we approach the final days of the 2022 legislative session, the Nebraska Unicameral has the opportunity to deliver smart criminal justice reforms that will enhance public safety and benefit all Nebraskans. These changes will allow us to better manage our inmate population and provide modern resources to prepare offenders for life after time servedwithout compromising public safety. However, there are a small subset of soft-on-crime reforms that would have a large, negative impact. Senator Steve Lathrop, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, is holding reasonable policies hostage to promote four soft-on-crime measures that would jeopardize public safety. Last year, the Nebraska Criminal Justice Reinvestment Working Group considered ways to better protect public safety and manage Nebraskas inmate population. The group looked at data collected from Nebraskas criminal justice system and analyzed by the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI). After many discussions, the group reached consensus around seventeen recommendations. However, there were four other proposals included in the report that did not receive consensus approval. Senator Lathrop has decided he doesnt want to work on the 80% of reforms our group agrees upon. Instead, hes focused on the four non-consensus items. Most of these policies are complete non-starters for anyone looking to serve victims of crime and promote public safety. One policy item would limit the use of consecutive sentences. This means someone could commit three crimes on the same day, and serve time for just one crime. This would handcuff a judges ability to issue a sentence appropriate for the crimes committed. The limitation on consecutive sentences isnt even tied to overly harsh sentencing. CJIs own analysis found that judges use of consecutive sentences has remained flat over the last decade, and the median time served for those incarcerated on a consecutive sentence has remained unchanged. Furthermore, Nebraska already has a very generous good time law which reduces most sentences by half. Two other policies would soften penalties for drug crimes. One would end mandatory minimum sentences, including for drug dealers, while the other would reclassify all drug possession offenses as misdemeanors. With our broken Southern border, drugs have been flooding into the U.S. from Mexico during the Biden-Harris Administration. In January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 1,066% increase in the amount of fentanyl confiscated in South Texas in the 2021 fiscal year. Weve seen a staggering increase in Nebraska, as well. Last year, Omaha DEA seized 26 kilograms of fentanyl. Thats more than ten times the amount seized in 2020, and its the equivalent of 13 million lethal doses. Lincoln and Omaha have seen a spike in overdoses as our entire nation battles the scourge of fentanyl on our streets. Weakening penalties for drug dealing will only increase the spread of these deadly substances throughout Nebraska. For drug possession offenses, incarceration is typically the last resort. Its common for drug possession offenders to be given the opportunity to attend drug court, a diversion program, plead to a misdemeanor offense, or receive a sentence of probation. The policy Senator Lathrop is pushing would limit a person on their 10th offense for possession of hard drugs to a misdemeanor. The fourth non-consensus proposal would let elderly criminals out of jail early. Inmates incarcerated for serious and violent crimeslike first degree sexual assault or sexual assault on a childshould not be released from prison after just 15 years simply because of their age. We have seen many cases in Nebraska over the years where older inmates have been released from prison and gone on to reoffend. For example, Laddie Dittrich was originally convicted of burglary and first-degree murder in 1973 for his involvement in the stabbing death of an Omaha man. He received a life sentence. In April 2013, Dittrich was pardoned, and his sentence was commuted. Dittrich was paroled in May 2014 at the age of 68. Just six months later, Dittrich was arrested for third-degree sexual assault on a child. Letting violent criminals out of prison early simply because of their age would be a disservice to the victims of crime who deserve justice and would put Nebraskans at risk. The bulk of these non-consensus proposals should be outright abandoned. As theyre currently written, all of them should be. Instead, the Legislature should pursue the seventeen reforms that the working group agreed upon. These include measures to improve access to mental healthcare for individuals on parole or probation; provide transitional housing for Nebraskans recently released from prison looking to make a fresh start; and increase the availability of problem-solving courts. These are a few examples of the many smart criminal justice reforms everyone can unite behind. The 2022 session only has a few weeks remaining. Now is not the time to tie up the Unicameral with divisive proposals that would weaken public safety, especially not at the expense of these common-sense measures. Now is the time for action, not antics, on public safety. Nebraska already has the lowest incarceration rate of any surrounding state. Senators can make smart criminal justice reforms this session to further address the capacity of our corrections system. I encourage you to contact your state senator to let them know your thoughts on these soft-on-crime policies. You can find their contact information at nebraskalegislature.gov. If you have questions about my commitment to public safety, please email me at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2244. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Central Community College-Columbus Director Stephanie Tschetter said if she had to sum up the college's upcoming production of Dearly Departed," the show "is a comedy about death." The community will have the next few days to see the show. Opening is 7 p.m. Thursday, and includes performances 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A matinee is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday. All performances are at the Columbus Campus Fine Arts Theatre, 4500 63rd St. Tickets cost $5 while faculty, staff and students get in for free. Dearly Departed written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones follows a Southern family who is trying to keep themselves together following the death of the family patriarch. The family is full of colorful characters and the neighbors around them are quite odd as well. (The play) is about how (the fathers) wife and children deal with his death in this weird town that they live in where all the people are just a little bit unique, Tschetter said. Tschetter said shes wanted to do a production of Dearly Departed for a few years and thanks to this years cast it came to fruition. (The students) bring excitement and energy because its been a long time to perform anything fully because of COVID, she said. We either had audience restrictions or shorter plays or scenes or everyone was socially distant and had masks. "With this group, they were excited to do anything and I felt like a comedy with them was the right choice because a lot of them have a great comedic instinct and find things in the script that they find really funny. Theyre able to bring that out in their character. The show has also allowed sophomore Wyatt Hornaman to tap into emotions outside of his personality including anger. The soft-spoken, kind performer plays the hot-headed son Ray-Bud and yet after talking with Hornaman for mere seconds its noticeable that hes nothing like his character. Its been a pretty interesting experience, he said. In my personal life, Im more of a shy person. I dont really get too emotional, especially when it comes to anger. But by being able to play a character like this it helps me grow as an actor. CCC student Coralea Montague who plays the recently widowed Raynelle said shes enjoyed the experience as her castmates are fun to be around both on and off stage. The play itself is so funny, Montague said. Its definitely getting me out of my comfort zone because I dont look like an old lady. Montague who was in full costume at the time however, played the part well, sporting a gray wig to go along with an older pair of glasses and attire. Tschetter said shes looking forward to showcase the community the humor of the play. Im excited for opening night and hear people laugh because now its just me, she said, with a laugh. Tschetter also warned the production does have mild language. So depending on where you stand on that, that may be something to look out for, said Tschetter. Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN A bill that would have primed Nebraska to ban all abortions died on the floor of the Legislature Wednesday. Legislative Bill 933 failed to receive the 33 votes it needed to end an eight-hour filibuster, which effectively renders the bill dead with no other way to move forward. The final vote was 31-15, with three senators excused. The bills failure, which was celebrated by abortion-rights proponents, leaves anti-abortion lawmakers with few options to restrict access during the final six days of the legislative session. "Today, a small but mighty group of state senators stood strongly in support of gender equity to ensure that abortion access remains safe and legal in Nebraska," Jo Giles, executive director of the Women's Fund of Omaha said in a statement. LB 933 would have banned all abortions in Nebraska if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, or if the U.S. Constitution or federal law is amended to give control over abortion to individual states. Such measures are referred to as trigger bills. The Supreme Court could decide the fate of Roe v. Wade later this year. State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston said she introduced LB 933 so the Legislature could avoid a special session if the trigger event happens before the next regular session. Protesters gathered at the Nebraska Capitol Wednesday to watch the debate from the Legislature's balcony. A group of about 50 people wearing pink shirts collected in the rotunda while the Legislature was in recess during lunch to advocate against the bill. After it failed Wednesday, Albrecht said she hopes voters remember who voted against the bill the next time they are up for election. She said she has no other efforts to restrict abortions this session. Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who led the eight-hour filibuster, described LB 933 as "a church bill" brought by "Christian religious extremists." While senators criticized Hunt for taking time away from discussing other amendments, Hunt said that was her intent. "You're going to wait eight hours, because I'm driving this ship, and it's an eight-hour cruise," Hunt said. How they voted Yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams No (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing-Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart Excused (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne LB 933, along with two other abortion-restricting bills, stalled in the Judiciary Committee in March, but was pulled out of committee through a majority vote in the Legislature. If triggered, LB 933 would have made it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, starting at fertilization. The woman undergoing an abortion, however, could not be charged. Opponents pointed to this aspect of the bill, arguing that the language would not effectively ban all abortions but instead make it impossible for women to receive abortions safely. Lawmakers said women may instead seek out "back alley abortions" or other rumored methods that would endanger their lives. "Abortion needs to be protected, or otherwise it will go underground," said Sen. John McCollister of Omaha. Opponents also criticized the bill for putting the penalty on doctors or other professionals who administer an abortion. LB 933 would not have provided exemptions, including for rape or incest, but would have allowed licensed physicians charged under the law to use as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the womans death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ. Though supporters framed this as a feature that would protect doctors, other lawmakers said the doctors would still need to be charged with a felony in order to use this as a defense. Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, who previously said he always supports anti-abortion bills, said he was concerned this aspect would cost physicians thousands of dollars, and could hinder doctors' chances of continuing their profession. Hilkemann proposed an amendment that would remove the felony penalty for physicians. Instead, abortions would be reported to the Board of Medicine and Surgery. The Legislature did not consider Hilkemann's amendment Wednesday, but Hilkemann still voted to end debate. Supporters argued that doctors would also be protected by language in the bill that specifies that it is only a felony if there is an intent to kill the unborn child. Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk said no physicians have been prosecuted since the 2010 passage of legislation banning abortion in Nebraska beyond 20 weeks of conception. However, Sen. Jen Day of Omaha argued that the language in LB 933 was vague. Even in a scenario where a doctor is performing an abortion to save a woman's life, Day said they are still intentionally ending the fetus' life. "We're creating a whole new area of gray here," Day said. Supporters continually brought back the same argument: That life begins at fertilization. "We need to recognize the stages inside the womb, and protect these human beings," said Sen. John Arch of La Vista. However, opponents said this definition creates other issues, and could unintentionally ban some forms of contraception and in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Albrecht and other supporters denied this. Opponents continually criticized the bill's lack of exception for rape or incest cases. Supporters countered by arguing there are plenty of non-abortion options, such as adoption, for women who don't want to keep their children. Albrecht said Nebraska has more than 20 privately funded centers that help pregnant women. "I am pro-woman," said Sen. John Lowe of Kearney. "I am also pro-child. What we're talking about here is the murder of a child." Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said the group would not be deterred by the defeat of LB 933, which Danek called "historic legislation." "We believe that a mother and her child are worthy of love and support," she said in a press release. "We will continue our work with education, legislative efforts and political action until every life is protected and honored in our state. The two other bills that stalled in the Judiciary Committee last month would ban abortions after a certain period. LB 1086 would ban chemical abortions after seven weeks. LB 781 would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat can be detected usually at about six weeks gestation, before most women are aware that they are pregnant. Under current rulings, abortion is legal until the point a fetus can survive outside the womb, which is usually around 24 weeks. That could change this summer when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a proposed 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. The case could end the national right to abortion enshrined by Roe v. Wade and leave the question up to states. With a ruling likely this summer, a number of Republican-led states have passed aggressive anti-abortion legislation. On Tuesday the Oklahoma House approved a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In March, lawmakers in Arizona and Florida passed 15-week abortion bans. This story has been updated since it was originally published. It includes material from the Associated Press. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Passover is coming soon, and the Jewish community is busy getting ready. Passover (Pesach) starts a week from now, Friday evening on April 15. That will be the night of our first Seder. The Jewish calendar date for the start of Passover is the 15th day of the month of Nisan and runs for eight days. During that period Jews will not eat leavened bread but instead will eat Matzah, a hard flat wheat bread. We celebrate Passover to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt, an event many of you are familiar with from reading the Bible or from the movies (remember Charlton Heston as Moses?). During Passover, Jews tell and retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt during the ceremonial meals called Seder. Most Jews celebrate two Seders, one on Friday night (April 15) and one on Saturday night (April 16). It is a wonderful time for families and friends to get together to tell the story about the Exodus. I am looking forward to hosting Seder this year at my home, with my daughter and in-laws coming to celebrate with me. As Jews we are obligated to pass the story on to our children, and the Seder is how we do that. The Seder, which means order, is a series of ritual prayers, questions and answers, as well as special foods that we eat. The youngest person at the Seder will ask four questions about why this night is different, why we eat only bitter herbs and matzah, and why we relax around the Seder table. I must admit that in my Seder this year, the youngest person will be in his mid-30s, so we will all do the four questions together. Well, you are as young as you feel, they say! The rest of the Seder consists of the older participants telling the story to answer those questions. It starts with when Jacobs family went down to Egypt to escape a famine, at the invitation of Joseph. But later a Pharaoh arose who didnt know Joseph and his contributions to the people of Egypt, so he enslaved the Jews. As you know, Moses was later born in Egypt and raised in the house of Pharaoh and became a defender of the Jews. He tried to convince Pharaoh to let the Jews go, and it took 10 terrible plagues to convince Pharaoh to let them go. We eat the bitter herbs to commemorate the bitterness of slavery. We eat the matzah, the unleavened bread, to commemorate the haste in which we left Egypt, because we didnt have time for our bread to rise. And we drop 10 drops of our Passover wine out of our cups to commemorate the sufferings of the Egyptian people from the 10 plagues. An important ritual of the Passover Seder comes at the end, when we open the door to welcome Elijah the Prophet to our Seder. Traditionally Elijah visits each Seder and drinks a little wine from a special cup set out for him at the beginning of the Seder. After the meal and blessings, we open the door to the house and invite Elijah in. Children watch the Elijah cup very carefully for signs that the wine has been drunk, while the adults sing Eliyahu Ha Navi, in which we wish for the coming of Elijah, soon and in our day. We believe that Elijah will come to announce the arrival of the Messianic age, when we will all live in peace together. It is an important reminder to us all that we need to work together with all other people to bring that Peace to the Earth; that we need to work together to bring the Messianic age. Did you notice above in this column, I said we left Egypt? We emphasize during the Seder that it was not just our ancestors who escaped from Egypt, but that we all escaped from Egypt. God did not perform the miracles of the Exodus for our ancestors alone; God performed those miracles for us, too. Almost immediately after Passover comes a very solemn day of remembrance, Yom HaShoah, which is the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust. This year Yom HaShoah will start Wednesday evening, April 27, and run through that Thursday. The Jewish calendar date will be the 27th day of Nissan, during the same month as Passover. Yom HaShoah is linked to the Passover holiday historically. The holiday was created by the State of Israel in 1951, to commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Nazis that started on 14 Nissan/April 19, 1943, the day before Passover. Like the original Passover, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was a struggle for freedom. Yom HaShoah is a very somber holiday, whose purpose is to commemorate the millions of people, including 6 million Jews, who were murdered by the Nazi genocide in Europe in the 1930s and 40s. It is a custom in many Jewish communities to read the names, over a 24-hour period, of the 6 million Jewish victims who were killed, so that their names are never forgotten. An important link between Passover and Yom HaShoah is the theme that we are all obligated to work for freedom and justice for all peoples, even as we remember our ancestors and those we have lost to genocide. It is incumbent on each of us to work for peace and for the freedom of all people now, in our time, in our land and on our Earth. So, when we sing Eliyahu Ha Navi, we must truly be working toward that Messianic Age where there will be peace for all people, for all of Gods creatures and for Gods entire creation. There are many issues today that we are responsible to resolve, including providing safe sanctuary for people fleeing war and genocide (just like our ancestors fled Egypt from oppression), and saving the planet. May we all work together to bring peace and justice on our Earth. Emily Burt-Hedrick is the president of the Congregation Beth Tikvah. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Cumberland County Coroners Office identified the two people found dead in a home in New Cumberland after a shooting Wednesday morning. The coroners office said Joseph Pentz, 32, of Etters, and Jessica McCulloch, 36, of New Cumberland, both died of gunshot wounds to the head. Though the coroners office did not have investigative details regarding what happened, it did say that Pentzs manner of death was suicide, while McCullochs manner of death was homicide. Cumberland County Public Information Office John Bruetsch reported earlier that three people had been shot in the incident in the 1200 block of Bridge Street. Police were called to the scene about 6:15 that morning, and one person was transported to the hospital with gunshot injuries while the other two were pronounced dead at the scene. Bruetsch said there were children in the house at the time, but they were not injured. Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Information is from police reports and may be incomplete depending on the status of an investigation. Phone numbers are nonemergency. Roof work planned for this summer at Yellow Breeches Middle School could carry over into the start of next school year, a consultant said Monday. Randy Kline, a senior field adviser for Tremco of Hershey, briefed the South Middleton School Board on the scope of work for the $1.19 million project. Board members are scheduled to vote on April 19 on a contract with David M. Maines & Associates Inc. of Lewistown, Mifflin County. Pending board approval, restoration of the roof could begin in late July or early August and last into the second or third week of September based on the current workload, Kline said. To minimize disruption from noise, the plan is to work when classes are not in session on the installation of drains and the removal of wet spots from under the roof membrane, he said. The current roof is original to the building, which opened in late October 2000. There have been reports of leaks throughout the middle school following rainfall. Last year, the board extended the warranty on the roof. Tremco has been a roof consultant for the district for at least 15 years, advising administrators and board members on diagnostics, repairs, replacement and restoration work, Kline said. Infrared cameras have been used several times in recent years to scan the roof for wet spots, he said. We have been trying to avoid a replacement at all costs, Kline said, adding the industry trend has been to keep underlying roof structures intact and out of landfills as much as possible. The plan for Yellow Breeches Middle School is to mix and roll out layers of laminate over the school roof surface to protect and reinforce the underlying membrane, Kline said. Its a restoration of that system, he told board members. We brought in four contractors to look at the roof. Three have worked for the district [in the past]. They have all used this type of process before. For this project, the district is using the Keystone Purchasing Network, a cooperative purchasing program administered through the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit. Use of the network is endorsed by both the Pennsylvania School Board Association and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials, Kline said. Joseph Cress is a reporter for The Sentinel covering education and history. You can reach him at jcress@cumberlink.com or by calling 717-218-0022. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Press Release April 7, 2022 De Lima shares result of medical tests, grateful she is healthy Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima disclosed that the tests conducted during her routine general medical checkup from April 5-6 bared good results as they showed that she is not suffering from any serious or alarming health condition. De Lima, who was allowed to go on a medical furlough, said she is thankful for being blessed with good health and people who genuinely care for her. "Lumabas na po ang mga resulta ng kakatapos ko lang na annual routine checkup. Sa awa po ng Diyos ay wala pong nakita na nakakabahalang sakit o seryosong karamdaman. I am well and I thank the Lord for continuously blessing me with good health," she said. "I am grateful to my family, friends and supporters for their prayers and compassion. My most profound gratitude also to the doctors, nurses and staff of Manila Doctors Hospital for taking good care of me. Maraming salamat. Bukod sa dasal, kayo po ang nagpapalakas ng loob ko," she added. De Lima was confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital for roughly 28 hours, from April 5-6, after her Very Urgent Motion for Medical Furlough was granted by the Muntinlupa Courts handling her remaining two cases. In her five-page Motion, the Senator stated that a general medical examination is necessary "in order to ensure that every aspect of her health is well and that she does not suffer from any serious illness, considering that she is already in her senior years." It may be recalled that, during a medical check-up last Feb. 15, 2018, an impression of a liver mass was found and had become the subject of her Motion for Medical Furlough dated Feb. 22 of the same year. While said impression of liver mass turned out to be benign, she was advised to have it annually checked. Last year, the lady Senator from Bicol also experienced bouts of headache and generalized weakness which, according to her doctors, were associated with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and reactive hypertension. To ensure the non-recurrence of the above health conditions, it was also recommended that her tests be repeated. Some of the tests De Lima underwent during her recent furlough included a chest X-ray, CT scan, bone densitometry, doppler ultrasound, colonoscopy, mammogram, and other lab tests. Following the court's order, a high-spirited De Lima, escorted by members of the Philippine National Police, left the hospital at around 4PM yesterday (April 6), to return to her detention quarters at the PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame. Stressing that she is okay, the Senator even politely refused to use a wheelchair offered by the hospital's nurses. "Alam kong hindi titigil ang mga nagkakalat ng fake news ukol sa aking kalusugan, na ang iba pa nga ay nakuha pang ipakalat na ako ay pumanaw na dahil sa karamdaman. Kaakibat nitong normal na resulta ng aking checkup, ipinapanalangin ko rin ang mga nasa likod ng walang tigil na kasinungalingan laban sa akin," De Lima said. "Sana ay matauhan din kayo sa inyong ginagawa, lalo pa't mayroon din kayong mga ina, ama, kapatid, kapamilya't mga mahal sa buhay na hindi ninyo gagawing masamang biro ang kanilang kalusugan at palalabasing sila ay pumanaw na. Pero salamat, inspirasyon ko rin kayo para lalong magpakatatag at lalong lumaban," De Lima said. Christian Eriksen marked his full debut for Brentford last weekend (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire) Christian Eriksen is fit enough to return to the international scene, according to Brentford manager Thomas Frank. The 30-year-old marked his full debut for the Bees with an impressive display away to Norwich last weekend to continue his comeback following a cardiac arrest in the summer. Eriksen will start again at home to Burnley on Saturday and, with Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand set to name his squad for the friendlies against Holland and Serbia next week, all eyes will be on Eriksen if the playmaker is included. Frank said: Of course it is up to Kasper to decide. Fitness-wise? He is ready. He played 90 actually 98 minutes against Norwich, hopefully he plays 90 against Burnley and 90 against Leicester, then that is a very good number of minutes. It is not like he has never played football before or tried anything. He is a very experienced player and person but I think that is a conversation for Christian and Kasper to have together. Brenfords new number 21 made his mark at Carrow Road with his corner flicked on to create the opener for Ivan Toney. Toney celebrated with the travelling fans to further show there is no bad blood after the forward was filmed in January using unacceptable language about the club. He apologised and further made up for his misdemeanour with two second-half penalties against Norwich to become the first Brentford player to score a Premier League hat-trick. I dont think he could have timed it much better with scoring and then being right in the corner with the Brentford fans. I think that was clever from him, Frank added with a smile. Ivan has been here one one year and eight months. First year he broke the (goalscoring) record in the Championship, became our top scorer and we got promoted. He scored in the semi, the final. Pretty decent! In the Premier League now he has scored nine goals and two assists with a disrupted season. I think Ivan has done fantastic for this club and I agree that every player has a responsibility to be as perfect as possible, but every individual is just a human being and everyone is trying their best to do the best as a human being. I think Ivan is doing that. Story continues I will say that every Brentford fan should be extremely happy and privileged to have a player like Ivan representing Brentford. With six goals in his last five matches, Toney could soon be an international. England boss Gareth Southgate admitted in October to being very impressed with the former Newcastle striker back and will name his squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast next week. It is not for me to pick the team. Maybe I am slightly biased. I dont know how Gareth thinks but on the quality, I think Ivan has some of the qualities that could make him an England striker one day, Frank insisted. Also I think it would have been even better if it was a consistent-performed season. That is just part of convincing a coach, whether it is me or Gareth, a very consistent season and performing well puts more plus points on your account. That could have helped and then we come into different types. What types do you want as manager of a national team? Then the form and injury level of other strikers and I dont know how well they have done. For me Ivan has done well but there is another level for him to reach. When he reaches that, I think it will be easy for the England manager to pick him. Julie Leidig has always been drawn to excellence, which is why she said she applied to be the next president at Piedmont Virginia Community College. PVCC has always had an excellent reputation, especially for the quality of instruction and the care that it gives to its students, said Leidig at a forum Thursday. ... It would be such a privilege to work with this group of people to advance the college and the community that it serves. Leidig is currently provost of the Loudoun Campus at Northern Virginia Community College. Shes served in that role since 2010 and previously worked in the Texas community college system. Leidig is one of four finalists picked to succeed Frank Friedman, PVCCs longtime president who is retiring at the end of this school year. The other two finalists will visit the college next week for interviews, a tour and forums with students, staff and faculty. Finalists will interview with the PVCC board in closed session during their visits. Ultimately, the PVCC board will recommend a candidate to the Virginia Community College System Chancellor, who will make the final decision. Leidig said at Thursdays forum that her current job is similar to that of a campus president. Shes worked to upgrade the campus facilities, boost enrollment and raise funds to help students with emergency expenses and launched new programs. I view the leadership role as a sacred trust, Leidig said, committing to earn the trust of the PVCC community and build partnerships if she were to become to president. ... Years from now, it will be said, we were already a great college, but she worked with us to make us so much better than we ever were. Leidig, who started her career teaching English in Japan, said shes a true believer in the mission of community colleges. She also wanted people to know two other things about her: if she knows something is important, shell find a way to get it done, and that shes a builder. I love to build on what is already there, and I have a vision for building things that arent here yet, she said, adding that she also loves working with people and mentoring those who work with her. Currently, employers in the area are looking to PVCC to help them find qualified employees. Leidig said she wants to meet the needs of employers as well as of students. Before starting a new program, she said she wants to make sure the college is meeting the highest area of need. A program is an investment, she said. We have to be sure that we can support the investment by attracting enough students who will get jobs. She added that she would want to partner with employers who need the workers, know the skill set they are looking for and will commit to recruiting students in the program. So that the student who does well in the program just about walks out with a guaranteed job, she said. One of her goals as president would be to increase student enrollment, she said. Enrollment at PVCC has been declining, and in spring 2021, PVCC had about 4,223 students enrolled. One of the things we struggle with as community colleges is that people dont know enough [about us], she said. Expanding the reach of the college throughout its six-county area, including Charlottesville, would help with that goal. Leidig said she would want to get out into the community to start meeting people as president. She also suggested recruiting alumni of the college to help tell PVCCs story and bring in more students. Boosting enrollment also extends to the trade programs, which one attendee at the forum said tend to be an afterthought. Leidig said the trade programs are incredibly important. To a lot of families, graduating with a certificate from a trade program and having a really great job for the first time is just as important as walking across the stage at University of Virginia and we should value it just as much, she said. Jean Runyon, campus vice president of Front Range Community College in Colorado, will visit PVCC next. Her forum will be at 9 a.m. April 12 in the V. Earl Dickinson Building Main Stage Theatre on the main PVCC campus. For more information, go to pvcc.edu/presidential-search-0. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. They complimented shoes, commented on the weather and conversed about their families. In a move away from the recent Hollywood Squares Zoom era, Albemarle Countys first hybrid public meeting was held Wednesday, replete with the charm of chatter during breaks and only a handful of minor technology issues. It was the Albemarle Board of Supervisors first in-person meeting in more than two years to be held in Lane Auditorium at the McIntire Road County Office Building. The board had moved meetings online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the public and presenters were still able to virtually comment, present or watch online, as will be the case for future board meetings. Although the in-person meeting was a recent rarity, only a handful of community members attended it. County Executive Jeff Richardson kicked off the day which was a budget work session followed by a regular twice-monthly meeting by announcing of the historic nature of the first hybrid public meeting. Thank you for your support and your patience today, he said. If things are not perfect it will not be for a lack of effort and focus over the last couple of weeks, and this board certainly knows that. But we work very hard today to meet the expectations of our community. I just wanted to welcome everybody who came today, Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley said. Its wonderful to be back in-person, to see so many people and for all of us to be together. A cord came unplugged from one of the monitors in front of two board members, but that was a simple fix. One of the presenters for a special use permit application who spoke over Zoom got dropped from the call, but he was able to quickly reconnect. Supervisors received mugs to commemorate the event, which Albemarle spokesperson Emily Kilroy said were funded out of the Office of Communications and Public Engagements budget. Neil Williamson, president of the Free Enterprise Forum, who stayed for the whole afternoon session, said he was thrilled to be back in Lane Auditorium. For NBC29 reporter Elizabeth Holmes, it was the first Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting she has been able to attend in person. When she walked into the building, she said the security staff member at the front desk assumed Holmes knew where she was going. I said, No, I actually have no clue where Im going, and he had to direct me where to go, she said. But its nice. Its interesting being around here and seeing people in person for the first time. In the afternoons matters-from-the-public commenting period, just two people spoke in person. John and Barbara Cruickshank spoke against adding turf fields in the county. The board had previously included in past budgets adding turf fields at Darden Towe Park, but that has since been removed. Supervisors are currently working through how to improve the fields. During the evening public comment period, Kent Schlussel spoke via Zoom, which was broadcast through the speakers. He expressed concerns about a workgroup for the countys Comprehensive Plan update. The boards Rules of Procedures were updated during the meeting to match a portion of state code that allows individual members of Virginia public bodies to participate virtually for 25% of meetings in specific circumstances. At the next Board of Supervisors meeting, board members will vote on whether to keep or remove other changes to the rules that were added to matters from the public during the pandemic. Those include a 10-person speaker limit; limiting speakers to items not listed for public hearing on the agenda, matters previously considered by the board or matters pending before the board; requiring that any presentations from those speakers be received by the board clerk at least 48 hours in advance; and when to close the signup period. The next hybrid meeting in Lane Auditorium is a Planning Commission regular meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday, which will be its first time meeting in-person since 2020. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When she was a law student at Harvard University, Ketanji Brown Jackson would scale the staircase to the attic of Gannett House and search through the rows of legal books sitting on the shelves. As a supervising editor for the Harvard Law Review, Jackson would check the accuracy and style of references in submitted articles. It was the mid-1990s, and a digitized version didn't exist - federal law and hundreds of thousands of court decisions were held in that room, all recorded on paper. She didn't shy from grunt work, said Kimberly Robinson, her law school roommate who also worked for the publication. It was a 40-hour-a-week job, on top of classwork. Late nights and weekends were common. "I definitely realized she was extraordinary in law school," said Robinson, now a law professor at the University of Virginia. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jackson, 51, as the 116th Supreme Court justice and its first Black woman. Jackson will be sworn in sometime this summer when Justice Stephen Breyer steps down. Thursday's historic vote was a joyous occasion for Jackson's supporters, from college campuses to the state Capitol, who say she will be an inspiration. At Harvard Law, there were plenty of brilliant people, Robinson said. But what separated Jackson were her humility and character. "And here she is," Robinson said. Last month, Risa Goluboff took her seat at the center of a long table in the Senate Judiciary Committee. She had traveled to Washington to testify on Jackson's behalf. Goluboff, dean of the UVA School of Law, has known Jackson professionally and personally for 24 years. Goluboff's husband, UVA law professor Richard Schragger, also worked alongside Jackson at the Harvard Law Review. She told the senators that the Supreme Court and the whole country would benefit from Jackson's intelligence, integrity, experience and open-mindedness. She said Jackson is plenty qualified - with 26 years of legal experience - shows respect for legal precedent and that, like Breyer, for whom Jackson once clerked, she displays an interest in others' opinions and in conducting dialogue. Kaine formally announces support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who met with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday evening, formally announced his support Tuesday for her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Law students see themselves in Jackson, Goluboff said in an interview. Jackson has led the type of career law students often pursue she spent two years as a public defender in Washington D.C., and three years working for private legal firms. She will be the only current Supreme Court justice to have served as a public defender and one of two along with Justice Sonia Sotomayor who has worked as a district court judge. Other portions of her background are more traditional an Ivy League law school education, clerk to Breyer and federal appeals judge. Goluboff tells her students that careers are long and varied, and you don't know where your career will take you. Jackson is proof of that. "It's inspiring to see what the arc of a career can look like and what the arc of her career looked like," Goluboff said. And Jackson did it while having two children, Talia, 21 and Leila, 17. Only one of three other current female justices has children, Amy Coney Barrett, who has seven. Jackson addressed her role as a mother during the confirmation hearings, saying she struggled to juggle motherhood and her career. Court hearings occurred on the same days as her daughters' recitals. Law students often ask if it's possible to balance a family and a successful law career, and Goluboff teaches a class on how to balance the two. "You often hear stories about it not being doable," Goluboff said. With Jackson and Barrett, "it looks doable." Robinson, Jackson's law school roommate, attended the confirmation hearings in recent weeks. On the first day of questioning, she thought about the enslaved laborers who built the Capitol building and who perhaps never dreamed of a Black Supreme Court justice. "For me, her confirmation is a reminder of the possibilities that lie beyond this moment," Robinson said. "They, too, may be beyond our best dreams, but we must press on to secure them for ourselves and future generations." Black women are excited to see someone on the Supreme Court who looks like they do, she added. At Virginia State University, students have taken notice of Jackson's hair thin dreadlocks weaved with a tool known as sisterlocks said Wes Bellamy, interim chair of the political science and public administration department. Jackson's confirmation comes three weeks after the House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. It bans race-based hair discrimination at work, in federal programs and within public accommodations. Black girls have long been discriminated against for their hair, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said on the House floor. Jackson's confirmation is further validation of Black students' appearance and identity, Bellamy said. At a young age, kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, said Rigia Taylor, internship coordinator at Virginia Union University. Common answers include president, astronaut or athlete, she said, and such answers reflect a childs naivety. "But now, to see people like [Jackson] in these positions, I know these are not naive statements," Taylor said. "I know now I can be a Black woman, with locks, on the Supreme Court." Sheren Joseph, a senior majoring in social work at Virginia Union, spoke of the grueling confirmation proceedings Jackson faced. She kept her poise through it all. She will carry that poise into the Supreme Court. Alexander Perkins, a freshman political science major at Virginia Commonwealth University, found no surprise in how Jacksons confirmation hearings went. Knowing how sort of political the Supreme Court has become, Id assumed they would ask a lot of off-topic questions, Perkins said. They were trying to get her opinions on modern-day culture war topics things that didnt really matter. Serena McKay, a Virginia Union senior and social work major, said she looks forward to what Jackson will represent on the Supreme Court from her gender to her Black identity. Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, said in a statement: Today, there are millions of girls across America watching Ketanji Brown Jackson, and thinking that could be me. "The history made today isnt just about breaking a glass ceiling for Black women, its about building a ladder to lift up those who follow. This is a momentous day for our nation that will be remembered for years to come. HONTIVEROS MEETS WITH CENTRAL LUZON TRANSPORT LEADERS, REITERATES CALL ON EXPANDED SERVICE CONTRACTING The drivers and operators of the Zambales Olongapo Bataan Transport group recently met with Senator Risa Hontiveros to discuss various issues surrounding jeepney modernization and the rising fuel prices. The group relayed to the reelectionist Senator their concerns such as the unreasonable implementation of the jeepney modernization and the rising fuel prices that continue to burden the sector. Hontiveros then vowed to support the group's call to defer the implementation of jeepney modernization and rehabilitate traditional jeepneys instead of completely phasing them out. "Saan nga naman kukuha ang ating mga tsuper ng 1,500 kada araw para sa modern jeep? Kadalasan kulang pa nga ang kinikita sa pasada? Kaya suportado ko ang rehabilitasyon ng traditional na mga jeep, imbes na phase out," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros also reiterated her call to not just provide fuel subsidies but expand the government's service contracting that will ensure drivers and operators will get their due in exchange for reliable and affordable services for the riding public in the face of these extraordinary fuel prices. "Win-win solution ang service contracting. May ginhawa sa mga tsuper dahil sigurado ang kita. May ginhawa rin sa mga commuter dahil magiging abot-kaya ang pamasahe at hindi na kailangang pumila ng matagal bago makasakay," Hontiveros said. Anyone contracting coronavirus in Oregon is now more likely than not to have a hyper-contagious subvariant of the virus that has caused COVID-19 cases to swell in some regions of the U.S. The BA.2 variant likely accounts for seven in 10 of coronavirus infections reported to the state, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Meanwhile positive tests have increased in the mid-valley. Cases reported to the state and positive tests for the virus continued to increase, then plateau by April 5, when Oregon logged 354 cases. That number increased from case rates less than 300 in March but well below the Jan. 8 peak, when 9,626 cases were reported to OHA. Test positivity, an early indicator for future cases, hospitalizations and COVID-19-related deaths, increased from 2.5% on March 13, a day after the state lifted mask requirements, to 2.9% by March 27. Positive results increased from 1.7% to 5.2% over the same time in Benton County. April Holland, Benton County public health administrator, confirmed shes seeing a small bump in case numbers at the bottom end of the omicron waves decline. Citing last weeks increase of 67% in COVID-19 cases for a total of 87 reported, Holland told the Board of Commissioners at its Tuesday meeting the seven-day case rate for the week of March 27 in Benton County was 92 per 100,000. She said its too soon to measure increases in hospitalizations, which she said remain very low. Its too soon to say if what were seeing is the start of a new, likely much smaller wave of the BA.2 variant, Holland said. Or if its some additional transmission of BA.1.1 the original omicron mask removal, travel, or likely some combination of all of these. Benton County ranks among the highest reported case rates in the state, according to Holland, who said similar patterns are only seen in a few other counties. The cases included all age groups, and known outbreaks did not significantly contribute to the weeks cases. Meanwhile, Linn County saw an increase generally, from 2.1% to 3.2%, but total tests plummeted from more than 3,000 to 761. Oregon Health Authority was late with its report about variants, not publishing it for about two weeks at its COVID-19 data clearinghouse. Officials did not respond to questions asking why. By the week ending March 27, BA.2s prevalence in cases reported to the state fell in line with national averages probably 58%, or about three in five of cases, the authority posted on its COVID-19 data visualization website. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. As of April 2, BA.2 accounted for 72.2% of all infections according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 75.1% of cases in the region that includes Oregon, Washington and Idaho. A forecaster in March predicted a surge in cases reported to the state under the subvariant, with that wave topping out in May at fewer than 300 hospitalizations each day. Hospitalizations dropped to 99 statewide April 4, the first time the the number of people receiving care for COVID-19 had been in the two digits since July. The number rebounded to 103 on April 6. A total 7,224 Oregonians have died with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020 68 in Benton and 258 in Linn counties. Staff writer Cody Mann contributed to this report. Alex Powers (he/him) covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Call 541-812-6116 or email Alex.Powers@lee.net. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. On April Fool's Day, Nike founder Phil Knight gave $750,000 to a 2022 campaign for governor, but this time the joke is on Republicans and Democrats. Knight's contributions to the insurgent campaign of former Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose now total $1 million, seven months before the Nov. 7 general election. It's a clear sign that Knight sees Johnson's unaffiliated campaign as the best shot at ending Democrats' 35-year hold on Oregon's governorship. It's a switch from 2018, when Knight gave early and often and very big to former Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, who lost the general election to incumbent Kate Brown. His $2.5 million in contributions primed the GOP pump to compete with Democrats in a race that cost nearly $40 million for Brown to win. The Knight money will require responses from contributors to Democrats and Republicans, especially after the May 17 primary. Thomas Wheatley, a consultant for the governor's campaign of former House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said Democrats are taking notice of the rising level of spending in the state and will stay competitive. "Democrats in Oregon and the national party understand the importance of winning the state," Wheatley said. "Democrats have a strong history of doing what it takes." Republican consultant and former state lawmaker Bill Post said Johnson is benefiting for the moment from a lack of opponents the winners of the primary will define the race. "There is no Republican nominee yet or any media attention yet on Betsy Johnson's extensive record of voting with Tina Kotek," Post said. "Betsy was a Democrat three years ago when she voted yes on the Corporate Activity Tax." Post said despite a long drought in races for Oregon governor, he believes national Republicans know there is opportunity in Oregon this year. Democratic resources are spread thin trying to defend dozens of political hotspots. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. "When it comes to the general election, with a strong Republican candidate who stands up for our values, the funding will turn to that candidate," Post said. For now, the fundraising gap looks cavernous. Johnson has over $5.1 million in the bank. Only two candidates among the 34 in the May primary have more than $1 million in the bank from widespread fundraising as of Tuesday: Kotek has $1.15 million, while former House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, has $1.18 million. Lake Oswego consultant and attorney Bob Tiernan, a Republican, has $1,126,795, which includes $500,000 contributions each from himself and Grants Pass LLC, with which he is affiliated. Treasurer Tobias Read has raised over $1.3 million in the past two years and has $888,895 on hand. Johnson will need the money since she won't have the massive pockets of the two national and state parties to depend on. She needs to run a signature campaign to qualify to submit just under 25,000 valid signatures to the secretary of state by the end of August to secure a spot on the general election ballot. A likely three-way race between the Democratic and Republican primary winners, along with Johnson, could eclipse the 2018 spending record. In 2022, the winners of the Democratic and Republican primary will get an infusion of national campaign cash, especially Democrats looking to push their winning streak for governor to almost four decades. But times have changed since four years ago. The Democratic "Blue Wave" has switched to a Republican "Red Tide." This election, Democrats are on the defense. Along with any current political issues, the Democrats are fighting the course of political history. The party of new presidents usually loses seats in Congress in the first midterm election, an average of about 25 seats. Democrats are hanging on to majorities in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House by their fingernails. The House majority is down to 221-209 with five vacancies, well within the average midterm margin of loss to give the chamber back to Republicans. The U.S. Senate has a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats. Just as Republicans actually picked up seats in the otherwise disastrous 2018 midterm, the staggered six-year terms of the 100 senators are harder to forecast. Democrats will need major fundraising to retain seats in Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia has moved the reelection of veteran U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, from likely Democratic to leaning Democratic. GOP money has been flocking to the likely Republican nominee, Tiffany Smiley, who reported raising over $900,000 in federal financial disclosure forms covering the last three-months. Republicans have to defend 20 governorships versus 16 for Democrats. That will make demands on political money across the nation. While labor unions for Democrats and business groups for Republicans may rally to the Oregon primary winners, Knight throwing down his wallet as a challenge could curb enthusiasm, depending on who comes out of the May 17 primary election. That is in stark contrast to four years ago, when the race was one-on-one between the two major parties. Democrats were looking to ride the wave of discontent with President Donald Trump, who won the White House in 2016. That led to big wins across the country and in Oregon. An unlikely close race in Oregon for governor spooked Democratic contributors, who let loose with a firehose of funds, trading six- and seven-figure contributions with Republicans right up to election day. Voter turnout nationwide rose from 83 million in 2014 the midterm after President Barack Obama won a second term to 113 million in 2018, two years after Trump's election. Democrats flipped 40 GOP-held districts to take control of the U.S. House with a 235-199 majority. Democrats picked up seven governorships, leaving the GOP with a narrower 27-23 advantage. The outlier was the U.S. Senate. With its staggered six-year terms, Republicans actually picked up two seats, to take a 53-47 majority. In Oregon, Democrats won supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature. A quartet of initiatives backed by many Republicans were shot down by voters. Brown won with 50.1% of the vote to 43.7% for Buehler, with the remainder going to other candidates. The governor called it a "slam dunk" on election night, but Brown had just over half the 11% winning margin of Hillary Clinton's win in Oregon over Trump in 2016. Other GOP candidates for governor candidates with more $10,000 in current funds: Bend social media and marketing consultant Brandon Merritt has $33,367 in the bank Redmond businessman Bill Sizemore has $12,860 in the bank. Baker City Mayor Kerry McQuisten: $34,117 in the bank. McQuisten has raised and spent over $100,000. Tigard businessman Nicholas Hess has raised and spent over $100,000 but has a negative balance in his account. Former school superintendent Marc Thielman, who lives in Cottage Grove, has raised and spent over $140,000, and has $23,070. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With just a few weeks before trial, a Lebanon man is facing a more serious assault charge stemming from a domestic violence report. Rohan Alexander Duncan, 43, was formally charged with second-degree assault (domestic violence) in Linn County Circuit Court on Wednesday, March 6; a trial is scheduled to start later in April. Duncan was arraigned on an indictment on Wednesday afternoon. He also was charged with fourth-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, both of which also were labeled as domestic violence. Judge Keith Stein set Duncans bail at $50,000, the minimum for such a serious offense. Duncan is scheduled for a one-day jury trial in the case on April 22. The crimes allegedly occurred at about 4 a.m. Feb. 24 in the 38600 block of First Creek Drive near Lebanon and were investigated by the Linn County Sheriffs Office. Duncan was initially charged with attempted second-degree assault on Feb. 25, but a grand jury changed that to second-degree assault in the indictment. Second-degree assault is a Measure 11 crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of nearly six years in prison upon conviction. Those convicted of Measure 11 crimes are not eligible for good time, earned time or other reductions. They must serve every day of their sentence. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. During Wednesdays brief teleconference hearing, Duncan appeared from the Linn County Jail. Defense attorney Tyler Reid represented all defendants in the afternoon session of arraignments, and entered not guilty pleas on Duncans behalf. The accuser in the case is a man known to Duncan. According to a probable cause affidavit in the case, the accuser and a witness told investigators that Duncan pushed the accuser to the ground and into a table and chairs. The accuser said that he and Duncan then traded blows. During the scuffle, Duncan grabbed a crystal the size of a softball and tried to use it, and also tried to push his thumb into the accusers left eyeball, the accuser told a deputy. Duncan told a deputy that the accuser had engaged him in a fight and tried to use a fork to attack him, the affidavit states. Editor's note: This article has been edited to clarify that the new charge of assault 2 replaced a less serious charge of attempted assault 2. Kyle Odegard can be contacted at 541-812-6077 or kyle.odegard@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A large mid-valley employer and wood pulp producer has entered a formal enforcement process with the states clean air regulator after failing to record accurate emissions figures for three weeks in the fall. Halsey-based Cascade Pacific Pulp LLC could face fines or corrective orders after an apparently leaky monitoring system recorded invalid data and caused the mill to operate out of compliance with its major federal air pollution permit, according to a March 1 pre-enforcement notice. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality alleges in the document Cascade Pacific posed the risk of significant environmental harm when the mill didnt appropriately record how many tons of carbon monoxide it emitted as part of its daily operations. Contacted previously, the mills general manager, Pat Rank, said Cascade Pacific employs 187 at its plant near Halsey that converts sawdust and chips from commercial wood milling into fibrous pulp used by other factories to make toilet paper, paper towels and fiber-cement siding for houses. Rank and other Cascade Pacific officials could not be reached for comment by email or phone. The citations Under Title V of the Clean Air Act, the company is required in its permit to accurately track how much carbon monoxide vents each hour from its around-the-clock operations, but those numbers were invalidated by broken equipment and inaccurate audits. Thats what puts you out of compliance, and thats what triggers an enforcement notice, DEQ spokesperson Dylan Darling said. The department cited Cascade Pacific for failing to operate continuous emissions monitors that detect output of oxygen and carbon monoxide from a recovery furnace, part of the kraft pulping process by which black liquor solid byproducts are converted. Cascade Pacific also was cited for violating the terms of its permit by not recording accurate carbon monoxide emissions for about three weeks, Sept. 25 to Oct. 15. In addition, DEQ cited Cascade Pacific for failing to perform a quarterly inspection for visible emissions from the gas scrubber on a lime slurry mixer until after June 2021. The inspection was required in the companys Title V permit starting June 2020. The problem Cascade Pacific operators in September noted readings from emissions sensors werent tracking each other normally, before testing the system Sept. 25 in a federally-standardized accuracy audit, according to DEQ documents. The monitors failed the test, invalidating monitored emissions data for the next 20 days. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. In October, the company hired a technician who found a leak in the monitoring system. The monitors were repaired and another audit was conducted by Oct. 15, when test results were normal, according to a DEQ review of the companys report. It just wasnt working right, and the company was working to fix it, Darling said. The law Cascade Pacific is granted a permit under Title V of the Clean Air Act to release thousands of tons of air pollution, including small particulates and greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires any industrial site that outputs 100 tons of any air pollutant each year to apply for Title V permitting. DEQ enforces Title V permits in Oregon. Failing to keep records for recovery furnace emissions per a Title V permit is a first-class violation of state law, according to DEQ. The departments Office of Compliance and Enforcement will decide how Cascade Pacific is penalized. Darling said the department sometimes enters a memorandum with a permit violator to correct pollution and sources that go against the Clean Air Act. DEQ can levy up to $25,000 for each day for each violation, according to the departments website. The department fined Cascade Pacific $12,000 in 2017 for exceeding limits for fine particulates emitted from its lime kiln. Darling said the enforcement office will weigh the mills response to and the risk of harm from the mills violations, repeat or past offenses, and whether the companys economic benefits for not addressing any violations outweighed potential fines as it reaches a decision. That theyre taking steps to address this issue is something well take into consideration, Darling said. He offered no deadline for a decision. A timeline depends on the complexity of the case, Darling said. Alex Powers (he/him) covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Call 541-812-6116 or email alex.powers@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Oregon artist Tatyana Ostapenko paints the historically disempowered people of her homeland post-Soviet Ukraine and is now donating 100% of every piece sold to GlobalGivings Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. Her work is on display at The Arts Center in Corvallis, 700 SW Madison Ave., alongside that of Tim Timmerman, now through May 16. She lives in Portland, and this will be her first exhibit in Corvallis. All my work is motivated by my formative years in post-Soviet Ukraine, Ostapenko said. I paint everyday moments and people who do not get representation. I paint women who our society would deem past their prime, although they are the backbone of society. The artist left Ukraine when she was 18 years old and waited until she was in her mid-30s to attend art school at Portland State University. Although she always loved art as a child, it was not a realistic career path in her country. The world I grew up in wasnt gentle and accommodating, Ostapenko said. Going to art school wasnt really an option. An apt representation of Ostapenkos work is a large mural she painted on the Italian restaurant Nostrana in Portland that depicts middle-aged Eastern European women in headscarves holding flowers and gazing out over the landscape. But the artist paints people of all walks of life, and her pieces are available to view on her Instagram account, @postsovietart. Raising funds for Ukraine Ostapenko decided to donate 100% of her proceeds to GlobalGiving because that organization distributes funds to the most vulnerable populations and also supports independent journalists. As soon as Russia invaded Ukraine, Ostapenko knew she had to act fast, while people were paying attention and freshly outraged at the conflict. She began collecting donations for humanitarian aid on her website, tatyanaostapenko.com, the day after the invasion, and has raised well over $60,000 on her artwork alone. Some donations even came in without an order. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. The community support has been astounding and humbling, she said. Ostapenko also emphasized how important it is to answer questions and educate Americans on the conflict to disrupt the cycle of numbing out on an issue that seemingly does not affect people in the West. I want people to see a real person rather than the newsreel. Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Election_2020 featured Political newcomers face off for Denton City Council Place 5 Whoever wins the Place 5 seat will bring a fresh perspective to the Denton City Council, but its up to voters to decide which newcomer they most want. Daniel Clanton and Brandon Chase McGee are both seeking the seat. Neither man has previously served on the City Council, but Clanton has run in two previous elections. All three City Council seats up for election serve the entire city, so all registered voters in the city can cast ballots for all three seats. For the Place 5 seat, residents in City Council Districts 1 and 2 can run. Early voting begins on April 25. Election day for municipal races is on May 7. The below responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length: Daniel Clanton Daniel Clanton Age: 51 Raised in: Born in Savannah, Georgia, moved to Lake Dallas at 4 years old. Moved to Double Oak at 12 years old and entered Denton ISD schools. Denton resident of 25 years. Education: Denton High School Class of 1989. Took some classes at Texas Womans University. Employment: Delivery leader with NTT Data, 2008-present Website: clantonfordenton.org There are pockets of Denton that are reluctant to trust the citys government (Southeast Denton, for instance). What can City Council do to rebuild trust across the city? Well thats one thing that I would like to do is start having town hall meetings. I dont mean City Council meetings. I mean town hall meetings where we all go to the libraries [and/or] we go to the rec centers. That should reach the majority of the city, and [we] actually go in and sit down or stand up is actually my preference and actually listen to the citizens and have them come to us and actually ask us questions. Not somebody whos just going to stand up and speak on a subject but actually get an interaction with the City Council. Thats what I would like to see. What can be done to mitigate infighting among council members? We as council members need to have a vision for the city and we need to agree on that vision and move toward it. We have some ideas ... but theres a retreat once a year that goes over the top priorities of the city, and council members agree on that and we need to use that as our roadmap. Also, we need to go by a mission statement that guides us, as well. What is the City Council not focusing on? There is not one specific thing. And overall, the council is not focusing on the city. Theres a lot of things that are going: We have a rise in crime, we have a number of police officers that we are short, we have a $1.5 million overtime for firefighters right now which we could be hiring them we have our streets that are torn up being rebuilt, we have other streets that need to be fixed. We have a population of people who are homeless who are needing help. There are a lot of things. Theres not just one thing that we could focus on and just fix as a City Council. Theres many things that we need to focus on, but the biggest thing is focusing back on the city itself. Clanton voter history Brandon Chase McGee Brandon Chase McGee Age: 37 Raised in: Wichita, Kansas Education: Associate of Arts from Collin College; general studies degree and leadership certificate from the University of North Texas; postgraduate work and a nonprofit management certificate at Texas A&M University Employment: Truck driver with AAA Cooper Transportation Website: mcgeefordenton.com There are pockets of Denton that are reluctant to trust the citys government (Southeast Denton, for instance). What can City Council do to rebuild trust across the city? What council people can do to rebuild trust is make sure we go through the painstaking efforts to show up in all parts of the city. Im running at-large, meaning, if elected, I would literally represent the whole city. My commitment has been to show up in every pocket of the city and speak with every single resident who wants to speak with me. I cant do this job well unless Im hearing from the people directly to know what they want and more importantly what they dont want. I believe in direct representation. People are electing me to do what they want real-time, and because our phones give us unprecedented capability to be able to respond to citizens all the time, I plan on doing that. So, in short, when you call me, Im going to show up. I want to show up. What can be done to mitigate infighting among council members? I believe that the way we solve the worlds problems [is] through relationship building. Throughout this campaign, I have gone through painstaking efforts to reach out to as many people as I can, whether they be community leaders, nonprofit leaders, those who are running city staff departments, those in the religious community, ex-council people. I have tried to reach out to everyone and anyone to introduce myself, find out what they think about the direction of the city things the citys doing right, things the citys doing wrong but more importantly, open up communication because if Im elected, I want to hear again from everybody so that I can do a good job. What is the City Council not focusing on? The council is not focusing on the things that it doesnt need to focus on. I think Dentons City Council is moving in the right direction. Not every election must be a change election. I think, for the most part, council is working at doing the right thing and trying to represent the city as best as possible. Theyre working on things like making sure road repair work is done all over the city. Were working to make sure resident concerns are heard. ... [City] Council is doing the things that we asked them to do, and my plea is that we continue to move in the same direction. Were going in the right direction. What I hope to bring, if elected, to council is simple ... not a change in philosophy, but a change in perspective. As a working person, everything I do is going to be governed by whether or not if helps or hurts working people. That is my clear and simple litmus test. If it helps working people, Im going to enthusiastically support it and praise it. If it hurts working people, Im going to vote against it every single time, and Im going to be transparent enough to tell people why it hurts working people. Press Release April 7, 2022 Zubiri to SRA: Reconsider Proposed Sugar Importation Program 07 April 2022 Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is calling on the Sugar Regulatory Administration not to push through with a new importation program supposedly proposed by the administration, after already receiving two injunctions for Sugar Order No. 3 in February. "Our local sugar farmers are again approaching our office, deeply concerned over talks of a new SRA proposal that would green light the importation of 350,000 metric tons of sugar into the country," he said. "Our courts have already landed on the side of our sugar farmers last February, so it's disheartening that we are having the same conversation about importation again." "Lest the SRA will be accused of this being a midnight deal bereft of propriety and due process. They should not allow this while our farmers are harvesting their crops during the harvest season." In February, the Sagay City and Himamaylan City Regional Trial Courts issued separate preliminary injunctions against the importation of 200,000 metric tons of sugar under Sugar Order No. 3. Sagay RTC Branch 73 Judge Reginald Fuentebella went so far as to say that the court recognizes "the grave and irreparable injury [that] will result from the implementation of SRA Sugar No. 3." "I would hope that these injunctions have prompted the SRA to reconsider the harm that their importation programs would inflict on our local sugar farmers. "I enjoin Secretary Dar and Administrator Serafica to take heed of the call of our local sugar sector, and also of our courts--let us be on the side of our farmers. The proposed 350,000 MT importation deal will put them at a gross disadvantage, and leave them completely unable to recover from the setbacks already imposed by the pandemic and the skyrocketing fertilizer prices. "Instead of this importation program, let us focus on delivering much-needed assistance to our farmers, and let us find ways to boost local production not just of crops, but of fertilizers as well. "The SRA and the DA are here not to shepherd imported produce into the country, but to strengthen our own production and to ensure that our farmers are able to make a good living out of their labor. So I reiterate my call to the SRA and the DA to devote all their efforts into supporting our farmers, and I assure them that we in the Senate are always prepared to work with them on the legislation and budgetary allocations that we need to make for our farmers." Denver will appeal the $14 million jury verdict awarded to a group of protesters over how police handled the city's racial justice protests in 2020, Mayor Michael Hancock said Thursday. A dozen protesters took their case to court against Denver in March, claiming that misuse of less-lethal weapons by police during the 2020 demonstrations violated their constitutional protections against excessive force and for free speech, peaceful assembly and to petition their government. The jury found Denver responsible for officers' use of excessive force by failing to train them adequately. Other policies and practices of the city and approval of the officers' conduct by policymakers also led to the constitutional violations, the jury decided. The protesters said they had each been harmed by munitions in some way, ranging from tear gas or pepper spray to shotgun rounds of lead pellet-filled Kevlar bags. Jurors deliberated for about four hours after three weeks of trial. Denver has said the Police Department did the best it could to adapt to the protests that erupted quickly and included people who harmed officers and destroyed property alongside peaceful protesters. "But understand, we experienced as many cities across this country did two years ago an unprecedented, sustained protest in our downtown," Hancock told reporters on Thursday. "We've never seen that before, and while we were not perfect in our administration and dealing with the protest, we believe that we certainly have some reasons to go back and to look at a different type of decision with regards to that situation, so we will be appealing." In a statement, Mark Silverstein, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, said he believes an appeal is not a good use of the city's resources, calling the jury's decision "thoughtful and reasoned." The ACLU represented several of the protesters along with law firm Arnold & Porter. "Instead of wasting time and money challenging the jurys verdict, Denver should focus on fixing its police force," Silverstein said. Statement at the UNSC Briefing on the Situation in Mali Statement President, I would like to thank SRSG Wane for his briefing this morning and for MINUSMAs continued work in an increasingly challenging environment. The Missions work on the protection of civilians and human rights monitoring and reporting has never been more vital. I would also like to extend my thanks ECOWAS and the African Union for their continued work in pursuit of lasting peace and stability in Mali. I welcome, President, also Ms. Samakes presence here as a strong advocate for women in Mali and thank her for her important and informative briefing. As we have heard, by almost every metric the situation in Mali continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. We are deeply disturbed by the increasing reports of killings of civilians, human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law. Unrest and humanitarian need, including an unprecedented food crisis, continues to grow as the transition process and implementation of the peace agreement remain stalled. President, The reports of a massacre in the village of Moura last week, following a counter terrorism operation by the Malian Armed Forces, are frankly horrifying. We offer our sincere condolences to the families of those killed. There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into these allegations. We note the intention of the public prosecutor of the Mopti military court to open an investigation. Nonetheless, MINUSMA must be granted unfettered, timely, and safe access to Moura to conduct a full investigation and to take action to ensure the protection of civilians. Those responsible for these and other violations and abuses must be brought to justice, regardless of affiliation or nationality. As others have said, Human rights violations serve only to drive radicalisation and contribute to the growth of terrorism and violent extremism. We call on the Malian authorities to tackle impunity and to ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with international law. We are also increasingly concerned about reports of the presence of the Wagner Group in Mali. Their presence can only serve to fuel existing tensions, increase instability and violence, and impede MINUSMAs efforts to protect civilians and provide support to the Malian armed forces. We are also seriously concerned by the increased number of civilian casualties as a result of attacks by armed extremist groups in the Tri Border area and welcome the investigation of these attacks by MINUSMA. President, There can be no doubt that civilians, including children, are bearing the brunt of sustained political tensions and insecurity in Mali. The 57% increase in violations against children documented in the Secretary Generals report is simply unconscionable. It is also deeply troubling that violations and abuses against women and girls, including conflict-related sexual violence, persist at a high rate and continue to be under-reported. We urge holistic and integrated action to address gender equality and in particular to address the stigma of sexual and gender based violence and deliver justice to survivors. President, We condemn the ongoing and totally unacceptable attacks against peacekeepers by all parties. MINUSMA must be allowed to do its job to protect the Malian people. We call on the authorities to create a protective environment for civilians and MINUSMA, including by ensuring that all security actors operating on Malian territory respect the Status of Forces Agreement and ensure the safety and security of UN personnel. President, We are convinced that the 2015 Peace Agreement remains a critical framework for ensuring lasting peace and stability in Mali. We are concerned at the slow progress of implementation of the Agreement and urge all parties to accelerate action in this regard. Finally, we call on the transitional authorities to agree an acceptable timeline for the return to constitutional order and the holding of elections. Immediate action must be taken on essential reforms to facilitate a rapid return to democratic governance and lay the foundations to guide the long term stability and sustainable development that the Malian people so richly deserve. Thank you Previous Item | Next Item Your browser does not support the video tag. On Tuesday, the man convicted of killing Blake Allen Cain and shooting at a dozen others in a hail of gunfire two years ago was sentenced to life in prison, plus 80 years, State Attorney Larry Basford announced in a press release Wednesday. Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia granted prosecutor Shalla Jefcoats request to sentence Steven Mantecon, 23, to Life in prison with a minimum-mandatory 25 years under Floridas 10-20-Life law on the murder conviction. Garcia then sentenced the defendant to an additional 15 years each on two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle, and ordered both of those to be served consecutive to each other and the first sentence. Garcia followed by adding 5 years in prison for each of the 10 aggravated assault with a firearm charges, and ordered that each one of them be served consecutive to the others. That means each sentence will be served individually, one after the other. At a three-day trial in February, Jefcoat and co-prosecutor Lawrence Gill presented evidence supporting the states case asserting that the defendant and Cain had agreed to a fight the night of the shooting to settle a dispute over a ring Cain had given his former girlfriend the defendants sister. Evidence showed the defendant drove to a park where Cain and others were gathered, argued with the victim, and without getting out of his truck opened fire from about 10 yards away with a semi-automatic AK47-style rifle, the press release stated. Three shots hit the victim, killing him almost instantly. Other bullets hit vehicles driven by Cains friends. Every bullet fired hit either the victim or a vehicle, the release continued. New drinks launches - April The monthly round-up of what's new in low/no, beer, cider, wine, spirits, RTDs and mixers. LOW AND NO ALCOHOL Hardys Zero 5.50 USP: Accolade Wines has claimed first-to-market access to world leading de-alcoholising technology, Zero Tech X. The company said the new, gentler process to remove alcohol means Hardys Zero wines retain more of the aroma, body and flavour of full-strength wine and require less sugary additives versus traditional de-alcoholising techniques. The range is available in three classic varieties - Shiraz, Chardonnay and Sparkling. Decem light alcohol spirits 10% abv 30 USP: The Decem range includes three light spirits: London Dry, made with distilled botanicals, Spiced Blend made with Caribbean rum, and Aperitif made with heritage botanicals. Decem was founded by Masterchef 2016 finalist Billy Wright. Gordons Premium Pink 0.0% 15 USP: The latest alcohol-free innovation from the Diageo brand is available now in a 70cl bottle in Morrisons and will also be rolled out across other retailers. Gordons Premium Pink 0.0% is said to have flavours of raspberry, strawberry and red currant. SPIRITS Spirit of George Fortnum & Mason Edition 40% abv 40 USP: Inspired by the story of British climbing pioneer, George Mallory, The Big Hill Distillerys gin features Nepalese botanicals. The founders work alongside Fairtrade farmers in Nepal to source ingredients from the Himalayas. The English Whisky Cos Platinum Jubilee Whisky 46% abv 75 USP: The limited edition single malt commemorates Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee. Aged in oak casks, its packaging features the Queens Royal Arms by permission of Lord Chamberlain. Talisker Elements 27 Year-Old whisky 58% abv 495 USP: Talisker Elements has been aged in three different types of casks. First in refill casks, followed by a second maturation in heavily-charred casks, and, lastly, given time to marry in old European Oak Puncheons. At natural cask strength, Talisker Elements embodies classic Talisker campfire smoke with sweet notes that brings to life Taliskers elemental contrasts of aromas. Heroes Drinks Two Guineas Spiced Rum 37.5% abv 34.50 USP: 3 from every bottle of Two Guineas rum sold will be split equally between UK independent lifeboat houses, to support the heroes of the sea, alongside the UKs hospitality benevolent fund. Tamdhu 18-Year-Old 46.8% abv 139.99 USP: Combining American Oak Oloroso and European Oak Oloroso casks, the 18-Year-Old unites Tamdhus signature fruity spirit and 18 long years of full-term sherry maturation to deliver layers of indulgent flavour and a deep natural colour which reflects the quality of the oak. The whisky is bottled at 46.8% abv and non-chill filtered. Edinburgh Gin Orange & Basil 40% abv 28 USP: Using both fresh and dried Valencian orange peel, the distillers have created fresh, crisp, citrus notes that delicately balance with subtle sweetness. The fresh basil is vapour infused giving the gin a refined aroma. Massingberd-Mundys Cacao Gin 43% abv 39 USP: Cacao Gin from Massingberd-Mundy Distillery is described as an indulgent, rich, dark chocolate gin with warming herbal notes and fresh menthol. The Glenlivet Distillery Reserve Collection From 52.1% abv From 70 USP: The 10-, 14- and 22-Year-Old single cask editions are packaged in 50cl bottles and available for pre-order from the brands website, with delivery expected in early May. The whiskies are bottled at cask strength and non-chill filtered. Craigellachie Cask Collection - Craigellachie 13 Years Old Armagnac Cask Finish 46% abv 52.99 USP: For the inaugural edition in the Cask Collection, the award-winning 13-year-old Craigellachie Single Malt, initially matured in American oak - a combination of re-fill and re-char Bourbon barrels - has been laid to rest in Bas-Armagnac casks sourced from the northernmost part of Gascony, in France, for just over a year, to undergo a second period of maturation. The collection is inspired by the distillerys worm tub condensers. The Kraken Roast Coffee 40% abv 26 USP: The Krakens first flavoured rum is a fusion of spiced Caribbean rum and fine Arabica bean coffee. Ardbeg Fon Fhoid 45.5% abv 1ETH (approximately 2,600) USP: Ardbeg has partnered with BlockBar, a direct to consumer non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, for the release of the Ardbeg Fon Fhoids (Scots Gaelic for under the turf). The limited-edition release consists of 456 bottles, each corresponding to an NFT which will be minted on the Ethereum blockchain, verifying authenticity and ownership. The Balvenie French Oak 16 Year Old 46.9% abv 123 USP: The Balvenies French Oak 16 Year Old is finished in Pineau des Charentes fortified wine casks. The expression joins two new variants of cask finished whiskies, Madeira Cask 15 Year Old and PX Sherry Cask 18 Year Old alongside its core range including DoubleWood 12 Year Old, Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old and PortWood 21 Year Old to form The Flavours of The Balvenie range. The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old 46% abv 42.50 and 59.99, respectively USP: GlenAllachie 8-year-old marries together spirit aged in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques. White Heather 15-year-old is a blended Scotch containing both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands along with grain whiskies. Ardbeg Ardcore 46% 100 USP: Ardbegs head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, said: Ardcore is a dram that wears its heart on its sleeve its black heart! Created with roasted black malt, burnt to hair-raising levels, this spirit is all about substance. Notes of charcoal and sweet smoke make for an in-your-face nose, while potent notes of aniseed and dark chocolate stamp this bottle out as one fit only for the most Ardcore of fans. Whitley Neill Pineapple and Peach gins 43% abv 26 USP: James Stocker, marketing director, Halewood Artisanal Spirits, said: Tropical flavours are continuing to perform well in the spirits category, with our Whitley Neill Watermelon and Kiwi and Mango and Lime gins that we launched last summer proving to be some of our fastest selling flavours. Our new Pineapple and Peach gins continue to tap into this trend for tropical flavour combinations with brilliant, versatile liquids which were confident will prove extremely popular with consumers as we approach the spring/summer months. Badachros Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask 46% abv 56.95 USP: The unpeated Highland single malt is the latest cask expression in the distillerys Bad na h-Achlaise series. Aged in bourbon barrels and refill hogsheads for several years, it has been vatted and filled in ruby port casks and matured in the Badachro dunnage warehouse for a year before bottling. Berry Bros. & Rudd: 2017 Raasay distillery #23 bottling 56.1% abv 120 USP: The 2017 Raasay single cask #23 chosen for this bottling was purely from the distillerys peated distillate. After 3 years in a first fill ex-Bourbon barrel, it was split into two quarter casks, ex-Oloroso and PX, for 6 months then vatted back together. Jura 14 Year Old American Rye Cask 40% abv 42 USP: Initially matured in Juras traditional American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels, the whisky has been further matured in American rye whiskey casks to add depth and complexity, with distinctive layers of spicy and aromatic flavours. The rye casks are said to impart notes of cinnamon, vanilla, cacao and honey. Bombay Citron Presse 37.5% abv 23 USP: Natasha Curtin, global vice president for Bombay Sapphire, said: We know our fans have a curiosity for authentic and new flavour expressions, while tending to favour natural, premium ingredients with no added sugar. After our successful launch of Bombay Bramble, we are proud to be building out our flavoured portfolio and continuing to elevate the flavoured gin category with Bombay Citron Presse inspired by the iconic [cocktail], the Tom Collins. The Lakes Distillerys The Whiskymakers Reserve No.5 52% abv 70 USP: Drawing inspiration from Cognacs cellarmasters, The Lakes has taken the art of elevage to create a whisky with complexity and depth. By frequently effecting change throughout the whiskys maturation, whether by moving a casks location, or transferring the spirit between casks, The Lakes seeks to evolve an array of intriguing layers of flavour from which they can blend the final whisky. The whisky is matured in ex-Oloroso, PX, and red wine casks, comprising Spanish and American oak. Douglas Laing & Co's The Gauldrons Sherry Cask Finish 46.2% abv 60 USP: Joining the core expression, which launched in 2017, The Gauldrons Sherry Edition is limited to 2,125 bottles. A marriage of single cask single malts from Campbeltown, the blended malt enjoyed a finishing period in Spanish sherry casks. Copper Rivets Dockyard Gin Recognition 82 57% abv 35 (50cl bottle) USP: Recognition 82 is a special charity edition Navy Strength Gin which commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War and 5 from every sale will be donated to the Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity. BEER & CIDER Beavertown Potted Planets 5% abv 2.35 per 33cl can USP: Potted Planets has been created with rice grains to give it a lighter, dryer taste than your usual lager. The graphics on the can are peel-off stickers. Galipette Rose cider 4% abv 2 USP: Galipette Cidre has launched its Rose cider, made with red-flesh apples, Pommes a Chair Rouge, from the orchards of Brittany and Normandy. The apples give the cider its rose character, taste and amber colour. Brooklyn Pilsner 4.6% abv 1.90 (66cl bottle) Brooklyn Pilsner is a pale golden, premium lager that layers clean malts with a balanced wave of bright hops, crowned by an instantly refreshing finish. Perfect for anyone to enjoy, it offers light toasty flavours and spicy, subtle citrus hop notes. It has launched in the on-trade and will roll out to the off-trade later in the year. Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer 4% abv 5.50 (4 x 44cl cans) USP: Exciting existing Guinness drinkers with new ways to enjoy the stout, the new brew also aims to recruit new adult drinkers to the brand, parent company Diageo said. The Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer launch is being supported by marketing spend in its first year, which includes social media, influencer and advocacy activity. Docks Beers We Only Sing When Were Fishing 3.4% abv 3 USP: Grimsbys Docks Beers has added a low strength lager to its range of craft beers. The 3.4% session lager, We Only Sing When Were Fishing is inspired by the towns heritage and by one of the iconic chants sung by the fans of Grimsby Town FC. Hogs Backs Tongham TEA 4.2% abv 2.30 USP: Surrey brewer Hogs Back is relaunching its flagship TEA, renaming it as Tongham TEA with new packaging that reflects its place at the heart of its community. For the first time 'Surrey Farm Brewery' appears on the new bottle label. WINE Churchills Grafite Tinta Roriz 2019 16.50 USP: Released following Churchills brand reboot, this wine is made with Tinta Roriz grapes grown in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. Tasting notes of blackberries and spices reflect the diverse and extreme growing terrior. Cramele Recas Babele Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Rose 8.99 each USP: Romanias Cramele Recas has rolled out a new Babele range, available at Laithwaites, featuring a Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Rose. Domaine de la Pousse dOr 2020 vintage Allocation only USP: New wines for this vintage include Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru La Perriere, situated in an old flat-stone quarry, capable of making wines with backbone and are capable of ageing very well. Ferrari F1 Limited Editions dedicated to Miami and Mexico City 24.41 each USP: The two bottles, like the previous Ferrari F1 Limited Editions, are Blanc de Blancs cuvees from the Trento-based producer Gruppo Lunelli. Virgin Wines The Benevolent Range 9.99 each USP: The Benevolent Range is a charitable wine collection to raise funds for Virgin Wines charity partners - British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, The Leeway Domestic Abuse Charity, and Bright Start. The range includes a South Australian Cabernet Blend, a Chilean Pinot Grigio and a Carmenere, also from Chile. Platinum Jubilee Limited Edition English Sparkling Brut 34.99 USP: This year Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years on the throne. To commemorate the occasion, Virgin Wines is releasing a Platinum Jubilee Limited Edition English Sparkling Brut. The wine, which is made in collaboration with East Sussex vineyard, Henners, is limited to 500 bottles and will be available from May. Vina Leydas 2021 Single Vineyard Garuma Sauvignon Blanc and 2020 Reserva Pinot Noir 12 each USP: Chiles Leyda valley is known for many grapes, including Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes grown in a single vineyard, while the Pinot Noir is made with grapes from two of the winerys vineyards, one of which is situated only 4km from the Pacific Ocean. Grahams 1997 Single Harvest Tawny TBC USP: Grahams Port has released its 1997 Single Harvest Tawny which marks the start of head winemaker Charles Symingtons career. The 1997 comes under The Apprentice which is the youngest of three Single Harvest Tawny Ports in Grahams The Cellar Masters Trilogy, and it celebrates the knowledge passed from one generation to the next. Cono Sur Bicicleta Sauvignon Blanc Blush 7.50 USP: The wine is predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, with just a splash of Cono Surs Pinot Noir to add berry hints and give it a light pink colour. Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc Blush has launched in Nisa stores and online via Ocado, with further retailer listings to follow. Mouton Cadet Organic Rose 2021 12.95 USP: The wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and Mathilde de Sereys de Rothschild said: We want Mouton Cadet to look to the future. The addition of an organic and vegan wine to the collection is a response to our expectations for protection of the environment. RTDs Bacardis Tails cocktails 14.9% abv 15 each USP: After previously been available only in the on-trade, Tails RTD cocktails are available in the off-trade with new look packaging and new recipes. The range includes Rum Daiquiri, Whisky Sour, Gin Gimlet, Espresso Martini and Passion Fruit Martini. Happy J's alcoholic kombuchas 4% abv 15 (4 x 33cl cans) USP: The range of natural, low sugar, alcoholic beverages utilise probiotic-rich organic kombucha and comes in two flavours: Mint & Lime and Mango & Ginger. Funkins Peach on the Beach and Long Island Iced Tea 5-10% abv From 2 USP: The Peach on the Beach is available in a 20cl Nitro can (5% abv), with the nitrogen infusion providing a foamy head. Peach on the Beach in also available in a 70cl sharing format (10% abv). Meanwhile, Long Island Iced Tea comes in a 25cl can (5% abv). Related articles: Over the past week, hospitals in Hanoi have been recording fewer Covid-19 cases. The municipal Department of Health said Tuesday that there were still over 174,300 active Covid-19 cases in the capital city, including 906 patients in hospitals and six in other facilities. Hanoi currently tops the country's infection tally, with more than 1.5 million cases. But the number of hospitalized cases over the past week has dropped by about 1.7 times compared to the week before, and the number of new infections has dropped by 1.3 times, the department said. In Ho Chi Minh City, the former epicenter, the number of new cases has been dropping over the past week. More and more patients are being discharged from hospitals compared to those being admitted, according to the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. The number of Covid-19 deaths has also been dropping steadily over the past month, with only one death recorded a day over the past 10 days, the committee noted. Nationwide, the number of new Covid-19 infections has been dropping in late March and early April. From the peak of over 450,000 new cases a day (March 12), the number dropped 110,000 cases on March 29 and 50,000 on April 5. The number of severe cases has also halved over the past month, from over 3,800 cases on March 9 to 2,400 on April 5. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said Wednesday that the decreasing number of Covid-19 infections was "a very good sign". Hanoi and HCMC have resumed many activities including allowing students to return to school, he added. "The disease is now under control," Son said, adding this was evidence that the nation's vaccination campaign has been effective. As of April 5, Vietnam had administered over 207 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, with 99 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated, and 50 percent having received their third shots. Ninety-four percent of children aged 12-17 have been fully vaccinated as well. Vietnam will also produce Covid-19 antivirals at home, with a capacity of around 160 million molnupiravir pills a month, Son said. However, medical authorities need to continue monitoring the situation and make due recommendations, Son said. One of their tasks now is to prepare response plans for new variants, he added. People should also stay vigilant despite the decreasing numbers, avoiding large crowds during holidays and festivals, the deputy health minister advised. A sinkhole at the Phan Van Tri-Nguyen Oanh Intersection in HCMC's Go Vap District, August 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van The HCMC environment department has suggested the city government cooperate with Japan International Cooperation Agency on solutions to sinking land. The proposal by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment was made after JICA sent a draft for a project to survey and respond to sinking land in Ho Chi Minh City, based on what's being done in Tokyo, Jakarta and Bangkok. According to the proposal, HCMC will allow JICA to cooperate with relevant authorities by providing information to survey the city's sinking status, along with deploying response policies and measures. The survey serves to figure out the geological characteristics and causes of sinking, among other purposes. HCMC is sinking by around 4-7 centimeters a year, a high rate of sinking compared to other Vietnam localities. A 2019 survey by the Department of Water Resources Management on 24 locations in HCMC revealed that An Lac Ward in Binh Tan District has sunk the most, sinking by 81 centimeters from 2009 to 2019. Scientists said the sinking in HCMC is caused by urban and traffic development, weak geological structures and over-exploitation of groundwater. Vietnam reaffirmed its legal and indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands while requesting China to stop militarization activities and refrain from increasing tensions in the region. China's strengthening of militarization on some entities that are part of Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) not only violates Vietnams sovereignty over the archipelago, but also causes concern among other countries in the region and the international community, as reflected in ASEAN documents, Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said at a press meet Thursday. This is not conducive to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the East Sea, known internationally as South China Sea, Hang said. "Vietnam requests China to respect Vietnams sovereignty, cease militarization, refrain from activities that escalate tension in the region, maintain favorable conditions for continued joint efforts with ASEAN to promote negotiations towards achieving a substantive and effective code of conduct (COC) in line with international law and in UNCLOS with the earliest possible time." She was responding to a request for comment on information that China has completed militarization of some islands in the South China Sea. On March 22, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it has built in the South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets, AP reported. Hang stressed that Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty of the Spratly and Paracel Islands in accordance with international law, as also its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the waters in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Regarding China's announcement of new drills in the South China Sea from March 19 to April 9, Hang said Vietnam's position on this matter was clarified on March 7. Vietnam had then requested that China respect its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as established in accordance with the UNCLOS, cease all activities violating them and refrain from action that may complicate the situation, contributing thereby to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the South China Sea. The government has ordered HCMC, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho to work on a motorbike restriction plan after 2030. The five cities, currently the only centrally controlled municipalities and the biggest in Vietnam, must either ban or restrict motorbikes in certain districts after 2030, as well as study and develop a scheme on charging motor vehicle fees in some areas at risk of congestion and environmental pollution. The request was made in a government resolution issued Tuesday on ensuring traffic safety and preventing traffic congestion in the 2022-2025 period. Specialized agencies in each city must work with municipal legislative units to develop policies on prioritizing mass transportation to achieve the target of having public transport cover 30-35 percent of passenger volume. The resolution requires that the five cities focus their resources on dealing with frequent congestion points, eliminate situations in which traffic jams normally last for more than 30 minutes, and only approve projects of high-rise buildings, apartment buildings, and shopping malls that are linked with major traffic systems. Last December, Hanoi rolled out a plan to ban motorbikes in core districts after 2025. Hanoi's move came after Ho Chi Minh City said in 2019 that it would restrict and eventually ban motorbikes from a number of downtown areas. The two biggest cities in Vietnam, HCMC and Hanoi had around 7.5 million and 5.7 million motorbikes as of last year. A Hanoi woman will spend 15 years behind bars for swindling more than VND1 billion ($43,753) from a couple with several deceptions, including briefcases full of fake currency. The Hanoi Peoples Court handed down the 15-year sentence to 52-year-old Nguyen Thi Nhung Thursday after finding her guilty of obtaining property by fraud. Nhung used a fake name and falsely claimed she was working for the Government Office to deceive the couple. She said she could buy cars at discounted prices and have land ownership certificates issued for agricultural land. Last year, Nhung told Sinh and his wife, who live in Hanois Cau Giay District, that the Government Office was selling a Ford Ranger for VND272 million and a Camry 2.5 for VND390 million. She said if the couple gave her the money, the cars would be delivered on April 30, 2021. Sinh and his wife then gave Nhung a total of VND502 million from April 23 to April 29 last year. Nhung also offered the couple a land ownership certificate for a 12,000 sq.m land plot in Dong Anh District. She asked for and was given VND220 million up front for this purchase. On April 27, 2021, Nhung told the couple she had been asked to go to Ho Chi Minh City to "get $7 million for leadership" for which she would get VND10 billion as a reward. Nhung asked Sinh to rent a car and go with her, saying he would receive VND5 billion. On the way, Nhung told Sinh to give her VND310 million as "support money" for bank employees. After receiving the money, Nhung bought two briefcases and filled them with fake currency, normally used in Vietnam as ceremonial joss paper offerings for deceased relatives, to dupe Sinh into believing that the money had been received. It is also known locally as "hell money". She then demanded another VND50 million for "work purposes" and yet another VND100 million for "car papers". By now, Sinh and his wife had become very suspicious they were being duped. They checked the briefcases and discovered the hell money inside. *Victims' names have been changed. Tourists walk with a guide outside the Royal Palace which was closed for visitors as precaution against the coronavirus outbreak in Phnom Penh, Cambodia March 19, 2020. Photo by Reuters/Cindy Liu Vietnam led the list of countries with the highest number of tourist arrivals to Cambodia in the first quarter, followed by Thailand and China, a Cambodian official says. Cambodia received a total 151,680 foreign visitors in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 114 percent year-on-year, Kong Sopheareak, director of Tourism Statistics Department at the Ministry of Tourism, said, Khmer Times reported. The sharp rise in the number of foreign visitors came after Cambodia fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since the middle of November last year. Cambodia last month dispensed with a requirement for visitors from overseas to take Covid-19 tests upon arrival. With a quarantine free policy, Cambodian tourism authorities hope to attract between 600,000 and 700,000 international tourists in 2022, an expected rise from only 200,000 in 2021. Vietnam resumed regular flights with Cambodia's Phnom Penh from Jan. 1 and lifted travel restrictions for outbound Vietnamese tourists in February. A group of foreign tourists visit Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam, April 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh With major feeder markets like China and Japan still imposing strict entry restrictions, the number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam has remained relatively low. Therefore, the tourism industry is seeking different ways to attract more foreigners into the country, deputy tourism minister Doan Van Viet said at a government meeting Monday. He acknowledged that the number of foreign arrivals has remained relatively low after Vietnam allowed quarantine-free travel from March 15. In March, Vietnam welcomed 15,000 foreign tourists, 10 times higher than the previous month, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Viet said that travel firms need more time to connect with foreign clients after the disruption of tourism activities over the last two years. "The peak travel season for international tourists will last from October to April next year, as usual. We expect the number of foreign visitors to rise in the coming days," he said, as cited by the government news portal. Attracting more foreign visitors at this time will be a difficult task because Northeast Asia accounts for 70 percent of Vietnams total foreign tourist arrivals, he noted. China, Vietnam's biggest tourism market with 5.8 million arrivals in 2019, is still pursuing a zero-Covid policy with lockdown measures and strict entry restrictions; while Japan, Vietnam's third largest tourism market, is imposing quarantine regulations on visitors or those returning from abroad. In addition, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has directly affected some localities that have specialized in serving Russian tourists like Khanh Hoa, home to the beach and bay towns of Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, Viet said. Vietnam Airlines has suspended its regular flight between Hanoi and Moscow starting March 28 and some Vietnamese tour operators have temporarily suspended bringing Russian tourists to Vietnam as a result of Western sanctions imposed on Russia. Viet said the tourism industry should promote visa, medical and immigration policies and work with Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad so that international visitors are more aware of Vietnam's tourism reopening policies. Travel firms should also seek opportunities to promote Vietnam in major tourism markers and offer promotional programs to attract visitors from these countries and territories, he said. Vietnam has done well in dealing with Covid-19 pandemic, and "then we need a more open policy on medical quarantine so that foreign tourists can feel secure when coming to Vietnam," Viet said. Starting March 15, Vietnam has reopened its borders to foreign tourists and resumed its pre-pandemic visa exemption policy for citizens from 24 countries, including Japan, South Korea and European economies. Foreigners entering Vietnam only need to furnish a negative Covid-19 test certificate. In 2019, before the onset of Covid-19, Vietnam had received a record 18 million foreign tourists. The target this year is to welcome five to six million foreign tourists. Vets examine plastic waste and other trash recovered from the stomach of a dead deer in Thailand's Khun Sathan National Park. Photo by the Handout Office of Protected Area Region 13/AFP Thailand on Wednesday banned styrofoam packaging and single-use plastics from national parks as it fights a scourge of waste threatening wildlife. Waters off the coast of Thailand are choked with pollution and the coronavirus pandemic has brought a surge in plastic waste as demand for takeaway food grows. The Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said the ban was necessary to protect ecology. Offenders can be fined up to 100,000 baht ($3,000) if caught traveling into the parks with single-use plastic items or styrofoam containers. The new regulations came into force Wednesday after they were published in the Royal Gazette a day earlier. The ban includes "carry plastic bags which are less than 36 microns, plastic food containers, cups, straws, and cutlery", the announcement said. Greenpeace Thailand says plastic waste is a threat to the country's wildlife including its elephant population. Digesting plastic can block animals' intestines and disrupt the digestive system. Elephants in Khao Yai National Park -- three hours northeast of Bangkok -- have reportedly eaten packaging, and plastic bags have been found in their feces. Plastic pollution on land can also wash into waterways and threaten river ecology and marine life. Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and Vietnam together produce half of the plastic waste in the world's oceans, according to campaign group the Ocean Conservancy. Thailand outlawed the sale of single-use plastic bags at supermarkets and department stores in 2020, but they are still handed out by street food vendors, cafes, markets and smaller retailers. Thais on average used around eight a day before the ban at major retailers was imposed. The government wants 100 percent recyclable plastic to be in use by 2027. In the aftermath of the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Bucha, Mariupol and other places in Ukraine, the European Parliament adopted today, by a large majority, a resolution condemning those acts as war crimes and calling for additional, stronger sanctions against Russia and Belarus. All ECPM Members of European Parliament voted in favor. The adopted text calls for an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and on gas as swiftly as possible, for Nordstream 1 and 2 to be completely abandoned, and for a plan to continue ensuring the EUs security of energy supply in the short-term to be presented; emphasizing that diversification of energy sources as well as boosting investments in renewable technologies remains a priority. The Parliament demanded to expand the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT system, to ban all transport (by road or sea) to and from Russia and to seize any assets in Europe that are discovered to belong to Russian oligarchs, government or Putin and Lukashenka proxies. Any violations of the adopted sanctions by individuals, companies or governments would be more severely punished. The document also called on all European leaders to exclude Russia from the G20 and other multilateral cooperative organisations, such as the UN Human Rights Council, Interpol, the World Trade Organization, UNESCO and others. Just a few hours later, the General Assembly of the UN Human Rights Council voted to suspend Russias membership. The resolution supports the initiative by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into the recent atrocities which are thought to constitute war crimes and asked for the creation of a special UN tribunal for crimes in Ukraine. Finally, the European Parliament asked for increased (financial and military) aid for Ukraine now, as well as the creation of a special fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. They stressed the importance of its agricultural sector and urged safe corridors for delivery of tools and resources needed, as well as safe passage for civilian evacuation and humanitarian work. This resolution effectively ensures Russias isolation in the world as punishment for its aggressive actions and a strong commitment by the EU Member States to stand with Ukraine and support her fight to defend her independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since the early days of the Russian Federations unprovoked and unjust war of choice on Ukraine, the United States warned that Russia's forces may be using tactics that constitute war crimes. Weve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Russias forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded. Many of the sites Russias forces have hit have been clearly identifiable as in-use by civilians. Included among civilian facilities hit by Russias military are a maternity hospital Mariupol, and a Mariupol theater that was being used as a shelter by civilians, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The theater was clearly marked with the word children in huge white letters, painted on both the front and back parking lots and clearly visible from the sky. Such horrific attacks against civilian targets are nothing new for Vladimir Putins invading forces, said Secretary Blinken. Putins forces used these same tactics in Grozny, Chechnya, and Aleppo, Syria, where they intensified their bombardment of cities to break the will of the people, Secretary Blinken said. Their attempt to do so in Ukraine has again shocked the world, and, as President Zelenskyy has soberly attested, bathed the people of Ukraine in blood and tears. As of March 22, officials in besieged Mariupol said that more than 2,400 civilians had been killed in that city alone, said Secretary Blinken. Not including the Mariupol devastation, the United Nations has officially confirmed more than 2,500 civilian casualties, including dead and wounded, and emphasizes the actual toll is likely higher. That is why Secretary Blinken announced on March 23 that , based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russias forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. As with any alleged crime, a court of law with jurisdiction over the crime is ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases, said Secretary Blinken. The U.S. government will continue to track reports of war crimes and will share information we gather with allies, partners, and international institutions and organizations, as appropriate, he said. We are committed to pursuing accountability using every tool available, including criminal prosecutions." Authorities say three men have been arrested for allegedly stealing more than 10,000 gallons of fuel from Las Vegas gas stations. According to court records, Raidel Amador Blanco, Luis Gomez Medero and Javier Ramos Gomez each are facing charges of theft and conspiracy. Las Vegas Metro Police say the three men allegedly altered their trucks and the sensors at a gas pump to steal about 9,900 gallons of diesel fuel from a Chevron station on April 7. An employee called police to report that the station was short about 1,500 gallons of fuel in the past 24 hours and also found security footage that showed two trucks parked at the pump for hours. Authorities say the losses totaled more than $8,000. On April 7, the UMB Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion released this letter about the celebration of Ramadan: Dear UMB Community, Ramadan Mubarak! On April 2, the holy month of Ramadan began for our Muslim friends and colleagues, and it continues through May 2. It is one of the most important Muslim holidays. Muslim students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) join others worldwide to observe Ramadan, which occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and involves prayer, reflection, and fasting from sunrise to sunset. The act of fasting for Muslims is a reminder of those who are less fortunate and is intended to bring the faithful closer to God by abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and other behaviors and habits. During the fast, before the sun rises, the day may begin with a light meal, a drink of water, and the taking of necessary medications. At the end of day, after the sun sets, there is a meal to break the fast. A customary greeting during Ramadan is Ramadan Mubarak, which essentially means Have a blessed Ramadan. Ramadan concludes with Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast. As UMB continues to foster an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment, we seek to understand and affirm the diverse members of our University community. In support of our Muslim colleagues, faculty, staff, and students who are observing Ramadan, please consider the following: Avoid planning food-centric events during Ramadan (the beginning and end dates vary from year to year because the Islamic calendar is lunar) Learn more about Ramadan Offer time and space for prayer Be flexible and accommodating Please feel free to read more information about Ramadan at this link. In partnership and collaboration, Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer and Vice President With passenger trains reduced or suspended due to epidemic control in some regions across the country, China's railway network was able to capitalize by running more freight trains in the first quarter. More than 948 million metric tons of cargo was transported by rail from January to March, a year-on-year increase of 2.8 percent, according to national railway operator China State Railway Group. A total of 350 million tons of coal for electricity production was transported via the network, a year-on-year increase of 6.6 percent. The network also supplied materials used in the fight against COVID-19 to places such as Hong Kong. Thirty-five trains carrying 1,384 tons of cargo from Beijing were sent to support the special administrative region's fight against the virus. More freight train services were put on to transport goods that are usually carried by road, including agricultural items. With spring in full swing, China State Railway transported 43.7 million tons of agricultural goods in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 8.8 percent. The cargo included fertilizer, seeds and pesticides. Green channels were opened for loading and transporting the goods to make sure they arrived before harvest time. The freight rail network also made advances in international trade from January to March. In the first three months of the year, the network handled 3,630 freight train services carrying 350,000 containers between China and Europe, a year-on-year increase of 7 and 9 percent, respectively. Some 170,000 containers were sent via the new western land-sea corridor, a year-on-year increase of 56.5 percent. The China-Laos Railway facilitated the flow of 260,000 tons of import and export goods, showing strong growth, China State Railway said. As a convenient logistics channel connecting China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, the railway, completed last year, improves transport efficiency, reduces logistics costs and benefits more enterprises, the group said. China will use a new national railway schedule from April 8, expanding international freight railway services and intermodal transport involving sea-rail freight trains. These will better serve the international supply chain and improve high-quality opening-up, the group said. There will be four extra daily freight services on the China-Laos Railway. Additionally, more freight services will be operated between China and Europe, and the number of services along the new western land-sea corridor will be increased. The seven Vietnamese billionaires on the Forbes list. (Photo: cafef.vn) According to VNA, The wealthy seven are Chairman of Vingroup Pham Nhat Vuong, CEO of VietJet Air Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairman of Hoa Phat Group Tran Dinh Long, Chairman of Techcombank Ho Hung Anh, Chairman of Nova Group Bui Thanh Nhon, Chairman of Thaco Tran Ba Duong and Chairman of Masan Group Nguyen Dang Quang. This year is the first time Nhon gained a spot on the list with 2.9 billion USD, ranked 1,053. Vuong remains the wealthiest person in Vietnam, with a fortune estimated at 6.2 billion USD. However, he is the only one of the seven billionaires that saw his wealth fall, by 15 percent compared to last year. He dropped 67 spots on the list to 411th. In contrast, Quang's net worth increased by 36 percent to 1.9 billion USD. Long followed with a 31 percent gain, then came Anh (up 30 percent) and Thao (up 9.6 percent). Duong's net worth held steady at 1.6 billion USD. There are 87 fewer billionaires on the list than last year. Their total wealth is 12.7 trillion USD, around 400 billion USD below 2021. It is also worth noting that 236 new billionaires emerged, and over 1,000 have become wealthier since last year. Vietnamese universities gain higher world rankings by subject Vietnamese universities have earned greater reputation worldwide as more of their programmes have received recognition and higher rankings from the UKs Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) this year, reported VNA. The Hanoi University and Science and Technology (HUST) makes it into the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject in five disciplines. (Photo: Hust.edu.vn) The 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject cover a total of 51 disciplines, grouped into five broad subject areas, namely Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management. The Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi gained recognition in six specific subject areas. It was placed in the group of 351 400 in Mathematics; 501 550 in Computer Science and Information Systems; and 451 500 in Engineering Civil and Structural; Physics and Astronomy; Business and Management Studies; and Engineering Electrical and Electronic. The Hanoi University and Science and Technology (HUST) made it into five disciplines' rankings. The university was ranked in the group of 301 350 in Engineering Electrical and Electronic, Engineering Mechanical, and Engineering Civil and Structural, up 100 spots from the previous ranking. The VNU, Ho Chi Minh City was available in seven subject areas rankings this year. (Photo: vnuhcm.edu.vn) The universitys Computer Science and Information Systems climbed 150 places to rank in the group of 401 450. This year marked the first time its Mathematics and Materials Sciences courses have been listed in the ranking, entering the 351 400 and 401 410 groups, respectively. Overall, HUST ranked No.1 in Vietnam and 360th worldwide in Engineering and Technology. The VNU, Ho Chi Minh City was available in seven subject areas rankings, including Modern Languages (251 300), Engineering Electrical and Electronic (301 350), Engineering Chemical (351 400), Computer Sciences and Information Systems (401 450), Mathematics (401 450), Chemistry (601 630). Notably, its ranking in Engineering Petroleum advanced from last years 101 150 to 51 100 this year. Vietnamese universities have shown strong performances in Engineering and Technology with five earning rankings in this area, including VNU-Hanoi, VNU-HCM, HUST, Duy Tan University and Ton Duc Thang University. Hanoi allows the reopening of karaokes, bars, massage venues and gaming centers Hanois authorities will allow the reopening of karaokes, bars, massage venues and gaming centres from April 8 after a long period of closure. Foreigners drinking beer in the backpacker street Ta Hien, downtown Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) The information was released at a press conference held by the Hanoi People's Committee on April 6 afternoon. According to Mr. Truong Viet Dung, Chief of the Office of the City People's Committee, Hanoi leader signed and promulgated Document No.1011/UBND-KGVX on adjusting a number of measures "Adapting safely, flexibly, controlling effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic in the new situation. These places, considered posing high risks for coronavirus spreading, are usually the first to be closed when a COVID-19 outbreak occurs and the last to reopen when it eases. Photo for illustration (Source: VNA) They have been ordered to shut down in the capital since late April last year in response to the emergence of the fourth wave of infections in the country. The venues must ensure COVID-19 prevention and control measures as per health authority guidelines and advise customers with suspected COVID-19 symptoms fever, coughing, breathing difficulties and loss of taste and smell, for example to avoid using the services, and instead seek medical instructions from local health authorities. District- and township-level peoples committees must cooperate with authorities to inspect these service venues in compliance with COVID-19 safety guidelines and other legal regulations./. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline must be dismantled, Polish President Andrzej Duda has said. "We still believe that Nord Stream 2 should not only be blocked, but simply dismantled, since it is harmful to the entire European Union. This leads to Russian hegemony over Europe, primarily in the gas market, to the monopolization of the European gas market by Russia, which is obvious. Now, it is seen in black and white, it is simply deadly for Europe," he said in an interview with CNN. The President recalled that Poland from the very beginning fought against joint German-Russian investments in Nord Stream 2 and Nord Stream 2, since their construction was obviously political in nature, aimed at bypassing the territory of Poland, the Baltic States and Ukraine and the possibility for Russia to use gas blackmail against these Central European countries. "We protested against this all the time, but, unfortunately, these investments were made. The German authorities in the European Union pushed these projects all the time," Duda said. Chairman of the board of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal and general director of the company Aditya Mittal addressed the employees of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) with the words of support and announced their intention to resume production, while CEO of the Ukrainian enterprise Mauro Longobardo returned to the enterprise. "First of all, we want to reiterate the outstanding strength of the Ukrainian people in defending their own country. Under the leadership of the tireless President Zelensky, Ukrainians show strength, courage and unity and prove that they, and not anyone else, will choose the future of Ukraine," the statement says. It is noted that the majority in the global company cannot imagine how their Ukrainian colleagues feel, in particular, about 1,200 people called to fight for their country, or volunteers. The Mittals pointed out with regret that three employees of the enterprise died in battle, and expressed their condolences to the families of the heroes. "In recent days, the details of the most terrible atrocities have become known. But the Ukrainians are determined and confident that, along with the battles, life should continue where possible," the statement reads. The Mittals reported that last week the Ukrainian government asked to consider the possibility of launching production, and after assessing the situation, a decision was made to partially launch the enterprise. "We will start by returning to production of blast furnace No. 6: work has already begun and it is expected that the furnace will be operational again by April 11," the statement explains. The report states that "the news of the retreat of the Russians is very encouraging," but there is no clear understanding of how long the war can last, and history says that only time will tell when and how it will end. "But we understand that in the event of a long war, a simple cessation of work will not help Ukraine. The country and its people must hope and believe that the enterprise can continue to work, can produce goods and provide its workers with work and livelihood," the statement says. Germany has already sent large volumes of weapons to Ukraine and is working to increase such supplies, the German Embassy reports, citing the German Defense Minister. "Large volumes of weapons have already been delivered to Ukraine from Germany. And we work hard every day to give it even more. Therefore, we are constantly in contact with the government of Ukraine [...] But we do not talk about the details, for which there is a reason: Ukraine has clearly asked us about this," the Embassy quoted German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht as saying in the Bundestag. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on the Russians to demand an end to the war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops and to decide whether they are for war or for peace. "If for the war, you will forever be outcasts for the rest of your life and you will lose everything in the end. And if for peace, if you have at least a little shame for what Russian troops are doing in Ukraine, then now is a key moment for such citizens of Russia," he said in a video message on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. "It is necessary to demand precisely an end to the war. Demanding peace, it is better to lose something, to face the Russian repressive machine, than if you are equated with the Nazis for the rest of your life," Zelensky said. According to him, "this also applies to ordinary citizens. Nazism has no future, mass murder has no future. Everyone in Russia who does not demand an end to the shameful war has no future." The West can still introduce such a regime of sanctions, which Ukraine insists on, and give such weapons that will really stop this aggression, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes. "If the mistake is made again, if there is no preventive action for the second time, then this will be a historic mistake for the entire Western world," he said in a video message on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. The package of sanctions announced today, according to Zelensky, looks spectacular. "But this is not enough. But still, it can hardly be called commensurate with the evil that the world saw in Bucha. With the evil that continues in Mariupol, in the shelling of Kharkiv, in Russia's efforts to launch a new global bloody offensive in Donbas," he said. "We will continue to insist on the complete blocking of the Russian banking system from international finance. We will also continue to insist on this or that format of the democratic world's refusal of Russian oil. It is oil exports that are one of the foundations of Russian aggressiveness. One of the reasons why the Russian leadership can allow itself to be lighthearted about the negotiations to end the war and liberate Ukrainian territory," he said. He stated that "an embargo on the supply of Russian oil will still be applied. The format will be found. The only question is how many more Ukrainians, how many more Ukrainian women, the Russian military will have time to kill, so that you, some politicians and we know you, somewhere lend yourself little decisiveness." President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the continuation of the war in Ukraine would be suicidal for the Russian authorities. "As for the majority of Russian war crimes on the territory of Ukraine: if the world has started a discussion about whether it is permissible to call what the Russian military did on the territory of Ukraine a genocide, then the search for the truth can no longer be stopped. It is no longer 'roll back' in any way. It is only possible to quickly abandon further aggression against Ukraine and thereby try to at least somehow reduce the damage to Russian statehood and to those who personally make key decisions in Russia. If not, if nothing changes, then it is suicide. Suicide for everyone who chooses the option of continuing the war," Zelensky said in a video message on Thursday night. He stressed that the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation will not be able to avoid responsibility. "We have information that the Russian military has changed tactics and is trying to remove the killed people from the streets and basements in the occupied territories. This is only an attempt to hide evidence and nothing more. But they will not succeed, because a lot have been killed," the head of state said. "We already know about thousands of missing people. We already know about thousands of people who can either be deported to Russia or killed. There are no other options for their fate. The situation now is such that thanks to an objective investigation, thanks to witnesses, thanks to satellite observation of events on the ground, thanks to other tools that help establish the truth, we will find out all the circumstances regarding most of our missing citizens," he said. Russia's armed forces are trying to replenish military units fighting in Ukraine using recruits who were discharged from military service after 2012. At the same time, a recruiting campaign is taking place among Russian citizens in the unrecognized Transdniester Republic, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has said. "The command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continues to search for ways to solve the problematic issue of replenishing human resources for its units. The Russian military commissariats have intensified work with those liable for military service who were discharged from military service after 2012 and who have military registration specialties of a driver, motor driver mechanic, intelligence officer, as well as junior commanders. The official reason for the call to the military registration and enlistment offices is the holding of a meeting for training in the specified military specialties for a period of three months. Also, on the territory of the so-called Transdniester Republic, appropriate propaganda work is being carried out with the population with Russian citizenship," the General Staff said on Facebook. The Ukrainian military said that some of the withdrawn Russian units are deployed in tent camps on the territory of a number of regions of the Russian Federation bordering Ukraine. The servicemen refuse to participate in further hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. The moral and psychological state of the said personnel is low and tends to worsen. According to the General Staff, the enemy continues active operations in the Slobozhansky, Donetsk, South Buh and Tavriya directions. In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to blockade the city of Kharkiv and carry out artillery shelling. In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the enemy continues artillery shelling of the town of Popasna. The goal is to set fire to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and resume the offensive on Rubizhne, Nyzhne and Novobakhmutivka. Also, the occupiers unsuccessfully tried to break through the defense of the units of our troops near Novotoshkivske. In the South Buh direction, the enemy is defending the previously occupied lines, taking measures to restore the combat capability of its units and continues to carry out strict filtration measures in Russia-occupied areas of Kherson region. The occupiers continue to use violence against civilians in the temporarily occupied territories. The population of Mariupol is being forcibly deported to the temporarily occupied districts of Donetsk region. In the previous day, the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit three air targets: a cruise missile, an UAV and a fighter jet. The Air Force continued inflicting missile and bomb strikes on Russian troops. PEOPLES UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES 332, Patpar Ganj, Opposite Anand Lok Apartments, Mayur Vihar I, Delhi 110 091 Founder: Jayaprakash Narayan; Founding President: V M Tarkunde President: Ravi Kiran Jain; General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh E.mail: puclnat[at]gmail.com& pucl.natgensec[at]gmail.com 07th April, 2022 PUCL condemns the arbitrary travel bans on Rana Ayyub and Aakar Patel, prominent critics of the Government On 6th April, 2022, Aakar Patel, well known human rights activist and journalist, was prevented by Immigration authorities in Bengaluru airport from catching a flight to the US and forced to turn back. Aakar Patel was on his way to speak at various universities in the US. The basis of the denial to fly out of the country was a Look-Out Circular allegedly issued by the CBI. PUCL strongly condemns the actions of the Government of India to arbitrarily and capriciously abuse its power to detain or block prominent and well known persons like Aakar Patel just at the time when they are about to leave for scheduled visits abroad, details of which have been informed to the authorities. What exposes the sinister and motivated act of the Government of India is that Aakar Patel was travelling abroad only after obtaining permission from a Court in Surat which permitted return of his passport deposited in the Court, to enable him to travel to the US. The Court order was passed only after the Gujarat state police and the government were informed of Aakar Patels request to travel abroad and fiercely opposed the petition. Eventually, the Court permitted him to travel only after he gave full information to the Government authorities about his tour plan, addresses of places he was planning to stay and tour itinerary, which included lectures in the New York University and Berkeley. Very importantly, Aakar complied with the condition of the court to deposit Rs. 2 lakhs as condition for permission for return of passport to enable him to travel between 1st March and 30th May, 2022. It should be pointed out that the Government did not disclose before the appropriate court which legally permitted Aakar to travel, that there was a travel ban by virtue of an existing CBI case. It is in this background that the actions of the Government o block Aakar Patel from travelling is illegal and reprehensible. It is important to note that such a circular has no statutory or legal basis and is a misuse of executive power to impose what is in effect a de-facto travel ban. The action of the Government of India is nothing but vengeful and spiteful as Aakar Patel has been a trenchant and strong critic of the ruling BJP government and has exposed and opposed its anti-democratic, unconstitutional an anti-people policies, laws and actions. A week earlier, on 29.03.2022, another prominent journalist, Rana Ayyub was also prevented from travelling abroad to address an international journalism festival as well as speak at the office of prominent global newspaper, the Guardian, in London. Rana Ayyub was not given any written intimation about the reason for Immigration department not allowing her to fly but was orally told that the Enforcement Directorate will be emailing summons to her. Two hours after her detention at the airport, ED issued a summons to her. Though later, the Delhi High Court has permitted her to travel, the fact remains that the Central Government brazenly and arbitrarily abused its power to violate the fundamental right of Rana Ayyub to travel, free speech and dissent. Both Rana Ayyub and Aakar Patel are prominent journalists and well known citizens, who by no stretch of imagination can be put in `flight risk category or list of people who will try to escape the law. In a similar case adjudicated by the Delhi High Court the Court held that a person going to attend a conference to express an opinion which may not be palatable to the government cannot be stifled. As the Court noted in `Priya Pillai v. Union of India Amongst the varied freedoms conferred on an individual (i.e., the citizen), is the right of free speech and expression, which necessarily includes the right to criticise and dissent. Criticism, by an individual, may not be palatable; even so, it cannot be muzzled. What both decisions have in common is that they target prominent critics of the government who are very articulate, expressive and well informed critics of the Central Government and its anti-people policies. In effect, by not allowing dissent its rightful constitutional place, the government is proving its critics right, namely that the Central Government is so intolerant of criticism that it will not shy away from brazenly abusing the various instrumentalities at its disposal, from the ED to the CBI, to prevent its critics from speaking out. The government is in effect misusing its executive power to censor a persons political opinion. This is a matter of deep shame for a country which prides itself on being the worlds largest democracy. If democracy is to mean anything at all, it should mean that criticism even fierce criticism which the government perceives to be unfair, is accepted with good grace. As Gandhiji said in the context of Indias struggle for independence: We must first make good the right of free speech and free association before we can make any further progress towards our goal. [...]We must defend these elementary rights with our lives. Liberty of speech means that it is unassailed even when the speech hurts; liberty of the press can be said to be truly respected only when the press can comment in the severest terms upon and even misrepresent matters Every action of censorship of dissent is an act of betrayal of the Indian constitution and diminishes Indian democracy. We urge the Government to allow for the free play of dissenting voices as that is the mandate imposed upon them by the Indian Constitution which they have sworn to uphold. We demand that the Government refrain from the unconstitutional use LOCs as a policy tool to stifle legitimate criticism. We also demand that the travel ban imposed on Aakar Patel, as also on Rana Ayyub, be immediately rescinded and a public apology be tendered to both of them for the unconscionable and unconstitutional actions of preventing them from expressing their constitutional rights of expression and movement. 07th April, 2022 Dr. V. Suresh, General Secretary, PUCL Russian aggression in Ukraine has caused a large-scale humanitarian crisis and created security threats for all countries of the Black Sea basin, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said. Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov took part in the virtual meeting with the colleague ministers organised by the Turkish side. Minister of Defence of Turkey Hulusi Akar, Minister of Defence of Bulgaria Dragomir Zakov, Minister of Defence of Georgia Juansher Burchuladze, Minister of Defence of Mariusz Baszczak and Minister of Defence of Romania Vasile Dincu took part in the meeting, the website of the Ministry of Defense reported. "Russias invasion has caused a colossal humanitarian crisis and created direct security threats to all states in the Black Sea region. Safety of international navigation is undermined. Russia is creating provocations against civilian vessels. Some of them are blocked in Ukrainian ports and have already been attacked by Russia, there are victims. The Russian Navy throws into the sea mines seized in Sevastopol, which belonged to the Ukrainian Navy until 2014. De facto, it is an attempt to commit terrorist acts against civilian vessels, " Reznikov said. The Minister also informed the participants of the meeting about the situation at the front. "Particular emphasis was placed on the situation in Mariupol, where Russian troops caused a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. The meeting in such a format, when partners from Ukraine and Georgia were involved in discussing regional problems with four NATO countries, has been held for the first time. Kakhovka Mayor Vitaliy Nemyrets has said that he refused to cooperate with Russia-occupation forces and left the city of Kakhovka in Kherson region because of the threat to his life. "Since I didn't want to cooperate with the Russian occupiers, the life of my family and I personally were in real danger. I think that there is no benefit to the community from the dead mayor or the mayor somewhere in the basement. Therefore, I decided to leave the temporarily occupied Kakhovka for the areas controlled by Ukraine's armed forces," the Kakhovka city territorial community's Facebook page reported on Thursday. Nemyrets said that he would not abandon the residents of Kakhovka. "The fact that I am not physically with you does not mean that I left you!! I continue to work and will continue to work for you for the benefit of our Kakhovka community," he said. The mayor said that only the majority of deputies of the city council at a legitimate session can remove him from office or accept his resignation. He also assured the townspeople that for everyone he "is still a phone call away." Investigators of the SBU in Kharkiv region, under the procedural leadership of the regional prosecutor's office, have launched a pretrial investigation into the shelling of residential buildings in Balakliya by Russian military, killing three people. "According to investigators, on April 6, 2022, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces fired artillery at residential buildings in the city of Balakliya... People's housing was partially destroyed in the shelling. Three people died in the shelling," the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said. Criminal proceedings were initiated under Part 2 of Article 348 (violation of rules of the warfare accompanied with an intended murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This is not the first time that the Russian Armed Forces have shelled Balakliya. So, on April 2, the Russian invaders fired at the Balakliya Central District Hospital, when there were patients and staff. The hospital building was damaged in this shelling. People were not hurt. On April 3, the occupiers fired on buses on which it was planned to evacuate patients and hospital staff. One of the drivers was killed. Balakliya is a temporarily occupied territory of Kharkiv region. Earlier it was reported that the mayor of Balakliya, Ivan Stolbovy, agreed to cooperate with the occupiers. Russian forces on Wednesday, April 6, stormed Novotoshkivske (Luhansk region) and were repulsed. From long-range artillery, the enemy continues to shell residential areas of the cities of the region, Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Haidai has said. "The Russians were unable to enter Novotoshkivske, but they shelled a hospital in Severodonetsk and houses in Lysychansk. The enemy is unsuccessfully trying to break through the defenses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so they are killing civilians and destroying houses with long-range weapons," Haidai said on Telegram on Thursday morning. He said that the number of damaged high-rise buildings in Severodonetsk on April 6 is being established, while new destruction is being discovered in those neighborhoods where there were no fires after Russian shells hit. "The enemy is not succeeding in its offensive plans, as yesterday near Novotoshkivske, so it again hits the civilian population. Houses in Lysychansk have been destroyed, as well as outbuildings in Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Novodruzhesk and Toshkivka. At night, firefighters coped with the elements after the roof of the hospital in Severodonetsk caught fire," he added. A total of nine enemy attacks were repulsed on the front line: six tanks, five armored and six vehicles and four artillery systems were destroyed. Air defense units shot down two aircraft, one cruise missile and one unmanned aerial vehicle of the enemy. Haidai said Russian forces continue shelling Popasna. He recalled that on Wednesday afternoon in Severodonetsk at least ten houses caught fire and windows were broken in many high-rise buildings, adding that two educational institutions and several shops were struck at once and that five people were injured standing in line at the humanitarian aid center. Hungarian leadership's unwillingness to recognize Russia's irrefutable responsibility for atrocities of the Russian army in Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel and other settlements means deliberately strengthening Russia's sense of impunity and encouraging it to commit new crimes against Ukrainians, Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, has said. "The political campaign of the ruling party in Hungary during the parliamentary elections was built on the intimidation of the Hungarians by the alleged threat of the spread of the Russian war on Hungarian territory. Obviously, after the elections in Budapest, they moved on to the next stage to help Putin continue his aggression against Ukraine, the civilized world and Christian values. Hungarian leadership's unwillingness to recognize Russia's irrefutable responsibility for atrocities of the Russian army in Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel and other settlements means deliberately strengthening Russia's sense of impunity and encouraging it to new atrocities against Ukrainians," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday. According to him, statements by the Hungarian leadership about their readiness to pay for Russian gas in rubles belong to the same category. "The Russian Federation is trying to transfer payments for gas supplies to Europe into the national currency in order to save the Russian economy against the backdrop of international sanctions. The Russian military machine needs resources to continue the war against Ukraine. In this context, we consider the statement about the readiness to pay for Russian gas in rubles as an unfriendly position on relation to our state. Such statements also contradict the consolidated position of the European Union, which has fundamentally refused to satisfy the Russian whim," the speaker stressed. Nikolenko pointed out that Ukrainians and Hungarians are united by centuries-old historical, political, economic and cultural ties. "Ukraine is the homeland of about 150,000 Ukrainian Hungarians. At the same time, the logic that politicians in Budapest are now guided by, playing along with Russia's aggressive policy, is harmful to both of our peoples," he said. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that against this background, proposals to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Budapest look cynical. "If Hungary really wants to help end the war, here's how to do it: stop destroying EU unity, support new anti-Russian sanctions, provide military assistance to Ukraine, don't create additional sources to finance the Russian military machine. It's never too late to turn to the right side of history," Nikolenko said. Poroshenko on decision of U.S .Senate on Lend-Lease: this is new countdown in rebuffing aggressor Fifth president of Ukraine (2014-2019), leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko welcomes the decision of the U.S. Senate to agree on a bill on lend-lease for Ukraine, the European Solidarity website reported on Thursday. " I have never doubted Washington's leadership in supporting Ukraine's struggle. The very fact that the US Senate has approved a Lend-Lease bill for Ukraine is not only inspiring, but it also marks a new stage in repelling the Russian aggressor," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook. Earlier, the politician proposed to the allies a plan to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to peace, which, in particular, provides for the Lend-Lease program. "At presenting my Five Major Steps Plan, I believed that there were no impossible solutions. The more international support for Ukraine, the faster our common victory will be," the Eurosolidarity leader said. According to the report, Poroshenko's plan provides for the introduction of a Lend-Lease program for Ukraine; oil embargo and other sanctions against the Russian Federation; providing aircraft and air defense systems to protect the airspace over Ukraine; development of a recovery plan for Ukraine similar to the Marshall Plan, as well as the acceleration of Ukraine's membership in the EU. Ukraine and its partners in the world need to work to ensure that sanctions against the Russian Federation are sufficiently destructive, said head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. "The war continues. Everyone saw the horrors that took place in the town of Bucha. And this means that sanctions are not enough to stop Russia. Therefore, all of us and our partners need to work to ensure that the sanctions are sufficiently destructive," Yermak said during an online meeting with a group of Ukrainian and international experts analyzing the real impact of the sanctions applied against Russia and providing proposals to strengthen them. He also added that it is necessary to impose an embargo on the supply to the Russian Federation of any technologies, equipment, mineral raw materials and ores, rare-earth minerals of dual use to stop the production of weapons in Russia and expand the sanctions list against politically significant persons of the Russian Federation and their family members. In addition, according to Yermak, secondary sanctions are very important, involving the inclusion in the sanctions list of legal entities and individuals of other countries that help Russian sub-sanctioned persons to avoid restrictions. In turn, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and former national security adviser to the U.S. President, Michael McFaul, who is the coordinator of the international group of experts, suggested at the meeting to focus on sanctions on oil and natural gas. Deputy head of the Presidents Office Rostyslav Shurma added that it is also necessary to work on the recognition of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism and inclusion in its "black list" of the International Group on Combating Money Laundering (FATF) in order to restrict trade with the Russian Federation. In addition, he noted that it is necessary to disconnect from SWIFT the entire banking system of the Russian Federation, in particular Sberbank and Gazprombank, a ban on land transport, in particular rail, as well as ships to enter the territory controlled by the Russian Federation to Russian ports, and transport that belongs to Russians or transports cargo of Russian owners to enter international ports. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on April 8, press secretary of the head of state Serhiy Nykyforov has said. "There will be a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tomorrow. I can't say the time for security reasons, but somewhere during the day," Nykyforov said on the air of a nationwide telethon. Earlier, the chief representative of the international organization, Eric Mamer, announced the visit of head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv this week. Together with Ursula von der Leyen, head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell will also visit Kyiv. In Donetsk and Luhansk directions, the servicemen of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) group successfully repulsed nine enemy attacks during the current day, the JFO said on its Facebook page. "In particular, the Ukrainian defenders destroyed six tanks, five armored and six vehicles, four enemy artillery systems," the report says. Air defense units shot down two planes, one cruise missile and one enemy unmanned aerial vehicle in the skies of the Ukrainian Donbas. As of the morning of April 7, the official number of children killed due to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation has not changed - 167. The number of injured has increased - more than 297, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Thursday. "These figures are not final, since work is underway to establish them in places of active hostilities, in temporarily occupied and liberated territories," the report says. According to the data received, the most children suffered in Kyiv region - 86, Donetsk region - 81, Kharkiv region - 73, Chernihiv region - 50, Mykolaiv region - 39, Luhansk region - 32, Zaporizhia region - 22, Kherson region - 29, capital - 16, Sumy region - 16, Zhytomyr region - 15 regions. As noted, on April 6, the body of a 12-year-old girl was delivered to the morgue, who, during shelling in March, burned down in a car on a highway near the village Yahidne of Chernihiv region. It became known that during the temporary occupation of the territories of Vyshgorodsky district of Kyiv region in March, servicemen of the armed forces and other military formations of the Russian Federation shelled the civilian population of Dymer village. As a result of the shelling, a child was wounded, and his father died on the spot. On March 22, a 4-year-old boy was seriously injured as a result of shelling of the city of Kharkiv. "As a result of daily bombing and shelling, 928 educational institutions were damaged. Some 84 of them were completely destroyed," the report says. The Island April 7, 2022 I know quite well that Americans do not like too much formality, and let me address you by your first name, Julie. So, dear Julie, Let me introduce myself first. I am a Fulbright Scholar (1998-2000), and I am extremely proud that I am one. After my Fulbright period, I was awarded a series of other fellowships by the University of Wisconsin to finish my PhD. Before joining the University of Peradeniya, I taught for four years at Cornell University. All those 10 years in the US and the education I received there enriched my vision of life and the world. After my education in the US, I was able to develop as a relatively influential public intellectual and a literary writer. While always appreciating the opportunities given to me by the US, I have always opposed imperialisms of all kinds. As a scholar in Comparative Literature, I have been a cosmopolitan person all through my adult life, teaching literary works from nearly all the countries of Europe, the US, Russia, Japan, India and so on. In that sense, I am familiar with some of the best thoughts happened in those countries, and I have worked hard to familiarise my students with those thoughts. I believe that no single culture can provide everything needed for human flourishing within that culture. Having established the fact that I am not a parochial nationalist with a heart full of xenophobia, I must tell you this: I am quite active in the on-going protests against our ruling family. With thousands of other Sri Lankans, I too believe that the entire Rajapaksa family and its close relatives, have to vacate their posts in the countrys power structure. You know that more than seventy five percent (75%) of the country budget is controlled by them. The ministerial portfolios they hold are the most powerful ones. That is what they are right now. Or course, a slight change has happened as of today. You must have seen that there is increasing pressure from people to the ruling family and its cronies to step down. They have no legitimate reasons to hold on to power. People from all walks of life, women, children, even infants, have taken to the streets to send a message to a single greedy family. And some of the key members of that family are US citizens. I do not want to claim that they are your puppets political or otherwise. Real US citizens resist being the puppets of the government; and it is in both democratic and republican tradition. But here in our country, there are growing concerns that the US and other powerful countries will eventually ensure that the Rajapaksas get safe havens, and their loot will also be safe. Speaking of the loot, it is already in such countries in the form of money and property. Given the strength of your intelligence services, you must already know where the Rajapaksa assets are. Some WikiLeaks communiques revealed that the US mission in Colombo always knew that the Rajapakasas were disgustingly corrupt. You must have inherited that knowledge of your predecessors. I am writing to you to request that you must not, by any means, help this family to escape with their stolen money because that money belongs to the people of Sri Lanka. Perhaps, you can begin right now the process of freezing their accounts in your countries. What you are witnessing is something historic. Please, do not interpret these as a communist riots or something. It has been one of your old cold-war mistakes to see communism in all our protests. You, Julie in particular, must give up the perennial habit of hating even a mild form of socialist economic policies. With or without that phrase, what we are trying to create is an economic system whose achievements are shared by everyone with relative equality and a sense of justice. Neoliberal economic programme carried out with your blessings for many decades in Sri Lanka has created a huge gap between the haves and have-nots. The majority of the population has no access to quality education and healthcare. On top of that failure, in the neoliberal ideology, corrupt political families such as the Rajapakasas have robbed the country so bad that we can no longer tolerate this crime. As of today, many people do not have access to the basic needs of everyday life. If neoliberalism was so good, how come it collapsed here within a few difficult months? When people demand social justice, economic democracy, free education, and free healthcare, and the like, you tend to be alarmed. Here, I am speaking especially to you, Julie. Please stop interpreting those as communist demands; you have all those ideas of justice and democracy built into the US public life and public virtue. Yes. You do not have free health care in the US; but you cannot be proud of that fact. There is significant demand for such things in the US, too. And you have a host of programmes for giving an initial support to underprivileged people to take a shot at a decent life. Please allow us begin working towards establishing a new form of government formed on the principles of economic justice and democracy. If you cannot help us do that, because of your ideological commitment in the global scene, please do not at least disrupt our efforts. Julie, your country has an inglorious history of supporting corrupt politicians such as Pinochet, Marcos and so on, as long as they stood with you in the theater of the cold war. Many such enemies of the people ended up living peacefully in the US. In our case, today you are especially obligated to be responsible and considerate because some members of our ruling family are American citizens. You must be considerate of our people, not with a family that happened to have blue passports. What prompted for me to write this urgently is a slogan in the ongoing mass struggle: Gota go home! The home in this case is the US. The family might have already communicated to you that some extremist communists are threatening them to step down. They know that a term like communist can open up the diplomatic hearts of the West. I am sure you know enough of the corruption of the family. If you want to see social justice, lasting peace, and true democracy in the country, let us see what people can come up with through these struggles. I hope you, Julie, and others in powerful diplomatic circles, will not intervene to save a family of crooks and the failed economic programme they oversee. Once this is over, and, hopefully, a new structure for the Sri Lankan state is created, you all can help us reimagining Sri Lanka. As an activist related to the National Peoples Power (NPP), I like to see significant structural change in our economic system and the state. But by writing this letter, I am not representing the NPP, and lets see what will really emerge at the end. We do all we can to assure that people will not turn violent no matter how much they are provoked. If you are interested in justice and democracy in the country, please let the ruling clan know that they must not use violence to stay in power. I hope you do not want to see military rulers in South Asia. We certainly do not want dictators here. Thank you for your time and attention. Sincerely yours Liyanage Amarakeerthi Professor University of Peradeniya In Kyiv, it is forbidden to visit forests or enter by transport, in particular, to prevent fires, Kyiv City Administration reports. "In Kyiv, during the period of martial law, it is prohibited to visit forests, as well as the entry of vehicles and other equipment into them. The ban was introduced, in particular, to prevent the threat of fires in the forests and minimize their consequences," the message posted on the Telegram channel of Kyiv City Administration on Thursday says. The report emphasizes that it is also forbidden to burn dead wood in the capital, administrative liability in the form of a fine is provided for violation. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the Greek Parliament, has said that this country can help implement a humanitarian mission to save the residents of Mariupol. "I urge you now to openly create such a new community of friends that will be able to save Ukrainians and Greeks in the south of our state, which will be able to help Mariupol. The city needs humanitarian aid, rescuing the survivors and the wounded from there. Russia has been blockading Mariupol since early March, on land and at sea. It does not allow even humanitarian cargo to pass through. I am sure that the power of Greece can help realize this mission. Every day counts," Zelensky said in a video message. The head of state thanked Greece for the humanitarian and defense assistance already provided to Ukraine and support for the general sanctions policy against Russia, calling "to do more so that Russia begins to seek peace." "The war continues. The destruction of Mariupol continues. The deportation of people from those territories where the Russian military came, continues... What will remain after Russian artillery and air bombs? I'll tell you: they will destroy our entire joint history, our joint heritage," he said. Speaking to parliamentarians, Zelensky also mentioned possible attempts by Russia to destroy the city of Odesa, which is historically close to the Greeks. "Russia can try to destroy Odesa, just like Mariupol. Today in Odesa, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding back Russian attacks... We must save Odesa from the destruction that Mariupol faced," the president said. At the end of his speech, the head of state expressed confidence that all those responsible for war crimes would be brought to justice, that Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities would be restored. "I also believe that soon Ukraine and Greece will live on an equal footing in our common home - the EU," he said. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, whom the EU and the United States do not recognize as legally elected, said that the Belarusian side must be represented at the negotiations on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. "It is for the first time that I want to indicate our stance, which has been brought to the foreign minister, and the Foreign Ministry has been tasked with implementing it. There can be no talks without the participation of Belarus. Since you have embroiled us in this, primarily the Western nations, naturally, the stance of Belarus must be heard at these talks," Lukashenko said during an expanded Security Council meeting in Minsk on Thursday. The First Man's Pool, a Telegram channel, believed to be close to the Belarusian president's office, quoted Lukashenko as saying it on Thursday. "We don't proceed from understanding that we've found ourselves in one basket with Russia, no. We proceed from the notion that this war is behind the fence of our country. And it is affecting the situation in Belarus very seriously. So there can be no separate deals behind the back of Belarus. And I am absolutely sure and I know that Russia is taking this stance. And there is nothing bad about this, but this will contradict the West's design. But it doesn't mean that we have to dance to the tune of the West," the Belarusian president said. The G7 countries and the EU are ready to provide Ukraine with further assistance, including military equipment and financial means, so that it can protect itself from Russian aggression and restore Ukraine, the G7 foreign ministers and the European Union High Representative have said. "In the presence of the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, we expressed today our heart-felt solidarity with the Ukrainian people and our deepest condolences to the victims of this war and their families. We underline our unwavering support for Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and express our readiness to assist further, including with military equipment and financial means, to allow Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's aggression and to rebuild Ukraine," the top officials said in a statement posted on the website of the government of the UK on Thursday. The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, said that they condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in Bucha and a number of other Ukrainian towns. "Haunting images of civilian deaths, victims of torture, and apparent executions, as well as reports of sexual violence and destruction of civilian infrastructure show the true face of Russias brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and its people. The massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities and severe violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights, committed by the aggressor on Ukrainian soil," they said. The foreign ministers and the high representative underscored that those responsible for these heinous acts and atrocities, including any attacks targeting civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will be held accountable and prosecuted. "We welcome and support the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence of these and other potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, the Commission of Inquiry mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission Ukraine of the OHCHR, and the OSCE's mission of experts mandated by OSCE Participating States," they said in the statement. The officials said that they will provide investigative support, technical experts and funding, and will continue to promote accountability for all those complicit in Moscows war of choice, including the Lukashenka regime in Belarus. "We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the Human Rights Council," they said in the statement. In addition, Russia must immediately comply with the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine. Further, we urge Russia to withdraw completely its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, they said. The G7 countries and the EU warn Russia against any threat or use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, which will entail grave consequences, the G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative have said. "We warn against any threat or use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. We recall Russias obligations under international treaties of which it is a party, and which protect us all. Any use by Russia of such a weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences," they said in a statement posted on the website of the government of the UK on Thursday. The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union condemned Russia's unsubstantiated claims and false allegations against Ukraine, a respected member of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention that is in compliance with its legal obligations under those instruments. They expressed concern about other countries and actors that have amplified Russia's disinformation campaign. "We express our gravest concern with Russia forcefully seizing control of nuclear facilities, and other violent actions in connection with a number of nuclear facilities, nuclear and other radioactive material, which have caused and continue to pose serious and direct threats to the safety and security of these facilities and their civilian personnel, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident or incident, which endangers the population of Ukraine, neighbouring States and the international community," they said in the statement. The officials reiterated their demand that Russia upholds its obligations under international humanitarian law and desists from further blatant abuses. The Russian leadership must immediately provide for safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and make safe passages work, enabling humanitarian aid to be delivered to besieged cities and civilians to reach safety, they said. "We commit to supporting the Government of Ukraines humanitarian coordination structure and to disburse humanitarian support quickly. We ask others to join in this effort. A humanitarian push including more funding is urgently needed for Ukraine and beyond as Russia's ruthless war and actions are having massive consequences on global commodity and food prices," the ministers and the high representative said. They said that the resulting rise in food insecurity is being felt disproportionately by the most vulnerable. "We stand in solidarity with our partners across the world who have to bear the rising price of President Putin's unilateral choice to wage war in Europe. We will make coherent use of all instruments and funding mechanisms to address food insecurity, keep markets open, and build resilience in the agriculture sector on all continents. We will actively counter Russia's narrative that Western sanctions have caused the rise in global food prices and call it out for what it is: a blatant lie," they said. During the six weeks of the Russian war in Ukraine, more than 5,000 criminal cases were opened on the facts of crimes by Russian military personnel, 500 collaborators were identified, special attention is paid to combating looting, Chief of the National Police of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko reports. On his Facebook page on Thursday, he wrote that during the six weeks of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the police received more than 1.150 million messages from citizens. "The investigation is carefully collecting the evidence base of war crimes of the Russian invaders in Ukraine. And not only for the Ukrainian courts, but also for the International Court of Justice. At present, more than 5,000 criminal proceedings have already been launched on the facts of crimes committed by Russian military personnel," the National Police chief stressed. Also, according to him, police investigators are investigating 123 criminal proceedings in connection with collaboration activities. "Some 594 people suspected of collaborating with the enemy were detained," the head of the National Police said. He assured that the police pay special attention to combating looting. "More than 1,600 property crimes have already been registered. No theft or robbery is left without our attention. Those who decide to profit from other people's property in such a difficult time will definitely be held accountable," Klymenko stressed. Defense Ministrys Intelligence Agency publishes list of military personnel of 48th separate battalion of operational purpose of Russian Guard, participating in genocide of Ukrainians in Kyiv region The Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has published a list of servicemen of the 748th separate battalion of the operational purpose of the Rosgvardiya (military unit 6912) of Khabarovsk, who committed war crimes against the people of Ukraine in Kyiv region. "Remember! For the crimes committed against the civilian population of Ukraine, all war criminals will be brought to justice," the Defense Ministrys Intelligence Agency said in a Facebook post. The full list of the military is published on the website: https://gur.gov.ua/content/voennosluzhashchye-748-otdelnoho-batalona-operatyvnoho-naznachenyia-roshvardyy.html Earlier, the Agency published a list of servicemen of the 96th separate reconnaissance Brigade of the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District (military unit No. 52634) of Nizhny Novgorod and soldiers of the 64th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 35th Combined arms Army (military unit 51460) who committed war crimes in Kyiv region. SBU to identify everyone involved in atrocities in Bucha, other cities of Kyiv region The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is collecting evidence and identifying all those involved in the crimes committed in Kyiv region by Russian occupiers and Ukrainian collaborators, SBU speaker Artem Dekhtiarenko has said. "The SBU investigative and operational teams are working in more than 20 settlements of the region, which accounted for the bulk of the war crimes of the Russian Federation. Evidence is being collected and the entire chain of those involved is being established: both from the Russian invaders and Ukrainian collaborators," the SBU spokesman said in a video message posted on the Telegram channel on Thursday. He noted that the SBU managed to draw up a list of names of the Russian military who will be held accountable for crimes against the peace and security of mankind. "The SBU has interviewed almost 2,000 people who witnessed these atrocities. This has already made it possible to identify 33 collaborators who collaborated with the Russians," Dekhtiarenko said. According to him, the SBU also detained and handed over to the police 15 looters among the local population. In addition, according to the spokesman of the department, the SBU found more than 100 explosive devices, more than fifty artillery shells, live grenades, cartridges, and detonators, everything was handed over to the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ambassador Korniychuk left the briefing of the heads of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel due to the use of the word "conflict" Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk left a briefing by Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid for ambassadors after Gantz called the Russian invasion of Ukraine a conflict and discussed Israel's ties to both sides. This is reported by The Times of Israel. Mr. Gantz started to talk about the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and that they are talking with both Ukrainian and Russian friends or colleagues. Listen, if on the 42nd day of the war, with the bloodshed and massacre that Russia has been doing against innocent Ukrainian people, you are still calling this a conflict, there is really nothing to talk about, - the ambassador said. Evgeny Korniychuk stressed that after that, none of these Ministries contacted him. Its really sad for me, because this gentleman clearly has lots of the information/ Israel is having a unique position from the rest of the Western world. This is the only country that behaves like that (on the issue of supporting Ukraine - IF), - the head of the diplomatic mission said. At the same time, the press secretary of the head of the Ministry of Defense denied that he used such expressions: He spoke about dialogue with both countries and about mediation efforts. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk invited the speakers of the parliaments of the EU and the G20 countries to visit the territories of the Kiev region liberated from Russian occupiers. "I have sent an official appeal to the speakers of the EU parliaments and the G20 countries with a proposition to visit the liberated territories, especially Bucha or Irpin," Stefanchuk said on Facebook on Thursday. He expressed confidence that these city names have ceased to be just geographical points on the map for you. They have become "hot spots in the hearts of millions." "Believe me, this visit will not leave you indifferent. For only after seeing all this with your own eyes will you understand why we are in so much pain and why we are knocking so loudly on the doors of your parliaments. And we believe that they will be opened to those, who are knocking," the chairman said. Xinhua News Agency: A protocol on upgrading the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and New Zealand officially came into effect today. It is widely shared that this step will help the two economies recover in the post-COVID era and promote high-quality development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Can you offer more specifics? Zhao Lijian: We are glad about and satisfied with the official entry into force of the protocol on upgrading the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and New Zealand and extend our congratulations. I want to stress the following: First, the protocol is a high-standard free trade agreement that is concluded on the basis of the China-New Zealand FTA and conforms to modern international economic and trade rules. It covers a wide range of market access and regulation issues and further improves the quality and efficiency of China-New Zealand trade and economic cooperation on top of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This will provide strong support for the two countries to deepen two-way trade and investment and consolidate cooperation in industrial and supply chains. Second, uncertainties are clearly on the rise at the moment, given the flare-ups of COVID-19, the sluggish world economy and more volatile international situation. The entry into force of the upgrade protocol is conducive to deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand, producing dividends of policies for high-level opening up and benefiting more companies and consumers of the two countries. Besides, it demonstrates the two countries firm resolve in supporting multilateralism and free trade with real actions, and helps to maintain stability of the international industrial and supply chains. It will thus become a model for other countries and play a positive role in cooperating against COVID-19, supporting multilateralism and free trade, and promoting stability and recovery of the world economy. Third, the China-New Zealand FTA is the first free trade agreement China has ever signed with any developed country. The China-New Zealand FTA was signed and entered into force in 2008, and the negotiations on its upgrading started in 2016 and were completed in 2019. And now, the upgrade protocol begins to take effect. This whole process fully demonstrates that the relations and cooperation between China and New Zealand have set an example of win-win cooperation between countries with different systems, at different development stages and of different economic sizes. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. Under the strategic guidance of the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, China is ready to work with New Zealand to carry forward the spirit of striving to be the first, jointly implement the upgraded FTA with high quality, strengthen dialogue, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and properly handle differences, so as to add new dimensions to the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership, and make positive contributions to regional and global peace, stability, development and prosperity. CCTV: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on April 6 that the US has the ability and resolve to use sanctions against China as it has against Russia following Moscows invasion of Ukraine if Beijing invades Taiwan. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on the same day that Beijing should take away the right lessons from the coordinated Western response over Ukraine that any moves by China to take Taiwan by force would not be acceptable. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan question is an issue left over from the civil war in China. The means of its resolution is Chinas internal affair, where no foreign country has any right to interfere. The Chinese peoples resolve and will to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering. We will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts. That being said, we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures in response to the interference of foreign forces and the secessionist activities of a handful of Taiwan independence separatists. Currently there is a new wave of tension across the Taiwan Strait. The root cause is that the authorities in Taiwan keep pushing for the independence agenda by soliciting US support and that some in the US attempt to use Taiwan to contain China. The two sides have been colluding with each other. A few people even deliberately draw an analogy between Taiwan and Ukraine despite their completely different nature in an attempt to confuse public opinion and profit from the chaos. This is playing with fire. Those who play with fire are bound to get burned themselves. China Daily: According to reports, with the mediation of regional countries including Sudan and relevant international and regional mechanisms, main political parties in South Sudan have recently reached agreement on transitional security arrangements and signed a deal. Does China have any comment? Zhao Lijian: Main political parties in South Sudan have recently reached agreement on transitional security arrangements and signed a deal. This is yet another important step forward in South Sudans peace process. China welcomes it. We appreciate the positive role played by Sudan and other neighboring countries as well as relevant international and regional mechanisms in bringing about this outcome. It is hoped that parties in South Sudan will earnestly implement the agreement, make solid progress in the political transition process and realize enduring peace and stability. Bloomberg: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently plans to visit Taiwan on Sunday after her trip to Japan. This will be the first visit to Taiwan by a holder of the Speakers office in 25 years. Does the foreign ministry have a comment on this? Zhao Lijian: China resolutely opposes all forms of official contact between the US and Taiwan. Congress is a branch of the US government and should stringently abide by the one-China policy that the US upholds. If Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, this would gravely violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US Joint Communiques, seriously undermine Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, severely impact the political foundation of China-US relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces. China firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side. The US should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiques, immediately cancel Speaker Pelosis plan to visit Taiwan, stop official contact with Taiwan, and fulfill its commitment of not supporting Taiwan independence with real actions. If the US insists on having its own way, China will take firm and strong measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All possible consequences that arise from this will completely be borne by the US side. CRI: According to reports, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany in Brussels on April 6 to discuss that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon. They agreed that a diplomatic solution entailing a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA is the best outcome, but noted that we are prepared for other scenarios if necessary. What is Chinas comment? Zhao Lijian: The negotiations on reviving compliance with the JCPOA have entered the final stage. All parties have reached consensus on most of the text of the compliance resumption agreement with a few items yet to be resolved. China believes that there is no better alternative to the JCPOA. At this final phase, it is ever more important that all parties boost confidence, step up diplomatic efforts, facilitate a smooth conclusion of the negotiations and avoid letting previous efforts come to naught. As the culprit of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the US should make political decisions as soon as possible and actively respond to the legitimate concerns of the Iranian side. China will continue to participate in negotiations constructively, help bring the JCPOA back to the normal track at an early date, uphold the international non-proliferation system and promote peace and stability in the Middle East. Al Jazeera: Afghanistans mining ministry says that an agreement has been signed with the Metallurgical Corp of China to resume operations in Afghanistans largest copper mine the Mes Aynak. My question is this: following this agreement, the recent Afghanistan summit in China and meetings with Taliban officials, does this mean that China officially recognizes the new government in Afghanistan? Zhao Lijian: I noted that you mentioned the progress on the Afghan issue. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the Third Foreign Ministers Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan and a series of related meetings in Tunxi, Anhui Province at the end of last month. The coordination and cooperation mechanism among the neighbors of Afghanistan, since its launch last September, has endeavored to bring into play the strengths of neighboring countries, thus playing a constructive role in promoting the steady transition in Afghanistan. All parties spoke highly of the relevant meetings. China will continue to work with Afghanistans neighboring countries to pitch in, build consensus, and coordinate and cooperate with each other to support the Afghan people in ushering in a brighter future. As to your question on the recognition of the Afghan interim government, Chinas position on relevant issues is consistent and clear-cut. Helsingin Sanomat: Finland is considering if it should apply to join NATO very soon. Russias attack on Ukraine changed dramatically Finlands attitude toward NATO membership. China has earlier stated that China is against NATOs enlargement. If Finland applies to join NATO soon, how will China react? Zhao Lijian: First, I dont answer hypothetical questions. Chinas position on NATOs eastward expansion is very clear. NATO was born out of the Cold War and should have long become a past tense. We advise relevant countries to exercise prudence in developing relations with NATO. Hubei Media Group: The Preparatory Committee meeting for the 9th Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was being held in Geneva these days. Russia said the US biomilitary activities in Ukraine have violated the BWC. The US accused Russia of spreading disinformation and called international criticism of US standing alone in opposing a BWC verification mechanism revisionist history. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: The US has conducted more biomilitary activities than any other countries and is the only country that opposes the establishment of a BWC verification mechanism in the world. The international community has long held grave concerns over this and the relevant issues remain the focus of the BWC meetings. At the second PrepCom this week, Russia made the accusation that the US biomilitary activities have violated the convention and raised explicit and specific concerns. Regrettably, the US has not directly responded to that yet. Instead, it just kept accusing Russia of spreading disinformation. Such practice in itself is not consistent with the stipulations of the convention. According to the BWC, the Russian side has the right to question the US compliance with the convention, and the US has the obligation to make clarifications, and the final judgment should be passed by the international community through assessment. Also, I need to draw your attention to a basic fact. According to the working document the US submitted to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in November 2021, under the Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP), the US has 336 so-called cooperation facilities overseas, including 26 in Ukraine. However, the so-called Fact Sheet released by the US Department of Defense on March 11, 2022 claimed that there are 46 such facilities in Ukraine. Why did the number increase by 20 in just four months? Besides, there are mistakes in the above-mentioned working document, in which a country was listed mistakenly for twice. So the total number of 336 must be inaccurate, too. This gives good reason for the international community to raise doubt, but what reason is there for the US to refuse to make any clarifications and call that disinformation? I also noticed that the US cited revisionist history to describe the international communitys criticism over the US sole opposition to establishing a BWC verification mechanism. What an accusation! The US side even claimed that the resumption of Protocol negotiations should be put behind and a new chapter should be started. Such statement is shocking. It was the US abrupt announcement of unilateral withdrawal from the negotiations in July 2001 that let the outcomes of the seven-year negotiations go to waste and set off an uproar in the international community. At this PrepCom, the vast majority of countries, including US allies, called for the resumption of multilateral negotiations to establish a verification mechanism as soon as possible. The US was the only state that voiced opposition. A multilateral verification mechanism is characterized by fair and just entitlement of equal rights and obligations to all countries. But the US wants to arbitrarily accuse others of violating the convention and demands verification with the presumption of guilt, while refusing to accept any supervision and verification of its own compliance. This lies at the heart of the US sole opposition to a verification mechanism. The BWC belongs to the international community. Bearing on international peace and security, compliance of the BWC cannot be casually defined by the US based on its double standards. As one of the BWC depository states, the US ought to be an example, not an exception, when it comes to compliance. We once again urge the US to give comprehensive and detailed clarification of its biomilitary activities and stop single-handedly opposing the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism to restore the confidence of the international community in the US compliance. Reuters: You just said that if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, China will respond with strong measures. What kind of strong measures will China respond with? Zhao Lijian: I just made my point very clear. If this visit is made, China will take firm and strong measures in response. The ensuing consequences will be completely borne by the US. Al Jazeera: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said hes meeting or having talks with President Xi Jinping on Friday. Do we have any schedule or any details about this meeting? Zhao Lijian: As to the arrangement of the meeting between Chinese and Philippine leaders, we will release information on a timely basis if theres any. Beijing Youth Daily: Data recently released by the US Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) shows that drug overdose deaths in the US are surging. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: I have noted relevant reports. The drug problem in the US appears to be escalating. In the 12-month period ending in September 2021, about 104,000 Americans died due to a drug overdose. Back in 2015, the number was about 52,000. The US House of Representatives recently passed a legislation that would legalize marijuana nationwide. Some media commented that this marks another key step to legalize marijuana in the US. As drug proliferation is already a deep-seated problem in US society, this legislation may aggravate drug abuse in the country. Drug is a common enemy of humanity. We have been helping the US side to deal with it in a friendly and candid manner. China scheduled fentanyl-related substances as a class on May 1, 2019, which fully demonstrates our sincerity and support. Regrettably, with the most prominent fentanyl issue in the world, the US has not yet done the same. Even worse, the US sanctioned such important institutions responsible for testing and controlling fentanyl-related substances as the Institution of Forensic Science of the Ministry of Public Security and the National Narcotics Laboratory in China by adding them to the entity list. The US should see fault in itself, permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class and take practical and effective measures to reduce the demand for drugs. The last thing it should do is to constantly shift the blame and make accusations against other countries with the control of non-scheduled chemicals. It should immediately correct its mistakes, instead of asking for Chinas cooperation on the one hand and sanctioning Chinese counter-narcotics bodies on the other. Bloomberg: Suspected state-sponsored Chinese hackers have targeted the power sector in India in recent months as part of an apparent cyber espionage campaign, according to a threat intelligence firm Recorded Future. Does the foreign ministry have a comment on it? Zhao Lijian: I noted relevant reports. We have reiterated many times that China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks in accordance with law. We will never encourage, support or condone cyber attacks. Given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, its important to have complete and sufficient evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents. One should be all the more prudent when associating cyberattacks with the government of a certain country. As is known to all, the US is the worlds largest source of cyber attacks and "hacking empire". A piece of advice to the relevant company that you just mentioned: if they really care about global cyber security, they should pay more attention to the cyber attacks by the US government-sponsored hackers on China and other countries, and do more to promote dialogue and cooperation among countries, rather than sow discord and sling mud at China under the pretext of cyberattack issues. AFP: China has denied it has any plans to set up a military base in the Solomon Islands. But Australian media have found an official letter where such a deal was discussed in 2020 between a Chinese state-owned company and a former official in the island. Do you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Recently, we have shared with you the information on China-Solomon Islands security cooperation and expounded on our position on many occasions. As for the groundless attacks and smearing of China by certain Australian media, they are deliberately creating tension in the region. Their reports have also fully exposed their Cold War mentality and ideological bias. China is firmly opposed to this. The Paper: A few days ago, the Afghan interim government announced a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation and the manufacturing, use and sales of all categories of narcotics. Does China have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China appreciates the measures taken by the Afghan interim government. Narcotics is a common scourge of mankind. The Chinese government firmly cracks down on narcotics crimes and actively participates in international counter-narcotics cooperation. We stand ready to further deepen counter-narcotics cooperation with Afghanistan and other regional countries to safeguard the healthy and tranquil life of all our peoples. It is worth pointing out that the US, the culprit of the Afghan issue, played an ignominious role in the narcotics problem in Afghanistan by acquiescing or even participating in drugs production and trade there. According to some media reports, the US forces stationed in Afghanistan implemented a project to create a drug laboratory on a global scale. As a result, the production of opiates in the country increased more than 40 times. Alfred McCoy, an American historian, said in an article that to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, the US generously funded local guerrillas through the CIA, turning a blind eye to the fact that they were operating a chain of heroin laboratories. Charles Cogan, former director of the CIAs Afghan operation, said that the US didnt really devote resources to an investigation of the drug trade in Afghanistan. The two decades of US presence in Afghanistan is two decades of death and displacement of innocent Afghan civilians and two decades of unchecked local drug proliferation. With its irresponsible and hasty withdrawal, the US has left behind a series of grim challenges to the innocent Afghan people, including the drug issue. The US should reflect on its behavior, offer sincere apologies and ample compensations, and strive to undo the harm it has inflicted on the Afghan people with concrete actions. Reuters: Considering the epidemic situation in China, is China considering approving the use of foreign vaccines in China? Zhao Lijian: I would refer you to the competent authorities for questions related to the application, approval and market authorization of foreign vaccines in China. Beijing Daily: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel held a trilateral meeting in Brussels the other day. The Azerbaijani and Armenian sides agreed to convene by the end of April a Joint Border Commission whose mandate will be to delimit the border between them. The Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders also instructed Ministers of Foreign Affairs to work on the preparation of a peace treaty. Does China have any comment? Zhao Lijian: Azerbaijan and Armenia are both Chinas friendly cooperative partners. We are glad to see the two sides resolving differences and disagreements through dialogue and consultation. It is our sincere hope that both sides will implement the ceasefire consensus to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region and tranquility for the people. It is known about over 400 Ukrainians killed by invaders in Kyiv region, bodies of four people taken out from under rubble in Borodianka Gerashchenko The bodies of four people were found under the rubble of destroyed houses in Borodianka, Kyiv region, and rescuers continue to work, Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko has said. At a briefing on Thursday in Kyiv, the adviser to the minister said that on April 6, in Borodianka, the rubble of houses that had been subjected to air attacks by the Russian military started to be cleared. "The Russian pilot received a criminal military order to drop bombs on a peaceful Ukrainian city. As a result, about ten houses were destroyed. People remained under the rubble," Gerashchenko said. He said: "At this time, the bodies of four dead under the ruins of these houses have already been found. And this is only the beginning, since... a five-story building has been dismantled up to the third floor," he said. According to the adviser to the minister, about 200 residents of Borodianka are currently considered missing. Speaking about the situation in the region as a whole, Gerashchenko said: "At present, more than 400 Ukrainian citizens are known to have been killed on the territory of Kyiv region. This number will increase." He said after liberation, some 28 bodies of the dead were found on the streets of Bucha, and the bodies of five Ukrainians were found in the children's camp "Snowdrop," who were tortured in the basement. According to Gerashchenko, in Motyzhin, Kyiv region, the family of the village head of Motyzhin, Olha Sukhnenko, was found murdered. "Her husband and her son were killed, and we still cannot find her daughter. Next to their bodies were the bodies of three more Ukrainians," the adviser to the minister said. In Hostomel, according to Gerashchenko, some 11 bodies of dead citizens of Ukraine were found in the building of one of the amenity premises. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola believes that the time frame for consideration of Ukraine's application for membership in the European Union will be significantly shorter than in other cases if the Ukrainian side promptly provides answers to questions of the European Commission. Metsola expressed this opinion in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the promise made during her speech in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on March 1 to help Ukraine obtain candidate status. "In Kyiv, I saw so many EU flags For us, this is the moment to open our arms. I spoke with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv that they are waiting for a list of questions, which should be received today or tomorrow. They hope to be able to answer them in four days. Olha told me (Olha Stefanishyna - Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration) that they need four days (to respond). Of course, then the ball is again on our side, and here the European Parliament comes into play. We will do our best to make every step. I think that if the Ukrainians provide us with answers very quickly, then the time frame will also be narrower than in other situations," explained the President of the European Parliament. Metsola drew attention to the fact that candidate status gives the country access to many programs of the European Union. "I know what it's like to be a candidate country when my country was a candidate (Malta became a member of the EU in 2004, official accession negotiations started in 2000) to join the European Union. Being a candidate is a huge amount of help that a country can receive in terms of infrastructure, cohesion, educational programs, access to all other EU programs and so on. And it will start immediately, which will also send a signal to Ukraine that we are serious," she said. Speaking about the future donor conference for Ukraine, initiated by the leadership of the European Union, the President of the European Parliament said that there were no specific details of this event yet. At the same time, Metsola announced the possibility of holding a TEC-donors conference of companies such as Google. "They would like to be able to help Ukraine not only financially, but also in terms of logistics. We can provide an opportunity for this to happen," she detailed, adding that such an event could take place at the ministerial level. Another idea that Metsola discussed with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with the aim of rebuilding Ukraine after the war, she called the help of sister cities. "There will be a program, and this is also part of the status of the candidate, which is supposed to be European sister cities with yours. There is a huge interest of individual mayors in different European cities to financially help in the reconstruction of the partner city. This will be done at the city level when Ukraine wins this war," the President of the European Parliament explained. Metsola said she will never forget how brave and courageous the Ukrainian people are. "If we are even a little like them in our work, then we would be one step ahead in bringing peace and freedom to such a great people," Metsola said emotionally, adding "I made another promise to come to Kyiv with my husband and children when this is over. And my husband said - we must do this and take our children. You know, this is the first thing Zelensky asked me about - have you been to Ukraine before? I said no. And he answered: we must make sure that more people visit Ukraine." The Russian troops withdrawn from the north of Ukraine to the territory of Belarus are trying to pull off part of the Ukrainian units to the Ukrainian-Belarusian border from other directions, spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzianyk said. "As of now, many units of the Russian troops have been withdrawn to the territory of Belarus in order to restore their combat capability. Thus, the Russian army, carrying out demonstration actions there, is trying to pull off part of the Ukrainian units from other directions so that they are constantly in the area of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in readiness to a possible offensive," Motuzianyk said at a briefing at the Ukrainian media center on Thursday. In addition, according to him, there is still a possibility of involving the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus in armed aggression against Ukraine. "There, the designated units still continue to carry out duties on duty on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Bridges, crossings and railway tracks have been taken under heavy guard, positions have been equipped for firing from small arms and military equipment. To hide the activities of Russian troops in the regions bordering Ukraine The authorities of Belarus have imposed restrictions on the movement of the population there," he said. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola considers it necessary to apply sanctions against all members of the United Russia party, the political force that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We must expand the sanctions on all members of United Russia all members of Putin's party. There are about 2 million of them, and they are all politically visible. I think it can be done," Metsola said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. Metsola said information about the massacres in Bucha was received while she was in Kyiv, where she was on a visit. "We were still in Ukraine when we started receiving these shocking images on Saturday morning. I think that the leaders, all without exception, both in the EU and around the world, will react in the most severe way," she said. Asked about the EU's ability to continue unanimous decisions on sanctions against Russia, given the recent re-election of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has a reputation as Putin's ally, Metsola said "For me, the position has not changed and should not change. First of all, we must look to the future, where in terms of energy resources we do not depend on the Kremlin at all. This is where we directly or indirectly finance this war." According to the information provided in the European Parliament by Josep Borrell, the EU "since the beginning of the war has paid Putin EUR35 billion for energy resources" while providing Ukraine with weapons worth EUR1 billion. Metsola stated that there are already very encouraging and inspiring decisions taken by a number of EU member states to completely phase out Russian electricity and energy carriers. "Of course, each country has its own circumstances, its own reality - there are those that are 100% dependent on Russia. But I think our message is that we will not stop until we stop being dependent on Russia altogether. As for unity, I will continue to hope that unity will be maintained. And I call on other leaders of European institutions to ensure that this will be the case," she stressed. At the same time, Metsola spoke in favor of further support for Ukraine. "There is no doubt that we can no longer believe that this (war) will be over any time soon. It's not just about de-escalation anymore, and there should be an appropriate response," she noted. "In particular, we are talking about the supply of weapons and financial assistance. We were told in Ukraine, and President Zelensky told us as well, that there is an urgent need for weapons that are not coming fast enough. I discussed this, as well as financial assistance, with the Prime Minister of Poland when I met with him on Saturday afternoon," she added. In a resolution adopted on Thursday at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European parliamentarians demanded additional sanctions against Russia in response to the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine, in particular, including a complete embargo on gas imported from Russia. The resolution, adopted by 513 votes in favor, 22 against, with 19 abstentions, contains a demand "to introduce total embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas." The document notes that such a decision should be accompanied by an action plan aimed at guaranteeing the security of the EU energy supply, as well as a strategy to lift sanctions if Russia takes steps "to restore the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and completely withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine." The resolution also calls for Russia to be excluded from the G20, the WTO, UNESCO and a number of other international organizations. The European Parliament proposed to add to the sanctions the disconnection of all Russian banks from the SWIFT system; a ban on entry into the territorial waters and ports of the EU countries of all ships related to Russia; prohibition of road transport with Russia and Belarus. The MEPs propose to arrest "all assets belonging to Russian officials or oligarchs associated with the Putin regime, their proxies and straw people, as well as assets in Belarus associated with the Lukashenka regime." The resolution requires that the sanctions against Belarus be consistent with those imposed against Russia in order to eliminate loopholes that allow the Russian side to use Minsk's help to circumvent the sanctions. So far, none of the allies has provided their vision of security guarantees for Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "I did not bring up the issue of security guarantees at the meeting because we know exactly the list of allies that we see as potential security guarantors with whom we are negotiating on a bilateral basis. But at my bilateral meetings here, we raise and discuss this issue with them. They get a better understanding of what we want. But we are still discussing. None of them have given us their vision of security guarantees at the moment," Kuleba said at a press conference after attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday. More news: https://t.me/interfaxuk_eng https://t.me/interfaxua https://t.me/interfax_uk The government of Belarus will settle its obligations before the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) in Belarusian rubles, the press service for the Belarusian Council of Ministers said. "Belarus will fulfill its obligations to repay the principal debt and interest on foreign government loans from the IBRD [World Bank], EBRD, and NIB in Belarusian rubles at the Belarusian ruble's official exchange rate to the corresponding foreign currency on the date of payment," the press service said, citing a joint resolution of the government and the National Bank. "This is a necessary measure, given that Belarus is limited in its settlements with Western creditors in U.S. dollars and euros owing to the imposed sanctions, as well as because of similar actions taken by the above organizations to stop settlements of the obligations," according to the press service. Zelensky grateful to Cyprus for decision on ban for Russian ships to enter ports President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the Cypriot parliament, thanked the Cypriot authorities for the decision to prevent Russian warships from entering the ports. "The people of Cyprus! I am grateful to you for the integrity with which you, together with the entire European Union, reacted to a full-scale Russian invasion. You made a strong decision to prevent Russian warships from entering your ports. This really enhances security throughout our region," he said. The head of state also thanked the Cypriots for providing financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, for the resolution adopted by the Cypriot parliament in support of Ukraine. More news: https://t.me/interfaxuk_eng https://t.me/interfaxua https://t.me/interfax_uk Russian troops continue to regroup to form an offensive grouping in eastern Ukraine, and are also building up the aviation component and command and control systems, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said. "The enemy is concentrating the main efforts on capturing the city of Mariupol, conducting an offensive in Izium region and trying to break through the defenses in the Donetsk direction," the General Staff said on Facebook. In Pivdennobuzk direction, the enemy is trying to prevent further advancement of units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and improve the tactical position of their units in some areas. In Volyn direction, there is a possibility of enemy missile and bomb attacks on military and civilian infrastructure from the territory of the Republic of Belarus. In Polissia direction, the enemy did not carry out active actions, the units of the invaders withdrawn to the territory of the Republic of Belarus are performing demonstration actions in order to prevent the transfer of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the specified area to other directions. Separate units of the Russian invaders from the Eastern military district and the airborne troops of the Russian armed forces, after leaving Ukraine, restoring combat capability and regrouping on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, will probably be sent to strengthen the grouping of enemy troops in Slobozhansky direction. In Siverske direction, the enemy is completing the regrouping and restoration of the combat capability of the units of the Central military district in certain areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions. The possibility of further deployment of these units to other operational areas, including for combat operations in Donetsk and Luhansk directions, is not ruled out. In Slobozhansky direction, Russian troops are taking active measures to build up the command and control system in the interests of the offensive grouping of troops. In Kharkiv region, up to five battalion tactical groups of the enemy continue to blockade the city and fire at it from multiple rocket launchers, cannon artillery and mortars. The occupiers are holding the city of Izium, trying to continue the offensive in the direction of Sloviansk and Barvinkove. In Donetsk and Tavriysk directions, the enemy continues to fire and conduct assault operations. Inflicts missile and bomb strikes, conducts artillery fire on the civilian infrastructure of settlements. The port of Berdiansk is used by the invaders to overturn weapons, military equipment and personnel. The enemy also intensified efforts in Severodonetsk direction. He is trying to continue the offensive in the areas of the settlements of Donetsk, Novotoshkivske and Popasna. The General Staff expects that the invaders will soon try to break through the Ukrainian defenses in Severodonetsky, Avdiyivsky and Kurakhivsky regions. In Pivdennobuzky direction, the enemy fired artillery, and in some directions used army aviation. He is trying to continue offensive operations in the direction of the village of Oleksandrivka. Enemy ship groupings in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas continue to carry out missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, carry out tasks to isolate the combat area and conduct reconnaissance. The occupying authorities continue to restrict the rights of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories. Thus, in Zaporizhia region, the Russian invaders forbade the exit of males towards the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. There is also an increase in the shortage of essential goods, especially food, which in the future may lead to a complication of the humanitarian situation in the region occupied by Russian invaders. The Ukrainian Defense Forces, inflicting damage, continue to push back the enemy and liberate the territories temporarily occupied by the invaders in certain areas. More news: https://t.me/interfaxuk_eng https://t.me/interfaxua https://t.me/interfax_uk Latvian diplomats resumed their work at the Latvian embassy in Kyiv on Thursday evening, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter. "Ambassador will join them after consultations in Riga," the Foreign Minister said. He illustrated the post with a photograph from the Ukrainian capital with the flags of Latvia and Ukraine raised at the embassy. The seven-member Expedition 67 crew is gearing up for a pair of spacewalks scheduled for later this month while ensuring the International Space Station orbits Earth in tip-top shape. Meanwhile, the first private astronaut mission is less than one day from launching toward the orbital lab. NASA astronaut Raja Chari is helping two cosmonauts get ready for two spacewalks planned for April to outfit the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Chari shared U.S. spacesuit components including helmet lights and cameras to Roscosmos Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev as they organized their spacewalk tools and configured their Orlan spacesuits. The Russian duo is preparing to exit the space station toward the end of the month to outfit Nauka for the station's third robotic arm, the European robotic arm. Artemyev and Matveev started the day with pre-spacewalk muscle examinations before checking their spacesuits located in the Poisk module. The duo then took turns during the afternoon exploring how crew members might pilot spacecraft and robots on future planetary missions. Station Commander Tom Marshburn and Flight Engineer Kayla Barron, both from NASA, joined ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer checking water containers in the Tranquility module and the Permanent multipurpose module. Marshburn also worked on an experiment demonstrating advanced ways to keep U.S. spacesuits cool while Maurer and Barron checked components on the station's advanced resistive exercise device. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov worked on transferring water from the ISS Progress 80 cargo craft into the station. The first time space-flyer also contributed to a study exploring how international crews and mission controllers interact on Earth and in space. The first private astronaut mission from Axiom Space is on track to launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday at 11:17 a.m. Ax-1 Commander and former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, along with Pilot Larry Connor and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, would arrive at the space station on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. docking to the Harmony module's space-facing port to begin their stay aboard the orbital lab. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads: Astrobee/Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking (ISAAC): Following a software update, Astrobee supported an ISAAC session in Node 2. In this session, the Astrobee robot acted as autonomously as possible with minimal intervention from the ISS crew. The ISAAC project demonstrates using autonomous robots in human exploration vehicles to track vehicle health, transfer and unpack cargo, and respond to critical faults such as leaks and fires. ISAAC uses the space station's Astrobee and Robonaut robots for the demonstration. This technology could be used on vehicles and habitats on future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars to maintain vehicles while astronauts are away for extended periods. Food Physiology: The crew attended a diet briefing in support of the Food Physiology investigation. The Integrated Impact of Diet on Human Immune Response, the Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Status During Adaptation to Spaceflight (Food Physiology) experiment is designed to characterize the key effects of an enhanced spaceflight diet on immune function, the gut microbiome, and nutritional status indicators. These factors are interlinked, but diet is the only one that can be easily and meaningfully altered on Earth or during flight. This investigation aims to document the effect of dietary improvements on human physiology and the ability of those improvements to enhance adaptation to spaceflight. ISS Ham: An ISS Ham event with the Space Hardware Club, Huntsville, Alabama was supported. Some of the questions asked by the students included: how difficult it is to communicate with crewmembers from other countries, how plants/bacteria/fungi grow in space compared to Earth, and the hardest challenge the crew faced while living in space. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering, and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground Ham radio units. Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE): In preparation for SERFE activities later this week, a Contingency Water Container - Iodinated (CWC-I) was obtained, and gas was removed from the bag. SERFE demonstrates a new technology to remove heat from spacesuits and maintain appropriate temperatures for crew members and equipment during space walks. The technology uses evaporation of water for cooling. The investigation determines whether microgravity affects performance and evaluates the technology's effect on contamination and corrosion of spacesuit material. Space Tango - Cubelab Satellite Demonstrator: A bonus science session was planned for the KENT_SAT01 CubeSat, but the CubeSat was unresponsive. Brief troubleshooting was attempted but was not successful, so the CubeSat was re-stowed. Space Tango - Cubelab Satellite Demonstrator tests a new attitude-control technology for small satellites, which is an integral part of future space missions as conventional attitude control systems for large satellites are not suited for small satellites. The new technology is energy efficient, lightweight, and not subject to friction wear, and it could enhance the attitude maneuvering capabilities of small satellites. Space Test Program-H5-Innovative Coatings Experiment (STP-H5 ICE): Using the Cupola and JEM windows, the crew took periodic photos of all four ICE material strips on STP-H5. The harsh radiation and extreme temperatures of space can corrode the paint and coatings that protect spacecraft exteriors, potentially damaging a spacecraft's hull. Optical coatings are also important for robotic and human navigators, who would rely on specialized markings to capture or repair spacecraft. STP-H5 ICE studies new coatings for use on spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, determining their stability after two years in space. Universal Intelligent Glass Optics (UNIGLO): Two crystallization probe exchanges were performed, and the probes were processed following each exchange. UNIGLO tests the effects of microgravity on a glass optics module capable of processing various types of complex glasses. The module uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help adapt materials processing techniques to the microgravity environment and a sensor based on laser-Doppler interferometry to measure the effects of microgravity on processing complex glasses for a variety of applications in space and on Earth. Systems: Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pretreated Urine Sample Adapter Remove and Replace (R&R): The crew R&R'd the pretreated urine sample adapter attached to the WHC water flush depressurization line. The WHC is a modified ACY (Russian toilet) system that was altered to integrate into a USOS rack. The urine output by the WHC is fed directly into the UPA (Urine Processor Assembly) and is purified to create potable water. Toilet Stall Seat Track Stud Ring Fitcheck: Today, the crew installed seat track stud rings with adjustable length tethers in several configurations on the port side wall of the Toilet stall and evaluate functionality. Because the seat track stud rings with adjustable length tethers are near the Advance Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) operational worksite and very close to its dynamic envelope, the crew performed an ARED range of motion test for each configuration to ensure there are no contact points between ARED and the seat track stud rings. The tethers on the port wall are translation aids for the crew to maneuver in Node 3, and it is important to verify ARED is clear of contact with the tether's rigid studs in order to protect hardware and to allow the crew to perform nominal exercise. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) CWC-I Sample Collection and EVA Umbilical Interface Assembly (UIA) Biocide Filter R&R: In support of the USOS EVA #80 water in helmet investigation, the crew collected a water sample from a CWC-I used to fill the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs). The crew then R&R'd the supply side UIA Biocide filter. The function of the UIA Biocide filter is to filter and iodinate feedwater and wastewater to/from the EMU during spacesuit servicing operations. Both the water sample and removed filter will be returned to Earth for analysis. RS EVA Tool Gather Part 2 and Transfer: The crew completed the final USOS EVA tool gathering activity in support of the upcoming RS EVAs #52 and #53. The crew removed the Lithium-Ion EVA Helmet Interchangeable Portable (EHIP) Power Adapter Modules, Helmet Lights, EMU TV, and HD EMU Camera from EMU 3015 and EMU 3004 and placed the hardware into two mesh bags. The crew then transferred the USOS EVA tools, which included these two bags, to the RS. ISS Water Container Audit: Today, the crew audited water containers, operationally known as CWC-Is, in Node 3 and PMM to verify each container is located in its intended location and report if any are empty. A CWC-I is a water bag which has the ability to store up to 50-lbs of iodinated water. Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record: The crew performed an analysis of the water from the Water Processing Assembly (WPA) using the TOCA. The TOCA unit oxidizes organic carbon species present in the water to carbon dioxide gas and measures the concentration using nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the potable water using the TOCA occurs on a weekly basis. European IP Communication Laptop (EICL) Boot from Alternate Hard Disk Drive (HDD): Today, the crew tested the EICL boot process from both the internal HDD and the UltraBay HDD to see how each performed. The UltraBay HDD was replaced yesterday after being identified as suspect during EICL troubleshooting attempts earlier this year. Completed Task List Activities: Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) Communications Activities and Policies Review Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Power Management Controller Unit (PMCU) Data Dump [In Work] DC-to-DC Converter Unit (DDCU) Powerdown Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Airlock Low Temperature Loop (LTL) Flow Initiation and Termination Look Ahead Plan Friday, April 8 (GMT 098) Payloads: Acoustic Tweezer Astrobee Off CAL MTL Jumper Check EarthKAM Shutdown/Stow UNIGLO Hardware Remove from MSG/Stow SERFE Vascular Aging Hardware Stow Systems: Axiom-1 PAM Launch WHC Manual Fill Crew Alternate Sleeping Accommodation (CASA) Cleaning Station Support Computer (SSC) 20 and 22 Swap Saturday, April 9 (GMT 099) Payloads: DCB Unpack Ice Cubes Exchange (Axiom-1) Systems: Monitoring Tools Setup for Docking Dragon Axiom-1 PAM Dock ISS Safety Briefing ISS Familiarization PAM Facilitator Time Sunday, April 10 (GMT 100) Payloads: Actiwatch Plus (Axiom-1) Aging and Heart Health (Axiom-1) Earth Obs (Axiom-1) EasyMotion Ice Cubes (Axiom-1) Monitoring Stress (Axiom-1) NutrISS Reflective Eye (Axiom-1) Snowcone (Axiom-1) Systems: Emergency Roles and Responsibilities Review ISS Familiarization PAM Facilitator Time Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. EICL Boot from Alternate HDD Locate USB Camera Standard Measures Cognition Testing Intelligent Glass Optics Probe Exchange Astrobee Stowage Clear and Replace Astrobee Preparation SERFE CWCI Gather-2 Vascular Aging 13-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Conclude Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Laptop Computer (MLC) Battery Check/Replace SERFE CWC-I Degas-2 TangoLab-3 Card Cube Replace EHS TOCA WRS Sample Analysis EXPRESS Rack 5 (ER5) ZBook Setup ER5 ZBook Solid State Drive Removal ISS Water Container Audit ER5 ZBook HDD Swap RS EVA Tool Gather Part 2 Axiom-1 Tablet Keyboard Configuration Astrobee Undock Operations EVA Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment Photography STP-H5 ICE Experiment Photos Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer Air Quality Monitor (AQM) Sieve Cartridge R&R EVA CWC-I Sample MELFI1 Icebrick Insert 4 WHC Pretreated Urine Sample Adapter R&R MELFI2 Icebrick Insert 5 EHS TOCA Sample Data Record EHS TOCA Waste Water Bag (WWB) Changeout Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference EVA UIA Biocide Filter Changeout TangoLab CubeLab Satellite Activation and Checkout RS EVA Tool Transfer Food Physiology Crew Diet Briefing Bio-Monitor Wearables Data Transfer and Removal RFID Logistics Reader Troubleshooting Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT) EVA Battery Operations Terminal Autocycle Initiation HRF GDS Tank Pressure Gauge Photography Toilet Stall Seat Track Stud Ring Fitcheck ISS Ham Pass Behavioral Core Measures Robotics On-Board Trainer-research (ROBoT-r) Testing 2 Additional Monitoring Cues for Approach Monitoring EVA Suit Launch Enclosure Cover Audit SSC 1 Field Strip Bio-Monitor Wearables Stow Second Performance Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Poland welcomes the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution that stops Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council and requires the creation of an international commission to investigate Russia's war crimes in Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said. "In the face of the horror in Ukraine, there was no other option. But this is not enough. Russia must be held accountable for its monstrous and massive crimes against civilians. We demand the creation of an International Commission for the Investigation of Russian War Crimes in Ukraine," Morawiecki said on Twitter on Thursday. More news: https://t.me/interfaxuk_eng https://t.me/interfaxua https://t.me/interfax_uk Ihor Zhdanov, Information Defence Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine as of April 6th, based on an analysis of open sources. 1. The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions and continue counterattacks. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the russians are concentrating their main forces on organizing an offensive operation to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In the Kherson region, as a result of the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy lost control over the settlements of Dobrianka, Novovoznesenske, and Trudoliubivka. In the Izium direction, the occupiers did not abandon their intentions to create a strike group and continue their attacks in the direction of Sloviansk and Barvinkovo. In the Donetsk direction, the enemy continues to attack in the areas of Popasna, Stepne, Novotoshkivske, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk and Solodke. They have as yet had no successes. The russian occupiers continue to actively use banned ammunition and to attack Mariupol. Defenders of the city have been defending for more than 40 days. The regrouping of troops and the restoration of combat capability of the Central Military District units withdrawn to the Bryansk and Kursk regions are nearing completion. The enemy planned to move units of the 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th All-Military Army of the Eastern Military District from the territory of Belarus to the Belgorod region. The movement of some units of the Central Military District to this region is also recorded. The enemy also began to use the railway connection - the arrival of railway echelons with weapons and military equipment from the station Valuyky (russia) to the railway station Kupiansk (Ukraine) was recorded. Total enemy combat losses from February 24 to April 6: combatants - about 18,600 people, tanks - 684 units, armoured combat vehicles - 1,861 units, artillery systems - 332 units, MLRS - 107 units, air defence - 55 units, aircraft - 150 units, helicopters - 135 units, vehicles - 1324 units, ships / boats - 7 units, fuel tanks - 76, operational-tactical level UAVs - 96, special equipment - 25, TBM / BRBM (tactical ballistic missile / battlefield range ballistic missile) - 4. 2. Information summaries and assessments of foreign and Ukrainian intelligence. Senior US Army Commander General Mark Milley (source - New York Post) believes that russia's invasion of Ukraine probably could not have been prevented by American troops, and that the war in Ukraine is likely to drag on for many years. He said: I do think this is a very protracted conflict, and I think it's measured in years. I don't know about decades, but at least years for sure. This is a very extended conflict that russia has initiated and I think that NATO, the United States, Ukraine and all of the allies and partners supporting Ukraine will be involved in this for quite some time. According to UK intelligence, the bodies of the dead residents of Bucha were lying on the streets when the city was under russian occupation. An analysis of satellite images from March 21st 2022 demonstrate at least eight identified bodies lying on Bucha Street in the Kyiv region. Bucha was occupied by the russian armed forces until March 31st 2022. 3. Genocide of the Ukrainian people, shocking tragedy in Bucha Bucha massacre. The genocide of the Ukrainian people, the mass killings of civilians, has manifested not only in Bucha, but also in other cities and villages of Ukraine, which were occupied by the russians. More than 400 people have gone missing in a thirty-five-day occupation in Hostomel - eyewitnesses say some have died, but their whereabouts are still unknown. In Hostomel, russian troops killed the village head, Yurii Prylypko, and killed Ruslan Karpenko and Ivan Zoria, whose bodies were found. russian mobile crematoria in partially occupied Mariupol, the Donetsk region, are burning the bodies of murdered city residents. The Centre for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published a list of the russian servicemen who are directly involved in the killings of civilians in Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel. Pope Francis has condemned the atrocities of the russian occupiers in Bucha, Ukraine, at a weekly audience in the Vatican. This was reported by The Guardian. The pontiff also showed a blue and yellow flag sent to him from Bucha during the audience. russia is continuing to generate absurd propaganda, trying to misinform the world community about the mass genocide of Ukrainians. A spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the russian federation, Maria Zakharova, has accused Western media of complicity in the killings of Ukrainians in Bucha: Your television is a participant in this punitive action. 4. The russian occupiers continue to violate international humanitarian law. The russian aggressors continue to kill Ukrainian children. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the russian occupiers have killed at least 167 Ukranian children and injured 279 with varying severity. The Office of the Prosecutor General provided tragic statistics. Most children were affected in the following districts: Kyiv - 78, Donetsk - 81, Kharkiv - 64, Chernihiv - 49, Mykolaiiv - 39, Luhansk - 31, Zaporizhzhia - 22, Kherson - 29, Sumy - 16, Zhytomyr 15, and Kyiv City 16. In the Tulchyn in the Vinnytsia region, librarians laid out 165 children's books in the square in memory of girls and boys who died during the war. The russian occupiers forcibly take Ukrainian children to russia. The enemy forcibly removed 12 children who were there for treatment from the medical institution of the Regional Children's Bone and Tuberculosis Centre in Mariupol. The occupiers also forcibly removed a mother-educator of a family-type orphanage from Mariupol to Saransk, russia, along with her eight foster children, three children of her own, and three other foster children. As a result of enemy bombing since the beginning of the war, the russians have damaged 927 educational institutions, 83 of which were completely destroyed. The russian invaders continue to attack civilians daily. In Kyiv, during the 40 days of the war, 89 civilians were killed by the actions of the russian federation, including 4 children. Nearly 400 people were injured and 167 houses were damaged. On the night of April 6th, missile strikes hit the Lviv, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Fighting continues in the Kherson region, and shelling in the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Over the past 24 hours, the russian occupiers have fired mortars, artillery, multiple rocket launchers and aircraft at towns and villages in the Luhansk region 81 times, damaging civilian infrastructure and residential buildings. Last night, the russian occupiers struck about 27 strikes from various weapons in residential areas of Kharkiv. On April 6th, the russian occupiers shelled the city of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, as a result of which 10 high-rise buildings caught fire, and the number of victims is being determined. In Rubizhne, during the last few days, there have been five victims and one dead person reported. In the Luhansk region 11 more houses have been destroyed. In Vuhledar, the Donetsk region, the russians fired artillery at a humanitarian aid distribution site, killing two and injuring five. During the war in Ukraine, the russian occupiers damaged or destroyed at least 150 monuments and cultural sites. The abduction of Ukrainian civilians, their hostages and torture continue. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says that the russian occupiers are capturing peaceful Ukrainians en masse, but international humanitarian law prohibits the exchange of russian prisoners of war for civilian Ukrainians. The Mayor of Skadovsk Oleksandr Yakovlev has left the city due to threats and "proposals" for cooperation from the russian military. Former mayor of Rubizhne Serhii Hortiv not only sided with the russian invaders, but also passed on information about people with a pro-Ukrainian position to the occupiers. 5. The evacuation of civilians through the humanitarian corridors continues under constant attacks from the russian occupiers. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and military administrations have called for the evacuation of residents of the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The heads of the military administrations of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions are asking the population to leave the regions and are doing everything possible to ensure that the evacuation is organized. This is necessary now, because then people will be under fire and threatened with death. On April 6th, 11 humanitarian corridors were confirmed, including from Mariupol. Also from Berdiansk, Tokmak, Enerhodar, Holiaipole and Melitopol to Zaporizhzhia. From Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, Hirske, and Rubizhne to Bakhmut. 6. International support and assistance for Ukraine. Political support for Ukraine and security guarantees. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that the advisers of the leaders of seven countries are ready to discuss the content of the international agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian head of state has announced a meeting of representatives of Ukraine's guarantor states: For sure, they are the USA, the UK, Turkey, Poland, Germany, France, and Israel the list is not completed, but I have mentioned the countries that are ready to come and discuss the security guarantees. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that currently the leaders of each of these countries have their own vision of guarantees, as well as different degrees of readiness for physical intervention in the war against Ukraine. The Prime Minister of Ireland, Michael Martin, has stated that his country has supported Ukraine's application for EU membership and will continue to do so. Military assistance to Ukraine. According to Lithuanian Minister of Defence, Arvydas Anusauskas (Delfi), Western countries are increasing military support for Ukraine and are gradually moving towards sending heavy equipment to Ukraine. The United States will provide additional military assistance to Ukraine: Javelin anti-tank systems - for $ 100 million. Since February 24, the United States has provided $1.7 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. According to Information Defence analysts, qualitative changes have taken place in the issue of military assistance to Ukraine - the United States and other leading NATO countries have made a strategic decision to supply unrestricted weapons (except for nuclear, of course) to Ukraine. The veto on the supply of heavy weapons, tanks, long-range and large-calibre artillery, anti-ship missiles, and even air defence systems, was lifted. Of course, our allies will focus primarily on Soviet models, as they do not need much time to study them for use at the front. According to unofficial sources of Information Defence, this decision was made taking into account several factors. First, the heroic struggle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which provided a worthy response to the russian occupiers, skilfully using Western weapons transferred to Ukraine. Second is the price of Ukraine's victory. In a few days, a decisive battle of the russian-Ukrainian war will take place in eastern Ukraine. Despite the higher level of tactical training of UAF soldiers, the strategic and operational level of the Ukrainian command, Ukraine is currently losing to russia in the number of armoured vehicles, air defence systems and aircraft. The Armed Forces of Ukraine immediately need heavy weapons and air defence systems, without which it is almost impossible to win this war. For the United States, the defeat of russia is critical given the further development of the geopolitical situation, the creation of a new system of world security. That is why the decision was made to supply weapons to Ukraine without any restrictions and as soon as possible. Humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The United States has handed over 18 modular buildings to the Transcarpathian region, which can provide temporary accommodation for people under any conditions. 8. Political and socio-economic situation in russia, the impact of international sanctions on it. The Western allies impose new sanctions on russia. The United States, along with the G7 and the EU, is imposing new sanctions on the russian president putin's daughters, russia's largest banks, Alfa Bank and Sberbank, and banning all new investments in russia. White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki was quoted by The Guardian as saying that US sanctions were aimed at depleting russia's resources for the war in Ukraine and putting Moscow in a position of impossible choice: depletion of its dollar reserves or default: "russia has no unlimited resources, especially now, given the destructive sanctions we have imposed, most of our goal here is to deplete the resources that putin has to continue his war against Ukraine. The United Kingdom has announced a new package of sanctions against the russian federation in connection with the crimes of the russian military against the civilian population in Ukraine. Key restrictions include: freezing the assets of Sberbank and Moscow's Credit Bank; a ban on all new investment in russia (in 2020, the amount of the UK investment in russia amounted to more than 11 billion pounds), which will strategically weaken the russian economy; abandonment of russian coal and oil by the end of 2022, and of gas as soon as possible thereafter . russia is approaching default. russia's Ministry of Finance has transferred funds to pay coupon income and repay Eurobonds in rubles, as the correspondent bank did not allow payments in dollars, which could mean defaulting. The explanation states that the foreign correspondent bank refused to execute orders for Eurobonds maturing in 2022 and 2042 in the total amount of $649.2 million. In russia, such obligations are considered "fulfilled", but in most cases, foreign creditors do not recognize the russian currency as repayment of foreign currency debt. If this happens with Monday's payment, this will mean a technical default of the russian federation. Sanctions and restrictions against russia have a negative impact on the russian economy. Chinese state-owned refineries are fulfilling existing russian oil agreements, but are avoiding new ones, despite discounts, for fear of tightening Western sanctions against russia. This was reported by Reuters with reference to six sources. Thus, the state-owned Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner, CNOOC, PetroChina and Sinochem reneged from buying russian cargo of oil with delivery in May. The value of russian real estate is frozen in Latvia due to sanctions that exceed 100 million euros, but it is expected that it may increase. The Danish manufacturer of equipment for renewable energy, Vestas, is leaving the russian market due to the russian invasion of Ukraine. The US company Intel has stopped all business operations in russia. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron developments in the Ukraine crisis as well as Egypts scheduled hosting of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November. Belarus' leader defended Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said he was doing ``everything'' to stop the war in a sit-down interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. War-ravaged Ukraine received pledges for $6.5 billion more in humanitarian aid Thursday at an international donor's conference in Warsaw that sought to get Ukrainians urgent help while still planning for the country's post-war reconstruction. Pakistani President Aref Alvi said on Tuesday that he looks forward to a visit by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Pakistan soon in a meeting with Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Islamabad, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. Shoukry delivered President El-Sisis regards to President Alvi, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry. During the meeting, Alvi and Shoukry discussed the bilateral relations between Egypt and Pakistan, where the Egyptian foreign minister expressed the necessity to keep the current momentum of the relations between the two countries. Shoukry added that it is important to continue boosting political consultation and continuing coordination, whether on the bilateral level or at international forums about issues of common interest. Earlier, Shoukry met with officials including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, where Shoukry expressed hopes that this visit will be an opportunity to push forward bilateral relations between Egypt and Pakistan. Shoukry is in Pakistan to attend the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation convened in Islamabad. Pakistan is the fourth and last stop for Shoukry in his Asian tour that started on Sunday 13 March, where he visited Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Search Keywords: Short link: Two Ukrainian medical universities have asked the Egyptian authorities to allow Egyptian students who will continue their degrees online after fleeing the war-hit country to take their practical trainings at home in local private or government hospitals. In a letter sent to the Egyptian Embassy in Kyiv, V.N Karazin Kharkiv National Medical University announced the resumption of its classes with online learning in the spring semester of the 2021/22 academic year for foreign students, including Egyptians who are not in the country currently due to the Russian invasion. In other letters sent to the embassy, Ukrainian universities added that they would require a report from the medical institution on the skills acquired during the practical training that is signed by a doctor to allow students to enrol for the spring semester. The Egyptian Embassy in Kyiv published on Sunday the letter it received from Karazin Kharkiv University on its Facebook page along with another letter from Bogomolets National Medical University. Bogomlets said that it is returning to an online format in the spring-summer semester of the 2021/22 academic year due to the imposition of martial law following the Russian invasion. The university added that students who want to receive certificates of their studies may claim them in-person. Regarding financial debt or tuition fees paid by students, Bogomolets University stated that it is temporarily impossible to provide such information due to the high level of workload on university staff. The letters were sent in response to an inquiry by the embassy about the status of Egyptian students enrolled in Ukrainian universities. According to the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs in late March, 1,270 of the Egyptian students who have returned from Ukraine underwent exams in late March to enrol in Egyptian universities in an initiative launched by the government upon the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. Before the Russian invasion, around 6,000 Egyptians lived in Ukraine, including 3,000 students, according to officials. So far, 80 percent of the Egyptian students in Ukraine have left for other European countries, especially Poland. Egypt has repatriated hundreds of Egyptians, mostly students, from war-torn Ukraine via Air Cairo flights, and is planning to help them continue their education at private and national universities. However, a small percentage of Egyptian nationals are refusing to leave Ukraine, including students who want to continue their education in Ukraine or those who fear that their academic career may be affected if they leave the country, according to the emigration ministry. Search Keywords: Short link: Ukraine on Wednesday told residents of the country's eastern regions to evacuate "now" or "risk death" due to a feared Russian attack. "The governors of the Kharkiv, Lugansk and Donetsk regions are calling on the population to leave these territories and are doing everything to ensure that the evacuations take place in an organised manner," deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram. The call for urgent evacuations comes as Ukraine says Russian forces are regrouping to launch a fresh offensive in the country's east after retreating from the Kyiv region. Vereshchuk asked residents to cooperate with authorities, saying Kyiv will "not be able to help" them after an attack. "It has to be done now because later people will be under fire and face the threat of death. There is nothing they will be able to do about it, nor will we be able to help," she said. "It is necessary to evacuate as long as this possibility exists. For now, it still exists," she added. The Kremlin has declared that Ukraine's Donbas is now a priority for the Russian army. NATO believes Moscow aims to take control of the whole Donbas region in eastern Ukraine with the aim of creating a corridor from Russia to annexed Crimea. Search Keywords: Short link: NATO would quickly welcome Finland and Sweden into its ranks with open arms if they decided to apply, the military alliance's top civilian official said Wednesday, as Russia's war on Ukraine spurs public support in the two Nordic countries for membership. The military organization might also be ready to provide security guarantees to the countries if any potential membership bid angers Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. A poll last month by Finnish broadcaster YLE showed that, for the first time, more than 50% of Finns support joining the Western military alliance. In neighboring Sweden, a similar poll showed that those in favor of NATO membership outnumber those against it. ``If they decide to apply, I expect that all allies will welcome them,'' Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels, as NATO foreign ministers met to discuss the war in Ukraine. ``We know that they can easily join this alliance if they decide to apply.'' Before launching the war on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin demanded that the 30-nation military organization stop expanding and pull its troops back from Russia's borders. So the prospect of neighboring Finland, and Sweden, joining is unlikely to be welcomed in Moscow. To shield them, Stoltenberg said NATO member countries might be prepared to provide a security guarantee to cover the two neutral nations from when they announce a possible membership bid until their applications are endorsed. Once members, they would benefit from NATO's collective defense clause, which obliges all members to come to the aid of any ally that comes under attack. ``I am certain that we will find ways to address concerns they may have regarding the period between the potential application and the final ratification,'' Stoltenberg said. He declined to speculate about what those security guarantees might involve. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said his country's lawmakers are due this month to debate a government white paper on security, including an option for NATO accession. He said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed public opinion. ``In three or four weeks we have a majority, first time ever'' in favor of joining, Haavisto said. He said Finland knows that ``Russia is ready to take bigger risks, as we can see in Ukraine, bigger risks also for its own security. We can also see that Russia is capable of gathering more than 100,000 men against just one country, even without touching its reserves.'' Haavisto added that ``the threshold has been lowered, at least in the debate,'' on Russia's possible use of tactical nuclear or chemical weapons. He too was reluctant to go into detail about any security guarantee that Finland might need, particularly as debate about joining continues at home. But Haavisto did say it's something that his country would want to discuss with ``key'' NATO members, and that Finnish leaders have been in contact with US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Search Keywords: Short link: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Ankara will soon take additional steps to normalise relations with Egypt, building upon the steps it has already taken, Turkish Anadolu news agency reported. Speaking to reporters in Brussels after attending the second and final day of the NATO foreign ministers meeting on the Russia-Ukraine war, Cavusoglu said, We have taken steps towards normalising relations with Egypt, and we will take more steps in the coming days in this regard. On the Ukraine conflict, Cavusoglu told the reporters that images from the Ukrainian town of Bucha are truly unacceptable and disgraceful for humanity. Turkeys top diplomat said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and told him that the latest images from Bucha are truly unacceptable, disgraceful for humanity, and we have conveyed our discomfort (about it). The Turkish foreign minister was referring to scenes of apparent civilian massacres in Bucha, near Kyiv, which have drawn widespread outrage. Regarding Turkish-American relations, Cavusoglu said that he received an invitation from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to hold a meeting in Washington on May 18. Search Keywords: Short link: Researchers at the University of Surrey and the University of Milano-Bicocca have partnered with SAGA Space Architects to investigate the psychological impact of social isolation in harsh environments, such as on the Moon. This research formed part of the LUNARK project which explored how humans could survive on the Moon and have successful habitats there in the future. The LUNARK project was the first ever Arctic simulation of a lunar mission. As part of the project, two space architects, Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan Srensen, designed an airtight, portable, foldable pod that enables its occupants to live self-sufficiently. From September 2020, the architects lived inside the pod for 61 days in northern Greenland - a place that reflects the harsh environment of the Moon and its freezing temperatures. The pod was built to withstand external threats - which was tested in the arctic simulation in the form of a visit from a local polar bear - and was designed to leave no trace of waste in the environment. To investigate the impact of social isolation on the men, the researchers measured their perceptions of time, their positive and negative emotions, levels of satisfaction of basic psychological needs (e.g. self-esteem and control), behavioural intentions (for example, whether they developed aggressive tendencies) and coping strategies. To record this data, Sebastian and Karl-Johan kept daily diaries and completed a 20-minute questionnaire daily. Konstantin Chterev, Psychology PhD student at Surrey and co-author of the study, said: "Research to address the technical challenges of human missions into space is growing at a rapid rate. Therefore, it is critical that we explore the social-psychological aspects of individuals' experiences of confinement within these habitats. We know that social isolation is among one of the main risk factors in these environments, but we still have a lot to learn." The two space architects were limited in how much they could communicate with the outside world. They had no access to the internet but could use a satellite phone to send daily messages (up to 160 characters) to the headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. The results showed that, for both space architects, their desire for social contact increased over time, whereas negative feelings of alienation, depression, helplessness, and unworthiness did not. Talking about personal matters and engaging in leisure time was associated with a decrease in these negative feelings, but also increased the desire for social contact. Furthermore, engaging in leisure activities increased the perceived speed of time. Konstantin Chterev continued: "Space travel will likely become more frequent in the next few decades, due to the opening of the private market, NASA's plans to send people to the Moon this decade, and government agencies in China and India joining the space travel race. With more organisations involved in sending people to space, we need more studies to focus on the mental health impacts involved in long missions in extreme and confined environments. Work like this will be able to inform future training and the planning of schedules in extreme environment expeditions and lunar missions, in which it is crucial to balance mission-critical tasks and physical wellbeing with protecting psychological wellbeing and mitigating the negative effects of long-term isolation." Read the full study here Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. A UN envoy on Thursday demanded access to the Malian village of Moura, site of an alleged massacre last month by local forces and suspected Russian fighters. The UN's peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, was able to fly over the site on April 3. But its envoy for the Sahel nation, El-Ghassim Wane, told the Security Council an "integrated mission" had yet to receive a green light "despite extensive engagement with the national authorities." Mali's army announced on April 1 that it had killed 203 militants in Moura, in central Mali, during an operation in late March. However, that announcement followed widely shared social media reports of a civilian massacre in the area. Human Rights Watch also said this week that Malian forces and foreign fighters killed 300 civilians in Moura in late March, in what it called "the worst single atrocity reported in Mali's decade-long armed conflict." Several witnesses and other sources identified the foreign soldiers as Russians to HRW. Russia has supplied what are officially described as military instructors to Mali, which has been battling a brutal jihadist conflict since 2012. The United States, France, and others, say the instructors are operatives from the Russian private-security firm Wagner. Wane said he welcomed word from Mali that a military tribunal had opened an investigation into the events in Moura. However, he added, "it is imperative that the Malian authorities extend the necessary cooperation for MINUSMA to have access to the site of the alleged violations, in line with its mandate." On Wednesday, independent UN human rights expert Alioune Tine urged an independent and impartial investigation into the events. In a statement, he called on the Malian authorities to allow the UN's MINUSMA force to perform the investigation. "The findings must be made public and the alleged perpetrators brought to justice," Tine added. Swathes of Mali lie outside of government control due to a brutal jihadist conflict that first emerged in 2012, before spreading to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in the conflict, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. Mali's under-equipped army has often been accused of committing abuses. The country's ruling junta, which seized power in a military coup in 2020, routinely defends the rights record of the armed forces. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt has welcomed the formation of a new presidential council in Yemen with full presidential powers, saying it hopes that such a step will help Yemen complete the transitional phase and move toward security and safety. "Egypt has followed with the utmost interest the formation of the presidential leadership council in the Yemeni republic, with full presidential powers, to complete the tasks of the transitional phase in Yemen, according to the constitution and the Gulf initiative," a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read on Thursday. Egypt sees this step as an important development and hope it helps brotherly Yemen to achieve safety and stability by reaching a Yemeni-Yemeni consensus to complete the transitional phase and end the conflict, the statement added. Earlier on Thursday, President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said he is handing his powers to a new leadership council, in a major shake-up in the coalition battling Houthi rebels as a fragile ceasefire takes hold. President Hadi made the announcement in a televised statement on the final day of Yemen talks held in the Saudi capital Riyadh. "I irreversibly delegate to this presidential leadership council my full powers," he said. Saudi Arabia said it welcomed Hadi's announcement and pledged $3 billion in aid and support for its war-torn neighbour, some of it to be paid by the United Arab Emirates, according to AFP. Hadi's internationally recognised government has been locked in conflict with the Iran-backed Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and most of the north despite a Saudi-led military intervention launched in 2015. Hadi has been based in Saudi Arabia since fleeing to the kingdom that year as rebel forces closed in on his last redoubt, the southern port city of Aden. A United Nations-brokered truce that took effect last Saturday -- the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- has offered a glimmer of hope in the conflict which has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The truce came as discussions on Yemen were unfolding in Riyadh without the participation of the Houthis, who refused to attend talks on "enemy" territory. Egypt has welcomed the truce, saying it hopes the truce could contribute to backing political solutions, initiatives, and efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement for the Yemeni conflict. Since the start of the conflict in Yemen in 2015, Egypt has pushed for a political solution in Yemen that would meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people in achieving stability and development and end the extended humanitarian crisis. Egypt steadfastly condemned all Houthi terror attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years. Cairo has also supported the UNs efforts in Yemen, calling for a solution to the crisis that is based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative, the outcome of the national dialogue, and the UN Security Councils relevant resolutions. The talks concluded Thursday with Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed calling on the new leadership council "to start negotiations with the Houthis under the supervision of the United Nations in order to reach a final and comprehensive political solution". Search Keywords: Short link: Sajid Bilal, the ambassador of Pakistan to Egypt, talks to Ahram Online about a new momentum of cooperation between Islamabad and Cairo on the bilateral and multilateral fronts. We are moving closer to start the operation of direct commercial flights between Pakistan and Egypt and this will certainly serve the purpose of consolidating our bilateral relations on all fronts including trade and culture, Sajid Bilal, the ambassador of Pakistan to Egypt, said in an interview with Ahram Online. The issue of the direct flights, Bilal added, was being discussed between the respective aviation authorities of the two countries. He stated that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with top Pakistani officials during recent visit to Islamabad a range of bilateral cooperation measures, including the holding of the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting ahead of schedule. Shoukry was in the Pakistani capital on 22 March on a two-day visit, where he met with top state officials and took part in a ministerial meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Shoukrys stop at Islamabad came at the end of an Asian tour that started in Malaysia on 14 March and then took him to both Singapore and Indonesia before visiting Pakistan. During the tour, the top Egyptian diplomat delivered invitations to respective head of governments and states to participate in the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) that Egypt will be hosting in November in Sharm El-Sheikh. Bilal told Ahram Online that in addition to the discussion on the need for the developing countries to discuss their agenda for the next round of the climate change summit, Shoukrys meetings in Islamabad allowed for a thorough discussion of bilateral relations. Both countries, he said, are keen to give a serious boost to the current volume of trade, which stands at $430 million with Egyptian exports to Pakistan amounting to $330 million. Currently, we send many items to Egypt, including textiles, medicament and surgical instruments, and we import from Egypt petroleum, gas, fruits, seeds and cotton; but we both have a lot more potential within the complementary framework of trade relations that has been established, the Pakistani ambassador said. Moreover, consultations are underway between the respective authorities in the two countries about the prospects for cooperative connectivity between Suez Canal and the Gawadar Port, he said. The avenues to upgrade trade and economic relations between the two countries are very large and the political will to move forward is clear, he added. Bilal stressed that cooperation between the two countries has vast horizons, citing the OIC, which is currently chaired by Pakistan, as one important area. The OIC is the second largest organisation after the UN; and it is not true that the organisation has little relevance on the front of international relations because the organisation remains active on many issues and its member states are certainly active too, he said. Egypt and Pakistan, Bilal argued, have, as two leading members of this organization of 57 members, a lot of cooperation on some particular files, including that of Palestine. Bilal argued that keeping Palestine on the agenda of an organisation that brings together close to one quarter of the UN member states is not at all insignificant because it means that this issue is important for all these countries. Standing up to Islamophobia is another issue that Bilal said is of significance to both Pakistan and Egypt. Earlier this year, Pakistan managed to get the UN to mark 15 March as an international day to combat islamophobia. This, he said, is significant at these times when Muslims in many parts of the world, including Kashmir, are subject to a lot of discrimination." While Kashmir is of particular relevance to Pakistan in view of the context of the Kashmir conflict, the issue of Islamophobia is becoming a world-wide problem. Bilal said that Islamabad will work closely in the OIC with other nations keen to make sure that Muslims rights are fully respected, especially in the countries where they are a minority. In its most recent ministerial meeting, Bilal said, the OIC agreed to appoint a special envoy for combating Islamophobia. Once appointed, Bilal explained, the envoy will lead collective efforts, on behalf of OIC, on this critical issue. However, Bilal declined to comment on any specific cases because he said he would not wish to come across as interfering in the internal affairs of any particular country. We dont wish to do this at all; our objective is to create awareness," and "to help people all over the world to see Islam and Muslims away from the unfortunate stigma of radical Muslim groups including the radical militant groups." The struggle against these groups like IS, he said, is something that his country and Egypt are committed to work for just as they are committed to work to combat Islamophobia. In this respect, Bilal said, Al-Azhar, as the core of Wassatiyah (moderation), is a crucial partner. We think very highly of the role of Al-Azhar in promoting the ideas of moderation and facing up to radical and violent calls, he said. Pakistan is a country that sends a significant number of students to attend Al-Azhar University where they learn a lot about tolerance, moderation and inter-faith harmony." Pakistan, he added, is hoping to see Al-Azhar given even a bigger space in the Muslim World to promote these ideas. Expanding cooperation with Al-Azhar, he stressed, is certainly central to expanding cultural cooperation between the two countries. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt said the resolution to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) "squanders the organisations mechanisms and could weaken the credibility of the UN and its mechanisms," before abstaining on the vote. The proposed draft resolution is a waste of the mechanisms of the organisation that have long been trusted by members of the international community and an indication that the credibility of the United Nations and its mechanisms could begin to shake, the Egyptian Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdel-Khalek told the UNGA on Thursday before Egypt abstained in the vote on the resolution. Of the 193 members of the assembly, 93 voted in favor of Russias suspension, while 24 voted against and 58 abstained. This will have severe negative repercussions on [the UNs] ability to carry out its responsibilities, in accordance with its charter and the work that has been settled about over a period of 75 years, he added. Abdel-Khalek remarks came during the special emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to vote on a resolution to suspend Russias membership at the UN Human Rights Council (UNGA) as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine. Egypt does not see merit in putting forward the draft resolution and is concerned about its effects, Abdel-Khalek said during the session. Still, Abdel-Khalek affirmed Egypts full rejection of any violations to the human rights and breaches to the legal obligations of the countries in this regard. Egypt believes in the need to confront such grave [human rights] violations decisively in accordance with the UN mechanisms, which ensure that these heinous acts are addressed and the appropriate decision is taken to face them, he stated. Politicising UN, double-standards "Egypt does not look at the draft resolution as linked to the Ukraine crisis, or the principle of the impermissibility of the use of force or violation of the sovereignty of nations," Abdel-Khalek said. Instead, he added, the UNGA resolution is linked to the orientation toward politicising the UN organs and specialised agencies, affirming Egypts rejection of this orientation. Egypts principled and consistent stance rejects this approach as it involves a waste of the purpose for which the organization, its agencies and organs were established and as this leads to squandering its credibility and international multilateral action, Abdel-Khalek affirmed. He added the draft resolution constitutes a dangerous turning point to the path of the UN, noting that the international communitys reliance on the UN to establish the international work system has become at stake. The organisation's respect for its charter, rules, procedures and system of work has strengthened the international community's dependence on it in order to consolidate the international work system, Abdel-Khalek said. This has been [carried out] based on rules and mechanisms that it relies on for the proper management of international relations and the maintenance of international peace and security, Abdel-Khalek said, adding that the international dependence on the UN for these reasons is now under threat. Abdel-Khalek warned against double-standards in dealing with human rights violations worldwide, saying that in many times, less decisive and more lenient decisions were taken regarding clear human rights violations in the not-so-distant past. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Egypt has highlighted the need to prioritise dialogue and diplomatic solutions to settle the crisis and has offered support for all endeavours that would accelerate a political settlement. Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks as part of the Arab League's Ukraine crisis group separately with the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, in Moscow and Warsaw, respectively, to push for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Early in March, Egypt, along with 140 countries, voted for a UN resolution calling for a halt to Russias invasion and an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from its western neighbour. However, Egypt also warned against economic sanctions that are not based on the mechanisms of the multilateral international system. Egypt rejects the approach of employing economic sanctions outside the framework of the mechanisms of the multilateral international system, Abdel-Khalek said during the special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March, as Russia was being slapped by extensive western sanctions. He warned that similar sanctions in the past had caused severe negative humanitarian effects and exacerbated the suffering of millions of people over the past decades. Search Keywords: Short link: The Coordinating Committee of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) approved on Wednesday the chairmanship of Egypt and the European Union of the forum each for two years, succeeding Canada and Morocco. The EU will chair the forum from September 2022 to September 2024 and Egypt will hold the chairmanship of the forum from March 2023 to March 2025, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The Egyptian-EU chairmanship of the GCTF will succeed that of Canada and Morocco, which co-chaired the forum between 2019 and 2021. Egypt, during its tenure as a co-chairman, intends to build on the special expertise that it enjoys in the field of counter-terrorism in order to advance the implementation of the forums strategic vision 2021-2031, the foreign ministrys statement read. Egypt will also work on enhancing the effectiveness of the international system to fight terrorism and support the efforts of the member states in implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the ministry added. Furthermore, Egypt plans to promote attention to the African continent as well as to the needs of the developing countries, developing the existing coordination with regional mechanism concerned with fighting terrorism, the ministry said. Egypt will also work on continuing to introduce tangible initiatives within the framework of the forums working groups, the ministry added. GCFT was established in 2011 as a multilateral counter-terrorism platform to exchange experiences and best practices to develop an international system to address terrorism in light of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Egypt is one of the founding countries of the forum, which includes 30 member states. Five working groups have emerged from the forum, including the capacity building working group for East African countries, which Egypt has co-chaired with the European Union since September 2017. Egypt had previously chaired the criminal justice and rule of law working group jointly with the United States during the period from 2011 to 2017. In recent years, Egypt has adopted a comprehensive framework to confront terrorism and extremist thought, which is based on security as well as awareness-raising mechanisms. Egypt has also pushed for serious and urgent cooperation in Africa to combat cross-border terrorism, founding the Sahel and Sahara Counterterrorism Centre in Cairo to coordinate the efforts of the 20 Sahel-Saharan states (CEN-SAD) to face terror threats. Search Keywords: Short link: Police declined to confirm the reports to AFP, but tributes to Abiko were tweeted by other artists and those in the publishing industry. Abiko was the eldest son of a monk at a historic temple in central Toyama region. But his family left the temple after the death of Abiko's father when he was in fifth grade. "My father's death changed my life the most. If he had not died, I think I would have been a monk," he told the Asahi Shimbun daily in 2020. In high school, he became friends with Hiroshi Fujimoto, who later created Japan's much-loved cartoon "Doraemon", and the pair started to work together. They formed a partnership that debuted in 1951, jointly producing works under the pen name "Fujiko Fujio", and shared a Tokyo apartment with other famous manga artists including Osamu Tezuka. One of the duo's early works was "Q-Taro", about a good-natured, mischievous ghost child who starts living with a human family, which found fans in Japan as well as abroad. Abiko also created various manga by himself, including "Ninja Hattori", a ninja who becomes best friends with a regular kid, as well as other works targeted at adults. Despite his long-time association with Fujimoto, Abiko once confessed he was reluctant to read "Doraemon" cartoons too closely. "I've been avoiding reading (them) as a protective measure, because when I read them, I'm influenced by them and think 'I can't draw like this'," he said with a laugh. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait announced Thursday they were sending ambassadors to Lebanon for the first time since a row broke out last year over the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. The foreign ministry "announces the return of the ambassador... to the sisterly Republic of Lebanon", read a statement carried by Saudi state media. A diplomatic crisis erupted last October after the then-information minister was quoted criticising the Saudi role in Yemen, where a grinding war has produced what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. George Kordahi, who has since resigned, said in a television interview that the Houthi rebels fighting Yemen's internationally-recognised government were "defending themselves... against an external aggression". He said "homes, villages, funerals and weddings were being bombed" by the Saudi-led coalition, and called the war in Yemen "futile". The Houthis are backed by Saudi arch-rival Iran, which has significant influence in Lebanon, where it backs the powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. In response to the remarks, Riyadh recalled its ambassador and ordered Lebanon's envoy to leave the kingdom. Its Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, expelling Lebanese envoys. Following announcement of the Saudi decision, Kuwait also announced Thursday the return of its ambassador to Beirut. The row, which has also seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods, was a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises. Lebanon, which had been counting on financial assistance from the Gulf to rescue its economy, welcomed the Saudi announcement. "We highly value the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's decision to return its ambassador to Lebanon and we stress the fact that Lebanon is proud of its Arab allegiance and is adamant on maintaining the best ties with Gulf nations," Prime Minister Najib Mikati tweeted. 'Worries' over Hezbollah Lebanon's Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi also praised the move. "Once again the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proven, by the return of its ambassador... that Lebanon is in its heart and conscience and that it will never abandon it," Mawlawi said. "We will continue to work on strengthening ties and we will not allow any harm or offence to come its way from now on," he added. Saudi Arabia had stepped back from its former ally Lebanon in recent years, angered by the influence of the Hezbollah. Riyadh has long accused Tehran of supplying the Houthis with sophisticated weapons and its Hezbollah proxy of training the insurgents -- charges Iran denies. Saudi Arabia said in December it had "evidence of involvement of Lebanon's terrorist Hezbollah in Yemen" including using the airport in Yemen's capital Sanaa "to target the kingdom". Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had blamed deteriorating ties on Hezbollah and Iran's dominance over Lebanese politics. "There is no crisis with Lebanon but a crisis in Lebanon because of Iranian dominance," he told Al-Arabiya television in October. "Hezbollah's dominance of the political system in Lebanon worries us," he had said. The return of the ambassador, Saudi state media said Thursday, came "in response to the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon". Search Keywords: Short link: Britain insisted Thursday it was sticking to its climate change goals despite announcing plans to drill for more North Sea fossil fuels as a way of preventing energy "blackmail" by Russia. After weeks of cabinet infighting, the government finally released a long-promised energy strategy as Britons struggle with soaring prices, following Western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. The plan envisions eight new nuclear stations, a five-fold increase in solar generation, and enough electricity from offshore wind to power every UK home by 2030. But to the dismay of environmentalists, the politically charged issue of onshore wind turbines -- cheaper and quicker to build than offshore -- was left on the back burner. And campaign groups said plans to offer new licenses to drill for North Sea oil and gas made a mockery of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's legally enshrined commitment to make Britain's carbon net zero by 2050. Johnson, however, said he was taking a "sensible and pragmatic view" on hydrocarbons "in the interim to the transition to net-zero" -- a goal that he had proclaimed at November's COP26 climate summit in Scotland. "This is about tackling the mistakes of the past and making sure that we are set well for the future," he told reporters. "And we are never again subject to the vagaries of the global oil and gas prices and we can't be subject to blackmail, as it were, from people such as Vladimir Putin, we have energy security here in the UK." The prime minister was speaking on a visit to a giant nuclear plant under construction at Hinkley Point in southwest England -- which is years overdue and billions over budget. Johnson vowed that "instead of a new reactor every decade, we will have a new reactor every year" -- including both large plants and smaller "modular" ones, although these have yet to be tested at an industrial scale. If all the bets come off, according to the strategy, Britain could derive 95 percent of its electricity from low-carbon sources by 2030. The government acknowledges that the strategy will do little to curb household energy bills in the near term, which Johnson said had "absolutely soared" after the Russian president's invasion of Ukraine. Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: "This strategy comprehensively fails to stand up to Putin's violence, to take the sting out of soaring energy bills, or take control of the spiraling climate crisis." 'Madness' The government plan flagged a new competition to find UK manufacturers of electric heat pumps -- which are much more efficient than gas-fired household boilers, but also much more expensive. Otherwise, as critics noted, it had nothing to say about cutting down on energy wastage and improving efficiency in homes, after the finance ministry reportedly vetoed new spending on that front. "The first line of any new energy policy in the UK should read 'insulate, insulate, insulate'," commented Jon Gluyas, director of the Durham Energy Institute. Instead, he said, the strategy was "an uninspiring mix of more of the same and ... does very little to meet the nation's zero-carbon mantra shouted so loudly at COP26". United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, marking the launch Monday of the latest UN report on climate change, said it was "moral and economic madness" to invest any more in fossil fuels. The 3,000-page report warned that countries risk ending up with trillions in worthless assets such as offshore platforms and pipelines when demand for fossil fuels wanes in coming decades. For the UK government, however, political pressure to tackle the energy crisis has been heating up ahead of nationwide local elections on May 5. Ed Miliband, climate spokesman for the opposition Labour party, said Conservative backbenchers opposed to onshore turbines in rural England were "holding the government's energy policy to ransom". "And people are paying higher bills as a result," he told BBC radio. Search Keywords: Short link: Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem met with the ministrys heads of sectors to discuss the activities carried out throughout Ramadan. The cultural and artistic activities will begin on 10 April (9 Ramadan). The activities are in line with the celebrations of Cairo as the Capital of Culture of the Islamic world and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), Abdel-Dayem said. In December, ISESCO chose Cairo as the Islamic World's Capital of Culture for 2022. The minister said that the selection reflects Cairos position as a meeting point for different cultures, a creative hub, and a centre for thought and art. The celebrations will start on 10 April at the northern Cairo Wall and will include cultural and artistic activities, creative discussions, and workshops on heritage crafts. The activities will be hosted in numerous locations operating under the culture ministry, many of which are historical and architectural gems. Search Keywords: Short link: The Ministry of Health has signed an agreement with digital health platform Altibbi to encourage the public to donate plasma. The antibodies and proteins present in plasma are used in therapies for many serious health problems and chronic health conditions, including autoimmune disorders, hemophilia, and liver and kidney diseases. Egypts national project for blood plasma donation, launched in 2021 by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, aims to achieve self-sufficiency in plasma and its derivatives. Altibbis CEO Jalil Al-Abadi told Al-Ahram Weekly that the partnership is a continuation of the companys effort to help the Egyptian government increase access to quality healthcare at reduced cost by encouraging new donors. Under the agreement, Altibbi Egypt will provide plasma donors with free medical consultations across all specialties for a year. Consultations will be provided by the companys medical team, with donors able to log on to the platforms website and use it free of charge. Altibbi has also set up a hotline (1130) to help donors. During the Covid-19 crisis Altibbi contributed to alleviating pressure on Egypts healthcare systems. We used to provide medical consultations for people with symptoms and directed them to the right doctor when necessary, said Al-Abadi. The platform has expanded its presence in Egypt. We are now moving to a bigger office in New Cairo and recruiting more staff, says its CEO. Work is underway to finalise promotional activities and the design and language of the donor programme which Altibbi hopes to launch immediately after the holy month of Ramadan. We get more than 300,000 visitors to our website from Egypt each day. It has the largest medical content in Arabic; visitors have questions about the whole range of medical issues and are looking for answers, says Al-Abadi. We are going to tell all visitors about the plasma national project and the importance of donating. Other promotional and advertorial channels such as the TV and social media will not be the best choice, Al-Abadi said. The Ministry of Health and Population, which currently imports plasma and its derivatives, plans to be self-sufficient within six to eight years. Nevine Al-Nahhas, supervisor of the national plasma donation project, says Egypts current capacity for plasma is 300,000 litres a year, and that plasma is most needed to produce albumin-factor 8 and immunoglobulin. Al-Nahhas noted that many people are unaware of the importance of donating plasma and that the ministrys agreement with Altibbi will increase the number of donors. We currently import 100 per cent of plasma derivatives, she said, despite Ministry of Health laboratories plasma collection capacity. In December 2020, parliament approved a law regulating the collection of plasma for the manufacture and export of plasma derivatives. The law included a roadmap for the collection of plasma and its derivatives and comprises 23 articles on blood operations, plasma collection, manufacture of plasma-derived products and plasma transfusion, with the intention of manufacturing derivatives abroad and then returning them in the form of biological products. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 April, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Vote Your Values promotes diversity, importance of voting and engagement among Oklahoma voters This article appeared in the April 2022 edition of the Chickasaw Times OKLAHOMA CITY Vote Your Values has launched a voter education initiative to increase voter registration and engagement among all Oklahomans. Vote Your Values is a coalition of tribal nations and community partners. It is an inclusive, educational voting resource that informs and inspires every Oklahoman to accomplish more by working together. The initiatives launch includes the unveiling of voteyourvaluesOK.com, a one-stop resource for connecting Oklahomans with voter registration resources and information on upcoming elections. The website and accompanying social media channels also highlight voters from across the state sharing their personal set of values and principles that motivate them to vote. Oklahoma is strong because of its diversity, Chickasaw citizen Matthew L. Morgan, a spokesperson for Vote Your Values, said. Each Oklahoman has their own prioritization of values important issues such as education, health care and tribal sovereignty. Vote Your Values honors this diversity of principles and encourages Oklahomans to make their priorities known through the election process. While the values of individuals, families and communities may differ, we can all agree that the best way to achieve progress is by working together. Dozens of tribal nations and community partners endorse this unified effort to educate voters and encourage voter participation among all Oklahomans. Vote Your Values is a nonpartisan initiative that does not endorse candidates. The group focuses on empowering voters to use their voices and advocate for their values at the voting box. By using online resources, in-person voting drives and social media campaigns, Vote Your Values will work to increase the number of registered voters and voting turnout throughout the state. For those already registered, Vote Your Values provides resources to help others register and get engaged. The program will provide toolkits, newsletters, events and other collateral to tribes, organizations and voting advocates for use in their communities. To learn more about Vote Your Values or discover ways to get involved, visit voteyourvaluesOK.com. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilov Heydar Aliyev Palace will host a concert on June 7 within the "Eternals" project. The concert will feature unforgettable songs composed by People's Artist Elza Ibrahimova. Azerbaijan's well known musicians will perform at the concert. They will be accompanied by Dan Ulduzu Instrumental Ensemble and Gaytagi Ensemble. Elza Ibrahimova composed her first song in 1969. Shovkat Alakbarova was the first performer of her song "Yalan ha deyil" composed to Mammad Rahim's poem. She was one of the composers who brought tango rhythm into variety art. At first, some of her songs were not accepted by the Artistic Council in the Soviet era. Elza Ibrahimova was told that tango's bourgeois harmony did not match the Soviet spirit. But afterward her songs that adopted tango rhythm were added to the composer's favorite songs' list. Elza Ibrahimova composed the three-part concert for fortepiano and orchestra, romances, sonatas and quartets. She wrote music to the hundreds of poems of Azerbaijan poets and tens of poetic examples in Russian. Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az. A superficial look at the French electoral map might lead us to say that there is nothing new under the sun in the run-up to the French presidential elections. We are heading towards a return match between Marine Le Pen of the extreme right and incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who claims to represent the left and the right but who heads a coalition of centrists. The president seems likely to win according to the opinion polls, albeit by a small margin. The downfall of Frances traditional political parties is not new, but its acceleration has been stunning, even if more or less expected. However, a closer look at the electoral map leads to a different conclusion. We could be heading towards a major, and very disturbing, surprise. The only almost certain thing is that Macron will reach the second round of the elections. Le Pen should be able to make it too, but a third man, the mercurial leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, could be the surprise. We cannot exclude a scenario in which many leftist voters decide they will not vote for their preferred candidate but only for the one who has a chance of reaching the second round. (There are six leftist candidates in the elections, five of them scoring less than five per cent of the vote in the opinion polls.) If this happens, Melenchon may be able to outscore Le Pen, despite the six per cent difference between them. This is improbable, but we cannot rule it out. Much more important are the dynamics of the race between the frontrunners. In the 2017 elections, Le Pen started the race with very high scores in the polls but inexorably lost ground and voters. After the first round, her TV debate with Macron was disastrous, and the vote for her collapsed. Even so, 35 per cent of French voters still opted for her. This time round, things look different. Le Pen has had a difficult start, and she has had to ponder how to deal with the Zemmour factor. Eric Zemmour is another strong candidate from the extreme right and is much more hawkish. Le Pen has opted for a rightist strategy and has started gaining ground, constantly improving her standing. Macron, on the other hand, seems to have mishandled his campaign. He had a comfortable score at the start, and the Ukraine war has strengthened his position due to what the British call the Falklands factor, named after then British prime minister Margaret Thatchers success in the polls following the 1982 Falklands War. But Macrons decision to delay the start of his campaign, waiting for the very last moment, has backfired. It has given credence to the accusation that he does not want a debate because his achievements during his first term have not been that impressive. This is probably unfair, Macron being a formidable debater, but it has hurt. The French senate, controlled by the right, has also unleashed a surprise in the shape of a report denouncing the unhealthy proximity between the US management consultants McKinsey and Macrons team. His score in the opinion polls went down by three or four per cent and has now stalled as a result, though it remains high. Yet, Macron seems to be unable to find proposals that are popular with the voters. Le Pen has decided that she should not try to compete with Zemmour on immigration, Islam, and security. Her name and her party guarantee her hawkishness. Trying to outplay an extremist competitor on that kind of playing field would compromise her efforts to look like a normal candidate. Instead, she has focused from the beginning on the need to protect the purchasing power of the poor and lower middle classes. Most of her voters have that kind of social background. This decision has turned out to be prescient, as the war in Ukraine has caused a general rise in energy and wheat prices. Le Pen has also tried to look responsible, and she has not criticised Macrons handling of the Ukraine crisis. She has tried to assess the cost of her proposals in a way that looks plausible: they are not, but the average voter is not an economic expert. She has also tried to present herself as a kind of anti-Macron: he presents himself as knowing everything and crushes his opponents with his mastery of different issues. She, on the other hand, looks nice, modest, and friendly. Macron presents himself as a Jupiter on the heights of Mount Olympus, governing from above and from a distance. Le Pen is close to the people, touring France and organising smaller and larger meetings. Macron has a solid electoral basis of around a quarter of the electorate. But the polls suggest that two-thirds of this base do not like him or his programme, instead considering him to be the best candidate and above the rest of the field. This is Macrons main asset: that his opponents are considered to be second or third-league players. He can also claim that he has handled the Covid-19 pandemic in an efficient way. His critics can point to a lot of bad choices, however, and say that the fact he has often reversed course proves that he is aware he has erred. The collapse of Frances traditional mainstream parties, the Republicans and Socialists, is impressive and deserves analysis. The Republicans are faring better, but their 2017 candidate secured only 20 per cent of the vote, and their candidate this year may not even score 10 per cent. The Socialists plight is even more impressive: their candidate is struggling to cross the two per cent threshold. In fact, these parties are coalitions of moderates and hawks. An impressive number of moderates have joined Macron, and many of the hawks have preferred more radical forces. In this difficult situation, these parties have opted for a strategy of soft radicalisation that has backfired. With the benefit of hindsight, trying to seduce the moderates would have been a better choice. The main problem is that Macrons choice of a shortening of the campaign combined with the Covid-19 related restrictions and the overwhelming weight of the Ukraine war has had consequences. In a very serious situation, with a lot of old crises and an impressive number of new ones, there has not been serious debate, and the voters do not really know what the competitors are proposing. The president of the French Senate, the rightist Vincent Larcher, has said that the result is that the next president of France will not be considered legitimate, as there has been no real campaign and no real race. As a result, the next president may well be unable to undertake much-needed reforms. This is only one aspect of the run-up to the elections. We may be heading towards a major surprise if Le Pens rise does not stop. Even if she is cautious now, it is clear that she is not a fan of the EU or NATO. Her economic policies do not look sound. All the candidates have proposed a lot of costly solutions to the crisis in France, but all of them have also omitted to say how they will fund them. This is especially the case for Le Pen and Melenchon. Nothing guarantees that the next French president will be able to secure a majority in the following legislative elections. Macrons party has a grassroots problem, and Le Pen is a polarising figure. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 April, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Without de-escalation in the region, negotiations on the nuclear deal with Iran are unlikely to succeed, writes Al-Ahram Weekly The US administration finds itself between a rock and a hard place in the nuclear talks with Iran. After lengthy negotiations over the past 12 months, several drafts, and many obstacles, the outcome of the talks will depend on a central issue: how to deal with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)? From the Iranian perspective, the answer is clear. If the Biden administration wants to reach a deal, the Revolutionary Guard must be removed from the US list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTO), a designation that has applied since former US president Donald Trumps withdrawal from the deal in 2018. But the administration is facing fierce resistance to the move internally and regionally, complicating Bidens decision. Internally, some congressional Republicans are spearheading legislative efforts to bar the administration from lifting sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards Corps as part of a new nuclear agreement with Tehran. Republicans Brian Mast and Scott Perry introduced on Monday the Preventing Terror Sympathisers from Appeasing Terrorists Act, a bill that would block the White House from delisting the IRGC from the FTO list without congressional approval. The Mast-Perry bill states that the IRGCs terrorism designation may not be revoked or rescinded, except by a joint resolution of Congress. While the House of Representatives remains under narrow Democratic Party control, mounting opposition to the new accord on both sides of the aisle is likely to give the legislation a chance of passing. A separate piece of bipartisan legislation was also introduced into the House last week that would require the Biden administration to disclose how sanctions relief for Iran will boost the IRGCs capabilities. While the White House is required under a 2015 law to present any deal with Iran to Congress for approval, it has become increasingly clear that the administration will bypass this law. Former US president Barack Obama used executive powers to pass the original deal in 2015 when it became clear that Congress might kill it. The increasing pressure on Biden to halt the removal of the Revolutionary Guards from the list of terrorist organisations is putting him in a difficult position. He wants to complete the nuclear deal with Iran to avoid looking weak in front of his European allies. Lifting the sanctions on Iran would also lead to pumping more oil into international markets, leading to lower energy prices. At present, high-energy prices threaten a recession, economic slowdown, and a crisis in living standards. But if Biden agrees to the Iranian request to secure a nuclear deal in the coming weeks, Washingtons relations with traditional allies such as Israel and the Gulf states will suffer. Gulf diplomats say that relations with Washington are already going through one of their worst phases in the past 70 years. Officials in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have in recent weeks been uncharacteristically blunt to visiting diplomats about the nature of their grievances and how far they are prepared to take them. One Western diplomat told the UK newspaper the Guardian that a Saudi counterpart had said that this is the end of the road for us and Biden, and maybe for the US also. Gulf officials say that Bidens policies towards the Houthi rebels in Yemen, which he removed from the US list of terrorist organisations, the failure to support Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen, Washingtons reluctance to sell the UAE F-35 fighter jets, and the administrations eagerness to return to the nuclear agreement and lift the sanctions on Iran compromise the Gulfs security while strengthening Iran. Despite repeated calls by US officials for the Gulf to increase the supply of oil in the global market, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have confirmed their commitment to the agreed quotas under the OPEC Plus agreement, prompting Biden to announce an unprecedented use of the US strategic oil reserve in the hope of reducing energy prices. All this has placed an additional burden on the already complex negotiations with Iran. The talks, stalled since mid-March, are now facing a moment of the truth, with Tehran and Washington blaming each other for the impasse. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that Iranian negotiators would not return to Vienna, the site of the year-long talks to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal with Iran until Washington settled outstanding issues. We will not be going to Vienna for new negotiations, but to finalise the nuclear agreement, Khatibzadeh told reporters in Tehran. If Washington answers the outstanding questions, we can go to Vienna as soon as possible, he said. At the moment, we do not have a definitive answer from Washington, he added, even as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said an agreement was close during a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. We have passed on our proposals on the remaining issues to the American side through the EU senior negotiator, and now the ball is in the US court, Irans top diplomat said. However, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price suggested it was Tehran that was not giving way to make a deal possible. Price warned that time was running out, as Iran got closer to the nuclear breakout point when it has the capacity to construct a nuclear weapon. Anyone involved in the talks knows precisely who has made constructive proposals, who has introduced demands that are unrelated to the JCPOA, and how we reached this current moment, he said. We still believe there is an opportunity to overcome our remaining differences, he added. He warned that Irans continuing nuclear development had put it within weeks of a breakout, which would nullify the benefits of a new agreement. Iran has been able to shrink that breakout time from where it started to a point where we can measure it in weeks rather than months. To us, that is unacceptable as a long-term proposition, Price said. The State Department also noted that after Trumps withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, the number of attacks by Iran-backed groups went up 400 per cent between 2019 and 2020. That was in the aftermath of leaving the [nuclear deal], the FTO designation, and killing [Iranian] general Suleimani, Price told reporters. During his tour last week of Israel and Morocco, where he met with several Arab officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated similar warnings, saying that the longer it takes to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, the more time Tehran will have to produce enough uranium to build a nuclear bomb. US officials privately say that dropping the FTO designation would have little real effect on the IRGC because the group is under a long list of other sanctions that will not be lifted in any deal. US Special Envoy Robert Malley recently reiterated that Washington would maintain sanctions on the IRGC even if the organisation is ultimately delisted. Meanwhile, Washington continues to put pressure on Iran. Last week, the US Treasury announced sanctions targeting several entities it accuses of involvement in procuring supplies for Irans ballistic missile programme. With negotiations still at a stalemate, Europe is concerned that the nuclear deal with Iran may stumble at the last hurdle. The EUs foreign policy chief announced in mid-March that significant progress had been made in talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, but that a pause was needed. During the last week of March, Enrique Mora, the leader of the EU delegation to the talks, travelled to Tehran and Washington to meet Iranian and American nuclear negotiators in a bid to overcome the remaining disputes. With much at stake, negotiations are intensifying between the US and Europe to create the appropriate atmosphere for a return to the nuclear agreement in the hope of preventing Tehran from enriching uranium to military levels, subjecting its facilities to the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), lifting the sanctions, and returning Iranian oil to international markets, thus alleviating the global energy price crisis. Without de-escalation in the region, the deal cannot survive, a European diplomat familiar with the talks told Al-Ahram Weekly. Even if a nuclear deal is reached now, the odds remain high that it could crumble within a few years if regional tensions remain high. Some positive developments, including a ceasefire agreement between the Houthis in Yemen and the Saudi-led Coalition, could open the door for progress in the nuclear talks. America and Europe do not link this truce with the nuclear negotiations with Tehran as this will complicate the process because it will link the nuclear issue with other regional issues, he said. Nonetheless, in closed-door meetings US officials tell their counterparts in the region that all regional issues will be on the table with Iran after the nuclear deal is reached. But there is a trust deficit between Washington and its traditional allies in the region, and this trust deficit is proving to be a big obstacle to closing the nuclear deal, the diplomat concluded. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 April, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: "Our military are doing their best to bring an end to that operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sky News in his first broadcast interview with Western media since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. "And we do hope that in coming days, in the foreseeable future, this operation will reach its goals or will finish it by the negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegation," Peskov said. He told Sky News' Mark Austin that "we're living in days of fakes and lies," and charging photos and satellite images of dead civilians in the streets of Ukrainian cities were a "bold fake". "We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of Bucha," he said. He maintained the whole situation in Bucha, where photos show many murdered Ukrainian civilians, was a "well-staged insinuation, nothing else." Asked by Sky News to reveal how many civilians have died since the war began on 24 February, Peskov said he did not want to answer as the numbers were not "double confirmed". Peskov insisted it was not a war but a "special military operation" that was necessary because, he said, Ukraine has been an "anti-Russian centre" since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. He admited to Sky News: "We have significant losses of troops and it's a huge tragedy for us". On NATO, he said "We have to rebalance the situation and we have to take additional measures to ensure our own security because we're deeply convinced that NATO is a machine for confrontation, it's not a peaceful alliance." "It was tailored for confrontation and the main purpose for its existence is to confront our country," Peskov charged. He added that if Finland and Sweden joined NATO Russia would have to "make our Western flank more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security." "Everything is about mutual deterring and should one side - and we consider NATO to be one side - be more powerful than the other, especially in terms of nuclear arms, then it will be considered a threat for the whole architecture of security and it will take us to take additional measures," he said. Peskov accused in the interview Boris Johnson of not being constructive in his criticisms of Russia. "He's very loud in his rhetoric about Russia from the beginning of the operation, he's rather not constructive in his attitude," he said. "We've never heard any similar rhetoric from Boris Johnson in the last eight years." "When people were killed in Donbas by Ukrainian nationalists, when they were heavily bombarded and shelled by heavy artillery, we have never heard a word coming from Mr Johnson." Peskov shut down in the interview any suggestion Mr Putin would appear in a war crimes court, as Mr Johnson has called for, simply saying: "We don't see any possibility for that, we don't consider it to be realistic." He told Austin Russia withdrew from the Ukrainian regions of Kyiv and Chernihiv as an act of "goodwill" after the two cities were hounded for weeks by Russian troops. "It was a goodwill act to lift tension from those regions and show Russia is really ready to create comfortable conditions to continue negotiations," he stressed. On Mariupol, which is in the Donetsk region Russia has claimed as its own, Peskov told Austin it was going to be "liberated from nationalistic battalions - we hope it will happen sooner rather than later." Peskov said Mariupol is part of the "Luhansk people's republic", which Russia recognises as a separate state, and claimed troops were there "to assist those people who were suffering for eight years from heavy shelling from Ukraine." Search Keywords: Short link: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, accused Ukraine on Thursday, of derailing talks with Moscow by 'changing its negotiating stance,' saying that Kyiv had walked back its proposal that international guarantees of its security don't apply to Crimea. Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and wants Ukraine to acknowledge Moscow's sovereignty over it. Lavrov also accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that said that military drills on Ukrainian territory could be organized with the consent of all guarantor countries, including Russia. "Yesterday, the Ukrainian side presented its draft agreement... It shows a departure from the most important provisions spelled out at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We see this as a manifestation of the fact that the Kyiv regime is controlled by Washington and its allies, who are pushing President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue hostilities." Lavrov added that Russia intends to continue the talks despite the Ukrainian "provocations.'' He also said that Ukrainians wanted the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to discuss Crimea and separatist-held territory in eastern Ukraine face-to-face. "At the next stage, the Ukrainian side will certainly ask for the withdrawal of troops and will put forward new preconditions," Lavrov predicted. Adding that "This is unacceptable." He accused Ukrainian authorities of seeking to scupper talks and not wanting to end more than a month of fighting. Meanwhile, Ukraine on Thursday urged Russia to show it was ready for dialogue by lowering "hostility" after Moscow accused Ukrainian negotiators of changing their demands since face-to-face talks in March. "If Moscow wants to demonstrate its readiness for dialogue, it should lower the degree of hostility," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter. propagandists are as responsible for atrocities in as the army. For years, theyve nurtured hatred for in media. Now the viewer wants blood and doesnt accept excuses. If Moscow wants to show readiness for dialogue, the degree of hostility in media must be reduced. (@Podolyak_M) April 7, 2022 **This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: British energy giant Shell warned Thursday that it would take a hit of up to $5 billion (4.6 billion euros) on its exit from Russia, following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Impairment from assets and additional charges relating to Russia's activities were expected to be between $4 billion and $5 billion in the first quarter, Shell said in a statement after recently signaling its gradual withdrawal. The news comes after the London-listed energy major announced in late February that it would sell its stakes in all joint ventures with Russian state energy giant Gazprom after the Kremlin launched its assault on Ukraine. The group said at the time that the ventures were worth about $3 billion. Shell then announced in March that it would withdraw from Russian gas and oil in line with UK government policy, and also immediately stopped purchases of its crude on the spot market. The company had also apologized for buying a cargo of Russian oil at a vast discount, adding that it should not have happened. However, Shell revealed Thursday that it would continue to fulfill contracts on buying fuel from Russia that had been signed before the Ukraine war. "Shell has not renewed longer-term contracts for Russian oil, and will only do so under explicit government direction, but we are legally obliged to take delivery of crude bought under contracts that were signed before the invasion," it said in the statement. And the group warned that the state of global oil markets remains "volatile" after prices rocketed to near-record levels last month on the back of the conflict. Britain, which is far less dependent than the rest of Europe on Russian energy, plans to phase out oil imports by the end of the year and eventually stop importing its gas. A wide range of international companies has stopped doing business in Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Oil Prices Jump Shell's main rival BP has also announced its departure. BP said in late February that it would pull its 19.75-percent stake in state energy giant Rosneft, ending more than three decades of investment in Russia. Shell's first-quarter earnings are scheduled for publication on May 5. It had swung back into massive profit last year, as oil and gas prices jumped on recovering demand and geopolitical unrest. Net profit stood at $20.1 billion after a loss after tax of $21.7 billion in 2020, as economies reopened from pandemic lockdowns. The Ukraine crisis then sent shockwaves across the global oil market because Russia is a major producer. Oil prices rocketed close to record levels of close to $140 per barrel in early March, although they have since fallen back to around $100 on peace talk hopes. Shell this year switched headquarters from the Netherlands to Britain after a century and dropped Royal Dutch from its name, in a move aimed at simplifying tax and share arrangements. Search Keywords: Short link: To promote and encourage travellers at Cairo International Airport to visit the Archaeological Museum on Terminal 2 during their transit in Egypt, a collection of banners and signage have been installed at different corners of the airport to attract more visitors. Ashraf Abul Yazid, supervisor of the central department for museum explains that the banners and rollups were installed along the path linking the entrance gate of terminal 2 to the museum passing by the VIP lounge. The banners depict the different collection of the museum. Meanwhile, all the outer walls of the museum have been also covered with promotional banners displaying different archaeological sites such as the Abu Simbel and Luxor temples. The Terminal 2 museum was inaugurated in May 2021 and displays a collection of 340 artefacts showing the different ages of the ancient Egyptian era. Search Keywords: Short link: Canada summoned Russia's ambassador on Wednesday to show him images of "egregious" killings in Bucha, outside Kyiv, while petitioning the International Criminal Court to expedite a war crimes investigation. Speaking in Brussels ahead of a NATO meeting, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said she "instructed my deputy minister to summon the Russian ambassador in Ottawa to make sure that he is presented with the images of what happened in Bucha." Ukrainian officials say hundreds of civilians were found dead in areas vacated by Russian troops, and images of bodies in the streets sparked global outrage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the killings as "war crimes" and "genocide." The Kremlin has denied the accusations of mass killings and claimed the images emerging from Bucha and other towns are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, or that the deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out. Joly also said more sanctions against Russia are coming that, along with weaponry sent to Ukraine, would strengthen Kyiv's hand in negotiations with Moscow and on the battlefield. "Our goal is to suffocate the Russian regime," she said. Ottawa has sent Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators to the International Criminal Court to help gather evidence of alleged Russian war crimes. Joly said the specialized police unit was sent "to make sure that the investigation is ongoing and ongoing fast." Meanwhile, as allies expelled more than 200 Russian envoys and staff this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was hesitant to follow suit. "I am just not sure the symbolic gesture of excluding Russian diplomats from what they are doing in Canada is worth the cost of losing our diplomats in Moscow," Trudeau said in Ottawa. "We know that Russian diplomats in Canada are not being helpful. They are spreading disinformation. They are pushing pro-Putin propaganda in a time of conflict and war," he said. "We have to weigh the negative of that against the positive of having extraordinary Canadians in Moscow who are giving us feedback on what the Russian people are doing." Search Keywords: Short link: IT companies are eagerly looking for programmers as their business booms due to social distancing. Korea's largest internet portal, Naver will start hiring new program developers from the beginning of next month. Including the number it already recruited in the first half, the total will be around 200. But the company said it could hire more if many talented candidates apply. Messaging app giant Kakao began interviewing new programmers on Monday and is looking to hire more than 100, the most so far in a single year. Game developer Nexon is hiring for the first time in a year, and rival NCsoft has put up ads seeking to fill 141 positions. Demand for their services and products has surged in the coronavirus epidemic. Naver achieved record quarterly sales in the second quarter due to strong demand for online shopping, movies and webtoons. Kakao also posted record sales and operating profits. One manager at a tech company said, "The IT industry is probably the only one that has increased new hires so rapidly in these times. Companies will keep hiring programmers due to the government's digital "New Deal" initiative and efforts by major conglomerates to shift to digital marketing." Tucked into the adjacent alleys are more trendy restaurants where young people queue for tables at weekends. Now Gucci will open its second flagship store here in Hannam-dong next to the Imperial Palace Hotel just across the street from Cheil Worldwide's headquarters. The half-kilometer strip from Cheil Worldwide to Hangangjin subway station is lined on both sides with shops, restaurants, galleries and performance venues appealing to affluent millennials. Originally home to foreign embassies and expensive houses, Hannam-dong first attracted cultural centers, restaurants and cafes, which in turn brought in trendy crowds followed by luxury fashion and beauty brand stores. Hannam-dong, the tony neighborhood next to Itaewon in central Seoul, has emerged as the new shopping mecca. Over the last five years it has attracted trendy eateries, fashion stores and beauty brand shops. The Leeum Samsung Museum of Art opened there in 2004, followed by Blue Square in 2011 showcasing musicals. That led to cafes opening in the neighborhood catering to musical audiences before and after shows. At about the same time, the Pace Gallery, a showcase for contemporary and modern American art, opened along with a handful of other exhibition spaces. Gentrification also brought high-end apartment complexes. That sets Hannam-dong apart from the Cheongdam-dong ghetto of luxury boutiques just across the Han River. Hannam-dong's art and cultural scene attracts more than just shoppers and appeals to people in their 20s and 30s. One worker in a cafe near Hangangjin subway station said, "A lot of artists and fashion industry workers come here, and most of them are in their early 30s." The brands and types of restaurants in Hannam-dong are distinctly different too. Beaker, an apparel shop selling a mixture of trendy fashion brands, features creations by both foreign luxury houses and new Korean designers. Rather than being lined with traditional luxury shops like Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, Hannam-dong's brands include Maison Kitsune, Comme des Garcons, Le Labo and Jo Malone. When San Francisco-based Tartine Bakery opened in Korea, it chose Hannam-dong first because of its appeal to young Koreans. Gucci has often served as a marker of terminal gentrification. That's what happened when Gucci opened its first flagship shop in Cheongdam-dong in 1998. One fashion industry insider said, "Gucci probably chose to open its next flagship store in Hannam-dong in order to appeal to the younger crowd. But the landscape of Hannam-dong's fashion street will change once Gucci opens there." Flight bookings have jumped five times as coronavirus vaccination gradually gets underway. According to online marketplace Wemakeprice, airline ticket sales from May 27 to June 2 surged 5.4 times compared to the previous week. Travelers can often set flexible departure dates for bargain tickets depending on the lifting of lockdown. Online mall 11st is selling tickets to overseas destinations with the slogan, "Let's Travel After Getting Vaccinated" and reservations doubled in the first week of this month. Hana Tour, Korea's No. 1 travel agency, is selling tickets to people who have already been vaccinated to Dubai, Hawaii, the Maldives and Switzerland, which do not require quarantine for vaccinated travelers. And Hanjin Tour is selling honeymoon tickets to Bali and Hawaii. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova The Culture Ministry has announced the Four Seasons of Shusha International Photo Contest. Four world-famous photographers from Turkey, Germany, Finland and Switzerland will take part in the photo contest to be held with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The Head of the Culture Ministry's Media and Communication Department Maryam Gafarzade, the head of the Department for Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions Nargiz Abdullayeva and the photo contest curator Italian artist Angelo Bucarelli answered the questions of media representatives about the upcoming project. During the press conference, Maryam Gafarzade highlighted the Culture Ministry's project dedicated to the city of Shusha. Nargiz Abdullayeva said that the project aims at promoting Shusha's history and its cultural heritage. "The city of Shusha is beautiful in all seasons. With the help of photography, we want to show the world the beauty of nature and the history of the city. As part of the project, world-photographers will stay in Shusha for several days to learn more about the history of the city, its culture, architecture, and famous personalities who lived in Shusha. We want them to feel the city's unique atmosphere," said Nargiz Abdullayeva. The project curator Angelo Bucarelli said that the Turkish photographer Huseyin Taskin is the first participant of the project that starts this May. "We live in the modern world and we know that photography has a certain power. With the help of our project, we want to demonstrate Shusha's majestic nature and architecture to the whole world. Therefore, our project covers four seasons. Each of the four photographers will shoot a separate season. They will show the city of Shusha from different angles," the curator said. The Swiss photographer Reto Guntli will arrive in Shusha city in June, German photographer Hannes Becker will stay in the city in September-October while the Finnish photographer Tiina Itkonen will join the project in December. After each season, the world-famous photographers will share their experience with Azerbaijani counterparts. In general, the photo project will include more than 100 photographs. Some 30-40 photographs will be selected within each season. They will be included in a catalog published in Azerbaijani and English. In addition, a series of exhibitions will be held in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Finland and other countries as part of the photo contest. The virtual exhibition and the creation of a website are planned as well. "These days even Naver, Kakao, Coupang and Baedal Minjok are seen as established conglomerates," an industry insider said. "More and more jobseekers are looking for the next unicorn," or start-up companies valued at more than US$1 billion. The Chosun Ilbo and head-hunting app Wanted Lab found that the top 20 most popular employers are start-ups rather than big conglomerates. At the top of the list is flea market app Daangn Market, followed by cybercurrency exchange Dunamu, fashion app Kakao Style, handicrafts platform Idus and fashion app A-bly. The picture of the ideal workplace among Koreans is changing. Where an older generation of salarymen devoted their life and sometimes worked themselves to death for the corporation, younger people now look for growth potential and rewards. In other words, they no longer ask what they can do for the company but what the company can do for them. One 25-year-old computer science graduate from a top university in Seoul began working for Daangn Market in March this year. He had the qualifications to get a job with any top IT company like Samsung, Naver or Kakao but did not even consider applying to them. Instead he was looking for a company where he would be able to lead the creation of new services, and Daangn Market boasts the best employee benefits. After becoming a unicorn this year, it raised the starting salary for programmers to W65 million a year (US$1=W1,184). The online flea market also offers a handsome signing bonus and stock options. One human resources executive at a major conglomerate said, "We surveyed the favorite workplaces of students with the qualifications we're looking for and found that they chose to launch their own business or work in either big global tech firms like Google and Facebook or promising new start-ups before Naver, Kakao, Samsung and SK Telecom." Start-ups are attracting millennials largely because their rewards are performance-based, benchmarking Silicon Valley tech giants. According to Wanted Lab, the average starting salary at 13 Korean unicorns this year is W39.04 million a year, which is lower than the W46.9 million at major conglomerates. But high-performers are rewarded handsomely. Mobile finance app Toss offered W100 million worth of stock options to all of staff in late 2018, and since then the company's stock price surged fivefold, raising the value of their stock options to W500 million. Annual salary increases are also mouthwatering. One IT contents start-up increased the annual salary of workers who have been with the company for four to six years by 82 percent from W35 million in 2019 to W63.6 million this year, and a retail start-up raised workers wages by 14 percent for two years running. Millennials are also drawn to start-ups due to their relaxed workplace culture. Toss recently appointed a programmer in his 20s as the leader of a team of 30 staffers even though he had only joined the company just a year ago. Park Hae-jin, a former brand marketing worker at Kakao who recently moved to self-development app Chlngers, said, "Kakao has become such a big company that I didn't get the feeling that I was making a contribution. In my present job, there are many capable people who are working to realize their visions in spite of the risks." His potential leadership of Hong Kong could signal a further tightening of Beijing's grip on the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Lee, who is seen as Beijing's favored candidate for the chief executive position, is a staunch advocate of the city's national security law, which has been used since 2020 to target pro-democracy activists, supporters and media, diminishing freedoms promised to Hong Kong at Britain's handover to China in 1997. John Lee, who is the city's chief secretary for administration, submitted his resignation to Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, according to a government statement. "If my resignation is approved by the Central People's Government, I shall plan to stand for the upcoming chief executive election," said Lee at a news conference. "Having been in the government for over 40 years, to serve the people of Hong Kong is a glory." He said he would elaborate on his "next move" if the Chinese government approves his resignation. Hong Kong's No. 2 official, a staunch supporter of a Beijing-backed crackdown on pro-democracy activists, tendered his resignation on Wednesday to pave the way for his run in the city's upcoming leadership race. Lam said Monday she would not seek a second term, following a rocky five years punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a crackdown on political freedoms and Beijing's growing influence over the territory. Local media, including the leading South China Morning Post newspaper, reported that Lee will be the sole candidate to be endorsed by the Chinese government. Other candidates tipped by local media as likely contenders include the city's finance minister, Paul Chan, although he has yet to express an intention to run. The city's next leader will be selected on May 8 by an election committee of about 1,500 people, a majority of whom are pro-Beijing. Hong Kong's leader is chosen every five years, although the selection process is carefully orchestrated behind the scenes by Beijing. The four chief executives selected since Hong Kong's handover to mainland China in 1997 have all been candidates seen as favored by Beijing. Lee, 64, a former career police officer who rose steadily through the ranks, was named Hong Kong's chief secretary in June and previously served as Lam's secretary for security. He was a key figure in proposing contentious legislation in 2019 that would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China. He dismissed calls from critics to write safeguards into the bill. The proposed bill led to massive protests in the city before it was withdrawn, and Lee oversaw a police crackdown on demonstrators during several months of massive anti-government protests in 2019. After the protests were snuffed out, Lee threw his backing behind the sweeping security law, which was used as justification for the arrests of more than 150 people. It outlaws subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces in the city's affairs. Lee, Lam and other Hong Kong and mainland Chinese government officials were sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020 for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly." Nominations for the leadership race began Sunday and continue until April 16, with the committee vote scheduled for May 8. The new leader takes office on July 1, the day Hong Kong was handed over to China by the British in 1997. The top U.S. military officer is warning that the war in Ukraine will likely last years, raising concerns that the world "is becoming more unstable and the potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing, not decreasing." During testimony in front of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe, and perhaps the world, in [his] 42 years of service in uniform." "The United States is at a very critical and historic geostrategic inflection point. We need to pursue a clear-eyed strategy, maintaining the peace with the unambiguous capability of strength relative to China or Russia," he said, referring to the top two potential military threats to the U.S. Asked by lawmakers what could have stopped Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine, Milley said the only defense possible may have been to put U.S. forces inside the country, which he would not advise because it would have risked an armed conflict with Russia. "Candidly, short of the commitment of U.S. military forces into Ukraine proper, I'm not sure he (Putin) was deterrable. This has been a long-term objective of his that goes back years," Milley said. But critics say privatization will wreck a channel that has backed acclaimed shows such as "Black Mirror," "It's a Sin" and "Derry Girls," as well as highly regarded news and documentary programs. The Conservative government said privatizing the channel would help it compete with streaming services and "thrive in the face of a rapidly-changing media landscape." Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said on Twitter that government ownership was "holding Channel 4 back from competing against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon." The British government faced a backlash from opponents and the television industry on Tuesday over plans to sell publicly-owned broadcaster Channel 4. Channel 4 was founded in 1982 to make programs for audiences under-served by existing broadcasters. It is owned by the government, but funded through advertising. The broadcaster said it was disappointed by the government's decision, saying it had been made without "recognizing the significant public interest concerns which have been raised." Unions and industry groups also criticized the decision. John McVay, chief executive of Pact, a trade body for independent production companies, said Channel 4's programs are made by independent producers around the U.K., and selling it "risks reducing the opportunities for independent producers, and reducing the amount of programming commissioned outside London." Lucy Powell, culture and media spokeswoman for the opposition Labour Party, said "Selling off Channel 4, which doesn't cost the taxpayer a penny anyway, to what is likely to be a foreign company, is cultural vandalism." Dorothy Byrne, Channel 4's former head of news and current affairs, alleged that the privatization was intended as "a bit of red meat" to Conservative supporters, many of whom think Channel 4 News has a left-wing bias. "Channel 4 is not there to compete with Netflix and Amazon," she said. "It's there to provide a public service to the people of Britain." More international flights will resume as the coronavirus pandemic winds down. The government said Wednesday that flights to Europe, North America, Singapore and Thailand which allow quarantine-free entry, will increase by 100 a week in May and by 300 from July. International departures from regional airports will also expand from Daegu and Gimhae to Cheongju, Muan and Jeju. KYODO NEWS - Apr 7, 2022 - 20:43 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that there are "signs of a resurgence" in coronavirus infections in Japan, particularly among young people. Speaking to reporters, Kishida called for the public to cooperate in stemming the spread of the virus by taking thorough prevention measures, actively testing and receiving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots as early as possible. Tokyo on Thursday reported 8,753 new infections, an increase of 527 from a week earlier. Those in their 20s accounted for 22.5 percent of the cases, the highest among all age groups. At a meeting held the same day, the metropolitan government said the ratio of new infections for those in their 20s has risen in the week through Monday for the third consecutive week of increase, and was also the highest among all age groups. With the vaccination rate for booster shots remaining low at 44.4 percent of the population in Tokyo, experts have cautioned that another resurgence of infections may be around the corner. Norio Omagari, head of the Disease Control and Prevention Center at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, said at the meeting that a rapid spread of the virus among those in their 20s has been seen "many times before" and urged that measures be taken now to avoid it triggering a "seventh wave." KYODO NEWS - Apr 7, 2022 - 22:12 | All, Japan Japan plans to take additional sanctions against Russia over its "war crimes" following reports of civilians killed in Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday, as Moscow faces renewed condemnation from global leaders. The government is in consultation with other members of the Group of Seven advanced nations, and the specifics of new punitive steps will be announced possibly Friday, Kishida told reporters, hours after the United States slapped a new set of sanctions on Russia. Underscoring its solidarity with Ukraine, the government will continue to extend humanitarian assistance and secure seats on direct flights linking Poland and Japan starting this week for evacuees from Ukraine, he said. Poland has provided refuge to such people. "The killings of innocent civilians are war crimes. I've been in deep shock." Kishida said, using the term "war crime" for the first time to describe the alleged atrocities in Ukraine. "The aggression and war crimes should never be tolerated," he said. The United States on Wednesday expanded its sanctions regime to target key Russian banks and President Vladimir Putin's two daughters, and include a ban on new investment in Russia over Moscow's continued invasion of Ukraine. Since Russia launched its Ukraine onslaught on Feb. 24, Japan has announced asset freezes on Putin and his subordinates, business oligarchs and some banks. Tokyo also joined the United States and European nations in removing some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment network and announced its decision to strip Russia of its "most favored nation" status that has given Moscow the best terms under World Trade Organization rules. World leaders have been stepping up criticism in the wake of reports of Ukrainian civilians killed near Kyiv following the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia has denied killing civilians, however. Japan has already asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation in Ukraine after the Russian invasion. "We should severely hold Russia accountable," Kishida said. Japan has hardened its stance on Russia in the absence of tangible progress in decades-long negotiations for a bilateral territorial dispute and the signing of a postwar peace treaty. At the same time, Tokyo has been ramping up its humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, criticizing the unilateral use of force by Russia to change the status quo in breach of international law. In a rare move for a country known for its strict immigration and refugee policy, Japan has begun taking in evacuees from war-torn Ukraine, bringing 20 to Japan on a government plane earlier this week. Over 400 evacuees have arrived in Japan with hundreds of companies and municipalities offering to assist the evacuees. Related coverage: G-7 foreign ministers seek tougher sanctions on Russia KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2022 - 11:54 | World, All, Coronavirus U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has postponed her planned trip to Asia after testing positive for the coronavirus, her spokesman said Thursday. Pelosi was expected to visit Tokyo later this week to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as part of efforts by the United States and Japan to affirm close cooperation amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Taiwan media said Pelosi was also planning to visit the self-ruled island from Sunday, in what would have been the first trip to Taiwan by a U.S. House speaker in 25 years. "It is regrettable that (her visit) was canceled, but we wish a swift recovery of the lower house speaker," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in Tokyo, adding it would have been an "important occasion to further strengthen Japan-U.S. ties and affirm bilateral cooperation toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region." After testing negative for COVID-19 earlier this week, Pelosi received a positive test result and is currently asymptomatic, Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff for the speaker, tweeted Thursday morning. While she is fully vaccinated and has also received a booster shot for additional protection, the Congressional delegation to Asia led by Pelosi will be "postponed to a later date," Hammill said. According to media reports, Pelosi was to lead a delegation on the first trip to Taiwan by a serving House speaker since Newt Gingrich traveled there in 1997. Sunday marks the 43rd anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, which the U.S. Congress passed in 1979 after Washington switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. It is a piece of legislation that governs the unofficial ties between the United States and Taiwan and makes available supplies of arms and spare parts to enable the island to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities. The administration of President Joe Biden has been enhancing ties with Taipei as China increases its pressure on the democratic island, which it views as a renegade province awaiting reunification by force if necessary. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a press conference that Pelosi's visit would cause serious damage to the foundation of China-U.S. relations and that Beijing firmly opposes the plan. A U.S. delegation led by Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen last month and reiterated Washington's commitment to peace and stability in the region. Related coverage: Japan gives up plan for Biden's visit in April: sources U.S. regulators approve 4th COVID shots for people aged 50 or older Ex-U.S. President Obama tests positive for COVID, says "feeling fine" KYODO NEWS - Apr 7, 2022 - 22:38 | All, World Japan will release an additional 15 million barrels of oil reserves in a coordinated effort by members of the International Energy Agency to stabilize the market amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government said Thursday. The release, tapping both private and state reserves, will be one of the largest by the country. The IEA, consisting of 31 members, is moving ahead with a collective oil stock release of 120 million barrels, led by the United States. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan's contribution is the second largest after 60 million barrels from the United States. "Japan will do what it can ahead of schedule," Kishida told reporters. Japan had committed earlier to releasing 7.5 million barrels, equivalent to about four days of domestic consumption. As of late January, Japan held oil stockpiles capable of covering 146 days in state reserves and 87 days in private reserves. It also had reserves for three more days in cooperation with oil-producing countries. The IEA agreed at an extraordinary ministerial meeting earlier this month that the additional release was necessary to stabilize the global energy market. Oil prices remain high amid concerns over a supply crunch, as the agency has predicted about 2.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil exports could be halted since April due largely to sanctions by the international community. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol tweeted Wednesday that the joint release includes 60 million barrels contributed by the United States as part of its overall draw from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve and that more details of specific contributions from member countries would be announced soon. The @IEA is moving ahead with a collective oil stock release of 120 million barrels (including 60 million barrels contributed by the US as part of its overall draw from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve). More details of specific contributions will be made public soon. Fatih Birol (@fbirol) April 6, 2022 The move marks the second coordinated oil stock release by the Paris-based agency since Moscow's invasion began on Feb. 24. IEA member countries had previously pledged to tap a total of 62.7 million barrels in March. In late March, Washington announced plans for its largest-ever release of emergency oil reserves, totaling 180 million barrels over six months. The amount includes the 60 million barrels to be contributed to the IEA coordinated action, according to local media reports. The latest IEA release will be the fifth collective action to tap emergency stocks, following measures taken in 1991, 2005, 2011 and on March 1, 2022, according to the agency. IEA members have said that Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer and a major petroleum products exporters, plays an outsized role on the global energy market and its war in Ukraine continues to put significant strains on it, resulting in heightened price volatility. They have voiced support for the sanctions against Russia, with the governing board of the IEA encouraging member countries to help supply oil products to Ukraine. KYODO NEWS - Apr 7, 2022 - 13:11 | All, Japan Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp. plans to collaborate with Britain's oil giant Shell PLC in producing green hydrogen via the development of major offshore windfarms in Europe, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The plan is expected to create 400,000 tons of green hydrogen, a type of renewable energy that does not produce carbon dioxide, annually by 2030, accelerating the global trend toward decarbonization. Hydrogen is used in heaters and as fertilizers, with recent moves to utilize it as fuel. Mitsubishi, through its subsidiary Eneco Groep N.V., is looking to invest 10 percent in a business firm to be financed by Shell and Norwegian energy company Equinor ASA, among others, the sources said. The plan will see the creation of offshore wind farms centered in the Netherlands, capable of churning out around 4 million kilowatts of electricity. It will use the generated power to create hydrogen, with the aim of creating 1 million tons annually by 2040, they added. Mitsubishi is expected to invest a total of 2 trillion yen ($16.2 billion) by fiscal 2030 in decarbonization industries, with approximately half to be spent in renewable energy. The trading house is also looking to undertake the development of offshore wind farms off the coasts of Akita and Chiba prefectures in northeastern and eastern Japan. Related coverage: Mitsubishi invests in Laos wind farm project, biggest in Southeast Asia Global warming to eclipse 1.5 C mark unless emissions plateau by 2025 Japan's greenhouse gas emissions hit record low in FY 2020 President of the European Council Charles Michel was interviewed by journalists on the results of the trilateral meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on April 6. AZERTAC presents the interview. Welcoming the journalists, President of the European Council Charles Michel said: The stability, security, prosperity in the South Caucasus are extremely important. That is why we are engaged in order to support the positive effects, in order to support also all the confidencebuilding measures and we made tonight a lot of progress. It means that we have decided altogether to launch concrete process for peace talks that to prepare possible peace treaty and to address all the necessary elements for such a treaty. We have also agreed on a working group, a joint committee in order to address the delimitation which is sensitive. And I am confident that in the following weeks we will maintain very strong channel of communication in order to be able to review the progress that will be made in the following weeks. -Mr. President, how long can it take to sign a peace treaty? -It is difficult to predict but I felt in December when we had first meeting in Brussels in person with both leaders that an interesting step was taken. It was a wise decision to listen to each other, to understand better what other concerns, what other priorities, what are also the sensitive topics on both sides. It was a first important element. In the meantime, I had on regular basis phone calls with both leaders. We prepared a lot this meeting that took place tonight. We took time you know that I had bilateral meetings in person with both of them before the dinner. And honestly I feel that we are working very hard, we are making progress. I do not underestimate the challenges, the difficulties on both sides but I feel there is a common will to make progress, there is a common will to cooperate, there is a common will to identify what are the priorities and what are the concrete steps that we will be able to make together. Mr. President, could we say that we are getting closer to peace agreement? -I am confident that tonight we took an important step in the right direction. It does not mean that everything is solved, of course. But it means that we made progress, because we understand better what are the possible elements in order to converge, in order to be able to reach, I hope as soon as possible, a sustainable agreement in order to guarantee peace, security and stability in all that region. -Has the process started? -The process has started tonight. KYODO NEWS - Apr 7, 2022 - 11:23 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan will lift its entry ban on nonresident foreign nationals from 106 countries including Britain, India and the United States starting from Friday, the government said, as part of procedures to gradually ease COVID-19 restrictions. The policy change, however, will not drastically change Japan's pandemic-induced strict border controls, as it will continue to suspend the validity of visas issued before Dec. 2 except for diplomats, spouses of Japanese nationals and permanent residents, among others. Visas will not be issued, in principle, unless those seeking to enter Japan fall under "exceptional circumstances," such as visits to those who are seriously ill or for funerals. Foreign tourists remain banned from entering Japan. Of the 106 subject to the change, announced by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the list includes Asian countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Thailand as well as European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Countries no longer subject to the entry ban will also include Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Latin American and African nations such as Brazil, Chile, Morocco and Tunisia. The latest move comes in line with Japan's easing on April 1 of its travel warning for the 106 nations because of the pandemic, with Japanese nationals no longer recommended against visiting these areas. The ministry lowered its advisory from the second-highest Level 3 on its four-point scale to Level 2, under which Japanese citizens are asked to refrain from all nonessential overseas travel. Japan effectively imposed an entry ban on nonresident foreign nationals in late November to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Students, academics and business circles have criticized the measure as being too strict. As the infection situation has somewhat eased in recent weeks, Japan has been relaxing its border controls, which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the "most stringent" among the Group of Seven nations. Starting Sunday, Japan will raise the daily cap on overseas arrivals to around 10,000 from the current 7,000. Related coverage: Japan sees rebound in COVID cases, experts caution against new wave Japan eases COVID-19 warning against travel to 106 nations Japan to start preparations for administering 4th COVID vaccine shots VIENNA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Austria on Thursday announced its decision to expel four Russian diplomats for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. The diplomats to be expelled include three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and one staff member of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg, said the Austrian foreign ministry on Twitter. The Russian diplomats are declared as personae non gratae and requested to leave Austria before April 12, said the ministry. Amid the Ukraine crisis and a lagging pandemic, Turkey's economy is suffering a triple whammy of its aging population, which has become an increasingly worrying phenomenon to the country. Produced by Xinhua Global Service ***Highlights: As the Russia-Ukraine peace talks continue, the U.S. imposes more sanctions on Russia. #GLOBALink ***Subtitles & Soundbites: The Russia-Ukraine conflict continued on Thursday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine are continuing negotiations but there remains a long way to go, stressing that Moscow would like Kiev to be more active during the negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the government to formalize the cessation of Ukraine's trade with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement Wednesday. In fact, import and export operations between Ukraine and Russia have been completely terminated since the start of the conflict. The United States on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on Russia for its military operation in Ukraine, targeting the country's major financial institutions and the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday invited Putin to a summit meeting in Budapest to make progress toward an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Orban said that Hungary is ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles if necessary, unlike other European Union countries, which have rejected Moscow's request. Photo taken on April 3, 2022 shows a beach in Suva, Fiji. Fiji on Thursday lifted all quarantine measures for foreign visitors as part of its efforts to revitalize the tourism industry. According to Fiji's health ministry, all quarantine measures in Fiji have been lifted from Thursday, which means there is no more travel partner system, and anyone fully vaccinated and shows a negative test can come into the Pacific island country. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) by Zhang Yongxing SUVA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Fiji on Thursday lifted all quarantine measures for foreign visitors as part of its efforts to revitalize the tourism industry, the backbone of the island nation's economy and the biggest foreign exchange earner, which has been devastated by travel-related restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Fiji's health ministry, all quarantine measures in Fiji have been lifted from Thursday, which means there is no more travel partner system, and anyone fully vaccinated and shows a negative test can come into the Pacific island country. Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said on Thursday that Fiji's border protection will be mediated by the fact that travellers are vaccinated, have a negative pre-departure test and will be tested in-country by a rapid antigen test (RAT) done between 48 hours and 72 hours after the arrival. Meanwhile, Fiji Airways also reminded travellers on Thursday that they should make preparation before boarding. All travellers aged 18 years and above will need to show fully vaccinated proof, a negative RAT or PCR COVID-19 test, travel insurance and pre-booked RAT when check-in. Fiji closed its borders after it reported the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in March 2020. On Dec. 1 last year, Fiji reopened its borders to all fully vaccinated travellers from the "travel partner" countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Britain and the United States. The quarantine period for those from the "travel partner" countries gradually reduced to three days but for those from non-travel partner countries, the quarantine period was 10-14 days. Located in the heart of the South Pacific region, Fiji has a population of around 900,000 people and 333 tropical islands. The tourism industry, which accounts for about 35 percent of Fiji's gross domestic product, employs approximately 150,000 people directly and indirectly. In recent years before the pandemic, Fiji received more than 800,000 visitors per year. However, the pandemic had brought Fiji's tourism and tourism-dependent sectors to a standstill. According to the Fijian government, Fiji is expected to receive 447,000 tourists this year. So far, Fiji has recorded more than 64,000 COVID-19 cases with 834 deaths since March 2020. It has also recorded 912 COVID-19 positive patients who died from other serious medical conditions unrelated to COVID-19. In Fiji, 94.1 percent of the nation's eligible population have so far been fully vaccinated, and more than 117,000 people have received booster doses, which enables the country to reopen its borders. Photo taken on March 20, 2022 shows a handicraft stall at a local market in Suva, Fiji. Fiji on Thursday lifted all quarantine measures for foreign visitors as part of its efforts to revitalize the tourism industry. According to Fiji's health ministry, all quarantine measures in Fiji have been lifted from Thursday, which means there is no more travel partner system, and anyone fully vaccinated and shows a negative test can come into the Pacific island country. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) A vendor sells chicken at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) For several weeks, the Gaza Strip has witnessed a remarkable rise in the prices of poultry, which keep chicken meat off the dinning tables in many more Palestinian households during the holy month of Ramadan. GAZA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Soaring poultry prices have kept chicken, an iftar dinner basic, off many household holiday menus during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Gaza Strip. For six days in a row, Sohaila Abdel Hady, a mother of seven from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, couldn't afford to cook a chicken for her family. Instead, she chose frozen bovine meat imported from Israel as a cheaper replacement. "My husband works as a day laborer in a local factory, and he can barely earn 10 U.S. dollars a day ... it is not enough to buy one chicken," the 46-year-old woman told Xinhua. A vendor sells chicken meat at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) For several weeks, Gaza markets have witnessed a remarkable increase in the prices of poultry, as the per kg unit price of chicken has reached 5.5 U.S. dollars for the first time in years. The item cost 1.5 dollars per kg at most before Ramadan, according to the locals. In the Al-Bashir Poultry and Meat Mall in Gaza, chickens were sold at a price range out of reach for most Palestinian families, said Fayez al-Ejla, a worker at the mall, told Xinhua. Expressing support to those consumers who see traders and farm owners' price-fixing behind the recent hike, the mall has left its refrigerators empty with a banner noticing "chicken out of stock due to high prices." A vendor cuts chicken meat at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) "We boycotted purchasing from (these) traders and farm owners because they monopolize prices and want to set the price they want. They are not concerned about the fact that most families suffer from difficult economic conditions," al-Ejla said. The Hamas-run Economic Ministry announced it has tightened up measures to counter monopolist influence on basic commodities prices while saying bird flu in other breeder countries has led to a supply shortage in Gaza. Abdul Fattah al-Zuraei, an undersecretary of the ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday that indicative prices for commodities have been issued in the local market, and traders who raise food commodities prices will be held accountable. Ayman al-Yazuri, an undersecretary of the Agriculture Ministry, said the ministry imports some 3 million eggs per month from Israel, European countries, and North America to cover the needs for broiler chickens. A vendor sells chicken meat at a market in Gaza City, April 6, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) "As a result of bird flu exposure in egg-producing countries in January and February, hundreds of thousands of mothers of broiler chickens were culled, slashing the quantity of fertilized eggs of broiler chickens in the Gaza Strip," Al-Yazuri added. In a bid to overcome the poultry crisis, Gaza has started importing fertilized eggs from Egypt. About 1 million such eggs entered Gaza in March, with more to come. Israel has imposed a tight blockade on Gaza, a Palestinian enclave home to 2 million people, since mid-2007, which led to a notable deterioration of economic and social conditions. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, about 1.5 million Gazans have become impoverished due to the Israeli siege. An injured man is transferred to a hospital following a shooting attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 7, 2022. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and eight others injured in a shooting attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv on Thursday night, Israeli authorities said. The Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv confirmed in a statement that the two killed died after being taken to the hospital. An injured man is transferred to a hospital following a shooting attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 7, 2022. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) The shooting was "a terror attack" that took place at "several locations" on the Dizengoff Street, said the police spokesman Eli Levi. The Dizengoff Street is one of the busiest streets in Tel Aviv that is dotted with cafes and bars. Levi said the police believed that a shooter was still at large and hundreds of policemen including border police forces were launching a massive manhunt across the city. Levi asked the residents of Tel Aviv to "stay home, lock the door, and avoid standing on the porch." Photo taken on March 2, 2022 shows the voting result of a United Nations General Assembly draft resolution on Ukraine, during an emergency special session on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) The draft resolution, "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council," obtained 93 "yes" votes and 24 "no" votes from the 193-member General Assembly. A total of 58 countries abstained. UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday that allows the assembly to suspend the Russian Federation's membership in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. The draft resolution, "Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council," obtained 93 "yes" votes and 24 "no" votes from the 193-member General Assembly. A total of 58 countries abstained. Eighteen countries did not participate in the voting. China voted against the move pushed by the United States. A two-thirds majority of voting members - abstentions do not count - can suspend a country from the 47-member council. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi. The resolution expresses "grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia. As a member of the Geneva-based council, Russia was in its second year of a three-year term. The General Assembly has adopted another two resolutions related to Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24. After Ukraine accused Russian troops of "killing hundreds of civilians" across the streets of the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the United States announced it would seek Russia's suspension. Russia has denied attacking civilians in Ukraine. BRASILIA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's grain production could reach 269.3 million tons in the 2021-2022 agricultural cycle, an increase of 5.4 percent, or 13.8 million tons, compared to the previous period, the state-run National Supply Company (Conab) said Thursday. This latest forecast is lower than the previous, which estimated an output of 288.6 million tons. According to Conab, the downgrade is due to "adverse weather conditions" in Brazil's southern states and in the south-central region of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, leading to a decline in soybeans and corn. "The result at the end of this harvest will depend a lot on the behavior of the weather, a preponderant factor for the development of crops," Conab's president, Guilherme Ribeiro, said while presenting the report. According to Conab's forecast, the total area planted in the South American country will reach 72.9 million hectares in the given cycle, or 4.4 percent more compared to 2020-2021. Soybeans, Brazil's main agricultural export, are expected to yield 122.4 million tons, an 11.4 percent drop compared to the previous cycle. However, Conab said the decrease in soybean production will be balanced out in part by an increase in area planted, which it estimated at 40.8 million hectares. ABUJA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was unhurt in a crash involving his motorcade but two of his security aides were killed in the incident on Wednesday, his media office said Thursday. Two other security aides of Jonathan also sustained injuries in the accident which involved a car carrying the security men in the vicinity of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, while the former president was on his way out of the city on Wednesday evening, the media office said in a statement. "The former president who described the incident as painful and heart-rending stated that the sudden death of the two security details has thrown him into deep mourning," the statement said, without revealing the cause of the accident. The deceased were police officers attached as security details to Jonathan, who was the Nigerian leader from 2010 to 2015. Jonathan described the deceased aides as "fine officers who were dedicated to their duties and service to the nation," according to the media office's statement. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijans Nakhchivan garrison troops have conducted tactical drills, the Defence Ministry reported on April 6. The joint tactical drills on the Organization of border search to prevent violation of the state border were held under the Nakhchivan garrison troops combat coordination plan for 2022. According to the drills scenario, the military personnel was raised on the stand-to-arms command after receiving a signal from the border squad about the violation of the state border. The "alert group" proceeded to the scene of the event, while border detachments from the "covering team" moved in the direction of state boundary violations to block territory along the designated zones. After discovering the place of violation, border protection was beefed up, and the necessary structures' units were alerted. Mobile groups of the border commandant service and search groups of border outposts conducted searches in the direction of the state border violations. To execute operations and search actions more effectively, a combined headquarters was built in the operating area. A group of the Nakhchivan Independent Border Division, along with special forces units of the Combined Arms Army and special forces detachments of the Nakhchivan Independent Operational Brigade of the Internal Troops, blocked the territory along the designated frontiers to prevent border violators advancement. As part of joint operations, raids were conducted on highways near the operation area, and checkpoints were set up at the entrances and exits of the operation area to collect information on strangers living in the area. As a result of the successful operation, border trespassers were apprehended and regime limitations were lifted in the area. At the end of the drills, the first deputy commander of the Nakhchivan Independent Border Division, Chief of Staff Col Mukhtar Hamzayev stated that the objectives of the exercises were met thanks to cooperative efforts. NAIROBI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) submarine cable that landed at the coastal city of Mombasa last month is expected to lower the cost of Internet connectivity in Kenya, a senior government official said on Thursday. Joe Mucheru, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of information Communication Technology, Innovation and Youth Affairs told journalists in Nairobi Kenya's capital that the undersea cable with 15 terabytes capacity has more capacity than the other five cables currently serving the country. "With the expanded capacity we are now going to push the telecom operators to reduce the cost to consumers," Mucheru said when state-owned Kenya Pipeline launched its fiber optic cable service. Mucheru observed that the extra broadband capacity will help to accelerate the uptake of digital services amongst the population. He said that the entry of the PEACE cable is also expected to attract more investments into the country, particularly those that rely on affordable internet rates. "The enhanced internet capacity will result in consumers enjoying better quality of digital services," he noted. KHARTOUM, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese authorities on Wednesday closed most of the bridges linking the cities with the capital Khartoum and declared an official holiday ahead of demonstrations planned for the day. The planned mass protests, called for by the resistance committees, the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance and the Sudanese Professionals Association, comes on the anniversary of the April 6 revolution in 2019 that led to the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir. "All bridges will be closed on Wednesday, but Suba and Al-Halfaya bridges will remain open to traffic," Khartoum State's security affairs committee said in a statement. Meanwhile, Secretariat General of the Council of Ministries declared April 6 a national holiday in Sudan. The security authorities also closed major roads in central Khartoum and deployed military forces around the army's general command headquarters and the presidential palace. According to eyewitnesses, the security authorities emptied the busiest Sharwani bus station in central Khartoum early Wednesday by ordering all drivers to leave. The resistance committees announced that the protesters would head to the Airport Road, the Parliament, the Army's Command headquarters, transportation stations, and possibly foreign embassies in Khartoum. Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government. Since then, Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule. ABUJA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Scores of extremist militants were killed in anti-terror operations by the Nigerian military in the country's northeast region in the past two weeks, an official said on Thursday. At least 22 terrorist spies, 11 militants, and three logistics suppliers were also arrested during the military operations held between March 25 and the early hours of April 7, Bernard Onyeuko, the spokesman for the military, told reporters at a press briefing in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. Onyeuko said some 30 civilians, who were taken hostage by the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), were rescued during the period. Between March 28 and 31, airstrikes by the military had taken out a heavy stockpile of ISWAP weapons in their depots at Bukar Meiram, a town in the northeastern state of Borno. The military official said offensive operations by the military had led to the retaking of the terrorists' stronghold of Ukba/Camp Zairo in the Sambisa Forest where some artillery guns, armored personnel carriers, trailers, and a large cache of arms and ammunition were also captured. "The troops also destroyed terrorist enclaves, captured some terrorists, destroyed terrorists' improvised explosive making factory during the operations," Onyeuko added. Boko Haram has been collaborating with ISWAP to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terror groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. XIAMEN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The second China-Singapore International Commercial Dispute Resolution Conference kicked off Thursday in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province. Themed "development and future of international commercial dispute resolution," the event aims to help build a fairer and more equitable dispute resolution mechanism through sharing expertise and communication. The conference, held online and offline, has attracted over 100,000 online viewers. Cui Yonghui, Party chief of Xiamen, said in his opening speech that Singapore is experienced in international commercial dispute resolution and can offer helpful lessons. "Sharing an enduring friendship, Singapore and Xiamen can take this conference as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including commercial dispute settlement, and to inject fresh impetus into China-Singapore friendship," Cui added. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Singapore's Ministry of Law. An expert team will be established for regular exchanges over dispute resolution between the two countries, according to the MoU. BUDAPEST, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Hungary received a shipment of nuclear fuel for its nuclear plant from Russia by air on Wednesday, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict made delivery by rail impossible, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday. "We were able to transport nuclear fuel to Hungary by air through the airspace of Belarus, Poland and Slovakia. We are done with the first such transport," Peter Szijjarto, minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in a video message posted on his Facebook page. The Hungarian government has an obligation to guarantee the security of Hungarians, including energy security, and nuclear energy is another key element of energy security, Szijjarto said. Transport of such material was carried out by rail from Russia via Ukraine to Hungary but has been interrupted by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. "The alternative mode of transport for nuclear fuel is by air, which of course requires extraordinary safety standards and preparations," he explained. Szijjarto posted his message from Brussels, where his European colleagues were discussing a new sanctions package on Russia. The Hungarian government will oppose all sanctions against Russia that would hinder the delivery of crude oil and natural gas to Hungary, he said. "We have a red line: all activities related to the use of nuclear energy should be exempt from sanctions, as is the case with the transport of nuclear fuel by air," noted the minister. The four units of the Paks power plant in central Hungary operate with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, providing 49.6 percent of Hungarian electricity. With this delivery, the operation of the plant is resolved for a long period, "so we can guarantee the security of Hungary's energy supply in the next period as well," Szijjarto said. WASHINGTON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that his administration is extending a pause on federal student loan repayments through August 31, 2022. In a statement, Biden said "millions of student loan borrowers would face significant economic hardship" if loan payments were to resume on schedule in May. He also asked student loan borrowers to prepare for a return to repayment, look into loan forgiveness programs, and explore other options to lower their payments. Republicans were critical of Biden's decision, with U.S. Senator Tom Cotton calling the moratorium "an insult to every American who responsibly paid debts." "There's no free lunch: this reckless move puts taxpayers on the hook for billions," the Arkansas Republican tweeted on Tuesday. The freeze was set to lapse on May 1 per an extension signed by Biden in December. Loan payments were first put on hold in March 2020 under then U.S. President Donald Trump and have since been extended five times. During the 2020 campaign, Biden said he would support the cancellation of at least 10,000 U.S. dollars in federal student loans per person. Six-in-10 likely voters support extending Biden's pause on student loan payments, according to a poll released in February. Similarly, nearly two-thirds of likely voters support government action to cancel some or all student loan debt for all borrowers, the poll also showed. Lucknow: There have been new revelations about Murtaza Abbasi, who attacked the police force deployed outside the famous Gorakhnath temple in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district by chanting 'Allah Hu Akbar'. It is being told that Abbasi, the Yemeni-American Maulana Anwar Nasir al-Awlaki, was highly influenced by him. He used to use the SIM of the foreigner and the money was also used to reach Syria. According to a report, Murtaza had in the last one and a half years transferred about Rs 8 lakh through banks in Nepal to Syria, which is known as the stronghold of the Islamic terrorist organization ISIS. It started from 2012 to 2015. During this time, he was doing BTech. He had contacts with notorious terrorist organizations like ISIS. He had also bought an international SIM for $29 (about Rs 2,200). Through this SIM, he used to watch videos of the inflammatory speeches of Syria, ISIS and Muslim fundamentalists. About Rs, 20 lakh has been found in Murtaza's bank account. Police have also traced one of his telegram channels, which are being investigated. On the basis of the interrogation, the ATS has lodged raids in Kanpur, Noida, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Sambhal, Saharanpur, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj and Delhi. More than 10 people have been detained after the raid, including a Maulana, a resident of Saharanpur. According to reports, the ATS has recovered Murtaza's passport. This passport is made at an address in Mumbai. Murtaza had returned from a trip to Dubai six months ago. Along with this, Abbasi also ran a WhatsApp group of a radical ideology. In that group, people from many parts of India, as well as Nepal, are also involved. Information about the people involved in this group and their activities are being collected. Police teams have also been sent to Jamnagar and Mumbai in Gujarat. According to the report, Murtaza Abbasi had bought two bunkers and a knife from a shop on the Indo-Nepal border. After catching the bus, he came to Gorakhpur and entered the temple and attacked the policemen. Abbasi's laptop has found some videos related to Syria. Abbasi also had the grief of not being involved in the Syrian war. Abbasi's Deoband connection is also being investigated. Akhilesh Yadav defends Murtaza Abbasi:- Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former CM Akhilesh Yadav says that the BJP is dragging the matter more. On Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav on the mental condition of attack accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi said that the psychological problems of the accused and his illness should be taken care of. UP Police alerted after Gorakhnath temple attack, security beefed up of CM's residence Corona's new variant 'XE' found in Maharashtra, Health Minister said - 'There is no need to panic'. Army commander praises Modi government, says abrogation of Article 370 is a result of 'strong and decisive leadership' ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has asked the military leadership to clarify its position on the alleged foreign conspiracy in the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, claiming that silence cast doubt on the military's claim of neutrality, as per reports. President of the opposition alliance Maulana Fazlur Rehman remarked at a press conference after presiding over a meeting of the PDM with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif that if the Supreme Court rules against them, they have the right to appeal to the people's court. The Maulana claimed that, besides him and Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had asked military representatives who attended the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on March 31 to express their views. The PDM leader stated that the unified opposition would never accept the deputy speaker's illegitimate ruling, and that the country was on the verge of anarchy. He did say, though, that if the PTI wanted confrontation, they could have it. He said that the Supreme Court's delay in hearing the case was encouraging those who had violated the Constitution. Imran Khan tried to sack Pak Army Chief Bajwa, claims dissident Pakistan's Poll Body says to Imran Khan, Elections in 3 Months not Possible Pak PM Imran says he is not 'anti-American', wants stronger ties with the US Jaipur: A procession taken out by Hindus on the occasion of Gudi Padwa in Karauli, Rajasthan was attacked in a Muslim-dominated area. The mastermind of the attack is said to be Congress councillor, Matlub Ahmed. He is currently on the run. Meanwhile, a report claimed that similar weapons were recovered from Congress leader Matlub Ahmed's house with the kind of weapons with which the procession of Hindus was attacked. Rajasthan | Curfew in violence-marred Karauli was relaxed for 2 hours from 9-11am this morning while internet services remained suspended Various teams of officials have been deployed to monitor the situation.There's a sense of calmness among people:Rajendra Shekhawat,DC,Karauli pic.twitter.com/tkQRRkbLdX ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 7, 2022 According to the report, under the plot of the attack, weapons were already mobilised in the houses. These weapons include stones, sticks and sticks. According to the Times Now report, during the violence, Rajasthan policemen made no attempt to stop the attackers. Times Now has also cited some videos to confirm these claims. To this, the Superintendent of Police of Karauli said, "We will examine the footage and if any policeman is found to be negligent in their duties, action will be taken against them." Earlier, a report had said that heavy bricks and stones were already stored on the roofs of mosques and houses in the area where stones were pelted on Hindus. Curfew was imposed after the violence. On April 7 (Thursday), the curfew was relaxed from 9 am to 11 am for people to buy essentials. What is the whole case of Karoli violence? Violence broke out on April 2, 2022 (Saturday) over the Hindu new year (Gudi Padwa) procession in Karauli. After this, the miscreants had set fire to many shops. In this entire incident, a young man named Pushpendra was seriously injured. There are knife attack marks on his body. Four police personnel were also injured while controlling the miscreants. A total of 43 people were reported injured in media reports. After this, the investigation into the case began and a letter from the Popular Front of India (PFI) surfaced, which indicated that the violence was well planned. Later, the role of Congress leader Matloob Ahmed was also found in the entire violence. Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra had also termed the violence as well-planned. He had said that the manner in which stone pelting was carried out during the Karauli violence proved that it was carried out in a planned manner and could have been prevented. Syria used to send money from Nepal's bank, use foreign SIM card..., Findings about Abbasi who attacked Gorakhnath temple Now 300 weapons and defence equipment will be manufactured in India CAA-NRC, Hijab and Muslims..., Murtaza Abbasi's confession of attacking Gorakhnath temple South Korea's top diplomat met with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts in Brussels on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Korean Peninsula issues, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is in the country for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He is the first South Korean foreign minister to attend such a high-profile NATO meeting, as the country has been invited as a multilateral alliance's Asia-Pacific partner. Chung and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde agreed to enhance meaningful collaboration in areas such as information and communications technology (ICT) and entrepreneurship during their meeting on Wednesday local time, as per reports.. Following that, Chung met with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, with whom he promised to continue expanding collaborations in startups, defence, and the environment. The ministry stated that Haavisto expressed hope for the early start of direct aircraft services between Helsinki and Busan, South Korea's port city, which had been postponed owing to the Covid epidemic. The Swedish and Finnish ministers were also updated on the security situation in Korea, and they reaffirmed their support for Seoul's efforts to restart talks with Pyongyang. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine. Japan to host Para World Sailing Championships at Hiroshima Kannon Marina Lebanese Prime Minister calls for cross-party cooperation to save country Hungary's PM Orban Proposes Immediate Ceasefire order to Putin By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani MP Jeyhun Mammadov has described the Armenian opposition's rally as another show organized by the government ahead of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and EU Council President Charles Michel in Brussels on April 6. A natural question arises: why havent these rallies been held until today? Why was this rally held the day before the Brussels meeting? Whom do the Armenian authorities want to deceive? Undoubtedly, the main goal of this 'show' is to use public opinion as a pretext and insure themselves against possible scenarios during negotiations, Mammadov noted. The MP emphasized that the Armenian leadership frequently used such tactics to stall the negotiations in order to gain time. According to him, this demonstrates that Armenia's main goal is to disrupt the negotiation process and refuse to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and that such an approach has already become the country's state policy. Mammadov emphasized that both Pashinyan and his Western patrons are well aware that sooner or later work on the peace treaty, the delimitation of borders with Azerbaijan, the opening of communications, and the solution of other issues must begin. The sooner this happens, the better it will be for Armenia. Azerbaijan will never back down from its legitimate position... Armenia must draw serious conclusions from the events of the 2020 second Karabakh war," he added. Political expert Jeyhun Ahmadli noted that the organization of such a mass action before the Brussels meeting indicated the intention of the revanchist circles to dissuade Pashinyan from signing a possible peace treaty with Azerbaijan. He noted that the conditions proposed by Azerbaijan are already known to the Armenian public. The key point for the revanchists is that if the peace process begins, they become political corpses. The revanchists in Armenia, Pashinyan, and his Western patrons are all well aware that the Karabakh conflict has already been resolved, there is no way back, and attempts to put forward additional conditions will have no effect," added Ahmadli. To recap, the truce violation was registered on April 6 when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, European Council President Charles Michel and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels. After the meeting, Michel said that Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to instruct the foreign ministries of the two countries to work on a future peace treaty. Earlier Aliyev stated that peace will return to the Caucasus based on the five principles Baku recently proposed for normalizing relations with Armenia. He made the remarks during a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Zbigniew Rau on March 31. The five principles we have initiated reflect the norms of international law and good international conduct... Reciprocal recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders, and then the delimitation of borders I think that peace will come to the Caucasus on this basis. We want it, he said. The president emphasized that these principles are fundamental to any country's interstate relations. We are seeing the potential for active cooperation amongst the three countries of the South Caucasus, and I think that this will be important not only for these countries but also for the wider region, he said. The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s. The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years. On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region. On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications. On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting. Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting. Islamabad: The trial in Pakistan's Supreme Court has been completed amid the political crisis. The apex court will give its verdict at 8 pm tonight. In the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan has responded to the President's letter. The Election Commission has said that the commission has agreed to hold the elections in October 2022. According to the Constitution and the law, it will take another 4 months for delimitation. After this, the supreme court said that a meeting should be convened with the President for an important consultation on the general election. The hearing was taking place on a petition filed against the deputy speaker's order rejecting the no-confidence motion against the Imran government. Soon after, Pakistan's parliament was also dissolved and there was a demand to hold elections within 90 days. Pakistan's opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif said Imran's government was on 174 votes, we have 177 members. "We will restore the Constitution and shed our blood and sweat for the people. I will not make any political allegations, I still say today that sign the charter of the economy.'' Shahbaz Sharif said that for parliament to do its job, members of parliament should be allowed to decide. "If people are hungry, how can the country be called the Pakistan of Quaid Azam?'' World Health Day: Telengana claims qualitative progress in public health The young man masturbated several times in front of women during the 3 hour journey.and then. Want to stay healthy, so follow these 15 essential measures It is said health is wealth, but health problems can knock on the doors at any time. You are not a doctor with medical knowledge, yet some health problems are common and can be treated at home. You will not always have time or even the necessity to go to a hospital or health clinic to tend to your smallest problems. If you keep some common medical devices at home, they can reduce stress and even bring some improvement in your health. Nepalis are reluctant to visit doctors unless they have severe conditions. But, these devices are helpful in preventing them from reaching these conditions. Here is a list of some medical devices to consider for your home if you want to stay healthy all the time: 1. Thermometer Photo: Pexels/ Polina Tankilevitch A thermometer is necessary to measure your fever or change in your body temperature. Today, digital thermometers are also available in the market after the World Health Organization called for banning mercury fever thermometers. Recording the maximum temperature during a fever helps you identify the disease and overcome it. And if you have this medical device, you do not have to run to the hospital every time. 2. Glucometer Photo: Pixabay Glucometers are a must-have medical device at the home for those who have diabetes. This checks the blood sugar level in ones body. With the help of a glucometer, one can be alert about the risk of diabetes and other diseases. Its market price ranges from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. 3. Oxygen concentrator and nebuliser Photo: Flickr An oxygen concentrator is an electrical medical device that integrates oxygen into the air. Oxygen concentrators can be used to help patients breathe when they cannot. A nebuliser turns liquid medicine into steam and makes it easier for sick and children to inhale the medicine. If you have an asthma patient at home, it is imperative to keep an oxygen concentrator or an oxygen cylinder and a nebuliser; it comes in handy during emergencies. However, oxygen concentrators are a little more expensive than oxygen cylinders. 4. Blood pressure set Blood pressure metre is one of the must-have medical devices. Photo: Pixnio Today, most people suffer from the problem of high blood pressure. From a health point of view, neither high blood pressure nor low blood pressure is considered good. It is very important to keep a check on ones blood pressure. One can purchase a manual kit with a stethoscope or digital blood pressure sets that are both available in the market. The manual kits might require you to learn how to use a stethoscope, but a digital blood pressure kit does not require special knowledge to use. Its price ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500. 5. Oximeter Photo: Pixabay After Covid, an oximeter is the one thing every household should own. This small device tells you the level of oxygen saturation (SpO2) and even your heart rate in a non-invasive way. This handy device can be used anywhere and anytime. You can just simply keep the oximeter on the tip of your finger and read both the levels. 6. First aid kit Photo: Pexels/ Roger Brown In addition to the usual medical treatment at home, it is necessary to have a primary health care kit or first aid kit. The kit contains bandages, cotton, gauze, scissors, tweezers, and antiseptic liquids for cleaning wounds and injuries. The first aid kit works to reduce the pain, prevent bleeding and make the patient feel comfortable while being taken to the hospital. A kit with all the basic materials required for first aid is available at any pharmacy. One can also make a first aid kit of their own. 7. Over-the-counter medicines Cetamol, the paracetamol brand produced by the Nepal governments Nepal Aushadhi Limited. Photo: Nepal Aushadhi Limited You can also store over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and other common painkillers. ORS like jeevan jal and pain relievers can be used in menstruation too. Having such medicines at home not only reduces stress but also saves time. You can keep the medicines in the first aid box or separately. But if you happen to need such medicine, you should consult a medical expert. 8. Prescribed medicines Representational file Apart from the first aid kits and some general over-the-counter medications, you should also have your prescribed medicines in-store, with you at home. If you take regular prescription medicines, you should have at least enough for a week stashed in your home. You can use a medicine box to keep track of your weekly dosage too. Keeping a separate small stock of prescription medications can be beneficial in an emergency, such as earthquakes, storms or landslides. You should also keep a list of your medications and their dosages, just in case. 9. Weighing scale Photo: Pixabay Keeping a check on ones weight is very important. Excessive and low weight is not considered good for health. Sudden and unnecessary weight gain or loss can lead to a variety of health problems. Weights can be checked regularly through a weighing scale. Keeping this medical device at home can prevent serious diseases before they occur. IBN Corp, one of the largest construction companies in Southeast Asia, announced that it would raise funds through a token created to build a large hotel in Malaysia. Genting Highlands, Malaysia, April 07, 2022 (NEWSCALL) -- IBN Corp has established a regional business center in Malaysia and has several subsidiaries in China, Singapore, and Malaysia. The company's main projects include IBN Highlands City in Genting Highlands, Green City in Serendah, Love-Ocean in Kuantan, Bentong Eco Park in Bentong, and IBN Bukit Bintang the tallest residential building in Kuala Lumpur. IBN Highlands City is a billion-dollar project developed by IBN Corp Ltd. Located in Asia's most prominent summer resort Genting Highlands. This mixed-use development project integrates serviced apartments, commercial areas, and 5-star hotels to form a luxury property unmatched in the region. Asset tokenization has a potential to increase the number of investors in the broader market, growth liquidity compared to traditional bonds, and reduce the time required to execute large projects. Tokenization in civil construction has been carried out by large construction companies and partners around the world. IBN Corp and Hasbro, the giant American toymaker, are partnering to produce one of the most significant breakthroughs in the digital crypto market. Hasbro has more than 1,500 brands in its portfolio, including Marvel, Transformers, Peppa Pig, Monopoly, and Star Wars. Hasbro recently entered the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the recent launch of the Power Rangers collections on The Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX) blockchain. The developer of the tokenization project for the construction of the IBN Highlands City-Fortune towers in Malaysia is the Brazilian Luiz Goes, co-founder of LGBank and current CEO of LYOPAY. For Goes, the resort construction project in Malaysia "is not only a pioneer in its magnitude but also a turning point in the crypto market and future tokenization initiatives." Story continues Goes also highlights that projects of this dimension result from the plasticity and innovation that blockchain technology has been generating. For Goes, "what we are experiencing now is a new phase of consolidation of crypto-assets. The market begins to question merely speculative cryptocurrencies and focuses on less volatile assets." In this new scenario, blockchain technology allows the creation of assets (tokens) linked to tangible projects. The decentralized and global nature of the digital economy provides access to more people worldwide with low capital to invest in more transparent and solid projects. The project is trading 325,000 tokens, which are already available on LGBank. "The Hasbrotel token (HASHM)" allows its users to share ownership in the IBN Corp. Luiz Goes says the operation seeks to raise US$325 million. The construction company is expected to deliver the fully finished project in 2025. Disclaimer: The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency. * Sabry also says funds needed from multilateral lenders * New central bank chief to hold policy meeting on Friday * Foreign minister says government still in majority (Adds details on treasury secretary appointment) By Uditha Jayasinghe and Devjyot Ghoshal COLOMBO, April 7 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka must urgently seek funds from multilateral lenders and aim to restructure a debt payment due in July, its outgoing finance minister said on Thursday, pleading for political stability amid the country's worst economic crisis in decades. The opposition and some partners of the ruling coalition rejected calls this week for a unity government from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he disbanded his cabinet, hoping to quell weeks-long street protests over shortages of fuel, power, food and medicine. With its foreign exchange reserves shrinking quickly, massive debt payments due and the rupee currency slumping, analysts say the government - controlled by Rajapaksa and his elder brother Mahinda, the prime minister - is running out of options. Reserves dropped 16% to $1.93 billion in March, central bank data showed on Thursday. "We must look at how to structure the $1 billion international sovereign bond payment maturing in July," said Ali Sabry, who submitted his resignation to Rajapaksa on Tuesday. "We must go to the IMF, there is no other solution that I can see." Sabry was moved to finance from the justice ministry on Monday to replace President Rajapaksa's younger brother Basil Rajapaksa. It was not immediately clear if Rajapaksa had accepted Sabry's resignation, submitted days ahead of scheduled talks with the IMF for emergency loans. As the island nation attempts to fast-track the formulation of proposals to present to the IMF President Rajapaksa on Thursday appointed K.M.M Siriwardana, a deputy governor at the central bank who previously worked with the Fund, as treasury secretary. The $1 billion bond maturing on July 25 was trading at 54 cents in the dollar, its lowest level since spring 2020 when the COVID-19 rout hit global financial markets, data from MarketAxess showed. Story continues Other Sri Lankan dollar-denominated sovereign bonds traded at even more stressed levels, with most changing hands around 40 cents in the dollar. "We must have political stability to find solutions to the financial crisis," Sabry said. "We must discuss with the World Bank and we must have a bridge-financing plan with the ADB. If we don't have stability, who will conduct these talks?," he said, referring to the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank. Opposition lawmakers continued to call for the president to step down. At least 41 parliamentarians withdrew from the ruling coalition this week, though they could still support the government in the house and the opposition has not called for a no-confidence vote. Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris told diplomats in a briefing that the government still held a majority in parliament and that "despite the agitation", there was no consensus on who could replace the president, prime minister and parliament. DEEP IN DEBT Critics have accused the government of mismanagement, but the tourism-reliant economy has also been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Help from the IMF would likely come with some tough political choices - policy reforms that could add to the pain in the short term in hopes of getting the economy back on more solid footing in a few years. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated this week that Sri Lanka's gross debt servicing would amount to $7 billion this year, with the current account deficit coming in around $3 billion. As the search for a replacement for Sabry at the finance ministry continues, P. Nandalal Weerasinghe took over as the central bank governor, succeeding Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who quit on Monday. A court in the commercial capital Colombo on Thursday barred Cabraal from leaving the country until March 18, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, a well-known anti-corruption activist who accused Cabraal of misusing public funds during his tenure, told Reuters. Tennakoon had petitioned the court. Reuters could not immediately contact Cabraal and his lawyer did not answer calls. Weerasinghe, a former senior central bank deputy governor who has also worked with the IMF, will hold a monetary policy meeting on Friday. It was originally scheduled to be held on Monday. An analyst said the central bank was expected to hike key interest rates by 300-400 basis points - following a 100 bps increase in early March - to tame inflation that hit 18.7% in March. "We also expect the newly appointed governor to outline potential measures to be included in the IMF reform plan, views on potential debt restructuring, and currency management," said Lakshini Fernando of Asia Securities. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Kim Coghill, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and John Stonestreet) Attendees Can Interview, Receive Offers on Site; $840 Signing Bonuses Offered EIGHTY FOUR, Pa., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 84 Lumber, the nation's largest privately held building materials supplier, is recruiting for 10 immediate openings at their new location in Detroit, MI. Detroit is the latest addition to the company's U.S. footprint of stores as they continue to expand nationwide, and the organization is eager to fill positions for the new store to support a growing market. Interested job seekers can interview for open positions at a hiring event on April 14, 2022, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Detroit location (4158 Pioneer Drive, Commerce Township, MI 48390). 84 Lumber (PRNewsfoto/84 Lumber) "At 84 Lumber, we are on the leading edge of the ongoing rise in residential construction across the nation and are excited to support builders and help satisfy construction demands in the Detroit market," said Phil Garuccio, divisional vice president at 84 Lumber. "Greater demand for our products means a need for more motivated, dedicated employees who want to take advantage of the phenomenal growth opportunity in our industry. If you have a strong work ethic and are eager for something new, you could be the perfect fit for us." Hiring event attendees will participate in job interviews, learn more about 84 Lumber's company culture, and get more details about signing bonuses being offered. Some attendees may receive a job offer on site. Open positions include: Manager trainees (MTs) , who enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is $40,000 to $45,000 per year. MTs also receive an $840 sign-on bonus. Forklift/yard associates. Applicants need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes from the management of supply shipments to the operation of forklifts and other equipment. Starting pay is $15 per hour. These associates also receive an $840 sign-on bonus. Story continues "As a family-owned company, 84 Lumber is committed to helping our employees build a long-term career with us. We are proud to say that 95% of our store managers started in our manager trainee program," Garuccio said. "We believe that a wide variety of candidates can find a home with the company and open doors for themselves a person with no construction experience but a desire to learn, military veterans ready to open their next chapter, or someone simply ready to make a fresh start. We'll give every one of them the tools to grow." Candidates interested in participating in the Hiring Event should pre-register online and complete the form. Registrants will then receive an email from 84 Lumber with the link to apply for the desired position. To save time, Garuccio strongly encourages candidates to apply for positions online before they attend the event. On-site pre-employment drug screening will be available for applicants at the hiring event. Candidates who advance in the process will also be required to pass a background check prior to employment. To learn more about 84 Lumber, follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. ABOUT 84 LUMBER Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber Company is the nation's largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. The company operates nearly 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall. A certified national women's business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, 84 Lumber was named by Forbes as one of America's Largest Private Companies in 2018 and one of America's Best Large Employers in 2019. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us at Facebook.com/84lumber and linkedin.com/company/84-lumber. Contact: Jeff Donaldson, BLD Marketing Email: jeff.donaldson@bld-marketing.com Phone: (412) 347-8039 Photos: http://www.bldpressroom.com/84lumber/detroit Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/84-lumber-to-fill-immediate-job-openings-in-detroit-area-by-hosting-hiring-event-on-april-14-301520310.html SOURCE 84 Lumber PARIS, April 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Andera Partners, a leading European private equity player, through its practice Andera Life Sciences, focused on investments in companies developing breakthrough therapeutics and medical technologies, announced today that Pfizer Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Andera Life Sciences portfolio company ReViral Ltd. Under the agreement, ReViral, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics, with an initial focus on treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), will be acquired for a total consideration of up to $525 million, including upfront and development milestones. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. Andera co-led the Series A of $21 million in 2015 and re-invested in the subsequent financing rounds alongside a group of international blue chip investors. RSV is a respiratory pathogen, which can lead to severe and life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in high-risk populations, including young infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. It is estimated to cause infections in approximately 64 million people, resulting in about 160,000 deaths, globally each year. ReViral has a portfolio of promising therapeutic candidates, including sisunatovir, an orally administered inhibitor designed to block fusion of the RSV virus to the host cell. Sisunatovir is currently in phase 2 clinical development in infants. A second program is focused on the inhibition of RSV replication targeting the viral N protein. The lead candidate in this program is currently in phase 1 clinical development. Raphael Wisniewski, Partner at Andera Life Sciences and member of the board of ReViral commented: "We at Andera Partners are delighted to have backed such a talented team of drug developers in the field of RSV for which treatment options are severely limited. We are extremely proud that the work accomplished to date has been recognized by a world-class leader such as Pfizer, and the development of these important therapeutic products will continue." Story continues "We are grateful to Andera to have funded and supported us since the early days of the company, alongside a group of leading international investors. Andera has been an exceptional partner to work with on our transformation from an early-stage research company to a clinical-stage organization," said Alex C. Sapir, CEO, ReViral. This transaction is the latest of recent M&A transactions in Andera Life Sciences portfolio including the sale of Sanifit to Vifor, the sale of Corvidia to Novo Nordisk, the sale of Arvelle to Angelini. It adds to three recent initial public offerings (Axonics, LogicBio and Nyxoah). About Andera Partners Created over 20 years ago, Andera Partners is a major player in private company investments in France and internationally. Its teams manage over 3.2 billion in investments in life sciences (Andera Life Sciences), growth and buyout capital (Andera MidCap, Andera Expansion, Andera Croissance, Andera Co-Invest), sponsorless transactions (Andera Acto) and ecological transition (Andera Infra). Based in Paris, with offices in Antwerp and Munich, Andera Partners is wholly owned by its teams, which count nearly 90 professionals, of which 56 investment professionals. It is structured as a partnership and managed by a board of 10 partners. Responsible and committed, the management company regularly forms partnerships with non-profit sector entities and takes concrete action in the fight against global warming. Andera Partners has been certified carbon neutral since 2018. Andera's 15-person life sciences team brings together extensive experience in the life sciences industry, private equity and venture capital. Active since 2000, the team has raised over 1.1 billion through its BioDiscovery family of funds and is currently investing from its new BioDiscovery 6 fund. Since inception, the BioDiscovery funds have invested in more than 75 European and U.S. biotech and medtech companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005523/en/ Contacts Media Contacts: Nicolas DELSERT, Andera Partners: +33 6 22 67 71 17 / n.delsert@anderapartners.com Marie-Charlotte POTET, Bien Commun Advisory: +33 6 47 97 39 46 / mc.potet@bcadvisory.fr Clement BENETREAU, Bien Commun Advisory: +33 6 76 14 02 02 / c.benetreau@bcadvisory.fr Raimund GABRIEL, MC Services: +49 89 210 228 30 / raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu Dr. Johanna KOBLER, MC Services: +49 89 210 228 46 / johanna.kobler@mc-services.eu Axis Technologies Group, Inc. Axis Technologies Group, Inc (OTC: AXTG) signed MOU with Big Sun Group Limited, one of Taiwan largest solar panel manufacturer and solar plant management group to digitization of REC to offset carbon credits with users with NFT on ETHFUND Los Angeles, CA, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axis Technologies Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: AXTG) ('AXTG' or the 'Company') announces today the digitization of carbon credits using the AXTG ETHFUND platform BigSun NFT's Solar REC will wrap solar Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) into ERC20 tokens and NFTs on the Axis Technologies Group, Inc. ETHFUND Platform. Wrapping will include certification and IP protection by a EU trademark and patent office. The wrapping protocol has been developed by AXTG. Wrapping will include certification and IP protection by a EU patent office. And is the first REC wrap on the Ethereums ERC20 protocol and will be fully operational by second quarter 2022. Summer Luo, Chairman. of Big Sun Group Limited says: "This will be a latest strategic partnership to enable digitization of REC digital assets in Taiwan and trade carbon credit globally partnering with Axis Technologies Group, Inc. Wrapping, the digital assets directly owned by the Solar power plants". Users of the ETHFUND, Web 3.0 wallets will be able to access and trade carbon credit and carbon offsets wrap by using Ethereum smart contracts enabling wallet holders to monetize the green digital assets generated and track the REC generated through Big Suns solar plants. Wrapping Ethereum allows the direct, seamless exchange between Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens without the need for a trusted third-party and without incurring in unnecessary risks such as unexpected errors during transactions resulting from complex implementations. Sandbox Model: William Tien, President of AXTG, states that "AXTG and Big Sun Group have advanced quickly building a Web 3.0 NFT staking platform inside our ETHFUND's NFT marketplace for verification and accreditation of the solar Renewable Energy Certificates (REC). Demonstrating the efficacy of the technology and provide verifiable proof of the key conceptual elements of this strategic innovation. Story continues This sandbox model is expected to be completed within the second quarter of 2022 and implemented with 2 solar plant test sites in Taiwan. Interested parties, including investors, patrons and developers, may inquire further by contacting ceo@axtg.us . Big Sun Group Limited: Big Sun Group Limited is a professional solar energy manufacturer located in Taiwan and was established in 2006 by a group of enthusiastic and talented semi-conductor evangelists. Big Sun Group manages more than 3,000 solar power plants (800 MW) in Taiwan and Japan. The REC digital data is generated through their AIOT device connected directly to each solar panel. Big Sun Groups iPV Tracker has been recognized with multi-national patents and has been awarded with Taiwan Industry Innovation Award (2013). In addition, its derivative product iPV Smart Farm has won the Taiwan Outstanding Photonics Award (2015) and the Top 10 Highlights Award (2015.2016.2017.2018) at the SNEC PV Expo. Please visit the Big Sun Group website for more information www.bigsun-energy.com Axis Technologies Group, Inc.: Axis Technologies Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: AXTG) is a publicly traded holding company that focuses on the acquisition, alignment, and growth of disruptive fintech and decentralized finance companies. Axis Technologies Group actively seeks targets in which it can acquire and accelerate market expansion, targeting companies with solid management teams and business models, large total attainable markets (TAM), and lucrative exit opportunities. The company places emphasis on decentralized finance, leveraging blockchain technologies to provide industry-leading financial solutions, which, over time, will allow for the capture of recurring revenue streams. Please visit Axis Technologies Group www.AXTG.us for more information. Safe Harbor Statement This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to anticipated revenues, expenses, earnings, operating cash flows, the outlook for markets, and the demand for products. Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including management's own knowledge and assessment of the Company's industry and competition. The Company assumes no duty to update its forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Axis Technologies Group, Inc. ceo@axtg.us Twitter: @AXTG2021 StockTwits: https://stocktwits.com/symbol/AXTG (Bloomberg) -- Chinas soaring Covid infections are provoking little panic in the stock market, with local investors betting that the authorities will unleash stimulus to prop up growth. Most Read from Bloomberg The benchmark CSI 300 Index has climbed more than 1% since the financial hub of Shanghai introduced a two-stage lockdown early last week. An index of Shanghai-listed developers and a Bloomberg gauge of Chinese real estate firms have both gained over 8%, helped by a mid-March pledge by the authorities to support the sector and stimulate the economy. Bets are mounting that Chinas policy makers will deploy more stimulus to shore up growth as President Xi Jinping looks to secure a third term this year. A weak services sector report on Wednesday highlighted the risks for the worlds second-largest economy, with holiday spending figures pointing to more damage ahead amid widespread Covid curbs. Weve seen and quelled such outbreaks so many times before and have plenty of experience, its only a matter of time once the nation sets its mind on it, said Chen Shi, a fund manager at Shanghai Jade Stone Investment Management Co. Looking in retrospect to 2020, the largest returns in stocks came in tandem with the period of the greatest uncertainties over the virus in the first two quarters. Chen, who has been confined to his compound for more than 20 days, expects policy loosening to translate into better valuations even if earnings are impacted. The wider range of treatment options, more extensive testing and a lower fatality rate indicate that the outbreak can be contained, he said. Investors appeared to take some risk off the table on Thursday following recent gains, with the CSI 300 Index retreating 1.3%. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Stock Exchange Property Index fell 3.2%. Story continues Foreigners Sell The domestic optimism contrasts with growing concerns elsewhere over Chinas worsening outbreak. Analysts at Morgan Stanley slashed their target for the CSI 300 Index by 16% last week, citing risk factors such as property defaults and city-wide lockdowns, according to a research note. The brokerage also lowered its estimate for Chinas 2022 economic expansion to 4.6% from 5.1% due to the nations strict adherence to its Covid policy. Citigroup Inc.s economists said gross domestic product growth could take a hit of as much as 0.9 percentage points in the second quarter. Overseas investors sold at net 5.3 billion yuan ($833 million) of Chinese shares on Wednesday, the most since March 21, and were sellers in Thursdays session too, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Stimulus Boost In terms of stimulus, the Chinese authorities have a variety of tools at their disposal, including cutting rates and taking steps to boost the property sector. Officials will use monetary policy tools at an appropriate time and consider other measures to boost consumption, according to the readout from a meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday. Last month, the authorities had pledged to ease a regulatory crackdown, support property and technology companies and stimulate the economy. The CSI 300 gauge has gained almost 6% since then, while the Hang Seng Tech Index rallied nearly 30%. China Vows to Use Monetary Policy Tools at Appropriate Time (2) Beijing loosened home-buying rules in more than 60 municipalities in the first quarter, abandoning restrictions on the number of residences households can own to stimulate demand. Hopeful investors may be waiting for a repeat of the dramatic rebound in 2020, when the CSI 300 Index gained nearly 40% in the four months between a low in March -- when Wuhan was still in lockdown -- and July, when daily cases had dwindled to the single digits. There has to be loosening at this rate, and hopes are mostly around more relaxation for the property sector, as its the most important part of the economy, said He Qi, a fund manager at Huatai Pinebridge Fund Management. There are long-term goals for property, then there are imminent emergencies, and the task now is first to make it through this. (Updates prices throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- When Chinas stock market plunged last month, one of the nations biggest algorithm-driven hedge funds says it bought the dip. Most Read from Bloomberg Shanghai Minghong Investment Management Co., which manages close to $11 billion, added 400 million yuan ($63 million) of stock exposure to its multi-strategy fund on March 15, founder Qiu Huiming told Bloomberg. Other quant funds say they too held the line during the selloff which evoked memories of the 2008 financial crisis. Fund managers argue such moves counter accusations that computer-driven strategies tend to amplify volatility and cause unfairness to retail investors. The criticism came in March from former China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Xiao Gang, who called for restrictions on quant trading. His comments were supported by He Qiang, a member of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, the nations top advisory body, in an interview with the state-run Securities Daily. Because historical data show that such points tend to suggest a reversal and bottom-fishing opportunities, the model tends to just buy, said Hangzhou-based Simon Lu, chief executive of Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management. The machine, to a large extent, is counter-intuitive and runs counter to human nature, he said, adding the company didnt manually intervene. High-Flyer, which managed about 90 billion yuan last year before seeing outflows, said it bought more shares than it sold during the two turbulent weeks ended March 18, when the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost about $850 billion before staging an aggressive rally once Beijing pledged to stabilize markets. Lingjun Investment, another top fund, said it recorded net buying during the markets steepest declines. Story continues Shanghai Minghong, which also recorded net purchases across all products, said the multi-strategy fund ended that week up 0.9%, compared with a 2.2% decline in the benchmark it tracks. The rare insights highlight how some top quants added stocks during the worst of the declines, potentially providing a lift for managers facing concern about whether they can continue to outperform as their assets grow and markets become more turbulent. Its also an opportunity for hedge fund bosses to show how their models react under stress with their business increasingly in the spotlight. Chinas quant hedge funds face curbs on fees as authorities seek to protect investors, people familiar with the matter said in February. Regulators halted a fast-track channel for product registration for at least some managers late last year and started requesting more detailed monthly reports on trading activity and positioning, Bloomberg reported earlier. Ubiquant, which manages 70 billion yuan, says it kept positions full throughout the most turbulent week, in effect serving as a force supporting the stability, of shares traded on Chinese stock exchanges, the company said. Shanghai-based Mingshi Investment Management said it lifted stock holdings from the start of the year after raising more money from investors. To be sure, sentiment remains fragile even after Vice Premier Liu Hes vow on March 16 to stabilize markets helped spur the rally. Hedge funds in China often have agreements with investors spelling out mandatory levels to reduce exposure if their holdings drop below a certain value. The percentage of hedge funds with a net value under 0.8 yuan, a common trigger, jumped to 3.82% as of March 11, the highest since 2020, according to investment bank China International Capital Corp. Among quants, the share facing pressure to cut holdings was less than 1%. Shanghai-based quant fund Highfort Investment in February temporarily scrapped management fees after a products net value fell below the level that requires exposure to be reduced. The product has since rebounded above its 0.88 yuan warning line, which is set at a higher level compared to the rest of the industry, according to a company representative. While High-Flyer had to trim holdings as investors withdrew money, the offloading was mostly done in December and the company smoothed the impact by spreading sell orders through a prolonged period, Lu said. If funds had to sell because they hit those levels and investors want to redeem, that could lead to a short-term vicious cycle, but its about the rationality of investors and the maturity of the market, said Li Minghong, a Shanghai-based fund of hedge funds manager at Aichen Asset. At least this round of declines in the market had little to do with quants. Long-only quant products wont cut positions unless theres pressure from investors to redeem, Lingjun Investment, which manages more than 70 billion yuan, said in its reply to Bloomberg. Compared to mixed funds and most actively-managed private funds, quants are on the contrary, more stable amid market turmoil, a fund representative said. (Updates with comment from fund of hedge funds manager in 14th paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. China sent a warning to the U.S. against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visiting Taiwan. News outlets in Japan and Taiwan were reporting on Thursday that Pelosi would make a trip to Taiwan in the near future, Bloomberg reported. If she does visit the democratically run island, it would be the first time the Speaker of the House has traveled to Taiwan since 1997. Pelosis office and Taiwanese officials have not confirmed the reports, but the suggestion has sparked condemnation from China. If the United States insists on having its own way, China will take strong measures in response to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All possible consequences that arise from this will completely be borne by the U.S. side, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, Reuters reported. Lijian emphasized that China opposes all official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan, as Beijing claims sovereignty over the island. Taipei, however, rejects that claim and has governed the island separately from the mainland for decades. Concerns have been raised recently about Chinas stance on Taiwan in light of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which some have suggested could inspire China to take Taiwan by force. Support for Taiwan and opposition to China is one of the few issues in Washington that brings Democratic and Republican lawmakers together. A bill introduced in the House on Wednesday would sanction China for any threats or actions taken against Taiwan. The situation in Ukraine is the very real consequence of weak leadership and a lack of true deterrence for Russia. Taiwan is a friend, good trading partner, and beacon of freedom and democracy, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said regarding a similar bill he put forth in the Senate. Our bill threatens crippling financial sanctions as a deterrence to China trying to follow in [Russian President Vladimir] Putins footsteps as it relates to Taiwan, he added. The Hill has reached out to Pelosis office for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan has received the special equipment within the framework of the support for COVID-19 vaccination project implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the financial support of the EU. A total of 100 refrigerators for storing vaccines with a capacity of 145 liters were transferred to the Centers for Hygiene and Epidemiology and 200 refrigerators with a capacity of 98 liters to the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units in order to strengthen the cold chain system for both the storage of vaccines against COVID-19 and other drugs. Azerbaijan has also received 122 portable containers for vaccines, 102 computers, 79 printers, and 79 uninterruptible power supplies. It is also planned to supply additional equipment and devices to Azerbaijan within the framework of the project in order to ensure the safe storage and transportation of vaccines. Speakers at the event noted the work done under this project and the main achievements in the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. High results in vaccination process Speaking at the equipment transfer ceremony, EU Ambassador to Baku Peter Michalko stated that Azerbaijan has achieved high results in the COVID-19 vaccination process. The official emphasized that Azerbaijan has achieved also great success in the fight against the pandemic as a whole. "The equipment supplied by the European Union to Azerbaijan contributes to these achievements. The EU will continue to support Azerbaijan," he said. Vaccination points Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units Board Chairman Vugar Gurbanov noted that Azerbaijan has a sufficient number of vaccination points against COVID-19. He added that the vaccination process in the regions is regulated depending on the population. "Our goal is to speed up the vaccination of the population. So far there have been no problems with the conditions of vaccine storage," he said. Omicron strain WHO Representative in Azerbaijan Hande Harmanci said that the reason for the growth of coronavirus infection in some Eastern European countries is related to the Omicron strain. "This shows that the pandemic is not over yet and we must continue to take preventive measures. There are subspecies B1 and B2 of the omicron strain. The B2 subspecies are capable of spreading faster. It is necessary to protect those who are at risk - people over the age of 65, and pregnant women. An important factor is the use of masks in closed places, she said. Noting that in Azerbaijan the vaccination rate of the population is higher than 48 percent, she underlined that the goal is to bring it to 70 percent. In recent days there has been a decrease in the cases and mortality of COVID-19 in Azerbaijan, but we should not forget that the pandemic is still ongoing," she said. The equipment transfer ceremony, which was organized on World Health Day and on the eve of the traditional European Immunization Week, was attended by Azerbaijans Health Deputy Minister Nadir Zeynalov, Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units Board Chairman Vugar Gurbanov, WHO Representative in Azerbaijan Hande Harmanci and EU Ambassador to Baku Peter Michalko. The WHO Office with the financial support of the EU has launched a three-year project "Support for COVID-19 vaccination" in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan and strengthen immunization programs, since June 2021. This project is an integral part of the ongoing support of the EU and WHO to Azerbaijan. Kbenhavns Lufthavne A/S On Thursday 7 April 2022 at 3 pm (CEST), the annual general meeting of Copenhagen Airports A/S was held with the following agenda: The report of the board of directors on the company's activities during the past year Presentation and adoption of the audited annual report Resolution to discharge the board of directors and the executive board from liability Resolution on the appropriation of profit or loss as recorded in the adopted annual report Election of members of the board of directors, including the chairman and the deputy chairmen Proposal from the board of directors to amend the company's remuneration policy Presentation of and advisory vote on the remuneration report Approval of remuneration to the board of directors for the current year Appointment of auditor Proposals from the shareholders Authorisation to the chairman of the general meeting Any other business Re item 1 The general meeting acknowledged the report of the board of directors. Re item 2 The general meeting adopted the 2021 annual report. Re item 3 The general meeting discharged the board of directors and the executive board from liability. Re item 4 The general meeting approved the proposal not to distribute dividends for 2021 and to carry forward the result of the year as recorded in the adopted annual report to the following financial year. Re item 5 Lars Nrby Johansen was re-elected as chairman of the board of directors, and David Mark Stanton and Martin Prstegaard were re-elected as deputy chairmen of the board of directors. Janis Carol Kong, Charles Thomazi and Lars Sandahl Srensen were re-elected as members of the board of directors. Re item 6 The general meeting approved the company's revised remuneration policy. Re item 7 The general meeting approved the company's remuneration report by advisory vote. Re item 8 The general meeting approved the proposed remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year. Re item 9 The general meeting re-elected PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab as the company's auditor. Story continues Re item 10 No proposals from the shareholders had been submitted. Re item 11 The general meeting authorised the chairman of the general meeting to register the resolutions with the Danish Business Authority. COPENHAGEN AIRPORTS A/S P.O. Box 74 Lufthavnsboulevarden 6 DK-2770 Kastrup Contact: Thomas Woldbye CEO Telephone: +45 32313231 E-mail: cphweb@cph.dk www.cph.dk CVR no. 14 70 72 04 Fara Williams has no doubt England have a great chance of winning this summers home Euros but has stressed that the strength of rivals means it will take some doing. The Lionesses will bid for glory having gone as far as the semi-finals at their last three major tournaments, and twice had Euros runners-up finishes, in 1984 and 2009. The team in World Cup qualifying action away against North Macedonia on Friday and then Northern Ireland on Tuesday are unbeaten under boss Sarina Wiegman, winning seven of nine matches, and lifting the Arnold Clark Cup in February. England won the Arnold Clark Cup in February (Nick Potts/PA) Former midfielder Williams, Englands record appearance-maker with 172 caps, told the PA news agency: They have the best chance I truly believe they have the best balance, the best squad depth that theyve ever had in any tournament. But Im also not naive to think that the other nations arent equally as good the likes of Spain, Sweden, who nobody has spoken about, Holland who are the holders (having won Euro 2017 under Wiegman), Germany who always turn up in tournaments, France who probably have the best frontline in womens international football at the moment. Theres a lot of teams out there that will be believing that they can win this tournament, England being one, and of course, being a massive England fan, I hope the girls can go and do it. But its going to take some doing, because its going to be the most competitive Euros, certainly since Ive been a player. We have a genuine chance but its going to take some doing. She added of the tournament: Its not just (in terms of) England that it is great I think also in terms of people wanting to see a competitive womens game, because there are so many good national teams now in Europe. I think any ticket anybody manages to get, the game will certainly be competitive, which is exciting. Its not been like that before in tournament football. Games that sold out on the opening day of tickets going on general sale included the final, which takes place at Wembley. The tournament kicks off with England playing Austria at Old Trafford on July 6. Story continues England were also Euros hosts in 2005, and Williams said: Even back then when the womens game was nowhere near the position it is now, I remember playing at the Etihad Stadium (in that tournament) and there was a 30,000 crowd. When I look back to 2005 and the support we got, when the game wasnt in a good place, to think where its going to be this summer and how exciting it is, its going to be massive. Fara Williams made a record 172 appearances for England (Adam Davy/PA) On Tuesday Englands captain for the Euros was named, with Leah Williamson getting the nod from Wiegman having already skippered during the injury-enforced absence of Steph Houghton, who hopes to recover from Achilles surgery in time for the tournament. Williams, speaking before that announcement was made, described the 25-year-old Williamson as a great leader(who) plays and speaks with the maturity of somebody a lot older. And regarding Houghton, she said: She certainly is somebody that would be a miss if she wasnt to make it. But the important thing is she has to be fit to go. She has years ahead of her to continue to play if she keeps herself in great shape. There are other tournaments out there for Steph to be a part of if she doesnt make this one. Just prior to the Euros this summer is the 2022 Soccer Aid for UNICEF match. Williams is preparing for Junes Soccer Aid for UNICEF match (Daniel Hambury/PA) Williams, who retired last summer, is preparing to make her second appearance in the event, and the former Everton, Liverpool, Arsenal and Reading player said: It was an unbelievable experience, and Im really grateful that I have the opportunity to go back again. The atmosphere created in the build-up and the training, the competitive banter, the whole experience is just truly fantastic. And its bigger than that, with what they do for kids around the world, which is truly amazing. Last year it was a record in terms of money raised, and Im sure well go better again this year. :: Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2022 takes place on Sunday June 12 at the London Stadium. A family of four can attend the game for just 60 buy your tickets at socceraid.org.uk/tickets Father-and-son Ed and Stephen Ziegler have purchased the Kizer House, at 803 W. Washington St. in South Bend. SOUTH BEND A father-son duo, both University of Notre Dame alumni from Florida, have purchased the historic Kizer House at 803 W. Washington St., with plans to turn the once problematic mansion into offices, a couple of apartments and a venue for small, public gatherings. My excitement is making it a place that people can visit and enjoy, Stephen Ziegler said Tuesday from the house, where hes spending a few days to plan the renovation work ahead. South Bend doesnt have anything like this of its kind. He will be spearheading the project that he and his father, Ed, are about to start in the 7,220-square-foot Romanesque Revival-style mansion, built sometime around 1888. As The Tribune reported in February, the nonprofit Indiana Landmarks was selling the house. It sits on a prominent corner of the citys West Washington National Register District, across the street from the mansion that industrialist J.D. Oliver built, Copshaholm. February 2022: The Kizer mansion in South Bend is on sale for $349,900. It needs $250,000 in rehab work. Stephen Ziegler, who runs a technology-focused consulting firm that he'd started, said hell be commuting between southern Florida and South Bend because renovations could take a couple of years. Stephen Ziegler and his father, Ed Ziegler, have bought the historic Kizer House in South Bend from Indiana Landmarks. That time frame is really a guess, Ziegler, whos rehabbed historic homes in Florida as a hobby, said, adding, There are so many variables of what has to be done. Todd Zeiger, director of Indiana Landmarks northern regional office, said the house got a lot of interest from potential buyers and a large number of showings. There were also a number of good offers, he said. The Zieglers made the best offer, he said, not only in price but in their vision for the property, along with their passion for it to be used by the public. But Zeiger said it was critical to the deal that the Zieglers wanted to use it for just a few tenants. In 2012, Zeiger recalled, the city approached Indiana Landmarks about taking on the building because it had become a nuisance to neighbors, prompting calls to police. It was deteriorating, packed with at least 13 apartments in the house and carriage house. Story continues What's planned for the Kizer House? The Zieglers plan to offer the first floor as a venue for small public gatherings such as art shows. There likely would be a couple of apartments upstairs in the house, too, Stephen Ziegler said. And plans, so far, call for Indiana Landmarks to move its offices into the house as one of the first-floor tenants. Until the house renovations are done, Zeiger said, it will continue to use the second-floor apartment above the garage as its offices. The remaining space in the house could be used for a similar business, Stephen Ziegler said. He said he and his dad paid slightly more than the asking price of $349,000. But it will need more investment. The city and Indiana Landmarks have already put hundreds of thousands of dollars into saving the building with restored windows, a new roof, tuck pointing and concrete removed around the house. On top of that, the listing agent had estimated it would need $250,000 more for renovations, though Stephen Ziegler said that could likely approach $500,000, given the unknowns of working with an old house. The agent had told The Tribune that the new owners may want to start over by installing new plumbing, electricity, and a heating and cooling system. A kitchen and new bathrooms would also have to be built. Shown Feb. 11, 2022, the Kizer House in South Bend will have space for offices, a public gathering area and some apartments, under new owners Ed and Stephen Ziegler. Rather than focus on dollars, Stephen Ziegler emphasized, The real value is in the time and creativity of doing the work. Instead of a money maker, he said he sees it as a long-term commitment something I can really be proud of. He said he wasnt looking for a house to buy, but as he was perusing the real estate market in February, he noticed the Kizer House and quickly responded, noting, This isnt going to come back. He was familiar with the house because he often makes trips to South Bend through the year to visit friends and Notre Dames campus. History of Kizer House and new owners The home was built by William L. Kizer, who grew up in South Bend and worked as a tax collector and then later in real estate and insurance. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had three children. Preserving history: It's going to take a half-mile move to save one of South Bend's historic homes The Zieglers have both played key roles in the Notre Dame Club of Boca Raton. Stephen Ziegler, 46, grew up in southern Florida and earned his masters degree from Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business in 2020. The Kizer House was built around 1888 by William L. Kizer, who grew up in South Bend and worked as a tax collector and then later in real estate and insurance. Ed Ziegler earned his doctorate at Notre Dame, taught as a professor at Florida Atlantic University and then worked in orthopedic sales, dealing in artificial knees and hips. I love coming back to the city, Ed Ziegler said in a press release. Its so resilient; even with setbacks like Studebaker closing and Bendix corporation relocating, it always comes back. I want this project to symbolize that strength and resilience, and I hope it makes people proud. Email South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits at jdits@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame alumni buy Kizer House in South Bend from Indiana Landmarks Canadian Transplant Association LETHBRIDGE, Alberta, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The fourth annual Green Shirt Day is led by the Boulet family and the Canadian Transplant Association, in partnership with Canadas Organ and Tissue Donation Community, Canadian Blood Services, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and IA Financial Group. The day inspired by the Logan Boulet Effect, encourages people across Canada to talk to their family about organ donation, register their wishes, and to remember those that gave the gift of life. Canadians can register online through their provincial registry at https://greenshirtday.ca/register/. There is widespread enthusiasm from the organ donation and transplant community, schools, and workplaces to take part in Green Shirt Day. Across Canada, provinces, and cities have proclaimed April 7th Green Shirt Day and landmarks will be lighting up in green. Together Strong is the 2022 Green Shirt Day slogan. It encourages Canadians to unite, share their support for organ donation, share their stories and have a conversation about their organ donation wishes. When we come together for organ donation, we are Together Strong. Find out about how you can participate at greenshirtday.ca/be-inspired It is estimated that almost 150,000 Canadians registered as organ donors in the weeks following the Humboldt crash in 2018 that took Logan Boulets life and led to him being an organ and tissue donor, known as the Logan Boulet Effect. The next year, Green Shirt Day 2019 inspired another hundred thousand or more to take action. While the COVID-19 challenges of 2020/2021 required a shift of Green Shirt Day plans, there was still active interest in promoting organ and tissue donation. However, overall, registration numbers were down about 39%. This year, with COVID-19 restrictions in effect to varying degrees across the country, it is key that Canadians get creative on Green Shirt Day to help raise awareness about organ donation and encourage even more registrations. In person events and activities may be limited, but we encourage people to unite Together Strong and bring their support and spirit (and green shirts) online this year. Story continues Lets share our support for organ and tissue donation by showing Canada we all want to give the gift of a life, suggests Toby Boulet, Logan Boulets father. Post a picture or video wherever you share and let your friends and family know that you want to give the gift of life and that you are a registered donor. Canadians are encouraged to use the hashtags #GreenShirtDay #LoganBouletEffect #LightUpGreenCanada in their posts to expand the reach of the initiative. Logans legacy reminds us how important it is for Canadians to talk with their family about their organ donation wishes. Its suggested that every person who registers their intent to donate talks about it with four others. That means that 150,000 new registrants equal approximately 600,000 conversations about organ donation. Get more background, key statistics, organ donation terminology, and digital assets from our media kit . This year, we are pleased to provide toolkits to support participation from schools, businesses, teams, clubs and organizations. Organ and tissue donation community Canada is home to an incredible organ and tissue donation community, Across the country organizations and volunteers are dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. As part of these efforts, BC Transplant has recently partnered with the Boulet family to produce an animated video about the Logan Boulet Effect. https://youtu.be/5LhT0h-4drI About the Canadian Transplant Association Green Shirt Day The Canada-wide Green Shirt Day was created to remember the victims and families of the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan in 2018. And, to continue Logan Boulets legacy by inspiring Canadians to register as organ donors and to talk to their families about their wishes. On April 7, learning that he would not recover, Bernadine and Toby Boulet offered to donate their son, Logan Boulets organs. They did so because Logan had registered as an organ donor and had spoken to his parents about his wishes. His generous final act inspired almost 150,000 donor registrations across Canada shortly thereafter, which became known as the Logan Boulet Effect. Media contacts: Brenda Brown President Canadian Transplant Association 604-807-8282 bbrown@txworks.ca Canadian Blood Services 1-877-709-7773 media@blood.ca Wendy Kudeba, National Director of Marketing & Communications The Kidney Foundation of Canada 289-329-0757 wendy.kudeba@kidney.ca Michelle Hofer BFA (she/her) Manager, Communications and Community Development The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Southern Alberta 6007 1A St SW, Calgary AB, T2H 0G5 (587) 333-4349 | 1-800-268-1177 Michelle.hofer@kidney.ca Green Shirt Day info@greenshirtday.ca April 7th Green Shirt Day Activities Light Up Green Canada (#LightUpGreenCanada) Major landmarks and City Halls Light up Green across Canada on April 7 in support of Green Shirt Day and in honour of the Logan Boulet Effect Canadians Light up their doorways Green Provincial and City Proclamation Provinces and Cities across Canada have proclaimed April 7th Green Shirt Day Events taking place across Canada on April 7 Free Family Skates City Hall-Green Shirt Day Ceremonies/Light up Green Gatherings at major Landmarks Schools Hospitals Part of Baltimore-based aviation company's broader company-wide safety management program BALTIMORE, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GrandView Aviation, one of the nation's fastest-growing private jet charter operators, is holding an all-day/all-local-employee mandatory Safety Stand Down on Tuesday, April 12th, 2022 at the company's headquarters in Middle River, MD. GrandView Aviation Staff at our Baltimore Base At GrandView, safety is a fundamental priority. The company's Safety Department is managed by a Director of Safety and a Safety Officer, responsible for establishing and monitoring programs following industry "best practices" that exceed requirements of similar-sized private aviation companies. GrandView maintains impressive safety ratings from the aviation industry's top associations: ARGUS Gold, Wyvern Wingman, and IS-BAO Stage 2 Operator. "Getting our team together in one room, on one day to focus on safety is vital to strengthening our team bonds. We have built a "Just Culture" at GrandView where we learn both from our successes and mistakes together, which makes our entire team stronger," said Jessie Naor, GrandView's President. "On the day of the Safety Stand Down, GrandView will suspend all operations, including flights, so that employees can attend information packed sessions. Topics include Decision Making, Human Factors, Fatigue Management, Hazard Reporting, Lessons Learned, and a number of other important safety subjects," said Joseph Hendron, GrandView's Safety Officer. "Guest Speakers Ryan Waguespack, Senior Vice President of the National Air Transportation Association and Harry Arthur, FAA POI will present information about aviation operations and safety topics including proactive safety measures." "Our commitment to safety is paramount and we recognize that each team member plays a pivotal role in our safety culture," added MannyFiglia, GrandView's Director of Safety. "Holding an all-day/all-employee Stand Down meeting focused on safety provides the opportunity to share what we do well, to identify where we need to focus to improve and to stress the critical importance of preventing any potential undesirable events or outcomes. Similar meetings will be rolled out in the coming weeks at our other 7 bases across the country." Story continues About GrandView Aviation GrandView Aviation is a private aviation charter operation serving VIP clients and medical transplant transport missions. The company's fleet of Phenom 300 private charter jets and Sikorsky helicopter gives access to departure points across the United States from the company's 8 bases in Baltimore/DC, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Phoenix. GrandView Aviation is a FAA Part 135 certificated aircraft operator and carries the elite Wyvern Wingman safety rating. The company was recently acquired by Global Medical Response (GMR) and operates under AirMed International, part of the GMR family. For more information about GrandView Aviation, please visit www.flygv.com. For information about GMR, visit www.GlobalMedicalResponse.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grandview-aviation-to-hold-madatory-all-dayall--employee-safety-stand-down-301520270.html SOURCE GrandView Aviation OKLAHOMA CITY, April 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LIBERTY Dental Plan of Oklahoma, Inc. has spent the last year establishing a footprint in the state of Oklahoma to provide quality, affordable dental benefits. The Oklahoma team started with only a few employees and can now boast that we are 80 strong and counting. On April 12, 2022, from 4 to 6 p.m., LIBERTY will celebrate the opening of its 22,000 square feet office facility at 5600 N. May Avenue, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112 which houses just under 100 employees with plans and room for growth. The Oklahoma operations center provides services to LIBERTYs members and dental providers in Nevada, California, and New York. In addition, LIBERTY intends to expand its offerings in the Oklahoma market. Lisa Gifford, President of LIBERTY Dental Plan of Oklahoma remarked: "LIBERTY is excited to be in the Oklahoma market and we look forward to doing great things here. Our model of care offers members a high-touch experience and we offer providers innovative programs including our Value-Based Program which offers the opportunity to earn bonus payments for improving the oral health outcomes of their patients." About LIBERTY Dental Plan: LIBERTY is a dental benefits administrator founded by dentists and health industry professionals in 2002, headquartered in Irvine, California. LIBERTY currently administers dental benefits in all 50 states, including on behalf of 5.8 million Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, commercial and exchange members. LIBERTY operates and lives by its motto "Making Members Shine One Smile at a Time". View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005029/en/ Contacts Lisa Gifford lgifford@libertydentalplan.com HADDONFIELD, N.J., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. ("Linnaeus"), a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel small molecule oncology therapeutics, today announced it has been awarded a Phase 2 Bridge Small Business Innovation Research ("SBIR") Award by the National Cancer Institute ("NCI") of the National Institutes of Health ("NIH"). The $4,000,000 award was granted to the company after a highly competitive peer-review process. The award will help fund the clinical development of its lead compound, LNS8801, which targets a G protein-coupled receptor (GPER), for the treatment of metastatic cutaneous and uveal melanoma both as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab. "This award provides a strong peer-reviewed validation of the core science that is the basis of LNS8801, its target GPER, and the early clinical data seen in patients with cancer," said Patrick Mooney, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Linnaeus. "This award will allow us to further advance LNS8801 as a potentially safe and effective oral therapeutic for the treatment of metastatic cutaneous and uveal melanoma. We thank the NCI for their ongoing support and belief in the potential of LNS8801 to help patients with cancer." About LNS8801 LNS8801 is an orally bioavailable and highly specific and potent agonist of GPER whose activity is dependent on the expression of GPER. GPER activation by LNS8801 rapidly and durably depletes c-Myc protein levels. In preclinical cancer models, LNS8801 displays potent antitumor activities across a wide range of tumor types, rapidly shrinking tumors and inducing immune memory. In the ongoing clinical study in humans, LNS8801 monotherapy has been safe and well tolerated. Additionally, LNS8801 has demonstrated target engagement, c-Myc protein depletion, and clinical benefit in patients with advanced cancer. Story continues About Linnaeus Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel small molecule oncology therapeutics that target G protein-coupled receptors. The company was formed and launched in partnership with the UPstart incubator at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Center for Innovation (PCI). Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/linnaeus-therapeutics-awarded-4-000-000-sbir-phase-2-bridge-award-by-the-national-cancer-institute-to-advance-lns8801-for-the-treatment-of-cutaneous-and-uveal-melanoma-301518403.html SOURCE Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. This winter, I spent $160 (or, $200 CAD for me) to buy a new gaming mouse. I've never owned one that cost more than about $50. My previous one was the Logitech G305. And before that, I owned a SteelSeries Sensei 310. If you're not familiar with the G305, it's one of the best wireless mice you can buy for under $50. Thanks to its Hero sensor, it's as fast and accurate as some of the most expensive gaming mice on the market. Another highlight is that it draws on an AA battery for power, meaning you can go up to 250 hours of uptime on a single charge. For most people, including those who play competitive games, I think the G305 is about all the mouse they need. Logitech G Pro X Superlight So why did I decide to trade in a perfectly good mouse for one many times its price? For me, it came down to build quality. By the time I decided to pick up the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, the scroll wheel on my G305 was starting to get mushy, and the back battery cover would creak when I put the palm of my hand on it. And by that point, I had been eyeing the Superlight ever since Logitech announced it in 2020. If you spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube about PC gaming, you know the appeal of this mouse. Logitech claims it weighs less than 63 grams, making it one of the lightest you can buy at the moment. As someone who plays a lot of Valorant and League of Legends, a lightweight mouse is appealing because it allows you to be both fast and accurate with your mouse movements. The reason for this is that you can maintain a low DPI (a setting that determines the sensitivity of your mouse) while still quickly flicking it across your mousepad, thanks to its light weight. Logitech G Pro X Superlight There are mice you can buy that are even lighter than the G Pro X, but almost all of them use a perforated design where the main body of the mouse features a honeycomb-like pattern of holes. But that can compromise build quality a mouse with holes won't feel as solid as one without because, well, it has holes. Instead, the G Pro X represents a different kind of compromise. It features the same body design as Logitech's incredibly popular G Pro Wireless, but it doesnt have all of the same features. It doesn't come with RGB lighting or even a DPI switch for quickly adjusting its sensitivity on the fly. But the most notable omission is that the Superlight doesn't come with a second set of buttons on the right side of the mouse. Sorry, lefties. Story continues But here's the thing: I don't mind that it's missing those features. Maybe my opinion would change if I was left-handed, but I'm not, and I think the white model looks great without RGB lighting. It's also not a deal breaker for me that it doesn't come with a DPI switch since I can recall situations with my old G305 where I accidentally clicked that button during a crucial moment in a game. Logitech G Pro X Superlight Put differently, I could live without those features, but I didn't want another mouse that would wear down on me. And the G Pro X Superlight has yet to disappoint on that front. It features Omron switches that produce a satisfying click whenever you press down on the left and right buttons, and it has one of the best scroll wheels I've ever used on a mouse. The plastic also has yet to develop the shine you see when it gets worn down in certain areas. This thing is built to last. I also found the features that make the Superlight a great gaming mouse lend it just as well to productivity use. It doesnt include Bluetooth connectivity, but what it does have is a clever magnetized storage compartment for storing its wireless dongle. Pair that with its light design, and you have a great travel mouse. It also features a shape I find works well with my palm grip style, making it ideal for long Lightroom and Photoshop sessions. Logitech G Pro X Superlight Yes, $160 is a lot to spend on a mouse, but it got me one of the best gaming mice on the market. When you think about how much it costs to buy the "best" graphics card, monitor or almost anything else gaming-related, you're looking ahead at spending upwards of thousands of dollars. The G Pro X Superlight didn't cost me that much, and I got a mouse that's great not just for gaming, but for everything else I use my computer for. Novo Resources Corp. Figure 1 Gold Crown and Edwards mining areas (looking North) Figure 2 Grants Hill mining area (looking South-West) Figure 3 Edwards ROM pad No lost-time injuries were recorded during the first quarter of 2022 ( Q1 2022 ) Q1 2022 production of 13,378 oz Au from Beatons Creek conglomerate gold project ( Beatons Creek ), a 4.2% increase over the previous quarter and in line with guidance 1 Q1 2022 revenue of C$31.9 million (A$34.7 million) 2 , a 6.7% increase over the previous quarter, from the sale of 13,364 oz Au Novos production forecast for the first half of 2022 is now expected to be between 27 koz to 30 koz Au 1 Workforce and supply chain affected by COVID-19; however, effective operational risk management practices in place which are expected to minimize production impacts Strong financial position maintained as at March 31, 2022 Cash and cash equivalents balance of C$22.0 million 2 Investment portfolio fair value of approximately C$135 million 3 , including its 9.1% investment in New Found Gold Corp. (TSXV: NFG) which was worth approximately C$114 million 3 Treatment of Grants Hill Fresh material during the latter part of Q1 2022 delivered high grades of 1.75 g/t Au, confirmed previous processing rates and recovery performance, and is supported by ongoing resource definition drilling which is currently well advanced An update on the Oxide material mining schedule and progress on the Fresh material resource drilling, feasibility study and external status of approvals will be issued in May 2022 Table 1: Key Q1 2022 Operational and Financial Performance2 Q4 2021 Q1 2022 Mining (tonnes) 434,133 395,824 Processing (tonnes) 395,310 394,382 Grade (g/t Au) 1.16 1.15 Recovery (%) 91.5% 91.4% Gold Production (oz Au) 12,833 13,378 Revenue (C$M) $29.9 $31.9 Cash and Cash Equivalents (C$M) $32.5 $22.0 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX: NVO, NVO.WT & NVO.WT.A) (OTCQX: NSRPF) provides a Q1 2022 operational update from Beatons Creek, located in Nullagine, Western Australia. This quarter has seen a positive increase in production, revenue and more importantly, consistent gold delivery from the Oxide mine areas, commented Mr. Mike Spreadborough, Executive Co-Chairman of Novo. We expect this performance to continue in the second quarter of 2022, thus confirming the influence of closely-spaced grade control drilling on ongoing grade estimation and mine planning. Also of equal importance, is the demonstrated high-grade from the Grants Hill Fresh material that has been mined to further confirm resource and metallurgical properties. We look forward to releasing the results of our updated Oxide mine plan and progress on the Fresh resource drilling and feasibility study in May 2022. Story continues BEATONS CREEK PROJECT Safety and COVID-19 Update Safety remains a core value of Novo. During Q1 2022, Novo did not record any lost time injuries. The Company is experiencing impacts from COVID-19, particularly with respect to its workforce. Turnover rates are high and mandatory isolation for positive personnel and close contacts is temporarily impacting staffing levels for the Company and its contractors. Supply chain issues are resulting in moderately elevated production costs, particularly with respect to fuel and other consumables, however best efforts have been made to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic through the adoption of sound risk management processes. It is not possible at this time to predict the impact, if any, that current and future government policies and mandates may have on the Companys operations. Operations Forecast Q1 2022 mining rates at Beatons Creek were achieved, with 396 kt of mineralized material mined from the Edwards, Gold Crown, and Grants Hill areas of Beatons Creek (refer to Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 below). Figure 1: Gold Crown and Edwards mining areas (looking North) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cfa15cec-d172-4645-b6fe-66a04a3ee4f6 Figure 2: Grants Hill mining area (looking South-West) https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aaed577d-3011-432e-aa61-8bb356b46d83 Figure 3: Edwards ROM pad https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5a71216-594f-45dc-b7b3-5defb2c79c9a Grade control drilling of Oxide material at Beatons Creek has continued, with 5,640 m on either a 10 x 10 m or 20 x 20 m pattern as appropriate to support the current forecast mining plan. The balance of the Oxide mining plan is now covered with 20 x 20 m drilling as a minimum, with ongoing drilling planned to tighten the drill spacing to 10 x 10 m and resource confidence ahead of mining operations. Samples generated from this drilling are delivered to Interteks on-site laboratory for sample preparation ahead of despatch to Interteks Perth facility4. Novo has secured priority access to two Chrysos PhotonAssay units4, enabling accurate and non-destructive gold assay results with very rapid turnaround time, furnishing operations with gold assay data in a timely manner to support mining operations. The Companys Golden Eagle processing facility (Golden Eagle Plant) processed 394 kt in Q1 2022, with an average head grade of 1.15 g/t Au. Gold production totalled 13,378 ounces and recovery rates of approximately 91.4% were achieved in Q1 2022. Data from ongoing grade control drilling efforts is being used to update and expand Oxide mining schedules at Beatons Creek. Learnings from mining and grade reconciliation over the past year are being incorporated into all mine planning activities and are expected to result in more predictable future mine planning and scheduling models. The Company anticipates that results from this work will be released in May 2022. Encouragingly, head grade in March lifted to 1.31 g/t Au, supported by treating a 60 kt parcel of Fresh material from the Grants Hill pit, which reconciled at 1.75 g/t Au. Throughput rates, reagent consumption and recoveries for this Fresh material performed to expectations and were not materially different to that experienced to date when processing Oxide material. The Companys production forecast for the first half of 2022 has been revised to 27 koz 30 koz Au, assuming receipt of requisite approvals1 and ability to manage impact to operations from COVID-19. Novo Financial Position Novo maintains a strong a financial position, with a cash balance of C$22.0 million2 and investment portfolio with a fair value of approximately C$135 million3. Q1 2022 gold sales totalled 13,364 ounces of gold and 1,780 ounces of silver for gross revenue of C$31.9 million (A$34.7 million)2. Novo sells its gold in Australian dollars to ABC Refinery of Sydney, Australia and continues to enjoy strong gold price performance in Australian dollar terms. In addition to its cash reserves, the Companys strategic portfolio of investments held a fair value of approximately C$135 million3 as at March 31, 2022, including its 9.1% investment in New Found Gold Corp. (TSXV: NFG) which was worth approximately C$114 million3 (approximately C$110 million as at the date of this news release). QP STATEMENT Dr. Quinton Hennigh (P.Geo.) is the qualified person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is the non-executive co-chairman and a director of Novo. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT The decision by the Company to produce at Beatons Creek was not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and, as a result, there is an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Production has not achieved forecast to date. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that anticipated production costs will be achieved. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Companys cash flow and future profitability. The Company cautions that its declaration of commercial production effective October 1, 20215 only indicates that Beatons Creek was operating at anticipated and sustainable levels and it does not indicate that economic results will be realized. ABOUT NOVO Novo operates its flagship Beatons Creek Project while exploring and developing its prospective land package covering approximately 12,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In addition to the Companys primary focus, Novo seeks to leverage its internal geological expertise to deliver value-accretive opportunities to its shareholders. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Novo Resources Corp. Michael Spreadborough Michael Spreadborough Executive Co-Chairman Forward-looking information Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, (1) that the Company expects to produce 27 koz 30 koz Au in the first half of 2022, (2) the impact, if any, that current and future government policies and mandates may have on the Companys operations, that ongoing drilling may tighten the drill spacing and resource confidence ahead of mining operations, (3) that learnings from mining and grade reconciliation over the past year are expected to result in more predictable future mine planning and scheduling models, (4) that results from modelling and scheduling work are expected to be released in May 2022, and (5) an update on the Oxide material mining schedule and progress on the Fresh material resource drilling, feasibility study and external status of approvals will be issued in May 2022. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novos managements discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is available under Novos profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. _________________________ 1 Refer to the Companys news releases dated December 13, 2021 and January 14, 2022. 2 Financial figures may differ immaterially from final results due to foreign exchange and rounding differences. 3 This value excludes the fair value of warrants held in GBM Resources Ltd. Novos ability to dispose of its investments is subject to certain thresholds pursuant to its senior secured credit facility with Sprott Private Resource Lending II (Collector), LP. Please refer to the Companys management discussion and analysis for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, which is available under Novos profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Novos investment in New Found Gold Corp. is subject to escrow requirements pursuant to National Instrument 46-201 Escrow for Initial Public Offerings. The value of Novos holdings in Elementum 3D, Inc. (E3D) is based on E3Ds most recent financing price of US$8.00 per unit. Except for its investment in E3D, the fair value of Novos investments is based on closing prices of its investments and relevant foreign exchanges rate as at March 31, 2022. 4 Refer to the Companys news release dated May 18, 2021. 5 Refer to the Companys news release dated October 12, 2021. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and other senior officials got acquainted with the conditions created in the new administrative building of the Combined Arms Training Center of the Land Forces, the Defense Ministry has reported. The officials were informed that in the center, adapted to real combat conditions, taking into account the appointment of units of various types of troops, the necessary infrastructure has been created for the development of combat training and tactical and special skills of military personnel who will be involved in the exercises. Further, the officials visited the liberated Kalbajar region, where they got acquainted with conditions created at the local military unit. The unit consists of a soldiers barrack and service premises provided with furniture for the exemplary service of the personnel of the divisions, bath and sanitary facilities, dryer, medical point, food warehouse, canteen, and kitchen equipment. The building is supplied with a central heating system, electricity, water, and stable communications, as well as generators to provide the area with uninterrupted electricity. During the visit, Hasanov watched demonstration performances of servicemen in the military units training center where they are involved in fire training in mountainous terrain, as well as overcoming various obstacles and other activities. Positively evaluating the combat and moral-psychological training of the personnel, the minister inquired about their needs and spoke about the tasks assigned to the Azerbaijani army by the countrys president. Hasanov also gave relevant instructions to maintain a high level of combat duty and professionalism of the servicemen. According to the ministry, the measures within the ongoing reforms in the Azerbaijani army are aimed to create a military infrastructure meeting modern standards and increase the combat readiness of Azerbaijani units. STAMFORD, Conn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern University are building on an extensive partnership with the launch of the Faculty Success Program. This service is grounded in O'Donnell Learn+ISG's Faculty Concierge, which provides institutions with scalable, high-touch, and quality faculty learning experience design and delivery consultation. ODonnell Learn + ISG is the data-driven Learning Experience Company delivering people-centric solutions that meet the demands of modern learners and educators. (PRNewsfoto/O'Donnell Learn) As a global research university and recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning, Northeastern continuously innovates the way high-quality instruction is delivered. Many of Northeastern University's courses are led by adjunct faculty, who bring valuable experience from their field into the classroom. However, while these faculty are experts in their subject area, many do not have the in-depth knowledge of online course delivery necessary to create exceptional online learning experiences. Jared Auclair, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Professional Programs and Graduate Affairs for Northeastern University College of Science, recognized the challenges these instructors face in translating their experience and expertise to online. Dr. Auclair turned to O'Donnell Learn+ISG to bridge the gaps within the internal team and provide expert, scaled support for their faculty. Leveraging the dynamic instructor services and technology platform offered by the Faculty Concierge, O'Donnell Learn+ISG developed the Faculty Success Program. This short-term, curated service meets faculty where they are with proactive outreach, one-on-one consultation, tips, and resources. This empowers them to create purposeful online learning experiences while using their time effectively. "Through the Faculty Success Program, the University is able to bolster existing resources on the campus level, and provide personalized support to faculty in designing and delivering humanized, inclusive and engaged learning," said John Falchi, Senior Vice President, Growth and Product Strategy. Dr. Auclair recognizes the value, "The Faculty Success Program provides crucial online learning support to our faculty, thus ensuring the success of both students and faculty." Story continues O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern are working as true partners in developing the program and promoting faculty learning design support at scale. Since 2018, this partnership with the University has contributed to the development of over 100 courses, including projects with the Lowell Institute, D'Amore McKim School of Business, Khoury School of Computer Science, and the Global Resilience Institute. Beyond the Faculty Success Program, the partners are currently developing courses that address data science skills gaps in the production engineering workforce. O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern will present the findings from the program during the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Annual Innovate Conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Dallas, TX. About O'Donnell Learn+ISG O'Donnell Learn + ISG is the data-driven Learning Experience Company delivering people-centric solutions that meet the demands of modern learners and educators. Their technology-powered managed services are delivered in a purchasing model that's flexible, accessible, and predictable for today's institution. O'Donnell Learn + ISG is uniquely positioned to help improve learning experiences at scale. To learn more, please visit this website. About Northeastern University Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-powered lifelong learning. Northeastern's world-renowned experiential approach empowers their students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus. CONTACT: Stefanie Scott O'Donnell Learn Email: sscott@odlearn.com Phone: 203-973-0635 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/odonnell-learnisg-and-northeastern-university-expand-partnership-to-support-online-faculty-301520488.html SOURCE O'Donnell Learn Calgary, Alberta and Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2022) - PetroTal Corp. (TSXV: TAL) (AIM: PTAL) (OTCQX: PTALF) ("PetroTal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a signed government agreement to end the social protest, previously announced on March 3, 2022, and recommencement of production and oil sales upon opening of the loading dock. Protest Conclusion On Wednesday April 6, 2022, Peruvian government officials reached an agreement with the Asociacion Indigena de Desarrollo y Conservacion de Bajo Puinahua ("AIDECOBAP"), to end the social protest, which has been blocking PetroTal's loading dock. AIDECOBAP was protesting against the government on three core issues: prosecution of protesting rights, allocation of the Basic Needs Trust capital to close the social gaps that exist in Peru, and that the government expedite the formalization of the Bretana 2.5% social fund, offered by PetroTal, into the Block 95 license contract. Peruvian government officials, which included the Prime Minister, with support from PetroTal and local community members, agreed to the following items: The Ministry of Energy and Mines presented the proposal for a Ministerial Resolution for the creation of a technical working group to analyze the needs of local communities in the Block 95 area; Perupetro has agreed to propose the incorporation of the 2.5% social development fund as an addenda into the license contract through a supreme decree; and, AIDECOBAP will immediately lift the blockade near PetroTal's loading dock. Based on the current trust framework, PetroTal has funded trust allocations totaling $1.1 million to date, for the eligible fortnight periods in 2022. The working group will observe, recommend and support social trust policy, while day to day operations of the social trust will be managed by an independent third party. PetroTal will also continue to fund and support its ongoing social project commitments directly or via independent project contractors. PetroTal wishes to thank local residents and government officials for continued support through this protest period. Story continues Production Restoration Plan In anticipation of an agreement being reached, PetroTal has oil barge support ready to arrive within hours of the loading dock's formal reopening. The first technical priority is to unload approximately 90,000 barrels of crude oil stored at the oil field, with four to five barges currently engaged. Next, the operations team will ramp production back up over a five to seven day period. This production, along with the stored volumes, will be sold to the Iquitos refinery and through the Brazilian sales export route thereafter. In Q1 2022, PetroTal produced over 1 million barrels of oil, approximately 11,700 bopd, despite being significantly production constrained for most of March 2022. This is a PetroTal record for quarterly production and equates to a sixth straight quarter of production growth for the Company. ONP Pipeline Status As previously announced on March 3, 2022, the Petroperu operated Northern Peruvian Pipeline remains closed due to erosion caused by the rainy season, with no firm timeline of maintenance completion provided by Petroperu. The Company is now focusing all efforts to maximize sales to the Iquitos refinery and the Brazilian export route. Commercial and technical efforts to eventually sell 400,000 barrel (13,000 bopd) monthly cargos through the Brazil route are being explored. CPF-2 Approval The Company's fully commissioned central processing facility ("CPF-2") received ministry approval on March 11, 2022 and is now able to operate up to 26,000 bopd. Bond Update Bondholders have formally accepted PetroTal's call provision notice regarding repayment of the $20 million in bonds dedicated to M&A activities. PetroTal made the payment on April 1, 2022, and now has $80 million in bonds remaining with no required amortization payments in 2022. Liquidity Update The Company's cash position at March 31, 2022 is approximately $53 million, of which $32 million is restricted. Manuel Pablo Zuniga-Pflucker, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented "We are pleased with this agreement that has ended the protesting near our loading dock. We are also extremely appreciative of Perupetro and the Peruvian government's support towards PetroTal's social fund initiative that is aimed at creating long lasting peace in the region for the benefit of all and without any discrimination whatsoever. We can now turn our focus to operational optimization and continued development of Bretana." ABOUT PETROTAL PetroTal is a publicly traded, triquoted (TSXV: TAL, AIM: PTAL and OTCQX: PTALF) oil and gas development and production Company domiciled in Calgary, Alberta, focused on the development of oil assets in Peru. PetroTal's flagship asset is its 100% working interest in Bretana oil field in Peru's Block 95 where oil production was initiated in June 2018. In early 2020, Petrotal became the largest crude oil producer in Peru. The Company's management team has significant experience in developing and exploring for oil in Peru and is led by a Board of Directors that is focused on safely and cost effectively developing the Bretana oil field. It is actively building new initiatives to champion community sensitive energy production, benefiting all stakeholders. For further information, please see the Company's website at www.petrotal-corp.com, the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com, or below: Douglas Urch Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Durch@PetroTal-Corp.com T: (713) 609-9101 Manolo Zuniga President and Chief Executive Officer Mzuniga@PetroTal-Corp.com T: (713) 609-9101 PetroTal Investor Relations InvestorRelations@PetroTal-Corp.com Celicourt Communications Mark Antelme / Jimmy Lea petrotal@celicourt.uk T : 44 (0) 208 434 2643 Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated & Financial Adviser) Ritchie Balmer / James Spinney / Robert Collins T: 44 (0) 207 409 3494 Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker) Callum Stewart / Simon Mensley / Ashton Clanfield Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Auctus Advisors LLP (Joint Broker) Jonathan Wright T: +44 (0) 7711 627449 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. READER ADVISORIES FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Such statements relate to possible future events, including, but not limited to: PetroTal's business strategy, objectives, strength and focus; the impact of social disruption on the Company's operations; drilling, completions, workovers and other activities and the anticipated costs and results of such activities; PetroTal's 2022 budget and financial/operational guidance; PetroTal's anticipated operational results for 2022 including, but not limited to, estimated or anticipated production levels, capital expenditures and drilling plans; capital requirements; the ability of the Company to achieve drilling success consistent with management's expectations; the ability of the Company to achieve near term production targets and operate at unrestricted levels; anticipated future production and revenue; drilling plans including the timing of drilling, commissioning, and startup and the impact of delays thereon; oil production levels, including average and exit production in 2022; sales expansion through alternative exports routes, including barging and trucking; the Company's proposals for collaboration with local communities; and future development and growth prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In addition, statements relating to expected production, reserves, recovery, costs and valuation are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the reserves described can be profitably produced in the future. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "estimate", "potential", "will", "should", "continue", "may", "objective" and similar expressions. Without limitation of the foregoing, future dividend payments, if any, and the level thereof, is uncertain, as the Company's dividend policy and the funds available for the payment of dividends from time to time is dependent upon, among other things, free cash flow financial requirements for the Company's operations and the execution of its growth strategy, fluctuations in working capital and the timing and amount of capital expenditures, debt service requirements and other factors beyond the Company's control. Further, the ability of PetroTal to pay dividends will be subject to applicable laws (including the satisfaction of the solvency test contained in applicable corporate legislation) and contractual restrictions contained in the instruments governing its indebtedness. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the ability of existing infrastructure to deliver production and the anticipated capital expenditures associated therewith, the ability of the Ministry of Energy to effectively achieve its objectives in respect of reducing social conflict and collaborating towards continued investment in the energy sector, reservoir characteristics, recovery factor, exploration upside, prevailing commodity prices and the actual prices received for PetroTal's products, including pursuant to hedging arrangements, the availability and performance of drilling rigs, facilities, pipelines, other oilfield services and skilled labour, royalty regimes and exchange rates, the application of regulatory and licensing requirements, the accuracy of PetroTal's geological interpretation of its drilling and land opportunities, current legislation, receipt of required regulatory approval, the success of future drilling and development activities, the performance of new wells, the Company's growth strategy, general economic conditions and availability of required equipment and services. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses; and health, safety and environmental risks), commodity price volatility, price differentials and the actual prices received for products, exchange rate fluctuations, legal, political and economic instability in Peru and abroad, wars (including Russia's military actions in Ukraine), hostilities, civil insurrections, access to transportation routes and markets for the Company's production, changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. In addition, the Company cautions that current global uncertainty with respect to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its effect on the broader global economy may have a significant negative effect on the Company. While the precise impact of the COVID-19 virus on the Company remains unknown, rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus may continue to have a material adverse effect on global economic activity, and may continue to result in volatility and disruption to global supply chains, operations, mobility of people and the financial markets, which could affect interest rates, credit ratings, credit risk, increased operating and capital costs due to inflationary pressures, business, financial conditions, results of operations and other factors relevant to the Company. Ongoing military actions between Russia and Ukraine have the potential to threaten the supply of oil and gas from the region. The long-term impacts of the actions between these nations remains uncertain. Please refer to the risk factors identified in the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2020 and management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119615 Back in 2020, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Amazon employees routinely used data collected from third-party sellers to launch competing products for the company's private-label business. The US Congress is already investigating the e-commerce giant over that practice, and according to The Journal, so is the Securities and Exchange Commission. Apparently, the SEC is looking into how Amazon disclosed its business practices, including how its employees used data for its private-label brands. As The Journal notes, the SEC is in charge of regulating how publicly traded companies communicate with their investors. It can impose fines and other enforcement actions against them if it finds that they had failed to disclose important business information to investors in a timely manner. As part of the probe, which has reportedly been underway for over a year now, the SEC asked for emails and other communications from several senior Amazon executives. After the original report from The Journal came out, Amazon denied that it uses third-party seller data to launch competing products. It launched an internal investigation of its private-label division, but it refused to provide Congress a copy of its results. Last month, the House Judiciary Committee asked the Department of Justice to launch another investigation into Amazon over a possible criminal obstruction. The committee said back then that the company refused to turn over business documents and communications "to conceal the truth about its use of third-party sellers' data to advantage its private-label business and its preferencing of private-label products in search results." As you'd expect, an Amazon spokesperson denied that's the case and referenced the "huge volume of information [the company has] provided over several years of good-faith cooperation with this investigation." KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia , April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Enterprise Resource Planning software provider, SYSPRO today announced the appointment of a new Vice President for SYSPRO in Asia. Sridharan Arumugam will lead SYSPRO's business in the Asian region reporting to APAC CEO, Rob Stummer, with a mandate to drive the manufacturing and distribution technology specialist's growth strategy across the region. Sridharan Arumugam, VP of Asia for SYSPRO Sridharan is based in Kuala Lumpur and will lead SYSPRO in key countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and other SEA countries including Vietnam and Thailand. SYSPRO's Asia Pacific CEO, Rob Stummer has welcomed Sridharan's appointment: "Sri is a highly experienced leader and digital transformation specialist with an impressive career in the enterprise software space servicing customers from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution across Asia Pacific." Part of Sri's role will be to focus on managing both growth and profitability in the region and also to continue to cultivate SYSPRO's customer-centric culture, by strengthening its partner ecosystem in Asia. His expertise in guiding Asian customers through their digitalization journey has provided him with invaluable knowledge regarding the optimal implementation strategy to introduce advanced Industry 4.0 technologies to Asian manufacturers and distributors. "Manufacturing in Asia is an exciting place to be currently, as it is experiencing some of the strongest investment and growth in the world right now. I'm looking forward to putting my vast experience to good use in continuing to build on SYSPRO's rapid growth in the region," said Sridharan Arumugam, Vice President for Asia, SYSPRO. Prior to joining SYSPRO, Sridharan held two key executive positions including President for Southeast Asia at ProV in Kuala Lumpur and he spent 24 years at IFS Asia Pacific as Vice President for Southeast Asia. He has a Bachelor of Engineering from University Putra, Malaysia. Story continues "With Sri's focus on strategically growing a customer and partner centric model, his understanding of emerging opportunities combined with his executive leadership experience will help SYSPRO Asia continue to deliver exceptional solutions and experiences to manufacturers and distributors in the region as they secure a digital future," concluded Rob Stummer. About SYSPRO SYSPRO is a leading, global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider specializing in key manufacturing and distribution industries. For over 40 years, SYSPRO's team of specialists have continued to address unique industry needs and enable customers to easily adapt and grow. The solution is scalable and can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or both, and accessed via the web on any device to provide customers with choice and flexibility. SYSPRO remains focused on the success of partners and customers. Our evolving solutions are aligned with industry trends to leverage emerging technology that will enable partners and customers in securing a digital future. With more than 15,000 licensed companies in over 60 countries across six continents SYSPRO offers guidance and support every step of the way as a trusted advisor. For more information, visit www.syspro.com SOURCE SYSPRO A top US State Department official gave new hints on Wednesday of the consequences China might face if it gets caught aiding Russia in the invasion of Ukraine - the latest sign that Beijing has failed to convince Washington of its proclaimed neutrality in the war. "I think one only has to look at the range of sanctions, more to be announced today, against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the department's No 2 official, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It gives President Xi [Jinping], I think, a pretty good understanding of what might come his way should he in fact support Putin in any material fashion." Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. US President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly warned China about the potential economic fallout should it helps Russia in the war, whether financially or militarily. Numerous reports, citing US officials, have said that Beijing has considered providing that help. But Washington has been mostly silent on the details of what those consequences might look like. On Wednesday, Sherman sketched in some possibilities. She referred to sanctions against Russia's economy - "against individuals who are enablers, against elites, against oligarchs, export controls, designations" - and emphasised that they had come not only from the US, "but in unprecedented fashion, coordinated with our allies and partners, not just in New York, but throughout the world." "We hope ... the PRC gets some lessons learned out of this," she said. "I hope there's some lessons learned that sanctions bite, that we will keep them coming, that there will be consequences for actions." Throughout the war, China has struggled to portray itself to a Western audience as neutral, despite years of proclaiming the sanctity of national sovereignty as a core tenet of its own foreign policy. Story continues First Chinese officials played down the threat of an imminent invasion before it began on February 24, then they refused to condemn Russia's military action - or describe it as an invasion at all. China's ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun speaking during a Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Tuesday. China has refused to condemn Russia for its military action, or even call it an invasion. Photo: Xinhua alt=China's ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun speaking during a Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Tuesday. China has refused to condemn Russia for its military action, or even call it an invasion. Photo: Xinhua> Beijing has promoted Kremlin disinformation about the war - including the notion that Russia's objective was the "denazification" of Ukraine - while emphasising repeatedly that the Sino-Russian relationship has "no limits". The Biden administration has debated internally just how hard to press China over its partnership with Russia. At times on Wednesday, Sherman seemed to embody that debate - issuing warnings to Beijing, then insisting that China must have been horrified by, for example, Russia's violence against civilians, which President Biden has called war crimes. Police officers collecting information about corpses of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine, on Wednesday, before the bodies are transported to the morgue. Photo: AP alt=Police officers collecting information about corpses of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine, on Wednesday, before the bodies are transported to the morgue. Photo: AP> "I think we've all seen indications that they are conflicted somewhat," Sherman said, referring to Beijing. "That's not to say they don't see Russia as a partner. I'm not naive. They do." "But they've also been public to say it is not an alliance," she said. "And they certainly, I think even in the meeting the other day, were horrified by what happened in Bucha," the site of a massacre of civilians. "Who could not have been by seeing that video?" she said. "I think this is an ongoing circumstance and relationship, and we're going to have to keep working at it." Additional reporting by Owen Churchill This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. DUBLIN, April 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "U.S Point Of Use Water Treatment System Market 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. According to this report, Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems market was valuated at $9.5 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $15.6 billion by 2022. Companies Mentioned CP Kelco Oil Field Group Huntsman Corporation Croda International PLC Weatherford International Stepan Company Enviro Fluid Flotek Industries Water purification has become the need of the hour as UN records more than 4 billion cases of diarrhea every year with the major cause being water contamination. Health institutes, public organizations, governments and NGOs have been aggressive in promoting many of these water treatment systems particularly in the developing countries where access to safe drinking water is limited or scarce. Market Growth Drivers: One of the major growth contributors to the Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems market is the growing human population especially in the developing countries with a current population of 7.6 billion. It is expected to rise to 8.6 billion in 2030. This exponential growth will surely trigger a rise in demand for Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems as natural resources such as clean water become scarcer. Innovative, sustainable and energy efficient water treatment technologies are being innovated almost daily due to the immensely high demand for safe and pure drinking water. Nanotechnology based solutions, UV and UF treatment combinations, organic and biodegradable filtering solutions are some of the key innovations been developed. Furthermore, the lack of access to safe drinking water is a global issue that affects all humanity and thus this triggered a global participation in developing newer treatment technologies that is affordable to the common man especially in the developing countries. Market Challenges: The prime challenge faced by the Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems market is the varying quality of water available across a wide geographical area. The chemical and physical properties of water differ from place to place, such as heavy metal contamination, hard and soft water, etc. This means key players need to design either universal water treatment solution or particular treatment solutions targeting particular geographical areas. Story continues Another major challenge to the Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems market is the wide penetration of purified water bottle companies that also serve to solve the problem of unsustainable and toxic drinking water. Places like Flint, Michigan, USA has an aggravated problem of lead contamination in drinking water. Thus, bottled water seem to be the safer option compared to Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems as perceived by the affected citizens. During the Flint water crisis, many residents claimed that they do not trust filter systems but only choose to use bottled water. Thus the trust level in these Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems were at an all-time low, especially when it was the right time, for an increase in demand for such systems. Key Topics Covered: 1. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market - Overview 2. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market - Executive summary 3. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market 3.1. Comparative analysis 3.1.1. Product Benchmarking - Top 10 companies 3.1.2. Top 5 Financials Analysis 3.1.3. Market Value split by Top 10 companies 3.1.4. Patent Analysis - Top 10 companies 3.1.5. Pricing Analysis 4. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market Forces 4.1. Drivers 4.2. Constraints 4.3. Challenges 4.4. Porters five force model 4.4.1. Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4.2. Bargaining powers of customers 4.4.3. Threat of new entrants 4.4.4. Rivalry among existing players 4.4.5. Threat of substitutes 5. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market -Strategic analysis 5.1. Value chain analysis 5.2. Opportunities analysis 5.3. Product life cycle 6. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Technology (Market Size -$Million / $Billion) 7. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By End User (Market Size -$Million / $Billion) 8. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Design (Market Size -$Million / $Billion) 9. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Applicable Standards/Regulations (Market Size -$Million / $Billion) 10. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems - By Geography (Market Size -$Million / $Billion) 11. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market - Entropy 12. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market Company Analysis 13. Point-of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market -Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hm8yul View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220406005875/en/ Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 TUV Rheinland: Digital risk highlights the need for efficient security tools such as penetration tests LITTLETON, Mass., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A little over a month after the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the two countries are living what is being referred to as a "Cyber Cold War" with attacks on government sites and threats to infrastructure. A huge and significant attack happened right at the beginning of the invasion on February 24, when a Ukrainian satellites, which coordinates more than 5,800 wind power turbines, was digitally disconnected. While this did not disrupt the power generation operation of the turbines, it did prevent management of the system. Since then, most of the turbines have continued to run automatically, and management capability has been restored to over 90% of the systems. Recently a Telecom company in Ukraine was hit with a large cyberattack causing all the company's services across the country to go down. US President Joe Biden has already warned that US organizations should "lock their digital doors," while UK officials are calling for "increased cybersecurity precautions." This presents an enormous risk for businesses globally. Hackers do not miss a new opportunity "The greatest risk to business is not doing enough to secure their infrastructure to respond to this threat. Businesses must adopt Cyber Security Agility as a core business process. Cyber Security Agility is the state where a business can rapidly adapt to the constantly changing threat environment with minimal business disruption. TUV Rheinland has the experience and knowledge to address the constant changes in threats to the online footprint of businesses and enable them to develop Cybersecurity Agility in response," stated Rosanna Pellegrino, Vice President of Cybersecurity at TUV Rheinland. How to ensure security and detect vulnerabilities Using advanced tools and processes, TUV Rheinland can assess and conduct tests to identify weaknesses of IT infrastructure (networks, systems, and applications) and then design programs to ensure the business can constantly adapt to the changing threat profile. The first step is to perform an objective assessment of the security and identify vulnerabilities before hackers find and attack through them. Story continues There are several possible methods that can be used to identify vulnerabilities. The best option for each company depends on its existing IT infrastructure. After an initial assessment, the experts build a strategy based on each company's needs and analyze existing systems to find the most effective penetration testing method. Penetration testing services provided by TUV Rheinland can be applied to applications, networks and infrastructure, embedded systems, online stores, intranet, IoT devices, and more. With a holistic view of IT security, the company's experts perform tests that assess organizational vulnerabilities - procedural and human - in addition to infrastructure, such as in relation to phishing emails, now used during the war between Russia and Ukraine. "Businesses need to maintain vigilance against the constantly changing threat environment," Pellegrino added. "Cybercriminals continue to target power grids, hospitals and financial institutions using targeted phishing attacks aimed at installing ransomware." About TUV Rheinland TUV Rheinland stands for safety and quality in virtually all areas of business and life. Founded 150 years ago, the company is one of the world's leading testing service providers with more than 20,000 employees and annual revenues of around 2 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the world, support innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In doing so, the independent experts generate trust in products as well as processes across global value-adding chains and the flow of commodities. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Find out more about our services here. Contact us for press inquiries: Joel Pekay Telephone: +1 224 318 4098 Email: Joel.Pekay@us.tuv.com Mariana Taborda do Amaral Telephone: +55 11 3514 5867 Email: Mariana.Amaral@br.tuv.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/war-in-ukraine-presents-cybersecurity-threats-for-business-301519548.html SOURCE TUV Rheinland ATLANTA, April 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK) today announced it will permanently cease operations at its mill in Panama City, Florida, by June 6, 2022. The mill produces containerboard, primarily heavyweight kraft, and fluff pulp, with a combined annual capacity of 645,000 tons. Select grades of containerboard currently produced at the mill will be manufactured at other WestRock facilities. "A decision to close a facility and impact the lives of our employees is never easy to make," said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer at WestRock. "As we implement our plans to close the Panama City mill, we do so with great appreciation for the many contributions of the team there. We are committed to assisting our Panama City team with exploring roles at other WestRock locations and outplacement assistance." WestRock is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets, and the Panama City mill would require significant capital investment to maintain and improve going forward. In addition, production of fluff pulp is not a priority in the companys strategy to focus on higher value markets. By closing this mill, significant capital that would be required to keep the mill competitive in the future will be deployed to improve other key assets. The Panama City mill employs approximately 450 people. Employees of the Panama City mill will receive severance and outplacement assistance in accordance with Company policy and labor union agreements. About WestRock WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRocks team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding plans to permanently cease operations at the Companys mill in Panama City, Florida, by June 6, 2022; select grades of containerboard currently produced at the mill will be manufactured at other WestRock facilities; WestRock is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets; production of fluff pulp is not a priority in the companys strategy to focus on higher value markets; by closing this mill, significant capital that would be required to keep the mill competitive in the future will be deployed to improve other key assets; and employees of the Panama City mill will receive severance and outplacement assistance in accordance with Company policy and labor union agreements. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts and are typically identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "target," "prospects," "potential" and "forecast," and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning. Forward looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. We caution readers that forward- looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Our businesses are subject to a number of general risks that would affect any such forward-looking statements. These risks are described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Item 1A under the caption "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2021. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405006310/en/ Contacts Media: Robby Johnson, 470-328-6397 Manager, Corporate Communications robby.b.johnson@westrock.com Investors: James Armstrong, 470-328-6327 Vice President, Investor Relations james.armstrong@westrock.com Tori Dunlap While women in the United States continue to earn less than men, on average, the gender wage gap is narrower among younger workers nationally, and the gap varies across geographical areas, according to a new Pew Research study. While earnings parity tends to be greatest in the first years after entering the labor market, it widens later. In that context, how can women better arm themselves for asking for a raise, negotiating salary or preparing for a financial emergency? Many experts say that it mostly comes down to financial education, knowing your worth and being ready to walk away from a work situation that doesnt work for you anymore. Listen Now: Live Richer Podcast: How to Ask for a Raise And Get It Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First $100K and host of the Financial Feminist podcast, said on The Live Richer Podcast, that she that we dont have any equality for any marginalized group until we have financial equality, and that she sees her in teaching women how to pay off debt, how to say save money, but seeing those acts as a form of protest. So in a society or in a system that actively does not want you to have money and actively gate keeps financial information from you, one of the most radical forms of protest is you actually becoming financially confident and becoming financially stable. And I think that idea or that movement of financial feminism is what really connected us to people, Dunlap said. Indeed, a new Laurel Road survey finds that women, especially women of color, feel employers can still do more to narrow the pay gap. The survey showed that 44% of women do not feel their employers have been successful in narrowing the pay gap, with 48% of BIPOC women agreeing that their company isnt doing all it can to lessen the gender pay gap. Even more disparaging, 42% of women feel that women at their company are less financially empowered than men overall, with 49% of BIPOC women indicating they feel this way, the survey found. Story continues According to Dunlap, when it comes to personal finance and personal finance decisions, 10% of it is your own choices, 90% of it is circumstantial. And I think for a really long time, we didnt have conversations around systemic oppression as it relates to personal finance. We told you, oh, well, if you want to be rich, just work really hard not acknowledging that we live in a sexist, racist, ableist system and society, she said. Finance 101: How Well Do You Know Your Money? Women and Money: The Complete Guide To Being a Financially Savvy Female She recommends having the same mentality as companies, which are ready to cut you without a moments notice, and not be afraid to go somewhere else if its no longer working for you, or if the company doesnt give you the raise you think you deserve. In terms of asking for a raise or negotiating a salary, she said that women should first arm themselves with data, using sites such as Glassdoor, salary.com or PayScale. And then go one step further and discuss this salary negotiation with colleagues, mentors or people you met at networking events. The second aspect, she said, is highlighting your value. Ways youve saved the company money, projects youve implemented, people youve managed, balls that were dropped that you picked up. Anything that you can show that proves that you are extremely valuable to the organization is going to help you be able to convince somebody to give you the raise, she said. And beyond the financial aspect of negotiating a salary or a raise, Dunlap said that its also extremely valuable feedback to assess whether the company is a place where you can grow. If you negotiate kindly, respectfully, and you present it well and they dont respond well to that, thats a huge red flag, where either you dont want that job, you dont want to work with that company or if youre already at that company, maybe its time to start looking for something else, she said. This is also reflected in the Laurel Road survey, which found many women plan to ask for a raise in 2022 and are willing to switch jobs for the pay they feel theyve earned. Indeed, 54% of women and 59% of BIPOC women stated they think they will ask for a raise in 2022, the survey notes. Thats another reason why women should have an emergency or savings account, Dunlap said. This is why I tell women, this is the power of financial stability and financial education is you get to leave toxic situations you dont want to be in anymore, whether thats a relationship or a job. You get to donate to causes you believe in, you get to get married or not get married or have kids or not have kids or start a business or retire early. You have all of these options open up to you when you have that financial stability. And so for me, having that emergency fund meant I didnt have to stay another day in a situation I didnt want to be in it and exist in that toxicity anymore. And having a financial foundation and financial stability means that you dont have to put up [with] toxicity, she said. In an encouraging sign, a recent Nationwide Retirement Institutes Advisor Authority study found that women became more financially proactive during the pandemic, building long-term strategies to ensure income in retirement, protecting against outliving their savings, and taking shorter-term actions like starting rainy day funds and following a monthly budget. The study also found that women have already demonstrated a stronger likelihood than men to make better long-term decisions when facing financial crises. For example, fewer women investors (8%) than male investors (15%) liquidated assets from qualified retirement savings plans- a smart decision given the long-term consequences that can occur when pulling money out of your retirement savings. Dunlap said that if you do have some flexibility in your financial situation, Even if its 10 bucks a month, 20 bucks a month, do everything you can to set up as many of your financial steps or financial tasks on autopilot as possible. So paying your bills on autopilot. Also, setting up an automatic transfer from your checking account to your savings account to automate your savings. Again, even if its just 10 bucks a month, 20 bucks a month, setting aside that automatic transfer, helps you not even think about it, she said. It happens without you even noticing. We call it in the personal finance industry paying yourself first as opposed to leaving it to the end of the month when youre like, oh, I dont have anything left in my account anymore. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Woman Saved $100,000 by Age 25 Her Advice? Really, Truly Pay Yourself First Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, the Justice Department said. Garland, 69, is not experiencing symptoms but asked to be tested after learning he may have been exposed to the virus, the department said. He is fully vaccinated and boosted. Earlier Wednesday, Garland attended a news conference with other officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, to announce sanctions against Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev. "In accordance with CDC guidelines, the Attorney General will isolate at home for at least five days," the Justice Department said in a statement. "He will work virtually during this period and will return to the office following a negative test for the virus. The department will conduct contact tracing in accordance with CDC protocols." Garland is the latest high-profile Washington figure to test positive for Covid-19 in recent days. Another member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, said Wednesday she had tested positive after having attended the Gridiron dinner in Washington over the weekend, and Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro and Adam Schiff have also announced positive tests. The Commerce Department said in a statement Wednesday that Raimondo is "experiencing mild symptoms" but is "confident that the vaccine has prevented her from experiencing more significant symptoms." Schiff said in a Tuesday tweet that he was "feeling fine," and Castro reported in his own of "experiencing mild symptoms." Last month, second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for the virus, marking the first known case of Covid-19 among the first or second families since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office in January 2021. Inside the White House, in accordance with federal public health guidelines, officials and visitors have not been required to wear masks or social distance. Visitors are expected to be tested for Covid-19 before attending official White House events. Covid-19 cases in Washington, DC, have declined since their peak in early January, when the country was facing a wave of Omicron variant cases. "We're now in a new moment in this pandemic -- (it) does not mean that Covid-19 is over," the President said while receiving his second booster shot last month. "It means that Covid-19 no longer controls our lives." Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday that he thinks there will be an uptick in cases of Covid-19 in the US over the next few weeks, and that it is likely that there could be a surge in the fall. "I think we should expect ... that over the next couple of weeks, we are going to see an uptick in cases. And hopefully there is enough background immunity so that we don't wind up with a lot of hospitalizations," Fauci said, when asked by Bloomberg TV's David Westin about the prospect of another wave of Covid-19 from BA.2 or another variant, given the level of immunity believed to exist in the US today. This story has been updated with additional details. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. CNN's MJ Lee and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Trend The meetings of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Brussels with the President of the Council of the EU Charles Michel and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the negotiations and agreements reached are another success of Azerbaijan, Deputy General Director of Trend News Agency, political expert Sahil Karimli told Trend. According to him, the statement of the President of the Council of the EU, made after the meeting, indicates that the advantage, as always, is on the side of Azerbaijan and the conditions at the negotiating table are determined by President Ilham Aliyev, because Azerbaijan is the right side. The main agreement reached at the end of the meeting is the beginning of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Peace negotiations will be conducted on the basis of the five-point proposal put forward by Azerbaijan, of course. The main and most important point of this proposal is the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. All this is very important and fully corresponds to the national interests of Azerbaijan, Karimli said. In addition, an agreement was reached on demarcation and elimination of tension on the Azerbaijan Armenia border and other important issues. The main topics of discussion will be the restoration and creation of transport communications, the construction of railways and roads. All this once again shows that the new realities formed by Azerbaijan in the region are recognized all over the world, and the contribution of our country to peace, security and economic development of the region is highly valued, Karimli noted. One of the key points is that Charles Michel's statement does not mention the term "Nagorno-Karabakh" and the OSCE Minsk Group. It seems that the Minsk Group has long since become an unnecessary institution. The EU is working on creating a mechanism for direct negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The parties will undoubtedly be able to better understand each other, and the results will be positive if the negotiations continue in this format. The EU makes a great contribution to this process, maintains its impartiality and trusts Azerbaijan, Karimli emphasized. The EU recognizes the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev in the region. Of course, personal relations between President of the Council of the EU Charles Michel and President Ilham Aliyev and frequent contacts play an important role here. In general, the telephone conversations held in recent months by world leaders, heads of powerful countries with President Ilham Aliyev are an indicator of the great authority of the Head of the Azerbaijani State, Karimli added. Northeast Community College in West Point will offer a training course in early May for those who operate a piece of machinery that is among one of the leading causes of workplace injuries. Forklift Safety Training (SAFT 5100/22S & CRN #70024) will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 2 in the Donald E. Nielsen Career and Technical Education Center, 200 E. Washington St., Room 115. The emphasis in this course is the safe operation and maintenance of forklift trucks, electrical pallet jacks, and narrow aisle equipment. Discussion will include hands-on training and how to evaluate the performance of your operators. The Nebraska Safety Council comprehensive training program communicates valuable information from which new and experienced forklift operators can benefit. Topics such as general safety, pre-operation, operation core safety rules, and load handling will be covered. Other topics such as safety rules for different types of lift trucks and battery maintenance will also be discussed. The course covers mandatory instruction required per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178. Cost of the course, which is taught by Glen Lammers, is $100. Pre-registration is required. To register, call Northeast Community College at 402-844-7000. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Midland University arts students helped raise $6,000 to aid displaced Ukrainian families following the Russian invasion of their country. Cast and crew members of the production of The Diary of Anne Frank collected donations after their performances in late March. Funds are being donated to World Central Kitchen, an organization that is working to feed Ukrainian families along the Polish border. The students efforts wont only help Ukrainians overseas, but deeply touched a Ukrainian foreign exchange student who attended a performance. Lee Meyer, MU adjunct professor of theater, told the Fremont Tribune that shes met Chef Jose Andres, who founded WCK, a nonprofit that provides meals in the wake of disasters. 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 and bombings and atrocities have followed. At this point, the United Nations estimates that more than 10 million people are thought to have fled their homes in Ukraine due to the invasion. Besides the estimated 4.2 million refugees whove fled to neighboring countries, another 6.5 million are thought to be displaced inside the war-torn country. Midland students had begun working on their production when they learned about the invasion. During one of our rehearsals, Brendan Westlake (who portrayed Otto Frank) informed the cast and crew that Russia had just invaded Ukraine, Meyer said in an MU press release. You could tell right away the students were deeply affected. I think the play became very personal after that. The Diary of Anne Franke is the story of a young girl and her family who go into hiding for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. The family later was discovered. Anne and her sister, Margot, died in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Only her father, Otto, survived. This is probably the most important show Midland is doing this year, for the story its keeping alive just to keep that history in mind, Westlake told the Tribune. Westlake said news of Russias invasion felt like history was repeating itself. We were working on this show about a European conflict, and then we all realized it was happening again, Westlake said in the release. I think the realization was overwhelming. Meyer said she knew students were thinking about the Ukrainian refugees and immediately thought of WCK. Knowing WCK was on the Polish border helping the people of Ukraine, Meyer and students came up with the idea of taking a collection after each performance to send to WCK. Westlake said the emotion of the performance was only topped by the emotional support given by the audience afterward. As sad as the show itself is, seeing peoples generosity after the show was the part that always got us, he said. You saw all this raw emotion when the audience realized they could do something to help. Meyer said the impact the cast and crew made hit home following one of the performances when a man in the audience introduced a foreign exchange student from Ukraine who was staying with his family. This student was just sobbing, and she couldnt even speak, Meyer said. We know this is just a drop in the bucket, but I know the WCK will use it to feed as many people as they can. I think this experience brought our entire cast and crew closer together. We became a real family while helping others. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Gary Wockner, PhD, is an environmental activist and a consultant to scientific, political and environmental organizations in Colorado. Contact: GaryWockner.com Durbin: Some GOP Supreme Court nominees 'should have been handled better' As a hobbyist rock climber with a passion for teaching, I love taking people to the crag for their first climbing experience. While I always bring an extra climbing helmet along for the first-timer, I've noticed a trend of these novice climbers showing up with their own headwear typically whatever type of helmet they can find and often one they bought for that bike that's been sitting in their garage for years. In case you didn't know, all helmets are created differently, often created to be specific to particular risks one faces in a given sport. Wearing the helmet designed for the specific sport is crucial to protecting your noggin. By Azernews By News Center Turkey has delivered two attack helicopters (ATAK) to the Philippines, Yeni Shafak newspaper has reported. Another day for our defence industry to be proud of! We are delivering our ATAK helicopters to the Philippines for the first time abroad, Turkey's Defence Industry Chief Ismail Demir wrote on his Twitter account. A delivery ceremony for ATAK helicopters, which were exported for the first time, was staged in Manila, the Philippines' capital. Demir attended the ceremony held at Col Jesus Villamor Air Base to introduce two Atak helicopters and a C-295 transport aircraft into the Philippine army's inventory. The defence chief emphasized that the state-to-state agreement inked between the two nations in 2018 significantly contributed to the defence industry growth. We are taking our close ties between the two nations to a new level, Demir said adding that the ATAK helicopter is one of the best in its class. He emphasized Turkey's willingness to assist the Philippine armed forces in terms of equipment and training. "Developing the Turkish defence industry is also an invitation to friendly countries like the Philippines. We can achieve many successes together," Demir underlined. In the previous statement made by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), it was stated that the company will deliver a total of six T129 Atak helicopters to the Philippines. It was noted that four pilots and 19 technicians from the Philippines completed the training. TUSAS General Manager Temel Kotil said that they will complete the delivery of a total of six helicopters to the Philippines in 2022. The Turkish defence industry, which took an important step with the first overseas delivery of the Atak helicopter, is preparing to announce new exports to the Philippines and other countries. Underlining the Philippines additional demands, Kotil said: These are being discussed, we have offered as well. Maybe we may not sign a deal here, but I hope we will sign it in the coming days. Kotil stressed that the Atak is a helicopter that draws a lot of attention and that 30 helicopters are scheduled to be supplied to Pakistan. One man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Wolf Ranch Wednesday, officials with the Colorado Springs Police Department announced. Right on the heels of the news Sierra Space and Blue Origin successfully completed a key review stage for the Orbital Reef space station project Tuesday, company representatives talked at length about whats been described as a business park in space at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. By Azernews By Kiymet Sezer U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago has stated that they are working closely with Turkey on green energy technologies, Yeni Shafak daily has reported. Lago made the remarks during the Ankara discussions on the Turkey-US Strategic Mechanism in the fields of trade, climate change, and energy security. I look forward to further cooperation in the field of energy security in the near future, Lago said. She attended the Eurasia Small Modular Reactors Forum in Ankara on April 5-6 as part of her visit to Turkey to deepen cooperation in the Strategic Mechanism's economic and commercial dimensions. In the light of the growing Russia-Ukraine tensions, Lago's first statement on bilateral relations focused on energy security and climate change solutions. Lago spoke at the forum, which was attended by Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and deputy ministers from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. She highlighted that the U.S, as a world leader, is committed to combating climate change and advancing diversified clean energy generation via small modular reactor technologies. Lago emphasized Turkey's recent achievements in energy security, stating that the country has become a pioneer in the development of renewable energy sources and that they work closely with Turkey on green energy technologies. The Turkey-U.S. Strategic Mechanism's initial studies on bilateral trade, which were announced with a joint statement issued during U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland's visit to Ankara, were completed on April 6. As a part of her visit, Lago also met Deputy Commerce Minister Mustafa Tuzcu to discuss the steps to be taken to increase the trade volume between the two countries to $100 billion. The establishment of the Turkey-U.S. Strategic Mechanism was decided during a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in Rome in October in 2021. During the meeting, the sides agreed that a multifaceted mechanism should be developed to handle the different aspects of the Turkey-U.S. cooperation. The first chapter of the strategic mechanism was initiated at the level of the under secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and Turkey's deputy commerce minister. In the upcoming period, it is expected that mutual mechanisms will operate on many topics, especially security, defence, trade, counter-terrorism and regional issues. The Eurasia Small Modular Reactor Forum, hosted by the U.S. government and led by the International Trade Administration, aims to educate the region's countries on the benefits of small modular reactor technologies. The benefits of innovative, clean, and green energy are discussed, and solutions offered by the U.S. private sector are introduced, as part of the Forum titled "SMR (Small Modular Reactor) Sustainable Energy Strategies in the United States, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan." SMR technology offers safe, clean and affordable nuclear energy options, and stands out for its price advantages. Moreover, the technology can be installed in locations, which are not suitable for larger nuclear power plants. Pro-life and Human Rights Organizations to Hold Rally Demanding Washington, D.C. Chief Medical Examiner Perform a Complete and Transparent Autopsy on Five Late-term Aborted Babies NEWS PROVIDED BY Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution April 7, 2022 WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The groups will also be calling for the Medical Examiner to ensure these children have a proper and dignified funeral and burial. The name of the event is #JusticeForTheFive and will take place at the Washington, D.C. Medical Examiner's office on Friday, April 8, at 12:00 p.m. The location is 401 E St SW, Washington, D.C. 20024. #JusticeForTheFive is being organized by Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution with co-sponsors including Priests for Life, CPAC, Created Equal and Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. These late-term aborted babies were recovered by PAAU, a pro-life activist group, which oversaw them being picked up by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Unit and delivered to the Medical Examiner. It appears the late gestational ages as well as their apparent sustained injuries potentially show violations of federal laws and infanticide. The Washington, D.C. Medical Examiner and D.C. Police Department are refusing to conduct a thorough and transparent autopsy to see if any federal laws were broken. The late-term abortions were performed by Dr. Cesare Santangelo of Surgi-Clinic in Washington, D.C. Here is a link to a Live Action news article which includes pictures and descriptions of the aborted children: https://www.liveaction.org/news/infant-bodies-infanticide-attempted-abortions/ The groups are demanding justice for these children by calling for a complete and transparent autopsy to see if any federal laws were broken. We will also be asking for the babies to be given to faith leaders for a dignified and respectful burial. These lives are God's precious children and deserve equality and justice. Below are public statements from some of the participating leaders: "The last thing the abortion industry and its political supporters want is for the very thing they sell to be exposed to the light of day. They defend abortion but will never describe it. "The truth of what happened to these babies should not be hidden in denial. That would be an irresponsible approach. Now that these bodies have been discovered, let's discover exactly how they were killed. Let's have the strength to defend the rule of law." -- Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. "The DC Police and the Department of Justice must conduct an autopsy and complete a thorough investigation immediately." -- Mark Harrington, President and Founder of Created Equal "I held these five late-term aborted children in my arms. In 20 years of medical experience, from the ambulance to the NICU, I have never seen anything more disturbing than what was done to them. "There is clear evidence of potential federal crimes having been committed and D.C. officials are covering it up. We need an autopsy on these babies and 'Justice For the Five.'" -- A.J. Hurley, Executive Director of Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. "It is hard to imagine viable children are being brutally destroyed in our nation's capital through the violence of abortion. These children have value and dignity and must be treated with equality and justice. "We will be demanding justice for these children by calling for a complete and transparent autopsy to see if any federal laws were broken. We will also be asking for the babies to be turned over to faith leaders for a dignified and respectful burial. These lives demand dignity and each one has value and purpose." -- Rev. Patrick Mahoney Chief Strategy Officer of Stanton Public Policy Center For more information or interviews call: Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741 SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741 Share Tweet By Azernews By News Center Turkeys Baykar Technologies Company head Selcuk Bayraktar has stated that the homegrown Kizilelma (Red Apple) unmanned warplane will be tested for the first time in 2023, Yeni Shafak has reported. We are entering a new era in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles. Studies for Turkey's first unmanned warplane have been going on for a long time. There was a new development this week. Wings were attached to the first prototype model, Bayraktar told Turkish NTV television. The first flight test of the Kizilelma unmanned air warfare system in 2023 shows that the Turkish defence technologies journey has come to a critical threshold, Bayraktar stressed. "The world prefers such [unmanned] platforms. One of the main reasons for the delay of platforms is the huge investments made in the fifth-generation aircraft. If this were not the case, the world would have switched to unmanned aerial planes 10 years ago. The cost incurred so far is so great that they cannot give up, he underlined. According to Bayraktar, the biggest advantage of Kizilelma is that it is unmanned and thus, it can carry out much more dangerous missions in battles. Armies can't always take the required risks since losing the pilot means losing the fight. But unmanned platforms are not like that, since they are robot planes, they can lose them much more easily, he added. By removing the human factor, it is easy to eliminate the physiological limits that are specific to human beings. Therefore, the aircraft can perform much sharper maneuvers, Bayraktar said. Bayraktar Kizilelma will be Turkey's first unmanned warplane. It has been a dream for us since we built the mini UAV. We have progressed step by step in this struggle that we have been giving since the beginning of the 2000s. We see that we are getting very close to this dream," the company chief stressed. Bayraktar stated that the speed limit will be much higher than other produced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the software systems, which were used in Akinci planes, will be applied in Kizilelma as well. This represents roughly 18 years of technological advancement. We can create Kizilelma with the help of Akinci. It was designed to take off from Turkey's aircraft carriers, which have short runways. As a result, the course of battle history will be altered. Platforms on a national scale are critical to our freedom. Otherwise, you'll never be able to claim to be in command, Bayraktar emphasized. The aircraft, of which development studies are totally carried out by Turkish engineers and technicians using Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akinci expertise, will be effective against air targets using domestic air-to-air munitions. The feature of having a low radar cross-section, which is regarded as one of the most critical issues in the design of manned airplanes, was also taken into account in the design of Bayraktar Kizilelma. Kizilelma will have a take-off weight of six tons and will be capable of performing the most difficult missions owing to its low radar trace. With a targeted payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms, the aircraft, will use munitions manufactured by Turkish experts and will be a significant power multiplier. By Trend The UN commented on the signing of a peace agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Centerra Gold Inc on the Kumtor mine, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic reported, Trend reports with reference to Kabar. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General during his press conference said that the UN took note of the settlement reached between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and Centerra Gold Inc. over the Kumtor Gold Mine. The signing of this peace agreement means the resolution of the issue within the framework of international commercial law, to which the Kyrgyz side remains committed as a member of the UN. aMante wrote: It was only after Katharine Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1963 that it moved into the first rank of American newspaper, and it was under her command that the paper won high praise for its unrelenting reporting of the Watergate scandal a)It was only after Katharine Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1963 that it moved into the first rank of American newspaper, and it was under her command that the paper won high praise b)It was only after Katharin Graham's becoming publisher of The Wasington Post in 1963 that it moved into the first rank of American newspaper, and under her commandt it had won high praise c)Katharine Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1963, and only after that did it move into the first rank of American newspapers, having won high praise under her command d)Moving intor the first rank of American newspaper only after Katharine Graham became its publisher in 1963, The Washington Post, winning high praise under her command e)Moving into the first rank of American newspaper only after Katharine Graham's becoming its publisher in 1953, The Washington Post won high praise under her command I can't come up with anything!!!!!!!! Plz Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!! General structure: Independent clause [,and] Independent clause Both clauses here are in a form that is used to create emphasis: "it... is/was..... that+subject+verb" Ex. It is the red dress that I want. (Emphatic structure for, "I want the red dress") So we have here, "It was only after Graham became..." ,and "it was under.... that the paper won." Notice that the time modifier for "became" is "in 1963," a specific time indicating the past simple (V2) "became". So the tenses and sentence structure are good here! The only problem here is the "had won"-- the past perfect (had+V3). There is no indication that the winning had taken place in the past relative to some other point in the past. The entire sentence should be in the past simple. We can stop reading as soon as we get to "and only after that..." "That" is a relative pronoun that is trying to refer to some thing. But there is nothing, no written noun, to which the word "that" refers, and it cannot refer to the entire preceding clause. All pronouns must refer to a written noun that appears in the sentence . Up until the first comma ("Moving into....1963,") is descriptive information. The "moving" is a present participle, an -ing word that is descriptive. After the subject, The Washington Post, there is another modifier starting with the present participle "winning". This second modifier (i.e. descriptive phrase) continues all the way to the end of the sentence, and we are never given a verb for the subject "The Washington Post!" On a grammatically technical level, there is no error here. BUT INTENDED MEANING MATTERS! It is critical to try to understand the meaning that was intended by the original, and the original wanted to emphasize Graham's accomplishments, and hence the emphatic structure explained in A. Sarai Yaseen Need help pulling it all together? email me at saraiyaseen@gmail.com or theverbalcorner@gmail.com ! Want a quick, comprehensive guide to the whole Verbal section? Check out my guide book : https://www.amazon.com/Sarais-GMAT-CAT-Verbal-Book-comprehensive-ebook/dp/B07MFMSZ6M/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sarai+gmat+verbal&qid=1605248699&sr=8-1 Signature Read More Let's break this down so that it will be easier and faster...A)It was only after Katharine Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1963 that it moved into the first rank of American newspaper, and it was under her commandthat the paper won high praiseB)It was only after Katharin Graham's becoming publisher of The Wasington Post in 1963 that it moved into the first rank of American newspaper, and under her command it had won high praiseC)Katharine Graham became publisher of The Washington Post in 1963, and only after that did it move into the first rank of American newspapers, having won high praise under her commandD)Moving intor the first rank of American newspaper only after Katharine Graham became its publisher in 1963, The Washington Post, winning high praise under her commandE)Moving into the first rank of American newspaper only after Katharine Graham's becoming its publisher in 1953, The Washington Post won high praise under her command_________________ Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy On April 21, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Danville Community College will host an open house event in the Student Center on the DCC campus. We want any member of our community who has been considering attending college to come spend some time with us and see what DCC has to offer, said Muriel Mickles, interim president at DCC. Whether seeking short-term workforce training, or looking to obtain an associates degree before transferring to a four-year university, we can help any student reach their goals. The event will include a one-stop shop, located in the Student Center, that will allow students to come in with no application and leave ready to get their class schedule. There will be staff from admissions, counseling, advising, student success, financial aid and TRiO EOC present to assist students every step of the way. The open house event will be held in concert with DCCs annual student Spring Fling. This will be the first Spring Fling since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Were excited to bring back Spring Fling, especially in conjunction with open house, said Kevin Gatewood, student activities coordinator at DCC. We will have a variety of fun activities taking place across campus to showcase our robust student activities programming. Campus tours will be offered every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Tours will include visits to exciting lab areas, classrooms, the student center and outdoor pavilion, the library and more. We hope to highlight our beautiful campus, our cutting-edge workforce and lab facilities, and our recreational spaces where students can engage in activities and socialization, continued Dr. Mickles. For more information about DCC or to apply and enroll, visit danville.edu/nextsteps and fill out the interest form. The U.S. Army helicopter crash that killed a Charlottesville, Va., native and graduate of the University of Virginia ROTC program is under investigation for possible criminal activity. The Armys Criminal Investigation Division is continuing to look into the March 30 crash of two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters at Wright Army Airfield, between Fort Stewart and Hinesville, Georgia. The crash killed Capt. James Bellew, 26. Bellew was a trained medevac, or medical evacuation, pilot and his brigade commander described him as a top officer in his unit. Subordinates have also praised Bellew since his death. The loss of James is an immeasurable tragedy to his family, friends, crew and fellow soldiers, said Col. Eric Vanek, in a prepared statement. But exactly what happened to cause Bellews death is continued to be investigated, Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder, a spokesperson for U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division, told the Army Times. Bellew was on the medevac on duty the night of the incident, Elder told the Army Times. Capt. Bellew was the only crewmember involved in the incident and he was the only one injured or killed in the incident, explained Elder. The initial indication is that all other crewmembers were asleep at the time of the incident. Elder declined to discuss with the publication how the aircraft were damaged or provide a timeline of events because of the ongoing investigation. By Trend The President of Kazakhstan and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi exchanged congratulations on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also congratulated Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the successful hosting of EXPO 2020 in Dubai, the Akorda press service said, Trend reports citing Kazinform. During the conversation, special emphasis was made on the prospects for developing bilateral trade, and economic and investment cooperation. President Tokayev and Crown Prince Al Nahyan reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening political dialogue and boosting economic ties. In particular, they expressed an interest in implementing joint investment projects. Kazakhstans President reiterated his invitation to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan this year. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) One month of war, still defiant. With its government still standing and its outnumbered troops battling Russian forces to bloody stalemates on multiple fronts, Ukraine is scarred, wounded and mourning its dead but far from beaten. When Russia unleashed its invasion Feb. 24 in Europe's biggest offensive since World War II and brandished the prospect of nuclear escalation if the West intervened, a lightning-swift toppling of Ukraine's democratically elected government seemed likely. But with Wednesday marking four full weeks of fighting, Russia is bogged down in a grinding military campaign, with untold numbers of dead, no immediate end in sight, and its economy crippled by Western sanctions. U.S. President Joe Biden and key allies are meeting in Brussels and Warsaw this week to discuss possible new punitive measures and more military aid to Ukraine. Keep scrolling to the end of this story for a gallery of images from the first month of the war in Ukraine As Biden left the White House on Wednesday for the flight to Europe, he warned there is a "real threat" Russia could use chemical weapons and said he will discuss that danger with the other leaders. The war's economic and geopolitical shockwaves with soaring energy prices, fears for global food supplies, and Russia and China aligning in a new world order with echoes of the Cold War have reverberated across a planet yet to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. With his olive-drab T-shirts, unshaven face and impassioned appeals to governments around the world for help, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been transformed into a wartime leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin's No. 1 antagonist. Addressing Japan's parliament on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said four weeks of war have killed thousands, including at least 121 of Ukraine's children. "Our people cannot even adequately bury their murdered relatives, friends and neighbors. They have to be buried right in the yards of destroyed buildings, next to the roads," he said. Repeatedly pushed back by hit-and-run Ukrainian units armed with Western-supplied weapons, Russian troops are shelling targets from afar, falling back on tactics they used in reducing cities to ruins in Syria and Chechnya. Major Russian objectives remain unfulfilled. The capital, Kyiv, has been repeatedly hit but not taken or even encircled. More shelling and gunfire shook the city Wednesday, with plumes of black smoke rising from the western outskirts, where the two sides battled for control of multiple suburbs. A shopping mall and other buildings were hit, injuring four people, city officials said. Mayor Vitali Klitschko, said at least 264 civilians have been killed in the capital since war broke out. In the south, the port city of Mariupol has seen the worst devastation of the war, under weeks of siege and bombardment. But Ukrainian forces have prevented its fall, thwarting an apparent bid by Moscow to secure a land bridge from Russia to Crimea, seized from Ukraine in 2014. Zelenskyy said 100,000 civilians remain in the city, which had a pre-war population of 430,000. It has been shattered by strikes from air, land and sea, and repeated efforts to get desperately needed food and other supplies to those trapped have often failed. "They bombed us for the past 20 days," said 39-year-old Viktoria Totsen, who fled from Mariupol into Poland. "During the last five days, the planes were flying over us every five seconds and dropped bombs everywhere on residential buildings, kindergartens, art schools, everywhere." Zelenskyy, speaking Tuesday in his nightly video address to his nation, said efforts to establish humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents are almost all being "foiled by the Russian occupiers, by shelling or deliberate terror." He accused Russian forces of seizing one humanitarian convoy. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the Russians were holding captive 11 bus drivers and four rescue workers along with their vehicles. The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross traveled Wednesday to Moscow for discussions with Russian officials on humanitarian aid, prisoners of war, and other matters. "The devastation caused by the conflict in recent weeks, as well as eight years of conflict in Donbas, has been vast," Red Cross President Peter Maurer said. It is not clear how much of Mariupol is still under Ukrainian control. Fleeing residents say fighting continues street by street. In their last update, over a week ago, Mariupol officials said at least 2,300 people had died, but the true toll is probably much higher. Airstrikes in the past week destroyed a theater and an art school where civilians were sheltering. In the besieged northern city of Chernihiv, Russian forces bombed and destroyed a bridge that was used for aid deliveries and civilian evacuations, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that the military operation is going "strictly in accordance with the plans and purposes that were established beforehand." Putin's aims remain to "get rid of the military potential of Ukraine" and to "ensure that Ukraine changes from an anti-Russian center to a neutral country," Peskov said. Officially, Russia is calling the campaign a "special military operation." It has effectively outlawed terms such as "invasion" and "war," and police have arrested thousands of antiwar protesters. But as casualties mount and quick victory is no longer in sight, Russia is having to work to shore up morale. Under a law passed Wednesday, troops in Ukraine will get the same benefits as veterans of previous wars, including tax breaks, discounts on utilities and preferential access to medical treatment Western officials say that Ukrainian resistance has halted much of Russia's advance and that Putin's forces are facing serious shortages of food, fuel and cold weather gear, with some soldiers suffering frostbite. Russia's military casualties are unclear, but even conservative estimates by Western officials are in the low thousands. The U.S. estimates Russia has lost slightly more than 10% of the overall combat capability it had at the start of the fight, including troops, tanks and other equipment. Britain's defense ministry said the war in northern Ukraine is largely "static." "We have seen indications that the Ukrainians are going a bit more on the offensive now," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. He said that was particularly true in southern Ukraine, including near Kherson. But Russia's far stronger, bigger military has many Western military experts warning against overconfidence in Ukraine's long-term odds. The Kremlin's practice in past wars has been to grind down resistance with strikes that flattened cities, killing countless civilians and sending millions fleeing. Talks to end the fighting have continued by video. Zelenskyy said negotiations with Russia are going "step by step, but they are going forward." With no peace, those not yet fighting prepared to do so. In the western city of Lviv, gun shop owner Zakhar Sluzhalyy said: "Everything's a best-seller these days." "We're defending our land," he said. "We're fighting for our freedom and that of the rest of Europe." *** PHOTO GALLERY Note: The following gallery includes graphic images Anna reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, and other AP journalists around the world contributed to this report. RALEIGH Its an often-repeated tale, I admit, but Im going to repeat it, again: the worlds largest low-rise office building, the Pentagon, was built in 16 months. Can you imagine a project even a tenth the size of the Pentagon being constructed that quickly today? Its true the 16-month period in question from the September 11, 1941 groundbreaking to the January 15, 1943 completion date didnt include planning time. Can you guess how long the planning took? Heres the sequence of events. At a July 17, 1941 hearing on Capitol Hill, U.S Rep. Clifton Woodrum of Virginia pressed the Roosevelt administration to come up with an overall solution to the War Departments longstanding office crunch. At the time, its employees were spread out over 17 separate buildings in the nations capital. Keep in mind that by this point in World War II, the United States had not officially entered the conflict. But America was already a major supplier of materiel to both Britain and the Soviet Union, and was imposing stiff economic sanctions on Japan in response to its invasion of, and atrocities within, the vast expanse of China. U.S. officials knew full well (even if the general public did not) that the country might soon be drawn into war. Among their concerns was the readiness of the War Department to manage any rapid and massive mobilization that might be required. Within days of the July 17 hearing, then, the department responded with a plan to build a new headquarters just over the Potomac River at Arlington Farms. Because of the sites irregular shape, planners chose the now-distinctive pentagon design. On July 28 you read that right Congress authorized funding for the project. The departments plan drew immediate objections. Neighbors, activists, and civic leaders complained that even though the planned building would be only five stories tall, it might block the view from Arlington National Cemetery to Washington. After several weeks of wrangling, President Roosevelt sided with the critics and chose a different location, a former airport, for the Pentagon. Unlike modern land-use disputes of comparable acrimony, however, this one didnt gum up the works too much. Though the final site hadnt been officially designated, the War Department spent the summer selecting its vendors and identifying the additional parcels of land it would need to buy around each of the alternative sites. On the same day the construction contract was designed, September 11, work on the Pentagon began. I cant tell you the next 16 months always went smoothly. The contractors encountered unexpected problems. Sometimes the construction crews got ahead of the evolving designs. The project blew past its original budget. And although the 16 months of construction may seem lightning fast to us, department officials actually found it frustratingly slow. They had to move some employees into the Pentagon as it was still being completed when some of the hallways were really just wooden planks laid across construction pits. Theres no such emergency in North Carolina right now. But the example of the Pentagon, and of other construction projects of the era, can be seen as evidence of the proposition that when public agencies and private contractors have sufficient means and motivation, they can act with dispatch. Can we all agree that it simply takes too long today to plan, permit, design, and complete major public-works projects? There are roads I regularly travel where orange barrels have become a seemingly permanent feature. The cost in dollars, traffic, and frustration are immense. Now that the national Democrats Build Back Better legislation has stalled out, I suggest North Carolina leaders expropriate two-thirds of the slogan to name a new bipartisan initiative: a Build Back Faster bill. Lets get serious about streamlining state regulations and permitting processes so that public buildings, roads, sewer lines, and other infrastructure can be completed in a reasonable time. Do that, ladies and gentlemen, and youll get a big round of applause. Itll be well deserved. John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author. GREENSBORO UNCG officials issued a statement Wednesday after at least one graduate publicly criticized a planned speaking engagement on campus by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro. Shapiro, who is scheduled to speak Monday at UNCGs Fleming Gym, was invited by a student group called Young Americans for Freedom. Some students and graduates are concerned the event will increase harassment of the transgender community because of past statements Shapiro has made. Young Americans for Freedom featured one of those statements in an Instagram post: Men cannot become women. Women cannot become men. Men who believe they are women are not real women. Cathy Akens, UNCGs vice chancellor for student affairs, said the schools policies that allow student organizations to bring speakers to campus are informed by a responsibility to protect free speech and civil discourse. In cases where students may feel that the content of a scheduled speaker is offensive to them, we will do all we can to provide support to our students and opportunities for dialogue, Akens said in an email. We make sure students know about available campus resources in place to support them. Akens said administrators are frequently approached by student groups who want to offer events on the campus, including alternative programming in response to a scheduled speaker. She noted that April is UNCG Pride Month, which features activities planned for the campus community. As with any large-scale university event, Akens said UNCGs campus police will be coordinating the security, along with the Greensboro Police Department. She said university staff will also be on site to assist. Mr. Shapiro was invited by a student organization and not by administrators of the university, according to a news release from UNCG. No payment has been made for the visit by the university. Sata Prescott, who graduated from UNCG with a masters degree in library and information studies in 2016, contacted local media outlets to voice his concerns over Shapiros appearance. Number one, I am a trans man, which is part of the level of distress Im expressing, Prescott wrote in an email to the News & Record. He added that he is concerned about the safety of other transgender students. Prescott, who works for a university in Illinois, said he wants UNCG to consider how its actions are perceived by vulnerable populations. They look like they endorse this speaker and all he stands for, and thats the message that I, an alum, and the current students are getting, Prescott said. All theyve done so far is affirm their free speech policy. Prescott said he was contacted by a UNCG administrator about his concerns, but said the university needs to be more proactive about protecting students who already are fearful of harassment and bullying. Severe thunderstorms and strong winds are possible Wednesday night into Thursday in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina, forecasters say. The storms could produce wind gusts of 60 mph in central North Carolina, including Guilford, Forsyth and Davidson counties, said Aaron Swiggett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. A cold front passing over the region will fuel the storms, Swiggett said. Wednesday's night forecast calls for 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms in Forsyth County with a low temperature around 60 degrees. Thursday's forecast in Winston-Salem calls for a 50% chance of rain before 2 p.m., then gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high temperature near 70 degrees. The rainfall could reach half an inch in the Triad, with higher amounts likely in areas that receive the thunderstorms. The cold front, combined with a low pressure system moving over Northwest North Carolina, could likely mean thunderstorms and strong winds in Ashe, Alleghany, Surry, Stokes, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties, as well, said Anita Silverman, a weather service meteorologist in Blacksburg, Va. Wind gusts in those counties could reach 58 mph, Silverman said. Wednesday night's forecast in Mount Airy and Boone calls for a 50% to 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms with low temperatures around 55 degrees in Surry County and 47 degrees in Watauga County. Thursday's forecast calls for a 30% to 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms in Mount Airy and Boone with a high temperature near 65 degrees in Surry County and near 55 degrees in Watauga County. The rainfall also could reach half an inch in the region, except for higher amounts in the areas that receive the thunderstorms, the weather service said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLNTON Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said last fall he was about 95% sure he would be running for governor in 2024. Those odds have gone up slightly. Speaking at the LeeBoy heavy equipment plant in Lincoln County on Thursday, Robinson said with a laugh: Its about 98% now. The Greensboro Republican made the remark as he was walking to lunch after he toured the factory, made brief remarks and took questions at the plant. The tour was organized as part of the I Make America campaign run by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, an effort aimed at advocating for favorable policy for equipment makers like LeeBoy. Robinson, himself a former factory worker, said he felt at home when he walked into the building. His remarks, delivered while he stood on a paver made by the company, were filled with praise for the workers. I am here with you because I have been you and in many ways, I am still you, Robinson said. I feel your pain when your jobs are threatened. I feel your pain when your jobs are lost, and I am committed to making sure that that will not happen in this state. Speaking after the remarks, Robinson declined to go into specifics about policies he would like to see to benefit workers but he did say he supported the policies advanced by Republican lawmakers over the last decade. He took questions from the audience on topics that had little to do with manufacturing. Robinson said ensuring voter ID is required for elections is the crucial issue on the table for our office right now." He criticized state judges who blocked a voter ID law passed by the N.C. General Assembly in response to a successful 2018 referendum on the issue. No voter ID measures are currently in effect as the matter is contested in the courts. Were trying to figure out how we can get rid of these folks who are legislating from the bench and overriding the will of the people of North Carolina, Robinson said, adding: One of the ways we can do that as well is at the ballot box to make sure that we put constitutional conservatives on the bench. Asked after the meeting if this position was a call for impeachment of judges or just a call to elect Republicans, Robinson said he was primarily referring to elections but that all options should be considered. A question about Robinsons relationship with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper drew laughter from the lieutenant governor. I have absolutely no relationship with the governor, Robinson replied. He went on to say that he and the governor did likely share some common ground on issues ranging from the need to provide quality care to veterans to protecting students and teachers. Im willing at any juncture to work with the governor to do whats best for the state of North Carolina and the people of North Carolina, Robinson said. Kevin Griffin, kgriffin@hickoryrecord.com, is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record. " " This medical tattoo is designed to alert first responders that the man has Type 1 diabetes. INQUEAlert Tattoos are certainly nothing new. The earliest evidence of humans adorning their bodies with tattoos can be dated back thousands of years. Several female Egyptian mummies dated to around 2000 B.C.E. were adorned with tattoos, and the Iceman discovered on the border of Austria and Italy in 1991 also had tattoos. He was carbon-dated to be around 5,200 years old, according to Smithsonian magazine. People in modern times get tattoos for many reasons. A 2019 study published in the journal Current Psychology found that some (25 percent) get tattooed to mark watershed events in their lives, while others (12 percent) get inked simply to decorate their bodies. But are there other reasons someone might choose to get permanently inked? Yes, and the reason is medical. Advertisement Replacing Medical ID Bracelets Typically, someone with a medical condition might wear a medical identification bracelet to provide quick health information to first responders in case of an emergency. First responders are trained to look for them on a patient's wrists and neck because they include important information like severe allergies, medications, whether the person has diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc. But a medical tattoo can be an option for someone who wants something more permanent. Ben Roberts, who has Type 1 diabetes, told USA Today he decided to have the words "Diabetic, Type 1" tattooed on his arm after he'd spent more than $1,000 on medical bracelets. Ed Friedlander, a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist at William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine, had "No CPR" tattooed on his chest to convey his wishes that he receive no life-saving measures should his heart stop. However, paramedics and many medical professionals urge caution before making the switch. Because there are still no guidelines regarding medical tattoos from the American Medical Association, paramedics and hospitals technically have no legal obligation to follow their instructions. If the tattoos aren't on the wrist or are enhanced with a design, medical professionals may not even be able to locate them, rendering them useless. Also, the permanency of tattoos becomes problematic when medical information changes. On the other hand, in an emergency situation, paramedics look for any information that can help them aid a patient, and a tattoo certainly can assist them. Radiation Marks Replacing a medical bracelet isn't the only reason for getting a medical tattoo. When patients undergo radiation treatment for cancer, the radiologist may need to give them several tiny tattoos they're about the size of a freckle. These tattoos are used to pinpoint the exact area for treatment. Patients typically end up with between one and four radiation tattoos, but it depends on the case, so some people may have more. These tattoos are permanent, just like any others, and are made with ink and a needle. Often, though, they leave behind a painful reminder of the cancer the radiation treated. So many people opt to have them removed. And members of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) will remove them for free for cancer survivors. " " Sara Coulson, seen here with tattoo artist Nickola at Koukla Ink tattoo studio in Cobourg, Ontario, celebrates her new body with a mastectomy tattoo. Coulson was unable to have reconstructive surgery after having a double mastectomy, 26 rounds of chemotherapy and 21 rounds of radiotherapy for breast cancer. Dennis Porter/Future Publishing via Getty Images Reconstructive Procedures Finally, a booming area for medical tattoos is cosmetic-related, and includes plastic and reconstructive surgeries to conceal scars, severe lacerations or burns, or to address skin conditions like vitiligo or even baldness. For instance, when someone has a mastectomy, the nipples of the breasts are often removed, too. In many cases, patients choose to have surgery to have them reconstructed and have the areolas tattooed afterward so they appear dark around the new nipples. Breastcancer.org says there are now experienced nipple tattoo artists who can create very realistic 3D nipples. These tattoos appear three-dimensional but are flat on the breast. More women are choosing this route instead of nipple reconstruction surgery because it heals quicker and doesn't add more scars. Other patients who don't have reconstructive surgery simply choose to have large tattoos on their chests. The tattoos create an entirely new body image and can help erase the long-lasting scars both physical and psychological left behind from the surgery and cancer. A 2021 study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that medical tattooing in these instances for plastic and reconstructive surgery had very high outcomes for patients. But the authors said there should be an established approach to training and a standardized curriculum for the medical tattoo community to "protect the public and to ensure the highest quality service." Advertisement Originally Published: Apr 10, 2015 Tim Sheehy, founder and chief executive officer of Belgrade-based Bridger Aerospace, and his wife, Carmen, recently donated $500,000 to the Montana Historical Society. The funds will be used for construction of the $63.7 million Montana Heritage Center, including enhanced military displays and incorporating the history of wildfire in Montana. Sheehy is an industrialist, aviator and former Navy SEAL, with a degree in history from the U.S. Naval Academy. He said in a news release his love of history and desire to preserve the past prompted him to approach the historical society with the donation. His wife Carmen, also a Naval Academy graduate and former U.S. Marine officer, also shares a passion for education and youth engagement. I have visited the museum in Helena with my children and we always enjoy it, but I was very encouraged to hear a new museum is now under construction, Sheehy said. Montana has a rich military heritage and a rich veteran community, and it is time to share that with a wider audience. Sheehy noted that Helena is the home of the 1st Special Service force, known as the Devils Brigade, made up of Americans and Canadians. Members trained for World War II at Fort Harrison near Helena for commando operations. Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society, said his vision fits well with the Historical Societys mission to save Montanas past, share our stories, and inspire exploration to provide meaning for today and vision for tomorrow. Its generous donations like Tims and Carmens that will make the Montana Heritage Center a spectacular showcase for the treasures of the Treasure State, Kruckenberg said. She said as she looks out her office window, "I see the longtime dream of so many MTHS directors taking shape. Their tenacity and vision, along with that of Montanans across the state, led us to this place. The 66,000-square-foot Montana Heritage Center addition has a topping-off ceremony expected in May or June. It will open in late 2024 or early 2025. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tamweel Aloula, a financial solution provider licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank (Sama), announced that it has achieved the highest annual profit in its history, with a SR50 million ($13.3 million) before zakat for 2021. The companys financial performance for the year registered a total asset growth of more than 76% year-on-year to SR1.86 billion. Hani Al-Afaleq, Tamweel Aloulas Chairman, indicated that the outstanding record results achieved by the company have been possible thanks to the ambitious strategic plans laid out over the past two years. He added: The company is endeavouring to attain its vision by accelerating the fast pace of digital transformation to provide advanced and integrated financing solutions and services that allow customers to avail of these services from anywhere and at any time, without the need to visit a branch. Ahmed Abdulazeem, Tamweel Aloulas Chief Financial Officer (CFO) explained that these figures constitute a significant step forward towards achieving Tamweel Aloulas ambitions and vision of becoming the first Saudi company to provide customers with innovative, safe, and value-added financial solutions. He said: Tamweel Aloula has set out on its geographic expansion strategy over the past two years, while diversifying its financial solutions portfolio to meet the needs of a wide range of society segments. He pointed out that achieving the goal depends on a set of strategic priorities, notably, developing seamless and user-friendly financial solutions, earning customers' trust with a professional, efficient team; as well as ensuring accessible communication via the website and other communication channels. The company provides the financial products of auto lease financing, personal financing and productive assets financing. It also provides advanced and integrated financing solutions and services to help consumers and SMEs fulfil their financial needs. TradeArabia News Service A federal court in Montana ordered that a large-scale logging project on public lands in the Castle Mountains be sent back to the U.S. Forest Service, saying the project did not comply with federal regulations. U.S. District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy ruled in a 37-page decision on April 4 the U.S. Forest Service needed to do more analysis on the plan and needed to meet standards set by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Molloy, however, did find in favor of the forest service on "narrow" parts in some of the claims in the suit that was filed March 1, 2021 by the Native Ecosystems Council and Alliance for the Wild Rockies. However, It was the plaintiffs who claimed victory. We are extremely pleased the court halted this project and sent it back to the drawing board to force the Forest Service to follow the law, Mike Garrity, Alliance for the Wild Rockies executive director, stated in a news release. Public lands must be managed for the public and for our wildlife, not for the private profit of a few logging companies. The forest service offered comment as well. the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest will continue to work hard for its communities and manage the land with the best science available for current and future generations, it said in an email. It declined to comment on the judges decision, citing it was active litigation. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest supervisor approved the Castle Mountains Restoration Project in late 2019. Forest officials said that forest vegetation in the area had been altered through insects and disease, resulting in tree mortality and more wildfire fuels. They said the project will lessen wildfire hazards to the public and to firefighters, bring the landscape back toward the desired condition described in the Forest Plan, and provide economic benefits and sustainable wood products to local communities. The plaintiffs, when filing their suit, said the project calls for cutting and burning trees and bulldozing 45.1 miles of logging roads. And they said the forest service had ignored serious legal and environmental concerns. They noted the court enjoined the project for violating legal protections for elk habitat, and for violating legal protections for the sensitive, old-growth dependent northern goshawk. Garrity said the court order found that the plaintiffs presented compelling record evidence that elk habitat effectiveness levels are not currently being met in the Project area and that those levels will only worsen during Project implementation." The plaintiffs also said the Lewis and Clark Forest Plan lists goshawk as an old-growth forest management indicator species and requires 100% of goshawk nets to be monitored annually. Sara Johnson, a former Forest Service wildlife biologist and the director of co-plaintiff Native Ecosystems Council, said Forest Service data showed there was a precipitous decline in active goshawk nests over the past few years, from 38 active nests in 2016, to 15 active nests in 2017, to eight active nests in 2018. She said the Forest Service failed to disclose the decline to the public in the Project EIS. Johnson said Molloy found that the Forest Service did not comply with NEPA or NFMA in regards to the decline in goshawk nesting territories. She called the violations extremely troubling, since goshawk are the canary in the coal mine for the health of wildlife populations associated with mature and old growth forest habitat on the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The Castle Mountains get their name from the 50-foot high igneous rock spires on the western slopes that look like castle turrets. The range has peaks over 8,000 feet with grassy parks surrounded by Douglas fir, lodgepole, and limber pine forests, the plaintiffs said. Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 7 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians officially opened the doors of its tribal health center in Great Falls on Thursday, a long-awaited day for many tribal members who previously had to drive hours to the nearest Indian Health Service clinic. Theres a lot of excitement around it and were getting a lot of good feedback, too, Molly Wendland, the tribes health director, said Thursday. The clinic will be operated by IHS for at least several years, with the tribe planning to eventually take over management in the future. Wendland noted that Thursday marked a soft opening for the clinic, with services limited mostly to primary medical care. The clinic currently contracts with other providers for pharmacy and lab services. The tribe expects to add dental, vision and behavioral health services in the near future. Wendland also said transportation services will be available soon for members who live out of town. Partnering with the Little Shell Tribe to open a new health center underscores IHS commitment to provide quality health care for tribal communities in and around the Billings area, Billings Area IHS Director Bryce Redgrave stated in a press release. We achieved this significant milestone because of the tribes advocacy. The IHS made this facility a priority during the pandemic. Many members of the Little Shell Tribe live in and around Great Falls, and prior to the clinic opening theyve faced a three-hour round trip to the nearest Indian Health Service Clinic, on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. And during the beginning of the pandemic, Little Shell members faced faltering access to care when clinics were forced to prioritize care for tribal members, Kaiser Health News previously reported. In 2019, the Little Shell became the eighth Native American tribe in Montana to achieve federal recognition. That status enabled the tribe to receive funding through one of the federal COVID stimulus bills, which provided the bulk of funding for the roughly $2.5 million health clinic. Little Shell Chairman Gerald Gray previously said the tribe had faced estimates that securing funding to develop the 10,000-square foot facility could take decades. The clinic is located at 425 Smelter Ave. NE in Great Falls. Tribal members hoping to make appointments or learn more about available services can call 406-247-7130. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Something doesnt sit right with an Australian CEO living in Canada telling Montanans how to best use our land and manage our resources. Yet, thats just what Rob Scargill, CEO of Australian company Sandfire Resources, did in a recent op-ed in the Great Falls Tribune. He doesnt know Montanas history of failing to protect water from mining activity, so were hoping he listens to us now. Mr. Scargill, you dont have to travel far from White Sulphur Springs to see how the legacy of over-promising mining companies have saddled the state and taxpayers with contaminated water and perpetual remediation costs. First, travel west. The legacy of gold mining in Montanas capital, Helena, continues to haunt the community with recurring heavy metal and arsenic contamination, years after operations ceased. The community still needs to import water from different reservoirs. From there, travel south to the Montana Tunnels mine near Jefferson City. This recently defunct operation was permitted utilizing modern bonding regulations and requirements, but is now underbonded by approximately $16.5 million and counting. The highwall for the mine is in serious danger of catastrophic collapse, and Clancy Creek has been turned into a small diameter pipe, which has entirely choked off fish passage. From there, head southwest to Anaconda. The nearby Beal Mountain Mine was an open-pit cyanide heap leach mine that operated through the '80s and '90s, promising jobs, full remediation and few environmental impacts. When the company declared bankruptcy in 1997, taxpayers were saddled with costs of cleanup and perpetual water treatment for this (and other) mines. Beal tailings also pose a threat to ongoing cleanup efforts downstream in the Clark Fork River, which are focused on removing tailings contamination from a different mining operation. Finally, head toward north-central Montana until you reach the Fort Belknap Reservation. The residents there can tell you about the gold mines that have caused perpetual acid mine drainage, which contaminates their water, desecrates their land, and costs taxpayers millions of dollars. This water will be contaminated forever, because a mining company made promises they didnt keep. We arent saying that youll do this, Mr. Scargill, but the old adage is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Your company, Sandfire Resources, owns the Black Butte Copper Mine, which has had its sights on mining the most important tributary of the Smith River for years. Sandfire has partnered with a Canadian startup called Tintina Resources to submit an application for a massive copper mine on Sheep Creek, a headwater tributary of the Smith River. For Montanans, the Smith is a treasure worth more than profits going to corporate mine investors overseas, Mr. Scargill. The Smith is world-renowned for its solitude, rugged canyon scenery, and blue ribbon trout fishery. People travel from around the world to float its waters. Thousands of people apply for permits to float the Smith each year, with only a lucky few scoring a permit. For millennia, Native Americans called the Smith watershed their home and adorned the high canyon walls with some of the best and most prolific examples of pictographs in Montana, which visitors cherish seeing today. And the fish! Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks classifies the Smith Rivers fishery as high-value, owing to its bountiful population of rainbow, brown, westslope cutthroat and brook trout. Actor Henry Winkler said fly-fishing the Smith is the closest hes come to the divine. Dozens of businesses rely on the Smith being a healthy fishery and floating destination. It is estimated that fishing alone on the Smith River provides a $10 million annual impact to outfitters and surrounding communities. Over the years, this impact only grows as more of the public gets to experience and revisit this special river. The Smith is at the heart of the state's $7.1 billion outdoor recreation economy. If we can't protect this place from the risks of industrial mining, it's a spike in the heart of Montana's outdoor economy and heritage. Mr. Scargills promises are not new. They are part of the same old story Montanans have heard from mining companies before. Well be careful. We have the best technology. Well clean up after ourselves. Time and time again, Montana has trusted these companies, only to be burned and left with contaminated water and exorbitant cleanup costs. The Smith River is not something were willing to gamble with. Derf Johnson, MEIC clean water director and staff attorney; Scott Bosse, Northern Rockies director, American Rivers; David Brooks, executive director, Montana Trout Unlimited. Love 4 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Last year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) proposed that biotechnology companies, including some in Montana, be required to give their formulas for COVID-19 vaccines to countries that arent as advanced as the U.S. in developing these technologies. The Biden administration has supported this proposal, but we have deep concerns about it. Montana has a vibrant and growing biotech sector, and we are noted around the country for our successes in research and product development. We are increasingly attracting investors and innovators who want to live and work here. The WTO proposal will place an unfair burden on the ability of our biotech enterprises to thrive. On the surface, this approach sounds like a noble and humanitarian gesture and typical of the way Montanans reach out to help others. Before becoming too engaged in the idea, however, lets look more deeply at a few of the possible outcomes especially those related to the research and innovations that made these vaccines possible in record time and on a global scale. For vaccine technology to be passed to another country, a TRIPs waiver is needed. TRIPs stands for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Companies that led the way some based in Montana and invested huge sums of money in research and development of vaccines would be waiving their privileged production information and rights to their intellectual property. This comes at a time when some countries have requested delays in vaccine donations because they dont have the resources to get shots into the arms of their citizens. For example, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recently asked that no more vaccines come to the continent until at least the third quarter of this year. The Africa CDC director reports that countries have enough vaccines, but they dont have adequate systems in place to deliver them. And, just as we experience here, vaccine hesitancy is a significant issue that needs to be overcome. Yes, we care deeply about protecting the health of people around the world. The omicron variant has shown us that we must remain vigilant and do all we can to achieve higher vaccination rates in all counties. Thats why the U.S. has pledged to donate up to 1 billion doses of vaccine worldwide by 2023. Its simply the right thing to do. However, what we do next must be thoughtful and fair. Before infringing on the intellectual property rights of U.S. companies by implementing an ill-advised TRIPs waiver, lets consider whether successful health outcomes arent better achieved by first addressing other challenges, such as the supply and distribution chains that move vaccines from the lab to the clinic. The companies that succeeded in distributing vaccines over the past two years have huge, time-tested supply networks. Thats not the case in the countries that would likely receive vaccine formulas and other intellectual property as the result of a TRIPs waiver. Simply giving a formula does nothing to address the ability to vaccinate a larger number of people. The decisions we make today can have an impact on policies for future pandemics. We urge the WTO and the Biden administration to step back and evaluate if this proposal actually results in an effective process for fighting the virus. Sharon Peterson is the executive director of Montana BioScience Alliance in Billings. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR The north side of the Macon County Courthouse has a sparkling array of 630 blue pinwheels displayed on the lawn. Above the courthouse doors is a wreath lit up with blue lights. On Tuesday, the exhibits were arranged and presented to the public during a wreath lighting ceremony in honor of Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. The display will remain visible throughout April. Macon County CASA Executive Director Julia Livingston has worked with children who have been thrust into the court system. With our advocates, we get the opportunity to slow down and listen, she said. CASA advocates work with more than 600 children. And those are only the ones that we know about, Livingston said. It is going to require a complete community effort for all of us to feel like we need to give in some way. That looks different for everyone. The wreath and pinwheels located on the north side of the courthouse are an encouragement for others to get involved. These are a remembrance and the thoughts of these children, Livingston said. Share these opportunities with the community. Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel addressed the connection between child abuse and the police department. Where we see it in law enforcement is that vicious cycle, he said. According to Brandel, the abusive behavior can be viewed as normal to children who have experienced and witnessed abuse. Either they continue to be victimized throughout their life or they become abusers themselves, he said. For the individuals who are able to avoid the cycle of abuse, the emotional trauma remains, the professionals pointed out. That affects their everyday lives, Brandel said. Whether thats through relationships that they have with other people, the way they interact with their own kids, co-workers, their friends. We see that in the law enforcement perspective all the time. The ripple effect spreads to schools and neighborhoods. Mary Anderson, principal for Montessori Academy of Peace, has often spoken to children struggling in an abusive home life. They come to school with everything in their environment, she said. Since the pandemic, mental health has been a priority for schools. According to Anderson, the need for services has jumped 500%. But neglect and child abuse is with us 365 days a year, she said. It does not change. The schools staffs watch for a variety of signs of abuse; however, the images range from the silent child to the eager child. Educators have witnessed the child who avoids school and another that will be there every day. According to Anderson, children can refuse to do their homework or get straight As. They could eat everything offered to them or refuse to eat. They could be dressed in tattered clothing or in designer clothes. Im trying to tell you, theres no face, Anderson said about abuse. But it comes to school everyday. Opportunities to help abused children For opportunities to help children in foster care or abusive situations, contact Macon County CASA at www.maconcountycasa.org, or Child 1st Center at child1stcenter.org. Educators listen and watch for the clues. Slow down and take the time to be present for these children, Anderson said. The powerful discussions happen when we stop and unpack and listen to what the children are telling us. Child 1st Center Executive Director Jean Moore pointed out the wide range of personalities in adults who abuse as well. Adults might isolate themselves, she said. They too can present as perfection. What should others do? If physical abuse is occurring, call the police. Other resources are available if abuse is suspected. However, when a situation is escalating, professionals suggest suppressing the circumstances. You have to decide, what can you do that might interrupt that cycle, but not make things worse, Moore said. Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECATUR Millikin University announced on Wednesday it would be offering a tuition match for Lincoln College students who choose to transfer to the Decatur-based school after Lincoln College closes. Lincoln College announced on March 30 that it would be closing for good at the end of this semester, unless there is a major last-minute donation. The school cited declining enrollment, in part driven by the pandemic, as the main cause of its closure. Eureka College said last Friday that it would match tuition for Lincoln College students. Illinois College in Jacksonville which was also home to MacMurray College, which closed in 2020 has said it will accept all Lincoln College students in good academic and social standing and will offer special scholarships. Both Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and Heartland Community College in Normal have formed response teams to help Lincoln College students. The two community college districts cover the bulk of Logan County, where Lincoln is located. Millikins offer, called the Lincoln Match, would guarantee Lincoln College students who are transferring to Millikin the same tuition for next school year that they would have paid to Lincoln College. Millikin has also published an articulation chart of Lincoln College courses and Millikin courses. The two schools have been partners before, Millikin President Jim Reynolds said in the press release. Lincoln College shared its charter with Millikin from the latters founding in 1901 through the 1950s, Lincoln College President David Gerlach told The Pantagraph last week. Both schools were founded by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Lincoln College is no longer affiliated with any denomination, while Millikin is now affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). We are proud to be one of a limited number of institutions asked to partner with Lincoln College to serve their students with their needs today, Reynolds said in the release. Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD Area fire departments are among the recipients of funds from the Small Equipment Grant Program through the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. Grant programs, such as the State Fire Marshals Small Equipment Grant, are vital to rural volunteer departments like ours. These funds allow us to purchase equipment that we might not have been able to afford, allowing our firefighters and EMTs to continue providing the service our community has come to expect, Bethany Fire Protection District Chief Mike Jennings said. The Bethany department received $19,000 through the program. The Blue Mound Fire Protection District in Macon County received $26,000. A total of $2.5 million was awarded to 104 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment. Other area recipients are: Wabash Fire Protection District, $21,539; Clinton Fire & Rescue, $24,770; Newman Community Fire Protection District, $12,688.02; Chrisman Fire Protection District, $26,000; Tri-County Fire Protection District, $25,566; St. Peter Fire Protection District, $24,630; New Holland Fire Protection District, $20,576; DeLand Fire Protection District, $26,000; and Northern Piatt County Fire Protection District, $16,500. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SHELBYVILLE An armed man who led police on a wild chase through Shelby County has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. James C. Anderson, 39, was sentenced in Shelby County Circuit Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a charge of armed violence and a further charge of being an armed habitual criminal. He was sentenced to 30 years, the maximum penalty, on the armed violence Class X felony charge. He was given another 12 year sentence for being an armed habitual criminal, but the court ordered that sentence will be served concurrent with the 30 year sentence. Sentencing rules require the prison term to be served at 85% with no day-for-day credit available. A statement from Shelby County States Attorney Nichole Kroncke said Anderson had fled from Shelby County Sheriffs deputies on Aug. 29, 2020, zipping along rural county roads and Illinois 16, hitting speeds of 80 mph. Kroncke said he drove off the road at one point on two wheels before finally losing control and crashing into a fence and building. Anderson was eventually chased down on foot by deputies and police canine officer Hektor who engaged Anderson and took him to the ground. A subsequent search of Andersons vehicle led to the discovery of two loaded pistols: one a stolen 9mm and the other a .40 caliber pistol with 14 rounds in the magazine, said Kroncke. Deputies also seized 182.6 grams (6 ounces) of methamphetamine from the vehicle. The states attorney noted that Anderson is no stranger to long prison terms. In 2015 he was given an eight-year sentence after being convicted of the unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. And in 2009 he was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of burglary. Kroncke praised the work of the Shelby County Sheriffs Office and said their dogged pursuit of Anderson had removed a dangerous criminal from our community. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BATAVIA A physicist who is the newly appointed director of the U.S. Energy Department's Fermilab facility will become the Chicago-area research center's first woman director. Lia Merminga will assume Fermilab's leadership role on April 18, University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos announced Tuesday. He chairs the board of directors of Fermi Research Alliance, LLC, which operates the laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. Merminga will succeed Nigel Lockyer, who announced in September that he would step down as Fermilab director after an eight-year tenure at the 6,800-acre facility that's headquartered about 35 miles west of downtown Chicago in Batavia. The lab is home to scientists who study particle physics and conduct accelerator research with a mission to shed new light on human's understanding of the universe, including the smallest building blocks of matter. Merminga currently serves as the director for the Fermilab's Proton Improvement Plan II, or PIP-II. She said her goal as director will be to successfully see the U.S. lead the way in global particle physics research. "I love the institution and am excited for the opportunity to give back to the lab," she said in a news release. Merminga earned her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Athens Greece. She has a master's in physics and mathematics and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Leading global experts from the water and utility management sectors and several high-ranking government officials discussed ways to better safeguard our planets most precious but finite natural resource at the Expo 2020 Dubais Water Week. It was the final of 10 Theme Weeks across the World Expos six-month run, which ended on March 26, after seven days of expert discussions that covered key topics such as water security, future technologies and indigenous peoples knowledge as standout themes. The Theme Week, a collaboration between Expo 2020 Dubai, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, began on March 20, with World Majlis panel discussion Deep Blue: The (Other) Final Frontier a collaboration with the Portugal Pavilion held at Terra The Sustainability Pavilion. Speakers included Ricardo da Piedade Abreu Serrao Santos, Minister of the Sea, Government of Portugal; Kathleen Swalling, maritime law and strategy advisor, and Managing Director, Nature Based Solutions and Burton Jones, Professor of Oceanography, the Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Jones warned of exploiting the deep sea without appreciating the environmental ramifications. "Its a unique ecosystem - we dont fully understand that ecosystem yet so, if we go start exploiting these before we understand the ecological aspects of it, we have the potential to destroy it before we knew what we had," he noted. The next day, March 21, saw Nina Jensen, the CEO of REV Ocean, a state-of-the-art research vessel, and former Secretary-General of WWF Norway, join other maritime experts for a marine habitat-focused World Majlis, touting the role of next-gen robotics, AI and satellite monitoring in protecting marine ecosystems. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Saeed Mohammed Ahmad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dewa and Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, then opened the Water Business Forum. It was a co-curation between Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Estonia, held at Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) on Tuesday, as Water Week approached the halfway mark on World Water Day (March 22). Al Mazrouei spoke on the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, while Al Tayer dubbed water security as a matter of national importance for the UAE. Erki Savisaar, Estonias Minister of Environment, touted the European countrys digitalisation success in water management in a later panel, alongside Dr Markus Lade, General Manager, Water & Wastewater, Siemens (Official Infrastructure Digitalisation Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai), who spotlighted the role of data in identifying and stopping water leakages. Later that day (March 22), water experts gathered at Nexus for People and Planet event in a series of discussions tasked with reimagining the planet's relationship with water and exploring innovations to improve sustainable water use. Mark Harbers, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands, spoke on protecting the countrys groundwater reserves. "In the Netherlands, the three extremely dry summers we've had since 2018 have been a wake-up call in higher areas, groundwater levels are still too low That's why we're here to find these answers, to implement them rapidly and to take better care of our joint treasure our groundwater. Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of our minds," he added. The Nexus also hosted expert discussion The Indian Ocean|A Shared Heritage and Sustainable Future the following day with speaker Randall Mabwa, Regional Communications Officer, Blue Ventures, touting indigenous communities key roles in coastal conversation success. "Once you realise that they have the right for management resources, then you put them first: its not nature and then people, its people and then nature," stated Mabwa. "That's why this is called Programme for People and Planet the people take care of the resources if you secure their rights. It's just putting them first," he added.-TradeArabia News Service CROWN POINT A Hammond man dropped his keys after fatally shooting a Chicago man Friday outside a Hammond smoke shop, hid his fluorescent green jacket in a garbage can as he fled the scene and dropped his credit cards on the ground when he returned to retrieve the jacket, court records state. Marcus A. Ross, 28, was taken into custody Saturday after Hammond officers went to his apartment with a search warrant and found him outside waiting for his landlord to deliver a key to him, Lake Criminal Court records state. He's accused of shooting Zachery S. Smith, 27, of Chicago, about 1:45 p.m. Friday outside the Oasis Smoke Shop, 5535 State Line Ave., after an earlier confrontation where Smith pointed a gun at him while the two exchanged words. The gunfire damaged a car, which was occupied by a woman. Ross told a magistrate he planned to hire a private attorney during an initial appearance Wednesday. The magistrate entered preliminary pleas of not guilty on his behalf to charges of murder and criminal recklessness. Mychael A. Thomas, 27, of East Chicago was wanted on charges of murder and criminal recklessness. She's accused of dropping Ross off just before the shooting and helping him flee the crime scene in her gray Acura MDX, which has Arkansas license plates. Hammond police were dispatched to State Line Avenue and Pulaski Road after Smith, who had been shot in his chest, right leg and left knee, got into his black Ford Fusion, drove north several blocks and rear-ended another car near Franciscan Health hospital, causing the Ford to overturn in the middle of State Line Avenue, records state. Smith was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. Police gathered surveillance video from multiple locations that showed Ross and Thomas arrive in Thomas' Acura outside the smoke shop, according to court documents. Smith exited the smoke shop, took two handguns from his pants pockets, walked up to the Acura, pointed one of the guns at Ross, argued with Ross and got into his Ford Fusion, records state. Thomas and Ross left, but they were seen driving by the smoke shop about three minutes later. The Acura traveled out of camera view, and Ross appeared wearing a fluorescent green jacket less than a minute later and fired four shots at Smith, records allege. Ross ran a distance south, turned around and fired about five more shots at Smith, according to documents. Surveillance video showed something fall from the pocket of his green jacket. The item was later determined to be keys, records state. Thomas then allegedly drove by the crime scene looking for Ross. Another camera showed Ross place the green jacket in a garbage can in an alley behind Carroll Street, records state. About 7 minutes later, Ross returned driving the Acura and removed the jacket from the garbage can, documents allege. As he got back into the car, several items fell from the jacket's pocket onto the ground. Police later determined those items included Ross' credit card and a fuel card issued to Ross by his and Thomas' employer, records state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A man from Coeburn, Virginia, is behind bars after leading police on a high-speed chase in a vehicle that had been reported as stolen. A deputy with the Washington County, Virginia, Sheriffs Office attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was observed illegally passing another vehicle on a double solid-line road at the intersection of Lee Highway and U.S. Highway 58 on Thursday morning. The driver of the vehicle eluded the deputy, reaching speeds of 80 mph or more, a press release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office said. After the vehicle ran out of gas, the driver, identified as Brandon Fugate, of Coeburn, Virginia, exited the vehicle and was arrested, according to the release. The vehicle Fugate was driving was reported stolen from an emergency services agency in Coeburn, Virginia, where a breaking and entering had been reported earlier in the day. The Coeburn Police Department is investigating that report. Fugate was charged with felony eluding, grand larceny of a vehicle, obstruction of justice, reckless driving and threatening to kill a law enforcement officer. Fugate is being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail without bond. Shortt brings years of experience of working with nonprofit agencies focusing on fundraising, promotions and board relations. She has also worked in the banking and food service industries. She is a Virginia High School graduate and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication from Emory & Henry College. She is married to Tim Shortt. They have two children. We are very excited to have Brittany on board, Donna Hale, the BVPS Education Foundation Board of Directors chair, said. Her depth of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm will add to our mission to enhance public education in the city of Bristol, Virginia by providing opportunities not funded by tax dollars. Her commitment to the BVPS students, faculty and staff are highlighted in her goals for the foundation. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced four new members of the Virginia Parole Board on Wednesday, picks he needed to make after state Senate Democrats rejected his previous choices during a battle over personnel appointments. The new board members include the widow of a Virginia State Police trooper killed at a Richmond bus terminal in 2016, as well as a former Henrico commonwealths attorney. Youngkin said in a statement that his choices would help reform the parole board. The board faced scandal under the previous administration of Ralph Northam after a state watchdog agency found violations of law and policy in the process the board used to release people from prison in some cases, and officials from the governors office reprimanded the watchdog agency. This group of individuals will restore common sense, reform the Parole Board, and stand up for victims rights. The new board members are: Samuel L. Boone Jr., a master trooper and recruiter with Virginia State Police and member of the Chesapeake School Board. Steven Buck, a former assistant prosecutor in Richmond, Henrico and Albemarle. Michelle Dermyer, an advocate for survivors of crime whose husband, the late Trooper Chad Dermyer, was fatally shot on duty in 2016 at the Greyhound bus station in Richmond. Toby Vick, a former partner at the firm McGuireWoods LLP, the commonwealths attorney in Henrico for seven years and previously an assistant U.S. attorney in Richmond, Miami and Houston. The four will join the boards chair, Chadwick Dotson, a retired judge and former Wise County commonwealths attorney. As Republicans and Democrats engaged in a partisan fight over personnel appointments this year, Democrats wouldnt confirm four of Youngkins earlier choices for the board. They were Tracy Banks, a longtime lawyer and law professor from Charlottesville; Cheryl Nici-OConnell of Chesterfield County, a former Richmond police officer injured in a shooting in 1984; Montgomery County Sheriff Charles Partin; and Carmen Williams of Chesterfield. The move by Democrats followed House Republicans rejection of 11 appointees of Democratic former Gov. Ralph Northam. Virginia has abolished parole, but the boards duties include making decisions on parole for people in prison who were convicted prior to Jan. 1, 1995. HICKORY The City of Hickory is seeking contractors and handyman services to participate in the housing rehabilitation programs offered to homeowners within Hickory city limits. The citys housing rehabilitation programs aim to improve the quality of the local housing stock and make improvements that prevent the displacement of low to moderate income homeowners. The City of Hickory has received $85,000 for its Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program and Urgent Repair Programs. Maximum expenses are up to $25,000 for Housing Rehabilitation and $10,000 for Urgent Repair. Typical repairs for these programs include heating, electrical, roofing, windows, doors, and accessibility improvements for individuals with disabilities. The Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program is funded through community development block grants (CDBG) allocated by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) CDBG Program. The Urgent Repair Program is funded through the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. The City of Hickory provides administration for these programs, and payments are made promptly. For projects under $30,000, contractors do not have to be licensed. Still, they must carry liability insurance of at least $300,000 for personal injury and $100,000 for property damage, along with workers compensation insurance if required by statutes. The city maintains a list of eligible repair projects within city limits. For more information about contracting opportunities, contact Community Development Manager Karen Dickerson at 828-323-7414 or by email at kdickerson@hickorync.gov. It is good to be back home. Thanks for all the fellows from the Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. They devoted their precious time to guarantee our safety. At March 27th, Peng Liu and his friends who just returned back to Changsha expressed these words from their hearts. As the main person in charge of this return, Peng Liu, the chairman of Hunan business association at Ukraine, expressed his gratitude in many WeChat groups of returned overseas Chinese once again. Overseas Chinese at Ukraine and Chinese students felt warmth from home The immediate assistance Since Russia-Ukraine conflict has occurred, the safety of overseas Chinese become the foremost concern. Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese immediately took emergency action and actively kept a contact with Overseas Hunanese at surrounding countries. Be cautious of personal safety. You can always contact us in needs, and we will assist you immediately. Peng Shuai, a Chinese student at Ukraine, received many helps from home. They really moved him. Even though we are separated by a distance, our hearts are always connected. Not only different organizations of Overseas Chinese were in close contacts, but also they made many WeChat groups, and thus published related information and latest news on this conflict. Under the guidance of China embassy at Ukraine, this return within the WeChat groups of Overseas Hunanese at Ukraine was organized by many volunteers. Many fellows had moved to Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary and other surrounding nations. Li Tiexuan, a Hunanese student at Ukraine, first transferred to Hungary in this return. Before taking the flight that went back home, he had one last step to completea proper COVID test. At this moment, Li Tiexuan felt sick. After Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese knew about this fact, it contacted local organizations of overseas Chinese. With their cares and helps, Li Tiexuan passed the COVID test and stepped abroad the plane to home. The helps from overseas Chinese made Li Tiexuan feel warm and happy. He shared the money and food from them with other fellows in the plane. Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese actively makes contacts with local organizations of overseas Chinese at surrounding nations. The power of Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese at anytime In this return, Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese made many contacts with Chinese student and overseas Chinese based on information provided from Chinese student association. From March 1st, Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese had established and guided the work unit of returning home from Ukraine. Most accurate and latest information are sent oversea to these Chinese who has not yet returned. 308 domestic members of the youth committee of Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, 146 oversea members of the committee, and 5000 members, who have oversea contacts, helped to spread this information with over 60 WeChat groups. So far, over ten people have successfully and safely returned back to China. Person who had gone through the rain are more willing to give umbrellas to others. Zhou Yanchao, a oversea member of the youth committee of Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, gave up operating his business and organized a team of oversea Chinese at Slovakia. This team meticulously makes returning plans, prepares resources, and provides services in need. This team has mobilized over 30 volunteers at Slovakia. It has accepted 286 oversea Chinese in needs, who includes a group of Chinese trapped in Sumy and the last group of 118 returnees. Twenty thousand Euros collected from donations are used for daily life of oversea Chinese and COVID tests. So far, oversea Chinese and Chinese students have safely returned home. Next, Hunan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese will keep follow latest updates of returned oversea Chinese and Chinese students and attempt to solve their current difficulties. When Sydney high school student Nick Mihailou doesnt have his nose buried in homework and assignments, hes busy moonlighting as a tech entrepreneur with an app development agency. Mihailou launched his startup Appstra, aged 15, and as CEO, now has a team of 10 working beside him as he takes on six-figure contracts to build apps for startups and companies across Australia. Now 16, his equity in other startups has made him a paper millionaire as he juggles studying with being a founder and investor. The teen said hes been obsessed with business and technology for the better part of six years. His first venture as a small boy was a lemonade stand. After learning how to code from the playground of his primary school, he launched his first app to the App Store, subsequently becoming the youngest App Store developer in Australia. After experiences with meeting Apple executives at exclusive events to discuss the app landscape when he was only 13, he decided that creating an app-development business would be the next step of his natural progression. He launched Appstra with just $200 in capital, spending the past two years building the agency to a point where it is now self-sufficient and completely bootstrapped. When I started the business, I had to develop everything myself. To now be able to hire professional developers and manage them is something that I am extremely proud of, he said. His mates joke that hes the next Mark Zuckerberg, but in terms of his heroes, Mihailou looks closer to home, inspired by the founders of Atlassian, Afterpay and Canva. People like Scott Farquhar, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Nick Molnar and Melanie Perkins, are the leaders and entrepreneurs I aspire to be like, and hopefully follow in their footsteps; to put Aussie tech start-ups on the map, he said. And hes not shy when it comes to advice, recently enlisting local entrepreneur Mark Bouris as a mentor and also picking the brains of US billionaire Mark Cuban. I emailed Mark Cuban after I received an acquisition offer for software I had developed. He responded by giving me some advice and saying, If you are smart enough to get that big an offer you are smart enough to decide what to do!, he said. Me and my co-founder ended up declining the offer, but it was still amazing to get the support of one of my role models. Alongside his ambition to become a highly successful tech entrepreneur, Mihailou also wants to positively impact the education system and Australian startup ecosystem. While Ive done a lot for my age, I still believe I can be a catalyst for the next generation of young entrepreneurs to become inspired and try to take the same path I did, he said. With the entire startup ecosystem growing in Australia, theres no doubt opportunities will be ripe. This article was originally published on Startup Daily. The NSW government needs to do more to protect gig economy workers from exploitation if the state is to continue taking advantage of ride share and delivery services, a parliamentary inquiry has found. Handing down its first report, a NSW committee on the impacts of technology on the future of work has recommended the government build in greater legislative protections for gig economy workers and should require platforms to be more transparent about their workers payments. The committee has now published 22 recommendations following two years worth of hearings in which it learned how the independent contractors hired by the likes of Uber, Lyft, and Menulog are treated. Committee Chair Daniel Mookhey said the lack of minimum wages, paid leave, and poor safety standards have been a major concern for the inquiry. The cyclist who delivers our Friday night takeaway receives next to none of the conditions long considered fair and decent across Australia, he said. The job itself also puts workers in very real danger of injury, abuse and harassment. From extensive evidence over eight hearings to date, the committee has concluded that current laws perpetuate the overwhelming power imbalance between lone 'contractors' and multinational platform companies, rather than mitigating it. Gig economy workers are typically classified as independent contractors, not employees, allowing the companies that pay them to forego penalty rates, leave arrangements, and other benefits associated with being an employee. For the likes of Uber, Lyft, and Amazon among others, independent contractors have opened space for them operate lean, scalable businesses that can tap into casual workforces in markets around the world. Likewise, fast food chains and restaurants that didnt run their own delivery services could latch onto platforms and send their products to customers homes. True cost of delivery The committee heard of further economic benefits from the gig economys freedom in NSW such as job creation, a lower barrier of entry for work, and the ability for full- or part-time workers to earn supplementary income. For workers the platforms profess one major benefit of gig economy work is flexibility of hours, something Amazon alludes to with the name of its last-mile delivery platform Amazon Flex which must now pay its NSW gig economy drivers a minimum hourly rate. But the flipside of this highly casualised work, as noted by Mookhey, is a severe lack of income protection, convoluted dispute resolution systems, and difficult working conditions that led to at least five deaths in Australia in late 2020. Inquiry participants advised the committee that a primary way that rideshare and food delivery platforms exert a high level of control over their workers is through their models of algorithmic management, the inquirys first report said. This is because these platforms' algorithms determine the allocation, remuneration, chastisement and even the termination of labour. Workers said they felt pushed by the algorithms to deliver food faster and are encouraged to take health and safety risks to support themselves and their families. When workers are injured or killed at work, platforms tend to hide behind the independent contractor status of their workers to avoid paying comensation. In the US, the classification of workers as independent contractors has led to recent stories about workers families still having to pay for funerals after their loved ones were murdered on the job. Possible protections for gig economy workers recommended by the committee include legislative changes to provide food delivery and rideshare drivers with the same protections as independent transport workers. The government has also been recommended to establish a system of collective bargaining for gig economy workers. Temporary residents, students, and people who speak a second language at home are all more likely to be gig economy workers, which is most common among young males aged 18-34. Omans Khazaen Economic City has signed an agreement with Opal for biopharmaceuticals and business company to establish a factory for the production of biological human vaccines to the tune of RO20 million ($51.7 million). The first phase of the project will be set up on a total area of 37,000 sq m, reported Oman News Agency (ONA). The agreement was signed by Salim Al Thuhli, CEO of Khazaen and Saad Moosa Al Junaibi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Opal for biopharmaceuticals and business company. Al Thuhli said that this project will be the first vaccines factory in Khazaen Economic City and it targets local and international markets. The agreement, Al Thuhli added, comes as part of Khazaens efforts in attracting local and international investments. They expect over eight million premises to have access to NBN speeds of 500MBps or faster by the end of 2023, but NBN Co executives have glossed over the fact that most are in regional areas including numerous Labor-held seats the Morrison government must swing to win the May election. NBN Cos announcement this month added an additional 90,000 premises to the list of areas where residents can request their fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) services be upgraded to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) which will allow them to access broadband plans offering 100Mbps, 250Mbps, or up to 1Gbps. An additional 230,000 FTTN customers are expected to be eligible to upgrade by 30 June this year, with another 600,000 premises expected to be online by the end of this year. After rolling out the network at pace, said NBN Co chief operating officer Kathrine Dyer, we are turning our attention and investment towards improving access to fibre upgrades on FTTN and fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC). We are on track to achieve our goal of enabling around eight million premises to access NBNs highest speed tiers by the end of 2023. Dyer and NBN Co did not mention the fact that all of the 46 towns on the list are in regional areas, which is unusual given the companys history of promoting regional investments when it makes them. The recent announcement of a co-funded rollout in 50 regional Victorian towns, for example, mentioned its focus on regional Victoria but the word was nowhere to be found in NBNs latest rollout extension, which adds 46 towns scattered across the country. Access to FTTP services will be welcome news for residents of areas such as Byron Bay, East Ballina, Kingscliff and Suffolk Park in the electorate of Richmond, where the Australian Labor Party holds sway by a margin of just 4.1 per cent. Another marginal Labor seat, Shortland held by a margin of just 4.4 percent, is also well represented with premises in Cardiff South, Charlestown, and Macquarie Hills all earmarked for FTTP upgrades. Also among the newly announced suburbs are premises in areas like Wyong and Blue Haven whose electorate of Dobell is currently in ALP hands by a razor-thin margin of just 1.5 per cent and Queenscliff and Highton, whose electorate of Corangamite has a Labor majority of just 1.0 per cent. The list also includes suburbs like Wodonga and West Wodonga, Victoria whose electorate of Indi is held by independent Helen Haines by just 1.4 per cent. There are few Liberal-held seats on the list, but those that were featured on the list are held by thin margins Monash, for example, with a 6.9 per cent margin that was reduced during recent redistribution, and La Trobe, where the Liberal Party is vulnerable with a margin of just 5.5 per cent. Mayo, in South Australia, also features on the list, with residents of Littlehampton and Nairne set to access superfast broadband and the Liberals hoping for a swing away from incumbent Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie. Only one suburb in a relatively safe Labor seat Shellharbour, in Whitlam is on the list, which also features a number of electorates safely held by the National Party. Despite its focus on closely-held Labor seats in other states, the lists Queensland suburbs are all in Liberal or Nationals-held seats including Capricornia, Dickson, Fisher, Groom, and Petrie which has the slimmest margin, of just 4.6 per cent. Reversing years of neglect The announcement is a big win for regional areas, which struggled with archaic FTTN services during a pandemic where broadband services were pushed to their limits. Urban and regional centres with faster broadband fared better overall, but rural MPs have been outspoken in their criticism of substandard regional broadband services. A recently-announced $750m investment will extend NBN Cos fixed wireless services into areas that were previously only serviced by ponderously slow satellite broadband, allowing NBN Co to reduce contention for satellite bandwidth in a defensive play against Elon Musks Starlink and similar competitors. NBN Co has also been challenged by efforts such as GigCity, a South Australian project that is pushing gigabit-speed services to residents and businesses. The new timeline for NBN Cos fibre expansion brings NBN Cos rollout broadly in line with the original timeline when the NBN was first proposed in 2009 at which point the network was, an Abbott government review found, expected to deliver FTTP to nearly all Australian premises by 2024. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic has moved the Slovak Embassy in Ukraine from Kyiv to Uzhgorod, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said, as Slovak news agency TASR reports. "The deputy ambassador of Slovakia is already working there. The ambassador will be sent to Uzhgorod on Thursday [March 24]," TASR said in a statement. It is noted that with this step, Slovakia wants to show that it remains in Ukraine and, thus, the office will fully operate from Uzhgorod. The same employees who were evacuated from Kyiv will work at the embassy. The Ministry will constantly assess the situation in connection with the war. "I consider this an important step towards Ukraine. This is also an important step for the diplomatic service, because they will help on the spot, at the border. They will fully carry out diplomatic activities and especially cover events in Ukraine," Korcok said. Australia's biggest telco Telstra says any issues that arise prior to its acquisition of the Pacific assets of Digicel are matter for the seller to resolve. In response to a query from iTWire, a Telstra spokesperson said on Thursday: "Our acquisition of Digicel hasnt yet completed and is still in the process of obtaining final regulatory approvals. "As you would expect, under the contract the seller has an obligation to operate the business consistent with the basis in which we agreed to acquire it until its handed over. "Therefore any issues that arise in the meantime, such as this tax, are for the seller to resolve." A couple of complications have reared their heads over the last few days, with one being a tax that the Papua New Guinea government has put in place. The Additional Company Tax was approved by the PNG parliament on 29 March and imposes a one-time 350 million kina (about A$132 million) tax on Digicel, according to a statement released by Digicel Pacific on Monday. An additional 50 million kina (A$18.9 million) would have to be paid if the tax was not paid on time. The other hiccup has been the disappearance of a number of Digicel staff, apparently to avoid being put behind bars for failing to pay the tax, as reported by the Australian Financial Review. The newspaper quoted an unnamed source as saying that the exodus of key management personnel raised the question of who will run Digicel for Telstra. The Australian telco announced on 25 October last year that it had acquired Digicel's assets in the South Pacific region for US$1.6 billion, with the Federal Government contributing US$1.33 billion of this sum. Reports in November last year had put the tax at a lower figure of 190 million kina (A$76 million) per year for major banks and 90 million kina (A$36 million) for telecommunications firms. SPRINGFIELD Area fire departments are among the recipients of funds from the Small Equipment Grant Program through the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. Grant programs, such as the State Fire Marshals Small Equipment Grant, are vital to rural volunteer departments like ours. These funds allow us to purchase equipment that we might not have been able to afford, allowing our firefighters and EMTs to continue providing the service our community has come to expect, Bethany Fire Protection District Chief Mike Jennings said. The Bethany department received $19,000 through the program. The Wabash Fire Protection District in Coles County received $21,539. A total of $2.5 million was awarded to 104 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment. Other area recipients are: Newman Community Fire Protection District, $12,688.02; Chrisman Fire Protection District, $26,000; and Tri-County Fire Protection District, $25,566. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A coalition of 18 conservative advocacy groups, led by Americans for Prosperity, is urging the newly appointed Food and Drug Administration commissioner to hit the brakes on severely tightening federal regulations for synthetic nicotine products. Dr. Robert Califf returned as FDA commissioner on Feb. 17. He served in the same role during the final year of the Obama administration. Anti-tobacco advocacy groups have expressed optimism that Califf will support additional tobacco and nicotine restrictions on menthol traditional cigarettes and synthetic nicotine products. President Joe Biden signed into law in March U.S. House Resolution 2471, a $1.5 trillion federal funding bill that contained language placing the use of synthetic nicotine under the FDAs authority. That aspect of the law goes into effect April 14. Specifically, the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) now includes specific language that makes clear the FDA can soon regulate tobacco products containing nicotine from any source, which includes synthetic nicotine, the FDA said in a news release. Currently, synthetic nicotine products can be sold in candy and fruit flavors not available to FDA-regulated tobacco and nicotine products. Puff Bar has been a major distributor of flavored synthetic nicotine products, drawing the focus of anti-tobacco advocates as a favored option of high-school students. It is facing a similar level of scrutiny as top-selling e-cigarette Juul has in recent years. In 2020, the FDA ordered Puff Bar to remove its flavored disposable e-cigarettes from the market because of their appeal to kids. In 2021, Puff Bar reentered the market as a synthetic nicotine product with kid-friendly flavors, such as Banana Ice and Cool Mint. The conservative coalition said Califf should approve a delay in the enforcement of the new law since it will effectively ban vapor products that include synthetic nicotine manufactured and sold legally in the United States. Manufacturers of tobacco products containing nicotine not derived from tobacco will soon need to submit a premarket tobacco product application to the FDA and obtain authorization from the agency to market their product under the FD&C Act as amended by this legislation, or they will be subject to FDA enforcement. Unfortunately, FDA itself has stated that acceptable applications generally require six months of preparation, making this a de facto ban on every small company that lacks the resources of multinational tobacco companies, the coalition wrote. As a result, this law deprives smokers and former smokers of a crucial tool to quit cigarettes in favor of healthier alternatives. More time needed The coalition is asking Califf to allow the products to remain in the marketplace beyond the 60-day period established by the law so that manufacturers can have additional time to prepare their applications. The FDA has done this before, and you should do it now, the coalition wrote. If you dont, there will be disastrous consequences for former smokers that rely on synthetic vapor products to stay off cigarettes. As leading voices against government overreach, we believe that no regulator or lawmaker should be able to restrict consumer choice in this matter, especially if it presents direct health implications. The coalition warned Califf that by removing U.S. synthetic nicotine products, it re-opens the floodgates for illegal counterfeit products from China ... that formed a dangerous black market domestically that have lured Americans to use these cheap knockoffs with unsafe, unregulated substances, resulting in multiple cases of illnesses and fatalities. Barclays analyst Jain Gaurav said a ripple effect of the new law is that all synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes, roughly 20% of the market, would likely go off market. The FDA requested the regulatory language because of concerns that electronic-cigarette manufacturers were switching to synthetic-nicotine products in an attempt to evade FDA regulation (that) revealed a critical need to clarify FDAs authority over these products. That has been accomplished, ensuring products that are similar except for the source of nicotine will be regulated as tobacco products. Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said the language is necessary, claiming that synthetic nicotine poses a new and growing threat to the health of our nations kids. Amanda Wheeler, president of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association, said giving the FDA authority over synthetic nicotine would serve to slow down the shift of adult smokers toward vaping options. Its already lunatic that FDA is prohibiting adult American smokers from switching to vaping, but this legislation is so absurd that it will extend FDAs reach to products that have no actual, physical connection to tobacco whatsoever, Wheeler said. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Triad residents likely will see scattered showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning as a cold front moves over the area, forecasters say. The conditions over Forsyth and Guilford counties will be favorable to produce the stormy weather, said Aaron Swiggett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. Forecasters predicted severe thunderstorms and strong winds Wednesday night into Thursday in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina. Thursdays forecast in Winston-Salem calls for a 70% chance of rain, then gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high temperature near 66 degrees. Thursday nights forecast calls for partly cloudy skies in Forsyth County with a low temperature around 41 degrees. The rainfall could reach half an inch in the Triad, with higher amounts likely in areas that receive the thunderstorms. The cold front, combined with a low pressure system moving over Northwest North Carolina, could result in thunderstorms and strong winds in Ashe, Alleghany, Surry, Stokes, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties as well, said Anita Silverman, a weather service meteorologist in Blacksburg, Va. Thursdays forecast calls for a 30% to 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms in Mount Airy and Boone with a high temperature near 64 degrees in Surry County and near 55 degrees in Watauga County. Thursday nights forecast calls for a 20% chance of rain in Boone and mostly clear skies in Mount Airy with low temperatures around 34 degrees in Watauga County and 40 degrees in Surry County. The rainfall also could reach half an inch in the region, except for higher amounts in the areas that receive the thunderstorms, the weather service said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said last fall he was about 95% sure he would be running for governor in 2024. Those odds have gone up slightly. Speaking at the LeeBoy heavy equipment plant in Lincoln County on Thursday, Robinson said with a laugh: Its about 98% now. The Greensboro Republican made the remark as he was walking to lunch after he toured the factory, made brief remarks and took questions at the plant. The tour was organized as part of the I Make America campaign run by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, an effort aimed at advocating for favorable policy for equipment makers like LeeBoy. Robinson, himself a former factory worker, said he felt at home when he walked into the building. His remarks, delivered while he stood on a paver made by the company, were filled with praise for the workers. I am here with you because I have been you and in many ways, I am still you, Robinson said. I feel your pain when your jobs are threatened. I feel your pain when your jobs are lost, and I am committed to making sure that that will not happen in this state. Speaking after the remarks, Robinson declined to go into specifics about policies he would like to see to benefit workers but he did say he supported the policies advanced by Republican lawmakers over the last decade. He took questions from the audience on topics that had little to do with manufacturing. Robinson said ensuring voter ID is required for elections is the crucial issue on the table for our office right now. He criticized state judges who blocked a voter ID law passed by the N.C. General Assembly in response to a 2018 referendum on the issue. No voter ID measures are currently in effect as the matter is contested in the courts. Were trying to figure out how we can get rid of these folks who are legislating from the bench and overriding the will of the people of North Carolina, Robinson said, adding: One of the ways we can do that as well is at the ballot box to make sure that we put constitutional conservatives on the bench. Asked after the meeting if this position was a call for impeachment of judges or just a call to elect Republicans, Robinson said he was primarily referring to elections but that all options should be considered. A question about Robinsons relationship with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper drew laughter from the lieutenant governor. I have absolutely no relationship with the governor, Robinson replied. He went on to say that he and the governor did likely share some common ground on issues ranging from the need to provide quality care to veterans to protecting students and teachers. Im willing at any juncture to work with the governor to do whats best for the state of North Carolina and the people of North Carolina, Robinson said. Kevin Griffin, kgriffin@hickoryrecord.com, is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record. Blaming and shaming My 13-year-old granddaughter texted an article to me recently about Rep. Matt Gaetzs comments suggesting that diabetics should lose weight before Congress enacts legislation to impose limits on the cost of insulin. This was an attempt to justify his no vote last week on the Affordable Insulin Now Act by implying that diabetics are responsible for their own disease. This is disgusting and Gaetz should be ashamed, along with the 193 House Republicans who voted against it. My granddaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 8 years old. She and her dad both inherited this dreaded disease and depend on insulin for their daily survival. The cost for their treatment has skyrocketed in recent years and has put a strain on their familys budget. Do we blame and shame victims of cancer and Alzheimers disease? The comments of Gaetz and the refusal of the majority of House Republicans to address the costs of health care in this country are inexcusable. When will the citizens of the United States vote these reprehensible characters out of office? Linda Setzer Yellen Kernersville Priorities The U.S. House just passed a bill to make insulin affordable for people who need it to survive, but 193 Republicans voted against it. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz said that Americans with diabetes should just lose weight. Because thats so easy to do. Today its the government fixing the price on insulin, Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said. Whats next? Gas? I thought that was what they wanted. Speaking at a Trump rally last weekend, Republican Rep. Lisa McClain falsely claimed that Osama bin Laden was caught by the Trump administration. She also claimed that unemployment is at a 40-year high when its actually near a historic low. The writer of the March 5 letter Reality setting in is right: Republicans will most likely take control of the Senate later this year. But despite his gloating over the victory, at least he had the courtesy not to claim that this would be good for the country. It wont be. Lies will proliferate and cruelty and ignorance will once again be prevalent. President Biden and the Democrats have been working to keep Americans safe from COVID, to support marginalized people who are discriminated against and to move us to the forefront of the world when it comes to technology and clean energy. All the Republicans want is cheap gas. Its going to be a tough time in America. I hope it wont happen, but Im bracing for it now. William B. Perry Winston-Salem Shared resources I applaud the letter about school equity issues in our community (Equal resources, April 2). As the writer correctly points out, there is a significant disparity in available resources for public schools. Students from affluent sectors often benefit from fundraising efforts, allowing some schools to provide enhanced resources, while schools in economically challenged areas go without updated materials and equal resources. One solution would be for all fundraising efforts to go into one pot and be divided equally among our schools. This would allow our community to lend its support to all students, regardless of economic circumstances. Since the North Carolina legislature is unwilling to allocate sufficient funds to ensure all schools have all the assets they need to be successful, we must begin to take local action. Kathy Pearre Winston-Salem Take over If you know someone who is diabetic, they should know that 92% of House Republicans just voted against a standalone bill that would simply cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month. Lord forbid working people and sick people should get a break. We have billionaires who are still paying taxes! Hey, I cant wait for Republicans to take over and make all the rules. Fred Williamson Winston-Salem Article In Brief Advances over the past two decades in the field of neuromuscular disorders have transformed the treatment landscape, bringing more genetic testing, better laboratory analyses, new innovative therapies that target specific disease pathways and mechanisms, and a multidisciplinary approach to care. These advancements have led to more precise diagnoses and better management of conditions, which can be life-altering for patients. The old stereotype of neurologists as physicians who were great at evaluating and diagnosing patients but had next to nothing to offer them could have very well been used to describe those specializing in neuromuscular disease. Twenty-five years ago, we were incredibly limited in our treatment options and our ability to diagnose or treat specific neuromuscular disorders, and because of that what we could offer patients and families was very limited, said Holli A. Horak, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology and a neuromuscular specialist at the University of Arizona. While it's often hard to make broad statements about a group of conditions as varied as those that fall under the designation of neuromuscular disorders, experts in the field told Neurology Today that advances over the past couple of decades have in general transformed the treatment landscape. More availability of genetic testing, better laboratory analyses, new innovative therapies that target specific disease pathways and mechanisms, and a multidisciplinary approach to care are adding up to ?more precise diagnoses and better management of conditions that can be life altering and, in some cases, fatal. Dr. Horak considers amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to be a good example of how neuromuscular care has evolved in the past couple of decades. People would come and get the diagnosis, go home, get their affairs in order, and enter hospice, she said. While there still is no cure for ALS and no drug therapy that dramatically slows progression of the disease, Dr. Horak said her patients are living a higher quality of life thanks to therapies aimed at symptoms, better respiratory care, communication devices, and wheelchair options. I am seeing it clinically. My patients are living longer with ALS, but just as importantly we are able to help patients define what a good quality of life is for them, she said. Dr. Horak said she also would put myasthenia gravis (MG), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) among neuromuscular disorders with much improved outlooks. With Guillain-Barre, 20 years ago we would be hesitant about the diagnosis and want to confirm it, she said. Now that our awareness has increased as well as our knowledge of what to look for, we can intervene quicker, begin treatment sooner and hopefully reduce the severity of disease, she said. Our comfort level with the diagnosis, our knowledge of the efficacy of treatment, and the importance of early treatment have led to this change in GBS management, Dr. Horak added. New Treatment Targets Ghazala Hayat, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology and director of neuromuscular and neurophysiology services at Saint Louis University, said that friends used to ask her why she had chosen neurology since all you do is diagnose and that's it. She said that while some other fields of neurology, such as stroke care, have garnered accolades over the past 20 years for the strides they have made, neuromuscular advances have often come with less fanfare. Twenty-five years ago, we were incredibly limited in our treatment options and our ability to diagnose or treat specific neuromuscular disorders, and because of that what we could offer patients and families was very limited.DR. HOLLI A. HORAK Dr. Hayat said patients with MG, for instance, are benefitting from an expansion of treatments and more therapies are in the pipeline. The latest option for MG patients came late last year when the FDA approved a new targeted therapy, efgartigimod (Vyvgart), that is aimed at people with generalized MG who test positive for the anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody. Dr. Hayat described the new drug as a breakthrough for MG care, and said it illustrates how applying basic science discoveries on the root causes of neuromuscular disease can lead to new treatment approaches. Dr. Hayat said she believes gene therapy will also prove useful in treating other neuromuscular disorders, including Charcot-Marie Tooth disorder, which is the most common inherited neurologic disorder in the US and causes a significant burden worldwide. We are in an extraordinarily exciting time, said Robert C. Griggs, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology, medicine, pathology and laboratory medicine, pediatrics and the Center for Health and Technology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, who noted that the causes of nearly all neuromuscular diseases are now known and potential targets for treatment have been identified. He said one of the most dramatic advances involves babies with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1. SMA was until recently 100 percent fatal within the first two years of life, Dr. Griggs said. It's remarkable that there is now a gene therapy where one injection given within the first days of life results in a cure, where the baby develops normally. He said data from up to six years after treatment show that the gene therapy has not lost efficacy. In a significant milestone for SMA, in 2019, the FDA approved onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma), the first gene therapy for children under age 2 with genetically confirmed SMA. Dr. Griggs said development of new treatments such as the gene therapy for SMA carries a responsibility to see that it gets to those who need it, not just in the US but worldwide. He is an advocate for universal newborn screening for SMA, which is done in New York state, where babies who are identified are referred to Rochester and given gene therapy if eligible. It's just been amazing, Dr. Griggs said of the seven babies treated in Rochester by a colleague. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has benefited by advances in research, as well. Dr. Griggs said one of the challenges in developing gene therapy for DMD is that the gene that encodes for the missing protein dystrophin is big and doesn't fit into viral vectors. Scientists are experimenting with gene therapy using a smaller version of the large dystrophin gene, micro-dystrophin. Dr. Griggs said that preliminary results from early clinical testing of gene therapy for DMD look extraordinarily exciting and the young boys who get this treatment improve. Rochester is one of the centers participating in a phase 3 trial. Dr. Griggs said other forms of muscular dystrophy will also likely be treatable with gene therapy someday. Advances in ALS Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD, FAAN, professor of neurology and director of the ALS Clinic at Duke University, said more than 40 ALS-related genes have been identified in recent years, though in total they probably explain 12 percent of all cases. One of the first things patients ask is Why did this happen to me? Now we have tests that can tell if there are genetic causes, he said. ALS is a very different disease in different people. Some people get cognitive impairment, others don't. Some progress much faster than others, Dr. Bedlack said. Genetic information can help us predict how someone is going to progress. He said there are some promising ALS therapies in development that target certain genetic mutations, including a mutation called C9. But even as neurologists and neuroscientists are becoming more specific about diagnosing genetic variations of neuromuscular disorders, they are also looking more broadly. In the case of ALS, Dr. Bedlack said he no longer thinks of it as a neuromuscular disease, but rather as a neurodegenerative disease that affects a wide range of cells in both the peripheral and central nervous system. Dr. Bedlack said another change he has seen in recent years is more patient interest in participating in clinical trials. Part of the problem previously was that patients and even clinicians may have not been aware of what trials were out there. He created an initiative called the ALS Clinical Research Learning Institute, which is an educational and training program designed to empower patients to be effective research partners. People that graduate from this program, whom we call research ambassadors, have helped us create more studies, ask more relevant questions using more humane designs, and spread the word about open studies, he said. Dianna Quan, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology at University of Colorado, said it is encouraging that genetic testing to diagnose neuromuscular disorders is now much more widely available for patients, rather than being confined to research sites or select major medical centers. The availability of genetic testingmore testing capacity and lower cost?has really allowed us to offer patients more diagnostic answers than we could 20 years ago, she said. That is the case in her treatment specialty, transthyretin amyloidosis. Dr. Quan said that previously a patient with the condition may have been told they have non-specific peripheral neuropathy and treatment would be aimed at pain relief. Now when we see patients who have symptoms that might suggest they have polyneuropathy due to transthyretin ?amyloidosis, we can do genetic testing ?and provide truly impactful treatments that target the underlying mechanisms of their disease, she said. Treatments include patisiran, inotersen, and tafamidis.? These developments have truly changed patients' lives for the better, Dr. Quan said. More Coming Michael D. Weiss, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology and director of the division of neuromuscular diseases at the University of Washington Medical Center, said that while quantum leaps forward in treatment are still needed for many neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, he is happy to be able to convey to patients that we are getting closer to having a way to meaningfully address your disease. He is optimistic, for instance, that new or better treatments are coming for Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, motor neuron disease, and the muscular dystrophies. I think we will find better and better therapies for Duchenne, he said, for which there are now four exon-skipping drugs available for a significant percentage of patients with the disease as well other gene therapies currently in development. KidsBuddy, an Indian EdTech start-up, has launched its operations in the GCC, which promises to change the learning system for more than 250 million K12 students currently enrolled into Indian school curricula across the world. The launch of KidsBuddy in the region comes as the Education Technology (EdTech) market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to reach $7 billion by 2027, due to the adoption of technology solutions and products in classrooms by schools across the region. The worldwide EdTech market size was valued at $254.80 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $605.40 billion by 2027, according to Research and Markets, a market intelligence provider. The number of enrolled students in government schools in India was 131 million while the privately managed schools had 119 million enrolled students before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indian schooling system is one of the largest in the world and caters to over 250 million students, according to reports. Ready to serve 16.3 million K12 students KidsBuddy launched its campaign in the GCC region through Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Startup Conference concluded on March 31 at the Dubai Expo 2020. It was among the few start-ups selected from India to demonstrate business model at the AIM Start-up. KidsBuddy is now ready to serve 16.3 million K12 students in the GCC, along with the 250 million students in India. The education market value in India is expected to grow from $101.1 billion in 2019 to $225 billion in 2025, according to reports. In the Union Budget 2021-22, the Government of India allocated more than Rs54,000 crores or $7.53 billion for the Department of School Education and literacy which reflects the size of the industry. KidsBuddy currently seeking to raise funds in the UAE and Gulf where a large number of Indians students pursue their education, to increase its market share. The innovative learning modules pursued by KidsBuddy is in line with the Indian Governments plans and changes the way children learn in school. Broadly accepted The K-12 model is among those revolutions that the Indian education system has broadly accepted and made it compulsory to adopt for both private and government schools. In K-12, there is a lot of teacher-student interaction where the teacher encourages a lot of question-answer sessions, assignments to promote advance learning habits in students, according to a report by India Brand Equity Forum (IBEF) This education system supports individual attention. This method is more into developing the self-educating capabilities of students. Here the students are encouraged to add value to their assignments in the form of personal views and ideas that makes this system more beneficial than the conventional education systems. Students are also open to taking participating in various discussion clubs and forums to present their ideas and views. The two-year-old app, KidsBuddy, was established in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic by the Co-Founders Sareesh Polassery and Ranjith Kodungallur of Indbytes Technologies Private Ltd, will be now serving the students in the UAE market. The application serves 10,000+ International Curriculum-based guided activities in a Play-based approach. The application is serving 12000+ customers and has a 4.8 Google review rating. Changing the entire learning system Sareesh Polassery, Co-Founder of KidsBuddy, says: We have changed the entire learning system practised by the schools under the Indian curricula and made it more modern, scientific and practical assignment-based moving away from rote learning as per the vision of the Indian Government and in line with the best international practices. Each and every parent nowadays are worried about the education for their child. Kidsbuddy is going to help the parents to give the better education to their children. In the KidsBuddy application, there is a classroom which has a mixture of students with different academic performance levels. Not only that the students who are excellent in extracurricular activities can get benefited by this application. KidsBuddy focuses a lot on extra-curricular activities and help nurture the creative side in each student so that they can develop a better understanding of the subjects. Free mobile application KidsBuddy is a free mobile application specially designed for the children to nourish their better future and also for society. It helps the children to learn through fun and follow the international syllabus (Cambridge). Apart from academic activities, it encourages children to improve their extra-curricular activities like music, dance craft, and sports. It provides daily activities for children, and by performing these tasks they can discover, experiment, and learn independently. These actions will help them to learn without any boredom from the traditional learning system. As a relatively new app, we are still at a developing phase and looking for potential investors. We are really glad to launch our start-up in the EdTech market of GCC. At the Expo 2020, we got a chance to meet up with many international investors, and these future investments will help us to develop and grow internationally, Polassery said. Accolades won KidsBuddy has already won many accolades so far, which includes 8th position in the Kerala Startup Innovation drive 2021-2022 competition, among a total of 185 startups, were Kerala, India government granted Rs 700,000 ($10,000) to KidsBuddy. KidsBuddy has been certified by a UK-based company Educational App Store. This is an independent company and they have validated KidsBuddy content with their professionally experienced teachers and awarded 5-star rating certificate to KidsBuddy. Developed by groups of doctors, child psychologists, teachers, software engineers, and parents, KidsBuddy is a mobile application platform specially designed for children to nourish academic knowledge and extracurricular activities. Co-founder of KidsBuddy, Ranjith Kodungallur, said: Our team is now open to make a strong database of UAE schools and academies to reach the potential customers. KidsBuddy has mainly two apps, KidsBuddy Smiley (B2C) and KidsBuddy Academia B2B). KidsBuddy Smileys been used by 13,000 students, 200+ schools, and in 12 countries for child development.-- TradeArabia News Service The Iowa man who had been wanted for allegedly sending a series of threatening emails to dozens of elected officials in Lincoln and across Nebraska has been arrested. Thomas Blobaum, 35, was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on Wednesday and has been charged with terroristic threats, a felony. His arrest comes nearly 11 months after the Nebraska State Patrol first began investigating Blobaum. A state senator reported an email Blobaum had sent to more than 40 members of the Legislature in May 2021 calling for the torture of a Lancaster County judge who had previously presided over a case against Blobaum, according to court filings. In the months since, Blobaum is accused of sending more than a dozen emails with veiled and specific threats toward Lincoln attorneys, the Lincoln mayor, local police officers, the county sheriff's office, a host of state senators, Gov. Pete Ricketts and U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, according to the affidavit for his arrest. Most of Blobaum's grievances with the officials appear to stem from what he described as his "wrongful" prosecution. He was convicted in Lancaster County in January of violating a harassment protection order. In the emails, Blobaum made several references to a loaded gun that he said he often carried with him, though family members told the State Patrol he doesn't own or have access to firearms. The Creston man has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Lincoln man and resident at Mahoney Manor is accused of breaking into apartments at the retirement home and watching or touching female residents as they slept, police said in court records. The 64-year-old was charged with misdemeanor third-degree sexual assault and two counts of trespassing for the string of alleged break-ins, in which he entered the apartments of Mahoney Manor residents, according to the affidavit for his arrest. Lincoln Police were called to the retirement home, near 61st Street and Ballard Avenue, shortly after noon March 25. A resident said the 64-year-old had entered her locked apartment uninvited on two consecutive nights and began touching her as she laid in bed, police said. Another woman told investigators she woke up at about 1:30 a.m. March 25 and saw him standing in her room, according to the affidavit. Police believe the 64-year-old was able to circumvent the locks on each resident's door. He was arrested March 25 and taken to the Lancaster County jail. He paid $500 to be released on bond. The Journal Star generally does not name individuals accused of a misdemeanor. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Lincoln woman was charged with a felony last month after she defrauded the government of more than $26,000 in Emergency Rental Assistance funds by posing as the landlord of the house she lived in and inventing fake tenants before filing a fictitious claim, police said in court records. Alyssa Rodriguez, 33, deposited the $26,040 check into her bank account in June 2021, according to the affidavit for her arrest more than 10 months before she was ultimately charged with theft by deception. Police believe a former employee of Family Service Lincoln who initially processed the request later received cash payments from Rodriguez, but that person hasn't been charged with a crime. In October 2021, employees with the city and University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center on Children, Families and the Law raised concerns about the payout, Lincoln Police Department Investigator Don Fosler said in the affidavit. Documents included in Rodriguez's assistance application included fake names and Social Security numbers for two purported tenants at 6461 Saline Drive, who were claimed to owe $26,040 in past due and future rent, Fosler said. A case manager with the Lincoln Prevention Assistance Common Fund forwarded concerns about the claim to LPD in October after noticing inconsistencies in the application, including a 13-month lease, an illegally doubled security deposit and a lack of documentation supporting the claim, according to court records. The lease attached to the claim ran from April 2020 to the beginning of May 2021, but the request for assistance included rent for four months beyond the terms of the agreement, Fosler said in the affidavit. Additionally, the supposed lease document was created one day before the assistance application was submitted, according to the affidavit. Rodriguez told police she had rented the property out after an incident with her ex-husband, and that the two tenants, who police say don't exist, had applied for the assistance, Fosler said. The lease indicates the two tenants were responsible for utilities at the house, but the property's billing account holder was still Rodriguez as of November 2021, according to the affidavit. Bank and phone records obtained by police show Rodriquez used the money-sharing app CashApp to transfer $4,500 to the former Family Service Lincoln employee who processed her claim in July 2021, Fosler said. Rodgriquez also withdrew another $6,900 in cash from her bank account on July 9 and made six phone calls to the former employee the same day, Fosler said in the affidavit. Dennis Hoffman, the executive director of Family Service Lincoln, confirmed the employee no longer works for the organization and said they had fully cooperated with LPD's investigation, declining further comment. Capt. Todd Kocian, a Lincoln Police Department spokesman, said the investigation into the employee remains active, and LPD is examining the possibility of other fictitious claims processed by the former employee. Rodriquez was arrested and taken to the Lancaster County Jail on March 22. She paid $500 to be released on bond the next day. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Toni Rasmussen juggles many responsibilities as an ag education teacher and FFA advisor at Wayne High School. In a single day, she may teach about welding or food science, lead field trips or simply help students learn valuable life skills. "It's just an exciting career to be a part of," Rasmussen said. It's also a field that is in need of more teachers like Rasmussen as schools in Nebraska and across the country grapple with workforce shortages. Just this year, there were a record 65 ag education openings in Nebraska schools, with around 20 of those still vacant. Many of those teachers also double as a school's FFA advisor. It's a "crisis situation" for schools and the ag industry at large, said Stacie Turnbull, the state director of ag education for the Nebraska Department of Education. "The problem is we're kind of running dry," Turnbull said. In hopes of addressing the shortage, leaders from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska FFA made a plea for more ag educators Wednesday on East Campus. Officials also announced that UNL's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is adding three faculty members to tackle the issue. The three new positions, which will be based in Scottsbluff, Concord and Lincoln, will serve as "boots on the ground" to recruit potential teachers and advise new ones, officials said. "CASNR is doubling down, really, on how we're able to recruit, prepare and support teachers across Nebraska," said Matt Kreifels, the coordinator of UNL's ag education teacher preparation program. Ag is Nebraska's biggest industry, and a highly competitive one at that, Kreifels said. Many students who would qualify to be ag-ed teachers are also recruited to other fields, like agribusiness and animal and plant science. But for those drawn to the teaching profession, there are multiple ways to enter the field, Kreifels said. While UNL is the lone college in the state that certifies ag-ed teachers, the university has agreements with community colleges and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Those agreements allow students to transfer community college credits to UNL and still graduate in four years. College grads with a bachelor's degree in an ag-related field may also qualify for a transitional certification at UNL. Teachers specializing in a different subject field can also earn an ag-ed certification. Officials also pointed to salary incentives, including additional compensation for serving as an FFA advisor or through extended contracts some districts offer. The plea for more ag educators comes as more than 5,000 blue-clad FFAers from over 200 Nebraska schools converge on UNL this week. The annual FFA state convention, which runs through Friday, is often a great recruiting tool to get students interested in teaching about ag, Turnbull said. Students take part in a career fair, competitions and a final ceremony at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday. This year's convention marks the first time FFA students have been able to gather in person since the pandemic began. The past two conventions were held virtually. "Having them here back on campus, it's the bread and butter of FFA," Rasmussen said. The FFA convention, along with last week's Family, Career and Community Leaders of America state meeting, will bring more than 8,000 visitors to the Capital City. The events are a "vital cog" for hotels and restaurants, said Jeff Maul, executive director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau. The student conferences add up to a $1 million to $1.5 million boost to Lincoln's economy, Maul said. Many hotels are booked or near capacity, especially in the downtown area, he added. Over the past decade, the number of FFA chapters in Nebraska schools has grown from 133 to more than 200. This year, 11,000 students will take ag education courses. In order to sustain that growth, schools need quality teachers, Turnbull said. "It's a great career where you get to live out your passion every single day," she said. Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @zach_hammack Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Efforts to slow Nebraskas nation-leading prison growth and overcrowding collapsed in the Legislature on Wednesday. The defeat of LB920 marked the ultimate failure of a cooperative effort by state lawmakers, the administration of Gov. Pete Ricketts and the states court system to come together with outside experts for a data-driven approach that could help solve the states prison woes. Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha said what doomed the process in the end was the refusal of opponents both in the Legislature and within the states law enforcement community to consider any sentencing reforms that would have made a substantive impact on the growth trajectory of the states inmate population. With the state projected to add 1,300 inmates to its 5,500-inmate population between now and 2030, the state wont just end up building one new $270 million prison, as Ricketts has proposed, but two, Lathrop said. Why dont you stand up and say Im for two prisons, Lathrop said at one point in challenging those opposed to LB920. Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, who led opposition to the bill on the floor, defended her objections as based in public safety grounds. Geist, who had served as one of the Legislatures representatives in the criminal justice study last year, said she still shares many of its goals. She vowed to work beginning next month with senators on both sides of the issue on a broader look at the states sentencing laws. After eight hours of debate on LB920 and even more hours spent in off-the-floor negotiations, it seemed for a brief moment Wednesday there was hope of resurrecting the justice reinvestment process launched by Ricketts, Lathrop and Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican last year. Representatives of the policy arm of Ricketts office approached Lathrop and said if the bill was advanced Wednesday out of the first round of debate, it would work with Lathrop and others to negotiate on some of the stickier issues. Ricketts has been firmly opposed to the sentencing changes in the bill. Lathrop asked senators to take a leap of faith and advance the bill so those negotiations could continue with the governor and others before the second round of debate. But Geist and other opponents did not accept that plan. She objected that the starting point of those negotiations would be Lathrops bill, not her plan that would have pared out several provisions in the bill she opposed. I just didnt see it happening, she said of the prospects for further negotiations. With Geist and other opponents voting no, the Legislature failed to come up with the 33 votes needed to continue the debate this session. It fell seven votes short, failing 26-18. We brought people in for a data-driven process, and it was sidetracked by stories of catalytic converters and partisanship, a disappointed Lathrop said afterward, referencing concerns about car parts theft that were voiced during debate. How they voted A bill to enact prison reforms in Nebraska got 26 votes Wednesday, seven shy of what it needed to end a filibuster. YES (26): Aguilar, Blood, Brandt, Brewer, J.Cavanaugh, M.Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, Dorn, Flood, Gragert, M.Hansen, Hilkemann, Hunt, Kolterman, Lathrop, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Stinner, Vargas, Walz, Wayne, Williams, Wishart. NO (18): Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Clements, Erdman, Geist, Halloran, B.Hansen, Hilgers, Hughes, Jacobson, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama. PRESENT, NOT VOTING (2): Briese, Friesen. EXCUSED, NOT VOTING (3): Bostar, Lindstrom, Pahls. Ricketts had little to say afterward about the failure of the reform process he had helped lead. A Ricketts spokesperson simply noted that there were "17 smart criminal justice reforms" that had consensus support from all involved in the process. Nebraskas prison system is not only the nation's most overcrowded, but in the past decade has also grown faster than any state in the nation, a recent World-Herald analysis found. Nebraska was one of only two states to grow its prison population between 2010 and 2020, its 16% growth in that time contrasting to a 24% reduction nationwide. The reduction nationally has been attributed to falling crime rates and states re-examination of the past get-tough-on-crime policies that have swelled inmate ranks nationally since the 1980s. At least 35 states have engaged in such criminal justice reinvestment efforts since 2007. With the Legislature and Ricketts at loggerheads over building a new prison, the governor, Lathrop and the judicial branch similarly engaged with the nonprofit Crime and Justice Institute for its own reinvestment study, examining why Nebraskas inmate numbers are growing so much and exploring possible reforms. The result of that process was 21 proposals, 17 of which received consensus support from the panel. However, the proposals that did not receive consensus represented changes to sentencing laws that CJI found had the most potential to move the needle on Nebraskas inmate numbers. Lathrop generally included all of the proposals in LB920. CJI projected the bill would largely flatten Nebraskas current inmate growth path, reducing Nebraskas 2030 prison headcount by 1,000 from the current projections. But Geist opposed the changes to sentencing and offered an amendment that would have stripped them from the bill. A CJI analysis of Geists amendment indicated it would cut current projections by fewer than 150 inmates. Three proposals in LB920 proved particular sticking points: an effort to cap minimum sentences to provide inmates more time on parole supervision; a proposal to make possession of very small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor; and a proposal to set standards for when judges would sentence those convicted of more than one crime to consecutive sentences. There were efforts in the past week to bridge the differences. Ricketts met in the statehouse last Thursday with a number of senators and representatives of the states criminal justice system, and Lathrop felt progress was made. Lathrop tweaked many of the sentencing proposals in an effort to gain more support. But when the group reconvened via Zoom on Monday, Lathrop said Geist and several other senators and law enforcement representatives rejected all of the proposals. It was no on everything, Lathrop said. Ricketts was not part of the Monday meeting, with several senators saying he had been sick that day. Then when the Ricketts administration made one last effort to continue negotiations Wednesday, the Legislatures vote not to proceed left LB920 dead. Lathrop, who is not running for re-election and leaving the Legislature after this year, said he saw no hope of resurrecting it in the final days of the session. He called the failure of the process his biggest disappointment in 12 years hes served in Lincoln. Geist said she remains interested in finding ways to provide more treatment and programs for offenders, both as alternatives to incarceration and as a way to help those in prison avoid returning once they are released. She said she has already been talking to Sens. Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne of Omaha and other LB920 backers about continuing discussions in months to come, with the idea of bringing the issue back in the 2023 Legislature. Im committed to the issue, and I know there are others in the body as well, she said. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A bill in the Nebraska Legislature to ban abortions is effectively dead this year after failing Wednesday to overcome a filibuster. A vote to stop debate after eight hours and force a vote on LB933 failed 31-15. Supporters needed to muster 33 votes to end the filibuster. With only six days left in the legislative session, the bill wont return to the agenda. How they voted Senators voted 31-15 on a cloture motion Wednesday to stop debate on LB933. Voting for cloture signaled support in bringing the abortion bill to a vote. Voting yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams. Voting no (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart Excused, not voting (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne In a rarely used motion, the bill was pulled last month from the Judiciary Committee after it stalled. Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln designated the bill as his personal priority and Gov. Pete Ricketts had said hed sign it if it reached his desk. LB933 would have immediately banned abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its 1973 decision to legalize the procedure. There are already 13 states that have enacted a so-called trigger law. Opponents slammed the measure as an intrusion on women's ability to make personal medical decisions. What are you all thinking?" asked Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, of Lincoln. I have a daughter, she's 25 years old, and you all are not invited into her medical examination appointments." Supporters of the measure said it would ensure that Nebraska is among the first states to outlaw abortion if the court overturns Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that allowed the procedure. How they voted Senators voted 31-15 on a cloture motion Wednesday to stop debate on LB933. Voting for cloture signaled support in bringing the abortion bill to a vote. Voting yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams. Voting no (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart Excused, not voting (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne This is about ensuring our most precious and vulnerable people, the preborn, are protected, said Sen. Joni Albrecht, the bill's lead sponsor. A March poll commissioned by the American Civil Liberties Union found that out of 500 Nebraska voters, 55% opposed LB933, while 40% supported it. If triggered, the bill would have made it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, starting at fertilization. The woman undergoing an abortion, however, could not be charged. The bill would not provide exemptions but would allow licensed physicians charged under the law to use as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the womans death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ. Nebraska became the first state to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy in 2010, and the state outlawed a second-trimester abortion procedure in 2020 despite fervent protests from abortion-rights supporters. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 2 OMAHA One of the Republican front-runners in the race for Nebraska governor Wednesday advocated for schools to teach prayer and scrap lessons that cast America in a negative light. In response to a question about critical race theory at a wide-ranging forum hosted by the Greater Omaha Chamber, Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster said the country has lost the moral compass of what made America great: That is God, the flag, and our families, framing it as a war. He defined critical race theory as teaching whats wrong with the country. Schools should be teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, prayer, and the flag salute and what made America great, he said. Critical race theory is an academic framework that views racism as systemic, embedded in systems and policies, rather than as an individual issue. Its generally taught at the graduate level, but opponents often call it un-American and use the term to cover a broad range of anti-racism and diversity curriculum and initiatives. It has become a key talking point and wedge issue in the past year or so for Republican politicians, and has appeared often in ads for candidates in Nebraskas GOP gubernatorial primary. After the forum, the Omaha World-Herald asked Herbster about the inclusion of prayer in that list and whether that creates a concern about the separation of church and state at publicly funded schools. Herbster stood firm. If you go back 40 or 50 years, we had prayer in the school systems, he said. We should have prayer in the school systems today. Ill stand by that. The original question from the forum moderator, KETVs Julie Cornell: Please explain your definition of critical race theory. Do you think that racism exists in Nebraska? And if so, what can you do as governor to bridge that gap? Candidates were given topics ahead of time, but not the specific questions, according to organizers. Answers from the other two participants state Sen. Brett Lindstrom and former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau diverged from Herbsters. (Republican candidate Jim Pillen, a hog producer and University of Nebraska regent, declined to attend the forum and has declined all opportunities to debate his fellow candidates.) Lindstrom said that racism is everywhere, and that part of bridging the gap as governor is realizing youre a representative of the state and that the state needs to be welcoming to all. Nebraska wont just grow organically, he said. It requires drawing people to the state, including people of different backgrounds, sexual orientation, creeds. Hes against critical race theory, he said to reporters after the forum. His campaign website includes that Anti-American, divisive and left-wing propaganda like Critical Race Theory has no place in our public schools. But he defined it as being taught more at the graduate level, not necessarily in K-12 education or in undergrad studies. He said its become a wedge issue to divide people, and any time theres subject matter used to divide, he wont support it. If it ever does get pushed down on a level that people misunderstand or cant comprehend that, especially within K-12 education, Im not gonna be for that if theres any type of mandate to promote that, he said. Thibodeau contended that critical race theory has taught division amongst our students and said children need to learn how to think critically. We have a saying in our family: Dont come and say you cant do it, come and say how are you going to do it. And thats what we should be teaching in our schools, not roadblocks and not that people cant do something because of the color of their skin, she said. In response to a question about how public schools and colleges should address the concepts of racial justice and inequity, Herbster said if they teach about the countrys founding and the greatness of America, even though we made a lot of mistakes, it would address that. Thibodeau focused her answer on initiatives outside of education, such as mentoring organizations. Education came up at other points during the forum, which lasted about an hour and a half and touched on taxes, energy and more. Lindstrom, whose campaign has focused heavily on cutting taxes, talked about the importance of rural broadband and education funding, laying out his vision of a system that more equitably provides state funding to districts without putting a strain on property owners. Thibodeau talked about ensuring every student is funded equally, focusing on students proficiency in English and math, and the importance of business leaders, colleges and trade schools showing young people in-state opportunities. Herbster talked about promoting trades and his support for school choice while also advocating for protecting public school systems. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 2 Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen said Thursday that he "will work with pro-life voters" to attempt to defeat state Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha and Wendy DeBoer of Bennington in their reelection bids since they both voted this week in opposition to a proposal that would ban abortion in Nebraska if and when the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. The court is expected to reconsider the 1973 landmark decision that protected a woman's right to choose when it ruled that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. The Legislature on Wednesday night scuttled a bill (LB933) that would have triggered a ban on abortions in Nebraska if the court acted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Supporters of the proposal fell two votes short of the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by opponents. Both Cavanaugh and DeBoer voted against the motion to end debate. Responding to Pillen's statement, DeBoer invited him to "a public debate on the issues anytime after April 20," the date when the Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year. "I'm curious to know Jim Pillen's thoughts on the middle-class tax cut that the Legislature denied to over 50% of Nebraska families this week," she said. DeBoer attempted to include such a tax cut in comprehensive tax reduction legislation enacted by the Legislature, but her motion was defeated on a 26-18 vote. "I will continue to fight for Legislative District 10 by focusing on job creation, access to affordable health care and tax relief for the middle class," DeBoer said. How they voted Senators voted 31-15 on a motion to stop a filibuster on LB933 on Wednesday, but needed 33 votes. The failed motion meant the abortion-related bill died for the year. Voting yes (31): Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams. Voting no (15): Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart. Excused, not voting (3): Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne. Pillen said voters in the legislative districts represented by Cavanaugh and DeBoer should "vote them out of office this November." "The Legislature failed the people of Nebraska in voting to keep abortion legal," Pillen said. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In the 2000 census, Crete added more than 1,100 people. Then it tacked on another 900 or so in the 2010 census. But according to the latest official count, the city about 25 miles southwest of Lincoln added only about 140 residents as of 2020, for a total population of 7,099. If you believe the numbers, Crete's growth slowed to a trickle at the same time Nebraska as a whole saw its second-best population growth over the past century. City officials think the numbers are off, which is why Crete is among a small number of local entities nationwide to officially protest its census results. Tom Ourada, the city administrator, said he knows exactly where the problem lies. The city has three wards, or administrative divisions, one of which contains Doane University. When the census count was conducted in early 2020, Doane had gone to remote learning because of the coronavirus pandemic, and students living in the dorms had gone home for the remainder of the semester. "So that ward was down like 700 or 800 people from what it was in normal years," Ourada said. Add those 700-800 people and Crete's growth would be more in line with what it was in 2000 and 2010. Ourada said that Crete generally grows at about the same pace as Seward, a similar-sized city that also is home to a small private university. In the 2020 census, Seward added nearly 700 people, growing its population from 6,964 to 7,643, which is similar to the growth it experienced in 2000 and 2010. York, another similar-sized city with a college, grew by 300 people, compared with a loss of about the same amount in 2010. Wayne, home to Wayne State College, also added around 300 people, much better growth than it saw in 2010. "We think that our population growth has been in line with other communities our size," Ourada said. For Crete, the loss of that potential population growth is a big blow when it comes to federal funding, much of which is based on population. Ourada said that communities generally get about $1,000 per person in federal money over the course of the 10-year census period, so a 700-person undercount could cost Crete $700,000 over this decade. Crete population 2020: 7,099 2010: 6,960 2000: 6,028 1990: 4,841 1980: 4,872 1970: 4,444 1960: 3,546 1950: 3,692 As of Monday, about two dozen local and county governments had, like Crete, filed official challenges to their census counts, asking the agency to review their numbers for potential errors. A number of other states and cities, many of them with large student populations, have filed complaints through another program, the Post-Census Group Quarters Review, which allows state and local governments to flag errors in the counts of residents in institutional settings such as prisons and college dorms. Among the cities that have filed complaints under that program are Bloomington, Indiana; East Lansing, Michigan; State College, Pennsylvania; Ithaca, New York; and Athens, Georgia, all home to major universities. Stateline.org reported that many cities complained about errors in the early weeks of the pandemic in spring 2020, when students were leaving dorms and apartments to return home for virtual classwork. The Census Bureau said the students should have been counted in the college towns where they usually live, but many colleges and universities apparently reported empty dorms for the 2020 counts. It's not known if that was the case in Crete, and Doane officials could not be reached for comment. A Census Bureau spokesperson declined to comment on Crete's complaint and instead pointed to the section on its website explaining the Count Resolution Program. Eligible governmental entities have until June 2023 to submit a formal protest, and the Census Bureau has until Sept. 30, 2023, to render a decision on whether to make any changes. Ourada said he's confident Crete will hear from census officials before then. He's also confident that the agency will rule in its favor and adjust its population count. "We fully expect our population and our census numbers will be amended," he said. Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Google Cloud has announced a collaboration with Lyve, a global logistics solutions and technology company, that is transforming last mile delivery solutions in the UAE and beyond. The collaboration enables Lyve to operate a digital SAAS platform built on Google Cloud, that connects businesses with partners and customers and facilitates running their entire supply chain smoothly and efficiently. Lyve connects businesses with their partners and customers through a patented cloud-based logistics platform and digital transformation innovations that facilitate millions of orders every month. Online businesses The company has created an ecosystem of digital products which fulfil the requirements of online businesses at any point throughout the last-mile journey. Lyves digital platform and flagship service is built from the ground up on Google Cloud. With its flexible pricing, agile pay-as-you-go model, and managed solutions that automatically scale with Lyves business needs, Google Cloud gives Lyve fast access to a set of high-quality and reliable services that ensure efficiency and security on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Through the use of Kubernetes, CloudSQL, and Firebase, service delivery speed and quality are all enhanced. Establishing their entire back-end on Google Cloud enables Lyve to focus on nurturing their customers and partners businesses, without having to be concerned about the core system infrastructure and the disadvantages associated with an on-premise set up. Lyves customers also benefit from running their logistics operations smoothly on the digital platform, giving them the opportunity to focus on expanding and driving further growth to their businesses. Customer satisfaction Within Lyves digital platform on Google Cloud, customer satisfaction is embedded as a top priority for the business as it provides real-time updates on delivery times, and dispatches drivers with multiple orders within nearby locations to ensure items are delivered on time and in one trip. Tarek Khalil, Director of Middle East and North Africa, Google Cloud said: Google Cloud offers industry tailored solutions to help customers digitally transform their business. Google Clouds collaboration with Lyve is an exciting opportunity to work within the logistics sector in the Middle East region, which is a very dynamic and fast-moving industry that has a huge impact on the global economy. The role of cloud in improving the speed and efficiency of services comes to the forefront in this particular business model, and we are pleased to be able to support Lyve in ensuring their customers have access to a seamless delivery service. George Chogovadze, Chief Technology Officer, Lyve added: "Our goal is to make it easy for our customers to provide a faster, more accurate, and interactive delivery platform. We take care of the logistics side of things, leaving them to focus on their core business". Google Workspace Lyve also uses Google Workspace which allows employees to connect, collaborate and work remotely across 15 countries. Google Workspace also enables Lyve to hire talent from anywhere in the world without a restriction to location, and most importantly, ensures that company data is stored securely on Google Cloud, without risking any possible data breaches.-- TradeArabia News Service RACINE A Racine man allegedly denied drinking and driving before immediately telling officers You got me for a DUI, I confess when asked to submit a breath sample. Isidro Jorge Gonzalez, 36, of the 200 block of Howland Avenue, was charged with misdemeanor counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (as a second offense) and operating with prohibited alcohol concentration (as a second offense). According to a criminal complaint: On May 4, Racine County Sheriffs deputy was on patrol on the Sixth Street near Memorial Drive when he saw a vehicle traveling without a license plate. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Gonzalez, who reportedly had slurred speech, glossy and bloodshot eyes and the moderate odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. He denied consuming alcohol. He underwent field sobriety tests. When the deputy then asked for him to submit to a preliminary breath test, the suspect replied You got me for a DUI, I confess. A blood test at Ascension All Saints hospital revealed he had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.224, nearly triple the legal limit. Gonzalez has an initial court appearance set for Friday at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Countywide, approximately 24.56% of registered Racine County voters cast a ballot in the election that ended Tuesday. County Clerk Wendy Christensen, in a phone interview Wednesday, called that level of turnout actually, probably normal to average. Christensen said that Election Day was similar: pretty normal, with no major issues, other than a voting machine breaking down in the Town of Norway. That problem was resolved quickly, as a machine was transferred for the day from the county to the town. There was also a complaint raised at the Festival Hall polling place by an election observer who claimed they werent allowed to be close enough to voters, Christensen said. The City of Racine did not reply to a request for comment by press time Thursday. The unofficial results of the elections were published by the county before 9 p.m. Tuesday, less than an hour after polls closed. Everything went smoothly at the end of the night, Christensen said. Thats a sharp contrast from some other communities, such as in West Allis, where the clerk told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a number of voters were surprised to find out they werent eligible to vote in the City of Milwaukee mayoral election, and in Wausau, where not enough ballots were printed before Tuesday, requiring city staff to print more in the afternoon. Spring elections tend to have the lowest turnouts of any election in Wisconsin, excluding primaries, as there is rarely more than one statewide race on the ballot. On Tuesday, the most prominent elections on Racine County ballots were for a regional Court of Appeals judge, a number of contentious school board races in western Racine County and seven County Board districts ending the day with new supervisors elected. In the past seven April elections in Racine County, turnout percentages have been as low as 18.62% in 2017, when there was an uncontested state Supreme Court race and the final election Tony Evers, now the states governor, won to be state superintendent; and as high as 59.75% in 2016, during a presidential primary where, in Racine County, Ted Cruz took more votes than Donald Trump among Republicans and Bernie Sanders won more votes than Hillary Clinton among Democrats. Its too early to get an exact turnout percentage for Tuesdays election, as all voters who registered on Election Day have not been entered into the state database. But for comparison to previous years, here is the preliminary Racine County 2022 turnout estimate, obtained by dividing total votes cast by number of registered voters in the county, with the biggest race on the countys ballots listed parenthetically: 2022: 24.56% 24.56% 2021: 21.03% (election for state superintendent won by Jill Underly over Deborah Kerr) 21.03% (election for state superintendent won by Jill Underly over Deborah Kerr) 2020: 48.59% (presidential primary) 48.59% (presidential primary) 2019: 34.12% (state Supreme Court race; Brian Hagedorn defeated Lisa Neubauer) 34.12% (state Supreme Court race; Brian Hagedorn defeated Lisa Neubauer) 2018: 31.44% (state Supreme Court race; Rebecca Dallet defeated Michael Screnock) 31.44% (state Supreme Court race; Rebecca Dallet defeated Michael Screnock) 2017: 18.62% (state superintendent, won by Tony Evers) 18.62% (state superintendent, won by Tony Evers) 2016: 59.75% (presidential primary) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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 Coinciding with the Holy Month of Ramadan, Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East has launched the Road to Mecca, a four-part docuseries that ventures through 5,000 years of heritage, history and the present day simultaneously. The campaign focuses on the journey of Nabil Al Rostamani, a successful commercial aviation pilot, and his journey of self-discovery as he leaves behind his pilot wings to retrace the historic pilgrimage routes by road, from the UAE to Saudi Arabia. The journey to Mecca is a pilgrimage which many faithful Muslims have embarked on for thousands of years during the Holy Month of Ramadan. It is a time of year in which people focus on the things that really matter: their families, their unshakable values and their faith. In the footsteps of ancestors As Muslims continue to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors, the Mercedes-Benz campaign aims to highlight how the historic journey to Mecca has been transformed by modern technology. A journey on the ground that once took months to complete, enriched with the exchange of goods, ideas, and traditions, can now be completed in the span of a few hours by air. While the pilgrimage itself remains sacred, the tradition, heritage and history associated with the ancient journey on the ground has faded away with to the onset of modern technology. Speaking to the launch of the campaign, Krishan Bodhani, Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing of Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East, said: Mercedes-Benz has held a long and proud heritage and history in the Middle East, and we are constantly working towards ensuring that we are a part of the continued development and growth of the region across all fronts including its rich history and timeless traditions. It is with great pride that we embark on this journey to Mecca together, and we thank Nabil Al Rostamani for allowing us to be a part of his deeply personal experience. The four-part docuseries The four-part docuseries follows Al Rostamani devoted father, adventure seeker, nature lover and hero of this iconic journey. A successful commercial aviation pilot, Nabils career sees him take to the skies as he whizzes to different destinations. However, his fast-paced lifestyle means that he is always skipping past the world below without ever stopping or slowing down to enjoy the ride or the destination itself. Through the docuseries, audience members will gain the opportunity to come along Al Rostamanis journey to Mecca in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, all while retracing the historic pilgrimage routes our ancestors charted in their travels. The innovative docuseries aims to allow audience members to immerse themselves in the exploration of time, tradition and the priceless values that have withstood the test of time. Viewers will be able to see first-hand how a long trip can prove to be just as cathartic as the destination itself. Reliving fond memories Of his journey for the docuseries, Al Rostamani said: When I was offered the opportunity to partner with Mercedes-Benz to travel to Mecca, I just couldnt turn it down. Not only would I have the chance to relive the fond memories of the road trips I used to take with my father as a child, but I would also finally get to stop, slow down, and leave behind my pilot wings as I took the time to make the long road to Mecca in my G-Class. I am extremely grateful to Mercedes-Benz for the opportunity to be able to retrace my historic routes and allow me to share my journey of self-discovery with the world. The Road to Mecca docuseries will air during the month of Ramadan. Viewers can enjoy the four-part docuseries that will air weekly throughout the course of Ramadan on our dedicated YouTube channel and MBC Shahid.-- TradeArabia News Service GRAND ISLAND - Two pallets of tortillas were recovered by police Wednesday following a pursuit with a rental truck reported stolen in Grand Island. At 3 a.m. Wednesday the owner of La Mexicana Tortilla Factory reported a 26-foot yellow Penske rental truck was stolen from outside of the business at 383 N. Pine St. in Grand Island. Multiple tortillas estimated at $3,000 were inside, a Grand Island Police Department news release said. Around 8:20 a.m. the Nebraska State Patrol was notified that a Penske rental truck had fled an attempted traffic stop in Kearney with officers from the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office and Kearney Police Department. The truck entered Interstate 80 near Kearney and BCSO/KPD officers ended their efforts to stop the truck. About five minutes later, a trooper tried to stop the truck on eastbound I-80 but the driver refused to stop, a NSP news release said. The trooper then began a pursuit. The truck drove recklessly, weaving between lanes and leaving the roadway at times, the NSP news release said. During the pursuit, NSP dispatch learned that the truck had been reported stolen from Grand Island Wednesday. The pursuit lasted about 20 minutes with speeds reaching up to 70 mph, the NSP release said. Near the Alda I-80 interchange the truck entered the median and rolled onto its side. Troopers then took the driver, Tankika Beacham, 24, of Lincoln, into custody. She was transported to CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island where she was treated and released, and later taken to the Hall County Jail. Beacham was arrested on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of stolen property, driving under suspension, and an outstanding warrant from Lancaster County. According to NSP, the rental truck contained two pallets of tortillas. Finn is a stunning boy with a wonderfully sweet personality! He gives the best hugs and even wraps his paw around you! He was house trained in his previous home and should adjust well to a new home if given time and a consistent routine. This boy loves everyone and has done well with dogs and children of all ages under parental guidance. Finn is a great boy who would fit in well with nearly any family. His previous owner said he loves to play with balls and ropes and has good off-leash skills. If youre looking for an adventure buddy, Finn is your guy! Finn is a 3 year old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. He is neutered and up to date on vaccinations. Chubs is the sweetest older guy you will ever meet! This man is always the first to greet us in the morning when we come in with the cutest meows ever. He absolutely loves everyone he meets and will rub up against you for nonstop attention. In addition to being a super social man, he is also still quite the active and curious guy despite his age. He is always ready for his next big adventure and loves to explore his surroundings. He would love a home where he would have access to a window or two as well as he loves jumping from spot to spot to take in all his surroundings. Since Chubs is such a well-mannered and social man he should do great in just about any home including those with children of any age. He previously lived with several other cats so would most likely appreciate another feline friend in the home. He may do ok with respectful dogs as well given slow and proper introductions. Chubs is a 7 year old neutered male. He is current on his vaccinations and microchipped. Chubs is FIV positive. Please ask one of our adoption counselors for more information about FIV. He is a foster-to-adopt candidate. Chandler is a shy but oh-so-sweet guy looking for a quiet home with someone who will give him a bit of time to acclimate, feel safe and bond with his new person. Once he knows you are safe he will be your constant companion. He was house and crate trained in his previous home. He should adjust well to a new home if given time and a consistent routine. Chandler is not a fan of sharing his person/people with other dogs so he is looking to be your one and only. Since he is fearful with new people he would prefer a home with respectful teenagers who will give him time to warm up to them and who wont startle him. This intelligent boy already knows many commands/tricks like sit, shake, come in, spin, sit up and stay and wait. His previous family says he really enjoys learning new things and challenge/puzzle games. He is an active boy who loves to go for long walks and have play time in the yard. Once he is all tired out he enjoys snuggles on the couch and will even watch tv. He forms a tight bond with his people and wants to be by their side as much as possible. His previous family worked from home so Chandler is not used to being left alone for long periods of time. He would love it if someone in his new family is home for most of the day. Chandler is 2 years old and weighs 47 pounds. Half a Chandlers adoption fee has been sponsored by a generous donor! Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A new state report on alcohol consumption has raised alarm with local health officials, with related deaths on the rise and binge drinking rates nearly 10% above the national average. The report, from the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA), states, Excessive alcohol use remains a significant threat to the health, safety and prosperity of Wisconsins residents. While underage drinking rates have decreased, unhealthy and dangerous drinking among Wisconsins adult population remains disturbingly high. Per the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in 2020 over 3,100 deaths are believed to have been attributed to alcohol, an increase of 54% over the past six years. Approximately 27% of Wisconsinites use alcohol excessively, compared to the national rate of 17.6%. And according to SCAODA, Wisconsin is the only state where the excessive drinking rate in every county exceeds the national average. In La Crosse County, the binge drinking rate is 22-26%. The Alliance to Heal, a local coalition, states it is concerned about these statistics, and supports the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Projects initiative, Moving Forward: Policies and Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Excessive Alcohol Use in Wisconsin. The plan consists of 61 recommendations, assigned to entities and organizations including local government; state government; healthcare systems; community, educational, religious and civic organizations; and the alcohol industry. We as a community should consider accepting changes, Alliance to Heal leaders said. Reducing excessive alcohol consumption holds the potential to reduce alcohol related injury and death. Fatalities which can be associated with drinking include suicide, homicide, falls, car crashes, cancers, heart disease, liver disease, and more. In addition, the Alliance states that those who binge drink are twice as likely to use other substances, which may contribute to opioid misuse or dependence on illegal or controlled drugs. While the list of some five dozen recommendations sounds intimidating, the Alliance notes some are already in play and just need more attention, such as better enforcement of checking IDs to verify the person is of legal drinking age. Key recommendations from the report include raising the price of alcohol and reducing the number of places which sell it. Per the report, the excessive number of locations that sell or serve alcohol, combined with low price, has unintentionally created circumstances that enable underage drinking, excessive consumption with the injuries, violence, disease and death that follow. Previously, SCAODA says, municipal leaders believed that raising the number of entities serving or selling alcohol would benefit the community, but over the last 10 years it has become clear that clusters and areas with an overconcentration of alcohol outlets increase the likelihood of alcohol related disorder and crime, even when all the licensees are obeying the law. Additional recommendations include prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages at gas stations and vehicle charging stations, and requiring medical providers to conduct Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), which can help identify those either with or at risk of alcohol use disorders. We know more about the impact of excessive alcohol use on our health than we did 20 years ago, and we can work to ensure safer roads, events, and communities, as well as better health, the Alliance says. Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 'Research lasts' Susan Crutchfield shares expertise on WNYC's Radiolab In 2005, Susan Crutchfield used a UW-La Crosse research grant to produce and publish an article about Helen Kellers short-lived career in vaudeville. The article generated some initial buzz, but in the 17 years since, Crutchfield assumed it had gone to rest in a quiet, mostly forgotten corner of the internet. Then she received a call from one of the most popular radio shows in America. The call was totally out of the blue, says Crutchfield, an associate professor of English at UWL. She was contacted by a writer from Radiolab, a show produced by WNYC and heard by hundreds of thousands of people each week. "I told them I would answer their questions, but since it was going back almost 20 years, I wasnt sure how useful it would be. Crutchfields research and clips from her interview were featured in the shows March 11, 2022, episode, The Helen Keller Exorcism. The show explores one deafblind womans complex relationship with the memory of Helen Keller. Crutchfields expertise which extends beyond Keller and into the broader portrayal of people with disabilities in literature, drama and film was particularly useful during the portion of the show reflecting on Kellers time as a performer. Most people are familiar with the story of Kellers childhood: a young girl, deaf and blind, learning to read and write with the assistance of her teacher and companion, Anne Sullivan. Fewer know that, as older women in need of money, Keller and Sullivan performed their story in theaters across the United States and Canada a topic examined in Crutchfields 2005 article, Play[ing] her part correctly: Helen Keller as a Vaudevillian Freak. Crutchfield concludes that, because prevailing socioeconomic conditions limited career opportunities for women and people with disabilities, Keller had to abandon her political aspirations and embrace a theater circuit she may have otherwise avoided. One of the more important things about her adulthood is her political activism. She was very much on the side of workers' rights, unionism and even socialism, Crutchfield explains. Vaudeville was this job that she and Anne Sullivan Macy took because they didnt have another way to make a good living. They were both getting older. Annes health had never been great. And the lecture tours they had done in the past were too draining. Crutchfield says she was delighted to see that her article and insights proved useful to a show with so many listeners and so much name recognition. She was impressed, she says, by the way producers wove her contributions into the fabric of the larger, more complicated story. The overall experience can offer lessons for researchers from other subject areas, Crutchfield says. First, note-taking and documentation is vitally important. While the physical documents Crutchfield collected during her original research were long ago discarded, the notes she had saved on her computer allowed her to bridge gaps in her memory. Second, good research is valuable, even if the payoff isnt obvious or immediate. Im thrilled that it got this kind of public audience not just scholars, but other folks who listen to the show, Crutchfield notes. Its gratifying to know that, when I published this, it didnt just sit there with nobody reading it. The thing this really impressed upon me is that research lasts. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PHOENIX (AP) A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the United States to send weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday, continuing the outreach by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government to political and cultural institutions around the world. Ukraine needs three things to repel Russian invaders and prevent more civilian deaths: weapons, weapons and weapons, Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine's consul general in San Francisco, told Arizona lawmakers. He presented the war not as a struggle between East and West but as a war for the soul of humanity, and said time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an expected offensive on the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. Prompt American help will save civilian lives, he said, and pleaded for people not to look away even as the war drags on. The United States cannot afford Ukraine to lose this war, Kushneruk said. Because if Russia was to win, then we would all live in a world where the predator states ... would use force to redraw borders, and the countries and nations would again need to prove their right to exist. Kushneruk said Ukraine needs planes, anti-aircraft systems, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets systems and long-range missiles that can target Russian ships in the Black Sea. You cannot win the war against Russia with just rifles and bulletproof vests," Kushneruk said. He said he was speaking to state lawmakers to emphasize the importance of states maintaining strong sanctions that would deprive the Russian government of income it could use to replenish its military. The 39-year-old diplomat was formerly posted to the United Nations and in the protocol office for Zelenskyy and his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, according to his online biography. NATO countries agreed Thursday to ramp up the supply of weapons to Kyiv, including hi-tech arms. The U.S. says it has provided $1.7 billion for Ukraines defense and aid since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is looking across the board right now not only at what we provided, and what we continue to provide, but whether there are additional systems that could make a difference. Kushneruk's speech continues his government's prolific work to win hearts and minds around the world. Zelenskyy has in recent weeks appealed directly to national legislatures, including the U.S. Congress, and to the United Nations Security Council. And he spoke directly to a global audience in a taped speech aired during the Grammys last weekend. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Middleton doctor who was found dead in Iron County over the weekend after going missing in late March was hiking alone when the edge of an embankment likely collapsed beneath her and she fell, authorities said Wednesday. An autopsy showed that Dr. Kelsey Musgrove, 30, died because of traumatic injuries she suffered during her fall down the bank alongside clay and rocks, Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich said in a statement. Musgrove died within minutes of the fall, according to the autopsy results. Her body was found Sunday partially buried in a steep clay bank on the edge of a river in the Potato River Falls area in the town of Gurney. Samardich said it appears Musgrove ventured off the path to try to get closer to the river. Musgroves last contact with people was on March 26 when she told them she had arrived at Potato River Falls. The Iron County Sheriffs Office received word on March 30 that Musgrove had not returned home to Middleton and began an extensive search for her that included 25 agencies from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Musgrove was a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She earned her bachelors degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle before going to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University in Miami, according to online listings that UW Health spokesperson Emily Kumlien confirmed. Musgrove did her surgical residency at the West Virginia University School of Medicine before starting the fellowship at UW Health last year. UW Health in a statement said it was deeply saddened by Musgroves death. She was recognized by her peers as a great surgeon, an outstanding mentor and an incredibly kind and positive spirit. State Journal reporter David Wahlberg contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Premium automobile brand Exeed, after making its Russian debut earlier this year, received unanimous high praise from Russian drivers and was awarded the distinction of "Breakthrough of the Year" by Russian media. The new auto brand is scheduled to make its debut in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar later this year and is also preparing to enter the Iraqi market, said the statement from Exeed. Two of Iraq's leading dealers are now also in talks with the automaker. The car is on track to start appearing in Iraqi showrooms later this year, it added. A new entrant in the global high-end automotive market, Exeed has inherited the accumulation of some hundred years of experience in the European car industry, and brought on board hundreds of competent designers and engineers with profound experiences from BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and other European carmakers. The new model comes equipped with a proprietary four-wheel drive architecture, a spacious interior, an intelligent panoramic sunroof as well as heat insulation and sun protection. The premium luxury leather seats and two 12.3-inch HD LCD screens empower a high-end and comfortable experience. In addition, the top-class Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) ensures safe driving, it stated. Exeed has incorporated into its production processes the latest intelligent technologies from around the world, empowering the automaker in its challenge to traditional premium car brands. The brand stands apart from its rivals by virtue of its lineup of vehicles that can withstand extreme weather conditions, as evidenced by the results of tests performed at the extreme low outside temperature of -50C, at the extreme high of 55C that can be experienced in Middle East deserts as well as amid the rugged conditions found atop South America's 3,750-meter-high Altiplano, it added..-TradeArabia News Service